Thursday, May 2nd, 2013

MAC Temperature Rising Eyeshadow Quad
MAC Temperature Rising Eyeshadow Quad

MAC Temperature Rising Eyeshadow Quad ($44.00 for 0.19 oz.) includes these shades: Performance Art (frosted gold mauve, Veluxe Pearl)), Temperature Rising (light warm tanned peach, Lustre), Swelter (mid-tone grey violet, Frost), and Beautymarked (charcoal black with red pearl, Velvet). Beautymarked is part of the permanent range. The quad will be available online on May 16th and in-stores May 23rd (of course, it usually is online earlier than the stated date). It is packaged in a matte bronze with a rubbery texture–if you’re familiar with NARS’ packaging, it’s very much like that, only bronze in color.

Performance Art is is a pinky mauve with a dusting of very fine gold shimmer. It had good color payoff and applied smooth overall, though it was a smidgen dry. MAC Smoky Mauve is purpler and darker. Jasmine Carpet is darker and purpler. Tarte Frozen Hot Chocolate is slightly darker. NARS 413 BLKR #1 appears cooler-toned. Wet ‘n’ Wild We’re Blasting Off #3 is cooler-toned.

Temperature Rising is copper-shimmered peach with a soft, frosted sheen. It was very stiff to work with, and it really needed to be layered and packed on to get visible, even color both swatched and on the eye. Estee Lauder Pink Zinc is lighter (and a cream product). Chanel Complice is lighter. MAC Seaside is more coppery. Chanel Emerveille is a cream product and is less coppery. MAC Expensive Pink is pinker, darker.

Swelter is a muted, medium-dark purple with subtle red undertones and a satiny sheen. It had decent to good color payoff, but it was a little stiff to work with. When I jabbed at it with a stiffer brush, I was able to get better color payoff. MAC Smoky Mauve is more frosted. Jasmine Carpet is very similar. NARS 413 BLKR #1 is grayer, cooler-toned. MAC Circa Plum is extremely similar.

Beautymarked is a blackened brown with burgundy and copper micro-shimmer. It was dry, somewhat chalky, and generally stiff and difficult to blend. Applied, it looks mostly like a matte black, but if you mix it or blend it with Swelter, you can bring out more of the shimmer in Beautymarked. Giorgio Armani #2 is similar in concept but has a much more pronounced shimmer/sparkle. L’Oreal Smoldering Plum is purpler. MAC Young Punk has more purple shimmer.

The real miss here was Beautymarked, which had a rather undesirable texture that made it a problematic shade to use. It’s also the kind of shade that looks incredibly complex in the pan but when used, it can be difficult to pull out those nuances and see the complexities. Performance Art was the best eyeshadow in this quad, because it had good pigmentation and a softer, smoother texture and application. Temperature Rising needs to be packed on for a smooth, even application. I wish it performed better overall, because the color combination works well together and would flatter a variety of skin tones. The eyeshadows did wear for eight hours with no creasing and only very minor fading with minor fading occurring after nine hours.

The Glossover

palette

Temperature Rising

B
I wish it performed better overall, because the color combination works well together and would flatter a variety of skin tones.

Product

8/10

Pigmentation

8.5/10

Texture

8/10

Longevity

9/10

Application

4/5

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Wednesday, May 1st, 2013

MAC Altered Beige Lipstick
MAC Altered Beige Lipstick

MAC Temperature Rising Lipsticks ($16.50 for 0.10 oz.) will be available in four new and limited edition shades: Altered Beige (creamy yellow beige, lustre), Caliente (super dazzle violet, dazzle), Feel My Pulse (vivid magenta violet, cremesheen), and Sheer Seduction (super dazzle bronze, dazzle).

Altered Beige is a warm-toned, pinky beige with a frosted finish and semi-sheer to semi-opaque color. I felt like the frost made it appear more opaque, but a lot of the natural lip color will come through, given that it’s a lustre (which is a sheerer formula). It lasted two and a half hours on me. Giorgio Armani Moonlight Beige #4 is similar. MAC Pure Zen is pinker. Giorgio Armani #111 is similar, slightly warmer. MAC Tropical Mist is very sheer on me but the two have a similar effect. MAC Japanese Maple is similar. MAC Marquise d’ is pinker. Revlon Creme Brulee is also similar.

