Sabrina, Author at The Beauty Look Book

Hourglass Holiday 2025 Ambient Lighting Edit Unlocked Palettes

September 19, 2025

The Hourglass Holiday Ambient Lighting Edit Unlocked Palettes have launched for 2025 this year and they are beautiful! I picked up three of the four and already put them to the test with demos on Instagram. While I do think there are a lot of repeats and similar shades I do think these are stunning. By popular request I’ve put together a review and a few side by side comparisons to previous year’s palettes.

All the palettes have officially launched now at Nordstrom, Sephora, Bluemercury, Ulta Beauty and Hourglass ($94 each). Each palette has a matching dual ended Ambient Lighting Edit Brush II ($52 each). The Horse Palette is exclusive to Sephora.

In addition there are some other sets that have launched including a Face and Eye Travel Brush Set, Best Sellers Set and Sculpt Gloss Duo. I have my eye on the brush set although they look like minis or short handles from the stock photos. I do still have and own the Vegan Travel Brush Set (this one has all full sizes) which I love and use every week, but the new one this year looks great for a more compact option.

Deer Palette

The Deer Palette is the lightest option and I think it’s a beautiful one for a more natural look. You can see it in action here. On my medium tan skin the colors pull more on the barely there side, but if I apply a cream or liquid blush first the powders apply with a bit more pigment when layered.

Finishing Powder Dream Light
Finishing Powder Aura Light (new)
Bronzer Diffused Bronze Light
Highlighter Iridescent Strobe Light
Blush Radiant Peach (new)
Blush Vibrant Pink (new)

Look wearing the Deer Palette:

Foundation Dior Forever Perfect Foundation Stick in 3N
Powder Hourglass Finishing Powder in Dim Light + Dream Light
Blush Hourglass Deer Palette Radiant Peach + Vibrant Pink mixed
Eyeshadow Makeup by Mario Master Mattes
Eyeliner Charlotte Tilbury Rock n Kohl Eyeliner
Mascara Tarte Tartelette Tubing Mascara
Lip Hourglass Phantom Glossy Balm in Crave

I pulled last year’s Dragon Palette from 2024 swatches to compare.

Swan Palette

The Swan Palette is the medium tone option and I love it. I do think all the shades look very similar to previous year’s options (even the new shades), but that mauve purple is SO beautiful I think this is worth a look. If I had to pick one to travel with this seems to give the most look options with the 3 different blush tones. You can see it in action here.

Finishing Powder Dim Light
Highlighter Golden Hour (new)
Bronzer Natural Bronze
Blush Luminous Coral (new)
Blush Sunset Flush (new)
Blush Mauve Fusion (new)

Wearing same makeup look as the items in the Deer Palette look, lip color is the Hourglass Phantom Glossy Balm in Mist, below wearing the Sunset Flush Blush

Below wearing Mauve Fusion

I pulled last year’s Evil Eye Palette 2024 to compare. I think I like the look of last year’s better, especially with the pink highlighter, but both are very pretty.

Horse Palette

The Horse Palette and Brush are both exclusive to Sephora and has all repeat shades. I do think this is my favorite out of all three, but since it has all repeats you might want to shop your stash if you already own a lot of previous years’ palettes. You can see it in action here.

Finishing Powder Soft Light
Blush Mood Exposure
Highlighter Supernatural Strobe Light
Blush Iridescent Coral
Blush Iridescent Rose
Bronzer Glistening Bronze Light

Makeup worn is same as above, but lip color is the Unlocked Lipstick in Dahlia. Below wearing Mood Exposure + Glistening Bronze Light.

Below wearing the blush in Iridescent Coral

I was a little hard pressed to pick which one to compare this to, but decided to pull the swatches from Leopard 2023 but I do think there are probably others that the Horse 2025 palette is similar to given the repeats.

Overall love. I think the brushes are beautiful and so well made. Based on the feedback you’ve given me so far the consensus is mixed. Some of you are head over heels in love with the launch while others feel there are still too many repeats and similar shades. At this point I definitely do not need another one since I’ve collected the holiday launches for so many years. I still really look forward to the launches and do get a lot of use out of these. Palettes can be hard to love since there is usually one or two shades I am not crazy about, but with these I can say EVERY single shade is wearable. I love that you can mix and layer too. They’re really great for travel or if you need to throw something in your purse to do your makeup on-the-go.

I skipped the darkest palette Fox because the deepest ones are usually too dark for me. I have seen a lot of great tutorials which makes me want to check it out though. If I pick it up I’ll do another review.

