Spring 2017 Archives - Page 2 of 3 - The Beauty Look Book

Christian Louboutin Loubichrome Mini Nail Colours

January 27, 2017

Earlier this month Christian Louboutin launched mini nail polishes called Loubichrome Nail Colours ($30 each, 6 ml/0.2 fl oz). There are three colors in this launch with new limited-edition packaging where the tops have rainbow chrome-like tints. The colors are all shimmery with light-reflecting particles described as having a chrome finish. When it comes to metallics or chromes for the nails I’m super hesitant to try many brands mainly because of the streaking you can see with noticeable brush strokes. With the Loubichromes there is no streaking whatsoever – the shimmer is smooth and colors are easy to apply. Pigment is excellent with two coats. Right now the Loubichromes are the most exciting thing in nail polish for me with colors that are fun, unique and cheerful.

This is the first time Louboutin has launched the minis individually. (Minis versus full-size shown in this post here.) These run at a lower $30 price point which is easier to justify compared to the $50 price tag of the original/regular sizes. Still at $30 each these are very expensive – but quality-wise these are excellent. Packaging is a work of art. With Louboutin nail polishes I find they wear extremely well and last around 5-7 days without any signs of tip wear or chipping. I use several different top coats, a few favorites include the CND Super Shiney, Louboutin Loubi Nail Gloss (c/o), or the Nails Inc. 45 Second Top Coat.

The colors in the Loubichrome launch include:

Loubichrome I is described as an energetic yellow infused with lime green
Loubichrome II is described as a fiery rosy red
Loubichrome III is described as a glistening violet

Loubichrome I is the most edgy color, I rarely ever wear yellows or greens on the nails. This one is very much outside my comfort zone but I think it could be a fun shade for the summertime. Performance is perfect in terms of application and pigment. Swatched with two coats.

Loubichrome II is my favorite. It’s a metallic warm red rose color. I don’t own many shimmery soft reds, I have quite a few metallic pinks and fuchsia colors. This one has a pretty warmth to it and it’s a color I think I could wear year round. Swatched with two coats.

Loubichrome III is a really pretty iridescent violet. It flashes purple, pink, violet and has the most amazing metallic sheen to it. It’s definitely not a conservative color but it’s still very wearable. Swatched with two coats.

Bottom line: well made, beautiful but spendy. My favorite is the red one Loubichrome II, but all three shades are fun with a summery vibe. Loubichrome I is the most trendy color and I’ve tried yellow polishes in the past but don’t think I’m the type that can pull it off. I can definitely see myself getting regular use out of the purple one in the summer. I’m wearing it right now on the fingers and think it’s really pretty. It’s a nice change from the nudes and light pinks I’ve been wearing lately. I’ve been asked numerous times if these are worth the high price tag. My answer and thoughts discussed in this post here. Personal thoughts and feelings are still the same.

The Louboutin Loubichromes retail for $30 each, all limited-edition. You can find them at Nordstrom, Sephora, Neiman Marcus, Saks Fifth Avenue, Net-A-Porter and Christian Louboutin. Have you tried these? What did you think? If not, what are you loving for the nails right now?

Loubichromes sent courtesy of Christian Louboutin for review.

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Chanel Highlighters

Chanel Camelia de Chanel Illuminating Powder

January 25, 2017

Chanel launched a new highlighter called Camelia de Chanel Illuminating Powder ($70 for 6 g/0.21 oz, made in Italy). It’s currently available online at Chanel.com and comes in a solid mirrored compact, limited-edition red lacquered case, half-moon brush in a stunning embossed camelia pattern. This highlighter compact literally took my breath away as soon as I opened it – the pattern, texture, shimmer and color are just out of this world beautiful. It truly is one of the prettiest compacts I think I’ve seen. On the skin my feelings are mixed. This is a beautiful highlighter that I think has an exquisite type of prism-like shimmer but I need to apply with a very light hand on the cheeks or only use this on the eyes – otherwise it’s simply too shimmery for my skin tone.

