L'Oreal Miss Candy (US version Spring/Summer 2013) Color Infallible eyeshadow swatches

I had to whine ultra hard to a friend in the US to get my hands on these so you guys better appreciate it.
Whilst a similar collection was released in Canada under the name of "Miss Pop", the Canadian collection lacked the Infallible eyeshadows that were a part of the US collection. To further add to the confusion, a collection called Miss Candy was released in Canada and the UK IN 2012.
Contrary to my speculations, Dive Right In was not a dupe for Innocent Turquoise. It is lighter than Innocent Turquoise, bordering on silver, and the formula is smoother than Innocent Turquoise. Cherie Merie was also not a dupe for either Pepsi Coral or Magnetic Coral, it is darker and also lacks their flecks of gold and fuchsia respectively. Strawberry Blonde is an iridescent light pink, pigmentation is poor and it applies patchy and crumbly. With A Twist light purple reminiscent of grape gummies. It has a pink flash in the light.
If I wasn't such a hoarder I would probably only get With A Twist and Cherie Merie if I didn't have Pepsi Coral or Magnetic Coral.
I think I paid just under $10 including tax each.

With A Twist:

From left: With A Twist and Purple Obsession

Strawberry Blonde:

From left: Naughty Strawberry and Strawberry Blonde

Dive Right In

From left: Innocent Turquoise; Dive Right In; and Endless Sea

Cherie Merie

From left: Pepsi Coral; Cherie Merie; and Magnetic Coral

Clinique A Different Nail Enamel for Sensitive Skins review + swatches

Clinique has decided to re-enter the nail polish world with their new A Different Enamel for Sensitive Skins. Yes, that is apparently its full and proper name xD.
From their promo material:

"Did you know a person touches their eyes on average 200 times a day? With all that comes in contact with
hands and fingers throughout the day, there are many culprits that can irritate the eyes. Did you know that
nail enamel can cause irritation and even contact dermatitis on the suspectibly thin skin around the eye?
Amongst the dermotological community, nail enamel is also considered a significant allergen source for
periorbital dermatitis - a facial rash that develops around the lower and upper eyelids. People who suffer from these conditions often-times do not realize the connection between touching and rubbing the eye area, and fresh manicures."

After 3 years of research and a further 3 years of product development, Clinique has finally debuted their Different Enamel for Sensitive Skin.  
I personally don't suffer from any sensitivity towards chemicals in nail polish so I can't really comment as to whether or not these polishes perform as claimed, however, the final formula underwent a 1 month trial on women with sensitive skin and eyes and is also approved by dermatologists and ophthalmologists.
Unfortunately my press samples did not come with an ingredient list for these polishes. I have made a request for them from Clinique's PR and will update this post when I receive them. Since majority of nail polishes nowadays are "3 Free", meaning they are free of Dibutyl Phthalate, Formaldehyde and Toluene, it would be interesting to see what other chemicals Clinique has eliminated from their version. 
Formula wise, the creme finish polishes verge slightly on the thick side, the jelly finishes are lovely and trouble free as always and the foil finish was even and streak free. All the shades I tested were 2 coat opaque. Unlike some of the organic/vegan polishes I have tested in the past *cough* Spa Ritual *cough*, these Clinique polishes all had a decent wear time. I was able to wear them for 5+ days with minimal tip wear.
There are 12 permanent shades and 9 limited edition shades for the Summer (my favourite is Really Rio!!!).
At $18 for 8.9ml/0.3oz of product it is on the pricey side, and I still don't really know how these differ from the other 3 Free polishes out there but if skin sensitivity is a concern of yours, or if you're trying to cut out harsh chemicals from your beauty products, then definitely check these polishes out.
Available from May 2013 for CAN$18 from Clinique counters, Clinique.com and Sephora

All swatches are done without topcoat.
Really Rio (Creme)

 Pinkini (Creme)

 Sweet Tooth (Jelly)

