mulberrytea: beauty and fashion blog

My Friday Favorite 5 list is a list of five things that I'm currently into, both beauty-wise and otherwise.  I would love to hear what your favorites are as well each week!  Feel free to leave me your comments :)

This week's 5:

Favorite foundation: Right now it's D&G's cream foundation . . . I love this stuff!  It makes my skin look incredible, and has good staying power.  Plus, it doesn't dry out my skin in the cold weather.  I've been using this daily for about a month, so look for an upcoming review ;P

Top food craving: I'm really craving some dim sum right now.  When I go home over Thanksgiving to visit my family, I'll definitely ask them to take me to my favorite dim sum restaurant in Cleveland, Lee Wah.  Is it strange that I'm scared to go to dim sum places in Chinatown?  Whatever, I'll stick to making my own shumai at home for now.

Best new discovery: My electric toothbrush is the best thing since sliced bread.  It's like the Clarisonic, but for your teeth.  My teeth feel like I just went to the dentist for a cleaning each time, but with almost zero effort required from me!

Favorite thing to wear: I bought a necklace recently that's three little pearls inside a peapod.  I love how delicate and pretty it is, but also that it's unusual.  Plus, it was $2.80 from Forever 21, but looks like a little handmade piece from a boutique.

Here are some new additions to my Chanel family that I've picked up in the last few months:

Navy enamel temple oversized Wayfarers

Red caviar CC card holder

CC turnlock necklace

Since it'll be a little while before my next bag purchase (hint: it's most likely going to be the small "Boy"!), I'm getting my fix via accessories and small leather goods :)  I love how the navy, red, and gold work together for a very French, nautical feel.

About 2 months ago, I saw a little something from Sephora advertising a new "magnetic" nail polish.  I went down to my local Sephora, and was told that only a handful of locations carry the UK-based Nails Inc. brand.  I trekked down to said Sephora, and was told that although it was available online, it wouldn't hit stores for a few weeks.

Despite my initial excitement, life got in the way, and I wasn't able to pick this up until about 3 weeks ago.  I ended up picking up both colors-- the purple shade called "Houses of Parliament," and the steel-grey "Trafalgar Square."

Let me tell you . . . this stuff is as awesome as it sounds.  It works in a scifi-ish way-- you hold the magnet-embedded cap over your nail, and it pulls the iron particles in the polish towards the magnet in a nifty design.  When you remove the magnet-- tada!  Nails that look like you had them done at some kind of avant-garde salon.  If you're looking for attention-grabbing nails, this is the stuff!  I had no less than 10 people coming up to me asking to see my nails the week I did this :)

I love the effect that this polish gives-- especially on the purple.  It reads as some kind of opalescent cat-eye, and looks really cool when it flashes in the light.  In these photos it looks more high-contrast than it really is, but the overall effect is not quite so stripey.

After using this polish on myself and a couple of friends, here are some tips for best results:

You must put on a base coat of the color, or it will be too sheer.  Let the first coat dry before applying the second (it dries really quickly!)

The grey shade is much sheerer and thinner in texture than the purple.  I suggest using a different grey polish to do a base coat for that shade.

Once the base coat is dry, paint on a thick coat of color on one nail, and then do the magnet process one nail at a time.  Thickness is key!

The trick is to hold the magnet as close as possible to the nail without touching it.  Because the polish is magnetic, if you hold it TOO close, it will actually draw up some of the polish to touch the magnet.  Just fix it and try again.

If you don't like the result the first time, paint on another coat and try it again!

The instructions recommend holding the magnet in place for 10-15 seconds, but I prefer to count to 30 for the most dramatic results.

Holding the magnet directly above the nail creates a horizontal pattern.  Holding it differently will result in a different pattern.  Experiment!

For the prettiest finish, use a high-gloss topcoat to really amplify the shine and iridescence of the polish.

I love this stuff, but I wish it came in more colors.  I remember seeing a gold shade online about 2 months ago, but it has since sold out.  Give it a try and have fun!

Chanel's new Rouge Allure Velvet lipstick is now featured on their website.  This lipstick comes in 8 shades in the rose-pink-beige range, and comes in the standard Rouge Allure packaging of black and gold.

Rouge Allure Velvet is supposed to give a soft velvety matte finish that's nondrying.  I wasn't crazy about this idea at first, but since I hate overly-glossy lips, I kind of want to give this a try.  I love the rose beige shades (first two pictured above), as I think they will make a really pretty holiday lip.  Can't wait to go to counters this weekend and give it a try!

