Sabrina, Author at The Beauty Look Book

Lips

Tarte Holiday 2024 Lip Sets

September 25, 2024

Holiday beauty is already starting to trickle in and every year they seem to launch earlier and earlier! As the ultimate fan of the Tarte Maracuja lip lineup, I picked up four of the holiday sets that launched this year and the ones I picked up have all brand new shades.

It’s also been a while since I reviewed and swatched the Maracuja Juicy Lip Plump or Lip Liners. Tarte has been adding new shades to almost all of the Maracuja formulas and I’ve accumulated so many I thought I’d swatch them here.

Quick note that there are a lot more Tarte sets, bundles and variations for this holiday season. Also every retailer seems to have slightly different offerings (Sephora and Ulta have different sets). Some have duos with their best selling shades popular shades while some of the sets have new colors.

Best of Maracuja Juicy Lips Set 2024

Best of Maracuja Juicy Lips Set 2024 ($45, available at Tarte, Sephora, Ulta Beauty, Macy’s) has four new colors and I am 10/10 in love. They’re all neutrals and I love every single shade. The set has:

Maracuja Juicy Lip Vinyl in Spiced Pink, a super opaque and lush medium rose with full coverage and high shine
Maracuja Juicy Lip Plump in Rose Quartz Shimmer Glass, a high sparkle pink rose quartz shimmer shade
Maracuja Juicy Plumping Lip Oil in Cool Mauve, a cool mauve with a glossy finish
Maracuja Juicy Lip Plump in Buffed Rose a tan beige rose

I really like all four formulas. This is my first time trying the oil and while I really love the formula, I’m not sure how long the cushiony sponge tip applicator will last. It’s not flimsy by any means, but it just seems like it could potentially wear down quickly.

Maracuja Juicy Lip Icon Duos

There are three new holiday Maracuja Juicy Lip Icon Duos ($26 each, Tarte, Ulta Beauty, Dermstore). Each set has a Maracuja Juicy Lip Plump Shade and matching Lip Liner.

Rosy Neutrals is my favorite with Rosy Beige shades, both are soft rose pink beige
Spiced Neutrals has Spiced Ginger Lip Liner and Ginger Lip Plump, both are variations of tan/beige/brown
Rich Neutrals is the darkest option with an Rich Brown Lip Liner, a blackened brown and Truffle Lip Plump which is a deep mahogany brown shade

Out of the three sets Rosy Neutrals is the most flattering. Spiced Neutrals is pretty but pulls very flesh-toned on me. I’m not a fan of the Rich Neutrals mainly because the liner is so dark on my lips and the lip plump is a little streaky in finish.

Maracuja Juicy Lip Plump

I am obsessed with the Tarte Maracuja Juicy Lip Plump ($26 each). I love the shades, glossy finish, formula and click up balm style applicator. You can find this formula at nearly every Tarte retailer, but Tarte has the most shades available and they often have sales and bundles that you can mix and match for super savings. The formula is glossy and semi-thick with a gentle plumping formula. It tingles a little but doesn’t sting on me. It almost has a minty cooling sensation on the lips.

I have swatches below of pretty much every neutral they launched. Some of these I just received in the mail so I haven’t tried every shade, but I do know I love White Peach, Peachy Beige, Rosebud, Mixed Berries and Coral Pink. I included shades from the holiday sets in the swatch lineup too.

Maracuja Juicy Lip Liner

The Maracuja Juicy Lip Liner ($22, Tarte, Sephora, Ulta Beauty) is another favorite. These are in a twist up style with a removeable tip sharpener at the end. There are quite a few pretty neutrals and what I love about these is they don’t tug too much when you apply and they also do not budge once they set. My favorite is Nude or Dusty Rose, but I think the new Rosy Beige from the Rosy Neutrals Duo is my favorite.

