An early Christmas whiff by the Body Shop!

Is there anyone who wouldn't love a bit of festive spirit ahead of December?
Personally, I'm all for it; if only we could celebrate Christmas for 3 months straight!

Like every year, the Body Shop launched their Christmas collection early in November. It's not only that the bodycare products have captured the holiday spirit spot-on, the new makeup range displays a definite improvement as well. You must step into a store to see, smell and touch all the uplifting Christmasy goodness!

Warning:
This is a picture-heavy post. All full of indulgent bodycare, makeup and nifty little treats.
Don't blame me if you grow any new lemmings after reading it!

 

The kind people at the Body Shop organised a fun bloggers' event where we were introduced to the new seasonal ranges, along with a glass of cranberry coctail and some yummy gingerbread bisquits. Goes without saying, I went nuts over the new makeup and body products- but the thing I enjoyed the most was the fun and optimistic atmosphere in the store, which is something that is missing a lot these days. Down with misery, I say!

So, what's to expect this time of year at the Body Shop?

Dior Amber Diamond shimmering powder, a review

I know, I know, this baby has already been reviewed to death-
but in case you're not bored yet, here's my version ;)

As many others before me, I succumbed to the hype of the Dior Amber Diamond powder. Does it live up to the claims everyone talks about? I certainly think so! It took me a while to get used to it though, since it stands apart from most powder highlighters on the market.

Look at it, my precious!!!

Amber Diamond is listed under "powders" in the Dior website, along with its sister Rose Diamond. It holds 10 gr of product in a sleek compact with a handy mirror, and has its own little velvet pouch (as all respectable high-end makeup products do!). All 5 shades could work as a sheer wash on the lids- if you like shimmery gold eyeshadow, that is.

[I've actually managed to drop it to the floor twice, thank goodness it has only cracked where the colours meet!]

As you can see, you get five complimentary golden-to-amber shades that you can even use individually to perfectly match your blush/lipstick combo you're wearing.

Now, here's the tricky part: you know how most powder highlighters provide only shine? Well, Amber Diamond has a certain colour to it. And the finest shimmer you could possibly find in a highlighting product. Combine those two facts together and you'll soon be
over-applying it in order to see some shine, while your cheeks get darker! For me, the best way to wear Amber Diamond is right after contouring, and definitely before blush application. Which is optional, anyway.

I tried to do a comparison swatch with a couple of other brozing/highlighting products in my makeup bag, but I think we can safely call it a fail: see any similarities?
Neither can I!

    Left to right: Dior Amber Diamond, TBS Bronzing Beads, TBS Bronze Shimmer Waves

Hopefully, you can see Amber Diamond's fine shimmer compared to the harshness of Shimmer Waves on the far right. That means it's ideal for skin with visible pores, oily skin, mature ladies, plus it looks pretty neat during daytime!

Personally, and contrary to what I've documented above, I wouldn't call the Dior Amber Diamond powder a "must buy": in retrospect, I'd much rather have spent my money to a high-end blush or bronzer than a highlighter! But if your collection lacks of a nice highlighting product and you have the money to spare, go for it. You'll love it.

Now tell me, are you tempted by all the raving reviews on Dior Amber Diamond?
Which is your favourite highlighter, ever?

Evi   xx

June '12 favourites.

I hope you're not sick of these monthly favourites posts yet;
as much as I'd love to prepare a "products I've used up" kind of thing, I don't seem to finish anything! Well, anything apart from deodorant, toothpaste and soaps- but that's not fun talking about in a beauty blog, now is it?

For the most part, June was a month of no-makeup days: once again, I felt the need to go as "natural" as possible and wear less makeup products. That, and the fact I didn't have the time or the energy to do more elaborate looks...

That's why this attitude is reflected to the products I used the most during past month:
it all came down to the ones that were quick and easy to apply, while looking effortless.

