Face Stockholm – Swedish Midsummer 2012 Review
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Nektar Lipgloss, Face Illuminator and Nail Polish: Makeup worthy of appearing in your midsummer night dreams!
photos: we heart this
Face Stockholm is a well-loved favorite here at we heart this, and the summer collection Swedish Midsummer 2012 is sure to be no different. With the colors of summer as inspiration it promises to ensure you can eek all the joy available out of the season. With those “back to school” ads sneaking up on me, it’s just in time!
Inspired by the Swedish countryside, with sun-filled fields of green and flowers, and even a maypole celebration, the collection intends to leave the wearer “flushed with color and beaming with the enthusiasm of summer’s romance.” You can get a taste of this radiant collection by watching Lead Makeup Artist and Educator Helen Andersson using it to create a summer fresh look:
The wht team had the chance to celebrate the sun and enhance their midsummer glow by testing three items from this line of nine new and limited edition products.
First up is Nektar Lipgloss in Prästkrage ($20), meaning Daisy in Swedish. This gloss looks light, almost candy pink in the tube but applies practically clear. The multicolored shimmer is small and just enough to give the look depth. The pieces of glitter are just large enough that you can feel them when applied so it’s slightly gritty at first, but the base is plush enough to make up for that.
The gloss is slick and emollient, featuring shea butter and aloe, making it perfect to plump up summer beach lips. The slant tip applicator isn’t everyone’s favorite, but there’s no arguing that it makes it incredibly beach bag friendly – just toss it in, swipe it on and go!
Next we have Illuminator. More of a brightening moisturizer than a highlighter, don’t expect to get anything close to disco ball cheeks from this one! Happily, this means that it’s nearly impossible to apply too much. I can be a bit of a highlighter idiot, so Illuminator is perfect for me, no soft-handed application necessary.
Illuminator, Nektar Lipgloss in Prästkrage
Illuminator blended
Worn alone or mixed with your chosen foundation or moisturizer, Illuminator ($24) gives the perfect dewy summer finish we’re all searching for. And it’s not just for the face – you can wear this on your shoulders, collarbone and arms to get that touched by sunlight glow.
And finally we have the nails. Face Stockholm’s latest release Nail Polish #113 (also called Kale) is a beautiful counterpoint to summer’s typical bright and bold colors. (And I don’t think it’s coincidental that it’s named after the latest superfood!)
A deep and dark creme green with just a touch of blue, I find it to be a welcome refuge from the neon seen every where this season. I have always had great luck from Face Stockholm Nail Polishes ($12), and this is no different. With two coats I get the perfect coverage and even with all gardening I’ve been doing I get a good three days wear with zero chipping. Big three free, there’s not much else to ask for!
Pros:
• Environmentally friendly with minimal packaging
• Beautiful, beach ready colors
• Idiot-proof application
Cons:
• Some products are only available online
• Limited number of storefronts
we heartsters and Testers – Does the Midsummer Collection have you skipping around the maypole with joy?
Disclosure: This review includes products that were provided by the manufacturer/PR firm for our consideration. For more info, or any questions, please see our disclosure policy.
I happily received the Nektar Lipgloss and Nail Polish #113.
Sometimes we all want a really good clear lipgloss and this one is it! It smells DELICIOUSLY sweet like candy! It feels very nice on the lips, super smooth without any stickiness. I don’t feel any glitter grit and even though there is no color payoff in this particular gloss, that is fine by me – I find myself reaching for it a lot! In the tube, it’s just so whimsical and pretty I’m so excited about having it in my purse :) Is it worth $20? Not sure if I can say that it is…but perhaps in other colors.
The nail polish in #113 (Kale) is also a very awesome shade to welcome into fall. It’s dark, but it’s also noticeable and I don’t automatically question if it’s black or just a dark green. FACE really did a great job with this particular green shade. This is my first FACE nail polish and I am really happy with its performance! I feel that the prices on these are fair because you are getting a very fashion forward and nice quality product.
I’m going to give these two products 4 stars. The original factor isn’t *totally* there, but they are of wonderful quality and I love the sleek packaging.
the Nektar gloss has become a staple in my purse, too! The candy smell is fantastic, not too artificial, so even my “super sniffer” (heh, pregnancy nose) likes it. It’s just so fun, perfect for a carefree summer.
I love Kale! (The food and the nail polish). It’s definitely a pretty alternative to summer neon shades. I’m curious to hear more about that illuminator. I’m also a highlighting klutz, and my skin is naturally oily already, so I have to be careful with the shine.
