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Sabrina

Dior

Dior Summer Dune Collection 2021

May 12, 2021

DIOR Summer Dune Makeup 2021

I’ve been a bit MIA on the blog because we’ve taken a little road trip getaway to the other coast of Florida to celebrate my birthday in Miami! This one is a big one as I have just turned 40! I don’t know if I will have a travel diary on the blog but if you want to see some highlights, I have snippets saves on my Instagram Highlights @beautylookbook under the MIAMI tab. (Thank you so much to all of you who sent the sweetest birthday wishes!)

Today I have a look at some items from the Dior Makeup Summer Dune Collection for Summer 2021. You can find the vast majority of these at Dior.com and select items are available at retailers like Nordstrom, Saks, Bloomingdale’s etc.

Pieces I hauled from the Summer Dune Collection plus a few new items I spotted online:

  • 5 Couleurs Couture in Mirage 699 and Dune 759 ($63 each)
  • Diorskin Nude Luminizer in Pink Dune 001 and Peach Dune 002 ($50 each)
  • Addict Stellar Gloss in Golden Hour 110, also picked up Dior Garden 213 and Sunrise 611 new but not part of the summer launch ($30 each)
  • Lip Maximizer in Shimmer Bronze 023 ($34)
  • Addict Lacquer Stick in Nude Desert 323 ($38)
  • Dior Vernis in Dune 323 ($28)
  • Pouch shown was a GWP on Dior’s website from a few weeks ago, but I just saw it online at Saks (says available with a $150 purchase, while supplies last through May 15)

Eyeshadow Palettes

Dior 5 Couleurs Couture Eyeshadow Palettes Summer Dune collection

There are two new limited-edition eyeshadow palettes in the 5 Couleurs Couture format called Mirage 699 and Dune 759. Both are shimmery with a marbled swirl of color mixed in. Mirage is the softer of the two with warm copper, corals and peach shades – they all blend into very similar tones once on the skin but if you layer them with the sponge applicator or a dense brush you can see some more variation. Texture feels super lightweight with medium pigment. I would have liked to see more variation and contrast in the colors to create a more complete eye look. By itself it does give a nice ombre effect.

Dune is more sparkly with tiny micro sparkles. This pulls very warm by itself but if you add a cream brown shadow as a base you can make it more neutral. I added the Laura Mercier Caviar Stick in Cocoa to help create more dimension/contrast. Application is smooth and shimmery. The micro sparkles seemed to adhere pretty well with minimal fallout.

Dior Summer Dune Eyeshadow swatches

Below wearing:

Dior Summer Dune Makeup Look

Dior Summer Dune Makeup Look

Highlighters

Dior Summer Dune Diorskin Nude Highlighters

For the cheeks I could not resist picking up the new Diorskin Nude Luminizer in Pink Dune 001 and Peach Dune 002. Both have a smooth beautiful shimmer. The colors themselves aren’t the most unique but I think they’re very wearable for a nice glow that isn’t over the top. Pink Dune is a shimmery light pink and Peach Dune is a peach gold.

Dior Summer Dune Diorskin Nude Highlighter swatches

Diorskin Nude Luminizer in Peach Dune

Lips

Dior Summer Dune Lip Glosses

Dior Summer Dune Lip Swatches

I hauled a lot of the new glosses! The Addict Stellar Gloss in Golden Hour 110 is one of the new ones for summer which is a sheer pale gold shimmer. It’s almost clear on the lips with an opalescent sheen. I also picked up Dior Garden 213 which is a pale shimmery lilac pink (also almost clear) and Sunrise 611 (nude pink caramel) both new but not part of the summer launch.

Dior Addict Stellar Gloss Dior Garden

I already featured the new Lip Maximizer in Shimmer Bronze 023 in this post here. This one is a warm coppery bronze with a soft sheen. It pulls very orange on my complexion which I think is fun for summer!

Last but not least for lips, I ordered the Addict Lacquer Stick in Nude Desert 323. I love this formula and wish there were more lighter neutrals available. This is a creamy nude, on my lips it looks more flesh toned than it does in the tube – but this could just be my pigmented lips and tan. I really love this one! (Wearing this in the top photo.)

