Essence Colour & Go in Chic Reloaded Swatches and Review

Did you know that Essence Colour & Go polishes recently received a bottle makeover? It's true. They went from a straight-sided circular bottle to a new hourglass shaped bottle. Ulta had some of the new-style Essence polishes in stock and this one really caught my eye- A multichrome! With purple and green! It's called Chic Reloaded.


Essence Colour & Go in Chic Reloaded. This is a dark grey shimmer base with strong teal, blue, green, purple, red/dark pink and gold multichrome color shift. It's really tricky trying to catch all the different colors on camera because the polish is so dark, but I sure tried! You can see them quite clearly in the bottle and they're only slightly less subtle on the nail. The strongest colors are the blue and teal at one angle and the purple and grey at the opposite angle. The red and gold come out on the purple side, but they're not as strong as the other colors.

The formula on this was pretty good. The only problem I had with it was bubbling. It seemed to bubble despite waiting at least 5 minutes in between coats. It dries pretty quickly, so next time I wear it I'll let the coats dry fully before applying the next one to see if it eliminates the bubbling.

I love this color. Kinda reminds me of Borghese Stellare Notte and GOSH Purple Heart. Great color shift, decent formula, and I am really very fond of color-matched handles on nail polish bottles, but the best thing about this polish is that it only costs $2!

LORAC Limited Edition Multiplex 3D Lipgloss Duo

LORAC Multiplex 3-D glosses are one of my favorite new products. They feed my addiction to all things glittery and duochrome. I never really paid much attention to LORAC until these came out. Sure, I always ordered the holiday lipgloss gift sets, which were amazing, but the rest of the year, I ignored them. Speaking of those holiday sets, anyone else love those as much as I did? They had mini lipglosses with pretty packaging and they were all flavored. Those were great. I don't think they did one like that last year. Anyway, getting off topic here...

In my quest to collect all the Multiplex shades (and as of today, I have them all! YESSS!), I had to pick up this set. It contains a new shade, 4-D, that's only sold together in this duo. That's kind of a drag because I already have 3-D, and I like it, but I don't really need several backups of it. 3-D seems to be their most popular Multiplex shade, or at least the one they're promoting the most. It's in several kits and they always have deluxe sample sizes of it. Suppose I can't really complain because it is an awesome color, but still... I'd rather have new shades in every kit, gives me incentive to buy. Train of thought is derailing...

SO! This kit. It has two full sized Multiplex 3-D Lipglosses. 3-D and 4-D. 4-D is exclusive to this set. It costs $28, which really is a good deal because the Multiplex glosses cost $22 individually.

4-D on the top, 3-D on the bottom.

They have clear acrylic wands with tiny tiny white brush applicators. Those wands look so pretty covered in the sparkles from the gloss. Sometimes I take out the wand just to look at it.

4-D on the left, 3-D on the right, without flash and with flash. 4-D is a bubblegum pink with tons of glass-fleck-ish silver based sparkle. It looks a little frosty on the lips because there's so much silvery-pink sparkle. Not much duochrome to it, just lighter and darker shades of pink. 3-D is a bronzy sheer base with gold/green flash and tons of iridescent pink, rose-gold, bronze and greenish glass fleck sparkle.

The formula on these is different from the first Multiplex shades I bought (right when they first came out). The original formula is thin and slippery, these are thick and sticky. It seems like they altered the formula to make it more long-lasting, but I preferred the light, non-sticky original formula, even if it didn't last as long as these do.

Luckily the scent is the same. I love the scent of these. It's light and sweet, possibly a peach or lychee scent with a smoothness to it like a bit of creamy vanilla? I can't really pin down what the exact scent of these it, but it's a non-sour light fruity scent with a little creaminess to it. Very pleasant. A slight sweet taste as well.

The new formula wears a lot longer than the old one, but now the gloss is sticky. I want the old formula back. I don't mind re-applying!

