♥Burberry Complete Eye Palette in Pink Taupe♥

I was so excited when Burberry launched their eyeshadow palettes at the end of 2012. I'm a huge fan of Burberry eyeshadow, and really the entire Burberry lineup. I just can't get enough of how natural everything looks when applied... Now that I'm thinking about it, I really don't think I have talked about Burberry enough! ;) But honestly, if I had to live with one makeup line forever, Burberry would be it!

Anyway, I know you are all excited to see the Complete Eye Palette in Pink Taupe!

The palette itself is the classic Burberry check, and it is the same size as the blush compacts, which could either make things easy to organize or confusing. LOL. The velvet pouch comes with 3 small eye brushes - a liner, sponge applicator, and standard shadow brush.

All of the brushes perform decently in a pinch, which is great. There's nothing really to say about a sponge applicator, but the liner brush does create an even fine line, though I'd prefer something a little denser. The shadow brush is ok for a wash of color. 

I do like that the compact has a very large mirror inside too - handy for traveling with, that's for sure! Now look at all those pretty colors!

I have read on some blogs that the lightest shade is somewhat similar to the now discontinued Pale Barley, and I agree. However, the shade in the palette is slightly darker, and has a less "luminous" effect when applied to the eyes. The almost greenish tinged taupe is quite nice, and even the pink shade wears well on my skintone. I imagine that many will love the darkest shade, which is a nice medium brown with a tinge of the pink tones. To me, it feels a bit like Taupe Brown mixed with Antique Rose, or something of that nature. Check out the swatches below.

Applied with the included applicators and without primer, I can get all day wear on the darker shades. The lighter ones seem to fade by the 6-8 hour. With my own brushes, the shadows last a few hours longer. I can only imagine how they'd last with primer!

Here's a quick phone shot from last week, where I applied this palette very quickly with the included applicators. I think it gives a really nice, natural definition to my eyes. What do you guys think of Burberry Pink Taupe? Have you, or will you be grabbing any of these palettes? I'd love to know! :) 

My Winter Foundation Roundup

Earlier in the winter, I suddenly became very aware of the fact that my skin was much paler than it had been. All of a sudden, none of my foundations (or my trusty Nars Tinted Moisturizer!) were the proper shade. I debated for quite some time about what foundations to get. Do I purchase Nars in a shade down, or do I branch out and try some other foundations, just in case? I wanted to splurge on Koh Gen Do, but in the end I was also curious about Becca Radiant Skin Satin Finish Foundation and Fresh Umbrian Clay Foundation, both of which seemed right up my alley, and both of which I didn't have access to at a counter to try.

So, as much as I think the Koh Gen Do Moisture Foundation would be perfect for winter (maybe next month?!),  I managed to collect these three bases during the course of November.

I love Nars Pure Radiant Tinted Moisturizer, I really do. I know there are some mixed reviews out there, and that it just doesn't work for most people with oily skin. It is also yellow toned, so it may not work for those who prefer pink toned products either. However, the yellow tone and the natural, dewy formula are just perfect for me. It cancels out redness decently, has a light and pleasant scent while applying, and lasts all day. I prefer to pat it in for more coverage, or use a Real Techniques brush if I'm in a hurry. (For my original review and video application, click here. I almost didn't want to link it, as I do think the lighting is poor. But anyway, hope it helps even a little!)

I am really liking the finish of Becca Radiant Skin Satin Finish Foundation. If you recall, I wore it in my Femme Boulevard look post at the end of December. It is just as natural as the Nars, but provides just a bit more coverage overall. I would say it is light to medium coverage, depending on your application technique. It is nearly scent free too, which I enjoy - I can just discern a very faint scent, and I can only think to describe it as makeup. LOL. I imagine anyone who is sensitive to scents in foundation should be just fine with this one.

In terms of the shade range, Nars is the best match for me at the moment. For whatever reason, Becca Buttercup seems darker than it actually is once I apply it on my face, and I actually wondered in my look post if my foundation was too light! But, I imagine that is because I tend to sheer out my base products and my face IS lighter than the rest of me in general anyway. LOL. I did research the shades available, (Becca has a super helpful chart on their website!) and from what I can tell based on online reviews, the next shade up does appear to be a slightly big step in color.I am curious to try it for summer if I can get around to it!

Fresh Umbrian Clay Foundation was one that I had been desperate to try for a while after Claire and Taylor raved about it. I had such a difficult time trying to pick a shade, but Claire and Taylor were both extremely helpful in comparing their own shades and even doing some fast swatches. In the end, I chose the shade Chalet Girl, because Fresh describes it for "medium light skin with yellow undertones" and that is exactly what I like to hear when choosing a winter foundation.

