Burberry Light Glow Natural Blush No. 05 Blossom Blush

Whaa! Officially done with my bachelor’s! I’m taking a year off before law school. Believe it or not, i’m way more nervous about the break than I am about school. 8D On the plus side it means i’ll be writing a lot more regularly. Until that time comes, here’s a review that’s been sitting – waiting to be published. It’s yet another birthday gift from my sister (2 months later! haha!) Burberry’s Light Glow Natural Blush in No. 05 Blossom.

General Information:

(Why yes, this is directly copy-pasted from my review of the same blush in 06 Tangerine Blush!)

Burberry’s Light Glow Natural Blushes come in 8 shades: No. 01 Russet Blush, No. 02 Cameo Blush, No. 03 Rose Blush, No. 04 Peony Blush, No. 05 Blossom Blush, No. 06 Tangerine Blush, No. 07 Earthy Blush and No. 08 Misty Blush. The light glow name suggests a sheerer formula, though some shades definitely stand out more than others.

Burberry describes their offering as:

“A lightweight blush that gives the skin a bright fresh glow. Burberry Natural Blush contains silicones for effortless and even application and wild rose extract for moisturising benefits

The complexion glows with natural looking radiance”

You get 7g or .24 oz of blush for $42.00 USD. MAC’s blushes contain 6g or .21 oz for under half that price ($20.00 USD).

Packaging:

Burberry Light Glow Natural Blush No. 05 Blossom Blush in Pan

So, just as described in the review for 06 Tangerine, 05 Blossom comes in the scented cardboard box, with the velvet pouch and the metallic closure case. It’s all very luxe packaging and probably contributes to the price-point. But it smells so gooooood.

And as I mentioned before, the brush is actually quite good for one included with the product. It’s not the BEST but it does in a pinch.

Color Accuracy:

Again, Burberry loves to do itself a service by taking great product pictures (you can view the official product page here.) I remember there being some concerns that Tangerine and Blossom would be too similar. I can assure you this is not the case. Tangerine is definitely more of a brownish blush whereas Blossom is very pink. Not to mention the fact that Tangerine was a matte blush and Blossom has some real sparkle (see below.)

Blossom Blush Swatches (Unblended and Blended)

All in all I think Burberry did a good job representing their product, capturing even the hints of coral that this blush has in certain lights. The only thing that bugs me is that they don’t specify whether a certain shade is matte or shimmery. This can be make or break some people’s buying decisions and If I hadn’t been prepared (by reading other reviews) for the sparkle I probably would have returned this.

Pigmentation:

Although Blossom too is part of the natural blush like, it is considerably more pigmented than Tangerine. Of course, that could just be the difference in finish (matte products tend to be less pigmented.)

Blossom Blush Applied

I’ve heard this compared to Orgasm. It’s a pink with shimmer…but that’s about where the similarities end for me. Blossom, for one, has silver shimmer (not gold.) It’s also much sheerer than Orgasm and is a much cooler pink.

Application:

Blossom too is a buttery soft dream-to-apply. Of course, any shimmer product will give you some fallout (I accidentally left a brush in my makeup bag that had been dipped in this and only used lightly? It looked like a Cullen took a nap in there.) But the color is a joy to blend, and in the case of Blossom is quite buildable. It too is scented with CLASSY-DOM.

Wear:

Because it’s more pigmented than Tangerine, Blossom outshines it in the wear category. …Also literally because it’s sparkly. (ha.) I get a good 5-7 hours of wear on primed, set skin. However if I don’t prime (I can skin setting) it only goes 4 hours – max. It just seems like this blush doesn’t like oil! Ah yes, Blossom manages to work over my powdered skin (where Tangerine had a bit of a hard time.) Just FYI.

Summary:

As you may or may not know, I don’t favor pink blushes. But i’m glad to have this in my stash for days when I want something a little more natural than matte but a little less glowy than…Orgasm and its many lookalikes. The cooler pink looks better against my skintone and the buildable nature make it great for various occasions.

Value: 4/5

A little bit expensive, but you get plenty of quality product.

Packaging: 5/5

Gorgeous!

Color Accuracy: 9/10

Almost perfect, but no mention of the shimmer so a point off.

Pigmentation: 10/10

Supremely pigmented for a “natural” blush. The color also layers well on itself.

Application: 9/10

Buttery smooth and soft, blends well. Minor fallout.

Wear: 8/10

Lasts much better than its’ sheerer sister shade. But still not horribly impressive and REQUIRES primer. Otherwise you get stuck with half the wear time.

Overall: 90% (A-)

It’s a shame that matte blushes tend to fall…well…flat compared to their sparklier counterparts. Blossom is a lovely color and great for all year with its high building color and cool sparkle. But I just like matte shades better! How about you?

All for now!

<3 EA

Flora Garden Collection by GUCCI

On Friday, just as my spirits were being crushed by the hopelessness that is the-week-before-finals I received a box. A beautiful, glorious box. Can you guess what was inside?

General Information:

The Garden Collection is Gucci’s newest scent offering(s). Launched from the iconic Flora (a perfume apparently commissioned for Princess Grace of Monaco) the Garden collection is a set of 5 different perfumes each of which “explores a different bloom and with it a different facet of the Flora Garden woman.”

The collection consists of 5 scents: Gorgeous Gardenia, Gracious Tuberose, Glamorous Magnolia, Glorious Mandarin and Generous Violet. Gardenia, Tuberose and Magnolia are available in 50 ml bottles for $70 USD or 100 ml bottles for $100 USD. Mandarin and Violet are a bit more limited, being sold only in select department stores and Gucci stores in the 100 ml bottles.

