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On My Radar | New in Beauty and Deals of the Week

July 23, 2014

New items on my radar in the beauty world:

  • Dior Beauty has launched some new fall products for eyes, lips and nails:
    • 5 Couleurs Eyeshadow Palette ($60) comes in five new shades in Bar 56, Carre Bleu 276, Pied De Poule 96, Trafalgar 876, Tutu 846
    • Rouge Dior Lipstick ($35) is available in five new colors with Carre D’Or 135, Bar 317, Rose Tutu 354, Rouge Massai 869 and Pied-de-Poule 977
    • Vernis Gel-Shine Nail Lacquer ($25) comes in four new cream finish shades in Pied de Poule 206, Rose Tutu 254, Bar 902 and Carre Bleu 769
  • Hourglass 1.5mm Mechanical Gel Eyeliner ($16 for single, $45 for set of 3) is the latest innovation from Hourglass with the thinnest waterproof gel liner that offers precision accuracy with a single stroke, available now at Hourglasscosmetics.com, at Sephora July 29, all other counters August 15
  • L’Occitane Frisson Verbena Collection ($12 to $55) has a range of fresh green and citrus body products perfect for summer, I’m in love with the Frisson Verbena Fresh Shower Gel and Hand Cream (thoughts on these soon)
  • Net-A-Porter Beautified Natural Nomad Pouch ($50) with Tata Harper Fortifying Body Oil and Lotion, Illia Sway Multistick, RGB Nail Polish, Remover Pad and Cuticle Oil, Rahua Volume Spray, Joya’s Composition No. 1 Perfume, LAFCO Hand Lotion
  • YSL Volupté Sheer Candy ($34) has launched in four new shades in Belle Cannelle #14, Rose Candy #15, Cherise Desir #16 and Fraise Ganache #17

Some deals and codes that have come through my inbox recently:

  • Benefit Cosmetics – Free US Standard Shipping on any order with code SUNSHIP
  • Bloomingdales – bRejuvinated Beauty Event Gift with Purchase offers (over 60 offers) through July 28 or while supplies last, plus 4 free beauty samples with any online order
  • Clinique – Three free summer saver minis Moisture Surge Face Spray, 7 Day Scrub Rinse-Off, Acne Solutions Clinical Clearing Gel with any online Clinique purchase, 7/23 – 7/24 or while supplies last
  • L’Occitane – 12 Hour Beauty Break sale, you have 12 hours to shop for select products up to 50% off, online only July 23rd 10:00 AM EST to 10:00 PM EST
    • L’Occitane code offerings while supplies last:
      • Receive 3 Hand Creams + Adorable Pouch with any $25 Purchase with code SHEAHANDS, valid through 7/29
      • Free 50ml Shea Cleansing Milk with any $30 Purchase with code REFRESH, valid through 7/29
      • Free Angelica skincare duo of hydrating Toner and Cleansing gel with $45 purchase, code ANGELICA, valid through 7/29
  • Marc Jacobs Beauty – Free shipping on orders $50+, free mini Highliner in Blacquer with any $75+ order with code MINI, while supplies last
  • Macy’s – Over 150 online only gift with purchase deals from Clinique, Origins, Elizabeth Arden, Laura Mercier
  • Nordstrom Anniversary Sale Gift With Purchase over 70 gifts with purchases available for the sale from Caudalie, YSL, Jo Malone, Jouer, Guerlain, Cle de Peau, Lancome, Estee Lauder, Chantecaille and more
  • Sephora – Online Limited Beauty Insider Offers with $25+ orders (one code per order) while supplies last:
    • Ole Henriksen’s 3 Little Wonders 7-Day Sampler with code WONDERS
    • Choose 1 of 3 Lip Minis from Too Faced, NARS or Sephora Collection with code LIPMINI
    • Fresh Soy Conditioning Eye Makeup Remover with code FRESHSOY
    • Deluxe sample of Ole Henriksen Ultimate Lift Eye Gel with code EYELIFT
    • Benefit Cosmetics They’re Real Push-Up Liner 30-day Sample with code PUSHUP
    • Choose 1 of 3 Deluxe Sized Self-Tanners from Vita Liberata, St. Tropez, bareMinerals with code BRONZED
    • Early Access sample of Josie Maran Argan Black Oil Mascara Deluxe Sample for VIBs/Rouge, use code VIBJOSIE
  • Shu Uemura USA – A Midsummer’s Night Sample Set with any $50+ order, includes Tsuya Radiance Essense, Classic Cleansing Oil (20 ml), Anti-Oxi Deluxe Cleansing Oil (20 ml), Stage Performer Instant Glow (10 ml), Mini PK70C Gloss, use code UNWIND
If you have any good deals or codes, please share in the comments 🙂