Chanel describes this to be “a sheer highlighting powder” that “captures and reflects light for a delicate, luminous glow.” For my medium-olive skintone I don’t find it sheer or delicate. It’s a champagne highlighter with an intense sparkle with tiny micro sparkle particles. They aren’t glittery chunks but the glow particles are definitely bigger than finely milled shimmer. I know many of my readers are split into those who are anti-shimmer anything and those who love all the glow they can get. I am one who loves as much glow as I can get as long as I don’t end up looking like a frosted or gilded statue. In all the years I’ve collected Chanel highlighters I would say this one is definitely the most glitzy and sparkly of them all. Chanel highlighters have been all over the place from so sheer that you can use as an all over setting powder to a more noticeable glow to a more traditional highlight. If you remember the sparkly loose powders like MAC Silver Dusk or Laura Mercier Candlelight (both discontinued) – this Camelia de Chanel Illuminating Powder has a similar sparkly quality but in pressed form and also in a more beige-champagne color versus the light silvery pink tint the loose powders had.

There’s a slight texture that is noticeable if you swipe the powder with a finger but swatching it on the hand or arm it feels extremely smooth and silky. The pigment is quite intense but can be easily blended out for a more diffused look. I love this on the eyes for a good champagne sparkle highlight. On my cheeks it gives my face an almost wet-look effect with the way the light hits the shimmer – but I will note that some champagne highlighters don’t look good on my specific skin tone because of the way it either matches or is one shade too light. For example Kevyn Aucoin Candlelight looks good on everyone I’ve seen it on but on my skin tone it looks chalky and just plain horrible. By comparison the Anastasia Beverly Hills Glow Kits are some of the most glowy almost frosty looking highlighters I’ve tried – but because the colors contrast more with my skintone I find them more wearable especially if I blend them out with a brush.

A closer look

Swatch on bare skin:

I know this one is super blurry but it shows how the light reflects on some of the particles:

A quick look on the face, photo taken without flash because with one my entire face looked like a glowy shiny mess. I have mixed feelings about this one on my face because I feel like it looks a bit too glowy and also emphasizes texture on my skin. It doesn’t emphasize pores like some highlighters do, but right now I’m working on some exfoliating and peels for my skin so texture is showing a bit on the cheek areas.

Look

On the face:

Hourglass Vanish Seamless Foundation in Warm Ivory and Nude mixed
MAC Mineralize Skin Finish Natural in Medium Plus
Chanel La Palette Sourcils de Chanel Brow Powder Duo in Brun
Chanel Joues Contraste Blush in Rose Initial
Camelia de Chanel Highlighter on eyes and cheeks
Chanel Les 4 Ombres in Tisse Rivoli on eyes
Le Rouge Crayon de Couleur in Beige Rose on the lips

Two sets of swatch comparisons for you, Set 1:

Hourglass Ambient Strobe Powders in Euphoric and Incandescent (review here)
Cover FX Custom Enhancer Drops in Moonlight (review here)
MAC Mineralize Skinfinish in Shimpagne (discontinued)
Becca Shimmering Skin Perfector Powder in Champagne Pop (review here)
Edward Bess All Over Seduction in Sunlight (review here)

Set 2:

Tom Ford Skin Illuminating Duo in Moodlight (review here)
Diorskin Nude Air Luminizer 001 (review here and here)
Laura Mercier Face Illuminators in Indiscretion and Devotion (review here)
Tom Ford Shimmer Shot Spin Spin Sugar (review here)
MAC Mineralize Skinfinish in Soft and Gentle (available here)

Quick note and some thoughts on comparisons. The Camelia de Chanel has a similar sparkling quality to MAC Soft and Gentle on my skin, but the Chanel is slightly more sparkly. My personal favorite is still the Diorskin Nude Air Luminizer 001 because it melds nicely with my skin and the color is just perfect for me. This spring they’ve added 3 more shades (review soon). The comparison swatch shows the Dior and Chanel to look really similar but on camera it’s difficult to capture ever single nuance with the shimmer, color and sparkles. If you want to avoid all kinds of harsh shimmer and want just a soft natural glow the Edward Bess All Over Seduction is my holy grail cream highlighter although the Tom Ford Shimmer Shots are quite pretty and easy to wear too.

