2017

Tom Ford Boys and Girls Lip Colors – The Girls

October 4, 2017

Tom Ford launched 50 shades of girls lip colors with the Boys and Girls Lipsticks ($36 each) this year with two formulas, Lip Color Sheer and Ultra-Rich Lip Color. I stopped by my local Nordstrom the week they launched and picked out a handful to purchase. I’ve been a huge fan of Tom Ford lipsticks from the very start and each year I look forward to seeing their new mini clutch-sized launches. They did Lips and Boys for two years and this year they added a Lips and Girls which I think is super fun. After covering my hand with swatches I ended up with twelve of the Lips and Girls Sheers and five of the Lips and Girls Ultra-Rich formula. A few thoughts on each formula and then swatches + descriptions below.

The Girls Lip Color Sheers are just as the name implies, “sheer.” They are ultra smooth, hydrating and have a gorgeous sheen. Most of the colors I saw had some degree of shimmer for the sheer finish, although I did notice a few non-shimmers. They are sheer though. Many of the colors I picked out ended up looking very similar once on my lips. I should have picked some of the deeper or brighter colors for more variety. All the colors I tried were smooth in coverage except Carine and Lena, both of which were a bit streaky on my lips. To me these have a similar vibe to that of the Chanel Rouge Coco Shines and YSL Volupte Shine Oil in Stick, just with a little less slip, not quite as balmy, and with a tiny bit more pigment. Lasting power isn’t going to be exceptional since they are sheer and glossy so reapplication is going to be necessary. I don’t mind since they feel so comfortable on the lips.

The Girls Ultra-Rich Lip Colors have more pigment with a soft glossy finish. I absolutely love this formula and wish the entire line of Lips and Girls had been like this. I have and love the full size Revolve Around Me and the Lips and Girls are just as good in terms of pigment, coverage and comfort. They hug the lips nicely and the colors are gorgeous. On my pigmented lips some of the shades I picked also look similar, the difference will be more noticeable if you have lighter colored lips. I’ll note the difference in undertone below.

Colors are split into three sets below, two sets of the sheers and one set of the ultra-rich. Up first are:

Carine is a light shimmery beige nude
Edita is a neutral nude beige shimmer
Nina is a soft peachy shimmer
Beatrice is a light baby pink with iridescent blue shimmers
Julianne is a medium pink beige shimmer
Alicia is a light neutral-cool pink shimmer

All lip swatches on bare lips, foundation shade worn on the skin is the Tom Ford Waterproof Foundation/Concealer in Natural. I feel like a broken record about this one but it’s really one of the best ones I’ve used in a long time and has still held up really well in the Florida heat/humidity. In case you still have not seen the review, it’s posted here with swatches of Bisque, Natural and Sable alongside MAC Studio Fix Fluid swatches for reference. For those who want to know my MAC shade, I fluctuate between NC25 and NC37 in the liquid because I tan easily. Right now I’m the equivalent of NC37. I don’t know what shade I am in the powder, many years ago I used to use C3 and C4 but I developed a severe allergic reaction to the powder and have been scared to re-try it since.

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Second set includes:

Carolyn is a shimmery neutral pink brown with silver shimmer
Ellie is a cool mauve shimmer
Lara is a light mauve brown shimmer
Fabiola is a creamy mauve brown pink
Lena is a pale aqua colored shimmer
Isamaya is a sheer violet

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Third set is with the Ultra-Rich:

Katherine is a soft beige pink, it’s similar to my fav Bradley but Katherine has a bit more pink
Marisa is a pretty medium pink
Zoe is a peachy pink cream
Isla is a coral peach
Valentina is a plum mauve

Bradley added below to the arm swatch set below, review + swatch of that color in this post here.

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Overall thoughts is I love the formula, it’s truly top notch. The Lip Color Sheers are as the name implies “sheer” and while I knew that was what I should expect, I feel like I could have skipped more than 3/4 of the colors I bought because they look so similar once they are on the lips. Out of the 12 sheers I bought 4 of them broke at the base which is heartbreaking so I’m going to hopefully exchange those at Nordstrom. This has never happened to me before with any Tom Ford Lipstick (and I’ve tried all of the formulas) and based on the fact that most of mine are still ok, I think it could have just been duds. For those suspecting it might have been heat that melted or softened them at the base – I make sure everything is back at air-conditioned room temperature before swatching. I love the Ultra-Rich formula – it is one of the best formulas I’ve tried. I love the smooth glossy finish and the colors are really quite pretty.

Out of all the colors I bought, my top 5 picks: Nina, Ellie, Katherine, Zoe and Valentina. Although Katherine is a pretty good dupe for Bradley so they are most likely too similar to justify owning both (if you don’t want dupes).

