 Shoeperwoman |
 Dollface |
 Fashion Police |
 Follow Us |
 Become a Fan |
 Subscribe |
 Follow |
 Subscribe Via Email |
Category Archives: Holy Grail Beauty Products
Dollface Reviews: M.A.C. Russian Red Matte Lipstick (with swatches)
As longtime readers of this site (Hi, both of you!), may recall, I’m a huge fan of red lipstick, and for a while now, my go-to red has been MAC’s Ruby Woo. I happened to walk past the M.A.C. counter in Harvey Nichols this week (OK, OK, I went in deliberately for that very purpose. I’ve never been able to resist M.A.C. lipsticks…) and ended up picking up a couple of new colours, one of which was the classic ‘Russian Red’, which I can’t quite believe I didn’t already own. (I actually really wanted to get this in the Wonder Woman packaging, but of course, I left it much too late for that and it’s all sold out, so I had to settle for the regular version.)
This lipstick is so well-known in beauty circles that I’m sure it needs no introduction from me, but just in case you’ve never heard of it, it basically enjoys a reputation as THE red lipstick from this brand, and it’s a very deep, blue-toned red, which, ironically enough, is much more of a “ruby” shade than its fellow M.A.C. red, Ruby Woo:
Also like Ruby Woo, this is a matte formula, but it’s much, much easier to work with than the former lipstick. Ruby Woo (I promise I’ll stop the comparisons between the two soon…) is very matte, and very dry (I normally have to wear lip balm under it because it’s so dry), but Russian Red is very creamy, and has a slight sheen to it: it glides on easily and is really comfortable to wear – in fact, in terms of application, etc, it’s pretty much perfect.
As for the colour, well, it’s one of those classic, “retro” reds, as seen on pin-up girls and old movie stars:
It’s also bright. That’s one of the reasons I like it so much, but every so often I get comments/emails from people who say they’d love to try red lipstick, but are a bit daunted by the thought of it, and all I can is that if that sounds like you, Russian Red probably isn’t the colour to start out with, because it’s not exactly subtle. It’s a red that’s designed to stand out, and as much as I love my red lipstick, it’s maybe a little too bold even for me to wear as a day-to-day colour (Because I have very pale skin, this lipstick looks very dramatic in contrast. I love the look, but it’s not for the faint hearted.) although perfect for evenings, special occasions etc.
So far I’ve been really impressed with how long this lasts, too. One problem I’ve always had with Ruby Woo is that I find I need to reapply it constantly or it will disappear. This made it through a couple of glasses of wine and a snack last night without looking too much the worse for wear, although it’s yet to be tested for longer periods of time (I’m wearing it right now, though, so will report back!).
(I promise I’m not that shiny in real life, it’s the flash bouncing off my forehead!)
Overall, I love this, and think I’m going to have to name it the Holy Grail of Red Lipstick. In fact, yes, I am. Move over, Ruby Woo, we have a new favourite!
This is £13.50 at M.A.C.: click here to buy it.
Dollface Reviews: Lancome Hypnose Drama Waterproof Mascara
Brace yourselves, readers: I think I may have found a mascara I like even more than Lancome L’Extreme.
I know, I didn’t think it would ever happen either: trust me, I’m as surprised as you are, although you’ll probably be a little less surprised to know that the knew King of the Mascaras (perhaps) is also by Lancome, who continue to reign supreme as the Supreme Rulers of All Mascara. At least as far as I’m concerned.
Although it’s been out for a while, I’d resisted buying Hypnose Drama until the waterproof version came out, knowing that if it’s not waterproof, I probably won’t be all that impressed by it. I’d actually forgotten all about it, though, so when I spotted the waterproof version at Sephora, I instantly threw it into my basket, and then rushed home to try it out.
Folks, I love this. It’s an amazing mascara, and totally lives up to the “drama” of the title, creating long, black, curly lashes that could pass for falsies if you were to look at them in some dim light.
