Its A Bear of A Collection

When Sephora announced its collaboration with Moschino, the ever creative brand that has featured windex style perfume bottles and McDonalds inspired fashions, I rejoiced! Its aways such a pleasure when fashion brands cross the fine line into beauty since it usually translates to unique packaging, interesting shade combinations, and above all, collectable, limited edition items. This collection has proved no different and it sold out in record timing. Almost instantly after being released ]the Moschino x Sephora collection was gone. Many even had their orders canceled by Sephora; this is very much unlike the brand. It is currently being peddled on ebay for shocking amounts.

While you may no longer be able to get your hands on this adorable little collection, we can only hope that the makeup gods have it in their favor for a restock. I purchased my items about 3am the day it released. I opted to only pick up the items that spoke to me and skipped on the fragrance and the eye mask. Each golden bear product is 24K platted for an extra touch of luxury, even if it feels like cheap plastic.

This Is Not A Moschino Toy

The pièce de résistance of this collection is absolutely the Moschino Bear Eyeshadow Palette. it is shaped like a small bear toy that was touched by Midas and filled with makeup. On the tummy it says “This Is Not A Moschino Toy”, which is a cheeky reference to objects that look like toys but are not. This palette, as mentioned above, is plated in 24k gold, however, do not expect it to have a heavy or even sturdy feeling. This palette is quite cheep in terms of weight and feels more like cheap plastic that was painted gold. Honestly, I felt it was a waste of gold, Midas must have truly been bored that day.

To open this palette you must lift the top by slipping your finger into a little indent; it is not magnetic. Once you open and lift the bear facade you will see an eclectic mix of shadows in various finishes. The top shades are warm in tone while the bottom shades are cooler. There is a nice mix of satin and metallic finishes and these all applied smooth as butter. Most were pigmented enough to be worn without primer, which is exactly how I watched them.

I preferred a more dense brush for the metallic shades and a fluffier brush for the mattes. For the most pigment- use your finger or apply moist. They are easy to build up or sheer out. Can be applied moist or dry. Do not crease and last up to 8 hours without fading . I was highly impressed with these shadows overall and there are enough basics to balance out the more bolder jewel tones. If you’re not a fan of the packaging and prefer a more traditional set up- the shadow base does pop out and these seem like they would be easy to Depot.

Midas Had A Lot Of Free Time

Moschino proves that it is truly possible to fuse fashion and beauty with the Moschino Bear Lip Gloss Chain. This set features 6 mini lip glosses and a Moschino Chain necklace that you can actually wear. The bear can carry one gloss, so it is fashionable and functional. While I wouldn’t wear this accessory, I could see it working well on those that favor this style or appreciate a novel concept. The names of the glosses represent cities that have significance to Moschino.

While the shades were beautiful in the tube, not much else can be said for these shades. Only half of them performed at the level I would expect from either

brand. The glosses aren’t sticky and don’t bleed but they do have quite a few flaws. The lighter shades (Malibu and Paris Pink) are quite milky and settle into fine lines. Soho is a bit patchy and you will certainly need a liner to  have even coverage. My favorites were Milano, Hollywood, and Miami (red, copper, hot pink). These shades offered an almost liquid lipstick type opacity without the flaws of the first three shades. I still recommenda liner for longer wear. I was able to wear these for 1-3 hours before fading – so don’t expect long wear. The scent/taste is slightly unpleasant and I’m not sure I’d reach for these too often due to that. It’s like the scent of a lipstick about to go bad. It’s not too overpowering and it does go away after application- but for the price point and the brand – I didn’t expect this.

Brush It Off

This collection also featured Bear tipped brushes. These brushes were a nice weight; the weight I expected to feel with the palette. These brushes very sturdy in the hand and the  Bear tips were quite cute. These may be hard to store if you are used to storing your brushes end side down. These are best to store laying down.  The bristles overall were smooth and blended product well, but I felt the face brush didn’t pick up enough powder product. Other than that, these brushes a perfect for a collector or just someone who appreciates cute packaging.

Thats a Bear-y Nice Glow

For those who love a compact, the Moschino x Sephora collection also featured a Highlight housed in a bear faced compact. This felt the same as the palette in terms of weight, 24k gold plated plastic. The shades included were a light champagne and a soft blush named Uptown and Downtown. I liked applying these over cream or moist for an intense highlight. For a more subtle glow apply dry with a fluffy brush. I personally like layering them for a softer peachy shade.

The Traditionalist

For the minimalist and the traditionalist, there is something for you in this collection! The Moschino Shopping Bag Shadow Palette. When I friar saw this palette on the site, I was sure it was a part of a past collaboration. It seemed so out of place until I realized – if you’re shopping for Moschino products that are obviously not toys, you will need a Moschino bag to put them all on. The practicality of this still novel but more functional design became perfectly clear.

This palette is small in that it can fit in the palm of your hand. It is sleek in terms of simple. It has a magnetic closure and is simple to store and carry. The shades are warm and will probably suit most, if not all skin tones. The theme is very marsala, just as there was a large marsala component in the Bear Eyeshadow Palette (three shades almostnearly identical). There are enough shades in this palette to create a neutral everyday look, a dramatic look, or even a full on glam.

Look At Me Now

I have created a look using as many products from this collection as possible. This look features shadows from the Moschino Bear Eyeshadow Palette, highlight palette, lip gloss set, and even the brushes were used.

Makeup Detail:Details:
Primer- @yslbeauty #yslbeauty Touché Eclat Blur Primer
Foundation- @dermablendpro#dermablendpro Cover Cream (received complimentary from Derma Blend) topped with Intense Powder Camo in my T-zone to combat oily skin.
Shadow- @moschino #moschino Barely Bare all over lid from base to brow bone applied with a fluffy brush. Clay applied in crease as a transitional shade also applied with a fluffy brush. Bound Brown applied in the outer V in circular motions. On lid I applied a mix of Fort Knox and Spun Gold applied with dense brush and finger. On lower lash line I applied a mix of Kisses and Fantasy.
Brows- @benefitcosmetics@benefitcanada #benefitcosmeticsGimme Brow, Goof Proof Pencil, Ka-Brow Eyebrow cream gel
Contour- @kevynaucoin #kevynaucoinBook of Contour 2 Sculpting cream applied on hollows of cheeks, sides of nose and outer forehead. Applied sculpting powder over with a fluffy face brush.
Highlight- @moschino Bear Highlighter shades Uptown and Downtown mixed and applied over moist skin (sprayed @pixibeauty #pixibeauty #pixibypetraMakeup Fixing Mist )
Liner- @physiciansformula#physicansformula Sexy Booster Cat Eye Eyeliner
Lips- Bear Lip Gloss Chain shade in Soho

If you would like to see some more looks I have created with this palette and other products featured in this collection please be sure to check out my Instagram.