Chantecaille recently launched their new limited-edition Wild Meadows Collection for spring. This year they celebrate their 25th Anniversary! The collection has a floral-inspired theme with fresh pinks, pastel tones and some pretty coral shades. The pieces are limited-edition and available now at Chantecaille and Neiman Marcus.
Lip Chic ($52 each) in Meadow, Crocus and Carpathia
Every item is just stunning from the beautiful packaging to the high-quality textures and beautiful pigments. Colors are fresh and bright. I think this is a collection well worth checking out!
Wild Meadows Eye Quad
The Wild Meadows Eye Quad has four shades including a shimmering pale gold, a baby pink shimmer, metallic warm taupe sparkle and the most beautiful soft matte brown. The only downside to this one is that the pans are extremely small, especially for the price, but the texture and pigment is exceptionally stunning.
Wild Meadows Blush
There are two shades of Wild Meadows Blush in this collection. They have a very smooth texture and apply flawlessly. Apple Blossom is a warm pink and Anemone is a raspberry with a tiny bit of shimmer. Both are beautiful on the complexion and are easy to build. They give the complexion life without looking overdone.
Lip Chic
The Lip Chics are the most beautiful pieces in the collection (in my opinion). If you’re a fan of Chantecaille lipsticks you know the Lip Chic has a really pretty creamy texture, hydrating feel, comfortable finish and buildable pigment. You girls know I gravitate towards neutrals so of course I love Meadow a soft peachy nude. The other two are bright but still wearable. Carpathia is a bright apricot. Crocus is a vibrant raspberry pink – not really a shade I would wear but still pretty.
Overall a beautiful collection with fresh wearable colors for spring. I love that Chantecaille launches new colors that remain true to brand and very different from what other lines launch. The pieces are on the expensive side but the quality of each piece is exceptional. If it’s in your budget to splurge I think you will absolutely love the spring collection.
Available now at Chantecaille and Neiman Marcus. Have you checked out anything from the collection? What are your favorites from Chantecaille?
I purchased all three summer pieces from the Chantecaille Sunbeam Collection and love every single item. They’re quite pricey but the colors are beautiful and easy to wear. I love the lip tints for an effortless wash of color and the highlighter is a stunner. The neon green/yellow packaging is fun for summer too. I ordered mine from Chantecaille.
Lip Tint Hydrating Balms
There are two Lip Tint Hydrating Balms ($35 each for 1 g/0.03 oz) which are super petite and small. They’re incredibly expensive given the amount of product you get. If you’re willing to splurge I think the colors and formula are excellent.
Marigold is a perfect neutral everyday pink rose. Sunflower is a soft mocha. Colors are medium in coverage. Texture is smooth. Formula is hydrating. No detectable scent. Lasting power is medium since they’re a balm with a glossy formula.
They have about the same coverage and shine as the ones packaged in the blue tubes from the Vibrant Oceans collection a couple years ago.
Swatches in indirect light:
Sunbeam Cheek and Eye Shade
The Sunbeam Cheek and Eye Shade ($82) is a stunning highlighter in a multi dimensional color. It has a beautiful champagne, bronze, pink glow – so hard to describe and photos don’t do it justice. It’s definitely a unique one in my book. It has that smooth gel/powder formula and can be used on eyes and cheeks.
Swatches in sunlight:
Sharing a look at a few other favorites I’m wearing including the Future Skin Cushion Foundation in Nude, Perfect Blur Finishing Powder in Light/Medium, Real Bronze Bronzer in Sirena, Luminescent Eye Shades in Cheetah and Giraffe (also swatched Lion). I think the items are 100% worth the splurge as I purchased all of these and have repurchased the cushion and powder. I do think they’re overpriced but I really love the quality, texture, colors and wear them often.
If you’ve been wondering whether the new summer collection items are worth the splurge, I think they are. You can find the summer items available at Chantecaille and Neiman Marcus. Nordstrom still has the lip balms. Colors are limited-edition so if you have your eye on them I’d recommend purchasing soon.
