Sephora Divergent Makeup Collection Spring 2014 - Photos and Info

I haven't been this excited about a film/makeup collaboration since MAC Venomous Villains. Extra awesome is attached to this one because it was a book before it was a movie. (For those who don't know, I work a day job at a bookstore/gifting store as a visual merchandiser. Divergent was one of those books that got a ton of really intense love from the sales staff way before it ever hit the popular list. It was the kind of book that staff were devoutly pressing into customers' hands, assuring them that THEY HAD TO READ IT. And customers would inevitably come back three days later, asking WHERE IS THE SECOND BOOK, and cry bitter tears because it wasn't out yet.)

The Divergent collection will be coming out in March, as a limited and exclusive collection available at Sephora. Both the colours and the packaging will be inspired by the iconography and characters of the film, and the collection will feature some new and innovative formulas and textures.

Three pieces and sets are included in the collection:

Divergent Limited Edition Multi-Piece Collector’s Kit ($71.00 CAD - $59.50 USD)

With three limited edition eye shadow palettes, a cheek palette, and four lip glosses inspired by the traits of each Divergent faction, and a double-ended application brush, this multi-piece kit includes everything to define your inner self. For inspiration, three “Get-the-Look” cards are included and provide tips for creating different Divergent looks. 

Each of the three Eye Shadow Palettes contains four coordinating High Pigment Eye Shadows plus one High Gloss Transforming Eye Shadow to draw immediate attention to the eyes. The transformer shades impart a diamond illusion, shimmery, mirror-like reflection that is transparent when applied dry, and translucent when applied wet, showcasing fluid, twinkling particles that look like they are suspended in air. What’s more, you can mix and match the High Gloss Transforming Eye Shadows to give you a unique look every time by breaking apart the palette and swapping with another. Along with these 12 stunning shadows, the kit includes a Cheek Palette with two Long-Wear Blushes, Shimmering Bronzer and Radiant Glow Illuminator, four High Shine Lip Glosses and a Double-Ended Eye & Cheek Brush for flawless application.

Divergent Limited Edition Multi-Piece Collector’s Palette ($39.00 CAD - $32.50 USD) 

Portable but impactful, this limited edition palette contains three High Pigment Eye Shadows in versatile neutral shades: Candor Lace, Luminous Taupe, Envious Chocolate, one Long Wear Blush in Rosy Horizon, one Matte Bronzer in Compassionate Copper, and a High Shine Lip Gloss in Artistic Mauve.

Divergent Limited Edition 7-Piece Nail Art Kit ($33.00 CAD - $27.50 USD) 

This 7-piece set includes five Long-Wear Nail Lacquers, one High-Gloss Transforming Nail Lacquer and six Nail Water-Transfer Tattoos so you can proudly signal your Divergent allegiance on tips and toes. Create endless nail art looks by layering the unique High-Gloss Transforming Nail Lacquer over any shade to create an opalescent, shimmering finish, and then add one of the exclusive, easy-to-use Nail Water-Transfer Tattoos. Just cut the paper to any shape or size desired, add water, hold onto nail, and peel back for flawless application.

You obviously can't see me right now, but I am making grabby hands at everything here. I am especially tempted by the set, which seems like a really good price for all that's included, and I am intrigued by the High Gloss Transforming Eye Shadows. (I'm thinking something like the current Kat Von D holo lip gloss, but for the eyes?)

What do you think? Have you read the books or are you taking it as it comes as a makeup collection without getting invested in the story behind it?

(All images courtesy of press release.)

OPI Gwen Stefani Collection - 4 In the Morning, I Sing In Color, Over And Over A-Gwen

Did anyone realize back in the 90s that Gwen Stefani would turn out to be a fashion icon? All I knew was that she was MY icon, with her tough, sassy take on vintage glam. I wanted her bleached-out hair (chickened out and got a Rogue streak instead), her abs (yeah, dream on) and her sexy/sporty clothes (see: abs).

I suppose it's only natural that this collaboration between OPI and Gwen happened. Inspired by the Metropolitan Museum's Costume Institute Gala's them of "Chaos: Punk to Couture"*, Suzi Weiss-Fischmann created this 7-piece collection to honour Gwen's influence on music, fashion and style.

