theNotice: a beauty blog

Oh, corals. The taupes of the lip colour world, coral hues are almost as hard to identify as Nemo in a sea of tiny clownfish. One person’s coral is another’s apricot, or peach, or pink — they sit just in that lovely spectrum between peach and pink, making them wonderfully flattering but oh-so-hard to define.

That said, though, this month’s Lipstick Bandit collaboration features just that: corals.

I don’t actually own a proper coral lip product (that I know of) at the moment, so I layered two products to get something in the neighbourhood. It’s not perfect, but it’s close enough — and it’s comfortable and long-wearing, to boot.

This lip features a thin layer of a YSL Glossy Stain in Corail Alla Prima, a new permanent Vernis à Lèvres from this Summer’s Saharienne Heat collection. Despite being described as a “dazzling coral” (and being named accordingly), I wasn’t crazy about this new permanent shade’s orange-heavy intensity — it’s gorgeous, but it still kinda feels too early in the year, you know?

Anyhow; after blotting (to get rid of the high-impact gloss but keep the medium-sheer stain of colour), I added a layer of–what else?–a Clinique Chubby Stick to tone down the shade. This pinky beauty is Mighty Mimosa, and despite how sheer the original-formula Chubby Sticks tend to be, it did a great job toning down the warmth of Corail Alla Prima.

I think the Glossy Stain would make a great coral on a darker, warmer skintone, but without the Chubby Stick to pink things up a little, it was just a bit too much on me. I’ll definitely give it another try with my “summer goggles” on (they’re like beer goggles, but better beauty), but I might just be a little too cool-toned for it!

See the other Bandits’ picks!

• Beauty Reflections
• BellaChique‎
• ChloeAsh‎
• Eye Heart It
• Getting Cheeky
• Glitter Geek
• Makeup Morsels
• Messy Wands
• Mostly Sunny‎
• Musing on Beauty
• My Funny Valentine
• My Women Stuff

Products Used / Shop the Look

SKIN

theBalm timeBalm Concealer in Lighter Than Light, $18 USD

Clinique Gradient Powder Blusher in Black Honey (review & swatches)

EYES

Anastasia Beverly Hills Bold & Beautiful Kit: Vol. 2 Beautiful Eyes, $36 USD

Physicians Formula Shimmer Strips Custom Eye Enhancing Eyeliner Trio in Nude Eyes (glitter black only), $11.99 USD

Annabelle Expandable Mascara, $10.99 CAD

LIPS

YSL Vernis À Lèvres Glossy Stain in 31 Corail Alla Prima, $34 USD/$36 CAD

Clinique Chubby Stick in 13 Mighty Mimosa, $16 USD/$19 CAD

It’s almost here! Sephora’s twice-annual sale is back, with 15% off  for all beauty for Beauty Insiders (Friday, April 12th to Sunday, April 21st) and VIBs (Thursday, April 11th to Monday, April 22nd.)

Use code CHIC at checkout!

(P.S. Can’t wait for Chic Week? Check out Sephora’s sale section and weekly offers in the meantime — both are already live, and the sale section is already up to 60% off!)

A few April (and April-ish) picks

– LUSH Big Solid Conditioner. Fragranced with vanilla, jasmine, and tonka bean, this solid conditioner uses sea salt to add volume to fine hair… & comes free of parabens, silicones, and packaging. $9.95 CAD/100g.

– Benefit Fake Up Hydrating Crease-Control Concealer. Like a lot of these spring picks, Fake Up offers more than just colour: silicone- and paraben-free, these sticks (which come in three shades) bring light-diffusing hydration to the table, too. $24 USD/$29 CAD.

– Sally Hansen Complete Salon Manicure in I Lilac You. How pretty is this 7-in-1 varnish? The reformulated Sally Hansen Complete polishes come in a terrifying 49 shades, and are made to be your base coat, strengthener, growth treatment, colour, and top coat, all in one. $8.95 CAD.

– eos Smooth Sphere Organic Lip Balm Duo. With one best-selling fan favourite (the pink Strawberry Sorbet) & one set-exclusive flavour (the elusive purple Passion Fruit), this is one set that you can’t miss… if you can find it before it sells out, that is. $5.99 USD/$7.99 CAD.

– Yves Saint Laurent Rouge Volupté Shine in Pink in Confidence. YSL’s new Rouge Volupté Shines may be sheerer than most makeup addicts would like, but I love the vibe of this paraben-free dusty pale pink. $34 USD/$39 CAD.

What’s on your radar for the spring?

The product: Clarins Palette Eclat Face Blush & Powder

I’m not always the best at reviewing things right when they come out, and the Face & Blush Powder in the Clarins Rouge Eclat collection was no exception.

That said, the tardiness is entirely my own issue — it says nothing (nothing!) about the product itself.

Like many of Clarins’ other limited edition face powders, the Palette Eclat is a gorgeously intricate pressed powder marketed as a “Face & Blush Powder” — that is, you can use it sheerly over your entire complexion, or focus the product on the cheeks as a highlighter, bronzer, or blush (depending on your skintone) with a denser brush.

Because I’m quite pale, I tend to use face-and-blush duos just on my cheeks, as warm blushers — you can see it used as a contouring blush in:

• This blue eyeliner look from this Monday,
• This violet-eyed Rouge Eclat look from February, or
• This “brow resolutions” focus piece, also from weeks and weeks ago.

(If you have a medium-deep complexion, Karen’s review on this blush at MABB is a can’t-miss!)

Clarins Palette Eclat swatches: more pink vs. just beige.

I’m in love with the scent of this season’s Clarins powder (it’s very noticeable, for a face powder; exquisitely blended powder and violets), but it’s definitely not the only thing to be smitten with. The matte finish blends in seamlessly with the skin, and the strips of colour are insanely pigmented — I thought they’d be an overspray, but they go right down & really influence the tone of the powder.

With a focus on the coloured strips, you’ll get an intense pink cheek, with a little bit of a yellow/orange lean; with only the solid beige, you’ll get a soft, natural peach.

Clarins Palette Eclat Face Blush & Powder swatches: just beige / just pink / whole pan

Clarins Rouge Eclat collection Face Blush & Powder swatches

Here’s the stunner, though: with a swipe across the whole pan, you’ll see a gorgeous peachy pink. (Imagine what would happen if you took a drop of fluorescent hibiscus pigment and diluted it with 10 drops of neutral-warm skin tones… and then add an extra five points for awesome.)

(FOR AWESOME.)

The verdict?

If I could give a verdict as, “eeeee!”, I totally would. I am crazy about this powder — the price is reasonable for what you’re getting; the pigmentation and versatility are gorgeous; the design and scent are perfection. 

I find it hard to write reviews for products wherein I literally cannot find a single bad thing to say about the product (because there’s a dearth of such products, not because they’re hard to write), but… well, this is one of the few. You need this. 

Get it at:Nordstrom; Clarins counters. $35 USD/$40 CAD.

P.S.: See all of our Clarins Palette Eclat features here!

Keep reading! »

I don’t even know how to start apologizing for the fact that I only had time to write one post this week, so I just… won’t.

Fingers crossed — I hope this week will be better! :)

PS: Happy Easter, lovelies!