Dior Addict Lacquer Stick Nude Desert

Nail Polish

Dior Vernis in Dune

The last thing I have to share from the Dior Summer Dune collection is the Nail Polish in Dune. This looks like a peachy brown online, in real life it is a lot more brown and deeper in color. I’m personally not a huge fan but after showing a sneak peek on stories I received an overwhelming number of messages and responses on this one. Apparently most of you LOVE it! It did grow on me a little. I will say that I do think it is a unique peachy brown shade – I haven’t seen anything quite like it.

Overall some pretty launches for summer with good performance and wearable colors. I don’t think anything is a stand out for being super unique and while the eyeshadows are really stunning, I wish there was a bit more variation/contrast in the palettes.

After playing with everything the top 3 stand outs are the Addict Lacquer Stick in Nude Desert, Addict Stellar Gloss in Sunrise and Diorskin Luminizer in Peach Dune. I think I will be more of a fan of the Chanel Les Beiges Summer 2021 collection which just launched online at Chanel.com and will be reviewed very soon!

DIOR Summer Dune Makeup 2021

If you’ve been looking for swatches of Dior Summer Dune Collection I hope this helped you! Have you checked out anything from the summer launch yet? If so what did you think?

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I hauled my items from Dior.com.

Bronzer + Blush Lips

Rose Hermes Silky Blush Powder + Rosy Lip Enhancer Review

May 5, 2021

Rose Hermes Rosy Lip Enhancer and Blush Review via The Beauty Look book

The newest additions to the Hermes Beauty lineup are blushes, brushes and lip balms in the new Rose Hermes Collection. The colors are beautiful, understated and elegant. Items are available at Nordstrom, Saks Fifth Avenue, Bloomingdale’s, Selfridges and Hermes. In today’s review:

Silky Blush Powder

Rose Hermes Silky Blush Powder review via The Beauty Lookbook

The Silky Powder Blush is a soft matte powder formula that has a rose scent. The formula is a silky smooth powder I find has buildable coverage on the face. They are ultra lightweight in texture and adheres well to the skin without looking too powdery. The packaging is beautiful in design and comes with a magnetic snap top and mirror inside.

The powder is heavily fragranced so if you’re sensitive to perfume in makeup this is not the product for you. In terms of texture and coverage these remind me of a more velvety powdery version of the Laura Mercier Blushes for the natural coverage and satin finish.

When I first played around with the formula I was not super impressed, but the first color I tried was Rose Ombre which turns out to be my least favorite color. For my skin tone it looks a little dull and lackluster. I played with each of the shades and love the other shades. There are eight colors total right now, I ordered six of them:

  • 19 Rose Abricot is a light peach
  • 23 Rose Blush is a warm pink
  • 32 Rose Pommette is a medium rose pink
  • 28 Rose Plume is a soft pale pink
  • 45 Rose Ombre is a medium dusty rose
  • 49 Rose Tan is an orangey tan

Rose Hermes Silky Blush Powder swatches via The Beauty Lookbook

Overall I really like these! (All colors shown on the face below.) At $77 each these are quite the splurge and while I really like the elegant and understated look, I do not think I needed all of the colors I hauled. Do I think they’re worth the $77 price tag? Not really, but I am happy with the formula and wear. If I had to pick a couple favorites, I would say I like Rose Tan and Rose Blush the best.

Brushes

Hermes Brushes Cheeks

There are two brushes in the Rose Hermes collection which includes a small angled Travel Brush and an angled flat Blush Brush. The smaller Travel Brush is super soft and smooth and surpassed my expectations in terms of performance. It picks up product nicely and blends perfectly. It is on the small side, I would have liked something a little bigger but the texture and density is on point. For a brush intended for travel I do think having a cap or retractable option is ideal. Something like the Chanel Brush No 111, Brush 103, No 108 or Charlotte Tilbury Airbrush are better buys in my opinion for a travel face brush.