It's also no surprise that the OPI Gwen Stefani collection reflects the icon's own vintage/edge style heritage, with a mix of classics and completely new, breakthrough textures.

*Still so very angry that I missed that exhibit by four days.

photo credit: OPI

One of the shades is a mirrored chrome that comes with a specific base coat: Push And Shove, and Lay Down That Base.

The other 6 are:

• Over and Over A-Gwen (signature red creme)
• Hey Baby (pink creme)
• I Sing In Color (blackened maroon creme)
• Love.Angel.Music.Baby (champagne gold satin)
• 4 In The Morning (charcoal satin) 
• In True Stefani Fashion (silver glitter)

I've included press pictures so you can see the caps they come with, as my samples had the regular caps.

 I was able to sample three of them, including one of the new satin textures (which actually looks and feels a little rubberized).

Over And Over A-Gwen, 4 In The Morning, I Sing In Color

4 In The Morning: A dark charcoal, with the teeniest shimmer and an almost green undertone that is only evident in certain lighting. In the shade, this is more of a flat (but soft) black, but in the light you can see some of that shimmer adding depth. I think the shimmer actually adds to the perception of the satin texture, as in the shade it looks entirely matte. It's a very neat shade/texture combo that looks both punk and sophisticated. 

Although they don't recommend adding topcoat, I did use it for the sake of testing. As expected, it makes the shimmer more obvious and is a beautiful colour, though it does lose  a lot of what makes it cool and different.

Application-wise, this took me a while to get right. It flows easily and evenly, but I tend to do my nails quickly, the coats staying wet in between layers. It took me a few tries to figure out that this did best with a very thin base coat, allowed to dry, and then a normal one over that. 

4 In The Morning (no topcoat, in lighting that shows the green undertone)

4 In The Morning (with topcoat)

I Sing In Color:  A classic blackened maroon vamp, this boasts one of the best formulas I've seen for a shade like this. No watery-ness, no pooling, just smooth, free-flowing, self-leveling perfection. And it is glossy, glossy, glossy. It's not unique, but it's a great example of a vamp shade done in a stellar formulation.

Two coats is good, but I did three here because I love saturating near-black shade like.

I Sing In Color

Over and Over A-Gwen: Another classic, done to perfection. This is a medium depth, ever so slightly cool red. It's actually darker than it appears in my pictures, which pull brighter.

OPI does incredible reds, but chances are you have something like this in your collection. It's darker and cooler than Color So Hot It Berns. It's similar to China Glaze Phat Santa, maybe a touch less cool (even though PS looks darker in the bottle).

The formula is, again, what sets the bar high: incredibly smooth, rich and self-leveling, with a lovely gloss finish. Two coats gives perfect pigmentation. If you don't have an excellent red (or you can't resist one that applies like butter) then this a choice pick.

Over and Over A-Gwen

I really, really want to try Love.Angel.Music.Baby, which my friend Eugenia swatched and reviewed over at Ommorphia's Beauty Bar. (Champagne glitter that feels like suede? IN.)

Are you guys grabbing anything from this collection?

Availability: At Trade Secrets and salons, as well as Nail Polish Canada. Suggested price is 10.95$ CAD.

(Items were provided by the brand/PR to be considered for review. This post is not sponsored or compensated. All opinions are my own.)

Lancôme Holiday 2013 - Rose Étincelle Highlighter and Étincelle de Neige Vernis in Love nail polish

Lancôme's Holiday 2013 collection is a small one, but it sure as heck doesn't lack for impact. "Inspired by twinkling lights and wintery whites", the sparkle of the season is the defining feature for all the items.

The stand-out piece is, of course, the Rose Étincelle Highlighter.

It is, without a doubt, a stunner. A shimmery silver-pink stunner, with the classic Lancôme rose design. Looking at it from the side, it makes me think of freshly fallen snow. You know, the kind that sparkles like diamonds, when the air is super-crisp and the sun is shining.

