Burberry Light Glow Blush 07- Earthy Blush

Today's bit of Burberry for today is the final shade I've selected in my first purchases from Burberry's Light Glow Blush range. By luck or circumstance, all three lean brown or orange.

Shade 07, Earthy Blush, is not a traditional blush.  This shade was really designed to be a contour shade for us fair ladies. Although I've swatched it like a traditional blush, this is really meant for contouring.

Earthy is shimmery without sparkling.  It's finely milled powder and blends very well.  Burberry's blushes last all day on me and are among my favorites in terms of ease to worth with.

I used a MAC 130SE in order to pick up the maximum pigment for these swatches. This sheers out wonderfully on the skin.

Outside, with flash:

Outside, without flash:

Inside, with flash:

Inside, without flash:

Overall, I find this lovely for contouring, and it fills a hole in my collection.

NOTD: Butter London Cheeky Chops

Today's NOTD is another Butter London creme.  Notice a theme here? I've been purchasing a number of these polishes lately, so I'm on a roll as far as NOTDs.

Cheeky Chops is a light yellow creme. Unlike most pale yellows, this one self-levels and doesn't wash me out.  I bought this mostly for nail art purposes but am loving it as a full mani as well.  There are three thin coats with Butter London Hardware on my nails here.

Butter London Lolly Brights Summer 2014 Collection: Ladybird & Sozzled

Butter London's Summer 2014 collection has started to filter into stores. There are six new shades, but in a new spirit of restraint, I simply picked up the two cremes.  And to be perfectly honest, one of them was likely for nail art purposes only.

Ladybird (on the left) is a jelly-like orange-red which has actually been lurking on Butter London's website as a runway shade for awhile. Of the entire collection, this is probably the easiest shade to pull off in a corporate environment.

Sozzled (on the right) is a grass-green creme with fantastic pigmentation.  I honestly bought this because I lack a great crayon-like green for nail art. I don't think I'm bold enough to wear this on my nails during the week.

I won't be going into a lot of detail with either shade because they're pretty much as they appear.  I also lack any actual similar shades, so it didn't make sense to create a swatch wheel comparison.

Let's start with Ladybird.  I've got two coats plus Butter London Hardware on my nails here:

It could easily work when we're in the depths of a scorching summer as either a nail or pedi color. Personally, I'd cut back my pinkie in particular, but I'm not a long, bright nails type of nail addict. I was really surprised by this formula and just how jelly-like it is.  It's not completely opaque (which was surprising because I intended to order a creme), but it's very easy to work with.  This is the safe bet of the collection, but a great shade to add to your collection.

And then there's Sozzled.  It inspired me to go on a field trip:

It's such a glorious green, isn't it?  And with the sun hitting the whole scene? Beautiful.

I couldn't help but get my hands in there too.

Formula-wise, Sozzled is just like every other Butter London creme- flawless.  I've got two coats plus Butter London Hardware on my nails here.  Amazing color aside, I don't think I'm one of those able to pull this color off routinely, but I had a lot of fun with it.

The other 4 shades in Butter London's Summer collection are all shimmers and metallics in shades I wouldn't get use out of, so I passed on them. I'm happy with Ladybird and Sozzled.

Burberry Sheer Eyeshadow No 14 Lavender

Today's featured Burberry product is one of the darker shades in the Sheer Eyeshadow line that I purchased. Shadow #14, Lavender is different than what I was expecting.

Lavender has strong blue undertones and is more of a blue than a purple, in my opinion. It didn't stop me from seeking it out though. It has far more pigment than most of the other Sheer Eyeshadows.

Lavender has the typical buttery, pigmented texture that I've come to expect from Burberry eyeshadows.  Fallout was minimal, and with primer the color lasted all work day. It's a bit bolder than I prefer for a daytime look, but I can't wait to have an event worthy of a smoky purple eye.

And now, my favorite part- some swatches:

Outside, no flash:

Outside, with flash:

Inside, no flash:

Inside, with flash:

Overall, this is one of the bolder shades in the range.

I don't have anything like it in my collection:

Overall, it's a lovely shade and I'm glad that I've got it in my stash now to work with.

NOTD: Butter London Trout Pout

Today's NOTD is one of many, many saturated creme nail colors from Butter London that I've fallen in love with in the past month or so.

Trout Pout is a cantaloupe creme which is perfect for spring and summer.  I've got 2 coats plus Butter London Hardware on my nails in this photo:

Tom Ford Summer 2014 Eye and Cheek Compact- Unabashed

I have a treat for you today- my sole selection from Tom Ford's Summer 2014 Collection.  I passed on the two lip products and the Fire Lust Illuminator in favor of the Eye and Cheek Compact in Unabashed.

