10 simple things that make me happy…

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10 Simple things that make me happy..., Get to know me through..., tag

1. Black and White Pictures ( source Pinterest ) 

2. Fresh Flowers from My Man

3. Diptyque Candles

4. The Scent of Spring

5. Life in the Country Side… MY Countryside

6. Mom’s Ringtone 

7. Late Night Chit-Chats with faraway friends 

8. Cuddling This Old Hag

9. The Kids in my hometown Neighbourhood ( picture taken almost 10 years ago )

10. White Clouds while flying 

Here you have the 10 Simple things that make me happy… As simple as they are! 

This might easily be a Tag! Just do it if you like, if not just share the 10 Simple things that make YOU happy in the comments below!

See you in April, beautiful!

xx, Annie

Loving Nudes #6 Dior Addict Lipsticks #525 Vintage and #535 Tailleur Bar

Tags

#loving nudes, dior, Dior Addict Lipstick #532 Vintage, Dior Addict Lipstick #535 Tailleur Bar, nude lipstick, review, swatches

I can’t allow a month to go by without a post on some lovely nudes, right?!

This time I have some good old Dior Addict Lipsticks to show you. The shades are #525 Vintage and #535 Tailleur Bar. These are some oldies but definitely goodies!

Dior made these lipstick back in 2011 with Lip Neutralizer™, a technology inspired by the makeup artists backstage at fashion shows, who before putting lipstick on the models, apply a light base of foundation to neutralize the natural colour of the lips to ensure the lipsticks’ true colour it’s sown at its true potential on the lips.

This is a new, high-shine lipstick formula with a lightweight, ultra-fine texture that glides on easily. Contains 25% less wax than a classic lipstick and they’re made with an innovative reflecting gel ( these are the technical deets! ). The effect lays in such a subtle transparency and magnifying glass effect which enhance shine, volume and color. They also manage to deliver intense moisture to plump lips and give brilliance, glamor and luster at the same time.

The shades are fairly sheer, but their true colour and shine really show when they are layered over a lip pencil and/or lipstick as you can see it features in another post I wrote a while ago. Link here!

#525 Vintage is a brown shade with mauve undertones and a pure finish, just a subtle shine, and a little “plumping”. On the other hand, #535 Tailleur Bar is a sheer, muted mauve less purple than Vintage, with shimmering highlights. Both shades were designed to go perfectly with any mood and with any fashion look, from timeless classic to cutting-edge trendy.

 – the swatch above is #525 Vintage, the other one is #535 Tailleur Bar

In one swipe they go on as sheer as to be fairly similar to the lips. In the picture above you can see them heavily swatched, to see them at their full potential.

What everyone call “my-lips-but-better”, you can find in these two lipsticks! Being so moisturizing the lasting power isn’t the greatest but they’re so easy to wear, so easy to apply – even if you’re on the go and again so, so moisturizing on the lips!…

Amazing, everyday options – if you ask me, and I definitely recommend them, even after all these years!

See you soon, beautiful!

xx, Annie

 

 

 

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FOTD, as of late…

Tags

Burberry Curve Lash Mascara, Burberry Eye Colour Silk #200 Tea Rose, Burberry Sheer Colour #22 Pale Barley, Chanel Rouge Coco Arthur, Charlotte Tilbury Cheek to Chic Swish & Pop Blusher, Charlotte Tilbury Filmstar Bronze & Glow, Charlotte Tilbury's MATTE Revolution Walk of Shame, Dior Addict IT-Liner Black Look, Elemis Pro-Radiance Illuminating Face Balm, fotd, Guerlain Météorites Pressed Powder, NARS Creamy Concealer, Omorovicza Complexion Corrector SPF 20, or Diorskin Star Foundation, Tom Ford Lips&Boys Peter and Cooper, Tom Ford Matte Lip Colours #06 Flame and #04 Pussycat

It’s been a while since I put together a FOTD ( Face of the Day ) post… But my makeup hasn’t been too dramatic, nothing much actually, except for the lips of course,  that changed in colour several, well… lots of times.

The EYES were pretty much simple and on the pink-ish/nude side, mostly with a combination of Burberry Sheer Colour #22 Pale Barley and some Burberry #200 Tea Rose in the new Wet & Dry formula all-over the lid and of course, some black eyeliner ( I’m still loving my Dior Addict It-Line in #099 IT-Black, review here ) on the very base of the lashes to add some depth and definition to the look, topped with a few good layers of my favourite Burberry Curve Lash Mascara, #01 Ebony. 

SKIN was kept fresh and clean with the use of a few simple, yet highly effective products… I used to prime my face with the Omorovicza Complexion Corrector SPF 20, but I recently discovered this Elemis Pro-Radiance Illuminating Face Balm with anti-ageing properties and never used anything else since.

When not using my usual Dior Diorskin Star Foundation, the base product of choice was the new Dior Diorskin Nude Serum Foundation, my shade is #10 Ivory, and for concealer, which fortunately wasn’t always needed – NARS Creamy Concealer in shade Light 2 Vanilla. My most used highlighter and bronzer came in one, my Charlotte Tilbury Filmstar Bronze & Glow and when I felt like using blush I went for another Charlotte Tilbury amazing product the Swish and Pop Blusher in First Love or the new Guerlain Météorites Pressed Powder in #4 Doré. Yes, that one is actually a finishing powder, I know! But it has just about the right balance between a pink pigment with a subtle glow and opacity which qualify it as a good fresh, Spring-appropriate blush, in my opinion.

