Color Me Loud

Two of the three items which I selected from Dark Spell Collection of Laura Mercier were nail polishes. I have already talked about the third item, a gorgeous highlighter called Spellbound (reviewed here). Today its their turn, Forbidden and Bewitched are...

Promo photo of Laura Mercier Nail Polishes in Forbidden & Bewitched (source)

...two gorgeous nail polishes which winked at me through their promo photos and I knew I had place for them in my very tightly packed nail polish stash. These days I have to give it a second thought before I commit, as I started running out of place and I don't want to start giving away some discontinued Chanel, not just yet. ;-)

Under sun: Laura Mercier Nail Polish in Forbidden

Forbidden is defined as "silver" but it is a warm taupe leaning platinum shade with metallic finish. Formula is good in terms of consistency but it is prone to visible brush strokes. This doesn't bother me that much since this kind of finish almost always comes with it but if you hate it, this particular shade might not be for you.

Indoors: Laura Mercier Nail Polish in Forbidden

I like how Forbidden changes in each light, pulling warmer or cooler, metallic or more shimmery. Although I don't like metallic eye shadows, I do love metallic nail polishes so Forbidden is a winner for me. I believe Forbidden could be worn all year around.

In shadow: Laura Mercier Nail Polish in Forbidden

The second nail polish from Dark Spell Collection was what most of beauty blogosphere raving about. This one is described as "black with green sparkle". I would call it as deep forest green with gold and teal sparkle. It has a dark base but I don't think it is black. The lovely sparkles which is visible in the bottle transfers onto the nails beautifully, making this one "happy sigh" worthy.

Under sun: Laura Mercier Nail Polish in Bewitched

Consistency of Bewitched is perfect and it is a one-coater for those of you who would prefer to stop right after a full coverage is reached. I almost always use a second coat to increase longevity. I used two coats for the following swatches too.

Indoors: Laura Mercier Nail Polish in Bewitched

I don't have anything like Bewitched in my stash. The size of the sparkles and the base shade makes it very unique. Bewitched offers a seat in the last wagon of "emerald green" train before 2013 is over, so if you like the shade, don't think twice. It is a gorgeous Fall color, but I am thinking about wearing it also during holiday season.

In shadow: Laura Mercier Nail Polish in Bewitched

Final thoughts: I love nail polishes of Laura Mercier's Dark Spell Collection. A lovely metallic shade, Forbidden, is for metallic polish lovers who would tolerate some brush strokes such as myself. Bewitched is a gorgeous unique green with large golden sparkles which are visible on the nail, it is breathtaking.

Have you checked Forbidden and Bewitched out? Can you war nail polish with brush strokes or is it no-go for you?

You might have noticed how much I like Chanel's Le Volume Mascara, I use it on almost all of my eye looks and I would always conclude the eye look definition by saying "...and I finished this look with x coat of Chanel Le Volume mascara". I like how it provides me more volume and how it holds the curl of my stubbornly straight and thick lashes. When I found out that they were releasing an unusual limited shade for this Fall, I knew I had to try it out.

Chanel Le Volume Mascara in #40 Khaki Bronze

Chanel Le Volume Mascara in #40 Khaki Bronze has the same brush as the regular Le Volume Mascara. I usually use the black one, #10 Noir for dramatic effect or I go for #30 Prune which is a reddish plum if I want my eyes to pop and if the rest of the eye make-up allows using this shade. #40 Khaki Bronze is a soft brown with khaki undertone. I am usually not a khaki fan since those colors, especially on my eyes, seem to blend too much with my skin and eye color. Khaki Bronze however gives me a soft day time look since it is close to the color of my lashes, so I get defined lashes with more volume and it holds the curl nicely while looking very natural and not over done.

Chanel Le Volume Mascara in #40 Khaki Bronze

I am going to post a look using this mascara with the next post. For the time being I would like to show you how it compares to other mascara shades. I included Chanel Le Volume #10 Noir which didn't swatch very good since it is too much loved by me and is about to dry out. Next to it you can see #30 Prune which is almost a red with plum undertone other than a reddish plum. Prune is very close to Rouge Noir shade from Chanel Inimitable Intense mascara line. I would like to also include Armani ETK Excess Volume Mascara in #05. This one is a dark forest green shade which shows that Khaki Bronze is more of a brown than a green. I also included some close ups on brushes so that you can see the color on the wand more clearly.

Chanel Le Volume Mascara in #40 Khaki Bronze vs. Chanel Le Volume #10, #30 and Armani Excess Volume #05

Chanel Le Volume Mascara in #40 Khaki Bronze vs. #10 Noir

Chanel Le Volume Mascara in #40 Khaki Bronze vs. Armani Excess Volume #05

Final thoughts: Chanel Le Volume is by far my favorite mascara and new limited edition shade #40 Khaki Bronze doesn't disappoint. I think they should have added this to the permanent line since right now Chanel lacks a brown in that for softer day time looks. If you like your lashes thicker, holding the curl but not that dramatic and defined, make sure to grab one before Khaki Bronze is sold out.

Do you prefer black mascara or are you in for more natural lash looks?

There are so many beauties from upcoming season and due to holidays I am a little behind what I would like to introduce you. There is one product which, in my opinion, definitely deserves to be written about. Chanel Ombre Essentielle Soft Touch Eye Shadow in #101 Gri-Gri.

Chanel Soft Touch Eye Shadow #101 Gri-Gri

Gri-Gri comes in a sleek black plastic housing like all other Chanel singles. It delivers what it promises given its name "Soft Touch Eye Shadow" and has a finely-milled soft to touch powder quality. I have to admit I am not a single eye shadow girl and usually find myself reaching for palettes consisting of at least three eye shadows but Gri-Gri was too pretty to pass. This shade has an understated classical feel to it.

Chanel Soft Touch Eye Shadow #101 Gri-Gri

Matching to the concept of the Superstition Collection, Gri-Gri is named after African voodoo amulet which is believed to bring luck. I am just hoping it brings luck once I wear it ;-) I don't know if the name has something to do with this particular shade but I have to admit that after hearing the word "gri" I was expecting some gray variant. Instead it is a soft shimmery mid-toned peachy/pinky taupe. Gri-Gri's shimmer delivers a finish borderline to metallic but I wouldn't call it metallic. In my opinion calling it frost wouldn't be appropriate neither. Instead I would define its finish as one having a beautiful and complex sheen.

Close-up: Chanel Soft Touch Eye Shadow #101 Gri-Gri

Chanel's Gri-Gri is for those busy mornings, when you don't have time to go for a complete eye look with highlight in the corner or definition on the crease. You can combine it with a nude lippie and a creme blush for the day or a statement lip for the evening. It gives a subtle but bright eye look.

Below I applied Gri-Gri all over the lid and defined the outer corner slightly with the darkest shade from Chanel's eye quad Mystere (previously reviewed here) from the same collection. Along the upper and lower lashes I applied Chanel Stylo Yeux Water Proof Eyeliner in Khaki Precieux (reviewed here) and I used one coat of Chanel Le Volume Mascara in #40 Khaki Bronze (reviewed here).

In-action: Chanel Soft Touch Eye Shadow #101 Gri-Gri

Final thoughts: Chanel Soft Touch Eye Shadow in #101 Gri-Gri provides you with a polished bright eye look with the swipe of a brush. Easy yet chic, something you would like to check out for this fall.

Do you like wearing singles or do you prefer palettes? Have you checked out Gri-Gri?

A short post for tonight to share with you what I am enjoying right now...

Sun, sea and and a pretty nail polish...

Enjoying a pretty nail polish by the beach

... called Excalibur. It is no secret that I am a sucker for foil finish metallic nail polishes but this must have been the prettiest I have so far. It is a gorgeous silver but not so harsh on the eye or doesn't clash with my (now darker) skin tone since it has golden flecks scattered on the surface. Overall effect is a warm silver if this makes sense.

