WINTER 2014 ESSENTIALS TAG with Kirstie from kimamelybeauty

Tags

tag, Winter 2014 Essentials Tag

Naturally, when the weather man reports impending winter weather, you know it’s due time to stock up on your winter essentials. And while you’re most likely set with the obvious ones – like hot chocolate and oversized, chunky, crazy-coloured/patterned sweaters, don’t underestimate the importance of a good hand cream or the equally essential luxury winter scent.

So, talking on Twitter to my lovely friend Kirstie, she came up with the idea of doing this WINTER 2014 ESSENTIALS TAG. We did the questions ( she did 5 and I did 5 as well ) and here you have our answers…

Fair warning! This might take some time, so grab yourself a cup of spicy hot chocolate and some macaroons and enjoy your read!

Question 1

Kirstie asked:
What’s your ultimate party season lip product?

A: Obviously THE ultimate red lipstick. But I’m not giving off more as I have a blog post coming up next month on my blog entirely dedicated to this matter, plus a few other surprises ( since it’s also my birthday month… wink wink).

K: There’s nothing I love more than a bold lip with a metallic eye look for a party. This year I’ll be sporting the dazzling berry tones of MAC Rebel with a gold eye.

Question 2

Annie asked:
What’s your winter essential makeup product?

K: I’ve been loving a bright lip colour to liven up your look this winter. It looks especially striking when paired with a dark outfit that might otherwise look a bit on the boring side. I’m head over heels for the Rimmel Moisture Renew Lipstick in In Love With Ginger, the perfect orangey red for daytime.

A: My essential makeup product for the Winter of 2014 has to be golden, shimmery and to give me the same glow ( without making me feel like a disco ball, obviously! ). It might be called cheating, but I’ll go for the entire Dior Golden Shock 2014 Christmas Collection. Love the Diorific hilghighter in #001 Gold Shock and 4 out of 5 nail polishes!

Question 3

Kirstie Asked:
What are you most hoping to see under your tree Christmas morning?

A: A Prada mini-2Jour bag, maybe?!…

K: A little Tom Ford or Charlotte Tilbury would always be appreciated!

Question 4

Annie Asked:
Name one beauty essential that’s never missing from your bag during the colder months.

K: Hand cream! My hands get pretty dry in the winter, and there are some really pretty scented offerings for a pick me up. The L’Occitane Shea Butter one is the best if your hands really need some extra nourishment, but my favourite at the minute has to be the gorgeous Honeymania hand cream from The Body Shop!

A: Even though my first thought was also hand cream, I have to admit that I kind of hate the feeling of it on my hands during winter. It’s not a problem when I’m at home, but when I’m out and about I really can’t be bothered! So I will go for Lip Balm, a thick, nourishing lip balm like the Omorovicza Perfecting Lip Balm. Gorgeous, gorgeous product!

Question 5

Kirstie Asked:
What are your winter weather skincare saviours?

A: A good rich moisturizer, an effective face mask and a the Laura Mercier hand creams. The moisturizer I’m currently using is a new one I got from Apivita, the Queen Bee range which is ok… for now and the face mask that I think I’ll never stop using ( ever! ) is the Oskia Renaissance Mask.

K: Although I have oily skin, it manages to get pretty dry in the winter. Last year the dryness reached another level and I found myself reaching for the less-than-glamorous Epaderm cream to banish those flaky patches. I’m still on the lookout for a great rich moisturiser, although the L’Occitane Divine Cream comes pretty close!

Question 6

Annie asked:
What’s winter going to smell like this year?

K: Great question! I think I’ll be reaching for the likes of Chanel Coco Mademoiselle this winter for a glamorous feel to those chilly days. The heavier, spicier tones really work with the cooler weather.

A: I know this winter it’s going to be all about Penhaligon’s Malabah, a Woody Oriental scent, a deep, warm, mature scent that emulates the coziness of a room with a lit fireplace and the crispiness of the weather outside.

Question 7

Kirstie Asked:
Is the berry eye the new berry lip?

