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Fenty Beauty Minis Haul

October 21, 2019

Fenty Beauty Minis

Holiday sets are starting to catch my eye and the cutest ones I’ve seen are from Fenty Beauty! As a huge lover of the Gloss Bomb I immediately added the Glossy Posse Mini Gloss Bomb Set to cart along with some other new holiday launches. I’ve actually accumulated a few previous launches from the line in mini sizes but never did a full review. I think minis are such a fun way to try product before committing to the full size. I thought I’d do a roundup of all the minis I’ve hauled to date from Fenty.

For holiday:

From the regular lineup:

Fenty Beauty Minis Holiday Picks

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Glossy Posse Mini Gloss Bomb Set

Fenty Glossy Posse Set Lip Gloss Holiday

My favorite out of all the minis is the holiday Glossy Posse Mini Gloss Bomb Set which has 5 mini lip glosses in the most beautiful luminous smooth shimmers. These have a smooth cushiony texture that isn’t sticky. They’re semi-thick depending on how much you put on but it’s comfortable and lasting power is pretty good for a gloss. They are scented with a sweet candy cherry like scent which might be hit or miss depending on how much you can tolerate sweet scents. There’s no detectable taste as far as I can tell. These make the lips look full and lush, I love layering on top of a liner like Charlotte Tilbury Pillow Talk, Pat McGrath Done Undone, MAC Boldly Bare, MAC Stripdown or Kevyn Aucoin Minimal. The glosses are on the sheer side but have enough color to show up. Colors include:

  • Confetti is an opalescent glow
  • Fu$$y is a soft pink shimmer
  • Pretty Please is a bright sheer hot pink
  • Cheeky is a gorgeous sheer bright orange coral
  • Hot Chocolit is a shimmering sheer chocolate

Fenty Glossy Posse Lip Gloss Set Holiday 2019 swatches

Fenty Glossy Posse Lip Gloss swatches

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Mini Body Lava Body Luminizer

Fenty Mini Body Lava Who Needs Clothes

The Body Lava Body Luminizer had mixed reviews online. It has been on my list to try in store but everytime I go in there are so many other things that manage to distract me I never remember to try it. I decided to try the mini and it comes in one color option Who Needs Clothes?! which is a sheer rose gold but on my skin is more golden. The pros are it smells so amazing and gives the skin a beautiful shimmery sheen. It is quite sparkly but it’s really beautiful. The downside is pretty much a deal breaker for me to wear which is that it has a tacky sticky finish that never dries down. I tried applying to places on the body I thought would not come in contact with other things but it’s virtually impossible to do so. If they could reformulate this to have a better dry down I think it would be amazing.

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Bomb Baby Mini Gloss and Highlighter Sets

Fenty Bomb Baby Sets

The first Bomb Baby Set has the classic Fenty Glow Gloss Bomb (universal warm rose shimmer) and 1/2 of one of their Killawatt Freestyle Highlighters in a mini called Hustla Baby (yellow champagne gold). There’s a new Bomb Baby 2 Mini Gloss and Highlighter Set with a new gloss shade called Sweet Mouth (pale pink shimmer) and Sand Castle (pulls silver metallic on me). Pigment on the highlighters is quite intense and they will show up on any skin tone with an almost blinding sheen. You can sheer it out for a more subtle glow but they are on the high shimmer side. I found both better on the eyes for my complexion. For the cheeks and my skin tone the Killawatt Highlighter in Afternoon Snack/Mo’ Honey is better suited for my coloring since it is deeper and not quite as contrasted in color with my skin.

Left is the Bomb Baby Set, right is Bomb Baby 2 Set:

Fenty Bomb Baby Sets swatches

Lip swatches:

Fenty Gloss Bomb Fenty Glow and Sweet Mouth

I do think both are excellent and easy to wear. They’ll be super fun to wear for the upcoming holiday season.

A look at Bomb Baby 2 on Eyes and Lips:

Fenty Bomb Baby 2 Sweet Mouth and Sand Castle

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Pro Filt’r Mini Instant Retouch Setting Powder

Fenty Mini Loose Powder Cashew

The Pro Filter Loose Powder is something that immediately popped on my radar when it launched but after swatching it in store it seemed a bit dry and chalky. It has that talc/silica feel which does a great job at blurring but if you have any dry patches it ends up making the skin look even more dry. I bought the mini in Cashew but really would have a better match with Banana but it wasn’t available in the mini. I’ve used the mini numerous times over the past few months and can’t get consistent results. If have a well moisturized and creamy base the powder looks ok. If I have any matte finish base or dry patches the powder just doesn’t set right with my skin. The super matte effect makes my skin looked tired in an unflattering way sometimes. I didn’t like it enough to investigate the larger size or other shades.

