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Fenty Gloss Bomb Stix High-Shimmer Gloss Sticks

March 4, 2025

Fenty launched a shimmer version of my favorite lipstick formula called the Gloss Bomb Stix High-Shimmer Gloss Sticks ($25 each). As a huge fan of the regular Fenty Gloss Bomb Stix (non-shimmer version) I ordered these immediately. They are stunning for sure but they are a little outside of my comfort zone.

Formula is thick and creamy with full opaque coverage. They have a glossy finish and the sparkle is intense. They perform just the same as the non-shimmer version, but the shimmers do have a slightly transparent quality so your natural lip (or lip liner) will show through.

The shimmer is indeed “high” and they’re more like glitter on the lips. I saw a few reviews describe this as a glitter explosion and I think that is a perfect description. The formula is still surprisingly smooth without any texture even though the sparkle is very intense. It has been a while since I’ve tried a lipstick with THIS much sparkle and as much as I love a good shimmer, my first impression was that the shimmer is too much but I put all the shades to the test and some are more wearable than others for my lip tone.

I think they actually photograph better than they look in real life and I think these would be super cute for special or going out occasions where you want a fun look.

I do really love Fu$$y and Fenty Glow the best. I love the undertone of C U in Maui but this one is a glitter explosion on my lips. Icy Amethy$t is fun for a more trendy lavender shift kind of shade, I think it’s really fun.

Wearing each shade below, also wearing:

Foundation – Dior Forever Perfect Foundation Stick 2.5N + Saie Super Glowy Gel Warmglow
Powder – Charlotte Tilbury Airbrush Flawless Powder in Medium
Bronzer – Hourglass Ambient Lighting Bronzer Luminous Bronze Light (reviewed here back in 2017, time flies!)
Eyeshadow – Natasha Denona I Need a Warm Nude Palette (review + swatches here)
Brows – Benefit Precisely My Brow Pencil Shade 2.5
Mascara – Tarte Lights, Camera Lashes Mascara

Overall fun, I’m not sure I can pull them off, but I still think they’re really pretty. I personally prefer the original Fenty Gloss Bomb Stix (reviewed here) but the NEW High-Shimmer colors in the Fu$$y and Fenty Glow are beautiful.

Available now at Ulta Beauty, Sephora, Kohl’s x Sephora and Fenty Beauty.

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Bronzer + Blush Natasha Denona

Natasha Denona Hy-Blush Cloudy Cream Cheek Duo

February 12, 2025

Natasha Denona launched a new cheek duo called the Hy-Blush Cloudy Cream Cheek Duo ($42 each, available at Sephora, Ulta Beauty and Natasha Denona). These have an ultra creamy blush with a cream highlighter combined in one compact. The shades are very easy to blend and build depending on how much color you want. I love that they have a nice fresh glow.

The new Hy-Blush Duos are very lightweight on the skin and I love how easy they are to blend with fingers or a brush. Every single color Natasha created is 10/10 beautiful. I love how each highlighter has a different undertone, some are pink, others are gold while some have a peach base.

The creams are all non-shimmer shades and I have to say I was really surprised they all showed up on my skin tone since some lighter shades don’t really show up on me. The highlighters have a smooth shimmer so they’re not ultra frosty and they don’t emphasize texture on my skin.

Lasting power has been pretty good for me but I will say that the weather is warm but not humid yet. It lasted all day through two 30 minute walks without budging or fading. By late afternoon it did look a little dewy.

