Posts Tagged Burberry
All the Pretty Sparkles: Highlighter Review & Swatches
I often find that my best posts are those that are made up on a whim. Sometimes I’ll be trying something out for my own personal pleasure, and it leads to something else entirely. Today I had one such moment; I was trying to figure out just how I could wear my NARS Laguna Multiple effectively, as its quite pretty but gets very little use. I usually smear it on right from the tube and then blend the heck out of it with my fingers, applying it as a highlight on top of my cheekbones and around my brow bones. Today I tried buffing it in with a stippling brush, which seemed to work exceptionally well. Then I wondered how it looked in sunlight, and stepped out on my balcony in the sunshine, only to be blasted with some serious sparkle! Eeks! I can tell you right now that it is NOT the kind of product you want to wear outside in the sun (so, best used on cloudy days or at night), or at least if you DO wear it, use a very light hand. Lesson learned (and thankfully before I made the faux pas in public)!
Of course, this got me thinking about other highlighters/glow-makers I own and how they fare in the bright sunshine. Of course, being a dutiful blogger, I took photos so we all can benefit from my experiment 
I chose four others that are all permanent products in their respective brands: Benefit Watt’s Up, Becca Shimmering Skin Perfector in Opal, the Balm Mary-Lou Manizer, and Burberry Fresh Glow. You’ve seen swatches of some of these before in my Chanel Poudre Signée post, but here they are again (give or take a couple):
Left to right: NARS The Multiple in Laguna, Benefit Watt’s Up, Becca Shimmering Skin Perfector in Opal, the Balm Mary-Lou Manizer, and Burberry Fresh Glow
First let me preface the following face swatches by saying that while I could plainly see the sparkle/shimmer in sunlight, it is incredibly hard to capture in photos!! SO frustrating. With that in mind, please take my word for it whether or not something is visible or not, as it is tricky to see in the snaps I took ~grumbles~ Also, please note that all of these shots were taken on completely makeup-free skin (apologies for dark circles!), so there is no other potential shimmer interference (I cleansed my face thoroughly between each shot).
To begin, we have the Laguna Multiple I mentioned originally. Very sparkly in sunlight, and I really would avoid wearing it outside – especially if you do not have my skintone (on me it’s more of a highlight), as it would then be deep bronze + super shimmer, and just wouldn’t be your best moment. You’ll notice as you look through the other face pics that this one has the most noticeable shimmer, even in photographs. BELIEVE IT. However, it IS very pretty and I plan on using it on evenings out over this spring/summer.
Next, we have Benefit’s Watt’s Up luminizer – I only have a sample size of this but honestly that is enough, as a little goes a long way. I want to say it’s my least favorite of the five, but today changed my mind a bit, as the initial BAM! sparkle of it seemed to settle after a couple minutes, and then it really just gave me this lovely radiance. It’s still fairly shimmery, but not as much as the Laguna, and you could probably get away with it in the day if you went very minimal on shimmer elsewhere. Also, I’d probably layer my blush OVER this rather than under (which you’d likely do anyway if you chose powder, as this is a cream, and that’d just get weird), which would tone it down a little bit too. It took me AGES to get photos of this and I’m still not satisfied, so trust me when I say there IS visible shimmer (look for little particle-like things on my face – those are them 
).
Moving right along, next is the insanely popular Becca Shimmering Skin Perfector, in the shade Opal. I snagged this deluxe sample in a swap about a month ago and I LOVE IT SO MUCH YOU GUYS. I’m not going to go on a big ‘You have to buy this!’ rant, because everyone else has done such a good job – so just go buy it already! This product comes very close to the ‘might be too shimmery for day’ line but manages to toe it exceptionally well, so you can totally rock it out all summer long. I adore the glow this gives and because the shimmer particles are so small, they don’t look tacky at all, just nicely done. I will continue to wear this now that the sun is out, day or night.
