Clinique Chubby Stick Sculpting Contour and Highlight

The subject line of the email pitch for Clinique's new contouring collection was "Hello Cheekbones!" It's like they knew exactly how to tug at my heartstrings. I don't have any problems in this particular area (the older I get, the more prominent my cheekbones become), but for some reason I still like products that create the illusion of angles on the face. Anyone should be able to look like Tom Hiddleston, I say!

Today's post is about the Sculpting Contour and Highlight Chubby Sticks. Pretty straightforward: one darker shade to create the illusion of shadow and one lighter shade to create the illusion of light (for the uninitiated, here's a contouring tutorial I wrote three years ago). I draw lines with the darker shade on the bottom of my cheekbones, on the sides of my nose, under my jaw line, by my temples, then blend furiously – the key is to make the color look like a natural part of your skin. I run the lighter shade down my nose bridge to the tip of my nose, above my cheekbones, under and over the arch of my eyebrows, on my cupid's bow, and my chin. Again, blend it out. Considering that a contoured look is supposed to be undetectable, it sure takes a lot of work.

Though these two Clinique offerings happen to work for my skin tone, it's clear that it's made for a very specific customer (fair, neutral/warm-toned skin). While I absolutely love the Chubby Stick range and think they're a godsend when it comes to applying makeup on-the-go, these are not meant for beginners. Contouring requires specific placement, and you get less control when using fingers versus a brush. The formula, though, is what you'd expect: smooth and easy to blend out. I'm keeping these in my portable makeup bag for the days I'd like to look extra sharp.

Clinique Chubby Stick Sculpting Contour and Highlight retail for $21 each and is available at Sephora and Clinique.com.

Products Used:
Shu Uemura Mechanical Brow Pencil
Guerlain Météorites Baby Glow in Medium 03
Clé de Peau Concealer in Ocher
Jane Iredale Getaway Eye Shadow Kit
Jane Iredale Jelly Jar Gel Eyeliner in Espresso
Clinique High Impact Waterproof Mascara
Clinique Chubby Stick Sculpting Contour
Clinique Chubby Stick Sculpting Highlight
Jane Iredale Just Kissed Lip and Cheek Stain in Forever Peach

Full disclosure: This entry contains sample product(s) sent by the brand for editorial consideration. This entry also contains affiliate links.

On The Subject Of Glowing

Much hullabaloo has been made of the limited edition Guerlain Météorites Perles De Blush from the Spring 2015 collection, and why not? For those of us who are familiar with the magic of Guerlain's ethereal météorites powder (more affectionately termed, ballz), a pigmented version would only make the most ardent of blush collectors weep with joy. Which happened all over the Internet when these appeared early online and at counters.

For full transparency, I bought this because I am a longtime fan of Guerlain powders and view this as a collector's item. I think it's ridiculous that it's $53 (!!!) for a measly 0.45 oz / 12g of product, even though yes, it's super pigmented and you really don't need much at all. The fact that it's in a flimsy-ish cardboard box doesn't bother me so much because it was probably an aesthetic choice, but I agree with Liz from Beauty Reductionista that they should have added a handle to the puff to help us get it out of the way. After all, they've done it before.

All in all, I'm saying this is not a product with good value. It's not even that easy to use or travel-friendly. It's a sit at your vanity and protect from everything (liquids, drops, less gentle hands) kind of item. The blush is super pigmented, so the perfect brush to use would be something like the Suqqu Cheek Brush, since it would allow you to diffuse the color and layer as needed rather than start out as a clown. With enough swirling on the cheeks, it gives you a nice blush-from-within glow.

I am so sad that I am no longer able to recreate my old lighting setup :(

Aside: I am currently testing a new skincare regimen from L'Occitane and it has completely exceeded my expectations. In the pictures above, I only needed minimal concealer under my eyes and around my nose and mouth to even out my complexion (eyebrows are drawn in, of course). It is so good – I can't wait to share it with you when it launches officially.

