Guerlain Pink Clip (461) Maxi Shine Lipgloss Review, Photos, Swatches!

Guerlain Pink Clip (461) Maxi Shine Lipgloss

Guerlain Pink Clip (461) Maxi Shine Lipgloss ($30, 0.25 oz) is a iridescent warm, light pink. Another light pink? I know. It's just one of those things that is pure eye candy to me when I see it on the shelf at Sephora, and no matter how many I own, I'm always going to be craving more. So when I spotted this on the Guerlain display and swatched the buttery gloss on the back of my hand; among the 20 other product swatches that occupy my hand every trip to a makeup counter or store, I quickly shuffled through the fresh boxes behind the samples and chucked one in my basket. As simple as that.

I can say that every brand is my favorite, but Guerlain has a special place in my heart and if money grew on trees, I'd have a lot more Guerlain in my makeup stash (among all of the other high-end brands of course). 

You can feel the luxury of the product upon application - it feels so silky and creamy on the lips, and it keeps my lips moisturized and feeling plump. Stickiness? Pfft.. Not even. And the sponge applicator is really nice too. It's pretty large, flat and slanted, so it eliminates the need for continuously re-dipping the applicator for more product. Just one dip, and you're good. 

Now if it's worth the $30 price tag, that's completely up to you. All I know is that I'm loving this gloss, and it has righteously earned a spot in my favorites. 

Swatch of Guerlain Pink Clip (461) Maxi Shine Lipgloss

Guerlain Pink Clip (461) Maxi Lipgloss on my lips

Guerlain Sun Blondes Terracotta Sheer Bronzing Powder Review, Photos, Swatches!

Guerlain Sun Blondes Terracotta Sheer Bronzing Powder

Guerlain Sun Blondes Terracotta Sheer Bronzing Powder ($52) is a lightweight 5-shade mosaic bronzing powder consisting of beautiful bronzed pinks and tans. When all of the shades are swept together, a warm, glowing tan is created.

God only knows I probably don't need any new bronzers, but when I saw this bronzer in Sephora I couldn't resist swatching it (among all of the other product swatches smeared all over my hand) and tossing a box in my basket. Guerlain is easily one of my favorite luxury cosmetic brands, and for ages it's been said that Guerlain makes some of the best bronzers.

I use Guerlain Terracotta Bronzer #3 regularly and I really enjoy it. On a daily basis I really enjoy using MAC Mineralize Skinfinish Natural Powders probably more than anything because it's a really soft powder that blends really well and is great for contouring since there is no shimmer.

Sun Blondes is slightly different than both because it's not your standard brown bronzer. When applied, it has a slight rosy sheen to it. When I apply a few layers of this product, I don't feel that I necessarily need any blush as this seems to add a nice flush of color to my face. For my medium skintone, it's very light, but it can be built up with multiple layers or by using a denser blush brush. I typically apply it with a fluffy powder brush around the outline of my face and then use blush brush to apply it to my cheeks. On the cheeks it's a luminous bronzed rosy-apricot.

It may look shimmery in the compact, but it applies with a gentle luminosity and healthy glow. No obnoxious shimmer.

Swatches from left to right: Guerlain Terracotta Bronzer #3, NARS Laguna Bronzer, Guerlain Terracotta Sheer Bronzing Powder #04 Sun Blondes (swatted heavily) and applied lightly. You can see from the comparisons that Sun Blondes has a very warm, rosy tone compared to the others.

Guerlain Terracotta Bronzing Powder #03 Review, Photos, Swatches!

Guerlain Terracotta Bronzing Powder #03

Guerlain Terracotta Bronzing Powder ($51) is a best-selling luxury bronzer that promises to "enhance" the complexion and provide a natural, radiant and luminous tan with a texture that won't look streaky or overdone on the skin. It contains moisturizing ingredients that won't dry out the skin or look powdery.

There are (8) shades in total: Numbers 00, 02 and 04 are geared for rosy complexions and 01, 03, 05, 07 and 08 are for golden complexions.

I purchased shade 03, as I really liked the golden-yellow bronze (slightly orange) tone. It works really well on my warm, medium (MAC NC35) skin tone. Bronzers that are too neutral or red-toned have the tendency to make my skin look ashy or bruised, so I lean towards very warm toned bronzers. I find that this one works really well without being too light or too dark.

