Guerlain Mitsouko (140) Rouge Automatique ($35.00 for 0.12 oz.) is a muted peach shimmered orange with hints of pink. It’s semi-sheer, which means that your natural lip color will play a larger role in the way the lipstick actually looks. On my lips, it looks like a soft, rosy coral with a frost finish. The orange hue seems to get lost when I wear it. I also felt that between sheer color and the frosted shimmer, the texture wasn’t as smooth; I could feel the shimmer particles when I pressed my lips together.
Guerlain’s description of the Rouge Automatique line describes the color as non-opaque, light, and luminous, so while this may be on the sheerer side, it still seems in line with the range–it definitely gave a visible color difference when worn, but this shade seems to embody what Guerlain described as “luminous, clear and pure color.” (Nothing in Guerlain’s description of the new formula would make me think these are rich, pigmented lipsticks.) I did feel I had to apply more than your average lipstick to get the color pay off as swatched, which is why it lost a couple of points.
my thoughts on the formula: Rouge Automatique lipsticks tend to have a very creamy, smooth consistency without being thick (in fact, I’d describe them as thin). They glide on with ease, and the majority of shades seem to deposit semi-opaque to opaque color. Mitsouko, however, is one of the sheerest shades I’ve tried (out of five!) and wear time is three to four hours. Wear for darker shades ranges from six to eight hours, while light to medium shades from four to six hours. It’s an excellent alternative to the luxury Rouge G lipstick–the formulas are comparable (and certainly so with a $11 price difference!), while the packaging gives up the luxury heft of Rouge G, it makes up for in the practicality. It’s a creamy, moisturizing, long-wearing formula with the subtle nuances and finishes I expect from Guerlain.
I've been like the the Rouge Automatique line quite a bit, and though I think this color is lovely (and very much a shade I personally gravitate towards), it isn't as smooth as some of the other shades I've tried. I think it's due to the frostier finish combined with the sheerer color that emphasizes that aspect.
Product
8/10
Pigmentation
8.5/10
Texture
7/10
Longevity
7/10
Application
4/5
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MAC Quite Cute Collection: Giggly Mineralize Blush
MAC Giggly Mineralize Blush ($23.00 for 0.14 oz.) is a new and limited edition duo-toned blusher from MAC’s Quite Cute Collection, which will launch in-stores on April 7th. It’s described as a “light pink with pearly plum heart.” The outer color is a darkened bubblegum pink with subtle blue undertones, while the heart itself is a frosted berry plum. When swirled together, the result is a heavily pinked plum with a soft, frosted sheen.
The pigmentation on Giggly was the best out of the three mineralize blushes, and while it, too, was powdery, it did not sheer out too much when applied, which was an issue the other two had.
Product
7.5/10
Pigmentation
8/10
Texture
7.5/10
Longevity
8/10
Application
4/5
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MAC Cosmetics, April 7th in-stores, approximately April 4th online
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Zoya Mod Mattes Collection includes three limited edition, matte shades for summer. These shades include: Phoebe (shimmered blue with a matte finish), Mitzi (chartreuse with a matte finish), and Lolly (pink with a matte finish).
Phoebe is a bright cerulean blue with very faint white micro-shimmer and has a matte finish. It was opaque in two coats.
Mitzi is a bright yellow-based chartreuse green with a matte finish. I used three coats, but I still could not get a nice smooth, even finish. This shade was the hardest to apply without getting an uneven surface.
Lolly is a medium-dark pink–almost neon but not quite there–with a matte finish. I used two coats for opaque color, and this shade applied the smoothest of three, because it was also the most pigmented.
Make sure you check out the swatches for my final attempt with Mitzi–hopefully you can see the difference between the variations of coat thickness and use.
my thoughts on the formula: I had a lot of trouble with these; I could not figure out the trick to an even, smooth finish. I expected some of the contouring of my natural nails to peek through but didn’t expect so much unevenness as a reslt of the polish drying down. Even though the shades are opaque on the nail, they look almost streaky. After five or six attempts, I did find that thick coats were key–one thinner coat followed by a much thicker coat (and maybe even another) gave it a must smoother finish. Mattes, without a top coat, tend to wear for shorter periods of time; I wore Mitzi for three days before it chipped a bit (no top coat).
I love the colors themselves, because they're gorgeous and perfect for summer, but I couldn't get the formula to work on me.Lolly was the best, followed by Phoebe, with Mitzi being the most difficult. If Phoebe was more pigmented, I think it would be as easy to work with as Zoya's Matte Velvet shades. These take patience and some willingness to trial through to find a method that works.
Product
7.5/10
Pigmentation
8.5/10
Texture
7.5/10
Longevity
8/10
Application
3.5/5
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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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Philosophy Lilac Blossom 3-in-1 Shower Gel ($16.00 for 16 fl. oz.) showed up as new, exclusive, and limited edition when I was casually (err, stalking) Sephora’s site, and so it somehow managed to leap into my basket…
Philosophy describes the scent as:
inspired by the alluring essence of lilac blossoms, this shampoo, shower gel & bubble bath embodies beauty and enchantment. the extra rich and creamy formula provides a moisturizing lather that caresses your body as it gently cleanses and softens skin and hair. the sweet floral, alluring scent of lilac blossoms captivates the senses for a charming, mesmerizing experience that makes a lasting impression.