A-England Excalibur (new version) by shadow

It is gorgeous under the shadow, when the golden flecks become visible. Under sun light, it has multi dimensional and multi colored shimmer added to this gorgeousness. Right now I am wearing it and I see that under artificial light, my nails almost glow. So pretty!

A-England Excalibur (new version) under sun

One more close-up for you to see the golden flecks of different sizes and the gorgeous foil finish which is almost fully opaque by the first coat. Perfect consistency, as I would expect from an a-england polish. And the most shocking truth is yet to come, I have worn this beauty 4 times in the last two months! This is a real success given the size of my stash...

Close-up: A-England Excalibur (new version)

Oh and I have also given my mom a mani with this and she also loved it. A side note here, she is rather conservative when it comes to nail polish, but this one, although so "shimmery" was not too much for her.

Final thoughts: Nothing but love for the new version of A-England Excalibur. I am loving it for this summer but I will surely be wearing it all year around. If you are also fan of foil finish, you need this!

What is your favorite nail polish of this summer?

Together with their Fall 2013 Collection release, there has been some changes to Tom Ford's permanent eye shadow quads. According to Full Time Ford, four eye shadow quads are being discontinued (#09 Violet Dusk & #04 Crushed Amethyst reviewed here, #06 Burnished Amber reviewed here and #07 Cobalt Rush) while two of the asia exclusive quads are made available to the rest of the world (#11 Lavender Lust, reviewed here& #12 Seduction Rose, reviewed here). And most excitingly, Tom Ford released a new eyeshadow palette, #13 Orchid Haze, which I would like to introduce you today.

Tom Ford Eye Color Quad #13 Orchid Haze

Orchid Haze is certainly a crowd pleaser. I can see it becoming the most sold quad in Tom Ford history because of the shades being not too warm, not too cold, not too brown, not too plum nor too pink. To me it lacks the uniqueness of some other Tom Ford Quads such as Burnished Amber or Cognac Sable but it succeeds in curating a stunning neutral quad with superb quality which can be used by majority of people on a daily basis.

Close-up: Tom Ford Eye Color Quad #13 Orchid Haze

Let me emphasize the superb quality... Orchid Haze carries already good formula of Tom Ford quads to the next level. All of the shades are buttery soft and very pigmented. Now I will be writing the next sentence for the first time, I found the darkest shade to be a bit too soft to touch. Too soft? It might be just me but I like my liner/definer matte shades easier to work with when they are a bit drier. Nevertheless the credit must be given since I have experienced no fall out during application. I found a softer brush (e.g. from squirrel hair) for these very soft buttery formula works the best. Below I swatches the shades under sun light and in shadow to give a better idea.

Swatch under sun light: Tom Ford Eye Color Quad #13 Orchid Haze

Orchid Haze is composed of the following shades:

A light pink with frosty finish (top left)
A soft mid-toned taupe with multi dimensional shimmer (top right)
A mid-toned mauve with satin finish, not as shimmery as the other two shades (bottom left)
A deep blackened plum with matte finish (bottom right)

Orchid Haze has no glitter shade, similar to #04 Crushed Amethyst and #05 Burnished Amber, which will be both discontinued (still in shock about Burnished Amber, which is one of my all time favorite Tom Ford Quads)

Swatch in shadow: Tom Ford Eye Color Quad #13 Orchid Haze

For the eye look below, I used the lightest pink shade (top left) as the base color and applied it all over the lid. I then used the taupe shade (top right) from mid of the lid all the way to the outer corner and along the lower lash line. I then added some definition by using the dark plum shade (bottom right) on the crease and outer corner of the lid. I then blended these using the mauve (bottom left) shade and added some more of taupe to the mid of the lid to restore the intensity of this particular shade.

In-action: Tom Ford Eye Color Quad #13 Orchid Haze

Final thoughts: Tom Ford released a new quad which most of the people would love and like to own considering its shades. The quality doesn't disappoint either, I found it to be more buttery and smooth compared to the other Tom Ford permanent quads. Orchid Haze is a natural lovers dream. If you want to invest in a solid natural quad which you could make a good use of, consider it. If you would like something more unique, like now discontinued Burnished Amber, you might be among a few who would be disappointed.

Orchid Haze is going to be available online and on Tom Ford counters around the world in September and it is permanent. It has 10 g/.35 OZ product and retails for 65 EUR/$78,

Do you like investing for more unique palettes or rather for something which you could use everyday?

One of the items of Tom Ford Fall 2013 Collection that got my intention shortly after the promo pictures were released was eye shadow trio in #02 She Wolf. On the pictures I have seen a potential of this one making it to the "most used" items of my collection and getting a place on the table instead of being sorted out in drawers or boxes.

Tom Ford Ombre Eye Color Trio #02 She Wolf

French name given to the product does tell what it is all about, "Ombre A Paupieres Ton Sur Ton". Tom Ford's new trios concentrate on "ombre" (shading) effect of the same color (thus term "ton sur ton") with different finishes. #02 She Wolf offers a gorgeous gray taupe shade in matte, satin and glittery finishes in a Tom Ford signature compact in approximately the size of their blushes (0.16 OZ/4.5 g for $49). It is no secret that I love Tom Ford palettes (remember the blog series?) but this idea of playing with "textures" instead of "colors" sounded almost like a concept for an art project to me. I personally find it genius.

Tom Ford Ombre Eye Color Trio #02 She Wolf

Gray taupe of She Wolf must be flattering across different complexions since it is not very cool nor warm. It is a gorgeous colors for a classical smokey eye, close to cult shades such as Skinny Jeans of Benefit.

Close-up: Tom Ford Ombre Eye Color Trio #02 She Wolf

Three shades and textures in the compact are as follows:

Left: A deep matte gray taupe

Middle: A mid-toned satin gray taupe with multi dimensional shimmer

Right: A silvery glitter shade on very light gray taupe base

Swatch under direct sun: Tom Ford Ombre Eye Color Trio #02 She Wolf

After reading some other reviews I was a bit cautious and thought that the glitter shade would be over the top. After the first application, I concluded that She Wolf is going be another go-to palette for me this Fall, for day and night. How? With that much glitter? Let me talk about it in a few seconds and first introduce you with this beauty in action.

It was a breeze to get this look, I followed these steps:

Primed my eyes with Nars Pro-prime
Applied the middle shade all over the eye lid as well as along the lower lash line
Defined close to upper lash line from midway to the outer corner and the crease with left most deep shade.
Padded some glitter to the inner corner and sparingly on the lid with my finger.
Applied one coat of mascara to upper and lower lashes (YSL Baby Doll)

In-action: Tom Ford Ombre Eye Color Trio #02 She Wolf

I loved how the look came together and if the glitter is used sparingly, this is definitely a day time look for me. It is a little different than Guerlain's new duos, for example #06 Two Parisian, which had no middle shade so the glitter had to be build to get some color on the lid and the resulting look is more of a night time one for my taste. After seeing the resulting look from She Wolf, I remembered about the following video of Lisa Eldridge. She uses Benefit Skinny Jeans as a base, a darker shade on the crease and pads a silver glitter with almost transparent base from a Dior Smokey palette for a "day-time" look which she later on transforms to a evening look by intensifying the glitter shade on the lid and adding a statement lip. Tom Ford's She Wolf is almost all of these products in a compact together, to achieve the look she presents in her video.

Final thoughts: I love the concept and the implementation a well as the resulting look of Tom Ford's new trio in #02 She Wolf. I found this one suitable to day as well as night looks, depending on how much of the glitter is padded on the lid. She Wolf, for me, is definitely the star of Tom Ford's Fall 2013 Collection.

Do you find yourself wearing glitters for the day time too or is it strictly for special occasion/ night time look for you?

Tom Ford Beauty released two eye shadow trios for their Fall 2013 collection. I have already presented you the taupe gray eye shadow trio called She Wolf and wrote about how genius I find the idea of having a palette consisting of one color. Tom Ford decided to play around with the textures instead of the shades and in my opinion he did it in such a stunning way. Today I would like to show you the second trio, "In the pink" which is a different take on the same concept.

