Fun to Use, Fun to Wear, But So, So Sparkly!

Guerlain Liu Shimmer Powder Face & Body ($88.00 for 0.61 oz.) is a loose iridescent powder that is dispersed by squeezing a black bulb. It’s really the elegant packaging that attracts the most attention, I’d say. It’s very fun to squeeze and spray the powder. I’d describe the particle size as sparkle; larger than shimmer, smaller than micro-glitter–looks very fine on, but it’s too much for just a subtle glow or highlight to the face. For a fun holiday look, one could surely use it on the face, but it’s not an everyday-kind of sparkle. I like it best in hair, decolletage, and legs. It’s a lot like Chanel Reverie but with a sheerer base and more sparkle. MAC Silver Dusk is more silvered, but it is also similar.

Trying to photograph this product was like trying to track down a mythical creature and proving it exists. I tried and tried but could not capture it actually used. But I swear to you that it twinkles and dances and sparkles in person. I have it sprayed on my right forearm as I’m writing this review, and it’s all quite lovely. The scent of Liu is very, very subtle. I’ve never smelled the original fragrance, and on me, the powder smells like warm vanilla, light florals, and something a little woody. If you wanted this as a scent, I’d look to the actual fragrance, because this is just barely scented.

It’s not a product I would go-to and wear if I knew I was going to be photographed lots and lots, particularly with flash photography, because sometimes the particles get all lit up and look like little bits of dirt.  For the average holiday party and occasion, it would be a luxurious accessory.  I’d opt for one of Guerlain’s Meteorites or luminizing powders over this for a more practical product at this price point, but Liu will add a fine veil of sparkling gold anywhere you spray it.  Sparkle lovers who long for luxe packaging may see this as a match made in heaven. It’s one of those products you either love completely and wait for every holiday season, or one of those, “So what?” products you know you’ll never use.

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Guerlain Liu Shimmer Powder Face & Body

Guerlain Liu Shimmer Powder Face & Body

Guerlain Liu Shimmer Powder Face & Body

Guerlain Liu Shimmer Powder Face & Body

Guerlain Liu Shimmer Powder Face & Body

Guerlain Liu Shimmer Powder Face & Body

Guerlain Liu Shimmer Powder Face & Body

Guerlain Liu Shimmer Powder Face & Body

Not Everything is How It Appears

Make Up For Ever #302 Holodiam Powder ($25.00 for 0.035 oz.) is described as “plum with pink, purple, and turquoise highlights.” Alone, it has a strong reddish copper base with flecks of pink and teal sparkle. When I layered it over a black eyeliner, it appeared as a blue-teal. Ultimately, how it looks and what color comes out depends on the base, so it will take on different characteristics over different colored bases as well as with different viewing angles.

Because of its duo- (or triple) chrome finish, it’s a very versatile product.  It’s described as an “extremely fine loose powder with a pearlescent finish.”  Make Up For Ever recommends it for use on eyes and cheeks and used dry for a softer effect and wet for something more intense.  They do advise using some sort of setting/fixing spray or sealer.  It is a very fine micro-glitter; it feels larger than shimmer or powder (more texture than the Star Powders but finer than traditional glitter).

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Make Up For Ever #302 Holodiam Powder

Make Up For Ever #302 Holodiam Powder

Make Up For Ever #302 Holodiam Powder

Make Up For Ever #302 Holodiam Powder

Make Up For Ever #302 Holodiam Powder

Make Up For Ever #302 Holodiam Powder

Make Up For Ever #302 Holodiam Powder

Make Up For Ever #302 Holodiam Powder

If It Matches, Sculpt Away!

MAC Pro Sculpting Creams ($20.00 for 0.17 oz.) are described as a “cream-to-powder formula for sculpting and shaping key features … [s]ilky-smooth, easy-to-blend and neutrally-shaded.” It’s supposed to have sheer-to-medium buildable coverage.

• Accentuate is a pale white beige with mostly neutral undertones–it almost pulls a smidgen pink on me.
• Coffee Walnut is a gray-ish medium-dark brown with subdued, orange-tan undertones. It has a slight green-cast.
• Copper Beach is a medium-tan with strong orange undertones. If anything, this shade seemed more appropriate as a bronzer.
• Naturally Defined is a light-medium beige with mostly neutral undertones–perhaps a smidgen warm.
• Pure Sculpture is a softened tan brown. It’s not as orange as Copper Beach–more subdued.
• Richly Honed is a dark brown with warm, reddish undertones.

