Friday, May 13, 2011

E.L.F. Mineral Lipstick: Rosy Raisin

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E.L.F Mineral Lipstick

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E.L.F. Mineral Lipstick in Rosy Raisin

E.L.F.’s Mineral Lipstick in Rosy Raisin is hands-down my favorite lip color. It is a warm medium rose pink that suits me perfectly as it is my very own my-lips-but-better shade. I normally shy away from pinks because I find that most of them are too cool-toned for my coloring. I was shocked at how flattering this shade was. Definitely a great find! You may be interested in checking it out if you’re fair with yellow undertones, like me. I think it should work nicely on those fairer people with cooler undertones as well. I’m no expert on skin tones but I’ve always had the feeling that people with pink undertones can pull off anything while those with yellow undertones look best with warmer shades.

As for the quality of the product, I do like it and think that it is decent. I think I would describe it as a creme finish. The color is matte and there isn't any shimmer, but there is a bit of glossiness to it. I don’t find it to be drying. My lips get dry very easily so I like to have something on them at all times. I do like the feel of this lipstick, as the slip of it helps me to feel that my lips have a moisture barrier, though I don’t think the lipstick itself is actually moisturizing. It isn’t long-lasting, probably wearing for an hour or two. I do re-apply multiple times a day. I personally don’t mind, as I don’t find any lipstick, other than a lip stain, to last more than a few hours. I haven’t noticed a scent or a taste. On the whole, the product itself is nothing spectacular but it does its job.

I would like to mention that I am on my second tube of this shade because my first one broke. The lipstick broke off at the base and fell on the ground. I only paid $2.50 for it, plus I adore the color, so I didn’t mind repurchasing it. Still, it is worth noting that these perhaps aren’t built to last. I do carry it around in my purse so I guess it gets jostled and banged around.

The product retails for $5 full-price but there are usually coupon codes for the Eyes, Lips, Face website (Bargain tip: check out retailmenot.com). Try to find one that gets you 50% off. If you can find a discount, then I would totally recommend that you check out this shade. I’m not sure that I would recommend the product at full-price unless you’re going for a color that you know you’ll love. $5 is not a lot but it is pricey for an E.L.F product. Since I know that this shade works so well for me, I would buy it full-price again and again, but I wouldn’t pay that amount for the other shades.

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Naked Lip (sorry it's blurry)

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With Rosy Raisin

The Body Shop Eye Colour: 32 Chocolate (v. MAC Satin Taupe)

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MAC Satin Taupe, The Body Shop 32 Chocolate

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MAC Satin Taupe, The Body Shop 32 Chocolate

I forgot to include this eye colour from The Body Shop in my last post. It is actually one of my favorite shades out of the bunch, so I made sure to include it as soon as I could!

I originally thought 32 Chocolate was misnamed because in the pot, it looked grayish taupe to me. I failed to see any brown. It actually reminded me a lot of MAC’s Satin Taupe, which is why I compared them side by side. In their pots, they do still look quite similar to me, though Satin Taupe has warmer, pinker undertones while Chocolate has stronger gray undertones. Once swatched, the difference is immediately apparent as Chocolate definitely leans brown while Satin Taupe maintains those warm pink tones. I do think they’re in the same family of color, though Chocolate is a deeper shade with less pink than Satin Taupe. It might be a shade worth checking out if you’re a fan of Satin Taupe!

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L-R: MAC Satin Taupe v. Body Shop 32 Chocolate

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L-R: MAC Satin Taupe v. Body Shop 32 Chocolate

My previous remarks about The Body Shop’s Eye Colours are applicable here. Chocolate is of the shimmery formulation, so it has that stickier texture which makes it opaque and long-lasting. It is a great eyeshadow in a wonderful, versatile color, and I definitely recommend it!

Tuesday, May 3, 2011

The Body Shop Eye Colour: 04, 05, 07, 08, 09, 31, 39, 41, 42, 43

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Top L-R: 04, 05, 07
Middle L-R: 08, 09, 31, 39
Bottom L-R: 41, 42, 43

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L-R: 04, 05, 07, 08, 09, 31, 39, 41, 42, 43

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L-R: 04, 05, 07, 08, 09, 31, 39, 41, 42, 43

I am very excited about all these shadows I got from The Body Shop. If you're interested, now is the perfect time to get them because they're having a Buy 2, Get 1 Free/Buy 3, Get 2 Free sale online! Additionally, for today only, they're offering $10 off $40, $20 off $60, or $30 off $80. I have to admit, I fell for it.

I already owned two Body Shop shadows (I think 07 and 09) before I bought the rest during the sale. I was impressed with the quality from the start.

The shimmery shades have a very interesting texture. They're almost sticky, as in they don't feel at all powdery. I imagine that they feel like a pressed pigment would feel. They're also incredibly pigmented. A little definitely goes a long way! The colors adhere very well, though I think the stickiness makes them a little less blendable. I actually like that quality since I don't have a lot of lid space to work in, so I don't want my shadows blended out too much as they can end up looking muddy. I like for just the edges to be softened, which is definitely achievable with these shadows. Lastly, I think the stickiness helps with longevity since they do adhere quite well.

The matte shadows are smooth and silky as most good pressed shadows tend to feel. They're also nicely pigmented. I've only tried long wear with 09, which is a light shade. It did fade sooner than the shimmery color I paired it with, but only on one lid (my lids don't fold identically). It is probably a combination of factors that went into that particular shade fading sooner (the lightness of the shade; the matte formula; that lid shape/fold), but it is something to be aware of.

I can't rave enough about these. The colors are beautiful. They retail for $8 full price for 0.04 oz of product, compared to $14.50 for 0.05 oz for MAC shadows. I think that's a great deal, considering how nice these eyeshadows are. You can get an even better deal on them now with the sale that is going on, so I completely recommend that you go for them if you're at all interested!

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04 Matte: Granite

04 Granite: I don't feel that this shade is appropriately named as it is a plum purple. It is a "matte" formula, though it does include flecks of shimmer that render its finish satiny rather than matte.

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05 Matte: Burnished Brown

05 Burnished Brown: This is a warm golden brown shade in the matte formula. Though texturally it does feel like a matte shadow as I've described above, it does include some shimmer. I think I would describe the finish as satin. It definitely has a sheen to it.

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07: Conker

07 Conker: This is a pretty pink with lilac undertones in the shimmery formula. It looks very similar to 09 Fawn Parfait, which is the "matte" version.

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08: Golden Paprika

08 Golden Paprika: This is a shimmery shadow in a coppery bronze shade.

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09 Matte: Fawn Parfait

09 Fawn Parfait: This is a pretty pink shade with lilac undertones, in the matte formula. It looks very similar to 07 Conker, which is the shimmery version. Though it is described as a matte shadow, it does include some shimmer/sheen (though less so than 05 Burnished Brown), which gives it more of a satiny finish.

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31: Peacock Green

31 Peacock Green: This is a very interesting shade. To me, the blue tones are stronger than the green, though there are green undertones. I would describe it as an ocean blue .

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39 Matte: Soft Black

39 Soft Black: This is exactly as described, a matte soft black. It is the only "matte" shadow among this collection of mine that is truly matte. Though dark shades, blacks in particular, can get messy and be a nightmare to apply, I had a really great experience with this one. It is very soft, smooth, and silky. The color is pigmented yet blendable. I did not experience any fallout either!

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41: Golden Peach

41 Golden Peach: This is an appropriately named golden peach shade in the shimmery formula.

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42: Midnight Blue

42 Midnight Blue: This is a really lovely deep, slightly blackened blue shade. I love this one, and this is coming from someone who is pretty averse to color, blues in particular. I think this one is a great one to try if you're like me and are usually drawn to neutrals. It pairs well with 39 Soft Black to create a smokey eye that doesn't obviously include color. I have included a picture of the look I did with those paired shades.

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43: Velvet Green

43 Velvet Green: This is a deep, blackened forest green in the shimmery formula. Mine yields little chunks of shadow when I swipe it with my finger, though they blend out nicely and easily for uniform distribution. I don't know if that's just my particular shadow or if all of them are like that. I haven't tried it out in a look yet, but I have definitely been drawn to deep greens lately. I think this one is really pretty.

NOTE: I FORGOT TO INCLUDE 32 CHOCOLATE. It is a great color that reminds me a lot of MAC's popular Satin Taupe. I will photograph it when I get the chance!

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Clockwise from Bottom Left: 04, 05, 07

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Clockwise from Bottom Left: 08, 09, 31, 39

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Clockwise from Bottom Left: 41, 42, 43

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After 11 hours of wear: 41 in inner corner, 08 across lid, 05 on outer corner