Make Up For Ever #35 & #127 Eyeshadows
($19.00) make for really excellent basic shades. The brand really shines with their matte and semi-matte shades, like these two below. I admit, when I first bought their eyeshadows, I went straight for the brights (this is me, duh!), so I’m glad I had the opportunity to check out some of the more neutral shades! They have the same high-quality pigmentation and feel as the brights I’ve reviewed in the past.
- #35 is is a soft, powdery beige. It’s so soft, smooth, and buttery in its texture with great color payoff. It’s so light that it’s difficult to see, which makes it a great neutral shade for adding light to lids or as a highlighter for the brow bone.
- #127 is a cool-toned medium brown with a subtle sheen. I love the way it has this barely-there sheen–it gives you an opportunity to play around with textures while still being subtle.
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- Product: 29/30
- Value: 8/10
- Ease of Use: 4/5
- Packaging: 4/5
Recommendation:
Availability: Sephora
Make Up For Ever #203 Lipstick
The Summer Season: Make Up For Ever #203 Lipstick
Make Up For Ever #203 Lipstick
($19.00 for 0.13 oz.) is an extremely brightened neon hot pink. It has a creamy finish and look, with a slight sheen. It’s nearly opaque, and it applies smoothly and evenly. My favorite part about Make Up For Ever’s lipstick is that it wears incredibly well–I get a good four to five hours of wear–without drying out your lips! They’re scent-free and taste-free, too.
P.S. — It’s amazing as a base under your favorite hot pink gloss.
Is this the right pink lipstick for you? Would you wear it?
The Summer Season is a series of posts featuring bright, vibrant shades of coral, orange, and pink lipsticks and lipglosses — all perfect for a summer of fun — that runs through July 2010.
Make Up For Ever Smooth Talker (13) HD Blush
($25.00) is a soft, pale petal pink. This is a very, very cool-toned pink that looks and applies quite sheerly. On my skin, it makes me look a little corpse-ish, but I can imagine it looking incredible on my fairer friends. It reminds me a bit of MAC Well-Dressed blush but in a cream form.
I’ve reviewed the HD Blushes in the past, but to recap: the formula is smooth, creamy, and applies easily. It dries down quickly so you don’t find it migrates while you wait, but it gives you enough time to blend it out. The formula is fantastic with its creamy feel and long-wearing finish. The packaging itself could use a little tweaking, as the pump delivery system inevitably pumps out much more than you need.
For more on HD Blushes, check out my original review!
If you want to know more about how products are evaluated, read out Rating System FAQ!
- Product: 29/30
- Value: 8/10
- Ease of Use: 4/5
- Packaging: 3/5
Recommendation: If you’re looking for a way to prolong the wear of your blushes, you may find these cream blushes work well alone or as a base for your powder blushes.
Availability: Sephora
Going Green for Earth Month with #16L Aqua Eyes
Make Up For Ever #16L Aqua Eyes Liner
($17.00) is a muted grass-green with yellow undertones and subtle darkened, grassy sheen. I find this shade of green to be particularly unique amongst eyeliner shades. Despite owning more eyeliner than eyes (ha, ha, not hard to do!), I don’t have a green quite like this. It’s green without being bright or dark. It’s almost muted but not exactly dull. This looks pretty with soft, warmer browns and plums as well as the more expected blues, greens, and teals.
Aqua Eyes has a really great long-wearing formula that won’t budge, smudge, or fade throughout the day. They have enough softness to glide on smoothly without tugging on the sensitive skin around the eyes, and they deliver color just as you see it in the pencil itself. I’ve always found Aqua Eyes to look very true-to-pencil in color, which is always a nice thing, because you know what you’re getting!
If you want to know more about how products are evaluated, read out Rating System FAQ!
- Product: 29/30
- Value: 8/10
- Ease of Use: 4/5
- Packaging: 4/5
Recommendation: This is a great green for those who love the color but want something more wearable and, perhaps even, office-friendly.
Availability: Sephora
Summer-proof Your Eye Makeup with Make Up For Ever #3L Aqua Eyes
Make Up For Ever #3L Aqua Eyes Liner ($17.00) is a dark, navy blue with lighter, twilight blue shimmer. It’s smooth and has a soft sheen. I like wearing this particular navy shade with other blues, greens, golds, and even blue-toned purples.
