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Hourglass Ambient Diffused Light Palette

July 14, 2017

For the Nordstrom Anniversary Sale the Beauty Exclusive for Hourglass this year is the Ambient Diffused Light Palette ($62 for .34 oz/9.7 g, made in Italy). I’ve been a fan of the Ambient Lighting line since it launched in 2013 and to date I haven’t missed any of the limited-edition palettes except for one of them. They’re great for travel and if you’re new to the line it’s a nice more affordable way to try multiple colors rather than buying individual ones separately. The Ambient Diffused Light Palette has existing shades:

Ambient Lighting Powder in Diffused Light – light pale yellow with fine shimmer
Ambient Lighting Blush in Diffused Heat – poppy with the Diffused Light Powder swirled in to the color (full review here)
Ambient Lighting Bronze in Diffused Bronze Light – soft warm bronze swirled with the Diffused Light Powder (full review here)

These performed true to Hourglass style – they’re soft and luminous without any harsh frost. In terms of a highlighter or hybrid kind of product these give the prettiest soft glow to the complexion to mimic the way light hits the face naturally. Pigment is medium but can be sheered out or layered for more impact. On me they are easy to apply and never look frosty. If you’re like me you most likely already have all the colors individually – I usually still get the palettes anyways because they are super convenient for travel or to carry around for touch ups. I rarely calculate the prize per oz of palettes vs individual items but for those curious, individually the Powder is $46 for .35 oz ($182.35/oz), the Blush is $38 for .15 oz ($253.33/oz) and Bronzer is $50 for .39 oz ($128.21), Palette is $62 for .34 oz ($182.35/oz).

In this palette for some reason when I saw it in store, Diffused Heat looked pink rather than poppy in color. I compared them when I got home and the difference is slight but still noticeable. The individual Diffused Heat is clearly more red while the palette version is a bit more pink. On the face however the difference is slight. Comparisons below. I threw in Luminous Flush as well for comparison. Since these are hand swirled no two powders will look the same.

Palette swatched next to the individual colors. You can see the Diffused Heat in the palette is a bit more pink than the Diffused Heat in the individual version. Let me know if you see the same in yours (I checked about 4-5 compacts in store and they all looked consistently the same).

Left photo is just with a base, right photo is with the palette. For those curious on what I used to prep:

Dior Hydralife Fresh Hydration Sorbet Creme was used to prep the skin
Diorskin Forever and Ever Wear Makeup Primer used as a base
Diorskin Forever Perfect Foundation in 21 and 31 mixed
Hourglass Vanish Seamless Foundation Stick in Nude used as a concealer
Charlotte Tilbury Air Brush Flawless Finish Skin Perfecting Micro-Powder #2 to set
Dior Lacquer Stick in Underground on the lips (also available in the Nordstrom Anniversary Addicted to Nude Lip Set)
Diorshow Brow Styler used in Universal Brown
Tank top by Rag and Bone/Jean

On the right, I’m wearing all three shades from the Ambient Diffused Light Palette on the cheeks.

Since so many of you ask what brushes I recommend, really any blush brush will do. My favorites coming soon in an updated post. For now here are some of my smaller-sized favorites. Left to right is the Wayne Goss #02 (mine is from The Collection Set, Charlotte Tilbury Powder and Sculpt, Wayne Goss Air Brush, Chanel Blush Brush, Wayne Goss #14 (from The Face Set) and Hourglass Brush #2. Picking one will depend on what kind of pigment/coverage you like. The Hourglass brush is a good all around blush and powder brush. Loose fluffy ones like the Wayne Goss #14 will give a more sheer wash.

One last look, it also comes with a tiny sample pack of their Mineral Veil Primer (not shown):

Bottom line pretty and very wearable. Perfect for travel or if you’re just getting into Hourglass. If you’re like me and have been collecting for years this is a pretty redundant option. If you already own these, unless you travel a lot or want something for on the go that’s easy to touch up, you might want to explore other options. For me it was worth purchasing even though I already have the colors.

