Holiday Beauty Buys

Even though I don't need any more opportunities to buy more beauty bits, I cannot go on holiday without getting something so when I was away for a couple of weeks recently in Canada and the US, there were a few things on my wishlist to get.

I had my eye on the MAC 286 brush for some time, it seemed like the perfect brush for blending undereye concealer and that's exactly what I've been using it for. It has a good firmness so it doesn't flop about but still is soft and workable. The duo fibres lend themselves well to getting diffused and naturally blended edges.

Walgreens was right across the street from the hotel we were staying at in Las Vegas so it turned into a midnight trip (as they are open 24hrs). Even though there is an incredible selection of drugstore lines, I only bought Maybelline's Color Tattoo Shimmering Seas (115) which is a limited edition shade in a beautiful golden beige with aqua shimmer to it. I already have a few of these eyeshadows and love the formula so I know this will get a lot of use. I now wish I'd picked up the other LE shade as well as this swatches much nicer than how it looks from outside.

Maybelline's Color Elixir gloss in Celestial Coral (010) is a beautiful medium coral pink semi-sheer gloss. As there are no testers I chose a 'safe' colour that I know I will use.

Even though Sephora now ship to the UK there is nothing like seeing the products in person and the Josie Maran Coconut Watercolor Cheek Gelee in Honeymoon Honey has been on my list since testing it in Toronto on holiday last year. It is quite a unique formula that feels light, hydrating and cooling, with a natural flush of colour.

Another item I tested last year and have had on my mind since then is TokyoMilk's Tainted Love Shea Butter Handcreme. It's really the scent that took me in with his hand cream as it is fragranced with Dark Vanilla Bean, Orchid, White Tea and Sandalwood so it's a slightly more deeper and sensual scent that I love. The formula itself is quite light and silky and absorbs easily into the skin.

Makeup Forever Smoky Lash and Anastasia Brow Wiz are products I've wanted to try for ages and Oscar Blandi Dry Shampoo Invisible Spray is a product Liana Beauty mentioned on her blog that had me curious as it's meant to be completely invisible. I haven't yet found a dry shampoo I've been completely happy with so have high hopes for this.

I was holding out on buying the new Hourglass Ambient Lighting blushes until my holiday as I had tested them previously and Diffused Heat was the one I was immediately drawn to as it's a lovely radiant brightening shade with good payoff.

I hadn't intended to get anything from Bath and Body Works but my sister was eager to get these Anti-Bacterial Hand Gels so naturally curiosity got the better of me and I also picked up several of these cute little bursts of scent for on the go use.

Some last minute duty-free buys were a cosmetic bag and and fragrance mist from Victoria's Secret. I really like the choice of toiletry bags they have and this one is such a lovely tropical print and has two handy clear zip compartments. Bombshells in Bloom Fragrance Mist is a nice, sweet floral fruity scent that's perfect for my bag.

L-R: Celestial Coral, Brow Wiz in Granite, Shimmering Seas, Honeymoon Honey, Diffused Heat

L-R: Celestial Coral, Brow Wiz in Granite, Shimmering Seas, Honeymoon Honey, Diffused Heat

I'll leave you with one of my favourite things in Las Vegas. Day or night, these fountains are stunning.

& Other Stories Canvas Taupe and NARS Douceur Blush Comparison

The & Other Stories store in London is a lovely set-up, I like how the beauty section is laid out so that you feel invited to come and have a play with all the products (and having a large sink close at hand to wash off when you run out of skin to swatch on is a nice touch). About a month ago I was browsing beauty, having quite the swatching session going on and I came across this little blush in the shade Canvas Taupe and immediately my mind sprang to my beloved NARS Douceur blush, as it has that similar dusty rose tone. I always get a lot of use out of these sort of shades so off I went to the checkout.

I was curious to see how Canvas Taupe measured up to NARS Douceur, as this has probably got to be one of my all time favourite blushes, it's just one of those shades that you don't need to think about as it goes with just about any makeup look.

Side by side they look incredibly similar, Douceur appears ever so slightly warmer (as you can see I have made quite a dent), but it's only when swatched you can see more of a difference.

Top - & Other Stories Canvas Taupe, Bottom - NARS Douceur

Top - & Other Stories Canvas Taupe, Bottom - NARS Douceur

On the top is the & Other Stories Canvas Taupe which on the skin shows up as a little paler and pinker in tone. Douceur below is slightly deeper and warmer which works better on my skin tone as it shows up more where as Canvas Taupe is a touch pale, although as it blends in nicely I do still use it.

