Review: Le Metier De Beaute – Crème Fresh Tint for Lip and Cheek

Let me start by saying I am not a fan of crème cheek products. I think there is a learning curve for it and I don’t think I have quiet mastered it yet. I personally think powder products are easier to use. With that said I picked up 3 of the Le Metier De Beaute Crème Lip and Cheek stains (a while ago). Why? Because I love all things Le Metier, but really I was curious to see if you can actually use the product on your lips. I have very dry sensitive lips, so when people say you can use any crème product for your cheek on your lips, I find that to be untrue in most cases.

The packaging is the standard matte black LMDB plastic packaging. It is a twist off top, which I assume is to preserve the product. I had mine for months now and it has not dried out one bit.

Formula of the LMDB Crème Fresh Tint is very creamy. It is much creamier than YSL’s crème blush. It does not contain as fragrance (Yes!) and it does not have any chemical taste when used on the lips. As a blush, it is easy to blend out (even though I suck at doing it >.<). As a lip product, I don’t find it hydrating enough to wear on its own but on top of a creamy/hydrating lipstick it works pretty well.

The three colors I got are Coral Nymph, Mystique and Poppy/Coquelicot. I like Mystique the best, as I like cool toned pinks for cheek or lips. Poppy is a color in between Coral Nymph and Mystique. There weren’t much difference in terms of formula between the three.

For me, I like using these to change the color of some of my lipsticks. We all have lipsticks we bought that are either too bright or just doesn’t fit our skin tone; with LMDB’s Crème Tint you can alter the color of the lipstick fairly easily. Below is a before and after picture of Mystique on top of Tom Ford’s Adobe Pink lipstick.

Product Info:

$28 @ Nordstrom

NET WT. 0.17 fl oz. (5g)

Pro:

• Creamy formula
• Great color payoff

Con:

• Expensive
• Not hydrating enough to wear on lips alone (for me at least)

Bottom line: If you like crème check products, you will like this. A great multipurpose product.

Comparison: Chanel – Accessoire Le Vernis Nail Colour

Chanel’s Spring 2013 collection consisted of 3 new nail colours. Of course being a Chanel-fiend I picked up all three. The first thing I did when I got home was to see if I have any dupes for the three colors, however, I could only find similar colors for Accessoire. I find it very similar to Chanel’s Vamp, Rouge Noir and the recently released (holiday 2012 collection) Malice. I find the difference to be only noticeable under bright lighting (mostly sunlight).

Accessoire vs. Vamp

–          I find these two to be the most similar. Vamp is a shimmer polish while Accessoire is a crème polish. Accessoire has a bit more brown in the base color than Vamp but it is very similar.

Accessoire vs. Rouge Noir

–          The finish of the two polishes is the same. Rouge Noir is darker, almost black with a bit of red tone. The different between the two is very noticeable even in low lighting.

Accessoire vs. Malice

–          Malice has some red shimmer in it and the base color is darker, however, in low lighting it still appears to be very similar.

The above photo show how similar the polishes are.

It was interesting to see such a fall/winter color as part of the spring collection. It is an interesting color, definitely more on the brown side than red or plum or black. I am glad I have it as part of my nail polish collection, but I don’t see it as a must have.

Bottom line: If you have any of the above Chanel nail polish, you can pass on this polish. It is a permanent product, so you can always pick it up later.

First Look: Le Metier De Beaute – Golden Gate Girl Kaleidoscope Eye Kit

When I came home today this baby was waiting for me on my door steps. I didn’t have enough time to get swatches before the sun went away, but I thought I would post pictures anyways.

Here we go from top to bottom.

The first shade is a flesh color with silver shimmer.

The second shade is a light lilac purple with silver shimmer.

The third shade is a matte brownish red color.

The last shade is a warm gold with gold shimmer.

I will post review with swatches as soon as I have some free time with the sun!

Quick Look: Dior Vernis #537 Riviera

Dior Vernis #537 Riviera is part of Dior’s new nail polish line, the Haute Couleur Extreme Wear Nail Lacquer line. Out of all the colors I found Riviera the most interesting. The description of the color is orange, but I found the color to be sometimes more red, sometimes more orange and sometimes more pink depending on the lighting. The color reminds me of Pantone’s color of the year. The formula is a bit thick. I am still not a huge fan of the fat brush; I find it hard to even out the polish.

Bottom line: It is a fantastic color for the summer and I can’t think of any exact dupes for it. If you like Dior nail polish, definitely try this one.

