Browsing Category

Sephora

Lips Sephora

Sephora Favorites Give Me Some Nude Lip + Beauty Insider Birthday Minis

June 21, 2017

Sephora Favorites Give Me Some Nude Lip Review and Swatches | The Beauty Look Book

I’m a sucker for minis so when I saw the Sephora Favorites Give Me Some Nude Lip Set ($28, limited-edition) it didn’t take me long to buy one. It sold out online but just restocked so if you haven’t seen it yet I hope these swatches will either help you decide to splurge or save $$$. I also got their Beauty Insider Birthday Gift and redeemed my points for a Tarte mini so I thought I’d round them all up in one post here.

The Sephora Favorites sets have a lot of great options to sample products in mini sizes. I have my eye on the Ultimate Travel Bag because it looks like it has a little bit of everything. I bought and reviewed their spring version back in January. The one for summer is just as fun. Quick note first – the current set still comes with the black stuffing, but I swapped it out for some white stuffing I had from a different set simply because it was easier to see the product.

Sephora Favorites Give Me Some Nude Lip Review | The Beauty Look Book

How cute are the minis?! (On the nails is Essie Spin the Bottle)

Sephora Favorites Give Me Some Nude Lip Review and Swatches | The Beauty Look Book

Inside the Give Me Some Nude Lip Set you get 6 lip products, all are minis except for the Urban Decay lip which is full-sized:

  • Tarte Lingerie Lippie Matte Tint in Revealed is a mocha brown shade. I love the formula, pigment, texture and finish – I just found the color too dark for my personal preference. It’s a smooth finish chubby stick with a semi velvety finish. It says matte but it’s not flat looking and feels super lush on the lips. I will definitely try to check out other shades in this formula.
  • Anastasia Beverly Hills Lip Gloss in Kristen is one of my favorite opaque glosses, I already own it in the full size. It’s a neutral pinky brown color and perfect for any occasion. I love the rich opaque pigment and high shine. The color is just perfect.
  • Marc Jacobs Beauty Enamored Hi Shine Lip Lacquer in Sugar Sugar is a light nude champagne color. For me this one is best when worn over another lipstick or liner. Alone it has a sharper contrast to my natural lip tone making it look like I have a dark rim around the lips when I wear this because my lip shows through. The glosses in line have a lush cushiony feel without the tacky sticky finish.
  • Too Faced Lip Injection Glossy in Spice Girl is probably the most painful lip product I’ve ever tried. Tingles scare me because I’ve tried a few in the past where my lips literally flare up from an allergic reaction. This one started to sting within 10 seconds in such a sharp burning manner. I couldn’t wear it long enough to test because it hurt so much. I had it on probably 5 minutes just swatching and photographing it. The color and finish is really pretty but I just couldn’t tolerate the tingle.
  • NARS Velvet Lip Glide in Bound is another one I own in the full size. I definitely should have read the labels on the box to see if I already owned most of these, but the minis got me. This one is a perfect soft mauve color. It has the word “velvet” in it but on me these still have a slight sheen to them.
  • Urban Decay Vice Waterproof Long Lasting Liquid Lipstick is a full size metallic rose color. I’ve tried this one before and it was a total fail for me. The color dried on the lips in a way that make them look dried out and shriveled. In the past when I tested this one it dried out my lips so bad they peeled for several days after. They do last a long time as in they don’t budge all day long so if you don’t have sensitive lips this formula might be worth a try. Based on my one experience with this color though I’m passing on all the rest.

Sephora Favorites Give Me Some Nude Lip Review | The Beauty Look Book

Sephora Favorites Give Me Some Nude Lip swatches | The Beauty Look Book

Sephora Favorites Give Me Some Nude Lip lip swatches | The Beauty Look Book

Next are some Beauty Insider Perks. This year you have a couple options for the Beauty Insider Birthday Perk. You can pick between skincare from Caudalie and makeup from Tarte. I opted for the Tarte options but in reality I should have gone with the skincare as they would have been perfect to travel with. The Tarte set comes with the Amazonian Clay 12 Hour Blush in Paaarty (1.5 g/0.05 oz) and a Creamy Matte Lip Paint in Birthday Suit (1 ml/0.034 fl oz). Both are really pretty neutrals, the blush is a matte pink brown and the lip paint is a creamy nude pink that doesn’t wash me out. I also picked up a mini Quick Dry Matte Lip Paint in Rose (1 ml/0.034 fl oz) as a 100 point perk. I actually already own this one in the full size but couldn’t resist the mini. It’s a warm rose peachy color on me. I’m not the biggest fan of matte lips or matte liquid lipsticks but the colors from Tarte are pretty good and I can add a bit of balm or gloss on top.

