Paint Ball Inspired NOTD: Estee Lauder's So Vain and Black Plum

Recently I received an email from Estee Lauder featuring an interview with Eleanor Langston, a former magazine beauty editor and current owner of Paintbox nail salon in NYC.  One of Paintbox's classic designs is called "Paint Ball", and the minimalist design and color scheme really appealed to me.  So, I copied it with two Estee Lauder polishes called So Vain and Black Plum.

I used Julep's dotting tool which connects to the Plie wand, and it worked quite well.  I did have a bit of smearing of the dot on my index finger when I applied my top coat, probably from not having allowed it to dry long enough.

So Vain, Black Plum

So Vain turned out to be a surprising favorite for me, as it's a good nude shade for my skin tone and has a bit of shimmer in it that is more evident in strong light.  Application was seamless and I'm going on day 4 of wear with only a chip where a nail is flaking.

Estee Lauder polishes run a whopping $21 each, and I got these two as part of the Delectable Lacquers gift set last year.  Definitely more economical that way.
 

Linking up with The Nail Files hosted by Jennie Shaw!

Estee Lauder Double Wear Light Stay in Place Makeup in 2.0

 Disclaimer:  I purchased this.

Last December I purchased one of the few remaining Double Wear Makeup value sets in my shade 2.0.  Containing the foundation, matte primer, concealer, and foundation brush, it was an economical way ($42.50 for $80 worth of product) way to try out some new items and old favorites (the Double Wear concealer, review here).  Today I'll be highlighting the Double Wear Light Stay-in-Place Makeup in 2.0.

The Double Wear Light foundation is supposed to provide medium coverage and perform well on oily skin, which definitely appeals to me.  I've got more than a few skin imperfections that need smoothing out but do not want anything that translates as "mask-like".  My oil slick prone skin has helped me out in the wrinkle department, but it also incurs its own set of issues such as causing foundations to oxidize quickly, breakup, or fade away. 

The shade 2.0 turned out to be a good match for my fair but warm toned skin, and the coverage is buildable without feeling heavy.  I used a different brush than the one included in the set and have had no issue with the makeup settling into pores or being streaky/uneven. 

Outside light

In tandem with the matte primer included in this set, I can get a good 8-9 hours of wear with makeup still looking intact and without excessive glow.  I always have some oil breakthrough, but I did find that the combo of these two helped to prolong the foundation's wear time. 

Inside light

Overall, I'm quite happy with this foundation, thumbs up!  You can still find the makeup value set at some retailers, although the color selection is now rather limited. 

Posie Balm by Benefit

You know how sometimes you have low expectations for a makeup item and have no plans to buy it?  That's how I felt when I saw swatches of Benefit's sheer lip balms.  I have zero need for any more lip balms, as I'm currently swimming in them.

But then, I received a sample of Posie Balm in my July Birchbox.  I've got to admit, I really like it!  Yes it's sheer, but I like how glossy it is, how it moisturizes my lips, and how nicely it wears for several hours on my lips.  I've actually considered buying one once my sample is used up, which should be soon.

Over bare lips

Over Sweet Apollonia cheek & lip tint

The $18 is a bit steep for a sheer lip balm, however, so I may wait for my Birchbox points to build back up and get one that way.

Chanel Cream Blush in Intonation

Disclaimer:  I purchased this.

Described by Chanel as an "innovative powder-cream formula with sheer yet vibrant pigments for instant luminosity", the glowing reviews I saw online pretty much guaranteed I was going to have to try one of these babies out.  Of the two shades released in Chanel's spring 2014 collection, I chose the limited edition Intonation.  It looked slightly less intense than the reddish pink Chamade, and I'm sure the whole "limited edition" thing did it's number on my head:-)

Fortunately, the coral color is quite lovely and somewhat unique to my collection.  It's bright without looking garish, although a light touch is definitely in order.  I learned that the hard way when I applied too much and had to buff, buff, buff the color out so that I did not look like Bette Davis in "Whatever Happened to Baby Jane?"

I use my finger to apply a small amount to the cheek and then use a brush to blend it out.  The cream to powder formula blends very nicely into the skin and the wear time is really, really good.  I was surprised at the end of the day to still see intact color, as my oily skin usually breaks most makeup down after 8 hours or so.

As much as I like Intonation, I don't feel the need to collect more as  I've got a number of other really nice cream blushes that are more reasonably priced.  My favorites are still the ones from The All Natural Face, with their $5.75 price, all natural formula, and how they look on the skin. 

Clinique's All About Shadow Quad in Olive in My Martini, At Dusk, Blushed, French Vanilla

Clinique reformulated their eyeshadow formula, which is a good thing in my book.  I wasn't a fan of the ones I've tried in the past, as I find them rather anemic in their color payoff and a bit pedestrian in shade offerings.  Well, they've amped up things quite nicely, IMO!

I do love how the plastic around each shadow matches, definitely an esthetically pleasing touch.  Olive in my Martini is a gorgeous khaki bronze, love the complexity of shimmer here. 

At Dusk is another favorite from the quad, as I love honey gold shadows.  Color payoff is great as well.