The flat blush brush is just ok. I do not think it’s worth the splurge. It performs well but I think it is pretty average. I think you would be better off buying something like the Chanel Contouring Brush No 109, Laura Mercier Angled Cheek Brush or NARS #21 Contour Brush instead.

Rosy Lip Enhancer

Hermes Rosy Lip Enhancer Review

I’ve saved the best for last which is the Rosy Lip Enhancer. These are tinted lipsticks that have a transparent finish and enhance the natural color of your lips. They’re like a waxier matte version of the Dior Addict Lip Glows. I find the Hermes Rosy Lip Enhancers give me a more natural kind of glow on the lips like the NARS Afterglow Lip Balm in Orgasm, but with a matte finish and different color. Dior Lip Glows tend to bring out a more vibrant flush on my lips.

They seem unscented to me. Lasting power is like a balm but the natural flush stays there for hours without fading on me. They have a lightweight texture to them.

When I swatched these on my hand and lips they looked nearly transparent, but give them a couple minutes on the lips and a lovely flush of color appears.

  • 14 Rose Abricote is a light peach, transforms into a healthy peach with a hint of pink
  • 30 Rose D’Ete is a brighter pink
  • 49 Rose Tan is a deeper dusty mauve rose, on my lips it looks like a healthy rose

Hermes Rosy Lip Enhancer Review and Swatches

All the items on the face, wearing:

Look 1: Rosy Lip Enhancer Rose Abricote
Silky Blush Powder Rose Abricot

Hermes Rosy Lip Enhancer Rose Abricote + Silky Blush Powder Rose Abricot

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Look 2: Rosy Lip Enhancer Rose Abricote
Silky Blush Powder Rose Tan

Hermes Rosy Lip Enhancer Rose Abricote + Silky Blush Powder Rose Tan
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Look 3: Rosy Lip Enhancer Rose D’Ete
Silky Blush Powder Rose Pommette

Hermes Rosy Lip Enhancer Rose D’Ete + Silky Blush Powder Rose Pommette

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Look 4: Rosy Lip Enhancer Rose D’Ete
Silky Blush Powder Rose Blush

Rosy Lip Enhancer Rose D’Ete + Silky Blush Powder Rose Blush

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Look 5: Rosy Lip Enhancer Rose Tan
Silky Blush Powder Rose Plume

Hermes Rosy Lip Enhancer Rose Tan + Silky Blush Powder Rose Plume

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Look 6: Rosy Lip Enhancer Rose Tan
Silky Blush Powder Rose Ombre

Hermes Rosy Lip Enhancer Rose Tan + Silky Blush Powder Rose Ombre

Rose Hermes Silky Blush Powder + Rosy Lip Enhancer Review

If you’ve been holding off on these I hope you found this review and swatches helpful! The Silky Blush Powders are refillable with refills at $48 each. I’m not sure if the Rosy Lip Enhancer will be refillable, I don’t see them on the Hermes website yet.

While I really like the blushes I do think they are extremely overpriced, even for a luxury brand. The lip enhancers are winners for me because of the color on my lips but your mileage may vary as they’re enhancers and I suspect they will look slightly different on everyone.

You can find these at a number of different retailers. You may have to do a bit of shopping around as some shades have sold out quickly. I ordered from a few places including Nordstrom, Saks Fifth Avenue and Hermes. Also available at Bloomingdale’s and Selfridges.

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Chanel

Mother’s Day Beauty Gift Ideas

May 1, 2021

Chanel Mothers Day Gift Ideas

Mother’s Day is just around the corner and today I’m rounding up some of my favorites from Chanel for gift ideas! Chanel has been one of the brands I’ve worn the most over the years – even through a lot of product revamps and reformulations, I can always find classic staples I’m always happy to wear. You can see their full Mother’s Day Gift Guide online by category too.

If you want to see more in depth reviews and swatches you can always click on the CHANEL Category label. I’ll also link more swatches below.