There are some new shades of Lips and Boys but I decided to skip them this round which is a good thing because there are tons of new shades in the Lip Color and Lip Color Matte formula which I’m dying to see in person.

You can find the Tom Ford Boys and Girls at all counters now, the girls shades are available individually for $36 each, in a 50 piece set for $1,980 and also in a trio set at Neiman Marcus for $108. I bought mine from Nordstrom. Also available at Neiman Marcus, Sephora, Saks Fifth Avenue, Beautylish and Tom Ford Beauty. They are limited-edition.

Have you checked these out yet? What did you think?

22 Comments

On My Radar

October 2, 2017

Happy Monday everyone! I’ve been a bit MIA as we are moving and we had a few last minute changes in our plans for this month. Thanks to everyone who has sent their kind thoughts and wishes – we are all well and good in Florida and thankfully there was no damage to the area we lived and the neighborhood my in-laws house is ok as well. We are in a transition phase but I hope to have the Tom Ford Lips and Girls review, new post on By Terry launches and the full living in Florida recap this week. A lot of you messaged me asking if I was planning on reviewing the Diptyque City Exclusives – I was able to order four of the cities, but many of them sold out the day they launched online (I’m missing Shanghai and New York). I’ll try to review the ones I do have soon though. A few things have popped up on my beauty radar:

Mansur Gavriel has been on my radar for a long time, I’ve been waiting to go to NY to see the new colors and all the sizes at their pop-up store in person, but my trips keep getting postponed! I’m 5’3″ so I love that they have minis and mini-mini sizes, I’ve been so tempted to just order one online from Net-A-Porter but have decided to wait and see them in person – if you have any of their bags let me know your thoughts!
Tom Ford launched new shades of Lip Color and Lip Color Matte, had I known these were coming I would have skipped some of the Lips and Girls Lip Sheers and opted to purchase these instead, I haven’t seen the colors in person yet though
Chanel La Creme Main is one of the most interesting packages I’ve seen for a hand cream, I received a sample of this but I’m living out of a suitcase this week so review will happen in the next week or so, I’m anxious to see how it performs!
Byredo Velvet Haze is one of the latest from Byredo, I sampled a mini from the September Barneys Beauty Bag Event and love the warm fall vibe it has, it’s still hot as heck here in Florida but we are hoping to do some travel in the next couple of months and it’s definitely on my wishlist
Atelier Cologne Bois Blonds has been my go-to the past month, I bought a mini size while I was in San Francisco and wish I had just bought the larger size, it’s the perfect summer to fall transition fragrance and I need to buy another one soon
By Terry Compact Expert Dual Powders are some of the prettiest face powders I’ve ever tried, they’re designed to mattify, highlight and set all over – but since these have colors that look like both blush, highlight or bronzer I don’t see how they’ll really work as a setting powder, I purchased all the shades and will review soon – they look lovely on the cheeks or as a soft contour/highlight
Bobbi Brown launches her beautiful Beauty Cases each year, this year’s color is a pretty red, she also has a bigger Deluxe Beauty Trunk available but I haven’t seen any inside photos of this year’s version
Truffle has some new launches including a Clarity Jetset Case and Clarity Pouches with a wider base, they look promising for travel!
Laura Mercier Matte Caviar Stick Eye Colors are among the best soft matte cream shadows I’ve tried, I’ve only tried a couple shades so far in Au Naturel, Caramel and Blossom which are pretty darn good, I have a few others I haven’t gotten to yet but if you’re one who prefers minis some holiday sets have just launched including this 4-piece Mod to Modern Holiday Caviar Stick Set (also available at Sephora)
Barneys New York Blow Out in a Box looks like a killer gift set, it has four full-size items from Oribe, Shu Uemura Art of Hair, Rodin and Sachajuan at a value price, this For the Jet Set Box is an even better buy (for the value)

What’s been on your radar lately? I feel like we just started seeing fall beauty collections and this weekend I’ve already started seeing holiday sets out!

