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Dior Holiday Gift Guide

Dior Beauty Holiday Launches 2024

December 16, 2024

Dior Beauty Holiday 2024

above: mirror, gold huggies and tray

I picked up some Dior Holiday launches and quite a few things are still in stock! They have some really beautiful gift sets too although this year I focused on the Holiday Makeup Launches. I’ll list where I’ve still found things in stock right now online, although you might also want to check your stores too. FYI right now Saks is having 15% off the Dior items (and other beauty as well). Here is what I picked up:

Forever Couture Luminizer

Dior Forever Couture Luminizer 001 Or Lumiere review via The Beauty Lookbook

There are two Forever Couture Luminizer Highlighters this holiday. I opted for the golden champagne one in 001 Or Lumiere which still seems to widely available at a lot of retailers. It’s a pale champagne gold with a complex mix of shimmers but still applies smoothly on the skin and on me does not emphasize pores or texture. Although I have a multitude of other golden highlighters this one pleasantly surprised me. I think it’s worth the splurge but it is one of the most dupeable items in the holiday launch.

Dior Forever Couture Luminizer 001 Or Lumiere swatch via The Beauty Lookbook

Dior Forever Couture Luminizer 001 Or Lumiere swatch via The Beauty Lookbook

Above, also wearing: Dior Forever Skin Perfect Foundation Stick 3N, Laura Mercier Translucent Loose Powder, Blush in Charnelle + Highlighter Or Lumiere, Rouge Dior Forever Liquid Sequins 100 (sold out), Nails Dior Lumiere

Diorshow 5 Couleurs Eyeshadow Palette

I opted for the warmer pink Diorshow 5 Couleurs Eyeshadow Palette in 643 Golden Masquerade. It is a show stopper for holiday and I love it, although if you’re one who can’t wear pink or cranberry tones on the lids I would say pass.

Dior Diorshow 5 Couleurs Eyeshadow Palette in 643 Golden Masquerade

The texture is very soft and pigment pulls on the sheer to medium side. You can layer for more pigment but the overall look is still soft. It has a cool rose pink with tons of silver sparkles, a soft off-white-pink pearl, a soft gold shimmer, pale silvery mauve with a hint of taupe shimmer and a deeper reddish matte.

Dior Diorshow 5 Couleurs Eyeshadow Palette in 643 Golden Masquerade

Dior Diorshow 5 Couleurs Eyeshadow Palette in 643 Golden Masquerade swatches

Dior Vernis in 114 Lumiere

I haven’t bought a Dior nail polish since they reformulated them so this is my first purchase in the newer formula. Dior Vernis in 115 Lumiere is a sparkly gold which is SO pretty for the holiday season. It’s on the sheer side and I’m wearing it with 2 coats but I love the subtle polished effect it gives. I haven’t worn it long enough to test wear time but the sparkles adhere very well to the nails.

Dior Vernis in 114 Lumiere

Rouge Dior Forever Liquid Sequin Lipstick

Last I have a look at two of the Rouge Dior Forever Liquid Sequin Lipsticks.

Rouge Dior Forever Liquid Sequin Lipsticks

I picked up 100 Dreams (currently sold out) and 323 Dazzle (still available at Saks and Neimans). These are liquid lipsticks with incredibly long-wear time. They have a matte finish like the regular Rouge Dior Forever Liquids, but these have a sparkle in them! After it dries if you press your lips together more sparkles appear for a glittery finish.

These are super fun and I’m glad I picked them up! I will say though they do look a little dry since it has a matte finish. They don’t necessarily feel dry and I’m happy to report they did not dry out my lips though. I swatched the Sequins next to the regular Rouge Dior Forever Liquid in 100.

Rouge Dior Forever Liquid Sequin Lipsticks

Sequins 100 Dreams

Rouge Dior Forever Liquid Sequin Lipstick 100 Dreams

Sequins 323 Dazzle

Rouge Dior Forever Liquid Sequin Lipsticks 323 Dazzle

That wraps up my Holiday Review. I know it’s very late since these launched months ago but if you had any of these on your Christmas wishlist or radar I hope you found this helpful!

