Le Metier de Beaute Lip and Cheek Tints in Mystique and Tenne

Hey all! I am back and ready to share some of my splurges from the past few weeks. I am afraid that I threw out all the boxes from my recent purchases and so sadly those are not going to be included in the next few posts.

I thought I would start off by showing you two more lip and cheek tints from Le Metier de Beaute. As you can see I was not lying when I said I planned on purchasing more when I purchased the tint in Coral Nymph. These two are Mystique, which is a cool pink with a slight shimmer to it that is described as "bubblegum pink" and Tenne, which is a a nude tan shade.

These products are described as "Le Metier de Beaute Creme Fresh Tint for Lip and Cheek hydrates as it delivers a fresh flush of color to your skin. The smooth formula glides on effortlessly, offering brilliant blendability for a seamless application and flawless, natural-looking finish. Formulated with vitamin E and lecithin, it nourishes and replenishes moisture to promote a healthy look and long-lasting, comfortable feel."

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The uppermost swatch is Tenne with Mystique underneath and Coral Nymph at the bottom to show how all three colors compare to each other.

My review from coral nymph is essentially the same (they are great tints that have a very creamy texture that blend into the skin easily and are very hard to overdo). The only thing I am going to change in my review is that these can be used as lip tints. I had originally stated that I had trouble using them on the lips and I found that if applied with a lip brush instead of your finger, they look quite nice. They are a bit drying, but other than that they are full coverage and look rather good. 

I think I would eventually like to get Ginger Lilly and Poppy to round out my collection. I simply love these and I think they are perfect for the summer months as they are quite long lasting even through a little sweat.

These products can be purchased at Saks, Bergdorf Goodman, Neiman Marcus, Nordstrom, or anywhere else Le Metier de Beaute products are sold. I purchased mine from a vault pairing on the Le Metier website.

Armani Flash Lacquer Crystal Shine Gloss in 202

Armani recently came out with these flash lacquers that are supposed to be a revolutionary new lip gloss that will be offered in 36 colors. I ran to an Armani counter, but found mine only had about 10 or so colors. I was lucky enough that they had the color I wanted. 202 is from the sparkling midnight shimmers and as such is a sparkly color. It is very bronzy with gold shimmer. It is stunning on.

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"Giorgio Armani premieres the newest generation in lip gloss with Flash Lacquer. Flash Lacquer provides the highest reflection ever achieved, even after blotting lips. The shape and shine technology causes light to reflect off of every point of surface for a pure pop of color."

This gloss is meant to create an extremely smooth surface that fills in the lines in the lips to make an extremely smooth surface. It is supposed to have no stickiness and be very comfortable with great hydration. 

I absolutely love this gloss. It is everything that it is meant to be. As soon as I put it on the first time I looked at my boyfriend and said, "Well, that's interesting." It truly feels different than any gloss I have tried before. It actually does not have any stickiness and is incredibly soft and moisturizing. It feels absolutely amazing. The only problem I have with it is that is doesn't last very long, only about 2 hours or so. However, I love it so much that I will still most likely buy this in other colors. 

The container is the standard Armani gloss container (I think), which I like. It has a decent amount of heft to it to make it feel luxurious without being too heavy and it looks pretty classic. I think I have found a new love.

I don't believe this is limited edition, although the website claims it is. If you cannot find an armani counter, you can always purchase this online: http://www.giorgioarmanibeauty-usa.com.

Yves Saint Laurent Glossy Stain in 7 Coral Aquatique

This is another product I had heard a lot about and have been meaning to buy. I had tried it a few times in Sephora, but never found it necessary. I was also not specifically thrilled with the colors (i'm not really sure why, but none of them really caught my interest). In my Barney's Bag Event bag I found a sample care with 3 Ysl glossy stain colors. 2 of the colors where reds that I was not interested in, but the 3rd color was this really light coral color that I tried on a number of occasions and when I ran out of I felt I needed it.

It is a pretty unique color in my collection. It is like the perfect shade of light coral that I can wear with heavy eye makeup.

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This glossy stain is described as a "revolutionary new lip product that combines the texture and shine of a gloss with the long wear of a stain."

I also love that this practically stays on all day with little touch-ups. It lasts pretty well through food and is pretty much kiss proof. It is also pretty hydrating. I didn't feel the need for lip balm the entire time I was wearing it. It stays juicy and glossy and is absolute perfection. I can't believe I waited so long to buy this. I am going to have to get more colors!