The LIPS were another story… Simply because, besides keeping my lips clear with just a bit of my Dior or By Terry lip balm ( reviews here and here ) on, I went through several phases with colours…

I went nuts for a while for Charlotte Tilbury’s MATTE Revolution Walk of Shame ( I won’t show you a picture of it! Just click to see it and to read the full review on it, on the link above or here ).

Then with a few of the Tom Ford Lips&Boys, among which #08 Peter and #28 Cooper. As you can see in this the difference is barely there, but read the full reviews here and here.

– Tom Ford Lips&Boys #28 Cooper

– Tom Ford Lips&Boys #08 Peter

Then I was introduced to the new, amazingly reformulated Chanel Rouge Coco in #440 Arthur ( review and lip swatches here ) which I wore for a week straight!

Then I finally wrote my review on the Tom Ford Matte Lip Colours and I fell in love with #06 Flame and #04 Pussycat ( review on those here ).

– Tom Ford Matte Lip Colour #06 Flame – Tom Ford Matte Lip Colour #04 Pussycat

And the two favourites of the moment are another Tom Ford Matte Lip Colour #03 Pink Tease and the Charlotte Tilbury MATTE Revolution Lipstick in Amazing Grace.

– Tom Ford Matte Lip Colour #03 Pink Tease

We’re finally having some Spring sunny days here and I’m starting to wear more bright and happy colours, which I’m highly excited about! 

What were your choices these past few months? Please share with us in the Comment section below!

See you soon, Beautiful!

xx, Annie

 

 

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Guerlain Météorites Compact Light-Revealing Powder #4 Doré

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guerlain, Guerlain Météorites Compact, Guerlain Météorites Compact Light-Revealing Powder #4 Doré, review, swatches

Guerlain know how to make luxurious products. That’s no secret to anyone! And with the Guerlain Les Tendres Collection for Spring 2015 they did not disappoint once more.

If you don’t know already, let me tell you what the collection is made of:

– the Météorites Compact Light-Revealing Powder – a new and Permanent ( thank goodness! ) product, which comes in three shades #2 Clair, #3 Medium and #4 Doré

– Permanent are also the Météorites Baby Glow Light-Revealing Sheer Makeup, a light-revealing base infused with the magic dust of the Météorites powder; available in three shades as well, #2 Clair, #3 Medium and #4 Doré

– the Météorites Perles de Blush Angelic Radiance, the first ever luxury blush in pearl form that I have ever seen, a gorgeous-looking product to have in your makeup collection. Hurry up though and grab yours since this one is a Limited Edition

– also LE are the two Écrin 4 Couleurs Eyeshadow Palettes, in #18 Les Nuées and #504 Les Précieux

– the KissKIss Shaping Cream Lip Colour in #540 Peach Satin and #560 Rosy Silk ( LE )

– the Guerlain Nail Lacquer Long-Lasting Colour & Shine in #368 Baby Rose ( LE )

Here you have one of the advertisements for the Guerlain Les Tendres Collection for Spring 2015 collection.

– source: Pinterest

I was attracted only by the Météorites Compact Light-Revealing Powder in the shade #4 Doré which I intend to use as a blusher/highlighter.

The classic, cult Météorites Pearls are finely pressed to form a beautiful mosaic of light-enhancing slightly shimmery gold pieces and corrective shades of refreshing pink and light-catching mauve, plus a few chocolate hued ones to warm up the skin. The result is a skin that looks soft, smooth, delicate and beautifully natural.

Maybe I should’ve started with saying that this is the most pigmented of the three shades and that is the only one really noticeable on the skin. Even if there are only three pieces of pink coloured sections in this combination, I was so surprised to see how pink his powder shows on the skin! I was used to the translucent, more natural finish of the other two shades. I wouldn’t use it as an all-over powder though, mainly for that reason.

I also red while I was doing my researches, that #4 Doré was actually made for to serve that precise purpose: to give colour as a blush and luminosity as a highlighter.

But if you like that effect and you still want to use it all-over your face stay assured that it will still blur imperfections and it will subtly brighten your complexion without adding a lot of sheen.

The powder is soft and finely mild, but compared to the other two I found it a bit more drier and causing a lot more fall out, which for some might mean wasting a lot of product. I personally don’t mind it since it comes with a good 10g which I’m sure will last me quite a while. I only make sure to tap the whatever excess might be on the brush before the application.

I also like to apply it with fluffy, dense brush like my Tom Ford #06 Cheek Brush which I find perfect for the effect I want to get or the Hakuhodo J210 Blush Brush Round, but this one has shorter bristles which makes blending a bit more difficult. Using the Tom Ford brush, I’m sure that the application will be from the top of the bristles to build up the intensity of the colour and the blending will be done by the multiple bristles.

Here you have some hand swatches.

The scent is the usual delicate floral and feminine violet fragrance, inimitable and  addictive for some, but I recognize that for some sensitive noses this might give a bit of a headache.

