Lipstick -NARS - Dressed to Kill
Conny68 2/10/2013 1:20:00 PM
New for Spring 2013, this is a deep rose with golden shimmer. The shade has a lovely "warm" quality that makes it a nice Spring shade as well as a more Autumnal one. I do not find the shimmer to be gritty or frosty: it just adds a bit of a spark. I would call this Flair's warm-toned sister!
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Lipstick -Illamasqua - Climax
Conny68 7/23/2012 7:47:00 AM
I was expecting a dusty rose in the same family as the eponymous Besame lipstick, which on me is warmer and more berry toned and creamier, but this is very different. Climax is a matte, brighter shade of rose, lovely on medium skintone and I would expect, on fairer and darker ones.I agree that it brightens the face immediately - I particularly like it a with a very small amount of gloss on top, clear or shimmery beige. I like the square, sleek tube. Glad I got this as it's an instant pick-me up shade!
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Eye Shadow -NARS - Paramaribo Duo (LE)
Conny68 2/12/2012 4:30:00 PM
New for Spring/Summer 2012, described on the NARS website as "metallic brass and bronze". On me (NC20 with hazel eyes) the lighter shade is more of a"dirty gold", both shades have got a distinct metallic quality (as per the description) and are very pigmented. Don't be put off by the "yellowness" of the duo... The make up artist applied the lighter shade on the eyelid and the darker in the crease and then blended it. The blended effect turned out to have a wonderful olive/mossy green twist, perfect for Spring. He complemented the look with brown eyeliner pencil and black mascara and with a dusting of Albatross highlighter in the inner corner and brow bone. It also looks stunning with a dark brown shadow (eg Cordura) in the outer V for a smoky eye. I personally love the NARS packaging, sturdy and shatter-proof. I know the rubbery shell gets dirty (though I have never had any trouble cleaning it with a mu wipe), but I have dropped my blushes and shadows many times and found them intact when I picked them up! Would repurchase.
4 out of 4 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Blush -Sleek - Fenberry
Conny68 12/5/2011 9:31:00 AM
Limited edition, part of the Sleek Berry Christmas 2011 Collection, that includes a kohl eyeliner crayon, a lipstick and this blush. Fenberry is a gorgeous warm matte berry shade that gives lovely flush on my NC20 complexion. I find that this shows up beautifully applied with a fan brush in soft strokes on the cheekbones, towards the temples and it does not look muddy or "dirty" at all, rather it looks sophisticated and "grown up". I honestly do not know what to compare this in terms of shade, it's very different from Pomegranate, as it's not shimmery and it's not a cool shade. The texture is on the par with the other Sleek blushes, very soft and pigmented. Imo the set is worth every penny as I am loving the other two items to, and it's very good value for money!
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Lipstick -NARS - Joyous Red
Conny68 11/10/2011 3:13:00 PM
Beautiful shade, described as "Amber Red" on the NARS website. It's a soft, warm shade but the orange tones in it are neither harsh nor excessively bright. I love the satin texture, too as it does not highlight any "fine lines" in the lips. To me, It conjures up images of Fall in New England...such a beautiful autumnal shade!
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Lipstick -NARS - Mayflower
Conny68 5/21/2011 8:17:00 AM
Described by NARS as "sheer raspberry", on me (NC20, pigmented lips), this looks like a rose/brown, MLBB shade, not terribly unique but nice nonetheless for a polished day time look or paired with more dramatic eyes, for evening. The staying power is pretty good for a sheer lipstick and I do not find it drying. If you are after a "true raspberry", go for NARS Flair instead.
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Lip Gloss -NARS - Velvet Gloss Lip Pencil in Hopi
Conny68 2/28/2011 11:12:00 AM
I initially wanted to get the Chelsea Girls lip lacquer, but I didn't like the way it looked on me, so the girl at Space NK recommended this instead. The product is the glossy counterpart to the velvet lip pencils. I liked the way it felt on my lips, non drying and light as well as the ease of application. The shads is a warm honey beige with a hint of peach that does not make me look washed out, a nice polished MLBB shade. The glossiness fades as the day goes, but the product is so easy to apply that I don't mind this. *Edited * - I am knocking off a star as there's lots of wastage in sharpening the pencil - wish it came in "twist" form as it would make it much better value for money. I am NC20, for reference.
