Sabrina, Author at The Beauty Look Book

Pat McGrath Labs MatteTrance New Fall Shades

August 17, 2018

Pat McGrath Labs has launched ten new shades of MatteTrance Lipstick ($38 each for 4 g/0.14 oz, made in Italy) and every single color is pure perfection. These are full coverage, creamy, smooth opaque lipsticks with a velvety matte finish. The are soft mattes with a perfect finish that don’t look dry. I cannot detect any scent to these. Lasting power is pretty good and they don’t slide off or around. Color transfer will happen if you snack or drink but otherwise they stay put.

The ten new fall colors in this launch include:

Christy – soft pink with a very slight hint of peach
Beautiful Stranger – neutral rose cream
Flesh 5 – muted brown red
Guinevere – brick red
Executive Realness – bright raspberry
Fever Dream – muted coral
Forbidden Love – deep bold bright red
Elson 2 – bright electric orange
Deep Orchid – bold purple cream
Extravaganza – vibrant orchid pink

Swatches below:

A closer look:

Two sets of swatch comparisons to other Pat McGrath MatteTrance, LuxeTrance (lip swatches here and here) and Liquid Lipstick shades (review here) and also a set with some Charlotte Tilbury Matte Revolution Swatches (reviewed here). To me Femmebot and Christy almost look identical, but Christy has a little bit more warmth and is a little bit lighter in color. Attitude and Flesh5 look close, but Attitude is the LuxeTrance formula and a little more brown while Flesh5 is matte and has more red tones.

So many of you have asked for a comparison of formula between the Pat McGrath MatteTrance vs Charlotte Tilbury Matte Revolution Lipsticks. Both are among my favorites for matte lipsticks. The Pat McGrath is creamier, more opaque, smoother with richer coverage. The Charlotte Tilbury by comparison is still pigmented but not as creamy. Since it’s less creamy you can create a more slightly more natural look. I don’t think one is better than the other, they’re just different.

Previous reviews and swatches of her lipsticks here and here.

Bottom line lots to love. Pat McGrath launched some beautiful shades this round and even though I’m usually a neutral lip lover I think the color range has wearable colors for a classic look. I think Deep Orchid is a stunning purple that I’ll wear for nights out. You can find the new Pat McGrath Labs MatteTrance colors out now. Available online at Pat McGrath Labs and Sephora.

Have you tried any Pat McGrath lipsticks or glosses yet? What did you think?

Pat McGrath fall shades provided courtesy of Pat McGrath Labs for review.

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Lips Tom Ford Beauty

Tom Ford Lip Sculptor and Lip Lock Priming Balm Review

August 15, 2018

Tom Ford has some new lip products launching this fall and I picked up a few items as soon as I saw them pop up online. Right now the latest includes 20 shades of Lip Sculptor ($46), a Lip Lock Priming Balm ($46) and a Lip Exfoliator ($46). I bought four of the lip sculptor twist-up pencils and the priming balm to try. I also swatched all the shades of the pencils for reference in case you can’t get to a counter.

The Tom Ford Lip Lock Priming Balm is almost identical to the MAC Prep+Prime Lip. I do feel the Tom Ford has a slightly more emollient feel and it also has the signature vanilla Tom Ford lipstick scent. The MAC has been a long-time staple. Anytime someone asks for a lip primer recommendation for something to help smooth the lip without the slip of a lip balm, I recommend the MAC. The Tom Ford Lip Lock Priming Balm is similar in the sense it’s a creamy lip product you apply to bare lips before lipstick to help prevent feathering. I don’t use a primer all the time, but I find it particularly nice with opaque cream lipsticks or mattes. It helps prevent color from sinking into fine lines and also helps smooth the surface. I find with mattes I need a smooth surface without any dry patches or flakes. This balm helps smooth the surface. According to the description, this is paraben-free; sulfate-free; phthalate-free; silicone-free; glycerin-free; sulfite-free; talc-free; PEG-free; peroxide-free; mineral oil-free; BHA-free; BHT-free; alcohol-free; propylene glycol-free; petrolatum-free; formaldehyde-free; ethanolamine-free.

I think the Tom Ford priming balm is excellent and I’m glad I bought it. I think it was worth the splurge but once I use it up I think I’ll stick with my MAC.