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Fly Baby Mini Eye Primer and Liner Set

Fenty Mini Liquid Liner and Eye Primer Set

The minis always get me at checkout in store. I picked up the Fly Baby Mini Eye Set as an impulse buy and have mixed feelings. The Flyliner Longwear Liquid Liner provides a super deep satiny black line. I love the packaging and the applicator for an easy to apply precise line. I found that it stays wet longer than other liquid liners I have so it transfers if I open my eyes or blink right after applying it. With a primer the product sets faster but I still have to keep my eyes semi-shut for at least a minute for it to dry completely otherwise it smudges and never really fully sets. The Eye Primer is ok – it has a semi-sticky feel when I blend it on the lids but it does help powder shadow adhere well. I don’t think it’s essential or holy grail material but it was nice to try and it does work to help shadow stay on the lids longer. After I tried it though I discovered I had already bought the full size months ago and completely forgot about it!

Fenty Minis

Overall I’ve had some hits and misses. I think my absolute favorites from the line are the Gloss Bomb lip glosses. I hope they will add the new minis in full sizes eventually because I love the formula and new colors. I hauled everything from Sephora.

Have you tried any of the new holiday minis yet or anything else from the line? What are your hits or misses?

 

 

7 Comments
Chanel Lips

Chanel Rouge Allure Ink Fusion, Rouge Allure Ink + Le Rouge Duo Lip Haul

October 16, 2019

Chanel Lip Haul

I have a new Chanel lip haul with a look at some of the newRouge Allure Ink Fusion colors, a new Rouge Allure Ink shade and additions to the Le Rouge Duo Ultra Tenue Gloss formula. I ordered everything sight unseen as the colors are currently only available at Chanel.com (coming to counters soon). I’m 100% thrilled with every single item and think there are some great additions for fall.

Chanel Rouge Allure Ink Fusion + New Shades of Rouge Allure Ink

Chanel Rouge Allure Ink Fusion

I’ve never really been a fan of liquid lipsticks or the Chanel Rouge Allure Ink formula. I found the original formula looked great in hand swatches with so many gorgeous colors. On my lips the colors didn’t show up well and I found the finish too thin/streaky. I was willing to take some extra effort to make some of the colors work. The deeper/bold colors performed better but the neutrals were too sheer for me. The new Rouge Allure Ink Fusion is much MUCH better in terms of color payoff and pigment. It has similar packaging in the tube but the applicator is beveled. The new Rouge Allure Ink Fusion is more of a fluid liquid that dries to a matte finish. It’s lightweight and has a similar feel/effect to the NARS Powermatte Pigments, only the Chanel does not dry down or shrink like the NARS does.

I ordered four Rouge Allure Ink Fusion shades to try them out. Swatches are tricky with liquid lips for me since the dry down often darkens the color and they always look SO different on my lips compared to others who have lighter pigment in lips or a cooler complexion. The olive in my skin also makes them look completely different than what I’ve seen online for lighter skin girls so please take note your mileage may vary. Formula is lightweight, has no scent, dries down to a soft matte finish without making the lips look like they’ve shriveled.

802 Beige Naturel is a pale beige cream, on me this turned more neutral/peach and while on others I’ve seen it swatched on, it looks more yellow-beige. 804 Mauvy Nude is a cool toned mauve rose, also darkens on my lips but perfect for fall! 806 Pink Brown is more of a deeper brown-rose on me than a pink brown, also lovely for fall. 814 Coral Peach is a bright vibrant coral.

There are also some new additions to the regular Rouge Allure Ink lineup. There are some mattes and also new metallic finishes. I bought 216 Legerete which is the most beautiful rose pink color. The formula is still the same as the Rouge Allure Ink, slightly streaky but I can make it work. The color is beautiful!

Chanel Rouge Allure Ink Fusion vs Rouge Allure Ink applicator:

Chanel Rouge Allure Ink Fusion vs Rouge Allure Ink

Swatches below:

Chanel Rouge Allure Ink Fusion swatches

Chanel Rouge Allure Ink Fusion lip swatches

Some comparison swatches, I didn’t find dupes but thought this lineup might help you compare and contrast how light/deep the colors are. The Rouge Allure Ink Fusion has a similar fluid texture and dry town to the NARS Powermatte. By comparison the newer Cle de Peau Radiant Liquid Rouge Mattes have a more whipped matte finish.

