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Cle de Peau Beaute Radiant Lip Gloss Review

January 29, 2018

Cle de Peau Beaute just launched several items for spring and the new Radiant Lip Glosses ($36 each for 8 ml/.25 oz, made in Japan) caught my eye immediately. There are eight shades of gloss all with a radiant and glowing theme that reflect light with subtle shimmers. It’s been a while since I’ve bought any makeup from Cle de Peau although I regularly restock on their Facial Cotton and love their Loose Powder Puff. The last thing I bought lip-wise was the Radiant Rouge Liquid which I thoroughly enjoyed and based on that fact decided to splurge on all of the new Radiant Lip Glosses that launched for spring.

The new Radiant Lip Glosses are cushiony glosses that have a very smooth non-sticky finish. There is a very slight hint of a soft floral scent but it’s a barely there kind of scent so those who prefer scent-free lip products will still be able to wear them. Based on the arm swatches online I expected medium coverage. On me these are sheer to medium, but definitely pull more on the sheer side. Each shade has some degree of reflective shimmer – some are more sparkly than others but every one has a very natural looking sheen.

The eight shades include gem-inspired names:

1 Rose Quartz – pale pink with light gold and light pink flecks, basically clear
2 Warm Crystal – medium iridescent warm beige with silver sparkles
3 Charm – soft rose with a very natural pearl quality
4 Pink Aura – light warm peachy pink with pink and silver sparkles
5 Dream Stone – coral pink cream
6 Rose Pearl – cool toned pink pearl
7 Star Dust – brighter pink with pink shimmers
8 Fire Ruby – sheer red

They come with a sponge tip applicator that has a twist. The wand itself is semi flexible so it molds to the curve of the lips. I love the formula in the sense that it feels comfortable and hydrating. No irritation or peeling the next day after use. I do wish the pigment was kicked up a notch as the colors are gorgeous! But since I have pigmented lips 1 through 4 pretty much look the same on me. The closest thing I can think of in terms of formula is the Chanel Rouge Coco Glosses but the Cle de Peau ones are sheerer, more cushiony and not quite as thick.

As far as lasting power goes they stay put pretty well but as with any sheer formula it’s not going to last for hours and you’ll need to reapply. I just finally tried one of the Lipsticks and the formula is AMAZING! If you’re looking to splurge and love Cle de Peau Beaute, I’d say maybe buy one or two of the glosses but save your pennies for the Lipstick or Radiant Liquid Rouge.

Radiant Lip Gloss + swatches:

All swatched side by side, all on bare lips. On my face I’m wearing the UV Protective Cream Tinted Broad Spectrum SPF 50 in Ochre + Armani Luminous Silk Powder Foundation in #4:

I’m happy with my haul. I think the price point is reasonable, especially since these glosses are from Cle de Peau Beaute. As a gloss I don’t think these are must-haves simply because they the pigment level in real life doesn’t quite match the online swatches. Formula-wise though I think these are amazing. They are nourishing without that heavy feel. Lips feel very smooth and the finish is cushiony without any tacky feel. I think these are really nice glosses, if there was more color payoff they’d be 100% perfect to me, but I like the colors in the lineup.

I do think I’ll be reaching for these frequently in the upcoming months. However my heart still belongs to the Radiant Liquid Rouge and I’m hoping more shades will be launched in that formula.

For now with the new Radiant Lip Gloss, my top picks: Warm Crystal, Star Dust and Dream Stone.

You can find the Cle de Peau Beaute Radiant Lip Gloss at counters now. I bought mine from Neiman Marcus. Also available at Nordstrom, Barneys New York, Bergdorf Goodman, Saks Fifth Avenue and Cle de Peau Beaute.

Are any of these on your radar? What’s your current favorite lip gloss formula?

21 Comments

Highlighters Natasha Denona

Natasha Denona Spring 2018

January 26, 2018

Natasha Denona Spring 2018 has two new stunning palettes called Diamond and Blush ($89 each for 6 x 7 g/0.25 oz) and three new shadows called Duo Chrome Top Coat ($28 each for 0.2 oz/ 6 g). The collection is all about the glow with multi-dimensional finishes and textures. I think highlighters and glow are here to stay for quite some time!