Tom Ford Ombre Eye Color Trio #01 In The Pink

The name of She Wolf made me literally purchase the trio and in the end it made perfect sense considering the gray fur of a wolf. The name of "In the pink" though made me rather suspect if I could pull off a trio consisting of just pinks. Now I can safely say, I find the name misleading with this one, it should be something more like... "In the peach"? In other words there is enough peach in these pinks that would be flattering across the skin tones.

Close-up: Tom Ford Ombre Eye Color Trio #01 In The Pink

"In The Pink" consists of the following shades:

Left: A light matte peachy pink

Middle: A light satin peachy pink

Right: Light peachy pink glitter on a transparent basis

Below I took photos under the sun as well as in the shadow to give you better idea of the reflection qualities. You see that in shadow the glittery shade looks rather like an eye shadow with frosty finish whereas under the sun, glitter looks more sparse and shimmery.

Swatch under sun: Tom Ford Ombre Eye Color Trio #01 In The Pink

Swatch in shadow: Tom Ford Ombre Eye Color Trio #01 In The Pink

For the below look, I followed these steps:

Primed my eyes with Nars Pro-prime.
Applied the lightest matte shade (left) all over the lid up to the brow bone and along the lower lash line.
Padded the satin eye shadow (middle) on the lid from midway to the outer corner.
Picked up some glitter shade with my finger and padded that on the lid, densely on the inner corner, blending it by padding with fingers in the direction of outer corner.
Lined my eyes along upper and lower lash line with a cool brown eye liner. Below I used Urban Decay Demolition. I think a black liner would destroy the softness of this look, so with this one I prefer a brown, taupe or soft anthracite liner.
I curled my eye lashes and applied one coat of YSL Baby Doll mascara. If I had a brown mascara with me, I would also go for that for the ultimate nude look.

As Belly from Wondegondigo already pointed out, "In the pink" is a little tricky to show up on your lids for some complexions. Check out her post to see how the shades show up on different bases. I am usually NC20-25 but right now despite all the sun screen, I got a bit of a tan and my skin went a few shades darker. As you see from swatches above, the first matte shade shows up good on me so I used this as a base. In the pink might give a rather dramatic eye look for deeper complexions but on my coloring, this gives me soft nude eye, something to pair with a bold lip for a night look or use it daily for a natural nude look. Either way, I liked the resulting look at the moment. I have to go back and try it once I am back to my original coloring and see if it is still visible on my lids. If it is not, I am considering to try a white base, like NYX Milk eye shadow pencil as a base color.

In-action: Tom Ford Ombre Eye Color Trio #01 In The Pink

Final thoughts: Thumbs up for this trio which gives a gorgeous soft, nude look to your eyes with some twist if you pad a little glitter here and there. It is "my eyes but brighter and better" kind of look, similar to what Tom Ford creme eye shadows from their summer collection achieved (check out them in action here). In The Pink is limited edition and will be on Tom Ford counters in September. If you like the pinks but would rather like a denser/deeper look on your eyes, check out Tom Ford's Seductive Rose quad (previously reviewed here), which was previously exclusive to asia but now available around the globe.

Do you like wearing soft shades on your eyes or you rather like your eye shadow appropriately show up? What do you think about glitter on nude looks?

Although I used to collect Tom Ford nail polishes for some time, I haven't posted a separate review featuring only his nail polishes until now. You might have seen the bottles popping up at some comparison posts or on some overall looks together with the eye products here and there, but today is officially the first time I am giving it a try.

Tom Ford Nail Lacquer #24 Black Sugar (right), #25 Show Me The Pink (left)

The reason behind my silence is the love/hate relationship I developed with Tom Ford polishes and finding it very difficult to express my feeling towards them. Each time I am drawn to the mini counter in Stuttgart Breuninger (which has only lip and nail products), my favorite SA greets me and she smiles knowing that I am going to complain about the quality, yet I won't leave there empty handed. Some times I wear a Tom Ford nail polish and see people asking about it, commenting how nice the shade is. I nod and frustrated point out the uneven parts of the application I can't get rid of despite the careful application (especially from the creme polishes of the line, e.g. African Violet, Viper).

Long story short, I decided to give two limited edition nail polishes from Fall 2013 Collection a try and purchased Black Sugar and Show Me The Pink (12 ml / .41 OZ, 31 EUR / $32).

Tom Ford Nail Lacquer #24 Black Sugar (right), #25 Show Me The Pink (left)

I started by trying out Show Me The Pink, thinking that would complement my holiday tan. I found the application of this one unfortunately a little streaky and after the second coat I had some unevenness on the surface. With the third coat it can be evened out if you are willing to go there. It is a nice peachy pink, not too pink, not cool or warm. It would look nice together with eye shadow trio "In The Pink" (reviewed here) from the same collection. In the bottle it has some silver micro shimmer which doesn't transfer onto the nails. Below you can see two coats, photos are taken under the sun and in shadow to give you a better idea of the shade.

Tom Ford Nail Lacquer #25 Show Me The Pink under sun

Tom Ford Nail Lacquer #25 Show Me The Pink in shadow

Once I opened the box and took Black Sugar out, I was amazed by the complexity in the bottle. It has red micro shimmer in a gorgeous taupe base. Let's be honest, I have seen many peachy pink nail polishes with silver shimmer but not a single taupe with red shimmer that I recall. I was very excited. After application, I found out the gorgeous shimmer in the bottle can only be seen on the nails directly under sun and with the help of a microscope (!) but nevertheless it gives this shade some complexity and a reddish plum hue which still makes it unique once compared to similar creme taupes, such as Chanel Particuliere or Dior Dune (check out Sabrina's comparison swatches). Below I managed to catch the shimmer in the bottle and even some on the nail by the second photo.

Tom Ford Nail Lacquer #24 Black Sugar

Final thoughts: Show Me The Pink is a little streaky by the second coat, thus a miss for me considering the price point and the number of similar polishes I own. Black Sugar though has a nice complexity and a better formula (evened out by the second coat on my nails) so if you like taupe on your nails, you may want to check this one out.

How do you feel about shimmers which doesn't transfer on the nails? How do you find Tom Ford's nail polish formula?

Dior's Mystic Metallics Collection for this Fall must have been one of their most successful collections of the last years. Two of the eye shadows, Bonne Etoile (reviewed here) and Constellation (reviewed here) were among mostly reviewed products in beauty blogosphere. There was also a lot of curiosity for their newly released mouse/creme eye shadow line, Diorshow Fusion Monos (reviewed here). Among all the enthusiasm, I found that one eye product was almost forgotten about, Dior 3 Couleurs Glow #751 Silver Glow Eye Shadow Palette.

Dior 3 Couleurs Glow #751 Silver Glow Eye Shadow Palette

I have seen it the day I purchased Diorshow Fusion Monos but I was first able to resist. Later on curiosity got the better of me and I craved for the light and pretty taupe I swatched that day at the counter. I haven't tried any of their Glow Trios and I found this one worth splurging since the existing ones were either too warm (#651 Nude) or too light (#551 Ivory) for my taste. Like Smokey Trios, the packaging of Glow Trios of Dior has an interesting mechanism, by sliding the top cover parallel to the surface, the mirror springs open and the eye shadows come to surface.

Dior 3 Couleurs Glow #751 Silver Glow Eye Shadow Palette

Silver Glow Trio, similar to other glow trios, consist of one eye shadow base shade (upper left), one glittery highlight shade (upper light) and one liner shade (bottom). The top two shades appear almost identical in the pan but they differ in texture. This concept is similar to the new trios of Tom Ford, thus reminds me of a lighter/cooler version of She Wolf in a way.

