NOTD Essie Velvet Voyeur

Velvet Voyeur is another color I picked up from Essie’s Fall 2010 collection. It’s a deep reddish wine nail color with a cream finish (no shimmer). Two coats of this color and you are good to go because it is quite opaque. It’s a great color for fall and winter…very vampy. Go check it out, I picked this color up at Ulta.

Chanel Blush Duo Tweed Effect: Tweed Pink

Chanel Blush Duo Tweed Effect ($45) is inspired by Chanel’s iconic tweed fabric used in their fashion collections.  They contain two contrasting shades woven together to create a nature glow.  Chanel offers four shades in their blush duos and one limited edition that arrived in the Holiday 2010 collection, Tweed Fuchsia.  I have had my eye on these blushes ever since they were released in 2008 so I decided to give one a try. I passed on the Tweed Fuchsia because the color was a little bright for my taste, so I decided on one of the permanent shades, Tweed Pink.

Tweed Pink is a soft cool pink color with subtle shimmer.  While it looks bright in the pan, it is very sheer when applied.  You can build up the color to a desired brighter look or to get a soft glow. I personally would much rather have buildable color than strong pigmented color from the get go and this blush is perfect for that. The texture is super smooth and silky, the goes on easily and blends perfectly into the skin.  I’m really loving this blush and will definitely be checking out other colors in the future.

Chanel Charming Glossimer

Out of the three new glossimers that were released with the new Chanel Holiday 2010 collection, I decided to purchase one. Charming (#237) Glossimer from the holiday collection ($27) is a sheer bright pink gloss with pink shimmer. As with all the other products in the collection, Charming is limited edition. The gloss itself shows little to no color on my lips, but the shimmer is colored enough that it’s noticeable. Like all of Chanel's glossimers, Charming is slightly-thick and non-sticky. The color glides on your lips like a dream. Charming is a great color that is easy to throw on in a hurry or layered atop of lipsticks to add shine and shimmer.

 Here is a swatch:

Charming applied on lips

Sephora Friends & Family!

Check out Sigma Brushes!

Chanel Les 4 Ombres Holiday 2010 – Tentation Cuivree

I popped by my local Chanel counter the other day and oh to my surprise the Holiday 2010 collection was displayed! I have been drooling over the eyeshadow quad in the collection since I saw swatches of it over on The Beauty Look Book. I picked up a few other items from the collection but I have to say my favorite is the Les 4 Ombres Quadra Eyeshadow in Tentation Cuivree ($56).

First things first, this quad and the whole holiday collection is limited edition, so run out and get it while you can. The quad is very neutral with a warm brown smoky feel. The colors consists of a medium warm brown with flecks of silver and bronze shimmer, a soft off white shimmer, a shimmery light pink and a dark warm brown with deep coppery bronze shimmer.

With this holiday collection, Chanel introduced the overseas version of their quad which has round pans instead of the normal square ones used in the U.S.  In this form the shadows take on a “baked” look rather than the normal soft smooth texture of all other Chanel quads. I have read mixed reviews about this palette because of the change in pans but I really like it.  It’s a nice change from all the other Chanel quads I own.  All of Chanel’s eyeshadow quads can be used wet or dry but I found that this quad looks best over an eye primer or used wet. Both ways really bring the colors out more but I only swatched these over a primer for you all to see.

bareMinerals Flawless Definition Volumizing Mascara

I love to try out different mascaras just as much as I like to try out different foundations. When a new formula is released I usually run to the store, snatch it up and give it a try. A while back I received a deluxe sample of bareMinerals Flawless Definition mascara as a gift with purchase and I really liked it. So when I saw that bareMinerals introduced a volumizing formula ($18), I went straight to Sephora to check it out. 

