BEAUTY HAULING / LATEST BEAUTY FINDS - JULY 2015 EDITION

Currently on my wishlist, or in my shopping cart waiting to be purchased , or already purchased and making it's way to me are a few of these goodies!

Givenchy Le Prisme Visage Mat Soft Compact Face Powder -
Currently on my list to purchase during the Sephora Beauty Insider Appreciation week are two Givenchy Le Prisme products: 21 Inspiration Rose and 87 Pink Velvet. Inspiration Rose is a Le Prisme blush powder and 87 Pink Velvet is a Le Prisme Visage Mat Soft Face powder. Both items were recently added to the Sephora website and are only available online.

NARS Baby Doll Lip Gloss -
Next up is the Nars fall collection. There are two glosses released with the Fall collection: Chelsea Girls and Baby Doll. Chelsea Girls is a nude pink and Baby Doll is a medium candy pink. I ordered the latter of the two and it should arrive either today or tomorrow at the latest so I'll try to post swatches. The rest of the collection is nice but it's a pass for me. I wasn't wowed by the velvet shadow sticks. Although there is a really nice eye palette I might get but I want to see and swatch it in person before I commit to it.

Marc Jacobs Beauty The Face III Buffing Foundation Brush -
OMG! Another Marc Jacobs brush! I must have this NOW...
The Face III is the new buffing foundation brush released in conjunction with the new Marc Jacobs full coverage foundation (see image at the top or the link below). I've purchased just about all of the Marc Jacobs brushes and they are absolutely fantastic and so worth the money. This brush will most definitely be going home with me.

Marc Jacobs Beauty Re(marc)able Full Cover Foundation Concentrate -
This is another product I'm super excited to try. Depending on how my skin is reacting I have several foundations in constant rotation. Most of my foundations offer light to medium coverage but there are times when I really need a good full coverage foundation. Especially for those days when I can't get my skin to cooperate and my hyperpigmentation is in full swing! The new Marc Jacobs Re(marc)able full cover foundation is specially formulated to give 24 hour coverage with a soft matte finish. Sign me up, I want it!

Dior 'Addict' Fluid Shadow -
The Dior Fall Cosmopolite collection features eight new fluid eyeshadows. At this time only six are currently available at counters but you can check out the other two here at Dior.com. Anyway, during the Nordstrom Anniversary sale I stopped by my local counter to see and swatch them in person and let me just say...LOVED THEM! There are two shades I definitely want to purchase: 655 Univers and 825 Aurora. There is a third shade 075 Eclipse I want as well but I have yet to find it anywhere.

Dior '5 Couleurs' Cosmopolite Couture Colours Effects Eyeshadow Palette (Limited Edition) -
Another item(s) from the Dior Fall collection are the two eyeshadow palettes: 766 Exubérante and 866 Electric. Both are gorgeous but I prefer the cooler colors housed in the Electric palette. The moss green, brown and burgundy colors are beautiful fall shades that will compliment my fair skin really nicely. I can't wait to purchase it.

Tom Ford Illuminating Powder -
New for Tom Ford is the illuminating powder. I have high expectations for this product especially for the $77 price tag. It is said to "diffuse imperfections and create radiant skin with this weightless and undetectable, micro-fine powder". My hope is the powder will brighten as well as illuminate the face and not enhance pores or dry patches. This is another product I will definitely need to see and swatch in person for sure.

Tom Ford Complexion Enhancing Primer -
I was most excited for the new Tom Ford complexion enhancing primers. There are two shades to choose from: Pink Glow and Peach Glow and both are said to compliment a wide range of skintones. It is a hydrating primer (Thank You Mr Ford!) that infuses skincare and makeup. It "brightens skin's undertone, reversing signs of dullness or fatigue, and helps neutralize the appearance of discoloration while minimizing the look of pores". YES, please! I think I need to buy a back up of this! I have already pre-ordered Pink Glow and it should ship out later next week. So you can expect swatches once it has delivered.

A few other products worth mentioning on my wishlist that I am looking to purchase are the Tom Ford eye and cheek shadow ombres, the Tom Ford illuminating duo powder and the Dior Diorskin Nude Cosmopolite Illuminating Face Powder.

