Sabrina, Author at The Beauty Look Book

GWP

Space NK Spring Beauty Edit Bag 2019

February 13, 2019

It’s that time of year again when the spring beauty events start up! Right now Space NK US has their Spring Beauty Edit Bag from February 13th to 18th while supplies last with any $285+ purchase online or in their stores, use code BEAUTY19 at checkout. Out of all the ones going on right now I think theirs is the best one even though the minimum spend is high, I do think it’s well worth the splurge.

They value the gift at over $450, mostly all minis, items inside this year’s bag:

Diptyque Roses Candle 3.4 oz
Sunday Riley Good Genes 5 ml
Hourglass Veil Mineral Primer SPF 15 0.12 fl oz
Oribe Gold Lust Dry Shampoo 1 oz
Ilia Beauty Tinted Lip Conditioner in Forever 0.04 oz
Chantecaille Rose de Mai Cream 5 ml
Omorovicza Rejuvenating Night Cream 0.5 fl oz/15 ml
Briogeo Don’t Despair, Repair! Deep Conditioning Mask 1 oz
Patchology Clean AF Cleansing Wipes 15 pack
Verso Hydration Serum with Niacinamide 10 ml
Coola Makeup Setting Spray 10 ml
Bumble and Bumble Thickening Spray 30 ml/1 fl oz
Clark’s Botanicals Deep Moisture Mask 10 ml
111Skin Clinical Exfoliator 0.35 oz
Malin + Goetz AHA Treatment Solution 0.2 fl oz
Golden Faden MD Skin Balancing Mask 7 ml
Kat Burki Vitamin C Intensive Face Cream 7 ml
Rodial Radiance Transforming Mask 8 ml
Kevyn Aucoin Flesh Tone Lip Pencil in Cerise 0.024 oz
Miriam Quevedo Platinum and Diamond Luxurious Mask 50 ml
REN Clean Skincare Radiance Glow Daily Vitamin Gel Cream 0.51 oz
Christophe Robin Regenerating Mask with Rare Prickly Pear Seed 1.7 oz/10 ml
Emma Hardie Brilliant Face Oil 0.17 oz
By Terry Hyaluronic Hydra Powder Deluxe 0.45 oz
Rahua Classic Conditioner 22 ml
Lipstick Queen Mini Altered Universe Time Warp 0.08 fl oz
R&Co Deluxe Waterfall Moisture and Shine 15 ml
Dr. Dennis Gross Alpha Beta Exfoliating Moisturizer 0.13 fl oz
Derm Institute Cellular Rejuvenating Serum 0.17 oz
Pink zip bag

I can vouch for the Diptyque, Hourglass, Oribe, Briogeo, Christophe Robin and Bumble and Bumble products in this year’s gift bag. All of these are excellent and if you haven’t tried them yet this is the perfect way to do so!

There are so many brands to pick from I don’t think I really need to do a recommendations list but in case you don’t know what to splurge on, my top 5 favorites are mostly hair care right now. I actually just bought a lot of Oribe from Neiman Marcus and their gift bag was very disappointing. I really should have waited for this event, ordered online for a second bag to gift to my mother in law.

Top five loves right now:

Briogeo Don’t Despair, Repair! Deep Conditioning Mask is one of the best hair masks I’ve used (to me it’s better than Kerastase and Oribe). I really want to try the shampoo version of this mask.
Christophe Robin Shade Variation Mask with Temporary Coloring in Warm Chestnut was the best tinted mask for color treated hair my first round of highlights, this second round I’ve gone lighter and think I need the Golden Blonde version now
Oribe Run Through Detangling Primer came highly recommended by one of my pickiest friends. She used to work in the hair care industry for product development and she’s tried everything she possibly can. This is her go-to and she told me it was “the best.” I finally caved and bought a mini size. She was right. It’s amazing and I need the full size for sure. I don’t know that I’d call it THE best, it’s saved my hair with this second round of highlights, but I still think it’s a tie with the next item I’m listing below.
Christophe Robin Hydrating Leave-In Mist with Aloe Vera is something I used more of as a detangling spray on wet/damp hair. This was one of the few lightweight hydrating sprays that didn’t weigh my hair down. A light spritz allows any brush or comb to brush through my hair without any tugging or tangles.
111Skin Bio Cellulose Facial Treatment Masks are my holy grail of sheet masks. The set is crazy expensive but these plump and smooth the skin like nothing else I’ve tried.

