Temptalia

30 Days of Make Up For Ever: The Final Wrap-Up

Christine — Thu, 30 Jul 2009 15:21:54 +0000

30 Days of Make Up For Ever: The Final Wrap-Up

We did it! Today concludes our feature on Make Up For Ever, and I’ve finally shared with you the entirety of my IMATS haul (where did you think most of this stuff came from?! thank goodness for discounts!). I hope you’ve enjoyed the coverage and learned a little bit about the brand!

Looks

Ideas

Reviews

Make Up For Ever: Brand Overview & Thoughts

Christine — Thu, 30 Jul 2009 06:01:19 +0000

Make Up For Ever: Brand Overview & Thoughts

We’re just about finished with 30 Days of Make Up For Ever, and it sure has been a ride, yeah? Lots of products covered, albeit skewed towards the eyes for sure. (But really, did you expect anything less from me?!) I thought I’d give some of my thoughts on the overall brand based on my experience thus far, as well as tell you about some of my must-haves from what I’ve tried.

A lot of people have asked me throughout the past month whether Make Up For Ever eyeshadows are better than MAC’s. The short answer? No. The long answer? At times, but other times, no. What Make Up For Ever excels at is matte eyeshadows. Their shimmer eyeshadows just don’t do it for me — they tend to feel a little flat. It’ll be a green shadow with green or silver shimmer. There’s just not enough contrast, change in tone, subtleties or what-have-you. Their matte eyeshadows, on the other hand, are extremely pigmented, smooth, and fairly easy to use.

I think MAC makes a mean frost/shimmery shade. A good MAC shadow is just as good as a good Make Up For Ever eyeshadow. MAC’s biggest issue is that it just isn’t consistent, particularly with limited edition eyeshadows. Some of MAC’s matte eyeshadows are amazing, but their variety is a lot more limited compared to Make Up For Ever’s. MAC’s permanent line of eyeshadows is also pretty good and fairly consistent as well — I just find a lot less consistency and overall quality in some of the limited edition launches.

Make Up For Ever also offers a lot of bright, intensely pigmented shades that MAC doesn’t offer. One really great thing about Make Up For Ever’s eyeshadows is that even if you buy them off of Sephora, so they’re in individual compacts, they’re all magnetic and can be popped out like it’s no big deal. No depotting necessary! Make Up For Ever eyeshadows are larger with 0.08 oz. of product for $19.00, compared to MAC, which are 0.05 oz. for $14.50, which does make Make Up For Ever cheaper by the ounce.

Bottom line? You can’t really go wrong with either brand on the whole. If MAC doesn’t make the shade you’re looking for, definitely consider Make Up For Ever. If you want intense pigmentation or love matte finishes, try Make Up For Ever.

Their lipglosses were less impressive, though I only tried the Glossy Full Couleur. Their Smoky Aqua Lash mascara was so-so, but it didn’t make me want to switch from MAC Plushlash or Chanel Exceptionnel. I did, however, love their Aqua Eyes Liners, which are pigmented, have a nice sheen, and are long-wearing–all good things in my book! The Star Powders and Pure Pigments are nice, and I definitely prefer the Star Powders for their versatility and wearability. Pure Pigments are just a little too intense for me–just not something I’ll wear often, if ever!

Must-Have Eyeshadows: #5, 52, 72, 75, 83, 91, 92, 93, 99, 118, 159
Skip These Eyeshadows: #101, 147
Must-Try Products: Star Powders, Aqua Eye Liners

P.S. – Don’t forget, all Make Up For Ever eyeshadows can be used as blushes, too. They are meant to be used interchangeably.

Make Up For Ever Aqua Eyes Eye Liner Reviews, Photos, Swatches

Christine — Tue, 28 Jul 2009 14:40:13 +0000

5L, 17L, 20L, 12L, 7L, 15L, 10L

Aqua Eyes Eye Liner

Make Up For Ever’s Aqua Eyes line is probably one of the top eyeliner formulas on the market to-date. It’s extremely budge-proof, smudge-proof, and water-resistant. It actually holds up quite well to all three claims. Add to that a diverse range of color choices (Sephora sells 25), and you have a winning combination. They’re smooth, well-pigmented, and deliver long-lasting color.

