Review: Milani Baked Blush in 01 Dolce Pink

Described appropriately by Milani as "pink shimmer", 01 Dolce Pink Baked Blush is certainly both.

Dolce Pink is a medium champagne-y pink with a TON of gold glitter.  Seriously.  This blush is super heavy on the gold glitter.  I found it a bit of a challenge to get the pink to really show up without it being incredibly glittery and having tons of fallout everywhere.  The gold glitter in the product is far more prominent than the pink color.  Sheered out, you pretty much lose the pink and are left with the glitter.

I do certainly have a soft spot for the Milani Baked Blushes.  At this price point and with the amount of product that you get, they're a fantastic deal.  However, depending on how you feel about glitter bombs, this may or may not be the product for you.

For me, it is mostly a miss.  I do think that it would probably work better as a highlighter than as a blush.

Milani Baked Blushes retail for $7.99 and contain 3.5 grams of product.

Overall: 6/10

Review: Burberry Sheer Eyeshadow in No. 22 Pale Barley

Burberry Sheer Eyeshadow in No. 22 Pale Barley seems to be one of those staple colors that lots of people who like Burberry have in their collection.  

The color itself isn't groundbreaking.  It's a soft taupe-y brown with a satin finish.  The eyeshadow is super soft and buttery and blends phenomenally well.

The product and the packaging are both beautiful and understated, which I feel like should be a given at this price point.

The shadow contains 2.5 grams of product and retails for $29.  That is a lot for a single eyeshadow, but I do feel like you're getting what you paid for here.  This is a high end product with high end payoff.  The shadow is great quality and for me, it's a color I wear daily.  The packaging is beautiful and heavy enough that I don't have a problem throwing it in my makeup bag.

Overall:  10/10

Empty: NARS Pure Radiant Tinted Moisturizer

Saturday I reached for my beloved NARS Pure Radiant tinted moisturizer and managed to squeeze out the last few drops.  Sadness!  I absolutely love this product.  But I'm pretty much on a foundation no buy until I finish up my Armani Maestro foundation.

I love the NARS Pure Radiant for the days that I'm in a big hurry or I'm feeling super lazy since it is so moisturizing and it contains SPF.  It gives me fantastic coverage and it feels super light on the skin.

As a side note, I can't remember the last time I finished a non-skincare beauty product.

What was the last beauty product you finished?

Take care,
indie

Maybelline Color Sensational lipsticks #645 and #015

I was just browsing the beauty section at CVS the other day and I was completely struck by Maybelline Color Sensational lipstick in #645, Red Revival

Come on.  Look at that.  How could I not pick it up?  They were having a buy one, get one 50% off, so I also picked up something that I thought would be more wearable day to day, #015, Born With It

 I will say that the Red Revival really delivered.  I think it is stunning.  Born With It ... meh.  Not so much.  Here are swatches:

(under daylight bulbs)

(flash)

#645 Red Revival:

This is a true red.  It is slightly darkened and leans slightly blue based, but not at all berry or wine-y at all.  It does not apply quite as darkly as it looks in the bullet.  It applied very opaquely and was quite moisturizing, though as with all lipsticks this bold, I did apply it over a base (MAC Prep + Prime Lip).  It wore really well.  I got probably 4 hours out of it, while drinking soda and coffee, before I needed to touch up.  It stayed surprisingly glossy for the first two hours.

#015 Born With It

I will admit to doing nearly no research on these.  I have no idea how long these colors have been out.  I do have to figure that since this color is named with the Maybelline tag line, that it must be one of their flagship colors in this line.  However, I found this color very disappointing.  It is a neutral yellow based pink with tiny glitter.  I don't think it looks glittery on the lips and I didn't get a gritty sensation on the lips.  That's probably because the glitter doesn't stay in the lipstick.  I found glitter everywhere.   I have no idea how that is even possible, but there it is.

