Makeup Magpie: August 2010

Saturday, August 28, 2010

MAC F/W Nail Trend 2010

I have been crazy for nail polish lately in all hues from the most modest pinks and nudes, to deep browns, plums and berries, to bright magentas, blues and greens, and of course the grey trend, which is a favorite because it's actually quite neutral and wearable. My recent discovery of nail blogs on the web has created a polish obsession! I thought I would only pick up just one or two shades at most from MAC's F/W Nail Trend collection, but I should have known better, because within the space of two days I am now the happy owner of the entire collection. Whew, I think I had better take a break from new purchases for a while and start shopping my stash! :)

Below is a comparison of just a couple of the shades (Earthly Harmony and Jade Dragon). I did not swatch the rest of the collection, but more photos can be found at All Lacquered Up.

Have a good weekend all!

There is a significant difference between Particuliere and Earthly Harmony. Earthly Harmony is more grey toned and has flecks of gold shimmer (which show up when photographed with a flash but are sadly not really noticeable on the nails), and has more of a dull finish. Obviously, Particuliere is a lot darker, with more brownish-taupe tones and has a smoother finish.

Sorry, I misspelled Lippmann in my labels! (left out an the "n" at the end)

Deborah Lippmann's Don't Tell Mama is darker (it almost appears black in some lighting) and looks to have teal green shimmer, whereas MAC's Jade Dragon has more of a forest green base, with pretty dark greenish-blue glitter. If you are a fan of dark polish you may love these! (I don't own the Lippmann shade--just tried it on in Nordstrom today.) Be forewarned: the glitter/shimmer in these is not really apparent once you've had them on for a while. It is the kind of shimmer that shows up only under direct lighting and at certain angles. This may be a plus or minus depending on your level of love for shimmer! (I just happened to be trying on SOPI's Run With It earlier today at Sephora, so that one is just randomly included with the others :).

Without flash

Left to right: Imperial Flower, Earthly Harmony, Jade Dragon, Ming Blue, Concubine, Rain of Flowers

With flash

Friday, August 27, 2010

Shiseido Luminizing Satin Eye Color Trio in Beach Grass

Happy Friday everyone!

Here is a quick look I wore today, using my new Shiseido palette Beach Grass (RD 299), a Macy's exclusive ($33) created by Shiseido's Creative Director, makeup artist Dick Page. This palette consists of a mid-tone mauve satin; a gorgeous shimmery, pale marigold; and a soft bisque for highlighting.

I don't own many Shiseido products, but I do love their cream eyeshadows--they make great bases for powders or pigments and are also really pretty on their own. Shiseido has been around for ages (incorporated in 1927 according to this source) and I think this brand is often overlooked in the U.S., but offers some nice products. I didn't have high hopes for this trio, because the pigmentation seemed a bit lacking, but it's actually just right for daytime and I think this may become a favorite because of its simplicity: gold on the lid, mauve in the crease, some of the cream color as a highlight - throw on some eyeliner & done! :) The gold adds a little interest to what might otherwise be a dull look, and is easy to wear because it gives a soft glow rather than a full metallic finish.

I love the delicate flower logo

Eyeshadow was applied without a base. I used the gold shade on lid, mauve on crease, and the cream as a brow highlight.

Thanks for visiting!

Sunday, August 22, 2010

Dusty Pinks and Deep Browns with Chanel Confidentielle, Confidence & Rose Confidentiel

Lately, I have been forgoing bright and summery fushcias and corals and have instead been drawn to dusty pinks, chocolate browns, and grey-beige ("greige") nails lately. I guess this means I'm ready for fall! In my part of the world the weather is hot and steamy, with temperatures in the mid-to-upper 90's, so I am doing a little wishful thinking for cooler weather!

I picked up a couple of items from Chanel's most recent releases in the Rouge Allure range: Lip Colour in #66 Confidentielle and Extrait De Gloss in #55 Confidence. I don't have the Rouge Coco in Rose Dentelle, but have looked at it a few times in the store and was debating whether or not to purchase it. I think Confidentielle may be similar enough that I don't need both. It's a very pretty and wearable rosy-pink with a touch of shimmer. Confidence lip gloss is a great match but also looks lovely on its own, and I really like the texture and design of the sponge applicator.

