Yearly Archives

2024

Lips YSL Beauty

YSL Loveshine Lip Oil Sticks

April 14, 2024

YSL Loveshine Lip Oil Sticks

YSL Beauty revamped their cult classic Rouge Volupte Shine into a new formula called the Loveshine Oil Lipsticks ($45 each). It seems they’ve kept a lot the same with the formula. They’ve revamped with new packaging and new ingredients including Fig Pulp for sensitive lips.

I hauled quite a few of the shades as I loved the original and was very curious about these new ones. Their marketing and rebranding is genius! Most of the shades look like they are new, but they’ve kept a couple of the originals including 44 Nude Lavalliere and 150 Nude Lingerie.

The Loveshine formula is quite sheer with a glossy balm-like finish to them. Lasting power for colors isn’t really going to be long unless you layer on top of a long-wear lip liner but the hydration does seem to linger long for soft supple lips.

Overall these new Loveshine lipsticks perform the same as the Rouge Volupte Shine to me. The pigment of the newer formula seems to be sheerer than the originals with a lot of the lighter neutrals pulling very similar on my lips. I found that I really loved the darker brighter shades I had ordered and if I were to do my haul over I would have picked all the brighter colors instead.

I wasn’t able to get photographs edited and posted on the lips here because of time, but I wanted to get swatches and a review up before the Sephora sale ended for those who have been asking. I did post a try-on reel here which I’ll also link below.

 

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A post shared by Sabrina Shorb (@beautylookbook)

What I’m wearing:

YSL Loveshine Lip Oil Stick swatches

Onto the shades I picked:

  • 201 Rosewood Blush is a sheer rose pink (looks warmer in tube, but cool on my lips)
  • 202 Peachy Glow is a taupe rose nude (also pulls cool on my lips)
  • 203 Blushed Mallow is a cool mauve
  • 204 Melted Honey is a sheer pale beige
  • 205 Nude Self is a berry rose
  • 207 Scenic Brown is a berry brownish shade
  • 209 Pink Desire is a pretty warm brighter pink
  • 44 Nude Lavalliere is a cool-toned pale pink
  • 150 Nude Lingerie is a warm peachy pink

YSL Loveshine Lip Oil Sticks

YSL Loveshine Lip Oil Stick swatches

Quick note that my arm is ultra fair right now which makes everything look warmer than they do on my face. I’ve had some interesting conversations with some of you about skin tone and tans – and a number of you are my skin twins with winter skin tone vs summer skin tone. A lot of colors (foundations included) are straight up orangey on me now. With most of my foundations I have to do a bit of mixing with the elf Halo Glow Filter or Charlotte Tilbury Hollywood Flawless Filters in lighter shades. I also have to do a LOT of blending into my neck area. I haven’t been this fair in skin tone since I left San Diego, but since I tan easily I suspect I will be back to my most-of-the-year-round color very soon.

Feedback from some of you about these new Loveshines is mixed. There are a lot of you who are COMPLETELY obsessed with this sheer effortless swipe and go kind of vibe. I love it too, but a part of me wishes the pigment were maybe 10% to 15% more intense. I think the undertones and colors are SO beautiful but I wish they showed up better on my lips. Then there are a handful of you who have messaged me that you bought some and returned them because they were so sheer they did not show up on you.

I love what I hauled, although I might have skipped a couple of the shades due to similarities in my selections. I can think of an occasion to wear every shades I picked up. I would say my top three: 209 Pink Desire, 150 Nude Lingerie and 205 Nude Self.

Shop the Post

 

Available now at Sephora.

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Bronzer + Blush Sephora

Rare Beauty Soft Pinch Luminous Blush

April 12, 2024

Rare Beauty Soft Pinch Luminous Blush

Rare Beauty launched a new blush called the Soft Pinch Luminous Blush ($26 each at Sephora) and they’re so beautiful. They’re shimmery blushes with the softest silky texture I’ve ever felt. I bought 4 of them to try but also ordered the other 2 (coming in the mail).

  • Cheer is a pale pink
  • Happy is a cool pink
  • Joy is a soft peach
  • Hope is an iridescent rose

I shared a Reel applying these last week. I really love these alone or layered on top of a cream blush, but I want to preface this by saying I love a good shimmer in blushes. I was chatting about these with a friend last week and her first question was “does it emphasize the pore situation?” and my answer is “yes it can, but it’s not as pore emphasizing as some powder highlighters I have (like the ones from Hermes, Becca or Benefit)”.

The texture is super smooth and the shimmers are UNREAL! These truly feel lightweight like there’s nothing on the skin. They have a beautiful finish and the shimmer is very soft and glowy without being frosty. This makes me want to try the Positive Light Silky Touch Highlighters although I am pretty shopped out with everything I hauled from the Sephora sale.

