Pat McGrath Labs is making all my lip gloss dreams come true with 18 new shades of LUST Gloss for spring 2019. They retail for $28 each and come in three different finishes she calls High Shine, Shimmer and Glitter. I reviewed some shades when they initially launched last May. They’re among my favorite formula because they are smooth, have no scent, aren’t sticky and have a pretty shine to them. I’m thrilled to share swatches of all the new spring colors! As a neutral lip lover I feel like she made so many amazing colors that are wearable alone or mixed with a lipstick/liner. There are a lot of fresh glowing soft shades. Most of these have sheer to medium coverage. There are a couple that have higher medium pigment, but the vast majority of these will have a soft finish.
These come with a beveled sponge tip applicator. They’re easy to apply and glide on the lips nicely. A couple layers will add enough color to cover my lips.
Close ups and descriptions of each color. I tried grouping them by finish, but some of the shine shades seem to have a tiny bit of pearl in them.
Left to right:
Nude Negligee is a sheer cream light beige
Wicked Whisper is a medium nude peach
Prima Donna is a soft glowy pale petal pink
Heavy Petal is a pigmented bold bright warm pink
Flesh6 is a medium warm brown cream
Up next are the shimmers:
Love Potion is a sheer pale pink with a hint of shimmer, alone this settles into lip lines a little
Faux Real is beige nude tan with a pearly finish
Peach Perversion is a pale peach with a pearly glow
Belladonna is a medium warm pink with a sheen
Sunset Rose is a perfect medium neutral rose with soft gold shimmer
Secret Lover is a deeper rose with a hint of warm pearl
Last are the sparkles, all of these are smooth in finish. There’s no gritty feel. Even with the sparkles I cannot feel any texture. I highly recommend referring to the Pat McGrath website for more swatches. Some of the shimmers are hard for me to capture with my flash. All of these are wearable even for conservative makeup wearers.
Future Femme is a pale pastel sparkling pink with silver flecks
Earth Angel is a sparkling clear base loaded with champagne, pink and copper pearl
Bronze Divinity is a smooth shimmery bronze rose nude
Bronze Venus is a sparkling iridescent bronze sparkle
Carnal Desire is a sheer red pink with loads of sparkle
Astral Flash Dance is a sheer violet purple with blue and pink sparkles
Astral Moon Flower is a sheer duochrome blue iridescent sparkle
Side by sides, all of these lip swatches were done on my bare lips. For skintone reference on the face I’m wearing Laura Mercier Flawless Fusion Foundation in Buff.
I fit as many swatch comparisons as I could on my arm to the other LUST Glosses I own. I swatched the neutral lighter shades side by side:
Bottom line love! If you like smooth natural medium-sheer color you’ll love these. I just received these in the mail this week so I haven’t had a chance to extensively test all 18 new colors. First impressions on testing a few for extended periods is that they are all just as good as the initial launch. Some have more color payoff than others but in general it’s on the natural side. Even though they are sheer the color shows up well on my bare lips. Lasting power is average for a smooth sheer gloss. They’re not going to be budge proof or transfer proof. You’ll have to reapply but it’s something I really don’t mind.
You can find the Pat McGrath LUST Gloss online at Pat McGrath. There are also some bundles and sets available on her website as well. She’s offering a 10% off new gloss shades through end of the day 1/19 with code SHINE at checkout.
“10% discount on ONLY Lust Gloss new shades. Promo code is SHINE – update, extended through end of Sunday 1/19!”
Have you tried the LUST Gloss formula yet? What did you think? Are any of the new shades on your radar?
Many thanks to the Pat McGrath team for sending the new shades for review.
Marc Jacobs Beauty launched a new mini set of lip colors with the Sugar High Nude Lip Trio ($25, limited-edition). This is the third variation of their cult classic lip gloss shade Sugar Sugar. Last year they launched a new color called Cream and Sugar in a mini trio which I really loved (and still do). They later launched all three in full-sizes. This year they have the perfect brightening peachy pink neutral called Sugar High. I have high hopes they will have these in full sizes because the colors are PERFECT! The colors give the lips the perfect brightening effect with a gorgeous pinky peachy mix.
