Lips Archives - Page 17 of 24 - The Beauty Look Book

Laura Mercier Velour Extreme Matte Lipstick

December 20, 2017

There’s a new lipstick formula from Laura Mercier called the Velour Extreme Matte Lipstick ($28 each for 1.4 g/0.035 oz, made in Germany). They launched 24 shades in a wide range of colors from pale beige to dark purple. They come in a slim twist up tube similar to the Caviar Sticks Eye Colors which I adore. I feel fortunate to be able to share swatches of all the colors with you today!

The Velour Extreme Matte Lipsticks are matte full coverage lipsticks. All have a cream finish without any shimmer. In general I hate matte lipsticks and matte lip products. I find they make my lips look dry, shriveled, colors darken and everything looks aged. The few exceptions have been the Charlotte Tilbury Matte Revolution, Louboutin Matte Lipstick and Pat McGrath MatteTrance Lipsticks. The Laura Mercier Velour Extreme the formula is ultra matte. Formula is opaque and long lasting, but smoothness is hit or miss. Most of the colors have extremely good flawless coverage, but some have a patchy finish like Ruthless (pale pink), Extreme (deep plum) and Goals (light peach). They do have a very matte finish – I found applying a balm underneath helps smooth the finish but they still last long.

For reference on my skintone and foundation, I currently use the Laura Mercier Flawless Fusion in Buff, Tom Ford Waterproof Foundation and Concealer in Natural + Tawny, NARS Velvet Matte Skin Tint in St. Moritz, MAC Studio Fix Fluid in NC35 and NC37. Swatches of what I rotate between in my Summer Foundation and Base Edit post. For the new NARS Radiant Longwear Foundation I’m still testing out the colors but I’m swatching Stromboli or Vanuatu or Barcelona.

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Respect, Ruthless, Vibe, Fresh, Fierce and Rock

Up first are the lightest shades and neutrals:

Respect is a light beige
Ruthless is a pale powdery pink
Vibe is the perfect neutral pink
Fresh is a neutral pink rose mauve
Fierce is a brown neutral
Rock is a deeper brown

All swatches are done on bare lips.

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Cool, Stylin, On Point, Fire, Control and Dominate

Next are the orange and reds. These are high impact shades all on the bold side. As with most reds there are similar options but each one has a different undertone. I like that these are true to what you see in the tube. Often times with reds they go on brighter or pinker than what I see.

Cool is a bright mod peach
Stylin is a bright coral peach
On Point is a vibrant orange
Fire is an orange red
Control is a deeper brick red
Dominate is a bright red

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Goals, Bring It, Clique, It Girl, Fab and Power

Up next are the bright pinks.

Goals is a powder pink
Bring It is a fuchsia pink
Clique is a bright red pink
It Girl is a bright deep peony pink
Fab is a hot cool pink
Power is a deeper pink red

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Queen, Fatale, Hot, Boss, Dare, Extreme

Last are the deeper pinks and purples. For some reason the deeper shades were pretty patchy on my lips. There is a sharp contrast between my natural lip color and many of these.

Queen is a bright cool pink
Fatale is a plum red
Hot is a bright deep red
Boss is a patchy violet
Dare is a muted mauve brown plum
Extreme is a deep streaky blackened purple

Lasting power is quite impressive. They do have a dry texture/feel in the tube so there is going to be slight tugging when you apply on the lips. If you have a balm underneath they’ll glide on better. Once on the lips they feel weightless and very comfortable. I love the packaging style and hope they launch this in cream or shimmer shades because I can see myself wearing those more than mattes. For a matte lipstick these are good. I still prefer other matte formulas like the ones from Pat McGrath, and in general like cream or gloss finishes for lipsticks.

The best thing about these is the lasting power. They stay put and don’t bleed at all. There is going to be transfer to cups or napkins if you drink but otherwise they stay on the lips for hours without budging. I liked that they worked well with balms too. No detectable scent on these either. Do you have a favorite matte lipstick formula?

My top five picks: Vibe, Fresh, Fierce, Fatale and Power.

You can find the Laura Mercier Velour Extreme Matte Lipsticks available now at Sephora.

Lipsticks sent courtesy of Laura Mercier for review.

