Lipstick Queen 9 Minutes of Fame Pop Art Gloss
The Scarlet Season: Lipstick Queen 9 Minutes of Fame Pop Art Gloss
Lipstick Queen 9 Minutes of Fame Pop Art Gloss ($16.50 for 1.45ml/0.05 oz.) is a semi-opaque medium red gloss. It comes in a twist-up brush-type applicator, which isn’t my favorite delivery method (it’s the germaphobe in me), but the color is really pretty. It almost seems like it enhances your natural lip color in such a way that it doesn’t really look like you’re wearing a lipstick or gloss — it’s like the color becomes your lips, and then it’s just glossiness after that. It wears well and feels hydrating! It’s non-sticky, contains no shimmer, and is pretty lightweight.
I do have to mention that this product seems awfully pricey, because a typical gloss (e.g. MAC Lipglass) has 4.2ml for $14… this is not even half as much.
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!
See more swatches and comparison photos… Continue reading →
MAC The Lap of Luxury Lipgloss
MAC Baroque Boudoir Collection: Lipgloss & Lipstick Lip Swatches
As promised, here are lip swatches for the new, limited edition lipglosses and lipsticks from MAC’s Baroque Boudoir Collection. My lip swatches are always done trying to use what the “reasonable” user would use — so I’m not in the business of spending ten minutes layering a lipstick on nor will I goop on gloss just to get it to show!
I mentioned earlier, in the individual reviews, but D’Nouveau was the most pigmented of the lipglosses, and all three lipsticks were fairly opaque.
See swatches… Continue reading →
MAC Baroque Boudoir Collection: Lipsticks
Every year, MAC presents us with a very limited edition, small-sized collection that’s decked out in more luxe packaging accompanied by equally more luxe prices. This year’s collection is Baroque Boudoir, which is in matte silver with shiny silver and black filigree overlay. This year’s collection contains a whopping nine items to covet: three lipsticks, three lipglosses, two shades of Sheer Mystery Powder, and a clutch.
The lipsticks are creamy, contain no shimmer, tend to be a little more pigmented, and apply more opaquely on lips, though this year’s are less pigmented than some of the previous years’ launches. Like the Lipglosses, I felt like these shades weren’t particularly special or standout. I’m am surprised, yet again, to not see a really excellent holiday red launched. And again, the price on these? Really obscene. They’re definitely not better than MAC’s lipsticks at $14 a pop; you could say these are, perhaps, a little more moisturizing, but not any more so than MAC’s Amplified Creme finish.
P.S. – I will do lip swatches this afternoon!
Baroque Boudoir Lipstick ($22.00 U.S. / $26.00 CDN)
- Prive is a blue-based medium pink with a light sheen. It’s creamy, and it goes on so-so, not totally opaque, but still adds plenty of color to my lips. It reminded me of a more subtle Speed Dial Lipstick.
- Baroque Boudoir is a plummy brown with a light sheen. It’s semi-opaque (you can kind of tell in the swatch) both on the skin and on the lips. I think it’s similar to Spice It Up! (a little redder) or Sheer Plum (a little browner) Lipstick.
- Treasured is a creamy, semi-opaque neutral beige. MAC says it’s warm, it seemed neutral on me. It really didn’t jump out at me as warm (I almost wanted to say it was cool!). It reminded me of Jubilee! or even a more pigmented Fresh Brew Lipstick.
Let me also give you a quick run-down of the Sheer Mystery Powder, which I chose not to spend solely for the sake of photographing it. My bottom line is I don’t think it’s a particularly good pressed powder, and therefore not even close to being worth the $60 price tag attached to it. The compact is very similar to the Hello Kitty Kouture compacts, just with different embellishments. It’s also similar to Monogram’s from last year. It has some heft to it, but it’s not too heavy (unlike Couture and Stylistic’s compacts).
Sheer Mystery Powder is an extremely lightweight pressed powder. I find it a little too dusty and chalky to really enjoy it, and the shade range is incredibly limited. As NC30, I felt too dark for Light Medium and yet too light for Medium Plus. If you love the packaging, there’s no shame in purchasing it for the compact alone! If it makes you happy, it makes me happy! (Please note, the rating below is only for the lipsticks. For the compact, I’d give it an overall score of C for an average product housed in an overpriced compact.)
If you want to know more about how products are evaluated, read out Rating System FAQ! 