See them in action here:

 

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A post shared by Sabrina Shorb (@beautylookbook)

If you have a lot of texture and large pores I do think this could emphasize it. I do not have perfect skin but I don’t have large pores (except my nose area). These went on smooth for me and I had no issues. If you’re conservative on the glow in blushes then I’d recommend the Charlotte Tilbury Cheek to Chic which have a more subtle shimmer to them.

Rare Beauty Soft Pinch Luminous Blush swatches Cheer, Happy, Joy, Hope

Swatching each shade, also wearing:

Rare Beauty Soft Pinch Luminous Blush Cheer

Rare Beauty Soft Pinch Luminous Blush Happy

Rare Beauty Soft Pinch Luminous Blush Hope

Rare Beauty Soft Pinch Luminous Blush Joy

I really love these. I think the colors are fun, youthful looking but not too trendy. I am 42 for a few more weeks and I think they are wearable for any age. The only downside is they do seem a little delicate/fragile.

You can still take advantage of some savings with the Sephora Savings Event using YAYSAVE (20% off for Rouge, 15% for VIBs and 10% off for Insiders, with 30% off all Sephora Collection).

I don’t know that I will have time to post my full haul here before the sale ends, I will try to round up everything by Monday. If you want to see my IN-STORE SEPHORA HAUL you can check it out here. I’ve saved some snippets to my SEPHORA RECOMMENDATIONS highlights on Instagram too @beautylookbook.

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Beauty Favorites Sales Sephora

Best Makeup to Shop During the Sephora Sale

April 5, 2024

NARS Radiant Creamy Concealer Ginger

The Sephora Savings Event starts today for Rouge Beauty Insiders! By popular request I’m sharing an updated roundup of the best in makeup for every category. Use code YAYSAVE if you’re shopping online to save:

  • Rouge members 20% off: 4/5-4/15
  • VIBs 15% off: 4/9-4/15
  • Insiders 10% off: 4/9-4/15
  • All Sephora Collection 30% off: 4/5-4/15

This is a pretty large list but I’ve split it by category for face, eyes and lips. Here are the best things in makeup I’ve tried in each category.

Base Makeup Favorites

Patrick Ta Major Skin Creme Foundation and Finishing Powder Duo Light Medium 2

Best Primer – Bobbi Brown Vitamin Enriched Face Base is a great multi-tasking moisturizer and primer in one, wears really well under makeup and a formula I’ve repurchased numerous times

Best Glowy Primer – Tie between Dior Forever Glow Star Filter and Charlotte Tilbury Hollywood Flawless Filter. I think the thinner texture of the Dior Forever Glow Star Filter makes it easier to wear all over the face if you layer on foundation + concealer etc. The Charlotte Tilbury is still a classic I think I will be using forever though

Best Tint Moisturizer – Rare Beauty Positive Light Tinted Moisturizer – I love this sheer Tinted Moisturizer with SPF 20 because it’s not too dewy. Has sheer to medium coverage that isn’t too sheer. I wear 24N.

Best Tint with SPF – Supergoop! Protec(tint) SPF 50 – This is another great skin tint with sheer medium coverage and high SPF. Has sheer coverage and great lasting power. I have 24N and 26W.

Best Natural Looking Tint – Fenty Eaze Drop Blurring Skin Tint – This is a great no-fuss skin tint without SPF. Coverage is similar to the Rare Beauty, just slightly more coverage. Looks very natural and sets beautifully. I wear Shade 9 or 10.

Best Medium Coverage Glowy Foundation – Armani Luminous Silk Foundation – Best medium coverage glow foundation I’ve used. I wear Shade 6.5.

Best CC Cream – It Cosmetics CC+ Nude Glow – Best CC+ Cream with medium coverage and a natural glow. I wear Medium Tan.

Best Foundation Stick – Westman Atelier Vital Skin Foundation Stick – My go-to foundation stick perfect for everyday, and also really convenient for travel. Depending on how tan I am, I wear Shade V, VI or VII.

Favorite Classic Finish Foundation – Pat McGrath Sublime Perfection Foundation – Another classic formula you can’t go wrong with. Love this for an everyday staple. My match is Light Medium 14.

Great for Travel – Patrick Ta Major Skin Creme Foundation Powder Duo has a great natural looking finish for both the foundation and powder, I use the Shade Light Medium 2.

Best Concealers

Best Concealers YSL, Natasha Denona, Givenchy, NARS and Armani

Best Brightening Concealer – YSL Touche Eclat hands down is the best of the best. I use Shade 3.

Best Medium-Coverage – NARS Radiant Creamy Concealer (Macadamia or Ginger) is a cult classic and even to this day still is the best creamy under eye formula for me. I also still really like the Givenchy Prisme Libre Skin-Caring Concealer for a creamier finish and a little more coverage.