Chanel swatches

Three of the colors in full face looks, Chanel Rouge Allure Ink Fusion 802 Beige Naturel, for skintone reference I’m wearing Chanel Ultra Le Teint Velvet in B50:

Chanel Rouge Allure Ink Fusion Beige Naturel

804 Mauvy Nude:

Chanel Rouge Allure Ink Fusion Mauvy Nude 804

Pink Brown 806

Chanel Rouge Allure Ink Fusion Pink Brown

Le Rouge Duo Ultra Tenue – New Shades

Chanel Neutrals Le Rouge Duo Ultra Tenue and Rouge Coco Gloss

Chanel also added some new colors of the Le Rouge Duo Ultra Tenue Gloss which I just rediscovered. They changed the packaging and formula a little while ago but I think it’s pretty much the same as the original. I picked 2 of the new colors in Intense Nude 152 which a gorgeous soft cool pink and Intense Caramel 154 which is a medium neutral beige. There is a liquid lipstick side that you apply all over the lips and then top with the gloss top coat. These are super long lasting and I think I need to check out more colors soon.

Since I’m a huge fan of neutrals I added other shades from my collection above and swatched below for reference. I have two other Le Rouge Duo Ultra Tenue colors in Merry Rose and Warm Beige alongside Rouge Coco Gloss neutrals in Caresse (discontinued), Caramel and Noce Moscata:

Chanel Neutral Gloss Swatches

The new Le Rouge Duo Ultra Tenue Gloss in Intense Nude and Intense Caramel on the lips:

Chanel Le Rouge Duo Ultra Gloss Intense Nude and Intense Caramel

Full face look wearing Intense Nude:

Chanel Le Rouge Duo Tenue Ultra Gloss Intense Nude

Overall some solid wins and a successful haul. I wish Chanel would reformulate all the Rouge Allure Inks into the Rouge Allure Ink Fusion formula – I think it’s SO good!. Based on the color selection I think I would have also loved a plum color but for now am happy with the colors I bought. I may splurge on one more down the line once they hit counters and I can see them in person.

You can find the new Chanel lip launches available now at Chanel.com – I suspect they will be at counters soon in the US. Have you tried any of the new shades yet? What did you think?

 

6 Comments
Hourglass Cosmetics

Hourglass Ghost Holiday 2019 Collection Review

October 10, 2019

Hourglass Holiday 2019 Ghost Review

I hauled the four of the five items from the Hourglass Ghost Holiday 2019 Collection and have swatches of everything today. There are two new Ambient Lighting Palettes and they’re absolutely gorgeous but I have some mixed thoughts about them. Right now there are two Confession Lip Duos and I opted for the one with a neutral nude pink + plum. For the eyes Hourglass has a Scattered Light Trio with minis of their scattered light shadows (two repromotes and one new shade). Overall I find the launches easy to wear for my medium-tan skin, if you’re swatching in store note that the powders can look more glittery than they are in normal everyday lighting. The store lights emphasize the tiny sparkles and make them look like they could be a glitter bomb. Rest assured that while they are indeed glowy – both palettes are wearable for everyday even for those who are super conservative on the shimmer. In today’s post:

Hourglass Ghost Ambient Lighting Edit Palette

Hourglass Ambient Lighting Edit Ghost 2019

The Ambient Lighting Edit Ghost Palette has three repromotes and three new shades. I ended up loving it more than I thought I would, but I think at this point most of us can agree that we would like to see all new shades and more options for tan to deeper skin tones. I’m more on the tan side and find the colors show up well. The palette as a whole gives the skin a soft diffused glow. I really love the concept of Dim and Diffused Light as soft light reflecting setting powders but have always wanted those powders in darker color options. I was surprised to find that both still work for my tan skin to set and they did not make my face look chalky even though they are pale. Shades include:

  • Finishing Powder in Dim Light – pale peach pink with a satin shimmer
  • Finishing Powder in Diffused Light – ultra pale yellow finishing powder
  • Strobe Powder in Iridescent Strobe Light – pale shimmery pink
  • Bronzer in Eternal Bronze Light – the softest bronze I’ve seen from Hourglass, a satiny soft non-orangey bronze
  • Strobe Blush in Iridescent Rose – the prettiest iridescent healthy looking pink glow, I would LOVE this in a full size individual option
  • Blush in Sublime Flush – soft light-medium rose pink shimmer

Hourglass Ambient Lighting Edit Ghost 2019

Hourglass Ambient Lighting Edit Ghost swatches

Below wearing: Tom Ford Flawless Glow Foundation in 6.5 / Ambient Lighting Palette Ghost with Dim Light to set, Sublime Flush + Iridescent Rose on cheeks / Confession Lipstick in I Cherish

Hourglass Sublime Flush and Iridescent Rose with Confession I Cherish

Application is smooth, soft, easy to blend and stays put all day. For the three new shades the Eternal Bronze Light bronzer is the most neutral soft bronze I’ve seen from Hourglass, it can double as a neutral contour. The Iridescent Rose is a beautiful shimmering rose it’s on the sparkly side with tiny gold flecks. Sublime Flush has a similar but paler/cooler compared to Surreal Effect (in the Ambient Quad and also in Surreal Light 2016). Overall I think it’s a beautiful palette complete for a full face look. I would give it 10 out of 10 stars if it did not have Dim/Diffused Light. They’ve repeated these shades in so many palettes and have them available individually, I would have really liked to see new colors.

