My Easy Everyday Neutral Face - Mini Reviews on Some of My Favorite Products

Being a commuter in LA means that I have to wake up early if I want to escape the morning traffic jams.  I don't know about you, but I am definitely not a morning person.  I'm impressed that my half-asleep, zombie-like self can even apply makeup properly.  On these sort of days, I like to just stick with what is easy to apply, requires minimal blending/careful application, and is quick.

Here are the products I reach for most on a daily basis, arranged in no particular order:

1.  Lancome Teint Idole Ultra in 140 Ivoire (N), $45.  This is my favorite foundation at the moment.  

• The good:  It has awesome coverage (medium to full) so I don't need to use concealer with it, but it still manages to feel surprisingly lightweight on the skin.  This shade is a pretty much perfect match for me (I found it after an arduous search through lots of foundation samples).  It also gives the most lovely finish on my mostly-oily skin.  It's definitely mattifying, but allows a bit of my natural oils to come through.  The end result is that I look really healthy and glowy without going into greaseball territory.  I get a lot of compliments on my "dewy" (more like controlled oily!) skin when I use this foundation.  Also, it does not clog my pores.
• The bad:  It tends to cling to any dry patches I may have in the most unattractive way.  If my skin is not properly exfoliated and my moisturizer/sunscreen/primer has not absorbed completely, it balls up and looks horrible.  Luckily, I let my moisturizer dry while I brush my teeth/fix my hair, and I let my sunscreen and primer set while I do my eye makeup, so this isn't an issue 99% of the time.  If your skin is more on the dry side or if you have issues with peeling skin/dry acne spots, I do not recommend this foundation.

2.  NARS Radiant Creamy Concealer in Light 3 Honey, $28.  Used as my undereye concealer.

• The good:  My undereyes are the driest part of my face and are pretty dark (noticeably so from the rest of my complexion).  This concealer is my HG because it has the perfect consistency - not too dry, but not too slick.  I have no problems with creasing, it feels lightweight, the coverage is really good, and it lasts all day.  This particular shade is actually very orange on me, but it works wonderfully to correct my purpley-brown undereye circles.  I use it as a corrector and a concealer in one.  I used to love my Bobbi Brown Corrector in Peach for this, but the NARS concealer has way better lasting power.
• The bad:  This isn't really a true negative because I use this shade for correcting/concealing, but this concealer does not brighten the undereye area.  But that's okay because of the next product...

3.  YSL Touche Eclat Pen in 2.5 Luminous Vanilla, $40.  Used as my undereye brightener (and sometimes a cheekbone highlighter).

• The good:  It has a lovely, light consistency that lends itself to layering.  It noticeably brightens my undereyes, giving me a bright-eyed, awake look.  It doesn't crease and lasts all day on me.  Don't get this if you want to use it as an actual concealer AND brightener.  The actual coverage is minimal.  It also looks lovely as a highlighter on the tops of the cheeks and anywhere else you want to emphasize.
• The bad: Nothing really comes to mind, except the price.  I only need a very small amount though, since most of the heavy-duty lifting is done by my NARS concealer.

4.  Chanel Joues Contraste Blush in Rose Initiale, $43.  My all-time favorite blush.

• The good:  The prettiest rosey pink ever.  I'm kind of obsessed with rose-colored hues, and this is my favorite by far.  It's very flattering and natural on my skin, like a MLBB shade for my cheeks.  The pigmentation is great, it's very easy to blend, and it's long-lasting.  It has a very slight sheen to it - just enough to give a little bit of a flattering glow to the cheeks.  No visible sparkles or anything to worry about.
• The bad:  None, except again perhaps the price.  Blush, however, lasts a really long time and I have even less of a problem paying this much for my Rose Initiale than for my Touche Eclat.

NARS Blush in Day Dream (Limited Edition)

I'm a bit late getting to this review, but I wanted to mention this NARS blush in Day Dream from the Guy Bourdin collection before it's gone!