Overall impressions:

As with the Météorites Pearls, the Guerlain Météorites Compact Light-Revealing Powder is not an absolute must-have. The product is nice bit I very much prefer the Hourglass Ambient Lighting Powders ( see reviews here and here ) for the ultimate glowing, healthy skin.

It is definitely less spectacular to keep on your vanity than the Pearls as the packaging is… well, compact. But it is amazing for traveling because it takes less space and it’s easier to use – which is always a plus!

I’m not bothered by the, consistency, pigmentation, fall-out or by the scent!

Will I get another one? I don’t know!… I initial choice was the shade #2 Clair and of course, I still have my mind on it!

So what should I do, my lovelies? Should I get it as well? HELP!

What have else have you tried and think I should get as well?

I hope you’re having a great week! See you soon, beautiful!

xx, Annie

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

INTERESTING FACTS:

Feast your eyes with a little clip on how to use the collection.

Source: Guerlain YouTube account.

My TOM FORD Lip Colour Matte picks: Pink Tease, Pussycat, Plum Lush and Flame

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lipstick, matte, review, swatches, Tom Ford, Tom Ford Lip Colour Matte, Tom Ford Lip Colour Matte Flame, Tom Ford Lip Colour Matte Pink Tease, Tom Ford Lip Colour Matte Plum Lush, Tom Ford Lip Colour Matte Pussycat

You’d be definitely entitled to ask what in the world took me so long to write this review! But oh well, it is how it is!…

The Tom Ford Holiday 2014 Lip Colour Matte Lipsticks were launched mid Autumn this past year and if you ask me, they didn’t caused that much of a commotion in the beauty world… And that is so unfair because the quality of these lipsticks is definitely up to name they wear!

The entire collection is made of 8 gorgeous shades: Pink Tease, Pussycat, Plum Lush, Flame, Ruby Rush, Velvet Cherry, First Time, and Black Dahlia. Six out of the 8 shades are – thank goodness!, permanent and only 2 came as a Limited Edition: First Time and as expected, Black Dhalia.

The formula is creamy, it is so soft and velvety that it feels almost cushiony when applied and it literally glides effortlessly on the lips. Almost all fully opaque in just one swipe they go on evenly without sliding around or gathering in the creases of the lips.

They probably are one of the most pigmented lipsticks in my entire lipstick wardrobe, and shades like the reds and the darker ones actually leave a discreet stain on the lips after fading. The fading is rather uniform, without any weird patches.

The finish is not the drying matte finish you might be used with and some of you actually might like. It is without a doubt a matte but a creamy matte with just the right balance of luminosity. This is possible because of the rare and exotic ingredients including Soja Seed Extract, Brazilian Murumuru Butter and Chamomilla Flower Oil. So no need to prepare your lips before applying them if you don’t have major lip issues.

They are pretty similar in terms of formula and finish to the Charlotte Tilbury Matte Revolution Lipsticks I already reviewed here.

My picks are:

– #03 Pink Tease – a light to medium pink with warm undertones. It’s not too pale to wash you out and not too bright, it’s the perfect balance of pigment and undertones to make it an excellent everyday effortless colour, especially for very fair to fair complexions.

– #04 Pussycat – definitely a cooler, more muted pink than Pink Tease and it has the most beautiful plum undertones. It is a tinge more mauve than my lip colour and it is literally one of the best my-lips-but-better, everyday shade. It’s also my favorite next to Flame.

– #05 Plum Lush – the darkest from all the Tom Ford mattes I got. It has these gorgeous medium to dark raspberry hues mixed with cooler, blue undertones which makes it a great shade to wear in the colder months.

– #06 Flame. You might have seen Flame compared to my Chanel Rouge Coco #440 Arthur in this post here. The colour is similar: a bright,  medium to dark orange-red with warm undertones. Of course, the one that makes the difference between the two is the finish. Flame is a luminous matte when Chanel’s Arthur has a bright, glossy finish.

Here you have some hand swatches:

They might not be everyone’s cup of cake in terms of formula or colour selection. But I highly recommend the Tom Ford Matte Lip Colours if you have been searching for a semi-matte formula suitable for dry and sensitive lips.

What do you think? Are you a fan of the semi-matte lipstick formula or you prefer the classic matte ( MAC-like ) formula?

See you soon, beautiful!

xx, Annie

Refresh your makeup for Spring – Bring “the glow” back on!

Tags

Balance Me Eye Cream, Burberry Sheer Eyeshadow #22 Pale Barley, By Terry Baume de Rose, Charlotte Tilbury Filmstar Bronze & Glow Face Sculpt & Highlight, Dior Addict Lip Glow Colour Reviver Balm, DIOR DIORSKIN AIR NUDE HEALTHY GLOW ULTRA-FLUID Foundation, Elemis Gentle Rose Exfoliator, Elemis Pro-Collagen Cleansing Balm Anti-Ageing, Elemis Pro-Radiance Illuminating Flash Balm Anti-Ageing, First Aid Beauty Ultra Repair Cream, Guerlain Météorites Compact Light-Revealing Powder #4 Doré, Hourglass Ambient Lighting Powder Palette, Kiehl's Midnight Recovery Concentrate, NARS Eyeshadow Duo Alhambra, Omorovicza Complexion Corrector SPF20, Omorovicza Queen of Hungary Mist, Tom Ford Lip Colour Shine #05 Bare

I’ve been meaning to write this post for a good while now because this is the time of the year when I feel my skin is suffering the most from dryness, dullness and irritations due to all those “goodies” I’ve treated myself to during the holidays but also the crisp and often windy transitional weather…

So, if  for whatever reason you suffer from lack-lustre skin as well, stay with me until the end of this post for some suggestions to repair that.

