MARC JACOBS BEAUTY Le Marc Liquid Lip Creme Swatches & Review

 

Courtesy of Marc Jacobs Beauty

Marc Jacobs Beauty Le Marc Liquid Lip Creme

Among all the new releases from each and every brand, the releases from Marc Jacobs Beauty are definitely the most-anticipated for me. From their sleek black lacquer packaging and creative naming sense to the exceptional formulation, MJB has captured my heart since the very beginning when I first purchased their Contour Powder in Mirage. Which is why, despite the damage on my card from Black Friday sales, I didn’t even hesitate to grab a few of their new Le Marc Liquid Lip Cremes released on Cyber Monday.

Marc Beauty Le Marc Liquid Lip Creme

The new Liquid Lip Cremes claim to be long-wearing one-swipe nudes which exemplify creaminess and hydration. These lip cremes glide onto lips and keeps them looking plump and full for 8 hours of wear.

Available in a range of 6 bold nudes, all of which have full coverage and a subtle satin-sheet sheen. Each tube is housed in a sturdy black plastic tube with a spin top and doe-foot applicator. 28 USD / 38 CAD each (0.19 oz/ 3.49 mL).

Marc Jacobs Le Marc Liquid Lip Creme

The entire collection is formulated with brazilian cupuaçu butter and collagen which creates a very creamy texture that always feels cushiony and never leaving the lips looking lined or cracked. This really got me interested as I have dry lips year-long no matter what I do.

Marc Beauty Le Marc Liquid Lip Creme

Marc Jacobs Beauty Le Marc Liquid Lip Creme

As usual, I picked the lightest and most true nudes I found: 450 Yours to Try, 452 Fawn Over Me, and 460 Hot Cocoa. The other shades in the collection include: 454 Truth or Bare, 456 Shush Blush, and 458 Slow Burn.

450 Yours to Try – Light Buff

Marc Jacobs Beauty Le Marc Liquid Lip Creme 450 Yours to Try

452 Fawn Over Me – Peach-Nude

Marc Jacobs Beauty Le Marc Liquid Lip Creme 452 Fawn Over Me

460 Hot Cocoa – Cinnamon-Cocoa

Marc Jacobs Beauty Le Marc Liquid Lip Creme 460 Hot Cocoa

At first swipe, I noticed these lip cremes to be thicker in consistency than others I have tried in the past. It feels almost like a very creamy concealer. These three shades definitely hold up to the full-coverage claim. One swipe covers all the colour of my lips and I have pretty dark lips. I found 450 Yours to Try to be slightly drier which is usually the case for lighter shades. I really enjoy the finish. It doesn’t seem to need setting time since it never dries to a full-matte.

Swatches below were made with one swipe, no second dipping into the tube.

                      Marc Jacobs Beauty Le Marc Liquid Lip Creme 450 Yours to Try Swatch        Marc Jacobs Beauty Le Marc Liquid Lip Creme 452 Fawn Over Me Swatch        Marc Jacobs Beauty Le Marc Liquid Lip Creme 460 Hot Cocoa Swatch

Marc Jacobs Beauty Le Marc Liquid Lip Creme Swatches

I was most amazed by how nicely they applied despite the consistency. After 4-5 hours of wear, I didn’t notice any bleeding around the edges and the lasting power is quite remarkable. It did fade slightly after some light snacks and water but natural enough that you don’t have to feel self-conscious and touch up each time (in fact, I didn’t touch up at all). Since this isn’t a matte lip, it will transfer on contact. I didn’t notice any obvious plumping effects although my lips definitely felt very comfortable. At the same time, although it neither hydrated my lips nor sapped moisture, it definitely didn’t accentuate any dry patches which is a really, really good thing for me!

Marc Beauty Le Marc Liquid Lip Creme

There is no distinct scent to these lips although there is a slight chemical undertone which isn’t noticeable after application.

