Haul: Sephora Collection and Tom Ford

It's been a while since I wanted to get some new makeup. Usually I crave. Not for the past 6 months *gasp*. Except for a few items from Tom Ford summer 2013 and Chanel Affinite cream blush, I didn't find anything impressive enough to splurge. Yes, even the galore of new beautiful bronzers!! I wasn't able to locate a single Chanel Affinite. So weird!! It appeared that most counters had the tester but not the actual blush. It's definitely my next purchase.

This haul all started with the idea of strong yet wearable eyeliner that make a statement in place of eyeshadow. I have no clue where it came from! After browsing through several department stores and Sephora, I settled for Sephora Collection 12 hour wear eye pencil in No 14 and 19. The first is a deep cocoa with subtle plumy shimmer. The later, also a shimmery shade, is a very deep forest green. Both are saturated colors, soft and creamy and glide on my lids effortlessly. Plus, they do look fresh for 12 hours! Phenomenal! 

So the rest of the haul just followed those eye pencils :D. I need a good eyeliner and smudging brush. Tom Ford #15. Then pale pink blush and nude lips. Tom Ford Blush in Frantic Pink and Blush Nude lipstick. Easy eh? Tom Ford Eye Color Quad Cocoa Mirage was under my radar for a long time. I didn't have any palette this neutral, perfect for both understated chic and smokey eyes. Don't ask me why I chose Tom Ford. You already know I'm obsessed with the brand, and it fits my hauling purpose. OK I just told you why.

I'm working on reviews of these amazing goodies. Stay tuned!!

So my beauty enthusiast friends, any shopping lately? And what's your favorite purchase? 

Preview: Tom Ford Beauty Summer 2013 - My picks

***Update: Review of nail lacquer Vapor is here. Review of Escapade and Pink Haze can be found here.

What a day today! Hectic, exhausted, nervous, and satisfied!!!

I'll dedicate a whole post for the first part of my day. Let's fast forward to my beyond satisfying purchases of Tom Ford Summer 2013. I didn't have as much time as I wanted to test out the collection thoroughly. Beside the two powder bronzers repromoted from the permanent line, we have two illuminating sticks, one illuminating liquid, a lip lacquer, a nail polish, and two cream eyeshadows.

Here are my picks.

Vapor is my first high-end polish. I didn't expect to love it at all. It's pearl white and apply smoothly on my nail. I'll report back to you guys how well it wears on my nails but for now: ADORED! 

My first instinctive choice was of course Escapade cream eyeshadow. It's a shimmery light peach that has excellent buttery texture and stunning color that is both subtle and intense enough to be worn alone. The biggest wowing item from the collection is Pink Haze. It has bronze/golden shimmer that keeps the pink wearable. Trust me, I have the toughest time to pull of pinks and just recently reconciled with the color. I'm completely obsessed with Pink Haze. Give it a try ladies!!!! 

I also grab Tom Ford eye brush #13, the perfect eye blending brush. It created the chaos today. More about that later! :D

Now, I (temporally) skipped all the illuminating sticks and liquid as I feel like they're a bit too sheer and redundant, especially with my Tom Ford Illuminating Primer. I mix the primer with foundations too and it creates fabulous glow. The lip lacquer was so-so in terms of color and quality so I decided to save my wallet for one of the new stunning bronzers from other brands. 

In the next few weeks I'll have more time to test them out. I'm going on a trip tomorrow and still have laundry, packing and cleaning to do. Talk to you all soon.

xx

Haul: Sephora VIB Sale

Sephora discounts always attract me. Having said that, I must admit my makeup-ban determination has really toughened me up. I used April Sephora VIB sale to procure only basics for daily uses and for my upcoming trip. No eyeshadows, blushes, lipsticks since last December!!

Korres wild-rose 24 hour moisturizer. It feels light and comfortable on my skin. I love to use it for both day and night treatment to brighten up my skin in place of my running-out Korres wild rose + Vitamin C moisturizer. The later acts  more like a mask for night time and feels a bit heavy for day time. After few uses, I think I made the right decision.