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If you’re looking for last minute gifts:

  • Dior.com is offering free 2-day shipping with orders $150 more if you order by 12/19
  • Sephora offers Same Day Delivery for select items and locations, or the Buy Online Pick Up in Store Option
  • Ulta Beauty also offers Same Day Delivery for select locations and they also have the Buy Online and Pick Up in Store Options
  • Nordstrom holiday cut-off shipping is 12/18 for standard shipping

Dior still has a number of cute holiday gift sets and bundles. I don’t think they are offered at a discount value price but sometimes it’s nice to have some beauty staples packaged in a festive pouch.

Shop Holiday Makeup SETS

Dior has started to launch bit of Spring 2025 Beauty. There are already some new shades of the Addict Lip Maximizer at Dior and Sephora (Pinkmania, Bluemania, Peachmania, Glowmania, Nude Mania) – I ordered all the shades I could find and will be swatching them when my package arrives!

It also looks like they are reformulating the Dior Addict Lip Glow again or changing the colors. I have to admit I’m a little confused why they keep reformulating or changing this balm. This version says they now have “warm and cool” tones. I don’t know that I’ll order any of the new ones but if you try them in the near future let me know your thoughts!

Charlotte Tilbury

Charlotte Tilbury Holiday Haul

December 10, 2024

Charlotte Tilbury Holiday launches, Treasure Chest, Pillow Talk Beautyverse Palette and more

I did a mini Charlotte Tilbury haul last month but finally just got around to playing with the things I picked up. I picked up the new Pillow Talk Beautyverse Love Palette along with a few other things I restocked. The Charlotte Tilbury team gifted one of their Advent Calendars and it is so cute. I shared an unboxing on reels but thought I’d share swatches of the beauty items here.

Advent Calendar & Gift Sets

Charlotte Tilbury Treasure Chest of Love

There are two major gift sets this year from Charlotte Tilbury and I think either would make for the ultimate beauty gift. I was gifted the Treasure Chest of Love 12 Door Beauty Advent Calendar ($220, Charlotte Tilbury, Kohl’s x Sephora, Beautylish and Revolve) and it comes in an impressive heart shaped box with drawers. The handles are shaped like jewels and it really is just so beautiful. It has a good mix of skincare and makeup. I swatched the makeup items below which include the Lip Cheat in Pillow Talk (mini), Matte Revolution Lipstick in Pillow Talk (mini), Hyaluronic Happikiss in Pillow Talk (full size), Eyeliner in Pillow Talk (mini), Beauty Icon Lipstick in Vixen (mini) and the Beauty Light Wand in Pinkgasm (full size).

Charlotte Tilbury Treasure Chest of Love makeup minis

Charlotte Tilbury Treasure Chest of Love makeup minis swatches

Charlotte Tilbury Hyaluronic Happikiss in Pillow Talk

Also wearing: Unreal Skin Sheer Glow Tint Foundation Stick in Shade 7.5, Beautiful Skin Foundation in Shade 6, Airbrush Flawless Finish Powder in Medium, Hollywood Glow Glide Blush/Highligher Duo Light/Medium, Pillow Talk Beautyverse Eyeshadow Palette, Nail Polish Hermes Rouge H, Sweater Madewell

Charlotte Tilbury Hyaluronic Happikiss in Pillow Talk

Pillow Talk Lip Cheat + Matte Revolution

Charlotte Tilbury Matte Revolution Lipstick in Pillow Talk

Charlotte Tilbury Beauty Icon Lipstick in Vixen

Charlotte Tilbury Beauty Icon Lipstick in Vixen

There is another gift set called the Pillow Talk Dreams Come True Makeup Kit ($390, available at Charlotte Tilbury, Nordstrom, Bloomingdale’s, Kohl’s x Sephora). It’s quite the splurge but looks incredibly beautiful in the quilted pink case and compartments filled with 13 full-sized items from the Pillow Talk lineup.