Sephora Tarte Tarteist Lip Paint Birthday Suit and Rose | The Beauty Look Book

Sephora Tarte Birthday Gift 2017 | The Beauty Look Book

Sephora Favorites Give Me Some Nude Lip Review | The Beauty Look Book

In summary I like Tarte Birthday Suit enough to consider buying the full size. It’s a good neutral nude color that works for my skin tone and doesn’t wash me out. For the Give Me Some Nude Lips set turns out I like the colors I already own the best (NARS Bound, Marc Jacobs Sugar Sugar and Anastasia Kristen). The others were nice to try and even though I didn’t like the colors or formula so much at $28 it was worth it for me to try. That being said $28 could still have gone towards a full size gloss or lipstick that I really wanted – but I never use the lip testers in store on my lips because of all the germs so sometimes it’s hard to guess what a color will look like. I’ll swatch lip products on my hand and then hold it up to my face to see if I can kinda tell what it will look like, but I’m one who cringes when I see others using store testers on their lips.

Bottom line not a total win, but not a total fail either. You can find the Sephora Favorites Give Me Some Nude Lip set at Sephora. It’s limited-edition and they’ve launched a few variations over the past few seasons.

Have you picked up any Sephora Favorites sets lately? If so which sets did you try and what did you think?

 

 

Eye Makeup Sephora

Viseart Petite Pro Palette

April 17, 2017

Viseart Petite Pro Palette Review | The Beauty Look Book

Earlier in the year Viseart launched a new eyeshadow palette called the Petite Pro Palette ($30 for 8 x 0.026 oz/ powder-based shades). The packaging is similar to that of the Theory Palettes (reviewed here) with the magnetic cardboard casing and removable magnetic pans. The Petite Pro has mini pans of eyeshadow with a mix of matte and shimmer shades. I received in a gift bag at The Makeup Show Orlando last month and literally squealed when I saw this inside because I die for minis. I had passed on it when it first came out because I felt Minx and Honeymoon would be too similar to justify purchasing. After swatching it and playing with it, I confirmed these thoughts so if you own either of those you may want to shop your stash. (On the nails above is OPI Be There in a Prosecco.)

Viseart Petite Pro Palette Review | The Beauty Look Book

The Petite Pro Palette has four mattes and four shimmers. The quality, texture and pigment is excellent. I normally don’t gravitate towards really warm coppers or reddish purples because they tend to pull too warm on my olive skin, but the color mix in the Petite Pro is really good. Part of me looks at the palette and thinks this is really similar to what I already own, another part of me thinks it’s just really good for the color selection and convenience. If I had purchased it I don’t think I would have regretted it.

Colors inside the palette include a matte bone, matte medium brown, matte warm reddish plum brown, matte bark brown with grey tones, shimmering taupe, shimmering warm gold, shimmering copper, shimmering red plum. I think every color in the palette is wearable and gorgeous.

Viseart Petite Pro Palette Review | The Beauty Look Book Viseart Petite Pro Palette Review | The Beauty Look Book

A look a the Petite Pro Palette compared to the Theory Palette in Minx below. The packaging is the same style, but the shape and dimensions are slightly different:

Viseart Petite Pro vs Theory Palette in Minx | The Beauty Look Book

Petite Pro Palette on the left vs. Theory Palette in Minx on the right:Viseart Petite Pro vs Theory Palette in Minx | The Beauty Look Book

Swatch comparisons: Viseart Petite Pro vs Minx vs Honeymoon (previous reviews linked)

Viseart Petite Pro vs Theory Palette in Minx vs Tom Ford Honeymoon | The Beauty Look Book

As you can see above I don’t really have exact dupes but both Minx and Honeymoon have very similar vibes. My heart belongs to Tom Ford Honeymoon although I do think either of the Viseart Palettes are nice because they have the matte options which offer more combinations.

