Lips Archives - The Beauty Look Book

Hourglass Phantom Blur Balm + Lip Liner Shade Extensions

August 5, 2026

Hourglass launched a new matte lip formula called the Phantom Blur Balm ($38 each) and shade extensions for their Shape and Sculpt Lip Liners ($29 each). They sent the new items for review and I think there are some shades definitely worth checking out.

Phantom Blur Balm

I’m please to report the Phantom Blur Balms are ultra smooth on the lips and for me they don’t emphasize lines. The colors did darken a little on my lips but I think the tones on most of the shades are smooth and great for everyday wear. I am not always a fan of matte or velvet lip formulas but the Blur formula and tones are beautiful for sure. Since I’m a gloss girl at heart, I still prefer the Phantom Volumizing Glossy Balms for that lush glossy shine.

Spell is a warm nude beige

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Whisper is a mauve pink

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Echo is a pink neutral (my favorite)

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Enigma is a tan brown rosewood shade

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Mirage is a brown berry (this one pulls a little uneven on my lips)

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Also wearing:

Foundation – Hourglass Veil Hydrating Skin Tint Shade 9
Powder – Veil Translucent Loose Powder
Blush – Unreal Liquid Blush in Scene (review also here)
Eyeshadow – YSL Couture Mini Clutch Luxury Eyeshadow Palette 710 Over Brun
Eyeliner – Hourglass Voyeur Waterproof Gel Eyeliner in Obsidian
Mascara – Hourglass Unlocked Mascara
Nail Polish – OPI I’m a Bubble Bunny

They don’t seem to have the same volumizing plumping factor the glossy version does yet for some reason the blurred matte finish makes my lips look full. Coverage is medium but layerable. They have a comfortable weightless feel on the lips, almost like a whipped airy texture but in a balm form.
I tried these over the lip liners which definitely extend the wear time as the pencils are very long wearing.

Shape and Sculpt Lip Liner (New Shades)

When the Shape and Sculpt Lip Pencils originally launched I wasn’t a fan of the shades I bought (review here). I have naturally darker pigmented lips and most lip pencils simply don’t show up on my lips. Also the shades I originally picked up all pulled very warm and I am really happy to see a few more neutral colors. These are ultra long-wear on the lips. I swatched Phantom Lip Blur + Lip Pencil pairings on the lips on Instagram here, but for the blog here are the swatches of the new shades alongside a few from the current lineup.

Tease 1.5 the perfect pink rose
Obsess 4.5 a deeper berry mauve
Strut 8 is a deep brown

You can find the new lip launches now at Hourglass Cosmetics, Sephora, Nordstrom, Ulta Beauty and all Hourglass retailers.

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Bronzer + Blush Lips

New Pocket Blush + Peptide Lip Tint Shades Rhode

March 29, 2026

Rhode added new shades of their Pocket Blush ($25) and Peptide Lip Tints ($20 each) and they’re perfect for spring. As a huge fan of the cream blush I picked up both shades along with the new lip gloss colors to try.

Pocket Blush – new shades

The Rhode Pocket Blushes are probably my two most-worn cream blushes. I love them for that easy pop of color to the cheeks. Colors are flattering and they’re easy to blend. They’ve traveled with me on numerous trips!

Teacup is a mauve raspberry pink and Candy Apple is a bold reddish pink. Both shades pull bold when swatched but since they blend well you can definitely control the pigment for a more natural looking blush. Both new shades are a solid win for me. I think Candy Apple is a really pretty flattering red.

Swatches of the new shades:

Swatches side by side of the Pocket Blushes I own:

Peptide Lip Tints – new shades

I’ve had really mixed feelings about the Peptide Lip Tint. It’s been a while since I’ve used one since I tossed most of mine a year ago when we moved to Miami. I did a substantial de-clutter and found that most of them developed that weird gritty texture to them. Reviews I’ve read say it’s due to temperature fluctuations but just as a precaution I tossed them. I’ve since bought fresh new ones. Newer more recent reviews say this issue has been fixed and so far it seems to be the case!

Time will tell about the formula situation but I really like the new shades. Sweet Pea is a warm sheer pink. I think it’s similar in the vibe color-wise to Patrick Ta’s Major Moisture Smoothing Hydrating Tinted Lip Balm in Pink Salted Caramel (the Rhode version is more glossy with a glass shine). Rhode describes Sweet Pea as “pearly” but for some reason I don’t see any shimmer or iridescent quality in mine.

