2022

Makeup By Mario Ethereal Eyes Palette

November 20, 2022

I’m thrilled to see more neutral eyeshadow colors out this year and I love the new Makeup By Mario Ethereal Eyes Eyeshadow Palette ($68, available at Sephora and Makeup By Mario). It has 12 new shades with a mix of mattes, sparkly toppers and one finely milled shimmer.

I like a good sparkle topper and think the sparkles work well when applied with fingers in a patting motion. I did experience a lot of sparkle fall out when applying it but it’s easy to clean up and throughout the day I didn’t have much fall out after.

The mattes are super smooth, easy to blend, pigmented and I love every single color. There’s one shimmer shade which is a dark brown with silver and brown toned shimmers. I think it makes for a nice soft smokey eye. All that said I don’t think this palette is for everyone. The shimmers are pretty sparkly. If you’re more into the finely milled shimmer vs micro sparkle, definitely opt for the Natasha Denona Glam Palette instead (reviewed here).

Mattes include a soft creamy shade, soft warm beige, matte brown, matte grey, matte rose, soft cool brown and a deeper brown. Sparkles include a glittery champagne, a soft silvery rose sparkle, a glitzy pale gold, a sparkling taupe. The smooth shimmer is a deep brown taupe.

A close up of the eye look below and I also have a quick demo on Reels @beautylookbook.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Sabrina | beautylookbook (@beautylookbook)

I also wanted to include a look at all of the MoistureGlow Plumping Lip Serums I have. I’ve accumulated nearly all of the shades since I’m a lip balm lover. These have a subtle plumping effect and a cooling sensation. There’s no tingle on me. I already have full lips and didn’t notice added plumpness from these like I do with the Tarte Maracuja Juicy Lip Plump or Dior Addict Lip Maximizers.

Pigment is medium on most of these shades. They have a really soft texture – they almost feel like they’ve melted when you apply them on the lips. A lot of times they feel so soft I have to use a lip brush to apply and blend – but it’s not a deal breaker for me.

These are similar to the Tarte Maracuja Juicy Lip Balms & Juicy Plump (in my opinion). Colors are really flattering in both lines. Formula is nice and glossy. I think the Tarte ones stay put on the lips slightly longer because the texture isn’t as soft. I have a slight preference for the Tarte balms because of the packaging and slim applicator style. The Tarte balms blend better without a brush. But both are still very good.

Swatches of all the colors I own:

Bare Glow is a neutral peachy pink with subtle shimmer
Apricot Glow is a warm soft peach with shimmer
Rose Glow (my favorite) is a flattering soft pink with shimmer
Bronze Glow is a neutral warm brown with a bit of shimmer
Mauve Glow is a neutral mauve pink brown with shimmer
Plum Glow is a plum with silver shimmer
Nude Glow is a sheer pale beige
Rosewood Glow is a medium neutral-cool rose mauve
Petal Glow is a pale muted pink
Blush Glow is a slightly deeper/warmer version of Petal Glow
Honey Glow is a honey brown
Cinnamon Glow is a deeper pink brown cinnamon color

I swatched a few on the lips for you, out of all the colors I’d say my favorites are Rosewood Glow and Rose Glow.

Overall I love the new palette. I think I’ll get a lot of wear and use out of this one. As much as I love neutrals, I’ve found this year I actually prefer neutral-warm tones like the Patrick Ta Major Dimension Palette, Too Faced Natural Nudes and Too Faced Sunset Strip palettes.

That being said I’m happy to see more variation in eye palette tones. Have you checked this one out? What did you think about the shimmers? Right up your alley? Or too much? Would love to hear your thoughts!

I’ve linked the other makeup I’m wearing below too:

You can find these available at available at Sephora and Makeup By Mario.