That wraps up my Tarte lip haul roundup! I think the Best of Maracuja Lips is the best one for the colors and price. They come packaged in a way that you can separate the colors if you want to split it and gift. I ordered all of mine from Tarte (they had some promos going on) but you can definitely find these at your local Ulta Beauty or Sephora. QVC also has great value sets that are often limited-edition so be sure to check them out too if you’re shopping for holiday bundles.

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Have you started to check out any of the holiday launches yet? What’s on your radar?

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Bronzer + Blush

Liquid Blush Roundup Review

September 18, 2024

By popular request I’m rounding up the liquid blushes I’ve tried. The blush trends and new launches are coming at us with full speed with no signs of slowing down. In general I tend to gravitate towards a powder blush formula for lasting power and pigment control. But since liquid blush seems to be so popular right now, I’ve rounded up the ones I’ve tried at all price points. Scroll to the end to find out my Top 3 favorites!

Armani and YSL

Armani Luminous Silk Cheek Tint ($39, Sephora, Nordstrom, Neiman Marcus) is the best formula for me for lasting power, blendability and look. These have a nice soft matte dry down that doesn’t set too fast making it easy to blend without having to rush. Colors are easy to build without looking or feeling heavy. I do think the color range is limited and wish they had more options, but the four I have are lovely. The lightest baby pink shade 53 may be hit or miss for you, but it really surprised me how wearable and brightening it is on my medium tan skin. Demo with 50.3 here.

YSL Make Me Blush Liquid Blush ($39, Sephora) is the newest formula I’ve tried. These have an angled sponge tip applicator like a flat angled sponge which I’m not the biggest fan of, but it’s not terrible. The colors are limited, much like the range from Armani or Charlotte Tilbury. On my skin the shades tend to darken/oxidize slightly but I’m not sure if that will be the case for everyone. I thought the peachy shade would not show up at all but a few seconds after blending it shows up to a darker (but still light) peach. I think the lasting power and nice dry down are both excellent. For some reason though they take a little more blending effort to get an even application that isn’t too strong. Even after blending I would recommend taking a clean brush and buff out the edges for a smoother look. Demo of the shades I tried here.

Chanel

Chanel Les Beiges Water-Fresh Blush ($52, Chanel.com) is the sheerest option of all the liquid blushes. These are going to be the best for someone who doesn’t want to wear a lot of makeup and wants something ultra lightweight. The finish is natural and fresh. The lighter colors pulled very sheer on my skin (they barely show up) but the 3 deeper ones have better pigment for medium-tan skin. I really liked the formula but to be frank I haven’t been reaching for them since they do take a bit more time to blend. Full review + swatches here.

Charlotte Tilbury

Charlotte Tilbury Matte Beauty Blush Wand ($42, Charlotte Tilbury, Sephora, Nordstrom) has an excellent soft matte formula I found easy to blend and layer without looking overdone. Lasting power is very good. Only downside is the limited color range. Demo here.

Hourglass

Hourglass Unreal Liquid Blush ($36, Sephora and Nordstrom) wins for best color range. I think the colors they launched are the most flattering for a fresh look. They do stay dewy looking on the skin and the lasting power isn’t as good as other brands – but that is expected with any dewy looking blush. Full review + swatches here.

L’oreal

L’Oreal Lumi Le Liquid Blush ($11.99, Target) is an impressive formula for pigment, color and lasting power. If you’re looking for a longwear formula, this is it! I had to scrub the formula off my arm to remove although any cleansing oil would have made the removal easier. They have 3 cream finishes and 3 glowy finishes. I think the colors are really beautiful and easy to blend. You can find these at a wide range of places but Target usually has the best prices. The only downside is the packaging isn’t quite as luxe as some of the other brands.

NARS

NARS Afterglow Liquid Blush ($32, Nordstrom) is another favorite, but to be completely honest it’s a formula I’ve neglected. If you want a natural look these are outstanding. The formula has a slightly translucent quality making it look more natural on the skin. They almost feel like a creamy gel. They don’t really ever dry down to a matte finish so they remain slightly dewy looking but on me they last long. Full review here and here.