Best Full Coverage – Natasha Denona Hy-Glam Concealer is the best of the BEST for concealers. It’s creamy, opaque, easy to blend, long lasting and does not crease. I wear N6, 7, 8 or 9 depending on how much I want to match or brighten. The Armani Luminous Silk Concealer is another great option, I wear 6.5 or 7.

Best Powders & Setting Products

Charlotte Tilbury Airbrush Flawless Finish Powder

Best Setting Spray – Two way tie between the Urban Decay All Nighter Setting Spray and Charlotte Tilbury Airbrush Flawless Setting Spray.

Best Pressed Powder – Charlotte Tilbury Airbrush Flawless Finish in Medium or the NARS Light Reflecting Pressed Powder

Best Under Eye Setting Powder – Pat McGrath Skin Fetish Sublime Perfection Blurring Under Eye Powder

Best Loose Setting Powders – Givenchy Prisme Libre or the Laura Mercier Loose Setting Powder (also available in a Talc-Free Blur version)

Best Contour/Bronzers

Gucci Eclat Soleil Bronzing Powder Shade 01, 02 and 03

I am currently looking for a new bronzer since the ones I’ve used I’ve used for YEARS. I’m ready for something new but nothing has caught my eye yet. I’m hoping new formulas and shades will pop up this summer!

Best Cream Bronzer/Contour – Rare Beauty Warm Wishes Effortless Bronzer Stick in Happy Sol or Always Sunny are great shades and the formula is easy to blend. Also love Westman Atelier Face Trace Cream Contour Stick in Truffle.

Best Powder Bronzers – Gucci Sun-Kissed Glow Bronzer in Shade 3, Hourglass Ambient Lighting Bronzer in Luminous Bronze Light, Dior Forever Natural Powder Bronzer (best matte formula), Patrick Ta Major Sculpt Duo in She’s Bronzed

Best Blushes

New Gucci Beauty Launches Blush Shades, Lipsticks and Illuminator

There are so many good blush formulas these days!

Best Powder Blushes

Charlotte Tilbury Matte Beauty Blush Wands

Best Cream Blushes – Westman Atelier Baby Cheeks (sheer-medium) and the Charlotte Tilbury Matte Beauty Blush Wand (medium coverage)

Highlighters

Charlotte Tilbury Beauty Light Wand Swatches | The Beauty Look Book

Best Golden/Bronzey Highlighters – Tom Ford Soleil Glow Highlighter in Oasis or the Soleil Glow Highlighters are really stunning

Favorite Shimmer Liquid Highlighter – Charlotte Tilbury Beauty Highlighter Wands are always a win, I love Peachgasm, Pinkgasm and Pillow Talk Light the most

New Favorite – Dior Forever Glow Maximizers are really stunning, I like Peachy and Rosy the best (new shade Nude just popped up online, I just tried it and it’s almost identical to Gold, Nude is just more champagne in undertone)

Best Eye Makeup

Too Faced Born This Way Natural Nudes Eyeshadow Palette

The best eyeshadow palettes and formulas are from Natasha Denona, Too Faced and Pat McGrath. Here are my favorites right now.

Best Eyeshadow Formula – Natasha Denona I Need a Nude, Glam or My Dream Palette for her larger options, for the minis I love the Mini Starlette or Mini Biba.

Best Everyday Palettes – Too Faced Born This Way Natural Nudes or Sunset Stripped are in heavy rotation and have been for years! I really love the new mini Born This Way Palettes too.

Best Mix of Matte + Shimmers – Pat McGrath is quite the splurge and some of her sparkles are really glitzy but I love them.

Best All Matte Palette – Makeup By Mario Master Mattes is the best all-matte eyeshadow palette for me.

My Most Used Palettes – Patrick Ta Major Dimension and Major Dimension III are also ones I use all the time.

Mascara

Best Mascaras: Tarte Tartelette Tubing and Tartette Tubing XL

Lip Liners

Huda Beauty Lip Contour 2.0 Automatic Lip Pencils

My go-to lip liners remain the same, I keep hoping I’ll find something new and exciting, but I still love my staples I’ve loved for years:

Lip Gloss

Dior Lip Maximizers Shimmer Macadamia and Rose Nude

My top three gloss formulas are the Pat McGrath LUST Gloss, Fenty Gloss Bomb and Dior Addict Lip Maximizers.

I also really love the Refy Lip Glosses (they have great neutrals), Charlotte Tilbury Collagen Lip Bath (new shades added!) and the new Huda Faux Filler Gloss (swatched here).

If you like a jelly gloss the new Armani Prisma Glass lip gloss is a nice sheer formula. I swatched 3 of the colors here.

Lip Balms

Hourglass Phantom Volumizing Glossy Balm swatches

A lot of the balms I use can double as gloss. My top 5 favorites:

Lipsticks

Tarte Maracuja Juicy Lip Plump Shimmer Glass

I feel like I could write an entire series on the best lipsticks. There are so many that I love it is challenging to narrow down my top picks.

