Cle de Peau Nail Lacquers for Spring 2016

I'm going to be honest with you: Cle de Peau is a brand that I'm scared to start exploring.

Wait, what?

It has to do with price point. While I love my Chanel, Tom Ford, and even Louboutin, Cle de Peau at least seems so much more expensive. A $37-90 lipstick is one thing; a $70 concealer (a product type that I go through like water) seems like the most expensive thing out there.

But yet here we are. I'm dipping my toes into this mostly unexplored brand. (I bought a lip gloss trio a couple of Holiday seasons ago and loathed the plastic applicators but was charmed by the packaging.) For Spring 2016, Cle de Peau has released a quartet of limited edition nail lacquers: 04 Bright Red, 05 Hot Pink, 06 Deep Purple, and 07 Star Sparkle. At $25 each, dare I say it? They're quite reasonable and probably a bargain with price hikes by everyone else. Here's a list of companies whose nail polishes are more expensive that I can also buy at my local Nordstrom: Tom Ford, Chanel, Dior, YSL. For a company whose products are in the upper tier price-wise, this is shocking. But in a good way.

Let me rave for a moment about the formula. It's awesome. I started out with one, immediately doubled my order to qualify for a GWP at Saks, and bought the other 2 the following day after I did a quick mani. I know my nail formulas and this one rocks. It dries quickly and to a nice and hard surface, is self-leveling, and covers in 1-2 coats. Although these aren't the most original colors, the formula more than makes up for it. These also dry perfectly glossy without a top coat. Next, the brush. I find it extremely easy to work with- which in turn minimized cleanup.

Let's start with 04 Bright Red (by the way, the shade names appear nowhere on the box or bottle). This cheerful red required 2 coats for opacity. There are 2 plus topcoat in my mani here:

This is a fantastic summer red- and it's going right into my rotation. I really could've gotten away with one coat. It's that great.

Although I could pull so many reds, here's a few comparisons:

Yeah, it's dupeable but the formula made me fall in love instantly. Two coats makes it look like a gel!

I have only one negative about Bright Red. Like a lot of reds (but not like others in this formula), it's a bear to remove. I had it on my nails for less than 24 hours and it took hours of scrubbing to get 85% of it off of my hands. I wore a base coat, too. That's literally the only negative I can come up with on this color.

Next up, 05 Hot Pink. Why yes, it's the most pedestrian shade name never. But it's anything but ordinary on your nails.

I instinctively reached for this shade for a super quick mani before running to work on a recent weekend. By the end of the mani, I'd fallen in love with the amazingly low-key formula and quick dry time. This is the only shade that wasn't a possible one-coat wonder- there was still VNL after coat #1.

We all know I have a ton of pinks, but I grabbed a few comparisons just so you can get an idea for the color.

Again, very dupeable but the superior formula makes it a must-have.

Next up, what I thought to be the most unique shade- 06 Deep Purple. It's as the name sounds- a dark purple. However, there's a secret blue shimmer in it! Unfortunately it didn't translate to the nail.

Even crazier? It's a one-coater. I'm still shaking my head over the performance. The shade appears lighter here, but there's a more accurate photo coming:

I pulled a few purples- mainly with blue sparkling undertones- for comparison:

It's not necessarily 100% unique, but again- formula makes this worth picking up.

Let's move on to 07 Star Sparkle, the glitter topcoat of the group. Normally I'm leery of glitter polishes, but I love this one! Two coats almost covered my entire nail, which was shocking.

Even more shocking by this adult glitter polish was the removal. It just came off, even on my nail where I had multiple coats. Unreal. Cle de Peau even did glitter perfectly. My mind is blown.

I used my hand as a human swatch wheel. There are two coats of Star Sparkle on my index finger, and one coat over each of the three cremes in this photo:

Awesome, right? It's grown-up glitter, and I'm currently trying to figure out the best way to make it work in the office.

I teased you with the human swatch hand; here's my 2-coats-per-nail skittles mani of the entire collection, minus topcoat:

Bottom Line: This is an expertly-curated collection of three cremes and one glitter nail polish. Although these are classic shades, they've been executed so flawlessly that these are must-haves. I just hope that these sell well and Cle de Peau decides to release more. All four are listed as limited edition, so don't wait.