#5L is a khaki-bronze with a hint of green in it. It’s like a deep, slightly green-toned antique gold. I love wearing this with golds, browns, and greens.
#17L is a soft, yellowed spring green with soft shimmer sheen. I was hoping for a little more chartreuse in it, but it’s still a nice, subtle liner color.
#20L is a forest-green with teal in it. I adore this one — a definite must-have. I pair it with blues, teals, and greens.
#12L is a dark blue with a subtle shimmer-sheen. It’s not super unique, but it’s a nice blue shade.
#7L is a nice pop of blue-based turquoise. It’s the brightest color that I own.
#15L is an violet-blue shade. I liked this one, because I felt like it was fairly unique. I don’t have anything like this in my collection of eye liners.
#10L is a bronzy-copper. It’s very “me” in a sense, because I love these kinds of warm-toned bronzes. It’s great with warm-toned looks, particularly neutral looks, for an extra kick.

See more swatches…

5L, 17L, 20L, 12L

20L, 12L, 7L, 15L

15L, 10L, 18C (Lip Liner)

Make Up For Ever: Star Powders & Pure Pigments

Christine — Mon, 27 Jul 2009 13:47:36 +0000

Star Powder #920

Make Up For Ever Star Powders ($19.00 for 0.09 oz.) are finely milled loose color. Think MAC pigments, but more of a powdery texture and more finely milled. They can be used wherever you want, however you want. I only used mine with mixing medium, personally, as I found without the adhesiveness of mixing medium, they didn’t stay put as well.

Pure Pigments ($19.00 for 0.12 oz.) are extremely pigment-rich loose color that are matte in finish. They’re like Star Powders, but they’re more intense and contain no shimmer. Pretty much all of the Pure Pigments will stain the skin (and your brushes — so be sure to wash those ASAP! after using).

#920 is a shimmery muted golden yellow with frosty shimmer. This is a good base shade under golds, browns, pinks, and oranges.
#910 is a grayish-green with golden shimmer. It looks like an olive green at first, but it’s a bit more gray.
#958 is a pretty medium green–reminds me of a grassy green, actually. It has slightly more subtle shimmer than some of the other Star Powders, though it is still noticeably shimmery.
#960 is a mix of blue with aqua and green shimmer. It reminded me a lot of MAC’s Parrot eyeshadow, but in a loose form. It also seemed a little bluer.
#929 is a warm, chocolate brown with golden shimmer. It goes on smoothly and has good color pigmentation.
#18 is a matte turquoise. If you ever lusted after MAC’s long-discontinued Turquoise pigment, check this out. It’s extremely similar, but it’s much better in finish/texture. If you’re into intense color, you’ll love Pure Pigments. I don’t like how much they stain skin/brushes, and I don’t have a need for shades quite this bright, so I don’t think I’ll pick up any additional shades going forward.

Which of these are your favorites?

Check out more photos!

Star Powder #910

Star Powder #958

Star Powder #960

Star Powder #929

Pure Pigment #18

Star Powder #920, 910, 958

Star Powder #910, 958, 960

Star Powder #958, 960, 929; Pure Pigment #18

Make Up For Ever: Eyeshadows (#50, 71, 137)

Christine — Sun, 26 Jul 2009 17:29:51 +0000

Eyeshadows: #50, 71, 137

These are the last three Make Up For Ever eyeshadows I’ll be reviewing

#50 is matte lightly pastel orange. It’s a bit more subdued than #5. It also comes out a little more like an orange than #5 does at times.
#71 is a matte, sunshine yellow. This is a shade that just doesn’t work on my skin tone–it’s a much, much more pigmented MAC Chrome Yellow.
#137 is a shimmery mauvey-plum shade. This is really pretty, and it’s has a soft sheen rather than a high frost finish making this very wearable.

Which of these are your favorites?

Check out more photos!

#50

#71

#137

Make Up For Ever: Eyeshadows (#148, 4, 123, 57)

Christine — Sun, 26 Jul 2009 04:10:14 +0000

Make Up For Ever #148 Eyeshadow

Here are a few more reviews on Make Up For Ever eyeshadows!

#148 is a shimmery taupe brown with warm golden shimmer. This isn’t a terribly unique shade, but it is pretty and has good color pay off.
#4 is a matte dark black. It’s smooth and richly pigmented.
#123 is a shimmery golden-olive green shade with slight golden iridescence. It reminded me of MAC’s Golden Olive pigment, actually, with less frost.
#57 is a muted lime green shade. It has a satiny finish to it, so it’s not quite matte.

Which of these are your favorites?

Check out more photos!

Make Up For Ever #148 Eyeshadow

Make Up For Ever #4 Eyeshadow

Make Up For Ever #123 Eyeshadow

Make Up For Ever #57 Eyeshadow