Rhode launched new lip and cheek colors for summer with the Pocket Blush ($24 each) and Peptide Lip Tint ($18 each). They’re available now at Rhode Skin with discounted bundles if you buy one of their sets. The shades looked perfect for summer so I ordered one of everything in the sets. I have swatches today!
Pocket Blush
The Pocket Blush is a creamy blush with a twist up base. There are six shades total and I bought the Pocket Blush Set. Pigment is bold with one swipe but when you blend it’s medium in coverage. They’re dewy in the finish if you apply on bare skin or just on top of foundation or a skin tint. If I apply on top of a powdered face the finish is less dewy and more satiny which I prefer. In terms of a cream blush these are some of the better ones I’ve tried for lasting power. Creams are challenging in humid weather but these have held up pretty well if I’m out for a couple hours. Right now the humidity levels are so high literally nothing will hold up some days.
I really love the look of these. I do get better wear and coverage with the Armani Luminous Cheek Tints but those are different in application and formula.
Freckle is a nude beige
Piggy is a pale pastel pink
Sleepy Girl is a mauve
Juice Box is a bright pink
Spicy Marg is a coral peach
Toasted Teddy is a brown
After trying all the colors I think Spicy Marg and Juice Box are my favorite. Piggy is a bit too pale for my skin tone right now but I can make it work if I layer something else on top. Since Toasted Teddy is deeper and more contrasted with my skin tone I need to blend it out a little more than the other shades, but blending is pretty easy. Overall a solid A.
Peptide Lip Tint New Shades
There are four new shades of the Peptide Lip Tints. Set linked here. I love these lip balms and have purchased every single shade. Some of ones from previous launches seem to have developed some crystalized chunks, but not all of them have. I am hoping these new ones won’t develope the gritty texture.
New shades this launch pull on the sheer side, I wish they had more pigment but the colors are really pretty. As a lip balm lover, I like these. I don’t know that I’d call them must-haves, but the colors are stunning. New colors include:
Rhode launched a super cute iPhone case (available in different sizes) in colors to match the new summer lip glosses. They are super cute and I love the concept. In real life I found mine a bit too chunky feeling and a little awkward to hold. I kept mine on for about an hour and then took it off but I’m the type that has a very streamlined basic phone case so I can slip it in and out of my pocket or put it in mini bags. I think they’re fun, but for me not practical.
Happy Friday! I shopped the Nordstrom Sale earlier this week and have swatches of my beauty haul picks. Here are the beauty sets I picked up. Also since a lot of the sets this year are discounted bundles of permanent items I swatched a few more of the sets since I already own a lot of the colors.
Hourglass Golden Rose Ambient Lighting Palette
The Hourglass Golden Rose Ambient Lighting Palette ($64) is probably my favorite thing I picked out, although not a must-have if already own a lot of palettes from Hourglass. The shades include Celestial Strobe Light (shimmery champagne), Iridescent Rose Blush (medium rose), Dim Infusion Blush (soft coral) and Golden Bronze Light (soft bronze). I think all the colors have been in at least one palette before, but I love the combination and think this is a pretty one.
The Sculpt and Gloss Set ($45) has two permanent colors of the Phantom Glossy Balm in Mist and Sculpt Lip Liner in Flaunt. The colors are really pretty. I’m still not the biggest fan of the lip liner formula, but the color is good. (Review + swatches of the formula in this post here). The duo set is offered at a nice discount for the sale. I already own both shades but I swatched them for you. I’m wearing both below.
NSALE 2024 Lip Sets
There are lots of lip sets offered during the sale. If you’ve had your eye on any or need to restock I think this is a great time to try one. Otherwise I’d say wait until holiday since all the colors in these sets are permanent and there will most likely be some more interesting options come fall.
YSL Loveshine Lip Duo ($60) has two shades Shade 44 Nude Lavalliere and 150 Nude Lingerie. These are permanent shades. In case you haven’t kept up with the YSL Beauty launches, the Loveshine formula replaced the Rouge Volupte Shine formula this year. Full review + swatches here.
