Giorgio Armani Maestro Concealer - shade 4 swatches and review :Concealer Series # I

Giorgio Armani brought out a matching under eye concealer, with the launch of their Maestro Fusion makeup last year. Since I love my maestro so much, I had to get the concealer. This review will be the start of my concealer series, as like any good beauty lover *hoarder*, I have a few that I use.

The product comes in a small black tube, while its foundation counterpart (reviewed here) comes in a heavy glass jar with a dropper. I got shade 4 which is a match to the foundation in 5,5 - if you are looking for a match. 3,5 would be a more peach toned choice and I could have gone with either.

The product is a runny liquid and basically comes out quickly, without squeezing, once opened. I think a smaller matching jar would have been preferable, as a dropper would dispense this concealer better.

Packaging aside, this is a lightweight liquid which has less of a dry oil feel the the foundation. This is for good days when puffiness and blue circles are at their best as it gives sheer coverage (the foundation seems to cover more). The Armani sites says with continual use blue circles will fade. I should use it everyday to see if this works! However, this does give a totally natural finish. The site also mentions 'moisturises' eyelids , so it excels as a primer as it even out eyelids perfectly. It applies best with fingers.

It does not settle in my fine lines at all and my under eye area looks hydrated. Wear time could be improved. I saw no patchiness over time, which is a pet peeve with bad concealers. A corrector would be hard to put under this to counteract blue, but having said that I have never used the Armani Master corrector, which is meant to be magical.

I do like this concealer. I do suffer from puffiness and dark circles, so this is in my 2nd tier of concealers. Love the formula, but the packaging lets it down and I'd think I should wear the peachier 3.5 more as it would banish my dark circles. I do like to pair it with my Maestro fusion makeup.

This gets an overall rating of A-

This is how evaluated the concealer and how I will continue to rate the others in my Concealer series.

• Packaging - Does the product dispense easily. Do I like the aesthetics (is it pretty!). Is it of good quality and hold up over time.
• Texture - Is the product sticky and does it feel good on the skin - heavy, weightless etc
• Coverage - Does it hide what it needs to? Does it hide it while still looking like skin.
• Benefits - What good ingredients does the formula have?
• Finish - Is it natural, flawless, does it enhance
• Longevity - how long does it last throughout the day

I would love to hear what you look for a in a holy grail concealer and have you found it yet??

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Sunday Riley Juno Transformative Lipid Serum

Sunday Riley has two hero products. Good Genes (reviewed here) and Juno Serum. I have just about used up my Juno Serum, which in essence is an oil packed with a blend of good-for-your-skin ingredients.

• Natural Retinol
• 13 anti-aging lipids
• Vitamins A,C and E
• Essential Amino Acids
• Omega 3:6:9
• UV shields
• Anti-oxidants
• Anti-inflammatory

This list reads like a multi-vitimin I would take. I used this daily as my last step in my nighttime skincare regime. When I purchased it, I got some good advice from the Sunday Riley customer service:

"Juno has an ingredient in it called Meadowfoam Seed Oil. This is a cold pressed seed oil and it actually on of the only seed oils that absorb into the deeper levels of your epidermis. If you layer it on top of your Skin Adrenaline and Good Genes, it will pull them deeper into your skin as well, thus giving them higher potency. It really is amazing!"

My oily skin loved this oil. It felt nourished and hydrated upon waking in the morning. They do say it is a dry oil, but on my skin it did leave a residue, but this was not an issue for me. This was my first face oil I have tried. I would definitely repurchase this product. If you are looking at Sunday Riley, these would be my first choice together with Good Genes as a starting point as they can slot in with your current moisturiser and other serums.

Do you like face oils or are they taboo for you?

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By Terry Summer 2013 - Hyaluronic Blush in Blushberry

By Terry, just continues to bring out products that are of the highest quality. Their innovative formula's produce such amazing textures and are good for your skin . For Summer 2013 they have released, as part of the Hyaluronic range, a "hydra-veil print blush". This intrigued me as soon as I saw it available for pre-order on the Space NK site. I chose the shade Blushberry, which is the darker of the two shades. Peach Posh, is a apricot shade, which looks lovely too. It comes in a smaller tube than the foundation.

