Lips Archives - The Beauty Look Book

New Tom Ford Lip Color Lipstick + Lip Pencils

November 11, 2024

Tom Ford reformulated a few of their lip products for the Lip Color Lipstick ($62 each) + Lip Pencils ($46). It seems a number of items are going through a revamp as it appears the Foundation Stick has been pulled (or not restocked) along with a few other items. I hauled quite a few of the new shades and am 10/10 happy with everything I picked out.

It has been a while since I’ve repurchased a Tom Ford lipstick and have to say I am shocked at the prices these days. I don’t know that luxury makeup is “worth” the steep price tags that keep increasing, but I have been really pleased with the performance, quality and colors with this particular haul. If you missed out on the Sephora sale, keep an eye out for upcoming holiday sales. A lot of retailers offer a good discount (flash sale) or gift card events and with Cyber Week approaching I’m sure you will be able to find these at a lower price.

Lip Color Lipstick

Tom Ford Beauty Lip Colors have been reformulated and with nearly every single brand revamping or repackaging I suppose it was only a matter of time before Tom Ford followed. The new formula has a little more slip to it. It glides on the lips better, isn’t quite as opaque, has a tiny bit of shine but still has great color payoff. I think the new formula is a noticeable improvement for a more modern look. The original was a classic for sure but because some of the colors were so opaque (especially the pale ones) they ended up looking a little too heavy.

The new formula looks a little more natural on the lips while still being a true classic lipstick formula. These still have the same classic soft vanilla scent and mahogany + gold packaging (which I love). I am a bit sad they didn’t keep all the shades though.

Shades I hauled below:

Spanish Pink is a nude pink, it’s more wearable and a bit warmer than the original
Sable Smoke is still the same flattering beige nude I remember (unfortunately I don’t have the original anymore to compare)
West Coast is a 90s kind of brown cinnamon sepia shade
Slip is a blue-based baby pink
Runway Rose is a plum pink rose
Casablanca is a mauve pink, the new one seems to have less grey undertone and I can actually wear the new version (the original one made me look a little ashy)
Impassioned is a pretty reddish plum, it’s almost identical to the original, I could barely tell the difference between the two variations

I ordered mine sight unseen and was lucky every single color works for me! Lasting power is just like the original formula and stays put for hours but fades nicely/evenly. These are a solid win for me.

Lip Pencil

Tom Ford revamped their Lip Pencil and the formula is exceptionally good. It’s everything I want in a lip liner! Formula is smooth, creamy, opaque, doesn’t look too dry on the lips and stays on the lips really well. They’re not completely budge-proof but they adhere well to the lips. I do miss some of the shades in the older formula (ones with the brush) but the four I picked are stunning. The colors I bought are all variations of a neutral tone.

101 Close-Up is a nude pink
102 Re-See is a light beige
103 Irresistible is a tan brown
106 A-List is the perfect brown tone

Overall some solid wins even though I’m not too happy about the ridiculously steep prices. Quality is 10/10 and they launched some really beautiful classic colors that you can apply without any fuss or tweaking.

I picked mine up from Sephora and Nordstrom. Available at all Tom Ford Beauty counters now.

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Lips

Tarte Holiday 2024 Lip Sets

September 25, 2024

Holiday beauty is already starting to trickle in and every year they seem to launch earlier and earlier! As the ultimate fan of the Tarte Maracuja lip lineup, I picked up four of the holiday sets that launched this year and the ones I picked up have all brand new shades.

It’s also been a while since I reviewed and swatched the Maracuja Juicy Lip Plump or Lip Liners. Tarte has been adding new shades to almost all of the Maracuja formulas and I’ve accumulated so many I thought I’d swatch them here.

Quick note that there are a lot more Tarte sets, bundles and variations for this holiday season. Also every retailer seems to have slightly different offerings (Sephora and Ulta have different sets). Some have duos with their best selling shades popular shades while some of the sets have new colors.

Best of Maracuja Juicy Lips Set 2024

Best of Maracuja Juicy Lips Set 2024 ($45, available at Tarte, Sephora, Ulta Beauty, Macy’s) has four new colors and I am 10/10 in love. They’re all neutrals and I love every single shade. The set has:

Maracuja Juicy Lip Vinyl in Spiced Pink, a super opaque and lush medium rose with full coverage and high shine
Maracuja Juicy Lip Plump in Rose Quartz Shimmer Glass, a high sparkle pink rose quartz shimmer shade
Maracuja Juicy Plumping Lip Oil in Cool Mauve, a cool mauve with a glossy finish
Maracuja Juicy Lip Plump in Buffed Rose a tan beige rose

I really like all four formulas. This is my first time trying the oil and while I really love the formula, I’m not sure how long the cushiony sponge tip applicator will last. It’s not flimsy by any means, but it just seems like it could potentially wear down quickly.