Rare Beauty

Rare Beauty Soft Pinch Liquid Blush ($14 – $23, Sephora) seems to be the most popular liquid blush out there. I love the color range but the pigment is SO intense that I would not recommend this for a natural look. A tiny dot is enough to cover each cheek. They are easy to blend, but also very easy to over-do. For a blush novice I recommend dabbing on the back of the hand first and then dipping your brush into the product. They launched a Holiday Mini Blush and Luminize Trio ($35) which I think has pretty shades for fall. More swatches + looks in this blog post here.

Ciele and Saie Beauty

Ciele blush and PROTECT SPF 50 Liquid Blush ($34, Sephora) is a formula a lot of you recommended I try. I picked up 3 shades to try and love the formula, applicator and lasting power. These have a nice soft dry down that isn’t too dewy or emollient. They’re easy to blend and a little goes a long way. Pigment isn’t as intense as the Rare Beauty ones making the Ciele blush easier to wear and they look more natural.

Saie Dew Blush Liquid ($25, Sephora) is another popular one that I’m sad to say I do not love. These are also well loved by so many. I find the formula thick and way too dewy looking, but I know that is the way they are meant to be. I’ve tried a few and the packaging doesn’t look or feel good to be. The applicator attachment to the cap is a little wobbly on all the ones I have.

Tarte

Tarte has 2 formulas of the liquid blush: the Maneater Blush and Glow Cheek Plump ($29, Tarte Cosmetics and Ulta Beauty) which I LOVE and a newer Maneater Satin Blush Cheek Plump ($29, Tarte Cosmetics and Ulta Beauty) which is also nice, but I prefer the glow version. I love the formula, color range, finish and lasting power. These come with a sponge tip applicator and they’re super easy to blend.

The Glow formula is a little more natural looking but isn’t too shimmery. I would say out of all the blushes I’ve worn these always get the most compliments. The Satin formula is a little more pigmented but not as intense as the Rare Beauty ones. I don’t know that I really notice a plumping effect on the skin, but the liquid formula is really nice and gives the cheeks a healthy look.

Here are my top picks out of the formulas:

Overall best: Tarte Maneater Blush and Glow for color range and formula (Tarte has a lot of bundle sets like this Duo or this 4-Piece Set)
Best formula: Armani Luminous Silk Cheek Tint
Best color range: Hourglass

Tools

One last tip on tools. I think you can use any cheek brush in your stash to blend. I’ve used a number of powder blush brushes for liquid. I’ll often use a foundation brush for a cream or liquid blush too. If you’re looking for a new one to try, here are a few that I love.

Hourglass No 15 Blush Brush is my favorite right now. It’s not too dense so it’s a little fluffy at the tips. The Hourglass Ambient Soft Glow Foundation Brush is also excellent for blushes.

Love the Laura Mercier Blush Brush as it’s a synthetic one. Works well to blend powders and liquids, this is my most-used cheek brush.

It Cosmetics tools are also very good. They launched a Heavenly Luxe Cream Blush Brush #3 to go with the Cream Sun Blush earlier this year, but it seems to be sold out everywhere except in a set on QVC. Their Brush #7 is for foundation but it also works well with liquid blushes.

For a good budget friendly option Real Techniques is the best. I love their 449 Tapered Cheek Brush ($7.99).

That wraps up my liquid blush roundup! There are dozens more that I haven’t tried and I haven’t even covered cream finishes. If you love a liquid blush let me know what your favorites are!

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Sales

Save 25% off During the Bluemercury Anniversary Sale

September 13, 2024

It’s been a while since I’ve done a sale alert roundup but this one is too good to not share. Bluemercury is celebrating their 25th anniversary with up to 25% off orders $250+ now through 9/22 for Bluerewards members (some exclusions apply). Use code NEWBLUE. If you’re not a member you can sign up for free to unlock access to members-only benefits, offers and events.

