Sunday Stuff You Can't Have

Uh oh...what might be encased in this beautiful chromo Le Metier de Beaute case? It's Ecumes de Or Lip kaleidoscope of course! Ecumes de Or was a Bergdorf Goodman Exclusive kaleidoscope created by Dustin Lujan.  Bergdorf's could barely keep it in stock and I was lucky to get my hands on it thanks to a lovely friend located in New York. 

This contains 4 lip colors which range in texture from lipstick to lipgloss.  They are meant to be layered from bottom to top in the traditional Le Metier de Beaute Couches de colour technique.  However, these rules aren't set in stone and you can layer in any way you desire. 

The bottom color is a lovely raspberry color.  I need this to be made into a lip creme (PLEASE!!!).

The next color is a cool toned grape with lots of shimmer.

The next color is a gorgeous yellow gold.  I actually really like just wearing this with the top color. Its a very summery look.

The top color is a light pink which acts as a topcoat to seal it all in. 

The result of layering all the colors results in a warm nude color which wears very well.  I can get about 4 hours of wear (which is pretty good for a lip color on me).

Now, I'm fairly certain this is all sold out, but may pop up on swap sites or sales (although I will never be getting rid of mine thank you). 


Today, I am lounging around and watching Bridget Jones Diary.  I will also be getting ready for my trip to Seattle which I will be leaving for on Saturday. 

Which brings me to my question of the day:
How do you usually spend your Sundays?

Makeup Mavens, End of the Week Round Up

Makeup Mavens present makeup you might have missed. This week we posted about Tarte Cosmetics, the allure of false eyelashes, and posed a valid question about SPF in our makeup - are we really getting enough?  

Now that we are in the full swing of summer, 12 top summer essentials were toted by Jenn of HopelesslyDevoted to Makeup. See if your "must haves" for battling crippling heat and unbearable humidity made the cut? 

Jennifer of Lipstick Luvvies did some treasure hunting and uncovered some "hidden gems" found at Zuneta! This post will tempt you into placing a Zuneta order for sure. 

Tarte Cosmetics managed to catch the "eye" of Christina from Lovesong for My Lipgloss and she was kind enough to swatch them al for us! Do any of these calls call your name? 

In this captive post, Mookie On The Bench, raises a great question about relying on SPF in our makeup. 

Product Doctor finally got to sample Burberry Beauty and she was not disappointed! Take a peek at what she ended up walking away with plus a gift with purchase too - Score!   

RaspberryRouge shows us the Becca bronzer that has been logging the miles since the beginning of summer for her.  Doesn't she have the most gorgeous complexion?  

The Black Panties shows us her go-to eye lashes when she wants to be the spotlight of attention. Are you a fan of false eyelashes yourself? After seeing her wearing these lashes, I'm a fan *swoon*.  

I hope everyone is having a terrific summer! I will be taking a break from blogging to enjoy and focus my attention on some summer festivities. I'm currently potty training my daughter, will be celebrating my 10 year anniversary!!!, will be going on vacation out-of-state, planning a 2 year-olds birthday party sure to delight, and have family visiting from out-of-state. Phew, there is no rest for the weary as you can tell! I'll announce the winner of the Le Metier De Beaute creme fresh tint on August 11th as planned! Be sure to enter if you haven't already.   

Le Metier de Beaute Nordstrom Anniversary Sale Exlusive

Nordstrom Anniversary sale usually means limited edition sets and product launches in the beauty department.  This year, Le Metier de Beaute included a set of 4 nailpolishes as their Anniversary Sale item.  At $25 I had to snatch it up. 

They call this set the Rock & Romance set which I find appropriate with the mix of darker colors and lighter more subtle colors.  The four shades are: Chrome Passion (dark charcoal holographic), Heat of the Night (blackened red), Midnight Rendezvous (shimmery navy), and True Romance (mettalically nude taupe).