Kiehl's Lip Balm #1: my go-to lip balm during June; I had purchased it during my
Kiehl's skin consultation appointment, as the one I was using in the tube form is prone to melting under summer heat. You wouldn't believe how little I paid for this: €8 for 17gr of product, that's insane considering the Korres Jasmine lip butters are priced at around €6 for only 6gr! I've already documented my love affair with this lip balm, you can read the full review here

Elf Luscious Liquid Lipstick in Baby Lips: as you can see, it's on its last legs... This is pretty much a clear lip gloss that feels minty-tingly on the lips and is a pleasure to apply because of its foam applicator. I'm actually surprised this lipgloss by Elf made it to my favourites list with no Mac lipstick on the side! Read my full review on this product here

Garnier BB Cream, dark: this has saved me from looking somewhat ghostly whenever I mixed Strobe Cream with my foundation! A tiny blob of this baby and, tada- skintone went back to normal. I really love mixing the dark BB cream or the light version with my foundation, it makes me feel like a little makeup connoisseur that does things other than the norm... *

Max Factor Liquid Effect pencil: this is hands-down the best eye pencil I've tried so far. It's so creamy, so pigmented, sooo easy to smudge, and when it sets it acts as waterproof! This was part of the Max Factor makeup bag that Yiannis Marketakis personalised for each blogger over at Makeup Lab, and the one that impressed me the most. *
Note: Please let me know if you'd like me to make a post on the rest Max Factor makeup products I was given; I gotta admit, I always feel a bit "guilty" when I show off products that were given to me for free... But if any of you would be interested in these Max Factor goodies, leave me a comment and I'll make a separate post for you ;)

Radiant Blush Colour #102 Apple Brown: it seems odd I've been enjoying wearing this autumnal shade of blush during June- however, on days when the only products I had on my face were foundation and mascara, this blush colour made my cheeks look warmer, without looking fake like the rest of my bronzers do whenever I have no eye makeup on. Such a pleasant surprise by a product made in Greece, it definitely deserves its own post!

Mac Prep+Prime Highlighter, Radiant Rose: I tried layering it on the high points of my face over foundation, and I loved it! On retrospeck, the yellow version would suit me best- I blame all the Youtube gurus that went on and on about how "brightening" pink-toned concealers look under the eyes, and I got screwed... Nevertheless, it's a handy tool to give some dimension to the face without messing with contouring.

    Swatches of the Max Factor eye pencil, Radiant blush, Mac Prep+Prime Highlighter

That's pretty much everything I loved wearing during June! I know, they might not be as exciting as colourful eyeshadows or bright lipsticks- let's hope July will be all about coral lips and turquoise eyes ;)

Now, share your favourites with me: what have you been loving lately?
Do you have any experience with the Radiant makeup brand? Let me know!

* Products marked with a * were given to me for free. I'd rather mention it every single time I feature a free product- mind you, this is not a given these days... Sharing my honest and truthful thoughts on these products, I woudn't let it be any other way.

Evi   xx

Giorgio Armani Summer 2012 makeup collection +swatches!

Are you ready for some makeup eye candy?

During last month, I had a moment of courage: I pulled myself together, headed to high-end makeup counters, timidly took out my camera and started taking pics of makeup products and their swatches! In this case, it was the Giorgio Armani Summer 2012 makeup collection.

The things I do for this blog!
Thankfully, the GA sales assistant was ever so helpful and let me do all the swatching I needed- to be perfectly honest, the dropped-in "beauty blogger" identity helped as well! Anyway, I hope you'll find this post helpful, as I wouldn't want to think my embarrasment was in vain!

This summer's makeup collection by Giorgio Armani is inspired by the deep blue sea, where the warm hues of sunset like coral and orange disappear, and the only prevailing colours are cool-toned and aquatic. Now, turquoise/teal eyeshadow has been a massive summer makeup trend for the last couple of years; and I gotta admit, this is my favourite colour family for my eye makeup, as it makes brown eyes pop like no other combo!

Overall, I was wowed by the pigmentation of the new (and awesome!) Eyes to Kill eyeshadows. I've already promised to myself I'll be picking one up this summer! Hmmm, swatching this collection made me grow new lemmings- perhaps not a good idea after all...