I already loved 3D, but I'm not sure if I really like 4D. It's a nice shade of pink, but it looks a little too silvery-frosty on me. I haven't worn it much. Not a fan of frosty lips. And I know it's not a frost, if anything it's a glitter, but the light pink pearls reflect so much that it has that silvered-frosty finish in indoor lighting.

This set is limited edition and it was gone from both Ulta and Sephora's websites last time I checked. I did see it in store at both as recently as two weeks ago. I am unclear on whether or not 4D will ever be sold solo, and as far as I know it's exclusive to this set.

Makeup Monday: Ulta-Exclusive LORAC Multidimensional Beauty Kit

I was so excited to get this when I ordered it, and then things got crazy and I never got to finish my post.... I'm still excited about it, actually, and I've had it for a couple months already.

LORAC Multidimensional Beauty collection. This is an Ulta exclusive and I'm pretty sure it's limited edition. In case you can't tell from this picture, the box is HOLO:

See?! How cool is that?? I know it's just a cardboard box, but it's a hologram cardboard box and you know what a sucker I am for good packaging.

But the outer carton isn't the only thing that's holo-esque... This kit comes with a metal-plated makeup bag that is pretty much the most amazing thing ever. My only complaint is that it's not big enough to carry as a purse. I took a million pictures.

The left hand side of the bag has a rainbow pattern that's always visible, but the right hand side has no stripes.

It changes colors depending on the angle. It's mesmerizing to look at. See down toward the opposite edge of the bag, where it looks like it's lighting up aqua? It looks even better in real life. Holo makeup bag. Gaaaaah so awesome....


Okay, enough about the bag already. Here's what's inside:

Three full sized eyeshadows in 3D-Luxe, 3D-Mension and 3D-Licious plus an Ulta exclusive shade of LORAC 3D Multiplex lipgloss in Ulta Glam.

3D-Luxe is a light ivory with peachy tinted duochrome and subtle iridescent sparkle, 3D-Mension is a plain metallic bronze and 3D-Licious is a MAC Club dupe (red toned brown with green-blue duochrome shimmer).

3D-Luxe is my favorite one... it's so gorgeous, none of my pictures come close to capturing how beautiful it is. It has such delicate iridescent sparkle and just a faint sheen of duochrome across the color...

If you enlarge these, you might be able to pick up a little of the depth of the color. You sorta have to see it in person to fully appreciate it.

The Ulta Glam shade of Multiplex gloss is just as mesmerizing... I think the purchase of the kit was worth it just for this beauty:
Ulta Glam is a copper rose shimmer base, sheer, with strong brassy gold duochrome at one angle and darker pink-rose duochrome at another angle plus lots of iridescent microglitter that also adds to the color-shiftiness. The best part? There's BLUE MICROGLITTER. Blue!!! Glitter!!


Swatched dry over bare skin: 3D-Luxe, 3D-Mension and 3D-Licious shadows and Ulta Glam Multiplex 3D gloss. You can kinda see the blue sparkles in the gloss, right?

This also came with a gift with purchase that I thought was pretty neat:

A sample of LORAC's new Multiplex 3D Lashes mascara that comes on a holo card, in a tube with holo text. Yep, no denying it, I'm easily swayed by how much holo foil comes on the package... The mascara itself it's something I'd normally use. I like the curved plastic pointy bristle brush, but the formula doesn't add any volume. It makes your lashes super long and defined, but doesn't add any thickness. It kinda seems like it makes them curl like those old curling mascaras, but it could just be my imagination....

The formula on the shadows seems consistent with the other LORAC shadows I've tried. Like I've mentioned before, I'm really new to LORAC shadows and I'm still not sure if this is the normal quality and texture or not. The texture is disturbingly soft and loose- I say disturbing because it seems like it loosens so much product every time I touch it with my brush that I could use the entire shadow in a week. Very loosely pressed, soft and powdery. Medium pigmentation and payoff, not super pigmented or opaque. Suitable for wet use to intensify the payoff and color. I'd recommend wet use if you like your colors intense like I do. They don't seem to wear very well due to the super soft light texture; they tend to fade a bit and wear off by the end of the day (I always use primer and it behaves the same over all primers I tried). The colors themselves are pretty and go well together and they look light and luminous on.

