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Battle of the Milky Toners and Essences

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I contemplated making a post like this a year ago, but I wasn’t putting as much effort into it until December 2024. My plan was to make a super detailed in-depth analysis of every product to decide once and for all which of these reigns supreme. The honest truth is that nearly all of them are good. The differences that I can see and feel are minor between them. The bottom line is that if someone is only concerned with hydration and skin softening (which was a big issue for me in winter), nearly anything labeled a “milky toner/essence” will do. Some of these are new purchases that I’ve only had for a few weeks, but the rest range from three months, six months, and a year+.

STATS: I had normal skin when I was younger, normal-to dry in my 20’s, and now in my 30’s I have just dry skin. I don’t have a set skincare routine. The only product types I use consistently are cleansers and sunscreen. I double-cleanse with Bioderma Sensibio H2O Micellar water and Lisa Eldridge Skin Enhancing Treatment Cleanser. For years I used the Round Lab Birch Juice Sun Cream SPF 50+ PA++++ (Korean version not US), although I’ve been testing two other sunscreens this year instead. I use a toner or essence several times a week (many different ones) and add a moisturizer whenever it feels necessary (many different ones as well). Even though I have dry skin, it’s easily prone to pore clogging if the moisturizer I use is too thick and heavy. So, I need truly hydrating ingredients to seep into the layers of my skin and also have a thin occlusive barrier that lasts all day. My second problem with traditional moisturizers is that most of the ones that don’t clog my skin also don’t remain on the surface for that long. Hence my absolute love of milky skincare!

TESTING PROCESS: The products in the rankings (excluding Pixi) went through at least 1-2 rounds of being used for one week straight. In addition, I did a ton of side by side tests, putting one toner on one half of my face and another toner on the other side to be able to compare them in real time from morning until night. The toners went head to head with the same brands for a minimum of three consecutive days.
I did some tests on bare-face days and others underneath makeup. To test the effectiveness on even more dehydrated skin, I would sometimes apply the product to my legs, arms, knees, and elbows. There were plenty of breaks between tests, as it’s a struggle for me to be consistent with a skincare routine.

Ultimately, I’m not a scientist or dermatologist. I don’t even consider myself to be a skincare enthusiast. However, I still want to have good and effective products, so I’m forced to try out a lot of different skincare to find what will work the best for me. I’ve done this process to the best of my ability and the best ways that I know how, but this is still not a guarantee that others will have the same negative or positive results as me. I normally don’t post about skincare, but since I was taking on this project for myself, I figured it could still potentially help others who are interested in Milky Toners, but don’t know why to choose one over another.

DISCLOSURE: There are no affiliate links in this post. I am not being sponsored by any of the brands mentioned. I purchased everything with my own money except the TirTir Milk Skin Light which was a free gift with purchase from YesStyle when I was buying makeup on the website. The only thing I have is a referral link and the reward code G9UHT8 that was generated for me as a regular customer that YesStyle creates for every account holder. I think the codes gives a 5% discount, but I have often found codes floating around online or in the email newsletter that give 8-15% off. So, I encourage anyone to look for better codes instead.

Laneige Cream Skin Cerapeptide Toner and Moisturizer (aka Cream Skin Refiner, etc.)

This product has undergone so many name changes, reformulations, and packaging updates, but the only change I’ve been able to detect is that it’s slightly lighter in consistency. I’ve been using it since at least 2021 and it’s one of those skincare products that actually makes a huge difference in my skin.

This is the product that sparked my curiosity about all of the others, and when it comes to deciding which milky toner fits my needs the best, it is this one from Laneige.* What puts it above the others is the longevity factor and it being emollient, but not sticky. I can still feel it on my skin when I wear it overnight. It clings to my face and keeps the surface continually moisturized, which is a godsend in winter in Germany. Even though it’s able to hydrate and moisturize, it’s particularly great at locking in that moisture. So, anyone who hates feeling product still on the skin might not enjoy this one. However, the residual product on the skin doesn’t bother me the way it can with some of the other milky toners I’ve used.

One other thing I want to point out is that if you buy this product, make sure everything is properly tightened. I thought my latest bottle had a leak, but even though the outer cap was on tight, the innermost cap was actually loose. Once I twisted that to tighten it, everything was fine.

Some of the ingredients in this worth highlighting are the Glycerine and various Glycols, Meadowfoam Seed Oil, Squalane, Hyaluronic Acid, Ceramides, and Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract.

*While I have technically found a product I like more than the toner from Laneige, I am hesitant to demote it to second place because I haven’t tried the other one long enough to stand the test of time. I need to at least try it in winter to know for certain.

The Ordinary Saccharomyces Ferment 30% Milky Toner

This is the second oldest product I have in the bunch. From a sensory standpoint, I love that this was the most milk-like. It has a very weak natural scent, a bit like bread, which is probably from the yeast extracts. It keeps my skin moisturized and soft, but it’s supposed to be exfoliating and brightening as well. I don’t know for certain if it actually brightens, but I can at least vouch for having less dry patches the next day after I use this. And it still does an overall decent job of making my skin feel less dry. It also doesn’t leave a film behind once enough time has passed for it to fully soak in. So, I like this product and the clinical-looking semi-frosted glass bottle that it’s in. It’s just not what I turn to during the months when the weather is especially cold and dry.

The hero ingredients are Yeast Extracts and Squalane.

I’m from – Rice Toner (original and Black Rice version as minis)

These look like they are made up of one solid solution, but due to the bi-layer/phase, both versions need to be shaken up before every use.

Regarding the classic formula, I really like this toner as an all-rounder type of product. It seems to do a bit of everything in terms of skin softening, moisturizing, and hydrating, but also soothing. If my face feels a little irritated, I’ve noticed I’ve instinctively reached for this product over some of the others. So, this rates highly for me in the soothing department, but it performs a little weaker than the others at fulfilling the other tasks. While it works for my dry skin, I think other skin types might enjoy this too because it leaves only a small amount of residue behind on the face. This is also supposed to brighten, but I don’t notice that happening. Perhaps just a little.

With the new Black Rice formula, it is very clearly marked as being for those with oily skin. It’s supposed to control sebum production, increase skin’s radiance, soothe, balance moisture, etc. Because of the beneficial ingredients, I figured perhaps this would be something I like in summer when I want to wear only lightweight products.

Whenever I apply the Black Rice Toner, I can feel slight oiliness in random spots, whereas the rest of my face has no residue and just feels like hydrated skin. I’ve tried to shake up the bottle very well, but it might be impossible to get the two layers properly blended so that my face feels the same everywhere I touch. Any spots with the extra moisture will feel like the rest of my skin within a few hours as it gets absorbed. After several more hours, I get the impulse to want to apply more products on top. It’s just not a hydrating enough or a moisturizing enough product on its own, but it feels better in conjunction with the rest of my skincare (moisturizer, sunscreen, and so on). There could be an occasion where I still like it during summer, but I would say this is indeed not suited for dry skin.

The aspect I find strangest is that despite the Black Rice Toner not feeling hydrating enough for me, I’ve noticed I get an increased amount of closed comedones when I use this for several consecutive days. My best guess for the cause of this are those spots on my face that feel oilier than the rest because the solution isn’t mixed evenly. Perhaps I could try to rubbing the liquid in my hands first before applying it to my face, but I honestly don’t want to spend more time figuring this out considering how much happier I am using other products. For instance, the Pat Mcgrath Essence seems to contain more oil, and yet I don’t have this issue with it.

Some of the key ingredients of the original formula are Rice and other types of Extracts, Niacinamide, and various Glycols.

Besides Rice Extracts, Niacinamide, and Water, the Black Rice Toner has either different forms of similar ingredients or different ingredients entirely from the classic rice version. Some notable ones are Glycerin, Sodium Hyaluronate, Glycolic Acid, Dicaprylyl Ether, Adenosine, Polyglutamic Acid, and Panthenol.

TIRTIR Milk Skin Toner (original and light version as minis)

These toners from TirTir taught me that ingredients aren’t everything. How one uses them matters. These formulas are stacked with amazing things my skin loves, but there seems to be something in them that prevents me from liking them as much as the others. Both contain extracts like Witch Hazel, Anise, and Peppermint, but I don’t know if those are enough to put them at nearly the very bottom of the list. There may be other ingredients I’m unfamiliar with preventing my skin from feeling moisturized or hydrated enough when I use them. One such possibility is the fact that I sometimes use milky toners instead of, and not always with, moisturizer. This contains Sodium Hyaluronate, which is wonderful in humid climates, but can have opposite effects in dry ones. Where I live in Germany, and during most times of the year, it is not as humid as Florida. So, I have experienced some problems when I don’t prep my skin properly and something I used contains this ingredient.

It’s no surprise that the Light version is less suited for my dry skin than the regular version. It doesn’t have as much of an occlusive layer as some of my other milky toners (which will be a positive thing for some other people). So, even though these great main ingredients are being put on my skin, the potential water loss happening simultaneously might be working against it. However, the original doesn’t cut it for me sometimes, depending on what I use it with. When I use a normal amount of the original Milk Skin, it has the same issue as the Light version, but if I use a lot, my face feels sticky. I dislike the feeling more than the residue and film other toners leave behind. I could just change my habits and always use this with a moisturizer so I can put on a normal amount, but that’s easier said than done. For now, I prefer to keep using my milky toner favorites and then perhaps I’ll circle back to the TirTir Milk Skin original, as it’s one of the “newer” ones I’ve had (for at least three months).

Some of the ingredients worth mentioning from both versions are tons of extracts (like Rice, Licorice Root, and Oat), Glycerin, Niacinamide, Sodium Hyaluronate, Panthenol, Ceramide NP, and multiple Peptides (most interesting of them for me being Copper).

Anua Rice 70 Glow Milky Toner

This has the same issue for me as the TirTir Milk Skin. If I use too little, it doesn’t feel moisturizing enough, but if I apply too much then it feels uncomfortably sticky. This doesn’t matter as much if I apply other products on top, but it becomes an issue on my no-makeup days.

I was attracted to this product because of the mention of glow in the name. I hoped it would give me a glass skin effect, but it’s a glycerin type of shine and not the kind one gets from makeup that would have at least mica in it.

This formula is packed with a lot of great ingredients and unlike TirTir’s toner, I haven’t noticed anything in this that would be a potential issue for my skin. So, I’m a bit confused why I only like it instead of loving it considering this is among the most hyped up milky toners of the bunch. The reason it still manages to rank high for me is because of how it feels over time with back to back uses compared to others. For example, the I’m From Rice Toner feels more enriching to my skin in a side by side battle, but given enough days using the Anua Toner consistently, my skin ends up looking better on the Anua side.

Some of the interesting ingredients in this bottle are Niacinamide, Oryza Sativa Rice Seed Protein, Arbutin, Glycerin, Sodium Hyaluronate, Hyaluronic Acid, Ceramide NP and AP, Panthenol and Ascorbic Acid.

Farmacy Honey Milk Hydrating Essence

This took me a long time to buy because I was waiting for it to go on sale at the Douglas retailer. It’s one of the more expensive toners, but has definitely been worth it to me. This essence feels thick and luscious on the skin, like an actual skin treatment. The design is simple, but the yellow frosted glass bottle feels like I’m handling a luxury product.

This smells like chamomile, but for some reason the information my olfactory neurons signal to my brain registers the scent as eggnog! I have to keep smelling it for a few seconds longer to then correctly identify the chamomile. It’s very strange, but I love the smell of eggnog, so I’m glad that this is my experience without any added parfum.

My skin easily soaks up the product. Depending on my hydration level prior to use, it may or might not leave behind some residue, but it’s never an excessive amount and it doesn’t feel sticky. My face feels so soft and supple that it really gives my Laneige Toner a run for its money. I started using this in February 2025, so I haven’t been able to test this out yet in all four seasons. It’s possible this could become my new number one favorite. For now though, it’s still Laneige.

