Friday, November 29, 2013

What to Add on Your Christmas Beauty Wishlist / Christmas Makeup Gift Guide

And finally, it's Christmas time! Exciting, right? All of you beauties must be thinking of what presents to give those people whom you care about and exchange presents with, and this is why I am here.

This post is targeted more towards what makeup items to buy others, or to add to your wishlist, so it is aimed at us pretty ladies who do enjoy wearing makeup, higher end makeup to be precise.

Many people would tend to go for limited edition items, either to ask for or to give. In my opinion, some of the brands with the most exciting collections, in my opinion, are Dior, Guerlain, and Tom Ford. 
          Guerlain comes up with limited edition meteorites with each and every collection, and I think that for people who do not own meteorites yet, this would be an excellent present. However, I would not buy more meteorites to someone who already owns one of the meteorites variations, simply because I feel like the effect they give is extremely similar, almost undetectable. Also, guerlain's holiday collections usually have like a shimmering scented kind of body spray. But I feel like out of the entire collection, there must be more useful items. What I am talking about is their eyeshadow palettes, especially the ones in a black lacquer compact, total stunners! Guerlain eyeshadows are my favorites yet. They never disappoint. Or, if the colors arent some of your go-to kind of colors, their limited edition lipsticks are to die for, especially anything with the name Rouge G. Rouge G lipsticks make a better statement than Rouge Automatiques, mainly because of the fancy packaging. They are more expensive than the Automatiques, which makes sense, but the truth is, the formula of the Rouge Automatiques is almost as good as the Rouge G's, minus the package. Overall, I would personally be extremely happy to receive a Guerlain gift, and I think Guerlain makes a really nice gift to people who appreciate good makeup. So keep Guerlain in mind!
          Dior is also another one of my favorite brands. I love their eyeshadows, blushes, lipsticks, and even glosses. During this time of year, Dior makes some palettes that include eyeshadows, lip products, powders or blushes. The packaging of these palettes are always very unique and pretty. Palettes like that make an excellent present. However, I would at least try to swatch some of the colors in store before purchasing it, because sometimes I feel like the quality is not the same as their usual quints or lipsticks. I would prefer their usual quints, or their limited edition ones, simply because I am familiar with the formula, I really like them. During Christmas, they also make their Diorific lipsticks with the fancy packaging, which are prettier to look at than the Rouge G, which is quite a statement, coming from me (Guerlain Junkie)! Also, they always make limited edition nail polishes, and Dior nail polishes are known for their great quality, and the diorific nail polishes, OH GOD, those are stunning!
          Last but not least, Tom Ford. Tom Ford doesnt go crazy with the packaging, it always looks pretty much the same. Therefore, I dont think it matters whether you buy a limited edition item or not. The first thing I think that will make the best impression is a few Tom Ford brushes. Usually, during this time of year, it is likely to find them in sets. Now a set of Tom Ford brushes costs about a fortune, but it depends on who the present is going to be gifted to. I think that if you are a parent of a young lady who is interested in makeup, a Tom Ford brush kit would be like a dream come true! But if your budget does not allow such a splurge, I think that tom ford makes the best blushes EVER. Also, his eyeshadow quads are supposed to be a dream, and I am actually getting some for myself this year, so I shall see whether they are worthy of the hype, and I have a feeling that they are worth it. I am also getting myself a Tom Ford lipstick as well, and I hear that the formula is quite similar to my beloved Rouge G's, so we shall see. Overall, if you or the ladies around you have an eye for good makeup, a Tom Ford present wont disappoint at all!



Now into specific items that I think make fabulous Christmas presents: 
Before we get started with the following categories, lets just agree on one thing first! If you're buying someone a makeup present,stay clear from anything complexion related, such as foundations or concealers or powders. These ideas are most likely going to be a highway to hell.

