Chanel Quadra Eye Shadow 14 Mystic Eyes

I was really hesitant to purchase this quad, because the few I own, I never use. I just sort of jumped on the Dior quint bandwagon and never looked back.  To me, Chanel eye shadows were always very "safe" and less pigmented, especially compared to Dior. If I apply eye shadow, I typically want an element of drama and contrast, and I wasn't getting that with the Chanel shadows I owned.  After reading so many rave reviews over this particular quad, saying that it's better formulated than most of their others, I just finally decided to cave and conform.  Incidentally, it was one of the best, recent cosmetic purchases I've made. On to the photos...

I would describe the top left color as a plummy, dark brown, the top right as a slightly shimmery pale shell pink, the bottom left as a light pewter shimmer and the bottom right as a medium bronze with a taupe cast, which is also shimmery. They all have a shimmer/sheen to them, of some degree.

What I think is so brilliant about this quad, is that all the colors work so well together to create a very cohesive and polished look. You don't have to work for the palette, rather it works for you. The formula is soft, as Chanel's always are, but not overly soft as to increase the rate/potential of fallout or to apply overly sheer. I find the textures and level of pigmentation to work very well. I created this "look" in a very quick and sloppy manner. I was getting rushed out of the house, so all I did was slap the lighter brown color all over the lid and past the crease and then applied the darkest brown shade in the crease and the outer corner. I also took some of the dark brown on the pointy sponge-tip applicator that comes with the quad and applied some to the outer bottom lash line. I took a little bit of the pale pink shade and swept it on the inner corner of the eye to brighten up the natural shadow that falls there. Super quick, super easy, and absolutely foolproof. 

I feel as though I can confidently say that the Mystic Eyes quad would work on anyone, at any age, and on any/most skin tones.  Even those that say brown colors wash/dull them out or make their eyes look "dirty" shouldn't have a problem with that, because these colors are all a perfect balance of warm and cool tones, almost falling neutral. It's almost as though the actual pigment is cool toned and the shimmer warms it up. That's as best as I think I can describe the effect. Either way, I'm a big fan and perhaps a reformed Chanel quad hater. 

xxx ~R

Essie Wife Goes On Nail Polish

I'm going through a bright, creamy pinky-red nail phase at the moment.  I normally prefer wearing orange-based reds on my nails, such as Chanel Coromandel or Essie Lacquered Up.  I think pinky-reds have a more retro feel, which makes them look more interesting to me.

I would describe Essie Wife Goes On as a bright and creamy watermelon red. It applies smoothly and is opaque with two coats.  It has a '20s flapper sort of feel to it, which I like.  

xxx ~R

Dolce and Gabbana Caramel Blush: Thoughts and Comparisons

I used to think that blush was blush and never really cared about it any which way. I don't think I actually started wearing any until my mid 20s, and if I did, it was barely noticeable. The way my face is structured, contouring isn't really necessary, but color definitely helps, especially since I'm NC10 in MAC terminology and "cadaver white" in Layman's. This whole "Twilight" phenomenon has really given the pale community an edge over all the tan, confident sexy people in the world. It's our time to shine, literally and figuratively speaking. Having said that, I do fully believe that a made-up face is not complete without blush or some sort of color on the cheeks. It finishes the face, whether we like it or not. I say all of this as a set up to the Dolce and Gabbana blush in Caramel. 

Here's the pretty, pretty gold packaging of D&G blushes. 

And here we have Caramel itself, which I would describe as a light, pinky/peachy-tan(ish) color.

I'm wearing it here, as you may or may not be able to see, unless you've just been blinded by the white flash on your screen. I kid, I kid. But what I'm inarticulately getting at, is that this blush is the perfect shade for those who either aren't into wearing obvious colors or simply want a neutral/natural accent to the cheek area, without drawing too much attention to it. When you want the focus on your eyes and/or lips, this is the type of color that is going to work best. D&G Caramel on someone like me is basically a contour and blush combined. Gives a hint of natural flush, whilst accentuating the cheekbones. 