 Hula Skirt (Creme)

Red Red Red (Jelly)

Black Honey (Jelly)

Strappy Sandals (Metallic foil)

Flower Beauty Color Play Creme eyeshadow swatch and review

I swear I had no intentions to collect these, it just happened...somehow. The silver lining is that I can provide you guys with swatches of the entire line xD.
From the Flower Beauty website:

• Enriched with Vitamin E for antioxidant protection
• Long-wearing formula
• Water-infused, weightless finish
• Lid-smoothing texture
• Buildable, blendable coverage
• Moves beautifully during application then sets without creasing
• Easily removed with make-up remover

All Flower Beauty products are made in the USA and not tested on animals. Currently the Flower Beauty collection is available exclusively at US Walmart stores. No word yet as to when or if they will be available in their Canadian counterpart.
The Color Play Creme eyeshadows are available in 12 shades and retails for a paltry $7.98 each. True to the brand's philosophy of affordable luxury, the small price tag belies a great little product.

The heavy glass packaging with the brand's characteristic rose gold accent is unassumingly elegant and more typical of a high end product than a drugstore brand. Under the lid lies a plastic keeper, much like those found inside the L'Oreal Infalliable Color eyeshadows. This keeper is the source of all my antagonism towards this product. Unless you are extremely careful every time you remove or replace this keeper, you'll end up with a huge mess on your hands because there's either a big blob of eyeshadow stuck to the bottom of it or you're rescuing it from its half sunken position in the jar. I'm mighty tempted to just do away with the keeper but then it will probably dry up like my Chanel Illusion D'ombre -______-;
The texture the Color Play eyeshadows is unlike anything else I've seen on the market. They are not as firm as the MUFE Aqua Creams or the Chanel Illusion D'Ombres, but also not as liquidy as the MAC Big Bounce, instead they have the consistency like that of a dense whipped mousse. Also unlike the MUFE and Chanel cream shadows, these never really dry down to a powder finish and for those with oily eyelids, the dewy finish might mean some creasing without use of a primer. I personally experienced some slight settling of this product in the creases of my eyelid when worn without a primer.
I found the pigmentation of these eyeshadows to be superior to that of the Chanel Illusion D'Ombres but not as intense as the MUFE Aqua Creams or Maybelline Color Tattoos. The darker shades definitely have more colour payoff compared to the lighter shades such as Lilac You A Lot. I think the reason why this product doesn't receive much love from MakeUpAlley is because it takes a bit of patience to make it work. I apply using my fingers, the tiniest bit of product is enough to cover your entire eyelid, I pat it on, I don't blend it out too much and I wait about half a minute between each layer. Due to their creaminess, these eyeshadows have a lot of slippage so it's very easy to over blend. Use gentle patting instead of the ol' back and forth windscreen wiper action. They are definitely a softer look but they can be sheered out for a light wash of colour or built up for vibrancy. They can used on their own or as a base for powder eyeshadow. On me they last about 5/6 hours before any noticeable fading without primer.
I want to call these the poor (wo)man's version of Chanel Illusion D'Ombres (and in fact several of the shades are passable dupes for the Illusion D'ombres! Orchid-ing Around = Illusoire; Midnight Garden = Mirifique; Awesome Blossom = Ebloui; Rest On Your Laurel = Fantasme) but with better pigmentation. I haven't been this excited about an eyeshadow line since the L'Oreal Infallibles and definitely recommend that you try them out if you come across them.

Swatches from left: Awesome Blossom; Flirty Floret; Lilac You A Lot; and Wild Geranium.

Swatches from left: Mum's The Word; Vine Of The Times; Good As Mari-gold and Cocoa Camelia.

Swatches from left: Orchid-ing Around; Rest On Your Laurel; Time Willow Tell and Midnight Garden.

