Duty Free Beauty – Dior Cannage Couture Collection

When I saw the products in Dior‘s Holiday 2011 collection, I was aghast. Dior, which is such a glamorous brand, actually released hideous palettes covered in grandmotherly TWEED. When I think Holiday makeup, I instantly (and like many of you) think of red, shiny, shimmering, glamorous, or at least unique (Guerlain’s Vol de Nuit collection for this holiday season is the perfect incarnation of a unique take on holiday looks with its ethereal blues). So I was a little bit comforted to see Dior’s Duty-Free exclusive palette, the Cannage Couture Collection.

Unfortunately I won’t be able to swatch this for you, as it is a gift for someone, but since there is little information on the web about this lovely palette, here are the details:

The box the palette comes in is fairly substantial – I took a photo here next to my ukulele, and the box (which considering the lack of sound when shaken appears to be about the size of the palette itself) is nearly the size of the body of the ukulele, so about 7 inches long.

The palette itself is covered in a black patent cannage  embroidered material, echoing the Lady Dior bags, and closed with a zipper.

 

Inside you’ll find 6 eyeshadow, 4 lip colors, a Diorshow Extase mini-mascara, and two double-sided applicators.

There are more colors and options in this than the Dior Holiday 2011 Palette :

The eyeshadows come in 6 versatile shades, including a deep eggplant, a gold flecked khaki, a pale shimmering gold, a beautiful glistening wine, a pale petal pink, and sheer polar white. The shades are actually marked on the side of the box and part of their permanent collections . 739, 602,  562 from their iridescent 5 color palettes (these appear to be the shades on the left), as well as mono eyeshadow pans of  951 , 670,  105. I do find that Dior eyeshadows are wonderful quality and highly pigmented, though I don’t use many of them, and their larger palettes seem to present the same quality as their 5 shade eyeshadow palettes.

The four lip colors include two lipbalms, one in a bright sheer pink and the other in a pretty baby pink, and two pans of lip color in  674, a pinky brown full of sparkles and a dusty rose color that reminds me a bit of Nars‘ Dolce Vita.

There is also a pan of DiorSkin Nude powder, described as ‘natural glow sculpting powder makeup’ in color 020, Beige Praline – this is a bit frustrating because, as a pale skinned girl, this color is WAY off for me, and would be many darker skinned girls as well. Besides that, I don’t like Dior’s foundation or powder, but I suppose this is still a great idea to have in a travel palette. The powder includes a sponge for application.

The Diorshow Extase in black is, in my opinion, a great addition – mascara is the one product I use religiously from Dior, and the Extase formula is purported to plump and grow the lashes. If it doesn’t hold up to these claims exactly, it has the merit of looking absolutely fabulous, and so many travel palettes forget mascara, which is such an integral part of a made up face. This kit is described as an ‘All Over Makeup Palette’ with both Prêt-A-Porter and Couture Looks, and I’d have to agree with them (for once).

In all, I wouldn’t buy this palette for myself (not being a huge fan of Dior cosmetics in general), but I do think it outshines the Christmas palettes by far. The packaging  (with a panoramic mirror inside) is beautiful, the colors, with the exception of the powder, are versatile and present both dramatic and natural options. The person receiving this palette is a fan of Dior, and I know she’ll be thrilled to receive it. This retails for about 60 USD, which is a great deal when you consider that one of their eyeshadow quintets alone goes for about the same.  I personally haven’t been excited about anything that Dior has released in the past few years, so it’s nice to see them release something so versatile and appealing. If you’re travelling internationally for the holidays or know someone else who is, this is a good, affordable palette to pick up.

XX La Coquette

 

Givenchy Fall – Winter 2011

At Sephora yesterday, I finally had the chance to try some of the products from Givenchy‘s Fall-Winter 2011 collection. I sort of love their products in general because of the packaging (I love the logos on the top of the compacts), and also because I like the idea of having a link to Hubert de Givenchy himself, who was the favorite designer of Audrey Hepburn (and created many of her iconic looks).