Best Mother's Day Gift Ideas Chanel Beauty

FRAGRANCE

Best Chanel Perfumes Les Eaux de Chanel and No5 L’Eau

Fragrance is so personal but I have a super soft spot for light citrus scents! My two favorites are the Les Eaux de Chanel in Paris-Riviera* (lovely mix of orange and neroli) and Paris-Biarritz (travel size shown, citrus mandarin and lily of the valley). I’ve purchased the Les Eaux de Chanel Hair and Body Shower Gel several times and think it’s such a beautiful splurge.

No5 L’Eau* is another fresh and pretty scent perfect for spring to summer. It has note of lemon, mandarin, orange, rose, jasmin and ylang ylang. Also has hints of cedar and musk mixed in. It’s also available in an All Over Spray Format and Hand Cream as well – both are really lovely for gifting!

NAIL COLOR

Best Chanel Le Vernis Nail Polishes

You girls know that I’m a die hard Chanel Le Vernis lover. I’ve collected almost all of their polishes over the years and I wear them constantly. Right now my favorites that you can still find are Pensee, Egerie, Organdi, Turban, Camelia, Anthurium, Metallic Bloom.

Chanel Le Vernis swatches Pensee, Egerie, Organdi, Turban, Camelia, Anthurium, Metallic Bloom

LIP FAVORITES

Best Chanel Lip Products

Colors above shown left to right: Rouge Allure Laque Continous, Rouge Coco Gloss Caramel, Le Rouge Duo Ultra Tenue in Timeless Beige, Longwear Lip Pencil in Rose Naturel, Rouge Coco Bloom in Dream

For Mother’s Day gifting, you can’t go wrong with a lip product – even for the super picky ones! There’s something so pretty and luxurious about the packaging. A few of my favorite formulas include:

  • Rouge Allure Laque* a pretty liquid lipstick with a shiny lightweight finish (swatches of all colors here and here)
  • Rouge Coco Gloss* the prettiest high shine gloss that has a semi-thick texture but feels hydrating and adds a lot of shine (swatches of more colors here)
  • Le Rouge Duo Ultra Tenue Gloss best long-wear liquid lipstick that comes with a clear gloss topper to lock in the color all day (swatches of newer colors here)
  • Longwear Lip Pencil* favorite neutrals are Rose Naturel, Beige Naturel and Nude Brun (swatches of all colors here)
  • Rouge Coco Bloom* the latest lipstick launch from Chanel, rich pigment and hydrating with a pretty shine (swatches of all colors here)
  • Rouge Coco Flash one of the best sheer glossy lipsticks with an almost balm-like feel (swatches of more colors here)

Swatches of some of my favorite neutrals:

Best Chanel Neutral Lip swatches

MAKEUP ESSENTIALS

Chanel Rouge Coco Bloom in Dream

Above wearing: Les Beiges Water-Fresh Tint in Medium, Les Beiges Sheer Healthy Glow Highlighting Fluid in Sunkissed, Joues Contraste Blush in Rose Ecrin, Les 4 Ombres in Candeur et Experience, Stylo Yeux in Black Wood and Le Volume Mascara, Rouge Coco Bloom in Dream, Longwear Lip Pencil in Rose Naturel

Best of Chanel Makeup

For makeup, I have so many favorites. You can read more about my favorites in my BEST OF CHANEL roundup. A few that I also love that I think will make nice gifts:

Chanel Makeup swatches

SKINCARE

Best Chanel Skincare

For skincare, I also think this is so personal depending on skin type and preferences, but there are a few things I think are versatile enough for any skin type.

  • Huile de Jasmin* is the prettiest lightweight facial oil I’ve tried!
  • La Solution 10 de Chanel is one of the best products I’ve tried for sensitive skin, it’s a gentle soothing cream that features 10 ingredients to soothe skin from environmental aggressors. If you’re sensitive it’s Alcohol-free, fragrance-free, oil-free, non-comedogenic, anti-pollution, dermatologist-tested
  • Sublimage Les Grains Vanille* another luxurious splurge, one of the most gentle face scrubs I’ve ever used, the entire Sublimage line is beautiful
  • La Crème Main a classic you cannot go wrong with, has a soft velvety dry down, also love the Texture Riche and Le Lift formulas

Mothers Day Gift Guide Chanel

Mothers Day Gift Guide Chanel

That wraps up my gift guide! As always I hope splitting it by category helps you narrow down your picks if you’re looking for good gift ideas. In my experience picking just a few items and pairing them with flowers or candy is always well received! I’ve gifted a gloss, lip liner and polish, or a fragrance and hand cream, or a trio of lip products – the combinations are endless!

