Sabrina, Author at The Beauty Look Book

Best Beauty Oils for Summer from Sisley-Paris

June 29, 2018

I’m excited today to have a roundup of some of the best beauty oils I’ve ever tried. As I age I’ve become more and more interested in oils for the face and body to help restore moisture and elasticity to the skin. So many of you have raved about the Sisley Black Rose Precious Face Oil as the only face oil some of you will use. I test this in a trial size last year from one of the Beauty Subscription Boxes and was instantly hooked. I’ve since hoarded every mini I could find from various GWPs but now am thrilled to be the happy owner of a full-sized bottle. This now completes my Sisley oil collection for hair, lips (launched earlier this month), legs and face so I thought it would be perfect to do a roundup – especially since so many of you have been really curious about the Hair Rituel Precious Hair Care Oil! In addition the Sisley team has offered to do a really fun giveaway. Details are at the bottom of the post.

I’m going to start with the best one which is the Black Rose Precious Face Oil. After testing this in person I understand why so many of you only use this oil. It’s easily the most concentrated face oil I’ve tried so a little truly goes a long way. It’s rich and thick but has a silky smooth finish that is super nourishing. Sisley recommends using between three to seven drops in the morning or evening on clean skin. You can apply it on the face and neck. I’ve been using it only on the face and at night. I also will sometimes mix in a drop of the oil with the Black Rose Skin Infusion Cream which I usually use for day if I need a bit more moisture. For the Black Rose Precious Face Oil, the key ingredients are plum oil, camelina oil (to soothe), phytosqualane, Natural Tocopherols, Avocado unsaponifiables (to plump), Black Rose extract (to soften), Bulgarian Rose essential oil (to tone), magnolia essential oil (to soothe) and geranium to purify.

After using this at night I find in the morning skin that my skin is plump, firm and my fine lines on my forehead are not visible. Skincare usually takes a while to see results but with this oil I see results by the next morning. With regular use skin looks a lot more bouncy and youthful. As I’m aging I’m more conscientious of fine lines and loss of firmness in certain areas and since I’m still terrified of needles I haven’t tried Botox yet, although a number of you have e-mailed me some really thoughtful messages about trying it.

One more quick note about the oil is that it’s intended for mature or dry skin, but I know many readers who used this starting in their 30’s and also some who have normal/combination skin that still use it. I have truly combination skin these days. It’s prone to dry patches and dry feeling in general with air conditioning that I’m around constantly. At night I need extra moisture so I’ll work an oil in 2-3 times a week, as needed.

Next is the White Ginger Contouring Oil for Legs. This is priced at a steep $190 but I tried it in a sample packet, loved it and bought the full size last summer. I tried to use it sparingly but used it up entirely and am now on my second bottle. It’s an energizing contouring leg oil but I use it mainly for it’s nourishing properties. It does make tired legs feel energized. This year both Andrew and I have made more of an effort to live a healthy and active life. We’ve been exercising more and started to incorporate some weight training. The White Ginger Contouring Oil for Legs does relieve some tension from soreness of working out. The texture allows for you to massage the legs so the effect is partially going to be in the application technique. It’s an emollient nourishing oil that smells amazing. I’m desperately trying to find a dupe but have not. The texture and scent is unmatched.

For the hair, Sisley launched a haircare line with their Hair Rituel by Sisley collection. Everything is exquisite and I am working on a full dedicated post on all the products. I know hair care picks depend a lot on hair type, length, and treatment but I think the best and most universal product that will work on anyone is the Precious Hair Care Oil. My hair care process has completely changed since moving to Florida, especially with shampoo and conditioners. The water here simply won’t rinse out everything like it does in California! Quick note that the Revitalizing Smoothing Shampoo is one of the few that works for my hair here (I’ve already repurchased it twice). I’ll review it in detail in a later post.

The Precious Hair Care Oil is one of the best smelling hair oils I’ve ever tried. It’s hard to describe but it has a very nice, pleasant natural scent. It adds just the right amount of shine to the hair without weighing it down. Texture is rich enough to hydrate dry ends but light enough that it won’t weigh down my hair. You can use it on both damp or dry hair. I like to use it as a finishing product starting from the middle to the ends and then finish by rubbing any remnants at the top. It has a blend of oils including shea oil for smoothness and shine, passion fruit, shea, cotton and Moringa oils for added nourishment and shine.