Also linking a few other favorites below. Sunday Riley Good Genes is great, Space NK also stocks By Terry, Byredo, Lipstick Queen, Ouai and Susanne Kaufmann.

Some newer launches you might want to check out while the gift is going on:

The Space NK Spring Beauty Edit Bag 2019 runs February 13 through 18, 2019, while supplies last. Available online and in store with a $285+ purchase, use code BEAUTY19 at checkout.

Spring Beauty GWP gifted by Space NK.

4 Comments

Diptyque Fragrance Home / Interiors

Diptyque Roses Collection: Centifolia + Damascena Candles

February 11, 2019

Every year I look forward to the Diptyque Roses Collection they launch for Valentine’s Day. This year they launched two new limited-edition candles called Centifolia and Damascena, available in a few different forms:

Individually in the full size ($72 each for 6.7 oz)
Individually in the small sizes ($36 each for 2.46 oz)
Also in a Small Candle Duo Set ($72)

The jars are frosted tinted glass with the prettiest rose patterns on the exterior. Nothing would have stopped me from buying these and I bought these sight unseen just for the packaging.

As much as I love Diptyque I don’t consider myself a pure rose fragrance lover. I do really like the rose notes when it’s blended with other notes like it is in their Baies candle. Same goes for many perfumes that I love and wear. For me rose is best when it’s blended with something other than floral notes. If you love all things floral and true pure rose then these will be perfect for you. Alone I found these very strong, floral and powdery. I do think they are beautiful but they’re not my favorite. The Mini Duo Set seems to be sold out most places but this morning I still saw it in stock at Barney’s New York. You can still buy the mini sizes individually.

Centifolia is the softer variation and out of the two, I like this scent the most. It has the tiniest bit of spice to it and I found it really interesting to read more about the flower itself, per Diptyque, the flower is from the “Grasse region of France since the 16th century, the Centifolia rose is also called the May rose for the month in which it is harvested. It comes by its Latin name (centum=one hundred + folio=leaf) because of its profusion of petals, said to number one hundred.”

Damascena has a beautiful color combination of the bright pink and orange. This one is very potent, floral, powdery and sweet. I found it a little too overwhelming for my taste. If you love pure rose scents you will absolutely adore this!

Top from Abercrombie, Nail Polish is Opi Rice Rice Baby

I have no regrets purchasing both. I will burn them to the end but will most likely combine with another scent like Baies or something woodsy like Byredo Tree House. Compared to previous limited-edition rose candles Diptyque has launched I find these two to be more of a pure powdery floral rose while previous years seem to be a little bit sweeter and softer.

The jars will be used to recycle for me as well. A quick note on the frosted glass jars if you’re new to recycling them – I’ve owned a few others in the white frosted glass and the finish can be a little delicate. I’d definitely recommend you take care with the exterior when cleaning as they can wear off or scratch off if you use a stiff sponge. It’s not so delicate that you have to baby it, but if you want to recycle, after your first burn, make sure you trim your wicks with a Wick Trimmer before you burn to avoid burning the sides or tops.

To clean them and recycle after they’re done burning I take a small butter knife and remove the metal circle that’s at the base if it hasn’t popped out already. To clean the sides I soak hot water and dish soap and wipe out with a paper towel. I repeat until wax is completely gone. Don’t use boiling water as it can crack the glass. Hot water from the tap works just fine to soften any residue and the soap helps clean the sides. Anytime I recommend this method someone without fail tells me freezing them is the better method but it has never worked for me.

Bottom line beautiful and romantic! I just think some scents are best when layered or blended with other notes, with these I prefer them when burned with something else. I still think they’re gorgeous, they’re just not my absolute favorites.

The Diptyque Roses Collection is limited-edition. They have other options including the scented ovals, scented liners and more. You can find Diptyque Centifolia and Damascena candles out now while they last. I bought mine from Nordstrom. Also available at Diptyque, Space NK, Neiman Marcus, Saks Fifth Avenue, Bloomingdale’s, Barney’s New York and all other Diptyque retailers.

P.S. Right now there’s a cute GWP available at Diptyque, I’m not sure how long it will be available but just wanted to let you know. Also Space NK’s beauty bag event is coming up soon!