You might know by now that I’m all about that natural, glowing, healthy looking skin and the key to achieve that “canvas” is a good skincare routine. A good cleanser to get rid of all the impurities with an amazing toner over that, and THE moisturiser! You can never have enough of that during this time of the year!…

My favourites at the moment:

– Elemis Pro-Collagen Cleansing Balm Anti-Ageing doubled by a gentle exfoliator like this one also from Elemis Gentle Rose Exfoliator ( both recently reviewed here )

– Omorovicza Queen of Hungary Face Mist

– Kiehl’s Midnight Recovery Concentrate ( already reviewed here )

– Balance Me Eye Cream

– First Aid Beauty Ultra Repair Cream 

Skincare done, the most obvious for a healthy, glowing-looking skin is a simple yet effective makeup…

I love:

– to apply the Elemis Pro-Radiance Illuminating Flash Balm Anti-Ageing which has the correcting properties of a makeup product and doubles as a moisturizer as well ( what did I told you? Moisturiser is never enough this time of the year!!! ). I already spoke about this one in this post here. Before falling in love with this, I used almost every day even on my days when I didn’t put actual makeup on, my Omorovicza Complexion Corrector SPF20, previously reviewed here

– then to use a lightweight foundation, like the new release from Dior, the Diorskin Nude Air Serum Foundation; full review here

– then I go nuts with the Hourglass Ambient Lighting Powder Palette ( review here ) and, because that’s not enough glow for my liking I add a bit more with this amazing Charlotte Tilbury Filmstar Bronze and Glow Palette ( review on that here )

– I might as well skip blush, but ever since I got this amazing Guerlain Météorites Pressed Powder in #4 Doré, there’s nothing else on mt cheeks but this one. I know what you’re going to say… “Hey Annie, that’s a highlighting powder as well! And it’s not the right shade for you!” Really?! Who said that you’re only meant to use a product only for what it says on the pan?! I especially bought it in the darkest colour to use it as a blusher/light bronzer and I’m so happy with my choice! I have a review on this coming soon. here.

– to keep my eyes simple with simple eyeshadow like the Burberry Sheer Eyeshadow in #22 Pale Barley, I have this one in the old formula and it’s still a favourite or the NARS Eyeshadow Duo in Alhambra ( review here )

– the lips sheer as well with an easy going shade like one of my sheer shades – my Tom Ford Lip Colour Shine in #05 Bare or simply a lip balm like the Dior Addict Lip Glow Colour Reviver Balm or my beloved By Terry Baume de Rose ( both previously reviewed here ).

The result is a fresh, healthy look easy to achieve and to be transformed from a day to night simply by adding a black eyeliner or by smoking the eye a bit and changing the lip colour with a more daring one like some of my favourite reds ( here and here… and here… and here… ) or a good nude ( review here ) or even a bold dark lip ( here ) if you feel like.

What do you do to refresh your makeup? How do you get ready for the warmer months?

See you soon, Beautiful!

xx, Annie

 

 

 

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NEW Autumn Makeup Collection and NEW Product Launches with the Dior A/W 15/16 Pret-à-Porter Parisian Presentation

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#PFW, A/W 2015/2016 Dior makeup look, dior, Dior A/W 15/16 Pret-à-Porter Collection makeup look, dior new makeup releases, makeup look, Paris Fashion Week

With the Fashion Month coming to an end, it’s time to do our balance!

I already told you what were, in my opinion, the highlights for the London Fashion Week in this post here!

The most anticipated show, again – in my opinion, from Paris Fashion Week was the Dior Pret-à-Porter A/W 2015/2016 Collection. I simply knew the makeup genius of Peter Philips will shine again! And I wasn’t disappointed!

  – photo credit Peter Philips, Instagram

  – photo credit Vincent Lappartient

  – photo credit Vincent Lappartient

The A/W Makeup Collection is called The Cosmopolite, out by the end of this Summer and here is the look he came up with after a short brief with designer Raf Simons…

 – photo credit Vincent Lappartient

Makeup used:

EYES:

The eyes were the focus of the entire look. The eyeshadows were applied wet for a more intense colour, with a shape that reminincens the animal prints you can see in the materials used by Raf for his creations.

– eye palettes used: Dior 5 Colours Eyeshadow Palette in #766 Exubérante ( new ), a palette built with 5 neutral tones with a metallic blue pop of colour and #866 Éclectique ( new ), an eyeshadow palette made with colder tones of khaki, plum, purple-red and a pop of silver at its heart

– for the lashes he used the Dior Lash Maximizer, layered  ( at least 3 layers ) with the Dior Diorshow Mascara in Black, for an increased fake lash effect.

