Thursday, April 5th, 2012
Guerlain Terra Azzurra Bronzer & Blush
Guerlain Terra Azzurra Bronzer & Blush
Guerlain Terra Azzurra Bronzer & Blush ($75.00 for 0.56 oz.) is made up of half bronzer and half blush. The collection is a collaboration with Emilio Pucci, and the print chosen was “Winter Capri.” I really liked that Guerlain changed up the compact’s cloth case, and it’s a very appropriate print for summer. It’s bold, vibrant, but has that summery, beachy breeze feel. It’s definitely more interesting than the velvety pouches we typically see.
Inside, there are four distinct shades, with over half of the compact made up of an orange-tinted tan with a very subtle satiny sheen. MAC Tan Tint is a little yellower. MAC Cajun is similar but more golden, less red-toned. MAC Sun Power is pretty similar, though a tad rustier. MAC Pink Power is similar. Urban Decay Toasted is also very similar. The bronzer seems fairly easy to replicate, and it does have subtle orange and red undertones.
The other three shades make up the other half (or less) of the compact. The first is a pale pink-white that really didn’t deposit much color, just shimmer. It was nearly imperceptible when I swatched it. Next to that is a medium pink with subtle blue undertones. Between the pink and the bronzer, there is a muted orange. These shades are done in a thin swirl, so they’re not particularly usable individually, though the bronzer could be used on its own.
When you mix the three blush shades, you’ll get a more coral-pink kind of color, and when you mix all four shades together, you get a tangerine-coral with a satiny sheen. Becca Damselfly is similar but less pigmented and more golden in sheen. MAC My Paradise is more orange, more gold shimmered. Make Up For Ever #153 has a stronger golden sheen. It actually reminded me of MAC Ripe Peach quite a bit.
As expected, the texture is soft and smooth–very finely-milled–but not too dense, so it doesn’t feel powdery or kick-up excess product when you tap your brush against the surface. It blends out easily once applied, but it doesn’t fade away into nothing, so it’s well-balanced. When I tested out the wear, it wore well for around seven hours and looked slightly faded around the edges after eight hours. This powder is heavily fragranced with a floral scent, so if you are sensitive to scents, I recommend checking it out in person or finding a way to de-scent the powder. I had it open on my studio table, and I could catch whiffs of the fragrance from a foot away–the scent, of course, is not nearly as noticeable when it’s applied as it is in the compact.
Where to Buy: Nordstrom, $75 -- April 2012
I think the blush gradient shades are lovely and very appropriate for summer, but the bronzer is less universally wearable--I think that red-orange undertone may be harder for cooler complexions to wear. Because the bronzer makes up half of the product, you should probably love the bronzer side of it!
Friday, March 30th, 2012
MAC Pink Cult Blush
MAC Pink Cult Blush
MAC Pink Cult Blush ($20.00 for 0.21 oz.) is described as a “mid-tone neutral pink” with a matte finish. Now this is a neutral pink, unlike yesterday’s Pink Tea. It is a neutral-cool, light-medium pink with a slightly gray cast. Bobbi Brown Nude Pink looks similar on, but it’s definitely pinker. Illamasqua Chased is also similar but a touch less neutral. This is like a paler, more neutral version of Coygirl.
I’ve been wearing Pink Cult since early this morning (so it’s been around seven hours now), and it looks surprisingly fresh and intact. The texture of this blush is soft, slightly powdery due to its matte finish, but very blendable and easy to use. It’s one of those everyday shades that you can’t overdo–you can as heavy-handed as you’d like with this shade! Because it has more of a neutral undertone, even though it does read a bit cool-toned in the pot, it will be a shade that adjusts against your natural skin tone in a very flattering way.
Where to Buy: MAC, $20 (launches April 5th in-stores)
It's one of those everyday shades that you can't overdo--you can as heavy-handed as you'd like with this shade! Because it has more of a neutral undertone, even though it does read a bit cool-toned in the pot, it will be a shade that adjusts against your natural skin tone in a very flattering way.
Thursday, March 29th, 2012
MAC Modern Pewter Extra Dimension Eyeshadow
MAC Extra Dimension Eyeshadows (Part 2)
MAC Extra Dimension Eyeshadow ($20.00 for 0.07 oz.) is a new formula that’s coming out in-stores April 5th. It’s a hybrid powder that can be used wet or dry, with buildable color coverage, and wear for up to six hours. If you’ve seen Estee Lauder’s Powder Gelee eyeshadows, these are very similar in texture–but at least there is very little overlap in the shade range.
