Sabrina, Author at The Beauty Look Book

Clarins Instant Light Lip Comfort Oil – New Shades

May 3, 2017

Clarins fans will be thrilled to discover that they’ve just released four new shades of the Instant Light Lip Comfort Oil ($26 each for 0.1 oz/7 mL). I’ve been a huge fan of the formula for the lush moisturizing feel it gives. Since these are tints there is very little color payoff to these but the hydration in these is indeed comforting as the name implies and formula is top notch. It’s amazing how fast time flies but I last reviewed the original three shades a year ago here. The new shades come with different scents and one of them has gold flecks and shimmer in it. Shown below:

Candy 04 is a soft sheer pink, it smells like something sweet
Tangerine 05 is a deep red orange, swatched it pulls more orange, it smells like candy
Honey Glam 07 is honey with gold flecks, it’s not gritty or chunky even though the sparkles are visible, it applies smooth with a tiny bit of shimmer, it has a very faint hint of honey scent
Mint 06 is a sheer green, it has a very soft mint smell to it, this one is supposed to have a plumping effect but I didn’t notice anything different from the others which is actually good, I usually find tingly lip plumpers make my lips go numb

Overall with the exception of Tangerine, the other shades have a more lightweight scent to them. From the original launch Honey was my favorite because the scent was the most natural and soothing. With the shade extensions, I’m obsessed with all four even though they look similar on my lips. Also with this launch, Candy and Tangerine are designed to react to the pH of your lips so they are supposed to transform depending on your chemistry. On me they give a slight stain and since the tint is a bit brighter you can see the difference when swatched side by side. I’m not really into green colored makeup but my favorite of this launch is the Mint one!

For those who missed my original review or are new to these, the Clarins Instant Light Lip Comfort Oil is a hydrating lip oil that comes with a cushiony sponge tip applicator. They are scented to match the color name. They are semi thick but not tacky and give the lips a veil of gloss/oil to moisturize them. They noticeably soften the lips. Even though they are oils they don’t slide off the lips like you might think they would.

Swatched on bare lips:

Close up of Honey Glam, it’s hard to tell in the lip swatch above but the sparkles are visible on the lips:

All the colors side by side:

Swatches of Honey, Raspberry, Red Berry, Candy, Tangerine, Mint and Honey Glam below:

I’m a huge fan of the Lip Oils but not always a fan of sweet berry scents. Sometimes they can be a bit much with the sweetness which is why I liked Honey so much from the first round. The newer shades have a noticeable scent but I find them more subtle which is better suited to my super sensitive nose. Since they’re all sheer I still don’t think it’s a must to have them all unless you’re a die hard fan of the formula and like to keep multiples for the purse, bathroom, desk etc. Now that I’ve tested all 7, if I had to pick my favorites, they would be Honey, Candy and Mint. If oils just aren’t your thing but you like the idea of a tinted balm, you might want to check out their Instant Light Natural Lip Perfectors instead.

You can find the new shades of Clarins Instant Light Lip Comfort Oils at a few retailers online. I suspect they will arrive at more places online in the upcoming weeks. Right now available online at Clarins, Clarins UK, Sephora, and Bloomingdale’s. Have you tried these yet? What’s your favorite tinted lip treatment right now?

Clarins Lip Oils provided as press samples for review.

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Boutique Fragrance New York

Creed + High Camp Gardenias for Mother’s Day

May 1, 2017

For Mother’s Day this year Creed has partnered with High Camp Gardenias to create a special limited-edition gift set available exclusively online at CreedBoutique.com from May 1st to May 10th. High Camp Supply specializes in fresh gardenia vines and blooms which are cut to order in California and then shipped in a beautiful glossy white box. Together both companies have created a memorable gift with a few options depending on how many flowers and perfume you pick. For this collaboration they have the Vine and Bloom Gift Sets which come with a mix of loose gardenia blooms and gardenias on the vine.