You can find all these online at Chanel.com. I love that the orders always come packaged in a chic Chanel box so you don’t have to worry about wrapping or presentation – they take care of it for you!

Press samples indicated with a *.

By Terry

By Terry Brightening CC Palette Beach Bomb

April 27, 2021

By Terry Brightening CC Palette Beach Bomb review

I’m excited to share a look at some newness from By Terry today! She recently launched her new By Terry Brightening CC Palette in Beach Bomb for this spring-summer and it is beautiful. If you loved or own last year’s Sunny Flash Palette (which is still available, review here) I think you will also love this year’s Beach Bomb. The colors are perfect for that soft summery vibe and if you like super soft powders that have a nice glow and shimmer I think you’ll love the texture of this one.

Beach Bomb has four brightening CC powders. They’re soft illuminating powders with color and glow. They also contain rosehip oil to add moisture although I don’t really notice any added hydration. Below in direct sunlight:

By Terry Brightening CC Palette Beach Bomb review and swatches

Different lighting below:

By Terry Brightening CC Palette Beach Bomb review and swatches

Colors seem best suited for anywhere from fair to tan skin tones. If you are deeper than the darkest bronze shade in the palette I suspect the colors will be more highlighter versus blush colors on your skin. For my medium tan skin this is perfect.

By Terry Brightening CC Palette Beach Bomb review

Colors in the Beach Bomb palette:

  • Bright Sand a soft peachy sand glow (acts as a highlighter on my tan skin)
  • Peach Perfect is a peachy coral
  • Pink Sunset is a cool bright pink
  • Golden Bronze is a warm bronze (last year’s Sunny Flash is a bit more golden/yellow)

By Terry Brightening CC Palette Beach Bomb swatches

I have last year’s Sunny Flash swatched next to Beach Bomb below:

By Terry Brightening CC Palette Sunny Flash vs Beach Bomb

By Terry Makeup Look Brightening CC Palette in Beach Bomb

You can layer and mix all the colors for a variety of different looks. I applied three of the colors separately on the cheeks (layered with the first highlighter shade). Below wearing:

Look 1: Beach Bomb Palette with Bright Sand and Peach Perfect on the cheeks, By Terry Lip Expert Shine in Peachy Guilt (swatches of all the colors here)

By Terry Beach Bomb Peach Perfect and Lip Expert Shine in Peachy Guilt

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Look 2: Beach Bomb Palette with Bright Sand and Golden Bronze on the cheeks, By Terry Lip Expert Shine in Bare Flirt with Pat McGrath Permagel Lip Pencil in Done Undone

By Terry Brightening CC Palette Beach Bomb Golden Bronze and Lip Expert Shine Bare Flirt
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Look 3: Beach Bomb Palette with Bright Sand and Pink Sunset on the cheeks, Cle de Peau Radiant Lip Gloss in 6 Rose Pearl (swatches here)

By Terry Brightening CC Palette Beach Bomb Pink Sunset + Cle de Peau Radiant Lip Gloss in Rose Pearl

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By Terry Brightening CC Palette Beach Bomb review

I love how soft and pretty the colors are! The shimmer in this year’s Beach Bomb seems a bit stronger and more glowy than last year’s Sunny Flash, but I still find the glow wearable and soft. Lasting power is pretty good and it stays put on the face all day for me. The palette has the signature By Terry Rose scent (has added fragrance). It is noticeable but isn’t too strong in my opinion, although your mileage may vary depending on how sensitive your nose is.

Bottom line I love it. I think it’s a really pretty option for spring to summer and versatile with the warm and cool tones.

You can find the By Terry Brightening CC Palette in Beach Bomb available now at By Terry. Also available at Beautylish, Selfridges and Space NK.

