Brand Archives - The Beauty Look Book

Victoria Beckham Beauty Finishing Touch Collection

December 1, 2023

For holiday Victoria Beckham Beauty launched a limited-edition set called VB’s Finishing Touch Collection ($150) with 5 full sized items in a roll up tie-pouch. I’ve really loved a lot of what I’ve tried from her beauty line! This holiday set had products and colors I haven’t tried yet so I was really excited to order this.

Inside we have:

Posh Gloss in Martini (new, sheer glittering champagne)
Satin Kajal Liner in Olive
EyeWear Shadow Stick in Oyster
Reflect Highlighter in Pearl
Double-sided compact mirror

Right now you can find the Satin Kajal, EyeWear and Reflect Highlighter individually. The gloss and mirror are currently exclusive to the set.

The new Posh Gloss in Martini is very sheer. It’s described as glittering champagne and I love the smooth texture and glossy finish but on my lips it’s almost clear. If you want something that shows up better I’d recommend Fenty Champ Stamp Fantasy or Anastasia Beverly Hills Peachy.

I’ve really liked the Satin Kajal liner (I wear black all the time) and her EyeWear but hadn’t tried the Olive liner or Oyster shadow. Both are really beautiful shades I think would make great staples. I rarely ever wear green but the olive in the liner is very pretty and color is dark.

You girls know that highlighter sticks are usually a miss for me because I really can’t get that dewy cheek look to last on my skin. I find most too dewy, too sticky and too emollient but this Reflect Highlighter from Victoria Beckham Beauty is the best one I’ve tried. It is dewy and adds a glow but there is a slight dry down so it doesn’t feel too sticky on the skin. I’m ordering the other shade immediately.

I also recently tried her new Vast Lash Mascara. I ordered it from her website and think it’s a really nice tubing formula. I still prefer the Tarte Tartlette Tubing Mascara for holding the curl but this one from VBB is very good.

We are currently traveling in Miami and I brought quite a few VBB products with me! Wanted to share what I packed from her line (I brought much more from other brands, will try to do a packing roundup when we get back home). I love her Lid Lustre in Honey and Posh Gloss in Bungalow. Also love her Contour Stick.

Overall I really love the Final Touch Holiday Set. I don’t think the gloss is a must because it’s SO sheer, so for that reason I won’t call the set a must-have. That being said I do love the other items in it, I think I will get a lot of use out of everything.

Did you try this set or anything in it? Have you tried Victoria Beckham Beauty? What did you think?

Available online at Victoria Beckham Beauty.

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Chanel

Chanel Light the Way Set – Black Friday 2023

November 24, 2023

Today Chanel launches their Black Friday Limited-Edition Set called Light the Way ($111) with full-sizes of the LES BEIGES Healthy Glow Natural Eyeshadow Palette in Warm and LES BEIGES Healthy Glow Lip Balm in Medium. Both are permanent items in their Les Beiges lineup and it’s packaged in their holiday makeup pouch. I’ve included swatches below from my review of the items when they launched in previous years. I think both are classic staples you can wear year round.

Below left to right: Light, Medium, Deep

Their holiday sets usually sell out very quickly. If you had your eye on one I hope you can get your hands on this!

Available at Chanel.com.

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Bobbi Brown Lips

Bobbi Brown Luxe Matte Lipstick Review

November 18, 2023

Bobbi Brown launched a new lipstick formula called the Luxe Matte Lipstick ($41 each). This formula replaced the original Luxe Matte Lipstick which I don’t think I tried before so I’m not sure how they compare, but the new one is as flawless as it gets for a matte lip.

To this day I’m still a glossy lip lover but the matte lip formulas keep getting better every year. My top favorite formulas are from Pat McGrath and Charlotte Tilbury and the new Bobbi Brown Luxe Matte formula is better (although I still really love the Pat McGrath ones).

Formula is ultra smooth and non-drying. The best part is they don’t look super dry either. I’d say they’re more of a velvety soft matte. Pigment is opaque and full coverage with a single swipe. The colors are all on point for the holiday season and they have a pretty good range of tones from neutrals, brown tones, bolds and reds.