The top layer is extra-frosty with silver micro-glitter, which can be brushed away to reveal the pink-hued shade beneath. (Note: The glitter will be EVERYWHERE for a little while. It's the most tenacious fairy dust ever. You can see in the picture below that I wan't able to get rid of it all and it kept sprinkling the casing.)

The exterior packaging looks like the basic black Lancôme casing, but at the right angle, it actually reveals the iconic Lancôme rose. It's a small detail, one that might escape notice, but it's that kind of special touch that elevates a beauty product. At least in my eyes.

(Apologies for the slight fuzziness of the picture, it was really difficult to capture the rose design otherwise.)

The texture is lovely - soft and dense, it can be applied quite opaquely if you wish, or as a soft silvery pink haze with a soft brush. It works well for highlighting anything, be it the inner corner of the eye, on the cheekbone, the collarbones.

Without the sparkly top layer, it's still quite heavy on the shimmer and so something I would reserve for evening looks (though if I could get away with looking like a fairy princess for work, I would wear this like spackle, I kid you not). Worn at night, though, it is exquisite and would work well for both holiday and New Year's Eve looks.

The other item in the collection that I was sent to try is the Vernis in Love in Étincelle de Neige.

This is so intensely pretty! It picks up again on that sparkly, fresh snow effect. Like crushed diamonds coating my nails. A ton of off-white shimmer that flashes teeny blue and pink and yellow glimmers at certain angles (which was absolutely impossible to capture in a picture).

It's beautiful as is, but if you don't like the textured feel, several layers of top coat can be added (which will only increase the insane sparkle factor). Personally I like the 'bare' look. It's also quite opaque, so while you can layer it over another polish, I think it works best on its own. Here I did two coats.

The application was smooth and easy, and the flat but curved brush is perfect for my nail bed. It took a little bit of elbow grease to get off, but worth it because...

...I was very pleasantly surprised by how long this lasted on my nails - a full WEEK. For me, that's unheard of. When I got some wear at the tip, I even tried chipping it off and couldn't get much. I only wish it came in a larger size, as the bottle is only 6ml. I think I'm going to need a back-up bottle (or twelve), and I'm going to have to track down the Étincelle d'Argent, which appears to be sold out on the website.

Availability: At www.lancome.ca, as well as The Bay, and select Pharmaprix/SDM and Murale locations. Price is  52$ CAD for the highlighter, 16$ for the nail polish.

Pros: Great texture and pigmentation, variable with application method, on the highlighter. Gorgeous packaging and design. Nail polish is opaque and very resistant to chipping. Both are insanely pretty and perfectly suit the inspiration of "twinkling lights and merry whites".

Cons: The glitter on the highlighter is a bit messy initially. The nail polish takes a bit of work to remove, and is smaller than the average nail polish bottle.

Have you guys tried any of these? I was really stunned by how much I loved the nail polish.

(These items were provided by the brand/PR to be considered for review. This post is not sponsored or compensated. All opinions are my own.)

OPI Holiday 2013 Mariah Carey - The Look: My Favorite Ornament, Visions of Love, I Snow You Love Me

The OPI Holiday collections are always a fun mix of the classic (lots of red and burgundy shades) and the bling-tastic (glitter....glitter as far as the eye can see). This year is no different, and as the collection was inspired by Mariah Carey, the reds seem all that more saturated, and the shimmers all that more sparkly.

I had a chance to try three shades from the collection that are also sold as a three-pack gift set of full-size bottles called The Look: My Favorite Ornament (champagne glitter), Visions of Love (rich burgundy) and I Snow You Love Me (holographic confetti).

My Favorite Ornament - This is, BY FAR, one of my favourite glitters. It is incredibly saturated with champagne gold glitter, so much so that a single coat is almost enough. (I'm wearing two on the pictures below.) Yet it doesn't feel thick or clumpy. The glitter is just that fine and dense. Application was easy as well, I just made sure my first coat was dry. This can by worn with or without a topcoat, depending on your preference, but if you like a traditionally glossy finish you'll need to do several layers. I did just one coat here, to emphasize the sparkle.