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Lips Pat McGrath Labs

Pat McGrath Labs LiquiLUST 007 Skin Show

November 28, 2017

I ordered the Pat McGrath Labs LiquiLUST 007 in Skin Show ($75) sight unseen which features new liquid lipsticks, a clear gloss and a micro glitter pigment. After falling in love with the Pat McGrath MatteTrance Lipsticks I decided to try this set. There are two shade options and I went for the nude one. Quick takeaway is I still prefer her regular lipstick formula but for liquid lipsticks hers are pretty darn good. I feel like I’m pretty much the only one who is in general anti-liquid lipsticks because they just don’t work with my lips, often look dry and shriveled. I usually have to add gloss or balm to make them work.

The LiquiLUST 007 is part of her limited-edition Lip Labs Collection. This set comes in an iridescent sealed pouch stuffed with lavender colored sequins. It’s definitely eye catching and fun but I have no idea what I’m going to do with all these little bits of iridescent purple sequins. Andrew was worried the cat would jump into my flatlays because he likes shiny things and get glitter all over the place. In reality he should be more concerned that I’d get it everywhere – there’s something about glitter and sequins that makes me think it would be super fun to just throw toss up in the air everywhere in the house.

Inside the set you have:

Liquid Lipstick in Divine Nude which is a neutral nude pink
Liquid Lipstick in Possessed which is a medium rose
Liquid Lipstick in Slay-OMI which is a deep wine brown
Clear Vinyl Gloss (comes with a slanted applicator)
Gold 007 Cristalline Micro-Fine Pigment

Swatches:

Lip swatches:

Some comparison swatches next to her 1995 Matte Trance, Realness LuxeTrance, OMI MatteTrance, Beautiful Creature LuxeTrance:

Comparison swatches next to NARS Power Matte Pigment in American Woman, Marc Jacobs Le Marc Lip Creme in Slow Burn, Bite Beauty Amuse Bouche Liquid in Chutney, Charlotte Tilbury Hollywood Lips in Platinum Blonde and Dolly Bird (these two aren’t dupes or similar, just added them to show how deep the other shades are), Marc Jacobs Le Marc Lip Creme in Hot Cocoa.

Back labels, ingredients and info:

Overall thoughts on the set are positive. The Liquid Lipsticks have no detectable scent, full smooth coverage that is 100% streak-free and feels remarkably comfortable for a matte. They do have a matte finish and drydown but don’t dry out to the point they make my lips look shriveled. Divine Nude is almost identical to the MatteTrance Lipstick in 1995 (I prefer the lipstick version). Lasting power is really good – they stay put for hours without budging.

The gloss is also unscented and has a slightly tacky feel. On the lips it doesn’t feel too sticky – it actually feels really comfortable, almost hydrating on me. As I’m really not a fan of matte lips, I find if I apply the gloss first then apply the liquid lipstick on top, it’s almost like an opaque gloss like the Marc Jacobs Le Marc Lip Cremes.

The only color I felt was too dark was Slay-OMI but it’s really nice for a deep lip. I didn’t try the gold glitter except to swatch. It’s a yellow gold and as I don’t like to wear yellow or glitter I don’t see how I’ll get any use out of this (it’s being regifted to one of my friends).

Bottom line a solid win, but I still think her LuxeTrance and MatteTrance Lipsticks are better for me. At this time I don’t know if her Liquid Lipsticks are going to be launched individually or in more colors outside of her sets. There’s another LiquiLUST 007 Duo available with another new gloss formula but I’m probably not going to order it as it has Divine Nude and I now have it from the kit I bought.

You can find the Pat McGrath Labs LiquiLUST 007 set available at Sephora and Pat McGrath Labs. While supplies last. Have you tried or seen these yet? What did you think?

