OVERALL, Naughty Nauticals releases something that will probably tickle your fancy–from the pigments to the pop of red lipstick to the duochrome lustreglass. My favorites from this launch were Loveknot lustreglass, Port Red lipstick, Illegal Cargo eyeshadow, and Mutiny pigment. Anyone who loves pinks for lips should be sure to take a peek at Loveknot and Ensign lustrglasses, and all of the lipsticks (except Port Red) are pink-based.

The Stowaways quad is worth a look, but I think those who don’t have access shouldn’t fear that it is a huge must-have quad!

Skinsheen was out, and the sprays look like typical summer self-tan sprays (I didn’t try it out as I didn’t want to just have a blotch of tan on my arm, ha). I adored the body brush, though; it is so thick and lush and luxurious. I really want it, but it is a bit pricey, and I’m not entirely sure what I would be using it for!

What did you think about the launch?  What were your favorites?  What’d you get, and what did you wish you could get?

Check out detailed reviews of each product, as well as swatches and product photos! Read the rest of this entry »

OVERALL, Dazzleglass introduces sixteen wearable shades of ultra high gloss/sheen lipgloss that’s bound to, ahem, dazzle. It’s great that MAC introduced so many at once just for the fact that you’re bound to be drawn to at least one or two of them! The consistency is thicker than lustreglass, maybe even as thick or thicker than lipglass, but with less stickiness than lipglass (though they still felt a little tacky to me). The glitter doesn’t feel particularly gritty in the swatch, though I personally felt that as they wore away through the day that some did feel gritty. After playing with them a bit, it really does seem like these are colored glosses mixed with reflects glitters–the new ones, the ultra finely milled ones. The texture of the glitter in these is nearly identical to reflects glitters (again, the newer ones that are finely milled). The packaging for this is larger than either lipglass/lustreglass, but it is not a glass tube as far as I could tell–it sounded and felt like plastic (nor were they very heavy), but they are kind of like test tubes. If you love super high reflecting glosses… check these out! They really do look amazing on lips, especially in sunlight (looks like shimmering water!).

• Pleasure Principle is the sheerest of the sixteen Dazzleglasses, primarily because it’s intended to be a very sheer, semi-clear glossy color. Cute to put on top of colors!
• Sugarrimmed is similar to Pleasure Principle, but it’s more of a white with pink undertones in it.
• Bare Necessity is a pale peach color with great iridescence/reflection. If you have paler lips, this would be a great beachy/summery color.
• Baby Sparks is a baby pastel pink with cool reflects, and I see this one being quite popular.
• Rags to Riches is a soft pastel mauvey-pink kind of color with multi-colored reflects.
• Get Rich Quick is a warm brown with pink reflects that is more wearable than you’d think.
• Money, Honey is a darker medium pink with equivalent reflects that go pink and fuchsia-purple. This one stood out the most to me in terms of something I’d wear often.
• Date Night is a dark berry color with a burgundy tone and pink reflects. Very pretty and suited to its name.
• Steppin’ Out is a brighter baby pink than Baby Sparks with warm tones, so I think those who’ve been wanting a light pink gloss will find either or both suitable for them.
• Love Alert is a pink-fuchsia that’s fairly bright, but as the Dazzleglasses are all fairly sheer, it’s wearable.
• Glamour O.D. is a warm pink with coral undertones and pink reflects. It’s a cute color.
• Spanking Rich is a darker pink with peach-berry undertones with multi-colored reflects.
• Like Venus is surprisingly pretty, very much a light purple-pink with light pink reflects. I was tempted by this one!
• Funtabulous is a bright fuchsia-purple color with cool purple reflects. Like Love Alert, it looks quite bold when swatched.
• Ms. Fizz is a medium pink with purple undertones - similar to Steppin’ Out except it does have that purple-fuchsia dimension to it.
• Comet Blue is a cool blue with a little bit of gray undertones. It’s not straight blue, nor pastel blue, but a mix.

See more swatches…  Read the rest of this entry »

OVERALL, Dress Camp is incredibly pretty and chooses good hues/shades to create a very small (and limited!) collection. So while you may have been out of the house while it sold out in less than 24 hours, do not fear, there are known dupes for just about every color launched! I really adore the palette because it is ideal for summer, especially for someone with similar tastes to me (um, I’m all over golds!). The lipglasses are cute, as is the lipstick, but She-Gold is the most impressive out of the three.