Ghost Ambient Lighting Blush Quad

Hourglass Ambient Lighting Blush Quad Ghost

The Ghost Ambient Lighting Blush Quad is a new format which I really like! It’s small and more compact – I really like the concept. It’s still fairly expensive but I think the colors are gorgeous.

  • Blush in Surreal Effect is a repromote from the Surreal Light Palette 2016, it’s a medium soft pink shimmer swirled with a deeper magenta pink
  • Strobe Blush in Brilliant Nude is a repromote, available individually, this is a shimmering champagne swirled with a tan bronze sparkle
  • Strobe Blush in Lucid Glow is a shimmery coral swirled with a soft gold
  • Infinite Flush is a soft pink swirled with a mauve

Hourglass Ambient Lighting Blush Quad Ghost

Below I’ve swatched with a heavy hand to show the color but they apply sheerer on the face and blend out easily for a soft glow.

Hourglass Ambient Lighting Blush Quad Ghost swatches

Ambient Lighting Blush Quad Ghost and Truth Unreal Gloss

Wearing: Tom Ford Flawless Glow Foundation in 6.5 Sable / La Mer Pressed Powder in Medium / Hourglass Ambient Lighting Blush Quad with Lucid Glow + Brilliant Nude mixed / Urban Decay Naked Reloaded Palette / Hourglass Scattered Light in Foil / Hourglass Unreal Lip Gloss in Truth

I like Lucid Glow the best in this palette, I’m a sucker for any coral peach blush because I think it brightens up the complexion beautifully. The other shades are also lovely, I do like Brillant Nude for a nice highlight that isn’t your traditional pale champagne. Application is smooth and easy to layer/mix.

Ghost Confession Refillable Lipstick Duo

Hourglass Confession Lip Duo Ghost

I bought the Confession Lip Duo as an impulse buy and kinda regret it mainly because I have similar colors already. The colors are beautiful and easy to wear though. I Cherish is a pretty nude pink and You Inspire is a beautiful deep plum that doesn’t turn red (a lot of plums look too red, blue or pull too vamp on my skin). I really have nothing to complain about as the colors are wearable, require no tweaking and glide on the lips beautifully. I feel like I could have definitely shopped my stash.

Hourglass Confession Lip Duo Ghost I Cherish and You Inspire

Hourglass Holiday 2019 Lip Duo Ghost I Cherish and You Inspire

Wearing on the left: Tom Ford Flawless Glow Foundation in 6.5 / Ambient Lighting Palette Ghost with Dim Light to set, Sublime Flush + Iridescent Rose on cheeks / Hourglass Confession Lipstick in I Cherish

Wearing on the right: same base, on the cheeks Ambient Lighting Palette Ghost with just Eternal Bronze Light / Hourglass Confession Lipstick in You Inspire

Scattered Light Glitter Shadow Collection

Hourglass Holiday Scattered Light Trio

The Scattered Light Trio has miniatures of the Scattered Light Eyeshadows. I already own two of them but did not mind having repeats as I plan on regifting the minis to friends. The trio shadows are smaller at 0.07 oz each versus the 0.12 oz of the full size. I don’t normally don’t mind minis but I like to apply these with my finger and found the smaller size a little bit tricky to stick my finger in without getting product under my nail. It’s not impossible and you can definitely get a brush in there. Foil is a beautiful gold shimmer, Ray is a sparkling taupe and Molten is a beautiful shimmering plum. I really wish they had Molten individually in the full size because that one is beautiful!

Other individual colors swatched here and here.

Hourglass Holiday Scattered Light Trio swatches

Below look wearing Scattered Light in Molten:

Hourglass Ghost Palette and Scattered Light in Molten

Hourglass Ghost Palette and Scattered Light in Molten

Hourglass Holiday 2019 Ghost Review Swatches

Overall I’m pleased with my haul picks. Quality-wise everything performs well. As irked as I am that the 6-pan palette has 1/2 repeats I think it is lovely and I do think it was worth the splurge. If I had to pick one palette between the two I think the 4-pan quad is the more unique option although I’m so smitten with that Iridescent Rose Strobe Blush in the 6-pan palette. The Confession Lipstick is among my favorite lipstick formula for a creamy opaque lipstick. Color-wise the new launches are very wearable but not unique.

I think the Scattered Light Trio is a nice way to try three shades at a more affordable price although I do prefer the individual larger sizes because I can apply them easier with my fingers. I also like picking my own colors. Out of all the colors I own I wear Blaze the most, followed by Ray these days.

You can find the Hourglass Holiday 2019 Ghost Collection out now. I hauled my picks from Nordstrom and Sephora. Also available at Hourglass Cosmetics.

