Sketchbook: Taupe Blushes

 Blush, Chanel, MAC  10 Responses »
Jan 042013
 

MAC Taupe Shape Chanel Notorious1a

I’ve had a long time fascination with neutral blushes. I suppose it is only a matter of time before I just move into contour powders. But for now I thought it would be interesting to compare some recent acquisitions with some old favorites.

In the Strength Collection, Mac released Taupe Shape ($20) and Poised ($20). These sold out almost immediately online. According to a response to my email, Mac’s customer services stated that neither will be restocked online. The Strength Collection was also released in Mac stand-alone stores (but not department store counters). Several Mac stand-alone stores seemed to have gotten a good supply of both Taupe Shape and Poised, so if you are interested those stand alone stores are the only places to find them.

MAC Taupe Shape Chanel Notorious2

Intrigued by the name “Taupe Shape,” I wondered whether this blush might be a more user-friendly version of Chanel Notorious (now apparently sold out). As it turns out, it is (sort of). Mac’s Taupe Shape is softer, ever so slightly warmer, and far less pigmented. These combine to make early morning application more user-friendly and foolproof. Of course, Mac’s Taupe Shape lacks Chanel Notorious’ drama, but I don’t know of any blushes (ever) as dramatic as Notorious.

MAC Taupe Shape Chanel Notorious1a4

Some will find Mac Taupe Shape far too cool and too edgy. For those, I recommend Mac Poised, or a more brown or amber blush. Here I compare this to my well-worn Shu Amber 85 (long discontinued, a matte) and Mac Sur, a mauve-brown that sold out in a heartbeat last year. However, there are other brown blushes on the market (check Illamasqua Create, Nars Madly, Burberry Earthy and others) or even soft bronzers that can do the trick. Other worthy contenders are the softly mauve Giorgio Armani Blush #5 (reviewed here by The Black Panties) and the amber Rouge Bunny Rouge Delicata (reviewed here by The Pink Sith).

MAC Taupe Shape Chanel Notorious1a3

I can barely apply Chanel Notorious with a standard brush. I use a duo fiber and also wipe it down before application. Mac Taupe Shape can be used with an angled or small-headed blush brush (for precise placement). Some may find Mac Taupe Shape and Poised too shimmery for contour purposes (compare these to The Beauty Look Book’s review of the Mac Sculpting powders). I didn’t find Taupe Shape very shimmery on my cheeks, personally. Heavy application with flash:

MAC Taupe Shape Chanel Notorious7a

Other posts that you might find interesting is Messy Wands review of Chanel Notorious and Temptalia’s Review of Mac Taupe Shape. Another is Cafe Makeup’s review of Burberry’s Light Glow Earthy Blush.

Cafe Makeup’s Top Ten Products of 2012

 Blush, Chanel, Concealer, Dior, Guerlain, Le Metier de Beaute, Lipstick, Nail Polish, NARS, Perricone MD, Tom Ford  26 Responses »
Dec 312012
 

It’s been quite a year here at Cafe Makeup! We’ve had a huge year–we passed our 3rd blog birthday and we’re very thankful for our amazing readers.

As you might now, we’ve both had a very busy year off the blog as well. Between Amy’s travel schedule (she was on the road almost continuously from June through November), and Liz’s busy work schedule, we’re so pleased that we’ve been able to keep our love of beauty alive on the blog now that we’re reached December 31st. We’ve had a lot of help along the way. Cafe Makeup would like to do a special “thank you” to Sabrina at The Beauty Look Book (her Best of 2012 is here). She’s been so wonderful and and encouraging throughout the entire year. I’d also like to thank all of the lovely readers and other beauty bloggers who’ve kept us alive by linking, retweeting and continuing our beauty conversations. You might also wish to explore The Non Blonde’s Top Products of 2012–I really respect her taste.

To celebrate the year’s end, we’d like to raise a glass of champagne to our readers! As we sip, we’re going to go through our Top Ten Products of 2012.  As you know, we’ve seen many things throughout the year. Here’s a feature which tells you which ones won our hearts, which ones we still depend on, and are truly the very Top Shelf Products of the Year 2012.

1. Tom Ford Blushes: Although released in 2011, I’ve come to love the high quality, beautiful glow of these blushes. As an aside, the brush is incredible as well. The original review is here.

Tom Ford Blush02

 

2.  Giorgio Armani Maestro Concealer: I can’t believed that a concealer made my top 10 list, but there it is. This is truly an androgynous product–appropriate regardless of gender. I originally bought this on a whim. Over time, I’ve become dependent on the extremely high quality, great coverage, incredibly natural look, and skin care benefits (it contains ingredients to breaks up sun damage and dark spots). The application is incredibly natural–sometimes I cover few spots and under eyes, and skip foundation entirely. This makes this a truly travel-friendly product, as you can leave your liquid foundation at home. The original review is here, I’ve since switched to buying shade #3.

