MAC Pink Cult Blush
MAC Jeanius: Pink Cult
MAC Pink Cult Blush ($19.50 for 0.21 oz.) is described as a “mid-tone neutral pink” with a matte finish. It’s a soft, neutral rose pink with a matte finish–it’s not cool-toned or warm-toned, but beautifully neutral. It has excellent color pay off, despite the lightness of the shade itself. If you like blushes like Blushbaby, I think you’ll enjoy this one. It’s not a dupe, as this is most definitely pink (and Blushbaby is more nude), but they have similar effects–a soft, subtle color that never looks overdone. To me, it is a softer, pinker version of Breath of Plum.
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- Product: 29/30
- Value: 8/10
- Ease of Use: 4/5
- Packaging: 4/5
final thoughts: I think this will be a very flattering blush on light to medium skin tones; with it being a little on the pale side for darker skin tones. The neutral undertones make it wearable for both cool and warm skin tones, too.
where to buy: MAC Cosmetics, March 3rd, 2011
Rescue Beauty Lounge Plie Nail Lacquer
Rescue Beauty Lounge Plie Nail Lacquer
Rescue Beauty Lounge Plie Nail Lacquer ($18.00 for 0.4 fl. oz.) is described as the color of the satiny slippers of a prima ballerina. It is a soft, muted pale pink–it’s not a milky pink nor is it pastel. I would say it’s more like a soft pink with a gray overcast. Plie has a cream finish and applies beautifully.
my thoughts on the formula: These are richly pigmented lacquers that have nuances in both the color and finishes. Each color is well-thought out, and I’ve yet to come across a poor performer in the brand’s color range. I needed two coats for opaque coverage.
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- Product: 30/30
- Value: 7/10
- Ease of Use: 4/5
- Packaging: 4/5
final thoughts: This is a shade of pink that’s infinitely flattering and wearable. It’s delicate without being sheer, pink without being obvious.
where to buy: Rescue Beauty Lounge
Rescue Beauty Lounge Yellow Fever Nail Lacquer
Rescue Beauty Lounge Yellow Fever Nail Lacquer
Rescue Beauty Lounge Yellow Fever Nail Lacquer ($18.00 for 0.4 fl. oz.) is a bright, sunshine yellow with soft, pale gold micro-shimmer. The micro-shimmer is really, really faint but it catches light beautifully. It almost looks like a cream finish in lower light conditions. The first coat looked rather streaky, but the second coat made it look perfect–smooth, opaque, and gorgeous.
my thoughts on the formula: These are richly pigmented lacquers that have nuances in both the color and finishes. Each color is well-thought out, and I’ve yet to come across a poor performer in the brand’s color range. Yellow, which can be streaky and hard to work with, is excellently formulated here.
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- Product: 30/30
- Value: 7/10
- Ease of Use: 4/5
- Packaging: 4/5
final thoughts: This is a great shade for spring and summer. Especially in spring, because it reminds me that summer is near!
where to buy: Rescue Beauty Lounge
Chantecaille Sea Turtle Palette
Chantecaille Spring 2011: Sea Turtle Palette
Chantecaille Sea Turtle Palette ($79.00 or 0.42 oz.) is a limited edition color palette for spring. It is a refillable palette, and the eyeshadows are easily removed if one desires. Inside, there is a base color, eye color, cheek color, and eye definer. There is a raise turtle design on each shade, and the turtle itself has a metallic sheen overlay (which disappears upon first swatch).
The base color is a pale, gilded beige with pale gold shimmer-sheen. The eye color is a medium-dark brown with slight warm undertones finished with a soft satin sheen. The cheek color is a pink-peach with a peach-gold sheen–think shades like MAC Springsheen, NARS Orgasm, etc. but less shimmer, less golden, and pinker. The eye definer shade is a charcoal forest green with a frosted finish. All four shades were silky smooth and nicely pigmented; there were no issues with the textures or the colors at all.
The three eye colors can all be used wet or dry, though I had no issues with pigmentation and they went on so prettily dry I didn’t even think to use them wet until I read the description of Chantecaille’s eyeshadows online! Funny enough, this palette is cheaper (by the ounce, at $188/oz.) than MAC ($290/oz.), Make Up For Ever ($238/oz.), NARS ($228/oz.), and Urban Decay ($340/oz.).