Here are official color descriptions for the five in this post: Modern Pewter (dirty olive gold), Rich Core (dirty aubergine), Sweet Heat (bright peach champagne), Warm Thunder (dirty silver grey), and Young Venus (pale white pink).
- Modern Pewter is a dirty gold with hints of brown, silver, and gray. It’s a pale antique gold with hints of green. When applied dry, it’s softer, sheerer, and more golden. When applied damp, it takes on more of the pewter-like characteristics. NARS Palladium is silvery, lighter, browner. Wet ‘n’ Wild Dancing in the Clouds is similar but a little browner, less green-tinted. Bare Escentuals Gold Medal is more golden. MAC Cake Shop is a bit greener. Giorgio Armani #19 is much, much lighter. MAC Dalliance is lighter, less green.
- Rich Core is a dark burgundy that looks very similar both dry and wet, though it does darken a bit when applied damp. Make Up For Ever #17 is more red-toned, less eggplant-like. Make Up For Ever #311 is rather comparable, perhaps a little less red-toned.
- Sweet Heat is a medium peach with a metallic champagne-gold sheen. For such a light shade, it actually shows up well when applied dry–it’s just softer and lighter than the dampened swatch. Chanel Emerveille is similar to the dry swatch. theBalm Luscious Lani is lighter. MAC Summer Haze is very similar, perhaps a little warmer. Urban Decay Sin is similar.
- Warm Thunder is a blue-tinted gray that applies so-so dry and better wet. It is very comparable to Estee Lauder Cyber Silver. Tarina Tarantino Diamond Dusk is also very similar.
- Young Venus is a pale, almost icy, pink with a white frosted finish. It almost looks like it has yellow undertones, yet it still has this icy look to it. MAC Fresh & Mint is less pink, more blue-based. Tarina Tarantino Delightful is similar but a little less pink. MAC Fresh Ice is bluer-based. Bare Escentuals Muse is similar but less frosted.
The good news is that these all felt and wore fairly consistently. There weren’t major discrepancies from one shade to another. Rich Core had one of the best textures–it felt extra smooth compared to the other shades–while Young Venus had a slightly grittier texture, though it would not be described as gritty. Young Venus also had one of the frostier finishes. Warm Thunder was the least pigmented (at least, when applied dry) of this set of five, while both Rich Core and Sweet Heat were quite pigmented both dry and wet.
From the previous review: These are the shades that I have worn and tested for wear: Blue Orbit, Dark Dare, Havana, Modern Pewter, and Rich Core. I wore them alone over bare skin, over a primer, and used them both wet and dry. Without a primer, they do hold up fairly well for six to eight hours when applied damp (with water), but if they are applied dry, they do seem to fade after three to four hours, with it looking rather sheer at the sixth hours. The worst thing is that when they are applied dry, they don’t stick as well, so if you rub your eye even briefly (oops!), it wipes away instantly. Over a primer, they do very well; no fading or creasing even after ten hours of wear. I was definitely surprised at how well they held up over bare skin when used damp–there was only a little fading after six to eight hours, but it was not really noticeable from afar. My eyelids are normal-to-dry, but they’ve been closer to normal these past few days.
The texture of these is that same unexpected combination of dry, soft, and smooth. There’s just this inherent dryness to it and then a real softness so it ends up applying really smooth. These can be used wet or dry, so all swatches are dry and then wet (using just water). These will look more intense, opaque, and smoother when applied damp, but overall, they were fairly pigmented when used dry. Over a primer, you can get closer to the damp results, but I still liked using these damp best. I also liked that it retained a lot of the intensity even after it dried on the lid.
Where to Buy: MAC, $20 each (launches April 5th in-stores)
If you want to wear these without a primer, I strongly recommend using them damp during application, because when they are applied dry, they do fade within a few hours and are mostly gone by six, but damp, the results are much, much better. The payoff is a similar story--always more intense when applied damp.
Thursday, March 29th, 2012
MAC Blue Orbit Extra Dimension Eyeshadow
MAC Extra Dimension Eyeshadows (Part 1)
MAC Extra Dimension Eyeshadow ($20.00 for 0.07 oz.) is a new formula for the brand, but it may seem and look familiar! Estee Lauder’s Powder Gelee formula is very comparable to this one. Since Estee Lauder is the parent company of MAC, I’m not surprised! MAC says this is a buildable formula that can yield sheer to heavier coverage, and they state that it lasts up to six hours. These are ten shades in total, and this post looks at the first five (and the next post will cover the remaining five).