0 Comments

Holiday Gift Guide Westman Atelier

Westman Atelier The Squeaky Clean Vault

November 17, 2022

Westman Atelier has some beautiful sets this year. The Squeaky Clean Vault ($228, available at Westman Atelier and Bergdorf Goodman) is quite the splurge with six new shades of the Squeaky Clean Lip Liquid Balm, all exclusive to this set. Today I have a look + swatches.

The six colors include:

Parla – sheer sparkling gold
Biscuit – neutral cool beige
Ma Biche – cherry red
Lou Lou – plum brown
Snowy – sheer sparkling white
Rudey Nudey – perfect nude pink

The Squeaky Clean Lip Liquid Balms are smooth and non-sticky. They have a nice moisturizing feel with a natural glossy look. They adhere well to the lips though without feeling like they’ll slide off. Colors pull on the sheer side in terms of pigment for the lighter and neutral colors. Deeper bold shades have more color payoff.

Swatches:

Swatch comparisons of the lighter shades to other formulas. The formulas of these are all different but I wanted to add for color comparison: Laura Mercier Lip Glace, Pat McGrath LUST Gloss, Victoria Beckham Beauty Posh Gloss, Summer Fridays Lip Butter and Kosas Wet Lip Oils.

On the lips below, also wearing:

Foundation – Westman Atelier Vital Skin Foundation Stick VI (review here)
Powder – Vital Pressed Skincare Powder in Creme
Bronzer – Chanel Les Beiges Healthy Glow Bronzing Cream 392 (review here)
Blush – Westman Atelier Baby Cheeks in Petal (swatches here)
Highlighter – Westman Atelier Super Loaded Tint in Peau de Peche
Eyeshadow – Charlotte Tilbury Eyeshadow Palette in Bella Sofia
Eyeliner – Victoria Beckham Satin Kajal Eyeliner in Black
Mascara – Chanel Noir Allure Mascara
Top – Vince Cashmere Sweater (color is from last season, similar look for less style here)
Nail Polish – OPI Bring Out the Gems

I really like the set and most of the colors. The lighter shades pull really sheer, especially the two sparkly ones – if they had more pigment or sparkle color payoff I would have absolutely 100% loved it. Parla and Snowy still give the lips that glassy gloss shine which I think is pretty – would have liked to see more pigment.

Whether or not it’s for you depends on if you can see yourself wearing all the shades or if you think it’s worth the splurge. It can be difficult to justify a set if you don’t like all the colors. I think it’s lovely and would make a great WOW gift. That being said if you only like certain shades I think you can find dupes in other lines.

If you’ve been eyeing this set I hope the swatches help you! I have a review of the Petal Edition Set here along with swatches of all the Baby Cheeks and other Squeaky Clean Lip Balms I own.

Available at Westman Atelier and Bergdorf Goodman.

0 Comments

Holiday Gift Guide

Holiday Gift Ideas: All Things Cozy

November 15, 2022

1 Fleece 1/2 Zip // 2 Fleece Jacket // 3 Tan Sherpa Jacket // 4 Phlur Somebody Wood // 5 CozyChic Throw // 6 In the Wild Throw // 7 Fuzzy Makeup Bags // 8 Taupe Beanie // 9 Pom Beanie // 10 Feu de Bois // 11 Short Robe // 12 Turkish Cotton Robe // 13 Cloud Robe // 14 Fleece Belt Bag // 15 Fleece Hat // 16 Fleece Clip On Accessory // 17 Scrunchies // 18 Overose Candle // 19 Cashmere Scarf // 20 Fluffy Pillow // 21 Cozy Socks // 22 Velvet Slides // 23 Uggs // 24 Shearling Slides // 25 Pink Slippers

Sharing some gift ideas featuring all things cozy! I think there are lots of fun options to wear with fleece jackets. Scarves are a great accessory. For the home body a cozy blanket, plush pillow or fuzzy slippers are perfect!