I also had a little help from the new Ellis Faas Glow Up highlighter. I suspect the shade I received for review (Porcelain Glow) is a tad bit too light for me, because on perusing the site I found that Satin Glow would work better for my skin tone. Nevertheless, this highlighter is a fine piece of work. Most of the highlighters I own impart glow through noticeable shimmer, whereas Glow Up is so finely milled that I can't detect any, but retain the luminous effect when I apply it to my skin. It's perfect for those who are hesitant to pick up luminizers from the likes of Bobbi Brown and Cle de Peau for fear of it being too "glittery." In the pictures above, I applied Glow Up to the high planes of my face (along the bridge of the nose, above the cheekbones, on the brow bone, cupid's bow and chin).

Ellis Faas Glow Up is sold as a refill ($31.50) and the accompanying holder is available at an admittedly hefty $35. The holder is sturdy, houses a mirror under the cover, and is certainly necessary if you intend to include this in your travel makeup bag, but if you own Z Palettes it might make more financial sense to only purchase the refill.

Full disclosure: This entry contains sample products sent by the brand for editorial consideration. This entry also contains affiliate links.

Clé de Peau Beauté Spring 2014: Luminizing Face Enhancer in Delicate Pink

Once upon a time, I thought nothing of the Clé de Peau Beauté Luminizing Face Enhancers, dismissing them as "too sparkly" after a chance swipe at the counter. Little did I know it was all overspray (this is why I don't like overspray) and what lies beneath is highlighting gold. Another reason I may have overlooked this gem was because the existing shade selection didn't suit my skin tone, and this new spring shade Delicate Pink was just right.

One cannot discuss the Luminizing Face Enhancer without admiring the light-reflecting shell, though mine has been slightly marred by scratches. It goes to show how much I've been using this powder since I got it four months ago. I bring it everywhere even though the case is quite hefty. It's that good. I also have to give props to the included brush. The bristles are dense but soft, so it picks up a healthy amount of product and is a pleasure to apply.

Applied under eyebrow arch, at inner corners of eyes, down the nose, above cheekbones, on cupid's bow, above the chin

What makes one highlighter conclusively better than another, I do not know. Perhaps the shimmer in this one is just much more finely milled than the other ones I own, but it truly melds to the skin and imparts a lit-from-within glow. I have never skipped the highlighting step since acquiring this compact. It's amazing how much more alive my face becomes with these subtle strokes.

For those mystified by highlighting and its place in makeup application, you are welcome to visit my highlighting tutorial.

Clé de Peau Beauté Luminizing Face Enhancer in Delicate Pink retails for a whopping $95, though you can purchase the refill alone for $55. It is available at Nordstrom, Saks, and Barney's.

Products Used:
Make Up For Ever Aqua Brow in 40 Brown Black
Suqqu Frame Fix Cream Foundation N 102
Le Metiér de Beauté Peau Vierge Correcteur Concealer Shade 1
THREE Flash Performance Eyeliner Pencil 08 Eye On
Annabelle Le Big Show Mascara
Clinique Cheek Pop in Plum Pop
Clé de Peau Beauté Luminizing Face Enhancer in Delicate Pink
Shiseido Lacquer Gloss VI708 Phantom

Full disclosure: This entry contains sample products sent by PR or the manufacturer for editorial consideration. This entry also contains affiliate links.

Cat-eyes and Red Lips

Like an updated version of this post, but I was actually inspired by this simple look from the Dolce & Gabbana Fall 2013 runway. Clean face, thick brows, a smudge on the eye, and a bold red lip:

Image via

The beauty of this look is it's so simple. The only trick that needs to be elaborated is the cat-eye: I love how her cat-eye wasn't precise, like it was more of a smudge (note the blended out edges). I recreated it using the Shu Uemura Kolinsky Brush 10f dipped in black eyeshadow, flicking it out from the outer corner of my eye. Instead of a q-tip, I used my fingers to straighten out the edges (this could get messy, but since it's black eyeshadow instead of liner, the mess wouldn't stay on skin if you rub it off quickly. Or if it does, clean up with a q-tip dippped in makeup remover!).

