May 2, 2012

Review: Maybelline Color Tattoo 24hr Cream Eyeshadow- Edgy Emerald, Bold Gold, Fierce Orange

Ok, the beauty world has gone bananas over the Maybelline Color Tattoo shadows, and for good reason. These gems have awesome color payoff and are fabulously textured-- they are definitely reminiscent of MAC's paintpots, but for a fraction of the price. What REALLY sparked my interest in these was Edgy Emerald's similarity to KvD's Finland [dried up] cream shadow from the Truth palette.  And, because Ulta was having a sale on these when they came out, I ended up getting Fierce Orange too, since I don't have any colors like that in my collection AND because I love this makeup look from a past Dior runway show:



Lo and behold I liked the formula so much that I also bought it in Bold Gold when it was finally in stock at my local Rite Aid.

While I echo others' reviews that the Color Tattoo shadows are highly pigmented and wonderfully textured, these definitely don't last 24-- or even 8-- hours on my oily skin.  I'd say these shadows only last maybe 3 or 4 without a primer on my oily lids.  Since UDPP exists, this doesn't prevent me from wearing these.

L-R: Edgy Emerald, Bold Gold, Fierce Orange

Edgy Emerald: Slightly metallic bluish-green.  Unfortunately I can't do a comparison swatch with Finland, since it's dried up (and my photos of it aren't amazing), but when comparing just the two colors in their pans, Edgy Emerald is slightly greener and way less metallic than Finland.

Bold Gold: True gold with gold sparkle.

Fierce Orange: Orange with a faint copper shimmer (I have a terrible lighting situation, so the shimmer didn't show up.  Sorry!)

If you want a real bang for your buck, I highly recommend the Color Tattoo eyshadows.  Just remember if you have oily skin like me, you might want to wear a primer underneath!

You don't have to take my word for it, check  your local drugstore or Ulta for these badboys!


Review: Illamasqua Powder Blusher in Hussy




Illamasqua's powder blusher in Hussy is something I've test drove a few times in my Sephora adventures, but I finally decided to buy it. At $24.00, it may seem a bit pricey for a blush, but read on to see why this is deserving of your hard earned dollars.

Hussy is described as a "bright petal pink," but I'd say it's a bright warm medium pink. When applied with a light touch, it gives my fair skin a nice flush, and this is definitely pigmented enough to show up on darker skin tones if you only have a slightly heavier hand.  It's so pigmented that I only have to barely touch my brush into the blush to get enough product out for my cheek (as opposed to say, a MAC blush, where I have to swirl my brush around to get a sufficient amount of product. So, suffice to say, this one is going to last me a LONG time!

 This has a matte finish, and the texture is smooth, which lends to how evenly this goes on-- no patchiness here! It blends out super easily too, which is awesome because sometimes I accidentally put too much of this on my face. This also lasts a good 9-10 hours on my oily skin, which is remarkable since my skin always "eats" blush so quickly!

Illamasqua's packaging is simple yet elegant.  At first, it was slightly hard to open, but I think that was because it was new and the closure had to get "worn down" a little. Even though it was annoying at first, the blush never popped open in my makeup bag!

All in all, I'm SO happy with this Hussy, and I shall be trying other colors of Illamaqua blush in the future!

You don't have to take my word for it!  Illamasqua's powder blusher in Hussy (and lots of other colors) is available now at Sephora.