One other thing I wanted to point out is that despite my dry skin, Aloe Leaf Extract or Aloe Vera can sometimes trigger my skin to start excessively producing oil. I assume it depends on what other ingredients it is paired with, but I’ve never fully figured this out. Two products I vividly recall having this issue with (and being forced to stop using them) were the Covergirl Clean Fresh Skin Milk Foundation and the Rephr 1.0 Gentle Cleanser. Aloe Leaf Juice, which is what the Farmacy Essence contains, does not seem to have that extreme of an effect. Thank goodness!

Some of the important ingredients are Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice, Saccharomyces Ferment Filtrate, Glycerin, Honey Extract, Ceramide NP, Panthenol, Squalane, Arginine, Anthemis Nobilis Extract and Citric Acid.

Pixi Milky Tonic Soothing Toner (travel size)

So many people love Pixi skincare, particularly their toners, but what usually keeps me away are all the potential skin sensitizing ingredients. I made the mistake of assuming there wouldn’t be any in their “soothing” milky product. Bad assumption on my part, but at least I only have the mini!

I tried this as soon as it arrived and was surprised by the soapy-herbal and partly astringent smell. It’s not a bad smell, but it’s very strong. I put it on my face and it felt soothing for about five seconds before my face started to tingle and it got a bit warm. The warm sensation only lasted around ten seconds, but the tingling persisted for a few minutes. I was surprised and alarmed by that first experience, but I thought perhaps the product was intended to have this effect. The fact that there was a slightly oily residue on my skin lulled me into a false sense of security, assuming a product with oil would only be soothing. I had completely forgotten about how easily my pores get clogged. I tested this product for another day and noticed I had some whiteheads, but didn’t figure out the connection until the third usage. Ultimately, I was still bothered by the tingling and worried it could be my skin reacting to whatever was inside, so I started doing research at that point and realized how many potentially irritating things are in here like Orange Peel Extract, Lemon Peel Extract, Mandarin Orange Fruit Extract, Citric Acid, and Sodium Citrate. There are also Clove and Lavender extracts.

There are nice things in here too, but I’m not surprised anymore why my skin was tingling. For a time, I tried to at least use this on the roughest spots of my body (like knees and elbows), but the fear of developing contact dermatitis made me ultimately stop using this.

Some people love scented products. Some people are against them to a extreme degree within clean beauty. The bottom line for me is that the uncomfortable oily film left on my skin, the strong smell, warm-tingling sensation, and pore clogging are reasons enough for me to not recommend this to anyone, no matter the skin type.

Some of the interesting things contained in here are Glycerin, Jojoba Seed Oil, Sodium Hyaluronate, multiple fatty acids, Citric Acid, Benzyl Alcohol, and tons of extracts.

Dr. Ceuracle – Vegan Kombucha Tea Essence

I’m including this in the milky toners category because it can be thought of as a “Milk Tea” and it looks milkier after I shake the bottle to get that bi-phase mixed together properly.

I’ve wanted to try this product for a very long time, but it was always out of stock whenever I checked YesStyle’s website. So, it’s the newest one to my collection along with the I’m From Black Rice Toner that I purchased in early May.

I talked about the possibility of the Farmacy Honey Milk surpassing the Laneige one some day, but this one from Dr. Ceuracle technically has already. I’m just reluctant to say it’s definitely better without being able to confirm how it’ll perform in winter time when my skin is at its driest.

This essence feels even more nourishing than Laneige’s Milky Toner, but with an even thinner occlusive layer. I can only really feel residue if my skin is already at a good moisture level due to having used the Lisa Eldridge Cleanser Treatment. Otherwise, the Kombucha Essence seeps quickly into my skin and the surface just feels normal, healthy, and hydrated without noticeable residue. The feeling persists the entire day, and when I apply it overnight, it continues to make my skin soft and supple. It’s a small performance difference between the two, but I can at least say Dr. Ceuracle is a winner in the springtime, and most likely will be better for the summertime as well. This is also why I’m not sure if its barely-there moisturizing barrier will be strong enough to keep away my dryness in winter.

I find it interesting that the Anua toner is touted to be glowy, but hardly has that effect on my skin, whereas the Dr. Ceuracle essence provides more noticeable shine. It’s also a bit funny that the glass bottle and cap look exactly how the older Laneige packaging used to be!

One of the big selling points for this product (other than the detox claims that I’m not so sure I believe) is the balancing aspect. I do think this essence manages to do that, so this could be great for more skin types than just dry. However, if you’re someone that has above average dryness, Laneige might be the safer bet.

Some of the many interesting ingredients in this formula are Glycerin, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract, Saccharomyces Ferment Filtrate, Sunflower Seed Oil Unsaponifiables, Sodium Hyaluronate, Centella Asiatica Extract, and Ceramide NP.

Pat Mcgrath Labs Divine Skin: Rose 001 The Essence


I reviewed this in the past, as much as one can review a deluxe sample. This reminds me of a non-greasy, yet oilier (and therefore more intensely moisturizing), version of the Laneige Cream Skin Toner. It’s a bi-phase toner that needs to be shaken up. It felt fantastic and unctuous on the skin, the bottle looked beautiful, and it smelled luxurious, but that perfume and the price is why I ultimately hadn’t purchased the full-size (until now). I didn’t think the benefits were worth the money compared to other options on the market, especially with some of its ingredients I wasn’t so fond of.

Some of the many interesting ingredients in here are Glycerin, Almond Oil, Macadamia Nut Oil, Sea Buckthorn Berry Oil, Ceramide NP, Squalane, and Panthenol, but also Rose Water and Rose Extract, Hexyl Cinnamal, Parfum, and Red 33.

The reason I have it now is because the brand created the Divine Skin: Prep, Set, Glow Essentials Kit which costs $108 and includes full-sizes of the Glow Setting Spray, Essence, and Hydrating Glow Cream. The site lists the value at $124, but I’m not sure where that number came from considering the cost of all three items separately is actually $202.
This bundle is an even better savings for anyone in the EU because of the existing surcharges. The price of the three items sold individually comes to the US equivalent of $253 (€223), yet the bundle price is nearly the same at €97.
The way I look at it, I basically paid $36 (€32) for each item. At that price, the essence was absolutely worth it to me to get!

Images from PatMcgrath.com

For those only interested in skincare, Pat Mcgrath also has the Divine Skin: Rose 001 Signature Glow Duo Kit (essence and cream) for $141. The VIP Sale dropped the price to $98.70. I preferred the kit I bought because for ten extra dollars I could get the setting spray too.
Without this kind of bundle discount, I wouldn’t have been able to justify spending so much on this essence. It’s like my secret guilty pleasure skincare product! I try to avoid some of these ingredients, but it feels so nice!

Even though this contains fragrance, it’s the second to last ingredient. I remember how strong and beautiful the smell of rose was in my sample, but I can barely smell any of it in my full-size bottle. I wonder if the Essence has always been this way (and if it was just my sample that had a strong scent of rose), or if the brand uses less parfum in the newer bottles.

Since my previous tests of this was in a very humid climate, and now it’s springtime in a less humid climate, I can’t say with certainty how this will fare during a dry winter. However, this being the “oiliest” (but not greasy) of the bunch gives me more confidence in saying this will work well during that time too. Many of my favorite milky toners are hydrating enough that I can skip putting on a moisturizer, but this essence is a step further in feeling like I put on a thin layer of facial oil. My dry skin really seems to love this product!

I like pairing this with the PML Hydrating Glow Cream because even though the texture looks thick and stiff, it spreads easily and absorbs fairly fast. As long as I don’t use too much of both products, it doesn’t feel heavy on my face. I’m quite impressed with these products, though I would still never repurchase them without a big discount or bundle deal like the one I got.

Honorable Mention #1: Rephr Rebalancing Essence 1.0

This doesn’t have “milky” in the name, but it pretty much is a milky toner/essence. It leaves a semi-sticky layer on the skin for a while, but then fully seeps into the skin, leaving only a little bit of residue behind. This has the texture/consistency and looks of the Laneige toner, but it doesn’t have that long lasting moisturizing layer that protects the skin from water loss. So, one would definitely need to follow this one up with additional skincare after.

There are a lot of nice ingredients in here, and in good amounts. On the website, Rephr highlights the 3% Glycerin, 2% Niacinamide, 2% Meadowfoam Seed Oil, 1% Panthenol, the 1% blend of Betaine and Allantoin, 0.5% Squalane, and 0.2% Madecassoside.

It’s a good essence, but I prefer other milky products that have more of the hydrating, moisturizing, and skin softening properties. I stopped using it sometime in 2023, which is why I put it in the honorable mention section, since I can’t test this head to head with my toners. From memory, I would say this essence is most like if there was a middle product between the TirTir Skin Milk and TirTir Skin Milk Light.

My review of Rephr Skincare moved to the archives which can be found HERE.

Honorable Mention #2: COSRX – Balancium Comfort Ceramide Cream Mist

This is not part of the toner section because it’s so lightweight that I didn’t think it would be fair to include it. I bought it with the intent of giving the milky toners an extra boost in hydration during the later hours of the day, but the ones I used most often didn’t need it!

My second reason was to use this on makeup days if my face was looking a bit dry, similar to MAC Fix+. Unfortunately for me, I didn’t see any changes to how my makeup looked. The bottle mists the product fairly well, with me being able to see only a few moisture droplets here and there, but once they dried my makeup continued to have the same finish as before. My face didn’t look dewier or glassy. This might be a fantastic aspect for a matte-lover or someone with oily skin who still wants to use moisturizing products without adding extra shine or sheen.

This mist can be soothing, although sometimes it’s still not enough if my skin reaches a certain threshold of irritation. If I completely douse my face to try and use it as the sole milky product, it can get the job done in the warmer months, but not in winter. If I douse my face to use overnight (again during the warmer months), I wake up with my skin feeling silky smooth and just incredible. So, I like this product as a milky toner booster in winter or as an extra lightweight moisturizing option in summer. However, it really isn’t necessary. I’m mostly using it to use it up because I bought it. When I finish this product, I won’t be repurchasing it purely because my milky toner favorites are already fantastic and don’t need extra help.

Some of the beneficial ingredients are Glycerin, Panthenol, and three different Ceramides. What I’m a bit wary of are the various citrus products such as Bergamot Fruit Oil.

So, that is everything! Eleven toners/essences have been put to the test! When it comes to ranking them though, I didn’t think grading them from best to worst would be fair, considering the best milky toner for me will not be the same as the best one for someone who has oily or combination skin. Using numbers or stars didn’t feel fair either, so I decided to put these into categories!

Group S: Laneige, Dr. Ceuracle, and Farmacy
These are the holy grail products that I would easily repurchase, even at full-price.

Laneige gets my personal award: “Stands the Test of Time.”
Dr. Ceuracle gets a medal for being, “Even Better than People Say.”
Farmacy gets the trophy for being the, “Most Soothing and Nourishing.”

Group A: Anua, I’m From (white rice), and The Ordinary
These are all toners that are good and work. They will do at least the very basics of keeping the skin soft and moisturized. If someone’s skin really likes a particular ingredient in these toners, that could determine whether it works even better than normal for some people.

I’m From (for the original formulation) is the, “Best Beginner/Starter Milky Toner.”
The Ordinary wins, “Favorite for Gentle Exfoliation.”

Out of everything I’ve tried, I think choosing I’m Rice is the best place to start for someone who wants to dive into Milky Toners. Like Laneige, it has been around and loved for a long time for a reason. It’s more soothing than some of the others, and it’s the perfect middle ground to figure out if something more moisturizing/occlusive is needed, if less is better, or this could be just right at the start.