Overall:

Red Revival 10/10

Born With It 5/10

Flower Beauty first impressions

I had heard that Drew Barrymore was launching a cosmetics line, but I hadn't realized it was already out.  From what I can tell covers all the bases:  lips (everything from lip butters to matte lipsticks), eyes (shadow quads and cream shadow pots), face (primer, tinted moisturizer, multiple foundations, blushes, bronzers) and nails.

The line is exclusive to Wal-Mart and seems to have a price tag comparable to other drug store brands like L'Oreal, Maybelline, etc.

I picked up a few items:

I am most curious about the "Triplet" products, though, ironically, I didn't pick any of them up.  There are lip triplets, eye triplets and face triplets.

First impressions:

Pros:

• reasonably priced
• contemporary formulations:  cream to powder blushes, matte lipsticks, etc.
• very wearable colors

Mixed:

• packaging.  I do love the sort of Art Deco aesthetic.  However, the blushes have convex lids, so they won't stack, the eyshadow quad isn't a square, so it doesn't play particularly well either.  The lipstick tubes seem really unnecessarily bulky.
• Exclusive to Wal-Mart.  I'd say that most people have access to a Wal-Mart or to walmart.com, but I, personally, try not to shop at Wal-Mart, so this is mostly a miss for me.

Cons:

• labeling on the lipsticks.  If you have more than one, it's really easy to mix up the labels and the color names aren't particularly helpful in sorting them out.
• Flower Beauty website.  Doesn't have much information.  Everything links back to Wal-Mart's website which also doesn't have a whole lot of information.

The labels on the cosmetics say "We never test on animals", but I really have no idea what that means.  I read in Women's Wear Daily that Barrymore co-owns Flower Beauty with "design and manufacturing firm, Maesa Group".  I don't know who they are or what their animal testing status might be.

I will have in depth reviews on these products next week, but I just wanted to give you guys a sneak peek.

Hope you have a great weekend!

indie

Review: Armani Maestro Fusion Makeup Foundation

Official Armani PR materials say of Armani Maestro:

“It’s not a foundation, it’s a complexion perfector. A whole new generation of make-up that feels incredible, looks invisible and makes skin appear luminous every time. Anyone can wear it!!!”

- Linda Cantello, International Make-up Artist for Giorgio Armani Cosmetics

More things Armani has to say about their Maestro fusion makeup:

A formula that is easy to apply with unified distribution, and covers imperfections.  An ultra-fine oil-pigment suspension that perfects the complexion, instantly igniting skin’s natural luminosity. A water and powder-free base.



My Experience:

I picked up a bottle of the Maestro foundation in November 2012 at Nieman Marcus after being color matched to shade 5 - which I definitely wouldn't have chosen online.  I had been wanting to try this foundation for a while, but it was impossible for me to find.  No one locally carried it and especially at this price point, I wanted to be color matched before buying.  I finally managed to pick some up while I was on vacation in Las Vegas (also got another Tom Ford eyeshadow quad, but that's another post.)

I feel like I should admit right now that I love oil-based beauty products (for the most part).  I use the Boscia Make-up Break-up Cool Cleansing Oil every night to remove my makeup.  I often use plain Argan oil as a nighttime moisturizer.  I have super dry skin and it works fantastically well.  If you have really oily skin or if you react badly to oils, your mileage definitely may vary.

I apply this foundation with my hands.  It is so light and you need so little of it, that I don't think that I personally would try to apply it with a brush.  Despite what the PR materials may say about it being a "pigment suspension", it's an oil, straight up.  It feels like a really thin oil, cooling on the skin, but you wouldn't mistake it for anything else.  The bottle comes with a dropper, which I personally like, but I know some people do not.

To apply, I shake the bottle really well, squeeze the dropper a few times (to make sure product isn't stuck in there and settled) and then squeeze several drops onto my clean fingers.  I rub my fingers together and then smooth it onto my face, starting with my cheeks and nose and then working outward to the rest of my face.