I received some rather generous samples from Gucci via BzzAgent. And let me just give kudos to Gucci…the packaging? It’s goooooooorgeous. Very art-noveau (currently the theme of my room so I’m now using the box for decorative purposes.)

Even The Tissue Paper Matched!

Packaging:

The Details of the Packaging are Sublime!

In addition to the traditional mini sample-spritzers, I received three 5ml bottled samples of the three main scents, Gorgeous Gardenia, Gracious Tuberose and Glamorous Magnolia. Now, I know that the real-deal bottles have a clear cap and spray nozzle/spritzers? What are those even called? But these are black-capped with open mouths. Still, It’s a very chic, classic design.

Bottles

The perfumes are tinted (Gardenia is Pink, Magnolia is Blue, Tuberose is Green, Mandarin is Yellow and Violet is…duh, Violet.) Their individual boxes also have small accents that follow these color schemes. Sturdy and NOT glass, which I’m so-so thankful for because I’ve broken one Versace Bright Crystal and one SJP Lovely due to their glass bottles.

The Perfumes:

I’ll do a quickie review for each and then discuss the collection overall.

Gorgeous Gardenia:

Gorgeous Gardenia

Okay so, this was primed to automatically be my favorite out of the three because my parents used to hang Gardenia flowers over my bassinet when I was a baby. Of the perfume, Gucci writes:

“Light and addictive the scent’s floral heart is embraced by red berries and pears and leaves the memory of delicate petals, warm frangipani flower, patchouli and brown sugar. Gorgeous Gardenia is an elegant, sensual, celebration of the shrug’s first blossom and sumptuous full bloom.”

Of the above scents, I picked up Pear and Patchouli most readily. My aunt disagreed, stating that she picked up Gardenias. Most of the internet disagrees with her and I have to as well, I don’t really get much Gardenia from this scent. It’s more of a fruity floral. In case you’re wondering what the heck Frangipini is? It’s Plumeria and it becomes more and more apparent as the scent settles down. According to the official breakdown, the topnotes (ie: those you pick up immediately after application) are  Red Berries and Pear. The middle notes (which make their appearance as the topnotes fade off) are Gardenia and Plumeria. And the base notes, or the ones that combine with the middle notes to make up the overall fragrance are Brown Sugar and Patchouli.

I’d say it’s a spicy, fruity scent – rather than a true, white-floral. Honestly? It reminds me of a toned down Viva La Juicy. Which, although I like it on other people, is a little too…BOLD for me.

Gracious Tuberose:

Gracious Tuberose

Gracious Tuberose the innocent, delicate flower of the three Gucci Flora scents. Gucci writes, “The glorious recreation of the Tuberose’s sculptured, smooth, flowers. Serenely beautiful, the brush of violet leaf top notes lingers into the tuberose heart, before leaving a base of citrus and white cedarwood. Gracious Tuberose is a classical homage to the flower’s innocent nature and luscious petals.”

You might call me crazy, but I picked up a LOT more Gardenia from Gracious Tuberose than from Gorgeous Gardenia. This is especially odd, given that there are no Gardenias in this perfume’s composition. Topnotes are Violet and Peach. The middle notes are Tuberose, Orange Flowers and Rose. It ends in a citrus and white cedarwood mix.

I thought this scent started off really powdery and sloooooowly became a gorgeous gardenia (I’M STICKING BY IT) Tuberose and African Orange Flower lovechild. It is by FAR my favorite of the three perfumes for its delicate, elegant true-floral nature.

Glamorous Magnolia:

Glamorous Magnolia

Glamorous Magnolia, according to Gucci is a “Striking recreation of the Magnolia’s silky, statuesque flowers. Sensuous and compelling, the scent’s freesia top note gives way to a heart of peony and magnolia and a memorable sandalwood base. Glamorous Magnolia is a reverent homage to the flower’s radiant freshness and smooth, velvety petals.”

If Gorgeous Gardenia is the Spicy Sweet and Gracious Tuberose is the Powdery Floral than Glamorous Magnolia is the Green Floral What does that mean to you? It means it’s a crisper, fresher floral. Officially, the complete list of notes are topnotes of Freesia, Green Notes and Citrus. The Middle notes are Magnolia and Peony, while the Base Notes are Chocolate, Musk and Sandalwood.

Yes, I think the Magnolia is there. But the Freesia and particularly the Peony overpower it strongly. It starts off quite green and fades into the peony, ending in a soft sandalwoody musk while retaining its floral nature. I think it’s the most “mature” of the scents – and I hope that doesn’t offend anyone. It’s a sensual, velvety floral with a strange mix of starting-off-green-ending-up-musk.

Wear:

Gorgeous Gardenia was the longest-lasting of the three scents I received, fading relatively quickly (15-30 minutes) into its middle-notes and disappearing at about the 4 hour mark. Tuberose dried down to its official scent much quicker, 10 minutes tops and stayed for about 3 hours. Magnolia took about 15-20 minutes to settle and also lasted 3 hours tops. Honestly? That was a bit disappointed. I love Tuberose but I’m not sure if i’ll purchase it just because of the short wear time.

Summary:

I think Gucci succeeded in capitalizing on the personality-profiling type of marketing. The scents are definitely different enough to cover all the bases of perfume-wearers, whether sensual or sassy – there’s something for everyone. However, it probably won’t live up to lovers of the scents after which each perfume is named. The topnotes just aren’t present-enough to warrant naming them after specific flowers.

I enjoyed the samples and have definitely had friends and family clawing all over themselves (Yes, CLAWing) to get the sample vials from me. Will I purchase? …Probably (Tuberose is so delightfully white ; w ; …erm…scent wise.) But at $70 – these are totally overpriced. I’ll probably go for the $100 just to feel I got a decent amount of perfume for that price. Given the wear time – i’ll probably be re-applying it frequently anyway.