Have you tried these yet? What did you think? Do you love rose notes or prefer it blended with something else?

13 Comments

Natasha Denona

New From Natasha Denona: Mini Nude Palette, Transformatte Foundation + Matte Liquid Lips

February 7, 2019

A few new items have launched from Natasha Denona including a new eyeshadow palette, foundation and liquid lipsticks and I have a roundup review today! I also revisited a few of her Blush Duos (shopped my stash) and had been wearing them recently. I got so many compliments on how natural but fresh my complexion looked I thought I’d add them to this review. After some testing I have some hits and misses. What’s covered today:

Mini Nude Eyeshadow Palette ($25 for 5 shades)
Transformatte Pore Vanishing Matte Foundation ($45 for 0.94 oz/ 28 mL, 35 shades total)
Mark Your Liquid Lips Matte Liquid Lipstick ($25 each for 4 mL/0.135 oz, 19 shades available)
Blush Duo ($38 each)

Mini Nude Palette

I’m starting off with my favorite item in the launch which is her Mini Nude Palette. This actually isn’t something I’d call nude, it pulls a lot warmer but it’s still beautiful. It has a mix of mattes with her pressed pigment metallics. Pigment is really good, texture is easy to blend, colors stay put on the eyes. There will be some fallout with application because of the finish of the shimmers/powders but it’s easy to clean up. Colors layer beautifully:

Bronzage is a shimmery warm light copper sparkle
Quoin is a matte camel beige
Lumino is a metallic sparkle ivory
Sienna is a duo chrome bronze silvery taupe
Soil is a deep warm matte reddish brown

Quick close up look of eye makeup with flash:

Transformatte Pore Vanishing Matte Foundation

Her Transformatte Pore Vanishing Matte Foundation is a really good one. It comes in a pump tube. This is a medium coverage soft matte finish foundation. Her team sent over a selection of shades to try and my match right now is 30W. There are 35 shades to choose from with different undertones. I tried this back in the summer when this launched and got a few samples. My shade back then was a mix between 31W and 42NY. Colors do oxidize slightly on the skin once it sets, but once it sets color stays consistent. On me it has a blurring effect that has good coverage but still lets the skin look like skin. It’s matte but not flat. I think it does noticeably smooth out my pores but I think I should note that both Andrew and my brother informed me that even when looking at my bare face, they do not think I have any. I know for a fact I do have them and I can see them.

Lasting power is really good. I tested my samples over the summer and it held up well. Right now the weather is very mild for Florida. By the end of the week sweater weather might be over for a bit. For me this is another hit.

Bare skin vs. one layer of the foundation applied. It smooths out the skin, covers redness, and covers most of my sun spots and freckles. 30W applied below (no powder or concealer, just the foundation).

Mark Your Liquid Lips Matte Liquid Lipstick

Up next are her new liquid lipsticks called the Mark Your Liquid Lips Matte Liquid Lips. I had a solid feeling these would be a miss for me as I do not like liquid lipsticks and for the most part they don’t suit my preferences. After testing I can say that these are not for me. They’re not bad, I just don’t like liquid lipsticks. They have a similar vibe to the Anastasia Liquid Lipsticks and Kat Von D Everlasting Liquid Lipsticks. The formula of the Natasha Denona ones is pretty much the same – high pigment, full coverage, very matte and budge proof. I tested Giselle first and left it on the entire day. Lasting power was AMAZING. It lasted through snacks, lunch, drinks, coffee and did not even transfer when I tried to wipe it off with a tissue. The best thing about these is the lasting power – no transfer to teeth or anything. I received a handful of colors and Giselle was the only one I could wear. All the others dried down to a darker and almost grey finish. Definitely not true to what you see in the tube, but this is the case for all liquid lipsticks I’ve tried (ABH and KVD included).

The dry-down color change is most apparent with Shoko Kiss, in the tube it’s a caramel brown. Once dried it’s a grey taupe.

2 Meltedonce dried is a greyed beige nude
3 Shoko Kiss is a caramel brown taupe
4 Ebony dries to a deep grey brown matte
8 Au Naturale is a pale peachy nude
9 Giselle is a warm rose pink
24 Dahlia is a deep rose

I do really like the color of Giselle on my lips which dried down even further to more of a neutral-cool color rather than the warm peachy pink you see arm swatched below. I have a makeup look wearing Giselle further down. I still don’t like matte looking lips so for me these were a miss.

