Sunday, August 31, 2014

Burberry Bloomsbury Girls A/W' 14 Makeup Collection | Nail Polish in Antique Gold No. 445

Burberry's new Autumn Winter 2014 Bloomsbury Girls Makeup Collection features five new nail polishes, Antique Gold No.445 ($22; burberry.com) being one of them that is now part of the permanent line. Antique Gold is a shimmery, olive/gold duo chrome that is quite similar to Metallic Khaki by Burberry.




From the stock photos, I was expecting Antique Gold to be a little more gold and bronze and a lot less green/olive. The color is beautiful and quite unique too, but if you own Metallic Khaki, its not a must have, unless the subtle differences are something you don't mind and find both colors really flattering. While not the most flattering for my skintone, it still is a rich, gorgeous metallic with a formula that is completely opaque in two coats. Antique Gold looks a lot more green under natural lighting and the gold tones come out only in artificial lighting - the shift is quite difficult to capture in photos. The consistency was good too and like all Burberry polishes, this one too dries really fast. I did have to clean up around the cuticle area just a tad since the brush is a little too wide for my linking, but overall, the formula was quite good with minimal brush strokes. I din't use a top coat and finish was quite glossy by itself. If you own Metallic Khaki, I won't say Antique Gold is a must have - both are quite similar, although not dupes, but definitely one of the nicer shades from the Burberry Nail Polish line.






What are your thoughts on Antique Gold by Burberry?

Wednesday, August 27, 2014

NARS Audacious Lipsticks | Anita and Brigitte

NARS' Audacious Lipsticks ($32; narscosmetics.com) are their newest launch for fall - its a rich, creamy, full coverage lipstick with a moisturizing formula that comes in 40 shades. The range in general has amazing color payoff and some fabulous colors ranging from neutrals to bright pinks, deep plums and reds. *Press Sample



I tried out two shades, both very wearable rosy pinks - Anita and Brigitte. Anita is a dusky, rosy nude while Brigitte is more of a light pinky neutral. They are both neutrals for my skintone, but can look more pink if your lips aren't as pigmented. Both colors go on true to how they look in the tube and have great pigmentation in just one single swipe. They have a slight sheen, but the overall finish is a satin matte. Anita is a beautiful pink that covers my pigmented lips well and doesn't wash me out. Brigitte is more of lighter pink that can wash me out if worn alone, so I prefer it with a smokey eye or under a gloss.  The packaging of the Audacious lipsticks are really nice - they come packaged in sleek, matte black magnetic cases. They wear well too - I get about 5-6 hours from these. Overall, amazing formula that feels super creamy and very comfortable to wear even though my lips are on the drier side. I like how these can be sheered out as well since they have enough color to be worn as a stain or under a gloss. Anita has got to be my favorite of the two!





L-R : Anita, Brigitte

Wearing the NARS Audacious Lipstick in Anita


Have you checked out the new Audacious Lipsticks by NARS yet?

Saturday, August 23, 2014

Bite Beauty Matte Creme Lip Crayon in Glace, Agave Lip Mask Champagne

Two new launches from Bite Beauty, the Matte Creme Lip Crayons ($24; sephora.com) and the Champagne Agave Lip Mask ($26; sephora.com) have been among my recent favorite lip products. Bite sent me the Champagne hued Lip Mask and the Matte Creme Lip Crayon in Glace to try out, so here are some pictures, thoughts and swatches!

Bite Beauty Matte Creme Lip Crayon in Glace, Agave Lip Mask Champagne


The Matte Creme Lip Crayon in Glace is a dusty rose and a wearable nude pink for my pigmented lips. It has mauve undertones that help cover my natural lip pigmentation and the rich pigment covers in one stroke. The texture is a creamy, satin matte and the color turns up looking just as it does in the tube. The finish can get a tad flat looking as the day goes by and while not the most drying matte, it can be a little drying if you, like me, have very dry lips to start with. I love the packaging and the twist up mechanism with the not so chubby tip that helps with slightly precise lining.

Bite Beauty Matte Creme Lip Crayon in Glace, Agave Lip Mask Champagne

Bite Beauty Matte Creme Lip Crayon in Glace Review, Photos, Swatches

Bite Beauty Matte Creme Lip Crayon in Glace Review, Photos, Swatches Bite Beauty Reviews of Matte Creme Lip Crayon
The Agave Lip Mask in Champagne is a sheer, shimmery golden pink that works alone and looks particularly amazing over the matte lip crayon. I found the texture of the Champagne Lip Mask to be a tad thicker and a little more sticky than the original. It does feel just as moisturizing as the original and there's no grittiness from the added shimmer. The newly designed tube is nice too, no cracks so far as well. Overall, both are fabulous products and I love layering them both -  the Champagne Agave Lip Mask over the Matte Creme Lip Crayon in Glace - the end result is a gorgeous rosy pink with a lovely sheen!

