Tag Archives: face powder

CHANEL | Perles et Fantaisies Illuminating Powder, Les Sautoirs de Coco

March 7, 2016

One of the newest releases from CHANEL, is the limited edition Sautoirs de Coco Collection which draws inspiration from Mademoiselle’s well-known love of pearls (‘sautoirs’ is French for string of pearls’). That being said, you can immediately see why the star piece is undoubtedly the Perles et Fantaisies Illuminating Powder with its incredibly lifelike pearl strand embossing on its surface. I have to confess, it took a lot of willpower on my part to actually touch a brush to this jewel, but I’m so glad that I did.

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Charlotte Tilbury | Filmstar Bronze & Glow

January 14, 2016

As awards season has officially begun and with the Oscars around the corner, it seemed only fitting to talk about Charlotte Tilbury’s Filmstar Bronze & Glow (in the Light to Medium shade), a product created to provide contouring, bronzing, and highlighting – all housed in one stunning sunburst-rayed rose gold compact. Meant to compliment a broad range of skin tones, this duo has rightfully earned a cult following, while also bringing touches of old-world Hollywood glam to the {vanity} table.

Charlotte Tilbury | Filmstar Bronze & Glow (packaging details)

Charlotte Tilbury | Filmstar Bronze & Glow

Charlotte Tilbury | Filmstar Bronze & Glow with Powder & Sculpt Brush

Filmstar Bronze & Glow (CAN $80.00) | Skipping over the somewhat redundant labelling on the powders’ surface, this is an exceptionally easy product to use. For starters, the Sculpt shade can not only be used for contouring + bronzing (with the possible exception of those with the darkest complexions – better to go with the Medium to Dark version instead) but it can also serve as an eyeshadow/crease shade, and even as a blush colour, on occasion. The warm-leaning highlighter portion is a universally flattering hue, and can also be used as an eyeshadow (for an allover brightening effect, or used at the inner corners).

Sculpt – An ashy tan/brown hue, ultra finely milled and which blends effortlessly into the skin. The colour can be built up for more intensity, although I recommend a light hand in order to keep the effect as natural as possible.
Highlight – A pearly hue with slight golden hints, very finely milled and provides a lustrous glow. Easy to buff into the skin for a seamless effect, it can also be swept along the brow bone and cupid’s bow of the lips. Note that this highlighter is not of the metallic variety, which means it can also be worn as a very subtle wash of colour.

The Powder & Sculpt Brush (CAN $60.00) that can be purchased separately, will be reviewed in closer detail in an upcoming post, but I’ll just add here that this brush with its tapered head and ultra-soft bristles, has quickly become one of my favourites for contouring and works beautifully with either one of these powders in buffing the product seamlessly into the skin.

Charlotte Tilbury | Filmstar Bronze & Glow

Charlotte Tilbury | Filmstar Bronze & Glow (detail)

Ingredients: Talc, Mica, Isononyl Isononanoate, Oryza Sativa (Rice) Starch, Dimethicone, Zea Mays (Corn) Starch, Zinc Stearate, Caprylyl Glycol, Phenoxyethanol, Dimethiconol, Octyldodecyl Stearoyl Stearate, Hexylene Glycol, Polymethylsilsesquioxane, Silica, Tin Oxide, Trimethylsiloxysilicate, Titanium Dioxide (CI 77891), Iron Oxides (CI 77491, CI 77492, CI 77499)

Charlotte Tilbury | Filmstar Bronze & Glow swatches (applied heavy)

Charlotte Tilbury | Filmstar Bronze & Glow (bronzer)

Charlotte Tilbury | Filmstar Bronze & Glow (bronzer swatches)

Charlotte Tilbury | Filmstar Bronze & Glow (highlighter)

Charlotte Tilbury | Filmstar Bronze & Glow (highlighter swatches)

Charlotte Tilbury | Filmstar Bronze & Glow

Contouring can be a tricky beast and usually best left for the pros or editorial work, but every now and then I like adding a bit of definition to my makeup. A light dusting (followed by a thorough blending, of course) of the Sculpt shade applied under the hollows of my cheeks helps to create the illusion of more chiselled cheekbones, while the Highlighter placed strategically along the upper cheekbones adds a lovely illumination to my face – making Filmstar Bronze & Glow a standout for me, as well as my new go-to contouring powder. This time around, I’m happy to say that the hype has totally delivered.

