Becca’s latest is the new Shimmering Skin Perfector Luminous Blush ($34 each for 6 g / 0.2 oz). There are six bright colorful shades – all with impressive pigment, smooth blendable textures and the most beautiful luminous glow that I have ever seen. Blush is one of my favorite beauty products because I think it’s the one thing that can really give the face life by adding a bit of color – the Luminous Blushes from Becca are extremely unique in formula. They are almost creamy even though they are clearly powders. One swipe gives impressive pigment which usually would scare me but even if you accidentally pop on too much with the first swipe, the color is super easy to blend out or buff out for a smooth glow. With so many pigmented blushes you have to apply with a very light hand because the pigment adheres to the skin upon impact. I would say the same thing applies with the Becca – apply with a lighter hand and layer for the desired intensity, but I was really impressed with how easy to blend they are, but even after you blend the blushes still maintain their color and pigment without fading away.
Some of the blushes themselves appear to have a fine mist of overspray which makes them look very glowy in the pan brand new. The overspray is very fine – almost transparent because once it’s removed you still see the same color of blush underneath, just not as much sparkle. I noticed it with Camellia – the lightest option. At first glance it’s a gasp-worthy baby pink, but the sparkle had me worried that it would emphasize pores, make me look like a disco ball, and just be a pale frosty pink. I was relieved to find it was simply an overspray and underneath was a soft luminous baby pink.
The blushes seem to be a hybrid of blush and highlighter. You can easily wear them alone as a blush because they all have enough color and pigment (how I’ve been playing with them for the most part). But the texture and shimmer make them have that highlighter feel where you can layer them on top of other products. I tried layering a few over bronzer and regular blush – but I found them so pigmented that layering almost covers the underneath product entirely. I think layering lighter shades over bronzer in general works to add color because I do that with most blushes anyways (bronzer adds warmth to my skin as a soft contour). The darker ones like Dahlia and Blushed Copper seemed to just take over whatever was underneath.
Lasting power is very good – they stay put from morning to late afternoon. They have a soft almost creamy feel but are clearly powders. As long as you don’t apply too much they don’t darken on the skin. Even though these are all shimmery they did not emphasize pores or emphasize imperfections.
A closer look at all the colors plus two looks:
All swatched with an eyeshadow brush:
Camellia is a shimmering soft ballerina pink with fine gold shimmer. It’s almost a baby pink in the compact but on the skin it adds more color and life in a soft brightening way.
Swatched heavy and then blended, you can still blend out the color more for a sheerer look:
Foxglove is an orchid pink color with cool tones. It has a cool-toned shimmer so on my face/olive complexion it pulls very cool but is still very wearable. It goes well with lip colors like MAC So Select, Brave or Mehr or any mauvey tones.
Tigerlily is a bright orange gold shimmer. I was worried this might be very orange on the skin but I’m always surprised by bright orangey blushes. They add life to the complexion in unexpected ways that is actually very wearable – especially when layered with other shades like pink or bronze.
Blushed Copper is one of the most shimmer shades. I would say it’s borderline a frost color. It’s a stunning shimmering coppery bronze kind of shade that is medium to deep and extremely pigmented. The color is easy to blend though and out of all six colors I think this is the most unique.
Dahlia is another medium-deep color. It’s a shimmering reddish plum with slightly warm tones. I usually stay far far away from colors like these. They often look harsh on my skin and give me that almost punched face look or sunburn look. On the face I have to apply this with a light and and blend a lot – a tiny little bit goes a very long way. I’m still experimenting with this one but for my comfort level this is bolder and deeper than I usually go for the cheeks.
Snapdragon is a bright coral pink with gold shimmer. This is easily my favorite because the color is so bright and cheerful. It’s like spring in a blush compact. The texture is very smooth but it’s on the extremely pigmented side so for this one I recommend applying with a light hand. It pulls warm but I suspect it will work well with a wide range of skin tones to add life to the face.
Bottom line is believe the hype – they are really that good. I think these are really phenomenal in terms of color selection, pigment, luminosity and blendability. The colors have enough pigment to show up on a wide range of skin tones, including deeper ones. A quick search on Instagram with #luminousblush or the @beccacosmetics tag will show a number of swatches others have done. These show up on light, medium and deep tones – although of course they will look different depending on your skin tone, I think it’s impressive how pigmented these are.
I think all the colors are wearable. For me the only color I can’t see myself wearing on a regular basis is Dahlia because it’s out of my comfort zone and a bit deeper thank what I’m used to. I really like this formula of blush so I hope they expand the color selection in the future. I would personally die to see these in a shimmering beige or nude color (or variations of nudes like their Ombre Nudes Eyeshadow Palettes but for the cheeks instead). If I were pressed to pick my favorites, they would be Camellia, Tigerlily, Snapdragon and Blushed Copper.
