Posts Tagged ‘aurora’
Choosing a handful of cheek products was no easy feat. I won’t say I was drowning in options but well, you know I sort of was. 
After much thought, I narrowed down a select few products that have been in constant rotation over the past several months.
In no particular order, here are the blush, bronze and highlight products that made it onto my Love List:
Estee Lauder Pure Color Blush: Not only have I been loving this vibrant shade (in Fearless) but overall the Estee Lauder Pure Color blushes are winners. They apply smoothly and have all-day color wear. Plus, the shade selections are quite versatile.
Too Faced Sweethearts Perfect Flush Blush: I admit, the packaging had my name written all over it (I’m a sucker for hearts) and I was pleasantly surprised to find the blush itself, lovely. A pretty combo of pink and peach, I’ve reached for this one often. No glitter but it does leave a subtle sheen.
Revlon Photoready Cream Blush: I first picked up this product when it was released last year. Buth then, the ever talented Lisa Eldridge featured this shade (in Pinched) in a Tippi Hedren makeup recreation video and I immediately added it to my repertoire. The blush is stunning and the video, a masterpiece! Check it out here.
MAC Archie Blush & Pearlmatte Powder: Combined with the Revlon Photoready cream blush (above), this has become a go-to cheek combo that is soft, feminine – perfect for spring/summer, and due to the layering, an all day look. Oh, it turns out, I’m a Betty. And all these years I thought I was a Veronica.
Diorskin Nude Glow Healthy Glow Bronzer in Aurora: I’ve had this bronzer for quite a while and not only have I not hit pan, I’ve also not grown tired of this I’ve been working in the garden shade of bronzer. Aurora leaves an easy-breezy sheen on the skin with no glitter. Other Dior bronzers haven’t won my heart quite like this one.
Revlon Photoready Bronzer: This is one of those products I considered, then passed on. Finally, one day whilst roaming the drugstore aisles, I gave it a go. It is a fantastic satin finish product. The four shade options makes this a travel-friendly product because you can contour the eyes and face, bronze subtly or achieve a full-on tropical goddess effect. My skintone is light and this works for me.
Bobbi Brown Shimmer Brick: I love me some shimmer bricks! This is one of my favorite Bobbie Brown products and the Lilac shade (from Spring 2013) works beautifully coupled with blush and bronzer. It also works as a shadow, and even dabbed onto lips. Just look at those shades!
Estee Lauder Pure Color Blush: Do you remember that terrific tri-brid highlighter formulation that was all the rage last year? Well, Estee Lauder has now launched a blush shade with the same powder-gel-cream texture that I adore, called Tease. It’s meant to be used as a highlighter but I also like to buff it into the skin as a blush, then dust a soft matte or satin powder blush over the top. Did you get your hands on this beauty?
Ecco Tools Contour Brush: Hold the phone! If ever I suggested a must-own product it’s this one. Soft against the skin but with enough density to offer the kind of control you want for a contour brush. I found this, recently, at Walmart but I know you can also find this glorious brush at the Ecco Tools website.
Nothing perks up my face, and disposition, like a pretty blush or a bronzer that gives my face life! Combined with a subtle highlight, I can add a dab of lipstick, a little brow powder, sunglasses and look like a woman with a plan.
I’ll be back in a few days with the next installment of the Love List. In the meantime, have you watched that new-ish show, The Mindy Project? I think it’s a riot! The Morgan character is my favorite; sweet, creepy and funny. Lol! And, I especially like how they’ve styled Mindy – she wore the cutest navy sheath & yellow accessories combo in this weeks episode. I’ve been on a looking for new color combinations kick lately too!
❤Liz
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I know, I know, I said I wasn’t picking up the Aurora palette from the Dior Croisette Summer 2012 collection but I couldn’t help myself! The quality of the Swimming Pool palette was so impressive it made me wonder (for weeks!) if I would regret not owning the Aurora palette too. In short…I would’ve definitely had regrets!
Dior 5-Couleurs Croisette Edition Shadows in Aurora
Dior 5-Couleurs Croisette Edition Shadows in Aurora
These five shadows are beautifully pigmented, as I would expect from Dior.
The four perimeter shadows have a soft Dior signature shimmer (no glitter) and the center pink shadow has a soft iridescent finish. My favorite way to wear this palette is to use the lower left soft tan/beige shade from lash to brow, with the upper left golden shadow blended on the outer 1/3 of my lid and a combination of the upper right warm brown (this shade is stunning!) and lower right warm copper/orange washed into the crease. For fun, I added a little of the center pink shade onto the center of my lid and I also used a deep violet/purple liner on my upper and lower lashes. It looked fantastic and wore extremely well for the 7+ hours I had it on!
