MAC Styledriven Pro Longwear Eye Shadow: Sweet Satisfaction & Lie Low

The MAC Styledriven collection consists of Pro Longwear products for eyes and lips. I picked up two of the eye shadows.
These are larger than the normal shadows, the same size as the Mega Metal shadows.
Sweet Satisfaction is a shimmery warm sandy beige
Lie Low is a medium slightly shimmered warm golden brown (£15.50 each).

Swatches:
Mac state the following about this product "A unique long wearing Eye Shadow with a silky, creamy texture formulated for maximum colour impact. Easily blendable and buildable; lids are visibly smooth no matter how intense the application. Lasts 8 hours"
I'm not in complete agreement. Whilst the shadows feel smooth, I would not say they are creamy and I think they have a slightly dry feel about them. I swatched most shades in store and although pigmentation was good overall, I definitely don't find these pigment intense. They do blend well, however whilst I'd say they last better than a lot of the other MAC formulas I don't consider them extremely long wearing and did get a bit of colour fade when using them without a base.
Here's a picture of them applied, I was in a rush so my application is a bit lame, I just wanted to try and show you the finish of the shades.
This is not to say I don't like these, as I do, and they are one of the better MAC shadow formulations, however I don't think these necessarily live up to all the claims, so I'd advise to buy them more for the colour than for the reported attributes of the formula.
I also bought the new Matchmaster foundation which I'll tell you about next week.

I bought these from a MAC store.

Updated 3/9/11 with more realistic picture of Lie Low

Fresh Seaberry Restorative Body Cream & Supernova Radiance Brightening Pen

The Fresh Seaberry Restorative Body Cream (£19) contains omegas 3, 6, 7 & 9 and the star ingredient Seaberry oil. Seaberry oil is meant to be a powerful antioxidant, high in vitamins A and E.
The cream is thick yet absorbs easily into the skin, leaving no stickiness, or a greasy feel. Its very rich and gives instant and long lasting hydration. This cream gives tangible results, I had a rash on my arm from a reaction to a body oil and this cream calmed and relieved the area and I also had a little patch of dryness which I've had for years and within 2 weeks daily use of this, the dryness is almost gone.
It comes in a pump so no mess. My picture of the ingredients of this was not readable so here they are from the site:
AQUA (WATER), DICAPRYLYL CARBONATE, CERA ALBA (BEESWAX), DIMETHICONE, PRUNUS ARMENIACA (APRICOT) KERNEL OIL, GLYCERYL STEARATE, PALMITIC ACID, PEG-100 STEARATE, STEARIC ACID, PARFUM (FRAGRANCE), CETYL ALCOHOL, NEOPENTYL GLYCOL DIHEPTANOATE, SHOREA ROBUSTA SEED BUTTER, SIMMONDSIA CHINENSIS (JOJOBA) SEED OIL, SQUALANE, MALTOOLIGOSYL GLUCOSIDE, ZEA MAYS (CORN) STARCH, HIPPOPHAE RHAMNOIDES OIL, VACCINIUM MACROCARPON (CRANBERRY) SEED OIL, LIMONIUM GERBERI EXTRACT, ROSMARINUS OFFICINALIS (ROSEMARY) LEAF EXTRACT, TOCOPHEROL, SODIUM POLYACRYLATE, HYDROGENATED STARCH HYDROLYSATE, HYDROGENATED POLYDECENE, CAPRYLYL GLYCOL, JOJOBA ALCOHOL, POTASSIUM JOJOBATE, TOCOPHERYL ACETATE, XANTHAN GUM, BUTYLENE GLYCOL, BENZOIC ACID, DIPOTASSIUM GLYCYRRHIZATE, PENTAERYTHRITYL TETRA-DI-T-BUTYL HYDROXYHYDROCINNAMATE, CAPRYLIC/CAPRIC TRIGLYCERIDE, PPG-5-LAURETH-5, DISODIUM EDTA, LINALOOL, LIMONENE, CITRAL, COUMARIN, GERANIOL, PHENOXYETHANOL <06444/A>

Whilst the scent is typical of the Fresh body care range, its not quite as sweet and more to the citrus side.