It doesn't look too dimensional in the bottle, but applied to the nails it has an almost holographic depth. Under light, it's like looking at millions of teeny tiny diamonds. It glows.

Utterly gorgeous.

(Wear time was surprisingly good too, three days without a chip, which for me is equal to probably a week on anyone else.)

Visions of Love: This is a blackened burgundy. At one coat it looks like merlot, with two it's vampy and rich. At three, like I have in these pictures, it's near black. This is not an innovative shade, but a well-done classic, with a smooth, medium texture, a glossy finish and generally good application. The slightest tendency to pool a bit at the cuticles, but not in a way that stands out for a shade like this.

It also makes for a great base for...

I Snow You Love Me: Round holographic confetti in a fairly thick clear base. I love the way these catch the light and transform a classic shade into something funky. Unlike a lot of chunky glitters, this lies flat and smooth to the nail.

The biggest challenge for a shade like this getting an even distribution of the confetti on the nail. I did have to go fishing, and rested the confetti I caught on the inner lip of the bottle. Once I had a few collected that way, I could pick them up with the brush. It's a bit of work, but the effect is fun, especially if you're only going to do an accent nail. It can be a discreet and office-friendly way of adding some holiday cheer to your manicure.

Availability: Currently at Trade Secrets and salons in Canada, as well as at www.nailpolishcanada.com. The suggested retail price for the The Look is 24.95$ CAD, and prices for individual bottles of the Holiday collection are about 8.95$ CAD.

Pros: Gorgeous, glowing glitter on My Favorite Ornament, and easy to apply. Good wear. Well-done classic for Visions of Love. Beautiful, well-behaved holographic confetti. Good variety of shades in the pack, classic to vivacious.

Cons: Getting the confetti applied evenly takes some work, especially if you are looking for a particular placement. Thicker base can make edges look a bit gloopy if you're not careful.

(Items provided by the brand/PR to be considered for review. This post is not sponsored or compensated. All opinions are my own.)

Sally Hansen Insta-Dri Fall 2013 Polishes - Chop Chop Copper and Currant Trend

Sally Hansen has released several awesome new collections for the Fall season, including the Triple Shine series (which, er, I may have indulged in just this past weekend) and the Fuzzy Coat collection. Liz over at Beauty Reductionista did a great review of the Designer collection for the Complete Salon Manicure line as well. I had the opportunity to try out a few of the limited fall shades from their Insta-Dri line - my first ever, actually!

These are Chop Chop Copper and Currant Trend:

Chop Chop Copper is a pale bronze foil with gold and pink micro glitter. I included a blurred picture because my iPhone camera refuses to pick up the subtle and totally incredible shimmer. It's beautiful as is, but when it catches the light, it's nuts.

It is on the sheerer side, so you'll have to layer it on for maximum impact. This is three coats.

As promised, it does dry faster than the average polish but I was still better off applying a quick-dry topcoat. My Pisces klutziness will not be outmatched, and I still had dings when I went without a topcoat.

Currant Trend is a super intense red violet shimmer, with hot pink and indigo micro-shimmer. The base colour is vivid but the shimmer subdued in natural light, but picks up a lot more in sunlight. Again, I included a blurred picture to show off that multi-dimensional shimmer.

I found this to have a really good formula, giving great coverage at two coats, which is what I'm wearing here.

The brush for these is fairly wide, with a rounded tip. It worked well - not my absolute favourite, but not problematic.

Overall I'm really pleased with my first foray into the Insta-Dri line. I do wish they dried rock hard faster, but that's my inability to avoid knocking into things speaking. I think for the average person, the drying time would be more than adequate.

Availability: These were a Fall release, with distribution across drugstores and other mass retailers. Prices vary, though 4.95$ is the suggested price.

Pros: Really awesome colours and multi-dimensional shimmer. Quick drying time, about 60 seconds for a touchable level of hardness. Currant Trend had a lovely, opaque formula.

Cons: Chop Chop Copper was on the sheerer side, which required at minimum 3 coats to achieve bottle depth. If you're ding-prone, a quick-dry topcoat is still necessary.

