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Becca Sunlit Bronzers Review and Swatches

May 10, 2017

Becca launched their new Sunlit Bronzers ($38 each for 7.1 g/0.25 oz, made in USA) at the end of April and these are hands down among the best bronzers I’ve ever tried. At this point in my beauty testing life I seriously thought that there was little room for improvement in the bronzer world. I’m a total bronzer addict and have tested all kinds – liquids, powders, creams, gels, shimmers etc. I often wear bronzer instead of blush to add depth or color my beauty look. The Becca Sunlit Bronzers have the softest sheen without any hint of frost on the skin. The texture is finely milled without a lot of fall out. They blend beautifully with the skin. I’ve historically been normal to oily but with the heat in Florida (and change in water) I would say I’ve become more normal to dry and some powders have started to emphasize lines or patches. Not the case with these bronzers. They have a rich pigment that is easy to smooth out and build. They look incredibly natural on the skin and lasted all day on me.

There are five colors and the Becca team sent all the shades for review. Those who have fair skin have often commented that they have trouble finding any bronzer that will work for their skintones. With this line I think you will finally be able to use one that won’t turn orange on your complexion. For my deeper skin tone readers there are a couple shades at the deeper end of the spectrum that have amazing pigment so you should be able to layer for a beautiful glow. The shades:

The shades have a noticeable shimmer in the pan, on the face it just glows. There’s no frost or flashback. From left to right:

Bali Sands is a soft golden sand
Capri Coast is slightly deeper but still a light bronze
Bronzed Bondi is a medium amber bronze
Ipanema Sun is a deeper brown bronze
Maui Nights is a reddish terracotta bronze

The pans comes with an embossed wave/sand like pattern. You can see the flecks of shimmer in the pan in the sunlight:

All five on me applied with a light hand. The color is layerable but I wanted to show how natural these can look. On my complexion you can’t really see Bali Sands and can barely see Capri Coast – which I think will help my fair-skin readers get a sense that these are truly lighter bronzer shades. On the face I’m wearing the Diorskin Forever Foundation in 31 and the NARS Radiant Creamy Concealer in Ginger on spots. Face is also set with the La Mer Powder. On the lips is Tom Ford Lip Color in Spanish Pink topped with MAC Lipglass in Beaux (the new version). Stripe tee by Joie.

Two sets of comparisons below, Set 1 includes:

Benefit Hoola Lite Matte Bronzing Powder
Marc Jacobs Tantric Bronzer
Charlotte Tilbury Filmstar Bronze and Glow (Light-Medium)
Tom Ford Powder Bronzer in Terra (small one)
Hourglass Ambient Lighting Bronzer in Diffused Bronze Light

Set 2 comparisons include:

Hourglass Ambient Lighting Bronzers in Radiant Bronze Light and Nude Bronze Light
Marc Jacobs Tan-Tastic Bronzer
Charlotte Tilbury Filmstar Bronze and Glow Med-Dark (both sides)

Prior to testing these my top picks for bronzers included Edward Bess Daydream, Hourglass Ambient Lighting Bronzers, Tom Ford Bronzing Powder (original formula) and Chanel Soleil Tan de Chanel. Other favorites rounded up here. The Becca Sunlit Bronzer joins my list for top picks – it’s definitely one of the most natural looking bronzers that gives the skin a sunkissed look. The color options give you a decent range to pick from depending how natural or deep you want your bronzer to be. Bottom line it’s pure love and I highly recommend them.

You can find the Becca Sunlit Bronzers online at Becca Cosmetics, Beautylish, Sephora and Ulta Beauty. Have you checked these out yet?

Becca Sunlit bronzers provided courtesy of Becca for review.

