Surratt Lipslique in Perfectioniste

Everything lipstick is always permitted in love & war

Or for my 2nd Surratt I picked a lipstick with the quintessential name Perfectioniste:

It has been described as a 'Pinky Rose' which is an easy 'me'-colour. Or, it has been for a couple of years. Lately I venture i
on newer lipshades that are different from the inoffensiveness of rosy nude. For oldtime sake, and the heck of comparing it with my other rosy ones, I took this one:

I cannot think of any product-hoarding, newbie-curious beautyblogger who is not slightly a perfectionist at heart. A beautiful Dior lipstick: so nice, but that latest edition of Chanel might be better for that specific occasion.

My lastest precious lipstick falls into the thin & portable form.

We've seen a black tube before, but a closer look shows a graduation between a matte and a slightly glimmery surface. It twists up at the bottom.


The colour of my new lipstick did not dissapoint.

Though it looks like your average peachy pink, it has a vividy blue-pink dimension that shows in the swatches.

The formula feels a bit waxy. Now I'm spoiled to bits with cushiony lipsticks. In this case, comparing will do too:

I'll keep it a bit more specific and bring in the names & numbers (& repeat swatches later):

1. Christian Dior Serum De Rouge - No. 740 Rosewood Serum
2.  Mac Slimshine Lipstick Intimidate
3. Lavshuca Moist Melting Rouge RS 2
4. Shiseido Maquillage moisture rouge rs305

5.  Marc Jacobs Beauty 110 Role Play

6. Chanel Rouge Coco Shine 52 Fetiche

7. Lavshuca Moist Melting Rouge PK 6

8. Benefit lipstick Um Um Uh

9. Giorgio Armani sheer transparant lipstick 10

 

 So let's do the swatches again:

1. Dior 740 is a different hue (brownish rose) but I put it in to show a different opacity compared to Surratt: Dior feels creamier instead of waxy and covers the lip better.
2. MAC Intimate is a hint cooler than Surrat, also with a dewier look.
3. Lavshuca rs 2 is rosier and is my favourite formula of all lipsticks featured.
4. Maquillage has a more nude/rosy tone.
5. Marc Jacobs RolePlay is the sheerest one and feels light but not too moisturizing.

5. Marc Jacobs Roleplay, as before with a sidenote of it looking less pink and more mauvy/nude.
6. Chanel Fetiche has more of a mauve/rosy undertone.
7. Lavshuca PK6 is a rosy nude with no real pink notes
8. Benefit is another mauvy/rosy MLLB
9. Armani 10 is a brownish rosy with a sheer untertone.

What makes Surratt Perfectioniste so cool is the way it lights up pink in certain light, and looks like the demure MLBB in other light:

Airplane view!

Conclusion: Sweet & different enough with that cheeky pink glow.
 

Talking about lipstick & war (more here):

I just love these glossy posters

The Cheapskate Way to Expensive Makeup

Happy Easter!  

I have been into makeup for a couple of years and have both access to cheaper and some more expensive brands. I love to compare both, see if the niche is aaaalways better (or not), and want to share some tips of how to do The Cheapskate Way to Expensive Makeup

1. Fast Technology and family 

 Huh? 

Fast technology, think how brilliant Armani Fusion Makeup foundation has been since 2012 and how L'oreal made a clone-tastic variety in 2013 by Nude Magique Eau de Teint (review here , here & here). Another one, how revolutionary was Kerastase Elixir Ultime and how fast it has been replicated by the zillions of other hairoils?

Family, brands like L'oreal often have a zillion subbrands that sell someting similar under a diffferent name & cheaper pricecard.  For example the beautiful Kerastase - I think that the L'oreal Professionel line can be just as good or even more expertised. They often have the same technologies and laboratories as Kerastase but are in slightly less polished bottles. They are often used abundantly by hairdressers and they know their stuff.