Left: D&G Nude, Right: D&G Caramel

And for my own amusement, I thought I'd share my tale of woe (trivial woe). I first ordered the shade in Nude, thinking that it would give me that "perfect hint of color", as to avoid diverting attention away from the eyes and lips, of which I prefer to be the focal point. The glitch with Nude, for a lack of better phrasing, is that it just doesn't show up on my face. No matter how many times I angrily/begrudgingly swipe my brush over it and try to layer it on, it's just not there. They should have actually named Nude "Invisible" instead, because if it's too light for me, then I really don't know who it's going to work on. Maybe it can function as a non-shimmery highlighter for darker skin tones, but I don't really know. It's a problem better suited for the R&D dept. of D&G cosmetics to take on. In the meantime, I'm very much satisfied with the effect I get from Caramel. 

Left: D&G Nude, Right: D&G Caramel

For comparison's sake, here is a shot of D&G Nude on the left and Caramel on the right. As you might have noticed from the product side-by-side shot above, they look quite similar in the pan. However, this hand swatch is proof that 1) I'm not completely crazy and 2) Nude is considerably lighter than Caramel. And full disclosure, it took around 5 swipes with a sponge tip applicator to get Nude to show up on my hand, versus 1.5 swipes with Caramel.  I was shocked that I was able to capture Nude at all. A small miracle.

And here is a shot of MAC Strada, perhaps one of the best "nude" blushes ever, which is also the perfect contour color for all my fellow pale people. MAC just recently discontinued Strada from counters and freestanding stores, but thankfully, they kept it as a Pro color. I just recently ordered a new one through MAC Pro, as I accidentally destroyed my previous Strada in a botched de-pot job. What can I say? It happens to the best of us. 

Left to Right: D&G Nude, D&G Caramel, MAC Strada

Final comparison shot shows from left to right, D&G Nude, D&G Caramel and MAC Strada. When I first saw Caramel on Sak's site, the first thing I thought of was how it would compare to MAC Strada. The difference is quite obvious. Strada is considerably more pigmented and much more brown. A cool-toned brown, but brown nonetheless. What I love about Caramel is that is brightens up my face and gives a more alive/fresh look than Strada. Depending on the day and other makeup applied, Strada isn't always the most flattering choice, for me at least.  Regardless, Strada still remains one of my HG staples, and I'm very glad to own one that's in tact. 

So, with all the rambling hopefully behind us, I would really like to take this moment to stress how much I truly love the formula of the Dolce and Gabbana blushes. If you're like me and are used to more pigmented blushes like MAC, D&Gs are a breath of fresh air. The formula is incredibly smooth, and the color intensity is very much controllable.  With a lot of other brands, you have to worry about over applying and finding out later that you're rocking clown face or look as though you fell down face first in a pile of dirt. Such is not the case with Dolce and Gabbana blushes.

***EDITED*** D&G Nude blush is now available for purchase on my Sale Items page. 

xxx ~R

YSL Rouge Pur Couture Lipstick 17 Rose Dahlia

I've said it already, and I'll say it again: I love these lipsticks. The qualities I look for in a lipstick are for it to be color rich/densely pigmented, with a smooth texture and lightweight feel. These are exactly that. Depending on which shade you select, you're going to get slightly different finishes, be it creamy, slightly glossy, semi-matte, as well as micro-glitter/shimmer infused. To me, 17 Rose Dahlia is almost a sheer cream, as it's not as super pigmented as some other shades within the range. 

When I first saw the swatches from Karla's blog, which can be seen HERE, I thought that Rose Dahlia was going to be on the same vein as Lancome Chris & Tell...an opaque and bright pinky coral. I'm actually glad I was wrong, because I feel that this particular shade is more wearable and less "in your face". I would describe the color as a muted coral rose, for lack of a better description. If I'm speaking whimsically, I would call this a very Parisian, "I'm not trying to be sexy, but I'm sexy" color. It looks effortless and chic/special all at the same time....and depending on the day, a good alternative to a red lip. I feel like it's one of the true stand-out shades within the line. And as cliche as this sounds, I fancy Rose Dahlia would look its best with a smokey eye. Smokey eye is such a wildly overused term within the beauty blogosphere, but it's all we got, no? Moving along...

