Tom Ford Beauty has some new launches this summer and I think they’re stunning! The recent shimmer eyeshadow quads and Summer Soleil de Feu collection items remind me of what Tom Ford Beauty used to be like! Fresh, glowy, easy to wear with good color payoff.
I also wanted to include swatches of two newer Eyeshadow Palettes in Golden Hour and Hazy Sensuality ($90 each). I bought these several months ago and never reviewed them but I 100% think they’re worth checking out (there are 3 new ones, I bought 2).
Soleil de Feu Eyeshadow Palette
There are two eyeshadow palettes in the summer launch. I picked up the more neutral option Soleil de Feu Eyeshadow Palette in Tropical Dusk. It’s really beautiful and wearable with a soft dusty matte pink, a soft deeper brown, a shimmery copper gold and a sparkling light glitter taupe topper. Colors have really good pigment and color payoff with easy to blend textures. The warmer option Island Haze also looks really beautiful. I was very tempted to buy it but opted to just get one this round.
Soleil de Feu Shimmering Highlighter
We all probably have way to many highlighters at this point. Anytime I find one I’m really impressed with I’m surprised and the Tom Ford Oasis Highlighter is just stunning. It’s a neutral warm champagne gold with slight peachy tones. The shimmer isn’t over the top – it’s smooth, doesn’t emphasize pores and the undertone is just PERFECT for olive skin tones! I’m sure it would also look great on cool tones too.
Texture is almost like a gel to powder. Pigment is easy to control and layer. I really try not to do back ups these days but this one is so perfect, I might order one more before it’s gone.
For the lips there are two shades of the Soleil de Feu Plumping Lip Balm. The stock photos are a bit misleading as these have an overspray of glitter on the outside which make the balms look completely different from the true color. I lots of reviews of these before ordering which saved me money on Sunlight (many have reported it’s not gold, but pale in color almost like a concealer color).
I’m 100% happy that I bought Sun Spark. It looks like a bold orange cherry red with gold flecks. On me it’s SO much lighter in color, almost like a neutral light-medium soft peachy color.
The glitter on the exterior did not show up at all, even on a hand swatch and I’m 100% ok with it. It makes for a really great wow factor when you open the tube, but one swipe and it’s gone.
The balm does seem to have a slight plumping effect but there’s no tingle or sting. On me it’s somewhere in between a balm and lipstick for how it feels. It’s hydrating and comforting on the lips, but it’s not really glossy or emollient like a traditional balm. For me this makes it feel like it lasts longer on the lips. Extremely pricy but I think the color is really pretty.
New Eyeshadow Quads
Last a quick look at the Hazy Sensuality (neutral/lighter tones) and Golden Hour (warmer peachy) Eyeshadow Palettes. Both have that finely milled pressed metallic finish like Nude Dip/Honeymoon. Pigment is on the medium-sheer side but easy to layer for more color payoff. I’ve been wearing Golden Hour a lot this summer.
I give both a solid A+ rating. I actually give everything I bought in this post a solid A+ which I haven’t in a long time (for Tom Ford beauty). Incredibly pricey and expensive, but all the colors perform exceptionally well and as a neutral makeup lover, I think the colors are perfect. They’re wearable but different enough from what we’ve seen lately to give you a fresh polished look.
I did a tutorial with Golden Hour in this Reel below:
Chanel launched a limited-edition collection of colorful accessories in their Codes Couleur Collection. The items launched on Friday and sold out online almost instantly. I shared a look on Instagram stories on Friday and some of you were able to order them before they sold out! I ordered a handful online the second they launched and they arrived very quickly so I was able to swatch them over the weekend. Colors in action here.
Onvi, Cavalier Seul, Premiere Dame, Diva and Rouge Noir are available in Chanel Beauty Boutiques so if you have one near you they might still have them in stock. The other colors Ballerina, Immortelle, Fugueuse, Incendiarie were exclusive online. I don’t know if they will restock them at this point. I hope they consider launching these again because the matching sets are really cute!
