Make Up For Ever #23 Aqua Cream Review, Photos, Swatches
Make Up For Ever #23 Aqua Cream
Make Up For Ever #23 Aqua Cream
Make Up For Ever #23 Aqua Cream ($23.00 for 0.21 oz.) is described as a “bright lime green shimmer.” #23 is a vibrant pop of lime green with yellow undertones and a golden shimmer-sheen (along with some lime-hued shimmer). It’s less yellow compared to Sugarpill Acidberry and Illamasqua Pivot. It has more green in it compared to Buxum Shih Tzu. MAC Wondergrass is darker. Make Up For Ever #304 is yellower. Make Up For Ever #171 is yellower but is the closest I could think of.
Aqua Creams are supposed to be intensely pigmented, long-wearing, and waterproof. I’m a long-time fan of the formulation–since it was first introduced–because it’s as long-wearing as Make Up For Ever claims. This stuff just doesn’t budge. It dries down fairly quickly (enough that if you wanted to soften edges or blend more than one together, I’d recommend working one eye at a time), and once it dries down, it’s set into place all day (and night). I’ve worn these for as long as fourteen hours without creasing or fading. They work well as eyeshadow bases or on their lonesome. They also work as eyeliners. Each Aqua Cream comes in a small plastic pot with a black screw-top lid and a clear bottom. I haven’t had any dry out, and I’ve had several for two years now.
#23 can be applied with rich, opaque color or blended out for a sheerer, softer layer of color. When it’s applied opaquely, you get a much more intense green color out of it, whereas the yellowness of the underlying color comes through more when it’s blended out. I love green eyeshadows, and I’m all over chartreuse-y greens, but this is really lime green and doesn’t look much like other shades I’ve seen, which is always a good thing to discover!
Make Up For Ever #23 Aqua Cream Review, Photos, Swatches
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Make Up For Ever #23 Aqua Cream
Make Up For Ever #23 Aqua Cream
Make Up For Ever #23 Aqua Cream
Make Up For Ever #23 Aqua Cream
Make Up For Ever #23 Aqua Cream
Make Up For Ever #23 Aqua Cream
Make Up For Ever #23 Aqua Cream
I’m not a huge fan of greens (blue eyed girl) but this one is amazing!!!
This is a new shade, right? Sorry if I missed where you mentioned that.
Very pretty color and looks like a nice consistency too!
I’m also a big fan of these! The coral aqua cream was my first high-end make up purchase. I think you’ve gotten this question before, so, sorry for being repetitive- what application method do you find easiest? Especially for wearing as a blush (haha, obviously not this shade in particular).
@CiaraAinsleyFears As a blush, I like MAC 188 and stippling it on!
This is not my color. But I do love Aqua Creams. I have a couple and I’m wearing the warm brown one today, sheered out; a very natural look.
Beautiful!!! It looks like a metallic green apple. Yum.
I don’t know if I could get away with that but I feel almost compelled to buy it. Come on ebay, don’t fail me now…
a great place to pick up things where you are half committed and want them cheap 🙂
I love the Aqua Creams! (I’m wearing #6 (pink) right now, sheered out all over the lid with diff. shades of grey.) But they do dry *really* quickly. This one looks very pretty and, assuming arguendo that I ever needed more eyeshadows after my midnight purchase of theBalm, how do you compare the colour to NARS’ chartreuse in Rated R and Wicked? Rated R is close to the top of my eyeshadow list and Wicked is somewhere on that list too. (Like you, I love Chartreuse.) For me, powder eyeshadows are easier to apply given that there isn’t that super fast drying time issue.
I love the Aqua Creams! (I’m wearing #6 (pink) right now, sheered out all over the lid with diff. shades of grey.) But they do dry *really* quickly. This one looks very pretty and, assuming arguendo that I ever needed more eyeshadows after my midnight purchase of theBalm, how do you compare the colour to NARS’ chartreuse in Rated R and Wicked? At least, when not applied in a super opaque way? I ask because the paler/sheerer application looks a bit like my memory of Rated R which is close to the top of my eyeshadow list (and Wicked is somewhere on that list too. Like you, I love Chartreuse.) For me, powder eyeshadows are easier to apply given that there isn’t that super fast drying time issue.