Texture wise both are nice and smooth (although I think as my Douceur has been used a lot the texture has gone a bit drier now then when it was new). Wear wise the NARS wins hands-down as it lasts longer and fades evenly where as Canvas Taupe goes a little patchy.

Despite the wear I do like Canvas Taupe and there are a couple of other shades I would quite like to get, and Douceur, no doubt requires a repurchase!

www.stories.com

www.narscosmetics.co.uk

Dangerous Territory...

...the Tom Ford counter at Selfridges that is. I was there on Saturday and had a good play with the newly released full line-up of Tom Ford makeup.

Now I thought I would have much more resolve, I liked looking at other bloggers swatches of the lipsticks, I had even tested some out but I knew (well I thought I knew) that for me personally it was unlikely I would spend that much (on a single colour) and so the previous lipsticks have passed me by and that was fine. I knew my limit, and that was way over it.

So I'm wondering where those thoughts were when browsing led to buying. The blushes and eyeshadows were the items I was most eager to see and indeed I did end up buying one of the Cheek Colours.

Before I get onto swatches let's get the price out of the way first. This is £45. £45!!! I cannot believe I spent this on blush but it seems rational thought goes out the window with Tom Ford's makeup.

Here is the beauty:

The packaging is beautiful, with a magnetic closure that snaps in place nicely so no fiddling with closures and chipping nail polish. The hinge does allow the lid to lie completely flat as well so less chance of accidentally braking the closure.  

Tom Ford Cheek Colour - Ravish (05)

Ravish (05) Cheek Colour is a beautiful tan toned pink. The finish has a silky, micro fine shimmer sheen that imparts a subtle pink luminescence. The shimmer is faint and not very noticeable when applied.

Tom Ford Cheek Colour - Ravish (05)

As you would expect from a blush this crazily priced, it is smooth and very pigmented, so only a light touch is required. These remind me a little of Rock & Republic's blushes that were also very nicely pigmented and smooth (I miss this brand).

I find using a natural bristle brush better (I'm using a Shu 20H), as I can lightly pick up the colour.

Tom Ford Cheek Colour - Ravish (05)

Tom Ford Cheek Colour - Ravish (05)

Ingredients:

Ravish is a colour I see myself getting much use from, so although it's at the highest end of the scale, I do love this addition.

I did try the Sahara Pink lipgloss which I really liked as well and as a neutral lippie-lover, there is much more choice in this category in the lipsticks so maybe I will try a lip product next, although maybe not straight away, my credit card needs some rest;)

Drugstore Cream Bronzer: GOSH Natural Touch Cream Blusher - Brown Dash

Looking through the few bronzers I have in my collection, I realised that I don't actually have a matte bronzer, so during my too frequent after work Superdrug trips I came across this new GOSH cream blusher in 002 Brown Dash and thought that it looked promising.

The texture of this is similar to Topshop's cream blushes as it starts off creamy and settles down to a natural matte finish. It is quite a light cream and easy to blend into the skin with fingers or I sometimes use MAC's 130 duo-fibre brush with cream products.

Bottom: Heavily swatched, Top: Blended out

The colour is a warm browny bronze, that when applied onto the skin looks slightly more warmer then appears in the pan. On my skintone I can be quite liberal with it and it blends out well without it looking too much.

I am quite impressed with this and at £7.49 (although I took advantage of the current 3 for 2) makes a good buy.

*Purchased by me*

Beauty UK Baked Blush: Baked Peach & Royal Rose Swatches

Apart from the nail polishes (which I love), I haven't really tried anything else from Beauty UK but recently while wandering Superdrug these caught my eye as (a) they are baked! So that in itself draws me in, (b) such pretty, glowy colours and (c) I quite like the packaging  (it looks a little MAC like).

I liked the look of all the colours but narrowed it down to Royal Rose and Baked Peach:

2 - Royal Rose

4 -Baked Peach

Underneath they have a little space which holds a retractable brush to use while out and about although I would only use this in an emergency as it is not soft.

Little slide rectractable mechanism on side

Swatches

Top: Royal Rose, Bottom; Baked Peach

Royal Rose is a bright, warm mid-pink. My swatch pic doesn't look as vibrant as it does in real life as the colour is closer to my pan pic. Baked Peach looks dusky tan in the pan but actually applies more warm peach on the skin and it also has very subtle tones of pink - this one is my favourite of the shades. There is no shimmer in any of these, just a lovely, glowy sheen with rather good pigmentation and a fairly smooth texture.