As a neutral lip lover I would have loved if they made some of their best sellers like Bare, Blondie Pink and Buff in this formula, but I do see how that would be redundant and I can appreciate that they have new shades in this formula. (I think Pat McGrath has the best matte neutrals.)

Sunset Rose is a neutral-cool toned nude pink
Neutral Rose is a dusty rose
Boss Pink is a healthy warm pink
Parkside is a cool-toned brown
Afternoon Tea is a peachy almost orange shade
Big City Pink is a hot pink
Claret is a muted soft red
Ruby is a deep red
Power Play is an electric orange
Traffic Stopper is a bright warm red
Red Carpet is a true red
After Hours is a wine red

They’re not scented and lasting power is pretty good. They’re not transfer proof but I like the wear time and they feel very comfortable on the lips.

Swatches of some of the shades on the lips, also wearing:

Sweater – Jenni Kayne Cropped Cocoon (also available in regular length)
Foundation – Chanel No 1 de Chanel Foundation in B40
Powder – Givenchy Prisme Libre Loose Setting Powder Shade 3
Cheeks – Bobbi Brown Luxe Cheek and Highlight Palette in Rose Glow
Eyes – Bobbi Brown Luxe Eye Duo in Last Dance
Mascara – YSL Lash Clash
Nails – Olive and June Quick Dry in Penny

Bobbi Brown sent over a selection of their holiday sets and palettes. I am absolutely in love with the Luxe Eyeshadow Duo ($48) in Last Dance. I love the luxe eyeshadow shimmers and especially love the tones in this one! There are a few other shades but it looks like they may have already sold out as I cannot find them anywhere online.

This holiday they have a lot of their best-sellers packaged in bundles at a value price. They make for some great stocking stuffers like the Extra Lip Tint Duo ($35, $70 value), Confetti Crush Lip Trios ($30 for minis, $59 value) and All Eyes Aglow Long-Wear Cream Shadow Set with Moonstone, Taupe, Cinnamon, Mulberry and Soft Bronze + Mascara ($99, $197 value).

There are a few cheek palettes out this season. I tried the Luxe Cheek and Highlight Palette in Rose Glow ($62). At first glance I thought it would be too light for my medium skin tone but much to my surprise it shows up beautifully for a natural glow.

Overall love. I think there are some really beautiful pieces to wear for a fresh look this holiday but classic enough to be able to wear come spring.

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Available at Bobbi Brown, Saks, Nordstrom, Neiman Marcus and all Bobbi Brown retailers.

Holiday launches gifted by Bobbi Brown.

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Chanel Highlighters

Les Symboles de Chanel Highlighters for Holiday

November 15, 2023

This holiday Chanel launched stunning Oversize Illuminating Face Powders ($95 each) in their Les Symboles de Chanel collection. There are five stunning embossed patterns to choose from and each symbol has a special meaning for Chanel: The Lion (strength), The Comet (luck), The Camellia (harmony), The Chain (style) and The Pearls (radiance).

There are three colors to choose from each design: Pearly White, Warm Gold and Precious Coral.

Pearly White

Pearly White is a glittery sparkling white. It has more glitter than most Chanel highlighters. Fun for holiday parties but VERY glittery. To my eye looks nearly identical to the sparkling bottom half of the Duo Lumiere from the Holiday 2023 collection. If I had to pick one I would opt for the Duo Lumiere because the color in the top portion is SO stunning.

Pearly White in The Camellia and The Pearls

Wearing Les Symboles de Chanel in Pearly White on top of Joues Contraste in 72 Rose Initiale and paired with Rouge Coco Gloss in 172 Tendresse. Sweater from Sezane. Nail Polish Olive and June Sandy.

Warm Gold

Warm Gold is the perfect shade of warm gold. A little peachy, tiny bits of microsparkles (but not full on glitter) make this beautiful. There is another highlighter in the Poudre Lumiere formula called Warm Gold but the Warm Gold color in Les Symboles de Chanel is different. Noticeably different to justify owning both in my opinion. The holiday version is deeper, more golden and more sparkly/luminous.