But the new makeup collection ? Meh. I get it, Ricardo Tisci, you’re very edgy and sort of gothic, and yes, the makeup collections are a reflection of what you’re showing on the runway…. but seriously ? I find this whole thing really uninspired. There are ways to do vamp that are creative and haven’t been done over and over.

The collection is called ‘Je Veux La Lune’ or I want the moon, and the whole thing is centered on a lunar theme.

First are the glosses, which come in deep burgundy and an effervescent, moon sparkle lavender.

As you can see in my swatches, the burgundy shade looked more brown than wine and the lavender didn’t really give any color at all – just a bit of shine and sparkle. I thought both shades were really off, and wouldn’t buy either.

The stars of the collection are the two multi-purpose compacts, in two shades:

1. Lune Mysterieuse N. 1 has a light, shimmering pink highlighter with a black moon, and is purportedly for pale skin tones.

2. Lune Mysterieuse No. 2 is a bright gold, with a deep, midnight blue moon, and supposed to be used on darker skin tones.

These actually swatched really beautifully, but when I tried the highlight colors on my cheeks, they were just too opaque. I’d more than likely use both on my eyes, with a preference for Lune Mysterieuse No. 2, which I thought was a more beautiful color pairing.

With that being said.. the whole line leaves a little bit to be desired. No really innovative textures or colors (white / black, yellow/navy is pretty much what we would expect for a collection based on the moon, no?) and while I like the packaging on the multipurpose compacts, I would have loved to have seen one of their signature ‘prismes’, with its multitude of blocks of color, created for this collection.

Also…. Mr. Tisci, I get that you’re a post modern goth, but seriously – your mascara looks like a torture device. DO NOT WANT.

What do you think ? Have you bought anything from this collection ? Are you excited about it?

By Request – Step by Step Photos of a Natural, Daytime Smokey Eye

I received a request to do a step by step guide on how to do a look like the ‘Marinière’ that I posted last week. Since I don’t feel comfortable doing videos yet, here is a pictorial guide !

First, the basics, of course – wash your face, and moisturizer!

I started by applying Too Faced’s Shadow Insurance primer on my eyes, and waited about 3 minutes until it was dry.

Next, I swept a white, shimmering shadow from my lash line to the eyebrow, as a soft of ‘gesso’ style base for the rest of my  eye makeup. Use a large, fluffy eyeshadow brush – you don’t want the color to be too thick. I used the white from my Chanel Voyage palette, but any matte or shimmering white will do – I like the shimmery one to give depth to the rest of my eyeshadow.

applying my base, white shadow

Next, apply your lid color. I chose a shimmering muted grayish beige color from my Bobbi Brown shimmering neutrals palette. I used a lid brush, and wetted it first to intensify the color of the shadow.

lid color from Bobbi Brown

Next, contour your eye socket with a slightly deeper shade. I used the chocolate from the Chanel Voyage palette for this, and oddly enough, a concealer brush to apply this with a bit of precision.

My contour shade and the brush I used

Now, blend the two shades upwards and outwards, to give an imprecise, slightly smokey effect.

blending the lid color and contour shade

 

I applied a darker shadow as my crease color – I have small, almond-shaped eyes, and find this really gives them depth and a hint of a feline look. I used a flat sided eyeshadow brush, and a combination of MAC’s corduroy ( a true, dark brown) and a shimmering version in a similar shade from my Dior Quad.  Apply the shadow in a V shape on the outer 1/4th of the eye. Don’t worry about applying this very precisely, as you will come back in and blend it.

Brown Dior Crease Color + wetted flat tipped brush

an imprecise V !