Final thoughts: I think the Camelia de Chanel Illuminating Powder is an exquisite highlighter. I was sent one for review and would have purchased one even if they didn’t send one to me. I think it’s definitely a unique piece compared to previous Chanel highlighter launches and even unique compared to other brands. It has a sparkle that almost feels like it could be fairy dust captured and pressed into a compact. Opening it is a breathtaking experience and they really did an excellent job at creating a one of a kind piece for beauty collectors and fanatics like myself. Quality is top notch – it has a smooth even texture without any patchy issues. As with any powder there will be some fallout in the application but once on the skin I found it stayed put all day long. I love it on the eyes. On my cheeks it’s a bit much for me – even though as you can tell from the comparison swatches above I’m a bit of a highlighter junkie and love a good glow. This one is just not doable for the cheeks for everyday but I will say that right at this moment I’m in that weird skintone transition phase where I’m getting lighter and finding a lot of colors aren’t working for me. I know this will pass as I tan easily and sunshine is in the weather forecast in the upcoming days so I’ll probably get some color soon.

If you bought this I’d love to hear your thoughts! If you can chime in on your skintone to help those who are debating whether or not to order sight unseen that would be amazing too.

The Camelia de Chanel Illuminating Powder retails for $70, currently available online at Chanel.com.

Illuminating powder provided courtesy of Chanel for review.

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Dior Lips

Dior Addict Lip Glow, Lip Glow Pomade, Lip Sugar Scrub and Lip Maximizer Review + Swatches

January 24, 2017

For spring Dior launched two new lip additions to their Backstage Pros line with the Addict Lip Glow in Berry ($33 for 3.5 g) and a Lip Sugar Scrub ($33 for 3.5 g). I’ve been a long-time fan of the Addict Lip Glows for their pretty color adjusting quality and for their soft moisturizing feel. Sometimes the Lip Glow is all I wear because they give the lips a natural healthy looking tint. They also work well as a lipstick base to moisturize and smooth the lip. I have the new spring launches to review today but also decided to share a roundup of all the Dior lip products I own including the other three shades of Addict Lip Glow in Pink, Coral and Lilac, Addict Lip Glow Pomade and a Addict Lip Maximizer in Beige Sunrise. I did a roundup of three of the lip glows last year but I thought it might be helpful to revisit all of them + new ones in a single post.

New for Spring: Addict Lip Glow Berry and Lip Sugar Scrub

Up first are the two new lip products for spring. The Addict Lip Glow in Berry gives the lips a medium cool toned berry tint. It looks dark in the tube but if you’re familiar with these you know what you see in the tube isn’t what you get on the lips. They will look different on everyone depending on your lip chemistry. On me they definitely change color after about 20 seconds to a brighter or deeper shade. Next is a new product called the Lip Sugar Scrub. This is an exfoliating balm that has tiny grains of sugar in the tube. The concept is really different than anything I’ve tried before. I’m usually not a fan of lip scrubs because I find them messy. With this one, once you apply the particles melt away into the lips so there’s no grainy finish left over. It is a color-changing product and on me turns into a rosy pink flush. Lips are left incredibly smooth. It has a sweet minty scent. It’s very gentle and not harsh on the lips. I don’t know that I would call it a must-have but I do like it and think it’s a really interesting product.

Close up below of the tips:

All four of the Addict Lip Glows shown below, Pink 001, Coral 004, Lilac 005, Berry 006, all four appear different on my lips, these will look different on everyone though depending on your lip chemistry. I love these because they are easy to wear and you don’t need a mirror to apply. They feel amazing on the lips – smooth, hydrating and lush.

A closer look at some other Dior Backstage Pros products. The Lip Glow Pomade is one of my favorite balms. It’s supposed to also be a color-reviving product, but goes clear on my lips without changing the color. I’ve tried two tubes and both did nothing for the color, but I love the smooth non-tacky feeling on the lips and almost always carry one with me. The Addict Lip Maximizer is a collagen active lip plumper. It has a very slight tingle as it plumps the lips. In terms of tingle comparisons this is one of the most gentle out of all the brands I’ve tested. Beige Sunrise is what I have right now and it pretty much goes on clear on the lips. You can use this underneath lipstick as well. Lip Glow in Lilac shown below for comparison purposes.

Swatches:

Lip Swatches, all done on bare lips:

Bottom line is I’m still a huge fan. Since my post last year I’ve already used up a full Addict Lip Glow in Pink and Coral. My favorite one is the Addict Lip Glow in Coral although I’m also a huge fan of the Lip Glow Pomade. The two new spring launches in Berry and the Lip Sugar Scrub are fun and nice additions to the line. I think Berry comes off as a nice healthy plum tint that gives the lips a healthy glow.

