Jonathan Silky Dirt Shine and Define Cream Review and Photos

Jonathan Silky Dirt

You know those beauty products that smell so good you're tempted to taste it? This is one of my favourite products and that's largely because it smells SO GOOD. How I've not had a taste I'm not really sure.

The fragrance is almond, sweet, sweet almond and vanilla. Like icing. 

Jonathan Silky Dirt Shine & Define Cream is a grooming cream, especially for dry and damaged hair. It adds definition, texture and shine. And fragrance. Yummy, yummy fragrance. Wear this, and try not to nibble on your hair.

Jonathan Silky Dirt

From the Jonathan website: 

Perfect to control and smooth hair, this grooming crème will add definition, texture and amazing shine. It is packed with Sunflower Phytoceramides which restructure and protect hair cuticles while a gentle smoothing shine blend adds shine and texture. Cucumber/Rose Essential Water nourishes all types of hair. Shea and Wild Mango butters condition and soften, while a blend of Sweet Almond & Soy Proteins improve manageability. 

Jonathan Silky Dirt

The texture of this is like a slightly lumpy cream. You need to work it between your hands to melt it. You need very, very little of it to work, though depending on your hair type (mine is on the fine side), you can build it if needed. 

Jonathan Silky Dirt

How I use it varies. Sometimes I will apply it when my hair is damp and before blowdrying if I'm going for a tousled look. Sometimes I will use it for shine and definition after blowdrying. It makes my hair smell delicious and the shine it adds is wonderful. So easy to overdo it on this stuff though.

And no, I still haven't been tempted to taste it.

Grade: A
C.

Illamasqua Nail Varnish in Viridian Review, Photos and Swatches

Illamasqua Nail Varnish in Viridian

Illamasqua is on it's way out of Canada, very sadly. It was available at Bay stores and on the Bay website, but soon they won't be available to Canadians apart from on their website. As of today's date, The Bay is having a clearance sale on all Illamasqua products on their website and I believe, in store. 

I picked up a few items from the clearance sale online. You can see my review of Illamasqua's Salacious lipstick here and Illamasqua's nail varnish Vice here. 

This post features Illamasqua's Viridian nail varnish. It's described as a peacock green and has a metallic finish. 

Illamasqua Nail Varnish in Viridian

Packaging detail

There was a promotional card inside the nail varnish box, advertising Illamasqua at Sephora, which of course is no longer true. Illamasqua is not available at Sephora anymore either.

Promo card 

Promo card

From the Illamasqua website:

A spectrum of bold shades with a range of finishes including matt, rubber and high-gloss. Award-winning, extremely hardwearing and chip-resistant, there's an Illamasqua Nail Varnish for every shade of humanity. 

15 mL/0.5 fl. oz.

Illamasqua's nail varnishes are some of the best in the industry, in terms of formula, quality and unique colours and textures. They cost £14.50.

Let's take a closer look at Viridian.

I'm a sucker for green (and blue) nail polish, so while I already have a similar shade in Butter London's British Racing Green, I thought it'd be worth it since it was half price ($12 CDN). Also Viridian has bit more blue to it and was quite a bit more shimmery. I was intrigued.

Illamasqua Nail Varnish in Viridian

It makes me think of the ocean, deep and mysterious. It makes me think of mermaids and fish. 

Illamasqua Nail Varnish in Viridian

All the Illamasqua varnishes I've tried go on beautifully. Viridian was no different. It applied smoothly and was complete with two coats. 

Here it is on my nails. Gorgeous, right?

Illamasqua Nail Varnish in Viridian

I love this colour and have nothing negative to say about the formula. This is an absolutely beautiful nail polish, so if you like blue-green shades, you'll love Viridian. 

I would have no qualms ordering any Illamasqua nail varnishes online, even if I can't see them in person first. Their formulas are excellent and the colours and textures are innovative and unique. 

Grade: A

C.

Illamasqua Lipstick in Salacious Review, Photos and Swatches

Illamasqua Lipstick in Salacious

Illamasqua is sadly leaving Canada behind. All of their counters at The Bay stores are closing, and clearance prices are in effect. While it's sad news that Canadians won't be able to shop Illamasqua products in person anymore, clearance sale prices make me happy. I picked up a few products from The Bay's online store. Reviews for Illamasqua nail lacquers Vice and Viridium are coming soon!

