MAC Glamour Daze Collection: Evening Gray, Stolen Moment, and Round Midnight Eyeshadows

To those of you who are tired of seeing my reviews and swatches of MAC's holiday collection, I'm sorry! But today I have yet another one for you (only two more, I swear!) concerning the eyeshadows from the collection. I was really pleased that they embossed a design into the shadows rather than having them look exactly the same as all of their permanent eyeshadows but I am a little disappointed they used the same design that they did for the In Extra Dimension collection a few months back.

That aside, I was really impressed with a lot of the eyeshadows in the collection but a few of them were very similar to products I already owned. These three are not the most unique ever, but they really caught my eye and I didn't have anything like them, so I got them! The colors I've shown are Evening Gray, Stolen Moment, and Round Midnight (the swatches are in that order, by the way). I bought Evening Gray primarily because I thought it was a really nice holiday color and because I don't think I own any silver eyeshadows. Stolen Moment and Round Midnight are probably two of my favorite purchases from this collection because I think they're beautiful and I love the purple undertones in the second color, which is my favorite of these three shadows.

As you may be able to tell from the pictures, these are very pigmented and I was very impressed with them. They also feel very smooth in the pan and are so buttery, but some of the colors are a bit stiffer and harder to blend. This is more an issue with the darker colors, though, and not so much with the lighter ones. Overall I was just really impressed with the level of pigmentation and the colors themselves are gorgeous, even the ones I didn't buy - though I was extremely tempted by a deep purple and dark navy.

I highly recommend these colors as I think they add wonderfully to any eyeshadow-lover's collection and they really are worth the money you pay for them. I have no regrets!

MAC Glamour Daze Collection: Easy Manner Blush

Today the reviews of MAC's holiday collection Glamour Daze continues with the one of the three blushes released with the collection. When I was swatching the blushes in the store I thought the other two were gorgeous but were a tad bit too dark for my complexion, so I only picked up this one called Easy Manner.

This is another holiday product that really lives up to its name! While it's not the most unique color ever, I love it because it applies easily and looks so natural on my skin. It leans more towards the powdery side but I don't mind too much because if you don't pack it on that powderiness doesn't translate on the cheeks. It's glowy but not overtly so which makes it perfect for my oily skin! It's also quite buildable so it can be used with a light hand for a natural, easy flush or it can be packed on a little more to make your cheeks more bold if that's the look you're going for.

The only gripe I have with this one is the packaging. I was hoping that MAC would do something a little more unique and holiday-esque with the packaging of the single products (eyeshadows, blushes, lipsticks, lip glosses) but they didn't really, other than making the black exterior glossier and printing the brand name in white. It's a bit of a let down as it doesn't distinguish these holiday products from the permanent MAC products as much as I'd hoped. The face kits, however, are a different story - but I'll save that for another review!

MAC Glamour Daze Collection: Catch My Eye Fluidline

 

 

This will be the first post of many to come that will concern the recently launched holiday collection by MAC, titled Glamour Daze! The first product I'm reviewing from this collection is the limited edition fluidline called Catch My Eye.

Indeed, this product really did catch my eye from the minute I laid my eyes on the collection! Eyeliner is probably my favorite part of my makeup routine because I think it's what makes the most difference in my makeup and I don't feel quite as comfortable without it. This color is a beautiful silver-gray with bits of gold sparkle in it. I don't think the sparkle shows up as dramatically as one might expect, especially if you're just drawing a thin line, but it does come through especially when you're standing in direct light. The contrast of the gold shimmer and the silver of the gel liner itself really makes this feel like a holiday eyeliner, which I love! It makes me feel so festive and it really gets me excited for the coming holiday season (2 more months!).

As with all of MAC's fluidlines the formula of this is great. It's creamy and glides on effortlessly and it really will stay all day! I also find that fluidlines are actually quite waterproof which I didn't realize until a couple months ago - it was raining so heavily that day and I got caught outdoors on a school retreat. Literally all my makeup was washed off except my eyeliner, and I happened to be wearing MAC's fluidline in Dark Diversion. Now I don't know about you, but that's what I call incredible.

