Above: Freshly reformulated, just in time for fall releases.
The opulent La Prairie Skin Caviar Concealer + Foundation (originally reviewed HERE) has recently undergone a reformulation. Ever the obsession for skincare and foundation aficionados, I am happy to confirm that the fundamental beauty of this revolutionary formula is intact, along with a gorgeous packaging update, a fresh shade selection and an improvement in lasting power!
Kindly scroll on for more details, swatches and images of the new La Prairie Skin Caviar Concealer + Foundation in action as well as the Bottom Line...
Above: The coordinating concealer
Now housed in the iconic blue packaging, synonymous with the La Prairie skin caviar heritage, the La Prairie Skin Caviar Concealer + Foundationcomes in 12 shades, ranging from light alabaster to deep ebony:
Honey Beige...the perfect match for my current NC 27 skin (swatches below).
Soleil Peche
Amber Beige
Soleil Beige
Mocha
Caramel Beige
The foundation feels slightly more lightweight than the original installment; a few dots of the silky formula, buffed out from the center of my face creates lovely medium coverage that can easily be built up to full with a touch more. The difference lies in the feeling and finish on the skin. Despite having sensational coverage, I feel like this formula is more lightweight in texture and the finish is a touch more radiant (though not overly glowy). It blurs pores and smooths skin for an airbrushed effect that withstands environmental obstacles like heat, sun and humidity.
The nourishing formula is kind to sensitive skin, offers SPF protection and wears flawlessly for hours on end; to demonstrate, I took the images of the foundation on my face (later on in this post) in 95 degree heat and humidity after 4 hours of touchup-free wear. This foundation truly covers a multitude of imperfections while looking like absolutely nothing on the skin! Additionally, the corresponding concealer offers even more pigment and coverage; be mindful however, a little goes a long way to brighten and lighten dark circles and discoloration.
All in all, I am beyond pleased with this luxurious base option; it is an investment, but bear in mind that one is getting skincare benefits, foundation and concealer (much less, flawless skin) in a single entity!
Above: The paddle applicator enables facile distribution of the formula...just a few dots of product creates a medium to full coverage finish.
Skin Caviar Concealer + Foundation is a luxurious cream emulsion that offers full natural-looking coverage while an exquisitely matched concealer camouflages under-eye darkness and deeper flaws while helping to support skin elasticity. The combined formula supports firming with legendary caviar extracts. It includes a foundation sponge and precision concealer brush in addition to a 2x magnifying mirror in the cap.
How to use: Shake well before applying. Smooth and blend with a foundation sponge for desired coverage. Coverage may be built by adding another light application as needed. For use as a concealer, pat onto skin with your fingertip over foundation. Use the concealer brush to blend away edges. You can also apply prior to foundation and blend with a precision concealer brush.
Above: Swatches of Honey Beige foundation (heavy and blended) and the corresponding concealer in direct sunlight.
As aforementioned, Honey Beige is a spot on match for my NC 27 skin; it has a neutral to warm undertone that blends seamlessly and the corresponding lighter-toned, highly pigmented concealer banishes darkness upon contact!
*Hourglass Arch Sculpting Eye Pencil in Ash to shape, groom and intensify the brows. Recently, Hourglass came out with new shades in this marvelous formula, which acts as a pencil, wax and groomer in one. Ash (a neutral medium brown) is a perfect match for my dark brows, which have absolutely no red undertones!
Surratt Beauty Relevee Mascara and *Pointelliste Mascara (reviewed HERE and also available at Barney's NY) to darken, lengthen and volumize upper and lower lashes. The Pointelliste version is stellar for bringing new definition to the lower lashes...I adore the diminutive brush.
*Estee Lauder Pure Color Envy Lip Potion in Fierce Beauty (also available at Neiman Marcus) alone on the lips; this gorgeous new formula offers extremely light and comfortable full coverage and a hydrating texture that makes lips look full and lush. Fierce Beauty is a mid-toned warm pink cream that instantly brightens the face and feels fresh for fall.
Above: Swatches in direct sunlight.
Above: I am wildly impressed with the Estee Lauder Pure Color Envy Lip Potion and Fierce Beauty is an excellent everyday pink. I cannot wait to try other shades in this formula!
Above: The Hourglass Arch Brow Sculpting Pencil features an angled pencil with immense pigmentation for smooth application with the slightest amount of pressure.
Above: Two Surratt Beauty mascaras worth their weight in gold...my lashes love this splendid formula and the thin brushes ensure that every lash gets its due attention.
Above: All about eyes.
The following images reflect all products in action in various lighting situations...
