Makeupwithmona

Nordstrom is having their seasonal Beauty Trend Events! This Spring it's focused on Luminous skin and Hi-Definition lips. At the event, guests can learn how to achieve the freshest runway-inspired looks of the season and get free samples and exclusive gifts with your purchases (while supplies last). Receive one-on-one time with Nordstrom beauty experts, tips tricks to nail the newest trends and receive beauty buzz intel from industry insiders — and it’s free to attend!  

In honor of the Nordstrom Beauty event, I wanted to share my picks for the Spring Beauty Edit 2018. I will be honest with you I can't keep up with all the latest trends, but for spring and summer, I think a fresh, dewy base and a bright glossy lips are a match made in heaven. I must warn you I got way too excited and I ended up picking out a lot of products. I think it's good to have options, and since I'm focusing on skin and lips I'm including foundations, blush, bronzers, and a lot of pretty lipsticks. 
So, let's begin! 

First up are the base products I always start with prepping my skin with a hydrating serum and a moisturizer with an SPF 30 followed by a primer. The one I'm loving right now is the Makeup forever HD Serum Booster, its lightweight, hydrating, and it smooths out the appearance of fine lines.
Here are my top three foundation picks:

Laura Mercier Translucent Loose Setting Powder $38 has been a staple in my makeup routine for many years. I like to set my concealer with this powder, and I also like to lightly dust this on my t-zone. In order to obtain a luminous glow, I have to be very light hand with the application so, I use as little powder as possible. If you have very oily t-zone, I would recommend the Lancome Dual Finish Multi-Tasking Powder $40 it has a wide shade range to choose from, and it's a medium to full coverage finish powder that does a great job at keeping the oil at bay.  

• Tom Ford Sheer Lip Color $54- a lustrous sheen of color that complements sun-kissed, summer skin.  I have four Lip Color Sheers, and I really like the texture of these lipsticks it has a comfortable wear that provides a layer of hydration to the lips.
• Chantecaille Lip Chic* $38- Hyacinth is a pinkish coral shade with a satin finish. I absolutely love the lip chic formula it has a sheer coverage with a very pretty glossy finish. I recently reviewed the Chantecaille spring collection here which includes this lipstick.
• Nars Velvet Lip Glide $26- Bound is a lovely rosy pink shade. These lip glides are highly pigmented, it goes on like a gloss, but sets like a lipstick. I also have a full review of the Nars Velvet Lip Glides here. 
• Giorgio Armani Lip Magnet Liquid Lipsticks* $38- I have two shades 400 and 505 both are very pretty and fun bright colors. The creamy consistency glides on the lips smoothly, it has a non-drying formula, and it lasts for 3-4 hours before it starts to fade. I love the shade 400 it is a bright warm red, and I think it will suit most skin tones. 
• YSL Volupté Liquid Balm $32- I'm a huge fan of YSL lip products so I had to try their newest launch, Volupte liquid Balm. A medium-coverage, high-shine liquid lip color that deeply moisturizes and protects lips like a balm. I picked up the shade in N12 Chase Me Nude it's a peachy nude. The formula is superb, and although, it's a lip balm it's still nicely saturated. 
• Lancome L'Absolu Rouge Hydrating Shaping Lip Color $32- 172 Impatiente, a stunning orange-red. The formula is infused with moisture-boosting Pro-Bylane, it gives your lips a high color payoff without drying out your lips. I love using this lipstick during spring/summer it really brightens up my complexion, and the formula is quite hydrating which is always a plus. 
• Hourglass Confession Ultra Slim High-Intensity Refillable Lipstick $34- by now you can see a pattern of glossy, satin finish lipsticks. Well, this one fits right in with the rest of the lipsticks. This is a long-wearing, highly saturated lipstick with a satin finish. I accumulated a few shades of the Confession Ultra Slim lipsticks, but my favorite is I've Never_ which is a nude rose. I really like this shade of nude it's perfect for medium to tan skin tone, and it won't give you that washed out look. 
• Chanel Rouge Coco Shine $37- this is probably my most used Chanel lipstick. I always keep this in my makeup bag for a quick touch up. Etourdie is a shimmering rosy pink shade with a sheer coverage that provides long-lasting hydration with a water-light texture. It glides on the lips easily, and it has a very pretty glossy finish. 
• Urban Decay Hi-Fi Shine Ultra Cushion Lipgloss* $20- this was launched recently, and I've reviewed all the shades here. Urban Decay did a great job with the shade range my favorites are Backtalk and Snitch. It's formulated with vitamin E and peppermint oil, a hydrating formula that leaves lips feeling nourished with an immediate plumping effect and it has a yummy vanilla-mint flavor. 
• Clarins Instant Light Lip Comfort Oil* $26- I wouldn't put this in the lipstick category since it's more of a clear oil/gloss that keeps your lips hydrated throughout the day. I like to use this lip oil as a lipstick topper especially with a matte lipstick cause it provides a glossy, plumping effect to the lips. 