Becca launched a new foundation earlier this year called the Aqua Luminous Perfecting Foundation ($38 for 1 oz) which offers smooth, buildable natural coverage that has a soft glow. I’ve been testing this for two months now combined with the Backlight Priming Filter ($38 for 1 oz) which I actually bought and have used with other formulas since last fall but never reviewed. Today I have a review on both with swatches of all the colors of the Aqua Luminous formula.
For foundation I prefer something that is semi-matte and semi-dewy, basically something that’s in between both ends of the finish range and something that looks natural but also offers at least medium coverage. I don’t have perfect skin so visible coverage is essential for me. I used to use the Becca Sheer Luminous Foundation (original version) and the Foundation Stick many years ago (back in the early 2000s when I was in college and the line was still at Nordstrom). My match back then was Macadamia and I was a die-hard fan of the line until it disappeared from stores for a while. It’s since made a comeback at Sephora and Ulta but I never looked into the foundation reformulations until this year.
Glowy luminous foundations can be hit or miss for me. Many look incredible on my skin for 30 minutes to 1 hour and then turn into an unmanageable oil slick after that which is a shame for me because often times the coverage and color options are perfect. I have normal skin with some areas that are slightly oily and the Becca Aqua Luminous Perfecting Foundation is amazing. It offers everything as described: smooth lightweight coverage, buildable pigment, blurs imperfections and gives the skin an ultra soft glow. It has enough coverage suitable to even out the skin nicely and I didn’t have to pack it on to get the coverage I wanted. Beige turned out to be my perfect match (as in truly perfect, no tweaking required). I still do need concealer or correctors for dark spots or red areas, but that’s the case with most foundations I use anyways.
The only thing I do not like about this foundation is the packaging. It comes with a dropper – you twist the cap to pop up the push-down dispenser at the tip and press to push out product. I find it awkward and difficult to use although it’s not impossible and I can overlook it because the formula is that good. In terms of lasting power it holds up well with or without primer. When I went to Sephora to get matched the artist used the Make Up For Ever Smoothing Primer and a beautyblender sponge to apply and it lasted from the time she applied it all over well into the late evening without getting greasy or oily looking. For wear on my own – I’ve tested it by itself, with a number of Make Up For Ever Primers (hydrating and nourishing are what I have) and the Becca Backlight Priming Filter. I think the Aqua Luminous foundation performs well with a number of formulas, a primer definitely isn’t needed for it to look its best. Powder is absolutely needed to set though – otherwise it gets too glowy looking by late afternoon. Some pressed and loose powders that I highly recommend in this post here.
Swatches of all the shades – they are swatched heavily so you can see the color. It blends out to a smooth flawless finish when I use either the Sephora Collection Pro Full Coverage Airbrush #53 brush or a beautyblender (the pink one is the best one, full review here, however I am testing the new nude). The color range is wide but there are definitely some big jumps in between shades. I’m thrilled that Beige is my perfect match.
A few comparison swatches:
Next is the Backlight Priming Filter which is a pearly liquid primer designed to create a base for makeup. It has a very soft luminous finish with a lightweight almost whipped almost liquid texture. I love the packaging pump as it’s easy to use and no fuss. I found it lightweight, non-clogging, non-irritating and luminous. It did create a nice glow and I like using this primer with other foundations but as a person who doesn’t really like primers in general, I didn’t find this essential to creating a flawless base. When the weather was warmer and we had a few heat waves I found this to be too moisturizing for my skin and it left my face looking a bit too dewy. With normal or cooler weather here in Southern California it performs better. In terms of primers though – this is one of the better ones I’ve tried in terms of smoothing the skin and creating a nice canvas for foundation, concealer and powder.
A quick look at Beige and the Primer swatched side by side:
Bottom line both are extremely good in terms of performance. I will be repurchasing the foundation once I’ve used it up. For the primer I’m not sure I find I love it enough to repurchase – I’m still searching for the one that changes everything for me. Still I have no regrets buying it and will use it to the end.
Ulta Beauty is turning 25 today and to celebrate their birthday they have 25 online beauty deals with free shipping on orders of $25 or more. Ulta Beauty is a regular stop for me for beauty staples, especially for nail care. My go-to products are the CND Stickey Base Coat,Super Shiny Top Coat, Butter London Nail Scrubbers and the Tweezerman Pushy Nail Cleaner. I’ve teamed up with them to share some beauty pick-me-ups from a recent store visit. If you haven’t been to an Ulta Beauty store recently you will be amazed at the selection they have today – the lineup of products has expanded so you will find a wide range of items with a mix of drugstore and mid-end brands all in one store. If you’re in need of something new in beauty but aren’t sure what to look for, Ulta is a nice place to shop at your own leisure and browse without feeling any pressure to buy. I always discover something new.
