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.
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?
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.
Becca launched a new palette with Chrissy Teigen called the Becca x Chrissy Teigen Glow Face Palette ($46 for 15 g/0.53 oz) and it’s absolutely stunning. It has four colors for the face including two highlighters, a bronzer and a blush – I have loved them on both the face and eyes. For a palette I think the price point is fairly reasonable – it comes in a pretty girly rose gold compact with a glossy pink exterior.
A closer look at the palette and descriptions of the colors. All the shades have excellent pigment, smooth finish and blend beautifully on the skin. The color is easy to control for either a sheerer wash or pigmented color. All the shades look like they will be universally flattering. The shimmer is visible but not over the top.
Rose Gold Highlighter is peachy rose with gold shimmer
Hibiscus Bloom Blush is a soft warm pink with a hint of gold glow
Malibu Soleil Bronzer is a medium warm bronze
Beach Nectar is a pretty champagne peach
I did a quick look a few posts back with the Tatcha Cherry Blossom lips, I’ll repost here so you can see it:
A closer look, the shimmer is just so pretty!
If you think this palette looks similar to a lot of other highlighters or palettes you’re right. There are similarities so if you already own a lot of Becca products and don’t want duplicates you may want to shop your stash. That being said I do think this one is quite stunning.
Three sets of comparison swatches for you! Set 1 includes the Becca x Chrissy Teigen vs Becca x Jaclyn Hill (from last year):
Becca Shimmering Skin Perfector Pressed in Rose Gold (individual) – the Rose Gold in the palette seems a tiny bit darker than the individual one you can buy separately
Bottom line, dupeable but still gorgeous. I see a lot of similarities between last year’s Becca collaboration with Jaclyn Hill and also with individual colors from the line. You can definitely get a similar look with other products but the convenience of having these in a single palette will be very handy for upcoming spring to summer travels. I ordered mine and have no regrets even though I have a few other Becca items. The quality and pigment is on point – it really is very very good. Also I think the price point makes this a reasonable buy.
The colors are perfect to brighten the face with a lovely flush of color and glow without being overdone or too frosty. I love that the shimmers aren’t harsh and that there is no yellow gold in them (they tend to look super harsh on my olive skin). I highly recommend this.
You can find the Becca x Chrissy Teigen Glow Face Palette now online and in stores at Sephora, Ulta Beauty, QVC and Becca Cosmetics. Have you checked this one out? What did you think?
The glowy highlighter trend is still going strong and as a fan of all things luminous I could not be happier! By popular request I’ve put quite a few new formulas, palettes and colors to the test. There’s lots to love and the great thing about the launches these days is that there is literally something for everyone. After extensive testing I will say up front that my absolute top favorites still remain the Diorskin Nude Air Luminizers, Edward Bess All Over Seduction, Laura Mercier Face Illuminators, Tom Ford Shimmer Shots and Hourglass Luminous Light (reviews linked for each one).
For highlighters there are so many factors to consider when picking one. Skintone plays a key role in determining whether a highlighter will actually look like a highlight or more of a bronzer on you. I know for many fair skin beauty lovers many colors that look like a highlighter on me turn peachy or bronzey on lighter skin tones. On the flip side some super pale highlighters will look more true to pan on fair skins while on medium to deep skins like me, some will just look like a white frost.
Skin type and shimmer preference are also other things to consider. If you have a lot of texture or larger pores sometimes the more glowy powder shimmers will emphasize fine lines or settle into pores. If you’re oily you will probably prefer powders if you’re normal to dry creams may be better for you.
I have a lot to roundup today, but first since many of you have asked, I can finally share the details about the upcoming Sephora Beauty Insider event today. If you’re a Beauty Insider member check your mail or e-mail for the codes! We have the official dates:
4/18 to 4/24 Rouge will receive 15% off
4/19 to 4/24 VIB will receive 15% off
4/20 to 4/23 RBI will receive 10% off
Up first is the palette I was most excited about but did not end up loving. I’m a huge fan of the Anastasia Glow Kits even though they tend to be more on the intense side of shimmer. The limited-edition ABH x Nicole Guerriero Glow Kit comes in the prettiest pink packaging with gorgeous glowy colors. There’s a mix of pink, mauve, peach, white, gold and tan – unfortunately on my medium skintone they pull a lot lighter than what you see in the pan and most of them look very similar. I knew before ordering that it would be on the extra glowy side but the shades are all too intense to wear on the face. I love them with a super light hand on the eyes but I prefer Sun Dipped by far for more variety and more wearable colors. It’s currently sold out online but check your stores to see if they still have them.
