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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.

 

Chanel New Foundation Brush #6

 Brushes and Tools, Chanel, Foundation  5 Responses »
Sep 302011
 

With the release of Chanel’s new Perfection Lumiere Foundation (swatched here and here), Chanel released a single Foundation Brush ($45) (#6) (Chanel Brush/ Les Pinceaux de Chanel Pinceau Fond de Teint).  Some stores have not yet received these in stock, mine was purchased from Chanel.com.

According to some sales associates whom I’ve interrogated (yes, Cafe Makeup brings it when we visit a makeup counter, and sometimes we feel a little bad about that), Chanel’s brush redesign should be completely up for sale around Spring ’12.  Please note that “Spring ’12″ in the makeup world means “late December ’11.”  We’ll have to see what actually happens, because none of this information is official and may have been obtained under duress.

The brush is just over 6 inches long.  As you can see, Chanel has dramatically changed the brush head into three colors, which if inspected closely have three different textures.

For lack of a better word, I’ve come to think of this as a “tri-fiber” brush  head.  Chanel’s former international (non-U.S.) foundation brush was somewhat similar.  The fiber closest to the ferrule is very stiff, so that the brush head holds its shape when wet with liquid foundation, and pressed against all of the different parts of the face.  The center portion (the dark brown) has more flexibility and seems quite absorbent to hold the liquid well.  The bristle tips are soft and feathery, which is a good brush texture for blending an airbrushed finish.  The ends taper to a very fine point.

The handle has the same feel as Chanel’s former international (non-U.S.) brushes–it feels like wood (or a wood composite), which is not too heavy but sufficiently substantial to give you a good grip.

The text on the back is simple–only the brush number (#6) and brush name (“Foundation”) are printed there.  Curiously, I did not see the country of origin stamped on the brush.  This is true even on the ferrule, where Chanel had previously stamped its country of origin.  Like Chanel’s now-discontinued brush, this new one is made in China:

Some of my former Chanel brusheswere made in China have held up very well for years, and perform extremely well.  I would not have noted this at all, except that I occasionally get questions.

Comparison of three foundation brushes–my well-worn Chanel now-discontinued foundation brush (#16), Shiseido’s new Perfect Foundation Brush (reviewed here) and Chanel’s new foundation brush:

I liked the brush head of the new Chanel Foundation Brush (#6), better than the discontinued Chanel foundation brush (#16).  The feathery tip helps me get a flawless look with fewer brushstrokes.  The finish that I can achieve with the new foundation brush and Perfection Lumiere has drawn compliments (it does look better, in my opinion).

If you are choosing between Shiseido’s Perfect Foundation Brush and Chanel’s new Foundation Brush #6, here are my thoughts:

  • As you can see, the brush head shape of either is remarkably different;
  • The Shiseido brush tends to be faster, because the flat head absorbs and deposits foundation very quickly;
  • If you are inexperienced or rushed, the Shiseido will give you a slightly heavier coverage (those with more experience or care can work well with either);
  • The Chanel brush shape is a classic shape used for layering foundation–it’s more intuitive for light coverage that is then “built up” only where needed;
  • Shiseido’s compact size is perfect for travel and less expensive;
  • Chanel’s seems to be easier and faster to clean (this isn’t really a performance issue I thought I’d point it out).
  • Bottom line, if you are choosing between them you cannot go “wrong” with either one–really, it’s going to come down to your personal foundation style and use preference.

Overall, the new Chanel Foundation Brush is a positive step forward.  I far prefer it to the older Chanel foundation brush–the smaller size, the feathery bristle ends, and the tapered top deliver a better product.  To get The Beauty Look Book’s views, see her review here.

Recommendations and Overview: Chanel Sophisticated Eye and Les Aquarelles

 Blush, Brushes and Tools, Chanel, Eyeliner, Eyeshadow, Lipstick, Powder  11 Responses »
Aug 212011
 

Here is an overview of the items from Chanel’s recent collections, followed by a list of my personal favorites:

First, the Sophisticated Eye Collection:

Recourbe Cils de Chanel Precision Eyelash Curler ($36) is reviewed here.  Overall, it is a very good curler with logo appeal.  If Le Metier de Beaute’s is workable for you, it is a better value at $19.

Chanel Eyeshadow Quad in Lagons ($57) is reviewed here.  It is a beautiful palette of shimmery blues.

Chanel Eyeshadow Quad in Vanites ($57) is reviewed here.   This shimmery palette swatches with a strong purple/violet tone.  It is pigmented, pretty and can be very flattering.