I also love the does foot applicator that it comes with (I really prefer those to the brushes). And the container is really quite luxurious looking. It is square with a gold cap and has little see through spots that allow you to see how much product is left (and the color, which I am sure is helpful if you have multiples of these). It also has a bit of heft to it that really completes the idea of luxury. It really is quite well made over all.

This can be purchased from many locations including Sephora, www.sephora.com, Nordstrom or Neiman Marcus.

Le Metier de Beaute Sheer Brilliance Lip Gloss in Coral Rose

Le Metier de Beaute came out with 5 new lip glosses for their Spring 2013 collection. Two new Sheer Brilliance Lip Glosses (Coral Rose and Pink-e-promise) and 3 new Lip Cremes (Pink Berry, Moroccan Sunset, and Dulce de Leche). I had a very tough time deciding between Coral Rose and Pink Berry, but finally settled on the Coral Rose as I thought it was the more unique of the two and would be more unique in my stash.

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This color goes on much more sheer than my heavy swatches show, but as you can see it is an amazing color. It is a coral pink with golden sparkle running through it. I do love lip glosses that contain golden sparkle. This gloss is never sticky and has a wonderful silky texture. This gloss doesn't last very long (maybe an hour or two) before creating a white film on the lips (my only caveat with Le Metier glosses), but it is such a wonderful color I love and wear it anyway.

This gloss is describes by Le Metier as, "drenching lips in total luxury - sumptuous, punchy color saturates lips in a unique, ultra-lightweight formula enriched with emollients and antioxidants for beautiful, supply lips."

This can be purchased from Neiman Marcus or Bergdorf Goodman (as the Sheer Brilliance gloss range is apparently exclusive to them). 

Burberry Lip Cover in Tea Rose

As promised yesterday, a review of this Burberry lipstick. In December, I wrote a post stating my Holiday Beauty Wish list and on that list was a Burberry lipstick - any Burberry lipstick. I heard so much about these on other blogs that I felt I needed this. A few weeks ago I made the trek into NYC to find the only Burberry counter in the tri-state area (Saks) so I could finally play with my Burberry. I was originally thinking of getting the holiday lipstick trio, but found that the Nude Beige color wasn't a good color for me. So instead I was thinking of getting both Tea Rose and the other color in the set Dusty Rose, however the sa annoyed me so much I ended up with just this (the sales associates at the Burberry counter in the Saks in NYC are ridiculously pushy). 

This lipstick is everything I dreamed it would be and more. It is gorgeous to look at (a magnetic enclosure is just amazing) and feels like a dream on the lips. It it goes on moisturizing (I have found the moisture doesn't last, but they don't dry out your lips) and just glides across the lips. It isn't too heavy of a feeling on and the color is opaque with one swipe. Not only do I want more of these, but I would love to try the other lipsticks, the lip mists which are supposed to be on the more sheer side and the lip velvet which is supposed to me more opaque.

Burberry describes these as being "super-light 'second skin' texture that provides intense moisture immediately after application. Combination of oils and light waxes helps easy application and extreme comfort."

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This can be purchased at select Saks and Nordstroms or online at http://us.burberry.com/store/fragrance-beauty/

Five Favorite Lipsticks of the Moment

I thought that I might post about my favorite lipsticks of the moment. These are the lipsticks I grab for the most. It's funny, until I swatched them all on my arm for this post I didn't realize how similar they all are in color!

1. Dior Addict Lipstick in 680: Millie (the first one all the way to the left) - This lipstick is by far my favorite because it is seriously moisturizing and imparts a pretty pink color. I can use this lipstick as a lip balm it is so moisturizing. It is just a pleasure to wear this.

2. Burberry Lip Cover in 08: Tea Rose - I haven't reviewed this lipstick yet because I love it so much I never wanted to waste any of it with a swatch. No worries however, as this will have a full review tomorrow. (edit: review can be read here) This color is very similar to the Dior Addict, but is much more opaque. Also quite moisturizing for a lipstick (but not nearly to the extreme of the Dior Addict). 

3. Dior Rouge in 786: Mysterious Mauve - The full review of this lipstick can be found here. However, this is my perfect purple lipstick. It is a bit less moisturizing then the Dior Addict line, but still goes on smoothly and doesn't dry out my lips. 

4. Mac Amplified: Up The Amp - This lipstick cannot be classified as moisturizing in the least. It is my favorite only because I love the color and this stuff lasts. I have eaten a cheeseburger with this lipstick and found that my lips were still perfect after the meal. 

5. Lorac Co-Stars: Hot Kiss - The full review of this lipstick can be found here (you can also read about one of my favorite lip glosses there as well). I love this lipstick for much the same reason as the Mac; it doesn't come off. As I am writing this I still have the swatch on my arm as I simply cannot remove it. It is also the color that is the most different in my collection. 

