Upcoming | TOO FACED Le Grand Palais (Holiday 2015)

[Disclaimer Policy, Affiliate]

Too Faced Le Grand Palais retails for $58 USD ($72 CAD), which is a $378 USD value. It is said to be "an exclusive, full-faced collection 18 eye shadows, two blushes, a bronzer, a highlighter, a deluxe Better Than Sex Mascara, a deluxe Melted Lipstick, and a deluxe Shadow Insurance."

Available now at Sephora.com & Sephora.ca for VIB/VIB Rouge!

* 3 x 0.07 oz. Eye Shadows in White Christmas, Satin Sheets, Vintage Lace

* 15 x 0.06 oz. Eye Shadows in Delightful, Moon on Their Wings, Cobblestone, City Lights, Dreamlight, String of Lights, Yule Long, Wish List, Arc de Triomphe, Belle Femme, Stiletto, Eiffel, Midnight in Paris, Champs Elysees, Party Dress

* 2 x 0.08 oz. Blushes in Stardust, Skyline

* 0.08 oz. Luminizer in Flush

* 0.08 oz. Bronzer in Sunny Bunny 

*  Better Than Sex Mascara

*  Shadow Insurance Eye Primer 

*  Melted Liquified Longwear Lipstick in Peony 

"Unveil your best full face makeup look with this beautiful collection. This exclusive limited-edition set features Too Faced’s top-selling products, including the deluxe-size, award-winning Better Than Sex Mascara, deluxe Melted Peony Long Wear Liquified Lipstick, cult-favorite Shadow Insurance Eye Primer, two bronzers, one blush, one highlighter, and 18 gorgeous eye shadows in hand-selected, festive shades. This versatile full-face kit includes step-by-step glamour guides so you can easily create an array of looks."

Available now at Sephora.com & Sephora.ca for VIB/VIB Rouge!

Upcoming | HOURGLASS Ambient Lighting Edit Palette (Holiday 2015)

[Disclaimer Policy, Affiliate Link]

Hourglass Ambient Lighting Edit Palette (6 x 0.049 oz.) retails for $80 USD (TBA CAD) and is said to be "a limited-edition wardrobe of powders, blushes, a bronzer and the debut of a new Ambient Strobe Lighting Powder—an illuminating powder designed to create the perfect highlight."

* Ambient Strobe Lighting Powder in Iridescent Strobe Light [LE]

* Ambient Lighting Powder in Diffused Light [P]

* Ambient Lighting Powder in Dim Light [P]

* Ambient Lighting Blush in Luminous Flush [P]

* Ambient Lighting Blush in Mood Exposure [P]

* Ambient Lighting Bronzer in Luminous Bronze Light [P]

"The Ambient Lighting Edit is designed to give you everything you need to finish, brighten, contour, and highlight your skin in a single compact. Featuring the Ambient® Strobe Lighting Powder in Iridescent Strobe Light, a sheer illuminating highlighter that’s designed to emulate the way in which strobe lights capture and reflect light on the face. The optically transparent particles in the Ambient Lighting Blush and Bronzer allow for seamless blending, color transitions and natural contouring. Each product is universally flattering and delivers a multidimensional luminescence to every skintone, making it appear softer and lit-from-within. These Ambient Lighting products use Photoluminescent Technology to filter out harsh light and refine the appearance of the complexion®enhancing skin in any lighting, including flash photography. 

Ambient Lighting Blush and Bronzer are blended by hand using an advanced miscelare technique (meaning “to mix” in Italian), creating the perfect balance of pigments in a gorgeous, unique pattern. Encased in a portable compact design with a large mirror ideal for travel, these products in the Ambient Lighting collection are designed to be layered and work together seamlessly. Layering these products together imbues the entire complexion with an ethereal glow. "

Available now at Sephora.com for VIB & VIB Rouge!

SEPHORA FAVORITES Give Me Some Lip | 2015

[Purchased]

Sephora Favorites Give Me Some Lip (2015) retails for $25 USD ($30 CAD) and contains 6 lip products in total; five deluxe-sized and one full-sized, making this a $60 USD ($72 CAD) value. It is said to be "a multi-brand set with six natural-looking, deluxe-sized lip products."

 

"This multi-branded lip set features coveted lip shades in pink and nude hues. Go bright when you swipe on tarte’s Amazonian Butter Lipstick in Coral and get gorgeous with Sephora Collection’s Rouge Infusion the Neutrals in 19-Peony. Then create a romantic look with Marc Jacobs' Le Marc Lip Cream in Je'taime. Try on MAKE UP FOR EVER’s Artist Plexi-Gloss and Kat Von D’s Everlasting Liquid Lipstick in Lolita, and achieve barely-there beauty with Fresh’s Sugar Rose Tinted Lip Treatment."

