Cirque Colors | Concrete Jungle & La Vie Boheme, Metropolis Collection

September 30, 2014

The latest additions to the Metropolis Collection (see my previous review here) from Cirque Colors, are Concrete Jungle – an urban grey hue, and La Vie Boheme – berry vampiness at its finest. Both shades form part of the new series of crème lacquers from the brand, and will be available as of October 1.

All swatches are with Holdfast™ Base Coat and Liquid Laminate™ Top Coat, both by Cirque Colors (and totally amazing, by the way).

Concrete Jungle | A sharkskin grey hue with blue undertones in the base which will suit both warm and cool skin tones equally. Even though Concrete Jungle is supposed to be a ‘crème’ formula, I see extremely tiny and random silvery specks throughout, although these become quite subdued and relatively invisible to the naked eye when applied (I suspect it adds a nice depth of tone, however). The formula has some jelly-like tendencies: self-levelling, über glossy at the finish and with a final plush, or cushiony appearance – along with a slight elasticity to it (which gives a sort of ‘bounce-back’ effect in application) commonly found with this type of hybrid formulation. You get excellent coverage even with the first layer, and the best part is that this shade is non-staining upon removal. Coats applied: 2, plus top coat

La Vie Boheme | A deep mulberry crème hue with grape undertones in the base. The formula leans a touch thick but nonetheless easy to apply (no pooling at the cuticles or running along the sides of the nails), and has similar jelly-like properties to that of Concrete Jungle with the same spring-back effect on the brush. With its high level of colour saturation, you can almost get away with 1 coat of La Vie Boheme for full coverage, but a much deeper and richer appearance is reached with a second layer. Coats applied: 2, plus top coat

Cirque Colors | Concrete Jungle & La Vie Boheme, Metropolis Collection

Cirque Colors | La Vie Boheme & Concrete Jungle, Metropolis Collection

Cirque Colors | Concrete Jungle & La Vie Boheme, Metropolis Collection

Cirque Colors | Concrete Jungle, Metropolis Collection

Cirque Colors | La Vie Boheme, Metropolis Collection

At the risk of repeating myself, I’ve often said how much I adore brooding shades, and La Vie Boheme is certainly that – but with a deep brightness (oxymoron, much?) that keeps it from appearing too murky. As to Concrete Jungle, I also happen to have a weakness for grey hues, a colour that’s odd enough to appear edgy but without any of black’s ‘goth-ness’ (but don’t get me wrong: I love black shades), but still wearable for every day. Are these colours original in the nail polish colour spectrum? No, and without going through my stash to compare, I’m fairly certain that I own several matches to each – but both Concrete Jungle and La Vie Boheme are unique to this brand that continues to put out a quality product, along with some of the most incredibly imaginative lacquer themes around. For those who are unaware, bear in mind that all Cirque Color polishes are made with Lavender and Rosemary essential oils to not only help with strengthening your nails, but just smell so good as well. How’s that for a bonus?

Available as of October 1 and to be part of the permanent lineup, find more information by visiting www.cirquecolors.com

Disclosure: Press samples provided by the company/PR for my unbiased consideration

NARS | All Day Luminous Powder Foundation

September 30, 2014

Launching next month, NARS introduces their All Day Luminous Powder Foundation SPF 25/+++, with a new ultra fine texture that offers buildable coverage, shine control, as well as the added protection of an SPF. The 13 shades include: (NOTE: 2 more shades are shown on the NARS website)

Siberia – light 1 with neutral balance of pink & yellow undertones
Mont Blanc – light 2 with pink undertones
Deauville – light 4 with a neutral balance of pink & yellow undertones
Fiji – light 5 with yellow undertones
Punjab – medium 1 with golden, peachy undertones
Vaullaris – medium 1.5 with pink undertones
Sante Fe – medium 2 with pink undertones
Stomboli – medium 3 with olive undertones
Barcelona – medium 4 with golden, peachy undertones
Syracuse – medium-dark 1 with brown undertones
Tahoe – medium-dark 2 with caramel undertones
Cadiz – medium-dark 3 with caramel & red undertones
Macao – medium-dark 4 with yellow undertones

Created with NARS’ exclusive Light Reflective Complex™ to ‘optimize light reflection and enhance skin’s translucency‘ while Luminosity Enhancing Technology – a blend of 17 amino acids, Vitamin C derivative and and Marine Fennel – promotes ‘cell renewal and helps reduce the look of hyper pigmentation and wrinkles’, this product allows you to adjust the intensity of the powder itself, while still maintaining a velvety smooth radiance to the skin.