Sugar High Lip Creme (1.7 g/0.05 oz) is a cream full coverage peachy pink
Sugar High Enamored Hi-Shine Gloss (1.7 ml/0.05 fl oz) is a peachy pink with a hint of shimmer, on the lips it’s not frosty, it has medium coverage with a high shine, no sticky feel
Sugar High (P)outliner (0.3 g/0.01 oz) is a twist up pencil that’s also peachy pink, but more muted and matte in finish
Together the three layer nicely but the lipstick and liner are really opaque so for me having all three layered gives my already full lips an extra lush plump look. I tried these a few different ways since ordering the trio. I like the gloss alone or on top of the liner. Or the liner + lipstick. Below some close ups + swatches:
Bottom line perfect. I’m obsessed with the gloss and lipstick for this color. I think the formula from Marc Jacobs for the lipgloss is one of my favorites because they have a cushiony feel without the tacky sticky finish. I keep forgetting about the lipstick creme formula because of all the other launches but they are among the best for full coverage creams. The only item in the trio I’m not that crazy about is the liner, but I still think it’s a good one. It stays put and is pretty much budge-proof once it sets so if you need something to help extend your lip color check out their other shades. These days I find that I don’t wear a lot of lip liner. The one I reach for the most is the Charlotte Tilbury Lip Cheat in Pillow Talk because it layers well with everything (also worn with the Fenty Glosses in my holiday glow post).
You can find the Sugar High Lip Trio now at Sephora. It’s limited-edition. I’m hoping they’ll launch these in the full sizes eventually. For now I might get a backup of these because I think the gloss is perfect. Also with the size I know they’ll be easy to use up!
NARS recently launched a couple new things including their Skin Deep Eye Palette ($59 for 12 x 0.12 oz/ 3.5 g) + Super Radiant Booster ($30 for 30 ml/1 fl oz). I bought them the minute they launched and they are both really lovely. Thoughts, review + swatches on each one below. I think the products and formula are excellent with naturally flattering easy to wear colors.
Super Radiant Booster in Isola Rossa
The Super Radiant Booster in Isola Rossa is a fluid highlighter that is a soft gold shimmer. It’s described as “a universal rose gold” shade but to me it’s more golden on me, I barely see any rose. It has a very lightweight texture, it’s easy to blend and layer and dries fairly fast on my skin. Finish is luminous but dry down leaves little to no moisture which is a plus if you have oily skin. It almost has a powder dry down but it’s not dry or super matte.
I tried this as a highlighter. You can definitely mix it in with foundation but these days I wear medium to full coverage finishes. The added radiance will be more noticeable when mixing if you mix it with sheerer finish formulas. It was really easy to apply and blend with finger tips. I tried it over just foundation and on top of a foundation + powdered face. It applies nicely without disturbing or rubbing away your base which is a plus.
Swatched out of the tube vs blended:
There’s no detectable scent to me. It goes on smoothly, there’s no streaking, no emphasizing of pores, it’s a beautiful color and product. Lasting power is really good, it stays put all day. The only thing I wish is that it came in the same packaging as their regular Illuminators so you can see how much is left/gone. There is a small clear strip at the base which is nice so you can see the color of the actual product. I’m not entirely sure what the difference is between this new Super Radiant Booster versus their original Illuminators. I personally feel this new one has a little more pigment and more radiance, but they seem really similar.
Fresh Instant Glow Luminizer in Sunset (this looks the closest to the NARS straight out of the tube, but this is heavily scented and more dewy and sheers out on the skin more)
Look wearing just the Super Radiant Skin Booster on cheeks to show you how it looks alone. More color added in the look if you scroll down. Also wearing:
Next is the Skin Deep Eye Palette. I ran to my local stores to try and buy this as soon as it launched but none of the counters or stores near me had it. I ordered sight unseen online and it’s swatches a little different than all the promotional photos I’ve seen but I still really love it. NARS launched a few videos showing how this looks on a few different skin tones which I think are great to give you ideas on how to use. I fall somewhere in the middle of skin tone range and this pulls warm but not too warm. If you’re fair this will pull significantly more warm on you. If you’re deeper in skin tone I think this will be a winner and still show up on your skin. A couple of the colors have a similar vibe to the Loaded Eyeshadow Palette from a while ago. This year’s Skin Deep Eye Palette is a more modern rosy version.