The brush on this is long and slightly curvy, and it’s this that gives Hypnose Drama the edge over L’Extreme for me, as it lengthens and curls. As fabulous as L’Extreme is at lengthening the lashes, I find I need to curl my lashes first for maximum impact. Although I did curl my lashes before taking these photos (force of habit), you can do without, and the lashes will still look curly: perhaps not to the extent that they will if you’ve used an eyelash curler, but still more than they would on their own. Or more than mine would on their own, anyway.
What’s more, the formula holds the curl all day. When I take this off at night, I find that although the mascara comes off easily with my regular eye makeup remover, the curl is still there: bonus!
(Bear in mind that these photos are extreme close-ups, and thus extremely unforgiving: the product looks much smoother in real life).
A quick word about the waterproof qualities of this: when I was on vacation, I wore it to the beach one day by mistake (I say “by mistake” – I wouldn’t normally wear mascara to the beach, but we’d intended it to be a very brief visit, with no swimming, before we headed somewhere else, but we ended up hanging around, and, of course, getting wet…) and was hit several times smack in the face by massive waves, which more than proved the staying power of the mascara: not a single run or smudge!
In conclusion: I think I may have found a new favourite, but before I formally award the title, I’m going to wait a week or so, because I also picked up a tube of Hypnose Precious Cells at the airport. It’s not waterproof, so it may not be a totally fair competition, but hey, I had some dollars left, it was there… you know how it goes.
Precious Cells review coming up soon, then. For now, if you want to try Hypnose Drama Waterproof, it’s $24.50 direct from Lancome or £20 if you’re in the UK (Which, incidentally, kind of sucks, doesn’t it? Why do we have to pay more?).
Dollface Reviews: Benefit High Beam pink highlighter
There were a couple of interesting comments on my post about Benefit’s new Brows -a-go-go, and I have to admit, I do agree with them to some extent. There’s no doubt in my mind that Benefit are extremely good at reinventing the wheel, and using clever marketing and cute packing to sell us stuff we may not otherwise have considered, and, in my case at least, it works.
Hi, my name’s Dollface, and I’m a Benefit addict. I can’t seem to walk past one of their counters without buying something, and several of their products have made it onto my Holy Grail list, one of those being High Beam , the shimmery pink highlighter for the face.
I love High Beam. In fact, I love it so much that when I realised, en-route to Glasgow airport to fly off to the States last month, that I’d forgotten to bring my current bottle of High Beam with me, I wanted to kick myself. And I was absolutely delighted to discover that Glasgow airport’s duty free section had gained a Benefit counter since I was last there, where I lost no time in stocking up again.
I use High Beam on my cheekbones, under my brows, and sometimes on the cupid’s bow of my lips, to give a subtle sheen, and to emphasis the bits I want to emphasise. It’s shimmer, but not too much so, and I find it makes my skin look dewier and healthier. If you want to, you can mix it in with your foundation too, and I’ve also been known to use it on my lips in a pinch, to give them a bit of a shimmer.
Other than mascara, I’d say this is the product that makes the biggest difference to my appearance, and it’s also the product I tend to get most compliments on. The pale pink colour is designed to work with most complexions, but if it doesn’t work with yours, you may get on better with Moon Beam , which does the same thing but has more of a golden colour to it.
BUY: Benefit High Beam , £16.50
Holy Grails: Dollface’s Must-Have Beauty Products Part 2
Jen has already told you what her Holy Grail Beauty Products are, so now it's my turn!
Before I start, I should just say that there 's a certain amount of overlap between my list and Jen's: I also swear by Benefit High Beam, for instance, and love me some Carmex and Vaseline Rosy Lips, but because Jen's already talked about why those products are Holy Grails of Beauty, I've gone for some of my other favourites, namely…
Jen and I both love Lancome mascaras, but while she goes for Hypnose, for me it's L'Extreme Waterproof every time. Regular readers will have heard me rave about this mascara enough by now, but just in case you've missed it, I love it because it's super-lengthening and the waterproof formula locks in the curl on my lashes. Has to be waterproof, though: the regular version just isn't as good!