21 Comments

Lips Pat McGrath Labs Sephora

Pat McGrath Labs LuxeTrance, MatteTrance, Permagel Eye and Lip Pencil Review

November 2, 2017

I recently did a massive Pat McGrath Labs beauty haul from Sephora. A large number of you have asked me for a review on the MatteTrance Lipsticks ($38 each for 0.14 oz/ 4 g) and since I’ve never really been big on matte lips I did not plan on looking into these. I don’t think I’ve ever received so many review requests on a single product so once I saw that she launched a creamy formula called LuxeTrance Lipstick ($38 each for 0.14 oz/ 4 g) I ordered a handful online sight unseen. I also added some of the MatteLuxe Lipsticks, Permagel Ultra Lip Pencils ($25 each for 1.2 g/ 0.042 oz) and one shade of the Permagel Ultra Glide Eyeliner ($25 each for 1.2 g/ 0.042 oz) to my cart to try out. A couple days ago I finally saw the line in person at my local store and everything is just stunning! Since I just received my order recently this is more of a first impressions rather than a detailed review.

A look at the stunning display in store:

First can we talk about the box packaging? I know super pretty boxes and packaging can be a waste, but the presentation is just so pretty. Opening any of the lipsticks or pencils is like opening a present. I don’t know if the gold embossed icons on the front have any meaning but everything is so artistic and creative.

The Permagel Ultra Lip Pencils and Permagel Ultra Glide Eyeliners are super smooth and creamy. They glide onto the skin and are waterproof. They have about the same smoothness as the Urban Decay 24/7 Glide-On pencils (which last long but aren’t budge-proof on me). The Pat McGrath Labs pencils have VERY impressive lasting power. I swatched them on the hand and they would not come off easily. On the lips they stay put all day long. The liner on the eyes does not smudge all day. They have enough of an emollient smooth gel-like quality that you can apply and blend it out a little before it dries and sets. But once it sets it stays put. Pigment is ultra rich, there’s no tugging with application, it feels comfortable and performs well.

Colors I bought:

Permagel Ultra Lip Pencil in Buff is a medium neutral pink
Permagel Ultra Lip Pencil in Done Undone is a lighter pink nude with a hint of pearl
Permagel Ultra Lip Pencil in Bare Rose is a pretty soft rose with a slight sheen
Permagel Ultra Lip Pencil in Suburbia is a deeper rose pink
Permagel Ultra Glide Eyeliner in Blitz Brown is a deep bronze with shimmer

At the store I also looked at Supernatural and Contour. Both were more brown without any pink tones, along the lines of MAC Lip Pencil in Stripdown. I didn’t buy any more as I had already hauled quite a few. I don’t typically wear brown lipliners with the exception of MAC Stripdown and Oak so I felt the pinks and neutrals were my best bet. I do think I’ll consider other shades of the Permagel Ultra Glide Eyeliner but for now I love the one I have. All the pencils come with a sharpener.

Comparison swatches below to NARS Man Ray Velvet Eye Pencil in Santiago, Marc Jacobs Matte Highliner in Earthquake, Charlotte Tilbury Lip Cheat in Iconic Nude and Pillow Talk, MAC Lip Pencils in Boldly Bare, Whirl, Dervish, Spice and Soar.

Next are the lipsticks which are mind blowing good. It was pretty risky for me to order so many colors in a new-to-me formula sight unseen. The last time I did that with a brand I hadn’t tried before, it was total a fail. These Pat McGrath LuxeTrance and MatteTrance Lipsticks do not disappoint and they are easily among the best I’ve tried. I would say the matte formula tops all other matte formulas I’ve tried with the exception of the Louboutin Mattes. I’ve said that Charlotte Tilbury Matte Revolution Lipsticks (also swatched here) have been in my favorites list. That was before I tried Pat McGrath’s.

The lipsticks come in a sleek metal black and gold tube. Both formulas have the same packaging. They have a cute gold embossed/raised lip which I think could have been really tacky to be frank, but they managed to make it look sleek and luxe. There is a good weight to the tube so it feels solid. They are well designed in every way.

LuxeTrance of course is my formula of choice. It’s a creamy opaque lipstick with full coverage. All the shades are creams without shimmer. They’re one-swipe wonders and make the lips look full. They glide onto the lips, feel super smooth, have a comforting feel and have impressive lasting power. I would say you get similar coverage with the Hourglass Confession Ultra Slim Lipsticks. They are also just as opaque as the Bite Beauty Amuse Bouche formula but more creamy with a bit more slip. The LuxeTrance isn’t super thick but it does have substance and when you wear it, it looks like you are definitely wearing lipstick. Colors I picked:

Donatella is a pale nude, it pulls pinkish on me
Sextrology is a light salmon pink
Realness is a perfect peachy nude
Valletta is a light peachy pink
She’s Heaven is a neutral brown-pink
Beautiful Creature is a stunning plum
Attitude is a neutral brown

For other nudes, I also saw La Beija in store. The online swatch made me think it might be too dark/brown so I did not order it. In real life it’s a lot lighter than the stock swatch. It’s a pretty light-medium peachy beige and I would have bought it but they were sold out.