And of course, the star product of this collection had me dreaming about it for a while! It's the LE eyeshadow palette I'm holding in the above pic: see the glowing mother-of-pearl detailing of the packaging? I'd die to get my hands on this stunner! It reminds me of those beautiful vintage Estee Lauder compacts you can now find on ebay, sigh... Only problem is, it's so damn expensive: I'm estimating it to be around €100- 'cause you know, mother-of-pearl ain't cheap...

Now, let's get on with the swatches:

This is what the LE mother-of-pearl eyeshadow palette looks like from the inside. No doubt, the colours seem gorgeous in the pan, but the swatches- dare I say a little less pigmented than one would expect? On the other hand, I'm guessing the well-off lady who would buy this palette would want nothing like a scary pigmented teal eyeshadow- but still...

Once again, these eyeshadows looks fairly sheer, though they come in a less expensive pricetag at around €50. I'm loving the colour combination in both palettes, plus it's always neat to have a 4 in 1 compact in your makeup bag, but, but... Dear Armani, I think something's missing on these!

Now, the Eyes to Kill eyeshadows, that's what I'm talking about! Look at that crazy pigmentation: bring-it-on, Giorgio!!! If you haven't yet tested these in store, please do! You'll be amazed by their texture, multi-dimensional colour and the amount of pigment that one single stripe carries. As for me, I've already made up my mind that I need one of these in my life.

Pretty, pigmented, non-sticky lipglosses of reliable GA quality. Nothing more to it. Admittedly, I'm biased against lipglosses: give me lipsticks any time!

I tried my best to take a good photo of this duo, but I failed! It does swatches sheer, though.

All in all, I think it's interesting that a summer makeup collection lacking of bronze tones can still look so appealing and promising! If you have brown eyes, embrace the turquoise trend and leave the copperish-bronze colours for blue-eyed girls.

I hope you took some valuable makeup inspiration from this post!
Which is your favourite product from this collection?

Evi   xx

Mac Strobe cream, a review

You asked for it, so here it is!

Without a doubt, Mac Strobe Cream has grown into a makeup favourite of mine. I can finally achieve that "dewy" skin that everyone speaks of, without having to change my normal foundation!

But this is definitely not the only virtue of Strobe Cream.
Let me explain:

First of all, Mac categorizes this product under skincare, since it offers some moisturising action while carrying lots of antioxidants. Now, its moisture is not adequate for Strobe Cream to be worn on its own with no other face cream underneath- however, it doesn't make the skin look drier than it is, which some highlighters do.

There are many ways to use Strobe Cream; I've tried wearing it under/over foundation, though my favourite way to use it is by mixing it with my foundation. The finish it gives to the skin is like an opalescent glow, nothing like a shiny/sweaty layer: it has a sheen rather than shimmer (let alone frost or glitter), and because its glowing particles are pink/purple based, Strobe Cream does wonders to dull complexions, making them look brighter and healthier.

Below I've taken photos of some swatches, so you can see how it translates on the skin:

You may fear that since Strobe Cream is fairly cool-toned, it won't be appropriate on warm-toned complexions. I don't think that's the case: once it's mixed with foundation, it ceases to look "pinky". I would also assume its fine glowing particles don't make the pores on the skin look larger, but as we're dealing with a moisturising highlighter, it probably isn't the best match for oily skin.

Other things to mention: it looks amazing when worn in photos, as it gives that needed dimension to the face without looking greasy or shiny. And a word of notice: mixing Strobe Cream with your foundation may slightly lighten its tone, so you may have to consider mixing in a tiny blob of a darker foundation to bring it back to normal.

I should finally stress out that if you want to give Strobe Cream a go, skip the full-size 50ml version: it's made of a hard plastic that makes it difficult for the product to come out of the nozzle! Instead, opt for the squeezable 30ml travel size, and save yourselves those extra €€€.

So, have you tried Strobe Cream?
Feel free to share your favourite liquid highlighters in the comments below!

Evi   xx

May '12 favourites.

Surprise, surprise! Hear this:

There will be no makeup products featured in this monthly favourites post- purely because I don't want to bore you with how much I enjoy using Bronze Universel, the Shimmer Cubes or my Mac lipsticks.

