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Sabrina

Hauls Sephora

New Fall Makeup Haul Picks from Sephora

October 24, 2021

Sephora Makeup Haul

There are so many good beauty launches this time of year and I’ve put together a haul roundup of some things I’ve tested and loved from Sephora. I’ve partnered with them to share a closer look at new makeup for the face, cheeks, eyes and lips with swatches. If you’re shopping online you can use the code FREESHIP for free shipping on any order. I highly recommend checking out their Beauty Insider Program for extra benefits, early access to events and new product launches.

Sephora Makeup Haul | The Beauty Lookbook

I’ve split everything in this review by category. Here are 10 things I hauled recently and loved!

Face Products

Fenty Eaze Drops, MUFE Ultra HD Matte Setting Powder, YSL Nu Bare Look Tint

I’m always excited to try new foundations and skin tints. Two that I’ve been really impressed with are the Fenty Eaze Blurring Skin Tint ($29.50) and YSL Nu Bare Look Tint Skin Tint Foundation ($38). The Fenty Ease Blurring Skin Tint is a nice lightweight base that has a super natural look – like your skin but smoother and better. I wear Shade 10 and it has good coverage and lasts all day. The YSL Nu Bare Look Tint is my current favorite sheer dewy base. I wear either Shade 8 or 9 and it’s like a tinted moisturizer without being too dewy. It’s radiant, smoothing, glowy and lightweight.

I’ve been really impressed with the new Make Up For Ever Ultra HD Setting Powder ($37) in 3.0 Golden Neutral (available in 6 colors). It’s a great setting powder to smooth out pores, set your foundation and has a nice matte finish.

Complexion

Westman Atelier Holiday 2021 Sets Sephora | The Beauty Lookbook

For the cheeks Westman Atelier has some cute sets out for the holiday season! If you are looking for a super cute luxe gift for a beauty lover (or yourself) the Clean Glow Trios ($78 each) are super cute! There are two variations with a Lit Up Stick, Face Trace Contour Stick and Baby Cheeks.

Below wearing: Fenty Glow Eaze Blurring Drops in Shade 10, Make Up For Ever Ultra HD Matte Setting Powder in Golden Neutral, Westman Atelier Clean Glow Trio II with Truffle, Nectar and DouDou, Fenty Gloss Bomb Cream in Candy Milk, Charlotte Tilbury Luxury Palette of Pearls, Rare Beauty Perfect Strokes Mascara

Westman Atelier Clean Glow Trio II | Blush in DouDou

I hauled the Clean Glow Trio II (deeper variation) with Face Trace in Truffle, Lit Up Stick in Nectar, Baby Cheeks in Dou Dou. These come in the twist up sticks like the full size, just miniature and without the magnetic cap. Texture of the contour stick and blush is creamy with a nice dry down (great for longer lasting power). The Lit Sticks are super pretty for that dewy glow. On my medium tan complexion these sticks are fairly sheer and add a luminous glow.

Westman Atelier Clean Glow Trio II

Another beautiful option to gift this year is the Westman Atelier Gift Edition Holiday Box Highlighter + Lip Set ($133). It has new colors with Lit Up Stick in Parla (glossy champagne gold) and Lip Suede in Les Bordeaux (bright cherry red, pale mauve nude, deep plum and wine). The Lit Up Stick is really beautiful! The Lip Suede has a palette of matte shades that adhere well to the lips for exceptional lasting power. Colors run on the bold edgy side. You can always mix the shades for a custom lip look too.

Westman Atelier Holiday Box Highlighter & Lip Set

Westman Atelier Holiday Set swatches

Lip Suede in Bordeaux

Westman Atelier Holiday Box Set Lit Up Stick Parla and Bordeaux Lip Suede

Palette/Eyes

Rare Beauty Perfect Strokes Mascara

The Rare Beauty Perfect Strokes Universal Volumizing Mascara ($20) has been a good one for me! I love it for a nice defining and lifting formula that doesn’t clump or smudge.

Charlotte Tilbury Luxury Palette of Pearls

I love holiday palettes for the pretty shimmers and I hauled the new Charlotte Tilbury Luxury Palette of Pearls ($53) to try. For a complete eye look you will need to add some deeper shades or a liner (I added some of the mattes from the Too Faced Natural Nudes). But the colors are gorgeous, texture is smooth, shadows adhere well to the skin and last all day. I’ve added a swatch next to Star Aura (one of my favorites) for comparison.

