Browsing Tag

Spring 2016

Charlotte Tilbury

Charlotte Tilbury Matte Revolution in Between the Sheets and K.I.S.S.I.N.G Lipstick in Kiss Chase

February 11, 2016

There are two new lipsticks from Charlotte Tilbury this spring named by Charlotte Tilbury lovers via social media. There is a new Matte Revolution Lipstick in Between the Sheets and K.I.S.S.I.N.G Lipstick in Kiss Chase ($32 each, both exclusive to CharlotteTilbury.com). This season I swear lipsticks are draining my beauty budget. There are quite a few new launches this season from so many brands – being the Charlotte Tilbury fan that I am, I had to order both sight unseen even though there is no counter or store to see these two since they are online exclusives (at least they are in the US).

Above left is Kiss Chase, right is Between the Sheets

Both shades have a very romantic feel to them. If you visit Charlotte Tilbury’s website you will see a few beauty looks and the transformation with color is amazing! Between the Sheets is described as a dreamy vintage rose petal shade. I find it’s a bright baby petal pink with a hint of coral if that makes sense. It’s what I wanted Marc Jacobs Georgie Girl and Tom Ford Pink Tease to be on me. It’s the Matte Revolution formula which is one of the best matte lipstick formulas on the market (review on other shades in this post here). It has full coverage but still looks natural and non-cakey. There’s a tiny bit of shimmer in the tube but it doesn’t show on on the lips. Kiss Chase is a warm bright raspberry color. It looks like it would pull cool-toned on my lips, but once applied, it looks more warm. This is the K.I.S.S.I.N.G formula which is full coverage, creamy and has a slight sheen in the finish.

A closer look at both shades + swatches.

Lip Swatches, up first is Between the Sheets:

Some swatch comparisons:

Burberry Kisses Lipstick in Nude Pink (swatched here)
Marc Jacobs Georgie Girl (swatches here)
Charlotte Tilbury Miss Kensington (review here)
Tom Ford Forbidden Pink (on the lips here)
Tom Ford Pink Tease (swatch here)
Bite Beauty in Heather (review here)
MAC Without Your Love (here)

Next up is Kiss Chase:

Comparison swatches, if you find Kiss Chase to be too bold/bright, I’d highly recommend you try Edward Bess Night Romance instead which is the best raspberry cream lipstick I’ve ever tried:

Marc Jacobs Beauty Kiss Kiss Bang Bang (swatched here)
Charlotte Tilbury Matte Revolution in Bond Girl and Walk of Shame (swatches here)
Tom Ford Lip Color in Negligee (swatched here)
Buxom Bold Gel Lipstick in Forbidden Berry (on the lips here)

There are so many new lipstick formulas and options to pick from right now. I wish I could say that you should save your $$$ and skip these, but the formula is phenomenal. I’ve repeatedly mentioned that I’m not a fan of matte lips for me – I have full lips to begin with and mattes often make them look larger and flat in color. The Charlotte Tilbury Matte Revolution Lipstick Formula is one of the few that manages to look luminous and matte at the same time. Between the Sheets turned out to be brighter and a bit more mod-like on my lips than I anticipated, but I love it. Kiss Chase is a bright and vibrant rosey shade. Even for a neutral lip lover like myself, I can’t help but think it’s such a pretty bright that I don’t feel self-conscious wearing.

I think if you like these kinds of shades, the Charlotte Tilbury lipstick formulas are top notch in terms of quality, wear and lasting power. I give both Between the Sheets and Kiss Chase a huge thumbs up. You can find both Between the Sheets and Kiss Chase exclusively online at Charlotte Tilbury ($32 each).

Have you checked these out or ordered them yet? What did you think?

34 Comments
GWP

Space NK Spring Beauty Edit Gift With Purchase Event – February 11th, 2016

February 10, 2016

It’s that time of year again for the Space NK Spring Beauty Edit! On February 11th for one day only, Space NK is hosting their spring gift with purchase event. Exclusively for the event, and while supplies last, with any purchase of $250 or more you will receive a gift of minis from Space NK’s curated must-haves list. There are items from 25 of Space NK’s featured brands. Items include a mix of deluxe, travel and full-size items. For the first time, they’ve opened up early access to loyal N.Dulge Members on February 9-10 before the offer opens up to the public on February 11th. This gift with purchase will sell out in stores early, but will also be available to online shoppers at www.us.spacenk.com on February 11th (US only). 