I think the shades in MAC’s Sculpting powder range (which is permanent at PRO stores) are better-colored for contouring, because they’re much more shadowy, and these tended to be rather warm-toned. When you contour, you’re emphasizing or adding shadows, and when you highlight, you’re shaping and sculpting by adding light/sheen. If one of these shades is the right color, it can be a really great product. I’m just not sold that this is the right set of shades–I would have loved to have seen them take the existing Sculpting range and make them into cream form.  Accentuate, Coffee Walnut, and Naturally Defined are the closest to neutral, while Copper beach, Pure Sculpture, and Richly Honed are very much warm-toned.

The texture is lightly creamy, not too thick or too thin.  I’d almost describe it as a stiff cream, but in the best way.  All six shades had buildable coverage, so you could get sheer-to-light color easily, but you could layer just once or twice for more intensity.  While I did try using the new 163 brush that came with the launch, I preferred the 193 or finger tips (using a clean spatula to remove product, then warming it up between finger tips and blending it out on the skin).  It dries down and has a natural finish.  I tested all six of the shades (though used together, not individually), and I had no problem getting a full eight hours of wear with no noticeable fading.

The Glossover

	MAC Pro Sculpting Creams Reviews, Photos, Swatches A-
	I like the formula, but I don't think the shade range is ideal for contouring. If you're looking for good contouring shades, try MAC's PRO Sculpting powders - they are a fantastic product that I rarely hear about!
	Product 9/10 Pigmentation 10/10 Texture 9/10 Longevity 9/10 Application 4/5
	Where to Buy
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MAC Accentuate Pro Sculpting Cream

MAC Accentuate Pro Sculpting Cream

MAC Accentuate Pro Sculpting Cream

MAC Accentuate Pro Sculpting Cream

MAC Accentuate Pro Sculpting Cream

MAC Coffee Walnut Pro Sculpting Cream

MAC Coffee Walnut Pro Sculpting Cream

MAC Coffee Walnut Pro Sculpting Cream

MAC Coffee Walnut Pro Sculpting Cream

MAC Coffee Walnut Pro Sculpting Cream

MAC Copper Beach Pro Sculpting Cream

MAC Copper Beach Pro Sculpting Cream

MAC Copper Beach Pro Sculpting Cream

MAC Copper Beach Pro Sculpting Cream

MAC Copper Beach Pro Sculpting Cream

MAC Naturally Defined Pro Sculpting Cream

MAC Naturally Defined Pro Sculpting Cream

MAC Naturally Defined Pro Sculpting Cream

MAC Naturally Defined Pro Sculpting Cream

MAC Naturally Defined Pro Sculpting Cream

MAC Pure Sculpture Pro Sculpting Cream

MAC Pure Sculpture Pro Sculpting Cream

MAC Pure Sculpture Pro Sculpting Cream

MAC Pure Sculpture Pro Sculpting Cream

MAC Pure Sculpture Pro Sculpting Cream

MAC Richly Honed Pro Sculpting Cream

MAC Richly Honed Pro Sculpting Cream

MAC Richly Honed Pro Sculpting Cream

MAC Richly Honed Pro Sculpting Cream

MAC Richly Honed Pro Sculpting Cream

Coffee Walnut to contour, Pure Sculpture as cheek color, Accentuate as highlight

Richly Honed to contour, Copper Beach as cheekc olor, Naturally Defined as highlight (right)

De-Pressed About These Pigments

MAC Pressed Pigments ($21.00 for 0.10 oz.) were recently launched as an “intensely creamy highlighter offering extreme pearlescence and versatility of finish.” It can be “[applied] dry for a high shine, or on damp skin for a dramatic wet look” with “sheer-to-moderate buildable coverage and natural dimension finish.”

These had me at a loss of words. I spent the past week trying to figure out how these could be used for something that wasn’t purely editorial or only needed to last about five minutes. I was hopeful about MAC’s recent Face & Body launch, as I love highlighting/contouring–I was hoping for something a little more shimmery than the Shaping powders (PRO) that launched a few years ago. Well, these aren’t shimmery; they’re like a disco ball exploded and fractured all over your face, eyes, body, or wherever you happen to put them.

I tried using two shades as a highlighter on the cheek (one on each cheek), and it looked like dirt/sand/grit. It travels to parts unknown within an hour of wearing it on the cheek–I found glitter on my lip, on my ear, and on my shoulder, and I had only applied it to my cheek bones. It’s not a product that applies well with face brushes; it really needs to be applied with fingers or a sponge and really pressed/crushed. The texture really reminded me of MAC’s Crushed Metal pigments, because without grinding them down, they are so loose and chunky.

