Bright Silver Eyes: Korres Eyeshadow
Korres Eyeshadow in #51 Silver
($16.00 for 0.06 oz.) is a bright lightly warmed-up silver shade with a frosty, shimmery finish. Korres has sixteen different eyeshadow shades available, and they’re priced in line with MAC (which is $14.50 for 0.05 oz.). Each eyeshadow comes in a square compact that flips open to reveal the shadow itself.
The eyeshadow was incredibly silky and smooth, and it applied easily. It held a lot of pigment and color, and there was no chalkiness or drag. I liked that it wasn’t a cool-toned silver, because it worked better on my warmer skin tone than some other bright silvers do. When used on the eyes, Korres’ Silver eyeshadow blends easily and seamlessly with other shadows. (I sometimes find mixing brands isn’t always easy with some shadows!) I’m hoping my local Sephora carries a few more shades so I can try some more out in person.
- Product: 8/10
- Value: 8/10
- Ease of Use: 8/10
- Packaging: 7/10
Recommendation: If you’re an eyeshadow fiend, be sure to peep Korres’ eyeshadows next time you’re at your local Sephora. The shade selection leaves something to be desired with only sixteen currently available (via Korres’ website), but hopefully they’ll continue to expand it in the future.
Availability: Sephora
Have you tried Korres’ eyeshadows? Love ‘em or hate ‘em?
See swatches and photos… Continue reading →
Pristine Eyeshadow, Cloudaine Elegant Lip Gloss
Kevyn Aucoin: The Prime Color Creme Eyeshadow
The Prime Color Creme Eye Shadow ($27.00) is an eyeshadow in a twist-up pen form. The eyeshadow itself has a cream consistency. It is true to its claims about creaseless-ness, as I found it didn’t crease after eight hours of wear, but the product itself is not my favorite. It can be difficult to blend the color out and apply from the get-go, and it isn’t the best base I’ve worked with either, because blendability is an issue. The shade I tried was Pristine, which is a soft, golden brown-champagne shade. This is something that can be worn alone on lids if desired, and if that’s the aim, this product meets it well.
- Product: 6/10
- Value: 6/10
- Ease of Use: 5/10
- Packaging: 6/10
Recommendation: Compact and travel-friendly, the Prime Color Creme Eyeshadows might be your new travel companion. They’re difficult to use, and they aren’t the easiest to blend, so for those two reasons, I won’t be buying any more shades in the future. I also find the price a bit steep for what you’re getting, which is just one more reason these aren’t up to my standards.
Availability: Sephora
Heritage Rouge pigment
Sneak Peek: MAC Makeup Art Cosmetics Collection — Pigments & Reflects Glitters
The talented photographer Marilyn Minter was inspired by MAC’s glitters and pigments. From her portion of the Makeup Art Cosmetics Collection comes two Reflects Glitters (Copper and Rust), two Glitters (Gold and Fuchsia), four pigments (Cocomotion, Brash & Bold, Heritage Rouge, and Push the Edge), as well as Gloss Texture in Clear.
Pigment ($19.50)
- Heritage Rouge is a dark, cranberry-burgundy frost. It’s incredibly pigmented and goes on smooth. It’s one of the best pigment textures to date. This was a previously released shade, so be sure to check your stash to make sure you don’t already have one.
- Push the Edge is a deep blue-based violet purple with soft shimmer/sheen. It reminded me a lot of Entremauve pigment but bluer, not quite as plum. The textures are even similar, as this one is a bit chalky (though not terribly so).
- Cocomotion is a rich shade of antique gold with a bit more brightness than your typical antique gold. It’s one of my favorite shades of pigments (again, check your stash before buying), because it’s extremely smooth, rich in pigmentation, and is a dream to work with.
- Product: 9/10
- Value: 9/10
- Ease of Use: 8/10
- Packaging: 8/10
Reflects Glitter ($19.50)
- Reflects Copper is a shimmery, glittering confection of orange copper. It is not eye-safe, so while it’s gorgeous to look at, I know there’s not much for me to do with it. Some things you can do with glitter that’s not eye-safe: mix with nail polish, mix with body lotion, mix with hair spray, and mix with lipgloss.