Quick Look: Chanel Le Vernis Nail Colour #545 Attraction

Chanel’s #545 Attraction is a white pearly nail polish. It is not like anything I have in my current nail polish stash. It literally looks like my finger tips are little pearls. It has almost a metallic finish. This polish is a bit streaky, but due to the finish it is only noticeable when close up. It takes two coats to be opaque, though if you prefer the sheer look, one coat is enough.

Bottom line: It is a gorgeous nail polish. However, you can probably find a dupe in a cheaper brand.

Review: Le Metier de Beaute Limited-Edition Sheer Brilliance Lip Gloss in Orange Juiced & Hibiskiss

I really liked the LMDB’s lip gloss formula; it’s one of my favorite formulas. So I decided to give the Sheer Brilliance Lip Gloss a try, to see if it’s as good as the regular lip gloss. Of course, they are limited editions, which is why I ended up picking up both colors.

The packaging is pretty basic and simple LMDB packaging. It is not the most fancy packaging out there. I like the packaging of the lip gloss much better from some of their other compacts (as much as I love matte black, it gets dirty very easy).

The formula is hydrating and non-drying, overall an excellent formula. As the product name indicated, this is a very sheer formula. It would most likely be used over a lipstick, if you want color. These are high shine glosses, with glitter in them. The glitter does not get grainy when on the lips.

The color may look scary, but since it’s so sheer you cannot really tell the color. Also, note in the pictures the Orange Juiced tube looks more yellow than in real life, I couldn’t get the color just right.  The color of the gloss would look different depending on your natural lip color (if used all natural with no base color). I have naturally pigmented lips, as you can see Orange Juiced comes out sheerer than Hibiskiss. If you are scared of how bright Hibiskiss is, I would suggest wearing it on top of a nude lipstick (very pretty).

The gloss has no noticeable fragrance or taste. It wears about 3 hours.

Hibiskiss

Orange Juiced

Product Info:

$32 @ Nieman Marcus or Nordstrom Counters

NET WT. 0.22 fl oz. (6.5ml)

Pro:

• Great Formula (hydrating)
• Wearable colors

Con:

• Expensive (It’s expensive for a sheer gloss)
• Limited Edition

Bottom line: The formula is great and colors are very ‘in’ this season. It would depend on personal preference if you think this is worth it or not.

Quick Look: Chanel Le Vernis Nail Colour #543 Frisson

Chanel’s #543 Frisson doesn’t look like a unique nail polish, but it is not like anything I have in my collection. It is a baby pink, almost a nude pink. In additional, it has gold, silver and pink glitters, not shimmer. The glitter is more noticeable on the nails under the sun or bright lighting, but you can still see it in normal lighting. It goes on great with no streaks and two coats is enough to be opaque, although sometimes three coats might be needed.

Bottom line: It is a universal color that will work on all skin tones. It is not the most unique shade but the glitter makes it more special.

Review: New Dior Addict Extreme Lipstick in #339 Silhouette

As I was wandering around Macy’s waiting for the Chanel SA to get freed up, I ended up at the Dior counter. I was initially checking out the new collection of nail polishes (since nail polish are my latest obsession). Then the Dior rep told me the nail polishes actually matched some of the new Addict Extreme lipstick shades. In general I am not a lipstick person; I like gloss as I find lipstick usually dry out my lips. This is my first Dior lipstick, so I do not have other Dior comparison for you.

The packaging is classic Dior. It is high quality plastic; it has a good weight to it but it is not heavy. The lipstick can be pulled out by the nob on top of the lipstick. The design is a bit awkward with the silver separation in the case, because it looks like you can pull that portion off. I am not a fan of the packaging design. As you can see in the pictures, the lipstick portion cannot stand by itself because of the round nob.

The formula of this lipstick is excellent; I think it is my new favorite lipstick formula. I recent got a Tom Ford lipstick (which I will review soon), I find this lipstick to be a great cheaper (I can’t believe I’m saying this about a Dior lipstick) alternative than the Tom Ford lipstick. The formula is sheer with a glossy finish. So don’t be scared of the really bright colors, they won’t go on that bright. It applies evenly and is not drying at all (feels like you are wearing lip balm).

The color I picked is #339 Silhouette, which is a light coral color. It’s a great neutral color; it is lighter color than my own lip color, so it looks more like a nude on me.  I think it is a great everyday lipstick.

There is no noticeable fragrance or taste, which is a big plus in my book. The wear time is about 3 hours, which is not bad for sheer lipstick.