Creed x High Camp Supply Vine and Bloom Gift Set (25 to 30 flowers) $479 to $549
Creed x High Camp Supply Deluxe Vine and Bloom Gift Set (45 to 50 flowers) $539 to $609
Available fragrances for purchase to choose from include Love in White, Royal Princess Oud, Spring Flower, Acqua Fiorentina or Fleurs de Gardenia

I was fortunate to be gifted Spring Flower and the Vine and Bloom Gift Set (bottle is the 2.5 fl oz) and as a lover of flowers and perfumes find this to be unique and simply exquisite. The price of the perfume ($350) and gardenias ($129) individually add up to the same price as the set so there’s no price break.

The gardenias arrive in a white glossy cardboard box that’s sturdy. There is a cold pack inside the box to keep everything temperature controlled and fresh while it’s being shipped. The perfume is wrapped with a plastic sleeve so the box is protected from any condensation that occurs while it’s in transit. There are care instructions for how to unbox and care for the flowers. They arrive closed but open up within a few hours with the most exquisite gardenia scent I’ve ever smelled. I love that there is a mix of blooms and vines.

When we moved we didn’t bring all of our dishes with us (we gifted away a lot of things we couldn’t fit in our moving truck). I only had a West Elm round lacquer tray with handles so I tried using it as a bowl by taping the holes. The lacquer won’t hold up water for an extended period of time around the base so we made a quick trip to Crate and Barrel to pick up a Serving Bowl which worked perfectly. For the vines I placed them in a large recycled ceramic Diptyque Candle jar.

After a few hours the blooms fully open up and the fragrance from these flowers literally filled our entire home. Care instructions that come with the box:

Blooms straight out of the box placed into a vase and bowl:

Fully opened blooms after a few hours:

Shown above: Lip color is Chanel Rouge Coco Gloss in 728 Rose Pulpe over Tom Ford Lip Color in Spanish Pink, top by Paige, nail color is Essie Topless and Barefoot

While in NYC last week I was able to meet up with a long-time blogger friend Cafe Makeup and we made a stop at the Creed Boutique on Madison Avenue. I had the best experience there. The staff there is very knowledgable and friendly. The boutique experience can be hit or miss in my experience and this visit was one of the best ones I’ve had. Even though I only own a few pieces from Creed, the brand has special meaning to me, in particular the scent Spring Flower. While I was in college I went on a study abroad program in Oxford for a summer. My room mate Laura (who became my bestie) and I arrived in the UK a week before classes started so we would have some time to explore London. She was on a mission to find Spring Flower and took me all over London looking for a store that carried Creed because at that time it was not available near us. At that time I was not into perfume at all and I completely credit her for sparking my interest in fragrance. Onto a quick peek at the boutique. I bought one gift for my husband which I’ll share in my NYC post later this week. I now have Aventus for Men on my wishlist to give to him as it’s probably the hottest male scent in a bottle I’ve ever smelled.

Hope you enjoyed this roundup and peek into my recent NYC trip. If you can visit the store while in NY I highly recommend it. I did a sneak peek on Instagram last week and was thrilled to find so many other Creed lovers! You gave me some amazing recommendations which I’ve noted and will be taking with me on my next counter visit (there’s a counter near me in Tampa!).

Quick recap on the Mother’s Day set. It will be available exclusively online at CreedBoutique.com from May 1st to May 10th, orders must be placed by 12 pm PST. Available scents with this set include Love in White, Royal Princess Oud, Spring Flower, Acqua Fiorentina and Fleurs de Gardenia. Prices vary depending on the scent you pick and which flower box you choose.

Do you have any Creed favorites? I’ve been spritzing Spring Flower since I got back home to Florida every day and am obsessed although I still really love Virgin Island Water.

Many thanks to Creed for gifting this beautiful set and for allowing me to photograph the inside of their NYC store.