Continuing on, we come to the Balm’s Mary-Lou Manizer. Next to Laguna this one is the most shimmery, and is also the only powder in the bunch. This was one of my first highlighters (and again, its a small sample size compared to the real deal) and I tended to wear it more in the corners of my eyes than anywhere else. Now, I wear it both ways (on my cheekbones too) but generally keep it to nighttime, as the shimmer combined with the lighter tone and powder formula can make it more obvious than I’d like. Still, the powder is butter-smooth and is nice to have on hand now and again!
This second shot is kind of bizarro for sure, but it highlighted the shimmers so well I had to include it >_<
Finally, we have the most natural of the bunch, and my personal preference for a foolproof glow – Burberry’s Fresh Glow Luminizing Base. If you recall, I bought this last year as a birthday treat for myself (which I think I might do every year – buy Burberry makeup, I mean!) and was unsure if it was genius or useless. Well, consider me converted because this give the most subtle yet glowing look of the bunch. It can be worn a multitude of ways: on bare skin, under foundation, over foundation, mixed in with foundation, etc. – but I prefer to use either on a bare face to just give me a pick me up if I’m going super low-key, or on top of foundation on the high points of the face. Even though there is shimmer, somehow there is no shimmer - like Houdini or something. I haven’t quite figured it out, but I will say that looking at it worn in full sunshine today for the first time, I was totally amazed – I looked utterly radiant but like I had absolutely nothing on. Kind of like how you look when you put on a face oil, and you look glowing, but without the adding ‘shine’ factor. Good times. Dammit Burberry, why is everything you do SO DAMN EXPENSIVE GOOD?
Thus concludes my research – I hope you found it helpful! I know it’s tough to see the nuances between shots but I think the gist is there in terms of comparing the five. As always, this kind of post is helpful for me too, so yay for killing two birds with one stone!
Do you wear a highlighter? What formula/finish do you prefer? Which of these ones would you choose?
Just a Tad Bit Overdue: My Birthday Burberry Haul
Er, so it’s been like what – 18 days since my birthday, plus a few more than that since I received my Burberry items, and I have yet to post about ‘em…WTF? Sorry about that! It’s just that these products are kinda special, you know, and I really wanted to make sure I did a thorough review, with the best photos I could manage and without being too biased, since the general consensus online about Burberry cosmetics is: AWESOME. After giving each piece its fair share of face time (literally), I think I’m finally ready to show you and discuss my recent acquisitions.
First of all, my purchases came housed in a cute little Burberry box, quite sturdy, from Holt Renfew, with a couple sweet extra samples and treats for me to try from the brand – a gorgeous mirrored compact housed in their iconic substantial packaging, two deluxe size samples of their Lip Cover, a sample packet of four of their Lip Mist shades, and a handful of samples of their foundation and concealer, which the SA guessed as using my NARS foundation shade as a reference (as my order was over the phone). The actual products I purchased were: Sheer Eye Shadow in Trench, a pale satin cream shade; Light Glow Blush in Russet, a muted rust shade with a hint of shimmer; and Fresh Glow Luminous Foundation Base, a liquid face illuminator.
When I was trying to figure out which items I was going to purchase, I wanted to be sure that they would be of good value and use in my collection, as of course the products are terribly cheap. I picked Trench eyeshadow ($33CAD) because, interestingly enough, I don’t have one shade like it in my stash. I have a handful of similar, shimmery shades, but I was finding that I had nothing to wear as a brow bone highlight that didn’t look garish or ‘too much’ for every day. I also find that as I tend to wear shimmery eyeshadows on the whole, I prefer a more matte shade to wear under the brow.
Trench is an excellent compliment to almost all of my looks – as it’s not a flat matte (you can see the very slight shimmer in the photos below), it looks very subtle. I’ve been reaching for it almost daily since I got it. As the powder is very smooth and soft, it kicks up a bit of excess but not so much that it’s a problem, and it doesn’t get terribly messy in the pan (pet peeve!).