Pillow Talk Beautyverse Love Palette

Charlotte Tilbury Pillow Talk Beautyverse Love Palette

The Pillow Talk Beautyverse Love Palette ($69, Nordstrom, Sephora, Bloomingdale’s) is a nine-pan palette with pink, cranberry and fuschia tones. It pulls very berry-like on the eyes and I thought there might be a chance it wouldn’t work for me but the sparkles were SO pretty I decided to give it a try. It has 3 different finishes among the shadows. The mattes are super smooth and have an almost creamy cushiony texture. There are some very sparkly toppers and then a couple shades that have a more refined shimmer.

I think it’s beautiful. I don’t think the tones will be for everyone but I think it gives a very pretty holiday glam look. I really hope they make another palette with this formula and texture in a neutral version in the future.

Charlotte Tilbury Pillow Talk Beautyverse Love Palette

Charlotte Tilbury Pillow Talk Beautyverse Love Palette

Charlotte Tilbury Pillow Talk Beautyverse Love Palette

Hollywood Blush and Glow Glide Palette

I purchased the Hollywood Blush and Glow Glide Palette ($29, Sephora and Nordstrom) and love it. The pink blush is very soft and has a medium neutral undertone. I really love the highlighter because it’s ultra smooth, isn’t too sharp in the shimmer and has a really pretty finish. Although I will say that it’s nearly identical to the Hollywood Glow Glide Face Architect Highlighter in Pillow Talk Glow.

Charlotte Tilbury Hollywood Blush and Glow Glide Palette

Charlotte Tilbury Hollywood Blush and Glow Glide Palette

I added some more swatches to her Matte Beauty Blush Wands, Beauty Light Wands and Cheek to Chic blushes in pink tones for comparison.

Charlotte Tilbury Hollywood Blush and Glow Glide Palette swatches

Unreal Skin Sheer Glow Tint Foundation Stick

I picked up the Unreal Skin Sheer Glow Tint Foundation Stick ($46, picked mine from Sephora) based on the feedback and recommendation from many of you. I had shared some initial thoughts in a shopping story a while back and thought it was going to be too dewy and glowy to wear, even as just a highlight.

Charlotte Tilbury Unreal Skin Sheer Glow Tint Foundation Stick 7.5

Most of you also said you passed but a few told me to give it a second chance. Many of you wear it as a glowy base just on a few areas on the face underneath regular foundation much like the Hollywood Flawless Filter but the stick isn’t as shimmery and has a slightly more sheer/balmy finish. Many of my dry-skin readers said it added the perfect amount of glow and hydration and when blended it actually did not look as dewy or shiny as they expected.

I am glad I gave it a chance. I ended up picking Shade 7.5. I don’t know that I could wear this come spring or summer in Florida, but it has been exceptionally dry this winter which means it’s more like regular weather that most of you experience. My skin has been very dry lately and it has been LOVING all kinds of cream products and extra rich moisturizers.

I have been wearing it as a base all over. Sometimes I’ll just add concealer on areas I need more coverage and set with a powder. Other times I’ll layer my regular foundation on top (I recently repurchased her Beautiful Skin Foundation in Shade 6). I really love it. It’s unlike any other foundation stick I’ve tried and for me it has the perfect amount of glow without being overdone and it does not accentuate fine lines or pores.

Overall I give the Foundation Stick a solid 10/10. I do love the Blush Duo although I do think you could dupe the colors with other products. I ended up really liking the Pillow Talk Beautyverse Palette but if you can’t wear berry or pink tones on the eyes then I’d say skip it and opt for something different.

Charlotte Tilbury Haul Beauty Lookbook Picks

You can find all of these still available now. Many retailers are still offering holiday promos so you may want to shop around for an extra discount.

Sephora has their Gift For All Event with 20% off using code HAVEITALL (one time use, ends 12/15)

Ulta Beauty has 20% off (some exclusions apply) – check your email if you have a Members account for your personal online code (runs through 12/24) and they just added a 20% off deal on 190 brands when you buy online and pick up in store with code HOLIDAY24

Bloomingdale’s has their Beauty Treats Event, take $25 off every $150 you spend on almost all beauty (ends 12/17)

Chanel Holiday Gift Guide

Chanel Active Beauty Set Holiday 2024

November 15, 2024

Chanel Active Beauty Set Holiday 2024

Chanel launched another Holiday Beauty Set for this year called the Active Beauty Set ($221). It seems to be exclusive to Chanel.com and and Chanel beauty boutiques. The set has three full-sized permanent items in a large pouch. I love that Chanel released two sizes of pouches this year, the fluffy bag with the snowflake charm is so cute.