Close-up: Dior 3 Couleurs Glow #751 Silver Glow Eye Shadow Palette

Silver Glow consist of the following shades:

Top left: A light silvery taupe with satin finish
Top right: Silver glitter on a very light gray basis
Bottom: A cool deep matte brown basis packed with silver glitters.

Swatch under direct sun: Dior 3 Couleurs Glow #751 Silver Glow Eye Shadow Palette

I took pictures of the swatches under sun light and in shadow to give you a better idea of each shade. My favorite of three is the complex light silver taupe (top left) shade, which sold me the palette. It is cool but yet workable on my now olive skin tone blame the beach holiday. I am sure it will work much better once I am back to NC20-25. This shade is buttery and pigmented, I really love it. The liner shade at the bottom of the palette is rather dry, as one would expect from a liner. I like using it wet for liner but wished it would be tad smoother to be also used on the crease. Color pay-off once applied dry is not top but certainly workable. Glitter shade (top right) is a little different than what I am used to. This one has smaller sized glitters compared to Tom Ford formula but therefore more can be picked up at once, giving a more frostier/metallic look if that makes sense. Thus I find it more day time appropriate but has less of that oomph, so it is up to you to decide which one you are after.

Swatch in shadow: Dior 3 Couleurs Glow #751 Silver Glow Eye Shadow Palette

For the below look, I followed these steps:

Primed my eyes with Nars Pro-Prime.
Applied silvery taupe (top left) all over the lid) and along the lower lash line.
I used the liner shade to line top and bottom of the lid, starting halfway, in the direction of outer corner. I also used the same shade to define my crease lightly.
I picked up some of the glitter shade (top right) with my finger and gently padded that on the lid towards inner corner.
Applied some mascara on top and bottom lashes (Shiseido Mascara Parfait Full Definition)
...and apparently I forgot to even comb my eye brows on this one, sorry for the mess ;-)

In-action: Dior 3 Couleurs Glow #751 Silver Glow Eye Shadow Palette

Final thoughts: Dior's Silver Glow evolves around a gorgeous silver taupe shade which worked for me but would look even better on cooler skin tones and fairer ladies out there. I find the glitter formula of Dior more day friendly given that the glitter sizes are smaller. I only wished the liner shade was a bit softer and easier to work with on the crease, it works wonderful as a liner though. Dior 3 Couleurs Glow #751 Silver Glow Eye Shadow Palette (5.5 g/ 0.19OZ, 43 EUR/$48) is limited edition and now available in Europe, Asia, Japan, USA & Canada.

Have you checked any of Dior's Glow Trios? Do you prefer finer or chunkier glitter for your looks?

Architecture, sculpture, painting, dance, music and poetry. The seventh art is Cinema... YSL La Laque Couture #40 Sepia 7E Art pays homage to Cinema and tinting technique used to transfer the black and white takes to Sepia film.

YSL La Laque Couture #40 Sepia 7E Art

La Laque Couture #40 Sepia 4E Art is the third polish released with YSL's Fall 2013 Collection. You can find the other two polishes Beige Gallery and Gris Underground previously reviewed here. Sepia 4E Art is released in Europe together with the collection but in US it is exclusive to YSL online shop, so you may not find it at your local counter. Since I am taken by everything about YSL nail polishes, the bottle, the brush, the formula and the longevity, I was stalking #40 for a while now. I had many other vampy polishes in my stash but there is always room for another one, especially when it is YSL.

Direct sunlight: YSL La Laque Couture #40 Sepia 7E Art

YSL #40 Sepia 7E Art is a deep aubergine shade with creme finish. It appears almost black in shadow or indoors but under sun one can see the blue and red hues. I don't know if you knew but I am still on holiday, which is a good thing, but since I don't have my stash with me, I won't be able to compare it for you. All I can guess is that Chanel Provocation should be close but I believe it has more red while YSL #40 leans slightly more blue.

Under strong sunlight: YSL La Laque Couture #40 Sepia 7E Art

I also (tried) to take a picture in shadow but it seems I failed and shook my nails or the camera. Nevertheless it shows how much more blackened it appears with indirect light so I added that one too. Now the happy sigh part comes, I applied this shade on Sunday morning and today (Wednesday evening) after hours of swimming (1 hour everyday) I only have slight tip wear and no chipping. Given the last Givenchy nail polish chipped in one day, this must be a record. Sepia 7E Art has a good consistency and opaque with two coats, perfect formula and a breeze to work with.

In shadow: YSL La Laque Couture #40 Sepia 7E Art

Final thoughts: Another winner nail polish from YSL, for those who would like one more Vampy polish in their stash. Perfect formula, stays extremely long on nails, which is crucial for those deep colors. Still the price point is steep and you may want to shop your stash first.

Do you like vampy polishes? Which nail formula is your favorite?

On the last days of my holiday, posting on the blog started becoming more of a challenge considering the urge of living up everything which I won't be finding until next summer. I have been here for three weeks now so I was taking it rather easy but tomorrow I will be driving to a "second level" holiday to get some cultural touch to beach, sun and sea part. That means the 100th post has to wait till I get back on Monday. It also means I am siting here preparing one more post instead of packing. How typically me, would do anything not to pack. I will try to keep it short though, here comes the 99th one.

Clarins Eye Quartet Mineral Palette #11 Forest

Clarins Forest Quad is another item which caught my attention while I was checking out the fall collections. Clarins typically releases a powder/blush which is almost everytime a "must-to-get" item for me and usually becomes my go-to blush for some months. Sometimes I also can't resist and purchase their eye products together with it. Eye Quartet Mineral Palette #11 in Forest is definitely a stunner with gorgeous natural earth tones in such a pretty harmony. I was hesitant though because khaki usually blend undesirably with my eye color but after I have seen some swatches, I found the taupe shade impossible to resist.

Clarins Eye Quartet Mineral Palette #11 Forest

Clarins Quad in Forest is composed of the following shades:

Top Left: Mid-toned khaki green with golden shimmer
Top Right: Light ivory glitter shade
Bottom Left: Deep cool brown with golden shimmer
Bottom Right: Mid-toned mauve taupe with silver sheen

Close-up: Clarins Eye Quartet Mineral Palette #11 Forest

As the below swatches show, palette has three shades with satin finish and one with glitter. Each satin shade differs in intensity in terms of sheen. Taupe (bottom right) one has the most sheen but it doesn't appear frosty, it is rather complex. Deep brown (bottom left) has the least sheen, appears almost matte, other than a few scattered sparkles, therefore makes a perfect definition shade for the crease and outer edge.

Swatch under sun: Clarins Eye Quartet Mineral Palette #11 Forest

Below is my take on Clarins Quad in Forest with less of khaki and more of taupe.

I primed my eyelids with Nars Pro-prime
Applied the show stopper taupe shade (bottom right) all over the eye lid and along the bottom lash line.

I could stop there. That is how gorgeous that taupe is, but I went on for demonstration purposes ;-)

I defined my crease and outer corner of lids with deep brown (bottom left).
Lightly applied the khaki shade (upper left) towards the outer corner just as a slight green accent.
Picked up some of the glitter shade (upper right) with my finger and padded to the inner corner, blending towards the middle.
Used an eye liner very close to upper and lower lashes as well as on water line for more definition (I believe it was UD Demolition for a softer look).
Finished the look with YSL Baby Doll Mascara on top and bottom lashes.

In-action: Clarins Eye Quartet Mineral Palette #11 Forest

The words "taupe" plus "glitter shade" rang a bell and I would like to put this one side by side with Tom Ford She Wolf (previously reviewed here).

Clarins Eye Quartet Mineral Palette #11 Forest vs. Tom Ford Ombre Eye Color Trio She Wolf

As the swatches show, the mauve leaning taupe of Clarins Forest is warmer while She Wolf offers a more gray toned mid-shade. On the other hand She Wolf's brown shade is warmer once compared to Forest. Glitter shades also differ in color as well as the formula, Forest's glitter shade appearing more frost and opaque while Tom Ford glitter shade has a more transparent basis and chunkier glitter (which I admittedly like more).