The gloss is amazing. I love the Multiplex formula. It's smooth and silky, lasts a reasonable amount of time and tastes/smells amazing. Is it lychee? I have no idea what the scent is, but it's light and fruity and soft and I really really like it. The Ulta Glam shade in this kit does not disappoint. It's super duochrome but also full of microglitter so it's sparkly on top of being duochrome. The only downside is that the glitter is kinda gritty.

I love this kit. I really hope LORAC keeps doing the whole multiplex 3D theme. They enable me in my duochrome addiction... Just wish they'd lower the price on their Multiplex glosses!

This is gone from the Ulta website already, but I've seen plenty of kits still in stock in-store recently, so you should be able to find one if you have an Ulta nearby. The whole kit is only $35 so it's an excellent value- a Multiplex gloss alone is $22 (and no, I won't stop complaining about the price) and a LORAC shadow single is $19.

Smashbox In Bloom Collection Spring 2011: Artificial Light Luminizing Powder

Smashbox has just released their spring 2011, In Bloom. It features two shades of long-wearing SPF lipgloss, a soft neutral eye palette, a creme blush duo, a luminizing powder and two new soft powder eyeliners. The colors in this collection seem to reflect the colors of nature throughout spring... The soft greyed colors in the shadows make me think of the bare trees, rainy skies and the still-frozen ground that has not quite begun to cover itself in green summer grass... The pinks and corals remind me of the first flowers of the year starting to bloom. I suppose that's why it's called In Bloom!

Anyway, I got a chance to try out a couple of the items from the collection, so here are my thoughts.

One of the items they introduced with this collection is the Artificial Light Luminizing Powder. It's inspired by their classic Artificial Light Luminizing Lotion, but now it's in an easier to use powder form.

Pretty floral-print box. Nice touch.

The tube is a nice small, portable size.

It has a really soft precision sponge tip applicator. Perfect for applying to the inner corner of the eye.

Swatched on the back of my hand. The left is applied thickly with the sponge, the right is applied with the sponge and very lightly blended out. It's not a pure white so it isn't stark. It has a slight peachy undertone like the Artificial Light lotion; it counteracts darkness and adds a little more brightness.

This powder is especially of interest to me as I'm a big fan of brightening products. I'm sure you can tell from my eye of the day pictures that I have a bit of darkness in the inner eye/bridge area. Lately I've been using a pencil product to counteract the darkness, but it doesn't blend very well. I've also used other liquids and powders, but now that I've tried the Artificial Light, I may have found my holy grail.

To illustrate the problem, here's my naked eye; no makeup at all:

See how it's a little dark and discolored toward the inner corner and slightly under the eye? It just seems to get worse and worse every year. Also, please forgive my brow stubble.

Now take a look at the difference the Artificial Light makes:


The left side has a little bit of Benefit RSVP Creaseless Cream Shadow just on the lid, Smashbox Artificial Light Luminizing Powder from lashline to browbone and in the inner corner, and a coat of Fusion Beauty LashFusion XL mascara. Right side has nothing.

Different lighting:


You can see that it has a very soft, luminous brightening effect. It's subtle, but really pretty. Here's a few closeups:

By the way, that Creaseless Cream Shadow? Not creaseless.

This picture really shows how it hides that dark spot in the inner corner. Perfection.

Adds a nice little highlight to the browbone, too.

The texture of the powder is really light and smooth. It feels weightless. There's no glitter or sparkles or any kind of grittiness to it. The shimmer is extremely fine; it's more of a pearly finish than a sparkly shimmer. There's no fallout at all. It is sheer, but you can layer it on if you want to wear it as a shadow, or you can blend it to your desired level of sheerness as a highlight.