I ordered the Active Beauty Set online at Chanel.com and my order came with a cute little charm. I am not sure if all online orders come with one but I do know a lot of stores and counters have them with holiday purchases. The snowflake charm is one I got from my SA in store.

Chanel Holiday 2024 Sets: Active Beauty

Chanel Active Beauty Set Holiday 2024

Chanel Holiday 2024 charms

This set has the La Creme Main hand cream (my favorite for a non-sticky formula), UV Essentiel (love this formula) and a Hydra Beauty Essence Mist (scented but I love it).

Chanel Holiday 2024 Sets

Quick side by side look at the Active Beauty Set (large pouch) and Maximum Brilliance Set (small/regular pouch, swatches in this post here, still in stock!). You can buy all the items individually and they do not give you a price break for buying a set, but for a holiday gift I think the pouch sets have such a beautiful presentation and definitely have that wow factor.

Both available now at Chanel.com.

Lips Tom Ford Beauty

New Tom Ford Lip Color Lipstick + Lip Pencils

November 11, 2024

New Tom Ford Lip Color Lipstick + Lip Pencils

Tom Ford reformulated a few of their lip products for the Lip Color Lipstick ($62 each) + Lip Pencils ($46). It seems a number of items are going through a revamp as it appears the Foundation Stick has been pulled (or not restocked) along with a few other items. I hauled quite a few of the new shades and am 10/10 happy with everything I picked out.

It has been a while since I’ve repurchased a Tom Ford lipstick and have to say I am shocked at the prices these days. I don’t know that luxury makeup is “worth” the steep price tags that keep increasing, but I have been really pleased with the performance, quality and colors with this particular haul. If you missed out on the Sephora sale, keep an eye out for upcoming holiday sales. A lot of retailers offer a good discount (flash sale) or gift card events and with Cyber Week approaching I’m sure you will be able to find these at a lower price.

Lip Color Lipstick

New Tom Ford Lip Color Lipstick + Lip Pencils

Tom Ford Beauty Lip Colors have been reformulated and with nearly every single brand revamping or repackaging I suppose it was only a matter of time before Tom Ford followed. The new formula has a little more slip to it. It glides on the lips better, isn’t quite as opaque, has a tiny bit of shine but still has great color payoff. I think the new formula is a noticeable improvement for a more modern look. The original was a classic for sure but because some of the colors were so opaque (especially the pale ones) they ended up looking a little too heavy.

The new formula looks a little more natural on the lips while still being a true classic lipstick formula. These still have the same classic soft vanilla scent and mahogany + gold packaging (which I love). I am a bit sad they didn’t keep all the shades though.

Shades I hauled below:

  • Spanish Pink is a nude pink, it’s more wearable and a bit warmer than the original
  • Sable Smoke is still the same flattering beige nude I remember (unfortunately I don’t have the original anymore to compare)
  • West Coast is a 90s kind of brown cinnamon sepia shade
  • Slip is a blue-based baby pink
  • Runway Rose is a plum pink rose
  • Casablanca is a mauve pink, the new one seems to have less grey undertone and I can actually wear the new version (the original one made me look a little ashy)
  • Impassioned is a pretty reddish plum, it’s almost identical to the original, I could barely tell the difference between the two variations

New Tom Ford Lip Color Lipstick review via The Beauty Lookbook Blog

New Tom Ford Lip Color Lipstick review via The Beauty Lookbook Blog

New Tom Ford Lip Color Lipstick Spanish Pink

New Tom Ford Lip Color Lipstick Sable Smoke

New Tom Ford Lip Color Lipstick West Coast

New Tom Ford Lip Color Lipstick Slip

New Tom Ford Lip Color Lipstick Runway Rose

New Tom Ford Lip Color Lipstick Casablanca

New Tom Ford Lip Color Lipstick Impassioned

I ordered mine sight unseen and was lucky every single color works for me! Lasting power is just like the original formula and stays put for hours but fades nicely/evenly. These are a solid win for me.