Have you tested these out yet? Do you have a favorite? PLEASE tell me someone else picked up Gardenia from Tuberose otherwise i’ll have to go to the crazy doctor because I REALLY DO smell it.

 <3 EA

This product was sent to me to review by BzzAgent on behalf of Gucci. I received no monetary compensation for my review and all of the above is my honest opinion.

MAC Lipstick in Watch Me Simmer

Now, I know that I haven’t been in the makeup game for very long (still under a year!) But I don’t think I’ve ever heard of a Limited Edition lipstick being repromoted so close to its original release! You might remember Watch Me Simmer from MAC Shop MAC, Cook MAC. But you’ll probably remember it from the more recent, Reel Sexy collection. It sold out pretty quickly both times, but I was lucky enough to snag it with my Reel Sexy lipstick (thank you Nordstroms~) So the question is, of course, was it worth the frequent window refreshing?

Oh. And stick tuned till the end, there’s a possible Dupe in it for you!

General Information:

Nothing you haven’t already heard before. This lippie cost $14.50 USD and contained 3g / .1oz of product. It’s already sold out, and I’m rather curious as to why they repromoted it so soon. Maybe they found a warehouse full of them and decided to throw it into Reel Sexy? Anyway, knowing MAC – the chances are high we’ll see this again in the future.

Color Accuracy:

I gave Reel Sexy a very poor grade, largely in part due to the inaccuracy of the promo image to the finished result. This is a real pet-peeve of mine. It seems like buying stuff online is difficult enough without an accurate depiction of the finished result. Anyway, Watch Me Simmer suffers from the same problems but not nearly to the degree that RS did.

Watch Me Simmer Official Image

Watch Me Simmer (described as a “Bright orange-pink” by MAC)  is not very orange IMO. It’s a bright, full pink with maybe the teensiest bit of orange undertone. Granted, it is more orange than other, similar shades.

Bullet Comparison (From Left to Right: NYX Femme, MAC Full Speed, MAC Vegas Volt, MAC Watch Me Simmer, MAC Impassioned, NYX Spellbound)

Cool Comparison Swatches (From Left to Right: NYX Femme, MAC Full Speed, MAC Vegas Volt, MAC Watch Me Simmer, MAC Impassioned, NYX Spellbound)

Warm Comparison Swatches (From Left to Right: NYX Femme, MAC Full Speed, MAC Vegas Volt, MAC Watch Me Simmer, MAC Impassioned, NYX Spellbound)

Watch Me Simmer is the fourth swatch from the left. As you can see, it is similar to MAC’s Full Speed than it is to NYX’s Femme or MAC’s Vegas Volt (which have more orange) or MAC Impassioned (yes review coming soon!) and NYX’s Spellbound (which are both much bluer.) Maybe MAC was just jumping on the coral bandwagon with this?

Pigmentation:

Watch Me Simmer is BLISSFULLY pigmented. Really packs a nice wallop.

Bare Lips

MAC Watch Me Simmer Applied

Application:

Because it’s so nicely pigmented, Watch Me Simmer is a joy to apply. It has very little streaking and is a one swipe-only color. It is a little creamy, but nowhere near as much so as Reel Sexy and not enough for it to be soft.

Wear:

Above, you’ll see Watch Me Simmer recently applied. Below is an image of the same application, 5 hours later.

MAC Watch Me Simmer 5 Hours Later

It hasn’t completely disappeared, and is still going strong in places. You can see how the color migrates to the outer lines of the lips too. I’d say I re-apply this every 3-4 hours. It’s not super wear but it’s decent. Oh, the above is with some drinking from a water bottle.

Dupe Alert?:

Some of you might have noticed a significant similarity between Watch Me Simmer and Full Speed in the swatch comparisons. Here they are, applied side-by-side.

Watch Me Simmer (Left) vs Full Speed (Right)

Watch Me Simmer is a little bit darker and more matte (but not matte at all.) Full Speed is just a hint lighter, worlds creamier and a lot more glossy. I personally think they’re similar enough that I probably won’t jump on WMS if it’s for sale again. But the Sheen Supreme formula isn’t to everyone’s liking – so there’s that to consider.

Summary:

Now, despite what the above swatch comparison might suggest – I don’t actually feel I have a lot of pink lipsticks. The alienation that Barbie inspired in a 5 year old me has left some seriously deep psychological scars that made me averse to the color for a long time. BUT – Watch Me Simmer (or Full Speed) should definitely be in the pile of potential pickups for girls looking for a bold, summer pink.

Value: 4/5

Same ole same ole MAC. Pricy for drugstore store lurkers but well priced for department stores.

Packaging: 4/5

Simple, classic, sturdy.

Color Accuracy: 6/10

It’s not an orange-pink. That’s my opinion and i’m sticking to it. But it is similar in bullet and applied form. More coral than not, but not coral enough for me to let the description slide.

Pigmentation: 9/10

It’s almost completely opaque.

Application: 9/10

It applies evenly, opaquely and smoothly. Point off for the creamy formula, which can mess up your lines a bit.

Wear: 7/10

Average wear time. It fades about on par with most drugstore lipsticks – but doesn’t all and all disappear.

Overall: 78% (C+)

It’s not a unique color, doesn’t have super wear and is poorly described. But it’s still quite pretty if you don’t already have a similar shade. Being LE, it may already be too late for you to pick this up now. But did seeing it here make an impression? Or would you pass?

<3 EA

Olay Pro-X Professional Advanced Cleansing System

I tweeted this a while ago, but around the end of March I purchased Olay’s Pro-X Professional Advanced Cleansing system from drugstore.com. It’s been two months and I thought i’d do a quick write-up on my opinion.
Sorry – I am not nearly consistent enough to have taken before and after pictures, but uh…just take my word for it?