Charlotte Tilbury Luxury Palette of Pearls vs Star Aura

Lips

 

Last but not least we have my favorite part of the haul lips! Every year I haul the Fenty Lip Sets. I’m a HUGE fan of the Gloss Bomb and Cream formulas and look forward to the new limited-edition colors. This year’s set is the Fenty Glossy Posse Fantasy 4Sum ($38) with a full size Gloss Bomb Cream in Candy Milk (pink), and 3 mini holographic Gloss Bombs in Champ Stamp Fenty Glow, Fenty Glow Fantasy and Hot Chocolit Fantasy. I love these. The glitter and sparkle is really wearable and not too over the top. Texture is super smooth and even with the sparkles I don’t feel any texture.

Fenty Glossy Posse Fantasy 4Sum

Fenty Glossy Posse Fantasy 4Sum vs a few individual full-size colors

Fenty Glossy Posse Fantasy 4Sum vs Fenty Glow, Hot Chocolit, Creams

Fenty Glossy Posse Fantasy 4Sum lip swatches

Hands down my favorite set that I’ve hauled is the Tarte Bow & Go Maracuja Juicy Lip Balm Set ($35, $76 value). I just recently tried this lip balm formula and cannot believe it took me so long to try it. They’re the perfect swipe and go kind of gloss + balm tint in one with a click up applicator. This set is packaged in two sets of two which makes them perfect for stocking stuffers. Colors in this set include Orchid, Coconut, Petal and Wild Berry.

Tarte Bow & Go Maracuja Juicy Lip Balm Set

Last I have a look at the newer shades of the Kosas Wet Lip Oil ($22 each). If you’re a neutral lip lover and want something you can throw on and look more polished, definitely check out the newer colors! Unzipped is a pale pink, Unhooked is a medium neutral nude pink, Unbuttoned is a soft warm blush. I love Unbuttoned the most, but all the colors are really good.

Kosas Wet Lip Oil in Unzipped, Unhooked, Unbuttoned

Kosas Wet Lip Oil in Unzipped, Unhooked, Unbuttoned lip swatches

That wraps up my haul roundup review! I hope you found the swatches helpful! You can find everything available at Sephora. If you’re a Beauty Insider, don’t forget to mark your calendar for the upcoming Holiday Savings Event in a few weeks! Savings start on 11/5 for Rouge Members!

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Many thanks to Sephora for partnering to sponsor this post. As always all opinions are my own.

Natasha Denona Sephora

Natasha Denona Retro Eyeshadow Palette Review + Swatches

October 20, 2021

Natasha Denona Retro Eyeshadow Palette | The Beauty Lookbook

Always excited to see what Natasha Denona launches! From day one I’ve loved the unique and personal touch she’s added to all of her palettes. Today I have a look at her Retro Eyeshadow Palette ($65, available at Sephora). The color scheme has a mix of pinks, purples, silvers and sparkles for a burgundy mauve eye look.

The Retro Eyeshadow Palette has 15 shades. There is a mix of velvety mattes, duochrome sparkles, shimmers, and sparkle toppers. Color payoff and performance is true to her usual style – great pigment, smooth texture, easy to blend and layer colors. I think this one has a really nice range and variation of light, medium and deep shades.

Natasha Denona Retro Eyeshadow Palette | The Beauty Lookbook

I’ve always been a neutral eye person or one who likes golden bronze tones. Purple isn’t really me, I don’t think I can pull it off well like many of my other beauty friends. I think there are plenty of non-purple tones in this palette to create a more neutral look but I did create a purple mauve look just for fun.

Natasha Denona Retro Eyeshadow Palette | The Beauty Lookbook

Colors in this palette:

  • Glitz is a sparkling pink gold
  • Andy is a soft light mauve
  • Jude shimmery taupe silver
  • Mod pale off white pink matte
  • Vivenne pale medium dusty pink
  • Groove deep plum
  • Opart bark brown
  • Psychedelic sparkling glitter pink
  • Go-Go medium warm pink matte
  • Patty pretty warm shimmer copper pink
  • Swing shimmery plum
  • Nude Mauve greyed-mauve matte
  • Rebellion deep plum red
  • Helio sparkling taupe
  • Amara matte plum brown

Natasha Denona Retro Eyeshadow Palette | The Beauty Lookbook

My favorite shades in this palette are Glitz and Helio for ones I think are the most unique and prettiest!

