Current Faves

Here are a few products that I have been enjoying recently, a few are newish and a couple I've rediscovered after shopping my stash...

From top left going clockwise:

Dior Rosy Nude 5 Couleurs- the best quint Dior have ever put out...probably. It's a beautiful mix of pale minks, peaches and golds. If you don't already own this one, you need to!

Mac Kelly Yum Yum- Such a gorgeous bright pink, not as blue as Candy Yum Yum.

Kevin Aucoin Candlelight highlighter- Very soft and buttery highlighter and has a lovely sheen that is super flattering on most people.

Guerlain Terracotta Joli Teint- My new favourite summer foundation. It's perfect if you need a bit more coverage than a tinted moisturiser, plus it smells like frangipani which I just love!

Limecrime Velveteens- Shades Pink Velvet, Red Velvet and Suedeberry. I loved these when they came out and now I remember why. They are so incredibly long lasting and packed with pigment so you just need one swipe and you're done for the day. It's almost like a gloss that dries down matte. Beware though- you need to get your application right first time though!

Creme De La Mer Lip Balm- A really nice, hydrating balm (and so it should be for the price)  I tend to go for either this or the Sisley one.

Dolce & Gabbana Quad in Desert - A great everyday eyeshadow palette, beautiful matte nude shades that are super easy to blend.

Mac Pedro Lourenco Lipstick in Roxo- Deep Red/Burgundy shade. I like to use this as a slight stain by dabbing in the middle of the lips and blending out with fingers.

Chanel Gloss in Happy- looks fierce in the tube but goes on virtually sheer but adds a touch of brightness to the face.

Mac Casual Colour in Young at Heart- A lovely bright pink that can be used on lips or cheeks, perfect if you're in a hurry!

A close up of the Limecrime in Pink Velvet...

Tom Ford Spring 2014 Incandescent Nail Lacquer Review and Swatch

 So I thought I would start the first post of the year with some Tom Ford goodies so here we have the rather beautiful Tom Ford Incandescent nail polish. Packaged in the gorgeous old style of ivory and gold, it's a midtone rosy gold with silver shimmer, if anyone remembers Chanel Delight nail polish it is quite similar to that ( TF has less sparkles and is more pink toned) I do love this sort of shade- especially around summertime so I think I will be getting a lot of use from it this year! Onto the swatches!

Tom Ford Incandescent in natural light (left) and flash (right)

Chanel Delight (Left) and Tom Ford Incandescent (right)

I find the Tom Ford lacquers have standard lasting power on me (eg OPI, Chanel and so on). Photos above were with 2 coats and one layer of Seche Vite Topcoat as it wasn't particularly shiny on its own. You can just about make out a few brushstroke marks but nothing noticeable, if it wasn't applied in a hurry I'm guessing you could get it near on perfect.

Overall a big thumbs up. You can buy this at your usual department stores in the UK( Selfridges, Harrods etc...)but be quick as I hear it's limited edition and selling out fast!

YSL Yves Saint Laurent 7 Lingerie Pink Rouge Volupte Swatch & Review

Recently I've gone back to using one of my old favourites- YSL Lingerie Pink Rouge Volupte which is a coolish milky pink with a creme finish. This is one of those cult status lipsticks, in a way I find that a bit strange as it can be quite hard to pull off, I find the best way is to blot it with your finger afterwards to take away some of the harshness or to top it with gloss (I've been using Mac Frankly Fresh of late). It looks particularly lovely when paired with a smokey eye.

Like most Rouge Voluptes it is creamy soft and quite moisturising. It is also scented with a sweet mango perfume that I love. Due to its amount of slip, wear time isn't as good as some others on the market- about 3 hours, although this doesn't bother me at all. The coverage is basically opaque in one swipe so you need to be careful you don't over apply as it is so soft and you will run out very quickly!

YSL Lingerie Pink (daylight)

YSL Lingerie Pink (flash)

Chanel Island Le Vernis 597 Swatch and Review

As I mentioned yesterday I've been using a combination of Dior Saint Tropez on my toes and Chanel's Island on my fingers. I wasn't expecting to buy Island as I thought it looked the most plain of the 3, still I did my usual getting caught up in Chanel regret and quickly went out to purchase it before it sold out ( I think this one sold out first). Anyway, it's a gorgeous milky cream shade with pink opalescence. In bright light the shimmer really stands out, I can't think of anything this is quite like it!