General Information:

The suggested retail price of the system, which includes the brush body, one head, two batteries and a sample of Olay’s cleanser is $29.99 USD. I’ve seen it from between $20-$40 (on eBay, naturally).

When I bought mine at drugstore.com they had a non-advertised coupon (you had to check a box prior to adding the item to cart) that brought the $29.99 price down to 19.99 USD!) That coupon’s gone now – but another one that brings their price down from $29.99 to $23.99 USD is in its place – still a bargain.

Product Details:

There are two speed settings, one that’s medium-fast (not slow by any means) and one that’s fast. The brush is not too soft and not too firm. I’ve been able to use it to exfoliate my lips with no severe irritation. Did it cause redness? Yes. The first few times I used this brush (with my St. Ives Apricot Scrub, btw) my face did get red. It’s still a bit pinkish now (two months later) but it goes down fairly quickly.

Brush

The brush is replaceable and Olay suggests replacing it every 3 months. I’m on month 2 and I still don’t think i’m a month away from having to replace it. Oh, the replacement brush heads are about $9 USD for a 2-pack. Suuuuuuuuper affordable.

Getting Started:

One thing i’ve read consistently is that there are no instructions for inserting the batteries. Now, i’m not sure if this is the old packaging or if they’re just missing the teensy instructions on the side of the box – but they are included and read as follows:

Gently rock the battery compartment side to side while pulling to release battery cover. Insert 2 AA batteries, aligning the +/- Symbols. Replace battery cover. Replace batteries as needed.

The brush head is super easy to install as well, just pop it in. But, in case that’s all too much for you guys – I went ahead and did a quick video demo.

Use:

Sorry, no video of me using this! No one wants to see me in the morning or super-late at night. I use this, like I said, twice a day: Morning and Night. I dampen my face and apply some of my Cleanser/Exfoliant of choice on my face. I then dampen the brush head and run it all along my face for 1-2 minutes. The brush head can then just be rinsed (along with your face). Oh! It’s water-resistant so you can use this in the shower as well.

I’m not a fan of Olay’s cleanser. The grit is too fine for my tastes (I like thick, chunky exfoliants.) But it does in a pinch.

Results:

The cleansing system has managed to help my dry, patchy skin become a little more even. I definitely feel like my moisturizer penetrates more – with my skin freshly exfoliated every time.  I dread not having the time to use the brush because I can totally feel the difference in my skin when I just use my hands or a washcloth. I’ve also noticed a severe improvement on my acne – and worsening after not using it for a few days. The skin gets addicted I tell you! Now, I have really bad, dark blackheads on my nose. And the brush hasn’t really done much for them. But that’s really pore-strip territory.

Summary:

Woo! Quickest review ever (from me, at least) or what?

Value: 5/5

Especially with the coupon!

Brush: 9/10

A good, not-too-soft-not-too-firm brush that is sturdy and cheap to replace. It might be too much for delicate skin and not enough for those that like a super harsh scrub – but for me it’s just right.

Use: 10/10

Convenient, two speed settings and water resistance means you can use this however you like!

Results: 8/10

This is worlds above and beyond manual (with hands, brush or washcloth) cleansing.

Overall: 91.4% (A-)

This is one of the cheaper options in the world of Clarisonic knock offs and for this girl? It’s all I need. Sorry Clarisonic! I’ll just keep the extra $200USD for myself.

<3 EA

Diorskin Shimmer Star in Amber Diamond

I’m a girl who frequently gets oily, who abhors shimmer and who until recently thought name brands were some terrible conspiracy theory. I am also a girl that completely lacks any and all willpower. This, combined with fabulous reviews, caused me to pick Dior’s Amber Diamond as one of my various birthday gifts, courtesy of my little sister Harmony. Let’s take a look at it, small we?

General Information:

Dior Shimmer Stars are currently available in two shades: 001 (Rose Diamond) and 002 (Amber Diamond.) This was gifted to me before I became friend(lier) towards pink blushes, and the shade that is most hyped of the two is Amber Diamond, so Amber Diamond it was. Both cost $44.00 USD and give you .35 oz of product. That’s a little bit less than twice the amount in a MAC Blush, fyi.

Packaging:

Diorskin Shimmer Star in Amber Diamond (Velvet Pouch)

Diorskin Shimmer Star in Amber Diamond (Case)

The packaging is sturdy, classic Dior blue and comes with the a black velvet pouch bearing the CD for Christian Dior. It’s rather luxe, though I must admit feels a bit bulky given the amount of product actually inside. Admittedly, it’s really fun to pull out when you want to feel fancy (which I often do.) Though I can’t really think of many opportunities where one would bring a highlighter on the go (except vacations.) That said, the huge mirror they include is super nice but there’s no brush so you’ll have to pack your own.

Color Accuracy:

As you may or may not know, the Shimmer Stars come in strips of 5 colors. Sephora and Dior do us the favor of giving us a color breakdown. From left to right Amber Diamond’s shades are  ivory, champagne, tan, bronze and  peach.  In the pan, it’s spot on.

Diorskin Shimmer Star in Amber Diamond (Open)

But…I think there’s a lot MORE to the actual product. That is, I think the official description really doesn’t do it justice.

Diorskin Shimmer Star in Amber Diamond (Swatched from Left to Right in Order)

Diorskin Shimmer Star in Amber Diamond (Swatch of All)

The ivory has a lot of beautiful gold duochrome and the bronze is more of a beautiful rose-gold. The only line that disappointed me was the peach, but I think a lot of its natural color got lost against my skintone. The combined color is closest to the second strip on me, but with lovely hints of the other colors.  If we’re not being too nitpicky, it’s an accurate representation and the product images are SPOT ON.

