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YSL Volupté Sheer Candy in Lush Coconut 01

July 17, 2011
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.
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Dior Addict Lipstick: Model 564

April 1, 2011


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:

In direct sunlight:

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Dior Addict Lipstick: Urban 178

March 31, 2011

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

All have that sheer shimmery glossy texture:

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New From Dior: Addict Lipsticks (Revamped)

March 30, 2011

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.
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Dior Holiday Continued: Minaudière in Pink Golds & 5 Couleurs Gold Edition in Five Golds

October 22, 2010

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.







Overall thoughts: LOVE.

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Something Old, Something New: NARS Oasis & Oasis

August 2, 2010
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.
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Make Up For Ever Aqua Creams Warm Beige 13 & Taupe 15

July 2, 2010
It seems many of my recent purchases have been inspired by others. The new Make Up For Ever Aqua Creams $22 (from Sephora) are no different. This post I dedicate to Lakshmi. She had her eyes on these as soon as they came online and e-mailed me “gorgeous taupe eyeshadow alert!” the moment her Sephora received their shipment. I immediately went to Sephora the following week to check them out and my first try, I was not impressed. I’m not sure if it was just the questionable sanitary tester conditions, poor lighting, or use of my fingers that had me leaving empty handed. The first time I tried it, it didn’t blend well and looked extremely muddy on the eyes.

However, after getting more info from Lakshmi and reading Karla’s post about her swatch adventures with the MUFE Aqua Creams, I decided to try it once more. I have to say I agree with Karla that applying with fingers isn’t the best way to apply them. Spreading the color on the eye with my finger leaves an uneven application since it sets fast and doesn’t blend well. It applies much better when you use a brush. I used my MAC 242 and Bobbi Brown Cream Shadow Brush (one on each eye today) and I can definitely see a difference in the application.

Those not familiar with MUFE Aqua Creams – they are a new high pigmented cream shadow that is long-wearing and waterproof. I can’t attest to the waterproof part. I have tried their Aqua Lip Liner in 1C and I can’t say that it was longlasting. However the Aqua Creams do indeed last a long time without fading. Right now they are a Sephora Exclusive in the U.S. When I was at Sephora, the sales rep told me he recommended that I apply with a brush in thin layers. He said the pigmentation/texture of the cream was such that if you apply too much at first, you will get a cakey layer that will crack when dry. I’m not sure if this is true or not, but his input/advice did make sense.

I ended up coming home with #13 Warm Beige (which is a pale champagne pink) and #15 Taupe (a shimmery taupe):






I tried #2 Steel at Sephora with a Q-Tip applicator and it lasted from 1:00 pm to 9:00 pm without any smudging or fading. The only reason it came off was because I removed it in the shower. I passed on it at the store because it seemed similar to Bobbi Brown Galaxy (which I don’t find myself wearing frequently). I wasn’t able to compare it side by side, but knew I most likely wouldn’t use it a lot.

Those wondering, I swatch tested a few shades meant for cheeks. I personally didn’t see how it was possible to blend them on the cheeks since it’s a bit tricky for me to apply on the eyes. Some of the colors are stunning, but the texture seems too thick to be able to blend well for a natural blush.

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