The gift contents are valued at over $400 and contains:

  • Space NK Limited Edition Cosmetic Bag 
  • 111SKIN Space Defence Bright Eye Lift Gel NAC Y2 (5ml) 
  • Bumble & bumble Straight Blow Dry (15ml) 
  • By Terry Mascara Terrybly in Black Parti-Pris (4g) 
  • Chantecaille Bio Lifting Cream+ (5ml) 
  • Diptyque Candle (assorted scents, 35g) 
  • Eve Lom Cleanser (20ml plus muslin cloth) 
  • Goldfaden MD Plant Profusion Regenerative Night Cream (7ml) 
  • Juara Candlenut Hydrating Shower Gel (59ml) 
  • Kat Burki Complete B Eye Crème Concentrate (5ml) 
  • Kevyn Aucoin The Eye Pencil Primatif in Defining Navy (0.024oz) 
  • Lancer The Method: Polish (0.5oz) 
  • Lilah B Divine Duo Lip & Cheek trio in b.real, b.fearless, & b.sassy (0.6g x3) 
  • Lipstick Queen Vesuvius Liquid Lipstick in Vesuvian Candy (full-size) 
  • Lord & Berry 20100 Crayon Lipstick in Intimacy (0.06oz) 
  • Malin + Goetz Grapefruit Face Cleanser (15ml)
    MD 
  • Solar Sciences Mineral Crème SPF50 (.25oz) 
  • Mila Moursi Revitalizing & Beautifying Oil (8ml) 
  • Mio Workout Wonder (30 ml) 
  • Natura Bissé The Cure Sheer Cream (3ml) 
  • Oribe Supershine Moisturizing Cream (15ml) 
  • Philip B. Light-Weight Deep Conditioner (0.5 fl oz) 
  • Radical Skincare Advanced Peptide Antioxidant Serum (8ml) 
  • Ren Keep Young and Beautiful Instant Firming Beauty Shot (10ml) 
  • Rodial Bee Venom Cleansing Balm (20ml) 
  • Sunday Riley Good Genes (10ml) 
If you’re looking to stock up on skincare, haircare or had some items on your wishlist, you might want to take advantage of this tomorrow. If you’re shopping in store – call your nearest Space NK as soon as possible to see if they can pre-sell anything. They run out of these gifts every year. A few ideas and suggestions just in case:

Shown above:
Will you be shopping the event tomorrow? If yes, what’s on your list? If you’ve seen the new By Terry lip balms, what did you think? You can shop the event tomorrow in stores and online at Space NK, while supplies last. Do note the gifts sell out very very fast each year – due to the limited quantities I wanted to give you a heads up!

Preview of Space NK Spring Gift With Purchase kindly gifted by the Space NK team.

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Uncategorized

Tatcha Sunrise: A Plum Blossom 23-Karat Gold Illuminated Lipstick (Limited-Edition)

February 10, 2016
Tatcha just launched a new lipstick called Sunrise: A Plum Blossom ($55 for 3g/0.1 oz, made in Japan, limited-edition). As soon as I heard about it I immediately ordered a few as it looked like a pretty plum pink lip color I would wear everyday. Tatcha’s Sunrise Lipstick is one of the most luxurious lip colors I think I’ve ever splurged on. Everything is exquisite from the box to the packaging design of the tube. It’s described as a cool plum pink blush color that has a fine hint of 23-karat gold mixed in for a creamy, lustrous finish to flatter any complexion, day or night. I see a very fine veil of gold in the color but on the lips it applies more like a cream. It’s very creamy and smooth and glides on the lips easily without having too much slip. I’m so impressed with the way it feels – it’s very moisturizing but feels lightweight. I can’t detect any scent or taste which is a huge plus. Lasting power for this glossy finish lipstick is pretty impressive. On me it pulls more pink than plum and brightens the entire look for a fresh pink glow. Do note that on me, anything plum-toned tends to pull brighter and more vibrant for some reason. I recommend you check out the swatches on The Non-Blonde and Best Things in Beauty to see how it looks on other skintones.