Caliente is a brown-toned burgundy with red, copper, and burgundy sparkle. Dazzle finish isn’t one that pops up often, but it is a very sparkle-packed lipstick; the grit is less than glitter, but it’s more than shimmer. I find that these are moderately gritty about halfway through wear, and some of the sparkle travels outside of the natural lip. The effect can be very interesting and fun, but there are some downsides that you’ll have to weigh. Because of the sparkle, it can feel a little rough (not painful, not horrible, but not as creamy or as smooth) when applied. The other thing that I’m not crazy about with the Dazzle finishes is that they tend to have splotchy base colors. Caliente is true to form; slightly gritty after two hours, a definite grit you can feel in the bullet itself, some sparkle goes on a voyage across the plains of your face, and the color isn’t totally even. It lasted three hours on me. MAC Infused with Glam is warmer, more coppery. MAC Snazzy Dazzle is more plum, pinker. MAC Oh, Oh, Oh is more plum, less brown. MAC Subverted is browner, redder, deeper.

Feel My Pulse is a magenta purple with a soft, almost frosted sheen. It has mostly opaque color payoff with a little bit of translucency. It looks a bit purpler in the tube than on, which I imagine is the natural pink tones pulling out the pink on the lip. It lasted four and a half hours on me. MAC Heroine is purpler. Maybelline Brazen Berry is similar but glossier in finish. MAC Seductive Intent is purpler. MAC Style Curve is close in color but has a slight pearl in its finish. MAC Love Forever is pinker. MAC Spitfire is a bit pinker.

Sheer Seduction is a warm, orange-copper with copper sparkle. This shade also has a Dazzle finish, so it does feel a little gritty when initially applied, and as it wears away, the texture of the sparkle becomes more noticeable on the lips. The color payoff is more semi-opaque and even compared to Caliente. There were a few stray sparkles that abandoned lips while I wore it. It lasted three hours on me. OCC Authentic is darker and more metallic (rather than sparkly). LUSH Vibrance is brighter with more of a golden shimmer. Chanel Sari d’Eau is redder in tone. MAC Hot Sass is more subdued.

When it comes to Caliente and Sheer Seduction, they’re going to be love-it-or-hate-it products, because of the finish. If you love the sparkle, you might not care about the texture. But if you’re really concerned about texture, creaminess, and comfort, you’ll probably dislike this finish on the whole. It’s just one of those formulas that leaves something to be desired but the finish may be unique or fun enough to put up with (for some).  Altered Beige and Feel My Pulse both feel like shades we’ve seen from MAC quite often and recently.

The Glossover

product

Altered Beige

C+
These were gorgeous in their tubes and fun to photograph, but I wasn't loving the wear and feel of the Dazzle finishes. The other two were better but less interesting given recent releases.

Product

7.5/10

Pigmentation

8.5/10

Texture

8.5/10

Longevity

6/10

Application

4/5

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product

Caliente

B-

Product

8/10

Pigmentation

8.5/10

Texture

8/10

Longevity

7.5/10

Application

4/5

product

Feel My Pulse

A-

Product

9/10

Pigmentation

10/10

Texture

8.5/10

Longevity

8.5/10

Application

4.5/5

product

Sheer Seduction

B-

Product

8.5/10

Pigmentation

8.5/10

Texture

8/10

Longevity

7.5/10

Application

4.5/5

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Wednesday, May 1st, 2013

MAC Sun Dipped Pro Longwear Bronzing Powder
MAC Sun Dipped Pro Longwear Bronzing Powder

MAC Sun Dipped Pro Longwear Bronzing Powder ($30.00 for 0.42 oz.) is described as a “dirty red tone.” It’s a subtly warm-toned, medium-dark tan brown with a slight gray cast and a golden shimmer-sheen finish. Illamasqua Disobey is warmer and matte. MAC Golden is lighter.