Story time aside, I really do love this eyeliner. It doesn't define my eyes quite as much as a black or dark brown but it does give your eyes a soft sort of definition. This also looks great on the lower lashline since the color isn't so harsh. All in all this is definitely a product I'd recommend checking out from the collection, especially if you're an eyeliner fanatic like myself.

Bobbi Brown 'Razzberry' Creamy Matte Lip Color

Being one of those people who are searching for their perfect matte lipstick, I was dying to try out Bobbi Brown's new line of matte lipsticks when it was released a little while back. It wasn't till a couple weeks ago, though, that I finally bit the bullet and bought one to try out.

 

 

 

The color I have is in Razzberry, which is described by Bobbi Brown as a "medium red berry". Personally I think that's an adequate enough description though there are some more pink undertones to this shade as well. The packaging is sleek, it's pretty reminiscent of the MAC Sheen Supreme lipsticks in terms of the shape of the casing and the lipstick itself. The formula, however, is very different. This lipstick glides on effortlessly and it's completely opaque in one swipe, which is really great if you're in a rush and don't have time to layer it up for a more intense color. The color is not completely matte on the lips, it still has a bit of a sheen to it but that fades with time. The lipstick itself, however, does not. I didn't test how long it actually stayed on before it faded because I applied this in the afternoon and removed it when I had dinner, but about six hours passed in that time and I didn't notice much fading, if any.

The only thing that I don't like about it is that it's not as moisturizing as Bobbi Brown claims. I didn't find it drying, necessarily, but after six hours it had begun to feel a little uncomfortable and I'm not sure I would have been able to wear it for much longer after that. It also has a tendency to emphasize dry patches on your lips, as most matte formulas do, so I'd recommend using a lip balm before applying this.

Overall I would recommend it but only if you don't mind doing some prep work before you actually use the lipstick. I love this color, personally, especially for this time of year! It's a beautiful deep berry shade that goes well with almost any look and will complement most skin tones, I think.

Have you tried these new lipsticks? What do you think?

Revlon Quick Dry Base Coat

It was only a few months ago that I first heard about the new base and top coats released by Revlon as part of their permanent range of nail polish. Until I saw these at Target when I was visiting LA over the summer I had never tried any of Revlon's nail range before, primarily because I hadn't heard that much about it and I didn't really know what to expect. Honestly at that point I'd come to expect less of drugstore nail polishes simply because the ones that I had tried had been total let-downs, so I wasn't in a hurry to try any others. But, I had heard so much about the base coat that I decided it might be worth giving it a shot. 

I'm so glad that I caved and bought this because it's the best base coat I've ever tried! That's a really bold claim but the truth is that my nail polish lasts infinitely longer when I use this, even when compared to my higher end base coats from China Glaze, OPI, Chanel, etc.

Though the brush is a bit more flimsy compared to the brushes of my other nail polishes I don't find that it makes application any more difficult than it would be normally. The base still goes on almost totally clear and dries down to a satin finish very quickly so I can start painting my nails almost immediately, which I love. It's also quite good at preventing yellowing - since it's fall I've been using a lot of darker colors on my nails, which can sometimes cause your nails to turn yellow, but this base coat really helps to stop that from happening at all. Granted, however, this is the case with almost all of my base coats.

What I really love about this, though, is the way it grabs on to the color and makes it last for ages. Below I've posted a picture of my nails over a week after I painted them. Usually my nail polish will last for about three days before it starts to show signs of wearing at the tips and it starts to chip/flake off, but with this my nail polish lasts with only minor tip wearing until I remove it. This is ideal for people like me who don't always have time to paint their nails every few days but don't want to go without it, either.

Needless to say, Revlon has me totally convinced of their capability when it comes to nail polishes so I'll definitely be keeping an eye out for their future releases soon.

NARS Ophelia Lip Gloss

I'm not usually a big lip gloss kind of girl, and when I do wear lip gloss I prefer creamy, non-sticky ones compared to those with high shimmer and frost. NARS has been, for quite some time, the most reliable brand for me in that respect. Before I tried their lip glosses I'd always heard rave reviews about them, so today I wanted to show you the first NARS lip gloss I ever bought for myself!