To this day I still think Barefoot Dreams makes the best blankets and pillows. I’ve splurged on so many different blankets from them. I think the CozyChic Throw and In the Wild Throws are my favorites. I think this Ikat pattern is super pretty. I also have my eye on the CozyChic Travel Set. They also have a lot of cute things for kids. We bought Ollie a Baby Blanket and Plush Fox. He’s loved both since the day we brought him home.

I love a good fuzzy slipper. I did a roundup and tested a number of pairs a couple years ago (time flies!). Several of you commented that you also love slippers but find your feet tend to sweat in some of them. I noticed the same which is why I like the APL slides. I love the Techloom Slides for around the house (just bought these Chocolate Pair and love them). Every holiday they launch new limited-edition styles and this year they have the TechLoom Velvet and new colors of their Shearling Slides.

For jackets I’ve really been wanting to break out the sherpa jackets and hoodies but the weather here has been all over the place. We had a late hurricane/tropical storm season so I’m wondering if the cold weather will arrive later than usual this year in Central to South Florida. We have had one week of 40-50 degree weather this fall/winter so far.

My favorite sherpa jacket is the Alo Yoga Foxy Sherpa Jacket (I have it in the Ivory and Camel). They added new styles this year which look cute and less bulky like the Sherpa Snow Angel Puffer and Varsity Jacket.

Lululemon also makes some nice fleece jackets. I bought the Cinchable Fleece Zip Up (last year’s version) and love it. Also like that they have it in the Scuba Style too.

If you love all things fuzzy and soft I highly recommend checking out the Lululemon Everywhere Fleece Belt Bags and Nano Clip-On Key Chains. You may have to stalk the website or your store as they sell out very quickly. The good thing is they restock frequently. I think they’re super cute.

I’ll have a round up of the best holiday candles coming up soon. I think the Phlur Somebody Wood is the best cozy scent of the year for perfume. For candles I really love Diptyque Feu de Bois but I just burned the Phlur Sweet Smoke and I think it’s THE BEST smokey candle I’ve ever smelled. It’s hard to imagine sweet smoke but it smell just like that. It’s perfect. Le Labo Santal or Diptyque Santal are great cozy scents too. Also love Diptyque Ambre.

If you liked last year’s Diptyque Biscuit Candle check out Overose this year. They have an entire collection of sweet candles like Croissant, Almond Croissant, Chocolate and a few more.

A soft bath robe is another great cozy gift idea! I have a few on my wishlist this year. The ones I own are from Parachute Home. I love the Cloud Cotton Robe and the Waffle Robe (worn below) and really like both.

Cozy Blankets & Pillows

Best Cozy Candles & Scents

Robes, Jackets & More

Slippers, Hats & Scarves

Splurge / Gifts That Wow

0 Comments

Beauty Favorites Holiday Gift Guide Nordstrom

15 Luxury Gift Ideas Everyone Will Love For the Home

November 11, 2022

Sharing a roundup today of some Luxury Gift Ideas that will elevate the home! I think these are universally loved and will fit into anyone’s home regardless of style or taste. You can find all of these available at Nordstrom. They have lots of great gift ideas at every price point.

Room sprays are such a great way to refresh the home. They are a nice alternative to candles and I finally splurged on the Jo Malone Lime Basil and Mandarin Room Spray which is a classic fresh clean scent. It’s one I think is a signature Jo Malone scent so unique and lovely.

I’m a huge fan of Diptyque Room Sprays too. They have very good throw and the scents have a high quality feel to them. Baies is a classic blackcurrant and rose scent I think everyone will love but Gingembre is fun for the holiday season.

Jo Malone has lots of great sets during this time of year. I spotted the Travel Candle Trio and Accessory Set which comes with Pine and Eucalyptus, Line Basil and Mandarin, English Pear and Freesia and a decorative lantern. I think it’s such a fun set to gift. For those who want continuous scent the Jo Malone Diffusers are also really beautiful.

I have collected Diptyque candles for as long as I can remember and I look forward to every holiday launch. The holiday designs are different every year which makes them extra special. My favorite is Sapin (pine). It’s one I love to light every Christmas. Neige is a lovely powdery white musk and Etincelles is a spicy scent. These are also available in the small size and a cute Holiday Trio Set.