Duo Chrome Top Coats

Up first are the Duo Chrome Top Coats which are similar in packaging to the Crystal Top Coats from holiday. The new ones for spring have a more finely milled shimmer with a clear duochrome finish while the Crystal ones were more sparkly. Finish and texture is cream to powder and for me these are best applied with the fingers dabbed onto the lids. Pigment is sheer to medium but buildable. For me the Spring Duo Chrome Top Coats are too trendy for me to pull off. There are three shades:

Brown Mauve/Purple is a mauve pink with purple shimmer
Burnt Terracotta/Green is a yellow terracotta that flashes green
Lavender/Gold and Silver is a pale lilac lavender with gold and silver shimmers

The only shade that had fallout on me was the lavender one. The others went on the lids smoothly and blend well together. Even though the Crystal Top Coats are a lot more sparkly, I feel like I can wear those because the bases are more neutral.

Diamond and Blush Palettes

The Diamond and Blush Palettes are absolutely gorgeous! After seeing them in action on Natasha Denona’s Instagram @natashadenona I was a bit worried these would be way too intense on the shimmer and color. You can definitely apply them and build intensity for a stunning glow, but if you’re like me and prefer a more conservative look the good news is you can blend and sheer out the products for a more natural looking finish. First I need to take a moment to say how pretty the packaging is. The pink is the prettiest shade of pink! The tops of both palettes are identical but they are almost holographic in the labels – you can see below just different angles with the light hitting shows different variations!

Each palette has three different finishes Diamond, Blush and Glow and each finish comes in a Cream and Powder form (6 colors total per palette). Darya is the pink option and I’m completely obsessed with the colors. Everything blends out beautifully on the skin and you can control intensity or sheerness easily by layering and blending. Top pink is Darya. Bottom peach is Citrus.

Darya – Pink Tones

Darya colors and descriptions:

Diamond Glow Cream Base is a smooth champagne shimmer
Diamond Powder is a glittery sparkling champagne with silver flecks (best for me worn on eyes)
Cream Blush is a soft coral pink with a very subtle sheen
Powder Blush is a coral pink
Duo Glow is a pink gold duo chrome cream to powder feeling highlighter
Glow Extreme is a shimmering sparkly champagne

Swatches:

Look below featuring:

Base/foundation is Cle de Peau UV Protective Cream SPF 50 in Ochre
Powder is Armani Luminous Silk Powder Foundation #4
Concealer is Tarte Shape Tape Concealer in Medium
Cheeks has layers of Darya Diamond and Blush Palette Diamond Cream Base + Cream Blush + Powder Blush + Duo Glow
Eyeshadows are the Glow Cream Base + Diamond Powder
Brows are Hourglass Arch Brow Volumizing Fiber Gel in Soft Brunette
Mascara is L’Oreal Lash Paradise Waterproof in Blackest Black
Lips is the Cle de Peau Radiant Lip Gloss in 6 Rose Pearl (review coming soon)

Citrus Palette – Coral and Peach

Citrus descriptions:

Diamond Glow Cream Base is a bronzey tan shimmer
Diamond Powder is a sparkling gold
Cream Blush is a coral cream
Powder Blush peachy gold shimmer
Duo Glow iridescent yellow
Glow Extreme shimmering tan/bronze sparkle

Swatches:

Look below featuring:

Base/foundation is Cle de Peau UV Protective Cream SPF 50 in Ochre
Powder is Armani Luminous Silk Powder Foundation #4
Concealer is Tarte Shape Tape Concealer in Medium
Cheeks has layers of Citrus Palette with Diamond Cream Base + Powder Blush
Eyeshadow is the Glow Cream Base + Diamond Powder layered
Brows are Hourglass Arch Brow Volumizing Fiber Gel in Soft Brunette
Mascara is L’Oreal Lash Paradise Waterproof in Blackest Black
Lips is the Chanel Rouge Coco Gloss in 744 Subtil (also reviewed here)

Based on the product descriptions I thought the Palette Duo Glows would be similar to the individual Duo Glows she launched last year. I found them completely different in finish/texture so instead I’ve compared the individual Duo Glows to the Powder Blush in the palettes (hope that’s not too confusing). I also pulled a couple of her individual Glow Powders to compare below.

