Temptalia

MAC Stylishly Yours Dupes & Comparisons Swatches

Christine — Wed, 29 Dec 2010 11:00:48 +0000

Products pulled for Cham-Pale/Stylishly Yours Comparisons

MAC Stylishly Yours Dupes & Comparisons Swatches

Dark Diversion is a burgundy berry, while Macroviolet is a blackened violet with flecks of fuchsia-violet micro-shimmer. Very different.
Follow Your Fancy is redder than Off the Page, while Sugarpill Asylum is darker and more orange.
Madly Personal is a little darker and less frosted than Fuchsia, while Bright Fuchsia and Bold & Brash are both much brighter, deeper, and darker–the latter has a stronger iridescent fuchsia sheen. New Fixation is redder.
Neon Orange is slightly darker than Morange but the difference is very, very subtle.
Something New is a glossier version of NARS Schiap, while Smashbox Flirty is a lil’ sheerer and Girl About Town is a bit darker. Trimming Talk is frostier and lighter, but Most Popular is totally different.
Style Curve is similar to Show Orchid, which is brighter and more fuchsia, while Violetta is purpler and darker. Go For It is too purple, and Purple Rite is more plum than fuchsia. Love Forever is also similar but more fuchsia than purple.
Play It Proper is a very pale, powdery pink, and it’s really not much like Benefit Dandelion, Shell Pearl, Porcelain Pink, or Oh So Fair. Pearl Blossom is the closest, but the texture is so different; plus it has a sheen, rather than a powdery finish.
Too Chic is closest to NARS Albatross, which is a little yellower, while Chez Chez Lame is more beige. Benefit Dandelion is too peachy while Pearl Sunshine is significantly darker.
Madly Magenta is significantly more purple than both Show Orchid and Love Forever.
Movie Star Red is more pigmented but similar in color as Gesina, while Russian Red has less pink in its base.
Tickle Me Pink is closest to Viva Glam Gaga (slightly lighter and cooler) or Snob (cooler), but it is similar to Overtime, which is a yellower pink (almost looks peachy in comparison). Unlimited looks nothing like it.
Virgin Isle is a touch lighter than Vegas Volt, while Jazzed and Ever Hip are significantly lighter.

See swatches!

Dark Diversion, Macroviolet

Sugarpill Asylum, Follow Your Fancy, Off the Page

Fuchsia, Bright Fuchsia, Madly Personal, Bold & Brash, New Fixation

Benefit Dandelion, Shell Pearl, Play It Proper, Porcelain Pink

Shell Pearl, Play It Proper, Porcelain Pink, Oh So Fair, Pearl Blossom

NARS Albatross, Chez Chez Lame, Too Chic, Benefit Georgia, Pearl Sunshine

Neon Orange, Morange

NARS Schiap, Smashbox Flirty, Something New, Girl About Town

Smashbox Flirty, Something New, Girl About Town, Trimming Talk, Most Popular

Show Orchid, Style Curve, Violetta, Go For It, Purple Rite, Love Forever

Show Orchid, Style Curve, Violetta

Show Orchid, Madly Magenta, Love Forever

Gesina, Movie Star Red, Russian Red

Unlimited, Tickle Me Pink, Overtime, Viva Glam Gaga, Snob

Virgin Isle, Vegas Volt, Jazzed, Ever Hip

MAC Stylishly Yours: Overall Review & Recommendations

Christine — Mon, 20 Dec 2010 14:00:16 +0000

MAC Stylishly Yours: Overall Review & Recommendations

OVERALL, Stylishly Yours knocks it out of the park in terms of top quality, highly pigmented products–but it’s just a matter of whether or not bold colors are your thing. It is definitely a contrast to Cham-Pale, even in the finishes, as these finishes are mostly creamy.

All four of the Cream Colour Bases work well on cheeks (as blushers) or on lips (as a base, stain, or alone), and since they’re so pigmented, they also stain a little, which also helps them wear well. A little goes a long way, though, so I anticipate a few practice runs to perfect blush application of these–even just a dab may be more than enough on paler skin. The good news is that both lighter and darker skin tones can wear these and achieve a sheer, glowy look or a rich, intense one.

