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NARS Summer 2012: Pics and Swatches

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nars summer 2012

No more thunderstorms this afternoon, thank goodness! But Tabs would like me to point out that it did rain, which he described multiple times today as, “bootsy.”

Gurl, if the power had gone out earlier and I hadn’t been able to upload these pics of the new NARS Summer 2012 collection? — whoo! I would’ve gone makeup MacGyver in this house! I’m serious. I would have grabbed my mountain bike and some jewelry wire, a jar of Nutella and some Spanx and turned them into a homemade generator, LOL!

The nine-piece NARS release sails onto NARS counters and into online shopping carts and hearts April 13.

Full reviews coming over the next few days. Until then, enjoy. 🙂

NARS Summer 2012: Pics

nars ramatuelle
Ramatuelle Trio Eyeshadow (Limited Edition), $45

nars galante
Marie-Galante Duo Eyeshadow, $34 (SIDE NOTE: the right side of this duo flashes from purple to blue, which is why the color here looks different than it does in the top pic)

nars liberte
Liberté Blush, $28
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Luscious Lips and Wide Eyes Characterize the Estèe Lauder Pure Color Gloss Sequins Finish Collection and Two Tone Collection for Eyes

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estee lauder fuchsia vibes
Wearing Estèe Lauder Pure Color Gloss Sequins Finish in Fuchsia Vibes on my lips

It looks like I got home just in time because a storm’s a brewin’! I had to make a quick trip into the city, which is why I’ve been MIA, but I’m back in Novato now, much to Tabs’ chagrin.

The air is thick and humid … like it’s about to downpour.

First thing I did when I got home — well, the second thing I did, after giving Tabs some treats (he was all, “Woman! Where were you?! I’ve been STARVING!”) — was check out two new collections coming to Estèe Lauder counters next month, the limited edition Pure Color Gloss Sequins Finish Collection and Two Tone Collection for eyes.

One can never have too many sequins, I always say (well…). 🙂 Incidentally, that’s the release I’m looking forward to the most. It features six powerfully pigmented, shimmery glosses in berry, coral, red, plum and nude ($22.50 each).

Oh, fig! — which is how the glosses taste and smell. They also have the thin, smooth consistency of a lip cream yet the shine of a gloss. They remind me of MAC Kissable Lipcolours with a side order of shimmer.

As for the 10-piece Two Tone Collection for eyes, it includes the basics for creating a wide-eyed look — not necessarily flashy, but pretty and practical nevertheless.

It features three new Sumptuous Two Tone Eye-Opening Mascaras ($28 each) — each one has a black shade on one side for top lashes and a colorful shade on the other for bottoms — three Double Wear Stay-in-Place Dual-Ended Eye Pencil Duos ($25 each), and four Pure Colour Eyeshadow singles ($20 each).

Here’s a close look at four of the glosses, two of the pencils and one of the mascaras…

estee lauder pure color sequins
From bottom to top: Double Wear Stay-In-Place Eye Pencil Duo in Onyx/Coffee, Double Wear Stay-In-Place Eye Pencil Duo in Onyx/Garnet, Sumptuous Two Tone Eye-Opening Mascara in Bold Black and Rich Plum, Pure Color Gloss Sequins Finish in Purple Passion, Fuchsia Vibes, Cosmic Pink and Violet Rain

estee lauder pure color sequins
From bottom to top: Violet Rain, Cosmic Pink, Fuchsia Vibes and Purple Passion

estee lauder pure color sequins

estee lauder pure color sequins wands
Wands from left to right: Violet Rain, Purple Passion, Fuchsia Vibes and Cosmic Pink
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A Quick Look at the New Laura Mercier Belle Nouveau Collection

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laura mercier belle nouveau
Wearing Sheer Crème Eye Colour in Aqua Pastel and Long Lash Mascara in Bleu on my eyes and Lip Glacè in Orange Tulip on my lips

Just a few pics of the new Laura Mercier Belle Nouveau collection I snapped before heading out to my hair appointment this afternoon.

I’m actually back home now … with my new hair! 🙂 The new ‘do will make its blogging debut soon. Right now, though, I’m not in any condition for pictures (I’m already in my jammies).

Laura’s new limited edition collection, which arrives on counters and online next month, was inspired by her background as a painter and her love for the Art Nouveau era.

Here are five of the 14 pieces from the release, including Laura’s first-ever tinted mascara, Long Lash Mascara in Bleu.