P.S. Don’t forget to enter my Fresh Sugar Tulip Giveaway! There are up to four ways to enter and the entry period is almost up. I’ll be selecting the winner over the weekend and announce who won next week.

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YSL Babydoll Kiss and Blush – Rose Libre #3, Corail Affranchi #7 and Pink Hedoniste #8

July 21, 2014

YSL Babydoll Kiss and Blush ($40 each for 10 ml/0.33 fl oz) launched earlier in the spring with twelve shades. These are multi-purpose colors to apply on the lips and cheeks. The Babydoll Kiss and Blush comes in a rectangular tube and angled sponge tip applicators. I’ve been playing with these for the past few months and although I rarely match the lip and cheek colors exactly I find these work well. There are twelve shades total so far. After swatching these in store, I picked out three shades for my medium olive skin:

  • Rose Libre #3 is a cool neutral rose
  • Corail Affranchi #7 is a soft peachy coral
  • Pink Hedoniste #8 is a baby pink-peach

All the shades currently available shown below. There is a wide range of colors to suit everyone’s taste and skin tone with pink, orange, plum and brown. I fell in love with #9 Rose Epicurien in the store but it’s too cool-toned for my olive skin. For reference, all shades swatched on Planet Martha.

The Kiss and Blush shades have a velvety almost silicone-like feel to them. On the lips they smooth out quite well and dry to a matte-looking finish but have a velvety feel. They don’t dry out the lips even though the product does dry down. You do need a perfect lip texture to wear these. These will emphasize any flakes or peeling areas. If you have lips that are on the dry side, prep them with a rich lip balm before applying (I’m currently loving Malin+Goezt or By Terry). They stain the lips which makes any fading less apparent. On my lips they last like a regular lipstick.

I was worried these might be difficult to blend on the cheeks because of the pigment but they actually blend really easily. I apply these by dabbing the tip onto clean fingers or directly onto the face. I prefer fingers since I almost always have powder and foundation on the face so applying directly from the sponge tip can get it a bit dirty. The color blends nicely for a hint of color. The pigment is visible on the skin and gives you color without looking clown-like.

The sponge tip applicators are beveled (on the nails, NARS Zaynthos, review soon):

Close ups of the tips front view, side view and back:

Swatched straight from the tube:

Swatched and blended:

On the lips, applied straight from the tube:

Thumbs up for the Kiss and Blush shades that I purchased. The colors do look a bit different on the lips compared to when you swatch them on the hand because of how they dry down. The coverage is quite good and covers the lip entirely without looking too matte. I am not a fan of matte or velvet finish lip products (I need a little shimmer or shine) but the Kiss and Blush shades from YSL aren’t too matte. They make my lips look full and add color. On the cheeks they add a nice tint of color and last all day for me. I prefer them on the lips. At $40 each they are pricey but the formula hugs the lips and the cheeks quite well and the pigment is very good without looking too fake or overly matte.

I purchased mine from Nordstrom and Sephora (but available at all YSL counters and boutiques).

Have you tried any of the Kiss and Blush shades? What did you think? Do you have any shades you love that you think I should check out?
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On My Radar / New In Beauty

July 5, 2014

I hope everyone had a great 4th of July! A few items currently on my radar, from top left clockwise:

What’s on your radar this week? Have you seen any other new fall items in stores yet? I’m eagerly waiting to see Tom Ford and all the Chanel quads.

