Lancome French Paradise Blush Subtil Crème Review, Swatches and Photos

Lancome recently had a Friends and Family sale, so I picked up a few new things that I thought looked interesting. I was excited to try their new LE Blush Subtil Crème for Summer 2015, as I had read that it had a solid mousse texture similar to Colour Pop products.

I ordered Corail Alizé 01, but due to a packing mistake, I ended up with Rouge Mistral 03. When I unpacked my parcel, I was pretty disappointed considering that Rouge Mistral was the one colour out of the three I was entirely not interested in. To their credit, Lancome's customer service offered me a full refund with no hassle.

Photos in natural light, swatches on NC 40 skin.

Lancome Blush Subtil Crème in Rouge Mistral 03

So I have Rouge Mistral 03 for review. Rouge Mistral is described by Lancome as "a dapper red for the most seductive flush-cheeked look." In the pot it looks like a medium dark warm (orange) toned red with ultra fine, subtle golden shimmer throughout. On my skin, Rouge Mistral's orange tones are emphasized and the result is a deep red coral shade with a luminous satin finish.

Lancome Blush Subtil Crème in Rouge Mistral 03

Before I had purchased this product, I did some research online and found only two reviews, both of which commented on how similar all three colours of Blush Subtil Crème were when swatched (Corail Alizé 01, Brise Rosée 02 and Rouge Mistral 03, swatches of all three on My Darling Clementine and A Beauty Junkie in London.) Having swatched and used Rouge Mistral (but not having seen the other two colours in person) I'm likely to agree. Though Rouge Mistral is definitely red, it pulls orangey on me, so the overall effect is red-coral. Considering that Lancome describes Corail Alizé as " a luminous coral, subtly enhanced by tiny golden pearl pigments," one can see how interchangeable those descriptions could be!

The formula of the product is described as an "oil-free powder formula [that is] is non-greasy and non-sticky for a featherweight effect on skin... the Blush Subtil Crème formula contains no opaque base, to ensure truly vibrant colour and workable, made-to-measure intensity." The texture of the product is very silky, and has a cream-to-powder finish which is neither greasy or dry. The product has very intense pigmentation, so a light handed application is a must unless you want to look sunburnt! Like a cheek stain, this blush is transparent after being blended and fuses completely with the skin's texture. Again like a cheek stain, this product is a little tricky to blend, so it would be best to apply with a lightweight duo fibre brush or proceed sparingly with the fingers blending onto well moisturized skin.

I do believe the product lives up to Lancome's technical claims, and I like that they formulated this with "no opaque base" which gives the colours purity. I do think that the lack of opaque or white pigments in the product is what contributes to all three shades looking very similar though. Wear time is very good with only a little fading after a full day of wear.

Grade: B+

Lancome Spring 2014 French Ballerine: Blush Highlighter in Rose Ballerine Review, Swatches and Photos

A few weeks ago to celebrate Chinese New Year Lancome had a 15% off code for their online store. Wanting to take advantage of the discount I went online and discovered their new "French Ballerine" inspired spring collection. Naturally I was drawn to their LE Blush Highlighter Rose Ballerine...except when I tried to order it (numerous times) the website either wouldn't let me place it in my basket or when I did mange to get it in my basket it would tell me it was "no longer available".

So I just gave up. I'm tired of online retailers not programming or maintaining their websites correctly (I'm looking at you The Bay online.)

Luckily, I got a second shot at this product at a local Shopper's Drug Mart. Rose Ballerine is a LE Blush Highlighter that is a "universal shade of subtle, soft pink [that] perfectly refreshes and illuminates every complexion." It retails for $52.00 CA, all photos taken in natural light, swatch on NC 35 skin.

The compact is lightweight plastic and has a mirrored top adorned with the brand name and a fuchsia bow. Although I think the compact is reasonably cute and theme appropriate, I wish the compact itself was more streamlined and less bulky. Inside the compact is a pale, yellow-toned warm pink powder deeply embossed with the signature Lancome rose. The powder has no over spray and has a subtle satin sheen.

Lancome Blush Highlighter in Rose Ballerine

The consistency of the powder is fairly firm in the compact, but once the top layer is buffed away, the beautiful, finely milled texture of the powder is revealed. Rose Ballerine is a product similar to MAC's Pearlmatte Face Powders albeit it much more refined, silky and less frosty. Somewhere in between a blush, highlighter and a face powder, Rose Ballerine will function as a subtle blush for pale skins and a brightening powder for medium and dark skin tones. The finely milled powder applies sheer on the skin with a subtle but natural sheen. Medium and dark skin tones can build and layer the product for a light pink wash, but ultimately this is a whisper light product that gives a fresh glow and not a serious flush.