This came at the perfect time for me since I’ve had a few pricey things on my list to restock but was waiting for a promo somewhere. I shared my Top 10 luxury beauty must-haves on Instagram in partnership with Bluemercury. I received a lot of great feedback on RMS, La Mer and some other things so I wanted to share a closer look here with some swatches.

Brand exclusions include: Aesop, Baobab, Bluemercury Sets, Diptyque, IS Clinical, Jan Marini, SkinCeuticals, Trudon, Victoria Beckham Beauty, Vintners Daughter. Brands capped at 20% include Elta MD, Oribe, PC Skin, Sturm, Therabody. Dyson products are 15% off.

Skincare Favorites

There are so many great skincare brands that are part of the sale. Three I rotate regularly include La Mer, Sisley and Augustinus Bader. I still love the La Mer Moisturizing Soft Cream as one of my daily go-to’s for a luxury cream. As far as hydrating face mists go, I’ve really loved La Mer for a luxe option and the new Revitalizing Face Mist is one I’ve really enjoyed.

I’m still very sad that La Mer discontinued their original The Tonic and replaced it with The Essential Tonic, but it’s very good – just thicker, more hydrating and almost like an essence/toner. I do recommend it but the Sisley Floral Toning Lotion is my absolute favorite (alcohol free) for sensitive skin. It is scented but it’s very soft and fragrance is very low on the ingredient list. Out of all the toners the Sisley one is the one I’ve repurchased the most and it really works well to refresh and balance the skin.

I’m obsessed with sheet masks and eye masks. There are so many I have on my list that I want to try. I still really love the La Mer Treadment Lotion Hydrating Masks but they are insanely expensive. A couple of you recommended I check out the Deep Purifying Mask and I think it’s my favorite purifying mask (sold out online but might be available at your local store). I didn’t want to splurge, but it’s 10/10 as good as you have said it is.

For an eye mask I love the Augustinus Bader Eye Patches for a hydrogel mask. It really does work well to help with depuffing and it leaves the under eye area refreshed. I also really enjoy the 111Skin Rose Gold or Cryo De-Puffing ones. ReVive also makes an excellent one called the Instant DePuffing Gel Eye Mask.

Hair Care Favorites

I’m obsessed with Oribe and Hair Rituel by Sisley. I feel like Oribe has some of the best shampoo, conditioners and masks – no matter what I try, I keep going back to the Gold Lust line and love the Shampoo, Conditioner and Dry Shampoo.

The Sisley Hair Rituel Hair Oil is the best hair oil I’ve tried. I’ve tried dozens and this has the best consistency that doesn’t weigh down my hair for a soft glossy shine and has a pleasant scent. I also really love their shampoos and conditioners but at the rate I go through hair product it would be too expensive for me to repurchase over and over again.

Mason Pearson brushes are also part of the sale. I rarely ever see these go on sale (although Gilt has a good selection at a discount). Out of all the brushes I’ve purchased the Mason Pearson brushes are the best quality and have lasted me the longest. I love the larger Popular Brush and the Pocket Size (bristle + nylon).

Makeup Favorites

Lots of makeup favorites that is part of the sale. There’s really so much I could mention but here are some highlights.

I’ve been playing with RMS Beauty more and am beyond obsessed. I think the ReDimension Hydra Powder Blushes are 10/10 on all points: colors, pigment, texture, glowy finish, lasting power, blendablity. I have a few shades and love Crystal Slipper for the best neutral and anytime I wear French Rose I get TONS of compliments (I should wear it more). Also think the ReDimension Hydra Dew Luminzer and Hydra Bronzers are incredibly beautiful, but the blushes are the stand outs.

I picked up some lip items to try. I absolutely LOVE the Legendary Serum Lipsticks. These are twist up super opaque creamy lipsticks with a satiny matte finish and the formula is unlike anything else I’ve tried. They almost have a cooling sensation when you apply (not minty or tingly though). The pigment is INCREDIBLE. There are few new nude shades and I really love Mae and Jayne.