You can find the two new spring additions now online at Nordstrom, Sephora, Neiman Marcus and Dior.com. The other products are available at all Dior stores and counters.

Have you tried these yet? What did you think?

Addict Lip Glow in Berry and Lip Sugar Scrub provided for review. All other items from my own collection.

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Hourglass Cosmetics

Hourglass Cosmetics GIRL Lip Stylo

January 20, 2017

Hourglass Cosmetics just launched 20 twist-up lipsticks called the GIRL Lip Stylo ($32 each for 0.09 oz/2.5 g) to celebrate and recognize the good in others and ourselves. Each lipstick shade has a special name that evokes empowerment and positivity. These come with medium to medium-full coverage, a very soft shea butter vanilla scent, moisturizing comfortable feel and that is still lightweight. The finish has a soft natural looking sheen.

The color range is just perfect. Every single one of the 20 shades are very wearable. As a neutral lip lover I was beyond thrilled to find natural colors that go beyond the basic beige, pink nude or peach. There are roses, plums, mauves and a variety of nudes with different undertones. After testing these colors I really feel that Hourglass took the time to test these on real women to make sure that they have the right undertones to be flattering and wearable.

Many of you have asked for a comparison to the Hourglass Femme Nude Lip Stylo and also the Chanel Le Rouge Crayon de Couleurs. The original nude twist up pencil crayons from Hourglass by comparison are thicker and tug a little at the lips, they are also more opaque with a very limited color range (I could really only wear the 2 darkest options). The Chanel Le Rouge Crayon de Couleurs have a creamier feel with a more emollient texture. They glide on the lips and have more of a shine. I also find that the Chanel crayons have more pigment and coverage.

Coverage-wise the GIRL Lip Stylos swatch sheer-medium on the arms and hands. On the lips the color adheres a lot better for more noticeable coverage. A few of the plums have a slightly transparent almost jelly finish on my lips. They have a satiny nourishing feel. On my lips I tested a few of the naturals for extended wear testing – they lasted a long time without sliding or budging. The colors will transfer if you eat or drink though.

I swatched and photographed these in batches according to how they were displayed in the press box I received from Hourglass. Colors and descriptions detailed below. For the most part they all act and swatch like creams. I couldn’t detect any shimmer in these. Even though they are cream finishes they don’t look flat on the lips.

_____________________________

Set 1 includes:

Believer is a light beige nude cream
Creator is a soft pink
Explorer is a bright peachy shade
Seeker is a cool medium rose pink
Peacemaker is a medium beige

As always these are swatched on bare lips, no liner or primer underneath. For skintone reference I’m wearing NARS Velvet Matte Skin Tint in Groenland with MAC Mineralize Skinfinish Natural in Medium Plus (which I just discovered and am OBSESSED with!).

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Set 2 below includes:

Achiever is a neutral-cool mauve brown
Influencer is a meidum beige brown rose
Dreamer is a soft warm baby pink
Idealist warm peachy beige
Futurist beige pink nude

_________________________

Set 3 below includes:

Activist is a medium rose
Inventor pinky rose
Lover bright orange red
Innovator is a bold bright red
Visionary slightly deeper but bright red

__________________________

Set 4 below includes:

Icon is a classic red
Leader is a bright fuchsia pink
Liberator is a gorgeous mauve plum
Protector is a pretty violet purple, but goes on my lips a bit patchy
Warrior is a deep vamp, also went on a bit patchy

__________________________

A quick look at the color options will show a lot of neutrals that look similar and also a lot of reds. As a neutral lip lover I’m beyond obsessed with the color selection and I know there are at least a handful of you who will echo my thoughts that they are similar but still different. Same applies for the reds, but since I don’t wear reds a lot I can understand that some will find a lot of repetition among color groups. The best thing about this to me is that each color has a slight variation or undertone which I think is great. Many of us gravitate towards warm or cool, brown undertones or peachy undertones, light versus medium versus deep. I really believe there is something for everyone in this color range and even though I normally wear neutrals, even the brights like Lover and Leader are wearable and did not leave me feeling like a clown.