After 8hrs of wear:

Innisfree Vivid Tint Rouge swatches and review

I first came across the Innisfree Vivid Tint Rouge on Rasilla's post on her Korean cosmetics lemmings. Being on a bit of a lip tint kick I put in a group Gmarket order for these lip tints.
This was my first Gmarket order and I've decided I hate Gmarket. They overestimate the shipping costs so ridiculously and will only refund the excess in the form of Gcash which you can then only spend at Gmarket.
They estimated the weight of 10 of these lip tints to be 2 FLIPPEN KILOGRAMS!! and charged me a whopping $32 for shipping!!! They then "refunded" me $16 worth of Gcash. Which is just sitting there...in my Gmarket account...doing nothing.
On top of that, the seller sent me the wrong colour for one of the lip tints and I'm still waiting for Gmarket to resolve that issue -_______-"
Argh, ok, enough bitching, onto the review!

Swatches from left: 05 and 01

Innisfree Vivid Tint Rouge 05 swatch:

Innisfree Vivid Tint Rouge 01 swatch:

I can't find any information in English on these lip tints. I only know that Innisfree is very big on being eco-friendly and ethical, and use only or mostly organic ingredients. If you can read Korean, feel free to head over to Innisfree's Korean website to read the product description. I did however, gank this image from their website which shows the various colours available in this collection. I got colours 01 (a blue based pink) and 05 (an orange/coral based red).

Click image to biggify:

These are basically Innisfree's version of the YSL Glossy Stains and L'Oreal Caresse Lip Stains. Their formulas are, however, quite different. The L'Oreal Caresse stains have a very watery formula, the Innisfree tints have a gel formula. Both the L'Oreal and Innisfree stains dry down to a slightly tacky, glossy finish. The intensity of these stains vary by colour, 01 left an "OMFG I CAN'T GET THIS OFF MY LIPS!!!" stain, but I was able to remove most of 05 from my lips with oil based makeup remover and some creative scrubbing. I got about 4-5 hours of wear out of 05 and about 7 hours out of 01. I went to bed with bright pink lips the night I did these swatches, Mr. Nunu laughed at me and said my lips looks like two pieces of raw tuna...
Due to the gel formula, these stains take longer to set compared to the L'Oreal stains, and if you disturb it before it sets, it will smear. These tints did not dry my lips out and I did not feel like I had to wear a balm underneath. These have a very artificial fruity scent which lessens as the stain dries. 
Overall I like the squishy gel formula of the Innisfree Vivid Tint Rouge more than the watery formula of the L'Oreal Caresse stains but the difficulty in obtaining these outside of Korea is too prohibitive.
The Innisfree Vivid Tint Rouge retail for 10,000 Won (US$9ish-10) in Korea and I paid about US$13 each on Gmarket including shipping from Korea to Canada.

L'Oreal Infallible Eyeshadow master swatch list

I have received a number of requests from readers to do a master swatch list of all the L'Oreal Infallible Eyeshadows in my collection, in other words, "put all your damn swatches on the same post instead of spread all over the place you nut".
In any event, here it is, I've even grouped all the similar colours together for everyone's ease of reference. Don't say I never give in to your whining.

18/05/2013 Edit: I have added my own swatches of the Color Infallible eyeshadows released with the new Miss Candy collection HERE.

From left:
Burning Black; Naughty Strawberry; Glistening Garnet;  Purple Obsession and Golden Mahogany

From left:
Magnetic Coral; and Pepsi Coral

From left:
Time Resist White; Hourglass Beige; Sahara Treasure; Eternal Sunshine; and Goldmine.

From left:
Permanent Khaki; Golden Emerald; Innocent Turquoise; and Endless Sea

From left:
Sassy Marshmallow; Flashback Silver; Metallic Lilac; Armani Eyes To Kill in 04 Noka; and Chanel Illusion D'Ombre in Illusoire

From left:
Tender Caramel; Amber Rush; Bronze Taupe; Endless Chocolat; and Continuous Cocoa.