Maracuja Juicy Lip Icon Duos

There are three new holiday Maracuja Juicy Lip Icon Duos ($26 each, Tarte, Ulta Beauty, Dermstore). Each set has a Maracuja Juicy Lip Plump Shade and matching Lip Liner.

Rosy Neutrals is my favorite with Rosy Beige shades, both are soft rose pink beige
Spiced Neutrals has Spiced Ginger Lip Liner and Ginger Lip Plump, both are variations of tan/beige/brown
Rich Neutrals is the darkest option with an Rich Brown Lip Liner, a blackened brown and Truffle Lip Plump which is a deep mahogany brown shade

Out of the three sets Rosy Neutrals is the most flattering. Spiced Neutrals is pretty but pulls very flesh-toned on me. I’m not a fan of the Rich Neutrals mainly because the liner is so dark on my lips and the lip plump is a little streaky in finish.

Maracuja Juicy Lip Plump

I am obsessed with the Tarte Maracuja Juicy Lip Plump ($26 each). I love the shades, glossy finish, formula and click up balm style applicator. You can find this formula at nearly every Tarte retailer, but Tarte has the most shades available and they often have sales and bundles that you can mix and match for super savings. The formula is glossy and semi-thick with a gentle plumping formula. It tingles a little but doesn’t sting on me. It almost has a minty cooling sensation on the lips.

I have swatches below of pretty much every neutral they launched. Some of these I just received in the mail so I haven’t tried every shade, but I do know I love White Peach, Peachy Beige, Rosebud, Mixed Berries and Coral Pink. I included shades from the holiday sets in the swatch lineup too.

Maracuja Juicy Lip Liner

The Maracuja Juicy Lip Liner ($22, Tarte, Sephora, Ulta Beauty) is another favorite. These are in a twist up style with a removeable tip sharpener at the end. There are quite a few pretty neutrals and what I love about these is they don’t tug too much when you apply and they also do not budge once they set. My favorite is Nude or Dusty Rose, but I think the new Rosy Beige from the Rosy Neutrals Duo is my favorite.

That wraps up my Tarte lip haul roundup! I think the Best of Maracuja Lips is the best one for the colors and price. They come packaged in a way that you can separate the colors if you want to split it and gift. I ordered all of mine from Tarte (they had some promos going on) but you can definitely find these at your local Ulta Beauty or Sephora. QVC also has great value sets that are often limited-edition so be sure to check them out too if you’re shopping for holiday bundles.

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Have you started to check out any of the holiday launches yet? What’s on your radar?

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Lips NARS

NARS Explicit Lipstick Review

September 6, 2024

NARS revamped their lipsticks with a new formula and refillable packaging style called the Explicit Lipstick ($40, $24 for the refills). These are satin finish with a lightweight formula that offers medium-full coverage and rich color payoff. The NARS team sent a selection of the bold shades to try and as a neutral-lip lover I ordered nudes. Available now at Nordstrom, Ulta Beauty, Sephora, NARS and all NARS retailers.

These new lipsticks are a solid win. Classic in formula. Unscented. Hydrating and lightweight. Even after swatching 10+ shades my lips are still fully intact with no dryness or peeling. I do think the formula being on the lighter side almost makes them feel a bit thin but they have impressive smooth coverage. They’re hydrating and comfortable on the lips. I do wish they were just the slightest bit creamier or thicker but I do really like that the texture isn’t too soft or melty. They seem very sturdy.

Many of the lighter neutrals and medium brown tones look extremely similar but there are noticeable variances in undertone. I was thrilled to find that I could actually wear every single shade. Even the lighter ones (yay!!!).

I split the swatches into two categories: the neutrals and the bolds. For skintone reference I wear the NARS Light Reflecting Foundation in Vanuatu (review here). In this post, I’m also wearing the Total Seduction Eyeshadow Sticks in Strip Down and Mambo along with the Patrick Ta Major Dimension III on the eyes and Deep Throat Blush on the Cheeks.

