Friday, April 27th, 2012
MAC Impassioned Lipglass, Nail Lacquer, Lipstick
MAC Impassioned Lipglass, Lipstick, Nail Lacquer
MAC Impassioned Lipstick ($14.50 for 0.10 oz.) has been such a top-seller that it has now inspired a Lipglass ($14.50 for 0.17 fl. oz.) and Nail Lacquer ($16.00 for 0.34 fl. oz.) to complement it. This shade is part of the Asia Pacific, Europe/Africa, and Latin America/Middle East portions of the collection, so it will only be available online for North America buyers. Impassioned is described as “bright warm pink.”
When the lipgloss is layered over the lipstick, the result is a deepened, vibrant pink-red with a hint of silver micro-shimmer. The combined color is totally opaque and the two products work well together without causing any unevenness or bunching up. The nail polish doesn’t match the lipstick or lipgloss at all; they’re different animals, really. Sure, they’re both warm-toned, but the nail lacquer is nearly orange! You can see it in the swatches as well as the product photos; the bottle of polish looks much more orange compared to the vibrant pink (with more like a hint of orange/coral) gloss and lipstick.
Impassioned Lipglass is a bright pink-red with subtle warm undertones. It applies pretty opaque on lips, and it doesn’t settle too much into lip lines. The strong, opaque color helps to minimize the appearance of what settling there is. MAC Scandelicious is blue-based. MAC Gimme That is slightly pinker and has fuchsia shimmer. Illamasqua Follow is a bit redder. (9, 10, 9, 9, 4.5, 4; A)
Impassioned Lipstick is a nearly neon pink-red with a hint of coral warmth. It has an amplified creme finish. It yields opaque color coverage, and it has a fairly creamy consistency that enables a good glide of color to spread evenly across the lips during application. MAC Moxie is a bit pinker. MAC Party Parrot is less pink, more coral. OCC QUeen is redder, darker. Guerlain Gigi is darker. NARS Funny Face is less coral. The lipstick is part of the permanent range. (9.5, 10, 8.5, 10, 4.5, 4; A)
Impassioned Nail Lacquer is a rich orange-coral that leans and looks more orange than it does coral, but in certain lighting or at particular angles, there is more coral color coming forth. It’s opaque in two coats, and while the initial coat had some streaking, the second coat covered most of it pretty well. Deborah Lippmann Girls Just Want to Have Fun is just a touch more orange. Illamasqua Lament is a little more coral. SpaRitual Love & Happiness is darker, more orange. (9, 9, 9, 9, 4, 4; B+)
MAC Lipsticks are vanilla-scented but taste-free. Amplified creme finishes like Impassioned typically wear four to six hours on me, with deeper shades like this one wearing closer to six hours. This particular finish is not particularly moisturizing, but I don’t find it drying either, though Impassioned has a slightly drier texture compared to other shades in the range. MAC Lipglasses are also vanilla-scented but taste-free. They are very sticky and have a thick, borderline-goopy consistency. If you prefer gel-like, cushion-y glosses that feel lightweight on, I don’t recommend MAC Lipglass. Because of the tackier texture, MAC Lipglasses do tend to wear a full four hours on me, with some of the darker shades lasting up to six hours (with mostly the color lingering at that point).
Note: I am reviewing each “set” together. After I’ve reviewed all sixteen sets, I will do round-ups for each product type (so all lipsticks together) to deliver an overall Glossover rating. This rating is more indicative of the product type, as the rating that follows this post is an average across three totally different types of products. You can also see the individual scores listed after each product, which are listed in the same order as they are in the Glossover.
Where to Buy: MAC, $14.50 each for Lipstick and Lipglass; $16.00 each for Nail Lacquer
Impassioned is a really bright, fun color to wear--very appropriate for the upcoming summer season! I'm bummed that the nail lacquer is not much of a match to the lipstick and gloss; it's even a bit too warm and orange to really complement well.
Friday, April 27th, 2012
MAC Girl About Town Nail Lacquer, Lipglass, Lipstick
MAC Girl About Town Lipglass, Lipstick, Nail Lacquer
MAC Girl About Town Lipstick ($14.50 for 0.10 oz.) has been such a top-seller that it has now inspired a Lipglass ($14.50 for 0.17 fl. oz.) and Nail Lacquer ($16.00 for 0.34 fl. oz.) to complement it. This shade is part of the North American and Latin America/Middle East portions of the collection, so it will be available at all locations and online. Girl About Town is described as “bright blue fuchsia.”