Guerlain Bronzing Powders are finely milled and are super soft upon application. What I love about soft powders such as this one is that they're almost fool-proof because the powder blends so well on the skin and if I've made the mistake of coating my brush in too much product, it won't leave a big blotch on my cheek. It blends out with no problems.

Some bronzers have a tendency to sit on top of the skin, but this bronzer seems to melt into my skin with no obvious edges and a lovely satiny finish. It's a fabulous bronzer for adding all over warmth to the face and neck.

This photo was taken at the same time as my MAC Angel Lipstick Review - I used the Guerlain Terracotta #03 all over my face - on my cheeks, nose and the outer edges of my face. You can see that there are no obvious edges and my face is very naturally bronzed.

Comparisons from left to right: Guerlain Terracotta #03, MAC Give Me Sun MSF, NARS Casino Bronzer, NARS Laguna Bronzer and MAC Refined Golden Bronzer.

Guerlain Perles D'Azur Meteorites by Emilio Pucci Review, Photos and Swatches!

Guerlain Perles D'Azur Meteorites by Emilio Pucci

Guerlain Perles D'Azur Meteorites ($59) is a illuminating powder that gives the skin a natural, radiant appearance. There are six different colored pearls that come together to create a harmonious veil of light to the skin. The blue and pink pearls counteract yellow toned in tired complexions, beige and orange bring warm to the complexion, and ivory and white reflect light without a white cast. These particular Meteorites were limited edition from the Guerlain Summer Collection.

I find Meteorites something really hard to explain, but something you almost have to experience yourself.

I don't really like setting powders because I feel that many times by adding powder on top of liquid foundation, the powder can have the tendency to mattify the skin too much making the skin appear unnatural. But this powder absorbs the shine from the foundation without erasing the natural glow of the skin. In addition it will balance redness/discolorations in the skin and add a bit of luminosity to the skin.

I don't like much shimmer other than an occasional shimmery blush or highlighter, but I do wear Meteorites on a daily basis and I don't find it to be noticeable. Sometimes I apply a good amount on my face, and sometimes I'll apply a light dusting, but I'll tend to skip any extra shimmer if I'm applying a good coat.

With many shimmery products after several hours and the skin becomes oily, shimmery products tend to be more obvious, but I don't find it to be the case with Meteorites. Shimmery products also tend to make the pores appear enlarged, but with Meteorites, my pores actually appear softened.

My November Favorites!

November Beauty Favorites

I know I rarely ever do monthly favorites, but I had to do a favorites list this month since there are several products I've been loving lately and have been getting most of my attention! The list can pretty much go on forever, but I'll try to keep it short!

Laura Mercier Silk Creme Foundation - I've had a few samples of this and loved it, but have only finally purchased a tube this month. It's probably one of my favorite cream foundation as it's full coverage, yet it looks like skin. It's comfortable to wear and the color Bamboo Beige is perfect for me when I am in the MAC NC30 color range. My only gripe is that it's not budge-proof and starts to get a little shiny and fade around my mouth around 5-6 hours in wearing it. Despite that, I really do love this foundation.

MAC Bombshell Lipstick - This has been the only lipstick I've been wearing all month. It's such a pretty rosy pink with a hint of frost. It can look a little bright sometimes, so when I want something more subdued, I like mixing it with a lighter shade, such as MAC Creme D' Nude.

Revlon Bordeaux Lipgloss - Bordeaux has been my favorite pick for an easy berry lip this Fall. I love how pigmented and moisturizing it is, and that I don't have to bother with a lip liner. Definitely recommend if you're looking for a very wearable berry.

MAC Bamboo Eyeshadow - Bamboo is a fairly popular shade by MAC, but it's never one that I thought I needed. Well, I was wrong and this light beige-peach with a matte finish has found it's way into my MAC Everyday Palette, and has been a color I tend to reach for just about every day. Fabulous for warm skin tones, it's a great blending color and pairs well with copper, golds and browns. It leans slightly orange, so I wouldn't necessarily recommend it for cool skin.

MAC Mulch Eyeshadow - Mulch is another great shade by MAC that I surprisingly didn't own. Although it's pretty much a standard dark bronzy-brown with reddish undertones, it compliments my skin really well and I find myself using often.

Small, but Awesome Swap Haul! MAC, Nars and Guerlain!

I was so excited to get these goodies in the mail today from a recent swap. So, I thought I'd do a quick post and show you what I got! There will be reviews & swatches to follow in the upcoming weeks.