Luxury hand care is always a treat whether it’s a fancy hand cream or hand wash. I’ve gifted the Diptyque Softening Hand Wash to numerous people in my life but never bought one for myself. Andrew’s favorite is the Le Labo Hinoki Hand Wash and his is running low in his bathroom so I bought this to surprise him since he loves anything in beautiful fancy packaging.

They also make an Exfoliating Hand Wash and a Velvet Hand Lotion in similar style glass bottles which I have my eye on. I think any of these would make great gifts for even the pickiest person on your holiday list. Love that these also have refills you can purchase separately.

Byredo makes some lovely scents for hand care as well. I love the Suede Hand Wash scent for a nice warm and cozy kind of fragrance. I sometimes will use it as a body wash because it smells so good. I wish they’d make this into a candle or perfume! Also available in a Hand Lotion.

A fancy silk sleep mask is another great gift idea. I love the ones from Slip. They’re 100% worth the splurge and come in a number of different colors. You can always pair it with a pillow mist. I love the Jo Malone Moonlit Chamomile spray but the Lavender and Moonflower is also lovely.

This year Tory Burch launched perfumes and they released the Essence of Dreams Discovery Set this season! A perfume sampler is always fun to try out. I think any of these mini perfume sets are great for the fragrance lover.

Venus Et Fleur is guaranteed to impress! They make preserved roses that really do last a year (for me some have lasted even longer). The Classic Le Mini Round comes in a number of different color combinations for the base and rose. I love that you have lots of options to choose from. The arrangements are quite the splurge but the single roses are more affordable for gifting to special friends or to treat yourself.

I also wanted to give more love to the Casper Glow Lights. I’ve written about these before and can’t rave enough about them. They’re quite expensive but I love how easy and portable these lights are. Simply flip it over to turn it on. They are also rechargable and you can control the brightness by twisting it. Both Andrew and I love them and think they would make great gifts.

That wraps up my gift guide with favorite home scents and gift ideas! I think any of these would make nice hostess gifts too. Would love to hear what you gift during the holiday! Let me know in the comments!

Shop the Post

Many thanks to Nordstrom for partnering to sponsor this post. As always all opinions are my own.

0 Comments

Holiday Gift Guide

Holiday Gift Ideas: $50 and Under

November 10, 2022

The holidays are almost here so I’m sharing some gift guides for those in need of some inspiration! Starting the gifting season with a more budget-friendly roundup featuring Gifts $50 and Under. I think these are cute ideas anyone would love to find in their stocking!

Gift Ideas $25 and under

Perfume Discovery Set // Hot Chocolates // Mini Jelly Set // Buxom Duo // Mini Candle // Mug // Sugarfina Mailbox // Mask Set // MAC Lip Minis // Dae Hair Minis // Cozy Socks // Mask Set // Shower Gel Cracker // Note Pad // NARS duo // Pat McGrath Minis // Hat // Tarte Set

There are lots of great finds in the $25 and under range. Lots of mini candles, mini perfume sets, travel sized perfumes. I think the mini eyeshadow palettes from Tarte are super cute and great quality. I love the Mini Tartelette Palette and this especially the Maneater Holiday Must-Haves Set.

This year I bought the Compartes Hot Chocolates early and I’m so excited! I can’t wait to try them (they sold out really fast last year). For those who have a sweet tooth the Bonne Maman Gift Boxes are really cute. They have one under $25 called the Made For You Gift Box. (They also have an Advent Calendar with more variations that’s a bit more expensive but worth it.)

Molton Brown is always a great option, their Holiday Crackers are really cute.

I found quite a few fun things at Anthropologie too. They have lots of cute home things like Monogram Mugs and Trinket Dishes.