I also got the nail colour #491 Rose Confidentiel, which could be described as a brownish-rose. It is an attractive color, but not what I would call a groundbreaking shade, and I recently read one woman's opinion that it looks like an old-fashioned shade and something her "grandmother might have worn" (no offense to lovely and stylish grandmothers of the world!). But I do think it all depends on your personal style--if worn with the right outfit I think this could look modern enough. I like to pair shades like this with outfits of ivory, beiges, taupes, deep chocolatey-browns, burgundys, plums, or greys. Every once in a while, after all of the edgy, trendy or glittery colors (which I love!), it can be refreshing to return to something a little more subdued, romantic and classicly pretty like Rose Confidentiel.

Rouge Allure Lip Gloss: Confidence

Below is the lipstick with a little bit of the gloss top:

Left to Right: Chanel Imperial, Sephora by OPI Studs & Stilettos and Dating the Drummer, Essie Double Dip, Sally Hansen Haute Chocolate, Sephora by OPI Do I Know You?

Left to Right: Sephora by OPI Do I Know You?, Chanel Rose Confidentiel, Zoya Mia, OPI Dulce de Leche

Note: I think Rose Confidentiel looks slightly darker in person than in the photos

Sunday, August 15, 2010

Burberry Beauty Product Photos & Swatches

I received my Burberry orders from Nordstrom weeks ago and am taking advantage of some free time on a rainy South Florida Sunday to finally post my initial picks from the collection.

View from my window of the post-thunderstorm sunset as I was finishing this post

I would love to hear what your recommendations or favorites from this collection are, so please feel free to leave a comment. :)

Read on for my thoughts or skip ahead for photos and swatches!

Among the lipsticks my favorites are Heather Rose and Dusty Rose -- both are flattering mid-tones with a bit of shimmer. I thought I would love Cameo, but found it to be a little too light on its own, whereas Nutmeg is too dark on me. I didn't want to bother returning these so I did some experimentation and was happy to find that mixing Cameo & Nutmeg together creates a pretty wearable shade, so they are not a total waste! I am still looking forward to trying the popular Rosewood some day.

The lip definers have a great, soft and blendable texture. I was surprised at how seriously bright Dusty Rose is. It is waaaay brighter than the lipstick by the same name. I'm sure it will look great on some women, but I like lip liners to provide a bit of definition while at the same time being barely noticeable. This one is quite the opposite--no matter how much blending in I do, it's like, "look at me! I have a bright pink line around my lips!" Sepia and Nude Beige are nice though.

The lip glosses have a great texture. Cameo came across as orangey in the swatches, but is a more of a sheer peach on the lips -- the shimmer doesn't show up on application. Cameo Pink is a perfect warm, light shimmery pink.

I haven't used all of the eyeshadows yet so haven't developed any final opinion on these, but had fun doing the swatches and think they are all pretty, have a great texture and the perfect amount of shimmer. Porcelain makes a really nice highlight or all-over shade. Pearl Grey is lovely and unlike any other grey I have. I love purples and plums in general, especially deep, dark shades and Midnight Plum is a nice one to have.

The eyeliners are decent/average: you get a superior amount of product and it's a plus to have a sharpener included. Texture is similar to a typical kohl liner, but not nearly as smooth as say Urban Decay's 24/7 liners. The colors are nice, but not so unique that you can't find something similar elsewhere for less money.

I only chose one blush so far: Peony. It's a pretty light pink that really brightens up the face. Love it!

Hopefully these swatches and photos are helpful, since this is still a line that is not readily available to everyone for viewing in person. I hope this post is not too picture-heavy--it's sometimes hard for me to edit them down! As you've probably already discovered, there are many great resources for Burberry reviews and photos on the web, such as at NaturalNChic Makeup and The Beauty Look Book, among others.

SHEER EYE SHADOW