Pretzel is a shimmery mauve. This one is described as “warm” but on me it’s definitely not warm. It pulls more neutral or cool toned on my complexion, but it’s still a really pretty one. This one is also on the medium-sheer side but has enough pigment to show up on the lips. I pulled the glosses I have and one from Patrick Ta to swatch side by side below:

Looks wearing two combinations below, also wearing:

Foundation – Ilia Super Serum Skin Tint in ST 12.75
Concealer – Ilia Skin Blur Serum Concealer in 17W
Eyeshadow – Natasha Denona Essential Eye Duo
Eyeliner – Sarah Creal Eyes Up in Jet Black
Brow Pencil – Anastasia Beverly Hills Brow Definer in Medium Brown
Mascara – Diorshow Overvolume Extreme Waterproof Mascara
Nail Polish – OPI I’m a Bubble Bunny (back in stock!)

Overall love the blushes! New gloss shades are beautiful, but I still need to see how they hold up to any temperature fluctuations. If you have purchased one of the Peptide Lip Tints recently let me know if yours has any developed any gritty particles too!

You can find the new Rhode Peptide Lip Tint and Pocket Blush shades online at Rhode Skin. If you’re shopping online don’t forget to check out some of the bundled edit sets. They offer a nice price break!

Lips

Prada Reflection Glossy Liquid Balm

March 24, 2026

The lip gloss/lip balm lover in me had to try the new Prada Reflection Glossy Liquid Balms ($45 each, Prada and Nordstrom). Picked up three shades to try to see if they were worth the splurge. These come in a similar (if not identical) packaging to the Prada Blurring Micro-Correcting Concealer (demo here of MN5, MN6 + a few more shades, review coming soon).

These balms are ultra smooth, nonsticky and soft, just like a soft balm in gloss form. They have a very slight tingly sensation with some plumping. They feel like a cushion on the lips.

Pigment varies by shade. Out of the three I picked, one is almost clear but the other two have a nice tint.

P255 Virtual Pink is an ultra sheer pink (almost clear on me)

B258 Blushware is a pretty peachy pink (my favorite)

B201 Chocobot is a pretty soft brown (also love this shade)

Above, looks also wearing:

Foundation – It Cosmetics Do It All Sheer Tint Face Balm in Medium Neutral 305
Powder – Hourglass Vanish Airbrush Pressed Powder in Translucent Medium
Blush – YSL Make Me Blush Powder in 44 Nude Lavalliere
Highlighter – Prada Light Glowing Highlighter in 2 Pink (swatches here)
Eyeshadow – Prada Dimensions Eyeshadow Palettes in 8 Pansy + 9 Primula (swatches also here)
Mascara – Diorshow Overvolume Extreme Waterproof Mascara
Nails – OPI I’m a Bubble Bunny (in action here)

These give the lips that effortless lips but luxe look. I like the look and feel of these. I think they will also look lovely if layered over a lipliner or any of the Prada lipsticks.

You can find these out now at Prada Beauty and Nordstrom. Also just ordered a few of the Touch Cream-to-Powder Soft Blur Blushes and can’t wait to put them to the test!

Lips

Merit Signature Lip Blush

March 10, 2026

I’ve been playing with more from Merit and the latest lip launch is beautiful! They launched a lightweight matte lipstick called the Signature Lip Blush ($28 each, Sephora and Merit). It’s a sheer minimalist lip product with a blurred matte finish. Formula is very lightweight as described but still manages to have a balmy feel.

They launched Archival in a set over the holiday (see it reviewed here and in action here) and just recently added 7 more shades to the lineup.

I tried two sent in PR Andie which is the prettiest baby pink and Vendome which is a beautiful beige tan. I love both the colors and think they’re perfect for everyday wear. I also still really like Archival as a pretty mauve that is cool-toned but not so cool-toned that it looks blue. Paired each lip look with the Merit Flush Balm Cream in Le BonBon.