 

The NARS 'Ophelia' Lip Gloss is a very pretty medium pink color that goes on sheer. It has the teeniest bit of shimmer in it but on the lips it doesn't translate so much as shimmer as it does as a high gloss. It makes my lips a bit fuller as well, so I really like that! I love to wear this alone on days when I feel like my lips are too dry for lipstick because it matches the natural shade of my lips really well so it's one of those "my lips but better" shades for me. On top of lipsticks this seems almost clear but lends the slightest hint of warmth to the color. The NARS lip glosses are so perfect for me because they're such beautiful colors but they're completely non-sticky and sheer, which is exactly how I like my glosses to be. I will say that they have a bit of an odd smell and taste to them, kind of fake and plastic-y, but that's something I can deal with.

One of my favorite things about the NARS lip glosses is the packaging. I love the small doefoot applicator because it means that the lip gloss won't smear all over my mouth and look messy, and I absolutely adore the matte finish of the tube. It's semi-opaque so it looks classy but also allows you to see the color of the gloss inside and how much of it is left.

I actually happened to be wearing this on my lips today so I thought I'd snap a quick photo of it so that you guys can see how it looks on me!

This gloss is so gorgeous and classic, it may even be - dare I say it? - my favorite lip gloss of all time. Ophelia is one of three NARS lip glosses that I own and all three of them definitely make me want to pick up more in the future.

What do you think of this color? Which NARS lip gloss is your favorite?


Makeup in photo: 
Laura Mercier Brow Powder Duo 'Ash Brown'
MAC Brow Set
Urban Decay 24/7 Glide On Eye Pencil 'Zero'
MAC Eyeshadow 'Semi-Precious' (LE)
Bobbi Brown Eyeshadow 'Bone'
Agnes b. Mascara Crescendo
Maybelline Dream Bouncy Blush 'Pink Frosting'
NARS Lip Gloss 'Ophelia'

Face Off: MAC vs. Make Up For Ever Translucent Finishing Powders

There are so many products in the beauty industry that there are bound to be a few products that often get compared with one another. Because of that I wanted to start this Face Off series where I'll compare two (sometimes maybe more) products that are often dubbed as dupes for one another, so you guys can see how they're similar, how they're different, and which one I prefer.

For today's (and the first Face Off!) post I wanted to compare the MAC Prep + Prime Transparent Finishing Powder with the Make Up For Ever Microfinish HD Powder.

Packaging wise, they're almost identical. Both come in loose form (though MAC recently launched a pressed version of theirs) and are extremely finely-milled white powders. In my opinion they both create a really flawless finish when applied over foundation though I do find that the MUFE one photographs better - as it should, considering the fact that the HD line of cosmetics is meant for photography. I don't find that one of them lasts longer than the other as they both leave my skin matte and extend the wear of my foundation. It seems almost impossible to get either one of these powders to leave your makeup feeling thick or cakey, which is something I love about both of them.

It should be noted however that while the MUFE powder is more expensive at $32USD, it also contains 0.35oz of product as compared to the MAC powder which only contains 0.28oz at $24USD. Besides that difference, I don't really see how one of these products is better than the other. That might be a bit of a lame conclusion but the truth is that I love both of these so much and would pick either one of them if I was forced to choose. I suppose, though, that the MUFE gets a little bit more of a bump since it photographs so beautifully while the MAC one can make me look a little ashy at times, depending on the lighting.

What do you think of this new series? Which products do you think I should feature in the next Face Off?

Yves Saint Laurent Rouge Pur Couture Vernis à Lèvres Glossy Stain

I first heard about YSL's new line of lip stains/lipsticks from FleurDeForce a few months ago. Having only ever admired my mother's impressive collection of their lipsticks, I had never owned one myself. Luckily my mother shares my love for new lip products so when I told her about the release we rushed over to a YSL counter as soon as we had time and we both fell in love with these products almost instantly!

These are some of the most intensely pigmented, long-wearing lip formulas I've ever had the pleasure of testing out. They come in gorgeous packaging with the signature gold top and YSL logo as well as a heart-shaped doefoot applicator which makes using these extremely easy. My problem as I type this post up is that I'm not quite sure what to call them - their name implies a wet lip stain formula, but I find these more like liquid lipsticks in terms of color payoff and texture, though these do have the staying power of a lip stain. That's probably why I love them so much though. Intensely pigmented as they are, they glide on your lips almost effortlessly and feel slick and glossy but not sticky. They last ages as well! I wore one of these to a party a few weeks ago and it lasted the whole night, which included a meal, and still looked the same as it did when I first applied it even after the event was over.

