Tom Ford Brow Sculptor

This was a product I took a complete leap of faith on. Whether it be the price point, the lack of availability in stores, or the ignorance of the general public to the brand, there have been very few reviews on a number of Tom Ford's products. I'd say the blushes, eyeshadows, and foundation have received most of the exposure with the rest of his range remaining quite mysterious and unexplored. I had recently embraced a more natural brow look (if you watch my videos you may have noticed this), and needed a more organic looking brow product than my previous go-to, MAC's Dipdown fluidline. I loved the aesthetic of Tom Ford's makeup and was impressed with quite a few of his products already so decided to dive in and discover if his brow "sculptor" was worth its hefty price tag. I'm pleased to say it has been!

This pencil is very different than any other I've ever used. It's a hard, waxy type of pencil- one that does not yield its pigment easily. At first, this frustrated me. I came though to appreciate this aspect- it's basically a foolproof product! It seems to deposit the color right where it needs to without drawing outside the lines. What I mean is it will fill in sparse patches of brow but don't expect it to completely reshape, lengthen, or modify the shape of your brows. To use Brow Sculptor, I tend to press harder towards the tail of my brow to give a slightly more intense pigmentation and use a lighter hand towards the front to avoid the "penciled-in" look. 

What I also love about this product is its aesthetic- it truly is a mechanical piece of art! Not one part of it feels rickety or shoddy- it's all very well made. On one end is the twist up mechanism from which sticks the brow pencil, on the other end under a cap is a brow spoolie to comb and groom. Twist off the spoolie mechanism (oh yes folks, this is a gadget) and there lies a sharpener to keep the tip of your brow pencil precise! Genius, simply genius!

Brow Sculptor comes in 4 shades- I have dark brown hair and chose number 3, Chestnut. It's a nice mid-tone warm brown without a lot of red in it. 

Before Brow Sculptor

After Brow Sculptor

After Brow Sculptor

Light swatch, heavy swatch

Spoolie action

This is where the magic happens

I highly recommend this piece of makeup. Not only does it perform exceedingly well but the craftsmanship that went into its design is really admirable. Brow Sculptor retails for $40.00 and can be purchased from neimanmarcus.com 

-Seth

*All products were purchased with my own money for purposes of review. 

Haus of Gloi Pumpkin Butter

The days are turning colder, my friends. The wind is nipping at my neck, my nose is starting to run incessantly, and my skin is turning drier than the remnants of autumn leaves scattered along the sidewalks. What product do I turn to in desperate times (or rather, any time)? Haus of Gloi's Pumpkin Butter of course!

I purchased my first HoG pumpkin butter two years ago after reading about the brand on beauty blogs (of course) and haven't looked back since. Sure, I've dabbled in the lotions of other brands, some of them much more expensive than this little gem, but nothing hydrates as efficiently or beautiful as the buttah, as I like to call it. Gloi have a great formulation here- the cream is thick and very emollient yet seems to soak into the skin in a matter of moments, leaving nary a grease streak nor slickness. My skin stays moisturized throughout the day without need for reapplication and I love how supple it feels. I genuinely believe this butter repairs the skin- after months of use my skin does feel less dry even when I neglect to put it on after my shower.

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas! 

What, though, is one of my favorite parts of buying HoG's Pumpkin Butter? Their seasonal scents! Right now I have Eggnoggin and Parkin- I'm obsessed with both. Eggnoggin smells insanely similar to the real thing (I have to stop myself from tasting it). Rum, spices, cream, it's all in there and it all smells authentic. Parkin is even yummier- I detect notes of chestnut, brown sugar, spices, and a warmth similar to that of musk. It's addictive to check back on their website every now and then to see what new scents they've concocted in their laboratory.

I also love supporting the brand- they're a vegan company based in the U.S., owned and operated by a lovely couple, Britton and Matt, who always make sure to include a sample vial of perfume and thank you note with anything I've ever purchased- It shows they truly care about their customers and enjoy what they do. Something about supporting real people rather than a corporation is also immensely rewarding.

The price for a full size 6 oz. tub of Pumpkin Butter is $10.00 (although sample sizes are available for $4.50) This is a very reasonable price when you consider the labor, creativity, and care that goes into these beauties. I highly recommend you give Haus of Gloi a try- their honest, effective, beautiful products are worth the price of admission, and then some.

Haus of Gloi can be purchased from hausofgloi.com

-Seth

*All items were purchased with my own money for purposes of review

Tom Ford Shade and Illuminate

If you know me at all you'll know I'm obsessed with contouring and highlighting. It's a bit of a problem. I have enough highlighters and shimmer powders to adorn the faces of a small continent and my contouring product inventory is starting to reach those same epic proportions. Ergo, we have Tom Ford's Shade & Illuminate, a brilliant little compact that combines both a fabulous cream highlight as well as a cream contour, perfect for professional or personal use.