This concludes my Spring Beauty Edit. I hope you enjoyed my picks and don't forget to check out the Nordstrom stores and event dates. You can simply RSVP online or ask for special accommodations by calling or stopping by your favorite cosmetics or skincare counter, located within Nordstrom. 

All of the products I have mentioned today are available at Nordstrom, so If you're interested in any of these products you can check it out in store. 

Let's connect:

Instagram | Facebook | Bloglovin | Twitter

*Pr samples included. Not sponsored. 

Spring has arrived and so has Chantecaille's new collection. I was able to test out the some of the products from the collection which includes:

• Chantecaille 20 Year Anniversary Eye Palette.
• Luster Glide Silk Infused Eye Liner in Jasper. 
• Lip Chic- Foxglove, Wisteria, Hyacinth. 
• Philanthropy Cheek Color- Bee- Emotion, Butterfly- Bliss, Coral- Laughter, Elephant- Smitten, Horse- Joy, Turtle- Grace.

Every year Chantecaille launches the most beautiful palettes and a percentage of the proceeds goes to reliable organizations. This year Chantecaille celebrates their 20th anniversary and this palette was created in honor of that. The anniversary release celebrates Chantecaille's natural ideal of beauty, and two conservation efforts particularly close to Sylvie's heart, The David Sheldrick Wildlife Trust, and The Lion Guardians. 

Chantecaille 20 Year Anniversary Eye Palette retails for $85.00 for .42 oz. The eyeshadows are housed in a beautiful high gleam gold compact emblazoned with Sylvie's signature. There are two elephant embossed eyeshadows and two lions embossed eyeshadows to symbolize the two foundations.

• Selenkey- Burnt Gold.
• Gawa- muted pink.
• Kamok- almond highlighter.
• Nanu- soft taupe.

The texture of all four shadows is very creamy and soft to the touch and there wasn't a lot fall out from the shadows. At first glance, you'd think the shades would show up very shimmery and opaque but much to my surprise, it's quite the opposite. The shimmer is an overspray which will fade with each use leaving behind a satin finish. The shades are very subtle in color and pigmentation. I love how blendable these shadows are you don't need a lot of work. I like the fact that I can just use one shade and apply some mascara and Im done with my look which is what I do on most days. However, I must admit the lack of a matte transition color is to be noted. I have to use another palette to create some depth in my crease so it's definitely not an all-in-one palette. The shadows are also not very long wearing, it lasted about 5-6 hours before it started fading. 

Kamok and Nanu Eye Shade Ingredients:
Talc, mica, dimethicone, octyldodecyl stearoyl stearate, zea mays (corn) starch, zinc stearate, silica, pentaerythrityl tetraisostearate, potassium sorbate, chlorphenesin, caprylic/capric triglyceride, tin oxide, tetrasodium edta, alaria esculenta extract, acrylates/octylacrylamide copolymer, isostearyl alcohol [+/-: iron oxides (ci77491/ ci77492/ ci77499), titanium dioxide (ci77891), ultramarines (ci 77007), carmine (ci 75470), manganese violet (ci 77742) Ferric ferrocyanide (ci 77510), ferric ammonium ferrocyanide (ci 77510),yellow 5 lake (ci 19140),yellow 6 lake (ci 19140),blue 1 lake (ci 42090), red 6 (ci 15850), red 7 (ci 15850), red 7 lake (ci 15850), red 30 lake ( ci 73360), red 28 lake (ci 45410)]

Gawa and Selenkey Eye Shade Ingredients:
Talc, mica, dimethicone, octyldodecyl stearoyl stearate, zinc stearate, zea mays (corn) starch, silica, pentaerythrityl tetraisostearate, potassium sorbate, chlorphenesin, caprylic/capric triglyceride, tin oxide, tetrasodium edta, alaria esculenta extract, acrylates/octylacrylamide copolymer, isostearyl alcohol [+/-: iron oxides (ci77491/ ci77492/ ci77499), titanium dioxide (ci77891), ultramarines (ci 77007), carmine (ci 75470), manganese violet (ci 77742) Ferric ferrocyanide (ci 77510), ferric ammonium ferrocyanide (ci 77510),yellow 5 lake (ci 19140),yellow 6 lake (ci 19140),blue 1 lake (ci 42090), red 6 (ci 15850), red 7 (ci 15850), red 7 lake (ci 15850), red 30 lake ( ci 73360), red 28 lake (ci 45410)]