Blush Duos

The Natasha Denona Blush Duo’s aren’t new but I think they’re really nice. They are so under-rated. I’ve had them for a long time and used them on and off but completely forgot I had them! I started using one of the pink ones recently and received so many compliments about my complexion I thought I should use them more. These are powder duos with a soft sheen. There are several variations and the only downside is that she repeats one of the colors #02 Toutou in quite a few of them so if you are interested in more than one color, there might be a good chance you’ll get Toutou multiple times. There are a few pink ones available. Different options are available at Beautylish and Sephora.

Pigment is smooth and super easy to blend or layer. Finish is soft and diffused. The pink one applies sheer on the arm but it looks a lot better on the face.

Makeup look below wearing:

Foundation – Natasha Denona Transformatte in 30W
Powder – MAC Mineralize Skinfinish Natural in Medium Plus
Blush Duo – Natasha Denona Blush Duo in Toutou + Sheer Peachy Nude blended
Eyeshadow – Natasha Denona Mini Nude Palette, all shades
Lips – Natasha Denona Liquid Lips in Giselle
Top – Madewell

I really love the Mini Nude Palette although I keep waiting for a truly neutral or neutral cool palette from her. If you already own a lot of warmer shades you can probably shop your stash. Pretty much nothing would have stopped me from buying it as I like more of her eyeshadows. Transformatte is a win for me. Blush duos are wins, although I do think it’s a little odd she repeats shades in so many of the colors. Liquid lipsticks are a miss as I don’t like how liquid lipsticks perform, darken once they dry down or look super matte.

You can find all the Natasha Denona items I featured today at Sephora. Some of the items are also available at Beautylish. Have you tried any of these before? What did you think?

Press samples include the Transformatte Foundation and Liquid Lipstick. Eyeshadow Palette and Blush Duos purchased by me.

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Budget Beauty

Cute Budget Beauty Gift Ideas for Galentine’s Day

February 5, 2019

Valentine’s Day is approaching and I’m rounding up some of my favorite budget beauty items I think are perfect for gifting your girlfriends. When it comes to gifting for special holidays like Valentine’s Day (or Galentine’s Day) sometimes the simple little things are the best! A cute nail polish or lipstick paired with some candy never fails to bring joy. I’ve teamed up with Walmart today to share some of my favorite budget-beauty finds that I’ve been loving recently that I think others will love as well. Everything in this post is under $15. They also have a wide range of options available from skincare, tools, nails, eyes, lips and more on their Galentine’s Day Beauty Gifting section.

Right now my besties are all living on opposite coasts from me but we still keep in touch and chat on a weekly basis. I feel like as life progresses and we age sometimes friendships are hard to keep. I feel truly blessed to have my gal pals in my life and thankful that they make time during their busy weeks to call or chat! I’m putting together little goody bags to ship their way this week.

Cute nail polishes are something I gift frequently. Essie Nail Polish is hands down the most loved among my friends. There’s something about the classic creams and sheers that everyone loves. Finding a good shade is pretty easy, there are lots to choose from like the Classic Sheers in Ballet Slippers or Tuck it in my Tux. There are also some amazing Classic Reds in every undertone like Forever Yummy and Double Breasted Jacket. The Gel Couture line is also fairly popular among my friends. I think their corals like On the List and Sizzling Hot are really pretty (I think I might keep this one for myself).

L’Oreal is one brand that keeps impressing me for the price and quality. I love their Colour Riche Shine Lipsticks for the best glossy lip. I picked up a few of the new Rouge Signature Matte High Pigment Lip Inks and they’re not your typical liquid lipstick. They don’t dry super matte or make your lips look shriveled. They have a soft matte finish and really smooth coverage. I liked them so much I went back and bought more to gift away. I think even my niece who is in her teens will like these too. They’re very much on-trend but not too trendy. They’re not kiss proof but the lasting power is still fairly impressive for a soft finish lip.