Each Les Pinceaux de Chanel Brush Trio Brush Set contains the same brushes, the only difference is the color of the case. I’ve really loved the Chanel beauty brushes I own. I’ve purchased many over the years each time they’ve revamped them and all but 1 has held up really well (one fell apart but it was after many years of owning it).
The Brush Set has brushes that seem to be the same quality as the individual brushes:
2-in-1 Foundation and Powder Brush 101 (angled, love this for bronzing creams)
Dior Beauty seems to be reformulating all of their products and the latest I’ve tried is the new Rosy Glow Blush ($40 each). Now available in six shades: Pink, Coral, Rosewood, Cherry, Berry and Mahogany. There are lots of mixed reviews on the new formula. After testing all the colors here are my thoughts. I also swatched the coordinating Addict Lip Maximizers to go with each blush shade. I know the Lip Oils are the more popular lip option from Dior these days but I really prefer the Lip Maximizers for the texture and colors.
I think the new formula performs just as well as the original for most of the colors. Color-wise the Original 001 Pink pulled a deeper more pigmented pink on my skin while the new 001 Pink pulls more true to pan and has a lighter baby pink finish. I think they are both really pretty on the skin. I like to use the pink on top of other blushes to add a pop of color.
Texture and finish depends on the color. I really love the colors Coral and Rosewood. The pigment is easy to control as these blend easily and layer nicely for more color. Coral makes for a really nice peachy summer color and Rosewood is your perfect year-round neutral.
I found the deeper bold shades to be really intimidating in the pan and initially thought Cherry, Berry and Mahogany were shades I would never wear. I didn’t buy them at first, but in the effort to try something new and different, and to give you a thorough review of the formula, I decided to order them anyways!
Cherry was a nice surprise with a red flush. Application is smooth and easy to blend out.
Berry has an intense color very contrasted with my skin but blended out ok. I wouldn’t call the application seamless – it did take some work to blend but it’s workable.
Mahogany was a streaky patchy mess and took a lot of blending to try to even out. Even after blending it still looked very uneven on my skin. I tried it as an eyeshadow and there is something about the undertone that doesn’t sit right with my olive skin.
Overall really happy with Pink, Coral and Rosewood. There are lots of beautiful powder blush formulas that launched this season and I think there is something for everyone.
That wraps up my Dior Rosy Glow Blush review! I think they’re beautiful. I don’t know that I would call them must-haves but they perform well, quality is there and I think the bold colors are fun for a more colorful look. The formula is really nice, but color-wise I feel like I’m more drawn to the Gucci or Armani powder blushes this season.
Have you tried the new blush launches this season? What formula is your favorite? Or are you reaching for colors in your current stash?
I have four of the balms plus the quad that I tested to review. You can find them now at Sephora and Pat McGrath Labs.
Divine Blush Legendary Glow Colour Balm
There are six shades of the Divine Blush Legendary Glow Colour Balm. I was sent 3 to test and purchased an additional shade to try. These are glowy balmy twist up sticks that give a soft wash of color with a dewy glass like finish. I’m usually not a fan of balmy dewy cheek products. They’re often too glossy in finish, have a sticky feel and rarely last long especially in humid weather.
Paradise Peony is a beautiful soft peachy pink
Divine Rose is a soft rose pink
Peach Lotus is a soft peach
Forbidden Fleur is a berry plum
After testing these I have to say that I don’t think they’re for me but they are exactly as described so I feel like I can’t give these a bad review. They’re hydrating and dewy and perform just like you’d expect a balm to. Colors sheer out once blended and give you that radiant fresh glow. Unfortunately on me it’s too glossy and glass like. Texture is on the thicker side which makes them adhere to the skin and stay put much longer than expected. However my hair gets stuck constantly on the cheeks.
On the lips they’re lovely but I prefer her other lip balm formulas for the lips instead. You can see them applied in action below. For skintone reference I’m wearing the Skin Fetish Foundation in Light Medium 14 (reviewed here). It’s still one of my favorite foundation formulas for a classic medium coverage finish.
