rating: d

Chanel Chelsea Glossimer

Chanel Chelsea Glossimer

Chanel Chelsea Glossimer ($28.50 for 0.19 oz.) is described as a “brilliant pink lipgloss [that] delivers the ultimate pop of colour, along with subtle shimmer and a high-shine glow.” I have no idea what Chanel was seeing, because this gloss is nearly colorless when applied. At best, and I feel like I’m being generous, it emphasizes the natural pinkness of your lip color, but the reality is it looks like clear gloss with a shiny finish. The shimmer is not just subtle but barely there; there were maybe four or five flecks on my lips when I applied the gloss.

Chanel says that this “striking hue is named for a thriving artistic and cultural area of London.” It’s very, very striking in the tube, but that is where it ends. The whole concept reminded me of Gloss Fluo de Chanel from 2010, where the tubes were vibrant and neon, but the product itself was very sheer.  It feels like a Glossimer:  smooth, non-sticky, comfortable.  It’s thick without being heavy; glides on without slipping around.  The wear is about an hour and a half when I tested this shade.  If Chanel wanted to indicate this was sheer, perhaps “brilliant pink,” “ultimate pop of color,” and “striking hue” were not the best descriptions. I felt a bit duped myself after I purchased this and then swatched it.

Where to Buy: Chanel, $28.50

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MAC for Miss Piggy

MAC for Miss Piggy Eyeshadow Swatches, Photos, Reviews

MAC for Miss Piggy is a small, online-only collection that will launch November 14th, 2011 both for North America as well as select international locations at maccosmetics.com. There is really only one new product, as the two other pieces from the launch include Rapidblack Penultimate Eyeliner (permanent) and #36 Lashes (permanent).

That new shade is Miss Piggy Pink, which MAC describes as a “mid-tone blue pink” with a frost finish. It’s a cool-toned, blue-based pink that has a little lilac in it; it does pull just a little purple in some lighting. The finish looks more like a satin than frost, because it’s a very subtle sheen rather than an overt frosted finish. Of course, the real issue is the dry, stiff texture that delivers sheer, uneven color that’s as difficult to work with as it is to swatch. It took about eight applications to achieve the color shown in the look pictured below; I don’t mean patting the brush once on the top of the shadow and flicking it against the lid–I mean swirling and jabbing the brush against the eyeshadow to loosen the powder and then patting, not sweeping, onto the lid to pack on the color. Possibly even taking a palette knife and scraping off a layer to pack onto the lid. I can get it to work, but boy, the amount of effort and unnecessary time spent on it, is disappointing when you’re shelling out $15 for it.

If you picked up MAC Angel Flame Eyeshadow Quad a couple of months ago, then Feather Pink is very, very similar but with better color payoff–it even has the same satiny sheen. Wet ‘n’ Wild We’re Blasting Off is lighter and more bubblegum-like.

In all honesty, this collection looks like something that happened at the last minute. I envision a scenario where MAC HQ gets a call from the Muppets HQ about, “Hey, we’d love to collaborate, can you turn this around in a few weeks?” We’ve seen MAC collaborate many, many times with iconic figures and celebrities, from Barbie to Wonder Woman to Disney’s Villains, and I felt like you could see the thought process, the theme, how things were intertwined. There’s no special packaging, no real MAC spin or take on Miss Piggy and everything she embodies. Pink for Miss Piggy seems expected, and if that is the only product you’re going to put out, it seems like a missed opportunity to do something really special.  Or at least knock-your-socks-off quality? I didn’t grow up with The Muppets, and without something more to pull me in, this is a total pass.

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MAC Technakohl Liners: Fancy Moves, Going for Gold, Practice Makes Perfect, Seasonally Spicy, Silver Skates, Smooth Manoeuvre

MAC Glitter & Ice Technakohl Liners

MAC Glitter & Ice Technakhol Liners ($16.00 for 0.012 oz. each) include six limited edition shades: Fancy Moves (purple with pearl), Going for Gold (gold with pearl), Practice Makes Perfect (blue with pearl), Seasonally Spicy (brown with pearl), Silver Skates (silver with pearl), andSmooth Manoeuvre (black with pearl). The collection is slated to hit stores on October 27th.