The Tom Ford Lip Sculptors are essentially a fancy lip pencil with a brush on one end and a twist up portion on the other. They are packaged with a beveled tip so you can sculpt the lips. Pigment is medium and texture is creamy, smooth, doesn’t tug and has a velvety soft finish. The colors are so good I really wish they were just lipsticks instead of pencils. There is a new Satin Matte Lip Color Lipstick launching later this fall (available for pre-order) which I’m intrigued about. I’m assuming the Lip Sculptors are designed to be coordinated with the new mattes. For now I can wear the Lip Sculptors alone or like a lip liner. I like that when I apply all over the lip it’s almost like a soft matte lipstick.

I picked four colors and they are pretty similar. I must admit I was overwhelmed at the counter. There are 20 shades! I don’t think there’s a single bad color, every option looked beautiful. The reds to me look nearly identical but most reds with any brand of lipstick, pencil or gloss do. The difference is in the undertone. I would have picked up one of the plums, but the price point is steep and I wanted to wait for later launches. Bottom line these are excellent formula and color-wise. I still think they are really overpriced, but I’m happy with my picks.

Colors I bought:

03 Deviate is a perfect nude
05 Slash is a pale pink nude
06 Bait is a warm pink, can be patchy if you have dry spots
14 Crave is a mauve

I like that Slash is pale but not too pale like Spiced Honey Lip Color was on me.

Swatched on bare lips, coverage is buildable to full with layering. Finish has a velvety look, but it’s not dry:

Swatches of all the colors. There is also a clear version which I did not swatch, colors are: 01 Divulge, 02 Invite, 03 Deviate, 04 Extort, 05 Slash, 06 Bait, 07 Conspire, 08 Elicit, 09 Crush, 10 Ensnare, 11 Charge, 12 Exploit, 13 Dominate, 14 Crave, 15 Devour, 16 Succumb, 17 Subvert, 18 Instigate, 19 Manipulate, 20 Electrify

Labeled with names instead of the numbers:

On the nails is Chanel Resplendissant

Swatch comparisons below to a few other neutrals including Laura Mercier Velour Extreme in Vibe, Pat McGrath Permagel Ultra Lip in Bare Rose, Charlotte Tilbury Lip Cheat in Iconic Nude, Bobbi Brown Lip Pencil in Beige, Pat McGrath Permagel Ultra Lip Pencil in Buff, Burberry Lip Contour in Medium, MAC Lip Pencil in Whirl and MAC Boldly Bare

At $46 each these are really expensive loves. I’m happy with my picks. I wish the lip pencils were lipsticks and then I could justify buying more of the colors. Color-wise I know red and bold pinks are popular classics but I would have liked to see a few more plum options. Maybe a couple chestnut colors or one peach. Still I think the color lineup is beautiful and I do believe there is something for everyone.

You can find the Tom Ford Lip Sculptor and Lip Lock Priming Balm out now. I bought mine from Nordstrom. Tom Ford Beauty is also available at Neiman Marcus, Saks Fifth Avenue, Sephora and Beautylish.

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Base Makeup By Terry

By Terry Nude-Expert Duo Stick Foundation Review + Swatches

August 13, 2018

The latest from By Terry is her new Nude-Expert Duo Stick Foundation ($48 for 8.5 g/0.3 oz, made in Korea). I’ve been a really big fan of the By Terry foundation bases including her Cover-Expert and CC Cream. It’s been a while since I’ve played with stick foundations and I think this new formula is quite nice. The Nude-Expert Duo Stick currently comes in 10 shades with a twist up stick on one end and a small sponge applicator on the other. These are split formula creams, half is a semi-sheer highlighter and half is a foundation. They are on the compact side but there is actually a lot more than I expected based on the packaging. I’ve played around with these for a little over a week now. I’m happy to report that it holds up remarkably well in humid weather. More thoughts and review below. I’m thrilled to be able to share swatches of the entire lineup as well.

The formula is creamy, smooth and glides on the skin nicely. It is heavily scented with a scent I find hard to put my finger on. It’s not quite floral, but it almost smells like a sweet almond cake. The scent isn’t too strong though and it did not irritate my skin. Texture is semi-emollient in the sense it’s creamy but has a nice dry down so it’s not greasy. They are packaged in a similar size/format to the Glow-Expert Highlighters (my picks reviewed here).