 

Guerlain Meteorites in Mythic

Guerlain Meteorites in Beige Chic

MAC Deep Dark Mineralize Skinfinish

NARS Exhibit A Blush

NARS Mounia Blush

READ MORE FOR ADDITIONAL PHOTOS & DESCRIPTIONS!

FOTD Wearing Guerlain Parure Extreme Foundation #3!

I thought I'd do a quick update how my Guerlain Parure Extreme Foundation is working for me. (I apologize for all of my foundation posts and if you can't keep up with them all!) So you might remember, I purchased Guerlain Parure Extreme #4 back in December, and although I loved the foundation, it was a terrible color choice for me. To make it work, I would use a foundation in the lightest shade (Neutrogena Healthy Skin in Classic Ivory) to lighten it up and then I would a drop of Coastal Scents yellow corrector to give it a more yellow/golden tone. That was working great for me, but I really wanted to find my correct color match, so I wouldn't have to go through the hassle of mixing foundations all of the time.

Earlier this month, I decided to place an order for Guerlain Parure Extreme in the shade #3. I had no idea until that point what Guerlain's numbering meant for the foundation, until Lisasz09 on youtube let me know that even numbers are actually pink toned, and odd numbers are yellow toned. So, I was please to know that it isn't the whole line that is pink toned. I'm happy to say that #3 matches me beautifully, and is a good NC30-35 match. It doesn't have a strong yellow tone, per say, but it matches me very good.

Swatched Top: Guerlain Parure Foundation #3, Bottom: Guerlain Parure Extreme #4

I've been wearing this foundation almost every day, with the exception of the days where I've tested out Chanel Vitalumiere, Laura Mercier Silk Creme & a couple days of Neutrogena Healthy Skin. I love that it looks so natural & with setting powder, lasts all day. It has climbed up my list of favorite foundations, and made it to my top 5.

I didn't set my foundation with powder, because I wanted to show the santiny finish. It was a bit cloudy today, so my skin looks a little beige? I assure you though, the color match is excellent, and this is just not the best lighting. I'll be wearing this in FOTD's to come. My FOTD today is nothing spectacular, because I was about to go grocery shopping for a BBQ and didn't want to go too heavy on my eyes in the day time.

Face:

Hard Candy Glamoflauge Concealer in Medium under my eyes, around the corners of my nose and under my brows

Maybelline Fit Me Concealer in #20 under my eyes over the Hard Candy Concealer for a better color match

Guerlain Parure Extreme Foundation #3 applied a sheer layer with my fingers, and built a thin second layer with my MAC 131 duo fibre brush

Guerlain Brunettes 02 Terracotta Bronzing Powder applied to the hollows of my cheeks & extended up my cheekbones

MAC Optimistic Orange Cremeblend Blush applied to my cheekbones

Hard Candy Honeymoon Blush applied over Optimistic Orange for a soft, shimmery peach sheen

Brows:

MAKE UP FOREVER Eyebrow Corrector in #3

MAC Girl Boy Brow Set

Eyes: 

Dior Crush Glow 5-Colour Iridescent Eyeshadow (golden shade all over my lid, brown in the outer V)

Bobbi Brown Long Wearing Gel Ink in Black Ink (lined my top and bottom lash line)

Covergirl Lash Blast Mascara in Very Black

Revlon Fantasy Lengths Professional Self Adhesive Eyelashes #99500

Lips:

MAC Pale Lip Erase applied as a light base to my lips

MAC Subculture Lip Liner

YSL #26 Tender Peach Rouge Volupte Lipstick (this shade looks much different.. lighter and more pink - with lip erase as a base.. I love it! But we all know RV lipsticks have the worst staying power and it was practically gone in these photos despite I had just applied it.)

Guerlain Terracotta Brunette 02 Light Sheer Bronzing Powder Review!

Guerlain Terracotta Brunette 02 Light Sheer Bronzing Powder

Product Description: Whether you're a fair blonde or a dark brunette, you'll love Guerlain's newest formulation of classic, sun-kissed powder. Ideal for all skin types, this ingenious mosaic of five shades of compact powder includes a complexion highlighter to create a natural-looking glow.

Brunette 02 is a bronzing powder with a mosaic of five warm shades. There are three matte colors, a medium milk chocolate brown, a deep brown & a bronzed brown (terracotta). The other two colors are highlighting shades that contain frost/shimmer. One is a frosted peach and the other has a bronze base with golden shimmer. When all of the shades are smoothed together, the result is a warm bronze terracotta with a slight sheen. The shimmer is very natural and isn't very prominent when on the cheeks. 

