MAC Star Trek Collection Fall 2016 Review: Resistance Is Futile

The highly coveted Star Trek collection has finally beamed up into stores in anticipation of the new Star Trek series being launched by CBS and in honor of four strong ladies from former installments of the franchise: "Uhura," "Vina Orion Girl," "Seven of Nine," and "Deanna Troi." The collection includes four pressed-pigment eyeshadows, four lipsticks, three pressed powders (highlighter-blush-bronzer, depending on your skin tone), four lipglasses, three nail polishes, two brushes, and three liquid eyeliners. Most of the products have the same good-quality black packaging and bright silver Star Trek logo. If you are a sci-fi nerd-girl like I am, you will agree that "resistance is futile." I have two eye products, three lip products, and two pressed powders from the collection for review today.

The "Trip the Light Fantastic" shimmery pressed powders may appear at first glance to feature an overspray, but to my delight the pattern has stayed true with use and appears to continue throughout the product. Their appearance seems to mimic that of gas giant planets beaming with swirly, radiant goodness. The first shade I tested, "Luna Luster," is a highligher shade on my skin tone, and a very subdued one at that once applied to the skin. The swatches below show that it is barely detectable. This will be a go-to when I want a very toned-down highlighter shade (the office...). The other shade I tested, "Highly Illogical," has more plum swirled through it, and works best as a blush on my skin tone. There is a third called "Strange New Worlds" which is a shade that's a dead ringer for tomato-soup-with-milk. These powders are build-able - luckily because as you can see with the brushed swatches, application with a brush does not produce a highly pigmented result without building it up. But if you have the patience for that, they can be lovely as long as you want to keep your highlighter-blush-bronzer a little more toned down. I can appreciate this blush as someone with Rosacea that needs to go a little easier on the blush and prefers them build-able.

The pressed eye pigments may be used wet or dry. Either way, just like the pressed powders, you will need to build these babies. If you are willing to put in minimal effort doing so, the shades "Bird of Prey," a shimmery olive green, and "Midnight," a sparkly, deep, cobalt blue are absolutely stunning. There are two other shades available, one a rosy-copper pink, "To Boldly Go," and the other a taupe pearl color, "The Naked Time." At a time when matte nudes are flooding the eye shadow market, I'm finding these bold, vibrant colors very welcome in my collection.

The lipsticks are highly pigmented, long-lasting, vanilla-scented, and slightly vanilla, wax tasting just like the other lipsticks have been in their collections of late. This is good news, because I've found MAC lipsticks to be both highly reliable, pleasantly-scented, and very flattering. The two lipsticks I swatched are "LLAP" (Live Long and Prosper), a champagne rose frost, and "Where No Man Has Gone Before," a pink with gold lustre. There are two others available: "Kling It On," a deep plum glittery frost, and "The Enemy Within," a frosted true gold. "LLAP" is a good one for someone who wants to try wearing a frost but is worried frosts may not be "wearable" for them, because the underlying shade here is fairly tame, rendering it more "wearable" than a lot of other frosts tend to be. I recommend a lip primer with these, as your lines will show through without one.

The lipglass "Set To Stun" is a true silver, very shimmery and slightly shiny on the lips. The formula is quite tacky. Once applied on the lips, the "metallic" appearance so prevalent in the tube appears more subdued. This lipglass provides is a good opportunity to wear an "unwearable" color that is actually "wearable." (I like to put "wearable" in quotation marks, because the concept is relative depending on your taste, lifestyle, and courage!) The other lipglasses are gold ("Pleasure Planet"), plum ("Warp Speed Ahead"), and berry ("Kaaaaaan!").

Resisting this collection really is futile: with so many unique shades, such beautiful packaging, and nod to one of the greatest TV franchises of all-time, this set is irresistible! I hope to pick up more from this collection before it disappears into the black hole of sold-out collections.

Thumbs up, up to the stratosphere, so engage, warp speed, and go to check these out! This collection is "Number One!"

Live long and prosper!

From left to right: Set to Stun, LLAP, Where No Man Has Gone Before, Luna Luster, Highly Illogical, Bird of Prey, and Midnight. Note: eye pigments swatched dry, all powders swatched by brush

Sephora Play! September, 2016 Subscription Box Review!

Sephora Play! is a subscription box sent monthly around the 20th of the month, costs $10, and includes 5 deluxe skin care, makeup, and hair care samples plus a bonus fragrance sample. Some of the products included are selected for you based on your Play! profile. Also included each month is a collectible fabric bag with ribbon drawstring closure, guidebook introducing you to the products that includes application or usage tips, and Play! pass which entitles you to a free in-store tutorial and 50 bonus Beauty Insider points with any purchase.