Finally, I dabbed a bit of gold, shimmering eyeshadow on the inner corner, and in the middle of the lid, to bring light to the entire area, and then brushed a light, shimmery flesh tone on to the brow bone (just under my eyebrows) and blended out the entire eye.

blending and highlighting the brow bone

I curled my lashes (I use a Sonia Kashuk curler – great quality, cheap price)  - but this is an optional step. Make sure, if you are curling your lashes, to do this BEFORE eyeliner and mascara, as the curler will cause your liner to smudge and will break lashes that already have mascara. Also, do your liner and mascara immediately after curling lashes – mascara acts as a hairspray for your lashes, and they will lose their curl after a few moments without it.

I then applied a gel eyeliner (Maybelline Lasting Drama) with a thin brush, making sure to pull on the corner of my eye to get a precise application. Since my eyes are small, I only apply liner to the outer 3/4 of my eye, but you can line the entire eye if it suits your fancy! I started the line thin, and then made it progressively thicker toward the outer corner, lining slightly up and just outside of the natural end of my eye, giving an elongating effect to the area.

awkward eyeliner faces and pulled lids !

I then applied mascara (DiorShow 360) – I do this in short, quick coats, doing different parts of the lashes at different times. I sometimes tip the mascara wand vertically to get the lashes by the inner corners, and add an extra coat to the outer corners to give a feline effect and enhance the shape of my eyes. Always start at the root of the lashes and wiggle the wand up – if you’re not wearing liner, you can add extra coats of mascara to the roots of lashes to give a liner effect. Tip : I bend the head of my mascara wand, so the brush is perpendicular to the rest of the wand. This helps to distribute the mascara and give emphasis to the lashes on the outer corner of the eye.

Your eye should look something like this at this point

I then applied foundation – note I’ve applied several dots all over my face. I blended out with a MAC foundation brush, and then ran over the entire face with my fingers to ensure a smooth, seamless look. Make sure to blend the foundation into your hairline, around the sides of the face, and on to the neck, as nothing is more tacky as a demarcation line on your foundation! If you’re short on time and can’t wait for your foundation to absorb before applying powder, do this step after eyeshadow and before liner/mascara, giving you a few extra minutes.

I think I'll go out like this tomorrow...

Next are concealer and highlighter. The concealer is applied under my eyes and blended out towards the side of my face, around the sides of my nose, the corners of my mouth, and on any blemishes. Always apply your concealer after foundation, otherwise you risk putting on too much and getting that dreaded ‘reverse panda’ effect. I used a liquid highlighter on the tops of my cheekbones and temples, the inner corners of my eyes, bridge of the nose, in the cupid’s bow just above my top lip, and just under my bottom lip. The trick to highlighter is to apply it in places you want to emphasize and, well, highlight ! I find putting it above, and below, the mouth, brings light to the area and makes my mouth look younger, and fuller. I then blended everything with my fingers.

GREASY.. yum ! You could deep fry my face.

I applied a few dots of my 2True Blush Pink stain to the apples of the cheeks and blended out. Make sure to blend quickly – this stuff really stains !

Next is powder. I shook out a bit of Nars loose powder into the lid, and dipped in first with, oddly enough, my Bobbi Brown eyeshadow contouring brush. I like to apply in areas that tend to ‘eat’ the powder from my face with a slightly heavier hand, to ensure I won’t need to touch-up during the day, and this dense bristle brush does the trick. As you can see, I applied the powder in half moons underneath my eyes, but also on the sides of my nose, and my forehead (particularly just between and above the eyes).

 

I then buffed on the remainder of the powder in the lid with a Kabuki brush. You can, of course, use a nice fluffy powder brush, but mine isn’t great, and I like the natural effect I get with this Kabuki brush.

To finish the eyes, I can now apply shadow over the powder underneath my eyes, and chose this girly pink from my Pop Bare Texture palette, applied with a thin brush from the inner corners to the outer corners, and smudged slightly – you don’t want TOO precise of a line.

Eyebrows were defined using a flat ended eyeliner brush. I first brushed them in to place, and then applied MAC’s corduroy in quick, short strokes, blending upwards a bit, as I really like the look of a full brow. I find the powder looks more natural than eyebrow pencil, which can sometimes look very hard indeed. Make sure not to pick up too much powder, or you risk getting it all over your freshly made up face!