The Nude-Expert Duo Stick is described as having a matte finish, but with the highlighter portion there is a satiny glow. There are two shades of highlighter in the entire lineup. The first five shades have a champagne pearl color, the second five shades have a sheer golden champagne color. Pigment/coverage wise I find it very natural for a stick. There is enough coverage to smooth out and even the skin but it still looks like skin. I’d rate it medium in coverage. I still need concealer for under the eyes and spots but for an everyday natural effortless base this is excellent. It smooths out my skin tone, blends evenly without any streaking, looks natural with a radiant matte finish. I think it would be suitable for a wide range of skin types.

Lasting power was really good on my skin. It truly does have a semi-matte finish. In terms of stick foundations, the Hourglass Vanish Seamless Foundation Stick has more opaque coverage. The Make Up For Ever Ultra HD Stick Foundation also is more opaque and thicker with a heavier feel. I haven’t replaced either in a while, right now I don’t have a good match in the Hourglass lineup (I’m a lot more tan than I was in San Diego!) and the Make Up For Ever one is one I feel like I should definitely replace but I haven’t had a chance to swatch and rematch myself.

Swatches of all the colors below. I think they’ve done an excellent job at formulating colors for light to fair skin tones, however there are definitely gaps for those with medium-tan, olive to deep skin tones. My best matches are either 7 Vanilla Beige and 9 Honey Beige right now. The MAC equivalent is NC35 or NC37 (which is what I wear in the Studio Fix Fluid Foundation Formula). I truly hope they will consider expanding the color lineup because I think it’s an excellent formula but limited on colors.

Current shade lineup:

1 Fair Beige
2 Neutral Beige
2.5 Nude Light
3 Cream Beige
4 Rosy Beige
5 Peach Beige
7 Vanilla Beige
9 Honey Beige
10 Golden Sand
15 Golden Brown

Swatches of each portion mixed together then applied on the arm. The shimmer side is sheer enough that it gives the foundation a hint of glow on the skin:

Just the highlighter side swatched, you can apply it by itself on the skin, but with any duo-split formula I usually find it’s best just to mix them:

Below wearing:

Foundation is Nude-Expert Duo Stick in 9 Honey Beige
No powder worn
Blush is By Terry Compact Expert Amber Light 5 (reviewed here)
Lips are Bobbi Brown Crushed Lip Color in Bare + Lip Gloss in Sandy Beige (review here)
Eyeshadow is Urban Decay Naked Palette
Brows are the Diorshow Brow Styler in Universal Brown
Top from Madewell

Some more swatches and comparisons, first set is with the lightest colors compared to the Laura Mercier Flawless Fusion Concealers in 1N, 1C, 2N, 2C and 2W. I think the color lineup for fair skins is pretty good. I know a number of my fair skin readers struggle to find something light enough in color, I hope you find a match here!

Second set is lined up next to the three Stylo-Expert Click Sticks I bought last year in 4.5, 5 and 8:

One last look at all the colors:

Bottom line, excellent formula and I’m happy to have a few colors that match my skin tone. The mix of glow and matte is really nice and easy to wear. It gives me enough coverage to even out the skin and texture feels lightweight enough to not feel heavy even in humid weather. I really hope they expand the color range – what they have now is limited! You can find the By Terry Nude-Expert Stick Duos out now. Available at Beautylish, Barneys New York, Bluemercury, Space NK and Revolve. Do you have a favorite stick foundation?

Foundation sticks provided courtesy of By Terry team for review.

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Lips NARS

NARS NARSissist Wanted Velvet Lip Glide Set

August 9, 2018

NARS x Ulta launched another exclusive mini lip set called the NARSissist Wanted Velvet Lip Glide Set ($45 for 3.4 ml / 0.12 oz x 6). As a lover of minis I couldn’t resist picking this up while browsing through Ulta a few weeks ago. This has six small Velvet Lip Glides, two of which were launched earlier this year individually in Swing and Roseland swatched here. The other four shades are exclusive to the set for now.

