Sabrina, Author at The Beauty Look Book

Chanel Lips

Chanel Rouge Allure Ink Fusion, Rouge Allure Ink + Le Rouge Duo Lip Haul

October 16, 2019

I have a new Chanel lip haul with a look at some of the newRouge Allure Ink Fusion colors, a new Rouge Allure Ink shade and additions to the Le Rouge Duo Ultra Tenue Gloss formula. I ordered everything sight unseen as the colors are currently only available at Chanel.com (coming to counters soon). I’m 100% thrilled with every single item and think there are some great additions for fall.

Chanel Rouge Allure Ink Fusion + New Shades of Rouge Allure Ink

I’ve never really been a fan of liquid lipsticks or the Chanel Rouge Allure Ink formula. I found the original formula looked great in hand swatches with so many gorgeous colors. On my lips the colors didn’t show up well and I found the finish too thin/streaky. I was willing to take some extra effort to make some of the colors work. The deeper/bold colors performed better but the neutrals were too sheer for me. The new Rouge Allure Ink Fusion is much MUCH better in terms of color payoff and pigment. It has similar packaging in the tube but the applicator is beveled. The new Rouge Allure Ink Fusion is more of a fluid liquid that dries to a matte finish. It’s lightweight and has a similar feel/effect to the NARS Powermatte Pigments, only the Chanel does not dry down or shrink like the NARS does.

I ordered four Rouge Allure Ink Fusion shades to try them out. Swatches are tricky with liquid lips for me since the dry down often darkens the color and they always look SO different on my lips compared to others who have lighter pigment in lips or a cooler complexion. The olive in my skin also makes them look completely different than what I’ve seen online for lighter skin girls so please take note your mileage may vary. Formula is lightweight, has no scent, dries down to a soft matte finish without making the lips look like they’ve shriveled.

802 Beige Naturel is a pale beige cream, on me this turned more neutral/peach and while on others I’ve seen it swatched on, it looks more yellow-beige. 804 Mauvy Nude is a cool toned mauve rose, also darkens on my lips but perfect for fall! 806 Pink Brown is more of a deeper brown-rose on me than a pink brown, also lovely for fall. 814 Coral Peach is a bright vibrant coral.

There are also some new additions to the regular Rouge Allure Ink lineup. There are some mattes and also new metallic finishes. I bought 216 Legerete which is the most beautiful rose pink color. The formula is still the same as the Rouge Allure Ink, slightly streaky but I can make it work. The color is beautiful!

Chanel Rouge Allure Ink Fusion vs Rouge Allure Ink applicator:

Swatches below:

Some comparison swatches, I didn’t find dupes but thought this lineup might help you compare and contrast how light/deep the colors are. The Rouge Allure Ink Fusion has a similar fluid texture and dry town to the NARS Powermatte. By comparison the newer Cle de Peau Radiant Liquid Rouge Mattes have a more whipped matte finish.

Three of the colors in full face looks, Chanel Rouge Allure Ink Fusion 802 Beige Naturel, for skintone reference I’m wearing Chanel Ultra Le Teint Velvet in B50:

804 Mauvy Nude:

Pink Brown 806

Le Rouge Duo Ultra Tenue – New Shades

Chanel also added some new colors of the Le Rouge Duo Ultra Tenue Gloss which I just rediscovered. They changed the packaging and formula a little while ago but I think it’s pretty much the same as the original. I picked 2 of the new colors in Intense Nude 152 which a gorgeous soft cool pink and Intense Caramel 154 which is a medium neutral beige. There is a liquid lipstick side that you apply all over the lips and then top with the gloss top coat. These are super long lasting and I think I need to check out more colors soon.

Since I’m a huge fan of neutrals I added other shades from my collection above and swatched below for reference. I have two other Le Rouge Duo Ultra Tenue colors in Merry Rose and Warm Beige alongside Rouge Coco Gloss neutrals in Caresse (discontinued), Caramel and Noce Moscata:

The new Le Rouge Duo Ultra Tenue Gloss in Intense Nude and Intense Caramel on the lips:

Full face look wearing Intense Nude:

Overall some solid wins and a successful haul. I wish Chanel would reformulate all the Rouge Allure Inks into the Rouge Allure Ink Fusion formula – I think it’s SO good!. Based on the color selection I think I would have also loved a plum color but for now am happy with the colors I bought. I may splurge on one more down the line once they hit counters and I can see them in person.

You can find the new Chanel lip launches available now at Chanel.com – I suspect they will be at counters soon in the US. Have you tried any of the new shades yet? What did you think?