Swatch comparison: Clarins Eye Quartet Mineral Palette #11 Forest vs. Tom Ford Ombre Eye Color Trio She Wolf

Final thoughts: I love how pigmented and complex the shades of Clarins' Quad in Forest are. I am head over heals with taupe and I love deep brown and khaki shades. I only found the glitter shade a little hard to pick up and apply, even with fingers. All in all, Clarins' Quad in Forest is a gorgeous palette with balanced finishes, textures and a coldness/warmness equilibrium. Definitely worth checking out. For those in Europe, you can get Clarins products with discount from Escentual (not an affiliate link, just a friendly recommendation)

Do you like Khaki on your eyes? Does it work for you?

Here comes a bit of an unusual post. I would like to talk about a nail polish I enjoyed wearing very much during this weekend when I was visiting Greek Islands Symi and Rhodes. This part may not sound so unusual but since I am not carrying my stash with me around the world, I find another way to show you the color or in others words to compare it with "something" and this approach was rather new to me.

Dior Vernis #501 Caprice

Dior Vernis #501 Caprice is one of the four Backstage Studio Exclusive shades and was sold out in Hong Kong. I found it from eBay for a rather reasonable price and went for it. Other shades are #801 Malice, #258 Rosalba and #398 Froufrou, the latter two were also Japan Exclusives for Spring 2012. Caprice is a beautiful bright yellowish green with subtle shimmer in the bottle but goes with creme finish on the nails. I really liked the formula and the consistency but it was a little sheer after the second coat so I opted for three. I believe some of you may also like to go for two.

Dior Vernis #501 Caprice in shadow

Dior Caprice may remind you of #602 Lime from last year's Cruise Collection. Since I don't have this shade with me, I can't compare but I can tell you easily that Caprice has more yellow inside (thus Lime is greener). I was trying to find a way to be able to compare Caprice, with something, to give you an idea of the shade, so I looked around. All I have seen were some delicious fresh fruits so I decided to give it a try...

Comparison #1: Caprice vs. Green Apple

Dior Vernis #501 Caprice and a Green Apple

I thought Caprice would be very similar to a green apple but it turns out it is more green, less yellow once compared. Thanks to the hotel breakfast buffet in Rhodes for sponsoring this valuable comparison. *big grin* One should always give credits!

Comparison #2: Caprice vs. Kiwi Juice

Dior Vernis #501 Caprice and Kiwi Juice

Kiwi Juice is almost on the spot! Once the seeds are ignored, the base color is almost the same. By the way Kiwi Juice was delicious and this time around it was not sponsored, but the view, it was priceless. Thanks to island of Symi for the inspiration.

Final thoughts: Love Dior Vernis #502 in Caprice for my prolonged summer. You may still hunt this one down in eBay if you are lucky or maybe it ends up as an exclusive shade, like Froufrou from the same collection appeared a few months ago as Sephore Exclusive (names as Lilac Colorvision) so keep your eyes open and keep checking if you would like one.

Do you also compare your nail polish shades with fruits, flowers or the like? Would you wear such a bright yellow kiwi green?

The long awaited Giorgio Armani nail polishes landed to Germany about a week ago. I was on my way back to Stuttgart and trying to make sure that I don't miss any limited edition item. A more detailed post has to wait since I travel tomorrow once again, this time for work. I didn't find any swatches on the internet and ordering the items sight unseen was hard for me, so just before I go, I found time to go to a counter and swatch all of the shades for you, hoping to save you time and money, in case you are about to order too. You can also expect nail swatches of 4 shades I loved the most very soon. All the others have to wait until I return next weekend.

Newly Released Giorgio Armani Nail Lacquer

Above you can see my picks from the line, although I may cave in anytime today and get hold of two more. Below you can see the brush, it is a little fluffier than Chanel one but not as big as Dior nor flat like YSL. The application was easy with all the shades though. The bottles are tiny, only have 6ml inside, which disappointed me a little. I anyway never finish a bottle but get stressed when a bottle reaches the half. Armani SA claimed that these do last two times longer as other brands and therefore more expensive. I am going to report about this once I test it for 9 days as she suggested.

Brush Close-up: Giorgio Armani Nail Lacquer

Until I have time to nail swatch every color I picked, here is a quick guide for those of you who would like to decide soon. Range has 18 new nail polishes in 3 categories, 6 nudes, 6 reds, 6 pearls/duochromes. Armani SA here told me that the nail polishes from last category are limited edition. I haven't read this anywhere else but I can imagine it since it fits with their latest "Kaleidoscope" themed collection which also had duo-chrome Eyes To Kill singles.

First Category: Nudes

100 Bianca

101 Zero

102 Second Skin

103 Parma Greige

104 Greige

105 Taupe Greige

#100 and #101 doesn't show up on white base of nail wheel since they are transparent. #102 also seems to have semi-sheer finish. I picked up #103, #104 and #105 after swatching all. They are very opaque, almost one-coaters and darker than the photo below. #103 leans lila, #104 leans slightly khaki and #105 leans mauve.

Giorgio Armani Nail Lacquer, #100, #101, #102, #103, #104, #105

Second Category: Reds

301 Gio

402 Teatro

400 Four Hundred

502 Scarlatoo

503 Eccentrico

602 Night Viper

This category has nail polishes which can be matched with the newly released CC Lip Sticks of the brand. I am personally not a huge fan of matchy matchy thing, so I skipped this category. However I may still crave and get #602 and #502. #502 is close to Chanel April, just a little edgier. #602 is gorgeous, applies like a plum on the first layer, than builds up to be a pretty and not so blacked vamp. #503 is a warm classic red, very beautiful but I think it is dupable. #400 is what I would call Maryln red if this makes sense. #301 and #402 are close, #301 is more orange than the latter.

Giorgio Armani Nail Lacquer, #301, #400, #402, #502, #503, #602

Third Category: Pearls/Duochromes (probably limited edition)

700 Madre Perla

701 Bleu d‘Armani

702 Kaleidoscope

703 Leather wood

704 Amethyst

705 Black Petrol

This category was the most exciting among all. I picked up all of the shades and they mostly turned out to be very interesting. I am going to post nail swatches very soon, so I save my comments until then. All I would like to write is that although the below swatches reflects the color, it doesn't do them justice because on nail wheel, the pearl/duochrome properties are lost, so I suggest you to wait for the nail swatches before deciding. Short notice: #700 is sheer to the point of being rather a top coat. #702 is semi-sheer and needs 3 coats for opacity and a little streaky. #701 is the only creme in this category and #705 is a little blackened.

Final thoughts: More detailed swatch/review coming up soon. Note that these are only 6ml for the price of a Dior (10ml) or Chanel (13ml) nail polish. I am going to report about the claimed 9 days longevity after proper testing. For me Pearl/Duochrome Series (700s) are most interesting and worth the splurge. All in all nice quality, perfect application and short drying time. Also they are very glossy even without top coat.

Are you eyeing any of these? Do you like purchasing bigger or smaller bottles?

Full moon in Capri is beautiful and I am enjoying it while I type these lines. I could enjoy it even more if I wouldn't type at all and watch it set over the sea but this post can't wait anymore. I found these two beauties by chance and quickly swatched and took photos right before I leave. Let me present you two new powder brush from Chanel, Joues Contraste in #85 Evocation and #86 Discretion.

Joues Contraste in #85 Evocation & #86 Discretion

Although I don't have lots of information regarding the release, I believe those will be released together with new Vitalumiere Compact Douceur powder foundation. As release date October is given but I see that those starting popping out here and there, so if you would like them, keep an eye or ask your counter. I am hearing that Evocation will be permanent but Discretion is a limited edition.