NARS | All Day Luminous Powder Foundation

Barcelona – All Day Luminous Powder Foundation (CAN $55.00) | A powder foundation with an SPF25 that can be applied either dry or damp, and that is free of oil, alcohol, fragrance and talc. The square compact case comes in NARS’ signature black rubberized finish that bears a compartment below the powder to hold the accompanying flat sponge. The sponge is unique as well, with one side slightly rougher to pick up and apply the product, while the other side has a silky feel to help buff it all in & provide a seamless finish. NARS also sells a separate powder foundation sponge that can be used with this product (which I do not have, but I’m very interested in trying out). A word of caution: I suggest opening the compact slowly, as the powder section has a tendency to pop up (most likely in order to make accessing the little sponge underneath easier), but can be annoying if you’re using this product one-handed.

The shade I was sent to test, Barcelona, is a hint darker than what I would have chosen but as my skin still has a bit of Summer colour, it actually works well for now – but I’ll definitely be looking into a lighter hue for the coming cooler months. There’s a slight pink undertone to this shade that ordinarily would clash with my complexion, but in this formulation is serves to add a nice overall brightness to my face.

*Sabrina of The Beauty Look Book and Karen of Makeup And Beauty Blog have swatches of other shades you can check out.

The texture of this powder is extremely fine – gossamer light – and wears very comfortably, without ever feeling heavy or leaving behind any settling into fine lines. Playing around with the coverage, I tried wearing Barcelona several ways and each yielded a different result & level of coverage (which confirms the buildable part). I actually like using the small accompanying sponge to apply this dry, then buffing it into the skin with the velvet side of the sponge – this gives the most natural-looking finish, while still helping to cover up slight imperfections and just generally evening out the skin tone. A damp sponge (I used a Beauty Blender) amped up the coverage factor, but I found it a bit too heavy-looking on my skin. Another option is to use a large powder brush to apply a light sweep of Barcelona over liquid foundation and then lightly buffing that in for a totally flawless finish. Even though this is a foundation, the texture is so incredibly light and weightless, that it can definitely serve to act as a finishing/setting powder if desired.

As my preferred method with Barcelona is using it dry, I found that you need to start your application with a light hand and then step back; you might think that you haven’t applied enough and be tempted to go back in with a second pass – but don’t – as this powder takes a few seconds to ‘develop’. After buffing it in, if you feel that some areas can use a touch more, then that’s always an option (rule of thumb: you can always add more, but it’s not so easy to take any away). After several minutes of wearing, the powder seems to fuse with my skin’s heat and natural oils and even though it’s a dry finish, there’s still a touch of radiance – not much, but enough to keep the complexion for appearing flat and/or lifeless. I will say that if you have oily/combination skin, then this foundation does an amazing job of keeping you shine-free for hours (easily 8 hours+), but the very nature of the formula might work against anyone with a drier skin type, and unless you moisturize well beforehand, it will catch as well as emphasize any dry patches/areas. Overall staying power is excellent, lasting easily past the 10 hour mark with no oxidizing (when a foundation changes colour after merging with one’s natural oils) or significant fading.

NARS | Barcelona – All Day Luminous Powder Foundation

Foundation comes in so many forms and shades, that finding ‘the one’ can be an endless hunt, especially since brands are continuously coming up with newer and more innovative products. What I like about the NARS All Day Luminous Powder Foundation, is that A) it’s portable (great for on-the-go touch ups), B) the texture is so light that you forget you’re actually wearing foundation, C) even sensitive skin types can wear this with ease, and finally D) the radiant finish may be unlike other powder foundations that can come off as a little 1-dimensional, but it still manages to include their mattifying properties just the same (an interesting contradiction, actually). The shade selection seems a bit limiting, but until I see all the available hues for myself, I can’t really judge – I will say that the main colour groups appear to be fairly well represented.