This new palette has a mix of new and existing colors. All the shades performed really well with smooth even coverage and good pigment. Blending is easy and even though this pulls warm I still find it very wearable. I’m normally a little irritated when brands repeat a lot of shades but I think these are nice options to own.
Colors:
Taunt is a medium matte cream beige
Sophia is a warm soft brown
Whipped is a reddish matte brown
Undressed is a soft cool matte light brown taupe
Bali is a matte neutral brown
Icon is a shimmering champagne
Basic Instinct is a shimmering soft rose
Coconut Grove is a deep matte brown
Centerfold is a shimmery metallic grey
Calender Girl is a shimmering bronze gold
Faster Pussycat is a warm copper red shimmer
Unbuttoned is a shimmery deep brown
I really love this one. I think I could probably find similar colors in the palette in my existing stash but I love the overall look and feel of this one, it’s easy to wear and I love the pigment. Since this runs on the dark side I would have loved it if they had other variations like a Light or Medium palette. This one will suit a wide range of skin tones and I think it will show up even on deeper skin tones. I do think if you’re fair you might find this too deep. My favorite neutral eye palettes are still Urban Decay Naked2 and Naked3 but I get a little bored with using the same colors over and over again so this is a nice variation.
Wearing same colors as listed in the above makeup look photo, only difference is this one has the Hourglass Incandescent Electra blush added on cheeks for more color. Top is the One-Shoulder Sweater from Abercrombie.
Closer detail photos of the eye makeup. I’m wearing the colors Taunt all over the eye as a base, Icon and Basic Instinct Mixed applied 1/2 way up the lid, Sophia + Faster Pussycat mixed and applied closer to lash blended up, Faster Pussycat + Coconut Grove applied along lower lash line, Coconut Grove used as a liner.
Bottom line is I love both. The formulas perform really well for me and I’m really liking the overall look and vibe of the palette. Colors for both the eye palette and highlighter aren’t super unique but they work as is without any added mixing required. I think it’s really challenging for brands to create color palettes that are truly “universally” flattering but based on the videos I’ve seen I was really impressed to see how these perform on a wide range of skin tones.
I don’t know that I’d call these must-haves. I own a lot of other palettes and neutrals and I suspect you do as well. If I did some digging I could most likely find dupes. I am really happy with these purchases and have no regrets. The palette applies better than I anticipated. Looking at the compact straight out of the box I thought it would be a little boring and too dark but it turned out to be very wearable for me! I also don’t think we need any more highlighters but I don’t think there’s going to be any slowing down with the new launches. The Super Radiant Booster is really lovely. I love that it adds glow in a visible way without being too frosty. I love the dry down and color. It won’t disrupt your base if you apply on top. It’s a flattering color on my skin tone. So even with the million options I own I think this is a good one, but at this point it’s very hard for me to call any a must given all the other options that have been previously launched.
By Terry launched some beautiful pieces for the season with the Gem Glow Holiday Collection. There are a couple new individual products and a number of beauty sets to choose from. Today I have a look at their Gem Glow Trio Highlighter ($65 for 5.5 g/0.19 oz), Gem Glow Brightening CC Serum ($91 for 30 ml/1 fl oz), Mini Baume de Rose ($24 for 3 g). In addition I’ve added swatches of some eye makeup including the Eye Light Palette Terrybly Paris 2 ($49 for 9 g/0.31 oz) that launched earlier in the fall plus some swatches of the Ombre Blackstar Cream Shadows since they usually have a few shades in one of the holiday sets. My thoughts on each product below.
Up first is a look at the Gem Glow Trio Compact Highlighter. It’s a stunning mix of pink, pearl and soft peach shimmers. The little yellow spots are overspray but it’s very soft so what you see in the compact is pretty true to what you will find underneath. I swatched each portion individually and swirled.