Shop the Post
Did you check out the new colors? What did you think?
I’m so excited to share a look at the Chantecaille Vibrant Oceans Collection for Summer 2020. The limited-edition highlighters were created to support WildAid to help protect endangered species. You can read more about their journey and partnership on their Saving The Ocean’s Gentle Giants story.
There are two color options for the Radiance Chic Cheek and Highlighter Duos ($84 each) and four shades of their Lip Tint Hydrating Balms ($34 each). The Chantecaille team was kind enough to send the whole collection for review so I have swatches for you today.
Radiance Chic Cheek and Highlighter Duos
The Radiance Chic Cheek and Highlighter Duos each have a smooth almost cream to powder highlighter and a soft satiny blush. The texture has a similar to feel to Tom Ford Sheer Cheek Duos where they are smooth hydrating powders that have a unique finish. Both have a beautiful wave pattern embossed on the surface.
Rose Radiance has a lighter yellow/white gold highlight and a soft light rose pink blush.
You can wear these layered on top of each other or swirl a brush and mix the shades together. Pigment is medium and soft but buildable and easy to blend. They adhere to the skin and feel weightless once blended. I want to say that Coral Radiance has a similar vibe to Tom Ford’s Paradise Lust but I’ve searched my stash and can’t find it to compare.
Right now I’m medium-tan and both show up well on my skin tone. I think even as I get darker with the summer sun both will still be visible on my cheeks. Lasting power is pretty good. They stayed put all day without fading or sliding around as they have a powder finish. I’m partial to the coral shade although the pink one is lovely too.
Lip Tint Hydrating Balms
Beauty Look Book readers know I’m a sucker for a good tinted balm, especially in the summer. I think this is the first time I’ve tried a tinted balm from Chantecaille (I used to own a number of their Lip Chics and Lipsticks but haven’t tried the balms). These are lovely! They are on the tiny side and expensive for the amount of product similar to the Charlotte Tilbury Superstar Lips (reviewed here). The Chantecaille Lip Tints are sheer but bright in color so there is a nice wash of pigment on the lips. Even the lightest one still showed up on me!
These are nicely hydrating, smooth and creamy. They have a hint of shimmer in them and come in four pretty shades perfect for the upcoming season. Left to right: Beach Rose, Calendula, Madeira and Verbena.
Beach Rose is a light soft petal pink, Calendula is a bright but sheer orange, Madeira is a soft rose-red and Verbena is a soft plum with shimmer.
All four lips and both cheek duos worn below. Other makeup details:
Look 1: Chantecaille Lip Tint Hydrating Balm in Beach Rose + Radiance Chic Cheek and Highlighter Duo in Rose Radiance
_________
Look 2: Chantecaille Lip Tint Hydrating Balm in Verbena + Radiance Chic Cheek and Highlighter Duo in Rose Radiance
_________
Look 3: Chantecaille Lip Tint Hydrating Balm in x Radiance Chic Cheek and Highlighter Duo in Coral Radiance
_________
Look 4: Chantecaille Lip Tint Hydrating Balm in x Radiance Chic Cheek and Highlighter Duo in Coral Radiance
_________
Overall a beautiful launch to with some easy to wear colors for a soft wash of color. I like the effortless vibe it gives and think the lip balms are perfect to brighten the face. You can find the Chantecaille Vibrant Oceans Collection available now at Chantecaille. I’ve seen some products start to pop up online at Blue Mercury, OliveLA and Space NK US.
Do you have any Chantecaille favorites? What are some of the things you’ve tried and what did you think?
Chantecaille summer collection provided for review. Other items featured purchased by me.
I cannot believe the first month of 2017 has come and gone – I feel like the last few weeks have been a blur! I hope each of you have had a great start to the new year. In the beauty world I feel like things have been all about lips and highlighters. It appears the liquid lipstick trend is here to stay for quite some time. I still have my battle of the liquid lipstick post coming soon – with new launches almost weekly it seems like there’s more to test and try out. I’ve put a cut-off for testing though – I have two more detailed reviews to post before the official roundup. Today I have a roundup of the best and worst in beauty testing for January even though many of these have been put to the test for more than a month. Sometimes with products you know by the second or third use that a particular item just won’t work. Other items take a bit more testing to decide. By popular request here is my first Hits and Misses post of the year. We’ll start off with the hits.