Pigmentation:

Hurr…this is a highlighter and shimmers are notoriously pigmented. I’ve seem them botched up, but for the most part this is a really lovely and pigmented color. All the shades show up at least decently if not more so.I was a bit afraid that it wouldn’t really show up on my skin – and for the most part the colors don’t. But it does what it needs to do – it highlights.

Application:

You’ve no doubt heard about how soft, buttery and smooth this product is. It’s not just hype! It really really is that great. Of course, buttery soft products can go powdery in the pan but that was pretty minimal hear. It’s so smooth that I can apply it with the coarsest of brushes (ELF’s standard Blush Brush) and it still gives me great results with minimal fallout.

Dior Amber Diamond Applied

I’d love to say that the lack of other-makeup was done to showcase how luminous and lovely the results of this product are; but the truth is I was just really lazy. It’s gorgeous and brings a natural glow wherever it’s applied. Which, in this case is my cheekbones.

Wear:

Amber Diamond has a fabulous wear time on me, even with oily skin. I’d say 5-6 hours minimum and it’s gone as far as 8. Oh, and did I mention i’ve totally worn this as eyeshadow? It stayed all day there as well – a 9 hour day. …A HOT 9 hour day.

Summary:

Do I love it. Yes. Is it kiiiiiiind of expensive? Yes. Do you need it? Maybe. I’ll admit it’s not an everyday use thing. But for certain looks it really comes in handy. And I SERIOUSLY encourage anyone who hasn’t tried to use this as an eyeshadow. It’s really glowy and pretty. The lovely results and superb wear time make this a great luxury item for yourself of a loved one.

Value: 4/5

Pricy initially; but lasts forever, yields great results and is a luxury brand.

Packaging: 4/5

Beautiful, protective but a tad bulky and no brush.

Color Accuracy: 9/10

This is one of the products that the company should hype MORE. Simple descriptions like ivory for a gold duochrome don’t cut it.

Pigmentation: 9/10

It’s a shimmer, so pigmentation was a given. Some shades (peach, tan) don’t show up as well on my skin as they do on others (paler others) but the overall product is well pigmented.

Application: 10/10

Soft, works with even the cheapest brush and has minimal fallout for a shimmer. Score!

Wear: 9/10

It withstood a hot day on primed lids and cheeks for about 8 hours total. Nuff said.

Summary: 90% (A-)

Highlighters. Yay? Or Nay?

<3 EA

Naked 1 and Naked 2

There exist some definite mixed opinions on these two palettes. Are they too similar? Not similar at all? Do you need both? Just one? Neither? I’ll let you know what I think at the end of this post. But for now, brace yourself for some serious picture-loading.

The Palettes:

Naked Palette (Top) and Naked 2 (Bottom) Without Flash

Naked Palette (Top) Naked 2 (Bottom) with Flash

Palette Close Ups:

Naked Palette (Left) Naked 2 (Right) Shades 1-6 Without Flash

Naked Palette (Left) Naked 2 (Right) Shades 1-6 With Flash

Naked Palette (Left) Naked 2 (Right) Shades 6-12 Without Flash

Naked Palette (Left) Naked 2 (Right) Shades 6-12 With Flash

The Swatches:

(Click for Full Size)

Swatches Naked (Top) Naked 2 (Bottom) - Without Flash

Swatches Naked (Top) Naked 2 (Bottom) - With Flash

Summary:

So, at the end of the day. I think these palettes ARE quite different. Yes, they’re both neutral. But where Naked 1 excels at providing warmth, Naked 2 is all about the cool tones. Also, Naked 2 has at least two taupey shadows – colors that have become the darling of … well a lot of women I know. So that alone might be a make or break difference between the two.

Whether you need both is really a matter of personal preferences. But if you can only have one? I suggest first determining whether you prefer cool toned shadows (like I do) or are more of a golden goddess type.

So…Naked? Naked 2? Both? Let me know~

All for now!

<3 EA

Purple dreams was created using ONLY the Sweet Dreams palette and Too Faced Shadow Insurance. Here’s the palette, in case you’ve somehow forgotten it.

Too Faced Sweet Dreams Palette

1. Of course, I started the look off by prepping my bare eye with Too Faced Shadow Insurance

Satin Sheets From Center Lid to Inner Corner

2. Using a flat shadow brush, I patted Satin Sheets (Champagne Shimmer) onto the center of my eyelid. I then took a fluffy blending brush and blended it towards my inner lid.  I made sure to apply the color well into my crease, as I have hooded eyes and didn’t want to lose the eyeshadow in the folds of my lids.

Cut the Cake from Middle Lid to Outer Corner

3. I then took Cut the Cake (Pale, Lavender Satin) and also patted it onto the center of my lid, only this time I blended it towards my outer corner. Again, I made sure the color was applied up beyond my crease and towards my brow.

First Dance Blended Into Outer Corner

4. I then layered First Dance (Matte Purple) over Cut the Cake on my outer lid; using a fluffy blending brush to create a gradient towards the center of my eye.

Party Girl from Center to Inner Lid

5. The last shadow I used was Party Girl (Medium, Shimmery Purple.) I placed it at the center of my lid and blended the color towards my inner lid.

Finish Up With Mascara

6. Of course! I finished up with a coat of mascara.

Notes:

Now, you know I like to do my foundation AFTER my eye makeup on days when use eyeshadow. This EOTD was a REALLY good example of why I do that. The purple and lavender fallout from this EOTD made me look like someone had punched me in both eyes! Haha. Luckily, foundation hides all sins.

