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Becca BFFs Collection Review + Swatches

January 29, 2019

Becca just launched a cute BFFs Collection called Made With Love by Khloe and Malika. This collection was created in collaboration with Khloe Kardashian and her BFF Malika Haqq. There are new highlighting palettes, a new lipstick formula and mini X and O shaped highlighter. I think the concept is super cute with two sets of color options. I’m a huge fan of Becca Shimmering Skin Perfectors and their Be a Light Palettes. I had high hopes for this launch. In the collection we have:

Glow Letters Highlighter ($18)
Made with Love by Khloe Collection
- Khloe Bronze, Blush and Glow Palette ($44)
- Khloe Ultimate Lipstick Love ($24 each) in Cupid’s Kiss and Hot Tamale
Made with Love by Malika
- Malika Bronze, Blush and Glow Palette ($44)
- Malika Ultimate Lipstick Love ($24 each) in Yours Truly and Brave

Glow Letters

Up first is a look at the Glow Letters Highlighter. This is a shimmery bronze and champagne mix of X and O shaped pressed highlighter shapes. I love the color and finish – it gives a beautiful glow without being overly frosty. The golden color is SO so pretty. I just hate the cardboard box packaging and presentation. I think this would have been better if it had been a pressed powder like their Shimmering Skin Perfectors. I give the product itself a solid A+ rating so I can overlook the box it comes in. I think I am just being really picky with this one.

Swatches also next to the two palettes side by side.

Made with Love by Khloe Collection

The Made by Khloe Collection has one Bronze, Blush and Glow Palette and two Ultimate Lipstick Love lipsticks in Cupid’s Kiss and Hot Tamale. The palette is generously sized in a large mirrored compact.

The colors are really pretty but I had a hard time getting into the palette. Becca launched a Bronze, Blush and Glow Palette with highlighting palette similar in concept to the Be a Light finish and shape. The Khloe Palette has:

Soft Focus Highlighter in Glow Up which is a shimmery champagne vanilla
Radiant Blush in Fierce a shimmery pale peach
Radiant Blush in Fabulosity which is a more coral peach shimmer
Satin Matte Bronzer in Koko Bronze which is a very soft sheer tan matte bronzer

The palette to me feels like three highlighters + one bronzer. On my skin tone I felt the colors looked too frosty when I wore 3 or all 4 of the colors layered. If I blended a lot or used with a super light hand I could wear this. It’s not a bad palette. I think the quality is excellent. Finish of the powders is smooth and super pigmented. I just couldn’t wear them all together easily like I could the Becca x Chrissy Palette which I still really love.

There are two lipsticks are new formulas which are ultra pigmented creams. They’re scented with a sweet almost coconut like scent and vanilla cream. At first swipe I felt they were super thick. The formula is smooth and long lasting though. As long as you don’t swipe on too much it’s not too thick. Cupid’s Kiss is toasted almond nude, Hot Tamale is a hot bright red.

Above wearing:

Fenty Beauty Pro Filt’r Foundation in 230 + 235 mixed
Laura Mercier Translucent Loose Powder to set
Urban Decay Naked2 Palette on the eyes
Anastasia Brow Wiz in Caramel
L’Oreal Lash Paradise Waterproof Mascara
Made with Love by Khloe Bronze, Blush and Glow Palette all four shades
Left is Ultimate Lipstick Love in Cupid’s Kiss
Right has Ultimate Lipstick Love in Hot Tamale
Off the Shoulder Top is from Abercrombie

Made with Love by Malika

For the Made with Love By Malika colors you have the same products with a variation in colors. She has her Made with Love by Malika Bronze, Blush and Glow Palette and two Ultimate Lipstick Love lip colors in Yours Truly and Brave. I prefer the Malika product color scheme.

