cream eyeshadow

Lots of loving for 3 creamy products from Face Stockholm

March 7, 2014 by beautyin ·

While Face Stockholm has just come out with their spring collection I’ve can’t stop wearing some of the products from their other collections. I love that there’s a timelessness with Face Stockholm’s products. Often when they spotlight what they think is important for a season, they are products from the regular line since they create products that are classics or classics with a twist.

Face Stockholm cream eyeshadow in Taft, Nail polish in #168 and London creme blush

I love creams for my face so when I was sent a few creamy Face Stockholm products for review I was thrilled. To me there’s a youthfulness with a cream product that I don’t always get with powder products. I’m old enough to need all the youth that can be thrown my way.

Face Stockholm Creme Blush in Rio and London

One of my very favorite products from Face Stockholm has been their Crème Blush in Rio. I am totally head over heels in love with it. Face Stockholm makes 14 different crème blushes all named after countries. I’d rather own these blushes than travel to the places they are named after – that’s how much I like them. Rio is a gorgeous candy pink while my newest one, London, is papaya. It’s almost scary bright in the compact but once on, it’s fantabulous. It’s a darker shade than my original Rio so I have to use a lighter touch on my very fair skin. To me there’s no season for these blushes since they work all year long for me.

Face Stockholm London blush indirect light

Face Stockholm London blush in sunlight

Face Stockholm Rio and London blush swatches

Face Stockholm crème blushes are dewy without being greasy looking. I find that they work well over any type of foundation or powder I’m wearing. They are extremely easy to blend. I love a cream blush because of the ability to blend it more seamlessly than a powder blush. Depending on my mood I use my fingers, a sponge, or a brush. But no matter my tool, I end with my fingers to help meld the cream into my skin and make sure that the colors are muted around the edges of the blush. On my normal to dry skin they last a good 8 hours before I have to add anymore.

Face Stockholm KRÄMÖGONSKUGGA in Taft

A new product for me is their KRÄMÖGONSKUGGA which they call their “Dream Cream Eye Shadow”. This comes in 18 shades ($24). You don’t have to know how to pronounce this shadow to love it luckily. I was sent it in Taft which is described as ‘cream sable’. When I think of sable I think of a redder shade though than this is. Taft is a neutral brown that can be worn as eyeliner or as an eyeshadow. I’ve worn it as my actual eyeshadow color, in addition I’ve worn it as a base for powder shadows. Taft is one of the longest wearing cream shadows I’ve ever tried. It doesn’t crease on me and it lasts an entire day. Face Stockholm says it’s waterproof and I believe that. I need a dedicated eye makeup remover to take it off.

Face Stockholm KRÄMÖGONSKUGGA in Taft

My only complaint with KRÄMÖGONSKUGGA is the packaging. When I wear a cream eyeshadow I like to use my fingers to apply it and there’s no way I can do that with this little jar of loveliness. It’s only about ¾ of an inch across so I have to use a brush to get it out. My finger just won’t fit. It’s not a loose cream, it’s on the stiff side which helps make it last so long so you’ll need a firm enough brush to get it out and apply it. For me, the best brush is a taklon one like MAC 242 brush which is a great size and material to fit in the jar and apply it. The shade that is calling my name in this collection is Linne. It’s a shimmer taupe that looks light enough to wear alone or as a base shade.

For a long time you could only buy Face Stockholm in New York or Europe. They now have locations throughout the US though none near me. In addition blush.com (part of Dermstore) carries a lot of the line though not the cream eyeshadows.

If you are a fan of cream products consider searching for the ones from Face Stockholm should be on your agenda. They may be a little harder to come by but once in your possession you’ll be thrilled you made the extra effort.

What Face Stockholm products have won your heart? — Marcia

*sent for editorial consideration

** stay tuned for a review of Face Stockholm #168 polish

Filed Under: beauty, Blush, cream blush, cream eyeshadow, Eyeshadow, Face Stockholm · Tagged With: blush, cream blush, cream eyeshadow, Eyeshadow, Face Stockholm

Boho Rock: Butter London Treacle WINK Cream Eyeshadow and Goss Nail Lacquer

February 20, 2014 by beautyin ·

Butter London Boho Rock Treacle and Goss

A collection from Butter London called Boho Rock? They had me at Boho.