Clockwise from the burble bottle of polish on the left: Nail Lacquer in Lavender Cloud, Crème Lip Print in Nude Pink, Long Lash Mascara in Bleu, Lip Glacè in Orange Tulip and Sheer Crème Eye Colour in Aqua Pastel

laura mercier belle nouveau swatches
Swatches from the left: Crème Lip Print in Nude Pink, Lip Glacè in Orange Tulip, Sheer Crème Eye Colour in Aqua Pastel (unblended and blended) and Long Lash Mascara in Bleu

laura mercier lavender cloud swatch
Nail Lacquer in Lavender Cloud
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This Garden’s a Trip! The Obsessive Compulsive Cosmetics Garden Collection for Spring and Summer 2012

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obsessive compulsive cosmetics the garden lip tars
Lip Tars from the left: Pennyroyal, Kava Kava, Ophelia, Digitalis, Belladonna and Chlorophyll

There’s something wicked out in the garden, and it’s cosmetics!

“A different shade of floral” — that’s how Obsessive Compulsive Cosmetics describes their new spring/summer Garden collection of colors inspired by psychotropic and poisonous plants.

Yep, these aren’t your usual pastels and dainty florals. The color palette, with its nearly-neon hues and earthy neutrals, reminds me of the time I unwittingly ate one of my brother’s “special” brownies before going grocery shopping (he left them out on the counter at home without a warning/explanation).

I must have stood in the Safeway veggie aisle for 15 minutes, just fondling the eggplants and oranges, and marveling at how smooth and shiny everything was.

Man, what a weird day…

An indie makeup line out of New York, Obsessive Compulsive Cosmetics (OCC) carries a pretty wide range of makeup, tools and nail polishes, but they’re probably best known for their lightweight Lip Tars — intensely pigmented lip products with the texture of a gloss and the longevity of a lipstick.

The company also prides itself on their 100% vegan pledge and cruelty-free formulas that steer clear of parabens and artificial preservatives.

The Garden collection features six Lip Tars ($14 each), five Loose Colour Concentrate pigments ($12 each), six Nail Lacquers ($8 each) and one Cosmetic Glitter ($12), and all of them are bound for OCC’s permanent line.

I’m still getting to know the products, but I’m already intrigued by the Lip Tars and Nail Lacquers, in particular Ophelia Lip Tar and Chlorophyll Lacquer.

The brand isn’t widely available yet, but it looks like they’re expanding (here’s a list of places that carry it).

obsessive compulsive cosmetics the garden lip tars 1
Lip Tars from the left: Ophelia, Digitalis and Belladonna
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Mauve Over, Heavy Makeup, and Make Room for Becca Eye Tint in Romanticism

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becca eye tint in romanticism

Lately, like a good love song, Becca Eye Tint in Romanticism ($24) has been my weekend jam! Since I haven’t been in the mood to wear a full eye look on Saturdays and Sundays, I’ve been turning to this creamy eye tint in a tube.

A lightly tinted mauve with silver shimmer and a finish with a glint of gloss, this cream-to-powder eyeshadow from Becca’s Balearic Love collection may not be flashy, but I sure do like how it looks. I love that when I stand a few feet away from a mirror, I can tell that I’m wearing a little color on my lids, but I don’t feel like I’m wearing a ton of makeup.

For more on the Becca Balearic Love collection, check out…

It’s one of those products that doesn’t broadcast itself over the loudspeakers, if you catch my drift. People will think to themselves, “Pretty! She did something different with her look today, but I’m not sure exactly what…” Like getting highlights a shade or two lighter or darker than your natural hair color, Romanticism might not be obvious at first, but it’s easy to spot upon closer inspection.

With a dewy finish, it looks a little bit wet to me, like a raven-haired mermaid’s lids when she pokes her head above the water.

And speaking of water, that’s something Romanticism was designed to resist. It does a decent job, too, holding up fine to rainy days and light workouts. Now, I wouldn’t wear it to spend the day at the beach or pool, but it can stand a little water (for a full day of frolicking in the surf, the Make Up For Ever Aqua Creams might be a better bet).

becca romanticism

becca romanticism swatch
Romanticism unblended (left) and blended (right)
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For $45, the Tom Ford Beauty Ultra Shine Lip Gloss in Gold Dust Should Be Worth Its Weight in Gold

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tom ford beauty gold dust ultra shine lip gloss

If I were a beauty pirate sailing the seven seas in search of pricey golden makeup booty, I’d say, “Aye, matey!” to Tom Ford’s Ultra Shine Lip Gloss in Gold Dust ($45). If I were an ancient Egyptian princess with the ability to time travel, I’d visit a Neimans in 2012 and return to the past with a tube to store in my sacred pyramid. It would go in a special burial chamber reserved for shimmery, sheer, high-end golden glosses, which would be next door to the chamber reserved for Tabs, because I know he’d insist on being buried as close as possible to the really, really expensive stuff. After all, he is a cat with a taste for the “finer things” (his words).

