Filed In: Face Powders
MAC | Future MAC Collection
The next generation of Mineralize products from MAC is here; introducing Future MAC, a collection created with hyper-luminous pigments and inspired by the five elements. With textures that go on incredibly smooth and never chalky, now is the best time for you to discover this mineral based range of products – then prepare to be impressed, much like I was.
Burberry | White & Nude Gold Highlighting Palettes, SS/2016 Runway Collection
The Spring/Summer 2016 Runway Collection from Burberry draws its inspiration from the modern yet ethereal guipure lace pieces from the runway show, with the intricate design realistically rendered on the surface of the stars of the collection – the two limited edition Highlighting Palettes in White and Nude Gold.
Made in Italy, the attention to exquisite detail begins with the lacy pattern silkscreened on the exterior sleeve of the packaging, (white for the White Palette, nude for the Nude Gold Palette). Both magnetic-closure compact cases have a nice solid heft and come in the brand’s signature gunmetal colour with the iconic Burberry plaid design etched onto the lid. Each palette also comes with a protective velour sleeve and an included [mini] natural-bristle brush.
Unscented and with the shimmer so finely-ground that it shouldn’t emphasize pores.
Burberry Spring/Summer 2016 Runway Show (credit)
Burberry | White & Nude Gold Highlighting Palettes SS/2016 Collection
Burberry | White & Nude Gold Highlighting Palettes SS/2016 Collection
Burberry | White & Nude Gold Highlighting Palettes (both swatched heavily)
N°01 White Highlighting Palette, limited edition (CAN $72.00) | A soft pearly white hue, in a powdered format that is so ultra-finely milled as to fuse flawlessly upon the skin when applied. The more cooler-leaning of the two, I find the shimmer to be sophisticated and not over-the-top and of the variety that appears to merge beautifully with the warmth of my skin and natural oils. Wear time is about 9+ hours, especially when worn over foundation. A perfect shade to wear at the browbone and/or inner eye corner.
Burberry | N°01 White Highlighting Palette, SS/2016 Collection
Burberry | N°01 White Highlighting Palette, SS/2016 Collection
Burberry | N°01 White Highlighting Palette, SS/2016 Collection
Burberry | N°01 White Highlighting Palette swatches
N°02 Nude Gold Highlighting Palette, limited edition (CAN $72.00) | A soft golden nude colour with a complex yet subtle prismatic shimmer, in the same exceptionally finely-milled format and which leans warmer (although it can still be worn with ease by those with fair complexions). The nude tone makes this highlighter the more wearable and ‘natural-looking’ of the two, although you can still build up the shine intensity if desired. This also looks amazing lightly dusted along the décolleté and/or collarbone.
Burberry | N°02 Nude Gold Highlighting Palette, SS/2016 Collection
Burberry | N°02 Nude Gold Highlighting Palette, SS/2016 Collection
Burberry | N°02 Nude Gold Highlighting Palette, SS/2016 Collection (detail)
Burberry | N°02 Nude Gold Highlighting Palette swatches
Highlighting or ‘strobing’ as it’s more commonly referred to now, can be a tricky beast but it also happens to be a great way to bring light to strategic points of the face. Unlike some other products that run highly reflective, the shimmer of both White and Nude Gold is refined and incredibly smooth, leaving either a whisper of shine or which can be built up for depth. With the fairly large selection of highlighters in my collection, I have nothing that approaches either the exact tone or quality of these two lovelies, which is a definite point in their favour to offset the rather steep price. Just don’t ask to pick my favourite because I refuse: they’re both equally amazing.
The Burberry SS/2016 Runway Collection is available through The Bay across Canada. Find more information via www.burberry.com
Press samples kindly provided for my unbiased consideration
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CHANEL | Perles et Fantaisies Illuminating Powder, Les Sautoirs de Coco
One of the newest releases from CHANEL, is the limited edition Sautoirs de Coco Collection which draws inspiration from Mademoiselle’s well-known love of pearls (‘sautoirs’ is French for string of pearls’). That being said, you can immediately see why the star piece is undoubtedly the Perles et Fantaisies Illuminating Powder with its incredibly lifelike pearl strand embossing on its surface. I have to confess, it took a lot of willpower on my part to actually touch a brush to this jewel, but I’m so glad that I did.
MAC x Ellie Goulding Collection
MAC may be known for their high impact and [frequently] eclectic colour collections, but every once in a while they throw out a curveball just to keep us beauty lovers on our toes. The brand’s recent collaborations with British songstress Ellie Goulding is a collection that might initially appear rather unexpectedly subdued (for a brand like MAC, that is) but in my opinion it packs a major punch by virtue of all the totally wearable shades. And I mean ALL.
