Browsing Tag

Spring 2015

Marc Jacobs Beauty

Marc Jacobs (P)outliner Longwear Lip Pencil

February 24, 2015

Marc Jacobs Beauty has released three new lip pencils called the (P)Outliner ($24 each for 05g/0.01 oz). These are long-wear twist up creamy pencils with rich pigment. All three are cream shades without any shimmer and are the perfect modern nudes. In terms of wear they glide on well although they aren’t super emollient (like some glossy pencils) so you may need to warm up the tip a bit by swiping on the back of your hand. Once you apply on the lips they go on very smoothly and with full coverage. Lasting power is very very good. I swatched all on my lips for reference (more below) and had to use a dual-phase eye makeup remover (my current fav is Chanel) to get the product off my lips. There is no detectable scent with these.

The three (P)Outliner shades include Prim(rose) which is a nude-brown rose, Nude(ist) which is a brownish flesh nude and Honey(bun) which is a peachy pinky nude. I’m completely in love with the names.

Here are swatches with the liners lined around the lips and filled in for reference. These are extremely pigmented lip pencils and due to the richness I recommend you apply some kind of lip primer or balm underneath if you want to use them all over the lip. The intensity can emphasize lip lines if you use it all over. I recommend using these as a traditional lip liner around the edges and blended slightly. Note these are all swatched on a bare lip.

Some comparison swatches for reference:

The labeling on the packaging really sums it up. These stay put on the lips for all-day wear and will go well with a wide range of lip colors.

Overall huge thumbs up. The three shades are all on the warm side but still lean neutral on my olive skintone. If you are one who can only wear strictly cool-toned colors these may be too warm for you. The formula is super creamy and the lasting power and pigment are phenomenal. These days I have neglected most of my lipliners (with the exception of Chanel and Charlotte Tilbury) because I am usually a swipe and go kind of lip person. These lipliners are really fun and go really well with the New Nudes Lip Gels though and helps to extend the wear. If you’re near a Marc Jacobs boutique or Sephora I highly recommend you give these a closer look. I hope Marc Jacobs will expand the color selection. The formula is really really good.

The Marc Jacobs (P)Outliner is available in stores and online at Marc Jacobs Beauty and Sephora.

The Marc Jacobs liners were provided courtesy of Marc Jacobs for review consideration.

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Marc Jacobs Beauty

Sneak Peek: Marc Jacobs Beauty Spring 2015 New Nudes, (P)Outliner and #Instamarc

February 24, 2015

Here’s a quick sneak peek at some new items from Marc Jacobs Beauty to which I have two words: nude perfection. In addition to the 20 shades of the Le Marc Lip Cremes released earlier this month, Marc Jacobs also has released a collection of items for lips and cheeks with a nude theme. The new spring items this season:

(P)Outliner Longwear Lip Pencil ($24 each)

  • Nude(ist) 300 – cafe au lait
  • Prim(rose) 304 – cocoa spice
  • Honey(bun) 302 – rosy nude

#Instamarc Light Filtering Contour Powder ($49 each)

  • Dream Filter 20 – soft pink/ medium bronze
  • Mirage Filter 40 – light gold/ light bronze
  • Hi Fi Filter 60 – warm peach/ deep bronze

New Nudes Sheer Lip Gel ($30 each)

  • Strange Magic 102 – warm nude pink
  • Have We Met? 108 – shimmering warm pink
  • Understudy 114 – terracotta pink
  • Eat Cake 150 – rosy nude
  • Role Play 110 – dusty rose
  • Anais 146 – spiced ginger
  • Moody Margot 106 – brownish nude

The Shape Contour and Blush Brush No. 15 ($38)

I will say right now that when they call the lip liners “longwearing” it’s no joke. They last a ridiculously long time and are ultra creamy with super rich pigment. Some of the New Nudes Sheer Lip Gels appear to be repromotes/repackaged shades of the original Lip Gels. I’ll do a swatch comparison of the original vs new of the shades I have to see how close (or how different) they are. Also shown above is the Style Eye-Con 3 in The Ingenue 102 which isn’t new but fit the nude theme so I’ve featured it above.

