Over the years I’ve discovered a number of excellent foundation primers such as MAC Prep & Prime, Chanel Base Lumiere, Le Blanc de Chanel, Smashbox Photofinish, NARS (the original version) and Guerlain Meteorites Light-Diffusing Perfecting Primer. I’m always on the hunt for tips and tricks that will help me achieve that flawless foundation finish. Primers are often key to achieving a natural even look. Considering the fact that I have sensitive skin, I’ve had quite a bit success in finding good primers from numerous brands, however, few have managed to keep my makeup looking fresh all day from morning until late afternoon. I was recently sent a sample package from Hourglass and over the past week have been putting the Veil Mineral Primer to the test. The primer comes in 2 sizes at Sephora: 0.33 oz for $17 and a larger size of 1.00 oz for $52 (both with pump dispensers). I received the smaller size to sample. The product comes in a liquid formula with a white tint. The satiny finish is supposed to smooth out the appearance of your skin, absorb oil and minimize pores. From the swatch below you can see that the product lightened my skin slightly.
The Veil Mineral Primer is described as oil free, paraben free, fragrance free, nanoparticle free, gluten free, synthetic dye free, sulfate free, phthalate free, vegan and water resistant. The ingredient listing is shown below:
I’ve tested this for a few days and am very pleased with the results. The liquid fluid texture makes it easy to apply as it glides on flawlessly. I found one pump sufficient to cover the entire face which provides your skin with a smooth satiny canvas. I was surprised how the Veil Mineral Primer helped the application of the foundation to achieve a truly flawless finish. I love that the box had a few tips on how to apply this product – I found these extremely helpful.
I tried this primer several different ways:
Method 1: Apply like a regular primer all over the face (over Cle de Peau moisturizer & under Guerlain Lingerie de Peau foundation) – my foundation and powder lasted all day and looked just as fresh as when I first applied it, however this made my face look pale and pasty from the white cast of the primer
Method 2: Apply all over bare face (skip moisturizer and apply Guerlain Lingerie de Peau) – same result as above, but I believe you need a moisturizer, the finish really is so satiny that without moisturizer, I personally thought this felt too dry on my skin
Method 3: Mix 1/2 and 1/2 primer and foundation (tested with Guerlain & Chanel) – the result was less white, but my foundation was lightened by a tiny bit
Method 4: Mix 1 part primer to 2 parts foundation (tested with Guerlain & Chanel) – this was the best result for me and mixing a larger proportion of foundation to about a 1/2 pump of the primer and blending with a foundation brush gave a smooth velvety looking finish and helped my foundation/powder last all day
Overall I am thoroughly impressed by the performance of this primer. After several days of using this, no breakouts, no clogged pores, no irritation, no dryness or thick feeling finish. I can’t believe how well my foundation, powder and blush have been holding up in the summer humidity. I still need a touch up on the nose in the afternoon, but the Hourglass Veil Mineral Primer has helped make my makeup last longer than most primers. Have you tried this primer before? Thoughts? Application tips?
YSL Volupté Sheer Candy ($30) is one of the newest lipstick/lipbalm formulas from YSL. It comes in 6 different shades (all shades seen and reviewed on Karla Sugar and Best Things in Beauty) and is designed to give a sheer but hydrating tint of color to the lips. I saw these at Sephora about a month ago, had a gift card burning a hole in my wallet and decided to give the light beige-gold, Lush Coconut 01, a try.
Lush Coconut is a pale beige gold shimmer in the tube. On the hands and lips, it’s so sheer, nothing shows up. Just shine. I know these are meant to be sheer, but I was rather disappointed with the finish. For $30, I could have achieved the same effect (hydration and shine) with something much more cost-friendly. The darker and brighter shades do give a tint, but from what I saw/tested, you can also find cheaper drugstore chapsticks that will do the same trick for a much better deal. The formula isn’t long-wearing. It has a somewhat slippery texture and feels like it will slide right off the lips within 2 minutes (even though it does not). Are there any pros? They do have a delicious mango-candy scent, however I wasn’t really keen on the taste from it sliding off my lips within minutes. The packaging is the most beautiful out of all the Rouge Voluptés with the silver tube (instead of the gold). These deliver a high shine which is nice, but it’s not enough to win me over.
Here it is compared to Chanel Rouge Coco Shine in Canotier and YSL’s Rouge Volupté Perle in Beige Caress. I prefer Chanel’s even though the swatch looks sheer, on the lips there is a better finish with the Chanel.
Bottom line: Save your money unless you like super sheer and pretty packaging. Normally I like sheer, but I found this one just too-sheer to feel worth the price. Perhaps you will have better luck with the reds in this collection. Still, I think you can find better for cheaper in other brands. MAC Lustres are just one type of sheer lipstick that comes to mind. I did swatch Lush Coconut on my lips for this review, but it looks clear so I decided not to publish the lip-swatch photo. * Update* Per request, I’ve uploaded a lip swatch.