 2. Sample, Sampling Samplinged!

Buy your things at places that are often generous, bug ask the Sales Assistent what would suit your skin most: and add "your skin is sensitive so if she would have a sample to try out"...etc etc. Find online places that sell samples instead of full-sized. How often do you really empty a full eyeshadow palette or a perfume? Not that much, right? Samping gives a good way of experimenting.

The Perfumed Court - niche perfume Samples

The Body Needs - Mac pigment samples (I'm so passed MAC but I used to love them when my something in thirtysomething wasn't that much yet)

Various mineral Makeup shops have dupes of the popular stuff, and often they are less chemical/friendlier for skin: eg Alima , Silknaturals, MeowCosmetics, lucyminerals, or find even more at Phyrra's blog.

For organics head over to naturisimo.com as you can take 5 samples per order, or the sample service of beingcontent.com.

3. Pretty face & a pretty wallet = good enough

 You don't always have buy the pretty box! Various brands sell refills that you can easily use without ever have bought the original packaging.

4. You can't always get what you want, but know what you need!

Enabling of bloggers often might make you think you reaaaallly gonna need the $100 eyeshadow brush they recommend, and about a 100 more of the same line/expensive range! But  you might not even be into an intricate eye with 8 different eyeshadows. So a couple of brushes is enough. Or perhaps you enjoy your Dolce & Gabanna perfume just as much or even more than the $200 Byredo/Killian/Ineke varieties out there. There's a reason the drugstore perfumes are more popular so don't feel enabled into going niche because Ms. X does. 

Ps: I do love the eyeshadow brush posts from bloggers like sweetmakeuptemptations. It's like beautyblogger's porn: something you would never do yourself but still looks so lovely if you would have so many brushes with all the skills and perhaps the right canvas (face) as well.

5. Read, Read, Read, & take the best

You already stumbled upon my blog so I guess you read beautyblogs.  Take the best of a brand! Most brands have something they really excel in. Some have a kick-ass eyeliner or the most amazing lipstick. Just take the cream of the Crop.

6. Go Global

Beautystandards are (still) different from place to place, and so does each countries' expertise on the 'beauty-goal'. Japan is being innovative in brightening skincare. On the other side of the spectrum, the UK loves their bronzed godesses so you'll find a high expertise and selection of selftanners. "French women don't get Fat"? Thanks to their zillions of anti-cellulite creams. And for makeup the US is absolutely present. So more choice, more competition, more expertise & lower prices by each country on their 'beauty-goal'.

I think there are a lot of other ways to look good for not that much cash, so I might do a follow up on this one. Please comment if you have some fab advices on going cheaper with the same 'expensive face'-look.

Ps: have an amazing day and please enjoy your naughty food too: I adore chocolate and it's actually a superfood (without the sugar, but hey, can't have it all...)

Using Used Gonna Use

I've been seeing so many tanning people on the beach lately that I positioned my bottles and empties in a similar horizontal position: (ps: not advocating tanning: wear sunscreen & hat!)

Eh ok, like people you do not see the labels (or who they are) so easily when they lie on their bellies, so: 

Used:               I have been using up a couple of skincare items.

a. The Omorovzica Gold Serum has been finished for more than a month ago: I started using it (see here), replaced it for Aurelia serum for a while (which I finished), and emptied this one too. I have to give the word like to it but it isn't love. I feel it firms my skin a bit, but for its price I consider it to be not the miracle product I think it should be. 

b. Bioderma Micellar Water: I gotten this baby size on one of my trips to Paris. Bioderma has a great cult following and I can see  and notice the easiness of this water. Nevertheless, since organic and natural varieties have stepped up the scene I think I prefer them instead. See also the bottle of my gonna use.

c. Akin Refreshing and Soothing Toner with Orange Blossoms: a lot of people suggest that the use of toners is completely unnecessary in skincare.  I believe in the ritual and aromatic powers of a skincare regime. Also, I love the feeling of removing the last trace of creamy or oily cleanser and preparing the skin in an aromatic way for the next step. This is my 2nd bottle being emptied and I love the orange flower in this baby.