January Favorites – Makeup
This month’s favorite items and discoveries include:
MAC Mineralize Skinfinish Natural in Medium Plus is something I finally tried and can’t believe it took me so long, it gives the skin a nice soft diffused look, it removes shine without looking heavy or overly matte and the best thing about this one is the color selection which I think is pretty good (shown on the skin here and also worn here)
Diorskin Nude Air Glow Powder in 002 Freshlight (shown on the face here) has been my go-to soft bronzer shade for the past few months, it has the perfect amount of warmth and has a sheer but buildable finish that works for my winter skintone color right now
Chanel Joues Contraste in Elegance (review here) is my perfect everyday beige blush, it goes with everything and adds life to the face without looking too dark or orange
Chantecaille Faux Cils Longest Lash Mascara is one that took me years to try because I tried a mini and thought it literally was the worst thing ever. Based on raves of a few friends who swore it was THE best thing in mascara I decided to order one and was blown away. They assured me the full size was better than the minis and they were right. I don’t know that I’ll repurchase this because even I have limits when it comes to expensive items. At a whopping $72 I don’t know that I can say it’s worth it but this mascara is really good. It lengthens, volumizes, holds curl, doesn’t smudge and doesn’t look crunchy. It’s supposed to have lash-growth ingredients but I haven’t used it long enough to see results.
Chanel Le Rouge Crayon de Couleur (c/o, all shades swatched here) are my favorite lip launch of the year so far, I love a good glossy lip and these have a feel and look like the Rouge Coco Shines but with a lot more pigment
Dior Addict Lip Glow is something that is almost always in my purse these days (review of all shades here), my most-worn shade is either Lilac or Coral, the new Berry color (c/o) is a really pretty one too
Tom Ford Lips and Boys in Douglas (c/o, review here) is my go-to these days for a soft cool-toned pink shimmer
January Favorites – Skincare
Skincare favorites include a mix of old and new:
I’ve found myself reaching a lot for the Kiehl’s Daily Reviving Concentrate and the Midnight Recovery Concentrate for evenings, both feel just so amazing on the skin giving it just the right amount of hydration, it’s brightened the skin and makes it feel healthier and smoother, if you don’t want to splurge on the full sizes you may want to consider the Day to Night Set which has miniatures of six items at a value price, alternatively if you visit you local Kiehl’s store they usually have samples so ask if they have these available (making a purchase will usually make it easier to get a couple samples)
Bioderma Sensibio was mentioned in my 2016 favorites, I use this as a toner and it’s just perfect for my sensitive skin, it leaves the skin feeling refreshed and clean, it has helped calm and comfort the skin, especially since I’m prone to flare ups or sensitivity, I have both the 250 and 100 ml versions (one I took with me on travel), can’t rave about this enough
Chanel La Solution 10 de Chanel (c/o) is another good gentle moisturizer for sensitive skin, I’ve been reaching for this a lot, it hydrates without feeling greasy and gives relief for dry skin without being heavy, I will definitely repurchase once this is used up
Tatcha The Essence (c/o) is something I got a mini of with an order (I had a promo code) and fell in love with it immediately, I discussed essence a few posts back and many of you gave me some really good feedback on what to try! I’m currently testing three, this one from Tatcha and the SK-II Genoptics Aura Essence and Genoptics Spot Essence (c/o). It’s going to take me several weeks to see which one is truly the best, but I noticed results immediately from the Tatcha Essence. It softens the skin without feeling heavy or leaving a film on the skin like some other essence or serums do. It’s watery but not too runny so it’s easy to apply. It does make my moisturizer absorb into the skin better. As one who doesn’t like things that feel heavy on the skin I absolutely love this one.