MAC Monday: MAC Pro Longwear Nourishing Waterproof Foundation

Today's MAC Monday will be rather brief and doesn't even start to explain how much I happen to love this product.

MAC Pro Longwear Nourishing Waterproof Foundation (0.84oz, $33) is a long-wearing, marathon-wearing foundation released in 2015.

I'll readily admit; I stumbled onto it at a local CCO outlet, but now that I've tried it, I'll gladly spend full price on it in the future.

Here's a look at the ingredients:

According to MAC, this is supposed to have a 24 (!) hour wear time, and can double as either a foundation or concealer. I certainly can't speak to a 24 hour wear time, but I know that it's usually still rocking after 16 hours (a normal makeup day for me).  I believe that it would make a great concealer- just because it's a full-coverage foundation.

Where this foundation is genius is twofold. First, the easy full coverage. It takes just a little drop from the squeeze bottle to cover my entire face. I can't speak to MAC foundation brushes since I'm hooked on my Tom Ford Cream Foundation Brush. But this blends impeccably for full coverage. Secondly, this formula wears like iron. I've sweated up a storm in it without the foundation budging one bit. It also holds up perfectly to heat and humidity- key if you're in a warm climate. In short, this foundation does it all- it leaps buildings in a single bound.

I'm going to cheat just a little bit because I don't have any new formulas to compare the shade to. This photo originally appeared in the Bobbi Brown Serum Foundation post. MAC Pro Longwear Nourishing Waterproof Foundation is the second from the right. I think you'll see why it and Chanel Perfection Luminere Velvet are the most heavily used in my rotation, shade-wise.

Here's a close-up of the NW15 shade:

Bottom Line: This is currently my overall full-coverage foundation, due in large part to the flawless formula and the price. If you're looking for a great foundation that as of yet hasn't bothered my highly sensitive skin- don't pass this gem by!

Sunday Dreaming

It's that time of week again- Sunday Dreaming!  I have to admit that I've been using my Sunday Dreaming posts as a shopping guide lately. I'm also pretty darned content with what I've bought, so this was a little harder than normal to put together.

1. Shiseido Future Solution LX Total Radiance Foundation ($85)

 I've been increasingly intrigued by these skincare/foundation hybrids. I adore Shiseido's skincare, and know that they have a foundation shade (I00) that matches me. I've been side-eyeing this foundation and may pull the trigger once triple Nordstrom points kick in at the end of the month.

2. Cle de Peau Satin Eye Color in 205 ($45)

Darn it, I knew this would happen. I'm bringing you my first full CdP review this week. It's a brand I've stayed away from because I was afraid of falling in love at that price point. $45 for a single eyeshadow is gulp-inducing but this lovely mint shimmer is calling out to me.


3. S'well 'Galaxy Collection- Supernova' Stainless Steel Water Bottle ($25-45)

I couldn't help but notice these bottles at my local Nordstrom on a recent shopping trip. They claim to keep beverages hot for 12 hours and cold for 24 hours. They come in a bevvy of designs and now I'm intrigued as to what makes them amazing.

4. Kate Spade Semiprecious Mini Small Square Studs ($38)

 I'm showing these in Rose Quartz. I had a hard time deciding between these and another pair of glitter studs at Nordstrom recently. I can't get these little beauties, which have a rose gold setting, out of my head.


5. Dolce and Gabanna Dolce Rosa Excelsa ($74-117)

 Finally, a flanker for the oh-so-feminine, oh-so-successful Dolce and Gabanna Dolce. I'm pretty sure it's part of my DNA, but I'm a huge rose lover. It used to be that I only associate them with my mother, but now I think more of summers in my family's rose garden as a child and how my father doted on the blooms.


That's what I'm dreaming about- anything on your wish list?

Giorgio Armani Luxe is More Palette

A quick note for you, dear readers. I've been doing my best to faithfully get one post up per day, but I may have to start spacing the content out a bit. Work and family life has gotten crazy- I'm planning some family-related travel at some point this month (not telling the internet when I'm coming/going though) and may not see a day off until Palm Sunday. I rely upon the weekends to shoot photos and outline posts, so I'm quickly running out of time.

But we'll see.