Using: 

Armani Cosmetics Eyes to Kill in 04 Pulp Fiction: It has been my first Dutch Armani purchase. Not the one from the brick-'n-mortar store I discussed in the previous post, but an online purchase. I've gotten a velvety Rouge d'Armani 400 as a GWP. It's a longlasting red and I haven't been using it a lot: I am not a vivid red lip wearer but it is lovely to have a smaller size of this colour for if I ever want to splash out on a red lip. Or perhaps my friend who loves these type of lipstick is gonna convince me giving it to her (or steal it).

Pulp Fiction is a cult classic and I do not have to discuss why I bought and like it : )

Gonna Use:

My favourite (organic) micellar water from Melvita: Eau Fraiche Micellair. This is my 2nd bottle and I love how it agrees on my 'delightfully'  choosy skin. I could not buy it from my 1st provider because they suddenly did not want to ship it from the UK but I found another webshop who does. (not mentioning names cough, no really not gonna do).

Rouge d'Armani Sheers: some swatches

Pjew, I am trying to get into the beauty-blogger mode again.

Sometimes I have a beauty-strike when I notice that little helps and people say things like "oh, you are probably low-maintenance on beauty". I'd love to show them my Cosmetic Room that has +200 nailpolishes, at least 150 lipsticks in YLBB shades (not to mention the other hues) and the plethora of sheetmasks I still harbour like Rihanna must harbour her best friend (I love she has the same best friend, Melissa, since highschool).

 And then the moment arrives that I start to miss my groomed eyebrows (even though Clara Devigne-brows are quite the thing now) and I want to groom for myself again. And it's nice when other people notice my like for vanity too: I got this Rouge d'Armani Sheers lipstick sample from the new Armani Counter in Holland. I blogged about it here but only bought something online. However, curiosity and new-groomlike vigour led me to the real counter and I finally bought a blush I have been lusting about for 2 or 3 years (no 6 = ♥)

I got a couple of Armani Sheers to 'try out' and I have been liking its dewy and sheer colours a lot.

Close up: the Pink 500 has that gorgeous magneta tone with a splendid multiflecked quality:

Swatches:

My personal fave is Plum 600. I adore my lips in a wine-stained colour that is on a sheer and glossy side. Plum 600 seems to have all these qualities & feels moisturizing, comfortable and longlasting on my pout.
Pink 500 is a happy, vivid summer colour. Unfortunately, or fortunately if you are not in big chunky glitters, the multiflecked quality is only visible from really close.
Coral 300 is more of an orange, but with my cool reddish undertone of my mouth it turns into a more corally hue.

Ok, so this hasn't been the most review-y or swatch-accurate post in my blogger-history ever, but I am trying to start again and find my enthousiasm again! :-) Right now I love these colours and consistency and I probably will get myself a full-size of the Plum 600.

French Haul

A couple of weeks ago I was in Paris and I got some cute things...

 There is no way you can go to Paris and skip on the best Macarons in the world: Laduree.

And I went for the special edition of Les Marquis, only sold by the shop at 14 rue de Castiglione.

how could I resist this shopwindow?

Ofcourse, I digested one of them with my cute-as-a-button tea-set from La Chaise Longue

 To add, some funky candles from cultshop Colette:

Also limited editions. Hurray!

*artistic (Basquiat & Keith Haring)
*Funny drawings
*limited Editions
*they smell quite good too
(the candles can also be found on their website)

I went to the Keith Haring exhibition and it was really lively, although you might question if it is really art (but that's often the question around art)

I finally bought the quintessential French Shoe, the ballerina: Repetto ofcourse.

Window Repetto Rue St. Honore (they have several shops in the city)

A shoe that really looks like a ballerina shoe makes you feel like a little girl again.