Tatcha’s Sunrise Lip Color is inspired by the first spring time blooms of the iconic pink Japanese Plum Blossoms in Kyoto. Here in Southern California we don’t have any but I played tourist in my hometown and took a visit to the Japanese Gardens at Balboa Park to see what blooms I could find. Right now the Pear Trees are in full bloom everywhere with pretty white blossoms.

A closer look at the packaging and intricate details. The lipstick comes in a heavy weight sleek metal tube. It’s quite luxurious and I love the clean classic look of it. There are gold details on the cap and base that give this an extra special touch.

Above, on the nails Essie Barefoot and Topless 
Below, a look at the multi-faceted design of the lipstick itself

Another look at the detailing:

Some swatches, applied straight from the tube it adheres well to the lips, but with glossy lipsticks sometimes they swatch sheer on the arm. I have one light and one heavier one to show how you can build the pigment. On the lip swatches lipstick is applied straight from the tube.

Some comparison swatches:

Charlotte Tilbury Matte Revolution Lip Color in Bond Girl (reviewed here)
Tom Ford Lips and Boys in Cary (swatched here)
Tom Ford Lip Color in Pink Dusk (on the lips here)
Tom Ford Lip Color in So Vain (on my lips here)
Chanel Rouge Coco Mademoiselle (reviewed here)
Burberry Kisses Lipstick in Rose Blush (swatched here)

Note many of the above colors look similar on the arm, but they are pretty distinct in my opinion, especially on the lips. Tatcha Sunrise is the brightest and most youthful. Tom Ford Lips and Boys in Cary looks a lot deeper and darker on my lips. Tom Ford So Vain is significantly cooler-toned and more blue-based. Chanel Mademoiselle is warmer.

Tatcha’s Sunrise A Plum Blossom shade is hands down a winner. Even with the high price point of $55 I think it’s something that will be truly a universally flattering color no matter what skintone or lip color you have. Everything from the formula, packaging and way the lipstick is molded is exquisite and well worth the high price tag. I think it’s the perfect bright but still somewhat neutral pinkish color with a hint of plum to add life to the complexion this time of year. It’s the color I will be wearing on Valentine’s Day 🙂 It’s a soft romantic pink that has enough pigment to show up but still neutral enough to be on the natural side. I believe it’s exclusive to Tatcha.com (where I ordered mine). Since it’s limited-edition, I do recommend ordering very soon. The last one that was launched sold out very quickly (it was a red shade and I missed out).

Right now, Tatcha has a promotion to Celebrate the Lunar New Year and a golden future ahead with their Omokage Gold-leaf Hand Mirror, a hand-crafted treasure from Kyoto. You can enjoy a complimentary Hand Mirror with code MIRROR16 at checkout at Tatcha with any order over $200. Begins 2/7/16 while supplies last.

Have you checked out the new Tatcha lipstick yet? If not I hope you will! If you have, I’d love to hear what you think about it!

39 Comments
Eye Makeup Tom Ford Beauty

Tom Ford Cream Color for Eyes – Spring 2016

February 9, 2016

 

This spring Tom Ford has launched eight shades of Cream Color for Eyes ($45 each for 0.17 fl oz/ 5 ml, made in Italy). Two of the eight shades have been launched before as individual cream colors in Platinum and Spice. One of the shades Caviar has a very close resemblance to Black Oyster Cream Powder Duo from a year ago (swatched here). The new ones launched this spring are smaller in size compared to previous launches, but the quality is still extremely good, easy to blend with pretty good lasting power for a cream shadow. All the colors have some degree of shimmer. According to Tom Ford PR, all the shades in this launch are limited-edition.

