Does MAC come out with too many collections?
Friday, May 4th, 2012
Chanel Delight Le Vernis Review, Photos, Swatches
Friday, May 4th, 2012
Chanel Delight Le Vernis
Chanel Delight Le Vernis
Chanel Delight Le Vernis ($26.00 for 0.40 fl. oz.) is a pale golden bronze with lighter champagne, copper, and bronze shimmer. It has a strong metallic, almost foil-like, finish. Urban Decay Superfreak is more pewter-like; less bronzy, more silver-gold. OCC Cruising is a golden yellow. MAC Soiree is the closest I could think of, but it has a rosiness to it. China Glaze Jingle Bells is much yellower.
This actually could be a one-coater, and I liked the way it looked better at once coat–it almost gets a little too thick-looking (but it doesn’t seem thick in terms of actual, physical thickness). It was totally opaque in one coat, but I did swatches with two coats. The drying time on this is very quick, regardless of whether you’re doing one or two coats. The texture was really fantastic on Delight; it wasn’t too thick or too thin, and it flowed beautifully across the nail during application with no bubbling, streaking, or pooling along the edges. Not many polishes chip on me, so I’ve had no problems with Chanel and wear–I get noticeable tip wear after a week of wear but no chipping.
Updated: Sorry, all! It was supposed to be A–I must have typed through the rating fields too quickly and hit A+ rather than A. Thanks for everyone who emailed and left comments telling me about my colossal error!
Where to Buy: Chanel, $26
The Glossover
A
This shade will be flattering against warmer skin tones and is very appropriate for summer. It reminds me of sandy beaches, partially because of the color but also with the finish--though not gritty (it dries smooth), you can kind of see grains of sand.
See more photos & swatches! Continue reading →
Free for Haul Friday, Volume #130
Friday, May 4th, 2012
Welcome to Free For Haul Friday!
- Haul: Cle de Peau #2 Lipgloss
- Weekend plans: Love up on Mellan! Clean house, organize all the important paperwork (bills and the like), take photos
- Dream job?: Beauty blogger
Share your pet photos to the Temptalia Pets flickr group!
This week’s Mellan photo…
So hard to get comfortable!
Illamasqua Pivot Eyeshadow Review, Photos, Swatches
Friday, May 4th, 2012
Illamasqua Pivot Eyeshadow
Illamasqua Pivot Eyeshadow
Illamasqua Pivot Eyeshadow ($20.00 for 0.07 oz.) is described as a “yellow green.” It’s a medium chartreuse green with strong yellow undertones and a matte finish. There are a lot of chartreuse shades on the market, but this shade is less dupeable because it has a fair amount of green in it–it is more green than yellow. MAC Swimming is darker, greener. MAC Lucky Green is a little yellower and has a shimmery finish. Make Up For Ever #171 is the closest shade, though it’s more vibrant, lighter, and has a frosted finish.
The texture is the perfect balance of softness and density. It’s rich in color, soft like silk, but not at all powdery. With mattes, the more pigmented formulas tend to be softer but slightly powdery as a result–you’ll kick up a fair amount of excess powder when you disturb the top layer with your brush–but with Pivot, it’s soft enough to apply smoothly, evenly, and not skip or drag, but it never turns powdery. When worn alone, it wore for a full eight hours without creasing or fading. It was easier to blend the shade over a primer, though it was not overly difficult over bare lids (just marginally easier over a primer!).
It’s listed at Sephora but looks like it hasn’t been added to stock yet, but I expect it to show up officially soon. It is available at Illamasqua’s website, though, for international readers.
Where to Buy: Sephora, $20
The Glossover
A
For those who love matte eyeshadows, Illamasqua's formula is worth checking out. Pivot is a great shade for a pop of color this summer! If you have cooler undertones but have always found chartreuse-like shades too yellow, this might work better for you.
See more photos & swatches! Continue reading →
Do celebrity endorsements or celebrity-designed beauty products draw you in or push you away?
Thursday, May 3rd, 2012
Do celebrity endorsements or celebrity-designed beauty products draw you in or push you away? Does it just depend on the celebrity?
It probably pushes me away more than it draws me in. I’m very skeptical of celebrity-designed beauty products; more often than not, I just don’t think they have much involvement in the process.
Thanks to Victoria for today’s question!
Do you have a question idea? Submit yours here.
Cle de Peau R9 (Comtesse de Cayla) Extra Rich Lipstick Review, Photos, Swatches
Thursday, May 3rd, 2012
Cle de Peau R9 (Comtesse de Cayla) Extra Rich Lipstick
Cle de Peau R9 (Comtesse de Cayla) Extra Rich Lipstick
Cle de Peau R9 (Comtesse de Cayla) Extra Rich Lipstick ($60.00 for 0.14 oz.) is a light-medium coral with a hint of pink and soft rose micro-shimmer. Guerlain Jicky is sheerer and a bit darker, less coral. MAC Mellowarm is a darker, browner version. Chanel Chalys is a bit more orange and darker. Chanel Libertine is similar. Lancome Stylista is slightly pinker. MAC Razzledazzler is pinker. Burberry Devon Sunset is pretty close, creamier rather than shimmery. MAC So Vain is a touch pinker and lighter.
The texture of Comtesse de Cayla is soft, creamy, and very lightweight–for such a creamy consistency, it’s surprisingly light on the lips. There’s opaque color payoff with a single pass of the lipstick, which is easily applied as it glides on like softened butter. The shimmer is very fine, so it doesn’t look frosted or metallic on the lips–it is a more forgiving finish and texture on lips with more lines, dryness, and the like. When I tested this shade for wear, it wore for five hours and lost some of the glossiness in the natural finish after three and a half. It was in need of a full reapplication after six and a half hours.
Cle de Peau advertises that there are “skincare benefits” in the formula, and while I can’t attest to that, given that I cannot commit to a single formula for six weeks to trial it, I can weigh-in on the short-term benefits like de-emphasis of lip lines (softened after ten to fifteen minutes of wear) and intense hydration. There are a lot of lipsticks that keep lips hydrated while you wear them to the point where your lips are no worse for the wear after they’ve faded, but there are fewer formulas that leave your lips feeling more hydrated than they were when you first applied the product.
One of the more frequent questions I’ll receive from readers whenever I post about a luxury product is, “Is it worth it?” The answer is really going to depend on you: your preferences, budget, and how much you love what you already have. My answer is always yes and no; yes, it’s absolutely worth it if it’s going to be a shade that you reach for, wear, and love every time you apply it, but no, not if you buy it and never wear it. I just repurchased Cle de Peau’s #2 Lipgloss (my all-time favorite gloss color), which is beautiful and lovely in every way, suits my coloring, and is one of the few glosses I’ll wear alone. What I can tell you is that the Extra Rich formula is fantastic–you are, at the very least, getting a high quality product.
Where to Buy: Nordstrom, $60
The Glossover
A
It's every bit a luxury product--it feels lightweight, silky soft, and applies beautifully with rich color payoff, flattering undertones across skin tones, and is one of the most hydrating formulas on the market. Whether it's worth it is part of each individual's justification/rationalization process, but I can at least tell you that you're getting a high quality product.
