Illamasqua Obsess Nail Varnish ($14.00 for 0.50 fl. oz.) is described simply as “bright fuchsia pink.” It’s almost neon; it’s exceedingly bright and vibrant, but there’s something in the finish that holds it back from being a true neon. Obsess is a bright fuchsia pink with an underlying hint of violet with a cream finish. Urban Decay Miss T is similar but appears purpler. It’s purpler compared to Deborah Lippmann Makin’ Whoopee, though.
Illamasqua’s formula is three-free (it does not include DBP, formaldehyde, or toulene), and it wears a full week on me with very minor tip wear (and no chipping). The consistency of Obsess is phenomenal; perfectly balanced between thin and thick that it flows to the edges of the nail with ease and does so evenly. It’s opaque in nearly one coat (I used two for swatches).
P.S. — I have no idea why the stickers on some of my Illamasqua bottles are wonky; I’ll take that minor inconvenience because of the stellar formula, though.
Illamasqua's formula is one of my favorites, and Obsess is absolutely superb. Great color payoff, perfect consistency, and easy application make this a must-have polish!
Product
10/10
Pigmentation
10/10
Texture
10/10
Longevity
10/10
Application
5/5
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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 Girly Rouge G Lipstick ($47.00 for 0.14 oz.) is described as a “pink.” There is more fancy marketing-speak than color description in the press release. It’s pink–oh, yeah–it’s a vibrant, nearly glowing, pink-red. It has more of a cream finish with opaque color coverage and a glossy shine. It is redder than Guerlain Champs-Elysees but darker than OCC Queen. It’s a touch darker compared to Estee Lauder Wild Violet, which also has shimmer.
This is one of my favorite lipstick formulas, and I’m excited whenever they release new shades (my wallet less so!), so I had to pick this one up as soon as they launched online. The shades they’ve been putting out recently have had really lush finishes to them–they make lips look so smooth. Girly was everything Gigolo is/was, so I’m repeating what I wrote in that review here: Guerlain’s Rouge G formula is one of my favorites, because of the excellent color payoff but even better texture and feel. They are comfortable to wear, long-wearing (I am able to get six hours of great wear with Girly and about 80% of color remains after eight hours plus a meal), and moisturizing. They are violet-scented (but not too heavily–less so than some of their powders) and come in heavy, silver metal cases with a flip out mirror.
I do feel you pay a chunk of change for the packaging, which while decadent, does hold fingerprints, doesn’t store as easily, and the small text of the shade on the back is hard to read. I really hope they sell refills someday.
Great color payoff, long-wearing, and moisturizing--Rouge Gs hit all the marks of a quality lipstick, even if it does dent the pocketbook. Sometimes a well-edited collection of excellent products in shades you love and reach for often is better than twice as many less satisfying shades.
Product
10/10
Pigmentation
10/10
Texture
10/10
Longevity
10/10
Application
5/5
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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!
NARS Night Flight Nail Lacquer($17.00 for 0.50 fl. oz.) is described as a “black with cobalt blue pearls.” It’s a new and limited edition shade from the Night Series. The coverage is fantastic–I used two coats, but it was 80% opaque with one coat. The formula is that perfect blend of thick and thin that allows for even flow across the nail bed without causing drag or patchiness. It’s a blackened-navy blue base with silver and navy blue shimmer. It is similar to MAC Biker Blue, though NARS’ formula is better (more opaque) and has a more muted appearance.
If you like a shiny finish to your polishes, you’ll definitely want to use a top coat here, because these dry to a remarkably low-shine finish. NARS’ polishes wear well on me, and I have no issues with chipping over a week–just minor tip wear, which is expected given I type all day (and I have absolutely no regard for my nails; I’ll happily pry something open with them).
The formula was flawless--so easy to apply, rich in color, and doesn't bubble or streak. It's such a dark shade that it should work on both cool and warm skin tones.
Product
10/10
Pigmentation
10/10
Texture
10/10
Longevity
10/10
Application
5/5
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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!
The color coverage is nearly opaque with a really glossy finish. I bought this last week (along with Girly, which will be reviewed soon), and it’s a shade I keep wanting to re-wear. It’s rich and dark–perfect for fall–but the red brightens the color (and makes my teeth appear whiter because it is a cooler-toned color).
Guerlain’s Rouge G formula is one of my favorites, because of the excellent color payoff but even better texture and feel. They are comfortable to wear, long-wearing (I get six hours of great wear with Gigolo and then about 80% of color remains after eight hours plus a meal), and moisturizing. My lips sing a little when I glide on a Rouge G after swatching five other lipsticks. They are violet-scented (but not too heavily–less so than some of their powders) and come in heavy, silver metal cases with a flip out mirror.
I do feel you pay a chunk of change for the packaging, which while decadent, does hold fingerprints, doesn’t store as easily, and the small text of the shade on the back is hard to read. I really hope they sell refills someday.