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MAC

MAC Lipsticks #MACxLarLarLee and #MACxGabrielZamora Review + Comparisons

May 5, 2017

MAC partnered with 10 YouTubers and Instagram influencers around the world to create custom made lipsticks this spring. These special collaborations have been done in the US, UK, Canada, Brazil, France, Germany, Australia and the Middle East and you can only find the lipstick from each region specific to the area the influencers are from. For the US there were two launched for YouTube stars Laura Lee with #MACxLarLarLee (matte finish) and Gabriel Zamora for #MACxGabrielZamora (satin finish). Both were online exclusives and if you’re like me you blinked and then saw them sell out pretty fast. I’m hoping MAC will restock but won’t hold my breath as they were listed as limited-edition. As a MAC fan I would have loved to be able to buy all 10 as I think it’s so cool these influencers were able to make their own unique shade.

I know not being able to get these now is a bit heartbreaking (they were online exclusives to MAC’s website). I was traveling over the past few weeks and wasn’t able to get the review up early but thought it might be helpful to swatch these next to other lipstick colors. Many of you love the comparison swatches and if I can help you find a dupe or something similar (and even save you $$ in many cases) then my day is made. First a look at both shades.

On the nails is Essie Spin the Bottle (my fav neutral nail polishes here)

Both of these are beautiful neutrals but as many of you know, nudes and neutrals can be tricky to pull off depending on your lip tone and skin tone. I personally love shades like MAC Blankety, Angel, Creme Cup and Creme de Nude on my hand, but on my lips alone they are a complete disaster. #MACxLarLarLee is described as a universally flattering neutral pink with a matte finish. On me it pulls a bit cool as there is a tiny bit of mauve undertone. I think it photographs decent but in real life it’s too cool and tad too light for my olive skintone especially since I have darkened a couple shades since moving to Florida. Right now I’m a solid NC35-NC37 in the Studio Fix Fluid (NC25, NC30, NC35 and NC37 swatched here). Topping it with a gloss or adding a bit of liner like MAC Whirl makes it wearable for me. The closest option I could find is Yash which is nearly identical, but Yash is the slightest bit deeper and warmer with more beige.

#MACxGabrielZamora is the warmer and deeper option of the two. It’s described as a brown nude shade and I love the way this looks on Gabriel. On me it pulls slightly terracotta-ish. Almost like a 90’s version of nude but a lot more wearable than the classic MAC Spice Lipliner. This is another one I think photographs well but will look completely different depending on your skintone. I suspect if you are lighter or fairer than me it will definitely pull more red. On deeper skin tones or lip tones this will look more nude.

Swatches:

Close up lip swatches:

I couldn’t really find dupes but pulled what I had to compare, Set 1 has all MAC shades. I suspect that the Gabriel Zamora shade might be close to Creme in Your Coffee but I don’t own that one so I couldn’t swatch it.

Thoughts on the shades from left to right (P.S. Nordstrom has MAC on 10% off today, not sure how long it’s going on but they are price matching):

MAC Cremesheen Lipstick in Japanese Maple is a lot lighter and glossier almost white-looking by comparison
MAC Cremesheen Lipstick in Pure Zen is more peach and warmer
MAC Cremesheen Lipstick in Modesty is a more wearable version of #MACxLarLarLee on my lips, it has a similar vibe but since it has more pigment it gives me the look I hoped #MACxLarLarLee would be on me
MAC Matte Lipstick in Yash is slightly deeper and more beige but really close
MAC Amplified Lipstick in Half n Half is a shade lighter and less warm compared to #MACxGabrielZamora
MAC Lustre Lipstick in Hug Me is in between both shades in color, a lot sheerer and glossy
MAC Liptensity in Doe is a lot more beige compared to either and Toast and Butter is more brown-based (both on the lips here)
MAC Matte Lipstick Velvet Teddy is deeper than #MACxLarLarLee and not as red/warm compared to #MACxGabrielZamora (Velvet Teddy on the lips here)

Set 2 has a mix of other brands from NARS, Tom Ford, Kat Von D, Tarte, Bite and Charlotte Tilbury.

