I think the last time I placed a Julie Hewett order was when Scarlett Icon lipstick was launched. Julie has reformulated her stuff to be paraben free and her Hue Colours are now paraben free, so I figured it was time to put in an order.
I have all the other colors in the pot except Mystère which isn't really new; it was included in the Ombre palette. Malachite wasn't in stock but will probably turn up in stock when I post this. (Always my luck!) I did buy a couple of color stuff and thought of bunching the review together but the Hue Colours deserve a separate post because they are beautiful and there is a slight learning curve.
When I mean there is a learning curve, it can be slapped on like any other cream shadow but the technique used can make it crease or last. The Hue Colours are a cream and will not dry like the gel liners. For this reason I like them because they will never dry up in the container and can be transferred into a pan (but now Julie sells them in pan form) and never feel dry on the eyes. And, if you have mature lids, the shimmer in these are so beautiful and enhancing that your eyes will look alluring and awake.
What is important in application is prepping the lid. I conceal/neutralize the eye area then blot the lid area for any excess moisture that might be from my skin and/or product. I finish that with RCMA No Color powder because it is a colorless powder with no fillers, and just used to "set" makeup. Some powders contain fillers and some fancy ingredients which can cause some "slip" or crease the makeup. (When powdering the eye area just blot gently on the lid and apply enough just to remove the moisture, don't saturate it like you are going to knead bread on a counter.) Then I apply my powder eyeshadow products to create some depth and shape to the eye. This also gives the Hue Colours more to stick on. I either use my finger or a brush (my fave is the Ve Neill Very Favorite brush) and tap gently onto the lid or swipe onto the orbital ridge. I set the Hue Colour with my RCMA No Color powder to make it more crease resistant. This pretty much sets it for the day.
As an eyelining cream, this can be used for tightlining and eyelining. I haven't tried this for waterlining but the texture of it tells me that the lasting power is pretty slim in that area of the eye. Eyelining, I find I don't have to end with an application of no color powder since it is so close to the lashline, the color pretty much stays.
As an eyeshadow base, prepping the lid is important and also your mindset will be important too; don't expect to have an opaquely color lid. The little you use provides a base for a powder shadow. It is used to enhance the color and your eyes and not to distract.
In the picture you see that I have used Lilies in-the-snow which is a shimmery white but not a stark white on the lid. Great for a retro eye look. Newsprint Bleu, a shimmery blue black, is used as an eyeliner. It can also be used as a smoky eye base. Rue Burgundy, a shimmery burgundy brown (not too burgundy), I used as a lid color. Great as a liner and for an eyeshadow base color. Violette, a shimmery lavender, I used on the orbital ridge (browslope). The color is subtle but it is there for that touch of shimmer. Mystère, the ultimate shimmery taupe, I used on the lid also. All the colors are subtle and that is their purpose which is why they are great for mature lids. You only need that slight touch of color and shimmer to enhance a look.
New vs. Old Formula
I decided to take a picture of the ingredients listing because when I received my Mystère pot, the letters were so small that a magnifying glass was not going to do it for me. As you can see the old formula (on the left) not to mention the amount has changed. You get a paraben free and half the amount. I guess you are wondering is there a difference between the paraben formula and paraben-free? Well, here is my observation. The pigments are more uniformly dispersed which makes its reflective quality slightly flatter compared to the paraben formula. Does this really matter? No, but I tend to observe and analyze these things.
So, I hope I have given you some ideas on application techniques. They are really pretty and shouldn't be overlooked. Remember, Julie is a makeup artist in the movie world who also works on mature women; she knows what looks good on them.