Last but not least are the newest oils from Sisley which are the Phyto-Lip Delights. These are my go-to soft lip tints for summer. They’re a nourishing and plumping lip oil. They also contain a blend of oils to hydrate and plump the lips including Shea, Jojoba and Plum oils and Padina pavonica extract. I reviewed them in this post here so you can check out the lip swatches and more thoughts there. Quick takeaway is that they’re beautiful nourishing oils that give an effortless shine! They are expensive but I’ve loved every Sisley lip product I’ve tried. I loved the Phyto-Lip Twist in Baby that I discovered last year I bought several other shades. These lip oils do not disappoint in terms of how soft they make the lips. Pigment is sheer-medium. Enough color that they show up, but definitely on the natural side.

Swatches of 1 Cool, 2 Pretty and 3 Sweet:

One last look:

Everything from Sisley is pure luxury and the skincare line is among the best I’ve tried. The Black Rose Precious Face Oil is in my top three face oils that I’ve ever tried and I agree 100% with everyone who has recommended it to me that it’s definitely worth giving a try. All of their products are on the expensive side so I recommend either trying their Beauty Subscription Program (6 months reviewed here) or make a wishlist and save your haul for one of their gift with purchases (they have them frequently online). If you are ever near one of their free-standing boutiques I highly recommend stopping by – they are really quite amazing. In the US they have one in Miami, New York, Las Vegas.

To end this roundup Sisley has offered a fun giveaway! They are giving away one set of the three new Phyto-Lip Delights to one reader on my blog. Simply enter through the Rafflecopter widget below. Open to US Residents only. Must be 18 years or older to enter. Will run through Monday July 2nd, 11:45 AM EST. I’ll select a winner and email them. Sisley will ship out the prize. (P.S. They’re also going to host another one on my Instagram so be sure to check it out sometime today to enter there as well for a separate chance to win.)

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Sisley products provided courtesy of Sisley for review. Many thanks to the team for hosting this giveaway!

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Highlighters Pat McGrath Labs

Pat McGrath Labs Skin Fetish Sublime Skin Highlighting Trio, Buffer Brush + Highlighter Balm Duo

June 28, 2018

The latest from Pat McGrath Labs includes products in her Skin Fetish Collection. Today I have a review of three new items that are part of her collection and one item I previously hauled including the:

Sublime Skin Highlighting Trio ($50)
Buffer Brush ($25)
Skin Fetish Highlighter Balm Duo in Nude ($48)
Lip Fetish Lip Balm ($38)

As usual in addition to individual products, there are also bundle options available on her website where you can find a price break for buying the sets.

The Sublime Skin Highlighting Trio is a highlighting palette that comes with three iridescent ultra shimmery highlighters. They are versatile in the sense you can control the shimmer from light to intense depending on what kind of brush you use. The less dense the brush (or more fluffy) the lighter/sheerer look you can get. You can layer for an extreme sheen. Lasting power of the highlighters is excellent. They’ll stay put all day without budging. The only color I wasn’t crazy about was Fine Gold – long time readers know I don’t really wear yellow golds well. Iridescent Pink surprised me because I’ve tried duo-chrome pinks before and find them harsh on my olive-toned skin. However this one actually went on quite nice!

Colors include:

Bronze Nectar – super sparkly gold bronze, this had some brush fallout with the sparkles but once it’s on the skin it pretty much stays put on the face
Fine Gold – is an iridescent pale yellow gold shimmer
Iridescent Pink – is a duo chrome opal pink, shimmer is ultra smooth

Each of the highlighting powder on the cheeks just by themselves to show the color:

Above I’m wearing the Laura Mercier Flawless Fusion Foundation in Buff, Armani Luminous Silk Powder Foundation #4, Diorshow Brow Styler in Universal Brown, Pat McGrath LuxeTrance Lipstick in Realness, Pat McGrath Eyeshadow Palette in Bronze Ambition.

There is a white Buffer 003 Brush that is a smaller sized duo-fiber brush. It’s well made and performs well but if you already own the MAC 188s then you most likely will not need this one. I do think the Pat McGrath version is softer and better than the MAC one but they are really similar. The Laura Mercier Fan Brush will also give your skin a similar finish.

