Trilogy Hydrating Mist Toner +

I try to keep this blog about makeup, but of course I will write about a few skincare products that I use very often. I've been really liking Trilogy's Hydrating Mist Toner :) 

Trilogy is known for their rosehip oil (which is a staple in my skincare actually). This stuff smells amazing and it's the best stuff that has come across my face. Ok, but this review is about their Hydrating Mist Toner (sorry for digressing). They're all about simple, organic and natural ingredients. I know it sounds so cliche, but as I've stated before: my skin does not react well to fruit ingredients in skincare. The few items that my skin won't react to, it generally doesn't sit well on my face either. Until I found Trilogy skincare.

Their products are made in New Zeland and for those of you who are wondering: the ingredients are GMO free, they are against animal testing and are recyclable bottles. 

Package: All of their products come in a dark glass bottle. The spray nozzle is awesome because it shoots a very fine spray. It doesn't feel like I've been rained on and when it lands on your skin, you don't see large drops on your face. It's 3.3 oz. 

Smell: it smells like roses and lavender. Big surprise eh? 

Ingredients:  Rosa Centrifolia (Rose Flower) Water, Pelargonium Graveolens (Geranium Flower) Wate, Lavendula Officinalis (Lavender) Water, Polysorbate 20, Ethylhexylglycerin, Phenoxyethanol, Parfum, Geraniol, Citronellol, Linalool, *Components of Natural Essential Oils

Why I think it's great: I've tried a few face mists, and most of them leave a funny feeling on my face. This once settled into my skin, it feels so soft. When my skin starts to feel hot, I spritz some of this on, and the feeling goes away. Generally when my face feels hot, it's usually from the weather and I start to break out in random red spots. This stuff totally calms my face. I use this even when after I apply my makeup and it just feels so great against your skin. 

Price and where it's sold: $28 and it's sold primarily online. I'm lucky that I live near one of the four stockists in the USA, so I get mine from a local spa.

I use their Replenishing Night Cream for daytime during the winter. Whoever made this cream should receive an award because it's one of the very few creams that actually absorbs into my skin. As I stated before, I use their Rosehip oil (year round).

Beaute Cosmetics Harlot liqui-gel stain +

Today I get to present to you Harlot liqui-gel stain. Some of you may (or not) know about Beaute Cosmetics, but it's known for their lipcremes and liqui-gel stains. Here's some info about the line itself, and I think it really does represent what it's all about:

We think of make-up and first we think colour: Beauté is using the most forward thinking technologies available to create the most sumptuous shades, textures and finishes ever seen, touched or coveted. Beautiful make-up may be one of life’s great gratifications however so much is in the application. 

I've met Mr. Nelson himself and from our brief discussion, he really does spend a lot of time and thought into his products (ingredients, application, ease of use, and how it looks on people). It's definitely refreshing to see someone who really is this passionate about their products. 

I personally do not like lip stains because they're so drying. I think of what's out there in terms of lipstains and I shiver because they're really not appealing to me at all. They cling to my lips and make them more dry to the point where my lips start to flake. Of course that changed with Beaute's stains. I purchased Harlot because of the name actually. (I know, I am a bit of a perv). What makes this really great is that it's not drying at all on your lips. Just keep reading +

 
Packaging: It comes in a clear tube, black lid and it's a doe foot applicator.

Smell and formula: It has a very minimal floral like scent that quickly disappears, texture is definitely a liquid-gel. It's a beautiful texture and formula if you ask me. The pigmentation of these are AWESOME. It's the only stain that I'll ever buy going forward, and the lasting power is amazing. I did a test run with this on my cheeks and it was over 10 hours. I'm sure it would have lasted more time, but I had to sleep. What's even better about this stain is that it's really easy to apply. One dot on your cheeks and just spread with your fingers. I haven't experienced any streaky or uneven distribution of color. :D 

Price: $29, you do get a lot of product, as you'll see below. The downside is that it's only sold online. I wish it was sold in a store. *shakes fist*

Color: A gorgeous berry shade. I really need to use this more often.

top to bottom: 

MAC Secret Crush stain

Beaute Harlot

Harlot on the left, you can definitely sheer this out more with your fingers or a brush, but I wanted to show you what a small amount can do. It's really a vibrant shade. I did a quick rub, as you can see on top/left side I didn't really sheer it. whoops. :\

MACs Secret Crush on the right. I personally do not like this stain because it's so drying. I had no idea how sheer it was until doing this comparison.

Is it worth buying? Yes. It's phenomenal!!  I like this more than Tarte, Benetint, and MACs. I need to get Flouron and Fever next.