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Base Makeup Beauty Tools MAC

MAC Next to Nothing Face Colour and Pressed Powder

April 30, 2017

MAC recently launched a new line of base products for a natural look with new formulas of foundation, powder and two brushes in their Next to Nothing collection. The items are designed for a natural skin-like effect to give a radiant look to the face. I’ve found that over the years MAC base and powder formulas have been hit or miss for me. I have super sensitive skin and tried their Studio Fix Powder Foundation when I was in high school and it caused severe allergic reactions on my skin. To this day I approach their powders and foundations with caution only doing a patch test first. I can safely use their primers, skincare and some foundations without any issues and was thrilled to find that the Next to Nothing line works well for my super sensitive skin.

In the collection we have:

Next to Nothing Face Colour ($31 for 35 ml/1.2 fl oz)
Next to Nothing Powder Pressed ($27 for 10 g/0.35 oz)
140 Synthetic Full Fan Brush ($42)
141 Synthetic Face Fan ($35)

Next to Nothing Face Colour comes in 9 shades from Light to Dark Deep, my shade is either Medium or Medium Plus. This is a super sheer tinted cream foundation that allows the skin to breathe. It’s sheer but has enough pigment to even out the skin slightly. This is what I wanted the Make Up For Ever Waterblend Foundation to be (which broke me out and felt too sticky for my skin, I suspect I had an allergic reaction to the fragrance). The effect of the MAC Next to Nothing is similar to that of the Laura Mercier Tinted Moisturizer (which I’ve re-discovered and love) but the MAC is less dewy and not as moisturizing. If you need coverage this will probably not be the foundation for you, although you can definitely use this as a good base and then take a higher coverage foundation and layer on top for a more lightweight feel. There’s no detectable scent, it comes in a glass bottle with a pump, it’s easy to blend, it’s lightweight and lasts all day. Shades do run on the pinkish side but since the formula is sheer I was lucky that they worked on my yellow olive skin.

The #141 Synthetic Face Fan Brush is an odd shaped brush designed for the foundation. It performs well and gives the face a streak-free foundation application. It’s soft without being pokey but I’m still very much a sponge person when it comes to foundation application. That being said it’s a very good brush, I don’t think you’ll be disappointed if you try it.

Next to Nothing Powder/Pressed comes in 9 color options. I received 3 as press samples but none of them were a match so I ordered two more sight unseen in Medium Plus and Medium Dark since I’ve been getting darker since moving to Florida. My Mineralize Skinfinish Natural shade is Medium Plus and in the Next to Nothing Powder I can wear either Medium Plus or Medium Dark. Right now I’m in between shades. This is a finely milled powder that has a lightweight finish. It is very soft to the touch with an almost creamy feel. On the skin it has a more natural looking finish compared to the Mineralize Skinfinish Powder. Next to Nothing also feels just like the name implies next to nothing. There is a very tiny bit of fine pearl in the powder so it blurs the skin. For me I feel like the shades swatch a little bit on the lighter side, they look lighter in my swatches compared to what I see in the pan, but they will adjust slightly on the skin as it warms up. They do not oxidize in color on me though. I really love this powder.

Compared to some of my other favorites Charlotte Tilbury Airbrush Flawless Powder #2, Armani Powder Foundation #4, and MAC Mineralize Skinfinish Natural in Medium Plus. If you asked me to pick one favorite, I would not be able to. I would say the sheerest is MAC Next to Nothing, Armani Luminous Silk Powder Foundation is what I use to set with a brush, MAC Mineralize Skinfinish Natural feels a bit thicker compared to other powders due to the mineral finish. The Charlotte Tilbury has the fullest coverage for me.

#140 Synthetic Full Fan Brush is THE best thing in this collection and probably the best powder brush I’ve ever tried. I’m a huge fan of flatter powder brushes because I find they are easier to dust my entire face compared to a round brush. Flat brushes can be tricky for me though – some are too dense or too floppy. This one has the perfect density, shape, size and feel. I’m going to need to order a couple more – I like to have multiples for powders on hand for blending and application.