Most people think of nail polish when they see the Butter London name but this line is so much more than that. Don’t get me wrong, they have amazing lacquers…but they also have stunning cosmetics as well. Boho Rock, one of their latest collections, is “a collection of layering shades designed to unleash your Bohemian spirit. Sensuous neutrals combine with ethereal textures for an earthy and feminine finish.”

If I had to choose a ‘style’ that I like best it would definitely be boho, so you can bet I was happy when they sent two shades from the Boho Rock collection, Treacle WINK Cream Eyeshadow ($18) and Goss Nail Lacquer ($15).

Butter London Treacle WINK Cream Eyeshadow

Treacle WINK Cream Eyeshadow is a light beige shimmer that is a perfect base for other colors, or a pretty neutral all on its own. ‘Treacle’ is apparently a ‘term of endearment’ in cockney slang. It has a very slight rosy pink tint and it makes for a deliciously soft and feminine look.

Treacle Cream Eyeshadow

Treacle swatch

Treacle

The perfect nail polish to pair up with a soft, boho eye look? Hands down, Goss Nail Lacquer.

Butter London Goss Nail Lacquer

Goss Nail Lacquer is an opaque rosy shimmer. Oh my, it is gorgeous!! I get tons of compliments on this one, people really notice it – and in a good way. A ‘goss’, by the way, is slang for someone who loves to gossip. Believe me, wear this and you will be the talk of the town. I think it’s one of the prettiest nail polishes I own.

Butter London Goss Nail Lacquer

Goss from the side – check out that stunning rosy shimmer

Butter London Goss Nail Polish

Butter London Goss Nail Lacquer

The dreamy Goss Nail Lacquer

Both Treacle and Goss are absolutely dreamy colors, perfect for a warm boho look. You’ve got to check out all the other fabulous shades in the Butter London Boho Rock collection, which includes nail lacquers, cream eyeshadows, lipsticks, eye pencils, colored mascaras, and a cream blush. It’s a truly lovely collection. – Lisa

*pr samples

Filed Under: Butter London, cream eyeshadow, Eyeshadow, Nail Lacquer, Nail Polish · Tagged With: Butter London, cream eyeshadow, Eyeshadow, Nail Lacquer, nail polish

Makeup Wars brings you our favorite cream eyeshadows

April 15, 2013 by beautyin ·

Welcome back to Makeup Wars. We promise no more tricks. It’s hard to look that foolish on a public beauty blog. This time we’ve chosen to share our favorite creamy eyeshadows. They can be eyeshadow crayons or cream eyeshadows. With my collection I had a lot to choose from. I adore cream products and I adore anything for eyes. Put them all together and I could do 10 Makeup Wars about this. But when I really looked at my collection what jumped out at me and still made my heart go atwitter were the hybrid shadows that are semi-creamy, semi-powdery and all beautiful.

My two choices for favorites are both still available to buy which is one of the reasons I picked them. But I found two surprises when I went to write about them. I chose both Armani ‘Eyes to Kill’ Intense Silk Eyeshadow in #6 ($33) and L’Oreal Infallible Eyeshadow in Bronzed Taupe (about $8). I wear these two more than any others in my stash. Surprise 1 is that they look almost identical on my eyes. I even wore them one day with Armani #6 on my left eye and L’Oreal Bronzed Taupe on my right eye and no one noticed even when I mentioned it. Surprise 2 is that Armani’s #6 is called Khaki Pulse. I think of the color khaki as that army green sort of shade but on my eyes this looks like a brown with gold shot through. L’Oreal’s Bronzed Taupe looks a little browner and a little less gold. I obviously don’t care that I have two similar shadows but for the price I’d probably advise you to get the L’Oreal.

Armani Eyes to Kill Intense in #6 Khaki Pulse (nordstrom.com)

L’Oreal Infallible eyeshadow in Bronzed Taupe (loreal.com)

As some of you know, Armani is owned by L’Oreal as is Lancome. All three brands have this texture of eyeshadow although for some reason I’m not crazy about the Lancome ones I bought as much as these two brands. So why do I like these shadows?

Armani Eyes to Kill Intense Eyeshadow #6 and L’Oreal Infallible Eyeshadow Bronzed Taupe

1) They wear fabulously on me. I always use an eyeshadow primer and I apply them with either a MAC 217 or 239 brush.

2) They go on like a dream without fallout. Yes they are shimmery but unlike pigments they don’t land on my face.

3) The complexity of the colors draws my eye to them. They aren’t flat. You can play with the intensity by the amount of blending you do. I tend to wear them on the dark side.

