Eye Shadow -Laura Mercier - Sparkling Dew
skwpt 10/27/2012 12:24:00 PM
Sparkling Dew is back. It's included in the Cool Classics Trio, a trio where 2/3 of it turned out to be a throwaway for me, but Sparkling Dew has precisely what I wanted Laura Mercier's Morning Dew to have: a sateen finish. I agree there's nothing special about this color; it appears to be exactly the same as Morning Dew—an ivory with a whisper of pink. I use both as an eye brightener, though to be fair, Morning/Sparkling Dew are almost the exact same color as my skin. What both do so well is even out the skin tone; the hint of pink is very good at minimizing unwanted brown or beige from sum damage. The primary difference is Sparkling Dew leaves a subtle glow on the lids, while Morning Dew is matte. I realize this color doesn't get a lot of love, but I'd be thrilled to pieces if it went back into the regular lineup; I wouldn't even mind if it bumped Morning Dew. Right now I am ecstatic to have both, and if SD doesn't come back for good, I might have Three Custom Colors reproduce it. It goes with absolutely everything.
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BB Cream -Jane Iredale - Glow Time BB Cream
skwpt 9/27/2012 5:59:00 AM
UPDATE 10/20/12: I have downgraded this foundation to three stars. After more than a month of daily wear, I no longer care for it. It's just too opaque and heavy, more than I am used to wearing, and certainly more like a full-coverage foundation than a BB cream. I also started to get a couple underground acne bumps, and this "cream" is the only new skin product I introduced into my routine. When I tried using less in targeted areas (nose, chin), I ended up with little divots of beige in my pores by midday, so I need full coverage or none at all—or I have to wear it over a silicone-based primer, and that violates my makeup policy where anything I buy needs to be able to stand on its own. If I am going to wear a BB cream, to date, nothing beats MISSHA #21. ORIGINAL REVIEW: I have been wearing Jane Iredale PurePressed powder foundation since 2000 and adore it, but I have lately wanted something with a tiny bit more coverage that is neither masklike nor a concealer, to hide the pink on my cheeks and chin (mild rosacea). A friend directed me to the excellent reviews here, and I decided to try Jane Iredale's Glow Time Full Coverage Mineral BB Cream. I called Dermstore for assistance in selecting a color, and I chose BB1, which is beige with the barest whisper of pink—a good match for my light skin (NW 15-20). The texture was initially quite disappointing: heavy, thick, and so stiff it dragged across my skin with my fingertips, reminding me of JI's Dream Tint, which I did not like. So I have been dotting it around my face, feathering out as gently as possible with my fingertips, and then bouncing a damp Beautyblender sponge over the surface to smooth over my pores. I CANNOT use this product without finishing with a damp sponge. Period. A pea size truly is all you need, and I mean a petite pea. Applying the BB cream causes initial surface redness; there's no way to avoid it because the cream is hard to spread. Once on, and after the redness calms down, I get complete coverage of all traces of red and hyperpigmentation. I set it with a light dusting of JI PurePressed powder, which is probably overkill because the BB cream does not budge. It contains 'cones, so I will have to be vigilant about clarifying my skin to avoid blockages or milia. I still have combination skin, and I did not notice any excess oil. In fact, my skin seems less oily throughout the day when I am wearing this cream. I feel like I need a double wash to get this off at the end of the day. JI claims we can sleep in mineral makeup, but that just isn't my thing. I make a first pass with Bioderma Crealine (or an oil or cream cleanser that I tissue off) and then follow up with a liquid or foaming cleanser, which seems to do the trick. I am enjoying this so far and might consider buying again, but a single tube should last years. INGREDIENTS: Titanium Dioxide (CI 77891) 20%. Aqua/Water/Eau, Cyclopentasiloxane, Dimethicone, Stearoxymethicone/Dimethicone Copolymer, Maltodextrin, Camellia Sinensis (White Tea) Leaf Extract, Camellia Sinensis (Green Tea) Leaf Extract, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice, Citrus Paradisi (Grapefruit) Fruit Extract, Citrus Aurantium Amara (Bitter Orange) Fruit Extract, PEG-10 Dimethicone, Glycerin, Pyrus Malus (Apple) Fruit Extract, Pectin, Chlorella Vulgaris/Lupinus Albus Protein Ferment, Sodium Ascorbate, Tocopherol, Helianthus Annuus (Sunflower) Seed Oil, Raphanus Sativus (Radish) Root Extract, Lecithin, Lonicera Caprifolium (Honeysuckle) Flower Extract (and) Lonicera Japonica (Honeysuckle) Flower Extract, Aluminum Hydroxide, Xanthan Gum, May Contain: Iron Oxides (CI 77489, CI 77491, CI 77492, CI 77499), Chromium Oxide Greens (CI 77288).
