I have to tell you guys, as soon as I saw pictures of the new mark. Colour Collection products online, I absolutely wanted to try them. I mean, not even going to lie, the packaging is kind of amazing, right? I love how modern and young it looks and I really feel like more and more people are going to start taking notice of mark. because of the branding and package design that they have on their products. BUT how's the formula?
mark. Eye Contact Hook Up Eyeshadow in Smoke & Mirrors*
$18CAD - 9 mix-and-match, must have shades.
How cool is the idea of a magnet that holds palettes together? I love that you can choose different combinations of the Eye Contact and Cheek Magnet palettes for your perfect on the go cube of products! The Eye Contact Hook Up Eyeshadow Palettes are available in two different varieties - Smoke & Mirrors, which I have here, and Skinny Dip, which is a more neutral palette. I'm definitely really glad that I got the chance to try out the Smoke & Mirrors palette, because I love these tones for spring and because it's definitely something a little different in my collection. While this isn't a must have for me, I definitely think there are some shades in this that I will continue to reach for over and over.
The shadows in this palette are a little bit hit and miss for me. I think the mid toned shimmer shades, like the one in the top left corner and all three along the bottom row of the palette are absolutely dreamy all over the lid. Applied with a brush, they're pretty soft (which isn't at all a bad thing), but I find that if you wet them you can really get a good punch of sheen and impact on the lids. The lighter shimmers are a little bit too sheer for my taste, but I think they would work for someone who likes a really light wash on the lid or you could get a little bit more punch by wetting your brush as well. For me, the shades through the center row of the palette are definitely a let down. They're a matte base with shimmers and I just find that the texture is a little bit too stiff and dry, and they apply quite sheer for me. If they were straight up matte, I would actually love them because I think they would build intensity slowly without getting too muddy, but the addition of the shimmers just kind of kills them for me.
The shadows in this palette are a little bit hit and miss for me. I think the mid toned shimmer shades, like the one in the top left corner and all three along the bottom row of the palette are absolutely dreamy all over the lid. Applied with a brush, they're pretty soft (which isn't at all a bad thing), but I find that if you wet them you can really get a good punch of sheen and impact on the lids. The lighter shimmers are a little bit too sheer for my taste, but I think they would work for someone who likes a really light wash on the lid or you could get a little bit more punch by wetting your brush as well. For me, the shades through the center row of the palette are definitely a let down. They're a matte base with shimmers and I just find that the texture is a little bit too stiff and dry, and they apply quite sheer for me. If they were straight up matte, I would actually love them because I think they would build intensity slowly without getting too muddy, but the addition of the shimmers just kind of kills them for me.
mark. Cheek Magnet Hook Up Blush in Mauve Forward*
$18CAD - Provides a radiant flush. Buildable for extra impact.
As soon as I saw this blush, I will admit I was a little bit swoony. I mean, first the geometric print in the pan is something a little bit special and I love it. More importantly than the look of it though is the shade. This is one of those perfect rosy mauve shades that I think can give a really healthy, naturally rosy flush to a really wide range of skin tones. I do have to apply this lightly on my fair skin, so if you're in the fair to light skin tone range I would definitely use a light hand and tap off your brush.
The texture on this blush is actually really gorgeous. It's a matte finish, but the creamy texture doesn't look at all dry or chalky on the face, meaning that you can probably wear this whether your skin is dry, oily, or anything in between. The pigmentation is great on this - not too sheer, but also not overly pigmented so that it's hard to work with. It also blends really nicely into the skin. Honestly, this is such a huge winner for me that I want all of the shades.
The texture on this blush is actually really gorgeous. It's a matte finish, but the creamy texture doesn't look at all dry or chalky on the face, meaning that you can probably wear this whether your skin is dry, oily, or anything in between. The pigmentation is great on this - not too sheer, but also not overly pigmented so that it's hard to work with. It also blends really nicely into the skin. Honestly, this is such a huge winner for me that I want all of the shades.
mark. All Butter Now Lip Treat in Bare All*
$14CAD - Increases lip moisture by 124%! Contains shea, cocoa and mango seed butters. Delivers colour with yummy, buttery shine.