By Terry makes some of the most beautiful complexion products but they’re all very expensive. I do really love their Compact Expert Dual Powders (I still do) even though they cost an arm and a leg. This holiday season I found myself truly overwhelmed with all the highlighter options and for the first time in many years I did not review or purchase the holiday ones from Chanel or Tom Ford. After trying the options from NARS, Hourglass and Marc Jacobs combined with the dozens launched this year alone I feel like they’re all starting to look the same. I probably would have not purchased this By Terry Gem Glow Highlighter as I’m really set for life with highlighters in general, but out of all the ones I’ve seen this year this one has the prettiest presentation. Like many of her other face products there is more than one color in the pan with a small divider in the compact. The small spacing makes it virtually impossible to get individual colors which I don’t mind. But you will most likely have to swirl or mix shades with a regular face brush.
The pigment and color payoff are excellent. On my skin this translates into a beautiful pearly glow. It performs well, applies smoothly, stays put and doesn’t emphasize my pores. I find it has enough sparkle to be perfect for holiday. The shimmer is truly stunning on the skin making this a beautiful option I think will suit a wide range of skin tones. I do really love this one but the color can probably be duped.
Next is a look at her Gem Glow Brightening CC Serum. It’s a pearly rose gold that is very sheer. I’ve purchased several of her CC Serums in the past and they are extremely expensive but beautiful. They are sheer enough to use all over the face for a very soft subtle glow. It’s rose scented and it does not irritate my skin.
I do like the way it gives the skin a lit from within glow without any greasy emollient finish. The dry down has a soft almost velvet feel which is nice because any added shine with a shimmer product can often translate into a greasy look. If you’re looking for a liquid highlighter this is not the product for you, it’s too sheer to be used as a highlight. If you want something more glowy or visible I’d recommend Armani Fluid Sheers or a stick cream highlighter like the Hourglass Vanish Flash Highlighter sticks.
As beautiful as this product is I think you can get a nearly identical effect with the Charlotte Tilbury Wonder Glow or Brightening Youth Glow Primer for a fraction of the price. I know ingredients aren’t the same so it might not be fair to compare them, but effect is similar. I do think the By Terry Brightening CC Serum is a beautiful product. I love that it comes with a pump and the bottles I owned in past years lasted for a long long time.
Swatched on the hand straight from the pump and then blended out you can see how it just adds a luminous sheen to the skin with barely any color.
For holiday she usually launches a Mini Baume de Rose packaged in a cute ornament form. It took me many years to bring myself to splurge on the full size but it’s 100% worth it. The minis are $24 each which is easier to justify as a splurge even though it’s tiny. I think it’s one of the best treats you can gift yourself. A look at the mini vs full size:
Next are some swatches of her Eye Light Palette Terrybly Paris 2. I haven’t tried any of her shadow palettes before as they’re usually out of my price range. This one retails for $49 and I’ll say up front it doesn’t swatch well on the arm or hand but on the eyes it’s MUCH much better. For those who are tired of the red, orange, pink or glitter palettes that seem to have taken over the beauty world today, you’ll find this one different for the neutral lover. It is very natural but has a nice range of colors for a polished muted classic eye. The colors are soft but they do give a beautiful wash of color you can layer or mix. I was pleasantly surprised by this one. I think it would look really nice especially on fair skin tones. They have varying degrees of sparkle but the overall feel is very soft, airy, lightweight and has a subtle sheen.
Last but not least she has some of her Ombre Blackstars in a Trio this year with Blond Opal (shimmery pale champagne gold), Misty Rock (metallic purple) and Bronze Moon (shimmering bronze taupe) for $95. They usually retail for $38 each so you do get a little price break. For some reason I remember these being more expensive individually, I’m not sure when the price changed. Most of her colors have an intense shimmer pearl. These are some of the prettiest cream shadows that stay put on my lids without any issue. I’ve included swatches of a few other colors that I still have.
