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?

Here’s What Three Things I’m Obsessed With

 Bronzers, Brushes and Tools, Chanel  7 Responses »
Oct 052012
 

First- This Chanel Inside No 5 video is brilliant. It makes me a bit breathless–I think it’s the narrator’s pacing.

Currently there are three makeup companies associating with Marilyn Monroe presently (Chanel, MAC and Dior). Two with Andy Warhol (Chanel and Nars). None of these seems to be a detraction from these icons’ incredible status. I’m enjoying every minute.

It does seem the makeup industry is having a 1960′s revolution moment.

By the way, I have some of the original Andy Warhol postcards based on the collaboration mentioned in the video. They have little peel-off fragrance samples on the back. When I get back home, I’ll have to post some pictures of them.

Second-  Louis Vuitton. Speaking of a 1960′s revival, during Paris Louis Vuitton’s models wore a simple peach shimmered eyeshadow with soft lips complete with a 1960′s headband-bob.

The show featured the Damier check, extending the pattern into four escalators which formed the stage background.

Third- Tom Ford. I took me until a few months ago to make a few tentative passes at the Neiman’s counter. I’m not done going back yet.
I’ll be posting reviews (but if you want a head start, this Bronzer Brush is to die for). I cannot say that I’ve loved everything I’ve tried, but trust me this is the beginning of a beautiful friendship.

Chanel Blending Foundation Brush #7 Review

 Brushes and Tools, Chanel  6 Responses »
Jun 182012
 

The Chanel Blending Foundation Brush #7 ($54) is a brush that I’ve put off reviewing for a bit. For one thing, brush reviews aren’t as exciting to me as color makeup reviews. Trust me, a pretty eyeshadow palette or a gorgeous new pink lipstick review pretty much writes itself.

But the reality is, for me, good brushes matter.  Perhaps a pro can get by with her well-trained fingers or the ragged end of a tissue. Good for them, honestly. Personally, I notice an enormous difference when I use a good brush. So I invest in brushes and if it’s engraved with “Chanel” and has a lovely, balanced weight and lush yet feathery brush head, those are reasons enough for me.

The Chanel Blending Foundation brush has a dense base with a medium stiffness, and long white ends that feel very feathery and soft. As many of you know, this type of brush can be used to lightly apply cream or powder products–the very light end bristles apply the product very lightly like light little feathers touching the skin. If you are applying a very pigmented blush and want a light touch, a duo-fibre brush is your best friend. As the name implies, this Chanel Blending Foundation brush can also be used to lightly stipple on cream or liquid foundation for an almost-airbrushed finish.

The bristles on Chanel’s Blending Foundation Brush are lush and lovely. Out of the box, the brush has an elongated hexagonal shape that evokes the iconic Chanel No. 5 bottle stop (which, in turn, is the same shape as Paris’ Place Vendome, which is bordered by the Hotel Ritz where Gabrielle Chanel lived during some parts of her life.

 

Alas, the brush shape went back to round after a single washing. Here’s a comparison to a MAC 187 brush ($42) that is several years old. An unfair comparison, given the differences in age, but I thought you might find the size comparison useful.

The brush heads of the MAC 187 on the left, the Chanel No. 7 on the right. The Chanel is more compact and feels a bit more dense and plushy:

The two straight on:

For performance, I’ll give a slight edge to the Chanel. The bristles seem to do a lovely job without ever giving a single patch or problem. It’s a touch smaller, so it gives me a bit more control. However, if you are pretty happy with your MAC 187 (as many are!), I don’t think it’s worth the investment to switch unless your MAC is nearing its useful life.

Overall, I love the new Chanel Foundation Blending brush. I do use lots of brushes, so  I don’t regret having another good duo fibre in my brush cup. Definitely worth a look if you are in the market for a good brush for foundations and pigmented powders.

 

 

 

Short Reviews: Guerlain A La Parisienne, Guerlain Secret de Purete Cleansing Cream, Edward Bess Luxury Face Brush and Replere Beauty Shooters

 Brushes and Tools, Edward Bess, Guerlain  4 Responses »
May 302012
 

Here are some speed reviews of some products that I’ve been considering lately:

1.Guerlain ‘Secret de Pureté’ Cleansing Cream ($66 /6.5 oz.). This is a remarkably gentle cleanser that manages to remove virtually everything while leaving baby skin behind.

Recently, I received a generous 1.0 oz. sample from a gift with purchase, which has lasted several weeks. I’ve used it with water alone, or on the brush head of my Clarisonic. Here’s my little sample:

This cleanser is remarkable. It takes off my Armani Eyes to Kill mascara, my Chanel sunblock, and my Nars Tinted Moisturizer without stripping the skin in the least. My skin feels moisturized and glows when I’m done. Gorgeous. Yes, it has a perfumed scent.

2.  Edward Bess Luxury Face Brush ($59)  This kabuki-styled brush is perfect for blush, bronzer, and highlighter. Lovingly packaged:

It has a dense compact of bristles, which might lead one to a heavy coverage, but the gently sloped head allows me to pick up just the right amount.