Blushed is a medium pink and I've now got two of them, as it was also in the GWP quad that I featured recently in a giveaway.  Again, good color payoff, and the color is softer when applied than it looks on the applicator.

French Vanilla is a matte cream and my lease favorite of the quad.  A decent brow highlighter, but it underwhelmed me overall.  It totally blends into my arm in the swatch below.

It's a nice compilation of shades, however, although I totally gravitated towards Olive in My Martini and At Dusk.

Above I'm wearing the eyeshadows paired with Plushest Punch Intense Moisturizing Chubby Stick (review here), as they came together in the Colour Cravings set ($39.50).  If you like the colors, this set is a good way to try several full sized Clinique products along with some deluxe travel items, at less than half their regular price of $93.50.  Clinique's shadow quads are $28, so everything else was $11.50 :-)

I gave my mom the Moisture Surge and she likes it enough she said she will buy another, so thumbs up on that.   I already love Clinique's mascara, although the sheer pink polish called Sweet Tooth doesn't interest me much.  Maybe I'll be pleasantly surprised by it.

Jane Water-Resistant Eyeliner in Navy

Eyeliners.  I can't seem to get enough of them.  Liquid, pencil, gel, in a pot, you name it, I like 'em.  With one caveat - I'm not a fan of long brushes with liquid eyeliners.  I have a hard time controlling the amount of pigment laid down and achieving a nice crisp line.  Just too much room for error.

Which is the downfall for me with Jane's Water-Resistant Eyeliners.  I really liked Black Gold (review here), as the gel/glitter combo did not advertise mistakes as much.  But with Navy (which is really more of a cobalt blue), I need more control.

Inside natural light

Outside light

On the plus side, you are not lacking in pigment or color with this one.  On the negative, it's a bit cakey.  The finish is a matte with glitter thrown in the mix, but nothing that screams disco.  The glitter is barely evident, just enough for a slight glint here or there.

I ended up with a thicker line than I wanted as I kept trying to even it out (although I got a perfect thin line on the first try on my left eye, which didn't match the right).  So, Navy was a bit finicky.  I ended up using a different brush from one of my L'Oreal gel liner pots, and I think that will be my strategy going forward.

Now this is a brush I can use

Can't say that I like Navy as much as I did Black Gold, but fortunately these are reasonably priced at $8, and I'm pretty sure I got mine on sale. 

Plushest Punch Chubby Stick Intense Moisturizing Lip Color Balm by Clinique

Plushest Punch ($17) is the second Chubby Stick lip balm from Clinique I've tried.  The first was Mega Melon (review here), and I wasn't overly impressed with it.  I didn't find it particularly moisturizing, for example.  Plushest Punch is part of the Intense Moisturizing balms, however, and I'm liking this one much better!

The Intense line of Chubby Stick balms are supposed to have more vivid color and shine than the regular Chubby Sticks.  Described as a raspberry pink "nourishing tinted lip balm halfway between sheer and opaque", I get plenty of color payoff with Plushest Punch. 

 

I did peruse the ingredient lists for the original and the Intense balms, and they look identical to me.  However, I'm finding Plushest Punch does feel more moisturizing and has a different, more balmy texture than Mega Melon.  So, something's different.

Ingredients: Castor Seed Oil, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Vegetable Oil, Candelilla Wax, Beeswax, Ozokerite, Shea Butter, Hydrogenated Vegetable Oil, Jojoba Seed Oil, Shea Butter Extract, Mango Seed Butter, Meadowfoam Seed Oil, Sunflower Seed Oil, Hydrogenated Olive Oil, Tocopherol (plus pigments).

Estee Lauder Eyeshadows in Winking Periwinkle, Tempting Mocha, Amazing Gray, Iridescent Violet, & Peacock Blue

You know, I don't see or hear much about Estee Lauder eyeshadows in blogger reviews.  Not really sure why that is the case, but I'm becoming a fan of them and will be showcasing the ones I have in a series of posts going forward.  Today I'll be covering five that would look great together in a palette of their own.

The five below are taken from the LE Color Portfolio palette that I got last October.  Of these, Tempting Mocha and Iridescent Violet are part of the current Pure Color lineup of single shadows.  I don't know if Estee Lauder retires colors and then brings them back for limited edition items (my feeling is that they do), but Winking Periwinkle, Amazing Gray and Peacock Blue are not part of the current crop of colors.   You can still find them for sale at places like Amazon and ebay, however.

These apply sheer at first but color is easy to build.  Formula strengths are that they are smooth and blend together with ease.  Wear time over primer is all day for me, with some fading/creasing on my oily lids after 8-9 hours.  I really like how they perform!

I used Winking Perwinkle in the inner eye corner, Tempting Mocha over the lower lid to the crease, Iridescent Violet and Amazing Gray to emphasize the crease and outer eye, and Peacock Blue over Urban Decay's dark gray Storm eye pencil for this look.

Single Pure Color shadows are a bit pricey at $22 each, with palettes ranging from $36-$50.  However, frequent GWP's from Estee Lauder include LE palettes, so that could be a good way to acquire some colors at a fraction of their price.