Swatch comparisons to the NARS Highlighting Powders and Hourglass Vanish Flash Highlighting Sticks:

The Skin Fetish Highlighter Balm Duo comes in three color options, I received the lightest one in Nude for review. It looks like your standard champagne pale cream shimmer on one end but on the skin it glides on beautifully to give a real skin glow look. The other side is a balm which I would only use on the lips. From my testing it appears to be the same as the Lip Fetish Lip Balm although the description seems to indicate you can use it on the face as well. Indoors in cool weather the highlighter wore well all day long without fading on top of my powder + foundation.

Above wearing the Nude highlighter blended, on the lips is the LUST Gloss in Flesh Fantasy.

Last but not least is another look at the Lip Fetish Lip Balm in Clear. This is going to be launching in shimmer shades soon. I bought the clear version months ago and it kept selling out. I’ve reviewed it in a roundup before and I really like it. It’s hydrating, smooth, not sticky or thick and does hydrate dry lips beautifully. That being said I think the $38 price tag is steep. I still enjoy mine and have no regrets buying.

Overall these are true to Pat McGrath Labs style in terms of quality and color payoff. I think you can definitely dupe the colors although the Skin Fetish highlighter is so smooth and pretty I’m tempted to see the others when they launch in stores near me (hopefully).

You can find the Pat McGrath Labs Skin Fetish Collection out now. Available at Pat McGrath Labs. Have you tried these yet? What did you think?

Skin Fetish collection provided courtesy of Pat McGrath Labs for review. Lip Fetish purchased by me.

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On My Radar

Summer Wishlist

June 26, 2018

Rounding up some things on my summer beauty and accessory wishlist! I’ve been obsessed with finding the perfect beach tote and am still on the hunt for one, if you know of any favorites let me know in the comments! Some other things on my radar recently:

Byredo Triple Gagnant Bois Hair Perfume Set ($120) – mini hair perfume trio perfect for travel and this comes in two options! Bois has Bal D’Afrique, Gypsy Water and Mojave Ghost. There is also a Fleurs version which has three different scents.
Chanel La Base Mascara ($32) – part of the New Eye Makeup Collection, I’m not sure if this is a reformulated version of their mascara base or a repromote but I’ve ordered it to test!
Chanel Longwear Eyeshadow Primer ($32) – Also part of the eye makeup collection, have ordered to test, will review once I’ve received and tried it!
Madewell Tie Front Keyhole Camisole ($58) – I’ve been loving all things Madewell lately, I already own this top and love it, I also want it in black and pretty much everything else they have right now.
STS Blue Distressed Boyfriend Denim Shorts ($39) – Probably my favorite brand for affordable denim shorts, I bought so many last year and this year I love the distressed versions. I pretty much live in shorts here in Florida so I’m stocking up! I also love these from 7ForAllMankind but they’re a lot pricier.
J.Crew Circle Straw Crossbody Bag ($128) – This is the year of the straw bags! I see them everywhere and love the way they look. I already own this in the light color, contemplating the dark option for something different!
Tory Burch Sienna Strappy Sandals ($158) – I already own the other two colors in White and Multi-Color and I really love them, these are a nice alternative to my go-to Miller Flip Flops, her sandals are expensive but the quality is so good, mine have lasted for ages and still look nice.
Rodin Olio Lusso Mermaid Luxury Illuminating Liquid ($50) – This looks like the prettiest shade of tan illuminator! I’m trying to wait to see more swatches online as I suspect it could be too light for my summer tan.
La Mer Moisturizing Matte Lotion ($260) – This has been on my radar for months, it sounds perfect for Florida weather but I’m trying to use up some other things before buying this. I do think Andrew would use it regularly though, he loves their Moisturizing Soft Lotion more than I do.
Chanel Paris-Deauville Eau de Toilette ($130) – One of three new scents that launched from Chanel. I promised myself not to buy perfume without testing it first, but I have this on my list for the next time I’m in a city that has a free-standing Chanel boutique.
Tory Burch Miller Canvas Tote ($348) – I love all things Tory Burch and love the simple look of this one! I’m desperately trying to find a cheaper alternative.
Le Specs Bandwagon Sunglasses ($59) – Obsessed with colored sunglasses! These look promising, especially for the price.
Replica Beach Walk Dry Body Oil ($60) – I bought this last year and love the way it smells. I want to buy another bottle, I especially loved that it comes with a spritzer. The only downside is that it’s not travel or purse friendly.
Charlotte Tilbury Pretty Pink Lipstick Set – This is not officially out yet but will launch during the Nordstrom Anniversary Sale next month with three new colors! The sale catalog has finally been launched online – sale details, dates, beauty exclusives preview and what’s on my radar in my Nordstrom Anniversary Sale 2018 page here.
Chantecaille Sirena Bronzer and Highlighter ($78) – This has mixed reviews but I can’t get over how pretty the embossed pattern looks! I’m going to have to investigate. Texture looks interesting for summer.