– the lashes were accentuated even more with the use of Dior Pro Liner in Black to get a very graphic eye with an animal print inspired shape.

FACE:

– base/foundation Dior Diorskin Star for a flawless, luminous complexion ( full review on it, here )

– a touch of powder if/when needed Dior Diorskin Nude Air Loose Powder

– blush/highlight the Cosmopolite Palette ( out this Autumn), a blush-highlight with a golden-ivory tone, to accentuate skin’s radiance even more.

In the picture above you have the absolute new product which will launch this Autumn too. It’s called Dior Fix It and it’s part of their Dior Professional Backstage line along with the Lash Maximizer, Pore Minimizer, Glow Maximizer, the Dior Lip Glow Colour Reviver Balm and the Lip Mazimizer, previously reviewed here. It’s the combination between a balmy product and makeup product, a concealer. It can be used for the eye contour area, to diminish or cover small flaws. Peter Philips used it for touch ups over the makeup too, when he needed to cover up more the dark circles of the models. It will be available in 3 convenient shades.

LIPS:

– he also used the new Dior Fix It, obtaining natural lips that didn’t dettract attention from the overall look.

NAILS:

– for the nails he used 5 different nail polish shades: Nuit 1457 – a burgundy colour previously reviewed here, Cosmopolite – a rosewood shade ( new ),  Métropolis – a khaki shade ( new ), Darling Blue – a metallic blue shade ( new ) and Black Out ( new ).

 – photo credit Vincent Lappartient

What do you think about this Dior Autumn Makeup Collection? Very Autumnal, right? Do you have your eyes on something in particular? Please share!

See you soon, beautiful!

xx, Annie

 

 

INTERESTING FACTS:

– * the asymmetry in Raf Simmons’ creations was reflected in the manicure of the models as well. So, according to the model’s hand that carried the bag, they started to alternate the manicure with one hand painted in black and the other in black. Like this each girlhad a different manicure on each hand, the visual effect being a real asymmetric success.

CREDITS. The photographic material used in this post is property/courtesy of Dior, unless otherwise stated. 

CHANEL’s 2015 new reformulated Rouge Coco #440 ARTHUR

Tags

chanel, Chanel Arthur, Chanel Rouge Coco #440 Arthur, Charlotte Tilbury So Marylin, Estée Lauder Envious, Givenchy Le Rouge #306 Carmin Escarpin, NARS Audacious Lipstick Lana, review, Tom Ford Lip Colour #15 Wild Ginger, Tom Ford Lips & Boys Diego, Tom Ford Matte Flame

I am no stranger from the Chanel rouges and I’m pretty sure you aren’t either… But I have to admit that, from all the lipstick lines in the Chanel beauty collection the Rouge Cocos were my least favourite.

I always found the formula to be less creamy and difficult to apply, because of its patchiness and lack of pigment. I wasn’t a huge fan of the colour palette either… And the fact that most of the shades were literally a glitter feast!… I had quite a few shades which I passed on to my mom and my friends, and I kept only one # 20 Rose Comète – which I barely use anyway!

When I’ve heard the news that Chanel is going to completely revamp the formula of these lipsticks along with their names, I crossed my fingers and hoped for the best! And I was not disappointed…

The new lipstick formula it somewhere in between the Rouge Coco Shines which are one of the most loved Chanel lipsticks in my collection ( I have a full post dedicated to them, here ) and which are very shiny and lightweight and then the Rouge Allures which are quite full and opaque and tend to be quite matte ( read my thoughts on this amazing Rouge Allure in La Diva, here )…

I obviously went for a red first!

#440 Arthur is described as a “luminous red”, a medium-dark, orange-red with warm undertones and a bright, glossy finish. It has a pretty opaque coverage even on my already pigmented lips, it’s creamier that the old Rouge Cocos, which I always found a bit too dry for my liking. Maybe that’s why it glides on so evenly and smoothly. It goes on in a thin layer, a slightly translucent layer though. It is hydrating enough not to dry my lips and lasted for a good couple of hours without the need of reapplying it! It also fades in a decent manner and by the end of the day I could still see a bit of red pigment/colour stain on my lips! 

It was the only colour I wore on my lips for the few couple of days I spent in Milan last month, and I managed to get so many compliments on it!

Even if this is a gorgeous, gorgeous red, it is the type of color that is easily dupable though! There are so many easy dupes that might only vary by finish or by undertones, some being slightly more orange or blue, or by opacity… But the colour family is just up there!

Here you have some of the dupes for #440 Arthur, I already had in my collection…

Estée Lauder #330 Impassioned – previously reviewed here.

Tom Ford Matte #06 Flame – review here.

Tom Ford Lip Colour in #15 Wild Ginger – previously reviewed here.

Tom Ford Lips & Boys #33 Adriano – previously reviewed here.

Givenchy Le Rouge in #306 Carmin Escarpin – previously reviewed here.

NARS Audacious Lipstick Lana – review soon.

There are 29 vibrant shades in the hydrating new formula of Rouge Coco Lip Colour that wait to be discovered. They are named after Coco Chanel and the friends, artists and lovers who inspired her. Five colour ranges celebrate her intimate circles. Every shade tells a story… A colourful expression of Mademoiselle’s life and legend.