I’m not always the best with highlighters (I tend to get way too shimmery way too quickly, and it just looks greasy) but this one is pretty easy to use. It’s more subtle than other liquid/cream highlighters that I’ve used; I’d really classify it more as a brightening lotion than a highlighter. I think it’s worth a shot even for the most highlighter wary!
I love Face Stockholm and always find something surprising from them. Kale is such an unusual color for summer and would really make you stand out from the crowd. I can just picture you gardening with those nails, @mandaleem !
I’m also interested in the Illuminator, which looks so pretty in the swatch.
Heh, I was wearing it when I took a picture of my largest tomato so far, but at 1lb and 1oz the tomato was too big to really see my nails! It does look quite lovely with all the garden foliage.
Did the illuminator grease your face at all any extra? I tend to stick to powder highlighters, but a lotion-y one has always intrigued me because it would probably blend in really well. Did you apply it all over your face like a moisturizer and just contour where needed or did you apply it in the traditional highlighter spots?
The lip gloss looks beautiful. It looks like a great balance. I like some shimmer in my lip gloss, but not enough that I have to worry about it migrating or making it look like I got a disco ball in the middle of my face.
I didn’t find any extra greasy-ness with the use of Illuminator, but right now my skin is in that sweet spot that I’ve been seeking out my entire life. (One of the upshots of pregnancy- amazing skin and hair!) I used it on top of my usual moisturizer and aimed for just my cheeks and temples, which isn’t a super greasy area for me anyway. For those who like a more dewey all over finish I imagine it would be great for an all-over treatment, I just prefer localized illumination.
FACE Nektar gloss is pretty fantastic, and I’ve never had any straying problems with it (save one time I was boating and kept getting my hair whipped around my face). A very solid option for the disco-ball adverse indeed!
FACE Stockholm has really got a hit with Nektar in Prastkrage! This tube has been in serious rotation in my purse, desk drawer at work, and everywhere else I can think to take it. It’s been a constant since I received it! And I love that it can be applied any time, any where without needing a mirror or anything like that.
Kale has also been in regular rotation. It’s equally just as gorgeous on the toes as the fingers, and I love how long lasting it is. This is especially important for my toes because it’s getting harder to reach those suckers! I did, however, discover that without a good base coat I do get some minor staining, so that’s something to take into consideration.
I’ve not used Illuminator as much as the others, but it’s admittedly because I can tend to forget it. (Heh, I’m just in such a habit of reaching for a power highlighter…) As the weather cools and my cheeks get dryer I think I’ll be using it a lot more because it has such wonderful moisturizing properties. Plus, the subtly of Illuminator makes it a great option for winter. Who doesn’t need a bit of brightening during those long cold days and nights?
Overall I give FACE Stockholm’s Swedish Midsummer collection a solid 4 stars. With slightly better price points and more access to store fronts it would be a perfect 5!
That gloss looks so yummy and I think the nail polish looks like a perfect color for fall. I tend to gravitate towards a lot of darker colors when the temperature changes!
This illuminate is divine! It’s sheer, subtle and moisturizing; who could ask for anything more? I used this on top of a full face of makeup and it looked natural and youthful. On a bare face, it seems to remove dullness and appear to even out skin tone. This is probably the best– most subtly effective–illuminator that I’ve tried. 5 big stars.
Sorry for my late chime in about an amazing product. I tested FACE Stockholm’s Illuminator. I liked it alone and with my liquid foundations, either way, It nice. I’m amazed at how many people made nice comments on my skin when I was using it. .It defiantly makes my skin feel so soft and it looks like I’m kind of glowing when I have it on. It really does give me that glow of health look! I was impressed with the ingredients too. I like that it contains vitamin e and has green tea and grape leaf extracts in it. My skin just drinks this stuff up and is better looking for it! I would love to get this in a bigger bottle. I’m already ½ way through the container. Five stars!
I tried out the Nektar lip gloss and while I love Face Stockholm, this product just isn’t for me. I need pigment in any lip product I wear or I look too washed out and I don’t layer gloss over anything, so it’s just not something I’m drawn to. I love the candy smell (It reminds me of something from my childhood…can’t remember what, though…I think a doll?), the micro glitter gives a hint of sparkle (I swear I could FEEL it, though, which bothered me a little b/c I hate the feel of chunks or grit on my lips), but the pale, clear pink shade disappears on me. It’s just not a $20 lip gloss for me. 3 stars.
P.S. How great would that Kale polish be for fall???