Overall I think these are beautiful quality pieces that are well made. If you splurge I think you’ll be happy with any of these items although I do think there are more affordable alternatives just as good to pick with other brands. The highlighter is such a beautiful piece to look at especially with the design and I think it’s a really pretty color with excellent pigment. Photos cannot do the swatches justice – the sparkle is so gorgeous and mix of colors a sight to behold. I do think you can get a similar effect with other shades though.
Have you checked out any of the By Terry holiday items? What has been your favorite holiday launch this year? For those curious additional items featured in the opening image: Simplehuman Sensor Mirror Pro 8 Inch in Rose Gold, simplehuman Compact Mirror and a Cuyana Vanity Case that I just ordered and will review in the near future.
By Terry Gem Glow Highlighter, CC Serum, Baume de Rose and Eye Palette provided for review. Ombre Blackstars are from my own collection.
Christian Louboutin launched new eye shadows in two finishes called the Tape a l’Oeil Metallic Eye Colour and Matte Nude Eye Colour ($50 each for 7 ml/0.23 fl oz). These are eye colors with intense pigment color payoff. I received four colors to test and also purchased two additional shades to review.
Above from left to right: Lola, Zefira, Carnelian, Andalusite, Morganite and Pyrite
The Matte Nude Eye Colour shades come with an oil-based gel formula which goes on like a fluid, dries and sets quickly to a matte finish. I have Lola which is a pale pink peach nude and Zefira which is a deeper brown. These are intended to be skin-matching or contrasted for a brightening or contour effect. I will be frank to say I had low expectations for the matte shades as most fluid or cream mattes tend to look very flat on my skin, but Lola is the best all over base I’ve ever tried. It sets quickly but I only need to dab a little and blend all over the lid for a perfect canvas. Since it is matte I do need to make sure that whatever I layer on top isn’t too dry, slightly creamy powders or shimmers layer nicely on top. These are very opaque and since they dry quickly I recommend blending with a small brush quickly after you dab it on the eyes. Zefira is a deeper brown which I can use as a liner or a soft smokey eye. Since it’s really intense I can blend it out but I have to do so in sheer layers and move quickly. I would like to see if there is a shade one shade darker than Lola, it’s hard to tell online but I have these on my list to check out the next time I’m at a counter.
The Metallic Eye Colours are also excellent. These are intense pigments that have a mix of water and metallic color for a reflective finish. I tried four of the colors which vary slightly in finish. Three of them are more smoother metallics while one has more intense sparkle. Andalusite is a smokey metallic olive green, Carnelian is a beautiful metallic red, Pyrite is the most perfect medium tan gold. The sparkly one is Morganite which I love, it’s a warm pink sparkle. Like the mattes, the metallics also dry quickly so blending fast is key. I can dab and brush with the applicator for Pyrite and Morganite and since they’re lighter in color I can also blend with fingers. The deeper ones require a little more precision so I use the brush applicator and a separate detail brush to blend.
The deeper colors I tested are so beautiful but just not my vibe. I find anything olive or green challenging for me to wear, so Andalusite requires a smokey black or deep brown liner to make it work. Carnelian is one of those stunning reds I cannot pull off, but the color and pigment is really nice though.
A closer look and swatches:
Aside from the steep price the only other downside I see is that the packaging is not super convenient for putting in your everyday makeup bag or for travel. The long spikes are typical of the Louboutin design – ornate like a lavish piece of art or ornament. The long handle is nice to have with application and it felt comfortable in the hand in the width and length. The brush applicator is decent. I like it a lot more than I would have if it were a sponge applicator, but I have individual brushes that I prefer using instead. Still it is slim so it won’t take up too much room if you want to take it with you on a trip.
Pyrite with some added mascara and liner in the bottom photo:
Left side is blended, right side has more layered. You can layer more for more pigment and even combine the different colors together for a different (or more complete) look. I try to swatch colors alone so you can get a sense of what they look like by themselves.