L to R: #11, #14, #15, #19

These come in so many different colors that range from deep plummy shades to bright reds and fuchsias, and cover everything in between. Beautiful to wear and beautiful to look at, what else could you ask for? These were everything I expected them to be and more. I don't think I can say enough good things about them! If you haven't tried these out, I highly recommend checking them out at a counter next time you're near one. They are pricey, but in my opinion they're completely worth the splurge.

CoverGirl 'Tapestry Taupe' Eyeshadow

It was only a few months ago that I first tried drugstore makeup from the States. I know, I know, it seems a little ridiculous, but truth be told before February I hadn't been back to the US in years and the last time I was there I had no interest in makeup whatsoever. I visited DC for an Model United Nations conference that I was participating in and of course the first thing I did when I had a little spare time was run to the drugstore! The first thing I purchased was a CoverGirl eyeshadow called Tapestry Taupe, which may just be one of the most talked-about drugstore products ever.

 

I knew straightaway that I would love this product. After all, I figured there must be a reason everyone loved this eyeshadow. It's a gorgeous shimmery taupe color that leans more gray on me than anything else, though there is a slight tinge of purple in it that really makes it bring out my dark brown eyes. It's a very cool color which is another reason I think it looks really great on my also cool skin tone. I love the way this looks as an all-over lid color and it's very easy to use as well. It's surprisingly smooth for a drugstore product and very pigmented, much more so than I initially expected it to be. This also pairs extremely well with another drugstore product, the Maybelline 24 Hour Color Tattoo Eyeshadow in Tough as Taupe. I love to use Tough as Taupe as a base with this shadow on top - the base really helps to make this color pop and enhances the gray in the color. It can also be used over a purple cream base to bring out those undertones. 

 

For the price, I think this is a fantastic product, especially when you consider that you get 0.09oz of product as compared to MAC's eyeshadows which are 0.05oz each. If you don't already have this in your arsenal of drugstore products, I highly suggest you pick it up. It's a great fall color to use as a wash of color on the lids or even as a liner for the upper and lower lashlines - it gives such a gorgeous effect! This has made me a fan of CoverGirl eyeshadows and I will definitely be trying (and reviewing!) more in the future.

Dot by Marc Jacobs

Being familiar with my love of perfume, my friend gifted me this new fragrance by Marc Jacobs on my birthday in August. The only other perfume I'd tried from the line was the Daisy Eau So Fresh one, which I absolutely love, but I've always adored the packaging of his perfumes. I initially thought that this perfume was inspired by ladybugs, especially given the packaging, but supposedly it was inspired by Jacobs' love  of polka dots.

The top notes of this perfume are red berries, dragon fruit, and sweet honeysuckle, followed by jasmine, coconut water, and orange blossom. It's rounded out with base notes of vanilla, driftwood, and a sensual musk. On me this scent tends towards the fruity and sweet notes, and I don't really get much of the floral even after this has been on my skin for a few hours. I love that, though, because floral scents are not usually my cup of tea but floral/sweet ones are right up my alley. The thing that I love most about the fragrance is that it lasts ages on me. Usually my problem with perfumes is that none of them stay on my skin for very long so I have to bring around a sample size to touch it up throughout the day, but with this one I don't have to.

I'm also in love with the packaging. It's not for everyone and I can understand that, but to me it's fun and girly. It can be a little bulky and it's definitely not portable, but I don't usually bring perfumes around with me when I travel, and if I do they're sample sizes, so that doesn't matter much to me. It looks pretty on my shelf and that's all I need to know!

Have you tried Dot? What do you think about it?

Sigma Sigmax Brushes

I'll admit, I had never heard of Sigma brushes until I started watching YouTube videos two-three years ago. Growing up in a city like Hong Kong, most of the brands I had been exposed to were high end and very expensive, so the idea of affordable brushes was almost inconceivable to me. Dramatic, I know, but it's true. When I started watching YouTube I heard everyone raving about these Sigma brushes so I decided to look them up and have been wanting to try them ever since. 