Bottom line: very much on trend but not too trendy for me (yay!). I 100% recommend the Diamond and Blush Palettes. The glittery diamond powder is a bit much for my face but I can wear it easily on the eyes as an accent or shadow. Since there are lots of sparkles and shimmer flecks with the Diamond Powder and Glow Extreme there will be some fall out if you apply with a brush. It’s easy to clean up though and once everything is on the face it pretty much stays put. I love that the palettes are glowy but the creams aren’t too emollient so they don’t get oily (at least not on me).

For me the Duo Chrome Top Coats are a pass simply because I don’t wear those kinds of colors. Yes I’m a bit boring when it comes to eyeshadow, but what can I say, neutral is how I like it.

You can find the Natasha Denona Spring 2018 collection at Sephora and Beautylish. Definitely check out the tutorials and swatches on @NatashaDenona Instagram because it will give you a better idea of how much pigment you can build.

Natasha Denona spring collection provided courtesy of the team for review.

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Lips Marc Jacobs Beauty

New Marc Jacobs Beauty: Le Marc Liquid Lip Crayon and Cream and Sugar Trio

January 24, 2018

There are some new Marc Jacobs Beauty launches out now for the lips and I have a few swatches of some of the shades! A new lipstick formula is out called the Le Marc Liquid Lip Crayon ($26 each for 0.07 oz/ 2 g). Also new is a super cute set of minis called Cream and Sugar Nude Lip Trio ($25) with a new color of liner, gloss and lipstick called Cream and Sugar.

The Le Marc Liquid Lip Crayons are ultra pigmented smooth chubby sticks. Marc Jacobs Beauty calls this “liquid lip in a stick.” These are one-swipe wonders with a rich creamy texture that feels like it melts into the skin. They have something they also call “ghost pearl” which is a very subtle sheen you can see on the lips to add dimension. Formula-wise these are incredible. Probably the most cushiony chubby pencils I’ve ever tried. They’re super comfortable on the lips and last like a long-wear lipstick. I love that they have a little shine/sheen and don’t look dry like a lot of the current lip trends did last year. The only downside for me and pretty much a deal breaker for most of the colors is that the colors are very dark and bold. As a neutral lip lover there is only one shade I feel I can pull off which is Night Mauves.

I have four colors:

Send Nudes is a deep brown nude, this makes me look dead
Night Mauves is a pearly soft pink, doesn’t really pull mauve on me but I love this shade!
Pink Straight is a super bold bright pink
Plum N Get It is a bold plum

I would have liked some more natural shades or medium-brights like the colors from the Hourglass Confession Ultra Slim line or Chanel Le Rouge Crayon de Couleur formula. But the formula is top notch! Another look + swatches below. Packaging is in a twist-up format and the lids have a special locking feature when you press down so they don’t pop off easily in your purse. I love little details like this!

I added an arm swatch of Le Marc Liquid Lip in Slow Burn which to me is the best neutral medium rose color ever made:

Next is the Cream and Sugar Nude Lip Trio which has a new shade Cream and Sugar. It comes with minis of the Le Marc Lip Creme (peachy nude), (P)Outliner (peachy nude) and Enamored Hi-Shine Gloss (pearly gold champagne). I’m completely obsessed with all the colors and hope this means we can expect new shades in the full sizes soon. The lipstick is full coverage and opaque with a creamy feel (review on the formula when it originally launched here). The lipliner is really opaque and matte so it does tug a little on bare lips. The gloss is super pretty with a sheer finish.

Lipstick and liner have no detectable scent or taste. Gloss has a slight minty scent like all the other glosses. They have a nice cushiony feel and even though this gloss has sparkle it’s still smooth without any gritty feel.

This swatch shows the gold pearl of the gloss better, there are multi-colored sparkles which makes it hard to photograph all aspects of the gloss:

Swatch comparisons to some other nudes for reference:

Bite Beauty Amuse Bouche in Honeycomb review here
Marc Jacobs Screen Test swatched here
Marc Jacobs Anais swatched here
Marc Jacobs No Angel here
Tom Ford Lips and Boys in Bradley here
Marc Jacobs Sugar Sugar review here

I’m completely in love with Cream and Sugar Lip Trio. I’ve bought some of the other mini sets they had which are usually limited-edition. For the Lip Crayons I love Night Mauves. Since I know not everyone is a neutral lip lover like me I do think a lot of women who like bold lips will find something to love. The formula is soooooo good, I do hope they expand the line.

