theNotice: a beauty blog

The product: Clinique Chubby Stick Intense Moisturizing Lip Colour Balm

↳ in 01 Curviest Caramel, 02 Chunkiest Chili, 03 Mightiest Maraschino, 04 Heftiest Hibiscus, 05 Plushest Punch, 06 Roomiest Rose, 07 Broadest Berry, and 08 Grandest Grape.

Psst: before you start in on this one, have you read our Chubby Stick Intense posts with full-face swatches & shade name mockery coverage?

The formula

Now, the shades and packaging of these are super-cute (of course), but what actually has me head over heels for them is the formula.

Rich, moisturizing, and shockingly pigmented, the Intenses apply with buildable colour and settle well into the lips — I find the colour “sets” once applied, going on a little slippery but wearing with more of a satin-gloss finish (and without any colour displacement!) after 5-10 minutes.

(Ingredients behind the cut.)

The wear

I do find the formula of these varies a bit by shade, but not enough that I’d recommend some wholeheartedly and others not at all. Chunkiest Chili is a little gritty, for instance, and Grandest Grape is a little more slippery — I prefer a drier formula, which I found in Curviest Caramel, Heftiest Hibiscus, and Plushest Punch. (The latter two have much more opaque colour).

On the whole, however, the Clinique Chubby Stick Intenses last much longer than the original Chubby Sticks, starting off glossier and wearing into more of a stain, visually. I don’t find they really stain the lips, though — a bonus, if you want to be able to switch between colours through the day.

I would put the wear time of these at 3-5 hours; I can make it to five with most of these as long as I’m not eating or drinking (or talking a lot), but I prefer to touch up around the three hour mark for more even colour and added moisture.

The shades

Clinique Chubby Stick Intense swatches – hover for shade name labels

I’ve been getting the most wear out of 01 Curviest Caramel, a cream-finish natural lip shade with the perfect yellow-pink balance. It pairs well with both everyday makeup and a smokey eye (the sign of a truly great nude!) 02 Chunkiest Chili, on the other hand, gets almost no love; the the silver glitter adds a frosty finish to this understated, reddish base.

Next, 03 Mightiest Maraschino is a bright, shimmer-free red leaning more strawberry than vamp — perfect for both a lively holiday lip and a carefree summer pout. The real showstopper here, though, is 04 Heftiest Hibiscus. I hate most orange hues, but the pink-touched tangerine-hibiscus hues coming off on this one are so undeniable that I can’t help but pull it out again & again.

Clinique Chubby Stick Intenses, swatched L-R: 01 Curviest Caramel,  02 Chunkiest Chili, 03 Mightiest Maraschino, 04 Heftiest Hibiscus, 05 Plushest Punch, 06 Roomiest Rose, 07 Broadest Berry, 08 Grandest Grape

I think 05 Plushest Punch is going to fly off the shelves; a bright bold pink, it’s a vibrant shade that’s still easy to pull off, grabbing attention without verging on “obnoxious”. 06 Roomiest Rose is more subdued; darker, but still bright, it’s shot through with subtle shimmer that gives lovely depth (minus the frostiness of Chunkiest Chili).

For a much more subdued (but still very noticeable) shade, 07 Broadest Berry is the Curviest Caramel version of a lip with colour: with brownish berry undertones, it’s very wearable, but still gives a lovely, defined lip.

Finally, I found 08 Grandest Grape to be a little slippery at first (though, like the others, it does settle into the lips!), but it’s absolutely lovely — still very wearable; more of a crushed-berry stain than a theatrically purple lipstick.

Don’t miss this post for full-face & lip swatches of the Intense lineup!

The verdict?

The press materials for the Chubby Stick Intenses promise “the perfect marriage between a moisturizing lip balm and a full coverage lip colour,” and I think they absolutely deliver. Silly names aside, the shade range offers a gorgeous mix of brights with a couple great “everyday” shades to fall back on, and the formula is both intensely comfortable and high-impact.

(What, did you seriously think I was going to make it through this entire review without using the word “intense”?)

A few other things I love about these: the twist-up packaging (no product is lost to sharpening) and the scent-free, paraben-free formula.

Availability: $16 USD/$19 CAD at Clinique (US), Sephora, Nordstrom, & Clinique counters.

Additional photos, ingredients, & more »

The product: YSL La Laque Couture Nail Lacquer in 34 Jade Impérial

An alternate title for this, I think, could well be “the perfect winter nail to take you into spring,” but then, that would depend on where you were in the world, wouldn’t it?

We’re starting to see warmer temperatures here, and it admittedly (unfortunately) makes me love Jade Impérial less. As a winter nail, though–and it can be, for the future; it’s a permanent shade in the La Lacque Couture line, new with the Arty Stone collection–it’s absolutely on.