OLYMPIA NARS CONTOUR BLUSH - SWATCHES AND REVIEW

The latest craze is contouring - whether one should use a cream or powder and what is the best placement. In my opinion it really depends on personal preference and there is no right or wrong answer. For myself I prefer a powder and here is why. On a daily basis I apply enough cream-based products: toners, serums, moisturizers, face primers and foundations to my face that I don't want to add even more to what could potentially be a greasy mess. I allow for each of the above mentioned products to dry before applying the next layer but sometimes humidity and oxidation occur. Let's face it - sometimes Mother Nature's sick and twisted humor throws us a curve ball. Humidity is not a term relegated to the weather outside. It can and does occur in the most inconvenient of places especially when you have an important event to attend. And don't get me started on oxidation! It isn't something that just occurs to those with an oily complexion. I should know, I have extremely dry skin and I have had my foundation oxidize on me horribly on more than one occasion. So enough drama already!

The Nars Olympia Contour blush is a natural looking contour powder. It comes in three shades: Olympia, Paloma and Gienah. It currently retails for $42.00 USD, contains .28 oz of product and is available at many high end retailers such as Nordstrom, Nars and Sephora. The Olympia palette houses both a contour and highlight shade with the latter being a great deal smaller. Which is my only gripe with this palette. It should have contained equal amounts of both but other than the size disproportion this is a "Must Buy" recommendation. The Olympia contour blush imparts a soft matte finish with no sparkle or shimmer. The powder formula is lightweight and finely milled which allows for a smooth and flawless application. It doesn't look overly done or caked on which is nice.

Most contouring guides will tell you to start near the top of your forehead along the hairline with your contour powder then work your way down to underneath the cheekbone and finish up along the jawline. Which is fine but it is not what works best for me. I like to start underneath my cheekbone then sweep upwards toward my temple along the edges of my hairline. Then I sweep back down underneath the cheekbone and along the jawline to blend everything out. Next, because I'm so pale and to add a touch of warmth to my face, I will apply a slight dusting of the contour powder along the bridge of my nose, just a smidge on my chin and along my hairline at the top of my forehead. With the highlight shade I apply it to the tops of my cheekbones, above and below my eyebrows and another smidge at the top of my cupids bow. My best advice is to find what works for you and practice. I'm constantly practicing my application and placement techniques to see what works and what doesn't because there is always room for improvement!  

Availability: Nordstrom, Nars and Sephora
Price: $42.00 USD

CURRENTLY CRAVING / ON MY WISHLIST / DEALS AND SALES

GIORGIO ARMANI -

Today is the last day for the Giorgio Armani Friends and Family event. Get 20% off with code FAMILY14 once you spend $75 or more. For an added bonus spend $125 or more and get 5 deluxe samples. One of the items I've been loving from this brand are the Rouge Ecstasy lipsticks. I currently have 508 Daybreak (check out my review here) so I totally took advantage of this offer and picked up a few more lip products. I also wanted a few more Cheek Fabric blushes, I have 506 (check out my review here) so I was going to purchase 503 and 507 but unfortunately they are waitlist only right now. Anyway I'll probably get those later when they are back in stock. Another great item to add to the shopping list are the Fluid Sheers. I have a few of those and they last a really, really long time (I'll post the review links below) and the same goes for the Maestro Fusion blushes too. The last two items I wanted to purchase are a few of the single eyeshadows and a couple of the eyeshadow quad compacts. I haven't tried either one before so these are definitely at the top of my shopping list.

GIORGIO ARMANI FLUID SHEER 8 SPRING 2013 COLLECTION - SWATCHES and REVIEW

GIORGIO ARMANI FLUID SHEER 9 SPRING 2013 COLLECTION - SWATCHES and REVIEW

400 GIORGIO ARMANI MAESTRO FUSION BLUSH - SWATCHES AND REVIEW 

500 GIORGIO ARMANI MAESTRO FUSION BLUSH - SWATCHES AND REVIEW 

NARS -

Another new product I'm really excited about are the Nars Dual-Intensity eyeshadows. OMG, they look gorgeous! There are twelve shades to choose from, they retail for about $29 and they contain .05 oz of product. These are shimmer eyeshadows that can be applied dry or wet depending on your personal preference. The eyeshadows are already available for purchase on the Nars.com website but if you need to see it and swatch it in person then they should start popping up in stores starting tomorrow, July 1st. 

 

NORDSTROM -

Over the weekend I made a quick trip to Nordstrom for some sandals. I needed a cute pair for the upcoming July 4th weekend only I didn't have any luck finding anything I really liked. So after I got back home I checked online and I found these: MICHAEL Michael Kors 'Gage' Flip Flops. How cute are they! They come in two different colors: Vanilla and Brown and they were only around $59. Another bonus is the thick sole (I just hate a flat shoe) and they look so comfy! I'm super excited to be getting these! Now I just need to find a new purse to go with them! Haha! 

