Onyx, 14K, Orchid, Graphite
Holiday Wishes with Smashbox
Smashbox Wish For The Perfect Pencils (2010)
($16.00 for 4 x 0.03 oz.) are one of my favorite holiday sets, after discovering their great deal last year. This year’s set is actually a better deal, even though they are smaller in size. In this set, you receive four shades, each 0.03 oz., for a total of 0.12 oz. — but for the less than the cost of a single eyeliner (by most other high-end brands). (Last year’s set retailed for $32 for 0.20 oz. of product.) I love this set as a stocking stuffer or affordable gift to give to pals for the holidays.
- Onyx is a matte, dark black. It’s your standard black eyeliner; there is nothing bad to say about it, but there is nothing different that makes it stand out.
- 14K is a pale yellow gold with a metallic finish. Make Up For Ever’s #23L is similar–a touch peachier.
- Orchid is a muted, deep purple. The closest dupe I could think of was Make Up For Ever’s #11L Aqua Eyes, but it’s a little more violet and has shimmer in its finish.
- Graphite is a silvered charcoal with a metallic finish. This shade is a lot like Urban Decay’s Gunmetal.
These eyeliners are smooth and easy to apply, because they don’t drag or pull. They last all day on me, though they do not wear all day on the water line. They are soft without being fragile–their hardness lies between Urban Decay’s 24/7 Liners and Make Up For Ever’s Aqua Eyes.
Just to be clear, since it seemed like there was some confusion, this set IS different than last year’s – these are Smashbox’s Limitless Liner formula (last year’s wasn’t part of their permanent liner formula). I don’t think I said they were the same, but just to clear up any questions! 
If you want to know more about how products are evaluated, read out Rating System FAQ!
- Product: 29/30
- Value: 10/10
- Ease of Use: 4/5
- Packaging: 4/5
RECOMMENDATION: I do — if the colors are up your alley!
AVAILABILITY: Sephora
The Sultry Season: Bobbi Brown Raisin Lip Color
Bobbi Brown Raisin Lip Color ($22.00 for 0.12 oz.) is a muted rusted red-brown. It’s described as a “rich plum brown,” but it’s so hard for me to see the plum in shades like this. Once you tell me, I feel like maybe I can see it, but then maybe I’m just trying too hard! Raisin is an opaque shade with excellent color coverage and feel–very smooth and clings without pulling moisture out of lips. It has a slight glossiness to it but no real shimmer. It’s also scent- and taste-free!
Oh, and psst, it’s a dead ringer for Chanel’s Imperial Rouge Allure Laque in color (doesn’t have the fine gold shimmer, but color-wise…)!
Is this the right “plum” for you? Would you wear it?
The Sultry Season is a series of posts featuring deep, rich shades of brown, berry, plum, and wine lipsticks and lipglosses — just right for autumn — that runs through November 2010.
Laura Mercier Translucent Loose Setting Powder
Temptalia Staples: Laura Mercier Translucent Loose Setting Powder
Laura Mercier Translucent Loose Setting Powder
($34.00 for 1.0 oz.) has been a long-time favorite for me — it’s been my go-to setting powder since I first started using it. It’s been used in over 70 posts!
The one I hav been using is actually a smaller size included in one of Laura Mercier’s gift sets or travel kits (can’t remember), but it was 0.33 oz., whereas the full-size version (which is pictured in this post) is a full 1 oz. It took me six months of regular usage to go through it, so I imagine a full-size should last at least a year with daily use or a year and a half with 3-4 uses a week. I just picked up the full-size during Sephora’s F&F sale last month.
I love it because it sets my makeup, keeps it in place throughout the day, and helps minimize oiliness. It never looks powdery, and it never looks obvious–it has a silky smooth texture as it is a finely milled loose powder that disappears on the skin. The soft, featherweight texture means it never feels heavy over foundation. I like using this with MAC’s 134 brush and dusting all over after finishing foundation and blush.
The only area this product could improve on is working longer than six hours – I do find a hint of oiliness starts to peek through by hour seven or eight, and I’m normal-to-dry, so I imagine that very oily skin types may find they need a touch-up after three or so hours.
P.S. — I recommend only peeling back (or cutting) half of the label, because you don’t need that many holes exposed to get a good amount of product.
If you want to know more about how products are evaluated, read out Rating System FAQ!
- Product: 29/30
- Value: 9/10
- Ease of Use: 4/5
- Packaging: 4/5
RECOMMENDATION: It’s fabulous on dry and normal skin types, but it may not produce as stellar results on the oiliest of skin types. I fully recommend giving it a shot, though – one of my staples!
AVAILABILITY: Nordstrom
and Sephora
NYX Vixen Lipgloss
The Sultry Season: NYX Vixen Lip Gloss
NYX Vixen (116) Lip Gloss ($5.50 for 0.53 fl. oz.) is a semi-opaque, brown burgundy shimmered with muted red sparkle. It’s not totally opaque, so it does have a tendency to settle into lip lines, but it looks pretty good from a normal viewing distance, so it’s not particularly bothersome. This gloss was scent-free, but in the past, I’ve NYX glosses that have smelled like plastic as well as synthetic berry. If you’re not sensitive to those scents, this is an affordable gloss to get you into the holiday spirit.