Warm Gold in The Comet and The Lion

Wearing Les Symboles de Chanel in Warm Gold on top of Joues Contraste in 55 In Love with Lip Liner in 162 Nude Brun + Le Rouge Duo Ultra Tenue in 166 Timeless Beige. Sweater from Sezane. Nail Polish Olive and June Sandy.

Precious Coral

Precious Coral is my favorite. It’s a beautiful light coral with the most perfect soft sheen to it. I want this shade in literally everything – tops, bags, lipstick, gloss, eyeshadow etc. I think it’s the prettiest color I think I’ve ever seen.

Precious Coral in The Chain and The Camellia

Les Symboles de Chanel in Precious Coral on top of Joues Contraste in 55 In Love with Rouge Coco Gloss 166 Physical on the lips. Sweater from Sezane. Nail Polish Olive and June Sandy.

Overall beautiful and luminous. I collect Chanel highlighters so these were a must for me. I would have loved if the Pearly White were more of a smooth shimmer vs a glitter, but I still think it’s fun for holiday. My favorite is the Precious Coral although the Warm Gold is a very pretty flattering gold shade. It’s hard to pick a favorite pattern. I think they’re all beautiful but I think the Comet and Camellia are my favorites.

Available at Chanel.com and Chanel Beauty Boutiques. All limited-edition.

Press samples gifted from Chanel.

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Lips Sephora YSL Beauty

YSL Rouge Pur Couture + Bold High Pigment Lipstick Haul

November 6, 2023

Today’s the last day of the Sephora Savings Event! If you had anything on your wishlist today is the last day to save for Beauty Insiders! Use code TIMETOSAVE to take advantage of the 10% to 20% savings depending on your tier.

I hauled some of the new lipsticks from YSL Beauty and think the formulas are among the best they’ve launched. I picked out some of the new Rouge Pur Couture Caring Satin Lipstick ($45 each) and a few of The Bold High Pigment Lipsticks ($45 each, not new but there are new shades).

Rouge Pur Couture

above left to right: N1, N3, N5, N8 and N12

The YSL Rouge Pur Couture Caring Satin Lipstick is one of the best lipstick formulas I’ve tried. They are scented like the fruity lipsticks from YSL but it’s not quite as strong. I posted an Instagram Reel last week with a try-on haul of this formula and you girls seem to LOVE these tones! To me they are like a more pigmented less glossy version of the Rouge Volupte Shines. The new Rouge Pur Couture is creamy, smooth and opaque.

Based on the online swatches and stock photos, these look very different on me compared to what I see swatched online. N8 and N12 pull a lot warmer on me. Out of all of these I like N3 and N5 the best.

Also please keep in mind these may look very different on you if you’re cool or warm, lighter or darker. Neutrals are tricky with undertone and lip tone. I have a neutral golden undertone with pigmented lips.

N1 is a neutral beige nude
N3 is a pinky peach beige
N5 is a light cool pink
N8 is a warmer pink
N12 is a nude with slight mauve tones

Swatches on the lips, also wearing:

Foundation – Armani Luminous Silk Foundation 6.5 (review here)
Concealer – Natasha Denona Hy-Glam Concealer Shade N6
Powder – Givenchy Prisme Libre Shade 3 (see it in action here)
Bronzer – Dior Forever Natural Bronzer Shade 5
Blushes – Armani Luminous Silk Glow Blushes 50 +51 mixed (swatches here)
Eyeshadow – Patrick Ta Major Dimension III Mattes (swatches here)
Brow – Benefit Precisely My Brow 2.5
Mascara – Tarte Tartelette Tubing Mascara
Nail Polish – Chanel Le Vernis in White Silk (holiday 2023 review here)

A lot of you wanted swatch comparisons to the Rouge Volupte Shine so I pulled what I still have to swatch for you below. Some of them have been discontinued and I don’t remember the shade names but I have listed the numbers. Also added a couple of the Candy Glaze Lip Gloss Stick.