There are a total of six philanthropy cheek shades and it retails for $40 for .08 oz. I already own Elephant from a previous release and I truly adore that blush. All six shadows are coming back and they're here to stay! These blushes are embossed with conservation effort it supports, from Monarch butterflies to wild horses. The blushes are cased in an adorable pebble-like mirrored compact. It's formulated with finely milled pigments that contribute to exquisite colors and it has a featherweight texture. The texture is incredible, it's so easy to blend and the shades are perfect for everyday looks. Some might say these aren't highly pigmented but I believe Chantecaille is a brand that aims for a natural, simple yet put together looks. So with that being said, the pigmentation is just enough. You won't have to worry about overdoing it since you can never look overdone with these blushes. The shades range from light pinks to corals and it gives you a beautiful natural, flushed cheeks look.

Ingredients:

Talc, mica, zea mays (corn) starch (zea mays starch), zinc stearate, dimethicone, cetearyl ethylhexanoate, octyldodecyl strearoyl stearate , pentaerythrityl tetraisostearate, ptfe, polyethylene, silica, chlorphenesin, potassium sorbate, dimethiconol, nylon -12, silk powder (serica powder), tetrasodium edta, lauroyl lisine, acrylates/octylacrylamide copolymer, isostearyl alcohol, tin oxide, titanium dioxide (ci 77891), iron oxides (ci 77491, ci 77492, ci 77499), red 7 lake (ci 15850), red 30 lake (ci 73360), ultramarines (ci 77007)

Lip Chic retails for $38 for .07 oz is a revolutionary hybrid that combines the rich, even coverage of a lipstick with the high shine and plumping effect of a gloss. As I've mentioned in the past few posts, recently I've been reaching for more glosses and loving a satin finish lipstick more than a matte finish. So these lipsticks have been on rotate since I've gotten my hands on them. The consistency is ultra soft, creamy, hydrating, doesn't settle into the lines and it's very comfortable on the lips. The finish is not opaque it's a bit sheer but I don't mind it since I always line my lips with a lip liner prior to any lipstick application. It lasted about 3-4 hours before it started fading and it did leave a light stain behind. I think these three shades will look lovely on fair to medium skin tones. 

Ingredients:

Polybutene, diisostearyl malate, hydrogenated polyisobutene, polyethylene, vp/hexadecene copolymer, microcrystalline wax (cera microcristallina), dicalcium phosphate, mica, ethyl vanillin, pentaerythrityl tetra-di-t-butyl hydroxyhydrocinnamate, phospholipids, flavor (aroma), hyaluronic acid, saccarmonyces cerevisiae extract, sodium chondroitin sulfate, tocopherol, tripeptide-29, bht, tin oxide [+/-: iron oxides (ci 77491/ci 77492/ci 77499), titanium dioxide (ci 77891), red 6/red 6 lake/ red 7 lake (ci 15850), red 27/red 27 lake /red 28 lake (ci 45410), red 21 lake / red 22 lake (ci 45380), red 30 lake (ci 73360), red 33 lake (ci 17200), blue 1 lake (ci 42090), yellow 5 lake (ci 19140), yellow 6 lake (ci 15985), yellow 10 lake (ci 47005), manganese violet (ci 77742), bismuth oxychloride (ci 77163)] (limonene, citral)

Final Verdict:

I hope the swatches will give you an idea of the shades and finishes of the products. Let's start with the eyeshadow palette which I always look forward to but this year I wasn't impressed with the longevity and the performance of the shadows. I do like the formula but it's not up to par with some of Chantecaille's previous annual eyeshadow palettes. If you're someone who enjoys a sheer wash of color you'll love this eyeshadow palette. Also, the shades will work great for very fair to light skin tones. On my medium, to tan skin, I find it can be a bit hard to work with and that is why I have to use another palette to give it a bit dimension. I do however LOVE the eyeliner the quality is superb it's honestly one of the best performing eyeliner I've used thus far. The blushes and lipsticks are something worth checking out I know the Bee blush is very popular and it's sold out pretty much everywhere. My top picks are Jasper, Hyacinth, and Grace-Sea Turtle cheek shade.

I recently attended a very intimate Chantecaille event, we got to hear Sylvie speak about the brand. Her passion for the brand and how she gives back to the environment through the brand was very inspiring. I commend Chantecaille for thinking of the animals all while keeping their customers best interest in mind. I truly enjoyed learning so much about Chantecaille it was a remarkable experience.

Let's Connect:
Instagram| Facebook| Pinterest| Bloglovin