Colors are absolutely beautiful and very wearable. The finish is just not for me, even if I layer a powder blush on top.
Luxe Eyeshadow Quad in Passion Fleur
I ordered the Luxe Eyeshadow Quad in Passion Fleur and absolutely love it. I am not a fan of purples on me but the matte eggplant is really pretty and very wearable as a liner or crease color. I think the other shimmers in the palette are just breathtakingly beautiful. They are very sparkly but they’re not glitters. Lasting power is excellent and the shades layer beautifully together. A solid thumbs up and I kinda like that it’s not the traditional bronzey or peachy eye palette you usually see for summer (even though I live for those kinds of shades).
I do think if you’re a fan of dewy cheek products (I know a lot of you are) that you will really enjoy the balms for Pat McGrath. I can see myself maybe wearing one layered with powder for a nice evening out if I want to look fresh and glowy. But for everyday they just aren’t my cup of tea.
You can find them now at Sephora and Pat McGrath. Have you tried these yet? Are you a fan of cream or balmy cheek products?
Happy Monday! Doing another round of Q&As for my Ask Sabrina series! I think I might do this every other week going forward! Also hosting another giveaway!
1) Do you ever wish you were in a different line of work? If you weren’t a beauty influencer/blogger what would you be doing today?
Yes of course! There are some days when I wish I was doing something different but I am really happy being my own boss. I left the corporate world when I was 33. I am grateful everyday that I found something of my own to do and that I can make a living doing what I love. Being self-employed has a lot of challenges and as a team of 1, it can get overwhelming. I’ve been doing this full-time for 9 years now and there have been lots of ups and downs. Things have changed so much since I started blogging but I think every industry goes through lots of changes.
If I weren’t a beauty influencer today I have no idea what I would be doing. When I left my corporate job I was actually interviewing for several other finance positions in other companies. I ended up withdrawing my applications after several rounds of interviews to pursue blogging full-time. A lot can happen in 9 years. If I weren’t a blogger I might still be working in a corporate 9-5 type job but then who knows? I might be doing something completely different too.
2) Do you have packing tips for city trips? What about European travel?
I think packing tips depends on the city. Every city I’ve traveled to is so different! For summer trips I would recommend packing comfortable walking shoes (ie New Balance or APL sneakers are my favs right now). I love the Celine sneakers I splurged on last year, but they are leather so they can get hot. They are really comfortable though and there was no break in period. They only have whole sizes and as a true 6 and a half/36.5 I went with the 36 and they fit perfectly.
A good crossbody bag or tote is essential for me. I’ve been loving the Loewe Puzzle Bag (in small) and love it as an over shoulder bag. I like that it has a zipper closure at the top so you can keep things more secure. Summers are usually hot everywhere but some areas have chilly nights so I’d recommend packing layers like a lightweight denim jacket or sweater. I love the Jenni Kayne Cropped Cabin Sweater. The AG Robyn Denim Jacket is one of the softest jackets I own. It runs very fitted though so I’d recommend sizing up 1-2 sizes.
It’s been so long since we’ve traveled to Europe! I really want to go back. In 2015 we did a month trip to Europe covering 10 cities (I think). If you’ve been a long-time reader you may remember Andrew allowed me to bring 1 backpack for travel. Yes, it was pure insanity, but we made it work. His logic was that since we were going to Paris, Rome, Athens, Istanbul and a Mediterranean cruise and back to Paris that we were going to be in and out of lots of airports. Having a back pack would shorten our travel time and be more convenient than having to check luggage, wait at baggage claim etc.
We traveled in the summer so I rolled everything as tightly as I could and packed tanks, swimsuit, shorts and maybe 2 pairs of shoes (plus the ones I wore on our flight).