Swatch comparisons:

The Bold High Pigment Lipsticks

I picked up a few of The Bold High Pigment Lipsticks and really love the formula. It’s a satin almost matte finish (not quite matte). Super opaque and full coverage. Shades are indeed bold and more on the dramatic side. 12 Nu Incongru looks like a soft pink online but it’s a bold cool pink and I kinda love it. 13 Nude Era is a neutral-cool tone beige nude and kinda makes me look like a corpse but if I added darker liner I think I could make it work. 1968 is described as a nude pink but it’s really more of a warm pink almost reddish.

I swatched 2 of them on the lips below.

Overall lots to love. If you like neutrals I think you’ll like some of the Rouge Pur Couture shades. They do have a slip to the texture and shiny finish so the lasting power isn’t going to be as long as The Bold High Pigment. Rouge Pur Couture does last longer than the Rouge Volupte Shines though.

I did a Sephora haul online and in store! I received most of the items (one package is still in transit) and while I won’t have time to test or review them before the sale is over, I’ll share them below. Some of the items have sold out or are only available in store but if you missed out not to worry – I think there will be plenty of great holiday sales coming up soon!

Haul Picks Linked

I’m pretty excited to try the new Huda beauty picks and the Urban Decay moondust shadows! Did you splurge on anything exciting during the Sephora sale? What did you pick out?

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I bought the lipsticks at Sephora. Also available at YSL Beauty, Nordstrom and Neiman Marcus.

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Holiday Gift Guide Westman Atelier

Westman Atelier Holiday Sets 2023

October 31, 2023

I did a mini haul and picked up two items from the Westman Atelier Holiday launch. This year Westman Atelier has four limited-edition sets cased in a festive warm holiday red.

The four makeup sets include:

Clean Glow Trio I – Nectar, Biscuit, Petal ($75 each, minis)
Clean Glow Trio II – Brulee, Truffle, Dou Dou ($75 each, minis)
Les Étoiles Lip, Blush & Highlighter Edition Set ($160 for 3 full size new colors)
Petite Brush Collection ($350)

Clean Glow Trios

They brought back the Clean Glow Trio in two variations ($75 each) which I think is a great way to try three cream formulas. The minis are 2.5 g per stick while the full size options are 5 or 6 g each. I picked up the Clean Glow Trio II for the fun packaging even though I already own all the colors. Sets are SUPER mini in size but I think they give you enough product to really get a sense of how the product performs. They’re also great for travel.

I swatched the holiday set next to my existing stash to see if there were any variations in colors and there are. Colors are extremely close and variations are so slight you can’t really see them in photographs. Also since Westman Atelier products tend to run on the sheer natural side of pigment, once blended on the face I don’t think you can see any difference in the colors.

For those curious, my mini Dou Dou in this year’s holiday set pulls a little cooler toned than my other mini Dou Dou. I have 3 different Petal Blush Sticks and they all look just the slightest bit different in undertone. Also some of the Lit Up sticks in the minis look a bit lighter/sheerer in color compared to my full-sized options, but once blended color is so sheer you can’t really tell the difference.

Clean Glow Trio Set I has Nectar Lit Up Highlight Stick, Biscuit Face Trace Contour Stick and Petal Baby Cheeks Blush Stick.

Clean Glow Trio Set II has Brulee Lit Up Highlight Stick, Truffle Face Trace Contour Stick and Dou Dou Baby Cheeks Blush Stick. I’m wearing the Clean Glow II Set below with the Vital Skin Foundation Stick in VI, Patrick Ta Major Dimension III Matte Eyeshadow Palette and Squeaky Clean Lip Balm in Ma Puce.

I really love these although I don’t think they will be for everyone. If you like minimal makeup pigment for a super natural look or love dewy emollient products these are for you! I know a lot of you are HUGE fans of the minimalist super dewy look.

However if have oily skin, these creams will most likely not last long on you unless you set with a powder on top. Also if you want bold color payoff and pigment, these will be too sheer.

