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Yves Saint Laurent Beauté | Rouge Pur Couture The Mats #210 Nude Acoustic (LE)

August 25, 2014

Continuing the leather-inspired theme from the Fall 2014 Cuirs Fétiches Collection (see previous reviews here and here), Yves Saint Laurent Beauté introduces a new texture for lips: Rouge Pur Couture The Mats (CAN $39.00) available in 4 new shades – 2 Rouges Pop and 2 Nudes Folk. The shade I’m showing today (and which I’ve currently developed quite an obsession for) is #210 Nude Acoustic (Limited Edition), a flesh-toned pink hue that falls in the Nudes Folk group and bears a buttery soft but not-quite-matte finish. Think: the most luxurious suede, and you’ll have an excellent idea of what this truly feels (and looks) like.

Yves Saint Laurent Beauté | Rouge Pur Couture The Mats #210 Nude Acoustic (LE)

Rouge Pur Couture The Mats #210 Nude Acoustic (Limited Edition) (CAN $39.00) | A softly muted rose hue with nude/beige undertones for warmth and depth of tone. Housed in the brand’s signature luxe gold casing bearing the “Cassandre” logo in red, this new formula has been created with a:

‘Velvet Complex that contains a combination of spherical powders and silk oil, to give lips a perfect matte finish, a sensual sheen and 6-hour colour hold that never fades or smudges‘

The above press description needs to be adjusted somewhat: the velvet part is spot-on, as #210 Nude Acoustic glides on with a buttery feel, but as to the finish – while not shiny, it’s not exactly matte either but rather gives off an incredibly rich and plush sheen (again, think velvet and the way it both absorbs & reflects light). As to staying power, I’m going on record by stating that it definitely surpasses the 6-hour mark – quite shocking for a neutral shade such as this, and the colour itself can be quickly refreshed with a quick pressing of the lips together. Unlike other matte lipsticks that can leave your lips feeling parched and desiccated, this formula feels amazing from the moment it’s first applied until it fades (I clocked it at about the 8.5 hour mark), leaving a soft and nourished feel to the lips once all traces are gone. buy imuran online www.mabvi.org/wp-content/languages/new/imuran.html no prescription

Another surprise for me was the colour itself; looking more like a nude with rose tints in the tube, on my lips #210 Nude Acoustic looks more rose and less nude (depending on your skin tone and how naturally pigmented your lips are, it may affect the look of this colour – my lips happen to have quite a bit of natural colour). I have always tended to gravitate to a more beige-y hued lip and what I absolutely love about this shade is how it stays well within my lipstick comfort zone but holds enough warmth to keep my lips from looking washed out, providing the perfect amount of colour to balance the rest of my makeup.

NOTE: #210 Nude Acoustic was the shade I opted to wear to the Yves Saint Laurent movie première (read about it here) and even after eating a {small} bag of popcorn as well as champagne and hors d’oeuvres at the cocktail afterwards, my lip colour still looked freshly applied.

Yves Saint Laurent Beauté | Rouge Pur Couture The Mats #210 Nude Acoustic (LE)

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Yves Saint Laurent Beauté | Rouge Pur Couture The Mats #210 Nude Acoustic (LE)

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Apart from how totally wearable #210 Nude Acoustic is, both in terms of its universally flattering colour and longevity, this texture elevates a traditional and sometimes overly feminine colour like pink, to new modern & sensual heights. Another advantage to this finish, is how it also provides the look of a lush fullness to lips (as though they’ve been thoroughly kissed, perhaps?) and gives a new spin on nude. I’m betting that this is a neutral that even a dominatrix would approve of.

Available now (but remember that it is a limited edition shade), find more information via:

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

Yves Saint Laurent Beauté | La Lacque Couture #52 Bleu Galuchat & #53 Taupe Grainé (LE)

August 22, 2014

Perfectly on point with the whole sensually organic theme of this collection (see my previous review here), the two new (and limited edition) shades of the Yves Saint Laurent Cuirs Fétiches Collection for Fall 2014 manage to be at once classic (the colours) and edgy (the finish). Textured polish is something that’s been around for quite some time now, but what you’ll find here with #52 Bleu Galuchat and #53 Taupe Grainé is chic and luxurious, with just the right amount of roughness added to the mix to bring out your inner RiRi.

