Wednesday, March 30, 2011

Review : Garnier Nutritioniste Skin Renew

 After FleurDeForce posted a favorites video about this product only a couple days after Amodelrecommends also raved about it, I knew I had to have it! Fleur purchased hers in the shade 'Fair' but I was only able to find 'For most skin tones'...luckily most skin tones would appear to be very fair, with mine being the fairest of them all :p jk...it ended up being a good shade for me.
 Onto the actual product. It's pretty fabulous. Covers the under-eye area brilliantly and gives a nice glow, I used enough so that I could bring it up around my eyelid and down to the top of my eye-meets-cheek area and it was gorgeous. The consistency is very smooth and the roller ball is very gentle and soothing. I think I'm going to purchase another to keep in my bag, it will be perfect for a mid-day glow-up. I will warn you that its definitely not for anywhere else on your face...NOT for blemishes ladies!
A great deal at ($13) and definitely worth looking around for more shade options, I purchased mine at Wal-mart but you can get it at CVS, Walgreens, Rightaid and Target...they may have the other shades that this is rumored to come in. Hope this was helpful!

Monday, March 28, 2011

Tom Ford Private Blend Lip Color : Pink Dusk

Yes, it finally came! It's as if Nordstrom new how excited I was and wanted to prolong the process with extra slow shipping. But I won't make you wait anymore, here it is, pure lip luxury!
 Packaging reminded me of Burberry Lip Colors. Classy textured linen.
 Again ultra chic case.
Ta Da! Here it is - Absolutely divine! The perfect shade of Mauvey Pink...ergo the name Pink Dusk. It has a rich vanilla scent (very similar to MAC lipsticks). I won't be swatching it until after I use it, I think that's reasonable;)

 Okay, I know, picture overload...but if your going to spend ($45+tax) on a lipstick you should be well informed. I included the last picture because one of my pet peeves is when a lipstick doesn't slide down into the tube all the way and every time you put the cap on you have to be wary of not smashing it! This clearly does not have that problem <3  And yes, the cap clamping shut does sound like a Mercedes door closing...It's addicting...as in, I may be having my best mate pick me up Blush Nude whilst she's in Boston this week.

Sunday, March 27, 2011

Ravishing by Mac!

I got this lipstick in December knowing I would love it for spring/summer and I do! Now that we're starting to see some sun I thought it was time to dig it out. Its a gorgeous warm peachy coral and adds just the right pop of color to my little lips!

Friday, March 25, 2011

Review : Laura Mercier Silk Creme Foundation

 
Laura Mercier Silk Creme Foundation is one I've been wanting to try for a while. I have extremely dry skin and have been looking for something more hydrating. I find your able to work it into your skin best by using a stippling brush, but it will  apply smoothly with your fingertips and feels quit silky to the touch. This foundation leaves a satin/matte finish on your skin but does not leave you dried out. I think that someone with normal/oily skin could use this comfortably throughout the day without having to re-powder or blot much or at all. I found only two cons to this foundation.
  • > For the price($43) the packaging leaves much to be desired as the tube can get quit messy.
  • > I found that the smell was quit unpleasant.  The smell does dissipate within 5-10 minutes and is not so awful that it would keep me from repurchasing it.
  •  
    Conclusion: It's a nice foundation, but it doesn't leave my skin dewy or luminescent, which is what I was looking for. I'm thinking of trying Giorgio Armani Luminous Silk Foundation, which I have heard is extremely dewy and possibly just what my skin needs. But that is a bit expensive and not sure when I'll be able to afford it seeing as how there are $$$ worth of product before it on my wishlist ;)

      Review : Samantha Chapman's Brushes!

       For those of you who may not know, Samantha Chapman is one of two sister's who make up the Youtube channel Pixiwoo. They are professional Make-up Artists that live in the UK and have been making Youtube make-up tutorials for several years. Just this month the Pixiwoo sisters each took a turn to announce very special and exciting news, firstly Nicola was expecting her first child (Congratulations!!!) and secondly Samantha was designing a line of brushes for RealTechniques that Ulta would be releasing come the end of the month. So here they are in all their glory!




      Brush Collections come with a case that has a drawstring that serves as a handle when traveling, and also enables you to fold the case down and pinch it tight to conveniently prop up your brushes.

      These are the two brushes I purchased that were not included in the Core Collection($8/10)

      These brushes are made from synthetic taklon bristles and are 100% cruelty-free. They have aluminum handles with a rubber coated end and weighted nicely. The bristle are very soft on all of the brushes. The stippling brush has a small head and semi-dense bristles and applies liquid foundation beautifully. The basic foundation brush in the line is angled to get into the contours of your face. I found that because the bristles are synthetic the effect is a little "slappy" and depending on the individual you may or may not care for that feeling. The small contour brush is fabulous, I can see using this every day for contouring, bronzer and blush or even highlighting, tons of uses for this little brush and the bristle are extra soft! The pointed foundation brush I find very small and don't think that I would use it for foundation very often, although I did  try it with concealer and it blended it into my skin nicely, but I don't think I would have purchased it if it hadn't come in the set. The small detailer brush is also multi-tasking, I used it for concealer and lipstick as well as a pencil brush along my lash line, firm dense bristle are tapered to get right in there! Lastly is the buffing brush, so soft and supple, I can imagine it would apply mineral foundation like a dream with its domed top, I used it for my blusher today and it buffed the color in to leave me with just the right glow. Overall these brushes are just amazing! Single brushes can be purchased for under $10 and collections are all around $16. These are definitely budget friendly as well as high quality. I will absolutely be picking up the entire collection.  Well done Samantha Chapman of Pixiwoo. Gorgeous brushes!