Group B: Pat Mcgrath
This is my, “do as I say, not as I do,” controversial category. I should stay away from the fragrance, but there’s so little in here that it might not pose a problem. It’s way too expensive, but my skin loves it! Between the smell (if both the essence and cream are used together), the touch, and visual appeal of the packaging, this really engages my senses. I want to recommend it, but the price and some of the ingredients are holding me back. This deserves to be in Group A, at the very least, but my inability to recommend it with confidence is why it’s in its own category.

Group C: TirTir (original), TirTir (light), and Im From (black rice)

I don’t think these three are bad at all. The last two are clearly just the weakest ones for someone with very dry skin. The regular TirTir Milk Skin has a plethora of nice ingredients, but doesn’t feel like it’s working as well for me as plenty of others on the market. So, I can’t recommend it based on my own preferences and experience, but I can’t write them off either. They are bound to be fantastic for someone with another skin type. Between the TirTir Light and I’m From Black Rice, I would guess the one from TirTir is probably the best for oily skin between the two.

Group D: Pixi
If this product was a movie, it would win the Razzie award in the category, “Why Must You Hurt Me?”
It’s not a complete failure because the tingling and warming could be the favorite thing someone likes about this. Someone could also enjoy the scent as much as I enjoy the essence from Pat Mcgrath. This also can’t possibly clog everyone’s pores. I consider most of my pores to be on the smaller side, so perhaps it’s just a me problem for it being easier than it would for someone else. This at least felt good enough that I would have continued trying this out if it only had one or two cons for me. So, I can understand why this is popular, even though I can’t personally recommend it.

I hope this has been fun and helpful! Thanks for reading!

-Lili ❤

Surprising Makeup Hits and Misses ft Rare Beauty, Glossier, Dior, and More

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I visited the US in April and was reunited with the rest of my makeup collection, along with all the things I shipped there during 2024. Those products consisted of Japanese brushes that I didn’t want to pay extra customs fees for, reward point and gift card redemptions only applicable to US sites, products only sold within the US, etc. I had older makeup I still wanted to bring back to Germany, but I needed to decide which of the newer ones were worth coming along too. That’s how the idea for this post began! However, some of the makeup I brought back will be discussed in other posts, and I added some of my newer makeup purchases to this review instead.

Rare Beauty Soft Pinch Matte Bouncy Blush in Worth

It was difficult to photograph this color accurately because it looks darker in the pan than it actually is. I own the liquid version of Worth, and have reviewed it before, but I left it in the US. Since the liquid is sheer, I wasn’t surprised that I also needed to pack on a lot of this cream-to-powder version to get it to show up on camera.

I’ve been into subtle and/or nude blushes lately, so I expected to love this. I tried pairing it with so many different things expecting that perhaps my foundation shade mattered or that the undertone was clashing, that the color of my eyeshadow looks could be throwing it off, etc. I just wasn’t enjoying wearing it. The answer I settled on as to why that was the case is that it’s matte. I knew it would be from the name, but I’ve used shimmer-free creamy and bouncy type of blushes before that still had a natural emollient gleam to them from just being a cream product. Examples of this are the MAC Glow Play Blushes and Armani Neo Nude Color Melting Balms. Even within the Rare Beauty Soft Pinch Liquid Blush line that comes in dewy or matte finishes, the matte one still has some life to it. So, I wasn’t expecting this blush to have zero shine, especially from a product that has Synthetic Fluorphlogopite as the first ingredient.

The longevity is fine. The blush blends into and becomes one with the skin. For the best results, I use my densest synthetic brushes with it.

I borrowed the photo above from my Charlotte Tilbury x Genshin Impact post where I reviewed the Airbrush Flawless Setting Spray. By the time I started using that spray, I already knew that my issue with the Rare Beauty Blush was the fact that it’s matte. However, I was still taken aback when I saw with my own eyes how much of a difference some extra shine truly makes. I love how this blush looks when I use Charlotte’s spray over it. So this product changed from a miss to a hit for me!

Eadem Le Chouchou Exfoliating + Softening Peptide Lip Balm in Fig Sauce

I mentioned in my Project Pan that there are only 5 brands I’m purchasing from in the lip category this year. One exception was this balm because I would have bought it ages ago if it was sold in Europe. I could only find one website that would ship it to me, but then I would have had to pay at least double the price.
The tradeoff for having to wait a long time to get it from USA’s Sephora was that I could buy it on sale and with a gift card.

I have to talk about the metal applicator because it feels amazing applying this lip balm! I don’t like when products have a cooling ingredient that makes my lips feel cold for 30 minutes to 2 hours depending on the brand. Instead, I only get that wonderfully cold sensation during the application process and then I can go about my day. This really adds to the experience, so much so that I’ve even put other products on my lips and then used this applicator to spread it out! Perhaps one day I’ll buy some empty tubes off the websites I’ve found by typing, “metal applicator cosmetic tube” into Google and transfer some other glosses into them.

This is a very nourishing product and lives up to its reputation as a lip treatment. It fills the lines and smooths over the lips. It’s thick, but not goopy in a gel or oil way. It has more of a creamy-waxy feel. It adheres fairly well to the lips, which helps it to last longer before needing to be touched up or reapplied. I still consider this a little sticky, but it’s not to Ami Cole levels. It has decent color payoff, enough for me to understand someone wanting to buy multiple shades, but I wouldn’t want to buy more than one extra.

The results I get are similar to Ami Cole glosses, which is to say my lips feel softer and more hydrated the next day, but this does not completely remove all of my chapped skin. I can always spot a few areas on my lips that are still chapped the next day.
So, this hasn’t claimed a spot in my top five, but I still like it a lot.

Gxve Beauty Eye See in Color in Rich Girl

This was the only quad from the brand that I found appealing, but my immediate issue is that I don’t get enough depth from the darkest brown in this palette. While it theoretically shouldn’t be a problem to grab a dark eyeshadow from any other brand, I know I will subconsciously not reach for this palette since it is technically incomplete for me.

The completed look is pretty, but I couldn’t bring myself to choose this to pack in my suitcase over my many other options.

If the eyeshadow formula was superb, I would have considered taking this with me anyway. My issue is that the shimmers are a bit lackluster. There is still beauty in a lower impact shimmer if the intended eye look is supposed to be sophisticated or demure. I think the quality is fairly good, though it could have benefited from being a bit creamier. The mattes were fine. My brush picked up a lot of product, but with how soft they look on my eyes, I think someone would be surprised to know how much I tried to build up these eyeshadows. They are drier shadows that appear to be finely milled, but something about the formula just doesn’t feel modern.

This palette is long-lasting on me. It doesn’t take long to get a blended look. However, this isn’t for me. I do appreciate that the holder of the pans is easy to remove, so I could technically keep the compact or turn it into an empty magnetic palette if I inserted a magnetic sticker sheet. I could also technically add metal sticker pans to the bottom of the eyeshadow holder to pop it into a larger empty magnetic palette. Removeable packaging is always interesting to me.

In any case, this quad wasn’t a flop, but it also wasn’t good enough to keep around.

As a random side note, the Gxve Beauty website used to sell merch as well. I ordered one of the Signature Hoodies during a 50% off sale (just like I did with the palette). It has fleece lining on the inside, so I’m excited to wear it come winter. The website says products are now exclusively at Sephora and things are so frequently for 50% off that I really don’t know how the brand will continue to stay afloat.

I don’t know where these are being sold now. If they are discontinued, I’m glad I was able to snag one as a piece of makeup history.

Glossier Cloud Paint Bronzer in Coast

I liked the Glossier Solar Paints, but wished to have a version without shimmer. The Cloud Paint formula is one of my favorites for cream blushes, so to have a matte Cloud Paint in a bronze color seemed like it would be an instant win.

I picked Coast because it is the second darkest option and has a golden tone, which I wanted. The darkest color, Drift, looked like it would be too red for me despite being labeled by the brand as a deep neutral bronze. Coast is just too subtle for my skin tone right now. While I was in Florida, I didn’t do a good job of reapplying sunscreen. My skin had a slightly redder tone and was darker, so the bronzer really isn’t visible in photos as it was already so subtle in person. I have a photo below, but I apologize for the lighting being very off. I couldn’t get a clearer picture during the trip and my skin looks even redder in the photo than it was in real life (plus I was wearing the Beekman 1802 skin tint that’s red).

I don’t mind having a subtle bronzer, but my biggest issue wasn’t the color. I felt it just didn’t blend seamlessly enough into my skin. While it’s true that I didn’t bring my holy grail synthetic bronzer/contour brush with me, I came to realize that the watercolor kind of finish that’s beautiful and natural in a blush isn’t what I want in a bronzer. So, I left this behind. What a shame!

Tarte Tartelette Tubing Mascara vs Too Faced Ribbon Wrapped Lash Tubing Mascara

Back in 2014, during my short lived time making YouTube videos (all listed as private now), I kicked off my Mascara Showdown Series with a battle between Tarte’s Lights Camera Lashes and Too Faced Better Than Sex Mascaras.

I determined that Tarte was the winner because of the length, but the mascara I actually repurchased the most was from Too Faced. I don’t know if it’s because I ended up preferring the balance between length and volume or if I was just able to get the Too Faced mascara on sale more frequently. I eventually stopped buying the one from Too Faced because I started to get clumping and flaking issues that I never had before. I don’t know if the formula changed or there was a switch in manufacturers, but I moved on from that mascara.

The KVD Full Sleeve Long + Defined Tubing mascara made me interested in tubing mascaras again. I had a deluxe sample of the one from Tarte, so when Too Faced released theirs I thought why not…let’s do another showdown between these brands over a decade later!

I never curl my lashes, so sometimes the mascaras look better or worse depending on how my eyelashes are naturally shaped that day. I’ve used the Tarte mascara five times and I can say that even if it had amazing results, what puts me off from it is how long it takes to dry. If I try to layer up even more product, then it takes even longer. I can touch my lashes thirty minutes later and it still doesn’t feel fully set. This is a big problem when I’m trying to photograph multiple eye looks in a day and in the process of removing my eyeshadow with a Makeup Eraser cloth and Bioderma, my eyelashes clump together, the color smears, and the stickiness makes it difficult to remove the rest. Part of the benefits of tubing mascara is the ease in which one can remove it with warm water. I can remove them with micellar water as well, so I’m not surprised that some of the Tarte mascara comes off. The annoying part is the weird middle ground where some of it comes off and smudges while the rest still clings on with a tight grip. It makes it so that I am forced to fully remove it every time when I want to do a new eye look, whereas with other tubing mascaras and even regular mascaras, it’ll come partly off and I can easily reapply more mascara because they didn’t turn my lashes spidery and hard. This is a makeup reviewer problem, but having to wait so long for it to fully dry is an issue overall. One time I made the mistake of applying this mascara not far enough in advance of watching a heartfelt scene in a show. The side with the Tarta mascara was a mess and got in my eyes. The side with Too Faced did not.

I didn’t like the Too Faced Ribbon mascara when I first tried it, but every time after that (at least 15 times so far), I have enjoyed it. Just like the showdown from many years ago, I found that Tarte’s mascara was better at lengthening, whereas Too Faced’s mascara was better with building volume while still giving nice length. It can start to clump if I build this up a lot, so I have to be careful about finding the balance between satisfaction and knowing when to stop.

I like the one from Too Faced, but I think I still prefer my tubing mascara from KVD. It gives better length than Tarte and if I’m patient enough I can build up the volume to similar results as Too Faced, though it can also start to form clumps if I take things too far.

The Tarte mascara is a miss. The Too Faced mascara is a hit.

Dior Backstage Rosy Glow Blush in 077 Candy

I reviewed the cream blush stick version of Candy already, and updated the original post, but this still feels like a good place to talk about the powder blush since it’s a miss for me.

