Long-wearing is the Name of the Game
MAC Pro Longwear SPF 10 Foundation ($29.50 for 1 fl. oz.) is the newest addition to MAC’s impressive range (at least in number!) of foundations, and it comes to the market with some pretty lofty claims. It’s designed to give up to fifteen hours of wear in any environmental condition while still being lightweight and delivering sheer to medium coverage. The finish is considered “natural,” which isn’t matte but neither dewy — it’s not Studio Fix Fluid (matte!) nor Mineralize Satinfinish (satin… dewy).
On color matching: I picked up NC30, which was my MAC match for a very long time, and I wasn’t sure if these leaned dark/light, so I figured that just might work. I haven’t been to the MAC store in a bit, so I don’t have full knowledge of the range’s shades, but NC30 was a little dark and a touch orange on me; luckily, it’s almost impossible to tell in the comparison photos. (Phew!) I think I’ll grab NC25 next time I’m at MAC, though. I did, however, compare the shade against some of the other MAC foundations I own. It seems in line with Face & Body (a little deeper, but it should be yellower), a definite shade deeper than NC25 in Studio Fix Fluid. However, when compared to Make Up For Ever HD in 140 (which, according to The Foundation Matrix, is equivalent to NC30-NC35), it’s a little darker but looks almost orange in comparison. All in all, like any foundation, try to grab a sample or get matched in-store to avoid embarrassing foundation face!
Active Ingredient: Titanium Dioxide 4.7%
Ingredients: Water, Cyclopentasiloxane, Trimethylsiloxysilicate, Butylene Glycol, Trimethyl Pentaphenyl Trisiloxane, Phenyl Trimethicone, Polyglyceryl-3 Diisostearate, Magnesium Sulfate, Tribehenin, Peg-10 Dimethicone, Bis-Peg/Ppg-14/14 Dimethicone, Tocopheryl Acetate, Sodium Hyaluronate, Dimethicone, Phenyl Methicone, Polyglyceryl-4 Isostearate, Cetyl Peg/Ppg-10/1 Dimethicone, Methicone, Tetramethyl Hexaphenyl Tetrasiloxane, Glycerin, Ethylhexylglycerin, Silica, Disteardimonium Hectorite, Laureth-7, Hexyl Laurate, Xanthan Gum, Cellulose Gum, Propylene Carbonate, Alumina, Polymethylsilsequioxane, Dimethicone Silylate, Phenoxyethanol, Sorbic Acid, Chlorphenesin [ /- Mica, Iron Oxides (C) 77491, CI 77492, CI 77499), Titanium Dioxide (C) 77891, Chromium Oxide Greens (CI 77288)
On finish: This foundation is definitely one of the best MAC foundations I’ve tried to date, and I do love Studio Fix Fluid, though I don’t currently wear it–but I did wear it for nearly three years. (So many foundations, only one face!) The finish is absolutely beautiful; it’s not flat or matte, but it’s not oily, greasy, or “dewy.” It really is natural; there’s a little of that lit-from-within glow going on here. It won’t accentuate your oiliness. However, if you have very dry skin, I think it may be too close to a matte finish and would advise trying before buying. Coverage is light-medium to me; I don’t think it’s sheer, but it can be built up to a more medium coverage. I find it is similar in coverage to Studio Fix Fluid.
On consistency, feel, transfer: It’s has lightweight feel–lighter than Studio Fix Fluid, heavier than Face & Body–with a thinner consistency than Studio Fix Fluid but not as watery as Face & Body. It dries down quickly (so work in sections or be quick about your business!) and doesn’t feel tacky or sticky to the touch. As far as I could tell, it’s pretty transfer-resistant, even ten hours later. I took a tissue to my face, and just pressing didn’t transfer anything, I had to rub it across my forehead to get any foundation to show up on the tissue.
On wear: But I suppose the best part about this foundation is that is really is long-wearing without being heavy, cakey, or thick. I wore it for twelve hours, and my makeup looked nearly as good then as it did when I first applied it in the morning. Normally, I get a little oily around my t-zone if I’ve worn foundation for eight hours or more. I’d say there might have been a touch more shine after twelve hours than when I started wearing it, but very slight, and it didn’t transfer.
