NARS Radiant Creamy Concealer (Honey & Custard)

Concealers can be a girl's best friends, as long as they're in the right color and texture, of course. I guess I have some new BFFs now that NARS released their new Radiant Creamy Concealer. It's a very high coverage concealer with the promised creamy texture that's heavier and denser than a foundation, but still very smooth and pliable. The consistency makes this NARS concealer excellent for covering just about everything and anything: redness, hyper-pigmentation and blemishes.

NARS Radiant Creamy Concealer comes in ten shades. I chose Honey and Custard (see swatches of the other shades on Cafe Makeup), as they're meant for light-to-medium complexions. I knew I'll have to mix the two together in various ratios to get perfect matches for various areas of my face. I may also be able to get away with ginger, but since the concealer is so pigmented and opaque, Ginger's decidedly golden undertones are a bit too much and too dark-- my undertones are olive and green, and I don't have any hint of tan/golden/sunkissed color (I live on retinoids and high SPF).

Custard is a pale yellowish beige while Honey is decidedly peachy. Peach tones are excellent for dealing with the under-eye area as they neutralize and correct blue and purple darkness. Since NARS Radiant Creamy Concealer is thicker and more opaque than Armani Master Corrector, I only need the tiniest drop of product and get a more impressive (and more even!) result. I mix another drop of Honey into Custard to get a good match for other areas and cover what remains from an old sun spot.

I'm a big believer in setting powders, and as such rarely have any longevity issues. In the case of this NARS concealer, the formula is so long-lasting that some people may be able to get away without powder. As creamy as it is, the concealer stays put and doesn't slide or migrate. It's very impressive, really, as the finish looks like natural skin and doesn't cake or dry. Even in the swatches above, where I used a massive amount of product (about three faces worth), once I buffed the concealer onto the skin there's barely a trace left and no cakiness.

Bottom Line: Highly Recommended.


NARS Radiant Creamy Concealer ($28) each is available from narscosmetics.com and starting tomorrow will also be at the counters. The products for this review were sent by NARS PR.

Jennifer Lawrence On Her Dior Campaign Photos

"That doesn't look like me at all. I love Photoshop more than anything in the world. Of course that's Photoshop. People don't look like that."  --Jennifer Lawrence on the photos from her Dior campaign.

Nicole Kidman Shows Her Human Face

After a string of unflattering red carpet photos (not to mention the night she went crazy with some brightening product), a series of paparazzi pictures taken in Australia shows Nicole looking better than we've seen her in ages. I love the retro feel of her outfit and the non-ironed hair. It's good to be reminded that Nicole Kidman is still one of the most beautiful women in Hollywood.

Photo: Socialite Life

Neela Vermeire Creations Discovery Set Giveaway

Neela Vermeire Creations Discovery Set Giveaway

We're having a wonderful giveaway this week: one Neela Vermeire Creations Discovery Set that includes all three Neela Vermeire Creations perfumes (Mohur, Trayee, and Bombay Bling) in 10ml bottles of each, and two Try your India (3x2ml) sample sets. Since the winners will be announced on Thursday night it's kind of a Valentine's Day gift for three lucky readers.

If you're not familiar with Neela Vermeire and her fragrances (and definitely if you are!) I highly recommend following her on Twitter and through her Facebook page, as you'll get access to news and special sales.

Neela Vermeire's perfumes (composed by Bertrand Duchaufour) were inspired by Neela's memories of her childhood in India and her visits there in later years. The fragrances are evocative and transporting, even for those of us who have yet to travel there. This is why our theme for this giveaway is travel- real and imaginary. In order to participate, please leave ONE comment answering either one of these questions :

1) If you've been to India, what are your scent memories from this country?
OR:
2) Has a perfume ever transported you to a different location?
OR:
3) Do you have a scent memory from past travel?

Now the not so small print: Because of certain postal shenanigans and regulations, the giveaway is open to residents of North America and Europe EXCLUDING the UK.

The even smaller print:◆No purchase necessary. Ever. Because I don't sell anything◆participants must be 18 or older◆void where prohibited by law◆regulated by the State of NJ◆

Photo credit: Neela Vermeire.

