Essie’s Braziliant Collection includes six new shades for summer: Too Too Hot (sizzling rich red coral), Meet Me at Sunset (vibrant deep orange), Brazilliant (hot orange with a touch of shimmer), Absolutely Shore (soft sea foam green), Super Bossa Nova (upbeat bright fuchsia), and Smooth Sailing (breezy lavender blue with a reflection of pearl).
Too Too Hot is really more red than red-coral. It has a cream finish, and it was almost opaque in one coat, though I used two for swatches. The red definitely dominates here, though. It reminds me of a deeper Rescue Beauty Lounge Bangin’, less red Zoya Sooki.
Meet Me at Sunset is a orange-red; kind of like a tomato red to me. It’s very vibrant and has a cream finish. I used two coats. It’s darker than Essie Vermillionaire. Zoya Lana seems like it would come the closest but has shimmer.
Braziliant is a rich, darkened orange with white shimmer. I used two coats, but it was nearly opaque in one. MAC Imperial Flower is similar, though the shimmer is chunkier and gold.
Absolutely Shore is a whitish green with a cream finish. I used two coats, but it does have a streakier base, so take your time with this one. It’s a little less yellow-based than Nubar Sprout.
Super Bossa Nova is a brightened, dark pink with fuchsia shimmer. I swatched with two coats, but it was really pigmented in one. China Glaze 108 Degrees is very similar, though the base pink is redder.
Smooth Sailing is cornflower blue with hints of purple and chunkier silver shimmer. I used two coats. I couldn’t find a dupe for this – I don’t have anything quite like it in my stash from what I can tell!
The formula for Essie’s summer shades was excellent overall. I only had a little trouble with Absolutely Shore, which required some patience and a more precise application (aka pay attention)–the first coat will look a little streaky, so I recommend a thinner initial coat followed by a medium-thick second coat. Despite being a lighter shade, though, it is nearly opaque in just two coats. The other five were impeccable: dense pigmentation, not too thick or thin, even flow, and just easy to work with. I typically get a week’s worth of wear out of Essie’s polishes.
It's a fun collection of summery shades; the first three are more typical of summer, while the latter three are a little more unique. Overall, these were nice to work with and had great color pay off. Smooth Sailing seems the most unique!
Product
9.5/10
Pigmentation
9.5/10
Texture
9.5/10
Longevity
10/10
Application
4.5/5
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Where to Buy
This product can be purchased at the following retailers:
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Deborah Lippmann Yellow Brick Road Nail Lacquer ($16.00 for 0.5 fl. oz.) is described as a “super sheer mellow yellow.” The shade was made famous by Lady Gaga wearing it a few months ago. Sheer is definitely an apt descriptor, because after three coats, my natural nail line is still visible. It’s a bright, sunny yellow with a jelly finish. For some reason, this yellow makes my hands look sunburnt, so it’s not as flattering on me as it might be on others! (Boo!)
The consistency is thick-ish, though not difficult to work with, and it flows really nicely on the nail. It’s not even streaky on the first coat because of how naturally translucent it is. Overall, the formula was easy to work with, and even after three coats, it didn’t feel too heavy, though I’d recommend just going with two since it’s designed to be a sheer. The drying time is a little long, and I recommend waiting a minute or two between coats. I typically get a week of wear with Deborah Lippmann polishes (using Zoya Anchor and Armor as base/top coats).
There is something about the jelly finish that makes sheer polishes have more interest to them. I wish this shade was more flattering on me, because I think it's perfect for summer--so warm and bright.
Product
9/10
Pigmentation
10/10
Texture
9/10
Longevity
10/10
Application
4/5
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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.
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Illamasqua Gamma Nail Varnish ($14.00 for 0.5 fl. oz.) is described as a “neon orange.” They really mean neon, too, because this is a medium-dark, neon orange–it’s traffic cone orange, construction orange, whatever you want to call it–it’s bright and in-your-face orange. It’s opaque in nearly one coat, though I did two for swatches, and it dries to this pleather-like finish–a little shiny, kind of matte, but not quite. The finish reminded me of Orly’s Plastix, though Gamma is more neon and deeper than Orly’s Old School Orange. Illamasqua’s formula is richly pigmented, smooth, and easy to apply. I typically get a full week of wear with Illamasqua Nail Varnishes with minimal tip wear and no chips.
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.