As for the rest, I applied foundation and highlighted my face, painted on eyebrows, tight-lined my eyes, swiped on mascara, and made sure that red lip stayed within the lines.

Products Used:
Make Up For Ever Aqua Brow in 40 Brown Black
Suqqu Frame Fix Cream Foundation N 102
Le Metiér de Beauté Peau Vierge Correcteur Concealer Shade 1
THREE Flash Performance Eyeliner Pencil 08 Eye On
Annabelle Le Big Show Mascara
Le Metiér de Beauté Nouvelle Vague
Clinique Cheek Pop in Plum Pop
Clé de Peau Beauté Luminizing Face Enhancer in Delicate Pink
Burberry Lip Velvet in Military Red
Chanel Le Vernis Dragon

An Ode to NYFW

An ode to creativity. I hesitate to use the word trend, but there were a few shows this season (and last) that featured the floating crease line look. I know I have lopsided eyes and all but I've been itching to try it, so I did.

Since the emphasis was on the eyes, everything else was left (mostly) bare. I applied foundation and powdered myself down, then set to highlighting: all over eyelids, above cheekbones, down the nose, above cupid's bow.

For the eyes, I used a thin, firm blending/application brush (Shu Uemura Kolinsky Brush 5r. Honestly, I'm not sure what category this falls under) and swept the light blue shade (MAC Parisian Skies) just above my crease line. I lightly dipped the brush into the darker blue (Shu Uemura ME Blue 650, old formula) and with the first point of the contact from the outer corner, went over the line again. With a black liquid liner, I lined just the bottom of my lashes. It's a little hard to explain – it's not really visible, but it makes a difference.

A light sweep of soft peach blush and swipe of nude lip, and that's it!

The above was one of my first attempts at nail art. Let's just say it gets better. Base nails were painted in RGB Pink.

Products Used:
Chantecaille 'Future Skin' Foundation in Camomile
Guerlain 'Meteorites' Illuminating and Mattifying Face Powder 02 Teint Beige
Shu Uemura P Light Pink 315
Shu Uemura Retractable Eyebrow Pencil in Seal Brown
MAC Parisian Skies Eyeshadow
Shu Uemura ME Blue 650
Le Métier de Beauté Precision Liner in Noir
Chanel Joues Contraste Tempting Beige
NARS Velvet Gloss Lip Pencil in Buenos Aires
RGB Pink

Guerlain Spring 2013: Météorites Perles du Paradis

Guerlain Météorites Perles du Paradis ($70) are – how shall I put this delicately? – giant balls of lightly colored pearls meant for highlighting the face. If you've been reading Messy Wands for some time, you'll know that pink is not my favorite color. Pink doesn't propel me into throes of I need them all like, say, dark blues sometimes do. But apparently there is a dainty little girl that isn't all that dormant inside of me, because I was enamored by the cotton candy pink box (never mind that it's made of cardboard instead of a sturdier material) and positively squealed when I realized it included an actual fluffy puff instead of the regular sponge.

Was it functional? Maybe. I didn't wait to find out before I bought it.

Perles du Paradis contains silver, light pink, dark pink, and lilac pearls. While Guerlain's météorites products are meant for color correcting and highlighting, I believe this particular iteration serves another purpose. Because the pearls are so large (twice the size of regular météorites), it is simple for me to use a dense blush brush to pick up certain pigments (darker pink and lilac). The result is a light lilac pink on my cheeks. For highlighting, I use an extremely fluffy brush (like the Suqqu Powder brush) and gently sweep it around the box, careful to target the lighter shades, then apply it all over.

Like all other météorites, Perles du Paradis casts a veil of glow over your face. It's a finishing powder that just makes you look better even though you can't pinpoint exactly why. Larie, my fellow bandit and shopping Jiminy Cricket, asked me if I thought it was too pink, but you can see from the shot above that it just adds radiance to the skin.

I will be the first to admit I didn't need this. After all, I already have Teint Beige, Perles de Nuit, and Perles d'Azur, and while the imparted effect is different, it's not so different to the naked eye that would justify the purchase. But there's just something about these boxes of pearls that's hard to resist, especially when it comes with a giant puff. I mean, there's no harm in collecting pretty things... right?