That wraps up my Sephora Makeup Favorites roundup! Use code YAYSAVE if you’re shopping online to save:

  • Rouge members 20% off: 4/5-4/15
  • VIBs 15% off: 4/9-4/15
  • Insiders 10% off: 4/9-4/15
  • All Sephora Collection 30% off: 4/5-4/15
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Beauty Favorites Haircare Sephora

Best Hair Care + Tools to Shop During the Sephora Sale

April 4, 2024

Best Hair Care to Shop during the Sephora Sale

The Sephora Savings Event starts on April 5th for Beauty Insiders and I’m rounding up my absolute favorites in every category starting with my Hair Care favorites. Dates and details for the event, use code YAYSAVE if you’re shopping online:

  • Rouge members 20% off: 4/5-4/15
  • VIBs 15% off: 4/9-4/15
  • Insiders 10% off: 4/9-4/15
  • All Sephora Collection 30% off: 4/5-4/15

A little background on my hair: I have thick unruly hair prone to frizz from humidity. I color treat with root touch ups every 2-3 months. I almost always blow dry as air drying leaves my hair frizzy. Even though my strands are thick I had a lot of hair loss and shedding about 2 years ago. The shedding has thankfully stopped and it’s started to grow back in baby hairs (natural growth).

I’ve split my recommendations of things I tried and loved by category to help you sort through my list. There are lots of great HAIR CARE SETS available and a wide range of items are available in MINI SIZES which are great to try.

Hair Tools

Dyson Airwrap Ceramic Pink

I love really love the Dyson Supersonic and Airwrap. I’ve had the Supersonic since 2017 and it still works perfectly just like the day I got it. I’ve used the Airwrap since 2020 and really love it too. I think they’re game changers for the way I style and dry my hair. Yes they’re a huge ouch to the wallet, but they were both well worth the splurge. They recently added a Ceramic Pink and Rose Gold color (limited-edition) and I decided to upgrade both my tools with this new color.

The Dyson Airwrap has been updated since I bought it the improvements have made it noticeably better! Attachments have slight changes in the design to make them multi-functional.

(new demo with the new airwrap coming soon, but here’s the original below)

Dyson Airwrap Styler

If you don’t curl your hair I’d recommend sticking with the Supersonic. It has stronger air flow with the nozzles for faster more efficient drying. It’s easier to travel with (if you don’t use the case).

That being said I think the Airwrap is amazing. It allows you to do so many different things in styling and drying. I will say that the curls take more time than a regular curling iron because you’ll need to use it on damp hair, use the heat and cooling options and add hair spray. For me it’s easier to use than a regular curling iron for me because of the wrapping feature. With the Airwrap I can get more relaxed beachy waves which is what I prefer, but with a hot curling iron your curls will definitely last longer.

The ghd Platinum+ Styler is my go-to hot tool for straightening and curling. It is technically a flat iron but I use it to curl my hair. The temperature is set to a constant 375 degrees and has sensors to maintain constant heat. This leaves my hair looking smooth and sleek. It goes with me on every single trip. I’ve done a few reviews and demos with this tool. 100% recommend. Smooth sleek hair in action HERE. Easy waves HERE.

ghd Platinum+ 1” Styler

ghd Platinum+ 1” Styler Curled Hair

Shampoo + Conditioner

Oribe Home & Away Gold Lust Repair & Restore Shampoo & Conditioner Set

I’ve been absolutely obsessed with Oribe and Kerastase lately. They’re the formulas I keep going back to.

Oribe Gold Lust Repair and Restore Shampoo and Conditioner are the best formulas I use and repurchase the most. I have splurged on the liter bottles and refills. They’re quite expensive but the larger sizes are a better buy. If you’re new to this formula I recommend trying this #Oribeobsessed Mini Trio or this Gold Lust Ritual Set (value priced).

Kerastase Premiere Line is new and incredible! It is exactly what I needed to help clarify and clean my hair of buildup from hard water in Florida. Even with water softeners the water is still very harsh on my hair here. Most detox and clarifying shampoos almost always strip my hair or cause my scalp to become irritated. This Premiere line is the formula I have been looking for to clarify and restore my natural shine.

I do think you need the full system to see the best benefits. I tried this with just the shampoo and conditioner but the Pre-Shampoo Treatment made a HUGE difference. My hair hasn’t felt this healthy and clean since I left California. If you don’t want to splurge on the entire line, I would say stick with the Pre-Shampoo Treatment, Repairing Shampoo and Conditioner. The Serum is incredible for smoothing and protecting from heat and humidity. Since this is a repairing line I don’t think I would use these everyday, these would most likely be a 1x per week routine.

Kerastase Premiere line

I’ve tried nearly every Kerastase formula on virgin hair, hair with bleached highlights and now on hair that has root touch ups. They have a formula for every hair type.