You can find both available now at Sephora and Marc Jacobs Beauty. The trio is limited-edition.

Marc Jacobs Pink Straight and Plum N Get It provided courtesy for review.

73 Comments

NARS

NARS Spring 2018 Collection

January 23, 2018

Spring beauty launches are among my favorite for the fresh glowy vibe you usually see. NARS Spring 2018 has a pretty mix of soft and bold for a feminine look. It’s available online at NARS Cosmetics until February 2nd. At all other retailers after that date (just around the corner!), a few pieces currently also available at Barneys New York. So many of you have been excited about the new Lip Covers as you loved the formula when it was launched last year. I’m happy to see more shades launch although I wish they would make them permanent!

A look at the entire Spring It On collection from NARS, everything is limited-edition:

Lip Cover ($28 each) in Embrasse Moi, Under Arrest, Summer Fire and Hell Gate
Velvet Shadow Stick ($29 each) in Frioul and Galice
Highlighting Blush ($30) in Free Soul
Liquid Blush ($30) in Hot Tin Roof

The best items to me are the Lip Covers. Some have a little bit of shimmer this round and are full-coverage without any detectable scent. These are what I feel liquid lipsticks should be like – full coverage, smooth with a creamy feel and little bit of shine. Embrasse Moi is a pale shimmering champagne that can be tricky to pull off alone, it looks a tad bit streaky when you apply but it is easily smoothed out. Under Arrest is a warm yellowed beige tan cream. Summer Fire is the best shade in my opinion, it’s a shimmering neutral-cool rose pink that isn’t too blue so I can wear it without it pulling to barbie on me. Hell Gate is a gorgeous brick red, on my lips it’s a bit brighter than what I see in the tube but still very pretty. These have a decent amount of lasting power – but they aren’t transfer proof. As long as your lips don’t touch cups or food then they’ll stay put.

All swatched on bare lips:

The only two items in this collection I’m not crazy about are the Velvet Shadow Sticks in Frioul (pretty gunmetal) and Galice (pale green), mainly because I can’t wear the colors. They’re gorgeous and smooth with lovely shimmer but my olive complexion can’t pull them off. I do have this formula in other colors, I adore Nepal and Corfu to name a couple. The ones for spring are very pretty but I put them on my eyes and it didn’t look good with my complexion.

Swatches alongside a few other shades I can wear. NARS Velvet Shadow Stick vs By Terry Ombre Blackstar in Blond Opal and Ombre Mercure for some reason have a similar vibe but the undertone and shimmer make them easier for me to wear. Right now the Laura Mercier Caviar Eye Stick in Grey Pearl is the only grey colored shadow stick I own. Sugar Frost is more neutral but has a similar level of lightness.

For the cheeks there’s a new shade of Liquid Blush called Hot Tin Roof which is a brick color. It’s ultra pigmented and a little goes a very long way. I applied it with just a dab and it was still very intense. Right now I think the color is too deep for me but I’m at my lightest without much of a tan. In a few weeks once the sun and heat returns I will probably get more color quickly and find this easier to wear. The Highlighting Blush in Free Soul is a pale pink with the prettiest soft smooth pearl shimmer. It’s glowy but in a soft way and I’m COMPLETELY obsessed with it.

Swatches below, I also added the Liquid Blush in Dolce Vita next to it (review here):

Two looks, left wearing:

Foundation – NARS Natural Radiant Foundation in Vanuatu
Concealer – Tarte Shape Tape Concealer in Medium
Powder – La Mer Loose Powder
Eyes – NARSissist Wanted Eyeshadow Palette
Brows – Hourglass Arch Brow Gel in Soft Brunette
Cheeks – NARS Liquid Blush in Hot Tin Roof (it’s soooo pigmented!)
Lips – Lip Cover in Hell Gate

Right side wearing:

Same as above except for lips/cheeks
Cheeks – NARS Highlighting Blush in Free Soul
Lips – Lip Cover in Summer Fire
Black Tee – Splendid

I think the lip and cheek items are gorgeous but my top two picks are Free Soul and Summer Fire. You can find the NARS Spring 2018 Collection at NARS Cosmetics and Barneys New York right now. Available at other retailers such as Sephora, Nordstrom, Neiman Marcus and Net-A-Porter starting February.

