Dolce & Gabbana Smoky Eyeshadow Quad

Dolce & Gabbana has released a new eyeshadow quad called Smoky ($59 for .8 g/0.16 oz). It's part of the new True Monica Collection (more details on Makeup and Beauty Blog, Style Bistro and Refinery29). I ordered mine from Saks Houston sight unseen and was thrilled with this beautiful neutral palette. The colors have enough warmth to create a stunning smokey eye that isn't too harsh. This palette has a soft matte black, a chocolate brown shimmer infused with gold flecks, a soft sandy beige and a white pink-gold shimmer. Layered from lightest to darkest creates a goof-proof smoky eye. This might just be the best smoky eye palette I've tried yet. Each shade has a beautiful blend of different colors and shimmers to create depth.

In full sunlight:

The pigment is rich but natural. Each shade applies very smoothly and are layerable with each other. The pale pink is a white-pink-gold that flashes different shimmers. I couldn't capture the complexity of the color but it's stunning on the skin. Some swatches - this may look like a boring palette at first glance, you have to try it to see how pretty it really is on the skin:

The colors can probably be replicated with other singles and shadows however there is a beautiful softness to each shade that I've fallen in love with. It's quite different from other Dolce & Gabbana quads, I pulled Femme Fatale (formerly called Champagne) to compare.

Bottom line gorgeous. The Dolce & Gabbana Smoky Quad ($59) from the True Monica collection is available at select Saks locations and online at Saks.com.

I purchased mine from Nikki at Saks Houston. You can call her counter at (713) 627-0500, she's amazing! Femme Fatale featured above is currently out of stock online at Saks but I suggest you call your nearest Dolce & Gabbana counter to check availability. It's currently available online at Sephora.com.

This post contains affiliate links, for more information refer to the About/FAQ section.

beautylookbook on instagram

Follow me on Instagram at beautylookbook :)

Some of my favorites on Instagram you should follow:

parisinfourmonths Paris in Four Months (blog here)

margaret__zhang Shine by Three (blog here)

bubblymichelle

cafemakeup  Café Makeup (blog here)

chrisellelim  The Chriselle Factor (blog here)

theloveassembly The Love Assembly (blog here)
lateafternoon Late Afternoon (blog here)
karenmbb Makeup and Beauty Blog (blog here)


I love discovering new ones each day!

Top Coats: Dior Gel Top Coat vs. Chanel Laque Brilliance Extreme

We've seen a wave of new nail lacquers and top coats flood the market recently. Brands claim to have developed a formula that will replicate the lush cushy high-shine finish and lasting power that gel manicures provide. I decided to try one, Dior's Gel Top Coat and put it to the test to see how it compared to one of my favorites, Chanel's Laque Brilliance Extreme. Since reviews from others have been mixed, I did three sets of testing over nail polish brands I wear most frequently: Dior, Chanel and Rescue Beauty Lounge (see my standard nail basics here).

Packaging: Both Dior and Chanel come with pull off caps, the Dior Gel Top Coat comes in a clear bottle while the Chanel Extreme Shine Nail Lacquer comes encased in a black bottle. Both are very sturdy. Dior's comes with a slightly wider flat brush while Chanel's is skinnier (see below).

Price: Dior's Gel Top Coat retails at $24 for 0.33 fl oz (previously featured here). Chanel's Laque Brilliance Extreme retails at $26 for .4 fl oz.

Formula, application and dry time: Dior's Gel Top Coat is thicker than most other top coat's I've tried. It does dry to a nice hard finish and doesn't shrink around the edges (like Seche Vite does for me). I do recommend you allowing your two coats of color to dry about 2-5 minutes before applying the Gel Coat. I usually let nails dry for 10-15 minutes after the top coat. Dior's Gel dried perfectly fine within this time. Chanel's Top Coat is thinner in texture making it easier to spread evenly over any other brand. Dry time is at least 15 minutes for me.

Finish: The finish of Dior's Gel Top coat is the glossiest I've seen. It has a lush cushiony looking finish with a high shine. Chanel's Top coat has a gorgeous glossy sheen but is not quite as shiny as Dior's.

Lasting power and performance: Performance of each top coat depends on what nail lacquer you're using for color. Unfortunately I can't say one is the best all around. Scroll down for notes below based on each test set.