  • Nutritive is the line great for dry hair and I really loved it.
  • Resistance is great good to help strengthen weak hair from heat styling
  • Discipline is their anti frizz smoothing line
  • When I had bleached hair and highlights the Blonde Absolu was my go-to line

I also still think Olaxplex and the Briogeo Don’t Despair, Repair formulas are great. I just used up some bottles of Olaplex. I haven’t used Briogeo in a while but it’s one I would repurchase in a heartbeat.

Best Masks

K18 Biomimetic Hairscience Leave-In Molecular Repair Hair Mask

My favorite formulas for hair masks:

Color Wow Money Mask is a great hydrating treatment

Briogeo Don’t Despair, Repair Deep Conditioning Mask is the best for smoothing

Kerastase Resistence Strengthening is great for split ends and weakened hair, also smells amazing

K18 Biomimetic Hairscience Leave-In is a leave in mask, but I still really think it’s 100% worth the splurge

Best Hair Oils / Leave In Conditioners

Kerastase Elixir Ultime Hair Oil Serum at Sephora review

Kerastase Elixir Ultime Hair Oil Serum review

Kerastase Elixir Ultime is one of the best hair oils I’ve tried

Virtue Hydrating Healing Oil is great for smoothing and repairing

Olaplex No 7 Bonding Oil is great for split ends

Shu Uemura Essence Absolue is another great hair oil for added shine, but it can feel a little heavy if you use too much

Best Heat Protectant / Blow Dry Primers

Oribe Royal Blowout Heat Styling Spray

I’ll mainly use a primer heat protectant on damp hair for blow drying. There are other heat protectants designed to use on dry hair for heat tools like irons.

Oribe makes a lot of heat protectants. I really like their Royal Blowout Heat Styling Spray or Imperial Blowout Styling Cream.

Kerastase makes tons of primers in all of their formulas. I’ve really loved Resistance, Chronologiste or Nutritive the most.

Olaplex Blow Dry Mist is another great option that also adds volume.

Best Dry Shampoo

Olaplex No.4D Clean Volume Detox Dry Shampoo

Three formulas I really like that don’t add any white cast to my dark hair include the Olaplex No 4D Clean Volume Dry Shampoo (probably my favorite right now), the Living Proof Perfect Hair Day PhD and PhD Advanced (both are great) and if you want to splurge the Oribe Gold Lust Dry Shampoo is excellent.

Misc/Others

Best Detangling Spray Oribe Detangling Primer

For other miscellaneous styling products, here are three I really like:

That wraps up my hair care favorites post! I know there’s a lot but I hope this helps give you some recommendations if you’re looking for any new hair care.

If you have any ride or die favorites, let me know in the comments! Stay tuned for a roundup on the best makeup and skincare.

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Beauty Favorites

March Beauty Favorites

April 1, 2024

March Beauty Favorites

Happy April! Rounding up my favorites from March. This year has been flying by! It’s finally started to warm up and we spent the weekend at the beach and boat with Ollie. We just celebrated 2 years with Ollie, he’s been such a joy for us. I can’t believe how fast time truly flies.

Makeup Favorites

Supergoop Protectint 24N

For my base favorites I have been really loving the Supergoop! Protec(tint). It’s a lightweight sheer tint with SPF 50. I share a demo Get Ready With Me on Reels wearing 24N which is a good match right now, but I also have 26W which will probably be a better match for summer. It is sheer and natural looking. I like the coverage and finish. I am so happy to report it didn’t pill, clog pores or streak. The Sephora sale is coming up so if you’re looking for a good skin tint with SPF add this to your list!

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by Sabrina Shorb (@beautylookbook)

The best foundation brush I’ve been using is the Laura Mercier Real Flawless Foundation Brush. I’ve featured it a few times before but thought I’d give it another shout out since so many of you ask about it when you see it in tutorials. I’m not really sure why it’s not sold everywhere at all Laura Mercier counters but you can find it online at Laura Mercier, Revolve, Bluemercury to name a few.

Laura Mercier Real Foundation Brush

The best concealer I’ve tried is still the Natasha Denona Hy-Glam Concealer. I am using N5 or N7 right now. It’s creamy, opaque but blendable, long lasting and doesn’t crease.

For a glowy base, I’ve been loving the Dior Forever Star Filter in Shade 3 as a primer underneath concealer or foundation but you can also mix it in with your base for a naturally glowy look. They add a really pretty radiance to the skin. I’ve also really loved the Forever Glow Maximizer in Rosy Glow although it’s very similar on my skin to the Charlotte Tilbury Pinkgasm, so if you already own that one you can probably skip the Dior.

Review + swatch comparisons IN THIS POST HERE.