Stylo Yeux Waterproof in Taupe is reviewed here ($29). This eyeliner is a softly pigmented cool plum Ebene has been previously released and it is reviewed here.  

Chanel Crayon Sourcils Sculpting Eyebrow Pencil in Blond Clair ($29) is reviewed here.  It’s a convenient, easy to use pencil that works well for light-toned brows.

Chanel released several new eyeshadow singles ($28.50 each).  Twilight is reviewed here.  Fauve is reviewed here.  Magic Night is reviewed here.

Chanel Inimintable Intense Mascara ($30), Lily single eyeshadow ($28.50) and Beaute de Cils Mascara Base ($30) are not reviewed.

Second, Les Aquarelles:

Ombres Tissees in Beiges ($75) is reviewed here.  This is a large, shimmery palette designed for eyes but can be used as a highlight for the rest of the face.

Joues Contraste Blush in Pink Cloud ($43) is reviewed here.  This is a very subtle, light color.

Ombre Essentielle Eyeshadow in Gris Exquis is reviewed here.  It is a beautifully pigmented matte neutral.

Chanel Rouge Coco Shine in Royallieu ($32) is re-promoted with this collection. It is a sheer light shimmery pink previously reviewed here.

Joues Contraste in Rose Petale ($43) is re-promoted with this collection.  It is reviewed here.

 

Stylo Yeux Eyeliner in Ebene is re-promoted with this collection ($29).  It was previously reviewed here.

Chanel Vernis in Tendresse is part of this collection, but is not reviewed.
My favorites from the two collections:

  • Gris Exquis single eyeshadow is an excellent basic that I will reach for again and again
  • I liked both eyeshadow quads, Lagons and Vanites
  • Ebene eyeliner is an excellent pencil, although you may already own this from the previous collection
  • For the real Chanel fans, Ombres Tissees and the Precision Eyelash Curler are musts.  These are both limited edition, signature products.
Which are your favorites?

Shiseido Perfect Foundation Brush Review

 Brushes and Tools  25 Responses »
Aug 062011
 

Shiseido’s Perfect Foundation Brush ($30, available at Nordstrom and elsewhere soon) first came to my attention because I noticed several beauty editors twittering praise.  You really don’t see a lot of excitement about brushes in the makeup world.  When I saw the impression that this brush was making, I made a mental note.

The brush is small but mighty.  About 4 1/2 inches long, the head is very densely packed with bristles that feel synthetic.  The tip is slanted so that it can fit the contours of the face.  The upper edge fits nicely into small niches, such as around the nose.

The bristles are remarkably soft.  No scratchiness.  This picture shows the shape from the side:

To use it, I pumped some liquid foundation on the back of my hand.  I then dabbed the brush into the foundation, then dabbed it over the areas of my face.  Touch lightly for soft coverage, and more strongly for denser coverage.  Once you’ve dabbed some dots in each area, use the brush to smooth, distribute and cover the skin.

You can go back over problem areas to add coverage where needed.

The Shiseido Perfect Foundation brush works quite well.  My foundation was very even, it was fast and easy to use and it gave a flawless finish.  It is designed to work with all foundation formulas.

I find nearly all my foundation brushes challenging to clean, this one was no different.  I attribute this to the foundation formula, which usually must be removed with oil.  For that reason, I’ll sometimes use a drop of an oil cleanser to clean any foundation brush (including this one).

Also, I find that I use more foundation with a brush (1 1/2 to 2 pumps), perhaps because some of the liquid is lost to the brush.  In this respect, Shiseido’s Perfect Foundation Brush was no different.

The bigger question is how the Shiseido Perfect Foundation brush compares to more traditional foundation brushes, am I right?  When I first used it, I did not find the experience terribly different. After a few tries, I realized that there were some important differences.

First, Shiseido’s Perfect Foundation brush seems to grab foundation well, then lay it down quickly.  In other words, you can get medium-to-dense coverage in less time.  When I use a traditional paddle-shaped foundation brush, it takes more patience to build up coverage.  Shiseido’s Perfect “dab dab” technique and density allows me to quickly pick up and distribute more product more rapidly.  Second, for some inexplicable reason I really got no brush marks with it.  It really does give an airbrushed, smooth finish.

This brush really does seem designed by a makeup artist, in that coverage is quick, flawless and pleasant.  Believe me, it made my foundation look better.  Highly recommended.

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