I tried using them on the body (collarbone/decolletage), and it looked the same – like flecks of brown dirt rather than a luminous sheen or even glittery dazzle. I tried using them on the brow bone, inner tear duct/lid, and on the eyelid in general. The glitter is really, really chunky, and the fall out is tremendous, not just during, but after application. I was getting a ton of glitter in my eye for the six hours I managed to wear these. After six hours, at least half of the glitter on the eye had transferred to my cheeks, nose, or got lost in my eye ball. I even used MAC’s Mixing Medium to see if it would help these adhere better but no luck. Frankly, these were painful to use on the eye – both of my eyes were red and irritated for the rest of the day/night.

I tried using these both wet and dry with numerous brushes (215, 228, 231, 242, 116, 130, 188, and 193) but nothing yielded a result that did anything flattering. On the lid, it’s sparkly and pretty–but the fall out is over-the-top ridiculous. It’s some of the worst fall out I’ve seen. It makes Urban Decay’s Midnight Cowboy Rides Again seem like a dream to work with. It’s funny, too, because they actually swatched beautifully. They looked stunning on my arm!

As you can see, this review is all about “I tried,” but I failed. I couldn’t highlight my brow bone, eyelid, cheekbones, or collarbones with this product.  I have used lots and lots of highlighters in the past ten years, but this is a product that left me grappling for any use that might possibly work.  The texture is rough, gritty, and dry (not actually creamy as described), and the fall out is something to behold; some of the worst I’ve seen in a glittery product that wasn’t loose to begin with. I’m honestly surprised these are eye safe (there wasn’t any warning to the contrary on the box), because they were so irritating from the fall out.

• Beaming is a medium brown with orange-tan warmth. The color is similar to Wet ‘n Wild Dancing in the Clouds.
• Day Gleam is a dirty beige with a sallow yellow undertone. Dolce & Gabbana Cinnamon is lighter.
• Deeply Dashing is a medium-dark brown with orange undertones. Giorgio Armani #28 is somewhat similar. MAC Aloha is less orange-toned.
• Light Touch is a pale white beige. Tarina Tarantino Lovely is similar in color, perhaps a touch cooler-toned. theBalm Hiii-Yaaa! is similar. Cle de Peau #207 is also comparable.
• Spot Lit is a warm-toned, medium orange with a subtle softness. Bare Escentuals Fire has a similar coloring.
• Warming Heart is a warm beige with a hint of peach. Milani Champagne Toast is similar. MAC Summer Haze is a touch darker.

The Glossover

	MAC Pressed Pigments Reviews, Photos, Swatches F
	The texture is rough, gritty, and dry (not actually creamy as described), and the fall out is something to behold; some of the worst I've seen in a glittery product that wasn't loose to begin with.
	Product 4/10 Pigmentation 6/10 Texture 6/10 Longevity 2/10 Application 2.5/5
	Where to Buy
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MAC Beaming Pressed Pigment

MAC Beaming Pressed Pigment

MAC Beaming Pressed Pigment

MAC Beaming Pressed Pigment

MAC Beaming Pressed Pigment

MAC Day Gleam Pressed Pigment

MAC Day Gleam Pressed Pigment

MAC Day Gleam Pressed Pigment

MAC Day Gleam Pressed Pigment

MAC Day Gleam Pressed Pigment

MAC Deeply Dashing Pressed Pigment

MAC Deeply Dashing Pressed Pigment

MAC Deeply Dashing Pressed Pigment

MAC Deeply Dashing Pressed Pigment

MAC Deeply Dashing Pressed Pigment

MAC Light Touch Pressed Pigment

MAC Light Touch Pressed Pigment

MAC Light Touch Pressed Pigment

MAC Light Touch Pressed Pigment

MAC Light Touch Pressed Pigment

MAC Spot Lit Pressed Pigment

MAC Spot Lit Pressed Pigment

MAC Spot Lit Pressed Pigment

MAC Spot Lit Pressed Pigment

MAC Spot Lit Pressed Pigment

MAC Warming Heart Pressed Pigment

MAC Warming Heart Pressed Pigment

MAC Warming Heart Pressed Pigment

MAC Warming Heart Pressed Pigment

MAC Warming Heart Pressed Pigment

MAC Day Gleam on brow bone, Beaming on cheek (your left)