Here are the Neutral shades I tried:

Adulterous is a nude blush pink
Blame is a peach pink nude
Envy is a beige
Indecent is a neutral-warm beige tan
Liason is a peachy nude
Exposed is a cool beige
Dirty Talk is a warm coral pink

Bold Shades:

Unashamed is a cool mauve
Devious is a cool rose pink
On Top is a chestnut reddish brown
Excess is a reddish brown
Body Heat is a tan brown
Rendezvous is brown rose red
Desirous is a classic red

Overall a solid A. I don’t know that I would call these the best lipstick formula ever, but they are exceptionally good and I think every color I tried is wearable. I would say my top 5 are: Blame, Liason, Adulterous, On Top, Devious.

I also added swatches of the Total Seduction Eyeshadow Sticks ($32) to this post. These launched over the summer and I love the colors but am still not sold on matte creams. In general I don’t like cream matte shadows because they tend to look dry on my lids, especially when they dry down. These are creamy matte eyeshadow sticks with impressive pigment and once they set they do not budge. Since they set quickly you have to work very fast to blend and on my lids they aren’t forgiving. These are wearable and easy to blend for a matte, but I still prefer a powder shadow format for mattes. I think you can get a similar effect with the Patrick Ta Major Dimension III Palette (swatched here).

Overall love the new lip launch for a classic effortless kind of lipstick. The matte cream shadows sticks are very good, but for a cream I prefer some shimmer or for a matte I still prefer powders.

Available now at Nordstrom, Ulta Beauty, Sephora, NARS and all NARS retailers.

Have you tried these yet? What did you think?

Press samples provided for review.

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Fenty Beauty Lips

Fenty Gloss Bomb Stix + Trace’d Out Pencil Lip Liner

August 14, 2024

There are new lip launches from Fenty for summer with a new Gloss Bomb Stix ($25) and Trace’d Out Pencil Lip Liner ($20). Available now at Sephora, Ulta, Fenty). It’s all pure love for me.

Gloss Bomb Stix

The Gloss Bomb Stix is a high shine high pigment gloss in stick form. They are on the softer side similar to the YSL Candy Glaze or Candy Glow, but not as soft as say the Makeup By Mario MoistureGlow Plumping Lip Serums or Hourglass Phantom Glossy Balms.

These Gloss Bomb Stix are scented just like the Gloss Bomb Universal Lip Luminizer. They are one swipe wonders. Texture feels a little thick almost like a gloss so they’re definitely not weightless. They almost have a creamy balm feel.

I picked up the neutrals and love all of them except the lightest shade. I’ve found that most pale nude pink beige shades look very pasty on my lips, while warmer beige nudes seem to work better.

Lip swatches below wearing:

Foundation – Fenty Eaze Drop Blurring Skin Tint Shade 9
Powder – Rare Beauty True to Myself Tinted Powder in Ivory
Blush – Rhode Pocket Blush in Teddy
Eyeshadows – Makeup by Mario Master Mattes + Pat McGrath Mothership IX
Brows – Chanel Microfine Defining Brow Pencil Blonde Tendre
Hair – Babyliss Pro Nano Titanium 1 1/4″ Extended Barrel Curling Iron + this hair oil
Nails – Olive and June Quick Dry in Poodle

Blaz’d Donut is a creamy pale pink beige

Two’Lips Kiss is a perfect peachy nude beige

Fenty Glow is another perfect rose tan beige

Is it Fu$$y is a mauve pink

Sp’ice Cold is a perfect brown

High’Biscus is a bright pink rose

Riri is a mauve plum

I think this formula is the best lip launch of the year so far. We finally have a new glossy lip formula with amazing pigment and color payoff!

Trace’d Out Pencil Lip Liner

The Fenty Trace’d Out Pencil Lip Liners do not disappoint. Formula is very long-wearing. Once they are on my lips they do not budge. I love that they glide on easily with minimal tugging. Pigment is full coverage and smooth. My most-worn lip pencils are from Huda or Charlotte Tilbury these days so I swatched what I thought might be similar. I think the pigment and finish is similar to the Huda Beauty ones with the Fenty being just a little bit more thicker in feel.

I didn’t lip swatch the liners here but you can see Satin Panty in action here for a pretty lip combo. Overall solid A+ for formula, color and pigment.

You can find these now at Sephora, Ulta, Fenty.

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Bronzer + Blush Lips

Brights by Mario – Makeup by Mario Summer Collection

July 23, 2024

Makeup By Mario launched his Brights By Mario Collection for summer with new shades of his MoistureGlow Plumping Lip Serum ($24 each) and Soft Pop Plumping Blush Veil ($30 each). The colors are fun and bright – perfect for this summer. You can find these at Sephora.