ADELAIDE AND ORGASM NARS ILLUMINATOR - SWATCHES AND REVIEW

Even though I like the Nars Multiples I really LOVE the Nars illuminator. They are so easy to apply and it takes less than a pea-sized amount to highlight and illuminate the face. There are several different shades to choose from. Sephora has four listed on their website and Nars has six on theirs and I believe they just released one or two more new shades as well. So there are plenty to compliment just about any skintone. The Nars illuminator currently retails for $30.00 USD and they contain 1.1 oz of product.

I purchased Adelaide from the Nordstrom website and I purchased Orgasm during the Sephora VIB Rouge Spring Social event so I could get the extra 15% off. Just as a side note - while in attendance at the Sephora event the MUA / SA asked what products I would like to try / test and the Nars Orgasm was one of my items. I had already made a list of stuff I wanted to look at and the MUA / SA went around the store gathering up all the items and then tried each of them on me. It was so much fun! Seriously! If you ever get the chance to attend a Sephora event you really must go. It was so much fun and everyone was just so friendly and so helpful! Anyway, back to my review - I love mixing products together and trying to come up with different ways to get the most use out of my makeup. So I decided to mix Adelaide and Orgasm together to create a pinkish coral illuminator. This color combo will look fantastic come summer! Honestly, I don't mind paying a little more for a product when it is this versatile! Now keep in mind they both contain a fair amount of sparkle so there may be minor fall out but they both can easily be buffed down to contain some of the glitter-mess, LOL.

ANGUILLA NARS MATTE MULTIPLE - SWATCHES AND REVIEW

Now available for purchase are seven new Nars Matte Multiples. I purchased three of them and I will be posting reviews for each of them. In the meantime you can read more about the entire collection here: NARS MATTE MULTIPLES

Check out my review of ALTIA here: ALTIA NARS MATTE MULTIPLE SWATCHES AND REVIEW

Check out my review of LAOS here: LAOS NARS MATTE MULTIPLE SWATCHES AND REVIEW

I saved the best for last! In my opinion, ANGUILLA is the hidden gem of this collection of new Nars Matte Multiples. It is described as a ginger pink - a warm creamy pink with slight hints of coral. It can be applied wet for a more sheer look or dry for a more pigmented look. It blended easily, has a creamy texture and worked well over top of my foundation. During application it stayed moist long enough for me to blend it out and lasted a total wear time of about six to seven hours. I did notice a slight fading within the first 2-3 hours but nothing significant. Out of the three Matte Multiples Anguilla blended into my foundation and skin the easiest. It didn't streak or leave my skin looking splotchy. Although to be quite honest I didn't think I would really like this shade seeing as how it was just your everyday boring pink blush. Sure it doesn't contain the "wow" factor like Siam but this beautiful pink blush perks up the skin and really makes it come to life. It really leaves the skin looking healthy and vibrant!

Nars Matte Multiples are available at Nars.com and in store / online at Sephora. They retail for $39.00 USD and contain .26 oz of product.

LAOS NARS MATTE MULTIPLE - SWATCHES AND REVIEW

LAOS is one of seven new Nars Matte Multiples recently launched online at Nars.com and at Sephora. It is described as a rose coral (which is fairly accurate) and it can be worn on the lips or cheeks. The texture of Laos is creamy and smooth and the color payoff is beyond amazing. This is an extremely pigmented product. The new Nars Matte Multiples contain .26 oz of product and they currently retail for $39.00 USD.

Read more about the entire collection here: NARS MATTE MULTIPLES COLLECTION

Read my ALTIA review here: ALTIA NARS MATTE MULTIPLE SWATCHES AND REVIEW

My thoughts:

Once applied on the lips Laos looked almost watermelon pink. As a lipstick it was extremely drying and felt heavy on the lips. I tried patting it on (like a lip stain) over top of a lip moisturizer and it seemed to work somewhat better but there was still a noticeable heaviness.

