YSL Single Eyeshadows: Fawn, Mogador Blue, Slate Green
YSL Ombre Solo Lasting Radiance Eyeshadows ($30.00 for 0.06 oz.) are a new, recent release from YSL. Accordingt o YSL, they are to deliver “vibrant” and “pure” color for “hours.” Each palette contains both a sponge-tipped and brush applicator.
These single eyeshadows are available in twelve shades: #01 Midnight Black (black), #02 Cashmere Brown (brown), #03 Perian Blue (gray blue), #04 Midnight Purple (dark purple), #05 Slate Green (forest green), #06 Pink Nude (soft pink), #07 Smokey Grey (gray), #08 Fawn (soft brown), #09 Mogador Blue (blue), #10 Lunar Purple (purple), #11 Garden of Eden (light green), and #12 Parisienne Pink (pink).
I’ve tried three shades, and I think now would be the best time to review them, given that I was so disappointed with the spring palette–because I don’t think it’s representative of the entire YSL line. (Their eyeshadow palettes have never wowed me, but they have never entirely disappointed me, either.) The new single eyeshadows are much, much better.
- #08 Fawn is a softened, peach-toned brown with soft peach-gold sheen. It’s not too warm, so I think it would work on both cooler and warmer skin tones. It would make a good all-over lid color on medium skin tones, too.
- #09 Mogador Blue is a silver-shimmered sky blue. This shade had the frostiest finish out of the three I tried, but it’s not an over-the-top frost. It was surprisingly pigmented (I feared for the worst on this pastel-ish shade!), and it went on very smoothly.
- #05 Slate Green is a darkened forest green. This shade of dark forest green is one of my favorite shades, and I didn’t have any eyeshadow in this shade until now, so I’m really enthused over this one on a personal level.
I’m so, so pleased to say that these are soft, smooth, and pigmented. They actually feel a bit different than YSL’s palettes and duos–a little thicker in a sense, not at all powdery, and seem more pigmented. The packaging is traditional YSL with the “gold” case. The two applicators included in the eyeshadow are so-so — nothing ground-breaking, and I’d only use them in an emergency situation, but I like that they had a bristle-based one, too.
I’m not particularly keen on the price/quantity situation here — it’s closer to luxury brands like Cle de Peau than high-end, designer brands like Chanel and Dior. The quality is fantastic, but I could see these better priced at aroun $26 or $27.
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- Product: 28/30
- Value: 6/10
- Ease of Use: 4/5
- Packaging: 4/5
Recommendation: Based on the three shades I tried, the new single eyeshadows are silky smooth and richly pigmented. They apply evenly and easily. The price tag is a bit steep, so it may not be for everyone.
Availability: Nordstrom
Nubar Prisms Collection
Nubar Prisms Collection ($59.95 for 8 shades) is a springtime release that features eight shades of holographic nail polish. These polishes do something fantastic when the light hits them and when your hands are in movement, so the flash photos best show-off the holographic effect when it comes to these holos.
The formula on these varied quite a bit–some were thin, some were more jelly-esque in thickness–but they all dried on the quicker side for me. The majority of these were also on the sheer side, though, and I did three coats for nearly all of the shades here. Even with three coats, there was still some nail line showing, which doesn’t bother me that much since it’s hardly noticeable at a distance–just up-close.
I’d also recommend a thicker top coat, because the majority of these do have a slightly gritty or noticeably uneven finish if left without a top coat!
According to Nubar…
Inspired by the colorful play of light through a prism, those bands of light and color are embodied in nubar’s Prism Collection. Each shade in the Prism Collection is filled with holographic glitter reflecting every color of the rainbow, with base colors just as varied, ranging from subtle neutrals to vivid pink to pale blue. Going a step beyond holographic nail lacquers, nubar’s Prism Collection is a celebration of color and light. As all nubar products, they are free of formaldehyde, toluene, and (DBP) phthalate, as well as vegan and cruelty free.
- Prize is a pinked red with holographic shimmer–lots of gold and purple stood out in this one. I needed just two coats here, and it applied smoothly and evenly.
- Essence is a metallic played down pink with holographic shimmer. This one came out a bit chunky, though it’s wearable, and I did see some brush strokes. Just two coats, though.
- Absolute is an aqua-blue with a holographic finish. With this one, you don’t really notice the effect until it’s out in the light–normal, indoor light just makes it look like silver shimmer. I found this one was a little on the sheer side–I used three coats and could still see some nail line.
- Treasure is a medium purple with red undertones and a subtle holographic effect. Like Absolute, it didn’t quite get to total opaqueness with three coats.
- Brilliant is a pretty in pink shade with holographic glitter strewn through it. It’s not completely solid color after three coats, but it comes close.
- Gem is a taupe gray with holographic glitter–it comes out a little murky and dark and forboding. The green and teal glitter really pop in this shade. Three coats here as well.
- Spark is a just slightly warmed up light brown with holographic glitter. I love the texture and feel of this one. Three coats and it looked pretty solid.