Up first is the Mario Badescu Skin Care Facial Spray. It has aloe, herbs and rosewater and with a super relaxing lightweight scent. It’s one of the most affordable facial sprays I’ve tried and I think it’s highly under-rated. It hydrates the skin with a superfine mist. I like that it’s truly refreshing without that heavy feel.
For eyes I picked up one of the Naked2 Double Ended 24/7 Glide On Pencils. They come in a variety of colors, I picked one with Pistol and Perversion. For eyeshadow palettes, the Naked Basics2 Palette is a no-fail option. I already own one but bought one as a birthday gift for a friend. I swatched it below next to Naked Basics. Both are staples as far as matte shadows go.
One of my friends swears by Lancome Définicils Mascara and she always has the perfect lush black lashes. I’ve only tried minis before. I’m giving this one in the full size a try. (If you have a favorite Lancome mascara let me know.)
I didn’t realize Ulta Beauty carried Becca Cosmetics, but now I do. I picked up the Shimmering Skin Perfector Pressed in Rose Gold. I debated between the pressed and poured version. The pressed seemed to have more pink undertone so I opted for this one. It has the prettiest warm rosy champagne gold shimmer. The left side is a heavy swatch, right is blended out a little.
For nails, I like to shop for cheaper finds like OPI and Essie. I play around with both a lot but don’t buy many because of the lack of testers. Two staples include Peach Daiquiri and Topless and Barefoot. Both are relatively affordable options although they don’t last longer than 3 days on me, but for the price I think they are worth it. I just need to make sure I reapply top coat 2-3 times throughout the 5-7 day period I have the color on. Although I switch things up frequently to swatch so sometimes it doesn’t really matter.
Peach Daiquiri needed three coats for me.
Topless and Barefoot is the best neutral nude pink. It’s not too nude and not too pink. Two coats works ok, I find a third coat gives this one complete full coverage.
For lips the options are endless. There are so many different finishes, formulas, textures and packaging options. I think I got a bit lost with all the options but I wasn’t in a rush so I was able to take my time to browse. Stila was one of my very first beauty loves back when I was in high school and all the way through college. I’m glad through all the changes that they’ve kept some of the original line. The Lip Glazes are always fun. Apricot is a staple glow. Kitten is a fun frosted champagne beige shimmer.
Urban Decay has some really good new lip products out. I think many have been out for a while but my focus has always been on their shadows and Naked Palettes. The Revolution Lipstick in Naked is a neutral nude pink cream. It has medium to full coverage and has a slightly glossy sheen. There are a number of neutrals to pick from and they have different finishes from matte, sheer and regular. The High-Color Lip Glosses are full-coverage glosses. Almost like a liquid lipstick but still glossy in formula. Kinky is a really pretty light neutral pink beige. I’m completely obsessed with it.
Last but not least I tried something from Tarte. The twist up chubby stick lip products come in a number of different finishes and textures. After swatching up a number of colors all over my hand, I picked out the LipSurgence Lip Tint in Sweet. It’s a soft light pink with shimmer but goes on the lips a more rosy flushed soft pink. It has a soft minty scent and feels cool on the lips. I really like the way it looks and feels – I’m going to have to check out more of the colors soon.
Today on August 19th in celebration of their 25th birthday, they have 25 value sets available online. In addition they are running a sweepstakes through August 29th where 25 lucky Ultamate Rewards Members will win 25,000 points. Details here on ulta.com/25bday.
Do you have any recent discoveries from Ulta Beauty? What are your favorite beauty pick-me-ups?
This post was created in partnership with Ulta Beauty. Many thanks to Ulta Beauty for sponsoring this post. All opinions my own, more information on my disclosures.
Becca x Jaclyn Hill teamed up to create a Pressed Shimmering Skin Perfector in Champagne Pop ($38 for 8 g / 0.28 oz, limited-edition, exclusive to Sephora). The shimmering skin perfector comes in a round mirrored compact in powder form but it’s very soft and buttery – it almost has a creamy texture to it. The color is described as a soft white gold with pinky peach undertones and it’s exactly how it appears on my skin. In the pot it’s this gorgeous luminous peachy gold champagne shimmer on the skin it pulls a bit more cool-toned than what I see in the compact. It is very complex in color and the powder shifts depending on how the light hits the shimmer particles. The color is super pigmented so you only need a tiny bit. I love how easy it is to blend. It gives a very visible and noticeable highlight. If you want something subtle this is not the product for you. I did find it went on the cheeks smoothly. It blends into this dreamy soft glow if you buff or blend it out. Huge plus is that it doesn’t emphasize pores. I have tons of highlighters in all forms and I find this one to be very special and quite amazing.
