Kevyn Aucoin’s The Expert Lip Tint ($23.00) is a bit of a misleading product name, considering it’s an opaque, lightly frosted/full sheen lipstick. These lipsticks wear extremely well (four hours or longer), and they’re not at all drying. They’re creamy, richly pigmented, and go on smoothly. Sephora currently stocks eleven different shade variations, and I picked up two from when the brand was on sale at HauteLook (so everything was 50% off).
Poppia is an orange-based red with medium frostiness and good color pay off. It’s a bold red, and the orange-base makes it pop a lot.
Talula is an opaque, poppy-orange shade with less frost in its finish as Poppia, but it has a nice sheen to it.
The packaging is elegant and fun without being too impractical. I love the mix of black and red and soft shimmery look all of the products have. I think if I were to try any other shades, I’d be most interested in checking out Bloodroses, Faith, Falon, and ThelmaDora. Any of these shades catch your eye?
Product: 8/10
Value: 6/10
Ease of Use: 8/10
Packaging: 7/10
Recommendation: If you love yourself some pigmented lipsticks that feel creamy and wear well throughout the day, Kevyn Aucoin’s The Expert Lip Tints are one way to go.
Kevyn Aucoin The Liquid Patent Lip($27.00) is a liquid lip color designed to give you lips that look like glossy, patent leather. It comes in a twist-up container with a white bristled brush applicator. I’ve never been a huge fan of this gloss/color delivery system, just because so much product gets stuck in the brush, and if you don’t wash the brush (which I get concerned over any water/soap getting back into the product), it can get pretty gross. I usually take a makeup remover wipe and then I brush this back and forth to remove the majority of the product without contaminating the product itself. From my HauteLook order, I purchased three shades:
Jupitesse is a dark purple-black with fine multicolored shimmer running through it. This one is particularly difficult to apply evenly and opaquely on lips. I had the most trouble with this shade, and I would not recommend it.
Infernelle is a semi-opaque deep red that went on much better than Jupitesse. It was smooth, left a lovely glossy finish, and gave my lips plenty of color without being completely opaque. A bonus was Infernelle turned out to be a very wearable red, because it wasn’t bright or overly bold.
Nyalia is a pretty pink with just a little bit of coral to it and nearly no shimmer. I felt this one had the best application–look and feel–compared to the other two I tried. It was smooth, opaque, and just glossy enough (though I wouldn’t say it had a patent lip look). This shade was very wearable and perfect for summer.
I think Kevyn Aucoin may have discontinued the Liquid Patent Lip colors, though they’re still available via the brand’s website. I don’t love these, just because I’m not a fan of this type of gloss applicator. Of the three I tried, Nyalia had the best overall application and look, but I feel these may be a bit too hit or miss, since Jupitesse left much to be desired, and Infernelle needed to be smoothed out with my lips since the applicator left streaks.
Product: 6/10
Value: 6/10
Ease of Use: 6/10
Packaging: 5/10
Recommendation: If you like ultra glossy lip color that goes on semi-opaque, Kevyn Aucoin’s Liquid Patent Lip might be for you. If you like brush-type glosses like these, you may find this more to your liking than I did. Personally, I don’t recommend these products unless you’ve gotten a chance to play with them in-store.
Kevyn Aucoin The Liquid Lipstick ($27.00) is an intense, semi-opaque lipgloss that packs a lot of color and gives a creamy, glossy look on lips. Aquarouge was a nice, browned-down red shade that held up well on lips. It was creamy, and it wore for hours with no issues or funny fading. Sephora is showing only five shades available, and I’d definitely consider trying the others in the future.
Product: 8/10
Value: 6/10
Ease of Use: 8/10
Packaging: 7/10
Recommendation: For glossy lip color that delivers real color to lips, consider the Liquid Lipstick. It’s creamy, easy to use, and it lasts for hours (assuming you’re not kissing, drinking often, eating, etc.!). It’s not the best bang for your buck at only 0.12 oz. of gloss for $27, though.
Cloudaine Elegant Lip Gloss ($27.00) is a potted lip gloss that goes on sheerly, but it does provide some color–it’s not really a lip balm, though it looks a bit like one. It has a glossy, lipgloss feel once you’ve broken through the top layer. It does come with a retractable lip brush, which makes the value go up a bit, since I do find the price tag a bit steep for this kind of a product. Cloudaine is a soft, sheer milky pink with multicolored shimmer and a fair amount of glossiness. It’s a very wearable shade–great for everyday. I’m, personally, not a big fan of potted lip balms or glosses, because it requires usage of a brush if you want to avoid bacteria and the ick-factor.