Kate Somerville EradiKate Daily Cleanser is something I ordered the day it launched online at Sephora. By the time this post is going live I’ve already used up one full tube 85% of the way and the one shown is a backup. I don’t have acne but I do experience breakouts and earlier this month I started breaking out around the chin and cheeks from a combination of getting really sick and experiencing a high level of stress. Using this helped clear up the skin without drying it out. It has sulfur which targets acne and blemishes. Based on the formula I don’t think it’s going to be for everyone, but I’ve tried every single one of Kate Somerville’s cleansers and her line is the one I keep replenishing for cleansers. I can use this daily without it drying out my skin and love it. That being said I still love her Gentle Daily Wash for times when I don’t have skin issues.
January Misses
Four items that did not work for me include:
Burberry Liquid Lip Velvet (review here) did not work for me because the color selection just wasn’t flattering for my olive skin tone, even the neutrals did not work. Shades were either too light or too dark, colors lacked life and washed out my complexion. Formula-wise they were ok, but none of the colors worked for me leading me to call these a miss.
Make Up For Ever Water Blend Foundation is something I bought months ago back in early fall. I had high hopes as it looked amazing on a few of my fellow blogger friends. I mixed two shades in Y315 and Y405 to get a good match although the product is so sheer an exact color match isn’t really necessary. This was a miss for me because it caused my skin to become irritated which I suspect is from the fragrance. Tiny bumps surfaced all over my cheeks and since I test a lot of skincare and foundations, this took months of testing to make sure this was the culprit and not something else. Formula also felt sticky because of the gel-like texture. Coverage was not enough for me. This was a huge let-down since I consider the Ultra HD Invisible Cover Stick and Ultra HD Invisible Cover Foundation to be in my top picks for foundation.
Glamglow PLUMPRAGEOUS Nudes got me based on their social media marketing. As a nude lip lover I just couldn’t resist and ordered 4 online sight unseen. The colors looked SO perfect! These come with a plastic spatula applicator which I found did not apply product evenly or easily. Second these are THE most painful lip plumping products I’ve ever tested – they burned my lips and if a tiny bit touched my tongue, a spicy tingle sensation went shooting to the back of my mouth. I tested two on separate occasions and the most I could tolerate was 45 minutes on the lips before I had to wipe it off and give the lips a thorough cleanse. I returned 3 of the 4. The one shown is going to a friend who is curious about this and doesn’t mind a tingle.
Too Faced Better Than Sex Waterproof Mascara was an impulse buy. The packaging has written on it a few statements like 1,944% more volume, 97% saw intense volume and length, 94% said this mascara stays put all day. There is an asterisk that says based on consumer study results. I did not research how many people tested this or were part of it, but at $23 it seemed worth a try. I know some mascaras take a few pumps or uses to get going so I gave this one 6 tries on 6 separate occasions. It does add volume and length and the color is a rich deep black. However the clumps were seriously horrible with this one. Layering was an absolute no for me. It made my lashes look super spidery and when I tried to separate or comb them out the mascara just looked even more clumpy and made the lashes stick together. It’s also extremely difficult to remove.
That’s wraps it up for January’s beauty hits and misses! I’d love to hear about yours as well – so please feel free to share them in the comments. If you have any feedback about the items I tried let me know.
P.S. A number of you have sent me e-mails saying you weren’t getting the email newsletters anymore. I’ve re-added the subscribe feature on the sidebar at the top of the page (if you’re on a desktop computer). Let me know if you have any issues – if you enter your email address you’ll be sent a verification link and should be good to go!
For spring Chantecaille has launched a palette called The Glacier Eye Shade Trio ($70 for 7 g/0.25 oz, made in USA). I picked this up at my local Chantecaille counter and saw a few lip items featured on the new display. There are two Galactic Lip Shine Lip Glosses ($34 each) in Aurora (sheer pink) and Polaris (sparkling white) and two Hydra Chic Lipsticks ($36 each) in Arctic Rose and Saxifrage. I haven’t been up to speed with Chantecaille for a while so I’m not entirely sure if the colors are new or repromoted colors. I picked up the Glacier Eye Shade Trio and Arctic Rose Hydra Chic Lipstick. Thoughts, review and swatches below.