Available October 1 at select NARS retailers (Canada), including Sephora, Hudson’s Bay, Holt Renfrew, Murale and www.narscosmetics.com

*Disclosure: Press sample provided by the company/PR for my unbiased consideration

shu uemura | bronze gold & pink satin radiant sticks, Brave Beauty Vol. 1, Vision of Beauty Collection

September 29, 2014

From the brand that continues to lead the way in how we approach the very concept of applying our makeup, she uemura has just released the Vision of Beauty Collection, Vol. 1 – Brave Beauty, a range of ‘covetable all-encompassing beauty products’ designed to let your inner creativity emerge. The new Satin Radiant Sticks (available in 4 shades, 2 highlighters – Light Pink, Bronze Gold and 2 blush colours – Pink, Orange Coral) are not only beautifully packaged, but are meant to provide the skin with a healthy, satin-like veil of colour.

shu uemura | Bronze Gold & Pink Satin Radiant Sticks, Brave Beauty Vol. 1

shu uemura | Bronze Gold & Pink Satin Radiant Sticks, Brave Beauty Vol. 1 (ingredients list)

sshu uemura | Bronze Gold & Pink Satin Radiant Sticks, Brave Beauty Vol. 1

shu uemura | Bronze Gold & Pink Satin Radiant Sticks, Brave Beauty Vol. 1

Bronze Gold Highlighter Brave Beauty – Satin Radiant Stick (CAN $55.00) | A warm-leaning light golden cream highlighter in a twist-up stick format which bears a refined peachy/pink shimmer. Unscented and with an ultra-smooth texture, Bronze Gold literally glides along the skin and can be applied anywhere you want a touch of light: tops of cheekbones (preferred), cupid’s bow (lips), brow bone, temples, or even the collarbone area. One light swipe will give a sheer hint of colour, although it can also be layered/built up for more intensity, but it’s how seamlessly this product blends into the skin – all while never emphasizing pores – that makes it stand out from any other cream highlighter I’ve ever tried. The final look is a truly radiant glow, as though emanating from within, and not any gaudy, over-the-top bling. Staying power is quite good as well, lasting easily 6-7 hours, morphing into a softer glow as it merges with my skin’s heat & natural oils, as opposed to ay outright fading.

shu uemura | Bronze Gold Highlighter Brave Beauty – Satin Radiant Stick

Pink Blush Color Brave Beauty – Satin Radiant Stick (CAN $55.00) | A cool-leaning pink cream blush in a twist-up stick format that bears an ultra-fine pink shimmer for depth and added radiance. As with the Bronze Gold Highlighter above, Pink is also unscented and comes in the same silky texture. Created to provide a natural-looking luminous flush of colour, this shade blends so seamlessly and easily into the skin leaving a soft/satin finish and absolutely no demarcation lines behind – regardless of whether you use fingers or a brush to apply. Lasting power is excellent as well, especially considering the emollient nature of this product, going easily past the 7 hour mark without any significant fading. What surprised me the most, however, is that I’m able to carry off a cool blue-based pink hue like this; not only does it NOT clash with my complexion (which is light-medium with slight yellow undertones), but goes the extra mile by providing colour and adding brightness.

shu uemura | Pink Blush Color Brave Beauty – Satin Radiant Stick

Cream based beauty products have come a long way from the days of overly-slick textures and that telltale greasy feel; in fact, the new she uemura Satin Radiant Sticks have somehow found a way to not only feel as though they glide along the skin, but still manage to stay slightly dewy to the touch and yet set in the skin at the same time. The tone of Bronze Gold Satin Radiant Stick upon the skin is unbelievable; not only does it provide the most radiant glow, but it does so without emphasizing pores – something I’ve never seen a highlighter do before, let alone one in a cream format (and in case my gushing praise isn’t obvious enough, this has now become my Holy Grail of highlighters). Cool-based pink blushes usually make me look bruised, but once again, there’s something about the formulation of the Pink Satin Radiant Stick, that not only works on me, but just brightens up my entire face – with a nice dose of healthy-looking colour thrown in. Again … love, love, love.

Available through Holt Renfrew (Canada), find more information via:

*Disclosure: Press samples provided by the company/PR for my unbiased consideration

Guerlain | Météorites Perles d’Étoile, Un Soir À L’Opéra Christmas 2014 Collection

September 27, 2014

Today marks the 4th year since I began my blog, and to celebrate this milestone, I bring you something so very special: your first look at the Météorites Perles d’Étoile, Limited Edition from the Guerlain Un Soir À L’Opéra Christmas 2014 Collection (more details about the entire collection here). With luxurious golden touches and hints of rich ruby throughout, the collection is inspired by the opulence, glamour, and slightly wicked decadence of Imperial Russia.

