Author: Christine

A good eyeshadow will be pigmented, blendable, and have decent wear, while a great eyeshadow will have better wear, less fallout, and a more forgiving/flattering texture on skin.

Pat McGrath Lunar Nightshade 5-Pan Eyeshadow Palette ($36.00 for 0.14 oz.) is a new, limited edition cooler-leaning color story that included one semi-matte shade paired with four more shimmery shades. The formula was creamier across the board with the mattes having a smoother, more velvety texture (less like a traditional matte), and the shimmers being very cream-like and a touch thicker, though I had great wear, pigmentation, and experienced good application with all the shades. Platinum Moonlight is a light, golden beige with strong, warm undertones and a bright, metallic sheen. Opaque pigmentation Smooth, emollient consistency, almost cream-like Picked up Continue Reading…

A great blush will also blend itself, while a good one is blendable, buildable, and long-wearing.

Dior Promenade Doree (543) 5 Couleurs Couture Eyeshadow Palette ($68.00 for 0.24 oz.) is a new, limited edition holiday palette that featured four warmer, gold-brown hues paired with a pop of cooler-toned, silver in the middle. The quality was so-so with the two bottom shades being better, while the upper three shades were of lesser quality. For the price point, I'd definitely want all five shades to perform well! Promenade Doree #1 is a light-medium, orange-gold with strong, warm undertones and a pearl finish. Mostly opaque pigmentation Slightly dusty, a touch thin; not as emollient as past formulations Applied evenly Continue Reading…

Pat McGrath Bronze Ecstasy 5-Pan Eyeshadow Palette ($36.00 for 0.14 oz.) is a new, limited edition neutral-leaning color story that included two semi-matte shades paired with three very shimmery shades. The formula was creamier across the board with the mattes having a smoother, more velvety texture (less like a traditional matte), and the shimmers being very cream-like and a touch thicker, though I had great wear, pigmentation, and experienced good application with all the shades. Starlit Champagne is a very light and bright, peachy copper with an intense, sparkling metallic finish. Opaque pigmentation Smooth, emollient consistency, almost cream-like Picked up Continue Reading…

A great lipstick wears longer, fades better, and is more than a little hydrating.

MAC Cocoa Kisses Powder Kiss Velvet Blur Slim Lipstick ($28.00 for 0.07 oz.) is a muted, medium-dark reddish-plum with moderate, warm undertones and a semi-matte finish. Semi-opaque, buildable pigmentation Slightly stiff feel, lightly velvety once warmed up Applied fairly evenly but settled into lip lines a bit Long-wearing (5 hours--of 12 hours claimed, though), non-drying MAC Merry Cherry Powder Kiss Velvet Blur Slim Lipstick ($28.00 for 0.07 oz.) is a very vivid, cherry red with strong, cool blue undertones and a semi-matte finish. Opaque pigmentation Slightly stiff feel, lightly velvety once warmed up Applied evenly but could have been more Continue Reading…

Pat McGrath Bordeaux Bliss 5-Pan Eyeshadow Palette ($36.00 for 0.14 oz.) is a new, limited edition plum-leaning color story that included two semi-matte shades paired with three very shimmery shades. The formula was creamier across the board with the mattes having a smoother, more velvety texture (less like a traditional matte), and the shimmers being very cream-like and a touch thicker, though I had great wear, pigmentation, and experienced good application with all the shades. Platinum Rosewater is a light-medium pinky-peach with moderate, warm undertones and a smooth, metallic sheen. Opaque pigmentation Smooth, emollient consistency, almost cream-like Picked up well Continue Reading…

A good mascara will lengthen and add a little volume, while a great one will length, add volume, and a bit of curl!