Joues Contraste in #85 Evocation & #86 Discretion

Joues Contraste in #86 Evocation has a tone between a bronzer and a blush if this makes sense. This will be perfect to prolong our sun kissed faces during fall. What I like about it is that it is not too brown which sometimes look too orangey or too warm on me. I think Evocation will work across the skin tones. Discretion on the other hand is for the fair ladies out there. As you can see on my tanned arm swatch below, it acts as a matte "highlighter" on my skin. Some of you may think of Stardust which was released for holiday 2012. I don't own it to compare but I have found it on this website, and Stardust seems to be more shimmery. Both of the shades read more matte, with very sparse shimmer, just enough to give a lit from within look. You can check the promo pictures here (text is in German).

Swatches of Joues Contraste in #85 Evocation & #86 Discretion

Final thoughts: Two new pretty Joues Contraste with buttery and beautiful texture and very sparse shimmer for a lit from within look. I am very excited about #85 Evocation and love its balance between bronze and rose, great addition to the permanent line. #86 Descretion should excite the fair ladies more, and if you have your eyes on that one, remember that it is limited edition. Everyone darker than NC25-30 may find it useful as a highlighter.

What do you think about the release of a new powder foundation of Chanel? Are you a powder foundation kind of gal?

I posted a first look on Armani nail polishes, which started popping up at the counters around the world. Today I would like to introduce you to my favorite four from this release, #702 Kaleidoscope, #703 Leather Wood, #704 Amethyst and #705 Black Petrol .In Germany I was informed that these are all limited editions.

Giorgio Armani Nail Lacquer #702 Kaleidoscope, #703 Leather Wood, #704 Amethyst and #705 Black Petrol

Since it is my last day in Capri, I will try to keep the description short and let the swatches speak. All four of the shades are shimmery duochromes.

Giorgio Armani Nail Lacquer #702 Kaleidoscope, #703 Leather Wood, #704 Amethyst and #705 Black Petrol

I would like to start with #702 Kaleidoscope. It is a pearly white duochrome, shifting to blue, green, purple kind of shades. I found the light reflecting property of this one very gorgeous but the formula may not be everyone's cup of tea. It is streaky and a little sheer. Below I used three coats for full opacity.

Giorgio Armani Nail Lacquer #702 Kaleidoscope

#703 Leather Wood is one of my favorites from the collection. It is bronze brown with gorgeous red shimmer and light shifting property to copper. I found this to be nice alternative to neutrals. Formula of this one is perfect. I could get along with just one coat but I used two for the following photos. I tried to catch some sun light to show you how beautiful the copper sheen is.

Giorgio Armani Nail Lacquer #703 Leather Wood

I was expecing #704 Amethyst to be a little more purple/pink but instead it is a medium blue shifting to purple with angle. I think the following pictures doesn't do it justice, it is more beautiful in real life. Perfect formula with that one, no streakiness and opaque with almost one coat. Amethyst looks a bit like Chanel Bel-Argus but more duo chromish and leaning overall more purple and less metallic.

Giorgio Armani Nail Lacquer #704 Amethyst

The last shade I would like to introduce today is #705 Black Petrol. It is a blackened navy base with teal green shimmer. Because of that at some angles it appears more green. This one reminds me of a green version of Chanel's Nuit de Russie from legendary Paris/Moscow Collection. Again very good consistency and opacity. One coat might be enough but I used two for the swatches below.

Giorgio Armani Nail Lacquer #705 Black Petrol

Final thoughts: Love love love! I really like the light reflecting quality of those without being too metallic or frost. It seems so elegant and chic. My favorites are #703 Leather Wood and #704 Amethyst. Wish they wouldn't be limited editions and would contain more product, my two only complaints...

Are you eyeing any Armani nail polishes? Let me know.

Today I would like to write about Wayne Goss brushes I purchased during pre-order some weeks ago and I have been playing with them over a week now. The reason why I haven't wrote about them earlier is to test them properly for example during usage or before and after washing. I haven't finalized my thoughts about them but I would like to give you my first impressions and some comparisons to the brushes I own.

Wayne Goss Brush Collection, all brushes

Wayne Goss designed eight brushes, they are numbered from 01 to 08. Each of them are made in Japan, which is carved up on the handle. The number of the brush and the brand "wayne goss" are also carved and painted in silver. The silver paint might take off during usage as it is the case with other brands too so if you like it to stay, you may want to go over it gently with a clear nail polish. I usually have no problem with it since it can still be read even after the paint is gone.

The handles of all the brushes are wooden and black. I am guessing ferrule is made of black brass-chromium as opposed to silver nickel-brass which is very common to brushes, such as G series of Hakuhodo. Back ferrule gives the brushes a classy look since there is no cut but it looks like one piece. I don't know where in Japan the brushes were made but to me the quality of the brushes are very similar to G series of Hakuhodo, which also has black bristles, which are a mix of blue squirrel and goat.

I would like to go through each brush and provide comparisons where possible. The collection reminded me of misty set of Hakuhodo, which is a web special from hakuhodousa web page. (link is not affiliated, just for your convenience just like all the other links in this post). Misty Set also has black brass-chromium ferrule and I found some of the brushes to be similar. Please note that if you order G series outside this set, the handles are slightly longer and ferrule is silver. The head shape and the size is exactly the same.

Wayne Goss Brush Collection, all brushes

Wayne Goss #01:

This is one new addition to my brushes because I don't own anything like that. It is a duo fibre brush with natural as well as synthetic hair. This makes it perfect for cream or powder products. The synthetic bristles are a little longer than the natural ones and the brush is soft and dense. It is angled which gives possibility to use it at corners, such as under eye area for large area concealing. I used it to apply liquid foundation, under eye concealer and creme blush. I found the application to be very comfortable and results being better than my other duo fibres, such as Chanel foundation blending brush #7. I am just a little careful with this one since using it for foundation means washing it each second day. After washed though it didn't shed any hairs. I washed it for three times in total until now and it preserves its shape, color and smoothness.

As for the dupes, I think this one is easier to dupe in Japan than in Europe or USA. I have seen this particular post and I think Chomotto Beaute Magenta Oblique Circle brush is very similar to Wayne Goss #01, they both have 20 mm diameter and their price range also compares. Another similar brush is Hakuhodo G5556, which has 40 mm of diameter. I have read that it is also possible to find G5556 with smaller diameter but I couldn't find how to order it online from Hakuhodo. If you know please leave a comment below.

Bottom line: Love it! Became my go-to foundation brush for flawless make-up.

Wayne Goss #01

Wayne Goss #02

This is a pointed blush/highlighter brush made of just natural hair. The exact type of hair is not provided but from how it feels, I am guessing it to be a mixture of goat and blue squirrel. The pointy shape makes it possible to apply and to blend at the same time. No shedding with this one, the shape is preserved also after washing.

wayne goss #02 vs. Hakuhodo G 5521 from Misty Set

I found this one very close to Hakuhodo 5521 from Misty Set. Usually I use Hakuhodo G 5521 to apply highlighter at the high points of the cheek since I like using a denser brush for blush application such as Tom Ford #06 Cheek Brush. Its pointy tip makes it suitable to use it as a contouring brush too. The quality is superb, no shedding, the shape is also conserved after washing. My Hakuhodo G5521 looks a bit leaning to the side because of traveling with me this summer, so excuse me for that. Originally it had exactly the same shape. There is a minor difference by their fullness. Hakuhodo G5521 is a little denser and the ferrule is 1,5 mm thicker. Their price is almost the same, Hakuhodo G5521 retails for $34$, Wayne Goss #02 can be ordered for $35.

Bottom line: Lovely brush but not unique to my stash. Since it is sold out at the moment, you may not want to wait for it to reappear and instead opt for Hakuhodo G5521, which is 1$ cheaper and has a little denser bristles.

wayne goss #02 vs. Hakuhodo G 5521 from Misty Set

Below I would like to talk about three eye shadow brushes briefly, since I don't own close dupes to these, I am going to write my first impressions:

Wayne Goss #03, Large Crease

This is a round shaped pointed, rather large brush. It feels lovely and soft and has superb quality just like the other of the range. Bristles feel close to #02 in terms of softness and again I am guessing that it is a mixture of blue squirrel and goat. During application I found this to be too large for my crease and you know I rather have big eyes. I think it would work better for powdering under eye or contouring the nose.

