Product Swatches

First Impressions: Lancôme Teinte Idole Ultra 24H

March 22, 2016 by Kim S. / Beauty, Product Swatches, Reviews / 24 Comments

First Impressions: Lancôme Teinte Idole Ultra 24H

Do you know the feeling you get when not one, but two of your favorite foundations are on its last leg? That feeling of desperation, working diligently to make each drop count – that was me just a few days ago. My husband helped to fix my problem by picking up for me the Lancôme Teinte Idole Ultra 24H.

Lancôme Teinte Idole Ultra 24H is the brand’s first ultra-longwear foundation. Lancôme says:

“With its new EternalSoft technology, Teint Idole Ultra 24H defeats all challenges. Complexion stays perfectly flawless and unified. Never cakey.”

The Lancôme Teinte Idole Ultra 24H is a moderate to full-coverage foundation with a matte finish. On me, it seems more of a velvety matte texture; it’s not so matte where my skin doesn’t look like skin.

The Lancôme Teinte Idole Ultra 24H include is not your ordinary foundation. You know how your skin can sometimes feel tight when using a matte foundation? You won’t experience that when using the Teinte Idole thanks to the Eternalsoft Polymer. You also don’t have to worry about your color changing throughout the day due to oxidation or what have you since the Teinte Idole contains specially coated NAI pigments that help maintain consistent pH levels with your skin. Lastly, if you’re an oily girl like me, you will love that it contains perlite and silica, two of the most effective oil-absorbing ingredients.

The Lancôme Teinte Idole Ultra 24H comes in five intensity levels, and four colors (Ivoire for porcelain skin, Buff for light skin, Bisque for medium skin, and Suede for darker brown complexions) in neutral (N), Cool (C), and warm (w) tones. I wasn’t able to first test the foundations in-person before having my husband pick them up for me, but he was able to buy for me the following shades:

460 Suede (W)
470 Suede (C)
500 Suede (W)

After swatching and testing out all three of the foundations, I found that 460 Suede (W) was the perfect match for the summer, but I would need to purchase 450 Suede (N) for the cooler months when my skin starts to lose its tan.

Once the summer hits, the Lancôme Teinte Idole Ultra 24H will become my go-to foundation. It applies easily, it feels light on the skin, and makes my skin look like my skin but better. My skin doesn’t look like an oil-slick at the end of the day when using this foundation. I also love that even though it is a matte formula, it doesn’t give off the cake face look.

The Lancôme Teinte Idole Ultra 24H Makeup is oil-free, fragrance-free, and non-comedogenic, and has SPF 15. It comes in 28 shades, with 10 of them specifically for brown skin, which is a great thing for other brown girls like me. The Teinte Idole retails for $47, and is worth every single penny. Check here for the foundation chart to see which shade is best for you.

Have you tried Lancôme Teinte Idole Ultra 24H foundation?

NARS Dual-Intensity Blush Panic on Brown Skin

February 1, 2016 by Kim S. / Beauty, blog, Makeup Looks, Product Swatches, Reviews / 16 Comments

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I’m a fan of NARS, especially their beautiful blushers. I was happy to have been able to get my hands on their Spring 2015 release of the Dual-Intensity Blush in Panic.

NARS’ description of the Dual-Intensity Blush:

Featuring NARS’ exclusive Translucent Prismatic Technology, the newly- imagined formula allows for multi-dimensional effects with a uniquely weightless, luxurious texture. Six modern shade pairings curated by Francois Nars offer a universal spectrum of hues that works across all skintones. Sweeps on dry for a bold flush or wet for a translucent wash of color. Dry pigments impart a natural glow that warms the complexion and fuses weightlessly. Dampen NARS’ exclusive Wet/Dry Blush Brush before application for a watercolor effect—dab over the apples of the cheeks and swirl in a circular motion to paint on a subtle tint.

The NARS Dual-Intensity Blush Panic is a beautiful blush compact housing two shades of blush: (r) bright pink and (l) golden coral.

I like applying the NARS Dual-Intensity Blush in ‘Panic’ with my NARS All Day Luminous Foundation (review) as a base. I first apply the left side (golden coral shade) blended lightly towards my temples, close to my hairline. Following that, I gently swirl the bright pink shade on the right on the apples of my cheeks.

Applied dry, the Dual-Intensity Blush ‘Panic’ blends smoothly with ease. I love the beautiful, healthy glow with a flush of color that it provides. These days I prefer a more natural look, and this is exactly what the dry application of Panic provides. However, applying the Dual-Intensity Blush when wet intensifies the pigments and shimmer in the blush, which I do not prefer for myself. The application when wet can also be a bit splotchy. It takes work, and I know that when I’m doing my makeup, I have no time for more work.

Overall, I’m a fan of the NARS Dual-Intensity Blush ‘Panic’. It looks amazing on my brown skin, especially when applied dry. During the winter when my skin can look dull, a quick swirl of this blush brightens it right back up!

The NARS Dual-Intensity Blush retails for $45, and is available in five additional shades: Adoration, Craving, Fervor, Frenzy, and Jubilation.

Have you tried any of the NARS Dual-Intensity Blushers? If so, which, if any, are your favorites?