The lipsticks coordinate with the Cream Colour Bases, which is always nice when it is all laid out, but in reality, you could easily just get one product rather than both orange products (Virgin Isle and Neon Orange). The pigments also coordinate, but since the Cream Colour Bases are not eye safe, then they are less redundant. I found the texture and finishes of the pigments to be really gorgeous–pearly sheen over high frosts.

I think the two beauty powders are too pale for most people to get a lot of use out of them; I like them more than the Special Reserve Highlighters from Cham-Pale, but I just seem them looking a little pale, powdery, or ashy on medium to dark skin tones. When I first saw them, I initially thought they would be similar to the Barbie beauty powders from long ago, but texturally, they’re different, and color-wise, I think so, too. Similarly, Style Curve is another sheered out, less-than-potent purple lipstick; with such a bold collection with completely unapologetic colors and pigmentation levels, I don’t know why they didn’t make this a purple with gusto.

I will review New Hue separately and the review is forthcoming, but having worn it twice, on my blacker lashes with no primer, the color is difficult to distinguish. I anticipate that if you have naturally dark lashes, you will definitely need a primer to get more zing from the mascara. Mine also seemed a little dry, even though it is brand new, and Zoomlash can clump if you are not careful.

Product Photos, Swatches, Reviews

Check out my recommendations, what to skip, and recommendations by skin tone…

Temptalia’s Recommendations

Must-haves: Follow Your Fancy/New Fixation Pigment, Dark Diversion Fluidline, Madly Magenta Cream Colour Base

Nice-to-haves: Neon Orange/Something New Lipstick, Madly Personal Pigment, Movie Star Red/Virgin Isle Cream Colour Base

Skip: There is nothing that is so poor in quality to merit a skip listing.

Skip if you have…

Skip MADLY MAGENTA if you have LOVE FOREVER, if you plan to only use it as a lip color.
Skip TICKLE ME PINK if you have UNLIMITED, VIVA GLAM GAGA, or SNOB, if you plan to only use it as a lip color; all three are cooler, but they are similar.
Skip NEON ORANGE if you have MORANGE; Morange is slightly lighter, but they are quite similar.
Skip SOMETHING NEW if you have NARS SCHIAP, SMASHBOX FLIRTY, LOVE FOREVER; there are subtle differences, but it is in line with those shades. It is brighter and lighter than Girl About Town.
Skip STYLE CURVE if you have SHOW ORCHID and you want something pigmented, because it is a sheerer, less iridescent version of Show Orchid.
Skip MADLY PERSONAL if you have BOLD & BRASH; as they are similar enough to only own one.

Don’t forget to check your stash for…

MADLY MAGENTA (permanent at PRO), VIRGIN ISLE (permanent at PRO), COCKNEY (permanent), NEON ORANGE (permanent at PRO), and VIOLET (permanent).

Recommendations by Skin Tone

Please note that this section is merely suggesting shades that would complement a particular skin tone better than other shades, but these lists are meant to be rather exhaustive of the entire collection; it’s not reflective of must-haves for your skin tone. When it comes to cooler/warmer skin tones, these are products that lean noticeably cool/warm and therefore complement the corresponding skin tone better (but it does not mean you can’t wear a warmer product if you’re cooler!).

Best Picks for Light Skin Tones: Madly Magenta/Tickle Me Pink Cream Colour Base, Something New/Style Curve Lipstick, Play It Proper/Too Chic Beauty Powder
Best Picks for Medium Skin Tones: Madly Magenta/Virgin Isle Cream Colour Base, Cockney/Neon Orange/Something New Lipstick
Best Picks for Dark Skin Tones: Madly Magenta, Movie Star Red, Virgin Isle Cream Colour Base, Neon Orange/Something New Lipstick
Best Picks for Cool Skin Tones: Madly Magenta/Movie Star Red/Tickle Me Pink Cream Colour Base, Something New/Style Curve Lipstick
Best Picks for Warm Skin Tones: Madly Magenta/Virgin Isle Cream Colour Base, Cockney/Neon Orange Lipstick
Universally Flattering Shades: Madly Magenta/Movie Star Red Cream Colour Base, Pigments (all), Dark Diversion Fluidline