A few more budget beauty favorites include the L’Oreal Lash Paradise Mascara Waterproof. I like pairing this with the Lash Paradise Primer, but the mascara is so good it works on its own too. For those looking for a good glow that’s affordable the True Match Lumi Glow Nude Palette in Moonkissed is one of the best ones I’ve tried. It’s also available in a warmer Sunkissed Palette color option. Readers recommended I try the Infallible Paints as well and they were all right! The pigment is quite impressive. I kinda wish they had more colors available!

Cute gifting ideas are to fill mini clear treat bags with heart shaped candies and add them to a small gift bag I found some cute mini red and white mail boxes at Walmart that you can fill with a few small items. Small heart shaped bowls are always cute. When in doubt the larger clear treat bags are SO simple and always work to fill with a few things. Just tie with a ribbon or a twist tie and you’re set. You really can’t go wrong with chocolates, jelly beans or M&Ms or any kind of gummy candy. I had some Swedish Fish for my gift bags but none of them survived. It’s been a while since I’ve eaten any and I forgot how good they are. The entire bag disappeared within a couple hours. LOL!

If you’re looking for some cute gift options whether it’s for girlfriends, nieces, coworkers or to treat yourself, I hope this gives you a few affordable ideas! Lots more to find at Walmart.com. Do you have any fun Valentine’s Day things you do with your girl friends? When I lived in California sometimes we’d get together for a fun high tea date or just a simple lunch the first week of February. I really miss them! If you have any fun cute traditions I’d love to hear about them!

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

15 Comments

Bobbi Brown Lips

Bobbi Brown Crushed Liquid Lip Review

February 4, 2019

Bobbi Brown launched a new lip formula called the Crushed Liquid Lip Balm ($26 each for 6 ml/.2 fl oz). These are saturated balm-like colors with a liquid lipstick kind of vibe. There are 14 color options with neutrals, bolds and brights. They’re very comfortable on the lips with a moisturizing but lightweight feel. The Crushed Liquid Lips are scented just like her regular lipsticks – it’s a little fruity with a lipstick scent mixed together. Finish has a soft shine cream with medium to full coverage. Everything applies smoothly and all the colors are very wearable for any kind of occasion or mood. There were only two shades I felt was a little streaky because of the contrast to my lip but it smooths out with a little extra blending. Lychee Baby and Cool Beets needed a little more blending but they weren’t too high maintenance.

I love everything about these. I love the packaging where you can see the actual color from the tube. The applicators are really cute too with a beveled tip sponge – it’s not your typical sponge tip, I think the design is really well made.

Colors and swatches below. I feel like the reds look really similar on me:

Lychee Baby is a soft peachy nude, this one requires a little blending but you’ll see in the lip swatches it smooths out, I thought it would be too pale for me but it’s not!
Hippy Shake is a pale cool mauve pink
Juicy Date is the perfect pinky brown cream
Give A Fig is a pinkish fig pink
Peach and Quiet is a medium bright pink peach
Mango Mood is a bright coral red
Main Squeeze is a bright pinkish red
Cherry Crush is a bold deep red cherry
Big Apple is a bright red
Bitter Sweet is a mauve plum with blue tones
In A Jam is a berry mauve plum with neutral tones
Smoothie Move is a brown pink
Haute Cocoa is a cocoa brown
Cool Beets is a dark purple in the tube, it applies more like a berry stain, this one also requires a little blending, I think it would be flawless over a matching lip liner pencil

All swatched on bare lips, the colors cover the lip entirely. They don’t bleed or migrate.

I tried hard to find one downside and was hard pressed to find any. Lasting power isn’t like a liquid lipstick since it has a balmy feel. You will have to reapply but I found they stayed put well for a few hours. They adhere better to the lips compared to a stick balm like the Chanel Rouge Coco Shines or YSL Volupte Shines. I think these have a solid A+. I mixed Lychee Baby and Juicy Date together for a perfect neutral. I’m not sure that I could pick a favorite, but when I tested these I started from light to deep. I was impressed with every single color.