The Made with Love by Malika Bronze Blush and Glow Palette has the same products, I find the palette to be equally glowy but the deeper colors make it easier for me to pull off. Pigment is ultra rich and smooth and easy to blend/layer. Colors include:

Soft Focus Highlighter in Dusted is a peachy pink champagne
Radiant Blush in Yes Girl! is a warm bright coral shimmer
Radiant Blush in Make Me Blush is a shimmering pink rose
Satin Matte Bronzer in Bestie Bronze is a medium deep warm bronze satin matte

True to Becca’s style this palette is still very glowy. Finish is lightweight in feeling so it’s not heavy but it’s still very pigmented. Lipsticks have a similar vibe to Khloe’s while the Malika colors have a different undertone. Yours Truly is a warmer peachy nude. Brave is a classic true red that is neutral-cool.

Same beauty breakdown as above but with the Malika collection colors. Left is Yours Truly for the lips. Right is Brave for the lips. For skin tone reference I’m in between a MAC NC30 and NC35 right now.

Overall thoughts is that this is a beautiful collection and all the items are well made with great color payoff, lasting power, pigment and textures. I think the palettes are well priced and true to Becca’s classic signature glow style. I still love highlighters and will probably look forward to any new ones but at this point I’m finding it challenging to get SUPER excited about them. I have too many, there have been too many launches, most of it has started to look all the same. The only thing I didn’t like was the Glow Letters packaging.

The Khloe palette was a little too glowy for my skin tone right now. To clarify, it’s too glowy to wear ALL the colors in one look. If I mix in a matte blush or just use the bronzer with one other shade it’s very wearable and pretty. I find it interesting that the Malika palette has the same glow finish but with the deeper colors I find them a lot more wearable.

Lipsticks are ok. I think they’re nice but a little thick. I understand they’re super opaque with rich color payoff so it makes sense they’re really creamy. I’m going to check my Sephora to see if there are other colors out yet in store and will let you know if I pick any more up. Price seem a little steep to me, but the product is also nicely sized and has super intense pigment.

You can find the Becca BFFs collection out now. Available at Nordstrom, Sephora, Ulta Beauty and Becca Cosmetics.

Becca BFF collection provided by Becca for review.

7 Comments

Highlighters Hourglass Cosmetics

Hourglass Ambient Lighting Edit Palette Unlocked Edition

October 1, 2018

Hourglass launched a new palette called the Ambient Lighting Edit Unlocked Palette ($80 for 0.04 oz/1.4 g x6, made in Italy) for holiday 2018. I ordered this from Sephora and as with most of their 6-pan palettes it’s limited-edition but this year’s version has all new shades! This is the first of a few items the brand is launching for holiday. More teasers on their Instagram @hourglasscosmetics for another palette launching in a couple of days.

The Unlocked Ambient Lighting Palette has two finishing powders, one bronzer, two blushes and a metallic strobe powder. Quality is excellent with a medium coverage finish that’s very natural. The overall look and feel of the colors ended up being darker than I anticipated. On my skin they apply a little deeper than what I see in the palette but it worked well. The colors also applied with a more diffused glow rather than the high shimmer sheen. Since these are luminous with light reflective particles, the palette is going to look different depending on how the natural light catches it. Lasting power is excellent as well. They stay put on the skin without emphasizing pores or fine lines.

A closer look at the palette in a few different lighting options, swatches and all the shades applied on the face below.

First color descriptions of the shades you get in this year’s holiday palette:

Soft Light is a sheer light ivory beige finishing powder with a subtle sheen
Filtered Light is a tan beige finishing powder, almost a soft contour for me
Golden Bronze Light is a warm golden bronze shimmer
Nude Glow is a shimmery nude peach
Mood Flush is a satiny rose pink, looks cooler-toned in the pan, but on my skin applied more neutral-warm
Champagne Strobe Light is a high shimmer champagne

Close up of the palette indoors natural light:

Versus with a flash:

On the face it gives a very natural glow. There’s no harsh frost or glare even with a flash, also wearing:

Foundation – Armani Luminous Silk Foundation in 6.5 (just decided to re-try this and it works really well)
Powder to set – Hourglass Ambient Unlocked in Soft Light + Filtered Light mixed
Eyeshadow – Hourglass Scattered Light Shadow in Aura
Eyeliner – Chanel Stylo Yeux Waterproof in Ebene
Brows – Chanel La Palette Sourcils de Chanel in Brun 50
Mascara – Chanel Le Volume de Revolution (review soon)
Blush – Hourglass Ambient Unlocked in Mood Flush + Nude Glow mixed
Highlight – Hourglass Ambient Unlocked Champagne Strobe Light
Lipgloss – Pat McGrath LUST Gloss Flesh Astral *

Size comparison of the different Hourglass compacts.