Lip Pencil

New Tom Ford Lip Liner

Tom Ford revamped their Lip Pencil and the formula is exceptionally good. It’s everything I want in a lip liner! Formula is smooth, creamy, opaque, doesn’t look too dry on the lips and stays on the lips really well. They’re not completely budge-proof but they adhere well to the lips. I do miss some of the shades in the older formula (ones with the brush) but the four I picked are stunning. The colors I bought are all variations of a neutral tone.

  • 101 Close-Up is a nude pink
  • 102 Re-See is a light beige
  • 103 Irresistible is a tan brown
  • 106 A-List is the perfect brown tone

New Tom Ford Lip Liner swatches

New Tom Ford Lipstick reformulation

Overall some solid wins even though I’m not too happy about the ridiculously steep prices. Quality is 10/10 and they launched some really beautiful classic colors that you can apply without any fuss or tweaking.

I picked mine up from Sephora and Nordstrom. Available at all Tom Ford Beauty counters now.

Gucci Beauty

Gucci Beauty Holiday 2024

November 10, 2024

Gucci Beauty Holiday 2024

I have a Gucci Beauty haul to share for the holiday collection! If any of these items catch your eye I recommend buying them quickly because they are limited-edition and one of the blush shades has already sold out.

In today’s review:

Holiday Quad Eyeshadow Palette in Festive Glow

Gucci Beauty Holiday 2024 - Quad Festive GLow

I spotted the Holiday Quad Eyeshadow Palette in Festive Glow (Bloomingdale’s and Saks Fifth Avenue) last month while traveling. I shared a quick snapshot asking what many of you thought about this palette. I initially passed because it was a glitter fallout mess when I swatched at the counter. An overwhelming amount of responses told me to give it a second try. Many of you said on the eyes it blends better and there was no fall out with a brush application. You were RIGHT! This is a beautiful quad with three shimmer sparkles and one soft matte.

Gucci Beauty Holiday 2024 - Quad Festive GLow

Colors are beautiful but the formula is just ok in my opinion. It’s a solid B+/A- for me in terms of texture, the matte is on the sheer/soft side but I do think that was the intent with this creation. I do think the shades are dupeable across different palettes but they are extremely beautiful for a holiday eye look. I am happy I bought this although I would not call it a must-have.

Holiday Blush de Beaute

Gucci Blush de Beaute in Soft Peach and Intense Ruby

I love the Gucci Blush de Beaute formula and especially the new shades (peach is still available at Sephora, Saks and Bloomingdale’s). It’s a satiny luminous matte. The pigment is soft but easy to build. Soft Peach is a very soft brownish nude peach on my skin, it is very natural looking because of my skin tone but I love the look and finish. Intense Ruby surprised me because it looks a little intimidating in the pan. It’s a raspberry pink but is very easy to blend. Right now the ruby shade seems to be sold out but I do think it’s close to the True Plum shade. If you can find it definitely snag it as fast as you can!

Gucci Blush de Beaute swatches

Soft Peach

Gucci Beauty Blush de Beaute Soft Peach

Intense Ruby

Gucci Beauty Blush de Beaute Intense Ruby

Hydrating Plumping Glosses

Gucci Beauty Hydrating Plumping Gloss

Another initial miss for me was the Hydrating Plumping Gloss (Sephora, Gucci Beauty, Nordstrom, Bloomingdale’s). I picked up the light pink shade Bertha Pink months ago and I was not impressed. There was no color payoff and the tingle was pretty intense. Not to mention the very strong cherry-like scent. I was again swayed by many of you to try again, but a different shade and thanks to you I did! The darker or bolder shades definitely show up on the lips and the plumping effect is the most intense I’ve seen on my lips. It volumizes the size of my lips dramatically and the tingle/scent only stays for a few minutes then fades. I am glad to report these do not numb my lips but your mileage may vary depending on your sensitivity.