Have you tried anything from the Spring Collection yet? If not what’s on your wishlist?

NARS Spring 2018 collection provided courtesy of NARS.

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Highlighters Hourglass Cosmetics

Hourglass Vanish Flash Highlighting Sticks

January 19, 2018

Hourglass is on a roll with new launches this spring and they have a new product called the Vanish Flash Highlighting Stick ($42 each for 0.21 oz/ 6.1 g). Their Ambient Lighting Powders are among my favorite for a luminous glow and now they’ve launched a Cream Stick version with five shades of their Vanish Flash Highlighting Stick. These are smooth easy to apply highlighters that come in a similar package to the Vanish Seamless Foundation. The formula is lightweight but creamy. According to Hourglass you can use these for the underglow as a base underneath foundation or for an overglow on top of foundation on high points like cheekbones, brow bone, nose or cupid’s bow. I’ve tried both and like them on the cheeks and eyes. The formula has enough creaminess to allow it to blend but it’s not so dewy that it will pull your foundation/powder. They have a soft dry down but it’s still creamy in finish. We are having Florida’s version of winter right now so I don’t know how these will hold up in hot weather or humidity, but for now it has stayed put all day without sliding off the face or eyes.

The shimmer is medium – it’s definitely glowy. Straight from the tube it’s metallic but if you blend it out it smooths nicely to a radiant finish without a harsh frost. If you liked the concept and colors of the Ambient Lighting Strobe Powders but found those glittery (I personally loved them here but I know lots of you complained about the sparkle) you might want to give the Vanish Flash Sticks a try instead because there’s no sparkle fallout.

Vanish Flash colors include:

Champagne Flash – a champagne pearl shimmer
Pink Flash – light pink shimmer
Gold Flash – pale yellow gold shimmer
Bronze Flash – warm bronze gold
Rose Gold Flash – looks more pink mauve oyster on me

Champagne Flash

Above wearing the NARS Velvet Matte Skin Tint in St. Moritz, Tarte Shape Tape Concealer in Medium, La Mer Pressed Powder in Light, Chanel Rouge Coco Gloss 722, Marc Jacobs Eye-Conic Eyeshadow Palette in Glambition, Diorshow Brow Styler in Universal Brown, L’Oreal Lash Paradise Mascara in Blackest Black.

Pink Flash

Gold Flash

Rose Gold Flash

Bronze Flash

Overall a solid winner. My favorites are Champagne Flash and Pink Flash. In the face beauty looks above I only applied the highlighter for the three shades I did looks for to show what they look like alone. I typically don’t just wear highlighter – I’ll usually add a blush or bronzer as well. I really like these on the eyes as well. For application Hourglass recommends you blend with one of their brushes. I’ve found they work well straight from the tube and then I blend with my fingers. Or I’ll take my fingertips and rub them on the stick then apply onto the cheeks. They’re really quite versatile. If you’re in the market for a cream highlighter I’d recommend checking out one of these.

You can find the Hourglass Vanish Flash Highlighting Sticks out at counters now. Five shade options total. Available in stores and also online at Sephora, Nordstrom, Net-A-Porter and Hourglass Cosmetics.

Do you have a favorite Hourglass highlighter? Have you checked these out yet? What did you think? If not – what’s your current favorite highlighter?

Vanish Flash provided courtesy of Hourglass for review.

17 Comments

Dior Lips

Dior Addict Lip Glow Color Reviver Balms New Shades

January 17, 2018

There are new shades of the Dior Addict Lip Glow Color Reviver Balms ($34 each) and they are amazing! If you’re like me you probably started jumping for joy as soon as you heard the news that more colors and formula finishes were going to be launching this spring. For those who are new to these, the Dior Addict Lip Glow is a color-changing balm that shifts in color depending on your lip chemistry. This year they’ve added two new finishes in a Matte and Holographic version along with two new shades of the Original Classic formula. Six new shades total.

For the six shades some are retailer specific so you’ll have to shop around to find all the new ones as some are store exclusives. I found Nordstrom and Neiman Marcus have 5 of the new shades, Sephora has 1 exclusive to their store and 2 other options of the new colors. My thoughts and description of the colors and finishes. Since these will adjust to a unique shade on your skin depending on your chemistry the overall look will most likely be different on you.