Nars Radiant Creamy Concealer in Custard. It's light weight, opaque, and dry in a satin finish that looks natural and blends seamlessly into my skin. While I love YSL Touche Eclat, Nars Custard does the job better. I now use YSL Touche Eclat for like a highlighter, the use recommended by the brand.

Nars Pro-prime Eye primer. I've used up my sample of the Sephora's 500-points gift from last year. I love it so much that the full-size version dropped unavoidably into my shopping cart. It keeps my eyeshadows in place longer than Urban Decay Primer Potion and Laura Mercier Eye Basics.

Josie Maran Argan Facial Oil. I won't be able to stuff 6.7-oz spraying toner in my carryalls and I've wanted to try Argan Oil for ages. So there I have it :D. It feels a bit heavy on my skin in Houston weather. Maybe, it suits the cold weather up north better. We'll see.

That's it.

Did you catch Sephora sale? Or did you choose other retailer's gift with purchase? What have you rewarded yourself? Any thoughts on the items mentioned here. I'd love to hear about it all. xx

Neiman Marcus Beauty Event 2013 - My trip

It was short, sweet and to-the-point.

I arrived at Neiman 30 minutes after it was opened then headed straight to eh Tom Ford counter. Don't wonder why. You know why. I've wanted his Illuminating Primer and Traceless Foundation Stick since last year. Both came home with me :D and reviews are on their way.

Of course, I couldn't miss playing with all of Tom Ford new lip color shines that are released for Spring 2013 and now become part of the permanent line. The quality is superb, moisturizing, pigmented for such sheer and shine formula and all the colors are lovely. You have many options to choose from nude to soft coral, pinks to bright, bold pink orange to bright orange red. While I ADORE the texture, I'm not feeling any colors, or maybe the summer collection promo picture promises more. Skipped them for now.

Swatches of Tom Ford Lip color shines 

(Sorry for the crappy quality. I was rushing to get the heck out of Houston Galleria before the weekend traffic flushed in:()

Neiman gave me the tote (I pick orange!) and samples. Tom Ford counter offers beauty samples and a deluxe sample of Illuminating Primer (with a pump! Isn't it handy?) if you purchase the full-size primer itself.

Tom Ford Gift With Purchase during Neiman Marcus Beauty Event

Neiman Marcus Gift With Purchase - the tote 

and the samples

Then, I swung by Le Metier de Beaute. Their SA wasn't there at the time. Odd eh? Someone at Trish McIvoy matched Classic Flawless foundation for me. She did an apt job in matching foundation. I'll test the sample in the next week and report soon.

That was it.

Have you picked up anything during this event? Did you discovered any extraordinaries?

The event runs from 02/21 through 03/03/2013.

Accessories for my niece

Of course my one-month-old niece needs accessories. Actually, I'm already thinking about what fashion style and beauty trends she might enjoy. She already owns a closet of baby clothes and necessities so my sister suggested something to go with them. Knowing my sister doesn't fancy pinks, I decided to go with a mix of colors. Shopping for her was the best part of my holiday.

Giraffe pacifier clip. I didn't really check the quality of the pacifier itself. She can use this for any pacifier in her collection. Just thought it was too cute to pass. 

My niece definitely has my eyebrows ;;) I've never seen a baby with such a defining eyebrows. Her eyes are bright and big. The eye creases are stunning and so well defined. I imagine smokey looks or winged eyeliners will suit her perfectly. Anyway, I picked up this pair of leopard slash flowers sun glasses that I thought would accentuate her features. 

My niece has thick silky hair so some head bands are must-haves. Remember, I don't opt for pinks. I want some classic chic designs mixed with some modern edgy patterns. 

My proudest gift for her is these little sparkling boots. She lives up north where winter is brutally long. This pair will be perfect for a lunch date or a fun morning out. I think it'll keep her warm and add some glam to her outfits. 

