HIGHLIGHTER

Two prettiest highlighters from Spring 2016 Collections – Chanel Perles ET Fantaisies Illuminating Powder VS Dior DiorSkin Nude Air Glowing Gardens Powder in Glowing Pink

March 13, 2016

This spring there are two must-have lust worthy gorgeous highlighters to collect – the Chanel Perles ET Fantaisies Illuminating Powder, and the Dior DiorSkin Nude Air Glowing Gardens Illuminating Powders in Glowing Pink. First of all the designs of both powders are to die for, as well as the quality and the finish are just flawless and look extremely flattering on fair to medium skin tones as you would expect from a premium beauty brand. Both products are limited editions, and it seems the Dior is already sold out everywhere in the US, but I think you can still find them in Australia. I am combining these two products into one post as they are quite similar in terms of finish.

The texture of Chanel Illuminating Powder feels buttery silky smooth. It is so creamy and finely milled that when I rub my fingers over the powders I don’t feel any grainy and powdery texture. Both the white and pink powders are pigmented enough with one to two swipes to show the color and give a glowing effect. It is not as intensely pigmented as some other highlighters such as the Nars and the Becca (reviewed here). I actually prefer this level of pigments, meaning I can easily create a soft glow effect without worrying of being overdone.

comes with a mini fan brush

The white powders applies to a translucent shimmery icy white color which also makes a great color to highlight in the inner corners of the eyes. The pink color is beautiful, when it is applied it actually doesn’t show up as barbie pink as it looked in the pan. It is a translucent shimmery baby pink that adds just a perfect touch of fresh color as a highlighter to the face. When mixed two colors together, the pink adds a touch of warmth to the white, and that gives a natural, lit-from-within glow without looking frosty. Highly recommend this illuminating powder if you are after a pretty luxurious product that gives a natural glow, and it works well on fair to fair/medium skin tones.

Swatches

The Dior Glowing Pink Powder gives a very similar illuminating effect as the Chanel. The texture is also superb, and the powder feels slightly more firm and not as moist as the Chanel. It doesn’t enhance pores, and also sets beautifully on dry skin. The color is a pale delicate pink with a hint of champagne pearl tone to it, so it would work better on warmer skin tones. The finish is a tad more shimmery than Chanel, imparting a radiant dewy glow to the skin.

comes with a mini kabuki brush

Swatch:

Comparison Swatch:

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Labels: CHANEL • DIOR • HIGHLIGHTER • POWDER

Becca Jaclyn Hill Shimmering Skin Perfector Champagne Pop Highlighter Review and Swatch

January 15, 2016

Today’s review is for the highly in-demand highlighter – the Becca x Jaclyn Hill Shimmering Skin Perfector Champagne Pop Pressed Powder . Their shimmering skin perfector products (come in liquid, pressed powder and cream forms) have always been the best sellers for Becca, especially with shades like Opal and Moonstone that are the absolute staples in many beauty guru’s makeup kit. The Champagne Pop, released in collaboration with youtube guru Jaclyn Hill combining with her fan base, was pretty much set for an immediate success as it was sold out worldwide for a long time. It is now finally back in stock at Sephora Australia.

Texture

It feels buttery soft and creamy to the touch, and silky smooth to apply with the tiniest amount of product going a long way. For $38 each, the texture is as superb as the higher end highlighters such as Tom Ford’s and Charlotte Tilbury’s.

Finish

Ultra pigmented and shimmery. It’s not the usual illuminating highlighter that adds just a soft glow to your face – this offers some serious highlighting effect which is best for creating a glamorous sculpted and lifted glow to the cheekbones. I would not recommend applying this all over the cheeks and forehead as it will just look too shimmery under daylight. For application, I like to use an ultra soft and fluffy brush for picking up less product for a softer finish.

Color

Absolutely breathtaking! It is a warm pale peachy gold shimmer with a hint of rose gold sheen, and this color would look absolute perfect on medium warm skin tone. On my NC15-20 complexion, it leaves a tinge of color and looks slightly too warm on my skin. It’s best to be used on top of a peachy, or peachy pink blushes (such as classic the Nars Orgasm) so the colors compliment. I have used it with cool pink blushes and they seemed a little odd together.