Beauty Sets

For the Home

_______

Gift Ideas $50 and Under

Maracuja Lip Set // Bath Trio // Hand Care Gift Set // Vanilla Candle // Slow Burn Candle // Match Cloche // Hand Wash // Candy Set // Sephora Favorites // Jo Malone Cracker // Lip Gloss Duo // Belt Bag // Mini Lip Plumpers // Beauty Tower // Beauty Caddy // Hand Cream // Westman Atelier Duo // Throw // Mini Key Ring // Perfume Trio // Rose // Bath Set

If your budget allows for a little more there is a lot more to choose from in the $25 to $50 range. Love the Lululemon Everywhere Belt Bags – I use mine all the time and I see them everywhere.

The Lawless Mini Forget the Filler Set is super cute (I bought one for myself). Lip balms are always a great idea. The Summer Fridays Lip Butter Set is still available online at Summer Fridays.

Lots of fun candles are available under $50 which I think is always a no-fail option for the holiday season.

I just bought this Clear Beauty Organizer from Umbra (see it in action here). I think it would make a great gift for any beauty lover.

Beauty Sets

For the Home

Fun Stuff

_______

Hope you found this roundup helpful! If you have any fun holiday gifting traditions you want to share, let me know in the comments! So many of you gave me some great ideas by category. I’ll be sharing more for the home, fragrance, for the guys and gifts that wow (to name a few).

0 Comments

Natasha Denona Sephora

Natasha Denona My Dream Collection Swatches + Review

November 7, 2022

Natasha Denona continues to be one of the best makeup lines for beautiful innovative palettes and colors. I love that she brings us so many beautiful unique launches – so much thought and care goes into her creations. Her new My Dream Collection has beautiful tones and textures. Today I have some swatches and a review of the items. Today’s the last day of the Sephora Holiday Savings event. If you’re looking for makeup that’s new (rather than repeats) definitely check her collection out.

I have swatches and a review but didn’t have time to shoot makeup looks for this launch. I still wanted to get the swatches up for you. I put up a poll on my Instagram stories and even though this collection launched weeks ago most of you still wanted swatches.

My Dream Eyeshadow Palette

The Natasha Denona My Dream Eyeshadow Palette ($69) is absolutely stunning. I think it’s one of the best most unique palettes of the year. I’ve played with this a few times and you can create a wide range of looks. Every single shade applies beautifully. I love that she always has a great mix of textures: mattes, shimmers, sparkles, duo chromes. Some of her palettes are a little too trendy for my personal style. This one is on trend but has a good mix of colors that even conservative makeup lovers can wear it.

The palette has 13 new shades and 2 repromotes:

Famila is a warm dark brown
Babies is a stunning metallic mauve sparkle
Carpe-Diem is a warm matte brown
Serenity is a smooth shimmery taupe
Aspiration is a matte ultra deep cool brown
Blackest Black is a matte black
Instinct is a magenta satin
Thrill is a sparkling champagne
Unity is a matte warm terracotta peach
Risk is a beautiful smooth metallic reddish plum
Invention is a sparkle topper with a orange bronze finish
Vision is a duochrome violet green pink nude
Edgy is a purple eggplant satin
Spontaneous is a shimmering champagne
Nurture is a matte cool brown

Colors layer beautifully. Combinations are endless. Color range is amazing with light shades, medium shades, deep shades, bold pops. Absolutely love.

My Dream Cheek Trio

Natasha Denona’s My Dream Cheek Trio ($48) is a beautiful palette I think will suit a wide range of skin tones. It has a Cream Blush which is a dusty neutral-cool pink (has a velvety finish), Glow Cream Base (shimmery creamy nude that melts into the skin, has fine shimmer) and Dream Glow Highlighter (another shimmery champagne, gel to powder finish). I think all three are beautiful and very easy to wear. The highlighters have a very similar vibe to her other cheek products. I still think this is a beautiful one you can wear this holiday for a polished effortless look.

Colors apply beautifully and have very good pigment. They’re easy to layer and blend. They don’t emphasize my pores or skin texture. Love that the highlighters can also be used on the eyes.