I don’t think we’ll ever pack that light again. We had lots of fun but had to buy extra luggage for our trip back because I did some shopping and we didn’t have enough room in our backpacks to bring souvenirs home. I guess the short version is that I don’t have good packing tips for Europe. Backpacking is do-able but I did not look cute the entire trip.
3) Favorite luxury purchase this year?
Oooh tough one! I’ve been really loving the Chanel Coco Crush ring and necklace I splurged on. You can see them here.
4) Best bronzer / your fav right now? One cream, one powder.
Another tough one! I would say Chanel Les Beiges Healthy Glow Bronzing Cream in 392 is my favorite for cream and Gucci Eclat Soleil Luminous Bronzer Shade 3 is the one I’ve been reaching for in terms of powders. Also really like the Patrick Ta Major Sculpt Crème Contour and Powder Duo which has both cream + powder in one compact (I like She’s Sculpted).
5) What are the top 5 beauty products you cannot live without?
This changes all the time, but right now: 1) Dior Lip Maximizer in 038 Rose Nude 2) Chanel Les Beiges Water-Fresh Complexion Touch 3) NARS Orgasm Blush 4) Charlotte Tilbury Airbrush Flawless Finish Powder 5) Patrick Ta Major Dimension Eyeshadow Palette
6) Best summer perfumes?
This will be a dedicated post! I’ll share my top 3 though: Celine Parade, Loewe Ibiza Eclectic, Creed Virgin Island Water
7) Botox update please! Do you still like the results? Any regrets? Will you do it again?
I’m at the 1 month mark and have so much more movement in my forehead. I can raise my eye brows now a bit and my 11s are coming back. My deep forehead wrinkles are still not fully back yet but I’m starting to see them re-appear. I have no regrets. I will 100% do it again. I don’t know that I will get the same areas done and for sure will ask for fewer units.
When I did my first update 1/2 of you told me you get it done every 6 months. The other half said that was insanity and that it only lasts 3 months. Based on my experience I do think I will need it ever 3 or 4 months for a refresh which means the next appointment will be in August.
8) What’s your summer skincare routine?
I feel like this could be a full blog post too! I haven’t changed much in my routine except I haven’t used retinol or acids as much because of increased sun exposure with it being sunnier right now.
Summers in humid areas are brutal on skin! On one hand I get sweaty and oily when outdoors. My skin also becomes dry with the constant air conditioning or extreme heat from outdoors.
I rarely use anything at night because I like to let my skin breathe. I still use Sunday Riley’s Good Genes but in moderation since it’s an acid.
9) Are you a reader? What are your favorites?
I am not a reader. It has been a very long time since I’ve read a book (longer than I care to admit). I do like to listen to podcasts or watch them on YouTube while I’m editing photos. I feel like the older I get the less patience I have to sit and read. I know it’s terrible but reading takes so much time (I am not a speed reader) and I would much rather watch or listen to something. If you have any books you absolutely loved please let me know. I might pick up one or two to read.
10) We love Ollie! Did you put him through training? He’s so well behaved! Does he sleep through the night? Did you crate train? Does he have separation anxiety?
We put Ollie through a 2 week board and train when he was 5 months old. It was life changing. They were so good to him and he learned so much. He learned to listen, sit, lay down, stay, walk without tugging or impulsively jumping and lots of obey commands even with distractions. We are thinking of sending him back for a refresher soon.
For crate training we failed. We did keep him in a crate for as long as we could but he just never stopped crying. When he was around 4 and a 1/2 months he started sleeping with us. He has a little bed in the corner of our bedroom that he sleeps on sometimes. But he also jumps up and likes to sleep on my feet. All of the pets we’ve had decided they like to sleep on my feet, or on my head lol.
He does sleep through the night but he has night time zoomies and it doesn’t matter how much activity or exercise he’s had in the day, even with evening walks, he spends at least 30 minutes to an hour going nuts before he goes to sleep and it’s only at night. It’s like he doesn’t want to miss out on anything.