But if I were almost anyone else … I’d have serious reservations about this warm and shimmery golden lippie, the sole lip product in the new 13-piece limited edition Tom Ford Beauty collection for spring 2012.

Truth be told, the words “Lip Lacquer” on the tube initially confused me. I expected the product itself to be more intense, with bigger shine! — and the wherewithal to last from at least breakfast till lunch (something akin to a MAC Pro Longwear Lipglass).

Instead, Gold Dust is a breathy, barely-there whisper of shimmer and color that gives up after about 90 minutes on my lips.

Super sheer color and a limited wear time for almost $50?

Hmm…

Tom Ford Beauty Ultra Shine Lip Gloss in Gold Dust

  • Texture: A middleweight with a smooth, non-sticky texture.
  • Packaging: The long tube, with its angled plastic applicator, is practical, I guess, but I would have liked something fancier, considering the price.
  • Flavor and scent: My nose picks up a faint brown sugar flavor and scent (yum!)
  • Wear time: Not great. I get between 60-90 minutes.
  • Finish: Very soft, like a powder puff lens.

tom ford beauty gold dust ultra shine lip gloss

tom ford gold dust ultra shine lip gloss
Clockwise from the golden pot on the left: Cream Color for Eyes in Guilt ($35), Ultra Shine Lip Gloss in Gold Dust ($45) and Cream Color for Eyes in Illicit ($35)

tom ford spring 2012 swatches
Swatches from the left: Cream Color for Eyes in Illicit, Cream Color for Eyes in Guilt and Ultra Shine Lip Gloss in Gold Dust
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Becca Mineral Blush in Bolero Gets Better as the Day Wears On

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becca bolero blush

I was quite the Flowerchild back in my Becca Halcyon Days. Yup, they called me Damselfly…

When Flowerchild and Damselfly, two of Becca’s flawless Mineral Blushes from last spring’s Becca Halcyon Days collection, worked their way into my heart and my everyday makeup routine, it was just like the first time I tasted bubble tea. I wanted, needed, craved them 24/7 for weeks.

Mmmm, tapioca pearls…

With the Balearic Love collection, the compact Becca Mineral Blush clan grows by one member. Bolero ($32), a bronze with faint reddish tones and the sole blush in the release, is just as pigmented, easy to apply, long-lasting and resistant to fading as the other Mineral Blushes I’ve tried, but those pluses aren’t even my favorite things about it.

What makes Bolero really stand out to me is how it just seems to look better and better over the course of the day.

I’ve been trying to unravel its secret, and I keep coming back to one thing: the finish. Becca loves combining shimmers and mattes (like Cabrera liner, also from Balearic Love), and with Bolero and its semi/demi-matte finish, they’ve done it again.

Bolero rides into town on a mostly matte finish with a super subtle sheen, but as the day wears on and oil builds up on my skin, Bolero turns up the radiant shine (picture a gal holding her surfboard on the cover of Shape). I’ve been wearing it as both a blush and a bronzer for sun-kissed, sculpted looks.

I also love how Bolero caters to my lazy side looks when it’s worn with minimal makeup. Over the past couple weeks, I’ve tried it on top of bare skin, tinted moisturizer and full-coverage liquid foundation, and it seems like the less makeup I wear with it, the better Bolero looks.

becca bolero blush

becca bolero swatch
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Roses Are Red Before They’re Pink With Becca Sheer Tint Lip Colour in Valentina

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becca valentina

Quite frankly, Becca Sheer Tint Lip Colour in Valentina ($24), the sole lip product in the new Balearic Love collection, surprised the heck out of me when I saw it in person for the first time. From the look of it on the model in the Balearic Love campaign, I expected a lighter pink, but on me, it begins as an intense rose.

What I love most about this lipstick is how it changes on my lips over time. What starts as an almost opaque rosy red (at least on my lips), slowly fades and wears down to a softer rosy pink. One layer provides medium coverage that then fades to a quiet pink stain.

The basics…

  • Flavor and scent: Both are like faint brown sugar
  • Wear time: About three hours on me
  • Formula: It’s pretty moisturizing, but in the dead of winter I would probably wear it on top of an even more moisturizing lip balm
  • Finish: A soft shine that fades to a matte pink stain

becca valentina

becca valentina swatch

becca valentina lip closeup
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