Quick take on the Viseart Petite Pro is that it’s an excellent palette you can use for any occasion. It’s versatile and has a good mix of neutrals and some brighter/warmer shades to be more interesting than something like Urban Decay Naked2 (which I still really adore). That being said if you can’t do warm shades on the eyes because of your skintone or color preference, I would say opt for something like Viseart Cashmere Palette (swatched here), Urban Decay Naked2 (review here) or the MAC In the Flesh Palette (swatched here). I really like it but based on the number of palettes and shadows I own, I do think it’s similar to other palettes I have.

You can find the Viseart Petite Pro Palette at Sephora. Have you tried this yet or the Theory Palettes? What did you think?

Palette gifted from The Makeup Show.

Sales Sephora

Sephora Beauty Insider Sale Event Details and Recommendations

April 15, 2017

Sephora Beauty Insider Sale Recommendations | The Beauty Look Book

The Sephora Beauty Insider Event for spring is happening next week and I have a roundup of recommendations of my fav picks. As a beauty lover I’ve found a lot of things I really love so narrowing down my picks was quite the challenge but I managed to edit my list to current by category to help organize everything. Many of you are lipstick and lipgloss junkies like me but I know others prefer skin care or hair care instead so I tried to cover a little bit of everything. Shown above:

1  /  2  /  3  /  4  /  5  /  6  /  7  /  8  /  9  /  10  /  11  /  12  /  13  /  14  /  15  /  16

First, a quick rundown on the Sephora sale dates and details along with the codes:

  • 4/18 to 4/24 VIB Rouge will receive 15% off, use code ROUGESPRING
  • 4/19 to 4/24 VIBs will receive 15% off, use code VIBSPRING
  • 4/20 to 4/23 BIs will receive 10% off, use code BISPRING

———————–

 

Skincare Recommendations from Tatcha, Estee Lauder, Kate Somerville, La Mer and SK-II Sephora | The Beauty Look Book

Skin care recommendations

  • Tatcha Balanced Pore Perfecting Water Gel Moisturizer is the perfect lightweight gel for normal/combo skin, I don’t typically like gels because they feel sticky or tacky but this one feels nice and wears well under makeup
  • Estee Lauder DayWear UV Base Advanced Anti-Oxidant and UV Defense SPF50 is a face sunscreen I’ve really been loving, I used it many years ago but don’t remember loving it, I’m not sure if this is a new formula or a classic, but it’s one of the best I’ve tried (sunscreen story is still coming I promise! I have two more formulas to test before I post the roundup)
  • Kate Somerville Gentle Daily Wash Cleanser is my favorite daily cleanser, it’s gentle, effective and I’ve lost count of how many bottles I’ve repurchased, her cleansers are my absolute favorite and I also love the Eradikate Cleanser and Exfolikate Cleanser to help clear up congested skin
  • La Mer Moisturizing Soft Lotion is one of my go-to’s for sensitive skin, it’s ridiculously expensive and I have never seen it go on sale, this is a great time to save a little and splurge
  • SK-II Facial Treatment Cleansing Oil current favorite cleansing oil, it has a cushiony soft silky feel, it has a decent amount of product in a bottle and comes with a really nice pump, with so many products that have wonky packaging, I really appreciate the brands that take care to design good packaging with pumps that function well (this is one of them!)