Doodles seem to have a lot of separation anxiety and Ollie does since he’s half poodle. He’s getting better though. When he was a puppy he would follow us everywhere around the house and would not let us out of his sight. Andrew likes to bring him with us everywhere we can. We can now leave him at home for short periods of time. He has kitty to keep him company at home. They play with each other all the time and it makes my heart melt.
That wraps up this week’s Ask Sabrina! I’m giving away one box of beauty goodies to one reader! Open to US and Canada readers 18 years or older. To enter complete ALL the steps in the widget below. I’ll pick a winner on Thursday 6/29 and email them directly. Not sponsored or affiliated.
Gucci Beauty has several new launches this season I’m reviewing today! There are new shades of the Luminous Matte Beauty Blush ($49 each) and new Summer Lip Colors ($45 each). This year they also launched a new matte foundation called Eternite de Beaute ($69) which seems to have replaced their satin finish formula. Last I have a look at the Illuminateur de Beaute ($43) which is a liquid highlighter that I’ve been testing for a few weeks. Lots to cover in this roundup! If you’ve been interested in any of these I hope you find this roundup helpful!
Blush de Beaute Luminous Matte Beauty Blush
The Gucci Beauty Luminous Matte Blushes have been a favorite since they launched last year. I still think they are a little overpriced but they perform exceptionally well and the powder formula melts into the skin beautifully for a nice soft luminous yet matte glow.
There are three new shades this season: True Pink, Soft Red and Intense Plum. I think they’re really fun for summer! I ordered mine from Sephora. I swatched and reviewed the first round of shades here. All three new ones and the ones I already own swatched below:
True Pink 07 is a pale baby pink. On it’s own this is a little too pale for my skin tone but it layers beautifully on top of other blushes or bronzers for that brightening pink effect.
Soft Red 08 is not really red at all, but more of a bright coral. This gives the skin a healthy flushed glow.
Intense Plum 09 is a deep plum red. Red blushes usually scare me a little. They tend to pull very bright, very intense and very bold. I decided to try this one anyways and I think I can make it work layered with other shades.
Pigment is very easy to control with these blushes. They blend nicely and also layer easily without looking overdone or heavy. The powdery finish isn’t too powdery – if you’ve played with these you know it blends into the skin with absolute perfection. Lasting power is excellent on these.
Illuminateur de Beaute
The Liquid Highlighter seems to be only available online at Gucci, Selfridges and Harrods at the moment. As soon as it popped up online at Gucci I ordered it immediately. I have dozens of liquid highlighters at this point and don’t need another one but I’ve been really happy with this one. It’s a multi-use highlighter but so far I’ve only used it on the cheek bones. Applying with a brush tends to pull away my base but dabbing and blending with fingers gives the prettiest glow with the perfect amount of shimmer/pigment and a nice dry down. For me it’s a solid win.
Eternite de Beaute Matte Foundation
The Eternite de Beaute Matte Foundation has been really good for me. I like the formula and coverage. It has a matte finish but doesn’t look dry. It blends nicely with a sponge and lasts all day. Two downsides for me are the shade selection for medium skin tones and scent. The heavily scented formula is a turn off for many of you (based on your messages). It’s floral and very strong. Luckily it did not irritate my skin. I wear Shade 305N and while it’s a good match now, there seems to be a big gap between 305N and the next shade 310. On days where I am a little darker/tan I’ve been mixing in the Supergoop! Glowscreen in Sunset to get my perfect match.
This summer Gucci added new shades of lipsticks in the Sheer, Satin and Matte formulas. Some of them appear to be only available at the Gucci website. There are a handful you can find at Sephora, Nordstrom, etc. I didn’t order every shade to try but here are the shades listed as “summer shades” online.
Sheer Lipstick
221 Candace Rose, 505 Janet Rust, 214 Call It A Day, 208 They Met in Argentina
Satin Lipstick
115 Bertha Blossom, 219 Mary Mauve, 220 Suzanne Sunset, 208 They Met in Argentina
Bertha Blossom (Satin) is one of the most perfect baby pink cream lipsticks I’ve tried. For once I’ve found a baby pink rose shade that isn’t too white in the base or too pale. 100% recommend.