A: For me it definitely is! I recently got myself this Charlotte Tilbury The Dolce Vita eyeshadow palette and that’s about the only thing I’m wearing on my eyes at the moment! I’ve always loved a berry hued eye makeup look, even though it’s a rather difficult one to achieve.

K: Although I don’t think it can take over the eponymous berry lip, it’s definitely a contender. I love MAC Cranberry and the Metallic Pomegranate Maybelline Color Tattoo all over the lid. It’s such an easy but individual look. You need to keep it understates though, the bruised look is never classy!

Question 8

Annie asked:
What are your greatest winter indulgences?

K: I’ve been LOVING the new winter drinks in the coffee shops recently. My faves have to be the Honey & Almond Hot Chocolate from Starbucks and the Creme Caramel White Hot Chocolate from Coffee #1.

A: Anything Marzipan tastes particularly divine at this time of the year.

Question 9

Kirstie asked:
Lush Christmas: Your top pick?

A: When it comes to Christmas at LUSH there’s no such thing as just one pick! So this year it’s going to be like this: the Melting Snowman, Star Light Star Bright, the Butterbear, the Golden Wonder… and Holly Golightly… duh!

K: I’m seriously lusting after the Yog Nog soap. I’m not a huge soap user, but this one smells incredible! That and just about every Christmas bubble bar!

Question 10

Annie asked:
Name one (or more) random winter essential.

K: Gloves! I have the most amazing pair of suede and faux fur mittens (try using an iPhone with those!) that I always whip out when it gets frosty.

A: My random essentials have to be, as they’ve always been: Christmas Carols and my Bibliothèque Byredo Candles, which smells like leather, old books and burning wood.

Next, I would like to Tag a few of my lovely girls here on WordPress to play along: Jackie, Divya, Serene, Lena, V… and whoever wants to do this Tag. Let’s see your WINTER 2014 picks, ladies!

Please remember that Kirstie has a beautiful blog ( click to see it here ) so check it out and don’t forget to follow, comment and like!

Thank you for reading!

See you in December, beautiful!

xx, Annie

 

 

CHARLOTTE TILBURY Cheek to Chic Swish & Pop Blushers in FIRST LOVE and LOVE GLOW – review, swatches, comparisons…

Tags

Charlotte Tilbury, Charlotte Tilbury Cheek to Chic Swish & Pop Blusher, Charlotte Tilbury First Love blush, Charlotte Tilbury Love Glow blush, comparisons, review, swatches

I was asking you in my “New in… CHARLOTTE TILBURY Makeup” post, which product from the haul should I review first! Almost all of you were particularly interested in the Cheek to Chic Swish & Pop Blushers.

I admit that I secretly wished you said that because these blushes are absolutely beautiful and I couldn’t wait the moment to try them properly! Haha!

 – outdoors

But before I go on with the actual review let me give you some “technical” details about these beautiful blushes…

They were specially created to bring back life into your cheeks when you have one of those days and your skin needs more attention! The Light Flex Technology is the element in these blushes that captures the light and diffuses it for a soft, flawless, youthful-looking skin. All 6 colours in the Cheek to Chic Blushers Collection are a blend of colour-rich pigments, rolled into the finest bits of crushed pearls that when smoothed and buffed into the skin they blend like a dream, creating the perfect touch of colour and a delicious even glow. The formula is buildable, very creamy and easy to use.

One more thing! The Swish & Pop application technique makes everything easier… But I’d rather quote the lovely Charlotte on that one:

 TIPS

I wanted a format that is as easy to apply in the back of a taxi as it is in your bathroom mirror. So I created the fail-proof 2-step Swish and Pop ritual:

• SWISH the brush around the outer shade and tap off the excess. Run the brush flat, up the cheek bone starting from the apple of the cheek, to structure the face.

• POP. Take the pointy end of the brush, dip it in the centre colour and tap off the excess. Apply to the apples of the cheeks to make them pop and glow. Blend seamlessly together.

See?! Nothing easier!

Now, back to the actual blushes. I have First Love and Love Glow.

