Best New Nudes: Lippmann Naked and Sephora by OPI Let's Plié

I love nude and nude beige nail polishes. I know they're boring compared to the rainbow of shades out there, but I love putting on a pale nude and just having my hands look clean after wearing vamps, reds, berries, roses and peaches for weeks or months at a time.

Two of the best new nudes on the market now are Naked by Deborah Lippmann ($16) and Let's Plié by Sephora by OPI ($9), both below:

Let's Plié is described as "opaque metallic beige" on Sephora's website (where I ordered it off of due to it being sold out in every Sephora I checked!), but that's a poor description. It's actually a creamy (the formula on this one is really nice and smooth- and two coats got the job done), opaque pale peachy beige spun with very fine silver shimmer that passes for a creme from a distance. It reminds me a bit of Barielle's Beaches and Dreams nail polish (a super pale opaque creme peach), only this is more subdued and much less stark:

Naked, by Deborah Lippmann, is a somewhat sheer, glossy neutral beige. It looks flat in the bottle, and I was weary of it being too sheer (...like an essie), but three coats covered my nails nicely and the jelly-ish finish gave them a look that reminded me of Faye Dunaway's nails in "The Thomas Crown Affair":

I really hope Let's Plié is a hit and Sephora keeps it around. Naked, on the other hand, I could live without- but I do love having a somewhat opaque glossy beige in my stash, since the rest are always way too sheer.

Bumble and Bumble Texture Does What It Says

A stylist at the salon I go to was sweet enough to give me a sample of Bumble and Bumble's latest product, called Texture hair (un)dressing creme, which is meant to give hair "that elusive, undone yet done quality, with a hint of grit, hold and a tousled, shine-free finish". I had been hearing about its release for a couple weeks, and the stylists were saying Texture was "going to be like Dirt by Jonathan, only better." (Also on the horizon is a new shampoo and conditioner called "Shine", which will be lightweight glossing formulas. Bumble's current Bb.Shine spray will no longer be an aerosol, and will be returning to a pump bottle as part of the new "Shine" lineup).

Since I have an almost shoulder-length bob with choppy layers, I thought this would be the great product to enhance them with. Texture has a fresh/ clean scent, a light gel-cream consistency (this is not a heavy product) and it must be used on damp hair. The directions say to use a small amount and build. Let sit a minute, then loosen and ruffle, freehand. Apply at roots for extra lift. Use a diffuser for more volume all over. Anyone can use it, no matter your hair length, thickness or texture.

Texture has been used on me twice- once on my own, and once by my stylist. One of the main ingredients is a super hold polymer that the girls in the salon almost warned me about: "it can get...REALLY tacky in your hair if you use too much". My stylist applied it on my damp hair and scrunched it in, and then scrunched some more. She worked it in for about five minutes total. "The key to this product is really working it in...and when you've worked it in, work it in a little more", she said. She blow-dried my thick, straight hair using only her hands and a diffuser, scrunching and finger-combing until it was dry, bringing out waves I never knew I had. Texture made my hair HUGE (as it did with two other thick-haired stylists who tried it), and I don't mean that in a bad way. This product can literally add a ton of volume to hair, which I really didn't need in the first place.

Later on that day I ran my fingers through my hair, and I could feel the super-hold polymer. Maybe my stylist used a bit much, but a tacky feeling (it felt a bit like if you've ever used too much hairspray) is not something I like in my hair. And because of Texture's shine-free finish, my hair had a bit of a rough look to it. I'm constantly looking for products that smooth my hair, and add shine and softness (since it's quite thick and I color and highlight constantly), so Texture really isn't a godsend for me. I did, however, love the lift it gave my roots (which can get a little flat) and the separation it gave my layers. I gave the rest of my sample to a fine-haired friend who fell in love with the volume, lift, and texture it gave her.

This would be a dream product for anyone who loves undone, beachy hair but doesn't like the dryness caused by using salt sprays. Texture is available for $26 in a large tube and $12 for a mini at Bumble salons and Bumbleandbumble.com, where they have an excellent video about how to use this.

