Sephora Peach Beige 13 Colorful Mono Eyeshadow

The last time I bought a Sephora brand was some years ago when they first appeared at my local Sephora and I wanted to play and figure out some super bold or unusual colors and see which ones I can actually wear. Some of them were better than others, though I found most too crumbly or chalky and gave every last one of them away. I haven't looked at any of the brand's item in ages, so I was quite surprised with this eye shadow I got as a gift with purchase a few months ago.

The light and shimmery texture is a far departure from what I remembered. The eye shadow is easy to apply and blend, cooperates with every brush I've thrown its way and is all around a great little thing. Peach Beige 13 is exactly as the name implies and make a good highlighter and base color that works with most brown and green colors. The quality is great- no creasing or fading, and as long as I wear it over a primer I haven't experienced any fading.

I must say that I love the mini size of this GWP item. I wish it were available as part as the regular line (and from most brands, really). It's great for shoving into a small makeup bag, not to mention how smaller size means cheaper price, so I'd be more inclined to try new colors. As far as word on the street goes, Sephora brand eye shadows still vary in quality. Some, like Peach Beige 13, are great, while others are iffy. so I can't vouch for every color in the range. Still I now have my eye on a couple of other shades that I will have to try if I can ever make myself set foot in an actual Sephora store again.

Sephora brand Colorful Mono Eyeshadows ($12 each) are available online and in store.

Photos by me.

Sephora Professionnel Platinum Foundation Airbrush #55

Foundation brushes come in several shapes, materials and sizes corresponding to foundation textures and application techniques. I promise to dedicate a post to the subject at one point and probably discuss and compare some of my favorite foundation brushes, but for now it's still one review at a time.

Sephora Professionnel Platinum Foundation Airbrush #55 is on the big and thick side. It's a synthetic brush with a full round head that grabs, distributes and applies liquid and thin cream foundations beautifully. It feels nice on the skin as you buff the foundation in circular motions and gives the promised flawless airbrushed finish. While my favorite foundation brushes may be the flat top Stila (technically a blush brush) and a smallish Hakuhodo, both made of natural hair, with certain formulas I find that Sephora #55 is a better choice.

I'm quite fond of Sephora's Platinum Airbrush tools- the #56 (I'll review at some point in the future) is a smaller version of this one and is quite essential, actually, since the one weakness of #55 is that it's too big and requires backup tools in small crevices like around the nose. Basically, if you insist on only using one makeup brush to apply your foundation you'll have to look elsewhere, because this wide and dense(ish) brush needs its team.

My Sephora Professionnel Platinum Foundation Airbrush #55 has been through countless washings (it takes 18-24 hours to dry, by the way) and has retained its shape perfectly. It doesn't shed and since I started using gentle dish detergents such as Caldrea and Mrs. Meyers for my foundation brushes (also great for lip brushes, by the way), I've manage to restore the fibers to their original pristine colors every time (though the one in the photos is a new one, as I needed a backup).

Bottom Line: a staple.

Sephora Professionnel Platinum Foundation Airbrush #55 ($34) is available online and at Sephora locations everywhere.

All photos are mine.

Sephora by OPI Do I Know You? Nail Polish

I just broke another nail while tending to feline waste management, so my nails are once again a bit of a mess. As soon as I finish typing this post I'm going to take care of the situation: file, buff and polish using a color that makes everything look more... polished, I guess. Do I Know You? from Sephora By Opi is a sleeper color, a rosy beige mauve thing, classy with enough personality. It doesn't attract much attention but it complements warm skin tones and looks elegant but not boring.

I love the application of most Sephora By OPI polishes and Do I Know You? is no exception. It's not streaky, dries quickly (especially for a creme formula) and is low maintenance- just polish and go. A clear top coat every morning makes the manicure last for almost a week with only minor wear to the tips.

Now if I could only get the cats to clean after themselves.

Sephora by OPI nail polish ($9) is available from Sephora stores and online.

Photos by me.

YSL Rouge Pur Couture Lipstick No.20 Rouge Flamme

This is completely unrelated to that hideous Sephora /YSL newsletter from the other day. Yves Saint Laurent released a Sephora-exclusive shade of the wonderful Rouge Pur Couture lipstick formula- No. 20 Rouge Flamme. It's a red berry shade with just enough plum  in the base (easier to see in the swatch than in the tube) to make it easy to wear for me. It's a great winter color (who am I kidding? I'm going to wear it year-round) that's great for brightening up dreary days and freezing nights.

The formula and texture of Rouge Flamme are the same as the other Rouge Pur Couture lipsticks I own: long-lasting, comfortable to wear without drying and feature a beautiful satin finish. It's a bold and assertive color, but one that has a good chance to look flattering on many faces. Just make sure your skin is flawless (dark lipsticks are notorious for making blemishes stand out like Christmas lights), add a thin line of black or dark brown eyeliner and mascara and you're all set.