Sun Dipped is just as fantastic as Nude on Board, which is always a good sign, because consistency is really an underrated characteristic. It has the same creamy, buttery, silky-smooth texture that elevates this product from good to great. The pigmentation is buildable, as described, and can be applied sheerly, semi-sheerly, or more moderately. This particular shade almost has a shadowy tint to it, so it might work as a contour for some (though I hesitate to mention that, because it is shimmery and contour powders tend to be more matte, but as this blends out, the shimmer turns into a very subtle sheen so it looks rather natural). When I wore Sun Dipped yesterday, it wore well for a full nine hours and only had slight fading after ten hours.

The Glossover

product

Sun Dipped

A+
The texture is phenomenal; so soft and silky but never powdery. It sits well on the skin and looks natural. Plus, it wears well!

Product

10/10

Pigmentation

10/10

Texture

10/10

Longevity

10/10

Application

5/5

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Wednesday, May 1st, 2013

MAC Nude on Board Pro Longwear Bronzing Powder
MAC Nude on Board Pro Longwear Bronzing Powder

MAC Nude on Board Pro Longwear Bronzing Powder ($30.00 for 0.42 oz.) is described as a “bronzy yellow tone.” It’s a warm-toned, medium tan brown with a subtle golden shimmer-sheen. Dior Coral Glow Bronzer is more orange, brighter. Illamasqua Disobey is similar, slightly browner, and totally matte. Burberry Summer Glow is warmer, browner. MAC Give Me Sun is not quite as warm-toned.

I LOVE. LOVE. LOVE. the Pro Longwear Bronzing Powders, and I’m so happy to see their return this year. The first thing you’ll notice is how utterly silky-smooth the texture is. It’s buttery, creamy, lightweight, and extremely finely-milled. It’s so soft, but it’s not powdery. Nude on Board blends out effortlessly, and it sits well on the skin without emphasizing pores. It’s supposed to give “sheer-low transparent coverage,” plus long-wear and with a natural finish.

Just to double-check the awesomeness that is the Pro Longwear Bronzing Powder formula, I re-tested wear, and I didn’t have any noticeable fading until the tenth hour.  The color payoff is buildable, and it’s a subtle bronzer but it can be layered to more intense payoff, if desired.

The Glossover

product

Nude on Board

A+
I would recommend Nude on Board for those who prefer warmer bronzers (particularly those with naturally warm undertones).

Product

10/10

Pigmentation

10/10

Texture

10/10

Longevity

10/10

Application

5/5

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Tuesday, April 30th, 2013

MAC Copper Strip Powerchrome Eye Pencil
MAC Copper Strip Powerchrome Eye Pencil

MAC Powerchrome Eye Pencils ($21.00 for 0.055 oz.) are a new product being launched in the collection. The new formula will be available in four shades: Copper Strip (frosty mid-tone copper), Life’s Luxury (deep bronze brown), Polished Jet (charcoal with pearl), and Rich Glance (light gold).

Copper Strip is a warm, coppery bronze with a soft, frosted finish. It had good color payoff in a single pass, and it was creamy enough to apply without tugging or pulling on the lid. Make Up For Ever #22E is a bit lighter. Clinique Fuller Fudge looks nearly identical. MAC Eclair is also very similar. Maybelline Bad to the Bronze is less coppery.

Life’s Luxury is a deepened, warm-toned bronze brown with coppery-red pearl. It had nice color payoff in a single pass and was buildable on the lid. I don’t have it myself, but a guest swatched NYX’s pencil range here, and Black Bean seems rather similar. Benefit Bronze Have More Fun is warmer. Bobbi Brown Bark doesn’t have the frost/shimmer finish.

Polished Jet is a soft, gray-black with silver sparkle. It had decent pigmentation in a single pass but was more buildable. Urban Decay Mercury is bluer. Urban Decay Barracuda is similar. Maybelline Audacious Asphalt is lighter.