As a blush it just didn't work for me. When I tried to wear Laos directly onto my skin (on my upper cheekbones) it caused my skin to become red and inflamed. It was really sensitive to the touch and I had to remove the product immediately as my face felt extremely irritated - almost like a slight burning sensation. I don't have sensitive skin so I can only guess that maybe the color pigments used in Laos were what caused my skin to react this way. I waited until the next day to try and wear Laos over top of my foundation in the hopes that maybe I could get better results. However, when I tried applying Laos over my foundation it looked streaky and splotchy. I tried multiple application methods: using my fingers, a blender sponge and even a stippling brush but none of these seemed to work. It still looked uneven and almost clownish. Hopefully you had better results but for me this just didn't work and I'm really disappointed - Laos is such a beautiful matte blush.

ALTAI NARS MATTE MULTIPLE - SWATCHES AND REVIEW

ALTAI is one of the new recently launched NARS Matte Multiples. There are a total of seven and they are available at Nars.com and at Sephora. They can be worn wet for a more sheer look or dry for a more pigmented look. They are safe for lips and cheeks and come in a variety of colors. Altai is described as a rose bronze cream blush. It has a creamy texture and blends easily into the skin. The formula contains miniscule flecks of micro-glitter that are hardly visible to the eye. If you are a fan of the original Nars Multiples then you will immediately see a difference in the new Matte Multiples. The new ones are half the size (.26 oz of product) versus the original (.50 oz of product) and both cost the same (they each retail for $39.00 USD each).

Read more about the entire collection here: NARS MATTE MULTIPLES

Check out my review of ALTIA here: ALTIA NARS MATTE MULTIPLE SWATCHES AND REVIEW

Check out my review of LAOS here: LAOS NARS MATTE MULTIPLE SWATCHES AND REVIEW

My thoughts:

I was most excited for Altai based on it's rose bronze color description. However, as soon as I swatched it I knew I was going to return it immediately. The color is not a rose bronze - its more like a warm yellow based orange brown. In other words, its an ugly muddy brown almost like the color of Georgia clay and it looks as though I was wallowing in the mud when I tried to wear it. Sure it has a smooth texture, applies easily and is extremely pigmented but I just can't get past the color! It really doesn't work for me as a blush and it is way too yellow / orange for my skintone to work as a contour color. On my lips it looks even worse so this is definitely going back to Sephora.

NARS MATTE MULTIPLES - NOW AVAILABLE

 In passing I had heard about the new Nars Matte multiples but I didn't really think that much about them. I had seen and tried the regular Nars multiples but they never really worked for me. So I figured these would be something similar. Then today I got an e-mail advertisement from Sephora and I was just blown away by the gorgeous promo pic of them. I immediately clicked on the "shop now" and I was heartbroken to see they were already sold out! How could I have missed these; I didn't think they were even available for another week!

I kept checking the Sephora website all day today and I was overjoyed to finally see six of the seven matte multiples are now available for purchase (see promo pics below). I guess Sephora just hadn't had time to update their website before the e-mail ad was sent out. Anyway, I want at least three of them maybe four. I'm still on the fence about Siam - does it lean more orange/red or pink/red. I mean it is a beautiful red but I'm not sure if it will work for me. I will be sure to post swatches, pics and my review of them as soon as I've tried them so check back or leave me your thoughts / review on them below in the comments section. I'd love to hear how it works out for you!

NARS Matte Multiple - $39.00 USD for .26 oz of product


Check out my review of ALTIA here: ALTIA NARS MATTE MULTIPLE SWATCHES AND REVIEW

Check out my review of LAOS here: LAOS NARS MATTE MULTIPLE SWATCHES AND REVIEW

Available here on Sephora and there are seven shades but as of today only six are available for purchase:

• Anguilla (ginger pink)
• Exumas (pink apricot)
• Laos (rose coral)
• Siam (poppy red)
• Altai (rose bronze)
• Vientiane (copper bronze)
• Cappadoce (golden bronze) - at this time not available on the Sephora website

The Matte Multiple is safe to use wet or dry on the lips and cheeks.

1. Use dry for a vibrant flush of color.
2. Use wet for a melt into the skin appearance

“Matte Multiples give new possibilities and versatility. There’s no rules no right way or wrong way.” —François Nars

Anguilla - ginger pink

Exumas - pink apricot

Laos - rose coral

Siam - poppy red

Altai - rose bronze

Vientiane - copper bronze

SEDUCTION NARS BLUSH - SWATCHES AND REVIEW

"Looking for the perfect compliment to those deep red wine lip? Seduction blush with an accent of the Orgasm illuminator on the cheekbones is the perfect balance of color and feminity."-- Christopher Mayes, Lead Trainer

The ultimate authority in blush, NARS offers the industry's most iconic shades for cheeks. Natural, healthy-looking color that immediately enlivens the complexion. A light application for even the highest-intensity hues delivers a natural-looking flush.