Kat Von D Shade and Light Eye Contour Palette Review

August 9, 2015 by Kim S. / Beauty, blog, Makeup Looks, Product Swatches, Reviews / 19 Comments

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Just when I thought I’ve reached my max limit on the number of [neutral] palettes to own, in walks in the Kat Von D Shade and Light Eye Contour Palette.

“The true inspiration behind the Shade + Light Eye Contour Palette comes from all these years of trying to understand the usage of shadows and light within the portraits I draw.”

—Kat Von D

The Kat Von D Shade and Light Eye Contour Palette is not your regular eye shadow palette – it features three color quads in neutral, cool, and warm shades that help you contour your eyes to help lift them to look more youthful, define them to create depth, as well as help bring balance and dimension to the eyes whether you need to bring them together or apart.

My Thoughts:

I love the Kat Von D Shade and Light Eye Contour Palette. If you know me, you know that I love my matte eye shadows. The ones in this palette are amazing! Unlike some matte eye shadows I have used, these are not powdery, and do not look ashy on the skin. The eye shadows apply effortlessly – like butter, and it doesn’t take much work for me to blend in order to achieve the look I wanted. And the pigment on these babies! ‘Shax’, which is the black shade, is probably one of the deepest black eye shadows I’ve used, and you only need a little.

The Kat Von D Shade and Light Eye Contour Palette wore well throughout the day on me. On hot 85+ degree-days in New York City, there was no creasing or fading, at all. In fact, after 12 hours, my eye shadow looked the same from when I first applied it.

Below is a look I created using the Kat Von D Shade and Light Eye Contour Palette and the Kat Von D Tattoo Liner in Ultra Black.

First, I applied a primer, and then I used three shades from the palette as follows:

Lid – Incius (blended up to the crease)
Outer V – Shax
Blending – Solas

Finally, I created my signature-winged liner using the Kat Von D Tattoo Liner in Ultra Black.

I’d definitely recommend picking up the The Kat Von D Shade and Light Eye Contour Palette. Above is just one look I’ve created using the palette, but the palette has so much more to offer; the possibilities are endless.

The Kat Von D Shade and Light Eye Contour Palette is the perfect palette to add to your makeup stash, especially if you’re a working makeup artist, but even if you’re not, it’s still an excellent palette to own. Its versatility allows you to meet the needs of anyone of any skintone, which means a lighter makeup kit since you don’t have tote along multiple neutral eye shadows because you have it all in this one palette.

The Kat Von D Shade and Light Eye Contour Palette is available for $46 at Sephora or Sephora.com.

Do you own the Kat Von D Shade and Light Palette? If so, what are your thoughts on it.

My Favorite Spring Lipsticks: The Pink Edition

April 20, 2015 by Kim S. / Beauty, blog, Makeup Looks, Product Swatches / 18 Comments

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Spring is definitely here! I know for a fact that I am not the only one happy about the warm weather that spring brings, especially, after the weather we’ve had this past winter. To welcome spring I’ve put together a list of my favorite lipsticks to wear during the spring and into the summer. This round of my favorite spring lipsticks features a spring suitable shade, pink.

Keep reading for pictures and swatches of My Favorite Spring Lipsticks: The Pink Edition.

Show Orchid is a beautiful, bold fuchsia with blue iridescent properties. It glides on nicely, and has opaque coverage that lasts for a few hours. It’s great color if you’re into bright pink shades. I wear MAC Show Orchid during the day for a nice pop of color. It’s also fun color to wear out for a night out with friends.

Girl About Town was one of the first bright pink lipsticks I’ve ever purchased from MAC, and it’s still one of my favorite spring lipsticks due to the color alone. Plus, like Show Orchid, it’s creamy texture glides onto my lips easily, and offers full-coverage color in one swipe. Girl About Town is one of those shades that can seriously be worn by anyone, anytime, and anywhere.

I reviewed the LA Girl Glazed Lip Paints previously. Bombshell was one of my favorite shades due to its fuchsia color that perfectly flattered my complexion. The texture is more of a gloss, and isn’t as opaque as some of my other favorite spring lipsticks, but it still doesn’t take away from the fact that it’s pretty, and it makes me feel like a bombshell when wearing it.

Another bright fuchsia, the OCC Lip Tar Pretty Boy, has made My Favorite Spring Lipsticks list. This is another liquid lipstick, similar to the LA Girl Glazed Lip Paint, except that the finish is more matte, and this one is a lot more pigmented.

A coral made my favorite spring lipsticks list! Yay! Trollop, wears more pink on me than anything, which makes sense since OCC describes it as a “pink-coral”. It’s a nice bright shade that packs the pigment. I don’t need much makeup besides bronzer, mascara, and concealer when wearing it. It’s definitely a fun shade for spring.

Up The Amp is the last of my favorite spring lipsticks as for as pinks go. It’s a creamy pink shade that leans a bit purplish. Against my complexion it’s a very subtle shade, which I love because it makes it suitable for work wear. The color is opaque and lasts for a good amount of time, too. I’d say about 5-hours.

I hope you’ve enjoyed reading and seeing photos of My Favorite Spring Lipsticks: The Pink Edition. I’d love to hear what shades of lipsticks you’ve been wearing this spring.