6 Comments

Hourglass Cosmetics

Hourglass Ghost Holiday 2019 Collection Review

October 10, 2019

I hauled the four of the five items from the Hourglass Ghost Holiday 2019 Collection and have swatches of everything today. There are two new Ambient Lighting Palettes and they’re absolutely gorgeous but I have some mixed thoughts about them. Right now there are two Confession Lip Duos and I opted for the one with a neutral nude pink + plum. For the eyes Hourglass has a Scattered Light Trio with minis of their scattered light shadows (two repromotes and one new shade). Overall I find the launches easy to wear for my medium-tan skin, if you’re swatching in store note that the powders can look more glittery than they are in normal everyday lighting. The store lights emphasize the tiny sparkles and make them look like they could be a glitter bomb. Rest assured that while they are indeed glowy – both palettes are wearable for everyday even for those who are super conservative on the shimmer. In today’s post:

Ambient Lighting Edit Ghost Palette ($80)
Ghost Ambient Lighting Blush Quad ($58)
Ghost Confession Refillable Lipstick Duo ($36) I Cherish and You Inspire
Scattered Light Glitter Shadow Collection ($46) Ray, Foil and Molten

Hourglass Ghost Ambient Lighting Edit Palette

The Ambient Lighting Edit Ghost Palette has three repromotes and three new shades. I ended up loving it more than I thought I would, but I think at this point most of us can agree that we would like to see all new shades and more options for tan to deeper skin tones. I’m more on the tan side and find the colors show up well. The palette as a whole gives the skin a soft diffused glow. I really love the concept of Dim and Diffused Light as soft light reflecting setting powders but have always wanted those powders in darker color options. I was surprised to find that both still work for my tan skin to set and they did not make my face look chalky even though they are pale. Shades include:

Finishing Powder in Dim Light – pale peach pink with a satin shimmer
Finishing Powder in Diffused Light – ultra pale yellow finishing powder
Strobe Powder in Iridescent Strobe Light – pale shimmery pink
Bronzer in Eternal Bronze Light – the softest bronze I’ve seen from Hourglass, a satiny soft non-orangey bronze
Strobe Blush in Iridescent Rose – the prettiest iridescent healthy looking pink glow, I would LOVE this in a full size individual option
Blush in Sublime Flush – soft light-medium rose pink shimmer

Below wearing: Tom Ford Flawless Glow Foundation in 6.5 / Ambient Lighting Palette Ghost with Dim Light to set, Sublime Flush + Iridescent Rose on cheeks / Confession Lipstick in I Cherish

Application is smooth, soft, easy to blend and stays put all day. For the three new shades the Eternal Bronze Light bronzer is the most neutral soft bronze I’ve seen from Hourglass, it can double as a neutral contour. The Iridescent Rose is a beautiful shimmering rose it’s on the sparkly side with tiny gold flecks. Sublime Flush has a similar but paler/cooler compared to Surreal Effect (in the Ambient Quad and also in Surreal Light 2016). Overall I think it’s a beautiful palette complete for a full face look. I would give it 10 out of 10 stars if it did not have Dim/Diffused Light. They’ve repeated these shades in so many palettes and have them available individually, I would have really liked to see new colors.

Ghost Ambient Lighting Blush Quad

The Ghost Ambient Lighting Blush Quad is a new format which I really like! It’s small and more compact – I really like the concept. It’s still fairly expensive but I think the colors are gorgeous.

Blush in Surreal Effect is a repromote from the Surreal Light Palette 2016, it’s a medium soft pink shimmer swirled with a deeper magenta pink
Strobe Blush in Brilliant Nude is a repromote, available individually, this is a shimmering champagne swirled with a tan bronze sparkle
Strobe Blush in Lucid Glow is a shimmery coral swirled with a soft gold
Infinite Flush is a soft pink swirled with a mauve

Below I’ve swatched with a heavy hand to show the color but they apply sheerer on the face and blend out easily for a soft glow.

Wearing: Tom Ford Flawless Glow Foundation in 6.5 Sable / La Mer Pressed Powder in Medium / Hourglass Ambient Lighting Blush Quad with Lucid Glow + Brilliant Nude mixed / Urban Decay Naked Reloaded Palette / Hourglass Scattered Light in Foil / Hourglass Unreal Lip Gloss in Truth

I like Lucid Glow the best in this palette, I’m a sucker for any coral peach blush because I think it brightens up the complexion beautifully. The other shades are also lovely, I do like Brillant Nude for a nice highlight that isn’t your traditional pale champagne. Application is smooth and easy to layer/mix.

