Café Makeup

Chanel Vitalumiere Aqua Foundation and Swatches

Amy — Tue, 29 May 2012 13:48:08 +0000

This is a somewhat imperfect review of Chanel Vitalumeire Aqua Foundation ($58), introduced about a month or two ago. This foundation is a medium-coverage cream foundation sold in a luxe round compact. I found that it gave a flawless finish, particularly when applied with Chanel’s Blending Foundation Brush #7 ($54) (review forthcoming).

When applied, Chanel Vitalumiere Aqua feels like air, there is no heavy foundation feeling or any oiliness. I find that cream foundations like this look amazing for formal occasions, whether for work or social activity. It provides an airbrushed finish. There is a very slight “silicon” feeling to the foundation. It lasts well throughout a long day and holds up beautifully without a powder. No breakout for me.

Here are some swatches of most of the shades (B50 and BR32 are missing, but I’ll try to fill in the gaps throughout the week). As you can see, the “B” tones are warmer, and the “BR” tones seem to have a touch of cool rose.

And now for the imperfect part of the post–a beauty confession. I was matched to B30 at a mass make-over at a local department store, although I realized it was too dark I went ahead anyway. As frustrated as I am with myself, now that my overly generous sample has been used (it lasted about five days), I may exchange my untouched full sized B30 for another more appropriate color.

Thank you to Tressa from Nordsrom Seattle for patiently sending me these samples for us all to enjoy. To be clear, Tressa took no part in the color matching for me, or my own personal decision to cave to the makeup artist’s inaccurate recommendation.

Onward and upward, and I hope you learn from my mistake.

Fashion Break: John Paul Gaultier at the De Young Museum, San Francisco

Amy — Mon, 28 May 2012 17:31:59 +0000

Yesterday, Liz and I went for a fashion break to the De Young Museum in San Francisco to see “John Paul Gaultier: From Sidewalk to Catwalk,” a retrospective of this prolific French haute couture fashion designer. Gaultier was the creative director of Hermès from 2003 to 2010, and became quite famous for designing for Madonna’s Blonde Ambition tour, as well as Lady Gaga and Beyonce. As the museum allowed us to take non-flash photographs, I took just a few with my iPhone. Enjoy!

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Guerlain for Emilio Pucci Meteorites

Amy — Mon, 28 May 2012 17:10:58 +0000

Emilio Pucci for Summer 2012

Guerlain for Emilio Pucci is a gorgeously successful collaboration for Summer 2012. It includes a version of Guerlain’s Meteorites Illuminating Powder ($59). The packaging on this is so Pucci, please indulge me as I post several pictures of this amazing creation. The box, which includes a metal box housing the Meteorites:

The metal container has a Pucci-patterned top and a deep blue-violet ridged side.

Close up, Emilio’s signature is reproduced on the top:

Guerlain’s signature embossed on the side:

Inside, the violet-scented Meteorites provide a neutral-to-cool matte yet luminous veil that looks like a beautiful cool background for summer’s warm bronzers:

I almost didn’t buy these, because I’m so delighted with the Guerlain Meteorites that I already own. They differences between them is subtle. Yet I find myself reaching for these Pucci for Guerlain Meteorites like a kid into a candy jar. Sometimes warm summer makeup can look a little too warm and one-note. Using these as a finishing powder under my other warm summer color provides a perfect neutral canvas that balances and modernizes the warmer bronzes and golds.

I did not pick up the Pucci for Guerlain brush–it’s adorable and I’m still on the fence. I use a very soft powder brush, usually my Shu Uemura 18R just because it’s handy, but a Bobbi Brown Blending Brush or any other large, soft brush should work as well.

If you are on the edge, I’ll just say that I’m glad that I made the leap. The powder is very long lasting, and really adds an expensive finishing touch that’s absolutely gorgeous. I find the effect too subtle to swatch for the blog, but I do provide my enthusiastic support.

