I might have selected only a few if I could have seen the shades in person in advance. By the time I ordered, all shades were sold out at Sephora, so I ordered from Hourglass. They arrived this week, but I haven't had a moment of daytime/sunshine to take photos. Hopefully, I'll be able to do that this weekend. The weather forecast is hopeful.
This "groundbreaking hybrid" combines the customized lighting effects of Ambient Lighting Powder with a spectrum of breathtakingly modern hues. The result is a natural radiant finish with seamless, soft-focus and buildable color - in other words, my kind of blush.
We are expecting a cold front to bring thunderstorms at lunchtime today - the same storms that have already ripped their way through the Midwest and some southern states. Let's all hope for the big trees. The ground is totally saturated, and it won't take much wind to rip them right out of the ground by their root balls.
I have not been able to make my way to either Saks Fifth Avenue or Neiman Marcus yet to check out the beauty specials. The bags aren't much of a draw. The Neiman Marcus bags look cheap to me. The Saks bags have potential, although they are very large - large enough to serve as small suitcases.
I've found that the brand gift with purchase qualifying amounts have become ludicrous. I'm not willing to spend $350 to get four small samples in an ugly makeup case worth nothing - perhaps with a mini mascara thrown in. Most makeup companies have matched the GWP price to value decline of their competitors, making beauty events much less exciting than their used to be. Michael Reinhardt has a great Le Métier de Beauté offer at Neiman Marcus Mazza Galleria, so that's where I'll be tomorrow.
It's time for the Friday Forum - our first in weeks. I love this part of our week. What new products did you discover this week? Did you find any deals you couldn't resist? Are you using a fabulous product and want to sing its praises? Did you find a beauty product disappointing? Do you have a question others might be able to answer? Want to talk about skin care? What's new in your life? Just use the comments. Don't be shy. Just make sure to ask any question you might have over the weekend. By early the next week, most (not all) readers will have moved on.
Because I am at work, I'd better skedaddle for now. I hope to check in frequently over the weekend.
Photos courtesy of Hourglass Cosmetics
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24 comments:
Your blog is my happy place! Thank you so much for your funny and loving personality that shows through in your posts. LOVE skedaddle. I'm going to start saying it again and will give you all the credit. So excited for these blushes from Hourglass. I go to BTIB every day for a resource and especially on paydays. What do I NEED today? Thank you for everything!
Happy Friday and weekend to all!
This comment is addressed to Eileen, who a few weeks back posted on her experiences with Tatcha's Indigo collection on a Friday Forum. I didn't have a chance to reply with questions before the comments were locked, so I'll do it here instead. :)
I'm interested in trying Tatcha's Indigo collection but am not sure what it can really do for me. I have redness in my face, but I believe it's due to broken capillaries and not rosacea. I'm looking for something that will tone down the redness (it's so marked that my facial skin is a different color - redder and darker - from my neck skin), but am not sure that OTC products can really do anything for me. Indeed, from what research I've done, it seems my best bet might be lasers instead, but I'm not sure I can stomach that kind of expense just yet. Would love to hear from anyone who has experience on this end!
Thanks so much!
I picked up one of the Hourglass blushes this week, in Diffused Heat. LOVING it. Will go back for more soon, I think!
LOL CG, you have gone off the deep end! Several reviews I read about the blushes say that 5 out of 6 of the blushes look the same on your face. I'm waiting to see them in store either at Sephora or Barney's or SpaceNK before I buy. I was going to order sight unseen but I kept changing my mind about which one I would order. Have you tried the new MUFE HD cream blushes? They are to die for. I did buy two of them 115 and 120. They have a true cream to powder formulation and look like second skin. I'm also loving my Chanel Coco Shine in Satisfaction and nail polish is Coeur de Coeur. Have fun with the blushes and I hope the bad weather passes you by.
Have a great weekend everyone!
Hi CG. I ordered two of the Hourglass blushes during the Sephora VIB pre-sale. They are nice but if you are expecting them to be "different", you may be disappointed I'm sad to say. I am in love with the Ambient powders and I was so excited when I saw the promos for the blushes. I'm not sure exactly what I expected; maybe that the blush would have some magical "lighting" properties along with the color. I am old enough to know better than to succumb to marketing hype but that is exactly what I did. The Ambient powders have really made a difference in my finished makeup look so I just assumed the blushes would do/be the same. Not the case. Again, they are nice blushes but they are not "special" in any way. I hope you have a different experience since you invested so much. I will be looking forward to your review; maybe you will figure out some magical application (that I haven't) that allows the blush to transform into something really special.