All available now online and in stores at Marc Jacobs Beauty and Sephora. 
Items above sent courtesy of Marc Jacobs for review consideration.
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Eye Makeup Tom Ford Beauty

Tom Ford Cream Color for Eyes Spring 2015

February 22, 2015

For spring Tom Ford has released a new Cream Color for Eyes called Spring 2015 ($42 for .21 oz/6 g, limited-edition). This is a smokey grey color with a hint of gold shimmer in it that gives it a bit of warmth and makes it look like it has some khaki tones. It’s a very creamy shadow that is emollient when you first apply it. The color is shimmery with a luminous quality, not frosted. For me this one proved to be a high-maintenance kind of color to create a smokey eye. It takes patience and layering to get this one right but the color is quite amazing.

The pigment is quite intense with this color so a little bit goes a long way. The emollient texture makes it very easy to blend and sheer out, but if you let it set without touching for a minute or two it will set and not budge (unless you rub your eyes). I played with this a couple different ways.

1) As a traditional cream shadow I found it worked best when layered. It doesn’t need a base but to create a natural gradient for a smokey eye I found this worked when I applied a neutral nude shimmer first like NARS Dual Intensity Eyeshadow in Himalia all over the lids. A neutral shimmer creates a base that gives the darker cream something to blend into to remove any signs of harsh lines. As a shadow, I needed two to three layers of this along with the nude shimmer. The good thing is the color is blendable and quite intense so this is a shadow you can use alone without any liner needed. Just let the color sit for 1 minute in between layers, apply the first layer as a sheer wash, then progressively intensify the pigment by applying more and blending upwards. You can use fingers or a brush like MAC 239 or I also like Chanel Brush #10 (it’s a concealer brush, but I prefer it for cream shadows).

2) This is also good if used as a smokey liner along the upper or lower lash line. The trick to keeping the pigment rich is to apply with a small smokey eye brush (I like MAC 219) along the upper lash line in a slightly messy smudged line. Let it sit for 30 seconds before you blend. Then repeat until you get the desired intensity.

Swatches heavy and blended:

The Spring 2015 Cream shadow alone on eyes layered over NARS Himalia:

Another swatch shot with different lighting shows how it looks khaki/brownish:

A few swatch comparisons below:

Tom Ford Cream Color for Eyes in Platinum (discontinued)
Armani Eyes to Kill #25 (discontinued)

The Tom Ford Cream Color for Eyes Spring 2015 is a stunning unique smokey cream shadow. The complex mix of gold, brown, bronze, khaki and black make this a warmer smokey shadow which is easier to wear compared to the traditional black or grey toned shadows on the market. There is a beautiful luminous quality to the colors that gives this dimension and depth making this a color you can use alone without any other colors needed. I found this to be well worth the splurge although it did take patience and a bit of extra work for me to apply just right. That being said, any smokey eye does tend to take extra work for me to get the blending down. The formula is super creamy and emollient making it blend nicely but those with oily lids need not worry. Once you let it sit it sets and I found it didn’t budge or fade. It lasted on me all day from morning to night.

Bottom line, definitely worth looking into. I bought my cream shadow from Neiman Marcus. So far I haven’t spotted it anywhere else. But if you’ve seen it please share in the comments. Note it’s limited-edition so if you’re interested in the color I suggest checking it out sooner than later.

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Uncategorized

Chanel Joues Contraste Powder Blush in Crescendo #250

February 21, 2015

There’s a new Chanel Joues Contraste Powder Blush called Crescendo ($45 for 4 g/0.14 oz, made in France, limited-edition). This is a soft luminous baby pink in the baked formula. For those new to Chanel blushes, in the powder form there are two formulas. Most US-sold blushes are pressed powders while all other countries have blushes in the same color/names but are baked. I almost always prefer the US version since I find the baked ones more sheer in color and quite a bit more powdery in texture. Crescendo seems to perform a bit more like the US versions even though it is baked and had quite a bit of powder kick-up when I dipped a brush into it.

Crescendo is a soft but buildable pink color. I would call it light to medium, leaning more towards medium in color. It looks bright in the compact but applies like a soft sheer pink. There is enough color in the blush that it shows up on my medium skin. It’s a neutral-cool color on me and gives a natural pink flush. It has an airy feel to it with the lightness and brightness the pink has. It’s not shimmery or matte, but rather has a soft luminous satiny finish.

Here it is swatched on the arm:

Comparisons to a few other blushes, note these were swatched with a light to medium hand, using an eyeshadow brush. The colors are all buildable for more pigment.

