When it comes to special occasion wear,  I find it impossible to find something I like if I purposely look for it. So I tend to buy any dress that captures my heart whenever I see it, and this whimsical Carven dress (love their signature abstract graffiti print) was purchased almost half a year ago and finally it got put to use on my birthday recently! I managed to take some quick snaps before I head out for dinner. Since it was such a sweet dress I decided to pair it with my Valentino Rockstud Booties to give it a punk edge. The YSL Crossbody bag was a ‘treat’ for myself and I had the perfect excuse!

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saint-laurent-ysl-small-chain-crossbody-bag-black-ootd-2saint-laurent-ysl-small-chain-crossbody-bag-black-ootd-4valentino-rockstud-booties-ootd-1Dress – Carven (this was from previous season and they have a similar one here from the current season)

Bag – YSL (I bought mine here because they don’t charge extra import duties, otherwise it is available here and here in the US)

Shades – Thierry Lasry

Boots – Valentino (posted here)

 

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Every year Chanel releases some limited edition nail colors exclusive for Vogue Fashion’s Night Out, and it’s the stunning Chanel Le Vernis Sweet Star this year. It’s a very unique and complex color with iridescent shimmer in duo-chrome finish. I had a very hard time taking swatch pictures of this one because the color is so reflective due to its mirror-like shine. After half an hour of struggling, I managed to get some swatches at the best of my ability. As you can see the color on my nails looks different at every angle – it’s silvery grey when you look at it from the front, or a rich eggplant, or a greenish black from the angles. Texture is smooth and you get an opaque finish with 2 coats.

chanel-le-vernis-sweet-star-swatch-review-1chanel-le-vernis-sweet-star-swatch-review-2chanel-le-vernis-sweet-star-swatch-review-3chanel-le-vernis-sweet-star-swatch-review-4chanel-le-vernis-sweet-star-swatch-review-5Bottom Line: Beautiful and unique! If you like Peridot, you would love this one. Go and grab it on VFNO!

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Charlotte Tilbury has been officially launched in the US as they are now available at Nordstrom online!  I know that many beauty enthusiasts are eager to dip their toes into the new makeup line, so I thought I’ll share my review for one of the best products from her line which is the Luxury Eye Shadow Palette in Dolce Vita. It’s absolutely stunning and I have been wearing it every single day since I had it!

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If you have seen this post,  you would know that I have ranted about the packaging of some of her products. Fortunately, this eyeshadow palette is quite weighty and feels sturdy in the hand. What’s missing from the palette is the mini size applicators! I don’t mind not having them, but it just means that I will not carry this palette with me in my makeup pouch for retouch as I don’t like to bring an extra set of eyeshadow brushes/applicators.

On to the stunning eye shadows themselves. Dolce Vita is a very bold and rich eye shadow palette – they are neutral colors yet quite unique and edgy that make you instantly drawn to them. The texture is silky smooth (except for the copper glitter shade) so it  applies evenly and easy to blend, and the pigmentation is ultra rich which reminded me of those ultra pigmented Nars eye shadows. A very gentle dip into the eye shadow is enough to do the whole eye for a natural look.

The colors look different depending on the angles you are looking at

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The colors are versatile all year around. The bronze and coppery colors are perfect for the warm weather, and they also have a hint of  burgundy and olive undertones which makes them great for fall as well. I didn’t think this would be an everyday palette for me, until I had them on and for some magic reason the colors just make my eyes appear brighter and more sparkly, and they look really flattering against my complexion.

Color Description:

Top Left –  Pinky beige champagne color (soft shimmer) that you can never have too many of.

Top Right – Copper with a burgundy undertone with silver shimmer in satin finish.

Bottom Left – Warm gold with visible glitters in a sparkly and metallic finish. This is my favorite shade as it is ‘dramatic’ but wearable. It feels quite creamy and dense for a glittery shade and it applies with no fall-out. I like to dab a little bit of this on to the center of the lid, and the metallic sheen of this shade is to just die for.

