The NARS haul

I have been delightfully surprised by NARS spring range for 2012. Not that I have bought a lot, yet, but I really like the zest that comes from the colours.

Quite unexpectantly, for me at least, NARS released some other products as well. Actually, I already saw a promotion of the tinted moisturizer in some British glossy, so I wasn't completely surprised.

What did I get:

• The Pure Radiant tinted moisturizer:

• The 143 BLKR eyeshadow

•  NARS threw in the freebie with the discount code: the Blush Super Orgasm in a mini size and their latest Pro Prime Pore Defining Primer

1. Pure Radiant Tinted Moisturizer in St. Moritz

Clearly, I went for the tinted moisturizer: I really like their Sheer foundation but I have days that less-is-more and I do not want to go out completely barefaced but still polished.

As for the colour, I went slightly darker because I wear my tinted moisturizers the most during summer. In summer I have a slight tan (mostly from faux-tans, my dears). Actually, I got another one than I initially ordered: I'm quite sure I decided to go for Annapurna (medium with peach undertone) and gotten St. Moritz.

St. Moritz has been described as a Medium with a neutral yellow undertone

Still, it looks matching on the browner tone of my arms (the colour I will resemble most in summer).

I haven't been trying it that much because I just got it. According to NARS it "helps reduce the appearance of hyperpigmentation and dark spots for a brighter natural glow".

 I'll keep an eye on that claim and hope to see the results on that one.

As for the finish: It really reminds me of my favourite Urban Decay tinted moisturizer. It smoothes down some irregularities without masking the face. I actually prefer it over Urban Decay right now, because it absorbs a bit faster into the skin.

       2. Freebie Pro Prime Pore Defining Primer

A NON-silicone emulsion that feels like a moisturizing milk. It feels really nice on the skin and I don't feel that too-present feeling that some silicone primers have.

Also, I just tested it once. I think it defines some of the larger pores and slightly contracts them. It isn't, like the silicone ones, a spackle buster (putting silicones in your pores to fill them up). I think more of it as a temporarily tightener for pores.

    3.     143 BLKR eyeshadow

NARS' compacts looks so beautiful when just out of the box

I have read tons of raves about Lhasa and it looked really good in swatches. I also had seen 143 BLKR online and seen them compared with Lhasa.  

Lhasa looked like the easiest, to go for taupe. That made it also a bit too similar to a couple of other taupes I have. Seeing the lavender undertone of 143 BKLR I decided I needed that one. Also, the fact that it is more difficult to get from other websites than the official NARS website. I'm a sucker for difficult-to-get, limited edition stuff: call it the hoarder and collecter in me :D

So beautiful, this dusty lavender

Yes, I have been trying it and I really like what it does to the greenness of my eyes. Also, as a bit of a fashion-lover, I like how it is a sort-of pastel colour without going sugar rush on me. It's like a grown-ups woman ticket to a bit of pastel on the eyelids and defining the colour.

I have read some reviews about bloggers regretting going for 143 BLKR over Lhasa and I believe it is a more complicated colour. It actually veers to the cool side and some eyecolours do not really come to live with a cooler hue. In general, I think reading a couple reviews of women who have similar colouring/eyecolour and makeup-strategies as you do can help you to decide if you need/want this shade.

I won't review the mini blush Super Orgasm. I would never use it on my cheeks because Hello Glitter but I actually like it as a peach colour on my eyes. It is pigmented as an eyeshadow too.

He he, nice one NARS. Still considering the Mexican Rose lippencil...that colour looks too good to pass away.

Sweeten my Lips: 2 new peachies

It was the moment I gave up on being able to purchase my Chanel Rouge Coco Shine Lipstick in Flirt that I finally came into a shop that
1. had it in stock
2.had a lovely salesperson to sell it to me.

I finally was able to buy it!

I wonder why they combined the name 'Flirt' with 69, coincidence? or not?

So what is that tall & skinny Lavshuca lipstick standing next to it? Well, Lavshuca was my pity-buy for not being able to have the Chanel. But you know the moment you order a look-a-like online that faith brings you into the arms of the true one..