Lower lashes were defined using a more natural mascara (L’exceptionnel de Chanel). Note how I’m holding the mascara wand parallel to the lower lash line – this ensures a more natural application, as lashes that are too heavy on the bottom make eyes look smaller, and bear a striking resemblance to tarantula legs. I only applied the mascara to the outer half of the lower lash line, and a very light coat.

For the finishing touches, I first applied a brush with a wonderful Bobbi Brown blush brush. When you’re applying blush, application will depend on the look you want. For contouring and a defined cheekbone look, make a fish face and apply to the hollow part of your cheeks, blending upwards and outwards to the hairline. As I was going for a bright, natural look, you’ll see I’m smiling, applying the blush to the applies of the cheek and sweeping it slightly back towards my ears.

To set my makeup, I misted my face with a bit of mineral water. I find the water sets just as well as any makeup fixing sprays and makes my face look fresh and slightly glowing. I usually use  a rose water spray, but am just using regular mineral water today.

   

this picture is my awkward quota for the day

Can’t find my rosewater, so this will have to do

Finally, for the lips, I first applied a lip balm (I love rosebud salve) and then used color on top ( the coral color from the Chanel Voyage Palette). I use my fingers for this, which isn’t very hygienic (wash your hands  first!) but gives me the look I like.. natural and soft, slightly imprecise. I rubbed the lip balm in, then applied the color to the middle of my mouth, blending out to the sides with my finger.

 

Final step ? Take your look out to lunch, like I did.. and if you’re lucky, maybe even to the opera !

a lovely autumn day at the Opera Garnier

 

Sephora Adventures in Paris

Today I had the pleasure of having lunch (amazing Korean!) with a friend near Opéra. There was a Sephora in close proximity, and as my friend had to go back to work, I knew what my afternoon activity would be!

First of all, there was a protest by the French press workers in the area, which meant I had to wade my way through knee-high discarded newspapers:

Chaos

 

Once I finally reached the holy land (Sephora), I was hoping to find some of the Christmas palettes – and was sorely disappointed. For some reason, Sephora, which is a French company, seems to be more on the ball in their US stores. I swear, I’m making a sad face.

In any case, I played for about an hour (the Opéra location has the advantage of being filled with tourists, due to its proximity to Galleries Lafayette – stealth swatching assured).

I swooned over the Urban Decay 15th anniversary palette, which I have yet to buy for myself, for a few minutes before moving on to Cargo. who have debuted their Holiday 2011 collection.

Their cosmetics filled clutch caught my eye, mostly because I’m a sucker for anything vintage.

shiiiiny

 

The dusty rose-colored clutch is decked out with crystals on the closure, and is filled with a black triple action mascara, a sugary pink gloss, and a shimmery gold eyeshadow pen. I didn’t buy this because I really don’t need any of these products, but the eyeshadow pen was actually beautiful – it dried down to a gorgeous golden beige shimmer.

I then meandered over to the ByTerry stand, to ogle cosmetics that I will more than likely never buy in protest of their prices alone. The creator, Terry de Gunzburg, is a French aristocrat who has created a cosmetics line focused on rose infused products, fresh and sheer textures, and prices that would make Peter Phillips at Chanel blush. With that being said, I swatched !

from left - 1 (cheek to cheek rose), 2 (erotic pink), 3 (Platonic Coral), 4 (Hypnotic Copper), 5 (Beach Bomb)

The blushes, shown in order from shades 1 – 5, are said to contain exclusive Freshtone® technology, hydrating and staying fresh on the face all day. I didn’t think they swatched that well – the texture was smooth without being soft, and they weren’t overly pigmented. Besides that, the shades all looked either too pale, or too orange. NOT a fan.