• Silky texture in matte and shimmering shades.
• Micronized powder ensures soft, blendable application.
• Iconic NARS shades.

Currently available on the narscosmetics.com website for $28.00 USD.

Normally I'm not a fan of Nars powder blushes. Sure, they have incredible pigmentation and the lasting power is amazing. I just can't get past the gritty texture. At least that is how the Nars blushes feel against my skin. Maybe my skin is overly sensitive or maybe it's because so many of them contain flecks of glitter that it actually feels like sandpaper rubbing against my skin. Anyway, I decided to overlook my personal issues with this brand and I purchased the Nars Seduction Blush. Hey, we all have to make sacrifices for beauty!

Nars describes Seduction blush as a Sangria color. I actually had to Google the word Sangria for clarification and it is described as a dark purplish red. Sometimes it can even be described as a dark brick red. Although in this particular instance I would have to say it leans more purplish red. I didn't really have any major complaints with this blush except it did seem to have the same gritty feel like all the other Nars blushes. However, it didn't contain any glitter chunks or flecks so that made me really happy. Overall this is a really beautiful blush and it seems to be extremely pigmented enough to where it should work for all skin tones. I didn't notice any staining of the skin either so that is nice as well.

NARS EYE KIT: "AND GOD CREATED THE WOMAN" SET

For almost three weeks I have been lusting after the Nars "And God Created the Woman" eye kit. It has everything that I currently use and more so what's not to love about it! As a matter of fact, I already use the Nars eyeshadow base, and in my opinion, it's one of the better ones currently available. As for the Nars eyeshadows, I have several single Nars eyeshadows and they are buttery soft with unbelievable pigmentation. However, I haven't tried any of the Nars makeup brushes before so I'm not too familiar with the quality of them. Additionally, I haven't heard many people rant or rave about them either so I guess you just have to try them out for yourself and decide.

If you want to see my full review please keep reading...

NARS "AND GOD CREATED THE WOMAN" SET

What it is:
An eye shadow kit with six sultry shades, a travel-size Eye Shader Brush, and a medium Pro-Prime Smudgeproof Eyeshadow Base.

What it does:
Captivating and compelling, this palette of six shimmering shadows shows off your sultry side. Created exclusively for Sephora, this sleek, travel-ready set also includes a mini Smudge Proof Eyeshadow Base and Eye Shader Brush.

This set contains:

• - 6 x 0.03 oz Eye Shades in Alhambra, Bellisima, Kalahari, Galapagos, Coconut Grove, Night Clubbing
• - 0.09 oz Pro-Prime™ Smudge Proof Eyeshadow Base
• - #3 Eyeshadow Brush

Currently available on Sephora.com for $59.00 USD.

This is the box that houses the eye kit. Now keep in mind, in the past I have purchased two huge blush palettes from Nars. More specifically, the blush palette that was exclusive to the Nordstrom Anniversary sale called "Joie De Vivre" and the Sephora exclusive called "Danmari". Both palettes were incredible and did not disappoint. So it was with this same anticipation that I was expecting something huge; something similar to both blush palettes.

This is what I received...

Yes, I was a little disappointed by the size. At the time of my purchase the only photos available were promo shots (see the first photo above) and in my naivety, I expected a lot more for my money. Maybe if I had paid more attention to the details of the photos I might have detected the slightest hint of deception to make the eyeshadow palette appear larger than what it really is. However, I was so overwhelmed by the beautiful eyeshadow shades it never occurred to me that anything was amiss.

Keep reading to see the swatches and my thoughts on the eyeshadows...

Let me say right from the start I was extremely disappointed and very upset with the quality and appearance of the eyeshadows. (Yep, call me a big ol' cry baby!) Of the six shades only two were a matte finish (the two in the middle) and the other four were glitter bombs ranging from micro flecks of shimmer to full on chunks. The quality of the matte shadows was very poor. After I scraped off the top layer and dug down into the two matte eyeshadows I was finally able to get a decent swatch. The glitter bombs were messy and I had problems with huge fall-out.

Normally I'm not so harsh when a product fails me or I absolutely hate it. However, this is Nars and I expect more from them. Especially since I have several single Nars eyeshadows and the quality is amazing. So I know Nars can make a better quality product than this.

If you are still undecided then go ahead and purchase it from Sephora. They have an excellent return policy if you are not 100% completely satisfied.