Review: Chanel Pearl Drop Nail Colour Spring 2011

Pearl Drop, a white with intense gold pearl flash, is one of three nail polishes Chanel has released for Spring 2011. The other two are Pêche Nacrée, a soft iridescent peach-pink, (which I also purchased) and Black Pearl, a shimmery greyish black green (this was sold out at my counter, but I did see it in the tester - as well as on all the SA's hands). Of all three, Pearl Drop was my favorite. I freely admit to being a white nail polish whore- I want them all! I have dozens of different colors in my stash, but no other color looks as clean or pops as much against my skin as white. I own just about every white polish out there, give or take a few. My only gripes with white polishes is when they have too much of a silvery look, which ends up giving it a greyish look on my skintone, or when they are too sheer. Not the case with Pearl Drop (this is 2 coats + topcoat):

It can look a bit whiter at other angles:

The best part about Pearl Drop that it's the rare, quite opaque white- I only had to wear two coats to get good coverage (most of the time, I do three). I started to wonder if I had any dupes for this. Zoya Gaia instantly came to mind, but it's much sheerer. The gold pearl is much finer in Pearl Drop, while Gaia has more of a sparkle. But if you're not feeling nitpicky, or you don't feel like splurging $23 on a nail polish (Zoyas are only $7 a pop), you could lay down a coat of any white cream (like Essie Marshmallow) and do two coats of Gaia over it for a super close color. Bottle comparison:

The only other white-with-gold shades I can think of are OPI At First Sight (which was wayyy too sheer. I hated it) and Rescue Beauty Lounge Moxie (which I believe is discontinued. And also way too sheer), which has too much of a dull greenish hue to it (L- Moxie, R- Pearl Drop):

Moxie has the flash, but it just doesn't have the clean, snowflake white base that Gaia and Pearl Drop have. As best shown here:

SO. Is Pearl Drop worth it? If you really love white polishes and collect as many as you can, or you just really love Chanel, then yes. If not, stick with Zoya's Gaia- because it's close enough.

The Lipstick Wars: Chanel Rouge Coco Shine vs. Dior Addict

It seems as if makeup companies are in a war to see just who can come out with the best, most luxurious (i.e. most expensive) lipstick. Yves Saint Laurent Rouge Volupté and Gloss Volupté. Guerlain Le Rouge G. Dior Rouge Dior. Chanel Rouge Coco. YSL Rouge Pur Couture. Lancôme L'Absolu Nu. The list goes on.
I feel like some old-timer, talking to young kids about the good ol' days when I see how many pricey new formulations are out there: "I remember when high-end lipsticks were around $20!".

With spring's arrival and summer on its way, two companies in particular are competing with sheerer, glossier formulas: Chanel just released their Rouge Coco Shine lipsticks, while Dior revamped their Addict Ultra-Shine line. Rouge Coco Shines retail for $32 a tube, while Addicts go for $28 a tube. Chanel's come in 18 shades, while Dior's are available in 44 (with extra shades exclusive to stores like Sephora). Chanel's packaging wins, hands down in my opinion (come on, it's Chanel ;): a slim black rectangular tube with a gold band and the Chanel logo on the top of the cap. Dior Addict's packaging is bigger, chunkier, and futuristic: a clear plastic rectangular cap with a silver band, while the tube is rounded and silver, with a knob on the bottom. When comparing the formulas, Dior Addicts are slightly more moisturizing and longer-lasting on my lips. 

I own two of each lipstick; Dior Spotlight and Nude, and Chanel Biarritz and Cavalière. Here are the tubes, side-by-side:

And some comparison swatches (L-R, Chanel Cavalière, Dior Spotlight, Chanel Biarritz, Dior Nude):

Too Faced Glitter Glue Review + Glitter Eye

In Sephora the other day, "Glitter Glue" by Too Faced caught my eye. It's an eyeshadow primer specifically formulated to lock down loose pigments, shimmers and glitters. You can use Glitter Glue under or over eyeshadow. I really don't wear glitter often, but I love shimmery shadows and have a lot of loose eyeshadows. I already own Shadow Insurance by Too Faced (I own Urban Decay's Primer Potion as well, and alternate between them), but my curiosity got to me and I wanted to know if this lived up to it's claims.

It's exactly the same size as Shadow Insurance, and both are in slim squeeze tubes. So what's the difference? Shadow Insurance is slightly colored, darker in color, with a creamier and thinner consistency. Glitter Glue looks whitish but once blended is clear (truly clear), and is actually somewhat...like glue! It's a little hard to squeeze out of the tube, and it's thicker and tackier than Shadow Insurance.

