Charlotte Tilbury has some amazing launches which I have been really excited about including the Airbrush Bronzer and the Magic Lip Oil Crystal Elixir which I am loving in my everyday routine for makeup and lip care. Apart from the new launches, I am loving an eye shadow palette from the brand which has beautiful warm tones and lipstick perfect for the summers. And one more thing before I go ahead with the details and my thoughts about the new launches – I noticed I have not shared about my favourite foundation and concealer from the brand which I have used for so long now – I did share many times on my Instagram though.
Airbrush Bronzer is a new matte bronzer that has a fine as air and smooth-as-silk formula to give a glowing, sun-kissed, beautiful bronzed complexion. The bronzer is easy to apply and blends nicely into the skin. It does not look flat, ashy, or orangey on the skin. The formula is Hyaluronic Acid infused, which means it moisturizes the skin while still looking matte. Apart from providing the smoothing and bronze effect on the skin, I do feel it blurs out my problem areas and does not emphasize them. For my medium skin tone with tan undertones, shade ‘Tan’ is perfect for me. It gives a beautiful natural golden glow and warmth to my skin – or I may say perfect sun-kissed look. In regards to the packaging, the compact is fairly big if compared to the Airbrush powder from Charlotte Tilbury. The compact also comes with a mirror. Airbrush Bronzer definitely is another must-have from Charlotte, I highly recommend.
Magic Lip Oil Crystal Elixir is a new crystal-infused lip oil which hydrates, smooths, and enhances the lips. I have been using this day and night – as a lip balm as well as a topper on a lipstick, it is so good. It is very nourishing and caring for the lips, hydrates and smooths them while keeping the lips look glossy and supple. The application of this lip oil with the crystal rollerball is my favourite part – the crystal roller ball feels so cold and refreshing on the lips. The lip oil melts instantly onto the lips and improves the appearance of lips while providing the nourishment. It is not sticky or greasy or feels heavy on the lips but is very comfortable. It is definitely a new staple for me – and not to forget, I do like the cute little tube with the crystal rollerball applicator – very practical.
Luxury Palette in ‘Queen of Glow’ is an eyeshadow palette with sunset gold and glowing copper shades. It features four divine, sun-cascading shades of warm-bronze, gold, champagne, and copper. The formula is finely milled and pigmented, blends in easily without looking harsh or shedding. This palette is perfect to create a sun-kissed, radiant-looking look – not just for a poolside event but also for an occasion – I can already see myself wearing this in the next family or friends event with my Indian outfits.
Luxury Palette in ‘The Glamour Muse’ is another palette I have shared with you on my Instagram but swatching it here. The palette has wisteria-grey, silver, and violet shades. I see the palette is discontinued on the official website.
There is a new lipstick which I am loving and I think is perfect for summer called Matte Revolution Sexy Sienna. It is a golden coral matte lipstick that brightens up the look without being overpowering. I have loved this formula in the past and do have few lipsticks on rotation. The lipstick formula is not drying despite being matte, keeps the lips hydrated and comfortable. The formula is buildable and long-lasting while giving the perfect soft matte finish.
I know there is already a new foundation from Charlotte Tilbury, I have not tried it yet but I want to share about the one I have loved so much since I started using it last year. Magic Foundation is a demi-matte, medium to full buildable coverage, a long-lasting foundation that not only looks natural and beautiful on my skin but also makes my complexion look supple. It is hydrating and feels very comfortable on the skin without irritating my skin. It does not feel heavy or cakey once applied. I love how natural and radiant my skin looks when I apply this foundation. The creamy formula blends nicely without looking like a mask. For my combination skin, I do apply airbrush powder on the t-zone with a soft hand. I would say it that I am able to get through the whole day without touch up, just to mention that I am okay with a little extra glow by the end of the day when the natural oils of my skin mix with the formula. I use shade 8 in Magic Foundation which is for medium skin with yellow undertones.
Magic Away Concealer is another staple in my makeup that I love so much. It is a full-coverage liquid concealer that works to improve the look of dark circles, blemishes, and imperfections. The skin looks natural and fresh. I use it under my eye area and a little on the center of my forehead to make them look fresh, alive, and radiant. The formula is very lightweight, blends quickly, and does not look cakey. I use shade 7 which is a golden sand shade for medium skin with neutral and warm undertones.
