Lancome Untamed Plum La Laque Fever
Sugar Plum Fairy Lips with Lancome
Lancome Untamed Plum La Laque Fever Lip Shine
($26.00 for 0.21 oz.) is a darkened plum with a little wine in it and gold shimmer. It’s really a beautiful color on the lips, because it’s just dark enough to be dark, but it’s not so dark it’s too bold. You could even wear it alone, just running errands, which is really nice. The La Laque Fever is an interesting gloss formula (“lip shine” in Lancome-speak), because it has the glossiness of a gloss but the color is more like that of a lipstick. I find the glossy part wears off after an hour or two, but the color remains for six or longer and does make it (mostly) through a meal, as well. Some of the shades run more opaque than others, with this one being more semi-sheer/semi-opaque–it gives my lips a very nice, plummy tint, but it’s not opaque.
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- Product: 28/30
- Value: 8/10
- Ease of Use: 5/5
- Packaging: 4/5
Recommendation: For a fun, plummy lip during the winter season, Lancome’s got you covered.
Availability: Nordstrom
MAC Dubonnet Lipstick
The Scarlet Season: MAC Dubonnet Lipstick
MAC Dubonnet Lipstick ($14.00 for 0.10 oz.) is a rich, deep shade of red with more of a brownish tone. It’s not really a blue-based red, nor an orange-based red–it’s truly one of those shades that works well on many skin tones. (Kind of like MAC’s Viva Glam I Lipstick!) It has a redder, richer look than VGI, plus it has the glossy sheen (though no shimmer). It applies opaque in just one layer, and it clings to lips without being drying. It holds up and wears for a good four or five hours and afterward, it does leave a slight stain behind. Definitely one of MAC’s must-haves!
What about you? Would you wear this red?
The Scarlet Season is a series of posts showcasing and featuring my favorite shades of red lips–from glosses to lipsticks that runs through December 2009. You can sure expect to see a lot of red this holiday season!
Lancome Mercury Rising Color Fever Gloss
The Scarlet Season: Lancome Mercury Rising Color Fever Gloss
Lancome Mercury Rising Color Fever Gloss
($25.00 for 0.20 oz.) is a semi-sheer red with deep red shimmer. It’s a non-sticky gloss that feels moisturizing and lightweight on lips. On me, I found it gave me about three or four hours of wear without touch-ups, which is about average. This is beautiful on its own for a hint of red, but it can also be layered over a lipstick to give it a glossier, slightly shimmered look. It has Lancome’s signature lip applicator, which always reminds me of a bubble-blowing wand! I do like how it applies fairly evenly without having to work at it, too.
What about you? Would you wear this red?
The Scarlet Season is a series of posts showcasing and featuring my favorite shades of red lips–from glosses to lipsticks that runs through December 2009. You can sure expect to see a lot of red this holiday season!
Dolce & Gabbana Fire Lipstick
The Scarlet Season: Dolce & Gabbana Fire Lipstick
Dolce & Gabbana Fire Lipstick ($30.00) is a truly fiery red — it’s got that ember glow of the fire and the brightness of a red. This is most definitely one of my favorite orange-reds I’ve come across while doing The Scarlet Season. It’s creamy, opaque, and moisturizing. It wears well and lasts awhile (about five or six hours, plus a stain). It has a slightly glossy sheen while the finish is matte. I don’t even feel like I should have to say anything about this shade — I think it really speaks for itself.
What about you? Would you wear this red?
The Scarlet Season is a series of posts showcasing and featuring my favorite shades of red lips–from glosses to lipsticks that runs through December 2009. You can sure expect to see a lot of red this holiday season!
Guerlain Gentiane Rouge G Lipstick
Lip Luxury: Guerlain Gentiane Rouge G Lipstick
Guerlain Gentiane Rouge G de Guerlain Lipstick
($45.00) is a smooth, lightly shimmered rose. This is exactly what I picture when I think of a rose lipstick. It’s pigmented, goes on opaque in just one layer, and it feels amazing (as all Rouge Gs do). It’s soft color that looks feminine and very wearable for a variety of skin tones.
This is definitely one of my favorite shades from the Rouge G line that I’ve tried, because it’s a color that works on so many levels. You can wear it alone, for the everyday, with a smoky eye, or with a neutral eye. It’s versatile, and I can appreciate a lip color that I can work into my look wardrobe with no fuss.
Of course, the price is steep, so this isn’t a product for everyone!
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- Product: 28/30
- Value: 7/10
- Ease of Use: 4/5
- Packaging: 4/5
Recommendation: If you’re on the hunt for a rosy pink, Gentiane might be it!
Availability: Nordstrom
, Sephora
LORAC Silver Screen Palette ($30.00) is a face palette that contains eight shades of eyeshadow, two shades of blush, a double-ended brush, and a lipgloss. It’s from LORAC’s Hollywood Ice Collection.
The palette is actually divided with both cool and warm eyeshadows — the first row of eyeshadows are warm, while the second row of eyeshadows are cool. The idea behind the palette is having the ability to go from day to night within a single palette. I definitely think LORAC hit a home run on that mark — this can be easily used to create several softer, more neutral looks, while the mauve, silver, and black-blue shade can add drama to any look.
- Warm eyeshadows: a warmed up champagne, a peachy-pink, copper-brown, chocolate brown
- Cool eyeshadows: an icy, semi-matte white, a silvery mauve-plum, a brownish-green-blue (reminded me of MAC’s Club eyeshadow), and a blue-black with blue-green sparkles.
- Blushes: a bright, peachy-apricot and a semi-matte to matte dirty pink
- Lip Polish: a semi-sheer, reddish-brown with gold shimmer
If you’re looking for an easy-to-use palette with both eyeshadows and blushes in one (but thankfully no lip color wells!), I think you might find LORAC to your liking. The quality of the eyeshadows is great — they’re smooth, soft, and pigmented. They’re not ultra pigmented, but I don’t think ultra pigmentation is always necessary (good pigmentation is enough — ultra can actually make a color harder to work with at times!).
The palette is housed in sleek, silver packaging and it’s pretty lightweight. The brush is a throw-in; it’s not spectacular, but it’ll do ya in a pinch. I think they could have gone with a more neutral lip color (I know, gasp!), because I’m not sure that deep of a shade will work for the majority of looks.
Bottom Line: The colors weren’t necessarily to my personal taste, but these are quality shades at an affordable price. It’s hard to beat $30 for this much product!
If you want to know more about how products are evaluated, read out Rating System FAQ!
- Product: 26/30
- Value: 9/10
- Ease of Use: 4/5
- Packaging: 4/5
Recommendation: Still hunting for a holiday palette? Wanting something with variety? Try LORAC!
Availability: LORAC Cosmetics, Ulta