No FOTD, sorry! Here’s…two eyes~ Ooh lala~

Finished EOTD

I know it’s not superb. But i’m actually really glad that I’m starting to use my eyeshadows. Baby steps! Right?

All for now!

<3 EA

MAC Reel Sexy

I think the hardest part of my 3 month no-buy (which, if you haven’t guessed ended as of the first of April) was the lack of MAC lipstick purchases. In fact, the last MAC lipstick I reviewed was way back at the end of September!! Bwaaa! Let’s jump right in shall we? Here’s the LE Amplified Finish lipstick released as part of the Reel Sexy collection…aptly named, Reel Sexy.

General Information:

Reel Sexy is the namesake color for MAC’s Spring Reel Sexy collection. It was definitely the dark horse of the collection, selling out quickly while everyone was busy scrambling for Watch Me Simmer. (Which I also snagged! Woo woo!) Like all MAC lipsticks, it cost $14.50 USD and contained 3 g/0.1 oz of product. It’s been sold out for a while now, but as MAC does frequent re-releases of their LE shades, I have no qualms posting this review!

Color Accuracy:

I’m not always sure where MAC gets its product images from. I mean…From the official product swatch I was originally expecting a peachy shade, along the lines of this whole orange lipstick craze. But the official description is “Light, Bright, Coral.”

Reel Sexy Official Image

But I’d have thought I was looking at a more opaque Sheer Mandarin if I hadn’t swatched this in-store prior to the release. Luckily, I did know what I was getting otherwise I might have passed! It doesn’t even match the bullet color!

Bullet Comparison (From Left to Right: Gotta Dash, Reel Sexy, Ravishing and Vegas Volt - all MAC shades)

Swatch and Comparison (From Left to Right: Gotta Dash, Reel Sexy, Ravishing and Vegas Volt - all MAC shades)

Reel Sexy is the 2nd shade to the left. It’s really more of a pale coral and has none of the peach tones implied by the promotional image. I included similar MAC shades for comparison purposes. gotta Dash is the closest in tone but has a lot more pink and a sheen finish. Ravishing is the next closest but looks brown by comparison. Vegas Volt is nowhere near it – but i’d seen some people wondering if the two were similar at all and I wanted to clear that up.

Pigmentation:

Reel Sexy is a very light shade, but it builds relatively well. One sweep of color is MOST DEFINITELY not enough for me. Part of it is the creamy amplified finish and the other part is just that the color lightly applied is a bit sheer.

Bare Lips

Reel Sexy Applied

The above is one blotted layer and then two nice thick second swipes of color. If anyone wants a single-swipe shot let me know and i’ll do so. And, protip: fellow beauty blogger Brown Girl Friendly suggests MAC’s Cork lip pencil to back up the color if you have pigmented lips but still want to rock this shade.

Application:

Unless you have naturally pale lips, this is not a sweep-n-go shade. It takes either a similarly toned liner, or blotting and patient application to get it to look smooth. More than once i’ve walked out of the house with this shade on – only to discover a glaring line where the color is not evenly distributed.

Wear:

Now that I think about it…this really reminds me of the wear of the Sheen Supremes. It’s a beautiful color, but a pain to apply evenly and it fades after a few short hours (without liner) and doesn’t go much farther with it. I’d say I get a max 2-4 without eating and 2 max with eating and drinking.

Summary:

Do I love the color? Heck yes. It’s a beauuuuuuutiful pale coral that makes me think of spring. But it’s NOT the best MAC has ever put out. It’s a bit unpigmented, takes work to apply and doesn’t have a great wear time.

Value: 3/5

Regular MAC lipstick quantity but lesser quality than usual.

Packaging: 4/5

Simple, classic, sturdy.

Color Accuracy: 4/10

The bullet looks like the product…and the description is semi accurate. But that’s about it. Don’t guide yourself by the promo images if you can help it. It’d be a mistake.

Pigmentation: 6/10

I think this would do well on unpigmented lips. But otherwise it requires some building and working to get it to show up.

Application: 5/10

A bit tedious to get on evenly. Takes multiple steps.

Wear: 5/10

I’ve seen worse…but i’ve seen better.

Overall: 54% (F)

Unless you absolutely NEED this color – i’d pass. It’s just more trouble than its worth. Do you ever splurge just for a color, even when you know the product itself isn’t great? I…clearly do.

<3 EA

Too Faced Sweet Dreams Palette

I knooooooow! I knoooooow. I have to not-review palettes that are no longer on sale. At least this too has several permanent shade shadows that you’ll be able to get a feel for. Too Faced’s Sweet Dreams Palette was a Holiday 2011 release, it was sold for $52 USD if memory serves correctly. But I didn’t pay for it! Nope. This, dear readers, was another win from DGS Beauty’s Birthday Giveaway. So this picture-laden review is dedicated to the amazing Dinah!

General Information:

This lovely beauty comes with 15 shadows, two blushes, a bronzer and a highlighter as well as a tube of Too Faced Shadow Insurance (which i’ll be reviewing later) and the infamous Too Faced look cards. Each shadow has .03 oz of product, the highlighter and bronzer have .14 oz and the two blushes are .008 oz. A standard Too Faced eyeshadow single normally contains .08 oz, so you’re getting under half of what you’d normally get. Their Chocolate bronzer, highlighter and  lines usually contain .35 oz, so again you’re getting less than half of normal quantities. Finally, the blushes tend to run at .14 oz standard size. All in all, is it still a bargain? Yes. You don’t really have the option to pay less for lesser quantities of these products so buying everything included at full size would run you well over the $52USD price tag.