Some might wonder if these might work as a finishing gloss over a lip pencil. Perhaps it would work. I personally would not try it, especially in the summer time. Given the slip of this lipstick, I think that applying these over lipliner would not extend the longevity of the wear. I would be worried that it would make even long-lasting lipliners bleed.
Dior Addict Lipstick in Model 564 is another Sephora exclusive. It’s described as a “sheer warm pink” infused with subtle pink shimmers. Sometimes it looks pink, sometimes it looks coral. It appears bright but the sheer texture gives a softer finish on the lips compared to what you see in the tube. The pigment is decent for a sheer lipstick. After testing it a few times, I found the best application is with one swipe on the upper and lower lip. Swiping more than three times applied too much product leaving lips a bit too moist feeling. These definitely have a lip-balm like texture and feel (but not quite as emollient). Lasting power is on the light side (as expected from a sheer glossy lipstick). I do find the brighter colors stain the lips slightly so as the lipstick wears off some remnants of color stay behind.
Compared to MAC Melt In Your Mouth, Chanel Gardenia, Dolce & Gabbana Love and MAC Made With Love
Lip swatched on me, I think this is a color that will look very different on others depending on skintone and natural lip color. It looks brighter and more vibrant in real life – I think the lighting and flash sheered out the color a bit:
Dior Addict in Urban 178 is a Sephora exclusive. It’s a pale frosted pink with a sheer glossy finish. The texture is very moisturizing. About 6 hours after it has faded, my lips feel soft and smooth (bonus!). Being a lighter shade, I found the pigment to be on the sheer side. Compared to the Chanel Rouge Coco Shine in Boy, it has a similar natural finish but harder texture which I think helps the color show better. The new Dior Addicts apply better than the recently discontinued Addict High Shines which I found a bit tacky in texture. The new formula is smoother with a high shine finish. Being a lip-balm like lipstick, lasting power isn’t the best. I’ll have to test the brighter shades to see how they wear. So far thumbs up for an easy fool-proof type of lipstick if you don’t mind re-applying. As an added bonus for those sensitive to fragranced products – no detectable taste or scent with these lipsticks.
When trying Dior Urban 178 out at Sephora on my hand, I thought it would have been too pale for my skintone. I would have gone with a slightly brighter neutral pink like Basic 253. This particular shade was sent to me by Dior and surprisingly, it’s not too pale that it washes me out. The sheerness helps make this color more wearable. I suspect wearing a lipliner blended out on the lip first will help the color last longer. If I were just the slightest bit darker than I am right now (about a Chanel Vitalumiere Aqua in 20 which equals a MAC NC30) I think this color would have been too pale by itself.
Compared to a few other pale pink shimmers: Dior Addict Urban, Chanel Rouge Coco Rose Comete, MAC Lipglass Oyster Girl, MAC Lustre Lipstick in Politely Pink
Dior has released their new Addict Lipsticks ($28 each) in a wide array of shades in the US. The new lipstick formula is designed to provide high shine and high color while hydrating and plumping the lips. The entire Dior Addict lineup consists of over 40 shades (exact number is something I have not yet been able to determine). It can be a bit of a hunt to find all the available shades as some are exclusive to certain stores. Sephora has their own set of exclusive colors and so far 983 Insoumise is the known exclusive to Nordstrom. In addition, there are colors that are available online at Dior.com and Nordstrom that are are not available at Sephora. {Update: refer to the comments below, a sweet reader did the research to find out which shades are available at various retail locations! Thank you Shannen!}
Top are new tubes, blue tube is an older version of Addict, the next tube without the stripe is the first version of Addict High Shine
Long time Dior fans know that the Addict Lipstick has gone through several revamps over the years. The earliest revamp I can remember is when they changed their gold tubes into a sleek dark blue tube and gold cap to mimic the shape of their Addict Eau de Parfum. The next revamp changed all the gold to silver. Next was the release of Addict High Shines. This brings us to present time with the Addict formula of 2011: same shape of tube, but slightly taller and with a silver banded stripe near the top.
My thoughts & experience: I am one who has a slight feeling of panic when I hear the word “revamp” because I hate to think of something I love being discontinued. Dior has gone through a number of revamps to introduce new product innovations with more advanced formulas to deliver more pigmented colors with better wear while also improving the skin. At times I find it a bit overwhelming to sort through. I haven’t kept up on the new Addict Ultra Gloss or new revamped Rouge Dior lately – but after seeing these on Café Makeup, the beautiful Dior couture on British Beauty Blogger, The Blonde Salad’s Dior experience in Paris, and after browsing the adorable Dior Addict mini- site with the beautiful video featuring Kate Moss on Dior.com – I couldn’t help but run to Sephora to try these (since they had the first exclusive release in the US).
