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MAC Huggable Lip Colour: Touché, Fresh & Frisky, Out for Passion and Rich Marrón

January 20, 2014

MAC Huggable Lip Colours ($20 each for 3.2g/0.11 oz, limited-edition) are a new lipstick formula that were released several weeks ago. I would have missed out had it not been for Café Makeup who pointed them out to me and recommended I check them out. As she noted, the colors have been selling out quickly. I had to visit two different stores to track down shades. After surveying the swatches on Café Makeup, Temptalia and Weekend Ramblings, I picked out four: Touché, Fresh & Frisky, Out for Passion and Rich Marrón.

These new Huggable Lip Colours have a similar feel to Dior Addict Lipsticks (like Diablotine reviewed here). They have a creamy moisturizing feel. They are very emollient but with a thicker texture so they really adhere to and hug the lips. What surprised me is the level of pigment. The colors have a rich payoff with a soft shine finish. Lasting power is also quite impressive. You can control the coverage by swiping back and forth a few times for more color. If you have time to go to the counter to test, I highly recommend you visit soon.
The four colors I picked (with links to where the colors are located right now online):

Touché is a good nude without being too nude:

Fresh & Frisky is a fresh natural peach that brightens the face:

Out for Passion is the best watermelon pink I’ve ever tried:

Rich Marrón is a nice classic, a bit brown but still nice for everyday:

Overall really pleased with these colors and formulas. I didn’t have time to pull comparisons but these colors work well without any tweaking needed. My husband loves Out for Passion on me so I bought one more as a back-up. Right now the colors are limited-edition. I do hope that MAC considers making these permanent. There are 12 colors in the US, but various stores have certain shades sold out. You may have to do a bit of searching but stores probably still have stock of most colors. For the ones I reviewed:
Did you pick up any of the MAC Huggable Lip Colours? What were your favorites?
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Hourglass Cosmetics

Hourglass Femme Nude Lip Stylo #5 and #6

January 15, 2014

Hourglass released their Femme Nude Lip Stylo in six shades of nude last fall ($30 each for 0.08 oz/2.4g). It took me a while to test in stores at Barneys and Sephora but when I did, I fell in love with all the shades but could only pull off the two darkest ones #5 a shimmering nude gold peach and #6 a mauve-toned nude pink. The concept behind the Femme Nude Lip Stylo pencils is that the best nude lip isn’t naked but rather enhanced. I agree since many of those perfect-looking nudes end up being too nude once applied on the lips. These pencils come in six full coverage shades to either create a dramatic nude or subtly defined nude. There is Vitamin E to help nourish and moisturize lips. I don’t see these pencils as moisturizing, however they do not dry out my lips. Paraben, phthalates, fragrance and sulfate free. No animal testing.
#5 is on top, #6 is on the bottom

#5 and #6 both look fairly similar when swatched on the hands. The difference is noticeable on the lips. #5 applies a nude peach with a slight hint of golden shimmer. #6 is clearly more mauve and pink but still very nude. I really like the packaging. These come in a sleek twist up tube with a removeable cap. Lasting power is quite impressive, I found them to last longer than normal lipsticks. The finish is not quite matte but almost. These have a satiny finish so there is just the slightest bit of shine but not much. If you’re a fan of nude lips definitely try one or two the next time you are at Barneys or Sephora.

Comparisons to NARS Isola Bella, NARS Bettina, NARS Biscayne Park and NARS Belle du Jour. I would say the texture of the Hourglass pencils is more like a full coverage creamy lipstick while the NARS pencils are more lightweight. Coverage is about the same.

The Non-Blonde has a lovely review of #6 which I highly recommend. You can find the Hourglass Femme Nudes at Barneys New York, Sephora, Space NK and Bergdorf Goodman in stores.
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MAC Magnetic Nude – The Beauty Look Book Picks