Pictures can’t do this Becca x Jaclyn Hill highlighter justice. I’ve taken a few photos to show the complexity but it’s something you have to see in person to really understand how gorgeous it is. Below in direct sunlight. I would say this shot is the closest to getting what the color looks like once on the skin.
At an angle, it looks more peachy. The peachy champagne base color helps add depth and dimension to the highlighter:
Close up of all the shimmers:
On the skin it’s more of a white-gold like the Sephora description:
I swatched the Becca Champagne Pop highlighter next to the Charlotte Tilbury Norman Parkinson Highlighter, Hourglass Luminous Light and NARS Tribulation Blush in this post here.
I pulled a few more to compare.
Tom Ford Stroked Contouring Cheek Colour Duo (discontinued, review here)
Estee Lauder Courreges Illuminations Face Powder (limited-edition)
One last shot with partial sunlight reflecting from the mirror to show the complexity of the powder:
Bottom line a winner. I give it a huge thumbs up. The powder has a finely milled texture and although it is very shimmery and very pigmented it blends easily onto the skin. You only need a tiny bit to highlight the cheeks or eyes. I found lasting power to be quite good – it stayed put from morning to late evening and it adheres well to the skin. Since it is so pigmented I recommend using a very loose fluffy brush to apply on the cheeks. I’ve been using either a Stila Powder Brush (one I got years ago with the silver handle, I don’t think they make it anymore) or my MAC Duo Fibre Brush #187 to apply it. I didn’t experience fall out on the face since my skin was well prepped with a layer of serum, moisturizer and foundation. On my arm swatches I didn’t have any product so there was a bit of product that fell off my brush in a few fly-aways.
Overall gorgeous. I highly recommend it unless you’re a fan of the ultra-subtle-almost-invisible shimmer because this one will probably be too shimmery for you. The Becca x Jaclyn Hill Shimmering Skin Perfector in Champagne Pop is limited-edition. Currently exclusive to Sephora. Starting August 10th Sephora is launching their Epic Rewards Perks. One of the 1,000 Point Perks is a Becca set that will include Champagne Pop although I can’t tell if it’s full-sized.
Have you tried Becca highlighters? Which ones are your favorites? I still own some from the days where they had the loose versions in the larger sifter containers.
Becca always puts together the most beautiful makeup looks. Check out their features from past seasons under Becca Style – Makeup Looks and you’ll see what I mean. This season Becca has released a new collection called Fallen Angel. The featured looks were just so stunning that I immediately ordered the 2 palettes: Enigma (eyes) $49 and Fallen Angel (lip and cheek) $45.
Enigma Palette has a trio of neutral-cool smokey colors. Amure is a matte soft grey-brown, Silesia is a dark smokey grey-brown-black, Surah is a shimmery mauve. All have a soft velvety texture which make these easy to apply and blend together. I was a bit let down by the palette in the sense that it did not look like the promotional photo online. Still the quality is very good and colors are good neutrals for a soft smokey eye – just not very unique.
Fallen Angel Palette is for lips and cheeks. It appears to have more of a peachy-resort feel rather than angelic. When I think “angel” I think soft pink and champagne. Still this is lovely. Sunrise is a sheer peach (almost clear), Nectar reminds me of Tuberose Lip & Cheek Creme, Narcissus is a pale gold cream highlighter.
As much as I love Becca, I was somewhat disappointed by what came in the mail. Having been somewhat let down (compared to the promotional photos) twice in the past, you would think I had learned my lesson to wait and check out other reviews before ordering again. These palettes are indeed beautiful and very wearable, so don’t get me wrong, I think they are very high quality and worth the price. I was just expecting something different. Below are swatches, the eyeshadows were swatched over a lightly moisturized arm.
One last view for size comparison, the palette colors are similar in size to a MAC eyeshadow. The Becca Shadows are 1.6 g or 2 g each (depending on color) while MAC eyeshadows are 1.5 g each. Do note I find the quality and texture of the Becca much better than most MAC shadows. The creams in the Fallen Angel Palette are 1.3 g each.