Full look below wearing:

Natasha Denona Retro Eyeshadow Palette makeup look | The Beauty Lookbook

Natasha Denona Retro Eyeshadow Palette makeup look | The Beauty Lookbook

Natasha Denona Retro Eyeshadow Palette makeup look | The Beauty Lookbook

Natasha Denona Retro Eyeshadow Palette makeup look | The Beauty Lookbook

Natasha Denona Retro Eyeshadow Palette review | The Beauty Lookbook

Have you checked out her new palette? Do you like to wear plums, purples or mauves on the eyes? What are some of your favorites? Available at Sephora.

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Palette from Natasha Denona provided for review.

Base Makeup Chanel

Chanel Ultra Le Teint Foundation + Le Correcteur de Chanel Review

October 18, 2021

Chanel Ultra Le Teint + Le Correcteur de Chanel review

Chanel recently reformulated two of their base products including the Ultra Le Teint Foundation ($60, available in 35 shades), Le Correcteur de Chanel ($43, available in 16 shades), and Le Correcteur de Chanel in a Color Corrector ($43, 4 shades).

I hauled the new foundation and concealer to put them to the test and have a closer look with swatches today.

Chanel Ultra Le Teint Foundation + Le Correcteur de Chanel

Chanel Ultra Le Teint

The Chanel Ultra Le Teint Ultrawear All-Day Comfort Foundation is a soft matte finish foundation with a lightweight texture and medium buildable coverage. It’s been a while since I tried the original Ultra Le Teint so I can’t exactly recall what the old one was like, but I think I remember it being on the thicker heavy side. The new reformulation has a more fluid lightweight feel compared to the original. Compared to current Chanel matte/velvet bases it’s not thin and doesn’t have quite as much slip as the Ultra Le Teint Velvet (reviewed here).

Chanel Ultra Le Teint Foundation in BD41

Formula blends well for a soft demi-matte finish. I swatched a few at the counter and the sales associate agreed that I looked like I was in between shades B40/B50 possibly a BD41. The undertone of BD41 matched better for my yellow/olive/golden skintone but is just a tad too light. The next shade up BD51 was too deep and olive for me. If I were to get my exact match I’d probably be a mix of BD41 with B50.

Once on the skin it doesn’t really oxidize but I was surprised that it adjusts and blends out perfectly. Most matte foundations tend to darken once they dry on my skin and I was really pleased that this one does not.

Lasting power is pretty impressive. Finish can be a little streaky if you have dry skin, but this can be fixed with a good moisturizer underneath and some good blending. Overall I like it but I still prefer the Laura Mercier Flawless Fusion Foundation for formula and how it looks on the skin.

A few swatch comparisons for reference. I’ll link my previous reviews to other formulas below:

  • Armani Luminous Silk Foundation in 6.5 and 7 (review here)
  • Chanel CC Cream in 40 Beige (review here)
  • Chanel Ultra Le Teint Velvet in B40 (review + swatches here)
  • Chanel Les Beiges Healthy Glow Foundation in BD41 and B40 (more swatches here)
  • Cle de Peau Radiant Fluid Matte in O40 (review here)
  • NARS Natural Radiant Foundation in Vanuatu (review + swatches here)
  • Comprehensive Foundation + Concealer Shade Guide for current formulas I’ve reviewed in my Foundation + Concealer Reference Guide for Medium Tan Skintones

Chanel Foundation Swatches B40 BD41

Chanel Ultra Le Teint Foundation in BD41

Chanel Ultra Le Teint Foundation in BD41

Le Correcteur de Chanel Longwear Concealer

I’ve received a lot of questions over the years about the Chanel concealer and how it compares to other brands like Dior and NARS. To be frank, I’ve never been a super huge fan of the Chanel concealers. The formula isn’t bad, it’s just not what I prefer. Finish tends to be thin, not creamy enough and the colors have always been a little off for my skin. Either too pale, too dark or too pink in undertone. This round Chanel added more shades with their Le Correcteur de Chanel Longwear Concealer.