Ghost Confession Refillable Lipstick Duo

I bought the Confession Lip Duo as an impulse buy and kinda regret it mainly because I have similar colors already. The colors are beautiful and easy to wear though. I Cherish is a pretty nude pink and You Inspire is a beautiful deep plum that doesn’t turn red (a lot of plums look too red, blue or pull too vamp on my skin). I really have nothing to complain about as the colors are wearable, require no tweaking and glide on the lips beautifully. I feel like I could have definitely shopped my stash.

Wearing on the left: Tom Ford Flawless Glow Foundation in 6.5 / Ambient Lighting Palette Ghost with Dim Light to set, Sublime Flush + Iridescent Rose on cheeks / Hourglass Confession Lipstick in I Cherish

Wearing on the right: same base, on the cheeks Ambient Lighting Palette Ghost with just Eternal Bronze Light / Hourglass Confession Lipstick in You Inspire

Scattered Light Glitter Shadow Collection

The Scattered Light Trio has miniatures of the Scattered Light Eyeshadows. I already own two of them but did not mind having repeats as I plan on regifting the minis to friends. The trio shadows are smaller at 0.07 oz each versus the 0.12 oz of the full size. I don’t normally don’t mind minis but I like to apply these with my finger and found the smaller size a little bit tricky to stick my finger in without getting product under my nail. It’s not impossible and you can definitely get a brush in there. Foil is a beautiful gold shimmer, Ray is a sparkling taupe and Molten is a beautiful shimmering plum. I really wish they had Molten individually in the full size because that one is beautiful!

Other individual colors swatched here and here.

Below look wearing Scattered Light in Molten:

Overall I’m pleased with my haul picks. Quality-wise everything performs well. As irked as I am that the 6-pan palette has 1/2 repeats I think it is lovely and I do think it was worth the splurge. If I had to pick one palette between the two I think the 4-pan quad is the more unique option although I’m so smitten with that Iridescent Rose Strobe Blush in the 6-pan palette. The Confession Lipstick is among my favorite lipstick formula for a creamy opaque lipstick. Color-wise the new launches are very wearable but not unique.

I think the Scattered Light Trio is a nice way to try three shades at a more affordable price although I do prefer the individual larger sizes because I can apply them easier with my fingers. I also like picking my own colors. Out of all the colors I own I wear Blaze the most, followed by Ray these days.

You can find the Hourglass Holiday 2019 Ghost Collection out now. I hauled my picks from Nordstrom and Sephora. Also available at Hourglass Cosmetics.

Have you tried anything from the collection yet? I have some more holiday I’m working on including selects from NARS holiday and I just ordered most of Tom Ford Soleil Neige. There will also be some new lip posts coming up!

12 Comments

GWP Haircare Nordstrom

New Haircare Loves

October 7, 2019

I’ve been trying some new things in haircare the past few months and have a roundup of my top picks right now. I really love trying new things and am always in the market for good hair masks or anti-frizz products to restore moisture and add shine. It’s been nearly a year since I’ve had color-treated hair and I’m currently in the process of trying to grow out my natural color. My haircare routine has changed since getting highlights and I’ve partnered with Nordstrom to share some of my top go-to picks right now. They carry most of the brands and products I use on a regular basis.

I also love shopping there because they have good Beauty Gift With Purchases year round. In my most recent haul I restocked on some of my favorite hair care items for the Nordstrom x SPACE.NK.apothecary gift (available while supplies last) which includes:

A cosmetics bag and deluxe samples of PHILIP B® Weightless Conditioning Water (2.5 oz.), R+Co Balloon Dry Volume Spray (1 oz.), Oribe Gold Lust Dry Shampoo (0.9 oz.), Verso Hydration Serum (0.35 oz.), 111SKIN Space Defence Bright Eye Lift Gel (0.25 oz.), By Terry Blackstar Eyeshadow in Purpulyn Gem (0.04 oz.), Sunday Riley Good Genes Treatment (0.17 oz.), REN Clean Screen Mineral SPF 30 Sunscreen (0.34 oz.), Kevyn Aucoin Beauty The Etherealist Skin Illuminating Foundation in Medium (0.18 oz.), Kat Burki Vitamin C Intensive Face Cream (0.23 oz.), Clark’s Botanicals Deep Moisture Mask (0.03 oz.), ILIA Soft Focus Finishing Powder (0.05 oz.), Rodial Pink Diamond Magic Gel Day Cream (0.3 oz.) and Derm Institute Antioxidant Hydration Gel Masque (2 sachets, 0.1 oz. each) with your $175 SPACE.NK.apothecary purchase. A $278 value. Online and in selected U.S. stores.*

There are a lot more Beauty Gifts going on right now online. There’s a cute one from Lancome right now, also some good options for minis from Dior, Hourglass, Diptyque, Fresh and more. I always love the Fresh skincare minis.