Overall as a sensitive skin person I’m thrilled to find that both the powder and foundation worked for me and did not cause any allergic reactions. I’m typically a medium to full coverage kind of girl for base products but my skin has improved over the years so I can get away with less coverage these days. Also with the heat in Florida I feel the need to find lighter weight products that will allow my skin to breathe. It’s only the start of spring and I know it will get warmer in the upcoming months. This will be one I use frequently even if I will still need to layer.

Have you tried these yet? If you’re a natural or sheer base kind of beauty lover, what other brands/formulas do you love? You can find the MAC Next to Nothing Collection available now. Online at MAC, Nordstrom, Saks Fifth Avenue, Bloomingdale’s and soon at Ulta Beauty.

MAC products provided as press samples for review. Two MAC powders purchased by me.

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Packing Travel

Dallas Travel Diary + What I Packed

April 28, 2017

Happy Friday lovely readers! I’ve been a bit MIA and have neglected to post on the blog while traveling over the past two weeks. I’m currently trying to get back into the swing of things after taking two quick trips to Dallas and NYC. I’ve been active on Instagram and Instastories and many of you have been sending me some really good recommendations for what to see and where to eat so thank you! I was only in each city for a few days for conferences so I wasn’t able to explore as much as I wanted but had such a great time in each area. I received an overwhelming amount of requests for packing posts so here is the one for Dallas combined with snippets of what I did during the conference. A NYC post to follow soon as well.

I flew to Dallas from Tampa to attend my third rewardStyle conference. It was for two full days with day time meetings and classroom sessions combined with three nights of happy hours and parties. While in Dallas I stayed at the Hotel Crescent Court (where the conference was held this year). I had a pleasant stay but don’t know that I would go back. It had everything one could ask for in terms of basics – friendly service, nice concierge, clean rooms, nice facility. The rooms had a bit of a dated feel, but I have no complaints. If you have any favorite Dallas hotels let me know so I can check them out if I go back.

I got to hang out with my beauty friend Beauty Professor. We live on opposite coasts now and it’s been a while since I’ve seen her so it was great to catch up!

Shake Shack obsessed:

Crescent Court Happy Hour:

I’m still a carry-on traveler as I’m a minimalist when it comes to what I fly with and am a huge fan of the Away Carry-On. I’ve traveled with mine quite a bit over the past year. You can see what I’ve been able to fit inside here and here. They’ve since added more sizes so for this trip I tried out the Bigger Carry-On. For those worried about sizing and fit, it will fit just fine in the overhead compartments for American Airlines and Delta. The larger size made it easier for me to fit more inside. If you’re flying within the US it should work with almost all the airlines. European Airlines do have smaller restrictions so in that case the regular Carry-On will be better. (You can use this referral code to save $20 off your first suitcase order.) What I packed for my trip:

I packed three day time outfits and three dresses (not shown). What I packed from left to right:

Outfit 1: Navy silk top by Ted Baker, white ankle jeans by Paige (I like the Skyline Ankle, and for white jeans in the line I go up one size because they run small on me)
Outfit 2: Button down linen top by Joie, white lace mini skirt by J.Crew (old style)
Outfit 3: Off the shoulder top by Paige, ankle raw hem jeans by Paige
Black sandal pumps by Stuart Weitzman (I size a 1/2 size down from what I usually wear in other brands, I typically wear a size 6.5 but with Stuart Weitzman I wear a 6)
Outfit 4 and 5: I packed two shift dresses that are older styles, both are from Rag and Bone from previous seasons, I love classic pieces that are timeless!
Outfit 6: An off the shoulder navy dress (shown in the collage below) by Felicity and Coco (I went with a Petite XS, I’m 5’3″ and 120 pounds for sizing reference)

Thank you Beauty Professor for the snaps 🙂

The beauty products, makeup, skincare and tools that I packed. I fit all my liquids in a ziploc bag. I’m still trying to get my life together after moving so a lot of my bags and travel accessories are still in boxes.