For a change, this post contains only bodycare products with a bit of skincare.
Enjoy!

The Vaseline Aloe Fresh body lotion was my favourite rediscovery during May: this has got be my most "bought over again" body lotion! I love everything about it: its fresh scent, the light-feeling hydration it offers, plus its price-to-quality ratio is unbeatable. I'll probably do a post on summer body lotions and show you some of my favourites ;)

I also tried the Bioten Cellufight Drainage gel* and lemme tell you this: it works! Sure, it won't help if you don't exfoliate the areas with cellulite, or you don't eat healthily/ drink enough water, but it does help that little extra. Everything counts at taming the cellulite beast! If you're interested in the Bioten Cellufight range, I've done a full review on this article at Beautytalk.gr.

If you're Greek, you'll recognise the last item in the above pic: that's right, one of past month's favourites was the cult Myrto Lemon cologne! I wasn't planning on featuring this product at all, until ladyd made a post about it so I thought "screw pretences, I like it and I'm gonna give it some blog love"! Now, don't get me wrong- as much as I love citrus colognes, I don't go out and about wearing this thing; I only put it on after shower and the scent quickly evaporates.

You might remember that I desperately wanted a nice city sunscreen; that's why I picked out this Clarins Day Screen. I must write a full review on this; it definitely made me feel safer to step out in the sunlight with this potion on my face! Mac Strobe cream was a permanent fixture in my makeup routine during May, I think it deserves its own post as well! Let me know which review would you like to see tomorrow- the Clarins sunscreen or the Strobe cream?

On another note...

...I decided to sell my Mac 130 brush.
As much as I tried to love it, I simply can't. It would be a shame to keep it in my collection and let it collect dust, when someone else might find it usable. So, before this baby finds its way to ebay, I'm presenting it here: if anyone is interested in buying this, please contact me at lipstickwardrobe@gmail.com ;)

So, which review should be up next? Clarins or Mac?
Are there any Myrto cologne fans out there?

* The Bioten Cellufight gel was provided by the company for free. I'm not affiliated with Bioten and I wasn't compensated for mentioning it on this blog. The only reason I'm showing it is because I like it! Sharing my honest opinions, as always. My loyalty is to my readers ;)

Evi   xx

A little Mac haul

It's been a long time since I last shopped at Mac and I kinda missed that feeling! So it was the perfect timing for me to drive my butt round to Attica and head to the Mac counter to stock on a couple of "necessities", as I like to call my Mac purchases. It doesn't strike you that bad as such!

FYI, this was a very calculated haul I've been planning to do months ago.
Impulse purchases at Mac? Dear Lord, nooo!!!

First stop, a Mac lipstick. You all know how much I love 'em! Having tried all lipstick finishes except those from the Lustre family, I had a close look on every Lustre and went for Patisserie! What a beautiful and classy MLBB shade; now I can see why Tanya Burr raves about this one for her bridal looks! Next, as I was out of my under-eye concealer, I thought of giving the the new Prep + Prime Highlighter a go. Surprisingly, both the yellow and apricot shades didn't seem to match my skintone, so I went for the pink version. I'll keep you posted on how I get along with it, goes without saying!

However, what excited me the most were these cute foundation samples- aww!!! I'm a sucker for anything that comes in mini packaging, so naturally I was smitten by these two little things ;)

So, tell me:
have you shopped anything from Mac recently?

Evi   xx

March '12 favourites.

Lately, I've been trying to incorporate more bronzey tones in my makeup- must be the sunny weather that pushes me to warm up my face! So last month, I dug up a couple of some forgotten bronze makeup products and put them to the test.

This is everything that I loved using during March. Enjoy!