The new Hourglass Palettes are all available now. You can find them at Nordstrom, Sephora, Bluemercury, Ulta Beauty and Hourglass.

0 Comments

Chanel Eye Makeup

Chanel Les 4 Ombres Boutons

September 16, 2025

Chanel Beauty launched new limited-edition eyeshadow palettes called the Les 4 Ombres Boutons Multi-Effect Quadra Eyeshadow ($86 each, Chanel and Nordstrom). They sold out quickly but just restocked online at Chanel. They’re also available at Nordstrom.

There are four variations each with such beautiful elegant embossing with button designs. As a long-time Chanel fan and beauty collector I bought all four and I think they are beautiful. They are on the softer side pigment-wise but I love the textures and finishes.

209 Boutons Mademoiselle is a peachy coral palette with a light warm pink, peachy shade, soft taupe and a diffused ivory shimmer. Wearing this coral quad with the Rouge Allure Liquid Velvet in 238 Emotive and Joues Contraste Intense Cream-to-Powder Blush in Rose Radiant + Beige Eclatant mixed (blush review here). My foundation shade is still the Les Beiges Healthy Glow Foundation in BD41.

_________

219 Boutons Couture is a neutral bronzey variation with different shades of brown and soft taupe.

_________

229 Boutons Stellaire has shades and patterns like the stars, sky, and sun. The shades are really pretty in this one.

_________

239 Boutons Baroque surprised me as my favorite because I normally do not wear purples, but this palette has a mix of a sparkling purple, gold, pink and rosy shimmer.

Overall beautiful and from the feedback so many of you have given me over the past few weeks, most of you love these. I will say that they’re best for those who want a softer eye look. If you’re looking for high intensity pigment, I’d say skip.

Available at Chanel and Nordstrom.

0 Comments

Sales Ulta

Ulta 21 Days of Beauty Sale

September 5, 2025

I have a sale alert to share! It’s one that’s too good to pass up! Ulta is having their 21 Days of Beauty Sale again and they have some amazing deals with different daily deals 50% off. I shared a tutorial with everything on sale this week here. In case you don’t follow on social I wanted to highlight some of the deals here too.

The sale is a little different from most retail sales since they have 1-day offers on select items, but I do think 50% off is the biggest discount I’ve seen from any retailer so I do think it’s worth checking out and marking your calendar.

Ulta has shared a preview of upcoming sales by date so you can browse all the deals in advance here. They also have select items are on sale for a full week, although most of the sales happen for one day only.

My peachy pink makeup look with the sale dates:

Bobbi Brown Weightless Skin Foundation in Natural – on sale 9/5
It Cosmetics for Ulta Brush #115 – on sale 9/5
Tarte Creaseless Setting Powder – on sale 9/10
Anastasia Beverly Hills Brow Definer Medium Brown – on sale 9/6
REM Midnight Eyeshadow Palette in Babydoll – on sale 9/5
Stila Liquid Eyeliner – on sale 9/5
Tartelette Tubing Mascara XL – on sale 9/6
Live Tinted Huebeam Gradient Blushing Bronzer Sonoran Sunrise – on sale 9/6
ABH Glow Seeker in Sun Idol – on sale 9/11
MAC M·A·Cximal Matte in Kinda Sexy – on sale 9/6
Buxom Full On Plumping Lip Polish in April – on sale 9/5

I also picked up some of the Clinique Lip Oils ahead of the sale date, but they will also be 50% off on Sunday 9/7. The Almost Lipstick in Black Honey still remains a cult classic, I remember wearing this in my college days! I love seeing them expand the line to other variations and formulas. The Lip Oils are beautiful and I think the Black Honey shade is a great color for those who want something a little more dressy but still subtle.

Sales on my radar (you can browse all the deals here):

0 Comments

Dior

New Dior Beauty – Powder Filters, Miss Dior Essence, On Stage Lips

September 3, 2025

Dior seems to be the winner this year with the most beauty launches that have won my heart. They launched a few new things recently including a new blurring pressed powder, new fragrance and lipsticks.

Dior Forever Nude Filter Powders

There are new pressed powders called the Dior Forever Nude Matte Filter and Nude Radiant Filter ($52 each). The Nude Matte Filter Powders come in six different shades. I opted for 02 Light for the foundation shades in 2.5N and 3N and it’s a great match. The powder has an ultra fine texture and has a beautiful natural finish. It sets naturally, blurs and adds just the slightest bit of pigment to even out the skin.