My results with this stuff has been phenomenal.  I would say that I get light to medium coverage out of it.  I've heard it's buildable, but I've never really tried because I don't really need to build it up.

This stuff sits so nicely on the skin.  I really almost can't tell it's there - looking at my skin in the sunlight with a magnifying mirror.  It feels so lightweight that it is really easy to forget that it's there.  It's not tacky at all, the way a lot of foundations are.  I would definitely agree with Armani's claims that it has "Natural make-up result without make up feel".  

The finish once applied on my skin is pretty matte, but also a natural matte.  I don't think it looks flat the way some matte foundations can.  I don't find it luminous at all.  I do find that it wears really well.  I find that even with my dry skin, my T-zone gets oily during the day.  Wearing this oil based product, I really don't have much of an issue with that.  I can easily get 8 - 10 hours of wear out of this foundation.

I'm not really acne prone, but I have to say that after several months of wearing this daily, I switched to a couple of my other foundations just to switch things up a bit and almost immediately, I had a couple of breakouts.  Prior to that I'd had almost none.

I am in love with this foundation, so much so that I'm considering getting the Maestro concealer as well.  Like I said, this foundation is pricey - $62 for 1oz.  However, you need a tiny amount of it, so the bottle will last a long time.  I've been using it daily for the last 3 1/2 months and I've hardly made a dent.

The foundation is available in the US in 12 shades, both warm and cool toned.  It's available online at Armani or high end department stores (Nordstrom, Neiman Marcus, etc.)

Overall:  10/10

MAC Moxie Lipstick

MAC's Moxie lipstick was limited edition.  It was repromoted as part of the MAC By Request collection in Fall 2012.  Moxie was one of the top three most popular LE or discontinued MAC lipsticks according to voters - along with Candy Yum-Yum and Rocker.

Moxie is a matte finish and the color is described by MAC as "bright pink".  In the bullet it definitely looks bright pink, but swatched and on the lips, I think it's much more of a magenta meets raspberry red.  It is creamy (for a matte) and applies evenly and opaquely.

Because it's a matte, the wear time is great.  I got at least 6 hours out of it before I had noticeable fading and it did stain my lips.  While you might have luck finding a dupe of this color, it's the texture that you're not going to find at the drug store.  The matte finish is so opaque and so long wearing that I doubt you're going to be able to dupe it.

I did think that when I first apply Moxie it looks a lot like the NARS Matte Velvet Gloss Pencil in Mexican Rose.  The NARS pencil initially is a rather light pink, but it darkens over time and ends up looking a lot like Moxie.

EDITED TO ADD 3/25/12:  Another decent dupe for MAC's Moxie is the Flower Beauty High Shine Lip Color in Petunia Petals.  The finish is different, but the color is very close.

I am absolutely in love with this shade and I am so glad I picked it up.

All MAC lipsticks contain .10 oz of product and retail for $15.

Overall: 10/10

Review: Guerlain Rose Aux Joues in 03 Over Rose

So I'm not exactly sure when this happened, but Dillards has definitely kicked up their cosmetics offering.  They are now carrying high end cosmetics like Guerlain (YES!), Shiseido and more.  And even better, they now have these high end counters at the mall I frequent.  

Not that you care, but it's been a giant pain to me that no one within a 10 hour drive has an actual Guerlain counter.  Because at this price point, I have to see before I buy.

The Guerlain Rose Aux Joues blush duos released in August 2012.  The duos have 2 wells.  

The larger well has a high shine frost finish blush in an absolutely gorgeous blue based pink that leans slightly berry colored.  I've seen other reviews where people describe this blush as having a very slight shimmer.  I really don't get that at all.  If you look hard, you can see some microglitter, but it doesn't strike me as shimmery.  To me this blush reads straight up metallic pink.