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Illamasqua Bacterium Nail Varnish ($14.00 for 0.5 fl. oz.) is described as an “opalescent beige” with a shimmer finish. It is a really intriguing shade, and I think those who tend to collect nail polishes may appreciate this shade in particular. It’s just weird–in a good way–it’s this cross of green, beige, and brown with threads of silver and iridescent opal. The base color reminds me most of khaki–brown with this murkiness–but the way the opal shimmers and reflects light adds interest to the shade.
Illamasqua’s formula is richly pigmented, smooth, and easy to apply. I did notice very slight brush strokes in the finish under really bright light–the kind common in more metallic finished polishes. Bacterium was opaque in two coats. I typically get a full week of wear with Illamasqua Nail Varnishes with minimal tip wear and no chips.
It's almost office-friendly... but with a little kick. The quality of Illamasqua's Nail Varnishes is excellent--they apply so fluidly and evenly, and the colors themselves are nicely pigmented and wear well.
Product
9.5/10
Pigmentation
10/10
Texture
9.5/10
Longevity
10/10
Application
4.5/5
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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.
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MAC Surf Baby Eyeshadows ($15.50 for 0.05 oz.) come in five shades: Saffron (deep coral caramel), Short Shorts (frosty white champagne), Sun Blonde (dirty yellow gold), Surf USA (frosted teal), and Swell Baby (mid-tone grey).
Saffron is a rusty orange-red with a soft sheen. It has a satin finish, and it was originally launched with Mickey Contractor (’11).
Short Shorts is a pale white gold with a frosted finish. It has a frost finish. This is a shade we’ve seen before–think Soft Force, White Tie, Manila Paper, etc.–for a permanent dupe, Nylon is your best bet, though is a little yellower and more metallic in the finish.
Surf USA is a vibrant medium-dark teal that leans green. It has a frost finish–but it is a very, very subtle frost. It’s more like a cross between a satin and frost finish, actually. It’s a more vibrant version of Gulf Stream–the closest permanent dupe would be Shimmermoss, which is bluer and not nearly as vibrant. You’d be better off trying NARS Misfit as a dupe, though it’s a little greener.
Sun Blonde is a golden mustard yellow with a satiny sheen. It’s this great mix of gold and mustard yellow. It has a frost finish, but like Surf USA, looks less like your typical frost and more like a satin. It’s kind of like a much richer Gorgeous Gold (without the duochrome, obviously!). I can’t think of a dupe for this one in MAC’s past/present line. Maybe a darker, metallic version of Jasmine. NARS Mangrove would be comparable though.
Swell Baby is a medium, silvery gray. It has a satin finish. It’s a little lighter than Print.
These are some of the best eyeshadows MAC has put out in the past year (excluding Peacocky’s Mega Metal Eyeshadows, which were some of the best eyeshadows put out by MAC ever, if you didn’t pick up any, FOR SHAME!), and the reason being is that all five have excellent color pay off with smooth texture. To hit all five out of the park, I think, is quite a feat–for any brand–and MAC does so well with these.
Every shade is worth getting--it just depends on your personal preferences for colors and the like. Short Shorts is the least unique of the five, while Sun Blonde is the most unique.
Product
10/10
Pigmentation
10/10
Texture
10/10
Longevity
10/10
Application
4/5
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Where to Buy
This product can be purchased at the following retailers:
MAC Cosmetics, in-stores on May 26th
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.
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Laura Mercier St. Tropez Lipstick ($22.00 for 0.14 oz.) is a semi-opaque, darkened beige with a little peachiness and marigold shimmer. The texture is really smooth, soft, and delicate; these remind me a lot of Guerlain’s Rouge G finishes–just the way the shimmer plays with the lip color and how it sinks into lips (in a good way, such that the color looks one with your lips).
Laura Mercier’s Shimmer Lipsticks have a rather strong floral scent to them, while several of her other lip products are heavily vanilla scented (not sure why these are different). I get three to four hours of wear (about average), and I find these neither drying nor particularly moisturizing, but they are comfortable to wear. Sandcastle applied evenly and easily without having to layer on a lot to get opaque color.
It applies and wears so beautifully while looking natural on lips, despite the darker hue, and the way the shimmer warms up the color is very fine and subtle.
Product
10/10
Pigmentation
10/10
Texture
10/10
Longevity
8.5/10
Application
4/5
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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!