MAC Stylishly Yours: Video Overview

Christine — Sun, 19 Dec 2010 20:56:50 +0000

MAC Stylishly Yours: Video Overview

First impressions/initial review of Stylishly Yours! Like Cham-Pale, this video was shot right after I finished photographing the products, but the swatches you see in the video are the first swatches I’ve done/seen of the collection.

MAC Stylishly Yours Collection is a limited edition launch (official information and photos here) that is set to launch in-stores on December 26th in North America, January 2011 for international MAC locations. The approximate launch date for online is December 24th.

MAC Stylishly Yours: Cream Colour Bases Review, Photos, Swatches

Christine — Sun, 19 Dec 2010 20:24:11 +0000

MAC Cream Colour Bases: Madly Magenta, Movie Star Red, Tickle Me Pink, Virgin Isle

MAC Stylishly Yours: Cream Colour Bases

MAC Cream Colour Bases ($16.50 for 0.12 oz.) are multi-purpose cream-based colors. Stylishly Yours includes two permanent (but PRO) shades: Madly Magenta (vivid pinkish purple) and Virgin Isle (vivid bright coral); and two limited edition shades: Movie Star Red (medium toned blue-red) and Tickle Me Pink (poppy creamy bright pink).

THESE ARE NOT SAFE FOR USE ON THE EYES. Each of these came with a safety insert, and I’m going to retype it in full, because it’s a good reference for other Cream Colour Base shades, too. (I italicized the four shades from this launch.)

The following shades are not for use in the eye area: Bamboo, Cooled Pink, Devilish Orange, Fabulush, Flaming Fuchsia, Flighty, Fuchsia Perfect, Full Fuchsia, Improper Copper, Madly Magenta, Movie Star Red, Orange Alarm, Pink Shock, Plumed Violet, Premeditated, Reel Red, Rich Coral, Rich Spice, Soft Rose, Tickle Me Pink, Vintage Rose, and Virgin Isle.

The following shades are not for use in the lip area: Brown, Dusk, Fawntastic, Greensmoke, Mid-tone Sepia, Pink, Plumed Violet, Slick, Vintage Rose, and White.

Madly Magenta is a cool-toned fuchsia purple with a glossy sheen and nearly opaque color coverage. This is a permanent shade at PRO stores. It is similar to Love Forever and Dolce & Gabbana’s Violet.
Movie Star Red is a medium-dark pinky-red with opaque color coverage. This is a limited edition shade. It is a darker version of Gesina.
Tickle Me Pink is a pale pink with opaque color. It’s a little milky, but it’s not too pale, though it is a rather light pink (and I don’t love it on me personally). This is a limited edition shade. It is a cooler, pinker version of Unlimited. It’s a warmer, pinker version of Viva Glam Gaga and Snob.
Virgin Isle is a softened orange with a hint of coral, and it has opaque color coverage. This is a permanent shade at PRO stores. It is a lighter version of Vegas Volt.

The good news is that all of these are lip safe, because they all make for lovely lip colors as well as blushers. Even though they are not safe for the eyes, I will address general Cream Colour Base wear on the eyes: they will crease if worn alone, but if worn over a good eyeshadow primer or set with powder eyeshadows, they hold up quite well. CCBs have an emollient texture that’s more gel-like than cream-like. All four of these are insanely pigmented; you will have no trouble getting good pay off whether you use it as a blusher (go easy!) or as a lip color.

For blush application, I liked the 130 or the 188 for blush. Just one push of the brush against the product yields plenty of product, so tread softly when applying any of these four as a blusher. You can always go back for more, but you should not need much! I like to use a stippling brush to pick up the color then lightly stipple on the apple of the cheek once and move a centimeter or so outwards and stipple again–then blend with small, firm circles. I like to use my foundation brush (which still has some foundation on it, as I use liquid) to buff gently around the edges of the blush for a finished look.