I love the Go Nude Lip Pencil texture. I definitely want to check out more shades soon but I picked up Morning Dew and Night Time Nude.

I could go on and on about Tom Ford Beauty. I would say my top 3 picks are the Eye Color Quad (love so many of these but think Hazy Sensuality is incredibly), the Eye Defining Pen is the best liquid liner, and the Shade and Illuminate Duo in Peach Light.

Pat McGrath LUST Gloss is the best smooth non-sticky gloss on the market. I really love all the shades, in particular Love Potion, Nude Venus and Peach Perversion.

RMS Legendary Serum Lipstick Jayne + Pat McGrath LUST Gloss Peach Perversion + RMS Blush in Crystal Slipper

Sisley makes the best matte eyeliner, I love the Phyto-Khol Star Matte Eye Pencil.

A quick shout out for the La Mer Lip Volumizers. I really love the formula as a hydrating lip product. They added sheer tinted shades and while these are pretty much clear on the lips, I still really love the formula. On me they’re really not plumping but more like a smooth glossy serum that hydrates them with a cushiony feel.

Beauty Tools

A quick mention on makeup brushes. Makeup tools are expensive and quite an investment. Three brands I really love for quality and ones that have lasted me years are from Laura Mercier, Hourglass and NARS. I shared a closer look here in a video format which I think is more helpful than photos (they’re also linked).

Perfumes

My last mention is perfume. Parfums de Marly, Creed, Tom Ford and a lot of luxe brands are part of the sale. I still really love Valaya. I might repurchase Creed Aventus for my husband.

I know I covered a lot, I hope this helps in case you were wondering about any of the items I shared in my video yesterday! I know there will be more sales coming up in the holiday months but if you were looking to try out anything new or restock something I think the savings in this event are very good!

UPDATE: A few of the links were not working but I fixed them all. Hope they work now. Also for those of you who said the code NEWBLUE doesn’t work, be sure to be signed up for the Bluemercury BlueRewards! It’s free – you just have to setup your profile first before the promo code will work.

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Bronzer + Blush Highlighters Hourglass Cosmetics

Hourglass Ambient Lighting Edit Unlocked Palettes 2024

September 10, 2024

Hourglass dropped three limited-edition palettes and I literally cannot believe it’s already that time of year. There are three palette combinations in the Ambient Lighting Edit Unlocked Palette for this year ($90 each). This year they finally launched palettes with mostly new shades and I could not be more thrilled. You can find them now online at Hourglass Cosmetics for the early access. They will be launching globally at other retailers from 9/20.

The three palette options this year include:

Dragon Palette (lightest)
Evil Eye Palette (medium tone)
Lotus Flower Palette (deeper tones)

You can order a customized palette online at Hourglass, but I ordered these as the pre-made options. For skintone reference I am wearing the Armani Luminous Silk Foundation in 6.5. I wear the Hourglass Veil Skin Tint in Shade 9 (reviewed here).

Dragon Palette

The Dragon Palette has the lightest tones and variations but I think it’s a versatile one and can be worn on light/fair to tan skin tones. I love this one – it really surprised me because it looks very ordinary in the pan but the shimmers and diffused quality of the powders are really flattering. It’s warmer than last year’s Jellyfish palette.

Dream Light Ambient Lighting Finishing Powder – a soft light pearl with a soft opal sheen
Peach Fusion Ambient Lighting Blush – soft shimmery peach
Divine Light Ambient Lighting Finishing Powder – pale transcluent powder with a pink tone
Mauve Haze Ambient Lighting Blush – soft mauve pink
Soft Bronze Ambient Lighting Bronzer – mid-tone neutral warm bronze
Sunlit Strobe Light Ambient Strobe Lighting Powder – metallic champagne

Look below wearing the Dragon Palette on the cheeks, Dragon Bronze on the eyes topped with the Hourglass Voyeur Eyeshadow Stick in Phoenix and Urban Decay Moondust in Cosmic Craze + Phantom Glossy Balm in Crave

Evil Eye Palette

The Evil Eye Palette is the medium tone palette of the three. At first glance I thought it would be nearly identical to last year’s Leopard. Side by side swatches show the tones are indeed different with a cooler pink highlight, more neutral/pink tones vs warmer shades. They are similar but I think there are noticeable differences.