My Go-To Shampoo and Conditioner

I’ve been on the hunt for a good shampoo and conditioner combination for what seems like AGES now. My hair is more prone to breakage with each highlight treatment and Florida water isn’t the best for all formulas. Many formulas are hard to rinse out so finding something that is hydrating but doesn’t weigh the hair down has been tricky. I’ve really loved Olaplex for some time but wanted to try something new. Some Oribe formulas have been hit or miss but I decided to re-try the Oribe Gold Lust Repair and Restore Shampoo and Conditioner and my hair loves them! I’m on my third bottle of both and think I need to buy the supersized versions. They both hydrate, add shine and make the hair soft. The formula rinses out nicely and doesn’t weigh my hair down.

Heat Protectant and Texturizer

I blow dry my hair on a regular basis to smooth it and prevent frizz. Most of the time air drying isn’t the best for me. I’ve tried dozens of heat styling sprays and creams. There are a lot of great options out there but the one I keep going back to is the Oribe Royal Blowout Heat Styling Spray. It doubles as a detangler for me and smooths out the hair. This is also lightweight and helps minimize frizz. I spray it on towel dried hair.

Even though I want to smooth out the hair, I also sometimes want more volume at the roots. The Oribe Dry Texturizing Spray is my favorite and a nice alternative to dry shampoo because it’s not white or powdery like dry shampoo formulas are.

Olaplex Styling Products

I’ve been so eager to try everything that Olaplex launches. I bought the No. 6 Bond Smoother and No. 7 Bonding Oil the second they both launched. A little goes a long way for both.

The Bond Smoother is a white cream that is a leave-in styling cream that strengthens and moisturizes the hair to prepare for blow drying. I found it lightweight and it did work to fight frizz. It’s nice on my brittle hair and does protect from heat. For me I like this on damp hair.

The Bonding Oil is an even more lightweight product that’s ultra concentrated. It offers heat protection up to 450 degrees. Since I have thicker hair I found my damp hair soaked it up super fast. I prefer applying this on my blow-dried hair to add shine and add more protection if I’m straightening it with a flat iron. It’s super tiny but a little drop goes a long way. The dispenser is designed so that only a tiny bit of product comes out with each drop.

Hydrating and Frizz Treatments

Last, my two latest discoveries from Christophe Robin are his new Anti-Frizz Rescue Milk with Shea Butter and the Hydrating Melting Mask with Aloe Vera. Both are 100% worth the splurge. For a no-frizz product his Anti-Frizz Rescue Milk is a nice effective product that glides through damp hair easily for a nice blow out. I’m normally not a fan of milky hair products because they can feel too thick or sticky. This one absorbs into the hair nicely without any sticky feel and for me it’s like the cream/milk version of the Oribe spray. I also love that it’s fragrance free.

The Hydrating Melting Mask is also quite phenomenal to add moisture to my ends in a lightweight way. I’m a fan of all of his aloe vera products – they have a really nice lightweight scent that’s calming and soothing. Color treatments for my hair have made it more tangle-prone after it’s wet. This one makes the tangles go away and allows a comb or brush to glide through more easily after I rinse it out.

I’m really happy to have rediscovered the Oribe Gold Lust Shampoo and Conditioner. My next purchase will be the large pump sizes of both. For a good hair mask I’ve been so pleased with the Christophe Robin Hydrating Melting Mask. I think the Oribe Royal Blowout Spray will forever be a go-to for me, but I almost like the Christophe Anti-Frizz Rescue Milk a little better right now.

If you’ve been in the market for some new hair care I hope this roundup helped you! I’d love to hear about your hair care loves right now. Does your routine stay the same year round or now that we’ve transitioned to fall do you switch things up?

You can find all my haul picks at Nordstrom. If you’re shopping online don’t forget to check out the Beauty Gift With Purchase page, it’s updated on a regular basis!

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

20 Comments

Charlotte Tilbury

Charlotte Tilbury Pillow Talk Luxury Palette of Pops + Lip Lustre

October 4, 2019

Charlotte Tilbury added two more products to her Pillow Talk family! She has a new Luxury Palette of Pops in Pillow Talk in an all shimmer eyeshadow quad. I’m also beyond thrilled she finally launched her Lip Lustre Lip Gloss individually. It was originally launched in an exclusive trio from the Nordstrom Anniversary Sale (reviewed and swatched here). It’s now available individually at Sephora and also in a few bundles on her website.