This new powder formula is definitely an improvement on the original formulation and first reformulation, in terms of being more pigmented and less hard-pressed. I also think this square packaging is cuter and easier to use with larger cheek brushes. The reason it’s a miss for me is purely due to the color. I loved the addition of shimmer in the Bronzed Glow shade from version 2 of these blushes, but the base color of Candy being so light means that it unfortunately does the same thing as Nars Orgasm on me. I can see the pink shade at one angle, but when it hits the light, the gold reflect is nearly all I can see. So, it appears as if I tried to use a highlighter as blush! This kind of shimmer is not that refined either, which makes it unsuitable for my preference as even a blushlighter or blush topper.

The saving grace for me is that I can add the Candy blush stick on top to help the shimmer become one with the skin, plus boost the appearance of the pink color.

I’m happy using the Candy shade of Glow Stick on its own, but going forward, I will never wear the powder version of Candy by itself. Based on my continued enjoyment of the previous powder blush reformulation, and acknowledgement that the new one has improvements, I still recommend the powder blush. I just can’t recommend Candy or Toffee to anyone close to my skin tone because of that highlighter effect. Bronzed Glow still gives me hope that Dior can nail a shimmery blush in this new formula in the future if the base color is darker.

That’s everything I have for this week. Thank you for visiting and reading!

-Lili ❤

Luxury Blush Reviews: Chanel, D&G, Westman Atelier, and Gucci

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One of the benefits of living in Europe is the access one has to so many beauty retailers of various sizes, which means many more chances to find deals on luxury makeup. I’m still in the midst of a multi-year blush obsession, so today’s post is a review of some of the latest ones I’ve added to my collection.

Chanel Les Beiges Healthy Golden Glow Powder in Soleil Couchant

This comes with a brush, and it works, but I prefer to use my fude favorites with it.

The included pouch has a fun limited edition double C design, though the compact itself has the standard look for the Les Beiges line.

I like orange colored blushes from Chanel in the beginning, but I eventually stop using them after the review is completed. The Chanel Fleur de Printemps highlighter side was a bit light for my taste while the blush side was very subtle. Chanel Beige et Corail had the awesome fall design imprinted, but I got frustrated with how much I had to build up the color on my cheeks.
Finally, Les Tarots de Chanel in Blood Orange had enough pigment, but the matte finish kept me from using it, so I gave that one to a friend.

Soleil Couchant is definitely shimmery and is in the baked-gelee formula that I prefer, so I was willing to give an orange blush from Chanel one more try. The 22% off discount from Parfum Dreams helped sweeten the deal.

The blush side looks like an actual Blood Orange shade in the compact, but it’s a true orange color on my cheeks. I am admittedly disappointed that the red tones don’t show as strongly in this blush, but it’s still pretty. What makes up for it is the gorgeous gleaming finish that is shimmery enough for me to sometimes skip wearing highlighter. It’s not a metallic kind of shine either. The powder has ultra refined shimmer and looks smooth on the cheeks.

The highlighter is a beautiful color that suits me very well with its depth and tone. What is surprising and fascinating to me is that although I can see the individual sparkles, I really like how it looks when paired with the blush! I typically hate glittery highlighters because they look like I got fallout from my eyeshadow instead of being intentionally placed. I prefer highlighters that give a glassy glow and look like my skin is naturally luminous with undetectable shimmer. This highlighter from Soliel Couchant somehow doesn’t emphasize texture and adds a soft twinkle. I don’t know why this is different from other glittery highlighters to me, but it is!

Though I’m faced once more with a blush that’s on the sheer side, I have an easier time picking up product and building up the color now that I have been using the Bisyodo Cheri Series CH-FD Foundation Brush. Soliel Couchant is also less hard pressed than Beige et Corail, so that will reduce some of the potential frustration over time. The photo below shows some of the flaky bits of the highlighter as it comes off the surface onto my holy grail highlighter brush that’s also from Bisyodo’s Cheri Series, the CH-HC Highlight/Cheek Brush.

DISCLOSURE: By linking these brushes, I am obligated to state that any unhighlighted links in bold blue font (Example) are normal non-affiliate links. Links marked in bold black font with a light blue background (Example) are affiliate links. Affiliate links allow me to get a commission if purchases are made on that website after using my link.

I think this will finally be an orange blush from Chanel that I will continue to reach for, but only time will tell. I like this duo a lot, but I love the Brun Roussi Blush Lumiere and Joues Contraste Intense Cream-To-Powder Blush from Chanel even more.

Extra bits of information to note is that I can use my normal highlighter brushes to pick up product, so the firmness level isn’t an issue for that side of the duo. This doesn’t have a fragrance and I’ve had no problems with longevity.

Westman Atelier The Powder Duo in Suede/Sable

I like the Westman Atelier Butter Powder Bronzer, so I assumed the powders in this duo would feel the same because they have identical ingredients, just in different quantities. The blushes are soft, very finely milled, and have a slightly velvety feel, but I wish they were a touch creamier.

The high quality of the blushes is undeniable. They have a soft matte finish, but I would have loved this product if there was more of a sheen. Suede is exactly the kind of shade I’m interested in right now. It’s a warm pinky rose color with some brown, making it a great nude blush for many people, though perhaps not someone more than a few shades darker than me.

They blend well into the skin and don’t fade. I’d say these are medium pressed. I get hardly any kickup, yet the powders coat my brushes easily. I am not forced to use a dense brush in order to build up color, which is great! Despite these being pigmented and buildable, there’s still a limit to how intense they can become.

Sable doesn’t work for me as a blush, but I figured that might be the case when I bought it. It’s a little lighter than my skintone, so it makes Suede look ashier if I try to combine the two on my face. I can theoretically use it to tone down vibrant blushes in my collection, but I haven’t tested that yet. I’m more likely to just use my Dior Powder No Powder for that purpose.

I took the risk getting this shade of duo because I wanted Suede so much. Ganache was the only other color I was interested in, but that’s paired with Poppet, which I wouldn’t want anyway.

Because I got this at a discount from Niche-Beauty, paying a high price for essentially one blush helped lessen the blow to my wallet, though not a lot. I have a feeling it’s going to be forgotten among my collection because as pretty as it looks, I can list at least 20 other blush shades in my collection that excite me more.

I feel this product could have been more beneficial if it was in a trio, like the Artist Couture palettes.

I also wish the pans were customizable so I could have ensured I received two usable products.

I can recommend the powder duos because of the quality. However, it’s only worth it if both shades are a perfect match. There are so many amazing quality blushes on the market at various price points that I don’t consider this one from Westman Atelier a must-have product.

Dolce&Gabbana CHEEKS&EYES MATCH Blush in Joyful Peach

There was a point last year when I wanted to play with makeup that had weighty and luxurious packaging. I was missing my Westman Atelier Butter Powder Bronzer, Olivia Palermo Beauty eyeshadow palette, etc. So, when I saw the D&G line was on sale, I went for something that had the highest chance of being a success for me in a category I clearly love.

The packaging is as lovely and as heavy as people have said. I like the round-edges with the white top that resembles enamel, and the gold metallic details. Everything on the outside feels plastic, so I’m not sure what material was used to add the artificial weight on the bottom. The weight in the lid, I believe, comes from the mirror.

I wouldn’t call this a highly pigmented blush, but it’s not sheer either. My brushes being able to pick up a lot of product adds to the illusion that it’s more pigmented than it is. Thankfully it is buildable, so a shade this light on me can still show up. It’s also surprising how little kickback I get considering how much product coats my brushes.

Per usual with most blushes on my dry skin, I experienced no fading. It’s unscented, so one doesn’t have to deal with the parfum that designer brands love to add to their makeup lines. Joyful Peach leaves a slightly blurred soft matte finish on the skin. The dewier one’s face is, the more it melts in.

The beautiful formula, the blendability, and ease of building up color are reasons why I was tempted to buy more of these blushes, but as someone with as huge of a collection as mine, I decided to refrain. For example, Playful Rose is one of my favorite types of blush shades, as I love a brown nude with a hint of rosiness. However, I already have Vieve’s Sunset Blush in Piazza and Benefit’s Wanderful World Blush in Java, which are also mattes that I enjoy.
I tend to prefer glowy blushes over matte ones, so this is another reason I resisted.

The Westman Atelier powder blushes and this one have a similar look on the cheeks, though D&G’s becomes one with the skin more, especially as the day goes on. So, I think I prefer the blush from D&G the tiniest bit more. It certainly has the more upscale looking packaging. However, I still don’t think this is a must-have product. If someone is in the mood to splurge though, this is a nice option.

Before we move on to the last blush, I wanted to add that I’ve worn this as eyeshadow several times, since it’s intended to be used on both the cheeks and eyes for monochromatic looks.

The issue for me is the same across the board with using bronzers, blushes, and highlighters that excel in looking smooth and refined around the face, that they create too soft of a look on my eyes. With Joyful Peach, I can only build up to medium opacity. I have to make sure my eyeshadow base/primer completely obscures my skin discoloration before adding this shade on top, or else the darker spots show through underneath. Pigmentation issues aside, this doesn’t seem to have an issue with fading, adherence, or layering with other eyeshadows. So, this can work for eyeshadow purposes depending on someone’s style/preference.

The eye look on top shows Joyful Peach used in the crease and lid. The eye look below it is the same, but with a shimmer eyeshadow added to the lid.

Gucci Luminous Matte Blush De Beauté in 11 Intense Ruby

I reviewed this blush formula before HERE, but this particular limited edition shade and packaging was part of a holiday collection that I also reviewed HERE. It bothered me that the blushes were so much more expensive in Europe (or at least Germany) than it was in the US. So, I purchased it during last year’s Sephora sale and finally have my hands on it after my visit back to Florida in April.

I see no difference in terms of formula. The performance is the same as the permanent blushes and only the packaging design is different. Speaking of which, Gucci has another limited edition packaging design throughout Asia. I discovered it from amit.beauty.talk and a few other sneak peek accounts on Instagram. It is finally supposed to be available in two re-promoted shades for the rest of the world sometime in July.

The formula is silky to the touch, goes on the skin smoothly, and has a soft satin sheen. It has a lot of pigment, so using the right brushes is key to how much or little effort it will take someone to blend. The color Intense Ruby is quite similar to Intense Plum, but I find Intense Ruby to be slightly less pigmented and therefore easier to work with. The slight difference in undertone is another reason I actually like Intense Ruby, whereas I’m pretty sure I already decluttered Intense Plum (I couldn’t find it among my things).

I would also like to say that I have come around a lot on Warm Berry and despite preferring the Armani Luminous Silk Glow Powder blushes in my past review, the Gucci blushes are the ones I’ve been using more out of the two. However, given enough time, that could reverse again! They are pretty on par with each other.

And that’s everything for today! Thank you for reading.

-Lili ❤

Dior Backstage Rosy Glow Stick Blush Review

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I was very eager to get this post out, so I’ve only used the Dior Backstage Rosy Glow Stick in 077 Candy six times so far. This hasn’t gone through my usual amount of testing rounds, but I feel that I have a good handle on how this blush performs.

I must admit the chances are high that I will eventually buy something else from the collection of new powder blushes, cream blush sticks, and lip butters. Whether that happens or not, I still intend to update this post if there is anything noteworthy I’ve forgotten to mention or that I’ve discovered after using this product for a longer period of time.*

*JUNE 14, 2025 UPDATE: I bought the powder blush version of this shade as well. The review is at the end of this post.

The swatches are slightly washed out, but this was photographed in natural light from the window.

The Reformulation History

Before we get into this, I just wanted to point out that the original Backstage Rosy Glow Blushes were Pink and Coral. In 2023, the brand dropped “Backstage” from the name and relaunched Pink and Coral, along with the new shades Rosewood, Cherry, Berry and Mahogany. In 2024, they expanded the Rosy Glow range by adding Bronzed Glow, Pink Lilac, and Poppy Coral. Bronzed Glow was the first blush to have visible shimmer particles and it was much easier to pick up product onto a brush.
The “Backstage” name was added back to the Rosy Glow Blush line in 2025, after a second reformulation and new packaging. I don’t know if this means Dior was going to drop the Backstage line, then decided against it. From what I hear, this line is much more popular with the younger generation on TikTok, so that could account for the reconsideration.

