New Shade! Fresh Sugar Lip Treatment SPF 15 in Petal

Just in time for Spring, the maker of my favorite lip balm, Fresh, has released a new shade of their ever famous Sugar Lip Treatments. I have gone through countless tubes of the original, non-tinted Sugar Lip Treatment. Although pricey, I haven't been able to find an alternative that compares to it in hydrating capabilities, texture, and scent (gorgeous lemony-goodness!). And although all the prior tinted versions were beautiful, there was never one that was wearable enough for me to splash out the money. That is until now!

Fresh Sugar Lip Treatment in Petal is a soft, neutral pink shade, that I was left wondering for years when Fresh would release! Although I had hoped it would be more a baby pink shade, I have still come to appreciate and love this tinted balm. It reminds me of the Sugar Lip Treatment in Honey, but with pink tones and not as dark. The color is a natural, sophisticated pink that leans towards light mauve. Not overly bright, I imagine this shade would look suitable on many skin tones and ages. It is fairly pigmented and can be worn as either a sheer wash, or built up to a more opaque lip. The Petal shade makes your lips look naturally full, flushed, and plump (think what you wished your lips look like on their own).  I also find the wear time for this lip balm to be excellent and I love how soft and comfortable my lips feel with it on.

 I am wearing tarte Smooth Operator Tinted Moisturizer, Stila Convertible Color in Gerbera, Burberry Eyeshadow in Pale Barley, Fresh Sugar Lip Treatment in Petal

I can see myself getting quite some use out of this product this Spring. What do you think about Fresh's newest Lip Treatment release? 

Thanks for reading!

xx

Peaches and Cream

If you were to sort through my makeup collection, you would be sure to find a whole lot of peach products.  Whether on the eyes, lips, or cheeks, peach makeup has always been a full-proof way to bring a little life back into lackluster post-Winter skin. A universally-flattering shade, it has the ability to bring warmth and life to the face while still remaining youthful and feminine. With Spring quickly approaching (fingers crossed!) I'm sure a lot of us are turning to products that can give us a bit of a glow and restore a "peaches and cream" complexion. Also, peach is a great option when the bronzes and corals of Summer can seem out of place in the early Spring months. So, I thought it was only suitable to compile a mini collection of some of my most-reached-for peach products.

Cheeks

When Winter, stress, or lack of sleep has leached all the glow out of my face, one of my favorite solutions is to apply a peach, or peachy-pink blush. I find the warm tones in peach blushes look more natural on my skin tone than true pinks do. Some of my all-time favorites are MAC Immortal Flower (review here), a matte "peaches and cream" shade and of course NARS Deep Throat, a shimmering golden peachy-pink blush. On the rare occasion that I feel like a cream blush, my go-to is the lovely Stila Convertable Color in Gerbera, a near counterpart in cream form to MAC's Immortal Flower.

Eyes

One of my go-to looks in the warmer months is to wear a shimmering peach-toned eyeshadow across the lids, paired with my signature black winged liner. The winged liner helps to bring subtle definition to the eye, while the shimmering peach shades disguise any shadows and bring light to the eye area. For cream products, I love the Chanel Ilusion d'Ombre Eyeshadow in Emerveille, a very subtle, yet highly shimmery nude peach shade. Of course no peach-themed post would be complete without a nod to the gorgeous golden-peach MAC Paint Pot in Rubenesque. My two pics for powder eyeshadows have to be the limited edition NARS Eyeshadow Trio in Ramatuelle (review here) and a long-time favorite, the Clinique Eyeshadow Duo in Sunburst. 

Lips

Truth be told, I don't often stray far from my favorite baby pink lip shades, but when I do want something more warm-toned, one of my favorites is Stila's Lip Glace in Apricot (which has the most divine smell). For a more nude peach lip, I turn to Revlon's Lip Butter in Creamsicle. 

 

In this photo I am wearing MAC's Paint Pot in Rubenesque across the eye lid, then topped with the NARS Trio in Ramatuelle. Stila Stay All Day Waterproof Liquid Liner on the top lashline and MAC Powersurge Eye Kohl on the bottom line help to define my eyes. I added a pop of peach on my cheeks with MAC's Blush in Immortal Flower and then finished off the look with Stila's Lip Glace in Apricot on the lips.