Now lets start talking about the real good stuff:
   Category I:
Eyeshadows

Some of my favorites are as mentioned earlier, Guerlain quads and Dior quints, but one brand I did not mention was YSL, the pure chromatics. These make an awesome gift for two reasons, they are really good quality and they perform impeccably, but moreover, they can be used wet and dry. I think that either one of these three eyeshadow lines will work really nicely as a present, or if you're feeling generous, a stocking item.



   Category II:
Lipsticks:

I do love many lipsticks, and these are some of my favorites. As mentioned, the Guerlain Rouge G's and the Rouge Automatiques or Shine Automatiques are staples in my collection, I love them and I cherish them and I use them very often. My Dior favorite lipsticks line is the Addict Extreme, it has just the right amount of pigment mixed with sheerness mixed with a shine, very well done in my opinion. Now when talking about YSL lipsticks, I personally own one, and as much as I liked it, I will not purchase more mainly because of the scent. However, the Glossy Stains are an absolute joy, the scent isnt pleasant in my opinion, but they are amazing products, I love them and I think that every lady needs to own at least one of these in her collection. Now Lancome's Rouge in Loves are also wonderful, I am not the biggest Lancome girl, but their lip products are truly great.


   Category III:
Blushes:

Oh I love my Tom Ford blushes, I think that if any young lady you know who likes high end makeup but doesnt own a Tom Ford Blush, then you should be getting her one. I am also a huge fan of the Dior Vibrant Powder Blushes, they are highly pigmented, long lasting, the colors are great, and they contain 7/7.5 grams, which is almost as good as tom Ford. Lastly, for the girls who want to try a cream blush, I think that YSL is a good place to start.


I did not include items like mascaras or liners or brow products because I felt that these are better bought by the actual user than as a gift, because they are almost as personal as foundations and powders.

Now into products I have not touched on but should:
1. Bronzers: If you want to buy someone a decent bronzers, go straight to Guerlain's counter, they have a broad selection of bronzers, shades, designs, everything!
2. Highlighters: I am not the biggest highlighter girl in this whole wide world, but I do like the Meteorites which  mentioned earlier. But I think that Dior makes lovely highlighters too, like the amber diamond one, and the like.
3. Lipglosses: I would not get anyone a gloss. Mainly because I feel like they get disgusting quickly, and that they are not wind friendly, they'll make your hair and the dirt in the air stick to your lips. But if you still want to buy a gloss present, I think Dior's glosses are really nice, or the Lancome Gloss in Love, or the new Guerlain Maxi Shine ones.


That concludes my Christmas Makeup guide. Let me know what you got for Christmas, and what presents you bought for your friends and family. And let me know whether this blogpost was helpful by any means.

Happy Holidays :)


Wednesday, November 20, 2013

Guerlain Ecrin 4 Couleurs in #07 Les Cuirs

Are you looking for an understated nude eyeshadow palette? One that is not too dramatic? One to wear on daily basis? Look no more.


Guerlain's quad in number 7 is the perfect subtle nude quad that is not too shimmery or too matte, it is a happy medium of both. Les Cuirs literally means leather, and  must say that the name of it is pretty accurate. It has a beige highlight color that is not very shimmery, a more yellow toned beige/tan color that is wonderful all over the lid, and is  pigmented enough to neutralize it and cancel out the redness or the appearance of veins, the third shade is a taupe that I usually wear in my crease, and the last one is a rich more shimmery brown that makes a stunning liner as well as an outer V color. I think this is one of the most sophisticated quads I have seen,very day time and office appropriate. I dont think this can deliver a dramatic look, but then I do not associate dramatic eyeshadow look with a ton of beige and taupe colors, but that is just my personal opinion.


 (can you see the fingerprints?)
 (without flash)
(with flash)

Here are some lovely swatches for you.




As you can see, these colors have more of a satin finish than anything else, except for the darker brown one, which is quite shimmery in my opinion. But that only makes it more of a daytime palette in my opinion. But on the other hand, this will never compete with a dark lip color. If you know that the main focus of your makeup of the day will be your bold lipstick, do not hesitate to use this quad, it'll be absolutely perfect. And also, I think the light beige and the tan will work perfectly well with a winged liner, but for me, I almost never wear winged liner, I'm just giving you precious readers some options. But then, it is makeup, and it is by definition the best place to experiment and see what works best for you.

