Swatch Me Play

Hey y'all! I've just been playing around with some of my products looking for dupes and complimentary colors lately.  I wore the combo of L'oreal Infallible Eyeshadow in Amber Rush with Lorac Multiplex 3D Lip Gloss all day, then when I was playing with my black sparkly shadows I first compared Wet n Wild's new "Trashed" single with Sugarpill's Stella Chromalust with and without a base (NYX Eyeshadow Base White).  Using my new Real Techniques shading brush I just quickly used the Wet n Wild to define my crease. I didn't have any fallout and the brush and shadow are both awesome!

So happy together!

Top: L'oreal Infallible Eye Shadow in Amber Rush

Bottom: Lorac Multiplex 3D Lip Gloss



This doesn't really capture the metallic effect of Amber Rush, sadly. It was really glinty!

Two black shadows with multi-sparkles: Wet n Wild Trashed and Sugarpill Stella

Please note - these swatches are several layers of product!
Left to Right: Trashed over base, Stella over base, Trashed without a base, Stella without a base
Stella is clearly more full of the rainbow sparkles!

Same makeup as above, with just Urban Decay 24/7 pencil in Perversion and Wet n Wild Trashed in the crease

This photo better captures the metallic glint of Amber Rush

Bonus: Here's my pretty ring I bought off of Amazon in lieu of this month's Jewelmint choices.

None of my crummy camera's photos could capture just how much this ring sparkles - my inner little girl is THRILLED!
Nail note: Sally Hansen Real Nail Polish Strips in Speed Dating

Also, a heads up: TwilightBeauty.com is having a sitewide 50% off sale now through February 29th! I wish I hadn't stocked up on my favorites from this line already (d'oh!).  I know this line isn't talked about much in the beauty community, but I personally find the quality great for this sale price.  I highly recommend:

Mortal Glow Blushing Creme in Swoon ( a gorgeous cream highlighter. Let me know if you'd like to see swatches!)

Bella Palette ( has a seriously fantastic peach blush and a couple of great everyday shadows and is really convenient to carry around)

Edward Palette (has a fantastic silver shadow, but the rest of it is ho-hum)

Jacob Palette (I adore all the shadows in this one)

Femme Fatale Lip Glosses

REVIEW: L'oreal infallible 24HR Eye Shadow in 997 Eternal Sunshine

Hanukkah starts tonight, and I had planned to do an elaborate blue-and-gold EOTD.  Unfortunately, I got some sad news yesterday and it's not a good time for a party eye look.

I was cheered up on my grocery run last night when I spied the L'oreal Infallible eye shadow display and I selected a festive, liquid-gold shade, "Eternal Sunshine."  Here's my first-impression:

The pot is a slim affair, and I think it's quite elegant (though the shade sticker makes this blatantly a drugstore item).  You can see the color easily through the bottom window, which I also like.  Inside, there is a sort of plunger just like Giorgio Armani Eyes to Kill Intense (ETKI) shadows. 

The texture is more creamy than the ETKI shadows, but still has a powderiness that is very similar.

I couldn't capture how stunningly metallic Eternal Sunshine is in a photograph... it kept appearing kind of margarine-colored in my crummy photos!

Applied to lids with my index finger, NOT over primer. If you'd like to know, my mascara is Majolica Majorca Expander Frame Plus... it is an AWESOME fibre-mascara!

It's not cheap at about $8.49, but L'oreal will of course go on sale at drugstores so that'd be the time to load up on several shades of this.

I am really liking it - it seems to me they are an awful lot like my two pots of ETKI without the ouchie price tag!  The only thing I can't yet speak to is the longevity of it, but I'll update this post with a wear-time evaluation later tonight.
UPDATE: I didn't see any creasing until the 8-hour mark. I bet they'd go much longer with a primer underneath. I'm really impressed!

Have you seen the infallible eye shadows display near you yet?

Revlon Holiday 2011 Colorburst Lip Glosses - Swatches

After a short hunt I finally located the display for the latest Revlon Colorburst Lipglosses!  Revlon has come out with some of my favorite lip products this year, and I'm so psyched they've released more shades of these awesome glosses.  I think the packaging is so nice and elegant, reminiscent of Chanel Glossimers at a fraction of the price <3
Revlon Colorburst Lip Glosses also don't really have any flavor or fragrance, are non-sticky, and are often on sale, yay!