      Wednesday, March 23, 2011

      Wishlist : Chanel

      Summer is well on its way and I'm feeling that Soleil Tan De Chanel is going to become essential to perfecting my sun-kissed glow. This cream-gel bronzer promises to leave you with a velvety finish as well as look gorgeous on your dressing table:)




        Vitalumiere Aqua Vs. Vitalumiere...which to choose? I for one am a sucker for packaging and prefer the more posh glass bottle with pump. Although, I do see the benefit of the plastic bottle for traveling as I am going on holiday for a bit. Both promise luminous skin and longwear...what do you think?

      Its hard to believe that I do not own a single Rouge Coco lipstick yet...its not that I don't want about ten of the twenty plus colors I just haven't picked one up yet. Thus, it has made its way onto my wishlist. I think the first shade I would like to have is the classic N. 5 Mademoiselle (the chameleon shade in the line) as well as N. 35 Chintz and N. 20 Rose Comete and perhaps N. 03 Secret....and next month Chanel is launching the Rouge Coco Shine collection...which means one more Chanel product to lust over!

      Sunday, March 20, 2011

      Review : Clinique High Lengths Mascara

      I tried Clinique High Lengths Mascara expecting to be disappointed. Little did I know, this mascara delivers! It comes with a thin, green, comb wand that has three rows of rubber bristles and is curved to fit your eyelid. Now we've all seen gimmickey wands like this before which is why I doubted this time was any different. The first time I applied it I was amazed. I started at my roots and did the normal wiggle-wiggle-slip motion. My eyelashes easily fit between the bristle and were completely coated with my first stroke. The fibers in this mascara  build up very clean because of the comb-style wand and leave you with super long defined lashes. Clinique High Impact Mascara is my go to mascara for everyday use, I should have known better than to doubt them, but I definitely learned my lesson this time. Great mascara and really great price!(14.50) **** Four stars for this one! (Only because five stars is HG status and that takes a lot of commitment ;)

      Thursday, March 17, 2011

      Spring Splurge: Burberry Bliss

      Burberry came out with a beauty line about a year ago and I've just been able to get my hands on it. The line consists of Liquid Foundation, Powder Foundation, Pressed Powder, Bronzer, Blusher, Eyeshadow, Eye Pencil, Mascara, Lipstick, Lip Gloss and Lip Pencil. Each package is embossed with the Burberry check, as well as the make-up itself. The line is comparable to Chanel's price tag. I started off ordering the Sheer Fluid Foundation($52) and Sheer Lip Cover($30).

      I placed my order to Burberry.com on Sunday evening and received my package Thursday afternoon (extra points for quick delivery!). I also should mention that shipping was free. I don't know if it was promotional or if its complimentary. The package came in a standard box, when I opened it I was greeted by a very bold Man-on-Horse icon. The items I ordered were wrapped in Burberry check tissue.

      The linen packaging of both the foundation and lipstick was divine. Elegant and simple but so Burberry. I ordered the Sheer Fluid Foundation in #2 Trench. Note: The swatches on Burberry.com are far from they're true color. I found swatches of the foundation on other blogs and gave it an educated guess...lucky for me I nailed it. The color is just right for my ultra fair skin. It has pink undertones and is, very sheer! I will probably purchase this again in the summer when I have more color, as I also think it is best suited for normal/oily skin. My skin is very dry in the winter and although this doesn't dry me out and is very gentle, the finish is more matte than I like with a very soft finish. There is absolutely no need to powder over this. Also, it does have quit a strong scent, like roses and baby powder, it goes away by the time I'm applying my mascara so it really doesn't bother me at all.
      The Sheer Lip Cover was also not true to color online. But thanks to fellow beauty bloggers I picked a winner! Cameo #2 is a gorgeous peachy pink, this applies like a dream and is so moisturizing. I slept with it on one night to see if it would make my lips peel (as I have very sensitive lips) I was pleasantly surprised to awake and find my lips were not peeled, but moisturized and silky!!! I will certainly be purchasing several more Lip Covers from Burberry in the future as well as their other products.

      Formalities and Greetings!

      I could tell you a whole bunch about myself, but what it really comes down to is...I'm just a girl who appreciates every aspect of fashion. Especially make-up and clothing. I find it interesting to read other beauty blogger's blogs and thought I would give a whack at it myself. My goal is to meet fellow make-up junkies and perhaps entertain and enlighten a few people along the way. I understand that other beauty blogger's are not on here to brag I also have no intention of that, this is simply the best kind "show-and-tell" if you will :)