Soft Light Finishing Powder – sheer soft peach beige
Rose Gold Strobe Light Ambient Strobe Lighting Powder – metallic rose pink champagne
Pink Fusion Ambient Lighting Blush – soft cool pink glow
Oasis Glow Ambient Lighting Blush – shimmery light apricot/peach/tan
Vibrant Coral Ambient Lighting Blush – pink coral
Natural Bronze Ambient Lighting Bronzer – medium neutral bronze

Look below wearing the Evil Eye Palette on the cheeks, Hourglass Scattered Light Eyeshadow in Reflect, Phantom Gloss Balm in Lucid + Pat McGrath LUST Gloss in Peach Perversion.

Lotus Flower

The Lotus Flower Palette is the darkest variation this year. It’s more neutral in undertone compared to last year’s Snake palette. On my medium tan skin tone the new Lotus Flower pulls warmer than what I see in the pan, but it will probably be more neutral on darker skin tones. I love the colors in this palette, but not so much on my skin tone. The shades are stunning for sure, but since the tones are darker they do require an ultra light hand for my skin tone.

Gilded Strobe Light Ambient Strobe Lighting Powder – a stunning warm golden shimmer
Desert Flush Ambient Lighting Blush – burnt peach
Eternal Light Ambient Lighting Finishing Powder – warm amber tan
Radiant Rose Strobe Light Ambient Strobe Lighting Powder – metallic copper rose shimmer
Red 0 Ambient Lighting Blush – deep berry pink
Bronze Heat Ambient Lighting Bronzer – deep bronze

Look below wearing the Lotus Flower Palette on the eyes and cheeks + Phantom Glossy Balm in Slip

My two favorites are the Dragon and Evil Eye. These arrived at the perfect time as I’ll be traveling soon and will most likely bring one of these with me. Are they worth the price or the splurge? I think they are. I love every single color and each palette has enough shades for a full face look – I often use at least 1 or 2 of the shades on the eyes too.

By popular request, here are side by side swatches of the 2023 palettes vs this year’s 2024 launch:

In case you want a closer look at previous palette launches, here are the blog posts (there are lots more, but here are the more recent ones):

Holiday Palettes 2023: Jellyfish, Leopard and Snake

Holiday Palettes 2022: Butterfly, Elephant and Tiger

Holiday Palettes 2021: Face Universe, Face Universe Unlocked, Edit Vol III

Holiday Palettes 2020: Sculpture Palette, Sculpture Unlocked (quad)

I ordered these palettes the second they launched at the Hourglass website. Since then they’ve added a few more holiday items including a Holiday Brush ($52, 2 variations), new Glossy Balm Duo ($55, Trace and Mystic), Brush Set ($150), Full Face Set + Bag ($270) and a few other sets you can check out here.

Available now at Hourglass Cosmetics. Holiday Launches arriving on 9/20 to Nordstrom, Sephora, Ulta Beauty and all other Hourglass retailers.

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Lips NARS

NARS Explicit Lipstick Review

September 6, 2024

NARS revamped their lipsticks with a new formula and refillable packaging style called the Explicit Lipstick ($40, $24 for the refills). These are satin finish with a lightweight formula that offers medium-full coverage and rich color payoff. The NARS team sent a selection of the bold shades to try and as a neutral-lip lover I ordered nudes. Available now at Nordstrom, Ulta Beauty, Sephora, NARS and all NARS retailers.