With First Love, as with all the shades in her blush collection, Charlotte aimed to give us the opportunity to wear on our cheeks everyday that flush of happiness we feel when we love for the first time. Ahh, that pure and candid first love!…

It’s a peachy nude shade with a satin finish, the nudest of all the colours. The colour in the center of the pan has a dustier, almost matte finish, while the rest of the blush is more apricot-toned, with the finest golden shimmers which, I think, makes unnecessary wearing another highlighter on top. I like to Pop the colour in the center on the apples of my cheeks, then use the outer rim as a highlighter. The result is a gorgeous, natural and healthy cheek colour! I also think you can never exaggerate with this blush because it compliments so well your skin tone!

 – indoors, daylight

Here you have First Love swatched next to several other similar blushes I own in my collection. The closest in colour is the Hourglass Mood Exposure, except that Mood Exposure doesn’t have the shimmering finish of First Love. In fact, no other blush in my collection has the same finish as these Charlotte Tilbury ones, which makes them all even more special I have to say! Another similar one is Burberry‘s Tangerine, but a bit peachier and Burberry‘s Cameo which has more plummy undertones.

On my fair skin, with rosy undertones, Love Glow appears more pink than peachy – the way I would’ve expected it to be. The outer rim is such a pigmented pink with slightly warm undertones, while the Pop colour is more neutral leaning cooler on my complexion. The finish is a natural flush of pink, doubled by a healthy glow.

 – indoors, daylight

Here you have Love Glow swatched next to some of my rosy blush loves! The closest in colour and finish is my Tom Ford Frantik Pink and another new entry to my blush collection: NARS Deep Throat, a cult favourite among the beauty lovers around the world for several years. But compared to my new Hourglass Luminous Flush and Chanel Rose Initiale, Love Glow is a bit softer and rosier… A bit sweeter and candy-like, if that makes sense but as delicious on the cheeks!

Overall, I’m really impressed with these blushes and I would definitely recommend them. Not only for the fact that they are gorgeous… Just think that you have the possibility to buy a blush which can be worn 3 ways: each of the colours separately, or Swish and Popped together.

I really hope you enjoyed this review!

See you soon, beautiful!

xx, Annie

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

New in… NARS #narsissist

Tags

#narsissist, Albatross, Alhambra, Ashes to Ashes, blush, Cordura, Deep Throat, eyeshadow, haul, Mekong, Melusine, NARS

How much I wished to be able to use the #narsissist in my Instagram photos you have no idea! 

Now that Selfridges.com did me this immense joy and made shipping available for some selected NARS items, this is the final result! A bunch of eyeshadows and two beautiful, beautiful blushes!

I’ll take the blushes out of the way first, as they were the first that went into my cart!

So, without second thoughts, I picked Deep Throat, one of NARS‘ cult favourite blushes among the beauty addicts all-over the world. It’s one of their most best selling blushes, right next to Orgasm ( which btw wasn’t available ).

And my second pick was this gorgeous highlighting, gold hued blush with an absolutely gorgeous name: Albatross. Can’t wait to use this one too!

My favourite makeup God, Peter Philips from Dior ( I’m sure you already know who I’m talking about if you followed my makeup obsessive rambles for a while! ) used this amazing pink-toned highlighting Diorblush in #536 Peach Splendor for the makeup look on the Ready-to-Wear Spring 2015 Colection. I instantly felt in love with the colour and the soft, diffused effect on the cheeks ( You can read the whole post about the entire Dior S/S 2015 makeup collection here).

I have high hopes that with Albatross I will get the same soft effect: a golden, diffused touch!

As you can see I went a bit eyeshadow crazy too! According to the reviews I red online, these are amazing as well! So I got myself “a few” to try out!

Of course I went for neutrals first! Alhambra – a beautiful little palette I see myself reaching for everyday. Cordura, another beautiful eyeshadow palette, the colours are more dark and intense, excellent for a smokey eye. Alhambra and Cordura coordinate themselves in colour so a combination between the two is most likely to happen!

The last eyeshadow palette I went for was in a bolder colour combination! It has this name that always puts a smile on my face: Mélusine. Behind this lovely name there’s also a funny character… But I will tell you more about it when I will write a proper review.