Below wearing Lychee Baby with new hair highlights! It’s been three months since my first appointment and I went in for something different and a little bit lighter. Makeup worn:

Foundation – Laura Mercier Flawless Fusion Foundation in Buff
Powder – La Mer Pressed Powder in Light
Blush – Hourglass Ambient Lighting Blush in Brilliant Nude + Incandescent Electra mixed
Eyeshadow – Tom Ford Iris Bronze
Brows – Anastasia Beverly Hills Brow Duo in Taupe
Lip Color – Bobbi Brown Crushed Liquid Lip in Lychee Baby
Sweater – Everlane Cashmere Waffle (other colors/styles reviewed here)
Denim – Madewell (also shown here and here)
Makeup Bag – The Daily Edited

You can find the Bobbi Brown Crushed Liquid Lip Color Balms out now. There are 14 colors available and they retail for $26 each. Available at Bobbi Brown, Nordstrom, Bloomingdale’s, Sephora, Neiman Marcus and all other Bobbi Brown counters.

Crushed Liquid Lip provided by Bobbi Brown for review.

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Beauty Favorites

Top 16 Beauty Products That Always Get Me Compliments

January 31, 2019

I’m rounding up the top makeup and beauty products I use that get me the most compliments. This doubles as an FAQ post because these products coincide with the “what are you wearing?” questions I get the most from reader and friends. These are the things I wear that YOU think look the most flattering – both in person and from what you see from the blog, Instagram and stories!

Your lips look so full and lush! What lip color are you wearing on your lips?

I have naturally full lips. I used to hate them because they would get so much attention and the tiniest bit of gloss made them look huge! So for that reason I don’t use lip plumpers. The lip color I get the most compliments on is the Pat McGrath LUST Gloss. Flesh Astral is the one that I get asked about all the time (swatches here, new shades swatched here). I also am often wearing NARS Velvet Lip Glide in Swing – this is another one that gets tons of questions because it’s such a universally flattering neutral (on the lips here). The Fenty Beauty Gloss Bomb in Fenty Glow (worn here) is another popular one I get asked about whenever I’m wearing it. It makes my lips look luscious with a super smooth glass like shine.

Your hair looks so shiny and healthy! Can you share your ENTIRE routine?

Since moving to Florida I’ve had a really hard time with hair products. The water here (even when filtered) is impossible! Hardly anything lathers in the water here like it does in other states. Also since coloring my hair I’ve experimented with a wide number of shampoos but I haven’t found my true love yet. All this being said anytime someone tells me my hair looks amazing and so shiny/healthy it’s after I have used the Christophe Robin Shade Variation Care Nutritive Mask with Temporary Coloring in Warm Chestnut (as shown here). My wallet is literally so sad because I’ve already gone through two of these and I’m going to need this the rest of my life. The Sisley Hair Rituel Hair Oil (review and on the hair here) and classic Moroccanoil Treatment are in my regular routine and both get compliments on scent and shine. They won’t weigh down my hair, even in hot humid Florida weather.

Your skin looks so smooth, like you had an amazing peel and your base looks so flawless!

Anytime someone says my skin looks smooth it’s after I’ve used either the Drunk Elephant Sukari Babyfacial or Sunday Riley Good Genes. I consider myself to have sensitive skin so I don’t use them as frequently as I should but they make the most visible difference in texture. Both are excellent and I am often asked which one I prefer. My answer is that they’re really different. The Drunk Elephant is more of a once in a while treatment for me while the Sunday Riley is something you can leave on the skin overnight. For me the Sunday Riley treatment is effective faster, but the Drunk Elephant makes the skin feel noticeably softer after regular use.

For my base, my go-to anytime someone tells me my skin looks flawless is a combination of the Laura Mercier Flawless Fusion Foundation in Buff (it’s matte, but note flat and holds up REALLY well to the heat and humidity) plus the Charlotte Tilbury Hollywood Flawless Filter (it really lives up to the description and hype and I didn’t think it would be THAT amazing but it is, swatches of all shades here).

You’re glowing!

I’ve been asked by several people over the past few months if I’m pregnant because they say I’m glowing and look so healthy and happy. I’m not pregnant, but both Andrew and I are very happy and working diligently on our health and wellness. I actually attribute the glow 100% to the Armani Neo Nude Powder (swatches here) and Hourglass Ambient Lighting Blushes, in particular Incandescent Electra (on the face here). Out of all the highlighters out there I still think the Tom Ford Moodlight Duo is one of the best. I still wear this a lot and it always gets questions when I’m out and about wearing this.

You smell amazing!

The most complimented perfume I wear is Byredo La Tulipe (but my favorite these days is actually the Jo Malone Neroli and Basil perfume).

Your nails look so healthy – do you get regular manicures or have recommendations for strong nails?

