The Sample: NEW Paul & Joe Eye Gloss & Lip Gloss Duo in 003 Monaco & 004 Maui, Review & Swatches
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As a makeup devotee, there are many brands that I love–I could never choose just one favorite. It’s always a treat to see what brands’ have in store for each new seasonal collection. But there is one brand’s collections in particular that I’ve come to really look forward to lately; that brand is Paul & Joe. My first experience with the brand was when I tested their Holiday 2012 set last year. Since then, I’ve eagerly awaited each new collection they’ve put out. To me, Paul & Joe’s collections always seem so fresh and spirited, no matter what the season. They just have a way of injecting their particular brand of charm and whimsy to everything they do and every product they put out.
The Summer Creation 2013 Beach Baby collection includes 20 pieces, including 5 limited-edition shades of their Eye Gloss & Lip Gloss Duos (Santa Monica, Nice, Monaco, Maui, Bahamas). Today, I’ll be showing you the Eye Gloss & Lip Gloss Duos in 003 Monaco and 004 Maui.
Monaco is described as having “sandy beige notes (that) add a natural glow”. The eyeshadow is a very sheer, antiqued-golden brown shot through with a generous helping of gold shimmer and very fine, silvery micro-glitter. The lip gloss end is a very pale milky-beige that goes on translucent. It contains some pink and multi-tonal micro-shimmer that can be seen in the tube but once on the lips, it’s not very noticeable at all. The Maui duo is described as a nectarine and lemon that “add(s) a kiss of citrus style”. The eyeshadow is a light, lemony-gold with iridescent pink and golden micro-shimmer. The lip gloss is a stunning mid-tone, slightly milky coral-orange.
The Eye Gloss & Lip Gloss Duo comes packaged in a plastic double-ended wand. The tubes holding the product unscrew and reveal a doe-foot applicator on each side. Both ends are printed in white with Paul & Joe’s stunning chrysanthemum prints.
Both the eye glosses and lip glosses have the very faint traditional Paul & Joe fragrance to them; it’s really not heavy at all. I say if you’re going to add fragrance to a product, make it light and innocuous at least. Paul & Joe has done just that so I think that even though it contains fragrance, even those with sensitive noses will be able to handle these.
The Eye Glosses are very light and smooth. They are water-based and as such, feel very cool and wet on the eyes–very refreshing. Even though it’s quite a wet formula, the shadows do dry down pretty quickly–in under a minute–especially if you blend them out with either a finger or brush. The thicker the layer, the longer it will take to set.
Both shades are fairly sheer, the Monaco shadow quite a bit sheerer than the Maui one. You can layer the shadow for more intense pigment. However, it is worth noting that if you apply too thick a layer and fail to blend it out, it can end up looking a bit dry and crusty. Not to worry though–as long as you apply one thin, even layer at a time and blend between each layer, you’ll be fine and be able to build up the opacity easily. I got the best results when I dotted the doe-foot applicator along my lid about 3-4 times then used my finger to blend the eyeshadow across my lid in a gentle patting motion.
The Monaco gloss, as I mentioned, goes on clear, basically. I was a bit disappointed with it and do wish it were a hair more pigmented. But it is a nice clear gloss and layers beautifully over my stains and lipsticks. Maui, on the other hand, is surprisingly pigmented. The touch of milkiness really adds a beautiful finish to the lips. It is hands-down my new absolute favorite lip gloss! Both lip glosses had a nice medium consistency that helped it stay put on the lips for about 4 1/2 hours. They kept my lips moisturized and weren’t sticky at all.
–click image to enlarge–
Without primer, both shadows showed a tiny amount of creasing just at the inner corner of my lid within about 2 hours. With primer, the shadows lasted about 7 1/2 hours before I saw a bit of creasing. Fortunately, I do want to note that the creasing isn’t noticeable at all since both shades are very shimmery and not super pigment heavy. I didn’t experience any migration or fall-out from the micro-glitter/shimmer.
Overall, I like these a lot and am very glad to have them join my makeup arsenal for summer. These duos won’t be for everyone but for Paul & Joe lovers and anyone looking for a fun, shiny, easy-to-wear 2-in-1 product, you have to check these out. I have to say, they pair beautifully with clean, minimal makeup. Just a bare complexion with perhaps a slight, creamy flush on the cheeks, a bit of black or, better yet, dark brown liner smudged onto the upper lashline, and black mascara. Add the eye gloss (I like to just apply it across my lid, being careful not to extend it too far past the crease because then, it’s kind of a “controlled” sparkle!) and lip gloss and you’ll be set for the bright, sunshine-y day. It feels very effortless and fun–which is the way makeup is supposed to be during the summer!
»»Pricing: $34/Eye Gloss=0.11 oz. (3.3 g.) & Lip Gloss=0.08 oz. (2.5 g.)
»»Availability: b-glowing.com, BeautyHabit.com, Bergdorf Goodman (in-store at NYC location only)
»»Recommended for: anyone looking for a fun 2-in-1 product that’s perfect for toting around on summer beach days!
»»Overall Rating: A-
Disclaimer: the product(s) featured in this post were provided to The Beauty Sample free of charge by the manufacturer/PR for review purposes only. Regardless of how the product was obtained, my priority is to you, my readers, and I will always give you my honest opinion.