I also picked two gorgeous single eye shadows, one in a not-so-surprisingly taupe colour Ashes to Ashes and another one, Mekong, in the most gorgeous deep, dark chocolate brown, with iridescent specks of glitter… just because it was too gorgeous not to! […]

This was it… For now!

Next I would love to get my hands on a couple of their new Audacious Lipsticks Collection lipsticks ( I currently have 5 on my list!? ), but most of the shades I want are only for English buyers with the Buy&Collect program or they’re currently out of stock.

Same questions as in my previous “New in…”, the Charlotte Tilbury makeup post…  What recommendations do you have for me? What are your NARS favourites and what should I get next? And, of course, what product do you want me to review first?

See you soon, beautiful!

xx, Annie

 

FOTD! My go-to makeup November 2014 Edition!

Tags

Burberry, chanel, dior, Estee Lauder, fotd, Giorgio Armani, guerlain, Hakuhodo, November, Tom Ford

The look I’m going to show you next is basically the look I wore on my face for the last couple of weeks, almost daily…

Everything started with rediscovering the Illusion d’Ombre in colour #95 Mirage, a summer release from Chanel ( read full review here ). Thank you Divya for making me like it so much!

My base was something like that:

– primer: Omorovicza Complexion Corrector SPF 20, a product that you’ll find on my face wether I have to wear makeup or not

– base: Dior Diorskin Star Fluid Foundation SPF 30, in shade #010 Ivory –  But when my skin was really acting out, I turned to my old faithful Giorgio Armani Luminous Silk Foundation, #4

– as a bronzer and contour I used the Guerlain Terracotta Light Sheer Bronzing Powder #04 Sun Blondes, definitely doesn’t match my skin tone but I personally like the blush-bronzed effect against my skin tone

– because of the bronzer I often skipped blush, but when I used it I went for my Burberry Light Glow #06 Tangerine

Base done, it’s time to concentrate on the eye:

– Chanel Illusion d’Ombre #95 Mirage all-over the lid

– blended out in the crease with a bit of Burberry Sheer Eye Shadows #22 Pale Barley and #06 Almond 

– eyes subtle lined with the Dior IT-Liner #099 It-Black, just to accentuate the lash line and a small flick 

– and lots of Burberry Bold Lash Mascara #01 Ebony, over the Curve Lash Mascara #01 Ebony, my new favourite mascara combo and a new launch from Burberry ( review here )

– for brows I used another new release from Burberry, the Effortless Eyebrow Definer in #02 Sepia ( read full review here ). 

– the final look using the Burberry Lip Cover #24 Romantic Rose and the Burberry Lip Gloss #09 Nude Beige on the lips. This is also my daytime/work makeup.

I paired this eye look with multiple lip shades starting with my favourite nude combo at the moment, all from Burberry but also with a dark, bold, vampy, burgundy-red lip. My favourite lipsticks were from Estée Lauder, Burberry and Giorgio Armani ( read more about my favourite bold lipsticks here ). I LOVE the effect a bold lip has with this relatively simple eye look!

 -the final look using the Estée Lauder Pure Colour Envy #450 Insolent Plum on the lips

 – the final look using the Giorgio Armani Rouge Ecstasy #403 Downtown on the lips

 – the final look using the Burberry Lip Cover #33 Oxblood on the lips

The Tools I used were my usual Tom Ford and Hakuhodo brushes and the Shu Uemura S Eye Lash Curler.

I hope you like this look as much as I do!

See you soon, Beautiful!

xx, Annie

 

 

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BURBERRY’s first eyebrow pencil – the EFFORTLESS EYEBROW DEFINER

Tags

brows, Burberry, Effortless Eyebrow Definer, new launch, photos, review, swatches

There were a lot of novelties in Burberry‘s makeup department with the launch of their new S/S Spring 2015 Collection, called Nude Beauty. Starting with the look proposed by the absolutely gorgeous and talented Andy Rowe, slightly unusual for the English weather-inspired Burberry common looks. Now I’m talking subtle bronzed, glowing face combined with a bold brick red lip and the so trendy no-mascara eye look… But I already wrote a blog post about the subject with details about the products used, the steps to achieve the look and lots of gorgeous pictures from behind the scenes! So make sure you check that one out!