Ellie Goulding for MAC
MAC x Ellie Goulding Collection
MAC x Ellie Goulding Collection swatches
MAC x Ellie Goulding Collection swatches (alternate light)
Halcyon Days Full Face Kit (CAN $51.50) | A two-tiered compact with the top level holding four cream eye shades, sliding out to reveal a face powder on the bottom.
4 Cream Colour Base – Four cream shades can be easily applied with a finger and then blended out for sheer washes of colour, or applied with brushes (I start with a synthetic haired brush to pack on the colour, then go in with a natural bristle brush to blur out any edges or to blend colours together). When used as a base, they serve to amplify any powder shade worn on top – as well as improve wear time. If your eyelids tend to run a little on the oily side (like mine), then I highly recommend applying a primer first. Colour breakdown:
- Root – oyster/champagne hue with reflective shimmer, can be worn all over and/or for highlighting
- Tint – pale copper shimmer hue with a slight pink duo chrome flash
- Every Time You Go – soft rose hue, soft sheen finish
- Wish I Stayed – mink brown hue with complex shimmer
MAC x Ellie Goulding | Halcyon Days 4 Cream Colour Base (detail)
MAC x Ellie Goulding | Halcyon Days 4 Cream Colour Base swatches
MAC x Ellie Goulding | Halcyon Days 4 Cream Colour Base swatches (alternate light)
Halcyon Days Medium Dark Blot Powder/Pressed – A neutral shade that leans more warm than cool due to its slight yellow tint. Used to set makeup, this powder also contains oil-blotting agents to effectively keep skin from looking shiny. The texture is very finely milled; so much so that I couldn’t even show a swatch, as it literally disappeared into my skin.
MAC x Ellie Goulding | Halcyon Days Medium Dark Blot Powder/Pressed (detail)
Only You Cremesheen Lipstick (CAN $25.50) | A mid-tone coral hue in a buttery-soft & creamy finish that glides effortlessly along the lips. A flattering shade for practically all skin tones across the spectrum (may appear more like a balm against darkest complexions). A new shade in the brand’s Cremesheen finish, it’s made unique with the singer’s logo stamped in a rose-gold hue on the exterior as well as embossed onto the bullet.
MAC x Ellie Goulding | Only You Cremesheen Lipstick (detail)
MAC x Ellie Goulding | Only You Cremesheen Lipstick swatch
Innocent Patentpolish Lip Pencil (CAN $25.50) | A sheer nude shade with slight rose tints in the base for a little extra warmth. The Patentpolish format combines the ease of a retractible pencil, the soft texture of a balm, and the shine of a gloss. The rounded top helps the colour glide smoothly along the lips, while the pale hue provides an almost mirror-free and un-fussy application. Even though my swatch photo (below) makes it appear to settle rather noticeably in my lip lines, the reality is a much more level-looking consistency. Staying power is not strong, which is to be expected with a shade this light, although lips feel moisturized throughout the wearing and long after. Bonus: can be applied over other shades to lighten things up and create a unique – albeit subtle – new colour (as seen in the last swatch photo).
MAC x Ellie Goulding | Innocent Patentpolish Lip Pencil
MAC x Ellie Goulding | Innocent Patentpolish Lip Pencil swatch
MAC x Ellie Goulding | Innocent Patentpolish & Only You Cremesheen swatches
MAC x Ellie Goulding | Innocent Patentpolish over Only You Cremesheen swatch
I’ll Hold My Breath Powder Blush (CAN $33.50) | What appears to be more of a bronzer/blush twosome (as opposed to a blush duo, which is how it’s described on the MAC website) is in fact the star piece of this collection. The larger tan portion has finely milled gold shimmer to add a sunny warmth and brightness, while the coral/pink bottom shade is surprisingly pigmented (a little really does go a long way) and also bears a shimmery pink sheen. Both shades are large enough that you can reach for either one without fear of cross-contaminating the colours, but I find that the real magic happens when you combine them together to create the most stunning golden coral blush shade. There’s enough of both cool and warm tones to make this suitable for a broad range of skin tones, but those with warmer undertones will find it the most flattering. I love the detail of the embossed logo on the powder’s surface which echoes that found on the exterior lid.
Wear time: amazing, without any fading at all – until removed.
MAC x Ellie Goulding | I’ll Hold My Breath Powder Blush (detail)
MAC x Ellie Goulding | I’ll Hold My Breath Powder Blush (logo detail)
MAC x Ellie Goulding | I’ll Hold My Breath Powder Blush swatches
20 Lash (CAN $21.50) | These demi lashes are meant to be applied to the outer part of the eye, helping to provide fullness and a sultry feline flick. Their smaller size (when compared to full strip lashes) makes them super easy to both apply and wear. Also part of the permanent range (without the logo detailing seen here).