Chanel Le Correcteur de Chanel

Formula is lightweight with a gel-based formula. It does the job at brightening and concealing the under eye. It won’t crease, it’s easy to blend, it has soft-focus pigments to diffuse light with a brightening effect (but has no shimmer/glow).

Overall it’s decent. It performs as described. I prefer formulas that are more creamy and emollient. I don’t think it has enough coverage for spot concealing although I did not try the color correctors to see if those work better. I just don’t think it’s the best out there. For a similar coverage I prefer the NARS Radiant Creamy Concealer by far for the emollient texture and creamy feel. I like the color range in NARS better too.

For a color match, the first counter I went to was sold out of B40 so I went to another store nearby and didn’t realize until I got home that they sold me the old formula which is 40 Beige. So I have both the old and new 40 colors to swatch for you side by side. A few videos I watched on YouTube also showed that the old and new in the B20 color are also different. I suspect this might be the case across the board that the colors are slightly different.

I ordered the new B40 along with the B30 and BD31 to compare. I know a lot of you like one 1-2 shades lighter than your skintone for brightening. For me after testing all three, the best one for me is B40 but I think it’s still a bit too light and the next shade deeper is too dark.

Chanel Le Correcteur de Chanel in B40

Chanel Le Correcteur de Chanel in B40

Swatch comparisons to a few other brands:

  • NARS Radiant Creamy Concealer in Macadamia, Ginger and Praline (formula is more creamy and easier to blend)
  • Laura Mercier Flawless Fusion in 3N (more swatches here, formula is thicker and more emollient)
  • Tarte Shape Tape in 35N Medium (formula is full coverage, thicker, more creamy, better for spot concealing)

Concealer Swatches Chanel, NARS, Laura Mercier, Tarte

 

Full below look wearing:

Chanel Makeup Look

Overall I think the new foundation is a good basic semi-matte base that will offer medium natural coverage and last all day. The concealer is decent but compared to other brands I would say a pass.

Have you tried the new base products yet? What did you think?

Available at Chanel.com and all other Chanel counters.

Haircare

Smooth Shiny Hair with Kerastase

October 14, 2021

Kerastase Elixir Ultime review

A number of you have asked for more hair styling features and reviews and today I’m excited to share a look at the Kerastase Elixir Ultime Oil Serum ($51 for 3.4 oz/100 ml) available at Sephora. It’s one of my favorite multi-tasking products to add hydration to my ends, reduce frizz and add shine without weighing down my hair.

The Elixir Ultime Oil Serum has a blend of different oils including marula oil (for softness and shine), camelia oil (to keep in moisture) and argan oil (to strengthen and protect). It’s suitable for all hair types and has a beautiful scent with a mix of floral and woody notes.

Kerastase Elixir Ultime Hair Oil Serum review

Kerastase Elixir Ultime Hair Oil Serum review

Kerastase Elixir Ultime Hair Oil Serum review

Kerastase Elixir Ultime Hair Oil Serum review

You can use this on damp hair before you blow dry as it doubles as a heat protectant and leave in conditioner. One pump is enough to coat my entire head evenly from roots to ends on damp hair.

Kerastase Elixir Ultime Hair Oil Serum review

Kerastase Elixir Ultime Hair Oil Serum review

Kerastase Elixir Ultime Hair Oil Serum review

Kerastase Elixir Ultime Hair Oil Serum review

Kerastase Elixir Ultime Hair Oil Serum at Sephora review

Kerastase Elixir Ultime Hair Oil Serum review

You can also use this as a finishing product worked into the ends to help with any dry areas or lightly throughout the hair to smooth frizz and add shine. I’ll sometimes pair it with one of their hair primers like the Discipline or Resistance Blow Dry Primer for added heat protection. Shine will last up to 48 hours. It also works to seal split ends. If you’re looking for a good hair oil, I highly recommend checking this one out!

You can also find the Elixir Ultime available in a Travel Size (1.7 oz/50 ml), Shampoo, Conditioner and Mask format. Do you have any Kerastase favorites? Let me know what your favorite line is!

Available at Sephora.

 

 

Sponsored by Kerastase.