What’s on your summer radar or wishlist right now? I’m also doing a blog giveaway today (and stay tuned for another fun one at the end of the week as well). Two people will be selected to win a $100 eGift Card to Nordstrom. Enter by completing at least one of the tasks via the Rafflecopter widget below. Ends 6/29/2018 11:45 PM EST. I’ll pick the winners within 48 hours after giveaway ends and e-mail them. Selected winners must respond to e-mail within 48 hours after I contact them or another winner will be selected in their place. Open internationally, but you must be 18 years or older. Not sponsored or affiliated.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

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Lips NARS

NARS Full Vinyl Lip Lacquer Review + Swatches

June 25, 2018

New lips just launched from NARS in a few different formulas and today I’ve swatches of all the new NARS Full Vinyl Lip Lacquer ($26 each for 0.17 oz/5.5 ml, currently available at NARS and Barneys New York). There are 10 shades in this formula and 1 special-edition color Orgasm (reviewed here). In addition there are 5 new colors of the Velvet Lip Glide (reviewed here) and 5 new shades of the Powermatte Lip Pigment (to be reviewed soon). The NARS Full Vinyl Lip Lacquer is an opaque, rich color, full coverage gloss with a high shine. They come with a flat applicator with a sponge tip on one side and plastic portion on the other. One will dispense a lot of color while the other blends it out more. There are 10 shades total, 6 creams and 4 sparkles. I believe there are hits and misses with this launch formula-wise.

Most of the colors have a beautiful smooth application. There are some however that apply streaky on bare lips and settle into fine lines. Color descriptions and thoughts on which ones are the best below. First a look at the shades and swatches.

Shown above from left to right:

Santo Domingo is a medium to light muted dusty pink, it settles into fine lines at first but once you let it set on the lips, it smooths out
Conquest is a perfect medium bright warm pink
Valencia is a bright coral hot pink, this also settled into my lip lines
Red District is the best cream formula, it’s a perfect bright red, smooth, opaque, glossy
Mississippi is a sheer mauve plum, it takes a few layers but applies smoothly
Baden Baden is a gorgeous deep plum, but alone it was streaky, I’d recommend applying it over a matte lip pencil
Abruzzo is a high sparkle metallic wine plum with gold and silver flecks, I thought this would be too glitzy but this is a truly stunning color, smooth coverage and no texture
Everglades is one of the scariest lip colors I’ve seen, having actually driven through the Everglades a couple times I’d say this color evokes the same feelings I had driving through alligator territory (they are probably the most frightening living creatures I’ve ever seen)
At First Sight is a sheer sparkling white silvery gold, it’s pretty sheer, almost transparent but has the prettiest sheen
Cape Town is an iridescent duochrome orange, pink loaded with multi-color sparkles, it’s very metallic but smooth

Overall the shimmers performed better on my lips formula-wise. I would say the cream colors Valencia and Baden Baden are the higher maintenance ones for me as the color settled into fine lines if I applied these on bare lips.

Close up lip swatches on bare lips. For skintone reference I’m wearing the MAC Studio Fix Fluid Foundation in NC37, Laura Mercier Flawless Fusion Concealer in 3w1 (reviewed here) and Armani Luminous Silk Powder Foundation #4 on top to set.