* Fresh Sugar Tinted Lip Treatment (0.08 oz.) — reg. $22.50 USD / $26 CAD (0.15 oz.)

• Rose is described as a sheer berry rose

Rose is a light-medium, rose pink with warm undertones and a sheer, luminous finish.  The packaging is a sleek, metal tube with a screw on cap. The product itself has a subtle, citrus scent. The texture was soft, smooth and buttery. While the color was sheer, it did provide a nice hint of a red to the lips—of course, the shade will vary depending on your natural lip pigmentation. Rose wore well for +3.5 hours and was very hydrating, even after the product had worn off. (5/5)

* Kat Von D Everlasting Liquid Lipstick (0.10 oz.) — reg. $20 USD / $24 CAD (0.22 oz.)

• Lolita is described as a chestnut rose

Lolita is a medium-dark, muted rose brown with warm undertones and a matte finish. The packaging is a slim, plastic tube with a standard doe-foot applicator. The deluxe size was consistent in performance and quality as the full sized. This shade applied smoothly, evenly, fully opaque and had rich, opaque pigmentation. It had excellent performance throughout wear; it wasn't streaky or patchy once dry and it didn't crack or flake over time. Lolita wore well for +8 hours before fading. (5/5)

* Sephora Collection Marvelous Mauve was more pink.  MAC Whirl was darker, more brown.

* Make Up For Ever Artist Plexi-Gloss (0.10 oz.) — reg. $19 USD / $23 CAD (0.23 oz.)

• 202 is described as a sheer sweet pink

202 is a light, sheer pale peach with warm undertones and a glossy finish. The gloss comes housed with a uniquely-shaped, flexible applicator and no noticeable scent or taste. The texture was lightly tacky which did seem to tug at the lips during application, but the formula smooths out and only feels sticky once the product starts to wear down. Due to the soft, milky consistency I noticed that the color did settle into lip lines and grabs to imperfections and/or dry patches, but this was only noticeable at close inspection. 202 wore well for +4 hours before fading. (4/5)

* Marc Jacobs Le Marc Lip Creme (0.03 oz.) — reg. $30 USD / $38 CAD (0.12 oz.)

• Je T'Aime is described as a rum raspberry

Je T'Aime is a medium-dark, coral pink with warm undertones and a satin finish. The packaging is a smaller, plastic tube with no noticeable scent or taste. This shade applied smoothly, evenly and had good, opaque pigmentation. It had a lightly creamy consistency applied easily across lips without tugging, dragging or feathering over time. Je T'Aime wore well for +5 hours and left behind a faint stain. (5/5)

* MAC D for Danger was darker, more red.  MAC All Fired Up was lighter, more pink.

* Sephora Collection Rouge Infusion Lip Stain (0.068 oz.) — reg. $14 USD / $18 CAD (0.152 oz.)

• Peony

Peony is a light-medium, muted red coral with warm undertones and a natural finish. The packaging is a test tube style tube with a slim, doe-foot applicator. The product itself has a very strong, petal/rose type scent/taste that lingers until the product wears away. Like your typical lip stain, the product starts as a liquid, applies glossy but eventually wears away into a subtle stain. It had a slightly uncomfortable consistency while drying/wearing, the only way I can describe it is if you were to apply a thin layer of white school glue to your lips—it feels very clingy. Peony wore away within 20 - 40 minutes and yielded a faint stain for +2.5 hours afterwards. (2/5)

* Tarte Amazonian Butter Lipstick (0.10 oz.) — reg. $17 USD / $20 CAD (0.10 oz.)

• Coral Blossom is described as a salmon pink

Coral Blossom is a light, peach pink with warm undertones, gold shimmer and a creamy, luminous finish. The packaging is a cardboard tube and the product itself has a minty scent that provides a cooling tingle to the lips once applied. This shade went on smoothly, evenly and was buildable to a semi-sheer to mostly opaque coverage. It felt thinner and had more slip than your standard lipstick, but not enough to cause the color to move around. Coral Blossom wore well for +4.5 hours before fading. (4/5)

Overall, it is a pretty well rounded set of lip products—from mattes to moisturizing treatments. If you're a fan of the shades featured or you've been interested in trying out a few of the formulas, this set is a great, affordable way to do that before indulging in full sized product. After all, you are getting to try six products for basically the price of one! If it's caught your eye, it will definitely be worth checking out!

Available now from Sephora!