I’ve been such a long-time fan of her Pillow Talk Lip Cheat Lip Pencil and Matte Revolution Lipstick I thought I’d do an updated roundup of all the Pillow Talk products I have. To date I have 7 of the 8 Pillow Talk products. I do not have the Pillow Talk Diamonds – based on what I saw from other swatches I thought it would be too glittery for me. What I have rounded up today:

Lip Cheat Lip Pencil ($22 for 0.04 oz)
Matte Revolution Lipstick ($34 for 3.5 g/.12 oz)
Superstar Lips ($34 for 1.8 g/0.06 oz)
Lip Lustre Lip Gloss ($22 for 3.5 ml/0.11 fl oz)
Cheek to Chic Blush ($40 for 8 g/0.28 oz)
Luxury Eyeshadow Palette ($53 for 5.2 g/0.18 oz)
Luxury Eyeshadow Palette of Pops ($53 for 5.2 g/0.18 oz)

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Pillow Talk Lip Products

I’m starting with the lip products. I really love her Pillow Talk Lip Cheat and Matte Revolution Lipsticks for the perfect everyday neutral rose pink. They are among the few lip products I’ve used up and repurchased several times (I just recently bought fresh new tubes). The Lip Cheat is a matte opaque rose, it can be a little dry if you apply all over the lips so I usually apply a lip primer or balm underneath first. My favorite is the MAC Prep + Prime Lip for a base. It lasts a long time since it adheres well to the lips and for me it goes with a wide range of lip colors (I love layering Fenty Gloss Bomb on top).

Her Matte Revolution Lipstick in Pillow Talk is one of my most-worn lip colors. It’s a luminous matte so it doesn’t make the lips look dry or flat. I know a number of you have mentioned the undertone doesn’t work for your complexion in which case I’d recommend you check out Tom Ford Indian Rose (not as cool-toned) or Charlotte Tilbury Super Cindy (warmer) instead.

The Superstar Lips in Pillow Talk is a beautiful glossy rose. It has a moisturizing feel and beautiful shine but I could not give it a 100% glowing review because of the amount they give you for the price! It’s significantly smaller than her other lipsticks but priced the same. Formula is excellent and I don’t think you’ll be disappointed if you love glossy lush lipsticks. On me the Superstar Lips pulls deeper and more rosy than the Matte Revolution. Previously reviewed here.

The Lip Lustre in Pillow Talk is in the same color family as her gloss and lipstick but pulls lighter in color. It’s opaque and full coverage on my lips. Easy to blend, stays put, and has a soft vanilla/plastic scent. It’s not unpleasant and doesn’t taste bad – it’s actually subtle so after a few minutes I don’t notice it anymore. Review + swatches also here.

Wearing the Matte Revolution Lipstick below with her Airbrush Flawless Foundation in 7 Neutral, Airbrush Powder Shade Medium, Cheek to Chic in Pillow Talk and Luxury Palette of Pops

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Pillow Talk Cheek to Chic Blush

The Charlotte Tilbury Cheek to Chic Blush is among my favorites for a soft natural luminous glow. I own almost all of the colors. Pillow Talk has a soft neutral to warm rose glow on the skin. On me it’s very soft with a subtle glow. If you are one who feel like you cannot wear that glaring highlight or shimmer that’s super popular these days but don’t want to always do a matte blush, her Cheek to Chic Blushes are the best. Previous review here.

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Pillow Talk Eyeshadow Quads Luxury Palette vs Luxury Palette of Pops

The rosy warm tone eye look has been super popular for quite some time now and brands show no sign of slowing down with the new launches. I’ve embraced the warm eye look with a few palettes but in general still really like a good neutral eye. The Pillow Talk Eyeshadow Quad was a miss for me on its own. I found it too pink for my complexion although when combined with other palettes I can make it work. It has a shimmering pale pink, a matte pink, gold-pink glitter and deeper warm rose brown matte. Texture-wise I found the mattes a bit dry and chalky although if I add an emollient cream eyeshadow underneath it’s not too much of a problem. Review + eye look here.

The new Pillow Talk Luxury Palette of Pops looks phenomenal in the pan. It has the most beautiful look to it in the palette. I usually have fun swatching these because it’s often a surprise to see what they look like swatched on the skin. The four shades are super glittery and sparkly. For a single eye look I can make it work but for me it looks like more of a party palette. I think it’s nice as an enhancer palette on top of other shadows to mix and match. It’s beautiful but all 4 glitters on the eye at once is a little much for me. There is fall out if you apply on dry lids or with a brush. I recommend applying over a creamy base or patting on with fingers to help it stick better. It has a sparkly pale rose, a sparkly soft pink, a sparkly warm copper and a shimmering warm red bronze.