This product is exceptionally pretty layered over other blushes to give the cheekbones greater dimension. As an all over wash for the face it brightens yellow toned skins beautifully. Pale skinned beauties who find it difficult to wear blush will like this one too because of the soft, sheer buildable colour.

Overall this is a nice product, though if you are looking for a straight up blush or highlighter you may want to look elsewhere. I have a few powders similar to this (Hourglass Ambient Lighting Powder in Mood Light and Shu Uemura Luring Face Powder in Rose) and I'm always surprised how much more radiant my skin looks with a pink toned powder!

Grade: B+

Lancome: O My Rose Pop 'n Petrol Eyeshadow and Le Kohl Glosses

Lancome's International Artistic Director for Makeup, Aaron De Mey delivers a very unorthodox spring collection entitled "O My Rose!".  I call this collection unorthodox because from the title, you would assume a palette of pinks, roses and mauves.  Instead, De Mey delivers warm, coppery neutrals and cool greens.

I'm reviewing the Pop 'n Petrol eye shadow palette and the Le Kohl Gloss pencils in BB Sand and Pop Petrol. All items are LE, swatched on NC 35-40 skin, natural light.

Left to right: Le Kohl Gloss in BB Sand and Pop Petrol, Pop 'n Petrol Palette.

Le Kohl Gloss ($31.50 CA)

BB Sand - a shimmery beige, with a gloss texture.

Pop Petrol - a stunning phtalo blue, well pigmented with a gloss texture.

General Comments

The Le Kohl Glosses are essentially an eye gloss in a stick.  The formula is very glossy, soft and smudgeable.  I was immediately attracted to Pop Petrol, as phtalo is my favourite shade of blue. I wanted to buy it immediately!  But I held off, mainly for the reason that eye gloss is notoriously difficult to wear because it never sets and will always crease and smudge.  Add in the price factor, and I'm just not sure it is worth spending $31.50 on something that you're going to wear very few times in very few situations.  You can get the same effect by layering a face gloss such as MAC's Clear Gloss ($22.00 CA) over a similar shade of eyeliner. You could also dupe BB Sand this way by layering gloss over a shade like MAC Shroom. These are very pretty products but unfortunately not very practical and quite expensive.

Pop 'n Petrol Palette ($55.00 CA/48.00 US)

Another item I wasn't sure if I wanted or not! This is a fairly unique quad that features a shimmery white, deep metallic teal, slightly greenish silver and a matte sage. The colours are on their own, very pretty - particularly the greenish silver, which (if memory serves me correctly) is a kin to the legendary Erika F shadow Lancome sells in Europe (comparison coming soon!). What stumped me though is the combination of the colours. I'm not an expert in colour theory, but I know enough to recognize that the warm brownish sage shade doesn't quite fit in with the otherwise cool tones. All that being said, I am going back to pick this one up and will definitely try to do a look using all four colours.

J

Splurge VS Steal: Skincare - Moisturizers

Here is part two in our Skincare Splurge VS Steal column. You can find part one and part three here and here.

In this post we will share with you our picks for facial moisturizers, but first, here are the descriptions of our skin types so you get a sense of what we're working with.

Jill: Combination with an oily t-zone.  I rarely break out but the few pimples I get tend to be fairly  deep & painful.  I sometimes suffer from puffy eyes. I live in an extremely dry climate.

Catherine: Combination skin - normal on my cheeks, oily in my t-zone. My skin is rarely without pimples, but they tend to be small. When I don't exfoliate, my skin gets flaky. I live in Toronto, a city with a temperate, moderately humid climate.

Day Moisturizer

J: SPLURGE - Lancome Bienfait Multi-Vital SPF 30 ($58.00 CA/50 ml)
I'm religious about sunscreen, so the Lancome Beinfait Multi-Vital really does it for me.  Not only does it have a high SPF but it manages to moisturize my dry cheeks AND not turn my t-zone into an oil slick.  It feels wonderful and apparently has vitamins in it.  Now that I'm on a student budget I'm going to have to save my pennies to afford this one!

C: SPLURGE - Philosophy Hope In A Jar (56.7 g/2 oz, $49)
This is one GORGEOUS facial moisturizer and I mean luxurious without being heavy. It feels incredibly soothing and protective on your skin and stays feeling that way on both my (normal skin) cheeks and (oily skin) t-zone. It's absolutely incredible under make-up and you can feel it working like the workhorse it is all day.