Also wearing:

Foundation – It Cosmetics Do It All Sheer Tint Face Balm Medium Neutral 305
Powder – Laura Mercier Translucent Loose Setting Powder
Blush – Merit Flush Balm Cream in Le BonBon
Eyeshadow – Prada Eyeshadow Palette in 08
Eyeliner – Sarah Creal Eyes Up Eyeliner in Jet Black
Mascara – Maybelline Lash Sensational Body in Blackest Black
Tank – Reformation (old)
Nail Polish – OPI Stunn n Done

There are a few downsides though. If you’re a fan of seeing color payoff or long wear time, these aren’t going to be the lipstick for you. Pigment on the shades I tried is on the sheer side and while you can swipe and layer for more coverage, they still pull very sheer. Almost like a blotted lip stain but sheer. The lasting power isn’t there for me although I have not tried them over a lip liner. I suspect this is due to the balmy nature. It’s not a deal breaker for me, but I thought I’d mention it since I know a lot of you want something super long wearing that will require maybe 1-2 touch ups throughout the day.

For a matte lip I tend to prefer something with more coverage although I really like the colors I tried. I think the formula is very comfortable and easy to wear. Also love that it is a little bit hydrating in the sense that they don’t dry out my lips.

Available now at Sephora and Merit.

Lips Sephora

Summer Fridays SoftLine Lip Liners + Flushed Lip Stains

February 5, 2026

Summer Fridays added a few new makeup launches to their lineup with lip pencils! They launched a SoftLine Lip Liner Long-Lasting Lip Pencil ($20 each) and Flushed Lip Stain ($22). These are available now at Sephora and Summer Fridays. I received the full set to try and review and as someone who struggles with lip liners showing on my pigmented lips, I am 10/10 thrilled with this launch!

SoftLine Lip Liner Long-Lasting Lip Pencil

nail polish: Stunn N Done

The standout for me is definitely the SoftLine Lip Liner Long-Lasting Lip Pencil. This is available in 8 shades and what I love about these is that they are really like a traditional lip liner pencil. Lasting power is very good but I appreciate that these aren’t like the gel pencils that are completely budge proof because those tend to look dry on my lips as the day wears on. A more traditional pencil like this one is easier on my lips, especially if they are dry.

Formula is smooth but they don’t glide on like the ones from Merit (which is more glossy). Love the pigment, even the lighter tones show up on my pigmented lips with very good coverage. Love the shade range in this formula. I think every color is flattering!

I swatched these on my entire lip for shade reference although normally I would just line the outer rims and then find a matching gloss or lipstick to coordinate.

Flushed Lip Stain

The Flushed Lip Stains are beautiful and the pigment is exceptionally good. I personally do not like stains because there’s something about my lips that makes liquid lipsticks and lip stains darken to an unrecognizable color. What I see on my lips rarely matches a swatch or what I see in the applicator.

I think the product is excellent and the lasting power is definitely there. I tried to remove the swatches from my arm and the stain lingers even with a bi-phase makeup remover. I wasn’t able to lip swatch all of them because the stain adhered so well to my lips I felt like swatching more would mix colors.

Overall love. I think the combination pairings with the Lip Butter Balms are also fun. I haven’t played around extensively layering different shades together but I think the colors they created are so beautiful.

There are some bundles available at Summer Fridays if you’re looking to save, they do offer a discount for some Pick Your Shade Combo Sets like the Essential Lip Kit, Stain + Sculpt Duo, and Effortless Lip Combo.

Available now at Sephora and Summer Fridays.

Chanel Lips

Chanel Lip Haul: 31 Le Rouge, Le Rouge Duo Ultra Tenue + Rouge Coco Flash

November 19, 2025

I hauled a few lip products from Chanel recently and I am thrilled with the things I picked up! They re-released a few shades in the Le Rouge Duo Ultra Tenue and Rouge Coco Flash formula (both great colors). Chanel also launched new colors of the 31 Le Rouge in both the satin and matte formula and I splurged on two of the new ones. I shared a demo here in case you want to see everything in action.

31 Le Rouge

The Chanel 31 Le Rouge ($195) is still one of the best lipstick formulas I’ve tried. It is one of the most expensive lipsticks on the market but it’s everything I want in a lipstick. It’s a classic formula that is super creamy, smooth in coverage, bold in coverage (except the shimmers) and absolutely perfect to me. You can read my original review here (lots more swatches in this post!).