 

 

I have seven of the new ones swatched and reviewed. I didn’t repurchase Spice as I already own the full size and it was also part of the Naked Bronze Cream Powder Eye Duo which is the same for the cream color, but I have re-swatched it for reference. The colors in this launch are quite stunning. Descriptions of each color:
  • Opale is a pale champagne ivory shimmer, the shimmer is smooth and non-glittery, although the shimmer is definitely noticeable
  • Sphinx is an iridescent pink gold peachy duo chrome color, the shimmer flecks are slightly more visible and larger in this one compared to other shades, it’s not a full on glittery shade, but the sparkle factor is definitely there, even though there are chunks of sparkle, it’s smooth and I didn’t experience any fallout
  • Platinum is the perfect lids-but-better kind of subtle contour light beige tan color for me, it has a smooth shimmer that works so good alone or as a blending shade
  • Siren Blue is the only color that I can’t see myself wearing alone on a regular basis, I did try this alone and it gives the lids the prettiest wash of aqua colored shimmer. It’s not for me alone, but I did try this one layered softly over Midnight Violet and Caviar for two separate looks. Add this one on top and it gives the other shades a soft iridescent sheen.
  • Burnished Copper is a shimmering khaki olive color, it has a very smooth texture similar to that of Platinum
  • Midnight Violet is a deep violet shade, it sheers out when you blend it on the lids, but is easy to layer and build
  • Caviar is a deep metallic grey-black shimmer with tiny flecks of silver shimmer, it’s not as sparkly as Sphinx but the shimmer particles are visible for a smokey shimmer look

 

Close ups of each shade:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

To apply the shadows, I like to use fingers or any one of these brushes.

 

 

My favorite cream shadow brush to use is actually a concealer brush. The Chanel Brush #10 is my go-to for cream shadows. It has a smooth tip and it’s just the right size to blend colors nicely on my lid (not too small and not too wide). I also really like the Laura Mercier Corner Eye Brush for powders and creams. To layer and blend creams as a detail color I like Tom Ford’s Eye Definer Brush #15.

 

Swatches left to right are Platinum, Opale, Sphinx, Spice (original), Siren Blue, Burnished Copper, Midnight Violet and Caviar

 

 

I did three different eye looks to share for some ideas, in each one I used only the cream shadows listed, nothing else for eye bases or liners:

 

 

 

 

For comparisons, I pulled a few other Tom Ford Cream Shadows (most of which have been discontinued or limited-edition colors) and some Charlotte Tilbury Eyes to Mesmerize Cream Shadows. In my testing experience the cream ones from Charlotte Tilbury have the most similar texture in terms of how emollient they are, pigment and color payoff, shimmer and overall quality. I find all of these last extremely well throughout the day without fading, creasing or budging – but do note I think I may be the only person I know who doesn’t have oily lids. Most eye bases are too drying for my skin.
Below for size and packaging comparisons:
Swatch Comparisons 1: Note the original and new Platinum colors are identical, but if you’ve played with it you know that depending on the angle the light hits it sometimes you see more of the shimmer, other times you will see more of the tan base. All the shades in Set 1 are from Tom Ford. Escapade, Pink Haze, Spring 2015 have been d/c.

 

 

Swatch Comparisons 2: Shown below are some of the Charlotte Tilbury Eyes to Mesmerize Eyeshadows and NARS Dual Intensity Eye Shadows.

 

 

Based on my comparisons, Tom Ford Opale is a lighter version of Charlotte Tilbury Norma Jean. On my skin once blended, they are similar. I have a slight preference for Norma Jean, but both shades are such pretty neutral shimmers.

 

NARS Himalia is more metallic and frosted than Tom Ford Platinum. Charlotte Tilbury is a few shades darker and warmer compared to Tom Ford Platinum. I’m a sucker for a good taupe shimmer, but I think Platinum is a must no matter how many other taupes you own.

 

Between Charlotte Tilbury Bette and Tom Ford Spice, I vote for the Charlotte Tilbury in terms of color choice. It’s warmer in color, but I think they are close enough that you don’t need both.

 

Tom Ford Midnight Violet almost seems like a muted violet plum shimmer, but when swatched next to Charlotte Mona Lisa, the Tom Ford almost looks bright.

 

I don’t own many aqua colored shadows, NARS Lysithea is a cool-toned sage, on my skin it pulls almost blue.