The new line of cream blush sticks and second round of reformulated powder blushes comprise of the shades Pink, Pink Lilac, Rosewood, Cherry, Berry, Toffee, and Candy. So, there is currently no Coral, Poppy Coral, Mahogany, or Bronzed Glow.

As I mentioned, Bronze Glow already had visible shimmer and was easier to work with than the others, so I would not have repurchased it just to get the cute square packaging even if it was an option. However, it’s tempting to pick up the new Rosewood. I can’t justify getting it though because my old one is only hard-pressed and still doesn’t have hard-pan on it. I have plenty of brushes that can pick up product decently enough.

If I were to buy one of the powder blushes, it would be Candy, Cherry, or Berry. The older version of Berry looked way deeper than is my preference, but the new Berry’s tone looks prettier to me.

The Performance

Candy has turned out to be a very interesting shade for me to wear! The base color is bubblegum pink, but the golden shimmer makes the blush shade appear warmer. In addition, the ph-adjusting pigment turns the blush a little darker on my cheeks, which prevents it from looking ashy on my skintone while also helping it to actually show up. Without it, I don’t think I would have been able to pull off a color as light as this and in a formula that blends out to be as sheer.
Of the available colors, this is the closest thing to a coral shade that they have.

This isn’t a stiff blush stick. The product glides easily so that I can draw a line of product directly onto my skin without disturbing my makeup underneath. It’s also easy to blend in, leaving no harsh edges and it doesn’t require warming the product up on the back of the hand or via the fingertips to make it easier to spread. So far, my favorite way to apply this has been using angled synthetic brushes and the Singe Beauty F03.

I watched a lot of videos to try and figure out which shades I wanted, and in the process I heard every reviewer talk about this cream being a bit sticky or dewy. This was not the case for me within the first four days. So, I assumed either mine is drier than everyone else’s or my dry skin type plays a part in how this blush sets down on my face. After putting on the blush and touching my cheeks, the most I saw and felt on my fingers was the same amount of moisture as I would get from a full face of skincare and nothing else.

It wasn’t until a different testing session when I applied and blended out this blush with my fingers that I was left with dewy cheeks. My theory now is that because I usually draw or place dots onto my cheeks and then use my brush to blend it out, the wetter elements of the blush get picked up and hold onto the fibers of my brush, so that it’s mostly just the color that is left behind. The little dew that remains gets pushed deeper into my dry skin, so I’m left with hydrated and moisturized feeling cheeks that still don’t require powder to set it! This might not be the same scenario someone with oily skin will experience. Dior does specifically state this contains cherry oil and is intended to be dewy.

I wonder if the minimal amount I use also plays a part. Because this is not a bold color, I can see the temptation to build up a lot of swipes on the cheeks right away. However, I’ve learned from using Rosewood to just give those Red Lakes time to do their thing and darken. So, I tend to not add that much product and I’m still given enough color for the blush to be seen in person (though not as prominently in photos).

My favorite way to use this, other than by itself, is to apply it on top of a matte blush for added opacity and that pretty golden glow. I think it looks better when the cream stick is on top of powder, instead of underneath it.

The worst wear time I’ve had so far was when I used my most moisturizing milky toner as part of my skincare routine, wore my dewiest and most transfer-prone skin tint that provided light-medium coverage, and I did not set my face with powder. The blush faded to the point of having noticeably less color within two hours and I could see my skin underneath. However, there was enough blush to look like I had used a cheek stain. By the end of the night, it was still present and there was still a little glow.

The best wear time I’ve had, without relying on powder, also involved a hydrating milky toner and my glowiest foundation with high coverage. In this scenario, I don’t see fading until five hours in, but I have plenty of color remaining. My longest wear test under these conditions was 12 hours and the blush was still there.

I know firsthand that setting the blush with translucent face powder extends the wear, and it definitely won’t be a problem if paired with another powder blush. It’s also possible that the darker blush stick shades with more of the ph-adjusting pigment could be longer lasting.

An additional note is that this product contains fragrance. It smells like a combination of vanilla, candy, and mint. It’s like a milder version of the Dior Addict lippies. I don’t really enjoy there being menthol and peppermint oil, as it makes me instinctively want to keep it away from my eyes. It doesn’t burn, but I associate the smell with Vicks Vaporub.

The Packaging

I’d just like to throw out there that the packaging is genius! I love that I can stick the handle down into the blush cap for it to be held securely while I twist it and then apply the product! I can even set it down on the table without fear of it tipping over.

For those who have purchased multiple glow sticks, it’s nice that every blush has a corresponding cap color to make it easier to determine what shade it is without having to read the label on the bottom. The silver handle with the Oblique print is a very classy design touch as well.

Comparisons

This photograph was taken under artificial light, but it better represents how the colors will look on my face.

Although they look very different in the swatches, YSL’s Restless Rose looks quite similar to Dior’s Candy when applied to my cheeks. The difference is that Restless Rose’s glow comes from the reflect of the shimmer, and Candy has a wetter looking sheen.

I can’t think of a better analogy other than to say Dior’s Rosewood (in the older formula) and Candy look close enough to be sisters. Rosewood doesn’t have visible shimmer particles, but it has a soft sheen and they are both pinks. The shade differences are easier to see when they’re built up, but if I’m aiming to get a sheer amount of color from both of them, it would be difficult for someone to be able to tell they weren’t the same (other than the shine levels). This is why I’m trying my best to resist buying more.

Ordering Process

Before we close out this post, I just wanted to talk about the very different experiences I’ve had between ordering from the US and Germany.
I’ve seen plenty of influencers saying, “Always buy directly from Dior for the luxury experience and perks.” However, only select regions have the Dior Beauty Loyalty Program.
Within Europe, it’s just France, the United Kingdom, and Spain even though my orders to Germany are shipped from France anyway. I can choose the Couture gift packaging, get two free samples, and on the rare occasion one can choose an additional deluxe size mini sample if the purchase is over 100 Euros, but that’s it.*

*Technically, this time the box was a little different, as it had the Dior Dioriviera/Toile de Jouy print on the inside (I think leftovers from Mother’s Day). Usually the carboard box is plain, but I turned this one inside out so I could repurpose it!

When I ordered from the US, I was part of the reward program. Besides the various gifts at different tiers, there are always different free gift with purchase codes floating around that include bigger things than just perfume samples. I’ve seen others get charms/ornaments, pouches/makeup bags, etc.


According to Dior Deutschland, the blush sticks and lip butters are exclusive to their website. This is why I bought mine at full price. Since there’s not much incentive for me to buy anything else directly from Dior, my plan is to wait for the powders to come to retailers in Germany so that I can accrue points from those reward programs and most likely get 20% off as well. As of this very morning, all three product types are available at Douglas. So, the “exclusive” element was only for a short time.

Dior Backstage Rosy Glow Blush in 077 Candy

It didn’t take long for me to do exactly as I said. I bought this at 20% off from Douglas and I’m updating this post with my review of the powder blush!

The aspects that Dior improved with this new powder blush formula over both previous versions is that this is more pigmented and less hard-pressed, though it’s still dry to the touch. I also think the square packaging is cuter and I can use larger cheek brushes with it. The downside for me is with this particular shade. It unfortunately does the same thing as Nars Orgasm where I can see the pink color at one angle, but the gold reflect is nearly all I can see once light hits it. Then it appears as if I tried to use a highlighter as blush! This kind of shimmer is not that refined either, which makes it unsuitable for my preference as even a blushlighter or blush topper.

The saving grace for me is that I can apply the Candy blush stick on top to help the shimmer become one with the skin, plus increase the amount of pink color that can be seen.

I’m happy using the Candy shade of Glow Stick on its own, but going forward, I will never wear the powder version of Candy by itself. Based on my continued enjoyment of the previous powder blush reformulation, and acknowledgement that the new one has improvements, I still recommend the powder blush. I just can’t recommend Candy or Toffee to anyone close to my skin tone because of that highlighter effect. Bronzed Glow still gives me hope that Dior can nail a shimmery blush in this new formula in the future if the base color is darker.

And that’s everything for today! Thank you for reading.

-Lili ❤

SPF in Makeup ft. Beekman 1802 and Toty

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Mineral sunscreens can leave a strange-colored cast on the face and body that is especially visible on people with dark skin. The higher the SPF protection, the more obvious it looks.
This is why I rely on chemical sunscreens for sun protection. However, companies have developed new innovations to combat this issue. They are all aware of the dreaded “casket-ready” grey look that can happen when someone with brown skin puts on a foundation product that has a high level of mineral SPF. The ones I tried in the past were terrible, but I decided to give some new ones a chance.

Beekman 1802 Milk Tint SPF 43 Tinted Primer Serum in Deep

The promo photos clued me in that I would not find my perfect shade in this range. However, I’ve long been intrigued by Beekman 1802 and knew that if I had the opportunity to stack Ulta rewards with a 20% off coupon, then I would take it.
That happened, and that’s why I was able to finally try it! For once, this was something I wanted that had zero hype. If anything, the most I heard people saying about it was that they were putting it in their anti-hauls, including me! That’s right! Two years ago I actually said I wouldn’t buy it.

This tint has a runny consistency and it ranges between sheer to medium coverage depending on how many drops are used. It’s very wet on the skin for a while, but given enough time it actually can set on my face without powder. This may be because I have dry skin. I initially tested this out on bare skin. Once I started putting skincare underneath, it took much longer to set. When I use this as a primer, even if I pair it with a foundation that is self-setting, it will no longer set on its own completely and it won’t be transfer-proof. Adding powder then helps to lock it onto my face. My skin feels nicely hydrated with this on, including after being powdered so long as that powder I use isn’t too mattifying or too drying.

My biggest problem area though is my nose. For some reason, I have a hard time getting it to stick there, but longevity isn’t an issue anywhere else. Also, my concealer notoriously doesn’t play well with a lot of other makeup. If I apply the KVD Good Apple Concealer first and then this Beekman product second, it won’t blend into the concealer and I get a harsh line that’s also patchy. So, I have to reapply additional concealer where the two edges meet.

I think this tint looks fantastic and smooth alone, and it can make my foundations that I add on top look better because it’s adding extra hydration. However, because it can also increase the amount of makeup transfer and become too emollient if there are too many products underneath and on top, I prefer not to risk using it as a primer except on my driest of days. That emollient issue can shorten the wear time, which a primer at its core is supposed to extend above all other functions.

The amount of product needed for full 43 SPF protection isn’t realistic to put on one’s face. It would look too foundation-heavy and feel uncomfortable as well. I learned from my mistake when I applied the usual amount needed to get medium coverage and then tried to add foundation on top, then had to redo my look because of how overdone my face looked and felt. Essentially, I find it best to apply a slightly less than normal amount of facial sunscreen so that the amount needed for adequate tint coverage can finish providing the remaining necessary sun protection.

The undertone of the Deep shade is red, but I’ve been a little red this summer, so it doesn’t look that off. However, the photo below shows how the color can look very different (orange) when I forget to shake it. Though the combination turned into my usual color match that time, I don’t want to risk throwing off the proportions of ingredients.
This product comes in an extremely heavy ceramic-looking glass bottle and there is an agitator ball inside. When I decided to take this back overseas with me, I transferred it into a clean airless pump bottle and forgot that I would still need to shake it to ensure the pigments were evenly dispersed with every use.

While we’re discussing the bottle, I think I should mention that even the brand site lists a warning that the bottle can leak, especially during travel. So, luggage weigh limit aside, this was another reason I thought it best to change bottles. It’s quite a shame though because it felt so nice and high-end.