Bertha Pink is a pretty pink in the tube but gives zero color. Suzane Brown is a soft brown shade. Mina Rosewood is the new shade for HOLIDAY which is a plum mauve (I love this color).

Gucci Beauty Hydrating Plumping Gloss Bertha Pink, Suzane Brown and Mina Rosewood

Gucci Beauty Hydrating Plumping Gloss Bertha Pink

Gucci Beauty Hydrating Plumping Gloss Suzane Brown

Gucci Beauty Hydrating Plumping Gloss Mina Rosewood

Holiday Collection swatches, there are also some red lipsticks I think are repromotes but I didn’t end up picking any up

Gucci Beauty Holiday 2024 swatches

Overall some beautiful launches. Quite the splurge so if you’re looking to save I recommend picking them up at Sephora while the sale is still here!

I picked mine up from Bloomingdale’s and Sephora.

Westman Atelier

Westman Atelier Holiday Sets 2024

October 30, 2024

Westman Atelier Holiday Sets 2024

Westman Atelier has some beautiful holiday sets this year and I’ve been thoroughly enjoying them this past month! I ordered three sets the day they launched and they’ve been truly perfect for my recent travels. I used every single product throughout my weekend trip in NYC and also for the past couple weeks in Miami Beach.

These sets are quite the splurge but there are holiday sales and savings events coming up. If you haven’t picked one up yet or have your eye on one of these definitely add them to your shopping wish list for the Sephora Sale!

By now I’ve already swatched all three in action on Instagram Reels, but I promised many of you swatches and a review here. Here are the three sets I picked up, I really love that these include some new shades:

Lip Suede Matte Lipstick Trio

Westman Atelier Lip Suede Matte Lipstick Trio

I have to say Westman Atelier wins for the best holiday packaging this year. I love the different colors of the pink and green tones for her limited-editions this year. They’re so beautiful and fun! The Lip Suede Matte Lipstick Trio has 3 full-sized lipsticks. I reviewed the formula when she launched the lipsticks earlier this year and I think the formula is excellent although I still don’t know that I’d say they are worth the steep price tag but they are very good.

Westman Atelier Lip Suede Matte Lipstick Trio swatches Fluffy, Je Reve and Dash

Westman Atelier Lip Suede Matte Lipstick Trio swatches Fluffy, Je Reve and Dash

Shades in this set:

  • Dash is exclusive to the set, it’s a stunning red
  • Fluffy is also exclusive, it’s a nude rose pink
  • Je Reve is a mauve blush nude, on me it pulls a bit dark but I think it’s a very pretty shade

I rarely wear reds but I do love the one in this set. I love it dabbed on the cheeks very lightly for a soft flush. For a matte the formula is top notch. It’s smooth, super creamy and doesn’t apply patchy. It also doesn’t look or feel dry but they still have a velvety finish. For the price I do think that Prada Lipsticks have a better formula, but the Westman Atelier ones perform well. For skintone reference I wear her Vital Skin Foundation Stick in V or VI and Vital Skincare Concealer in M3.

Petite Fete Edition

Westman Atelier Petite Fete Edition Holiday 2024

The Petite Fete Edition is my favorite of the three sets. It has two new cheek shades in minis and a Eye Want You miniature mascara!

  • Bubble Baby Cheeks Blush Stick is a cool toned pink with gold shimmer, it pulls cooler toned but the pigment is VERY good. It’s more pigmented than her cream finish baby cheeks and I can also wear this on the lips.
  • Toast Lit Up Stick is her best one yet, it’s a taupe with a hint of rose pink tones in the sparkle, I love this on the eyes too.

The mascara isn’t the most practical due to the size, but the wand is decent sized and you can definitely coat the lashes, but in general mini mascaras aren’t really my favorite. I do like that you can pack it into a clutch or small pouch if you have limited makeup bag space.

I still think set this is worth the splurge. Below wearing Bubble + Toast on cheeks and Bubble on the lips.