Charlotte Tilbury products are available through Holt Renfrew and Nordstrom stores across Canada. Find more information via www.charlottetilbury.com

Purchased Product – Brush provided for review considerations

CHANEL | Infiniment CHANEL Illuminating Powder

January 6, 2016

I absolutely cannot resist well-crafted and exquisite detailing; add CHANEL into the mix, and I’m basically rendered incapable of coherent thought. That was the effect I experienced upon first laying eyes on the Infiniment CHANEL Illuminating Powder. I hadn’t even wondered about how well this powder would suit my skin tone, as I couldn’t see past the elegant raised double C’s – but thankfully, this is one product that looks as stunning as it performs.

CHANEL | Infiniment CHANEL Illuminating Powder

Infiniment CHANEL Illuminating Powder (CAN $78.00) | Housed in the brand’s iconic black lacquered compact case and protected by a velour sleeve, this face powder also comes with a small flat brush (that has its own little sleeve), with a full-sized mirror on the inner lid. The base shade is a warm-leaning nude hue with peachy undertones, but the real star attraction here, are the apricot-hued raised and interlocked double C’s splashed across the palette’s surface. The precise work on the logo has been crafted to look as though stitched – and you’d be hard pressed to believe it isn’t real. There is a light shimmery overspray to the entire palette and while the majority will be swept away with the first brush stroke, that finely ground shimmer remains as part of the actual product, serving to add a beautiful luminosity when applied to the skin. The logo itself appears to run all the way through, and not just a surface detail – a good thing, as it serves to provide a little spot of colour to what would otherwise be a simple face powder.

Trying to pick up the two tones separately, is basically an exercise in futility and to be fair, I’m certain this powder wasn’t designed to be used in that manner anyway. I prefer to swirl my brush across the surface and mix the two together, although you can still concentrate more on the neutral portion if desired, in order to avoid getting too much of the coloured section. A large-headed fluffy brush will yield a lighter dusting across the skin, perfect for setting your makeup, while a dense kabuki-style brush enables you to buff the powder into the skin for an even more flawless finish. The overall payoff of the Infiniment CHANEL Illuminating Powder is such that it will benefit a pretty broad variety of skin tones; that being said, those with the palest complexions (read: alabaster) may probably be able to use this powder as a natural looking blush shade – especially if the emphasis is placed more on the logo, while those with dark skin tones may not find it gives any colour payoff at all and the result might even appear as too ashy.

The swatches below were done with a heavy hand and even at that, it’s very difficult to pick up the two individual tones along my skin; suffice it to say that on my light-medium skin tone, this becomes one of the most natural looking face powders I’ve tried to date, imparting a beautiful & healthy-looking glow to my face, without ever looking chalky or dusty. Staying power is about 8 hours + or what I usually get with setting/face powders, but I must say that as the product warms up on my skin and starts merging with my natural oils, it almost appears to get even better and more natural looking (and without oxidizing), if that makes sense.

CHANEL | Infiniment CHANEL Illuminating Powder

CHANEL | Infiniment CHANEL Illuminating Powder swatches

CHANEL | Infiniment CHANEL Illuminating Powder

I’m a little (ok, a lot) late in posting this beauty jewel, as here in Montréal the Infiniment CHANEL Illuminating Powder was released back in August (released around October in the US), and while I was told it was a limited edition product, it’s not listed as such on CHANEL’s website and I was even able to still find it at several counters around town (I’d suggest calling ahead first just the same). If you can get your hands on this amazing face powder, then I can’t recommend it enough. If not, don’t worry – as there will always be something new and just as awesome coming from this brand. And I’ll still be just as powerless to resist.