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Beach Bomb palette provided for review. Other press samples featured also indicated with a *.

Beauty Favorites Nordstrom

Soft Bronze Makeup for a Natural Glow

April 23, 2021

Soft Bronze Makeup Look Picks from NARS, Dior, Hermes

As the weather warms up I can’t help but be excited to wear warmer bronzy tones. I’ve been playing with a few new launches for summer beauty and today I’ve partnered with Nordstrom to share some favorites for a soft bronze makeup glow.

Soft Bronze Makeup Look Picks from NARS, Dior, Hermes

BASE

Best Summer Tints Chanel CC Cream, Laura Mercier Tinted Moisturizer, NARS Pure Radiant Tinted Moisturizer

For a good makeup base I always love trying new formulas that launch this time of year, but my usual go-to’s have been the Chanel CC Cream (for high SPF and good coverage, I wear B40) or the Laura Mercier Tinted Moisturizer (I wear 3N1 Sand or 3W1 Bisque) for no-makeup makeup days.

A number of you asked for a review of the NARS Pure Radiant Tinted Moisturizer (with SPF30) and it’s one I used to wear a lot. They recently extended the shade range and I think it’s a good base that doesn’t really feel like your traditional tinted moisturizer. It’s more of a sheer-medium coverage base with a minimal dewy effect which I actually like better. My color is St. Moritz. (What I’m wearing in this post.)

BRONZER

NARS Summer Solstice Bronzing Cheek Duo

NARS Summer Solstice Bronzing Cheek Duo vs Laguna

There are a number of new bronzers out and I will have a roundup soon. If I could pick one classic for my skin tone it would be the NARS Bronzing Powders in Laguna or Laguna Matte. Both offer a soft tan bronzed effect on the skin without looking orange. If you’re fair and have trouble finding bronzers light enough in color you might want to check out their lighter shades in Vallarta (matte formula) or San Juan (regular formula).

They recently launched a few items in the Summer Solstice collection and I ordered the Summer Solstice Cheek Duo which smells amazing like their body oil glow! It smells like a tropical vacation. The Duo has an ultra sheer finish and texture which is perfect for me. I think it’s lovely for a super soft diffused kind of glow. If you want a more subtle bronze or contour this is perfect. For a bronzer brush I really like the Laura Mercier Bronzing Brush for a fluffy large option. (This duo is what I’m wearing in the photos in this post.)

NARS Laguna Bronzer Swatches

EYE MAKEUP

Copper Bronze Eyeshadows Laura Mercier, Hourglass, Charlotte Tilbury

For eyes I’m a huge lover of one-and-done bronze copper tones, especially cream shimmers. My favorites are the Laura Mercier Caviar Stick Eyeshadow in Copper (best neutral copper that isn’t too warm), Hourglass Scattered Light in Burnished (love the sparkle on this), Charlotte Tilbury Eyes to Mesmerize Cream Shadows in Star Gold and Bette (I wear these weekly). For liner if you want definition but don’t want something has harsh as a deep black or brown, I highly recommend checking out the Sisley Phyto-Khol Star Waterproof in Sparkling Brown. It is a gorgeous shimmery brown with silver flecks and glides on without tugging.

Swatches below with a few others added in the Hourglass Scattered Light in Foil and Chantecaille Luminescent Eye Shade in Lion for reference (more gold than bronze).

Copper Bronze Eyeshadows Laura Mercier, Hourglass, Charlotte Tilbury swatches

NARS Summer Solstice Eyeshadow Palette review

I also picked up the NARS Summer Solstice Eyeshadow palette and think it’s a winner. The texture and pigment is incredible with every shade. It has a good mix of shimmers, metallic, sparkle and mattes. Red tones can be a bit intimidating but I decided to give this one a chance and it’s a solid winner.

NARS Summer Solstice Eyeshadow Palette review

NARS Summer Solstice Eyeshadow Palette swatches

Soft Bronze Makeup Look Picks from NARS, Dior, Hermes

LIP PICKS

Spring to Summer Lips Dior and Hermes

For lips instead of bronze to match bronzer, I love wearing warm beige, peach or gold tones so the look isn’t too monochromatic. I’m a huge fan of the Dior Lip Maximizers for plump and shine. They are nice throw on the lips for a polished look. I love 16 Nude Shimmer which is a sheer gold beige. I just hauled the newest one for summer 23 Shimmer Bronze which is a coppery almost orange shade with a hint of shimmer.