Pink 001, Coral 004, Lilac 005, Berry 006 are the older shades you can see swatched and reviewed here
Raspberry 007 and Ultra-Pink 008 are both glossy sheer flushed pinks
- Raspberry looks deeper in the tube than Ultra-Pink but for my lip chemistry Raspberry turned into a lighter pink on my lips
- Ultra-Pink looks lighter in the tube but it gave me a deeper more flushed berry pink look
Matte Pink 101 and Matte Raspberry 102 have a matte finish with a nice blurred lip look
- Matte Pink is a soft diffused pink, it doesn’t brighten or deepen like the original on me, it still goes on darker than what you see in the tube which is a soft powder pink, on my lips it’s a pretty soft blurred pink matte
- Matte Raspberry is a cool-toned raspberry pink with a matte finish
Holo Purple 009 and Holo Pink 010 are sparkling shimmers
- Holo Purple 009 gives an iridescent lilac pink that deepens on my lips (Sephora exclusive)
- Holo Pink 010 gives a flush like the original Pink 001 but with iridescent flecks of shimmer

There’s no detectable scent. They are moisturizing with a glossy finish for the regular and holographic shades. The matte ones have a distinct matte finish but aren’t drying. Sometimes the colors will adjust deeper on my lips and give them a pink stain. Other times they’ll give my lips a lighter flush.

A closer look and swatches, below top to bottom:

Matte Pink, Matte Raspberry, Ultra-Pink, Raspberry, Holo Purple and Holo Pink

Foundation worn on my face is NARS Natural Radiant Longwear Foundation in Vanuatu (all shades of the formula swatched here) with Armani Luminous Silk Powder Foundation #4 to set. All lip products were swatched on bare lips.

A look at the Dior Addict Lip Glows new shades in direct sunlight:

There are a few other color-changing balms on the market including the new shades of the Bobbi Brown Extra Lip Tints (reviewed here) and MAC Tendertalk Balms have made a comeback (review on the original launch here). All have a similar balmy cushiony feel, moisturizing finish and glossy look. My favorites are the Dior although each formula has a similar finish and vibe. The Dior is the most hydrating on my lips and has the softest feel to me. I also like Dior’s colors the best but between the different brands I’ve tried they are pretty similar for formula.

Out of the new shades, my favorites are the Matte Pink, Raspberry and Holo Purple. Out of all the shades available I’d say my favorites are still probably the Coral and Lilac.

This week’s giveaway in the Rafflecopter widget below. One winner will receive the new Dior Holo Pink Highlighter, Holo Pink Addict Lip Glow and Ultra-Pink Addict Lip Glow. Open internationally but you must be 18 years or older to enter and qualify. I’ll pick one at random through the widget below. Not sponsored or affiliated. I will e-mail a winner within 72 hours after the giveaway ends. I usually ship prizes within a week.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Have you tried the new shades yet? Or the original ones? Do you have a favorite brand/formula of color-changing balms? You can find the new Dior Addict Lip Glows at all Dior counters now. Do keep in mind you may have to search a few stores for all the shades. I bought mine from Nordstrom and Sephora. Also available at Neiman Marcus, Saks Fifth Avenue, and Dior.

197 Comments

Bobbi Brown Highlighters

Bobbi Brown Extra Glow Collection

January 15, 2018

For spring getting that glowing beauty look is still very much on trend and Bobbi Brown has an Extra Glow Collection that they call “light reflecting and treatment infused.” I think most of the collection is limited-edition, a few pieces have already sold out at stores near me – you may have to shop around online for all the colors. From what I remember the first time Bobbi Brown launched her Extra Lip Tint it sold out extremely fast as well.

Up first is the Extra Glow Skincare Palette which I think is perfect for carrying around with you and throwing in your purse for on-the-go. I normally don’t think of having skincare in palettes but this is really quite genius. It has her Extra Face Oil, Skin Salve and Extra Soothing Balm which are great for lips and cuticles.

It’s been a while since I’ve tried any of her skincare items and I was pleasantly surprised by these. The Extra Face Oil is super hydrating and meant for dry skin. For me I like to put these little travel sizes on my cuticles and the balms on my lips. The Skin Salve and Extra Soothing Balms make for nice lightweight lip treatments.

