Showing posts with label Laura Mercier. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Laura Mercier. Show all posts

Thursday, December 11, 2014

Review: Laura Mercier Mini Caviar Stick Eye Color Set - Holiday 2014

Laura Mercier Caviar Stick Eye Colors have been on my wish list for a while. For some reason, I never got around to grab any of them. So when the brand released a limited edition set of 6 mini eyecolor sticks, I jumped at the opportunities. 

The set ($55 for 6 sticks of 0.03 oz/1 g each) contains Rosegold, Amethyst, Moonlight, Copper, Khai and Cocoa. They are all lovely and beautiful. I love how these colors work well together among themselves and are neutral enough to compliment bolder colors in my stash.

- Rosegold: a shimmery warm champagne. It matches my warm skintone NC20-25 perfectly, neither too warm nor too bright. I love it on its own as a wash of color that will radiate a subtle sheen.
- Amethyst: a shimmery taupy plum, also a great lid color. It looks pretty on by itself or as a base color for your mauve, plump or taupe laid on top.
- Moonlight: a highly shimmery cool taupe. It's the most shimmery of the bunch and a great highlighter. I love to apply it in the inner corners of my eyes then blend it out to soften the metallic finish for a more natural result.
- Copper: a shimmery warm peach.
- Khaki: a satin green khaki that looks pretty as a sheer wash of color or when built up for intensity. I love it for a soft smokey eye looks, something more interesting than a ever-predictable black/grey theme.
- Cocoa: a satin deep brown that works well as a crease color and an eyeliner. It ain't just another brown. It brings depth and definition to the eyes without looking too warm nor too cool.

All the colors glides on the skin so effortlessly that requires minimum blending. They all dry fast yet I still have enough time to blend the colors. I would recommend you blend the first color as soon as you apply it before moving on to the next, though. Once the colors set, they won't budge for good 6 hours (without a primer) to 8 hours (with a primer) on my lids.

These caviar sticks are mechanical so you won't need a pencil sharpener. No product will be wasted. I apply the colors directly from the pencil then blend them out with my clean fingers. It's really easy and fool proof.

Now let's chat about the value of this set. A full size caviar stick is retailed at $28 for 0.05 oz. You have 6 x 0.03 oz (0.18 oz) for $55. This amount would have been worth $100. The nice thing is you have 6 color variations. This set by far is my favorite holiday set from any brand this year. The value is awesome but more importantly the quality is superb.

Laura Mercier Mini Caviar Stick Eye Color set will be a perfect gift for makeup beginner as it's so easy-to-use, color-wise and application-wise. And your makeup connoisseur friends will love it too. Don't let the shimmer concern you as it's subtle and buildable accordingly to your taste.

One more close-up
Bottom line. Big love. If perfection exists, this is it. I can't say enough good things about this set.

You can find this set at department stores Nordstrom, Bloomingdales, Neiman Marcus, Saks Fifth Avenue, Bergdorf Goodman. Sephora has a set of 4 (minus Copper and Khaki) that get sold out quickly. It showed up online for a while then disappeared again. So if you're patient, you might be able to get it.

Have you tried Laura Mercier caviar stick eye colors? How do you like them?

Monday, October 28, 2013

Look: Soft stain lips


When the fall comes, I just simply can't resist deeper lip colors. My two favorite vampy lipsticks for fall are Bite Beauty Mulberry (review is here) and Tom Ford Black Orchid which by the way looks almost identical to its replacement Bruised Plum (yay!). I love the dark deep decadent shade of plum yet sporting it daily can be over the top. Lately, I've been wearing Tom Ford Black Orchid non-stop as a stain and pair it with his cream eyeshadows to create a softer and youthful look. Tons of compliments have been received. Hope you enjoy! The full list of products used is at the bottom as usual. 


Color products used. In my very own fashion, I forgot Dior Beige Massai :D but I link to it below. 

Look breakdown

Face
Nars Radiant Creamy Concealer Custard
Laura Mercier Translucent Setting Powder

Eyes
Nars Pro-prime Eye primer
Tom Ford Eyeshadow Quad Golden Mink (the brown shade for outer V)
Dior 5-color Eyeshadow Quint Beige Massai (deepest brown to define lower lash line)
Sephora Eyeliner Retractable Waterproof #10 Matte Brown/Black (this baby puts Chanel version at shame) 

Lips

Wednesday, May 29, 2013

Look: Wedding Makeup Take 2

How I would have done my wedding makeup? For the peace of mind, I hired a professional makeup artist. And I think she did a good job for the pictures. They turned out OK. I still looked like myself! But I wasn't satisfied. My dress has peal and crystal details, so does the veil. The make up was a bit too done up especially with the eyes. She used a pair of natural looking false lashes and jet black eyeliner. She also altered the shape of the inner corners of my eyelids so that they appeared to be more even. Why on earth did I let her do so? Those eyelid tapes were uncomfy and didn't feel right, although they were teeny tiny.