(These items were provided by the brand/PR to be considered for review. This post is not sponsored or compensated. All opinions are my own.)

L'Oréal Project Runway Fall 2013 Collection

I don't generally like posting about products that are hard to acquire in Canada, but this Project Runway collection from L'Oréal is SO awesome - I had to share it. Hopefully if you are traveling to the US in the near future, this might prove helpful to your own drugstore forays.

The overall collection is named Electric Fantasie, with four displays bearing distinct themes. Most of the items I picked came from the "Wise Mystic" display, which features strong jewel tones and plum/berry shades. The nail polish is from the "Seductive Tempress" set, which had burnished and nude tones.

The Mystic's Gaze Quad, The Mystic's Kiss Lipstick, The Mystic's Shine Le Gloss, The Temptress' Power Nail Polish

Studio Secrets Pressed Eyeshadow Quad in The Mystic's Gaze: I wasn't sure what to expect, honestly, because drugstore ranges usually fall short when it comes to saturated jewel tones like this.

The violet shade is on the sheerer side, but builds up well, and has a soft, blendable texture. The green has richer colour and a similar texture. Both have a faint duochrome shimmer that gives them a nice glow when applied to the lid, and they pop beautifully when layered over a dark base. The navy shade is lovely - deeply pigmented and lightly shimmery. The texture is a bit powdery, so it does best over a base to maintain that richness. Otherwise it blends out really well as a crease shade.

The major disappointedment for me is the royal blue shade. It looks like Nars Outremer, and has the same issues of poor pigmentation, choppy blending incredibly patchy application. It's just a terrible shade, all the more so because the colour in the pan is so stunning.

Colour Riche Lipstick in The Mystic's Kiss and Le Gloss in The Mystic's Shine: I love both of these!

The lipstick is actually a lot more wearable that the bullet colour would suggest, more of a deep berry than purple. The texture is creamy and slightly hydrating, and it applies very smoothly.

The lip gloss has a clear base with a ton of duochrome shimmer in violet-pink and lilac. In some lights it  reads as pink sparkle, in others it's almost blindingly holographic. The texture is thicker and stickier than I prefer, but as I like to wear it layered over the lipstick just at the centre of the lip, it's not a major issue.

Colour Riche Lipstick in The Mystic's Kiss

Colour Riche Le Gloss in The Mystic's Shine

The Mystic's Shine layered over The Mystic's Kiss

Nail Color in The Tempress' Power: So. Freaking. Gorgeous. This is the "Get It, Get It Now" product from the collection.

This is definitely more of a layering colour, though if you're willing to do four coats like I did for the swatch, it's also beautiful worn as is. This polish is magical - tons and tons of fine duochrome shimmer in a sheer base. Shifting beautifully under the light, it's a mix of gold, peach, orange and chartreuse and even a bit of teal. I regret not getting a backup, because I suspect I will be wearing it layered over everything.

I'm not going to do the usual breakdown, as it's not readily available in Canada and prices vary wildly in the states, depending on region and drugstore chain you choose.

Is there anything you guys are eyeing or have already managed to get?

(I purchased all these items.)

L'Oréal Collection Privée (Official TIFF Festival Collection) - Colour Riche Nail Polishes

The Toronto International Film Festival is almost upon us (runs September 5th to 15th, for my fellow film buffs), and with it comes this incredibly classic, and yet totally modern collection of stellar nudes for lips and nails.

The L'Oréal Collection Privée is the official TIFF collection, and features matched pairs of lipsticks and nail polishes that are meant to evoke the particular essence of the following ladies: Eva Longoria, Doutzen Kroes, Freida Pinto and Jennifer Lopez.

Left to right: Eva's Nude, Doutzen's Nude, Freida's Nude, J. Lo's Nude

Left to right: Eva's Nude, Doutzen's Nude, Freida's Nude, J. Lo's Nude

I'll have swatches and reviews for the lipsticks up shortly, but I wanted to start with the nail polishes. As you may have noticed, these come in the smaller-sized bottle, similar to the very limited topcoats that were available earlier this summer. If you go through nail polish like crazy, or if you fall in love with a particular shade, that might be an issue. On the other hand it's nice to have a polish size that you are actually likely to finish.