Test Set No. 1: Over Dior Spring Ball

I tested both top coats at the same time, Dior's Gel Top Coat on the left hand and Chanel's Top Coat on the right hand. The verdict:

• Dior Gel over Dior Spring Ball lasted 6 full days without any chipping and very minimal tip wear. I've never had a manicure last this long without tip wear (same performance over Dior Diablotine). The way the nails looked on Day 4 with tip wear on only one finger lasted until Day 6. By Day 7 tips started to wear noticeably on most of the fingers.
• Chanel Top Coat over Dior Spring Ball didn't last quite as long. Tip wear started on Day 3 with noticeable on most fingers by Day 4. Click the photo below to enlarge.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Test Set No. 2: Over Chanel Tentation

Same testing as set one,  both top coats worn simultaneously, Dior's Gel Top Coat on the left hand and Chanel's Top Coat on the right hand. How each held up over Chanel (this was also tested over Chanel Taboo):

• Dior Gel over Chanel Tentation applied smoothly and gave a high gloss finish. Shine and coverage lasted until Day 3 when the polish started to crack. On Day 4 the cracks showed up on all nails and started to chip. Tip wear also occured. Not sure the cracks are visible in the photo below, but it was more visible over darker colors like Chanel Taboo. 
• Chanel Top Coat over Chanel Tentation is typical Chanel Top Coat perfection lasting well into Day 6 without any tip wear. Click below to enlarge.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Test Set No. 3: Over Rescue Beauty Lounge Poppy

Same process, Dior's Gel Top Coat on the left hand and Chanel's Top Coat on the right hand. How each held up over Rescue Beauty Lounge:

• Dior Gel over Rescue Beauty Lounge Poppy lasted quite well on most fingers. On Day 3, tip wear started to show only on the middle finger, although those nails were slightly longer than the others so it may have been in contact with surfaces more frequently than the others. Still, tip wear was minimal and didn't increase other than what is shown below until Day 5. There was no cracking on the nail.
• Chanel Top Coat over Rescue Beauty Lounge Poppy lasted extremely well. There was minimal tip wear (very very slight) on the corner of the middle nail, but the manicure is still as fresh as it was on the first day as on Day 5.

Overall thoughts: I really like both, but my preference depends what nail polish I use underneath. I was particularly impressed at how long my Dior over Dior manicures lasted. However Chanel is more versatile and easier to apply over most other brands.

Dior's Gel Top coat worked best over Dior nail polishes. I did find it cracked over Chanel and OPI (not featured, but tested and it cracked over OPI on Day 3). At this time I'm not sure if the Dior Gel Top Coat is limited-edition. It's sold out on most places online but still available at Sephora.com.

Chanel's Top Coat performs best over most brands for me. It didn't work quite as well over Dior with just one application (however manicures can be extended if you re-apply the top coat on the second day). The benefit of this one is that a bottle lasts a long time and it's not limited. Find it at all Chanel counters and beauty studios and online at Nordstrom.com, Chanel.com and other Chanel retailers.

Did you try Dior's Gel Top Coat? Or any of the other gels from Deborah Lippmann, Guerlain etc? What were your thoughts? What's your favorite top coat?

This post contains affiliate links, for more information see the About/FAQ section.

Loving Right Now

A few things I'm loving right now:

• Rifle Paper Co. Stationary found in stores at Pottery Barn for cute notepads and card sets
• Cute little extras sent from Chanel.com (No 5 gold bookmark)
• YSL Rose Baby Doll Nail Lacquer is a stunning deep rose cream that I've fallen head over heels for (see the film on YSL.com)
• Jo Malone Vitamine E Lip Conditioner is hands down the best lip balm I've tried, smooth luxurious feel, soft sweet honey scent (very subtle), fixes dry lips like no other
• Aerin Rose Hand and Body Cream is my new favorite hand cream, I bought one for my mother on mother's day and gave a mini to my friend for her birthday, both love the way it smells, it has a soft rose scent without being too floral
• NARS Light Reflecting Loose Powder is a staple setting powder that doesn't make the skin look ashy or pale even though it's a white powder, it evens out the skin in a subtle way, check out the effects on Café Makeup and Temptalia
• NARS Pierre Hardy Nail Duo in Vertebra is a beautiful set of classics that will never go out of style

What are you loving right now?

This post contains affiliate links, for more info see the About/FAQ section.

Tom Ford Pink Lust Lip Lacquer

Tom Ford Pink Lust Lip Lacquer ($30 for .5 fl oz/15 ml, limited-edition) is sheer soft pink pearl gloss that comes in a squeeze tube. Much like the other Tom Ford Lip Lacquers Vinyl and the limited-edition Gold Dust from last year, Pink Lust has a lip-balm feel and texture. It's smooth and lightweight with a very sheer veil of shimmer. The pink shimmer is one of the prettiest shimmers I've ever seen in a lipgloss.