The formula

In all honesty, what really gets me about this polish isn’t the (gorgeous) shade — it’s the phenomenal formula.

Smooth and very fluid, the La Laque Couture formula applies beautifully, settling in so easily that even the nails on my right hand looked hand-model-flawless (and I am terrible at applying polish with my non-dominant hand.)

While two coats was perfect for this formula, I think I could have gotten away with one if I really needed to — and on some of my (smaller) nails, a single brush stroke was all I needed.

The packaging

Just to note, the chic gold gap of the polish does come off (à la Chanel, etc.) with a firm “click” — it feels very sturdy and well-made, keeping in line with the luxe profile of the thick-walled glass bottle without sacrificing function.

The brush (medium-wide and thin/flat) works perfectly as well; it reminds me of the OPI Pro-Wide brush in the way that it fans out to make application a breeze. This one is less-wide, though, and the bristles less floppy and straight, giving more control over application on the whole.

The shade

While I didn’t get around to photographing Jade Impérial until just this past week, I’ve been fantasizing about the colour all winter — that gorgeous, smokey green-grey.

There are a lot of ways to describe it, but I like to do it as a feeling: it feels like an abstract representation of a mild winter, obscured; green, but with hints of blue and a marvellously heavy dose of grey.

I’ve never been a fan of teal, blue-green, or jade, for that matter, but YSL’s desaturated take on the idea absolutely hits the spot for me — it feels so wonderfully unique, so unexpected.

The verdict?

The price tag of the La Laque Couture line ($25 USD/$27 CAN) is a tough one to come to terms with, but I’d be lying if I said I didn’t love this polish. 

From the colourful-but-melancholic shade to the flawless way that the formula applies, I can’t find fault in Jade Impérial — not even in the chunky glass packaging, which reads as wonderfully luxe instead of woefully cumbersome.

The shade isn’t exactly for everybody, but the formula — well, how can you not love a great formula?

Availability: Nordstrom; in Canada, Holt Renfrew & select Hudson’s Bay, Sephora, and Murale boutiques. This is a permanent shade.

The ingredients & layered holo swatches (because, well, why not) »

The product: Clarins Ombre Minérale 4 Couleurs in 10 Iris Blossom

There are a lot of gorgeous (seriously; gorgeous) products in this Spring’s Clarins Rouge Eclat collection, but I have to say — Iris Blossom? Total. Stunner.

I know I promised this review ages ago, so without further adieu, I hope you enjoy the post!

The formula

Like the other Clarins Eye Quartets, Iris Blossom contains four eyeshadows with fairly hard-textured formulas. One is a sheer liner/crease shade that builds up easily and foils well; one is a translucent shimmer; and two (of course) are smooth, gorgeous mid-tones. 

Again, as with the other quads, I found Iris Blossom very easy to create both day and night looks from — things like foiling (or focusing more on the bottom two shades) are great for adding drama, and the mix of tones and textures add a fantastic amount of depth to any look created.

See this quad used in a look here! Right here!

Clarins Iris Blossom quad, swatched in indirect sunlight (dry on primed skin)

The shades

To start with the top two shades, this gorgeous wheat-y taupe (which is to say, more yellow and brown than violet and grey) is perfect for creating a neutral lid — it’s very smooth, and delivers the most pigment out of these four shades.

As its shimmery shade (great for highlighting the inner corner or adding interest to the middle of the lid!), Iris Blossom contains an extremely sheer white, packed with shimmer. It’s still complex enough to add some interesting texture, but doesn’t have any shards of glitter — I like it, but I think it could be better.

Clarins Iris Blossom quad, swatched in indirect sunlight with flash

Then, for the depth and drama, we have a stunning violet with blue reflects… but warmer undertones. Without flash or foiling, it’s much more subdued (see the top swatch), but the temperature and shimmer difference really makes the shade pop! with movement. It has good pigmentation and texture, but isn’t quite as buttery as the taupe.

Finally, as with the other Clarins quads, we have a dark shade (perfect for use as liner or in creating a smokey eye). In this case, it’s a sheer, matte charcoal, and as always, I love it — Clarins’ darkest shades are always quite hard, making them easy to work with but still leaving room for foiling or layering.

The verdict?

At $42 USD/$42 CAD (look at that gorgeous lack of a price difference!), I would absolutely recommend Iris Blossom if you’re looking to get into colour, but you’re wary of going too far with it on your first try.

I was asked last week about what would make a great first Clarins quad, and I think it varies by person and need. To answer the question in context, though: while this one doesn’t show off just how awesome those sheer shimmers can be, I still do think it would make a great “first Clarins!” if you have a soft spot for violets and taupes.

(I know I do).