Even if I don’t leave the house without “putting my brows on”, I’m not the biggest fan of brow pencils. I prefer using a brow powder or even an eyeshadow close in colour to the natural colour of my brows, to a waxy, messy, not pigmented enough pencil that gives me the sensation of crunchy brows…

But this was not the case here!

The new Burberry Effortless Eyebrow Definer is a double-ended automatic pencil, with a fine slanted tip on one side ( which imitates the shape of a precise brow brush ) made of buildable, powder texture which makes application the easiest. On the other end of the pencil there is a small and precise brush designed to sculpt, style and fix brows in place.

How I shape my brows:

 – brows with nothing on; or should I call this “brow-naked”?! Haha!

– first I go in with the brush side to make sure there is no excess foundation or powder on them and give me a basic shape to start with

– then, following the natural shape of my brows, by using light strokes I fill any gaps and add definition wherever it’s needed. I always start at the arch and working towards the tail of the brow.

You have no idea where the arch of your brow is? Make sure you check and follow the instructions in these helpful pictures below!

– image source Pinterest ( make sure you follow me there too! )

– image source Pinterest

– then I use the brush to sculpt the inner corners of the brow, adding the tiniest amount of product because I think they look more natural like that

– and as a final step, I brush through the brows once more to even out the colour and set everything in place

 – brows with the Burberry Effortless Eyebrow Definer on

My colour here is #02 Sepia, a muted brown with ashy undertones, which makes it not too warm but amazing for a soft, natural, everyday, effortless look. Actually it’s very similar to the first darker brown shade in my Guerlain Eyebrow Kit 4 Long-Lasting Powders Tailor-Made Shades ( which I will definitely review soon ).

And that would be it! Thank you for reading and make sure you check the post where I featured the new Burberry S/S 2015 Look created by the amazingly talented Andy Rowe!

See you soon, beautiful!

xx, Annie

New In… CHARLOTTE TILBURY Makeup

Tags

Charlotte Tilbury, Charlotte Tilbury First Love blush, Charlotte Tilbury La Dolce Vita, Charlotte Tilbury Love Glow blush, Chhek to Chic Swish and Pop blush, eye shadow palette, haul, Sexy Sienna Matte Revolution lipstick

Fair warning! This is NOT a review post!

I thought I would start ths blog post by kindly warning you that this is not my usual review with swatches… This is a Haul type of post I have never done before. But stay assured proper reviews on all the products featured here will be up soon… Just allow me to form a proper opinion and to share MY experience with them…

As you can easily see, things went down the hill a “little” bit for the month of November… After posting this photo on my Instagram account, it came to my mind that the amount of blushes featured there wasn’t enough for my needs; well, liking mostly!… So I decided to browse for more…

I always wanted to try the Charlotte Tilbury Cheek to Chic Swish and Pop Blushers and now was the right time to get me one… or two ( actually! ).

[ UPDATE on my blush collection: I ended up buying 7 more, from different brands, a certain Hourglass Ambient Lighting Blush Palette already reviewed, included! Now I have enough blushes that if they were money I could save a small country in recession ]

While browsing through Charlotte Tilbury makeup section on Selfridges website ( btw excellent service and customer care! ), I thought to myself: ” Oh well, I’ve always wanted to buy The Dolce Vita Palette Colour-Coded Eye Shadow Palette!” So that gorgeous little one went to my basket too.

And since my lovely friend Jackie, A Vibrant Day here on WordPress, started me on the Matte Revolution Lipsticks, I thought to myself why not getting Sexy Sienna?! Gorgeous, gorgeous colour and quality…

I clearly remember that I also added to my cart the Lip Liner in Pillow Talk but I must have removed it, because it was nowhere in my order… I must be loosing it already! ( I’m getting one year older next month! What can I do?! )

So this is my Charlotte Tilbury ” little ” haul!

Can’t wait to put this goodies to test! Which ones do you want me to review first? Please, tell me in the comments below!