December 27, 2013
MAC’s Magnetic Nude Collection was just released a couple days ago (in stores today). Thanks to other bloggers with early access and amazing swatches, I was able to pick out a few items the day before Christmas and order online to avoid the crowds. I’ve been a huge fan of the Extra Dimension products (unique shimmery items that are not quite creams yet not quite powders). Superb Extra Dimension Skinfinish (from 2012) has been at the top of my list even though the frost is quite intense. Those who missed out before will be happy to learn it’s made another appearance in the Magnetic Nude collection this year. The items are selling out online fast, you may have to order from multiple sources if you opt for online ordering. I hope these swatches and reviews will help if you can’t get to a store or counter. My picks:
The Extra Dimension Skinfinishes in Magnetic Appeal and Fairly Precious are both stunning shimmery colors. I do think both are must-haves. They are more glowy versions of Tom Ford’s Illuminating Highlighter Sticks (limited release from May, now discontinued). What I like about these is that there is more pigment than frost (even though they are very shimmery). They give the skin a glow with color rather than just a pale frost. Magnetic Appeal is a soft tan gold while Fairly Precious is a lovely warm light pink. Superb has been re-released. It’s paler and significantly more frosted. Right now all are available online at Nordstrom and Maccosmetics.com.

The Extra Dimension Eye Shadows have quite a few repromoted shades. I didn’t double check my stash to see that I already had Sweet Heat (in the larger size from 2012) so I have a duplicate now. Sweet Heat is a frosted champagne. Silver Dawn is every taupe-lover’s dream. It’s a metallic taupe silver. Both shades are layerable and the pigment is easy to control. A light swipe will give a sheer wash. Use a denser brush or your fingers for more coverage. For these I actually prefer using my fingers to apply by smudging on the lids. Sweet Heat is online Nordstrom. Right now Silver Dawn is still at Maccosmetics.com.

For the lips, I narrowed down my pick to just one lipglass in Oh My Darling, a light shimmery pink pearl, and Morning Rose Cremesheen Lipstick, a soft cool pink. Both are fairly safe feminine neutrals. I like the cremesheens for their high pigment and full coverage with a non-matte finish. Oh My Darling Lipglass is semi-sheer. You can definitely see a light pink pearl on the lips but it doesn’t wash out the face. Morning Rose is available at Nordstrom. Oh My Darling is available at Maccosmetics.com.

All the items I picked out swatched on one arm:

I’m really happy with all my picks. Even happier I managed to pick out a few things before the entire collection sold out. If I had to limit myself to three items, I would pick the Skinfinish Highlighters in Magnetic Appeal and Fairly Precious along with the Morning Rose Lipstick. I haven’t had a chance to compare the other items, but they are pretty basic colors – knowing the volume MAC releases, there’s a good chance there are similar items (which is a good thing if you miss out on their fast-selling limited items).

Did you check out the Magnetic Nude collection? What did you think? Any highlights or loves?
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Burberry Oxblood Lip Mist, Lip Cover and Lip Glow

December 23, 2013

Burberry has released four beauty variations of Oxblood colored makeup. The Nail Polish was previously featured here. In addition to the nail color, Burberry also has Oxblood in a Lip Mist No. 214 ($30), a Lip Cover No. 33 ($30) and a Lip Glow No. 23 ($27). Each lip product is slightly different in finish and color so you can select one according to your preference for a burgandy pinkish red lip.

Oxblood No. 214 Lip Mist is the most red of the three. It’s a semi-glossy semi-tacky lipstick. It’s a dark wine color in the tube but applies cool-toned and red, almost pinkish. The slightly sticky texture helps the color adhere well to the lips and prevents it from sliding off. The benefit of the slight transparent finish is that it will fade nicely on the lips without appearing obvious.

Oxblood No. 33 Lip Cover is the most pigmented color. It’s also a deep wine red with a slightly glossy finish, but it’s rich in color like a regular lipstick. This one required careful application to prevent bleeding or smudging. Lasting power was quite good and it left a slight stain on the lips after a few hours of wear. It’s quite dramatic in a beautiful way.
Oxblood No. 23 Lip Glow is a semi-dark wine pink in the tube. It applied quite a bit lighter and pinker on the lips. This one is my favorite of the three, mainly because it is the softest but still has quite a bit of color. It has a transparent finish with a high shine. If you want more color or pigment, you may want to opt for MAC’s Desire Lipglass (a staple of mine). Or simply layer this one over a darker lip liner or either of the Oxblood lipsticks.
Swatches:

With all three shades, you need to apply carefully and accurately. I recommend blending or smoothing the edges
with a lip brush for even application. There is a sharp contrast for me
between my natural lip color and these Oxblood lip items. The lip
swatches below were applied straight from the tubes, you can see that
it’s slightly uneven in the pictures so you can see a bit of the edges
of the lip. Do note that most wine-colored items tend to pull fuschia or blue on me. Your mileage may vary depending on your skin and lip tones.
The Lip Mist:

The Lip Cover:

The Lip Glow:

Comparisons swatched: Burberry Blueberry Lip Mist is more brownish, MAC Desire Lipglass is the perfect match to the Oxblood Lip Cover, Tom Ford’s Black Orchid is more blueish, Chanel Fiction applies more red.
For other swatches, I recommend checking out the swatches on Café Makeup, Gummy Vision and Vanity Fashionista. 
I’m particularly smitten with all three colors. They are quite bold for
me (I normally wear neutral or peachy lips). I find them perfect for the
holiday season or special occasion. They are dramatic for me without
being too bright or too dark.
I purchased mine all at Nordstrom: Lip Mist here, Lip Cover here, Lip Glow here and Nail Polish here (back in stock).
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Burberry Beauty Trench Kiss Lip Mist and Lip Glow

December 2, 2013
Burberry Beauty has some beautiful new nudes and golds for the holiday. There are a couple packaging variations for the Trench Kiss Lip Mist, Trench Kiss Lip Glow and Nude Radiance Face Glow. These are available in regular packaging and a special limited gold packaging. In addition there is a new Gold Light Nail Polish available in the gold packaging.

I ordered the new Trench Kiss No. 216 Lip Mist ($30) and Trench Kiss No. 24 Lip Glow ($27) in the regular packaging from Nordstrom (however it seems only the gold packaging is available now online).

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Trench Kiss #216 Lip Mist is a sheer flesh colored beige with a hint of peach. On the lips it applies very pale – almost corpse like upon first swipe. After letting it set for a minute I found it adjusted better to my natural lip color and warmed up a little. It’s still very pale (similar to Nude Honey #211 reviewed here, but the Trench Kiss is just a tad warmer and more beige).

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Trench Kiss #24 Lip Glow is a shimmery sheer gold. It looks more golden and sparkly in the tube compared to the Nude Gold #15, but when swatched they look almost identical.

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Here are the Trench Kiss Lip Mist and Lip Glow items swatched side by side:

Lip items swatched layered together:

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Comparisons below to:

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I’m overall pleased with the two items once layered together. However they are really similar to previously released items which I already owned. I ordered sight unseen since I do not have a Burberry Beauty counter near me. I hope the comparison swatches above help. If you’re unsure about how these would be on you, I would suggest trying in person before buying. I do really like the Trench Kiss Lip Glow – it has such a lovely sparkle and sheen even if it is similar to other golds. 
The Burberry Beauty Trench Kiss items are available at online at Nordstrom, Saks and Burberry. You can refer to this list for Nordstrom Store Locations that have Burberry Beauty. If you know of others I’d love it if you could add it in the comments below.

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Chanel Rouge Allure Radieuse #217 | Holiday 2013

October 24, 2013
This season Chanel has released a limited selection of lip colors for the holiday collection. I ordered Rouge Allure Radieuse #217 a cool pink cream ($34, limited-edition) sight unseen. Although I usually find most Chanel lip colors naturally flattering and easy to work with, Radieuse proved to be one of the few I’ve purchased from the line that does not work so well for me. Radieuse is absolutely gorgeous in the tube and swatched on the arm it’s quite lovely. On my pigmented lips and olive skin it turns very powdery-looking and blue. There is a sharp contrast between my natural lip tone and the slight transparent quality of the lipstick which results in a darkish looking ring around the edges. The quality and texture is still quite good like most Chanel lipsticks. Although I do try to go outside my comfort zone with makeup, I found Radieuse just didn’t work for me. It’s a bit too too pale and has too much blue. Even my husband commented that he was not a fan of this color on me.

Here it is swatched:

To fix this one I blended a heavy layer of Chanel Nude Lipliner and Armani Gloss d’Armani in 109.

I think this might be the palest cream pink lipstick I own. I pulled a few to compare: Burberry English Rose Lip Cover (discontinued), Pink Heather Lip Mist (reviewed here) and Armani Rouge Ecstasy #103 (reviewed here).