The Nude Radiant Filter comes in one shade which is an iridescent white in the compact. On my skin it applies very naturally without any frost and doesn’t leave any white cast. It gives the skin a very natural glow to give a subtle brightening effect.

I shared a demo application of the Nude Radiant Filter here.

Out of the two I think the Radiant Filter is the winner if I had to just pick one. The main downside is both of these have fragrance in them. I sometimes have issues with fragrance in foundation, but with powders I have no irritation. Luckily both of these worked for my skin but I’ve had a lot of readers message me telling me they could not wear these because of the fragrance.

If you want a similar effect but unscented, I recommend trying the NARS Light Reflecting line. They have this in both the pressed and loose versions and I think they are highly under-rated.

New Miss Dior Essence

One of the latest fragrance additions is the Miss Dior Essence which is a bolder more intense variation of the Miss Dior. I was thrilled to be able to partner with Bloomingdale’s to share a first look at this one on Instagram here. This one is noticeably more intense with a strong emphasis on the fruity jam blackberry notes. It’s very gourmand and sweet and I think it’s a fun darker twist on Miss Dior without being too dark. The dry down reveals more woody notes of oak which gives it a unique twist.

Rouge Dior On Stage

I’m always a sucker for new Dior lip launches. The newest for lips is their Rouge Dior On Stage ($48 each). These are ultra creamy opaque lipsticks packaged in a slim twist up tube. To me they are like a creamier thicker version of the NARS Afterglow Sensual Shine Lipstick. I really like the formula and love the colors although I do wish they had more neutrals and lighter options. The colors they launched seem to be more focused on the transition to the fall season. They have a glossy finish and because they are semi-thick they adhere really well to the lips. These have a floral powdery scent.

120 Iconic Rose is the perfect neutral pink on my lips (wearing this with the Blush Soft Filter in Petal)

_______

168 Copper Attraction is a reddish brick brown (wearing this with the Blush Soft Filter in Orchid)

_______

222 Confident Nude is a warm beige tan with a bit of brown (wearing this with the Blush Soft Filter in Orchid)

_______

226 Daring Blush is a bold warm pink rose (wearing this with the Blush Soft Filter in Petal)

_______

Overall love these new launches. My favorite is the Rouge Dior On Stage Lipstick in 120 Iconic Rose but I also love the other shades I picked. All available now. I bought mine from Dior. Fragrance gifted from Bloomingdale’s.

0 Comments

Bronzer + Blush Dior

Dior Forever Blush Soft Filter Review

August 21, 2025

Dior has several new beauty launches this month and I am loving them so far! I picked up the new Forever Blush Soft Filter ($49 each, out now at Dior and Nordstrom) from my local Dior Beauty Boutique and really love the formula. These are soft matte liquid blushes with a whipped texture. They do take a little bit more extra work to blend out but once blended with a brush or fingers you get a very smooth almost airbrushed look.

Since liquid blushes tend to darken on my skin, I decided to pick up the lighter neutral shades. I am happy to report that these don’t oxidize or darken – they stay true to color, but once blended they have a very soft look on the skin. You can layer for more pigment or color without it looking or feeling heavy.

The texture is very soft, almost like a mousse formula. These come with a sponge tip applicator to dot onto the skin. To blend I’ve been loving the Hourglass Ambient Soft Glow Foundation Brush, No 15 Blush Brush and the Fenty Brush 125 – but you can really use any blush brush you own in your stash.

Lasting power has been pretty good. They stay put and look fresh for hours without budging from the skin. I haven’t put them to the full outdoor humidity test for extended periods since it’s too hot right now to be outside long (unless you’re in the shade). It did last remarkably well through a couple hours at dinner outdoors though, so I’m really happy with the performance.

I swatched them all in store except for one (they were missing the tester). Even though they are very pigmented and opaque, I really love how they blend out on the skin.

I picked up six shades and I think the shade range is really good. They have neutrals and bolder shades in a diverse range of colors. I still wear the Dior Forever Perfect Foundation Stick in 3N.