\Let me preface by saying that I think cream highlighters/contours are totally underrated in the beauty community. No matter how many powder varieties of these I try, nothing melts into the skin and creates the most natural, ethereal look than creams. Because most of us use a liquid or cream foundation it makes sense to use the same texture in contouring and highlighting products-there is no textural difference visible on the skin. In fact I personally have started to consider the art of sculpting the face a part of my foundation routine rather than a separate component altogether.

Tom Ford knows his makeup. He loves luxury, quality products- it is extremely apparent based on the design of this compact. The aesthetic is to die for, a delicious dark chocolate shell with gilded edging etched with the "Tom Ford" logo. It is weighty and feels substantial, a necessity for me when buying a higher end makeup item. Sorry, but I do in a way judge a book by its cover- I don't want my makeup to feel like I picked it up at CVS if I put a good chunk of money towards it. It arrives in a suede pouch that is so soft and fluffy I actually kept it to preserve the safety of my compact. What is inside, you ask? Well just the most perfect cream sculpting duo you've probably ever encountered!

We'll start with the cream contour. A scary, muddy color in the pan, it translates into a mid-tone brown with just the tiniest whisper of grey on the skin. It is also much sheerer than it looks in the compact which makes it usable for a wide range of skin tones- even the fairest of the fair. I have Shade 1, there is though a Shade 2 that is slightly deeper for darker skinned beauties. It's translucency means it truly melds with your foundation, giving your cheeks a gorgeous natural definition you wish you'd been born with.

The cream highlight is also a gem. It has no shimmer in it. Zero, zilch, zeid. None. What it does have is a beautiful, almost "wet"- looking sheen that, when strategically placed in moderation around the face, gives a dewy, believable glow. It makes the skin look as though you've doused it in the most luxurious, fabulous moisturizer. It's easy to go overboard on this stuff- I suggest using fingers rather than a foundation brush for a more precise application. I use it just on the top of my upper cheekbone, on the apex of my brow-bone, and along the arch of my cupid's bow. Because of it's reflective nature I do not recommend using it along the nose, forehead, or chin unless your skin is fiercely dehydrated. A "glowing" skin can quickly turn into a grease-face as the day wears on, so do be careful. This is a wonderful highlight but one must be dainty and delicate in its application.

Shade & Illuminate in action

Swatched heavily

In sunlight

Blended out

Is this a product I consider worth $75.00? Yes, yes, and yes. It is a wonderful product for me, personally, but also one I will get miles of use out of in my kit. In a way, it is the quintessential one-size-fits-all cosmetic. You also get a hefty amount of product- 14 grams. It's travel-friendly and totally luxurious- a product I'll use till I'm scraping the very last remnants of it out of the pan.

Seth

Burberry Pale Barley

There are few other ranges of eyeshadow that have created a bigger buzz on the internet than Burberry's. I, being the maven of beauty that I am, felt the need to drink the Kool-Aid and see what all the fuss was about. Neutrals, I figured, where the safest way to go, so with that in mind I ordered Pale Barley, a new shade that came out this past spring, and have enjoyed every moment it's been in my possession.

Per the Burberry Beauty website:

• Burberry Eye Enhancer comes in weather inspired shades from iconic trench to smoky metal
• The shadows can be blended to create a range of eye enhancing colours
• The innovative formula uses silicones for smooth and flawless application and contains micronised satin smooth pigments to ensure long-lasting colour

We'll get the price out of the way first. $29.00 for an eyeshadow is a hell of a lot of money for most people. For that price, you could get a palette at Sephora or better yet, multiple eyeshadow sets from the drugstore. What you are paying for my friends is quality. (Also keep in mind that a MAC eyeshadow is $15.00 for .05 oz, the Burberry is just slightly more expensive per ounce with .088 oz) The sheer luxury of this eyeshadow is insane. Buttery, soft, smooth, pigmented; all of these adjectives do not even touch the surface of how beautiful this formulation truly is. The texture of Pale Barley is oh so creamy and smooth- it feels genuinely like cream made to powder. Whether you apply with a brush, the sponge applicator, or even your fingers, it applies beautifully without a smidgen of fallout or patchiness. The packaging is luxe and weighty- a checkered gunmetal that magnetizes shut with nary a wayward click or loose hinge. It truly makes you feel like your hard-earned $29.00 went towards something of value. The only other brand I've encountered with such a beautiful formula and artistic packaging is Rouge Bunny Rouge. At a similar price/quality point, either one is worthy of my money- some people may though be turned off by the fact that RBR is only available online whereas Burberry has locations in select Nordstroms and Saks. 