Have you tried anything from the collection yet? I have some more holiday I’m working on including selects from NARS holiday and I just ordered most of Tom Ford Soleil Neige. There will also be some new lip posts coming up!

 

12 Comments
Charlotte Tilbury

Charlotte Tilbury Pillow Talk Luxury Palette of Pops + Lip Lustre

October 4, 2019

Charlotte Tilbury Pillow Talk

Charlotte Tilbury added two more products to her Pillow Talk family! She has a new Luxury Palette of Pops in Pillow Talk in an all shimmer eyeshadow quad. I’m also beyond thrilled she finally launched her Lip Lustre Lip Gloss individually. It was originally launched in an exclusive trio from the Nordstrom Anniversary Sale (reviewed and swatched here). It’s now available individually at Sephora and also in a few bundles on her website.

Charlotte Tilbury Pillow Talk Luxury Palette of Pops and Lip Gloss

I’ve been such a long-time fan of her Pillow Talk Lip Cheat Lip Pencil and Matte Revolution Lipstick I thought I’d do an updated roundup of all the Pillow Talk products I have. To date I have 7 of the 8 Pillow Talk products. I do not have the Pillow Talk Diamonds – based on what I saw from other swatches I thought it would be too glittery for me. What I have rounded up today:

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Pillow Talk Lip Products

Charlotte Tilbury Pillow Talk Lips

I’m starting with the lip products. I really love her Pillow Talk Lip Cheat and Matte Revolution Lipsticks for the perfect everyday neutral rose pink. They are among the few lip products I’ve used up and repurchased several times (I just recently bought fresh new tubes). The Lip Cheat is a matte opaque rose, it can be a little dry if you apply all over the lips so I usually apply a lip primer or balm underneath first. My favorite is the MAC Prep + Prime Lip for a base. It lasts a long time since it adheres well to the lips and for me it goes with a wide range of lip colors (I love layering Fenty Gloss Bomb on top).

Her Matte Revolution Lipstick in Pillow Talk is one of my most-worn lip colors. It’s a luminous matte so it doesn’t make the lips look dry or flat. I know a number of you have mentioned the undertone doesn’t work for your complexion in which case I’d recommend you check out Tom Ford Indian Rose (not as cool-toned) or Charlotte Tilbury Super Cindy (warmer) instead.

The Superstar Lips in Pillow Talk is a beautiful glossy rose. It has a moisturizing feel and beautiful shine but I could not give it a 100% glowing review because of the amount they give you for the price! It’s significantly smaller than her other lipsticks but priced the same. Formula is excellent and I don’t think you’ll be disappointed if you love glossy lush lipsticks. On me the Superstar Lips pulls deeper and more rosy than the Matte Revolution. Previously reviewed here.

The Lip Lustre in Pillow Talk is in the same color family as her gloss and lipstick but pulls lighter in color. It’s opaque and full coverage on my lips. Easy to blend, stays put, and has a soft vanilla/plastic scent. It’s not unpleasant and doesn’t taste bad – it’s actually subtle so after a few minutes I don’t notice it anymore. Review + swatches also here.

Charlotte Tilbury Pillow Talk Lip Products

Wearing the Matte Revolution Lipstick below with her Airbrush Flawless Foundation in 7 Neutral, Airbrush Powder Shade Medium, Cheek to Chic in Pillow Talk and Luxury Palette of Pops

Charlotte Tilbury Matte Revolution Pillow Talk Lipstick

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Pillow Talk Cheek to Chic Blush

Charlotte Tilbury Cheek to Chic in Pillow Talk

The Charlotte Tilbury Cheek to Chic Blush is among my favorites for a soft natural luminous glow. I own almost all of the colors. Pillow Talk has a soft neutral to warm rose glow on the skin. On me it’s very soft with a subtle glow. If you are one who feel like you cannot wear that glaring highlight or shimmer that’s super popular these days but don’t want to always do a matte blush, her Cheek to Chic Blushes are the best. Previous review here.

Charlotte Tilbury Cheek to Chic in Pillow Talk swatch

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Pillow Talk Eyeshadow Quads Luxury Palette vs Luxury Palette of Pops

Charlotte Tilbury Pillow Talk Eyeshadow Quads

The rosy warm tone eye look has been super popular for quite some time now and brands show no sign of slowing down with the new launches. I’ve embraced the warm eye look with a few palettes but in general still really like a good neutral eye. The Pillow Talk Eyeshadow Quad was a miss for me on its own. I found it too pink for my complexion although when combined with other palettes I can make it work. It has a shimmering pale pink, a matte pink, gold-pink glitter and deeper warm rose brown matte. Texture-wise I found the mattes a bit dry and chalky although if I add an emollient cream eyeshadow underneath it’s not too much of a problem. Review + eye look here.