The MatteTrance Lipstick formula has a unique almost whipped like feel. They glide onto the lips and have a nice sheen even though they are clearly matte. They don’t make the lips look dried out or flat. They didn’t dry out my lips and lasted a decent amount of time. The texture of the lipstick in the tube looks almost like they took a sponge to make an imprint on the exterior. There is no texture when you apply though – it’s 100% smooth.

1995 is a stunning light neutral pink nude
Omi is the perfect rose pink

As far as I can tell there’s no detectable scent with these.

Bottom line pure love and lots to explore. There are a lot of bold shades in all the formulas. I did take a look at the Eyeshadow Palettes which are quite impressive in size and color selection. Each one had quite a few glitzy shades or at least 2 shades in each palette I didn’t think I’d use so for now I’ve passed. I do hope they launch more palettes or singles so you’d be able to pick and choose. For now I’m more than happy with my lip picks and eyeliner.

You can find Pat McGrath Labs exclusively at Sephora and Pat McGrath Labs.

23 Comments

Lips Tom Ford Beauty

Tom Ford Lip Color New Shades: Bad Lieutenant, Sugar Glider, Autoerotique, Spiced Honey, Open Kimono and Devore

October 24, 2017

There have been a lot of lip launches from Tom Ford Beauty this fall with the Boys and Girls and also 40 new shades of their Lip Color and Lip Color Matte. I ordered a few online sight unseen from Sephora and one turned out to be a lot lighter than the online stock photo. Since these are extremely pricey I waited until these arrived at Neiman Marcus and picked up some more shades. In total I bought six colors. There were a lot of neutrals, light nudes, light pinks and some deeper color options as well. I found the mattes to be very matte so I decided to stick with the regular lip color creams.

For the most part I’ve found the Tom Ford Cream Lip Colors formula to be fuller coverage than the average lipstick. With the new shades I tested I found a few slightly different finishes. Some were sheerer than I’ve normally experienced. If you’ve missed previous reviews on Tom Ford Lip Colors, they are among my favorites for formulas. They have smooth even coverage. They’re super luxurious and don’t dry out my lips like some formulas do from other brands. Lasting power is pretty average. They will stay put as long as you don’t have contact with snacks or drinks, but they don’t stay put all day long. I find I have to reapply within a few hours. They feel comfortable on the lips without being heavy. The creams have a very natural looking sheen to the finish which I adore. My haul picks:

Bad Lieutenant is a medium light neutral beige pink cream, this one has full coverage
Sugar Glider is a gorgeous light mauve, I’m beyond obsessed with this one! Finish with this one is semi-sheer, it’s not as opaque as some of the creams
Autoerotique is a medium peachy tan cream, this has medium coverage
Spiced Honey is a pale nude pink, this has full coverage, the contrast with my natural lip color made it look a tiny bit streaky but it smooths out nicely
Open Kimono is a shimmering light gold beige, this is the first Tom Ford shimmer lipstick I’ve tried that has some texture in the tube, the shimmer has some grit but on the lips there’s no gritty feel, this one is sheer but buildable
Devore is a sheer neutral brown with pink tones

In sunlight with flash:

In sunlight without flash:

Below wearing Laura Mercier Flawless Fusion Foundation in Buff and La Mer The Powder (loose) to set. All lip swatches done on bare lips. It’s been a while since I’ve swatched Pink Dusk and Sable Smoke. I find both to be classics and still the best two colors in the lineup so I added them in lip swatches below.