Read a detailed review, plus see product photos, swatches, and comparison swatches! Read the rest of this entry »

MAC Mineralize SPF 15 Foundation (Loose) ($29.00) is available in five shades (light, light medium, medium, medum plus, and medium dark), but unfortunately people have found that it does run dark–a few of our paler ladies (NC/NW15s) are saying that light is just too dark for them to get away with. This mineral foundation gives you medium coverage with a “natural finish,” which probably translates into a semi-matte/velvet kind of finish so will be good for those with oily skin.

I picked up Medium Plus, and I’m NC30 — I do feel like it is a little too dark from my complexion, so I might exchange it for Medium when I have the chance. I’m afraid that I might be in-between shades, though, which would really suck! The foundation is very fine-milled and soft, which is great because it makes it easy to buff it into the skin (a key to applying mineral makeup).

I’m personally not a huge fan of the applicator that it comes with (I believe they are calling it a caplicator?), and to be honest, I find that this is incredibly similar to a variety of other mineral foundation applicators (none of which I have loved). The caplicator has a very soft sponge attached to the lid or top of the jar, and I’ve had several MAs tell me that it’s great for touch-ups, but that a brush does a better job for initial application. I have to fully agree about using a brush (I use the 182).

While the packaging isn’t terrible, I would have preferred a jar like MAC’s other loose powders, or even just a wider circle, because my buffer brush doesn’t fit perfectly in it (it’s a bit too big/wide).

The foundation goes on easily, and I don’t find that I get a lot of it flying off my skin or exploding into a powder cloud (like other loose powders/mineral makeup), so I do like that. It gave me decent coverage, and it didn’t make certain acne spots look too dry when it went over them. I wouldn’t say that it exceeds my thus-far holy grail Studio Fix Fluid, but it doesn’t fall far behind it, either.

This is a great product for the upcoming summer months, as it is incredibly lightweight and wears well. I know that in summer I tend to opt for lighter weight coverage and products, just because heat and being outdoors more often tend to make heavier makeup less palatable.

You can purchase this at Nordstrom.com, and it will be appearing in freestanding stores in April.

Pick this up?  What did you think?

OVERALL, Heatherette will impress those who are looking for fabulously hot pink packaging with equally fun colors for their collection. Not everything is as bright as people have made it out to be; all of the lipglasses except Style Minx are very wearable and subdued. Both Fleshpot and Lollipop Loving lipsticks are perfect for summer and not at all crazy or out there in terms of intensity or color. I loved the texture of the new dual edge eye pencils, even though I was only drawn to one of them in particular. The trios were boring for me, personally, because I find them quite dupeable, but the packaging is so slim and sleek it was hard to resist not getting one of the two just for packaging.

Share your impressions of Heatherette!  Don’t forget to submit your product photos & swatches to temptalia@gmail.com!

Lipsticks

• Fleshpot is a light, warm pinky nude that is definitely wearable, especially when topped with a brighter gloss (e.g. underneath Style Minx to tone the lipglass down or Starlet Kiss on top to give you a pale pink lip combination).
• Lollipop Loving is a peachy-pink kind of color with green-gold reflects, which makes it more unique compared to the other lipsticks. I think people will be drawn to this one, much like High Top (from Fafi) in its strange reflects. I see this being an easy everyday color for some pop and fizzle.
• Melrose Mood is a pale bright pink, more intense and better color pay off than Real Doll lipstick from Barbie Loves MAC in 2007. This is probably the least wearable out of the four lipsticks, just because it is incredibly cool and the color itself is bright enough to make some weary.
• Hollywood Nights is a creamy fuchsia-pink with very little reflects and a subtle sheen. I’m reminded of the PRO lipstick colors in its intensity and shade. I personally found this skippable, just because I have so many hot pink lipsticks I rarely wear as is, but it’s a nice one to add to your collection if you’re lacking in that color department!

