Two things I really appreciate about Houston: Tom Ford and Dolce and Gabbana counter access. Huh? Yes, I'm a beauty enthusiast. What can they be? While Tom Ford has quickly won my heart right from the get-go, I remain skeptical with Dolce and Gabbana. It's because of their eyeshadows. Although I wasn't particularly impressed with any of their eyeshadows in the store, my excitement after reading Temptalia's glowing
review of Laguna Duo won me over. I took it home with anyway and barely used it since then.
Dolce and Gabbana eyeshadow duo in Laguna ($36 now $42 for 0.17 oz) features two stunning a color, a blue with teal shimmer and a deep forest green with gold and green shimmer. I love both of the colors so very much. The powder is silky and smooth. It reminds me of a more refined version of Nars duos. It feels like loose powder is pressed in layers. The duo is housed in an chic and luxurious metal case with sponge-tipped applicators. My admiration for Laguna pretty much stops here though.
I have a the hardest time to make both of the shades stick on my primed lids. Both shades fade as soon as I finish my eye makeup. Even opaque base like Laura Mercier eye basics doesn't help. The sky blue teal is beautiful while the green looks muddy on my lids no matter how intensely or lightly I apply it. I also experience serious fall-outs. My eyes turns to raccoon sexy every time. Wonder why I don't gift it away yet? See how stunning and vibrant it is in the swatch. My heart melts. I couldn't depart with Laguna (yet).
Another look at this stunning duo. Oh my broken heart.
Dolce and Gabbana has just raised the price for their duo from $36 to $42 since last year. It's still in line with Nars duos ($34 for 0.14 oz) but what a big skip! If Laguna offers Nars' quality, I won't be bothered with the price. But I don't get much beside pretty golden case and eye-candy colors that only look good in the pan.
Bottom line. A total miss for me. While the color and mix finishes are absolutely gorgeous, everything else quality-wise fails short.