Swatch

Comparison swatches with Charlotte Tilbury Filmstar (review); Tom Ford Illuminating Duo Moonlight (review); Bobbi Brown Shimmer Brick Pink; Nars Albatross (in the swatch only)

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Labels: BECCA • HIGHLIGHTER

Tom Ford Skin Illuminating Powder Duo Moodlight Review and Swatch

September 13, 2015

The Tom Ford Skin Illuminating Powder Duo Moodlight was finally released in Australia last week, and as expected it was all sold out within seconds in the Sydney store. I am very glad that I got my friend to bring me back one from the US (available here!) as I knew I wouldn’t stand a chance to get hold of this in Australia. The powder duo is absolutely gorgeous that completely surpasses my expectations. If you miss out on it, it seems Selfridges now ships some of Tom Ford products including this illuminating duo to Australia! And they are also taking the 10% VAT off at the final checkout.

The Powder Duo comes in a signature Tom Ford luxury case. The texture of both the highlight and bronzer powder are creamy but firm, and feel extremely silky smooth. Both powders contain very finely milled micro shimmer, and they are probably the best powders with shimmer I have ever used. With the highlight powder, once it is applied on to the face it blends into the skin seamlessly. I am amazed that there is no trace of this powder on my face (hence it doesn’t enlarge the pores at all), just an illuminated glow that is natural but noticeable. It serves its purpose as a highlight powder, and it makes the skin look radiant, plumped and dewy under the natural sunlight (not frosty). If Tom Ford just releases this highlighter individually, I would definitely buy 10 of these!

The golden bronzer is a multi-purpose shade. Once it is applied, it doesn’t look as dark as in the pan, so depending on your skin tone, it can be used either as an illuminating powder for adding a warmer glow, or can be used as a light bronzer on fair skin for adding a touch of color. Because it contains shimmer I wouldn’t recommend using it for contour. For me I apply the highlight powder from the apples of the cheeks towards the temples, then I mix the highlighter with the bronzer, and apply it around the side of my cheekbones just to add a multi dimensional glow to the face. I have received tons of compliments on how good and healthy my skin looks lately, even though I have had the flu for a week!

Color Description:

Highlighter – A vanilla beige color with a pale rosey gold sheen.

Bronzer – A medium golden sandy brown with silver sheen. Hint that it also makes a beautiful neutral eye shadow!

Swatches

I haven’t reviewed a brush for a while…so I thought I’d include some brush recommendations for this product in this post. I choose what brush to use depending on the texture of the product and of course the purpose and the applied area. With this powder duo, I wanted a more precise application that gave a soft wash effect, so the brushes I picked are all on the higher end – they are very soft and fluffy and are designed to pick the pigments softly.

Brush Recommendations (from left to right) : HAKUHODO J511 Highlighter Brush (similar by MAC here); CHIKUHODO Z-Series Z 3 Contour; Suqqu Cheek Brush; Shu Uemura 17 Brush; CHIKUHODO GSN 02 Cheek & Highlight Brush (short handle version here)

Last but not least, I have included a comparison swatch between this and the Tom Ford Shade and Illuminate Highlighter and Contour Duo (reviewed here) and Charlotte Tilbury Filmstar Bronze and Glow (reviewed here).

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Labels: BRONZER • HIGHLIGHTER • Tom Ford

Chanel INFINIMENT Illuminating Powder Review and Swatch

August 9, 2015

Every year Chanel releases an exquisite limited edition illuminating powder of which many makeup enthusiasts deem it as a collectable item. This year the Chanel INFINIMENT Illuminating Powder is no exception – it looks breathtaking, smells amazing and it is also a practical powder that would wear beautifully on most complexions. As always, this product is flying off the shelf in Australia. I am not sure if it is available in other countries now, so best to give your Chanel SA a call.

The main part of the powder is a light beige color, with the interlocking C in slight shimmery peachy color embossed in the middle. If you look carefully, the signature Chanel logo has a delicate weave texture that just shows how intricately made this product is. The powder is very finely milled and feels buttery smooth and silky to apply. It gives a semi-matte finish with a hint of illuminating effect. Depending on your skin tone, on my NC15-20, I would say this is more of a setting powder that adds a healthy warm glow to the skin (very similar to the effect that Chanel Les Beige Powder gives). On a darker skin tone, this would work more as an illuminating powder.