The new Pillow Talk Luxury Palette of Pops looks phenomenal in the pan. It has the most beautiful look to it in the palette. I usually have fun swatching these because it’s often a surprise to see what they look like swatched on the skin. The four shades are super glittery and sparkly. For a single eye look I can make it work but for me it looks like more of a party palette. I think it’s nice as an enhancer palette on top of other shadows to mix and match. It’s beautiful but all 4 glitters on the eye at once is a little much for me. There is fall out if you apply on dry lids or with a brush. I recommend applying over a creamy base or patting on with fingers to help it stick better. It has a sparkly pale rose, a sparkly soft pink, a sparkly warm copper and a shimmering warm red bronze.

If these aren’t your cup of tea (whether it’s too glittery or too warm), you might want to check out her other holiday launches. She just launched a cooler tone Luxury Palette of Pops in Celestial Eyes along with a new Instant Look Palette in Gorgeous, Glowing Beauty. I’m debating whether or not to order them.

Charlotte Tilbury Pillow Talk Eyeshadow Quads swatches

Wearing the Pillow Talk Luxury Palette of Pops and Lip Lustre below:

Charlotte Tilbury Pillow Talk Lip Lustre and Palette of Pops

Charlotte Tilbury Pillow Talk

Overall I think her Lip Lustre Lip Gloss in Pillow Talk is the best new addition to her line. I really love all the other lip products and wear them on a regular basis. I think the Lip Pencil is excellent for a good rose lip and goes with lots of other lipsticks and glosses. The blush is a nice soft rose although if you’re darker in skintone than me I suspect it might be too close to your skin tone in which case you might want to check out the color The Climax (deeper in color). Nothing would have stopped me from buying the new eyeshadow palette but I do think it’s super glittery and most likely not for everyone. For me it’s most likely going to be used as an enhancer with other palettes.

You can find Charlotte Tilbury Pillow Talk products out now. The two latest additions Luxury Palette of Pops and Lip Lustre are currently available at Sephora and Charlotte Tilbury. I suspect they will trickle out to other retailers soon. The rest of the line is available at all Charlotte Tilbury counters.

Have you tried any of the Pillow Talk Colors? Which ones and what did you think?

All products purchased by me.

 

 

5 Comments
Eye Makeup Pat McGrath Labs

Pat McGrath Mothership VI Midnight Sun Eyeshadow Palette

October 1, 2019

Pat McGrath Labs Mothership VI Midnight Sun

Pat McGrath Labs launched a eyeshadow palette called Mothership VI Midnight Sun ($125 for 10 shades, 1.32 g each eyeshadow) and it’s glorious! True to Pat McGrath’s style this palette has a mix of bold and edgy colors with a unique combination of colors. The format and textures are the same as her other Mothership palettes where she has mattes, smooth metallic shimmers and glittery sparkles. For me this is way outside of my comfort zone but I still had fun playing with it. Quality and pigment-wise all the colors are phenomenal. The mattes blend and layer beautifully. As boring as the soft tan brown Taboo looks I found it really nice and flattering! The shimmers are almost creamy to the touch and blend smoothly. The glitters give this multi-dimensional iridescent sheen that is quite amazing – there is some fallout with the glitters as expected but it’s easy to clean up. I recommend applying the sparkles with a damp brush, over a creamy base to help it stick, or fingers in a patting motion.

Pat McGrath Labs Mothership VI Midnight Sun Eyeshadow Palette

Swatches and close ups of Midnight Sun which includes all new shades:

  • Skinshow Moon Glow is a smooth metallic champagne
  • Bronze Eclipse is a warm shimmery bronze taupe
  • Vermillion Venom is matte cranberry
  • Blood Moon 005 is a glittery copper rose metallic
  • Jubilee is a glittery warm yellow gold
  • Xtreme Dusk is a deep brown matte
  • Taboo is a matte medium brown
  • Wicked Envy is a shimmery olive
  • Blitz Violet Orchid is an ultra smooth almost creamy blue violet shimmer
  • Astral Solstice is a glittering platinum sparkle

Pat McGrath Labs Midnight Sun

Pat McGrath Labs Mothership VI Midnight Sun swatches

Close ups of the pans and closer/larger swatches:

Pat McGrath Labs Mothership VI Midnight Sun palette

Pat McGrath Labs Mothership VI Midnight Sun top row

Pat McGrath Labs Mothership VI Midnight Sun bottom row

Look wearing a few of the colors from Midnight Sun which includes Bronzed Eclipse, Taboo, Blood Moon 005 and Astral Solstice mixed, also wearing Pat McGrath Skin Fetish Foundation in Medium 15, Powder in Light Medium 2, LUST Gloss in Carnal Desire, Hourglass Ambient Lighting Blush in Diffused Heat.

