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    Marcelle Polar Wet and Dry Eye Shadow: review and swatches

    Last Friday, in our off-white eyeshadow post, I somehow managed to miss one of my all-time favourites. I’m not sure how it happened, but I’m guessing it’s because this is more of a recent love – those photos were getting pretty old!

    Anyhow. I couldn’t go without giving it a mention, so without further hesitation…

    The product: Marcelle Wet and Dry Eye Shadow in Polar

    I had this for months before finally using it. I mean, a white eyeshadow, how interesting could that be?

    Turns out, the correct answer was “pretty damn interesting.” The formula’s pretty average, and so’s the packaging, and even the just-off-white colour it has in the pan – it’s all just standard stuff. But (like a polar bear,) it’s all in the reflects: in this case, a warm yellow-gold that contrasts the super-sheer white base.

    (See it swatched on a black base…)

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    Can’t live without… pearly off-white eyeshadows

    If there’s one product I can’t live without, it’s a pearly eyeshadow.

    Whether it’s the fall and I’m pairing it with a chocolate crease colour and a berry gloss, or the winter and I’m wearing it with winged black liner and red lipstick, or the spring and I’m throwing it on with soft brown eyeliner and a coral stain, it’s one of those products that I think is absolutely mandatory, no matter your skintone.

    Swatched L-R: GOSH Eye Shadow Duet in Golden/Chocolate (golden side only), Lancome Crème Lustré, Lancome Moonstruck, Lancome Honeymoon, Dior Holiday ’09 (lightest shade only), Annabelle Creme Caramel trio (lightest shade only), MAC Cream Colour Base in Pearl.

    I’m usually partial to almost-white pearls with creamy champagne shimmer, but there’s just such a phenomenal range of possibilities: cool whites with almost-blue reflects, ivory bases with melon-y shimmer, pinks that flash peach… and don’t even get me started on their uses! In a pinch, you can use your pearly highlighters on your cheekbones, your cupid’s bow, the centre of your lower lip – they’re that versatile.

    L-R: GOSH Golden/Chocolate; Lancome Crème Lustré, Moonstruck, Honeymoon; Dior Holiday ’09; Annabelle Creme Caramel; MAC CCB in Pearl.

    Liberal curves layer applied tos how off undertones.

    Anyhow, the swatches in this post are a few of my go-to off-whites. I took the photos quite a while back, and some of my (new) favourites are missing, but I think we have enough swatched here to show off the range of possibilities ;)

    L-R: GOSH Golden/Chocolate (disc; try Coffee/Cream); Lancome Crème Lustré, Moonstruck, Honeymoon; Dior Holiday ’09 (LE; try Incognito or Earth Reflection); Annabelle Creme Caramel; MAC CCB in Pearl.

    What are your favourite shimmery off-whites?

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    Ellis Faas Light E303 | review and swatches

    The product: Ellis Faas Light E303 (bronze)

    I’m going to start off this post with a simple fact two simple facts: (1) Ellis products are prohibitively expensive, and (2) I’m starting to hate their packaging.

    It doesn’t make a lot of sense that I’m still head over heels about this eyeshadow, despite these two very influential factors. What it boils down to, basically, is that the products themselves are breathtaking. The gorgeous colours, the incredible wear – I’m not kidding when I say that the product is literally so good that even the most abhorrent packaging probably couldn’t put me off the line.

    This is the first Ellis Light that I’ve tried, and I’m liking it just as much as the Creamy Eyes I’m so taken by – but for different reasons! The product is more metallic and slightly more sheer than Ellis’ Creamy Eyes, but the shade composition is no less complex and the wear is still amazing. I do get a bit of faint creasing by the end of the day, just a fine line in my fold after about nine hours, but that’s still quite impressive with no primer underneath and no powder overtop.

    Like the other Ellis eye shadows I’ve tried, this sets quickly and is easiest to work with if you’re using a fluffy brush (think MAC 217).

    E303 is a surprising sort of shade that almost seems to get more intense as you blend it out. The base colour, a true bronze, is darker than the bronze-gold shimmer, and the combination of the two works to create a gorgeous depth. It’s easy to blend out if you’re using a natural-hair blending brush, but a total pain if you’re trying to use your fingers!

    The verdict?

    Okay, so this is a bit of a strange one. I’m not thrilled with the price (more expensive than both the Creamy Eyes and Milky Eyes lines) or the packaging (rather finicky), but I’m still head over heels for the product itself. This season’s gift set makes E303 more reasonably priced, but the retail is a rather staggering $42.

    So, as always when it comes to Ellis, I’d recommend these for two situations: if you have the budget for them, or if you’re desperate for something that’s going to wear without creasing. I like to think of these silver pens as “investment pieces” – they’re pricey, but you know they won’t let you down!

    (More photos, swatches, and the ingredients…)

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    {A quick Ellis Faas teaser}

    The Ellis Faas Summer Set 2011. Contains three gorgeous Ellis products: Lights E303 (a gorgeously shimmery bronze-gold), Blush S303 (a warm gel bronzer), and Glazed Lips L309 (a basic, clear gloss). It’s $85US, which is admittedly pricy – but it is three full-sized products, and the combined retail for all three separately would be $109, so… well, you do the math from there ;)

    More details later today! Turning in for the night (morning?) but I’ll try my very best to have a Lights review up before sundown. 

    (More photos…)

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    Marcelle Vita-Lip Plumping Gloss: Review and Swatches

    The product: Marcelle Vita-Lip Plumping Gloss

    Marcelle’s Vita-Lip glosses launched – last year? The year before that? I’m not sure; I think it coincided with the Minerals launch or something though. Since then, these have firmly secured a spot in my handbag, and my love for them isn’t waning in the least.

