Smashbox quietly released this medium-dark version of their popular Cali Contour palette sometime back in 2020 (?). I say quietly because I don’t think there was any sort of marketing letting people know they had created this new shade variation. I was searching for a review of this palette for the longest time with no luck. I was surprised they didn’t try to hype this up more, considering all of the valid complaints companies have received about shade ranges lacking inclusive options. Anyway, I broke down and got it because I continued to hear lighter skin tones rave about the original light medium shade and finally had to see for myself if it was good.
Top row, left to right: warm contour, shimmer gold, cinnamon matte
Bottom row, left to right: banana matte, apricot shimmer, coco rojo
After mentioning my favorite lipstick formulas in another post, I thought it would be nice to swatch any formulas or colors that I haven’t shared in the past. Up first, the Revlon Super Lustrous Lipsticks. I have shown swatches of both Raisin Rage and Rum Raisin previously, but I decided to go ahead and include them next to a newer to me shade (desert escape).
L to R: Revlon rum raisin, raisin rage, desert escape
As I’ve mentioned, I really think this line from Revlon is still one of the best on the market if you like a traditional cream bullet lipstick. They are comfortable and provide good pigmentation. If you like an opaque coverage, these might be a miss for you, but I wouldn’t describe them as sheer. This formula does have a lanolin ingredient (C10-30 Cholesterol/Lanosterol Esters), so keep that in mind if you are allergic to lanolin.
UPDATE (March 4, 2022): Unfortunately, the Makeup Geek brand is going out of business and will close in April 2022. The website is currently 40% off.
Makeup Geek Foiled Eyeshadows ($8.49) promise a metallic sheen due the powder/cream hybrid formula. The shades I purchased are from the brand’s 2020 relaunch when they updated their formulas, color selection, and packaging.
Grandstand is described as a neutral medium copper brown (top left)
Legend is described as a warm copper (top right)
Mystical is described as a warm deep plum (bottom left)
Flame Thrower is described as a warm copper (bottom right)
I definitely think that the formula delivers the metallic sheen as promised. You can get a more subtle finish from these shadows if you apply them with a flat shader brush. In my experience, you can get a shiner finish with more impact if you apply them with a finger.
Unfortunately, that is were the good news ends for me. I did have some fallout and it isn’t easy to wipe away. The fallout sticks to my face and then it is hard to remove. This was worse for the shade Mystical, I assume because the shade is darker and has more contrast with my skin tone. I also experienced fallout throughout wear, but it wasn’t noticeable from a normal distance. It is one of those things only someone trying to examine products for review would see.
Update June 6, 2025: I recently revisited this concealer and discussed it in my Forgotten Best Sellers: MAC Cosmetics (Vol. 2). This used to be my number 1 concealer. Yes, even with my dry skin, this concealer used to be the only one that I would use. But that all changed when I discovered the Dior Forever Skin Correct Concealer (the original fragrance-free formula). Despite being dry, I loved the high coverage, long wear, and self-setting ability of the Pro Longwear Concealer. Unfortunately, as I got older, I got drier and moved to drier climates. I moved from the south to the Midwest, and then from the Midwest to New England. So the aspects of this concealer that make it great no longer work for me. I know this for sure because I recently revisited this concealer. It is still a top performer, but too dry for me, and I should’ve known better. As you may have heard me mention, most days I wear makeup for about 10 hours. This starts to look dry around hour 4, but is still passable. At around 8 hours, however, the concealer cracks and separates. My dry skin steals what little moisture the concealer may have, which is to be expected. There are other matte concealers that I can’t wear for that long without cracking (Huda Beauty, One Size). It also doesn’t leave me feeling dry the next day, so it still outperforms many matte formulas. So it’s still good, just not good for me.
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**Pro Longwear Concealer ($28.00) is a bestseller for MAC and is overall highly reviewed on retailer websites like Ulta, Nordstrom, and Macy’s. Listen, I know the pump and overall packaging are annoying, but the product itself is excellent. I do not experiment with concealers much, so it is very possible that there is something better out there. But for me, this is a winner.