Midnight Sun and Carnal Desire

Midnight Sun Eyeshadow Palette

The palette is stunning for sure! But I didn’t love all of the colors. Quality and performance-wise it’s excellent, however I cannot wear yellow golds or violet purples – they clash with my skin tone no matter how pretty they are or how hard I try to blend. For her palettes I prefer the color scheme of her previous launch Mothership V Bronze Seduction or any of her 6-pan palettes which I find easier to wear for someone like me who tends to be more conservative on the sparkle for eyes. I do think it is different/unique enough to justify owning if you like all the colors. For me I most likely would not have bought this one as I really try to stick with my rule of buying palettes if I think I will like all the colors. I’m still going to try to make the purple work for me but it’s never really been a color I gravitate towards.

The Mothership VI Midnight Sun is available now at Pat McGrath Labs. Have you tried any of her eyeshadow palettes before? What did you think?

Midnight Sun provided courtesy of Pat McGrath Labs for review.

8 Comments
Lips Tom Ford Beauty

Tom Ford Gloss Luxe Review

September 25, 2019

Tom Ford Gloss Luxe Review

Tom Ford Beauty revamped all of the lip glosses into a new formula called Gloss Luxe ($55 each for 5.5 ml/0.19 fl oz). These have new packaging and a completely different formula from the original lip glosses. The Gloss Luxe has a sheer finish, ultra glossy shine and a moisturizing feel. It’s not sticky but does have a slight tacky feeling to it since it is a gloss but it feels smooth and lush.

There are 20 available right now, I bought 6 and have a review + swatches today. I’ve been such a long-time fan of Tom Ford lip products but with these I have mixed feelings. They are high-shine and hydrating, they have a nice luxurious feel. However I found some of them settled into my lip lines and started to separate after a few minutes. With the lighter neutral colors I didn’t find them to be color-saturated as they described. The colors can be intensified if you layer more on the lips but with each progressive layer the formula starts to get a little too thick and goopy with the feeling like they will slide off.

They are scented with a soft vanilla cake like scent that I find really pleasant. Lasting power is average for a hydrating gloss. They won’t last all day but at the same time they don’t disappear quickly.

For the tubes you have a sponge tip applicator similar to the Lip Lacquer Luxe where the sponge is a little bigger than the opening. There is a little bit of tugging when you take it out of the tube but the gap isn’t as tight as it is with the Lip Lacquer Luxe.

Tom Ford Gloss Luxe applicator

Tom Ford Gloss Luxe Review

Colors I picked:

  • Aura is a pale light nude pink, this one settled into my fine lip lines within a minute, not a good look!
  • Impulse is a sheer pale pearly pink, also settled into my lip lines within a few minutes but it isn’t as bad as Aura
  • Frantic is a sheer shimmery medium light pink with gold pearl
  • Ravish is a shimmery medium peach
  • Wicked is a sheer cool pink without shimmer
  • L’Amour is a bright sheer pink

Tom Ford Gloss Luxe Aura, Impulse, Frantic, Ravish, Wicked, L'Amour

I think the brighter and deeper colors are the best options. Overall pigment didn’t translate from my arm swatches to my lips. They’re sheer so it gives the lips a hint of color. Close ups and lip swatches below with three I have full face makeup looks for you. I do think if you have lighter lips versus my pigmented lips the colors will show up better on you.

Aura

Tom Ford Gloss Luxe Aura

Tom Ford Gloss Luxe Aura

Impulse

Tom Ford Gloss Luxe Impulse

Tom Ford Gloss Luxe Impulse swatch

Frantic

Tom Ford Gloss Luxe Frantic

Tom Ford Gloss Luxe Frantic swatch

Ravish

Tom Ford Gloss Luxe Ravish

Tom Ford GLOSS LUXE Ravish

Tom Ford Gloss Luxe Ravish Makeup Look

Also wearing Natasha Denona Foundation X+ in 42WY, Charlotte Tilbury Airbrush Powder in Medium, Anastasia Brow Wiz in Caramel, Tom Ford Acqua Metal Shadow in Violet Argente and Charlotte Tilbury Eyeshadow Palette in The Dolce Vita, Hourglass Ambient Lighting Bronzer in Luminous Bronze Light

Wicked

Tom Ford Lip Gloss Wicked

Tom Ford Lip Gloss Wicked

Tom Ford Lip Gloss Wicked

Wearing same makeup breakdown as above, only difference is blush is Hourglass Ambient Lighting Blush in Euphoric Fusion.