There are six new shades, 3 satin and 3 matte. I picked up 7 Rouge Brode (satin) and 17 Rouge Confident (matte) and love them both. I also realized I had two of the previously launched mattes in 13 Rouge Jersey and 14 Rouge Intimiste in a storage box that I had never got around to reviewing. I’ve added them to my roundup today.

7 Rouge Brode (satin) is a shimmery light pink. It’s on the sheerer side, similar in the finish to 1 Rouge Beige (my favorite). The sparkles are multi-colored if you look really close. I think it’s a stunning one. It reminds me of some of those epic Glossimer shades that have long been discontinued (ie Seashell).

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17 Rouge Confident (matte) is an ultra pale beige matte. I was worried it would be too pale for me, but since it has a warm undertone I decided to give it a try. In store I still do not try testers on my lips or face, but I do still swatch on my hand. It was an expensive risk to take but I love it! Most shades this pale are too cool toned or pastel – but this one is perfect for me.

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The other two mattes are darker and beautiful for fall. Both are full coverage with a classic matte finish. Since it’s matte it adheres a bit more to the lip and they tug a little when you apply, but it’s not a deal breaker. I love that they don’t look or feel dry. I think 14 Rouge Intimiste is a beautiful mauve pink brown color that isn’t too dark or brown, but I think out of all the shades this is probably the easiest to dupe.

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13 Rouge Jersey is another beautiful neutral. It pulls very warm but I tend to like warmer nudes on my dark pigmented lips.

So many of you have asked if these are “worth” the price tag and I don’t know that anyone can say a $195 lipstick is “worth it.” I still don’t know that I can even say a $50+ lipstick is truly worth it. I am 100% happy with my purchases though and I have no regrets.

Le Rouge Duo Ultra Tenue

The Chanel Le Rouge Duo Ultra Tenue ($50) is the best long wear liquid lipstick I’ve tried. Once it sets it’s pretty much budge proof. They re-launched 174 Endless Pink which is a warm pink shade so I repurchased it the second I saw it pop up. I think it’s a great everyday almost coral pink, but still pulls neutral on me. If you’re looking for a true neutral 186 Pink Nude is still the best one.

These liquid lipsticks come with two sides, one has the color, the other has a gloss topper and I think you absolutely need to apply the top coat otherwise the liquid lipstick side can feel a little thick or tacky.

Rouge Coco Flash – Bisous

Chanel also recently launched the Rouge Coco Flash in Bisous individually. This was exclusive to the Nature Getaway Set from last year and I think that it’s one of the prettiest coral pink shades I’ve ever tried. It is sheer but you can build the color if you apply with a brush. The formula is smooth, hydrating and glossy. Pretty much my go-to formula for a lip.

Overall love these new splurges. I picked them up from my local Chanel boutiques. Also available online at Chanel.com.

Do you have any recent lip loves? Let me know what you’ve been loving these days!

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Lips

Refy Lip Stick

October 25, 2025

Refy Beauty launched a new lip product called the Lip Stick ($28 each, available at Refy Beauty and Sephora). This is an innovative liquid lipstick in a unique twist up pen + roller ball type applicator. I was thrilled to partner with them to share a try-on of all shades on Instagram here but also wanted to share a blog post with more thoughts + swatches here.

These are a satin finish liquid lipstick with a sponge tip applicator. These are hydrating and creamy with a soft texture. The pigment is unique in the sense that you can achieve an almost entirely different color with 1-2 clicks of the pen vs 3-4 clicks. More clicks result in a deeper more opaque color.

The applicator tip has a pointed end so you can apply with precision around the edge of your lips. Formula is truly incredible. They’re smooth and apply easily just like you’d expect from a liquid lipstick but they don’t look dry. Lasting power is very good – they will stay put without migrating for hours, however they aren’t budge-proof or transfer proof.

Shades in this launch are bold and pull very dark. The colors are darker than shades I usually wear but I think there are some beautiful shades like Ruby or Maple I can wear for a more glam look. I hope they consider expanding the shade range because the formula is SO good – I am a huge fan of the tones in their Lip Sculpt and Lip Gloss line (review here) and I think shades like Oat, Blush, Taupe, Rosewood would incredible in this particular Lip Stick formula.