theNotice: a beauty blog

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!

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.

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

Phyrra shares her picks for the best photography and video equipment for beauty and fashion bloggers. From handbags to cellphones and lights, she’s got you covered!

Jenny tries her hand at an Illamasqua I’mperfect inspired speckled eyeliner look at My Funny Valentine.

Musicalhouses does an Emerald Color of the Year Eye Look, and throws in random musings on this whole Color of the Year business, too!

Rae thinks she’s found the one Spring 2013 blush that you need. Don’t miss her review of this gorgeous violet-scented face palette over on theNotice!

Jenn from Spiced Beauty shows you how to get dewy skin in seconds!

Handmade Reviews reveals how skin color and contrast can contribute to signs of aging.

Looking for a reasonably priced BB Cream? Gouldylox Reviews has the run down on most brands available at drugstores!

At Musing on Beauty you will discover pictures, swatches and a review of the five new Makeup Geek eyeshadows. Check them out!

Love Frederic Malle’s Lipstick Rose? Kim from Makeup by Kim Porter has found an affordable dupe!

Beauty Crazed discovers that Sally Hansen InstaGel Strips are not so easy that even a spaz can use them – check out guest reviewer’s Sam and her inaugural strip experience!

Jude reviews the GlamGlow Exfoliating Mud Mask on Love, Lust, & Fairy Dust — with not so glowing results!

Watch SmashinBeauty make Pablo Picasso’s The Weeping Woman painting come alive on her face.

Love a bright lipstick? Midnight Violets has lip swatched all her favourites for you!

Looking for a sophisticated and lovely new scent? Pammy Blogs Beauty reviews Valentino’s new Valentina Assoluto.

Prime Beauty has rounded up the best of spring’s beauty launches just for you!

Don’t know what to get at Sephora’s 15% off sale? Then head over to Beauty Reflections to see a few of the new Sephora Colorful Eyeshadows in action! Some of them are worth getting, especially with the discount!

Whether you’re a redhead, blonde or brunette, you’ll appreciate the gorgeous shades in these Whiphand Cosmetics lip palettes. Beauty Info Zone loves these so much that we jumped at the chance of offering a giveaway for these, too!

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

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

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

• 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

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!)