MAC Vamplify Collection | Vamplify Lipgloss

[Purchased]

MAC released their newest collection Vamplify on August 26, 2015 online and September 3, 2015 in-stores. The collection featured 17 limited edition, new formula lip glosses and 12 new, permanent Pro Longwear Lip Pencils.

"Be seduced by our most dramatic lipgloss yet, M·A·C Vamplify. Infused with a new colour-boosting technology, the formula is loaded with high-powered pigments in 17 shades, including three online-exclusives. One swipe loads lips with attitude, as a combination of lush natural oils polish with moisturizing colour. The glossy colour wears comfortably for hours, for a look that comes on strong and doesn’t let go. Also, dare you to resist the near-everlasting power of Pro Longwear Lip Pencil, now in 12 new shades."

The packaging is a long, slim tube with a thin, angled doe-foot applicator. The formula is soft, smooth, highly pigmented, fully-to-mostly opaque and wears roughly 3 - 5 hours. They all have a creamy consistency that is comfortable throughout wear and never feels sticky or heavy—it's only once the product starts to wear away that there is any noticeable, slight tackiness. They have a strong vanilla scent (much stronger than their regular lip formula) that can be noticed, but not tasted on initial application.

Here's what I picked up from the collection...

* Vamplify Lipgloss $20 USD / $24 CAD (0.16 oz.) [Limited Edition]

•  A for Attitude is described as a hot pink. [LE]

•  Anything But Demure is described as a mauvey nude. [LE]

•  How Chic is This? is described as a violet purple. [LE]

•  Hyper-Fabulous is described as a mauvey brown. [LE]

•  Little Miss Mischief is described as a bright warm pink. [LE, Online Exclusive]

•  Modern Drama is described as a dark plum. [LE]

•  She-Rebel is described as a dark blue-purple. [LE]

•  Spanking Haute is described as a pinky nude. [LE]

•  Speed Up is described as a bubblegum pink. [LE]

•  Suggestive is described as a intense blue-red. [LE]

•  Tuned In is described as a mid-tone rose nude. [LE]

•  What's Going On? is described as a hot intense fuchsia. [LE]

- A for Attitude is a medium-dark, brightened fuchsia with cool undertones and a glossy, cream finish. This shade applied smoothly, evenly and had rich, opaque pigmentation. The color did lightly fall into lip lines, but the brighter nature helped make it unapparent on the lips. A for Attitude wore well for +5.5 hours and was lightly hydrating. (5/5)

* MAC Pink Pigeon was lighter, warmer.  MAC Candy Yum Yum was brighter, more blue toned.  Too Faced Melted Fuchsia was brighter, more fuchsia.  Sephora Collection Whipped Blush was brighter, matte.  

- Anything But Demure is a light-medium, muted rose brown with warm undertones, gold micro-sparkle and a glossy, cream finish. This shade applied smoothly, evenly and had rich, opaque pigmentation. It performed nicely both alone and paired over other products, wore comfortably and left a very subtle gold sheen to lips due to the micro-sparkle. Anything But Demure wore well for +5 hours and was lightly hydrating. (5/5)

* MAC Kinda Sexy was lighter, more peach.  MAC Velvet Teddy was lighter, less brown.

- How Chic is This? is a medium-dark, purple magenta with warm undertones, violet micro-sparkle and a glossy, cream finish. This shade applied smoothly, evenly and semi-opaque. The color ended up being lot more sheer than most of the other shades, but it wore comfortably alone and ever-so-slightly bled/feathered towards the end of wear. How Chic is This? lasted +4.5 hours and was lightly hydrating. (4/5)

* Bite Violet was lighter, cooler, more fuchsia.   MAC Heroine was cooler, more purple.  

- Hyper-Fabulous is a medium-dark, muted plum brown with warm undertones, violet micro-sparkle and a glossy, cream finish. This shade applied smoothly, evenly and had opaque pigmentation. It was comfortable to wear and had excellent performance, both when paired over other products and when worn alone. Hyper-Fabulous lasted +5.5 hours and was lightly hydrating. (5/5)

*  MAC Tuned In was lighter, more pink.  MAC Kinda Sexy was lighter, more nude.  Kat Von D Lolita was muted, more rose, matte.

