2013 SEPHORA LOVES V.I.B.s - 20% off GIFTOPIA CELEBRATION (Nov 7th - Nov 11th)

Starting Thursday, November 7th through Monday, November 11th, Sephora is hosting a "GIFTOPIA" celebration for all VIB (Very Important Beauty Insider) members. This will be a five day 20% off online and in store celebration. Simply enter the code: VIBTOPIA at checkout when shopping online. For in store purchases just simply present your voucher at the register during checkout.

837 FATAL CHANEL ILLUSION D'OMBRE LONG WEAR LUMINOUS EYESHADOW - limited edition

Around the end of September, the Chanel 2013 holiday collection (check out the link below for more information) started arriving at major department store counters. One of the items I purchased from the collection was 837 FATAL. This limited edition cream eyeshadow currently retails for $36.00 USD and it contains .14 oz of product. There were two Illusion D'Ombre long wearing luminous eyeshadows released with the collection, the other was 827 Initiation, so be sure to check out the link below for my review of it.

Chanel describes 837 FATAL as a silver purple however when swatched and applied it is a beautiful shimmery cranberry with slight hints of brown and purple. The shimmer effect translates more as a metallic frost finish rather than sparkle or glitter which I am really happy about. The texture of the eyeshadow is creamy and smooth. It does apply rather sheer but this will allow you to build up the intensity of the color. When worn without a base the eyeshadow lasted six hours with slight creasing and some fading. When I wore a base underneath I experienced a longer wear time of at least ten hours and minimal fading or creasing.

Read about the Chanel 2013 Holiday collection here: HOLIDAY 2013 COLLECTION NUIT INFINIE DE CHANEL

Read about the other illusion D'ombre eyeshadow here: 827 INITIATION CHANEL ILLUSION D'OMBRE LONG WEAR LUMINOUS EYESHADOW

684 MERVEILLE DIOR ADDICT GLOSS - SWATCHES AND REVIEW

Recently I met up with a friend of mine for lunch and we decided to do a makeup swap! Basically we bring any unused high end makeup item that we no longer want and we swap with each other. We try to swap within the same price range so as to keep it fair. The end result is that we both end up with some really nice quality products to try. Also, we usually snap and share pics beforehand so we have an idea of what each other has in our stash to trade.

One of the items that I wanted was this Nordstrom exclusive Dior Addict gloss in 684 Merveille. It was only available during the Nordstrom Anniversary sale back in August so I was super excited she had one for trade. I believe it retailed for 29.50 USD and it contains .21 fl oz. of product.

The gloss is described as a plummy mauve with loads of shimmer. The formula is thick and the brush applicator is rather small but application was easy and it only took a few swipes to apply. I read somewhere that the gloss is supposed to plump the lips, but if it did, I didn't notice a difference. The gloss wore for about three to four hours which is on par with what I typically experience with other glosses. The gloss did seem a little heavy on the lips but that could also be because of the thick formula of the gloss. It wasn't anything bad but I will use a lighter hand when applying it next time.

7 ROSE QUARTZ YVES SAINT LAURENT CRÈME DE BLUSH

YVES SAINT LAURENT 07 ROSE QUARTZ CRÈME DE BLUSH was first released with the YSL Spring 2013 Arty Stone collection. It currently retails for $38.00 USD and it contains .19 oz. of product. It is available for purchase at most Sephora stores and at any major department store. 

Rose Quartz is a bright pink blush that is lightweight and applies effortlessly. This amazing cream to powder blush is long lasting with a solid wear time of ten to twelve hours. I noticed slight fading after ten hours but the color still looked fantastic even after twelve. This was my first cream blush from YSL and I must say I am really impressed. 

For application I prefer to use synthetic brushes when applying cream products. The synthetic bristles allow for an easy and flawless application. I start the application process with a light hand and apply the product in layers so as not to overdo it.