A point most people don’t often stop to consider when dealing this variety of lacquer, are the options: you can wear them as intended to highlight their multi-dimensional effect, or simply add a top coat for an entirely new look. Personally, I adore the “leather look” and what I couldn’t adequately capture in my photos (you have no idea how hard it is to accurately photograph every nuance of these beauties), is the final look – definitely pebbled looking, but in an ultra-fine way and yet there seems to be little glints of something you catch every now and then, especially when seen in direct sunlight (shy shimmer, I tell you). The new wide, yet tapered & chiselled brush of YSL lacquers, makes application a breeze – even for those with small nail beds, while removal works the same as with regular polish.

NOTE: Both #52 Bleu Galuchat & #53 Taupe Grainé apply like regular polish – the textured effect takes a few minutes to fully develop, staying still relatively shiny at first and then toning down to a satin/matte finish once fully dry, revealing the completed leather grain look.

Yves Saint Laurent | La Lacque Couture Cuirs Fétiches Collection Fall 2014

Yves Saint Laurent La Lacque Couture | #52 Bleu Galuchat & #53 Taupe Grainé, Limited Edition

#52 Bleu Galuchat, limited edition (CAN $27.00) | A deep rich teal with fine – albeit sparse blue shimmer throughout – in a textured finish that completely resembles the finest grain leather and which comes to a satin/matte finish. Highly pigmented even with by the first coat as well as bearing an excellent flow, this lacquer stays exactly where applied, without pooling along cuticles or nail edges. When top coat is added to #52 Bleu Galuchat, it brings out the shimmer but I personally feel it detracts from the sensually brooding vibe of this shade (see the photo above of Cara wearing it, to understand what I mean). NOTE: To avoid any possibility of staining, I doubled up on base coat first. Coats applied: 2, top coat only for last swatch

Yves Saint Laurent La Lacque Couture | #52 Bleu Galuchat

Yves Saint Laurent La Lacque Couture | #52 Bleu Galuchat, in sunlight

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Yves Saint Laurent La Lacque Couture | #52 Bleu Galuchat, with top coat

#53 Taupe Grainé, limited edition (CAN $27.00) | In some lights, this shade appears to be a mink brown, while at others it comes off as a silvery taupe – probably due to the ultra fine silvery & prismatic shimmer it holds in the base. Bearing the same leather-look textured finish as #52 Bleu Galuchat, there is excellent flow and pigmentation to #53 Taupe Grainé as well, while the finish appears slightly more satin than matte here – probably due to its complex shimmer. BONUS: Non-staining upon removal. To change up the look, you always have the option of applying top coat, but just keep in mind that you may need at least 2 layers for a smooth finish (this finish eats up top coat). Coats applied: 2, top coat added only for last swatch.

Yves Saint Laurent La Lacque Couture | #53 Taupe Grainé

Yves Saint Laurent La Lacque Couture | #53 Taupe Grainé, in sunlight

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Yves Saint Laurent La Lacque Couture | #53 Taupe Grainé, with top coat

Textured polish won’t appeal to everyone, but what I love about both #52 Bleu Galuchat and #53 Taupe Grainé, is not only their classic (yet still-so-chic) colours, but how cohesive they are with the rest of the YSL Fall 2014 Collection. As Lloyd Simmonds, Creative Director for YSL Beauté says, “nails can be fashion’s most sophisticated accessory” but these shades are also sexy, a little bit naughty, and biker tough – definitely in the best way possible, of course. Textured polishes have inspired strong feelings with people – you either love them or hate them, but you can’t deny how cool these two shades are. Just take a look at Cara in the photo … again.
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Available now at all Yves Saint Laurent counters – find more information via:

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

Yves Saint Laurent Beauté | Couture Palette Collector Fétiche (LE)

August 21, 2014

Inspired by the noble yet carnal duality of leather, the Yves Saint Laurent Cuirs Fétiches Collection for Fall 2014 will literally take your breath away. Creative Director Lloyd Simmonds wanted to create a sensually charged-up makeup collection filled with varying textures: matte, shiny, metallic – for eyes, lips, as well as nails – giving women the option of exploring their sexy & edgier rocker-chic side … at least with cosmetics. The undisputed star, is hands down the Couture Palette Collector Fétiche, with its rich hues in the brand’s Mondrian-inspired pattern: 5 luxuriously rich and highly complimentary colours that evoke the many versions of leather. I’ll say it here: with all the Fall releases I’ve seen, this may very well be the palette to rule them all.

If you follow me on social media (if not, then get cracking on that STAT! You can find me on Instagram, Twitter, Pinterest and Facebook) you’ll have noticed my love of leather (I basically live in my Theory moto/biker leather jacket) and almost fetish-inspired footwear (Loubs with their painfully high heels, Brian Atwood bondage-look cut-out booties) so when I first heard of this collection, I almost had a visceral response to it – my loves of both beauty products and rocker edginess were about to be combined in one makeup collection? Almost too much to handle. Bring it on.