Tom Ford Summer 2014 Eye and Cheek Compact- Unabashed ($95/0.47oz, limited edition) contains a trio of new eyeshadows, one bronzer, and one new blush shade.

I'll start out by discussing the beautiful compact. It's quite large and covers the entire palm of my hand.  It's substantial and beautiful. I love the large mirror:

It's so polished and beautiful. Like other Tom Ford palettes, it comes with a brown dust bag:

Just to give you a sense of the size of this palette, I've photographed it with my Chanel Travel Makeup Palette and Tom Ford's She Wolf Trio:

Now that I've given you a peek at this beauty, let's look at the compact a little closer. See how it works with the lovely white compact?

The shades are all bold and beautiful:

I'll speak about the individual shades in more detail.

Unabashed #1 is a glittering, warm champagne. Many have compared it to the lightest shade from She Wolf, but I find it to read totally different. This is very warm, and I've found it works well for me as a topper for Unabashed #2.

Unabashed #2 is a mid-toned, warm matte brown. I love this as a full lid color. It's very blendable and workable.

Unabashed #3 is a vivid, matte cobalt blue. This is the shade that scares most people away from the palette. I'm here to say that it's not scary at all.

Unabashed Bronzer is a warm, golden brown that is absolutely perfect for my fair skin. When dusted gently over my face, I get a lovely sun-kissed glow. I don't have another Tom Ford bronzer to compare, but this has piqued my interest.

Unabashed Blush is a lovely rose pink. It's finely milled and beautifully shimmery. It works well with everything else in the palette.

I'll readily admit to staring at this palette for a few days before actually using it. I tested it over the course of three full days when I wasn't at work, and have fallen deeply in love. It was quite intimidating to me at first, but I can see this being a favorite all spring/summer long.

 I have a group swatch to share:

They're all lovely and pigmented. I swatched the She Wolf trio to compare:

It's clear that She Wolf is cooler and taupey, whereas Unabashed is very warm and appropriate for summer.

Here's how I use all five of the shades together: Unabashed #2 as a full lid color, with Unabashed #1 dusted on top of it.  I use Unabashed #3 with a stiff angled eyeshadow brush as a liner color.  I rarely give you an eye pic, but here's a good look:

I wear the Unabashed blush gently dusted, and a light hand of Unabashed bronzer all over for a warm, summery look.  This palette is appropriate as a single piece to travel with, and I can see it being incredibly useful. The pricepoint is a bit high, but it's a good way to try a number of Tom Ford products. I've fallen in love with it, and am thinking that a blush purchase will be in my future based on my experience with Unabashed.


Unfortunately, it appears that this is mostly sold out online. However, I'm going to let you in on a secret: Tom Ford now has an online presence, and it was available (very last item under Beauty) as of the writing of this review yesterday late afternoon.  Also, don't forget to call around to counters if you're really looking for the item.

Burberry Lip Cover No 30 Primrose Hill Pink

Today's dose of Burberry is actually one of my favorite products that I've tried so far.  Lip Cover #30, Primrose Hill Pink.

This shade was originally launched as a part of the Spring 2012 collection and is now a part of the permanent collection.

Primrose Hill Pink is a flawless shade. It's a beautiful, bold pink-coral that works equally well on warm and cool complexions.

I've mentioned before how lovely the Lip Cover formula actually is. It's pigmented and creamy without emphasizing imperfections on the lip surface. This isn't a formula that you have to worry about. It also has lovely staying power.  Over an 8-hour workday, I only needed to touch up after my morning coffee and after lunch. That's fantastic- especially since the satiny shine hung on.

I have a few swatches to share.  First, on my hand.

Outside, without flash:

Outside, with flash:

Inside, without flash:

Inside, with flash:

I also have a couple of shots of Primrose Hill Pink in action. First, without flash (the glossiness is muted as a result):

This photo with flash is probably the closest to real life out of everything. I think it's obvious why I love this shade.

I tried to pull a quick comparison- and I don't have anything like Primrose Hill Pink in my collection.

I noticed that Primrose Hill Pink is actually the same shade as one of my favorite bold work totes- Coach Laura in Patent Leather.

Overall, this shade is right in my wheelhouse- a cushiony, bright pink with coral undertones.  This is perfect for spring, and it's been a near-constant companion since I purchased it.