Lipglasses

• Bonus Beat is this gorgeous, fleshy peachy nude color that will just look lovely on lips. I think this is actually a surprising favorite for me, just because I think it would make a great color on top of other lipsticks. I love the gold shimmer in it.
• Sock Hop is a creamy peach with orange undertones, kind of like a really orange coral (rather than pink). It’s pretty, but I don’t know if I’d reach for it regularly - it does remind me a little bit of Tartlette, in a creamy formula, but it isn’t a dupe.
• Starlet Kiss is better than the typical pink lipglass that comes out with launches, because it is a ilttle brighter and has cool pink-purple reflects. I did find that it is still very similar to the dozens of other pink glosses MAC launches each line. Pretty but not a “OMG, must have this now!” kind of color, if you’ve already indulged before.
• Style Minx is a really pretty dark fuchsia-red gloss with lovely purple shimmer reflects. I like the consistency and intensity of the texture, and for me, this one called out amongst all of the lip products. I have plenty of hot pinks, light pinks, and reds, but this is a combination of hot and dark pink that I couldn’t resist.

• Trio One consists of Hoppin’, which reminds me a lot of Shroom, a soft highlighter with subtle sheen; Mood Ring, an intense, smooth, and rich teal–very much like Aquadisiac with way better consistency and color; and Cloudburst, which has come out before, and is a chalky black with gold reflects. Even though the teal is gorgeous, the other two colors were unimpressive (especially since I have Cloudburst already), so I find this easy to skip.
• Trio Two consists of Baby Petals, which is a highlighter kind of color with pink undertones; V.I.P., which is a nice shade of bright medium pink with very subtle shimmer (reminds me a bit of Da Bling or Living Pink); and Cassette, which is a rich dark purple with glitter, much like Fertile or Fig. 1 (without the shimmer). This trio is really pretty to look at, but again, the colors just aren’t so unique that you can’t replicate them using existing or past products. 

Dual Edge Eye Pencils

• Black Funk/Pop Blue is this really rich and intense black kohl on one end with the other as a bright pop of teal. I picked this one — couldn’t resist the intense black (and the teal is a bonus).
• Nighthawk/Front Row is a duo of a dark, intense black-brown with a complimenting bronzy-gold. Pretty but I didn’t find it necessary.
• Phone Me/Text Me has an intense blue-black on one end with a silver-blue with subtle shimmer on the other end. I was reminded of the soft sparkle pencils with some of these textures, though they are smoother and the glitter isn’t as chunky.
• Fab Orchid/Dash Lily has an intense purple-black on one end with a glittery cool purple on the other end. I felt like this one had the most noticeable and chunky glitter, but the color itself goes on quite smoothly.

Pigments/Glitters

• Jardin Aires is a lovely peachy-gold that makes an excellent base under shadows, cheek highlighter, and even body highlighter. I think this is a really wearable shade, and I definitely recommend it.
• Pink Pearl is one of my favorite pigments, because it just has this lovely duochrome nature to it - pink and purple, truly. It reminds me of Stars ‘N Rockets eyeshadow in pigment form.
• Reflects Gold is a fine translucent glitter with gold reflects and sheen. I liked this more than 3D Silver, but I still didn’t get it since I have no need for something that isn’t eye-safe.
• 3D Silver is a chunky silver glitter color, and honestly, since these aren’t eye-safe, I always find myself yawning.

• Alpha Girl is a smooth, satiny medium pink (not bright, not really cool) that will make for a nice soft flush, and since it doesn’t really have much noticeable shimmer, I think it will work universally.
• Smooth Harmony is a rich tan that goes on smoothly, and I honestly used to use this as a contour color two years ago. It’s going to act as a bronzer for more people than a blusher, but darker skin tones may find it adds a nice glow for them.

 Nail Polishes

• Lola Devine is a creamy pink with a touch of coral-red in i, which is very pretty and perfect for both spring and summer.
• $$$$$ Yes has an interesting name, and it really looks like foil. It’s that bright and gives off quite a bit of sheen. I don’t see myself wearing this one, but I know others will just die for its metallic finish.

OVERALL, as a blush lover, this collection agrees with me! I think the colors are all vibrant and wearable, though some moreso than others. I really loved Joyous and True Romantic the most, and I will definitely be grabbing these. The texture for all of these is satiny, silky, and just smooth, while the intensity and color pay off is amazing–consistently good across all eight blushes. I’m so happy to be able to have colors that are true-to-pot, because there’s nothing worse than being impressed by the color you see, but disappointed when it goes on!  These will not leave you disappointed in the least–and a plus for addicts?  These look exactly like blushes in terms of size, shape, and packaging, which means you can depot if you wish!  In my opinion, the name “beauty powder blushes” attempts to convey that the texture is like beauty powders (silky, soft, velvety) with the characteristics of a blush (more intense color, size, shape). 