The makeup packing list:

Foundations packed included the Dior Dreamskin Cushion in 30, Tom Ford Waterproof Foundation and Concealer in Natural and Sable, Hourglass Vanish Seamless Foundation Stick in Nude
Concealers in NARS Radiant Creamy Concealer in Ginger, Tarte Tape Shape Concealer in Medium
Powders in MAC Mineralize Skinfinish Natural in Medium Plus and Armani Luminous Silk Powder Foundation #4
Eye shadow in Anastasia Beverly Hills Quads I made with Sateen, Gem, Birkin and Chocolate (left quad) and Amber, Glisten, Comfort and Dark Chocolate Shimmer (right quad swatches here and here), Tom Ford Cream Powder Eye Duo in Paradiso, Laura Mercier Caviar Eye Stick in Rosegold, Bobbi Brown Cream Shadow Stick in Golden Pink
Brows and Lashes, Tom Ford Waterproof Extreme Mascara, Charlotte Tilbury Brow Gel in Supermodel, Diorshow Browstyler
Lipsticks in YSL Volupte Tint-in-Balm #2 and #7, Charlotte Tilbury Lipstick in Pillow Talk, Tom Ford Ultra Rich Lip Color in Revolve Around Me
Lipglosses in Marc Jacobs Enamored Hi-Shine Lipgloss in Rah-Rah (mini gwp) and Skin Deep, Chanel Rouge Coco Gloss in 722 and 736
Highlighters/cheeks in MAC Mineralize Skinfinish in Global Glow, Charlotte Tilbury Cheek to Chic in First Love, Hourglass Ambient Lighting Strobe Blush in Incandescent Electra, NARS Highlighting Palette in Banc de Sable, Tom Ford Skin Illuminator in Fire Lust

The skincare packing list:

Charlotte Tilbury Skincare Miniatures in Wonder Glow, Magic Cream and Supermodel Body
Tatcha Starter Ritual Set (for Normal/Oily Skin)
Lavanilla Deoderant Mini in Pure Vanilla
Estee Lauder DayWear SPF50
Kiehl’s Midnight Recovery Oil (mini from a holiday duo)
Clinique Pep-Start Cleanser and Push Wipes (minis from this set)
Bioderma Sensibio Tonic Lotion (toner)
Tatcha Indigo Hand Cream Travel Size

Beauty Tools packed:

Brushes from left to right Chanel Blush Brush, MAC #187, Charlotte Tilbury Sculpt, Wayne Goss #10, MAC #140 Fan Brush, Chikuhodo Eye Brush, MAC #239 SH, Hakuhodo J5523, MAC #217, Wayne Goss Brow Set, Hakuhodo G5515, Shu Uemura Tweezers (old), Wayne Goss Brow, Sephora Travel Hair Brush
Eyelash curler from Chanel
Moroccanoil travel size
HAI Ceramic Flat Iron
T3 PROi Hair Dryer

Louis Vuitton Neverfull MM Tote with:

Mophie Powerstation Charger
Belkin Short Power Cord
One Truffle Mini Clarity Clutch (Pink)
Tatcha Blotting Papers
Canon G16 (discontinued, current version is G7)
YSL Wallet on Chain in Nude
Away Travel Case (not currently sold, hoping they’ll sell it for holiday!)

And last but not least for the fun stuff. I only had a limited amount of time for exploring. I stopped by Forty Five Ten with Beauty Professor and fell head over heels in love with the store! They have Edward Bess, Diptyque, Byredo, Cire Trudon and so much more. Now I want a Serge Lutens eyeshadow palette – I could not bring myself to splurge though! As a die hard Diptyque fan I was overjoyed to find an exclusive called 4510. It has a woodsy scent (I will have to investigate about the notes). They also have an Edward Bess exclusive lipstick called Dallas Pink.

For those who wanted a haul post, I did a tiny haul. I bought two candles and a chocolate bar from Forty Five Ten. I was able to pick up a few other gifted goodies from the rewardStyle conference from Supergoop, L’Occitane, Collen Rothschild, Topshop and The Daily Edited. I was saving my $$$ for the New York trip (haul details for that one in my New York post to follow next week).