11 Comments

Highlighters Hourglass Cosmetics Lips

New Hourglass Launches: Ambient Lighting Edit Volume 3, Metallic Strobe and Confession Refillable Lipstick Set

September 28, 2017

There are three new limited-edition launches from Hourglass for lips and cheeks. Two new palettes have arrived with new formulas/finishes from the Ambient Lighting line and there are new shades of the Confession Ultra-Slim Lipsticks exclusive to a set. I have all three that I’ve been playing with for the past week:

Ambient® Lighting Edit Volume 3 ($80) has six different powders for face, bronzer, highlight and blush in Diffused Light, Hypnotic Strobe Light, Dim Light, Luminous Bronze Light, Surreal Halo, Pure Effect Blush
Ambient® Metallic Strobe Lighting Palette ($62) has three new metallic highlighters in Absolute Strobe Light, Pure Strobe Light, Lucent Strobe Light
Confession Refillable Lipstick Set ($54) has three new lipsticks in My One Desire, True Love Means and You Are My

Up first is the Ambient Lighting Edit Volume 3 which has a mix of existing and new shades. The colors included: Diffused Light (soft pale yellow satin powder), Hypnotic Strobe Light (pale champagne shimmer), Dim Light (soft pink satiny powder), Luminous Bronze Light (light bronze), Surreal Halo (mauve rose shimmer), Pure Effect Blush (light but bright pink).

The entire feel and vibe of this is on the light to medium side for color. Pigment is soft to medium with a naturally glowy feel. I thought the colors would be too light for my tan complexion but they all show up on my skin – Diffused Light and Dim Light of course have a sheer effect, almost like a finishing or softening powder. The bronzer does seem quite a bit lighter in color than the individual ones I own. Each powder is unique so I do understand there could be variation because the one I have in the palette has more highlighter vs bronzer, still the effect is noticeably lighter.

Finish is smooth and doesn’t emphasize pores. Lasting power is quite good – it stayed put on my face and cheeks from morning to late evening. All this being said if you already own a lot of Hourglass products individually you may find there are very close dupes. As mentioned in a few recent posts I’m in between places and most of my items are in storage so I don’t have access to products for comparisons. Off the top of my head I do feel this palette is very similar to existing shades although the Pure Effect Blush is one of the prettiest pinks I’ve ever swatched.

Worn below is:

Tom Ford Waterproof Foundation in Natural
Armani Luminous Silk Powder #4 + Hourglass Dim Light to set
By Terry Stylo Expert Click #8 Concealer
Hourglass Pure Effect Blush on cheeks
Hourglass Hypnotic Strobe Light on eyes
Marc Jacobs Beauty Glambition Eyeshadow Palette on eyes
Hourglass Confession Ultra Slim Lipstick in True Love Means

Up next is the Metallic Strobe Lighting Palette which I’ve previously reviewed here. The powders are smooth with buildable pigment and rich shimmer. It’s wearable for a pretty highlight but a little on the pale side for my tan complexion right now. Full review + swatches (also shown on the face) here but I’ll repost images below.

Last but not least is the Hourglass Ultra Slim Confession Refillable Lipstick Set. It has three new shades of lipstick that are exclusive to the set. There is one gold bullet exterior and two refills inside. The pigment is opaque with full coverage and smooth. Formula is just as good as the individual shades all reviewed and swatched here.

My favorite shades are still from the individual lineup but all three of these are wearable for pretty much any occasion, day or night. I’m giving away the three new launches featured in this post to two lucky readers, enter through the widget below. Here’s how this will work:

Giveaway open internationally, but you must be 18 years or older
Giveaway will run from 9/28/2017 through 10/12/2017 11:45 PM EST
Two winners will be selected at random through the widget below
Giveaway is not sponsored or affiliated

a Rafflecopter giveaway

You can find the new Hourglass launches at all Hourglass counters, stores and retailers now. They are limited-edition. Available online at Nordstrom, Sephora, Bergdorf Goodman, Space NK, Net-A-Porter, Barneys New York and Hourglass Cosmetics.

Have you tried these yet? What did you think?

New Hourglass launches sent courtesy of Hourglass for review. Giveaway items purchased by me.

163 Comments

Lips MAC

MAC x Nicki Minaj Collection Review + Swatches

September 26, 2017

The MAC x Nicki Minaj collection just launched which includes an entire collection of nude lipsticks and glosses. It’s literally a nude lip lover’s dream come true. There are two special edition nudes that were created by Nicki Minaj that come in gorgeous pink packaging along with eighteen other lipsticks and six lipglasses (some repromotes, some are new). I’m one of the biggest fans for nude lips but since I have olive skin and a naturally pigmented lip undertone finding one that works is super tricky. I’ve found over the years the trick with a lot of nude lip shades is that layering with pencils and gloss is key. Luckily brands have expanded their range of neutrals so I’ve actually found quite a few that don’t require extra work.

I bought the entire MAC x Nicki Minaj collection online since MAC select members had early access. The same day my order arrived a beautiful press package arrived so I ended up with two of everything. I’m passing along the duplicates I ordered to a few friends and my niece, but stay tuned I’ll be doing a giveaway on another post later this week. Many of these shades are on the lighter side and a lot look very similar on me (like super pale concealer). Also because I have a pigmented lip my natural lip shows through on many of the swatches which looks like it could be a dark lipliner but I assure you it’s not. It’s just my natural lip tone showing through.

