29 posts tagged "Maybelline"
Drugstore Discovery Of The Week: Maybelline Gets BB-Beautiful
Ask any makeup pro and they’ll tell you that BBs are booming. Beauty balms, as the complexion multitaskers are known in Asia where they have become essential to any well-rounded regimen for their brightening, sun-protecting, skin tone-evening, imperfection-blurring, and hydrating capabilities, have seen many iterations since launching stateside last year—some more successful than others. We’ve found that the formulas that are truest to form—heavy and thick with a slight chalky finish—are less easy to digest, while the smoother, lighter lotions seem to be getting a bit more traction. Enter Maybelline’s Dream Fresh BB 8-in-1 Skin Protector, which debuted this month and is squarely in the latter camp. An oil-free gelled-water base means that the titanium dioxide-boosted skin tint—the first BB offering from the beloved New York-based mass brand—goes on like a sheer, tinted moisturizer while providing mineral sunscreen protection with SPF 30. It also comes in five shades, which is a staunch departure from more traditional BBs that are one shade fits all—a much appreciated update for those of you who, like us, veer toward the medium-dark end of the skin tone spectrum. Ditto its $8.99 price tag.
The Summer Nail Files: Our Top Ten Polish Picks
Our style in the summer months has, over the years, become more or less like a uniform: pared-down cotton separates in solids and stripes with easy, slip-on sandals—a.k.a. ensembles that can withstand the sweltering New York humidity. That said, any nod to style is reserved for accessories: jewelry, bags, and, of course, nail polish—the only beauty product immune to summer’s sweat-inducing effects. Since our nails remain one of our few means of summertime creative expression they are in a constant state of flux, which isn’t a bad thing these days; in the current climate of manicure mania, there are more than enough colors to go around. With that in mind, we present the ten shades we’ll be playing with all summer long. Happy finger painting!
Think Dark Pink
Tenoverten Polish in Elizabeth
The cool Tribeca nail enclave has, in the brief time it’s been open, already earned a devoted fan base, and its premier line of polishes will likely follow suit. We’re particularly fond of the intensely pigmented fuchsia Elizabeth, named for the hip Nolita street in downtown New York.
$18, www.tenoverten.com.
Go Day-Glo
Orly Polish in Glowstick and Melt Your Popsicle
Something about the summer inspires us to incorporate colors into our repertoire that are most certainly never found in nature. And these highlighter marker-inspired lacquers definitely fit the bill. Too unnatural? Just use them as an accent or the tip of a French manicure, instead of an allover shade.
$8.50 each, www.orlybeauty.com.
Lime Time
Essie Nail Polish in Mojito Madness
A light, creamy spearmint shade, this varnish looks as fresh on the nails as the delicious boozy beverage it’s named after does on a hot summer day.
$8, www.essie.com.
Va Va Vamp
Eres Nail Lacquer in Damas
A rich brown with hints of red, this polish reminds us of our Chanel Vamp-loving days of the late nineties—in the best way possible. It’s an ideal fingernail hue for those of you whose skin remains on the lighter side of pale all summer long.
$25, at Eres stores.
A Coral Worth Coveting
YSL Nail Lacquer in Corail Divin
All corals are not created equal, and YSL’s excellent take on the classic color—part of the luxury brand’s impossibly chic new lacquer line (we also love the Bleu Majorelle)—is a testament to this fact. It’s a truly elegant adaptation of the Boca Raton mainstay.
$25, www.yslbeautyus.com.
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Drugstore Discovery Of The Week: Maybelline’s Mega Mind
Maybelline has established itself as the leader in quality drugstore mascaras, as anyone who has ever sought out its iconic Great Lash mascara can attest. (We rely on the slim, lime green and hot pink tube’s waterproof formula for all tear-jerking events—weddings, funerals, rom-coms, what have you.) But the storied New York brand is taking its lash-enhancing know-how to the next level this summer with its new Mega Plush by Volum’ Express mascara. The first-ever gel-mousse pigment contains 40 percent less wax than any other product on the market, which means lashes are defined and dark without feeling—or looking—dry and brittle. We just slicked on a few coats and have to admit that we’re impressed; our lashes are long, totally sans clumps, separated, and noticeably more dense—a testament to Maybelline’s newly designed brush, which boasts oversized bristles and a flexible-hold wand. We know that this is going to sound like sacrilege, but it’s possible that we may like Mega Plush better that Great Lash. Said it.
