Posts Tagged Golden Mahogany
Random EOTD’s For Your Viewing Pleasure
I’m having a bit of a moment lately; I’m rather uninspired to write, or even read blogs the past couple weeks. Part of that is due to the fact that I’m trying to not buy anything: with my trip to New Zealand less than a week away (so crazy!!), I just can’t justify buying any pretties, especially just to have them sit there for over a month unused while I travel. I know there are plenty of things I could write about, but the new stuff is always the most fun, am I right? The other part is that anything that’s giving me the lemming itch doesn’t come out until after I leave, and will likely be sold out when I return, so what’s the point of getting excited for nothing? It’s a sad state of affairs, my friends.
Wearing Chanel Abstraction Illusion d’Ombre over Clinique’s Rum Spice Color Surge Eyeshadow. 
As beautiful as Abstraction is, it can be tricky to get the true shimmering beauty to translate on the eye. The deep warm bronze of Rum Spice helped give it a solid base to build upon.
What’s weird about this is that I’ve actually been more inspired than ever to play with makeup – almost every day I try a new ‘look’ and end up actually loving it. It seems that while I’m having an ‘off’ month with respect to blogging, nevertheless I’m clearly having a makeup moment, in which I’ve figured out truly how to wear it. That sounds kind of ridiculous considering I’ve been blogging for a while (with FOTD’s) and I have been doing wedding and event makeup for like, 10 years. But truly – I’ve JUST GOT IT.
After a breakup, there’s often that feeling of wanting a change, to start fresh. Naturally, my feeling was instantly related to beauty, and I decided to start focusing more on just one feature rather than overwhelming my face. While I generally stick to that rule in theory, I would often do a smoky eye and neutral lips – but then add just a touch too much blush. Or bold lips but then add a bit of shadow, which would end up looking ‘too done.’ I’ve really toned it down this fall, and now if I do a strong lip then I wear just the barest hint of blush and mascara. Or I’ll wear a fierce flush and keep everything else very minimal (though sometimes I will go for a juicy matching pout). I find the effect has been MUCH more satisfactory to me, and I’ve actually gotten a lot more compliments on how I look.
A look I did before going out last weekend, using MAC Vex shadow and Dark Soul pigment. 
I find silver notoriously hard to wear, so this was a great achievement for me!
The real reason for this change was that I really want to make a statement. My wardrobe is relatively basic, with only a few outfits that make me feel on-trend; makeup is really where I shine. If I can’t generate attention via my closet, I can surely make something happen with my beauty approach, right? And it seems that I’ve just about nailed it 
Though the looks I’m showing in this post are all focused on eyes, believe me when I say that I’ve been having quite the time with dramatic lips this season as well – it’s just that I’ve already on one of the shades (Ellis Faas Creamy Lips in L102, which I love more every day!), and I’m planning on posting the other shade I’ve been rocking lately (keep your eyes peeled!). What pleases me about these eye looks specifically is that not only have I gotten the rest of the makeup down pat, but I’ve managed to blend and layer my shadows much better than usual, which has made some previously hard-to-wear shades, actually quite wearable!
L’Oreal’s Golden Mahogany Infallible shadow, using MAC’s Vex once again as an inner eye/lid color.
I was inspired this week on Refinery29 about pairing reddish eyeshadow with silver, so I had to try it out – and I absolutely LOVED it! New favorite right here.
In any case, while I’ve been somewhat absent around these here parts, don’t you think for a second that I’m not still living and breathing beauty. I just seem to have a combination of writer’s block, decreased funds, and a mega-trip on my mind – but I think when I get back in November, I’m going to be chock full of energy to get back on the horse again. I’ve been particularly desperate to do some swatching series, but as my hands and forearms have been having serious eczema breakout for two months now, it’s just not going to happen until that clears up 
I’m hoping the fresh NZ air will fix me – both my skin and my brain
Which look is your favorite? Do you ever go through ‘slow’ spells with makeup and/or blogging?
Review: L’Oreal La Couleur Infallible 24 Hour Shadow
Posted by Latoya in Drugstore Finds, Eyeshadow, Giorgio Armani, L'Oreal, Make-up on January 16, 2012
When L’Oreal came out with the La Couleur Infallible shadows, I had to suppress a laugh, as they were so obviously mimicking Giorgio Armani’s Eyes to Kill Intense shadows – similar shades, similar packaging, with the same little black insert inside to keep the powder flat. Their marketing scheme was the same too – exceptionally long wear and intense pigmentation. Having picked up one of the GA shadows last year, I was skeptical that they would measure up – the GA shadows are, in a word, unbelievable. Ridiculously pigmented, they do not smudge, budge or fade over the course of a day, and do not require primer whatsoever. And they contain multiple colors in each pot which mix together to create one gorgeous shadow with incredible depth. Could L’Oreal even stand a chance at being as good?
Last week, I had my chance to find out. While the Infallible shadows initially didn’t tempt me at all, when I was skulking around Shoppers for something (anything!) to buy (it happens), I saw that these were on sale, from something like $11.99CAD to $6.99CAD. I noticed they had a great burnished red shade, Golden Mahogany, that reminded me strongly of another L’Oreal shade I had bought eons ago – Five Alarm – which I loved. I decided to give in an pick one up – research for the blog, you see. It didn’t seem so bad since it was on sale.
Once home, I compared it to Five Alarm, and initially they seemed quite similar:
Five Alarm is a loose shadow, while the Infallible shadows are sort of this loosely pressed shadow, which feels very smooth to the touch (just like GA’s). Above, they both are shimmering deep reds with a sort of slight bronze leaning. However, when swatched, the differences become more apparent:
Golden Mahogany on left, Five Alarm on right.
Golden Mahogany is clearly more pigmented and dense, while Five Alarm pales in comparison. Also, Five Alarm is more sparkly, while Golden Mahogany imparts a deep metallic effect, which I find more wearable. From past experience, Five Alarm does not stay put very well – perhaps four hours at the most before it starts to fade. Golden Mahogany, on the other hand, wore quite well all day (without primer), even through a vigorous run at the gym. However, none of this is surprizing, as Five Alarm is over 10 years old (gasp!) and I would expect technology to have improved since then
Comparing the formulation of L’Oreal’s Infallible shadows, to Giorgio Armani’s Eyes to Kill Intense, is another story. While the Infallible shadows are certainly impressive regarding pigmentation and wear compared to many other drugstore shadows, Giorgio Armani’s (original) version kick L’Oreal’s butt. Golden Mahogany wore well considering I went for a mid-day run, but by the end of the day it had faded considerably. Still visible, but not nearly as intense – in the future, I would definitely use a primer. Giorgio Armani’s shadows last all day and then some, without the need for a primer at all. The pigmentation of Golden Mahogany, while very good, still doesn’t come close to the insane pigmentation of the Eyes to Kill shadows, which truly blow my mind – with just the barest touch of a finger, you get rich, full opacity in one stroke.
Ultimately, my conclusion is that if you’re looking for a (MUCH) cheaper alternative to Giorgio Armani’s Eyes to Kill Intense shadows, you might be appeased by these, but will have to put in a bit more work to get the same effect. That’s not to deter you though, as even at full price these are nearly a quarter less than the Giorgio Armani shadows, which is kind of a big deal. If you find them on sale, I definitely recommend grabbing one (or a few) as they do have great shades, and are an exceptional drugstore shadow overall. They’re just no Eyes to Kill…those babies are one of a kind!
Top Posts
-
SERIES
I WANT!!