Next is the Chanel Plisee Lumiere de Chanel Illuminating Powder. This is from the Energies Puretes Collection reviewed here. Some asked for a face swatch of the highlighter alone since the blushes were ultra pigmented. This is a champagne highlighter with sparkles that give the skin a wet-look effect. The shimmers aren’t as intense as the Camelia highlighter but they are still on the strong sparkly side.
Up next are some liquid drops. Cover FX launched three new shades of the Custom Enhancer Drops and I bought two in Blossom and Rose Gold. Both of these have a softer finish compared to the first round they launched (reviewed here). I really loved the first round of shades even though they are shimmery. You can easily blend for a pretty glow. Blossom is the prettiest shade of soft pink and rose gold is a soft rosy peach gold. Both are close to my skin tone so they look very natural on me but the color still shows up. The drops are fluid and easy to blend and layer.
Marc Jacobs Beauty launched a Coconut Gel Highlighter called Dew You? and it’s a lovely light gold. The texture is a gel and you have to work quickly with this one because it dries fast. The nice thing about the texture is that it’s great for oily skin and I found it lasted longer on me than most liquid highlighters. Once it sets it pretty much does not budge. It also smells like coconuts 🙂
Third are some Algenist Concentrated Luminizing Drops. A while back I received a mini duo that you can buy as a set, but you can also find them separately in the full size. I am obsessed with the way they smell – it’s not really scented but it has this makeup scent that I really like. These are probably among the most subtle and sheerest out of the drops I’ve tried. Once on the face the shimmer almost disappears into a very subtle sheen. I would say these are probably best for mixing in with your foundation for a subtle glow. Because they are so sheer I found they did not do much for me other than add a sheen. That being said these have a serum skincare element in them so I do suspect they are meant to apply all over the face under foundation for a very soft glow.
Next up is the Laura Mercier Lightstruck Prismatic Glow Palette. As a huge fan of the Face Illuminators I had high hopes for this one but after testing this I found this was completely not for me. First I’m not into the holographic makeup trend – it just doesn’t work well for my skin coloring. That being said the packaging is more prismatic than the creams, but the lighter creams are on the glittery side. Aurora and Reflect have a softer smooth texture but they’re so sheer they disappeared on my skin completely. I do like a good neutral glow sometimes but I feel like there are so many other products on the market that already do this – this just didn’t really wow me.
I’ve already featured the MAC Quikstick Sticks before with the Work It Out review but had shot the photos before I reviewed them. I do believe they are limited-edition so if you have your eye on any I’d recommend checking them out soon. These have a highlighter on one side and a blush/contour on the other.
Perhaps my favorite launch of all the new highlighters I’ve tried are from NARS. I featured the Sheer Pop Multiples when I reviewed the Pop Goes the Easel Collection a few weeks ago. Navagio Beach is a pretty soft sheer gold (exclusive to Nordstrom), but my heart was completely won over by the Banc de Sable Highlighter Palette (exclusive to Sephora, now available online at NARS). A close up and swatches of both below. The Banc de Sable has a finely milled shimmer that glides on the skin smoothly and without any harsh frost. I wish more highlighter formulas and finishes were like this – it looks smooth and pretty on the skin and doesn’t emphasize lines or pores. Complete win for me on this one.
Last but not least because I’m a lover of all things Tom Ford, I had to include the new cheek duos again in this roundup. I really love both Reflects Gilt and Paradise Lust. I’m in the process of packing for a few trips at the end of the month and will be packing both of them to bring with me. Full review here.
So even though I mentioned at the top I prefer some other ones over these I do think there are a lot of new launches that are different and unique enough to justify splurging on. Picking one will depend on your preference for shimmer intensity.
My top picks of the new releases: Tom Ford Reflects Gilt, NARS Banc de Sable, Cover FX Custom Enhancer Drops in Rose Gold.
For me misses were the ABH Nicole Guerriero and Laura Mercier Lightstruck Palette.
There are so many more that have launched recently I could not possibly test them all. If you’ve tried the Burberry Fresh Glow Highlighter let me know your thoughts.
Do you have a favorite go-to highlighter? Or have you splurged on anything recently from new launches that you have fallen in love with? Let me know what your favs are!
Press samples featured include MAC Quiktrick Sticks, Laura Mercier Lightstruck, Tom Ford Cheek Duos, Algenist Mini Reveal Drops Duo and Chanel Plissee Lumiere Highlighter.