STEAL - Kiehl's Ultra Facial Tinted Moisturizer SPF 15 (75 mL, $33)
I have never come across a drugstore moisturizer that gives me all that Kiehl's Ultra Tinted Moisturizer does so while it's pricier than something you'll find in the aisles of the drugstore, it's a 3 in 1 product! It's a great moisturizer for most skin types, non-greasy and often found in the kits of make-up artists. It's also got a tint to it, so I can often forgo foundation and/or concealer and while the SPF is the absolute minimum you should be wearing, if you use this and a foundation or loose powder with SPF in it, like I do, you're all set! I've done the mixing a facial sunscreen with a moisturizer and it just is so messy and completely unworkable with any make-up, I won't give up my Ultra Tinted Moisturizer without a fight. The untinted version of Ultra is fantastic as well, as is the slightly heavier Ultra Facial Cream which I often use in the winter months.

Night Moisturizer

J: SPLURGE - Aveda Tourmaline Charged Hydrating Creme (approx $35.00 for 50 ml)
I have to admit I got this one free - it is a lovely, rich cream that moisturizes very well without being heavy.  I don't know if the tourmaline has really infused my skin with radiance, but I do wake up well moisturized! Plus it has that characteristic Aveda scent which I like.

C: For night, I believe you MUST MUST MUST use a product that will heal, soothe, repair and renew your skin. That's what your body, brain and skin is doing while you sleep and if you don't take advantage of those precious hours when you're still, unburdened, unstressed and at peace, you are doing yourself an unbelievable disservice. 

SPLURGE - BeneFit's Dear John: A Movin On Facial Cream (60 mL / 2.0 US fl.oz., $40)
OK, so $40 isn't so much a splurge, especially not for a night cream but with my beauty product buying habits and my budget? You bet this is a treat for me to buy. And the bang for your buck is pretty smashing, so to speak. It's a good size jar of gorgeously rich cream that makes my skin feel like buttah. Baby's bum, porcelain, you name it. BeneFit is more known for its make-up (of which I'm also a fan) but their skin care, especially their moisturizers, is surprisingly excellent.

STEAL - Jamieson Laboratories ProVitamina Retinol Renewal Night Cream (120mL/4.2 fl. oz, approx.$20)
I cannot live without this stuff. I use it as a night cream, to relieve uneven skintone and razor burn, on pimples, and basically on anything I don't want on my skin any longer! It's got Retinol and Vitamin A which both work to renew and heal your skin, reducing fine lines, uneven texture and tone, drawing out impurities and assisting with your skin's renewal process. I really don't believe there's much that works on your skin better than Vitamin E and Vitamin A and the purer the form the better. It's really all you need - simple, basic and powerful.

Eye Cream

J: STEAL - Garnier Anti Puff Eye Roller (approx $16.00 CA for 15 ml)
I love using this cooling, slightly tightening eye roller.  I don't have many fine lines, but I do suffer from puffy eyes occasionally.  This caffeine infused serum really helps wake my eyes up in the morning.  Plus the application system is efficient, mess free and feels nice.

C: SPLURGE: - Kiehl's Cryste Marine Firming Eye Treatment (0.5 fl.oz, $36 US)
I admit I have only tried a sample of this but I've had a few of them and it's rich enough that a sample lasts for about a month. It's exactly what I look for in an eye cream - luxurious but not greasy, soothing and it does make a difference in the look and feel of the skin around my eye. I find that regardless of what you use, it is really all about the application process. Tapping very very gently with your pinky, apply the product around your eye socket (where you feel the bone beneath the skin).

So there you have it, our picks for Moisturizing splurges and steals. Do you have any of your own? Want to rave about something you can't live without? If you have any comments or questions - ask us!

C & J

Splurge VS Steal: Skincare - Cleansers, Toners and Eye Makeup Removers

Welcome to a new column for Beauty2 - Splurge VS Steal! In this series, we will dish on our favourite products, both upscale and drugstore.  We hope that our suggestions will give you some options when considering your beauty budget. Steals are generally items that can be found in a drugstore (or kitchen!), while splurges are generally the stuff of department store counters or available online.  Whenever possible, we will give you the most accurate price for the item (in Canadian dollars).

To start off we will describe our skin types to give you a background as to the products we use.

Jill: Combination with an oily t-zone.  I rarely break out but the few pimples I get tend to be fairly  deep & painful.  I sometimes suffer from puffy eyes. I live in an extremely dry climate.

Catherine: Combination skin - normal on my cheeks, oily in my t-zone. My skin is rarely without pimples, but they tend to be small. When I don't exfoliate, my skin gets flaky. I live in Toronto, a city with a temperate, moderately humid climate.

This column is all about cleansing and getting that skin of ours (and yours) as smooth and fresh as possible. It's so very important to wash your face every night so it can do it's thing while you sleep and breathe and refresh. Read on for our picks!

Cleanser

J: SPLURGE - Clinique Liquid Facial Soap Mild ($20.00 CA)
    STEAL - Cetaphil Oily Skin Cleanser ($17.99 for 500 ml)

The Clinique cleanser is a great for those who like foaming cleansers but don't want to overstrip their skin.  I like them both but do find the Cetaphil the tiniest bit more drying.