Additional swatch comparisons to Boys and Girls in Katherine (lip swatched here), NARS Audacious Lipstick in Barbara (lip swatch here) and Tom Ford Ultra Rich Lip Color in Revolve Around Me (lip swatch here):

For those curious about which colors are the 40 new shades, they are split into 9 color categories according to the Tom Ford look book I received in my e-mail:

Nude Creams: Naked Ambition, Spiced Honey, Erogenous, Bad Lieutenant, All Mine
Nude Mattes: Deceiver, Heavenly Creature
Beige Creams: Open Kimono, Satin Chic, Autoerotique, Devore, Magnetic Attraction
Beige Mattes: Universal Appeal, Wicked Ways
Pink Creams: Paper Doll, Pretty Persuasive
Mauve Creams: Sugar Glider, Night Mauve, Adora
Pop Creams: Playgirl, Foxfire, Stimulant, Electrique, Exotica
Coral Mattes: Age of Consent, The Perfect Kiss
Red Creams: Vermillion-Aire, Dressed to Kill, Jasmin Rouge, Original Sin
Red Mattes: Best Revenge, Night Porter
Burgandy Creams: Dangerous Beauty, Love Crime, Discretion
Noir Creams: Impassioned, Near Dark
Noir Mattes: In Deep, Fetishist

There was a lot to sort through at the counters and with all the new and existing colors mixed together I don’t know that I got a good look at all the new ones. I did have a list with me of what to check out so I think I covered most of the neutrals. The quality and lasting power are still on point for what I’ve experienced with Tom Ford lip colors. I would have probably passed on Spiced Honey (this is a bit pale on me) and Open Kimono (I prefer Guilty Pleasure), but luckily I can make both work with a good lip liner like MAC Boldly Bare, Whirl or Stripdown (swatched here).

My favorite colors are still Pink Dusk and Sable Smoke for everyday neutrals, but I’m really happy with my picks. As one who finds light mauves difficult to wear with my olive complexion, I’m 100% in love with Sugar Glider. For light pinks I was really tempted by Paper Doll but I wanted to limit myself to 6 max for now as holiday is coming up and there is still a lot to cover.

You can find the new shades of Tom Ford Lip Color and Lip Color Matte out now. Available online at Neiman Marcus, Nordstrom, Sephora and all other Tom Ford Beauty counters.

Did you try any of the new shades yet? What did you think?

58 Comments

Lips Tom Ford Beauty

Tom Ford Boys and Girls Lip Colors – The Girls

October 4, 2017

Tom Ford launched 50 shades of girls lip colors with the Boys and Girls Lipsticks ($36 each) this year with two formulas, Lip Color Sheer and Ultra-Rich Lip Color. I stopped by my local Nordstrom the week they launched and picked out a handful to purchase. I’ve been a huge fan of Tom Ford lipsticks from the very start and each year I look forward to seeing their new mini clutch-sized launches. They did Lips and Boys for two years and this year they added a Lips and Girls which I think is super fun. After covering my hand with swatches I ended up with twelve of the Lips and Girls Sheers and five of the Lips and Girls Ultra-Rich formula. A few thoughts on each formula and then swatches + descriptions below.

The Girls Lip Color Sheers are just as the name implies, “sheer.” They are ultra smooth, hydrating and have a gorgeous sheen. Most of the colors I saw had some degree of shimmer for the sheer finish, although I did notice a few non-shimmers. They are sheer though. Many of the colors I picked out ended up looking very similar once on my lips. I should have picked some of the deeper or brighter colors for more variety. All the colors I tried were smooth in coverage except Carine and Lena, both of which were a bit streaky on my lips. To me these have a similar vibe to that of the Chanel Rouge Coco Shines and YSL Volupte Shine Oil in Stick, just with a little less slip, not quite as balmy, and with a tiny bit more pigment. Lasting power isn’t going to be exceptional since they are sheer and glossy so reapplication is going to be necessary. I don’t mind since they feel so comfortable on the lips.

The Girls Ultra-Rich Lip Colors have more pigment with a soft glossy finish. I absolutely love this formula and wish the entire line of Lips and Girls had been like this. I have and love the full size Revolve Around Me and the Lips and Girls are just as good in terms of pigment, coverage and comfort. They hug the lips nicely and the colors are gorgeous. On my pigmented lips some of the shades I picked also look similar, the difference will be more noticeable if you have lighter colored lips. I’ll note the difference in undertone below.