The pièce de résistance of this collection (at least, for me), is without a doubt this year’s limited edition Météorites release – Perles d’Étoile (star pearls), individual spheres of illuminating face powder in tones of alabaster, pearl, petal, light gold, pale bronze and a few plum added for depth & slight colour. According to the the company, the 6 individual tones of the Perles d’Étoile (NOTE: I’m showing only 5 in my photo below) have ‘three targeted benefits; correcting, light-enhancing, and unifying colours for a healthy looking complexion‘. The pearls bear the signature violet Guerlain scent – quite redolent upon first opening the tin, but which fades from the senses rather quickly upon application. The container is a golden metal tin with hammered detail all around, calling to mind the exquisite work seen on legendary Fabergé Eggs, while the lid bears a raised bow on top with touches of red in the loops/lining to match the satin bow of the red powder puff included within.

Trying to properly express the effect of any Météorites face powder on the skin, is a challenge; Guerlain calls these powders “illuminating” and they most definitely are that, but so much more as well. So finely milled that it applies like a gossamer veil to the skin, the Perles d’Étoile is generally a warmer leaning face powder, but again, by shifting the contents in the container and focusing more on the lighter hues found within, one can easily alter the composition so that it appears slightly cooler. In using more of the darker pearls, you can apply even turn this powder into a subtle, glowy type of flush along the cheeks – not quite a bronzer nor a blush, but something that almost appears to radiate from within. A bonus side-effect to wearing Perles d’Étoile on my oily/combination skin, is that it appears to fuse with my skin’s natural oils to create a gorgeous subtle glow, all while keeping excess shine away.

A light dusting all over the face (don’t leave out the neck and collarbone, for a unifyingly seamless finish), gives skin the perfect finishing touch but it’s something you really can’t put your finger on; it’s an effect that needs to be seen to be properly understood – you will literally say “wow, my makeup looks so amazing today”. As if I needed further proof, after application when even my husband remarks how lovely my face looks, that’s the icing on the cake – along with the only confirmation I need to hear.

Odessa Opera House, Ukraine (source)

Guerlain | Météorites Perles D’Étoile (LE), Un Soir À L’Opéra Christmas 2014 Collection

For years, I had been hearing fellow beauty enthusiasts rave about these miracle powders from Guerlain, but every time I tested one at the counter, I always walked away unimpressed. THAT, was my mistake. To see/understand how this face powder functions, a better test would be to visit a Guerlain counter, and have it applied to half your face and then look in the mirror. Better still, wear it that way for several hours and then look in the mirror again. Trust me, only then will you be convinced. For warmer complexions, the Météorites Perles d’Étoile is truly spectacular, although as I said earlier, cooler complexions can still make this work beautifully as well. All I know, is that every time I apply this powder (which I’ve been doing constantly since it arrived), I feel like a princess. A Russian princess.

The Météorites Perles d’Étoile (CAN $67.00) is part of the limited edition Guerlain Un Soir À L’Opéra Christmas 2014 Collection and will become available at counters as of November 1st. Follow Guerlain via:

*Disclosure: Press sample provided by the company/PR for my unbiased consideration

Urban Decay | Mrs. Mia Wallace Nail Color (LE), Pulp Fiction Collection

September 26, 2014

From the movie that spawned a nail polish colour (dark, blood red) that became a world-wide cult trend, Pulp Fiction celebrates its 20th anniversary this year and Urban Decay has recently released a capsule collection commemorating the event. Starring Mrs. Mia Wallace Nail Color, this shade will definitely help you channel your inner mob-girl vamp … or at least, your nails will.

The ingredients that are needed to create a ‘cult following’, are not obvious, but after decades of the same old/same old in the world of nail lacquer (read that as: neutrals, pinks & reds), the beauty world was ripe for something new, something avant-garde … something that would make us all sit up and take notice. What most people don’t know about the by now-iconic vampy hue worn in Pulp Fiction by Mrs. Mia Wallace (portrayed by Uma Thurman), was that it was actually inspired by black marker; CHANEL’s legendary #18 Rouge Noir that was worn in the film, was never seen on the fashion runway as most people believe – although the dark nail trend was born then just the same; at the last minute, models’ nails were quickly coloured in with black marker before hitting the catwalk, which subsequently sparked the birth of a deep & edgy nail shade, #18 Rouge Noir.

