Link Love ♡ June & July

I haven't been keeping up with my online reads very well lately, and I'm still pretty behind. There have been lots of great things I've spotted over the last month or so, so I would still like to share! 

I don't know about you, but I've always been a fan of Eva Chen's work, both at Teen Vogue and now at Lucky. I loved this Forbes video interview. You have to watch it if you haven't already!

I fell in love with Alexa Chung in Lisa Eldridge's tutorial. I loved the makeup and the interaction between Alexa and Lisa in this video, and Space NK's video of Lisa doing Alexa's makeup for Eyeko was cute too! 

New to Youtube, Quinn from Desgettier put together two brilliantly edited videos that I just LOVE on her new channel. 

I enjoyed Sali Hughes' extensive "In the Bathroom" series with Mary Greenwell and Charlotte Tilbury a while back, but I really enjoyed this look at Mary Greenwell's pro kit. She seems to have such a wonderful approach to makeup, and you can't help but drool over her lovely choices. 

On the blog front, I was really excited to see Front Row Beauty back in action. i particularly loved Reika's great tutorial featuring one of the newly released Chanel quads. It looks SO good. And everyone has been talking about the new Shu Uemura Drawing Pencils, and I'm like dying over the swatches of ever shade over at The RaeViewer. 

Last but not least, I've been thinking more about green beauty brands and all the amazing skincare options out there. I really enjoyed a look at May Lindstrom's morning routine over at No More Dirty Looks!

What have you been reading and loving lately? Are there any posts or videos that I shouldn't miss?? I'd love to know!

Marcelle BB Cream

A few years ago during a trip to Toronto, I decided I absolutely needed to buy Marcelle BB Cream. Unfortunately, all the stores I managed to stop in we're sold out of my shade, and I never wanted to pay higher shipping to have it shipped to the US.

Last year, I discovered that Birchbox started carrying a selection of Marcelle products, and I jumped to purchase this from them. Sadly, I never really used it until this past spring. 

I selected the shade Medium-Dark, though there are a few more shade varieties and types of BB cream now.

Long story short, l quite like it! This would definitely be my pick for a midrange price base product. I've done a video showing how it applies, and my skin was acting up after a few nights of not washing my face (oops). Hopefully the video is helpful! 

Have you tried Marcelle BB Cream? What are your favorite affordable bases?

July Empties

I can't believe it is almost August already! I didn't think would finish much this month, but I think I ended up doing an OK job in the end. 

Lush Dreamtime Bath Melt, Lush Celestial Moisturizer, Lush Prince Charming Shower Gel, African Botanics Marula Firming Botanical Body Oil, Malin + Goetz Pepperment Shampoo, Oribe Signature Shampoo, Rouge Bunny Rouge Foundation Sample, Burberry Foundation Sample, Diptyque Eau Rose Sample

I've reviewed a number of these items before, and I have to say that I would definitely repurchase Lush Celestial Moisturizer (review) once I use up a few more things as well as the Lush Dreamtime Bath Melt (review). In the end, the Lush Prince Charming (review) scent wasn't one that I want to stick with for a long time, and while I like the African Botanics Marula Firming Botanical Body Oil (review), I really just don't need it right now! 

I've already repurchased Diptyque Eau Rose (which you'll see in a few sample tubes here) as well as the Nars Smudgeproof Eye Primer. 

I liked trying samples of both the Malin + Goetz Peppermint Shampoo and Oribe Signature Shampoo. Both have pleasant, subtle scents and seem to clean my hair nicely. I don't need any shampoo at the moment and generally prefer not to spend more than $15 on shampoo, so we'll see if I ever decide to buy those. (I would rather splurge on some Shu Uemura if I did decide to spend!)

I also realized that a few of the foundation samples I had were dried up! So... remember to use your foundation samples in little pots cause they dry up within a few months. :-P 

Life NK Ultimate Unwind Body Wash & Lotion, dr. dennis gross Alpha Beta Glow Pad, Diptyque Eau Rose

I am happy to have used up a few more samples as well, even though I didn't really care for the dr. dennis gross Alpha Beta Glow Pad. It was too small for body, and the color was a bit orange, though the sample may have been old. I have a few more, so I'll be testing those for sure. I did like the scent of the Life NK Ultimate Unwind Body Wash, but the lotion was pretty average. Space NK says this range is "Based on a formula of hydrating glycerine with lime, green tea, cardamom and ginger."

What products have you finished this month? Please share in the comments below! :)

Creamy Summer Bronzers: Soleil Tan de Chanel & Bourjois Bronzing Primer

A few years back, I watched a Lisa Eldridge video where she created a perfect bronze look using the Chanel Soleil Tan de Chanel, and then I was desperate to get my hands on it. At the time, stores were always sold out, though now it seems more readily available. 

I've hardly used mine over the last two years or so, but last summer a lovely reader asked me how I was liking it after so much hype around the Bourjois Bronzing Primer being a dupe for the Chanel. Since I didn't have access to the Bourjois, she sent me a little sample pot! (I'm so sorry it has taken me THIS long to offer a proper comparison!) 

So, I'm sure you're wondering - is the Bourjois Bronzing Primer an affordable dupe for the Chanel Soleil Tan de Chanel Bronzing Base? Yes, and no. 

First off, the texture and feel of the two products is entirely different. The Bourjois Bronzing Primer is much creamier, and as a result, easier (for me) to blend. It is supposed to be chocolate scented, though to me it is just strong and artificial and somehow floral. Initially, I wasn't even sure I wanted to have it on my face because of the scent! However, the scent does dissipate after about a half hour, though on one occasion it somehow managed to meld with something else I wore and leave my face smelling like baby wipes... 

Color wise, I do agree that the shades can be reasonable dupes for one another. In my swatches, you can hardly see the difference (is there one?) but on my face I do feel that the Bourjois is slightly cooler and perhaps slightly less orange. 

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[Click to Enlarge] Swatches in shade, top to bottom: Bourjois Bronzing Primer, Chanel Soleil Tan de Chanel

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[Click to Enlarge] Swatches in direct sunlight, top to bottom: Bourjois Bronzing Primer, Chanel Soleil Tan de Chanel

On the other hand, the Chanel is much less scented, and the texture has more of a cream to powder feel to it though I wouldn't say it is actually cream to powder. It has a more solid texture than the Bourjois, and perhaps explains why some reviews out there find it hard to blend. In my opinion, it isn't hard to blend, though it does take a few seconds more to do so than with products that are creamier. (Which completely makes sense to me!) 

In the end, I don't know which is better. The Bourjois is now available for $19.05 for US shoppers on ASOS, so that does make it much more manageable than Chanel's $48. It does appear that the Bourjois has less product, though that doesn't matter to me. When it comes down to it, I think the scent may end up being a dealbreaker - though I don't seem to mind it now, I've noticed that I tend not to reach for products with scents I don't like. 

Have you tried either of these cream bronzers? Would you pick the Bourjois or the Chanel??