You can find the Ambient Diffused Heat Palette exclusively at Nordstrom for the Anniversary Sale. Don’t forget to check out the Gift With Purchase page – there’s a gift with $75+ beauty purchase going on from multiple brands, you do need to enter a code (site has different options). Is this one on your wishlist?

Press samples featured include the Dior skincare and Wayne Goss brushes. All others purchased by me.

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Highlighters NARS

NARS Bord de Plage Highlighting and Bronzing Palette

July 5, 2017

NARS has been on a roll with new launches and the latest is the Bord de Plage Highlighting and Bronzing Palette ($59 for 0.11 oz/3.2 g x 6). This is currently a Nordstrom exclusive and fairly similar to the Sephora exclusive Banc de Sable (no longer available, but review and swatches here). As a highlighter fan I had to try the new one even though it looked like there was a possibility the two would be really close. If you already own the trio, I don’t think you need to get the 6-pan palette unless you’re really wanting the sunwash bronzers.

The Bord de Plage Highlighting and Bronzing Palette has six shades in a large mirrored compact. There are four highlighters in the same pressed version as Banc de Sable. There are also two bronzers in the Sunwash Bronzer formula (reviewed here). The highlighters are all gorgeous with a beautiful shimmer that blends in with the skin nicely and doesn’t emphasize pores or lines. The shimmer is noticeable but not overly frosted. The Sunwash Bronzers aren’t really something I’m a huge fan of, although I do feel the ones in the palette have a less muddy feel/look to them on my skin compared to the individual ones I bought earlier in the spring.

Colors in the palette include the following, top row:

Rivage (also in the Banc de Sable Palette) is a pale ivory white-gold shimmer
Crique is a light yellowish gold champagne shimmer
Laguna Sunwashed bronzer is a medium brown tan with a matte finish

Colors in the bottom row are slightly darker:

Corniche is a shimmering champagne with cool-tones, it’s a pearly color
Galet is a shimmering champagne peach-copper
Casino is a slightly deeper version of Laguna

Swatches:

Comparisons between Banc de Sable and Bord de Plage, Rivage in both is identical. The Sale in the trio is almost identical to either Crique/Corniche. Quick note on Galet – I’m quite tan right now so it appears more champagne than copper on me. I’ve looked at swatches on some other blogs and Galet looks more coppery on fair skins.

Quick look with Bord de Plage Palette wearing Crique and Rivage on the Eyes with the Loaded Eyeshadow Palette. On the cheeks is Laguna with Corniche and Galet mixed/blended. Foundation is the Velvet Matte Skin Tint in St. Moritz. On the lips is Marc Jacobs Sugar Sugar. Top by Joie.

One last look:

Bottom line I love this palette but find it really similar to the Banc de Sable one so I probably did not need both. Quality is excellent with smooth shimmers that blend nicely into the skin – it’s perfect for cheeks and eyes and you do get a good mix of champagnes and pearly shades. I do think there are similarities between the top and bottom but I really love all the colors so I don’t mind. Lasting power is really good with this one – it stays put for a long time even with the heat and humidity. If I had to pick this or the trio, I would pick the trio because it has that pretty peachy shade which I don’t see here. Still this one is quite good and I think it’s reasonably priced.

The NARS Bord de Plage Palette is available at Nordstrom. It’s limited-edition. Have you tried this one yet? Or did you get Banc de Sable?

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NARS

NARS Narsissist Loaded Eyeshadow Palette Review

June 29, 2017

By now the NARSissist Loaded Eyeshadow Palette ($59 for 12 x 0.04 oz/ 1.4 g, made in USA) is old news but with this one I say better late than never. It’s a limited-edition eyeshadow palette that launched in the spring back in March. My first thoughts were that the colors would be too warm and dark for my taste – but every single time I went to Sephora (which was quite often) I couldn’t help but give it another look. This went on for months and I finally decided to cave and buy it. Overall it’s one of the darkest and warmest palettes I own but the pigment and texture is by far the best one I’ve tried in a long time, definitely one of the best from NARS.

