A Study in Seafoam

The Girl Cave is almost completed! It seems like this project has taken months to complete - no wait, it HAS taken months to complete. With the end nearly in sight, and the makeup portion of the room pretty much set-up, I thought I might share a quick picture (though if you follow me on twitter you've seen it already).

I'm a sucker for teal/aqua/seafoam shades, both in makeup and otherwise. Inspired by the room color, I tried to find something similar in my nail polish stash, and the closest I could come was Orly's Ancient Jade. It leans a little too green compared to the wall color (which actually looks bluer than it is in these pictures), but it captured the mood and was perfectly appropriate for the awesome Summer weather we had this weekend.

I'd like to eventually do a storage video, but I can't decide whether to wait until the rest of the room is done as well. Any preferences?

Laura Mercier Caviar Stick Eye Color - "Belle Nouveau" Turquoise

I was browsing the beauty counters at Holt Renfrew recently, and came across the little Laura Mercier counter, hidden off to the side. (Is it just me, or does the Montreal Holt's feel poky and cramped compared to Toronto's?)

The extremely lovely Celia - the Laura Mercier SA - saw my initial fascination with the Caviar Stick Eye Colors, and wasted no time in showing me their wondrous qualities. Needless to say, I walked out with one from the limited Summer collection, and only escaped getting (many) more things due to a waiting friend.

I don't recall seeing the "Belle Nouveau" Summer collection Caviar Sticks at my local Sephora, though the regular shades are available on Sephora.com (and quite possibly I had Brand Blindness when I did browse, since Laura Mercier is not a brand I generally gravitate to). If you do spot them, I highly recommend giving the Caviar Stick in Turquoise a quick swatch. Your mind will be blown.

If you're thinking this bears a striking resemblance to the MAC Shadesticks, you are quite correct. It is, however, a MILLION time better. (Slight exaggeration for dramatic effect.)

You know how the Shadesticks tug at your eye, have inconsistent payoff and generally feel harder than something that's supposed to be smooshed all over your delicate eyelid should feel?

Yeah, none of that with the Caviar Stick. It goes on like butter. Or silk. Silky butter? Meh. Smooth and easy and wonderful, is what I'm trying to get at here. The color just glides right on, and is immediately opaque. There is also no 'peel-back' when you go over the same spot a second or third time.

This does have a longer set-time, so it can be worked - blended, buffed, spackled - for a good five minutes or so. For that time period, it is smudgable, but once set, it takes a dual-phase eye makeup remover to get it off. (Bi-Facil is my weapon of choice.) This lasted an entire day with no problems.

Indirect natural light.

Artificial light.

Direct sunlight.

How gorgeous and summery is that color? An deep, teal/turquoise. It makes me want to go swimming.

Celia assured me that this can also be used in the waterline, though I have no tried that yet. She also demonstrated that the pigment can be picked up with a fine liner brush for a more precise and narrow application. This way it can be used as both an eyeliner and an eyeshadow (or eyeshadow base), despite the chubbiness of the stick.

Availability: Currently at Holt Renfrew and Nordstrom. The regular Caviar Sticks are available at Sephora.com. Price is 30$ CAD.

Pros: Incredible color, especially for summer. Very creamy texture, easy to work with while it sets. Once set, crease-resistant and long-wearing.

Cons: Can be a bit of a pain to take off.

(I purchased this item at Holt Renfrew.)

Dior Diorskin Nude Tan Healthy Glow Enhancing Powder - Sunlight

With an epically long product name, the Diorskin Nude Tan Healthy Glow Enhancing Powder in Sunlight has a lot of promises to live up to. Nude? Yes. Tan? Yes. Healthy Glow? You betcha.

But first, the packaging.

As usual with Dior, you can count on some pretty swanky exterior features. The details for this are just gorgeous - the usual velvet pouch has an extra flap, and the Cannage pattern on the silver compact adds an elegant touch. The whole thing is deliciously weighty, and you can't wait to it take out of your purse for public touch-ups.

It also comes with a mini kabuki, which is actually soft and very functional. It's not a replacement for a full-size brush, but works perfectly for lunch-hour touch-ups.

The Nude Tan comes in two shades - Sunset, which is darker and more golden-warm, and Sunlight, which is lighter and has a rosy-peach undertone. I looked at both, but judged the Sunset too warm for my liking, and liked the notion of a bronzer that could double as a blush.

Yeah. I have no words for how pretty this is. It actually makes me feel more cheerful to look at it, as if the promise of Summer has somehow been pressed into a little pan form.

It's not super obvious in the pictures above, but there is a really fine sparkle dusted throughout. It doesn't read at all on the skin however.

Indirect natural light.
Left to right: the two 'base' shades (darker, then lighter), the two 'raised letter' shades.

Direct sunlight.

The compact is broken up into two base shades, and two shades that form the raised lettering. The base shades would best be described as a light, slightly rosy tan and a light, golden-beige tan. The raised portions would be a light peachy-pink and a neutral tan.

The overall effect is warm-toned without being too gold or orange, and strikes me as the kind of shade that would be flattering on both cooler and warmer complexions.

Light blended swatch, indirect natural light.

Applied with the mini kabuki, indirect natural light.

If you're looking for a contour palette or a deep bronzer, this is definitely not the right product for you. However, if you want something that will make your skin look sun-kissed, radiant, faintly blushed, then this is EXACTLY the item you need.

The powder itself is incredibly soft and finely-milled, applying super-smoothly to the skin. I was able to build up layers to an impressive degree without ever seeing perceptible powder on my skin.

This is a truly beautiful item that feels like pure luxury to use. With the particular mix of rose and tan tones, and the superfine sheen, it gives the kind of subtle, polished look that really should take more time and product to achieve.

This wore well throughout the day for me on foundation-prepped skin, but because of the refined texture, it won't be a problem to reapply during the day if you find you need (or want) to.

Availability: This can still be found at certain Pharmaprix/SDM locations, as well as at Sephora.com and Nordstrom.com. Certain Bay locations may still have it, but online only the Sunset is left. Price is 56$ CAD (which includes the mini kabuki).


Pros: Stunning packaging, luxurious feeling, incredible texture. The luminous finish and mix of tones makes for a subtle, 3-in-1 look.

Cons: None, though it is best suited for lighter complexions, unless used as a discreet highlighter on deeper skin tones.
(I purchased this item at Pharmaprix/SDM.)