Purchased product

Guerlain | Terracotta Bronzing Powder, Neige & Merveilles Holiday 2015 Collection

December 23, 2015

For many, going away to a sunny locale for the holidays is the norm, but in my case I’ll live vicariously through others’ vay-cay photos and fake my own getaway with the help of a little bronzer – but not just any bronzer. I’ve said it before, and it bears repeating: no one, and I mean NO ONE makes bronzing powders quite as sublimely as Guerlain. Originally launched in 1984, the brand has taken this ubiquitous face powder to new heights by creating a product that is as beautiful to wear, as it is to behold, and for the Neige & Merveilles Holiday 2015 Collection, Guerlain’s signature Terracotta bronzing powder gets all dolled up for the festivities by way of a snow globe-esque outer sleeve. Definitely fit for the ice princess that lurks inside us all.

Also reviewed from this collection:

*Note that this powder has been previously review here

Guerlain | Terracotta 03 Natural Brunettes, Neige & Merveilles Holiday 2015 Collection

Guerlain | Terracotta 03 Natural Brunettes Holiday 2015 (sleeve detail)

Terracotta Bronzing Powder 03 Natural Brunettes (CAN $64.00) | Housed in a removable silicone sleeve that looks all the world like it’s been embedded with iridescent snowflakes (I mean, how can anyone possibly resist?), this finely-milled powder is made with moisturizing ingredients to provide hydrating as well as long-lasting colour, and is a cult favourite for good reason: the glow it gives to skin is the closest to sun kissed you’ll get. And if that weren’t enough, each Terracotta powder also bears a unique fragrance:

‘The top notes reveal a joyful and cheerful accord of bergamot and mandarin. The heart takes over with the sunny, feminine notes of gardenia, jasmine and ylang-ylang, which play off the lightness of honeysuckle. In the dry-down, vanilla, blended with woody notes, gives this legendary scent all of its character and mystery‘

Smells like Summer to me, is all I can say. As with many other bronzing powders, this product will ‘develop’ on the skin; what that basically means, is that you need to start with a light hand in application, wait a couple of minutes to see how the powder reacts with the warmth and natural oils of your skin, then go in with more – if necessary. Using a brush that’s neither too fluffy/floppy nor too dense, the most common application method is to trace a ‘3’ along the planes of the face (forehead to temples to curvature of the cheek), but again – that’s a recommendation, and not set in stone. Feel free to experiment with placement according to your taste, but bear in mind that keeping the colour towards the outer edges of the face is usually the most complimentary, while depositing too much colour in the centre of the face can sometimes make features look smaller. Regarding blendability, that’s a no brainer: an absolutely seamless application is effortlessly achieved with all Guerlain Terracotta bronzers. Every single time. And the bonus? The colour just gets better the longer you wear it.

Guerlain | Terracotta 03 Natural Brunettes, Neige & Merveilles Holiday 2015 (macro)

Guerlain | Terracotta 03 Natural Brunettes, Neige & Merveilles Holiday 2015 swatches

INGREDIENTS: Talc, Nylon-12, Lauroyl Lysine, Magnesium Myristate, Octyldodecylstearoyl Stearate, Ethylhexyl Palmitate, Hydrogenated Polyisobutene, Boronitride, Dimethicone, Pentaerythrityl Tetraethylhexanoeate, Zinc Stearate, Acrylates Copolymer, Glycerin, Serine, Parfum (Fragrance), Allantoin, Caprylyl Glycol, Pentylene Glycol, Tocopheryl Acetate, Sorbic Acid, Tocopheryl Linoleate, Sodium Hyaluronate, Limonene, Benzil Salicylate, Linalool,Alpha-Isomethyl Ionone, Citronellol, Hexyl Cinnamal, Cinnamyl Alcohol, Geraniol, Eugenol, Benzyl Alcohol, [+/- mica, CI 77891 (Titanium dioxide), CI 77491, CI 77492, CI 77499 (iron oxides), CI 77163 (Bismuthoxychloride) 0 5565M

Guerlain | Neige & Merveilles limited edition face powders

The only difference between this particular version and the one in Guerlain’s core lineup, is the white iridescent sleeve (and a $4 price hike). For those who’ve yet to explore the magic of Terracotta bronzing powders, I can’t think of a prettier way to indulge, although even those familiar with these bronzers might want to pick one up for that sleeve alone #beautyaddictionissues PS: If (like me) you’re still looking for that perfect last-minute Christmas gift, then you should definitely look into this little lovely for that beauty-aficionado on your list (and get one for yourself, while you’re at it).