Tom Ford Beauty Luxe Gloss Duo ($90) is a beautiful duo of neutrals in Inhibition (beige tan) and Sunrise Pink (soft rose). Both are permanent and since I used mine up quite some time ago I thought it would be nice to restock and buy these. They’re glossy, lush and moisturizing.
Trish McEvoy Lip Trio ($60) has three beautiful wearable pinks. I don’t think this is actually part of the Anniversary Sale but it a new set and it was displayed with all the other NSALE Beauty Exclusives. Either way I’m glad I picked it up. It has a Lipstick in Perfect Pink (soft bright cool pink), Easy Lip Gloss in Babe (creamy powdery pink) and Long-Wear Lip Liner in Barely There (neutral nude). The kit has shades I can see myself wearing on a regular basis. I love the consistency and pigment.
NARS Afterglow Sensual Shine Duo ($45) has full-size lipsticks in Dolce Vita (soft rose) and Devotion (beige nude). I love this formula and have already used up Dolce Vita. Both have a very comfortable feel one lips. Perfect amount of color and shine. This is one of my favorite lip formulas.
Westman Atelier Sets
I shared a look at the Westman Atelier Sets earlier and added swatches. All the shades are permanent. For those who love that glossy glass skin or dewy look you will love these. The Summer Bronze Trio ($115, PR gifted) has full sizes of Lit Up Stick in Nectar, Baby Cheeks in Dou Dou and the Liquid Super Loaded Illuminator in Peau de Soleil.
I love the Lit Up Stick and Baby Cheeks. The Liquid Super Loaded is too dewy for my taste even if I mix in with a moisturizer, but it performs exactly as described and I know a lot of you love it.
The Petite Lit Up Stick Duo ($40) has two permanent shades in Brulee and Nectar. Love these for travel or to pop in the purse for touch ups on the go.
Eye Bundle Sets
There are lots of eye bundles with permanent shades. The Bobbi Brown Long-Wear Cream Shadow Stick Trio ($54) has Shell, Moonstone and Smokey Topaz. The Laura Mercier Effortless Eyes Trio ($60) has Burnished Bronze, Dune and Rosegold. A number of you messaged me you wished they launched new colors for the sale instead of offering the same repeated shades every single year. I 100% agree with you. I’ve swatched these anyways in case you don’t have access to these in person.
Charlotte Tilbury Sets
Charlotte Tilbury has bundles of permanent best sellers. I picked up the Charlotte Tilbury Blush & Glow Glide Set ($88) which has Pillow Talk Highlighter, Pillow Talk Matte Blush and Pinkgasm as a gift. I’ve added swatches of a few more items for comparison/reference.
The Pillow Talk Lip Kit ($65) has the Lip Cheat, Lip Blur and Matte Revolution in Pillow Talk. I do think the Lip Liner and Matte Revolution are staples. I’m not a big fan of the Lip Blur Formula, it feels like it just sits on the lips and it’s not transfer proof at all. I didn’t pick up this set as I already own the individual items but I swatched them in case you haven’t tried all 3 yet.
I’ve been using the Magic Cream a lot lately and used up two jars in the past year so I picked up the Charlotte Tilbury Magic Cream Face & Body Duo ($90) since I wanted to replenish them.
Fragrance Sets
The Byredo Les Triples Set ($95) is the same as last year. The bottles are super cute but they don’t come with atomizer spritzers. If you don’t mind the dabber style, these are nice. I prefer the Atomizer Spray Trios like this one or this one instead, although the glass isn’t as thick or sturdy as the bottles. They do make separate leather cases to hold the atomizers but they are fairly expensive. Full size vs minis for comparison below.
I was SO close to buying the Parfums de Marly Fragrance Trio ($435) with miniatures of Delina, Delina La Rosee and Delina Exclusif. I’m not really a rose fragrance fan but after trying the discovery set earlier this year I fell in love with all 3 (I like La Rosee the best). It’s actually still in my online shopping cart, but I already own so many perfumes I decided to pass (for now).