Dior Beauty Forever Glow Star Filter Shade 2 and 3

Dior Beauty Forever Glow Maximizer Gold, Peachy and Rosy

Patrick Ta Beauty has been in heavy rotation and I really love his Double Take Blush in Not Too Much. I also rediscovered the Laura Mercier Blush in Ginger for a flattering neutral with a tiny bit of warmth.

Patrick Ta Blush Not Too Much

Patrick Ta Blush Not Too Much

For eyeshadows I’ve rediscovered the Too Faced Natural Nudes Born This Way & Sunset Stripped palettes. They are both neutral staples that I think everyone should own. They have a really good mix of mattes and shimmers with neutrals that are very easy to wear. Too Faced just launched Mini Born This Way Palettes in Warm Ember Nudes and Cold Smolder Nudes. I ordered them and will be reviewing soon but wanted to put them on your radar.

Below Natural Nudes

Too Faced Natural Nudes Eyeshadow Palette

Too Faced Born This Way Natural Nudes Eyeshadow Palette swatches

Below Sunset Stripped

Too Faced Born This Way Sunset Stripped Eyeshadow Palette

Too Faced Born This Way Sunset Stripped Eyeshadow Palette

Too Faced Born This Way Sunset Stripped Eyeshadow Palette

The Merit Solo Shadow in Vachetta has been a favorite since I bought it. It’s my perfect contour/base shade for the eyes. Just a tiny bit darker than my skin tone for a really good neutral lid color. Left is Vachetta, right is Midcentury.

Merit Solo Shadow Cream to Powder Soft Matte Eyeshadows

The Dior Addict Lip Maximizer in 056 Frosted Pink is still a favorite. It still appears to be exclusive to Dior.com – it’s the prettiest shimmery pink! Review + swatches here.

Dior Addict Lip Maximizer Frosted Pink and Shimmery Spice

Tartelette Tubing Mascara XL has been a favorite this past month. I still really love the regular Tarte Tartelette Tubing Mascara and actually think the XL version performs pretty much the same, but I use both. It defines, holds the curl, doesn’t flake or smudge. It’s a solid win.

Guerlain Lip Oils are probably my favorite lip product of the month. I cannot pick a favorite as all the colors are really pretty. I have been reaching for the Honey Glow the most.

Guerlain KissKiss Bee Glow Oil 309 Honey Glow

Charlotte Tilbury added new Pillow Talk Shades in a few formulas. I’ll be reviewing them soon but I am already in love with the Collagen Lip Bath in Pillow Talk Fair. It’s a really pretty and flattering lighter cool toned pink that isn’t too cool.

Skincare

 

 

Skincare Favorites Spring Routine

Also wanted to share a few skincare favorites this month. I shared an updated roundup of formulas I’ve been using and love from Nordstrom here. It includes a little something in every category with everything linked here. A few things I wanted to highlight are below.

The Kiehl’s Ultra Facial Cleanser is the best one for me right now. A little goes a long way and it cleans the skin well without stripping it.

Kiehl's Ultra Facial Cleanser

The Eve Lom Muslin Cloths are also a must. I think any muslin cloth will work, but I always order the ones from Eve Lom. The gentle exfoliation helps keep the skin clear and it also works to remove every trace of cleanser (oil, balm or regular liquids) from the skin.

Charlotte Tilbury Magic Cream

For moisturizers I’ve used up yet another jar of the Charlotte Tilbury Magic Cream and repurchased it again. I’ve also been loving the La Mer Moisturizing Soft Cream as another go-to daily moisturizer. It’s 100% worth the splurge and I recommend adding it to your list for the Sephora sale!

La Mer Skin Favorites Moisturizing Soft Cream, Concentrate, Eye Concentrate

Summer Fridays Lip Butter Balm and Bobbi Brown Lip Serum

For lip balms I’ve been rotating between Summer Fridays and the Bobbi Brown Lip Serum. They just added tinted versions of the Bobbi Brown formula here which I am really excited to try. I have Lilac, Rose and Blossom in my cart right now.

That wraps up my favorites for March! What were your favorites?

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YSL Beauty

YSL Beauty Haul – New Bronzers, Shadows + Lipsticks

March 29, 2024

YSL Beauty Haul, new All Hours Hyper Bronze, Hyper Finish Powder, Couture Eyeshadows

I’ve been hauling lots of newness from YSL Beauty as they’ve revamped quite a few products for the face and added new shades of lipsticks to their lineup. I hauled a few of their eyeshadow palettes a while ago and finally put them to the test. There’s a lot that I’ve shared tutorials for on my Instagram Reels. If you haven’t seen them I’ll link them below.

Some of the items are exclusive to certain retailers so you may have to shop at different places for all of these. I’ll share all my thoughts, hits and misses below.