As a skincare and makeup hybrid, I think Beekman 1802 succeeded in making a good product. I will enjoy this while I have it, but I most likely won’t repurchase it. My reasons for that are that I prefer higher coverage makeup, I don’t see myself switching to a new concealer anytime soon, and it’s not going to be a good undertone match when my skin starts to return to its normal shade after summer.

Toty Ilumina CC Cream SPF 50+ Perfecting Fluid in 5W1

The swatch is the CC cream, whereas the liquid is from the sample of the Solaria Mineral SPF 50+ Sunscreen Serum that looks awful on me, so I chose not to wear it more than once, and I could also not review it.

This is essentially a foundation that the brand describes as giving a “medium, buildable flawless coverage with natural luminous finish.” When I use a dense brush, I can get high to full coverage. Achieving low coverage is doable, but more difficult because the formula isn’t the easiest to spread thinly. It’s a thick liquid that kept breaking the tips off my sokoho goat brush, so I recommend using synthetic bristles only. I thought using my fingers could help, but the spread is actually harder to control that way and missing spots are easier to see because of the coverage level. I like what this provides, so this isn’t a problem for me, but someone wanting sheer to light coverage out of this “CC cream” might want to reconsidering buying this.

I can squirt this onto my face and it will not start running down my cheeks. It stays put.

Shade 5W1 doesn’t look too unnatural for me, though it’s better if I apply as thin of a layer as possible. It appears matte on my face, though it can look more natural if I use hydrating spray on top and/or illuminating primer underneath. This admittedly looked less matte the one time I tried it in Florida when I first bought it, so the change of climate is a factor in this difference.

I give this brand a lot of credit for having some deeper options with SPF 50+ mineral sunscreen without it going grey. It’s honestly not pushing the envelope though in terms of shade range considering there’s currently only one option darker than mine (5W2). I can admit there were zero mineral skin tints that worked for me a decade ago, and now there are some, but does that technology really stop at one shade darker than mine? Merit recently launched their mineral tinted sunscreens in SPF 45, and their range goes a lot deeper than Toty’s. However, I’ve heard Merit’s gives practically no coverage, so I guess the two lines can’t really be compared.

I noticed MAC Fix+ can break this down a bit, as I had to pat the product back in with my brush, but all was fine after that. The finish looks very smooth and nice, not just because of covering imperfections. I think part of the reason why there is difficulty spreading it is because as it dries it turns into a velvety/powdery finish and texture. This is a very low transferring foundation that sets on me without requiring powder.

Some products Toty sells are fragrance free, but this foundation is not one of them. It was a nice floral-soapy kind of scent when I first had it, but by now it’s starting the change a little a year and a half later. It doesn’t smell off, but it is noticeably a little different. This has a 12 month POA date, but I want to keep using it on and off for a while longer to feel like it wasn’t a waste of money.
I didn’t realize before I left that I wouldn’t be able to order it again in Germany, knowing this product was made in Spain and they’re partnered with Cantabria Labs. Shipping within the EU is usually easy. However, the Toty brand itself is US based and they don’t do international shipping at this time. So, I wouldn’t be able to repurchase it even if I wanted to. I’m happy something like this exists, but I will just stick to using my daily sunscreen and adding foundation on top afterwards.

May is Skin Cancer Awareness Month, so this is my PSA to remind everyone to wear at least some form of sun protection! That’s all I’ve got for today! I hope this has been helpful.

-Lili ❤

Window Shopping the Hourglass Ambient Lighting Edit Customizable Quads

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Hourglass Ambient Powder Collection (some already rearranged). The palette missing in the photo is Lotus.

I’ve been wishing desperately for Hourglass to make their Ambient Edit palettes fully customizable. And now they finally are…if you live in the United States!

In this post, I’d like to share what my curated palette options would look like based on what is currently available, in addition to sharing some swatches and face demos. At the end of this post, I will also explain why anti-hauling this launch might be the best thing for me!

For those who don’t know, I’ve done in-depth Hourglass posts every holiday for several years. The list with links to them all can be found HERE.
I have also depotted and rearranged some of my Hourglass palettes, so I have experience creating my own custom palettes already!

What I Wanted to Buy

This first photo shows what I would have purchased if given the chance. Oasis Glow is technically a blush for someone with a lighter skin tone than mine, but I am extremely curious how this would look as a highlighter and I want to use it for that purpose. Lucid Glow is a color I wish to get even more than Oasis Glow because there is a higher potential for me to be able to use it as a blush, something to mix with darker blushes, a blush topper, or a highlighter.
At Night is my favorite blush from Hourglass, but I only have it as a full-size single. So, getting it in a size to fit into my Ambient Edit palettes is very important to me and something I’ve been waiting years for specifically. When I get a smaller size of that blush, it will become possible to create my true “perfect” Hourglass palette, even if I need to depot it myself.
And then finally, Iridescent Coral is another blush that I’m not completely sure if I can use or not, but I’d like to find out.

This custom option would give me 3 products I don’t already own and 1 product that I wanted a duplicate of anyway. It would cost a lot more money if I had to buy other palettes in order to acquire them. If I like all 4 colors, I could keep them in this quad. If I don’t, I can depot them and put them in other palettes using magnetic sheets and metal stickers, but the packaging would be warped on the bottom if this is made of plastic. Based on videos I’ve seen, I do believe it’s plastic which tends to be much harder to depot than when Hourglass has these powders in their metal packaging.


Best of Each Category

This second palette is the best possible combination I can create for myself out of what’s available on the Hourglass website, and it’s still not perfect. Dim Light only works for me as a brightening powder under my eyes. The lightest finishing powder I can use from Hourglass is Radiant Light, which was not a custom option. Soft Light is too light for me and Transcendent Light only works for me as a bronzer because it’s too deep. At Night was of course chosen because I want it in the Ambient Edit palette size. Infinite Strobe Light looks better or worse on me depending on the time of year. I assume Beaming Strobe Light and Opal Strobe Light would be too light for me, and I already own Celestial Strobe Light, which is a little too pearly for my liking.
Solar Bronze is the darkest available bronzer option, if we don’t count Transcendent Light, but it’s the shade that fits me best from Hourglass anyway. The only deeper color Hourglass has created is Bronze Heat from the Lotus palette.

I would not purchase this second palette because I own all of these shades already, and it still would not be my perfect palette out of all the Ambient Edit powders that have existed.

My “Perfect” Custom Quad

What I’m showing above is the best selection of colors for me out of everything that Hourglass has ever made.
Eternal Light (without the larger random shimmer particles) is the best finishing powder option despite it being a little darker than my skintone, so I just use it sparingly.
For bronzer, I would stick to my favorite Solar Bronze.
I put At Night as the perfect blush, but I also really like Diffused Heat (with more of the colored marbling), Mood Flush, Mood Exposure (to tone down vibrant blushes), and Sunset Glow more than the rest.
Gilded Strobe Light is the second darkest highlighter I’ve seen from Hourglass, with Prismatic Strobe Light being the darkest.

I never reviewed the Sculpture Quad because Mood Flush was the only shade I could use, so I figured I could post a photo of how it looks here.

I noticed Diffused Heat and Prismatic Strobe Light were not part of the lineup. In general, quite a few of Hourglass’ darkest powders didn’t make the cut. I have a hunch it’s because they will make a reappearance in this year’s holiday palettes.

Since 2 of the 4 shades I would want to put in my ultimate Hourglass Edit Palette aren’t options, it doesn’t really make sense for me to order one at this point. The benefit, had they been available, would be that I wouldn’t have to depot what I currently own and rearrange them myself (sans the mini of At Night). As it stands, the first variation I came up with that had all blushes is all that would have been worth getting.

In my eyes, buying the Dusk and Sunset curated quads to get 3 of the 4 blushes I want isn’t a good option either. For starters, that would leave me with too many repeat shades and the whole point of wanting to customize palettes is to avoid owning more duplicates. The shades I’ve depotted that I didn’t want, I have put together and sold on the Mercari app a few times, but I don’t have my Z-Potter with me and I can’t use Mercari where I live either. I will not be in the US again until close to a year and a half from now, so buying a custom one so far in advance doesn’t make sense for me.

The more I think about it, the more I realize having a quad isn’t necessarily what I want. A palette with one finishing powder, one highlighter, one bronzer, and three blushes sounds like heaven! These custom and curated palettes have a beautiful, but basic design. Hourglass hooked me with their marbled palettes and Katie Scott’s animal designs. There is a possibility that if the brand continues their streak of launching limited edition holiday packaging at the end of the year, and if they make it customizable, I would want that way more! What if they release additional new shades? What if I want more than one packaging design? That happened the last two years when I had to decide between Lotus or Dragon and then Leopard or Owl (though I ended up buying both). In the same year as I’m doing a Project Pan, to end up potentially buying 1-2 quads and then 1-2 palettes (if customizing remains exclusive to the US) would feel wasteful. Especially when I barely used my Hourglass palettes this year because I set them aside to prioritize the makeup in my Project Pan.

I don’t believe Hourglass would introduce customizable quads for them to be just a limited time option. Especially not after the success of all 5 curated quads selling out. I’m also convinced that custom 6-pan palettes will be available in the future. So, there isn’t any rush for me to buy new powders now. It’s not as though I’m lacking in powder products. Waiting to see what comes during the holiday season is probably the smartest move for me.

My mother loves to say, “Every disappointment is a blessing.”
When Hourglass made the announcement, I had my mock palette ready so I would know exactly which shades to buy and which color arrangement would look most aesthetically pleasing. Being forced to wait could be that blessing in disguise.

Well, that was me trying to talk myself out of buying extra Hourglass powders! I hope this conversation was helpful to anyone else on a low-buy, living outside of the US, or even just to see my comparison swatches to help someone decide what shades they might or might not want.

Thanks for reading! I don’t think I’ll have to time to do additional bonus posts for a while, so we will return to our regular Monday-only posting schedule.

-Lili ❤

Charlotte Tilbury Soulmates Face Palette

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I could not get into the Sailor Moon anime, but I love the art and style of everything in that world! This product looks like it could be Sailor Moon merchandise, but without feeling like children’s play makeup. This compact has some weight to it, even more than the compact of the brand’s powder bronzer. Since I like Charlotte Tilbury setting powders and blushes, this was not a launch I could skip.

Charlotte’s Pillow Talk Beauty Soulmates Face Palette in Pillow Talk Flawless Peach

From what I can tell, the setting powder in this compact is no different from the permanent line. According to the website, the name for it is Light Peach, but everywhere on the packaging only refers to it by “powder” with no other name. I guess it could technically be called Flawless Peach Powder, and the blush could be called Flawless Peach Blush, but I’ll continue to refer to it as Light Peach.

I haven’t hopped on the pink setting powder trend because of how it usually turns out on someone of my skin tone and color depth, but I was intrigued by this peach option. I can sometimes get away with using the Medium powder on its own, and I’m happy to say that I think I can wear Light Peach on its own as well! It looks crazy when I first apply it, but after sweeping to blend it in, I think it looks pretty good and has a brightening effect!

Most of the time, I mix Medium and Tan together to get a more natural effect instead of brightening. I found that I’m able to do the same with Light Peach.

Per usual, this powder is mattifying without being too drying. It makes the undereyes look smoother. It helps to set my concealer in place and lock it in. I only use this powder under my eyes, so I haven’t tried it on my face, but since it brightens, I can guarantee I wouldn’t want to use this color all over. For my needs, this is great! I’ve made a small dent in my travel size of Medium, so I no longer have to consider buying a replacement when I use it up.

Just like the 2023 Mini Duo Charlotte Tilbury released that had a powder blush and highlighter, there were no names for them on the packaging, but the website referred to the blush as Rich Terracotta. This year’s blush is called Peach Blur on the website.

I really like this blush! It’s a great color and looks airbrushed on the skin. The texture for the blush actually reminds me of the setting powder, but in a richer color with a lot more pigment. That’s surprising considering they share 6 out of 15-18 of the same ingredients.