Here is the gold casing with the YSL emblem.

Back view.

This picture is a very accurate example of how the lipstick looks in real life.

As is this close-up shot. Notice the YSL embossment. 

Hand swatch in daylight. In MAC terms, my hand in NC-15, for reference.

And finally, here it is on my lips, which I should mention are light-medium pigmented.  My face is NC10 aka as pale as it gets. 

I'm a true blue YSL lipstick fiend, and thus, one can anticipate many more posts to come about the Rouge Pur Coutures, Rouge Purs (although they've been dc'd...boo), Rouge Pure Shines, and the infamous Rouge Voluptes. 

xxx ~R

Urban Decay Naked Palette

Let me just preface this by saying I had to eat a lot of crow when purchasing the Urban Decay Naked Palette.  I've always just considered Urban Decay a brand that appeals to the likes of teens, tweens and anyone else that enjoys sporting the glitterbomb eye shadow look. If you look at their packaging, it's quite obvious what demographic they're after. It certainly isn't mine. So, there's that aspect, mixed with the fact that I know for any given UD shadow, I own the MAC equivalent (somewhere in my collection). To me, there was just no desire, no need, and I had written Urban Decay off completely. And then, the Naked Palette was born. *chews on bird*

After reading blog after blog, seeing swatch after swatch; I knew I had to have it. And, I hated myself a little bit. Maybe I still do. But, the point is that the colors and textures within said palette are just glorious. Smooth and buttery. It's comprised of various "every day" type colors, ranging from warm to cool, satin finishes and shimmery ones, and even a couple mattes. I would liken the texture of these shadows to that of the soft, blendable nature of a Chanel shadow with the pigmentation of a Dior. Not to mention, the packaging is cute and convenient, which I also consider a rarity with Urban Decay. Having said that...

I used Virgin all over the eye, Toasted on the lid, Hustle in the crease and upwards, with a little MAC Signed,Sealed in the outer corner. I also put a little bit of Sin on the inner part of the lid. My typical upper lash liner is MAC Penultimate and Chanel waterproof liner in black on the lower waterline. For mascara, I used YSL Faux Cils. While it's often touted the best mascara "of all time", I find it to be just so-so. So-so for me, because it weighs my super straight lashes down way too much. It creates the dreaded spider lash look, which I'm not a huge fan of. I'm just sitting and waiting for the Faux Cils to commit mascara suicide, so I can repurchase my HG/Holy Grail/OMFG mascara, which is currently Armani Eyes to Kill. Today, at least. Tomorrow? You never know. 

xxx ~R

I Love YSL Rouge Pur Couture Lipsticks.

So, as one can tell by the date of my initial introductory blog post to that of now, I've been a rather lazy blogger. By lazy, I mean I haven't done anything with the blog at all. I found myself stuck creatively thinking, "How am I going to differentiate my blog from all the others"? Here's the answer: I'm not. Really simple, nothing special. *ponders previous sentence as an epitaph* Anyway, enough blither blather and on to the lipsticks.

YSL recently released the Rouge Pur Couture lipsticks, introducing 18 shades of red, orange, pink and, most importantly (to me), a couple of gorgeous nudes. The formula is incredibly smooth and forgiving of lip lines or dry flakes. I was initially disheartened to hear that the Rouge Pur line was being discontinued, but from the few shades I've picked up so far ( no.6, 10, 17 and a deluxe sample of no.1), I'm no longer in mourning. The packaging is better, the texture is improved, and the colors are just gorgeous. My only complaint is that the pinks are a little lacking in variety, but I'm sure with time, YSL will roll out more.

**EDITED** I caved and bought a full-size tube of 1 Le Rouge.

This is a quick and sloppy shot of No.1 Le Rouge. It's a vibrant, blue-based red with quite a punch. It just so happened to match my nails, which is OPI Red Hot Ayers Rock, a bright and creamy pinky-red shade.

There will be more posts and product photos to come regarding the YSL Rouge Pur Couture lipsticks, as I'm quite smitten with them. What do you guys think? Have you purchased any shades yet?

xxx ~R