All in all, a pretty stellar foundation!
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- Product: 29/30
- Value: 9/10
- Ease of Use: 4/5
- Packaging: 4/5
RECOMMENDATION: I’d give it a shot if you’re able to sample the shade range and find the best match for you. It should be suitable for dry to oily skin, but if you have very dry or flaky/dry patches on your face, you may want to try it first, because of the natural finish (which isn’t quite matte but near enough to it) may accentuate dryness.
AVAILABILITY: Nordstrom
Chanel Stunt Rouge Allure Laque
Chanel SoHo Story: Stunt
First, I must warn you: I LOVE ROUGE ALLURE LAQUES. I received a few to review when they first came onto the market, and I literally ran out the next day and bought four more. (I’ve reviewed all shades to date here.) I get four to six hours of wear with the formula, which I find rich in color, lightweight, and comfortable to wear; they’re moisturizing enough to keep my lips in good shape whenever I wear ‘em.
Chanel Stunt Rouge Allure Laque ($32.00 for .20 oz.) is a pink-kissed plum with a very creamy look, slight glossiness, and rich, opaque color. LOVE! This is a flattering shade on both cooler and warmer skin tone. It is also such a needed shade to the Rouge Allure Laque range, which makes it a real shame that it’s a limited edition color. Stunt is such a wearable shade of pink/plum that’s not too light or dark, nor is it bright pink like Phoenix. So happy I bought it–now, if only Chanel would add about eight more shades to the range and make those all permanent…
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: 5/5
- Packaging: 4/5
RECOMMENDATION: If you like opaque lip color that feels lightweight and never sticky, you might like Rouge Allure Laques.
AVAILABILITY: Chanel
Chanel Star Glossimer
The Most Dazzling Lips at the Ball
Chanel Star Glossimer ($27.00 for 0.19 oz.) is a sheer gloss strewn with silver and white flecks of dazzling shimmer. My lips looked so slick and wet and juicy as soon as I applied Star; I was like, “OOH, LA LA!”
And if you have not witnessed the magic that is Chanel Glossimers dancing like sunlight as it shimmers against water, I urge you to try it sometime. The effect is delightful. Star seemed to have that gorgeous shimmering effect more than other Glossimers–the way it glinted even indoors was phenomenal.
I went through some of the Glossimers I owned to see if there are comparable ones, and the closest I found was Futile (from Spring 2010), which looks more similar on than it does in a side-by-side swatch. The warmth of Futile is less noticeable when it’s worn. Star has a lot more white and silver shimmer flecks–just a smidgen brighter, but again, the difference is minute. I was also reminded of MAC Sugarrimmed Dazzleglass.
Glossimers have a medium-thick consistency that’s just a touch tacky, but I wouldn’t describe them as sticky at all. I tend to get about three to four hours of wear with these, and the other day, I wore this shade over Stunning Rouge Coco and the combo lasted quite well for eight hours (even with a meal!).
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: It’s virtually colorless on my lips, so if you prefer more pigmented glosses/shades, this is definitely a pass for you. If you love products like MAC Dazzleglass, Glossimers are totally up your alley.
AVAILABILITY: Chanel
MAC Pro Longwear Lipcreme: Part 2
Here’s part two! Next up, a preliminary overview of the texture/feel and recommendations.
- Overtime is a pale light-medium pink with subtle yellow undertones. It seems like a (just barely) lighter version of Creme Cup, paler version of Angel, and pinker version of Hue. I felt like this one didn’t flatter lips as much as others — it kind of looked drying, even though it didn’t feel that way. This is a cream finish.
- Perpetual Flame is a rich, fuchsia raspberry. The closest permanent shade would be Impassioned (without the iridescent fuchsia sheen), but it’s not too similar. This is a cream finish.
- Prolong is a bright, cherry-ish kind of red with slight blue undertones. It’s brighter and not as ruby red as Extended Play. Seems a bit lighter than Russian Red and has a slightly frost sheen, also similar to Ruby Woo but with weaker blue undertones. This is a cream finish.