For lips, I prefer to take a clean metal spatula (MAC recently launched one) to take out some product and then pat on with my finger or you could use a lip brush for more precision. These shades were surprisingly emollient and comfortable to wear; they didn’t feel dry or tight at all, and they will stain if left on for longer than a few minutes! You can also pat a little on and then finish with clear gloss or balm for more of a stained lip look.

P.S. — In the full face photo, on eyes, I wore Chilled on Ice as a base, Retrospeck and Caviar Dreams on top with Dark Diversion to line (upper lash line) and I Get No Kick (lower lash line), and then New Hue on lashes. Cheeks and lips are indicated below the photo (it is the CCB worn both on cheeks and lips).

MAC Stylishly Yours Collection is a limited edition launch (official information and photos here) that is set to launch in-stores on December 26th in North America, January 2011 for international MAC locations. The approximate launch date for online is December 24th.

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

Product: 28/30
Value: 8/10
Ease of Use: 4/5
Packaging: 4/5

RECOMMENDATION: They work well whether you wear them as a cream blush or on the lips, so if you see yourself using them in those capacities, I definitely think they are worth checking out.

AVAILABILITY: MAC Cosmetics on December 26th (U.S. stores), January 2011 (International)

See more photos & swatches!

MAC Cream Colour Bases: Madly Magenta, Movie Star Red, Tickle Me Pink, Virgin Isle

MAC Cream Colour Bases: Madly Magenta, Movie Star Red

MAC Cream Colour Bases: Tickle Me Pink, Virgin Isle

MAC Madly Magenta Cream Colour Base

MAC Madly Magenta Cream Colour Base (On Cheeks & Lips)

MAC Madly Magenta Cream Colour Base

MAC Movie Star Red Cream Colour Base

MAC Movie Star Red Cream Colour Base (On Cheeks & Lips)

MAC Movie Star Red Cream Colour Base

MAC Tickle Me Pink Cream Colour Base

MAC Tickle Me Pink Cream Colour Base (On Cheeks & Lips)

MAC Tickle Me Pink Cream Colour Base

MAC Virgin Isle Cream Colour Base

MAC Stylishly Yours: Lipsticks Review, Photos, Swatches

Christine — Sun, 19 Dec 2010 19:50:07 +0000

MAC Lipsticks: Cockney, Neon Orange, Something New, Style Curve

MAC Stylishly Yours: Lipsticks

There are four shades of MAC Lipsticks ($14.50 for 0.10 oz.) being released with Stylishly Yours. Two are new: Something New (creamy bright blue pink) and Style Curve (bright clean violet purple); and two are permanent products: Cockney (sheer yellow red with multidimensional pearl) and Neon Orange (bright clean orange, PRO only).

Cockney is an orange-based semi-opaque red with subtle gold shimmer. This has a lustre finish, and it was originally released with Euristocrats in 2009, but it was added to the permanent line. It is also similar to Ladybug.
Neon Orange is a brilliant, neon orange with a creamy finish and opaque color coverage. This has an amplified finish, and it is permanent at PRO stores. If you can’t find it at PRO, Morange is close enough (just slightly lighter).
Something New is a medium-dark pink with a creamy finish and opaque color coverage. This has an amplified finish, and it is limited edition. It is cooler-toned, brighter and lighter than Girl About Town. It is similar to NARS Schiap, which is brighter. Smashbox’s Flirty is also similar, though perhaps a touch more purple. It is a little pinker and brighter than Love Forever.
Style Curve is a semi-opaque fuchsia violet with a subtle sheen. This has a cremesheen finish, and it is limited edition. It is significantly more fuchsia and less opaque than Violetta. It is closer to Show Orchid when worn, but it is sheerer, glossier in the finish, and less iridescent. I wish they would have made this an amplified finish. It took several layers to build up the color.