The compact size is similar to MAC regular blushes but a bit taller, and these have 4.4g of product. All in all, for £3.99 each, they are great bargain buys.

Also on another note, I am really liking the newly refreshed design in Superdrug in Wimbledon that I bought these from, it makes a refreshing change from the usual Superdrug/Boots look.

*Purchased by me*

Blush of the Week - Illamasqua Rude Cream Blusher

It has to be said that in the past I've often stayed away from cream blushes, I was not too fond of some of the firmer cream textures and was afraid of them looking too shiny and not agreeing with my acne-prone skin but I have finally put this aside and feel I am more confident with this variety, especially since now there are many great formulas to choose from.

All this week I have been using Illamasqua's Cream Blusher in Rude. It was this blush that made me think twice about my old views on cream blushes as this is simply a gorgeous formula and colour.

The texture is unlike any I've tested - it's a soft (but not too soft), light feeling cream that applies smoothly and is easy to blend into the skin. Once blended the texture is more of a soft, luminous natural finish (not a powdery finish). The colour looks rather scary and bright in the pan but once blended into the skin it gives such a pretty natural peachy colour and it doesn't have any shimmer.

heavy swatch

blended out - this is one layer, but colour can be builded

I have been applying with my Ruby & Millie foundation brush, then blending a little with my fingers - I only need to touch the pan lightly to get a good level of colour as this is very well pigmented. It can be layered to get more of a colour too.

Rude is definitely one of the stand-outs from Illamasqua and has got me ready to explore more wonderful cream blushes. Hum, what to try next?

Purchased by me

Pretty in Pink - FAMOUS By Sue Moxley Blusher with Highlighter: Country Rose

I have often walked by this stand in Superdrug with a sort of half interest but that was until a few weeks back when I came across a few new products on display - one of which is a blusher/highlighter duo in Country Rose.

If you lift up blush part underneath is a section that holds a little brush

Country Rose (shade 3) is a pretty mid pink that leans warm and has very faint flecks of fine shimmer that are not really noticeable when applied. The highlighter part is a pale pink with a lovely sheen to it. I haven't really used the highlighter part so much as I usually go for slightly more warmer tones (I think this would work quite nicely as an eyeshadow too), but I love the blusher part as it has good pigmentation and it's one of those shades I would imagine suits a variety of skintones.

I think the pic washes it out very slightly as it looks a bit brighter in reality. I have swatched the highlighter a bit heavier as this applies a bit lighter then the blush. The powder itself is quite smooth, and doesn't feel chalky or frosty. The half moon brush that comes with this is a bit firm and not very soft so that's one for dusting the old keyboard, but at least the compartment underneath can house something else so good for the makeup bag.
Lasting power is fairly decent, it fades a bit halfway throughout the day so a touch-up is required.
Edit: forgot to add that there is a mirror underneath when you lift up the blusher pan section.

This is a brand that I have not really taken much notice of before but I am very impressed by this and at £5, it is a bit of a bargain. There are also some lovely looking eye shadow palettes that I have my eye on but with being on something of a no-buy at the moment (2 weeks and so far so good), it will have to wait.

Disclaimer: Purchased by me

myface.cosmetics - R&B Blusher - Med/Dark - Night Fever

iPod-esque packaging (please excuse the smear)

myface.cosmetics - R&B Blusher - Med/Dark - Night Fever; this is something I bought from Boots a while ago and have recently rediscovered in my collection so thought I'd review.

Comes in quite a distinct, long case in quite a techy sort of style. I like it generally as it has the slight mirrored finish and looks rather sleek but I am not keen on it opening on the short edge as it seems more cumbersome. The brush is ok for on the go but I don't use it as it's not the softest brush out there.

Onto the powder itself - this is beautiful, the quality feels much more then the 10 odd pound I paid for it as it's smooth, quite buttery and incredibly well pigmented so only a light touch is needed. The colour is a gorgeous coral/pink shot through with gold.

with flash

natural light

Swatched:

Ingredients:

myface is priced at the higher end of the drugstore, but from the few products I've tried, the price is justified in the quality of the products.

myface cosmetics is available in larger Boots stores and definitely worth checking out.

Disclaimer: purchased by me

NARS Fall 2010 - Tzarine Eyeshadow Duo & Douceur Blush

The latest NARS collection has some wonderful items and after checking these out at Space NK last week I picked up the Tzarine eyeshadow Duo and Douceur blush.

