Hourglass added four new shades of their Phantom Volumizing Glossy Lip Balm ($38 each) and they are incredibly beautiful. Three of them are shimmers and one is a new red. Out of all the Hourglass lip formulas this is probably my favorite, especially since I love a glossy lip.
Above left to right:
Secret is a rose with gold shimmer (think MAC Sophisto vibes, but not as frosty)
Invite is a medium tan brown with gold shimmer
Wander is a light peachy pink with golden shimmer
Red 0 is the most perfect wearable red for those who don’t like to wear red
Every single color of the new Phantom Glossy Balm is wearable and even though Wander is on the lighter side it still shows up on my lips – the pigment is perfect. The regular non shimmer shades are very soft and almost melty feeling once they’re on the lips. The shimmer version is smooth without texture but they have a slightly stiffer feel which I actually like better.
Since these are glossy balms lasting power isn’t going to be long, but they don’t slide off easily and I really like that the finish is forgiving so it fades nicely. They are nicely hydrating and smooth without feeling thick.
The Hourglass team sent a beautiful press box with the new shades and also included three from the permanent lineup. I’ve reviewed them here, here and here but thought I’d add them here too including Desire (rose mauve), Lure (plum) and Sense (the best nude pink).
Overall love. Every single color is one I think could be universally flattering. I’ve finally found my new holy grail red. I was hoping the peach orange shade Mystic in the Holiday 2024 Duo would be out individually but it looks like it’s only available in the set (still in stock). I might end up buying the set before it sells out since I love peachy coral shades.
There are quite a few beautiful blush launches this season. I’ll be reviewing a few of the new formulas, starting with the new YSL Make Me Blush 24H Buildable Powder Blush ($45 each). I’ll say right up front I’m giving these a solid 10/10 rating. They actually exceeded my expectations.
There are two finishes matte and satin and I love them both. These blushes have a similar soft texture to the Gucci Luminous Matte Beauty Blushes (swatches here and here) in the sense they are soft, easy to blend and layer beautifully, but I find the pigment in the YSL formula to be better – they are really easy to build and layer.
A number of you mentioned you swatched these in store but didn’t find the colors exciting and I’ll agree with you there. Even in the pan the colors don’t look special but they apply much prettier and better on the face. I like the powder version much better than the liquid blush YSL launched (swatched here). As pretty as the liquids are they oxidize/darken on my skin while the powders stay true to color and do not darken on me.
42 Babydoll Pink is a pale pink satin with a white base (this works best as a layering shade for me, on it’s own it is very pale), below wearing it with Prada Monochrome Soft Matte Lipstick 158 Meranti + Huda Faux Filler Gloss in UUU Baby
Lasting power is great. Shimmers are smooth and don’t emphasize my texture on cheeks. I love that these aren’t fragranced. I hope we will see some of the other colors in the US eventually (there seem to be more options in other countries).
Chanel launched a limited-edition lipstick in their Rouge Allure line called the Rouge Allure Velvet Les Perles ($52 each). I checked out the colors while I was in Miami and picked up a few shades along with the ones in the limited-edition Duo Set ($120) in store. The set is currently sold out online and I did see it restock once. I am hoping it restocks again or that some boutiques may still have it.
The Rouge Allure Velvet Les Perles formula is a smooth luminous matte lipstick. They have an ultra fine pearl quality to them which gives them a glow while still looking like a matte on the lips. These are so soft and smooth on the lips. They glide on beautifully and you can control the pigment to be more of a blotted blurred effect or layer for more opacity.
I find them very comfortable. They do have a soft matte look but don’t look or feel dry at all. I think they’re very under-rated and they look much prettier on the lips than what you see in the tube.
Every color I tried is 10/10 wearable. I did have my eye on multiple shades although I splurged on the Rouge Coco Baume Shines which launched around the same time, so I tried to limit my picks with this launch.
All the shades are available individually. I purchased:
Chanel also reformulated their Joues Contraste Powder Blushes recently. A number of you asked for a review. According to the SAs in store they have been reformulated to change the ingredients and to improve the pigment. I still own a lot of Chanel powder blushes which I still use and love. They kept a lot of the same colors so I decided to just try one Malice which is a soft coral pink with a tiny bit of shimmer.
I really like it. The powder is easy to blend with very good pigment level. I love the color – peachy coral tones are usually my favorite. I can’t really tell the difference in pigment or formula between new vs original. I would love to compare the original shade to new but I can’t find my original one. Off the top of my head this new one looks more pink-coral to me (I remember this being more peach), but without seeing them side by side I can’t confirm.
I shared a look at the lipsticks in action here if you want to see how they apply on the lips with a sheerer application.
Overall love the lipsticks and I’m really loving the formula. The blush is a beautiful classic coral shade. I don’t know that I’d call it a must-have.
You can find these now at Chanel.com and Chanel Beauty Boutiques.
You can find the items now at Westman Atelier and Sephora. She also has a bundle set with a value price here.
She did launch a Petal highlighter and balm a few holidays ago in a limited-edition 2022 holiday set (reviewed here) but in my testing over the years I’ve found there are sometimes color differences between the permanent line and sets. A number of you asked for comparisons so I’ve added them (they’ll be at the bottom of the post).
Petal Baby Cheeks Blush Stick + Lit Up Highlight Stick
I love the Petal Baby Cheeks Blush Stick shade for the cheeks. The blush is subtle but buildable. It’s a neutral pink on my skin tone and blends out nicely. For my foundation match, I wear her Vital Skin Foundation Stick in V, VI and VII depending on how tan I am. Right now I’m at my lightest and wear the Shade V.