A lot of you have asked what brushes I recommend using with this palette. The pans are on the small side so there’s a high chance you’re going to be mixing colors with your brush. A few smaller ones I use and recommend shown below.

Top to bottom:

MAC 168 SH (mine is an older short discontinued version, full size here brush head is the same size)
Charlotte Tilbury Powder and Sculpt brush
Laura Mercier Cheek Color Brush *
Wayne Goss Brush 10 *
Wayne Goss Air Brush * (one shown is limited-edition color, but he carries it in the regular shade)
Wayne Goss Brush 14 * (brush set reviewed here)

Overall well made with beautiful colors. I think the quality is excellent. It has a very natural look to it but the colors are buildable if you layer. Given all the highlighters that are out there on the market at this point many launches are looking the same to me. These colors are new to Hourglass and I think a couple are unique while others are not. I would love to see them expand their Ambient Lighting finishing powder range to include full sizes of Soft Light and Filtered Light and perhaps shades in between and darker. I love the satiny almost matte powders and right now there’s not a color that works to match my skin although I used to use Dim Light as a setting powder when I was lighter in skin tone.

I do love the look and vibe of Nude Glow Blush because I love a good peachy shimmer. Mood Flush is nice but for some reason doesn’t quite apply the same in the pan on my face (it goes on warmer). I’m the equivalent of MAC NC35 and I think if I were up to 3 shades darker in skintone this would still show up on me, but the overall look is still very medium-natural.

I think it’s a good buy. I’m really happy with it and love that it has new colors. I’m also ok with having similar options because these palettes are so convenient for travel or to create a look with a single compact. I don’t know that I’d call it entirely unique and I’m also ok with that. At this point given all the highlighters I own and have tested I don’t know that I’d call it a must-have, but I do really like it. It’s pricey but well made.

You can find the Hourglass Unlocked Ambient Lighting Edit Palette out now at Sephora and Hourglass. It’s limited-edition for Holiday 2018.

20 Comments

Highlighters Laura Mercier

Laura Mercier Face Illuminator in Inspiration

September 12, 2018

This month Laura Mercier launched a new Face Illuminator called Inspiration ($44 for 6 g/ 0.20 oz). This shade was created to support the Laura Mercier Ovarian Cancer Fund she founded back in 2012 to raise awareness and fund research to help diagnose and treat women with ovarian cancer. Each September she donates 100% of the proceeds from the specially curated product towards the fund.

Inspiration Face Illuminator is a pretty mauve tinged rose gold shimmer. It’s multi-faceted so it will look different in every photo you see depending on how the light catches it. In indoor light it appears softer and more diffused, in direct sunlight or with a flash the deeper mauve rose tones will shine through. On the skin it’s also multi-dimensional. Some angles will show a warmer finish, others will be reflect more of the lighter pink tones. It’s a really beautiful color and I think it will suit a wide range of skin tones. If you’re lighter than me it might almost be blush-like rather than highlighter material. Regardless of your skintone her Face Illuminators create a beautiful radiant glow that stay put and meld well with the skin.

Finish is smooth and luminous with a buildable coverage. You can use her Fan Powder Brush or really any powder / blush brush to apply. The denser the brush the more intense the color and shimmer will be. It’s something you can use anywhere – eyes, cheeks, temples, nose, forehead or shoulders. The quality with this is the same as her other Face Illuminators which are among my favorite. They stay put for hours without fallout or budging.