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Packing Travel

Travel Makeup | Summer Edition

July 1, 2014

As requested, here are the items I brought with me on my recent trip. All the items were carried in my well-loved Bobbi Brown Train Case (from 12+ years ago and no longer available for sale, Old Hollywood Version still available). I tend to overpack for makeup so the case limits what I bring. If it can’t fit, it doesn’t travel with me. I’ve split the items into three categories: Lips, Face/Cheeks and Eyes.

To those who asked to see what I brought with me, I hope this helps! I always have a makeup overpacking problem so my fellow beauty lovers – if you have any tips I’d love to hear what you bring with you on trips/travel whether it’s a weekend getaway, a week trip or extended vacation.

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What's In My Bag

Inside My Makeup Bag

June 26, 2014

Here is a peek at what I’ve had inside my makeup bag this week. The clear makeup bag is from Bobbi Brown which I found as a gift with purchase several years ago during a Neiman Marcus beauty event (for those looking for a clear makeup bag, a few other alternatives from MAC, Make Up For Ever, Sephora, Lulu).
  1. Chanel Les Beiges No. 20 for mid-day touch ups
  2. MAC Sharon Osbourne Refresh Mineralize Skinfinish Duo (still available at Macy’s)
  3. Chanel Hydra Beauty Lip Balm (new for me, review soon)
  4. Jo Malone Grapefruit Cologne (mini from a gift with purchase)
  5. By Terry Ombre Blackstar in Misty Rock which I works alone on the lids, it’s a medium pink shade with plum shimmer, I swipe directly from tube onto lids and then blend with the fingers
  6. Tom Ford Paradiso Lip Color Sheer (sold out most places, but still on tomford.com)
  7. Burberry Lip Glow Balm in Pink Peony
  8. MAC Brush #168SH (mini size discontinued)
  9. Marc Jacobs Overprotected Lust for Lacquer (love the tingle)
  10. YSL Kiss and Blush #3 Rose Libre still testing these out and figuring out to use these, I like them on the cheeks, for the lips, I’m still undecided
  11. Malin + Goetz Mojito Lip Balm is a staple, love the clear finish, decent price and the unique scent of this one (see Malin + Goetz Los Angeles store feature here)
  12. Guerlain Maxi Lash Waterproof Mascara I rarely touch up with mascara in the middle of the day, but I sometimes carry one with me because in the mornings I typically am running out the door and have missed a few makeup steps before I leave the house, mascara and lips are usually the last two items I apply
  13. Diptyque Geranium Odorata is such a pretty soft floral, the roller ball tip makes it easy to apply quickly, I keep it in the velvet pouch it comes with (not shown above)
  14. NARS Andromeda Dual-Intensity Eyeshadow accidentally made it into the makeup bag this week, but I’m not complaining
To see the full contents of what has been in my bag most of this week, check out the post on Styled Notes. Hope you have a great Thursday! 
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Color Focus | Bronze and Metallic Nail Lacquers

June 16, 2014

This time of year my favorite colors for beauty are the bronzey metallics for well, everything: lips, nails and cheeks. For nails there have been quite a few lovely releases from early spring that I wanted to highlight.