Westman Atelier Petite Fete Edition Holiday 2024

Westman Atelier Westman Atelier Petite Fete Edition and Baby Cheeks Trio swatches Holiday 2024

Baby Cheeks Blush Stick Petite Trio

I ended up liking this year’s Baby Cheeks Blush Stick Petite Trio more than I anticipated. It has 3 existing shades but I really love the size of these and the variation was perfect for my trip. I used every single shade on different days.

  • Mimi is a soft beige nude, this is actually available in full-size format but it’s exclusive to Westman Atelier
  • Petal is a shade I think we’ve seen in nearly every set, I do think it’s a very flattering one that goes with almost everything though
  • Poppet surprised me because it’s a VERY intense bright pink, but it blends out really nicely and the pigment is easy to control for a fun holiday pink

Westman Atelier Baby Cheeks Trio Holiday 2024

Wearing the Baby Cheeks with the Lip Suedes, textured tank from Frame

Westman Atelier Baby Cheeks in Petal and Lip Suede in Fluffy

Westman Atelier Baby Cheeks in Mimi and Lip Suede in Je Reve

Westman Atelier Baby Cheeks in Poppet and Lip Suede in Dash

Super Loaded Tinted Highlights

Westman Atelier Super Loaded Tinted Highlight Peau de Sante and Peau de Peony

I also wanted to add a quick look at her Super Loaded Tinted Highlights in a couple new shades. These are very dewy cream highlighters. They’re not quite as glossy as her Lit Up Sticks, but they still have an emollient texture and finish. I know some of you are DIE HARD fans of the dewy glow. If you are you will love these. For me I have mixed feelings. I love some of the shades and right now in cooler temperatures I can wear these, but most of the time they are too emollient for me in hot humid climates.

Westman Atelier Super Loaded Tinted Highlight swatches

Peau de Sante isn’t new but still exclusive to her website. This is a stunning pink gold with the prettiest sheen. I think it’s much better than her Peau de Rose since it has some warmth to the shimmer.

Peau de Peony is also exclusive to Westman Atelier’s site. A number of you expressed interest in this and I am sorry it took me forever to post a review. Peau de Peony is a really beautiful cool pink shimmer. The color itself is really stunning but on my olive medium tan complexion it pulls a little too frosted with the contrast and finish of the product. I would 100% wear this if it were in powder format. I have wondered if the Gucci Glow Powder Gel Highlighter in Frosted Lilac would be similar, but I think the Westman Atelier has more visible pink in it. (I have the Gucci one on my Sephora wishlist.)

Westman Atelier Super Loaded Tinted Highlight Peau de Peony

Wearing Peau de Peony on top of Poppet Baby Cheeks with Dior Addict Lip Maximizer in Frosted Pink on the lips.

I think I can make it work with some layering of a powder on top to tone down the shine, but my overall impression is it’s a bit too cool-toned, a bit too shimmery, a little bit too contrasted for my skin tone right now, but I am going to keep playing with it.

Overall lots to love from Westman Atelier. I think she created some stunning sets this year. I thought her Miniature Brush Set was SO stunning with the new holiday colors but I haven’t really fallen in love with any of her full-sized brushes and decided to pass on the mini brushes: they looked a too small to be practical, the set didn’t come with a travel pouch or case to store the brushes (the box doesn’t look travel-friendly) and the price seemed too steep for me.

You can find the Westman Atelier sets out now. I know several of you have already ordered some, but if you’ve been on the fence I hope these swatches help!

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Available now at Sephora, Nordstrom, Credo Beauty and Westman Atelier.

Chanel Gift Guide Holiday Gift Guide

Chanel Holiday 2024 Gift Sets: Maximum Brilliance

October 29, 2024

Chanel Holiday Gift Sets 2024

Long time no see here! What a month it has been! I have been meaning to write a little life update here to check in and say hello, but things have been chaotic these past few weeks. As most of you know, I am located in St. Pete (the Tampa Bay area) and we just went through two back to back hurricanes. I have been more active on social to share updates on life but haven’t had a chance to share much here on the blog. If you want to see what I’ve been up to everything has been saved to my Instagram @beautylookbook October Life and NYC Highlights!