The collectible bag this month features a cute drawn pink lipstick and the motto "This is not (just) a lipstick."

The first product included this month is a sample size Sephora Collection Rouge Shine Lipstick in "Love Spell." Sephora indicates that this lipstick is "creamy," "moisturizing," and "glossy." Not sure if it's just this particular shade or the line, but it applied very sheer on my lips - a sheer nude ballerina pink. I needed to swipe multiple times to get it to show up on the lips. After that, it was slightly glossy. My lip lines showed up quite a bit through it, probably because of the sheerness. This probably could be corrected by using a lip primer. It has a waxy feel and taste (more waxy than "creamy") and no noticeable scent. It lasted for a few hours through drinking and snacking but this is not a long-wearing lipstick in comparison to several others on the market. The packaging is an attractive frosty silver tube with the brand name in black. Having tested this product I would not purchase the full size. Compared to other lipsticks currently available, most notably the new Urban Decay Vice line, MAC line, Bite Beauty line, and others, this just didn't have the longevity or opacity I have come to expect in a lipstick. Even sheer lipsticks, such as those in the Vice line, are available that show up far more on the lips. But it performed "o.k." if you are looking for something very sheer and natural and don't mind touch-ups throughout the day. Other shades may appear more opaque than "Love Spell."

The second product is a deluxe Kat Von D Tatoo Liner liquid eyeliner in "Trooper." I need to give a disclaimer at the outset: I may be slightly biased by the fact that I am more of a "pencil person," and that each person is different and results may vary... That said, while I love the Kat Von D brand in general, I am very disappointed with this product. I found it to be hard to apply neatly and evenly, and, worse, runny - so much so that it bled into my eye far too easily - even with no pressure applied with the pen. This is a deal-breaker for me. My eye was very irritated for the rest of the day, and it was not cute. Unfortunately I didn't have any eye drops handy. It is a nice true, black, and the black packaging with silver logo and floral design are beautiful. But application in my experience was a nightmare, and I cannot recommend this product. Given my experience, I will be disposing of it rather than giving it away.

The third product included was a deluxe Anastasia Beverly Hills Brow Gel. I was thrilled to get a travel size of this product to take on trips, because I already purchase the full-size regularly. I enjoy the clear color, because I prefer to impart color with a powder and pencil, and it does a good job of keeping brow hairs neat and tidy. It can make them feel a bit crusty to the touch, but that doesn't show. The packaging is a nice bright silver tube with the Anastasia logo. Anastasia Beverly Hills has a great brow line, and this product is no exception.

The fourth product is the Ole Henriksen "Sheer Transformation" oil-free moisturizer. According to Sephora, it can also be used as a primer. It contains licorice root, a brightening agent, chamomile, a calming agent, and vitamin C to promote collagen production. This is another product that I already owned the full-size version of, and I enjoy it. The formula feels silky smooth to the touch, and has a barely detectable glue-like scent. Many products use licorice and chamomile - because they work (not miracles, mind you, but they make a difference.) I don't notice any drastic improvements when I use the product, but it feels refreshing and comfortable on my face and imparts a slightly more awake, healthy appearance to my skin. It also makes my skin feel baby-soft to the touch. In my opinion, the texture is not thick enough to make for a good primer, but your needs may differ from mine, as I prefer a very high coverage primer like the Make-Up For Ever "Smoothing Primer." If you don't need as much coverage this may work as a primer for you. As a moisturizer, however, this has my recommendation.

The fifth product is the Living Proof "Perfect Hair Day Night Cap Overnight Protector." Sephora describes the formula as "weightless," and indicates that it provides "softness and shine." It can be used on either damp or dry hair, and is supposed to last through one week and up to 5 shampoos. I actually did find this product "weightless" on my hair, maintaining the fullness and body it had before applying the product, and it did make my hair feel softer to the touch as well as giving it some shine. It is otherwise undetectable on your hair, in contrast to many leave-in-conditioners and other products that make the hair look and feel more greasy or weighted down. I believe it is also benefiting the health of my hair, because as I tested it on one section of hair and compared against an untested section, the "Perfect Hair Day" section felt less dry and more healthy. I would purchase this.