Tools and Devices
Last but not least, I picked up the NuFace Trinity+ Starter Kit ($265). It’s been on my radar and the sale price seemed pretty good. I haven’t tried it yet but am really excited to (I used to own the older version). My face definitely needs some toning and I have high hopes this will help.
Another tool I recommend on sale is the ghd Platinum Plus Styler. It’s a straightener but I also use it to curl my hair. It’s on sale now and I still use it all the time. You can see it in action here.
I went on the Ambassador Access day and by the time I was in store nearly everything on my clothes, shoes and accessories wishlist had sold out in my size (or sold out completely). I did pick up two Barefoot Dreams Blankets in the Checks and Stripes Pattern and CozyChic Blanket in Pearl. I love having fresh new ones on hand.
For this week’s Nordstrom Gift Card Giveaway the winners are SuzanneG, SarahK and GayleG – please check your emails! You will have received one from sabrina@thebeautylookbook!
Did you buy anything from the Nordstrom sale this year? Let me know what you picked up!
The Nordstrom Anniversary sale starts this week with early access for cardmembers. They launched an online preview of this event and I’ve rounded up the highlights for their Beauty Exclusives, clothes, accessories and more.
The Anniversary Sale happens once a year. Nordstrom Cardmembers have early access depending on what tier you are. Access dates are as follows starting July 9th this week:
There are a lot of options available and since things tend to sell out quickly I recommend going through each category that interests you and start building a wishlist. There’s an “Add to Wish List” button on each individual product page. Simply click the heart icon and it will save it to your Wishlist Page in your account. That way when your access date starts you can easily add things to cart.
For my beauty lovers there are lots of NSALE Beauty Exclusives. I’ve shopped the sale every single year and over the years they’ve seemed to shift the offering themes to discounted bundles and value sets (or sizes) vs. new exclusive colors or things you can only find during the sale.
I went through every category and still found quite a few things to put on my wishlist. There are a lot of luxury brands that have value sets I think are worth checking out, especially if you’ve had something like La Mer, Parfums de Marly, Armani Beauty, Jo Malone, Augustinus Bader, Oribe etc. on your radar.
Whether you’re shopping in store or online, be sure to check out the GIFT WITH PURCHASE page! Once the sale starts Nordstrom updates this page regularly. They don’t always have all the gifts in store (some are online only) and even in store in the associates don’t always know about brand specific GWPs.
Here’s what I’ve put on my radar by category. Quick note: since many of these are bundles or value sets of “best sellers” know that similar options will probably launch come the holiday season. Still it’s a nice way to save.
There are tons more in each category, especially women’s clothes and home so be sure to browse each section before the sale starts!
I’m hosting a few giveaways this month! A few will be here on the blog and a few on Instagram so be sure to follow me and check out my stories for the details on how to enter!
My first giveaway is going to be a $100 NORDSTROM eGift card for 3 current e-mail subscribers. No need to do anything extra to enter as I really appreciate those who have already subscribed and are loyal readers. I’ll announce the winners on my haul post this upcoming week which will be live on the 11th or 12th and I will contact the 3 winners by e-mail (they will be contacted from my [email protected] email address). Good luck!
I can’t believe it’s already July! Lots of sale alerts popped up in my inbox this past week. I already shopped a few sales, here’s a roundup of what I’ve seen so far.
Two big sales I want to put on your radar are from Ulta Beauty and Nordstrom. Ulta Beauty’s Big Summer Beauty Sale is here with different promos every week now through July 13th. I shared a reel of some good sales this week with Vacation marked down 30% off, a new favorite concealer and lots of sunscreens marked down too.
It’s almost time for the Nordstrom Anniversary Sale and it is starting next week! They’ve already launched an early preview of what they’ll offer this year. I’ve started making a list for a few of the Beauty Exclusives and will share more soon.
