Wednesday, January 24, 2007

The Dish on the Trish

Okay, I've been living with my Trish McEvoy for almost a month now, so I thought I would give you the scoop. I'm sorry I have not had a perfume post in a while, but between lagging behind and my senses being all out of whack (or I guess it was my senses...I seriously could not think of a thing to put on, and yesterday I wore West Side again only because the sweater I wore already smelled like it), I haven't had anything to say. Today I wore Dzing! for the first time, but you'll just have to wait with breath baited to see what I think.

Oh, and because talking about the Trish makes me think about buyer's remorse and the half-assed haircut I got several weeks ago, I maybe should also tell you that I got it whacked off today into a chin-length bob a la Renee Zellweger in the February Vogue. I think she looks much cuter with short hair. I think I do, too. Plus, my face isn't all squinty. I always want to tell her to go to the eye doctor already. She looks like the girls in high school who woke up too late to put their contacts in but didn't want to wear their glasses.

I know, you wish I would just go back to writing about perfume. Soon, I promise.

To my purpose: I must tell you about the Trish. We'll start with what I like:

Lipstick. I bought the lipstick in Tres Jolie. First, I think this is one of the prettiest lipstick colors I've seen. I guess I'd call it a nude berry, which sounds like a contradiction. It's very moisturizing and even looks that way...it's a matte color, but my lips don't look dry. It also lasts pretty well, for a non-long-wearing lipstick.

Base Essential for Eyes in Bare. This is a shadow base to make color go on more evenly and prevent creasing. I love this stuff. You can also wear it alone on days you want a little polish but don't want to do the whole face. Nice consistency, too: it's a liquid, but goes on like a matte powder.

Deluxe Eyeshadow in Soft Peach. This was the base shadow that the SA picked for me, and it's lovely. Goes on very well, and she told me not to sweep but dab on the color with a dense brush, like it's powder. Good tip. The shadows are slightly shimmery, but not so much they show lines and flaws...just soft reflection of light. On that note, I also like the lid shadow, Rose Quartz, a very soft mauve-y pink.

Eye Definer in Deep Aubergine. This is a shadow meant to be a liner. It's matte and deeply pigmented. It does not end up all over your face, but adheres quite well to the eye line. Impressive, if you ask me.

Those are my favorites. Given all I bought, I don't think that's so great. One thing is, I'm not at a total loss with makeup. The SA really didn't pick colors that were so far off from what I was already wearing, and she also picked the colors everyone picks when they see my coloring (fair-haired and green-eyed): purples and wines. I like these colors, but to me a makeover--even if you don't wear thirty pounds of makeup at any given time--should include something you wouldn't do or pick for yourself: an unusual color combo, or a different application. And, okay, maybe I should have gone back to MAC, and maybe SAs intimidate me a little (yes, sadly), but still...

Everything else, I feel meh about or don't like at all:

Even Skin Foundation. It's nice, but not worth the hype (or price). I also found it goes on much better when I apply it with my fingers, instead of with a brush as the SA suggested. It gives even coverage but has no moisturizing benefit. The same thing goes for the concealer.

Matte Bronzer in Medium. This is supposed to be my blush. I had some sort of case of "the empress's new makeup" with this one, wherein I thought it looked pretty good until I realized after a few weeks that it in fact looks like I have applied red Georgia clay to my face in order to add color. Just call me "Pigpen."

Blush in Jolie. This is to highlight the apples of my cheeks. It just doesn't look right applied over the dirt. It's slightly better on its own. With the dirt, it comes off a bit too purple. I think I had this same shade in a Bonne Belle palette I owned back in high school. It was the 80s, when it was still de rigeur to put a slash of blush under your cheekbones to add definition. Just add a sweatshirt with the neck cut out, and you're ready to party.

Mascara. I did not buy the mascara. We were doing the cute little makeover trick where she would do one side and I would do the other. She applied mascara to my right eye, and then handed me the mirror so I could apply it to my left. To this day I still can't tell you if the scream of horror was coming from my mouth or directly from my actual eyelashes as I lifted the wand to them. The words "wet and clumpy" don't even begin to describe it. I'm pretty sure that stuff is made of actual tar.

Mineral Powder in Beige. Okay, enough with the mineral powder already, and enough with telling me how it acts as sunscreen. Maybe it does, but enough. I'm still going to wear actual sunscreen. The powder is too dark, anyway. It's like applying a fine layer of dust over dirt bronzer. And then you blend it with a $1500 puff. Wonderful.

That's about it. I wish that I'd gone to Chanel, or maybe had just continued to try stuff on my own. I'll use up what I have. I would repurchase the lipstick and probably the shadows, in different colors. I suppose you win some, you lose some. At least my hair looks cute.

*photo from wherever I got it last time I posted it