See you soon beautiful!

xx, Annie

 

HOURGLASS Ambient Lighting Blush Palette – review, swatches… It’s good to have great friends that make your every wish come true!

Tags

Ambient Lighting Blush Palette, blush, Hourglass, Incandescent Electra, Luminous Flush, Mood Exposure

When I blogged the launch of this little gem ( Literally! Look how gorgeous and sparkly it is! ), back in September, I was browsing the new, updated Hourglass website for new shades to add to my shopping list! I knew for sure I wanted Mood Exposure and another one… Imagine my excitement when I saw what the Palette looked like…

I was waiting for a palette with my favourite Ambient Lighting Blushes ever since Hourglass released the Ambient Lighting Powder Palette. The concept was so well received that I thought to myself ” no way they will pass on coming on the market with a blush palette too! “. It turned out I was anticipating correctly…

Mood Exposure is the right colour for Autumn in my opinion! It was the first shadow I was drawn to when these blushes were released, but always found myself excuses not to buy it. I can describe it, as the majority of the bloggers did: a “soft plum”! A delicate plum combined with soft rosy hues and with subtle warm undertones peeking through ( see swatches in the picture below ). It looks more neutral and cool in the pan but applied and blended it gives my cheeks such a beautiful, natural colour with a light satin finish!

Lumious Flush on the other hand is a brighter colour! In the pan, it looks like a bright-pink coral with warm undertones. It definitely leaves a more golden-champagny-luminous finish to your skin.

Luminous Flush is a weird one. In some lights it might look pinkier almost fuchsia-like but in certain lights it can be considered a solid coral. It also depends on the undertones of your skin. On me it shows up more as pink with soft coral undertones, since I have more rosy undertones. I haven’t use it yet on someone with yellow, golden skin… Oh, how I’d love to see how it works on such beautiful skin type!

They both are in the permanent line, Mood Exposure being already on my wish list and a Luminous Flush I wasn’t even contemplating the idea of thinking I might want it! And how glad I am it came in this palette because it truly is a gorgeous colour!

But the cherry on top has to be the Limited Edition shade, Incandescent Electra! It took me quite a while to find the right words to describe such a gorgeous colour! Just take a moment to look at it… It is a gorgeous, gorgeous blush! The colour is unique, not like anything else I have in my perennial growing makeup collection!… It’s a cool peach blush which on my pale skin looks more of a cute baby rose, so fragile and delicate, with warm undertones and a luminous finish…

 – from Left to Right: Luminous Flush, Incandescent Electra, Mood Exposure.

For more details on the composition of these blushes you can find in a previous review I did on my other two Hourglass Ambient Lighting Blushes I own: Ethereal Glow and Dim Infusion, and the Ambient Lighting Powder Palette.

I want to remind you though, that Hourglass products are paraben, talc, fragrance, nano-particle and gluten free.

Thank you, Gods of Makeup… and my beautiful friend Marie, who lives in England at the moment. She was sweet enough to snatch one Hourglass Ambient Lighting Blush Palette for me and send it as an early birthday present! ( Wow! Birthday next month?! Already?! Getting irreversibly old, people! I AM getting old… )

See you soon, beautiful!

xx, Annie

AM skincare routine…

Tags

Foreo, Luna Mini, morning routine, Omorovicza, Oskia, Oskia Renaissance Cleansing Gel, Paula's Choice, Queen of Hungary Mist, Resist Barrier Moisturizer with Retinol, Sarah Chapman, skincare, Skinesis Morning Facial

After a couple of weeks when I posted reviews of some of my skincare staples at the moment ( maybe I should say “skin saviors”! ), I think it’s just about the right time to put them together in a post and tell you how I make them work for me. So this is my Morning skincare routine…

What my skin needs especially during this colder months is deep hydration and calming the eventual vascular lesions, the main cause of my rosacea.

Next I will share with you the products I use and the actual steps of my morning skincare routine.