Overall I think Louboutin has created some excellent formulas for eye color. They exceeded my expectations formula-wise. Based on the fact that I did not like their mascara that much I though I might have luke-warm feelings towards the eyeshadows as well, but I really like them. I do think that Pyrite has a vibe to other golden tan shades like Charlotte Tilbury Eyes to Mesmerize in Bette or Marie Antoinette and Morganite looks like Bobbi Brown’s Long Wear Cream Shadow in Golden Pink on me, but the Louboutin formula is different. Since it’s more of a fluid with metallic pigments it stays put on the skin significantly longer on me. Once it sets and dries I feel like it’s budge-proof on me. The shimmer is also a little more intense without being too glitzy. For the holiday season I think long-wear makeup you don’t have to worry about moving through long parties or events is a must which make both of them worth the splurge for me.
Performance and quality wise I give these a solid A+ but I do think you can get a similar effect with other cream shadows out there. Granted they might not be the same formula-wise as I do think the fluid texture is unique. I do think some of the colors can be duped – maybe not the red one, it does seem rather unique to me for a cream/fluid product.
I have a Cle de Peau Beaute haul roundup today with some hits and misses on what I’ve been testing. I’ve been a long time fan of their Concealer Stick (both original and new formula) and some of their lip products but this is a brand I haven’t explored much recently. Much of the makeup I’ve purchased over the years has been reformulated over the years including the twist up click lipsticks, some eyeshadows, foundations etc. With all the other launches and new brands popping up I haven’t kept up with this line although I really did like their Radiant Lip Gloss and splurged on all the colors at the beginning of the year. In today’s haul roundup:
Lip Glorifier ($40 for 0.1 oz, also sold out everywhere)
Up first is a look at two of the Cle de Peau Beaute bases, the Radiant Cushion Foundation and the Radiant Corrector for Eyes. I give both of these a thumbs up, I think these are probably the only two items I hauled I think are truly worth the splurge.
The Radiant Cushion Foundation is a beautiful medium coverage cushion with a natural slightly luminous finish. It’s lightweight but has a hydrating feel. Coverage is perfect for me: medium and dewy but not greasy looking. There is a puff that comes with the compact designed to apply just the right amount of product, but I still prefer using a beautyblender. I was thrilled to find a match with O30 because the shade range is limited to just 6 colors. It does pull a little more on the neutral side and I’m more olive, but it works for my skin right now without any adjusting needed. It oxidizes slightly which actually works in my favor right now. I’m quickly losing my tan this winter but I still have some color.
Below with one layer of the cushion foundation applied all over the face with a beautyblender sponge. It lasts for hours on me, I do need to touch up with some powder mid-day but I didn’t notice any separating on my normal skin. I have not tried any of the other Cle de Peau foundation formulas in years so I cannot compare the cushion. It’s very lightly scented but did not irritate my skin (AmorePacific and Sulwhasoo by comparison are heavily fragranced).
I already featured the Radiant Corrector for Eyes in Ocher in my recent Concealer Roundup but wanted to mention it again because I think it’s an excellent formula for concealing and brightening. It’s not as opaque or matte as the Stick Concealer which makes it more ideal for under eye concealing. I highly recommend it!
Up next are the Luminizing Face Enhancers. I had some shades from years ago but I believe they are now discontinued. I splurged on a few more (all at different times). 15 Golden Apricot is a light peach, 16 Almond is a mix of champagne and soft light brown, 17 Lavender is a cool-toned mix of pale ivory, lavender, pale pink and mint. I have such mixed feelings about these because they’re so sheer and natural looking, I can barely see them on my skin. They meld nicely with the skin and once applied skin truly looks radiant in the most natural way possible. For the price of $95 per compact I don’t think these are worth the price. I do understand they’re meant to be natural and enhancing, but for me $95 for sheer and barely visible just isn’t worth it to me. I don’t know why I talked myself into buying again because I originally thought they were too expensive when I first bought these.
For holiday they launched a Stick Highlighter in Light Me. I ordered it sight unseen because the packaging looked so beautiful! This is a similar concept to the RMS Living Luminizer which I am not a fan of (I might be the only one on the planet who doesn’t like it). The Cle de Peau Stick Highlighter gives a very natural luminous sheen. It’s light and sheer and makes the skin glow, but once you blend out with the fingers the color pretty much disappears. The price is also steep. I think I might just be too tan/dark in skin tone to be able to wear this one. If you have fair skin I can see it being more visible or flattering on. If you have this on your wishlist I’d recommend ordering soon, it’s sold out almost everywhere but still available at Bloomingdale’s and Cle de Peau.