Blushberry is a pink berry with a fine shimmer, that just reads as a glow on the skin. This shimmer does not settle into any fine lines. This mousse-like formula, comes out the tube highly pigmented, but once applied sheers out. The shade can be built up without any cakiness, that you could experience with powder blush. With this particular colour, if you are prone to redness make sure that it is covered as this shade will accentuate the redness. I am wearing this over my Armani Luminous Silk today, and it is seamless with my skin. This takes "natural' to a whole new level. I buffed it in with my Real Techniques Expert Face Brush Brush ,and it looks fresh and pretty. It does say apply with fingertips, which works well too. This would be comparable to Daniel Sandler's Watercolour blush in finish , but the By Terry might even surpass this popular liquid blush, in my opinion.

The high-tech formula of course contains Hyaluronic acid, which helps plumps the skin. I have not used this long enough to confirm this claim, but hyaluronic acid can only benefit your skin. If you remember from last summer By Terry brought out the Aqua Lip Jelly Tint (reviewed here). Both these products works on the same 'aqua-print pigments'. This is good for the summer months as the products holds up well to the heat. This product is so nice I will use it all year round. The finish is matte and non-sticky. and my oily skin loves it (but of course with the Hyaloronic acid component dry skins will love it too).

Hopefully if these two shades sell well, By Terry will bring out more shades in this gorgeous formula.

The new Hyaluronic Summer, is also now available, a bronzer of sorts in this foam texture. Mmmmmm, need this too?!


What is your favourite blush- powder, liquid or cream?

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Nars Satin Lip Pencils - Rikugien and Biscayne Park

Nars Satin lip pencils were launched for spring/summer 2013. While everyone else offered up sheer lip products, Nars went for a creamy, lighter-than-air formula, that leaves a soft satin finish to your lips. These are infused with vitamins and hydrate your lips. You can use these as their own lip liner or as a base for a lipgloss. I really had a hard time choosing from the 13 shade line up. I settled on two fairly neutral shades - Biscayne Park and Rikugien. The shade names were inspired by parks and gardens from around the world and some that are special to Francious himself. The video created for this launch, which showcases the talents of Lisa Eldridge, had my nosed pressed against my computer screen. Just when I thought I loved a shade, that cool rocker chick came out wearing another! So here are my swatches. I hope they help you when choosing a satin pencil.

Rikugien, Biscayne Park

Biscayne Park with no shimmer, Rikugien with a lovely lustre

L-R Biscayne Park, Rikugien

Biscayne Park

Rikugien

Biscayne Park is described as a 'pink gauva', this is an apt description except to say is more muted once applied.  Rikugien is described as a 'rose pink'. I think this will be the most popular shade, as it is a wonderful (yes I am about to say it) - 'my lips but better' shade. It has a slight shimmer to it in matching particles. My only wish would for these pencils to become twist up's. I think most people have the same problem with them, as sharpening wastes product and it is a hassle on-the-go to carry a sharpener. I would also recommend that these should be popped in the fridge for about 10 min, as in a warmer climate, they could not sharpen well at all.  I can go about 3 days of using before needing to sharpen. My next pick would be Yu - a shocking pink. These are wonderful and easy to wear.


What are your thoughts on the new Nars Satin Lip Pencils?

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Tom Ford in Cognac Sable - My favourite Tom Ford quad!

I have been so busy using and reviewing spring collections that many of my favourite products have yet to be reviewed. I purchased Tom Ford's Cognac Sable at the end of last year. It has become one of my most treasured and used palettes. At first site one might think too warm and too much glitter. Take a second look, you will not be disappointed  My interest was first piqued when I watched Charlotte Tilbury work her magic with the Cognac Sable quad. This was, together with Golden Mink (reviewed here) , my first Tom Ford eyeshadow quads. Down the rabbit hole, never to be seen again!

The Tom Ford packaging is elegant and compliment these particular colours perfectly. The colours are a clever mix that can transition from day to night. The top left shade is a soft honey that brings brightness to the eye. This shade is good for blending out the other darker shades. The top right shade is a sparkling ginger that is gorgeous! This warm glitter is best pressed on with fingers in a patting motion. This unique shade brings out the caramel tones in my eyes that I never new I had. Just superb! Hero shade in my opinion. The two lower colours are a :- rich golden brown with the same fire orange tones as the ginger and a :- deep shade that is a rich smokey dark chocolate. This shade is so nice to line the eye, deepen the outer V, used on the whole lid and blended with the honey shade through the crease. All 3 non glitter shades work well for a day look. I use the glitter in the day too, but those with a more formal lifestyle, this should be reserved for going out. These colour stay put all day, on my oily lids with primer. No fading. They can be applied strong or sheered out.

The texture of the shadows are silky and smooth.  These highly pigmented shades are so blendable, even novices could master this quad. So beautiful and bold, they go on like velvet.  If you looking for an unusual quad with very usable shades this is a quad worth looking at. Pair this quad with the TF eye definer in Espresso.