- Product: 28/30
- Value: 6/10
- Ease of Use: 4/5
- Packaging: 5/5
Recommendation: Like the Lipglosses, if you’re a big fan of the packaging, you might find it’s worth picking up one or two!
Availability: MAC Cosmetics
See more photos and swatches… Continue reading →
MAC Baroque Boudoir Lipgloss: The Lap of Luxury, Preciousness, D’Nouveau
MAC Baroque Boudoir Collection: Lipglosses
Every year, MAC presents us with a very limited edition, small-sized collection that’s decked out in more luxe packaging accompanied by equally more luxe prices. This year’s collection is Baroque Boudoir, which is in clear packaging with filigree in semi-opaque white overlayed (but to be sure, they’re not stickers). This year’s collection contains a whopping nine items to covet: three lipsticks, three lipglosses, two shades of Sheer Mystery Powder, and a clutch.
The lipglosses are creamy, hydrating, and they’re non-sticky. They do feel a lot like MAC’s Cremesheen Glass, to be honest. They’re about as sheer, too! The glosses themselves are quality and feel very nice on the lips, but my big issue with these is that they’re just out of sync with MAC pricing (which is part of the point of their luxe collection, I’m sure).
They’re not any better or worse than MAC’s Lustreglass (these are completely non-sticky, Lustreglass is mostly non-sticky), which is priced at $14. I will also point out that this year’s shade range is less unique than years’ past, which is a little disappointing. Pretty colors, but you can find decent dupes or similar shades in the permanent range.
P.S. – I will do lip swatches this afternoon!
Baroque Boudoir Lipgloss ($22.00 U.S. / $26.00 CDN)
- The Lap of Luxury is a sheer, peachy-melon nude with pink shimmer. On my lips, there’s really not much too it: glossy lips with a little bit of peach and pink shimmer. This shade reminded me of Enchantress Lipglass or Love Nectar Lustreglass.
- Preciousness is an icy pink with a little bit of lilac in it. It is fairly sheer and sort of gives my lips a milky look to them, but it doesn’t add much color, mostly pinky-purple sparkle from the shimmer. This reminded me a lot of Cultured Lipglass or a slightly more purple Luminary Lustreglass (though it’s less noticeably different when applied on lips).
- D’Nouveau is a raspberry-ish color base with lighter pink and copper flecks of shimmer throughout. It was the most pigmented of the three, but I’d still consider it fairly sheer. It brightened up and added a rosier look to my lips along with the shimmer. I was immediately reminded of Star Nova Lustreglass. This is also kind of like a more berry version of Love Alert Dazzleglass.
If you want to know more about how products are evaluated, read out Rating System FAQ!
- Product: 28/30
- Value: 6/10
- Ease of Use: 4/5
- Packaging: 5/5
Recommendation: If you’re a fan of the packaging or love non-sticky, creamy glosses like Cremesheen Glass, you might find these worth the splurge.
Availability: MAC Cosmetics
See more photos and swatches… Continue reading →
Make Up For Ever #205 Lipstick
The Scarlet Season: Make Up For Ever #205 Lipstick
Make Up For Ever #205 Lipstick
($19.00 for 0.13 oz.) is a deep, blue-based red. It’s fairly bright and most definitely noticeable, but it’s deep enough that it doesn’t come off too bright. It has a slightly glossy sheen, and it’s surprisingly hydrating. One of the best parts about Make Up For Ever’s lipsticks is how well they wear and how long they wear for. I find I get no less than four solid hours of amazing wear, but it easily extends into six or more, if I’ve only eaten a light meal or had one or two drinks. #205 is richly pigmented, goes opaque in just one layer, and it hugs lips.
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!
See more swatches and comparison photos… Continue reading →
Chanel Passion Rouge Allure Lipstick
The Scarlet Season: Chanel Passion Rouge Allure Lipstick
Chanel Passion Rouge Allure Lipstick ($30.00 for 0.12 oz.) is a richly pigmented, medium bright red that leans only slightly blue, but otherwise reads fairly neutral on my lips. It applies easily and evenly (though it should be worn with a lip liner to keep it inside the lines so-to-speak) and has a glossy sheen. I like how hydrating the Rouge Allure formula is, and I can appreciate the high level of pigmentation that accompanies it, too. It doesn’t compete against Chanel’s Dragon for me, but it’s a very nice, more color and no shimmer kind of red lip color that’s nice on other occasions.
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!
See more swatches and comparison photos… Continue reading →