Yves Saint Laurent – photographed by Jeanloup Sieff in 1971 (source)

Yves Saint Laurent Mondrian-inspired Fall/Winter 1965 Collection (source)

Yves Saint Laurent | Palette Fétiche (Limited Edition), Fall Look 2014 Cuirs Fétiches

Palette Fétiche, Limited Edition (CAN $64.00) | No detail has been spared in the creation of this piece: the luxuriously gold hefty case of usual YSL eyeshadow palettes has been given a dangerously sexy new look, as the exterior of the Palette Fétiche is clothed in full-grain leather and features the “Cassandre” logo embossed in gold lettering. Inside, are 5 shades in ‘varying textures’ to provide a multitude of looks – the descriptions of each colour, according to the brand: Bright Copper, Warm Gold, Amazon Green, Opulent Brown, Infused Black. And now, my versions (going clockwise, starting from the top left):

butterscotch brown with copper reflects
soft nude tan
blackened brown with ultra-fine gold particles
deep yet muted teal
black velvet

Let’s start with the textures, which are absolutely sublime: super easy to apply, extremely well pigmented, non-powdery, and all totally blendable. This palette has taken the ubiquitous earth tones (which can frequently fall on the boring side) and elevates them into something so much more – able to suit every skin tone across the spectrum, as well as being all daytime wearable or amped up for nighttime drama (especially obvious when applied with a dampened brush). Whether worn as single shades, or combined & mixed, there are endless possibilities offered by this palette – some look ideas by Lloyd Simmonds:

CUIR YCONIQUE: The Bright Copper base is applied all over the upper lid, the matte black along the upper lashes & the Amazon Green along the lower lash line

CUIR PATINÉ: The upper lid is sculpted with the Bright Copper base and Opulent Brown, the arch of the brow bone is highlighted with Warm Gold and matte black is drawn along the lower lash line.

CUIR NUDE: The inside corner of the eye is illuminated with Warm Gold and Bright Copper is then drawn towards the outer corner

I totally appreciate how well thought out this palette is, with the shades you’ll want to use more of (i.e. the Bright Copper, Infused Black, Amazon Green) larger in size than the ones that you won’t necessarily need as much of (the Warm Gold). I personally did not find that this palette held too many varieties of textures (a good thing, in my book), with all bearing some degree of shine – although that being said, that shine level did vary somewhat, with the top 2 definitely exhibiting more than the 3 darker hues. The black shade (bottom left) is perfectly named: Infused Black (and not matte as described in the press release), as it’s deep but with a little kick – bearing a slight sheen such as that given off by rich buttery leather. The other dark (and also perfectly named) shade, Opulent Brown, works in perfect tandem with the top two colours and while deep, the coppery gold reflects in the formula help to give this a unique tone & depth, keeping this colour from coming off as flat. Even the Amazon Green (or teal) has just the right amount of texture/shine to keep it from appearing one-dimensional, as well as being one of the most wearable hues I’ve seen in this colour family. My favourite hue of this palette, is the Bright Copper – this is such a spectacular caramel shade, that I may start a campaign to have the brand release this as a single – I love it. The application on all is almost suede-like in feel – they are all that smooth. The Warm Gold shade, while the lightest pigmentation-wise, still packs enough colour that it shows up against your skin – although it may be too subtle for those with deeper complexions. Wear time (on primed lids) is amazing – going well past the 11 hour mark, without showing any signs of creasing or fading.
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Yves Saint Laurent | Palette Fétiche (Limited Edition), Fall Look 2014 Cuirs Fétiches

Yves Saint Laurent | Palette Fétiche (Limited Edition), swatched dry – in sunlight

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Yves Saint Laurent | Palette Fétiche (Limited Edition), swatches dry – in shaded light

Yves Saint Laurent | Palette Fétiche (Limited Edition), swatched damp – in sunlight

Yves Saint Laurent | Palette Fétiche (Limited Edition), swatched damp – in shaded light

Photos and arm swatches do not do this palette full justice, and if you pick up just one item from all the recent Fall releases, then make it the Couture Palette Collector Fétiche from Yves Saint Laurent Beauté. I absolutely adore this for all the right reasons: shade selection, quality, pigmentation levels, and its total wearability factor – which may be a contradiction to the name (“fetish” which calls to mind whips and Hannibal Lecter-esque masks), but one I happily embrace just the same. Let loose and explore your ‘dark side’ with this palette – safety word, optional.
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Available now at Yves Saint Laurent counters, find more information via:

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

Giorgio Armani Beauty | Lip Maestro Intense Velvet Color #404 Spice, #405 Sultan & #406 Orient

August 20, 2014

Launching next month (September 2014), are three new Lip Maestro shades from Giorgio Armani Beauty: #404 Spice, #405 Sultan and #406 Orient. Described as “luminous matte red lacquer”, these are intensely pigmented yet velvety soft lip products that apply like a gloss, but with a lipstick’s opaque factor. Inspired by classic Hollywood glamour, these new hues are at once passionate and fierce, made modern by their unique new texture. The couture revolution for lips, is here.