Thoughts on colors from left to right:

NARS Audacious Lipstick in Barbara and Raquel both pull on the lighter/neutral side on me, so if you find the #MACxLarLarLee too light for your skin and lip tone, try either of the NARS ones, they are more wearable (both lip swatched in this post)
Tom Ford Lip Color in Sweet Mystery is something I thought would have a similar undertone to #MACxLarLarLee, I was really wrong! (on the lips here)
Kat Von D Everlasting Liquid Lip Color in Ophelia is deeper and slightly warmer than #MACxLarLarLee, Bow n Arrow is a lot darker by comparison (both reviewed here)
Tarte Creamy Matte Lip Paint in Bestie is a lot deeper but still neutral cool-toned like #MACxLarLarLee (Bestie in this post here)
Bite Beauty Amuse Bouche in Chai has more blue compared to #MACxGabrielZamora (Chai reviewed here)
Charlotte Tilbury KISSING Lipstick in Stoned Rose is more orange compared to #MACxGabrielZamora (Stoned Rose swatched here)
Charlotte Tilbury Matte Revolution in Pillow Talk is what I’d consider truly neutral, it has the same intensity as #MACxGabrielZamora without the brown but it’s deeper than #MACxLarLarLee (Pillow Talk on lips here)

I do think both the #MACxLarLarLee and #MACxGabrielZamora are unique and special in their own way. On me I can make them work but since I have pigmented lips and am really picky with neutrals find that these both need a tiny bit of tweaking to make them more wearable. #MACxLarLarLee is a bit too light for my complexion, the next best options for me are MAC Modesty or NARS Raquel. #MACxGabrielZamora is a gorgeous brown nude but pulls a bit warm on me so I prefer something with a bit more blue like Bite Beauty Chai or something more neutral like MAC Velvet Teddy.

At any rate I hope that this post helps you if you missed out on both. Fingers crossed that MAC restocks these or that they launch all the collaboration shades everywhere, but I don’t think that will happen.

Did you order any of the MAC Influencer Lipsticks? If so which shades and what did you think? P.S. today’s the last day to enter my Antica Giveaway!

MAC #MACxLarLarLee and #MACxGabrielZamora provided courtesy of MAC for review.

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Clarins Lips Skincare

Clarins Instant Light Lip Comfort Oil – New Shades

May 3, 2017

Clarins fans will be thrilled to discover that they’ve just released four new shades of the Instant Light Lip Comfort Oil ($26 each for 0.1 oz/7 mL). I’ve been a huge fan of the formula for the lush moisturizing feel it gives. Since these are tints there is very little color payoff to these but the hydration in these is indeed comforting as the name implies and formula is top notch. It’s amazing how fast time flies but I last reviewed the original three shades a year ago here. The new shades come with different scents and one of them has gold flecks and shimmer in it. Shown below:

Candy 04 is a soft sheer pink, it smells like something sweet
Tangerine 05 is a deep red orange, swatched it pulls more orange, it smells like candy
Honey Glam 07 is honey with gold flecks, it’s not gritty or chunky even though the sparkles are visible, it applies smooth with a tiny bit of shimmer, it has a very faint hint of honey scent
Mint 06 is a sheer green, it has a very soft mint smell to it, this one is supposed to have a plumping effect but I didn’t notice anything different from the others which is actually good, I usually find tingly lip plumpers make my lips go numb

Overall with the exception of Tangerine, the other shades have a more lightweight scent to them. From the original launch Honey was my favorite because the scent was the most natural and soothing. With the shade extensions, I’m obsessed with all four even though they look similar on my lips. Also with this launch, Candy and Tangerine are designed to react to the pH of your lips so they are supposed to transform depending on your chemistry. On me they give a slight stain and since the tint is a bit brighter you can see the difference when swatched side by side. I’m not really into green colored makeup but my favorite of this launch is the Mint one!

For those who missed my original review or are new to these, the Clarins Instant Light Lip Comfort Oil is a hydrating lip oil that comes with a cushiony sponge tip applicator. They are scented to match the color name. They are semi thick but not tacky and give the lips a veil of gloss/oil to moisturize them. They noticeably soften the lips. Even though they are oils they don’t slide off the lips like you might think they would.