Great color payoff, long-wearing, and moisturizing--Rouge Gs hit all the marks of a quality lipstick, even if it does dent the pocketbook. Sometimes a well-edited collection of excellent products in shades you love and reach for often is better than twice as many less satisfying shades.
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!
bareMinerals The Epiphany Eyeshadow Duo ($20.00 for 0.10 oz.) contains two shades: A-Ha and Foreshadow. This duo launches in October, and it’s touted as a solid eyeshadow with SeaNutritive Mineral Complex that is “creamy, silky smooth” with “seamless blendability” and “stay-true color” that is long-wearing when worn alone without creasing or budging. When worn alone (without an eyeshadow primer), the new pressed eyeshadows wear around ten hours. For more details on packaging, please read my original review.
A-Ha is a warmed-over gray-tinged brown with a frosted finish. It had good color payoff, and the texture was dense and buttery, which allowed for a smooth application. It is a bit less red-toned compared to Urban Decay Midnight Rodeo. It is similar to Bobbi Brown Sandy Rose, just more intense.
Foreshadow is a dark, red-toned brown with a near-matte finish. The powder is so finely milled–it has a soft, silky texture that gives it a very crisp, smooth application with excellent color payoff. It’s less red compared to Make Up For Ever #162, but it’s softer than MAC Embark. It is closest to Inglot #378 but better pigmentation.
This is a lovely duo of neutrals--with a slight warmth, but not too much--and I'm quite surprised at how well both shades work. Even the matte finished shade is a dream to apply; it has such a silky texture that's clearly been milled a few times, which makes it easy to blend while still having good color coverage.
Product
10/10
Pigmentation
10/10
Texture
10/10
Longevity
9.5/10
Application
5/5
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Where to Buy
This product can be purchased at the following retailers:
October 2011 at Bare Escentuals, Sephora, $20
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!
theBalm Cast Your Shadow Face Palette Review, Photos, Swatches (Part 2)
This is part two of our review for theBalm Cast Your Shadow Face Palette ($44.50), which includes 16 eyeshadows (1.0 oz. total), two lip/cheek stains (0.14 oz. total), and one lip gloss (0.07 oz.. It is a limited edition palette to-be-related (late September/early October) and only 1,000 will be available (each one is numbered). Check out part one for the overall review as well as a review on packaging and the first eight eyeshadows.
Woman, Woman is a softened forest green with golden shimmer. The finish is a soft frost. Urban Decay Bender is several shades darker, while MAC Humid is a touch greener. It’s a bit greener than theBalm Makeout Mary.
Curtain Call is a pink lilac with a white, frosted shimmer. This is one of two shades I had issues with–it’s a little sheer in places, and the texture isn’t as smooth as the other shades. It just feels looser overall, like it doesn’t stay bound together. It’s a bit pinker than Milani Royalty and MAC Lotusland.
Hiii-Yaaa! is a softly warmed-up beige with a metallic-frost finish. The color is similar to Cle de Peau #207 though less metallic. Urban Decay Sin is darker and pink-tinged. It is similar to NARS Delphes but has more payoff.
Swedish Pancakes is darker peach-beige with a frosted finish. This was the other shade I had some issues with–it has a slight grittiness from the large flecks of glitter, but the color payoff was decent to good. It’s similar to Inglot #397. MAC Jest is a touch browner. MAC Naked Lunch is also a bit browner but closer than Jest. Urban Decay Sin is a tad darker.
Now, if you know me, the eyeshadows in this palette were far and away what would have driven me to purchase one. The lip/cheek stains are surprisingly effective, and I couldn’t believe how pigmented the gloss was. The stains are creamy and blendable without being oily, and they dry down quick enough to keep your makeup routine slimmed down but not so quick you can’t blend out the color. The wear was good, too — about eight hours of flushed cheeks. The gloss was mostly opaque with a nice shine to the finish and wore for three hours.
Rainbow Connection is a brightened coral-red. It can be built up for more intensity, but when blended, it takes on a watermelon-like stain on cheeks or lips. It seems a bit redder than NARS Cactus Flower.
Le Diva is a softened fuchsia-pink with a subtle blue base and silver sparkle. This one will emphasize pores a bit more, because it has a shimmery finish, but it will complement cooler skin tones well. It seems like it might be similar to Illamasqua Laid.
Electric Mayhem is an opaque pink-nude with a glossy shine. It feels and looks more like a liquid lipstick than a lipgloss, though. It’s similar to MAC Super and MAC Lust.
theBalm knocked this one out of the park--the shade includes neutrals as well as pops of color, while the finishes are mostly soft frosts and shimmers, there are a couple that are more semi-matte.
Product
10/10
Pigmentation
10/10
Texture
10/10
Longevity
10/10
Application
5/5
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Where to Buy
This product can be purchased at the following retailers:
September/October 2011 @ theBalm, $44.50
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!