My favourite shade out of the trio is 452 Fawn Over Me. I find 450 Yours to Try slightly washes me out and almost feels like I used a dark concealer on my lips. It may work better for fairer skin-tones. As with other liquid lips and lipsticks in general, I imagine the darker the shade, the creamier the application will be although all three blended very well without any tugging, pulling, or patchiness.

MJB Le Marc Liquid Lip Creme

Marc Beauty Le Marc Liquid Lip Creme

In all a winner and I’m definitely looking to obtain the rest of the shades!

Are you looking to pick up any from this range?

Kelly (takaraboxx)

JOUER Powder Highlighters Swatches & Review

Jouer Powder Highlighters

Jouer Powder Highlighters

Earlier in September, Jouer launched powder highlighters to compliment their best-selling line of creme highlighters. The Jouer Powder Highlighters contain ultra-fine pearls and luminescent pigments, perfect to be worn alone or layered on top of the cream highlighters for a radiant finish and “lit-from-within” glow.  I’ve always been more of a powder highlighter girl as opposed to cream highlighters so I was thrilled for this launch. These highlighters claim to be long-wearing, paraben- free, gluten-free and dermatologist tested.

Jouer Highlighters

Jouer Cream & Powder Highlighters Tiare Champagne Camellia Rose Quartz Citrine Topaz

Powder: 24USD each (0.16oz / 4.8g)

Cream: 22USD each (0.07oz / 2g)

Available at Jouer & Nordstrom

Jouer Powder Highlighters

Jouer Cream Highlighters Tiare Champagne Camellia

These highlighters come in three different shades: citrine, topaz, and rose quartz. Unlike the original brown plastic packaging with interlocking system, the new highlighters feature a sleek golden overlay when snap closure.

Jouer Cream Highlighters

Jouer Cream & Powder Highlighters Tiare Champagne Camellia Rose Quartz Citrine Topaz

CITRINE – shimmering gold

Jouer Powder Highlighter Citrine

 

TOPAZ – shimmering rose gold

Jouer Powder Highlighter Topaz

ROSE QUARTZ – shimmering champagne pink

Jouer Powder Highlighter Rose Quartz

Swatches below, applied heavily using my finger then blended out. When blended all the way, it almost disappears into the skin for a very natural and healthy sheen.

Jouer Cream & Powder Highlighter Swatches
Jouer Cream & Powder Highlighter Swatches (natural daylight)

Similar to the original three cream highlighters in Camellia, Tiare, and Champagne, the powder highlighters provide an illuminating sheen rather than full-on sparkle which suits me much more. Although the shades are similar, varied from a cool pastel to warm golden and peach tones, each product is unique.

Jouer Cream & Powder Highlighter Swatches
Jouer Cream & Powder Highlighter Swatches (flash)
Jouer Cream & Powder Highlighter Swatches
Jouer Cream & Powder Highlighter Swatches (indirect sunlight)

Camellia – shimmering pearl white

Tiare – shimmering gold (more of a true yellow gold compared to Citrine which has more peach undertones)

Champagne – shimmering pink (quite similar to Topaz but pulls a tad more salmon) I really enjoy this shade as a blush/highlight together.

My favourite out of the collection is Citrine. It matches my skin tone very well and blends seamlessly for a very subtle glow. I don’t wear highlighter every day; however, when I do, I definitely pick this one.

Jouer Powder Highlighters

As marketed, Jouer does recommend layering cream and powder highlighters together so I made some swatches below with this method:

Jouer Cream & Powder Highlighter Layered Swatches
Jouer Cream & Powder Highlighter Layered Swatches in natural daylight

When layered, the glow is definitely more pronounced. I typically use my fingers to pat cream highlighter whereas I use fluffy synthetic brushes for powder.

As with most highlighters, these don’t dry out my skin or accentuate dry spots and imperfections. I absolutely adore the smooth texture from the powder highlighters – they feel like butter in the pan.

Jouer Powder Highlighters

In all a very solid lineup of highlighters by Jouer Cosmetics with multiple shades for a variety of skin colours and undertones. For personal preference, I still like powders more than creams; however, I really enjoy Champagne from the cream collection.

