Nail Lacquer: Jolly Holly, Peace on Earth, Jingle Bells
China Glaze Holiday 2010: Part 2
The next six shades consist of all shimmers with the exception of Show, which is a cream. I had the same experience formula-wise as I did with the first six; easy, even application. Most shades were two coats, though I did three for Snow and Frosty. The consistency of these shades was on the thinner side, but it wasn’t watery or sheer. Each China Glaze retails for $3 to 4, depending on where you purchase yours from. I know the brand is carried at various etailers as well as Sally’s (not sure if it’s in store yet, though).
- Jolly Holly is a darkened emerald green with lighter green shimmer. It’s a little warmer with finer shimmer than China Glaze’s Emerald Sparkle. Jolly Holly feels less emerald in comparison. Two coats.
- Peace on Earth is a medium olive green with an almost chartreuse tone. It’s similar to NARS’ Mash, which has a little more olive in its base. Two coats.
- Jingle Bells is a light champagne gold with golden microshimmer. This looks really lovely on, and the application is absolutely flawless. It reminded me of a less yellow/gold version of Chanel Gold Lame (which has a metallic finish, so they’re a bit different). Two coats.
- Snow is a stark white cream. It was surprisingly easy to apply, though I needed three coats to even out a little streakiness I had towards the bottom of the nail (which was more owed to impatience during application). It’s like White Out for your nails but you know, looks better, applies better, and lasts longer. It does seem to have a blue-base to it. It’s a brighter version of MAC Vestral White (which is harder to apply). Three coats but it was opaque in two.
- Frosty is a semi-sheer white base with silvery-white shimmer. There’s something about this that reminds me of wedding dresses. It almost has a purplish iridescent sheen. I don’t own many white-based polishes, so I don’t have any dupes for this one. Three coats.
- Cheers to You is a silver foil. It just says shimmer, but it looks like a foil/mtallic, because of the high sheen and finish. Duri’s Celebrity Scandal and SpaRitual’s Looking Glass are both similar. Two coats.
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- Product: 29/30
- Value: 9/10
- Ease of Use: 4/5
- Packaging: 4/5
RECOMMENDATION: Snow may not be a shade that’s easy to wear on its own, but it could be used to layer underneath other polishes or glitters. If NARS’ Mash seems too expensive for you, Peace on Earth is a nice affordable option.
AVAILABILITY: 8ty8beauty.com
Nail Lacquer: Mommy Kissing Santa, Phat Santa, Ruby Deer
China Glaze Holiday 2010: Part 1
For the holidays, China Glaze has an impressive sixteen new shades for us. The first six I’m reviewing include three red-based shades as well as three cream finishes. I had no application issues with any of these six; they all applied quite easily for me–two coats needed for opaque color. The consistency of these shades was on the thinner side, but it wasn’t watery or sheer. Each China Glaze retails for $3 to 4, depending on where you purchase yours from. I know the brand is carried at various etailers as well as Sally’s (not sure if it’s in store yet, though).
- Mommy Kissing Santa is a ruby red with matching shimmer. It almost has a metallic look but not quite. It’s a pretty red, but there’s a good chance you have something that seems similar in your stash. Zoya’s Karina is a little lighter and glitter rather than shimmer based; Two coats.
- Phat Santa is a deepened red cream. It seems a touch lighter than Essie’s Limited Addiction. Two coats.
- Ruby Deer is a brightened cherry red cream. It’s similar to Zoya’s Burke (less neutral red) and Essie’s Red Nouveau. Two coats.
- Naughty and Nice is a blackened burgundy cream. The base color actually reminded me of China Glaze’s Mummy May I (which has glitter), also similar to Essie’s Velvet Voyeur (a bit redder in tone). Two coats.
- Sugar Plums is a burgundy wine with flecks of darkened ruby micro-glitter. It does have a bumpy/gritty finish, so it needs a thicker top coat to look smooth. Two coats.
- Little Drummer Boy is a rich navy blue with softened blue micro-shimmer. There’s something about this particular shade that has a lot of depth and character. I looked through my past nail swatches from the year, and I couldn’t find anything quite like it. Two coats.
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- Product: 29/30
- Value: 9/10
- Ease of Use: 4/5
- Packaging: 4/5
RECOMMENDATION: I like Sugar Plums and Little Drummer Boy the most; the reds felt a little dupe-able, so whether they’re must-haves depends more on your personal stash.