Happy Saturday! I have a weekend post for you today because I don’t want you to miss out on a new launch from By Terry. Today Beautylish is launching two new Sun Designer Palettes ($82 for 15 g/0.53 oz, made in Italy) from the By Terry Tropical Break collection and they have a 2-week early exclusive. If you signed up for their early access page the palettes will be available at 9:00 AM PST and 11:00 AM for the public. I have one of the new ones to feature today, Savannah Love #4 and it’s stunning. A quick look at their early access page shows that Savannah Love is the lighter option of the two new ones and I’m grateful that Beautylish sent one for me to preview.
I previously featured the first two Sun Designer Palettes #1 Tan and Flash Cruise and #2 Light and Tan Vibes last year (how time flies!). You can see swatches and a review in my original post. The new palettes this year have the same size packaging and pans but the embossed texture has a more summery vibe to resemble a palm print. Also the dividers in this season’s launch are gold-colored versus the black dividers. If you’re looking for a really pretty summer glow Savannah Love #4 will give you a natural flush of color. It has a mix of textures and shades to be versatile for eyes and cheeks.
Colors:
Shimmering soft pink
Shimmering warm gold
Berry satin (shimmer is very subtle)
Satiny-matte light nude cool pink (love this color)
Satiny-matte nude warm pink
Soft shimmering cool bronze
Pigment is medium-rich but soft and buildable. Textures are similar to that of the first two in the sense they are extremely soft and smooth powders that feel of high quality. Since they are powders there will be some powder kick up but there’s very minimal fall out once you apply to the face. They meld with the skin nicely, blend smoothly, don’t emphasize pores and last all day without fading.
Close ups and swatches:
Because I know so many of you will ask, I swatched the three I have side by side. There are six colors per palette so I had a hard time getting them to all fit on the arm in larger swatches. I do think that Savannah Love #4 is different enough for both sides to justify buying even if you already own #1 and #2. I will say that the Light and Tan Vibes is my favorite out of the three. Also a quick note that I’ve been out in the sun so my body is already at least 1 maybe 2 shades darker as I’ve been experimenting with different sunscreens while outside. My face is still the same color as I’ve been using SPF50. I didn’t have time to photograph a beauty look this round – it was a toss up between swatching and photographing comparisons + brushes or a look. I felt that comparisons would be more helpful this round.
My favorite is #2 and I think it will suit a wide range of skin tones. If you have medium-tan to deep I think you’ll find that #1, #4 or even #3 (not featured) will be more up your alley for a pretty summery look!
Another note since many of you have asked about pan size. Yes it’s inevitable that you’ll mix colors with a face brush. You can still dip a smaller brush into an individual color without mixing if you’re careful. The beauty of these palettes is that even if you mix the result is still pretty. I personally like to swirl my brush in either the right half or left half and then apply on the face. If you’re in search for some smaller detail brushes I hope this helps.
A few more thoughts on Savannah Love. Out of the three I have, the new Savannah Love does feel like it has more variety in color and texture. You can swirl 2 or more the colors together. If I take a smaller brush I can separate the colors for individual application. I like that the lighter shades help to blend or soften harsh edges while still adding color. The darkest bronze shade is a little bit dark to wear on the face alone for me but if I swirl it with other shades it works for the cheeks. I find it really subtle on the eyes as eyeshadow. If you like color but don’t want something super bright go with #4 Savannah Love. If you want more pop and color go with #1 Tan and Flash Cruise. If you want something more natural go with #2 Light and Tan Vibes (love love love this one!). There’s no detectable scent.
Bottom line another solid launch from By Terry. I haven’t explored much of recent launches since I’m still working my way through a lot of her products, in particular the tinted Baume de Rose (I love Coral Stellar and Fig Fiction). The prices are very high but worth the splurge.
You can find the new By Terry Sun Designer Palettes on Beautylish (launching today!). If you’ve tried these what did you think? If not what are you wearing for a summery cheek look right now? Or are you waiting for summer launches?
Many thanks to Beautylish for sending Savannah Love for review.