Overall, I love the new Airbrush Bronzer and the Magic Lip Oil Crystal Elixir while for the rest of the products I mentioned about in this post, I have been using them for a while now and are staples. Charlotte Tilbury Products are available at Sephora, Charlotte Tilbury Canada, Charlotte Tilbury US, and Holt Renfrew.
*Press samplesGuerlain has two new additions to its ‘Fresh Fragrance Collection’ which has all the scents created on the theme of ‘Joyful By Nature’. Aqua Allegoria is a continuously renewed collection that pays homage to the wonders of nature and beautiful raw materials. The fragrances in the collection are delicate and cheerful, represent the happy and joyous moments. This summer, two new scents join the collection which depicts the same joyous and happy nature as the rest of the scents in the collection. Each scent brings back to life one of the most beautiful gardens in the world, with creativity and a dreamy, long-lasting freshness plucked from those gardens. The two new scents launched this summer are Aqua Allegoria Orange Soleia and Granada Salvia. The nose behind the fragrance is the master perfumer of the house, Thierry Wasser.
Aqua Allegoria Orange Soleia is a lemony citrus scent that evokes the delectable blood orange and the citrus groves of Sicily. It embodies the spirit of blood orange enhanced by the energizing freshness of bergamot and woody notes. The inspiration behind is the endless citrus groves of the Calabrian (South West Italy) summer. Under the Sicilian sun, picking a beautiful juicy orange and enjoying it in the shade of a tree, cooled by a refreshing breeze. Similarly, the playful and tangy effervescence of a blood orange is enhanced by the fresh and energizing coolness of mint.
I can totally see myself enjoying the Calabrian sun while enjoying the juicy orange under the shade of a tree while a refreshing breeze cools me off. The scent really evokes the joyous moment of me enjoying the fresh, delightful, and beautiful summer. The composition is based on noted of red-orange, peppermint, tonka bean, pink pepper, and bergamot. The fragrance is very pleasing, very realistic and juicy. Orange with mint and peppery note which is very subtly spicy – I am really enjoying the scent. The scent stays close to the skin for me and longevity is pretty good. I love this composition and it Is a happy scent for sure.
Aqua Allegoria Granada Salvia is a fruity citrus scent that represents a stroll through the warm gardens of Andalusia(Spain) while enjoying a crisp pomegranate. The pomegranate fruit essence is enhanced by the notes of sage (‘Salvia’ in Italian). ‘A delicious pomegranate accord made up of aqueous, green, and tart berry accents carried by fresh blackcurrant, cypress, lemon, and bergamot notes elegantly imbued with a twist of sage and rose over a white musk, moss, and patchouli background.’ The scent is a nice balance between being powdery and sweet. It is a little sweet as well a little musky.
Both the bottles of the Orange Soleia and Granada Salvia are adorned with golden mesh celebrate the iconic bee bottle. I am really enjoying these two new additions to the Aqua Allegoria range this summer 2020. Guerlain Beauty Products and Home Fragrances are available at Guerlain Boutiques, Hudson’s Bay, Shoppers Drug Mart, Saks Fifth Avenue, Sephora, and Holt Renfrew.
*Press samplesTalika is a french brand that has been around since 1948. There is a very interesting story behind how the brand came into existence which I would like to share, courtesy of the official website. During the second world war, there were shortages affecting the pharmaceutical industry. To treat the victims suffering from burns to the eyes, a nurse at Ophthalmic department of the Hospitals of Paris, Danielle Roches, formulated a balm based on healing plants. The formulation, apart from healing the burns, also dramatically stimulated the growth of eyelashes and eyebrows. So, in 1948, Danielle Roches marketed her first skincare product to encourage the growth of the eyelashes, called Eyelash Conditioning Cream. So that is how the journey of Talika began. Later, the brand was inherited by Alexis de Brosses in 1994. Alexis de Brosses has taken Talike further ahead on the path of innovation with some amazing additions to the product range including the first gel to stimulate eyelash growth called Lipocils.