When it comes to mascara it’s all about the brush for me.  I like my mascara to have a full bristle brush, which I feel really helps to separate and lengthen my lashes.  This mascara definitely meets my brush standard.  It has a large full brush with lots and lots of bristles.  This mascara formula contains what bareMinerals calls “Nutri Plump” which promises dramatically plump lashes. One coat applies evenly and lightly for me. The formula separates and lengthens beautifully and gives a very voluminous look. I found that there is no flakiness and doesn’t dry out my lashes or look spidery. I am pretty impressed with this mascara and it was a great purchase!

bareMinerals flawless definition volumizing mascara's full brush

Favorites: Face Brushes

Here are some of my favorite brushes right now for applying foundation, bronzer, blush, etc.

L to R: 109, 168, LY02, F50, 129, F25

Louise Young LY02 – Large foundation brush

This brush is the largest foundation brush that I have been able to find and I love it! The larger brush allows for an easy flawless application of cream or liquid foundations.

Sigma F50 – Duo Fibre ($16)

This brush is excellent if you want that “airbrushed” finish look using liquid foundations. This brush is also great for applying powder foundation and highlighters.

Sigma F25 – Tapered Face brush ($19)

This large domed brush with a tapered tip is great for contouring/blending the face with contour powder, blush or bronzer.

MAC 129 – Powder/Blush brush ($34)

I use this brush for applying bronzer mostly but it is also great at applying blush or face powder.

MAC 168 – Large angled contour brush ($32)

This is my main blush brush. I use it to contour and apply color to the apples of my cheeks.

MAC 109 – Small contour brush ($32)

This brush is great at applying cream products such as foundation and cream blush. When using with foundation you really get smooth coverage because you can really buff it into your skin.

All of my favorite brushes can be found at maccosmetics.com, sigmabeauty.com and louiseyoungcosmetics.com

MAC Holiday 2010: A Tartan Tale

Have you made your appointment at your local MAC counter?? I have! So excited!

The collection launches October 28th!



NARS Pure Matte Lipstick in Bangkok

Pure Matte ($25) is the newly released lipstick formula from NARS Cosmetics. This product was first sold exclusively at Saks Fifth Avenue but just recently it has popped up at Sephora and other retailers.  Pure Matte comes in six shades ranging from nude to deep plum and promises to give a matte look without drying our your lips. The lipstick contains vitamin E, acai oil and mango butter to condition your lips. There has been quite a buzz about these lipsticks, so I had to give one a try. I decided on Bangkok, a soft rose.

The product comes in the slim stick packaging just like the earlier released Pure Sheer SPF Lip Treatment.  It applies very creamy and is nicely pigmented. I found that it has a decent staying power; it lasts about 2-3 hours on me.  The formula seems to be more of a soft matte compared to other matte lipsticks that can be very drying and harsh in color. Bangkok has just a slight amount of shimmer/sheen to it that makes the color look softer when applied.  Overall, I am impressed with this product and would like to see if NARS will expand the color range in the future.

Eve Pearl Black Pearl Liquid Liner

When it comes to eyeliner, I have always been a pencil or shadow liner kind of girl.  Over the years, I have gotten so use to using those formulas that I can apply them with great ease, no fuss.  A couple years ago I broke down and tried a drugstore liquid liner, which was a not so nice experience. I had horrible luck with it. So much that I think I have blocked the memory of exactly what brand it was.  After that, I gave up on liquid liner for a while. Last year I tried MAC Penultimate Liquid eyeliner pen and was much more successful with it at applying an actual straight line. I like the Penultimate liner but I had trouble with the pen drying out and skipping on my eyelid when applying. Then I heard about Eve Pearl products through the blogs Temptalia & Pursebuzz. After reading their reviews and going on to Eve Pearl’s website, I decided to try several of her products. The standout product for me is the Black Pearl liquid liner ($26).

Eve Pearl’s liquid liner pen blows MAC Penultimate eyeliner out of the water (sorry MAC, I am seldom sad about any of your products). The application process is a breeze and is super long lasting and smudge proof. I find I have no problems with the pen of the liner drying out and no problem with skipping when applying. If you are new to liquid liner and are looking for one that is easy to use, definitely check out the Black Pearl liquid liner. Eve Pearl products are available on her website www.evepearl.com.