TBS Brush on Bronze: I've been using these beads a lot during past month; to me, they're way too orange to be classified as a bronzer- however, it looks so pretty when worn as a blush for that warm, coppery glow. FYI, this thing holds 28 gr, there's no way one will ever go through it! Is it a good or a bad thing, I wonder...
Elf palette with TBS bronze eyeshadows: This is the last custom palette featured on my blog, I promise! To be honest, bronze eyeshadows don't really flatter brown eyes (especially when combined with pale winter skin!), but I made them work with the following product:
Elf Duo Eyeshadow Cream in Black Licorice: if you have a brown eyeshadow that falls under "Team Woodwinked" -aka too orange when applied on the lids-, try layering it over a black or silver cream eyeshadow; that way, the orange hues subside and you're left with a more cool-toned shade. Obviously, you won't need this little tip if you have blue or green eyes- did I mention how lucky you are when shopping brown eyeshadows?
Mac Strobe cream: I recently attended a Mac seminar, where we were told that glowy/healthy skin is the #1 trend for this season- old news probably, but it was nice to be reminded of it. Anyway, I've been trying out Strobe cream mixed with my foundation and it works great! This "glow from within" is visible even after powdering. Brilliant!

Copy-cat perfume: this is a legit copy-cat, it smells pretty close to the original Cool Water cologne and it cost me less than a fiver! It's a nice alternative to your €€€ perfumes when you don't want to waste them on unimportant errands. I HIGHLY recommend you to check out the copy-cat cologne corner at Hondos Center, you'll be amazed by the available scents they sell!
Apivita hand cream with olive & cocoa butter: smells nice and does help to heal dry hands- though as soon as I use it up, I'm going for the new Korres hand cream with Almond oil! I'm trying my best to use greek products whenever I can ;)

Now, do share:
What have you been loving during March?

Evi   xx

Elf review: Studio Blush

Another quick review on an Elf product, before I put it into my "gone and forgotten" makeup bag. Obviously, it's not one of my favourites!

Just to clear things out, I'm not ditching all the Elf Studio Blush shades:
I'm only referring to the Golden Glow highlighter, the alleged Nars Albatross dupe.

     Pros:
* the price/quantity of product ratio
* no complaints about the packaging
* looks great- on your legs. When seen at a distance...

     Cons:
* the colour is too chalky! See the unblended swatch below: it seems like there's too much
   white base in the formula than golden shimmer...
* it may be a golden highlighter, which would be a brilliant choice for medium to dark
   skintones, but somehow when worn on the skin, it manages to maintain an icy white
   base underneath all that shimmer... It ain't pretty, for sure!
* the shimmer particles are bigger than those of a good-quality undetectable highlighter,
   thus accentuating flaws on the skin
* it feels and looks powdery

    swatch of Gotta Glow highlighter, unblended

    swatch, blended

Now that I think of it, I may be biased against all powder highlighters; ever since I tried out the Dior Amber Diamond powder, all the rest seem to fall short of expectations... I still use the other highlighters in my little collection, despite knowing they won't look as gorgeous as the Dior one- but I would never, ever use the Elf Gotta Glow highlighter again on my face. No siree!!!

If you really want to try a highlighting product by Elf, I would recommend you the Shimmering Facial Whip: it may have flaws in its composition as well, though compared to this Gotta Glow highlighting powder, the €1,70 facial whip sits so much nicely on the skin!

I feel so bad for being MIA during last week, I've been terribly busy and I missed you all!
So come along, leave me a comment and say hi!

Evi   xx

My very first FOTD!!!

The reason behind this impromptu post:

As I went through the photos I took last month, I noticed a sequence of my mug/ evidence of how my makeup looked when photographed- because yes, I always take pictures of my makeup in the rarities I've spent close to an hour to do my full face.
What, you don't? You totally should, gurl! *strickly points a finger*

Anyways, as I was admiring my makeup of that day, it occured to me that in these photos I look quite... human! See, my camera is a b**ch and always pictures me like an alien with big nostrils, spotty skin and a sardonic smile. How cute...

But enough with the ramble: here's my first FOTD:

* I'm resisting the stronge urge to point out my flaws here...
** I tried to smile, make faces- apparently this b**chy pose suits me best?
*** Backround is from my boyfriend's flat. He chose the wallpaper himself!