I’m back with a quick Chanel Beauty review! They launched their Holiday 2024 Collection and Part 1 of their Holiday Gift Sets. There are 6 sets online now with the beautiful soft fluffy zippered bags and this year they have 2 sizes of bags, the standard one we’ve seen for years and then a larger one (so fun!).

Chanel Holiday Gift Sets 2024 Maximum Brilliance Rouge Coco Gloss Trio

I picked up one set Maximum Brilliance Lipgloss Trio ($128) as the others I have my eye on aren’t launching until November 4th (I will pick those up on launch day).

This year the boxes are gold and white and the bags have the cutest snowflake detailing on the zipper. I am not sure about the packaging for online orders but if you purchase in store they also have two options for gift wrapping charms, I opted for the snowflake which is super cute.

These gift sets have full-sized items and usually don’t have a price break for buying the set, but they are beautifully packaged and while you can buy the products individually I really love that you know you’re getting full-sized high quality items.

Maximum Brilliance has three Rouge Coco Glosses in Icing (sheer milky white pink), Bourgeioise (classic mauve with shimmer) and Melted Honey (sheer gold shimmer). All three are super glossy with a thicker texture. They’re hydrating and have a beautiful shine.

Chanel Holiday Gift Sets 2024 Maximum Brilliance Rouge Coco Gloss Trio

Chanel Holiday Gift Sets 2024 Maximum Brilliance Rouge Coco Gloss Trio Icing, Melted Honey, Bourgeoisie

Below, also wearing:

Icing Rouge Coco Gloss

Chanel Rouge Coco Gloss Icing

Melted Honey Rouge Coco Gloss

Chanel Rouge Coco Gloss Melted Honey

Bourgeoisie Rouge Coco Gloss

Chanel Rouge Coco Gloss Bourgeoisie

Here’s a quick look at what’s online now, there are lots of other fragrance sets and bundles but these are the sets that come with the beautiful gift bags:

Chanel Holiday Gift Sets 2024

Two other sets I know are coming out include one with the UV essential and another one comes with the baume essential in the set. If you have your eye on any I recommend ordering soon or calling your local boutique as they tend to sell out very quickly!

Available now at Chanel.com.

Life update: Lots of things have happened the last month! We had two back-to-back hurricanes. I also took a weekend trip to NYC right before Hurricane Milton and came back just in time to help prepare our home for the hurricane and pack as much as we could to evacuate. In our eight years of living in Florida this is the first time we had mandatory evacuation orders for our neighborhood. Andrew booked us an Airbnb to Miami for a couple weeks since he knew even if the hurricane didn’t end up hitting Tampa directly, the size and strength was going to be destructive enough that it meant power would most likely be off for a couple weeks if not an entire month. With the grounds being so saturated with storms, a lot of the counties would also most likely shut off the water for a few days.

We packed what we could in our car along with the fur babies and drove to Miami Beach. With all the traffic it took us 8 hours to drive from Tampa to South Beach (it normally takes us 4 max). We made the best of our two week evacuation, did lots of exploring, ate to our heart’s content all the way through all our favorite spots, tried some new places and also celebrated 23 years together (we dated 7 years and have been married for 16). We checked the news daily for updates on our neighborhood and home. Our neighbors had also evacuated so they weren’t home either to report on our house. With the power out we couldn’t check on our home cameras to see if our house survived.

We drove home as soon as we received notice the power and water was back. So grateful our home is 100% ok inside and that we didn’t have any flooding or damage to the actual house. So many trees had broken branches or were blown over completely from the roots. Lots of homes had damage on the outside and inside – we were very lucky! Our backyard and fence needs a lot of work and repair but any damage is minimal and all things are fixable.

I hope to resume regular posting this week! I’ve had lots in the works for reviews and swatches. Also have a couple Sephora sale guides and holiday gift guides coming your way. I’ve been working behind the scenes while I’ve been away! Just haven’t had a chance to edit and put everything together to share with you.

Hope you are all well and that you had an ok October. Ours was chaotic for sure but we survived it and I am happy to be back!