This post is on Illamasqua's Salacious lipstick. Illamasqua retails regularly for £18.50.

From the Illamasqua website:

Let your lips speak volumes. Indulge in colour-intense lipstick with a highly pigmented formula, available in a choice of flawless finishes, from creamy matte to iridescent finishes. Illamasqua Lipstick glides on smoothly and doesn't give up without a fight for the perfect all-night pout. A must have for professional make-up artists, and those who want to make a statement.

Net wt. 4g/0.14 oz.

Salacious is one of their matte lipsticks, described as a matte raspberry-red. 

Illamasqua Lipstick in Salacious

Packaging detail

Illamasqua packaging is one of the stand-out features of the brand. It's innovative, and unique. The Illamasqua lipstick packaging is rectangular with rounded corners, and sleek, shiny black plastic. It feels nice in your hands. Solid and easy to hold onto.

Illamasqua Lipstick in Salacious

Illamasqua Lipstick in Salacious

Illamasqua lipsticks are lightly vanilla-scented. I noticed that the lipstick had beading happening on it and wondered if it had maybe gone bad, but that I tend to discover by a change in scent. This lipstick does not smell off, nor is the texture grainy or rough in any way. I definitely wouldn't review an expired lipstick, regardless of how pretty it was.

And yes, Salacious is very, very pretty.

Illamasqua Lipstick in Salacious

Illamasqua Lipstick in Salacious
Swatched on NW15 skintone

It's also very, very dry. Illamasqua's matte lipsticks are very, very dry as I understand it, as are most matte lipsticks. Salacious, however was by far the driest lipstick I have ever encountered. 

I know that the best way for me to wear a matte lipstick is to exfoliate my lips well and apply a rich lip balm in advance. I had done so this time, but still found it really challenging to apply Salacious. It dragged along my skin, and did not fill in some of the lines in my lips on first pass. When I went over it with a second swipe, it started to roll a little, picking up some of what was underneath. I found it challenging to get a good lip line as well. You can see that in the photo below, as well as how the formula enhanced the lines in my lips. 

Illamasqua Lipstick in Salacious

Salacious felt very drying after about an hour or two, but it did not budge all day. I did have to pat a little lip balm over it to make myself more comfortable, which altered the appearance of it. It did soften the texture though, softening the appearance of the lines in my lips. 

Illamasqua Lipstick in Salacious

The colour of Salacious though is gorgeous. It's not quite a full red since it's got a bit of pink to it. I wish it were an easier lipstick to wear but I will persevere with lots of lip balm and a lip brush for applying! 

Grade: C+

Guerlain KissKiss Lipsticks in Baby Rose, Sexy Coral and Rouge Kiss Review, Swatches and Photos

I have some samples of three of the newly revamped Guerlain's KissKiss Lipstick collection - Baby Rose, Rouge Kiss and Sexy Coral - to show you today. The KissKiss Lipstick collection has 25 shades in total. From what I can tell, the revamp is specifically to the packaging (by jewellery designer Hervé Van der Straeten), which since I only have samples, I don't have to show you here. But you can see it online here. 

Guerlain's KissKiss lipsticks have been around for 20 years, and evidently this latest revamp has increased the formula of the pigmentation. I have admittedly never tried Guerlain KissKiss lipstick before, nor any Guerlain Beauty products. The KissKiss lipsticks retail for about $41 CDN and to me, $40 seems pretty high for a lipstick. But perhaps these samples might change my mind? The NARS Audacious lipsticks ($37 CDN) have swayed me...

From the Guerlain website:

KissKiss surprises us once again by slipping into a precious and graceful little black dress. Its understated case shows off infinitely elegant curves. A tube transformed into a work of art, a sculptural jewel developed like three sleek cubes. Simply chic!

In perfect harmony with feminine curves, lips immediately regain their fullness and softness thanks to a formula enriched with plumping hyaluronic acid spheres. In parallel, Commiphora oil helps smooth the lip surface. 

The elegance of a timeless essential.

You can find KissKiss Lipsticks at The Bay stores and thebay.com, as well as at Sephora, in store and online. 

The sample I received is pretty substantial, a large black cardboard "brochure"with a very glamourous photo of model Natalia Vodianova wearing a beautiful red lipstick (Rouge Kiss, I believe). 

The back of the brochure lists the lipsticks inside and their ingredients.