———————–

Haircare Recommendations Dryers, Oils, Masks | The Beauty Look Book

Hair care recommendations

———————–

Perfume Body Loves

Perfume and body loves

  • Jo Malone Wood Sage and Sea Salt Cologne – Sephora just started carrying Jo Malone!
  • Tom Ford Sole di Positano Eau de Parfum is the newest launch, I absolutely adore this one
  • Tom Ford Soleil Blanc Eau de Parfum is probably my most-worn fragrance
  • L’Artisan Mure et Musc or La Chasse Aux Papillons are both classics for soft feminine scents, my husband likes this brand of perfume on me the most, they updated the bottles into a more masculine streamlined look
  • Fresh Sake Bath is the ultimate relaxation product for baths, I rediscovered late last year and it’s seriously addictive, it melts my stress away and I’m a little embarrassed to admit how many bottles I’ve gone through in the past few months, but it’s SO worth the splurge

———————–

Lip Recommendations

Lip recommendations

———————–

Eye Makeup Recommendations

Eye makeup recommendations

  • Make Up For Ever makes some seriously amazing shadows, I own several full-sized colors from the Artist Palette Volume 1 -Nudes, I wish I had just bought the palette instead, it has a really good mix of high quality neutrals in shimmers and mattes for a soft or smokey eye
  • Urban Decay Naked2 and Naked3 have been on my favorites list for years, I never tire of them, I find them to still be among the best for neutrals, swatches of both palettes here
  • Marc Jacobs Style Eye Con No 7 is another great quality eyeshadow palette, current favorites are The Lover (swatch here) or The Dreamer (swatches in this post here)
  • Burberry Eye Colour Contour Smoke Pen in Pale Copper is one of my favorite copper shimmer washes for the eye
  • Tom Ford Cream and Powder Eye Duos in Paradiso (swatch here) and Young Adonis (here) are the prettiest new launches for summer, if you don’t like glitter you may want to pass, although I don’t consider myself a glitter person by any means and the Tom Ford shadows are among the few that I actually like and feel like I can wear easily

———————–

Mascara Brow Favorites

Mascara and brow picks

  • Bobbi Brown Eye Opening Mascara is one I’ve repurchased a number of times since discovering it last July, it holds curl, volumizes, doesn’t smudge has a rich deep color and does everything I want it to!
  • Armani Eyes to Kill Waterproof is one I’ve used for years (even when it was in the older style packaging), I love this one for no-smudging
  • YSL The Shock is probably my newest discovery, I like this for definition, volume and no-smudging
  • Marc Jacobs Beauty O!Mega Lash is one I used years ago, I repurchased so many times but haven’t in a while since I’ve been trying so many other formulas, still this one has been a solid go-to for the times I’ve owned it
  • Diorshow Browstyler in Universal Brown is hands down my go-to for easy natural looking brows

———————–

Foundation and Setting Recs

Base and setting recommendations

———————–

Concealer Powder Recs

Concealer and powder picks

———————–

Cheek highlighter recommendations | The Beauty Look Book

Last but not least for the cheeks

———————–

That wraps up my top picks for recommendations by category. I’m in the process of working on my own list. At the moment I have quite a bit of skincare that I’d like to either try or stock up on. I have some body and hair care products as well I need to replenish – I’ve run out of a lot of product! I do have a lot of Surratt eyeshadows I’ve had on my list that I may order. Also the new Hourglass bronzers are tempting but I just bought two of the NARS Sunwash Diffusing Bronzers. If you struggle with shopping lists you’re not alone!

Let me know what you have on your radar for the Sephora sale. I’d love to hear what’s on your list! If you have any other questions for recommendations leave a comment below and I’ll do my best to answer quickly before the sale starts. Quick recap, sale is for Sephora in stores and online:

4/18 to 4/24 VIB Rouge will receive 15% off, use code ROUGESPRING

4/19 to 4/24 VIBs will receive 15% off, use code VIBSPRING

4/20 to 4/23 BIs will receive 10% off, use code BISPRING

Happy shopping!

Lips Sephora

Kat Von D Beauty Everlasting Liquid Lipstick Noble, Muneca, Ophelia, Ludwig, Bow N Arrow and Lolita

February 8, 2017

Kat Von D Everlasting Liquid Lipstick Nudes | The Beauty Look Book

Kat Von D Beauty launched new nude shades of the popular Everlasting Liquid Lipstick ($20 each for 6.6 ml) and being the neutral lip lover I am, I jumped on the bandwagon the day they launched. Thanks to sneak peeks on social I was able to see swatches and photos before ordering so I knew there might be one shade that wouldn’t work for me but decided to give it a try anyways. What I ordered: Muneca, Ophelia and Ludwig. I already own Noble, Bow N Arrow and Lolita so I decided to swatch them all for you side by side. Lolita is their best selling shade I think virtually everyone has tried so it serves as a good baseline for comparisons.

