The Spring Season: MAC Cherish Lipstick

MAC Cherish Lipstick ($14.00) is a rich, creamy beige nude. It has an incredibly smooth and creamy feel with a light glossy sheen. I love it, because it’s well-pigmented and gives me nearly full coverage on my lips. Cherish is one of my go-to nude lipsticks for whenever I wear a really dramatic, smoky eye. It works well to complement the look without competing with it or washing it out.  Like all MAC lipsticks, it’s vanilla-scented (but not too sweet or cloying–one of the best lipstick scents of all-time, in my humble opinion!), comes in a black bullet, and lasts a good four hours or so on me.

Is this the right nude lipstick for you? Would you wear it?

The Spring Season is a series of posts featuring my favorite soft beige, coral, and pink lipsticks and lipglosses — all perfect for the first blossom of spring — that runs through March 2010.

See photos and swatches…

NARS Spring 2010:  Kuala Lumpur Eyeshadow Duo

NARS Kuala Lumpur Eyeshadow Duo ($32.00) is a newly-released eyeshadow duo from NARS Spring 2010 Collection.

On one side, it’s a melon-y peach kind of shade with a shimmery, slightly frosted finish–it would appear that this is just one of those shades for the spring season (like Benefit Nice Melons, MAC Flip, Urban Decay Muchness; or even MAC Melon Pigment).  The other side is a reddened burgundy with a softer frost finish and sheen.

I don’t love this eyeshadow duo, and I really thought I’d be all over it, given the way it looks.  However, this is an eyeshadow duo one really needs to use wet, because the color pay off is not up to my expectations for a brand like NARS when they’re used dry.  When used dry, particularly on the lid, they tend to look incredibly sheer and have a good deal of fall out (primarily of the shimmer).  I didn’t expect to have any fall out troubles with this, considering they’re pressed powder shadows with shimmer, rather than glittery bits!

The texture of Kuala Lumpur is very soft–the shadows are smooth and soft to the touch but powdery, and when swatched, they look nicer than it was when I attempted to use the colors dry in a look.  In order to make the look come together better, I ended up using the colors wet, which definitely helped quite a bit.  I didn’t love it even wet, though, because once it dries, it does fade back a bit.  It’s like, when you use the eyeshadow wet, it doesn’t remain looking like it does when wet, but it doesn’t completely become how it looks when dry.  Instead, it settles somewhere in between.  (You can see me wearing this duo in this look.)  I also found that when used dry, it just didn’t seem to apply evenly and I really had to pack on the color to get an even (though sheer) application.

For $32, I want an eyeshadow I can truly use wet or dry, not just wet.  I also don’t want to have to work too hard to make it work for me, either.  I can get down with having to experiment a bit for just the right application method when we’re talking about a $2 eyeshadow, but if you’re going to buy high-end, it should work right outta the compact, you know?

The good news, for those concerned with the $32 price tag, is you get plenty for your money.  The math works out to NARS eyeshadow duos being cheaper by the ounce than both MAC and Make Up For Ever.  But maybe you’re better off picking up a different duo…

Oh, p.s. if you dig these colors, you may find that layering them over a more metallic base will help enhance their colors.  Like say MAC Rubenesque Paint Pot.  I always find poor performing shadows seem to work better when layered over colored and shimmery/metallic bases.

If you want to know more about how products are evaluated, read out Rating System FAQ! :)

• Product: 25/30
• Value: 8/10
• Ease of Use: 4/5
• Packaging: 4/5

Recommendation:  If you like your colors soft, I think you’ll still enjoy this new shade for spring.

Availability: BlueMercury

See photos & swatches!

(Swatched dry.)

(Swatched wet.)

Valentine’s Day Makeup: Soft Peach & Plum

I thought I’d do a look using NARS Kuala Lumpur, a new eyeshadow duo for spring–review coming soon–which went okay. I had to use this duo wet in order to get the intensity I wanted. The cheeks and lips are still goin’ strong with MAC Spring Colour Forecast, so never fear!

Oh, man, I really wanted to add more to the crease.  I wanted some more depth, more darkness… just MORE!  But I held myself back.  I told myself, “Go softer, let’s try it!”

You will need the following…

• Eyes: MAC Soft Ochre Paint Pot (neutral beige base), NARS Kuala Lumpur Eyeshadow Duo (soft melon/plum burgundy), NARS Mediteranee Eyeshadow Duo (soft gold), Urban Decay 1999 24/7 Liner (burgundy), MAC Plushlash Mascara (black)
• Face: Kiehl’s Tinted Moisturizer (Medium)
• Cheeks: MAC Vintage Grape Blush Ombre (dirty plum)
• Lips: MAC Radicchio Lipstick (pinky plum), MAC Almondine Lipglass (frosty white-gold) (sheer gold)
• Brushes: 226 (fluffy crease brush), 219 (pointed crease brush), 249 (flat, firm brush), 239 (fluffy shadow brush), 116 (dense blush brush)
• Substitutes:  Try MAC Motif, MAC Cranberry, MAC Ricepaper

For eyes, start by applying Soft Ochre paint pot as your eyeshadow base all over the eye area with the 249. Using a dampened 239, apply Kuala Lumpur eyeshadow (the peach side) all over the lid. Next, apply Kuala Lumpur eyeshadow (the plum side) on the outer third of the eyelid and lightly blend into the outer crease. Lightly tap and brush Kuala Lumpur eyeshadow (the peach side) directly above the crease to soften. To finish the eyeshadow look, sweep Meditaranee eyeshadow (the golden side) as a highlighter on the brow bone. Bring everything together by applying 1999 eyeliner on the lower lash line and sweeping lashes with Plushlash mascara.

For cheeks, apply Vintage Grape blush ombre to the apples of the cheeks and sweep upwards towards the temple with the 116.

For lips, apply Radicchio lipstick first, and then layer Almondine lipglass for a complementing lip.

Check out more photos!

Do you try out foreign makeup brands (ones not available in your country)? Any favorites you’ve come across?

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I don’t… or very rarely do. It’s just I like to see and touch things before I buy them, so going through the trouble of getting something here, let alone something I haven’t seen before… is not my thing!

Thanks to Jellynat for this question!

The Spring Season: Cle de Peau #124 Extra Silky Lipstick

Cle de Peau #124 Extra Silky Lipstick ($52.00 for 0.07 oz.) is a petal pink with yellow undertones and soft pink shimmer. This is a gently warmed up pink, which isn’t always the easiest kind of pink to find, and it looks glossy and pretty-in-pink on the lips. Extra Silky Lipsticks are creamy, smooth, glossy, and decently pigmented (I haven’t tried the full range, but the ones I’ve tried have good pigmentation).

Cle de Peau’s Extra Silky Lipsticks really have an exceptional formula–check out my first post on them here for my full rave review–with an exceptional price tag, of course.  I will also have to reiterate that I really think and wish they would give you a little bit more (say 0.12 oz.) for your money as well–at least to stay in line with the average lipstick size.

I’m a firm believer in that, for some, Extra Silky Lipsticks are worth every penny of the $52 (which is a recent price increase of $2, by the by). Often, this is the kind of lipstick you may find your holy grail color in.  I have heard from so many who aren’t lipstick lovers but have fallen in love with the feel and texture of these. Certainly extravagant, but if you can afford it, no shame in that game!

Is this the right pink lipstick for you? Would you wear it?

The Spring Season is a series of posts featuring my favorite soft beige, coral, and pink lipsticks and lipglosses — all perfect for the first blossom of spring — that runs through March 2010.

See photos and swatches…