Inside you have six colors that I think are perfect for everyday wear:

District is a medium peachy pink
Swing is a perfect neutral nude beige
Lure is a warm soft orange
Roseland is a pretty pink rose
Spike is a perfect mauve plum
Vault medium neutral-warm brown

I think every single color is perfect in this set. Loving everything in a set is rare for me but this one equals pure love. I’ve reviewed the Velvet Lip Glide formula before but in case you haven’t tried it, these are medium coverage liquid lip products that have a liquid lipstick feel but lighter in weight and without the matte dry down. There is a soft slight sheen to the finish but it has a more velvety feel. Lip swatches on bare lips below. Lasting power is like a regular lip gloss – you’ll have to reapply every few hours or if you snack.

There have been a number of request for swatch comparisons for Cozumel from the NARS Undressed Liquid Lip Set (reviewed here). I pulled the ones I thought might be similar to that along with ones from this set in attempts to dupe it. From left to right below:

NARS Wanted Velvet Lip Glide Set (Ulta Exclusive)
- District
- Swing (available individually)
- Lure
- Roseland (available individually)
- Spike
- Vault
Velvet Lip Glide Unlaced (reviewed here)
Velvet Lip Glide Suck (was a Nordstrom exclusive reviewed here, now available at NARS)
Full Vinyl Lip Lacuqer in Santo Domingo (reviewed here)
2017’s NARS x Ulta Lip Glide Set with Night Together, Rapture and Californication
Velvet Lip Glide Xenon (reviewed here)
Velvet Lip Glide Bound (swatched here)

One last look:

Bottom line, I think the set is an easy win. The colors are perfect for summer to fall. There is a good range of warm and neutral for me. I love that Spike isn’t too blue in undertone which makes it easy to wear. I don’t mind that there are repeats of Swing and Roseland as those are my favorite colors anyways. Lure does pull a little orangey/warm on me but I think it’s summer appropriate. It’s also a good one I can mix in with pale colors to balance out for my lip/skin tone. For previous NARSissist Wanted reviews:

NARSissist Wanted Eyeshadow Palette reviewed here
NARSissist Wanted Cheek Palettes and Power Pack Lip Duos here

You can find the NARS NARSissist Wanted Velvet Lip Glide Set available at Ulta Beauty and at NARS Cosmetics. I do believe it’s limited-edition. I highly recommend it.

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NARS

NARS Atomic Blonde Eye and Cheek Palette Review

August 7, 2018

NARS launched a new limited-edition palette called the Atomic Blonde Eye and Cheek Palette ($59, Sephora exclusive). It has a perfect sunkissed summer vibe with warm bronzey colors for eyes and face. It comes in a mirrored compact with six colors, two of which are repromotes:

Icon Eyeshadow – shimmering soft warm tan gold
Isolde II Eyeshadow – shimmery warm copper
Kink Eyeshadow – warm sparkle copper
Galapagos Eyeshadow – matte deep brown with gold flecks
Last Call Highlighting Blush Powder – soft golden sandy beige shimmer
Unleashed Bronzing Powder – matte sheer warm brown

The eyeshadows are for the most part shimmery. Icon and Isolde II have perfectly soft textures that are easy to blend powders. Kink is a very sparkly eyeshadow which I found best applied with a super dense brush or fingers in a patting motion. Galapagos is a formula that has a matte base but enough gold flecks to make it sparkly. It’s best applied with a dense brush along the lash line or on top of a creamy liner smudged/blended. For me all the eyeshadows performed well without any issue. Kink does have some fallout if you apply with a loose fluffy brush – it may take some experimenting application-wise.

The cheek colors are both soft. Last Call has a semi-sheer finish which is great if you want a soft glow vs sharp frost but it’s not really the most unique shade. It does have a soft warm golden sheen that is more flesh-like than most champagne shimmers but the effect is going to be similar to a lot of other highlighters. Unleashed Bronzing Powder is one I have mixed feelings about. It’s sheer and stiff in texture making it more of a very soft contouring powder on me. As a bronzing powder if it had more pigment or a softer texture I feel it would be too dark for my complexion. Since it is harder and sheerer it gives my skin a very soft contoured look. I don’t typically use contouring powders – I usually just use any regular bronzer to add a tiny bit of dimension.