$7.77, available at drugstores nationwide beginning June 2012.
Charlotte Free For Maybelline; “Diet Glasses” Cometh; And More…
Petite, pink-haired model Charlotte Free has just been named the newest face of Maybelline, a development that was “leaked” online via P’Trique, the fashion world’s favorite YouTube star-of-the-moment. [Fashionista]
Cool as she is, the 18-year-old California native’s appointment may or may not skew well with consumers. According to a new study, 78 percent of females would like to see “real women” in beauty ad images, rather than celebrities and teenage models. [Daily Mail]
After news spread that Louis Vuitton would be venturing back into the fragrance arena following its departure in the early twentieth century, the house is proving that it has no intentions of skimping on the process. The French brand is reportedly breaking ground on its very own “perfume creation workshop” in Grasse. [Invest in Cote d'Azur]
Your eyes are bigger than your stomach, as the old adage goes. But what if they weren’t? That’s the premise behind new “diet glasses,” which, according to a group of Japanese researchers, make forkfuls appear bigger, thus tricking your brain into thinking you are eating more than you actually are. Only in Japan… [NYDN]
Beauty Throwdown: Battle, Highlighting Pen
When YSL enlisted makeup artist-turned-beauty entrepreneur Terry de Gunzburg (the Terry behind the By Terry product range) to create its Touche Eclat nearly 20 years ago, it was an instant hit. One part concealer and one part highlighter, the gold-encased pen inevitably ends up on anyone who is anyone’s makeup must-haves list for the way it manages to blur dark circles with light-reflecting pigments that leave behind a universally flattering sheen. Nearly two decades on, and Touche Eclat remains the top-selling item for the luxury line and has spawned more than its fair share of imitators. Some have come close, but none of them have been able to truly grasp the power of the original pen. That hasn’t stopped more and more brands from trying, though. The latest contender to offer up its own take on the cult favorite is Maybelline New York, which has just launched its Dream Lumi Touch Highlighting Concealer. And so, without further ado, we give you our latest product face-off.
The Original: First, let’s talk applicator. YSL’s is a substantial, gilded tube with a bottom click mechanism that emits a surprisingly satisfying sound every time it dispenses a bit of product. As far as the brush tip is concerned, the fibers used are gentle against the skin, even in those super-sensitive eye contours where we tend to pile on this silky-smooth highlighter, which never cakes or smudges. And with seven shades to choose from, every skin tone can get in on the action.
The Newcomer: Maybelline’s wand is significantly lighter-weight, making it very easy to wield. Rather than a click pen mechanism, this one works by twisting, which is slightly less satisfying, but just as effective. With equally soft, gentle fibers and a shade range of six neutral tones, the Dream Lumi Touch stacks up to Touche Eclat so far. But it’s with the formula that the real difference lies. Maybelline’s brightener/concealer hybrid, while smooth and readily absorbed into the skin, doesn’t have the same easy glide and silken formula of YSL’s, which means it’s not as efficiently manipulated after being dispensed. Also, while it functions beautifully as a concealer—it camouflaged some very stubborn raccoon eyes still left over from overzealous weekend revelry—the instant illuminating quality of its predecessor just isn’t there.
The Bottom Line: We have to commend any beauty brand for trying to reimagine an item that is such a beauty classic. And while Maybelline certainly manages to offer up an impressive contender, it just doesn’t match up to the radiant-infusing perfection that is the original YSL version. Perfection that, in our humble opinion, is worth every last one of the $40 it commands. But should you be in the market for a damn fine concealer, we encourage you to opt for the Dream Lumi; it is $8 very well-spent.