These new lipsticks are a solid win. Classic in formula. Unscented. Hydrating and lightweight. Even after swatching 10+ shades my lips are still fully intact with no dryness or peeling. I do think the formula being on the lighter side almost makes them feel a bit thin but they have impressive smooth coverage. They’re hydrating and comfortable on the lips. I do wish they were just the slightest bit creamier or thicker but I do really like that the texture isn’t too soft or melty. They seem very sturdy.

Many of the lighter neutrals and medium brown tones look extremely similar but there are noticeable variances in undertone. I was thrilled to find that I could actually wear every single shade. Even the lighter ones (yay!!!).

I split the swatches into two categories: the neutrals and the bolds. For skintone reference I wear the NARS Light Reflecting Foundation in Vanuatu (review here). In this post, I’m also wearing the Total Seduction Eyeshadow Sticks in Strip Down and Mambo along with the Patrick Ta Major Dimension III on the eyes and Deep Throat Blush on the Cheeks.

Here are the Neutral shades I tried:

Adulterous is a nude blush pink
Blame is a peach pink nude
Envy is a beige
Indecent is a neutral-warm beige tan
Liason is a peachy nude
Exposed is a cool beige
Dirty Talk is a warm coral pink

Bold Shades:

Unashamed is a cool mauve
Devious is a cool rose pink
On Top is a chestnut reddish brown
Excess is a reddish brown
Body Heat is a tan brown
Rendezvous is brown rose red
Desirous is a classic red

Overall a solid A. I don’t know that I would call these the best lipstick formula ever, but they are exceptionally good and I think every color I tried is wearable. I would say my top 5 are: Blame, Liason, Adulterous, On Top, Devious.

I also added swatches of the Total Seduction Eyeshadow Sticks ($32) to this post. These launched over the summer and I love the colors but am still not sold on matte creams. In general I don’t like cream matte shadows because they tend to look dry on my lids, especially when they dry down. These are creamy matte eyeshadow sticks with impressive pigment and once they set they do not budge. Since they set quickly you have to work very fast to blend and on my lids they aren’t forgiving. These are wearable and easy to blend for a matte, but I still prefer a powder shadow format for mattes. I think you can get a similar effect with the Patrick Ta Major Dimension III Palette (swatched here).

Overall love the new lip launch for a classic effortless kind of lipstick. The matte cream shadows sticks are very good, but for a cream I prefer some shimmer or for a matte I still prefer powders.

Available now at Nordstrom, Ulta Beauty, Sephora, NARS and all NARS retailers.

Have you tried these yet? What did you think?

Press samples provided for review.

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Bronzer + Blush Chanel

Chanel Joues Contraste Intense Cream-To-Powder Blush

September 4, 2024

Chanel launched a new blush formula called the Joues Contraste Intense Cream-To-Powder Blush ($52, available at Chanel.com). It’s available in five shades and the formula is phenomenal. I picked these up my local beauty boutique and fell in love with the soft cushiony texture. These are soft creams that have a nice dry down in powder form. In a world of dewy blush trends it’s challenging to find a cream formula with a good dry down and satiny finish and the new ones from Chanel are exactly what I’ve been looking for. They almost have a subtle blurring effect on me and I love the classic shades.

The name has the word “intense” in it but these really aren’t that intense. They are buildable on color but 3 are more natural and 2 are intense with the bold bright shades, but they are very easy to blend out.

Lasting power is pretty good, but I don’t think I’d be able to get the full 12-hour wear time and for me that is 100% ok. The lightest beige shade did seem to fade the fastest on me but it’s close to my skin tone. I haven’t given each shade a full day wear test, but the other two I did test for an extended period of time held up well for around 4-5 hours for that fresh look.

These are more on the soft matte side, but they do have a luminous glow quality to them without the shimmer.