30 Lash (CAN $21.50) | This collection of individual lashes includes three sizes to choose from, offering more versatility than strip lashes by virtue of the fact that you can apply as few or as many as desired, customizing the placement of each little bundle to fit your individual eye shape. Also part of the permanent range (without the logo detailing seen here).
For a neutral lover such as myself, every single one of these products falls is so completely within my comfort zone; add to that the excellent formulation of each item, and I don’t hesitate to call the pieces of the entire collection shown here a 100% win. What’s not to love about wearable, flattering shades, I ask you?
Most MAC stores may have already removed the display from their counters (a testament to how fast this industry moves), but feel free to ask sales people about the products just the same in case items are stored in drawers. If not, everything is still showing as available on their website – even the blush duo that not surprisingly, sold out within minutes as soon as it launched.
Product samples kindly provide by the MAC team for my unbiased consideration
CHANEL | Infiniment CHANEL Illuminating Powder
I absolutely cannot resist well-crafted and exquisite detailing; add CHANEL into the mix, and I’m basically rendered incapable of coherent thought. That was the effect I experienced upon first laying eyes on the Infiniment CHANEL Illuminating Powder. I hadn’t even wondered about how well this powder would suit my skin tone, as I couldn’t see past the elegant raised double C’s – but thankfully, this is one product that looks as stunning as it performs.
CHANEL | Infiniment CHANEL Illuminating Powder
CHANEL | Infiniment CHANEL Illuminating Powder
Infiniment CHANEL Illuminating Powder (CAN $78.00) | Housed in the brand’s iconic black lacquered compact case and protected by a velour sleeve, this face powder also comes with a small flat brush (that has its own little sleeve), with a full-sized mirror on the inner lid. The base shade is a warm-leaning nude hue with peachy undertones, but the real star attraction here, are the apricot-hued raised and interlocked double C’s splashed across the palette’s surface. The precise work on the logo has been crafted to look as though stitched – and you’d be hard pressed to believe it isn’t real. There is a light shimmery overspray to the entire palette and while the majority will be swept away with the first brush stroke, that finely ground shimmer remains as part of the actual product, serving to add a beautiful luminosity when applied to the skin. The logo itself appears to run all the way through, and not just a surface detail – a good thing, as it serves to provide a little spot of colour to what would otherwise be a simple face powder.
Trying to pick up the two tones separately, is basically an exercise in futility and to be fair, I’m certain this powder wasn’t designed to be used in that manner anyway. I prefer to swirl my brush across the surface and mix the two together, although you can still concentrate more on the neutral portion if desired, in order to avoid getting too much of the coloured section. A large-headed fluffy brush will yield a lighter dusting across the skin, perfect for setting your makeup, while a dense kabuki-style brush enables you to buff the powder into the skin for an even more flawless finish. The overall payoff of the Infiniment CHANEL Illuminating Powder is such that it will benefit a pretty broad variety of skin tones; that being said, those with the palest complexions (read: alabaster) may probably be able to use this powder as a natural looking blush shade – especially if the emphasis is placed more on the logo, while those with dark skin tones may not find it gives any colour payoff at all and the result might even appear as too ashy.
The swatches below were done with a heavy hand and even at that, it’s very difficult to pick up the two individual tones along my skin; suffice it to say that on my light-medium skin tone, this becomes one of the most natural looking face powders I’ve tried to date, imparting a beautiful & healthy-looking glow to my face, without ever looking chalky or dusty. Staying power is about 8 hours + or what I usually get with setting/face powders, but I must say that as the product warms up on my skin and starts merging with my natural oils, it almost appears to get even better and more natural looking (and without oxidizing), if that makes sense.
CHANEL | Infiniment CHANEL Illuminating Powder
CHANEL | Infiniment CHANEL Illuminating Powder
CHANEL | Infiniment CHANEL Illuminating Powder
CHANEL | Infiniment CHANEL Illuminating Powder swatches
CHANEL | Infiniment CHANEL Illuminating Powder
I’m a little (ok, a lot) late in posting this beauty jewel, as here in Montréal the Infiniment CHANEL Illuminating Powder was released back in August (released around October in the US), and while I was told it was a limited edition product, it’s not listed as such on CHANEL’s website and I was even able to still find it at several counters around town (I’d suggest calling ahead first just the same). If you can get your hands on this amazing face powder, then I can’t recommend it enough. If not, don’t worry – as there will always be something new and just as awesome coming from this brand. And I’ll still be just as powerless to resist.
Purchased product