These also feature the same style of rounded but flat brush that is found in all the L'Oreal Colour Riche nail polishes. (Which I happen to love for my nail size and shape.)

Eva's Nude (Barely Golden): This is a rich, inky burgundy with an warm undertone of brown. It looks glossy even without a topcoat, and applies smoothly for such a vampy shade. It self-levels, and you could probably get away with one coat if you go a little thicker from the outset. I prefer two, however, for that saturated look. This was two coats.

Doutzen's Nude (Barely Pink): Surprisingly, this is my favourite out of the four! It's a pale, milky ballerina pink, with a fine shimmer throughout. Not quite as self-leveling as the other shades, and I had a small amount of streaking, but this was overall a lot easier to apply than many shades of this type. I think this looks best when worn opaque rather than sheer, two coats at least. This was three coats.

Freida's Nude (Barely Parma): One of those strange morphing shades that reads plum, mauve or brownish-taupe, depending on your light. It even has tones of slate in some lights. The lighting in this picture is a mix of daylight and artificial light, and it's closest to the way it usually looks. However, I am wearing it in this video, where it pulls much more taupe/grey. It's a stunner, self-leveling, and opaque at one coat. This is two, and the second was entirely unnecessary.

J. Lo's Nude (Barely Greige): One of those putty shades that is cool and effortlessly chic. And this one is truly effortless - it applies like a dream and really only needs one coat, though I did my usual two. This is the slim white t-shirt of nail polish shades - easy, flattering and best when not fussed with too much.

I think this is a well-edited collection, with a "nude" likely to appeal to you, no matter what your tastes. Again, I was surprised that the frothy, girly Doutzen shade is the one that stood out for me, despite Freida's being the sort that I'm usually drawn to.

Availability: Out now in Canada, and very limited. At most drugstores, including Jean Coutu and Pharmaprix/SDM. Price is 3.99$ CAD.

Pros: All but the pink shade were self-leveling and wearable with only one coat. Formula was creamy and easy to apply, and all the shades are distinct and flattering.

Cons: The bottle size might be too small if you discover a favourite. Doutzen is a bit streaky if you want to wear it sheer.

(These items were provided by the brand/PR to be considered for review. This post is not sponsored or compensated.)

Lise Watier Tartantastique Fall 2013 - Chic Tartan Light Cap Nail Lacquer

My husband is rarely impressed by anything makeup related, but I did manage to wow him with the Lise Watier Light Cap Nail Polish. Being the gadget-savvy guy that he is, he was appropriately delighted by the clever light source, activated by a click of the button at the top of the cap.

Myself, I was more enamoured of the actual nail polish, which was kindly sent to me to test out.

Chic Tartan Light Cap Nail Polish

The entire collection is a lovely play on the colours of heather fields and misty, verdant landscapes - all soft plums and mauves, and dusky greens. It evokes Scotland and Fall without being precious about either. 

This nail polish, Chic Tartan from the Fall Tartantastique Collection, is especially beautiful due to its liminal quality. It hovers, undecided, between pewter, dusty teal and smoky green. It just depends on how the light hits it. It is by far one of the most unique colours in my collection. The more I look at it, the more I love it.

Chic Tartan has a glossy cream finish and a fairly thick texture. I had the best luck doing a thin, somewhat streaky first coat and then a thicker second coat. The formula is very self-leveling, so after that weird first layer it spreads out beautifully. 

The brush is thinner and squared off at the tip, so it takes a little more effort to get a clean line if you have fairly rounded nail beds like mine. 

Availability: At most Pharmaprix/SDM and Jean Coutu locations, The Bay, and www.lisewatier.com. Price is 13$ CAD.

Pros: Fabulous colour that is fall-appropriate and veers between grey, green and teal. Naturally glossy cream finish and self-leveling texture. Neat light feature that probably isn't all that practical but seem cool regardless.

Cons: Thicker texture can make application a little tricky, as can the relatively thin, square-tipped brush.

(This item was sent to me by the brand/pr to consider for review. This post is not sponsored or compensated.)