I haven’t gotten a manicure or pedicure in maybe a year now! Everything has been DIY these days. In the time we’ve been in Florida I just haven’t found a go-to place like the ones I loved back home in San Diego. I attribute my healthy looking cuticles to the Deborah Lippmann Cuticle Remover. I’ve tried several brands of cuticle softeners and hers hands DOWN is the best. As a quick side note last year I started taking biotin supplements. I tried the HUM Hair Sweet Hair and Nature’s Bounty which made my hair grow like CRAZY but I didn’t really see that much of a difference in my nails. My hand care routine and favorite tools here.

I need that nude nail polish!

The polish that gets the most compliments is Chanel Le Vernis in Organdi (swatched here). It’s a nice basic neutral nude pink cream. Lasting power is very good on me. My favorite top coats are the Chanel Le Gel Top Coat or the one from Smith and Cult. I do not like Seche Vite because it always has major shrinkage on me.

I hope you enjoyed this roundup! These are the items I use the most whenever I get questions from you, strangers or friends about what I’m wearing or using. I’ve been asked by a lot of you for a list of my absolute can’t live without products are. I’m thinking long and hard about that one because so many of the things I’ve fallen in love with have been limited-edition or discontinued but stay tuned because that list is coming!

For those what to know about the shelf and accessories the shelf itself is the Ikea Billy Bookcase. Small gold wire basket is from Crate and Barrel. Glass shadow box is from West Elm. Tan bag is the Chloe Mini Marcie (reviewed it in depth here). Clear bag is the Staud Mini Shirley bag. Sweatshirt worn in top image is by Reformation (I didn’t show the front, but Andrew picked this out for me, lol).

Also for those who want just the list, here are the Top 16:

Pat McGrath LUST Gloss in Flesh Astral
NARS Velvet Lip Glide in Swing
Fenty Gloss Bomb
Christophe Robin Shade Variation Care Nutritive Mask with Temporary Coloring in Warm Chestnut
Sisley Hair Rituel Precious Hair Oil
Moroccanoil Treatment
Drunk Elephant TLC Sukari Babyfacial
Sunday Riley Good Genes
Laura Mercier Flawless Fusion Foundation
Charlotte Tilbury Hollywood Flawless Filter
Armani Neo Nude Powder
Tom Ford Highlighting Duo
Hourglass Ambient Lighting Blush in Incandescent Electra
Byredo La Tulipe
Deborah Lippmann Cuticle Remover
and Chanel Le Vernis in Organdi

If you have anything beauty-wise that always gets you compliments please share them in the comments below. I’d love to read about what is the most flattering on you 🙂

45 Comments

Becca Highlighters

Becca BFFs Collection Review + Swatches

January 29, 2019

Becca just launched a cute BFFs Collection called Made With Love by Khloe and Malika. This collection was created in collaboration with Khloe Kardashian and her BFF Malika Haqq. There are new highlighting palettes, a new lipstick formula and mini X and O shaped highlighter. I think the concept is super cute with two sets of color options. I’m a huge fan of Becca Shimmering Skin Perfectors and their Be a Light Palettes. I had high hopes for this launch. In the collection we have:

Glow Letters Highlighter ($18)
Made with Love by Khloe Collection
- Khloe Bronze, Blush and Glow Palette ($44)
- Khloe Ultimate Lipstick Love ($24 each) in Cupid’s Kiss and Hot Tamale
Made with Love by Malika
- Malika Bronze, Blush and Glow Palette ($44)
- Malika Ultimate Lipstick Love ($24 each) in Yours Truly and Brave

Glow Letters

Up first is a look at the Glow Letters Highlighter. This is a shimmery bronze and champagne mix of X and O shaped pressed highlighter shapes. I love the color and finish – it gives a beautiful glow without being overly frosty. The golden color is SO so pretty. I just hate the cardboard box packaging and presentation. I think this would have been better if it had been a pressed powder like their Shimmering Skin Perfectors. I give the product itself a solid A+ rating so I can overlook the box it comes in. I think I am just being really picky with this one.

Swatches also next to the two palettes side by side.

Made with Love by Khloe Collection

The Made by Khloe Collection has one Bronze, Blush and Glow Palette and two Ultimate Lipstick Love lipsticks in Cupid’s Kiss and Hot Tamale. The palette is generously sized in a large mirrored compact.