A look at how the color shifts when in direct sunlight:

Side by sides and swatches of all her Face Illuminators (previously shown in my Laura Mercier Face Illuminator Powder Review), the ones shown below are fresh backups of Indiscretion, Devotion, Addiction, Inspiration and Seduction:

Below are some comparisons to other pink highlighters including Bobbi Brown Highlighting Powder in Afternoon Glow, Sunrise Glow, Tawny Glow, NARS Highlighting Powder in Maldives and Hourglass Ambient Lighting Strobe Blush in Euphoric Fusion. I feel like the ones from Bobbi Brown are a lot more shimmery in finish because of the pale sparkle. NARS Maldives almost looks like a pale pink next to it. Hourglass Euphoric Fusion is a deeper blush version with a hint of shimmer mixed throughout.

Look featuring Inspiration wearing the following (press samples indicated with a *):

Foundation – Chanel CC Cream in 40 Beige * (review coming soon)
Powder – Chanel Les Beiges No. 20
Eyeshadow – Laura Mercier Caviar Eye Stick in Rosegold
Eyeliner – MAC Tecknakohl in Graphblack
Mascara – Chanel Le Volume Waterproof
Cheeks – Laura Mercier Face Illuminator in Inspiration *
Lips – Tom Ford Lip Color in Devore + Laura Mercier Lip Glace in Bare Blush *
Brush – Laura Mercier Fan Brush *

Overall a really pretty pink highlighter I think is unique and very wearable. I have yet to experiment with it on the eyes but I really love the way it wears on the face for a soft pink highlight.

You can find the Laura Mercier Face Illuminator in Inspiration out now. Available at Laura Mercier, Nordstrom, Bloomingdale’s, Dillard’s and other Laura Mercier retailers soon.

Face Illuminator in Inspiration provided for review.

4 Comments

Highlighters MAC

MAC Supreme Beam and Dazzleshadow Liquid Review

September 10, 2018

MAC launched two new collections of metallics and shimmers called Supreme Beam and Dazzleshadow Liquid. I feel like MAC created the original glow with so many outstanding items. I think it’s amazing to see how long the shimmer and highlighter trend has been going on since then.

The Supreme Beam Collection has what MAC calls a “heavenly halo” theme. Everything feels like a throwback to the 90’s for me and I can’t get over how nice the new glosses are this launch! By popular demand they’ve brought back some cult classics for the face with the Illuminating Loose Powder and Hyper Real Foundation. The new formula of Dazzleshadow Liquids has a liquid eyeshadow formula that stays put all day. In today’s post we have:

Grand Illusion Glossy Liquid Lipcolour ($21 each for .17 fl oz/5 ml, made in Italy) in 10 new colors
Hyper Real Foundation ($31 each for 1 fl oz/30 ml, made in Canada) in 4 colors
Iridescent Loose Powder ($29 each for 12 g/ 0.42 oz, made in USA) in 2 colors
Dazzleshadow Liquid ($22 each for .16 oz/4 g, made in USA) in 10 colors

The Grand Illusion Glossy Liquid Lipcolour comes in the same packaging as the Retro Matte Liquid Lip Colours. The formula itself isn’t new but there are 10 new shades with this launch. I felt the original launch last year had colors that were too trendy for me. This round has more wearable options. They have a shiny finish (no matte drydown like most liquid lip colors do). They have a very smooth non-tacky feel and have full smooth coverage. Even for metallics they are streak-free. Colors are iridescent and shimmery. Pigment is very good and they have a soft cushiony feel and a slightly minty scent.

Colors include:

Polar Fleece – pale iridescent opal pink
Goldiloxxed – metallic light peach tan
Autumn Russet – perfect warm russet shimmer
Just Hustlin’ – metallic taupe pink lavender shimmer
Party Sparkle – duo chrome pink lilac
Sugar Poppy – iridescent blue pink
Dance All Night – metallic lilac
Ruby Princess – iridescent purple
Spoil Yourself – goregeous metallic pink
It’s Just Candy – metallic candy red

Lasting power is really good. I wish this formula came in soft shimmers or cream colors. They feel comfortable, glossy and lightweight. I can’t pick a favorite, but Spoil Yourself, Goldiloxxed, Dance All Night and It’s Just Candy are really pretty.