- Reflects Rust is a rusty shade of orange-red. It’s just as glimmering as Reflects Copper, and the glitter is incredibly fine, but again, not eye-safe, which is just a bummer.
- Product: 9/10
- Value: 8/10
- Ease of Use: 6/10
- Packaging: 8/10
- Overall: 8/10
Recommendation: I adore both Heritage Rouge and Cocomotion pigments. Push the Edge is nice, but not amazing like the other two. It is a rich shade of violet, so it may be worth some of the work to make it really pop in a look nonetheless. As much as I adore the way Reflects glitters look and feel, I find myself rarely using them. Both are beautiful shades, though they are also both permanent at PRO stores, so you don’t have to hurry if you’re on a budget.
Availability: MACCosmetics.com (August 20th), MAC stores
See up-close photos and swatches… Continue reading →
The Perfect Cheek
Sneak Peek: MAC Makeup Art Cosmetics Collection — The Perfect Cheek, Violet Trance, Colour Matters, Obviously Orange
Also designed by Richard Phillips, two blushes (The Perfect Cheek and Notable) appear from MAC Makeup Art Cosmetics Collection. While on the other hand, illustrator Maira Kalman’s Makeup Art Cosmetics Collection includes six colorful shades of eyeshadow complemented by five shades of technakohl liners.
Powder Blush ($18.00)
- The Perfect Cheek is a powder blush with a matte finish that goes on a dusty, pale pink. While it was visible on my skin tone, I found it hard to detect, and the inside of my forearm is probably around NC20 range, which leads me to worry about visibility on deeper skin tones. On some deeper skin tones, this may appear ashy as well.
- Product: 7/10
- Value: 7/10
- Ease of Use: 8/10
- Packaging: 8/10
Eyeshadow ($14.50)
- Violet Trance eyeshadow is a matte dark blue-based violet purple. This originally released two or three years ago, so avid collectors may already have this in their stash. As lovely as it appears in the pot, it’s not the easiest matte to work with. I’d have to vote Make Up For Ever #92 if you’re looking for a deep, intense purple, just because this one doesn’t have a dream texture. It’s so-so, a bit chalky and thus drags a bit, and pigmentation is decent but not intense.
- Product: 6/10
- Value: 8/10
- Ease of Use: 6/10
- Packaging: 8/10
- Overall: 6/10
Technakohl ($14.50)
- Colour Matters techankohl is a satiny chartreuse shade. It looks nearly the same as True Chartreuse pigment does, just in technakohl liner. Since I’m lazy at heart, I am pleased to see it in technakohl form (even though, if you’re on a budget, you could use the pigment form to create your own liner).
- Obviously Orange technakohl is a pop of medium-bright orange. It’s not neon orange, and it’s not rusty or coppery either. Compared to Colour Mattes, this one has a much more noticeable shimmer/frost to it–kind of a golden shimmer.
- Product: 9/10
- Value: 9/10
- Ease of Use: 9/10
- Packaging: 9/10
- Overall: 9/10
Recommendation: I’d skip the blush if you have medium or darker skin unless you can try it in-person and decide for yourself. Violet Trance eyeshadow doesn’t impress me much, and I’d rather opt for a better quality shadow from another brand. I love technakohls, though, so I was quite pleased with the creaminess, opacity, and look of the two new technakohls I’ve tried so far.
Availability: MACCosmetics.com (August 20th), MAC stores
See up-close photos and swatches… Continue reading →
Everyday Makeup: Neutral, Natural Eyes with Too Faced
Too Faced Natural Eye Neutral Eye Shadow Collection
($34.00) is a new eyeshadow palette from Too Faced’s Naturally Naughty Collection for the fall season.