The set really is lovely and a pretty great value.  The polishes retail for $10 each usually.  If you can get over the tiny size (I will probably never use them up but some might) then I would grab this set before it's gone for good.  It is limited edition after all. 

Tarte smolderEYES Amazonian Clay Waterproof Liner

On a recent trip to Sephora, I noticed Tarte's new Amazonian Clay Waterproof Liners.  Since I am a sucker for eyeliners, I decided to swatch them to take a look.  They went on super creamy, and once they set, they stayed put.  I had to use makeup remover to eventually get them off.  Take note though, these are fatter pencils, much like Sue Devitt's, so it may be difficult to get a precise line.

 Colors bottom to top: Plum, Bronze, Olive, Navy, Charcoal, Fig, Brown, and Golden Black

These retail for $25 and can be found at Sephora, Ulta and tartecosmetics.com


*note: this post contains an affiliate link

Niche Brands and Great Customer Service at Beautyhabit.com

No, this is not a payed advertisement.  I am just that happy with my experience ordering from Beautyhabit.com.  Beautyhabit is an online site specializing in niche skincare, cosmetics and fragrance brands.  They carry such brands as Nuxe, Paul & Joe Beaute, Diptyque, and Phillip B.  They offer free shipping on orders over $100 and free samples in every order. 

Now, on to what I purchased.

Here's the total of my order.  It included a Weleda body oil sampler (love body oils now by the way.  I will do a separate post on this), Ligne St. Barth Aloe Vera Gel with mint, Ganache for lips Vanilla Mousse lip balm, Paul & Joe duo eye gloss in Fathom, and a set of 6 twist band hair ties. 

I also bought the Paul & Joe blotting papers from the Summer 2011 collection.  These seemed to have been absent from the last photo. 

This lip balm was only $4.  I mostly only bought it to get to $100 for free shipping.  The vanilla smell is nice, not a gross overly synthetic vanilla.  Its not the most moisturizing lip balm ever but it is all natural, which is nice. 

The ingredients list, all things I can pronounce. 

This Paul & Joe eye gloss duo in Fathom is exclusive for Summer 2011.  It contains a nice shimmery beige color and a shimmery orange color.  Both contain subtle glitter particles but last pretty darn well for a cream shadow during the summer. 

I really love orange toned shades for making my eyes look quite blue, but this is a really orange, almost no copper notes present.

Here they are blended.  You might be able to see the glitter pieces if you click to enlarge.  Note though, that I do not experience any glitter fallout. 

The Ligne St. Barths aloe vera gel with mint was very nice for my vacation at the lake.  Its a nice, cooling gel.  It's not particularly moisturizing, but not drying at all.  The smell was kind of overwhelming, however.  It smelled strongly of spearmint and reminded me of a stick of gum.  Luckily, the scent did not stick around for too long. 

Here you can kind of see the texture.  I did get a bit burned while on vacation (I know, I know, I need to use more sunscreen), and used this on the burn.  I didn't experience any peeling at all. 

 

The Weleda body oil set was something I have been interested in for quite some time.  It contains the Arnica massage oil, sea buckthorn body oil (my favorite), birch cellulite oil, pomegranite regenerating body oil, wild rose body oil and lavender calming body oil.  I will do a full review of this soon. 

I purchased the twist band hair ties because I prefer my hair ties with out the metal claspy thing.  Plus, these were fun colors.  They stretch to be quite large and work really well when I throw my hair up in a bun.

As I mentioned above, Beautyhabit does include samples with every order.

I was quite happy with the ones I received, especially the Ligne St. Barth's coconut oil. 

Also, and this is what I was really impressed with, they included a hand written thank you note personalized with my name (unheard of in customer service anymore, or so it seems).

On another note, shipping took 2 days to get to San Diego.  I do believe the Beautyhabit store is located in LA so shipping may vary depending on where you are located, but there was no time in processing and such (coughARMANIcough). 

Overall, I loved my experience shopping at Beautyhabit and imagine I will order from them again and again.