GA concealer

3. Perricone MD Skin Care: I’ve been working on my skin with intensity since February. Last week, I got a few random compliments from strangers–”your skin looks beautiful–what are you using?” As a beauty blogger, I’ve been using several different things, but I’ve added a healthy dose of Perricone MD. My favorites so far are the Perricone MD Vitamin C Ester 15, the Blue Plasma Peel and the Formula 15 serum. Although I haven’t reviewed it yet, the Perricone Face Finishing Moisturizer appears to have some magical ingredients in it as well.

Perricone

4. 2012 was the year of the BB Cream:  Over the past several months, the term “BB Cream” has entered the beauty vernacular with a vengeance. Although originating overseas with formulas that combine anti-aging, skincare benefits, and sunscreen, in the U.S. some formulas are said to be nothing more than glorified tinted moisturizers. However, there are some that stand above the crowd. Cafe Makeup’s former favorite was Dior DiorSnow BB Cream, a remarkably stable version with serious sun protection(SPF 50) and all-day tenacity (even in the Florida summer humidity).

omorovicza bb cream

The Dior would still be my favorite, except that I was recently sent the Omorovicza Complexion Perfector BB Cream (SPF 20) by the company. I’ll be doing a review soon, but this creamy, light foundation is absolutely perfect is so many ways.

The most startling effect is that my skin looks improved after I remove it at the end of the day. To my eye, it’s noticeable. In 2013, we can expect to see “CC Creams,” which are next-generation products (including one from Chanel). A few have started to land at drugstores, according to Nouveau Cheap. Those new products will have some very stiff competition from Omorovicza’s Complexion Perfector.

5. Tom Ford Enchanted Eye Quad. This one makes me hear angels sing. The original review is here.

Tom Ford Enchanted Quad03

6. Chanel Rouge Allure Luminous Intense Lipsticks.  Why should the MAC lovers have all the fun? These are intensely pigmented lipsticks that provide gorgeous coverage with a very thin layer of product. The colors are outstanding–complex, intense, original, sophisticated, and very beautiful. I’ve purchased several, and am eyeing several colors from the Spring 2013 collection (I’ve caved on one already). Swatches of all colors are here (except for the Spring 2013, which were just released).

Chanel Lipsticks new1a

7. Nars Andy Warhol Collection. This highly original collection melded fine art and beauty. This included an incredibly rich and thoughtful array of choices, with something for everyone. I certainly found some favorites among them, including the Flowers palettes with the incredible taupe. At the same time, the collection helped us relive just a touch of the 1960′s makeup era just as Marc Jacobs made it fashionable for clothing. I’ve read that Francois Nars plans to do another artists collaboration next year, and I’m certainly hopeful that he will. Regardless of whether you purchased anything from the collection, this one warrants serious recognition for its attention to detail and creativity, as well as its sweeping scope.

Warhol Portrait 1

8. Le Metier de Beaute CHEM60 Pro-Peel and GLOW10ai Mask Set. Applause for giving busy women truly ingenious results at home. I love this set. The original post is here.

Le Metier Peel 10

9. Dior Nail Polish. There is something about Dior that has been excelling in the nail polish realm lately. Yes, I loved OPI’s Skyfall collection–the colors are fast, fun, and highly affordable. I got a 4-5 of them, and still wear them. Can you think of a Fall on-trend color that wasn’t part of Skyfall? I sure can’t.

Skyfall

Still, Dior’s formula spreads like butter, levels off beautifully, and has a helpful, manageable brush. Unlike OPI’s Skyfall, Dior has been truly cutting edge in its color development this year. Rather than capturing trends, Dior is setting them. I have to love an imaginative industry leader.

Dior Mango Pasteque Lime2

10. Guerlain This traditional French company has done so many things right this year. From its beautiful summer Terracotta Pucci collection, the new Petit Robe Noir perfume, and the development of new formulas of lipsticks. Liz and I both love the new Guerlain Rouge G L’Extrait Lip Color (the review for Paresse is here). I’d love to include more Guerlain in this list, if I could.

Guerlain Extrait Paresse04

Thank you for another wonderful year in beauty, Gorgeous!  And cheers!

What were your favorite products for 2012? We’d love to know!

Chanel Joues Contraste Frivole Review

 Blush, Chanel  9 Responses »
Dec 262012
 

Chanel Frivole12a

Chanel Spring 2013 introduces a new blush–Chanel Joues Contraste in Frivole ($43), a rich orange coral. Frivole is the marvelous pressed powder that gives a beautiful glow.

