Clinique A Different Nail Enamel stock swatches & color photos | New 22/04/13

Monday, April 22, 2013

A launches from the past few weeks…

More importantly, Clinique just launched their Cinique ‘A Different Nail Enamel’ Nail Color ($16 USD). I think I speak for all of us when I say, “excuse me, but what?!” because I honestly did not see this one coming at all.

I don’t know if I should be incredibly pleased or extremely freaked out, but these 21 shades are available now alongside an ‘A Different Nail Enamel’ Top & Base Coat (also $16 USD).

Clinique 70s and Sunny, Really Rio, Juiced Up

Clinique 70s and Sunny, Really Rio, & Juiced Up

Clinique Fizzy, Indie Rock, Made of Steel

Clinique Fizzy, Indie Rock, & Made of Steel

See the rest of the shades! »

The facial spray-slash-toner that you NEED this spring | L’Occitane Immortelle Brightening Mist review

Friday, April 19, 2013

L'Occitanne facial spray water review

The product: L’Occitane Immortelle Brightening Mist

So, I wrote a fifteen page paper earlier this week on prefrontal cortical damage and its intersection with tactical communications, mostly between the hours of eleven at night on Tuesday and two in the afternoon on Wednesday.

I’m still kind of dazed.

Despite the lack of sleep I’ve been getting this term, though, I think I’ve been presenting a pretty glowy base… but maybe my perpetually-dry skin just has me biased. Either way, L’Occitane’s limited edition facial spray has been high, high up on the list of things I’ve been loving!

Best makeup setting spray - L'Occitane

What it is: Part of L’Occitane’s Immortelle Brightening range, the Brightening Mist is an alcohol-free toner & make-up setting spray. It’s enriched–of course–with floral water from the Immortelle flower, an anti-ageing “golden sun” (Helichrysum arenarium) sourced by L’Occitane from the island of Corsica.

Also formulated with Bellis Perennis (a common European species of daisy), the range is made to increase collagen production, protect against free radicals, and reduce the appearance of pigmentation marks.

Bright blue eyeliner look

A quick snap from this bright blue eyeliner tutorial — glowing skin courtesy of the Immortelle mist!

What makes it great is not the marketing or fancy-schmancy ingredients, however. Nope, it’s something much more simple than that: the packaging. Solidly housed in the Immortelle range’s white, yellow, and blue uniform, this mist is easy to aim, spray, and diffuse – no awkward spluttering in sight.

Decent facial sprays are actually pretty easy to find, but functional, utilitarian packaging – that’s a little harder to come by, if you ask me.

L'Occitanne Immortelle face mist

The verdict?

I hate recommending limited edition skincare, but I have to say — I’m pretty darn pleased with this one. I think the fragrance (floral; a natural and synthetic blend) could be a little lighter, but my dry skin absolutely loves this water-and-glycerine formula!

All in all, I’m not too broken up about the fact that this isn’t in the permanent range. I like it, of course, and I think it does a great job of setting makeup and leaving skin glowing… but I think what I really love about it is the dense, even mist (and pretty-but-simple packaging).

Availability: $20 USD/$22 CAD for 100ml, limited edition.

Additional photos & more »

The Lipstick Bandits | Coral(ish) lips ft. YSL Glossy Stain in Corail Alla Prima… and, okay, a Chubby Stick.

Monday, April 15, 2013

!LB coral lip picks

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.

!The Lipstick Bandits - corals

!Wearable coral lip stain - YSL + Clinique

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?

!YSL Corail Alla Prima Glossy Stain

Clinique Mighty Mimosa Chubby Stick

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!

!LB Spring 2013 - coral lips

See the other Bandits’ picks!

!LB corals makeup - eyelids

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

ob for shu uemura, Summer 2013 | Coming Up

Friday, April 12, 2013

ob for shu uemura cleansing oil teaser

Just a quick preview of a few products that will be up on theNotice (hopefully) soon! I haven’t photographed & tested the three cleansing oils that I have yet, but I’m loving the two UV mousses – they’re not ‘cone-free, but the results are fantastic. Good enough to tempt me into wearing them around despite my silicone intolerance, eep!

Availability: online at shuuemura.ca ($10 off any purchase over $50 with ARTOFSHU), shuuemura-usa.com (free shipping on all orders over $50), and in-stores at Holt Renfrew & select Sephora boutiques.

Here’s what’s in the collection…

ob for shu uemura collection

ob for shu uemura

the cleansing oils

  • fresh pore clarifying gentle cleansing oil (pink packaging), $79 CAD
  • high performance balancing cleansing oil advanced formula (yellow), $79 CAD
  • cleansing beauty oil premium A/O advanced formula (green), $89 CAD
  • whitefficient clear brightening gentle cleansing oil (blue), $89 CAD

the UV under base mousses

  • POREraser – pink (pink), $46 CAD
  • POREraser – beige (yellow), $46 CAD
  • BB mousse – BB beige (green), $46 CAD
  • brightening mousse whitefficient – pink purple (blue), $46 CAD

ob for shu uemura spring 2013 collection teaser

coming up

rouge unlimited lipstick

  • ob princess coral, $36 CAD
  • ob dream orange, $36 CAD
  • ob sakura pink, $36 CAD

pressed eyeshadow refill – all matte (M), $19 CAD/ea

  • light blue 630
  • light green 434
  • light purple 716
  • salmon beige 132

pastel eyeshadows - ob for shu

  • yellow beige 814
  • medium brown 852
  • medium brown 864
  • dark brown 896

cases & lashes

  • ob compact case (fits one Face Architect powder refill), $19 CAD
  • ob duo custom case (fits two eyeshadows), $11 CAD
  • sakura flower mini false eyelashes, $32 CAD
  • ocean beads mini false eyelashes, $32 CAD

ob for shu lashes and cases

Clarins Palette Eclat Face Blush & Powder review, swatches, photos | Clarins Rouge Eclat, Spring 2013

Wednesday, April 3, 2013

Clarins Palette Eclat - Rouge Eclat Spring 2013 face palette

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.

Clarins Rouge Eclat Face & Blush Powder review

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:

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

Clarins Palette Eclat review, swatches

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 hand swatches

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

Clarins Palette Eclat individual swatches

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.)

Clarins face powder review - Palette Eclat

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! »

Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...