Swatched on bare lips:

Close up of Honey Glam, it’s hard to tell in the lip swatch above but the sparkles are visible on the lips:

All the colors side by side:

Swatches of Honey, Raspberry, Red Berry, Candy, Tangerine, Mint and Honey Glam below:

I’m a huge fan of the Lip Oils but not always a fan of sweet berry scents. Sometimes they can be a bit much with the sweetness which is why I liked Honey so much from the first round. The newer shades have a noticeable scent but I find them more subtle which is better suited to my super sensitive nose. Since they’re all sheer I still don’t think it’s a must to have them all unless you’re a die hard fan of the formula and like to keep multiples for the purse, bathroom, desk etc. Now that I’ve tested all 7, if I had to pick my favorites, they would be Honey, Candy and Mint. If oils just aren’t your thing but you like the idea of a tinted balm, you might want to check out their Instant Light Natural Lip Perfectors instead.

You can find the new shades of Clarins Instant Light Lip Comfort Oils at a few retailers online. I suspect they will arrive at more places online in the upcoming weeks. Right now available online at Clarins, Clarins UK, Sephora, and Bloomingdale’s. Have you tried these yet? What’s your favorite tinted lip treatment right now?

Clarins Lip Oils provided as press samples for review.

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Base Makeup Beauty Tools MAC

MAC Next to Nothing Face Colour and Pressed Powder

April 30, 2017

MAC recently launched a new line of base products for a natural look with new formulas of foundation, powder and two brushes in their Next to Nothing collection. The items are designed for a natural skin-like effect to give a radiant look to the face. I’ve found that over the years MAC base and powder formulas have been hit or miss for me. I have super sensitive skin and tried their Studio Fix Powder Foundation when I was in high school and it caused severe allergic reactions on my skin. To this day I approach their powders and foundations with caution only doing a patch test first. I can safely use their primers, skincare and some foundations without any issues and was thrilled to find that the Next to Nothing line works well for my super sensitive skin.

In the collection we have:

Next to Nothing Face Colour ($31 for 35 ml/1.2 fl oz)
Next to Nothing Powder Pressed ($27 for 10 g/0.35 oz)
140 Synthetic Full Fan Brush ($42)
141 Synthetic Face Fan ($35)

Next to Nothing Face Colour comes in 9 shades from Light to Dark Deep, my shade is either Medium or Medium Plus. This is a super sheer tinted cream foundation that allows the skin to breathe. It’s sheer but has enough pigment to even out the skin slightly. This is what I wanted the Make Up For Ever Waterblend Foundation to be (which broke me out and felt too sticky for my skin, I suspect I had an allergic reaction to the fragrance). The effect of the MAC Next to Nothing is similar to that of the Laura Mercier Tinted Moisturizer (which I’ve re-discovered and love) but the MAC is less dewy and not as moisturizing. If you need coverage this will probably not be the foundation for you, although you can definitely use this as a good base and then take a higher coverage foundation and layer on top for a more lightweight feel. There’s no detectable scent, it comes in a glass bottle with a pump, it’s easy to blend, it’s lightweight and lasts all day. Shades do run on the pinkish side but since the formula is sheer I was lucky that they worked on my yellow olive skin.

The #141 Synthetic Face Fan Brush is an odd shaped brush designed for the foundation. It performs well and gives the face a streak-free foundation application. It’s soft without being pokey but I’m still very much a sponge person when it comes to foundation application. That being said it’s a very good brush, I don’t think you’ll be disappointed if you try it.

Next to Nothing Powder/Pressed comes in 9 color options. I received 3 as press samples but none of them were a match so I ordered two more sight unseen in Medium Plus and Medium Dark since I’ve been getting darker since moving to Florida. My Mineralize Skinfinish Natural shade is Medium Plus and in the Next to Nothing Powder I can wear either Medium Plus or Medium Dark. Right now I’m in between shades. This is a finely milled powder that has a lightweight finish. It is very soft to the touch with an almost creamy feel. On the skin it has a more natural looking finish compared to the Mineralize Skinfinish Powder. Next to Nothing also feels just like the name implies next to nothing. There is a very tiny bit of fine pearl in the powder so it blurs the skin. For me I feel like the shades swatch a little bit on the lighter side, they look lighter in my swatches compared to what I see in the pan, but they will adjust slightly on the skin as it warms up. They do not oxidize in color on me though. I really love this powder.