4 out of 4 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Lipstick -Julie Hewett - Icon of Beauty Scarlett
Conny68 1/29/2011 8:15:00 AM
Part of the "Icons of Beauty" lipsticks range, Julie Hewett dedicated this lipstick to Scarlett Johannson. The shade is a deep fuchsia with a slight "fluorescent" tone, but not in a horrible "back to the 80's" way. I am NC20 and I thought I could never pull it, but actually I ended up liking it a lot and I ended up repurchasing it when I lost my original one. It looks very sophisticated with a neutral eye and it's my "pick me up" shade in winter, when I crave a dash of brightness. It would suit cooler skin tones and can be blotted to a bright berry shade.
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Makeup Brushes -Boots - Eyeshadow brush
Conny68 11/19/2010 3:21:00 PM
This caught my attention at Boots - it's supposed to be a dupe of the much loved MAC 217 brush. I find the brush good for applying an all-over wash of colour on the lid and for blending, less so for more detailed "crease work". Compared to the MAC 217, this is softer, less firm and less tapered. At GBP 6.50 it did not break the bank and it is designed by Lisa Eldridge, who is one of my favourite make-up artists.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Lipstick -DuWop - Private Nude
Conny68 10/30/2010 4:48:00 AM
I got this in a mini lipstick set including Private Red and Private Plum. At £17 the price is not too steep, considering that one full size lipstick is £15. I must say I am not crazy on nude lipsticks as they wash me out and make me look "dead". The principle behind this lipstick is that it reacts with the pigment of your lips making the shade unique to you (I remember this trend being quite popular in the '70s and '80s). The result on my pigmented lips is a milky, beige shade, not horrible as such but not especially flattering either - I was hoping for more of a "my lips but better" result, more similar say - to MAC Rue D'Bois, as my lips are naturally pigmented. Glad I did not get this as a full -size, anyway! For reference, I am NC20.
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Eye Shadow -MAC - Naked Lunch
Conny68 7/16/2010 4:13:00 AM
My most reached for eyeshadow - perfect with eyeliner and black mascara for "dress down days" and with other shades in the crease for a more sophisticated look. I particularly like the way it looks with LM Topaz (taupe) and Besame Plum Dandy (kind of taupe/plum) - works equally well with warmer shades like browns. The shade in itself is a light champagne pink. Some people find it too frosty but it works well for me, actually it kind of makes my eyes more awake and it brightens them. Have repurchased!
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Lipstick -NARS - Outsider
Conny68 5/16/2010 4:35:00 AM
On the NARS website the shade is described as a "shimmering burnish coral" and it's spot on! It's a lovely shade that complements well my NC20 complexion and pigmented lips, a coral that does not make me look "aged" and a kind of "coral MLBB" shade that enhances the lips without making them look obviously made up (the shimmer is barely noticeable). My only issue with this as it's nothing like a semi - matte lipstick, much more of a sheer formula, but I find that if I wear it on top of MAC Prep and Prime Lips, it lasts longer. On me this looks exactly like Lipstick Queen Saint Coral.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Lipstick -Sue Devitt - Matte Lipstick in Phinda
Conny68 5/8/2010 8:03:00 AM
Everybody seems to think that red is the hardest lipstick shade to pull - I have to disagree. In my opinion, it's coral, as it can make you look terribly aged... This is a gorgeous coral pink shade with a hint of brown - I recommend this if you think that all the coral lipsticks you have tried made you look like your Great Aunt Mildred (!) Bold but not garish - perfect for Spring/Summer. I like the creamy and lasting formula as well. It's described as a "matte" but I find that it's only truly matte when blotted. My only complaint is that this brand is not as widely available as I wish it were... For reference I am NC20 with pigmented lips.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Lips -Beaute Cosmetics - Weightless Lip Creme in Masochist
Conny68 5/7/2010 10:39:00 AM
Beautiful and in my opinion totally wearable shade of neutral red in the form of a "weightless" liquid lipstick. The texture is not very dissimilar from Ellis Faas Creamy Lips products - I like the doe foot applicator better than the Ellis Faas click pen. Would like to try other shades.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Blush -Too Faced - Brightening Blush - Mocha Mi Amore
Conny68 4/2/2010 4:00:00 PM
Pretty plummy brown blush in the same family as Benefit Dallas - different texture though (less powdery - more "creamy") and a tad more rosy/pink and less brown on my NC20 complexion. I like the healthy look it gives me - would repurchase and the cardboard retro packaging is pretty. Retails for GBP 14 at Boots, it's also available at several etailers and at HoF (though the London Oxford Street one no longer stocks this brand).
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No