It is designed to be sheerish, I used 2 coats to get it how I like it, you could use 3 if you really wanted. I got about 5 days wear from this before I saw any tipwear- which is fantastic for me as I usually get about 3 days. If you can still get hold of this one it's definitely worth a look!

Swatches...

Dior Vernis 401 Saint Tropez Review and Swatch

So I finally caved and climbed aboard the Dior Saint Tropez bandwagon. It's a pretty, slightly dusty, turquoise creme. I think it was originally launched last year when they opened a new store in Saint Tropez and was an instant sell out. This time it has come out with the Summer collection- but I think it is still limited edition. Saint Tropez runs more blue than say China Glaze Aquadelic, Chanel Nouvelle Vague, Pop Mint Magic and Essie Mint Candy Apple, although it's not a ground breaking or unique shade by any means.

It comes with the Dior wide brush so application is super quick, the formula is quite thick but easy to work with and is opaque in 2 coats. I didn't get any weird bubbling and it didn't take long to dry. It's quite shiny so you could skip topcoat if you really wanted. I found this lasted on me for about 4 days before I noticed any tip wear. This makes a beautiful pedi shade, I've been wearing it combined with Chanel's Island on my hands. If you can find this in stores it is a lovely one to have but it's not hugely unique so I wouldn't start paying inflated eBay prices for it.

Chanel Vitalumiere Aqua Review and Swatches in BA40 Beige Ambre Desert and 20 Beige

So while I wait for the trickle of Fall collections to hit Europe (which is notoriously slow over here) I thought I'd do a quick review of my current favourite foundation, Chanel Vitalumiere Aqua. As I'm in between shades ( and I can't find another B40 anywhere to purchase) I'm mixing a combo of 20 Beige and BA40 Beige Ambre Desert. I should note that BA40 is much darker than the standard B40 so don't mistake one for the other as I did! Formula wise it's a gorgeous product- light but enough coverage to perfectly blend away any blemishes. You have to give this one a good old shake before you use else you'll end up using all the watery bit and get left with a thick gloop afterwards. It has a SPF of 15 built in which is always a bonus.

It dries down pretty fast so you need to move quickly and it has a semi matte finish, even on my oily skin I never get particularly shiny with this on even if I don't use any powder. I get a whole days wear from this one even in the heat (it has been 35-40 degrees here recently) so I highly recommend it. I've been using this sparingly with my ThisWorks Perfect Skin Miracle which I reviewed earlier to get the perfect amount of coverage for the summer. I should also note that I started using Vitalumiere Aqua since it was launched and have never experience any reactions to it with my uber sensitive skin. It has a light scent but soon disappears once applied.

Swatches...

Chanel Vitalumiere Aqua, left to right: 20 and BA40 (daylight)

Chanel Vitalumiere Aqua, left to right: 20 and BA40 (flash)

Chanel Sable Beige 907 Soleil De Tan Review and Swatches (Summertime De Chanel)

Whoops- I meant to write about this when I first purchased it. In my excitement it went straight into my make up bag which is where it has been ever since. It's a lovely soft and smooth peachy-beige bronzer with just the right amount of sheen (no glittery bits here) and is made up of 7 stripes of gold, peaches and medium taupey browns. As it is on the paler side of bronze it is best suited to light-medium skintones, what is particularly lovely is that if you own a smallish brush you can pick out the beige/gold shades to double as your highlighter.

 I would say this was a bit softer (but not powdery) than last year's Chanel summer bronzers (although I still adore those too) so I think I can justify owning both. The wear time was great- a full day in warm weather and no sign of fading.

 I bought mine from harrods.com

Swatch...

Mac Booyah!!! Pro Longwear Lipstick Swatch & Review (Beth Ditto)

This was the only other item I purchased from the Beth Dito Collection. It's a bright creamy medium orange with a glossy finish. It's not as bright/neon as say Bobbi Brown's Atomic Orange or Mac Morange but it has a similar tone. Booyah!!! goes on opaque and has a slight vanilla scent.

The great thing about Pro Longwears is that they do stay put for hours, this lasted on me for 6 hours through a cup of tea (or two) and a light lunch. The only problem I found was with the packaging, firstly once you twist the lipstick up it won't twist back down and also it won't click shut properly. This could just be a error with my lipstick although I found the closing mechanism didn't work with my Dear Diary lipstick either.