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Treatments -Chanel - Nail Colour Remover
skwpt 4/20/2012 9:13:00 PM
I don't know why this product is so hard to find in the United States, but I scout around on eBay and usually buy two at a time. Chanel's Dissolvant Doux is an excellent remover and takes off deeply pigmented color, as well as glitter, which is notoriously hard to remove. The formula is extremely gentle, non drying, and smells a little of roses--albeit with that bizarre rotting-pineapple smell underneath, which is what acetone reminds me of. I give myself a manicure once a week, so I also remove polish at least once a week, and my nails do not dry out. A rather shallow statement, but the weighty glass bottle with glossy black cap and interlocking Cs is very classy. Yes, it is rather ridiculously overpriced, but I don't mind paying for a little luxury, and the remover is better quality than anything I can pick up at the pharmacy—which dries my nails to dust.
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Brows -Clinique - Superfine Liner for Brows
skwpt 2/24/2012 8:55:00 PM
I picked this up on a whim. My eyebrows are pure ash (not a hint of red or yellow) and I have the hardest time finding brow products that are both cool and light enough. I bought Soft Blonde 01. I do detect the tiniest undertone of yellow, but it is mostly a dark ash blonde, which I cool down a bit more by blending with Laura Eye Brow Definer in the color "Warm" (which is not warm at all). The automatic pencil is extremely thin and you can forget about sharpening it into a tip by rolling it at an angle on a tissue. Instead, retract it almost to the edge of the tube and rub it against the back of your hand until it is completely flat. Then twist a little bit of product out and you can use the sharp edge to draw the thinnest hair possible. Great stuff that stays put ALL day. The funny thing is I had been using Clinique Brow Shaper in Shaping Charcoaled for almost two decades but was starting to find it too dark (thinning brows, hair getting more ashy from grey). I laugh at all the money I wasted experimenting on various brands that turned out to be duds (Chantecaille, MAC, Bobbi Brown, Suqqu, and so on), when my new HG brow product was waiting for me at Clinique, just like old times.
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Eye Shadow -Becca - Eye Colour Powder demi-matt in Chantilly
skwpt 11/26/2011 8:10:00 AM
I've never seen MAC Phloof!, which the below reviews compare it to, but Becca Chantilly is most certainly a very light, creamy, dusty lavender shade. I've uploaded a picture that looks like the product I use almost every day. Chantilly makes a great allover lid color, to even out skin tone. It looks gorgeous and natural under Rouge Bunny Rouge Solstice Halcyon, and it looks equally pretty with both Becca Doeskin and Lamé. I said I would buy again because I have--I am on my second compact. The texture of Becca's demi-matte eyeshadows is wonderful: soft, buttery, and finely milled without much fallout. Color lasts all day, especially over a good primer, and I get no creasing, but my lids are no longer oily. Ingredients: Talc, Zea Mays, Magnesium Stearate, Octypalmitate, Synthetic Wax, Mica and may contain Titanium Dioxide, Iron Oxides, Polyethylene, Carmine, and Ferric Ferrocyanide.
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Eye Shadow -Alima - Satin Matte Eyeshadow in Bramble
skwpt 8/17/2011 7:06:00 PM
Bramble is soft and subtle, but lilac is not exactly right--I'd say it's a very light, cool taupe with plum undertones. I don't have anything like Bramble in my entire eye makeup collection, and I love it with my blue-green-grey eyes and fair (NW15/Alima C1-2) skin. I could see makeup artists using this color in costume dramas, lending that vulnerable, haunted, "bruised" look to the actress. "Bramble, meet Helena Bonham-Carter, circa 1987." I love to wear Bramble in the crease over Alima Fleur (a pinkish-nude satin matte) or Prosecco (pearluster beige with a hint of pink) applied from lashes to brow. And then a touch of Daphne just under the brow arch. I might even put a touch of Dream Luminous Shimmer in the inner corners. This shadow stayed put all day without primer, just like my mineral foundation does, but my eyelids are not as oily as they once were. No creasing. I love the finish; it's as though I am not wearing any eye makeup at all, so this is a perfect makeup for bright light/full sun or when I want to be taken seriously at work. The pot is solid and well made, and the sifter insert dispenses the perfect amount after three good thwacks against the inner part of my thumb. I said I would buy again, but I doubt I would need to as a little goes a very long way, and you get a huge amount for $11.
