Makeup You Want But Cannot Have: Yojiya Red

We interrupt the long hiatus with a short bout of Makeup You Want But Cannot Have, a series made of the unabashedly gleeful smirks of the few within the beauty community who managed to get their hands on coveted-but-impossible-to-get products and lived to snap pictures and tell the tale to yearning readers who cannot but bemoan the existence of such discontinued magnificence (Pink Sith, I'm looking at you). And since that last sentence was far too long I think it's time to quit the words and show you said rare item.

On my family trip to Japan last year, we stopped by Kyoto for a couple of days and my ambivalent-towards-makeup sister insisted on bringing me to this shop called Yojiya that apparently makes oil-blotting papers! and cute mirrors! and did she mention their makeup was what the geishas of yore used when preparing their elaborately painted faces? 

I didn't really need persuading in the first place, but that last morsel of information was the tipping point from excitement to feverish frenzy. When we spotted the modest little shop I insisted on staying in it for over an hour. I wasn't about to leave till I played with everything.

My mother was with me at the time so I forced restraint when it came time to purchase. I only managed to procure a blush brush, some blotting papers, and a brick red lipstick, the latter of which is featured here. 

One glide was all it took to achieve opacity. It's smooth but not slippery, moisturizing, and (dare I claim?) universally flattering. This lipstick flew off shelves when I was at the store. It astounds me that even my mother (who frowns at me on the regular for wearing "so much" makeup) and my sister (remember the ambivalence?) snatched one each for themselves.

In its defense, the lipstick is not a discontinued product so it is possible to still obtain it. However, Yojiya is only available in Kyoto and select airports in Japan. Needless to say, I am devastated that I let rationality and my mother's pleasure limit me in my purchase. Next time I'll leave them both at a (comfortable) teahouse so I can fulfill my beauty junkie duties to the fullest extent.

Deborah Lippmann Brick House

I'm home! A celebratory dance should ensue but every muscle in my body is aching like you wouldn't believe. I'm still jet lagged (which isn't all that surprising since it has only been two days) and decided not to unpack since I'll be flying off in a week. Let's just say I've been using the same shade of eyeshadow for the past three days because it's just so hard to dig through the luggage. Eek!

Here's a quick look at Brick House, one of Deborah Lippmann's fall offerings, which I thought I should post up while it's still available in stores.

Brick House is a metallic orange-red that personally feels more appropriate for Christmas. (That said, a little bird told me as long as you dip your nails into anything metallic or foil-y you'll be right on trend for this fall.) This is my first Deborah Lippmann polish, and I was glad it lived up to its name. Application was so smooth I could have sworn the color glided right into place on its own.  

I didn't put a top coat over this and went to sleep before it completely dried and took the pictures the day after, which might explain why the polish looks scratched. I believe with a layer of top coat (or longer drying time) that wouldn't have happened. The entire Deborah Lippmann nail line as a whole has a wonderful reputation. Now that I had my first taste, I'm almost afraid of what's to come after.

Once again, I apologize for my current lack of updates. I am/will be traveling for the next three weeks so it'll be really hard for me to update frequently, if at all. I added a new Tutorials page on top for easy access to my previous tutorials if you would like to visit/revisit them. I will also be hosting my first ever "I'm sorry for being MIA" giveaway soon! Check back within the next two weeks for more details on how to enter and what's the prize. I promise it'll be worth the hiatus.

Do you put on makeup when you travel?

I've been hinting for the past few posts that I will be having luggage problems (and turns out I'm accurate. Overweight fees here I come), which is my way of letting you know I will be flying out of the States tomorrow. Unfortunately, this also means I will be updating less for the next three weeks. After my 30+ hour flight, I will be lingering in Malaysia for a mere ten days before hauling my bags over again for a two-week trip with my family on the East Coast (Miami-Niagara Falls-New York-Boston). Never have I been so full of excitement and dread to go home. Those 30 hours of stale cabin air is going to ruin my skin.

Which brings me to my question: do you put on makeup when you travel? I may be an absolute fiend about makeup but when it comes to long haul flights I refuse to get decked out in any way. I've seen women with mascara while crossing the Atlantic Ocean, and at the back of my mind I wondered if they removed it when they went to sleep and reapplied it after, or had them on all the way. Wouldn't it be uncomfortable? Isn't sleeping in your makeup a sin? 

However, my luggage is grossly overweight. As per @poseylass' suggestion, I should wear red lips and look for a male agent when I'm at the check-in counter.

But I think my situation is so bad no amount of makeup can help. Ah well.

Speaking of red lips (actually it's totally unrelated), I decided to have a bit of fun and join Bobbi Brown's Pretty Powerful 2.0 contest. She's choosing 51 winners (one from each state) and one of them will stand a chance to go to New York for a master class with Bobbi herself, win some goodies, and be the face of the campaign. I will be so thrilled if you'd like to vote for me, which you can do so here. 

If you would like to know more about the Pretty Powerful 2.0 campaign, visit prettypowerful.bobbibrowncosmetics.com.

Now I have to go board my plane. Have a good weekend and see you when I'm on the other side of the world! xo

Giorgio Armani Fall: Jacquard Woven Eye Color #1 Swatches, Photos, Review

It should come as no surprise that this fall's color du jour is variations of deep blue. This came as a relief to me because I'm not partial toward that tone when it comes to placing it on my eye. I thought it could be a money-saving season - to ensure enough resources for inflicting heavier damage when holiday collections hit stores. (However, I just saw Chantecaille's fall offerings. I was wrong about the whole saving thing. But did you really believe me before? Ha.) 