First, here is the palette and lipstick swatches side by side:
Chantecaille eyeshadow palettes are usually beautifully designed with natural-looking eye shadows. In my experience the trios I’ve bought and tested have sheer to medium pigment for a super natural look. My one rant is that they often come with an overspray which is easily removed, but it makes it difficult to see what the true color is if you order sight unseen. The Glacier Eye Shade Trio is a super soft palette of neutrals. The colors include, from left to right, a sheer to medium matte flesh/tan, an iridescent ivory that flashes gold and some champagne, a shimmering medium brown-grey. The colors when used together will create a softly defined eye that is perfect for an everyday look if you want an ultra conservative no-makeup look. I personally prefer something with richer pigment and coverage. The shades are layerable but are still ultra soft leaning more towards the sheer side. If you’re a fan of Chantecaille eyeshadows, I think you will really like this. If you’re like me and need more color, you will find pigment and coverage lacking.
With patches of overspray removed:
Swatch comparisons below to a couple other neutral palettes. Shown below next to Chanel Tisse Mademoiselle (reviewed here) and Hourglass Infinity Palette (reviewed here). I personally prefer the Chanel for something similar and with more coverage and I found the Chanel extremely natural on the eyes.
For the lips, I picked up Arctic Rose Hydra Chic Lipstick. This is an ultra moisturizing lip color with a glossy finish. I have mixed feelings about Arctic Rose in terms of formula. It has a beautiful color, naturally glossy sheen and feels amazing on the lips but the pigment is lacking. This one requires a lot of layering for me to get even and full coverage. I didn’t find it to be a good swipe and go kind of lipstick and there was missing pigment and color around the edges of my lips when I applied straight from the tube. I am a huge fan of sheer lip colors like MAC Lustres, Chanel Rouge Coco Shines, YSL Volupte Shines and even the Rouge Baume Diors – but I find they are easier to apply and give even coverage while the Chantecaille did not. That being said I do think it will wear very well over a lipliner or if you apply with a lip brush.
Here it is packed on the lips quite heavily. I’m not sure if you can tell in the photo, but around the edges, especially on the upper lip it did not apply evenly.
The Chantecaille spring collection offers nice natural colors. If you’re a fan of the super natural look, I think you will find these are perfect for you. Long-time readers know I’m one who gravitates towards natural looking colors, but I found the formulas of the Chantecaille spring line too sheer for my taste. I do think they are worth checking out though – many have commented on the lack of natural satiny or non-shimmer shadows on the market. If you’re forever searching for eyeshadow palettes that have a more natural looking finish, the Glacier Eye Trio is definitely worth looking into. My quick take, I should have probably passed on both, but somethings pretty packaging gets the best of me.
I bought my Chantecaille items from Neiman Marcus. Note there are a number of beauty events going on right now, so if you have a wish list or shopping list that is growing, be sure to check out the gift with purchases offered now. Some promos to consider:
Neiman Marcus beauty week, Eddie Borgo designed tote with samples, with $125+ purchase, Chantecaille gift with a $200+ purchase, details here (available thru March 1 or while supplies last)
Saks Fifth Avenue beauty week gift with $125 purchase includes tote + samples use code BEAUTYW2, Chantecaille gift with a $200+ purchase using code CHANTE62, details on gift here (available thru March 1 or while supplies last)
Space NK beauty event gift bag for 1 day, February 18th (details to come later today)
Happy Friday everyone! I’m relieved it’s almost the weekend. We have 80+ degree weather in Southern California right now, it’s like winter never came and we are in a non-stop state of summer (I’m not complaining, although I do feel like I should have a tan right now). A few things I’ve spotted new in the beauty world:
Christian Louboutin Beaute has a new Python Vulcano Limited Edition Nail Colour Coffret ($90, limited-edition) for spring. The three shades include Salonu, True Blue, and Hot Chick. I want to see this one in person as it looks stunning although I only own 1 yellow nail polish (Chanel Mimosa) and rarely wear it.