Swatches:

Beauty looks, also wearing:

Foundation – Dior Forever Skin Perfect 24H Multi-Use Foundation Stick 2.5N
Powder – Charlotte Tilbury Airbrush Flawless Finish Powder in Medium
Eyeshadow – Natasha Denona I Need a Warm Nude Palette
Brow Pencil – Anastasia Beverly Hills Brow Definer in Caramel
Eyeliner – Victoria Beckham Beauty Satin Kajal in Black
Mascara – L’Oreal Paradise Big Deal Mascara (waterproof)
Lips – Natasha Denona I Need a Rose Lipstick + Gloss in Daphne
Top – Revolve

Close ups:

Sweet Cheeks has a light icy pearly pastel pink highlighter with bright baby pink cream

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Simply Shy has a light pink highlight with a light coral cream blush

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Flustrered has a pink with a bit of gold shimmer highlight and a pomegranate red cream blush

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Fresh Mauve has a beige-tan-peach shimmer with a mauve tan cream

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Flirty Flush has a rose pink with gold pearl highlight and bright pink cream blush

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Vamped has a peachy gold highlight with a berry brown cream blush

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Overall 10/10 love. You can also see them in action here.

Available now at Sephora, Ulta Beauty, Natasha Denona.

Blushes gifted from Natasha Denona Beauty for review.

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Hourglass Cosmetics Lips

Hourglass Phantom Volumizing Glossy Lip Balm – New Shades

February 6, 2025

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

Below also wearing:

Armani Luminous Silk Foundation in 6.5
Charlotte Tilbury Airbrush Flawless Finish Powder in Medium
Hourglass Unreal Liquid Blush in Scene (review + swatches here)
Hourglass Ambient Lighting Strobe Blush in Brilliant Nude (discontinued, but RMS Crystal Slipper is similar)
Makeup By Mario Master Mattes Eyeshadow Palette + Hourglass Scattered Light Eyeshadow in Ray
Tarte Tartelette Tubing Mascara
Nail Polish is Olive and June Quick Dry in Sandy

Secret

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Invite

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Wander

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Red 0

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.

Available now at Nordstrom, Sephora, Hourglass Cosmetics and all other Hourglass retailers.

New Hourglass Phantom Glossy Balm shades provided for review.

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Bronzer + Blush YSL Beauty

YSL Make Me Blush 24H Buildable Powder Blush

February 3, 2025

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.

The YSL Make Me Blush Powders come packaged in a bold statement packaging with the YSL logo and quilted top similar to the All Hours Bronzer, Eyeshadow Clutches and Powders but in a rounded compact.

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.

Swatches:

Swatch comparisons:

I picked up 5 of the shades:

37 Peachy Nude is a medium-dark matte peach, wearing it with the YSL Candy Glaze Flashing Rose 13

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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

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44 Nude Lavalliere is a mauve pink with gold shimmer, below wearing it with YSL Loveshine in 44 Nude Lavalliere

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87 Pink Voltage is a bright hot pink, but blends out easily for a more natural look, below wearing it with Maybelline Lifter Gloss 024 Bubblegum

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93 Restless Rose is a peachy gold shimmer, wearing it below with YSL Candy Glaze Flashing Rose 13

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).

Available now at Sephora.

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Chanel Lips

New Chanel Rouge Allure Velvet Les Perles

January 27, 2025

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:

447 Naturelle – the prettiest light beige neutral
457 Eclatante – pretty coral

Duo Set with:

459 Lumineuse – soft mauve
458 Sensuelle – blue red

Below wearing the shades along with the Les Beiges Healthy Glow Foundation in BD41.

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.

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Westman Atelier

Westman Atelier Petal Collection 2025

January 21, 2025

Westman Atelier launched her Petal Collection for spring and it’s beautiful! The Petal Baby Cheeks Blush Stick ($48) has been a staple for me and I think the monochromatic matching lip, highlighter and blush combination is really pretty. In the collection she added Petal in a Lit Up Highlight Stick ($48), Lip Suede Matte Lipstick ($50) and Squeaky Clean Liquid Lip Balm ($38).

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!

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Chanel

Chanel Spring Summer 2025

January 9, 2025

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.

Ombre Essentielle – Spring Shades

There are four new Ombre Essentielle – Multi-Use Longwearing Eyeshadows ($40). These are single eyeshadows in a matte shade and 3 multi-dimensional shimmers. I love every single color.

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.