Rouge Allure Velvet retails for $32, same as other Rouge Allures.

There are also 3 shades of Le Vernis posted, as well as a matte topcoat:

Pirate (repromote)

Rose Exubérant

Rose Caché

I believe the last two are LE, but I'm not 100% positive.  I would've loved to see some kind of beautiful gold glitter to tie in with the theme of the rest of the holiday collection, but these shades are nice as well, though I wouldn't say they are terribly unique.

I haven't seen any of these items pop up on Neiman Marcus, Saks, or Nordstrom, so it does seem that they are available first directly from Chanel.  Will you be the first to try Rouge Allure Velvet, or the new polish shades?

Note: This review is for the baked (Euro) version of Orchid Rose.  Please note this is a slightly different shade than the US version, which I do not own.

Orchid Rose is one of those shades that seems to have an interesting story.  For those who do not know, Chanel's Joues Contraste blushes come in a finely-milled powder version for the US market, and a baked formulation for international markets.  Usually the two versions are similar in color, although there is much debate about the actual formulation and finish.  However, Orchid Rose is one of the odd ones that is actually completely different colors in the different formulations.

The US version of Orchid Rose is more of a mauvey rose with hints of peach (see review by Cafe Makeup here for photos).  However, the baked version is more peachy rose with brownish-copper undertones.  I am not sure if the baked formulation has even more variation in color, because mine actually looks more pink/rose than some other photos I have seen online.  I would love some verification on this if anyone has info, but I have purchased two of these and they have both been the same color.

You can see in the comparison photo below with Rose Ecrin (neutral-cool rose) that not only does this have a clearly different texture, but Orchid Rose has a very peachy base while not being a true peach:

Orchid Rose has been described as a universally flattering shade, and I certainly think so.  I find this a very easy color to wear, and usually goes with any makeup look that I do.  On me, it reads slightly warm due to the peach tones, but never overwhelmingly coral.  Even though there are some brown undertones, I don't find that this looks muddy or dirty at all.  It easily adds a flush of color that looks like a natural glow on my cheeks.

Personally, I am a fan of the baked texture, as it seems more pigmented than the US powder version.  It is easy to apply and to me seems hard to overdo.  Although the pan shows some shimmer and iridescence in the formula, it applies like a glowy matte with no visible sparkles.  This is exactly the kind of finish I like from my blushes, since too matte or too shiny tends to look unnatural.

When the weather gets cold and dry, I suddenly feel the urge to revamp my skincare routine.  During the summer, I use very light moisturizer on my face, and almost no lotion on my body; however during the drier seasons I'm all about protective creams.

For some reason, I always find myself standing in the skincare aisle at Whole Foods, pondering all of my choices from their wide selection of natural & organic products.  I've found that many of these products work better for me than conventional products to combat sensitivity and dry skin, perhaps due to the fact that they often contain less ingredients and less preservatives.

So, here's an overview of my favorite skincare lines that have an emphasis on natural and organic beauty:

Dr. Hauschka:

I've been a Dr. Hauschka fan since 2007 or 2008, spurred on by my search for a hand cream that isn't greasy, retains moisture, and doesn't smell like powder or candy.  Dr. Hauschka's hand cream was a replacement for another favorite of mine, but since then I've tried many products from the line.  Dr. Hauschka is probably the most comprehensive natural beauty line I know of, with a full range of skincare, bodycare, and cosmetics to choose from.  I love that you can purchase Dr. Hauschka's skincare and bodycare products in little tins with mini-sized versions of several different products.  My favorites so far are the hand cream, Quince Day Cream, Rose Day Cream, and Rose Body Moisturizer.  Next on my list is the clay mask for removing impurities . . . but I might save that for summer.

John Masters Organics:

John Masters is best known for his haircare products, but I tried his Rose & Green Tea serum lately and am now totally hooked.  This formula for dry skin makes the drier areas of my face feel like silk-- I now use it twice a day and absolutely love it.  The scent is a little funky, but I can deal with it for the results.  The unique thing about John Masters skincare products is that they are almost all aloe-based rather than water-based-- thus, you are paying for more active ingredients and not paying for water.  The prices are also all very reasonable compared to the other lines.  I'm excited to try out some of the haircare products as my hair gets drier throughout the season.