I like to use it on my eyes as a sort of concealer on the dark areas, but it makes a really good browbone highlight because it's not too stark frosty white. Subtle, soft pearly shimmer with a hint of peachy warmth. You can also use it to highlight other areas of the face- bridge of the nose, cheekbones, cupid's bow, et cetera. You can use it as eyeshadow for a super fast no-makeup makeup look like I did in these pictures. Or, how about on the collarbone? It's pretty versatile.

The only downside is the size. It's only one gram of product (0.035oz!) and it retails for $20. So, you don't get a whole lot of product for the price. True, you only use such a tiny amount that the tube may last forever, but still, not the most cost effective product.

I've tried it out for a while now and compared it to the similar products I currently use, and I really do prefer it over everything else I have. After using it, if I had the chance to do it again, would I buy it? Absolutely. I definitely would. It works perfectly for me. It's easy to use, it does what I want it to do, it has great packaging, and I just really, really like it. One of the main advantages it has over liquid and pencil highlighters is that it doesn't disturb your eyeshadow and eyeliner when you blend it. It's worth $20 to me for sure.

And, just for fun, here's a closer look at that mascara. This is the first time I've used it.

That's the Fusion Beauty LashFusion XL that came in that Top Picks Beauty Insider gift from Sephora that I reviewed a while ago. This is only one coat. I think it looks pretty nice! I'll have to see how well it holds up against a darker shadow look with lots of liner like I usually do.


The Artificial Light Luminizing Powder is available now at Sephora, Ulta (and you can use your $3.50 off coupon on it), and Smashbox.com (Don't forget about Let's Do Lunch, today's gift is a Lip Enhancing Gloss in Aura) and it costs $20.

(This was sent to me for review.)

OPI Ulta Exclusives Holiday 2010

Every year around Christmas, OPI does a set of three holiday-themed polishes exclusively for Ulta. Last year's collection raised the bar so high, that I was super excited to see what they did this year.... But I was sadly disappointed, after hearing from a very reliable source, that no one knew anything about them and there probably wouldn't be any this year.

Then, imagine my surprise, when everyone on Twitter was, well, atwitter with excitement over this new OPI Ulta exclusive gold glitter polish. I immediately drove to Ulta and returned home with these safely in tow.




All The Berry Best. A medium berry toned red shimmer. It's rather washed out here because of the lighting; it's a couple shades darker in real life. Regardless, it's my least favorite of the collection. It has some really great gold duochrome in the bottle, but on the nail it's just an average looking red shimmer. It does have a really nice velvety looking finish, though.



Gift of Gold. Now THIS is a glitter. Amazing. It's so ridiculously sparkly. It's a lighter gold mixed with some darker gold and even a bit of what looks like copper or bronze glitter. It's very opaque, too, needing only one to two coats depending on how thick or even you do your coats. It's still rough and hard to remove like other glitters, but it's just soooooo pretty. The best one in the collection for sure. OPI really knows how to do glitter and I'm really glad they've been doing a lot of it lately.


Plum Full Of Cheer. The flash picture shows the base color of the polish and also shows the pretty multi-colored shimmer, but in real life it looks more like the top picture. This is not a bad color at all, it's extremely pretty, one of my favorite types of purples, but it's just so common lately that it doesn't feel special to me. Shimmery, glowy, red-based dark purples are great, I think I'm just a little burned out on them. I had hoped for something really special like last year's Visions of Sugarplum.

Wait a minute... Wasn't last year's Ulta Exclusive holiday collection a gold, a berry-red and a dark purple? What was the year before that? I only remember the gorgeous pink microglitter one.

The formula was good, so no complaints there. The Gift of Gold shade was really thick, but that's part of what makes it so opaque and dense. I only needed two coats of each color (and that's what I'm wearing in these pictures) and the drying time was very good. They were a little dull without topcoat, so I am also wearing topcoat for these pictures.

They're nice, and Gift of Gold is very nice, but they didn't knock me over with awesome like last year's set. Maybe they'll do something more unique this year!