Many of you have raved about this formula and I’ve tried it and thought it was good but none of the shades really worked all that well for me with the exception of Bow N Arrow. The colors are super edgy and trendy and the conservative ones were too dark for my taste. Two of the new nudes are just absolutely perfect in color.

Kat Von D Everlasting Liquid Lipstick Nudes | The Beauty Look BookLeft to right:

  • Noble is a pale peach nude cream it runs pale on me and with the high contrast to my natural lip tone is prone to streaking, but with a bit layering smooths out
  • Muneca is a pale pink peach, this one is not a good look on me, it’s a color I suspect I could mix with a darker shade or liner, but alone it just clashes with my skintone too much, looks chalky, streaky and emphasizes lip lines
  • Ophelia is a perfect nude peach, it’s described as a nude chestnut, I don’t really see it as a chestnut kind of color because it has some pink and peach in it, it’s just so perfect
  • Ludwig is the best one for me in my opinion, it’s a nude fawn shade that doesn’t wash out the complexion and pulls a bit deeper than Ophelia making it more wearable for me
  • Bow N Arrow is a beige nude that pulls cool toned on me, it looks amazing on fair complexions, I like the color but sometimes it can make me look a little dead
  • Lolita is a deep rose with cool tones, I have a love hate feel for this, sometimes it’s too dark and cool, right now I’m lighter in skintone and I actually really like it for a more dramatic neutral

Kat Von D Everlasting Liquid Lipstick Nudes | The Beauty Look BookKat Von D Everlasting Liquid Lipstick Nudes | The Beauty Look Book

Lip swatches on bare lips:

Kat Von D Everlasting Liquid Lipstick Noble | The Beauty Look Book

Kat Von D Everlasting Liquid Lipstick Muneca | The Beauty Look Book

Kat Von D Everlasting Liquid Lipstick Ophelia | The Beauty Look Book

Kat Von D Beauty Everlasting Liquid Lipstick Ludwig | The Beauty Look Book

Kat Von D Everlasting Liquid Lipstick Bow N Arrow | The Beauty Look Book

Kat Von D Everlasting Liquid Lipstick Lolita | The Beauty Look BookKat Von D Everlasting Liquid Lipstick Nudes | The Beauty Look BookI really love the look of Ophelia and Ludwig – they are similar but for me different enough to justify both. I do favor Ludwig because it’s deeper and easier for me to wear color-wise. Lasting power is typical with these – they literally stay put all day long without budging and a little goes a long way. With these I had a learning curve with application – if you apply too much it can give me the shriveled lip look as many matte lipsticks can. With these apply a thin layer. Sometimes I’ll add a bit of balm or clear gloss on top just to give it a bit of shine – I know that kinda defeats the purpose of a full coverage matte liquid lipstick, but I like what I like. I like that these are unscented and don’t dry out my lips.

You can find the Kat Von D Everlasting Liquid Lipsticks and new shades at Sephora and Kat Von D Beauty for $20 each.

Do you have any favorites?

P.S. This may be old news but I just saw travel sizes of the Lock-It Powder and Setting Spray launched so I picked up one of each to try during my last Sephora visit. And I know it’s been a long time since I did my Lock-It concealer swatches but I will review it soon.

Save

Save

Sephora

Sephora Favorites Give Me Some Nude Lip

January 23, 2017

Sephora Favorites Give Me Some Nude Lip | The Beauty Look Book

Mini lip products are my weakness and for spring Sephora launched a new Sephora Favorites set called Give Me Some Nude Lip ($28 for a $88 value). It has six lip colors from different brands with a mix of four minis and two full sized products. To me the color theme seems to have some more mauves and neutral pinks rather than all nude shades but I really like all the colors.