I hope you enjoyed this Dallas post! I’ve been going through a whirlwind of emotions over the past few months. We made a huge move across the country at the end of February and while we both love Florida it’s been a process for me to adjust. As I introduced myself to new people during the conferences I hesitated when people asked me where I was from. Tampa is our home for now but my heart is still in San Diego – I have two homes now! I had a very emotional moment when flying back to Florida from Dallas. It’s such a beautiful place and seeing it from the air is just so amazing. As I flew into the bay, I had a few teary minutes on the airplane because part of me just couldn’t believe how lucky I am to call this beautiful city home. A lot of you have asked whether or not this move is permanent and I don’t have an answer. We moved to try something new and to be closer to places we want to travel. We’re in the process of testing it out and will be figuring things out as the months progress. Both my husband and I had been in San Diego for a long time (long before we met each other) so we were ready for a change. There’s so much to explore and so far we love it here. We have a yearning to explore and this was our first step towards active exploration. He’s promised to take some time off work soon so we can go somewhere tropical and I can’t wait.

Have you been to Dallas before? What were your favorite places to see, shop or eat?

18 Comments

Lips

Surratt Beauty Lip Lustre

April 21, 2017

Surratt Beauty is one of those lines I’ve only tried a few things from but love everything I’ve tested. The Lip Lustre ($32 each for 0.2 oz/ 6 mL) was one of the first beauty products I splurged on and fell in love with them. I reviewed a couple several years ago and have since bought a few more shades, repurchased one and then the Surratt team sent one more for me to try. Some of the shades look extremely sparkly in the tube and the shimmer particles are definitely visible, but on the lips they look really pretty.

Color descriptions, order described in same order as shown above from top to bottom:

Etoile is a clear gloss with gold flecks (sent by the team), this is the only one I would say is not one I absolutely love because it’s primarily clear with tiny gold flecks, I’m just not the biggest fan of clear gloss, although this one is nice
Coquette is a super pale baby pink shimmer, I was worried it would be chalky looking but it applies smoothly and it’s very pretty, I have pigmented lips so if you have lighter lips it will be more true to tube on you
Soigne is my favorite it’s the prettiest rose shimmer and I repurchased it, if you buy one this is the one to buy, pigment is medium to full
Amethyste is a gorgeous purple shimmer, it’s semi sheer but gives the prettiest soft lilac shimmer, when this brand launched on Sephora it literally took me several months before I could buy it because it kept selling out and rightfully so
Ensoleille is a pigmented nude bronze peach, it’s so unique and looks really pretty on the lips
Flamant is one I bought in store at Barneys, the artists pulled this one and said this looks great on everyone and told me not to be scared of the tube color, they swatched it on their hands mixed over other shades of lipstick and with other glosses and by itself, I decided to give it a try because it’s not as scary as it is in the tube and love it, it’s a sheer red color with pigment
Au Naturelle is a creamy nude beige, this one is a nice nude but just not as special as the other colors to me, still it’s a solid performer and wears well on my lips

Overall pigment is varied depending on color. With the exception of the clear shade the colors all show up well on the lips. Texture is a bit sticky and a bit on the thick side but I like them. They adhere well to the lips and don’t slide around. To me there’s no detectable scent.

A closer look and swatches, left tor right is Etoile, Coquette, Soigne, Amethyste, Ensoleille, Flamant and Au Naturelle. They have a flattened sponge tip applicator.

On the face I’m wearing Tom Ford Waterproof Foundation in Sable + Armani Luminous Silk Powder Foundation in #4 to set. Lip swatches are all done on bare lips.

I really love these but they are on the pricey side. My top three picks are Soigne, Amethyste and Flamant. Your mileage may vary depending on your tolerance for sticky and preference for pigment. I find Soigne and Ensoleille have fuller pigment while the others are more on the sheerer side. As you can see from the lip swatches they all show up but some have a more jelly like sheer finish compared to others. They are sticky but not too thick feeling on me.

