Illamasqua Expose Blush ($24.00 for 0.14 oz.) is–apparently–discontinued. I had already written up this review (and then reworded it to reflect the news) when I discovered there was no place to link to in order for readers to buy it! This post is mostly for posterity, then, and if someone already owns it, since I couldn’t find it anywhere. Perhaps a local store or counter has a lone one of these in stock, but otherwise…
It’s a matte, softened orange. NARS Taj Mahal is brighter, more tangerine with gold shimmer. The color can be applied intensely (think true-to-pan color) or lightly for more of a peach-orange tinge to cheeks. Becca Damselfly is more coral. Make Up For Ever #5 is darker and more coral. NARS Exhibit A is much redder. MAC Optimistic Orange is brighter, more neon.
Illamasqua has one of the better matte blush formulas on the market, and when they really nail it, they hit it out of the park, which was the case with Expose. Despite its matte finish, it almost has an ethereal glow when it’s blended out just right. It doesn’t look chalky or powdery, and it wears incredibly well, still looking good after nine hours of wear. Wonder why Expose got the axe…
Sometimes products are discontinued or limited edition, which means that a product may no longer be available at one or more retailers so you may need to shop around for those hard-to-find shades! We try to update products as they become discontinued, and if you discover a product has been discontinued, please help us help others by letting us know.
Disclosure: Temptalia uses affiliate links, which give us a small commission when you make a purchase (given to us by the retailer, at no cost to you). Your purchases help to support the site!
I’m a huge fan of Bobbi Brown’s Rich Lip Color–the formula really resonated with me when it initially debuted. The formula is supposed to be long-wearing, moisturizing, and yield “pure, crisp color.” It’s a lightweight lipstick with rich, opaque color payoff. The look is creamy, but there’s not too much slip once applied yet it applies easily and glides over the lips for full color coverage in a single pass. While not all the formula’s shades wear as long, this deeper shade wore well for just over six hours and needed a reapplication after eight hours. My lips didn’t feel dry or parched at all after the eight hours I wore this shade. This lipstick is both scent- and taste-free, which is a nice touch.
I'm a huge fan of Bobbi Brown's Rich Lip Color--the formula really resonated with me when it initially debuted. The formula is supposed to be long-wearing, moisturizing, and yield "pure, crisp color." It's a lightweight lipstick with rich, opaque color payoff.
Product
10/10
Pigmentation
10/10
Texture
10/10
Longevity
10/10
Application
5/5
Login or Register to be able to add this to your Vanity or Wishlist! Plus rate and review!
Where to Buy
This product can be purchased at the following retailers:
Sometimes products are discontinued or limited edition, which means that a product may no longer be available at one or more retailers so you may need to shop around for those hard-to-find shades! We try to update products as they become discontinued, and if you discover a product has been discontinued, please help us help others by letting us know.
Disclosure: Temptalia uses affiliate links, which give us a small commission when you make a purchase (given to us by the retailer, at no cost to you). Your purchases help to support the site!
Tom Ford Love Lust Cheek Color ($55.00 for 0.28 oz.) is a dark coral with hints of orange and gold shimmer and just a smidgen of pink thrown in. There’s plenty of pigmentation–you can sheer it out for something softer, more of a sheen with a touch of color, or apply a little more for a bolder cheek. Chanel Tweed Brun Rose is more orange and matte. MAC Stereo Rose is less pink. MAC Marine Life is similar but has less shimmer. MAC Ripe Peach has less shimmer and less pink. Chanel In Love is browner.
The formula is supposed to deliver buildable color, whether you want a soft glow to a dramatic look. It’s supposed to have “the comfort of a cream” with “outstanding lumiosity” and “velvety transparency.” This powder is insanely soft; it feels like velvet against the skin–so finely milled that it really does have a creaminess to it, even though it is most definitely a powder product. The shimmer is fine, not too much, and most of it translates into a sheen rather than a shimmer. My favorite part about the formula was that this blush would wear for ten hours without fading on me. It may be one of the longest-wearing blushes I’ve tried to date.
Tom Ford Beauty is a luxury brand; it’s not just high-end, it’s luxury, which means it comes with a price tag that may inspire fainting, quips about the product being made out of gold/doing your taxes, and the like. Everyone’s budget and priorities are different, which is why I removed price from the rating system–whether it’s $1 or $100, the rating means the same thing. You’ll go through your rationalization process to determine whether something is worth it or not.
It's one of the best blush formulas I've come across, because of the ultra finely-milled powder that almost feels like cream and blends seamlessly across the skin--and then there's the out of this world wear.
Product
10/10
Pigmentation
10/10
Texture
10/10
Longevity
10/10
Application
5/5
Login or Register to be able to add this to your Vanity or Wishlist! Plus rate and review!
Where to Buy
This product can be purchased at the following retailers:
Sometimes products are discontinued or limited edition, which means that a product may no longer be available at one or more retailers so you may need to shop around for those hard-to-find shades! We try to update products as they become discontinued, and if you discover a product has been discontinued, please help us help others by letting us know.