Step 1: I take one pump of my Oskia Renaissance Cleansing Gel and massage it into my dry face. Then, for a deeper cleanse, I wet my Foreo Luna Mini ( review coming soon ) and massage my face for at least one minute. This device is so clever that it will tell you when to stop and when you need to move to another area. After that I clean my face from any residue with a muslin cloth and move on to…

Step 2 which is cleansing my face with a few spritzes of Omorovicza Queen of Hungary Face Mist on a cotton pad. This roses and minerals infused water leaves the skin clean but at the same time soft and hydrated.

Step 3 is to apply my morning serum. Now I’m using and loving the results from Sarah Chapman Skinesis Morning Facial. This is an amazing serum/oil, beautiful for a day wear. It absorbs instantly and doesn’t leave any oily residue. Read the complete review here.

Then Step 4, my daily moisturizer which at the moment is  Paula’s Choice Resist Barrier Moisturizer with Retinol. Great moisturizer, made with natural ingredients, suitable for all skin types. Using this moisturizer there’s no need to add an eye cream because it is a multitasking product… But you can read more on that here.

Step 5 is to moisturize my lips, especially during the colder seasons my lips need extra care. So, I think that the Omorovicza Lip Perfector does an amazing job at hydrating and nourishing my lips. 

The final Step, 6th in my skincare routine is to apply SPF. The product I fell in love with lately is another Omorovicza one, the Complexion Corrector SPF 20. As the name suggests it’s a complexion corrector which helps me reduce the appearance of red cheeks and diminishes imperfections. The SPF 20 comes as a very much welcomed bonus. I wear it under my makeup and it works amazing as a primer as well. I prefer it mainly on days where I don’t have to wear makeup though, as a final step in my skincare routine.

And I’m good to go! 

What are your skincare favourites/saviours at the moment? Please share!

See you soon, beautiful! 

xx, Annie

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Loving Nudes #3 – BURBERRY Lip Mist #212 Nude Peach and Lip Cover #24 Romantic Rose

Tags

#212 Nude Peach, #24 Romantic Rose, #loving nudes, Burberry, Givenchy, Lip Mist, matte Lipstick, nude lipstick, review, sheer lipstick, swatches, Tom Ford

Today I’m so excited to talk about my Burberry nudes. I’m already at Part 3 of my Loving Nudes Series ( read Loving Nudes #1- Givenchy here and Loving Nudes #2 – Tom Ford here ).

Launched as a part of the Burberry Fall 2011 Collection, the beautiful Lip Cover Soft Satin Lipstick in #24 Romantic Rose falls, as the pretty name suggests, in the category of “easily wearable nudes” with no shimmers – almost matte looking but with a silky, satin finish. It’s a warm pale nude, with not many of those rosy undertones the misleading name might suggest. To be more descriptive, I think it has the undertones of the yellow and caramel leaves, in Autumn with minimal pink hues. Not a colour I am drawn to in the first place!

However, I like how effortlessly this lipstick glides on while depositing an even amount of colour on the lips, in a single pass.

Thanks to the lightweight combination of nourishing oils and gel dispersed pigment they ensure intense moisture and long lasting colour.

This particular shade lasts for about 4 hours on me. The darker shades, like my Lip Cover in #33 Oxblood ( read about it with pictures and swatches here ) tend to last longer on my lips, but they take a lot more effort to put on, when Nude Peach “is a good to keep in your purse” color, universal enough to go with almost anything.

Overall, Burberry offer for the Lip Covers a great selection of neutral, easy to wear shades with some more classic reds thrown in.

Worn by themselves the Lip Covers add a touch of radiance to the lips, but worn under the Lip Glow (Natural Lip Gloss) they are the perfect glossy combination, absolutely lovely in colour and texture.

– left swatch: Burberry Lip Cover #24 Romantic Rose , right swatch: Lip Mist #212 Nude Peach, daylight

A good dupe for Romantic Rose is another Burberry lipstick with a different formula but very similar colour, a Lip Mist in #212 Nude Peach.

First, the formula: the Burberry Lip Mists Natural Sheer Lipsticks are the sheer counterparts to Lip Covers and give the most effortless sheer illuminating finish, with a subtle hint of colour. The Lip Mist is Burberry’s version of a gloss/lipstick hybrid and offers more of a sheer pigmentation than the Lip Cover range, adding more of a satin finish to the lips. They contain moisturising emollients and wild rose extract for long-lasting hydration and protection.