Ok, I actually like them both a lot for different reasons: they are also not alike at all. Lavshuca is a safe, neutral peach and Chanel is the happier peach with a slight dose of bright/neon quality in it...the sheerness makes it subtle enough to wear it for the lipstick-safe among us. 

In Dutch we would say 'he he', which is something like 'fjew, finally' or such...:D

Kose Addiction eyeshadow Tiny Shell 059P (spring 2012)

About a week ago I talked about my delight of seeing the softer and peach-inspired colours of the new Spring collections in makeup.I have still been modest with buying newbies, wich was in some cases a mandatory thing and you know why if you read my mid-weeklies of yesterday  ("~")

But I caved with one thing of Kose Addiction line

I kind of liked the idea of a summery instead of spring-like summerlook and their Sandcastle release has this kind of dreamy atmosphere.

 I often wonder why a cosmetic brand chooses for a specific face: Kose Addiction, something I talked about before, often chooses quite Western looking models. Ok, Western is a wider concept these days but I mean the run-of-the-mill beachy blonde types that are supposed to be really Western. This model had some wonderful intervention from her hairdresser to get a sort of buttery shade that matches the sand-dune idea so this time it makes a bit more sense. I also see that her face is a bit wider and her eyes are a bit slanted so she might either have a tendency to look a bit Asian (another big concept for so many types).

I only went for the most-anticipated personal makeup musthave, and that was the perfect peach eyeshadow. I saw a colour that had peach in it with the delightful name of Tiny Shell, so I picked that one.

Ayako, the makeupartist that is the hand behind Addiction, 'escaped' from NARS to launch his own line. The line still has some NARS-like elements in it, for example the black packaging with the minimalistic name on it.
What he doesn't do, Hurray, is the crude name element that Nars love to add at his products. He he, I'm certainly not the only blogger slightly blah about his names. Ayako, instead, sometimes hints towards sexuality and I could certainly see what 'tiny shell' could implicate besides of the Sanddune theme, but it is also easy to absolutely not notice this at all. Also, Ayako really likes Lady Gaga, because he has an eyeshadow called 'Bad Romance' (a stark matte purple) and I think he launched 'Pokerface' lately.

 Tiny Shell absolutely has the shell-like quality when opening it. It is a part of his P (pearl) collections, so the whole pearly pinkish peach colour is there.

(notice that the eyeshadow doesn't have a mirror inside)

Somewhat a Bobbi Brown Colour and slightly more highligher-quality than a true peach:

I swatches this baby and it has some excellent covering without primer. It is lovely for opening up eyes with a lighter colour without really being a highligher. The colour is somewhere between a pearl and a metallic shade, which makes it perfect for slightly older eyelids.

However, it is not completely the peach I had in mind. But no worries because I already found my perfect peach with my last Dolce & Gabanna haul from Harrods (yes, the foundation wasn't my piece of cake but I L.O.V.E. the Nude palette)

So, I compared both to show how the Kose Addiction is more a light pinkish peach shade instead of a full on peach.

Also, D&G has less shimmer pigments so it looks a bit flatter on the eyelid.

Oh, I wish I had the best of both worlds because the shimmer in Kose Addiction Tiny Shell is really stunning and brings my eyes more to the surface, whereas D&G Nude (peach) has the perfect colour. I think I will pair them both when doing a peachy EOTD so that will be peachy.

I bought my Addiction at ichibankao.

Wishlist Collection Spring 2012, part 2

1. Shiseido Maquilage Spring 2012 True Rouge lipsticks

Maquillage released a new selection of eyepalettes too, but my true love in this brand is the delicious way they make lipsticks. I am always stunned about the way they make the perfect MLBB mauvy rose colours that I keep on coming back to (even after having the Diors, Burberry's, a Suqqu, the Lavshucas, the Kanabo Kate's, and ehm...lotsa more).
And the curiosity factor: I am not sure how this formula will be like, so I want to try this one for 'research', he he.

The only gripe is that they do not come cheap (oh, and the packaging) but they are absolutely worth it. RS749 looks like my signature colour but I am lemming something more pink or corally this time, so I think the PK 315 will satisfy my rosy pink needs and the featured BE748 looks like the perfect nudy coral.