Left to right: Ignite (shimmery), Cheers (not very shimmery), Decadent (not very shimmery), Glitz & Glam (shimmery but not very pigmented), Eggnog (no shimmer, sheer), Cocktail Dress and Chilled (surprisingly similar when swatched!)

Left to right: Glitz & Glam, Eggnog, and Cocktail Dress. I was a little disappointed with the pigmentation of these three.  In spite of their sheerness, they're all quite lovely!

I was hoping Chilled would be a dupe for MAC Dazzleglass in Pleasure Principle (they really look it in their tubes), but as you can see from my swatches here the Revlon isn't nearly as nice.  The shimmers are far smaller and more subtle in Chilled (it really just seems very shiny, rather than shimmery, in person. Some people will probably really like that!).  What a bummer, because the Revlon glosses are non-sticky whereas the MAC glosses are infamously sticky! It would have been awesome to have a cheap, non-LE, non-sticky version of Pleasure Principle, but no dice!

Revlon Colorburst Lip Gloss in Chilled

I got all but one of the colors. I skipped Spice it Up because I just couldn't see myself using such a browned, deep red much.  I'm sure there are lots of women that color would flatter, but I thought it would just make me seem pale. I didn't see any indication that these are limited edition; however, their Holiday-friendly names make me think there is a good chance they're only limited edition. Has anybody heard otherwise?

My First Blog Swap: Swatch Edition

Round 2 post of Pinkstrawberrielove aka Chanriya/Riya's super-awesome swapstravaganza!
SWATCHES <3 Check 'em out!

Left to right: KATE Diamond Cut Eyes GN-1, Missha The Style Single in BR201, Anna Sui 900, Beauty Credit Blusher in Orange Heart

KATE Diamond Cut Eyes in GN-1. The best part of this palette is that buttery-smooth, pigmented deep blue!

Left to right: Missha BR201, Anna Sui 900, Beauty Credit Orange Heart Blusher (I'll admit I was scared of this in the pan, but it's actually quite sheer and easy to blend. UPDATE: This blusher is a gorgeous peach on the cheeks!)

Sugarpill Loose Eyeshadow sample in Junebug (dry), Super+ Beblesh Balm BB by Skin79, same blended, Beauty Credit Cream Eyes in White Opal WHO1, same blended

Beauty Credit Cream Eyes in White Opal, same blended, Shengji 2 in 1 Crystal Bright Lipstick Eyeshadow Pencil (so soft, I think this would make a perfect inner eye corner highlight!), K-Palette Real Lasting Eyeliner 24h 1day Tattoo (I think Yu from Let's Make Yu Up loves this, too!), Missha The Style Lucid Berry Lips in PK04 (amazing pigmentation!), Etude House Plumping Lip Tint in Pink

All polishes by The Face Shop: PK109, PK107, OR201, FACE it OR201, GR501

Didn't fit on the one hand ;-) BL601

Hope you're all having a happy Friday! Did you pick up your copy of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2? I did, and it's going to be a marathon weekend ^.^;;

REVIEW: Chanel Perfection Lumiere Foundation

Hello, gorgeous girls! I apologize for my inactivity (reading your blogs) lately. I've been feeling a little under the weather and unmotivated to do much with makeup (besides shop for it... somehow that never gets old!). So, I've managed to acquire a lot of cosmetics recently but haven't felt up to blogging about them or reading every blog in my blogroll.  I hope you'll forgive me.

What I have been managing to do is put this $55 Chanel Perfection Lumiere Foundation in Beige 30 through the paces! I've worn it over regular moisturizer, tinted moisturizer, silicone-based primer, silicone-free primer, and bare skin.  I've worn it with and without powder. I've applied it with the Sephora Airbrush #55, beauty blender sponge, and good old fingers.  How did it fare? Read on!

