Entries for Friday June 08

Meow Cosmetics’ Morpho glow powder

• Vendor: Meow Cosmetics
• Availability: available as part of the Lost Rainforest collection
• Color Range: sheer golden pink iridescent sheen
• Staying Power: 3 out of 4 stars
• Cost/Amount: USD$13.95 for 4 grams, $9.95 for 2 grams, $1 for a sample baggie
• Would you purchase again: yes
• Similar shades: Lost in Makeupland's Alive

Very soft, definitely sheer, a notch or two above a finishing powder in terms of pigmentation. The gold sheen is there, but soft - it's easy to layer this over your favorite blush to add a gentle pinkish glow with the barest trace of highlighting. In some ways it reminds me of Lost in Makeupland's Alive blush - sheer, soft, very faint glow. I haven't tried layering this to emphasize either the pink or the glow, but I imagine it would be possible.

NYX Cosmetics’ Tribute to Marilyn Black Label Lipstick (163)

• Manufacturer: NYX Cosmetics
• Availability: part of the Black Label Lipstick collection
• Color Range: pinup-fuchsia-red creme
• Staying Power: 4 out of 4
• Cost/Amount: USD$7.00 for .14 ounces / 4 grams
• Would you purchase again: yes - but only from etailers, because the tubes aren't sealed

I don't know if it's NYX, or my color perception, or some other factor...but it seems like a lot of NYX lip colors whose names suggest a deep or vampy red, have an almost hot-pink tinge. Instead of this being what I think of as a "pinup" red, the color looks like a slightly more grown up shade of fuchsia. It applies smoothly, has a light grapeseed scent, and doesn't dry my lips out. The color also tends to stay in place for a few hours - par for the course, for the NYX Black Label lipsticks that I've tried. The color payoff is pretty rich without having to go over my lips two and three times - another point in this line's factor. I really do wish I knew how to find a softer red that is either neutral or has blue undertones...but doesn't look magentoid!

Tarte’s Lipsurgence in Glitzy

• Manufacturer: Tarte Cosmetics
• Availability: part of the Lip Service Lipsurgence kit
• Color Range: semisheer bronzed rose shimmer
• Staying Power: 2 out of 4
• Cost/Amount: USD$24 for 2.6 ml / .08 fl oz each
• Would you purchase again: yes
• Similar shades:

This is not one of my favorites from this collection. The color itself is very nice, and it applies more rose than brown. I like the shade and the shimmer. What I'm less wild about is its sheer nature, and its lack of adhesion. If this were just a little more pigmented, it would be a solid use-nearly-every-day shade. It still kind of is...but I have to keep re-applying more frequently than I'd like. I can get about an hour's wear out of it before it's virtually gone. (Dear Revlon: are you paying attention? This is one of the shades that I'd like to see you add to your Balmstain lineup...this, and any shimmer-finish sticks.)