Bite Beauty Butter Cream Lipsticks - Quick Swatches

Image Courtesy : Sephora.com

Bite Beauty’s newest launch is the creamy, moisturizing nude lipstick range called as the Butter Cream Lipstick ($28; sephora.com). I have swatches of the eight lipsticks, but all of them in store lighting (so not the perfect lighting) . From my brief experience swatching these, I found that the formula was creamy and a bit glossy, but the flat top that isn’t angled or thin, can make application difficult for some. A lip brush might be needed for some of the lighter shades. Most shades swatched very differently compared to how they looked in the tube. I can't say that there's a perfect nude for everyone in here, but the shades are wearable for the most part.

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Indeed Labs Hydraluron Moisture Jelly

Hydraluron Moisture Jelly by Indeed Labs ($22.99; Ulta) is a paraben, oil and fragrance free, 24 hour moisturizing formula packed in a light weight thick gel. It is recommend to be used before or in place of moisturizer and features a very light, but hydrating formula that includes one of the purest forms of Hyaluronic Acid.

There’s no detectable scent to the product and the packaging ensures the product formula stays hygienic. The jelly is quite fast absorbing, but for my super dry skin, I needed another moisturizer on top. It could be used in place of a regular moisturizer in the summer though. The texture is super lightweight, a tad tacky, but dries completely residue-free after a few minutes. It feels nice and cool and plumps skin up and retains moisture well. Overall, a great affordable addition to any skincare routine, particularly the drier skin types, especially this time of the year.

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L'Occitane Fleurs de Cerisier L'Eau Collection - Eau de Toilette and Shower Milk

L’Occitane’s new Fleurs de Cerisier L'Eau collection is new for Spring. The collection features a lighter, fresher take on the classic cherry blossom scent and comes in an EDT, Hand Cream, Shower Gel, Body Milk and a portable Fragrance Touch!

Fleurs de Cerisier is a fresh, fruity floral with notes of Blackcurrant, Watermelon, Cherry Blossom, Lemon and Violets. Its very light, more fruity than floral and layers beautifully with the Shower Milk ($20; usa.loccitane.com), from the collection,which is a gentle sulfate based foaming cream cleanser that washes off squeaky clean. The Fleurs de Cerisier Eau de Toilette ($45; usa.loccitane.com) opens up with juicy notes from the Watermelon and Blackcurrant, the Cherry Blossom is quite light and lingers on through the dry down along with the powdery Rose. There’s a touch of musk that keeps it soft and the lemon adds a beautiful, subtle freshness to the fragrance, keeping it light. The lasting power is about 5-6 hours on me, might last less longer in the Spring and Summer though, but a gorgeous fragrance to check out if you are a fan of the Cherry Blossom variations that L'Occitane puts out this time of the year!

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beautyblender red.carpet Makeup Sponge - Limited Edition

The beautyblender® red.carpet ($19.95; sephora.com) is a new, limited-edition exclusive addition to the beauty blender makeup sponge family. 'red.carpet' is essentially the same product in a limited edition packaging and color. A few things I like to use the beauty blender for are to sheer thicker foundations and concealers, add a touch of highlighter to the cheekbones and cupid’s bow and finally to tone down the overall look of foundations if they look too cakey or powdery. I quite like the original pink beautyblender, and the red.carpet, although looks the same, feels a tad different. I found it to be less denser than the original, which is fine, since it doesn’t really affect the roll and bounce motion of the product that very much. red.carpet does bleed a little bit of color every time I wash and it after a couple of washes, started looking a bit faded in color. I've never had these problems with the original beautyblender though. The color bleeding did not affect the end result or the way cream products look on the skin, so it did not bother me so much, but if you do love this one specifically for the bright red color, this is one to keep in mind!

For a full review of the original beautyblender, go to this post.

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NARS Valhalla Shimmer Eye Shadow and St-Paul-De-Vence Duo Eye Shadow | NARS Spring 2015 Collection

NARS' new Spring 2015 Color Collection features two new eyeshadows in soft everyday neutrals, the Shimmer Eyeshadow in Valhalla and a limited edition Duo Eye Shadow in St-Paul-De-Vence!

Valhalla ($25; narscosmetics.com) is a soft peachy pink with fine shimmer. The shimmer does show up prominently, so I like it as a base more than by itself. On lighter skin tones than mine, it will make for a beautiful shimmer wash shadow that you could just pair with black liner and mascara. I found the formula easy to blend, but there can be a bit of fallout from the shimmer. St-Paul-De-Vence ($35; narscosmetics.com) is a super natural looking duo with a sheen-y peachy gold and a satin matte warm brown. Its a duo I’ve been absolutely loving, formula and color wise, and my favorite way to wear it is by using the peachy gold as an all over lid color and the warm brown along the crease and to blend out the edges. I like to pair it with a smudgy soft black liner and a couple of coats of mascara! If there’s one thing I’d absolutely recommend from NARS’ Spring Collection, it is this fabulous duo eyeshadow!

Wearing Valhalla as a base, St-Paul-De-Vence, peachy golden side all over the lid, warm brown along the crease

NARS Spring 2015 is now available at all NARS counters and online at narscosmetics.com.

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FOTD | Nude Pink Lip Combo I've Been Loving

A nude-pink lip combo that I’ve recently discovered and have been wearing a lot with just about any look. I used three products, all very wearable nudes for most skin tones, don’t wash you out and pair really well with smokey eyes too. 