This year’s matte blush is still less pigmented than Rich Terracotta, which I consider a good thing because that one was easy to overdo. I have a lot more control with Peach Blur because of its buildable nature. One advantage to having a setting powder and blush in the same compact is the opportunity to use the setting powder to tone down the blush if I go overboard in applying it, but it’s easy to avoid, so I don’t need to do that. I guess this is more helpful for someone with a lighter skin tone than mine. The only time so far that I’ve applied the blush too heavily was when I added a second layer of Peach Blur on top of my foundation that hadn’t fully dried down yet. Even then, it was easy to buff and blend out the blush.

When it comes to longevity, I have noticed some minor fading, but there’s still enough on at the end of the day for me to be satisfied with it. This also comes off my cheeks if I take a nap, but that’s a bit more understandable!

I also have to note that I’m very much in my glowy blush era, so the fact that I’m this happy with a matte blush is impressive in itself. This is a pricey product (I got it for 20% off), but I’m very happy with it. Sometimes brands make limited edition products that are cashgrabs, and I’m glad to know Charlotte Tilbury isn’t one of them. Whether the Genshin Impact Collab falls into that category is debatable, but I don’t consider this to be a cheap product or a gimmick. The duo includes the brand’s number one best-selling product in a new shade, along with matte powder blushes that she has yet to release as a permanent item. Perhaps that time will come!

I hope this has been helpful. Thank you for reading!

-Lili ❤

Charlotte Tilbury x Genshin Impact In-Depth Collection Review

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For such an unexpected collaboration, I decided to make this bonus post! If you’re looking for a super detailed review, you’ve come to the right place!


I purchased, or one could say I fell for, the Starfell Treasure Limited Edition Kit which is the smaller of the two options on the Charlotte Tilbury website.

This kit includes:

  • The Magic Water Cream (15ml)
  • The Airbrush Flawless Setting Spray (34ml)
  • The Magic Serum Crystal Elixir (Deluxe Sample)
  • Charlotte Tilbury X Genshin Impact Eye Mask
  • Charlotte Tilbury X Genshin Impact Compact Mirror
  • Charlotte Tilbury X Genshin Impact Small Pouch
  • Genshin Impact In-Game Rewards: Primogems *160, Hero’s Wit *5, Sanctifying Unction *5, Mora *50000 (Code to redeem valid from 30th April 2025 – 30th July 2025)

I don’t play Genshin, so that code went straight to my husband. According to him, the value of the in-game rewards isn’t worth that much comparatively to the price paid for the physical items. So, I considered it more of a free gift with purchase instead of something to be factored into the retail price. The code is supposed to be sent, “within 8 days by email to ensure that your order arrives first,” though the FAQ section of the website clarifies that it could be 8-10 days. Mine landed in my indox on day 9.

I created my first Instagram Reel of the unboxing, which can be seen HERE.

DISCLOSURE: I am not an affiliate of Charlotte Tilbury nor miHoyo. I bought this with my own money and all thoughts are my own.

Please note that all photos can be clicked to see a larger version on one’s desktop!

Let’s start with the Keepsake Box! The section that folds over is blue, but my eye can detect that the tone is verging on purple, like a dark indigo. It has a soft touch coating, for a more luxurious feel, with gold lettering on top. The inner lid also has gold designs and the trademarked phrase, “Makeup Your Destiny.”

I had a hard time getting my camera to show the slight purple lean of that blue color. The next photo below shows the color better.

The inner portion of the box that houses the items is more of a maroon or bordeaux color and soft touch lamination. I’m no printing expert, so this is just to the best of my knowledge based on the differences of how they feel.

The closing flap is a thick paperboard type of material that tucks into the space between the blue and bordeaux portions on the bottom.

As far as cardboard keepsake boxes go, I think this is well made.

The first item I pulled out of the box was the “small” drawstring tasseled velvety pouch that ended up being larger than I expected. My rough estimates for the size is 23 cm high, 17-19 cm long as it gets a little wider towards the bottom, and 5 cm wide (9H x 7L x 2W inches).

The bordeaux colored inner lining is polyester with both Charlotte Tilbury and Genshin Impact logos. I don’t know the technical term for the kind of printing that’s on the outside in the gold design, but I can feel it on the fabric.

Despite its size, I still intend to use this as my dice bag for Pen-and-Paper RPG nights. I currently have three sets of dice. This thick high quality pouch is going to be so extra for that purpose…and I love it!

My old pouch vs the upgrade.

The next item is the velvety sleeping eye mask. I have a big head, so it fits a bit tight despite the strap being stretchy. This didn’t bother me while I was playing around with it in an upright position, but at night with how often I move my head around, the straps were tugging too much on the back of my head and on the sides, which pulled the mask tightly against my eyes. The pressure to my eyes was too much for me and I took it off after less than five minutes of wearing it. It’s a shame, but perhaps my sister-in-law who plays Genshin will want it. I could also potentially use this on flights since I would be in the upright position.

The underside of the mask has the same gold patterns and letters, which means I can feel that it’s scratchy when I run my fingertips over it. I was concerned that I would feel it against my eyelids and face while I wore it, but it wasn’t an issue. To be fair, I haven’t been able to wear it long enough to confirm if laying down with it while tossing and turning would pose an issue.

Unlike the pouch, this eye mask has a few flatback acrylic rhinestones embedded on it. They don’t feel like they would come off easily. I think they’re pretty secure.

The most exciting item for me in this box was the compact mirror. It’s shiny, rose gold colored, and has a cool celestial design. My husband said something about an “Astrolabos Constellation,” which I guess is what this represents.

The mirror with the “Makeup Your Destiny” phrase is the normal one. I’m not sure what level of magnification the other side is, but I’d guess it’s just double.

Parts of this feels like aluminum and parts feel plastic. I couldn’t find any specifics on the website, nor on the paper included in the box with extra information. It just has a warning to clean the compact with a soft cloth and to keep it away from moisture, especially creams. So, basically someone shouldn’t try on the Magic Water Cream and then pick up the compact without washing their hands first!

I will admit that I don’t know if I will actually put this in my purse. I used to collect compact mirrors and I always carry one around, but I also always select the lightest ones to avoid the extra weight in my purse. The heavier ones just stay in a drawer for me to admire, and this may end up being the case with this Genshin compact as well. It’s not that heavy, but heavier than what I’m currently using and at least twice as thick.

The small box has three products that are normal within the Charlotte Tilbury line. There are no special Genshin Impact themed details on the packaging or the products themselves.

The Magic Water Cream is something I have reviewed a sample of before, though I was living in a different climate.

The summarized details is that it’s a fragrance free gel-cream hybrid that fully sinks into the skin, feels lightweight and was able to keep my face hydrated all day. I loved this product, but couldn’t justify buying it at full price considering all the other moisturizers I had and loved. I ended up getting it anyway in the Volume 23 Trendmood Box last year, but that box was shipped to the US. So, I hadn’t been able to use it until a month ago.

The 50ml jar on the left in the photo above is the full-size that retails for $100 (I paid $49 for that Trendmood Box). There is also a 30ml jar for $65, which is the size anyone who buys the larger Starry Miracle Limited Edition Kit will get. The smaller jar in the photo is the one included in my box, which is 15ml for $30.

I have dry skin and this cream was perfect for me while I lived in Florida. The original Magic Cream was too thick. Now that I live in Germany, I’m not sure if the Magic Water Cream will be potent enough for me when winter rolls around. I will probably just have to pair it with a milky toner.

The tiny sample size of the Magic Serum Crystal Elixir is one I’ve used only once so far. I honestly can’t review something like this considering how long skincare usually takes to make any changes to someone’s skin. The website lists a lot of great ingredients, including some trademarked ones. I’m not a fan of the herbal smelling parfum in this, nor the extracts that have strong scents to them.

This soaks immediately into my skin. The consistency of the product reminds me of the Farmacy Honeymoon Glow AHA Resurfacing Night Serum (replaced by the Honey Glow 17% AHA + BHA Resurfacing Acid Serum), though Charlotte’s product doesn’t make my face feel as tingly/burning as Farmacy’s. These two products aren’t meant to do the same thing; I just wanted to give a texture comparison.

The second item that I was the most excited for in this box was the travel size setting spray. I wanted to try it ever since it came out, but I rarely use this kind of product, so I’m doing my best to resist buying them. It’s even more difficult now that so many brands are launching setting sprays this year. Receiving it in this box was a loophole around my lowbuy and made it okay…because Girl Math!

I have only used the setting spray over the course of two days, but I’ll share my early thoughts about it. I want to review the setting spray again after doing lengthier wear tests, but it will probably be months before that happens. If you’re interested in Charlotte Tilbury makeup, I have another review coming on Monday, so stay tuned for that!

The photo above shows the amount of foundation that transferred onto the paper towel pieces after I pressed it against different parts of my face. It was a warm-ish sunny day when I’d gone out, so I sweat a bit. On the half of my face that I used the Charlotte Tilbury setting spray on, it clearly had less transfer. Based on the website description, I couldn’t find any transfer claims other than promising this will “lock in” makeup. However, the brand says this is waterproof.
I did a test using the Rare Beauty Bouncy Blush on the back of my hand and sprayed it with the CT Spray, giving it ample time to dry. Then, I ran it under water for some time. The swatch was completely unaffected. I know the rule of thumb is to not rub one’s face if using waterproof products and just let the water slide off. I was still curious and rubbed the swatch hard while there was still water present. I was surprised to see how much of the swatch was still visible. As far as testing the waterproof claims on my actual face, the most I can say is that I spilled a little water on my chin while I was drinking and it didn’t leave any streaks. So, as far as I’m concerned, this appears to actually have waterproof capabilities, though I haven’t done intense additional tests.

This setting spray smells nostalgic to me, though I can’t remember what it reminds me of specifically. The closest I can come up with is a mojito. I think the citric acid in this reminds me of limes and this does contain alcohol. The brand describes the parfum as a “fresh floral scent,” and it is admittedly quite light and pleasant. As much as I prefer not to have fragrance in my makeup and skincare products, I’ve smelled setting sprays that were awful, so I’d rather have it smell nice over it having a potentially bad odor.
To clarify, the reason the smell is nostalgic for me is because I stopped drinking anything carbonated for at least twelve years. Bubbly drinks (even non-alcoholic ones) hurt my stomach.

The sprayer on this is quite powerful. A lot comes out at a time and pretty much douses the face. Considering this is a waterproofing product, I guess it makes sense to not come out in a gentle mist and potentially miss covering some spots.

The brand says this is a hydrating spray, which I agree with. My skin looked glowier immediately after spraying my face, and after it dries down it remains looking that way. The shine from the glycerin looks great and it definitely helped to make my makeup look smoother and less powdery. It reminds me of MAC Fix+, but with stronger setting properties. Products with film formers usually work well on my face, and it seems to be the case with this spray too. I heard complaints from people that this makes the face sticky, but that didn’t happen to me when I used it. Even after spraying it on the back of my hand to check, it still wasn’t sticky. On my second day of trying it, I sprayed prior to applying makeup as a primer and then finished off my completed makeup look by spraying it again. There was a little bit of stiffness, as if I was wearing the world’s stretchiest peel-off-mask, but that sensation eventually went away. And, it still wasn’t sticky to the touch.

And then regarding using this to dampen and intensify non-matte eyeshadows, I’ve tried this once. It works, but so does everything else I’ve used for this purpose. I would have to test it longer and with some of my most fallout prone and flakiest eyeshadows to find out if it offers better adherence.

Some things that I can try to test for in an update in the future is how this performs with more than just two different foundations. Depending on how long this takes, I can also see if there is a difference between how it performs in summer versus winter.