 

 

Bottom line all winners. With the exception of Siren Blue, I can see myself wearing each color on a regular basis for everyday. They have enough shimmer to dress up the look for an easy evening look. You can always layer powder shadows on top of these colors. They have an emollient texture that makes them super easy to blend. It takes a little bit of time for them to set which I like because then I don’t have to rush the blending and layering process. I think the only color some might have issue with is Sphinx – it’s the most unique peachy gold shade that flashes pink, but there are tiny micro sparkles I think some might find too sparkly. I really like it, alone or layered over another shade, but if you’re super conservative on the shimmer you may want to see if you can test before buying. What I like the most about these is that they brighten the eyes with the prettiest wash of shimmer. They are indeed on the pricey side, but a little goes a long way. All the ones I’ve purchased in the past have lasted a long time and none of them have gone bad yet.

 

According to Tom Ford PR, these are all limited-edition. If there’s one shade you track down, definitely pick up Platinum if you don’t already own it.

 

You can find the Tom Ford Cream Color for Eyes now. Online at Neiman Marcus, Nordstrom, Saks Fifth Avenue and Tom Ford Beauty.

 

Five of the shades featured sent courtesy of Tom Ford Beauty for review consideration, two of the colors purchased by me.
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Chanel

Chanel Les Sautoirs de Coco Collection for Spring 2016

February 5, 2016

There’s a new pearly-themed beauty collection that just launched for Chanel this spring. The collection is called Les Sautoirs de Coco which features a mix of pale pearly shades and bright pinks. In past years these white pearl-themed collections seem to have been Asia exclusive colors, sometimes launching later in the US in late summer as Nordstrom Anniversary exclusives. Last year Chanel launched the Collection La Perle de Chanel in the US. This year they have the Les Sautoirs de Coco and it’s nice to see them launching these kinds of mini collections in the US (although it’s hard to believe a year has already flown by!). The inspiration and theme according to Chanel:

“Inspired by Gabrielle ‘Coco’ Chanel’s love of pearls, a new makeup collection glimmers with iridescent and luminous shades of white, pink and soft grey, while classic black elements bring an unexpected contrast to the soft colour range.”

I ordered items sight unseen. Based on the online stock photos I knew this collection would either be hit or miss as some of the pink lip colors look very cool-toned, but I decided to go outside of my comfort zone and see if I could try a few new brighter shades. A few weeks ago this was exclusive to Chanel.com, but now appears to be at counters and online at Nordstrom and Neiman Marcus. What I purchased:
Glossimers in Babiole, Pinctada and Clarté ($30 each)

Swatches of the items and then some thoughts below on each item:

I’ll start with my favorite item in the collection which is the Perles Et Fantaisies Highlighter. This appears to be somewhere in between a cream and powder. It’s neither creamy nor powdery but it is very smooth with a very subtle glow. I swatched it above with a very heavy hand so you can see the color differences between each shade. On my medium olive skin the highlighter shades both look the same and give a very delicate luminous glow. On the cheeks it gives a soft hint of shimmer. This is one of the most natural-looking highlighters I’ve ever tried. If you find most highlighters too shimmery, too glowy or too frosty, you might want to look into this one because the shimmer is very finely milled. Color payoff is very natural on my cheeks when applied with a blush brush. If you want a more visible glow but want something natural I’d recommend you check out the Hourglass Ambient Strobe Lighting Powders or Hourglass Luminous Light instead. If you’re ok with some serious glow, check out the Natasha Denona Glowing Skin System. The overall effect of the Perles Et Fantaisies Highlighter is very natural but still noticeable.

Given the number of highlighters and glowy products that are out on the market right now, I can’t personally deem it a must-have. I think there are a lot of other options that are more affordable. Still the quality is there with this one. It adds a nice subtle glow without emphasizing pores or making the skin look overly shiny. I do think because of the semi-sheer finish that some will find this simply too natural or sheer to justify splurging. I have no regrets buying it and I do really like it though.

Swatched with a very heavy hand:

Next are two items for eyes. There’s a new Les 4 Ombres in Tissé de Lune. This one reminds me of an older Chanel quad that I cannot recall the name of. This is a pearly quad with the baked formula. I’m not a fan of the baked formula and wish Chanel would skip that kind of formula entirely. The pigment is decent with this one though. The colors apply with visible pigment and they aren’t chalky. However the 3 lighter shades when applied on the eyes end up all looking the same on my skin. They are distinct if you swatch side by side, but once you layer they all kind of disappear into the same light colored shimmer. It will give the eyes a very bright glow kind of highlight that I find pretty. They are pale shades but not too pale or garish (sometimes light shades have a sharp contrast to my olive skintone).