If you want shine with a bit more pigment and color the Dior Addict Stellar Glosses are really nice. I have a number of colors in this formula and really love J’Adior, D-Light and Mirrored.

Hermes Satin Lipsticks are pure luxury. Beige Kalahari is a neutral pink beige and Beige Tadelak is a peachy color perfect for summer. Both are easy to wear and I think will be flattering for a wide range of skin tones.

Spring to Summer Lips Dior and Hermes swatches

Dior Lip Maximizer Nude Shimmer, Bronze Shimmer, Hermes Lipstick Beige Kalahari and Beige Tadelak

That wraps up my roundup for soft bronze makeup favorites I’m loving right now. I am particularly impressed with the NARS Summer Solstice Cheek Duo and Eyeshadow Palette.

Makeup Breakdown + Other Details:

 

Soft Bronze Makeup Look Picks from NARS, Dior, Hermes

Soft Bronze Makeup Look Picks from NARS, Dior, Hermes

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Many thanks to Nordstrom for partnering to sponsor this post.

Bronzer + Blush Hourglass Cosmetics

Hourglass Vanish Blush Stick Review

April 21, 2021

Hourglass Vanish Blush Stick Review

Hourglass launched new blushes in a cream stick formula called the Vanish Blush Stick. I hauled the neutrals during the Sephora sale and was really surprised they sold out almost instantly! I hope they will restock soon because I think the formula is really good!

You can find them now at Hourglass, Sephora and Neiman Marcus. According to their Instagram they will also be available at Nordstrom, Beautylish and Space NK starting 4/23.

The Vanish Blush Sticks are a cream blush with a satin finish and powdery dry down. Colors are quite intense right out of the tube but are really easy to blend. On my medium tan skin they blend out to a truly natural blush. If you don’t want a lot of bold or bright color on the cheeks but want a nice neutral tint of color you will really love these.

Hourglass Vanish Blush Stick Review

Colors I hauled + swatches straight out of the tube:

  • Devoted – a medium rose pink
  • Loyal – tan rosewood color
  • Sacred – a warm coral pink peach
  • Wonder – a soft peach

Hourglass Vanish Blush Stick swatches

The colors blend out easily with fingers. I also tried blending with a few brushes including the Hourglass Ambient Lighting Edit Brush, Vanish Foundation Brush and Wayne Goss Brush 12. Since they blend out the color to a more natural finish the difference is subtle if on my skin tone but you can definitely layer on more product without it feeling too heavy. Out of all the colors I felt Devoted was the sheerest, I had to pack it on more to have the color show up.

Lasting power is pretty good. In general I am not a fan of most cream blushes because they don’t last, they get greasy looking and often don’t work with my skin type especially in Florida. I really like these new ones from Hourglass though! Since I don’t own a lot of cream blushes I can’t compare them to a lot of other brands. I would say the dry down is similar to the Cle de Peau Cream Blushes with similar pigment levels. Compared to Westman Atelier Baby Cheeks the Hourglass formula has a more satin feel with a more emollient texture while the Westman Atelier blushes feel thicker with a slightly waxy finish. Westman Atelier blushes have a bit more color payoff and pigment.

A closer look below, details of what I’m wearing on the face below:

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Hourglass Vanish Blush in Devoted + No 28 Lip Treatment Oil in Bare

Hourglass Vanish Blush Stick Devoted

Hourglass Vanish Blush Stick Devoted makeup look

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Hourglass Vanish Blush in Loyal + Chanel Rouge Coco Bloom in Dream (review + swatches here)

Hourglass Vanish Blush Stick in Loyal

Hourglass Vanish Blush Stick in Loyal and Chanel Rouge Coco Bloom in Dream

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Hourglass Vanish Blush in Sacred + Unreal Lip Gloss in Prose (more swatches here)

Hourglass Vanish Blush Stick in Sacred

Hourglass Vanish Blush Stick in Sacred and Hourglass Unreal Gloss in Prose

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Hourglass Vanish Blush in Wonder + Unreal Lip Gloss in Horizon (more swatches here)

Hourglass Vanish Blush in Wonder

Hourglass Vanish Blush in Wonder

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Overall these are a win for me. I like that they have a powdery dry down and don’t emphasize or sink into my pores. If I had been able to test in person I don’t think I would have ordered all 4 though. I really love Loyal and Wonder.