Sunday Stuff You Can't Have

This weeks stuff you can't have is Le Metier de Beaute Splendid Frost Kaleidoscope.  

I bought this kaleidoscope from my Le Metier counter when most of the others were sold out.  I was coerced by some lovely enablers into this purchase, and I'm pretty happy I was.   Le Metier kaleidoscopes are basically their palettes.  The colors are meant to be layered in a technique called couches de couleur.  This means layering of the colors and usually means you work from the top down, layering the colors right over each other.

Splendid frost came in 2 packaging colors, black and white (seen here).  All 4 shadows can slide out independently and it contains a large mirror at the top.  Here's what the palette looks like all closed up.

The pans are all quite large, about the size of Makeup Forever or Chantecaille shadows.  I can't really imagine using them up (which is why I'm ok with this being limited edition). 

The 4 shadows in this palette are a taupey brown:

a matte gray:

a shimmery peachy pink:

and a navy blue with different colored micro glitter:

And of course, they are even more beautiful when swatched.

I like to wear the top shade as a wash just by its self and the peachy shade makes a really nice blush too. 

The texture of these shadows are beyond comparison.  They are silky and almost cream like.  They basically blend themselves, and they layer into increasing complexity instead of muddiness like some other shadows.

This palette was $95 and rumor has it that the Le Metier facebook page has a tab to show you where you can still purchase old kaleidoscopes.  If you can still get your hands on this lovely, definitely don't hesitate.


As I've been boiling here recently (I have a very low tolerance for heat and humidity) the question for this Sunday is:
What is your favorite way to cool down during summer?

The Makeup Mavens

For all of my taupe homies, look no further than u-taupe-ia aka Hopelessly Devoted to Makeup's review on the epic purple taupe that is Delicate Hummingbird eyeshadow. 

I know we are always on the hunt for that perfect luxurious, vibrant pink lipstick. Look no further because Lipstick Luvvies is in love with By Terry's Cherry Cherry lipstick. Talk about stopping traffic *wink*

Lovesong for My Lipgloss is really adoring her new travel companion, which is Hourglass Illume Cream to Powder Bronzer Duo. I must say, the stuff looks pretty awesome :D

Bridal makeup is definitely always something we want to perfect since we all want to look awesome on our wedding day. It's no surprise that  Mookie On The Bench has some great ideas on what items to use and it's a bonus to see her skills in action.  

Looking for an amazing concealer and treatment in one? Product Doctor is smitten with Le Metier de Beaute's Peau Vierge Corrector and see what a difference it has made for her skin.

It's July and it's always nice to find pretty, very luminous bronzy highlighter that gives a soft warmth to your cheeks. If you're in the market for one, check out to see if it really is Raspberry Rouge's alternative to Dior Amber Diamond. 

Since The Black Panties always afraid of warm palettes, she has decided to step outside her comfort zone and take the plunge on my first Suqqu Blend Color Eyeshadow in #5 Sakurakaba. 

*This weeks image was taken at California Adventure.  You may be seeing a few Disneyland pictures lately because I am currently having Disneyland withdrawals (I have always admitted that I am 5 at heart :P).

Le Metier de Beaute Classic Flawless Finish Concealer spf 18, My Skin Savior

I am a concealer and foundation junkie.  I have yet to completely clear my face, so it is important to me to have quality base products to create a more even canvas.  

Enter Le Metier de Beaute's Classic Flawless Finish Concealer with spf 18.  

It is meant to smooth under eyes and blur imperfections.  It does not settle into fine lines and wrinkles (I know, I'm 21 but I get lines under my eyes when tired).  It's long wearing and contains vitamins A and E and shea for moisturizing.  In addition, it has spf 18 to help protect against the harmful effects of the sun. 

Here are swatches of the shades in order left to rights from shade 1 to shade 12.  I find the numbering system a tad strange as it doesn't go in order from darkest to lightest, especially in the middle.  However, I think the darkler lovelies out there will appreciate that Le Metier does go quite dark in the spectrum.  I wear shade 5, but may need something a little darker now that I am a bit tanned.  