I do have to agree with Claire and Taylor - this is a wonderful foundation. The finish is so natural, and the coverage is great too. In comparison to Becca Radiant Skin, I would say Fresh Umbrian Clay provides just a smidge less coverage. Unfortunately for me, and as you can probably see in my swatch photo above, Chalet Girl is too light AND too pink on my arm. It is not as noticeable a difference on my face, but it still not a proper match, so I ended up returning it. I do hope to try another shade one of these days, but I figured I ought to take it easy for now! 

All in all, I am really enjoying my picks for winter. My skin has been happy - no clogged pores, no breakouts, etc - with these foundations, and I quite like the natural finish. While I'd like to try a creamy foundation (Koh Gen Do and Sunday Riley top my list right now!), Nars & Becca are perfect everyday options for lazy me. :)

What do you think of these foundations? Have you tried any of them? Do you have any favorite foundations for winter? I'd love to know!

My Essential Jouer Palette

I am loving Jouer's interlocking palettes, and thought I'd show you all a combination that I'm loving for everyday. I love how compact and easy to grab this palette is, and it is also really easy to put together. While I have to admit it took me a minute before I realized I should turn the smaller compacts upside down to link them together in this rectangular shape, I am blatantly terrible when it comes to shapes/spatial awareness and all things of that nature. LOL!  In any event, this is my perfect palette for everyday. I couldn't live without Jouer Mineral Bronzer in Suntan, and a pop of the Highlighter in Tiare is just amazing. The Tint in Orchid is an unexpectedly perfect shade for my lips and cheeks, and the combination of Suede and Chiffon Creme Eyeshadows on my eyes just make the perfect everyday look.

I'm loving these interlinking compacts and the portability of it all. What do you think of my Jouer "essential palette" that I've created? I'd love to know! :) Products mentioned in this post were provided for review.

Note: There was some confusion in previous posts around whether or not the highlighter was paraben free. According to Jouer, they were recently reformulated without parabens and the previous versions should be phased out in the next few months. Hope that provides some clarity! Thanks Jouer!

Shine Brilliantly with Jouer Highlighter!

I was super excited when Jouer sent me two highlighters to try recently. After reading Becca's raving review of Tiare over at The Beauty Sample, I knew I had to get my hands on it one day.

Just like with the other Jouer compacts, these lovely highlighters connect to other items from the product line. Of the highlighters, these are 2 of the 3 shades. Tiare is a gorgeous subtle gold, while Camellia is a shimmering white. I feel like the two shades are similar to the gorgeous highlight shade in the Hourglass Illume Duo in Bronze Light. Well, maybe if I were to blend the two together. Either way they are gorgeous and the 3rd shade, Champagne, looks to be a gorgeous pale pink.

On me, these seem to last all day like their creme eyeshadows. I've failed to inspect them carefully later in the day, but I think they look great and also feel great on the skin. They're perfect to use in all areas of the face, and the shimmer is definitely subtle enough for everyday wear. Check out Tiare in this look that I posted earlier - 

YAY! I just love how this looks!  These are perfect everyday highlighters for me, that's for sure!

What do you think about these highlighters? I'd love to know what some of your favorite highlighting products are! :)

These products were provided for review. ------ After my last post where a commenter mentioned that Jouer's website does note parabens, I decided to grab the list of ingredients. I'm happy to report that it was very easy to find, so that is definitely a good thing.... BUT I got a fact sheet that states this is paraben free, so that is confusing. (I will email Jouer to clear it up, however!)

INGREDIENTS: RICINUS COMMUNIS (CASTOR) SEED OIL, ISOPROPYL MYRISTATE, PETROLATUM, BEESWAX (CERA ALBA), PARAFFIN, C12-15 ALKYL BENZOATE, STEAROXYMETHICONE/DIMETHICONE COPOLYMER, TRIOCTYLDODECYL CITRATE, OZOKERITE, EUPHORBIA CERIFERA (CANDELILLA) WAX, COPERNICIA CERIFERA (CARNAUBA) WAX, ISOSTEARYL BEHENATE, POLYETHYLENE, KAOLIN, BIOTITE, SYNTHETIC FLUORPHLOGOPITE, BHT, PROPYLPARABEN. MAY CONTAIN (+/-): MICA (CI 77019), TITANIUM DIOXIDE (CI 77891), IRON OXIDES (CI 77491, CI 77492), CARMINE (CI 75470)