Wednesday, January 8, 2014

The Sephora Mattes

I love the mattes; I am quite vocal about it. Drugstore brands have sparkle in everything, though, except for one short time when Revlon had a matte collection. Even pricier brands will claim to be matte, and yet there is a veneer of sheen.

Sephora has their own collection of makeup, and while I was initially wary of cosmetics made up for the store brand, I have so far been a happy with a number of their products. 

To spread the word of the divinity that is matte, I present the colors of Sephora, albeit only the shades that I think are flattering:

Sephora Collection Colorful Eyeshadow 

(Purples, pinks, reds, and maroons did not make the cut):

N° 20, Sailor Kiss: Dark Blue
N° 50, Cashmere Coat: Mastic (taupe, I guess?) 
N° 52, 5th Avenue: Dark Gray (I only own grays!)
N° 54, Black Lace: Black (I use this to set my eyeliner or to smudge the line)
N° 59, Berlin Underground: Gray (a perfect lid color while the darker 5th Avenue goes in the crease) 
http://www.sephora.com/productimages/sku/s1424969-main-Lhero.jpg
N° 64, Let It Snow: White (by applying a white base to lids before color, any shadow then applied on top really pops, and the eye area is brightened) 
N° 65, Lazy Afternoon: White Beige (highlight hue for the very fair-skinned) 
N° 73, Secret Boudoir: Pale Beige (hilighlight hue for light-skinned)
N° 75, Sandcastle: Warm Beige (highlight for darker skin tones, or lid color for brown eyeshadow)
N° 85, Coffee Break: Milk Chocolate 
N° 88, Morning Mocha: Dark Chocolate

Sephora Collection Colorful Blush:

Sunbaked 05: Toasted Rose (looks like orange-pink to me)
Rose Petal 08: Medium Pink  (lightest of the bunch, most universal)
http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51NKxgp03rL._SY300_.jpg
Healthy Rose 09: Warm Rose  (darker version of 05)
Romantic Rose 10: Cool Rosey Pink (nice pink for darker skin tones)
Rose Pop 18: Fresh Pink (leaning towards fuchsia) 

Sephora Collection Bronzer

3 Los Cabos: Universal Tan


5 Bora Bora: Sienna (only slightly darker than Los Cabos)             

6 comments:

The Beckster said...

I love matte too! I always tell the Spehora salesladies who are helping me: "No sparkle please! Just matte!"
Thanks for these helpful suggestions.

Princess Lea said...

Nearly half of my cosmetics are from Illamasqua, which has amazingly vivid pigment and is mostly matte. I'm getting nervous because two Sephoras stopped carrying it in-store, but it still seems to be available on the website. If they do stop carrying it, I hope they give me advance notice so I can stock up.

Anonymous said...

Do the blushes stay on well? I have trouble with blushes, they all disappear off my cheeks within minutes... (Besides a Dior product I just started using, but not crazy about the color or price)

Princess Lea said...

Anon: I've never actually tried the products myself; when it comes to powder blush, because my skin is combination (meaning drier cheeks) the pressed powder seems to hold on well.

But the website seems to claim longer wear. Not that I trust them so much.

Is your skin more oily or more dry?

The Tarte Amazonian Clay 12-Hour Blush is well loved for its lasting power (although they are another brand guilty of claiming matte when they sparkle).

Bare Minerals may also be good for a try. My own blush is by Illamasqua in Tremble. I adore it.

Since all my makeup is pretty much powder, I do not have first-hand experience with stains or gels, but they may last longer than powder options.

Additionally, do you "set" your face with powder following application? My Face lasts so much longer now that I do! (I use bareMinerals Mineral Veil).

I love Sephora's return policy. Since their lighting is terrible pretty much everything looks wrong in natural light.

Anonymous said...

Lea I'm surprised that you did not find the matte cream lipstain! "Always Red" is a great blue-red (slightly less dark than Russian Red) in a long-wear formula that is excellent for a workday (but does not hold up well to food). At $12 I almost feel like one can't afford not to :)

Princess Lea said...

Oh, it and I have met and parted ways. I loved the color from one of them, but it wore away terribly when I ate. All the color closest to my teeth disappears while the rest stays on. My other lipsticks casually fade and reapplication is easier.

I also tried Lip Last and while Ma had joy with the color she bought (18 All You Need is Red) and did not with mine.

So far, no Sephora Lipstick in my life. But I'll stay open.