• Fancy Moves is an eggplant purple with silver sparkle. It’s dry, stiff, and not well-pigmented. It’s closer to Urban Decay 1999, though it is purpler, less burgundy. It’s closest to Make Up For Ever #4L, which doesn’t have shimmer.
• Going for Gold is a darkened, yellow-based gold with gold sparkle. It’s dry, stiff, and isn’t opaque in a single stroke. It’s a bit darker than Urban Decay Eldorado.
• Practice Makes Perfect is a medium-dark blue with a hint of teal. It’s not quite as teal as NARS Kaliste, but it is reminiscent of it. This shade was one of the best performing ones, as it didn’t apply unevenly when you went to build up the color, though it was still on the drier side.
• Seasonally Spicy is a warm, medium-dark chocoalte brown with subtle burgundy-brown shimmer. It’s a bit warmer than MAC Brownborder. This one had the creamiest texture, though it was still drier than other Technakohls. The color payoff was better, too.
• Silver Skates is a light silver with a metallic finish. It is, quite possibly, the most underperforming silver eyeliner I have ever come across. The pigmentation was poor, and the texture was stiff and dry, so it tugged at the lash line. Consider one of these silvers instead.
• Smooth Manoeuvre is a dark black with silver sparkle. I like that it can be built up without causing the color to become uneven, but it does need a few passes to be opaque. I couldn’t think of a dupe for this one (it appears I just have a metric ton of non-shimmery black eyeliner).

I like the Technakohl formula a lot; I used to use Graphblack exclusively, because it was a nice black, smooth, creamy, and wore well. I don’t know what happened with these. The soft, glide-on creaminess of the formula is completely missing from all six of these. MAC touts these not only as “soft and creamy,” but that you should expect “intense, rich colour deposit.” I’m majorly disappointed by these, because they’re nothing like the formula I know.  The good news is at least they’re still long-wearing (eight hours no smudging, budging, or migrating).

The texture is just such a miss here, and the lack of color payoff on some is just the kicker of it all.  You want an eyeliner that glides across the lash line in a fluid, even motion that deposits even color (and opaque, preferably!) without tugging, pulling, dragging, or skipping.  It’s like a scaredy-cat eyeliner, too skittish to move, so it jerks and skids when you force it to go from one side to the other.

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Rescue Beauty Lounge Medium White Nail Lacquer

Rescue Beauty Lounge Medium White Nail Lacquer

Rescue Beauty Lounge Medium White Nail Lacquer ($18.00 for 0.40 fl. oz.) is a creamy white with a hint of yellowy beige billowing through the shade. It’s streaky and semi-sheer after three coats. My issue with this polish was how streaky it was. It applied unevenly and looked like a big streaky mess even after three coats. You have to let each coat dry completely, because the next count will pull and create bald spots and patches.

The concept of this color is nice, but the actual application was far too frustrating. The photos in this post are of my third attempt to apply this color. Third time wasn’t the charm, but three strikes and you’re out for me. I know that some of you have far more patience than I do and will be willing to work for the color, but I can’t recommend an $18 polish with this many problems.

I had the best results with one really thick coat (as thick as you can get it), but the drying time becomes exceptionally long with that technique, so don’t attempt it right before bed!

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Urban Decay Eldorado Eyeshadow

Urban Decay Eldorado Eyeshadow

Urban Decay Eldorado Eyeshadow ($17.00 for 0.05 oz.) is described as a “bright gold with gold sparkles.” It’s a yellow gold with a lightness that seems to tone down some of the brightness. It has gold micro-glitter strewn through the golden base color, which does have a tendency to cause fall out when used without a really tacky base. I had trouble getting an opaque, even layer of product, though–the pigmentation is lacking, and the texture is too dry, which seems to be the cause of uneven application.  On the lid, you really have to pack it on just to get decent color payoff.

It’s a disappointment, because El Dorado 24/7 Liner is a gorgeous true yellow gold, but this is a very faded variation of that. Inglot #403 is a much more intense version of what this looks like in the pan, while Make Up For Ever #10 is a little darker. I find that MAC Goldmine is significantly darker and almost looks orange.

Where to Buy: Sephora, $17

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MAC Big Bounce Shadows

MAC Big Bounce Shadow: Photos/Swatches, Part 2

Make sure you read my original, in-depth review for these eyeshadows here. This post only contains photos and swatches of the second half of the shades that will launch on May 5th. Each retails for $16.50.  I just did heavier swatches here (I just used whatever stuck to the spatula I used to fish each shade out), but these can go from sheer to medium coverage.

• My Next Indulgence is a dark forest green with a blackened base.
• Reward Yourself is a muted copper with a golden champagne shimmer-sheen.
• Rich, Sweet is a dark, rich chocolate brown with a bronzy-brown sheen.
• Rich Thrills is a purple-tinged, silvery gray.
• Sizzlin’ Diva is a darkened, bronzed copper with a metallic sheen.
• Spread the Wealth is a dirty olive green with multi-colored micro-shimmer and metallic sheen.
• Trophy is a pinky champagne with a metallic sheen.
• Up the Ante is a rich, coppery shade with micro-glitter (the texture is like Impeccably Rich).

Where to Buy: MAC Cosmetics on May 5th, $16.50 each

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