The quad layered on the lids – as you can see below the colors are pretty sheer and all the shades look similar on the eyes. The flash washed out the color a little bit but it leaves a subtle gleam of shimmer on the lids:

There’s a new Illusion D’Ombre in Iridescent. This one is really pretty and gives the lids a wash of opal shimmer that flashes tiny bits of pink. You can layer for more intensity but this is one of those nice brightening kinds of eyeshadows that you can wear all over the lids. It has a very slight duo chrome quality without being too shimmery or frosty. I really like this one.

Swatched below, left is blended and right is layered:

Last but not least are three Glossimers in Clarté which is a sheer opal pink shimmer, Babiole a cool-toned bright raspberry fuschia cream and Pinctada which is a cool-toned bright pink shimmer. I absolutely love Clarté which gives the lips a really pretty wash of color. It has a similar effect to Songe (which I couldn’t find in my stash to compare) in the sense it gives the lips a gorgeous glow with a hint of iridescent shine.

Although I am a neutral lip lover at heart, I do find Pinctada a wearable color even though it’s on the bright side. It’s cool-toned but not too cool that I find it turns blue on my skin.

Babiole is something that doesn’t work for me. The pigment and color payoff is very good, but because it’s so blue-based it contrasts with my skintone and looks garish. I think it looks ok in the detail swatch below, but when you see it against the whole face it just clashes with my olive skintone. I think it looks absolutely gorgeous on Christine from Temptalia – so if you haven’t seen her post, be sure to check out her swatches.

If you’re a Chanel fan and have been curious about this collection, I hope you found this review helpful. I think there are definitely some items worth checking out – my top three picks are the highlighter, Illusion D’Ombre and Clarté Glossimer. I do think if you’re trying to narrow down your purchases for highlighter this season, skip the Chanel highlighter and opt for something from Hourglass, Natasha Denona or Tom Ford instead. That being said if you’re always in search of something with a subtle glow and find most highlighters too glowy, this one might be one you have been searching for – it has the most finely milled glow that I’ve ever seen in any highlighter. I’m personally not crazy about the Tissé Ombre de Lune eyeshadow quad or the pink glossimers, but that’s mainly because of my color preferences. For lips Chanel just launched the Rouge Coco Stylo lipsticks and the colors look very promising so I would say save your $$$ for those instead. I just received 3 colors today and will have a post next week with swatches – but here’s a quick peek at #218 Script which is a perfectly creamy pigmented neutral beige pink with a bit of brown.

You can find the Chanel Les Sautoirs de Coco Collection now online at Chanel.com, Nordstrom and Neiman Marcus. All the items are limited-edition.
Did you check out anything from this launch yet? What did you think?
39 Comments
Eye Makeup Fragrance Highlighters Tom Ford Beauty

Tom Ford Beauty – New Spring 2016 Launches

February 1, 2016

There are quite a few new items launching this spring from Tom Ford Beauty. There appear to be mini product launches versus a full seasonal collection release. I did some major hauling over the past few weeks and have thoughts + swatches of my picks to share today. Shown above and swatches of what I picked up below:

Honeymoon Eyeshadow Quad ($80, on backorder at Neiman Marcus) 
Lip Color Shine SS16 ($52)

First up are new eyeshadow quads. The good news is that there are new eyeshadow quad colors in Disco Dust, Honeymoon, Last Dance, Starry Night and Lilac Dream. The bad news is that some like Cognac Sable are being discontinued. I picked up two of the new quads, the neutral warm ones in Disco Dust and Honeymoon. I had to call around to several stores to track down Honeymoon a couple weeks ago. I heard these are permanent so even though Honeymoon seems to be sold out for now, it should be available for purchase when they restock.

Both quads pull very warm on me. They also have shimmer in them which is absolutely stunning. Disco Dust has a cool silvery mauve sparkle, a warm satiny tan, a copper peach shimmer and a dark plum brown shimmer. Two of the shades are very similar to NARS Hammamet Eyeshadow Duo (swatched here) so if you’re not a fan of glitter, you may want to check out the NARS.