The color is perfection. Utter perfection. A sandy taupe-beige with the most delicate and complex golden shimmer running throughout. It reminds me of fields of wheat swaying in the afternoon sunlight- Pale Barley is certainly an appropriate name. It gives my eyes the slightest amount of warmth and definition, making it the perfect everyday shadow. When I prefer a smoky eye it works as a beautiful transition color in the crease. I could also imagine it being a gorgeous highlighting shade for tan-deep skin tones. 

Burberry Pale Barley- the new neutral. 

Look at how it glows!

A neutral taupe with a bit of pizzazz. 

My Pale Barley's been well-loved!

* All items were purchased with my own money for purposes of review. 

Rouge Bunny Rouge Metamorphosis Mattifying Primer Review

Good morning all! Hope you had a safe and fun Black Friday/Saturday! I know I did, although I can't say I did any shopping.... I tend to procrastinate. Anywho, on with the review!


Today our featured product is Rouge Bunny Rouge's Metamorphosis Mattifying Primer.

Description per the RBR website:

The feather-weight texture of our Mattifying Primer miraculously gives your skin a velvet matte suede glow; it removes the unwanted shine completely and evens out your skin tone.

The enriched formula, including moisturising and soothing actives such as Allantoin and Meadowfoam Seed Oil, 
smoothes fine lines and wrinkles. Vitamin E fights free radicals and has anti-oxidant and anti-ageing properties.

Pores are tightened without the shocking sensation of a stiffening mask. Instead, you will actually feel the nourishing care of the weightless fluid, and see the transformation promised by many but achieved effortlessly by … Metamorphoses.

Do the RBR descriptions enchant you as they do me? Their products sound good enough to eat! 

I came across this product after using & loving their Aqua Primer but was yearning for something slightly more mattifying as the summer months commenced. As you can see from my half-empty bottle, I have loved the effect this gave my skin! I found that immediately upon application, similar to the Aqua Primer, it has a cooling effect which feels extremely refreshing- especially when my face feels puffy in the morning. It immediately melts into the skin and provides, as RBR states, a "velvet matte suede glow". Not dewy at all, yet not deathly matte. It lies somewhere in the grey area between making my skin satiny and soft as a baby's bum. What I especially love about this primer is the way it makes my makeup last longer, my pores more refined, and my skin velvety without compromising the glow I crave. There is nothing I fear more in the winter than a dull complexion- well fear not my friends, this will make your skin appear alive and fresh. I also appreciate the care RBR puts into their ingredients (which I will include below). Meadowfoam Seed Oil, Vitamin E, and Glycerin hydrate while bee's wax creates a natural barrier, keeping moisture under the skin while making a fabulous base for the makeup. 

I can highly recommend this primer to this with normal, dry, or combo skin. I think especially oily complexions may need something a tad heartier in the oil-control department. Expensive it is, yes, at $55.00, but a pea sized amount is plenty for a full face-I'm five months in and my bottle is still going strong! 

RBR is available at rougebunnyrouge.com, zuneta.com, & beautyhabit.com

Ingredients:  

AQUA, SILICA, NYLON-12, OCTYLDODECANOL, LIMNANTHES ALBA SEED OIL, GLYCERYL STEARATE, PEG-100 STEARATE, CETYL ALCOHOL, TOCOPHERYL ACETATE, CERA ALBA, ALLANTOIN, GLYCERIN, PHENOXYETHANOL, TRIETHANOLAMINE, CARBOMER, METHYLPARABEN, TETRASODIUM EDTA, ETHYLPARABEN, BUTYLPARABEN, PROPYLPARABEN, ISOBUTYLPARABEN

*All items were purchased with my own money for purposes of review 

By Terry Or de Rose Blush Prestige

Good morning all!

When I first caught wind that By Terry's winter 2012 collection would be created off of the beauty of rose gold my breath literally stopped. I am obsessed with all things rose gold. Some may say it looks tacky and/or cheap but I find it lacks the brassiness of regular gold nor the cold austerity of silver- it seems to truly illuminate the skin of anyone who wears it. What could be more appropriate in the dead of winter than products that contain real flecks of this gorgeous metal?! 

The collection (Fascination Or Rose, Christmas 2012) contains four products, two of which I purchased. 

- Or de Rose Blush Prestige (check)

- Or de Rose Baume Precieux (check)

- Or de Rose Huile Absolue (wishlist)

- Crayon Kohl Terrybly in Opaline Flash (wishlist)

Today we will focus on the Blush Prestige.

Look at that gold leaf!

Per the ByTerry website:

With generating 24-carat Pink Gold and nutri-rejuvenating Natural Roses Extracts, this precious "multi-touch" all-over fluid blush diffuses its luminous halo on the face reshaping and adorning the skin with a healthy "rosy sun" glow.