All the lip swatches side by side:

Overall some beautiful colors and lovely formulas (patchy colors aside). There isn’t really any detectable scent to these. Lasting power is pretty good, they are thicker than the Velvet Lip Glides due to the high shine so they adhere better to the lips. Lasting power is pretty good, not as good as their Powermatte Lip Pigments, but for a gloss they stayed put until I snacked. My favorites are Santo Domingo, Red District, Abruzzo and At First Sight. Compared to other lip glosses these are among the most full coverage that I’ve tried. Ones like the Pat McGrath LUST Glosses or Chanel Rouge Coco Gloss are a lot sheerer. Anastasia Beverly Hills Lip Glosses are probably the most similar (but hers are thicker), Bite Beauty Amuse Bouche Liquid is also thicker with a more lipstick feel.

You can find the NARS Full Vinyl Lip Lacquer now at NARS and Barneys New York. Starting July you will also be able to find them at other NARS retailers like Sephora and Nordstrom. Have you tried these yet? What did you think?

NARS Full Vinyl Lip Lacquer provided courtesy of NARS for review.

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MAC

MAC x Aaliyah Collection Review + Swatches

June 21, 2018

The MAC x Aaliyah Collection launches in stores today with limited-edition pieces for eyes, lips and cheeks. I wanted to share some quick swatches and first impressions as I suspect some pieces will sell out quickly. The overall vibe is what MAC calls moody, deep and neutral. I’d say it’s just that. The color scheme has more of a fall vibe but I think there are some stand out pieces that I think you should not miss. The items in the collection include:

Lipsticks ($18.50 each) in four shades – Try Again (matte), More Than a Woman (amplified), Street Thing (frost), Hot Like (amplified)
Lipglass ($17.50 each) in four shades – Brooklyn Born, At Your Best You Are, Li Li’s Motor City, 1 in a Million
Lip Pencil ($18 each) in two shades – Nevermore and Follow Your Heart
Age Ain’t Nothing Eyeshadow x 9 ($32) – Age Ain’t Nothing (mix of finishes)
Bronzing Powder ($28) – Baby Girl (pearl finish)

Up first are the lip products. There are four Aaliyah Lipsticks, three of which are very creamy and smooth, one is semi sheer and a little patchy on my lips. From left to right we have Try Again (matte nude brown), Hot Like (perfect red cream), More Than a Woman (the perfect wine plum cream), Street Thing (shimmery sheer black). All of these have that signature soft vanilla MAC lipstick scent.

I think More Than A Woman is the most perfect wine color I’ve ever tried. Plum wines are hard to pull off for my complexion – so many are either too blue or turn fuchsia on my lips. Try Again almost looks almost deathly on my olive complexion. Street Thing was the worst for my lips – it swatched nicely on the arm and as I was swatching I thought to myself I wish this color was in eyeshadow form, powder or cream because it would make for a unique black shadow with shimmers.

There are four Aaliyah Lipglasses. They don’t necessarily match the Lipstick colors exactly but can be worn alone or layered on top of the lip colors. We have left to right: Brooklyn Born (soft champagne pearl), Li Li’s Motor City (orange cream), At Your Best You Are (sheer wine), and 1 In A Million (sheer/patchy deep plum brown). My favorite is Brooklyn Born which has the smoothest pearl and actually didn’t wash me out. At Your Best You Are is another perfect plum for me. Li Li’s Motor City is fun for summer but with my olive skin sometimes orange can be a hard color to pull off all the time. 1 in a Million is so pretty color-wise but pulled streaky as it contrasted with my natural lip tone quite a bit. If you have deeper lips the contrast won’t be as obvious. I think if I were to add a deep liner underneath and blend it would smooth out.

There are two Aaliyah Lip Pencils which I think were odd color choices given the range of lipstick and lipglass colors. Nevermore is a deep blackened purple which would go well with Street Thing or 1 in a Million but would contrast sharply with all the other shades. Follow Your Heart is a standard brick red which would go well with the reds, but not so much with any of the other shades. Still they are creamy and soft in formula.

Finally there is one item for eyes and one for the cheeks.

MAC launched an Aaliyah Bronzing Powder called Baby Girl which I have mixed feelings on. On my complexion it applies nicely but it has a very stiff texture and sheer finish. The color is going to be better suited for women who are light to medium in skin tone, I think it will be too light to show up on deeper skin tones. It works for me but I feel like it would have been better to have at least 1 more shade option. For this particular bronzer it looks nice – but I think there are much better options including the Becca Sunlit Bronzers or Hourglass Ambient Lighting Bronzers to name a few.