Oh my gosh! How much fun would it be to play in your make up? I was actually waiting on a review from you to determine if I needed it. Ahem, NEEDED any of them.
My question for the Friday Summit is, what would you recommend for brightening the skin and dark spot correction? I do not have sensitive skin. It's more normal than anything not really oily or dry. Thanks in advance.
Hi CG! I hope you enjoy your Hourglass blushes. I purchased Mood Exposure and Diffused Heat. My complexion is light (not as fair as yours) with cool undertones. I love both of these. They are quite pigmented, so use a light hand when applying. The lasting time is very long and they look beautiful on. Have a lovely weekend!
Absolutely can't wait for your swatches and impression! I think I want to try the more neutral shade as a soft contour along with a brighter one for color. Oh, and the Bobbi Brown eye pallette looks gorgeous, too. And still can't get Rouge Bunny Rouge off my mind. I brought out the couple shadows I have when you mentioned it the other day and have fallen madly in love all over again. Need a RBR fix!
Take care everyone, Denise at aeiokid at gmail dot com.
This comment in in response to May. I too have lots of broken red veins and have tried the laser. It worked great and was not too painful. I had a set of 5 treatments. I found the most marked difference after the second and third treatment. The fourth and fifth didn't make much more difference. I'd say it lasted 4 years on me. Yes, it was expensive and so I haven't done it again but it was wonderful to leave behind that fiery red face! The best product I have found to camouflage redness is YSL Teint Parfait for $42. I wear shade 1 or shade 2. They are not cover ups or concealer but a sheer wash that really tones down the redness. You can wear it alone, on top of moisturizer, or as a foundation base. You may want to go to a YSL counter and get a sample or two to play with at home. I hope this is a help.
Hi S Derrick, to brighten your skin I recommend Skinceuticals CE Ferulic. It's great but be patient and give it about 3 months to see results. Apply this first thing after cleansing in the morning. Then wait at least 2 minutes if not more and complete the rest of your regimen.
Love that you refer to the forum as a summit - it is a real meeting of the minds!
I am so excited you will be reviewing these blushers! I can't wait for your thoughts!
I can't wait for the Hourglass review. I'm fair/cool toned too and am still trying to decide which shade is best.
See JoshCollierMUA on YouTube. He has a great review of them and swatches on his blog. Have a great weekend everyone!
Hey CG-I could not agree with you more about the crazy amounts needed to now qualify for a decent gwp. It takes all the fun out of shopping. I am insulted that Saks and NM think that their cheap looking bags with lousy fragrance samples are any incentive to purchase either.
Hi May,
Tatcha's Indigo collection is for eczema and other types of dermatitis. It heals, calms, and protects inflamed skin. It is not meant as a cure for broken capillaries or the redness associated with an abundance of surface capillaries. I believe Victoria Tsai, Tatcha's founder, has eczema and that that served as the impetus for bringing a product of this type to market. I love how quickly it calmed my skin and got my rosacea flareups under control, but it is definitely not for everyone.
It really sounds like a series of IPL sessions (4-6) would be better suited to your needs if your redness is related to capillary issues and sun damage. Growing up in Southern California, I had many years of fun in the sun long before we knew just how damaging sun exposure could be. So, when I was fifty, I treated myself to a series of IPL sessions to even out my skin tone. It did a wonderful job! It was also painless because I asked for numbing cream :-)
Jo, you are absolutely right about the MUFE HD Blushes! I completely forgot to mention in my comment that I purchased one, ONE, choosing was torturous! They are everything you said and I will go back for more. The colors are so, so wearable, I think I could have walked away with 5 of them and realistically been able to use them all! I enjoyed your comment and will wait to test the Ambients in the store.
And a question for CG (or anyone!)...since we're on the subject of blushes, any info or opinion on the Estée Lauder Bronze Goddess Summer cream blush comming soon? From what I can tell it looks gorgeous and I can't wait. Estée Lauder's cream blushes are to die for (in my opinion!), and are too few and far between. I hope this one lives up to my expectations, only one color choice and from the photo it looks to be somewhat universal, except for maybe the fairest of skintones, and one that would definitely work for me. SO looking forward to its release!