The handle is slightly longer than other face brushes, which makes it a pleasure to use.  It’s an investment, but one that I really do love.

3. Guerlain Shine Automatique in A La Parisienne #263 ($35)  I’m continuing to enjoy Guerlain Shine Automatique in Rose Pompon. I love the slide-up packaging, it’s gorgeous and functional.

Guerlain Shine Automatique A La Parisienne is pretty sheer coral that lets just a peek of your natural lip color through.

If you are shy about wearing this season’s bright oranges, this sheer rose-coral may be perfect.

Here is A La Parisienne on Megan:

 

As a sheer lipstick, A La Parisienne will look slightly different on everyone. Here are some other reviews:

  • Here at Mostly Sunny Bunny
  • Here at Sandra’s Closet
  • Here at Karlasugar

4. Replere Beauty Shooters($37 for 14 bottles) I’m a big believer that beauty comes from within. I cannot get enough of antioxidant rich foods, plenty of filtered water, and vitamin supplements. Dr. Debbie Palmer has made it easier to get a recommended daily dose of antioxidants, including vitamin C-packed fruits, goji & açai berries, and blueberries in a one ounce (1 oz.) Beauty Shooter.

Packed 14 to a carton, these are purse-sized, single serving little containers that you can take once a day to get your beauty in. One shakes, shoots, and done. I received three of these without charge for consideration for review, and found they had a pleasant, sweet grape cranberry-flavor with a slight touch of pulp. For those that don’t have time to get to a fresh source of fruits and vegetables every day, these provide a very easy alternative.

Elizabeth Arden Summer 2012 Collection

 Blush, Bronzers, Brushes and Tools, Eyeliner, Lipstick  6 Responses »
May 052012
 

Elizabeth Arden Rose Aurora Spring/Summer 2012 Collection is a blend of bronzes and rose tones that looks beautifully gift-able (as Mother’s Day approaches, this may solve your shopping dilemma). This color story is a modern twist on the original 1950′s collection designed by Elizabeth Arden herself, with soft rose gold packaging. I loved the originality and beauty of this summer-lovely packaging–it evokes art nouveau in my mind. The colors are a built around accentuated eyes, a soft shimmery lip and glowing skin.

The Pure Finish Bronze Powder comes in three colors ($38 each/0.30 oz.))–Soft Radiance, Warm Radiance, and Deep Radiance. These have a soft, shimmering finish. All three tend to run warm, consistent with the Rose Gold theme of the collection. These bronzers include Zin’cite, an ingredient said to energize and protect skin cells, together with green tea, white tea and minerals that provide antioxidant protection.

For applying these, I found that a large soft brush (including Elizabeth Arden’s own ($22, pictured below) worked perfectly. These bronzers are well pigmented, so put that kabuki away! You do want to chose the right color for your skin tone–going too light or too dark won’t be as flattering as it might be.

Soft Radiance was the right choice for my warm-toned fair skin (NC15/Chanel Cameo/Ivoire). By my estimate, I would suggest those with NC30-40 to go with Warm Radiance, and deeper tones with Deep Radiance. These have a fairly large amount of product for the price point (the pans are fairly large), and with the good pigmentation one should last quite a while.

Here are swatches, including the Honey Ceramide Cream blush ($24), a very natural deep warm rose tone:

Here’s Honey blush:

The collection includes a rose gold shimmering highlighting powder, the Pure FInish Highlighter in Rose Illumination ($34), which delivers very high shine. This pictures shows the new Elizabeth Arden All Over Face Powder Brush ($22):

A close of the shimmering powder–those who wear this will want a very reflective glow, keeping the application to the upper cheeks, and perhaps a touch to the brow bone. Like the bronzers, the highlighter includes Zin’cite, green tea, white tea and minerals.

My favorite piece of the collection was the Rose Aurora Ceramide Ultra Lipstick ($22.50). I loved the light, wearable rose with the rose gold shimmer.

The collection includes two liquid liners with felt tip applicators–these Elizabeth Arden Liquid Eyeliners come in both Black and Brown ($18 each).

You can see the tips of these liners are nicely defined:

Here are swatches of these items:

Elizabeth Arden sent a sample of a new fragrance, Elizabeth Arden Green Tea Cherry Blossom ($29/1.7 fl. oz. and $39/3.3 fl. oz., Honey Drops Cream is $29.50 for 8.4 oz.).

This scent is an extremely pleasant floral mix, well-named as it does have a lovely cherry blossom scent. Really, it evoked the beauty cherry trees that I remember from my East Coast childhood. This is tempered with a light green tea undertone..

Because the packaging is so lovely, I could easily see these appreciated as gifts for several women that I know in my life. This time of year seems to be a particularly heavy gift-shopping time for me–teachers, principals, coaches, Mother’s Day (which seems to include my many “mother-like” mentors), and birthdays. Depending on your recipient, I can imagine many would appreciate the beauty and usefulness of any one (or more) of these items in this collection.

The Elizabeth Arden Rose Gold Collection was sent to Cafe Makeup without charge or consideration for review.

 

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