Packaging:

This is a holiday palette, which tend to run a little south of practical as a general rule (IMO). But this is still a…doozy. Don’t get me wrong, it’s stunning. Very Rococo-era with a bit of vintage glam inspired. When my Aunt saw this in my room she snickered. I asked her why, and she said that it looked very antique and was perfect for an “Old Lady” like me. (I’m notoriously old fashioned, fan of vintage things/jewelry/clothes etc.)

Butterfingers that I am, this palette has been dropped. And it survived the fall intact. The cardboard they use is really thick and sturdy, though it does start to shred a bit around the edges (which is why I still keep it inside the original box when it’s not in use.) All in all, not travel friendly – but really pretty, a great “decorative” thing to have out on your vanity space (if you have it) and effective at protecting the product.

Color Accuracy:

Okay. So, as per usual, I took several shots of the product. Brace yourselves!

Top Drawer (Eyeshadows)

Bottom Drawer (Blushes, Highlighter and Bronzer)

I also took closer up shots of the shadows, for your viewing pleasure (click the images for full size.)

Too Faced takes rather good product images, and so the look of the palette in photos is what you get in real life. But let’s briefly discuss the colors in depth.

From Left To Right: In The Buff, Peach Fuzz, Copper Peony, Teddy Bear, Lovey Dovey and Satin Sheets

In The Buff – a matte, white. That’s about it.

Peach Fuzz – Peach Fuzz, being a shimmer shade, I expected to be a lot…more colorful. It becomes a nude, neutral, but sparkly base on me. Hardly describable as Peach and almost invisible once on my skintone.

Copper Peony – A soft, coppery-rose gold. Satin finish with a hint of shimmer.

Teddy Bear – This is probably about the same shade as my bare eyelids, so it makes a good base for neutral looks. It’s another matte, light to-medium brown.

Lovey Dovey – Lovey Dovey is a very pretty medium, shimmery chocolate color.

Satin Sheets – Is one of TF’s more famous shades. It’s a satiny, shimmery champagne shade (why is it pink in the pan? Who knows!)

From Left to Right: Cut The Cake, Party Girl, Nice Ash, Smolder, Honeymoon, Label Whore, Nice Stems, Cap a Teal and First Dance

Cut The Cake – A Lilac/Lavender with a grey undertone. Pearl finish.

Party Girl – A medium purple with sparkle~

Nice Ash – Taupey charcoal with a sparkly finish.

Smolder- Matte deep navy.

Honeymoon – It’s a beautiful color but….so hard to describe. It’s a gold – that much isf or sure. But it’s got some….greenish…tinge to it? It’s the best way I can phrase it. Let’s just say it’ll never be described as a bronze. It actually reminds me strongly of the gold part of the packaging (around the edges?)

Label Whore – The MOST frustrating color in this palette to capture. You can see that it looks like a duochromed deep deep blue or green in the pan but When applied it’s like a brown with blue shimmer?

Nice Stems – Obviously a beautiful green with golden shimmer.

Cap a Teal – Dark blue with blue-green shimmer.

First Dance – To me this appears to be a dark, matte eggplant or purple.

From Left to Right: Chocolate Soleil, Candlelight Glow, Cocoa Rose and Sweet Pink

Chocolate Soleil – Matte, medium brown bronzer. I use it on other people because it’s almost exactly the color of my skin after foundation.

Candlelight Glow – White base with golden shimmer. It’s not gritty and makes a lovely inner corner highlight as well!

Cocoa Rose – Browny-pink blush withe a matte finish.

Sweet Pink – Bit of an orgasm lookalike here: your standard pink with golden shimmer.

Pigmentation:

In case the above swatches weren’t enough, here’s one more.

Sweet Dreams Palette Swatches (All Shadows)

When I swatch for pigmentation, I use what i’d say is a medium amount of pressure. These came out much more pigmented if I pushed harder on the pan … but I don’t know many people who use that much FORCE when picking up color with their fingers, let alone brushes. I’ll be doing a review of the Shadow Insurance separately, because it makes a huge difference, but on their own these shadows are moderately pigmented, with the matte shades suffer from the most patchy/chalkiness.

The blushes, bronzer and highlighter on the other hand were very well pigmented. None disappointed!

Application:

I was pleasantly surprised when doing an EOTD with this palette at how well even the mate shades blended. I had minimal fallout from all but the sparkliest of shades. The colors layered well. These shadows are a real joy to apply! The blushes too had similar results. Candlelight glow had a ton of fallout, but that’s to be expected from a shimmery highlighter.

Wear:

On their own, these shadows go for about 3-4 hours on my oily lids. I don’t want to spoil the Shadow Insurance review but…let’s just say they can go MUCH longer with it than without it. The bottom drawer offerings generally went about 4-5 hours, with candelight glow having the longest wear time (6 hours) and cocoa rose having the shortest (4 hours max).

Summary:

Beautiful, if impractical packaging. A luxurious offering of various colors and finishes and tons of possibilities. This really was a dream palette. With that said, the “value” of the product is misleading and the fact that the shadows improved so much with the Shadow Insurance makes me wonder if there’s not some sort of multi-product selling conspiracy going on here.

Value: 3/5

You’re not getting as much as they make you think you are, with each single item being less than half of the standard size. Though it’s still a GREAT way to get your collection STARTED.

Packaging: 3/5

Beautiful and protective. But who’s going to lug this around, really?

Color Accuracy: 9/10

Except for the confusing shades (which would be difficult for anyone to depict accurately) TF does a great job with their product images. Look them up if you don’t believe me!

Pigmentation: 6/10

Could use some improvement but benefits greatly from the included Shadow Insurance.

Application: 9/10

Minor fallout issues. Otherwise easy to work with!

Wear: 7/10

Standard wear for drugstore shadows, not-so-standard for department store stuff.