Compared to some of my other favorites Charlotte Tilbury Airbrush Flawless Powder #2, Armani Powder Foundation #4, and MAC Mineralize Skinfinish Natural in Medium Plus. If you asked me to pick one favorite, I would not be able to. I would say the sheerest is MAC Next to Nothing, Armani Luminous Silk Powder Foundation is what I use to set with a brush, MAC Mineralize Skinfinish Natural feels a bit thicker compared to other powders due to the mineral finish. The Charlotte Tilbury has the fullest coverage for me.

#140 Synthetic Full Fan Brush is THE best thing in this collection and probably the best powder brush I’ve ever tried. I’m a huge fan of flatter powder brushes because I find they are easier to dust my entire face compared to a round brush. Flat brushes can be tricky for me though – some are too dense or too floppy. This one has the perfect density, shape, size and feel. I’m going to need to order a couple more – I like to have multiples for powders on hand for blending and application.

Overall as a sensitive skin person I’m thrilled to find that both the powder and foundation worked for me and did not cause any allergic reactions. I’m typically a medium to full coverage kind of girl for base products but my skin has improved over the years so I can get away with less coverage these days. Also with the heat in Florida I feel the need to find lighter weight products that will allow my skin to breathe. It’s only the start of spring and I know it will get warmer in the upcoming months. This will be one I use frequently even if I will still need to layer.

Have you tried these yet? If you’re a natural or sheer base kind of beauty lover, what other brands/formulas do you love? You can find the MAC Next to Nothing Collection available now. Online at MAC, Nordstrom, Saks Fifth Avenue, Bloomingdale’s and soon at Ulta Beauty.

MAC products provided as press samples for review. Two MAC powders purchased by me.

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Bronzer + Blush Hourglass Cosmetics

Hourglass Ambient Strobe Lighting Blush and Bronzer – New Shade Extensions

April 19, 2017

Hourglass fans rejoice because they’ve added new products to their Ambient Lighting Collection with their Ambient Strobe Lighting Blush ($38 each for .15 oz/4.2 g) and two new shades of Ambient Lighting Bronzer ($50 each for .39 oz/11 g). As a long-time fan of the Hourglass highlighters I’m thrilled to be able to review the new shades and swatch them for you.

Up first, a look at the blushes. For those new to the Ambient Strobe Lighting Blushes these are the most glowy blushes in the Hourglass line. I find that on my medium toned skin the colors appear borderline more like highlighters than blush. The shimmer is finely milled but on the glowy side. While I don’t see any frost in them, I will note that if you don’t like shimmer, you may want to opt for the Ambient Lighting Blushes instead. They have more color and less glow.

What I love about these is that they are glowy without being too frosty. They apply smoothly on the face and don’t emphasize pores. I do find they warm up a little bit about 30 seconds after application, however they don’t oxidize in color.

Ambient Strobe Lighting Blush comes in 4 colors:
- Incandescent Electra is described as a cool peach blended with Incandescent Strobe Light
- Brilliant Nude is described as a deep amber blush with Brilliant Strobe Light
- Euphoric Fusion is described as a lilac blush blended with Euphoric Strobe Light
- Iridescent Flash is described as a vivid magenta with Iridescent Strobe Light
- Note that three of the four Ambient Strobe Lighting Powders were in the limited-edition holiday palette and Incandescent Electra has been released as an individual color for quite some time
- For reference you can see the review/swatches of the Strobe Lighting Powders here

Face swatches of all four on medium-olive skin. On the face I’m wearing the Hourglass Vanish Seamless Foundation Stick in Nude. Lip colors worn with each blush listed below:

Hourglass Incandescent Electra with YSL Volupte Tint in Balm #7 (swatched here)
Hourglass Brilliant Nude with GIRL Lip Stylo in Believer (review here) + YSL Volupte Tint in Balm #7
Hourglass Euphoric Fusion with GIRL Lip Stylo in Activist (review here)
Hourglass Iridescent Flash with GIRL Lip Stylo in Creator + Achiever mixed (review here)