In terms of quality, if you have been reading some of my blog posts, you know that Guerlain is my favorite makeup brand, and that their eyeshadow quads are like my favorite thing ever. I own 7 of them, 7! I think this is enough to tell you that these little buggers are spectacular, if you just decide to overlook the hefty price. But then, it does contain 7.2 grams of product, which I assume boils down to 1.8 grams of product per shade. (correct me if I am wrong, but I was  too lazy to use a calculator!) The pigmentation is great, the longevity is a total winner in my book, the feel of the eyeshadows is buttery smooth, highly blendable and easy to work with. I just love Guerlain quads. In terms of packaging, it is nice and sturdy, but it attracts fingerprints like nobody's business, which can drive many people crazy.

But now to be honest, if this is the first Guerlain quad that you plan to purchase, and if you have enough neutrals in your makeup stash, then just don't go for this, go for a more unique quad, and if you want something that is still on the neutral side, I highly highly recommend the quad number 4, Les bois De Rose. But that is just my personal opinion, you don't have to abide by anyone's makeup rules other than yourself's!

Monday, November 11, 2013

Mind Blowing Products #1: DiorBlush Vibrant Color in Brown Milly

Yes, I am amazed! This blush is stunning, shame it has quite the misleading name.  It is the DiorBlush Vibrant Color Powder Blush in number 566, Brown Milly. It is not  brown, believe you me, but I feel like it can enhance and define  cheek the appearance of bones somehow. The color is quite a plummy purple mauve, kind of nude, and it is matte. Definitely very unique and different from all the blushes I have seen so far. It is a cool toned blusher, but it works perfectly on warm toned skins as well.



Technically speaking, this little babe, despite being expensive, is well worth your money. According to Sephora price, it costs around 42 Dollars, and it comes with 7 grams of product, which is quite generous, and will last for ages even if you use it exclusively. Now I must admit that I wanted it to have at least 8, because that's the case with my favorite blush line, the Tom Ford one, but I don't care that much, and I think the color is definitely one of the most unique shades I've ever seen.


In terms of pigmentation, this blush won't fail you. It is oh so pigmented. It will show on all skins, and I think it'll look beautiful on everyone.

It is like I said, matte. Now matte can be a little scary, because sometimes matte and powdery enjoy walking hand in hand, but that is not the case with this blush. It is not chalky or powdery or anything like that, but it is not exceptionally creamy either. It reminds me of the Guerlain blush duo's texture, only better. It is very blendable and easy to apply, it really is perfect.




The packaging is sturdy and very chic, but it is not forgiving when it comes to fingerprints. Luckily, it is easy to clean. I would have loved to see a packaging that was more similar to their quints, with the CD and all of that, but its just the package, it doesnt matter that much.


And lastly, there is a mini angled brush in the compact. Now it's not the softest brush I've ever felt, and it doesnt apply the blush as nicely as other brushes (I use a silver Dior blush brush). But when you're out and about and you feel like a little baby touch up, it's not that bad.


Overall, I found a new blush love, YAAY! I highly highly recommend this color in particular, it is unique enough to take your wallet out and spend 42$ on, and its perfect for autumn and winter too.


Tuesday, November 5, 2013

What's Coming Up On SUNDAY

Well well well, knowing that my country is THE cosmetics joke kind of country, I did not get my hopes up too much, and I did not expect to see the DIOR FALL 2013 COLLECTION in my nearest Dior counter. BUT I DID! YAAAY! I literally could not believe my own eyes, especially when they landed on the Bonne Etoile quint, OH MY GOD! So, I ended up ordering three items. Now you must have gathered that one of them will be the quint, but on Sunday, I will reveal the rest of the products that I have purchased (cross your fingers for swatches)!