The colormatch is awesome, probably the best I've ever had.  This is essential because this is a medium-to-full-coverage foundation and you don't want any lines.  The foundation blends beautifully with any application method (brush, sponge, fingers), but I do have this complaint: it dries quickly so you'll want to apply it a bit at a time rather than dabbing on each facial region like you might with other foundations.

Applied over tinted moisturizer with fingers:

From this angle, the coverage looks great in the photo but it seems my neck and face don't match (in person they do, I promise.  I actually applied the foundation all down my neck so the issue must be with the light).

I feel that the appearance of foundation was lightest and most natural with the Sephora #55 brush, medium with the damp beauty blender sponge, and heaviest-looking applied with fingers.  What's unexpected about this is I needed 6 pumps for brush application, 4 pumps with the sponge, and less than three pumps with my fingers!  It goes to show that the brush provides the best look, in my opinion, but wastes the most product.  You'll want to consider that with this foundation's $55 price tag.

Applied over non-silicone primer with the Sephora #55 Airbrush, topped with Rimmel Stay Matte powder in 001 Translucent:

It's actually a great match in person, but I believe the powder and lighting throw off the color slightly.

Even though it wastes the most of this pricey product, I much prefer the brush application with Perfection Lumiere because the coverage looks the most natural in the end and it's the easiest to work with.  I think I'll alternate days using this and Boscia BB cream applied with the beauty blender (my favorite application method with that product) so I don't run out of Perfection Lumiere too quickly.

One thing that must be mentioned about Perfection Lumiere in regards to the feel on the skin is that it is nearly weightless with any application method! There is slightly more "non-existence" to its feel with the brush application, but even applied the heaviest with my fingers it feels much lighter than Revlon Colorstay or Photo Ready, or MUFE HD.  It can transfer but I found it to be much more transfer-resistant than those foundations as well.  Of course, if you put a primer underneath you'll feel the weight of that which is kind of a bummer.

I could nearly wear this foundation over bare skin in the warmer months. I wouldn't call it "moisturizing" by any stretch of the imagination, but my skin can pack enough oil to make it possible to wear with nothing underneath when the weather isn't drying it out and causing flakiness. 

If you have normal-to-dry skin, of course you will want to apply a moisturizer underneath.  I saw no difference in wear-time with any kind of moisturizer I tried (I used Dermalogica active moist, which has no tint and supplies the most moisture of those tested; My HG, Origins Vitazing which gives the most "dewey" appearance of moisturizers tested; and Stila Illuminating Moisturizer, SPF 20, which is the least moisturizing but on its own imparts a slight shimmery glow to the skin).

Not only did I not see a difference in wear-time with the different moisturizers I tried, but I also did not see ANY difference in coverage or finish! This is quite unusual for me.  Most of the time my foundation is affected by what I put underneath but I just didn't find that to be the case with Perfection Lumiere. It really stands alone.  I think if you use a really heavy moisturizer underneath, as needed, it also will not sheer the foundation out or leave you greasy in a few hours.  I think this foundation would be wonderful for any skin type!

I find this lasts about 12 hours, which is as good as anyone could hope, and its lasting power seems unaffected by any tricks to elongate it (primer under or powder over).  Actually, when I wear it with powder it seems like my skin gets shiny far more quickly than without (strange, I know, but it happened a couple of times with different moisturizers and primers underneath!).  I have therefore concluded that this foundation lasts best on its own without a setting powder. As you can see from the photo in which I'm wearing powder, I also suspect the color is affected by the powder as well.  The finish is nice enough that I don't think it needs a finishing powder for aesthetic reasons, anyway.  It gives a kind of natural, fabric-like finish that has no visible shimmers, even though it blurs imperfections to the naked eye, but...

MAJOR FAIL:
I've noticed this foundation doesn't photograph well on acned skin. If you have smooth skin with discolorations, it shouldn't be a problem for you because I find the coverage wonderful for any redness or dark spots. 

Applied with a beauty blender sponge over Dermalogica Active Moist:

I couldn't see these zits in person, but when I took the photo they re-appeared!  To be fair, though, there are more zits and discolorations on this cheek than the photo shows.  It's dependent upon the angle of light, like those HD translucent powders, I suspect. Also, that zit-looking bump by my mouth, about an inch away, is not a zit but a mole... sigh.  I'm brave to show this, right?