Disclosure: Temptalia uses affiliate links, which give us a small commission when you make a purchase (given to us by the retailer, at no cost to you). Your purchases help to support the site!
This particular formula is supposed to be long-wearing, non-drying, highly pigmented, and non-feathering.The color is definitely opaque, and you need very little product to do so; one glide across the lips yields excellent color coverage. It has a creamy consistency that doesn’t feel too heavy or have too much slip. When I tested this shade for wear, it wore well for around six hours, and my lips didn’t feel dry or chapped after such long-wear either, which was a nice surprise. I don’t typically have major issues with lipsticks feathering on me, but just to affirm, Raspberry Sorbet did not feather on me.
Laura Mercier's lipsticks are really underrated--I don't remember trying one that didn't wow me! The texture is so creamy without being heavy or slippery, and the color coverage is exactly as described by the brand.
Product
10/10
Pigmentation
10/10
Texture
10/10
Longevity
10/10
Application
5/5
Login or Register to be able to add this to your Vanity or Wishlist! Plus rate and review!
Where to Buy
This product can be purchased at the following retailers:
Sometimes products are discontinued or limited edition, which means that a product may no longer be available at one or more retailers so you may need to shop around for those hard-to-find shades! We try to update products as they become discontinued, and if you discover a product has been discontinued, please help us help others by letting us know.
Disclosure: Temptalia uses affiliate links, which give us a small commission when you make a purchase (given to us by the retailer, at no cost to you). Your purchases help to support the site!
Guerlain Samsara (124) Rouge Automatique Lipstick ($35.00 for 0.12 oz.) is a berry-kissed medium-dark red with ruby red micro-shimmer. There’s the faintest hint of a cool undertone, but compared to more obviously blue-toned lipsticks, it almost appears orange-toned! The color coverage is mostly opaque with little product needed for the results seen in the swatch. It does have some resemblance to Guerlain Vega, but this almost looks orange in contrast, and it’s a bit darker and definitely not as bright. Guerlain L’Heure Bleue looks more like a berry-red in comparison. Giorgio Armani #406 is similar but has little to no shimmer. MAC Prolong is a touch brighter.
Guerlain’s Rouge Automatique is a fabulous formula–it’s long-wearing, comfortable, lightweight, and always seems to make lips look better: more luscious and luminous. Some of the lighter shades only wear for four to five hours, but richer shades like Samsara easily wear for six hours, up to eight, from my experience with the formula. The texture is lightweight, creamy enough to glide easily across lips, but it doesn’t slip around once applied. For more packaging photos, please see this post.
Rouge Automatique is a top-notch formula, because the creaminess of the texture enables it to glide on, making for an easy application, but it's lightweight and never slippery, so it stays on and wears for hours.
Product
10/10
Pigmentation
10/10
Texture
10/10
Longevity
10/10
Application
5/5
Login or Register to be able to add this to your Vanity or Wishlist! Plus rate and review!
Where to Buy
This product can be purchased at the following retailers:
Sometimes products are discontinued or limited edition, which means that a product may no longer be available at one or more retailers so you may need to shop around for those hard-to-find shades! We try to update products as they become discontinued, and if you discover a product has been discontinued, please help us help others by letting us know.
Disclosure: Temptalia uses affiliate links, which give us a small commission when you make a purchase (given to us by the retailer, at no cost to you). Your purchases help to support the site!
Guerlain Chamade (164) Rouge Automatique Lipstick ($35.00 for 0.12 oz.) is a pink-coral with a creamy, luminous finish that just looks juicy on lips. The color coverage is mostly opaque but there’s a translucency to it that gives it the really shiny look. MAC Ultra Darling seems rather similar, perhaps just slightly less opaque. Chanel Phoenix is brighter, slightly pinker, and more opaque. Chanel Genial is brighter and more coral.
The texture of Rouge Automatiques is lovely–it’s creamy without being slippery, lightweight but yields excellent color coverage without having to go back and forth five times, and always feels comfortable on the lips. When I test drove the wear for Chamade, it went strong for five and a half hours before needing a reapplication after six and a half hours of wear. For more packaging photos, please see this post.
Rouge Automatique is a top-notch formula, because the creaminess of the texture enables it to glide on, making for an easy application, but it's lightweight and never slippery, so it stays on and wears for hours.
Product
10/10
Pigmentation
10/10
Texture
10/10
Longevity
9/10
Application
5/5
Login or Register to be able to add this to your Vanity or Wishlist! Plus rate and review!
Where to Buy
This product can be purchased at the following retailers:
Sometimes products are discontinued or limited edition, which means that a product may no longer be available at one or more retailers so you may need to shop around for those hard-to-find shades! We try to update products as they become discontinued, and if you discover a product has been discontinued, please help us help others by letting us know.
Disclosure: Temptalia uses affiliate links, which give us a small commission when you make a purchase (given to us by the retailer, at no cost to you). Your purchases help to support the site!