If you layer the two lip products together, you’ll get a really dense, opaque fuchsia pink with very subtle silver micro-shimmer that’s very, very bright. The gloss is only slightly brighter compared to the lipstick. The nail lacquer is a pretty good match to both the gloss and lipstick, though it has stronger red undertones, which only become noticeable in really bright light. This shade is part of the permanent range, so it’s available all the time.
Girl About Town Lipglass is a brightened fuchsia-pink with silver micro-shimmer. It’s nearly opaque all on its own, and it applies evenly for the most part. The brightness helps to hide the settling of the thicker gloss into lip lines. Milani Flashy is darker, redder. MAC True Babe is lighter and more blue-based. MAC Full Speed Ahead is not quite as fuchsia, not as bright. (9, 10, 9, 9, 4.5, 4; A-)
Girl About Town Lipstick is a brightened medium-dark fuchsia pink with blue undertones. It has an amplified creme finish. It yields opaque color with very little product, and it has a creamier consistency than a lot of the other lipsticks in the launch. MAC Rare Exotic is very close, possibly a smidgen darker. Illamasqua Atomic is redder. NARS Carthage is slightly less blue-based and brighter. MAC Catharina is pinker and brighter. (9.5, 10, 9.5, 10, 5, 4; A)
Girl About Town Nail Lacquer is a rich, nearly-neon fuchsia pink with blue undertones. It has a cream finish, and it’s opaque after two coats. China Glaze 108 Degrees is a bit redder and shimmery. Zoya Dana is a bit redder. Zoya Reagan is bluer and lighter. (10, 10, 10, 9, 5, 4; A)
MAC Lipsticks are vanilla-scented but taste-free. Amplified creme finishes like Girl About Town typically wear four to six hours on me, with deeper shades like this one wearing closer to six hours. This is one of my favorite finishes by MAC, as it is characterized by a creamier, more glide-on texture that wears really well and doesn’t dry lips out. MAC Lipglasses are also vanilla-scented but taste-free. They are very sticky and have a thick, borderline-goopy consistency. If you prefer gel-like, cushion-y glosses that feel lightweight on, I don’t recommend MAC Lipglass. Because of the tackier texture, MAC Lipglasses do tend to wear a full four hours on me, with some of the darker shades lasting up to six hours (with mostly the color lingering at that point).
Where to Buy: MAC, $14.50 each for Lipstick and Lipglass; $16.00 each for Nail Lacquer
Girl About Town is a popular shade for a reason--it looks amazing only nearly every skin tone. It's bold, bright, and vibrant. It will add oomph and brighten your face with little else needed. All three variations were high quality products.
Friday, April 27th, 2012
MAC Chestnut Nail Lacquer, Lipglass, Lipstick
MAC Chestnut Lipglass, Lipstick, Nail Lacquer
MAC Chestnut Lipstick ($14.50 for 0.10 oz.) was inspired by the top-selling lip liner, along with a Lipglass ($14.50 for 0.17 fl. oz.) and Nail Lacquer ($16.00 for 0.34 fl. oz.) to complement. This shade is part of the North American portion of the collection, so it will be available at all locations and online. All three shades are limited edition. Chestnut is described as “rich chocolate brown.”
When the two lip products are layered, the result is a rich, glossy chocolate brown with strong red undertones. The color coverage is mostly opaque, but there’s a hint of translucency. The nail lacquer is deeper, browner, and because it’s so opaque, the red undertones are less noticeable, but the shades are fairly close together–you’ll just see the effect that texture and opacity have on the end result more here.