Is this the right berry for you? Would you wear it?
The Sultry Season is a series of posts featuring deep, rich shades of brown, berry, plum, and wine lipsticks and lipglosses — just right for autumn — that runs through October 2010.
The Sultry Season: Cle de Peau R4 Danse du Feu Extra Rich Lipstick
Cle de Peau R4 Danse du Feu Extra Rich Lipstick ($60.00 for 0.14 oz.) is a deep coral-red with subtle golden shimmer. Pigmented, moisturizing, and long-wearing, Cle de Peau’s Extra Rich Lipsticks are a dream, but they come with a luxury price. (See R2 and T2 for full reviews.) I love how Danse du Feu is this rich, lustrous shade of coral–it’s not orange, pink, but this decadent hue of fiery coral.
Is this the right deep coral for you? Would you wear it?
The Sultry Season is a series of posts featuring deep, rich shades of brown, berry, plum, and wine lipsticks and lipglosses — just right for autumn — that runs through October 2010.
Bobbi Brown Day to Night Warm Eyeshadow Palette
Bobbi Brown Day to Night Warm Eyeshadow Palette
Bobbi Brown Day to Night Warm Eyeshadow Palette ($45.00 for 0.30 oz.) contains six shades of eyeshadow designed to take you from day to night with shades on the warmer side of the color spectrum. Each eyeshadow has 0.05 oz. worth of product, so the palette’s total weight is 0.30 oz. of product. It does also include a short-handled eyeshadow brush with actual bristles–it’s surprisingly nice, workable, though I don’t think it’ll replace any full-size brushes you may own, but it is one of the better included brushes I have seen this holiday season.
This palette includes: Ivory (creamy white), Oat (soft mocha beige), Espresso (dark chocolate brown), Burnt Sugar (deep golden brown), Velvet Bronze (warm golden bronze), and Black Plum (deep black plum).
- Ivory is a creamy, muted white with a very rich, smooth texture. It’s surprisingly pigmented–not chalky at all–and it’s not a stark, bright white, so it’s more wearable. It has a nearly matte finish. This is a permanent shade (and a popular shade that Bobbi Brown has used often in her palettes).
- Oat is a light-medium brown with an extremely subtle sheen that barely glints even under flash photographer. It’s smooth, nicely pigmented, and would work well on both warmer and cooler skin tones. This shade reminded me of MAC’s Soft Brown.
- Espresso is a darkened cool-toned charcoal brown with a touch of satin sheen. It has good color pay off and applies smoothly. Espresso is very reminiscent of MAC’s Brun or Showstopper eyeshadows, both cooler browns. This is a permanent shade.
- Burnt Sugar is a golden-toned warm medium-brown with a glinting, metallic gilded gold sheen. It has a smooth texture with rich color pay off with a metallic finish. This is a permanent shade.
- Velvet Bronze is a medium red-toned brown with a soft golden sheen. This was the least pigmented shade within the palette, but it was still nicely pigmented (just worth pointing out that it was a bit softer). It has a metallic finish. The color itself is similar to MAC’s Texture, but Velvet Bronze has a brighter sheen.
- Black Plum is a smoldering, deep brown with flecks of bronze shimmer. It is a really nice, smooth textured brown, which leans a bit warm, but it is rather neutral overall. It has a shimmer wash finish. This is a permanent shade.
I think this palette is a good mix of neutrals that do tend on the warmer side, but the palette is closer to neutral-warm than one with very strong, warm under tones running through it. These shades are classic–they will serve one well when it comes to creating office-friendly looks or smoking those looks out for something a touch more dramatic in the evening. I am particularly pleased with the pigmentation level of the palette, as everything was nicely pigmented and five of the six were excellent in pigmentation. The texture is soft and smooth, with all of the shades applying evenly. I also appreciate that Bobbi Brown often mixes finishes within her palettes so that users can create a variety of textured looks.
Bobbi Brown’s Eyeshadows retail for $20.00 (for 0.08 oz.), Metallic Eyeshadows retail for $20.00 (for 0.10 oz.), and Shimmer Wash Eyeshadows retail for $20.00 (for 0.08 oz.). In this palette, you are receiving $37.50 worth of Eyeshadow, $20.00 worth of Metallic Eyeshadow, and $12.50 worth of Shimmer Wash Eyeshadow. This palette thus contains $70 worth of eyeshadows for $45. FINALLY! a true value-oriented palette for the holidays!
If you want to know more about how products are evaluated, read out Rating System FAQ!
- Product: 29/30
- Value: 10/10
- Ease of Use: 4/5
- Packaging: 4/5
RECOMMENDATION:
AVAILABILITY: Bobbi Brown