Rouge Bunny Rouge Word of Mouth Lipstick +

Rouge Bunny Rouge is a relatively new makeup line based from Russia. I've heard of this line through the grapevine of the makeup community. What makes me sad is that it's not sold in the United States, but it is sold on Zuneta. Anyway, a little bit about the brand:

What makes the website in of itself stand out is the very visual and beautiful layout. Another aspect are their intense descriptions of the products, as seen on their lipstick page seen here:

The fiercely beautiful royal dragonflies from the Enchanted Garden inspired us to concoct this glorious beam of a lipstick for you.

Their buzzing intensity has been poured into the most vividly delectable hues imaginable, to make your lips appear instantly fuller, and bewitchingly luminous.

Ok, sounds a little over the top (to me), but at least the theme is original, unlike most products that are based off of something sexual, like say NARS blushes. It sounds pretty and glamourous, but does it really live up to their descriptions? For Word of Mouth lipstick, yes, it does. 

Packaging: It comes in a sleek black tube, with a flowery/garden like design on the bottom of the tube. I do wish that it had a magnetic enclosure, but it's a small con. My main concern is the cap falling off in my bag, but the lid doesn't easily slide off either. The tube is sturdy, which I like.

Texture: Can I just take a few moments to discuss this? It's what I've dreamed in terms of what my dream lipbalm and lipstick in one would feel like on my lips. It's definitely a full coverage lipstick, but the balm feeling is amazing. It's really a unique formula in of itself. It has been a long time since I've been really blown away with such a texture.

Longevity: It's not as long-lasting as my Giorgio Armani Rouge d'Armani lipstick, but you do get a few hours with it. The best part is due to the brilliant texture, it wears off to a beautiful balmy stain. When it does wear off, the balm feeling remains and your lips feel so moisturized and hydrated. 

The color itself, well let's see some photos:

 

The box that it comes in.

 From left to right:

Rouge Bunny Rouge Word of Mouth 

Rouge Bunny Rouge Raw Silence

The closest color that I have in my makeup vault is probably Shu Uemura.

from left to right:

Word of Mouth

Shu Uemura RD 175.

Is it worth getting: Yes !! Word of Mouth is such a soft shade that even fair ladies would feel comfortable wearing it. I know this color will be a staple in my makeup bag with my pretty Rouge d'Armani lipsticks. I'll be buying more Rouge Bunny Rouge when I return from vacation. :)

Ellis Faas 302 blush

After playing with this a few times, I'm finally reviewing Ellis Faas blush in 302. It's in the signature silver bullet shape. The color is a warm dusty rose, I can't quite describe the shade because I currently don't have a similar shade personally. It has very pretty multi-dimensional glitter.

Packaging: I like the packaging in terms of the silver bullet, but the actual applicator? I personally hate it. It does nothing for me in terms of ease of application on my face. In order for me to apply the blush,  you have to rotate the bottom and have it click several times in order for product to come out. Ok and my personal gripe with click type items, if you click too much, then you have too much product out there and it's not like you can put it back in the bullet. Once it's out, I have to apply it on the back of my hand and then put it on.

Formula and lasting power: Formula is a bit hard to work with in the sense that I have to keep working with it with my fingers. Why you ask? Because a sheer layer can go on a bit uneven, but then when you layer it on a bit, it goes on evenly. The finish is really pretty and the lasting power on the other hand, is awesome. What makes this really great overall, is the lasting power. This color is unique enough to have in my personal collection, but still.

Ok onto the pictures:

From top to bottom:

Ellis Faas 302

GA Blushing Fabric in #3

MAC Springsheen

Is this worth having? The color is gorgeous and the lasting power is it's only saving grace for me personally. The lack of ease of use for me personally does not make me want to buy another blush from the line.  If I run out of this color, will I buy it again? Probably, but if there's a similar shade in powder form, I'd rather get that instead.

Le Metier de Beaute Chameleon Eyeshadow +

FINALLY!! I get to finally review this color. This is one of those colors that stood at the counter, stared right back at me each time I went to visit. For one reason or another, I didn't get it until last week. I used to sigh and tell myself, "next time I'll get it". That was the story for about 5 months. I love neutral colors, but this one is definitely has a green undertone. I love wearing it with neutrals because it stands out. Definitely a shade that can change depending on what colors you use with it.

Texture and finish: It's definitely the signature Le Metier's buttery-velvety soft goodness that makes me swoon each time I touch it. It has a pearl sheen, but no sparkle. The closest in texture is Shu Uemura's Pearl, but these bad boys are more refined in texture and sheen. Le Metier makes my favorite eyeshadows because of the finish, texture, and they're amazing for layering colors. If it's one thing you must try from this line, it has to be their eyeshadows.

Price and size: $30 for 3.8 grams. They are nicely packaged with a mirror, and they are larger than your standard MAC or Shu eyeshadows. MACs eyeshadows are 1.3 grams for $14.50. So let's think about this: Le Metier's are approximately 3x as large as MACs, yet they're only $30. For the quality and texture of these, trust me, they're worth every penny.