MAC Lip Pencil in Dervish ($16; maccosmetics.com), a great neutral to use all over the lips or line. I filled in my lips with Dervish and it evens out my pigmented lips adding a bit of warmth. I then used Bite Beauty’s High Pigment Lip Pencil in Sable ($25 for a set of 4; LE sephora.com) which sadly is limited edition, but is a fabulous color to pair with neutrals. Since Sable is a tad peachy, I finished it with a swipe of Guerlain’s Maxi Shine Lip Gloss in Browny Clap ($30; sephora.com) - one of my favorite nude glosses and also a fantastic formula to wear with matte lipsticks or just a lip liner. The combination of these three leans a bit more pink than a classic brown nude, but I love the end result nevertheless!

Giorgio Armani Eye Tint in Senso #10

Giorgio Armani’s new Eye Tints ($38; sephora.com) have quickly become one of my favorite cream eye shadows that I’ve been reaching out to a lot lately. I picked up Senso #10, a gorgeous bronzy brown-taupe with a hint of plum. Its a beautiful neutral that would flatter most skin tones and the texture is one of the easiest to work with.

Senso is quite a nice neutral that can be used as a sheer wash all over the lid or packed on for intensity. I like to use a fluffily brush to blend it out and sheer the color out a little. The texture is super smooth, almost mousse-like, easy to blend and takes a while to completely set. There is quite a bit of shimmer in Senso, but it doesn’t look too much or too glitzy on the lids. Without a primer, I did find that the formula creases a little and tends to rub off overtime, but with a primer, it does stay put for a good 5-6 hours. I also like to use Senso as a base for a good chunk of my neutral shadows and it helps color adhere well with minimal fading. Overall, I love the ease of use, the unique texture and fabulous color selection. If you aren’t sure which one to pick up first, go with Senso - you just can’t go wrong with a neutral like this one. I’ll definitely be picking up another color or two from the range soon!

Wearing the Giorgio Armani Eye Tint in Senso #10 with MAC Teddy Eye Kohl on the upper lash line, Urban Decay 27/7 eyeliner in Zero on the lower lashline and two coats of Dior IT Lash Mascara

Have you tried any of the Giorgio Armani Eye Tints yet?

Marc Jacobs Beauty Le Marc Lip Creme in Kiss Kiss Bang Bang

The Le Marc Lip Cremes by Marc Jacobs are full coverage, creamy lipsticks that come in 20 gorgeous shades of mostly rosy pinks, reds and plummy neutrals. Kiss Kiss Bang Bang is an opaque rosy pink that is wearable without being too bright.

The texture is smooth and the color is a little more pinker on my lips compared to how it looks in the tube. The creamy formula is quite hydrating, comfortable to wear and the satin matte finish reminds me of a slightly heavier version of Givenchy’s Le Rouge Lipstick formula. Kiss Kiss Bang Bang is not too bright, but not an everyday neutral, but the color looks great when sheered out and topped off with a gloss as well. I applied it right from the tube and it covered my uneven lips in just one swipe. The formula wore a good 5 hours on me and faded to a light stain. It feels very quite light and did not dry out my lips, but don’t count on it to deliver an extra dose of moisture. I can’t speak for the other shades in the range, but Kiss Kiss Bang Bang is absolutely beautiful and the formula has made me want to try a couple of Marc Jacobs’ lip products again (lipsticks maybe),  after my not so great experience with one of their Lust for Lacquer Lip Glosses. 

Mini Lipstick Sample - Sephora 100 Point Perk 

Marc Jacobs Le Marc Lip Creme in Kiss Kiss Bang Bang Ingredients

Marc Jacobs Le Marc Lip Creme in Kiss Kiss Bang Bang Swatch

Wearing the Marc Jacobs Le Marc Lip Creme in Kiss Kiss Bang Bang

bareMinerals Complexion Rescue (Ginger) and Smoothing Face Brush

bareMinerals Complexion Rescue ($29; sephora.com) is a hydrating tinted complexion perfecter that comes with an SPF of 30. Complexion Rescue comes in ten shades, I tried out Ginger which is a great match for my skin tone. bareMinerals has also launched a Smoothing Face Brush ($28; sphora.com), which is a soft, duo fibre synthetic blending brush to go with the Complexion Rescue.

Complexion Rescue is very hydrating and has good coverage for something so lightweight. I prefer using my fingers for the most part and the brush only as the final step to blend everything together if needed. The Smoothing Face Brush is nice, could be a little more dense, but does the job well without too much product wastage. Since Complexion Rescue has medium coverage, I would still recommend a good concealer or corrector for dark circles and blemishes, but I am really happy with the way it makes my skin look. It instantly plumps up skin, hydrates really well, retains moisture and evens things out nicely. It does have a little bit of a color adapting capability too, so a shade light or darker would still look natural. The overall finish is quite dewy, which I love, especially this time of the year since my skin is always dry and everything ends up looking matte. It also makes my skin look well rested and healthy. My preferred way of using it has been with my fingers, a good concealer for under the eyes and finishing it off with a good finishing powder like the Guerlain Meteorites. Overall, I absolutely love it and you will love it too, if your skin leans on the drier side. Because of how light it feels, I can also see myself using it a lot more in the warmer months, but maybe with a dusting of loose powder on top.

Wearing the bareMinerals Complexion Rescue in Ginger, NARS Creamy Radiant Concealer Ginger for under eyes and blemishes, Guerlain Meteorites Pressed in Medium as a finishing powder

Have you tried the bareMinerals Complexion Rescue?

*Press Sample