L’Amour

Tom Ford Gloss Luxe L'Amour

Tom Ford Gloss Luxe L'Amour

Tom Ford Gloss Luxe L'Amour

All of them side by side:

Tom Ford Gloss Luxe swatches

I really wanted to love them but I can’t help but feel there are better options out there. For me I felt the sheerness of the colors didn’t make them all worth the price tag. I do think there are some great colors to choose from and they have a hydrating luxurious feel. They’re not bad, but I prefer the Chanel Rouge Coco Glosses, Pat McGrath LUST Gloss, By Terry Lip Experts and the new Cle de Peau Radiant Liquid Rouge Shines are amazing (I’ll review my picks soon). My favorites of the ones I tried were Ravish and L’Amour which I think are worth the splurge. I wish the other ones had better color payoff because they’re just so pretty in the tube and swatched on my hand!

You can find the Tom Ford Gloss Luxe out at all counters now. I bought mine from Nordstrom. Have you tried these yet? What did you think?

 

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Base Makeup Chanel

Chanel Ultra Le Teint Velvet Foundation

September 11, 2019

Ultra Le Teint Velvet Foundation

There are so many new foundation formulas out this season and today I have a review of the Chanel Ultra Le Teint Velvet Foundation ($50 for 30 ml/1 fl oz). It comes in a small black squeeze bottle with SPF 15 and is available in 13 shades. There are three undertones, B for beige (usually what I wear), BR beige rose (has pink undertones) and BD for beige dore which is the first time I’ve seen this color name but it might not be new. The active ingredients are Octinoxate 5% and Titanium Dioxide 3.1%.

Ultra Le Teint Velvet Foundation review

The Ultra Le Teint Velvet Foundation seems to have replaced the Perfection Lumiere Velvet which I used and loved many years ago. It’s been a long time since I’ve used the older formula so I can’t really compare the new to old but from what I recall it has a similar effect. The new Ultra Le Teint Velvet Foundation has a lightweight oil-free fluid texture and smooth blurring effect on the skin. It feels very lightweight and glides on nicely offering medium coverage. It has a powdery feel with the dry down but isn’t too matte. I’ve found it sets quite nicely with a semi-velvet matte finish but not dry or cakey like some matte base formulas have. On my combination skin it lasts nicely all day requiring only a small touch up on the nose mid-day.

New Chanel Ultra Le Teint Velvet base

I have swatches of a selection of the colors, I didn’t have all the colors to swatch, B40 is swatched twice with both sets on the top and bottom:

Ultra Le Teint Velvet swatches

A few comparisons to other Chanel base formulas: Les Beiges reviewed here, CC Cream reviewed here

Chanel Foundation swatches

My color match back in San Diego and earlier days of blogging was almost always B30. Since moving to Florida I’m exposed to intense sun and am outdoors more so I’m now a B40 or B50. With this Ultra Le Teint Velvet Foundation formula I found I can get away wearing either B40 or B50 right now. I tried both on my face, 40 on one side and 50 on the other. I can barely tell the difference when it’s blended out even though from swatches there is a clear difference between the colors.

Below is a look at B50. Once applied it adjusts/warms up slightly but there isn’t a huge amount of oxidation or darkening. I would recommend picking your regular Chanel shade with this formula. For application, I tried three ways: with the fingers, with a Chanel foundation brush and with a beautyblender sponge. My favorite way is the sponge method, but the formula is really easy to blend with fingers or a brush.

  • Top left: bare skin (just have brow makeup on)
  • Top right: a swatch of B50
  • Bottom: B50 applied all over with a brush

Ultra Le Teint Velvet Foundation B50

Full look with the Ultra Le Teint Velvet Foundation in B50, also wearing:

Chanel Ultra Le Teint Velvet Makeup look B50

Full list of ingredients from the box below for the US formula. It does contain alcohol and dimethicone but neither irritated my skin. There are some foundations that have a high concentration of alchohol that irritate and dry out my skin. If you have sensitives your mileage may vary but this one works well with my skin which makes me believe it’s in a smaller quantity than others like the L’Oreal Infallible line (which looks great on the skin, but causes a lot of irritation for me).

Chanel Ultra Le Teint Velvet ingredients US

New Chanel Ultra Le Teint Velvet base

On the nails Pure White (review here)

Overall it has performed really well for me. I’m relieved the SPF and alcohol content in this base did not irritate my skin as I’ve had a really rough summer testing sunscreens. I give it a solid A+ for me and think the undertone works just right for my skin.

I’m still in the process of trying out a few other foundations including the new Fenty Beauty, Natasha Denona, Charlotte Tilbury and Zoeva formulas. I’ll have a roundup to come as soon as I get through all of them. First impressions are the Charlotte Tilbury one has the most similar effect with the matte finish but isn’t quite as lightweight in feel.

You can find the Chanel Ultra Le Teint Velvet Foundation out now at Chanel.com, coming soon to all Chanel counters (your store might already have it!). Have you tried this yet? What did you think?

Chanel foundations gifted and provided for review.

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