Annemarie Börlind:

Annemarie Börlind is a German brand that makes my favorite hand cream ever (Hand Balm/Hand Balsam).  It was because my local Whole Foods stopped carrying this hand cream that I switched over to Dr. Hauschka.  I find it rather hard to find this brand in person, although it seems to be a rather large company with a long history and wide product range.  In the US I find that Börlind products retail pretty high, but the website's prices are pretty reasonable.  I would love to explore more of this brand as the hand cream is the best!

Weleda:

This is a fairly common brand that can be purchased even at Target.  I love that Weleda's products often come in small travel sizes that are easy to throw in a bag; I am always a fan of the rich creams, like Skin Food, Almond lotion, Wild Rose lotion, body oils, etc.  Weleda's products are rich and creamy, and are really soothing especially for those with drier skin.

Giovanni:

Giovanni makes some really awesome haircare products, and actually, one of the shampoo/conditioner lines sold under Trader Joe's private label is exactly the same as this stuff.  I've used Giovanni/TJ's for years, and it's probably the best natural shampoo you can buy for the price.  There's also a skincare line, and I love the modern, clean packaging and lovely scents that are very different from the earthy, herbal scents you get from most natural & organic lines.

A few others that I'd love to try but haven't yet:

Evanhealy

Jurlique

Aubrey Organics

Collective Wellbeing

I don't know what took me so long to bust out this palette and finally start using it, but I absolutely adore the Mitzah 5-color palette from Dior.  I picked this up over a month ago when it was first released, but didn't get around to using it until about a week ago.  Since then, it has become my daily go-to palette for a neutral eye.

I am sure many of you have already read about Mitzah or seen the reviews elsewhere, so I will not go into too much detail.  This is a limited-edition quint from Dior, and features five relatively matte shades that can be coordinated together for several looks.  I really love this palette for several reasons:

All the shadows apply relatively matte, instead of high-shimmer like many Dior shadows.

Every single color is wearable-- you can put all 5 on at the same time and not look overdone.

Quality is superb, with good color payoff and excellent texture.

The palette itself is beautiful and the embossed texture is really nice.  It comes in a hefty navy Dior palette and leopard-lined velvet pouch.  "CD" can be seen in the palette cover when it's in the right light.  Very luxurious!

The five colors in this palette are all excellent, with 4 slightly satin-finish shadows surrounding one true matte shade.  The colors are, clockwise from top R:

Sandstone beige with subtle iridescent shimmer, applies relatively matte.  A warm toned color, this makes a great base all over the lid and goes on rich and smooth

Neutral-cool dark grey with subtle taupe shimmer.  This looks very much like the dark taupe grey color from the Chanel Prelude quad, but more pigmented and creamier.  Sheers out very easily but can be built to good intensity.

Ecru with very subtle shimmer.  I felt this shade could've been a little brighter and would've worked better for me.  I use it as a browbone highlighter, but it's just a touch dark and matte for this purpose.

Purplish brown with warm shimmer.  This is the darkest of the shades and most pigmented-- great as a liner shade, but can also be sheered out as a wash of color.  Thanks to a healthy dose of brown and grey, the purple undertone does NOT give me flu eyes.

Creamy camel (center) with a matte finish.  I love this color for transforming a basic neutral look into a camel eye look that ties back into the season's neutral looks.

Here I have compared it against Chanel Prelude, and as you can see, all of the outside 4 colors are relatively similar.  When applied, Mitzah gives a warmer eye look, whereas Prelude is much cooler.  However, if you were to pick just one, I'd go for Mitzah as I find the colors a little more wearable, and the texture to be a little better.  Oh, and did I mention that it's Limited Edition?

Some people have said that Mitzah pulls too warm on them, or that it looks too warm in the pan, but I think that as long as you have a neutral or warm base complexion, it will look great.  It may be a little tougher for very pale and cool skintones to pull off the yellower shades without looking sallow, but for the rest of us, rest assured that even the camel shade reads subtle and sophisticated, not mustard yellow.

I typically wear it in one of the following ways:

Brown & Camel look: Use (3) as a browbone highlighter, and apply (1) all over the lid.  Add (5) in the middle of the lid and blend well.  Line eyes and emphasize outer V with (4).  Use just a touch of (2) in the outer V corners to intensify the color.  Add a little gold eyeliner to the inner corner of the eyes.