Overall, Le Metier's concealer is one of the best I have tried.  It's very pigmented and you only need a little to cover.  I find it is best applied with a brush for blemishes, but a finger is fine for under eye.  The packaging is the traditional Le Metier sleek black and it's in stick form.  This product retails for $55. 

Travel/ Summer Beauty All-Star: Hourglass Illume Cream-to-Powder Bronzer Duo

As you may or may not no, even though I am now in an internet friendly area, I am still on vacation.  Sadly, I could not bring all my makeup with me.  In fact, I packed pretty darn light in that area if I do say so myself.  The star among the products I brought would most definitely be the Hourglass Illume Cream-to-Powder Bronzer Duo in Sunset.  I received both that shade and the other one, Bronze Light, in a twitter giveaway from the company a month or so ago.  I have been diligently testing and the Sunset color has made it into my makeup look almost every day. 

The Sunset duo contains a bronzer and a rose colored blush, both cream formulas.  Both blend very well, in my experience, and dry down to a powder finish.  However, it doesn't look powdery at all.  I find both colors last very well, even in the heat.  I can apply both very naturally with my fingers but prefer to apply the bronzer with a kabuki brush. 

I find both the colors to be warm toned.  The bronzer has orange tones in it and can result in the famous "Snooki" orange "glow" if applied over zealously.  I think very cool toned people should look to another product to avoid coming off orange. 

This is highly pigmented.  For the blush, I merely tap my finger on the color and blend in to my cheek to achieve a nice glow.  For the bronzer, I tap the kabuki brush gently on the surface, buff some off on the back of my hand and apply in the 3 shape. 

Here they are blended a bit.  Of course I blend more when used on my face. 

The second color is Bronze Light.  While it finds less use than the Sunset color, I do still love it.  I think the highlighter shade is my perfect highlight (I don't really use highlighter that much because I have no problem achieving a glow).

The bronzer in this duo is essentially identical to the bronzer in the other duo. 

Unfortunately for the cool toned folks again, this is more for the warmer ones. 

The highlighter is a gorgeous gold toned champagne color.  It's shimmery but not overly so.  It results in a really natural looking glow. 

I like to apply it with my finger to my brow bone and cheek bones. 


Hourglass claims these duos are wax free and oil free and contain vitamins A and E. 

The packaging is pewter colored and shiney.  It contains a very large, usable mirror that swivels all the way around. 



Overall, if you are a warm toned, cream lover like myself, this is a must have, at least in one color.  The price tag is heftier at $40 but it contains a TON of product that will last you ages. 






disclaimer: I received this free from the company in a contest but this does not effect my review in any way.

Le Metier de Beaute Noir Precision Liner

In terms of liquid eye liners, I personally prefer the pen style ones.  I have worked with the wand type and the brush end, but I find the pen style is the easiest to use.  I previously reviewed Chantecaille's pen style liner le stylo.   Today I bring you Le Metier de Beaute's pen style liner, Precision Liner. 

Precision liquid liner is touted as long wearing and smudge proof.  It has been said that the tip is modeled after a Monte Blanc pen.  This liner comes in three colors: noir, aqua and bleu.  I have previously swatched all of the colors here.  I own Noir which is a dark black color that is not glossy. 

The bottom swatch is one swipe to show how thin you can get.  The top is to show how dark you can get the color.  You can see a bit of feathering on my arm, but I have never experienced this on my eye.  The Le Metier artists typically recommend a tapping method to apply this liner to get the best line.  One of their artists, Kayla, shows the liner technique in this video.  I find this technique to be my favorite for easy application, but my mother (who has also fallen in love with this pen), prefers to drag it along her lash line. 

Does it live up to the claims?  I believe it does.  It doesn't smudge and lasts all day.  Both my mother and I have oily lids and it lasted well on both of us.  However, it is not waterproof, which is fine because it doesn't claim to be.  the only time I ever experienced smudging is when I was sweating bullets (ew). 