Seeing Douceur online it looked very pretty but I wasn't sure if it would show up on my NC40/42 skin, but testing this instore I was pleased at the nice, natural colour it gives which would go great with more dramatic eyes or lips. The colour is a neutral rosy nude sort of shade, and is very smooth with good pigmentation leaving a natural matt finish.

Douceur blush

I was convinced that I would go for the Rajasthan duo (I may go back and get that) but it was Tzarine that really got me excited. It is quite deceptive in the pan looking quite warm but swatched it actually is slightly more cooler then I'd anticipated. The left side is a pale icy gold where as the right is a deep blue/green with a slight silver undertone. These go on quite smooth, they are not as densely pigmented as other NARS eyeshadows like Mekong, but still have very good pay-off and blend well. The shimmer is fine and doesn't make the colour look too frosty.

Tzarine Eyeshadow Duo

Swatched - Tzarine on left, Douceur on right:

with flash

natural light

Here is a pic in context with the rest of my face. I have used the blue/green side about 2/3 into the lid and also 2/3 along the lower lash line then the pale gold on the inner corner and a little along lower lash line. The colours look a bit washed out in the pic, but you can still make out the hint of colour from the blush.

What I have used on the rest of my face:
Primer - NARS Makeup Primer (white tube)
Foundation - NARS Sheer Glow in Barcelona
Undereye Concealer - Guerlain Terracotta Touch in 02
Powder - MUFE HD
Lips - Rouge Bunny Rouge Long-lasting Lip Pencil in Amerigo (all over)
Lashes curled with Shu Uemura Eyelash Curler
Mascara - L'Oreal Double Extension Renewal Serum Inside (just the black end, I'm not keen on the white base end)

Close up of eye:

Overall I am really happy with these, the colours are very flattering and easy to work with.  The Tzarine duo is my favourite as I don't have any shades quite like these in my collection.

NARS have come up trumps with a gorgeous collection well worth a look.

Disclaimer: Purchased by me

Prestige Baked Mineral Blushes: A Budget Alternative to a MSF?

I have several MAC Mineralize Skinfinishes which I use every now and then, Warmed being my favourite. However, in reality when I cast aside their pretty veined looks, as blushes/highlighters they are not the best in comparison to other brands. I can't help it, I am always tempted by these and am at the MAC counter faster then you can say 'Mineralize Skinfinish'.

This leads me onto Prestige, and their Skin Loving Minerals Fresh Glow Baked Mineral Blushes (a lovely long-winded name) which are a similar sort of product to an MSF. They come in 4 shades - 01 Pink, 02 Natural, 03 Peach and 04 Terra Rosa.

Here are pics of the all 4 shades (pics can be enlarged):

01 Pink on left,  02 Natural on right

03 Peach on left, 04 Terra Rosa on right

 Swatches:

L-R-  01 Pink,  02 Natural,  03 Peach,  04 Terra Rosa

L-R-  01 Pink,  02 Natural,  03 Peach,  04 Terra Rosa

These are swatched heavily with my finger, when used with a brush they are not as heavily pigmented as say an Illamasqua blush, but they provide enough payoff to give a natural blush look. What I like most about these is they blend well into the skin and don't look powdery. Pink and Terra Rosa are my favourites which I use as blushes whereas Natural and Peach I use as highlighters.

The shimmer on these is rather fine so that they impart a nice glow. Closer up there are some very tiny glitter particles in Natural. There is not much different between Natural and Peach, Peach is ever so slightly warmer.

The staying power on these is reasonable, on my skin they don't last all day (about 5 hours) but fade evenly so there is a little colour left. 

These are not however perfect:

The packaging - I don't mind the clear casing on these, it's nothing special but the plastic around the hinges easily chips off and as I was photographing these a metal hinge fell out.

The price - these are considerably small for a blush at only 1.5g and the price is £7.99. Many blushes have at least 5g of product. If I would compare these to a MAC MSF which typically have about 9g, the Prestige ends up being the more costly product at £47.94 for 9g! From this perspective they could consider making these bigger and better packaged. The baked mineral bronzers from Prestige are 8g so I don't quite understand why there is such a difference in sizing.

Overall I love the blushes themselves, they are my go-to blushes but price and packaging is an issue.

This was supposed to be more of a rave but it's turned into a bit of a meh review. Oh well.

Disclaimer: These were purchased by me