They say it suits every complexion, and looks like your own natural blush. Well, I can't speak for anyone else's complexion, obviously, but this definitely works for mine, and is worth every penny I spend on it…
I've always believed a good primer is the key to perfect foundation, and this is the best primer I've ever used. Again, it's expensive, but it feels like you're rubbing silk on your face, and who wouldn't want that?
I've tried a LOT of lip-plumping products, and this is the ONLY one that works for me. It makes my lips noticeably bigger, and I also like the color it turns them, too (it's clear, but your lips will go redder/pinker due to the "tingling" this causes), which means I can use it on its own. I also like the fact that it's not too shiny or sticky.
A touch of this under the brows will define the arch and somehow make them look sleeker and more polished. A dab on the cupid's bow of the lips makes them look fuller. A touch of High Brow on the inner corners of the eyes makes them look wider and brighter. Hell, I've even used it to help conceal spots and redness. Love it.
Holy Grails: Dollface’s Must-Haves Part I
I don't know about you lovely ladies, but this Dollface has four essential (and when I say essential, I actually mean: my-life-would be-utterly-pointless-without-these) products that she must have in her makeup bag/bottomless handbag at all times.
So, without further ado (or anything else for that matter), I give to you: My Holy Grail Items.
- Carmex
This cult wonder balm is the best thing bar none for ridding your lips of dryness and the dreaded "flakies". Since discovering Carmex just over four years ago (seriously, what took me so long?), I've not let this little yellow pot out of my sight. Admittedly,the smell might not appeal to everyone, but I find it oddly comforting. The tingling sensation is addictive too! A bargain friendly beauty that does what it says on the tin. Literally.
- BeneFit High Beam
I cannot get enough of this stuff. I've had my current bottle for just over a year, and it's still going strong. This is my go-to highlighter when I need sculpting and illuminating, and, in my humble opinion nothing else even comes close to it, and trust me I've tried a lot.
This is one of Benefit's best sellers and a favourite among celebrities- apparently a certain Ms.Kylie Minogue is a big fan. No other highlighter has quite the same consistency as High Beam; they're either too thin or too thick, too matt or too sparkly. But this? Is perfect cheekbones in a bottle. And who doesn't want that?
- Lancôme Hypnôse Mascara
Oh how I love my Hypnôse. Let me count the ways. On second thoughts, perhaps not, I'd be here all day. This is a fairly recent discovery for me, but has accelarated it's way onto my Holy Grail list. I spent years (not to mention pounds) on mascaras. I was determined to find "The One" and I wasn't going to stop until I'd found it. Or I'd run out of money; whichever came first.
So it was very happy day indeed when I tried this out for the first time. I swear I could hear the Hallelujah chorus ringing loud and clear when I applied it to my lashes. My lashes were long, full, natural, and just plain gorgeous. It was one of those exceedingly rare moments where my lashes actually looked like those in the (whisper it) adverts. Lash Insertions not required, thank you very much.
In the highly unlikely event that you only buy one mascara ever again (a terrifying prospect, I know), this should definitely be a contender.
- Vaseline Rosy Lips
Only released last Summer, Vaseline Rosy Lips has already won my affection. Unlike that other pot of perfection, Carmex, Rosy Lips' doesn't get rid of flakes (well, not for me anyway) but it keeps lips wonderfully soft and smooth after Carmex has done it's job. And unlike the original Vasline Lip care, Rosy Lips adds a delicate pink tint to lips. Oh, and did I mention it smells divine too?
Dollface Reviews: Urban Decay Eyeshadow Primer Potion – the Holy Grail of primers!
Well, it certainly took me long enough, but this week I've finally, FINALLY gotten round to trying out Urban Decay's famous Eyeshadow Primer Potion. Hallelujah! (In my defence, I rarely wear eyeshadow, but even so, people, even so…)
You know how some products get so hyped up that by the time you actually buy them, you just know they'll never be able to live up their reputations,and will prove to be a crushing disappointment?