There are also two complexion products. They brought back the Iridescent Loose Powder in Silver Dusk and Golden Bronze, both must-haves in my book. Silver Dusk is like the perfect fairy dust with a pale silver pink shimmer. Golden Bronze is a deeper bronze shimmer. I’ve swatched them below next to the Mineralize Skinfinish in Shimpagne, Soft and Gentle and Cheeky Bronze.

Hyper Real Foundation is back in four metallic shades. I actually remember this as an actual foundation formula with skin shades and a shimmer glow mixed in. There are four liquid illuminators you can wear under foundation all over, mixed in with your base or on top to illuminate areas. I found it best when I mixed a little in with my MAC Studio Fix Fluid or Next to Nothing Foundation. I did try it all over under foundation and it was too glowy for me. It also worked well as a highlighter on top of my base. Colors include Violet FX (flashes violet), Gold FX (flashes gold), Rose Gold FX (perfect rose gold peach shimmer), Bronze FX (shimmery soft bronze). By comparison the MAC Strobe Creams are thinner and more lightweight in texture with a sheerer finish. I also feel they have more of an iridescent duochrome flash while the Hyper Real Foundation has more of a traditional glow.

The last part of the metallic launches this round is the Dazzleshadow Liquid. These have different finishes. Some are glitters and others are metallic sparkles. Online some have a description called “Satin” for finish but to me the satins are still very metallic and shimmery. These blend easily and stay on the lids all day long. They set nicely and once they do they don’t budge. At the same time they don’t crease and once they dry they don’t make the lids shrink or shrivel.

They have a sponge tip applicator which I use to swipe on the lids. Then I blend with my fingers.

Colors I have are:

Everyday is Sunshine – metallic champagne with a hint of peach sparkle
Flash and Dash – gold and silver glitter
Beam Time – rose gold that flashes champagne
Love Yourself – cool metallic pink
Rayon Rays – metallic brown rose copper

Overall if you’re looking for more ways to glow MAC has you 100% covered. I did try a full look with everything in the collection and for me it was too glowy to wear everything shimmer. I did more testing and found that it was best to incorporate 2 shimmer areas max with this collection, such as face and eyes, or lips and eyes, or lips and cheeks. I think everything is well made but if you have a lot of shimmers I’d recommend you shop your stash. If you’re a true beauty junkie and have been for years there’s a high chance you already own and have been hoarding Silver Dusk from years ago. One jar will last you a long time and if you missed out I highly recommend you get it now.

I think all the formulas are standouts. Everything applies smoothly and blends flawlessly. If I had to pick just 1 item from each category it would be: Gloss in Spoil Yourself, Hyper Real Foundation in Rose Gold FX, Silver Dusk Loose Powder and Beam Time Dazzleshadow Liquid.

You can find the MAC Supreme Beam and Dazzleshadow Liquid collection out now. Available at MAC Cosmetics, Nordstrom, Ulta Beauty, Macy’s and Saks Fifth Avenue.

All MAC items featured in this post were provided for review except Dazzleshadow in Love Yourself and Rayon Rays which I bought on my own.

9 Comments

Natasha Denona

Natasha Denona Super Glow Highlighter + Camel Eyeshadow Palette Review

August 30, 2018

There are new launches from Natasha Denona including three shades of Super Glow Highlighter ($38 each for 10 g/ .35 oz, made in Italy) and her Camel Eyeshadow Palette ($48 for 2.5 g/ 0.08 oz x 5, made in Italy). All the items are stunning in color, quality, pigment, and texture.

Super Glow Highlighter

At this point in the beauty world I am still surprised the highlighter game is going strong. I do think with all the options I could shop my stash and find similar colors with almost any launch. Natasha Denona’s Super Glow Highlighter has a truly multi-dimensional glow. They’re soft, light weight and smooth without emphasizing pores. I think they’re phenomenal highlighters although I think I could definitely find similar colors in my stash.

There are three colors:

01 Fair is a light icy ivory with a hint of pink
02 Light-Medium is a medium champagne
03 Bronze is a yellow gold (I don’t see any bronze in it)

Close ups, Fair:

Light-Medium 02

Bronze 03

I find the colors of her Glow Face and Body Highlighters very different compared to the Super Glow colors. The Super Glow has a more intense frost. Shimmer-wise I found them similar to the Laura Mercier Face Illuminator but not as sparkly, just more iridescent. The NARS Highlighting Powders have a slightly more subtle sheen to them.