Below, is the bronzer swatched on my hand. I applied it lightly on the left & a little heavier on the right. Applied lightly, it is a light golden bronze - perfect to add a little warmth to the face. Applied heavily, the bronzer gives much more of a bronze terracotta tone.

Left: Brunette 02 Bronzing Powder applied lightly, Right: Applied heavily. (Lighting: Indoors, sunlight)

(Lighting: Indoors, flash)

I received this bronzer in a swap earlier in the week and I've been using it for the past couple of days and I really like it! I'll be updating this post as I wear it to let you know what my thoughts are.

Have you tried any Guerlain bronzers? How did/do you like them?

Guerlain Parure Extreme Foundation Review!

Guerlain Parure Extreme Foundation

Guerlain Parure Extreme Foundation ($58) is a luminous, extreme-wear foundation with SPF 25 that is water resistant, non-transferable and long lasting.

"Guerlain Parure Extreme Luminous Extreme Wear Foundation leaves the complexion glowing with a naturally matte finish. This Tibetan Rhodiola plant formulation helps cells withstand temperature variations, intense heat, and stress—making this product last for at least eight hours."

Guerlain Parure Extreme is available in nine (9) shades: 02, 03, 04, 05, 06, 13, 23, 24 and 25.

I debated whether to purchase #3 or #4, and I ended up purchasing #4 Beige Moyen. It turns out that the shade is a bit dark and pink for me, but if I mixed it with a lighter, golden foundation it works fine - or if applied very sparingly. I did end up purchasing shade #3 and it works much better. *Guerlain numbers their foundations with the even numbered shades being pink toned, and the odd numbered shades are yellow-toned. 

It's pretty unfortunate there are only nine shades, so there's only a limited range of skin tones that can wear this foundation.

The consistency of this foundation is very light and creamy. It's not heavy at all - in fact, it's somewhat runny. If you apply a pump on the back of your hand, it will start to run, but it's not thin/watery.

You must give this foundation a good shake before applying it for the best results. My favorite way of applying this foundation is actually with my fingers. I start off by moisturizing my face, and dot the foundation on each area of my face and blend together with my finger tips in circular motions (as if I was applying a moisturizer). After it's all blended, I like going over my face with a flat-top foundation brush to further buff it it in. Less is more. I have found that when I've applied too much, I look very unnatural - it seems to oxidize slightly, and when I apply too much, it looks like I'm wearing a mask. Start out with 1/2 a pump, and when you're done blending it in, add more if necessary. The result is completely flawless. It dries to a satin-matte finish. For my balanced skin, a powder isn't necessary, and I prefer not wearing a powder because the finish is beautiful.

Guerlain Or Imperial Sublime Radiant Powder

Guerlain Or Imperial Sublime Radiant Powder (Face & Body)

Guerlain Or Imperial Sublime Radiant Face & Body Powder is a new iridescent gold copper shade for 2010 and gives subtle reflections on the skin. 

PRODUCT DESCRIPTION:
Guerlain Or Imperial Sublime Radiant Face & Body Powder is silky and ultra-light in texture. Or Imperial is a sparkling powder that subtly illuminates shoulders, arms, back, decollete and hair with a soft violet fragrance.

Guerlain Or Imperial Sublime Radiant Face & Body Powder is housed in an exclusive reinterpreatation of the mythical 'Eau de Cologne Imperiale' (Bee Bottle) with a spray pump dispenser. The bottle is beautiful and elegant, and an overall pretty piece to keep on my vanity.

Like mentioned, the powder is incredibly fine and silky smooth. From the way it moves around in the bottle, it looks like a silica powder.

It applies incredibly sheer, so there's no fear of looking like you just sprayed glitter all over your self. It's so subtle, that it can be worn every day on the decollete without looking over-the-top. So it doesn't fall off your skin, I'd recommend moisturizing your skin with a fragrant lotion/cream and spraying this directly over it.

If you love Guerlain's signature violet scent, you'll love this. You can't smell it much on the skin, but I love picking up the bottle to smell it.

(Guerlain Or Imperial Sublime Radiant Powder applied lightly on my hand)

If you're looking for something very shimmery, this definitely isn't it. I'm happy with the subtleness of it because in my opinion, subtle shimmer is much harder to come across.

Very expensive, but I'm very happy to own it!