For the lips I tried the new Holiday Lipstick Cashmere in Follow Me #504 and two of the regular Lipstick Cashmere colors in #101 Pouty and #102 Song Bird along with the Lip Glorifier which is pretty much sold out everywhere and a little hard to find. I have two semi-hits and two misses with these.
The Holiday Lipstick Cashmere in Follow Me is also sold out pretty much everywhere, but I hope I can ease your mind if you really wanted it and missed out. It’s a gorgeous peachy pink neutral with a creamy velvety feel but it was semi streaky. The color did not last long on me at all and since it sold out I did try to dupe it. I found quite a few similar options which I’ve swatched below. Lasting power was pretty mediocre with this color – I kept it on while arm swatching other products and in 30 minutes it had already faded noticeably and started to separate. Not ok for a $65 lipstick!
The good news is that the regular Lipstick Cashmere lineup is better for lasting power and finish. #101 Pouty is a pretty neutral nude pink and #102 Song Bird is the perfect medium rose. Both glide onto the lips smoothly like soft velvet and they have a semi matte finish. If I had not tried Pat McGrath’s MatteTrance Lipsticks I would have given the Cle de Peau lipsticks an A rating, however Pat McGrath has set the bar so high for me – I don’t think it gets better than her mattes for pigment, texture and lasting power. The formula between Cle De Peau and Pat McGrath aren’t quite the same though so I don’t know that a comparison is fair. I do think hands down you should save your budget for anything Pat McGrath because the quality of her line is phenomenal and she’s also having a sitewide sale on her website. Because her lipsticks are so good I feel like almost everything else I’ve tried ranks a B to B- or lower by comparison.
Last but not least is the Lip Glorifier. It’s marketed as next level amazing but I think it’s just ok. It’s good but has a very similar concept to the Dior Addict Lip Glow. It’s a light pink balm that has a slight tingle and slightly pink tint. It adds a pink glow and color to the lips but in a very natural way. It made my lips full and smooth and lush. I do think the Dior Lip Glow is a classic that can’t be beat, if you’re going to find a color transforming balm Dior is the best one I’ve tried. Cle de Peau’s is also very nice but for the price and size Dior wins hands down. I give this a semi-miss because of the super small size and the fact that I don’t think it’s quite as revolutionary or unique as I expected.
For those who like Follow me and are bummed it’s sold out, swatch comparisons below to a few similar options. The finish isn’t going to be the same because the Lipstick Cashmere is velvety, but you can get a similar color by trying any of these options:
Button cuff sweater worn from Loft (runs true to size).
Overall I do think Cle de Peau offers some beautiful high quality products. I know many fans are die hard loyal to the products and skincare so I hope I don’t offend fans with my less than stellar review. I think there are definitely good solid items to choose from. I think their Facial Cotton and Face Puff are excellent and worth the splurge even though there are cheaper alternatives that are just as good. I found prices for this line too high for me and I do not feel this haul was not worth what I spent. I’ve happily purchased and splurged on many things to review for this blog but in this case I feel the $800+ cost would have been better MUCH spent on things like the simplehuman large pro wide sensor mirror or Diptyque Advent Calendar instead. Or even the Dyson Air Wrap Styler that many of you have been asking me to review (however it seems to be sold out everywhere).
The Cushion Foundation was my favorite out of all the things I tested but the extremely limited shade range is so disappointing, not to mention the fact that it doesn’t even come with a refill. There are other brands that have expensive cushions but I do appreciate that some of them come with a refill which makes the splurge feel a little better. I think the Radiant Corrector for Eyes is excellent but also think the shade range could be improved.