Neutral Grey look: Use (3) as a browbone highlighter, and apply (1) all over the lid.  Add (5) to the inner half of the lid and blend well.  Using a fluffy domed brush, apply a wash of (2) to the outer upper lid, blending halfway up into the middle of the lid, and then line bottom outer corner with the same shade.

Natural Sandstone look: Use (3) as a browbone highlighter and in the bottom inner corner of the eye.  Apply (1) all over the lid and blend well.  Work (5) into the crease until you achieve subtle definition.  Line outer V with (4) and top with eyeliner.

Overall, I think Mitzah is my favorite palette I've picked up all year, and gives me an endlessly wearable neutral eye look much like my beloved Chanel Topkapi.  Luckily, it is still available from Sephora.  For $60, this averages out to $12 per shade for 5 very wearable and high-quality shadows.  Highly recommended!

I am really not much of a Gucci girl, and have never been really that tempted by a Gucci purchase . . . until now.  Neiman Marcus recently picked up the Cruise collection, and I am smitten by this gorgeous bag in supple purple, black, or white leather.

I love that the leather here looks so rich and luxurious, which goes perfectly with the 70s vibe of the tassel and hobo shape.  Although it has the huge Gucci logo stitched onto it, I actually don't mind it that much-- it kind of reminds me of the interlocking double CCs on my Chanel Grand Shopping Tote.

I would love to rock the purple, but I'm pretty tempted by the black and white too.  At $1750, it seems like a beautiful, classic style that will still be cool 20 years from now.  I'm dying to check it out and try it on, but I'm afraid that it won't come off my shoulder!

One of my favorite things about the holiday season is that cosmetics companies will release gift sets that can only be acquired this time of year.  With the release of Chanel Holiday '11, I found that Chanel has added three new gift sets to their website.  I'm sure some people will be giving these as gifts to others . . . personally, I like to gift them to myself :)  Will YOU be picking up any of these sets to share?

Les Deux Levres Scintillantes glossimer set, $55

This gift set contains two full-sized Glossimers, an iridescent sparkle "Liaison" (which is exclusive to this set) and golden berry "Spark."  It also comes with a mini lip liner in "Nude," as well as a Chanel sharpener and makeup case.  I purchased this set for myself because I find all the colors to be wearable, and they are a great value-- each full size Glossimer would run you $28.50, so x2 would be $57.  I just received this today, and am very pleased as the shades are all pretty, and the quality of the makeup pouch is nice.  I especially love the little snowflake charm and the gold lettering.

Les Essentielles: Le Regard Noir eye set, $115

This is a really pretty set that comes with 3 full-sized eye products, an eyeshadow brush, and a sample size makeup remover.  The quad is "Smoky Eyes," and the Stylo Yeux Waterproof Eyeliner and Inimitable Intense Mascara both come in black.  Considering that a quad is $57 + mascara is $30 + liner is $29 = $116, you are basically getting the brush, pouch, and makeup remover for free.  I think this is a great set as well, but as none of the shades here are exclusive, I probably won't be getting it.  However, it would make a lovely gift and I love that someone could use the products to do a full eye look without anything additional.

Les Minis de Chanel brush set, $125

I was actually the most excited about a brush set, but I think I will pass on this since the brushes included aren't my favorites.  This set includes (L to R) a smudge brush, angled lip brush, angled eyeshadow brush, lash/brow brush, foundation brush, and angled powder brush.  These are all great brushes and are good basics for anyone to have in their collection, but I already own all of these brush types and definitely prefer my Sephora Airbrush #56 to any other foundation brush out there.  I am also not crazy about the case, as it kind of reminds me of a men's toiletry kit rather than a pretty cosmetics pouch.  At $125, this averages out to about $20 a brush, which is definitely cheaper than the full size brushes that are in the $27 - $45 range.  I think this would be a great set for anyone who needs these basic brushes, but it isn't really a collector's item for me.

I've been eyeing the Stella McCartney Falabella tote for a while, so I'm delighted to see that there is a new version released for Fall/Winter.

I'm morally opposed to anything real fur, so it's perfect for me that Stella's version is made from "eco-fur" (read: faux).  The plush, silvery-black faux fur just begs to be cuddled like a stuffed animal.  Is it weird to cuddle a purse?  I'd snuggle with this one.

At $1245, it's priced comparably to the other Falabella editions.  I find this price to be a lot more reasonable than the normal versions since you are paying for something more unique.  I'd love to see it in person though to see if it seems to warrant the $1000+ price tag for faux fur, although Saks did not seem to have it last weekend.