Chanel Narcisse (discontinued)
Chanel Angelique (new for spring, review here)

I found the closest dupe to Chanel Crescendo to be MAC Lovecloud in the pans and swatches, the MAC is slightly more pigmented and darker. I have a number of other older/discontinued Chanel and MAC blushes I suspect are similar that are unfortunately still boxed up (to be organized and put away in makeup drawers and shelves over the next week). Chanel Crescendo is a lovely soft pink but does seem to be something you can easily duplicate, if you own a lot of Chanel blushes I think you can safely skip and shop your stash. That being said, I do think it can be hard to find a good baby pink that has enough brightness in it to bring the skin to life, that isn’t too pale and that also doesn’t darken or look muddy after it warms up on the skin. Crescendo stays put on the skin without turning color and works as a good in between light and bright giving a luminous glow.

Due to the powdery texture, I do think this will look chalky or powdery on your face if you have super dry skin. It works well on mine right now, I always wear moisturizer + foundation + powder, but if you are slightly dry, I’d recommend adding a dewy cream blush or highlighter underneath to help the color adhere better to the skin (something like Edward Bess Sunlight works wonders).

I’m really happy with my purchase even though it is fairly similar to other pinks in how it wears on the face. I bought mine sight unseen from Chanel.com. It’s currently listed as limited-edition.

Did you check out anything from the Collection La Perle de Chanel? What did you end up getting?

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Chanel Rouge Allure Virevoltante and Aqualumiere Glosses in Tutu and Corset

February 20, 2015

I ordered three of the four lip items from the Collection La Perle de Chanel including the Rouge Allure in Virevoltante #158 ($36) and two Aqualumiere Glosses ($30 each) in Tutu #91 and Corset #92 (all limited-edition). All three are pinks with a very spring-like feel. Right now it appears the entire collection is exclusive to Chanel.com and Chanel Boutiques that carry the full beauty line (like Rodeo Drive, NY on 57th Street etc.). It may arrive at counters at a later date but I don’t have any information on release/availability. You may want to refer to the Chanel thread at Specktra for more insight and in-store spotting.

Swatches of the three lip colors (please excuse the misspelling of the rouge allure, should be labeled Virevoltante):

The Rouge Allure in Virevoltante is a creamy raspberry pink color. There is a tiny bit of shimmer in it, much like the secret shimmers in some of the nail lacquers. You see it in the tube, but it doesn’t translate on the lips. This gives the Rouge Allures a beautiful sheen and a bit of dimension. On my lips it’s a cream and although it doesn’t change color once applied (i.e. darken or oxidize), anything with a hint of fuchsia tends to pull very bright on my complexion. The coverage is medium but layer-able. There is no detectable scent from what I can tell. Lasting power is quite good until you touch the lips with a coffee cup or snack. It’s creamy, non-drying and feels very lush on the lips without that overly-moisturizing feel.

The two Aqualumiere Glosses are both very sheer. I’ve purchased quite a few of the glosses in this formula so it was no surprise that these would be almost transparent on the lips. On me they are too sheer to wear alone, but I’ve almost always liked wearing Aqualumiere glosses on top of lipsticks. They had a hint of shine and color without altering your lipstick color too much. They are more enhancing rather than tinting and feel super luxurious and smooth. If you like more color or if you have a lot of sheer glosses, I’d say skip these unless you’re a die-hard Chanel fan. I like these and will use them, but they will probably not be everyone’s cup of tea, especially at the $30 price.
Tutu is a baby pink with the prettiest soft shimmers. Corset is a brighter raspberry pink that has a rather complex mix of pink, rose and some fuchsia shimmers making it look different depending on how the light hits it. Both have a refined shimmer in the color (not frost). They add a lovely glow to the lips and these make mine look full.

There is one more item in the Perle collection for lips which includes this stunning lip palette called the Harmonie Levres Lip Palette in Arabesque ($55 for five rosy-toned lip colors). It was seriously tempting for me but I resisted purchasing it because I rarely use lip palettes, I tend to reach for lipstick tubes instead.
Overall I give the Rouge Allure Lipstick a huge thumbs up. It’s opaque, creamy and has a naturally glossy sheen. I like that it’s a vibrant raspberry pink that isn’t too bright making it wearable for everyday and also for night. I personally adore the Aqualumiere Glosses but the sheerness makes the colors easy to replicate with other lines.

You can find the Collection La Perle de Chanel online now at Chanel.com. All the lip items are limited-edition. If you’ve spotted in store or at counters please share in the comments 🙂

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Chanel Mysterio Illusion D’Ombre and Perle de Lune Stylo Yeux Waterproof

February 18, 2015

I ordered two eye items from the Collection La Perle de Chanel which includes the Mysterio Illusion D’Ombre ($36) and Perle de Lune Stylo Yeux Waterproof ($32, limited-edition). Both are cool-toned shimmers true to classic Chanel style.

