I'm awake Debbs! I'm so busy today, so I can't talk too much right now, but I'll give a few quickie general impressions for now.
This collection is all about barely there makeup that just adds a little definition and texture but not a lot of high impact color. I don't think it's necessarily one of those "gotta grab 'em all" collections - more like one that's better to go in person, test things out, then pick the most flattering ones. This is especially since all the colors (especially the face products) are very close to each other, all more or less in the same range of darkness and intensity, but in varying degrees of warmth or coolness.
It's also a really nice balance of products for skin of all ages, since the colors all are somewhat greyed out, which I find is quite flattering on older skin. So in this context, I'd say this collection is more universal than Naturally or Apres Chic, which were both bolder and also more skewed to NW (Naturally) or NC (AC). Just don't expect massive fire works and also bear in mind the Huggable lip colours are just around the corner with lots more MLBB shades in a nice new formula.
The new blushes and new EDSFs are really smooth and pigmented right out of the pan. The new EDSFs in particular have an extra smooth finish that is much less shiny than previous EDSFs - closer to last year's duo EDSFs, but even less powdery. Superb is the same as before, though, so it's shinier. Magnetic Appeal and Fairly Precious both lean warmer than Superb, but not that much darker, although you can build up MA pretty strongly. MA is like a softened-up Glorify, which is to say less orange and less metallic but definitely close - like if you had applied a very light wash of Glorify and then buffed it in really well. It's a winner if you're not really pink NW. Fairly Precious reminds me a bit of Shell Pearl, but a touch warmer. I need to go back this week and recheck it, because I already had accumulated a lot of product residue on my face before I tried it. Same goes for the blushes. My MA was interested in using multiple blushes and EDSFs to really sculpt everything and I let him play around - that kind of got in the way of analyzing each color super carefully on its own. I will re-check everything when I go in on thurs to pick up RiRi. We used the new toothbrushes to apply the EDBs and EDSFs and that was a real winner - you got plenty of color but the sheen and random sparkle was toned down without a lot of buffing. 'Still want to try some other brushes to compare.
The EDES did not knock me out. Amorous Alloy is very very close to Spectacle of Yourself MegaMetal - same texture, same level of redness, just a bit lighter. If you don't have SoY and love coppery reddish brown shades, it's a good one. I did love Silver Dawn, although I don't get where the mauve comes in. On me it looked like an EDES version of Gazette Grey from Pret-a-Papier - a warm, mid-tone grey. It's a little less warm than Gazette Grey, but not by much, and just about the same darkness. It's low sheen, which is lovely. Very excellent color to sculpt in definition for my skin tone, which is a lot darker around my eyes. It's the only EDES I'm going to get this time around, even though A Natural Flirt is still really nice.
The glosses were all a lot nicer than expected, but many of them are quite close to each other and also like other LE and perm glosses of years past. Steel Kiss is not heavily opaque, but it has a really beautiful pearlescence - very fine milled. Feels very comfortable on. You can't see the green in the sparkle. It's very greyed out, though. It's a softer alternative to the black glosses in PC and does a very similar thing when worn on top of lipstick, but it is GREY so if you don't like the way that works on you, you may need to avoid it. Meanwhile, Oh My Darling is equally nice, but with a pale pink cast that skips the grey. It's not super unique, but if you wear this color gloss a lot, it's a particularly nice example of the type. Overspiced is a great gloss too, since it goes on very smoothly and opaquely and doesn't settle into the lip lines the way previous similar lipglasses did. It's sort of a warmer, browner version of Runway Hit on my lips. I found it very flattering for my skin tone, but do I need it? Probably not - I've got other lip glosses that might not be quite as nice, but are similar enough that I don't really need to add yet another one in right now. Hellbound is very warm brown with plenty of orange undertone. It's not going to be for everyone, but it's a nice soft alternative to stuff like Show All, Subverted or Carnal Instincts. The right skin tone is going to love it as the perfect daily MLBB, though. Quiet Roar is a touch stickier and clumpier than the others, but quite flattering for a semi-sheer champagne gloss. There used to be a perm color like it for years that is now discontinued, so it's something to consider if you miss that sort of thing.
Morning Rose is a grayer and slightly dirtier Gem of Roses - it's also softer and with a touch less brown too. Again, if you don't get along with grey shades, you might want to be careful, but it's not as overtly grey as Steel Kiss - it's still quite pink. It looked good on me, but I have Venus and GoR and don't always reach for pink lips anyways, so I'm on the fence. I'm going to look at it again on Thurs and make a final decision then. Sensual Sparks is very much in the same family as EE and RiRi Nude - love it or hate it. It's softer and a teeny bit less yellow than EE, lighter than Nude, but it is still a grayish nude so again, love it or hate it; buyer beware.
I actually have to run right now so I have to drop this in mid-writeup but i'll be back!