My top 5 picks: Seeker, Influencer, Activist, Liberator, Dreamer.
You can upload your own version at Hourglass’s website for fun!

I know many of you want to know whether I prefer these or the Chanel crayons that were just launched and I simply cannot pick a favorite. I do think the Hourglass pencils will last longer on the lips and a comparison of the packaging makes them look larger in size so overall they will probably last longer. If you prefer a glossy lip the Chanel is the way to go. Also for the deeper colors Chanel offers more coverage and pigment. If you like neutrals I suspect you will find more options to choose from the Hourglass range.

Bottom line I love these. I’m a gloss or shiny lipstick girl at heart and these GIRL Lip Stylos offer a nice sheen but with more pigment and coverage than a sheer glossy lipstick. Even with all the swatching and wiping I did over the past few days, my lips did not dry out or peel at all. I think everyone should own at least 2 🙂 They are that good. If I had one thing I wished were different, it would be that I wish there was some kind of color indicator on the outside so I could tell the difference between colors without having to look at the label or open up the cap. Still it’s not a deal breaker as most of the other beauty brands do the same thing with their lipsticks and compacts.

You can find the Hourglass GIRL Lip Stylos at Sephora, Nordstrom and Hourglass Cosmetics.

Many thanks to Hourglass for sending these gorgeous GIRL Lip Stylos for review.

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Diptyque Fragrance Home / Interiors

Diptyque Rosa Mundi Candle 2017 Launch

January 18, 2017

It’s a tradition for Diptyque to launch a special limited-edition rose-themed candle for Valentine’s Day every year and this year they’ve brought back Rosa Mundi. It comes in a Standard Candle ($68 for 6.5 oz), a Mini Candle ($35 for 2.4 oz) and a Scented Oval ($50). I look forward to each release for the whimsical designs of the jars as they create something beautiful and special every year. Rosa Mundi was last launched in 2014 in a white glass jar and pink tinted wax. This particular year Diptyque partnered with Antoinette Poisson, a creator and restorer of domino paper. The design has a thick label sticker as the exterior. As one who is usually really skeptical about sticker labels in general I have to say that I was pleased with the quality and placement of the labels. They are placed firmly on the jar without any visible bubbles and the paper feels like a high quality thick texture almost like wall paper.

Close up below of the mini versus standard. For those not familiar with Diptyque sizing you can see all the details like burn time and comparison for them in this post here. My personal candle care tips in this post here.

For those new to Rosa Mundi, this year’s is similar to previous launches (it has been launched twice before). It has excellent throw and the scent will fill up the rooms in my home within minutes just from opening the box. This one has a mix of damascena, the damask rose, and centifolia, the May rose. Additional notes include currant, bergamot, lychee and geranium. To me it smells like a young bright sweet rose. It’s very girly and I absolutely adore it. I haven’t kept every single used up candle jar I’ve burned although I do try my best to keep the special edition jars. I like to recycle them and keep them to store makeup brushes, pens, flowers, Q-tips, mini perfumes, rollerball perfumes, tiny skincare samples – basically anything. For those who just started getting into or noticing Diptyque, previous Valentine’s Day candles I have reviewed:

2014 Rosa Mundi shown below (reviewed here)
2015 Rosafolia (review here)
2016 Rosaviola (reviewed here)

Home Decor Details Shown Above

Chloe Attitudes Book, Love x Style x Life by Garance Dore, Capture Your Style by Aimee Song, Large Ceramic Diptyque Figuier Candle recycled. For those who have been asking about our furniture, our couch is the Rochelle Style from Crate and Barrel. Coffee table style is no longer carried but similar ones are the Switch Coffee Table or the Parsons Small Rectangular Coffee Table.

Bottom line love. By the time this post is going live I’ve already burned through a mini one. As always with these I recommend going with the bigger one even though they are more expensive. The recycle options are more versatile versus the minis. If you’re looking for a way to treat yourself either of these are great options. For those curious about the scented ovals – I’ve been gifted a few over the past years. They make lovely decorative pieces but the scent doesn’t last quite as long as I had hoped. They are also fragile – we have docile animals and they’ve knocked over quite a few things and the ovals did not survive the fall. If you have carpet they probably won’t break.

I bought mine from Nordstrom. You can also find the Rosa Mundi at Neiman Marcus, Space NK, Barneys New York, Selfridges, and Diptyque. Have you tried this one yet? If not do you have a favorite rose candle?