Have you found the shade you love yet?

See you soon, beautiful!

xx, Annie

 

 

 

 

 

 

INTERESTING FACTS:

• ARTHUR, Arthur “Boy” Capel was Gabrielle’s first, one and only love and the man who helped her open her first store in Deauville! He died at a relatively young age ( 38 ), in a car crush, right before Christmas… Coco was devastated! All her bibliographers say that she never got to love another man the way she loved him! In the Rouge Coco Shines “he” is the very well known and loved shade Boy.

• two of my favourite Chanel biographies: The Gospel According to Coco Chanel by Karen Karbo and L’Irrégulière ou Mon Itinéraire Chanel by Edmonde Charles-Roux ( Anne, this one is for you! )

• another recommendation: in 2009, was launched the movie Coco avant Chanel based on the L’Irrégulière ou mon itinéraire Chanel by Edmonde Charles-Roux, with Audrey Tatou playing Chanel

• Here you have the five colour families inspired by Coco Chanel and those close to her who actually used to call her “Coco”:

1. her LOVERS – Passion reflected by dramatic reds: #444 Gabrielle, #440 Arthur, #442 Dimitri and #446 Etienne

2. her FAMILY – A tribute in understated nude shades: #402 Adrienne, #400 Louise,  #404 Julia, #406 Antoinette and #408 Jeanne

3. her BEST FRIENDS – Celebrated by romantic pinks: #420 Vera, #422 Olga, #432 Cécile, #434 Mademoiselle, #436 Maggy and #438 Suzanne

4. her MUSES – An homage in bright corals #410 Catherine, #412 Téhéran, #414 Sari Doré, #416 Coco and #418 Misia

5. her favourite ARTISTS – Honored by deep plum shades: #448 Elise, #450 Ina, #452 Emilienne, #454 Jean and #456 Erik

Overview: ELEMIS anti-ageing, pro-collagen skincare

Tags

anti ageing, anti-oxidant, Elemis, Elemis Gentle Rose Exfoliator, Elemis Hydra-Nourish Night Cream, Elemis Papaya Enzyme Peel Anti- Ageing, Elemis Pro-Collagen Cleansing Balm Anti-Ageing, Elemis Pro-Radiance Illuminating Flash Balm Anti-Ageing, enzymatic peel, pro-collagen, review, skincare

Winner of Best British Brand at the 2014 CEW (UK) Beauty Awards, ELEMIS is the leading luxury British spa and skincare brand chosen by over 6.5 million spa-goers every year.

Their formulations are designed to dynamically treat the skin with powerful results. The successful combination of natural active ingredients with cutting-edge technology has enabled ELEMIS to bring some of the most influential anti-ageing products and professional spa-therapies the beauty industry has ever seen.

ELEMIS is now present in one of the most luxurious SPAs worldwide: Dubai, Hong Kong and Miami, to name a few locations…

Here you have a small selection of my favourite products:

Elemis Pro-Collagen Cleansing Balm Anti-Ageing

This powerful treatment cleansing balm dissolves make-up and daily grime. It’s a luxurious treatment balm is expertly formulated with a 100% active base of natural oils grown within the UK, to helped your skin feeling softened and soothed, nourished and effectively remove make-up. It’s a versatile product which can be used as a treatment mask also!

Elemis Gentle Rose Exfoliator – enriched with Hydrating Absolute of Moroccan Rose and smooth micro-spherical Jojoba beads this mild rose scented product gives you a very gentle exfoliation, leaving your skin silky soft to the touch without stripping off your natural face oils. Gentle enough to be used daily, the Elemis Gentle Rose Exfoliator is ideal for all complexions, including the most sensitive skins like mine. 

 

Elemis Pro-Radiance Illuminating Flash Balm Anti-Ageing Skin Radiance Flash Balm is a “hybrid moisturiser” whose instant skin-flattering qualities are as compelling as its ability to hydrate the skin. Formulated with a powerful vitamin complex that helps protect against moisture loss, whilst exquisite purple orchid, noni and acai help defend against the early signs of skin ageing.

I simply love lightweight skin perfectors like this one and my Omorovicza Complexion Corrector SPF 20 that make my skin look flawless and allow the smoothest makeup aplication.

Elemis Hydra-Nourish Night Cream Anti-Oxidant Rich Night Cream

This anti-oxidant rich night cream helps prevent moisture loss and works to nourish and de-stress tired skin. Persian silk tree extract helps reduce signs of fatigue, whilst hyaluronic acid provides regular hydration. As you sleep, the skin’s ability to absorb active ingredients peaks and skin cells go through a natural regeneration process to repair damage caused throughout the day.

The scent on this one is a bit more strong which might cause irritations for those with sensitive skins. I smells like Dior J’Adore if you know the perfume – an aromatic blend of geranium and ylang ylang meant to also calm and rebalance your skin. The scent fades in a matter of minutes and I, personally, had no reaction to it. But I just wanted to warn you about that aspect too!

