Swatch: NEW! Revlon Colorburst Lip Butter in Sweet Tart

Revlon Colorburst Lip Butter in Sweet Tart on Right
Maybelline ColorSensational PopStick in Citrus Slice on Left for Comparison Only

I think there should be a warning on all things hot pink. Something along the lines of "Caution: May cause racing heartbeat, impaired judgment and/or impulse purchases."  

But the new Revlon Colorburst Lip Butter in Sweet Tart is so much more than just a hot pink beauty. It's  a magical combination of lipstick, lip gloss and lip balm and the way it applies reminds me of the smooth application of the Dior Addict Lipsticks. I love these!!- and for someone who rarely wears lipsticks that's saying a lot :)

The top is clear so you can take a look at the actual color- big improvement from the original Colorburst lipstick packaging which doesn't have this nifty little window. The packaging also corresponds with the shade so each shade has a different color tube. Sweet Tart is a nice fruit punch type pink color (no shimmer) that is surprisingly wearable- and it's one of those colors that brightens up your face giving you a youthful look. The Lip Butters have a subtle sweet scent- barely noticeable unless you're really trying to sniff it out.

I picked out a couple I thought would compare for the swatch shot but they ended up being all very different. As you can see the Fresh Lip Treatment (one of my favorites) is more sheer and glossy- you can't really build the color up on this- it's meant to give your lips more of a slight tint rather than a full-on lipstick look. The Burt's Bees Tinted Lip Balm is sheer but less glossy. I actually dislike this formula as it dries out my lips even though it's a lip balm. The Colorburst Lip Butter is not as glossy as the Fresh Lip Treatment but has more of a smooth texture (something between the Dior Addict Lipsticks and the buttery YSL Rouge Voluptes) and can be sheerly applied or built up for bolder look. I also like the fact that my lips don't feel like they have lipstick on. I love these!


* Purchased at Bed, Bath & Beyond. A shout out to BentleyBlonde who gave us the heads up to be on the lookout for these!

** Update: Just picked up the Lip Butter in Candy Apple too so I'll be doing a swatch and review of that soon :)

Swatch-aroo: Chantecaille Lip Glosses & Guerlain Rouge Automatique Les Oranges

For some reason I always thought I didn't have a Chantecaille counter near me until there I was innocently strolling along through my go-to Nordstrom when lo and behold, a beautiful Chantecaille counter with semi-new testers out looking up at me like "You're late." What?! Why haven't I seen this before? More importantly, why did I never think of looking it up?

Click for a larger image.

I did a couple of swatches to share with you my joy in my new discovery :) Guava and Dragonfruit are shades from the Lip Gloss line (the ones in the silvery mini compacts with mirrors) and Sweet, Folly, and Flirt are shades of Brilliant Glosses. I was impressed with how light the lip glosses felt on the back of my hand and how natural they looked on my lips. The brushes on the Brilliant Glosses were super-soft. These retail for 28.00USD- not a bargain but pretty decent considering the price range of Chantecaille's skincare or her eyeshadow quads.

Next, some Guerlain Rouge Automatique swatches. I only swatched the four Les Oranges 140, 141, 142, 143. My favorite was 141 Quand Vient l'Ete which was a lighter coral pink and 143 Nahema, a more vibrant coral pink. These applied so buttery smooth on the back of my hand. I didn't try them on my lips so I can't vouch for how smooth they translate to the lips but I'm thinking they're probably pretty nice on the lips too.

So that's that! Any special plans for the Fourth of July weekend? I plan to spend it in the nation's capital with friends and watch some fireworks! Hope everyone has fun!

A First Look: The Glossimers of Chanel Summer 2011

I was in NY two weekends ago and much to my delight, found the Chanel Summer 2011 out and about early at the Chanel boutique. The bronzers and the eyeshadows did not interest me (sorry.. this means I did not swatch them) but I kinda have to say: I am quite smitten with the Glossimer colors in this collection!

Pink Peony, Pensee, Aurore

Especially Pensee, a beautiful coral and Aurore, a light peachy pink with iridescent shimmer are must-haves. I was surprised that I loved Aurore so much since I'm not easily swayed by pale pinks but it was stunning the way this shade changed color depending on the angle. It's so unique (even if it doesn't seem like it at first sight) and pretty.

I hadn't realized I had taken such a shoddy swatch photo..! Oh well.. That's Pink Peony, Pensee and Aurore from top to bottom.

So that's that. Do you plan to pick up anything from the collection?