Bottom Right – Medium khaki brown with gold shimmer. It’s very pigmented so I like to use this shade on the outer-v gently as well as lining the lash line.

charlotte-tilbury-luxury-eyeshadow-palette-the-dolce-vita-review-swatch-3At a different angle that shows how beautiful the gold shade is!

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In my FOTD, I am wearing the champagne color as a base color, then blend the burgundy shade from the lash line in to the crease. The gold shade is added over the burgundy color for a pop of sparkle, and the khaki shade is added to the outer-v and along the lower lash line.

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Other products used in the FOTD include

YSL Youth Liberator Serum Foundation (review coming soon)

Giorgio Armani Cheek Fabric 502 SKIN (reviewed here)

Chanel Le Volume Mascara

Guerlain KISSKISS Lip Colour 325 Rouge Kiss (reviewed here) – need to get more colors from this range, absolutely love it!

Bottom Line: If you want to try out the Charlotte Tilbury line, I highly recommend this beautiful eye shadow palette. You can find her new beauty line at Nordstrom online in the US, Selfridges in the UK, and Net-A-Porter world wide.

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Giorgio Armani has revamped their iconic Sheer Blush this year with the old range being discontinued. The new range is called Cheek Fabric Blush and I picked up the pinks 500 POP and 507 FLESH, and the peachy pinks 306 ATTITUDE and 502 SKIN. I love their Sheer Blushes for the quality, but I am also pleased to see this new range as they certainly look more appealing in the aspect of packaging as well as color choices.

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The new Cheek Fabric Blush is housed in a glossy black lacquer case with an incase mirror. First impression was that it is a lot smaller than the previous version – it only has 4 grams of product whereas the Sheer Blush was 6 grams. The con is that it retails for the same price but you get much less product (as with everything else these days…), and the pro is that it is more compact and portable to carry.

It has the silkiest and smoothest texture you can ever get from a blush, and it is ultra finely milled as with all Armani makeup so it looks very light and easy to blend on the skin. In terms of finish, the Cheek Fabric applies slightly more vibrant and brighter, so if you think the old range was too sheer you will be happy with the color payoff of this one. It retains its signature seamless flush of color look with a lit-from-within soft glow, which means it wold never look patchy and heavy with a visible edge line/border.

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The new colors that I picked are quite similar to the old ones (as you can see in my below swatches). Nevertheless they are really beautiful everyday colors (particuarly the pinks), and I am sure I will get frequent use out of these.

500 POP (Limited Edition) is an angelic matte milky pink with no shimmer. Compared to Sheer Blush 12 it leans more of a neutral pale pink, and can be used either as blush for fair complexion, or as an overall beauty powder that gives a sheer wash of soft pink glow to the cheeks.

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507 FLESH is a bright candy pink with micro gold shimmer which doesn’t show up on the skin.  This is a must-have color from this new collection for me!

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306 ATTITUDE is a bright peachy pink with silver shimmer. The color is similar to Sheer Blush 10 but leans slightly more coral. This is a universally flattering color that would look lovely on anyone (think about Nars Orgasm…)

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502 SKIN is a softer version of peachy pinky with micro silver shimmer. It looks very similar to Sheer Blush 02 in the pan but goes on more vibrant and has a stronger pink undertone.

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This is a FOTD/Selfie wearing the Cheek Fabric 502 SKIN which was taken with my new selfie camera CASIO TR35. If you follow me on Instagram you would know I just spent a ridiculous amount of money on this camera. It wasn’t love at first sight as I had really high expectations on it but I am starting to love it more and more as I get to know how to operate this camera better. I will definitely post a proper review for the camera in the coming weeks.