Good things ahead, including more foundation, some favorite beauty gadgets and a host of new fall releases...I am also in the midst of responding to your emails and comments...thanks, as always, for your patience and support ; )
The Tom Ford Fall 2015 Beauty Collection has yielded many gems thus far...from pressed powder foundation (reviewed HERE) to one of the most gorgeous illuminating duos known to mankind (reviewed HERE and HERE), the latest boon to hit the scene are new shades of the opulent lip color (available at Nordstrom and Neiman Marcus). I couldn't help but indulge in four hues that luxuriously address my insatiable desire for peaches and pinks on the lighter side of the spectrum!
Kindly scroll on for more details, swatches and images of the lip color in action as well as the Bottom Line...
Above: Which new Tom Ford Lip Color shade am I wearing?
Above: My selections.
In addition to the four new lipsticks, I also recently procured a fresh pair of sunglasses (shown below and throughout the post). The Tom Ford Marcellos are a bit of a departure from my normal gravitation towards oversized styles but there was something so classic about the sleek and sophisticated black, gold and green combination and I couldn't help but wear them when we shot the lip color!
Above: The Tom Ford Marcello Sunglasses feature a black metal frame with gold accents along the top and sides. The deep green lens offer an excellent respite from the piercing end of summer sun and the (virtually invisible) nose pads keep the pair from slipping down the nose.
Onto the lip color...
Above: A stunning quartet, no?
When selecting the shades (sight unseen, I might add) from the new color offerings, I chose to remain within my general comfort zone, confident that my chance for disappointment could be mitigated by predictability...with names that included "coral," "pink," "peach" and "lilac," I was sure to find delight:
Naked Coral(also available at Neiman Marcus): The boldest of my choices, this creamy light coral (which, up to this point was an Asia-exclusive) has little to no shimmer and a lovely, reflective shine finish. It is less warm/orangy on my lips than both Spanish Pink and Skinny Dip and remains a stunning, color-fast coral for the duration of wear.
Forbidden Pink(also available at Nordstrom): This may look similar to Naked Coral in the tube and even in swatches, but on the lips, this once only-Asia exclusive is decidedly more pink in tone. Warm and bright, with the slightest hint of luminosity, this shade is unlike any of the past pinks in the Tom Ford lineup. The only shade that even comes close is Pink Dusk, which is less shimmery, more opaque and much more mauve than Forbidden Pink. This shade has marvelous pigmentation and delivers instant life to the face without heading into fuchsia or hot pink territory.
Bare Peach(also available at Neiman Marcus): The lightest of the shades I ordered, I was a touch concerned that this past Asia-only exclusive might be too light. I am happy to say that it is not! It is easily warmer and darker than Vanilla Suede (which has a similar, slightly shimmering finish) and can be worn alone for a quintessential peachy nude look.
Lilac Nymph(also available at Nordstrom): I love the fact that this stunning cool-toned violet pink is a brand new shade in the Tom Ford lineup. It is more purple and distinctively darker than Lips and Boys Flynn and carries a vibrancy that the more muted pinks in the line do not possess. It has a very creamy (read: non-shimmery) finish and is highly pigmented, easily proving to be the most opaque of the four shades I selected.
All in all, I am over the moon for my new Tom Ford lippies; each of these shades are a novel edition to my collection and the color-saturated, highly moisturizing and long lasting formula will forever rank amongst my favorite. If you have a penchant for pinks and peaches as I do, then I implore you to consider these four hues!
Above: Tom Ford Naked Coral.
Above: Tom Ford Forbidden Pink.
Above: Tom Ford Bare Peach.
Above: Tom Ford Lilac Nymph.
Above: Swatches in direct sunlight with a flash.
Above: Swatches in mixed outdoor lighting.
Above: Swatches with a flash.
The following images reflect all four shades and the Tom Ford Marcello sunglasses in action...
Bottom Line: I adore the latest Tom Ford Lip Color releases (available at Nordstrom and Neiman Marcus) that I selected. Each shade is drenched with pigmentation, offers impressive hydration and boasts competitive lasting power; the fact that they are unique both in my Tom Ford collection and lip color agglomeration at large makes me additionally pleased!
What do YOU think about these shades? Will you be picking up any of the new fall hues?
Also, I am quite enchanted with my Tom Ford Marcello sunglasses...something about their timeless lines compels me to believe that I will be wearing this pair for years to come.
Good things ahead including fresh foundation swatches, more fall releases and a skincare update!
Devotees of the transcendent BY TERRY line have been eagerly awaiting the arrival of the latest Eye Designer Palette(previous palletes reviewed HERE), now available at Beautylish. The appropriately-monikered "Magnet'Eyes" is an entrancing mix of deep, shimmering teals, lush neutrals, cool blues and a brilliantly unexpected chartreuse for a fresh take on the classic smoky eye.
Kindly scroll on for more details, swatches and images of Magnet'Eyes in action as well as the Bottom Line...
Above: The palette comes with a dual-sided brush for shadow application and eyeliner precision.