Today I have a very special item to talk about with you. It was actually Armani's holiday 2015 offering, but it's currently available at Nordstrom, Saks Fifth Avenue, and Armani's own website. I'll be honest, I was compelled to write this after not seeing a lot of love for this.

Enter the Giorgio Armani Luxe is More Palette.

This ultra-pricey ($140), double-decker eye/face palette is stunning and, appropriately, luxe.

As you can tell by my box, it's been in heavy rotation (ie the box has been taken in and out of the drawer over and over:

Let's talk about the palette. First off, it's huge. It's not the size of the traditional Armani palettes.

This is the pouch (with brushes) that it comes in:

Pretty standard.

The palette itself is a light gold, with Armani's signature on top:

Here's the bottom. You might get an idea of the scale:

Inside, it contains a lot of product for your $140. Upper level is comprised of 10 of the best neutral eyeshadows around:

Let's look at some swatches.

Here's the upper row (the rose gold is a color I use at least 2-3 days a week):

You have, L-R, a perfect nude to smooth out imperfections and act as an anchoring base, a divine rose gold, a light burnished gold/copper, and a light tan shimmer with gold leanings. Amazing.

Here's the middle two:

That's a mostly-matte charcoal that really is almost black and an icy, true silver metallic shade. Love!

Here's the bottom row:

L-R, you have a metallic white (needed as a finishing highlight), two taupey brown shimmers, and a rosy dark brown shade that you just want to cuddle.

Put together, you have an expertly curated set of 10 neutrals. You can do anything from the lightest look to a deep, sultry smoky eye with this palette. It's literally all you need if you're traveling. Even if this was all you got, these would ring in at $14 each, a bargain for Armani.

But wait... there's more.

I normally hate all-in-one palettes, but the eyeshadows swing up to reveal the second level:

OK, hear me out on this. You have a finishing powder and two creams that can be used for concealers (per the instructions). It's meant to flatter a medium skintone. You know I'm a NW15, so here we go on how to make it work. There are also 2 cute little Armani sponges.

Here's the lower level swatched (powder between creams):

Now, here's the hack on how to use this one. CONTOUR!

First of all, a very light dusting of the powder is pretty universal on most light-medium skintones. The powder is also great for absorbing powder, so that's how I've used it- with a light hand.

I've used the creams for subtle contouring and love them as such.

Bottom Line: This is an investment. It's luxurious. It's Armani. But these products perform at such a high level that the lack of love for this palette (now a staple in my stash) that I felt compelled to talk about it. Check it out if you can- it's worth it.

Chanel Rouge Coco Stylo Message, Script, and Roman

I was all over half of Chanel's recently-released collection in my series of posts in which I detailed all of Chanel's new nail releases. What I failed to talk about was the new lip formula- the Chanel Rouge Coco Stylo.Why?

I wanted to really wait and test out a few shades before giving my impressions. I have played with three shades- Message, Script, and Roman.

First, I'll start with Message, the shade I tested at the counter. Here's a photo that I posted at the bottom of one of my nail posts:

This is the shade that is in all of the promo photos. Message is a lovely berry, but I was severely disappointed with the wear-time. That left me determined to try several other shades.

Enter Script.

Script is a rosy brown nude, otherwise known as a color you wouldn't think that I would pick up.

One of the reasons why I picked this shade is because I can always use another wearable nude. It works well on my pigmented lips and calmed down a few crazier makeup days (Example 1: MAC Grain e/s to eye, Tom Ford Crushed Indigo duo (left) inner eye area highlight, MAC Creme de Violet in crease, MAC Tilt on lid (inner 1/3), MAC Silver Ring on lid (outer 2/3), MAC Knight Divine (outer edges, blended as transition).)

What I found is that although it pulled a little warm nude for my tastes, it kept ending up in my makeup bag. And the more that I played with it over the course of several weeks, the more I liked the formula.

Here's Script on my lips:

A pretty nude, right?

Now that we've got that covered, I wanted to take a moment to talk about the Chanel Rouge Coco Stylo as a product and its packaging.

We've seen click lipsticks like this before, right? Oh, that's right. I reviewed a similar product from Dior on the blog about 2 years ago.