What I have reviewed and swatched for this collection:

MAC x Nicki Minaj Lipstick The Pink Print
MAC x Nicki Minaj Lipstick Nicki’s Nude
Lipglass in: Under the Sheets, N-U-D-E, Please Me
Lipsticks in: Gossamer Wing, 2N, Bare Bling, Creme d’Nude, The Right Note, Derriere, Japanese Maple, Stripped, A Girl’s Got Needs, Easy Babe, Age Sex Location, Among the Fireflies, Playing Koi, Bosom Friend, Pretty Please, Baby’s All Right, Patisserie, Mmmmmmm

Up first are the MACxNicki Minaj Lipstick colors in The Pink Print and Nicki’s Nude. Both have an amazing smooth opaque formula that covers the lip in one swipe. The Pink Print is a pale opaque pink peach however it’s on the soft side and the lipstick broke in the tube. To continue using it I’m most likely going to have to put it into a pot. A quick look at other reviews shows that I’m not the only one with the issue of breakage. Just something to keep in mind when applying – apply if very gently. Nicki’s Nude is a deeper baby peach. This one isn’t quite as soft for me but still smooth and soft.

Next are the MAC x Nicki Minaj nude lipsticks which I’ve split into two groups (based on order they were displayed in the box). Shown below include:

Gossamer Wing a pale soft shimmer pale beige
2N light cream colored nude
Bare Bling light beige tan cream
Creme d’Nude peachy cream nude
The Right Note light-medium tan
Derriere muted medium brown
Japanese Maple pink peach sheer
Stripped medium tan nude
A Girl’s Got Needs medium tan brown
The Pink Print and Nicki’s Nude added in the swatch below

Foundation worn is Tom Ford Waterproof Foundation in Natural (my MAC Studio Fix Fluid equivalent is NC35/37, these shades are also swatched here). As mentioned above all the lip swatches are on bare lips. There may be a visible dark ring around the edges as that is my natural lip showing through. All lip swatches done on bare lips.

Next set of nude lipstick colors include the following:

Easy Babe is a cafe latte brown
Age Sex Location is a slightly deeper brown neutral
Among the Fireflies is a mauve pink brown
Playing Koi is a pale warm pink (on me it’s like light concealer)
Bosom Friend is a pale cool pink
Pretty Please is a sheer lustre pink with a tiny bit of shimmer
Baby’s All Right is a muted cool mauve pink
Patisserie is a sheer glossy pink
Mmmmmmm is a deeper mauve pink rose

MAC x Nicki Minaj Lipglasses shown below in:

Under the Sheets is a sheer sparkly pale pink
N-U-D-E is a soft peachy pink shimmer (reminds me of Love Nectar)
Please Me is a pale pink cream, alone it’s a bit on the streaky side
Beaux (swatched/reviewed here) is a soft brown tan shimmer
Spite (swatched/reviewed here) is a cool toned neutral pink-brown-taupe
Spice (swatched/reviewed here) is a warm tan pink

I didn’t swatch any of the lip liners repromoted with this collection but in case you’re looking for a nude. I swatched quite a few side by side from various brands in my Neutral Lip Pencil post here.

Bottom line, even though many of these colors are hard for me to wear alone, I still think this launch is a nude lip lover’s dream. If you search for swatches of these online you’ll see many of the colors that look like concealer on me look quite different on those with lighter skin or lip tones. Playing Koi for example actually looks more true to tube on some while on me it’s just a washed out mess.

My favorites include: The Right Note, Japanese Maple, Stripped, A Girl’s Got Needs, Age/Sex/Location, Among the Fireflies, Patisserie and MMMMMM. I think Patisserie is the most natural looking neutral on my complexion and I think it would most likely be one of the more universal shades in the bunch. For the lipglasses nothing would have stopped me from buying Under the Sheets and NUDE however I do think they are similar to existing shades.

What’s your favorite nude lip right now? I know everyone has a different definition of nude so I’d be interested to hear what yours is!

You can find the MAC x Nicki Minaj collection out now, I usually buy mine at MAC and Nordstrom.

MAC x Nicki Minaj collection provided by MAC for review. Items also purchased by me.

10 Comments

Highlighters

New Highlighter Launches for Fall

September 24, 2017

The highlighter trend is still going very strong and brands show no signs of slowing down with new releases. I love a good glow and trying new highlighters is one of my favorite things to do. I tend to be ok with varying degrees of glowy shimmers but these days it seems like the more glitz the better. I can’t pull off lots of frost, glitter or super light colored shimmers with my olive tan complexion so for me this roundup has some misses alongside some hits for me. There are a number of new launches out that aren’t included in this post. I’ll add a few notes at the end with some extra thoughts.