The palette has a mix of mattes and shimmers. The mattes are incredibly soft and smooth. To date the best matte palettes I own are the Urban Decay Naked Basics and Naked2 Basics (both swatched here). The mattes in this palette are just as good but with warmer colors. Colors have a really good mix of light, medium and dark. The entire second row has colors I thought would be too warm for me but since I’m tan right now I find they work perfectly, especially when layered with the other shades in the palette.

Pigment is excellent for all the colors, except one. Montaillou (bottom brown matte) is the only one that goes on chalky with a regular eyeshadow brush. For me this one is best applied with a detail brush as a smokey line.

It comes in a sturdy mirrored compact with a gold mirrored lid on top (looks just like the packaging). The only complaint I have is that these lids show all the fingerprints, but it’s not a deal breaker and the packaging is actually really quite nice.

Colors and swatches:

Newbury Street is a pale white gold shimmer
Windsor is a matte cream, it’s perfect to even out my lids
Privilege is a shimmering gold
Dover is a matte taupe
Foix is a matte warm beige
Castille is a matte warm brown
Alnwick is a shimmering auburn
Beaumaris is a shimmering cool brown
Splendor is a metallic silvery taupe
Versailles is a shimmering bronze
Montaillou is a matte bark brown
Reale is a deep shimmering black

Quick look with Windsor, Privilege, Castille, Versailles, Montaillou layered and blended. Foundation is MAC Studio Fix Fluid in NC37. On the cheeks is NARS Orgasm Blush. On the lips is Bite Beauty Meringue Amuse Bouche with NARS Sweet Revenge Lip Gloss on top.

Bottom line love and I’m glad I bought it. It’s one of the best warm smokey palettes I’ve tried and one that will definitely be wearable year round. At $59 I feel it’s reasonably priced for a luxury palette. 100% worth the splurge and one I find every color one I would wear (even the warm ones!).

You can find the NARSissist Loaded Palette at most counters now. I bought mine at Sephora. Also available at NARS, Neiman Marcus, Nordstrom and Saks Fifth Avenue.

Have you tried this one yet? What’s your favorite warm smokey eyeshadow palette to date?

P.S. The Nordstrom Anniversary Sale is approaching and the catalog has been released! A sneak peek at some of the Beauty Exclusives on this page here. There will be a really cute NARS mini multiple set! Will be updating as I find out more information.

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Becca Highlighters

Becca Light Chaser Highlighters and Liquid Crystal Glow Glosses

June 27, 2017

Becca Cosmetics launched a collection of shimmery colors for eyes, lips and cheeks with their Light Chaser Highlighters ($34 each for 6.5 g/0.23 oz) and Liquid Crystal Glow Glosses ($22 for 5 g/0.17 oz). There are six shades total for each formula and each color has a shifting quality with a duo-chrome finish. The quality of the powders, blendability, pigment and colors are all very good. In terms of color, these seem to be among the most trendy that I’ve seen and although I’m a die hard fan of glowy highlighters I found most of these a bit too trendy for my personal taste. That being said these are designed to be versatile to wear alone or layer on top of other makeup to take your look to a new level of glow so whether or not these are up your alley will depend mainly on your preference for colors.

Light Chaser Highlighters are multi-dimensional kaleidoscopic powder highlighters that come in a smaller compact. These are highly reflective with a duo-chrome sheen. Some have a stronger duo-chrome sheen than others. For me these are definitely best when layered with other regular blushes or bronzers. You can also wear these on the eyes for a pretty sheen. The texture is very smooth and easy to blend. Out of all the shades, there were really only 2 that I feel comfortable wearing.