Bottom Line: sophisticated.

YSL Rouge Pur Couture Lipstick in No.20 Rouge Flamme ($30) is a Sephora exclusive, available online and in store.

All photos are mine.

Truth In Advertisement, Sephora-Style

Maybe I've been spending too much time (again) watching my old Buffy DVDs, but the look this model is sporting says to me "scary", not "couture" or "luxury". The kit itself, a YSL Sephora exclusive, looks quite lovely and very wearable, but this evil zombie queen is not really selling it to me. What's even more ridiculous is that once you take a good look at the model and the holiday kit, you realize the model isn't even wearing any of what they're selling. What's the point, then?

Image from this morning Sephora's newsletter.

Sephora Professionnel Platinum Stippling Brush #44

The best thing about duo-fiber brushes (aka skunk brushes) is that they're great multi-taskers and can be used in various ways for different products. They are made with both natural hair (the shorter black ones) and synthetics (obviously, the longer white part), so they work well with liquid, cream and powder formulas. The shape allows for stippling liquid foundation and tinted moisturizers, but it's also ideal for picking up just the right amount of bronzers and very pigmented blushes. It's usually recommended to use a skunk brush with blushes that might be too dark or streaky for a light and natural application.

I own several duo-fibre stippling brushes, including one from Guerlain (which I think works better with powder products, so it's less of a stippler). My favorite one for the last year or so has been this Sephora Professionnel Platinum Stippling Brush #44. I find it to have the perfect density, softness, length (hair and handle). It's as efficient with my various foundations as it is with blushes (including cream) and bronzers. Generally speaking, I'm really impressed with Sephora Professional Platinum series. There are very few duds in this line of brushes and they're great value.

The #44 brush doesn't require any special technique and I reach for it without much thinking or planning. The brush is there, it performs well and takes away the guessing. It's also quite soft, so I don't experience any skin freakouts and well made, so no shedding, even in my older one that's been washed countless times. I keep one of these Sephora brushes with my foundations and another one in the blush drawer, so you understand it's become a staple.

Sephora Professionnel Platinum Stippling Brush #44 ($35) is available online and in store.

All photos by me (with the help of Sophie).

Laura Mercier Bonne Mine Face Palette

Laura Mercier Bonne Mine - Healthy Glow For Face & Cheeks Crème Colour Palette is a limited edition Sephora exclusive item that was released for Fall 2010 and is still available. Focusing on glow and cheek color, Bonne Mine is not a typical fall item, but a healthy skin is timeless, after all, and who doesn't want to radiate?

The Bonne Mine palette is all about creams textures, so be prepared to deep your fingers in the pans. I always prefer to work with brushes, but Laura Mercier insists that this product is best applied without them. Once I got over myself and my germaphobia I had to agree with her. These creams respond best at skin temperature and are very easy to manipulate, apply and blend with my middle and ring fingers.

Here's what Laura Mercier has packed here:
1 and 2 (Glow Veil) are  basically highlighters, though 1 is quite pigmented and is more like an extra bronzer. I've played with it and used it as a cream eye shadow and on top of the regular bronzer.They have a shimmery almost metallic finish without any actual glitter sparkles.

3 and 4 (Cheek Veil) are cream blushes, with 3 being peachy and 4 a brick red. They can be worn separately, of course, but I find that mixing them together in various proportions works better for me and allows me to customize my blush for different looks. the colors are matte with medium+ pigment intensity that can be built up or sheered. Both are very pretty and are probably my favorite part of this palette.

5 (Bronze Veil) is a non-shimmery bronzer. It looks muddy in the swatch but lightly applied on the cheeks it's actually sheer and perfect for my coloring (NC 30-35ish) in the sense that it really gives me a tanned look. I've been avoiding the sun religiously in recent years, but I actually like the "just back from the Caribbeans" look, and I was happy to see how natural this bronzer looks. I haven't tried it as such, but the bronze veil might also be suitable for contouring on some skin tones.

Last but very important, the palette also holds three cards with step-by-step directions and illustrations on how to use the colors. It really is a fool-proof method and I've found the cards very helpful in getting me started.

My one complaint about the Bonne Mine palette is the staying power. You absolutely must anchor it in place with base and setting products, otherwise you'll find yourself with an almost naked face halfway through the day (and my skin is dry, so it's not an issue of oiliness).  It's a breeze to reapply, but if the whole point here is the "no makeup" look than I'd expect something more stable and weather-proof.

Who would enjoy this palette and who should avoid it? It's great for fans of cream products, especially those who are not too fair and enjoy at least a hint of a tan. Avoid if you're too oily, absolutely hate to use your fingers and can't do brown bronzers.

Laura Mercier Bonne Mine Healthy Glow For Face & Cheeks Crème Colour Palette ($48) is exclusive to Sephora and available online and in stores.

All photos are mine.