One of the palettes that caught my eye immediately was the Laura Mercier Exotique Face Illuminator Collection Palette. It’s exclusive to Sephora and has two new shades of their Face Illuminators in Infatuation and Temptation. I already own the other two Indiscretion and Devotion in the full size (reviewed here) and while I would have really preferred to have a palette with all new shades I do like that it has these as it will be a good one for travel. Indiscretion happens to be one of my favorites that I own. Going forward if I had to travel with 1 highlighter palette I think this would be in my top 3 picks. Formulas is true to full size – smooth, easy to build, doesn’t emphasize pores, beautiful color and shimmer. They last long on my skin even in humid weather. You can wear on the eyes or cheeks, alone or over blush/bronzer. It’s a solid winner for me.

Next are the highlighters from Hourglass and Fenty Beauty. I’ve been a long time fan of Hourglass Ambient Lighting highlighters. This holiday they have two new palettes. One is the Ambient Metallic Strobe Lighting Palette and the other is the Ambient Lighting Edit Volume 3. I have the trio reviewed today and the other palette will be reviewed separately as it has more than just highlighters.

The Ambient Lighting Powders in general have a softer but noticeable glow. This season they’ve increased the intensity with the Metallic Strobe Lighting Palette which has the most intense shimmer I’ve seen from them. Pigment is smooth, nicely pigmented and very metallic. Colors are on the pale side and on my olive tan skin they look very similar on the face with the exception of the middle color which is clearly more gold/yellow. I can wear this with a very light and soft hand. I use a skunk brush to apply on the cheeks and it’s still very intense and metallic. Compared to previous powders launched from Hourglass this is very unique in color and finish. It has a less powdery finish compared to the Ambient Strobe Powders which some of you reported you found glittery or chalky (although they worked well for me). The Metallic Strobe Powder by comparison have no glitter particles and there isn’t any matte/chalky/powdery base but instead has a more metallic shimmer like a wet-look shimmer.

I’m kinda mixed on this one. I do think it’s a good palette. Quality, finish, pigment, texture and price are all a thumbs up. Color-wise it’s a miss as I find it’s a little too pale for me as I have quite a bit of tan and the paleness of color makes it look extra shimmery on my skin.

Next are the Fenty Beauty Match Stix Shimmer Skinsticks. I bought both sight unseen but have since had a chance to play with the entire line at Sephora. My first test with Starstruck (pale champagne pink) wasn’t good. I found it had a gritty texture and looked really dry. I tested it a few more times and it grew on me. However there is still something with the paleness that makes it too contrasted with my tan skintone and it ends up emphasizing texture. Sinamon works better for me as it is a pretty bronzey color. Both have a buildable shimmer quality and they adhere well to the skin and in this hot humid Florida weather they held up remarkably well. That being said if you have any dry patches or if you find shimmer can emphasize texture – definitely be aware these can emphasize both. I don’t think these would work for me in normal weather climate on the cheeks as they have a rather dry texture that almost tugs at the skin. They are easy to blend with fingers and I think the issue with most cream products in general is they are lacking in lasting power. For me the two shimmer sticks I tested held up really well so I’m ok with the slightly dry texture. I actually wanted to get Rum but my store was sold out. Given the number of highlighters I have and also keeping in mind holiday will probably have more offerings I’ll hold off on purchasing more.

I was able to wear both without any irritation or clogging of skin. This is something I’m always concerned about when it comes to cream or liquid cheek products. I give these a thumbs up for formula even if the colors I picked aren’t really all that unique. Starstruck just didn’t work color-wise on the cheeks for me but the formula is still really good and I find it’s lovely on the eyes.

Edward Bess makes my holy grail cream highlighters with the All Over Seduction compacts. This fall he has new launches with a Harmonious Hues Light Stick Trio which are twist up highlighters in a chubby pencil form. The colors include Candlelight (champagne), Ambience (peachy gold), Aura (soft bronze) and I absolutely love these. The shimmer is subtle but still noticeably glowy, the texture is creamy and easy to swipe on the face or eyes and easy to blend. They have a semi-emollient finish which makes the color adhere well to the skin. It’s as natural as it gets without being invisible. The colors are right up my alley.

He also has a new powder highlighter called the Marbleized Rose Gold Highlighting Powder. It’s a very pale yellow gold with smooth luminous shimmer. I love this video he did with an application on lighter skinned complexions. I think it looks amazing on them! Yellow golds really aren’t my thing as I already have yellow-based skin but I like this one on the eyes for me. The texture is very smooth and beautifully pigmented without the frost.