Wayne Goss #04, Medium Crease

Another round shaped pointed brush, like a smaller version of #03. I found this to be softer than #03 and guessing that the blue squirrel dominates, if not used alone. Who would have thought that I have medium crease (rather than a big deep one) but I loved this one to give depth to my eye look. The pointy edge blends my crease shade beautifully. This one became one of my favorite brushes of all time.

Wayne Goss #05, Small Crease

This one has the same softness of #04 and great quality. Nevertheless I tried it on different ways and couldn't find it working in any of it. Firstly used it instead of my smokey brushes, such as Laura Mercier Smokey brush or Hakuhodo G5514 but in my opinion its bristles are way too long to smoke out a liner. It is also too small for my rather large crease. I tried to use it to apply a pop of color to a certain point like mid of the lid ad tried it with new Suqqu Quads from Fall but its bristles are not dense enough to pick up enough product. I think this one is more suitable for smaller eyes and can be used wonderfully on the crease. For me it is rather a miss but I will keep trying and let you know.

Bottom line: #04 is love at first sight, other two need a bit more trying for my eye shape and size.

Wayne Goss #03, #04, #05

This is the point I realize that I need to cut this post since it is getting really long. I will post the second part soon but until now I would love to hear your comments.

Have you tried any of these brushes? How is your impression?

This is the second part of my review, the first part can be read here, which is about Wayne Goss brushes #01, #02, #03, #04 and #05.

I would like to go on with my impressions, review and comparison post about the newly released brush collection of Wayne Goss, a make-up artist and Youtuber. His brushes are made in Japan and made of natural hair. As he explains in his videos, he financed it himself with the help of a bank and therefore once they are sold out, it is going to take some time until they come back in stock. The brushes can be purchased from Beautylish in US or Love Make Up for the rest of the world (no affiliated links here and the rest of this post, links are just for your convenience). Current delivery time is given to be eight weeks.

Wayne Goss #06

This is designed to be a blending brush. The form is different than #03, #04 and #05 because this one goes flat while the other three are round brushes. I found it to be similar to my Hakuhodo G5523 brush, again from Misty Set, which I use for crease work. Hakuhodo 5523 is made of only blue squirrel, whereas I suspect that #06 has rather a mixture of blue squirrel with goat because it feels to be firmer. After very detailed observation, I can say that Wayne Goss #06 is fuller, a little rounder and feels slightly firmer than Hakuhodo G5523 but their forms are very close and this difference is very marginal.

wayne goss #06 vs. Hakuhodo G5523 from Misty Set

Wayne explains in his video that #06 can be used for crease but it is rather meant for blending. I think using the brushes for this or that purpose is very personal. Personally I rather like my crease brushes a little flat so that I can go deeper in the crease. One of the most loved crease brushes MAC 217 is also flat which makes perfect sense to me. I tried Wayne Goss #06 for both of the purposes and it works wonderfully.

wayne goss #06 vs. Hakuhodo G5523 from Misty Set

#06 is a lovely and soft brush. Just like the other brushes of the range, there is no shedding and it is easy to see and feel the excellent craftsmanship. If you want to get hold of one of these brushes and don't want to wait for eight weeks, you could also opt for Hakuhodo G5523, which slightly picks less product due to being a little softer, difference being truly marginal.

Bottom line: Nice, soft and perfect quality. I prefer using it rather on the crease than for blending. Very similar to Hakuhodo G5523 (costs $26 instead of $25 for Wayne Goss #06).

Side view: wayne goss #06 vs. Hakuhodo G5523 from Misty Set

Wayne Goss #07

Seventh brush of the collection is a short and flat brush which is declared to be mainly for lipstick. It is hard to tell what the bristles are made of since they are rather short but I am guessing this one should be horse hair to be more durable, especially once used with liquid products. Again another personal choice but i don't see me getting most use out of this as a lip brush since i find the bristles to be rather short for this purpose. Wayne Goss #07 is an eye liner brush for me. Nevertheless I went on and applied my favorite red lipstick with that and I liked how easy it was to get the shape. The short bristles make it precise like a lip liner. The end result looked more like a stain since it can't get many product at once due to its shortness but since I blot after the first application and apply direct from the bullet for the second layer, it is not a problem.

wayne goss #07 vs. Hakuhodo G5511 from Misty Set

Wayne Goss #07 is twins with Hakuhodo 5511, careful observation doesn't reveal any results in this case. It is also hard for me to comment on the usage because Hakuhodo 5511 is one of my least used brushes. I usually line up my eyes directly with a pencil or I use thin liner brush for gel liner. In both cases I smoke out the liner with a smokey brush such as one of Laura Mercier which has longer bristles. Maybe it makes it to my lip routine, only time will show.

Bottom line: A nice quality eye liner brush for those who like to apply their eye liners that way. Twins with Hakuhodo 5511.

wayne goss #07 vs. Hakuhodo G5511 from Misty Set

Wayne Goss #08

This one is a flat brush with very short bristles. The cut is rather interesting because it is not round and not exactly flat but has a slight reverse C shape. It is written to be for tight lining, which I honestly never tried but I can see it working good for this purpose. I am just not sure how the reverse C shape effects the results. I can see myself using this one to push liner very close to the lash line to naturally thicken the lashes.

wayne goss #08 vs. Hakuhodo G5512

Bottom line: A solid brush for tight lining fans. The closest brush I own is Hakuhodo G5512, which is very different from the shape. I can see that wayne goss #08 reaching more area at once because of its flat shape.

wayne goss #08 vs. Hakuhodo G5512

My thoughts about the collection:

Lovely brushes and excellent craftsmanship. I have been using them since two weeks. I haven't experienced shedding of a single hair, which is very impressive. Some of the brushes have either twins or very close relatives in Hakuhodo G line, so you may want to check those out too.

As for the series as a whole, I would wish a flat shading brush included for this to be complete package for me. I know Wayne mentioned that he doesn't like harsh eye shadow applications but I find it necessary for some looks or part of the looks. I would also rather have a smoking brush instead of #5 which is a bit too long for me. As I already mentioned, which brushes to pick up and where to use them are very personal and I recommend you checking the brushes one by one before you order them and think if you would get use from them. For example are you tight lining regularly? Do you like softer or denser looks? Is your crease rather deep or not? What size are your eyes? These questions play an important role while you pick up your favorite brushes.

Also check out the online catalog here, it provides good information and lovely photos of the brushes.

Which brushes are in your wish list? Have you already ordered some? Let me know...

After looong posts of brushes and things, today I am in the mood for posting something fun. Ready to Wear Eye Palette of Addiction in Mudd Club is just right for that. Look at the color combination!

Addiction Ready to Wear Eye Palette #04 Mudd Club

I have first seen it in Belly's post about special edition packages and limited edition palettes of Addiction. It was instant love for me. After finding out that this one is part of the permanent collection, it went straight into my wish list. At some point I was lucky enough to snatch one from a blog sale, which as usual had to travel around the world to get here. Now that the wait is over and I could find the courage to touch it, let me show you what it can do...

Close-up: Addiction Ready to Wear Eye Palette #04 Mudd Club

The eye shadows have an interesting finish. They are very pigmented, almost matte with a little shimmer giving life to these. Under artificial light, shimmer becomes more apparent but still decent and beautiful. These are that kind of eye shadows which are not lifeless mattes but not frosts or metallics, they must be one of the most beautiful satin finishes I have seen. The shades are as follows:

Satin black with multi colored sparse shimmer (top left)
Aqua blue with silver shimmer (top right)
Reddish plum with multi dimensional shimmer (bottom right)
White with slight satin finish (bottom left)

Full sun swatch: Addiction Ready to Wear Eye Palette #04 Mudd Club

I started with a rather safe approach on this palette, not to get disappointed by the first application since the shades and the finish increased my expectation.