The blush is a true matte peachy pink.  Day Dream is very natural and gives me a nice bit of color on the cheeks.  The pigmentation and lasting power is quite good as well on my oily skin.

This blush is limited edition, but the only difference in packaging is in the box.  The actual compact itself looks exactly like the regular NARS blushes.

Is this the most exciting blush?  No, not really.  But it's a great neutral, no fuss color.  I'm happy with my purchase.  I personally love peachy pinks on my light-medium warm complexion and Day Dream fits right into my blush collection.  As far as colors like this go, I don't like ones that are too peach because they pull orange on my skin.  Day Dream has the right amount of peach and pink (leaning a bit toward pink), in my opinion.  

Also, I enjoy having matte blushes on hand for days when my skin feels a bit more oily than usual.  I find that on those days, my skin looks dewy enough on its own.  For us oily-skinned makeup lovers, it can be a fine line between a nice glow and looking greasy.  Matte blushes are great because it's easier to stay on the side of looking radiant and fresh.

Now for a quick comparison - NARS Orgasm often pops up somewhere in the discussion of peachy pink blushes.  At first glance, the two look very similar in the pan (except for Orgasm's obvious golden shimmer).  Here are some differences between the two:

Orgasm:

• Very sparkly.  I have to use a light hand with this one (admittedly, it's kind of been pushed to the back of my blush drawer) because the shimmer is sometimes too much on my skin.
• The actual pigment of Orgasm is a little pinker.  It gets its peachyness more from the golden shimmer as opposed to the actual color of the powder.
• The overall pigmentation is a little bit stronger.

Day Dream:

• Truly matte.  There are no sparkle/shimmer particles anywhere in this.
• Peachier than Orgasm, but just slightly. 
• A little less pigmented (not overly so), which contributes to it looking more natural on the face.

Is Day Dream the matte version of Orgasm?  Not exactly, but it comes pretty darn close.  If you're like me and enjoy the color of Orgasm but not its sparkles, then I suggest giving Day Dream a try.

Swatches (Day Dream vs. Orgasm):

Price: Usually $29, but currently on sale at Nordstrom.com!

Rating: 8.5/10

Burberry Light Glow blush in Peony

This Light Glow blush in Peony is my first foray into Burberry Beauty and I have to say, I'm happily impressed.  I've always really liked Burberry - my love for trench coats and outerwear in general started with going to the Burberry store with my mom as a young girl.

The first thing I noticed about this product was actually the box's textured packaging.  The faux-canvas feel of the cardboard is quite pleasant to hold in the hand (too bad it's not getting any more use from me) and a nice change from the typical glossy, fingerprint magnet boxes of other brands (Chanel, Dior, etc.).  Does anyone else dislike it when they're buying something obviously unused and unopened, but still has tons of muddy fingerprints on the box?  It's really not a big deal, haha, but it made me enjoy Burberry's packaging from the get-go.

The actual packaging of the blush is amazingly luxe.  It's sturdy, solid, and feels expensive.  No flimsy plastic here!  The metallic, reflective top of the blush has the classic Burberry check pattern across it.  The closed lid is held in place with a strong magnet, giving the packaging a very streamlined and elegant feel.

I have to say that I'm more than just a sucker for good packaging, haha.  I can't help but notice the details in these sort of things and I enjoy seeing the beauty behind the design of anything, whether it's cosmetics, furniture, art, graphics, clothing, decor - you get my drift.  Burberry Beauty definitely does it well.

Now, onto the actual product itself!  Peony is a perfect neutral pink on my light/light-medium skin.  For me, the level of pigmentation hits a sweet spot.  I like my blushes bright and vibrant - but with super pigmented blushes, I have to be very careful not to over-apply and I need to make sure it's blended well.  Peony is pigmented enough that I don't need to work too hard for it to show up on my skin, but not so much that I have to apply it so gingerly and delicately.  