  • Dior Vibrato 618 Gel Shine Nail Lacquer ($25) is a new color that was released with the reformulation of Dior nail polishes. This one is a bit harder to find in the US. You can order it from the Dior Boutiques (I ordered mine from Las Vegas Palazzo) or online at Dior.com or Selfridges. It’s a stunning metallic loaded with tons of different colors of sparkles. It has the complexity of Chanel Graphite but with a gold bronze base and with much better coverage. I found this to be a one-coat wonder but prefer two.
  • Tom Ford Incandescent ($32) was part of the Spring 2014 Collection and was highlighted back in February (here). It’s miraculously still available for purchase. If you haven’t looked at it yet, I highly recommend it. It’s a stunning rose gold bronze nail polish.
  • Bobbi Brown Raw Sugar Nail Lacquer ($15) was released with the Raw Sugar Collection (Shimmer Brick Eye Palette featured here), it’s a beautiful cool bronze metallic. I had to go to several counters before I found one that still had this in stock but it’s definitely still out there for purchase. You can still find it at Bloomingdales, Barneys and Bobbi Brown.
  • Bobbi Brown Bronze Nail Lacquer ($15) was released earlier this spring (swatches here). It’s still available for purchase at Saks and Bobbi Brown. I like that this is a good shimmer that doesn’t show brush strokes.
  • Burberry Metallic Khaki #202 ($21) is a dark bronze khaki gold shimmer. I like this one because it’s dark but not so dark that the shimmer doesn’t show through. In sunlight it’s really pretty. The texture is really smooth with the first coat being slightly transparent/jelly like. The second coat is what makes this one perfect.
  • YSL Bronze Aztec #28 ($25) is a dark metallic deep blackened bronze with gold shimmer. It has really good coverage with two thin coats and dries quickly.

Close ups and swatches, Dior Vibrato and Tom Ford Incandescent:

Bobbi Brown Raw Sugar vs Bronze:

Bronze:

Raw Sugar:

Burberry Metallic Khaki and YSL Bronze Aztec:

Comparison swatches below to some other bronzey metallic nail polishes: Chanel Delight (still at Chanel.com), Chanel Golden Sand (discontinued, similar Gold Shimmer in this Le Vernis Trio), Tom Ford Burnt Topaz (still available at Saks)

My current favorites are tied between Bobbi Brown Raw Sugar and Dior Vibrato. What’s your favorite bronzey metallic nail polish?
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Color Focus: Nude Pink Lipsticks

May 26, 2014

I’m a huge fan of natural nude lips but finding a good nude that doesn’t wash out my complexion can be tricky. Luckily there are a number of shades that exist that work for my pigmented lips and olive skin. I’ve been testing a number of nude pinks over the past few months – I wanted to share some of my tried and true along with some new discoveries. Everyone has a different definition of “nude” – there are flesh nudes, pink nudes, peachy nudes, dark brown nudes. Depending on skin tone and lip tones you may find certain nudes work better for you with pink tones versus brownish tones. See some other blogger’s favorites and reviews on Beauty Professor, Temptalia and Beautezine.

Here are some that I’ve found work for me. If you’re on the hunt for a new neutral I hope this helps you discover some new options.