Once I arrived at the Dior unit, my mouth dropped at the sheer number of options I had to choose from. It was overwhelmingly fun but I quickly found myself a bit lost with all the colors swiped on my hand and couldn’t recall which was which. I had to swatch and re-swatch several times before deciding on a few shades.
Before going to the store, I highly recommend you browse through the Dior.com Addict interactive section which allows you to see each shade close up and pops up a mini description. Make a mini list of the numbers and colors that catch your eye and take it to your Dior counter for notes. There are a number of colors that fall close to each other (many of the beiges are similar, same with the hot pinks). The upside of the wide selection is that you’re bound to find at least one shade that fits your taste.
The testers were brand new so I felt comfortable trying them on the lips. The texture is like a lip balm without the slick. They are smooth but are hard enough to deliver natural sheer to medium pigment with shine. I came home with Rose Déshabillé 260 (sheer shimmering pink), Model 564 (sheer warm coral pink), Beige Casual 222 (neutral beige – Dior’s classic beige that seems to be reincarnated with each new release), Tokyo 422 (sheer peachy pink). Urban 178 (a pale frosty pink) was included in a package sent to me from Dior (along with post cards and stickers).
More detailed descriptions, swatches and close ups to come soon. Just as a quick FYI the new 222 Beige Casual is more peachy than past 222’s.
I picked up two more items from the Dior Holiday Collection – the Dior Minaudière in Pink Golds 002 and the 5 Couleurs Gold Edition in 5 Golds 001 (see Part 1 here). Both are elegant, stunning and perfect for taking the holiday season.
The Dior Minaudière in Pink Golds 002 ($80) comes in a heavy but small clutch and contains three sparkley eyeshadows (dark plum, silvery plum taupe and light opal pink). There are two glosses, also sparkly pinks. The detailing on the compact is absolutely divine. I like that there is a slim swiveled covering over the glosses to prevent any debris from the shadows from mixing with the gloss. I’ve never been a fan of Dior’s trendy-packaged items but this clutch was just too pretty to pass up. The colors are dupeable with similar other brands and colors but there is no substitute for the luxurious soft texture and quality of these eyeshadows. They have a multi-dimensional quality that no photo or swatch can truly capture. I love it and also purchased the grey version from Saks (coming soon). It’s not the most practical compact but every once in a while I’ll see something so pretty I really don’t care that it’s impractical.
Beautiful detailing (the tag comes off):
Close up of the eyeshadows and glosses:
The new quint in Five Golds 001 ($58)was one of the items I was most excited about. This one has been a bit tricky to locate. I checked my local Nordstrom, Neimans and Bloomingdales and all had the tester but no product to sell yet. They said their shipment had been delayed for this item. Being the impatient girl that I am, I searched the web and found it online at Sephora. This quint seems different than the regular and iridescent formulas because it’s labeled “Gold Edition.” All the colors are a powder formula but there is no quilting imprint. Also, the bottom left pearly shade seems to have a slight cream-glitter finish. Those who cringe at glitter need not worry – the glitter is fine so it’s not over the top. I would describe the colors as a midnight black with silver microsparkles, a warm copper-gold blend, a warm bronze, silver, and beige-opal sparkle.
This past weekend, I checked out the new NARS Lipglosses ($24) released at Nordstrom (Luxor) and Sephora (Super Orgasm, Oasis, Luster, Angelika, Albatross), all inspired by various blushes and multiples by NARS. I thought I would need one of each since I love all the corresponding cheek shades (except for Albatross), but I only came home with Oasis, a beautiful pink with golden sparkles.
Here is the Lip Gloss compared to the Blush, not exactly 100% alike, but similar:
The Lip Gloss is a pretty blush pink. I found it similar in color family to Risky Business and Stella. The difference for me:
Oasis: most pink, has a cream pink base with golden sparkles
Risky Business: more frosty all the way through, shimmer is multi-colored with a silvery sheen
Stella: more reddish, shimmer is complex with reds & pinks
Note that the blush swatch is not exactly reflective of how this goes on the cheeks. It looks muddy-brown here, on the cheeks it’s a rose pink with brown. The lighting last night was playing tricks on me, so here it is in different lighting to give you a better idea and show you the difference. Depending on which light you look at the glosses in, sometimes the 3 glosses look exactly the same. On the lips – Oasis and Stella look extremely similar on me.
My personal thoughts on the other shades: I passed on the other glosses. Lovely, but I’m still a bit undecided. At Sephora, I was drawn to Super Orgasm and Luster but the glitter/shimmer chunks seemed a bit too big for what I’m used to. Albatross was pretty, but sheer. I’m not a fan of the Albatross Highlighter, but the gloss was pretty. Angelika was too cool for my skin, although I adore the blush. At Nordstrom, Luxor was too pale and cool toned for my taste. It looks like something that would work well over other lipsticks.