Notable mentions of this look:

All four shades of TBS Shimmer Cubes #20 on my eyes. It was way more dramatic in real life, though you can still see the fine texture of its shimmer. Nothing but TBS pink Shimmer Waves on my cheeks- notice the gorgeous shine in the first pic? On my lips: Mac Creme d'Nude lipstick topped with Elf Mineral lipgloss in Au Naturale.

That's it, girls!
Uploading this kind of post was something new to me,
I hope you liked it ;)

Evi   xx

December 2011 favourites!

December was a month of rediscovering some long forgotten makeup products that I'd left unused for quite some time- or rather "shopping my stash", to quote Lollipop26 ;)

Guilts (of owning too much makeup) aside, I very much enjoyed this whole process of going through my collection, swatching this and that, and picking up a few products to add them to my everyday makeup basket! It almost felt as if I was in a cosmetics store shopping for new makeup acquisitions... But I digress.

Having a pink kick lately, no doubt!
This is the 4th customised Elf palette that I've filled with eyeshadows from the Body Shop- can't stress enough how much I love these! Wearing pink eyeshadow still feels a bit uncomfortable (wouldn't want to look like "girly girl" any time soon) but I'm getting there! Another rediscovery during past month was the pink Shimmer Waves compact by TBS; I've been loving to wear it as a highlighter or on its own, its shimmer is so fine and non obtrusive. Yet another underestimated product by the Body Shop!

I also got one step closer to the perfect lip combo for smokey eyes:
Mac Creme d' Nude lipstick topped with Au Naturale mineral lipgloss by Elf. To me, Creme d' Nude screams to be worn with lipgloss on top; this lipglass clone by Elf warms it up and gives it some dimension. Now I need a coordinating lip liner for some definition, recommendations are welcome ;)

Skincare wise, I've been wearing the Garnier BB cream* almost daily- given that it provides very low coverage and my skin is far from being flawless, I'm surprised that I've been opting for this one instead of my usual liquid foundation. Hmm, that's clearly an indicator to get a new one! The Aloe night cream by TBS healed my skin from some dry patches- finally, thank God! Now I'm thinking of purchasing the Aloe moisturiser with SPF to wear during the day.

I'll end this post with my boyfriend's gift for Christmas- a white gold necklace that can be worn in two ways. I like it, I'll wear it, I'm so grateful for Kostis who's spoiling me like this, but... I wish it was something I had chosen myself. Is it lame to ask him for a specific jewelry piece on my birthday in March? Answer me with a "no", please!

*Edit: forgot to mention the Garnier BB cream was sent to me for free. Oops!

So, what have you been loving during December?
It could be anything, be random!

Evi   xx

November 2011 favourites!

My my, how time flies by!
I can't believe it's December already; it doesn't feel like it, I'll tell you that... I mean, it hasn't rained for weeks and it's not that chilly yet; so when are we gonna get snow? There's no Christmas without snow, dammit!

Ok, rant over...
On to my November favourites:

Seventeen Waterproof lipliner, shade Pure Red: until I got my hands on Russian Red, I settled on this one. By the way, I find the greek "drugstore" lip pencils to be of excellent quality, give them a try if you're in need for one!

(p.s.: oh yes, Russian Red is crossed out of my X-mas list! hehe)

Elf Studio Matte lip colour, shade Natural: a pretty matte nude

"office-appropriate" lipstick that I used a lot in my morning makeup routine. Doesn't feel dry at all, and to be honest it makes my lips look fuller than good old lipgloss ;)

TBS Baked eye colour, shade Sapphire: my go-to choice for a navy smokey eye during past month. The thing is, I came to the wrong conclusion that baked eyeshadows photograph so much nicely than the regular pressed eyeshadows- but, after seeing the latest Pixiwoo vid, I realised it wasn't the baked formula that was to blame but the light coordinating shade blended in the crease. I urge you to try this method instead of blending the dark lid colour with your usual light brown shade, you'll be amazed by how much nicer it looks in photographs!