These are one swipe swatches! A beautiful palette of buttery shadows that are well pigmented, have no fall out, blend beautifully and wear well. In my palette, the tan/beige shade (lower left of palette) had a tiny chunk that fell apart – I’ve never had this happen before and I suspect it may have happened in shipping.
Availability: Dior counters (limited edition)
Price: $60/US, .24 oz
4/5 Smooches: I’m so glad I picked this up and have been enjoying wearing this warm summer nights palette.
❤ Liz
©MyBeautyBlackBook.com All rights reserved. Your support of my Beauty Black Book is always appreciated so please do feel free to share a link back to this post. However, no part of this post (including any photos which I obsess over in a most ridiculous way) may be reproduced, tweeted or posted without my okay…okay?
As a young girl, I remember how thrilled and on cloud nine I felt whenever the seasons changed, especially when spring turned to summer. It’s funny because I don’t like being out in the sun (weird, I know) but I love sunshine and all the feel good moments summer seems to stir up.
It was summertime when my high school boyfriend first kissed me, when I traveled to Hawaii for the first time, and when I spent months getting to know my grandmother (we’re so much alike!). I learned the most about my self and had the most memorable experiences during summer…
I suppose that’s why even today, all these years later, summer continues to make me silly with expectation knowing something wonderful is about to happen. And this summer, at least in terms of makeup, there are all sorts of beautifully packaged and well performing products that are giving me that butterflies in my stomach feeling.
Like the new Diorskin Nude Tan Healthy Glow Enhancing Powder Bronzer. I chose the shade Sunlight – a kissed by the sun shade that reminds me of summers spent cruising with the top down and getting the slightest hint of golden color – before it turns into a true tan – that isn’t orange or muddy. On me, it is the perfect shade of light golden bronze.
The box for Diorskin Nude Tan Healthy Glow Enhancing Powder Bronze is super sized because it not only houses the mirrored silver Cannage inspired compact, it also comes with a cutie sized kabuki brush!
Diorskin Nude Tan Healthy Glow Enhancing Powder Bronze in Sunlight #002
Diorskin Nude Tan Healthy Glow Enhancing Powder Bronze in Sunlight #002. The compact feels weighty and decadent…I’m adoring this new packaging.
Diorskin Nude Tan Healthy Glow Enhancing Powder Bronze in Sunlight #002 applies smoothly, and blends easily. The shade is a light golden color – picture the shade you turn just before you achieve a full on tan – that you can build should you want to intensify your glow. Note: For reference, I am a MAC NC20, Dior 21 and Chanel B20
Four sections include two deep shades (the D and U) and two lighter golden peach shades (the N and E) that have refined micro-shimmer. On the skin, they are not noticeable. I like to swirl all four shades but you can dip your brush into the two darker shades for bronzing, and use the lighter shades on cheeks as you would blush.
Sunlight looked a lot like last years Aurora bronzer (from the Electric Tropics summer 2011 collection). Side-by-side, they look identical but on the skin, Sunlight is a shade (or two) lighter…
Left: Aurora (from Electric Tropics), Sunlight. You can see both are very similar but on skin, Sunlight is a shade or two lighter than Aurora and has a more golden warm peach tone.
Availability: Dior counters
Price: $55/US, .35 oz
4/5 Smooches: A slightly lighter shade and new packaging make this a definite Beauty Black Book “check it out” item!
If you already own Aurora from last years collection, you could pass on Sunlight…but you may not want to.
❤ Liz
©MyBeautyBlackBook.com All rights reserved. Your support of my Beauty Black Book is always appreciated so please do feel free to share a link back to this post. However, no part of this post (including any photos which I obsess over in a most ridiculous way) may be reproduced, tweeted or posted without my okay…okay?
I like a good feast whether it’s at Thanksgiving, Easter or my weekly “cheat” day. I’m usually left feeling full. So full in fact, I have to push myself away from the table and pry the top button of my jeans loose with a pair of pliers. But a lipstick feast of pinks, like those in the Aurora lip kit from Le Métier de Beauté well, that’s a give me more situation!
Le Métier de Beauté Lip Kit in Aurora. The top of the palette is safeguarded with a clear removable plastic film to prevent scratching.
Le Métier de Beauté Lip Kit in Aurora.
Aurora is my first Le Métier de Beauté Lip Kit – and probably not my last. It’s packaged just like the eyeshadow kaleidoscope except that it’s housed in a silver palette.
The Lip Kit in Aurora complete with four stunning pink shades. My only complaint is that I just don’t care for dipping my fingers into pots (or palettes) of gloss. A lip brush, for me, is a must!
Illuminate – a bright, warm flamingo pink with shimmery sparkles.
Voltaic – a creamy muted warm mauve-rose and makes a pretty everyday shade.
