My Cream Blush Discovery: Smashbox Be Discovered Cream Cheek Trio In Lights Review

I've made it quite known on this blog that I love cream blushes. So imagine how excited I was to see Smashbox release a trio of cream blushers for spring:

This is the Cream Cheek Trio called In Lights, one of two trios released in Smashbox's Be Discovered collection for spring. This trio has warm shades and the other one has cool shades. 

I thought this would be the perfect travel companion, since it has a bright coral shade, a light pink highlight shade, and a natural mauve shade that could double as a pinky bronzer or a natural toned blush. Most of the cream blushers in makeup-land are super pigmented, so I expected the same from this. 

Swatches L-R: Coral shade heavy & blended, Mauve shade heavy & blended, Highlight shade heavy & blended

The coral shade is gorgeous, but the mauve and highlight colors have so little pigment that they are barely visible when blended. When I wore the mauve shade as a blusher it looked like I didn't even have any color on my cheeks. Here I am wearing the coral shade on the apples of my cheeks and the highlight shade on the top of my cheekbones:

There is absolutely no reflection of light on the top of my cheekbones. I don't need my highlighters to be super shimmery, but a good highlighter should at least reflect some light. 

In terms of performance, the 3 shades did last all day and were super easy to blend. I was just really disappointed in pigmentation, especially when there are such great cream blushers out there (like MAC Cremeblend Blushes, Sue Devitt's Gel-to-Powder Blushes and Bobbi Brown's Pot Rouges). 

Do you like cream blushes? What's your favorite?

Disclaimer: The product in this post was provided by PR for consideration. As always, my thoughts and review reflect my honest opinions. 

MAC Tres Cheek and Extra Dimension Swatches

Hey Dolls! Today I have a treat for you! The MAC Tres Cheek and In Extra Dimension collections launch in-store next Thursday, April 5th, but I have swatches for you today!

The Tres Cheek collection includes 6 springtime blushes that are super pigmented.

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I think all these colors are super pigmented and perfect for the spring/summer. The shades are:

• Pink Tea - Neutral beige pink (Satin)
• Lovecloud - Bright mid-tone pink (Satin)
• Peony Petal - Bright blue pink (Satin)
• Modern Mandarin - Red-orange (Satin)
• Immortal Flower - Bright peach (Satin)
• Full of Joy - Lavender (Frost)

Here are the swatches:

Top: Pink Tea, Modern Mandarin, Immortal Flower

Bottom: Lovecloud, Peony Petal, Full of Joy

Top: Pink Tea, Modern Mandarin, Immortal Flower

Bottom: Lovecloud, Peony Petal, Full of Joy

Top: Pink Tea, Modern Mandarin, Immortal Flower

Bottom: Lovecloud, Peony Petal, Full of Joy

Although the pinks aren't that unique, Modern Mandarin and Full of Joy aren't shades we see frequently so I think they will definitely sell out. My personal favorites are Modern Mandarin, Pink Tea, and Lovecloud. I do want to mention that the Reel Sexy collection also launches on the same day and includes two blushes, Pink Cult and Magenta, which look just ok in the pan, but are beautiful on. Unfortunately, I don't have swatches of those, but if you like blush you have to check those out too! (I almost like those shades better than these!)

The In Extra Dimension collection includes 3 skinfinishes that are multi-use highlight powders. The texture of these is completely different from mineralize skinfinishes. These skinfinishes are are super smooth, almost creamlike, metallic powders with an extremely shimmery finish. The good part is they are not glittery. The collection also includes 12 shadows with a similar texture and finish. 

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Whisper of Gilt Extra Dimension Skinfinish

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Superb Extra Dimension Skinfinish

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Glorify Extra Dimension Skinfinish

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Here are swatches of the 3 skinfinishes:

L-R: Whisper of Gilt, Superb, Glorify

(top row is blended, bottom is a heavy swatch)

L-R: Whisper of Gilt, Superb, Glorify

(top row is blended, bottom is a heavy swatch)

L-R: Whisper of Gilt, Superb, Glorify

(top row is blended, bottom is a heavy swatch)

These skinfinishes are described as liquid-powder highlighters that are supposed to wear 10 hours. I haven't worn them on my skin so I can't vouch for that. These are each 9g and cost $29. A regular mineralize skinfinish (MSF) has 10g and costs the same, so these new ones are pretty on par with the MSFs. Because these are so shimmery, less is more, but I think these new skinfinishes are a fun new multi-purpose product.

Are any of these products on your wish-list?

A Sue Devitt Face of the Day with Product Reviews and Swatches

A few months ago I wrote about my love for the Sue Devitt Eye Intensifier Pencil in Kenya, and I was fortunate enough to recently receive the olive green color Bangalore, along with a few other Sue Devitt goodies:

Sue Devitt Eye Intensifier Pencil in Bangalore

Just like with Kenya, the Bangalore shadow pencil is opaque enough that it can be used as a liner or shadow, and is a quick and easy way to add some color to the eyes. The Eye Intensifier Pencils are creamy, easy to blend, and when used with a primer they last all day. 

