Tuesday, August 30, 2016

Chanel Le Rouge Collection #1- Fall 2016 Lipsticks




Chanel Fall is out and is all about red. The new lipsticks reflect this except for a beautiful pale nude .


I have four of the new shades here and all are pretty lovely.  Rouge Ingenue is the pale nude Rouge Allure and I love it. Next up is Rouge Tentation, also a Rouge Allure formula. Then we have two  Rouge Allure Velvets- Rouge Vie and Rouge Charnel.


All have deep pigment  and make for a rich lip look. It's hard to go wrong with a Chanel lippie , anything here catch your eye?  All will coordinate nicely too, with the gorg new Joues Contraste blush-  Rouge Profond .



Chanel Fall is on counter now.




Sunday, August 28, 2016

Carmex Comfort Care Colloidal Oatmeal Lip Balm



Lip Balms , how do we love thee? We love them a lot, amiright?  I admit to large stash .

These new ones from Carmex are going right into that stash.  These new balms contain colloidal oatmeal for soothing moisture along with cranberry seed oil and murmuru and cupuacu butters.  Castor oil is the first ingredient. The balm itself is sheer with minimal sheen and the tube is  clear with a good size balm stick.


The balms have  a lot of moisture and feel great on the lips but the best part? The flavors. Watermelon, Sugar Plum and Mixed Berry. The Watermelon is made for Summer and Sugar Plum smells like Christmas. Save Mixed Berry for Fall and you're set.  Pick of the mix- watermelon. I can't recall seeing a balm this flavor before  .


Carmex Comfort Care Colloidal Oatmeal Lip Balm are  $ 1.99 wherever Carmex is sold.




Tuesday, August 23, 2016

Secret Outlast Extend


With the temperatures hitting the high '90s and beyond across most of the country this Summer, Secret's new-ish deo has been a daily go to.

Outlast Extend is said to give you continuous 48-hour odor protection and while I haven't tried going 48 hours , it sure works over the course of a full day and evening. Better than I expected,  keeping me and my clothes smelling fresh and I hate to admit but I can sweat.  I really didn't think it would work anywhere near as well as their Clinical but it has.  


It comes in  Invisible Solid ( what I have )  and Clear Gel. Both dry fast and need just one to two swipes for full protection.  There are six scents including  new Clean Lavender.  


Secret Outlast Extend is sugg. retail  $4.29




Sunday, August 21, 2016

Bottega Venta Parco Palladiano I


 
There's a new luxury fragrance line out from Bottega Veneta called Parco Palladiano.  There are six  fragrances each done by a top perfumer and inspired by the Palladian gardens of Veneto, Italy. 


Parco Palladiano I is a bright floral citrus with rich cedar notes created by Michael Almairac . Magnolia and lemon are the main front ingredients and the fragrance uses the scent of the bark and leaves as well as the flowers.  The cedar and cypress then come along. It's a very  refreshing, somewhat masculine fragrance that is lovely for the warm weather that we are having now but will also work well in the cooler temps.  It has a crispness but also a light warmth . I've been wearing it almost every day this month .  


Each bottle in the collection is a hefty,elegant embossed glass that feels good in the hand.

Bottega Veneta Parco Palladiano fragrances are $ 295 for 3.4 oz EDP and are available at Bergdorf Goodman and Bottega Veneta boutiques /online





Thursday, August 18, 2016

Beauty 360 @CVS Facial Cleansing Brushes & Sponges




Sonic cleansers are very much the "in" thing and get a lot of press and raves. I like them and use them but I haven't had the miraculous results that many others said they have . For me I seem to often get almost as good or as good results with a good scrub/exfoliator and the right cleanser.

If you want a really good cleansing experience without the investment in a sonic cleanser, Beauty 360 @CVS has a huge selection of new sponges, scrubbers and brushes to help get you there all under $5. 


The Natural Facial Cleansing Sea Sponges are probably my favorite as they scrub and exfoliate really well but are not too rough. They also pick up cleanser really well. These come two to a pack need to be wet before use and dry pretty quickly after use. For those who can't do the really rough exfoliating anymore  , these are great.

The Deep Pore Cleansing Facial Brush   is really nice as well. It's extremely soft , so soft that you wonder if it will really work, but that also means it isn't harsh on your face. It feels a bit like a luxury treat for your face as you swish it around. It does a light exfoliate and  feels soft on skin. 


