Review: Tarte on the go blush/bronzer set

I had my eyes set on Tarte Amazonian Clay blushes for a while but never felt intrigued enough to actually purchase one. So when I saw this cute little set blush/bronzer at Ulta, I jumped to the opportunity. It contains a mini Dollface blush (0.11 oz) and a mini bronzer in Park Ave Princess (0.11 oz) ($15). They both have the same case as the full size version minus the mirror which I don't think it's a real loss. You can easily slide them in your makeup bag to touch up or travel.

 The design also resembles the full-size version.

The mini Dollface blush is a baby pink that mimics the blushing you have after a nice jog. It's one of those universal pinks that flatters all skintone. If you are fair, use a lighter hand.

The mini Park Ave Princess bronzer looks shimmery light caramel on my arms but it shows up rather sheer on my cheeks. It requires quite a build-up on my medium skintone.

Before purchasing this duo, I tested the full-size versions. The major different between them are the texture. This mini duo is noticeably drier than the full-size. And probably because of that, they both don't stay put pass 4 hours.

I love how handy (and adorable!) this duo is. You can hardly overdo these colors and the packaging is sleek. For price and the quantity you get, it's not a bad deal at all. Will I purchase this mini version again? No. I'd rather have a neutral blush that substitutes a bronzer and a wearable pink blush.

Here are some swatches....

Indoors

Outdoors, direct sunlight

Bottom line. Nice set for travel! if you can stuff one more blush in neutral color into your makeup bag, I would recommend you go with the blush. 

Review: Edward Bess Ultra Luminous Bronzer in Daydream

Continuing with my Edward Bess adventure, today post features one of his best sellers - Ultra Luminous Bronzer in Daydream (the deeper bronzer is Desert Sun). I got mine from Neiman Marcus and it is the former edition. His current bronzers are packed and shaded differently from the one I own. I recommend you check out Best Things in Beauty's review of the new bronzers.

The original bronzer in Daydream ($48 for 0.25 oz) is an ultimate neutral tan. It doesn't lean cool nor warm although it seems to have tiny golden shimmer that's barely noticeable. It warms up and lightens up my complexion, giving me a healthy looking skin. Daydream is highly pigmented yet layerable and blendable.

When swatched against Nars Laguna and Dior Aurora, Edward Bess Daydream appears rather similar  to the other two in the photo. My camera didn't capture the differences among them as mush as I'd have liked. Anyway, Daydream is the most neutral of the bunch and also has the least shimmer. The three share similar color depth although distinctive in undertone. Dior Aurora has more peach undertone and slightly more shimmery. NARS Laguna is the deepest shades also the most shimmery. NARS Laguna and Edward Bess Daydream have neutral undertone but Laguna is more golden while Daydream is more beige.

On my particular skin tone (medium with yellow undertone and a bit of pink), Edward Bess Daydream can look more neutral that I want if applied with heavy hands. Good news is - Best Things in Beauty has reported that the new latest version of Daydream has more golden hue that will suit a wider range of skintones. 

Direct sunlight emphasizes the shimmer of NARS Laguna and Dior Aurora.

The texture of Daydream is phenomenal, soft, smooth and delicate. It stays put at least 6 hours (I haven't worn my makeup longer than this recently), which exceeds my expectation. Blushes and bronzers tend to last 4-5 hours on me.

Bottom line. Love it! If you're a bronzer lover, you'll need Daydream. Even for someone like me who doesn't use much of bronzer either for contouring or as a blush, Daydream is still worth to own. 

Review: Physicians Formula Shimmer Strips - Vegas, Riviera, Miami, Waikiki (Part 1)

Physicians Formula shimmer strips ($12.95 for 0.3 oz) look incredibly like Bobbi Brown shimmer bricks. That's more than enough to intrigue my curiosity for a while. I finally purchased 4 quads - Vegas, Riviera, Miami, and Waikiki during an Ulta sale and prepared for a return trip if unsatisfied. And I never returned to Ulta for these.

The shimmer strips are designed as a multiple - bronzer, blush and eyeshadow. Each quad contains 5 strips, neatly and sharply divided. It seems that they are carefully made although I spot some quads didn't look that nice, possibly due to manufacturing error. Physicians Formula Shimmer Strips are housed in sturdy cases that surpass flimsy drugstore packaging. They look pretty and chic even though the transparent plastic will be scratched over time.