From the first application stroke, you can tell that this is a truly innovative product: highly colour saturated yet with an extremely lightweight feel, lips are completely enveloped in colour from the start. The sponge applicator is slightly angled to provide excellent contact with the lips, while the lightly tapered head easily gives you precise control without needing to use a matching liner. Slightly cool-feeling at first, each shade comes to a semi-matte finish, appearing neither too flat nor glossy, but with a plush velvety tone – both in look and feel. Non-sticky once the colour sets, the lasting power of each shade is almost superhuman – looking as fresh at the 10 hour mark, as they did when originally applied. Any fading that may occur is easily resolved by a quick press of the lips to refresh the colour. My biggest fear was that such intensely pigmented shades would surely feather, bleed and/or creep into my surrounding lip lines, but once again I was pleased to note that any movement in that area was minimal at best – truly surprising (but oh-so-welcome) for such vivid red hues.

For all swatches below, note that each shade has been applied straight from the tube without any touch-ups using either a lip liner or lip brush, in order to keep the colour and texture true.

Giorgio Armani Beauty | Lip Maestro Intense Velvet Color

Giorgio Armani Beauty | Lip Maestro Intense Velvet Color, ingredients listing

Giorgio Armani Beauty | Lip Maestro Intense Velvet Color #404 Spice, #405 Sultan & #406 Orient

Giorgio Armani Beauty | Lip Maestro Intense Velvet Color, logo detail

Giorgio Armani Beauty | Lip Maestro Intense Velvet Color #404 Spice, #405 Sultan & #406 Orient

Lip Maestro Intense Velvet Color #404 Spice (CAN $38.00) | An passionate crimson red hue with slightly cooler undertones in the base, although #404 Spice is so richly vibrant (without coming off as too primary) that it can be easily worn by those with warmer complexions.

Giorgio Armani Beauty | Lip Maestro Intense Velvet Color #404 Spice

Giorgio Armani Beauty | Lip Maestro Intense Velvet Color #404 Spice, brush side view

Giorgio Armani Beauty | Lip Maestro Intense Velvet Color #404 Spice

Lip Maestro Intense Velvet Color #405 Sultan (CAN $38.00) | A fierce brick red hue with slight brown hints in the base for added depth of tone and warmth. Less intense than #404 Spice but still maintaining the same impact, #405 Sultan is the perfect transition shade for Fall.

Giorgio Armani Beauty | Lip Maestro Intense Velvet Color #405 Sultan

Lip Maestro Intense Velvet Color #406 Orient (CAN $38.00) | A screen-siren vampy red with blackened plum hints in the base to up the “brooding factor” of this colour, without veering into Goth territory. Not for the faint of heart, #406 Orient may be exotically deep, but still maintains a level of sophistication – especially when paired with flawless skin (or as close to it as you can get) and a sexy cat-eye.

Giorgio Armani Beauty | Lip Maestro Intense Velvet Color #406 Orient

Red is the colour of life, love, passion and complex emotions – and Giorgio Armani Beauty has taken this hue to a whole new level with #404 Spice, #405 Sultan and #406 Orient. While each shade packs a major impact, they are not without their quiet strengths as well, and can even be made daytime wearable provided you leave the focus on the lips (and why wouldn’t you with colours like these?). If you’re still on the hunt for that perfect red and not sure whether to go with lipstick or lipgloss, then look no further than these Lip Maestro shades – your quest may just be over.

Available as of September 2014 in Canada through Holt Renfrew, Sephora, and select Hudson’s Bay store. Find more information via the website

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

Giorgio Armani Beauty | Black Ecstasy Mascara, Obsidian Black

August 19, 2014

Following the success of their Rouge Ecstasy lipsticks released last year (see my previous reviews here and here), Giorgio Armani Beauty introduces Black Ecstasy Mascara (CAN $36.00, launching this September 2014) – a product aimed at providing your lashes with intense sultry colour, but none of the heaviness associated with said smouldering look. With its über-chic case and red stylized logo, you wouldn’t be blamed for wanting to do the unthinkable: apply your mascara in public … but don’t. Mr. Armani wouldn’t approve, believe me.