Candace Rose (sheer) is a beautiful sheer pink rose.
Call It A Day (sheer, also available at Sephora) is a pretty mauve pink. I also own this in the Glow & Care Shine formula and love it.
They Met in Argentina (sheer) is a stunning warm coral pink. I have this in the the Glow & Care Shine formula but couldn’t find it in my stash to compare. Off the top of my head this Sheer Lipstick formula pulls a little sheerer while the Glow & Care formula seems a bit bolder.
Valeria Rose (matte, also available at Sephora) is one of the first mattes I’ve tried from Gucci and I’m 10/10 impressed. It has full smooth coverage with one swipe. Looks and feels expensive and has impressive lasting power. I rarely wear mattes but based on the finish of this one I may check out one or two more colors.
I added swatches of some other Gucci lipsticks I have below:
Overall lots to love from Gucci these days. I’m still waiting for an eye palette combination I’ve fallen in love with to try (so far their palettes haven’t really been my cup of tea). For now I really love the new blushes. I’m still undecided about the plum red one for the color as it runs very bold. Every time I use a Gucci lipstick I wonder why I don’t use them all the time.
Have you tried the new launches? What did you think?
Armani Beauty launched their Luminous Silk Glow Blushes ($38) earlier this spring. I’m late to the game trying these but after falling in love with 51 Amore I picked up more shades including one of the new colors 11 Warm Nude and thought I’d put these on your radar.
The Luminous Silk Glow Blush is a soft natural looking blush with a silky smooth texture. If you’re looking for a natural blush that is easy to apply with medium buildable coverage these are the ones to check out! Powders have a finely milled texture which makes it blend right into the skin.
Lasting power is excellent (I love powder blushes in general). I have 5 shades now and all of them perform exceptionally well.
11 In Love/Warm Nude is a neutral nude beige, on me it pulls more neutral-cool
30 Offbeat is a bright apricot matte
50 Euphoric is a golden pink, on my complexion it looks more like a highlighter, but if I layer this on top of another blush or cream blush the pink base shows more
51 Amore is the perfect rose pink
52 Ecstasy is a beautiful cool bright pink
My favorite is 51 Amore. I also love layering these together. The peachy ones 30 and 50 layer really nicely together.
If I had tried them all in person before ordering, I would have probably skipped 11. I think it will work nicely on lighter or cooler skin tones. For my medium tan olive skin it pulls a little too neutral. I prefer Laura Mercier Fresco or Charlotte Tilbury First Love for the perfect neutral blush (on my skintone).
A couple more Armani mentions. I still really love the Luminous Silk Foundation formula. Everytime I use it I am just blown away by how smooth and naturally glowy my skin looks with this base. I use the Shade 6.5. The Luminous Silk Concealer is one of the best full coverage concealers I’ve used. I also use Shade 6.5 which pulls a little lighter than the foundation so it’s perfect for brightening. The Luminous Silk Glow Setting Powder is another favorite. It’s a glowy powder but not too glowy for all over the face. However if you don’t like any glow or shimmer all over it may be too much for you in which case I’d recommend trying either the Givenchy Prisme Libre Loose Setting Powder or Charlotte Tilbury Airbrush Flawless Finish Powder (my 2 holy grail setting powders right now).
It’s also been a while since I reviewed the Lip Power Lipsticks and I don’t think I ever swatched all the shades so here is the lineup of what I have. They’re creamy, full coverage, comfortable and have great lasting power.
I wear Shade 103 and 109 the most. I think those are the most wearable and flattering. They’re also the ones I get the most “what’s on your lips?” questions for. Shade 107 is a newer shade which ended up being a little too dark on my complexion. If you’re all about the 90s brown tones I think you’ll love it. For me I’ll probably save it for fall/winter.
Bottom line, love the Luminous Silk Glow Blushes. I wish they had more colors to choose from but I love what they have right now.