Pearl x Gold is a yellow shimmer with a gold flash
Rose Quartz x Seashell is a pale pink with iridescent sheen
Opal x Jade is a pearl base with a light greenish-teal flash of shimmer
Amethyst x Geode is a cool pink lavender that flashes a violet sheen
Topaz x Gilt is a bronze olive base with a green flash
Champagne Dream x Bellini is a soft peachy opal shimmer

I think it’s pretty predictable which two I could wear: Rose Quartz x Seashell and Champagne Dream x Bellini. I don’t wear yellow or olive well as I already have a lot of yellow and olive in my skin. So when I layer olive on top of olive, it tends to make me look sallow. I also can’t wear things that flash blue or cool-toned very easily, it often has a sharp contrast that I feel doesn’t meld well with my olive skin. All that being said the colors are beautiful in the pans and texture/quality of the powders are really good. If these flashed warmer colors I think I would be able to wear them more easily.

Liquid Crystal Glow Glosses come in colors that are coordinated with the Light Chaser Highlighters. They are extremely sparkly and glowy but have a smooth cushion-like finish. They are on the thick side but don’t feel sticky and are scented with a sweet coconut vanilla tropical scent that I’d normally associate with a body oil. The good thing is the scent fades after a few minutes and there’s no taste. The sparkles in these are intense. I love shimmer but these are very glitzy. If you layer them on top of a lipstick or pencil the shimmers aren’t quite as dramatic. They have a transparent base so your natural lip color will show through. Lasting power is average for a gloss. They stayed put for a few hours until I had a snack and coffee.

Colors shown left to right:

Pearl x Gold is a white pearl with pale gold flecks of shimmer
Rose Quartz x Seashell is a pale pink with cool-toned opal shimmer
Opal x Jade is a lavender mauve with teal shimmer
Amethyst is a lavender with violet aqua shimmer
Topaz x Gilt is a mauve with blue shimmer
Champagne Dream x Bellini is a peach with opal flecks

On the lips they photograph well but the lip swatches I photographed didn’t really resemble what they looked like in real life so for this post I’m only posting the arm swatches. With the reflective pearl and semi transparent base my natural lip color showed through and didn’t really capture what the colors looked like. In real life they are what you see in the tube: lots of sparkle, crystal and glitz. A couple beauty looks below will show you what I mean about the photographs – it looks just like a shiny gloss as my natural lip color shows through.

Foundation worn is MAC Studio Fix Fluid in NC37. Left photo has Light Chaser Highlighter in Champagne Dream x Bellini on the cheeks and the same shade of gloss on the lips. You can’t really see the sparkle in photographs because they catch the light nicely and the transparent base makes my natural lip color show through. In real life it’s very glittery and glitzy.

On the right I’m wearing the Sunlit Bronzer in Bronzed Bondi (reviewed here) mixed with the Light Chaser Highlighter in Rose Quartz x Seashell and corresponding gloss on bare lips.

One last look:

Bottom line the products are exactly as described. I’d call these next level shimmers with their kaleidoscope finish and to me they’re very trendy. As a conservative makeup wearer I favor the Becca x Chrissy Teigen Palette by far. It’s one I reach for frequently this season. My two favorites are the Champagne Dream x Bellini and Rose Quartz x Seashell. Quality-wise the powders are excellent. Pigment is medium and easy to either sheer out or layer for more intense color. I’ve never been a fan of light duo-chrome colors as the shimmer tends to look harsh on my skin and since four of the six options fall into the yellow or blueish sheen category which don’t work for my skin tone, I find the colors aren’t ones I’d wear on a regular basis. To sum it up, these are pretty good, but the colors are just not my style. That being said, I may be in the minority – the reviews on Sephora are overwhelmingly positive.

You can find the Becca Light Chaser collection exclusively at Sephora, in stores and online and online at Becca Cosmetics. They are all limited-edition. Have you tried these yet? What did you think?

Many thanks to Becca for sending these for review.

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Christian Louboutin

Christian Louboutin Metalinudes Review and Swatches

June 23, 2017

Christian Louboutin launched new shades of shimmering Loubilaque Lip Lacquer ($85) and Nail Polish ($50) in their Metalinudes Collection. There are three new shades of each and they are absolutely stunning. As a huge fan of both formulas from Christian Louboutin Beaute the new shimmers do not disappoint. The colors are highly reflective with shimmery pigments. Glosses have a high shine and luxurious smooth and semi-thick feel without any grit from the shimmer. The nail polishes are highly metallic shades enriched with chrome-like pigments of aluminum and tan opal mica making them ultra shimmery but completely smooth without any visible brush strokes. I’ve been playing with these for weeks and love every single item. Two of the glosses were sent courtesy of the Louboutin team, the rest was purchased by me. I have swatches of all six items today.