The palette itself is really pretty and easy to wear for me. Each time I tested it I was happy with the performance and look. It’s a super easy to wear palette that I don’t have to think about when applying. It has all the colors I need, minus a cream shadow base and a little bit of color for blush, but there are a lot of days I don’t wear blush – just bronzer. I do think it would be better if the bronzer had a different texture/finish. But since it’s stiff and semi-sheer it does work well on me as a crease blending color to add depth on the eyes (even though it’s meant for the face). I’m not the biggest glitter shadow fan I would have preferred if Kink weren’t a glitter but I can make it work and I think it’s really nice for summer. Since summer won’t end here in Florida until maybe November I will get a lot of wear out of the colors.

Quick and easy look wearing Laura Mercier Flawless Fusion Foundation in Buff, Laura Mercier Flawless Fusion Concealer in 3W (swatches of all shades here), La Mer Pressed Powder in Medium, Diorshow Brow Styler Universal Brown, Eyes + Cheeks are NARS Atomic Blonde Eye and Cheek Palette, Lips are NARS Full Vinyl Lip Lacquer in Santo Domingo (review here).

Since the cheek colors are ones I feel are easy to dupe, here are a few swatch comparisons below: Natasha Denona Glow 01 Light is more pink and has more shimmer (reviewed here), Charlotte Tilbury Filmstar Bronze and Glow Light-Medium is more neutral/cool, NARS Highlighting Powders in Fort de France and Ibiza have more shimmer, Becca Sunlit Bronzers in Ipanema Sun and Maui Nights have deeper color and are easier to build pigment-wise:

One last look:

Overall easy to use, nice wearable colors. Two shades I’d love to change a little color or formula-wise but I can make the palette work as it is. It’s pretty much an effortless one that I can apply any day for any occasion. In a sense I’m glad the bronzer is stiff/sheer because the color works for my complexion, otherwise I feel like it would be too dark for me to wear.

The NARS Atomic Blonde Eye and Cheek Palette is available at Sephora. It’s listed as a Sephora exclusive, but right now you can also find it online at NARS Cosmetics. It’s limited-edition. Have you checked this one out yet? What did you think?

NARS Atomic Blonde provided courtesy of NARS for review.

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Loving Right Now

Beauty Shelfie Favorites + Loving Right Now

August 5, 2018

Rounding up some of my beauty shelfie favorites right now including more thoughts on the best clear makeup bag I’ve found along with a new hair oil I just discovered. A quick look above at one of my shelfies. I’m constantly reorganizing things and trying to find better storage solutions to stay organized. I finally put together more of the Ikea Billy Bookcases which I find more convenient these days compared to the Alex Drawers. Having an open shelf allows me to see things better vs. a set of closed drawers. I still also make a lot of use out of acrylic storage units and clear shoe boxes to store items. I hope to have an updated post but in the mean time you can see how they were put to use when we lived in San Diego here.

I’m highlighting my favorites below, but if you want everything on the top shelf photo listed out, scroll down to the bottom of the post!

Fragrance Favorites

Byredo has been a long time favorite and a mini hair perfume trio just launched in two variations. I bought the Triplé Gannant Bois Hair Perfume Trio which has three 30 mls vs the 75 ml individuals. The trios are pretty expensive but I’m obsessed with how cute they are. The one I ordered has Mojave Ghose, Bal D’Aftique and Gypsy Water. I’ve also been loving the candles from the line – they’re really strong and have excellent throw. Tree House has been burning at our home lately. It’s not really a summer scent but I love it any time of the year. It has notes of cedar, bamboo, sandalwood, guaiac wood and hay.

For perfume my new go-to has been the Jo Malone Neroli and Basil perfume. I still have my others in frequent rotation (Spring to Summer Fragrance Edit here with my favs from Creed, Tom Ford and more). But the Jo Malone one has been a new favorite. It’s fresh and light and I find it pretty strong.

Makeup Favorites

Even though the Nordstrom x Hourglass Ambient Lighting Blush Palette has 2 existing colors I already own I find myself reaching for this palette a lot. You can see the full review here.

For lips I’ve been loving the Sisley Phtyo-Lip Delights but for more color the NARS Full Vinyl Lip Lacquer in Santo Domingo is the perfect neutral light pink and the Pat McGrath LUST Glosses are perfect for a medium wash of color (Flesh Fantasy shown). I’ve linked all the swatches above.