Sue Devitt Gel-to-Powder Blush in Marion Reef

This is definitely my favorite product of the bunch. I mentioned it in last month's favorites, and this is a standout product. When you touch the blush it feels like a creamy gel and is soft and very easy to blend. When you start blending it on the cheek it starts to settle in to a powder but without being ashy or cakey. This property really allows the product to look natural on the skin and it lasts all day. The product itself is very pigmented and can be sheered out or layered for more intense color. I usually layer powder blushes on top of cream blushes but I don't have to with this one. I also like that the packaging is very slim and has a mirror....perfect for traveling.

Sue Devitt Lip Enhancing Gloss in Golden Triangle and Costa Del Sol

According to the Sue Devitt Website, these glosses contain Marine Filling Spheres that are supposed to "smooth out the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles and work in tandem with Peptides that promote collagen production." All four shades are sheer and give the lips a smooth, full appearance. Personally, these are nice, but nothing special. I like that the gloss formula is non-sticky and the brush applicator holds a lot of product so the bristles don't splay like some brush applicators do. I didn't notice any plumping effect or anything extraordinary. On my lips, this gloss lasted only 2ish hours. I also think the tube is a little hefty compared to most gloss tubes, and considering how sleek the blush packaging is, this is not sleek at all.

L-R: Kenya shadow, Kenya blended, Marion Reef blush, Marion Reef blended, Costa Del Sol gloss, and Golden Triangle gloss

Here are snaps of the shadow, blush, and Costa Del Sol gloss in action:

Bangalore Eye Intensifier Pencil with no primer

Bangalore Eye Intensifier Pencil 7 hours later

You can see how badly the Eye Intensifier Pencil creased when worn by itself. When used over a primer this shadow lasts all day without fading or creasing. 

Overall, I really like the Eye Intensifier Pencils and the Gel-to-Powder Blush. The glosses are meh. I have only seen Sue Devitt cosmetics in-person at Macys, but they might be available at other retailers too. You can also purchase them online on the Sue Devitt Website, which is currently offering a free Eye Intensifier Pencil in Golden Triangle, an exotic jungle green, with any $25 purchase. 

Disclaimer: The products in this post were provided by PR for consideration. As always, my thoughts and review reflect my honest opinions. 

February 2012 Favorites

This February I discovered a couple amazing new (to me) products, and fell in love again with some classics:

1. Lush The Sacred Truth Fresh Face Mask - I have used this before and it's definitely my favorite mask from Lush. Although I can't vouch for its anti-aging benefits, this leaves my skin super soft, moisturized and smooth, not tight and dry. 

2. Gud by Burts Bees Hand Cream in Floral Cherrynova - I love how fast absorbing this cream is, yet it still manages to infuse a solid amount of moisture in my skin. When I use this at night I wake up with super soft hands. I love floral scents and this smells soooo fresh and floral, but there are other scents available too. My full review of this line is here. 

3. Sue Devitt Gel-to-Powder Blush in Marion Reef - This blush is AMAZING! It has a velvet feel to it and it applies like a gel/cream but sets on the face as a powder. It feels so silky and lasts ALL day on me. I normally layer powder blushes on top of cream blushes but I don't have to with this because it is so pigmented and long lasting. I will do a full review soon. 

 

4. Nars Sheer Glow Foundation - This is such a popular product in the blogosphere so I just had to try it for myself. My verdict? It does live up to the hype! Nars has done a great job with the shade selection and the formula sets beautifully. Although it is called sheer glow, it has medium coverage and a natural finish. I will do an in-depth review of this product too, but so far I am loving it.

5. Kirkland Makeup Wipes - I have re-discovered my love for makeup wipes and these are by far my favorite. I love the thick texture, the moistness of each towelette, the fact that one towelette removes ALL my makeup (including mascara and gel eyeliner) and the price! Check out my full review here. 

Hope you all had a great February! I am glad it's over because that means we are one month closer to spring and warm weather! Oh, and in other news, the Too Faced Vintage Sale started today so check out the Too Faced Website for some great deals on soon-to-be-discontinuted products and sets.

January 2012 Favorites

Yes, I know I am not the first to say this, but can you believe January is already over? Where does the time go?

Anyhoo, here are the products I kept reaching for in January:

1. Laura Mercier Luster Eye Colour Duo in Dusk/Chocolate - These two shades work so well together making it easy to create a contoured eye. Both shadows are smooth, easy to blend, long lasting over primer, and very pigmented. I have really been loving Laura Mercier's color products lately and will be featuring more of my fave products in the coming weeks.

Swatch of Laura Mercier Luster Eye Colour Duo in Dusk/Chocolate

2. MAC Mineralize Blush in Early Morning - This is from the Naturally collection and although I normally don't go for mineralize blushes, this one is amazing. It is extremely pigmented so I use a light hand and a skunk brush (I prefer MAC's 188) so that I can have good control of how much color I apply. I think this is gorgeous on all skin tones, but due to pigmentation, it is best suited for medium-dark skin tones. All 3 blushes from the Naturally collection are super smooth, finely milled, and have a natural sheen to them that is not sparkly or matte. Ever since I got this one I have been using it almost everyday.

Swatch of MAC Mineralize Blush in Early Morning

3. Hana Shine Shield Serum - I originally reviewed this here, and I liked it, but I have really been loving it the past few months. After washing my hair I apply a few drops of Moroccan Oil to damp hair, then blowdry and flatiron. Due to the winter static and dry weather, I have been having a lot of flyaways so after straightening my hair I rub a drop or two of this serum between my palms and smooth it over the top of my head. It works really well to control the flyaways, but it also adds softness and shine without adding any greasiness. Don't you love re-discovering good products you already have?

4. Urban Decay 24/7 Glide-On Eye Pencil in Corrupt - I confessed my love for this here and honestly, I haven't been using any other liners. This is darker than basic brown, but not as harsh as black, and it just works. I use it day and night and with all sorts of shadow combinations (or with no shadow). This pencil is just amazing and judging by how much I use and sharpen this, I better find another pencil just like it soon, cuz this is going to run out and it is not permanent....le sigh.

Swatch of Urban Decay 24/7 Glide-On Eye Pencil in Corrupt 

What products have you been loving?

November Favorites

My favorites during November revolved around the fact that winter is here and my skin is drier than the desert. I can finish a tube of moisturizer faster than I can finish a Starbucks holiday drink...and you know I love my gingerbread lattes (and caramel brule....my new fave).

1. Lush Sweet Lips - I use a plethora of face scrubs to exfoliate my skin, but when it comes to my lips I rely on this old fave. It makes my lips super soft and tastes like chocolate! I recently found out from a Lush rep that you can actually lick this stuff off your lips! It is all natural so it can be consumed....though I wouldn't just scoop it out and eat it.

2. Make Up For Ever HD Blush in shade 7 - Again, due to the dry winter air I am trying to use creamier products on my face. This MUFE cream blush blends easily in the skin, lasts all day, and doesn't clog or settle in my pores, and it looks very natural. I can build it up for intense color or layer a powder blush on top. My initial review and swatch are here.

MAC Holiday 2011 Faves

It's that time again....MAC Holiday time!!

I recently stopped by my local MAC to check out the holiday collection and I was drooling over the new face kits. These kits are exclusive to MAC stores and online, but I hear that Nordstrom has an exclusive kit too but with different shades. Each kit includes a full size lipstick, full size lipgloss, 3 special edition brushes - 129 SE cheek brush, 275 SE shadow brush, and 266 SE brow/liner brush - and a palette that has 4 shadows and a blush, all for $59.50.



Here are swatches of the warm kit:

L-R: Seasonal Appeal blush, Mellowarm lipstick (top), Join the Party lipglass (bottom), shadows top-bottom: Golden Flurry, Soft Brown, Omega, Carbon

Here are swatches of the cool kit:

L-R: Mocha blush, Hot Gossip lipstick (top), Emancipation Lipgloss (bottom), shadows top-bottom: Phloof!, Dance in the Dark, Quarry, Brun

My MAC didn't have all the kits on display, but they did have the color collection out. I swatched the mineralize shadows, and though they were the smoothest mineralize shadows I have swtached, the colors weren't amazing and nothing I couldn't dupe. I did like Let's Skate Paint Pot, but it was more glitter than color, so I doubt I will be picking it up. 

Stila Lillium Convertible Color Review

Hey dolls! You know how I always like to switch up what products I use, and lately I have been using the Stila Convertible Color in Lillium. Convertible colors are dual lip and cheek creams that come in a mirrored compact:





This shade is actually quite similar to my favorite MAC Blushcreme in Uncommon (blushcremes are now discontinued), which you may remember was the only blush I took on my honeymoon.

L-R: Lillium, Lillium blended, Uncommon, Uncommon blended

This shade looks rosy in the pan but it transfers on to the skin as a light pink. I think this provides the most color on fair-medium skin tones, but I really like it on medium-dark skin tones because it gives a natural, just stepped indoors from the cold, flush to the cheeks. On my lips, this was a bit garish.

What do you think of Lillium? What is your favorite cream blush?

MAC Dupe for Nars Orgasm

In the last couple months I have received several requests asking if there is a MAC dupe for the infamous Nars Orgasm blush. A lot of bloggers recommend Springsheen, but personally I think Peachykeen is the closest:

Nars Orgasm with a pan of MAC Peachykeen on top

Orgasm has tiny flecks of glitter in it that are slightly visible once blended on the skin. Peachy keen looks satin in the pan but it has a bit of sheen on the skin. 

L-R: Nars Orgasm and MAC Peachykeen in indoor light

L-R: Nars Orgasm and MAC Peachykeen in daylight

Both shades are super similar but I prefer Peachykeen because I don't like the look of glitter on my cheeks. Have you tried either (or both) of these shades?