I felt like a more subtle and relax look would balance out my wedding gown better. Here are my wedding makeup for pre-wedding photos. And by the way, the hubs and I endured the photo session for the sake of our parents. We knew back then that we would laugh at these pictures some day. We already did.

The dress. Me a few years back,  a couple of days before the wedding ceremony.

The traditional dress. I was very into bright floral at the time. Now I would opted for a simple white instead. 
This is how I would have much preferred. Glowy skin, softly contoured cheeks, natural eye shadow, crisp eyeliner, and casual red lips. So I keep my complexion matte with glowy cheeks. I want full brown, natural and well defined eyeshadows and NO FALSIES. No objection to false lashes but I love the relaxing look of my lashes. I also opted for a undone throw-away red lips instead of the classic bridal soft pink lips. There you have it.

My re-do makeup. Cool lighting. I wasn't topless guys. 

My re-do makeup. Warm lighting. My actual wedding jewelry. Peals! 

Makeup breakdown
Face
Nars Radiant Creamy Concealer Custard
Laura Mercier Translucent Setting Powder

Eyes
Dior 5-color eyeshadow quint Beige Massai (my all time favorite palette)
Bobbi Brown Long Wear Gel liner Espresso
Giorgio Armani Eyes To Kill Stretch Mascara

Lips
EOS Lip balm
Laura Mercier Satin Lipstick Cherrywood (same here)

I had so much fun writing this post. Tell me what you think ladies. And if there's enough interest, I'll do another look (yes, I have something else in mind too).

Joanne xoxo

Thursday, March 14, 2013

Look: Special Occasion FOTD - Silvery Taupe Eyes Nude Pink

Back in January, I was brainstorming a look for an evening special event. After twitting about my ideas, my blogger friends voted for 3 looks a) copper eye and bright pink lips; b) bronze eyes and dark lips; and c) silvery taupe eyes and nude pink lips. 

Guess which look I sported for the event? I picked this one! I though it contrasted my teal dress subtly and still added a bit of drama to the look :D. And to be honest, I simply love everything about this look and decided to go with my instinct.The high shimmery silvery taupe against nude pink lips. I love my glowy cheeks (thank you thank you Edward Bess!) that seamlessly changes from a highlighter to blush. Love Tom Ford blush in Savage for this look! It ties all color and texture together. 

Since the eyes are rather intense, I kept the skin very natural. On that day I used Burberry Sheer Luminous Trench 6 (review of Trench 5 is here). I replaced it with Tom Ford Traceless Stick Foundation Natural for this post while testing the sucker. It's phenomenal for my skin!! Reviews of Tom Ford items used in this post are on their way. I finished the write-up yet don't want to overwhelm you guys with my opinionated rambles ;;)

As usual, please scroll down for full makeup breakdown. 


I look funny but this picture shows the makeup the best

Look breakdown

Face
Tom Ford Traceless Stick Foundation 05 Natural (reviewed on the way)
YSL Touche Eclat 08
Laura Mercier Setting Powder
Laure Mercier Secret Camouflage SC-3
Tom Ford Cheek Color Savage (reviewed on the way)

Eyes
Dior 5-color eyeshadow Beige Massai (deep brown, ivory, peach)
Bobbi Brown Long-wearing Gel Liner Espresso
Giorgio Armani Eyes To Kill Stretch Mascara

Lips
Tom Ford Lip Gloss Rose Crush (reviewed soon)

Monday, January 28, 2013

Look: Special Occasion FOTD - Vampy Lips with Tom Ford Beauty

Hello lovelies, here is another look that I put together for my upcoming formal party. I'm wearing a dark teal dress and want something to contrast it. 

After twitting about my ideas, my blogger friends voted for 3 looks a) copper eye and bright pink lips; b) bronze eyes and dark lips; c) silvery taupe eyes and nude pink lips. Today's look features dark vampy lips. I decided to use Tom Ford Black Orchid at its maximum seductive dose :D. As usual, please scroll down for full makeup breakdown. 

So ladies and gentlemen, do you think this is a better idea for my teal dress? 

