Sparkled Beauty

I broke the birthday nail post tradition today but it is a birthday nonetheless :) My nails are busted at the moment but we can pretend I am wearing something exciting like the 2011 glitter sandwich or the 2012 Captivated Save Me combo. Now we have makeup to talk about :)

As promised in the FOTD teaser yesterday, I have the review of ArtDeco makeup for you today.

I have admired the brand's beautiful product designs from a distance. The brand is not available in Halifax yet but I was sent a few products to try out. Excited!

The items, came in a cute black makeup bag, have sleek black packaging (or beautiful patterns for special edition ones). I'll talk about just the makeup in this post, the nail polish will have its NOTD post. The lipstick tube on the right hand side is actually a USB card in disguise lol, just the right souvenir for a makeup junkie.

Here are the makeup, outside of the packaging. They are even prettier in person. From top left corner, clockwise:
- Art Couture lipstick in 340 Pearl Summer Flower
- Eyeshadow base
- (LE) Bronzing Glow blusher
- All in One mascara in 01 Black, and
- (LE) Beauty Box quattro empty palette in Copper (with 4 accompanying eyeshadows inside).

As you will see the price points below, ArtDeco is not a brand from the regular drugstore isle but the Beauty Boutique side of Shoppers. However, I admit that the packaging and quality of some products are worth it.

Note that the shade names are not printed on the products (only the numbers) but are available on the website (linked above).

First up, Art Couture lipstick in 340 Pearl Summer Flower, the colour shown here a bit darker than IRL.

The Art Couture line is described as having a sheer creamy gel-like texture with a sensual shine. I don't know if the shine is sensual or not lol but it does have quite a bit of subtle shimmers which some will find more appropriate for night time wear.  

Pearl Summer Flower is a pale pink with shimmers and has a faint sweet vanilla scent. It does go on a bit sheer but buildable, glides on smoothly and wears about 4 hours on me.

 Art Couture lipsticks are 0.14oz/ 4g, retail $22 a piece.

This eyeshadow base has been a regular on my eyes every day after I was done taking pics of it.

It works well with all the eyeshadows I wore, from different brands, in different finishes, and keeps them looking good all day, no creasing or fading.

The texture is more creamy than my regular base (Maybelline Colour Tattoos) but grabs on to eyeshadows very well. You only need a tiny bit of products, I use a synthetic flat brush to apply it. On me, the colour is almost invisible.

It feels good on the lids thanks to the Vitamin E and Bisabolol (an anti-inflammatory, might also be the reason for the floral scent of the product). There seems to be a fragrance free version, I'm not sure of availability in Canada.

Can't confirm the waterproof nature of the product as I haven't been in the pool or rain during the testing period. This little black pot has 0.16oz/ 5ml in it (vs. 0.14oz/ 4g in Colour Tattoos) and costs you $12.

Swatches of Pearl Summer Flower lipstick and the eyeshadow base.

The shimmers in the lipstick definitely have some shine. I do think it is a nice lipstick, but the bar for lip products is raised quite high right now in the drugstores, so it is not necessary my first choice.

The eyeshadow base is, however, a must have. It is invisible on my skin tone, great for neutral eye looks or long days out. That does not mean that it is not great under colourful eyeshadows, as it helps the colours stay true and strong.

I do wish the product comes in a tube, as dipping a brush into a pot normally results in picking up more product than I need, plus the sanitary reason that we all complain about with pot packaging.

Here comes the product that is too beautiful to use - the Bronzing Glow blusher (Limited Edition).

Described as a 3 shaded blush with golden shimmer, the product gives a pigmented peachy pink, which I think would look good on almost any skin tone. All 3 shades are pretty and on trend, work well as blushes individually also (see swatches below).

Great formula too, with Vitamin C & E, paraben/ fragrance/ lanolin/ mineral oil free.

To me, the only way this blush could be any better is to have one of the three shades in matte finish, preferably the light terracotta on the right. Though they don't show up glittery, I crave matte blushes like there is no tomorrow.

The compact has 0.35oz/ 10g of products, retails $32.

Swatches of the coral, the fuchsia pink, the terracotta (which shows up like a light peach, a tad lighter than the coral) and all swirled together. I used an eyeshadow brush here (as I was using them on the eyes as well, see the look in yesterday's post, linked above) but with a blush brush, they show up more pigmented on the cheeks.

Not a huge difference in colour tones among them, but I do prefer wearing one colour at a time.

This is the All in One mascara in 01 Black, supposed to offer volume, styling and long lasting power.

I enjoy the thinner looking brush, the fibers are a little stiff but coat my short lashes well thanks to the size. Just need to make sure to allow some dry time between coats to avoid clumps.

It wears well through the day, does not smudge or flake. I prefer the formula after about two weeks when it dries out a little.

The tube is 0.33oz/ 10ml, sells for $21. Like the lipstick, I don't have any complains toward this mascara. The line has colours too (blue, grey green, berry, etc.) but again, I'm not sure if Canada has those options.

Another product that is fun to play with - the Beauty Box quattro empty palette in Copper (Limited Edition design). The case has a magnetic strip inside to hold refillable products, and a mirror, convenient for travelling. Retails $14. There are other patterns/ designs of the palette available.

4 refillable eyeshadows in 06 Pearly Light Silver Grey, 18 Pearly Light Misty Wood, 40 Pearly Medium Pine Green and 72 Pearly Smokey Blue Night, 0.8g (vs. 1.5g in MAC eyeshadows), $8 each (i.e. more expensive than MAC for the same weight). They come with their clear plastic lids that are removed before you put them in the case above, with some spare space for applicators or small brushes.

The pearl line alone (where the four above come from) has close to 100 shades, then there are duochromes, mattes, glamours, glamstars, etc. Practicality wise, it would add up quickly when you start gathering more shades to switch in and out with the case (starting at $46 for the cost of the Beauty Box and 4 eyeshadows).

Swatches of the eyeshadows in the same order. 06 Pearly Light Silver Grey is the sheerest shade among them, great for highlighting.

18 Pearly Light Misty Wood and 40 Pearly Medium Pine Green have awesome pigmentation and shine.

72 Pearly Smokey Blue Night appears to be a blue with light blue shimmers, not smoky as the name suggests, and the pigmentation is somewhere between 06 Pearly Light Silver Grey and the other two.

The case can also fit 1 eyeshadow and 1 blusher, or 2 camouflage creams in refillable format. I will have a picture of the case opened in the FOTD tomorrow.

To summarize, I definitely recommend the Bronzing Glow blusher (if you can still find it, as it is a LE product) and the eyeshadow base. I would want to have 18 Pearly Light Misty Wood and 40 Pearly Medium Pine Green but in full sized pans with a reasonable price tag :)

ArtDeco is available at 52 Shoppers locations, predominantly in ON, then BC, AB, MB, SK, not NS yet but hopefully soon.