 

 Talking about feeling like a little girl, I couldn't resist Pink Panther:

For the grown-up girl in me: the Japanese Vogue (Holland hardly sell these anymore, they used to)

So Paris gave me a funky smile (and three eyes) as Mr. Haring is burning smilingly...

spreading heady florals around the room.

 Overal, a cute city with a taste for sweet decadence.

Armani Cosmetics concealer: of Old and New

Often we are into that "new is better"-rut. Sorry to use the word "rut", however, that is what it sometimes feels like. I think most beauty-bloggers are totally triggered by everything that has "new", "limited edition" and...at a certain moment..."anti-ageing" will ring some bells too.

I stumbled upon my old Armani concealer as for finding a swap equalizer on Makeupalley. The reviews were quite good and the swatches online even better. Receiving it, I found a quite-near HG concealer I happily brought with me during the summer holidays

So newer-better-more-improved...and all the WOW and HG stories online made me buy the latest Armani Cosmetics Maestro Eraser in colour 4. The older one is the High Precision Retouch.

Ok, the size is bigger! But is bigger always better?

So they are joined sisterly online at the Armani Cosmetics site:

A bigger size and a higher price. Also, one extra colour to choose from.

Swatches:

 

Slightly yuckie Mid-blending swatch: to show new Armani ONLY needs a TINY dot for lotsa product

Last swatch: blended (only the bottom is slightly unblended for reference)

VISUALS:

• The old High Precision Retouch is a better match for my skin. 
• Both have similar to the same smoothing qualities over skin: I liked the old being diffusing enough but not too fake, and the new one diffuses similarly
• Both have the same thin-ness: both quite liquid with a emulsion quality.
• Maestro Concealer needs less product for more coverage

VERDICT:
After buying the new colour I have to say I am still really impressed by Armani's outstanding quality.  However, it is quite similar in my opinion, only the older version being a better colour match. Perhaps I should visit a counter once more to swatch all colours in both types, and see if the colour numbers match up too. The new tube-squeeze formula is more hygienic than the older almost-eyeliner-like brush, but you can work with hygiene by patting your eyeliner tip on a sanitised spatula. And, it's a matter of preference as well as the eyeliner tip-applicator is really handy for being on the road and the option to apply your concealer really precisely without having to bring too many other tools. 

CONCLUSION:
A fantastic new product, but just as good as the older High Precision Retouch in texture and coverage.

Armani Rouge 'd Armani Sheers in Bitten (Plums 600)

The time before the last time I encountered a Armani Cosmetics counter in Barcelona and I decided to stick with the thing that I couldn't buy online and I decided was my absolute summer essential: The bronzer in no. 1. It's basically the first blush or bronzer EVER to hit pan, so I had to back up. It's not online with the webshop that sells Armani online, and  I thought it would be the last time I would see a Armani counter in a long time (I didn't because Lissabon has them in Corte Ingles as well).

However, I got swatchy and sheerly fell in love with the sheers. My favourites among them the Purples and Plums: moody, slightly sexy but not too sexy like reds prefer to be, and an excellent match for my green/turquoise eyes.

Bitten translates on my lips as literary, a bitten stain with an equal and lustrious finish. Also a colour after drinking too much wine and having kissed with a delightful handsome man, deciding not to spend the night with him but looking at yourself in the mirror in you apartment and staring to you lips thinking: "they should make lipstick like that".
(Basically, vanity often wins it from sensuality with me...hehehe, but if you can combine both...)

Rouge D'Armani Bitten (600 Plum)

We do not have this scenario close to us all the time (basically, sometimes never) but I have this lipstick now and it kinda replicates this...without the wine and the snogging, nor with the idea that the handsome man calls you too much afterwards and seems to have a really weird voice you didn't notice when you had too much wine on and he practically didn't talk... etc etc...You know, everything has it's plusses and it's minusses.

One last time to admire the bullet it it's virgin state!

Now let's get that stain on again for autumn. Mhwah...