Beige Eclatant is a soft beige on me, it’s barely visible in photos but in real life it gives a really pretty soft glow
Rose Radiant is a soft warm rose
Rose Ardent is a cooler toned pink rose
Rouge Franc is a bold hot warm red
Grenat Profond is a berry

Below wearing each shade with a different lip color, also wearing:

Primer – Chanel La Base Illuminatrice
Foundation – Chanel Les Beiges Healthy Glow BD41
Powder – Makeup By Mario SurrealSkin Soft Blur in 2 Neutral Light
Eyes – Natasha Denona I Need a Warm Palette
Brows – Glossier Boy Brow Arch Pencil in Cool Brown
Mascara – Charlotte Tilbury Exagger-Eyes Volume Mascara (new)

Beige Eclatant Blush + 31 Le Rouge Satin 1 Rouge Beige (review + swatches here)

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Rose Radiant Blush + Rouge Coco Bloom in 116 Dream (review here)

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Rose Ardent Blush + 31 Le Rouge Satin 2 Rouge Croisiere (review here)

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Rouge Franc Blush + Rouge Coco Flash Nature Getaway in Bisous (from the Takeaways set, swatches here)

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Grenat Profond + 31 Le Rouge Satin 3 Rouge Roman (swatches here)

I tried these with Chanel brushes and I normally don’t have a preference for which brush I use as they’re usually really versatile and multi-tasking. I did really like the small domed one though the Precision Powder Brush N 107 best for these. The size and shape is perfect. They all work well, I just love the shape for this formula.

Left to right: Precision Powder Brush 107, Blush Brush 110, Contouring Brush 109 and Powder Brush 106.

Bottom line love. You can find these out now at Chanel.com.

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Eye Makeup Natasha Denona

Natasha Denona I Need a Warm Palette

August 30, 2024

Natasha Denona has done it again. Just when I think she’s created the most beautiful palette, she creates yet another stunning launch even better than the last. Although I do think each palette is beautifully unique and different in their own way.

Natasha’s latest is the I Need a Warm Eyeshadow Palette ($69) and it has the most beautiful mix of neutral and neutral-warm tones. It’s absolutely stunning and perfect in every way. On my medium tan skin this pulls more neutral-warm but if you are fair this will probably pull more warm. Available now at Sephora and Ulta Beauty.

This palette has a beautiful mix of mattes and shimmers. She has a new formula for her mattes she calls “slip cream matte” and you have to touch the shadows in real life to understand how they’re powders but still creamy at the same time. Shimmers have a good range with smooth shimmers and then some more sparkly metallics.

There’s enough variation in this palette for me to create a full eye look from a soft base, soft crease shades, deeper shades for a soft liner and then a multitude of shimmers for different toppers or layering looks.

Swatches below:

I couldn’t get a good detail shot of the eye look but she has some great videos on her Instagram feed that really capture the details and variations of the shades in action. Here’s a look I did wearing: Mellow, Vim, Flashover, Fervor and Push. Also wearing:

Foundation: Charlotte Tilbury Beautiful Skin Foundation 7N
Powder: Makeup By Mario SurrealSkin Soft Blur Setting Powder 2 Neutral Light
Set: Makeup by Mario SurrealSkin Soft Setting Spray
Blush: YSL Make Me Blush Liquid Blush 37 Peachy Nude + 57 Coral Clash
Lips: Huda Beauty Faux Filler Gloss Honey (swatches here)
Mascara: CoverGirl 3D Enhancer Mascara
Nails: Olive and June Starfruit Shimmer Gloss Nail Polish

By popular request I did side by side swatches next to her I Need a Nude Palette (reviewed here) and her Golden Palette (also reviewed here). I think they’re all very different in beautiful ways. Each palette will look different on you depending on your skin tone and also undertone. Her I Need a Nude pulls more neutral-cool on me while her Golden pulls more like a neutral. This I Need a Warm is warmer, but more neutral-warm on my skin tone.

I Need a Warm versus I Need a Nude

I Need a Warm versus Golden

Bottom line 10/10. Textures and pigments are stunning, easy to blend, rich in pigment and long lasting. I think this is the best one she’s launched yet and I can’t wait to see her next creation.

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Available now at Sephora and Ulta Beauty.

Palette gifted for review.

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