My Dream Lipstick, Lip Gloss, Lip Pencil

The last three items I have swatched are for the lips. My Dream Lipstick ($27) is a neutral cool mauve pink that’s super creamy and opaque. My Dream Lip Gloss ($27) has a beautiful smooth texture in a neutral mauve pink with medium coverage and a tiny bit of shimmer. My Dream Lip Crayon ($24) is an ultra pigmented long-wear lip pencil in a nude mauve color.

Texture and pigment-wise all three are beautiful and excellent in quality. Unfortunately the colors did not work on my medium olive complexion. They have a bit too much grey undertone to work for my pigmented lips and tan skin. I think these would be super flattering on cool skin tones or light-fair complexions.

Overall a beautiful collection with lots to love. Out of all her palettes my favorites are still her Glam and Biba Palettes. The new My Dream Collection Palette is truly unique though so if you’re one looking for something new and innovative, this is the palette to try.

I have a quick roundup of what I hauled from the Sephora sale below. You can click on each item to shop directly from Sephora if you’re interested! I also bought this Hourglass Brush Set (not featured in the collage).

Did you shop the Sephora sale? What are you the most excited about?

Shop the Post

Natasha Denona My Dream Collection provided for review.

0 Comments

Nail Polish

10 Chocolate Nail Colors to Try This Season

November 4, 2022

Sharing a roundup of some chocolate nail colors I’ve been loving this season! I’ve never received so many “what color is that?” questions about some of the shades I’ve been wearing recently. The ones that have been getting the most compliments are OPI Bonfire Serenade and Olive and June JJ.

I’ve been in a pale pink and neutral nude nail kick most of this year but love these different shades of brown for fall to winter. Here are 10 nail chocolate colors to try this fall.

OPI Bonfire Serenade is a creamy cool-toned chocolate brown. Opaque with two coats.

OPI You Don’t Know Jacques is a shade I always thought was brown, but I just bought a fresh bottle and it’s almost taupe blue on my skin tone. I added it to the mix for comparison.

OPI Espresso Your Inner Self is a true medium chocolate brown shade. Also creamy, opaque, two coats.

Olive and June JJ is the prettiest warm chocolate milk shade, neutral-warm on me. This is with two coats.

Essie All Checked Out is a darker cool toned brown. Has full coverage with one coat, but I applied it with two.

Chanel Le Vernis Inspiration and Impulsion are both nearly identical to me. A lot of you wanted a photographed swatch side by side next to Infinite. I would say Inspiration is a medium neutral warm chocolate brown, Impulsion is slightly deeper and cooler in undertone, Infinite is nearly black on my fingers with two coats.

Dior Nude Line is another great chocolate color. It’s a one coat wonder.

Hermes Brun Bistre is an ultra dark chocolate color, almost black on my nails, even in sunlight. It’s a deep brown. Applied with two coats.

For those who wanted to know what I’ve been wearing lately I hope you found this roundup helpful! What nail colors are you wearing this season? I’ve also linked some of my favorite DIY hand and nail care products. A lot of them are also featured in this Hand and Nail Care Favorites roundup here.

Shop the Post

Would love to hear about your favorites!

0 Comments

Older Posts

Newer Posts

Makeup By Mario Ethereal Eyes Palette

Westman Atelier The Squeaky Clean Vault

Holiday Gift Ideas: All Things Cozy

15 Luxury Gift Ideas Everyone Will Love For the Home

Shop the Post

Holiday Gift Ideas: $50 and Under

Gift Ideas $25 and under

Gift Ideas $50 and Under

Natasha Denona My Dream Collection Swatches + Review

My Dream Eyeshadow Palette

My Dream Cheek Trio

My Dream Lipstick, Lip Gloss, Lip Pencil

Shop the Post

10 Chocolate Nail Colors to Try This Season

Shop the Post

Follow @beautylookbook