All Hours Hyper Bronze

YSL All Hours Hyper Bronze 02 and 03

The All Hours Hyper Bronze Powder ($65) has launched exclusively at Nordstrom in the US. They’re also available in the UK at Selfridges. There are 5 shades total and according to their shade reference chart I ordered Shade 02 and 03. This is a long-wear blurring powder with a satiny finish. There is a very subtle shimmer to it that I only notice on arm swatches. On my face it looks more matte.

Right now Shade 02 looks better on my skin as it’s more neutral in undertone but it’s pretty close to my skin tone so it’s barely there. Shade 03 shows up better with more contrast but the undertone is very yellow/gold which almost looks muddy.

YSL All Hours Hyper Bronze 02

YSL All Hours Hyper Bronze 03

I do like the soft blurred effect. Pigment is medium and very easy to blend for a natural blurred bronze look. These are packaged in a very thick sturdy mirrored compact with chevron pattern and gold logo.

I give the formula a solid A but I’m not 100% sold on the colors. Bronzers can be tricky depending on your skin tone and undertone. Since I’m not my usual tan yet, I like the undertone of 02 and wish 03 had the same undertone.

For skintone reference, I’m wearing Armani Luminous Silk Foundation in 6 + 6.5 mixed with the All Hours Hyper Finish Powder in 03. Swatch comparisons below to a few others like the Gucci Bronzers, Dior Natural Bronzer, Charlotte Tilbury Airbrush Matte Bronzer, Sisley and Westman Atelier.

Bronzer swatches YSL, Gucci, Charlotte Tilbury, Dior and Westman Atelier

All Hours Hyper Finish Powder

As a huge fan of the YSL base products like the Touche Eclat Concealer I had high hopes for the All Hours Hyper Finish Setting Powder ($65, also exclusive to Nordstrom right now) and ordered Shade 03. This is a great blurring powder with a soft matte finish. Shade 03 is just the slightest bit too dark as it oxidizes very slightly but it’s still a very good match.

YSL All Hours Hyper Powder Shade 03

It blurs, smooths, sets. This also comes with a compartment underneath with a sponge. It has a beautiful finish with longwear. It is fragranced with a fresh kind of scent. I like it but it’s not the best one out there. I still prefer the Charlotte Tilbury Airbrush Flawless Finish or Sisley Blur Expert Powder for a pressed blurring powder. The NARS Light Reflecting Powder is also better in my opinion.

Couture Mini Clutch Eyeshadows

YSL Couture Mini Clutch Eyeshadows

The Couture Mini Clutch Eyeshadows ($68 each at Nordstrom and Sephora) have been on my radar for quite some time. They seemed incredibly expensive for a 4-pan palette although the textures felt really silky and smooth to the touch in testers. I picked up 2 shades and was sent 1 in PR. I like 200 Gueliz Dream the best out of the ones I tried.

After playing with these I have mixed thoughts. The mattes are BEAUTIFUL in texture and pigment. I think the silky smooth finish is really pleasant to apply and they blend and layer really well. The sparkle glitters are absolutely stunning but they have such a lightweight texture without any substance. If I apply them onto a creamier base by themselves they adhere well. As a topper on top of the mattes the glitter just doesn’t have as much impact and they feel like they are going to fall straight to my cheeks. They actually do have decent lasting power and the fallout is minimal. For a sparkle topper Natasha Denona, Pat McGrath and Too Faced Natural Nudes palettes are much better in quality, wearability and color payoff. I also think these are a better buy – they’re a lot more versatile.

YSL Couture Mini Clutch Eyeshadows swatches

Colors are beautiful. Quality is good. I just don’t really love the sparkles in these.

New Shades Rouge Pur Couture + The Bold High Pigment

YSL added yet more shades of the Rouge Pur Couture ($48) and The Bold High Pigment ($48). All the new shades are neutrals.

YSL Rouge Pur Couture and The Bold High Pigment new shades

This time they added their best selling 44 Nude Lavalliere in both formulas. I shared a video wearing all 4 formulas of 44 Nude Lavalliere (I’ll link below). It includes their original Rouge Volupte Shine (now discontinued), new Loveshine and both high pigment versions.

 

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For the newer shades of lipstick they added neutrals. Rouge Pur Couture 14 is a lighter pink nude (washes me out completely), N15 is a chestnut brown, N44 is a very cool-toned blue baby pink. The Bold High Pigment 16 is my perfect neutral pink brown, 17 is a cool rose, 44 is a cool-toned pale pink.

Here are swatches of the new Rouge Pur Couture + The Bold High Pigment compared to the other shades I have in both formulas.

YSL Rouge Pur Couture and The Bold High Pigment new shades swatches

New shades on me:

YSL Rouge Pur Couture and The Bold High Pigment new shades swatches

Out of all the neutrals I love The Bold High Pigment 16 and Rouge Pur Couture 15. If I had been able to try the others in person I would have passed as they’re a bit too cool-toned for my complexion but I know a lot of you struggle to find cooler-toned neutrals so these might be perfect for you!