Here are official color descriptions for the five in this post: Blue Orbit (light iridescent purple), Dark Dare (charcoal black), Grand Galaxy (dirty mid-tone violet), Havana (dirty copper brown), and Lunar (royal blue).
- Blue Orbit is a violet purple with blue undertones and a soft silvery-purple sheen. This was one of the sheerest shades out of the ten–it was fairly sheer when applied dry, and there was still some underlying sheerness when used damp. I tried to test this one dry, but it was difficult to get it to show up! MAC Wintersky is bluer, less purple. Urban Decay Blue Bus is darker.
- Dark Dare is a medium-dark black with brown undertones and a very subtle silver and teal micro-shimmer (hardly noticeable, looks almost matte from afar). It has a slightly dry look when it is applied dry to the skin, but it takes on a smoother result when applied damp. This one has a “glow” finish, and though I don’t know what that means in MAC-speak, it has a low-level sheen compared to the other shades. It’s similar to a lot of other black eyeshadows.
- Grand Galaxy is a medium purple with red undertones and a silvery metallic sheen. It is less metallic and almost redder-toned when applied dry, while when it is applied damp, it takes on a more metallic quality to the finish. theBalm Lavish Latoya and Urban Decay AC/DC are similar to the dry swatch of Grand Galaxy. Bare Escentuals Encore is in-between the dry and damp swatch. Estee Lauder’s Cyber Lilac is not a dupe!
- Havana is a medium-dark warmed-up amber brown with subtle orange undertones (but it doesn’t read red at all). This is one of the more pigmented shades, as it is opaque both dry and damp. The damp swatch makes the color appear a little darker, but there’s a very low-level sheen in the finish either way. MAC Buckwheat is very similar. MAC Make Your Mark is a touch red-toned. Laura Mercier Cedar is a little yellow-toned.
- Lunar is a midnight navy blue with a subtle violet purple shimmer over a blackened navy base. The blackened base is most apparent when it is used dry, while it takes on a very smooth blue result when applied damp. It is rather sheer when used dry as well. MAC Naval Blue is purpler. MAC Blue Flame is similar but has a more intense black base. MAC Shop & Drop is darker and more purple-tinted. MAC Blue Storm is slightly purpler.
I’ve put off the writing of this post for the majority of the day for two reasons: 1) readers voted highlighters over eyeshadows first, and 2) I really wanted to test a few more shades for wear, since MAC made a very specific wear claim. These are the shades that I have worn and tested for wear: Blue Orbit, Dark Dare, Havana, Modern Pewter, and Rich Core. I wore them alone over bare skin, over a primer, and used them both wet and dry.
Without a primer, they do hold up fairly well for six to eight hours when applied damp (with water), but if they are applied dry, they do seem to fade after three to four hours, with it looking rather sheer at the sixth hours. The worst thing is that when they are applied dry, they don’t stick as well, so if you rub your eye even briefly (oops!), it wipes away instantly. Over a primer, they do very well; no fading or creasing even after ten hours of wear. I was definitely surprised at how well they held up over bare skin when used damp–there was only a little fading after six to eight hours, but it was not really noticeable from afar. My eyelids are normal-to-dry, but they’ve been closer to normal these past few days.
The texture of these is that same unexpected combination of dry, soft, and smooth. There’s just this inherent dryness to it and then a real softness so it ends up applying really smooth. These can be used wet or dry, so all swatches are dry and then wet (using just water). These will look more intense, opaque, and smoother when applied damp, but overall, they were fairly pigmented when used dry. Over a primer, you can get closer to the damp results, but I still liked using these damp best. I also liked that it retained a lot of the intensity even after it dried on the lid.
Where to Buy: MAC, $20 each (launches April 5th in-stores)
If you want to wear these without a primer, I strongly recommend using them damp during application, because when they are applied dry, they do fade within a few hours and are mostly gone by six, but damp, the results are much, much better. The payoff is a similar story--always more intense when applied damp.
Thursday, March 29th, 2012
MAC Whisper of Gilt Extra Dimension Skinfinish/Highlighter
MAC Whisper of Gilt Extra Dimension Skinfinish/Highlighter
MAC Whisper of Gilt Extra Dimension Skinfinish/Highlighter ($29.00 for 0.31 oz.) is described as a “light, soft white gold.” It’s a soft yellowy gold with a metallic finish. Gilded, soft, glowy, with a definite yellow undertone, but it’s not orange-y at all. Guerlain Terracotta Sun in the City is deeper, more molten gold. Estee Lauder Opulence is very similar. Chanel Shimmering Tweed is similar but darker.