Check out the inside! I've never seen a sample look quite like this. This is indeed, a luxury brand sample. Look, it even comes with a tiny lip brush for application. 

OK, enough about the packaging, let's look at these lipsticks. Spoiler: they're pretty gorgeous.

Swatched on NW15 skintone.
L-R: Baby Rose, Sexy Coral and Rouge Kiss

All of these lipsticks have a similar, glossy sheen to them and good pigmentation. They're fragranced with a violet aroma, which is one of those scents I don't usually love. But really, it's not that noticeable unless you're waving the lipstick under your nose trying to smell it. You really can't notice it after wearing it for a few minutes. 

First up is Baby Rose: a cool mid-tone rose shade with gold glitter.

Guerlain KissKiss Lipstick in Baby Rose

This looks like a very wearable shade, the type of rose pink that many, many skintones could wear. It also swatches a lot glossier than I expected. Actually all three of these did. 

Guerlain KissKiss Lipstick in Baby Rose

See how glossy? Almost gloss-like in glossiness. But it's not sticky like a gloss. Not at all. The texture is smooth and light. The pigment is strong and the glitter is visible but not all that dramatic, the sheen and glossiness of the formula incorporates it well.

Swatched on NW15 skintone.
Guerlain KissKiss Lipstick in Baby Rose

Here it is on. I used the tiny lip brush provided to apply all of these lipsticks. 

Guerlain KissKiss Lipstick in Baby Rose

Lovely colour, right? And it's not glittery at all. But. BUT. When I rub my lips together I can feel the glitter. My lips feel a bit gritty. It's not such a nice feeling. But it's a beautiful looking and feeling lipstick to wear otherwise. It feels moisturizing, applies smoothly and forgivingly and softens any lines and dryness on your lips. Barring the gritty feeling, it's a lovely lipstick and a lovely shade. 

Guerlain KissKiss Lipstick in Baby Rose

Here's my favourite of the three shades: Sexy Coral, a juicy soft orange-pink shade. Anyone who loves coral lip colours will want to check this one out. 

Guerlain KissKiss Lipstick in Sexy Coral

This looks almost neon in the sample, and on my finger below, but it swatches and applies less so. It's got a smooth, glossy texture and no shimmer at all. 

Guerlain KissKiss Lipstick in Sexy Coral 

Sexy Coral is such a beautiful, fun shade. It makes me think of the flesh of a grapefruit. It makes me think of spring and summer, but trust me, I'll be wearing this one year round. It's just too pretty not to. 

Swatched on NW15 skintone.
Guerlain KissKiss Lipstick in Sexy Coral 

It's bold without being overpowering and it's very, very flattering. The glossiness of it draws light to it making lips look luscious. 

Guerlain KissKiss Lipstick in Sexy Coral 

The texture of Sexy Coral is very much like the texture of Baby Rose, but without the grittiness. It doesn't feel heavy and it applies very smoothly and evenly. It didn't feel dry or enhance any of the lines or dryness of my lips. I didn't want to take it off. I think I might have to buy a full tube of it!

Guerlain KissKiss Lipstick in Sexy Coral 

Finally, here is Rouge Kiss, the shade that Natalia Vodianova is wearing in the ads for the collection. It's a pretty universally flattering neutral red, neither warm or cool-toned and it's got plenty of gloss like Baby Rose and Sexy Coral. 

Guerlain KissKiss Lipstick in Rouge Kiss

It's red. Very red. Proceed with caution. 

Guerlain KissKiss Lipstick in Rouge Kiss

Rouge Kiss is glossy, just like Baby Rose and Sexy Coral, so it's going to be easier to wear for most of you than a drier-textured red lipstick. The gloss of it will also bring down some of the drama of the shade. 

Guerlain KissKiss Lipstick in Rouge Kiss

Like Baby Rose and Sexy Coral, Rouge Kiss has a very smooth, glossy texture and it's opaque and pigmented but with a touch of translucency at the same time. There is definitely no shortage of colour either. It reminds me of cranberry juice. 

So do I look like Natalia Vodianova? Yeah, I didn't think so. 


But this is one gorgeous red lippy. 

Guerlain KissKiss Lipstick in Rouge Kiss

Guerlain KissKiss Lipstick in Rouge Kiss

So there you have it, three of the newly revamped Guerlain KissKiss Lipsticks. Overall, I was impressed by them. These are very easy to wear lipsticks (Baby Rose only if you're OK with some grittiness) since they're so glossy and lightweight. From the looks of the rest of the shades, there are colours that should suit everyone from nudes to naturals to brights to reds, all with a glossy finish, but some that are more sheer, and some more opaque, some with shimmer/glitter, some without. 