Formula wise the Rouge Pur Couture is creamier and smoother while The Bold High Pigment is thicker and has longer wear time. I just checked the prices and I have to say I’m shocked at all the price increases these days. The last time I bought these they were $45 which is still steep. They’re now $48 which to me gives me a bit of sticker shock.

If you have any of the lipsticks or eyeshadows on your radar Nordstrom is offering 15% off a lot of their beauty products right now (limited-time price matching sale) and the Sephora Savings Event is just around the corner starting April 5 if you’re a Rouge Beauty Insider.

Overall some great new products I had fun testing out. Not all must-haves for me but still definitely very good in terms of quality and color-payoff.

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Have you tried any of these yet? What did you think?

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Base Makeup Sisley-Paris

Sisley Phyto-Teint Perfection Foundation

March 19, 2024

Sisley Phyto-Teint Perfection Foundation review

One of my favorite beauty brands Sisley launched a new foundation called the Phyto-Teint Perfection Foundation ($125). Sisley products are quite the splurge but in my experience everything I’ve ever tried whether purchased or a press sample has been exceptional in quality and performance.

The Sisley team sent over a few shades of their new foundation and new shades of Le Phyto Rouge Lipstick ($70) shades to try. Today I have a review + swatches.

Phyto-Teint Perfection Foundation

Sisley Phyto-Teint Perfection Foundation review

The Phyto-Teint Perfection Foundation is a medium-full coverage formula that gives a soft matte look with a blurred finish. It’s almost like wearing a filter on your face with the way it blurs out the skin. It’s described as “radiant matte” although to me it still feels like a true matte, perhaps a soft matte is a better description.

It’s described as having medium coverage that is buildable and I 100% agree. Still the pigment is opaque enough that I feel less is more. A little goes a VERY long way. I would recommend dotting or dabbing on spots around the face and blending with a brush or sponge. If you apply too much it will look thick.

You can see the transformation in this video linked below. It blends out really nicely.

 

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Lasting power is very good. It sets to a beautiful finish I think I could probably skip powder.

Shade wise I’m in between colors as I am still my winter skin tone. The foundation shades in the 3 shade range should match in a month or so as match my other Sisley foundations (I still love the Phyto-Teint Nude reviewed here). The Sisley team sent 3N Apricot and 3W2 Hazel, both of which are a little too dark for me. I ordered 2W2 Desert in hopes it would match but there is quite a big gap between 2 and 3. Mixing the two gives me the perfect match right now. (I ordered from Selfridges and signed up for their year long flat rate global shipping.)

Sisley Phyto-Teint Perfection Foundation review swatches

Overall love. I would say if you have texture or super dry skin this might emphasize imperfections as any matte finish will do. That being said my skin has been going through a hormonal skin flare up and I have break outs galore. This foundation covered everything so well and so smoothly I’ve gotten comments about how good my skin looks with this on (when underneath the base it does not).

Below with just the foundation on:

Sisley Phyto-Teint Perfection Foundation 2W2 + 3W2 mixed

Below with a full face wearing:

Sisley Makeup look

Le Phyto Rouge – NEW shades

Sisley Le Phyto Rouge 201 Rose Tokyo and 45 Rouge Milano

Sisley added new shades of the Le Phyto Rouge Lipstick ($70). These are super creamy, opaque and the formula is absolute perfection. New colors include 201 Tokyo Rose and 45 Rouge Milano. Both pull very warm on me but in the tubes they look more on the neutral side. I love the formula and they don’t really have a scent (they smell like a natural kind of scent). Colors aren’t really me right now but I suspect with a tan I will be wearing 201 more.

Overall love the foundation. I don’t think it will be for everyone though as it’s very matte and I know a lot of you prefer a sheer or dewy finish. Lipstick formula is definitely worth checking out. They have lots of other colors to pick from and if you’re looking for a classic lipstick with great texture, lasting power and opacity the Le Phyto Rouge is among the best. In terms of Sisley lipstick formulas I have to say that the Phyto-Rouge Shine is still my favorite.

Sisley Le Phyto Rouge 201 Rose Tokyo and 45 Rouge Milano

Sisley Le Phyto Rouge 201 Rose Tokyo

Sisley Le Phyto Rouge 45 Rouge Milano

For skintone reference I’m linking an older Foundation Shade Guide Roundup I did in 2021. It lists my foundation and concealer shade matches with links to reviews I’ve done. I think it’s time for an update since some of these formulas have since been discontinued. I’ll try to put together an updated one. Quick note that the list is what my matches are most of the year. Right now I’m lighter than nearly everything on the list but I tan easily and will be back to my usual skin tone shade very soon.

Sisley newness available now at Sisley, Nordstrom, Neiman Marcus, Saks Fifth Avenue, Selfridges and all Sisley counters.

Phyto-Teint Perfection and Le Phyto Rouge gifted for review.

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