Shadow Insurance on the left and Glitter Glue on the right in all photos:

I figured that since this is Glitter Glue, why not go all out and do a crazy glitter eye to really put it to the test? I saw the Spring 2011 Louis Vuitton campaign in the new In Style, and the models are rocking a total glitter eye, albeit a chic fashion version. There's gold on the lid; a plummy pink up to the brow (on Raquel Zimmerman), on the lower lashline and extending outwards, and black liner on the waterline. Brows are bleached and penciled in with a very thin line, only along the top. I don't own too many glitters, apart from a couple by MAC and a few from Zink Color (not affiliated with them in any way- just putting it out there. The Silver 3D is awesome- it's holographic). I'm using Zink's here, and they're quite nice. Inexpensive, cosmetic grade glitter in a variety of colors. Light Gold and Rosette:

Rosette is really bright, but it'll have to do. I wanted to test out Glitter Glue's claim that you can apply it over eyeshadow, so I laid down a very light wash of Bobbi Brown's Copper Sand eyeshadow over completely bare lids (I have no idea why my brows photographed as nonexistent in these photos):

I applied the Glitter Glue (two very small dots) all over my lid, up to my brow and even under my lashline, since I was going to pack glitter on everywhere. Ladies (and gents)....Glitter Glue is awesome. The glitter adhered beautifully and it did not fall off! The only "fall out" was the occasional excess from my MAC 239 brush. 

Rosette went over my crease, up towards my brow bone, under the lashline, and I extended it towards my temple. Light Gold went all on my lid, MAC Feline Kohl Power pencil went along my waterline and top lashline, I curled my lashes and applied two coats of Rimmel The Max Volume Flash mascara. I really should have used some falsies for this, but in all honesty it was a last minute sort of thing on my part, so that's why I didn't bother. An interesting side note about the effectiveness of Glitter Glue: you'll notice there is a sort of bald spot near the inner corner of my eye. I purposely didn't apply the Glitter Glue there, and sure enough, the glitter didn't really stick!

I feel like Lady Gaga....I just need an egg. A friend's brother saw this and asked, "Are you going to Rio for Carnival?" Haha. Guys... ;)

This entire look stayed and removed easily with my usual eye makeup remover (I use the Neutrogena oil-free one).

Too Faced Glitter Glue: Better Than Regular Primers For Eyeshadows?

Yesterday I reviewed Too Faced Glitter Glue and saw how it held up to an over-the-top glittery eye (which it did...fabulously!). I began to wonder if Glitter Glue would be even better than my usual, everyday eyeshadow primers (Too Faced Shadow Insurance and Urban Decay Primer Potion). The short answer is: no.

Since Glitter Glue is formulated to "lock down" loose pigments, shimmers and glitters, I did an eye of the day using a Fyrinnae loose eyeshadow. Well, Glitter Glue does indeed lock down color- it's outstanding for patting shimmer/ color/ glitter on in my experience- but blending was very difficult to do because of its tacky texture; a problem I do not have with my usual primers. Perhaps someone with really oily lids might like using this for all shadows, but it simply didn't work for me when it came to blending. My eyeshadow did stay all day, however.

For this look I used Fyrinnae Apparition loose pigment on the lid, MAC Sable eyeshadow in the crease, and Urban Decay Twice Baked on the outer corner and along the lower lashline. MAC Teddy went on my upper and lower lashlines, and YSL Faux Cils was my mascara of choice:

Even though Glitter Glue can't do it all, I still love it- but I'll be using it solely for shimmers and glitter from now on :)

Revlon ColorBurst Lipgloss Swatches, Part 2

So (L-R) Orchid, Pink Ice, Hot Pink, and Strawberry finally arrived today:

I was surprised by how glittery these were- the previous ones I reviewed reminded me a lot Chanel's Glossimers, while these instantly made me think of MAC Lustreglasses.

Orchid is a frosty lilac pink that is similar to MAC Cultured Lipglass, only with this is heavier on the silver shimmer.
Pink Ice is a very sheer (Revlon really skimped on the pigment with a few of the light shades for this line!) ice pink glaze with silver sparkles. I really thought this one would be something like Chanel's frosty baby pink glossimer, Brilliance, but instead it looks a lot like Revlon's Super Lustrous Lipgloss in Shine City, only pinker. Nice for some shine, at least.
Hot Pink is a cool fuchsia pink with silver glitter that instantly made me think of Barbie.
Strawberry is a popsicle shade of corally red with bright pink and silver shimmer. Strawberry and Hot Pink will be awesome summer shades.

Swatches (L-R: Orchid, Pink Ice, Hot Pink, Strawberry):