Ordering online has both pros and cons. While it can often times be more convenient, it can be frustrating to get something different than what you see online. I was in San Francisco when I received the e-mail for a 15% off promotion. Being a huge fan of their shimmer powders (both pressed and loose) I ordered a few fall items online from my iPhone because the promotional photos were stunning, but the items that arrived were not quite what I expected.
Prairie Moon Palette comes in a sleek brown mirrored compact (same size and style as all previous Becca palettes). The shades in the palette left to right are:
Macchiato Gloss – sheer light chocolate red
Voile (Demi Matte) – matte ivory
Nappa (Demi Matte) – matte dusty grey-tan-brown
Chenille (Shimmer) – shimmery forest green with grey and gold shimmers
Sagebrush (Compact Eyeliner) – deep forest green shimmer
Here you can see it’s not quite like the promotional photo:
The Macchiato gloss was surprisingly sheer from what I saw in the compact. It has a super sheer tint similar to the Black Chocolate lipgloss from Bobbi Brown’s Black Velvet Collection. I don’t have the new BB to compare to directly, but from what I tested at the counters, the Becca gloss seems to have slightly more pigment.
The eyeshadows have medium pigment and are very easy to blend. In typical Becca style, they layer with each other beautifully. Voile and Nappa seem more of a true matte rather than a demi-matte like other Becca shadows of the same formula. Other “demi-mattes” like Doeskin, Boucle, Tweed, Chantilly etc. all have a soft semi-matte base with the slightest bit of glimmer. I don’t see any glimmer in the Voile/Nappa shades. Chenille is stunning for a sage green-grey sparkle. It’s making me reconsider checking out other khaki greens for eyes. Sagebrush is also beautiful – I’ve swatched it both dry and wet to show you both methods of application. I think these are meant to be applied with a damp brush.
Swatches of Prairie Moon, each photo has the same order:
The color palette goes well with this season’s military theme, especially Chanel’s Khaki Vert:
Fig Beach Tint is also new for fall, online it looked like a pretty mauve pink with a hint of plum:
The actual product is a nude pink. It has a strong artificial cherry scent and the finish is very sheer when blended out. This was also very different from what I expected. When I applied it on my cheeks I could barely see anything. I’ll need to experiment more to see if it will show up better with more layering.
Prairie Moon is not the first Becca palette I’ve purchased that looked completely different from the promotional photo, so this order wasn’t a complete surprise. The palette is still very wearable and the colors are very well suited for the fall season. I think it’s a great palette to keep in your purse for touch ups on-the-go or for a quick look that is easy to pull together. While the eyeshadows have a green/khaki theme they do appear very versatile and I see them going well with most of the colors I have in my closet. However, had it not been for the promotional discount or if I had been able to see or test this in person first I probably would not have purchased these items.
I decided to do a different twist on my regular monthly Ten Things I’m Loving Right Now and combine this with my color focus feature. I like soft pinks because they always look so pretty in the compact and tubes. But finding a good soft pink can be a bit tricky sometimes. I can’t tell you how many soft pinks have made me oooohh and aaaahhh only to find it looks way to light or washed out on my skin (ala MAC Hue/Angel Lipstick or Trish McEvoy Gorgeous Demure Lipstick). It still doesn’t stop me from trying to make them work though, lol. That being said, the products listed below are my no-fail and no-tweaking required soft pinks.
There are so many favorites, but these are the ones I’ve been using a lot in the past month. I am actually just starting my 3rd tube of MAC Fabby (see below)! Laura Mercier Babydoll Lip Glace is a favorite that looks good on practically all my friends whether they are fair skinned or tanned.
Blush & Highlighters:
Dior Rose Diamond MAC Well Dressed MAC Summer Rose Beauty Powder (this was repromoted with the Liberty of London Collection in a different compact)
Chanel Rouge Coco in Rose Comete (swatched here) MAC Frost Lipstick in Fabby D&G Shine Lipstick in Soiree (swatched here)
Lip Swatches:
Nail Polishes:
Paul & Joe Poodle #10 Zoya Jessika Chanel Mica Rose
I have many more favorites but if I featured all my loves, this would just be a never-ending article if I pulled every single soft pink from my stash. What are some of your favorites and what is your skintone?
FYI, in case you’re new to my blog, I’m a Chanel Shell 1.5 Teint Innocence right now. This is the equivalent to what’s right in between MAC NC30 and NC35. I’m at that point again where I’m in between shades for most foundation lines. You can see My Foundation Shades HERE. I recently tried Bobbi Brown’s newest foundation and found a perfect match in Natural Finish formula shade 4.25 Natural Tan, however the formula didn’t work so well with my skin. So far, Chanel Teint Innocence and Lift Lumieres and DPFs are my holy grails.