A few months ago I finally bit the bullet and ordered two brushes from their then-new Sigmax line of brushes which are made with synthetic bristles and are supposed to be used especially with cream products. First of all I have to say that I was very pleased with their service - they offer shipping worldwide so I didn't have to go through multiple channels of family friends to get them here. I remember there was also a problem with my order that necessitated talking to one of the Sigma employees and the woman I spoke to was very friendly and informative. After all that was sorted out, my brushes arrived surprisingly quickly considering the international shipping, so I'm very happy with their customer service.

The first brush I ordered was the F86 Tapered Kabuki brush which I thought would be nice to use with cream highlighters. When it came, though, I saw how big it really was and realized it wouldn't work for highlighters. I found that this works pretty well with liquid and cream foundations. The tapered brush really allows you to work the foundation in around your nose and under your eyes, though it was a little awkward to get used to at first since I wanted to use it like a buffing brush and couldn't, really. I did try this with a cream blush and bronzer and I have to admit that its best used with foundation, as it can cause your blush and bronzer to apply a little streakily and is more difficult to blend that than foundation. 

The second brush I ordered was the P82 Precision Round brush which I wanted to use with my concealer and I have to say I absolutely love this brush for applying my concealer! It honestly makes it so easy to apply and blend, and because it's so small it really allows you to be precise with your concealer application. It can be a little hard to use for undereye concealers but I still found it okay. I did try this with a cream highlighter and I really liked to use it for that purpose as well, especially if you have a smaller face and thin cheekbones. This is really nice for sparingly applying foundation as well if you don't need as much coverage over your entire face. 

As you can see there's a pretty big difference in the size of these two brushes which is why you can't really use them interchangeably, you need to have distinct purposes for each brush. The bristles of both these brushes are very soft, much more so than I initially expected, though they are very densely packed which is why they're made to use with cream products rather than powder products. Another thing I really liked about these brushes is that they were really easy to clean, whether with my MAC Brush Cleanser or with baby shampoo. They take a while to try though if you deep clean them since they are so dense, but as long as you leave them overnight it should be fine. 

Overall I was really happy with my Sigmax experience and would definitely repurchase brushes from this line, though because I have oily skin I prefer to use powder products and don't need to buy the whole range. 

Have you tried the Sigmax brushes? What did you think of them? 

Make Up For Ever Aqua Rouge

Make Up For Ever recently added the Aqua Rouge line of liquid lipsticks to their well-loved waterproof makeup line, and the other day I picked up two colors to test out. I'm a huge fan of their Aqua Cream eyeshadows and their Aqua Liners, so this purchase was pretty much a no brainer for me.

I loved the packaging from the get go, it's very classy but simple at the same time. It's functional as well which is what I look for the most in products. On one end there's a liquid lipstick and on the other there's a clear gloss. The lipstick end has a medium sized doefoot applicator while the lip gloss has a brush applicator. Personally I'm not a fan of the brush applicator on the gloss end since it's a bit hard, especially when it's new, and it will scratch off some of the lipstick if you apply it before the lipstick has dried and set. The gloss itself, however, is very shiny and nonsticky, which I love, though it's not very long lasting. I don't really mind though because I bought the product mainly for the lipstick, not the gloss.

As you can see it's very pigmented, just one swipe and your lips will be totally coated in color. I love the two colors I picked because they're so appropriate for the upcoming seasons, though because I did pick darker colors I can't speak to the pigmentation of the Aqua Rouge line as a whole. These two colors, however, are absolutely fantastic. They're so long lasting and feel very comfortable on the lips. Though they're not hydrating, I don't find them drying either, and the lip gloss on the other end helps to keep the lips from feeling dehydrated and uncomfortable. They're shiny at first but dry down to a semi-matte finish, unless you add the gloss on top.

Adding the gloss helps the color to look more smooth and prevent it from seeming like it's sinking into your lip lines. Even after the gloss wears off though the color will still be there and it will stay for a very long time. When I was testing these out they lasted through most of the day, including a meal! These swatches on my hand also took a long time to come off, even though I was scrubbing at my hand with soap and water. Even though these are a bit more pricey I say that they're definitely worth it for the color and for the wear time. I haven't tried too many other liquid lipsticks besides the Yves Saint Laurent one, though I do have the Guerlain ones set aside to be reviewed at a later date, but I think that fans of the YSL Rouge Pur Couture lip products will really enjoy these (for a cheaper price).