Here is a picture to show the tip. This is after a bit of use. 

Overall, I highly recommend this for any and all liquid liner lovers, and it's mom approved (my mom loves it too).  It retails for $42.  O and just to prove how great it is, my mom (who barely ever wears makeup) owns 2 colors!


Disclaimer: I received this product for free but this in no way affects my opinion of the product.

Makeup Mavens, the Sixth Edition

The Makeup Mavens present makeup you may have missed. This week there are delectable delights from the likes of Chanel, Shiseido, Le Metier De Beaute, Chantecaille and Becca. One Maven shares an interesting post on the link between beauty blogs and spending habits and another offers you the chance to win yourself a gorgeous cream blush.

Want to win yourself some Le Metier De Beaute? Hop on over to Hopelessly Devoted to Makeup for a chance to win a beautiful Poppy Creme Fresh Tint. (Pst, it's her birthday! Happy Birthday!!)

Are beauty blogs bad for the wallet? Lipstick Luvvies shares her thoughts on the subject this week, so pop on over to her blog to find out if they are friend or foe to the bank balance. 

Lovesong for My Lipgloss introduced us to the newest additions in the Chantecaille range, Poudre de Perle and a new Compact Soleil shade. Check out her gorgeous swatches of Biwa and St. Barth's. 

Are shimmery, coppery shadows your thing? If so, you need to visit Mookie On The Bench for a brilliant review on Shiseido's Hydro Powder Eye Shadow in Tiger eye.

Product Doctor fell in love with Chanel's limited edition Topkapi palette. Check out her swatches of the silvery taupe, gold and rich browns and you'll see why.  

Raspberry Rouge discovered Becca's long lasting Eye tint's and shared a review and swatches of Baroque, a foolproof soft brown shade.

The black panties got to play with Le Metier De Beaute's Silk Road Eye Kaleidoscope. Head on over to see some beautiful swatches of gorgeous plums, purples and chocolate-y shades.

 

 

I'm back! Well, ok, I'm only sort of back.  I'm still not home but I am back in internet service. Yay! 

 

image from beauty pro division 

Lady of the Lane

Hello all! Im still on vacation for a bit longer but I wanted to pop in to let you know that I am featured on Lady of the Lane blog today.  Head on over and check it out. It really is an awesome blog! I should be back in full swing around sunday. Have a great weekend beauty lovers!

Makeup Mavens, Round 5, DING!

The Makeup Mavens present makeup you might have missed. Once again we give you a range of products by Chanel, Clinique, Becca, Chantecaille, Nars and By Terry. There's bound to be something to delight your senses!  We even got a look inside one Maven's storage space!


Neutrals boring? Not with Chanel's Fall Prelude Eye Shadow Quad! Hopelessly Devoted to Makeup gives us a complete look at the palette including EOTD!


Who says cake stands are just for cakes? Lipstick Luvvies gets creative with a unique makeup storage solution!


Clinique's Black Honey Brush On Cream Liner is a beautiful shimmering brown. Check it out on Lovesong for My Lipgloss!


Mookie on the Bench is loving her Becca Beach Tints. With choices from Guava to Watermelon, they're perfect for summer!


Product Doctor has your prescription for easy, beautiful summer skin with Chantecaille's new Ultra Sun Protection SPF 50 PA+++ Anti-Glycation Primer!


Is Rasberry Rouge happy about her Nars Happy Days Velvet Gloss Lip Pencil? Read her post to find out!


Can't decide which luxurious By Terry product to try first?  Black Panties is over the moon about By Terry Ombre Blackstar Color Fix Cream Eye Shadow in Bronze Moon!

**I also have my own little announcement.  I will be leaving tomorrow for two weeks.  One of them will be spent at the lake featured in my picture, so I will most likely have seldom if any internet access during that week.  Posting will be sporadic if any for those 2 weeks.  I promise you some awesome stuff when I return though (I got new Armani yesterday!!).