Also for the face are three Extra Illuminating Moisture Balms that are pearl-infused. They are similar to MAC Strobe Creams but the Bobbi Brown ones are slightly less iridescent in finish once you blend. I received Golden Glow and Bare Glow as press samples but purchased Pink Glow because I wanted to see how different all three were. On my olive/medium skin I find all of them work to give the skin a subtle luminous glow. They disappear into a very subtle glow on the skin. I’m probably on the lighter side now that I’ve lost most of my tan. They have a nice hydrating feel but the hydration is very lightweight so I’d recommend using a moisturizer underneath.

Bare Glow is a pearly color, Pink Glow is a soft pink, Golden Glow is a soft warm skin-toned gold. Above you can see once they’re blended there’s no shimmer or frost, just glow. It’s something that is definitely more visible in person rather than a photograph. You can use these alone as a lotion, as a primer or over makeup for a dewy glow. These have a lightly moisturizing feel. There’s no greasy feel and they don’t make you look oily. I felt these were best on me over moisturizer and under a medium-sheer foundation or mixed in with foundation. If you use a full coverage foundation on top it will pretty much cancel out the glow effect.

There’s a new Highlighting Powder called Opal Glow. It’s highly reflective with a really pretty opal pink iridescent finish. It’s very shimmery and sparkly but you can definitely apply with a light hand for a sheer wash. It’s not quite duo-chrome but almost has that kind of quality. I thought for sure it would be too sparkly but I actually love it. There are noticeably larger shimmer particles but it’s not quite glittery.

Swatch comparisons below to Bobbi Brown Afternoon Glow (cooler-toned and less iridescent with a smoother finish), Tawny Glow (deeper and more mauve), Tom Ford Lavender Lure (highlighter portion), Laura Mercier Face Illuminator in Devotion (cooler toned) and Dior Nude Air Luminizer in Holo Pink (a lot lighter).

For the lips there are new shades of her Extra Lip Tint. I have three of them in Bare Pink Sparkle, Bare Melon and Bare Popsicle. These have a little bit of color in them – I can’t tell for sure if these are ones that adjust to your natural lip color or simply have a nice tint. On my arms they look like they have a soft tint that seemed to adjust after a minute. On my lips they mimic what you see in the tube even though they’re sheer. Bare Pink Sparkle seems to have sold out many places (I only see it at Macy’s) and I’m not sure if it’s going to restock. Sometimes this turns a deeper pinkish color on my lips (as shown below), other times it’s just clear on my lips with a soft hint of shimmer. My favorite of the three is Bare Popsicle because it gives the lips a soft pink tint. There’s no detectable scent and they last like a regular lip balm. They are very moisturizing without feeling thick. I have a slight preference for the Dior Addict Lip Glows because I find them more moisturizing and the colors shift more on me.

I’m experimenting with finding different places to get good light in our new home! Quick look without flash, a light wash of the Opal Glow Highlighting Powder on the cheeks, Bare Melon on the lips, Estee Lauder Doublewear Foundation in 3W1 Tawny mixed with the Illuminating Moisture Balm in Golden Glow, Armani Luminous Silk Powder Foundation #4 to set, Diorshow Browstyler in Universal Brown, NARS Radiant Creamy Concealer in Ginger.

Overall a lovely collection for that soft glow. I’m really liking the Illuminating Moisture Balms for a very natural radiant finish that isn’t greasy and doesn’t get oily as the day progresses. If I had to pick just one it would be a tough call between Golden Glow or Pink Glow. The Extra Lip Tints are really nice as well – I love the slim white packaging because it has a tiny bit of pearl. Opal Glow is also stunning – it does have more of an iridescent sparkly flash than the beauty look shows because I applied with a super light hand for a wash of shimmer. If you can’t do super sparkly I’d recommend you try before you buy if you can because it’s extra glowy.

Available now at Bobbi Brown counters, also online at Bobbi Brown, Barneys New York, Neiman Marcus, Nordstrom, Sephora, Macy’s and Saks Fifth Avenue. Most of the collection appears to be limited-edition.

Have you tried the Bobbi Brown Lip Tints before? Or anything else from the spring line? What did you think?

Extra Glow Collection provided courtesy of Bobbi Brown for review. Pink Glow purchased by me.

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