What are your favorite peach products?

Thanks for reading lovelies! 

xx

 

Buying Into the Hype: A Clarins Makeup Haul

It seems that for the longest time I have been hearing nothing but rave reviews about makeup offering from Clarins. Up until now though, the brand never quite appealed to me. Maybe it just seemed a little too adult or old-fashioned to me? It appears that in the last few years though, Clarins has really pushed themselves to deliver more trend-forward, modern makeup. I have to say after getting a chance to use a few of their products, my initial stigma against them couldn't have been more wrong! Call me a Clarins convert, because I'm hooked!

The three products I decided to pick up were all items that I have seen reviewed before and raved about from other beauty bloggers, so of course I had high hopes!

Clarins Instant Light Natural Lip Perfector (purchase here) was one of the main products I have wanted to try. I have seen countless posts on blogs dedicated to this little beauty. I purchased the shade 01 Rose Shimmer, a sheer nude pink. It is my understanding that this product is meant to be a balm-gloss type hybrid. Marketed as intensely hydrating and plumping, it is supposed to bring a 3-D effect to the lips. My first impression? The smell of this product is absolutely divine. It smells exactly like cotton candy!

I then chose to purchase the new Skin Illusion Loose Powder Foundation (purchase here) in 108 Sand. This is a loose mineral foundation that is incredibly finely milled and contains light reflecting pigments and plant extracts to create a radiant finish on the skin. So far, I am incredibly impressed and will have a full review up as soon as I have had adequate time to test it out. In the meantime, here is the post that peaked my interest in this foundation to begin with, from the lovely Gemma of Gemsmaquillage (link here)

Lastly, I couldn't resist this bronzer/blush duo face powder called Colour Accents Powder and Blush (purchase here). I believe this face powder was part of the Fall 2012 collection but is still available on the Clarins website and at select counters. This compact contains alternating shades of light bronze and a deeper bronze, interlaced with baby pink stripes.  Using a smaller brush, you do have the option to use the individual shades, but I prefer running my large MAC 187 Duo Fibre brush across the entire compact to create a bronzed glow. Happily, this powder looks just as beautiful in the compact as it does on the skin.  It really is a fair girl's dream bronzing powder! 

Have you tried any makeup products from Clarins? If so, are there any others you would recommend?

Hope you all are having a wonderful weekend! Thanks for reading!

xx

Subtle Smoke: A Romantic Makeup Look

 

With Valentine's Day right around the corner, I thought I would share with you my go-to look for a romantic night out. This look consists of slightly smokey, plummy eyes, glowing skin, and light pink lips. Although I am a fan of more dramatic makeup looks on others, I just don't feel that I can pull them off myself. When I know I have an event or a special evening to attend, I really like to take the approach of my everyday makeup, but just bumping up one element of it, being either smoking out the eyes a little more or putting a vibrant color on my lips. 

As pretty as they are, for this particular occasion I avoided any bright or dark lip colors. I find that men don't really appreciate dramatic makeup the way that women do. Chances are, no matter how pretty your fuchsia lipstick looks on you, the person you want to be kissing tomorrow night doesn't want to be wearing it as well. 

*Please excuse the frizzy hair!*

Eyes

For the eyes, I built the look around the new Spring 2013 Chanel Eye Quad in Raffnement (review here). I prepped my lids with a little Maybelline Colour Tattoo in Barely Beige, then buffed the taupe shade across the lid. I then defined the outer corner, crease and lower lashline with the darker shimmering plum shade. To highlight the inner corners, I applied the iridescent lavender shade. Because I wanted to keep this look sexy and smokey, I avoided any pencil or gel liner and went for a black eyeshadow, MAC's Black Tied, to line my upper lashline. No smokey eye is complete without lashing of an ultra-black, volumizing mascara. My choice had to be the amazing new Chanel Le Volume de Chanel Mascara.