Two sets of swatch comparisons below. First set next to the All Over Face and Body Glow Powders (reviewed here). Also next to a couple of the powders from the Diamond Blush Palette in Darya and Citrus (review here).

Next set next to Laura Mercier Face Illuminators (reviewed here) and NARS Highlighting Powders (reviewed here).

Camel Eyeshadow Palette

Neutral eyeshadows are having their moment and I could not be more excited about this. The Camel Eyeshadow Palette has one shimmer shade, three mattes and one satiny shimmer. This went in my cart the second it popped up online. I was going to buy it but the same day I got a tracking alert that this was headed my way as a press sample. As much as I love her sparkle shadows, sometimes they are too shimmery for me so having a neutral with only 1 sparkle is amazing to me. This is a neutral-warm neutral palette. Pigment is ultra rich and smooth. I love that Copper Stone applies on top of the mattes beautifully with full blendable pigment. NARS Mojave Eyeshadow Quad by comparison pulls more cool in undertone while this Camel is more beige/tan. Chanel Clair Obscur almost looks blue-ish as Camel is warmer in undertone.

The palette colors include:

Arrosto 185 CM a deep matte brown
Dune 186S a soft shimmery ivory
Safari 187 CM a medium cool brown
Copper Stone 188 M a glimmering bronze
Zand 189 CM a medium warm brown

All new colors on the face, also wearing:

Foundation – MAC Studio Fix Fluid Foundation in NC35
Powder – Charlotte Tilbury Airbrush Flawless Powder in 2
Concealer – Laura Mercier Flawless Fusion Concealer in 3W* (swatches here)
Eyeshadow – Laura Mercier Caviar Eye Stick in Rose Gold all over as a base, Natasha Denona Camel Eyeshadow Palette all shades on eyes
Brow – NARS Brow Perfector in Komo* (swatches here)
Mascara – Bobbi Brown Eye Opening Mascara
Eyeliner – Pat McGrath Permagel Eyeliner in Blitz Brown (swatches here)
Highlighter – Natasha Denona Super Glow top to bottom 01, 02 and 03
Lips – Pat McGrath Matte Trance in Christy* (swatches here)

Full look with my favorite Super Glow 02 Light-Medium and added blush in Hourglass Ambient Lighting Blush in Mood Exposure:

Overall excellent products. The quality, texture and lasting power is really good. Everything stayed put on the face from morning well into late afternoon without budging. I do think I could find similar colors for the highlighters, but I’m really drawn to 02 Light Medium for my skintone. I think 03 Bronze confuses me a little because of the name. I don’t really see any bronze, it’s a true yellow gold to my eyes. Alone it’s definitely too yellow for my skin but it does layer nicely with other blushes. Camel is a must-have to me. I think it has perfect undertone that isn’t too cool and has the slightest bit of warmth without any orange to them. The mattes blend perfectly in a way that aren’t muddy on the skin.

You can find the Natasha Denona Super Glow and Camel Eyeshadow Palette out now. Available at Sephora and Beautylish. I highly recommend both. If you’re shopping at Sephora, don’t forget they’re having a Beauty Insider Appreciation event! You can use promo code once online, but you can use it in stores an unlimited amount of times. Valid in both US and Canada:

Rouge Members: 20% off with code YESROUGE, valid 8/24 through 9/3
VIB Members: 15% off with code YESVIB, valid 8/30 through 9/3
Beauty Insiders: 10% off with code YESINSIDER, valid 8/30 through 9/3

Natasha Denona Super Glow + Camel provided for review. Other press samples featured indicated with a star next to the listing.