That's it. I can't wait to see her playing with my gifts. I'm excited to see her grow up and live a happy life. And don't tell my sister and my brother-in-law that I secretly pray that she'll love makeup at least as much as I do. Or maybe someday she'll start her own beauty blog. Now that'd drive my sister crazy but I'll be her number one follower. 

The last Tom Ford Haul of 2012

Happy Wednesday everyone!

I'm still breathing, rapidly actually. Holiday parties freak me out. We'll host only one (phew!) and attend a few. Like many of you, I work and cook and clean and decorate and so on so forth. You know how it goes.

And yet, I managed to grab some Tom Ford goodies that lied on the top of my Christmas wish list :D. I made about 4 trips to Neiman Marcus in the past 2 months (here and here). This time I decided to fulfill my wish with Ultra Shine Lip Gloss in 02 Rose Crush and Lipcolors in 18 Black Orchid and 04 Indian Rose.

At this point, I think I have everything I love from the brand. I'm testing out his primer and foundation stick too. They don't wow me as much as the other items I've tried. I must admit, though, that the foundation stick (No 5 Natural, yes I changed the shade) has become a rival of my all time favorite foundations, Clarins Ever Matte and Burberry Sheer Luminous. It still doesn't deserve the 78-dollar price tab in my opinion. I do plan to test it again once I finish adjusting my skincare routine and finding a good face primer. I will keep you guys posted.

Until then, hope you're not bored to death by my recent (and chronic) Tom Ford craze :D.

Joanne xx

Tom Ford Beauty Haul - First Impression

From dislike to doubt to adore and total addiction! Heck yes, I find the entire Tom Ford Beauty including his fabulous fragrances more than tempting. Never in a million years would I have imagined that I would enjoy Tom Ford Beauty. I detest his provocative perfume ads in the past. And I still do. The price tag of the line, my goodness, really put me off. So I didn't follow any raves or rants about the brand around the world wide web.

Until I saw this documentary film. His way of life, the inner peace and the life he lives fully and completely have inspired me to make changes in my life (another looong story) and of course to own some of his products. Watching the film feels like sitting in a yoga workshop where people at higher spiritual state share their thoughts. That's how I feel. ;;)

Long for short, I made a couple of trips to Neiman Marcus at Houston Galleria, which by the way means huge deal. Parking and walking in that mall drives me insane. I usually feel like a victim of consumerism then loose interests quickly, and just go home. Fortunately, I had a good time at Tom Ford counter and did a huge damage to my wallet. As a result, I'm beauty sober until next year (no regrets :D)! I also tested the mascara, foundations (liquid and stick), and eyeliner pencil at the counter. Reviews of my orders are coming!

First thing first, the Shade and Illuminate Intensity 2 ($75 for 0.49 oz) is the target of my trip. I'm an highlighter sucker and especially love the cream formula (like Edward Bess All over seduction). Naturally I have to try this. The price is steep, no doubt, but for a huge amount of product. It does require some blending practice but is worth every penny. 

I also got the Shade and Illuminate brush ($70). Seriously overpriced I must say. Nonetheless, it applies the product incredibly easy! I can also use it for other cream blushes and highlighters. Plus, I wasn't able to find a substitute for this brush. So for my skills and conditions, the dollars were well invested. 

Now comes the wildly popular Narcissist blush ($55 for 0.28 oz), the new limited edition for Fall 2012. It scared me away from the picture and even in person at first. However, none of Tom Ford permanent blushes really scream at me. They all have frosty finish, though subtle. Narcisssit has subdued satin finish that looks matte without drying on my cheeks. And the color is OMG, lovely pink flush to bright bold fuchsia. LOVE! Another wisely-spent. 

Then I certainly need some eyeshadow quads ($75 for 0.35 oz), the star products of the line. I picked up Cognac Sable the first trip and had to come back for Golden Mink. Phenomenal! The color, the texture, the wearing, the finish and the style blow me away. They all suit me so unbelievably well. I swatched most of eye color quads at the counter and they were all excellent, no dryness or fall-out. The question is which color theme/finish responses to your style. The two I purchased are versatile, wearable and have my name written all over them :D. More on how they work for me will be coming soon.