The color of Trench works really well as a highlight as it’s neither too yellow nor too pink, but very neutral in tone. I think this would work for almost all skintones except very dark for that purpose. I worried a bit that Trench might be too light for me, but as long as I use light hand it works very well. In the 8 months of the year when I’m not tanned, it will be perfect. Note that the shadows are fragrance free.
Burberry Sheer Eyeshadow in Trench (Natural Light)
The Light Glow Blush in Russet ($54CAD) looked lovely in swatches, but wasn’t necessarily my first choice out of the possible shades. However, many of the Burberry blushes looked as if they may be too genteel for my darker complexion, which Russet appeared to be substantial enough, which is why I chose it. Note: there IS fragrance in the blushes – a nice, subtle scent I can’t place – but once on the skin it dissipates, and so far it hasn’t caused any issues with my sensitive skin at all.
Russet is a really hard color to capture, and describe, as it’s not quite brown, not quite peachy – its really more a mix of the two, closer to a dusty terracotta but not so orange. I think it’s soft enough to work for many skintones, but I definitely suggest trying it first if you can, especially if you have cooler tones. It does contain shimmer, but on the skin even in sunlight I find it very subtle and enhancing, rather than gaudy, giving the skin a glow rather than an Edward Cullen-like shimmer (so Breaking Dawn Part II isn’t till November – what of it?). Again, the formula of the powder is so soft it kicks up a bit, but no big issues with that. Oh, and if you tap your brush into the pan rather than sweep, you preserve the pretty pattern MUCH better 
One thing I really like about this blush is that its a great transitional shade that works for me in several seasons. Right now, it looks very subtle and adds just a lovely warmth to my skin without too much color – it’s great for those days when I’m wearing a strong lip, or if I’m going ‘au naturel’. However, in the Fall months when I lose some of my tan, this will be an excellent shade to wear with deeper Autumnal tones, as it leans somewhat brown and makes me think of the changing leaves. It’s also not SO warm that I can’t wear this during cooler months as well – I can’t wait!
Burberry Light Glow Blush in Russet (Natural Light)
One thing to note about both the shadow and blush are the wear times – for the shadow, I haven’t been paying close attention because I’m only wearing it on the brow, but so far it seems to last most of the day. As for the blush, I have to sadly report that the wear time is not great – by midday it’s faded quite a bit (over powdered skin) – but somehow it still leaves my skin with a warmth to it. I suspect the reason it seems to fade away is that it’s already quite subtle on me; when my tan fades I will investigate further and see if it seems to be apparent for a longer time period.
Burberry Sheer Eye Shadow in Trench, Light Glow Blush in Russet (Natural Light)
Burberry Sheer Eye Shadow in Trench, Light Glow Blush in Russet (With Flash)
Since Holts was having a GWP of sorts with Burberry when I ordered, I had to get another item to get in on the deal, so I picked the Fresh Glow Luminous Foundation Base ($66CAD) since I had read rave reviews about it previously on Cafe Makeup. The packaging is statuesque – I love having this on display as it looks so pretty
The product comes out via a pump dispenser that gives just the right amount, no overkill here at all. Its a pale, shimmering creamy shade that is fairly neutral, meaning it doesn’t lean too pink or too golden, making it exceptionally wearable for almost everyone. It’s also fairly sheer in application, so even very dark skin can wear it without it looking ashy.
I’ve been experimenting with this several different ways, applying it under my foundation, over it, mixing it WITH my foundation, and wearing it on bare skin. To be honest, I haven’t seen much of a difference either way – it’s very subtle. However, when I swatched it for this post, I realized that this product must be GENIUS, because its CLEARLY noticeable in these shots and has some decent shimmer going on. But worn on my face, not ONCE have I looked glittery or obviously wearing some sort of highlighting product, so…? I guess it’s just that good? I just don’t notice much of a glow happening either, but then again, I’m already a touch oily so I’m not exactly begging for it. One thing I will say is that using this on top of foundation is not really the way to go – I found it hard to blend and THEN I was able to see an outline of shimmer versus my natural skin. It needs to be rubbed in without fear of taking the makeup itself off, so either go for it beforehand or add it to your foundation.