The Aaliyah Times Nine Eyeshadow Palette called Age Ain’t Nothing which is excellent in pigment and texture. Some of the other Nine Eyeshadow Palettes have great colors but aren’t the best in terms of texture. This one in the Aaliyah collection is smooth and well pigmented. The colors can create a variety of looks. I find myself gravitating towards the bottom two rows but every single color blends and layers well together. As usual my recommendation for palettes are to buy only if you think you’re going to use most of the colors. Texture and quality-wise it’s really good.

Overall some nice pieces, but I don’t feel like I really gravitate towards most of the colors. The three stand outs for me are the More Than A Woman Lipstick, Brooklyn Born Lipglass and At Your Best You Are Lipglass. These aren’t seasonal colors but I can appreciate a really nice wine-colored lip. And for Brooklyn Born I feel like the texture and shimmer are so smooth they add a really pretty shine. Whether or not you like these colors I hope this post along with all of mine helps as a reference guide especially if you don’t have in-person access or can’t get to a counter right away.

You can find the MAC Aaliyah Collection out now. Everything is limited-edition. Online at MAC, Nordstrom, Macy’s, Saks Fifth Avenue, Dillard’s and Bloomingdale’s.

Many thanks to the MAC team for providing the MAC Aaliyah collection provided courtesy for review.

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Charlotte Tilbury

Charlotte Tilbury Pretty Youth Glow Filters, Cheek Hug Brush + Collagen Lip Bath

June 20, 2018

Charlotte Tilbury launched Part 2 of her Beauty Filters collection focused on lips and cheeks. I picked up all three of the items including the Pretty Youth Glow Filter Kit in Pretty Fresh and Seduce Beauty ($60 each for blush duo + brush) along with the new Collagen Lip Bath ($35). I reviewed Part 1 last month on her Bigger Brighter Eyes Collection. Part 2 for lips + cheeks do not disappoint color and quality-wise.

Charlotte Tilbury Pretty Youth Glow Filters

The Charlotte Tilbury Pretty Youth Glow Filters are duo cream cheek palettes and the kits come with the Cheek Hug Brush at Nordstrom. It is only because of this brush that I think these palettes are worth the high price tag of $60. (The blush is available individually at Charlotte Tilbury’s website though.) In terms of quality and pigment both colors are really good but to me it seems as though there is very little product. These each contain a highlighter and blush – the brush is perfectly shaped and very well made to pick up both colors and apply them in a perfect blush/highlight motion. I simply swipe across the palette and apply in a swipe up method on the cheeks, then blend/buff with either my fingers or a separate blush brush. Texture is a silky cream finish. It’s truly a cream to powder like the description states. Color on me is medium to sheer.

Seduce Blush is the more neutral/muted option with a soft champagne and pinky-nude. There is a slight hint of shimmer in the pan but on the cheeks it’s very diffused and satiny.

Wearing Sunday Riley The Influencer Foundation 190, Charlotte Tilbury Eyes to Mesmerise Cream Shadows in Star Gold and Rose Gold mixed together, Collagen Lip Bath.

Pretty Fresh is a brighter option with a paler rose shimmer and brighter pink. This one is my favorite of the two. It can be built up for more color but blends out to a very nice flush.

Closer look at the Cheek Hug Brush:

Overall these had medium lasting power on me. I’m still experimenting with primers and bases to find what will last through the humidity. I felt like I had it all figured out last summer. Then we had about six months of truly mild weather here and I feel like I’ve forgotten what worked in humidity! I think these blushes are both excellent. I still really love her Filmstar Bronze and Blush Glow for texture and finish and think if she had made these Pretty Youth Glow Filters colors in powder form I’d snap them up in a heart beat and that others would too. I’d say in terms of finish/texture the lasting power and pigment, the Pretty Youth Glow Filters is similar to that of the Sisley Phyto-Twist Blush sticks.

Some swatch comparisons:

Collagen Lip Bath

Then there is the Collagen Lip Bath which all of my friends were texting me about asking if I had tried it and if I thought it was worth the price. I love all of Charlotte Tilbury’s Lip Lustres and Lipsticks so had high hopes for this even though it looked like it was basically a clear gloss. As soon as I opened my heart both sank and then rose back up.