Stay warm,

Kelly || takaraboxx

Tarte Quench Lip Rescue Swatch & Review (Opal)

There have been many exciting releases for spring 2016, but among the most anticipated stands Tarte’s Rainforest Under the Sea collection. This collection may be one of Tarte Cosmetic’s largest releases which includes an eyeshadow palette, a highlighter palette, many lipsticks (quench & drench), serum based foundation and concealer, an assortment of skincare and multiple brushes.

Official Release Date: February 29th (in-store March 14th) 2016.

Among the collection, I chose two items:

The Quench Lip Rescue 

According to Sephora:

What it is:
A moisturizing lip balm in an array of sheer color shades.

What it does:
Save lips from the signs of aging while delivering intense hydration and soft, subtle color. This tinted lip balm is infused with an antioxidant and vitamin-rich lip quencher that’s powered by a blend of essential extracts and oils to help restore the appearance of your lips’ softness, moisture, and elasticity that’s reduced over time while providing a protective antioxidant barrier against daily aggressors. The tinted, everyday formula gently melts into skin to smooth over the look of lip lines, leaving a radiant, dewy finish.

What it is formulated WITHOUT:
– Parabens
– Phthalates

What else you need to know:
This product is vegan friendly and dermatologist tested.

whereas the Drench Lip Splash Lipsticks are marketed as a matte lipstick with more intense colour pay-off.

There are 4 shades in this lip balm collection: Opal, Nude, Rose, and Berry.

Packaging

Nestled in a lightweight paper tube with an intricate flower and under-sea coral design superimposed on a pastel blue background, the Tarte Quench Lip Rescue Lip Balm is for sure to be noticed by others (of note, the colour and design varies depending which shade you choose but they all have an undersea design and embossing) . It’s pretty to look at and convenient to use. The cap interior is lined with plastic which is useful if you’re clumsy like me and don’t have the hand-eye coordination to properly close the tube (yep…).

Tarte Quench Lip Rescue Opal
Tarte Quench Lip Rescue Opal
Tarte Quench Lip Rescue Opal
Tarte Quench Lip Rescue Opal

Application

Creamy and emollient without any pull on the lips. As you apply the product onto your lips you will feel a soothing sensation similar to lip treatments used to “plump” the lips to appear fuller. There is a pleasant peppermint fragrance which is noticeable after the cap is popped off, during application and up to an hour after.

Opal is a milky pastel pink which can vary in opacity depending on how many layers you apply. Beware of applying too much as it slips and slides (it is a lip balm afterall). You can definitely notice the moisturizing effects of this lip balm which linger even after the balm has faded.

Arm Swatch, one swipe under artificial lighting

Tarte Quench Lip Rescue Opal Swatch on Arm
Tarte Quench Lip Rescue Opal Swatch on Arm

Lip Swatch below (left = before, right = after) under natural sunlight

It’s my absolute first time doing a lip swatch…. so do bare with me that they’re not very good! I will improve though so any tips and comments are much appreciated 🙂

Longevity

It’s a lip balm. It doesn’t last and performs a disappearing magic act after 1-2 hours without eating or immediately after a meal. It will transfer. It will get caught in your hair on windy days. Think of it as an extremely hydrating lip gloss.

Overall, I am satisfied with this purchase. Retailing at 23$ CAD  / 19$ USD, it’s quite a luxury lip product but it performs as stated: a smooth application with noticeable hydration and a glossy effect. Given its’ sheer-medium coverage, it is generally forgiving if it spreads and you can definitely apply it without a mirror and be worry-free of drawing out of the lines. Would I purchase the other shades? Maybe. Not sure. I was interested in Opal because it would lighten my lips… the other shades would do the opposite. But as for formula it would be a yes.

The only caveat… if your lips are sensitive to minty products or if you don’t enjoy tingling sensations / strong scents, I would avoid this product.

Available at Sephora and tartecosmetics.com

Have you tried this? What other products in Tarte’s Rainforest Under the Sea collection are you eyeing?

Kelly (takaraboxx)