Sugarpill Bulletproof is not a Blackout

So, the day before yesterday I raved about Sugarpill's matte, pigmented shadows. Today, I am here to show you that Bulletproof can't really hold a candle to Urban Decay's Blackout. (No really, it would be pointless, in a good way.)

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I kept hearing that Bulletproof was the black shadow to end all black shadows. I'm a fan of dark shades and use a lot of black shadow - as liner, as a setting powder for liquid liner, as a smoking-out shade for lighter colors, as a blending color to deepen bright shades, and so on. Given the great experience I had with Burning Heart and Sweetheart, I took this rumor at face-value and bought a single of Bulletproof when I picked up Cold Chemistry and Heartbreaker. I've got to say, I'm disappointed.

First up, the packaging is cute and sleek, which is nice. It seems durable and the shadow in the package gave me hope - you can't even see the black design on the clear lid because the shadow is dark behind it.

So, like any over-zealous package-opener, I swatched it on the back of my hand. Whomp-whomp. I knew immediately that Urban Decay's Blackout would be darker - so I grabbed it and threw it on the back of my hand next to Bulletproof. See:

Okay, maybe it just needs some primer or something to hold it on a little better - I mean, after all, those red and pink shades from Sugarpill have a little bit of a fallout issue, right? So I dragged out all of my black shadows still currently in service and put down a layer of Urban Decay's Primer Potion (if you remember my foundation swatches, you know my skin is lighter than it appears here. I love Primer Potion but don't let anyone tell you its colorless.)  Here are the results of that:

1. Sephora Collection Black Lace (matte, single, 2013)

2. Sugarpill Bulletproof (matte, single, 2014)

3. Kat Von D Lucifer (matte, Sinner palette, 2011)

4. Urban Decay Blackout (matte, Naked 2 palette, 2013)
5. Urban Decay Crave (matte, Naked Basics palette, 2013)

As you can see, some colors that claim to be matte come out more satin (Crave) or have shimmer in them (Lucifer.) Bulletproof definitely out ranks three of the five shades but Urban Decay is the clear winner here on pigmentation and even application.

I'm sure I'll have a use for it, so I'm not upset that I spent the money but I officially refute any "it's the blackest" claims out there. When I brought this up on a makeup chat forum I participate on, someone suggested that Makeup Geek's Corrupt was blacker than Blackout. A challenger has appeared. (Clearly, to be continued.) 

Sugarpill Burning Heart and Sweetheart

Pre-post alert! Sugarpill is having a sale, today (Monday Feb 17) only on most of their website. I picked mine up from Beautylish but 20% off is a pretty great deal, especially given that these are already well-priced! 

Hello folks! Sorry for the disappearance, my computer crashed and then when I replaced it I lost the font I had been using on my photos, which I had picked up on a specific kind of license and ... okay, boring. Moving on!

While I was away, I picked up these wonderfully pigmented Sugarpill palettes. They're so wonderful, in fact, that I have the remaining two Sugarpill palettes on the way. I didn't swatch because there are lots and lots of swatches of these available but what you don't see much of are looks that someone actually wore outside of their makeup application area. So that's what I have for you today after some product photos.

Sugarpill Sweethart (left) and Burning Heart (right)

After the jump, more product photos, two Burning Heart looks, one Sweetheart look, and my Valentine's flowers. 

Free Urban Decay Revolution Deluxe Sample and Sale

Just a heads up, this offer just landed in my email - Beauty.com is offering a deluxe sample of Urban Decay's revolution lipstick in Anarchy with any $10 purchase:

Of course, Urban Decay's Friends and Fanatics 20% off sale is currently running:

Choose wisely! (Who are we kidding? I'm sure you can find something to order from both.)

Foundation Final Round! A Winner Emerges!

Sorry for the delay in posting, I've been having some computer troubles.

I figured that this foundation was going to be a long shot. You might remember in the swatches and the Jane Iredale BB cream in BB1 looked yellow compared to the others. It looked like it wasn't going to be a match at all. Turns out, I was so, so wrong.

First up, the packaging on the BB cream isn't anything astounding - it's more convenient for throwing in my bag to head to the gym, though.

Jane Iredale Glow Time Full Coverage BB Cream

Here's the day one face test for shade BB1, indoors in natural light:

Look at that - it matches my neck, chest, and hairline! It doesn't look dry, it doesn't look overly shiny which is what "glow" usually equates to. The coverage is definitely full. It has a titanium-dioxide sunblock (25 SPF UVA/B full spectrum) built in and my skin feels amazing when I wash my face at the end of the day. I've been using this for two weeks now and my skin has never looked better, which wasn't something I figured a foundation would do. There is a very light sweet herbal scent which makes sense given the number of extracts in it: white tea, green tea, aloe leaf, grapefruit, bitter orange, apple, sunflower seed oil, radish root, honeysuckle. I only smell it when applying and I have a very acute sense of smell.