I had high hopes for the lipsticks and while they’re not bad, I think there are superior formulas out there at lower price points. Same goes for the highlighting powders and highlighter stick. I’m going to keep trying with the highlighter stick – I keep reading so many good reviews on it, I’m determined to make it work for me. All this said I do think they offer some good pieces perfect for the beauty lover who wants something very understated and naturally glowy. I know not everyone wants super bold or intense shimmer, sometimes it’s nice to have more natural options. I’m all about natural but found these too natural even for me.
If you love the brand I’d love to hear about your favorites! It’s been a while since I’ve looked into the new launches so if there’s anything you think is an absolute must let me know in the comments.
NARS just launched a new eyeshadow palette today called the NARS Ignited Eyeshadow Palette ($59 for 0.05 ox/1.2 g x 12, made in Canada). It’s available exclusively at Sephora.com and NARS online for now, expected to launch in stores on 12/10/2018. I have a look plus swatches of this palette today!
NARS Ignited has a mix of mattes, shimmers, glitters and intense sheen shadows. It think it’s very much on trend with the pink and red eyeshadow colors that are “in” right now. If you already own a lot you may want to shop your stash. I find it similar to the Urban Decay Naked Cherry but the NARS Ignited Palette has more intense shine and sparkle with the shimmer shades. They have that same unique finish as some of their hardwired shadow singles.
Colors all have really phenomenal pigment in this palette. I appreciate that especially since not all previous NARS palettes have had consistently good pigment or color payoff across all shades. The colors as I see them are:
Hammamet 1 is a soft peach tan matte
St Paul de Vence 1 is a satiny warm peachy pink with a sheen
Light Up is a glitzy pale pink
Atomic glittering pale pink
Sophia matte neutral brown
Supernova shimmery warm pink
In Heat duo chrome shimmering mauve
Ignition sparkling pink with glitter
Noumea matte warm brown
Fired Up shimmery red pink
Fuse sparkling glittery purple
Pointe Noir shimmery deep plum sparkle
I believe all the mattes in this one are available individually, the shimmers all look new to me. There will be some fallout with application on the sparkles when you apply, but once on the lids they stayed put all day without any budging. I did not need to use a shadow base or cream shadow stick to make them adhere although adding one will help if you have dry lids.
Larger swatches:
This is the same size compact and pan size as last year’s NARSissist Wanted Eyeshadow Palette. The mix of textures and finishes is similar but color scheme is different. I have a side by side of the palettes below but could not fit them all on one arm to swatch side by side. I swatched them last year and the colors are a lot warmer or more neutral while this years’s NARS Ignited is more pink and plum.
Overall solid performance for color payoff, pigment, smooth finish and lasting power. It has some beautiful finishes for the shimmers that have intense sparkle but apply nicely without having fall out after it sets. That being said I think it’s very similar to a number of other palettes out right now. I love more neutral tones so between Ignited and Wanted I prefer the Wanted, but they are different in overall undertone and color scheme. If you already own Urban Decay Naked Cherry I think you’ll find this one very similar. A quick look at both shows that NARS Ignited has more intense shimmer and pigment with the sparkles while the Urban Decay has softer shimmers. The one for NARS has more of a wow factor with the glitz and sheen, but it’s not too intense that I felt uncomfortable wearing it. It’s beautiful for sure – I don’t think you’ll be disappointed because it’s easy to wear and quality is on point, but check your stash to see how many pink/plum palettes you have if you’re concerned about dupes.
You can find the NARS Ignited Eyeshadow Palette available exclusively at Sephora.com and NARS online for now, expected to launch in stores on 12/10/2018. If you’re shopping at Sephora they’re having their Holiday Hooray event now for Rouge! Details and codes are as follows, offer is a one time use:
Rouge Members November 29 through December 12 receive $25 off $75 purchases or more with code 2018HOORAY
VIB Members November 30 through December 12 receive $20 off $75 purchases or more with code 2018HOORAY
Insiders November 30 through December 11 receive $15 off $75 purchases or more with code 2018HOORAY
What do you think about the palette? Do you like pink tones for eyeshadows?
NARS palette provided for review. Additional press samples have a * next to them.
I fit as many swatch comparisons as I could on my arm to the other LUST Glosses I own. I swatched the neutral lighter shades side by side:
