Review: Estee Lauder Pure Color Blush in Rebel Rose

Estee Lauder re-vamped and re-launched their Pure Color blush line in 2012.  I mentioned this in my review of Fearless from this line, but I really love the packaging on these blushes.  I love the square pans, you get a lot of product and I find this to be just really functional packaging.

Since Fearless was a very bold color, I decided to pick up something more subdued this time around.  I went for Rebel Rose, shade #12.  As far as I can tell, Estee Lauder doesn't actually provide color descriptions for their products, so you're stuck with mine ;)

To me, Rebel Rose is a rosy tan color.  Initially, I thought it looked a lot like the Tarte Amazonian Clay 12-Hour Blush in Exposed.  In fact, they looked so close that I actually photographed and swatched them side by side for my own comparison.

As you can see, Rebel Rose is definitely rosier than Exposed, which can lean a little orangey.

The texture of this blush is phenomenal.  They are so smooth and buttery and super pigmented, way more so than even the Tarte blushes, which I love.

The Estee Lauder Pure Color blushes contain 7 grams of product and retail for $28.

Overall: 10/10

Benefit 3D Brightening Face Powder in Bella Bamba

Benefit describes its Bella Bamba box of powder as a 3D watermelon pink.  I'm not exactly sure what the 3D is other than sparkle.  Seriously?  Can someone tell me?  What the hell is the 3D claim on their blushes?

At first glance I thought that this was just a dupe for NARS Orgasm (because I need another one of those. Ha!), but on closer look, Bella Bamba is nowhere near as peachy or sparkly as Orgasm.  Bella Bamba is decidedly pink, not peach and despite all the claims of 3D, I didn't find it to be overwhelmingly sparkly.  

Also, for a Benefit product, I was surprised that the color payoff wasn't better.  You can definitely get payoff, but you sort of have to work at it.  I'm not sure if this is just a problem with the gimmicky packaging (this was a Sephora Beauty Insider perk) or if the bigger box o' powders have this issue as well.

Because this is just a deluxe sample I really can't speak to the thing that I know tends to drive people nuts about the Benefit blushes - the cardboard flip top packaging.  Not that this plastic clamshell packaging is much better, IMO.

The Benefit blushes seem to vary in the amount of product they contain.  Bella Bamba currently contains 8 grams of product for $28.

I think this is a really nice blush.  Despite the 3D claims, it wasn't a glitter bomb.  The texture of the blush was really nice.  It blended out without a problem, but you can also easily build it up if that's what you're wanting.

Overall: 8/10

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

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

MAKE UP FOR EVER Aqua Cream #13

I have a couple of Make Up For Ever products that I received as 500 point perks from Sephora (Smoky Lash mascara, HD powder, Lab Shine lip gloss), but the Make Up For Ever Aqua Cream in number 13 is the first MUFE product I've purchased outright.

MUFE describes number 13 as "warm beige" - Sephora describes it as "warm beige - champaigne shimmer" which is probably more apt.  This particular color is formulated for eyes and cheeks (as opposed to lips and cheeks).

As you can see from the swatch on my skintone this shade is mostly shimmer/highlight.  The formula is very long wearing and is waterproof - and even an oil based makeup remover took some doing to completely get rid of it.

The effect is similar to the Urban Decay 24/7 shadow pencil in Sin or the Milani ShadowEyez pencil in Champagne Toast though both of those colors are decidedly pink where this is solidly beige.

I really adore products like this.  They are easy to apply and have great wear times.  The colors are subtle, but the sheen really gives it a dramatic pop.  I wore this all day with no creasing and minimal fading.

MUFE Aqua Creams contain 6 grams of product and retail for $23.

Overall:  10/10

L'Oreal Infallible Eyeshadow in Bronzed Taupe

I love the L'Oreal Infallible eyeshadows so I was excited to pick up a new one in the shade Bronzed Taupe.  They are fantastic quality at a drugstore price point.  I have a variety of different colors with different finishes.  The Infallible shadows come in matte, sparkle and metallic finishes.  The metallic finishes are by far my favorite.  Just look at that swatch, isn't it beautiful!

The pigmentation of the Infallible shadows is fantastic. The wear time is fantastic on my lids with or without a primer I easily get 9 hours, but have worn them up to 12 hours with no noticeable creasing.  I will admit I haven't worn them for 24 hours (ewww), but I wouldn't wear any shadow for 24 hours.

I love the consistency of these shadows.  They are a pressed pigment and are looser than a solid pan of eyeshadow.  There is definitely some kind of liquid component and they apply so easily and smoothly.

The L'Oreal Infallible shadows contain 3.5 grams of product and retail for $7 - 12 depending on where you pick them up.  

Overall: 10/10

MAC Ruffian Red Lipstick

MAC's Ruffian Red lipstick came out with the June 2012 MAC Ruffian collection.  The collection was online only and on the small side (and random as well, press on nails?!?).  The collection is a collaboration from MAC and the New York design house, Ruffian.

MAC describes Ruffian Red as "Class rich blue red".  I personally don't think this red reads blue at all.  I think it's very primary red with a tad bit of orange, sort of a tomato red.  It has a matte finish but I found it was pretty creamy and applied very evenly and opaquely.  

Again, being a matte I expected it to be incredibly dry, but it wasn't too bad.  Also because it's a matte it had phenomenal staying power and did stain my lips.

MAC Ruffian Red is still available online for $15.

Overall:  8/10

Review: Pink lipsticks - yellow based

So lately I've been obsessed with yellow-based pink lipsticks.  They're not exactly earth shattering.  You can find them from a lot of different companies at a lot of different price points, but I thought I would share some of my favorites.

These shades sometimes get categorized as coral, but they're definitely not.  They are pink, but a warm yellow pink, not quite peach and definitely not orange.  I'm amused by how much the official descriptions of the colors vary, but they all look very similar.

MAC Chatterbox is described as a "bright red-pink".  It has an amplified finish so it feels really good on the lips.  It doesn't wear quite as well as a drier formula, but I usually get 2 - 3 hours out of an application.  All MAC lipsticks contain .10 oz of product and retail for $15.00.

Makeup Geek lipstick in Adorable has a Satin/Gloss finish and definitely has the most slip of the three lipsticks.  It is described by Makeup Geek as a dupe for MAC Chatterbox, but I think it's closer to Fanfare.  It is a beautiful color, very creamy texture that doesn't dry my lips.  The packaging contains 4 grams of product and retails for $7.99 on the Makeup Geek site.  

MAC Fanfare has a Cremesheen finish.  It is described by MAC as a "mid-tone yellow pink".  Cremesheens aren't my favorite finish, but I do love this color, so I put up with it.  I don't find it too drying and it does wear really well.  All MAC lipsticks contain .10 oz of product and retail for $15.00.

Sephora Rouge Cream in #14 Seduce is described as a warm beige pink.  This is my first Sephora lipstick and I am impressed with the product if not the packaging.  The bullet is annoyingly large.  I have no idea how much product it contains as neither the packaging, nor the Sephora site say, but I doubt it contains more product than the Makeup Geek lipsticks and yet the bullet is markedly bigger.  It retails for $12.  The formula is super creamy and very opaque.

So what do you think of yellow based pink lipsticks?  Do you love them as much as I love them or are they a pass for you?

MAC Chatterbox Lipstick

I am in love with yellow-based pink lipsticks and I keep buying them.  (The first step is admitting you have a problem.)

I already had MAC Fanfare which I absolutely adore and wear every other day, but I picked up Makeup Geek's Adorable, which I thought was a dupe for Fanfare (don't ask why I'm buying a dupe for something I already have).  However, the Makeup Geek store says Adorable is a dupe for Chatterbox.  So, of course, I had to pick up Chatterbox and see ...

Looking at swatches, I still think that Adorable is much closer to Fanfare, but I do love Chatterbox.  It's described by MAC as "bright red-pink".  I think it's mostly a neutral pink that leans slightly yellow, but it is definitely redder than Fanfare.  Chatterbox has an Amplified finish so it's very creamy and doesn't dry out my lips at all.

I love this color.  It is an intense pink without being too bright - it's very wearable.  And it doesn't lean particularly cool or warm, so it's flattering on a range of skintones.

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

Overall: 9/10

E.L.F. Neutral Eyeshadow Compact

So I used to have the Urban Decay Naked palette (the original) and it just sat around gathering dust.  I didn't use it.  I'm not sure exactly what the problem was, but I finally decided that someone else could put it to better use and I traded it on MakeUp Alley for MAC Matchmaster Foundation (probably my most successful MUA swap to date).

Anyway, the other day I saw two different blog posts on various blogs that I read about how the E.L.F. Neutral eyeshadow compact is a dupe for some of the UD Naked palette shades.  So I decided to plunk down the whopping $3 for it and check it out.  My reasoning was that the E.L.F. palette is all neutrals and omits dupes for the Urban Decay shades I either already own (hello, smog, why do I have three of you?) or never used anyway.

And now on to the swatches and comparisons:

• Glittery White - This shade isn't similar to something in the Naked palette.  It's a white shade with a lot of silver glitter.  The texture was very creamy and the color payoff is good.
• Not!Sidecar - this shade was awful.  It had tons of glitter and seemed to be more glitter than shadow.  it was chunky and uneven and awful.  Urban Decay's Midnight Cowboy is sort of the standard for horrid glitter, but this shade could certainly give Midnight Cowboy a run for its money.  And really, I don't remember Sidecar being that glittery.
• Matte Dark Brown - Excellent color payoff, creamy texture.  For me, this was the best shade in the palette.  I think this is probably darker than any of the matte brown shades in the UD Naked palette.

• Not!Virgin - Shimmery light pink with satin finish with shimmer, but not glitter.  Very creamy.  If memory serves, this is really close to UD's Virgin.
• Rosy Brown - satin finish with shimmer, but not glitter. very creamy.
• Dark gray brown - matte finish.  Not as creamy as the other matte, but very workable and again, darker than anything in the UD palette (I know Dark Horse looks dark in the pan, but on the skin it's really not).

So obviously, I no longer have the Naked palette to be able to do side by side comparisons but my overall impression is ... it's an E.L.F. palette.  Some of the shades are okay (the matte brown in the upper right hand corner is probably my favorite of the palette but at this point I probably have a dozen great matte brown shadows so this doesn't exactly justify purchasing the whole compact for one shade).

Overall, most of the shades are forgettable or really similar to something else I already have.  If you don't already have any affordable neutral palettes, it might be worth picking up.  I really don't think that if you have your heart set on the Urban Decay Naked palette that this is going to satisfy you, but at $3 vs. $50, you might be willing to live with it.

What do you guys think?  Anything that stands out enough to be worth picking up?

Overall: 5/10