Milani Bold Color Statement Matte Lipstick ($6.99 for 0.15 oz.) is supposed to be “bold, hydrating color” with “intense color in just one swipe.” The finish is more of a “soft matte” to true satin (a little more sheen than “soft matte” to my eye), and the finish will wear down to a more matte finish within an hour or two of wear (or faster if one blots). The texture felt lightweight, thinner on my lips but felt lightly creamy with more of a velvety slip as I glided the product across my lips. It didn’t tug, but the product had good hold and wore between four and seven hours on me, depending on the shade.
In my experience, the more velvety slip seems to result in the color pulling away a bit more along my lip lines and can be more prone to accentuating any imperfections of my lips (texture, flakiness, and so forth). A few shades were on the drying side, while most were non-drying. The majority of the range was pigmented with payoff typically ranging between semi-opaque and opaque. The formula has a sweet, vanilla scent but no discernible taste to me.
Dior Mellow Shade (447) High Fidelity Colours & Effects Eyeshadow Palette ($63.00 for 0.24 oz.) is a new, limited edition set of more pastel-hued shades for spring. The quality was decent, but the shade that really dropped the ball was the deeper blue hue, as it was drier and didn’t blend out seamlessly along the edge (and looked dry applied). As the four of the shades are more pastel, they may work better over an eyeshadow primer or base to get true-to-pan color that’s more long-lasting, especially on medium and darker skin tones.
Happy Saturday! I always enjoy seeing what makes up the week’s top ten highest-reviewed products, so I hope you find it somewhat interesting as well! 🙂
Coloured Raine Eyeshadows ($6.99 for 0.06 oz.) are sold primarily as singles across both mattes and shimmers, though most of the shimmers are fairly metallic. I’d love to see the single range expanded, as I found myself wanting more to choose from to put together a better array of “quads” of colors. You can find swatches of all the singles that are sold individually (presently) here.
(They are having 20% off sitewide, plus an extra 10% when you use code TEMPTALIA, expect it ends in a few days ’til the end of January but am still waiting on confirmation of end date.)
About This Series
Each look idea is centered around a “quad” of four shades with the expectation that one might bring in the appropriate brow bone or additional transitional shade based on skin tone. I know that I tend to use more like five or six shades in a typical look, but I think that four is a happy medium to give a good idea of the “core” color scheme of a look while giving you the ability to lighten/darken as desired. I have listed the colors in this order: inner lid, middle of lid, outer lid/crease, and crease/above crease.
You might see combinations that seem slightly repeated but placement will vary (e.g. a halo placement where the lightest and more shimmery shade is placed on the center) as placement can also create a different effect/look! You might also want to consider incorporating your favorite matte/shimmer shades (as applicable) to increase the versatility of certain palettes. Consider these ideas a jumping off point!
Dior Candy Cane (322) Double Rouge Matte Metal Colour & Couture Contour Lipstick ($38.00 for 0.12 oz.) is a deep plum with subtle, warm undertones and a cream finish with faint pearl. It had nearly opaque pigmentation in a single layer, which applied smoothly and evenly across my lips without tugging. The two shades mixed as they were applied, and I didn’t have to do much in the way of blending after the initial application. The texture was lightweight, creamy without being slippery, and not too thick or too thin, so it was comfortable to wear. It lasted nicely for five and a half hours on me and was hydrating over time.
The formula is supposed to mix a "vibrant hue" with a "pastel shade" to create "lips like candy." It's supposed to be "highly pigmented" with a more satin finish. The consistency was smooth, lightly creamy, and comfortable to apply and to wear, as it had enough slip to glide but not enough that it felt slippery while worn. They had good color coverage that was nearly opaque to full coverage in a single layer. The two colors seemed to mix as they were applied to my lips, but there might be a need for some subtle pressing and blending of colors along the edges to get a really seamless lip look. On me, the lipsticks lasted four to six hours on me, depending on the shade. They had a floral scent but no discernible taste.
Dior Lolli’glow (002) Rosy Glow Healthy Glow Awakening Blush ($45.00 for 0.22 oz.) is a brighter, cotton candy pink with cool, blue undertones and a barely-there sparkle over a semi-matte finish. It had semi-opaque, buildable pigmentation with a soft, lightly dusty texture that was blendable and seemed a little drier in the pan, though it looked natural on my skin.
The brand says it’s supposed to adjust to the “moisture” of your skin to give a “unique cheek colour,” which seemed more like the tendency for more matte powders to darken when they come into contact with the natural oils found on the skin. It darkened slightly on my skin and looked warmer against my skin tone (I felt like it registered as a bit cooler to my eye in person, though). It lasted well for eight hours on me before fading noticeably.