The colors are really pretty but I had a hard time getting into the palette. Becca launched a Bronze, Blush and Glow Palette with highlighting palette similar in concept to the Be a Light finish and shape. The Khloe Palette has:

Soft Focus Highlighter in Glow Up which is a shimmery champagne vanilla
Radiant Blush in Fierce a shimmery pale peach
Radiant Blush in Fabulosity which is a more coral peach shimmer
Satin Matte Bronzer in Koko Bronze which is a very soft sheer tan matte bronzer

The palette to me feels like three highlighters + one bronzer. On my skin tone I felt the colors looked too frosty when I wore 3 or all 4 of the colors layered. If I blended a lot or used with a super light hand I could wear this. It’s not a bad palette. I think the quality is excellent. Finish of the powders is smooth and super pigmented. I just couldn’t wear them all together easily like I could the Becca x Chrissy Palette which I still really love.

There are two lipsticks are new formulas which are ultra pigmented creams. They’re scented with a sweet almost coconut like scent and vanilla cream. At first swipe I felt they were super thick. The formula is smooth and long lasting though. As long as you don’t swipe on too much it’s not too thick. Cupid’s Kiss is toasted almond nude, Hot Tamale is a hot bright red.

Above wearing:

Fenty Beauty Pro Filt’r Foundation in 230 + 235 mixed
Laura Mercier Translucent Loose Powder to set
Urban Decay Naked2 Palette on the eyes
Anastasia Brow Wiz in Caramel
L’Oreal Lash Paradise Waterproof Mascara
Made with Love by Khloe Bronze, Blush and Glow Palette all four shades
Left is Ultimate Lipstick Love in Cupid’s Kiss
Right has Ultimate Lipstick Love in Hot Tamale
Off the Shoulder Top is from Abercrombie

Made with Love by Malika

For the Made with Love By Malika colors you have the same products with a variation in colors. She has her Made with Love by Malika Bronze, Blush and Glow Palette and two Ultimate Lipstick Love lip colors in Yours Truly and Brave. I prefer the Malika product color scheme.

The Made with Love by Malika Bronze Blush and Glow Palette has the same products, I find the palette to be equally glowy but the deeper colors make it easier for me to pull off. Pigment is ultra rich and smooth and easy to blend/layer. Colors include:

Soft Focus Highlighter in Dusted is a peachy pink champagne
Radiant Blush in Yes Girl! is a warm bright coral shimmer
Radiant Blush in Make Me Blush is a shimmering pink rose
Satin Matte Bronzer in Bestie Bronze is a medium deep warm bronze satin matte

True to Becca’s style this palette is still very glowy. Finish is lightweight in feeling so it’s not heavy but it’s still very pigmented. Lipsticks have a similar vibe to Khloe’s while the Malika colors have a different undertone. Yours Truly is a warmer peachy nude. Brave is a classic true red that is neutral-cool.

Same beauty breakdown as above but with the Malika collection colors. Left is Yours Truly for the lips. Right is Brave for the lips. For skin tone reference I’m in between a MAC NC30 and NC35 right now.

Overall thoughts is that this is a beautiful collection and all the items are well made with great color payoff, lasting power, pigment and textures. I think the palettes are well priced and true to Becca’s classic signature glow style. I still love highlighters and will probably look forward to any new ones but at this point I’m finding it challenging to get SUPER excited about them. I have too many, there have been too many launches, most of it has started to look all the same. The only thing I didn’t like was the Glow Letters packaging.

The Khloe palette was a little too glowy for my skin tone right now. To clarify, it’s too glowy to wear ALL the colors in one look. If I mix in a matte blush or just use the bronzer with one other shade it’s very wearable and pretty. I find it interesting that the Malika palette has the same glow finish but with the deeper colors I find them a lot more wearable.

Lipsticks are ok. I think they’re nice but a little thick. I understand they’re super opaque with rich color payoff so it makes sense they’re really creamy. I’m going to check my Sephora to see if there are other colors out yet in store and will let you know if I pick any more up. Price seem a little steep to me, but the product is also nicely sized and has super intense pigment.

You can find the Becca BFFs collection out now. Available at Nordstrom, Sephora, Ulta Beauty and Becca Cosmetics.

Becca BFF collection provided by Becca for review.

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