NOTD: Essie Penny Talk

Today's NOTD is one of my many rose gold stunners. Yes, it's totally out of season- but that's just how I roll.

Essie Penny Talk is a slick metallic polish, 2 coats.

Burberry Lip Cover 01 Nude Beige

I've waited until Day 30 of the Burberry month to bring you that catch-up post I've been promising because the final item isn't a color product.

Burberry Lip Cover 01 Nude Beige isn't a color that I would normally select (it's a very pale beige), but I received it as a GWP.

Burberry's Lip Covers are mainly opaque and quite creamy. Out of the three lipstick lines, I like the texture of these the best. This photo captures just how light Nude Beige really is:

This color is lovely, but very tricky for me to pull off. I'm going to do my best to show a handful of swatches.

Outside, without flash:

Outside, with flash:

Inside, without flash:

Inside, with flash:

It's a lovely nude shade. I just wish that I could pull it off.  The nice thing about GWPs is that I can experiment with shades I normally wouldn't without the $30 hit.

Here is Nude Beige on my very pigmented lips. Once again (like with Rosewood), the photograph looks a lot nicer than it did in person.

In person, it gives me concealer lips, even well-blended.  I decided to try a few other things to make this shade work.  A natural progression is to add a gloss. Since I don't own Nude Beige gloss, I substituted Nude Gold.

It simply added a layer of sheen. Again, the photos look far better than it did in person.  I'm not sure why Burberry products tend to hide imperfections in photographs.

Overall, this is a lovely nude for people with less-than-pigmented lips.

Burberry Sheer Eyeshadow No 03 Porcelain

It's hard to believe that Burberry month is coming quickly to a close. This is the final Sheer Eyeshadow shade I'll be featuring.

Porcelain #3 is another of the light, neutral shades that Burberry has become known for.  It's a peachy neutral that is just slightly off of my skintone, making it another of the un-makeup shades I've come to embrace.

With a primer, this lasts all day and has the same buttery texture as the other shades in this line.

While it's darker than Trench, I still struggle to photograph this shade.

Outside, no flash:

Inside, no flash:

Inside, with flash:

And a comparison shot to give some context for this light shade:

This is the best shot I have of any of these shades.  Although more metallic, NARS Tzarine #1 is closest to Porcelain.

Overall, this is a lovely neutral that suits a range of skintones.

NOTD: NARS Pokerface

Today's NOTD is NARS Pokerface.  This is a lovely lilac frost.

Two coats, no top coat.

Burberry Lip Velvet No 306 Pink Amber

Today's bit of Burberry is the second Lip Velvet shade that I selected.  I received a mini of Burberry Lip Velvet #306, Pink Amber.

Pink Amber is a full-coverage matte with satin tendencies.  It's highly pigmented and covers my very pigmented lips in just one swipe.

Since this is a mini, I don't have many photographs to share.  That said, Burberry's mini lipsticks weigh in at 0.8g/0.028 oz vs the full size 3.5g/0.12 oz.  Pink Amber is a bolder, matte equivalent of Blush Lip Cover.

Outside, without flash:

Outside, with flash:

Inside, without flash:

Inside, with flash:

This color is incredibly pigmented. Here it is on my lips, without flash:

And with flash:

Normally this is where I'd show a comparison swatch, but I don't own any other matte shades in the same universe as Pink Amber.  This was my introduction to the Lip Velvet range, and find Pink Amber to be a totally wearable MLBB shade.

A Quick, Quirky Update

Hello lovelies-

Just a quick note from your QBB. Long-time readers may have noticed that there was no Sunday Dreaming this week, and even Burberry Beauty month seems to have settled into a pattern.  Truth told, my actual job is kicking my posterior and I've needed every second of the weekends to decompress the last 2 weeks. Luckily, I'd already queued up quite a few posts! Add in a tech malfunction currently keeping me from moving my photos from my camera to my computer, and there's not a lot of brand-new content.

Be assured, it's coming.  I may not be posting on a daily basis, but I'd like to think that it will be worth the wait.  Among the products I've been testing:

• Clinique Summer 2014 Chubby Sticks for Eyes & Lips- all of the LE shades
• Laura Mercier Summer 2014 Gel Lip Colors
• Peter Thomas Roth Rose Stem Cell Cleanser & Gel Mask
• Clarins Golden Glow Booster & Shimmer Oil
• Lipstick Queen Jungle Queen
• Chantecaille Lip Chic
• Bite Beauty Deconstructed Rose Lipstick
• Dior Diorshow Liner Waterproof- 2 colors
• Tom Ford Traceless Foundation Stick & Cream Foundation Brush
• Dior 5 Colours Palette
• Dior Gel Venis Nail Color- 3 shades
• Lancome L'Absolu Rouge La Base
• Guerlain Maxi Shine Lip Gloss

That's a partial list, so I promise that a variety of product types and brands will be represented in this space soon.  I've enjoyed Burberry month- and actually have three more reviews to write as well as a wrap-up- but variety is everything, right?  Now, if I could de-stress a bit and get the creative juices flowing again... But don't worry, there will be a daily post every day this week. I like to work ahead!