Chanel Spring 2013 Frivole11

Chanel Joues Contraste in Frivole is quite warm–some with cool tones may not enjoy them. Those with warm skin tones may not find it the most flattering everyday blush. However, I sometimes wear clothing with strong bright tones–a rich lapis blue, lime, or a strong coral, that seem to work well with orange toned blushes. Here is a comparison with Frivole and MAC Modern Mandarin (former limited edition product, no longer available, Chanel Tweed Corail, Chanel Espiegle and Chanel Reflex (the non-US baked version).

Chanel Frivole Comparisons1

Here are comparison swatches of all of these blushes. MAC Modern Mandarin is more shimmery and more red.  Chanel Tweed Corail is more pink, and less pigmented.  Chanel Espiegle is pinker and less pigmented. Chanel Reflex is far more shimmery and more brown.

Chanel Spring 2013 Frivole17a

Here is Liz with Chanel Frivole, and the Chanel Raffinement eyeshadow quad on her lids (review coming soon), and a light dusting of the Poudre Singee de Chanel:

Chanel Frivole Look1b

Overall, Liz and I found that Chanel Frivole lived up the Joues Contraste name, having an excellent formulation, finely milled consistency, and overall glowing impression. Whether you wish to have a vibrant orange-coral in your blush selection is a judgement call. For its part, Chanel Frivole is an excellent choice if your answer is “yes.”

This post contains an affiliate link (for more information, please see “About Cafe Makeup”)

Chanel Ultra Rose Joues Contraste Blush Swatches and Comparisons

 Blush, Chanel  11 Responses »
Dec 192012
 

Chanel Ultra Rose4c

Recently, there was a quiet overseas release of Chanel Ultra Rose Blush (#74), which I discovered from reading Reika’s review at Front Row Beauty.  To be honest, I don’t know much about the release beyond Reika’s post–that Ultra Rose appears to be a permanent non-U.S. addition to the line.

Despite Chanel Ultra Rose’s vibrant look in the pan, I found that it applied well with a standard blush brush. It’s a vibrant shimmery cool pink with a fair amount of blue undertone.

Chanel Ultra Rose reminded me of the former Chanel Turbulent, a limited edition U.S. release from several years ago. I pulled out my well-stored backup of Turbulent to compare. along with a few other cool vibrant pinks from my collection. These include Tom Ford Narcissist, and three MAC Pro Shades–Full Fuchsia, Azalea, and Rhubarb. Swatches:

Chanel Ultra Rose6a

As you can see, Chanel Ultra Rose applies more satiny and deeper compared to Chanel Turbulent. The Tom Ford and MAC Pro shades are more deeper and vibrant. Tom Ford Narcissist, MAC Full Fuchsia, MAC Azalea, and MAC Rhubarb must all be applied with a duo-fibre brush on my fair NC15/20 skin tone–these are all very pigmented compared to Chanel Ultra Rose.

Overall, I’m pleased to add Chanel Ultra Rose to my collection. Unfortunately, I do not know if this will be added to the U.S. line. I purchased mine at Izzy’s for $65.

Other reviews:

 

Tom Ford Cheek Brush and Frantic Pink, Wicked and Narcissist Blushes

 Blush, Brushes and Tools, Tom Ford  20 Responses »
Nov 042012
 

Tom Ford Cheek Brush ($75/#06) is a luxuriously soft and beautiful brush. There are some products that are so perfect, and such complete joys to use, that they are worth every penny regardless of the price. Like Tom Ford’s Bronzer Brush, the Cheek Brush is one of those products.

The head of the brush is tapered and full. After a few washes, the head looks the same as it does out of the box.

The handle is lighter than one might expect, but round and large enough to make use easy and comfortable.

There are few reviews for this brush, although the Non Blonde has done a beautiful job here. While were at it, I’m going to post some first impressions of some Tom Ford blushes that I purchased–Frantic Pink, Wicked and Narcissist ($55 each). I haven’t played with these enough for a full review, but was able to take some pictures that I can share.

First, all of these blushes have a pearly quality that gives a gorgeous, sparkle-free glow. Here is Frantic Pink, a light soft pink-with-a-peach twist:

I don’t typically love blushes that impart only subtle color. I found that Frantic Pink does give enough color to give a blush effect to my NC15 skin tone, and the soft highlighter shimmer was gorgeous.

Wicked is an amazing cool raspberry with a cool pearl.

Close up:

I haven’t had time to play with Wicked or the next blush, Narcissist (released for Fall 2012):

Narcissist does not appear to have quite the amount of shimmery pearl as Frantic Pink or Wicked. It reminds me a bit of a more luxurious, complex version of MAC Full Fuchsia Pro blush.

Swatches, outside in sun:

Swatches, indoors with flash:

I hope that you might enjoy my experiment with Tom Ford. Personally, these all look amazing to me. The packaging is compact and light enough for travel, and the color payoff is amazing. I’ve worn Frantic Pink for a few days, and love the effect. Have you played with Tom Fords blushes or brushes? What do you think?

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