Cover FX launched a new set of mini Custom Enhancer Drops in a set of 4. These are larger than the ones you may have seen in a few GWPs or Beauty Insider gifts but smaller than the full size. I’ve shown them below. If you’re one who wants to try a bunch of colors or want to travel with more than 1 these are perfect. When I ordered them I didn’t realize they were existing shades (I should have read the description). I saw “minis” and it went in my cart and I didn’t think twice. Since I already own these I’m sending these to my niece. They come with a similar dropper style packaging as the full size. The shimmer is buildable to full intensity. Don’t be scared at how shimmery they look. They are actually very wearable and easy to blend out. Review on the full sizes here and here.

Last but not least Charlotte Tilbury launched a Beauty Light Wand with her Hollywood Collection. I just reviewed it a few days ago here but wanted to include it in the fall roundup. It’s a really pretty one and surprisingly convenient for on the go touch ups or for travel.

I managed to get a few decent face swatch shots. We are in between places living a rather nomadic life and are about to make our fourth move this year very soon. My setup for everything has been rather on-the-go for the past few months and I couldn’t get the focus right on the camera the last few rounds of reviews. Four highlighter face swatches shown below:

Foundation is Laura Mercier Flawless Fusion Ultra Longwear Foundation in Buff
Concealer is NARS Radiant Creamy Concealer in Ginger
Powder to set is Armani Luminous Silk Powder Foundation 4
Brow pencil is Diorshow Browstyler in Universal Brown
Lipstick is Tom Ford Lips and Girls in Zoe
For highlighter:
- Top row left has the new Laura Mercier L’Amour Exotique Face Illuminator Collection with Infatuation
- Top row right has the new Laura Mercier L’Amour Exotique Face Illuminator Collection with Temptation
- Bottom row left has Hourglass Absolute Strobe Light
- Bottom row right has the FX Custom Enhancer Drops in Rose Gold on the right

Additional ones that were on my radar that I haven’t tested (yet):

Becca Shimmering Skin Perfector in Smoky Quartz is on my wishlist, I wish it were available at Sephora or Ulta because it’s where I can get points or perks, this one looks so so pretty, I obviously do not need, but if you have it let me know what you think
Fenty Beauty Killawatt Freestyle Highlighters are something I swatched in store and the colors/pigment is quite impressive, with each duo at least 1 side has some micro sparkles which I thought would be too over the top for what I’d normally wear, I may give one a try – the pigment is soooo good!
Bobbi Brown Highlighting Powder Trio looks amazing, I really loved her highlighting powders this year and think it’s possible the trio would be dupes for the individual shades I own, but the finish of these powders is really divine
By Terry Compact Expert Dual Powders are new powder + highlighters in a compact, I will have a review on all the shades soon, I bought 5 of the 8 shades, fell in love, ordered the remaining 3 which should arrive soon, the texture and finish is so naturally beautiful (some look light in color like they could be highlighters but I’ll have to do some more testing to report)
Burberry Fresh Glow Highlighters have such a lovely glow, I’ve swatched on several occasion in stores and have been extremely tempted but I really love my Laura Mercier and Dior highlighters and felt it would be like owning duplicates
Victoria Beckham Estee Lauder Modern Mercury has been on my radar for quite some time but it kept selling out with previous launches, that being said it should be easy to find now, if I can test it in person first I’ll give it a try, I still own the Modern Mercury color before it was part of the VB collection (I had a backup) and I suspect it’s identical so I don’t think I’ll be purchasing it

All this being said, if you feel overwhelmed by all the highlighter options, you are definitely not alone. I’m on highlighter overload (and also feel that way about new foundation base launches too). I still feel my top highlighter picks include the Dior Nude Air Luminizer Powders (all four reviewed here), Laura Mercier Indiscretion (review here), Hourglass Luminous Light (review here) and Edward Bess All Over Seduction (reviewed here).

Out of the new launches the Laura Mercier palette is my favorite, followed by the By Terry Compacts (not reviewed yet, but will be soon!).

Have you jumped on the highlighter bandwagon for fall launches? What have you picked up lately (new or previously launched colors)? Let me know what you’ve been loving!

Press samples include items from Hourglass, Edward Bess and Charlotte Tilbury.