I picked up just the le vernis in Morning Rose (a beautiful candy pink with quiet gold shimmers) on this particular trip but I think I may go back for the Glossimers. I wanted to love Mimosa (the much-talked-about Yellow one) but after swatching it I decided to pass.

Chanel Spring 2011 Collection Swatches and Pêche Nacrée

Last last last week, (can you say "overdue post"?) I stopped by Nordstrom to take a look at the Chanel Spring 2011 pretties. btw, who is that girl Chanel's been using as their model lately? I think I'm in love with her.

I swatched a couple of the lip products I was interested in. Nakkar was more strawberry pink than I had anticipated. For some reason I was under the impression that it had more of a coral tinge to it even though Chanel distinctly describes it as being a raspberry color. I think it's because I saw various in-person photos of Nakkar showing off more of a coral pink. Oh well, maybe it was just the difference in lighting. It's the type of shade that can look different depending on the angle and the lighting; perhaps that's what makes it all the more pretty and alluring.

I ended up passing on Nakkar, but brought home Pêche Nacrée, a soft pearly peach nail polish. Even though Black Pearl has been getting more publicity, to me, Pêche Nacrée seemed a better representative of the collection as a whole. Additionally, I've been wearing dark colors on my nails nonstop this winter, so Pêche Nacrée felt like a breath of fresh spring air! The pinky-peach shade lightens up significantly once on the nails but its still very pretty. The slight pearl finish makes the hands look soft and feminine.

Bath & Body Works Liplicious Cupcakes in Lemon Glaze

I've never tried Bath & Body Works lipgloss before but I couldn't pass up on something cupcake-themed so I recently picked up this Liplicious Cupcakes lipgloss in Lemon Glaze. I love lemon-flavored baked goods and this smells like someone's baking lemon glaze cupcakes in the oven. Well- maybe not that good- but it still smells pretty yummy :) It's also flavored- just a sweet, kind of generic- taste but I find myself licking my lips more than I usually would.

Except for a slight golden sheen, the gloss translates to pretty much a clear gloss on the lips. The glitter varies in size so some pieces are bigger than others. That means that the glitter isn't exactly subtle but because the material? of the glitter is thin and semi-transparent it isn't exactly obnoxious either. Also, note: random glitter migration may occur.

The texture is somewhat watery and slick, allowing for a non-sticky application. This however, also means that the lasting power on these aren't that hot. Or maybe that's just because I keep licking it off?

It's a nice throw-in-your-bag-and-go type gloss, or just something to have around the house for when your lips feel bare. Maybe not a necessity but definitely something that can add a bit of sweetness to your everyday routine!

The adorable cupcake illustrations on the tubes were illustrated by Karen Greenberg. There are ten flavors here but I believe the collection comes in five flavors.

Apparently there will be a similar release in spring of 2011 by Bath & Body Works featuring cakes and pastries. I am loving the sound of that! (Illustrations also by Karen Greenberg)


Illustrations from: http://www.theispot.com/whatsnew/ispotters/kgreenberg

YSL Gloss Pur in #3 Pure Coral, #8 Pure Watermelon

If I had to live with one type of lip gloss for the rest of my life, it would be the YSL Gloss Pur. I can't think of one thing that I don't love about this gloss. The packaging is lux without being impractical, the brush is soft without being inefficient, and the scent (mango) is unique yet familiar.

The texture is soft and light and moisturizing. In fact its the only lipgloss where my lips actually feel hydrated even after the gloss has worn off. It is also surprisingly long-lasting for a lipgloss of its kind (non-sticky, glides on the lips). I've found that the Victoria Secret Beauty Rush glosses have a texture that is somewhat similar to the Gloss Pur- although otherwise different.

As for the colors, there is nothing on the market quite like Pure Coral or Pure Watermelon. The name Pure Coral very accurately portrays what I consider this gloss to be- coral in its purest form- not a pinky coral or a red coral or a peachy-coral (even though Sephora describes it as a sheer creamy peach) but just coral. The base that I imagine all other coral glosses start with. It can look a tad bit orange in the tube but on the lips it's a beautiful color. It's sheer but at the same time has just enough pigmentation to create the perfect coral lips.

Pure Watermelon is a little less accurate in its name as it is no color of any watermelon I've seen but I love it all the same. I consider this more of a tangerine-type shade- bolder than most corals yet muted enough that it doesn't run into the red family. It gives me a refreshed look, like I'm really energized even when I'm really not.