Per Alexis de Brosses, ‘A woman’s beauty may not only be observed through her physiology, or dermatology, but also through her soul and spirit. An all-embracing approach was therefore imposed on me: combining the best of traditional cosmetics and medicine, with the traditional therapies of the ancients. In my opinion, the bringing together of biotechnology, ayurveda, herbal medicine, NASA’s discoveries, and the shamans’ secrets is the most obvious way to make both women’s and men’s eyes shine.’
I have been using products from Talika for the last few weeks and finally sharing my thoughts on how they are working for me. The products I have been using are Talika Paris Face Moisturizing Micellar Solution Skintelligence, Regenerating Serum, Moisturizing Gentle Scrub, Lash Conditioning Cleanser, Eye Decompress, Vegetal Gold Mask, and Bubble Mask Bio Detox.
Talika developed the concept of Skintelligence, which is basically a range of skincare products that are developed with the latest in scientific research focusing on the relationship between the probiotics and healthy microbiome (the genetic material). We know that skin is intelligent enough to adapt to the constant variations in the external factors as well as various variations it faces – which overall is the joint effort of skin cells, the nervous system, and the good microbiome bacteria.
Face Moisturizing Micellar Solution Skintelligence, enriched with probiotics, is a very gentle micellar solution that removes makeup as well as balances the skin. It does not feel greasy and the skin feels fresh afterwards. It works well on the face as well as eyes, does not irritate my sensitive eye area. It moisturizes, soothes, and freshens the skin. I simply soak a cotton pad and apply it on my face including eyes, lips, and neck.
Regenerating Serum, enriched with probiotics, is a serum that provides benefits of anti-ageing and anti-pollution while strengthening the skin to cope with external aggressors. The serum is gentle enough for my problem skin and has been working nicely to brighten, moisturize, and keeping my skin smooth and supple.
Vegetal Gold Mask, is literally a gold mask, with a smooth velvety divine texture and gold colour of the formulation. The mask leaves the skin soft, smooth, and visibly bright. I am very much in love with this mask, it just takes 10 minutes to get that illuminated bright smooth complexion. It has become a favourite since I started using it.
Moisturizing Gentle Scrub is not the traditional physical scrub with beads, but as opposed to it, it has a creamy smooth texture that becomes clay powder to bind the dead cells and remove them. The process is very gentle with effective exfoliation. It does not even feel like exfoliating, but the powder-like texture of the scrub, once applied on the skin, is very unique. I apply it on the dry skin, leave on for 2 minutes and then massage gently in a circular motion. The skin looks very fresh, clean, and radiant after removing it. I love using this scrub before I use a mask, I feel the mask works more effectively this way when the skin is clean.
Lash Conditioning Cleanser is a very refreshing, lightweight, non-greasy makeup remover and treatment. It gently removes the makeup around eyes including mascara, eye shadow, eyeliner, eyebrow pencil, and even the waterproof mascara. The cornflower water in it is very soothing to the eye area. The silk proteins help protect and strengthen the eyelashes and eyebrows. I squirt one or two pumps on a cotton pad and slide on my eye area a few times until all makeup is removed. It does not irritate my eye area and the eyes feel do clean, fresh, and alive.
Eye Decompress is another innovative product from the brand I have been really enjoying. The application and the whole concept of the product is very unique. It is inspired by the Asian relaxation ritual combining a compressed mask to soothe and reduce dark circles and puffiness around the eyes. It is very soothing to the eyes. It makes my eye area look so relaxed and smoother, I do not look tired even after a long day or long night. There is a 10-minute relaxation podcast here that works like a charm to relax and refocus the mind while applying the eye mask.
Bubble Mask Bio Detox, inspired by Korean detox methods, is an oxygenating mask with pollution-fighting effects. I have used this mask in the past also and love it. The foaming mask with thousands of microbubbles is very unique from other sheet masks I have used. When it comes into contact with the skin, Bubble Mask Bio-Detox’s charcoal fabric foams with hundreds and thousands of oxygen microbubbles. A fine, dense white foam forms, enveloping the face in a veritable ‘oxygen mask’. I keep it on for 10 minutes. The skin feels so soothed, hydrated, and detoxed while the face looks cleaner, brighter, and fresh.
Overall, a really amazing brand and products which I am really enjoying using. I like the philosophy behind the range and the products – they are both gentle and effective. Talika Paris products are available online at Talika.com and can also be found at physical locations near you here.
*Press samples