Colors are split into three sets below, two sets of the sheers and one set of the ultra-rich. Up first are:

Carine is a light shimmery beige nude
Edita is a neutral nude beige shimmer
Nina is a soft peachy shimmer
Beatrice is a light baby pink with iridescent blue shimmers
Julianne is a medium pink beige shimmer
Alicia is a light neutral-cool pink shimmer

All lip swatches on bare lips, foundation shade worn on the skin is the Tom Ford Waterproof Foundation/Concealer in Natural. I feel like a broken record about this one but it’s really one of the best ones I’ve used in a long time and has still held up really well in the Florida heat/humidity. In case you still have not seen the review, it’s posted here with swatches of Bisque, Natural and Sable alongside MAC Studio Fix Fluid swatches for reference. For those who want to know my MAC shade, I fluctuate between NC25 and NC37 in the liquid because I tan easily. Right now I’m the equivalent of NC37. I don’t know what shade I am in the powder, many years ago I used to use C3 and C4 but I developed a severe allergic reaction to the powder and have been scared to re-try it since.

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Second set includes:

Carolyn is a shimmery neutral pink brown with silver shimmer
Ellie is a cool mauve shimmer
Lara is a light mauve brown shimmer
Fabiola is a creamy mauve brown pink
Lena is a pale aqua colored shimmer
Isamaya is a sheer violet

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Third set is with the Ultra-Rich:

Katherine is a soft beige pink, it’s similar to my fav Bradley but Katherine has a bit more pink
Marisa is a pretty medium pink
Zoe is a peachy pink cream
Isla is a coral peach
Valentina is a plum mauve

Bradley added below to the arm swatch set below, review + swatch of that color in this post here.

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Overall thoughts is I love the formula, it’s truly top notch. The Lip Color Sheers are as the name implies “sheer” and while I knew that was what I should expect, I feel like I could have skipped more than 3/4 of the colors I bought because they look so similar once they are on the lips. Out of the 12 sheers I bought 4 of them broke at the base which is heartbreaking so I’m going to hopefully exchange those at Nordstrom. This has never happened to me before with any Tom Ford Lipstick (and I’ve tried all of the formulas) and based on the fact that most of mine are still ok, I think it could have just been duds. For those suspecting it might have been heat that melted or softened them at the base – I make sure everything is back at air-conditioned room temperature before swatching. I love the Ultra-Rich formula – it is one of the best formulas I’ve tried. I love the smooth glossy finish and the colors are really quite pretty.

Out of all the colors I bought, my top 5 picks: Nina, Ellie, Katherine, Zoe and Valentina. Although Katherine is a pretty good dupe for Bradley so they are most likely too similar to justify owning both (if you don’t want dupes).

There are some new shades of Lips and Boys but I decided to skip them this round which is a good thing because there are tons of new shades in the Lip Color and Lip Color Matte formula which I’m dying to see in person.

You can find the Tom Ford Boys and Girls at all counters now, the girls shades are available individually for $36 each, in a 50 piece set for $1,980 and also in a trio set at Neiman Marcus for $108. I bought mine from Nordstrom. Also available at Neiman Marcus, Sephora, Saks Fifth Avenue, Beautylish and Tom Ford Beauty. They are limited-edition.

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

22 Comments

Highlighters Hourglass Cosmetics Lips

New Hourglass Launches: Ambient Lighting Edit Volume 3, Metallic Strobe and Confession Refillable Lipstick Set

September 28, 2017

There are three new limited-edition launches from Hourglass for lips and cheeks. Two new palettes have arrived with new formulas/finishes from the Ambient Lighting line and there are new shades of the Confession Ultra-Slim Lipsticks exclusive to a set. I have all three that I’ve been playing with for the past week:

Ambient® Lighting Edit Volume 3 ($80) has six different powders for face, bronzer, highlight and blush in Diffused Light, Hypnotic Strobe Light, Dim Light, Luminous Bronze Light, Surreal Halo, Pure Effect Blush
Ambient® Metallic Strobe Lighting Palette ($62) has three new metallic highlighters in Absolute Strobe Light, Pure Strobe Light, Lucent Strobe Light
Confession Refillable Lipstick Set ($54) has three new lipsticks in My One Desire, True Love Means and You Are My

Up first is the Ambient Lighting Edit Volume 3 which has a mix of existing and new shades. The colors included: Diffused Light (soft pale yellow satin powder), Hypnotic Strobe Light (pale champagne shimmer), Dim Light (soft pink satiny powder), Luminous Bronze Light (light bronze), Surreal Halo (mauve rose shimmer), Pure Effect Blush (light but bright pink).