To compare with some other corals I own, Chanel Genie is similar to Pure Coral but thinner in texture and more opaque. In the swatch, Pure Watermelon and Revlon's Coral Reef look very similar but Pure Watermelon is sheer and translates to much more wearable/ prettier color than Coral Reef which runs a bit red on my lips (and is bit too sticky.)

Chanel Holiday 2010 Collection (Les Tentations de Chanel)

I stopped by Bloomingdales today to check out the Chanel Holiday 2010 Collection in person. My favorites were the fuchsia tweed blush, the Glossimer in Charming and the Rouge Coco in Magnolia.

I was expecting to like Patchouli more than Magnolia but Magnolia was such a pretty light pink it was difficult not to fall in love. It's softer than the color shown in my swatch and creates a sweet-girl-look with its youthful flush of pink. I also feel its more moisturizing than the regular Rouge Cocos.

The Glossimers are beautiful as well. If you find any of them calling out to you, you may want to pick them up soon as they are limited edition. Pink Pulsion is pretty but not incredibly unique. I prefer the pale pink of Charming even though I would ordinarily not be drawn to a shimmery pale pink. There's just something about this one :)

I also found the Bobbi Brown Holiday 2010 Collection out and about. I wanted to take pictures of everything but the lady at the counter was hell-bent on following me around and explaining everything to me. She was very nice but I was a little shy to whip out my iphone and start snapping photos in front of her. Maybe next time! I must say that everything in the collection looks very tempting even for a non-eyeshadow girl like me :) I've been looking a good neutral quad so I'm contemplating getting the cool day to night eyeshadow palette.

If you don't know what I'm talking about, Temptalia has a list of the products HERE.

Have you started making your holiday lists yet? Like what to give friends and family and what you would like to receive? I know it's a bit early but I get so excited this time of year- plus such beautiful holiday collections are pouring out from every which way!

New: Chantecaille Les Macarons Face Palette

From left to right: Cassis (e/s), Caramel (e/s), Raspberry (blush), Rose (highlight), Strawberry (l/g)

This isn't really new new as I have seen it being sold on the Chantecaille website at least a week before this post but I know it's a limited edition palette for the 2010 holidays so let's just call it new so I can post this picture of it and look longingly at the beautiful colors :)

photo from chantecaille.com

L'occitane Peony Lip Colour in Marie Riviere

A closer look at the L'occitane lipgloss (actual name: Liquid Shine Lip Colour) in Marie Riviere.

There are so many things to love about concept behind the Peony lipgloss and the L'occitane Peony Collection in general and yet I can't say I'm in love with the product itself. (At least for now.) Here's why I love it and don't love it at the same time.

First, I love the meticulous details that give homage to the Peony Collection's inspiration, such as the seed packet packaging (although slightly flimsy), shades named after different types of peonies (Marie Riviere for instance was inspired by the Mme Benoit Riviere, a peony with a delicate salmon pink color) and the inclusion of peony extract in the products. I also love the flower printed on the top of the packaging and the fact that the material is paper.

But its this odd feeling of overall flimsy-ness that I can't get over. The doe foot applicator is strangely scraggly (I want to believe its biodegradable or something like that), the plastic tube is not shiny enough, it has a funky floral scent (it's very subtle but I'm just not a floral scent type of gal) and the color is neither here nor there. To be honest I don't really know how to feel about it. L'occitane asserts it "coats the lips with a tender pink with subtle gold shimmering sheen, like a fresh petal covered with morning dew." Not completely inaccurate but I don't feel the 'fresh petal covered with morning dew' part...  Am I being crazy? Don't answer that.

It definitely has a natural look thing going on so that's good (and that's probably what L'occitane was shooting for anyways). Have you tried anything from the Peony Collection? What did you think?

Chanel Rouge Allure Extrait de Gloss: Swatches & Genie

Just a quiet Saturday afternoon here, in the Friendship Heights front :) Stopped by Bloomingdales and was excited to find the Rouge Allure Extrait de Gloss collection out and about. I think they just put this out because all the testers were brand new. yay for me!

I swatched away to my heart's content (or as much as my arm could hold). The top ones are the Extrait de Glosses, which according to KarlaSugar are going to replace the Aqualumieres. I also swatched the fall collection Glossimers that were released weeks ago simply because I just can't get enough of  'em ;)

Under Bloomingdale's light
(For more comprehensive swatches, check out KarlaSugar)

And you know I didn't walk away empty-handed. 