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These swatches are in the same order as the lipsticks and my favorites from top to bottom.

Bite: Colour + Shine To Go

I had posted about a little mini Bite travel kit in the past (here) and have been whining incessantly to my mother for months about how much I wanted to try Bite (but for whatever reasons just never purchased anything). Well, Sunday I was in Sephora returning something with my mother and she saw this little guy and decided to purchase this for me (I think if anything to shut me up). I'd like to apologize though to anyone looking to purchase this, as the colors in my kit are a bit off. The lipgloss that should be with these two lipsticks is supposed to be a nude and this pink goes with two pinky nude lipsticks. I *might* have switches them because I prefer a light pink gloss to a nude, but I will admit to it. The lipsticks are in Cin Cin (a burnt orange color) and Tannin (a raspberry color) and the lipgloss is in Sante (a light, sheer pink), but should be Champagne Pearl (self explanatory color name).

I would like to say, it was well worth the wait. The lipsticks are creamy, go on well without tugging the lip, are very pigmented, and long lasting. They are moisturizing for a time as well, though that doesn't last and they do dry out the lip a bit. The lipgloss is sticky, though I'm pretty sure when I tried the lip glosses when they first came out they were quite stickier. So I do think they tweaked the formula. The lipgloss does have a slightly sweet smell to it, but that dissipates after application. The color is a semi-sheer pink. Because of the slight tackiness to the lipgloss, it lasts a considerable amount of time for a gloss (about 4 or 5 hours).

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I happen to really like these products and I would most definitely purchase bite again (I just wish I had a Sephora that sold Bite products as I prefer to test out colors in person before purchasing). 

This little bag can be purchased at your Sephora or http://www.sephora.com/.

Dior 'Rouge Dior' Lip Color in 786: Mysterious Mauve

I searched for quite a few months until I finally found my perfect purple lipstick. A color that was not too cool (i.e. too blue), but yet not too pink. Many purple lipsticks that I tried looked perfect in the tube, but once applied looked more pink than purple. The Dior lipstick was the closest I found to my perfect purple. I have just recently seen online that Lancome has a new lipstick: L'absolu Nu in Prune Mantille that looks great and I will need to try out.

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This lipstick has a wonderfully creamy texture and remained on my lips for over 8 hours and stained my lips so that even after 8 hours some color remained. There was no bleeding without a lipliner and was quite moisturizing for a lipstick. I didn't think it was drying at all. It was very comfortable on my lips. 

This item can be bought from Lord and Taylor or Nordstrom or online at either of those stores.

Illamasqua - Lipstick and Intense Lipgloss

I have been on a crazy hunt the past few months looking for the perfect purple lipstick. Tha hunt ultimately ended with Dior 'Rouge Dior' Lipstick in 786 Mysterious Mauve (review forthcoming), however, this hunt took me down some interesting twists and turns along the way. One of the purple items I had picked up was the Illamasqua lipstick in kontrol and intense lipgloss in fierce. 

The picture above is in sunlight and the picture to the right is from flash.  The uppermost swatch closest to my wrist is just the lipstick alone. Underneath that is the lipstick and lipgloss and the last is simply the lipgloss. You can see how highly pigmented this lipgloss is, it is not sheer in any capacity.

Illamasqua describes their lipsticks as a "color intense lip stick...that glide on smoothly for the perfect pout that stays all night." Kontrol is described as being a matte deep lavender. The intense lipgloss is described as "high-shine, color-rich intense lipgloss thats offered in a wide range of bold colors." Fierce is described as being a bright blue purple.

I originally loved this purple because it is a very true purple. I only decided it wasn't for me when I wore it one night and my friend asked me if I was cold (joking of course) because this purple is a bit too much a blue-purple. The lipstick itself felt good on my lips, quite creamy for a matte lip color. The lipgloss is very pigmented and not sticky in the slightest. I found I really liked this lipgloss and might get it in other colors. I happen to really love the Illamasqua brand.

All in all it wasn't meant to be my perfect purple, however I did find I loved this lipgloss, so it wasn't a complete loss.

These products can be purchased at Sephora, https://www.sephora.com or any other place that sells Illamasqua products.

Fun at Sephora

It's a fun day of swatching my hand up at sephora.

Aren't these colors so pretty? They are lipsticks from the bite collection below:

I have been dying to try bite lip products out for awhile. Still didn't buy this. =( It's on my list though! Anyone try these out? Is it worth it?