Quad in sunlight

Tip: Go Bold and wear this with a red lip- it is gorgeous. My pick is Tom Ford Narcotic Rouge.

Quad indoors with flash

I am already searching the net for the summer Tom Ford collection. Nothing yet, but it is definitely on my hit list for summer 2013. Meanwhile, I am loving my Cognac Sable. Do you have a favourite palette that can do no wrong?

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Rouge Bunny Rouge Loose Glitter Pigments - *like* Fairy kisses across your lids.

Rouge Bunny Rouge do Loose Glitter Pigments, and they do them well. I purchased Caress of Mink and  Wishing for Wings. Ok, so I know they are pretty similar to the Bobbi Brown loose powders I featured here previously, but I seem to have a penchant for these types of colours. I actually bought these before the BB. Wishing for Wings is a taupe lovers dream with hints of mauve and silver, while Caress of Mink is a rich golden brown taupe . The pigment is finely milled and extremely pigmented (more so than the BB). The applicator is small, so precise application is able to be done. There is minimal fallout as the pigment is so densely packed. Once applied the pigment goes on creamy and smooth. My only wish would be for the packaging to be a bit more sturdy. Pigments are typically shimmery, but these seem a bit more pearly, without loose their lightness.

Wishing for Wings and Caress of Mink

L-R Caress of Mink, Wishing for Wings

Both colours can be used as a wash over the lid or together with the taupe as a wash over the lid and the brown patted in the outer corners in your 'V" formation. These can be patted over more intense colours to add depth to them. So quite versatile! These RBR loose glitter pigments come in 7 colours , with Night Wind Sailing being next on my list. I should reach for them more often, but I just seem to reach for pressed shadows more often. Old habits are hard to break!


Which are your favourite Brands for loose shadows?

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Burberry Lip Cover in Tulip Pink - My Idea of nude!

Burberry Lip covers are a really good mix of hydration, pigmentation and creaminess. Burberry Lip Cover in Tulip Pink is another pretty warm peach that I have added to my Burberry Lip Collection.
I have already lauded the amazing qualities of this formula in my previous review of Burberry Lip cover in Antique Rose (reviewed here). Tulip Pink is very similar, but Antique Rose has more of a blue cast to it, making Tulip pink fresher version. I love them both.

Creamy, Comfortable Peach Perfection

This type of colour has almost become my idea of a nude lip on my skin tone. Anything with too much brown, makes me look dull. Once again a winner for me. I would love to hear from you all. Please tell me which Burberry Lip Cover I should covet next!

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Dr Sebagh Breakout Spot - On - SOS treatment for blemishes

To Quote Shakespeare's Macbeth "Out, Damn Spot". I have had my fair of blemishes and then some!
If you are prone to blemishes, I feel your pain - really!
Those pesky spots that rear their ugly heads really seem to know when I have important events happening. So was the case at the end of last year. To spare you all the gory details, my lovely readers, a 'spot' of mammoth proportions ensconced itself, happily upon my chin. A frantic visit to my local sephora-like store that stocks Dr Sebagh led me to his Breakout Spot - on Blemish Corrector.

Breakout Spot-On on contains bacteria fighting ingredients that help reduce redness. The product almost dissolved the spot from the inside and it become flatter and less inflamed. I applied this generously throughout the day and by the evening I was able to hide my little  (large) problem with concealer. Without a party deadline looming. I use this as and when needed, I have used Breakout Spot on with good results.


Do you use simple lemon juice to combat your spot?

Estee Lauder Pure Colour Eyeshadows in Cyber Teal and Fire Sapphire

Estee Lauder had re-promoted their Cyber and Vivid colour range.  These new shadows have a unique formula. They almost look gel like, but are definitely powder form. The has the result of strong colours that have a beautiful glow. I chose Cyber Teal and Fire Sapphire as I was lacking in my blue collection of shadows ( before I got my Tom Ford in Cobalt Rush). They both have good colour payoff and a metallic finish. These can be used wet and dry and grow in intensity when wet. This is perfect for lining the eyes. The Fire Sapphire can be used for the new mini trend of intense blue on the lower lash line with a neutral eye. Fire Sapphire blended out gives a softer wet look wash of sapphire. Cyber Teal is a teal slightly muted with an undertone of gray.

Blue Sapphire

I am happy are I got these, but I am not sure I am knocking down the door for more- maybe if an unusual colour is introduced, it will entice me?!

Have you used any of these Cyber or Vivid shadows?