I'm excited to start hauling :)

I decided to spice up my Chanel Steel with a little bit of bling in the form of a Graphite diagonal on some nails.  Although you can only see one in the picture, I did two on each hand, with Graphite on the lower section of the nail.

This look was actually inspired by my intern, who is currently sporting mint green and lavender diagonals all around!

I'm starting to get into a little bit of nail art lately, so look forward to some new looks coming soon!

Today is a feature on super high-end makeup from some niche lines.  I'm starting to think about Christmas presents early this year ;P

Tom Ford Beauty available for Pre-Order

For those of you who have been anxiously awaiting the launch of Mr. Ford's makeup collection, Neiman Marcus has had the entire line up available for pre-order since yesterday.  Price range from $30 for nail polish, up to $110 for a bronzer brush:

Nail Lacquer, $30

Lip Lacquer Vinyl, $30

Eye Defining Pencil, $35

Noir Absolute for Eyes, $35

Brow Sculptor, $42

Extreme Mascara, $42

Ultra Shine Gloss, $45

Lip Color, $48

Illuminating Highlighter Pen, $52

Cheek Color, $55

Translucent Powder, $75

Contour Palette, $75

Traceless Foundation Stick, $78

Traceless Foundation (Liquid), $78

Eye Color Quad, $78

Brushes, $45 - $110

It looks like these items will be shipping out by early next month if you place your preorder now.  The prices are hefty, but I have my eye on a few of the items-- specifically, polishes in Plum Noir and African Violet, and lip gloss in Wild Violet and Love Bruise (yes, I'm on a purple kick!).  Maybe next time Neiman Marcus has a beauty event, I'll be picking these up.  What are your favorites?

Rouge Bunny Rouge Eyeshadow - Abyssinian Catbird

(Note, the above shade is just a generic RBR shadow shade . . . I can't find a stock photo of Abyssinian Catbird, but you can see photos/swatches on Visionary Beauty)

I first came across this shade while wandering around on some beauty blogs.  I wasn't all that interested in Rouge Bunny Rouge, a niche beauty brand that seems to only be available on Zuneta for US customers, but then I came across this shade.  The shadows in this collection are titled "When Birds Are Singing," and all bear the names of different birds.  Abyssinian Catbird caught my eye right away-- see why on My Funny Valentine's review and FOTD.

At under $35, the price isn't terrible . . . I'm really tempted, but Zuneta only offers free shipping for orders over £100.  However, if I find some more shades I like, I'm grabbing this one!  You can browse the entire range on Zuneta's website here.

SK-II Facial Treatment Essence

I've heard tons of rave reviews about this stuff over the years, particularly from Asian customers, but I never picked this up because since I'm not big on toner, and didn't want to shell out $100 a bottle.  However, all that changed after I received a deluxe sample recently from Saks and started using it every night.

Smooth on just a few drops after washing your face, and somehow it makes such a difference.  My skin has become brighter, more luminous, and better moisturized.  It magically counters dullness and makes my skin soft and hydrated.  I've only used up a tiny bit of the sample bottle, and am already sold after about a week.  This Christmas, I'm giving a full size to myself and one to my mom.

This look is almost 100% Chanel, since I was inspired to use items from the Holiday collection.  I still love the soft smoky eye you get from Prelude, and decided to layer my two blushes to give a pop of color against the neutral eyes and lip.  Skin is kept glowing and flawless with my new favorite foundation from D&G.

I also layered on tons of my YSL Volume Effect Faux Cils to give a dramatic lash (not pictured), a nice contrast against the relatively subtle eye.

Nails mimic the Chanel Holiday 11 combination, but I substituted dark grey for the black, which I like much better.  Thus, holiday shades are made easily wearable for daytime by keeping the face clean and neutral.

Face:

Dolce & Gabbana Cream Foundation in Caramel 110

Chanel Joues Contraste blush in Rose Ecrin (US formula), base

Chanel Joues Contraste blush in Rose Tourbillon (baked formula), used as pop

Eyes:

Chanel Eyeshadow Quad in Prelude

Nails:

Chanel Le Vernis in Steel on nails

Chanel Le Vernis in Rouge Carat (Holiday '11 collection) on toes

Lips:

Chanel Glossimer in Sweet Beige (Holiday '11 collection)