Have you tried these yet? What did you think? Are you a cream blush fan? What are your favorite formulas?

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You can find them now at Hourglass, Sephora and Neiman Marcus. Also available at Nordstrom, Beautylish and Space NK starting 4/23.

Dior Sephora

Dior Addict Lip Glow – New Formula

April 19, 2021

Dior Addict Lip Glow New Formula | The Beauty Lookbook

Dior just revamped their classic Addict Lip Glow and I hauled a number of colors! The formula is now reformulated to be 97% natural. These are color reviving balms so the color will adjust slightly to give the lips a custom glow. Brightness varies depending on lip chemistry. I know some of you have mentioned the classic Original Pink turns into a bright fuchsia pink, while for others it’s more of a softer flushed pink. These are currently available at Dior and Sephora.

To me these seem pretty much identical to the original formula – hydrating, smooth, slightly minty in scent and a subtle glossy sheen. I did an IGTV featuring a natural glowing makeup look featuring the new Rosewood 012 which you can view via @BEAUTYLOOKBOOK.

I also hauled a few of the other shades and have them swatched below. The colors on the lips mimic what you see in the tube with a flush of color as they transform on the lips.

Dior Lip Glow | Beauty Look Book

Colors I have in the new formula:

  • 000 Universal Clear
  • 001 Pink
  • 004 Coral
  • 008 Ultra Pink
  • 011 Rosegold
  • 012 Rosewood
  • 015 Cherry
  • 020 Mahogany

Swatches below. These will look different on everyone as they’re transforming balms and the flush that will appear is going to vary depending on your lips. Even on me the flush doesn’t always look the same. Sometimes the flush and brightness is bolder, other times the color looks more true to tube.

Dior Lip Glow swatches | Beauty Look Book

Looks with the Dior Addict Lip Glow colors I hauled on my lips (all except Rosegold 12 which is similar to Pink 01 on me except for a veil of shimmer), also wearing:

Swatches:

Dior Lip Glow Universal Clear

Dior Lip Glow 01 Pink

Dior Lip Glow 04 Coral

Dior Lip Glow 08 Ultra Pink

Dior Lip Glow 12 Rosewood

Dior Lip Glow 15 Cherry

Dior Lip Glow 20 Mahogany

A look at a couple more items below. The 5 Couleurs Couture Eyeshadow Palettes are the newest formula from Dior and I think the texture is a significant improvement from past palettes. Nude Dress is a nice everyday neutral with a mix of shimmers and mattes. Mitzah reminds me of a less shimmery version of Tom Ford Honeymoon (I prefer the Tom Ford for colors and formula). They’re beautiful and nice for everyday with soft blendable textures and long lasting pigment.

Dior 5 Couleurs Eyeshadows in Nude Dress and Mitzah

Dior 5 Couleurs Eyeshadows in Nude Dress and Mitzah swatches

I also hauled the new Backstage Face and Body Powder-No-Powders. They looked like they ran dark online so I ordered 3 Neutral (what I thought my shade would be) and 2 Neutral (one shade lighter). They do run darker from what I expected and 2 Neutral is the perfect color for my medium tan skin. It has a soft sheen with a blurring effect. Texture is lightweight and finish is sheer. I didn’t swatch these because they blend into the skin and you can’t really see them in an arm swatch, but they do melt into the skin with a super lightweight finish.

Dior Backstage Face and Body Powder-No-Powder in 2 Neutral and 3 Neutral

Dior Lip Glow Review via The Beauty Look Book

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