Say hello to Genie, the perfect coral. I mean it, it is the perfect coral. It's soft without being peach, it's bold without being red or orange. It's a more opaque version of the YSL Pur Gloss in Pure Coral (my favorite coral up until this point) The pigmentation is perfect too; it colors the lips with a natural flush of non-shimmery coral without looking like you've literally painted your lips. The formula is amazing; it's thin yet glossy at the same time, the lasting power is great without drying out your lips. 

I am in love.

* photos taken with iPhone4

*Update 10/26/10: See Genie with other coral swatches

Haul: L'Occitane

Ahh.. nothing like a box of L'Occitane goodness to make a day feel whole (and wholesome!)

I'm excited to try out the Foaming Rice Cleanser (made with organic red rice) and happy to re-order the Exfoliating Rice Powder (also made with organic red rice) which I for some reason thought was discontinued.

I've already tried the Rice Cleanser and I like it. I usually avoid foaming cleansers because they dry out my skin- but I do like to use a light one for everyday use in the morning and this is light and nice. I highly recommend the Exfoliating Rice Powder if you haven't tried it out already- It polishes the skin nicely without being too abrasive. I love products with rice in it.

Other things I got: the limited edition Marie Riviere Peony lip gloss, a couple of things from the Almond collection, and a small hand lotion in Honey. (L'Occitane has some of the best hand lotions :)

I may or may not get to reviewing these separately so let me know if there is something you would like more details on :)


And It's almost Friday!

MAC Cremesheen in Richer, Lusher and On the Scene

In my humble opinion, the Cremesheen was the best thing to happen to MAC. First introduced in early 2009 in the Cremeteam Collection (I am still waiting for Melt in Your Mouth to come back) and made permanent by the Too Fabulous Collection early 2010, the Cremesheens eradicated the stickiness of the regular MAC lipglasses and went with a creamy sheer formula that adds just the perfect hint of color on your lips.

One thing though, because these aren't sticky the lasting power is not so hot. I personally don't mind.
Additionally, there is deceptively little product in the tube. I usually do not notice these types of things but I noticed it here because I actually finished one of these and I never finish lip gloss! (except for those smaller Stila lip glazes) The sleek plastic is incredibly thick so it creates a magnifying effect making it look like there's more than there really is. I don't find that detrimental in my affection for the product in the least because I actually like finishing beauty products quickly :)

Richer, Lusher (from the Too Fabulous collection) is a nice vibrant coral. I lurve it so much! It's nice and smooth and just really pretty on the lips.

On the Scene (from the In the Groove collection) is a light peach that borderlines nude. I cannot for the life of me get nude to work on my lips but I have to say this came pretty close. Wearing this alone just doesn't do it for me (although I can see how it would look fab on more cool skin tones). I have however found it can create a beautiful toned-down glossiness over hot pinks or more vibrant colors.        

In comparison with other corals: YSL Pure Coral is actually much more prettier in real life

On another note, I am oddly excited about the Venomous Villains being almost here, odd because I'm wasn't excited about it initially. But I've picked out some things (see ShopList on right) based on Temptalia photos and I have to be honest- I can't wait!

Paul & Joe Lip Lacquer in Riviera, Eye Gloss in Murmur

This one should be called: The Beauty Look Book made me do it. Not that I'm complaining! Her praise of Paul & Joe got me thinking why I hadn't attempted to get a hold of the products in this line sooner when I had always wanted to try them out. I assume its because I have to order Paul & Joe online and I wasn't sure where exactly.

I finally decided to take the plunge and ordered a Lip Lacquer in 05 Riviera and the Eye Gloss in 05 Murmur. If any of you are interested I purchased these @ Dermstore.com. It was my first time ordering from them but their free shipping policy rocks.

                       

And while it's premature for a review- I'm just gonna go ahead and say it- I love these already!

The Eye Gloss in particular reminds me of a beloved discontinued product from Fresh. See, once upon a time Fresh had something called the Eye Lusters. They were basically liquid-type eyeshadows that smoothed out and dried on your lids. They lasted all day and they did not smudge. In fact, the Eye Lusters were some of my very first eyeshadows and so I never understood the concept of 'creasing' or 'smudging' at all until I started trying powder eyeshadows. Much to my dismay (and horror!), the Eye Lusters were discontinued. Thereafter I tried to find something comparable to replace them but nothing was to compare to the smooth light yet lasting-all-day glory that were those Eye Lusters.

Hence, I was super-excited to find the Eye Gloss. 05 Murmur is basically a brown with a frosty sheen to it plus a tiny bit of purple (when seen in light). The frosty sheen is not obnoxious, in fact the frost becomes more of a shimmer on the lids. It just looks smooth and nice, but adds a bit of natural depth to your eyes. 

