Saturday, April 14th, 2012
Tom Ford Flush Cheek Color
Tom Ford Flush Cheek Color
Tom Ford Flush Cheek Color ($55.00 for 0.28 oz.) is a vibrant coral-orange with a subtle satin-like sheen and a faint shimmer. It’s very similar to Illamasqua Dixie, which is a little pinker and has a cream formula. Tarte Blissful is also incredibly close, and it even has a similar texture. theBalm Frat Boy is similar but a touch pinker.
Flush can be applied sheerly with ease or built up to a medium color coverage–it has enough pigmentation to work on deeper skin tones without being too intense on lighter skin tones. The finish has a natural sheen that isn’t heavy, shimmery, or frosted, so it doesn’t emphasize pores or the texture of the skin. It’s a very flattering shade on warmer skin tones, and though it is more coral-orange than coral-pink, the vibrancy gives it more wearability on cooler skin tones.
The texture of Tom Ford’s blushes is impressive, and truth be told, of all the items from his makeup range, the blushes have been the most impressive. Everything else has left me lukewarm or just a little excited, but the blushes have been fantastic. The texture of Flush is slightly less dense than Lovelust and Wicked, but the texture is very finely-milled, so it feels like silk and melts against the skin. It wore for ten hours and looked just barely faded along the very top of my cheekbones.
Where to Buy: Saks, $55
It's a very flattering shade on warmer skin tones, and though it is more coral-orange than coral-pink, the vibrancy gives it more wearability on cooler skin tones.
Saturday, April 14th, 2012
Make Up For Ever Launches Aqua Shadow
Simplify your make up routine with an eye-catching new collection of smudge-proof color that stays put no matter where the day, or night, may take you. The latest addition to MAKE UP FOR EVER’S coveted Aqua family, new Aqua Shadow is a range of long-lasting, easy-to-use eye shadow pencils created for make up pros and novices alike.
Aqua Shadow was in high demand backstage at Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week Swim in summer 2011, where artists had only minutes to create runway ready make up looks that wouldn’t crease or smudge under hot lights and humidity. Aqua Shadow was created for make up artists working in extreme environments as well as women wanting high performance make up they can wear every day, making it a must-have for all, whether backstage, on-stage or in real life.
Formulated with silica powder, Aqua Shadow’s creamy texture glides on smoothly and blends easily, providing immediate color payoff and an event result. A combination of waxes, oils and polymers create a flexible film that locks water out to guarantee long lasting, smudge-proof and crease-proof color.
Aqua Shadow is available in 12 hues from neutral to smoky with matte or pearly finishes. Swipe your favorite color across your lid for a quick and easy look, or create a multicolored effect by layering on additional shades. Apply Aqua Shadow directly to the upper or lower lid and blend with the fingertips or a brush. Allow the product to set for five seconds before blinking. Aqua Shadow is compact and portable, making it great for on-the-go application.
- 0E Matte black
- 2E Matte brown
- 4E Matte taupe grey
- 6E Matte navy blue
- 8E Matte green
- 20E Pearly taupe
- 22E Pearly coper
- 24E Pearly pink
- 26E Pearly peach
- 28E Pearly beige
- 30E Pearly pink beige
- 32E Pearly white
availability: Now @ Sephora, $20 each
Friday, April 13th, 2012
Shiseido Fuchsia RS 320 Perfect Rouge Lipstick
Shiseido Fuchsia RS 320 Perfect Rouge Lipstick
Shiseido Fuchsia RS 320 Perfect Rouge Lipstick ($25.00 for 0.14 oz.) is a magenta fuchsia with a creamy finish and a natural sheen. The way this shade differs from your more typical fuchsia is that there’s magenta mixed in, so it has more blue in it, enough that it starts looking a little purple-like. It’s still more pink than it is purple, which is kind of how I think of magenta! MAC Zen Rose is a bit darker and pinker. MAC Candy Yum Yum is pinker and more vibrant. MAC Pink Pigeon is pinker and a little more vibrant. MAC Love Forever is a touch lighter. NYX Pink Lyric is pinker. NARS Schiap is more fuchsia, less magenta. MAC Petals & Peacocks is a touch lighter. MAC Gladiola is also a bit lighter.
I don’t hear a lot of love for Shiseido’s Perfect Rouge formula, but it’s always a joy to wear one. It’s unscented, and there is no discernible taste. The formula keeps lips feeling soft and moisturized while you wear it, and the hydration extends for a few more hours after most of it has worn away. When I tested this particular shade for wear, it was there for the long haul–six and a half hours. The consistency is soft, creamy, and glides on easily and evenly while delivering opaque color coverage in nearly one stroke. It has some slip, but it doesn’t feel heavy, so it doesn’t bunch up on itself or slide around. As a nice bonus, it’s one of the larger-sized lipsticks on the market (most are 0.10 oz. or 0.12 oz., with the occasional formula at 0.14 oz.).
Where to Buy: Sephora, Nordstrom, $25
I don't hear a lot of love for Shiseido's Perfect Rouge formula, but it's always a joy to wear one. It's comfortable, doesn't bleed or feather, and wears well.