Up next are the bronzers. The original two bronzers Luminous Bronze Light and Radiant Bronze Light looked almost identical on me. The variation for me was slight but I do suspect colors will vary depending on how much highlighter versus bronzer you have mixed into yours. The powders are hand made which means each one is unique and different. I really loved Luminous Light and I still do. On me for some reason Diffused Light pulls warm even though it looks cool-toned in the pan. I love Nude Bronze Light because it appears slightly more matte than the other two. That being said they all look similar on me. The difference is in the undertone. These bronzers also warm up a little after application but they don’t darken or oxidize. A little goes a long way and they are super easy to apply/blend.

Ambient Lighting Bronzers are now available in 4 shades:
- Luminous Bronze Light is a medium toned bronzer with Luminous Light highlighter mixed in (reviewed here)
- Radiant Bronze Light is slightly deeper and warmer with Radiant Light highlighter mixed with a beige base (reviewed here)
- Nude Bronze Light is a new shade with a neutral nude bronze and a soft matte nude powder
- Diffused Bronze Light has a mix of cool brown bronze and a pale yellow powder

These were swatched with a heavy hand on the face to try and show the difference in undertone. On the lips is GIRL Lip Stylo in Idealist for all the face swatches below. To me they all look very similar. Nude Bronze Light seems to be the darkest on my complexion. Brush shown below is the Hourglass Brush #2. I have a couple of their brushes and need to explore more of them. They are synthetic and PETA friendly. They’re among the softest smoothest brushes I’ve tried. I think they’re under-rated.

If you missed out on the holiday palette you can find the shades individually now. I swatched my palette next to the individual ones and the colors, pigment and texture are the same. I still stand by original review and feel like the Ambient Strobe Lighting Blushes have more of a highlighter feel on me, but I still love them. For the bronzers variations will most likely be more apparent on you if you have lighter or deeper skintone. I’m right in the middle where all four have a very similar effect. My favorite is Luminous Bronze Light.

Bottom line beautiful powders, gorgeous packaging, seamless application. I love a good glow and these have a perfect mix of shimmer and color to look natural but still noticeably glowy.

You can find the Hourglass the blush and bronzer additions now at Sephora, Nordstrom and Hourglass Cosmetics.

Have you tried these yet? Or did you buy the palette over the holiday? What did you think?

Many thanks to Hourglass for sending the Ambient Lighting Bronzer and Strobe Lighting Blushes for review.

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Bronzer + Blush Fragrance Tom Ford Beauty

Tom Ford Paradiso Eye and Cheek, Sole di Positano, Soleil Blanc and Fleur de Portofino

April 12, 2017

I have some more Tom Ford Beauty newness to review in makeup and fragrance. I had already featured a large portion of the Summer Soleil collection last month and am still enjoying everything very much. After a bit of browsing online I noticed a few other products pop up called Paradiso in the Cream and Powder Eye Duo, Cream Cheek Color, Moisturecore Lip Color and Lip Color Sheer. Some other new launches includes a new perfume called Sole di Positano (already shown in this roundup here), Private Blend All Over Body Spray extensions to include Fleur de Portofino and an Dry Oil Spray in Soleil Blanc.

Up first are the scent and body extensions. I’m a huge fan of Tom Ford perfumes even though are on the expensive side. The Private Blends are my favorite and the best one I’ve bought include the Soleil Blanc and Fleur de Portofino. The latest is Sole di Positano which I’m obsessed with for spring. It’s fresh, green, bright different from anything I’ve tried before. Of course when I saw the body sprays and a dry oil spray I was intrigued. They are priced significantly lower so I had to investigate. I bought the Fleur de Portofino All Over Body Spray and the Soleil Blanc Dry Oil Spray and I have to say that the perfumes are the better buy for lasting power and strength. The Body Spray lasts a long time on me if I’m indoors but fades quickly on me if I go outside. Something with the Florida air, heat and my body chemistry doesn’t seem to want to hold the scent. The Dry Oil Spray has a very faint Soleil Blanc scent with a raw oil kind of scent if that makes sense. This one was a disappointment to me in terms of smell – I had expected it to be all kinds of amazing as I love the perfume, but I can barely smell it on me. That being said I had it on all over and my husband walked by me and said “wow you smell really good” which surprised me as I feel like the perfume version is more noticeable.