Chestnut Lipglass is a red-toned brown with semi-opaque color coverage. It does settle into lip lines a bit, and because it is such a dark color, the unevenness is more noticeable. Admittedly, I haven’t come across too many rich brown glosses, so the closest I could think of was MAC A Different Groove, which is much sheerer and less red-toned. (8, 9, 8, 8.5, 3.5, 4; B-)
Chestnut Lipstick is a warm chocolate brown with red undertones (but subtler than the gloss). It has a satin finish. It applies mostly opaque. MAC Seeds of Desire is more burgundy. CoverGirl Enamor is redder. NYX Very Berry is a bit lighter. MAC Film Noir is pretty close, perhaps a touch less red-toned. MAC Underworld is lighter and redder. (9, 9, 9, 9, 4, 4; B+)
Chestnut Nail Lacquer is a luxurious, deep chocolate brown with a cream finish. It’s opaque in two coats. The consistency wasn’t too thick or too thin, and it applied evenly and fluidly without trouble. Rescue Beauty Lounge Au Chocolat is darker and more burgundy. Barielle Unraveled Rust is very close, perhaps a touch darker. MAC Dim the Lights is also very close. (10, 10, 10, 9, 5, 4; A)
MAC Lipsticks are vanilla-scented but taste-free. Satin finishes like Chestnut typically wear four to six hours on me, with deeper shades like this one wearing closer to six hours. This particular finish is not particularly moisturizing, but I don’t find it drying either. MAC Lipglasses are also vanilla-scented but taste-free. They are very sticky and have a thick, borderline-goopy consistency. If you prefer gel-like, cushion-y glosses that feel lightweight on, I don’t recommend MAC Lipglass. Because of the tackier texture, MAC Lipglasses do tend to wear a full four hours on me, with some of the darker shades lasting up to six hours (with mostly the color lingering at that point).
Where to Buy: MAC, $14.50 each for Lipstick and Lipglass; $16.00 each for Nail Lacquer
Don't be afraid of brown lip color! It can be very dramatic and rich. Done right, and it isn't a dated look at all. The rich red undertones of Chestnut help to underscore that this is a brown with feeling.
Friday, April 27th, 2012
MAC Angel Lipglass, Lipstick, Nail Lacquer
MAC Angel Lipglass, Lipstick, Nail Lacquer
MAC Angel Lipstick ($14.50 for 0.10 oz.) has inspired a new and limited edition variation in Lipglass ($14.50 for 0.17 fl. oz.) and Nail Lacquer ($16.00 for 0.34 fl. oz.). This shade is available online only for North America, but it will launch in Asia Pacific as part of the region’s collection. Angel is described as “light warm pink.”
The two lip products layered creates a glossy, nearly opaque neutral pink with faint silver micro-shimmer. I found the gloss was slightly cooler-toned and has noticeably more shimmer compared to the lipstick counterpart. The nail lacquer doesn’t resemble neither the gloss nor the lipstick when swatched or applied–it’s much darker and yellower. It does, however, look more similar to the color of Angel lipstick in tube-form (but not swatched).
Angel Lipglass is a light-medium neutral pink with subtle silver micro-shimmer. It has a frost finish. It applies mostly opaque, and because of its lightness, it does have a slightly milky appearance. Thankfully, the opacity helps minimize how much it settles into lip lines. MAC Enchantee is cooler-toned, bluer-based. MAC Infinitely Likeable is just slightly gray-tinted in comparison. MAC Splashing is darker and warmer with golden shimmer. (8.5, 10, 8.5, 8.5, 4, 4; B+)
Angel Lipstick is a subtly yellow-toned light-medium pink with soft silver micro-shimmer that translates more into a frosted finish than it does a shimmery one. It yields mostly opaque color coverage. Lancome Love It! is similar but yellower. YSL Opera Rose is darker and yellower. Estee Lauder Mauve Mirage is bluer-based. Clarins Lilac Pink is very similar but a smidgen cooler-toned. Bobbi Brown Lilac is a little plummier. (9, 10, 8.5, 8, 4, 4; B+)
Angel Nail Lacquer is a medium yellow-toned pink with a cream finish. It’s nearly opaque after two coats of polish, and it applied evenly and smoothly. I didn’t have any trouble with this one. The consistency was on the thinner side overall, but it wasn’t too thin or watery. Chanel May is lighter and much bluer-based. NARS Trouville is way lighter, but it reads like they’re in the same family. Chanel Morning Rose is the closest, though it’s a little warmer and has gold sparkle. (9, 9.5, 9, 9, 4, 4; B+)
MAC Lipsticks are vanilla-scented but taste-free. Frost finishes like Angel typically wear three to four hours on me, with lighter shades like this one wearing closer to three. This particular finish is not particularly moisturizing, but I don’t find it drying either. MAC Lipglasses are also vanilla-scented but taste-free. They are very sticky and have a thick, borderline-goopy consistency. If you prefer gel-like, cushion-y glosses that feel lightweight on, I don’t recommend MAC Lipglass. Because of the tackier texture, MAC Lipglasses do tend to wear a full four hours on me, with some of the darker shades lasting up to six hours (with mostly the color lingering at that point).