Also part of the line are Gentle Facial Scrubbers or scrublets as I call them.  You may have seen these before when they came with L'Oreal Go cleansers. I still have one of the ones I had in my cleanser as I always really liked it and felt that it did a good job of getting pores clean. Now you can buy these two to a pack . Being made of silicone they are easily cleaned , last long and possibly do some of the best cleansing of the line.

There is also a Konjac sponge assortment. I have the Pure which is called deeply exfoliating and I felt it cleansed pretty well but not as much makeup was removed as I'd like. (And I do not remove my make up before cleansing, so your results may vary). Besides that it worked well with a not too harsh but not soft scrubbing feel.

Facial Cleansing Sponges come two to a pack and felt like a  facial buffer.  I wanted to like them as they smelled like a pina colada with natural coconut fiber and vitamin E but were extremely rough on on my skin.  If you want a deep exfoliate  these will do that. 


Beauty 360 scrub brushes, sponges and cleansers are available at CVS and are priced $ 3.99 - $ 4.99 each . 




Wednesday, August 17, 2016

MAC It's A Strike & Kingpin Cremesheen Glass



MAC It's a Strike is their collection to kick off Fall.

Two of the new Cremesheen lipglass are Kingpin and It's a Strike.  Kingpin is a very deep chocolate brown with no shimmer. It will work well for the fall '90s throwback and semi goth look that is trending but on me was definitely not flattering. On darker skintones it should be really nice.


It's A Strike is a pretty medium pink mauve that looks lighter on the lips then it does in the tube. This is a flattering easy to wear  light pop of color shade. It will go well with all the tweeds, greys and beiges that tend to be Autumn's palette. 

Also new is matte eyeshadow in Gutter Gal , a pale putty grey matte ( it leans more grey than the pic shows).  This one is a basic neutral that is also a great complement to It's a Strike gloss.

MAC It's A Strike will be available  in-store and online  August 18 through October 13, 2016 




Tuesday, August 16, 2016

Yes To Tomatoes Detoxifying Charcoal Face Wipes & Sheet Mask




There aren't  a lot of facial cleansing cloths out there for acne-prone skin. 

 Yes To Tomatoes has come out with black charcoal cleansing cloths for those who are oily and clogged.  The cloths are truly black which is a bit odd at first but kind of neat also. They are not super wet so I did need to add a little bit of water but other than that they did a good job. 


Charcoal works best when it has time to work into the skin a little bit and sit so there's not too much of it going  into skin with a cloth but at the same time it gets oily skin  feeling clean  without feeling dry. 


If you want to take the time to get some of that charcoal power into your skin the new Yes To Tomatoes Charcoal   paper sheet mask is the way to go. Yes you are going to look a little scary with the black sheet mask on your face- keep that in mind. The mask itself is extremely wet and once it adheres to the face was a little tingly on ( which Yes To says will happen and means it's working) attesting to all of the ingredients like charcoal and  witch hazel soaking in. 


After use I don't know that I thought my pores looked a lot cleaner but but I also didn't go the full 10 minutes allotted as I think it was just a little too strong for my  skin.  It does not make skin feel dry at all which is great.  It pains me to say it, but this one is for the younger set I think. 

If you like paper sheet  masks . Yes To  has a full-line . There is a Tomatoes for acne-prone skin as well as ones for brightening, calming and moisturizing. At $2.99 each they are a great inexpensive way to treat yourself and your skin after a long week or day . Needing only 10 minutes to work  means you can get results fast.

Yes To Tomatoes Detoxifying Charcoal Face Wipes are 5.99 







Sunday, August 14, 2016

MAC Star Trek- Set To Stun & Midnight



The MAC Star Trek collection is front-loaded with lots of shimmer  and metallic. I've got two of the upcoming collection here and both pack pack plenty of sparkle.

Midnight is one of the Pressed Pigments and is a rich bright, sparkly Navy . It has plenty of deep pigment and not too much fallout. 


Set To Stun is  a new  glittery greige  silver that goes on sheer and a little patchy but is still pretty and fun.  It can be worn on its own over another shade for extra sparkle or a metallic touch.


I do love and metallic lip and even though grey / silver is not the easiest for me to wear I will definitely rock this one. It's pretty wearable due to it's sheerness.  

MAC Star Trek is online Aug. 25 and in store Sept. 1- Oct. 13. 





Wednesday, August 10, 2016

Cargo The Land Down Under Palette



Have you always wanted to visit Australia? I have .  It looks amazing and beautiful and I even have friends there.  It's a far and expensive trip  but Cargo wants to take you there with their new palette- Koala not included. 

The Land Down Under Palette has 12 shadows in both matte and shimmer ,  a dual ended brush and eyeliner .  The lid features an image of the Sydney Opera House . 