BOBBI BROWN and KATIE HOLMES MINI BRUSH SET - Limited Edition

What makes chocolate even more irresistible? A shot of Bobbi's favorite - bright pink. Designed to complement this season's chocolatey hues and the Bobbi and Katie Collection, this double-sided bag fits tools on one side and your favorite makeup on the other. Featuring full-sized brush heads atop shortened cocoa-colored handles (for seamless makeup application even on the go). This Mini Brush Set includes four brushes: Face Blender, Eye Shadow, Eye Sweep, and Smokey Eye Liner - all in a zippered pouch done up with a hot pink ribbon pull.

For quite some time I have been on the hunt for good quality travel makeup brushes. Every year MAC releases sets of their makeup brushes but I haven't really been impressed with the quality of them and the bristles are just way too scratchy! Several other makeup brands have travel brushes as well, but with a starting price of $100 I can't see myself spending that kind of money. Although at $65 for this set, that is still quite expensive.

The dual zippered vinyl makeup bag is big and roomy. It can definitely hold a fair amount of cosmetics comfortably and the various mini compartments are nice as well. I can see myself using those compartments to hold smaller items that typically get forgotten or lost at the bottom of my purse.

When I first saw the brush set my initial reaction / first thought was "OMG, they are so small!". I know that travel brushes are typically a smaller version of the full size brushes but these seemed significantly smaller. Now keep in mind the brushes do have full-size brush heads but it is the handles that are significantly smaller than your typical travel brush set. Hopefully the quality of the brushes will make up for the small brush size.

The quality of the brushes was actually quite superb. The bristles were extremely soft and there was minimal shedding. It did take some time getting use to the short brush handles but the brush application was on par with their full size counterparts. Overall this is a nice set but I don't think I would repurchase it in the future. I just can't get past the really small brush handles. Additionally, it would have been nice to see a lip brush included with this set.

101 GRI-GRI CHANEL OMBRE ESSENTIELLE SOFT TOUCH EYESHADOW - SWATCHES AND REVIEW

CHANEL OMBRE ESSENTIELLE 101 GRI-GRI is a limited edition soft touch eyeshadow that was first released with the Fall 2013 Superstition collection. Read more about the entire collection here. It currently retails for $28.50 USD and it contains .05 oz of product.

101 GRI-GRI is described as a metallic taupe eyeshadow. In the pan I would say this is a perfect description but once swatched it seemed more of a shimmery mauve-y lavender. The pigmentation was excellent and I didn't experience any creasing. However, the lasting power was only three to four hours before I experienced significant fading. When I applied a cream base underneath the eyeshadow it did extend the wear time an additional two hours before I saw slight fading. Overall the eyeshadow is a beautiful color and the buttery soft texture applies so very easily. If you are a die-hard fanatic of taupe-y colors then this is a must have for your collection.

90 CONVOITISE CHANEL ILLUSION D'OMBRE LONG WEAR LUMINOUS EYESHADOW

CHANEL ILLUSION D'OMBRE 90 CONVOITISE is a limited edition long wearing luminous eyeshadow. It was first available overseas with the Asia-exclusive collection LES DÉLICES DE CHANEL in February 2013. Later that same year, the first week of June, the entire collection was made available in the United States for all to purchase either on the Saks website (it is exclusive to Saks) or through Chanel.com. Then around the end of August / beginning of September the Convoitise eyeshadow was re-promoted with the launch of the JEUX DE REGARDS collection.

It is currently priced at $36.00 USD and it contains .14 oz of product.

This creamy pale gold eyeshadow is gorgeous and will work perfectly for cool or warm toned complexions. It is that versatile. The sheer wash of pure pale gold shimmer can be worn alone or it can be used as a base. It can even be worn on top of any eyeshadow to lend it a bit of shimmer. I didn't experience any creasing and fading was minimal. Also I didn't experience any fallout and the whole application process was effortless and quick.

I own several Chanel illusion d'ombre eyeshadows and I must say this is one to definitely add to your collection. Especially if you are wanting to glam it up at the holiday parties and festivities coming up soon. This eyeshadow would be perfect to wear to those types of events.

Read more about the collection here: COLLECTION LES DÉLICES DE CHANEL

Read more about the collection here: CHANEL JEUX DE REGARDS COLLECTION.