Lip + cheek pairings below:

01 Petal is a soft neutral warm pink, wearing it with the Rouge Dior in 100 Nude Look Velvet

___________

02 Peony is a cool-toned rose, pairing this with Rouge Dior in 100 Nude Look Velvet + Addict Lip Maximizer in 204 Nude Mania – swatched right on the skin

Blended on the skin with a brush

___________

03 Bloom is a brighter coral peach, wearing the + Addict Lip Maximizer in 019 Shimmer Peach

___________

04 Daisy is a light peach, this pulls barely there on my skintone, pairing this with Westman Atelier Squeaky Clean Balm in Nou Nou

___________

05 Lily is a pastel pink, I think this one is a little too pale/chalky on its own for my olive/golden skin, but I think it would look beautiful on neutral-cool tones, wearing this with the Chanel Rouge Coco Baume Shine in 758 Blushing Pink

___________

07 Orchid is a neutral tan beige brown, wearing this with Addict Lip Maximizer in 204 Nude Mania

___________

Overall really happy with these splurges. I’m not usually a matte blush or liquid blush fan but I really love these. I’d say my top three favorites are Petal, Bloom and Orchid.

Available now at Dior and Nordstrom.

0 Comments

Beauty Favorites Loving Right Now

Best of July

August 2, 2025

I’ve been a little MIA on the blog here but hope to post more often here in the near future. I still share new beauty reviews and discoveries nearly every day on social, but I do really miss writing here. I’ll have a Q&A here soon but in the meantime I have a roundup with July’s Top 12 Favorites. Here’s what I loved the most this past month.

Best Scents

Phlur Vanilla Nectar is the best summertime vanilla. This comes in a Hair and Body Mist and I love that it’s not too heavy and it has just the right amount of sweetness! Vanilla Skin is very similar but I love the slightly fruity notes of Vanilla Nectar making it fun for warm weather.

Parfums de Marly Valaya and Valaya Exclusif are my most complimented scents. I gave both a little break for a few months because I felt like I was wearing it too much. I love the Parfums de Marly Trio from the Nordstrom Anniversary Sale (August 3rd is the last day of the sale). I love having the minis to carry in my purse for on-the-go! Valaya is the stronger variation while Valaya Exclusif has a softer feel with powdery notes of almond. Both are very good.

Loewe Tomato Leaves Candle has been on my mind for quite some time but I really didn’t want to splurge. I finally did on the Candle and the Room Spray. The candle in the Medium size is best candle splurge I’ve ever made. It smells like a fresh garden and it’s pure love. The Room Spray is also exceptionally good.

Skin

Dr. Dennis Gross Peel Pads have made the list again! I’ve been really struggling with texture this year and clogged pores from sweat, sunscreen and makeup. Even with double cleansing I still really think a good exfoliator is essential. It did take me a couple weeks to adjust to these but I love that they don’t make the skin feel like there’s a film on it. I started out with 1x per week, then 2x per week. Now I use them every other day at night. They are truly a game changer for clearer better skin. I have my eye still on the Facewear Pro Set with the LED Mask (the set price is a pretty good deal) but since I already own 3 other LED masks that I really love from Foreo and CurrentBody I’m hesitant about splurging on another one.

Hair

T3 Aire IQ Hair Dryer has been another favorite and it’s still on sale for $100 off at Nordstrom for the Anniversary Sale Beauty Exclusives (prices go up August 4th). I love the stand, the attachments and the customization options. You can use the pre-sets based on your hair type and the settings will change with each attachment. You can also pick manual settings for intensity of air flow and temperature. There is a cool shot button too. 10/10 love this. You can see it in action here.

Accessories

Eric Javits Squishee Tote has been a favorite and the design is pure love. It has the best pockets and it’s the perfect size to carry everything I need. I’ve had the Black Mix color for years and it has still held up remarkably well. The team recently gifted the Peanut one and I love the colorway. Both are on sale at Eric Javits. The Hamptons Hat and Squishee Pith Hat are also musts for me.

I’ve been searching for a classic tennis bracelet for what seems like forever. Finding one in the exact size and length I wanted has not been easy as I have small wrists. I will say that after searching tons of reviews on TikTok more and more brands are offering better selections or resizing options these days.

I had narrowed down my options to Mejuri or James Allen and ended up splurging on one from James Allen. I loved the Lab Diamond Earrings I bought from them and found they had a Lab Diamond Tennis Bracelet in a 6 inch length. They have pretty good sales and promo codes if you sign up for their newsletter so I was able to buy one at a very good price.

The one I bought is 6 inches, 4 prong setting, 14k gold in the 5 carat option. It’s so well made. Since it was made to order it did take nearly a month for them to make and ship it but I am 100% happy with the splurge. They have lots of options for length, carat size, metal and settings! They also offer ones with natural diamonds but they are priced quite a bit higher than the lab diamonds.