P.S. Shout out to my lovely friend Angela who made me this amazing slouchy mustard beanie to keep my ears warm! I look at her handiwork and wonder why I even bother with store bought knits. I should just pay her to make them for me.

Products Used:
Shu Uemura Retractable Eyebrow Pencil in Seal Brown
Clinique Chubby Stick for Eyes in Whopping Willow (out February!)
Giorgio Armani Eyes To Kill Waterproof Eye Pencil in Black #1
Eyeko Black Magic Mascara
Tarte Maracuja Creaseless Concealer in Light
Dr. Jart+ Black Label Detox BB Beauty Balm
Guerlain Météorites Perles du Paradis
Clinique Chubby Stick Moisturizing Lip Colour Balm in Graped Up

Spring 2013 Swatches: Guerlain and Dior

My guerilla swatches hopefully require no more introduction.

Guerlain Spring 2013

On the far left: Meteorites Pearls du Paradis swatched individually

Ecrin 4 Couleurs 502 Coup de Foudre

Top: Shine Automatique 600, 601; Rouge Automatique 762 Rendez-vous, 761 Flirt

Bottom: KissKiss Gloss 870 Cherry Pink, 849 Fizzy Mango; Ecrin 4 Couleurs 501 Attrape Couer

The only thing I sprang for was the Ecrin 4 Couleurs Coup de Foudre because look at that coral! And the nuances on those greens! I tried it on at the counter and was surprised to find that it looked beautiful on my skin tone, so into the shopping bag it went.

Dior Spring 2013

5-Couleurs Eyeshadow in Rose Charmeuse #854

What caught my eye about Rose Charmeuse was the really dark black, which reminded me of LMdB Nouvelle Vague (swatches here, look here). I can't be certain, but I believe it is as pigmented.

Dior 5-Couleurs Eyeshadow in Rose Ballerine #724

Clockwise: Nail Lacquer in Gris Trianon, Rosy Bow; 'Cherie Bow' Twin Set Eyeshadows

Dior released a couple of duo cream/powder shadow sticks for spring as well, which I swatched above - cream on top, shadow on the bottom. It's... better than what I expected from shadow sticks, but the product itself doesn't appeal to me personally.

I think Dior released some beautiful pinks, but pinks are not my strong suit and not something I would wear much, so I didn't pick anything up from Dior. I am quite tempted by the two nail lacquers, but decided to mull over them for a couple of weeks before purchasing.

I swatched these in Saks Fifth Avenue New York, but both collections are already up online at Nordstrom!

Swatched: Tarte Holiday 2012 Collection Sets

Unless you've been living under a beauty rock, you must have heard of these fantastic Tarte Holiday Sets. From what I've seen and heard, they've been flying off Sephora shelves so fast it's like UD Naked all over again. Looking at them and how little they cost, I totally understand the frenzy. With most of these sets, you're essentially paying a little over the price of one item for multiple products. The best part? Aside from the blush set, they aren't even mini-sized. 

A portion of my face has been rather odd lately so I haven't been able to take photos of myself wearing makeup. For now, here are swatches of the three sets I have, in case you were hesitating on your purchase (but seriously, why are you?).

Fantastic Foursome 4-Piece Amazonian Clay 12-Hour Blush Enthusiast Set ($35 for $60 value)

L-R; Angelic, Fantastic, Magic, Stellar

L-R: Stellar, Magic, Fantastic, Angelic

The colors are all exclusive to this set! Angelic is an ivory highlight, Fantastic is a matte cool pink, Magic is a pink-leaning coral, and Stellar is a shimmery light bronzer. Out of the four, Fantastic was slightly chalky (since it's matte) while Stellar required some packing to show up, but I think that's a good thing in a bronzer shade. 