In addition to its inherent visual beauty, the *BY TERRYMagnet'Eyes palette possesses an utterly unique collection of textures and shades. If you found the Smoky Nude pallete (reviewed HERE) to be too matte for your preferences and the Colour Design palette (reviewed HERE) to be too bold for your taste, then the Magnet'Eyes release is likely just for you.
The ten shadows, which can be worn wet or dry, are supremely silky and pigmented with great color payoff (all swatches that follow are a single pass of the shadow on the skin). The five shimmering shades play in the teal, green and blue family whilst the creamy mattes reside in neutral territory. In my initial experience with the palette, I found the shadows to blend beautifully with each other while demonstrating creaseless, long-wearing performance.
From a finish perspective, the shades with the shimmering satin finish have a gossamer feel that glides on and adheres to the skin without any trepidatious fallout. And although the matte shades have no visible shimmer, they still yield a touch of buttery luminosity when swatched and worn...brilliant!
Shade Descriptions (from top row L-R):
Peacock green with a shimmering finish
Matte taupey-brown cream
Shimmering midnight navy blue
Matte grey-meets-bone
Incandescent shimmering baby blue
Matte, lush chartreuse green
Shimmering teal green
Soft cloud white
Shimmering teal blue
Radiant peach (looks matte but has a smidge of shimmer)
INGREDIENTS: Talc, Pentaerythrityl Tetraisostearate, Zea Mays (corn) Starch, Octyldodecyl Stearoyl Stearate, Phenyl Trimethicone, Zinc Stearate, Synthetic Fluorphlogopite, Sorbic Acid, Sodium Dehydroacetate, Tin Oxide, Silica, Alumina, Magnesium Oxide, +/- [mica, Ci 77891 / Titanium Dioxide, Ci 77491 / Iron Oxides, Ci 77499 / Iron Oxides, Ci 77492 / Iron Oxides, Ci 77288 / Chromium Oxide Greens, Ci 77000 / Aluminum Powder, Ci 75470 / Carmine]. Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Talc, Hydrogenated Polydecene, Paraffinum Liquidum / Mineral Oil, Zinc Stearate, Synthetic Fluorphlogopite, Hydrogenated Styrene/isoprene Copolymer, Silica, Sorbic Acid, Sodium Dehydroacetate, Cobalt Titanium Oxide, Tin Oxide, +/- [mica, Ci 77499 / Iron Oxides, Ci 77891 / Titanium Dioxide, Ci 77510 / Ferric Ammonium Ferrocyanide, Ci 77000 / Aluminum Powder, Ci 77007 / Ultramarines, Ci 77510 / Ferric Ferrocyanide, Ci 77492 / Iron Oxides].
Above: Textures abound.
Onto the swatches...
Above: In direct sunlight.
Above: In outdoor shade.
Above: In direct sunlight, with a flash.
Above: In outdoor shade, with a flash.
Above: In direct sunlight with a flash.
Above: All three BY TERRY Eye Designer Palettes (first two swatched HERE).
Above: Too much BY TERRY to handle, no?
Above: Magnet'Eyes Menagerie.
To compliment the cool-toned, subtle intensity of Magnet'Eyes, I gathered a small grouping of products that riffed off of the peachy neutrals in the palette to create the beauty look that follows.
Products Used:
*Kjaer Weis Cream Foundation in Just Sheer (formula reviewed HERE)...I am loving this foundation more and more; it boasts excellent coverage, all-natural ingredients and impressive lasting power...close up soon!
*BY TERRY Magnet'Eyes Palette...I covered my lids (to the brow bone) with the peachy shade as a base, added the chartreuse shade along my upper lid for depth and color and placed the first teal/peacock shade (top left corner) in my crease with a shadow brush. I then dampened the eyeliner side of the included brush and used it to run the midnight navy shade (top row, third color) along my upper lash line (like a liquid liner). Finally, I swept a touch of the peach and lighter teal (bottom row, second from right) shades along my lower lash line for definition.
Above: Swatches of all products in direct sunlight.
The following images reflect all products in action in various lighting situations (shot during the Golden Hour)...
Above: Last look.
--Shop the Post--
Bottom Line: The BY TERRY Magnet'Eyes Designer Eye Palette--which is limited edition, I might add--is a breath of fresh air in a sea of traditional smoky eye options. The shimmering shades are pigment rich, chic and sophisticated and the matte neutrals provide an anchoring wash of color, making this palette suitable for all hours of the day and night. I cannot laud the chartreuse shade enough...let's just say that in my vast collection of shadows, I don't own a single hue that even comes close to this color.
All in all, Magnet'Eyes is a gorgeous addition to the BY TERRY eyeshadow family. The combination of the versatile yet distinctive shades offer endless looks, thereby guaranteeing that the hearts (and eyes!) of luxury beauty lovers will be captivated by this fresh fall release.
What are some of YOUR favorite BY TERRY products? Will you be indulging in Magnet'Eyes?
Good things ahead, including foundation swatches, fresh fall releases and a green-beauty closeup!