When I removed the wand I was completely shocked at how little product there actually was in the tube. The wand takes up 1/2 the space! Then the actual wand itself is shaped like the top of a heart which is the cutest applicator I’ve ever seen. After getting over the shock of how little product there was I swiped it and fell in love. It makes my lips look lush and plump without any tingle or sting. They truly look super healthy and plump in the best way I’ve ever seen. It’s supposed to have peppermint extract to cool, but for some reason I did not feel any cooling sensation. It’s basically clear even though it’s a soft rose tint in the tube. Below is what my lips look like with clearish gloss, they almost always turn rose pink.

So in terms of performance and what it does, I 100% love it. I’m still peeved at how little product there is and I feel like I’m one who rarely gets upset about product weight. I still really like it and will use it up entirely in no time at all.

Overall beautiful. In my mind Charlotte Tilbury can do no wrong with the quality and color choice of her products. I think the Pretty Youth Glow Filters and Collagen Lip Products are beautiful additions to her line. I’d recommend them for anyone who wants a soft pretty and natural feminine glow. I do think the price points are a little steep, especially for the amount of product you get. I do feel the Cheek Hug Brush is really well made and makes the duos worth the splurge. For creams they aren’t too emollient but if you have super oily skin you might want to try before you buy if you can. As for the Collagen Lip Bath, I love it, but I don’t love the price. I wish it came in a squeeze tube like the MAC clear lipglass. The brush tip is nice and the design quite innovative but not a game changer to make it worth the steep price.

For other recent Charlotte Tilbury reviews:

Hollywood Flawless Filters Review + Swatches
Star Gold, Rose Gold, Duchess, American Sweetheart and English Beauty
Bigger Brighter Eyes Collection Review

You can find the Pretty Youth Glow Filters and Collagen Lip Bath out now at Charlotte Tilbury counters. I bought mine from Nordstrom. Also available at Charlotte Tilbury and Beautylish.

P.S. You can buy just the blush duo individually without the brush at Charlotte Tilbury for $40.

Have you tried these yet? What did you think?

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Skincare

Clean Skincare With Farmacy Beauty

June 18, 2018

A growing number of readers have asked for more reviews on clean beauty and I was thrilled to partner with Farmacy Beauty to try more from the line. I’ve tried and loved a few items from the line before including their Green Clean, Honey Potion and Green Screen but was really excited to learn more about the other products in their lineup. As many of you already know, I love trying a wide range of skincare to help with different issues as I age and have adapted to different climates, but am really particular about what I use. The Farmacy Beauty philosophy is something that has really impressed me – as a brand they care about the environment on all aspects of their products, from how it’s made, ingredient sourcing all the way to the packaging. Their “clean” philosophy means their products made with gentle, safe and non-toxic ingredients. They are paraben free, formaldehyde donor free, synthetic fragrance free, mineral oil free, phthalate free and also cruelty free. You can read more about that here. I have six products I want to talk about today. After putting new to me products to the test for several weeks now I have found some solid winners. Up first are three things that I’ve used for nearly a year now and really liked.

Green Clean Makeup Meltaway Cleansing Balm

The Green Clean Makeup Meltaway Cleanser is gentle cleansing balm that removes makeup and impurities. It’s made with Echinacea Greenenvy which is a patented plant the team discovered in New York. The plant has 300% more natural antioxidants compared to regular Echinacea which helps support collagen production, improve hydration and reduce the appearance of fine lines. It’s a solid balm that melts into the skin once you massage it. It feels like a creamy oil once you start working it into the skin and removes all traces of face makeup after your rinse with warm water. As much as I really love traditional cleansing oils I find solid cleanser balms a lot easier to use and less messy. There’s no drip from your hands to the elbows and it also solves the issue of oil running into your eyes on accident. With other balms I often have to do two rounds to remove longwear makeup. This one takes off everything in one go. The packaging has a removable plastic lid with a place holder for the spatula which is perfect for people like me. I’m always misplacing spatulas! One 90 ml jar will last a long time. It also comes in a smaller 50 ml option.