Rich Glance is a warm-toned, champagne beige with a metallic sheen. Urban Decay Midnight Cowboy is a bit darker. Urban Decay Sin is pinker. NYX Yogurt is also pinker. Maybelline Barely Branded is lighter. MAC Mooncake is darker and more glittery.

The first thing I noticed was these seemed small; smaller in overall size compared to other jumbo eyeshadow pencils, but the weight is only 0.055 oz. To put this in perspective, consider these competing brands’ jumbo pencils: Make Up For Ever at 0.14 oz., NARS at 0.14 oz., Urban Decay at 0.10 oz., and Clinique at 0.10 oz. It’s only slightly more than your average eyeliner pencil (which is usually 0.04 oz.)–and MAC is more expensive, by the ounce, than all of those brands but even just ignoring the size, only NARS’ is more expensive ($24).

I wore all four shades yesterday, and they lasted for eleven hours without creasing. There was some very slight fading, but it was minimal and all four shades looked mostly intact.  These set nearly instantly, which makes them harder to blend together.  I recommend working very quickly if you use multiple shades and one eye at a time.  I ended up “blending” by lightly stippling color over the shade next to it and using the pencil’s tip to sort of blend the two together, because most of the brushes I tried weren’t getting the job done.  As far as brushes went, NARS’ Small Dome Brush worked the best for blending. The formula is lightly creamy; each pencil glided across skin well and didn’t pull or tug, and there was a good amount of color payoff without having to go back and forth.  

If you used this as a base or only one or two at a time, I think they’d be easier to use. I also tried using two shades as eyeliners, and they held up well–there was some slight thinning apparent after eight hours of wear but no migration or smudging. Lastly, these do require sharpening, so there will be some waste (which is certainly a bummer, given how little product there is!).

The Glossover

product

Copper Strip

A-

The formula is lightly creamy; each pencil glided across skin well and didn't pull or tug, and there was a good amount of color payoff without having to go back and forth. If you used this as a base or only one or two at a time, I think they'd be easier to use.

Product

8.5/10

Pigmentation

9.5/10

Texture

9/10

Longevity

9.5/10

Application

4/5

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product

Life's Luxury

A-

Product

8.5/10

Pigmentation

9.5/10

Texture

9/10

Longevity

9.5/10

Application

4/5

product

Polished Jet

A-

Product

8.5/10

Pigmentation

9.5/10

Texture

9/10

Longevity

9.5/10

Application

4/5

product

Rich Glance

A-

Product

8.5/10

Pigmentation

9.5/10

Texture

9/10

Longevity

9.5/10

Application

4/5

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Tuesday, April 30th, 2013

MAC Hot Nights Blush
MAC Hot Nights Blush

MAC Hot Nights Blush ($23.00 for 0.21 oz.) is described as a “mid-tone berry pink [with a frost finish].” It’s a bright, bold raspberry pink with a satiny sheen (not very frosted at all). MAC Prom Princess is lighter. NARS Mata Hari is bit lighter, less cool-toned. Tom Ford Narcissist is much brighter and bolder, more magenta. MAC Supernova is very similar. Tom Ford Wicked is lighter, more shimmery. MAC Amazon Princess is also similar.

Hot Nights is very intense–it has amazingly rich color payoff!  In a blush, this is excellent news for deeper skin tones, while it can be taken with less enthusiasm from those with very fair complexions.  For fairer complexions, I recommend using a very light hand, a soft brush, preferably a stippling one.  I applied this using MAC’s fan brush (184), and it was still quite intense even on my medium skin tone. Though rich in color, the texture itself was slightly dry, and I felt like trying to blend such a pigmented blush on my cheeks took a lot of doing. I ended up blending more foundation along the edges to soften them!  Hot Nights wore for eight hours well, and after nine hours, it was beginning to fade.

The Glossover

product

Hot Nights

A-
My biggest complaint is the drier texture made it less blendable on, and when something this intense is tough to blend, it can be difficult to get smooth, even color.

Product

9/10

Pigmentation

10/10

Texture

8.5/10

Longevity

9/10

Application

4/5

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