Les Étoiles Lip, Blush & Highlighter Edition Set

I really loved last year’s Petal Edition Set and anytime there are new colors I’m instantly like YES PLEASE – SIGN ME UP. This year Westman Launched the Les Étoiles Lip, Blush & Highlighter Edition Set with all new limited-edition colors and a new blush formula. Swatches of the set next to other products/formulas with the same names.

The set has a new powder blush called the Baby Cheeks Powder Blush and she launched it in Petal. This pulls very similar to the cream version, but the powder pulls a little more muted and dusty in color. Pigment is beautiful! Right along the lines of Westman Atelier’s sheer style but it is buildable which I LOVE. I hope she launches every single product in a powder form eventually.

above Baby Cheeks Powder Blush in Petal

The set has a new Lit Up Highlight Stick in the shade Biscuit. I swatched it below next to her contour stick in Biscuit. Undertone is the same. The Lit Up Stick in Biscuit is a very sheer cool-toned flesh brown with a pretty sheen. It’s very sheer and gives the skin a natural glossy sheen.

above Biscuit Lit Up Stick on top of the Petal Powder Blush

We also have a new gloss shade in the Squeaky Clean Lip Balm formula called Nectar. This is almost identical to the Lit Up Stick in Nectar – sheer, luminous, soft and peachy. On my lips it’s very sheer but layered on top of a coordinating pencil and it’s perfection! I love it on top of Pat McGrath’s Permagel Ultra Lip Pencil in Nude Venus.

above just the Squeaky Clean Lip Balm in Nectar

above Westman Atelier Squeaky Clean Lip Balm in Nectar + Pat McGrath Permagel Ultra Lip Pencil Nude Venus

Overall vibe is natural looking, fresh, dewy and glowy. I love everything even though the items pull on the sheer side. I would really love if she increased the pigment by maybe 10-15% but I love what she’s created.

I’m really hoping she extends the colors in powder formula. I think it layers beautifully on top of the cream. I’m still waiting and wishing for her to launch lip pencils or lipsticks (or even a chubby stick).

I passed on her Mini Brush Set as I have a couple of her brushes and while they’re very well made, they’re just not my favorite. If you’re looking to splurge big on a brush set I think the Hourglass Travel Brush Set is a better buy. The brushes are full-size and I use them all the time (I bought it last year during the Sephora sale).

You can find these sets out now at all Westman Atelier retailers. Available at Sephora, Nordstrom, Violet Grey and more. If you’re shopping the Sephora sale use code TIMETOSAVE to take advantage of the discount now through 11/6.

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Did you check out the new holiday sets? What did you think?

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Chanel

Chanel Holiday 2023 Collection

October 26, 2023

The Holiday 2023 Collection from Chanel has arrived and it is absolutely stunning. I’ve looked forward to Chanel’s holiday launch every year as they always go the extra mile to create something special and unique. The collection highlights a smokey eye with lots of bold reds for lips. They have a stunning highlighter compact, three new nail colors and a few neutral lip options too. Here is a look at what I’ve tested from this year’s holiday launch.

Duo Lumiere Illuminating Powder Duo

The Chanel highlighters never fail to impress, especially with their beautiful embossed patterns. This year they launched a Duo Lumiere Illuminating Powder Duo ($70). It’s a glimmering pink champagne and crystal white. The sparkle and shimmer is a bit chunkier than what we are used to seeing from Chanel but it’s beautiful and the sparkles look like what I think fairy dust would look like if it existed.

The colors seem similar to Tom Ford’s Moodlight but the texture and colors of the Chanel Duo are more modern and have more dimension while the Tom Ford offers more of a frosted glow by comparison.

Because it’s on the sparkly side there will be fallout from the brush when you apply, but once on the cheeks it stays put with pretty good pigment and coverage.