Armani-fied

I have been abandoning a part of my beauty-frugalism for the exceptional quality of Armani's Cosmetics.

I am eager to try their even-more exceptional new concealer: the Maestro Erasor in 4 (I really like their older one). A simple, but according to the raves really exceptional, eyepencil in black, and their delicious Rouge d' Armani Sheer in Bitten 600.

I received these samples and I've been wearing the Giorgio Armani Prive in Cuir Noir today: it's slightly masculine but also quite sexy: like coming into a warm cabin after skiing and finding a terrifically gorgeous and slightly muscular man waiting for you with some warm cocoa before the fireplace.

(I got my haul from parfuma.com and have no affiliations with them, just an eagerness for Armani cosmetics these days. I also have an eagerness for skiing since wearing the Armani Privee in Cuir Noir, but that's a whole different story (see above))

Using...used...gonna use..

I've been hitting the plateau of beauty frugality lately. First, it was being compensated by fashion exuberance in spending, then it was both, and now both seem to tone down.

Still, I have been using some things, swapping on makeupalley and want to revise some earlier opinions as well.

Using...Used....Gonna use...

Used: (and up for repurchase) Shu Uemura Full Shimmer Conditioner

Actually almost used: I bought this massively niche and expensive conditioner from Shu Uemura I'd discussed over here. This conditioners has actually been quite good: to be precisely...good in the form I have to discard my beauty-frugality soon to repurchase.
The thing is that my hair-quality have gotten slightly better by Kerastase Elixir Ultime Moringa and some haircuts too, so on healthy hair this makes it even more delightfully shimmery.

Using: Sunday Riley Starting Over eyecream

I really wanted to post about this one because today the retailer of this, cultbeauty, has a sale going on giving discount for a whopping 25 % with code FLASH25 (link)

It seems expensive and it actually is, but I have been using it since may this year, and you can see I haven't even used half of it. It is not the eyemiracle I have been hoping for, however, I cannot stop the complete ageing process and it actually makes my eyes appear more lifted and hydrated in the morning after I slept the night with the heater on (always turn off the heat at night, unless you live in Antartica). It is creamy enough for nighttime, yet fluffy and fast penetrating enough for hasty mornings.

To be used: Giorgio Armani Eyes To Kill

I received this gem during a swap and I'm dying to use it soon. However, I always seem to be distracted by the virginity of unused makeup and end up staring at it's sparkles and the way the logo still seem to be looking like freshly stamped in...

So swapping on makeupalley?

I've been swapping some beauties in the form of Burberry blush for my latest high end cosmetic crush Giorgio Armani. I looooove blush, but going to winter and seeing my skin going more wintery as well, I find myself into clowncheek dillema that looks fashionable on fashiongirls but basically clowncheek on me (seriously, I think it sometimes looks clowncheek on them too and I almost want to chase them with a stipping brush and blend*blend*blend that colour into something less russian-doll)
I know, and admire pale porceline princesses such as the stunning DrivellerKate flaunting a huge aray of blushes and making themselves even more ridiculously beautiful, but I'm slightly older with less perfect complection so I had to revise some of my stash to see if they would work if

• I'm in a hurry and cannot spend ages on blending/mixing with other colours
• smell ok (Burberry seems to get slightly sickening on me lately with it's hyper-rose scent)
• have a primer-esque quality without actually having primer (hence, not pore enhancing but smoothing)

FYI, the sale of cultbeauty.co.uk is still going on until today at midnight GMT and they have some delightful brands beside Sunday Riley. Again, the code is FLASH25 and international shipping is free after spending £100 (before discount, so after the discount I still got my free shipping even though it was under the £ 100).