Of the three shades that were released, I actually liked the texture of this one the best–it had the smoothest feel. The texture is dry but soft, and it applies smoothly so it really enhances the metallic finish. You can see it “in real life” in this video as well. If this is your first read-through of a review on this new formula, then if you’re familiar with Estee Lauder’s Powder Gelee formula, you’ll find this extremely comparable, if not dead-on. MAC may not describe this as a liquid, powder, and gel powder, but it’s very, very similar. There’s an $11 price difference, and with MAC, you actually get nearly twice the product.
So far, MAC’s product seems to wear a wee bit better as well. Yesterday, I tested out the wear of this shade specifically, and it held up well after eight hours with very slight fading around the edges. Even after ten hours, there was a little more fading, but it was still surprisingly intact for as long of a period as that was. As with anything with a really metallic finish, it will emphasize the skin’s texture, but this does so very, very slightly. MAC’s Mineralize Skinfinishes tend to emphasize pores on me, but this seemed like a fair trade off between emphasis and glowy goodness.
I see this working well on yellow-toned skin, those with warmer undertones overall, but because it lacks an orange/red undertone, it shouldn’t turn particularly orange on pinker undertones. Between this and Superb, I don’t think I’d grab both unless you’re major fiend for highlighters or really love the finish of these. I suspect they will all sell well, so you won’t have a lot of time to think about it, but nonetheless, I do feel you could survive with one and not both.
Where to Buy: MAC, $29 (launches April 5th in-stores)
I see this working well on yellow-toned skin, those with warmer undertones overall, but because it lacks an orange/red undertone, it shouldn't turn particularly orange on pinker undertones. Between this and Superb, I don't think I'd grab both unless you're major fiend for highlighters or really love the finish of these. I suspect they will all sell well, so you won't have a lot of time to think about it, but nonetheless, I do feel you could survive with one and not both.
Thursday, March 29th, 2012
MAC Superb Extra Dimension Skinfinish/Highlighter
MAC Superb Extra Dimension Skinfinish/Highlighter
MAC Superb Extra Dimension Skinfinish/Highlighter ($29.00 for 0.31 oz.) is described as a “soft peachy nude.” It’s a champagne beige with a little hint of rosiness and a champagne metallic sheen. While I didn’t review Estee Lauder Illuminating Powder Gelee (by the time I was ready to photograph it, it had already sold out), it is exactly the same as Superb. I could not detect a single difference between the two! MAC Redhead is a little pinker and has a whiter sheen, not as warm. Bobbi Brown Rose Gold has more of a frosted finish. MAC Rose Ole is peachier.
Again, fans of Estee Lauder’s Powder Gelee formula will love these–not just like–because I couldn’t find real differences between the two. So far, MAC’s formula seems to wear a little longer for me. I’ve never used the original Powder Gelee Estee Lauder released (I left it brand new, until I did the comparison swatch in this post!), so I couldn’t tell you how long that wore on me for–I just know that Topaz Chameleon was more like seven to eight hour wear, whereas Whisper of Gilt and Glorify both hit the eight hour mark with the majority of the product still intact (just some fading around the edges).
Superb has a soft, dry texture that’s really smooth. It will feel different than other powder products, but it’s not quite the same texture as a baked product (like MAC’s Mineralize line). There’s a high-shine metallic finish that reflects light really well and smoothly, and the real surprise is that it manages not to emphasize pores or skin imperfections much–it will call more attention to it than a lower-sheen product, but for something with as strong as a sheen here, it’s very little emphasis. More or less, it’s the kind that’s worth trading off for really dewy, glowy cheeks.
This shade is the most universally wearable shade out of the three–it will work well on cool and warm, light and dark complexions. I also suspect that with the comparison swatch to Estee Lauder’s powder, which sold out extremely quickly, it will be snapped up in a heartbeat–especially since this is much more affordable than Estee Lauder’s.
Where to Buy: MAC, $29 (launches April 5th in-stores)
This shade is the most universally wearable shade out of the three--it will work well on cool and warm, light and dark complexions. I also suspect that with the comparison swatch to Estee Lauder's powder, which sold out extremely quickly, it will be snapped up in a heartbeat--especially since this is much more affordable than Estee Lauder's.