Trying to look seductive. I need to venture out of my comfort zone with posing. When reviewing all of my pictures, I felt my neck hurt :))

Me, holding a tissue to blot my lips :) Cute eh? ;;) 

Makeup Worn

Face
Burberry Sheer Glow Trench  6 (Trench 5 review is here)
Tom Ford Blush Lovelust (to be reviewed)
YSL Touche Eclat 8
Laura Mercier Translucent Setting Powder

Eye
Tom Form Golden Mink (Coral glitter) (to be reviewed)
Bobbi Brown Gel Liner Espresso

Lip

Thursday, November 22, 2012

Look: Casual Red Lips

I sported casual red lips through out the summer and forgot to do a post about it:D. Laura Mercier Cherrywood has subtle satin finish that dries almost matte. People immediately picked up this color and complimented every time I wore it. I'm overwhelmed and puzzled! It isn't my very favorite. I want a deeper red but this brown-based red is really easy to work with. 

Anyway, I much prefer red lips paired with casual outfit for an outing to special occasions. Hope you like it. 

Happy Thanksgiving everyone! Joanne xx

Face
YSL Touche Eclat #8

Eyes
Burberry Taupe Brown Eyeshadow for brows and outter Vs
Urban Decay Primer Potion
Bobbi Brown Gel liner Espresso
Giorgio Armani Eyes To Kil Stretch mascara

Lips
Laura Mercier Satin Lipstick in Cherrywood

Friday, August 10, 2012

Look: Meet Jessica - Part 2 Sultry chic

It's finally Friday! 

Before I get caught up with all the boxes in our garage, I thought I'd post the second make-over look for my friend Jessica. The first look focused on keeping everything natural. Giorgio Armani Eyes to Kill in Pulp Fiction immediately popped up in my mind even before I did a test makeup with her. The pictures didn't do its justice! I wanted to create a shimmery silver eyes pair with natural pink lips and cheeks. All photos were taken by my friend Doan and edited by me :). 

Face
Korres Matifying Primer
Estee Lauder Double Wear Light Foundation
Laura Mercier Translucent Setting Powder


Eye
Guerlain 6-Ecrin Eyeshadow Palette in Place Vendome (dark grey for the brows and define the crease)
Giorgio Armani Eyes to Kill Eyeshadow in Pulp Fiction
Urban Decay 24/7 Liner in Zero
Bobbi Brown Party Extreme Mascara

Lip
Chanel Rouge Allure in Exquisite


This picture has nothing to do with her makeup. I simply adore the V-neck line in the back! 
I hope you enjoy the mini make-over with Jessica. Have great weekend!

Joanne

Monday, July 16, 2012

Look: Meet Doan - Part 2 Modern glamour

I'd like to share the second look I did for my friend Doan. Again, I want to keep the makeup simple like the first look, focus on her lips this time to bring out the modern glamour inside. 

The center of this look is her full red lips. To keep the look modern, I skipped lipliner and lip gloss. I applied three thin layer of Laura Mercier Cherrywood with a lip brush (blotted between layers) on top of EOS lip balm. I used Guerlain Place Vendome's golden taupe on the entire lids, then define her eyes with the highlighter shade and the dark shade in the palette. To finish the look, I applied a thin line of Urban Decay 24/7 Zero following her lash line, no wing out. 

Close-up


In action...

Face
Laura Mercier Translucent Setting Powder
YSL Touche Eclat 08
NARS Orgasm blush

Eyes
Urban Decay Primer Potion in Original

Urban Decay 24/7 Eyeliner in Zero

Lip
Laura Mercier Satin Lipstick in Cherrywood

I hope you enjoy Doan's lovely spirit as much as I do.

Joanne

Tuesday, July 10, 2012

Look: Meet Doan - Part 1 Young and Fresh

I'm so excited to introduce my friend Doan. She loves sport, food, traveling and photography, which is why she's helping me out with my make-over series. She's naturally gorgeous, fresh and dynamic, and very photogenic. So I opted to focus on her skin and brows and keep the makeup simple and understated. 

For the everyday look, I wanted glowy cheeks and soft pink lips. I also used plum eyeshadows to enhance her brown eyes and a silvery mauve (of the same quint) to brighten up the lower lashlines. 

Here is her gorgeous smile....

A close up
Photo by Doan (she was posing "innocent" for this particular look :))

Face
Chanel Mat Lumiere 4.0 Beige
Laura Mercier Translucent Setting Powder
YSL Touche Eclat 08
Bobbi Brown Corrector in Peach
Becca Shimmering Skin Perfector in Opal
NARS Orgasm blush

Eyes
Urban Decay Primer Potion in Original
Dior 5-color eyeshadow in Stylish Move (all shades but the pearl white)
Dior Show Extase mascara
Guerlain Ecrin 6-color eyeshadow in Place Vendome (the dark grey to define the brows)

Lip
Edward Bess Berry Chic pink gloss in the palette

Next time, we'll see her in a different style. I hope you enjoy this mini make-over. Thanks so much for reading!