The palette contains nine different shades of eyeshadow crafted by Too Faced’s Creative Director, Jerrod Blandino, for easy, effortless looks that work for everyone. It contains: Heaven, a matte cream; Velvet Revolver, a matte, cool-toned taupe; Sexspresso, a matte dark brown; Silk Teddy, a shimmery pink-beige; Push-Up, a shimmery neutral medium brown; Erotica, a lightly shimmered dark charcoal taupe; Nude Beach, a glittery pink champagne; Honey Pot, a shimmery softly muted gold; and Cocoa Puff, a warm-toned chocolate brown with gold shimmer. Each of the three larger eyeshadows are 0.07 oz., while the six smaller shadows are 0.03 oz.
Included with the palette are three how-to cards, detailing the three looks — Day, Classic, and Fashion. For those more eyeshadow savvy, there are definitely many more than three possible looks to create from this palette of nine. I like that the palette contains a mix of mattes, shimmers, and high shimmer/glitters, because it allows you to maximize your looks by adding different dimensions and layers of textures. Also included is a small, pull-out drawer with a double-sided brush (sponge-tip applicator on one side, angled brush on the other side)–not a highlight or a brush I’d personally use unless it was an emergency.
All of the eyeshadows swatched smoothly and went on with a good amount of pigmentation, including the matte shades, which were also smooth and buttery–not chalky at all. I didn’t see any of these colors “drag.” My favorite shades were Honey Pot and Cocoa Puff. Cocoa Puff is especially stunning with the mix of gold shimmer layered into the chocolate brown. While Nude Beach is pretty, it is extremely frosty/glittery, so it has to be worn with a bit more care, particularly for those with deeper skin tones.
The packaging was cute, but I could have done without the pull-out drawer that only contained the brush (which I didn’t like or find particularly useful). By omitting the drawer, the palette would be slimmer and more streamlined. If you’re bothered by cardboard/paper packaging, this palette might not be for you, as well. I like the earth-friendly-ness of paper packaging (at least, compared to plastic), so it wasn’t an issue for me. I thought the packaging was cute, functional, and worked well overall.
- Product: 8/10
- Value: 9/10
- Ease of Use: 8/10
- Packaging: 7/10
Recommendation: If you’re looking for a go-to neutral eye palette, consider Too Faced’s Natural Eye. Nine great shades of neutral tone eyeshadows that all work well and go on smoothly (hey, it’s hard to find a palette with *all* winning shades!). If you prefer even softer neutrals or only like matte or semi-matte shades, this isn’t a good match for you. For $34, this product is well-worth a peek.
Availability: Sephora
What do you think of Too Faced’s new Natural Eye palette?
See photos and swatches… Continue reading →
Stay-Put Liner: Smashbox Jet Set Waterproof Eye Liner
Smashbox Navy Blue Jet Set Waterproof Eye Liner
($22.00) is a gel eye liner that goes on creamy and then dries after about a minute. I like that they designed it to stay blendable (wet/creamy) for a minute before it dries to a “smudge-proof, budge-proof finish that lasts all day.” It does, in fact, stay on all day without smudging or budging or migrating onto places it shouldn’t be. It’s available in five shades: Bronze, Dark Brown, Midnight Black, Midnight Purple, and Navy Blue.
I’d definitely love to see Smashbox introduce more shades into their line-up — some fun shades would be awesome to see, but it is still nice tot have five easy, wearable shades. I’ve only tried Navy Blue myself, but I love the soft bluish silver laced in the dark navy base shade. Looks great even with a neutral look on the upper lash line! The pot feels extremely tiny, but I don’t see myself going through this product quickly nonetheless.
- Product: 9/10
- Value: 8/10
- Ease of Use: 8/10
- Packaging: 7/10
Recommendation: The product itself is fantastic, and even though the container is tiny, you don’t need much for an application, so one container will last you quite awhile. I will say that I’d prefer a little more bulk to the packaging to make it easier to hold onto, less likely to be lost (since I lose everything), and all that. Because it stays wet for longer, you have more time to work and don’t have to worry about drag.
Availability: Smashbox.com, Beauty.com
, Nordstrom.com
, Sephora.com
Have you tried any of Smashbox’s Gel Liners? What was your experience?
See swatch… Continue reading →
