Getting Cheeky's Top Five: Base Products

Every month I look forward to coming up with a selection of products I'd like to feature in the newest installment of Getting Cheeky's Top Five. Though I often struggle to narrow my favorites down to just five, I feel this series gives you a good idea of my taste where very specific categories are concerned. If you'd like to take a look at my favorites from the beginning and learn a bit more about what products I can't be without, feel free to take a peek at my favorite blushers, eye shadows, lipsticks, lip glosses or highlighters here.

I must admit that up to this point it's been quite easy to come up with selections to feature. But now that the big ticket items like blush and eyeshadow have been addressed, I'm struggling to think of sets of five! Though base products are considerably less exciting than some of the other collections I've written about, I cannot deny their importance. As far as I'm concerned no single kind of cosmetic is more important. Without a well executed base the cat eyes, pink cheeks or bright red lips I so love to wear just wouldn't look right!

MAC Nubile Paint Pot

MAC's Paint Pots are not something I talk about frequently on Getting Cheeky which is ironic as they are the single product form MAC that I use the most. Urban Decay's Primer Potion and Too Faced's Shadow Insurance have never worked for me as I do not have oily lids. However popular these products may be they tend to make my shadow feel sticky. Paint Pots, on the other hand, are perfect for my skin type and coloring as they even out the complexion of my eyelid while providing the perfect base for shadows. I have long since used up Painterly and am in the process of doing the same with Nubile (which was released with a limited edition collection) before I repurchase.

YSL Le Touche Éclat 01 Luminous Radiance

Le Touche Éclat is unquestionably a cult product that also made an appearance in my post about my top five highlighters! Though I love to use this around my brows to add definition and on my cheekbones every now and then, I most frequently use 01 Luminous Radiance when I just haven't gotten enough sleep. I apply this over the most blue areas of my under eyes after my normal concealer routine to add light reflection to the mix. I find that it gives the optical illusion of wide awake eyes ... even if I don't feel as perky as I look!

Le Métier de Beauté Classic Flawless Finish Concealer Shade 1

 I have yet to meet a Le Métier product that has disappointed me, and their Classic Flawless Finish Concealer is no exception. I purchased this on a whim at the counter last fall and have fallen head over heels in love. Intensely pigmented without feeling dry or creasing hours after application, I refer to this as the "big guns." There is quite literally nothing this concealer cannot cover which makes it a dark circle sufferer's best friend.

Bourjois Healthy Mix Concealer 51 Éclat Clair

I absolutely adore the Healthy Mix range by Bourjois. Both the original and serum formulations of the foundation are incredible (I used both to the very last pump), and the concealer is out of this world. I would agree with what I've read on other blogs: the Healthy Mix concealer is among the most hydrating I own. Both on the under eye area and on various spots of redness on my face, this Bourjois gem blends in and hides whatever is thrown in its path. My only quibble? It's not available in the States meaning that I often have to search high and low online before I finally have another tube in my clutches. 

Giorgio Armani Maestro Fusion Makeup 3.0 (Original Review Here) 

What can I say about my favorite foundation that hasn't already been said on Getting Cheeky? As far as I'm concerned Giorgio Armani changes the game where cosmetic textures are concerned. From smooth as suede creme blushes to lipsticks that feel light as air on the lips, this brand consistently pushes the envelope and does it successfully. After using this foundation for six months I tried to switch ... and failed. I am a convert for life.

What are your top five base products?

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Like the Waters off a Tropical Shore: Chanel Le Vernis 657 Azuré

As I mentioned in my review of a polish that I now simply refer to as "my precious" (Chanel 583 Taboo, here), there is no other polish brand that gets me quite as excited as Chanel. Spawning full fledged color trends and countless drugstore imitations, I anticipate each and every collection and find myself without fail walking away with at least one per release. The Summer 2013 collection is certainly no different, and though I still feel called to 667 Bel-Argus, the shade that most captured my attention (and the attention of polish lovers everywhere) was 657 Azuré.

Just as Taboo quite literally looks like the night sky with all its mysteries contained within one bottle, Azuré emulates the pristine and shimmering turquoise waters of a tropical beach. Courting the light, this versatile and incredibly shiny shimmer polish verges on metallic and begs to be worn on hot summer nights.

Chanel's infamous "invisible glitter/shimmer" (that shows up in the bottle but not on the nail) is not a problem in Azuré. Silver, turquoise and indigo shimmer appear suspended as if by magic to create an incredibly unique metallic blue that is nearly reflective. Far more runny than Taboo, Azuré approaches opacity in one coat but reaches its full shimmery potential at two. I do not have a problem with the wear time of Chanel polishes, but as always I would recommend that you pair this polish with your favorite base and top coat to be certain it lasts as long as possible.

Once Azuré has dried on the nails in normal lighting conditions, the shade appears exactly as it does in the bottle (a huge plus in my book as that is often my only disappointment where Chanel's vernis are concerned). However, in low light or when viewed at an angle a magical indigo cast appears.

I'm head over heels for this perfect summer shade and cannot wait to pair 657 Azuré with warm nights and long days at the beach, though any day is a good day for a Chanel polish! Azuré seems to be the most popular of the Summer 2013 collection, so be sure to snap this shade up quickly if it tickles your fancy as Azuré, Bel-Argus and Lilis are limited edition.

Have you tried Chanel's Azuré? Which shade from the summer collection was your favorite?

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Cheeky Checklist: May 2013

My very first post on this blog was January's Cheeky Checklist (a post that now makes the improvement in my photography and blogging skills evident), my version of a monthly favorites list that I post closer to the middle of the month to avoid the deluge of favorites that occur at the end of one month and the beginning of the next.