For color there’s a new Paradiso Cream and Powder Eye Duo. The cream side is lighter and more pink compared to Golden Peach while the glitter side is darker than Golden Peach. I love the cream from Paradiso and the powder from Golden Peach (go figure). I do think they’re different enough to justify both but you might disagree. I swatched them side by side so you can decide for yourself in the event you don’t have a counter near you.

Swatched below Laura Mercier Caviar Eye Stick in Rose Gold + Tom Ford Cream Color for Eyes in Opale (also reviewed here) as a reference for what I consider more champagne/neutrals next to Paradiso and Golden Peach.

For the cheeks there’s also a new Paradiso Cream Cheek Color which at first glance I thought was Pink Sand. If you put them side by side you’ll see the difference. Paradiso has the same gorgeous luminous glowy quality that Pink Sand does. Right now that I’ve gotten more color Pink Sand is almost highlighter material for me while Paradiso is more like a blush. I love this. I’ve only had a chance to test it for one day as it’s something I had to put on immediately – lasting power is quite good for a cream blush. I can’t say how it will perform in super hot humid weather yet but will keep testing it in the upcoming months as the season shifts.

Swatch comparisons to MAC Quiktrick Stick in Miss Cupcake/Tomato, Tom Ford Cream Cheek Color in Pink Sand, Paradiso and Pieno Sole, Tom Ford Sheer Cheek Duo in Paradise Lust. The cheek duo has more pigment and is less dewy than the cream cheek color.

A quick look with Tom Ford Cream and Eye Powder Duo in Paradiso, Waterproof Extreme Mascara, MAC Next to Nothing Foundation in Medium Plus (review soon), MAC Mineralize Skinfinish Natural in Medium Plus, Tom Ford Cream Cheek Color in Paradiso, Tom Ford Moisturecore Lip Color in Carriacou (also reviewed here), top by Rag and Bone.

For those curious, I did not buy the Paradiso Lip Color Sheer (I already own it, review here) or the Paradiso Moisturecore Lip Color – they are pretty much identical. I get a quick swatch of them at the counter.

Bottom line, I love the Paradiso eye and cheek items. I do think they’re worth owning even if you have Pink Sand or Golden Peach. For the body and fragrance, I wanted to love the body spray and oil spray – I just think the perfumes are the better buy, although I do like the body spray. I would entirely skip the oil. It added a nice sheen to the skin but I didn’t notice a lot of added hydration my skin other than a light oil. Brands like Caudalie, Moroccanoil or Nuxe have better body oils in my opinion. If you try one new fragrance this spring, I think it should be Soleil Blanc, Fleur de Portofino or Sole di Positano.

You can find all the items at counters now. Available online at Sephora, Neiman Marcus, Beautylish and Tom Ford Beauty.

Sole di Positano Provided for review consideration.

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YSL Beauty

YSL Volupte Tint-In-Balm

April 7, 2017

Earlier this year YSL launched a new lipstick called the Volupte Tint-In-Balm ($34 each for 0.12 oz/3.5 g, made in France). There have been numerous teasers on social but have been nearly impossible to find for quite some time. Shades kept selling out and going on back-order and as a makeup junkie I’ve been trying to track them down for weeks. They’ve finally arrived at most retailers. I ordered three from Nordstrom as seen/swatched in my Spring Makeup Bag post. I stopped by Sephora recently and picked up a few more shades and have 8 of the 12 to review for you today. The Volupte Tint-In-Balms appear to have replaced the Volupte Sheer Candy formula. They have a very similar feel in terms of having a glossy texture, sheer pigment, moisturizing feel and grapefruit scent (although YSL calls it pomegranate). These have the cutest little lip-shaped centers which runs from the top to bottom throughout the core – these have moisturizing ingredients like apricot butter and jojoba oil.