Honey Potion

The Honey Potion Renewing Antioxidant Hydration Mask is probably one of their best-known products and happens to be the only honey-based face mask I have tried that I actually like. Since it is made of rich honey and hydrating it is thick and gooey but it spreads easily with their metal magnetic spatula. I truly appreciate the fact the spatula sticks to the lid so it stays in place. With this one you massage into the skin and it turns into a white color and warms up on the skin. Leave it on for 15 minutes and then rinse off. Most of my masks are clarifying or purifying, but this one is one of the few hydrating masks I like that does not leave a film. Skin is left very smooth, supple and fresh looking. There are two sizes which includes a 1.7 oz/50 g and a 4.1 oz/117 g jar.

Green Screen

The Green Screen Daily Environmental Protector is a sunscreen with SPF 30. It’s a non-greasy sunscreen that is white in texture but disappears completely once blended. Long-time readers know I’m really particular about all sunscreens. Any white cast is a no-go for me and this one works perfectly even on my olive/tan skin. Active ingredients include Titanium Dioxide 2.4% and Zinc Oxide 5.82%. I found that it works well alone on non-makeup days but also layers really well with their Honey Drop Moisturizer and the combination isn’t heavy, even if I add foundation on top.

Below I have it all over the face and also swiped heavy on the cheeks. There’s no white cast once blended, it disappears 100%! I also did not see any white flash back when photographed with a flash.

Clean Bee, Honey Drop and Green Screen

Next are three new to me things that I’ve tried. One is the Clean Bee Ultra Gentle Facial Cleanser. This is something I bought a few months back and have been using it on a regular basis. I’m halfway finished. I am a cleanser fanatic – especially with the Florida heat, I clean my face more frequently than the average person because of the sweat, heat and humidity. I rotate depending on what time of day or when I’m cleaning, but I always clean in the morning. Before a workout if I’m wearing makeup. After workouts to remove sweat and at night before I go to bed (usually during a bath or shower). This one is gentle and non-stripping but really effective. I can feel my pores being cleaned out with this one which is something I’ve never really actively felt with other cleansers. It’s free of soap, PEG, alcohol, formaldehyde and artificial coloring. It smells like clean honey. Even though it does a thorough job at cleaning this doesn’t dry out the skin.

The Honey Drop Lightweight Moisturizer is probably my most favorite new skincare discovery. Moisturizers in general are tricky for my skin type. I have combination skin which is prone to getting oily with extreme heat but it is also prone to getting dried out with air conditioners constantly on everywhere I go. Finding one that is hydrating enough but not heavy has always been a challenge but I have luckily found several that I love. This one is pure love. It has their Echinacea GreenEnvy for hydration. It also has these tiny little Cupcuca Butter Beads you can see inside the product. It melts once it touches the skin to help soften skin. It also includes ingredients to support firmness, elasticity, help reduce water loss and keep the skin looking plum. After putting this to the test I would say it does all of the above for me.

Last but not least is the Sleep Tight Firming Night Balm. This is the first time I’ve tried a night time leave-on balm for my face. I wasn’t sure I’d like it as it’s pretty emollient but a little goes a VERY long way. It smooths over the skin nicely and leaves a veil of moisture that surprisingly did not make my face stick to my pillow. I tried using this around 2-3 times a week over the past few weeks. I wake up with smoother and well-rested looking skin. It truly does a good job at keeping skin hydrated and removes any tight feeling you might have from dryness or a strong air conditioner blasting. I only need a tiny bit but you can definitely apply as much as needed depending on your skin type. It’s non-irritating, did not clog pores, doesn’t have a strong scent (it smells natural) so it doesn’t interfere with my sleep.

For those who want to try before committing to the full size they have a few amazing travel sets available with minis. I do think their full size products are reasonably priced and think the Honey Potion Mask and Green Clean Meltaway Cleansing Balm are going to be the most versatile regardless of skin type. However The Mighties Set has four of their most popular items in minis. The sizes are large enough to give you a decent sampling of the product. They are also perfect to travel with on shorter trips. There are a couple of other mini sets available on their website as well.

Overall I love this line. I have yet to try everything in their lineup but I have been really impressed with what I’ve tried so far. Their products are gentle but effective. I like that they care about their ingredients, the environment and the processes used to make their products. They have a few other face masks I’m really curious to try!

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Sponsored by Farmacy Beauty. As always all opinions my own.