Finally, the bonus fragrance included in this box was the Atelier Cologne "Sud Magnolia." Notes in this fragrance are bitter orange, pomelo, blackcurrant, magnolia, Bulgarian rose, saffron, cedarwood, sandalwood, and musk. The musk and wood elements are barely detectable, rendering this more of a fresh, citrus and floral scent with a slight, peppery kick. The citrus element is the most noticeable. I don't feel as though these different notes blend into a fully harmonious whole - they are so different that I still detect the contrast. It is not an unpleasant scent, and I believe citrus-floral fans may enjoy it. I will use the rest of the sample, but it is not one I would purchase when the sample runs out, and I feel that this is more of a Summer fragrance than one suitable for Fall. This would have been a better addition to one of the Summer month boxes.

VERDICT. This box contains three great products (the Living Proof, Ole Henriksen, and Anastasia Beverly Hills products), two "o.k." products (Sephora and Atelier), and one that, despite the fact that the brand puts out many other excellent products that I use on a regular basis, was a complete dud for me (Kat Von D.) All in all, this box was a good value at $10, Perhaps the best argument in favor of the value of these boxes isn't just the ability to discover new favorites and use them, but also the discovery of disliked products - because you have a chance to test things out and find out what you should avoid purchasing. While it's true that beauty products can often be returned, I would not want to give something as a gift that I would have had a bad experience with had I been able to test it out for myself ahead of time, and besides that returns take time that could be better spent another way. I enjoy having these deluxe sizes for travel as well - occasionally travel sizes are available for products like this, but often only full-sizes are available for retail sale. And I have never gone on a trip and wished I packed heavier! So all in all, even though I did not enjoy every product in the box, it still felt like a good value.

Thanks for reading, and have a glamorous day!

Elizabeth and James "Nirvana Bourbon" and "Nirvana Rose" Perfume Review!

New for Fall, 2016 are two new installments to the Elizabeth and James perfume collection - and they're bringing in Fall with a bang! Read on for details about the products and a full review!

These two fragrances come in three sizes: 1.7 oz. and 1.0 oz. bottles as well as a .34 oz. roller ball version. The roller ball size is perfect for stashing in your purse or taking on your travels. The packaging of both consists of a slim, rectangular tower with a studded texture that is unlike the packaging other brands are using, and really stands out in the pack. The "Rose" bottle is purple-red with gold trim and the "Bourbon" is an amber shade with gold trim. The glass is thick, high quality, and durable.

"Nirvana Bourbon" consists of vanilla bourbon, oak wood, and tuberose notes. The woodsiness gives it a slight masculine edge, with the sweetness balancing it out perfectly to inspire a no-nonsense, confident, yet still approachable person. It really is reminiscent of the scent of bourbon, without the strong alcohol aroma. This fragrance is unique - many "woodsier" perfumes don't have such a complimentary sweet note to balance them out into a balanced, harmonious depth of aroma such as this. While the oriental qualities here are more serious, the sweetness gives it a touch of playful. For a person with a depth of personality, this is very appealing. I found myself sneaking whiffs of this scent all day long: it is both intoxicating and addictive. That said, this will not be for everyone. Elizabeth and James perfumes tend to be bold, and this is no exception. If you are seeking something ultra-feminine, clean and fresh, fruity, or sugary sweet this will not be for you. 

"Nirvana Rose" consists of rose de mai, geranium, and vetiver notes. Again, this one follows the tradition of bold Nirvana perfumes, and will probably be "love it or leave it" for most people. The rose here is not your mainstream Chloe-esque ultra-feminine rose. That "romantic" rose is here, but it lingers under a more mature, antique, slightly more masculine, almost woodsy veneer thanks to the vetiver. If you are unfamiliar with vetiver, it is a bunch grass from India with brownish-purple flowers, and its essential oils are more commonly used in colognes. This rose perfume has a lot more depth than many of the rose perfumes I have sampled in the past, and the notes blend together into a seductive melody. It is very romantic without being too "girly." If you already have rose scented perfumes in your collection, don't rule this out thinking it will be a dupe!

Layering works well for these - giving the whole scent package even greater depth. However, I find that the rose overpowers the total blend slightly, making the "Bourbon" half less apparent. For that reason, I will prefer to wear each one on its own.

VERDICT: 4.5 out of 5 stars. Not the absolute best perfumes I have ever tested, but definitely top picks in my collection, especially for Fall. If you like your perfumes to be unique, bold, and more on the mature side, these are worth checking out. Now that it's Fall, a lot of us are looking to set aside some of the candy-sweet scents, citrus scents, fresh-clean scents, and girly scents for something more woodsy and substantial, and these fit the bill perfectly!