Ok, well you know what happens now :) ++

from left to right:

Le Metier de Beaute Jojo eyeshadow

Le Metier de Beaute Chameleon

MAC Lucky Green eyeshadow

The reason that I used these shades is so you can see how neutral, yet how green this shade is. Plus you can visualize the size difference between Le Metier's and MACs.

a pretty closeup of Chameleon (I'm sorry for the dirty mess I make with my e/s), shame on me! 

from left to right:

Jojo

Chameleon

Lucky Green

I'm so glad I finally got this color, because it's such a pretty shade. :) Yay!

Le Metier de Beaute Smoldering Embarkment +

Today I had the pleasure of seeing Dustin Lujan at the Le Metier de Beaute counter today and guess who got to see the new Smoldering Embarkment kaleidoscope!!?!? 


I apologize for the bad photo, I was in a rush to just take a picture.  Either way, Isn't the silver packaging pretty? 

Dustin's inspiration for this palette were colors aren't like any of the existing colors, but also keeping in mind colors that complement the permanent line. He wanted this palette to be colors that you can wear on a daily basis, or even using the shades for a subtle smokey eye. 

I've been asked if any of these shades are duplicates from the permanent line, and the answer is no.

Let's just say, it was very well thought out, because I very pleased with what he had in mind.

Onto the colors:

Dustin offered me his hand in marriage for swatching purposes. For reference he's around a NC20 in MAC foundation:

The colors themselves:

The first shade (First Love) is a nice matte ivory/bone shade. The color is nothing like canvas. If anything, it's like if Jojo and Sugar had a baby (kind of, but not really),  it's a satin-matte finish, but you get the idea.

The next shade (Love Struck): all of you taupe lovers will fawn over this one just as much as I did. It's a taupe with a slight green undertone. If Chameleon and Sequoia had a baby, it would look similar to this.

The aubergine shade (In Love). It's not a true plum, nor is it quite red. I personally hate how I look in purple-burgundy eyeshadow, but I can definitely wear this color, because there's some warmth to it. This one is the lovechild between Fire Lily and Alexandrite.

The last shade (Lovelorn): It's a mid tone silver with insane gold, blue, red and other color sparkles in it. It's not as dark or as cool as Thunder. Dustin describes this one as if Platinum and Thunder had a baby. This color is a dream to apply on. LOVE !!

It's released this Valentine's Day and only sold at Bergdorf Goodman. This palette will be mine.

Please feel free to call the counter and pre-order by phone: 212-872-8612


A common question in terms of how to wear the colors together, here's a video seen here. Courtesy of finding it via google and The Non-Blonde blog providing the link.  

By Terry Rouge Terrybly lipstick in Torrid Rose (303)

So I purchased some By Terry Terrbly lipsticks :) She has new shades for spring, and they're all gorgeous to say the least. Lots of fun pinks !


I purchased a couple, but for the sake of the spring season, let's discuss Torrid Rose:


it's a slightly warm pink-rose color. It's not a full on fuchsia (how it looks in the tube). At first glance it looks cool (by appearance in the tube and on my arm) but once applied it's definitely a slightly warm pink. The formula of these are wonderful.


Packaging: They're in a silver tube with a magnetic enclosure. There's no heft (in terms of weight), but the packaging is sturdy to me. The lipstick itself has "Terrybly" along the side of the tube and when you open the tube, there's By Terry written diagonally (lasered on)  below the base of the lipstick. Simple, sleek. I'm a fan of simple, sans-decoration packaging.


Texture and Formula: They're weightless, moisturizing and the color selection, although it's small, they're well thought out colors. I do adore the texture, soooo moisturizing without being creamy. The one thing about these is that they're not as opaque as I had imagined them to be. They are lipsticks, but they're slightly shy of being full on OPAQUE. They're also not as long lasting as a Giorgio Armani Rouge d'Armani, but they don't wear off quickly either.  They do fade into a beautiful stain too, which is great. With these lipsticks, I feel like I need to wear a lipliner to get the effect I want, but that's just me personally.


Finish and appearance: There's no sparkle in these (yay), and on my lips, it's very shy of being full on opaque.


Onto the pictures !!

from left to right:

By Terry in Torrid Rose

MAC Isabella Blow lipstick. 

Note that Blow is more blue in real life. MAC Girl About Town is fuschia, whereas Torrid Rose is a bit warmer and rosy on the lips, than on my arm. 

I love how it's so bright, but not OTT that Blow can be at times. I'd wear this by itself during the day. It's a color that you can blot and it won't look as bright or intense.







Is it worth getting: I LOVE this color. finally, a bright pink I can get away with that doesn't look overdone during the day.  If you have a lot of pinks, you can pass on it, I think. For $48, this is a nice lipstick you can splurge on.