September Favorites

I can not believe it is October!  I don't know where September went. I feel like just yesterday it was my birthday (the end of August). So I guess it's time for my September favorites.  Here they are....
1. Edward Bess Secret Desire Ultra Slick Lipstick and Endless Love Deep Shine Lipgloss

This has been my favorite lip combo this month because it looks great with my skin tone and almost every look I wear. It enhances my natural lip color perfectly and I have been wearing it constantly! See my original review here.

2. MAC Sublime Culture creamstick liner

This is probably my favorite lip liner of all time.  I don't often use lip liner but when I do I always reach for this one. It's super creamy and glides on with ease. For me its the perfect neutral pink liner.

3. MAC Shale eyeshadow

I never really thought much about this color until recently. Shale is a plummy mauve color that is great for when you want to wear purple but don't want to go really bright.  It's a very soft and wearable color.

4. MAC Blushbaby Sheertone powder blush

I love MAC Sheertone blushes. Sometimes heavily pigmented blushes can look really ruddy on me, so the sheertone blushes are right up my alley. I can get build up the color with these very easily and Blushbaby is a nice neutral pink beige that looks great on all year round.

5. Benefit Badgal Plum

I received this as a deluxe sample at Sephora. I love the Badgal Black, so I decided to give this color a try.  It's a burgundy plum rather than a purple plum.  The color is very subtle when applied and really warms up your lashes. It looks great with golden browns/bronzes.

WANT List:

YSL Rouge Pur Couture in Rouge Bergamasque & Rose Carnation
Chanel Holiday Collection (especially the eyeshadow quad, it looks gorgeous!)
Estee Lauder Holiday Collection
Edward Bess Bare Rose Deep Shine Lip Gloss
MAC A Tartan Tale Holiday Collection
Rouge Bunny Rouge – too many products to list, I want it all!!

Chanel Mat Lumiere Foundation Review

As you all may have read in my other post about my foundation search, I am always searching for a new foundation that will blow my mind.  One that will give me flawless coverage, not break me out and last throughout the day. I have read so many great reviews about many of Chanel's foundation formulas that I decided to give it a whirl when I stopped by my local counter to check out the new Extrait de Gloss.  I sat down with the MA there and we discussed my skin type and what kind of coverage I was looking for.  She explained the different formulas to me and we decided to try on the Mat Lumiere and Pro Lumiere (both $54). After trying both formulas on my skin, I decided that I really liked the feel of the Mat Lumiere.  Pro Lumiere felt a little heavy and greasy on my skin and looked a little too dewy for my taste. So I went home with Mat Lumiere in the color Clair 20.

After applying it myself at home, I have to say that I really enjoy this foundation.  It has a soft matte finish with slight luminosity (not greasy) that is easy to apply and gives nice medium coverage.  It’s perfect for my combination/oily because it’s oil-free and contains silica powder to help with oil control. This formula seems pretty long lasting to me, I don’t find myself using my blot powder too often throughout the day.  Chanel Mat Lumiere has met my standards for a great foundation and has made its way to the top of my foundations list.

Chanel Mat Lumiere Clair 20

Chanel Extrait de Gloss: Insouciance

I have been waiting patiently for my Chanel counters to receive the new Chanel Extrait de Gloss. Extrait de Gloss is a new formula from Chanel that is an intense colour long wear lip gloss. I have been salivating over them after reading about them on various other blogs.  So went I passed by my local Chanel counter I was pleasantly surprised to see that they had arrived. To my surprise,  I only went home with one of the colors, Insouciance. The pinks in the collection were a little to pink for me, especially for fall. If I do wear pinks in the fall they are usually warmer and not as bright.  Extrait de Gloss has a very creamy, thick texture compared with other Chanel glosses, which allows for longer wear. They have the classic Chanel scent and black sleek packaging.

Insouciance is a beautiful nude with subtle shimmer. To me this color fits right in with fall for me. I love a shimmery nude gloss paired with a soft brown smokey eye. I think this color would be perfect for that. I definitely see myself wearing this color quite often, especially with the Insouciante Rouge Allure from the Spring 2010 collection. The gloss goes beautifully with it.