So many of you have been asking what the nail color is that I’ve been wearing – it’s OPI Samoan Sand, but with three coats. For some reason I always felt it was too warm/dark for me, but I just looked at it recently at Ulta. Maybe it’s because I’m more tan now but it’s like my perfect everyday neutral that isn’t too pale. On the nails here and here.

Other Things I’ve Been Loving

The best clear makeup pouch pick for me is still The Daily Edited Transparent Cosmetic Case. The color shown is their Pale Pink but I also have it in Taupe and Black. You can see the full review, dimensions and colors side by side in my post here. Quality is on point and I compared it to the ones from Anya Hindmarch and Truffle as well. I’ve received a number of questions on which color is my favorite. I really find that hard to answer! I don’t think you can go wrong with any of their options. Also for monogramming questions I often get the small font size with a blind monogram.

Other beauty favorites right now include the Omorovicza Queen of Hungary Mist because it’s lightweight enough for humid weather but still has enough hydration to refresh the skin. I mentioned that I ordered the La Mer Moisturizing Matte Lotion and I’ve been testing it for a little over a week and really like it for this humid weather here in Florida. It has a soft matte finish but is still moisturizing on the skin. I’ll have to test it more for a detailed review but first impressions are really positive for me.

Gisou launched a travel size of the Honey Infused Hair Oil and they sent one for review. It’s the best smelling hair oil I’ve ever tried and I’m usually not a fan of honey scents. It’s thick/dense in the bottle but a little drop does blend well when warmed up in the hands. It adds moisture and shine. I only need a tiny bit from the middle to ends of my hair. It’s just what I needed as the heat and water here tend to dry out my ends. You can find the full size at places like Revolve or Urban Outfitters as well. Right now the Travel Size is only available on the Gisou website.

Last but not least I’ve been really liking the By Terry UV Base. I reviewed it here in this post. It has SPF 50 and really does prevent the burn and while nothing here can truly prevent the tanning process from the sun, I feel like it has minimized it. I still like the Supergoop! Unseen Sunscreen but sometimes it’s nice to rotate. I feel like the By Terry one has less slip/silicone-like feel.

Sunglasses below are from Kate Spade. I bought them in two colors from the Nordstrom Anniversary Sale – it’s so hard for me to find frames this size and I love them. The color on the sides/back also make for a fun accent.

What have you been loving lately? I love reading about your beauty favs!

Press samples featured include the NARS Santo Domingo, Pat McGrath Flesh Fantasy, Gisou Hair Oil, By Terry UV Base. Other items purchased by me.

Full shelf features listed below, press samples indicated with a * top shelf: Diptyque Baies small candle recycled, Diptyque Chene candle, Byredo Triplé Gannant Bois Hair Perfume Trio, Laura Mercier Flawless Fusion Foundation in Buff, Gisou Honey Infused Hair Oil (travel size)*, Diptyque Infini Candle (discontinued), Laura Mercier Nude Lip Trio, La Mer Moisturizing Matte Lotion, Sisley Hair Rituel Hair Oil*, Byredo Bal D’Afrique Hair Perfume, Chanel Le Vernis in Organdi, Nuvola Rosa and Halo

Middle shelf: Marc Jacobs Coconut Dew Drops, Byredo Unnamed Perfume (discontinued but to me Black Saffron smells similar), Chanel Les Beiges Blush Stick*, Omorovicza Queen of Hungary Mist (small size), NARS Full Vinyl Lip Lacquer Santo Domingo*, Hourglass Mineral Veil Primer, Jo Malone Basil and Neroli, Laura Mercier Flawless Skin Daily Face Shield, OPI Nail Polish Samoan Sand, The Daily Edited Transparent Cosmetic Case (filled with some of my own items), L’Oreal Lash Paradise Primer, Kate Spade Claretta Sunglasses, Omorovicza Queen of Hungary Mist (larger size*), Oribe Dry Texturizing Spray

Bottom shelf: Jo Malone Wood Sage and Sea Salt, Byredo Mojave Ghost Hair Perfume, Tom Ford Eau de Soleil Blanc, Tom Ford Lip Color Sheer Nudiste, Hourglass Ambient Lighting Blush Palette, Byredo La Tulipe, Byredo Woods and Tree House Candles, Diptyque Do Son Perfume (from a limited-edition fragrance set), MAC All Things Magical Lipglass, Oribe Superfine Hair Spray

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Bobbi Brown Nordstrom

Bobbi Brown Deluxe Eye + Cheek Set and Nude Lip Color Trio Review

August 4, 2018

I have some quick first impressions on two of Bobbi Brown x Nordstrom Anniversary Sale sets. I picked up the Deluxe Eye + Cheek Set ($98) and Nude Lip Color Trio ($84). Both offer classic everyday colors for the conservative beauty lover. The sale ends on August 5th so I wanted to swatch these for you quickly in case they were on your radar.