Face

I didn't want my cheeks to compete with the eyes in any way. I just wanted a glowing, healthy look to my skin. To achieve this, I dusted some Benefit Blush in Hervana on my cheeks, followed by Benefit Watt's Up! Highlighter across my cheekbones, browbone, and down the bridge of my nose.

Lips

For a romantic night out, you want your lips to look as soft and kissable as possible. For this effect, I chose Chanel Rouge Coco Shine in Sourire, a warm light pink color. The glossy, balmy formula of this lipstick is ideal for a night out because you won't have to worry about it getting anywhere.

Let me know what your go-to look is when you have a romantic night out!

Hope you all have a very happy Valentine's Day no matter what your plans are!

xx

January Favorites

 Hello Lovelies! Hard to believe we are already into the second month of 2013! The year is already flying by! Here's a little breakdown of the products I was particularly loving last month.

Stella McCartney Stella Perfume

Feeling a little bored with my usual fragrance, I was on the hunt for a new scent last January. I had heard so many bloggers mention Stella, so I gave it a little spritz on a recent trip to Sephora. Oh wow this fragrance is heaven! I believe the main notes of Stella are rose and amber, which are scents I would never think I would go for. I generally gravitate towards more floral, light fragrances. Something about this fragrance though is so romantic and sophisticated (but not in a stuffy way) that I was immediately hooked. And I can't lie, that stunning limited edition patterned bottle made the purchase all the more easy.

Chanel Rouge Coco Shine in Sourire

This is my first ever Chanel Coco Shine and I have been reaching for it non stop since picking it up in January. It is the perfect semi-sheer warm pink and seems to look appropriate no matter the occasion. You can see swatches of the color here!

Chanel Le Volume de Chanel Mascara

This is a sample I received in January when I purchased my Sourire Rouge Coco Shine. I am blown away by how amazing this mascara is! It is ultra black, incredibly volumizing, not at all clumpy and holds a curl like no one's business. I've been recommending it to friends, coworkers, anyone who I can! I think once this sample runs out, I just might have to purchase a full size, because any other mascara I have tried just doesn't compare to this!

Bumble and bumble Sunday Shampoo

I have to say this clarifying shampoo lives up to all its hype. A quick wash with this one to two times a week removes all the product buildup in my hair and leaves me with voluminous, shiny strands for days. An added bonus is that you need the smallest amount to achieve luxurious suds, so I expect this bottle will last ages.

Bumble and bumble Surf Spray

This salt water spray has been my saving grace this past month. A few spritzes of this in damp hair helps me achieve tousled, voluminous, effortless waves with just enough hold to avoid a poufy mess. If you would like to see how I achieve my no-heat beachy waves, click here!

butter London La Moss

This nail polish is the perfect vampy merlot color and was on my fingers almost all of January. The formula is beautiful and ultra-long lasting as well. For a full review, click here!

What were your favorite products in January? 

Thanks for reading 

xx

Today I'm Wearing #17: Chanel Nail Colour in #509 Paradoxal

Chanel Nail Colour in #509 Paradoxal is a color I was hunting down for a very long time. Every time I would visit a Chanel makeup counter, they were inevitably sold out of this color. I thought that since I had no luck at the Chanel counters, I might be able to find a similar color from another brand, but to no avail. I finally threw in the towel a few weeks ago, and ordered this nail polish online. Even with the hefty price tag, I can't say I regret it. It's just so darn pretty!

Now that I own Chanel Paradoxal myself, I realize what a truly unique color it is. I am not at all surprised now that I had such a hard time finding a dupe for it! Depending on the lighting, this shade can appear more plum or more smokey grey. It is a complex, intriguing shade, that is guaranteed to look stylish on women of any age. The purple duochrome shimmer that is so prominent in the bottle is however much more subtle once on the nails. I only occasionally notice the shimmer when the light hits my nails just right.

Happily, I found this particular Chanel Nail Colour to be exceptionally smooth and opaque. It was in no way streaky, and an absolute breeze to apply. My only minor complaint is that although wear time was decent, it did chip a few days sooner than my Essie or butter London polishes.

Do you own any Chanel nail polishes? What are your thoughts on them? Worth the price, or just a lot of hype?

Thanks for reading! 

xx