Honeymoon is one of the warmest eyeshadow quads I own. It has a shimmering tan, shimmery copper bronze, reddish auburn shimmer and reddish plum. This one pulls very warm on my eyes but it’s still very wearable if I layer and blend it and use the two darker shades along the lash line smudged. If you are very fair this one will pull a lot more red on your skin compared to me. On deeper tan skintones, I think this one will look absolutely amazing on.

Swatch comparisons to Charlotte Tilbury The Dolce Vita (another warm quad I have) and Tom Ford Orchid Haze. In terms of neutral quads, Orchid Haze is one of my favorite everyday neutral palettes from Tom Ford.

Quick eye swatch/look of Disco Dust:

There are two scents launched for early spring called Soleil Blanc. Since I was a huge fan of the Shimmering Body Oil from last year, I picked up both the fragrance and oil. I think I could have skipped the Soleil Blanc Shimmering Body Oil, although it smells amazing. I prefer the fragrance simply because it’s stronger and I feel like it’s not as messy as the shimmering body oil. Also this year’s oil seems to be more emollient than last year’s which I found absorbed quickly into the skin. This one has a lingering feel that isn’t greasy, but definitely noticeable, almost like it’s slightly sticky. For both of these, there isn’t much I could find online to describe the notes except that it has floral combined with amber. 
Soleil Blanc Eau de Parfum is a white floral. I don’t find amber notes to be very strong – but when I smell it closely, I can see how there is some blended in because this isn’t an overly powdery floral. It’s a warmer weather scent but I’m completely obsessed with it right now. The Soleil Blanc is what I wanted the Guerlain Terracotta fragrance from a few years ago to smell like (which I found too strong and too floral last time I smelled it).

Next up are one hit and one miss for me. I had very high hopes for the Lip Color Shine in SS16 and Shade and Illuminate in SS16. I almost never try lip color testers at the counters because they are loaded with germs, so I bought the Lip Color Shine without trying it on the lips. On the hands it swatched like a gorgeous glossy nude. On my lips it looks like concealer.

Swatched below is uneven, streaky and concealer-like on my pigmented lips:

If you’re like me and can’t pull off pale nudes, you may want to check out Lip Color Shine in Bare instead which is more pink in color:

Swatch comparisons:

Tom Ford Lip Color in Nude Vanille
Tom Ford Lip Color in Sweet Mystery (swatched)
Tom Ford Lips and Boys in Eddie (swatched here)
MAC Lipstick in Creme de Nude

Last but not least is the new Shade and Illuminate in SS16. This is the first Shade and Illuminate product I’ve tried from Tom Ford even though there are two other shades. This is a sheer dewy cream illuminator duo. The texture is very dewy and glossy for a natural sheen. I don’t think it will be everyone’s cup of tea since it’s on the dewy side. I like using this as a base for powder blushes or bronzers because it gives the skin a natural glow from within look. If you have oily skin you many want to proceed with caution on these. On my skin this gives a barely there glow. I actually still prefer the Edward Bess All Over Seduction highlighters (they are my holy grail cream highlighters), so if you want something more versatile and more visible, check out the Edward Bess ones instead.

Two sets of comparison swatches:

Tom Ford Skin Illuminator in Fire Lust (discontinued, review)
Tom Ford Cream Blush in Pink Sand (discontinued, review here)

Edward Bess All Over Seduction in Sunlight, Afterglow and Paradise

There’s lots to explore from Tom Ford right now. I believe there is a mix of permanent and limited-edition items. I suspect the SS16 items are all limited, but the quads are reported to be permanent. Also new from Tom Ford includes a new Purifying Cleansing Oil that I’ve been testing (review soon). It looks like new items for lips and eyes that just launched online including Cream Colors for Eyes, Patent Finish Lip Colors and High Definition Eye Liners.

Out of the items I reviewed on the blog today, I would say that my top picks are the Soleil Blanc Eau de Parfum, Disco Dust Quad and SS16 Shade and Illuminate Duo. The SS16 Lip Color Shine doesn’t work for me by itself – I suspect it can be easily fixed with a deeper lipliner like MAC Boldly Bare or Subculture though. Honeymoon is all kinds of gorgeous – but does pull dark and warm on me. It’s very pretty on but I prefer Disco Dust.