The three Metalinudes Nail Polishes have stunning pigment with metallic sheen. Because of the shimmer they do go on my nails to show the metallic chrome more than the base color when they dry down. I find one coat sufficient but prefer two. Below we have Preciosa which is a metallic silver rose, Goldissima which is a shimmering gold with silver flecks, and Irisa which is a cool-toned silvery mauve. I don’t often wear silvers well because it clashes with my olive skintone but this one is really pretty. Out of the three my favorite is Goldissima.

Swatches with two coats each:

Three Metalinudes Loubilaque Lip Lacquers are just breathtakingly beautiful. They’re like the opposite of that matte liquid lip trend and as a lipgloss lover I could not be more happy with these. Preciosa is a pale shimmering pink, Goldissima is a shimmering warm peachy gold, Bronzissima is a shimmering bronze. Pigment is medium with a slight transparent finish so my natural lip color shows through. If you have less pigmented lips the color will show more true to tube on you. Texture is slightly thick but still smooth – if you’re familiar with the Anastasia Beverly Hills Lip Gloss formula, I would say texture and thickness is about the same. These have shimmers but absolutely no gritty feel. Lasting power is very good – it will transfer if you drink or snack, but if you leave the lips untouched they last for hours. There’s also no sliding around or slipping.

These come with the sponge tip applicator for easy application. The ribbon is removable.

Swatches:

Close up of the shimmers:

Swatches next to the other two neutral Loubilaques in Akenana and Altareva reviewed in this post here:

These are swatched on bare lips, foundation worn is the Tom Ford Waterproof Foundation and Concealer in Natural.

Bottom line gorgeous and well thought out colors and formulas. I give them all a 100% thumbs up although I do understand that this line with the packaging and price points is not for everyone. For me, I felt these were completely worth the splurge. I have yet to be disappointed with a nail polish or lip product that I’ve tried from the line. The quality and pigment to be very good. Still $85 for a gloss is indeed extreme, as is $50 for a nail polish. That being said it’s expected from a luxury line like Christian Louboutin. I get asked over and over again if I think the prices are worth it – I think prices of many things aren’t really worth it, but it won’t stop me from splurging.

All the Metalinudes items are limited-edition. You can find them now at Nordstrom, Neiman Marcus, Saks Fifth Avenue, Sephora and Christian Louboutin. Have you tried these yet? If yes what did you think?

Preciosa and Bronzissima Loubilaques gifted courtesy of the Christian Louboutin team. All others purchased by me.

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Marc Jacobs Beauty

Marc Jacobs Beauty Coconut Collection, Highliners and New Glosses

June 19, 2017

Today I have a roundup of some new launches from Marc Jacobs Beauty. This year they’ve launched quite a few new things including a Coconut Collection with coconut-scented face products, new Highliners in a matte gel formula, and new shades of the Enamored Hi-Shine Lip Lacquers. I reviewed one of the new glosses Skin Deep already in this post here, but thought I’d swatch it next to another newer shade I got in Rah Rah! which is a mini that I ordered as a Beauty Insider perk several months ago. The items I have been the most excited for are the Coconut O!Mega Bronzer and Coconut Gel Highlighter in Dew You? – unfortunately both have sold out online several times, even after restocking. I almost gave up on the bronzer but found it in New York earlier this spring. After I got back home to Tampa found it popped up several places online and also in my local Sephora stores. I am hoping they will restock both again because the coconut scent is to die for!