19 Comments

L'Occitane Skincare

Glowing Skin with the L’Occitane Divine Collection

September 21, 2017

I’ve been a long-time fan of the L’Occitane Divine Youth Oil and Youth Cream for the gentle yet effective anti-aging properties. This fall season they reformulated their Divine Youth Oil to increase the concentration of Immortelle essential oils to improve the anti-aging properties. L’Occitane has also expanded the Divine Skincare Collection with new cleansers and I’m thrilled to have been able to get an early peek at them to put to the test. I have five items featured today. For those new to my blog I’ll give you a little background on my skin type and concerns. I’m in my mid-30’s and have sensitive but otherwise normal skin. I’m extremely sensitive to many kinds of fragrance and any kind of reaction (to scent, ingredients etc.) usually happens immediately. I’ve used L’Occitane since I was a freshman in college starting with their Shea Butter hand creams and cuticle treatments, ventured into their body treatments and then skincare. They’ve consistently been a favorite for natural gentle and effective formulas for my skin type. For most of my life I lived in Southern California where there was mild but warm climate and the Divine Youth Oil was perfect for cooler weather and also for times I felt dry. I currently live in Florida where the heat and humidity are pretty high but I’ve still experienced dryness due to the water. My primary concerns are anti-aging, finding something lightweight but with enough moisture to hydrate the skin, and also finding cleansers that will remove all traces of sweat, makeup and dirt at the end of the day.

The Immortelle Divine Youth Oil has been a long-time go-to and the new formula is just as good as the original. It has a lightweight soothing natural earthy scent to it, absorbs quickly into the skin and makes all tightness (if you are dry) disappear. On me it’s instantly soothing and hydrating with a good dry down but still has that soft emollient feel. Skin feels noticeably more plump and smooth. It’s one of my favorite oils ever.

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The Immortelle Divine Youth Cream is also one of my favorite face moisturizers because it has a very soft consistency. This one also absorbs quickly into the skin and doesn’t leave any heavy or goopy residue. It leaves the skin looking like it has a natural glow and it’s compatible with the different formulas of foundation that I use. In general I’m more of a cream person than an oil person for day so if I had to pick one, I’d probably opt for the cream over the oil.

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The Immortelle Divine Eyes isn’t new, but it’s new to me. My personal favorite eye treatment has actually been the Immortelle Precious Eye Balm, but I love trying all kinds of eye treatments. The Immortelle Divine Eyes comes with a nice pump that dispenses just the right amount of product for me to cover both eyes (I only use a tiny bit). It’s a creamy gel formula that has a lightweight feel. Often times I can’t use the rich formulas for eye cream because they run into my eyes and sting them. This one has a light enough texture that it sets within a few minutes and make the skin feel smoother and softer.

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There are two new cleansers this season for a double cleanse routine including the Immortelle Divine Cleansing Balm (in a jar) and Cleansing Foam (comes in a squeeze tube). The Divine Cleansing Balm is a super hydrating balm-in-oil formula that you massage into the skin to remove makeup. Once you work it in a circular motion on the face it transforms into an oil. It removes all face makeup (I still use a regular eye makeup remover to remove mascara and eyeliner first) and almost feels like a mask treatment after you rinse. L’Occitane recommends using the Cleansing Foam after as a double cleanse to further remove impurities from the skin. I’ve tried both together and also separately. In the mornings I find I can just use the Cleansing Foam. In the evenings I like the double cleanse routine to completely clean the skin. It’s something I do anyways as I wear makeup pretty much everyday and with the long-wear formulas I find double cleansing essential to fully cleanse the skin.

As a beauty blogger I love putting new things to the test but I still like to have a routine. The nice thing about brands like L’Occitane is that you can easily incorporate one or two new items into your morning or nightly skincare rituals without having to overhaul your entire routine. As cooler weather approaches I always have to switch things up a bit as my skin adjusts to temperature changes. I start using oils more frequently and if you’re looking for a nice gentle one I highly recommend giving the L’Occitane Divine Youth Oil a try for glowing skin.

As an added bonus the L’Occitane team is giving away everything featured in this post to 1 lucky winner. Enter through the widget below. It’s open internationally but you must be 18 years or older to enter. Simply follow through the instructions in the widget and a winner will be selected at random and contacted by me via e-mail by 9/25/2017 11:45 PM EST.

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Many thanks to L’Occitane for sponsoring this post. As always all opinions my own.

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Charlotte Tilbury

Charlotte Tilbury Hollywood Collection

September 20, 2017

By popular request I have a review + swatches of the entire Charlotte Tilbury Hollywood Collection. This collection launched a few weeks ago with new makeup formulas for lips (liquid lips) and cheeks (contour wands and a new highlight wand). I’m still playing catch up with posting about new beauty launches – these have all been put to the test for several weeks by now. The entire collection has a glamorous theme with luxe packaging. For me there are some hits and misses with this launch. More details on each below.

