Review & Swatches: Clarins Long Lasting Kohl Kajal

Another part of Clarins' limited edition summer 2012 collection today.  This is Kohl Kajal, a soft, long lasting eyeliner in the style of traditional Indian kohl.

As you might expect, the oversized, pointed nib of this liner is seriously soft stuff, to the extent that Clarins have provided some handy instructions on how to remove the lid to avoid spoiling the liner.  The idea is that you can use this soft, smudgy colour on the lashline or on the waterline, and despite its smoky smudginess, it won't immediately start migrating onto your cheeks.

It's pretty dark and smoky, but this kohl is definitely not the blackest, most opaque liner I've ever used.  It can be layered up to increase the darkness, but don't expect the inkiest black immediately.  Personally, I quite like the slightly softer, less intense black - it's less intimidating to apply and smudge, gives you more scope for building up the colour, and makes it a little more daytime friendly.

Above, I've applied the kohl kajal to the lashline, both top and bottom, and smudged it out with my ring finger.  Whilst it was incredibly easy to smudge, and I'll be careful to pay close attention in the morning and not spread it too close to my charming undereye shadows, I did find that this kohl set tight after a minute or so, leaving it non-smudgable.  So, you'll need to work quickly after applying with this one.

I can't help but compare this liner to my Guerlain Terracotta liner, which gives a similar effect, and is also Eastern inspired.  The Clarins liner definitely loses in terms of all out gorgeousness, but for that smoky effect, I think that the solid liner wins for ease of use day to day - I rarely use my Terracotta liner as I often end up with black powder all over my cheekbones.

Clarins Long Lasting Kohl Kajal is available from late May, and costs £15.  It also comes in a rather fetching violet shade.

Disclosure: PR sample

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Duochrome Showdown: OPI vs Topshop vs Revlon vs Barry M

I don't know. You wait ages for one grey-green-lilac duochrome polish to come along and then three turn up at once.

I thought OPI's Not Like In The Movies was a one-of-a-kind sort of shade, but in the last couple of months I've come across three other polishes that disprove that theory - Revlon's Smoldering (sic), which I picked up in the US in January, Barry M's Silvery Lilac, which came out last month, and lastly Topshop Hypnotic, part of the Sisters of the New Moon summer collection.

All of them have a medium shimmer finish with tiny speck-sized silver microglitter, and all of them shift from purple through silver to green depending on the light.

What I found really interesting though, is that two of the polishes shift in a *different direction* to the others. While Not Like In the Movies is being green, Smoldering is being purple. Same with the Barry M and Topshop shades - somehow they react differently to the light and shift in opposite directions.

Which can only mean...

Reverse-shift duochrome accent nail! I think I've gone to makeup-nerd heaven.

In terms of showdown-ness, I must apologise, because this isn't an especially good post for those looking to snap up a dupe: only one of the polishes is a permanent shade from a UK brand (that's the Barry M). Truthfully, all of them perform well, with OPI perhaps a little more pigmented than the others. But unless you have access to US brands or you're quick enough to catch either the OPI or the Topshop colours before they go, you're stuck with Barry. (No offence, Barry.)

If you fancy doing the reverse duochrome thing, Barry M vs Topshop is the cheapest and most accessible way to go.

OPI Not Like in the Movies is available from a few sites, costing around £10 for 15ml. I just spotted it here for £10.50
Topshop Hypnotic - £6.50 for 8ml
Barry M Silvery Lilac - £2.99 for 10ml
Revlon Smoldering - $4.99 for 15ml (US only - but if you've found this in the UK please do let us know)

Somewhat disturbingly, none of these are PR samples. Disturbing because it means I went out and bought four basically identical polishes using my own ill-gotten money.

This post originated at www.londonbeautyreview.com. If you're reading it elsewhere, it's been stolen, violating our copyright.

Review & Swatches: Lipstick Queen Liptropolis

Sarah and I were lucky enough to meet Poppy King at a recent Space NK event.  Being a fan of both lipstick in general and the Lipstick Queen herself, I was pretty excited.  My excitement was soon surpassed by the little look I got of Liptropolis, volume one of an unspecified number of lipstick libraries, encased in book-like packaging and containing three shades apiece.

The inside of the book contains a missive from Poppy, and three lipsticks in silver packaging, encased in silver cardboard.  Liptropolis is inspired by New York, and Poppy says she's chosen the three shades included to represent the distinctive areas of the city.