@Kafka Yellower. That’s the thing… everything I can think of seems yellower. Rated R is quite a bit yellower, though! http://www.temptalia.com/nars-rated-r-eyeshadow-duo-swatches-photos-review
Same with Wicked – which is a little lighter – http://www.temptalia.com/nars-wicked-eyeshadow-duo-review-photos-swatches
@Christine (Temptalia) You’re right. My memory of Rated R was off. I’m sorry, I should have Googled your archives. My apologies. 🙁 Looking at those links though, I think I may slightly prefer the MUFE shade. Hm. No, perhaps it’s too much more lime than chartreuse. Then again,…. Gawd, this site makes one so wishy-washy with indecision and lust! 😉
@Kafka Not to worry!
The limeness is what makes this a little different from other shades. Of course, if you have a grassy green and a chartreuse, you could mix the two together and get closer I’d expect!
I didn’t even remember Rated R being as yellow as it was!
@Kafka Rated R is on my *maybe* list, too, the chartreuse is just sooo petty to look at! However, the blue shade kind of scares me, LOL, but maybe as a blending color, hmmm… Now that my face is actually a few shades darker, I think I’m going to play with my bright greens this weekend. I’m thinking UD Loaded or NARS Night Porter with a chartreuse…
@xamyx @Kafka Gawd, we’re such makeup twins. LOL! The blue in Rated R alarmed me too initially but I really do think it could work with the chartreuse. I also think it would go great with a very smoky eye made up of graphite silvery grey and black for a very sophisticated, YSL-y smoky eye. (Perfect for a little black dress look with red lips.) In the latter case, I would use a thin angled liner to use it on the inner eye near the tear duct (very sheered out) and more intensely on inner eyelash line going midway up the lid in a thin line. And you know which grey I would use: MUFE Aqua #1. My absolute favorite dark, silvery metallic grey. If you haven’t checked that out, you really should. Gorgeous! (Tied for 2nd place is one by Kat Von D.) Er…. sorry, got carried away with my plans for the Rated R blue. LOL. As for UD Loaded or Night Porter, I think they would both look absolutely lovely with a chartreuse! Do you have a nice one? Will you get this one when you pick up Mascate? If not with a chartreuse, I definitely recommend Night Porter with a very burnished, antique gold. And UD Loaded with Daphne (I love, love, LOVE that combination!) or with the more blue-y purple in Eurydice. If you use a cream base that brings out the blue in Eurydice, I think it would be a lovely contrast with the blueish undertones to Loaded. I haven’t tried that combo yet but it’s on my list.
@xamyx @Kafka Gawd, we’re such makeup twins. LOL! The blue in Rated R alarmed me too initially but I really do think it could work with the chartreuse. I also think it would go great with a very smoky eye made up of graphite silvery grey and black for a very sophisticated, YSL-y smoky eye. (Perfect for a little black dress look with red lips.) In the latter case, I would use it essentially as a highlighting colour and partial liner. Sheered out faintly near the tear duct, then a mostly metallic silvery grey lid, blended with black eyeshadow in the creases and V, and then the Rated R blue on inner eyelash line going midway up the lid in a thin line (then with black eyeliner on the rest). And you know which grey I would use: MUFE Aqua #1. My absolute favorite dark, silvery metallic grey. If you haven’t checked that out, you really should. Gorgeous! (Tied for 2nd place is one by Kat Von D.) Er…. sorry, got carried away with my plans for the Rated R blue. LOL. As for UD Loaded or Night Porter, I think they would both look absolutely lovely with a chartreuse! Do you have a nice one? Will you get this one when you pick up Mascate? If not with a chartreuse, I definitely recommend Night Porter with a very burnished, antique gold. And UD Loaded with Daphne (I love, love, LOVE that combination!) or with the more blue-y purple in Eurydice. If you use a cream base that brings out the blue in Eurydice, I think it would be a lovely contrast with the blueish undertones to Loaded. I haven’t tried that combo yet but it’s on my list.
You are *seriously* making me want to leave my comfort zone and try greens, Christine! I typically go for purples/reds/wines & greys/neutrals, but I’ve actually picked up quite a few green shades in the last few months based on this blog; now to actually *wear* them…
@xamyx Do it!!!! Wear those greens, Amy!
@xamyx I echo Christine. Come over to the green side, Amy!
This is the shade of green I’ve been searching for! I love bright limey green especially in summer.
Lovely shade!
I love greens like this.
I’ve been drooling over the Make Up For Ever 171 eyeshadow for ages and now I want this one too! Which would you recommend for maximum vibrancy, Christine?
This one, then, since a cream will almost always be more intense than a powder!
@Christine (Temptalia) Great! Thanks so much!
this one is almost neon in person! pretty cool!