The Bobbi Brown Deluxe Eye + Cheek Set has an impressive offering for eyes and cheeks. It’s priced at $98 but they value it at $380. I’m not exactly sure how they came up with that value but it is still a good deal since you get 12 eyeshadows and four cheek products in a sturdy mirrored compact. There is a small eyeshadow brush I think is pretty worthless (to be frank) but to be fair when is the last time we got a decent brush in a palette anyways? It’s not a deal breaker for me, it usually isn’t plus I prefer my full size individual brushes anyways.

The eyeshadows run neutral to cool toned. Textures and finishes range from matte, to shimmer to sparkle but none have glittery chunks. There are some colors that are in the individual line you can buy full sizes of but there are also some shades that appear to be exclusive to the palette.

There are two matte blushes in Nectar (peach pink) and Desert Pink (cool muted dusty mauve) which are medium in tone. They can darken a little on oily skin but they are soft and easy to blend. There’s a Medium Bronzing Powder which is a matte as well – it’s a cool-toned brown. They’ve added a pretty Golden Pink highlighting powder which is a light golden pink frost. This is my favorite color in the entire palette.

Quality-wise everything applied smoothly and flawlessly. It definitely has a fall vibe for conservative everyday wear. Cheek colors have to be applied with a soft hand for me since they do darken a little but mixing the highlighter in helps soften the color. Eye-color wise I prefer the MAC Nordy Girl Metallic Palette but the option from Bobbi Brown will give you more options.

For the lips I picked up the Nude Lip Color Trio which to be seems to have a 90’s-ish vibe but slightly softer. It has Beige Lip Pencil (pale beige), Bare Crushed Lip Color (medium warm beige pink) and Sandy Beige Lip Gloss (sheer gold champagne shimmer). The Lip Pencil and Crushed Lip Color are items you can purchase individually. The Lip Gloss is exclusive to the set but the name seems familiar to me – it may have been launched in the past. Colors are fairly standard basics but when layered together it gives the perfect everyday nude lip. It’s been a while since I layered liner + lipstick + gloss but I love the look it gives.

It comes in a cute flat zip pouch, one side is clear and I’m the biggest sucker for clear pouches:

The Bobbi Brown Beige Lip Pencil, Bare Crushed Lip Color and Sandy Beige swatches on bare lips below. I did two sets of swatches where colors were layered. The lipstick alone is very warm on me, but when you layer it on top of the pencil or add the gloss it’s toned down a lot. The MAC Nude Lip Trio I reviewed yesterday has more neutral options.

Overall classic staples that have excellent quality and wear. I personally don’t think either set is a must-have for me since I already own a lot of other colors that are similar. I really like the look of the lip colors layered but Bare Crushed Lip Color pulls very warm on my complexion and it’s a shade that will definitely need to be layered for me. For the eyeshadows I adore these kinds of shades but from the Nordstrom Sale Beauty Exclusives this year I found the MAC options better suited for my taste and skin tone. That being said I do think the Eye and Cheek set is as complete as it gets for giving you everything you need for a day to night look, it’s sturdy, has a nice large mirror and will last you a long time.

With fall beauty trickling out now and holiday launches in the future there are bound to be more palette and set options. So depending on what you already own or what you’re looking for you may want to wait and see what launches later in the year.

You can find both the Bobbi Brown Deluxe Eye and Cheek Set and Nude Lip Color Trio available exclusively at Nordstrom. Both are limited-edition. There are a few more options available that I didn’t pick up. You might want to browse them if you love her line.

Don’t forget to check the Gift With Purchase options if you’re shopping online. On multiple occasions I shopped in store I was told they didn’t have them available.

Did you check out the Bobbi Brown sets? What did you think? If you passed what are your favorite Bobbi Brown items? I used to be the biggest die hard fan of her line!

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Sabrina