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Eye Shadow -Le Metier de Beaute - Clay
skwpt 7/22/2011 9:37:00 PM
Like Daphers below, I was disappointed that Clay oxidized yellow on me, and right away, too. So pretty in the pan (similar to Bobbi Brown's Cement, which also turns on me), but so ugly on my eyelids. Not fair. :(
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Fragrances -CB I Hate Perfume - Mr. Hulot's Holiday
skwpt 6/23/2011 8:06:00 PM
This isn't a night at the beach but the end of a beautiful summer day, when the sun is low and the light from the sky reflects pink off the sand. It's the smell of hot pebbles spit out by the briny surf and driftwood washed up on the shore tangled in fecund seaweed. It's barnacles on algae-covered rocks and a big leather tote bag that's been sitting by the white cotton blanket all day. I smell salt on warmed skin and a very subtle sweet-citrus scent, like the bright coral-red rosehips from a rugosa plant whose blooms have long since faded. Absolute love. It transports me to my summers at the ocean and evokes many happy memories.
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Lip Gloss -Smashbox - Enhancing Gloss in True Color: Hype
skwpt 6/12/2011 10:36:00 AM
I agree that Hype is a gorgeous dusty rose color that feels amazing on the lips. Smashbox's "True Color" offerings are really skimpy right now, which is too bad. This almost lipstick is not sticky and does not cause gooey buildup. It is one of the only lip glosses I can stand putting on my lips. The Hype color is still around on eBay and you can find some good bargains. I have at least a dozen backups, and that is unheard of for fickle me, especially for a lip gloss.
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Eye Shadow -Chantecaille - Tanzanite
skwpt 3/11/2011 3:46:00 PM
I just received Tanzanite as part of the Olivia palette. I wish I could say I love it as much as everyone else seems to, but I cannot. I have written many reviews for Chantecaille eyeshadows, the majority of which I love, but I don't feel such fondness for Tanzanite. To be fair, the color is gorgeous, a luminous, deep amethyst, and the quality, blendability, and staying power (without creasing) are typical of this brand--excellent. I do love purple eyeshadows, but I like them to be muted with either grey or brown, so it seems I prefer Chantecaille's less colorful colors. I rarely wear eyeliner, so it seems like an awfully huge pan to keep around for just that purpose, though it does make a pretty liner color when applied with a damp angle brush or using Paula Dorf's Transformer. Once in a while I layer it over Zinc or Granite, but on its own, it's too deep a purple for my very fair pink-porcelain skin and blue-grey-green eyes. It just isn't versatile enough for me to keep it in my #1 palette that I reach for every day, so into the swap box it goes.
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Eye Shadow -Chantecaille - Lasting Eye Shade - Cinnamon
skwpt 3/11/2011 3:31:00 PM
Cinnamon is a beautiful warm brown in the pan, but unlike some of the reviews below, I see no pink in it. I wish! Those mauve tones appear in Coriander, but unfortunately on me, Cinnamon is just too warm against my pink-porcelain skin. In any case, I am fairly certain Cinnamon has been discontinued. I was able to find one on eBay to see if I was missing anything. It is not on the chantecaille.com web site. For those who loved Cinnamon but did not like it's cool undertones, you might consider trying Bois which is a warm gleaming brown with reflects of pearly gold. Bois is available in the Shine formulation, and according to a MUA at Chantecaille, it is the color they most often recommend for green eyes.
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Eye Shadow -Chantecaille - Lasting Eye Shade- Peony
skwpt 3/11/2011 3:23:00 PM
Of all the Chantecaille shadows I own, Peony is one of the most versatile (the other is Perle). I wear Peony most often as a full eyelid base color, and unlike other eyeshadows meant to be used a base (e.g., Bobbi Brown's Bone, etc.), the finish of the Chantecaille's Lasting Eye Shade eyeshadows is never dry or dusty, so my eyelids don't look chalky or krinkly-crepy. The soft pink color neutralizes the brown in freckles (sun damage) and tones down purple shadows around eyes. Because ti doesn't translate as PINK on the skin, I occasionally set undereye highlighter/concealer with a light dusting of Peony, using a blending/diffusing brush like Laura Mercier's Finishing Eye Brush. Peony, a satiny pale pink, is in my top 5 by Chantecaille, along with Agate (disc), Lilac Rose, Perle, and Granite. In fact, I use it nearly every day. I also occasionally wear it as a muted highlighter to tone down a too-heavy blush application (though Perle works best as a cheekbone highlighter). Peony is just a very basic, indispensable shadow for fair and cool to neutral skin tones. Nothing wow but nothing objectionable about it, either.