 C: SPLURGE - Philosophy Purity Made Simple (24 fl.oz., $52/16 fl.oz., $42/8 fl.oz., $26)

Purity Made Simple is a multi-purpose product, acting as a cleanser, make-up remover and toner in one. For removing make-up, which I do nearly everyday, this is a fantastic cleanser. For the few days where I'm not wearing make-up or for first thing in the morning, it can be a little drying.

STEAL - Kibio Fresh Pureness Foam(125 mL, approx $12)
Kibio has a fresh, clean scent and I like that I can get it at Shoppers Drug Mart. It's also very effective at removing make-up and doesn't dry out my skin. It's also gentle enough to use in the morning.

Toner

J: STEAL - I don't use any!

C: STEAL - I don't use any either, although I will occasionally on summer mornings. In my opinion, toner is an unnecessary product. It does give your skin a fresh, clean feeling so if you like that, go ahead and keep using it. It certainly won't hurt your skin.

Eye Makeup Remover

J: SPLURGE - Lancome Bi-Facial ($34.00 CA for 125 ml)
It has a cult following because it works!  Despite the fact it has an oil component in it, it isn't oily at all.  It is the only remover I know to effectively remove the waterproof mascara I wear everyday.

C: STEAL - I simply wash off my eye make-up with my facial cleanser.
I don't use a separate eye make-up remover because I simply wash my whole face with a facial cleanser (Purity Made Simple works especially well for this). I am extremely cautious about my eye area as I have loose skin there naturally and I know genetically, that's where my face will age the swiftest. I find that using water and a sudsy or creamy cleanser reduces dramatically the tugging and wiping on the eye area and my make-up comes off cleanly! Even MAC's Fluidline and false eyelash glue. Of course, if I wore waterproof mascara, it may be a different story.

For Part Two and Part Three of our Skincare Splurges and Steals featuring our picks for masks, day moisturizer, night moisturizer, eye cream, exfoliators and pimple treatments click here and here.

And as always, let us know what you think, if you have any questions and what your splurge and steal picks are. The two of us have very similar skin types so we want to know what you dry-skinned, sensitive-skinned and problem-skinned folk like and love!

C & J

Lancome: Declaring Indigo

Based on the tricolour of the French flag, Lancome has released a very inspired and unique fall collection focused on the colours indigo, red and gold. The items I have for review from the collection are the Indigo Royaute eye palette and Midnight Glam Le Vernis nail polish.

All photos taken in natural light, NC 35-42 skin.

Left to right: 01 Indigo Royaute eye palette ($54.00 CA/$42.00 US), Midnight Glam Les Vernis ($21.00 CA/$18.00 US)

Indigo is a colour that sits between blue and violet on the colour spectrum. It's not quite blue and not quite purple, but it is 100% gorgeous!

Midnight Glam has a dark blue based polish with blue and violet shimmer laced throughout. It spreads on the nail smoothly and is well pigmented, only needing 2 coats to be perfectly opaque. The brush in the Le Vernis bottle is flat and wide, similar to OPI's Pro Wide brush, I find it applies the polish smoothly in only a few strokes. This polish is similar to Chanel's Blue Satin, but is a richer blue due to the use of a dark blue base over a black one. Blue/black polish lovers will want to pick this one up!

The Indigo Royaute eye palette is for me the gem of the collection. The glitzy gold case houses 4 shadows - a deep metallic indigo, a antiqued/bronzey gold, a lighter antiqued gold and a deep metallic indigo laced with gold microglitter. The texture of the shadows is divine - they are creamy, deeply pigmented and smooth. They remind me of the texture of Shu Uemura ME shadows, which is about the highest compliment one can give to an eyeshadow in my opinion!

Although the two blue shades look very similar, it is worth noting that the gold microglitter in the 4th shade actually adheres to the skin with the shadow - no annoying glitter fall-out here. I think this is a sign of how superior the shadow formula is as you can't say that about many glitter infused eye shadows out there.

I also wanted to purchase and review the new Indigo Charm Ink Artliner, but couldn't find it on any of the counters or the website. It appears as if it didn't make it to Canada! To our Canadian readers, please let me know if you find it!

I think Aaron de Mey's first collection for Lancome is fresh, a bit unconventional and very exciting. I haven't bothered with Lancome for a few years now, but this launch really drew me in - both in terms of promotional images, inventiveness and product quality. The last time I was this excited about a Lancome launch was many years back when Fred Farrugia did a whole collection based on red - red eye shadows, blushes, lipsticks - the works. I'm glad to see Lancome thinking outside the box again!

J