Chanel lovers have probably had the new Chanel Energies Et Puretes Makeup Collection on their radar for months and it has finally arrived in the US. The collection features a mix of colors Chanel calls “the harmony of opposites” – we have a mix of soft and subtle colors combined with some vibrant bright shades. The collection is exclusive to Chanel.com (like previous years Le Blanc collections). I have some pieces I’ve been playing with which include:
Le Vernis in Resplendissant and Bleu Pastel ($28 for 13 ml/0.4 fl oz)
Every color above is listed as limited-edition according to the Chanel website with the exception of Energie and Bleu Pastel. There are additional colors and some other products repromoted in the collection as well – so be sure to check the Energies Et Puretes page to see the full list of what’s in the collection.
Up first is the Illuminating Powder in Plisse Lumiere de Chanel. This is absolutely stunning and has a soft finely milled texture. It is shimmery and comes in a soft champagne kind of color. It has a stunning embossed texture and has a metallic sheen that has a luminous effect on the skin. The Camelia de Chanel powder by comparison is a lot more sparkly with more visible sparkles. It’s also the slightest bit more rosy. I prefer the newest Plisse Lumiere de Chanel because it has a little less glitz making it easier to wear. The texture of this new one is smooth, easy to blend, well pigmented and you can layer it for a sheer wash or a more intense kind of sheen. The Diorskin Nude Air Luminizer 001 is a bit warmer in color.
Swatch comparisons:
Next are the blushes which are the Les Tissages de Chanel Blush Duo Tweed Effect. These are ultra pigmented and on the bright side so a tiny bit really goes a long way. The intensity is almost too much to swipe your brush into the pan. I found it best to lightly tap the brush into the product and tap off the excess. Tweed Coralline is my favorite. For my complexion color right now (I’m usually around a Chanel 30) Tweed Cherry Blossom can easily give me a sunburned look because it’s so bright. One is a bright orange peach, the other is a deep pink.
Left is Tweed Cherry Blossom, right is Tweed Coralline:
Left is Tweed Cherry Blossom, right is Tweed Coralline:
The lip color options are also extremely bright. The Rouge Coco Shine in Rose Ravissant is a bright sheer hot pink. This one is pretty sheer but still has visible color. The Rouge Allure Gloss in Energie is a bright pigmented coral. It’s too bright for my comfort zone but coverage is smooth and flawless. I really love the formulas of the Rouge Allure Gloss because they stay put and apply beautifully.
The eyeshadow quads Les 4 Ombres come with excellent texture and pigment. Even though they are the round pans they are not the baked format (at least in the US). I love the look of Jardins Eclatants because it’s more wearable for me – although the colors can probably be duped with other brands. It has a soft pink shimmer, a cream shimmer, a golden sand shimmer and a bronzey color. Jardins de Lumieres has colors I really don’t know how to wear – I just layered all of them as I couldn’t really decide where to place each color or what order to apply them in. This has a soft green, a soft washed faded blue, a bright purple and a pale pink.
Two looks with the blushes, eyeshadow quads and lip products. Also both photos have the Plisse Lumiere de Chanel highlighter on the cheeks layered on top of the blushes.
Last but not least are two of the Le Vernis colors in Bleu Pastel and Resplendissant. Bleu Pastel is a semi sheer baby blue. The pigment on many pastel colors can be tricky to apply and that’s what I found with this one. It took three coats to get smooth coverage but it’s a really pretty baby blue on the fingers so I don’t mind. I think it will be fun on the toes as well for summer. Resplendissant is a bright coral pink. This one has flawless perfect coverage. I still prefer two coats but the pigment is good you can get by with one. Of course this has a similar effect to many other bright coral pinks but I still love it.
Comparisons below show that Riva is more aqua and warmer while Blue Pastel is more of a baby blue. Pigment-wise you I found there is more coverage with the Bleu Pastel even though I need 3 coats.
Overall a beautiful collection with some lovely additions to update your look for spring. If you’re one who finds Chanel blushes too light or too sheer I think you’ll really like the pigmented Tweed options this round. I suspect I’ll find them more suitable for my skintone when I get a tan. The winners for me in this collection are the nail polishes – both are really pretty. The Plisee Lumiere de Chanel is a beautiful highlighter. Given the large number of highlighters I own I wouldn’t call it a must-have as the color is similar in effect to others. Still it’s very pretty and I don’t mind having similar colors. Jardins Eclantes eyeshadow palette is another gorgeous option that you can easily wear for daily looks – it’s not the most unique but having a palette where I love all the colors is always a plus and it’s one that I think I’ll be traveling with a lot.
You can find the Energies Et Puretes Makeup Collection online at Chanel.com. Have you checked out the collection yet? What did you think?