Eye Makeup Lips Tom Ford Beauty

Tom Ford Soleil 2021 Naked Pink Quad + Sunlit Rose Lip Balm

October 12, 2021

Tom Ford Soleil 2021 Naked Pink and Sunlit Rose

Tom Ford launched two new items in the Soleil lineup and I ordered the new Soleil Eye Color Quad in Naked Pink ($89) and Sunlit Rose Lip Balm ($58). I look forward to the Soleil eyeshadow palettes every year as I’m a huge fan of the pretty shimmers for this line. I ordered both from Nordstrom.

Soleil Eyeshadow Quad in Naked Pink

Tom Ford Soleil Naked Pink Eyeshadow Quad

The Soleil Eyeshadow Quad in Naked Pink has a mix of textures unlike the previous year’s First Frost which is all metallic (ie like Honeymoon, Nude Dip, Virgin Orchid etc.). This year’s Naked Pink has a soft shimmery cool pink champagne, a matte soft malted pink, a sparkle topper in a pale rose/mauve glitter and a medium shimmery rose. Pigment is medium soft in this one and on my medium tan skin tone colors look more subdued/natural. Texture is smooth and easy to blend and layer. If you’re looking for super strong pigment this might be too sheer for you. I really like the colors and quality but wish the pigment was a bit stronger/more visible. Still the semi-sheer pigment isn’t a deal breaker for me, I’d rate this a solid B+/A-. It’s one I will wear for the holiday season for a sparkle eye look and I really like it.

Tom Ford Soleil Naked Pink Eyeshadow Quad and Sunlit Rose swatches

A few swatch comparisons below to Tom Ford Eye Color Quad in Sous Le Sable and Charlotte Tilbury Pillow Talk.

Tom Ford Sous Le Sable, Naked Pink and Charlotte Tilbury Pillow Talk

 

Look wearing:

Tom Ford Soleil Naked Pink Eyeshadow Quad and Sunlit Rose swatches

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Closer detail eye look below wearing the Tom Ford Eye Color Quad in Naked Pink and different lip combo to add more color with Lip Color in Spanish Pink layered with the Lip Balm in Sunlit Rose.

Tom Ford naked pink eyeshadow and spanish pink lipstick

Soleil Lip Balm in Sunlit Rose

Tom Ford Soleil Lip Balm in Sunlit Rose

This year’s Soleil Lip Balm in Sunlit Rose also has an overspray on the bullet. Underneath is a soft pink glow. I really love how pretty it is on my arm but on my pigmented lips it looks really pale. Based on what I see on my hand swatch I expected it to look like Spanish Pink but with a glow. I suspect on most of you Sunlit Rose will look more true to tube versus what it looks like on me. I like the texture – it’s smooth and semi-thick, almost like a Tom Ford lipstick but smoother. It works nicely as a layering product with liner or over a lipstick. Not a must-have for me although the packaging and presentation is really pretty.

Tom Ford Beauty Naked Pink and Sunlit Rose

Swatched next to Tom Ford Balm Frost from 2020 (also reviewed/swatched here).

Tom Ford Balm Frost vs Sunlit Rose

 

Tom Ford Soleil 2021 Naked Pink and Sunlit Rose

Have you checked out the Tom Ford Soleil 2021 Naked Pink Quad + Sunlit Rose Lip Balm items? What did you think?

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Available at Nordstrom.

 

Beauty Favorites Home / Interiors Nordstrom

Best Cozy Candles for Fall

October 8, 2021

Best Candles For Fall Diptyque, Jo Malone, Byredo

I love this time of year when we can bring out all kinds of cozy things for fall the season. It’s still quite warm here in Florida but the weather has noticeably started to shift. I’ve started to change our home scents to put us more in the mood for fall. Today I’ve put together a roundup of my favorite cozy fall candles from Nordstrom. I’ve included a few alternatives for diffusers and room sprays as well.

Diptyque Loves

Best Diptyque Baies Candles

Out of all the home fragrance brands I would say that Diptyque is my favorite. I still remember the first ones I splurged on and to this day my favorite is still Baies. It’s a classic blackcurrant and rose mix that is truly unique. I own this in multiple formats and sizes. The Standard Size 6.5 oz/190 g candle is a classic and has approximately 60 hours of burn time. For a splurge the 3-Wick 600 g comes in a black ceramic vessel and has 90 hours of burn time. The larger size has significantly stronger throw.