From left:
Bronze Goddess; Comic Black; and All Night Blue.

If you're wondering why some of these names appear unfamiliar to you, it is because L'Oreal decided to release identical colours under different names in different countries for some inconceivable reason. I made this table back in May of last year listing all the various names. Know that each time you steal this table without linking back to this blog, a kitten haz a sad.
p.s: I slap a "LE" next to the shade if I don't see it listed in L'Oreal website for that country.
p.p.s: I subsequently gave up doing the above for the UK/EU/Other country column because it got too complicated.
* denotes guess work.

Canadian Version	US Version	UK/EU/Other Version
All Night Blue	Midnight Blue	All Night Blue
Amber Rush (LE)	Amber Rush	N/A
Black Onyx (LE)	N/A	Black Onyx/Black Star (LE)
N/A	Blinged & Brilliant (LE)	N/A
Blue Curacao (LE) (Matte)	N/A	Blue Curacao (Matte)
Bronze Divine	Gleaming Bronze (LE)	Bronze Goddess
Bronzed Taupe	Bronzed Taupe	N/A
N/A	N/A	Brown Temptation (Matte)
Burning Black	Smoldering Plum	Burning Black
N/A	Cherie Merie (LE)	N/A
Coconut Shake (Matte)	Endless Pearl (Matte)	Coconut Shake (LE) (Matte)
N/A	Continuous Cocoa (Matte)	N/A
N/A	N/A	Cosmic Black (LE)
N/A	Dive Right In (LE)	N/A
Emerald Lame (LE)	Golden Emerald	Emerald Lame (LE)
Endless Chocolat	Bottomless Java	Endless Chocolat
N/A	Endless Sea	N/A
Enigmatic Purple (LE) (Matte)	N/A	Enigmatic Purple (LE in UK) (Matte)
Eternal Black	Eternal Black	Eternal Black
N/A	Eternal Sunshine	N/A
Flashback Silver	Liquid Diamond	Flashback Silver
Forever Pink	Pink Sapphire (LE)	Forever Pink
N/A	Glistening Garnet	N/A
Golden Mahogany (LE)	N/A	Golden Mahogany (LE)
Goldmine	Gold Imperial (LE)	Goldmine
N/A	N/A	Green Baroque (Matte)
Iced Latte/Hourglass Beige*	Iced Latte	Hourglass Beige
N/A	N/A	Immaculate Ocean
Innocent Turquoise	N/A	Innocent Turquoise
Magnetic Coral	N/A	Magnetic Coral
Metallic Lilac	N/A	Metallic Lilac
N/A	N/A	Naughty Strawberry
N/A	N/A	Paradise Orchid
Pebble Grey /Sultry Smoke (Matte)	Sultry Smoke (Matte)	Pebble Grey (Matte)
Pepsy Coral	N/A	Pepsi/Pepsy Coral (LE)
Permanent Kaki	Golden Sage	Permanent Khaki
N/A	Primped & Precious (LE)	N/A
Purple Obsession	Perpetual Purple	Purple Obsession
Sahara Treasure	N/A	Sahara Treasure
Sassy Chamallow	N/A	Sassy Marshmallow
Smokey Green (LE) (Matte)	N/A	Smokey Green (Matte)
Smoothie Kiwi (LE) (Matte)	N/A	Smoothie Kiwi (LE)(Matte)
N/A	Strawberry Blonde (LE)	N/A
Sweet Strawberry (LE) (Matte)	N/A	Sweet Strawberry (LE)(Matte)
N/A	N/A	Taupe Royal (Matte)
Tender Caramel	N/A	Tender Caramel (LE)
Time Resist White	N/A	Time Resist White
Ultimate Black (Matte)	N/A	Ultimate Black (Matte)
Unlimited Sky	Infinite Sky	Unlimited Sky (LE)
N/A	With A Twist (LE)	N/A

 L'Oreal Y U NO SPONSOR ME??!!