What do you think of the MUFE Aqua Rouges? Were you a fan? What other liquid lipsticks do you like?

Inglot Liquid Eyeliner #25

I first heard about Inglot about a year ago through xsparkage on YouTube and have wanted desperately to try the brand since! It was really difficult to find though, because they don't sell it here in Hong Kong and I wasn't visiting any of the nearer countries that Inglot is available in (ex. Singapore, Malaysia) anytime soon. For spring break, however, I went to New York and finally found Inglot in Times Square! I picked up a lot of things there, including an eyeshadow and blush palette which I'll feature soon, but today I wanted to talk about one of their liquid eyeliners that I picked up.

One of the colors I picked up was #25, which is a very matte, very dark black color. Right off the bat I really liked the packaging - it was simple and even though it's not the prettiest packaging ever, it's very practical and the handle of the eyeliner allowed me to apply the liquid liner effortlessly and steadily. The eyeliner comes with a felt tip that is a little hard on first application but after a while it softens (but only slightly!) so it doesn't feel so sharp when you apply it.

The formula goes on very smoothly and is extremely pigmented, which unfortunately also means that if you make a mistake it's very noticeable. It's quite wet, which some people like and others hate but I personally don't mind. As long as it dries quickly, which this does, it doesn't matter to me how wet the formula is.

I'm not totally sure whether this is supposed to be waterproof but if it is, it doesn't live up to that claim. It's very long-wearing, certainly, but it's not water proof or even water resistant. It will wash off if you get caught in the rain or if you cry, but because I use this on an everyday basis and not for occasions where I know there's a risk of my makeup getting washed off, that's ignorable for me. It does come off a bit easier than I'd want if you rub at your eye, but I don't touch my eyes a lot anyway so that's okay. I do wish it did have better staying power, though, because on longer days it can start to imprint on my lid. Overall I do like it though and would definitely repurchase it!

Have you tried any of Inglot's liquid eyeliners? What do you think about them?

Bed Head Ego Boost Leave-in Conditioner

I was shopping around a few weeks before school started and I was looking for a new leave-in conditioner that could be used in place of my Moroccanoil, since it's not available here in Hong Kong (or is it? If you know, drop me a comment and let me know!) and I found the Bed Head Ego Boost Split-End Mender Leave-in Conditioner. It's a mouthful of a name for sure, and the bottle it comes in is just as attention-catching.

As you can see it comes in a hot pink plastic bottle with a bright green pump (pictured below). The bottle itself is rather large and clunky because of the shape, so it's not the best for traveling because it wouldn't fit very well into your suitcase or toiletries bag. I'm not really planning to travel with it, though, so that fact is one is that I can neglect.

As for the actual product itself, it's a white liquid with a thin, almost gel-like consistency. It's supposed to be applied to damp hair and I think it coats the hair quite well and soaks in easily, leaving behind no residue. It makes your hair smell a bit like you just got back from the salon, which is a scent that I personally love but I know that some others dislike. It's not very strong, though, and does go away quite quickly so your hair won't smell like that for the whole day.

I definitely notice a difference in my hair when I use this. When my hair dries it feels softer and smoother than it would otherwise, and it's much easier to comb out. Throughout the day it retains that initial shine and softness, and though it doesn't prevent your hair from getting tangled I feel like it makes your hair easier to brush out if it's gotten knotty throughout the day. I also have noticed that I haven't been getting split ends since I started using this, so that's something I'm very grateful for!

That being said, I don't think this can take the place of my Moroccanoil. I don't think it penetrates as well as an oil and it seems to extend the amount of time it would normally take for my hair to dry, since I apply it when my hair is still damp. I suspect that this wouldn't prove to be as useful for those with severely dry and damaged hair, though people with that hair type might be interested in trying this out anyway since it worked quite well for me! I have dry hair that is relatively undamaged since I rarely use heat on it.

Have you tried this or any other Bed Head products? Which leave-in conditioners would you recommend?