Dynamos – a sheer strawberry coral with hints of gold and silver sparkles. It’s almost too pretty to use!
Eos – an opaque, cool, bright blue-pink with a cream finish. This was the shade that had me sold.
Left to Right: Illuminate, Voltaic, Dynamos, Eos. These are high shine, non sticky glosses that look just as pretty paired up as they do alone or even as a quartet! And, the Crème brûlée scent is as delicious as the shades themselves. (photo taken indoors)
Availability: Le Métier de Beauté counters (limited edition)
Price: $95/US, .49 oz
5/5 Smooches: I’m tickled pink over this lip kit!
I also reviewed the Le Métier de Beauté kaleidoscope in Northern Lights from the spring 2012 collection. You can read all about it here.
❤ Liz
©MyBeautyBlackBook.com All rights reserved. Your support of my Beauty Black Book is always appreciated so please do feel free to share a link back to this post. However, no part of this post (including any photos which I obsess over in a most ridiculous way) may be reproduced, tweeted or posted without my okay…okay?
It’s rare for me not to jump up and down when a new Dior collection (or product) is announced. But for the past couple of weeks I’ve had seesaw feelings about the upcoming Dior Croisette Summer Color 2012 collection. Will I or won’t I?
Surprisingly, there are only a couple of pieces from the collection I’m excited about, and that’s unusual for me. Let me show you what’s coming up…
5-Color Croisette Eyeshadow Palette: Swimming Pool #224 (warm blue, sand, nude pink tones) and Aurora #654 (warm gold, bronze, brown tones) $59/US. I’m not sure I’ll be picking up either palette! The pastels may be too light and the warm palette may resemble shades I already own. I’ll definitely need to see these in person before I decide fully.
Couleur Eye Gloss (a gel formula): Azur, Sunset, Seashell, Tan $28/US (Tan and Seashell are Sephora exclusives). I’ll pick up at least one (maybe two) since this is a new product to the Dior beauty range.
Dior Addict Ultra Gloss: Orange Sari, Rose Croisette, Brun Panama, Aube $28/US. The past couple of summer collections launched with the Glow Ultra Gloss finish – they’re not my favorites. If any of these have the Pearl finish, I’m all over them!
Update 4/6/12: I just learned the Ultra Gloss finish for this collection are all Flash meaning they are glittery and slightly more pigmented (only slightly) than the Glow finish.
Dior Addict Lipstick: Palace, Casual, Jet Set $30/US. Palace has me intrigued. What about you?
Dior Addict Lip Balm: Crystal, Crystal Coral (Sephora Excluisve), Coral Rose $30/US
Dior Vernis: Bikini (don’t you just love the name!) and St. Tropez (this one will be a fast sell out) $23/US, Diorshow Waterproof Liner in Turquoise #258 (not at Sephora) $29/US
Availability: Dior counters around mid-April (some counters are already showing the collection). Sephora (many items already available online)
Is anything calling your name? This may be a tiny beauty buy from me…we’ll see.
❤Liz
Dear Diary…
Do you know how the month of May was named?
I was curious so I did a little digging (what did I do before Google?!) and discovered that May was named for the Roman Goddess of spring and growth, Maia. Maia’s name came from a Latin word which means to increase or grow.
Well, I can tell you that for me, May has in fact been a month of interesting surprises all pointing towards change and moving to great new levels – Goddess Maia’s influence was definitely in the air.
And as excited as I am for all the new heights I’m sure to reach in the coming months, my climb up makeup mountain during the month of May (that’s a whole lot of M’s) would make any Roman Goddess smile.
I tried a new foundation and am positively bonkers over it. Dior Capture Totale foundation (in shade #20) has been sweetly caressing my skin with a mix of both light-medium coverage and hydration (and I’ve needed both!). This is seriously the most hydrating foundation I’ve ever tried. It’s a great blend of treatment and color.
Although May has given me only a handful of sunny days, I didn’t let that deter me from sporting a healthy sunny glow. And it was Dior, once again, that came to my rescue this month with the Diorskin Nude Healthy Glow powder. While I’ve alternated between Aurora and Sunset, to my surprise, Sunset stole my heart this month. It looks quite dark in the compact but it is a beautiful warm, golden shade that no amount of outdoor hiking or lazy days by the pool has yet to mimic.
Because I change out my lipsticks each day like a runway model changes outfits, it says a lot that Revlon Fashion’s Night Pout was the #1 lipstick I’ve been strutting around town with this month. I love me a good nude and this warm peach nude not only feels good on my lips but wears well too. And when I felt I needed a tad more color, I found myself grabbing Sue Devitt’s Lip Enhancing Gloss in Coral Sands. I think Goddess Maia would have liked this combo…
With all the warm tones on my face, I decided to play up my eyes with color but I honestly felt like Piccasso this month dipping and dabbing from a variety of eye palettes from Inglot, MAC, Milani (those baked metallic eye shadows…I swoon) and a few others. So this month dear diary, I didn’t choose a specific product or brand but instead chose BRIGHT COLOR as my favorite eye look for the month – no safe base camp neutrals for me!