I really love these balms. They have a nourishing emollient feel and are super easy to apply. If you like products like the Chanel Rouge Coco Shines or even the YSL Volupte Shine Oil in Stick I suspect you will like these YSL Volupte Tint-In-Balms. I would say by comparison the YSL runs a bit more sheer with a jelly-like slightly transparent finish. Your natural lip color will show through. The YSL also has a more emollient balmy feel by comparison to the Chanel.

Many of you might wonder how these compare to the Tom Ford Clutch-Sized Lip Balms from the Summer Soleil collection (reviewed here). I would say the YSL has a softer more glossy texture. It has a more emollient feel while the Tom Ford balms are a bit harder. The Tom Ford balms feel like they adhere a bit more to my lips while the YSL has more slip. I can’t say one is better than the other, but for months where the weather is hot and humid I think I’m going to prefer the Tom Ford.

A quick note on Fresh Sugar tinted lip balms since I know many of you have asked me to compare. I had quite a few before but they kept breaking on me so I stopped buying them. I don’t know if they’ve changed the formula or packaging but mine always broke on me. Texture/pigment I find the Fresh balms to be a lot thicker but with slightly more pigment.

Due to the sheerness of pigment these will look different on you depending on your natural lip tone. The Sephora website has them swatched on two skintones, fair and deep. I am somewhere in the middle so none of the swatches on the chart resemble what the colors look like on me, but it does give you a good idea on the difference in undertone.

The shades I purchased:

1 Dream My Nude is a nude pink with mauve tones
2 Tease Me Pink is a soft pink
3 Call Me Rose is a pale baby pink
4 Desire Me Pink is a bright watermelon color
7 Flirt Me Coral is a medium peach
9 Tempt Me Pink is a hot bright pink
10 Seduce Me Pink is a pink berry
12 Try Me Berry is a bright pink with plum tones

I love every single shade, although on me brighter pinks tend to look the same on my lips. I don’t test testers on myself at the store (I only hand swatch them), so it was impossible for me to tell that some of them would look nearly identical on me. If I were able to do it over, I would have opted for #5 Dare Me Plum instead of #12 Try Me Berry. I would have also picked #4 Desire Me Pink, #9 Tempt Me Pink or #10 Seduce Me Pink (not all three).

Here’s what they look on me below. They were swatched over a few different days, but I’m wearing the same foundation in all the photos which is the Tom Ford Waterproof Foundation in Bisque (although in the past week I’ve gotten a bit more color and probably should be wearing Natural or Sable instead).

Swatches as always are on bare lips, no liner or foundation or concealer as a base:

One last look, top row is: 1, 2, 3, 4 and the bottom row is 7, 9, 10, 12

As a neutral lip lover, my favorites are 1 Dream Me Nude, 2 Tease Me Pink, 3 Call Me Rose and 7 Flirt Me Coral. I love that the brighter ones give a healthy wash of color without feeling overdone. As a lipstick and lip balm junkie I think these are great. They’re nice to throw in the purse for a bit of color that will go with any look or occasion. Lasting power of course isn’t going to be as long as a lipstick or liquid lipstick. I am able to get a decent amount of wear without fading but these days I’m trying to better about drinking more liquids to stay hydrated so the constant sipping has impacted the lasting power of lip products. For some reason since my husband and I have moved to Florida our skin has felt significantly more dry even though we thought the opposite would happen with the warm humid weather. We’re switching up our skincare and body care so stay tuned for a spring skincare update soon.

Bottom line, I love these. I think everyone should check out at least one color. That being said if you don’t like sheer and want visible color, check out the YSL Rouge Volupte Shine Oil-in-Stick instead (I still swear by #47 Beige Blouse).

You can find the YSL Volupte Tint-in-Balm at all counters now. Some stores may be sold out of shades as I’ve found they keep selling out. You can also find them online at Sephora, Nordstrom, Saks Fifth Avenue, Neiman Marcus and YSL Beauty.

Have you checked these out yet? What did you think?

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