P.S. I’ve updated the comment system with Disqus so now you don’t have to re-log in each time you visit!

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MAC

MAC Caitlyn Jenner Collection Spring 2017

January 16, 2017

This spring MAC partnered with Caitlyn Jenner for a second beauty collaboration featuring some lovely color creations that are easy to wear for everyday. The collection has a mix of new limited-edition shades and classic repromoted colors. I have some press samples and purchased items to feature for you. Overall I think the collection is worth a look as there are some great colors that are very wearable. Nude lip lovers will rejoice as there’s a new nude neutral lipstick called Rockit! that is simply stunning. Items I have swatched for you today include:

Mineralize Skinfinish Natural ($33) in Compassion (c/o)
Veluxe Pearl Eyeshadow ($16) in Glowing Gold (c/o)
Cremesheen Lipstick in Rockit!
Cremesheen Glass ($21) in Kindness (c/o), Beautifully Bare and Tolerance
Lip Pencil ($17.50) in Soar (c/o)

Up first includes the Glowing Gold Veluxe Pearl Eyeshadow and Compassion Mineralize Skinfinish Natural. Both are rich in pigment with a smooth easy to blend texture. Glowing Gold is a stunning shimmery warm yellow gold. The color is just gorgeous. Compassion is described as a cool brown but on me it pulls more neutral warm. Right now I’m a bit too light to pull this one off (I would say I’m in between MAC NC25 and NC30 for the Studio Fix Fluid, colors swatched here) but I think they would look amazing on those darker than me. I can use these with a light hand blended and layered with other shades but alone Compassion is a bit too deep for my complexion right now. The quality, pigment and texture for both the shadow and MSF these are excellent.

For the lips, Soar Lip Pencil has been repromoted with special-edition packaging. It’s a deep rose which I find to be a classic kind of color. For lipsticks I bought RockIt! Cremesheen Lipstick as it looked like the perfect neutral nude rose and it is. I have too many neutrals for lips to count but this one is one of the best ones I think MAC has released. Even though there is a high chance that I could dupe it, I think it’s just perfect. It doesn’t wash me out, has full smooth creamy coverage and a natural sheen.

I swatched a few comparisons for reference:

MAC Cremesheen Lipstick in Shanghai Spice
Tom Ford Lips and Boys in Bradley (on lips here)
MAC Matte Lipstick in Velvet Teddy (on lips here and here)
MAC Liptensity in Smoked Almond and Doe (on lips in this post)
MAC Lustre Lipstick in Touch
MAC Lustre Lipstick in Hug Me

Soar Lipliner comparisons:

For the Cremesheen Glass, there are three options. Kindness is a shimmering gold but on the lips it’s pretty much clear. It has a smooth cushiony texture that gives the lips a pretty sheen, but if you have sheer glosses or balms I would say you could skip this one. Beautifully Bare is a neutral nude pink. It’s semi-sheer and has a creamy finish. On the lips my natural lip shows underneath just the slightest bit, but it still looks good and for me it’s not a deal breaker. Tolerance is a shimmery soft plum I find to be on the sheerer side. It gives the lips a healthy plum glow. I would have liked this one to be more opaque or in lipstick form because the color is SO PERFECT in the tube. I do like the way it looks even though it’s semi-sheer. All three are easy to wear everyday for a natural but polished look. I’ve swatched comparisons in case you have a lot of MAC and want to shop your stash. I have no regrets buying the nude and plum ones.

Comparison swatches to:

MAC Viva Glam Ariana Grande 2 (on the lips here)
Anastasia Beverly Hills Lip Gloss in Kristen, Vintage (here), Liquid Lipstick Crush
MAC Vamplify Tuned In and Anything But Demure
NARS Velvet Lip Glide in Bound (review here)
MAC Lipglass in Lovechild (on lips here)

Swatches of my MAC Caitlyn Jenner Lip picks, all on bare lips, foundation worn is NARS Velvet Matte Skin Tint in Groenland:

For those who crave more color there are two bright reds for lipsticks in Understanding and Authentic Red. In addition there are two bold eyeshadows in Malibu Bronze and Worthy. I was seriously tempted to order the other eyeshadows as they look perfect to add some color and depth to the eyes but still neutral enough to wear. I resisted though as it’s only the middle of January and new beauty launches are just getting started.