Baby Rose

Grade: B

Sexy Coral

Grade: A

Rouge Kiss

Grade: A

C.

Beauty Squared Round-Up - October 26, 2014

Hello and Happy Sunday!
Let's get right down to it. There are things to do today!

• Check out this simple, dramatic blush application technique from MAC MUA Nicole Thompson.
  
• Speaking of blush, here's why you need to wear blush when you're rocking a bright lip colour.
  
• Here's a pretty and simple way to make your eyes look bigger and brighter from Chanel MUA Fulvia Farolfi.
  
• Allure's round-up of under $5 beauty steals, including EOS, L'Oreal, Almay and St. Ives.
  
• This is hilarious: The 10 Commandments of Highlighting and Contouring.
  
• Oh, Renee Zellweger. Unless you've been in an isolation chamber for the last week, you've probably heard about Renee's change in appearance. There's been a lot of talk and while we can't possibly share everything we've read or heard about it, this is one that we've chosen. It's a New York Times piece that tries to explain perhaps why there was a such a strong reaction to Renee's new face. 
  

MAC Pro Trend Forecast Spring 15/Lip and Cheek Palette: Review, Swatches and Photos

Every fall and spring MAC Pro puts out two limited edition Pro palettes, one for eyes and one for lips. This year MAC has extended the lip palette to be a lip and cheek palette. All photos in natural light , swatches on NC 35/40 skin.

The Spring 15 Lip and Cheek palette features 6 new, limited edition lip and cheek shades conveniently house in a single palette. Though I have no official confirmation from MAC, the formula of the lip and cheek palette appears to be consistent with the Casual Color formula: solid in the pan but light and emollient to the touch. Generally, the consistency is like a semi sheer or glossy lipstick. The levels of pigmentation differ from shade to shade, but all shades have a sheer, glossy, emollient texture. 

The palette features 6 shades: Go Guava, One to Watch, Spring Sensation Must Have Melon, Bang on Red and Seasonally Peach.

1st row: Seasonally Peach/Spring Sensation

2nd row: Must Have Melon/Go Guava

3rd row: Bang on Red/One to Watch.

Seasonally Peach, Spring Sensation and Must Have Melon

Seasonally Peach - A very light peachy beige, this shade is one of the sheerest in the palette. Due to it's lightness and sheerness, I don't see using this color as a blush but it could possibly work as a dewy highlighter.

Spring Sensation - A light peachy pink in the pan which leans cooler pink on my warm skin tone,  this shade is one of the sheerer in the palette, but it is a tad more pigmented than Seasonally Peach. This could work as both a blush and lip color on lighter skin tones.

Must Have Melon - An orangey medium peach that has pigmentation levels equivalent to Spring Sensation. On lighter skin tones this could act as both a blush and a lip color.

Go Guava, Bang On Red and One to Watch

Go Guava - A medium mauve-rose shade with good pigmentation. Almost fully opaque in one pass. 

Bang On Red - A bright, medium deep red-coral with excellent pigmentation. Opaque in one pass.

One to Watch - A medium deep berry toned fuchsia with excellent pigmentation, Opaque in one pass. 

This is a beautiful palette for lips and cheeks - the colors are pretty, fresh and bright, as well as there is a good range of both warm, cool and neutral colors. There is also is a good variation in tone and depth of color, with the first row being light and sheer, the second row being medium in both tone and pigmentation, and finally the last row being deep and highly pigmented. In terms of formulation, the product applies smoothly, blends easily and has a dewy finish.

The drawbacks of this palette for some will be the lightness and sheerness of Seasonally Peach and Spring Sensation, shades that will work on lips but have little impact on cheeks.The second aspect of the palette that may be a drawback is the creamy, emollient finish. This type of product does not dry down or set, but will remain moist, which means wear time will be cut down and the finish might be too moist for oilier skins.

Overall I think this palette is great for travelling and has a variety of shades that could work with various looks from dramatic smokey eyes, to a neutral face, to bright lips. I love that this palette is for the most part, truly versatile. I hope MAC puts out more lip and cheek palettes like this.

Grade: B/B+

J