As I continue to amass every under eye concealer possible, I couldn't resist buying the Supernova Radiance Brightening Pen (£18.50)

The texture is somewhat thicker and more creamy than the majority of other clicky/twistable pen brush applicator concealer/highlighter hybrids.
I was surprised that it felt so lightweight. Coverage is light to medium, I'd say it does more in concealing than it does brighten. It doesn't settle into lines but it does require a dusting of powder to last the entire day.I bought the lightest shade#1, which is a bit too dark for me.
Swatches L-R: Estee Lauder Double wear Light 01, Diorskin Nude 001 ivory, Fresh Supernova shade 1, YSL Touche Eclat shade 2, Rouge Bunny Rouge Luminous Skin Wand Orionis.

Ingredients:

I bought these from the Fresh London store on Marylebone High Street, Tel: 020 7486 4100

Rouge Bunny Rouge Eye Look

I'd thought I'd show you a quick eye look I did today. I wanted to go for a darker look but with a little flash of colour, my skin is recovering from a break out at the moment so I tend to go for more pronounced makeup in an attempt to serve as a distraction from the bad areas.
The colours I used ( all Rouge Bunny Rouge) were Wishing For Wings loose glitter pigment on the main inner lid, Spun from Sunny Seawater loose glitter pigment on the middle of lid, Bejewelled Skylark on the outer edge, Abyssinian Catbird in the crease and Blackpepper Jay to line.
My application is not that great but I do really like the combination of colours.

Swatches L-R: Abyssinian Catbird, Wishing For Wings, Spun from Sunny Seawater, Blackpepper Jay, Bejewelled Skylark.

I bought all of these from zuneta.com

My Mystery Makeup Bag

Each member of the Beauty Spotlight team is giving you an insight into what lurks in our makeup bags.
This week its my turn so here are the items I keep in my handbag everyday:
They are housed in this little makeup bag
We will gloss over why I deemed this a suitable bag for a 32 year old....
I have a sample of Guerlain Orchidée Impériale Exceptional complete care cream: I think my Guerlain SA is ever hopeful that I'll buy the full size of this as she always gives me a sample when I buy from her. At around £250 for the full size this would have to be nothing short of spectacular for me to lay down that amount on one product and its not, but what it does do is really intensely hydrate the skin, even on rough areas, I therefore keep a sample in my bag should I notice any dry patches, also very useful on the nose area when you get a cold as its really takes down the sore, dry, redness.
I prefer to take a perfume with me to work rather than a body spray to freshen up should I feel the need, MAC Turquatic is a nice small size. I've been a fan of this scent for a while now, its a light fresh scent very suited to late Summer.
I have a Rouge Bunny Rouge mirror, this has taken a lot of knocks and across room lobs as my 3 year old boy has a thing about it and sometimes I can't get it off him quick enough. I am surprised it hasn't broken so I think its very robust, I love the design and that the mirror is quite big, one normal vision, one magnifying.

I rotate my lip colours, but at any given time I'll usually have three, you know just incase.. at the moment I'm clearly having a peachy/coral moment, swatched L-R: Fresh Sugar honey lip treatment, Rouge Bunny Rouge Sheer Lipstick Fluttering Sighs, Chanel Rouge Coco Shine Misia
Next up I have a Bobbi brown Face Touch Up Stick Alabaster, useful if I have any redness that appears during the day.

Tarte fRxtion natural sugar exfoliater & lip balm duo, my friend Jeanie sent me this. Its really nifty, one side is a sugar crystal exfoliater, one side a balm. I've used mine up a lot so I'll show how it looked all nice and new.
Finally my trusty Malin + Goetz lip moisturiser, it gives instant hydration and is very soothing I can put this on broken skin with no problem, I also use this on my little boy.
So there you have it, quite concise I think given my motherload of makeup! x

Chanel Illusion d'Ombre Epatant

Chanel introduces us to six shades of a gel textured eyeshadow with their fall collection. The shadows have a spongy/springy texture, they feel quite creamy, yet lightweight. The shadow applies evenly and blends in well and does not feel drying.
The shadow come with a tiny angled brush (which I forget to photograph) it works really well to create a thick but even line.
The shadows have really good pigment, I bought Epatant (£22.50), which is an intensely shimmered greyed green with a silver edge.
When I first used this I applied two coats and found the colour too stark and frosty, picture below
I much prefer wearing it with one application of colour and with a cool dark deep brown just at the outer edge, picture below ( this is after 11 hours wear with a primer so doesn't look as crisp as when I first applied it)
Although these are deemed long wearing I have to wear an eyeshadow primer with these otherwise I do get creasing after an hour or two.
I was worried that these would have the same texture and wear as the spring Ombres Perleés de Chanel Eyeshadow Palette (which I really didn't get on with) which is why I only bought one, however now that I know the formula is different I'll go back and get Illusoire.
Swatched below on the left and blended in on the right:

Ingredients:
Although we are all very caught up with these gel shadows and the nail polishes from Chanel's fall collection, I was very tempted by the neutral Prelude eyeshadow quad, unfortunately we get the baked version here in the UK and it did swatch sheer but I am going back and forth on this as I really did like the colours, if anyone has the baked version I'd loved to know how it applies?

I bought this from John Lewis

New brand: Smooch cosmetics

Smooch cosmetics is a new UK brand. The image is very girly and mischievous and somewhat reminiscent of the now discontinued Pout brand in my opinion.
The brand has a lower price point than I would tend towards (I mostly have bad luck with the more budget friendly brands, so I consider myself a justified makeup snob) however I liked the look of the packaging ( it has a rubber feel to it, similar to NARS) and the colour range and as there was a 50% off offer on I thought there was not much to lose.

The shadow duo's (£9.50 each) I bought were:
Dare to bare (Frosty white peach paired with a frosty golden peachy beige.)

Seattle (Shimmery gold/beige paired with a shimmery cool brown)

Twilight (Frosty white silver pared with a blue toned pewter with micro glitter)
The pigment is good, they feel quite smooth and blend and last quite well, however they are very crumbly.The finishes are too frosty/shimmery for my taste so I blend the shadows out, which works well to reduce the intensity.
Swatches L-R: Twilight, Dare to bare, Seattle
Eyeshadow Ingredients:

The two lipsticks I got (£7.50 each), whilst similar colours in the tube, apply and feel very different.
Truffle is a warm brown rose (heavier on the brown) with a slight glossy finish, it feels comfortable, lightweight and moisturising. Naughty is a matte warm brick red, the pigment is more intense and the finish is not as moisturising though its more long lasting than Truffle.
Picture below Naughty on the left, Truffle on the right.
Lipsticks Ingredients:

I got one blush in the shade Sugar Rush (£8.50). Its a warm peachy/beige with a touch of silver sparkle.
I'm not a fan of sparkle on the cheeks but it looks more like shimmer from a normal distance and its only when you get really close up can you see the sparkle.
Swatches below L-R:Sugar Rush blusher, Naughty Lipstick, Truffle Lipstick

The blushers are the same size as the duos, compacts pictured below:
Blusher ingredients:

Overall the quality level and finish of products is along the lines of Too Faced, albeit a bit better and at a cheaper price. My stand outs are Seattle eyeshadow and lipstick in Truffle. The 50% off only lasts till 16th September 2011, and I am very tempted to put another order in (the prices I have put in this post are their normal full price).

I bought all these from smoochcosmeticsuk.com

Dior Blue Tie Fall 2011:Serum de Rouge Crystal & Rouge Dior Lip Colour

Although the Blue Tie palettes in Smoking Blue, Smoking White and trios in Smoky Black and Smoky Navy looked quite stunning in the compacts, on swatching there was at least one shade in each that had poor pigment and really did not feel smooth at all. As such my attention turned to the great array of natural, easy to wear lip offerings.
There were four shades of the new Rouge Serum Crystal (£25 each) on the display. I would say the formula feels the same as the normal Serum De Rouge lipsticks; lightweight, really smooth and moisturising, giving a sheer luminous finish. The only noticeable difference is that the Crystal shades seem more sheer.
215 Primrose Crystal is sheer warm beige with a touch of pink. 455 Tea Rose Crystal is sheer delicate pink.
Of the four new Rouge Dior lipsticks I immediately went for 428 Pisanelle Pink (£22.50) which is a soft beige pink with a gentle glimmer. I think the Rouge Dior formula has really good colour payoff and lasts very well, I don't find these the most moisturising though.
Swatches L-R:Pisanelle Pink,Tea Rose Crystal,Primrose Crystal
Swatches taken in sunlight L-R:Pisanelle Pink,Primrose Crystal, Tea Rose Crystal
Ingredients of Rouge Serum Crystal
Ingredients of Rouge Dior
I bought all of these from Boots.