Swatch...

Mac Booyah!!! (daylight)

I purchased mine at maccosmetics.co.uk

Dior Red Cruise 854 Gloss Swatch & Review (Summer Mix)

Next up from Dior Summer Mix is the Addict Ultra Gloss in 854 Red Cruise which is a bright cherry red with a super shiny finish. It matches the Calypso nail polish that I review earlier perfectly. As it is a jelly finish there is an element of transparency but there is a good amount of colour so only a tiny peek of my lip shade comes through. On me it turns a little more raspberry toned due to the pinkness of my lips, so it may vary from person to person.
 Dior glosses last on me about 3 hours and feel quite hydrating as glosses go. It's not particularly sticky and doesn't have a detectable scent once on. As far as I know this collection is limited edition so if you see something you like its worth checking out sooner rather than later!

Swatch...

Dior Cosmo 158 Vernis Nail Polish Gloss Swatch & Review (Summer Mix)

Cosmo 158 Vernis Gloss by Dior is a bright honeysuckle pink with a jelly or "sorbet" finish. It applies pretty smoothly but it is not designed to be opaque so you will see some visible nail line. I used 2 coats and I get decent coverage with a shiny finish. This matches the Bikini lipgloss ( which I reviewed earlier) in the collection perfectly so if you like your make up to coordinate this might be up your street.

 I get about 3 days with these Dior nail polishes before I start seeing any tip wear. Overall this is a nice colour (although the shade itself is quite dupeable) so if you like jelly finishies and your pinks bright but not neon it's definitely worth checking out.

As always all my work and photos are copyrighted so please do not republish or repost them.

Mac Dear Diary Pro Longwear Lipstick Swatch & Review (Beth Ditto)

I only picked up 2 items from the Beth Ditto Collection, Booyah!!! and Dear Diary. Dear Diary is a very bright magenta pink with a creamy finish. It's very pigmented and goes on opaque in one swipe. This is one of those uber bright lipsticks that can be a bit tricky to pull off but it's not quite as neon as say Candy Yum Yum.

As it's a Pro Longwear Lipcreme the lasting power is pretty good, about 6 hours before the shine and colour faded down to leave a stain. I don't find these drying either, although I like to apply balm before anyway.

Swatch...

Dior Calypso 158 Vernis Nail Polish Swatch (Summer Mix)

 The next item from the Dior Summer Mix collection I have to show you is this Vernis in 158 Calypso. It is a beautiful warm toned red. Dior calls these "sorbet-like color" so these are designed to be sheer jelly finishes, while you do get a lot of colour the nail is still visible underneath. They have a lovely squishy effect and are super glossy. I originally put on Calypso's pink sister "Cosmo" with long nails and it looked pretty hideous with the amount of VNL but after chopping them down I think it looks much nicer.

I used 2 coats here and it looked fine- 3 seemed pointless as it is meant to be a jelly. I got about 3 days wear before any tip wear appeared which is about normal for me. Overall a pretty shade which I think will be lovely for pedicures and on short manis.

Clarins Instant Light Natural Lip Perfector 02 Apricot Shimmer Swatch & Review

I know this is one of those products that has been around for a long time and it doesn't look all that special- bare with me for a bit. It's very easy to get caught up in the limited edition, million and one collections that get pumped out every season so sometimes it's nice to get back to the basics. The tried and tested formulas that stand the test of time if you will, and this is one such item. The Instant Light Natural Lip Perfector in 02 Apricot Shimmer is a pale, milky peach balm-like gloss which hydrates your lips and smells divine.

It gives a slight hint of colour and doesn't settle into lip lines, it's a no brainer sort of gloss that you can just pop on without a mirror and looks great with all sorts of make up. My only gripe with this product is the applicator- it's sort of a sponge that the product squeezes through, not that hygienic! Apart from that you get a lot for your money- 12ml so you won't run out any time soon. I find this lasts about 3 hours on me, by which time my lips feel nice and hydrated. It's not particularly sticky or tacky either.

Swatches...

Clarins Apricot Shimmer (daylight)

Clarins Apricot Shimmer (flash)

Guerlain by Emilio Pucci Khol in 02 Blu Acqua Swatch and Review

I couldn't resist picking up another item from the Pucci Guerlain collection in addition to the Meteorites and Terra Azzurra. This time I chose the uber pretty Blu Acqua Khol Kajal which is a dark indigo blue with strong purple tones and a subtle blue shimmer ( but I can't really see the shimmer when swatched/worn). I find this pulls a lot more purple when on the skin compared to in the tube, which is actually fine as I think it's a lovely shade. You can use it as a liner or as a base for eyeshadows as it blends incredibly well.