Press samples include the Plisse Lumiere de Chanel highlighter, Tweed Cherry Blossom Blush, Bleu Pastel Le Vernis, Energie Rouge Allure Gloss, Rose Ravissant Rouge Coco Shine. Other items purchased by me.
For spring Tom Ford Beauty brings us two new colors of the Shade and Illuminate Cheeks ($80 for .49 oz) and six new lip duos called Shade and Illuminate Lips ($60 each for .12 oz). The cheek duos are very sheer, glowy and dewy looking while the lip duos have medium to full coverage pigment and a unique modern velvet matte cream finish. Paired together they make for a fresh kind of look for spring with options for those who want neutrals and also those who like more color.
The Shade and Illuminate Cheeks has never really been something that appealed to me mainly because of the dewy factor. I approach solid creams compacts with caution because they often get really messy inside the pans and also because I have normal combo skin. Most dewy pots and compacts are simply too dewy and glowy for my skin alone although I have used them as a nice base for powder blush. They help the color adhere better versus applying on dry powdered cheeks. My holy grail cream highlighters are the Edward Bess All Over Seduction compacts (available in 3 shades). I’ve been using them for many many years and they remain my favorite.
The two new Shade and Illuminate Cheeks are gorgeous in the pans. Sublimate has a soft berry with a soft pale pink glow. Scintillate has a pretty light peach with a light champagne glow. On the cheeks they give a barely there hint of glow and color. I do like them as a base for powder blushes but by themselves on the cheeks they almost disappear onto my medium-toned skin. If you want a little bit of glow to dab on top of powder or use underneath these are worth a look. If you need color I would recommend opting for the Tom Ford Powder Blush instead – it appears they’ve all been reformulated with a new more refined pearl finish and there are three new shades in Disclosure, Gratuitous and Inhibition (I ordered 2 and they are gorgeous!).
Swatches compared to the SS16 Shade and Illuminate (review here) and Cream Cheek Color in Pink Sand (review here). The new Spring 2017 duos were swatched heavily so you can see the color, but once you blend them they pretty much sheer out to almost invisible.
The Shade and Illuminate Lip exceeded my expectations and every color is just amazing. These are duo compacts that have two shades and a little applicator brush. The applicators have a sponge tip and a brush tip – I tried both but really just prefer to use clean fingers to dab or a regular lip brush. Swatched on the arm and hand they almost melt to a high shine cream finish. On the lips they are more matte with a velvety cream texture. When I read these were contour duos I was really skeptical – it just seemed like a gimmicky way of being complicated and trying to make you feel like you need two colors instead of just one. After trying these I can really appreciate the versatility and design. You can wear each shade alone, but mixing them creates a better look in my opinion. I like to apply the darker shade first then dab the lighter one on top mixing the two for a creamy almost stained look.
Color descriptions as I see them, they’re all creams, no shimmer:
Automatic has a super pale nude pink and a tan beige (think Blush Nude and Sable Smoke)
Impulse has a perfect nude pink and rose pink
Possession has a bright baby pink and a bright medium pink
Saboteur has a violet cream and stained berry plum
Nikita has two variations of red
Tantalize has a soft peach coral and bright coral
I swatched all six individually and mixed so it was like swatching 18 lip products instead of 6. Due to time constraints I won’t be able to pull any comparisons for the next month. If you follow me on social you know I just had my wisdom teeth pulled (all 4). Swelling finally went down a little and I was able to get these up for those who shop online or who don’t test lip products at the counter (I’m with you there on avoiding germs). I have a few personal things going on right now so I’ll be restricted on time over the next month.
My long-time readers know I love neutral lips, but I can’t help but really like Possession and Tantalize! I find it hard to wear bright pinks because many times they’re too cool, too bubblegum or have way too much blue. Possession has enough warmth that I can wear it without it making my olive complexion look off. Tantalize mixed is such a pretty coral especially for warmer months. My absolute favorite is Impulse though – it may look a bit boring to some but if that’s the case then I love boring. The deeper rose shade is really special.
As a long-time Tom Ford Beauty fanatic I’m really happy with the lip duos. The Shade and Illuminate Cheeks are nice but not must-haves. If you like products like the RMS Living Luminizer or RMS Mix Master then you’ll most likely love these as well. For me they’re a bit too dewy and if you have oily skin I would definitely say pass. If you want something fresh and glowy for the cheeks I’d recommend you opt for the Cream Cheek Color in Pink Sand, Cheek Color (any shade) or the Sheer Cheek Duo in Bicoastal instead.