For the lips there are 10 shades of a new liquid lipstick called Hollywood Lips which are soft matte liquid lipsticks that have a plumping effect. I’m still not a fan of liquid lipsticks because I have full lips and matte shades tend to make my lips either look flat, dark or wrinkled like prunes. The best thing about liquid lips is the lasting power once they set and don’t budge after they dry however for me the “setting” factor isn’t something that works in my favor. They usually make my lips look like dry cardboard and I end up looking aged. Adding a balm or primer underneath can help with the finish for me but it’s an extra step I’m not thrilled about (I did that here with the NARS Powermatte Lips). In terms of matte lipsticks in general, the Charlotte Tilbury Matte Revolution formula is the best matte I’ve tried (reviewed here and here). I had high hopes of the new Hollywood Lips as her colors are usually 100% on point but I was still unsure of the formula. These come with a beveled sponge tip applicator and have full buildable coverage. Texture is smooth and easy to blend but they still dry to a soft matte finish. Once on the lips they don’t budge or slide around but they aren’t transfer proof as they never set or dry completely. The thing that struck me the most was how full they made my lips look – without any tingle or plumping feel. The formula is one of the better ones I’ve tried for a matte liquid lip but it still has not made me fall in love with liquid lipsticks. Out of all the liquid lipstick formulas I’ve tried the Burberry Lip Velvets have the best formula and finish but if you remember my review from a while ago, none of the colors worked for me. With the Charlotte Tilbury Hollywood Lips the colors work well, but formula is still a bit dry-looking.

Descriptions of the colors:

Charlotte Darling is a light peachy pink
Best Actress is a perfect nude
Dolly Bird is a cool-toned light pink
Platinum Blonde is a pink nude
Rising Star is a medium neutral pink
Pin Up Pink is a deeper brighter rose
Too Bad I’m Bad is a deep coral pink
Show Girl is a perfect plum mauve
Dangerous Liason is a deep brick red
Screen Siren is a bright red

My favorites are Best Actress, Platinum Blonde, Too Bad I’m Bad and Show Girl. All the darker shades performed the best for me. I was relieved to see all the lighter colors worked as well color-wise, the formula not so much with Charlotte Darling and Dolly Bird – they looked extra dry on my lips.

Next are the contour and highlight which I wasn’t excited about in the least. To this day I’m not huge about contouring as I have a round face and there’s really only so much I can do to create the illusion of sharper cheek bones. I do use products to contour softly in a 3 shape (or backwards 3 on one side) with creams or powders but it’s usually a very quick process for me. I don’t have the patience to do a proper contour. There are two shades of the Hollywood Contour Wand in Light-Medium and Medium-Dark. Swatched on the arm you can clearly see the difference in undertone but on my face both look very similar in the sense they look dark straight out of the squeeze tube. The Beauty Light Wand highlighter comes in one shade Spotlight which looked super frosty when I swatched it but was surprisingly wearable once blended onto the face. Both come with a sponge tip applicator which is soft and cushiony. I don’t know how well it will hold up after use – it’s something that looks like it could get really dirty quickly.

The pigment is intense and quite rich but very easy to blend for a natural look. I was pleasantly surprised by how much I like these. They do set after a few minutes so I’d recommend blending quickly. The Double-Ended Complexion Contour Brush is very good and quite clever with the smaller angled tip so you can easily blend along the nose or other areas where you want a more detailed contour or highlight. I’ve lost some of my tan with recent travel and the heat here in Florida has made it where I’ve pretty much stayed indoors as much as possible. I like the Light-Medium color but think it has enough of a cool undertone to work for those lighter in skintone than me.

Swatches:

A quick look with two of the Hollywood Lips and the Contour Wand + Beauty Light Wand. I’m wearing:

Diorskin Forever Perfect Foundation in 21 mixed with 31
Charlotte Tilbury Flawless Powder #2
Charlotte Tilbury Legendary Brow Gel in Supermodel
Contour Wand in Light Medium
Beauty Light Wand in Spotlight (both on eyes and cheeks)
Right side: Hollywood Lips in Platinum Blonde, left side: Screen Siren

Bottom line a nice collection for lips and cheeks. The Hollywood Lips are definitely among the better formulas I’ve tried since they don’t dry down 100% and aren’t super matte. The colors are all beautiful and easy to wear. I was pleasantly surprised by how wearable and easy to use the contour wand and highlighter are. They’re compact and easy to travel with or apply on the go if you need to touch up or apply makeup in the car.

You can find the Charlotte Tilbury Hollywood Collection now at Charlotte Tilbury and Beautylish. Also available at all other Charlotte Tilbury counters.

Many thanks to the Charlotte Tilbury team and Beautylish for providing products for me to review and swatch for my readers.

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