The new Lit Up Highlight Stick is a pretty sheer warm pink. It has that glowy quality without any harsh shimmer. It’s sheer but I really love the color payoff and sheen it gives. I don’t know that I’ll be able to wear it in the warmer months but my skin is dry and the weather is cold and dry now so it’s perfect for me.
Petal Lip Suede Matte Lipstick
The Petal Lip Suede Matte Lipstick is a muted nude pink on me. Since I have pigmented lips a lot of nude and neutrals tend to look washed out on me but this shade works as a nude lip. If your lips aren’t dark in tone I do think this will pull more pink on you. A lot of you asked me to compare to Fluffy from her holiday 2024 set. Petal is more nude and muted while Fluffy is brighter and has more warmth. Pigment of the lipstick is very opaque and offers full coverage with just one swipe. Even though it’s matte it’s still very creamy and doesn’t look or feel dry.
Petal Squeaky Clean Liquid Lip Balm
A lot of you mentioned you already own the Petal Squeaky Clean Liquid Lip Balm from her set and also from her website. I think it was exclusive to Westman Atelier individually for a while but is now at Sephora too. The current one has a lot more pigment than the one I have from the set but the colors seem very similar. The new one is more rosy and has a more noticeable blush tone while the original was very sheer.
Comparisons and swatches:
Overall love. The colors are easy to wear and effortless to apply for a polished but natural look. I’m happy with everything I splurged on and love everything. Available now at Westman Atelier and Sephora.
FYI the Holiday Lip Trio is still in stock right now and on sale here and also here!
Happy New Year! I’ve been away in Miami Beach for the past couple of weeks on vacation for Christmas and New Year’s. We packed up both fur babies and took a road trip to the other side of Florida. We had a great time reconnecting after a very long and challenging year. I hope you had a wonderful holiday and were able to take some time off to either reset or spend with loved ones.
Starting off the new year with a look at Chanel Spring 2025. I picked up almost all the items from the spring launch while I was traveling and had the palette and new balms on repeat pretty much every day after I bought them. I swatched the whole collection in store in this Reel here in case you want a look at everything.
Jeux de Lumieres
The star of the collection is the oversized highlighter palette called Jeux de Lumieres – Multi-Use Eyeshadow and Highlighter Palette ($88). I am completely in love with all the shades and it pulls neutral-warm on me with the perfect spring tones. A number of you have messaged me over the last week asking if it’s orange on me. As a Chanel B40/BD41 I can report that none of the shades pull orange but I have seen a lot of other reviews and swatches that do look very warm. If you have fair skin in the B10/20 range I do think this will pull significantly warmer on your skin tone.
At first glance I thought the shades looked identical to other Chanel highlighters but after pulling a few I really do think the shades look different enough to justify this one. I love the peach tone as a blush.
Rouge Coco Baume Shine
Chanel added a new variation of their Rouge Coco Baume in a Shine Formula ($45 each). The original Rouge Coco Baume now as the description “Satin” in the product name online. The spring ones are definitely more glossy in finish and the added shine/slip gives them a more hydrating smooth feel.
The pigment is 10/10 perfect and has impressive buildability. With 3 swipes you will see added coverage without it feeling or looking too heavy. Extended lasting power isn’t going to be there but they last longer than the YSL Loveshines on my lips.
I really love all the shades but I love the Tender Peach the most. Raspberry Kiss is one of the best raspberry shades I’ve ever tried. I also love the Cherry Burst for a wearable red.
I rarely wear purple tones on the eyes but Mauve Sucre has the prettiest sparkles in it. I love layering it on top of the peachy coral shades Peche Glacee which is the perfect peachy pink for an all over lid shades.
I also fell in love with Latte Frappe. It looks very ordinary in the pan but for my skin tone it’s a few shades darker and on the neutral-warm side making it the perfect contour shade for my lids.
Pigment is great, texture is smooth, colors are easy to blend. 10/10 WIN!
Stylo Yeux Waterproof Long-Lasting Eyeliner
LEFT Brun Poupre, RIGHT swatches top to bottom: Brun Poupre, Mauve Intense, Rouge Fauve and Vert Lagon
There are four new Stylo Yeux Waterproof Long-Lasting Eyeliners ($35). I picked up the warm brown matte shade Brun Pourpre but it seems a bit on the dry side when it’s brand new. If I warm it up on the hand with a few swipes it applies better. I also picked up another shade in store from the permanent line Brun Agape which is a bronzey brown that I think I will get more wear out of.
Le Vernis Longwear Nail Color
Last we have a look at two new Le Vernis Longwear Nail Colors ($32). You girls know I’ve been a die-hard fan of Chanel nail polishes. Both the shades in the spring collection scream “spring.” Poete is a pastel peach and Artiste is a mint green has an almost milky base, almost like mint-chocolate chip ice cream. We are experiencing some of the coldest temperatures in Florida with it hitting the 40s this week so at the moment I’m not feeling the spring vibe for the tips and toes. I do really like both colors and can see myself wearing them come March or April. I think they’re fun and they have good coverage with 2 coats.
Overall I think the collection is a hit. The highlighter palette, rouge coco baumes and eyeshadows were 100% worth the splurge for me.
You can find the collection out now at Chanel.com and all Chanel counters.
I did also pick up some of the new Rouge Allure Velvets but haven’t tried them on my lips yet. Stay tuned for a review soon!
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:
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.
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 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.
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.
Sequins 100 Dreams
Sequins 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!
Shop The Post
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!
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
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 Hyaluronic Happikiss in Pillow Talk
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