First thing first, are they good bronzers? Nope, not even close unless you scrub your brush into the strips and paint them literally on your face. The exception is Waikiki. Do they create healthy glow as promised? Absolutely yes. I did not expect such high quality highlighters that are comparable to high-end counterparts. All are highly wearable and easy to use. They match my skin tone perfectly and the shimmer is no at all overwhelming. They last through good 10 hours of running errand in the office. 

Waikiki is a almost dupe of Bobbi Brown Shimmer Brick Nectar, color-wise and texture-wise. The amount of shimmer, the peachy/coral undertone is right there. Waikiki is tanner than Bobbi Brown Nectar. It has the highest color-pay off among the four. Really impressive!

Miami, by the look, doesn't share anything with Bobbi Brown Shimmer Brick Pink Oyster nor Laura Mercier Rose Rendevous. However, the pinkish creamy glow is so similar to Pink Oyster and the undertone has the spirit of Rose Rendevous. I even love Miami better for its finely milled shimmer that nearly reaches the delicacy of Dior Star Diamond. Miami is my favorite of the bunch!

Vegas has the golden shimmer of Nars Albatros but doesn't own ivory color base, making it more wearable. Similar to Nars Albatros, it also looks too yellow on my warm skintone.

Riviera, while looks like a bronzed version of Bobbi Brown Pink Oyster, creates an understated glow of TheBalm Mary-Lou Manizer when I swirled the pearly white strip more heavily.

The color base integrated in these strips are really sheer. The glow mainly come from the shimmer rather than the base. My MAC-109 (a dense brush) type of brush only pick up the shimmer and not a lot of color. So they do look considerably softer and different on my face from my hand swatches. Swatches of these lovely quads are on the way.... December has been extremely hectic month. I can't wait for the holiday!

Recommendation. Great highlighters but not good bronzers. For the price and a great job as highlighter and eyeshadows, I'd say it's a must-have. If you always want Bobbi Brown shimmer bricks or Dior Amber Diamond but on budget, Physicians Formula Shimmer Strips are perfect alternatives.

Review: Dior Healthy Glow Powder in Aurora - A “New Look” Bronzer

I truly believe Dior has just initiated a new way to wear bronzers. When you talk bronzer language, we immediately think of “tan”, “sun-kissed”, or sometimes “sun-burned”. Brown is the more prevalent base of bronzers. But Dior Aurora can be worn beautifully as a bronzer and a blush, giving your skin a healthy blushing look. You would get this look after walking under the sun for a while and if you are healthy. Sounds amazing right? I cannot use words to describe how much I appreciate Aurora.

Dior Aurora - direct sunlight

Dior Aurora ($46 for 0.35 oz) is a unique bronzer thanks to its peachy pink tinted.  The powder is very finely milled with sophisticated shimmer. Many have suggested it flatter fair to light skintone extremely well. I actually found it surprisingly beautiful on medium skintone as well. I’m about MAC NC30 – Dior Skinude 031. Nars Laguna bronzer can look muddy on me if I forget to use lighter hand. But Dior Aurora gives me a subtle and healthy glow on the cheeks.

My swatches don’t do the justice. You gotta try Aurora yourself!! It's breathtaking, IMO. I would highly recommend you check this out in person. Bronzers look SO different on various skintone. Also, the Beauty Look Book compared Dior Aurora with the other star product of Dior’s summer 2011 collection- Dior Sunset as well as other popular bronzers of this summer. Her particular post on these bronzers is phenomenal. Cafe Makeup did a gorgeous makeup look with Dior Aurora. 

Current favorite look: Youthful and natural chic

While many of my friends venture into dramatic looks after getting used to with natural makeup, I am going to the opposite direction. This year’s spring and summer collections of my favorite brands like Dior and Guerlain really inspires me to incorporate more bright colors with neutral eyes. For the first time, I fell in love with a bronzer – Dior Aurora, though I use it more like a blush. I went a little bit crazy with not one but two quints of Dior Rosy Nude. 

1 - Dior Rosy Nude 5-color eyeshadow quint (LE - 2011 Summer Collection)

2 - Urban Decay 24/7 Whishkey/Zero

3 - Dior Iconic Mascara

4 - Dior Aurora Healthy Glow Powder (LE - 2011 Summer collection)

5 - Dior Amber Diamond Skin Shimmer

6 - Chanel Pink Teaser (2010 Fall collection)

7 - NARS Easy Lover (2010 Summer collection)

I know I left out Dior Amber Diamond - it's my staple highlighter, which I'd like to address it in a series posts on my favorite highlighters. 
I will share more thoughts on these amazingly beautiful summer items (Aurora and Rosy Nude) next month.