Bite Beauty Agave Lip Mask Champagne Review, photos, FOTD

Bite Beauty Agave Lip Mask Champagne Review, photos for dry lips healing balm

Bite Beauty Matte Creme Lip Crayon in Glace, Agave Lip Mask Champagne Swatches
L-R : Bite Beauty Matte Creme Lip Crayon in Glace, Bite Beauty Champagne Agave Lip Mask

Wearing  Bite Beauty Matte Creme Lip Crayon in Glace topped of with  Bite Beauty Champagne Agave Lip Mask




Have you tried any of these products from Bite Beauty?

*Press Sample

Anastasia Amrezy Eyeshadow Palette

Anastasia's limited-edition Amrezy Eye Shadow Palette ($29; ulta.com; Ulta stores) features ten metallic and matte eye shadows in a compact palette. The colors themselves are gorgeous and pair well with one another and work alone as sheer washes too. I found the eyshadows to be pretty pigmented and quite blendable as well. *Press Sample



The matte shades are a tad more smoother than the metallic finishes and make for great colors for the crease. Caramel especially is a beautiful warm matte brown that works even as a transition shade or to soften colors. There is a little bit of fallout from the top row, especially from Emerald and Glisten, so I'd suggest patting them on with fingers or a firm, densely packed brush. The matte shades go on smooth and blend much better. Overall though, its a really nice, wearable palette where every shade is something I'd actually get use out of and particularly love the mix of shimmer and matte!







What are your thoughts on the Anastasia Amrezy Eyeshadow Palette?

Friday, August 22, 2014

Dior Vernis Massai 853

Dior's Massai ($25; dior.com)  was one of the few polishes in the gel formula I had picked up when Dior re-launched their nail polish line earlier this summer. Massai is also a re-promote and one of five polishes as part of Dior's fall 2014 lineup.

Dior Vernis Massai 853
























Massai is a gorgeous red creme with hints of plum and maroon. Its a beautiful shade for all skin tones and definitely one of the more wearable reds I have in my collection. It has a muted quality that makes it not so bright and one that I could wear any season. The brush on this one was pretty amazing as well - curved, quite wide and coats the entire nail in one single stroke. I have no complaints on the formula too - Massai was completely opaque in two coats, but could use a top coat for some extra gloss. Overall, if you like reds or are looking for a wearable red in the most beautiful cream finish, Massai is worth picking up.

Dior Vernis Massai 853

Dior Vernis Massai 853 Review, Photos, Swatches

Dior Vernis Massai 853 Ingredients

Dior Vernis Massai 853 Swatch NOTD Nail Polish Application


What are your thoughts on Dior Vernis in Massai? 

Thursday, August 21, 2014

Bumble and Bumble Hairdresser's Invisible Oil Trio

Bumble and Bumble's Hairdresser's Invisible Oil ($30 for a travel kit; sephora.com) line now has three new additions - a Sulfate-free Shampoo, a Conditioner and a Heat/UV Protective Primer. I picked up the travel size version of the kit at Sephora a while back. I was most interested to try out the sulfate-free shampoo, but ended up loving the primer instead.





The travel sizes are pretty decent and have lasted me quite sometime now. I wash my hair every other day and still have a good amount of product left. All three products smell amazing and its a strong, coconutty, sweet scent that lingers on for a bit. The Shampoo is quite thick and I only needed a small amount for my hair. It lathers really well for a sulfate-free formula and washes off clean. It does leave my hair very tangled though, so I did have to follow up with the conditioner every single time. The Conditioner is light, so I need more product than usual. It doesn't have too much of a slip, but manages to smoothen and de-tangle to an extent. The first few uses I found the shampoo to be quite light, but it does build up overtime and can make scalp look a bit greasy if you don't use a clarifying shampoo once in a while. If you have very dry, rough hair though, you'll love the richer formula of this one. On the plus side, it does control a lot of frizz and leaves my natural curls looking pretty tamed.