Sunday, July 8, 2012

Quick look

My friends and I had a girl's makeup/hangout the other day. I can't wait to share the looks I did on my friends. A special thank you to Doan and Jessica for their incredible patience. Also, I thought I'd post a picture of the look I wore that day. It's my husband's favorite and mine too, simple, easy and natural for everyday.
Photo by Doan

Face
Clarins Ever Matte Foundation 108
Laura Mercier Translucent Setting Powder for T-zone
YSL Touche Eclat 08
Edward Bess All Over Seduction in Sunlight
Dior Bronzer in Aurora (as blush)

Eye
Urban Decay Primer Potion in Original
Dior 5-color eyeshadow in Beige Massai (all shades except the rusty color)
Bobbi Brown long-wear gel eyeliner in Espresso
Giorgio Armani Eyes to Kill Stretch mascara (sample)
Shu Uemura eyelash curler

Lip
Dolce & Gabbana shine lipstick in Soiree

Have a great week!

Monday, February 13, 2012

Cover Look Week 02.13.2012

Laura Mercier's Lingerie Collection immediately caught my attention among all spring collections this year. The promo picture of this year wonders quite far from the soft feminine that dominated Laura Mercier seasonal makeup in a few years past. It's just different from Laura Mercier I got so used to with, in a good way. Sultry dreamy eye coupled with glossy peach lips screams summer rather than spring to me. Still, the peach and pink bring the springy feelings to the look.
Focus. Violet tinted chocolate brown eye shadow. Glossy peach lips.

My take

Base. Giorgio Armani Luminous Silk Foundation 5.75 and Giorgio Armani Micro-Fil Setting Powder No. 2 (both are not pictured here).

Eye.

Option 1
Plum and peal white in Dior Stylish Move and the rich chocolate brown in Dior Rosy Tan.

Option 2
Edward Bess Berry Chic.

Option 3
A more shimmery/chrome version of the look can be achieved using Chanel Vanites.

Comparing the three options

Cheek. Paul and Joe Cheek color 12

Lips.

Option 1
Bobbi Brown Rich Lipcolor Sweet Nectar SPF 12
Guerlain Rouge G Orange Euphorique (LE)

Option 2
Paul and Joe Moon Shadow Lipstick topped by Paul and Joe Sailor's Delight.

Did you get Laura Mercier Lingerie Collection? What will be your take on the promo look?

Monday, February 6, 2012

Cover Look Week 02.06.2012

My most recent moving from California to Texas alarmed me (again) about two things: one, I need to keep my makeup stash under control; and two, I do have almost every type of makeup of my every favorite color. Although I've never accidentally purchased anything twice, I only finished one lipstick in my entire life. Mascaras don't count since we need to replace them regularly no matter what.

So, to get myself disciplined, I decided (unsurprisingly) to use more and buy less. Particularly challenging is the latter *sign*. And I really got many inspirational pictures as a result of endless hours collecting celeb pictures. So, starting this week, I will challenge myself to recreate one favorite look weekly, focusing on my personal take of the look to suit my personality and facial features. I hope to improve my makeup techniques and knowledge of the products used through this series. So here you go. 

My first week's inspiration is Chanel Spring 2012 promo picture. 
Focus. Soft peachy pink cheeks and lips. Soft eye makeup. 

My take

Base.
We are still in the transition between the winter and spring, I love a natural foundation. Sheer application of Dior Skin Nude foundation then set with Laura Mercier Translucent Setting Powder. 

Eye. 
It seems to me that the model had a pink/peachy eyeshadows on. However, I feel the peachy pink on eyes, cheeks and lips is a bit overwhelming. So I toned it down by neutral eyeshadows using the eyeshadows of Edward Bess Back to Basics palette. Then I lined my eyes with Chanel Espresso and finished off with Giorgio Armani Eyes to Kill mascara

Cheeks. 
I'm obsessed with the lovely peachy pink cheeks in the ad. Blush de Horizon is a soft peachy pink that is quite easy to replicate. While browsing through Chanel Spring 2012 collection, I got many compliments about my blush color. The sale associates actually thought that I was wearing the star item of the collection, Blush de Horizon.  The actual products I used were 

Make Up Forever HD Blush No 6, an apricot pink that dries matte. 
Physicians Formula Shimmer Strip in Miami to add a touch of golden shimmer and pink base. 

If you have Guerlain Serie Noir Blush G, I think you can safely skip Chanel Blush de Hoizon. Use every shade except the orange strip. 

 

Lips.
Chanel Rouge Coco Mademoiselle was mixed with Chanel Rouge Coco Chintz. To achieve that glossy look, I added a touch of Paul and Joe Lip Lacquer 05


Have you played with this look? What did you use? 
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