NOTD: Chanel Paparazzi

Today's NOTD is another beauty from Chanel.  Paparazzi was released with the Avant-Premiere collection in Summer 2013, with Cinema, Starlet, and a repromote of Provocation.  When I initially saw swatches of these shades, I figured that I'd hate Paparazzi.  After swatching it in-person, I fell in love.  I find it more of a fall shade than a summer color, to be honest.  And now I'm bringing it out as a totally out-of-season NOTD.

Swatches are two coats, with a top coat.

Burberry Lip Glow 15 Nude Gold

Today's dash of Burberry is one of the  final Lip Glow glosses that I'll be featuring during this mad Burberry marathon.  It's not a shade that I would normally gravitate towards, but it's a nice neutral gloss that I'm thrilled to have in my stash.

I get several hours of wear from the Lip Glow line.  These glosses are non-sticky, and most importantly don't attract stray hairs.

I've got just a few swatches to show today because this is such a light shade.


Outside, without flash:

Outside, with flash:

With the shade and my pigmented lips, it shouldn't be a surprise that I don't have any swatches to show you.  This shows up as a clear gloss on my lips. It's a great go-to.

NOTD: Butter London Muggins

I've featured today's NOTD shade on the blog before as one of my nail art colors, but I hadn't done a straight mani with it in awhile.

Butter London Muggins was originally released in the Spring 2013 collection. It's a light, grey-blue lilac that's stunning on the nails. There are three thin coats plus Butter London Hardware on my nails in this photo:

Burberry Sheer Eyeshadow No 19 Midnight Plum

Today's featured Burberry product is Sheer Eyeshadow #19, Midnight Plum. This will be a short post, but I hope to do the shade justice.

Midnight Plum is one of the deepest shades in the Sheer Eyeshadow range.  It's also the deepest purple shadow that I own.

I had a hard time accurately capturing the shade.  In person, there are significant red tones that didn't translate to any picture under any lighting circumstance. 

The swatches show just how deep this tone is.  Outside, no flash:

Outside, with flash:

Inside, no flash:

Inside, with flash:

Let me show you the Burberry purples swatched together:

Midnight Plum is a distinct shade that would be lovely on darker complexions.  I'm still learning to work with it to avoid a bruised eye look.  One of the reasons why I've been purchasing shades like this, completely outside my comfort zone, is to expand my technique and give myself a full range of high-quality shades to use.  This blends nicely, and lasts all day with primer.  I wanted to swatch this for everyone and let them make up their own minds because it's such a deep shade.

NOTD: Tom Ford Bitter Bitch

Yes, I know this is way out of season, but I love to mix up my manis with unexpected shades.

I have to smirk at the name of this NOTD.  So many Tom Ford Nail Lacquers are a bit cheeky with their names. Bitter Bitch is a chocolate creme with a flawless formula.  It self-levels, and you don't have to worry about it being patchy at all.

Swatches are with 2 coats, and topcoat.

Burberry Lip Velvet #310 Military Red

I have a final Lip Velvet to share with you in this month of Burberry beauty.

Burberry Lip Velvet #310 Military Red isn't a shade that I would normally pick out.  It actually took testing this in-store at Burberry to convince me that this was the red that I've been missing in my life.

First, I'll take a moment to talk about the packaging.  My prior Lip Velvet was a mini, so I couldn't properly discuss it.  Whereas the Lip Cover and Lip Mists share the same packaging, the Lip Velvet is distinct.

I enjoy the matte case as a quick way to identify the shade.  Although Burberry's Lip Velvets are touted as matte, I find them to be satins that dry down to matte, but exceedingly easy to wear and natural.

Looking at the color in the tube, there's no way that you'd call it natural. Yet that's what it is.  I've come to realize that one of the reasons why I love Burberry so much is the ease of wearing the shades in any situation.

I get moderate wear time with this formula, but the most important aspect of the formula is that, unlike most matte formulas, it's not drying.

I can't stop taking photos of this color- it's fantastic.

I was looking for a natural-looking red that I could wear throughout the summer.  I find red lipsticks to be exceedingly high-maintenance and quite tricky (as a redhead). I've found a true winner with Military Red.