 

Product Info:

$30 @ Dior Counters (Macy’s, Nordstrom, Neimans Marcus and Sephora)

3.5g Net WT 0.12 oz

Pro:

• Great Formula (for sheer glossy lipstick)
• Wide range of color (nude to bright)

Con:

• Expensive (Cheaper than Tom Ford)

Bottom line: If you like sheer glossy lipsticks you will love these. I would definitely give this lipstick a try. I highly recommend it.

Review: Part 2 Yves Saint Laurent (YSL) Rouge Pur Couture Vernis À Lèvres Glossy Stain

(Continued from Part 1 Review of the YSL’s Glossy Stains) For review on the packaging and formulation please see Part 1 of the Review.

The three other colors I picked up were #7 Corail Aquatique, #10 Rouge Philtre, and #19 Beige Aquarelle.

#7 Corail Aquatique applied evenly and it’s very pigmented. It’s a pretty coral color, even similar to my own lip color. It’s a more neutral wearable shade that applies smooth.

#10 Rouge Philtre is a pretty bright pinkish red, and you can layer to make it more intense. I find that it went well with my yellow and cool undertone. It applied very smooth and is pigmented as well. I think it is a versatile color because you can make it intense or apply a thin layer with a nude color gloss to make it more neutral.

#19 Beige Aquarelle is similar in color to Part 1’s #18 Rose Pastelle. It is not as pink as Rose Pastelle. I find it to be more wearable than #18, because it has a beige undertone instead of white. It didn’t apply as smoothly as the other colors, but it’s better than #18. I think this is good to tone down your lip color but I would still wear a gloss over top, otherwise it can be quiet boring color.

Product Info:

$32 @ Sephora and Nordstrom (They both have exclusive shades, Sephora has most of them)

Net Wt 0.2 oz 6ml

Pro:

• Great Formula
• Great Pigmentation
• Great Color Range

Con:

• Lighter color is a bit streaky
• Expensive

Bottom line: If the price doesn’t scare you off (which is not outrageous compared to other high end lip products), this is an excellent product to have and invest in.

Review: Le Metier de Beaute Kaleidoscope Eye Kit in Northern Lights (Aurora)

Since the Cherry Blossom Kaleidoscope was coming out the same time as the Northern Lights, I ended up picking up both. By initial look at the Cherry Blossom and Northern Lights, color wise I thought I was going to like Northern Lights better. I usually don’t like brown colors; I find it makes my eyes look more tired.  After swatching them both, I think both are worth getting. The Cherry Blossom comes out to be a more unique color though.

[Same as Cherry Blossom Kaleidoscope Review] The packaging is good quality, although not the best for the price, or compared to other high end brands. The configuration is fun, but it would be improved on if you can detach the eye shadow individually.

[Same as Cherry Blossom Kaleidoscope Review] The formulation is fantastic; very finely milled and easy to blend. I find the matte shades to be smooth, as well. The pigmentation is also fantastic, including the lighter shades. I had reservations about how good the formulation would be, since this is a very expensive item, but it lives up to the hype.

I am not sure if the colors in this Kaleidoscope match the actual Northern Lights, since I have never seen it in person. It does come with a pink-beige shimmer shade, a light blue shimmer shade, a copper-gold shimmer shade, and a matte purple shade. The layered effect of this Kaleidoscope comes out to this purple with silver and gold shimmer. I used even amounts of each individual shade. It was harder to capture on camera the shimmer than the Cherry Blossom Kaleidoscope, which to me makes it a little bit less unique that Cherry Blossom.

I did use this Kaleidoscope and it truly is fool proof (as Sunny from Neiman Marcus put it). I think the Kaleidoscopes would be great for a beginner to use. You would layer the color from the bottom of the Kaleidoscope up, rising the next shade little bit higher than over the previous one (to create that gradient effect). It was probably the easiest for me to create day-time smoky eye (for day-time just make sure you don’t overdo the darkest shade), because layering means less blending.

Product Info:

$95 @ Neimanmarcus.com

Net Wt 0.49 fl oz. (14 gms)

Pro:

• Great formulation
• Unique layered colors
• Size of product (The high price tag comes with good size product. Here are some comparisons: Tom Ford Quad $7.5 per gram, Chanel Quads $8.53 per gram, Le Metier de Beaute $6.79 per gram)

Con:

• Limited edition (This will go quickly like all their Kaleidoscopes)
• Expensive for a single item

Bottom line: If you are debating between Northern Lights and Cherry Blossom, I would say Cherry Blossom is more unique, but Northern Lights works better on cooler skin tones. Hurry though, they are definitely not going to be in stock for long.