And speaking of eyes, I couldn’t make it through the month without Sibu Beauty’s Sea Buckthorn Age Defying Eye Cream. This lightweight cream has kept my eye area smooth and moisturized. What I’ve enjoyed most is that it absorbs into my skin almost immediately and doesn’t get in the way of my makeup application. It doesn’t hurt that it contains sea buckthorn oil which dates back to Ancient Greek texts for its ability to heal and maintain skin health (amongst other things) – those Greeks knew a good thing when they saw it!
As I look back on my climb up makeup mountain I can’t forget the one thing I’ve reached for most of all…the one thing that’s given me sustenance when I’ve needed it most…chocolate covered almonds! I don’t know if the Roman Gods would approve but I’ve loved every crunch.
Until next month…
❤Liz
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I’ve had a long standing love affair with Dior since the 80’s. I realize I’ve just shown my age but hey, 47 is treating me pretty well ☺
Maybe it’s the beautiful blue and now silver compacts that tantalize me. Or maybe it’s the velvet pouches they come in that have me swooning. Yes, Dior packaging is luxurious, sensual and even the strongest gal can’t resist its charm.
All of that aside, what first sold me on Dior was this magnificent rose facial exfoliator that is sadly, discontinued. I’m a sucker for a subtle rose aroma.
Later, I explored their shadows (the only ones I would buy until recently) and was in awe at the silky, lush textures and easy blendability. You can see why Dior had me at hello.
And this summer Dior tempted me (and you?) again with their Electric Tropics collection.
To be entirely candid, there’s really nothing “electric” about the collection save for the polishes but a little marketing mishap didn’t stop me from being completely and utterly electrified (yeah, I’m being cheesy today) by the collection.
I rarely pass up the chance to pick up a Dior quint and in this collection I chose Rosy Tan. For a summer palette it’s not especially bright. In fact, it’s a nice neutral shimmery collection of shades that blend like nobody’s business – for real – and while most lines release colorful palettes for summer I’m okay with Dior taking us in a different direction (it’s true love for me after all).
My Dior counter manager, Eric, convinced me I needed both of their Diorskin Nude Healthy Glow powders. These powders are Amaazing (with a capital A) and are imprinted with a woven pattern much like that of the Lady Dior Avenue tote (a beautiful bag by the way).
Originally I was vying for the Aurora (a breath taking combination of pinks, soft tan and soft bronze) which was created for fair to medium complexions but after talking with Eric I figured why not also get the Sunset palette which is much deeper in shading.
I’m so glad I picked up both because they’re both equally stunning. The powder is silky and glides on the skin easily and imparts a lovely sheen. They’re both very pigmented so a little dab will do you particularly with the deeper shade of Sunset. In MAC-speak I am an NC20-25 and the Sunset works but only if I apply it sparingly and with a light hand (a stippling brush is my brush of choice for this one).
This year, Dior introduced the Healthy Glow Summer Fluid. A lightly textured liquid to powder finish, this product gives a sheer wash of color that can be used alone on bare skin or mixed with foundation for a sun kissed glow. There are two shades in the Electric Tropics collection and I chose 01 Rosy Nude.
At first glance I rejected this product because it looked far too dark for me. But after playing with it I realized a) I could use a tad more color this summer and b) the color intensity does sheer out if you use a light hand. So, in my bag it went.
I find this product works best when used with foundation (1-2 drops should be enough). It gave my face a touch more warmth and looked velvety on my skin – not overly dewy and not matte. And in case you’re wondering, there are no shimmers or glitters as you often find in products of this nature.
The only part of this collection I was disappointed with were the Dior Addict Crystal Glosses. They claim to deliver hydration and volume to the lips – I experienced neither. The shades are lightly tinted – more so in the tubes than on lips – and offer next to nothing in terms of color.
They are more slick (that’s my way of saying a slippery mess) than other Dior glosses and tend to bleed. To get some wear out of these I’m applying them over brighter toned lip pencils. In this way, they add a nice sheen to the lips but honestly, a clear gloss from any drugstore brand would do the same.
Every love affair comes with at least one gripe and mine are the Crystal glosses. Boo hiss!
Otherwise, the collection is a departure from the in your face brights we’re seeing for summer. If you like neutrals but want your look to reflect a hint of a summer glow this could be the collection for you.
Are you into this seasons bright oranges and pinks or do you prefer summery neutrals? What are you grabbing from this collection…anything?
♡Liz
All items available now at major department stores while supplies last.
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