I then tried ‘Soin de Rose’, a pearly pink highlighter, which you can layer under your foundation during the day, or under your night cream to – what? I suppose impress your husband with your glowing skin before you go to bed ? Honestly, I have no idea. It’s basically a shimmery cream that is infused with rose, and that you can sleep in. I’ll admit it, the texture of this really is amazing, and this is one of ByTerry’s star products, but I don’t see myself shelling out 66 euros for a makeup base – so that’s a no.

Lastly in ByTerry products is their newest product, the ‘Hyalauronic Face Glow’. This is supposed to be halfway between a makeup base and a sheer foundation, and contains an exclusive formulation from the brand containing Hyaluronic Acid. It is said to keep the face matte while giving a natural glow, feels fresh on the face, and combats wrinkles and imperfections. Upon application, it first felt chalky, and then strangely cool, like the water powders that were very popular a few years ago. Visually, I didn’t really like the texture it gave to my skin. It looked more matte than glow, and seemed to actually highlight my imperfections. Below is a photo taken with this on the right side of my face, about 10mn after application.

Hylauronic Face Base in natural light

Once again, even if I loved this product, the price really puts me off. I LOVE the concept of this brand, being a fan of anything rose, and the packaging is most certainly elegant, but the formulas and textures don’t, to me, justify the price.

 

Next is the Makeup Forever Smoky Palette. I swatched this on my arm without applying an eyeshadow base, but wasn’t greatly impressed. Yes, the colors are perfect for smoky eyes, but not as pigmented as other MUFE products I’ve used, and certain colors (black, purple, gold, white) went on rather streaky. This seems to be a case of palette quality not holding up to individual product quality. On top of that, while I do like the colors individually, I’m not sure I like them together as a palette, as at least four of the colors wouldn’t really work together (I prefer palettes of this size to have shades that generally work as a team) !

 

MUFE Smoky Palette with flash

I also swatched the new Too Faced glitter glue primer, topped with a bit of MUFE glitter, but that ended in carnage, so no photos! The Tokidoki line, recent to French Sephora, attracted me by its packaging, which is perfectly impractical and also perfectly adorable. I loved the bronzers and the highlighters, which were super rich and super pigmented, and felt really nice on my skin. Diovolina, described as a medium/tan with gold shimmer, looked a little bit orange, but the highlighter and the ‘Royal Pride’ bronzer were lovely… and in such cute packages!

Kaubki, Diavolina, Royal Pride,

 

I also witnessed why I won’t be shelling out for the Lancôme limited edition 29 St. Honoré blush. Yes, it is very cute with the pink shimmer and the adorable drawing on the blush itself, but after having been tested to death, the drawing was gone and the shimmer proved to be only a spray. I swatched, and thought it looked like a chalky pepto pink mess. No photo, wasn’t even worth it !

Lastly is Sisley, which was a sleeper for me. I never really look at Sisley’s products, despite having a friend who works for them, because I suppose they seem a little bit ‘old school’ to me. They don’t do much marketing, and never seem to have very innovative products or exciting shades. I swatched their Fall 2011 collection on a whim, and was doubly impressed by their eyeshadows:

beige rosé, vert de gris, bleu nuit, cuivre

Certainly, the colors are a little bit uninspired, and what we would expect for fall (the deep copper and navy in particular), but the quality was just gorgeous. These shadows were literally so smooth that I didn’t know at first whether they were cream or powder (they’re powder, by the way). The shades of these Phyto-ombre Eclat eyeshadows are described as beige rosé (a rose-tinted beige), bleu nuit (midnight blue), vert de gris (a dusty, green tinged grey) and sparkling copper. I might actually be picking these up – my first Sisley products!

The entire fall collection

They also had a blush, which was less impressive. One side of the palette is a bright coral that I found went more orange, and the other is a light, ballerina pink, which didn’t really show up very well at all (just added a hint of shimmer, really). Blended together made a pinky shade, but it leaned a bit too orange for my taste, and wasn’t terribly pigmented.

All in all, a nice day to swatch ! Stay tuned for a post on Givenchy’s Fall 2011 swatches and opinion.