Laura Mercier Canyon Cheek Melange: Swatches and Review

 Laura Mercier is one of those brands I always admire, but rarely buy.  I was recently persuaded to try the fall blush, Cheek Melange in Canyon Sunset.

Canyon Sunset is larger than the regular Laura Mercier blushes and includes three separate colors. It also has a shimmery overspray. Check out The Beauty Look Book for swatches of the separate colors.

When swirled together, this blush is a warm pink color with a glow.  It doesn't have shimmer past the top layer, but it isn't completely matte.

Here are some comparison swatches:

Applied, I found this blush a bit too warm for my liking.  I think it would be gorgeous on slightly warmer or deeper skin.

A miss for me, but Laura Mercier has some things worth looking at this fall.  Karla Sugar has swatches of the entire collection.

A Boy and His Goat

 John is two now.  He loves to do everything his older brothers do.  Check out his spiderman flip flops- naturally taken from his big brother.

 John has a special friend he likes to play with.  Her name is Fern.  She is one of our dairy goats who sometimes escapes to come hang out on the porch.

She is a lot like a puppy, following John around and nibbling at his clothing. 

As you can see, I don't think he minds too much.

Genuine Treasure FOTD and a Shoutout

This look is inspired by Rachel at Makeup Never Sleeps. I have been obsessively stalking casually reading her blog for awhile, and I clearly buy what she tells me to.  A recent tutorial featured MAC Genuine Treasure paint pot and Urban Decay Rehab pencil.  I bought both and tried to recreate the look.  

FACE
Armani Luminous Skin Foundation #4
Mary Kay Mineral Foundation Ivory
Tarte Dark Circle Defense in Fair/Light
Benefit Powderflage
Anastasia Brow Powder Duo in Medium Ash


EYES
UD Rehab Liner Pencil
MAC Moleskin in crease
MAC Carbonized in outer V
RBR Angelic Cockatiels on inner corners
MAC Genuine Treasure paint pot on lid (over shadows)
MAC Avenue to line top and bottom
UD Rehab on lower lash line
L'Oreal Voluminous Million Lashes WP in black


CHEEKS
Becca Flowerchild


LIPS
Chanel Imaginaire

Blog Sale Update

I have added a few new things.  Click on the link to the right.  :)

Chanel Illusion D'Ombre: A Roundup of Sparkles

Since testing the waters by purchasing Epatant Illusion D'Ombre, my collection has grown at an alarming rate!  Like a greedy raccoon hoarding shiny objects, I have acquired three more of these beauties.

Illusoire is pictured above with the included brushes.  I occasionally use a brush to apply these, but have found it easiest to apply these shadows with my finger.  Gently pat the color over or under your powder shadow. 

The texture is very unique- a spongy mousse. They feel incredibly light and slightly creamy going on.  They last all day on my eyes without creasing, although I always use primer underneath.

They are packaged in a heavy glass container with a black screw top lid.  

 L-R: Epatant, Illusoire, Emerveille, Ebloui

Overall I highly recommend you try these shadows.  They are shimmery without being chunky and can be as subtle or over the top as you choose.  You get what you would expect from Chanel- high quality product in a beautiful package!

MAC Lady Grey FOTD

This is a look using the MAC Lady Grey quad and Dark Diversion fluidline.  The quad is a soft combination of neutral colors that will work well alone for a subtle look, or combined with deeper colors.

FACE

NARS Sheer Glow + aloe vera gel 

MUFE HD Powder

Tarte Dark Circle Defense Concealer Fair/Light

Benefit Powderflage

Anastasia Brow Powder Duo in Medium Ash

EYES

NARS Smudgeproof Base

MAC Lady Grey quad

-All Races on lid

-Tendersmoke in crease

MAC Dark Diversion Fluidline

L'Oreal Lash Out WP in Black

CHEEKS

Bobbi Brown Pink Peony Illuminating Bronzer

LIPS

Burt's Bees Rose Lip Tint

MAC Brave 

L-R: MAC Dark Diversion, All Races, Tendersmoke, BB Pink Peony, Burt's Bees Rose Balm, MAC Brave

Could I Possibly Interest You In A MAC-Over?

MAC Me Over was a large release from MAC, and I partook.

I will start with Fluidlines: 

L-R: Avenue, Dark Diversion

I am always a fan of MAC Fluidlines and use Blacktrack daily.  I wish they would expand their range of permanent colors, but I settled for a couple limited edition colors instead.

Avenue is a deep cool brown with golden specks of shimmer.  Dark Diversion is a warm burgundy purple with a subtle shimmer.  Both apply easily and wear all day.  They will be a welcome addition to my usual black liner.

The eye shadow selection was full of lovely neutrals.  I ended up choosing four singles.  

 L-R top: Creamy Bisque, Outre, Mythical

bottom: Carbonized

I wouldn't say that any of these colors are life changing, but they are nice.  Some are nicer than others though.  