Product: 8/10
Value: 7/10
Ease of Use: 7/10
Packaging: 6/10
Recommendation: If you need a travel-friendly option of lip gloss, consider this solid form of lip gloss. It’s easy to take with you anywhere, and the included retractable brush makes application easy.
The Prime Color Creme Eye Shadow ($27.00) is an eyeshadow in a twist-up pen form. The eyeshadow itself has a cream consistency. It is true to its claims about creaseless-ness, as I found it didn’t crease after eight hours of wear, but the product itself is not my favorite. It can be difficult to blend the color out and apply from the get-go, and it isn’t the best base I’ve worked with either, because blendability is an issue. The shade I tried was Pristine, which is a soft, golden brown-champagne shade. This is something that can be worn alone on lids if desired, and if that’s the aim, this product meets it well.
Product: 6/10
Value: 6/10
Ease of Use: 5/10
Packaging: 6/10
Recommendation: Compact and travel-friendly, the Prime Color Creme Eyeshadows might be your new travel companion. They’re difficult to use, and they aren’t the easiest to blend, so for those two reasons, I won’t be buying any more shades in the future. I also find the price a bit steep for what you’re getting, which is just one more reason these aren’t up to my standards.
The selling point of this product is its texture: silky-smooth, buttery, and incredibly finely-milled. It’s a product that delivers a true sheen of a finish–it’s not sparkling, shimmery, or glittery in any way. It can be applied as a subtle, barely-there glow or as something more metallic, almost wet-looking, with a denser brush. For a really lovely result, I liked using a fan brush across the tops of cheek bones. It wore well, lasting eight hours and only looking slightly faded after nine and a half hours but no patchiness, and didn’t emphasize pores or any imperfections on the skin. Because the texture is so soft, it’s a cinch to blend and buff the product into the skin for a nice glow. It’s a lot like Chantecaille Rose Petals, which I adored, but warmer and more beige/yellow than pink.
Sometimes products are discontinued or limited edition, which means that a product may no longer be available at one or more retailers so you may need to shop around for those hard-to-find shades! We try to update products as they become discontinued, and if you discover a product has been discontinued, please help us help others by letting us know.
Disclosure: Temptalia uses affiliate links, which give us a small commission when you make a purchase (given to us by the retailer, at no cost to you). Your purchases help to support the site!
The texture is soft, incredibly finely-milled with a silky feel that applies smoothly, evenly, and remains easy to blend–even with a shade as richly pigmented as Neolita. It’s not a shade for the faint-hearted, as it is bold, bright, and has excellent color payoff. The finish has a subtle shimmer that translates to a luminous sheen as it gets blended and worked into the skin. It didn’t emphasize pores, and it really did give off a “pure powder glow.” Neolita wore well for almost nine hours and started to fade just after that.
Sometimes products are discontinued or limited edition, which means that a product may no longer be available at one or more retailers so you may need to shop around for those hard-to-find shades! We try to update products as they become discontinued, and if you discover a product has been discontinued, please help us help others by letting us know.
Disclosure: Temptalia uses affiliate links, which give us a small commission when you make a purchase (given to us by the retailer, at no cost to you). Your purchases help to support the site!
I must admit, the shimmer I saw in the pan and in the swatch had me a little worried on how it would translate to skin, but somehow, it manages to work nicely without emphasizing pores or looking sparkly or shimmery. I think a good portion of the shimmer/gets trapped in the bristles of my blush brushes, so little appears on the skin when applied. Depending on your skin tone, this could work as a blush, bronzer, highlighter, or contour powder. On my medium complexion, it’s a subtle contour or a barely-there bronzer. The texture was silky, soft, and finely-milled without being powdery, and the powder applied evenly and smoothly on the skin. It had fairly good color payoff overall but is a more buildable product than one that starts off intensely pigmented. It wore well for just over eight hours, and after nine hours, I saw some light fading along the edges.
Sometimes products are discontinued or limited edition, which means that a product may no longer be available at one or more retailers so you may need to shop around for those hard-to-find shades! We try to update products as they become discontinued, and if you discover a product has been discontinued, please help us help others by letting us know.
Disclosure: Temptalia uses affiliate links, which give us a small commission when you make a purchase (given to us by the retailer, at no cost to you). Your purchases help to support the site!