Swatch of Chanel Infiniment Illuminating Powder

If you are wondering if it is necessary to have this powder if you already have the Chanel Les Beiges in the lightest colors such as NO1 or Mariniere 01 (reviewed here). I personally prefer the finish of Infiniment. The texture feels more creamy, and it also offers better coverages as it gives a more opaque and air-brushed finish so it completely covers the pores and blurs out other imperfections. It is also more long lasting and heat resistant. Of course the fact that this is highly coveted and limited edition is always a reason to get your hands on it!

Comparison swatch between Chanel Les Beiges NO1 and Infiniment:

Heavy swatches – left Chanel Les Beiges No1 (all colors mixed), Right Chanel Infiniment (all colors mixed)

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Labels: CHANEL • HIGHLIGHTER • POWDER

Chanel Les Beiges Healthy Glow Multi-Colour Powder in MARINIÈRE 01 – Summer 2015 Collection

June 27, 2015

A very late review for the Chanel Les Beiges Healthy Glow Multi Colour Powder in MARINIÈRE N01 (right) from the Les Beiges Summer 2015 Collection as I have had it for a while now. I have also included the Healthy Glow Powder in N01 (left) from a previous collection in this post as it is very similar to the MARINIÈRE in terms of finish and color when it is applied on to the skin. Both powders are limited edition, so if you missed out on the first one, be sure to grab a shade from the 2015 collection!

The Les Beiges powder is designed for enhancing skin’s natural beauty with a healthy glow and a hint of color. The powder has a lovely delicate “classic Chanel” rose fragrant – I love the smell of this every time I open the case. The ultra silky and creamy powder applies like a dream as it never looks cakey no matter how much you apply, and helps to blur out the pores with a touch of coverage. It comes with a high quality high moon shape brush, that is versatile enough for applying the powder over the entire face, or for shading and highlighting purposes.

MARINIÈRE contains strips of light peachy beige color and pinky lavender color with very fine silver shimmer. The finish is very natural, and it goes on semi-translucent with a brightening effect when applied 2 colors mixed together. On my NC15-20, I can use this as a setting powder that adds a touch of warm glow to the complexion without the visible shimmer. The hint of lavender tone helps to counteract the dullness as well as for brightening. I love a setting powder with a subtle brightening effect, especially with a lavender undertone for my yellow skin as it really helps my complexion to appear more fresh and youthful. (For Asians, the older you get the more dominant the yellow tone!)

Swatches

comparison swatch between the two LE powders

The Chanel Les Beiges Healthy Glow Powder from the Summer 2015 Collection (LE) is currently available here and here.

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Labels: BRONZER • CHANEL • HIGHLIGHTER • POWDER

Marc Jacobs Beauty Instamarc Light Filtering Contour Powder 02 Dream Filter Review and Swatch

June 18, 2015

I picked up the Marc Jacobs Beauty Instamarc Light Filtering Contour Powder recently which has become an absolute necessity in my makeup kit now. The matching Shape Contour and Blush Brush is also fantastic and works really well with the product.

My first impression of the palette was that it was huge. It is housed in a very large pan with a big mirror, and each bronzer/highlighter contains 0.31oz of the product. Compared to the other contour kits in the market, this set is absolute great value for money. It comes in 3 colors – Dream Filter 20, Mirage Filter 40 and 60 HiFi Filter. The bronzer shade in the 20 and 40 are very similar, and for my complexion (NC15-20) I could go with either of them. The main difference between them is that 20 has a stronger pink hue in the highlighter shade and 30 has an dominant undertone of yellow/beige. Since I have a cool complexion and I have an affection with pink colored makeup I went for the color Dream Filter 20 in the end.

The powder of both the bronzer and the highlighter is very silky and finely milled. When they are applied with a kabuki brush, they are blended into your skin seamlessly like a natural shadow and highlight effect without looking cakey and powdery. The bronzer is pigmented and is easy to blend (no bronzey patches on the skin!), and it is a medium neutral brown that would work as an ideal contour shade for most fair skin types without looking too warm or muddy. It is also completely matte so it mimics a natural shadow effect for sculpturing the jaws, cheekbones and the nose bridge as well as creating a slimming effect. The highlighter has a silky and creamy texture and is slightly opaque which can be doubled as a setting powder, that provides a subtle brightening effect with a hint of pink hue, and some coverage that helps to blur out the pores.

