Chanel launched a new lipstick called Rouge Allure Velvet Nuit Blanche ($50 each at Chanel.com) in a black and white case. The lipsticks are designed for each hour of the night featuring Margo Robbie as their beauty muse. I’m late to the game trying these but I’m really happy I did. I managed to snag Shade 07:00 in the second restock after it sold out. I am really hoping they restock again!
The formula is an ultra smooth velvet with a slightly luminous kind of finish so it’s not flat or drying. This Rouge Allure Velvet formula is exceptionally smooth, truly beautiful and pure luxury. Colors apply flawlessly. You can wear these blotted for a soft diffused blurred matte or apply with a heavier hand for full coverage.
The Chanel team sent a 4 piece boxed set which I don’t see on their site, but all the Rouge Allure Velvet Nuit Blanche shades are available individually.
00:00 is a warm dusty red
01:00 is a burnt orange
02:00 is a brighter orange red
06:00 is a plum
07:00 is a sheer barbie pink
As a neutral lip lover you can probably guess my favorite is the one I bought shade 07:00. It’s the perfect bright sheer pink. The formula on this one seems to be different from the other shades. 07:00 is sheerer with less pigment and it also has a more glossy finish on me which I love.
Even though I don’t wear bold reds or oranges I can appreciate these for more dressy occasions where you want to wear a statement lip. Nobody else does it quite like Chanel for a classic luxury lip.
For her lip liners and lipsticks she now as a shade called Pillow Talk Fair which is a cool-toned baby pink. I really love the Lip Cheat in Pillow Talk Fair which pulls a slightly bit deeper but the K.I.S.S.I.N.G. Lipstick is too pale and contrasted with my natural lip tone to work for me. It has a beautiful creamy formula that performs just as well as her other lipsticks. The shade is just too light and for me. For those who find her original Pillow Talk warm I think the new Pillow Talk Fair will be much better for you.
I’ve swatched all the Pillow Talk shades I have in the Fair, Original and Medium. I added Icon Baby to the mix by popular request. I really love that shade (reviewed here) but several of you aren’t a fan of the sparkle and glitter texture. It does not bother me but some were hoping that Pillow Talk Fair would be the same as Icon Baby without the shimmer. Swatching them side by side I think they’re very different.
I still like the original Pillow Talk the best for her lipsticks.
Charlotte Tilbury’s new Pillow Talk Big Lip Plumpgasm Plumping Lip Gloss is going to be either hit or miss for you depending on your pain tolerance for the tingle. I’d rate it an 8 out of 10 with a very strong sting that doesn’t go away. Some plumpers tingle for a few minutes but then the tingle fades. These are very strong on me and as much as I tried to love these, I just can’t. The tingle is as strong as the Fenty Heat and Maybelline Lifter Plumping Glosses on me and I cannot handle it.
Colors are really beautiful though. I found it really interesting on my arm swatches (above) they pull really warm and almost orangey looking. In the tube and on my lips they pull more neutral.
I wish these were in a lip gloss vinyl/lacquer formula instead of the plumpers but I know plumpers are popular so I do see these being very on trend.
Collagen Lip Bath
I’ve saved the best for last because I think I love the Collagen Lip Bath more than anyone else. These give the illusion of fuller lips but it’s not really a plumping gloss, it has a high shine with a cushiony feel that makes them look super lush and glossy.
Rosy Glow is actually my favorite which I don’t have anymore because I’ve used it up multiple times (so I’m re-ordering as one last Sephora haul). I do really love the new Pillow Talk shades along with the Original.
Pillow Talk Fair is a pale milky pink but it’s one I can wear without looking like I have white-out on my lips. Pillow Talk Original is a nude pink. Pillow Talk Medium is a deeper rose nude. Pillow Talk Deep is pretty sheer but with some layering it gives a really pretty chestnut brown look.
I added swatches next to Refresh Rose, Peachy Plump and Walk of No Shame.
Overall I think these are beautiful additions to the Pillow Talk lineup. The KISSING Lipstick did not work for me shade-wise and the Plumping Lip Glosses are a no-go as they’re too painful for me to handle.
The others are solid A+ material.
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.
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
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.
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.
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.
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.
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
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.
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.
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!
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
The best eyeshadow palettes and formulas are from Natasha Denona, Too Faced and Pat McGrath. Here are my favorites right now.
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
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)
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.
Shampoo + Conditioner
I’ve been absolutely obsessed with Oribe and Kerastase lately. They’re the formulas I keep going back to.
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.
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
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.
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
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.
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.
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
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!
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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
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.
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.
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!
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