You can find the MAC x Caitlyn Jenner Collection online at maccosmetics.com or at MAC stores. Have you checked anything out yet? What did you think?

Press samples include Glowing Gold, Compassion MSF Natural, Kindness Cremesheen Glass and Soar Lip Pencil. Other items purchased by me.

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Chanel

Chanel Le Rouge Crayon de Couleur Jumbo Longwear Lip Crayons

January 13, 2017

This spring beauty season seems to the season for the lips. There are a quite a few new formulas launching in lipstick, balms, crayons and liquid lipsticks and as the ultimate lip junkie I can’t help but feel super excited. Today I have a review of the Chanel Le Rouge Crayon de Couleur Jumbo Longwear Lip Crayons ($37 each) to share and thanks to the Chanel team I have all eleven shades swatched for you. Right now they are exclusive to Chanel.com but should be launching at counters and stores soon.

The Le Rouge Crayon de Couleur is a twist up lipstick in chubby stick form with a satiny smooth finish. They have a glossy shine much like the Rouge Coco Shines and Rouge Coco Stylos, but with a creamier texture. Most of the colors offer medium-full coverage with a few swipes. They glide on easily and have a nourishing feel. If you remember many years ago Chanel had a lovely lipliner called Le Crayon Gloss. They came in a traditional skinny lip pencil format but had this amazing glossy formula. The new Le Rouge Crayon de Couleur reminds me a little of those in the sense that these pencils have a lovely natural shine. I love sheer glossy lipsticks but often wish most had a bit more pigment with the same texture. I almost feel like these Jumbo Longwear Lip Crayons were made for me because it’s almost everything I could want in a lipstick. There’s no detectable scent. In terms of lasting power they stay put a long time and don’t slide off or fade quickly. However due to the glossy emollient nature of these you will see color transfer to cups if you drink anything.

The colors are just perfect:

First a look at other Chanel lip products for scale: Rouge Allure, Rouge Coco Stylo (all shades swatched here) and Rouge Coco Shine in Boy:

The 11 colors shown below with descriptions:

Nude No. 1 is a nude beige with medium coverage
Rose Violine No. 2 is a perfect soft beige rose cream with full coverage
Rose Clair No. 3 is a shimmery cool light rose pink with medium-full coverage
Rouge Corail No. 4 is a orangey red with full coverage
Rouge No. 5 is a classic red with full coverage
Framboise No. 6 is a strawberry pink red with full coverage
Fuschia No. 7 is a hot cool pink with full coverage
Cassis No. 8 is a deep plum, due to the contrast with my lip tone I found this one a bit patchy
Beige Rose No. 9 is a light beige pink with medium coverage
Tangerine No. 11 is a hot orange with full coverage
Carmin No. 12 is a deep red

Another photo for scale, they are on the short side compared to the regular Chanel lip liners. On the nails is Chanel Camelia Le Vernis.

Individual lip swatches on bare lips, for skintone reference I’m wearing Anastasia Beverly Hills Foundation Stick in Warm Natural.

Swatches all side by side:

Bottom line: right up my alley. I do think they are on the pricey side given the small size. At this time I don’t have the exact product weight as the pencils arrived as press samples without boxes. That being said I love all the colors. Cassis is the only one that I had issues with – it can be fixed with a lip liner as a base to help smooth out the color. It applies well but on me went on slightly patchy – not a deal breaker as it wears beautifully. By comparison the other colors apply flawlessly. Nude and Beige Rose are the sheerest out of the bunch but still offer full coverage with a bit more swiping back and forth. As I just received them and did swatches as quickly as I could I can’t report on whether or not they offer long lasting moisture. However they do have a nice emollient feel and my lips have experienced no peeling or drying even with all the swatching and wiping. If you like a glossy lip with pigment I think you’ll really like these. They are pricey but the formula is excellent and I’m in love with every single color.

You can find the Chanel Le Rouge Crayon de Couleurs online now at Chanel.com. Right now Tangerine and Carmin are listed as limited-edition colors.

Jumbo Crayons provided courtesy of Chanel for review. Camelia Le Vernis featured was also a press sample from last year. All other items featured from my own collection.

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