Michael Kors is a master of the Casual American Glam aesthetic - girl-next-door by way of the red carpet. His new makeup and fragrance collection taps into the different aspects of his signature style, and parses them out into three distinct styles:
Sporty, Sexy, Glam. They wisely opted to hit the lucrative but mercurial cosmetics market with an edited line-up. When I saw the display, I was intrigued enough to pick up a few items.
Michael Kors has also had a long-time association with Estée Lauder (y'all
know how I feel about EL), and it shows in the design. It's the MK brand, no doubt, but you can also feel the grande matriarch's influence as well. (And hell, it owes a nod in Tom Ford's direction as well, another EL-owned brand. I wouldn't be surprised if the coming Tory Burch line fits right in - a sibling trio of designer-branded luxury makeup.)
Clean-lined, simple, but not lacking in bling, the packaging proudly displays the Michael Kors label. It also feels surprisingly lightweight for a mid-priced, if aspirational, brand. That said, I do like it.
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| Lip Lacquer in Bombshell |
The first item I tried is the
Bombshell Lip Lacquer, from the Sexy line-up. A fuchsia colour (of course) with a teeny bit of shimmer, it applies demi-sheer, with a satin finish. It doesn't build to greater opacity very well, as it has a nice amount of slip that feels smooth when applied, but that doesn't lend itself well to building up layers. It ends up looking a bit patchy. Applied straight on or as a stain, it's quite lovely. If you're looking for intensity, this likely won't satisfy you, despite the vivid shade. On the other hand, if you want something that is both attention-getting but easy, then this is worth investigating.
Formula-wise, I don't think this stood out in any way. It's not particularly hydrating or drying, and the feel is fine, but nothing more. I was honestly expecting something more luxurious.
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| Bombshell Lip Lacquer |
I also selected two lip glosses to try:
Siren Lip Luster from the Sexy line, and
Muse from the Sporty line.
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| top to bottom: Lip Lusters in Siren and Muse |
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| top to bottom: Lip Lusters in Siren and Muse |
Siren looks like a hot raspberry pink with gorgeous fuchsia shimmer. Unfortunately, a lot of that shimmer gets lost in translation. It swatches very similarly to the way it looks in the tube, but on the lips it looks a lot less impressive. It's quite glossy and juicy-looking when applied, and has a medium level of thickness and tackiness. Wear was average, 2-3 hours, with the glossiness fading throughout.
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| Siren Lip Luster |
Muse is a soft, milky nude with pale pink shimmer. Shockingly, I liked this a lot more than Siren. While the shimmer also loses some oomph when applied to the lips, I also looked nicely nude and not chalky, and it didn't seep into lines like a lot of glosses in this kind of shade tend to do. Formula is the same as Siren's.
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| Muse Lip Luster |
These are some arm swatches to give you an idea of how they look on their own. All of the lip products have a very faint, slightly sweet scent.
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| Bombshell, Siren, Muse |
Availability: At The Bay and
www.thebay.com. Price is 26$ CAD for both the Lip Lacquers and the Lip Lusters.
Pros: Packaging is clean yet glam, and is lightweight (good if you like to travel light). Bombshell has an easy-to-wear finish and texture. Muse is a great shade that avoids the pitfalls common to nude glosses.
Cons: Packaging is lightweight (bad if you want the heft to go with the brand name). Siren's tube-to-lips colour and sparkle leaves something to be desired.
Not precisely a pro or con, but the generally average, unremarkable formulas are noteworthy in a higher-end brand seeking to enter the market.
(I purchased these items. This review is not sponsored or compensated. All opinions are my own.)