Another favorite this month was the Tom Ford Penny 55mm Sunglasses. These were my favorite splurge from the Nordstrom sale. I bought the tortoise color.

The Away Clear Travel case is also another favorite. It comes with a removable strap and is technically a stadium bag, but I use it as a mini clutch. It’s perfect for the pool or beach to carry just the essentials. I love the clear option so you can see what’s inside.

Makeup LOVES

The NARS Afterglow Lip Balm is in heavy rotation again. I love these for the formula and color. They’re so comfortable on the lips and add just the right amount of hydration and color. I’ve used up all the colors I bought in the past, but right now I have Orgasm and Fast Lane which are part of an Afterglow Lip Balm Duo at Nordstrom.

Bobbi Brown Easy Neutrals Palette is the perfect everyday quad. Texture and pigment are phenomenal. Shades don’t look as exciting in the pan, but they apply beautifully and blend easily for an effortless look. I am really happy I decided to pick this up, I almost passed after seeing it instore, but I love every single color. It also comes with a gel liner in the set. You can see them both in action here.

OPI Stunn N Done is the most complimented nail color this year. It’s the RapiDry formula so it dries very fast. I wear this shade with 3 coats, but you can definitely wear just 2. It almost makes the fingers glow!

What were your favorites this past month?

0 Comments

Sales Ulta

Ulta Beauty Big Summer Beauty Sale

July 18, 2025

There are so many great sales going on right now. I shared a summer beauty look with Ulta Beauty earlier in the week here on Instagram and thought I’d highlight the sales here on the blog too. They’re having their Big Summer Beauty Sale and it ends July 19th. Lots of great summer beauty finds are marked own with buy one get one 50% off and up to 40% off too.

Here are the best deals on my radar, starting with RMS at 20% off! RMS Beauty is now at Ulta Beauty and the entire line is 20% off. I love their ReDimension Hydra Powder Blushes and Bronzers. I just noticed they added one of my favorite shades Crystal Slipper to several other formulas so I ordered the Luminizer, Lip2Cheek, Eye Lights and Legendary Lip Oil all in the same shade to try. I won’t get them before the sale ends but I’m still very excited to try it all.

Urban Decay Eyeshadows, Mascaras and Pencils are 40% off. I think the 24/7 Eyeshadow in Half Baked is one of my favorite golds. The 24/7 Glide-On Eyeliners are also on sale along with the Perversion Waterproof and Perversion Mascara.

Tons of mascara brands are marked down – SALE Mascaras here. Tarte Mascaras are 40% off and I still swear by the Tubing and XL Tubing Mascaras. Maneater Mascara, Lights, Camera, Lashes Waterproof and Volumizing are on sale. A few Lancome formulas are also included like the Hypnose Drama Instant Full and Monsieur Big Volumizing and Monsieur Big Waterproof. Lots of formulas from Stila, Estee Lauder, It Cosmetics, Grande and more are included.

This week there are lots of hair straighteners that are 30% off. To this day I still swear by the ghd Platinum+ Styler. It goes with me on every trip too. I gifted one of these to a friend and I was also thrilled to see she packed it one one of our trips together.

A huge selection of nail products are BOGO 50% off. The shade I’ve been wearing lately that everyone has been asking about is the OPI RapiDry Stun N Done (pearly champagne). I love their Cuticle Oil and ordered a couple of the ones in the tube to carry in my purse.

I also still swear by the Essie top coats like the Speed Setter or Gel Couture top coat. I think there are so many great shades in the Gel Couture line like Sheer Fantasy (sheer pink), Fuel Your Life (purple) and You Candy-It (bright pink).

A few of you mentioned the Blushed Metal Gel Couture Top coat to me as an iridescent color-shifting topper so I added that to cart and can’t wait to try it!

July 19th is the last day of the sale! If you had anything on your radar I hope you catch this post in time!

0 Comments

Older Posts

Sabrina

Hourglass Holiday 2025 Ambient Lighting Edit Unlocked Palettes

Deer Palette

Swan Palette

Horse Palette

Chanel Les 4 Ombres Boutons

Ulta 21 Days of Beauty Sale

New Dior Beauty – Powder Filters, Miss Dior Essence, On Stage Lips

Dior Forever Nude Filter Powders

New Miss Dior Essence

Rouge Dior On Stage

Dior Forever Blush Soft Filter Review

Best of July

Best Scents

Skin

Hair

Accessories

Makeup LOVES

Ulta Beauty Big Summer Beauty Sale

Follow @beautylookbook