AVAILABILITY: 8ty8beauty.com
Urban Decay Mary Jane Eyeshadow
Cool Down with Mary Jane!
Urban Decay Mary Jane Eyeshadow
($17.00 for 0.05 oz.) is a steely blue with a frost finish. It’s a pale, icy blue with a silver sheen–perfect for the cooler season and for brightening up eyes. Mary Jane has a very soft, smooth texture with rich pigmentation. Easily one of my favorite Urban Decay eyeshadows! This is a stunning example of why Urban Decay’s eyeshadows are often listed as readers’ favorites–especially if you love yourself some color.
Edited: Fixed images!
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- Product: 29/30
- Value: 8/10
- Ease of Use: 4/5
- Packaging: 4/5
RECOMMENDATION: For my cooler beauties, most definitely. For my warmer lovelies, still yes! It works well with silver and gray smoky eyes, but it can be worn with your favorite navy blues, too.
AVAILABILITY: Sephora
MAC Plumful Lipstick
Maybe Not Sultry, But Still Pretty
MAC Plumful Lipstick ($14.50 for 0.10 oz.) is a muted medium pink with a touch of plum, which gives it a slightly darker overall appearance. It has a lustre finish, but it delivers a surprising amount of color pay off (semi-opaque). I originally bought this to use in the Sultry Season, but it’s just not vampy and dark and sultry enough for that purpose! However, it is a gorgeous shade of pink without being milky, candy, or bright. I think it’s very wearable for both cooler and warmer skin tones, though it leans slightly cool. I don’t know how I went this long without Plumful in my stash!
Lustre finishes are supposed to be more moisturizing but can be somewhat drying (but Plumful wasn’t), but they’re often on the sheerer side; I’m happy that Plumful isn’t, just because some of the lustre shades barely show up at all. All MAC lipsticks are vanilla-scented but have no discernible taste. I typically get four hours of wear out of MAC lipsticks, with some of the darker shades going as long as five.
Chanel Insolente Rouge Allure Lipstick
Bright Pink That’s Wearable
Chanel Insolente (65) Rouge Allure Lipstick ($30.00 for 0.12 oz.) is brightened medium pink with subtle blue undertones. It has next to in noticeable shimmer but has a soft sheen. Like other Rouge Allures, it has opaque color, feels comfortable on the lips, and wears well. I typically get five to six hours of wear with brighter/deeper shades like this one. I wouldn’t describe the formula as overly creamy or moisturizing, but they never dry out my lips and always apply evenly and smoothly.
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- Product: 29/30
- Value: 8/10
- Ease of Use: 4/5
- Packaging: 4/5
RECOMMENDATION: Insolente is a happy medium of brightness in a pink. It’s not neon, and it’s not the most traffic-stopping pink ever made, but it’s also a whole lot more wearable, too.
AVAILABILITY: Chanel
Illamasqua Hermetic Intense Lipgloss
An Alternative to Red for the Holidays
If you’ve been reading Temptalia for a few months, you probably know I have an obsession with Illamasqua’s Intense Lipglosses (see reviews of ten other shades here). They’re ultra pigmented with a high glossy shine in bold, bright colors. They last awhile and never feel uncomfortable on lips.
Illamasqua Hermetic Intense Lipgloss
($20.00 for 0.20 oz.) is a new shade launched with the Art of Darkness collection for autumn/winter. It is unique in its finish, from my experience with the Intense Lipglosses, because it has a high shimmer, nearly metallic finish (all Intense Lipglosses I’ve tried are creamier, very subtle if not zero shimmer). It’s a welcome addition, since I do enjoy shimmery glosses, too. The gloss comes in a thin, squeeze-tube with a slanted applicator.
Hermetic is a bold burgundy brown with lighter burgundy shimmer. It’s very deep and takes very little color to get opaque results. It feels very holiday to me, which I think owes to the slight metallic-ness of the finish. It’s holiday without being a full-on red. I see subtle red-brown undertones, but it’s definitely not your typical holiday red. It seems a little on the cooler side to me, though it worked well on my warmer skin tone, so don’t let that dissuade you from checking it out.
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: If you like burgundy, browns, or deep reds, I think Hermetic might be worth checking out.
AVAILABILITY: Sephora