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Overall the new range has better color pay off and feel silkier than the Sheer Blushes. The quality difference is not that significant compared to the Sheer Blush as they were already superior to begin with, however they are worthy to collect as the new generation blush from Giorgio Armani. The Cheek Fabric is available at Nordstrom, and you can still get hold of the Sheer Blushes on Neiman Marcus online in the US.

 

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I was going to post my review for the Giorgio Armani Cheek Fabric Blushes which I have already sneak peeked on my Instagram, but I got sidetracked with the arrival of my Charlotte Tilbury Order from Net-A-Porter (as mentioned in my previous post they are currently offering free shipping to certain countries for all orders). Always enjoy the shipping service provided by NAP as it took only 2 days for the package to arrive! This is my first Charlotte Tilbury purchase and my feelings for the products are quite mixed as some are absolutely fantastic whereas some are let downs, so I thought I’ll quickly share my initial thoughts.

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Charlotte Tilbury Eyeshadow Palette The Dolce Vita – Absolutely Amazing! This is my favorite product out of this order, and I would say if you can only have one product from this line – this is the one!  The picture doesn’t do this eye shadow palette justice, as it looks far more beautiful and complex in real life. Review for this product will be posted shortly.

Charlotte Tilbury Filmstar Bronze and Glow – Another must-have product from this line. I am not a fan of using shimmery bronzer on me, however this product surpassed my expectations. Both the bronzer and the highlighter are stunning and look flattering on my skin tone. If you apply the shimmery bronzer light handed, it gives a lovely warm glow to this face that works for my fair complexion. Review for this product will be posted shortly.

Charlotte Tilbury Lipstick Coachella Coral and B*tch Perfect –  My feelings for the lipsticks are mixed – love the colors and the quality of the lipstick, but I am quite peeved at the packaging. It is very lightweight and looks quite cheap for its price (nowhere near as luxurious as the YSL or Tom Ford lipsticks). Somehow I feel that the packaging is “inspired” by those free Estee Lauder lipsticks that are always included in their gift-with-purchases during the Christmas time lol..

Charlotte Tilbury Lip Lacquer Hall of Fame – I am sorry to say that but I am very disappointed with this lip gloss. The swatch online shows a lovely milky pink color, but the actual color is pretty much transparent. I don’t mind a clear lip gloss if the quality is great, but this product looks and feels downright cheap, and it has a typical vanilla scent that reminds me of those cheap $2 lip glosses you find at the sales bin at the local drugstore.

 

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Net-A-Porter is currently offering Free Shipping for All Orders which is a perfect opportunity to stock up some of their exclusive beauty products (their free shipping normally requires a minimum order value of at least few hundred!). I thought I’d share my wishlist of the beauty products that I am planning to purchase, as well as the ones that I absolutely love and frequently buy from NAP.

1. Sunday Riley Ceramic Cleanser – I have talked about how much I loved Sunday Riley products a long time ago in my blog, and one of my favorite skincare product from the brand is this Cleanser. It’s a great gentle cleanser for all skin types that retains the moisture of your skin and feels uber luxurious.

2. Sunday Riley Cellular Face Oil – I am a big fan of face oil and I have been eyeing their newest product for a while. Love the gradient bottle design and I have heard nothing but wonderful reviews of this gem.

3. Anya Hindmarch Cosmetic Case – A perfect vanity case for traveling in style!

4. Original & Mineral Original Detox Shampoo– This is the best detox/clarifying shampoo I have ever used! I always buy several bottles of this from NAP.

5. Hourglass Ambient Lighting Palette – I raved about this product on my Instagram. It’s my favorite highlighter kit now as the colors are so versatile and they add a beautiful soft glow to the skin. Good to see that it’s finally back in stock!

6. Charlotte Tilbury Lip Liner Pillow Talk – This is the brand that I am dying to try so I took this opportunity and ordered a few products. I have heard mixed reviews about her products and I would love to test them on my own. I have been looking for a good nude lip liner for so long and this one looks fool-proof to me.