Lastly, we have the Lip Cover shades, which I will just touch on as I’ve only worn one of them so far, and this post is already WAY too long! Rosewood is a medium rose-mauve shade, which typically doesn’t look great on my skintone, and is why I haven’t tried it yet. Cameo Pink is a soft coral-pink shade that looks really natural on me – it’s nearly a MLBB shade but is a hair too light this time of year to be so. It feels fantastic on the lips; really creamy and smooth, hydrating and lightweight, and I find after its been on for a few minutes it really melds with the skin to look super natural. There is no scent that I can detect. I’m already planning to pick up some full-size shades when I can – it won’t be a cheap buy at $36CAD, but they feel so luxurious and wonderful that I can’t resist!
Burberry Lip Cover in Cameo Pink and Rosewood
Burberry Lip Cover in Rosewood and Cameo Pink (with flash)
Wearing Burberry Lip Cover in Cameo Pink (sunlight)
Like many others, the packaging is what really grabs me about the Burberry products. I’m not a huge fan of the Burberry pattern in clothing (though I don’t dislike it at all), but the gunmetal metallic cases with the design are so striking and just feel SO elegant (and of course the repeating design on the powders themselves – to die!). The magnetic snap closures are divine and so satisfying to close shut – so lame but you know you love it!
And of course…they look awfully pretty on
Wearing Russet Light Glow Blush, Cameo Pink Lip Cover, and Trench Sheer Eye Shadow (sunlight)
I had to add this photo because I’m making the most hilarious face…but it’s a good example of how the Russet blush warms up my face – and also I thought it was good for a laugh
Finally. This post has been weighing on my mind for weeks – I hope did these products justice! My overall thoughts are that I’ll probably pick up a few more shadow shades over time; I may check out more of the blushes, but only if I see them in person; the luminizer is either the most genius product ever made, or a total waste of my money; and the lipsticks are absolutely phenomenal and a few full-size ones will be joining my lippie stash in the very near future. If nothing else, I’m getting some serious pleasure just looking at these items in my stash – they’re just beyond lovely!
What do you make of the Burberry products? Worth the hype (packaging)? Are there any items that you’re lemming?
The Beginning of a New Decade!
Posted by Latoya in Burberry, Just for Fun, Musings on May 28, 2012
I confess that I don’t really understand the ‘terrible’ implications some people seem to feel turning 30 has (or 40, or 50, or any milestone age, for that matter!). I feel exactly the same today at 30 as I did yesterday at 29, and the number itself harbours absolutely no negative feelings in me whatsoever. I actually much prefer the even number to the odd, ugly number of 29 (though 28 – my ‘golden’ year – was my favorite ). Anyway, mostly I just think it’s pretty cool to be entering a whole new decade of my life, and I’m really looking forward to what it is going to bring. I can’t imagine anything but new and exciting times to come!
In order to fully celebrate making it successfully into my thirties, I’ve decided to do compile a list of 30 things I’d like to do this year, starting today till my birthday next year. I’m sure many of you aren’t surprized, since I do so love a good challenge and an opportunity to make yet another list!