It is definitely on the matte side, but with a very slight satin finish.  The color and texture of the blush help perk up my complexion and give me a healthier look.  My sister asked me today at lunch if I was doing anything different with my makeup.  I asked her why, and she replied, "Your skin looks so smooth and glowy!"  I'm pretty sure this blush contributed at least a little to that, haha.

I was also impressed with this blush's longevity.  Peony lasts well on my oily skin and holds up to multiple blotting sessions.  It does have fragrance to it, but it doesn't bother me too much.  I find the scent of Chanel Joues Contraste blushes to be much more overt and noticeable.  Overall, I see myself reaching for Peony quite frequently in the near future.

Swatch (lightly applied):

Price: $42
Rating: 10/10

Chanel Ombres Matelassées in Charming (Holiday 2013)

I'm planning on travelling a bit this holiday season, and realized that I don't own a travel-friendly, basic, neutral palette. It gave me a perfect excuse to pick up this lovely Chanel Ombres Matelassées eyeshadow palette in Charming.  Now, I usually don't go for Chanel eyeshadows because the quality usually isn't up to par with it's high price tag.  But after reading raving reviews from other people and swatching it in store, I decided to just go for it.

Packaging is standard Chanel.  I like this palette for travelling because it's protective, not too bulky, and light.   The large mirror is also handy.

When it comes to eyeshadow, I'm a neturals girl all the way.  I enjoy seeing bright and more adventurous colors on other people (and dabbling in them myself from time to time!), but when I'm sleepily applying my makeup at 6:00 AM in the morning, I tend to just stick to what I know works on me.

This palette comes with 5 colors that I can create almost any eye look with.  The pans are unlabeled, so I'll describe them from left to right:

• A shimmery, light pinky-beige highlight.  This one is very close to my skin tone and is nearly invisible in my swatch picture.  The shimmer is lovely, though!  Useful for the inner 1/3 of my eye and in the inner corners.
• A matte, neutral/slightly warm brown.  Perfect for adding natural depth to the crease.
• A sparkly, coppery brown.  Contains a fair amount of gold shimmer.  My personal fave!  I'll be using this as an all-over lid color.
• A matte darker brown.  I imagine this one might lean a little warm on other skin tones, but it looks very neutral on my skin.  This would be good for darkening the outer 1/3 of the eye.
• A matte, dark purpley grey.  This one is interesting - not quite purple, not quite grey/taupe.  I love lining my eyes with this.

Overall, I find the pigmentation and lasting power to be quite good.  Not mindblowingly, Earth-shatteringly amazing, but definitely above average and perfect for everyday use.  The things I like most about this palette are its perfect combination of colors, travel-friendly packaging, and solid quality.  Plus, who doesn't like a little luxury in the things they reach for the most?

Swatches:

Price: $80
Rating: 9/10

Chanel Rouge Coco lipstick in Liaison

Today I have a review of one of my favorite lipsticks, Chanel Rouge Coco in Liaison.  I was talking with my aunt and mentioned how much I love this shade - and she promptly sent me three more tubes of it in the mail, haha!  She's amazing.

Liason is a perfect MLBB pink shade on my lips.  It's a lovely neutral pink - not too bright, not too nude.  I usually blend it out with my fingertips for a natural, slightly sheer effect.

Liaison has a satin finish and is decently hydrating on my (very) dry lips.  The formula is among my favorites.  Overall, it makes my lips look very healthy.  It's not the most long-lasting lipstick out there, but I personally prefer more moisture over longevity any day.

The packaging, of course, is beautiful and timeless.  I adore Chanel products.

Swatch:

Price: $34
Overall rating: 9.5/10

Welcome to Makeup Maison!

I've contemplated having my own little beauty blog for a while now - and today, I finally take the plunge.  My love for makeup translates into also loving reading about products, seeing pictures, going over reviews, and swatches.  I always consult blogs/review sites before buying anything, just to see what other people have to say.  So, I thought I'd contribute my humble opinions as well.  :)