Dior Beauty – complimentary beauty gift with purchases $130+ using code FOURTH24 or enjoy a lip maximizer + iconic overcurl mini + denim makeup bag on orders $175+ with code 4THDIOR
Elemis – From 7/4-7/7 receive a full-size Dynamic Resurfacing Facial Pad Pack (60) + travel sizes of the Pro-Collagen Cleansing Balm and Marine Cream using code 3FAVS on ANY full-size purchase
Tarte – Self-care flash sale up to 60% off, also save 20% off with code SAVE20
Westman Atelier – Summer warehouse sale 50% off selected sets, limited-edition items and accessories with code WESTMAN50 (ends July 4) – I splurged on some of her pouches and train case love them
I really love these. Colors for every single shade I tried is absolutely stunning. Formula is creamy and easy to apply with a matte finish. They glide onto the lips without any tugging and the coverage is smooth and opaque. Once they set on the lips they have impressive lasting power and these are among the few lip products that don’t transfer to my teeth at all. They’re not 100% transfer-proof but the transfer to a cup or napkin is minimal once it sets on the lips. I also like that they feel relatively weightless on the lips which is a huge plus especially in hot summer months.
I do wish they were in a twist up formula or came with a sharpener, but for a matte lip formula I really do like these. They can look a little dry if you have dry lips, but this can be fixed with a lip balm or primer. If you haven’t tried the MAC Prep + Prime Lip Primer I think you need to. It is the best lip primer that helps smooth the lip surface, adds a light veil of moisture and really helps lipsticks go on smoother without feathering.
Shades are all on point – I think I can see myself wearing every single color (except the red though, since I rarely wear reds). Some of the neutrals look similar swatched on the arm but on my lips there’s a clear difference in undertone. The darker shades will stain the lips but the lip primer is really good in preventing the staining.
Nude Venus is a light cool nude pink
Coralust is a neutral peachy pink
Divine Rose is a warm mauve rose
Naked Seduction is a warm dusty rose
Nude Oasis is a warm brown rose
Flesh3 is a mahogany rose brown
Garnet Glow is a deeper wine shade
Belle Amour is a cool-toned berry with some fuchsia vibes (this color looks like it’s only available at Pat McGrath online, I like the Lip Fetish Balm color version of Belle Amour a lot more)
OBSESSED! is an electric bold orange red
I lip swatched most of the shades below, also wearing:
Overall love. I’m usually not a fan of matte lips but I like the colors and lasting power of these shades. I would say my top 3 are Coralust, Nude Seduction and Divine Rose.
Natasha Denona launched two beautiful palettes and a gloss in her Golden Collection for summer. I shared quick swatches on Instagram earlier this week and after playing with everything I have more thoughts + a few beauty looks today.
Golden Eyeshadow Palette
The Golden Eyeshadow Palette ($69) is definitely the star of the collection. She created an updated version of her original Gold Palette and I love it. The new Golden Palette is more neutral making it easier to wear for everyday. Her mattes in this palette are UNREAL in the texture! Colors vary in finish from mattes, metallics, sparking wet effect shades, and shimmers. Pigment is excellent across the board. She has the best descriptions for each shade so I’m going to reference her exact descriptions below:
I love this updated version although on my medium skin a few of the gold shimmers look very similar on my eyes. I would have loved it if she added a few more darker mattes or a deeper intense bronze for more contrast although I understand the theme is “gold” so I can appreciate all the different undertones in each gold shade. Aura is the one that surprised me the most because it looks almost white in the pan but transforms into a stunning white gold.
There’s a new highlighter palette called the Golden Highlighter Trio ($55). It has a super soft texture with super smooth finish. The shades pull very metallic for that intense foiled glazed look but the pigment and finish is very easy to control depending on how you apply to the face. You can apply lightly for a softer look, but it can also pull very metallic with a dense brush.
I’m not sure this will be for everyone. I know many of you are not fans of intense shimmers as they tend to emphasize texture or pores. This one pulls very smooth on the skin but I had to use a very light hand. I love the shades on the eyes.
Overall stunning and beautiful for that signature Natasha Denona Glow. Not a must-have for me as I already own so many other golden highlighters that look similar but it’s very beautiful.