Glamglow released their new cleansers ($39 each for 5 oz) in Supercleanse (Daily Clearing Cleanser), Thirstycleanse (Daily Treatment Cleanser) and Youthcleanse (Daily Exfoliating Cleanser). I have the white and blue ones that I bought a few weeks ago and am completely obsessed with both. Detailed review next week.
Bobbi Brown has a new Sunkissed Nude Collection Set ($120, limited-edition) at Neiman Marcus. If you’ve been eyeing things at Neimans, save your shopping for next week when their Beauty Week Event starts on the 18th.
Chanel has released some new items this month. The Collection La Perle de Chanel has a new Harmonie Levres Lip Palette, Joues Contraste in Crescendo, Illusion D’Ombre in Mysterio, Stylo Yeux Waterproof in Perle de Lune along with more items for lips and eyes. If you’re shopping for Valentine’s Day, the have complimentary overnight shipping with orders $125+ (until 5 PM EST). I ordered several items + a few of the new Rouge Cocos. I’ll be swatching and photographing this weekend.
Charlotte Tilbury Beach Sticks ($45 each, 5 shades) have finally launched in the US. I have a few that I ordered, I’ll be swatting and have a review in the next week (fingers crossed).
Giorgio Armani has two Limited-Edition Runway pieces, a Runway Palette ($120 for highlighter + 3 shadows) cased in an embroidered silk pouch and a new Rouge Sheer Runway Lipstick ($40). The palette looks incredibly beautiful but I’m not sure about the price point.
Chantecaille has a small edited collection for spring. There is a new Glacier Eyeshadow Trio ($70), Arctic Rose Lip Chic ($36), and two Galactic Lip Shines ($34 each) in Aurora and Polaris. (I bought the palette and one lip chic, review next week.)
I hope you have a wonderful weekend! My husband and I are celebrating Valentine’s Day early with a date night dinner tonight. What’s on your beauty radar this weekend?
This time of year my skin feels like it lacks natural luster so I rely on illuminators and soft nude shimmers to fake that glow-from-within. Today I’m sharing my favorite go-to’s along with thoughts on a few new items I’ve been testing to get that soft glow. Picks include items for nails, lips, cheeks and eyes. When it comes to shimmers I like to mix them in for one to two areas of the face with color rather than wear champagne shimmers all over the face, otherwise it’s just too much. I like using these as a cheekbone or very soft brow bone highlight too in order to add dimension.
First up are pale shimmers for the lips. I am always a huge fan of those soft pale shimmers for the lips but can’t always pull them off easily. I have medium pigmented lips with olive skin so often times pale shimmers make me feel like I have white lips. Two I’ve discovered that work for my lips include Rouge Dior Baume in Star and Lipstick Queen Ice Queen. Both have that lovely translucent quality with multidimensional shimmer to prevent these from looking too frosted.
Both look similar in photographs on my lips but I think they are different enough to justify both. The Rouge Dior Baume in Star has a cooler-toned quality and is sheerer. Lipstick Queen Ice Queen looks lighter in the photos but it has a higher level of frost which reflects more. It has a mix of silver and gold particles which makes it a good layering lipstick. I have a slight preference for the Lipstick Queen because the shimmering quality is really pretty. If you are anti-shimmer for lips, you may find it too frosty.
For the nails, I’ve been obsessed with Rescue Beauty Lounge Bubblegum Punk for a fun multi-colored shimmer frost. It has an ultra smooth finish even though it’s on the sparkly side. I can never resist pale shimmers for nails, but some are hard to work with if they are frosts. Marc Jacobs Beauty has released two new Hi-Shine Enamored Nail Polishes. Blanche was released last fall. It’s a metallic soft white which I found took some extra effort to make work. Being a metallic I found brush strokes visible with two coats, but they disappeared a bit with the third coat. I have yet to find a good white shimmer that is streak-free. This one is pretty good if you are patient. Milk is a new addition to their Runway Shades. This is an iridescent beige that flashes pink and opal. I adore these kinds of colors but I know some women find the colors like this difficult to work with on their skin tone (something about the beige makes the skin look sallow). Milk flashes enough iridescent shimmer to prevent the beige base from dominating. I find it very wearable.