I have dry skin, and I can still get away with using this product. It does dry down to a matte, long-wearing finish, so I don’t have to set with powder. If you have dry skin, then you know that being able to skip powder can really help. For the most part, this doesn’t settle into my fine lines and wrinkles. I say for the most part because it does sink into my deepest wrinkle, but I can’t tell unless I get real close to the mirror. For reference, the Bobbi Brown Concealer and Corrector formulas sink into lines and wrinkles on me. The formula that is in the MAC Studio Fix Conceal and Correct Palette does not sink into lines on me, but it does need to be set with powder, whereas the Pro Longwear Concealer does not.
I purchased the shade Cinna-Bae but I’m thinking I could also have gotten away with the shade Caramel Delight for my skin tone. The brand suggests the shade Cinna-Bae for tan to light dark skin and the shade Caramel Delight for medium to medium dark skin. There are three darker shades in the range after Cinna-Bae and one shade lighter than Caramel Delight.
Coloured Raine Cinna-Bae Bronzer, $16.00
I would still consider it a first impression, but so far I am in love with this bronzer. I use Estee Lauder Double Wear foundation and I don’t set it with any additional powder and I still find that this formula is easy to blend. Keep in mind that Estee Lauder Double Wear does dry down to a matte finish, but I have experienced blending difficulties with another bronzer over this foundation, so I wanted to mention that. I feel like the finish isn’t a flat matte and that it gives me the same type of healthy look that I get from the Becca Sunlit Bronzers. The Becca bronzers do have a sheen to them and again this formula is definitely matte. I just feel like both of these formulas make me look healthier than before I applied them. I was worried about the depth of the color, but it is so easy to blend that I really don’t even find myself having to be careful.
Coloured Raine Bronzer Cinna-Bae
The closest bronzer shade I have for comparison is a MAC bronzer from the limited edition Aladdin collection (right swatch).
L to R: Coloured Raine Bronzer Cinna-Bae vs MAC x Aladdin Your Wish is My Command (LE)
UPDATE June 2, 2021: There isn’t much to say here other than I’m still loving this bronzer. It picks up easily on both synthetic and natural hair brushes and it blends easily. It is very pigmented, but the ease of blending means I don’t have to be careful with it.
Have you tried the new Coloured Raine bronzers? If so, how do you like it?
If you enjoyed this post, please consider sticking around. You can check out my Brands A-Z index if you want to know what products I have posted about in the past.
Disclaimer: I purchased all products featured with my own money. For my full disclosure policy, click here.
If you were already thinking of checking out the MAC sale, I thought I’d share some swatches to help you shop. I’m showcasing products that I feel are less talked about or at least less talked about among what is current and new to the market.
To shop the sale, use the code MACSPRING30 at checkout. I did test the code on all the available items I have swatched, and they were marked down successfully. The only exceptions are some blushes that are no longer available due to being limited edition or discontinued. I will make a note of those items below the pictures.
Enjoy!
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(Discontinued formula) MAC Love Me Lipstick – Bated Breath, $22.00
Update June 13, 2025: In my opinion, there is no direct replacement for this formula currently in MAC’s lineup. The closest formula is the **MAC Lustreglass Sheer-Shine Lipstick ($25), but it is not as pigmented. I have a swatch and review of the shade Business Casual (here) if you want to check that out.
MAC Bated Breath (Love Me Lipstick)
**The MAC Sheer Shine formula is a less pigmented alternative to the discontinued Love Me Lipstick formula.
$ 20.25
Sale Price
$ 27.00
Regular Price
MAC – Lustreglass Sheer-Shine Lipstick
(Discontinued formula) MAC Satin Lipstick – Del Rio, $25.00
The new Chanel Rouge Coco Bloom is a comfortable formula with a beautiful shine. It applies smoothly and the pigmentation is great for such a balmy feeling product. While there is no tingling feeling, the formula does seem to be slightly plumping. Unfortunately, it has no longevity and on me, it doesn’t wear away evenly.