Up first is the Coconut Collection. I received an unexpected press package with four items but by the time I received it I had actually already bought the gel highlighter and bronzer. I also had the primer (when it originally launched, used it up, but never repurchased). So now I have a couple backups and am well stocked on coconut-scented items. I also received a mini setting spray as a Beauty Insider perk from months ago so I thought I’d review the entire collection here for those who haven’t tested it yet.

Shown above is the:

(Re)Cover Perfecting Coconut Setting Mist (one shown is a mini sample size GWP)
Under(Cover) Perfecting Coconut Face Primer
Coconut Gel Highlighter in Dew You?
O!Mega Bronzer Coconut Perfect Tan in Tan-Tastic!
The Bronze Bronzer Brush (White)

Below is a closer look at three of the new items. The Coconut Gel Highlighter in Dew You? was previously reviewed and swatched in my spring highlighter edit. It’s a light gold gel highlighter that has a quick dry down with a light golden sheen. It’s very concentrated so I like to dab a little with my fingers as the finishing touch where I want to add a bit of a highlight. The O!Mega Bronzer Coconut Perfect Tan in Tan-Tastic! is a really good soft matte bronzer that doesn’t oxidize on the skin. It’s slightly cooler than the Tantric version. Both have a super smooth finish and look very natural on the skin. I usually prefer a little shimmer in bronzers because matte ones tend to look muddy or darken on me but both of these are really among the best in terms of matte options. The Bronzer Brush is so soft and plush – I love the white packaging although if you already have the original one they perform exactly the same.

Swatches below also shown next to the Marc Jacobs Beauty Spotlight Glow Stick, O!Mega Bronzer in Tantric which is warmer (on the face here), and Air Blush in Flesh and Fantasy (reviewed here). If you already have the Spotlight Glow Stick I don’t think you need both – they have a similar effect, unless you want something to mix into foundation then the drops make more sense for that purpose. Also the Dew You drops have that amazing coconut smell, but color-wise they look very similar on my skin.

The Under(Cover) Perfecting Coconut Face Primer is one of the nicest primers I’ve used. It is a hydrating formula that smooths the face and primes it well for foundation. I’ve never been a huge fan of primer so if I buy one I tend to use it up but rarely repurchase. This one did work for me to help extend the wear of foundation. It has a light refreshing feel with a hydrating finish. I do think it’s better suited for normal to dry skin. I’ll be testing out more primers with this humidity but for now I’m perfectly happy with my moisturizer, sunscreen + foundation and powder without adding an additional layer.

The (Re)Cover Perfecting Coconut Setting Mist shown below is a mini that I got as a Beauty Insider Perk. The first few times I used it I thought the misting pump was defective but I read the reviews online and many said to use it as the instructions indicated which is to press down on the top COMPLETELY for a super fine mist. If you spritz it like a regular spray, the mist that comes out is uneven resulting in a splotchy application. If you press down all the way the mist does comes out in a super fine even spritz. This is another hydrating product designed to “revive your glow” and I found it very hydrating – probably one of the most hydrating mists I’ve ever tried. Since I don’t have super dry skin I found it too moisturizing for me. I do think this will be good for in flight since my skin tends to dry out during travel. I’ll keep this one in my travel bin for our next trip. I think our instinct is to do a quick spray when it comes to face mists – the packaging on this one is actually pretty well designed, but not really intuitive unless you read the directions on how to spray it. If you have this one and thought it had a defective nozzle give it another try and let me know what you think.

Up next are two Enamored Hi-Shine Lip Lacquers. Rah Rah! is a new shade that I got as a mini beauty insider perk a while back. It looks like a light apricot peach and the pigment is sheer to medium, but on my lips it transforms into a milky almost pinkish color. Your mileage will definitely vary depending on your lip tone. Since I have slightly pigmented lips this looks more pink than peach on my lips. Skin Deep was reviewed here. I’m completely obsessed with this one! There’s more coverage with these two compared to the first round of gloss colors that were launched. In case you missed it, all the original shades reviewed and swatched here. I did side by side comparisons below of what I thought might be similar.