I'm generally not crazy about frosty metalic finish blushes, but I have to say I love this one.  It is super pigmented and the color when applied is true to the pan.  I love that applied lightly along the tops of the cheeks, it doubles as a highlighter.

The second, smaller, well contains a much more subdued blush.  I'm not sure it's completely matte.  It leans slightly satin to me.  It's not as pigmented as the top well, but it has good color payoff, goes on silky smooth and isn't powdery at all.

Guerlain says you can mix the two colors or use the shade from the smaller well as a contour.  I don't know that I'd use it as a contour, but I do often use it by itself.

The packagin, which I somehow neglected to get a picture of, is beautiful - as is typically the case with Guerlain.  It has a shiny gold finish, though I don't know if it is actually metal.  The case has some heft, it feels substantial, but it's also not overly large.  You can definitely throw this in your makeup bag.

The blush duo contains 6 grams of product and retails for $50.  I picked mine up at Dillards, but I believe you can get these duos wherever Guerlain is sold.

Overall:  10/10

Makeup Geek Lipstick in Ravishing

I picked up the Makeup Geek lipstick in Ravishing in my Makeup Geek haul.  Ravishing is described by Makeup Geek as "Deep Red (Ruby)".  It has a matte finish and is definitely on the dry side (though not as dry as Elegant).  The color isn't near as vampy on the lips as it looks in the tube.

It is a bright red with a slight blue/berry undertone.  Makeup Geek says it is a dupe for MAC Red.  I don't have MAC Red, so I can't swatch them side by side.  

The formula is dry.  It skips a bit during application which can make it a challenge to get a smooth finish.  However, once do you do get it applied, it stays put.  This shade wore for a solid 6 hours before I had any problem with fading or feathering.  And it did stain my lips.

I wore Ravishing over a lip primer, so if you don't use one, your mileage may vary.  Also because it is such a dry matte, it will definitely highlight any less than ideal lip conditions so be sure to exfoliate and moisturize well before use.

I do have to say that because this formula is so dry, it really isn't my favorite.  I love the color and I love the wear time, but it is just so darn dry.

Makeup Geek lipsticks contain 1.8 grams of product and retail for $7.99.  Makeup Geek lipsticks are currently available in 16 shades with a variety of finishes.

Overall: 7/10

Kate Somerville SPF 55 Serum Sunscreen

At $45 for 2oz of product, I really wanted to love this sunscreen.  I didn't.

I will say that I liked the Kate Somerville packaging way better than the packaging for my holy grain sunscreen, the Shiseido Ultimate Sun Protection Lotion SPF 50+.  But the product itself I felt very underwhelmed by.  I can't point to anything in particular that I didn't like.  Just overall, it felt like nothing special, especially at a higher end price point.  I didn't feel like it performed any better than my Neutrogena sunscreen, which is a quarter of the cost.

At this price point, I'd rather spend a little more and get a product (Shiseido) that I really love.  For a product that is nothing special, I'd prefer to stick with the more budget friendly Neutrogena.

Overall:  5/10

Review: NYX Rouge Cream Blush in Boho Chic

My obsession with blush is well documented at this point, so don't even pretend you're shocked that I have another one ;)

As much as I love blush, I particularly love cream blushes.  I have super dry skin so especially in the winter, powder blushes can look, well, powdery.  Also, in the winter when my skin is definitely in need of pepping up, cream blushes can add a nice dewy luminosity that - at least in my work environment - is more appropriate than an industrial strength highlighter.

NYX cream blush in Boho Chic is a lovely petal pink with a yellow base.  Despite what the swatches may seem to indicate, it does dry down and doesn't sit on the skin looking overly shiny or oily.

This is a fairly subtle blush and I get probably 6 hours out of it before I feel like it has faded noticeably.

NYX cream blushes are also budget friendly at $5.99 for 3.5 grams of product.  They are available wherever NYX is sold.  I usually get mine at Ulta or Makeup Geek.

Overall: 8/10