Overall: 74 % (C-)

It’s a lovely palette with great color selection and stunning packaging. But the value isn’t as there as they claim and the formula of the shadows could do with some improvements.

<3 EA

Maybelline Lasting Drama Gel Eyeliner

The last time I purchased an eyeliner was back when I reviewed the Essence Gel Eyeliner in June of last year. And if i’m not mistaken, it actually took me a while to get that review up! Sadly my little essence pot dried out, a little over a half year later (Is that impressive? Someone tell me!) I still had a bit left but with its death imminent, I decided to seek out a replacement. I ended up buying two (a pencil and another potted liner.) I think you can tell which this is.

This gel offering from Maybelline has been making its rounds on the blogosphere for a while now; and yes i’m going to review it anyway. Mostly because I really can’t stand the idea of posting another blush review after the monstrosity that was the week-without-Larry (the laptop.) Oh. He’s totally back now guys! Well, knock on wood. He goes in for more work than…some celebrity.

General Information:

It’s safe to say that this is an extremely popular liner, as it’s one of those items you see get heavily overpriced on eBay and the like. It’s normally priced from between $6-10 USD at stores like WalMart (where it’s cheaper) and CVS (where it’s quite a bit more!) I purchased mine from Drugstore.com; which regularly prices it at $9.99 but it’s almost always on sale for $7.99 and it ends up being $6.99 after the $1 coupon off “Select Maybelline Products” (there’s a box you must check before you add the product to cart on the item’s page.)

For that price you get .11 oz or 3g of liner. This is about on par with Essence’s .1 oz offering, but keep in mind that Essence’s liner costs $3.49 USD at ULTA. And of course there’s MAC’s $15 offering for the same quantity as Essence.

I picked up Blackest Black, as I was just looking for a good solid everyday black liner. There are currently four shades available at Drugstore.com Blackest Black (950), Brown (952), Charcoal (954) and Eggplant (956).

Packaging:

Maybelline Lasting Drama Gel Eyeliner

Like most gel liners, the American version of the Lasting Drama Gel Eyeliner comes in a clear glass pot with a black, screw on cap.It’s sturdy, and the label on the top makes it distinguishable from the dozens of other similarly packaged liners.

I’ll never understand the point of these types of designs, where the amount of space consumed by the product is only half of the bottle itself (like a bottle suspended within a bottle.) I’ve seen some reviews that have this liner in a frosted jar with a silver, soda-pop looking screw on cap. Not sure what that’s about but I believe it’s for the international market.

Eyeliner Brush

They’re also kind enough to include a little eyeliner brush which, surprisingly, isnt’ bad at all. I’ve used it quite a few times and it’s yet to fray, provides sufficient control and has a nice short handle that allows me to use it nice and close to a mirror.

Pigmentation:

Lasting Drama Gel Eyeliner (left) vs Essence Gel Eyeliner (right)

This is not an unpigmented gel liner, but as you can see from the comparison shot – it’s not quite as dark as Essence’s offering. Both are a good true black, but the Maybelline is just a smidgen less black than the Essence. Both are miles better than cheap kohl pencils though! Again, neither is unpigmented, but Blackest Black might have been an overestimation of this liner’s ability.

Application:

Lasting Drama Gel Eyeliner Applied

Applied in a smooth straight swoop, I had no problems with this liner. (Using the provided brush.) As you can see from my swatches though, it doesn’t really work well if you’re changing angles – kind of smudges. Realistically, I’m not sure why you would use such a motion on your eye but just letting you know! I prefer to start my wing on its own line anyway, rather than as a continuation of the lining around the eye itself so the point is moot for me.

To get this to on on smoothly, you really have to make sure the brush is evenly coated. If it is, it glides on nice and easy.  This particular liner seems to dry pretty quickly so try not to take too long before cleaning up.

Wear:

I tried two different smudge tests. One on my eye which…well…

Rub Test (On Eye)

It didn’t smudge, but it also didn’t hold up against rubbing on my eye. Yes, I did allow it to set for about 10 minutes. Maybe it’s because I have oily lids? It held up much better on the non-oily back-of-my-hand.

Rub Test (Back of Hand with Maybelline on the Left and Essence on the Right)

The color faded a bit, but there was no smudging, which only confirms my thoughts about the oily eyelid affecting the smudge-resistance. As you can see, the Essence did smudge, if only a little.

I think tried a water test, which yielded identically makeup removing results on my eyelid but once again the back of my hand out-performed.

Water Test (Back of Hand)

Again, some fairly impressive results. But again, also comparable to the Essence results. And finally, for kicks and giggles…

12 Hours and One Shower Later (Back of Hand)

But again, none of these results were true for my eye-area. Which was neither smudge or waterproof and had a maximum of 5-6 hours of wear if I was very careful not to touch my eye. 24 hours? I think not.

Summary:

Mixed feelings here!

Value: 4/5

Not expensive, but more than similar drugstore products.

Packaging: 5/5

Solid, protective packaging. Maybe a touch bulky. The included brush is surprisingly useful!

Pigmentation: 8/10

Not a super-black black. But a relatively solid color when well-applied.

Application: 7/10

Have to use the right amount of pressure, product and the right angle. Dries down quickly so not easy to touch up. But doesn’t tug or pull like cheaper lines.

Wear: 7/10

Terrible on my oily eyelids but shows great promise for normal to dry skin types.

Overall: 77.5% (C+)

I don’t see myself buying this again when I run out. I’ll probably go back to the essence, which held up better on my particular eyelids at under half the price. However, Maybelline is a bit more accessible to the layperson (I’ve only ever seen the Essence liner at ULTA) and not everyone has oily lids. A solid product, just not for me.

All for now!

<3 EA