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Eye Shadow -Chantecaille - Lasting Eye Shade - Perle
skwpt 3/11/2011 2:15:00 PM
A note about this eyeshadow and its category: Perle is not a Lasting Eye Shade, it's Chantecaille's Shine formula. I use Perle rather unconventionally. I agree with all the reviewers who called the color complex; it is a cool-neutral ivory duochrome chilled by both pink and purple undertones, but the effects on skin are so subtle, far more subtle than MAC pigments, though the color reminds me of MAC Pink Opal—just less metallic. I apply Perle just under the arch in my eyebrow with a pencil brush and then roll my fingertips over the finish to press the pigment into my skin and force any shine particles to lie flat. Then I take a paddle eyeshadow brush and sweep Perle over my cheekbones—under my blush—in a C shape starting from the iris up to meet the end of my eyebrows. I then apply a bit down the bridge of my nose, on my cupid's bow, and just below the crease in my chin. And then I do the same finger press/roll thing to get the pigment to flatten, and what I am left with is glowy skin. No sparkle or even obvious shimmer in full sun—just a healthy glow exactly like a pearl. Perle completely blows other highlighters I have tried, in both powder and cream format (e.g., Becca, Benefit, Cle de Peau, Trish McEvoy, MAC's Beauty Powder, Edward Bess, etc.) out of the water. Although a powder, Perle stays put all day; in fact, it looks better as my skin warms up and the pigment works with some of the oils beneath the surface—but it never highlights pores. It also looks amazing dabbed in the center of the lower lip with clear or sheer gloss on top (though I have no idea if it's healthy; it's eyeshadow, after all), as well as in the center of the moveable lid, even though Ernesto at Chantecaille told me that was "so 80s." Ha. It still looks good on me. Perle works so well for me this way, I have at least one refill backup, and I carry a compact with me so I can freshen the glow during the day, but it is almost never needed. This is my most versatile Chantecaille eyeshadow and ranks in the top three by this brand, along with Agate and Meteorite. ♥♥ LOVE ♥♥
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Eye Shadow -Chantecaille - Shine Eye Shade in Quartz
skwpt 3/11/2011 2:06:00 PM
Quartz (Shine) is a light to mid-toned pink flesh color. There isn't a lot to say about the color, other than it's a perfect complement for just about every Chantecaille eyeshadow I own (and I have around 20). I like it best on the lid over Peony with Granite in the crease and Perle at the brow bone. Quartz is a great everyday color for my pink-porcelain skin and blue-grey-green eyes. The texture is smooth and luminous, never sparkly or glittery. It's so soft I can apply with a fingertip, and it last all day without creasing. I prefer it to Rose Quartz. Quartz is one of the four Chante shadows I reach for nearly every day and one of the few I have repurchased.
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Eye Shadow -Chantecaille - eye shade
skwpt 3/11/2011 12:30:00 PM
If you're looking for pigmented, high-impact eye color, you can stop reading now. If you're interested in exploring a philanthropic, well-edited line that offers luxe, long-wearing textures and stunning, natural colors, do check out the reviews in this topic. Chantecaille eyeshadows are the most luxurious, wearable shadows I have ever owned. Nothing else I apply to my lids lets me achieve such subtle results that last all day without creasing. Even if a color is not something that naturally occurs on the skin around my eyes (e.g., Tanzanite or Lemongrass), the shadows blend seamlessly into the skin, show no harsh edges, and make my skin appear to glow from within. I often receive compliments, but no one ever says, "I love your eyeshadow." Instead I am told that I look well rested or pretty or that my eyes look very bright and clear. I especially appreciate Chantecaille textures as my skin begins to lose elasticity, which can be limiting in the textures I select; frosts can be deadly. Not many other brands offer shine and iridescent shades that don't end up looking over-the-top glittery--or worse--powdery and chalky, but all three formulations of Chantecaille eyeshadows are beautiful, polished, and appropriate for all ages. Of course it makes sense that I would love this brand so much, since Sylvie Chantecaille also started Prescriptives, another well-edited line that once offered similar colors and textures. Chantecaille is often criticized for being overpriced, and while some of its skincare and limited edition palettes are pricey, I disagree that it's much more expensive than other high-end brands. Each eyeshadow pan is quite large, and the refills are only $1 more than Bobbi Brown. Also, the limited edition compacts are a great deal, considering most come as a refillable x4 palette, so if you add up what each pan plus the compact would cost if you were to buy them a la carte, you'll often find the LE items are discounted up to 75%. The d'Olivia palette, for example, is a huge bargain. I also realize this brand gets a lot of criticism for not being highly pigmented, but I prefer that. I appreciate that I can layer color in order to achieve a variety of looks that are as appropriate for full midday sun as for a party in low light. I also love the fact that many of the eyeshadows are multi-taskers. Perle Shine Eye Shade, for example, makes a magnificent cheekbone highlighter that blows Becca, Benefit, Cle de Peau, Trish McEvoy and others away; it stays put all day an doesn't scream PORES. My only criticism is that the colors seem more suited for the fair skinned. Women of color won't have as many options from within the line. I've been wearing Chantecaille since 1997, and although other brands occasionally bubble to the top as my most reached-for brand, Chantecaille has always been in rotation, and the eyeshadows are all I wear now. Highly recommended for fair-to-medium toned women who like a subtle look, as well as those with eyelid skin that is less springy than it used to be. LOVE.
15 out of 15 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No