I'll start with some swatches that don't quite show the color at its max:

Outside, no  flash:

Outside, with flash:

Inside, no flash:

Inside,with flash:

Now, I'll show where this shade really shines- on my lips.

Without flash:

With flash:

It's such a wearable red that I'm glad to keep it in my stash forever. I'm normally not a matte lipstick fan, but Burberry's Lip Velvet formula has won me over.


Although I didn't have a shade exactly like this in my stash, I do have a number of matte reds to show.  What this swatch doesn't really portray is the blendability and natural finish of the Lip Velvet formula.

Of these, MAC Russian Red or RiRi Woo appear to be the closest. However, there's nothing quite like the Lip Velvet formula so this isn't much of a comparison. It's clear that I have a soft spot for reds, even if I don't wear them much!

Overall, this is a shade that I never would've selected online but I am thrilled to have in my collection. I highly recommend it.

NOTD: Butter London Sprog

Today's NOTD is another lovely Butter London creme.  Sprog is a periwinkle creme that's perfect for spring.  I've got 2 coats plus Butter London Hardware on my nails in this photo:

Burberry Sheer Eyeshadow No 04 Gold Trench

Today's bit of Burberry is Sheer Eyeshadow #4, Gold Trench. Ironically, I picked this up just before the Heritage Collection was launched.

Gold Trench is a very warm, slightly bronzey gold.  It's not what I thought it would be, but I love it anyhow.

Gold Trench is one of the deeper, pigmented shades in the Sheer Eyeshadow line.  It has the same level of pigmentation, blendability, and buttery texture that I have come to expect from Burberry singles.

With primer, I get the standard full work day of wear from Gold Trench.  It's a lovely, warm shade that's a flattering neutral. It's a similar depth as Almond but much warmer and has a shimmer finish.

First, let me show the standard swatches.

Outside, no flash:

Outside, with flash:

Inside, without flash:

Inside, with flash:

It's such a lovely shade that will be perfect all year.

I pulled a few comparison swatches:

Dior Greige #1 is in the same neighborhood, but lacks the metallic finish and is less blendable. Among Burberry shades, Almond is the closest.

Overall, I find that Gold Trench fills a need that I didn't think that I had. It's a lovely lid color as a part of a conservative look. I can't wait to play with it this holiday, to be honest.  The Heritage Collection is full of golds, reds, and blacks. That screams holiday beauty in my mind!

NOTD: Essie No Baggage Please

Today's NOTD is Essie No Baggage Please, one of the 4 colors from the 2013 Essie Wedding collection.

No Baggage Please is a muted pink with silver glitter that doesn't translate from the bottle to the nail.

Sunday Dreaming: SPF Edition

I hope that my readers who observe the Easter holiday have had a lovely day full of family and food.  I'm honestly a bit burnt out on buying new products at the moment (I never thought I'd reach that state!), but the glimmers of sun and heat have me already planning for my summer SPF purchases.


1. Shiseido Ultimate Sun Protection Lotion Broad Spectrum SPF 50+  ($39)

This has been my go-to sunscreen for years. It's SPF 50, waterproof, and long-lasting. It's also skin friendly and doesn't break me out or create a shine.

2. Shiseido Ultimate Sun Protection Cream SPF 50+ ($19.50- $35)

This is my companion facial sunscreen to my favorite oil free sunscreen. I don't remember a time that I didn't have one without the other.  I always buy the smaller size so that I waste less product.

3. Shiseido Sun Protection Lip Treatment SPF 36 PA++ ($22)

Don't forget about your lips when layering on the SPF! This is perfect for those outdoor events.

4. Kiehl's Color-Protect Shine-Infusing Hair Oil Treatment ($25)

It's important not to forget your color-treated hair! UV will fade that salon-perfect color in no time flat. I've used Aveda's treatment successfully in the past, but since I'm now using Kiehl's haircare I'd like to try this SPF 10 spray this summer.  A little shine never hurt anyone either.

5. Kiehl's Super Fluid UV Defense SPF 50+ ($38-$61)

I received a small sample of this and really enjoyed it.  Kiehl's skincare really is top notch.  This sunscreen didn't irritate my sensitive skin and it didn't feel greasy to the touch.

That's it for this week!