If you fall head-over-heels for intensely pigmented blushes, keep reading; and if you run in the opposite direction in fear, keep running. Fira is so richly pigmented–I see this working particularly well on deeper complexions–but it’s totally workable on even fair skin tones. You doubt me, but the texture is ultra-soft, finely-milled, and very blendable. The blendability enables the color to be diffused and softened on the skin to yield a subtle color. Of course, you’ll want to use a light hand and a feathery brush (like a fan or stippling brush) to avoid applying too much product right out of the gate, because a little goes a long, long way. The more it gets worked into the skin, the more luminous the finish becomes, but it never emphasizes pores. Fira wore well for eight hours when I wore it very softly, and when I wore it more heavily, it lasted well for almost nine hours.
P.S. — This is the last of my Kevyn Aucoin blush reviews! Hope you enjoyed
If you fall head-over-heels for intensely pigmented blushes, keep reading; and if you run in the opposite direction in fear, keep running. Fira is so richly pigmented--I see this working particularly well on deeper complexions--but it's totally workable on even fair skin tones. You doubt me, but the texture is ultra-soft, finely-milled, and very blendable.
Sometimes products are discontinued or limited edition, which means that a product may no longer be available at one or more retailers so you may need to shop around for those hard-to-find shades! We try to update products as they become discontinued, and if you discover a product has been discontinued, please help us help others by letting us know.
Disclosure: Temptalia uses affiliate links, which give us a small commission when you make a purchase (given to us by the retailer, at no cost to you). Your purchases help to support the site!
The consistency definitely lends itself to an easier all-over application, whether applied alone as a primer before foundation or mixed with your favorite liquid or cream foundation. I mixed this with Guerlain Parure de Lumiere, and it seemed to extend wear slightly by a half hour or so, but I didn’t feel like it really contributed to added longevity. It did, however, add all-over luminosity and gave my skin an even better, more lit-from-within appearance. It doesn’t emphasize pores or skin imperfections, while the consistency spreads easily across the skin, whether bare, mixed with foundation, or patted on as a highlighter. When I tried it patted on the cheek bones, down the bridge of the nose, and above the cupid’s bow to highlight, it had a soft, dewy, candlelit glow for about nine hours (not twelve, though). It really seemed to give skin a lovely natural radiance and smoother, healthier appearance overall.
It really seemed to give skin a lovely natural radiance and smoother, healthier appearance overall. I'm quite enamored with this product, and the only reason it wasn't rated higher was that it doesn't live up to the 12-hour wear claim (either as a primer or as a highlighter), but if that's not a deal-breaker, it's well worth considering.
Sometimes products are discontinued or limited edition, which means that a product may no longer be available at one or more retailers so you may need to shop around for those hard-to-find shades! We try to update products as they become discontinued, and if you discover a product has been discontinued, please help us help others by letting us know.
Disclosure: Temptalia uses affiliate links, which give us a small commission when you make a purchase (given to us by the retailer, at no cost to you). Your purchases help to support the site!
See more photos & swatches!
Kevyn Aucoin The Celestial Skin Liquid Illuminating Emulsion
Kevyn Aucoin The Celestial Skin Liquid Illuminating Emulsion
Kevyn Aucoin The Celestial Skin Liquid Illuminating Emulsion
Kevyn Aucoin The Celestial Skin Liquid Illuminating Emulsion
Kevyn Aucoin The Celestial Skin Liquid Illuminating Emulsion
Kevyn Aucoin The Celestial Skin Liquid Illuminating Emulsion mixed with foundation
(with Chanel Sonate Glossimer on lips)
I love a good finishing powder. I love an ethereal, lit-from-within glow. There is a very high likelihood of me trying any new formulas or shades that hit the market–I’m just a total fiend for them. I can’t wait to see what 2014 brings in this department!
Hourglass Ambient Lighting Powder — easily one of the most talked about new formulas this past year, it delivered as a beautiful finishing powder–plus, 50 users reviews and still maintaining a 4.5 average!
I went through all of the blushes I’ve reviewed in 2013, which was around 200 in total, and these were some of my very, very favorites. I could have given you a much longer list, so when there was just a really amazing formula, I limited myself to picking just one shade, but I’ve included a link to the formula itself where you can also check out other shades available! Naturally, as these are my personal favorites, you’ll likely notice a warmer tone to most, plus an inclination towards coral… I cannot tell a lie: I love coral blushes!