All of the lipsticks were as expected, based on their finish, with Cockney being surprisingly pigmented (well, not really surprisingly, since we’ve swatched it here before!). I really do think that MAC could have made Style Curve a really fun, bright and opaque shade had they gone with an amplified formula (like they did with Neon Orange and Something New). It did have a glossier finish than other cremesheens, though, which was nice.

Cockney and Neon Orange best suit warm-toned skin, as they both have orange undertones, while Something New and Style Curve best suit cool-toned skin, as they have bluer-bases. While Neon Orange will be the most difficult for cooler skin tones to pull off, warmer skin tones should still find both Something New and Style Curve easy enough to wear as neither is too strongly blue in its base.

MAC Stylishly Yours Collection is a limited edition launch (official information and photos here) that is set to launch in-stores on December 26th in North America, January 2011 for international MAC locations. The approximate launch date for online is December 24th.

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

Product: 29/30
Value: 8/10
Ease of Use: 4/5
Packaging: 4/5

RECOMMENDATION: Overall, I really liked these lipsticks. They were true to their finishes; lustres tend to be sheerer and glossier and Cockney was just that (even more pigmented than the average lustre, actually), while cremesheen finishes vary from semi-sheer to opaque, Style Curve falls in the middle.

AVAILABILITY: MAC Cosmetics on December 26th (U.S. stores), January 2011 (International)

See more photos & swatches!

MAC Lipsticks: Cockney, Neon Orange, Something New, Style Curve

MAC Lipsticks: Cockney, Neon Orange

MAC Lipsticks: Something New, Style Curve

MAC Cockney Lipstick

MAC Neon Orange Lipstick

MAC Something New Lipstick

MAC Style Curve Lipstick

MAC Stylishly Yours: Pigments Review, Photos, Swatches

Christine — Sun, 19 Dec 2010 17:00:30 +0000

MAC Pigments: Follow Your Fancy, Madly Personal, New Fixation, Violet

MAC Stylishly Yours: Pigments

There are four shades of MAC Pigments ($19.50 for 0.15 oz.), three are new and limited edition: Follow Your Fancy (bright coral with small pearl particle), Madly Personal (bright pink), and New Fixation (bright fuchsia red with soft pearl); along with one repromote: Violet (vivid bright violet purple), which is permanent. I’m still working on figuring out what (if any) safety information accompanies these, as none of my pigments had safety inserts inside their boxes.

I must have been under a rock for the past year, but MAC now prints safety information on the back of the pigment box itself. There were no safety warnings for Follow Your Fancy or New Fixation. Madly Personal had a warning that it is not for use in the lip area. Go figure – the pink isn’t safe on lips!?!

Follow Your Fancy is a rusted orange with subtle redness and a frosted sheen. Nicely pigmented, and it’s actually really fun to see, because I can’t remember such a rusty color in pigment form coming out. This is new and limited edition.
Madly Personal is a medium-dark fuchsia pink with a pearly sheen. It is less cool-toned than Brash & Bold, but the two are close. It’s a darker, less frosty version of Fuchsia, too. This is new and limited edition.
New Fixation is a medium-dark pinky-red with pearly sheen. I don’t own it, but it may be similar to Basic Red, except the finish is different and this seems like a less true red. This is new and limited edition.
Violet is a shimmering violet purple with a frosted sheen. This is permanent.

All four of the pigments were really smooth and pigmented. I also loved that MAC used more of a pearly sheen as a finish than a full-on frost finish – it adds more variety to the pigment range (even though these are limited, except Violet).

MAC Stylishly Yours Collection is a limited edition launch (official information and photos here) that is set to launch in-stores on December 26th in North America, January 2011 for international MAC locations. The approximate launch date for online is December 24th.

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

Product: 29/30
Value: 9/10
Ease of Use: 4/5
Packaging: 4/5

RECOMMENDATION: I’ve always been a fan of MAC’s pigments; you get plenty of them, need very little, and they are pigmented and easy enough to work with.

AVAILABILITY: MAC Cosmetics on December 26th (U.S. stores), January 2011 (International)