Primed my lid with Nars Pro Prime
Padded a stripe of aqua blue to the middle of the lid with a dense shader brush
Padded some white shade (bottom left) to the inner corner towards the middle of the lid
Applied the plum shade (bottom right) elsewhere on the lid, blending with aqua blue and white
Defined the crease with the black shade (top left).
Applied eye liner to top and bottom as well as to water line. I smudged this with a smokey brush (Laura Mercier) and added some of the aqua blue while smudging the liner on top and bottom, smoking it out in a blue/green way.
Applied two coats of mascara (YSL Baby Doll).

In-action: Addiction Ready to Wear Eye Palette #04 Mudd Club

After this I went out for a test at some local counters and it worked. I got five questions on who did my make-up, which I politely answered by stating that I know a beauty blogger and she loves fun shades on the eyes. And the best feeling is that I know I won't be finished playing with this palette for a long time to come because I have at least 3 more things I would love to try out. I will start by applying those on a black basis! That will be so vibrantly beautiful I am sure.

Addiction Mudd Club can be purchased from Ichibankao (not an affiliate link) if you are outside of Japan.

Final thoughts: Fun! So much fun!

Would you ever consider plum and aqua blue together? Does this combination inspire you too?

You thought it was over?

Before Orchid Haze, there was Sahara Haze. A harmony in ivory, taupe and greens.

And today I would like to talk about it.

Tom Ford Eye Color Quad #08 Sahara Haze

I am not going to lie. Sahara Haze was never one of my favorite quads of the brand. Maybe it is because I don't prefer greens on me. Or maybe it is due to other quads being so much prettier. But each time I get to wear it, I end up liking the resulting effect. It doesn't blow my mind and makes me watch the shades in awe, like Silvered Topaz does but nevertheless Sahara Haze is one of my favorite green quads. I have to admit I like this one more than Dior's Bonne Etoile (previously reviewed here) which leans too blue for my taste, but maybe it is just me.

Close-up: Tom Ford Eye Color Quad #08 Sahara Haze

The eye shadow shades of the palette are as follows:

A warm ivory with satin finish (top left)
A mid-toned grey taupe with satin finish (top right)
A deep cool brown with sparse gold shimmer (bottom right)
A semi-transparent forest green base with silver and golden glitter (bottom left).

What I like about Sahara Haze is that, if you put aside the glitter shade, you can use the other three for a classic taupe/grey smokey eye. Then once you pad the semi transparent shade on them, you end up getting a dense forest green eye look, which, for me, is one of the shades of green that suits my complexion most. The resulting green is not leaning blue, just maybe slightly gold which is exactly how I like it.

Swatch under sun: Tom Ford Eye Color Quad #08 Sahara Haze

Below picture was taken before holidays, oh my, look how pale and red I was, ugh! ;-)

Anyway I think it is good enough to demonstrate the effect I was just talking about. For this one I applied the grey/taupe (top right) all over the lid, ivory (top left) on the inner corner and brown (bottom right) to define the crease and the outer half of my upper lash line. At this point it was looking not that exceptional. I then padded some of the green glitter (bottom left) with my fingers and voilà, I had different shades of green depending on the previous application spot. This look was of course much more interesting in real life because of the light reflected by the glitters.

In-action: Tom Ford Eye Color Quad #08 Sahara Haze

Final thoughts: A solid green palette for day or night as you fancy. Semi-transparent glitter is gorgeous and reveals different shades of green depending on which other shade it was layered on. Definitely worth checking out.

Do you like wearing greens on your eyes? Which shade of green is your favorite?

Leaves started falling on the ground, it gets a little chilly and pumpkins appeared in supermarket. Equally mood of the blog was starting to get autumny, featuring darker nail polishes, earth tones, greens and browns, then deep plums. I love the mood of fall, there is something so cosy about it.

But last week, I have made this terrible mistake. I picked up this duo from my "not yet tried out" part of the stash and it took me only minutes to go back to the beach I was trying to forget! Aqua blue of the sea and the silver reflections dancing on it left me with the melancholy of the summer which was gone by so fast.

Guerlain Ecrin 2 Couleurs Eye Shadow Duo in #02 Two Stylish

Guerlain Ecrin 2 Couleurs Eye Shadow Duo in #02 Two Stylish is one of the duos which was released with Fall Collection. To me though, it is more of a summer duo, much more than other two I got to try out, Two Parisian and Two Gossip.

Guerlain Ecrin 2 Couleurs Eye Shadow Duo in #02 Two Stylish

Two Stylish has a silver shade with metallic finish and a mid-toned blue with sparse shimmer. Blue is not deep. To me it is there to spice the look up rather than define the crease or be used as an eye liner.

Swatch under sun: Guerlain Ecrin 2 Couleurs Eye Shadow Duo in #02 Two Stylish

For the following look I applied the silver on all the lid and tried to define the crease with the blue. Since I have used the silver as a base, it made my blue appear even paler than it is. Next time I am certainly applying the blue first. But I can assure you next time won't be within a few months because I would like to go back to the falling leaves mood when this craziness is over.

In-action: Guerlain Ecrin 2 Couleurs Eye Shadow Duo in #02 Two Stylish

Not knowing how to justify having baby blue eyes in October, I desperately tried to give it a meaning by wearing a matching pullover. It made me feel a little better about the rather off-looking situation. Some don't care about the colors and the times of the year but it seems I do as I just happen found it out. I am wearing Armani Rouge Ecstasy in Day Break on the lips here.

FOTD: Guerlain Ecrin 2 Couleurs Eye Shadow Duo in #02 Two Stylish

Final thoughts: It is better to start applying the blue shade first to get some definition. A lovely duo, but it will probably wait until next summer in my drawer.

Can you wear colors throughout the year or are you reflecting your seasonal mood on your makeup? Baby blue in fall? Yay or nay?

Laura Mercier Nail Polishes in Forbidden & Bewitched from Dark Spell Collection

Chanel Le Volume Mascara in #40 Khaki Bronze from Fall 2013 Superstition Collection

Chanel Soft Touch Eye Shadow #101 Gri-Gri from Fall 2013 Superstition Collection

My Nail Polish Pick This Summer and Beyond, A-England Excalibur (new version)

Blog Post Series, Tom Ford Quads VII: The New Natural, #13 Orchid Haze

Tom Ford Ombre Eye Color Trio #02 She Wolf from Fall 2013 Collection

Tom Ford Ombre Eye Color Trio #01 In The Pink from Fall 2013 Collection

Tom Ford Nail Lacquer #24 Black Sugar, #25 Show Me The Pink from Fall 2013 Collection

Dior 3 Couleurs Glow #751 Silver Glow Eye Shadow Palette from Fall 2013 Mystic Metallics Collection Review&Swatches

YSL La Laque Couture #40 Sepia 7E Art from Fall 2013 City Drive Collection

Clarins Eye Quartet Mineral Palette #11 Forest from Graphic Expression Fall 2013 Collection

Dior Vernis #501 Caprice, Backstage Studio Exclusive

First Look to Giorgio Armani Nail Lacquer, Swatches of All Shades on Nail Wheel

Joues Contraste in #85 Evocation & #86 Discretion, Two New Powder Blush from Chanel

Giorgio Armani Nail Lacquer #702 Kaleidoscope, #703 Leather Wood, #704 Amethyst and #705 Black Petrol

Wayne Goss Brush Collection Part I, #01, #02, #03, #04, #05 Review & Comparison

Wayne Goss Brush Collection Part II, #06, #07, #08 Review & Comparison

Addiction Ready to Wear Eye Palette #04 Mudd Club

Blog Post Series, Tom Ford Quads VIII: The Green, #08 Sahara Haze

Guerlain Ecrin 2 Couleurs Eye Shadow Duo in #02 Two Stylish from Fall 2013 Violette de Madame Collection