10 Comments

Charlotte Tilbury

Charlotte Tilbury Pretty Youth Glow Filters, Cheek Hug Brush + Collagen Lip Bath

June 20, 2018

Charlotte Tilbury launched Part 2 of her Beauty Filters collection focused on lips and cheeks. I picked up all three of the items including the Pretty Youth Glow Filter Kit in Pretty Fresh and Seduce Beauty ($60 each for blush duo + brush) along with the new Collagen Lip Bath ($35). I reviewed Part 1 last month on her Bigger Brighter Eyes Collection. Part 2 for lips + cheeks do not disappoint color and quality-wise.

Charlotte Tilbury Pretty Youth Glow Filters

The Charlotte Tilbury Pretty Youth Glow Filters are duo cream cheek palettes and the kits come with the Cheek Hug Brush at Nordstrom. It is only because of this brush that I think these palettes are worth the high price tag of $60. (The blush is available individually at Charlotte Tilbury’s website though.) In terms of quality and pigment both colors are really good but to me it seems as though there is very little product. These each contain a highlighter and blush – the brush is perfectly shaped and very well made to pick up both colors and apply them in a perfect blush/highlight motion. I simply swipe across the palette and apply in a swipe up method on the cheeks, then blend/buff with either my fingers or a separate blush brush. Texture is a silky cream finish. It’s truly a cream to powder like the description states. Color on me is medium to sheer.

Seduce Blush is the more neutral/muted option with a soft champagne and pinky-nude. There is a slight hint of shimmer in the pan but on the cheeks it’s very diffused and satiny.

Wearing Sunday Riley The Influencer Foundation 190, Charlotte Tilbury Eyes to Mesmerise Cream Shadows in Star Gold and Rose Gold mixed together, Collagen Lip Bath.

Pretty Fresh is a brighter option with a paler rose shimmer and brighter pink. This one is my favorite of the two. It can be built up for more color but blends out to a very nice flush.

Closer look at the Cheek Hug Brush:

Overall these had medium lasting power on me. I’m still experimenting with primers and bases to find what will last through the humidity. I felt like I had it all figured out last summer. Then we had about six months of truly mild weather here and I feel like I’ve forgotten what worked in humidity! I think these blushes are both excellent. I still really love her Filmstar Bronze and Blush Glow for texture and finish and think if she had made these Pretty Youth Glow Filters colors in powder form I’d snap them up in a heart beat and that others would too. I’d say in terms of finish/texture the lasting power and pigment, the Pretty Youth Glow Filters is similar to that of the Sisley Phyto-Twist Blush sticks.

Some swatch comparisons:

Collagen Lip Bath

Then there is the Collagen Lip Bath which all of my friends were texting me about asking if I had tried it and if I thought it was worth the price. I love all of Charlotte Tilbury’s Lip Lustres and Lipsticks so had high hopes for this even though it looked like it was basically a clear gloss. As soon as I opened my heart both sank and then rose back up.

When I removed the wand I was completely shocked at how little product there actually was in the tube. The wand takes up 1/2 the space! Then the actual wand itself is shaped like the top of a heart which is the cutest applicator I’ve ever seen. After getting over the shock of how little product there was I swiped it and fell in love. It makes my lips look lush and plump without any tingle or sting. They truly look super healthy and plump in the best way I’ve ever seen. It’s supposed to have peppermint extract to cool, but for some reason I did not feel any cooling sensation. It’s basically clear even though it’s a soft rose tint in the tube. Below is what my lips look like with clearish gloss, they almost always turn rose pink.

So in terms of performance and what it does, I 100% love it. I’m still peeved at how little product there is and I feel like I’m one who rarely gets upset about product weight. I still really like it and will use it up entirely in no time at all.

Overall beautiful. In my mind Charlotte Tilbury can do no wrong with the quality and color choice of her products. I think the Pretty Youth Glow Filters and Collagen Lip Products are beautiful additions to her line. I’d recommend them for anyone who wants a soft pretty and natural feminine glow. I do think the price points are a little steep, especially for the amount of product you get. I do feel the Cheek Hug Brush is really well made and makes the duos worth the splurge. For creams they aren’t too emollient but if you have super oily skin you might want to try before you buy if you can. As for the Collagen Lip Bath, I love it, but I don’t love the price. I wish it came in a squeeze tube like the MAC clear lipglass. The brush tip is nice and the design quite innovative but not a game changer to make it worth the steep price.