Golden Glimmer Gloss Shimmering Lip-Plumper
The Golden Glimmer Gloss Shimmering Lip-Plumper ($29) is a smooth clear gloss with golden shimmer suspended throughout. On me it’s pretty much clear and it has a subtle tingle to it. The tingle is pretty minimal on my sensitive lips and it’s not numbing or stinging. The plumping effect is definitely noticeable. On my lips it almost looks pink, it’s not color shifting at all (it remains clear) but for some reason the day I swatched this my lips were really pink in undertone. Formula is smooth and not sticky. I think it would be a nice topper to add shine, but the shimmer is so subtle, it’s pretty much just like a clear gloss on my lips.
Overall I really love what Natasha has been creating since day one. Even though I can’t pull off the tones in all of her palettes or lip colors, I think the quality has always been exceptional and I truly appreciate all the thought she puts into each launch and she is truly an artist. I feel like this level of creativity and dedication to quality and innovation has been lost among most of the beauty brands today which makes me appreciate her brand even more.
I also really love her tutorials on herself and other models on her social pages. She really gives us so much inspiration on how to apply the products in action and on different skin tones.
I did a Sephora recently and picked up some of the new popular launches. I shared the shopping haul on reels and today I have everything swatched! I have some hits and some misses.
Skincare + Fragrance
I just ran out of the Instant Foaming Cleanser ($30) which is a nice gentle formula, but instead of restocking this one (it was a little too gentle for me) I decided to pick up the new Vinoperfect Brightening Daily AHA Micropeel ($38). It’s like a foaming cleanser but you apply on dry skin, massage in for 30 seconds and rinse. It’s one of the most gentle peels I’ve used and it really does work. I like it better than other acid treatments or powder exfoliating cleansers because it doesn’t burn and there’s no harsh texture. The description says it’s gentle enough to use daily but since it’s summer and I’m exposed to more sun I use it 1 to 2x per week.
You girls know I’m a huge fan of cleansing balms. I love the ones from Farmacy Beauty and they launched a limited-edition Honey Vanilla Cleansing Balm ($36) and it smells incredible. The fragrance in their limited-edition balms do not irritate my skin, if you need something that has no fragrance I recommend the Elemis Pro-Collagen NAKED Cleansing Balm.
I restocked the Shiseido Ultimate Sun Protector SPF 60 ($50) as it’s my favorite body sunscreen. It’s the best longest lasting that will hold up the best in water or with sweat. I reapply when I’m outdoors and it’s easy to reapply without it pilling. I also really like the Ultimate Sun Protector BodySpray with SPF 40 ($38), but find myself reaching for the lotion more.
I’ve seen a lot of raves about the Valentino fragrances so I picked up the Donna Born in Roma Travel Set ($90). All three are very strong and potent if you’re looking for a good date night scent that will last. I like the Born in Roma the best which is a sparkling floral with blackcurrant, jasmin and bourbon vanilla. I don’t know that I love any of them enough to buy the full size, but it’s a fun one to try.
Lip Haul
I hauled quite a few lip products and I have some hits and some misses. I’ll start with the hits. I love the Armani Prisma Glass ($38) shades in Amber Shine 06 (brown) and Nude Glow 07 (nude). I still think they could have given us more product and a better applicator for the price but I love the color and shine.
The Gisou Honey Infused Lip Oils ($28) are hits for me, but do note the scents are very strong. I bought two of the shimmers. Watermelon Sugar is a pink shimmer but it’s pretty much clear on the lips. Coconut Frost is a sweet coconut scented color with pearly white shimmer. The Coconut one shows up better on my lips and give them a clearish pearly shimmer. They feel nicely hydrating without being too thick.
Misses for me include the Gucci Liquid Lipstick ($47) and Kosas Hotliners ($22). I love the colors of the Gucci Liquid Lipstick but I’m giving it a solid miss because it’s definitely not transfer proof as the name says and it does not last super long. They are more like a whipped velvet liquid lipstick but they go on a little patchy and require a lot of blending.
I bought 3 of the Kosas Hotliners ($22) with high hopes they improved the formula and removed the crayon smell from them. I picked up a few from Sephora, but FYI Kosas is having 20% off sitewide for their summer sale (no code needed). They no longer smell like rancid crayons, but the colors aren’t as good as I hoped. But do note I have pigmented lips and a lot of neutrals simply don’t show up on me.