And there is a compulsive procurement, the brow sculptor in Espresso ($42 for 0.01 oz). It's beautiful, natural, user-friendly and uh over priced. I don't own any mechanic brown pencil, only have tried some in store. So my opinion is probably biased. In any case, this is an excellent product. 

No, I didn't forget about his lipsticks. The formula really moved me so much so that I almost got Indian Rose. The shades aren't that special (even deeper shades like Cherry Lush) beside the fact that they're seriously overpriced. The girls told me Jasmine Rouge lipsticks are of deeper shades, promising more interesting colors. For now I decided to wait.

Finally, the generous samples of Tom Ford fragrances. Gotta love the customer service!

The good news is I love all the fragrances. For years I fell for big brand names like Dolce & Gabbana, Dior, Chanel, Guerlain, Bvlgari, etc... and never got intrigued enough to purchase a single full-sized bottle from them. Tom Ford perfumes stays put all day and lingers a unique scent that isn't overwhelming on my skin. And they express different selves of me. BIG LOVE!

The bad news is I love all the fragrances. Tough call to pick one.  They'll break my wallet too. I'm still looking for the one that has the power to withdraw $200 for 1.7 oz from my budget. Maybe there's none but the huge samples should last a while.

That's all guys. I was extremely exhausted after work and a sleepless night before visiting the counter. I made a mental note "to try not to buy" and was ready to bitch down any sale associate who tried too hard to sell. The girls at Tom Ford counter treated me well. They provided me with the information, chatted about the line and helped me to test and apply the products. I really appreciated they tried to make my trip fun and kept an open mind to the customers' knowledge. You know sometimes SAs talk you down to push/create needs for purchases. I hate that (Macy's Chanel counter at Mermorial City). If you live in Houston area, you must visit Tom Ford counter at Neiman Marcus. It's so much easier to decide which items to purchase, especially with Tom Ford's price. Plus the girls there are helpful and polite. 

Burberry Haul

Finally. I have the budget for Burberry!

Every year, I saved for one or two beauty lines that receive phenomenal reviews yet less well-known or less accessible. Last year's exploration were Paul and Joe Beaute and Edward Bess, in case you're curious.

Burberry Beauty in the US is available on burberry.com, nordstrom.com, saksfifthavenue.com and selected Nordstrom and Saks stores. To take advantage of the cashback on ebates, I placed half of my order online. I purchased the rest that was unavailable online via phone at Nordstrom South Coast Plaza. My thoughts on the line will come soon:) For the moment, let's enjoy Burberry incredible design!

First row: Midnight Blue, Taupe Brown, Midnight Brown (Left to Right)

Second row: Pearl Grey, Rosewood, Pale Barley (Left to Right)

Gift with purchase from Nordstrom South Coast Plaza

And this giant makeup bag 

The girl at Nordstrom South Coast Plaza didn't mention anything about GWP so this was a nice surprise. I heard Nordstrom San Francisco offered GWP with $125 order. Mine didn't reach this threshold, though. Gotta love Nordstrom customer service! She also gave me the samples of Burberry Sheer Luminous Foundation in No. 5 and No.7 and their fluid makeup base.

Samples of Burberry Sheer Luminous Foundation in Trench No.5 and Trench No. 7 

and Fresh Glow Luminous Base

First impression

Burberry check pattern is omnipresent. The case, the velvet pouch, the products themselves. It doesn't bother me at all although I'm not a Burberry admirer.

Luxe packaging and actually functional! I tend to not paying much attention to the packaging as long as it's sturdy and handy. Yet my jaw drops at this elegant luxurious case. Exquisite! I much prefer this metal case to the plastic from other designer brands like Dior or Chanel.

My Burberry adventure doesn't end here. I need the foundation for the winter and two blushes in Cameo and Tangerine. But they have to wait a little for my wallet to recover....

Until next time, have you tried Burberry beauty? What else will you recommend me to try?

The Body Shop Haul

Happy Friday everyone!