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- Product: 30/30
- Value: 9/10
- Ease of Use: 4/5
- Packaging: 5/5
final thoughts: I think it’s a really well-done palette with not just a lovely set of colors presented with beautiful decor, but the quality of the eyeshadows and blush is fantastic. Very smooth, soft, and easy to use. They blend effortlessly and pack quite a bit of pigment. I’m also happy to see how much product was included in the palette and love that it is refillable.
where to buy: Nordstorm
Bobbi Brown Rich Lip Color Lipstick: Guava (1), Old Hollywood (2), Sweet Nectar (6), Soft Coral (7), Bikini Pink (8)
Bobbi Brown Rich Lip Color: Part 1
Bobbi Brown Rich Lip Color SPF 12 ($22.00 for 0.12 oz.) are new lipstick formula for spring (and being added to the permanent range). The line consists of twelve shades, and this review features five of those. According to Bobbi Brown, these are “lightweight, yet intense” and have “a clear base to deliver pure, crisp color with just one swipe.” The formula is also “creamy and moisturizing.” These shades are officially described as: Guava (bright pink coral), Old Hollywood (bright cherry red), Sweet Nectar (coral pink), Soft Coral (pale peach), and Bikini Pink (soft white pink).
I’ve road tested three shades from the line-up specifically for wear: Bikini Pink, Soft Coral, Old Hollywood. The idea is to test for wear and to do so with shades with different intensities. Bikini Pink is the lightest, while Soft Coral lies in the middle, and Old Hollywood, being a red, was likely to last the longest. The lighter colors inevitably fade/last less than deeper shades, as deeper shades often stain, which is why I try to test from both ends of a spectrum when it comes to a new lipstick formula.
- Guava is a deep pink-coral-red with a hint of orange. It’s bright without being neon. It is slightly less orange than Illamasqua’s Mistress. It is darker than Laura Mercier’s Tangerine. It is more intense and deeper than MAC Crosswires.
- Old Hollywood is a bright, rich cherry red with a blue-base. It is similar to Guerlain Greta, MAC Russian Red (but it’s not as bright), and Rimmel Alarm (it is darker).
- Sweet Nectar is a medium-dark pink coral. It is richer and a little brighter than MAC See Sheer, slightly more orange-based than Milani Bora Bora.
- Soft Coral is a softened orange; more orange than coral. It is more orange than MAC Ravishing, but it is less coral than MAC Vegas Volt.
- Bikini Pink is a soft, light-medium pink with subtle yellow undertones. It is a few shades lighter than Cle de Peau #106, not as pink as MAC Angel nor as light as MAC Hue, but it is similar to MAC Overtime.
my thoughts on the formula: These are really comfortable to wear,with their semi-matte finishes, creamy but lightweight texture, and rich color coverage. Every shade was opaque and needed very little product to achieve full color coverage. They are also scent- and taste-free, which should appeal to some. Wear was anywhere from four to six hours, with deeper shades like Old Hollywood lasting a full six and beginning to fade after that. Lighter shades hung on for about four hours.
If you want to know more about how products are evaluated, read out Rating System FAQ!
- Product: 30/30
- Value: 8/10
- Ease of Use: 4/5
- Packaging: 5/5
final thoughts: I actually really liked these; I love how pigmented they are, but they’re creamy without actually being creamy. They have the feel, glide, and finish of creamier formulas, but there is very little slip and very little product is on the lips, giving a rather featherweight feel. These colors do not have a full matte finish, but they still wear well–no clinging or seeping into lip lines.
where to buy: Bobbi Brown, Nordstrom
Guava, Old Hollywood, Sweet Nectar, Soft Coral, Bikini Pink
Bobbi Brown Rich Lip Color SPF 12 Sneak Peek
For spring, Bobbi Brown is putting out a new lip color formula called Rich Lip Color ($22.00 for 0.13 oz.) with twelve shades in the range. The formula is designed to feel lightweight, yield lots and lots of color, with a creamy and emollient texture to moisturize and condition lips–plus it has SPF 12. I will be testing these out over the next week or so and working through lip swatches, but I thought I’d give you this swatch post for now. There are a few shades missing (Cosmic Raspberry and Crimson), but the majority of the shade range is here.
I have not tested these at all yet, so please hold questions until I have had a chance to do so–thank you! I will be sure to do my usual detail review as soon as I’ve finished testing these.