Its intensive, regenerating and youthful-lift formula, melt-away "stretch-powered" texture and rare multi-reflective prisms, reveal a smooth and radiant complexion for ultra-chic effect and absolute seduction.v

I DIE.

This blush illuminates the skin in the most beautiful way- it flawlessly does double duty as blush and highlighter, making it the perfect product for when I'm in a rush (i.e. most days). I have used this every single day without fail for the past two weeks and I couldn't be happier with its performance. The gel texture melts into the skin and blends effortlessly, it lasts twelve hours or more without fading, it never looks greasy, and it gives my light skin tone the perfect amount of a summer glow as the days grow shorter and the wind starts to chill. The color can be described as a rose gold, obviously, but also has a hint of apricot bronze that allows it to work in synergy with any other bronzer on the skin. Swatches below, both on the cheek and on the hand, showcase its gorgeous transparent texture and ethereal glow.

The only con is the price. $79.00. No, unfortunately that is not a typo. This is an insanely indulgent and luxurious product, but I do not regret the purchase at all- I can see myself using this until the very end of the bottle. 

Blush Prestige on the cheeks

Highly blendable gel texture 

ByTerry can be purchased at Barneys.com or Spacenk.com. I highly recommend either of these sites.

*All products were purchased with my own money for purposes of review. 

Chantecaille Future Skin Review

Hello lovers!

So, on my perpetual quest to uncover my holy grail foundation we have here Chantecaille's Future Skin. I have heard a lot about this foundation over the years- it is by no means a new formula- yet for some reason I never decided to purchase. Chalk it up to the $72.00 price tag or the mixed bag of reviews but  time after time I passed it over in favor of other formulas. Some reviewers said it wasn't long lasting, it appeared greasy, and it gave minimal to zero coverage. I don't know about you, but $72.00 was way to much money to risk on a foundation I wasn't fairly certain I would love. Well thanks to a Nordstroms giftcard and a newfound respect for sheerer, more "second-skin" like formulas of makeup, I took the plunge and ordered this little baby, and I couldn't be happier I did!

Per the Chantecaille website:

-		Innovative oil-free gel foundation with refreshing, lightweight texture
-		Light-reflective circular pigment provides adjustable coverage
-		Contains 60% charged water and seaweed
-		Protective field prevents water evaporation, blocks environmental oxidation Now onto the review! Texture The texture of this foundations is one of the first facets that had me smitten. It is cooling like aloe gel, has the delicious consistency of a slightly richer CoolWhip, and simply melts into my dry skin. Never does it cling to any flakey patches I may have- It smoothes and hydrates wherever I place its delectable formula.

Shade: Cream

Look at that gorgeous mousse!

Coverage
The coverage took some getting used to. As an avid user of medium to full coverage foundations (i.e. ByTerry Cover Expert, Rouge Bunny Rouge Milk Aquarelle, NARS Sheer Glow etc.) I was initially wary of such a sheer coverage.  These fears were erased immediately upon application!  It evens the skin, yet remains translucent, letting the areas of good skin shine through so your face does not appear as though suffocated by a mask. Concealer takes care of the rest! 


Finish
Now this is where Future Skin truly shines! This foundation looks truly ethereal on the skin and should suit dryer skinned beauties perfectly! It toes the line between dewy and satin, erring on the side of dewy after the six hour mark. It seems to shine in all the right places while remaining acceptable satiny in the danger zones. 
Photos of me wearing the foundation will be down below (after twelve hours of wear!). 

12-hour mark!

Longevity
I've been wearing this foundation for about two weeks now and I have to say for such a sheer, glowing formula it easily lasts ten hours. I've even pushed it to twelve and although yes, it does appear a bit shiny, based on the picture at left it is still acceptably intact. I really feared that this formula would melt off the skin within a matter of hours... it's a deceptively hearty lil' guy!

Shade Range
I love Chantecaille's shade range. While not gargantuan, it has enough options to suit most skin tones. I love that they split the shades between neutral, cool, and warm- it's one of the factors I appreciate most from a brand. Being an NC25, the shade Cream suits me perfectly. Often times foundations don't have sufficient yellow in them to suit my tastes- thankfully Chantecaille incorporates copious ochre into their warm shades!

In Conclusion
If you're itching to try a different formula now that the weather is slowly turning cold and dry and you can appreciate the translucency of a second-skin formulation, Chantecaille's Future Skin may very well be a match made in foundation heaven! It glows, it calms, it refreshes, and it lasts a very decent amount of time for such a light coverage. Try it out and be sure to let me know what you thought!

Retails for $72.00 at Nordstroms, Saks, or Chantecaille.com

*All items were purchased with my own money for review purposes.