Formula is not a smooth gliding formula which isn’t a deal breaker, but they tug a little. The upside of this is it makes it long wearing but it ends up looking a little dry on my lips and I’m just not really impressed. I like the concept and the neutrals look SO pretty. They’re just not for me.
I’m undecided about the Ilia Lip Sketch Lip Liner Crayons ($26). The colors are beautiful. Formula is long wearing with a soft matte finish but they look dry on my lips. They’re described as “hydrating, moisturizing and plumping” and I didn’t see any of these with the wear. I don’t think they’re necessarily drying but they look dry with the matte finish and I definitely did not feel any hydration. I like the look when topped these with a clear gloss and balm, but formula is not something I’m in love with. I also think they could have included a sharpener since these are chubby sticks that aren’t going to fit into a standard sized pencil sharpener.
Bronzer Picks
I hauled three in this shopping trip and I regret buying two of them. The Gucci Beauty Bronzer in Shade 3 is a hit. I repurchased this and love the color and soft texture.
I picked up the Kosas Sun Show Bronzer in Beachy which is the second lightest shade in the lineup. It appears they reformulated or repackaged these from the original launch. On the hand and arm these swatch BEAUTIFULLY! The glow is finely milled and super soft which makes me want to wear it all over my body. On the face the shade is a little too dark, a little too warm and oxidizes/darkens. I think the glow is a little too harsh. I could fix this simply by using less but even a light brush tap picks up a lot of product.
Saie is a brand that gets so much love, but it’s one I just can’t really get into. I think they have a few good staples, but the ones that go viral aren’t for me. I picked up the Dew Bronze ($25) in Swim which is not neutral or light-medium on me at all. It’s very warm and orangey looking. Finish is very dewy and just sits on top of the skin. Packaging does not look or feel good. I swatched it next to the Sun Melt Bronzers which are also highly rated. I cannot get consistent results with these. Sometimes it looks amazing on the skin, but most of the time it pulls off all my foundation/powder once applied and blended.
NARS reformulated their blush into a Talc-Free Powder Blush formula and to me they perform just as well as the original. I don’t still own all the blush shades in the original, but they did change the colors with the new formula.
The new Talc-Free Orgasm shade no longer has that beautiful peachy pink base undertone and it’s now just a straight peach gold shimmer. I consider the shade now ruined, although at this point I think pretty much everyone must have owned in a palette or individual form there’s a chance you still have the older formula/color. I swatched 2 different Orgasm blushes from different years just to make sure. Thrill is now deeper and brighter although on my face they end up look really similar. If you like the idea of a peachy pink blush but don’t want shimmer, Orgasm Edge is a matte version which is really nice.
Kosas Blush is Life
I’ve saved the best for last which is the Kosas Blush Is Life Baked Talc-Free-Dimensional Brightening Blush ($29 each) and these surprised me. TikTok influenced me to buy these and based on the fact that I’ve found Kosas products to be a strong hit or a strong miss, I didn’t know what to expect. The first shade I tried Butterflies was a little disappointing for me mainly because the color payoff wasn’t anywhere near what I expected from what I saw in the pan. It’s a sheer baby pink with a brightening effect, more like a highlighter than a blush. I think this shade would be better as a topper for me, but if you have fair or light skin I think you’ll probably love this color.
I almost didn’t try the others and was going to give them away but I’m glad I gave the other shades a chance because they are PURE LOVE. Dreamland is a lighter color on me, almost like a highlighter glow. I love the peachy tones in Blissed and Thrill. Hype is also a really pretty pink coral.
A number of people have said they’re just like the Hourglass Ambient Lighting Blushes but I disagree. There are similarities in the marbled swirling and glow factor, but the Hourglass has a much better texture and better quality when you compare them and touch them side by side. That being said I think the Kosas blushes are really good. They’re glowy but not as glowy as the Rare Beauty Powder Blushes.
That wraps up my Sephora haul! I hope you found this helpful! If you’ve tried any of the things I hauled, would love to hear your thoughts. Especially if my misses worked for you, let me know how you’re using them.