If these aren’t your cup of tea (whether it’s too glittery or too warm), you might want to check out her other holiday launches. She just launched a cooler tone Luxury Palette of Pops in Celestial Eyes along with a new Instant Look Palette in Gorgeous, Glowing Beauty. I’m debating whether or not to order them.

Wearing the Pillow Talk Luxury Palette of Pops and Lip Lustre below:

Overall I think her Lip Lustre Lip Gloss in Pillow Talk is the best new addition to her line. I really love all the other lip products and wear them on a regular basis. I think the Lip Pencil is excellent for a good rose lip and goes with lots of other lipsticks and glosses. The blush is a nice soft rose although if you’re darker in skintone than me I suspect it might be too close to your skin tone in which case you might want to check out the color The Climax (deeper in color). Nothing would have stopped me from buying the new eyeshadow palette but I do think it’s super glittery and most likely not for everyone. For me it’s most likely going to be used as an enhancer with other palettes.

You can find Charlotte Tilbury Pillow Talk products out now. The two latest additions Luxury Palette of Pops and Lip Lustre are currently available at Sephora and Charlotte Tilbury. I suspect they will trickle out to other retailers soon. The rest of the line is available at all Charlotte Tilbury counters.

Have you tried any of the Pillow Talk Colors? Which ones and what did you think?

All products purchased by me.

5 Comments

Eye Makeup Pat McGrath Labs

Pat McGrath Mothership VI Midnight Sun Eyeshadow Palette

October 1, 2019

Pat McGrath Labs launched a eyeshadow palette called Mothership VI Midnight Sun ($125 for 10 shades, 1.32 g each eyeshadow) and it’s glorious! True to Pat McGrath’s style this palette has a mix of bold and edgy colors with a unique combination of colors. The format and textures are the same as her other Mothership palettes where she has mattes, smooth metallic shimmers and glittery sparkles. For me this is way outside of my comfort zone but I still had fun playing with it. Quality and pigment-wise all the colors are phenomenal. The mattes blend and layer beautifully. As boring as the soft tan brown Taboo looks I found it really nice and flattering! The shimmers are almost creamy to the touch and blend smoothly. The glitters give this multi-dimensional iridescent sheen that is quite amazing – there is some fallout with the glitters as expected but it’s easy to clean up. I recommend applying the sparkles with a damp brush, over a creamy base to help it stick, or fingers in a patting motion.

Swatches and close ups of Midnight Sun which includes all new shades:

Skinshow Moon Glow is a smooth metallic champagne
Bronze Eclipse is a warm shimmery bronze taupe
Vermillion Venom is matte cranberry
Blood Moon 005 is a glittery copper rose metallic
Jubilee is a glittery warm yellow gold
Xtreme Dusk is a deep brown matte
Taboo is a matte medium brown
Wicked Envy is a shimmery olive
Blitz Violet Orchid is an ultra smooth almost creamy blue violet shimmer
Astral Solstice is a glittering platinum sparkle

Close ups of the pans and closer/larger swatches:

Look wearing a few of the colors from Midnight Sun which includes Bronzed Eclipse, Taboo, Blood Moon 005 and Astral Solstice mixed, also wearing Pat McGrath Skin Fetish Foundation in Medium 15, Powder in Light Medium 2, LUST Gloss in Carnal Desire, Hourglass Ambient Lighting Blush in Diffused Heat.

The palette is stunning for sure! But I didn’t love all of the colors. Quality and performance-wise it’s excellent, however I cannot wear yellow golds or violet purples – they clash with my skin tone no matter how pretty they are or how hard I try to blend. For her palettes I prefer the color scheme of her previous launch Mothership V Bronze Seduction or any of her 6-pan palettes which I find easier to wear for someone like me who tends to be more conservative on the sparkle for eyes. I do think it is different/unique enough to justify owning if you like all the colors. For me I most likely would not have bought this one as I really try to stick with my rule of buying palettes if I think I will like all the colors. I’m still going to try to make the purple work for me but it’s never really been a color I gravitate towards.

The Mothership VI Midnight Sun is available now at Pat McGrath Labs. Have you tried any of her eyeshadow palettes before? What did you think?

Midnight Sun provided courtesy of Pat McGrath Labs for review.