The Heat/UV Protective Primer is my favorite product from the kit. Its a light spray that instantly detangles and leaves hair feeling  super smooth and frizz-free after a blow dry. It also helps speed up blow drying time just a tad and doesn't feel sticky or heavy at all. It works just as well when you air dry as it does with the help of a dryer. Of the three products, I would definitely recommend trying the Heat/UV Protective Primer and would consider getting a full size when I'm done. The shampoo is nice too, but definitely needs a clarifying shampoo once a week to be followed up with. The conditioner is just okay, not bad, but not a must-have.




Have you tried anything from the Bumble and Bumble Hairdresser's Invisible Oil line yet?

Wednesday, August 20, 2014

Smashbox Full Exposure Palette

Smashbox's Full Exposure Palette ($49 ; sephora.com) is a travel friendly palette that features 14 neutral eye shadows in a mix of matte and metallic finishes. The upper row is made up of the shimmery shades while the lower row is all matte.






The palette also comes with a travel size of the Full Exposure mascara, a good mascara for volume that does't flake or smudge though the day. It can clump a little, but definitely adds a lot of volume to sparse lashes. There's also a good quality , dual ended brush which is probably my favorite part of the palette. I love the brush - its like having two of my favorite brushes in one - the MAC 217 and the MAC 239. The flatter side helps with laying down shadows, especially the shimmery ones and the fluffy end helps with blending.








As for the shadows themselves, I'd have to say that some shades are a hit or miss. I prefer the texture of the matte shadows a little more since they have less fall out and blend better. The shimmery shades are nice when patted on the lid using fingers, but tend to fall out quite a bit while blending, so I would recommend doing your face later. On the plus side, they are very pigmented. Like with most powder shadows, I used these over a primer and it lasted pretty well without creasing too much. The colors are all wearable, and perfect for neutral or smokey looks. If only the textures of the metallic shades were a tad more easy to work it, it would have been perfect.




What are your thoughts on the Smashbox Full Exposure Palette?

*Press Sample

Elizabeth Arden Fall 2014 Untold Color Collection

Elizabeth Arden's Fall 2014 'Untold' Color Collection features jewel tones and neutrals for eyes and lips along with a couple of new product launches to the permanent line. Also launched as part of the Untold Color Collection is Untold Absolu, a rich creamy scent perfect for fall, but more on that later. For now, here are some review and swatches of the makeup!



Beautiful Color Eye Shadow Quad in Chic Browns ($40; elizabetharden.com) is a beautiful mix of satin matte and shimmery textures in shades of beige and brown. The eye shadows, although a tad on the sheer side, were still smooth, blendable and easy to work with. The packaging is quite nice and compact. I love a good neutral quad and Chic Browns is very wearable, something I'd reach out to quite often.








Beautiful Color Natural Eye Brow Pencil in Natural Beige ($22; elizabetharden.com) can be a tad light for my dark hair, but it doesn't have red tones, so the grey/taupe color works in filling in small gaps. The tip is small and very precise, so its great to fill in when you want a very natural look or have sparse brows. The spoolie on the other hand is quite convenient, but the product doesn't deposit too much, so I din't really need much of it. I'll definitely be checking out the darker shades at my counter soon.




Beautiful Color Precision Glide Eye Liner in Blackberry ($22; elizabetharden.com) is my favorite product from the collection. It comes in six shades and is smooth, quite pigmented and doesn't tug or pull the lash line. Blackberry has very fine shimmer, so I haven't tried it on my waterline, but is amazing for the lash line. It lasted about 8 hours before I could see some fading. It is very waterproof and doesn't set right away, so there's a lot of time to smudge it out if needed.





Beautiful Color Luminous Lip Gloss in Glamorous Gold ($18; elizabetharden.com) is more of a layering gloss for me. It is very glossy and the gold flecks add a lot of dimension to any lip color. There's quite a strong candy like scent and a thin applicator, both of which don't bother me much, but are things to keep in mind if you don't like either. The gloss itself is nice, could be just a tad less sticky, but comfortable to wear and perfect when layered over another lip color than on its own. It also comes with a small mirror on the side of the tube for touch ups.






Overall, Untold Color Collection has some nice pieces worth checking out. The eyeliner in particular is absolutely worth looking into and the color, Blackberry is a beautiful,  not so bright purple that adds a subtle pop along the lash line.

Most of the collection is available on elizabetharden.com, others for pre-oder and will ship Aug 21st.

What are your thoughts on Elizabeth Arden's Fall Color Collection?

*Products provided are PR samples.