The bottle is so prettily packaged, and I love how the gel itself is a thick, luxurious lilac purple, but the problem with this particular scent is exactly that–the scent. It doesn’t smell like lilac at all; there’s not even a hint of lilac in it. Instead, it’s a soft, slightly sweetened floral concoction that’s not at all displeasing, but it’s also not the “scent of lilac blossoms” as described. It is also notably subtle when Philosophy scents usually burst in the shower with their fragrance.
my thoughts on the formula: They lather up well and leave skin feeling clean without any tightness or dryness. If you prefer your body wash to leave behind a long-lasting scent, these won’t be for you, but if you like to enjoy the scent while you shower but don’t want it to linger heavily beyond, then these are perfect. (I belong to the latter category!) I don’t find them to lather quite as well in the hair, and they work in a pinch to clean hair, but I prefer many other shampoos over this one. It does, however, work well as a bubble bath, too–a little goes a long way.
final thoughts: Even though the formula itself performs as well as other Philosophy scents, the fact that the scent itself really misses the mark is a downside. Again, I think the scent is pleasant in a generic, floral scent kind of way, but if you’re looking for lilac blossom you won’t find it in this bottle.
Guerlain Rue de Passy Eyeshadow Palette($84.00 for 0.25 oz.) is a rather neutral collection of shades. It includes: a soft pale neutral beige with a matte finish; light-medium cool-toned beige with taupe in a matte finish; iridescent pale pink with a metallic sheen; blackened burgundy brown with a satin finish; cool-toned brown with a satin finish; and a deep black-brown. This is like a cool-toned version of Rue de Francs Bourgeois, which was a palette of warmer-toned neutrals.
As much as I liked Guerlain’s spring palette (Rue de Rivoli), I really wasn’t impressed with this one. Two of the shades (the blackened burgundy brown and cool-toned brown) were very sheer, even when layered. I just couldn’t get the pay off that I’d like to–they were sheer and didn’t seem to lay down as seamlessly as other Guerlain eyeshadows have. I think the swatches do a nice job of showing where these went awry.
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Product: 23/30
Value: 7/10
Ease of Use: 4/5
Packaging: 5/5
FINAL THOUGHTS: I like the color combination, and I think it would suit light to medium skin tones with cooler undertones. However, the quality is poor in two of five shades, so I wouldn’t recommend this as a go-to neutral palette.
There are four new and limited edition Eyeshadows ($14.50 for 0.05 oz.) in MAC’s Mickey Contractor Collection. They include: Marvel (deep purple with soft pink pearl), Oomph (forest green with soft gold pearl), Rani (bright fuchsia with soft pink pearl), and Saffron (deep coral caramel).
Marvel is a grape purple with soft purple micro-shimmer. I had some pigmentation issues with this shade; it seemed a little sheer–really couldn’t get it to build up as nicely as I’d like to see. This is a frost finish. It is a brighter version of Top Hat (Starflash ’08), less intense version of Push the Edge pigment (Make Up Art Cosmetics ’09), less pigmented version of Grape pigment, similar to Violet pigment, and more purple than Fertile (Strange Hybrid ’08). I’d also say it’s a mix of Satellite Dreams and Purple Haze as far as permanent shades go.
Oomph is a blackened forest green with subtle gold shimmer-sheen. This is a veluxe pearl finish. Given the veluxe pearl finish, it seems less pigmented and not nearly as buttery as other shades in the same finish. It’s slightly greener than Greensmoke (discontinued), darker and blacker than Humid. NARS Night Porter is closest but more pigmented.
Rani is a brightened medium fuchsia pink with subtle white micro-shimmer. It’s a little sheerer than I’d like to see. This is a frost finish. It’s a less iridescent version of Romping (C-Shock ’07, Hello Kitty’ 09), significantly pinker than Passionate, and pinker (less fuchsia) than Madly Personal (Stylishly Yours ’10). I’d opt for Make Up For Ever #75 if you want something really pink. NARS Divine (pink side) also seems quite similar.
Saffron is a softened, burnt orange with subtle micro-shimmer. This is a satin finish. It was smooth, pigmented, and easy to blend out. It’s a less orange, rustier version of Rule. Maybe like a combination of Red Brick and Rule but with a satin finish.
Oddly enough, it is the neutral shade (Saffron) which has the best pigmentation and smoothest texture. The other shades were a little disappointing in pigmentation, and I think they are easier to dupe. Also, noteworthy, Oomph only has 0.04 oz., while the other three are the typical 0.05 oz. size. I wonder why that is!
MAC Mickey Contractor will be available on January 6th at select North American stores and January 2011 for select international stores. It will be available online on approximately January 4th but may not be available until the 6th.
FINAL THOUGHTS: I would skip Marvel, consider Oomph and Rani, while Saffron would be my top pick. I’m not keen on handing out an overall rating across four eyeshadows with varying pigmentation issues. Saffron certainly does not deserve a lower rating because Marvel suffers from pigmentation and textural issues! Saffron lies in the B+/A- range, while Marvel is at the bottom at a C/C+ range. Oomph and Rani hover around a B/B-.
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