Ok, so I've decided to dip my toes into the wild world of Youtube. It's pretty much terrifying. I am also the least tech-savvy person on the planet, so I have A LOT to learn.
That said, here is my first attempt. It was filmed with my iPhone, and is viewable in HD formats. The sound is a bit low, so you will likely need to adjust the volume (working on that).
Please let me know what you think - I greatly appreciate comments and feedback, especially if you also post on Youtube. (I have a review video uploading now, so hopefully I should be able to get that up later today as well.)
July 10, 2012
July 09, 2012
Clarins Mono Couleur Eyeshadows - #23 Silver Green, #1 Vibrant Violet, #6 Jungle Green
A Clarins regional sales rep recently mentioned to me that they will be discontinuing their current line-up of single eyeshadows by the Fall season, and debuting a whole new range. (Some of the shades already seem to be gone from both the Clarins website and The Bay website, and I've heard some regular counters have already moved them off.)
Either way, what's inside the compacts is anything but staid. Just LOOK at that violet. It is so gorgeous. And really, almost all the shades are beautiful, particularly the ones with a shimmer finish.
Jungle Green is wonderfully pigmented green with a golden shimmer throughout.
Vibrant Violet is a lovely violet, leaning red in the base color but with a bluer almost-duochrome overlay. It takes two layers to achieve optimum opacity, but unlike a lot of purples it is very smooth and builds easily.
Silver Green is a stunner to my eye, that HG mix of green and taupe and silver. I don't own the mythical Erika F to compare, but Silver Green looks like it might be a close relation.
All of the shades have a butter-soft, smooth texture that yields good to great pigmentation. They wear well on me, and last well past a regular workday with primer. If you've only tried the Clarins eyeshadow palettes and found them a little dry or faint, you will find these to have a consistently nicer texture.
While I am excited to be getting new things from Clarins (and from the press previews I've seen, I am VERY much looking forward to the Fall 2012 collection), I am sad to see the Mono Couleur eyeshadows going. I discovered them not too long ago, and they are pretty damn stellar. I figured now would be a good time to put up some swatches as well as my thoughts, in case anyone wants to snap these up before they're gone. (I did the same when I found out they were going and I will post swatches of those shortly.)
The packaging is the old-school red and silver that Clarins seems to have largely phased out, replaced by a more modern and minimalist aesthetic. I know Clarins can come across as a little, as we say, Madame, but the packaging has always felt distinctly French to me.
Jungle Green is wonderfully pigmented green with a golden shimmer throughout.
Vibrant Violet is a lovely violet, leaning red in the base color but with a bluer almost-duochrome overlay. It takes two layers to achieve optimum opacity, but unlike a lot of purples it is very smooth and builds easily.
Silver Green is a stunner to my eye, that HG mix of green and taupe and silver. I don't own the mythical Erika F to compare, but Silver Green looks like it might be a close relation.
All of the shades have a butter-soft, smooth texture that yields good to great pigmentation. They wear well on me, and last well past a regular workday with primer. If you've only tried the Clarins eyeshadow palettes and found them a little dry or faint, you will find these to have a consistently nicer texture.
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| Indirect natural light. Jungle Green, Vibrant Violet, Silver Green. |
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| Artificial light. |
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| Direct sunlight. |
Availability: Limited, unfortunately. The Clarins site, The Bay, some Pharmaprix/SDM and Murale counters. Price is 20$ USD, 22$ CAD. If you live in Montreal, you may want to chance these being available at the next Clarins warehouse sale in the Fall.
Pros: Wonderfully soft texture, generally good/great pigmentation, beautiful colors.
Cons: The pigmention for Vibrant Violet could be stronger.
I will be posting more swatches soon, thought I won't be review those in depth, only noting any significant differences.
(I purchased these at Pharmaprix/SDM and Murale.)
July 07, 2012
Make Up For Ever HD Microfinish Blush - #5 Nip Slip, #6 Quickie, #7 One Too Many
The MUFE HD Microfinish Blushes have been around for a little while now, but I just recently used these for a bridal makeup and fell in love with them again. Now I'm sharing the love.
MUFE claims that these have both mattifying and soft-focus properties, with an ultra-fine texture and a long-lasting finish. And I would say they are 100% correct. These babies deliver on all promises.
Not quite a cream-to-powder product in that they never feel powdery, these are a type of cream blush with quick-evaporating oils. They don't remain dewy, but dry down to a weightless finish.
