Preview: NARS Spring 2013

My goodies from NARS for Spring 2013 have arrived!

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Clockwise from top: NARS Sangria blush, Persia eye shadow, Cythere lip gloss pencil

As I hinted in my makeup intelligence post on NARS Spring 2013, I picked up the blush in Sangria, matte eye shadow in Persia and the lip gloss in Cythere.  I was most excited about getting Sangria but in the back of my mind I knew I had to get Persia.  And I am so glad that I did!

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Full face look feat. NARS Persia eye shadow (Mekong in crease, Kilimanjaro on browbown), Sangria blush (over Luster and Super Orgasm) and Cythere lip pencil over MUFE #10C lip pencil.

I’m currently testing these products but I can definitely say all three are worth purchasing, especially the Persia eye shadow.  If you are a medium to dark and darker brown girl, you need Persia in your life!  And even if you have strong red undertones as I do, blending this color with NARS Mekong (or any other cool toned dark shadow) will make it work. An added bonus about this color (which is insanely pigmented by the way) is that it makes that Maybelline Color Tattoo cream shadow in ‘Fierce and Tangy’ orange worth using again.  NARS Persia looks stunning on top of Maybelline’s Fierce and Tangy.

NARS Spring 2013 collection is available now at NARSCosmetics.com and coming to Sephora.com and NARS counters in upscale department stores in February.

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Chanel Summer 2012 NOW AVAILABLE

The Chanel Summer 2012 collection is now available for purchase at Chanel.com.  Not sure when it will hit regular stores but I’d suggest calling your favorite Chanel counter to find out the exact date.

Chanel Summer 2012 collection now Available!

Vacation Beauty!

Hello dear readers!

I am currently down at Walt Disney World enjoying sun, fun and food I don’t have to cook myself. I’m also Florida testing some beauty products to report on in a later post.  I had a lovely visit to the Guerlain boutique located in the France Pavillion at EPCOT in Disney World and purchased some new fragrance products that should be hitting stores soon.

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The 'side' entrance to the Guerlain boutique. Tres chic!

To coincide with EPCOT’s Flower and Garden festival for 2012, there are two (2) new fragrances just launched by Guerlain. A fruit-floral fragrance called Idylle and a new Aqua Allegoria called Lys Soleia. Check ’em out!

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Guerlain's newest Aqua Allegoria--Lys Soleia! The essence of lily and ylang-ylang is light and heavenly!

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Idylle -- The brand new Guerlain fragrance which is a floral with a hint of vanilla

I didn’t check the receipt too closely but I believe the 1.7oz of Idylle is around $90 USD and the 4.2oz of Lys Soleia is around $95 USD. The prices are excluding taxes.

I’ll have a full write-up of my visit upon my return back to PA. Hope all of my readers are doing well!

Shop MAC Call Me Bubbles Eye Shadow Quad: The Rundown

It has been a long time, okay, never, that I’ve been interested in purchasing an eye shadow quad from a MAC collection. It was either the colors were too boring, or the color payoff was absolutely awful. And as much as I love my Veluxe Pearl finishes, having only one per quad wasn’t enough to make me cough up the cash to buy one.

That is, until this collection came out.

The Shop MAC portion of the Shop MAC / Cook MAC collection features three (3) eye shadow quads. They are Shop and Drop (which I skipped due to funds), Colour Added and Call Me Bubbles. Initially I was going to put the reviews of both quads in one post but I managed to find some eyeshadows in my stash (permanent and limited edition) to provide as a comparison. I am hoping this will be of help if you aren’t interested in the entire quad for whatever reason but perhaps one of the colors catches your eye enough to want something close to it.

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Cook MAC Call Me Bubbles Eye Shadow Quad

When I hear the name ‘bubbles’ I think either white or pink. Leave it to MAC to try something different. The Call Me Bubbles eye shadow quad consist of four coordinating colors. Call Me Bubbles (Satin) a slightly peachy-white, Fresh Daily (Frost) a tangy tangerine orange, Full Of Flavour (Matte) a buttery pink coral, and Brash (Veluxe Pearl) which is smooth pearly coppery goodness. All four shades work great together and the only shade I had a slight issue with was Full Of Flavour but that’s only because me and matte shades don’t get along too well. I will say compared to the hot mess that is Free To Be, it is an extreme improvement and a joy to work with.

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Call Me Bubbles quad look done by MAC MUA (wearing MAC Matchmaster foundation in 8.0) Watch Me Simmer lipstick, Optimistic Orange cremeblend blush and Wholesome fluidline

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The color in the crease is MAC Saddle eyeshadow--not in the quad but it is a permanent shade

”]20120211-223127.jpg20120211-223141.jpgCall Me Bubbles (S) is flatter of a finish and whiter as compared to Dazzlelight (VXP) and much less frosty than Rice Paper (F). It all comes down to finish when comparing this shade.

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From left: Dazzlelight (VXP), Call Me Bubbles (S), Rice Paper (F)

Fresh Daily (F) is more tangerine than Motif (F) and not as peachy coral as Paradisco (F). There is definitely a difference in color between these three shades. Fresh Daily is color that I haven’t seen in MAC’s eyeshadow lineup as it is definitely not a Matte like Orange nor a Satin finish and orange like Rule. Melon pigment might be closer.

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From left: Motif (F), Fresh Daily (F), Paradisco (F)

Full of Flavour (M) is much more coral pink than Samoa Silk (V) and slightly more pink than Free To Be (M). It is very smooth to apply like Samoa Silk and isn’t nearly as fussy as Free To Be to get great application and color payoff.

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From left: Samoa Silk (V), Full of Flavour (M), Free To Be (M)

Brash (VXP) is less red than Coppering (VXP) and has more of a peach cast than PaparazzShe (MMS/Peacocky). It is also more orange than Mythical (VXP/MAC Me Over–not pictured). This is the softest shade of the quad in texture and is the most pigmented. As it is a Veluxe Pearl (VXP) the color payoff is what I have come to expect from this finish.

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From left: Coppering (VXP), Brash (VXP), PaparazzShe (MMS)

As I am a total sucker for coral and coppery shades this quad was definitely a must have for me. It is great for creating lighter and softer looks that are easy for most people to wear. The colors aren’t necessarily unique but the performance of all four makes it definitely worth owning. If you’re not up for making the plunge for this quad, please revisit my swatches and keep them in mind when looking for comparable shades. I’m very much looking forward to using this quad–especially the gorgeous coral matte shade Full of Flavour so I can kick Free To Be to the curb.

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Call Me Bubbles quad 'softer' look with Full Of Flavour (matte) and Added Goodness fluidine. Color hack of Watch Me Simmer by using Pink Poodle lipglass over Vegas Volt

Pinterest: Resort 2012 Beauty & Style Picks

Thanks to Lianne Farbes of TheMakeupGirl.net, I have officially made the jump into the new addiction known as Pinterest.  I’m loving it in that it’s a great way to pull out those beauty and style thoughts out of my head and up onto the screen.  Plus it’s a great way to let you, my readers, know what trends have caught my eye.

Check out my latest board containing my picks for Resort 2012.  Enjoy!