Note: I am reviewing each “set” together. After I’ve reviewed all sixteen sets, I will do round-ups for each product type (so all lipsticks together) to deliver an overall Glossover rating. This rating is more indicative of the product type, as the rating that follows this post is an average across three totally different types of products. You can also see the individual scores listed after each product, which are listed in the same order as they are in the Glossover.
Where to Buy: MAC, $14.50 each for Lipstick and Lipglass; $16.00 each for Nail Lacquer.
Angel is the type of pink that works well on most skin tones, because it's only subtly warm, so it will tend to move towards neutral on cooler complexions and stay slightly warm on warmer complexions. It's a very work-friendly color as well.
Thursday, April 26th, 2012
NARS Amchoor Nail Lacquer
NARS Amchoor Nail Lacquer
NARS Amchoor Nail Lacquer ($18.00 for 0.50 fl. oz.) is described as a “bright yellow.” It is definitely that! It’s a bright, sunshine yellow, so it has slight golden orange undertones. It’s lighter and more opaque compared to MAC Al Fredo. It’s similar in color but more opaque compared to Deborah Lippmann Yellow Brick Road. Rescue Beauty Lounge Yellow Fever is the closest I could find, though it has faint gold shimmer and is a smidgen lighter. This kind of color just screams summer to me. I think it could be really cute on toes whenever sandal weather happens in your part of the world!
It’s opaque after two coats, and for a yellow, it’s actually really good–but being that it is a yellow, there is some streaking, especially in the first coat. The second coat covers the majority of it, but a third coat would probably be best here. Luckily, the consistency isn’t too thick or too thin, so a third coat wouldn’t compromise the wear as a result of thicker layers. Aside from streaking, it didn’t pool or bubble during application, and the second coat went on fairly fluidly compared to the initial coat. I typically get a week of wear with minor tip wear but no chipping with NARS’ lacquer formula.
Where to Buy: Nordstrom, $18
It's opaque after two coats, and for a yellow, it's actually really good--but being that it is a yellow, there is some streaking, especially in the first coat. The second coat covers the majority of it, but a third coat would probably be best here.
Wednesday, April 25th, 2012
Illamasqua Stance Nail Varnish
Illamasqua Stance Nail Varnish
Illamasqua Stance Nail Varnish ($14.00 for 0.50 fl. oz.) is described as a “fuchsia violet with a glossy finish.” It’s a rich, vibrant magenta with a near-neon brightness. The closest shade I could think of was Urban Decay Miss T, which is very close but has shimmer and a touch pinker. The next closest would be China Glaze Senorita Bonita, which is much darker, purpler, and has shimmer. Illamasqua Obsess is pinker, less purple. Deborah Lippmann Makin’ Whoopee is more fuchsia.
It’s opaque in two coats, and it does dry down to a semi-glossy finish. For a really high-shine result, I’d still recommend using a top coat. The formula was a little thinner than other shades I’ve tried from Illamasqua, though I would not describe it as thin. It was neither thick nor thin, so I didn’t have any trouble applying the color to the nails. I didn’t experience any bubbling, pooling, or streaking, and Stance applied evenly and fluidly across each nail. If you’re more used to Illamasqua being closer to a one-coater, you may find this one seems less pigmented, but it’s definitely opaque after two coats.
Illamasqua’s formula always yields impeccable wear for me; it’s one of the longest-wearing polishes. I can wear a shade for ten days without a single chip and very minor tip wear. I so often reach for an Illamasqua hue before traveling, because I know it will hold up to all the demands of a trip!
Where to Buy: Sephora, $14
I didn't experience any bubbling, pooling, or streaking, and Stance applied evenly and fluidly across each nail. If you're more used to Illamasqua being closer to a one-coater, you may find this one seems less pigmented, but it's definitely opaque after two coats. Illamasqua's formula always yields impeccable wear for me; it's one of the longest-wearing polishes.
