Marc Jacobs Beauty

Heaven knows why it has taken me so long to get my hands on these little beauties from the fairly recently launched Marc Jacobs Beauty line, especially as I seem to be Sephora in the US's best customer at the moment!  Sometimes it's difficult to chose items from a new make up line without seeing them in the flesh so I decided to play it safe, picking up their neutral eye palette, and a lip gloss and lipstick to try.  The range will be launching in Sephora Dubai Mall on Saturday 16th November so I will get to see and swatch a few more items next weekend!

Marc Jacobs LoveMarc Lip Gel in Voila!

I chose this 'lip gel' to try in the shade Viola! because (a) I love fuchsia and (b) my niece is called Violet so it reminded me of her!  This 'gellified' lipstick has a smooth, light and hydrating formula unlike any lipstick I have tried before and is incredibly opaque and glossy.  The lip gel bullet is very rounded and quite small compared to a normal lipstick and I found it a little hard to apply to get a precise line and so used a lip brush to line my lips-but I guess the shape is new and practice makes perfect.  The colour is amazingly vibrant and fades evenly.  I think it's love.  However, I did experience a little bleeding of the colour around my top lip so I am going to use an invisible liner to see if that contains it next time.

The packaging is very similar to the Bare Minerals Marvelous Moxie lipsticks (I reviewed 3 here)-in fact I wonder who did it first!

This will be something I will be swatching on Saturday in Sephora!

Marc Jacobs Lust for Lacquer Lip Vinyl in Paint It

Paint It is one of the Lust for Lacquer Lip Vinyls.  Packaged in a transparent tube with an elongated doe foot applicator, the colour applies evenly and smoothly.  There is a slight tingle when applied because the formula contains lip plumping ingredients but nothing that stings.  It actually feels quite cooling on the lips.  The colour is amazing-I don't think I have another lip gloss like it in both the colour or the finish (hard to believe hey!)  It's a fiery coral colour with a glossy vinyl like finish and no stickiness at all.   It's also really vibrant and long lasting and doesn't feel like you're wearing anything at all on your lips.  Another hit!

Lip glosses and Lip Gel's are between $28 and $30 so between £16-18-slightly more than a Mac lipstick but not as expensive as a Dior or Chanel lipstick.

Marc Jacobs Style Eye-Con #7 Lolita

Firstly I love the packaging.  It's incredibly sleek and glossy with Marc Jacobs embossed in silver on the palette with the same button opening as the lipstick.  It's very thin-it actually bizarrely reminds me of a razor clam shell.

It contains 7 colours-3 matte, one very glittery and 3 shimmer.  For someone who doesn't really like or wear matte shadows I am seriously impressed with the first 3 shades.  The colour payoff is very good and they are really buttery and easy to apply.  The palest shade is a good matte brow highlighter.  The medium brown colour is a good all over the lid shade and the darker blackened brown blends beautifully or could be used as a liner.

The shade smack bang in the middle is not so good.  It's got a lot of glitter in it and the colour pay off is poor and I ended up with random glitter bits everywhere.

The 3 shades closest to the right are so smooth, buttery. and shimmery.  They do not have glitter in them.  When you touch them they almost have the springy texture of the Chanel Illusion D'Ombres or the recent Diorshow Fusion Mono. 

The shade 3rd from the right is really unique.  It's a really cream base with a violet opalescence to it.  I've managed to just pick up the violet undertone in my swatch below.  It has the same sort of duo chrome effect as Vex from Mac but the undertone of Vex is more green/pink based and Vex feels much grittier to apply.  This is really creamy to apply, this shade also looks fab layered over the matte medium brown shade.

The two shades closest to the right end of the palette have good colour pay off and apply and blend easily.  I think the shade in the middle could have been replaced with something a little darker to make the palette more balanced as this is the poorest shade.  I think that would have given the palette a little more balance and versatility.  A taupe colour would have been a brilliant inclusion.

I have to admit I really like it.  It just feels luxe and the shadows look beautiful on and are so easy to apply. I do believe though that the Urban Decay Naked palettes are better value for money for similar quality for anyone looking for 'the' nude palette.  But if you want more than one neutral palette (I do I do) this is a welcome inclusion.  The matte shades are excellent much to my surprise and I have no doubt I will get a lot of use out of this palette.  I have my eyes on The Starlet palette as well (NB Just bought this from the Sephora VIB sale!)

The palette is $59 (approx £37) so high end.  Not top end like Tom Ford where a quad is over £60 but certainly not drugstore. 

Overall I think I made great choices to dip my toes into the Marc Jacobs line.  I am looking forward to having a good look at the whole range next weekend in Dubai, especially the foundation, lipsticks and the nail polishes.  Not that I need any more nail polishes....or lipsticks......

A massive thank you to everyone who messaged me or left comments on my blog yesterday on my blog-iversary.  It absolutely made my day!