Honestly, as much as I love the packaging and the sweet, fruity scent of this product, when I first swatched this on my lips, I didn't actually think I was going to like it. It's really a matter of taste, but I tend not to like really creamy, shiny lipsticks. I was definitely proven wrong, because I threw this in my purse and I've been reaching for it almost daily ever since I got it. I think that's actually on account of a perfect storm of shade and formula. The shade is a sort of caramelized honey kind of nude. It definitely leans more beige, but not so much that it deads me out. I think the sheerness also helps, because the pigment seems to sort of meld with the natural colour of my lips and gives me a really natural but perfected look to the lips.
The formula that I really didn't think I was going to like has really won me over. It applies really smoothly without leaving too much product on the lips - there's nothing I hate more than a really goopy lip product - and it doesn't gather in my lip lines. While I wear this, it feels incredibly comfortable and hydrating on the lips, and as the shine wears away I feel like it maintains a sort of perfected look on the lips for quite a bit longer. Now, the wear time on this definitely isn't going to blow anyone's mind, but I do think that considering the creaminess of it, it's actually fairly impressive. I'm not sure, personally, how much I would enjoy the other shades of this product, but this one definitely gets my thumbs up.
The formula that I really didn't think I was going to like has really won me over. It applies really smoothly without leaving too much product on the lips - there's nothing I hate more than a really goopy lip product - and it doesn't gather in my lip lines. While I wear this, it feels incredibly comfortable and hydrating on the lips, and as the shine wears away I feel like it maintains a sort of perfected look on the lips for quite a bit longer. Now, the wear time on this definitely isn't going to blow anyone's mind, but I do think that considering the creaminess of it, it's actually fairly impressive. I'm not sure, personally, how much I would enjoy the other shades of this product, but this one definitely gets my thumbs up.
mark. Dusk Till Dawn Waterproof Eyeliner*
$10CAD - Sharpenable plastic pencil liner that lasts all night - or day! Glides on smoothly and precisely. Provides a velvety finish. Smudge-resistant formula.
And now, my friends, a bit of a mind blower. It's pretty rare that a pencil liner is going to really impress me, but this one came out swinging and kind of knocked my socks off. I got to try two shades of the 5 that this formula is available in. Blackoutut is a true, saturated black, and Daybreak is a deep walnut brown. They also offer a navy blue (Nightfall), a violet purple (Insomnia), and an emerald green that makes my mouth water (Aurora), I do think that the black and brown shades are definitely the most go to shades in the collection so I'm glad I got to try them out - they do not disappoint.
What else doesn't disappoint? Literally everything. The creamy formula on these glides on with fully saturated pigment. Both shades are so densely pigmented that all it takes is one swipe for full colour, which makes them pretty perfect to use on the upper and lower inner rim of the eyes. I'm not much for putting dark shades in my waterline because my eyes are too small, so I haven't tested these out there, but I do like to tightline and I find these pencils to be absolutely perfect for that. They also live up to their claim of being long wearing and I find that I don't have to worry about it disappearing throughout the day. They do transfer down to the lower waterline, so I like to go in and clean that up with a Q-Tip once it has set, and then I don't have too much of a problem. These are AMAZING. Seriously. Try them.
... I have every intention of ordering Aurora.
What else doesn't disappoint? Literally everything. The creamy formula on these glides on with fully saturated pigment. Both shades are so densely pigmented that all it takes is one swipe for full colour, which makes them pretty perfect to use on the upper and lower inner rim of the eyes. I'm not much for putting dark shades in my waterline because my eyes are too small, so I haven't tested these out there, but I do like to tightline and I find these pencils to be absolutely perfect for that. They also live up to their claim of being long wearing and I find that I don't have to worry about it disappearing throughout the day. They do transfer down to the lower waterline, so I like to go in and clean that up with a Q-Tip once it has set, and then I don't have too much of a problem. These are AMAZING. Seriously. Try them.
... I have every intention of ordering Aurora.
Overall, I'm pretty impressed with these products. While I don't think I would give a thumbs up to the eyeshadow palette, as much as I love some of the shades, I think the blush, lip treat, and eyeliners are all very much worth trying out!
mark. products are available from your local Avon representative. See Avon.ca for more!
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