Nars Lip Gloss and Lorac Co-Stars

These two are my new favorite lippies as of late. I wear them most out of my collection of lip items, which is probably because they are the newest of the bunch. They are the Nars Lip Gloss in Orgasm (which is my favorite of Nars colors, I own their liquid illuminator in orgasm and really want their blush in orgasm, it is truly a great color) and Lora Co-Stars (which for anyone interested is on sale and super cheap at just $10) in Hot Kiss.

The Nars is the first one on my arm all the way to the left and the one on the bottom in the right picture. It is a really glossy peachy pink with shimmer in it. Isn't is so pretty? Nars describes this as a "pigment dense lip gloss," which I have to agree with. I also love that it comes with a doe's foot application tip instead of a brush (I hate those), so application is a breeze. It also lasts for a decent amount of time because even when the gloss has worn off, you are still left with a nice shimmer on your lips. I have been using this as my nude lip as of late and I really love it. 

The Lorac Co-Stars is a double ended gloss featuring a stain on one side and a sheer gloss on the other. The swatch next to the Nars has both layered on top of each other and the last swatch is just the stain on it's own. What I like about this product is that it doesn't come off. Quite literally. Lorc even describes it as an 8-hour lip product. 

This is a picture that I took after trying to clean the swatches off of my arm with makeup remover. I literally wore these swatches on my arm for the day because it does not come off. I have worn this lippie while eating and still had perfect lips at the end of the meal. All you need to do is swipe on some more gloss, but the color stays without smudging. It is also a really pretty nudey brown with some golden shimmer in it. The stain has a doe's foot applicator while the gloss has a brush.

The Nars Lip gloss can be purchased at http://www.sephora.com or anywhere Nars products are sold (I think Barney's, Nordstrom, Saks, etc) and the Lorac is being discontinued and can only be purchased here.

Sunday Riley Modern Lip Color and Creme Gloss Sheer Impact

The picture on the left shows a swatch of the lipgloss, the lipstick with the lipgloss on top, and just the lipstick.
The picture on the lest shows the top having come off the tube.

I am so upset over these products and this purchase like you have no idea. I was so excited to buy these and cannot believe that they did not live up to expectations. I bought the lipstick in Orchid and the lipgloss in Blackberry Crush. The color had been that perfect vampy purple that I have been searching for and planned to live in it the rest of my life. I am so devastated that this is going back to the store and I am hoping I can get a refund. Let me explain.

The first problem, the one with the lipgloss, is quite easy to show in pictures. As you can see from the images, the black cap came off the top of the gloss. A product of this caliber should be high quality and I should expect it to withhold the tests of time. This case did not last a week. The product itself is wonderful, don't get me wrong. It is smooth, not sticky, wonderfully glossy, and sheer perfection. However, I can name many cheaper products that achieve this same end (sheer lipgloss that is not sticky is quite easy to come by in my opinion) that the case doesn't fall apart on me. 

The problem I had with the lipstick is much harder to capture in an image and even harder to convey. Do you know how it looks when your lips are slightly chapped and you try to wear lipstick anyway? Where the lipstick dives into all the lines on your lips, accentuating every line? That is what this lipstick did to me even after exfoliating and wearing a lip primer. I tried everything I could think of to solve this problem and nothing worked. The product is also flaky and dry in my opinion. Even if I ignore the fact that it sits in all the lines of my lips and try to wear it anyway, it kind of flakes off and the flakes sit on the lips creating a chunky like experience. It is just an awful product. The lipstick felt like if you left your lipstick for years and then remembered it and tired to use it again. It is just dry.

To add insult to injury I emailed Sunday Riley customer service to complain that I had received sub-par products. I wanted to give them the benefit of the doubt that maybe I just received defective products and that maybe their lipstick is truly wonderful and mine had just been sitting too long. They never emailed me back and this was 2 weeks ago. I really did not want to create this post, especially since other blogs have said great things about these products. Unfortunately, I cannot in good faith stand by these. If the Sunday Riley team wishes to respond to my email, I will be more than happy to amend this post. 

If you choose to purchase these anyway they can be purchased at your nearest Barney's or http://www.barneys.com.

Mally Beauty

Ever hear of Mally Beauty? They have some awesome products. I was sent a few items to try and I think I found a new company to love. The best part? They really aren't that expensive! Those pictured are Mally's High-Shine Liquid Lipstick, Evercolor Poreless Face Defender, and Volumizing Mascara.