    L-R: Angelica, Desire, Rio Rose, Organza, Nude

    They run at just over $10 apiece, feature a no-nonsense, chic-but-simple tube with a slant-tip applicator, and go on very sheerly with just the right amount of microshimmer – enough to sort of “illuminate” the lip, but the particle size isn’t large enough to look obvious or sparkly. I’m not usually a fan of shimmer or sheerness, but these are the exception to the rule!

    If you’re looking for a “handbag gloss” to give you a sheer, super-smooth, hydrated finish, I’d definitely recommend these. There isn’t too much variation in the shades once they’re applied, but they’re lightweight and scent-free, which is a win in my books!

    L-R: Angelica, Desire, Rio Rose, Organza, Nude

    The shades

    Angelica: super-sheer baby pink with red and pink microshimmer (which is awesome, so don’t miss the full review). The particles in this one are just a touch larger and fewer than those in the rest.

    Desire: bright, sheer, fuchsia-pink with similarly pink microshimmer.

    Rio Rose: least sheer; a wonderful guava shade. Cool-toned microshimmer makes this wearable on both warm and cool skintones.

    (More photos, swatches, and descriptions…)

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    New 26/06/11

    as;djgh words words words who needs words?

    Ugh, I’m sorry. I promise to have an adequate post up tomorrow. And by this, we mean “I promise to stop eating such an obscene amount of wheat that I can no longer function.”

    At least, I promise to hold off on the gluten intake until after I write a proper post :P

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    Beauty bloggers watch TV, too

    (Actually, to be totally honest, that’s a bit of a lie. I haven’t watched anything on actual cable television in ages. Not that we don’t get it; it’s just easier to download it onto my MacBook than it is to watch it during its scheduled time.)

    Anyhow. Just out of curiosity, what shows are you lovely ladies into right now? I expect a full report in the comments!

    I’m currently hooked on Covert Affairs (just found this one the other day), White Collar, Doctor Who, Supernatural, Fringe, and Sherlock. And I – think that’s all? Yeah, I think that’s all.

    Anyhow, I’ll leave you now with a number of very, very relevant images. Of Jensen Ackles and Misha Collins. Because this is a beauty blog and um, hello, relevance. Sources in the click-throughs; all on tumblr.

    Ahem.

    (Destiel is my OTP)

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    The delicious scent of summer | Clarins Sunscreen Care Spray SPF 50+ Review

    The product: Clarins Sunscreen Care Spray, SPF 50+

    One of the many things that I’m crazy over (as you might already know) is sunscreen. I try my best not to leave the house without it, especially in the summer, but I have a really hard time finding comfortable ones – I hate the thick, generic-sunscreen-scented layer that most of them leave on your skin, so it can be a bit of a trial to find new products to use!

    I’m a fan of this milk-lotion formula because it’s easy to apply, sinks in quickly, and doesn’t leave your skin sunscreen-sticky… but what makes me crazy about it is the scent. It’s a little powdery but quite fresh, sort of tropical, and while it does eventually fade down to the generic “sunscreen scent,” it takes a good five or six hours to do so and the residual smell is faint.

    The verdict?

    I think this is a pretty good buy if you like the scent and struggle to find comfortable body sunscreens. At $32US, it’s not exactly cheap, but the 5.3oz size makes the price a lot more manageable. (The other suncreen that comes to mind whenever I’m recommending sun care is Shiseido’s Ultimate Sun Protection Lotion, which is $39US for only 3.3oz. Though, that one makes an awesome facial suncreen, so that may balance the scales a bit.)

    While this isn’t my favourite Clarins sun product (their UV Plus HP Day Screen will always fill that role, even though I can no longer use it due to its silicone content), it’s still one of my favourite body sunscreens this season, so I’d definitely say it’s worth checking out!

    Immediately after being liberally applied & rubbed in – no white cast or shininess!

    (Ingredients and more…)

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    Reader request | 100% Pure Tinted Moisturizer vs. Make Up For Ever Face & Body

    Janice, one of our lovely readers, emailed me asking for a comparison between MUFE F&B and 100% Pure’s tinted moisturizer. As usual, I went totally overboard with my reply (hello, product junkie; what did you expect?) so my brief email has morphed into a full-on post, complete with photos.

    Self-control is totally overrated.

    Texture and scent

    The products themselves, in their respective containers, are remarkably different: Make Up For Ever Face & Body has a very distinctive, gel-like texture (think “runny jello”), while the 100% Pure Fruit Pigmented Tinted Moisturizer SPF 20 looks like any other boring moisturizer.

    Personally, I think the weird texture of the MUFE is completely enthralling, but the product has one major drawback – a rather strong, artificial fragrance. I’m not a fan of scented products, especially not ones this strongly perfumed, so I’d definitely say it’s something to take into consideration.

    MUFE F&B #38 (Pink Porcelain) in a sample jar, on its side – check out that texture!

    Finish and feel

    Face & Body has a more satiny finish than the 100% Pure, and sits on the skin just a tiny bit more. Which, I mean… I actually prefer it; I’ve always had a soft spot for foundations with a satin finish.

    On the other hand, the tinted moisturizer is just that – an awesomely tinted moisturizer. That is, it sinks in to leave absolutely no powdery or foundation-y bits behind. While both the MUFE and 100% Pure look completely natural, the 100% Pure is flawless even under magnification, unlike the MUFE, so I suppose it just depends on what you’re going for!

    (Read more…)

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