I, however, have active acne bumps and some pitted scarring, and this foundation doesn't hide those from the camera at all.  Even my husband was suprised, saying my skin looked great and then looked at a photo and was shocked you could see all the bumps again!  Maybe there aren't any foundations out there that can successfully hide bumps from a camera in every photo, but if I'm attending a picture-heavy event I'd MUCH prefer to wear a different foundation... maybe dermablend?

I can highly recommend this foundation for a lightweight-feel, excellent discoloration coverage, lovely scent, non-irritating formula, luxe packaging, blendability, every-day wear for those not stalked by paparazzi... I just wish I could call it my HG, but my bumps on view in photographs is a deal-breaker.  I LOVE how it looks in the mirror but I'm scared of catching an unflattering angle in a photograph.

Photos & Swatches: Kate Spade New York Supercalifragilipstick in Adventurous Red

Happy Friday, ladies! Let me cut to the chase and let you know that this red isn't particularly "Adventurous" at all.  It's quite sheer, actually.  While flattering, I found the pigmentation to be a disappointment with a name like "Adventurous Red!" I guess someone who has the cash for a $24 sheer lipstick and wants to pussyfoot into the world of red lips might be very happy with this. I'm glad I got it on sale for $17 and I will enjoy using it (even though I wish it had more oomph!).  It's not really worth it, though.
I remembered to get a picture of the "button" this time!  Unfortunately, while the box wasn't at all crushed this time, the lipstick tube had some random sticky glue on it that I did my best to clean off and the bullet looked like it had been improperly molded.

Left, one swipe. Right, many, many swipes.

It's a bit too emolient and I couldn't get the color to show in the center.

Popped in.

After a press, the bullet-end pops out.

Check out my review of Pop Art Pink Supercalifragilipstick! here.

MAC Holiday 2011 Nordstrom Exclusive Fabulously Festive Frost Face Kit: Photos & Swatches

I'm so psyched because I just picked up my pre-ordered Nordstrom-exclusive Fabulously Festive Face Kit from MAC's Ice Parade Collection for Holiday 2011!  I swatched it all and took photos in case you're curious (mostly because I couldn't find any photos online anywhere myself!).  I also picked up Dazzleglass in Pleasure Principle, which is just sooo pretty!

I picked up this massive Vegan cookie at the Nordstrom Cafe while I was at it:

MAC Nordstrom Exclusive Festive Frost Face Kit:

The snowglobe on the palette is so cute!  The brushes are all right.  Not as good as full-size MAC brushes, but not as horrible as some reviewers make them out to be!

Left to right: Eyeshadows in Once Upon a Time (Veluxe Pearl), Below Zero (Frost), Embark (Matte), and Expensive Pink (Veluxe Pearl), Matte blush in Buff, Amplified Lipstick in Imagine This (it's so creamy!), and Lipglass in Tra-la-la

Swatches WITHOUT primer for a change!  Once Upon a Time is sheer but a good highlight color; Below Zero is the least pigmented but not too difficult to build up; Embark is very pigmented but similar in color to Below Zero; Expensive Pink is smooth, pigmented, gorgeous, and duochrome!

 Clearly these shades are well-coordinated. Embark would make a great liner shade while you could easily blend Below Zero in the crease without too much fear of overdoing it.  Even if you use the highly-pigmented Embark in the crease, I think it would be easy to blend out with Once Upon a Time!  I chose this kit because a) It was the only Fabulously Festive Face Kit Nordstrom had (correct me if I'm wrong, but the Warm and Cool sets might be a maccosmetics.com exclusive) and b) these colors really suit warm brunettes/redheads!

Tra-la-la Lipglass

Imagine This (Amplified) lipstick: it looks a lot better when you can see more of my face.

Wearing Imagine This lipstick.  I didn't really want to do a full face-shot because I'm not wearing this kit on my eyes or cheeks

These colors really say "Thanksgiving," so I'm excited I have my cozy Tofurkey Day makeup all figured out!  Did you get anything from MAC Glitter & Ice or Ice Parade collections today?