Look below wearing:

Foundation – Chanel Sublimage L’Essence de Teint in B40
Powder – Chanel Les Beiges Healthy Glow Sheer Powder B30
Blush – Chanel Joues Contraste Alezane
Highlighter – Chanel Duo Lumiere Holiday 2023
Eyeshadow – Chanel Lumiere Graphique
Lip Color – Chanel 31 Le Rouge in 1 Rouge Beige

Lumiere Graphique Eyeshadow Palette

For the eyes Chanel launched a 5-pan eyeshadow palette and I’m a huge fan of this style. I wish Chanel would launch more palettes like this! Lumiere Graphique Eyeshadow Palette ($88) has a beautiful sequins print on the surface. All the shades are shimmery and one is a sparkly glitter top coat shade. Texture is soft and pigment is easy to build and layer.

Overall tone pulls more on the smokey cool side. There is one peach shade which I suspect will show up more peach/gold on fair skin tones. On my medium tank skin (Chanel B40) it pulls more champagne. Shimmers are on the sparkly side so there is a lot of powder kick up with an eyeshadow brush. I didn’t experience any fallout on the cheeks when applying though except for a tiny bit with the glittery white topper.

Shades are stunning for a holiday smokey eye. I like the mix of the taupe, peach and olive gold to make it different from your standard grey/black/silver smokey eye palette. It does pull more cool-toned that I am used to wearing these days, but I think it’s beautiful.

Holiday Le Vernis

There are three Le Vernis Longwear Nail Colors ($32 each) this season. They fit the holiday smokey glam theme. 167 White Silk is a sheer creamy white (requires 3 coats for full coverage, but it’s worth the extra effort and dry time). 169 Tuxedo is a beautiful shimmering brassy gold. It’s very metallic and I love that the brush strokes are not visible, it applies very smoothly with 2 coats. 171 Sequins is a soft black with super fine silvery white sparkles suspended throughout. This one is also shown with 2 coats.

Holiday Lips

It seems like Chanel Beauty had a holiday party theme in mind when creating their lip colors this season. They repromoted a few shades of the Rouge Allure L’Extrait which I think is one of the best formulas out there. They’re slim and small but the formula is creamy, smooth, hydrating, and pigmented. 812 Beige Brut is my perfect everyday beige neutral (repromoted), 854 Rouge Puissant is an electric bold red (also repromoted), 857 Midnight Red is new with a metallic finish but it’s a flattering deeper red metallic.

Beige Brut

Midnight Red

They have two new Rouge Allure Laque shades this season. I have one in 90 Golden Beige ($45) which is a very metallic gold shimmer. On me this is best as a topper on a neutral lipstick. Alone it pulls a bit too frosty. I think the undertone of the color is beautiful – I would have loved to see this in a gloss, eyeshadow, highlighter or blush color.

That wraps up my Chanel Holiday 2023 review. I think everything is beautiful. The stand out to me is the Duo Lumiere Illuminating Powder Duo. I already own the Rouge Allure L’Extrait in 812 Beige Brut and I love it so much am already on my second tube (they are refillable). I rarely wear red lips but I think Midnight Red is beautiful.

For the nail colors I think White Silk is a really flattering shade of off-white. It does take a bit more work with the layering but I think the undertone is perfect. It’s creamy but not yellow. Tuxedo is beautiful. I think Sequins is a shade we’ve definitely seen before in a number of lines but I really like that the shimmer is visible on the nails in a subtle way that makes it glow.

You can find everything out now available at Chanel.com and all other Chanel retailers. Have you checked out the holiday launch yet? What did you think?

Press samples provided for review from Chanel.

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Older Posts

Brand

Victoria Beckham Beauty Finishing Touch Collection

Chanel Light the Way Set – Black Friday 2023

Bobbi Brown Luxe Matte Lipstick Review

Shop the Post

Les Symboles de Chanel Highlighters for Holiday

Pearly White

Warm Gold

Precious Coral

YSL Rouge Pur Couture + Bold High Pigment Lipstick Haul

Rouge Pur Couture

The Bold High Pigment Lipsticks

Haul Picks Linked

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Westman Atelier Holiday Sets 2023

Clean Glow Trios

Les Étoiles Lip, Blush & Highlighter Edition Set

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Chanel Holiday 2023 Collection

Duo Lumiere Illuminating Powder Duo

Lumiere Graphique Eyeshadow Palette

Holiday Le Vernis

Holiday Lips

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