I so love this place I come to, to chat and have fun and be happy with others!!! Take care everyone.
Denise at aeiokid at gmail dot com
I've been drooooooling over those Hourglass blushes ever since I first saw then on Temptalia! I can't wait to hear and see more of them :-)
To May, I also suffer from that redness you describe. Not Rosacia but patches of redness most likely due to sun damage, age and my Northern European genetics. I have spent a fortune on foundations and concealers. From a cosmetics perspective, there is absolutely nothing that comes close to IT Bye Bye redness neutralizer. Depending on your skin tone, you can use it alone or under your foundation. I often mix it with liquid foundation because my redness tends to be diffuse. It's readily available at certain Ulta locations or you can order it directly from their website. It's very affordable and my redness doesn't 'break through' throughout the day. There is also a medication available by prescription called Mirvaso which is a vaso constrictor, which can tone down the redness temporarily (several hours) but it doesn't 'cure' the condition. You have to be disciplined not to overuse it, since is is constricting blood flow. I hope this is helpful.
Hi May,
Me again. I want to add a bit to Meredith's comments about the IPL. Depending on how much redness and hyperpigmentation you've got, you'll need a series of 4-6 treatments spaced about 4 weeks apart. The first treatment will be on a low setting with each subsequent treatment being on a higher setting. That's why the first 1 or 2 treatments are manageable but the rest are more intense. Don't fret! Ask for numbing cream which is applied about an hour before you get zapped. The dermatologist should be happy to do that for you at no extra charge. At the end of your sessions, many dermatologists will also go after the stubborn, larger veins like the ones by the nostrils with a VariLite or VBeam laser. That should also be included in the service. During the initial consultation, make sure you disclose all your concerns and ask exactly what is included in the cost of the procedure. I must say, I love IPL. It is great at treating large areas of redness (including those caused by rosacea) those pesky little brown spots that start accumulating on our skin, and firming up the skin in general. IPL is a wonderful multi-tasker. Just be sure you go somewhere reputable and highly experienced.
Now for the bad news: People who are predisposed towards fragile surface capillaries will continue to get redness no matter how well they pamper and protect their post procedure complexions. You might be a person who can go 5 or 10 years without ever needing or wanting another series of treatments. On the other hand, you might be a rosacea sufferer who needs a twice-yearly tuneup. That will depend on your physiology.
On a completely different topic, pictures of Tom Ford Summer are beginning to surface. I saw a few pictures on Rae's wonderful blog (The RaeViewer) this morning. These aren't promo product pictures and the lighting isn't the greatest so it is hard to discern the actual colors, but it gives us an idea of what will be coming in April. There will be a first-ever palette featuring a blush, bronzer, and eyeshadows. Way to go, Tom!
Meredith, Eileen, and Anonymous @ 12:33PM, thank you all so much for your extremely helpful suggestions. I will definitely look into them, particularly the laser treatment. Meredith and Eileen, may I ask how much you spent on your laser treatments? Of course, I assume this will vary immensely by region, but having even a rough idea will at least prevent me from fainting when I hear it from the dermatologist's lips. ;) Thanks again!
I found that each of these blushers are individual(how much colour of blush to the Ambient powder). I bought Mood and Dim but asked the SA to open a few to see which had the best colour pay off. Mood the first one opened was brilliant but the Dim we had to open a few.
Jo, thank you for responding to my query. I will try that. Yes, I liken it to a summit. I always get great ideas here. CG is the chief.
at 38, i walked into saks stony point. bad mistake. stopped at ysl counter. worse mistake. the adventure began. ever since, your posts have helped me. i also love your taste. thank you for leaving a trail for me. i live in va beach and do not have access to full counters of high end here. i make purchases sometimes based on your reviews.
i have been eyeing brown sand for months. i use givenchy powders as bronzer. don't like the crosiere. you sealed the purchase today with the r.i.p. original has such a straightfoward brown tone.
i am bd50 right now and it refreshes me to see a lighter tone person that blends makeup so perfectly. you choose many colors that i wear and pull them off as if from cote d'azur. i also think you are beautiful. thank you again and if you are ever at stony point Sanya and Cameron at ysl are the best. all love from vb.
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