4) They don’t fade on me. They look as good at the end of the day as when I started.

5) Because of the consistency there’s no tugging or pulling on my eyelids. I have enough age lines there so I don’t need to add anymore.

Armani Eyes to Kill Intense Eyeshadow #6 and L’Oreal Infallible Eyeshadow Bronzed Taupe

Top Armani, bottom L’Oreal

I was going to go out and buy something new for this Makeup Wars but when I have what I consider to be perfection then there just isn’t any need to do that. Of course as soon as I click through the links below to see what my fellow Makeup Wars bloggers pick it might just be a moot point as I might just go shopping. Do you have any favorites among this genre of eyeshadow? — Marcia

Please join me in reading what my fellow Makeup Wars friends have chosen.

Nothing to disclose. To see previous Makeup Wars click here.

Filed Under: cream eyeshadow, Makeup Wars · Tagged With: Armani, cream eyeshadow, Eyes to Kill, Eyeshadow, Giorgio Armani Cosmetics, Infallible, L'Oreal, Makeup Wars

My Maybelline shopping adventure at CVS for Color Whisper lipstick and Color Tattoo Metal eyeshadow

March 1, 2013 by beautyin ·

I think I’m in love with CVS bucks. I’ve decided to pretty much stick with CVS for my random drugstore binges since I can’t keep track of more than one store. Here’s my latest mini binge starring Maybelline. CVS had $3 in Reward Dollars back if you spent $15 on Maybelline. I had $4 in Reward coupons that were just expired but only one of the CVS stores near me will take them if they are close (the other will yell at you for trying). After deciding to buy Maybelline I then used the machine in the store and it gave me a coupon for $4 off cosmetics. Plus I had a 20% off coupon that had come in my email. The two items I wanted equaled $15.90, now subtract the $8 above which made it $7.90. The cashier took 20% off my full order so that was another $3.10 off. Now we’re at $5.80 for two products and I have $3 to spend another time from the CVS bucks I got back. That’s a score! That’s why I like CVS.

My two buys were a Color Whisper Lipstick in #25 and an Eyestudio Color Tattoo Metal 24 Hour Cream Gel Shadow in Barely Branded.

Maybelline Color Whisper lipstick and Color Tattoo Metal cream shadow

I’ve reviewed several other Maybelline Color Tattoo eyeshadows and I was especially thrilled when I found Barely Beige. Turns out that Barely Branded is so similar to Barely Beige that I didn’t need two of them but since the texture does change in time, I’m not unhappy with this buy. It’s a wonderful base shade that gives a slight metallic look and livens up just about anything I wear over it. And it lasts and lasts! I did swatches on my hand and they were still there after half a dozen hand washings and only came off with makeup remover when I finally took my eye makeup off that night.

Barely Branded

Barely Beige on the left, Barely Branded on the right

The new Metal Tattoo eyeshadows come in 5 shades: Barely Branded, Inked in Pink, Silver Strike, Gold Rush and Electric Blue. The names are indicative of the colors. If you didn’t get Barely Beige when I reviewed it before then check out Barely Branded as a great substitute. It’s a beautiful cream shade with some extra dimension to it due to the metallic finish.

Color Whisper by Maybelline

Maybelline has two new lipstick formulas out now – Color Whisper by Color Sensational and Color Sensational Vivids. Color Whisper has a weightless gel formula that is without a fragrance (thank you Maybelline!!!). It’s truly as light as a whisper. There are 20 shades that have names and numbers but for some reason they only have the number on the tube, not the name. I wanted a light pink that wasn’t Barbie Doll and wasn’t going to conceal my lips. #25 is Lust for Blush and it’s really close to what I wanted which is great considering there are no testers. This shade is just a bit darker than my natural lip color. It doesn’t last very long and it’s not the most moisturizing formula but I’m finding that if I moisturize my lips during the day with a lip balm and then apply Color Whisper before going out that I have a good combination. #25 Lust for Blush is a great “purse” shade for me since I can put it on with just about anything I’m wearing and don’t really need a mirror.

Maybelline Color Whisper in Lust for Blush

Lust for Blush

I love a bargain when it works and this one did. Now I still have $3 left to buy either more Maybelline or maybe some Butterfingers. Did I just say that?? — Marcia

Filed Under: cream eyeshadow, CVS, Eyeshadow, Lipstick, Maybelline · Tagged With: Color Sensational, Color Whisper lipstick, cream eyeshadow, CVS, Eyeshadow, Maybelline

Make Up For Ever Black Tango Palette

October 30, 2012 by beautyin ·

Do you watch Dancing With the Stars? Do you live for episodes with Gilles Marini dancing the Tango?