NOTD: Butter London Molly Coddled

Today's NOTD is one of my favorite Butter London polishes. They were a full year ahead of Radiant Orchid, having released this in Spring 2013.  I've gotten so much wear out of this shade.

There are two coats on my nails, plus Butter London Hardware here:

Burberry Sheer Eyeshadow No 01 Pearl White

Today's shadow, #01 Pearl White, might be the most difficult of anything to photograph with my very fair complexion.  I'll be making a distinct effort to describe this shade as best as I can. Some shades are simply better suited for swatching than others.

Pearl White is a sheer, creamy shimmer eyeshadow shade that is buildable. It is one of two white shadows in Burberry's Sheer Eyeshadow line.  They're designed to be used as accents or as lightning bases for other colors.

I used this as an accent for the inner eye. It's just as buttery as the rest of the Burberry shadows. I got less than the usual wear time, but who wears primer in the corner of their eyes?

I'm going to do my best with swatches:

Outside, no flash:

Inside, no flash:

Inside, with flash:

I don't own very many white shades, but I pulled a few.

Estee Lauder Pure Color Eyeshadow Sugar Cube is both sheerer and has a distinct yellow/gold cast.
Dior Royal Kaki #2 (upper right) is a true cream shade and far sheerer.
Chanel Radiant Gems #2 (upper right) is the closest to Burberry Pearl White but has more shimmer.

This shade has been out of stock, but I found mine by calling a few different counters. It's a great accent. Admittedly, I don't own #25 Porcelain White to make a comparison within the line, but I recommend picking up a Burberry white shadow to use as a blending and accent shade.

NOTD: Butter London Trustafarian

Today's NOTD has a special photo with it.  It's Butter London Trustafarian, a green-gold holo nail polish.

Since this was so special, I made sure to take this the morning I was wearing it- notice the morning sun reflecting off my nails. I have three thin coats plus Butter London Hardware on my nails here.

Burberry Lip Cover 09 Blush

Today's featured Burberry product is one that many of you will disagree with my description of vehemently.  Just keep in mind that I have very pigmented lips!

Burberry Lip Cover #9 Blush is one of the best lipsticks I've ever purchased. It's creamy, pigmented, and has that lovely Burberry Lip Cover formula that I've raved about.  On my lips, it's a perfect MLBB shade.  On less pigmented lips, this is a lovely rosy pink.

I had a hard time deciding among the many rosy shades in the Burberry Lip Cover line.  Without a nearby counter, I actually had to make my decision based on internet swatches.  I hope that this review helps someone else in the future in a similar circumstance.

Lip Cover is a medium-lasting, glossy/satin formula. On a given 8-hour workday, I generally touch up following my (Venti) morning coffee and lunch.

Outside, no flash:

Outside, with flash:

Inside, no flash:

It's really on my lips where this color has the most impact. It's a lovely rose shade that's truly MLBB.

No flash:

With flash:

I pulled a few shades that read as MLBB on my lips for comparison.

Of all of these, it's closest to the Tarte Complexion-Enhancing Lipstick (Medium-Deep). Blush has rosier undertones and more pigmentation packed into a much nicer formula, in my opinion. I was surprised just how brown Dolce Vita looks in comparison.

Burberry Blush is one of a number of natural-looking staples that I've discovered from this brand. I can see this shade becoming a permanent part of my makeup bag and an easy go-to for a polished look.

NOTD: Chanel Intermezzo

Today's NOTD is Chanel Intermezzo, a fabulous white shimmer with pink undertones first released in Fall 2010.

These swatches are with two coats, no top coat.

You will still have VNL with this polish.  I also took a close-up shot so you can see the undertones.

Burberry Sheer Eyeshadow No 02 Trench

Today's bit of Burberry Beauty is one of the iconic shades, Sheer Eyeshadow #2, Trench.  It's also one that I've come to adore in a short amount of time- but for obvious reasons have had a devil of a time trying to get a good swatch photo of!

I'm going to switch things up today and start with the swatches that showed up the best:

I think it should be clear by now why I'm going to be mainly reliant upon words today.  Trench is the perfect flesh-toned shade for it.  It has a gentle shimmer that reflects light and opens the eye area.  I've been using it all the way up to my brows to even out my skin and finish my eye look.

Trench actually replaces MAC Blanc Type as my go-to for a finished eye look.  Blanc Type is matte whereas Trench has a soft shimmer.  I highly encourage you to look for other swatches on darker complexions for a better feel.  It's an un-makeup shade for me, and I've already started to put a dent in Trench from using it on a daily basis.  I wish I could show you better swatches, but the reason why I love it so makes it impossible to photograph!