Kevyn Aucoin Natura Pure Powder Glow — or take your pick, as the formula was incredibly consistent and fantastic; Natura is a soft, medium brown with rose and peach tints
Last week, a few readers said they missed seeing looks posted on the blog (as in, cohesive ones!), so I’ll try to post some periodically–depending on whether there’s time for a more “free” day. Sometimes there are so many products to test, I can’t give up the facial real estate On Saturday, we spent all day with my husband’s family, which is usually a 14-hour minimum, so it’s a day where I prefer to just go with something that works. I remember several readers wanted to see Stila Smudge Stick Mint Julepin action, so I thought this might a good opportunity to showcase that as well. Going forward, I will try to post looks using recently reviewed products, but this was a very “for me” look more than anything, so hopefully you can forgive the excess of older products in it.
Eyes
A lot of the times if I’m not specifically testing something for wear, then I’ll reach for products that I really, really love that are, more-than-likely, discontinued or long ago limited editions. I love the two shades of cream eyeshadow Tom Ford released a year ago so much that I keep them in my basics/regular routine drawer, and I always take them with me when I travel. I’m so used to not using primer these days, but when I know I’m going out and about all day and am not testing, then I’ll still start with a primer!
I used NARS Smudge Proof spread all over the lid to the brow bone with a finger tip. I also like to take a little and apply it to the lower lash line for extra hold for the eyeliners I’ll use as well. Next, I applied Tom Ford Escapade Cream Eyeshadow to the first two-thirds of the lid, starting from the inner lid and moving outwards. Tom Ford Pink Haze Cream Eyeshadow was applied to the outer third of the lid and into the crease, blending outwards and upwards. To soften the edge of the crease eyeshadow, I applied Burberry Trench Eyeshadow to the brow bone (this is my go-to highlighter). For the lower lash line, first I applied Marc Jacobs Beauty Ody(sea) (62) Highliner Gel Crayon, and then I applied Stila Smudge Stick Mint Julep underneath the inner two-thirds of the lower lash line and along the water line. The effect made it look as if the eyeliner was glowing–I was quite in love with it! For lashes, I used a mascara fan brush to apply MAC Opulash Mascara.
Next up, here are five blushes to consider if you have a medium skin tone. I tried to include different price points, finishes, and undertones, but there are so many blushes available, there are many more worth trying. I’m a firm believer that we can wear whatever we desire, whether or not it is supposedly “suitable” on us or not–there’s no harm in trying Please share any suggestions in the comments!
Here are five blushes worth considering for darker skin tones! Again, this is a short and sweet list but is by no means exhaustive; I tried to include a variety of colors, finishes, and undertones, but just because you don’t see a blush listed here doesn’t mean it wouldn’t work I’d love to hear your personal favorites for dark skin tones in the comments!
Milani Bella Rosa — a bright, medium-dark pink with cool undertones and a matte finish
NARS Lovejoy — a medium-dark plum with warm, gold shimmer and a soft satin finish
I love a good highlighter, which I’m sure comes as no surprise to regular readers! Many of my favorites are limited edition, but I also have a few favorites that you can get year-round and never have to worry about running out of. Check ‘em out:
It’s designed to add both color as well as glow by using “crystal pigments in bronze, gold and silver” (the latter seems to give it that more neutral/dirty vibe that I see). The color payoff was excellent and easily delivered true-to-pan color onto the skin, but the silky, lightweight, ultra-soft powder is easily blended and manipulated on the skin. You can also concentrate your brush towards the upper half of the pan for a lighter, more shimmer-based glow, or towards the bottom half of the pan for more color with less shimmer. I tried to swirl for a good mix of color and shimmer when I applied it to my cheeks for testing. I really loved the texture, as it was a cinch to apply. It didn’t accentuate my pores, and the powder sat well on the skin without looking powdery nor shiny. It wore well for eight and a half hours on me.
Sometimes products are discontinued or limited edition, which means that a product may no longer be available at one or more retailers so you may need to shop around for those hard-to-find shades! We try to update products as they become discontinued, and if you discover a product has been discontinued, please help us help others by letting us know.
Disclosure: Temptalia uses affiliate links, which give us a small commission when you make a purchase (given to us by the retailer, at no cost to you). Your purchases help to support the site!
See more photos & swatches!