Last but not least are some of the Highliner Gel Eye Crayons. Earlier this year they launched a matte version. These are really under-rated. They’re gel pot liners in pencil form and truly last a long time without smudging or fading. They have a lot of fun edgy colors but I usually only wear bronze or brown (yes, boring but it’s what works for me). Swatched below are the colors I’ve worn and tried. My favorite is Brown(Out). I may have put the parentheses in the wrong places for the labels but I double checked the names and they’re all labeled correctly. Huge thumbs up for their lasting power. I’ve had and used up RoCoco before and really liked the formula. Make sure you cap them tightly though because they can dry out a little at the tips.

Marigold is a bright shimmery yellow gold, Rococo is a shimmery taupe brown, Brownie is a matte warm brown, Brownout is a deep shimmering brown, Earthquake is a matte deep brown, Irony is a matte grey black.

Below a quick look with:

Foundation worn is NARS Sheer Glow Foundation in Stromboli
Charlotte Tilbury Flawless Powder #2
Marc Jacobs O!Mega Tan-Tastic Bronzer
Marc Jacobs Coconut Gel Highlighter in Dew You? on the cheeks and eyes
Marc Jacobs Highliner Matte Gel Liner in Earthquake to line
Marc Jacobs Enamored Hi-Shine Lip Lacquer in Rah Rah! (which looks more pink than peach on me)

Bottom line if you can find the Tan-Tastic Coconut Bronzer, get it. To date there are very few matte bronzers that work for me. Tom Ford Terra (small size is still the original color/formula), Benefit Hoola and Benefit Hoola Lite are the best ones in my experience for powders. Otherwise most darken or look muddy on my skin. I’m a huge bronzer addict and most of the time I need either a cream or if it’s a powder I need at least a tiny bit of shimmer. Marc Jacobs also makes great matte ones so I highly recommend you try either one.

The Primer and Mist are good if you have normal to dry skin. If you’re like me and have normal to combo skin you may find them a bit too moisturizing, especially with warm weather for the summer time.

If you’re in search of an eyeliner that stays put I highly recommend you check out the Highliners. And final thought is if you can splurge on a bronzer brush, the Marc Jacobs Bronzer brush is one of the softest fluffiest ones I’ve ever tried. Definitely worth checking out if it’s in your budget.

You can find Marc Jacobs Beauty at Sephora, Neiman Marcus and online at Marc Jacobs Beauty. I’m hoping they will restock the bronzer and dew drops! If you’ve tried these let me know what you thought 🙂

Marc Jacobs Beauty items featured in this post sent courtesy of Marc Jacobs Beauty for review. I did also purchase the Bronzer and Dew Drops separately from Sephora. Skin Deep Lip Gloss also purchased by me from Sephora.

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Lips MAC

MAC Lipglass Picks and Swatches

June 15, 2017

Earlier this spring MAC repackaged their Lipglass ($17 for 3.1 ml/0.10 fl oz). They merged a few of the formulas such as the regular tinted lipglass and lustreglass into one. There are some new shades but a few of the original colors have also made their way into the new packaging, but they aren’t all the same – for example the original Love Nectar isn’t the same as the new one. The packaging itself is larger however it appears product weight has dropped quite a bit. Weight may vary per tube depending on when you got them, but I have a few that say 0.16 fl oz/4.8 ml. This isn’t the first time MAC has repackaged a product and reduced product size/weight – I’m still a little irked about when they redesigned their Pigment packaging with less product, but it hasn’t stopped me from buying new shades. Also they do last a long time so it’s not a deal breaker, more just the principle of price per weight.

I hauled 13 shades but luckily I had quite a few B2M empties to exchange for new glosses. Quite a few had sold out by the time I made my way to the counters and I checked back a few times and many were sold out for weeks. By now I think all the colors have restocked (at least online). A closer look at the packaging. The new tubes have a sleeker more modern look to them.

The shade I picked out are listed and swatched in alphabetical order:

Color descriptions from left to right. They have the same signature MAC lip scent with has a tinge of vanilla but isn’t overly sweet. Sticky level is medium to high but it’s not so tacky that it bothers me as long as I wear an even semi-thin layer.