Heavy Swatch:

Bottom Line: An easy to use high quality contour kit that creates natural looking definition and contour. I also highly recommend the Shape and Contour brush for application which will be covered in another post.

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Labels: BLUSH • BRONZER • HIGHLIGHTER • Marc Jacobs

Les Neiges de Diorsnow Rainbow Powder Review and Swatch

April 20, 2015

If you have been drooling over this highly coveted limited edition as well as Asia Exclusive Les Neiges de Diorsnow Rainbow Powder, the good news is that it is available here worldwide. The bad news is that it is currently sold out on the site, but you can add the item to your wishlist and it will notify you once it is in stock. I did that and I was thrilled that I got a notification within a week!

When it comes to a limited edition or exclusive makeup, it is all about the design and the color. The DiorSnow Rainbow Powder is an ultimate collector’s item – it’s so pretty and whimsical, and makes my heart skip a few beats every time I look at it. The matching pink Dior brush is also a thoughtful design that “completes” the product. It is not the softest brush I have used, but it’s portable and cute, and is good enough to pick up the color for a quick application.

It consists of 4 different colors, in a beautiful mosaic print with a snow flake and the Dior logo laser imprint. The colors work together to softly brighten and counteract the yellow tone in your complexion. When it is applied it goes on almost translucent with a touch of lavender undertone. It is more of a setting powder than a highlighter that brings a subtle luminous glow to the skin but it doesn’t provide any coverage. The texture is very finely milled and silky smooth, and it sets beautifully on my dry skin (including the under eye areas) without enhancing the flakes and lines. The finish is very natural and semi-matte. If you don’t like shimmery highlighter, this product works particularly well for providing a subtle brightening effect and taking away the dullness in your skin.

The overall use of this powder does remind me of the cult Guerlain Meteorites Pearls in 02 Claire. The only difference would be that it doesn’t have any shimmer, and it provides a better brightening effect as the color is slightly more opaque.

Swatch of DiorSnow Rainbow Powder

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Labels: DIOR • HIGHLIGHTER • POWDER

Chantecaille Le Camouflage Stylo Corrector Pen Review and Swatch

March 27, 2015

An under-eye concealer highlighter pen is one product that I can’t live without. For years I have been quite loyal to the renowned YSL Touche Eclat, and it has now been officially replaced by the latest Le Camouflage Stylo Corrector Pen from Chantecaillie.

Chanetecaille is known for their luxurious base makeup products. Yes they all have a hefty price tag, but everything I have used so far is truly worth the splurge including the Future Skin Foundation (one of my HG foundations reviewed here), the amazing Loose Powder as well as this new concealer pen. I was immediately sold to this product as soon as I read it contains hyaluronic acid and lots of other hydrating and brightening ingredients. And it totally lives up to my expectations, as this formula feels very hydrating so it makes the skin appear slightly plumped and less dull looking which is excellent for the delicate area under the eyes. It has a very lightweight milky texture (slightly more runny than the YSL ) that gives a natural and luminous finish. It sets crease-free and doesn’t settle into the lines. As an under-eye concealer, the lightweight formula is enough to take away my mild dark circles with just a small amount of product. And it also works brilliantly as a liquid highlighter as it gives a subtle light-reflecting brightening effect.

I bought the concealer in shade 1 (has a pink undertone), and fyi shade 2 is very similar to 1 but with a yellow undertone. Here is a swatch of Chantecallie Le Camouflage Stylo Shade 1 against the Chantecaille Future Skin Foundation in Alabaster.

Bottom Line: The best highlighter pen I have used so far! If you love the Future Skin foundation, you would absolutely love this one! The Chantecaille Le Camouflage Stylo is available at Nordstrom in the US, SpaceNK in the UK, and Net-A-Porter with worldwide shipping.

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Labels: CHANTECAILLE • CONCEALER • HIGHLIGHTER

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