Blue has been so ubiquitous in my radar that I found myself already bored of fall. To make up for that, I inspected items from select brands that doled out different hues. One such example is Giorgio Armani Beauty.

Giorgio Armani Beauty's fall collection comprises of three Jacquard Woven palettes (two for eyes, one for face), two blushing fabrics, and a number of Rouge d'Armanis in beige, mauve, and red tones. The only item I picked up from the collection was the Jacquard Woven Eye Color #1 ($59). 

Swatched top to bottom

Note: I feel like I should preface the review portion by letting you know that I've returned the palette. There's nothing inherently wrong with it, the colors just didn't suit my tastes. 

Jacquard Woven Eye Color #1 contains four frosty tones: silver gray, seafoam green, moss green, and dark purple. While they look intimidating on the hand swatch, the shimmer does not appear when applied to the eye area. Instead, it delivers a subtle glow. In the pictures below, I used the silver gray as the base, seafoam green on the lid, moss green on the outer corners, and dark purple as the liner. All of the colors were used dry.

I puzzled over why I disliked this palette so much I had to return it. The pictures turned out great, though I suspect a huge part of the credit should go to the lips. It's texturally sound - shadows are smooth though not as finely milled as I would like - but quite sheer in pigmentation (which, who knows, may be intentional). I guess I personally found the colors bland. I feel like all four are reiterations of such basic shades that we already have an abundance of in the market. While I can say that about a lot of palettes, those probably feature interesting color combinations or superior textures, and on all those accounts this palette is subpar. The woven feature is nice, but not worth my $59.

Quick Fix: Le Metier de Beaute Empress

The Le Metier de Beaute Empress lip kaleidoscope has arrived at Bergdorf's and like a child playing with a long awaited gift for the first time I greedily swiped it over the back of my hand (I apologize for not getting pictures of the kit itself). This is how Empress looks layered bottom to top.  

I can't recall the exact shades, but I think it goes from an aubergine to a mauve-pink to a blue-based red and finally, a blush-beige. I love that it adds up to this luscious plummy red. I think Empress is my favorite lip kaleidoscope of the line yet, but I can only get it in two weeks - more on why tomorrow.

Le Metier de Beaute Empress retails for $95. To reserve yours today, call the Bergdorf counter at 212-872-8612!

Quick Fix: Le Metier de Beaute Nail Lacquer in Anatolia and Urban Dweller

Anatolia and Urban Dweller are two of the four Le Metier de Beaute Fall Silk Road Collection nail lacquer offerings. I skipped on Dynasty because the fuchsia just didn't appeal to me (and I needed to start thinking about luggage allowance for my flight home). The one I was most anxious about, the copper Silk Road, hasn't arrived at counters. Any day now.

L-R: One coat of Anatolia, two coats of Anatolia, two coats of Urban Dweller, one coat of Urban Dweller

Anatolia is described as "a rich plum illuminated with bronzy, golden shimmer." I feel like plummy red-pink might be a better description of the color. I guess in my mind plum has more purple tones, and I definitely see more pink in Anatolia. Application is brilliant as per usual, but you will need two coats to enjoy the full intensity of the gold shimmer.

I found the formula for Urban Dweller slightly thicker than Anatolia's. The brush also didn't seem as tightly packed compared to my other Le Metier de Beaute polishes. While those aspects didn't significantly impair application, I felt Urban Dweller did take longer than usual to dry. While it's possible to bring it to full opacity in one coat, something about having two coats of polish makes me feel... secure.

These retail for $10 each.

For more pictures, check out The Ultimate Makeup's in-depth review on Anatolia, Urban Dweller, and Dynasty.

Guerlain Ecrin 4 Couleurs in Les Gris 05 Swatches, Photos, Review

I haven't had a complete look of Guerlain Fall yet, but so far I have to say I'm pleasantly surprised by the newly launched 4-color palettes. I've fallen prey to my share of the 6-pan palettes of yesteryear, and while I reveled in its luxury and construction, the textures of the colors itself often left me in disbelief that I was gullible enough to dish out $84 for it. 

When I heard about these new palettes, I was curious but not too excited, thinking it would be more of the same thing, and was secretly relieved I will be saving some money. Of course that wasn't the case. Guerlain tweaked the formula of these shadows, making them texturally superior to the 6-pans. I find them much more pigmented, blendable, and finely milled than before. I haven't played with the rest, but in Les Gris' case, there isn't a problem child in the bunch (something not all the 6-pans could boast).

Note: If this piques your interest, Amy of Cafe Makeup has a fantastic preview of the complete Guerlain Fall collection.

To showcase Guerlain Les Gris' full potential, I decided to emulate the Guerlain Fall promo picture of Natalia Vodianova. Needless to say, with my level of expertise (and features), I couldn't recreate the exact look featured on her, but I hope you enjoy my version. Since I don't have the new Rouge G Garconne, I used the only other red I thought could match up to it.

Guerlain Les Gris on eyes, Chanel Dragon Rouge Allure Laque on lips

These new 4-pans are $59 a pop, though you will be getting two less colors than before. Still wince-worthy, but not as painful to stomach in one go. Also, they're so much more worth it with this new formula.

For great pictures of Les Gris and some other palettes, take a look at The Beauty Look Book's preview - the woman makes me want to buy everything.