5-Piece LipSurgence™ Collector's Set ($34 for $120 value)

L-R: Escape, Enchanted, Exposed, Sweet, Elite

Tarte included three different formulas in this 5-piece set. Escape and Sweet are Lip Lusters (sheerer, more shimmer), Enchanted and Elite are Lip Tints (more pigmented), while Exposed is a Matte Lip Tint. It's fantastic if you've been hankering to try out a variety of Tarte lip offerings without breaking the bank. My only caveat is it's mostly comprised of warm pinks. I would have liked to see a wider color selection, maybe switch two out for a red and a nude.

Eye Catchers 6-Piece SmolderEYES™ And Skinny SmolderEYES™ Collector's Set ($39 for $144 value)

L-R: Ash Violet, Rainforest Black, Champagne, Gunmetal, Gold, Onyx

Again, the colors are exclusive to this set and not available in their regular line. I can't even begin to explain how awesome swatching these liners felt. Gliding butter! Yet they won't budge! Look at those colors! And that black! I mean, that's what I call a black! 

I guess it felt like a lot of exclamation points. I think the colors are pretty self-explanatory from the swatches and accompanying names, except Gunmetal, which is a taupey brown and not a steely gray as the name would suggest.

From swatching and some light testing, all the items in these sets hold up to the usual Tarte standard. I've been a longtime fan of their blushes, Exposed being my go-to browned rose, and am happy to rediscover their lip pencils and eye liners. I was once a staunch devotee of SmolderEYES in brown and only put it away because I went back to wearing black liners. 

These Tarte sets are available at Sephora and Tarte.com, and I say they're all worth it. Even if you only like one color out of the entire set, you can split them up and give them as Thanksgiving/Hannukah/Christmas/I-Don't-Need-A-Special-Reason gifts. After all, what girl doesn't like receiving makeup?

The products in this post were provided by the company for editorial consideration

An Evening Face Tutorial

I recently received an invitation to an evening event and was pondering the makeup I would do for it. Warning: I might be abusing my recent fondness for brown neutrals with a second brown-based eye tutorial this week. Granted, it's not the most flattering shade on me, but irrational fancy needs no excuse, I suppose (for those who live through life wondering why some girls look absolutely amazing in "universal" shades of brown and wheat golds when they make our eyes look like muddy swamps, this fantastic post from Ars Aromatica is worth a read).

Eyes

I started with Le Métier de Beauté Tamarack as my eyeshadow base, then placed Burberry Midnight Brown all over the eyelid, blending toward the brow bone. I used Taupe Brown to deepen the outer corner and Porcelain to highlight below the brow and around the inner corner. 

I applied NARS Rue Bonaparte on my waterline to minimize redness and used Burberry Pale Barley to smoke out the bottom lash line. I lined my eyes with Giorgio Armani Smooth Silk Eye Pencil 1, and as usual, a couple coats of Guerlain Noir G Mascara to finish.

Cheeks

Speaking of abuse, are you sick of hearing about Chanel Notorious yet? Because I'm totally still using it everyday. Pictured above is Notorious under the cheekbone, Benefit Dandelion on the apples, and RMS Living Luminizer to highlight.

Lips

Ellis Faas L207 on the lips for a rich, creamy peach.

Nails

On my fingertips, a deep navy creme a la JINsoon Rhapsody. Texturally, Rhapsody was slightly thicker than Auspicious (which was thinner than the standard, which means Rhapsody resembles "regular" polish). I only needed two coats to reach full opacity.

The Complete Look

Products Used:
Face -
RMS Beauty "Un" Cover Up #22
RMS Beauty Living Luminizer
Benefit Dandelion Blush
Chanel Notorious Sculpting Veil for Eyes and Cheeks

Eyes -
Shu Uemura Seal Brown Retractable Eye Brow Pencil (not available in US)
Le Métier de Beauté Dualistic Eye Pencil in Tamarack
Burberry Eyeshadows in Porcelain, Pale Barley, Midnight Brown, and Taupe Brown
NARS Larger Than Life Long-Wear Eyeliner in Rue Bonaparte
Giorgio Armani Waterproof Smooth Silk Eye Pencil #1
Guerlain Noir G Mascara

Lips -
Ellis Faas L207

Nails -
JINsoon Nail Lacquer in Rhapsody


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