Chanel Rouge Coco Bloom in 114 Glow
It only takes about an hour and a half to two hours to need a touch up. As it wears down, the color that is left behind is more muted and the shine is gone. Obviously, that change can be expected, but it happens a little faster than I’d prefer. I was eating, drinking, and talking while trying this out, so I guess if you somehow manage not to do any of that, you will have better staying power. So after about an hour or two (depending on eating and drinking), it was worn off at the center of my lips and it had sunk into my lip lines. The way it wore off meant that the only choice was to reapply. I will say that it was easy to apply on top of itself, I didn’t need to clean off my lips and start fresh.
I have to give a shout-out to Emily Noel on Youtube for this concept. It has been a while, but she has done a couple older videos about What’s OLD at the Drugstore that I enjoyed. So I thought with the Sephora VIB sale starting soon, I’d talk recommendations that aren’t the newest things to the market. The sale dates are 9 April 2021 – 19 April 2021 depending on your membership tier.
Shiseido Visionary Gel Lipstick – 212 Wood Block, $26.00
Shiseido Visionary Gel Lipstick in 212 Woodblock
This only has 1.6 g of product and traditional lipsticks have about 3.0 to 3.5 g, so that is something to keep in mind. If you are a bang for your buck kind of shopper, I’d pass on this one.
Shiseido Visionary Gel Lipstick in 212 Woodblock
This formula has somewhat of a slick or slippery feeling when you apply it but it does dry down to feel more creamy. It has nice pigment to it and doesn’t accentuate my lip lines. This line of lipsticks is also well reviewed by Temptalia, so you can check her site for swatches of the other colors.
Bobbi Brown Mini Shimmer Brick Highlighter – Bronze, $25.00
If you have ever been curious about the Bobbi Brown shimmer brick this is already a good deal but even better with the extra percentage off. Since highlighter takes a long time to use up anyway, I don’t think the smaller size is an issue. I find the quality to be consistent with the regular $48 size. I think this is a nice formula, it can get a little shimmery if you pack it on, but with a light hand, I do think it can be applied in a subtle way.
L to R: Bobbi Brown Shimmer Brick Sunset Pink and Bronze
Sephora only has the shade bronze currently in stock, but the Bobbi Brown website does have the shade rose in stock as well (they are having 25% off until 11 April 2021 @ 11:59 PT). The shade Sunset Pink was a limited edition color, but this was the only picture I had to be able to showcase the bronze shade for you.
L to R: Bobbi Brown Shimmer Brick Sunset Pink and Bronze
Urban Decay Naked Petite Heat, $29.00
In my mind, this is a naked basics palette. I think that if they had marketed this palette as the Naked Heat Basics Eyeshadow Palette, there may have been a better reception. I think that since the marketing focused on the shades being brand new colors, reviewers spent too much time comparing it to the Naked Heat Palette. Not a lot of people talked about it as a stand-alone product, or even as a companion to other eyeshadows you may already own. It is easy to forget that not everyone wants or needs 12 shades of eyeshadow.
Urban Decay Naked Petite Heat
This is a nice little palette. The texture is slightly drier and a little dusty compared to the Naked Heat and the Naked Cherry, but I don’t find that to interfere with performance. However, if you like a creamy matte texture, you might not enjoy this formula.
Urban Decay Naked Petite Heat
Sephora Lip Stories – 10 Yum Yum, $9.00
I don’t have a picture of this product but wanted to shine some light on it anyway. The formula on this lipstick is smooth and creamy. I was disappointed to find out that something in the formula irritated my lips because I was really impressed by the formula. I don’t think the formula will be an issue for most people. The way they were hyped up back when they were first released, I didn’t hear of anyone else having irritation or sensitivity issues. I do want to warn you that the packaging does feel cheap, but it is only $9.00 at Sephora, so I’d say that should be expected. The entire Sephora Collection will be 30% off during the sale, so that brings the price down to $6.30. This discount can not be combined with the VIB sale code.
9 April 2021 – 19 April 2021 – VIB Rouge tier can shop
13 April 2021 – 19 April 2021 – VIB tier can shop
15 April 2021 – 19 April 2021 – Insider tier can shop
I hope this post was helpful and gave you some new products to consider. Happy Shopping!
If you enjoyed this post, please consider sticking around. You can check out my Brands A-Z index if you want to know what products I have posted about in the past.
Disclaimer: I purchased all products featured with my own money. For my full disclosure policy, click here.
Nikki From HR 