If you can pull off pale baby pinks (I usually cannot unless there is some nude peach or brown or rose mixed in) you will like this one. Those with olive medium skin (like me) or darker may find this one a bit too pale. If it had shimmer mixed in I probably could pull this one off a bit easier. You’re mileage may vary with this color. I’d love to hear your thoughts if you’ve tried this shade. Perhaps I’m being too picky with this one – but I will be playing more with the color to see if I can grow to like it more.
Chanel Rouge Allure Radieuse is available at Chanel counters now. Online at Nordstrom, Neiman Marcus, Saks and Chanel.com.

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Giorgio Armani Rouge Ecstasy #100, #103, #105 and #508

September 25, 2013

Giorgio Armani Rouge Ecstasy ($34 each for 4.2 ml/4 g, made in France) is the latest lipstick release from the brand with 36 different shade offerings. I reviewed a bright coral in Heat #304 last week. After I fell in love with Heat, I went back to the counter to pick up a few other shades. I must admit while I loved all the color options, I found the number of options a bit overwhelming at the counter. I narrowed down the picks to three colors in Androgino Beige #100, Incognito Beige #103 and Daybreak Pink #508. There was a step-up gift at my counter so I picked out Ambiguous Beige #105.

I’ve been a huge longtime fan of Armani for nude lipsticks for the naturally flattering colors but have always been somewhat disappointed in the almost non-existent lasting power. The latest formula Rouge Ecstasy is a huge improvement in pigment and wearability for the nude color selections. As mentioned in the review on Heat #304, the Rouge Ecstasy has a slightly thicker texture with a tiny bit of a tacky feel. They don’t glide on the lips like most other Armani lipsticks (such as Rouge d’Armani or the sheers), but still apply very easily. The texture helps the lipstick adhere better to the lips. I find you can easily layer by swiping back and forth 3-4 times. It can appear a bit streaky at first (depending on the color) but let the color sit for a little bit, then press the lips together or use a brush to blend and the lipstick smooths out. There is a soft slight floral scent but it’s not noticeable on the lips (at least to me, and I have a super sensitive nose).

Nudes can be hard to pull off for me. Often times they end up being too pale on my lips. I only swatched these lipsticks on my hand in store since I don’t like to use testers on the lips. I knew it might be hit or miss for how they would look on my face.

  • Androgino #100 is the lightest peach beige. It’s a cream without shimmer. First swipes looked too pale, but after I let the color sit and adjust a bit with the warmth of my lips, it changed slightly to look more natural. Love this.
  • Incognito #103 is the prettiest baby pink peach in the tube. On my medium complexion and pigmented lips it turned out to be too cool and pale. It needs layering with a darker liner or gloss for me to wear it. This was a miss for me, but it’s still workable.
  • Ambiguous #105 was a surprise for me. It’s a brown tan beige nude with a bit of sparkle. When I swatched at the counter it looked like death in a tube. It’s surprisingly not quite as nude/greige as I thought on the lips. Still very nude, but naturally flattering.
  • Daybreak #508 is a medium rose pink. I wanted to love all the pinks but they had a lot of blue in them. This was the warmest one that was still neutral.

This is how the colors line up online:


Below is how they look in real life:

Swatched on the arm:

Close ups with lip swatches below. For skintone reference, on the skin I’m wearing Edward Bess Ultra Dewy Complexion Perfector in Medium, Tom Ford Traceless Foundation Stick in Natural 05, NARS Reflecting Loose Powder. (Usually in the Chanel B30 range.) As always note your mileage may vary depending on your skin and lip tones.

Androgino #100

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Incognito #103

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Ambiguous #105

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Daybreak #508

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One more lineup:

I’m in love with these for good neutrals that have amazing pigment and relatively decent wear time for a lipstick. You do need a smooth lip to wear but they are on the moisturizing side and do help improve the lip texture (at least for me). These kinds of shades are popular neutrals so there’s bound to be dupes
from MAC and Bobbi Brown and Burberry if you want less expensive
options. It would be impossible time wise for me to pull all neutral lip comparisons right now. I’ve pulled what I can fit in swatches in one arm. A comparison post will be posted later this evening to other Rouge d’Armani shades with similar numbers along with a few other brands like NARS, Chanel and Tom Ford.
Armani Rouge Ecstasy Lipsticks retail for $34 each. I found mine in stores. Also online at Nordstrom, Neiman Marcus, Giorgio Armani Beauty and all other Armani retailers.

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