You can find Surratt Beauty Lip Lustres now at Sephora and Barneys New York. If you’re shopping the Sephora sale you still have time to save with these codes:

4/18 to 4/24 VIB Rouge will receive 15% off, use code ROUGESPRING
4/19 to 4/24 VIBs will receive 15% off, use code VIBSPRING
4/20 to 4/23 BIs will receive 10% off, use code BISPRING

Other Surratt Beauty Features of the Artistique Blushes and Lip Products also on the blog. Have you tried anything from the line before? What did you think?

Etoile provided by the Surratt team. All other shades from my personal collection.

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Bronzer + Blush Hourglass Cosmetics

Hourglass Ambient Strobe Lighting Blush and Bronzer – New Shade Extensions

April 19, 2017

Hourglass fans rejoice because they’ve added new products to their Ambient Lighting Collection with their Ambient Strobe Lighting Blush ($38 each for .15 oz/4.2 g) and two new shades of Ambient Lighting Bronzer ($50 each for .39 oz/11 g). As a long-time fan of the Hourglass highlighters I’m thrilled to be able to review the new shades and swatch them for you.

Up first, a look at the blushes. For those new to the Ambient Strobe Lighting Blushes these are the most glowy blushes in the Hourglass line. I find that on my medium toned skin the colors appear borderline more like highlighters than blush. The shimmer is finely milled but on the glowy side. While I don’t see any frost in them, I will note that if you don’t like shimmer, you may want to opt for the Ambient Lighting Blushes instead. They have more color and less glow.

What I love about these is that they are glowy without being too frosty. They apply smoothly on the face and don’t emphasize pores. I do find they warm up a little bit about 30 seconds after application, however they don’t oxidize in color.

Ambient Strobe Lighting Blush comes in 4 colors:
- Incandescent Electra is described as a cool peach blended with Incandescent Strobe Light
- Brilliant Nude is described as a deep amber blush with Brilliant Strobe Light
- Euphoric Fusion is described as a lilac blush blended with Euphoric Strobe Light
- Iridescent Flash is described as a vivid magenta with Iridescent Strobe Light
- Note that three of the four Ambient Strobe Lighting Powders were in the limited-edition holiday palette and Incandescent Electra has been released as an individual color for quite some time
- For reference you can see the review/swatches of the Strobe Lighting Powders here

Face swatches of all four on medium-olive skin. On the face I’m wearing the Hourglass Vanish Seamless Foundation Stick in Nude. Lip colors worn with each blush listed below:

Hourglass Incandescent Electra with YSL Volupte Tint in Balm #7 (swatched here)
Hourglass Brilliant Nude with GIRL Lip Stylo in Believer (review here) + YSL Volupte Tint in Balm #7
Hourglass Euphoric Fusion with GIRL Lip Stylo in Activist (review here)
Hourglass Iridescent Flash with GIRL Lip Stylo in Creator + Achiever mixed (review here)

Up next are the bronzers. The original two bronzers Luminous Bronze Light and Radiant Bronze Light looked almost identical on me. The variation for me was slight but I do suspect colors will vary depending on how much highlighter versus bronzer you have mixed into yours. The powders are hand made which means each one is unique and different. I really loved Luminous Light and I still do. On me for some reason Diffused Light pulls warm even though it looks cool-toned in the pan. I love Nude Bronze Light because it appears slightly more matte than the other two. That being said they all look similar on me. The difference is in the undertone. These bronzers also warm up a little after application but they don’t darken or oxidize. A little goes a long way and they are super easy to apply/blend.

Ambient Lighting Bronzers are now available in 4 shades:
- Luminous Bronze Light is a medium toned bronzer with Luminous Light highlighter mixed in (reviewed here)
- Radiant Bronze Light is slightly deeper and warmer with Radiant Light highlighter mixed with a beige base (reviewed here)
- Nude Bronze Light is a new shade with a neutral nude bronze and a soft matte nude powder
- Diffused Bronze Light has a mix of cool brown bronze and a pale yellow powder

These were swatched with a heavy hand on the face to try and show the difference in undertone. On the lips is GIRL Lip Stylo in Idealist for all the face swatches below. To me they all look very similar. Nude Bronze Light seems to be the darkest on my complexion. Brush shown below is the Hourglass Brush #2. I have a couple of their brushes and need to explore more of them. They are synthetic and PETA friendly. They’re among the softest smoothest brushes I’ve tried. I think they’re under-rated.