7. Charlotte Tilbury Filmstar Bronze and Glow –  As we all know this palette has caused a stir and sold out within a short time when it was on Nordstrom. So happy to see that this palette is now on NAP!

8. Charlotte Tilbury Beach Stick – Planning my next holiday so I am on the lookout for some beach-friendly makeup! Love the color of this one.

9. Kevyn Aucoin Lip Gloss – Can’t get my eyes off this beautiful bright pink lip gloss.

10. Philip B Lavender Hand Wash – The most important bathroom essential to me is a heavenly scented hand wash housed in a gorgeous bottle.

11. Kevyn Aucoin The Shimmer Shadow Set – I always love the idea of carrying small roller balls whether they are for fragrance or makeup. Love the neutral color of this set and they look great for adding a wash of shimmer colors to the eyes for retouching makeup.

 

 

 

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Ankle booties are my biggest weakness when it comes to shoes – I have them on literally all year round. This year the western boots are the style to look for, and Toga Pulla is an emerging Japanese designer brand with their signature western boots that are trending all over the world.  I was tossing between Toga Pulla Buckle Ankle Boots and the famous Chloe Suzanna which are quite similar, I went for the former because I love the unique design with their signature exquisite embellishments such as the leather fringe at the toe and the embossed plate on the heels. Moreover, both of them cut at the ankle but the fact that this pair has heels means that they will not make my legs look stumpy! Price point is not so bad for a designer shoe as they are in the lower spectrum, and I am totally smitten by their quality.

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toga-pulla-buckled-ankle-booties-3toga-pulla-buckled-ankle-booties-2I bought mine here, and there are more styles from Toga Pulla available here.

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Currently going through a phase of bright and sheer red lips at the moment, so the newly released Guerlain KissKiss Shaping Cream Lip Colour 325 Rouge Kiss caught my attention immediately as soon as I saw this shade worn on the stunning Natalia Vodianova in their promo picture.
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Love the packaging of this new range of lipsticks by Guerlain, which comes in a black lacquered tube (prone to finger prints though..) that looks much more modern and chic than the other KissKiss ranges.

Guerlain lipsticks have always been quite underrated, and this revamped version certainly deserves more attention and love for its superior quality. I have very dry lips at the moment due to the cold weather, and I am very pleased that this lipstick feels very moisturizing and does not enhance any flakes and lines on my lips. It is hydrating and silky smooth with a solid texture (harder than YSL Rouge Volupte but slightly more emollient than the Tom Ford’s sheer lipsticks), so it applies very lightweight rather than feeling like you have a thick layer of lip balm on.  The pigmentation is on the rich side for a sheer lipstick – it applies to its true color with a translucent glossy finish in only 2 swipes, and you can always apply more layers to build up the opacity. It lasts for 4-5 hours on me, and it fades into a lip stain after drinking and eating.

325 Rouge Kiss is a warm translucent watermelon red in semi-gloss finish. I love a sophisticated bright red that brightens up my complexion, and the hydrating formula makes my lips appear more plumped and youthful looking.

Lip swatch of 325 Rouge Kiss

guerlain-shaping-cream-lip=colour-kisskiss-325-rouge-kiss-review-swatch-2guerlain-shaping-cream-lip=colour-kisskiss-325-rouge-kiss-review-swatch-3Compared to some of my other “sheer” red lipsticks

From Left to Right: Guerlain Rouge Kiss, Tom Ford Firecracker (reviewed here), YSL 12 CORAIL INCANDESCENT (reviewed here), Suqqu KARAKURENAI (reviewed here)

guerlain-shaping-cream-lip=colour-kisskiss-325-rouge-kiss-review-swatch-4guerlain-shaping-cream-lip=colour-kisskiss-325-rouge-kiss-review-swatch-5I bought mine here for AUD$41 (FYI Guerlain recently had a price decrease around 20% in Australia), and they are also available at Nordstrom and Saks in the US.

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