I’ve reviewed several shades of Aqua Eyes, so if you’ve read those, much of the rest of this review is going to sound a bit redundant… but for those who haven’t read my previous Aqua Eyes’ reviews, this is for you!
Aqua Eyes have a really brilliant formula that’s budge-proof, smudge-proof, and water-resistant. They’re excellent for those looking for long-wearing eyeliners that won’t migrate and fade throughout the day. I particularly like them during the summer when I know I’ll be spending quite a bit of time outdoors, because I don’t have to worry about my eyeliner sweating all over the place. The color range is tremendous with twenty-five shades to choose from, too, which is convenient–if you find you love this formula, you don’t have to look elsewhere for the shade you want.
They’re not as creamy or soft as Urban Decay’s 24/7 Eyeliners, but they’re not hard on the eyes, either; they’re just not quite as soft, and some may prefer that for getting more precision in their looks.
If you want to know more about how products are evaluated, read out Rating System FAQ!
- Product: 29/30
- Value: 8/10
- Ease of Use: 4/5
- Packaging: 4/5
Recommendation: If you’ve been wanting a navy blue eyeliner that’s not going to fade or migrate on your lash line, Make Up For Ever’s Aqua Eyes formula may just do the trick for you!
Availability: Sephora
Make Up For Ever #5 Nip Slip HD Blush
More on Make Up For Ever HD Blush
A few weeks ago, I reviewed Make Up For Ever’s HD Blush in three shades (#3 Truth or Dare, #4 Walk of Shame, and #6 Quickie). Today, I’m sharing with you three more shades and a run-down of them, but this is less a review as it is simply showing you what three other shades look like in real life.
I did, however, receive a full-size sample of #5 Nip Slip (can you believe they got away with that name?!), so I can confirm what I thought previously: the pump delivery system does pump out way too much if you simply do one pump. You really have to be careful and squeeze out just the tiniest bit. It’s better to go under than over, because you’ll end up wasting a good bit otherwise. I actually think I may prefer using them out of the 5-gram sample jars, just because I don’t have to worry about getting too much at once!
- Nip Slip (#5) is a neutral, slightly yellow-toned pink that would look beautiful and fresh on both cool and warm skin tones. I think this is a good shade for light to medium to dark skin tones, too — it’s very buildable, so you can achieve that brighter pop of pink if you so desire.
- Star Struck (#14) is a soft apricot peach that goes on more orange-apricot when blended and smoothed onto skin. Despite having a stronger orange tone, it’s not overly warm. It almost reads neutral to me, but I’d err on the side of warm.
- First Kiss (#12) is a brightened orange with a soft shimmer/satin-y sheen built-in. It’s not neon orange, but it’s not quite the “bright apricot” that Sephora describes it as (even when it’s been blended out). This is definitely one of the more pigmented shades, so go easy if you want softer, sheerer color. It’s easier to intensify than it is to mute!
Other shades include: Innuendo #1 (vibrant plum), Caught in the Act #2 (bright raspberry), One Too Many #7 (peachy beige), PDA #8 (pinky nude), In the Spotlight #9 (nude), Skinny Dipping #10 (light orange brown), Mistaken Identity #11 (redwood brown), Smooth Talker #13 (vibrant pale pink). I previously reviewed Truth or Dare #3 (hot pink), Walk of Shame #4 (bubblegum pink), and Quickie #6 (salmon pink) here.
Make Up For Ever’s HD Blush wears well throughout the day. It’s easy to use, because it blends and softens without a lot of work, making it harder to make mistakes as long as you use less. You do not need to use a lot–I can’t stress it enough–we’re not even talking a pea-size of product. We’re talking about a pin-drop-size! One bottle will last you quite awhile, I’d imagine.
If you want to know more about how products are evaluated, read out Rating System FAQ!
- Product: 29/30
- Value: 8/10
- Ease of Use: 4/5
- Packaging: 3/5
Recommendation: Those who are always looking for longer wearing products should check out the new HD Blush line-up, because these cream blushes stand up to day-long wear without fading!
Availability: Sephora