For a more matte finish, you can layer the Pressed Mineral foundation over the top. My shade match is Ivory (neutral undertones) but they have a variety of undertones available in a fair-to-light pressed powder. The refillable compact is amazing - the hinge is sturdy and will stay where you place it which is so rare anymore in a mirrored compact. Just large enough to hold the powder puff that comes with the powder refill. All of the packaging is recyclable, as well.

Here's my second-day photo, taken a week or so after the first photo with the powder over the top. Sorry for the lack of visibility of other skin for color-matching, it's been cold here! Clearly, I'm outside.

I think I could go on forever, so I will just wrap up with, uh, more photos (after the jump.) I may have gotten over-excited about this being such a good match and throughout the day on day one (first picture) as I ran errands with my little guy, I took pictures in different kinds of lighting situations - see more after the jump, this even looks good in florescent lighting.

MAC VIVA Glam RiRi

MAC's VIVA Glam line has long been a favorite of mine. VIVA Glam was my first MAC lipstick purchase in the '90s, when it was the only shade and didn't carry a "I" to indicate which one. I tend to wind up buying anything from the line that remotely appeals. Then I heard that they'd be doing a frosted blue-red and knew I was in for it. (I don't know that I've mentioned this before but you're probably the only person who reads this blog, dear stranger, so I buy everything that appears here. :) )

First of all, the packaging on this one is gorgeous. I want a million lipsticks in this packaging:

Then you roll up the color and oooooooooh:

Unlike RiRi Woo, the product itself doesn't have Rihanna's signature molded in, the signature is on the interior portion of the tube. Honestly, the branding doesn't appeal or detract for me, this is a gorgeous package and a stunning lipstick.

Here it is on me - reminder if you haven't read my pale foundation posts, I'm very pale. I have a lot of trouble with red lipsticks either looking brown or orange or pink instead of red.

This is poised to become a favorite spring and summer color for me, which means I should probably back this up while it's available. (This is limited, like the previous Nicki Minaj, Lady Gaga, Cyndi Lauper, and so on VIVA Glam lipsticks. Folks at my MAC store say it should be available for six months to a year. It also comes in lipglass but I don't wear lipgloss - swatches show the colors to be very close.)

I know I promised Punk Couture lipstick swatches and photos next but I had to interrupt due to my excitement about this color (and it's still available!) I might also make a post about the Anastasia Beverly Hills Dipbrow Pomade in Ebony, which I'm wearing in this photo - it's amazing and easy to use.

Chantecaille Future Skin - Full Face Test (and what KVD looks like)

I'm losing hope, my pale foundation watchers. Here's the results of the full day skin test with Chantecaille Future Skin in Porcelain:

Day 1

Chantecaille Future Skin in Porcelain
MAC lipstick in Studded Kiss

Day 2

Chantecaille Future Skin in Porcelain

MAC Huggables lipstick in Rusty (lightly applied)

Pink, pink, pink and more pink. This oxidization appeared about an hour and a half after application, and to the credit of Chantecaille, stayed steady at this level for the rest of the day. I'm disappointed but it's closer than the Koh Gen Do. Unfortunately, I think it broke my face out - I had to go two days without foundation of any kind to clear up the bumpiness (I usually get rashes, so this was a new one for me.)

Here, let me show you what it's up against, since I'm being so picky. Kat Von D Lock-It Tattoo Foundation in Light 42:

Bright Outdoor Light:

KVD Light 42
MAC Punk Couture and Violetta (layered)

More indirect outdoor light:

(same as above)

Indoor lighting:

Kat Von D Light 42
MAC Punk Couture lipstick (heavy application)

That's after all day of wearing on that last photo. The other two were after several hours. No pink, no orange, perfect match to my neck and chest. Why, oh why, didn't I back up a few bottles of this?

Upcoming: Punk Couture Lipsticks general swatching and round up. I also caved and bought the RiRi VIVA Glam, so expect swatches and photos when that arrives - I'm hoping for a replacement for KVD's Adora lipstick, love the color, hate the formula. 

Koh Gen Do Maifanshi Moisture Foundation Face Test

So, after going through all of those swatches, I came down to a small list of winners. I decided to try the Koh Gen Do Maifanshi Moisture Foundation in 001 first, as it was nice to apply but I had worries about further oxidization. This foundation did something I wasn't expecting - it got more pink as I wore it. I've never seen a foundation oxidize in quite this way and I'd love it if someone could explain it to me. They usually go orange or dark or brown, at least in my experience.

This foundation applies and blends amazingly well and has decent coverage. It does live up to the name - two days of wear and my skin seemed to be a little less dry even in the middle of typically very dry winter skin conditions.

