Make Up Forever Aqua XL Color Paint M-56

Disclaimer: This was a Sephora Point Perk sample with purchase.

One of the Sephora 100 point perks that I picked up in July was the Make Up Forever Aqua XL Color Paint in M-56, a medium taupe brown cream shadow with a matte finish.  The full size is $25, and these can be used as a liner, eye shadow, or as a base.

Per Sephora, these are supposed to "glide on seamlessly, and it’s flexible texture makes it easy to blend and layer for perfectly vibrant color that’s waterproof, smudge-proof, and crease-resistant. Enriched with mango butter, this nourishing formula hydrates skin, leaving lids comfortable throughout the day."

I love a good cream shadow and was hoping that this one could serve as an easy one and down eye tint, but the finish was not smooth enough on my less than perfect lids.  You can see some areas where the pigment is bunchy and just did not want to smooth out.

Consequently, I used M-56 as an eye base, and I thought the looks came out quite pretty.  I experienced no fading or creasing (worn over primer) after a full day's wear.

Shadows do apply nicely over the color paint as the texture is quite smooth and not 'grabby'.  I used Estee Lauder's Fierce Safari #5 above, which was part of a GWP eye shadow quad and is a gorgeous color.

In this look I applied a more concentrated layer of M-56, but still could not get it smooth enough to wear on it's own. For shadows, I used a GWP shadow palette from Ulta called "Essentials".

Bottom line, I don't think the Aqua XL Color Paints are for me, as I could not wear this one on it's own as a shadow.  There are different finishes and the more shimmery ones would probably work just fine as a shadow, but $25 is rather pricey IMO.  Glad I got to try this one out as a Sephora point perk though!

Artist Plexi-Gloss 304, 202, and 100P by Make Up For Ever: Sample Series #9

I don't own many Make Up For Ever products, not really sure why.  In fact, I'm pretty sure all the ones I do have were GWP's or samples from Sephora, such as this sampler of Artist Plexi-Glosses.

These glosses are supposed to be glossy and long lasting, and they do deliver on those claims.  They are also thick and sticky, which will probably be a deal breaker for many.  I've no longer got long hair for the wind to blow in my face, so I'm a little more tolerant on those counts than I used to be.

Red Coral (304) gives the most color bang for the buck from this trio, although it still sheers out on the lip. I like this glossy coral red.

Sweet Pink (202) is a milky salmon pink that provides high shine and I used it to top a darker pink lip shade below.

Pearly Light Beige (100P) provides shimmer in a sheer beige base, and below I'm wearing it over Revlon's Candy Apple lip butter.  I do like how high gloss it is although it's not particularly unique.

Wear time for these was a strong 4 hours sans eating and my lips felt hydrated and comfortable during that time.  So, if you can tolerate a thicker and more sticky gloss, these may be worth checking out.  At $19, there are an impressive 35 colors to chose from, including a navy and a black!