I'd like to share The Body Shop goodies that just arrived a few days ago.

The "reasonable" motivation of the haul (in other words, the excuse)

1. My Phylosophy hair conditioner completely ran out. Plus, Phylosophy discontinued it. I need a new hair conditioner.
2. I wanted to try The Body Shop brow and liner kit. 
3. I'm gradually replacing all of our hair and body care with organic products. So everything but the eyebrow powder don't contain paraben, silicon, colorant and sulfate.
4. The Body Shop site went 40% off that day.

Here we go

• Aloe Gentle Exfoliator. 
• Spa wisdom Africa ximenia and salt body scrub. 
• Shower gels for earth lovers in Cucumber & Mint and Apricot & Basil. Both smells really nice without overwhelming. 
• Rainforest shine conditioner. 
• Rainforest volume shampoo (smallest size).
• Brow and liner kit in dark brown and black. 

I'm excited about each and everyone of the items. My highest hope lies on the shampoo and the aloe exfoliator. I only pick the smallest size of the shampoo to try out. Hopefully, it will cleanse my hair thoroughly.

Have you tried out any of those products? Any recent haul to share?

Have a great weekend!

It's haul time!

Some of my very favorite makeup of this year came out over the past three months. My love of Chanel is growing at racing-car speed. It's like falling in love all over again (last time was Dior summer collection!). I particularly love their two new eyeshadows Prelude and Vanites. I found Vanites  challenging to capture. The picture below is the only in which both quints turn out realistic among the one hundred I took. Definitely need more practice!

Chanel Espresso finally solved my brown eyeliner dilemma. It's deep enough to not make my eyes look swollen and wears extremely well. After a long resistance to Rouge Coco Shine, I grabbed Biarritz to replace my everyday beige lipstick Dior Casual Beige.  August marked my success in finding my new holly grail foundations - shade, texture, coverage all suit me flawlessly. Reviews on this haul is coming but in the mean time, here what they are.

1. Giorgio Armani 1 Luminous Silk Foundation (6.5 pictured here and 5.75; review here and here)
2. Chanel Les 4 Ombres Prelude (review here)
3. Chanel Les 4 Ombres Vanites (review here)
4. Chanel Matte Lumiere Foundation (Beige, review here and here)
5. Chanel Rouge Coco Etole (review here)
6. Chanel Rouge Coco Shine Biarritz (review here)
7. Chanel Rouge Allure Byzantine (review here)
8. Chanel Stylo Yeux Waterproof Espresso (review here)
9. Kiehl's Super Fluid SPF50 1.7 oz (review here) - I will do an update review on this very cool product.

Found a great treasure recently, please share them here. I'd love to hear from what people discover. 

Happy Wednesday!

IMATS LA 2011 in Pasadena

The International Make-Up Artist Trade Show Los Angeles (IMATS LA) is one of five annual events organized by the Make-Up Artist Magazine. I so longed to attend it! Most brands had very attractive discount. Nothing would describe the atmosphere better than the lively pictures. Hope you like them :). It was very hard to take good pictures at the most popular booths like Make Up Forever, MAC, Bobbi Brown, Too-Faced, Smashbox, Eye Candy, Sugar Pill, etc. Pardon me for my shaking hands. I was exhausted after one hour standing at Inglot booth.

Eve Pearl herself in action at Eve Pearl section - Naime beauty center

The line at Make Up Forever was insanely long!

I think Napoleon Perdis had the best makeup station

Hakuhodo brushes from Japan. Excellent qualities!

MAC booth - no Satin Taupe :(

Inglot booth was really overwhelming. I didn't even attempt to buy anything but their eyeshadows. It took me almost 1 hour to complete my purchase. But I am so satisfied!

Inglot nail polishes are the best!

A very popular Youtube's gurus missglamorazzi. You can find her channel here.
And this is a sneak peek at my IMATS haul. I was determine to challenge my patience at Inglot and Bobbi Brown booths. It turned out those were the only places I purchased my goodies. Reviews are coming soon.