If you are in the San Francisco Bay Area, Guerlain’s Marcus Monson will be at the San Francisco Center Nordstrom this Saturday. There’s a nice gift with purchase for the event (please call the store for details and an appointment).

Guerlain Emilio Pucci Terra Azzurra Bronzer

Amy — Sun, 27 May 2012 15:23:21 +0000

Guerlain by Emilio Pucci Terra Azzurra Bronzer & Blush ($75/ .56 oz.) is Guerlain’s complex and beautiful summer offering. This product displays a very high level of care, design, and attention. In many ways, the beauty of the product was thoughtful in both its creation, display, and the high quality of this finely-milled, beautiful powder. First, the presentation includes a blue-Pucci patterned inner box and fabric sleeve.

The bronzer is housed in a wood-composite round compact, which is comparatively lightweight but still substantial enough to feel luxurious.

The domed compact is embossed with lettering “Geurlain by Emilio Pucci” and relies on a magnet closure:

The compact has a mirror inside. The bronzer pattern includes a narrow strip of highlighter on the outer edge, two blush strips (one orange, one fuchsia violet), and a large section of a pale, pearly bronzer.

It’s very easy to pick up the blush separately from the bronzer on a brush. However, it’s nearly impossible to pick up the highlighter or bronzer strips separately unless one uses an unlikely choice, such an eyeshadow brush.

The compact is large, in line with other limited edition Guerlain bronzers of years past that come in similar compacts:

Swatches of the highlighter, the two blushes and the bronzer, and then all products mixed. I found that the blushes are highly pigmented, and the bronzer is subtle. When the powders are mixed, the blushes strongly predominate the mix. The combination of the orange and violet seem to create a fruit punch color that reminds me a bit of the formerly released Geurlain Series Noir Blush G.

As you can see, the bronzer is golden and light. Those with deeper skin tones may find that the bronzer is too light for their skin tone. On Megan, you can see how the blush tones predominate. I found a similar effect on me:

The quality of the product is amazing. There’s really no discussion that Guerlain is a master in powdered bronzer, and this bears all of the hallmarks of a beautiful presentation treasure. I typically use a small headed brush (a MAC 168) to apply the bronzer first, and then the blush on the upper cheek. As an all-in-one product, it’s a beautiful compact to place on your makeup table. Although the pouch is fun, this isn’t something that I’d travel with as the top might come loose under the rigors of airline baggage travel (although I would put it into an overnight bag).

Bottom line: gorgeous.

Nail of the Day: Thakoon for Nars Ratin Jot

Amy — Sat, 26 May 2012 16:59:47 +0000

I’m really enjoying the bright colors from Thakoon for Nars Nail Collection ($18 each).

The formula on these is really good. I’m getting really good wear time, and the application has been very nice (except for the yellow, which takes slightly more concentration). With that exception, they all go on like butter and dry like glass. I love this series. Today, I’m wearing Thakoon for Nars Ratin Jot, a deep jeweled plum.

Despite hours of word processing, dishes and other household tasks, I applied this yesterday and it’s still going strong. Shot yesterday, with Essie Good to Go as a topcoat:

I think this color goes pretty well with my warm skin tone. Love this series, and getting plenty of use out of them so far. Here are a few looks from Thakoon’s Summer 2012 collection:

Thakoon for Nars was sent to Cafe Makeup without charge for consideration for review.

Guerlain Shine Automatique in Rose Pompon

Amy — Sat, 26 May 2012 15:56:25 +0000

Guerlain Shine Automatique in Rose Pompon ($35/ #264) is part of a new line of lipsticks introduced by Guerlain. This line is sheer, moisturizing and shimmery. Using the convenient one-touch case (no separate cap required), Rose Pompon has earned a place among the very few that I’ve been carrying around in my bag since I purchased it.

Guerlain Rose Pompon is a flattering pink with a strong touch of mauve. The formula is luxurious, it feels like I’m wearing a gorgeous moisturizer. Like many sheer lipstick formulas, this is not an all-day commitment. I found that the wear time was better than the Chanel Rouge Coco Shines, but not as long as the Burberry Lip Mists.