Sephora Favorites Give Me Some Nude Lip | The Beauty Look Book

In this set you get:

  • Bite Beauty Amuse Bouche Lipstick in Honeycomb (0.05 oz/1.55 g) which is a perfect creamy beige, it has full opaque creamy coverage, also reviewed in this post here
  • Marc Jacobs Beauty Le Marc Lip Creme in Slow Burn (0.05 oz/1.7 g) I have the liquid version reviewed here which I adore, I thought I had the lipstick version but after checking my stash I found I did not, this has full opaque creamy coverage
  • Buxom Full-On Lip Cream in White Russian (0.07 oz/1.55 g) is a sheer white beige gloss that plumps up the lips and has a slight tingly sensation, on me it doesn’t sting but I definitely feel the cooling effects and it has a noticeable tingle, this has a high shine and semi-thick texture but isn’t goopy, also swatched here
  • Too Faced Melted Matte Liquidified Matte Long Wear Lipstick in Queen B (0.08 oz/2.3 ml) is a soft light pink mauve, it’s a formula I had been curious about for a while so this set was the perfect way for me to try it, the color is wearable on me for a cool-toned shade and I liked that it didn’t dry to an overly matte finish
  • Urban Decay Vice Lipstick in 1993 Comfort Matte (0.11 oz/3.4 g) comes in a full size, it’s a brown shade with a very slight cool undertone, this did indeed feel comforting on the lips and even though it’s matte, it had a soft looking finish that didn’t feel or look dry, based on this I may give the lipsticks another go (from my first experience I found a different finish very dry)
  • Estee Edit The Barest Contour Lip Liner in In the Buff (0.009 oz/0.25 g) is a pretty nude rose, I have semi mixed feelings about this one, as a liner it’s medium-sheer so it won’t give full coverage, but it has a smooth texture that is easy to use and doesn’t tug if you line the edges of your lip, I love the color and the finish for a truly bare kind of liner that won’t look too done up, most of my liners though usually have more pigment, but I do think this is one I could get used to

Sephora Favorites Give Me Some Nude Lip | The Beauty Look Book

Swatches

Sephora Favorites Give Me Some Nude Lip | The Beauty Look Book

Lip Swatches

Sephora Favorites Give Me Some Nude Lip | The Beauty Look Book

It can be easy to get suckered into value sets or palettes. I usually try to stick with a rule that if there are 2 shades I don’t think I’ll use then I’ll try to pass. Sets are easier for me to justify because I can always gift away portions to friends. In this case the $28 price point didn’t seem like it would break the bank and the set had items I was interested in trying. I already have Honeycomb and White Russian but didn’t mind having another one of each, especially since they are minis.

For those wondering if you need both the Marc Jacobs Beauty Slow Burn Le Marc Lip Creme Lipstick and Liquid, the colors are identical. The liquid is more opaque with a glossy sheen while the lipstick has a more matte/satin finish. I would say it’s a tough pick – right now I have a slight preference for the liquid version, but they are both excellent.

To me the only real “nude” is Bite Beauty Honeycomb but I know everyone has a different take on what they think the color should look like. Overall I think the set has a great mix of shades that are neutrals but they are all very different from each other.

Sephora Favorites Give Me Some Nude Lip | The Beauty Look Book

If these colors are up your alley then I think this is a great buy – you’ll use up all the colors because of the size and it’s a great way to try six formulas and brands at an affordable price. If not then I’d say save the $ for something you think you’ll really love.

The Sephora Favorites Give Me Some Nude Lip can be found online and in stores at Sephora for $28. These sets are limited-edition and usually stick around for a season.

Have you tried any of these formulas yet? What did you think?

Save

Save

Save

Save

Bronzer + Blush NARS Sephora

NARSissist Unfiltered Cheek Palettes I and II

December 21, 2016

NARS Narsissist Unfitered Cheek Palette Review

NARS has two new cheek palettes called the NARSissist Unfiltered Cheek Palettes I and II ($59 each for 0.12 oz / 3.5g x6). These launched early at Sephora for as a Cyber Monday sneak preview for spring launches and I ordered them sight unseen. Update: back in stock now at Sephora but you can enter your email for notification for when they are back in stock. Right now you can find both online at NARS Cosmetics. They launch officially at other counters starting February 1st.