I'm not sure whether it's the seasonal blooms or the fact that this time of year signals the anniversary of the release of my favorite MAC collection to date (Spring Color Forecast 2010), but spring sees me reaching for my MAC Blush Ombrés time and time again. My cheeks are on near constant rotation from Azalea Blossom, to Ripe Peach, to Vintage Grape. If only MAC would make these permanent (and expand the color range?!) as they're some of the best blushers I own. The added perk? The ombré makes the color of each customizable time and time again. 

Spring has sprung and I simply cannot get enough of bright lips. Simple makeup, subtle cheeks, perhaps a classic Cheeky cat eye and a bright lip is all I need to zip out the door these days. Though I certainly have a wide range of shades to choose from, I've turned to Burberry No 19 Mallow Pink, YSL 12 Corial Incandescent and NARS Luxembourg most frequently both this month and last.

Some people may associate weather patterns with the change in season, but rather than precipitation and foliage I've come to anticipate a change in the Diptyque candle I elect to burn. Fall is the harbinger of Feu de Bois, winter of a limited edition Christmas scent, and spring could never be anything other than Baies. This famed pairing of rose and blackcurrant manages to be sweet and herbal at the same time, making it popular with my husband as well.

Perfume samples have been on my checklist for at least six months now, but those I'm featuring this month were especially procured from famed brand Le Labo that has a simply brilliant sampling system all of their own. Individual 1.5 mL vials are available for purchase on their website for  USD $6.00, and they also feature an excellent deal of three 5 mL glass vial for USD $58. I'm only beginning to explore the brand, but I'm already smitten with Santal 33.

And, of course (because I can't resist the opportunity to plug a blog sale) I've posted yet another carefully considered collection of items on my blog sale tab above. I'm enjoying the more streamlined feng shui of my makeup collection, hence the somewhat elaborate clear out. I hope the gently used items go to better homes! Please click the photograph below to visit the page and browse.

What items made your must have list this month?

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Happy Mother's Day from Getting Cheeky!

Happy Mother's Day to all the wonderful mommies, moms and mothers out there! A special Happy Mother's Day (of course) to my incredible mother, grandmother and aunt and my lovely mother-in-law and grandmother-in law! 

At my bridal shower, 2011: almost all the important women in my life in one photograph!

Enjoy the beautiful May day and make sure to pamper yourselves!

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The Jo Loves Series No 1: Pomelo

*This post contains PR samples.

 Nearly a month ago now I was contacted by Jo Loves, Jo Malone's new fragrance brand launched in the autumn of 2011. Unable to contain her love of creating beautiful scent stories, Jo Malone is back and better than ever as far as I'm concerned (Jo Malone sold her original line to Estée Lauder in 1999, and remained Creative Director until 2006). Though I find that the understated elegance that typifies the original Jo Malone brand is still present in these fragrances, there is something a bit more raw and undressed about these scents. From the bottle design that I read as a bit more edgy to the straightforward, yet unexpectedly complex perfumes one is left with little doubt that such a nose as Jo Malone's is behind the new releases.

Jo Loves sent me a selection of samples, and though I'd initially intended to review only one I was inspired by each and every one of them. Somehow all of these perfumes spoke to me even though I cannot necessarily picture myself wearing all of them. Once a week, I will be posting a feature about one Jo Loves perfume. I've chosen to start with Pomelo, a fragrance that showcases Jo Malone's creativity and thirst for fragrance innovation. It serves as an excellent introduction to the ethos of the brand.

Jo Loves Pomelo opens with a mixture of pomelo and rose, though I detect more of a peppery note that for me is relatively unexpected in such a fragrance. The pomelo remains at the forefront of one's impression of this scent as it dries down, though clove and vetiver marry with the citrus as it wears against the skin. Many fragrances I own dry down into a warm musk after hours and hours of wear, but on me Pomelo retains its brightness a quality that makes this the perfect hot weather perfume.

Of her creation, Jo Malone says the following: "Pomelo is clean and crisp; it’s my best friend made up of memories and moments. It’s that feeling of fresh linen sheets or a glass of bubbling fizzy water with a slice of lime and lots of crushed ice. I spray Pomelo onto my skin a couple of times when I go into the office, when I’m out and about and again before lunch or cocktails. Like me, Pomelo has a masculine side to it, it’s confident and sharp." Pomelo is indeed somewhat masculine, which is perhaps what I gravitate to this citrus perfume. My favorite notes are heavy (incense, musk, amber) so citrus scents, while lovely, are often not my first picks. The peppery warmth of the pomelo coupled with the vetiver allows this fragrance to warm up in such away that it fulfills my need for sensual notes.

A blurry shot (that I choose to think of as mysterious) of my uncle's yard, also known as "my happy place."

What I love about Pomelo is its honesty. Where other citrus fragrances masquerade as a true to life citrus, softened by sugar sweet notes that often make the perfumes too much for me, Pomelo opens on a peppery note. I am blessed to have an uncle with citrus tree in his (beautiful) yard, and the opening notes of Jo Loves Pomelo take me back to my favorite place on his property. Citrus rarely ever "just" smells like citrus, and Jo Malone has hit the nail on the head with her rendition. Though pomelo fruits are native to southeast Asia, this citrus note takes me to southern Arizona. Pomelo is a vacation in a bottle for me, a set of memories associated with family members that live far away.

 

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*This post contains items that were provided by PR for consideration. The ideas and opinions expressed are my own. Do not hesitate to reference my policies in the event that you have any questions.