You can find it at  CargoCosmetics.com, Ulta.com, select Kohl's Departments Stores and Kohls.com/Beauty for $ 34


Tuesday, August 9, 2016

Yes To Miracle Argan and Primrose Lip Oils


 Are you lips ready for a dose of mega moisture? Yes To has two new Miracle Lip Oils out to do just that.

Both Primrose and Argan Miracle Lip Oils are extremely hydrating , each with it's namesake oil along with castor seed oil and shea butter.



Primrose has a faint scent and tint of rose  and is said to calm and soothe redness in lips . It's barely there while Argan leaves  a slight nude tint , a bit more than Primrose but it's still very light along with a gourmand vanilla like scent. Argan helps brighten and condition. Both have a slight  sheen to them but there is  no pearl or shimmer, just a light gloss.

These feel light on lips and can be used alone or over lipsticks. It's an odd time of year for a release this moisturizing but Fall isn't that far off and when it gets really cold, as in wind chills, these will be a welcome treat on lips.

Yes To Miracle Lip Oils are $ 4.99 each , are 96% natural and  available now.






Monday, August 8, 2016

Chanel No 5 L'Eau



Chanel with perfume Olivier Polge , son of the great Jacques Polge have created a new Chanel No 5 - Chanel No 5 L'Eau.

Chanel No 5 L'Eau  is stronger than Eau Premiere but not as the original.  Chanel stresses too, that this is " not a diluted version of the original" but it's own stand alone scent evoking freshness or l'eau yet inspired by  the original .



L'Eau has plenty of presence and that l'eau doesn't mean it's soapy clean but more crisply floral with bright citrus , rose and jasmine right up front, the ylang ylang and aldehydic notes come along quickly too. It feels very green and slighty woodsy in a feminine way.  I get whiff of iris as well even if it isn't officially listed. The rooty coolness is there.


As it  evolves  Cedarwood and vetiver continue the dry, cool feel  grounding the fragrance and mixing with very light white musk into the drydown. It becomes softer with the rose aldehydes staying at the forefront along with the green notes. It reminds  some of the original then .

Chanel No 5 L'Eau is a more youthful take on the iconic fragrance but should appeal to anyone who loves Chanel fragrances and No 5. It is not  for any specific age.  The Mom is quite taken with this and she has  always loved the original. I like it as well and am less a fan of the original ( No 19 is my personal fav of the older guard ).

One of the things I love best here is it's staying power. So many "light" fragrances or EDTs have no longevity to them. This lasts long and has good   sillage.  When I  put a fragrance on, I like it to still be there a few hours or more later. This definitely is.


Chanel No 5 L'Eau will be available Sept. 1 for $ 132  for 3.4 oz EDT ( waitlist  online @Chanel now)



Friday, August 5, 2016

Max Factor Limited Edition US Capsule Collection


 
Max is back, Max Factor that is, back in US stores for limited time .

The four piece capsule collection is the first we've seen of the brand here in the States for some time. It's welcome return. Now can we get Pan Stick back, please?


There are two pretty nude lipstick shades- Maroon Mist which is a deep warm caramel nude and Simply Nude , a pale pink nude. Both are the Colour Elixir formula which has a creamy satin, full pigment finish and look/ feel pretty fab on.



Also available is Masterpiece MAX Mascara  and  Masterpiece High Precision Liquid Eyeliner. The mascara does a very good job of lengthening and volumizing lashes without clumping and the eyeliner has a fine point to make a thin line or a cat eye and dries quickly.


Are you excited to see Max Factor back ? Will you be picking any of these up?

Each piece retails for 9.99  at drugstores and mass market stores.










Thursday, August 4, 2016

Chanel Rouge Profond Blush- Fall 2016



Chanel Fall Le Rouge Collection #1 is the first under new creative director Lucia Pica and she's created a collection all about red.

The new blush is Rouge Profond. I love a red blush and the first one I ever had was also a Chanel a long time ago. Late '80s I think. I bet if I dug real hard in the closet it's still around .  This new shade is a wearable red for most skintones I think. I am fair but not super pale and I have a little bit of Summer color so it looks good when used with a light hand. Like most Chanel blushes it blends easily.



If you are porcelain fair you it might be too much for you, but it might not. If you like it try it. On deeper skintones it should look fabulous .

The shade is a matte brick red although it has a the tiniest bit of pearl and that gives it dimension . It's incredibly pretty and very much a wakeup makeup color.

Chanel Rouge Profond Blush is available now for $ 45