Creamy Bisque is a light shimmery pinkish white.  I had trouble building this to into a very visible color on my eyes and in the swatch.  

Outre is a matte camel color.  It is soft and pigmented.  It makes a wonderful color to warm up a neutral look and blend out a crease color. This may be my favorite of the bunch.  

Mythical is a shimmery reddish copper.  It has good pigmentation and gives a fun twist to a neutral brown look.  

Carbonized is a deep shimmery blackened brown.  It is smooth and decently pigmented.  If you have Urban Decay MIA or Darkhorse, you might find this color redundant.  I should have done a comparison swatch.

 L-R: Creamy Bisque, Outre, Mythical, Carbonized

Here is a simple look using Outre and Carbonized in the crease and Patina and Creamy Bisque on the lid.  I also used Avenue Fluidline.

The verdict is out with the Lady Grey quad.  I enjoy the soft mix of neutrals, but had trouble with creasing.  I also worked to build the taupe into a visible color on my lids.  I will experiment further before I fully decide.

 The colors are All Races- a matte light pink, Tendersmoke- a shimmery light greyed purple, Lady Grey- a dusty pale aqua with shimmer, and Hazy Day- a light shimmery beige taupe.

MAC Me Over had hits and misses for me, but it definitely deserves a second look.  Especially if you are a neutral loving fool like me!

My Skincare Routine

 I have been asked about my skincare frequently, so I decided it deserves a post of its own.  It is nothing astounding, fancy, or life changing.  I like to keep things simple and once I find something I like, I tend to stick with it.  After a few allergic reactions complete with blisters and swelling, I have learned to be less adventurous when it comes to skincare.  

Here are the only things I am currently using on my face:

My morning cleanser is a Dove bar.  I am currently enjoying the Winter Care version, and hope to find it in stores again soon.  I also use this in the shower, and less products cluttering the tub is a plus.  It never leaves me greasy or overly fragranced.  

 I am using First Aid Beauty Ultra Repair Cream to moisturize in the morning and evening.  It is light and faintly scented with peppermint.  Once applied, the scent fades and the cream sinks in quickly.  I also use this as my body moisturizer.  

At night I use Shu Uemura Cleansing Oil to remove my waterproof makeup and foundation.  I usually follow up with a warm washcloth to lightly exfoliate.  It is lightly scented with a fresh smell and emulsifies with water to rinse clean.

To make sure I am totally clean, I follow up with Clean + Clear Sensitive Cleanser.  It is not scented and leaves skin totally clean without stripping it dry.  

There you have it, a simple skincare routine.  I have tried different night creams and exfoliators only to find myself breaking out or getting blotchy.  Less is more (except when it comes to makeup of course).

Chanel Sari Dore FOTD

 Now that summer is over, I think I have found my favorite orange lipstick.  Chanel Sari Dore Rouge Coco was calling to me this spring, maybe I should have listened.

FACE

Tarte Amazonian Clay Illuminating Serum

Tarte Amazonian Clay Balancing Foundation in Light

MAC Careblend Pressed Powder in Light

Tarte Dark Circle Defense Concealer in Fair/Light

Benefit Powderflage

Anastasia Brow Powder Duo in Medium Ash

EYES

NARS Smudgeproof Base

UD Smog on lid and crease

UD Darkhorse in outer V

MAC Patina on inner lid and crease

MAC White Wheat on inner corners

UD Rehab Liner on lower lash line

MAC Blacktrack

L'Oreal Voluminous Million Lashes WP in Black

CHEEKS

Dior Aurora Bronzer

Tarte Tipsy Amazonian Clay Blush

TheBalm Mary LouManizer

LIPS

Chanel Sari Dore Rouge Coco

L-R:TheBalm Mary LouManizer, Dior Aurora, Tarte Tipsy, UD Darkhorse, UD Smog, MAC Patina, 

MAC White Wheat, UD Rehab, Chanel Sari Dore

Guerlain Les Gris: Swatches and Review

Guerlain has recently revamped their collection of eye shadows, releasing new four color quads.  I  don't have much experience with Guerlain eye shadows, but I love my Bal de Minuit Quad.

 The heavy silver compact comes in a velvet pouch.

Here are some size comparisons for you, old Guerlain on the left, Chanel quad on the right:

L-R: Guerlain Bal de Minuit, Les Gris, Chanel Kaska Beige

The case has a secure magnetic clasp, and I think the layout is much prettier inside than the previous compacts.

The finishes are wonderfully varied, and the texture is smooth.  They are sheer in the sense that they can go on subtly, or be built for maximum impact. I experienced no chalkiness or uneven texture.  The only bit of fallout was from the metallic silver.

This is a beautiful combination of colors in a gorgeous compact!  Guerlain has done a wonderful job, and I will be looking to try a few more.