They apply smoothly and can be worked into the skin for a brief period of time. Once they set, they are good for the day. Best of all, it looks completely natural, like you have no product on your skin. There is no shimmer, but it's somehow...dynamic.
This stuff is also incredibly pigmented. However much you think you need, start off with a quarter of that amount. You can always add more later. Which is actually another thing I love about these blushes. I used Quickie (#6) recently to give a very pale-skinned bride the most ethereal glow, doing a light application with the Real Techniques Contour Brush. I've also used the Glamcor Finish Brush to layer it more heavily on another person, to achieve a flushed, beachy look. Each way, it still looked natural and gorgeous, no matter the intensity.
The only potential drawback is that the product can settle a little into pores, so in those circumstances it's best applied over primer and foundation. Because the oils do evaporate, they are not emollient and so are probably not the best thing for very dry skin, unless you prep carefully.
They come in a substantial range of shades that should please every skintone, though for this review I'm featuring the more 'natural' looking shades for light-to-medium skin. One Too Many is a perfectly neutral, beige-toned pink, very work-appropriate. Quickie is probably my favorite, but I'm a sucker for coral-tinged pinks. It is supremely flattering. Nip Slip is a just-this-side-of-cool pink, and looks amazing on porcelain skin.
(I have to say I find the names an odd choice for a pro brand like MUFE. I guess sexual innuendo sells, as Nars can vouch for.)
Availability: Sephora, for 30$ CAD, and MUFE freestanding stores.
Pros: Super natural finish, great range of colors, incredibly blendable and layerable. Flattering texture on most skin types, including mature skin. Can be used on their own, or with a powder blush layered overtop. These are and should be a kit staple for any makeup artist.
Cons: If you have large pores over your cheeks, you may need to use a foundation or primer beforehand. You have to squeeze the pump carefully, or you'll get way more than you need for one application. (Also, if they are not used for a while, the first little bit that pumps out can be dried out.)
(I purchased these from the MUFE store in NYC.)
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| From the top: #7 One Too Many, #6 Quickie, #5 Nip Slip |
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| From the top: #7 One Too Many, #6 Quickie, #5 Nip Slip |
MUFE claims that these have both mattifying and soft-focus properties, with an ultra-fine texture and a long-lasting finish. And I would say they are 100% correct. These babies deliver on all promises.
Not quite a cream-to-powder product in that they never feel powdery, these are a type of cream blush with quick-evaporating oils. They don't remain dewy, but dry down to a weightless finish.
They apply smoothly and can be worked into the skin for a brief period of time. Once they set, they are good for the day. Best of all, it looks completely natural, like you have no product on your skin. There is no shimmer, but it's somehow...dynamic.
This stuff is also incredibly pigmented. However much you think you need, start off with a quarter of that amount. You can always add more later. Which is actually another thing I love about these blushes. I used Quickie (#6) recently to give a very pale-skinned bride the most ethereal glow, doing a light application with the Real Techniques Contour Brush. I've also used the Glamcor Finish Brush to layer it more heavily on another person, to achieve a flushed, beachy look. Each way, it still looked natural and gorgeous, no matter the intensity.
The only potential drawback is that the product can settle a little into pores, so in those circumstances it's best applied over primer and foundation. Because the oils do evaporate, they are not emollient and so are probably not the best thing for very dry skin, unless you prep carefully.
They come in a substantial range of shades that should please every skintone, though for this review I'm featuring the more 'natural' looking shades for light-to-medium skin. One Too Many is a perfectly neutral, beige-toned pink, very work-appropriate. Quickie is probably my favorite, but I'm a sucker for coral-tinged pinks. It is supremely flattering. Nip Slip is a just-this-side-of-cool pink, and looks amazing on porcelain skin.
(I have to say I find the names an odd choice for a pro brand like MUFE. I guess sexual innuendo sells, as Nars can vouch for.)
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| #7 One Too Many |
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| #6 Quickie |
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| #5 Nip Slip |
Availability: Sephora, for 30$ CAD, and MUFE freestanding stores.
Pros: Super natural finish, great range of colors, incredibly blendable and layerable. Flattering texture on most skin types, including mature skin. Can be used on their own, or with a powder blush layered overtop. These are and should be a kit staple for any makeup artist.
Cons: If you have large pores over your cheeks, you may need to use a foundation or primer beforehand. You have to squeeze the pump carefully, or you'll get way more than you need for one application. (Also, if they are not used for a while, the first little bit that pumps out can be dried out.)
(I purchased these from the MUFE store in NYC.)
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