The shades are, from left to right, Soho, described as a fashionable red; Upper East, described as an elegant nude; and Central Park, described as a refined peach.

Soho.  This one looks a little different in the tube than it does on the lips - I thought it'd be a blue toned true red, but it turns out it's a little more pink toned, more of a ruby red.

Upper East.  I was expecting this to be a fairly standard beige tone, but it's actually a slightly peachier shade.  

Central Park.  I'm usually afraid of peach - it tends to clash with my hair.  But this shade reads much more coral on my skin, and is deliciously bright and wearable.

Left to right: Soho, Upper East, Central Park

These lipsticks take a little while to warm up on the lip, much like the regular Sinner line from the main Lipstick Queen collection.  Once warmed up, though, they glide on with only a little dragging, have a medium opacity, and can be easily built up to the full colour shown above, in just a couple of passes over the lips.  They're wonderfully comfortable, combining lightness, moistness, and the feeling that they're there for the duration.

I like these a lot.  I like the shade selection and the fact that the shades themselves surprised me, and I love the collectible, decorate packaging.  I would definitely buy another edition.  Sadly, Poppy wouldn't give us any hints on the theme of the next library - but she did say that it wouldn't be city themed.  

At £40, this certainly isn't a cheap set - but if you've ever tried a Lipstick Queen lipstick before, you'll know that the quality level is high enough to justify around £13 a tube.  Find it at Space NK now.

Disclosure: PR sample

This post originated at www.londonbeautyreview.com. If you're reading it elsewhere, it's been stolen, violating our copyright.

FOTD with YSL Touche Eclat Foundation

YSL's new Touche Eclat foundation lands in stores in July, and given the almost fanatical following that the original highlighting pen has gathered over the years, it's set to be a big launch.  At £28, it's very definitely a high end foundation - but it does make some rather high end claims too, including a weightless texture, brightening properties, and a lightweight, natural finish.

Does it deliver?  I think so.  I'm wearing it in the FOTD above, and I've found it to be incredibly brightening, making my skin look awake and glowing without leaving it dewy or shiny.  The texture is indeed lightweight, and the finish is natural.  It's also totally buildable, and you can apply a tiny bit for a bit of a kick in the morning, or a full face of the stuff for a smooth, even, glowing finish.  It doesn't really cover blemishes, so if you want more of a medium/opaque coverage product, this one probably isn't for you.

I'm wearing shade B10, the palest neutral shade available.  There are 22 shades available, covering warm, neutral and cool undertones, and it looks like the shade range is wide enough to match the palest to the deepest of skintones.  Lovely stuff.

Face

YSL Touche Eclat Foundation in B10*

Cargo Tonga blush

Eyes

Kiko eyeshadows (brows)

Urban Decay Primer Potion

Bare Minerals READY eyeshadow duo in The Showstopper*

Lancome Hypnose Drama mascara

Clarins Long Lasting Kohl Kajal (more on that later this week)*

Lips

Burberry Lip Cover in Primrose Hill Pink

* items marked with an asterisk are PR samples

This post originated at www.londonbeautyreview.com. If you're reading it elsewhere, it's been stolen, violating our copyright.

Review & Swatches: Bare Minerals Ready Eyeshadow Duo in The Showstopper

Bare Minerals, famous for their loose mineral makeup, particularly foundations, have recently released a set of pressed mineral makeup.  This makes me happy - mostly because I've always admired the beautiful multi-dimensional shades of the Bare Minerals loose eyeshadows, but generally consider myself too cack handed and sleepy to deal with loose shadow in the morning.

This is The Showstopper, a beautiful combination of pale blue and a lovely purple with a blue duochrome flash.  Packaged in NARS-like black rubberised palettes, the eyeshadow duo feels solid and well made.  Like NARS products, it's likely to get a little grubby in your makeup bag, but it's definitely not going to fall apart.

These shadows are soft and buttery, picking up easily with a brush and blending very easily onto the eyelids. They're so buttery, in fact, that they almost feel a little greasy - this is something I've often noticed with pressed mineral shadows (Sleek, I'm looking at you), and in this case it doesn't really affect the texture too much, nor affect the wear when applied over a decent primer.

Both shadows are pretty, with a high-sparkle finish for each, but the purple shade is the knockout of the pair.  That icy blue flash is just gorgeous.