If you’re looking for a good gift set to treat yourself or gift as a hostess gift Best of Baies is a great one with a mini candle, mini room spray and scented oval.

Diptyque Best of Baies Set Nordstrom

Other scents I adore include Ambre which is a warm and creamy woody amber with vetiver, patchouli, aniseed, spices, incense, cistus and tonka bean. Santal is another favorite woody scent wand is probably my favorite sandalwood variation with a mix of velvety spices. Vanille is one of the best smoky vanillas I’ve tried.

Best Diptyque Candles for Fall Ambre, Vanille and Santal

The Diptyque room sprays are among the best ones I’ve tried. While they’re not as long lasting as a candle, I find they last longer in our home compared to other brands. I’ve splurged on a quite a few but the ones I like the most are Figuier and Baies.

Favorite Diptyque Room Sprays

Byredo

Best Byredo Scents Tree House, Burning Rose, Cotton Poplin

I also have so much love for Byredo. Their candles are really spendy but they have incredibly strong throw. Even their mini ones are quite potent. The ones I keep going back to are Tree House and Woods for fall. Both have a really unique woody vibe. Tree House is a complex scent with cedar, bamboo, sandalwood, guaiac wood and hay and spice, myrrh and labdanum. The first time I visited a Byredo store this was the scent they were burning inside and it was incredible. I splurged on the Room Spray and was really impressed.

Another favorite is Cotton Poplin which I think is more of a timeless home fragrance. It’s one of the most comforting fresh scents with a mix of chamomile, cedar and musk.

There are so many great options in candles. I also really like Burning Rose and Bibliotheque – both unique, smoky with a lot of depth. If you like the Bal D’Afrique Perfume you will really love Bibliotheque.

Le Labo

Le Labo Santal Candle and Discovery Set

Le Labo is another great line I think is universally loved. The Santal 26 Candle is one of their classics. It’s a creamy warm mix of amber, cocoa, vanilla, cedar, musk and sandalwood. It’s quite potent and fills the entire home within minutes.

They have a few mini candle discovery sets which I love. I own the Candle Discovery Set Trio with Figue 15, Palo Santo 14 and Petit Grain 21 (Nordstrom Exclusive) and think it makes for a great gift. They just added a new Candle Discovery Set with Calone 17, Laurier 62 and Verveine 32. I’m super curious about these and have them on my list to smell next time I’m in store.

Maison Francis Kurkdjian

Maison Francis Kurkdjian Baccarat Rouge 540 Scented Candle

One of the most luxurious things I’ve been gifted was the Maison Francis Kurkdjian Baccarat Rouge 540 Scented Candle. My bestie bought this for me last Christmas and I save it for special occasions. It smells just like the Eau de Parfum – mix of rich amber, floral notes, jasmine, saffron, cedarwood and ambergris. It has such an incredible throw.

Jo Malone

Jo Malone Lime Basil & Mandarin Scent Surround Diffuser

Last but not least is Jo Malone. They have so many timeless classics and I love their holiday editions. The one I love the most is the Lime Basil and Mandarin which is clean, unisex, unique, sharp. I tried the Lime Basil & Mandarin Scent Surround Diffuser and love it.

Best Candles for Fall from Diptyque, Byredo, Jo Malone

I know this is a long list but since I work from home I find them worth the splurge. We always have something burning in the home for any kind of mood. I love that Andrew also loves a good smelling home.

Out of all the scents that I’ve purchased and repurchased, I would say my Top 5 for fall:

  1. Diptyque Baies
  2. Diptyque Santal
  3. Diptyque Ambre
  4. Diptyque Vanille
  5. Byredo Tree House

What I’m wearing in this post:

You can find all of my favorites available at Nordstrom. Don’t forget to check out their Gift With Purchase page to take advantage of extra minis! If you’re part of the Nordy Club they have 2x points on beauty through October 31st! What are your favorite scents for fall? Do you like more woody spicy scents or do you go for something more floral? Or opt for the sweeter gourmand scents? Would love to hear about your favorites!

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Many thanks to Nordstrom for partnering to sponsor this post. As always all opinions are my own.

Highlighters Holiday Gift Guide Hourglass Cosmetics

Hourglass Holiday Palettes 2021

October 5, 2021

Hourglass Holiday Palettes 2021

 

Hourglass launched three palettes for Holiday 2021 and today I have swatches of all three. There are two larger palettes with 5 shades each, and one palette in a trio format.