#212 Nude Peach is a brown nude with a light hint of peach. Again, a little different to what I’m used to, but flattering nonetheless, plus it gets major props for being so moisturising and glossy.

Often compared to Chanel‘s Rouge Coco Shine, YSL‘s Sheers and lately with the new Dior Balm Rouges, I think that the Lip Mists are thicker and more gel-like, which makes them last longer than any of those named above. I have never a had sheer, glossy lipstick to last as well through a cup of tea as this one.

On my lips they swatch like this:

– Burberry Lip Cover #24 Romantic Rose

– Burberry Lip Mist #212 Nude Peach

Being sheerer, the Nude Peach Lip Mist shows on my lips a little bit more rosy than the Lip Cover in Romantic Rose, and that’s simply because of my naturally pigmented lips.

Overall, Burberry makeup is absolutely top notch quality. Love every shade of their lipsticks, without exception!… Love the satisfying magnetic closure of the luxurious packaging and the check embossing!… The moisture-rich formula!… The right amount of pigment and the smooth finish… Not even the often called granny-ish rose scent bothers me anymore!

But that’s me! How about you? Have you tried any Burberry lip products? Please share!

See you soon, Beautiful!

xx, Annie

 

 

 

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Chanel Illusion d’Ombre #95 Mirage – review, swatches, comparisons

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By Terry, chanel, Chanel Illusion d'Ombre #95 Mirage, dior

Believe it or not, the only Chanel makeup products I kept myself away from for the longest time, were Les Illusion d’Ombre Long-Wear Luminous Eye Shadows.

I clearly remember there was a time when I was literally mesmerized by #82 Émerveillé, but when I found myself swatching it at a Chanel counter, all that in-your-face-glitter-shimmer-fiesta wasn’t an option for me. Then Ébloui came along, a gorgeous burnished, brick-red eye shadow that made me finally surrender to the amazingness of these products. Yup, my faith was sealed!

When #95 Mirage was launched with the Summer 2014 Collection, I tried my best to resist it! But because it’s one of the eye shadow colours I gravitate towards, as you will see next from the swatches, and it has that amazingly soft formulation, which blends like a dream, I simply couldn’t leave that Chanel counter without it! I wasn’t impressed this time by the other two shades that came in the same Collection: #96 Utopia and 97 New Moon, even though they were listed as Limited Edition.

Mirage, as all Illusion d’Ombres, is a semi-sheer but really buildable eye shadow with fine but intense shimmers. A golden, almost taupey, medium-to-dark, luminous bronze colour with beautiful warm undertones. The interesting gel texture that is both soft and cushiony, allows it to be worn as an eyeshadow or eyeliner. I have never worn it as an eyeliner, since I’m always using it to create a really warm, brown smokey eye look, nothing too dramatic or fancy though.

It is quite similar with other eye shadows in my collection but somehow manages to keep its particularity. Here you have it swatched next to Burberry‘s Pale Barley, By Terry Bronze Moon and Dior Météore.

Pale Barley is the closest one in colour and finish, even tough it is a sheer powder eye shadow, when Mirage is a cream formula. The other two are cream formulas; Bronze Moon has more golden undertones and it is the most shimmery one, and Météore leans more warm and coppery than Mirage.

I love this formula of these eye shadows because they make a really great base for your eye makeup, Mirage being an extremely versatile colour and easy to wear in any occasion – day or night. Its texture felt particularly soft compared to the other Illusion d’Ombre eye shadows I own which made the product literally glide on the lids, therefore the easiest, effortless of applications. It also wears really well ( hence the name “long-lasting” ), even on oily lids without a primer. I use it all-over the lid, by itself or as a base, applied with my Hakuhodo J142 Eye Blending Brush or directly with my fingertips.

I can admit now that I am a Chanel Illusion d’Ombre converted!

I would love to see in the comments below what are your favourite cream eye shadows, so please share!

See you soon, beautiful!

xx, Annie