- Little Miss Mischief is a light-medium, brightened pink with hints of yellow, warm undertones and a glossy, cream finish. This shade applied smoothly, evenly and had nice, opaque pigmentation. It did have a slight, milky consistency, but it barely settled into lip line and was never visible except on close inspection. Little Miss Mischief wore well for +4.5 hours and was lightly hydrating. (5/5)

- Modern Drama is a medium-dark, berry red with cool undertones and a glossy, cream finish. This shade applied smoothly, mostly even and semi-opaque. It did appear darker in lip lines due to the sheer color payoff, but performed nicely over other products. This particular gloss also had a thinner consistency than the others and I did experience light feathering/bleeding during wear. Modern Drama lasted +5 hours and was lightly hydrating. (4/5)

* MAC Sin was darker, warmer, more burgundy.

- She-Rebel is a medium-dark purple with cool undertones, blue micro-sparkle and a glossy, cream finish. This shade applied smoothly, mostly even and semi-opaque. While it doesn't have the greatest performance when worn alone—as your natural lip pigmentation will alter the shade—it pairs and wears nicely and evenly over other products. She-Rebel wore well for +4 hours and was lightly hydrating when worn. (3/5)

- Spanking Haute is a light-medium, peach with hints of pink, warm undertones and a glossy, cream finish. This shade applied smoothly, semi-even and mostly opaque. While it does have great pigmentation, I found the color almost immediately settled into lip lines when applied due to the milkier consistency. However, this didn't occur when being paired over another lip product, like a lipstick or liner. Spanking Haute wore well for +4 hours and was lightly hydrating. (4/5)

* Kat Von D Noble was brighter, more pale, matte.  MAC Kinda Sexy was darker, muted, more brown.

- Speed Up is a light-medium, baby pink with cool undertones and a glossy, cream finish. This shade applied smoothly, evenly and mostly opaque. Like with most pale natured glosses, the milky consistency caused the color to lightly settle into lip lines when worn alone. Paired over another lip product (like a lipstick or liner) helped prevent this. Speed Up wore well for +4 hours before fading and was lightly hydrating. (4/5)

* MAC Steady Going was darker, muted, more yellow toned.  MAC Pink Plaid was darker, warmer, muted.  Kat Von D Melancholia was a tad darker, matte.  Too Faced Melted Frosting was lighter, warmer.  Too Faced Melted Marshmallow was lighter, more yellow toned.

- Suggestive is a medium-dark, brightened red with cool undertones and a glossy, cream finish. This shade applied smoothly, evenly and mostly opaque. Once again, your natural lip pigmentation will alter the color slightly, making the color either darker or brighter. Regardless, it had excellent performance both worn alone and paired with other products. Suggestive wore well for +5.5 hours and was lightly hydrating. (5/5)

* Clinique Cherry Pop was brighter, more red.  Too Faced Melted Velvet was warmer.

- Tuned In is a medium-dark, muted rose plum with warm undertones, gold micro-sparkle and a glossy, cream finish. This shade applied smoothly, evenly and had rich, opaque pigmentation. It was lightly hydrating, wore comfortably and left a nice, noticeable gold sheen to lips due to the micro-sparkle. Tuned In lasted +5 hours on it's own before fading. (5/5)

* MAC Hyper-Fabulous was darker, more brown.  MAC Whirl was darker, muted, more brown.  Kat Von D Double Dare was darker, more rose, matte.

- What's Going On? is a medium-dark, vivid fuchsia pink with cool undertones, strong blue micro-sparkle and a glossy, cream finish. This shade applied smoothly, evenly and mostly opaque. I found your natural lip pigmentation and/or product paired underneath alters the shade—whether it make it darker, brighter or intensify the blue sheen. I also experienced very light bleeding when I tested it on it's own. What's Going On? wore well for +5.5 hours and was lightly hydrating. (5/5)

* Bite Palomino was warmer, more red.  Too Faced Melted Jelly Donut was lighter, more pink.  Too Faced Melted Candy was lighter, more coral.

Overall, this formula is absolutely incredible—they provide the pigmentation of a liquid lipstick, but in a hydrating, non-sticky gloss formula. My favorite way of wearing these has been layering over a liquid lipstick, as they don't break down the product underneath, like most glosses tend to. Plus, they make even the driest matte formulas instantly comfortable! So, whether you're wearing them alone, pairing them with a lip liner for a more opaque, long-lasting coverage or laying over lipsticks for an extra kick of shine and color, these are definitely worth checking out before they sell out completely!

Favorites | Upcoming Favorites for Fall (2015)

[Disclaimer Policy]

With August just coming to an end, a new season is approaching so rather than highlighting our most used products from the last summer month, my best friend, Vic, and I thought we'd share our Upcoming Favorites for Fall—something a little different than your typical favorites video! Hopefully you're able to get some autumn inspiration from our picks; be sure to share yours down below or in the comments section of the video!

Products Featured...