- Jewel is a deep, molten chocolate brown with holographic glitter. Like Gem, the green and teal glitter seem to pop. It has the chunkier texture of Essence, though.
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- Product: 26/30
- Value: 8/10
- Ease of Use: 4/5
- Packaging: 4/5
Recommendation: If you like softer color for your nails but still want the bling bling look of holographic glitter, you might enjoy the Prisms collection. If you’re more inclined towards brighter or more opaque shades, you’ll want to look at some of Nubar’s other shades.
Availability: Nubar
tokidoki: Diamante Eyeshadow
tokidoki Diamante Eyeshadow
($15.00 for 0.07 oz.) is a pearled pink with silver microglitter. The color swatches amazingly, and it’s such a pretty shade that would work well as a brow or cheek highlighter–even more so on pink-toned skin–if it didn’t have that pesky silver glitter. The silver glitter doesn’t distribute evenly, but it also has a tendency to fall out, though it’s nowhere near the worst glitter fall out I’ve encountered. I’m totally drawn to the shade, but now I’m on the lookout for something similar, sans the glitter.
This shade was definitely better than Adios Star! The shade itself was smooth, pigmented, and easy to blend. I’m not against or for the packaging, but I still like the way it was done. I feel it’s cute, fitting with the brand, and it’s not cheap–it just doesn’t have that cheap feel of flimsy plastic. I like that each eyeshadow has a different colored top, because it’s a touch you see all the time. I can imagine that for some, these would be cumbersome to store, though.
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- Product: 25/30
- Value: 9/10
- Ease of Use: 4/5
- Packaging: 4/5
Recommendation: I think that the tokidoki eyeshadows that aren’t described with “iridescent glitter” or “matte” may be the ones most worth checking out.
Availability: Sephora
tokidoki Brillante Glitter Eyeliner
($14.00) are fun to try out, because there are so many shades and so many of them that are bright and vibrant and just fun. I reviewed these a month ago, and I thought I’d share some photos and swatches of two more of the fourteen available shades.
- Skeletro is a dark, navy blue with silvered-blue flecks.
- Savana is a burnished copper-bronze with flecks of gold.
Savana is so, so lovely. It has this all-over warmth of a flickering fire–really lovely with brown and green eyes in particular. I think both of these shades are wearable without being bland; they’re vibrant enough to be worn alone or used with other products without competing. I love the overall color pay off of these eyeliners, but they could be softer on the lash line. They’re not super rough, but they’re not as smooth as Urban Decay 24/7 Liners either. They’re more comparable to MAC Softsparkle Pencils. Obviously, it’s the glittery bits that cause some of that roughness, and it’s nowhere near painful, but it’s something to note.
The packaging is adorable and fun — love how each pencil is a different color — and the price is just right. I think these are fun eyeliners–maybe not must-haves, but they’re nice-to-haves.
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- Product: 25/30
- Value: 9/10
- Ease of Use: 4/5
- Packaging: 4/5
Recommendation: If you like glittery eyeliners, these are an affordable indulgence!
Availability: Sephora
Guerlain Cherry Summer (#262) Kiss Kiss Baby Lip Balm
($31.00) is an ultra moisturizing, sheer baby pink. Kiss Kiss Baby is a high-end version of lip balm, so don’t go into it expecting extraordinary color pay off. Accordingly, Cherry Summer is no exception–it’s barely there color that delivers a hydrating punch to the lips. It’s one of two limited edition shades from Guerlain’s Summer collection. I can’t get over how soft and smooth it is and it really does keep lips moisturized for hours. I also like that you don’t need a lot to get the moisturizing effect, which is often a problem with higher-end lip balms. I do like their little potted Terracotta balms a bit more, but the stick-delivery is way more convenient. I think Guerlain fanatics will enjoy it, but if you’re not a high-end beauty fiend, this isn’t the product I’d start with!
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- Product: 28/30
- Value: 7/10
- Ease of Use: 4/5
- Packaging: 4/5
Recommendation: If you’re a Guerlain fanatic and are on the hunt for something ultra moisturizing, you might find it in Kiss Kiss Baby.
Availability: Nordstrom
NARS Summer 2010: Love Devotion Lipstick
NARS Summer 2010 Collection featured a new lipstick called Love Devotion ($24.00), which NARS describes as a “sheer guava.” It’s a good thing they put me on notice about the color, though, because it’s definitely sheer!
Love Devotion is a sheer coral-orange with a glossy finish rather than shimmer. It evens out my natural lip color, gives them more of a orange-tinted look, but it’s definitely a sheer shade. I think those who prefer lipglosses and the ligher coverage of those may find comfort in Love Devotion, which has the same lightweight, moisturizing feel of a gloss along with the subtler color. Those who are all about the ultra-pigmented lipsticks will probably want to skip this shade.
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- Product: 26/30
- Value: 8/10
- Ease of Use: 4/5
- Packaging: 4/5
Recommendation: If you love sheerer shades of lipstick, Love Devotion offers subtle color with a great feel and texture.
Availability: NARS