Soft Pop Plumping Blush Veil

There are four new shades of the Soft Pop Plumping Blush Veil in bright bold colors. The formula is creamy and easy to blend. They blend out to a much sheerer finish for a veil of color compared to what you see in the pan. Since these are significantly brighter and bolder in color they show up much better on my medium tan skin compared to the other shades in this formula. The colors in the original launch (reviewed here) didn’t work so well for my skin tone (they were too pale for me).

They have a soft dewy finish but it’s not too dewy or shiny. Since they are creams I think they’re best suited for normal or normal to dry skin types. On me lasting power is very good indoors but outdoors they become very dewy looking within a short period of time. To be fair though everything gets dewy looking in this humidity!

Pink Peony is a cool toned powdery pink, this has a very pastel undertone so looks a little streaky on me if I don’t blend it out all the way. For skintone reference I’m wearing NARS Light Reflecting Foundation in Vanuatu below (formula reviewed here).

Below: Pink Peony + Watermelon Glow on the lips

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Papaya Pop is a bright orange but sheers out to a tangerine glow on the cheeks.

Below: Papaya Pop + Tangerine Glow on the lips

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Strawberry Sunset is a bright warm pink.

Below: Strawberry Sunset + Cherry Glow on the lips.

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Paradise Pink is a fuschia pink.

Below: Paradise Pink + Pomegranate Glow on the lips.

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Swatched below next to the blush shades I still have from the original launch.

MoistureGlow Plumping Lip Serum

There are five new shades of the MoistureGlow Plumping Lip Serum and I love these colors. Texture is the same as the other lip serums in the lineup: very soft, balmy, glossy, sheer in finish. They are bright and sheer at the same time so you’ll get a healthy wash of color on the lips. You can sheer them out for a more subtle look.

I think every single color is beautiful and perfect for summer. I do wish they were in a squeeze tube format instead. The texture is really soft and almost melty on the lips. I haven’t had any product melting issues but I also haven’t put these in my bag this summer. Also quick note in case you’re new to these: they twist in one direction (they don’t twist back down).

You can find these now at Sephora.

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Press samples sent by the Makeup By Mario team for review.

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Bronzer + Blush Lips

rhode Pocket Blush + Peptide Lip Tint New Shades

July 15, 2024

Rhode launched new lip and cheek colors for summer with the Pocket Blush ($24 each) and Peptide Lip Tint ($18 each). They’re available now at Rhode Skin with discounted bundles if you buy one of their sets. The shades looked perfect for summer so I ordered one of everything in the sets. I have swatches today!

Pocket Blush

The Pocket Blush is a creamy blush with a twist up base. There are six shades total and I bought the Pocket Blush Set. Pigment is bold with one swipe but when you blend it’s medium in coverage. They’re dewy in the finish if you apply on bare skin or just on top of foundation or a skin tint. If I apply on top of a powdered face the finish is less dewy and more satiny which I prefer. In terms of a cream blush these are some of the better ones I’ve tried for lasting power. Creams are challenging in humid weather but these have held up pretty well if I’m out for a couple hours. Right now the humidity levels are so high literally nothing will hold up some days.

I really love the look of these. I do get better wear and coverage with the Armani Luminous Cheek Tints but those are different in application and formula.

Freckle is a nude beige
Piggy is a pale pastel pink
Sleepy Girl is a mauve
Juice Box is a bright pink
Spicy Marg is a coral peach
Toasted Teddy is a brown

After trying all the colors I think Spicy Marg and Juice Box are my favorite. Piggy is a bit too pale for my skin tone right now but I can make it work if I layer something else on top. Since Toasted Teddy is deeper and more contrasted with my skin tone I need to blend it out a little more than the other shades, but blending is pretty easy. Overall a solid A.

Peptide Lip Tint New Shades

There are four new shades of the Peptide Lip Tints. Set linked here. I love these lip balms and have purchased every single shade. Some of ones from previous launches seem to have developed some crystalized chunks, but not all of them have. I am hoping these new ones won’t develope the gritty texture.