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Base Makeup

Fall Foundation Testing: Chanel, Pat McGrath, Charlotte Tilbury, Natasha Denona + more

September 27, 2019

I have a fall foundation roundup today on new formulas I’ve put to the test recently! I’ve already reviewed a few new base formulas from Chanel, Pat McGrath and Laura Mercier but I have three new ones in today’s post for Fenty, Natasha Denona and Charlotte Tilbury. I thought I’d round them all up and do a comparison to help you decide which one might be the best for you.

First here’s a look at my bare skin vs. foundation applied all over, more details on each formula below:

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Fenty Beauty Pro Filt’r Hydrating Longwear Foundation

The foundation I was most excited about was the Fenty Beauty Pro Filt’r Hydrating Longwear Foundation. It’s described as a hydrating formula but I did not find it hydrating or smooth in application. I’ve tested it with a number of moisturizers and primers (including the Pro Filt’r Instant Retouch Primer). On my face it sits on my skin and doesn’t sink in like I’d expect a moisturizing base to. It doesn’t blend easily, it feels thick even with a sponge or sheer application. The pros are that it does have good coverage that looks natural and it photographs well. I also love the packaging. With a lot of blending I can make it work. My match is 235 in this one and it’s pretty close to the regular matte formula. The hydrating formula doesn’t oxidize as much as the matte one does. The main reason why I don’t love this is that it feels thick on my skin and it’s not thick in a hydrating way, just thick.

Lasting power is good, I think the color range is great, packaging is gorgeous and functional.

Pro Filt’r Hydrating Longwear Foundation in 235 applied all over the Pro Filt’r Instant Retouch Primer, no powder or concealer:

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Natasha Denona Foundation X+

Natasha Denona improved her foundation into the Foundation X+ ($45 for 30 ml/1.01 fl oz). I actually liked the original but found it a little on the thick side, it didn’t feel too thick on the skin but the new one is more lightweight. The newer version is medium to full coverage and has skincare ingredients infused. The Foundation X+ is more lightweight with good coverage and looks like second skin. You can easily control coverage and it’s long-wearing on my skin. It comes in 20 shades, I’m the 42WY right now. I personally wouldn’t really call it full coverage, but it’s more medium to full. I can still see some sun spots and a little redness on my skin through the base.

Wearing 42 WY below ( warm yellow undertone)

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Charlotte Tilbury Airbrush Flawless Longwear Foundation

The Charlotte Tilbury Airbrush Flawless Longwear Foundation was another base formula I was really excited about because I’m obsessed with the pressed powder (it’s my holy grail!). The foundation is a full coverage base that has a velvety matte finish. On the skin it does give it an airbrushed look and it’s very opaque. The texture is fluid and blends easily. It is lightweight in feel although I don’t really agree with the product description as being weightless – I can still feel it on my skin although it’s not heavy.

It is the best foundation formula in her line although I do think finding the right shade can be tricky. Colors oxidize quite a bit once they set. I think the online stock swatches do a good job at showing how much colors darken which they call “optimized.” Even at the counter the sales associate struggled to recommend the right shade for me. We settled on 7 Neutral and 8 Warm as the best possible matches. I highly recommend you try the colors in person because the number sequence jumps around especially with the different undertones. Right now 7 Neutral works the best for me. I also had a sample of 7.5 Neutral which is lighter than 7 Neutral.

As far as matte finish foundations go I still prefer the Laura Mercier Flawless Fusion the best for a natural looking matte that gives medium to full coverage and lasts all day.

Wearing 7 Neutral below all over, no concealer or powder. It covered all of my red pimples and sun spots completely. It has a velvety matte finish that isn’t too matte or dry looking, I definitely still recommend setting with powder.

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Chanel Ultra Le Teint Velvet Foundation

I reviewed the new Chanel Ultra Le Teint Velvet Foundation here. This is a lightweight velvet foundation with medium coverage. My match is either 40 or 50. This has the most lightweight feel out of the medium velvety coverage bases I’ve tried.

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Laura Mercier Tinted Moisturizer (new formula)

The cult classic Laura Mercier Tinted Moisturizer has been reformulated into a new and improved version. I think it’s definitely improved and gives the look of fresh natural hydrated skin. Even though I prefer coverage, I like using this all over and then layering full coverage foundation or concealer on spots I need more. Layering prevents the face and skin from looking too flat. Review on the regular and illuminating formulas here.

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Pat McGrath Skin Fetish Sublime Perfection

Another base I reviewed recently is the Pat McGrath Skin Fetish Sublime Perfection here. Full details in the review. This is a nice medium to full coverage foundation that blurs and smooths the skin. It’s not weightless and has a satin finish so you will feel it on the skin, but it worked really well for me.