For other recent Charlotte Tilbury reviews:

Hollywood Flawless Filters Review + Swatches
Star Gold, Rose Gold, Duchess, American Sweetheart and English Beauty
Bigger Brighter Eyes Collection Review

You can find the Pretty Youth Glow Filters and Collagen Lip Bath out now at Charlotte Tilbury counters. I bought mine from Nordstrom. Also available at Charlotte Tilbury and Beautylish.

P.S. You can buy just the blush duo individually without the brush at Charlotte Tilbury for $40.

Have you tried these yet? What did you think?

17 Comments

MAC

MAC Patrick Starrr Summer Starrr Full Face Kit + Hot and Heavy Face Powder

June 17, 2018

MAC has quite a few new launches this month and I’m working as quickly as I can to swatch them for you! Up first is the MAC Patrick Starrr summer collection with the Summer Starrr Full Face Kit ($49.50) and Hot and Heavy Face Powder ($34). The items are limited-edition and the whole vibe of this launch is warm.

The Summer Starrr Full Face Kit comes at an incredible value price. You get an Eyeshadow Quad called Heat Stroke, Bronzing Powder in Give Me Life and two Lipglasses in Cream Pie and Fashion Punch. Colors for the lips and cheeks are very wearable for any skintone, the quad is more trendy and VERY warm with reds and oranges. Heat Stroke has four very pigmented and smooth eyeshadows. I’m one who still cannot really pull off the full-on reddish eyeshadow trend although every single one of my friends embraces it. And also everyone else I see wear it looks AMAZING while I do not. The NARSissist Wanted Eyeshadow Palette is still one of the few pinkish-toned palettes I can actually wear. Below is a closer look at Heat Stroke Eyeshadow quad. I tried it a number of ways and colors are just not for me.

The Lipglasses are both light and neutral. They’re creams without shimmer. I feel like the Fashion Punch color has been launched before in the older original packaging. It’s a beige cream. Cream Pie is a neutral pink cream. I’ve swatched them below next to the Patrick Starrr Holiday 2017 lipglasses as well since he had two neutrals.

The two cheek products are warm and summery. The Give Me Life Bronzing Powder is part of the Full Face Kit. It’s a warm matte brown that has a soft semi-sheer finish. On my skin it’s warm but not orangey. It’s a lot more wearable than it looks from what I see in the pan. The best item in the entire collection to me is the Hot and Heavy Face Powder which is available separately. It’s a soft golden champagne shimmer which is perfect! Shimmer is fine and smooth without any heavy frost.

The quality is excellent for everything in this launch. Colors are all smooth and apply beautifully. I think the face kit is an excellent value. I also fully support and applaud brand and influencer collaborations like this. It makes me really happy to see these kinds of partnerships! The colors have a good mix of neutral and on trend aspects. That being said, with kits I feel the same way about kits as I do palettes – they can be tricky if you don’t 100% love all the colors. For the Full Face Kit I cannot wear the Heat Stroke Eyeshadow quad by itself. It takes a lot of mixing with cools or neutrals for me to be able to pull off the colors easily – I did test everything for several days and embraced the red eye look at home and while out and about. It was well outside of my comfort zone. The rest of the items are more my vibe although I do think the color are dupeable. If you are looking to add more to your collection at a value price these items are great. If you own a lot of MAC already you may want to shop your stash.

My favorite item is the Hot and Heavy highlighter. It’s the perfect mix of warm gold + champagne for my skintone! I also really like the Cream Pie Lipglass as a wearable pale milky pink. Have you tried anything from this launch yet? What did you think?

You can find the MAC Patrick Starrr Summer Starrr Face Kit and Highlighter out now. The Summer Starrr Full Face Kit runs at $49.50 and Hot and Heavy Face Powder retails for $34. Available now at MAC Cosmetics, Nordstrom, Ulta, Macy’s, Saks Fifth Avenue and Dillard’s.

MAC Patrick Starrr items provided courtesy of MAC for review.