For highlighting, there are a number of multi-tasking products for eyes and cheeks. I love a good shimmer that gives a glow without looking frosty. I know everyone has different preferences for what degree of shimmer they are comfortable wearing so I’ll give a summary ranking of what I think is the most subtle to the most frosted.
First up are creamy ones. NARS St. Lucia Multiple is the latest from NARS (currently a Nordstrom exclusive, available at all NARS counters in March, review here). It’s a multi-purpose creamy twist up stick. On me it gives a natural glowy soft pink highlight to the cheeks and eyes. On fairer skins this will probably give you more color and look more blush-like.
My holy grail cream highlighter is Edward Bess All Over Seduction. He has two shades, Sunlight is the paler one (shown below) and Afterglow is a bronzey version. Both are incredibly natural and glowy. The texture blends in beautifully with the skin and the shimmer is finely milled. If you’re afraid of shimmer I highly recommend you check these out because it’s impossible to overdo and looks amazing on everyone I’ve seen it applied on.
One of the newest illuminators I’ve been testing is the Chantecaille Liquid Lumiere Anti-Aging Face Illuminator in Sheen (I received this as part of the Net-A-Porter holiday beauty box but it’s available separately). At first swipe I found the shimmer in this one to be on the high side but after playing with this I found it blended out to a soft smooth veil of shimmer. It does have more shimmer than Armani Fluid Sheers or the Edward Bess Sunlight but it is still very wearable. The pigment and shimmer is intense but it’s concentrated so you only need a tiny amount. A little goes a long way. If you’re one of those beauty lovers who is in search of a liquid highlighter that won’t disappear on the skin once you blend it this is a good one to look into. I’ve dabbed it on top of the cheekbones or eyes (after foundation/powder) and it doesn’t disrupt your makeup base. Check out the review on Best Things in Beauty to see how the colors look once blended properly.
For additional highlighters, my go-to powder highlighter is from Hourglass. The Ambient Lighting Palette (review here) goes with me on all trips. I use the full size versions at home and take this palette with me for on-the-go or on vacations. The palette came out after the individual ones were released, so I have some duplicate colors. If you’re new to these powders, I hands down say go for the palette. There is a good amount of product so it will last you a long time and it’s super convenient to use and carry with you.
I used to use the Kevyn Aucoin Celetial Powder in Candlelight a long time ago when it had the larger compact packaging. I liked it but didn’t love it. Several have recommended I check it out again claiming it reached holy grail status for them. I like the new compact packaging and the powder is lovely but I don’t love it. I find it a bit too pale for my medium-olive skin. That being said if you thought the Hourglass Luminous Light was too shimmery or glowy I recommend the Kevyn Aucoin Candlelight because it is a notch down in the shimmer intensity. If you prefer neutral to cool-toned highlighters then you will really like Candlelight. I have friends who are on the fair side (Chanel Beige 10 or MAC NC20) and they swear by this one.
Last but not least, I think the NARS Dual Intensity Eyeshadows in Himalia and Dione are the best shimmers on the market. It has a really good blendable cream texture. The shimmer/frost is high on this so your mileage may vary. Full review here. If you don’t have a lot of the colors you may want to check out the NARSissist Dual Intensity Eyeshadow Palette. I already own 5 of the 8 shades so I’m having a hard time justifying a purchase since it will result in a lot of dupes for me.
What do you like to use to get a nice glow in the winter time?
The Lipstick Queen Ice Queen, Hourglass Ambient Lighting Palette, Rescue Beauty Lounge Bubblegum Punk Nail Polish and Chantecaille Illuminator were provided as press samples for review consideration. All other items purchased by me.