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A few side by side swatches which were hard to capture. Some of the formulas dried quickly and oxidized. Also please take note that how they blend and adjust on the face once it sets is different than what you’ll see in the arm swatch. Still I hope this can provide some kind of reference for you:

Overall out of all the bases I tried, I still find my top 2 go-to’s are the Armani Luminous Silk (best luminous foundation) and Laura Mercier Flawless Fusion (longest lasting). For the new launches there’s a tie between the new Chanel and Pat McGrath for medium to full coverage. The Laura Mercier Tinted Moisturizer is good for good-skin days but I still prefer coverage so I don’t reach for it as much. The Charlotte Tilbury is nice but fact that colors oxidize so much makes it tricky to wear. Since it’s so opaque it’s not forgiving if you don’t have an exact match.

If you’re looking for a new base I hope this roundup of some new formulas help you! I was planning on reviewing a couple more but am having a hard time with color matching. If I end up finding one you’ll see a few more reviews soon.

Have you tried any of these yet? What did you think? If not what foundations do you love right now?

Press samples include the Natasha Denona, Chanel and Pat McGrath foundations.

27 Comments

Lips Tom Ford Beauty

Tom Ford Gloss Luxe Review

September 25, 2019

Tom Ford Beauty revamped all of the lip glosses into a new formula called Gloss Luxe ($55 each for 5.5 ml/0.19 fl oz). These have new packaging and a completely different formula from the original lip glosses. The Gloss Luxe has a sheer finish, ultra glossy shine and a moisturizing feel. It’s not sticky but does have a slight tacky feeling to it since it is a gloss but it feels smooth and lush.

There are 20 available right now, I bought 6 and have a review + swatches today. I’ve been such a long-time fan of Tom Ford lip products but with these I have mixed feelings. They are high-shine and hydrating, they have a nice luxurious feel. However I found some of them settled into my lip lines and started to separate after a few minutes. With the lighter neutral colors I didn’t find them to be color-saturated as they described. The colors can be intensified if you layer more on the lips but with each progressive layer the formula starts to get a little too thick and goopy with the feeling like they will slide off.

They are scented with a soft vanilla cake like scent that I find really pleasant. Lasting power is average for a hydrating gloss. They won’t last all day but at the same time they don’t disappear quickly.

For the tubes you have a sponge tip applicator similar to the Lip Lacquer Luxe where the sponge is a little bigger than the opening. There is a little bit of tugging when you take it out of the tube but the gap isn’t as tight as it is with the Lip Lacquer Luxe.

Colors I picked:

Aura is a pale light nude pink, this one settled into my fine lip lines within a minute, not a good look!
Impulse is a sheer pale pearly pink, also settled into my lip lines within a few minutes but it isn’t as bad as Aura
Frantic is a sheer shimmery medium light pink with gold pearl
Ravish is a shimmery medium peach
Wicked is a sheer cool pink without shimmer
L’Amour is a bright sheer pink

I think the brighter and deeper colors are the best options. Overall pigment didn’t translate from my arm swatches to my lips. They’re sheer so it gives the lips a hint of color. Close ups and lip swatches below with three I have full face makeup looks for you. I do think if you have lighter lips versus my pigmented lips the colors will show up better on you.

Aura

Impulse

Frantic

Ravish

Also wearing Natasha Denona Foundation X+ in 42WY, Charlotte Tilbury Airbrush Powder in Medium, Anastasia Brow Wiz in Caramel, Tom Ford Acqua Metal Shadow in Violet Argente and Charlotte Tilbury Eyeshadow Palette in The Dolce Vita, Hourglass Ambient Lighting Bronzer in Luminous Bronze Light

Wicked

Wearing same makeup breakdown as above, only difference is blush is Hourglass Ambient Lighting Blush in Euphoric Fusion.

L’Amour

All of them side by side:

I really wanted to love them but I can’t help but feel there are better options out there. For me I felt the sheerness of the colors didn’t make them all worth the price tag. I do think there are some great colors to choose from and they have a hydrating luxurious feel. They’re not bad, but I prefer the Chanel Rouge Coco Glosses, Pat McGrath LUST Gloss, By Terry Lip Experts and the new Cle de Peau Radiant Liquid Rouge Shines are amazing (I’ll review my picks soon). My favorites of the ones I tried were Ravish and L’Amour which I think are worth the splurge. I wish the other ones had better color payoff because they’re just so pretty in the tube and swatched on my hand!

You can find the Tom Ford Gloss Luxe out at all counters now. I bought mine from Nordstrom. Have you tried these yet? What did you think?

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Tom Ford Gloss Luxe Review

Aura

Impulse

Frantic

Ravish

Wicked

L’Amour

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