I’ve been a long time NARS fan and I love blush and highlighters. Both of these palettes have good-sized pans, pigment and texture is very good across all colors, and the color options in each are excellent. That being said NARS has released quite a few cheek palettes this year so if you already own other palettes or individual shades I suspect you will have a lot of similar colors or dupes and may want to shop your stash. Each palette has a mix of matte and shimmers shades for blush along with a few lighter colors that can be used as highlighters. These have a colorful tinted cover and come in a very sturdy mirrored compact.

NARSissist Unfiltered Cheek Palettes Packaging

Unfiltered I has deeper and darker tones with a bold vibe. The top three shades in the palette are easy for me to wear for my medium-toned olive skin (for reference I mix NARS Velvet Matte Skin Tints in Groenland and St. Moritz). The bottom three colors are really dark and bold on my skin and I have to use with a super light hand or blend like crazy otherwise they are too dark for my complexion. Colors include:

  • Watch Me a shimmering light gold
  • Me First a shimmering soft peach
  • Takeover a gorgeous bronze nude shimmer (can they please make this in a single?!)
  • Out There is a matte deep reddish brown
  • Chic is a matte plum
  • Exhibit A is a bright vibrant red

NARS NARSissist Unfiltered Cheek Palette I Review via The Beauty Look Book

NARS NARSissist Unfiltered Cheek Palette I Review via The Beauty Look Book

Unfiltered II has lighter cooler tones. Pigment is good but if you are tan to deep these may not show up on you as the colors pull on the lighter side. For me this palette is easier to wear for everyday. Colors are:

  • Conquest a matte baby pink that darkens after it sets
  • Undefeated looks like a medium babydoll pink in the pan, on my skin it applies more like a highlighter
  • Power Play is a medium matte cool pink
  • Hot Sand is a champagne shimmer highlighter (also reviewed here)
  • Fame is a satiny peach
  • Candid is a raspberry shimmer

NARSissist Unfiltered Cheek Palette II review and swatches

NARSissist Unfiltered Cheek Palette II review and swatches

For size comparison, here is a full size blush pan shown below from the Pro Palette Format, the NARSissist Cheek Studio Palette from Spring 2016, a Chanel Blush Brush and Charlotte Tilbury Powder Sculpt Brush.

NARSissist Cheek Studio Spring vs Unfiltered vs Full Size Pan

Two quick looks:

NARSissist Unfiltered Cheek Palettes I and II reviewed by Sabrina of The Beauty Look Book

One last look:

NARSissist Unfiltered Cheek Palettes I and II reviewed by Sabrina of The Beauty Look Book

Bottom line both are solid performers. In previously released NARS palettes the texture can be hit or miss with some shades, but with both of the Unfiltered Cheek Palettes colors and highlighters have consistent quality, pigment and are easy to layer/blend. If you already splurged on other NARS palettes this year you may want to shop your stash. My personal favorite this year is still the NARSissist Dual Intensity Cheek Palette (you can still find it at Nordstrom reviewed and swatched in this post here). Still both of these new launches from NARS have a good mix of colors and finishes in a palette which make them convenient for travel.

Both are limited-edition. I ordered mine from Sephora but you can find them now at NARS Cosmetics. Launching everywhere else later this spring starting February.

Did you try these yet? What did you think?

Lips Sephora

Tarteist Quick Dry Matte Lip Paint in Bestie | Sephora Exclusive

December 20, 2016

Tarte Tarteist Bestie Quick Dry Lip Paint from Sabrina of The Beauty Look Book

For the holiday season I’ve partnered with Sephora to feature one of their exclusives the Tarteist Quick Dry Matte Lip Paint in Bestie ($20 for 0.20 oz/6 ml) with my real life bestie Laura. She’s been a long-time friend and I literally do not know what I would do without her. We met during our college days in San Diego and were roommates one summer during a study abroad trip to Oxford. We became fast friends and even with all the changes in our lives, careers, relationships and moving, we’ve kept in touch for over a decade. No matter how busy we get, every year before Christmas we have a tradition of getting together for a girl’s day including a fun present exchange, lunch, shopping and girl talk. This past weekend the first stop for our girl’s day out was Alfred’s Tea Shop in Los Angeles. It’s the perfect place to hang with a bestie and I thought it fitting we showcase the Tarteist Quick Dry Lip Paint in Bestie there as well.