Feel free to share or submit your swatches and product photos for the beauty powder blushes!  Link them in the comments or send them to temptalia@gmail.com. Thanks!

• Eversun is a subdued shade of peachy-brown with low level shimmer (more like just a touch of sheen). It reminds me of a warmer, peachier bronzing kind of color, and I think it’d be fab during summer as a great part of a minimal look.
• Feeling is a dirty plum-pink with some raspberry in it. It reminds me of a warmer, more wearable Ablaze blush. No real visible shimmer, very much like Eversun in texture.
• Joyous is a fun shade of bright pink with peach undertones and gold sheen. I think this is one of my favorites, because the color is so warm and perfect for spring.
• Secret Blush is a dirty mauve with brown undertones that would make a nice choice for night time looks. I did find this was a little chalkier than the rest (but I wouldn’t classify it as chalky, just in comparison to the other seven blushes).

• Serenely is a dark brick red kind of color with gold sheen. It is pretty intense, so it is important to use a light hand with this color in particular. I don’t know if I would personally purchase this one, just because I would so rarely use it, but it looks divine in the pot and as a swatch!
• Shy Beauty is a light pale pink with peachy undertones and light sheen/shimmer. I think this is going to be the most wearable shade, because I think it will work well on a variety of skin tones.
• Sweetness is an incredibly bright pink with blue undertones, making it quite cool overall. It is unlike past cool blushes (e.g. Don’t Be Shy), but it does remind me of a more intense Pink Swoon blush. It’s pretty, but it’s so cool that I don’t know how wearable it would be on myself and others. Light handedness is a must for this!
• True Romantic is a warm pink with mauvey-rose undertones with subtle sheen. This is my other favorite from the launch, because it is just a gorgeous shade. It will be pleasant used lightly to add color to cheeks, but it can be used more generously for an absolutely divine night time flush. It reminds me of Afterdusk blush, but with a way better texture and more pink than mauve.

Natural Light

Flash

Natural Light

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Strobe launched today (United States, Canada), and I believe it is already available internationally (as is next week’s Beauty Powder Blush launch, lucky ducks!). 

OVERALL, Strobe offers a new line of Tinted Lip Conditioners with both UVA/UVB SPF-15 protection ($14.50) that come in sheer, shimmery shades.  They’re soft, moisturizing, and give just a hint (or tint, HA!) of color.  I found Strobe Liquid to be exactly that–liquid–compared to the original cream version.  If you have oily skin, the liquid version may give you reason to check it out, whereas the cream is thicker (but I prefer it, still).

Read a detailed review of each item… Read the rest of this entry »

OVERALL, the launch is great because it offers twenty shades of Slimshines that are all permanent to the MAC Cosmetics line. This means that you can happily have a favorite that you can repurchase again and again–not to mention you don’t have to rush out and buy all twenty for fear of them selling out and missing out! The Slimshine formula is very creamy and smooth, more moisturizing than most lipsticks, and the color pay off is fairly decent. I personally find that Slimshines do not last nearly as long as a typical lipstick, because of how creamy they are, you tend to put on more product and it seems like you get less than in a tube of lipstick. The texture/formula is non-sticky, and they are quite glossy/high sheen, which is a plus for those who have no love for lipglass because of its tackiness. My personal favorites were Grenadine, Intimidate, Rock Out, Voile, Gaily, and Scant.