Friday, April 13th, 2012
Laura Mercier Belle Nouveau Collection for Summer 2012
Laura’s inspiration for 2012 draws from her background as a fine art painter and focuses on the mood and attitude of women through different art periods. For Summer 2012, she invites you to escape to a dream world that explores creativity through colour, taking inspiration from Art Nouveau’s innovative spirit and painted posters. This poetic embrace of sugary happy tones in sheer textures sets the mood—soft but daring, playful yet romantic.
The face is touched in clouds of colour that bring sophistication without strong definition. Highlights include sheer milky pastel eyes and translucent lips printed in colour. Skin is illuminated with a soft, healthy touch of bronzer and glow.
Sheer Creme Eye Colour ($22.00) (Limited Edition)
- Mauve Pastel Soft mauve
- Grey Pastel Pale grey
- Aqua Pastel Pale aqua
Creme Lip Print ($20.00) (Limited Edition)
- Nude Beige Nude
- Nude Coral Soft coral
- Nude Pink Soft pink
Lip Glace ($22.00) (Limited Edition)
- Camellia Pink
- Orange Tulip Coral
- Lotus Blossom Pale pink
Nail Lacquer ($18.00) (Limited Edition)
Sheer Creme Colour ($35.00) (Limited Edition)
Body Bronzing Makeup ($38.00) (Limited Edition)
A lightweight gel bronzer that smooths on evenly and blends perfectly leaving the skin refreshed and hydrated.
Caviar Stick Eye Colour ($24.00) (Limited Edition)
Long Lash Mascara ($24.00) (Limited Edition)
availability: May 2012 at Laura Mercier counters and online (but Neiman Marcus has it available now)
Thursday, April 12th, 2012
Guerlain Rose Ensoleille Rouge G Lipstick
Guerlain Rose Ensoleille Rouge G Lipstick
Guerlain Rose Ensoleille Rouge G Lipstick ($48.00 for 0.12 oz.) is a soft tangerine orange with hints of pink around the edges. It is a really frustrating color to describe, because there’s a translucency to the color that makes this look just a little different depending on your natural lip color, no matter whether you have very pigmented lips or not. It ended up translating to this warm pink-coral once applied. Bobbi Brown Nude Rose reminded me of this in color, but it’s a bit darker and opaque. MAC Flamingo is lighter, less pink. Chanel Flirt is very similar. MAC Blossom Culture is pinker.
I’ve mentioned this before when reviewing another shade from the spring collection, but the formula of this Rouge G doesn’t feel like the typical Rouge G. It feels more like a cross between the Rouge G and Rouge G de Brilliant formulas. It’s too glossy, too translucent to be a genuine Rouge G, which has a creamier, more opaque formula. Rouge G de Brilliant is all about a really high shine finish combined with a pretty little translucent color and a fair amount of shimmer. Rose Ensoleille is more pigmented than the Brilliants, but it’s not nearly as pigmented as the regular Rouge Gs. This has a fair amount of slip to it, and the finish is much glossier. It seems to wear away faster, too, because Rouge Gs are more long-wearing (four to six hours, sometimes longer, if it’s a deeper hue), but Rose Ensoleille only lasted for three and a half hours during a wear test.
Where to Buy: Nordstrom, $48.
The shorter wear time and less-than-opaque color coverage makes it out of sync with other Rouge G shades. I was a bit bummed after purchasing it, just because the consistency and coverage weren't as expected.
Thursday, April 12th, 2012
NARS Spring Break Larger Than Life Lipgloss
NARS Spring Break Larger Than Life Lipgloss
NARS Spring Break Larger Than Life Lipgloss ($26.00 for 0.19 fl. oz.) is described as a “pale golden beige sheen.” This shade is exclusive to Sephora. It’s a pale, light beige with peach-gold micro-shimmer. MAC C-Thru is very similar, perhaps a smidgen darker. MAC Scottish Lilt is warmer. MAC Jest for Fun is more peach-pink. MAC On the Scene is warmer, no shimmer. MAC Fashion Whim is just slightly warmer. Urban Decay Max is darker, peachier.
I actually really like the way this looks on the lips; for such a pale, light color, it applies fairly evenly and doesn’t settle too noticeably into lips (at least not from a normal viewing distance). The soft peach-gold shimmer gives it necessary warmth and dimension. The color coverage is not quite opaque but close. When I tested this shade for wear, it did surprisingly well for such a pale shade–a solid five hours. It was also hydrating enough that my lips didn’t feel any worse for the wear while I wore it.
Larger Than Life Lipglosses have a gel-like texture, which slides across lips well and enables mostly even application. Though it doesn’t feel sticky when you first apply it, it does get noticeably tacky after a half hour and gets tackier while it wears. It never approaches super sticky territory, but it’s definitely not non-sticky. The only downside to this product is the really, really tiny brush-type applicator. It could be about double the size and still be several sizes smaller than the average lipgloss applicator while retaining the ability to apply precisely.
Where to Buy: Sephora, $26
It delivers well on most of the claims that NARS made with respect to the formula--the only downside is the applicator with this particular shade. It's just too small; there's nothing wrong with going smaller than a doe-foot applicator, but I think this is the other extreme.
