LORAC Evening Out Complexion Kit (Review + Photos)

First things first. Can I just say that whoever at LORAC thought up the clever name for this product—”Evening Out“—deserves a high-five. Well done.

Now we can move on to the review of the LORAC Evening Out Complexion Kit. I snagged my Evening Out from a sale on HauteLook; Evening Out is normally priced at $38, but is currently on sale on the LORAC website for $19. The kit is available in Tan, Medium and Light shades, and includes pressed powder, a concealer in two shades, an applicator pad for the powder and a small concealer brush.

My favorite part of the Evening Out Complexion Kit is that LORAC smartly includes two different shades for the concealer. I use the darker shade to cover imperfections, e.g. breakouts, and a broken blood vessel located under my left eye (one of my worst insecurities). The lighter shade is perfect to disguise any darkness under my eyes. The concealers included in this kit are excellent: long-lasting, easy to apply, and provide excellent, blendable coverage.

My only knock on the LORAC Evening Out Complexion Kit goes to the pressed powder. Before I go any further, let me clarify that this is 50% my fault. Since I purchased the kit online, I wasn’t able to test the powder/concealer against my complexion. I mistakenly opted for the Light option, which is indeed, very, very light. The shade is usable, but if I could go back and change my selection I’d definitely select the Medium option. The other 50% of my issue with the pressed powder is that there’s an excessive waste of product, due to the fact that the powder is not pressed that well. Since the color is a bit too light for my complexion, I have opted to apply it using a large fluffy brush. Although this technique helps me to still make use of the too-fair powder, it also unfortunately generates a considerable cloud of powder with each use. Which means I will run out of the powder sooner than I’d prefer.

Overall, I think the LORAC Evening Out Complexion Kit is an excellent product – especially if I had purchased the proper shade for my skin tone. It is an all-in-one solution that will easily fit in a clutch for a night on the town, and it’s a worthy purchase when it comes to the quality of the concealers alone.

LORAC Co-Stars 8 Hour Long-Wearing Lip Color & Ultra Glossy Top Coat (Review + Swatches)

LORAC is new to me, and from what I’ve tried so far, it’s becoming a new favorite. I’m always in search of the perfect pink lip gloss: long-lasting wear, well-pigmented, and non-drying. Since HauteLook featured a LORAC sale a few weeks ago, I took advantage of a great deal and bought LORAC Co-Stars lip gloss in First Kiss.

Here is what LORAC has to say about Co-Stars:

smudge-proof
transfer-proof color
lasts up to 8 hours
super shiny finish

I’ve tried long-wear lip color/glosses from a couple of beauty brands – from the drugstore bargain to the department store splurge. Frankly, whether I’ve spent $8 or $38, I’ve never been impressed with the results. Regardless of the brand I’ve found long-wear color/glosses to be dry and flaky after just 1-2 hours of wear. And the cracked appearance wasn’t improved even after slathering on layer after layer of the clear glossy top coat.

So as you can imagine I was somewhat reluctant to give another brand with a long-wear color/gloss combo a try. Fortunately, I’m pleased to report that I’m very happy I decided to give LORAC Co-Stars a try. After a testing it every day for the past week, I haven’t experienced any dryness or flaking, and I’ve been impressed with the pigment and long-lasting wear. Here is my complete breakdown of the pros and cons of LORAC Co-Stars.

If LORAC Co-Stars seems like a great fit for you, Beauty.com is currently running a special promotion: Buy $25 of LORAC products and receive a free purse size of Couture Shine Lip Gloss in Glam ($6 value)

You can also purchase LORAC Co-Stars directly from the LORAC website, where it is currently on sale for $5 – a real steal, since the regular price is $20.

What is your favorite long-wear lip color/gloss? Please share with us in the comments!

Lorac Croc Eye/Cheek Palette (Review + Swatches)

You know how I feel about the Urban Decay Naked and Naked 2 palettes. Literally, they’re all I’ve used since getting my hands on them. I haven’t had any real desire to experiment with any other eyeshadow palettes, but when Hautelook featured a sale on Lorac cosmetics a few weeks ago, I couldn’t pass up a great deal. The Lorac Croc Eye/Cheek Palette arrived at my door a couple of days ago and I couldn’t wait to give it a test drive.

The first thing I noticed about the palette is the cute case, which like the name states, resembles crocodile. The four eyeshadows are relatively neutral colors that would work well with most complexions. Three of the colors have a slight shimmer, just the right amount for versatility to wear day or night.

The only part of the palette that I have an issue with is the blush, which I think is too dark for my complexion. It is very pigmented and difficult to blend if you have a fair(ish) complexion.

Overall, the Lorac Croc Eye/Cheek Palette is a nice collection of versatile eyeshadows. I really like the two lighter shades, Moonstone and Serenity. The colors blended easily and did not collect in the crease of my eyelid after a full day of wear. But the Naked 2 palette still holds the number one spot on my favorites list.

If you are in the market for new eyeshadow and think the Lorac Croc Eye/Cheek Palette may be a good fit, the price for this palette has dropped from $36 to $18 on both the Lorac website and at Sephora.