Mally's High-Shine Liquid Lipstick is described as "a high-performance, 4 in 1 product that includes lip primer, lipstick, lipgloss, and lip liner all in one!" I received this product in light nude and I have to say I really liked it. It wasn't sticky, yet lasted quite awhile. It was a really pretty nudey pink that looked really fresh and pretty. I loved that it was in pen form and so is highly portable without making a mess. The only downside I noted was that it had a really pungent strawberry smell. Those who enjoy products with a scent will surely like that, I was just not a fan. The good news is that it didn't last long after application.

The second product was a really amazing product. The Evercolor Poreless Face defender is meant to be  a finisher, much like setting powder, without being a powder. It is described as "an utterly sheer, featherweight product that diffuses the look of pores, minimizes fine lines, and helps protect your makeup so it lasts from morning to night." It dries and keeps oily skin matte without that ashy powder finish. I could not personally try this product because it is meant for more oily skin as it truly mattifies and my skin is very dry to begin with. I did, however, have my mother try it. Her nose and chin starts to get greasy by mid afternoon and she spot used this product on those areas. The areas she put this product on stayed matte all day. She really loved it and stated she would most likely continue to use it. Just be careful to blot this on with the sponge instead of smearing it on so that you don't streak your makeup. I also REALLY liked the sponge it came with. It was soft and spongy and I could see using it for other purposes.

The last product I tried was the Volumizing Mascara. This mascara is meant to "help create the look of gorgeous, full luxurious lashes." This product without a doubt made my lashes look both thicker and longer without clumping them. This product is fantastic. It stayed on all day without giving me raccoon eyes while still coming off fairly easily that night when I washed my face. This product is a real keeper.

Conclusion: I really liked these products and would absolutely consider purchasing other products from this brand. While I didn't specifically like the scent of the lipgloss, there really wasn't anything else I didn't like. I would definitely recommend this line!

These products can all be purchased from http://www.mallybeauty.com

Jouer Tinted Moisturizers and Lip Enhancer

Jouer is another brand I found through my beauty box subscriptions. Anyone who subscribes to birchbox can tell you about birchbox's obsession with this brand. I have tried some of their products and my only caveat is that is isn't sold in more locations! I really do love this brand. They even sent me some samples when I emailed to complain that birchbox messed up in September and I never received my sample of their matte moisture tint!

As you can see in the picture, I own a full size luminizing moisture tint. I personally love luminizing products and own quite a few that I love mixing into my foundations or to highlight my cheekbones. Perhaps I can write a post at some point on my favorites. This product, unlike many tinted moisturizers with built in luminizing properties, is not overdone. I do not feel like my face is a disco-ball. I feel like there is just enough shimmer to make my face glow, without feeling like I slathered sparkles all over my face. It is also really light feeling, doesn't appear cakey, and I personally feel like it conceals more than your average tinted moisturizer. This was my go-to product all summer long and I am sure it will be making a reappearance next summer! Jouer states that this product is also supposed to help fade the appearance of fine lines. It is SPF 20 and contains Ginseng, Gingko Biloba Leaf extract to deliver antioxidants to the skin.

For the fall, Jouer released a new matte version of their moisture tint. They sent me two different shades so that I could find my perfect match. While I do not like it as much as the original formula, I could definitely see purchasing the full size version in the future. It is much less creamy feeling as the luminizing counterpart and seems to had a much more velvety quality to it. This also controls shine, so those with more oilier complexions will love that quality! It is made with all of the same awesome ingredients as the original, so if you liked the original I am sure you will find a new best friend for the colder seasons.

The last product was a surprise when I opened up my sample package. It is their lip enhancer. It is a "nourishing and conditioning lip treatment with clinically proven Maxi-lip to naturally increase the fullness of your lips while decreasing fine lines" and it is really moisturizing. Now, I am on the fence with this product. Maybe it's that I obsess over lip-balms and therefore my lips weren't chapped to begin with? It could also be that they suggest using it 3 times a day for 29 days for optimum results and I have only used it for a week. However, I find I prefer my regular Fresh lip treatment. I prefer that silky smooth, buttery feeling on my lips that this product did not deliver. It felt like putting conditioner on my lips. It melted in, and I am sure hydrated, but I was left smacking my lips together without that creamy sensation. So I was not particularly sold. I will continue using it as a night treatment for 29 days as directed (or until my sample runs out) and will update if I change my mind about it, but assuming that isn't the case I will most likely not be purchasing this product.

There are many other Jouer products on my list of things to try. I have heard some really amazing things about their lip glosses and the colors seem pretty awesome. I will definitely have to try those.

Jouer can be purchased online from http://www.jouercosmetics.com/ or from http://www.birchbox.com