This duo is incredibly flattering on my greenish eyes, and I absolutely love the sparkling, shimmery finish.  At £19, they're not cheap, albeit it a fair bit cheaper than the comparable NARS duos, which are £23.50.  Given the quality of the shadow, the etheral finish, and that beautiful duochrome, I'd definitely invest in more shades.

Find them at Bare Minerals stockists, and via their website.

Disclosure: PR sample

This post originated at www.londonbeautyreview.com. If you're reading it elsewhere, it's been stolen, violating our copyright.

Clarins Instant Smooth Crystal Lip Balms 2012

I've developed a bit of a thing for these limited edition balms from Clarins, ever since my socks were rocked by the Crystal Coral one last year.

This year there are 4 of them (there were 3 last year - they're multiplying!), and they come with a new trick, namely a core of colour down the middle of the bullet. The shades are 01 Crystal Pink, 02 Crystal Violet, 03 Crystal Coral and 04 Crystal Red.



The texture hasn't changed much despite the lipsticky bit in the centre - they're still quite light and moisturising. However the colour is more intense than before, so they're slightly less "on-the-go" appropriate. You may want to use a mirror when applying to avoid streaky colour or "colouring outside the lines" disasters.

L-R: 01 Crystal Pink, 02 Crystal Violet, 03 Crystal Coral, 04 Crystal Red



Here are a few comparison pics with last year's Crystal Red and Crystal Coral vs this year's. As you can see, the brand name is no longer embossed on the bullet (sadface) but the packaging is the same heavy, classy silver tube.



L-R Crystal Coral 2011, Crystal Coral 2012:



L-R Crystal Red 2011, Crystal Red 2012:



And finally, Crystal Coral 2012 (above) and Crystal Coral 2011 on the lips.

I'm happy to see a bit more colour "oomph" from this year's rendition, but I think the previous version without the colour core is a bit more practical. It depends on what you want the product to do - balm enthusiasts might prefer the old incarnations, while lipstick fiends are likely to be pleased with these more colourful versions.

Each one is £16.50, out later this month and as last year, limited edition for summer at clarins.co.uk and at counters nationwide.

Disclosure - PR samples (except Crystal Red 2011)

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Review & Swatches: Burberry Lip Cover in Primrose Hill Pink

A couple of weeks ago, I went to San Francisco for a two-day meeting.  A long way to travel for a short meeting, no?  Given the insane jetlag that this was likely to cause, I figured I was due a few treats from Duty Free on the way out.  Once there, I headed straight to the Burberry makeup stand - this is the first piece I've tried from the collection, and I was drawn by the heavy, classy looking packaging, and of course the amazingly detailed embossing on the lipstick itself.

One of the most satisfying and frustrating things about this lipstick is the magnetic closure which holds the lid tightly to the bullet casing.  Once aligned properly, it clunks solidly and strongly into place, but the problem is that it's not actually that easy to align it properly.  The magnet only works if you've got the right side of the lid aligned with the right side of the casing.  You can feel the magnet pulling a little if you pop the cap on incorrectly, but still, it's a little niggle I wish didn't happen.

Anyway - the lipstick itself is very, very pretty, embossed with the same linear, tweedy signature pattern that's used on the lid.  The texture is intensely buttery and emollient, and the colour just glides off the bullet onto the lip with no dragging at all.  I'd expected that such a rich texture would have trouble sticking to the lip, but it actually sets after a few minutes, and then proceeds to hold on for around four hours before succumbing to the ring-of-death we all know and dislike.  Not all that bad for something which wears so comfortably, and leaves lips feeling soft and hydrated.

On the lip, Primrose Hill Pink is a medium-pigmented coral pink with a moist, semi-glossy finish.  I think it makes my lips look plump and lovely.  The colour is soft and neutral, but not in a boring beige way - it does go with plenty of eye and cheek combinations, and it's not really a statement lip, but it's definitely not subtle.  I had wondered if it would clash terribly with my red hair, but in fact, it's a warming, fresh colour on me.

Overall, I'm pretty impressed with this lipstick - and I'll definitely consider buying another.  The wear time is pretty decent, the finish is luscious, and comfort levels are good, although I do wish it didn't wear unevenly towards to end of the lifetime of a single application.  Particularly given it's £23 price tag.  

Find it at Harrods, or at the Duty Free area in Heathrow Terminal Three, which incidentally is really good, and a massive temptation any time I find myself there.

This post originated at www.londonbeautyreview.com. If you're reading it elsewhere, it's been stolen, violating our copyright.