The product itself is very soft and smooth- no tugging on the eye whatsoever, however you do pay for the creaminess with longevity- I get approx 6 hours wear before it needs reapplying. Having said that I did test this in a hot climate (35 degrees +) so most products would struggle in these conditions, you might find it lasts longer depending on where you live. The packaging is very chic- a deep brown twist up tube which is tapered so you don't have to sharpen (I haven't used it for long enough to need sharpening yet so I'm still undecided whether it works or not) and brightly coloured ribbons to decorate.

 Swatches...

Guerlain Blu Acqua (daylight)

Guerlain Blu Acqua (flash)

Dior Rose Bikini Ultra Gloss 664 Swatch & Review (Summer Mix Collection)

So Dior have released another collection for the summer called "Summer Mix". This time it is 4 bright jelly nail polishes and 4 candy coloured lip glosses. The first of my purchases is the bright pink gloss called Rose Bikini 664 which is a pretty watermelon shade with a creme finish and no shimmer. I would say it was semi opaque- you get a good dose of colour but is definitely not full coverage. This is a lovely summer shade which is nice and low maintenance.

 I don't find Dior glosses particularly sticky or tacky, this shade held up for a good 3 hours before fading away- although the glossiness had worn down by about 2 hours. These glosses are non drying so my lips were still pretty hydrated after wearing them. I also couldn't detect any particular scent or taste. Overall a thumbs up for this one, great for summer (if not that unique) so if you're in the market for a new pink gloss it might be worth checking out.

Swatches...

Dior Rose Bikini (daylight)

Dior Rose Bikini (flash)

Clarins Crystal Coral Instant Smooth Crystal Lip Balm Swatch & Review

Clarins Crystal Coral (03) Instant Smooth Lip Balm is a duo style lip product with a clear balm wrapped around a bright reddish orange core. Once mixed together you get a pretty pigmented orange shade and a slight sheen. I find with these type of lipsticks it's essential to use with a mirror- this is by no means an easy lip balm you can just throw on. Because the centre is virtually opaque in coverage you really have to work to get it all the way to the edges otherwise you end up with no color on the outside of the lips. I got about 2-3 hours wear from this before the balm had faded away but it did leave a pretty stain behind.

 As far as I remember Clarins released these a few years ago but they were clear all the way through and were incredibly popular- I loved them for one! I'm not sure where the new ones fit in- I don't find them hugely hydrating (but they are not drying) and they can be a pain to apply. It's also a bit of a shame that they don't have more of a glossy finish, I would classify them as semi matte which is fine in itself but the name "crystal" makes me think of a shiny product if that makes sense.

Swatches...

Clarins Crystal Coral (daylight)

Clarins Crystal Coral (flash)

Bobbi Brown Miami Shimmer Cheek Glow Swatch & Review

Bobbi Brown Shimmer Cheek Glow in 2 Miami is a pale, warm, pink with silvery shimmer and lilac sparkles. It's part of the Miami Collection and is a gel-powder hybrid, although I find this much wetter to the touch than say the Estee Lauder Powder Gelee or Mac Extra Dimension versions. It is also not hugely pigmented so you really have to build to get some color or shine- you definitely get nothing like what the pan suggests. The major problem I have with this one is that it does have glitter particles - which are by no means huge but you can see them on the skin so this isn't a classic illuminator.

I think wear time will vary quite a lot with this one depending on your skin type- I got about 7 hours before it faded at the edges. I just applied on the very top of the cheek bones to avoid drawing attention to any blemishes or enlarged pores which is a possibility with this one. I think this can be a fun or novelty product, say for a party or so on, but if you're after a natural highlighter this might not be for you.

I've tried this with both finger application or with brushes, personally I prefer a synthetic brush as it is more hygienic and also the product clings to the fingers so to get it to transfer onto the face is a bit of a pain. Packaging is in a (slightly slimmer) Shimmer Brick style black plastic compact with a mirror under the lid.

Swatches...

Bobbi Brown Miami Heavily Swatched (daylight)

Bobbi Brown Miami Heavily Swatched (flash)