Mysterio Illusion D’Ombre is a platinum silvery color that has a slight hint of khaki and silver mixed in. It’s a color that contrasts with my olive skin making this more dramatic on my medium-toned skin. On my lids it’s extremely sparkly with a dramatic sheen but you can blend out the color easily. I applied with my fingers and upon first swipe on the lids it looks extremely opaque. I’m usually in the 30 range for Chanel foundations. If you are fairer than me I suspect this color will look more sparkly and less dramatic in color on your skin. If you are darker this will look clearly silver. In the pot it looks neutral, on my olive skin it’s more cool-toned. The sparkle and shimmer is very fine and when I applied this with my fingers and a brush I experienced no fall out.

Perle de Lune Stylo Yeux Waterproof is a twist up eyeliner that is a stunning cool-toned grey shimmer. The color is almost blueish with a slight purply tint on my skin, but my olive skin tends to bring out the cool tones in anything silvery colored. This is the most beautiful color I’ve seen in a liner and it’s dark enough that I can actually wear it comfortably as a liner versus some of the lighter silvers that are gorgeous but, well, not something I can wear as a traditional liner. I’ve tried and bought a number of liners in the Chanel Stylo Yeux Waterproof formula and the wear and texture of these pencils is not always consistent. I’ve had a few that felt dry and didn’t glide on the lids well. I know some other bloggers I adore and respect have reported inconsistencies with their liners as well in other shades. I was relieved and pleased to find that the Perle de Lune I ordered glides on the eyes smoothly without any issues. There is no patchiness in the color or tugging with this pencil.

One more swatch shot with some sunlight shining through shows how these colors glow:

A few comparison swatches:

By Terry Ombre Mercure #15, Chanel Illusion D’Ombre in Fantasme, Chanel Illusion D’Ombre in Mysterio, Chanel Illusion D’Ombre in Epatant, Armani Eyes to Kill #9, #19 (discontinued), #4, #17 (discontinued), Laura Mercier Caviar Eye Stick in Moonlight

Urban Decay 24/7 Eyeliner in Underground, Chanel Stylo Yeux in Perle de Lune, Silver Light, Rose Platine, Chanel Le Crayon Yeux in Khaki Platine, Dolce & Gabbana Eyeliner #12 and #15, Burberry Effortless Kohl in Storm Grey, MAC Khol in Dig It! (discontinued)

I’m overall really pleased with both the Mysterio eyeshadow and Perle de Lune eyeliner. They are beautiful easy to wear colors that are perfect for spring and updating your makeup look for the season. For this collection, there are a few other items for the eyes including the Les 4 Ombres in Tisse Rhapsodie (I passed because I know it’s something I won’t wear due to the pastel/purple colors) and Tisse Vendome (repromoted quad, review here).
You can find the Collection La Perle de Chanel online at Chanel.com now. I am still trying to find out if this will show up at counters. If you’ve spotted it, please share in the comments 🙂
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Sneak Peek: Collection La Perle de Chanel Picks

February 18, 2015

Chanel just released new items in the Collection La Perle de Chanel on Chanel.com. I ordered some items at the end of last week and I couldn’t be happier with my picks. The colors are classic Chanel beauties. Here is a quick sneak peek, I’ll have swatches and reviews up today and tomorrow of what I ended up ordering. Above shown from left to right:

Virevolante #158 Rouge Allure (limited-edition)
Crescendo #250 Joues Contraste (limited-edition)
Perle de Lune #916 Stylo Yeux Waterproof (limited-edition)
Mysterio #102 Illusion D’Ombre
Corset #92 and Tutu #91 Aqualumiere Gloss (both limited-edition)

There are some items I did not order that are also in the collection including:

Harmonies Levres Lip Palette (limited-edition)
Tisse Rhapsodie #248 Les 4 Ombres (limited-edition)
Tisse Vendome #204 Les 4 Ombres (repromote, review here)
Inimitable Intense Noir #10 (repromote)
Rouge Coco Baume (repromote)

Right now it appears the collection is exclusive to Chanel.com. I don’t know if counters will be receiving it at a later date. I have read reports that Bergdorf Goodman had the collection in stores. More info and thoughts on the items are on Specktra.net. If you are interested in the items I suggest ordering sooner than later since the colors look like they are almost all limited-edition colors.

Stay tuned!
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