Beaux is a warm tan beige with a fine pearl, this one has sheer to medium coverage
Candy Box is a cream medium pink, coverage is medium
Cultured is a light pink with a slight pearly lilac tinge, coverage is medium
Love Nectar is a semi-sheer light peachy pearl, it’s lost it’s iridescent quality that it had with the Lustreglass formula, but the new version has slightly more pigment/coverage, this one has sheer to medium coverage
Lust is a peachy pink brown cream, coverage is medium
Nymphette is a frosted pink gold with a lot of gold, coverage is medium
Oh Baby is a sparkling bronze with visible shimmer sparkles, coverage is medium
Oyster Girl is a light opal pink pearl, coverage is sheer-medium
Pinkarat is a shimmering pink with gold, more pink in this one, coverage is sheer-medium
Prrr is a frosted pink with white pearl, coverage is medium to full
Spice is a warm brown caramel cream, coverage is medium to full
Spite is a cool mauve with slight taupe, coverage is medium
Steel Kiss is a silvery mauve with silver sparkles, coverage is medium

Lip swatches below on bare lips. Note that some of these are on the sheer side so quite a few of them look similar on me. Of course they will look different on you depending on how dark/light your skin is and also what your lip tone is. On the face I’m wearing the Sulwhasoo Perfecting Cushion in No. 25 Deep Beige with NARS All Day Luminous Powder Foundation in Laponie (I also wear Punjab).

All of them side by side:

Some thoughts about the new packaging and the color options:

Formula of the Lipglass seems to be the same in texture and pigment. They’re semi-sticky for high shine and on me they do adhere well to the lips which makes them last a decent amount of time.
The Lustreglass shades seem to be more like Lipglass formulas now. Previously the Lustreglass was a thinner lighter texture with a tiny brush tip applicator and sheer coverage. Beaux and Love Nectar are both slightly different in color compared to their original versions. I haven’t had time to swatch the old vs new. I know I have owned 8 of the shades in the old formula – if you want a comparison I’ll try to see if I can find them (if I didn’t B2M them) and do side by sides. Let me know in the comments.
Shade wise there are a couple that are really similar. Nympette has more gold than Pinkarat, I prefer Pinkarat just because sometimes I can’t wear a yellow gold easily with my olive complexion. Lust vs Spice depends on your undertone preference, I prefer Lust because Spice pulls orange on me.
Shades I didn’t like include Steel Kiss and Spite. Both look ok in photographs, especially with a flash. But they have too much mauve/grey undertone to be ok in natural light on me. I can adjust them with a liner or lipstick to warm them up though.
Prrr is still as frosty as it was in the original formula, but for some reason I find the new one more wearable.
Oh Baby is a lot more sparkly than I could show in photographs.
If you want a neutral pinky brown color Lust is your best option. However Chanel Rouge Coco Gloss in Caramel and Caresse have way better formulas and smoother coverage. Swatched side by side here next to both Lust and Spice.
I try to do all the lip swatching in a post in one session for lighting consistency. Sometimes my lips can get super raw from all the wiping and reapplying. This round I decided to use the Bioderma Hydrabio Cleansing Water and the following days my lips were 100% fine. Disclaimer is that the bottle says it’s for Face and Eyes. No mention of whether or not you can use on the lips so I’m not sure if it’s safe. It worked for me though. Just a tip in case you want to try it.
Top two picks are Beaux and Cultured for the best color.

Overall I really like the new packaging style (with the exception of the weight drop). Out of all the other color options the only other one I had on my list is Love Child which I love in the original formula. I may pick that one up in the fall as right now I’m not that into plums for summer. Quality and pigment wise I found these consistent with the formula in the original packaging. Colors have changed a bit though. Overall a thumbs up.

You can find the MAC Lipglass at all MAC counters now. Online at MAC, Nordstrom, Saks Fifth Avenue and Ulta Beauty.

Have you tried the new ones yet? If so which colors?

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