Here's a side by side to show the size difference between a Chanel Rouge Coco Stylo, a Chanel Stylo Yeux eyeshadow, and a Dior Serum de Rouge.

One thing that I think that the Rouge Coco Stylo does the best is that the color, its name, number, and a reasonable representation of the lip color are at the bottom of the packaging. It makes it so easy to distinguish between shades if you have more than one. A+ on that.

Now, on to Roman.

Roman is the antithesis to low-key Script, so I had to have it.

Roman is a warm-toned raspberry pink that screams hot juiciness.  I love it. It's the type of color I normally gravitate towards.

I love that this shade fades gracefully, leaving a pleasant stain afterwards. I'm not sure if the wear time really is slightly less than Script, or if it's because Script is closer to a natural lip tone than Roman.

Here's a hand swatch of both together:

Between these two, I have a great range of lip colors covered.

Bottom line: If you're looking for a hydrating, balm-like lipstick with good coverage, check out this new offering from Chanel. I found that using a transparent lipliner helped a lot with such a emollient formula. Chanel has curated a great collection- there's everything from the rosy nude to the hottest raspberry pink. Originally, I was hesitant about the collection. Now, I'm a convert.

Deborah Lippmann Sweets for my Sweet Set

While browsing recently at Nordstrom, I stumbled upon this newly-released set of six pastel Deborah Lippmann minis.  The Sweets for my Sweet nail set retails for $34.

I love that the box screams the Pantone colors of the year. So far this is the best presentation that I've seen.  While not the most creative set in concept, this set delivers in terms of formula and overall performance. I have tried quite a few pastel polishes over time and was blown away by these. Please forgive the rather short reviews, but really... these are colors we've seen before. They're just packaged in a cute set at a fabulous price and come in one of the better formulas I've seen.

Sugar Sugar is the light apricot shade of the group. I'm normally a bit hesitant about these shades against my NW15 skin.

Formula is outstanding. There's only 2 coats on my nails here, and it looks surprisingly awesome. I'll be coming back to this shade as spring actually shows up around here.

Lemon Drop is a cool-leaning yellow creme.  Again, formula is outstanding. If we're talking shades that make me cringe, yellow nails are at the top. With such pronounced pink undertones, I normally cannot do yellow. It makes me look sick.

Hmm, look at that. Deborah Lippmann may have found my perfect pastel yellow! I'm not sure if I'd try this for the office, but it'd be a cute weekend mani- or part of nail art. A shocking success, and 3 coats on my nails in this photo. You may have noticed that cleanup was more than a little problematic though....

Sweet Pea is the light green shade in the set. It's got more yellow in it than most of the mints that we've seen as of yet, but it's not as yellow as something like Essie My Prerogative. Deborah Lippmann does greens well- see Flowers in Her Hair (which is far more blue and darker).

Like the others, it's a great formula. There are 3 thin coats on my nails here, and I love the result.

My Boy Lollipop is the light blue that's close to the Pantone Color of the Year. One of my favorite light blues is Deborah Lippmann Let's Hear it for the Boy, so I had high expectations. Luckily, My Boy Lollipop delivered.

Two coats here on my nails- wow!  This one performed like a dream and also had the same great formula. So far, we're 4/4 in this set. At this point, I'd call it a winner.

All Day Sucker is the shade that I wanted to put on my nails first. You all know that I'm a true sucker (pun intended) for purple nail polishes, preferably of the pastel variety. I have at least 3 other Deborah Lippmann pastel purples/lilacs/violets, so I had a high bar set for All Day Sucker.

I have mixed feelings. I love the color, the formula was awesome, and there are three thin coats on my nails here. You'd think I'd be in heaven, right?  Tell me if I'm crazy, but I'm not thrilled with how it clashes with my skintone. Am I seeing things?

Candy Girl is the light pink of the group. Even though I hadn't had any problems with formula until now, I was holding my breath since light pinks tend to be problematic. Turns out, I was crazy.

Three coats of an awesome formula on my nails here. Deborah Lippmann nailed the COTY here.


Bottom Line: This is an awesome mini nail polish set. I really recommend this for yourself or as a springtime gift. It's not often that you can get 6 seasonal shades of high-performing nail polishes for $34. Just do it, you won't regret it.