The entire feel and vibe of this is on the light to medium side for color. Pigment is soft to medium with a naturally glowy feel. I thought the colors would be too light for my tan complexion but they all show up on my skin – Diffused Light and Dim Light of course have a sheer effect, almost like a finishing or softening powder. The bronzer does seem quite a bit lighter in color than the individual ones I own. Each powder is unique so I do understand there could be variation because the one I have in the palette has more highlighter vs bronzer, still the effect is noticeably lighter.

Finish is smooth and doesn’t emphasize pores. Lasting power is quite good – it stayed put on my face and cheeks from morning to late evening. All this being said if you already own a lot of Hourglass products individually you may find there are very close dupes. As mentioned in a few recent posts I’m in between places and most of my items are in storage so I don’t have access to products for comparisons. Off the top of my head I do feel this palette is very similar to existing shades although the Pure Effect Blush is one of the prettiest pinks I’ve ever swatched.

Worn below is:

Tom Ford Waterproof Foundation in Natural
Armani Luminous Silk Powder #4 + Hourglass Dim Light to set
By Terry Stylo Expert Click #8 Concealer
Hourglass Pure Effect Blush on cheeks
Hourglass Hypnotic Strobe Light on eyes
Marc Jacobs Beauty Glambition Eyeshadow Palette on eyes
Hourglass Confession Ultra Slim Lipstick in True Love Means

Up next is the Metallic Strobe Lighting Palette which I’ve previously reviewed here. The powders are smooth with buildable pigment and rich shimmer. It’s wearable for a pretty highlight but a little on the pale side for my tan complexion right now. Full review + swatches (also shown on the face) here but I’ll repost images below.

Last but not least is the Hourglass Ultra Slim Confession Refillable Lipstick Set. It has three new shades of lipstick that are exclusive to the set. There is one gold bullet exterior and two refills inside. The pigment is opaque with full coverage and smooth. Formula is just as good as the individual shades all reviewed and swatched here.

My favorite shades are still from the individual lineup but all three of these are wearable for pretty much any occasion, day or night. I’m giving away the three new launches featured in this post to two lucky readers, enter through the widget below. Here’s how this will work:

Giveaway open internationally, but you must be 18 years or older
Giveaway will run from 9/28/2017 through 10/12/2017 11:45 PM EST
Two winners will be selected at random through the widget below
Giveaway is not sponsored or affiliated

a Rafflecopter giveaway

You can find the new Hourglass launches at all Hourglass counters, stores and retailers now. They are limited-edition. Available online at Nordstrom, Sephora, Bergdorf Goodman, Space NK, Net-A-Porter, Barneys New York and Hourglass Cosmetics.

Have you tried these yet? What did you think?

New Hourglass launches sent courtesy of Hourglass for review. Giveaway items purchased by me.

163 Comments

Lips MAC

MAC x Nicki Minaj Collection Review + Swatches

September 26, 2017

The MAC x Nicki Minaj collection just launched which includes an entire collection of nude lipsticks and glosses. It’s literally a nude lip lover’s dream come true. There are two special edition nudes that were created by Nicki Minaj that come in gorgeous pink packaging along with eighteen other lipsticks and six lipglasses (some repromotes, some are new). I’m one of the biggest fans for nude lips but since I have olive skin and a naturally pigmented lip undertone finding one that works is super tricky. I’ve found over the years the trick with a lot of nude lip shades is that layering with pencils and gloss is key. Luckily brands have expanded their range of neutrals so I’ve actually found quite a few that don’t require extra work.

I bought the entire MAC x Nicki Minaj collection online since MAC select members had early access. The same day my order arrived a beautiful press package arrived so I ended up with two of everything. I’m passing along the duplicates I ordered to a few friends and my niece, but stay tuned I’ll be doing a giveaway on another post later this week. Many of these shades are on the lighter side and a lot look very similar on me (like super pale concealer). Also because I have a pigmented lip my natural lip shows through on many of the swatches which looks like it could be a dark lipliner but I assure you it’s not. It’s just my natural lip tone showing through.