Elemis Papaya Enzyme Peel Anti-Ageing Extreme Exfoliante Douceur is a prdoduct I wanted to try for so long! It is enriched with the natural fruit enzymes of exfoliating Papaya and calming Pineapple smooth and clarify the complexion. This rinse-off exfoliating cream contains nourishing Milk Protein, Anti-Oxidant rich Vitamin E and Marine Algae to Moisturise, repair, and Protect Skin. Perfect for complexions which are sensitive or mature. It smells divine and it is one of the best face masks I had the chance to try, right there with my Oskia Renaissance Mask Nutri-Active Brightening & Resurfacing Mask.

ELEMIS has played a fundamental part in the success and the phenomenal growth of professional spa-therapies in the beauty industry and has year on year brought to market new innovations to keep it ahead of the field. Their products are amazing and definitely deliver the results they promise.

Have you tried anything ELEMIS yet?

See you soon, beautiful!

xx, Annie

 

 

 

INTERESTING FACTS:

– When ELEMIS launched in 1989 in London, UK the professional spa industry was far from the sophisticated and skilled industry it is today. Linda Steiner, the founder had a dream to create a skincare range “as close to nature as possible”, regardless the expenses and for that she teamed up with several specialists and professional therapists.

– In 1991, ELEMIS launches into the professional spa environment and face and body treatments were developed to meet this need and during the development stage sturdy relationships were built with highstreet salons and SPAs, waiting for their national launch.

– Years went by and ELEMIS was chosen to be one of the main products and treatments on board of over 100 cruise line SPAs, a true challenge for the brand with worldwide customers using their products. The feedback was amazing!

– One of the highlights in the history of the brand was in 1996 when ELEMIS was acquired by the worlds largest spa service provider SteinerLeisure Group and rated on the NASDAQ stock exchange USA. Products were reformulated, logo was revamped and the packaging was also changed.

– And the rest is history! New product ranges were launched almost every year, new groundbreaking ingredients were discovered and used in new products with amazing results. New facial techniques influenced by practices used in Japan, India and Thailand were used to develop up to 24 new luxury spa-therapies for face and body treatments.

– And when the doors to the first ELEMIS SPA opened in Mayfair, London in 2001 they delivered a service beyond expectations with celebrities instantly adored and became a loyal clientele.

 

My HAKUHODO Eyeshadow Brush Collection

Tags

eye blending brushes, eyeshadow brushes, G5513, Hakuhodo, J142, J146, J5522, J5523, J5524, J5529, J5533, luxury makeup brushes, review

Over the past few months I’ve only been talking about my Tom Ford makeup brushes! But in many of my Instagram posts and in some of my blog posts as well, you saw a couple of my beloved Hakuhodo‘s too! So it was only fair to give them the same treatment! But if you want to delight yourself with some amazing makeup brushes first, read all about my Tom Ford ones here and here! 

First, a couple more words to get to know the manufacturer!*

Hakuhodo started as a family business established on August 9, 1974 in Kumano, about 20 km east of Hiroshima. Kumano is renowned for having manufactured Japanese calligraphy brushes for about 200 years. There are more than 100 brush companies in Kumano, producing 80%  of the brushes made in Japan.

My Hakuhodo “samurai army” of eyeshadow brushes is made of 8 “soldiers“, who help me do my makeup basically everyday.

Most of my favourites are from the J Series for several reasons: they are some of the cheapest and the quality is definitely amazing ( natural white hairs that are beyond soft and which clean effortlessly, sturdy but light classy black wooden handle adorned with a nickel brass in silver and with the same silver embossing of the brand, and lately with the brush model/number ).

The brushes in the J Series are made with carefully selected materials and designs for the brush shapes. The natural hair used in this range has not been dyed so keeps its original color. This means the bristles will not lose any color. The bristles in this brush range provide moderate resilience and produce great coloring and the bristle shapes available serve any need.

Here you have my tapered blending brushes! 

J5522 Eyeshadow Brush Tapered

A. Full Length: 156.0㎜ B. Hair Length: 21.0㎜
C. Thickness: 7.3㎜

This is a slightly larger brush than the MAC 224 and the Tom Ford #13 Blending Brush ( review here ). This brush is made with white, resilient yet soft goat hairs. Its hair length and shape enables you to achieve soft and natural coloring by placing your colour into the socket, but I find it is best suited to blending out crease shades – for this it works beautifully. It also can be used with all types of products – liquid or cream based makeup, and even powders.

J142 Eyeshadow Brush Round

A. Full Length: 153.0㎜ B. Hair Length: 18.0㎜
C. Thickness: 6.0㎜

This one is pretty similar to the J5523 and the MAC 217, but it’s slightly less dense – a smaller, baby version of those and building colour with it’s infinitely easier than buffing out over application, especially when using very pigmented eyeshadows or very dark, deep colours.

As with all my Hakuhodo brushes you’ll read about in this post the bristles are infinitely soft and never drag on the skin, creating perfectly diffused gradients of colour, no matter what your eye makeup choice is.

J146 Eyeshadow Brush Round

A. Full Length: 156.0㎜ B. Hair Length: 16.0㎜
C. Thickness: 5.0㎜

This is the perfect brush for precise crease work, for adding a dark shade to the outer v, deepening the socket. Despite a slender frame it provides a comfortable amount of resistance because of the bristles which are made from resilient yet soft goat that can produce great coloring. Smudging and blending colours can be easily achieved.

Also ideal for highlighting, which I’m mainly using it for.