The Guerlain Neige & Merveilles Holiday 2015 Collection is available through The Bay & thebay.com, Holt Renfrew, Nordstrom and select Shoppers Drug Mart/Pharmaprix stores across Canada. Find more information via www.guerlain.com

Product sample kindly provided by Guerlain for my unbiased consideration

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Guerlain | Météorites Voyage Enchanté, Neige & Merveilles Holiday 2015 Collection

December 9, 2015

There have been many exquisite beauty releases this year from all the luxury brands, but none have captured the ethereal loveliness of Winter and the Christmas spirit, quite as perfectly as Guerlain’s Neige & Merveilles Holiday 2015 Collection. One of the star pieces (I should add that every single item of the collection merits a star), is the Limited Edition Météorites Voyage Enchanté (French for ‘Enchanted Voyage’) Illuminating Matte Powder (CAN $214.00), complete with its many-petalled white enamel pattern on the outer case.

For those new to the brand or perhaps just unfamiliar with the Météorites range of products, these are face powders that come in a variety of skin-correcting colours, either in a loose pearl or pressed format. On select collections, Guerlain also creates limited edition – and highly collectible – version of the pressed powder formula (as well as limited edition versions of the pearl format on occasion), with this year’s iteration not only reflecting the theme of the collection on the outside, but inside as well.

Housed in a hefty silver compact case that snaps securely closed with a magnetic clasp and whose very weight just oozes luxury, it sits comfortably in the palm of your hand, with the powder bearing a Swiss Dot motif across its pristine surface. I detect a soft fragrance of violets – the brand’s signature scent – that seems to dissipate quickly after application, but still worth noting for those with sensitivities.

Known for their exceptionally finely milled powders, the Voyage Enchanté version is meant to be applied over foundation to ‘set’ your makeup, while instantly giving the illusion of blurring any small imperfections, or for those blessed with poreless skin, this powder can be worn alone for an even more flawless looking complexion. It might sound contradictory, but the ‘Illuminating Matte’ name of this powder is quite accurate in describing the finish; something about the texture helps your skin not only look smooth and even-toned (in that subtle way that will have people mention how “good your skin looks”), but may even help keep oiliness at bay, or it’s closer to the truth to say that I notice that my combination/oily skin needs less touchups during the day when I wear this powder, with my skin’s natural oils actually fusing with the product to make it look just as good at the end of the day, as when first applied. Don’t let the white colour scare you off either; it sheers out so well that even darker complexions will be able to pull it off, especially when properly buffed into the skin.
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Note that for the purposes of this review, the swatches shown below are with Voyage Enchanté applied quite heavily in order to get it to show up in my photos – once applied, the product becomes literally invisible along the skin.

Also reviewed from this collection:

Guerlain | Météorites Voyage Enchanté Illuminating Matte Powder

Guerlain | Météorites Voyage Enchanté Illuminating Matte Powder (detail)

Guerlain | Météorites Voyage Enchanté Illuminating Matte Powder

Guerlain | Météorites Voyage Enchanté Illuminating Matte Powder swatch

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I’d probably have better luck capturing a live unicorn than trying to accurately pin down and describe what this product does, but suffice it to say that NO ONE makes face powders more beautifully than Guerlain. For those who avidly collect these compacts (and trust me, there are many people who eagerly await every release), the steep price tag is no deterrent and while undoubtedly on the higher end of the scale, the plus side is that this powder lasts ages – even when used daily. Limited Edition for the holidays, I definitely recommend that next time you find yourself at a Guerlain counter, test drive a bit of Voyage Enchanté along your skin. Just be warned about its addictive allure …

The Guerlain Neige & Merveilles Holiday 2015 Collection is available now through The Bay, Holt Renfrew, Nordstrom, and select Shoppers Drug Mart/Pharmaprix stores across Canada. Find more information via www.guerlain.com