If you missed out on the holiday palette you can find the shades individually now. I swatched my palette next to the individual ones and the colors, pigment and texture are the same. I still stand by original review and feel like the Ambient Strobe Lighting Blushes have more of a highlighter feel on me, but I still love them. For the bronzers variations will most likely be more apparent on you if you have lighter or deeper skintone. I’m right in the middle where all four have a very similar effect. My favorite is Luminous Bronze Light.

Bottom line beautiful powders, gorgeous packaging, seamless application. I love a good glow and these have a perfect mix of shimmer and color to look natural but still noticeably glowy.

You can find the Hourglass the blush and bronzer additions now at Sephora, Nordstrom and Hourglass Cosmetics.

Have you tried these yet? Or did you buy the palette over the holiday? What did you think?

Many thanks to Hourglass for sending the Ambient Lighting Bronzer and Strobe Lighting Blushes for review.

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Eye Makeup Sephora

Viseart Petite Pro Palette

April 17, 2017

Earlier in the year Viseart launched a new eyeshadow palette called the Petite Pro Palette ($30 for 8 x 0.026 oz/ powder-based shades). The packaging is similar to that of the Theory Palettes (reviewed here) with the magnetic cardboard casing and removable magnetic pans. The Petite Pro has mini pans of eyeshadow with a mix of matte and shimmer shades. I received in a gift bag at The Makeup Show Orlando last month and literally squealed when I saw this inside because I die for minis. I had passed on it when it first came out because I felt Minx and Honeymoon would be too similar to justify purchasing. After swatching it and playing with it, I confirmed these thoughts so if you own either of those you may want to shop your stash. (On the nails above is OPI Be There in a Prosecco.)

The Petite Pro Palette has four mattes and four shimmers. The quality, texture and pigment is excellent. I normally don’t gravitate towards really warm coppers or reddish purples because they tend to pull too warm on my olive skin, but the color mix in the Petite Pro is really good. Part of me looks at the palette and thinks this is really similar to what I already own, another part of me thinks it’s just really good for the color selection and convenience. If I had purchased it I don’t think I would have regretted it.

Colors inside the palette include a matte bone, matte medium brown, matte warm reddish plum brown, matte bark brown with grey tones, shimmering taupe, shimmering warm gold, shimmering copper, shimmering red plum. I think every color in the palette is wearable and gorgeous.

A look a the Petite Pro Palette compared to the Theory Palette in Minx below. The packaging is the same style, but the shape and dimensions are slightly different:

Petite Pro Palette on the left vs. Theory Palette in Minx on the right:

Swatch comparisons: Viseart Petite Pro vs Minx vs Honeymoon (previous reviews linked)

As you can see above I don’t really have exact dupes but both Minx and Honeymoon have very similar vibes. My heart belongs to Tom Ford Honeymoon although I do think either of the Viseart Palettes are nice because they have the matte options which offer more combinations.

Quick take on the Viseart Petite Pro is that it’s an excellent palette you can use for any occasion. It’s versatile and has a good mix of neutrals and some brighter/warmer shades to be more interesting than something like Urban Decay Naked2 (which I still really adore). That being said if you can’t do warm shades on the eyes because of your skintone or color preference, I would say opt for something like Viseart Cashmere Palette (swatched here), Urban Decay Naked2 (review here) or the MAC In the Flesh Palette (swatched here). I really like it but based on the number of palettes and shadows I own, I do think it’s similar to other palettes I have.

You can find the Viseart Petite Pro Palette at Sephora. Have you tried this yet or the Theory Palettes? What did you think?

Palette gifted from The Makeup Show.

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