Hourglass Holiday Palettes 2021

Hourglass Ambient Lighting Edit Face Universe

Hourglass Ambient Lighting Edit Face Universe

Two of the new palettes are 5-pans, one in a light/medium option, the other in a medium/deeper option. Each one contains 1 Ambient Lighting Powder (for setting/blurring), two blushes, one bronzer and one highlighter. The lighter variation is the Hourglass Ambient Lighting Edit Face Universe ($80). Colors in this palette:

  • Ambient Lighting Infinity Powder – color is a mix of Diffused Light, Dim Light, and Hypnotic Strobe Light, pale sheer ivory (repromote)
  • Ambient Strobe Lighting Blush in Vibrant Heat – raspberry and light pink swirl
  • Ambient Lighting Blush in Luminous Rose – described as a soft plum, but mine pulls more golden peach with the swirl pattern
  • Ambient Lighting Bronzer in Glistening Bronze Light – soft bronze shimmer
  • Ambient Strobe Lighting Powder in Supernatural Strobe Light – champagne shimmer

Colors performed well. The Ambient Lighting Infinity Powder looks really pale for a finishing powder but I find it sheer enough to use even on my medium-tan skin. It has a soft diffused finish I can use to set foundation or use as a very soft glow highlighter/diffuser.

Blushes perform well on my skin although the plum rose shade looks a lot warmer and almost bronzey on my skin compared to what I see in the pan. Overall really pretty, but not entirely unique. You may want to wait for a Friends and Family sale that happens during the holiday season.

Hourglass Ambient Lighting Edit Face Universe swatches

Hourglass Ambient Lighting Edit Face Universe Palette look

Wearing:

 

Hourglass Ambient Lighting Edit Face Universe Unlocked

Hourglass Ambient Lighting Edit Face Universe Unlocked Palette

The deeper variation is the Hourglass Ambient Lighting Edit Face Universe Unlocked. This looks like it has deeper tones for medium to tan skin tones. I was surprised to find this wearable for me since the colors looked a bit dark, but the plum and rose blushes make for a really pretty look. I do wish that they had all new colors instead of repromotes, but out of the two palettes I prefer this one.

  • Ambient Lighting Powder in Radiant Light – soft golden beige bronze (repromote)
  • Ambient Lighting Blush in Rose Heat – deep berry satin
  • Ambient Lighting Blush in Coral Flush – bright peony
  • Ambient Lighting Bronzer in Radiant Bronze Light – shimmery warm bronze (repromote)
  • Ambient Metallic Strobe Lighting Powder in Solar Strobe Light – metallic warm champagne with a peachy tone

Hourglass Ambient Lighting Edit Face Universe Unlocked Palette Swatches Holiday 2021

Wearing the same makeup as above breakdown with the Universe Unlocked Palette and lip color wearing Hourglass Unreal Lip Gloss in Prose

Hourglass Ambient Lighting Edit Face Universe makeup look

Hourglass Ambient Lighting Edit Palette Vol III

Hourglass Ambient Lighting Edit Palette Vol III

Last is a look Hourglass Ambient Lighting Edit Palette Vol III which is a finishing and highlighting palette for deep skin tones. A deeper palette like this from Hourglass has been long overdue and I’m glad they’ve started to add darker variations. Since this is a deeper toned palette and I have medium-tan skin, the colors are too dark for me to try as a finishing or blurring product but the powders seem smooth and finely milled. I did try as a bronzer but found colors a bit on the warm side for me. I think I could probably use this on the eyes as a deeper brown/bronze palette for my skin tone.

Hourglass Ambient Lighting Edit Palette Vol III swatches

Here is a side by side of the palettes Vol 1, Vol 2 and Vol 3:

Hourglass Ambient Lighting Edit Vol 1, 2 and 3

I ordered my 5-palettes Hourglass Ambient Lighting Edit Face Universe and Universe Unlocked from Nordstrom. Also available at other retailers like Sephora, Neiman Marcus, Space NK and Ulta. The Hourglass Ambient Lighting Edit Palette Vol III seems to be available only at Hourglass Cosmetics right now.

 

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Have you checked out the Hourglass Holiday palettes yet? What did you think? Are there any other palettes you have on your radar?