    Swatches from left to right: Seventeen lip liner, Elf Matte lip colour,
    Elf Celebrity eyeshadow, TBS Sapphire baked eyeshadow duo

Elf Mineral eyeshadow, shade Celebrity: when I first opened this little pot, instantly a contemporary makeup icon came to mind: JLo. This is THE most perfect shade to achieve that JLo look- both in terms of colour (golden light brown) and shimmer (sparkly but not glittery, almost metallic). Like all loose pigments, it creases after a good 5hour wear-
but who cares? Seriously, everyone should own Celebrity!

Dior Amber Diamond shimmer powder: my precious... My collection of highlighters is complete with this baby. Although after using it a lot the last couple of weeks, I noticed it looks "too much" for daytime wear- but it has that depth that enables me to pair it with a nice bronzer and just skip blush altogether.

I also popped into H&M and among other things, I bought these cute lipbalm tins with Disney's Bambi on the front- love the packaging and their scent, hate to admit that they dry out my lips so bad! Thank goodness for Apivita balms, they always come to my rescue...

So, what have you been loving during November?

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Yves Saint Laurent Noël 2011 makeup collection

Last week in Attica Department Store, an interesting event took place: Fred Letailleur, European makeup artist for YSL, presented the new Yves Saint Laurent makeup collection for this Christmas, notably named

"Look Noël".

And I must say, I was charmed.

First and foremost, the makeup collection itself is indeed so inspiring; it captures the essense of the iconic YSL black tuxedo and all the fine fabrics that create different shades of black. Me, being a total-black-outfit fanatic, I fell for it right away.

The most exciting product of this makeup collection is the LE Black Tuxedo eyeshadow palette that contains 4 variations of black and a shimmering white in the middle. Wrapped around this palette is a black YSL "belt" that you can actually wear as a wrist cuff ;)

Other LE products in this collection: the White Tuxedo palette (complexion illuminator with silver, pink and violet hues) and the Black Manicure duo (one matte and one glossy).

The Noël makeup collection is completed with a few products from the YSL permanent makeup range, as shown below:

Personally, if I was to grab just one product from this collection, it would have to be the Black Tuxedo eyeshadow palette (slightly biased cause of the black wrist cuff, can you blame me?); the White Tuxedo didn't catch my fancy- I'd rather have a golden highlighter than a cool-toned powder. And I think I can dupe the black manicure shown on the promo pics with cheaper nail polishes, hehe

As for the rest non-LE products, my eyes were drawn to the new Rouge Pur Couture lipsticks- if you're a lipstick lover like me, let me tell you that you won't find such bold and yet sophisticated shades at Mac, and that's a fact; see, I could easily imagine a mature lady wearing the YSL #39 purple lipstick, but in no way could she go out of the house wearing Mac's Violetta...
I decided to wait for everyone else in the blogosphere to have their go on the Rouge Pur Coutures, so then I can do my homework with their swatches and pick out my favourite ;)



Fred Letailleur was so lovely!!! I wasn't expecting a world renowned makeup artist to be so down to earth and kind with all the inquiring people surrounding him and just... cute! Only thing I wanted was to pinch his cheeks! Aww...



He did 2 makeup looks on gorgeous models Adela and Katerina; I managed to take notes of his invaluable tips, so here they are:

* It's best to start with the most dramatic aspect on your makeup- be it a dark smokey eye or a vampy lip, so that you can adjust the rest of the makeup accordingly without overdoing it
* To make a smokey eye look more modern, it's best to bring the focus to the eyeshadow shape dragging it towards the temples, than to apply lots and lots of black eyeliner around the eye
* For an understated cheek, all you have to do is to use a darker shade of Touche Eclat to contour under the cheekbones, and apply a shimmering powder high on the cheeks in a "C" shape
* And as for lips, plum is the new red for this season (so true!)

All in all, it was an enjoyable event and I did get closer to the brand- although I have to say I feel like I've betrayed myself for enjoying a LE makeup collection... No, my feelings haven't shifted 180 degrees- I'm still not loving the fact that you can't repurchase a LE product, but I came to realise that such makeup collections are there not only to sell-sell-sell, but to inspire as well.

It's the same as with high fashion shows- you may not always be able to afford all the outfits worn at the catwalk, but they sure serve as a style inspiration. Non?

So, what are your thoughts on this YSL makeup collection?

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