Keep reading! »

The product: Clinique Chubby Stick Intense Moisturizing Lip Colour Balm

↳ in 01 Curviest Caramel, 02 Chunkiest Chili, 03 Mightiest Maraschino, 04 Heftiest Hibiscus, 05 Plushest Punch, 06 Roomiest Rose, 07 Broadest Berry, and 08 Grandest Grape.

Clinique Chubby Sticks Intense: full product range (in numerical order)

The full review for these will be coming up next week, but I just had to slip them into the Week of Awesome — and understandably so, I think.

The new Chubby Stick Intenses pair everything I love about Chubby Sticks (comfort, packaging, and a scent-free formula) with everything I love about a great lipstick (wear time, colour, and intense pigment), and then adds some extra awesome (a gorgeous, smooth formula; colour that doesn’t move around; surprisingly great hydration.)

They’re… basically the best.

Clinique Chubby Stick Intense lip swatches

for reference

 01 Curviest Caramel / 02 Chunkiest Chili

03 Mightiest Maraschino / 04 Heftiest Hibiscus

05 Plushest Punch / 06 Roomiest Rose

07 Broadest Berry / 08 Grandest Grape

A few shades I think you’ll love

05 Plushest Punch

07 Broadest Berry

08 Grandest Grape

In the tubes & with the rest of a face

Clinique Chubby Stick Intense in 01 Curviest Caramel (my favourite Intense — will be featured in a look next week!)

Keep reading »

The product: Yves Saint Laurent Y Facettes Palette (Spring 2013) / Pure Chromatics Wet & Dry Eyeshadow Palette in N0.14

Every release has that one product that really makes the collection, whether or not it was intended to — Clarins’ face palettes tend to steal the show, for instance, and the same goes for shu’s eye palettes.

In YSL’s Spring 2013 Arty Stone collection, that product is their Y Facettes Palette, a limited-edition packaging of their Pure Chromatics Wet & Dry Eyeshadow Palette in No. 14. 

The formula & pigmentation

“The new Pure Chromatics harmony, in its jewel box of fine Y facets, shimmering like the reflections of a thousand sequins, captures the same intensity of light diffused in the prisms of precious gems.”

YSL Y Facettes, swatched dry on primed skin

YSL’s description of their Pure Chromatics (“a concentration of nacres and pigments much higher than traditional shadows,”) leads you to believe they’ll be densely pigmented, but I just couldn’t get as much colour out of these as I had expected to be able to without foiling.

Dry on unprimed skin, they’re barely whispers of colour; dry on primed skin, they’re medium-sheer and very shimmery. Foiled, they’re much more intense, with just the right amount of pigment for the shimmer.

Had they not been described as such, however, I would have been quite happy with their level of pigmentation. While not breathtakingly intense, it works wonderfully with the aesthetic of the palette, translating onto the eyes with plenty of colour without taking away from the highly faceted finish.

Point-extracted colour samples from the swatch photos: as “real” as you can get!

The shades

Every time I swatch this palette, I love it a little more: the shades, like a handful of sugar-coated pastels, all grown up, aren’t ones that I would normally drift toward…

Somehow, though, that doesn’t make me like them any less.

These shadows were inspired by malachite (“an intense, profound green,”) fluorite (“a powdery, iridescent rose,”) amethyst (“a fresh, smoky violet,”) and azurite (“a metallic, lustrous blue.”)

YSL Y Facettes / Pure Chromatics No. 14 Eyeshadow Palette, swatched wet

A description of each, labelled under its muse:

• Malachite: a very “fresh” green; sheer pigment with a heaping of finely-milled on-colour and slightly-brighter-green microshimmer.
• Fluorite: the most sheer of the four, this pink base is almost translucent — but the microshimmer and on-tone shards flash brightly, keeping it far from unnoticeable.
• Amethyst: the most pigmented, this smokey violet is my favourite of the bunch, and has a frost finish (shimmery pigments so small and uniform that none of them flash out separately).
• Azurite: “standard” shimmery medium blue with silvery-blue microshimmer. This one would be boring on its own, but is the perfect compliment to the rest of the palette.

The verdict?

At $55 USD, I would absolutely recommend this palette — I didn’t like it at first, but by the time I had used it for a few looks, I was crazy about it. My sister, who on sight told me she thought it was horrendous, had the same reaction: one super-easy eye look and she was head over heels.

For those of you who aren’t quite sold (after all, $74 CAD is hard to swallow), stay tuned and keep an open mind, okay? I have a look coming up on Monday showcasing this palette, and I think you might be surprised.  

(If you can’t wait… here’s a preview. Follow here to stay up to date with previews, etc. on Instagram!)

A very cool applicator, the ingredients, & more photos »