2. Anna Sui Rose Cheek Colour:

There are cosmetics I don't need and cosmetics I don't really need at all. Blush is the latter category... And then, ahhhh....they are the cutest shaped ones and the colours.... Swatches can be found over here... 

3. is 3....Three

It's already a really expensive mystery brand to me and this collection looks like something I could totally wear. Uhm, I hardly resemble the model but I have sort of reddish hair (thank you Christophe Robin) and similar skin eyecolour and this looks like something I could wear and flatter me.

But to take the plunge on a mystery brand that is difficult to google (not so handy of the brand) for swatches and is rather expensive for a lucky gamble I think I will wait a bit longer. However, I like her eyeshadow a lot, so I hope I will find some more links, sometimes googling in the brand's language & product names helps...(eg. I found some product pictures over here)

Mid Weeklies

Last Week, simply

It's all about the Spring 2012 Makeup collection.

Lots of pretty faces or even more cute furry ones to promote a large amount of gorgeously toned and fresh makeup. Looking at the trend I see romantic moods and soft peachy hues take the main stage. The best antidote to the (return of the) less optimistic economic times.

I have lots of lemmings indeed...I kept modest and ordered only one eyeshadow from the Kose Addiction line. I fell in love with Chanel Flirt lipstick, but haven't purchased it yet, and am looking forward for the moment Burberry Spring 2012 will be launched.

Overall, it's spring...at least in the makeup-world (that's quite good already)

Beauty Spotter: NARS Spring collection on Euro-site

My title is quite explicatory. Yesterday the collection wasn't there yet and today it arrived:

Temptalia has swatched and reviewed it (here), Karen swatched these (here), the beautycafe has pictures of the products (here).

Personally, I'm drawn to the fun and slightly fuschia Mexican Rose lip pencil, the Bilbao lipstick looks nice but I'm not completely drawn to NARS formula. The Paramaribo duo eyeshadow looks extra tempting because the Netherlands have a (Colonial -shame shame) past with Surinam and the colours really represent the natural beauty of the capital of Surinam, Paramaribo.

The blush will leave some (cool toned) ladies have their heart beat faster, and although quite a unique colour, I think I will skip upon a bubblegum pink colour.

What are you planning to get from the NARS Bright Bold Iconic range?

Beauty Spotter: Lunasol spring 2012 collection

I spotted some of the Lunasol Sping 2012 collection on adambeauty.

 This will probably their most anticipated product, the eyeshadow quads. Quite beautiful and in a range of soft colours:

Still, I wait for other reviews to come in to see if I will get me a quad.  I found some swatches over here and here plus Yuki has swatched the whole collection. The 01 Sweet Peach looks really lovely.

Also, a couple of new colours in the cream cheek range has been launched, EX5 Rose Coral, EX6 Pink Coral and EX7 Coral Orange (here).

A new blush product has been launched as well, allthough I don't like the cheap packaging that reminds me too much of Benefit blush (but with the Lunasol pricetag). 

What I haven't seen is the eyebrow pencils, the lipgloss, the lipstick and the nailpolish. I've spotted the eyebrow pencils, the tube lipgloss & the lightning eyes on gooddealer.com (put Lunasol in the search column). The rest (lipstick, other lipglosses) will probably be launched soon.

Adambeauty has them in now so it might be something for you.

Wishlist collection Spring 2012

I am quite delighted with the new spring-colour featured with Asian and Western brands. They are released in the late winter, which, just like a snowdrop, gives you hope for spring to arrive.

One of my favourite collection must be the one from Kose Addiction: The Sand Castle edition

Perhaps I like this collection because it hints more towards summer than spring.

Moreover, the dusty, duny, sandy colours are so gorgeous. And I know Kose Addiction is stellar in making an excellent formula.

For more upcoming collections of new Spring collections I would advise to look at Rougedeluxe (here), who is always ahead of the newest releases.

For me it will be a matter of patience and frequently visiting ichibankao and mihokoshop for the SandCastle edition to launch.  Yikes, they are already there on ichibankao!!!!

I really like Bobbi Brown Rose Collection too, but for Addiction value I like the look of this one the most right now...

Ps: What is your ultimate spring 2012 lust-have item/collection?