New shades this launch pull on the sheer side, I wish they had more pigment but the colors are really pretty. As a lip balm lover, I like these. I don’t know that I’d call them must-haves, but the colors are stunning. New colors include:

Shortcake a cool pink
Peach Pit a sheer peach
Salty Tan a sheer mauve
Guava Spritz is a coral pink

Looks below, also wearing:

Foundation – Armani Luminous Silk Foundation in 6.5
Powder – Givenchy Prisme Libre Loose Powder Shade 3
Eyeshadow – Too Faced Born This Way Mini Warm Ember Nudes
Mascara – Tarte Tartelette Tubing Mascara XL

Freckle Blush + Peach Pit Peptide Lip Tint

Juice Box Blush + Short Cake Peptide Lip Tint

Piggy Blush + Ribbon Peptide Lip Tint

Sleepy Girl Blush + Salty Tan Peptide Lip Tint

Spicy Marg Blush + Guava Spritz Peptide Lip Tint

Toasted Teddy Blush + Espresso Peptide Lip Tint

Summer Lip Case

Rhode launched a super cute iPhone case (available in different sizes) in colors to match the new summer lip glosses. They are super cute and I love the concept. In real life I found mine a bit too chunky feeling and a little awkward to hold. I kept mine on for about an hour and then took it off but I’m the type that has a very streamlined basic phone case so I can slip it in and out of my pocket or put it in mini bags. I think they’re fun, but for me not practical.

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You can find these available at Rhode Skin.

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Lips Pat McGrath Labs

Pat McGrath Dramatique Mega Lip Pencil

July 2, 2024

Pat McGrath launched a new lip pencil called the Dramatique Mega Lip Pencil ($29 each). These are in a large pencil format that require sharpening. They’re available at Ulta Beauty, Sephora and Pat McGrath Labs.

I really love these. Colors for every single shade I tried is absolutely stunning. Formula is creamy and easy to apply with a matte finish. They glide onto the lips without any tugging and the coverage is smooth and opaque. Once they set on the lips they have impressive lasting power and these are among the few lip products that don’t transfer to my teeth at all. They’re not 100% transfer-proof but the transfer to a cup or napkin is minimal once it sets on the lips. I also like that they feel relatively weightless on the lips which is a huge plus especially in hot summer months.

I do wish they were in a twist up formula or came with a sharpener, but for a matte lip formula I really do like these. They can look a little dry if you have dry lips, but this can be fixed with a lip balm or primer. If you haven’t tried the MAC Prep + Prime Lip Primer I think you need to. It is the best lip primer that helps smooth the lip surface, adds a light veil of moisture and really helps lipsticks go on smoother without feathering.

Shades are all on point – I think I can see myself wearing every single color (except the red though, since I rarely wear reds). Some of the neutrals look similar swatched on the arm but on my lips there’s a clear difference in undertone. The darker shades will stain the lips but the lip primer is really good in preventing the staining.

Nude Venus is a light cool nude pink
Coralust is a neutral peachy pink
Divine Rose is a warm mauve rose
Naked Seduction is a warm dusty rose
Nude Oasis is a warm brown rose
Flesh3 is a mahogany rose brown
Garnet Glow is a deeper wine shade
Belle Amour is a cool-toned berry with some fuchsia vibes (this color looks like it’s only available at Pat McGrath online, I like the Lip Fetish Balm color version of Belle Amour a lot more)
OBSESSED! is an electric bold orange red

I lip swatched most of the shades below, also wearing:

Foundation – Pat McGrath Skin Fetish Foundation Light Medium 14 (review here)
Concealer – Pat McGrath Skin Fetish Concealer Light Medium 13 (swatches here)
Blush – Divine Cream Blush Alluring Nude (review here) + Powder Blush Nude Venus
Eyeshadow – Divine Bronze Eyeshadow Palette Venusian Sunrise (review here)
Brows – Anastasia Brow Definer Medium Brown
Polish – Olive and June Quick Dry in Pointe

Overall love. I’m usually not a fan of matte lips but I like the colors and lasting power of these shades. I would say my top 3 are Coralust, Nude Seduction and Divine Rose.

Available at Ulta Beauty, Sephora and Pat McGrath Labs..

6 shades received in PR and 3 purchased by me

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Older Posts

Lips

New Tom Ford Lip Color Lipstick + Lip Pencils

Lip Color Lipstick

Lip Pencil

Tarte Holiday 2024 Lip Sets

Best of Maracuja Juicy Lips Set 2024

Maracuja Juicy Lip Icon Duos

Maracuja Juicy Lip Plump

Maracuja Juicy Lip Liner

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NARS Explicit Lipstick Review

Fenty Gloss Bomb Stix + Trace’d Out Pencil Lip Liner

Gloss Bomb Stix

Trace’d Out Pencil Lip Liner

Brights by Mario – Makeup by Mario Summer Collection

Soft Pop Plumping Blush Veil

MoistureGlow Plumping Lip Serum

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rhode Pocket Blush + Peptide Lip Tint New Shades

Pocket Blush

Peptide Lip Tint New Shades

Summer Lip Case

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Pat McGrath Dramatique Mega Lip Pencil

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