Boy what I wouldn’t give to be Cheryl Burke in this photo…

Well, Gilles may not be showing up in my bedroom any time soon – oops, I meant to say on my dance floor…but I can create a super sexy, dramatic eye with my Make Up For Ever Black Tango Palette ($45) just in case he does!

Make Up For Ever Black Tango Palette

Pictures don’t seem to do this palette justice. The outside is really beautiful, it’s a black lace fan opened against a red background. It’s stunning, it looks much more dramatic in person than it does in the picture. This palette is exclusively at Sephora and Sephora.com.

Inside are four limited editions of Make Up For Ever’s waterproof Aqua Cream eyeshadows. Three of them have a black base, the fourth is a highlighter color. They are super pigmented, and once they are on they aren’t going anywhere until you wash them off.

inside Black Tango

The jars of cream eyeshadow have flip-top lids, you will want to seal them carefully after use to make sure they don’t dry out.

Black Tango – note the flip-top lids

The four shades include black with red highlights, black with green highlights, black with blue highlights, and ivory. Also included is an extremely nice dual sided flat nylon bristle brush.

double ended flat bristle brush

The colors are so pigmented, having two sides to the brush is a terrific idea – one side to apply the darker color, and the other side for the ivory shade.

brush close up

Three of the four colors are dark, jewel-tone shades mixed with black for very striking, dark smoky looks. Make Up For Ever recommends using the brush to blend one of the dark colors from the lash line up to the crease. Then, use the tip of the brush to apply the same color as an eyeliner along the lower lash line. Then, use the other side of the brush to apply the ivory shade onto the brow bone, finish the look with loads of mascara and you are ready to tango!

left to right: ivory, black/blue, black/red, black/green

I love the Aqua Cream eyeshadows so I was excited for this palette. The colors are very dramatic, and actually apply darker than they look in the pan.

black/red

Pictured above is the black with red shade. This goes on me as reddish-blackish-brown. I don’t normally wear dark shades on my lid, but I tried the look Make Up For Ever suggests and it’s very pretty with all three shades. I also liked using the ivory shade on the lid and brow, with a darker shade in the crease and to line the upper and lower lids. I think that is a better way to go if you have deep-set or hooded eyes.

Eye look using the black/red shade with ivory as a brow shade

The cream eyeshadow seems to dry more quickly than the previous Aqua Creams I’ve tried, so you have to work fast to blend out the colors.

black/green

The black/green shade is a very deep green on, in fact on me it looks almost black – there is just the slightest hint of green to it. Sheered out the green shows up more.

black/blue

I think my favorite shade is the black/blue one, I love how the jewel-toned blue really makes brown eyes pop.

black/blue with a little bit missing…

Here’s what it looks like after I’ve been dipping in. I love this as an eyeliner, it just doesn’t budge.

ivory

ivory after I used it a few times

The ivory shade is very pretty. I found that too much of this looks a bit frosty, so use it sparingly and build it up to the intensity you desire.

Overall, I really like this palette and think the colors are very interesting. I am finding myself using the dark colors mostly for lining. They look nice on the lid, but for my eye shape the ivory is a better lid choice. The brush is fabulous, and the cream eyeshadows are must haves if you have problems with eyeshadow smudging or wearing off quickly.

Every time I use this palette, I look ready to tango. Gilles, are you listening? Come on over, I’ve got the look so now I need the partner!!! – Lisa

*pr sample

Ingredients:

Isododecane, Synthetic Wax, Mica, Trimethylsiloxysilicate, Zinc Stearate, Kaolin, Trioctyldodecyl Citrate, Disteardimonium Hectorite, Acrylates Copolymer, Isononyl Isononanoate, Synthetic Fluorphlogopite, Silica, Propylene Carbonate, Parfum (Fragrance), Tin Oxide, [+/- CI 77499 (Iron Oxides), CI 77891 (Titanium Dioxide), CI 77491 (Iron Oxides), CI 77510 (Ferric Ferrocyanide), CI 77492 (Iron Oxides), CI 77288 (Chromium Oxide Greens), CI 19140 (Yellow 5 Lake)].