This isn't one of those products. Phew!
No, I'm pleased to report that Eyeshadow Primer Potion is every bit as good as I'd heard it was. For the benefit of anyone out there who hasn't heard of it, this is a primer which you apply to your eyelids before putting on eyeshadow. It's supposed to stop your eyeshadow fading or creasing throughout the day, and the short story is that, yes: it does.
I've used this several times now, applying it to my eyelids first thing in the morning, and then putting on eyeshadow, which I've left until last thing at night, to see how well it worked. The result? The eyeshadow I'd normally have expected to be a mere shadow of itself (see what I did there?) or to have creased uncontrollably, looked as fresh as it did when I'd put it on. It did not budge. It did not bleed. Amazing – and I used this with cheap eyeshadow as well as expensive stuff too, to give it a proper trial.
I've read a lot of criticisms of the tube this comes in: it certainly looks pretty, but I know a lot of people complain that it's difficult to get all of the potion out of it, so you end up with lots of product left in the bottom which you can't access. Obviously I've not used enough of this yet to really be able to comment on that, but it's something I'll be bearing in mind as I continue using it.
Other than that, top marks from me, and I liked it enough to name it a Holy Grail product – result!
Dollface Reviews: Rodial Glamtox Peel – the 10 minute face lift
I have to confess, I don’t use face masks nearly as often as I probably should do – mostly because so many of them turn out to be a dissapointment, forcing you to sit around with a green face for ages, but creating no real benefits.
Rodial’s Glamtox Peel, however, sounded like a much better bet to me. Billing itself as “the ten minute face lift” (words almost guaranteed to get my attention), it promised to create a “face lift” like effect in just 10 minutes. “Bring it on!” said Dollface…
Here’s what Rodial have to say about it: “Containing revolutionary ingredients such as LaraCare™, which firms, lifts and reduces the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles, and Argirline which works to reduce stress in the skin and to relax contracted muscles, glamtox peel will have an immediate effect on the face. Also featuring Fruit Acids to help refine the complexion, even skintone and soften fine lines, this clay mask will illuminate and brighten, even after the first use.”
And does it? You’ll have to read on to find out…
Dollface Reviews: Smashbox Photo Finish Foundation Primer – the Holy Grail of primers!
To have found one Holy Grail Beauty Product on my last trip to Sephora was pretty good going, I thought, but to find two? Amazing.
My second Holy Grail item is Smashbox Photo Finish Foundation Primer. Again, this is a product that gets a lot of really great reviews, and all I can say is that they’re all true. I absolutely love this product, and really regret the fact that I bought a trial-sized bottle, which I got as part of the Smashbox ‘Try Me’ Set, rather than the full-sized version, because I can tell I’m going to be getting through a lot of this.
There’s some morre information about Photo Primer under the jump, but to be completely honest, all you really need to know is this: it feels like you’re putting liquid silk onto your face. No, really, it does. This is slightly dangerous for me because the delicious feel of the stuff makes me want to wear much more of it than I really need to, but then, that’s the reason this is part of my Holy Grail collection!
Holy Grail Beauty Products: what are yours?
The Holy Grail. If you’re a beauty junkie, like me, it’s not a precious, and possibly mythical, religious artifact – no, it’s something much better than that, although it may seem every bit as mythical.
For beauty lovers, The Holy Grail is the lipstick that remains in place even after your second latte of the morning. It’s the mascara that really does make your eyelashes look like they came out of a packet. The wrinkle cream that – brace yourself, ladies – actually gets rid of wrinkles. (That last one is definitely a myth, by the way). In other words, it’s the perfect product, that does exactly what you want it to, in the way you want it to do it. And boy, but is it hard to find…
Over the next few weeks I’m going to be sharing some of my Holy Grail Beauty Products with you (note: not literally. I’ll just be telling you about them, no actual sharing of products will be involves. Because those products are mine.) First, though, I want to know what yours are. Have you found the Holy Grail mascara, foundation, skin cream, or something else? Tell me, so I can discover it, too!