• Assertive is a rose with red and peach undertones and gold shimmer that goes on fairly sheerly.
• Bare is a smooth pale gray-pink with little shimmer but lots of shine. I would consider this in the same family as Blankety lipstick.
• Cocoamour is a warm brown with gold shimmer with decent color but is still buildable. I like the golden shimmer in this, though I think the brown color is still too dark for my lips (alone, at least).
• Funshine is a warm medium pink with no real shimmer but is incredibly glossy with fairly good color pay off. The name is true–this color just seems fun.
• Gaily is a coral-red with little shimmer and lots of high sheen; it’s pretty and I think those who find true reds too bold, this may be a nice subtler red.
• Grenadine is a deep raspberry red with little shimmer and good color pay off. This is a definite favorite of mine, but when am I not attracted to this color family?
• Lovey Dove is a sheer strawberry peach kind of color with low level shimmer (gold sheen perhaps). Nice, but not a stand out color for me.
• Intimidate is a pink with purple-gray undertones with good opacity. It is a nice color, kind of an easy-to-wear shade for casual days.
• Long Stem Rose is a gorgeous shimmery medium pink with golden sheen that goes on sheerly but is somewhat buildable. I like this as a great color for light makeup days.
• Missy is a warm orange-peach kind of color, more wearable than say Vegas Volt, but still one of the bolder colors of the twenty.
• Most Wanted is a very dark burgundy with red and gold shimmer–more shimmer than most of the other Slimshines. I liked it, but I think it may be too vampy for my skintone.
• Mousse is a glossy warm caramel brown with little to no shimmer. It’s not a color I could wear (honestly, browns and I don’t seem to get along!), but I think it’s a great color for others.
• Pleasing is a mauvy kind of color, fairly light and sheer, with subtle golden pearl reflects. It’s a nice everyday shade.
• Prudeaux is a lovely glossy burgundy color–much like Most Wanted–without a lot of shimmer. It does go on more sheerly than Most Wanted, as well, which may make it a better option for the majority.
• Rock Out is this year’s “Kissable.” It is a bright fuchsia pink with subtle golden-pink shimmer, and the color pay off is decent.
• Scant is a deep red-plum with gold shimmer and lots of sheen. I like that it has a lot of color when it goes on, which is always a good thing in my book.
• Think Tan is a dark brown with red shimmer in it that goes on fairly sheerly. I’d love to see someone wear this, just because I can’t imagine it on me.
• Ultra Elegant is a darker coral/peach color with brown undertones. I think this may make a great base underneath brighter lipglasses or glosses.
• Urgent! is the “red” of the launch, but it is a very sheer, glossy red (seems blue-based to me). Pretty, but since it isn’t opaque, I’m not that interested in it.
• Voile is one of my favorites, because it so pretty swatched. It is a pale yellow with lots of golden shimmer. It seems more like a gloss than a lipstick, since it doesn’t provide much color on its own.

Check out two more swatch photos… Read the rest of this entry »

OVERALL, Fafi offers a lot of bright girly colors, lots of pinks, for this launch. There’s a few surprising colors that popped up, more sophisticated with darker tones or less shimmer, so I think most will find an item or two to pick up. I really liked the lip products, because of the cute, girliness of it all, but I would say that they’re not all unique so you could pass easily on some of them. The paint pots have excellent textures–they are all incredibly creamy, rich, and the color pay off is divine for all of them. I liked the quad with the green and peach-orange shadows, because I feel like you get more for your money, since the other quad has two permanent eyeshadows in it and the other two colors aren’t enough to persuade me to buy it anyway. I loved Sassed Up iridescent powder, and the blushes were lovely, but I’m not sure if I’ll cave for those yet. Oh, and by the way, the designs on the products are stickers, not actually printed on the products, which is a huge disappointment. It just seems cheap to me, and I know it’ll wear off easily (and heaven forbid it gets wet!). I wasn’t completely blown away by the launch personally, but I think it is a fun collection that offers just that, some fun. I picked up only a few items yesterday, because I’m going to a Fafi event on the 10th, so I’ll probably get more then. I just got Fun N Sexy lipstick, Squeeze It lipglass, and Cash Flow paint pot (plus, I had to get some PRO products, of course!).

See swatches here!  Read a detailed review… Read the rest of this entry »

OVERALL, N Colour impressed me more than N Face, but it is not a collection that anyone should avoid because they dislike neutrals/nudes. I feel that it does offer a little something to everyone; you have two new mineralize skinfinishes, with one that is suitable to nearly everyone, while the eyeshadows are gorgeous with lovely color pay off and finishes. The nail lacquers were a little disappointing, but I kind of had a feeling I would be passing on them in the end (me wear brown polish? so doubtful!). I know paint pots have a huge following since their introduction, and I don’t think that either Quite Natural or Soft Ochre will disappoint. The stand outs in my opinion were 3N lipstick, 4N lipglass, Modest Tone eyeshadow, Nanogold eyeshadow, Neutral Pink eyeshadow, and Soft Ochre paint pot.

What did you get/will you get?  Favorites?  Feel free to share your swatches in the comments or e-mailing me your photos (and I’ll post them).

Check out more swatches and in-depth reviews for individual products… Read the rest of this entry »