The list is comprised to items of varying nature – some are quite grand events and goals I hope to endeavor upon (run a full marathon; buy a piece of designer jewelry or a pair of designer shoes; participate in a protest; travel to New Zealand – which has been on my ‘bucket list’ for ages and is the only thing that’s officially set in motion!), while others are much more moderate in nature but things I’ve always wanted to do nonetheless (learn how to play poker; read 12 classic novels; have a technology-free weekend; go to a new restaurant every month). I divided them into categories – 10 for life-based goals (like learning how to shoot a gun *just because, not for any scary reason!*), 5 for Halifax-themed (go on the local Ghost Walk tour), 5 for travel (take a spur of the moment flight somewhere!), 5 for ‘fabulous’ things (like attending a real fashion show), and of course – 5 for beauty-related items!! Which I am now going to detail below:
1) Learn 3 new hairstyles
My curly mop of hair is fun, to be sure, but there’s really not a whole lot I can do with it – or at least that I’ve taken the time to learn, anyway! So this year, I vow to stop doing the same old (which just means wearing it down as is) and trying out new ways to work with it to have some fun with it! I’ll say it right now: I am welcoming suggestions!!!!
I’m particularly loving this!
2) Attend Cosmoprof or IMATS
I’m fairly certain attending one of these events would be like my own private Utopia, so attend I must It’ll depend on the timing and location to determine which I’ll go to (and I’m not even sure if a layperson can go to Cosmoprof?), but I probably should start saving my pennies now, eh?
3) Go makeup-less for a week
Gotta throw in a good challenge of course! Even though I tend to not want to stop wearing makeup for the mere fact that that means I’m not using it up faster, I think going makeup-less for a week will be a wonderful way to make sure I remember thatit’s just makeupand that as fun as it is, it’s not the be-all end-all. I don’t think this is going to be that hard as in, being uncomfortable without it per se, but obviously makeup plays a huge part in my life, and I think going without for a period of time will strengthen my character. And when I say without, I mean nothing. Nada. Not even concealer for my racoon eyes. Who am I kidding? It’s gonna be a scary week. But also majorly liberating!
4) Try 12 new-to-me beauty brands
I’ve already got my list drawn up for the brands I’d love to try! I’ve made some headway this past year with checking out Le Metier de Beaute, and Burberry (oh yes I did! Keep reading for the scoop ), but there are still a handful which I’d love to try and am going to make a point to do so. I think this year will be a good one for restraint on the number of products I pick up, and more of a focus on what I’m getting instead. I’m pretty stoked for it!
5) One Month Beauty Challenge
I have to explain this one because it’s a little convoluted, as my schemes usually are What I want to do is this: Choose 10 makeup items only (this includes staples like foundation or mascara) and then allow myself to wear only those 10 items for the entire month. Of course I will have to be extremely selective and make sure I have the best products to allow me to create a variety of looks. I have a vague idea of what I’ll use; when the time comes I’ll make the final decision. I’m tempted to cheat and do this while I’m traveling for five weeks in New Zealand – because I’ll be bringing VERY minimal makeup along with me then – but I think I’ll do this as a separate challenge for my day-to-day life. I don’t know the month yet, but of course when I decide I’ll be posting all the details here!
So that’s what you can expect to see at Beauty Obsessed over the next year! I’m pretty excited for all of the goals I have to work toward, beauty or otherwise. I love having things to look forward to, and I like getting a fire under my butt to get things done. No time like the present!
Now, I’m not going to leave you with just a bunch of my ramblings today, of all days! I’ve got a little bit of photo porn to show you from my Burberry haul first – of course full reviews will be forthcoming over the next little while!
Burberry Fresh Glow Luminous Fluid Base
Burberry Light Glow Blush in Russet, Sheer Eye Shadow in Trench
Burberry Lip Cover in Rosewood and Cameo Pink
Oh yea, I forgot to mention – these photos were taken with my BRAND NEW CAMERA!!!!!! My delightful boyfriend gave it to me for my birthday gift (along with planning a surprize super-fun photo scavenger hunt/pig roast/party for my celebrations this past weekend!). Best gift ever! I can’t get over how much better my photos are and how much less work I have to put in to get a good result! Old camera is getting the boot lol. I hope you’ll enjoy the much better quality photos moving forward!
Now I’m off to relax and enjoy my day (going for a massage later – heaven!), I hope you all had a fantastic weekend!!!
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