Giorgio Armani Beauty | Black Ecstasy Mascara

Giorgio Armani Beauty | Fall/Winter 2014 Beauty Look Book featuring Black Ecstasy Mascara

Giorgio Armani Beauty | Black Ecstasy Mascara, Obsidian Black

Black Ecstasy Mascara, Obsidian Black (CAN $36.00) | Created with “black boosting polymer” – an agent that supposedly has the ability to intensify pigments while ensuring a better and more even application, this is an ultra-rich black mascara hue. Following the Armani design aesthetic, Black Ecstasy Mascara is housed in a black minimalistically chic outer case. The wand has been given a unique new red lacquer finish (which, with subsequent use, does become dirtied up with product although the red colour still remains relatively visible) while the large cylindrically shaped brush head is densely packed with bristles that provide enough flexibility to move with your lashes, yet remain rigid enough to properly coat and separate them as well. The four shades it comes in are:

Obsidian Black
Armani Navy
Wood
Tadzio

According to the company, this new multi-effect mascara is said to offer:

“A light-as-air, profoundly intense texture … gracefully thicker, denser and longer lashes … high definition lashes. An innovative formula with a precision glide that structures and opens up the eyes in a single stroke”

My experience with Armani Beauty mascaras has been both positive and negative; when the Eyes To Kill version was launched, I was totally impressed with the formula and become devoted to that one mascara. Then came Eyes to Kill Excess and that became my new #1 favourite. Things soured for me when Eyes to Kill Stretch Lengthening was released and for the first time ever, I had an adverse reaction to a mascara – which turned me off from the brand. Thankfully, any issues with that mascara were completely addressed and resolved, a good sign indeed and one that proves that Giorgio Armani Beauty cares.

The new Black Ecstasy Mascara is an ultra rich black shade and with the wand perfectly balanced (falling neither too short or awkwardly long) and the right amount of length and density to the bristles for a super easy application. After curling my lashes first (which I always do) and right from the very first applied coat, I saw a significant difference in how my lashes looked – well coated, denser and quite lush. I actually could have just stopped there, but I wanted to see what 2 coats looked like (my usual amount), and as the photos below show, a second layer adds an impressive amount of everything: thickness, intense black colour, and length (any clumping you see would have been ordinarily combed out, but I wanted to test it for wear as is). The formula is neither too wet or dry in application, and is extremely light and doesn’t feel like it weighs my lashes down at all. After about the 4th use, I would say that the formula tends to be more quicker-drying than others which stay dewy upon the lashes, but you still have enough time to work/wiggle the wand through before the product sets.

My criteria for mascara are that the product be easy to use, smudge-proof, clump-free, long lasting and one that won’t leave little specks under the eyes, and I’m happy to report that Black Ecstasy Mascara certainly delivers on all counts. Staying power is amazing, still looking freshly applied up until the moment of removal, which can probably easily surpass the 13 you mark, if you let it.

Giorgio Armani Beauty | Black Ecstasy Mascara, Obsidian Black

Giorgio Armani Beauty | before application of Black Ecstasy Mascara

Giorgio Armani Beauty | Black Ecstasy Mascara, Obsidian Black (1 coat)

Giorgio Armani Beauty | Black Ecstasy Mascara, Obsidian Black (2 coats)

I am currently obsessed with Black Ecstasy Mascara. I love how lush my lashes look, yet the formula is truly so lightweight that you almost forget you’re wearing anything at all. The fact that I never even need to look into a mirror to check for any stray bits, is a huge plus and a major selling point for me. {That being said, I do have one issue I’d like to point out: make sure you do not cry while wearing this mascara, because you may experience an uncomfortable burning sensation – as I recently did (and if this is unique to me, please feel free to let me know in the comments). At this price point, I expect perfection and this is a bit of a sore spot that I want to bring to light, in order that it be properly addressed and taken care of, because apart from that one unexpected sticking point (Mr. Armani, I sincerely hope you’re listening), this is truly mascara perfection.}

EDIT: Since I originally wrote this post, I have continued to wear – and test – this mascara, and I’m so happy to report that even any burning I felt that one time, must have been due to something else, because a second crying session yielded no weird sensations. So thrilled, as this mascara is AMAZING.

Available as of September 2014 throughout Canada at Holt Renfrew, Sephora and select Hudson’s Bay stores. Find more information via the website