Swatched next to some other sheer pink-mauves, here is Guerlain Rose Pompon next to Chanel Bel Ami and Nars Vendanges. On Megan:

Here’s Megan’s full look with Guerlain Rose Pompon (with Chanel’s Sable Rose Bronzer and Guerlain’s Capri Eyeshadow Quad). Here, Megan has applied a few layers of the lipstick (no lipliner or lip base):

Bottom line–lovely, wearable color. Very moisturizing and shimmery formula. Although this isn’t the longest-lasting lipstick that I own, the ease and pretty, sheer look have won my heart.

Guerlain Emilio Pucci Terracotta Khol Kajal in Blu Acqua

Amy — Fri, 25 May 2012 18:56:11 +0000

Guerlain / Emilio Pucci Terracotta Eye Khol in Blu Acqua ($36) is a violet kohl eyeliner. The packaging is beautiful, and the color is a vibrant, shimmery violet with only a touch of blue.

The Blu Acqua Kohl is not the typical pencil design, but rather the shorter, wider open kohl design. I’ve asked several Guerlain sales associates how they are sharpened. One advocates simply using a standard sharpener. The other professed that this is “self sharpening,” which only seems possible to me if you continually apply the kohl held at an angle.

Despite its name, the kohl really is much more in the purple/violet category which I view as a plus. It’s an unusual, striking color but deep enough in its tone to work in almost any setting.

I like wearing this pushed up into my top waterline, among the mascara. It seems to brighten the whites of my eyes. I noticed that I had to use a few layers to get a good rich color (a few swipes). The texture of this is far softer than many of the kohl pencils that I’ve tried.

Verdict: Pretty color, if you swipe a few times I think you’ll fall in love.

Guerlain Capri Eyeshadow Quad for Summer 2012 Review and Look

Amy — Thu, 24 May 2012 03:44:19 +0000

Guerlain’s collaboration with Emilio Pucci for Summer 2012 has led to the creation of the Capri Eyeshadow Quad ($59 Ecris 4 Couluers Capri). This shimmery confection plays off of this years trend toward hot pinks and bright oranges. Of course, for this piece, those colors are infused with a grown-up sophistication and a pearly texture. There’s nothing “Sugarpill” about this quad–rather, it’s formulated for depth and impact but still plays well with a sophisticated look.

Unlike Guerlain’s other silver quad cases, this limited edition summer creation has a deep bronze compact. It has the same gorgeous magnet closing mechanism and clean, travel-friendly design. There’s simply no possibility of chipping your nail polish on this–a quick and firm movement is all that’s needed to open the case.

Back label:

Inside, there is a pearly highlighter, a clear coral orange, a vibrant pink and a deep cool brown. All shades have a beautiful shimmery-pearly quality characteristic of other quads in Guerlain’s current permanent line. There’s a tiny sponge-brush as well.

Closer, the brown looks close to black in the pan (but applies as a deep brown):

I ordered this with some trepidation, but the Guerlain associate assured me that this is wearable. Note that the white shade is subtle, as is this year’s trend. I put only the tiniest bit just directly under the brow arch, and as an inner corner highlighter.

Swatches:

The application recommendations that I’ve gathered from Guerlain makeup artists is to mix the pink and the coral on the lid. This is what Megan did here, using the pink on the outer portion of the eye, and the coral on the inner portion of the lid. She used the deep brown as a liner, and the white as a subtle highlighter.

For advice, those with a touch of deeper tones on the lid will want to prime first with an opaque primer to provide a nice, skin-tone base. Laura Mercier’s Eye Basics and Edward Bess’ new Illuminating Eyeshadow Base (reviewed here at The Beauty Look Book) would work well, although there are other options out there. Here, Megan applied the colors over the Lorac eyeshadow primer, which applies clear.

Here’s a full face look, together with a touch of Chanel Sable Rose Bronzer. On lips, Megan chose Guerlain Shine Automatique in #264 Rose Pompon (review forthcoming) As you can see, the eyeshadow color doesn’t seem to overwhelm at all. Typical of Guerlain quality, the color looks pretty, bold and summer-appropriate.

