02.09.09
A girl’s gotta love sparkly diamonds and pearls. But with a not-so-jazzy economy, who really has the funds to spare on precious gems? Thankfully, marketers are catching on and incorporating actually diamond and pearl dust into their beauty products by way of shimmer-y eyeshadows and lipglosses.
Stila’s Pearl Shimmer Gloss ($22) — out now at Sephora and online at www.sephora.com and www.stilacosmetics.com — features actual pearl powder in the formulation. The product is said to enhance the natural lip color in four sorbet-like shades that glide on effortlessly.
Upon inspecting the product’s ingredient list — craftily packaged with a black-and-white sketch of a strand of pearls — it shows that mineral oil, polybutene, octyldodecanol and isocetyl sterate are the main ingredients; followed by a butylenes/ethylene/styrene copolymer, flavor/aroma and pearl powder. To the average eye – it will shine, stick and taste like something.
Ocean Currant – a deep, sheer berry with pink and red shimmer - looks like its description, as seen through the clear plastic tubing. The slim brush applicator (I’m more of a sponge-tip fan but the brush seems popular this year with glosses) leaves a light layer of gloss, which does have a red/pink sparkle in the light. The taste is a delicious fruit-y berry and is pleasantly subtle.
The next shade, Pearlescent Pink – a mid-tone pink with shimmer — looks almost bubblegum, with a 1980s fleck of silver-y pink. Same sweet taste as the Ocean Currant. The shimmer is a bit brighter on this one.
Overall: A very wearable, non-sticky gloss. Might work nicely layered over a glitter lip pencil or lipstick for true shimmer depth.
More info: www.stilacosmetics.com
Stila’s Pearl Shimmer Gloss ($22) — out now at Sephora and online at www.sephora.com and www.stilacosmetics.com — features actual pearl powder in the formulation. The product is said to enhance the natural lip color in four sorbet-like shades that glide on effortlessly.
Upon inspecting the product’s ingredient list — craftily packaged with a black-and-white sketch of a strand of pearls — it shows that mineral oil, polybutene, octyldodecanol and isocetyl sterate are the main ingredients; followed by a butylenes/ethylene/styrene copolymer, flavor/aroma and pearl powder. To the average eye – it will shine, stick and taste like something.
Ocean Currant – a deep, sheer berry with pink and red shimmer - looks like its description, as seen through the clear plastic tubing. The slim brush applicator (I’m more of a sponge-tip fan but the brush seems popular this year with glosses) leaves a light layer of gloss, which does have a red/pink sparkle in the light. The taste is a delicious fruit-y berry and is pleasantly subtle.
The next shade, Pearlescent Pink – a mid-tone pink with shimmer — looks almost bubblegum, with a 1980s fleck of silver-y pink. Same sweet taste as the Ocean Currant. The shimmer is a bit brighter on this one.
Overall: A very wearable, non-sticky gloss. Might work nicely layered over a glitter lip pencil or lipstick for true shimmer depth.
More info: www.stilacosmetics.com