This particular color has special limited-edition packaging and is part of the Sephora Holiday Kiss Collection. The formula is quick-drying, full coverage, transfer proof liquid lipstick and stays put for an impressive amount of time which I find fitting for the color name. Friendships that stand the test of time are something I find hard to come by the older I get so I really value those who stick by you no matter what life throws your way.

Tarteist Quick Dry Matte Lip Paint in Bestie Long Lasting Liquid Lipstick

For those not familiar with this product, the Tarteist Quick Dry Matte Lip Paint is one of the latest lip launches from Tarte. It comes in 20 other shades but Bestie is the only one with special-edition packaging on the twist-off cap. It comes with a slightly beveled sponge tip applicator and is easy to apply with precision around the edges. Bestie is described as a “deep nude shade”  and since the color “nude” pulls different on everyone depending on lip tone and complexion, I found it interesting to see that on me it pulls the tiniest bit mauve depending on the light while on my friend Laura it pulls more true to the tube which is a deep nude with a hint of warmth. I have more medium olive yellow tones while Laura is a bit lighter than me with more pinkish tones (she wears Armani Designer Lift in 4.5 while I’m usually a match to Luminous Silk in 6).

For formula reference, the Quick Dry Matte Lip Paint dries to a matte finish, has full coverage and is super opaque. You only need a tiny bit to cover the entire lip and once it sets it does not budge or transfer for hours. There’s no detectable scent with this formula. For a quick comparison the other lip formulas from Tarte:

  • Tarteist Creamy Matte Lip Paints have a more whipped velvety feel and on the lips it feels like it never really sets as it does not dry down in texture. The coverage is the same in the sense it covers the lip entirely and offers full rich color. For those who love the original, no need to worry, Tarte says they’ll keep the original “living on.”
  • Tarteist Glossy Lip Paints offer full coverage with high gloss shine. All three formulas offer rich color with full coverage.

Bottom line is the new formula = long lasting. Also if you found that the original line was limited for medium shades in the neutral territory, the new formula has a lot more options for those of use who are nude lip obsessed. For both me and Laura it lasted on the lips from early morning to late afternoon (even lasted through lunch, a few macarons and drinks). Also unlike many other liquid lipsticks – the Tarteist Quick Dry Matte formula did not dry out my lips and by the next day my lips were not peeling like they do with most others.

Tarte Quick Dry Lip Paint in Bestie

Tarte Quick Dry Matte Lip Paint in Bestie

Both of us wearing Tarteist Quick Dry Lip Paint in Bestie:

Tarte Quick Dry Matte Lip Paint in Bestie Sephora

Tarteist Bestie Sephora Exclusive Packaging Swatched via The Beauty Look Book

Tarteist Quick Dry Lip Paint in Bestie via The Beauty Look Book

Beauty Look Book Tarte Quick Dry Lip Paint in Bestie

Tarte Quick Dry Matte Lip Paint

Besties Sabrina Beauty Look Book

Below you can see a swatch and a close up of the sponge tip applicator. It has a slight bevel in the center to mold to the curves of your lip, tip has the perfect shape that allows you to get the color right along the outer lines for precise application.

Tarteist Bestie Sephora Exclusive Packaging Swatched via The Beauty Look Book

Bottom line is I highly recommend the formula of the Quick Dry Matte Lip Paint. I’ll be checking out the other colors when they launch in stores at Sephora – although I may order a couple more sight unseen as the color Bestie is one of the most perfect nudes I’ve ever tried. Do note that the one shown in this post is a Sephora Exclusive and also limited-edition. I think the bright pink and orange packaging on the cap is fun and festive. I hope you enjoyed this post! Have you tried this formula yet? What’s your favorite liquid lipstick of the moment? If you have any fun holiday traditions you share with your bestie let me know in the comments!

Photos by Jessica Alexander Photography.

Many thanks to Sephora for partnering to sponsor this post and thanks to all my readers who support the brands that help support this blog which allows me to do what I love.

Save

Save

Save