The year was 1994 when Pulp Fiction exploded onto our consciousness, and apart from making religious rhetoric combined with foul language fashionable, giving rise to an entire new beauty trend, and getting to see John Travolta dance on the big screen once more (for those of you too young to remember Saturday Night Fever, go rent it), something even more exciting happened to me: I gave birth to my beautiful daughter. Oh yeah, I also bought the first run of CHANEL’s #18 Rouge Noir, which I still have AND still wear to this day – 20 years later, but now Mrs. Mia Wallace will be sharing the spotlight with it.

Uma Thurman as Mrs. Mia Wallace in Pulp Fiction

Urban Decay | Mrs. Mia Wallace Nail Color (LE), Pulp Fiction Collection

Mrs. Mia Wallace Nail Color, Limited Edition (CAN $18.00) | I am obsessed with details and this product pushes all the right buttons: for starters, there’s the instantly recognizable lettering on the box along with a [blood]red interior bearing a printed excerpt from the movie, followed by the bottle cap – adorned with a skull on top – that has been re-issued in a darkly shimmering jet black colour. The lacquer is a deep blood-red hue which bears a cool-leaning blue undertone in the base, and filled with ultra fine shimmer in shades of bronze, copper and oxidized gold to balance it all out, making it suitable for all skin tones. There’s an amazing overall depth of tone to Mrs. Mia Wallace, and the final look is as though nails are lit from beneath – the glow that emanates from the nail centres is mesmerizing, at other times giving off a look of lustrous moiré satin. The formula is medium-thick in consistency which works in this shade’s favour, helping it stay exactly where placed without any pooling along the cuticles or nail edges. Highly pigmented, the first coat shows the bluer base notes which darkens significantly by a second coat – all of it laying down in a completely self-levelling & brush stroke-free way, coming to a high gloss natural finish. Due to the intense colour saturation, do not skip applying base coat first, to avoid any possible staining. Coats applied: 2, plus top coat

NOTE: The brush is long, tapered, and thinner than what we’ve seen lately (most brands seem to be heading to bushier, chiselled, and/or shorter brushes) and according to Urban Decay, is made with ‘a 400-strand brush to pick up & deposit more product’. There’s a flexibility to the brush that had me re-thinking the way I usually apply my polish and even though it felt a little floppier than what I’m used to, the pro is that it makes for a very precise application – something very good to have when dealing with a shade this pigmented.

In deference to Pulp Fiction‘s ‘Nail Polish Hall of Fame‘ status (yes, I made that up but seriously, I can’t think of any other movie that had such an impact on nail polish), I decided to show Mrs. Mia Wallace alongside CHANEL’s #18 Rouge Noir (reviewed here), and included CHANEL’s #637 Malice (reviewed here) due to the closer colour match (see last swatch). How they compared:

CHANEL #18 Rouge Noir (2 coats) Same base hue as Mrs. Mia Wallace, but without any shimmer and which appears browner beside the rest (more dried than fresh blood)
CHANEL #637 Malice (2 coats) Similar tone to Mrs. Mia Wallace, although several degrees deeper and with magenta ultra fine shimmer

Urban Decay | Mrs. Mia Wallace Nail Color (LE), Pulp Fiction Collection

Urban Decay | Mrs. Mia Wallace Nail Color (LE), Pulp Fiction Collection – skull detail on cap

Urban Decay | Mrs. Mia Wallace Nail Color (LE), Pulp Fiction Collection – raised logo detail

Urban Decay | Mrs. Mia Wallace Nail Color (LE), Pulp Fiction Collection – closer look at the brush

Urban Decay | Mrs. Mia Wallace Nail Color (LE), Pulp Fiction Collection

Urban Decay | Mrs. Mia Wallace Nail Color (LE), Pulp Fiction Collection vs. CHANEL #18 Rouge Nior & #637 Malice

Deep red hues are not that rare anymore, but even in this colour family, Mrs. Mia Wallace stands out; I know that a lacquer is special, when I don’t want to remove it. There’s a pulsating intensity to this shade – a look of freshly spilled blood, if you will – which makes it all the more perfect when you consider the inspiration behind it. The fact that it’s drop-dead gorgeous, doesn’t hurt either. Plus, I love the little skull on the cap.

Available through select Shopper’s Drug Mart stores (Canada), Sephora, and Urban Decay. Find more information: