Lipstick -NARS - Gipsy
skwpt 9/4/2009 5:56:00 PM
It's interesting to read the reviews regarding the color of this lipstick. Advertised as a "warm berry" that's exactly how I see it on myself -- a wine-colored berry, such as you'd see in a glass of ruby port. I have worn Gipsy for years, and it is a sheer, somewhat buildable color that leaves behind a lovely stain. I think this lipstick would best complement medium to high contrast between their hair, eyes and skin. It looks nice on me with my brown hair, blue-green-grey eyes, and fair, neutral/cool skin (MAC NW15/20), but I prefer my lipsticks to be more cool toned.
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Lip Liners -Kevyn Aucoin - The Flesh Tone Lip Pencil
skwpt 8/28/2009 9:53:00 AM
I've read many reviews about this lip pencil that say 'Medium' is too dark. That surprises me. I am fair with pink undertones, and the color is a relatively close match with my skintone; however, that is what I dislike. It's my own fault for having high expectations for a *flesh*-toned lip liner, but how many of us have lips that match our faces? If this lip liner had just a hint of rose in it, to come closer to the pigment in my lips, I'd call it a perfect match. As designed, however, it seems like a liner more suited for those who want to achieve a nude look. On me, it looks like I am penciling in foundation on my lips, which is great if I want to make them disappear. I don't dislike it, but I can just as easily erase my lips with foundation. I was hoping for something MLLB, but this lip liner did not quite make the cut. For a closer (slightly deeper pink brown) match, I prefer NARS Borneo, but my search for the perfect lip liner continues.
3 out of 3 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Lip Liners -NARS - Amazon
skwpt 8/28/2009 9:46:00 AM
NARS lipliner pencil in Amazon has been one of my go-to liners (including NARS Borneo) for almost 10 years. This color is advertised as a cool brick red, but it looks more neutral on my rosy-pigmented lips (fair, neutral/cool MAC NW15 skin), neither too blue nor too orange, with just a hint of brown. I use it less often as a liner than an all-over color, but make no mistake -- this liner is highly pigmented and definitely RED. Worn all day, my lips never feel dry, and anything I put on top stays in place without feathering -- usually just lip balm because I like this color so much on its own, and sadly, NARS doesn't make an Amazon lipstick. I was heartbroken when NARS discontinued Mongolian Red and Kink lipsticks, but I still have the Amazon lip liner. (BTW, Amazon looks amazing filled in under Mongolian Red. The cool brick red combined with a warm brick red make for the most beautiful red lips.)
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Lip Liners -NARS - Borneo
skwpt 8/28/2009 9:40:00 AM
NARS lipliner pencil in Borneo has been my go-to color for almost 10 years (as well as NARS Amazon liner). Worn all day, every day, this lip liner is never drying and keeps any product I apply on top from feathering. Borneo is neutral enough that I don't have to think each morning about choosing a liner to match whatever lipstick I am in the mood for. I wear Borneo mostly as a liner, but I also wear it as a full lip color when I want to play up my eyes, because Borneo is a perfect neutral shade on my fair, cool-neutral complexion (MAC NW15) with blue-grey-green eyes. I prefer Borneo to the wildly favorite, MAC Spice, which is too orange on me.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Eye Shadow -MAC - Paint Pot in Painterly
skwpt 8/27/2009 8:59:00 AM
I use Painterly paint pot as a primer more than a color because it almost exactly matches the skin on my eyelids and conceals blue shadows and very fine red veins there. I love the smooth, powdery texture and how it really grabs the eyeshadow I apply on top, leaving me crease-free all day. The only thing I don't like is how Painterly darkens the highlighter colors I apply above the crease, making them appear almost a dark pink (basically turning them all into MAC 'Bisque' e/s). One day I goofed and got some on the corner of my outer eye. I was about to wipe it away, but I noticed that my blue shadows seems less visible. I hadn't applied undereye concealer yet, so I tilted my head down, located my dark shadows and dabbed on some Painterly with my fingers. Shadows completely gone! I then used Painterly around my nose to hide some of the redness. Worked beautifully. Further encouraged, I dabbed some around my lip line to create a perfectly bare canvas for lip liner and lipstick, which turned out to be even more helpful on the days when I wanted a more nude look. And it makes an ideal base for a dramatic red lip. The Painterly paint pot has now completely replaced all concealer products on my fair, neutral/cool (MAC NW15) skin. I had been using a yellow-based concealer (NC20), but Painterly must be neutral enough that it conceals both blue and pink. And, unlike the tacky textures of the concealers, which tend to melt and fade on my part-oily skin, the paint pot applies more smoothly and blends much better without my having to rub. It dries to a powder, and stays put ALL DAY. Best of all, after 2 weeks using it this way, I have had no breakouts around my nose or mouth, so it looks like I can keep using it as both an eye primer and a concealer. I'll still use it on lids only, and I'll switch to TFSI from crease to brow bone to avoid changing the colors of my highlighter. UPDATE [12/16/09 edit] I still adore this base, but now that the weather is colder and drier, I am finding it works much less well as a concealer, especially under the eyes. Things are starting to look a little cakey, and I developed some milia near the outer corners of my eyes, but as an eye shadow/primer, Painterly can't be beat for fair-to-medium, cool-toned skins.
4 out of 4 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Eye Shadow -MAC - Typographic (from Matte2)
skwpt 8/21/2009 4:22:00 PM
When I went to the MAC store to return Carbon, which drags on my lids even with primer underneath, why on earth didn't the SA recommend Typographic? She actually convinced me to keep Carbon, and I reluctantly agreed, but I still wasn't in love with it, and I never really understood its cult status. It wasn't until I began perusing MUA reviews that I discovered what you were saying about Typographic, and I agree with the rave reviews. The texture is amazing. In fact, Typographic is everything I wanted Carbon to be and then some: similar in color but less stark and more flattering with my fair, neutral/cool (MAC NW15) skin tone; and it applies like butter with no choppy skipping. Typographic is a deep-charcoal, nearly-black e/s with a hint of indigo. It works best on me as a liner, but for major drama, it looks amazing applied on my lids with the 238 brush -- just full out smoky charcoal. I have blue eyes with grey rims and yellow flecks, so they most often look green, but this e/s made them look stormy grey. I loved it and can't wait for cooler weather when I start wearing my cashmere and merino sweaters again in various shades of grey. As an eyeliner, I use an angled eyeliner brush to apply just at the base of my upper lash line, but I also use the MAC 231 brush and apply the shadow just over the tops of my bottom lashes, not quite on the water line, and it instantly brightens my eyes without closing the eye too much, as dark colors can do on the water line. I *adore* this color.
3 out of 3 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Lipstick -MAC - Brick-O-La
skwpt 8/21/2009 3:54:00 PM
I'm surprised reviewers are calling Brick-O-La a red lipstick. The name only confuses matters, but I see nothing really brick-red in this lipstick. The MAC web site calls it mid-tone berry, and that is how it appears on my rosy-pigmented lips: a warm berry rose color that looks like I've been eating juicy summer fruit. It is somewhat close in color and texture to NARS Gipsy (which looks burgundy on me), except Brick-o-la is less sheer, and I love how the next morning I wake up with berry-stained lips, even though I'd removed all traces of makeup the night before.
3 out of 3 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Lipstick -MAC - Cosmo Lipstick
skwpt 8/21/2009 3:44:00 PM
I was pleasantly surprised by this lipstick. I almost didn't get it because the MUA reviews were lower than I'd normally risk for online ordering (sight unseen). That said, I am happy with the color, which seems like a cross between Modesty and Twig. In fact, Cosmo is everything I wanted Twig to be, only more creamy and a bit less brown (cooler). And it is just the tiniest bit brighter than Modesty (another great color for my fair, neutral/cool (MAC NW15) complexion. I expect a lot from my lipsticks, as I wear them like lip balm, and the amplified creams are the only MAC formulation I can wear all day. UPDATE (10/15/09): I just removed a lippie, and knocked this down to a score of 3 and said I would not buy again. Although I adore MAC lipstick colors, I just cannot wear them for extended periods any longer, no matter how much lip balm I add. By the second day, my mouth feels like it has little cracks around it, almost like the lipstick contained fiberglass. Great color selection, but I have to wear these lipsticks sparingly.
3 out of 4 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Eye Shadow -MAC - Wedge Eyeshadow
skwpt 8/20/2009 8:24:00 AM
This was the first MAC e/s I bought -- way back in 1993! If I recall, I had to order it by phone from Canada. Wedge is an extremely flattering neutral for pale skins. MAC calls it 'soft muted beige taupe,' and I agree. It is a warm-leaning, soft brown that does not contain any noticeable red or yellow or orange. There is the barest hint of grey. Wedge is great for subtly contouring the eye and a great accompaniment to bold lips or perhaps just as a natural, everyday look. It's looks good on the lid, in the crease, and above the crease as a way to blend out a darker crease color into the highlight color.
7 out of 8 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No