Keira Knightley On The Cover Of 'Marie Claire' March 2013

Keira Knightley On The Cover Of 'Marie Claire' March 2013



Keira Knightley is on the cover of Marie Claire's March 2013 issue and I'm completely and utterly taken with her makeup. A well-defined metallic blue eye and neutral everything else-- this is a wonderful and flattering look for us browneyed girls. I'll do my best to get an official breakdown of this makeup and share it here, not to mention that I'm getting all my blue eye makeup out and starting to experiment this afternoon.

Photos: Marie Claire.

Oscars 2013 - Live Blogging The Red Carpet

Oscars 2013 - Live Blogging The Red Carpet

I don't know what to call the color of Jessica Chastain's Armani Prive dress, but it's almost as beautiful as Jessica herself, and just about as perfect as her hair and makeup.






In comparison, Amy Adams who is usually radiant and lovely, looks washed out. Is it Oscar de la Renta's fault? I'm not sure. But Amy deserves to look much more glamorous.







I'm bored with Resse Witherspoon's LV dress, but it's all about her hair, anyway (the makeup is also beautiful).


That's not the case with Amanda Seyfried who's dress is glorious, her makeup stunning, but whoever did her hair seems to have forgotten the hairspray. Messy is not a good Oscar look.



Catherine Zeta-Jones is wearing the Oscar statue, and her face is equally expressive.

No commentary is needed for the face of Dior, Jennifer Lawrence:










A sure sign a dress is all wrong: when my husband takes one look and says "Oy". That's Anne Hathaway's Prada dress tonight (the necklace is also a mistake. I wish she had chosen bigger earrings instead).







Some dresses had very interesting tops. Kerry Washington and Zoe Saldana had massive embelishments on their bodices, while Naomi Watts had my full attention with her asymmetric silver dress.



I love Sally Field in red, but do wish she had a belt or at least some kind of embellishment on.



Jennifer Aniston is not wearing black. Do we care?


I'm probably the only person in the world (other than Jane Fonda, obviously) who likes this shade of yellow.



Another controversial look is Nicole Kidman's. Let's face it: she's at her best when she looks a little bit scary.


Speaking of scary, Salma Hayek is ready to take over Narnia (she's fabulous, though).



I can't believe I'm saying this: Stacy Keibler looks better than George Clooney.



I don't know if Jennifer Garner will be able to sit in her Gucci dress, but I guess it doesn't matter when you look that good. The color is stunning and original.





Poor Kristen Stewart had a horrible week. Between the Razzies, the UK poll that declared her the least sexy actress in the known universe. Then came her "unexplained injury" that had her hobbling onto the red carpet on crutches, where she fought bravely to keep her balance and smile for the photographers. Her Reem Acra dress is very pretty, and considering the leg or foot situation I can't blame her for not accessorizing and keeping the distractions to a minimum. But a better hairstyle might have helped her greatly.

Photos: Just Jared and Faded Youth Blog.

Who Wore What At The 2013 Grammys?

Who Wore What At The 2013 Grammys?

Adele wore a tea cozy by Valentino.





Kat Dennings wore a beautiful Vivienne Westwood dress with Marion Cotillard's face.




Taylor Swift wore a(nother) white dress. This one's by J. Mendel.



J.Lo wore her usual lack of her shame.




Kaley Cuoco fired her Emmys stylist and found common sense.







Solange Knowles, Katy Perry and Florence Welch wore green. Only Solange seemed to have fun doing it.



Alexa Chung wore an inexplicable summery sundress (Valentino).



Beyonce wore a jumpsuit (Osman Studios) that looked better than 90% of the gowns she's ever donned for red carpet events.



Karlie Kloss wore her Michael Kors dress and supermodel status as wonderfully as ever.



Carly Rae Jepsen wore a stiff undergarment and lots of silver eyeliner.







Alicia Keys wore an LBD that showed quite a bit of underboob while on stage (not the Azzedine Alaia gown she had on the red carpet).


Faith Hill wore braces that were almost as stiff as Nicole Kidman's face.



Justin Timberlake shaved.



John Mayer wore his massive ego.



And since neither Clooney nor Jon Hamm were in attendance, we'll have to do with Adam Levine (in a Lanvin suit).

Photos: Just Jared, Faded Youth Blog, Zimbio.