Packaging and applicators are the same as the prior lip glosses released (Vinyl is the white which is still available, Gold Dust was limited from last year, see it here):

Swatched it goes on very sheer. It's difficult to capture the sheen, but here are two views I hope help some. Be sure to check it out on Temptalia and Makeup and Beauty Blog as well.

Swatched in direct sunlight:

Swatched under artificial light shows the sparkles a bit better:

Swatched below on the lips:

For reference on skintone, above wearing NARS Light Optimizing Primer (testing a sample), Edward Bess Black Sea Mousse foundation in Light (reviewed here), NARS Light Reflecting Loose Powder, a bit of Tom Ford Gold Dust Bronzer.

Comparisons to some other pale pink lip glosses will show how Tom Ford's Pink Lust is paler when swatched, but once on the lips sheers out so it's not so pale:

Overall thoughts are a bit mixed. I tend to fall in love with pale pink shimmer glosses regardless of how sheer they are. The price point of Tom Ford beauty items in general are priced at the higher end of luxury beauty products. $30 for a sheer gloss that feels like a balm is definitely a splurge. Yet I love the way this looks and feels on the lips. I've had Tom Ford's prior lip lacquers for a while so I knew what to expect with pigment, coverage and feel. Pink Lust performs just like his other lacquers. It has a moisturizing feel without too much slip. The color is very sheer but I still love the subtle glow of the sparkles. Based on the swatches above I think it's definitely something dupe-able from other brands and formulas.

Tom Ford Pink Lust Lip Lacquer is a limited-edition shade and retails $30. It sold out almost immediately at counters and online as soon as it was released. However I'd recommend checking your local Tom Ford counters to see if they will be receiving a second shipment. It's available online for pre-order on Saks.com.

This post contains an affiliate link, for more info see the About/FAQ section.

Happy Mother's Day

To all the mothers - Happy Mother's Day to you! I hope you all get to spend some time today with your loved ones :)

Tom Ford Cream Color for Eyes: Escapade and Pink Haze

Tom Ford's new Cream Color for Eyes in Escapade and Pink Haze are the stars of his summer beauty collection ($40 each for .21 oz/6g, both limited-edition). These are a cream shadow with a unique formula that's a cross between a traditional cream eyeshadow and whipped mousse cream. These new colors are the same formula as his original release from last year (see formula review and swatches on Platinum and Spice here) but with new and improved richer pigment. Both are pigmented enough to wear alone on  the lids with mascara for a simple look. The new cream shadows from Tom Ford are extremely versatile in what you can pair with each shade. I have used both layering a bit of a bronzey copper (like NARS Fez, Urban Decay Lost and NARS Cordura) for a bit of depth. Lasting power was excellent for me - they stayed put all day long well into the late afternoon.

Escapade is a stunning peachy gold that has a pink/opal iridescent sheen. It has a beautiful mixture of colors that makes it a stunning neutral with kick that is absolute perfection when applied. I love how it applies smoothly with the fingers. Pigment can be easily controlled by layering.

Pink Haze is a lovely warm rose pink shimmer. I normally avoid warm rosey shades on the eyes because they tend to pull too warm often clashing with my olive skin. Pink Haze has a bit of a silvery sheen to it making it perfect. It's not too warm and not too pink. I do prefer this one with a lighter hand blended out on the lids though.

Some more photos below:

Swatches on me:

Also check out these beauties to see how the shades look on different skintones: Makeup Magpie, Makeup and Beauty Blog, The RAEViewer, Best Things in Beauty.

Although the two shades Escapade and Pink Haze are neutrals which might seem like repeats of other releases, I found the two to be fairly unique with the depth of shimmers. Some comparisons and notes below:

• Chanel Emerville Illusion d'Ombre is more transparent, sparkly and pinker than Tom Ford Escapade, both are lovely neutrals, the Tom Ford has a lot more coverage/pigment and is more peachy (both are different enough to justify owning)
• Laura Mercier Gold Metallic Creme is a warm gold shimmer compared to Tom Ford Escapade which is more peachy/creamier
• Chanel Abstraction is close to Tom Ford Pink Haze, Abstraction is warmer/more pink and has a lot more complexity in the sparkle with gold flecks
• Laura Mercier Pink Gold is more silvery and cooler-toned than Tom Ford Pink Haze
• MAC Vintage Selection and Armani Eyes to Kill #29 are shown for additional comparison purposes but aren't similar

Because the shimmers made photographing swatches difficult, I've included several shots, hope this doesn't confuse you, but each of these shades change depending on how the light hits the sparkles:

Bottom line gorgeous. Given the pigment, ease of blending, lasting power and size of product, I think these are worth every penny for the splurge. Both shades have sold out online so I recommend checking your nearest Tom Ford counters to see if they can help locate one for you.