I found the same result on my paler skin tone. The palette delivered a generous amount of pigment with a standard eyeshadow brush. I tended to use a bit more of the brown shade in my crease, but not enough to muddy these very clear colors. I kept the pink and orange below the crease line (Megan brought it up a bit higher). Although this palette would look amazing on deep skin tones, I found that Capri added a fun, pretty touch of color for a daytime lunch or party on my lighter skin tone as well. Love.

Some Interesting Things….Omorovicza Discount, NARS Contest and Upcoming Chanel

Amy — Tue, 22 May 2012 15:21:10 +0000

A few things…

First, Omorovicza is offering a 10% discount on the gorgeous Gold Flash Firming Serum reviewed here last week. The offer is good for 10 days with the code cafemakeup_23.

This is a straightforward percentage off (not a paid promotion). By the way, I’m continuing to use this serum and continuing to see great skin. I could get addicted.

Second, NARS is running a Thakoon giveaway. The details are on Facebook at this link. First prize is a scarf designed by Thakoon to celebrate the Nars collaboration, the Thakoon for Nars nail collection, and $500 worth of NARS cult classics. There are second and third place prizes as well.

To enter, you upload a photo of yourself showing off your favorite NARS lip and nail combinations to Instagram (available on the iPhone and Android), using the hashtag #NARSThakoon. NARS will select five finalists, and fans will vote for their favorites. All of the terms and conditions are linked on the page.

Third, some upcoming Chanel things to be excited about:

La Chanelphile has a nice write up of Met Costume Gala that previews some upcoming Chanel products.
Bella Shmella has a preview of the upcoming Chanel Bombay Express Collection, Becoming Gorgeous has a nice explanation of the mini-collection.
Pampered and Polished has a preview of the upcoming Chanel Blue Illusion collection.

Guerlain Terracotta Sun Blondes Bronzer

Amy — Tue, 22 May 2012 14:51:10 +0000

Guerlain has numerous bronzers, including the permanent Blondes and Brunettes bronzers with the iconic mosaic pattern surface. As someone with a lighter skin tone, I found that Guerlain Blondes, although recommended for those in my coloring range, was too subtle for my personal taste. I gifted mine to Liz, who I suspect rarely uses it.

This summer, Guerlain’s limited edition Terracotta collection includes two new shades, Guerlain Terracotta Sun Blondes (04) and Sun Brunettes (05) ($50 each), which are stronger versions of the permanent shades.

Longtime brand fans might remember Guerlain Terracotta Blondes Hâlées released in 2o10. I found that the 2012 Terracotta Sun Blondes and Blondes Hâlées are remarkably similar. You can see the same mosaic pattern in this comparison between my new Sun Blondes and my well-worn Blondes Hâlées:

The difference that you see in the above picture is because the Blondes Hâlées on the right is well-used. If the products were both in the same condition, they would be quite similar.

Swatched side by side, they both shared the similar pink-bronze tones, and a very similar texture. I found that the Blondes Hâlées swatched slightly darker. The difference was so subtle that I felt some might be due to the fact that my Blondes Hâlées is quite well-used by now. The powder might simply come off more easily on the more worn product. Both applied heavily:

I’m going to call these “close enough” to be duplicates. You should note that we tried to apply Sun Blondes on Megan, but given her medium skin tone we found Sun Blondes too light. Those with skin tones roughly NC30 and higher should explore Sun Brunettes (05) instead.

I really love this more pigmented version of the Guerlain Blondes bronzer. It has enough tone, looks natural, and has a touch of textural glow that I find very flattering. The pink tones don’t substitute for a blush, but sometimes I wear the bronzer alone for a very natural glow. If I hadn’t worn down so much of my Blondes Hâlées, I might have skipped Sun Blondes. However, I do use my bronzers up all the way to the bottom pan, so I know I’ll get good use out of this years version.