Weekly Photo Challenge Yumeko: the Summer favourites

I will join one of Yumeko's photo-challenges for the first time and tell about some specific summer-favourites of mine. Read about the original challenge on Yumeko's blog here:

1. First Base:- Base Makeup

1. Green People Sun Lotion SPF25 Medium (Edelweiss Extract) This 82% organic, *just* SPF 25 is blocking the sunrays quite well and it's whitening Edelweis Extract actually does something more. 2. Kiss Me Sunkiller Whitening Water SPF 50+. If I really want protection and keep my face light/N20-ish; I reach for Japanese sunblocks, period! 3. NARS Tinted foundation in St. Moritz (review). I almost HG-ed my new Koh Ren Doh 123 but this is a darker tint which makes up for the fact my sunblocks worked too well keeping me paler. 4. Kanebo Freshel BB MoistLife (review). City-protection! The easy route being quite protected & covered and having anti-ageing/other benefits. 5. Lotree Rosa Davurica Powder Pact 25 (review) My fave summer-powder on the road. 6. Giorgio Armani High Precision Retouch. Cover enough & handy enough for diminishing post seasalt-water redness.

2. Second Base -Point Makeup
2.a. The Cheeky chatters...

1. Shu Uemura Pulse. In summer I often reach for a colour that DrivellerKate would call a "platonic colour" because it's so innocent.  Corals are perfect for creating that "standard sweet-girl look" that I make extra generic with a (faux) tan and faux-or-real smile. And my darling platonic blush. ofcourse.
2. NARS with that name that shouldn't be mentioned... I told my friend I wouldn't pay for anything called that so I got it by trading for another blush. For it's unromantic/technical connotations with either the film or activity it's a beautiful platonic pinky-peach done right like NARS can. 
3. Bobbi Brown Pale Pink: I have no idea what's so pale about this pink because it's medium toned pink but I like it's cooler hue a lot.
4. Giorgio Armani bronzer in 01: There is absolutely no orangy colour in it which makes it better for neutral to cooler skintones: it applies sheer and suits lighter complexions.
5. DeliPlus Color Colerete Multicolor:These are quite cheap & handy from the Spanish supermarkets and I picked it up during my travels.

2B-Let the eyes & lips have it!

1& 2. Teals, aquas & turquoises....bring them on...let my eyes reflect all tropical oceans. (Lunasol reviewed).3. The unbulgable Mascaras! (review) Kiss Me Heroine Make Curl Impact & Frame is the Superqueen of staying put... The Dejavu Tiny Sniper gives that cute Twiggy underlash look for sultry-hot nights. 4. Kiko! Lots of their waterproof eyecrayons. 5 Gold! Eyes need Paul & Joe eyegloss in 01 and for lips I have a French Lipgloss from Gloss Frisson that adds warmth. 6. My slightly battered case of Guerlain Rouge Automatique in Chamade 164. 

Base 3: Sunshielding Accessories:

Hats, Topshop sunglasses & scarfs...All there!

Base 4: the un-pong-ers

Perfume-wise, I have been loving the Annick Goutale Nimfeo Mio for a couple of summers and this year's new love is L'Été En Douce.

5. Base 5: The Rest:

 1.Xen Tan Self Tan Extra Dark. My fave self tan for face is the Collistar one, but for the body I use this. 2. Shower stuff...I live on mini's and showers with warmer weather. 3. Getting Footsy: Foot-healing balms such as Alexandro Pedix is for making up to my feet when I'd put them in unsuitable shoes. The Chanel Mimosa '11 is for a fun summer pedi. 4. Organic post-beach care: Wearing a high-duty Japanese sunscreen needs a good cleansing balm to get everything off, otherwise it's pimple time: Suti is quite good at it. Pukka's firming Face oil  is so lovely for treating post-beach skin.5. Rohto eyedrops:  Rohto is quite good in taking some seasalt-water redness out. Also nice when flying a lot.

Also a special mention to all my hairstuff I reviewed over here...

I would be fantastic if everyone tries to join this challenge and tell us what your summer-musthaves are! RougeDeluxe has joined as well. So comment on Yumeko's Bittenbefore blog over here and get writing, photographing and publishing!