Have you checked out the new items from Tom Ford yet? Some pieces have sold out on different sites so if you’re shopping online you may have to order from multiple places.

Eyeshadow Quads can be found at all Tom Ford retailers such as Nordstrom and Neiman Marcus.

The Soleil Blanc Eau de Parfum appears to be exclusive to Neiman Marcus at the moment.

SS16 Shade and Illuminate + Lip Color Shine can be found at Nordstrom, Neiman Marcus and Net-A-Porter.

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Formula X #ColorCurators: Song of Style Collection

January 31, 2016

This year Formula X has launched a special series of colors called #ColorCurators. They’ve teamed up with 10 major digital influencers in beauty, fashion, and wellness to design a series of customized nail polishes with a new trio of polish colors launching each month. The first collaboration features shades inspired by fashion blogger Aimee Song from Song of Style. I picked up the three shades from my local Sephora before they sold out in stores. The colors are limited-edition but you can still find them online at Sephora ($12.50 each).

The three shades in this collection include three cream colors:

  • A Girl’s Best Friend is a pastel pink
  • Mintfluencer is a pastel mint cream
  • Nude for You is a beige tan nude
When it comes to pastel creams, I think formulas and application can be tricky for any brand. So many pastels look chalky or are difficult to apply smoothly if you want full opaque coverage. Many go on splotchy with the first coat, some even out with the second, but a lot require a super steady hand and I avoid them because they are frequently high maintenance to get even coverage. I was thrilled to find that the colors from the FormulaX ColorCurators collaboration this month have good smooth coverage and were not streaky. The first coat with all of the shades is on the thin side and will look a tiny bit streaky. The second coat smooths out color perfectly without any issues. The key is to let the first coat dry completely though. If it’s still wet when you put on the second coat, the brush will drag the color and make it look blotchy. I have quick swatches of each shade to share in case you’ve been wondering about them.
A Girl’s Best Friend is a pastel pink. I do think this one requires a bit more care to apply simply because of the formula. It can look messy if you get this one in the cuticles, so I recommend cleaning the nail well and making sure your cuticles are trimmed before applying. I like using the FormulaX System with these polishes because it works really well to get smooth coverage and extend the wear of their polishes.

Next up is Mintfluencer. I’ve mentioned numerous times on this blog that I think mint colors are hard to pull off for nails for my yellow/olive skin. If it has too much yellow or green undertone it can make my hands look sallow. If it’s too pale, it ends up looking chalky and well, too pastel. FormulaX Mintfluencer has a really good mix of blue and enough color that it makes for a really fun true mint cream manicure. It surprised me how much I like it.

Another look in direct sunlight:

Last but not least is Nude For You which has a gorgeous mix of beige nude. It gives the hands a clean polished look. I think this one is my favorite of the three. Shown with two coats below:

For colors that might be seemingly basic, I give all three a huge thumbs up for color and formula. Lasting power on these polishes is very impressive – they last at least 7 days without tip wear or chipping although they absolutely need a top coat to help protect the polish. Pastels have been done a million times over, but I think creating the right mix of color and pigment is difficult to pull off in order for a pastel polish to be naturally flattering on the skintone without looking chalky. FormulaX has nailed it (no pun intended) with these colors. The shade Nude for You is absolute perfection in terms of being a true beige nude that give will the hands a nice polished look and still give it life. It has enough tan in it so it won’t make the hands look corpse-like or sallow. Mintfluencer is such a fun mint cream, the fact that I find it wearable for me is huge since I’m not a big fan of mint colors for nails in general. If there was one color I would say might be ok to pass on it’s A Girl’s Best Friend. It’s a really pretty soft girly pink cream, but I think can be easily duped with other shades from OPI or Essie. Still it’s a wearable soft pink shade that I think will be a classic.

You can find the Formula X Color Curators shades exclusively at Sephora. I checked a couple stores this past week and both were completely sold out of the shades. Your stores might still have them in stock but you can still find them online at Sephora.com right now.

Have you checked out these colors yet? What did you think?
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