Beauty Products Reviews: cosmetics

Showing posts with label cosmetics. Show all posts

Wednesday, March 20, 2013

Bobbi Brown Lilac Rose Collection for Spring 2013

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Fresh from the runway, Bobbi Brown introduces the Lilac Rose Collection. She’s taken this season’s prettiest trend and added her own modern and super fresh twist.

Lilac Rose Eye Palette ($60.00) (Limited Edition)

The star of the collection, the Lilac Rose Eye Palette features eight eye shadows in wearable and flattering dusty pinks, heather greys and lily shades that effortlessly complement all skin tones.

Ivory Eye Shadow
Heather Brown Shimmer Wash Eye Shadow
Pale Rose Eye Shadow
Dusty Lilac Eye Shadow
Barely There Eye Shadow
Black Chocolate Eye Shadow
Stormy Grey Shimmer Wash Eye Shadow
Pink Lily Metallic Eye Shadow

Shimmer Brick ($42.00) (Limited Edition)

Lilac Rose Bright pink, golden pink, icy pink pearl

Lip Gloss ($24.00) (Limited Edition)

Lilac Rose
Pink Lily
Pink Lilac

Sparkle Eyeshadow ($28.00) (Limited Edition)

Lilac Soft lilac

Blush ($25.00) (Limited Edition)

Pastel Pink Pop of blush

Nail Polish ($18.00) (Limited Edition)

Roza Pale heather pink

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Wednesday, January 30, 2013

Estee Lauder Insatiable Nail Lacquer

Estee Lauder Insatiable Nail Lacquer Review, Photos, Swatches

Estee Lauder Insatiable Nail Lacquer

An Insatiable Purple for Spring

Estee Lauder Insatiable Nail Lacquer is a muted, gray-purple with a cream finish. Zoya Lotus is warmer, pinker, and has shimmer. Cult Nails My Kind of Cool Aid is much, much lighter and has sparkle. Rescue Beauty Lounge Insouciant is lighter, less gray. None of these, however, were close enough to be considered dupes–I just wanted to walk you through the potentials I considered but nothing came close. (I heartily invite you to chime in if you know of a dupe!)

I always love it when I come across a shade that I don’t quite have (and that’s not to say there aren’t dupes in existence, merely that I don’t know of any and hopefully, that means it is at the very least not easily duped!). It’s a very stormy, cool-toned, rainy-day kind of purple, which is why it’s a bit different from other shades. It doesn’t have strong pink or red in its base, and when it comes to muted purples, the ones I’ve swatched have had more obvious pink/red underpinnings. Insatiable was opaque in two coats, and the consistency wasn’t too thick or too thin. It applied evenly, fluidly, and didn’t bubble, streak, or pool along the edges. I typically get a full week out of Estee Lauder’s lacquer formula and only have very minor tip wear. I only wish the bottle contained more product–it seems large but the container itself is deceptively small.

THE GLOSSOVER

It's a very stormy, cool-toned, rainy-day kind of purple, which is why it's a bit different from other shades.

Tuesday, January 29, 2013

Estee Lauder Cosmic Shadow Paint Review, Photos, Swatches

Estee Lauder Cosmic Shadow Paint

A Cosmic Explosion of Sparkle

Estee Lauder Cosmic Shadow Paint is a warm, reddened copper brown with pink and bronze sparkle. MAC Ever Elegant is slightly less red-toned and is a powder product. Estee Lauder Violet Underground #2 is very similar in color but has no sparkle. Tom Ford Illicit is less red-toned. Make Up For Ever #14 is browner.

This is one of the sparkly shades from the launch, so the texture is a bit different. It doesn’t, initially, feel any different; as it is still rather creamy and thin, but it dries down to a slightly gritty finish. It doesn’t apply as evenly as the other shades; there’s a noticeable texture and unevenness on the lid. The worst, though, was the continual fall out over the twelve-hours that I tested Cosmic for! The color didn’t crease, but it did seem a little faded and had definite fall out issues. It has a really lovely sparkling finish, but that pretty finish is the problem, as it makes yields uneven color payoff and tons of fall out!

THE GLOSSOVER

It has a really lovely sparkling finish, but that pretty finish is the problem, as it makes yields uneven color payoff and tons of fall out!

Make Up For Ever #8K Khol Pencil Review, Photos, Swatches

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Make Up For Ever #8K Khol Pencil

Make Up For Ever #8K Khol Pencil

Make Up For Ever #8K Khol Pencil is described as a “navy blue sheen.” It’s not navy blue; it’s a blackened violet purple with blue micro-shimmer. I couldn’t think of a dupe within the purple eyeliners that came to mind. The color payoff was good but not as intense as other shades I’ve tried in this formula. Though, to put things into context, this is one of the better pigmented purple eyeliners, which are notorious, as a group and across brands and price points, to have mediocre payoff. It also has a drier texture, even compared to #4K.

It’s just slightly creamy, so it does not apply quite as easily as the two other shades I’ve reviewed. I felt like this one needed more than one pass to really deliver opaque color. When I trialed this particular hue, it wore for five hours on the lower water line and eight hours on the lash line on its own. I did, also, set the lower water line with powder (as per Make Up For Ever’s recommendation for “long-lasting” results), which allowed the product to stay on for six hours on the lower water line.

THE GLOSSOVER

If you're looking for a waterline-approved eyeliner, you might want to consider Make Up For Ever's Khol Pencils! They deliver excellent color payoff and have a great creaminess that helps them apply easily to the lash line.

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Make Up For Ever #8K Khol Pencil

Make Up For Ever #8K Khol Pencil

L’Oreal Sparkle Frenzy Infallible Lipgloss Review, Photos, Swatches

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L’Oreal Sparkle Frenzy Infallible Lipgloss

A Budget-Friendly Sparkling Red Gloss for the Holidays

L’Oreal Sparkle Frenzy Infallible Lipgloss is a bright red with gold and ruby red shimmer and sparkle. The underlying color is blue-based, but the addition of fiery gold shimmer makes it appear almost orange-toned at times. Dior Ceremony Red is bluer-based. MAC Ready to Roam is redder. MAC Totally Fab is more orange-toned. YSL Golden Red is similar but more orange-toned.

This is a new and limited edition shade for the holidays, which I grabbed at my local CVS a couple of weeks ago. I have a love/hate relationship with L’Oreal’s Infallible Lipglosses, because initially, I love, love them. They’re delightfully sparkly and pretty on, but they’re thin and have a tendency to feel gritty because of the thinness and high sparkle content. I feel like I fuss with my lips a bit more whenever I test one of these. There’s also this medicinal smell that sometimes reads “something sweet and fruity” or like menthol (honestly, it gives me an Icy/Hot kind of vibe, just more muted).

Sparkle Frenzy is semi-opaque and went on fairly evenly. The tapered applicator holds a lot of product and allows for precision along the edges of the lip and the cupid’s bow. This shade wore well for six hours, and it was in need of a touch-up after seven hours. It can handle some drinking, but it won’t make it through a meal. I love the way it looks, but I’m not keen on how it feels on: gritty, sticky, and a bit drying. While it wears well compared to the average gloss, L’Oreal advertises these as having eight-hour wear.

I think these look spectacular on; the way the shimmer sparkles and catches the light is really lovely. The wear isn't as long as advertised, but it wears longer than most glosses. The grit of the sparkle, combined with the thin, sticky, and slightly drying texture, make it hard to love.

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L’Oreal Sparkle Frenzy Infallible Lipgloss

L’Oreal Sparkle Frenzy Infallible Lipgloss