J5529 Eyeshadow Brush Tapered

A. Full Length: 153.0㎜ B. Hair Length: 13.0㎜
C. Thickness: 5.0㎜

This is a tiny, thin brush with a rounded, very lightly tapered, edge. The baby version of all the tapered brushes I shown you before. It’s a shorter, narrower crease brush perfect for detailing and for smaller eyes with “difficult” characteristics, for those who normally find crease brushes to be too large for them. It also works well for softening colour along the lower lash line.

J5533 Eyeshadow Brush Tapered

A. Full Length: 153.0㎜ B. Hair Length: 18.0㎜
C. Thickness: 6.0㎜

This is a particular brush! It’s not tapered but it’s not flat either! Its a very fluffy brush with a round-ish head. The hair length and shape enables you to achieve soft and natural colouring because of its extremely soft and flexible bristles. With this eye shadow brush, you can naturally smudge and blend eye shadow. Since it’s not pointy you will have less precision and will cover more surface but I particularly like to use this slightly tapered brush to apply and blend out cream and mousse eyeshadows like my Chanel Illusion D’Ombres and my By Terry Ombre Blackstars.

The fibers are soft to the touch and feel nice against the skin, but that’s redundant now!

Now my round and flat eyeshadow brushes!

J5523 Eyeshadow Brush Round & Flat

A. Full Length: 151.0㎜ B. Hair Length: 16.0㎜
C. Thickness: 4.5㎜

This is the brush that is the closest to MAC‘s infamous 217, just a tiny bit smaller which I personally prefer, 1) because I have small eyes and 2) because it offers a more precise application. It’s a round but flattened headed brush, made from goat hairs that feel so soft on your skin and provide moderate resilience. This brush can be used for the upper eyelid area and produces great colouring, and also can be used with all types of products – liquid or cream-based makeup and even powder.

If you ask me, the Hakuhodo J5523 excels MAC’s 217 in every aspect: it’s definitely way, way, WAY softer, retains shape even after multiple washes, never frays, doesn’t shed… And it’s also cheaper than the 217. Costs 19$ on www.hakuhodousa.com.

J242G Eyeshadow Brush Round & Flat

A. Full Length: 146.0㎜ B. Hair Length: 11.0㎜
C. Thickness: 3.0㎜

This is a small yet very versatile, flat eyeshadow brush with a slightly tapered edge. The bristles, made from a mix of goat and synthetic fiber, provide moderate resilience and does a great job at packing and patting on eyeshadow on the inner portion of the lid, or for more precise colour application if you’re applying more than two shades on the eyelid and want them to be more distinct, and also for for adding colour along the lower lash line using the edge. This brush can be used with all types of products – liquid or cream-based makeup, and even powder.

G5513 Eyeshadow Brush Round Flat

A. Full Length: 147㎜  B. Hair Length:7.0㎜
C. Thickness: 2.5㎜

This last eyeshadow brush I have for you is from the Hakuhodo G Series.

The G5513BkSL Eyeshadow Round Flat Brush is a small, flatter eyeshadow brush with domed edge. It’s not the smallest brush I own though and I find that this brush is somewhat similar to my Tom Ford # 15 Eyeliner & Definer Brush. The bristles on this brush are a bit longer than those on my Tom Ford brush, which makes them not as stiff or as firm. Maybe because they’re made from horse hair too! Nevertheless, they are elastic, durable and produce great color. The hair length is relatively short, which provides good control and creates great colouring.

 – here you have a better view of the actual shape and form of the brushes

 – my little “samurai army” ready to assist me in the mornings, when I do my makeup

Next post I intent to write is a “how I clean my brushes” type of post. So what do you think? Would you like to see how I keep my brushes clean? Please let me know in the comments below!

See you soon, beautiful!

xx, Annie

 

 

*INTERSTING FACTS:

• Hakuhodo is one of the leading makeup brush manufacturers in Kumano, producing 500,000 brushes monthly. It also has been producing and providing high quality makeup brushes for many leading cosmetic companies and makeup artist brands worldwide as an OEM (Original Equipment Manufaturer) supplier.

• they produce: – makeup brushes 95%

• traditional brushes (calligraphy, menso, nihonga, etc.) 2%
• painting brushes (oil painting, design, etc.) 2%

• industrial brushes 1%

• a few highlights of their history : 1974 Hakuhodo was incorporated as a private limited company. 1982 Kazuo Takamoto became president of Hakuhodo and started to develop Hakuhodo ‘s original brand. 1993 Awarded an Order of Friendship by Mongolia for offering expertise in brush making. 1995 Founded an affiliate factory in Shenzhen, China. After starting an OEM deal with M.A.C., a Canadian cosmetic company (under the umbrella of Estee Lauder at present) in 1995, Hakuhodo began making direct OEM agreements with many world-famous cosmetics companies. 2003 Awarded Japan Culture Design Award. 2005 Selected Top Companies Using IT Management President Kazuo Takamoto, won the Prime Minister’s Prize of Monodzukuri Nippon Grand Award in the field of the Application of Traditional Technology. 2006 Selected as one of the 300 Japan’s Dynamic Monozukuri SEMs from Ministry of Economy,Trade and Industry.