After day one at about eight hours of wear:

Koh Gen Doh Maifanshi Moisture Foundation in 001 at eight hours

Photo taken in natural light, no flash

As you can see, my face is having a bit of doesn't match body issue. It didn't go orange but it certainly did get pinker.

I tried it on a second day and took a photo in the only reasonable amount of natural light I could find - my car. Sorry. This went just as pink as day one, but here you can see it at about three hours of wear, not nearly as pink and much more neutral. Everything about the application was the same, the only thing different, down to the eyeshadow palette I used is day two's MAC Instigator lipstick.

Koh Gen Do Maifanshi Moisture Foundation at 3 hours wear

photo in (car, sorry) natural light

Depending on how the others from the short list perform, this one may be further down the list than I anticipated. The application is great, it's nice to my skin, but the continual slide into pink is a little disappointing.

Next up: Chantecaille Future Skin in Porcelain two-day test.

Foundation Swatches

Quick - you're pale, your favorite foundation has just been discontinued (again,) and you haven't even looked for a replacement in years. What do you do? If you're me? You panic and go and get, I'm not exaggerating here, 24 different foundations color matched to you by a variety of counter sales folks, make up artists, and other pros to swatch and find the next foundation for the CPTB (Cosmetic Powers That Be) to discontinue. (This seems to be a thing with pale foundation - in fact, Torq (my spousal compatriot) jokes every time I find one - "So, how long until they discontinue this one?" or most recently, "Are you going to send the company a condolence letter on their impending discontinuation?")

(Super long post and swatches after the cut)

Pale Skin and Blush/Bronzer/Highlighter

A question I often see posted around forums is, "I'm pale, so I don't use bronzer, right?" Well, not if you don't want to, of course but you can if you want to. The issue with bronzer when you are pale is that it's so very often orange-based which works well on a medium skin tone but not so much for us pale folks. I also find that very soft, pink shades are recommended as blushes for pale folks and that may not provide the flushed look you're going for.

Many people have recommended the Too Faced Milk Soleil to me but most unfortunately, it contains sodium saccharine. (I have a sulfa drug allergy and this goes along with it. Too Faced uses this to make the bronzer smell sweet, like chocolate.) I will see if I can find a similarly-toned guest swatcher for that one.

A lot of folks recommended Urban Decay's Naked Flushed. Possibly because it was new, probably because it was failing for folks with medium skin tones and they assumed that meant it was geared for the pale. I'm sorry to say, not for me - the bronzer is very orange, the highlighter is very dark, and the blush is too much for me. The highlighter shade is actually comparable to NARS Orgasm.

NARS is the eternal favorite of the blush world and I can see why. I've been using Laguna for years and just recently jumped on the Orgasm bandwagon. Where I think NARS falls flat here, though, is the highlighter. Copacabana is the commonly recommended highlighter and it's too bright and too light, in my opinion, for most highlighting needs.

Here's a (poorly done, I'm sorry to say) swatch set of the Urban Decay Naked Flushed Palette (highlighter, bronzer, blush) and the most commonly recommended NARS items (Copacabana highlighter, Laguna bronzer, Orgasm blush) each in a heavy and then blended swatch.

The NARS colors disappear into my skin, leaving not much else than a healthy glow. The Urban Decay palette leaves a bold look - which works for some but may not be what you're looking for. Stay tuned as I try Francois Nars's suggestion for contouring shades for pale skin - taupe eyeshadows.

Up Next: Foundation Swatches - They're here! Sephora finally got around to discontinuing my Kat Von D Light 42, so I finally got around to finishing the swatches.

MAC Hautecore - Quick Black Lipstick Update

Long time, no post, right?

Well, with MAC's new Hautecore (from Black Friday 2013 and the upcoming Punk Couture collection on December 26th,) I'm sure you're all curious how it stacks up to the black lipsticks I posted earlier. I didn't do full-face looks for these because I recently had a jawbone/dental/sinus disaster repaired and am waiting for the swelling and bruising to go down but I wanted to get a swatch up for comparison for the curious. 

Here we have, top to bottom:
Make-Up-For-Ever Rouge Artist Intense in #50 Black Satin (1 pass)
Portland Black Lipstick Company in Black (1 pass)
MAC Hautecore (2 passes)
MAC Hautecore (1 pass)

As you can see, Portland Black Lipstick Company is still the clear winner - mint-scent and all. (I prefer the vanilla of MAC's lipsticks.)

Hautecore is pretty similar in pigmentation to MUFE's #50 but Hautecore is a little more matte and stays a little better with wear. It also has the bonus of not having MUFE's floral scent.

Just a quick post - sorry for the lack of detail.
What I'm hoping to post up next: pale foundation swatches from Sephora, Kat Von D, Urban Decay, and Jane Iredale - what's a pale girl to do when MAC no longer makes anything lighter than NC15?! (I mourn the loss of 5 and 10 shades.)