CRAZY PEARLS GUERLAIN METEORITES ILLUMINATING POWDER

Guerlain celebrates the holidays with its Crazy Paris collection, full of bright, vibrant shades for your eyes, lips, face and nails. Meteorites pearls illuminating powder gives you a more luminous, even skin tone with one simple sweep of your brush. The limited-edition color combination for the Crazy Paris collection features a blend of beige, pink, white and gold so you can achieve that perfect radiant glow.

GUERLAIN CRAZY PEARLS METEORITES (CHAMPS ELYSEES METEORITES) is a limited edition illuminating powder. It is part of the 2013 Guerlain holiday (CRAZY PARIS) collection and currently retails at $58.00 USD for 1.05 oz of product. The pearls are a mixture of pink, white, purple, gold, and beige colors that once blended give a nice healthy pinkish glow to the skin.

I love Guerlain products, especially the meteorites, and these live up to all the hype. The color payoff is exceptional and the lasting power was a solid six hours with slight fading after seven to eight hours. The Crazy Pearls are rather cool toned so those with darker complexions might experience a somewhat ashy look depending on how well it is applied and/or blended in. Also, the pink meteorites seem to overwhelm the overall color mixture making this more suitable as a blush but with a really light hand it could still be worn as an all-over the face product. The powder texture of the meteorites is somewhat chalky which tends to be a bit messy and it will enhance the pores ever so slightly if not blended in properly. However, once blended in it gives the skin a beautiful and healthy glow. So even though it does take some work (trial and error) to get the optimum results with the Crazy Pearls meteorites it is totally worth it. 

I am so glad I purchased them ♥

Suggested Usage:
-Swipe beige and rosy beige to even out the skin, mauve to refresh, white to light up, gold to illuminate and pink for a healthy glow.

-Pink is accentuated to revive tired complexions and deliver an uplifting energy boost.

84 ACCENT CHANEL JOUES CONTRASTE POWDER BLUSH

The latest "MUST HAVE" beauty product is the Joues Contraste Powder Blush in 84 ACCENT. This beautiful, sparkly luminous pinkish brown blush is part of the 2013 Chanel Holiday collection. If you have the time then you should stop by your local Chanel counter or boutique to check out the whole collection. Especially this blush; it must be seen in person to truly be appreciated. It currently retails for $43.00 USD and it contains .21 oz. of product.

Those with a really fair complexion can get away with wearing Accent as a blush or a bronzer. While others with a darker complexion can make this work as a blush. It does contain miniscule flecks of sparkle but when blended in it gives off a really nice healthy glow, with a slight sheen. The lasting power of the blush is typical of other Chanel blushes with a solid wear time of eight hours. For optimum results it is best to use a light hand during application and then reapplying (or layering) if you want to go darker or heavier.

Read more about the whole collection here: HOLIDAY 2013 COLLECTION NUIT INFINIE DE CHANEL

827 INITIATION CHANEL ILLUSION D'OMBRE LONG WEAR LUMINOUS EYESHADOW

CHANEL 827 INITIATION, a limited edition ILLUSION D'OMBRE eyeshadow, is part of the Chanel 2013 Holiday collection. The majority of the collection is available either online or at local department store counters with the remaining pieces, namely the eyeshadow palette, being released later this month.

Read about the entire Chanel holiday collection here: HOLIDAY 2013 COLLECTION NUIT INFINIE DE CHANEL

I purchased CHANEL 827 INITIATION eyeshadow online from a major department store. When it arrived and I opened the packaging...this is what it looked like (see pics below).

Somehow it seems like I am always receiving defective products. The eyeshadow was one big clump with the consistency of clay and the texture is best described as grainy, almost grit like. Also, each of the ILLUSION D'OMBRE eyeshadows are supposed to contain a miniature application brush but this one was missing (the one pictured is from a different eyeshadow).

Anyway, I'm not so worried about receiving a refund or an exchange because the department store that I purchased this from has an excellent return policy. I'm just really bummed because I was so looking forward to wearing this eyeshadow.

The ILLUSION D'OMBRE eyeshadows currently retail for $36.00 and they contain .14 oz. of product.