  1. By Terry Hyaluronic Sheer Rouge in Nudissimo ($35) is a sheer light nude peachish pink, it has a moisturizing texture with a sheer glossy finish, lasting power is on the shorter side because of the glossy finish but this is a good swipe and go no-fuss sheer
  2. Tom Ford Lip Color Shine Nubile ($48) is a darker nude pink that has a glossy finish but really good coverage for a shine lipstick, it covers my lip entirely and moisturizes well, lasting power is quite good and these have that soft Tom Ford vanilla scent, it’s extremely pricey but worth every penny for the formula and coverage
  3. Tom Ford Lip Color Pink Dusk ($49) is a classic pink in Tom Ford’s classic lipstick formula, it is a full-coverage cream, it can pull a bit light so you may need to layer a bit of gloss on top, if you’re darker than Chanel 30/MAC NC35 and need darker pinks, opt for Pink Adobe or Indian Rose if you want a natural pink (swatches here and here)
  4. Marc Jacobs Lovemarc Lip Gel Role Play ($30) review here, is a dusty rose pink cream, it’s easy to wear, has full coverage, lasts long and feels amazing on the lips
  5. Marc Jacobs Lovemarc Lip Gel Severine ($30) is described as a warm beige, it’s a wearable nude beige cream that doesn’t wash out the complexion, the Marc Jacobs lip gels have a unique gel-like texture in a solid lipstick, these adhere to the lips and feel slightly thick but feel good on the lips, the formula is creamy and feels moisturizing (note testers at Sephora stores can look less than ideal, but I recommend giving these a try)
  6. Lipstick Queen Saint Lipstick Pinky Nude ($22) is a 10% pigment lipstick for but those who are not quite ready for full coverage lipstick but want something with more coverage than a gloss, these are described as sheer, moist and incredibly easy to wear with
    no-shimmer, I used Pink up to the end of the tube many years ago, Lipstick Queen has since expanded the color range, Pink Nude Saint is a perfect nude pink sheer lipstick that I can see as being flattering on a wide range of skintones, texture and wear is really good for a sheer lipstick
  7. Lipstick Queen Sinner Lipstick Pinky Nude ($22) is a 90% pigment lipstick, Lipstick Queen has corresponding shades in both the Sinner and Saint formula, the colors are pretty close in each formula, Sinner Pinky Nude is more nude while Saint Pinky Nude is more pink, the Sinner formula is a good nude pink that doesn’t wash out the complexion, I’ve been really impressed with the smooth texture and level of coverage, for those who are sensitive to fragranced lip products you will like Lipstick Queen because there is no detectable fragrance
  8. Hourglass Extreme Sheen Lipgloss Canvas ($28) review here, is a high impact gloss that acts more like a liquid lipstick, it’s a holy-grail lip product, I recommend this for anyone (see linked review for more details)
  9. Edward Bess Ultra Slick Lipstick Pure Impulse ($32) is my holy grail true nude lipstick, it has a slight hint of pink mixed with beige to give the perfect nude lips, it has a soft fig scent, I’ve gone through two tubes of this over the years, it’s a classic nude color that I can wear for any occasion, it has a creamy finish with a moisturizing feel, in my mind Edward Bess can do no wrong
  10. MAKE Silk Lipstick Cream Pink Clay ($25) is a new brand I’ve discovered at Barneys, there have been numerous raves about this brand from The Non-Blonde and Café Makeup so I stopped by the counter at Barneys Beverly Hills a few weeks ago, I was thoroughly impressed by all the lipsticks for the rich smooth pigment, it was hard to pick just one color, but I decided on Pink Clay a darker mauve nude pink to try, the formula is truly incredible, it feels like silk on the lips but gives full smooth coverage, I’m definitely going to be adding more colors to my collection in the future
  11. Le Metier de Beaute Lip Creme in Socialyte ($36) is an exclusive shade to the Neiman Marcus in Downtown Dallas designed by Michael Flores, it’s a complex pink, nude, coral, rose, I wish it were available at all Le Metier counters, call the Downtown Dallas counter for more details, I believe it’s a limited shade
  12. Le Metier de Beaute Hydra Creme Lipstick in Amore ($25) is a cream peachy pink that has a brightening effect on my olive skin, in the tube it looks like a darker pink nude but on my lips it goes on a bit lighter and brighter than what I see in the tube, but this is probably just because I have pigmented lips, coverage is medium but layerable with a moisturizing feel
  13. NARS Satin Lip Pencil Isola Bella ($25) is my perfect nude peach, it’s a bit darker than your traditional nude but this is perfect for me because it covers my lip entirely and gives a hint of color so it doesn’t wash out the complexion
  14. YSL Rouge Volupte Shine Nude in Private #9 ($35) review here, is a sheer lipstick that feels like a lip balm, these are good swipe and go lipsticks similar in concept to Chanel Rouge Coco Shines, if you like a no-fuss sheer lipstick, these are good lipsticks that are layerable for more color but with a slightly glossy finish, those who like medium to full coverage will find these too sheer
More close ups and detail swatches, all are clickable for larger detail viewing:

The effects are similar in the fact they are all natural your-lips-but-better kind of shades but each lipstick featured has slightly different undertones, finishes and textures. These aren’t all the nudes I’ve tried or love, but just a few I wanted to feature today. If I had to pick my top five nudes/nude-pinks:
What’s your favorite nude pink lipstick? If you can share your favorites and skintone that would be great, I would love to hear what works for you.

Lipstick Queen Sinner and Saint Pinky Nude and Hourglass Canvas were provided for review courtesy of each brand, all opinions my own, for more see my Disclosure.

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