Lit Cosmetics Clearly Liquid Glitter Base & Glitters Reviews, Photos, Swatches

Lit Cosmetics Clearly Liquid Glitter Base ($22.95 CAN for 30 ml) is like a magic trick–for every single glitter product you ever wanted to love but loathed using for fear of endless fall out, far too much clean up, and generally requiring more effort than you really wanted to put in. I love the way glitter looks, but it’s always been such a pain to use. Clearly Liquid is so easy to use, a little goes a long way, and it really does keep the glitter adhered wherever you applied it all day long.  The bottle you get is rather large (I seriously question whether one would run out of it!), so I poured a little into a sample jar so I could dip my brush into a smaller amount.  I dip my brush into the liquid, then into the glitter, and apply it to the skin.

I’ve been wearing glitter mostly on the lash line, but I also tested it on the lid. The adhesive base doesn’t feel tacky or thick–looks and feels like water–but it instantly picks up the glitter you want to apply and places it wherever you put the brush. (I used a MAC eyeliner brush, though Lit has brushes available, too.) I didn’t have any fall out during application or at any point during the day; and I’ve worn glitter in their base for as long as twelve hours.  What’s really fantastic is that it works with any loose glitter or chunky eyeshadow, so if you, like me, have a bunch of glitter products sitting around that you love to stare at but never wear, this product could change all that. It’s clear and always stays that way.

To remove, all you need is water and a washcloth.  After a few removals, I found that I preferred to use a cotton pad and some makeup remover to do one pass to remove the majority of the glitter (and the rest of my eye makeup, which is why I went with makeup remover).  It ensured that I didn’t have any loose glitter go amok while washing the rest of my face.

Lit’s glitters are all cosmetic-grade, which means you don’t have to worry about the glitter scratching your eyes (and this is why you want to stay away from using craft-grade glitters on the eyes!). The stack I received contained Beach Baby (golden champagne), Elton John (medium blue), Roxy Rolla (pink burgundy), Solar Blast (coral and neon orange), and Yoda (green-teal).

Lit has various kits you can purchase, which are cheaper than buying products individually. Your best bet is to purchase a multi-stack kit, which includes a full-sized Clearly Liquid Glitter Base and 3, 4, or 5 colors of your choice. Each glitter is $12.95 CAN. Their glitters come in four sizes (1 through 4) and four textures (shimmers, solids, metallics, and electrics). They have a massive range of glitters available. For U.S. customers, keep in mind that the website lists prices in Canadian dollars! As of when I checked, the exchange rate was almost one for one.

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Lit Cosmetics Clearly Liquid Glitter Base

Lit Cosmetics Beach Baby Size #2 Glitter

Lit Cosmetics Beach Baby Size #2 Glitter

Lit Cosmetics Beach Baby Size #2 Glitter (Sheer Application)

Lit Cosmetics Beach Baby Size #2 Glitter on lower lash line

Lit Cosmetics Elton John Size #2 Glitter

Lit Cosmetics Elton John Size #2 Glitter

Lit Cosmetics Elton John Size #2 Glitter

Lit Cosmetics Solar Blast Size #3 Glitter

Lit Cosmetics Solar Blast Size #3 Glitter

Lit Cosmetics Solar Blast Size #3 Glitter

Lit Cosmetics Yoda Size #2 Glitter

Lit Cosmetics Yoda Size #2 Glitter

Lit Cosmetics Yoda Size #2 Glitter

Lit Cosmetics Roxy Rolla Size #2 Glitter

Lit Cosmetics Roxy Rolla Size #2 Glitter

Lit Cosmetics Roxy Rolla Size #2 Glitter

MAC Reflects Blue Glitter

Another permanent to PRO stores product is included in the upcoming Love & Water Collection: MAC Reflects Blue Glitter ($20.00 for 0.15 oz.). It’s described as a “sparkling blue.” It’s more like white glitter that shifts between blue and blue-violet. It’s iridescent and really needs to be seen in person to see the beauty of it, which is the case for most glitters! MAC’s glitters are not recommended for eye use, so buyer beware. Some suggested uses for glitter: nail polish, hair (add it to gel/mousse/pomade), or body (add it to a cream/lotion). I suspect that Make Up For Ever #7 Diamond Powder is fairly similar (which says it can be applied to eyes).

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MAC Reflects Blue Glitter

MAC Reflects Blue Glitter

MAC Reflects Blue Glitter