What I have reviewed and swatched for this collection:

MAC x Nicki Minaj Lipstick The Pink Print
MAC x Nicki Minaj Lipstick Nicki’s Nude
Lipglass in: Under the Sheets, N-U-D-E, Please Me
Lipsticks in: Gossamer Wing, 2N, Bare Bling, Creme d’Nude, The Right Note, Derriere, Japanese Maple, Stripped, A Girl’s Got Needs, Easy Babe, Age Sex Location, Among the Fireflies, Playing Koi, Bosom Friend, Pretty Please, Baby’s All Right, Patisserie, Mmmmmmm

Up first are the MACxNicki Minaj Lipstick colors in The Pink Print and Nicki’s Nude. Both have an amazing smooth opaque formula that covers the lip in one swipe. The Pink Print is a pale opaque pink peach however it’s on the soft side and the lipstick broke in the tube. To continue using it I’m most likely going to have to put it into a pot. A quick look at other reviews shows that I’m not the only one with the issue of breakage. Just something to keep in mind when applying – apply if very gently. Nicki’s Nude is a deeper baby peach. This one isn’t quite as soft for me but still smooth and soft.

Next are the MAC x Nicki Minaj nude lipsticks which I’ve split into two groups (based on order they were displayed in the box). Shown below include:

Gossamer Wing a pale soft shimmer pale beige
2N light cream colored nude
Bare Bling light beige tan cream
Creme d’Nude peachy cream nude
The Right Note light-medium tan
Derriere muted medium brown
Japanese Maple pink peach sheer
Stripped medium tan nude
A Girl’s Got Needs medium tan brown
The Pink Print and Nicki’s Nude added in the swatch below

Foundation worn is Tom Ford Waterproof Foundation in Natural (my MAC Studio Fix Fluid equivalent is NC35/37, these shades are also swatched here). As mentioned above all the lip swatches are on bare lips. There may be a visible dark ring around the edges as that is my natural lip showing through. All lip swatches done on bare lips.

Next set of nude lipstick colors include the following:

Easy Babe is a cafe latte brown
Age Sex Location is a slightly deeper brown neutral
Among the Fireflies is a mauve pink brown
Playing Koi is a pale warm pink (on me it’s like light concealer)
Bosom Friend is a pale cool pink
Pretty Please is a sheer lustre pink with a tiny bit of shimmer
Baby’s All Right is a muted cool mauve pink
Patisserie is a sheer glossy pink
Mmmmmmm is a deeper mauve pink rose

MAC x Nicki Minaj Lipglasses shown below in:

Under the Sheets is a sheer sparkly pale pink
N-U-D-E is a soft peachy pink shimmer (reminds me of Love Nectar)
Please Me is a pale pink cream, alone it’s a bit on the streaky side
Beaux (swatched/reviewed here) is a soft brown tan shimmer
Spite (swatched/reviewed here) is a cool toned neutral pink-brown-taupe
Spice (swatched/reviewed here) is a warm tan pink

I didn’t swatch any of the lip liners repromoted with this collection but in case you’re looking for a nude. I swatched quite a few side by side from various brands in my Neutral Lip Pencil post here.

Bottom line, even though many of these colors are hard for me to wear alone, I still think this launch is a nude lip lover’s dream. If you search for swatches of these online you’ll see many of the colors that look like concealer on me look quite different on those with lighter skin or lip tones. Playing Koi for example actually looks more true to tube on some while on me it’s just a washed out mess.

My favorites include: The Right Note, Japanese Maple, Stripped, A Girl’s Got Needs, Age/Sex/Location, Among the Fireflies, Patisserie and MMMMMM. I think Patisserie is the most natural looking neutral on my complexion and I think it would most likely be one of the more universal shades in the bunch. For the lipglasses nothing would have stopped me from buying Under the Sheets and NUDE however I do think they are similar to existing shades.

What’s your favorite nude lip right now? I know everyone has a different definition of nude so I’d be interested to hear what yours is!

You can find the MAC x Nicki Minaj collection out now, I usually buy mine at MAC and Nordstrom.

MAC x Nicki Minaj collection provided by MAC for review. Items also purchased by me.

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