Face up to it. FACE Atelier's got the goods.

Face up to it. FACE Atelier’s got the goods.

Posted by girlpaint | Filed under cosmetics, eyeshadow, lipstick, mascara

I know. I know. I’ve been absent for a little while. So sorry, but springtime in Santa Fe has kept me outside. Plus work has been a bit of a grind. Okay, enough excuses. Let’s move on.

My absence has given me ample time to try out some new goodies from one of my favorite under-the-radar cosmetics companies, FACE Atelier. If you aren’t familiar with this Canadian-based brand, they’re all about unscented, cruelty-free products that are “a carefully edited collection of versatile, sophisticated makeup and tools that simply work. And work simply.” And they’re devoutly against animal testing. Love that. I’ve actually been a fan for years.

Recently I tried out some new eyeshadow colors, mascara, a few lipsticks and TOUT, FACE’s lip plumper.

The eyeshadows are lovely if not a touch powdery. Pigment rich in interesting, eye-color enhancing shades that are long-lasting and crease-free for the most part — the subtly shimmery colors are my favorite but they crease a little bit, although nothing a little lid primer can’t handle.

Sculpt mascara is one of my favorite all-time mascaras. One or two coats and you have the perfect lash enhancement for daytime. A few more coats and lashes become luscious, long, fat (and phat). Gorgeous. And little to no clumps.

My favorite things about Sculpt mascara are that it does not flake…ever, it’s virtually waterproof, and with Vitamins C and E it’s actually good for your lashes. Moreover, even with its maximum staying power, this mascara is a breeze to remove. Just water and your facial cleanser…voila. Beautiful.

On the other hand, when I first tried FACE’s lipsticks, I wasn’t overly impressed. They’re fine. Not particularly long-lasting. But the colors were just okay, perhaps a little “off.” As I was determined to like them, I started experimented with layering, and then I realized the true beauty of these gems. Another fun thing about the lipsticks: the color intensifies with additional coats. These are like adding odd little accessories to your wardrobe — at first you’re not quite sure how you’re going to wear them, but then you try a little something here and and a little something there, and you realize you’ve just expanded your wardrobe into a full-fledged collection with a few, small unique touches. Cool.

Finally, there’s POUT, what FACE appropriately calls a lip enhancer. First off, the container –and the liquid inside — looks more like nail polish than lip goo. But, brushed onto your lips before or after lipstick, or on its own, and with its bright pepperminty-ness, Pout tingles pleasantly and plumps your lips a little. The greatest secret Pout touts is that it contains a healthy, exclusive peptide complex that will indeed plump your lips (quite nicely, in fact) with repeated and regular use.