Kevyn Aucoin Tropical Days The Celestial Bronzing Veil
Kevyn Aucoin Tropical Days The Celestial Bronzing Veil
Kevyn Aucoin Tropical Days The Celestial Bronzing Veil
Kevyn Aucoin Tropical Days The Celestial Bronzing Veil
Kevyn Aucoin Tropical Days The Celestial Bronzing Veil
Kevyn Aucoin Tropical Days The Celestial Bronzing Veil
Kevyn Aucoin Tropical Days The Celestial Bronzing Veil
Kevyn Aucoin Tropical Days The Celestial Bronzing Veil
Kevyn Aucoin Tropical Days The Celestial Bronzing Veil
Kevyn Aucoin Sculpting Medium/Candlelight The Creamy Glow Duo
Kevyn Aucoin Sculpting Medium/Candlelight The Creamy Glow Duo ($28.00 for 0.16 oz.) is a highlighting and contouring set of shades in a cream formula. I think this will be nice on medium and fairer skin tones, with it being subtler on medium-dark skin tones. The contouring shade may be too subtle on deeper skin tones, though the highlight should be lovely. I was impressed by the long-wear, because both shades have a creamy, thin, emollient consistency that just doesn’t seem like something that would have any longevity, but there they were, nearly eight hours later with both color and a light sheen. (I have normal skin at the moment, for reference.) The contouring shade just made me long to try The Sculpting Powder to see how it works with the Celestial Powder. My only complaint is that actual pans are quite small, and it was difficult to use any of my angled contouring brushes as they were all oversized. I ended up flattening my brushes between my fingers and focused on getting the product primarily on one side of the brush.
Sometimes products are discontinued or limited edition, which means that a product may no longer be available at one or more retailers so you may need to shop around for those hard-to-find shades! We try to update products as they become discontinued, and if you discover a product has been discontinued, please help us help others by letting us know.
Disclosure: Temptalia uses affiliate links, which give us a small commission when you make a purchase (given to us by the retailer, at no cost to you). Your purchases help to support the site!
Sometimes products are discontinued or limited edition, which means that a product may no longer be available at one or more retailers so you may need to shop around for those hard-to-find shades! We try to update products as they become discontinued, and if you discover a product has been discontinued, please help us help others by letting us know.
Disclosure: Temptalia uses affiliate links, which give us a small commission when you make a purchase (given to us by the retailer, at no cost to you). Your purchases help to support the site!
Sometimes products are discontinued or limited edition, which means that a product may no longer be available at one or more retailers so you may need to shop around for those hard-to-find shades! We try to update products as they become discontinued, and if you discover a product has been discontinued, please help us help others by letting us know.
Disclosure: Temptalia uses affiliate links, which give us a small commission when you make a purchase (given to us by the retailer, at no cost to you). Your purchases help to support the site!
See more photos & swatches!
Kevyn Aucoin Sculpting Medium/Candlelight The Creamy Glow Duo
Kevyn Aucoin Sculpting Medium/Candlelight The Creamy Glow Duo
Kevyn Aucoin Sculpting Medium/Candlelight The Creamy Glow Duo
Kevyn Aucoin Sculpting Medium/Candlelight The Creamy Glow Duo
Kevyn Aucoin Sculpting Medium/Candlelight The Creamy Glow Duo
Kevyn Aucoin Sculpting Medium/Candlelight The Creamy Glow Duo
Kevyn Aucoin Sculpting Medium/Candlelight The Creamy Glow Duo
Kevyn Aucoin Sculpting Medium/Candlelight The Creamy Glow Duo
Kevyn Aucoin Sculpting Medium/Candlelight The Creamy Glow Duo
Kevyn Aucoin Sculpting Medium/Candlelight The Creamy Glow Duo
Kevyn Aucoin Sculpting Medium/Candlelight The Creamy Glow Duo
Kevyn Aucoin Sculpting Medium/Candlelight The Creamy Glow Duo
Kevyn Aucoin Sculpting Medium/Candlelight The Creamy Glow Duo
If you’re familiar with Candlelight, this is a new shade in the range. It’s darker and warmer, more orange/peach-based than beige-based. The texture was soft, almost creamy, and smooth that applied flawlessly to the skin; it was so, so easy to use as it blended beautifully and sat well on the skin without emphasizing pores but still giving off that luminous glow. Some products are just top notch; as soon as I applied this and saw it in the mirror, I was like, “Yep, that’s the stuff.” When I wore it, the effect lasted well for just over nine hours before fading. Only bummer is that when they redid the packaging on The Celestial Powder, they reduced the size quite a bit (0.17 oz. to 0.11 oz.), but the price is the same, and it would have been nice to see a slight price drop (maybe $36 or so).
Sometimes products are discontinued or limited edition, which means that a product may no longer be available at one or more retailers so you may need to shop around for those hard-to-find shades! We try to update products as they become discontinued, and if you discover a product has been discontinued, please help us help others by letting us know.
Disclosure: Temptalia uses affiliate links, which give us a small commission when you make a purchase (given to us by the retailer, at no cost to you). Your purchases help to support the site!
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