On the eyes- subtle but noticeable still

I am liking the Lip Lacquer too. It has a pleasant subtle fruity scent. The formula is on the sticky side but because it is so, it lasts a long time on the lips. I looked at THIS photo array before choosing which one to get. Riviera has sparse bits of glitter in it but for the most part is a creamy coral pink. I absolutely love this type of pink (like Stila Lip Glaze in Gumdrop, Candy, MAC Cremesheen Melt in Your Mouth, Benefit's PosieTint etc.) It's a bit more sheer than the swatch makes it look but that's the way I like it :)

I'm definitely glad I gave these a go- I see more Paul & Joe in my future!

Le swatches: The gloss has a bit more coral in real life. The eyeshadow looks less frosty in real life.

Pretty and detailed .. chrysanthemums- I think.

Rimmel London Royal Gloss in Peach Crush & Bubble Blush

Oh the sweet comfort of squeeze tube glosses. I picked up the Rimmel London Royal Glosses a couple weeks back and have been using them quite often. I don't really use these as a going-out lip gloss on their own though. They have no lasting power nor do they add much color to my lips. However, I've noticed they moisturize nicely so I use them when I'm just lounging around the house or want to add a little glossiness to lipsticks or lip tints.

Slanted tips + caps matching the color
Some caution is needed because the formula is watery- things can get goopy!

Peach Crush, which looks coral in the tube, is a kind-of-milky, kind-of-watery very sheer peach shade. I had hoped it would still give my lips a hint of peach but it really is basically a clear gloss on my lips. Peach Crush has a peachy scent but I find the scent less appealing than the sweet bubblegum of Bubble Blush. I think it's because there's a slight waxy scent mixed in somewhere- although I can't really pinpoint it. 

Bubble Blush is a lavender pink with slight shimmer (I could have done without the shimmer) This shows up on the lips more than Peach Crush but is still on the sheer side. It gives a slight pinky lavender tone to the lips. I love how this one smells- like bubblegum! I know I'm not exactly twelve but who says a grown woman can't enjoy some bubblegum smelling lipgloss?

True to its word! "Sweet tasting non-sticky lipgloss"
It really has a sweet taste :)

Click HERE for a review of Sweet Lust and Candy Rush (two other shades of the Royal Gloss) by the Makeup and Beauty Blog!

Revlon Super Lustrous Lipgloss in Pink Pop & Coral Reef (Chanel Sirop)

Coral Reef is lighter in real life

Finding a drugstore lipgloss without glitter, or even shimmer is darn-near impossible, so when a nice creamy lipgloss is introduced I am immediately intrigued. Case in point: Revlon Super Lustrous in Pink Pop and Coral Reef. These were released with three other colors in the "collection," a lilac, peach and a red one which you probably may have seen photos of.

Overall, I like these even though they didn't exactly meet my expectations.

Expectation #1: I thought these would be more sheer. I was sort of hoping for a MAC Cremesheen type of consistency. Nice, soft and light on the lips. These are much more opaque and thicker in consistency. (This may actually be a good thing for most people)

Expectation #2: I expected the colors to look more natural on me. Now that's a very personal expectation but usually coral and bright pinks suit me nicely so I thought these would be more wearable. I'm sad to say that Pop Pink makes me look a little fake. I like Coral Reef better but it does end up on my lips looking borderline red than the pretty coral I was expecting from the tube. I'm still trying to make it work  it's just not the coral I was looking for.

Another swatch: Left: Coral Reef/ Right: Pop Pink

Doe foot/sponge tip applicators

Reason I still like these #1. They are good versions of what they are- An budget-friendly easily-accessible drugstore lipgloss without any shimmer but full of color. No they aren't sheer but they never advertised themselves to be sheer- that was just a personal expectation (and preference!). And the colors are still quite pretty.

Reason I still like these #2. External stuff like the scent which to me smells like a mix between creme brulee+ orange creamsicle+ cotton candy+ bubblegum. Yum... I think. (There is no flavor) I also like the packaging: A shorter stouter cousin of the Chanel Glossimers if you will. 

That reminds me- I initially thought Coral Reef looked similar in the tube to my beloved Chanel Sirop, now discontinued (WHY!!) so I took a couple of pictures and swatched them only to find that both the consistency and colors were very different. Bummer.

I didn't include any swatch comparison photos with Sirop because it didn't show up accurately.

Sirop is more pink-coral and lighter in texture

*Update 10/26/10: See Coral Reef with other coral swatches