- Sweet Ever After is peach-brown with lighter peach micro-shimmer. Darker, browner version of Honeyflower, less coral Jist. This is a frost finish.
- Till Tomorrow is a muted, dark pinky-nude. Kind of like a darker, slightly muted Modesty.
- Unlimited is a medium pink with subtly cool undertones, but it doesn’t lean too blue at all. It’s a darker version of Chatterbox. This is a cream finish.
MAC Pro Longwear Lipcreme: Part 1
Once I’ve been able to test out the wear of these a bit longer, I will post an overall/recap post to talk more about how these feel, wear, etc. (as well as give you a product rating). So far, I’m on hour three! I’m splitting these up into two posts, to help cut down on loading time and demand on the server. Plus, it means you can read this post while I write up color descriptions and put together part 2!
- Extended Play is a deepened red with a subtle blue base. It has a subtle ruby micro-shimmer, so it looks and reminds me of a holiday red. It does seem reminiscent of Queen’s Sin but glossier, not as frosty. This is a cream finish.
- Faithfully Yours is a plummy wine with neutral-cool undertones. It seems a bit like Amorous but darker, a little cooler. This is a cream finish.
- Goes and Goes is a brightened red-toned purple. This one reminded me of Up the Amp (I have no idea why I do not have a swatch of this lipstick up–must remedy that at some point), significantly less fuchsia/bright in comparison to Violetta. This is a cream finish.
- Good to Go is a vibrant neon orange. It reminded me of Neon Orange–it’s hard to tell the difference between the two; Good to Go seems a little lighter but just as bright. Morange is also similar, but I would say it’s a touch lighter. All three are fairly similar, so unless you dig bright orange, you don’t need ‘em all. This is a cream finish.
- Love Forever! is a cool-toned darkened fuchsia pink. It’s a little darker than Pink Nouveau, but they seem quite similar. This is a cream finish.
- Made to Last is a plum-touched brown with subtle micro-shimmer. Though I don’t have them to compare directly, it seems similar to Retro (but darker) and Del Rio (but seems darker). This is a frost finish.
Chanel SoHo de Chanel Highlighter & Blush
Chanel SoHo Le Vernis: Should You?
Chanel SoHo de Chanel Highlighter & Blush ($65.00 for 0.45 oz.) is the star of the collection, is it not? It’s easily the prettiest, with the raised SoHo lettering and design of the powder. It has three distinct shades: rosy brown (it doesn’t read plum on me, though Chanel describes it as such), pale powder pink (but don’t expect to use that shade on its own–it’s such a thin strip!), and satiny pale white with subtle pink undertones (this is the highlighter). If you mix them altogether, the result is a lightly shimmered, glowy mix of muted rose.
Surprisingly, it swatches rather sheerly, but it applied much better with a blush brush on my cheeks–it was more pigmented than I anticipated (based on the subtler swatches). I actually loved the luminous sheen in the finish when they were swirled together–it’s glowy and rosy without being too pink. It is on the cooler side, but I think it still worked on my warmer skin tone, because it does have a touch of brown in it.
You could use the blush/highlighter shades separately if so desired, as both pieces are large enough to do so. The highlighter has such a fine sheen that I could see it being dusted all over as a finishing powder. Overall, the powder applied really smoothly and evenly, and it was a cinch to blend out.
At $65, it’s not exactly a necessity item, but Chanel packed a surprising amount of product into this compact–a whopping 0.45 oz.–as compared to their blushes which weigh in at a mere 0.14 oz. By the ounce, it’s cheaper than NARS, can you believe it? This is one of those rare moments in beauty where I’m awarding Chanel 10/10 on value!
If you want to know more about how products are evaluated, read out Rating System FAQ!
- Product: 27/30
- Value: 10/10
- Ease of Use: 4/5
- Packaging: 5/5
RECOMMENDATION: Chanel collectors should be pleased with the way SoHo looks and feels but also how smoothly it applies. For those less motivated by the brand itself, if you pick it up, I don’t think you’ll be disappointed–but don’t sell a kidney for it or anything!
AVAILABILITY: Chanel