Mona is the Genshin Impact character that this collection is supposed to be inspired by. I think it’s less about her personality and more about her design. Charlotte Tilbury has included stars and other celestial objects on packaging since the start of her brand. Lift up the flap of any unicarton and there will be a star there. Her limited edition products often had stars imprinted on the powder surface. I don’t know if they are supposed to be orbit lines, sun rays, or something else, but there is plenty of packaging from Charlotte Tilbury that has lines on them. She does Lunar New Year Collections. Products have names like “Cosmic Rocks” and “Magic,” so it’s no surprise that she’d want to choose a character that represents astronomy, astrology, and magic. As I mentioned before, I don’t play the game, but my husband encouraged me to watch a ton of videos with him of every Genshin Character in a series of fan-made videos. So, I’ve seen all of their designs. From what I recall, Mona is the best fitting for star representation. If there is a character who is a better fit, I’d love to hear more about it in the comment section or any other thoughts about this collection.

Some of the many stars designs from the Charlotte Tilbury brand.

Regarding the logistics, I started with a US account. I couldn’t log in for some reason, so I registered a new one with the same email for a German account and it worked. I can still see my previous orders if I change my region to the US. For Germany, they have Deutsch or Englisch language options. Sometimes if I click on English, it doesn’t show me my German orders, so I have to switch to German language and then back to English again for it to load. Just wanted to point out those website hiccups. My package was delivered through the UPS shipping service and shipped out of Poland.

I wanted to have the full experience ordering from the website, so I paid a little extra to get the Large Gift Box. It’s a nice box, although it doesn’t have the soft touch coating. There was an option to choose a ribbon or a sleeve to go around it. I picked the Scorpio Sleeve (another tie to Charlotte’s love of constellations and the cosmos). I also received my two free gift with purchase samples. Shipping was free (normally under 4 Euros if the minimum purchase subtotal hasn’t been reached) and I was able to use the welcome code (Darling15) to save 15% off my order!

When it comes to deciding whether this collection is worth getting, I can say that the price of the travel setting spray and moisturizer comes to $53. Even if I hadn’t used the brand’s code, there are influencer/affiliate codes floating around the internet that will drop the price to $51. So, I got a lot of extra products that would raise the total if I had to pay for them outside of this collab.
I didn’t need the moisturizer and I could have bought the setting spray from a retailer for 20% off, but as long as I feel the Genshin items are worth a minimum of $10 each, I can easily feel like this was money fairly spent! It would have been nice to also have the type of collab where Charlotte Tilbury created limited edition makeup with color stories and special packaging for the Mona theme, but I’m happy with my purchase. You won’t catch me buying the larger kit though! That’s for someone who is an insanely dedicated fan of CT, Genshin, or both.

That’s about everything I can think of to include! Thanks for visiting my blog!

-Lili ❤

Early Launch of the Givenchy Prisme Libre Bronzer Powder and Reformulated Pressed Powder Review

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The bronzer should be available in the US by June. The pressed powder is already available worldwide.

The luxury beauty community was up in arms about Givenchy reformulating their loose setting powder because it left a sheen on the skin (which emphasized texture and wasn’t as blurring). From what I’ve heard, it sounds like the loose powders intended for fair to medium skin tones contained a lot more Synthetic Fluorphlogopite, but mine called Popeline Mimosa seemed to only have shiny particles in the darkest square, which is practically the only section of the container I use. I put tape over the lighter squares, and only have a few holes open for the orange color. It bothered me that I could essentially use only 1/4 of the product, and I prefer using pressed powders over loose ones. When I heard about the brand’s new pressed version that is supposed to be more similar to the original formulation, I was interested.

I’m not sure if the original pressed powders were ever available in the US, but the deepest shade in that line was called 06 – Flanelle Épicée and is still available via the retailer Flaconi. In the current version, the deepest is called 06 Organza Ambré and I was willing to give this powder a try considering the original bright pink corner was replaced with what I thought was a peach color. It turned out to be closer to salmon.

The brand also resolved the issue of the brush-holding flap lifting upwards and covering the mirror, because it now flips to the side.

I’ll discuss the powder more a bit later, but I’d like to first talk about the Bronzer because it’s the product I actually bought first. I enjoyed the silkiness of it and ability to customize it so much that I had hope that the pressed powder could be even more useful to me than the loose one.

DISCLOSURE: All products in this post were purchased by me with my own money. Unhighlighted links in bold blue font (Example) are normal non-affiliate links. Links marked in bold black font with a light blue background (Example) are affiliate links. Affiliate links allow me to get a commission if purchases are made on the website after being redirected there. The price of the product is not affected by these links, and anyone who uses them would be supporting this blog. Sorry for this interruption, but an explanation about affiliate links are required by the FTC whenever they are used.
The only affiliate links in this post are for brushes through CDJapan, not Givenchy.
And for anyone else wondering, I usually reserve non-link font colors like (Orange) for updates, (Red) for subject titles, and (Purple) for product titles.

Givenchy Prisme Libre Bronzing and Sculpting Powder in 003 Organza Bronzé

Organza Bronze is currently the darkest of the Bronzer Powders available. It works for me, but I think this really doesn’t go deep enough, and I’m hoping they will expand the range. It has been out for a few weeks already in Europe, but I heard it will come to the US by June.

The four colors are supposed to allow one to, “add tan, warmth, modeling, and brightening.”
In the top left corner is supposed to be the bronzer shade, which is basically my skin tone. I can’t use this as a bronzer unless I mix it with the darkest block. Then, it does add subtle bronzing. I’m glad this is such a blendable product that layers and builds well because I have tried other “customizable” powders in the past that formed uneven mixtures that didn’t look seamless on the skin. This product really is customizable.

In the bottom left corner is the brightening square. I have tried using this as a highlighter before, and it adds a super subtle sheen, but isn’t enough for me to replace using an actual highlighter in my routine. As a glow enhancer to turn this soft matte product into a radiant bronzer, this doesn’t do a whole lot either. It makes it less matte, but I don’t think there’s enough oomph to satisfy a true shimmer-bronzer lover. What this does is literally lighten the color of whatever mixture I try to create. So, if I go overboard on the darkest color, adding this will lighten it up, but so will the bronzer shade.

In the bottom right corner is the modeling or sculpting block. It is the darkest section of the pan and is a cool-leaning neutral shade. It works perfectly as subtle contour in the sense that it isn’t overly gray. This color choice aids in the ability for it to mix with the other shades without going muddy. This isn’t guaranteed to be the case with Mousseline Bronzée or Popeline Bronzée though.

In the top right corner is the warmth-adder. If I want my bronzer to be less subtle, then I must rely more heavily on the darker quarter. That dark powder has just enough coolness that mixing it with the lighter browns combine into a neutral shade. If I’m feeling like having a little extra warmth, I can easily add this burnt red color to the mix. However, it works quite beautifully as a blush, which I first discovered when watching Brie Moore use it that way in her YouTube video.

How I’ve been using this the most has been to contour with the darkest shade, then mix all the browns together for a subtle bronze, and finally using the red color as blush. This tailored approach is much better suited for me than swirling all four colors together. The combined color is a bit too light for me anyway.
This means that the nice and soft synthetic brush Givenchy includes in here has very little purpose for me. The shape makes it very cumbersome to try and isolate one of the four shades alone. It can be done, and I’ve used it in the darkest square to contour under my cheekbone, but I’d much rather stick to my Face 11 brush from the brand called Number Eight. The candle tapered shape is ideal for dipping into a small section, but dispersing the product in a wider area. Small cheek brushes also work, like the HSC-2 Hana Sakura Brush for those that want an even subtler application or the Chikuhodo FO-2 that will give a stronger application and still fits in each square despite being a flat top brush with a decent amount of surface area.

I think this is a great product. The powders are super refined, blendable, soft, layer well, and last all day without fading. They’re not splotchy, they’re multi-purpose (I’ve even seen someone use them as eyeshadows), and I think the black packaging with the bronze details makes it look luxe even though it’s so lightweight. Only time can tell whether I will continue to find the customization element necessary or if I will go back to using my individual makeup favorites. The one major negative for me is simply the fragrance in here. This bronzer is so heavily perfumed and even though it’s not a bad smell, it’s stronger than I want in a makeup product and I can still smell it briefly while it’s on my face. I hope the scent will dissipate within the package over time.

Givenchy Prisme Libre Pressed Powder in 06 Organza Ambré

The first thing I thought when I saw the four colors for this shade of pressed powder is how it reminded me of my MAC Mineralize Skinfinish in Sunny Side that was a limited edition product first released in 2016. The photo below is from my review from 2020.

I contemplated bringing Sunny Side back to Germany with me after seeing it again in person in the US, but considering this is 9 years old, it has no functional use except for nostalgia and collecting purposes. It can remain where it is on my “retired products” shelf for things I loved but will not use on my face.

Unlike Popeline Mimosa that was too light for me to use all 4 shades together, I am able to wear the four shades combined from Organza Ambré (at least under my eyes).

The salmon color in the bottom left of the compact doesn’t look strong in swatches, but it can clash a bit with my undertone if I accidentally use too much of it. Givenchy included that color to, “correct and conceal shadows.” I played around with different combinations blended onto my arm to see which ones had the highest likelihood of suiting me. In that process, and then confirming it under my eyes, I discovered that combining the yellow in the top left with the deep caramel brown on the bottom right looked the best for brightening. According to the brand, the yellow is intended to, “correct blue tones,” while the brown, “unifies the skintone.” The combination of the yellow, brown, and a bit of that orange (reminds me of the Crayola shade Macaroni and Cheese) is semi color-correcting. However, the orange, which the brand says is supposed to, “boost the skin’s radiance,” isn’t deep enough to be successful using it on its own on top of my Givenchy concealer. Combining the orange and salmon though works. My favorite combination is simply the yellow and brown together.

I’m quite satisfied with this powder, paired with the Prisme Libre concealer, but it doesn’t do as nice of a job on top of some of my other concealers (for instance the KVD Good Apple). Also, the only difference I can see between this powder and the reformulated loose one is the lack of sheen. It looks nice and blurs a little, but it doesn’t have noticeable extra blurring or anything special enough for me to see what all the hype was about. I’m honestly not even sure if this reformulated, but fully matte, powder is as close to the original as some people have been saying it is, considering how similar it is to the mini I own.

This isn’t the kind of powder I want to put all over my face because it’s too mattifying for my dry skin. However, I did it for the sake of this review.
Even though combining the four shades works under my eyes, it’s still too light for my whole face. It doesn’t look drying on the majority of my face, but it’s unflattering in areas that are my most dry and have the most fine lines. It’s mainly around my mouth that the powder actually emphasizes texture.

It’s interesting that I like the bronzer so much, but not the powder, considering they are practically the same formula. The only notable differences is that Zinc Stearate is higher up the list for the pressed powder and Kaolin is higher on the list in the bronzer.

The reason the bronzer doesn’t look too drying is specifically due to the areas I use it, which is the perimeter of the face and cheeks. If I tried to use the bronzer all over my face, and especially around the mouth, I would probably dislike it too.

So, this continues to be a powder that I only use under my eyes to set concealer and pretty much only with the Givenchy concealer. Though I got this for 20% off, I wish my curiosity hadn’t gotten the better of me and that I skipped buying this powder entirely. I like the Guerlain Parure Gold Powder more than this! That one felt drier, but at least it didn’t look dry.

Since the bronzer and pressed powder have nearly identical ingredients, I feel validated in assuming that if I liked the bronzer formula then I should like the pressed powder too. My mistake was not taking placement into consideration.

That’s all for today! Thank you for reading. I hope you’ll join me again for next week’s post!

-Lili ❤

The Very Special Pat Mcgrath Labs Mothership XII: Petalmorphosis with 10 Eye Looks and Comparisons

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This palette is my first Pat Mcgrath purchase in the year 2025, and also the first thing I’ve bought from the brand in the past fifteen months. I usually encourage everyone to wait for a sale when it comes to expensive makeup, but once PML says something is limited edition, I don’t take chances. Prior to getting this palette, my most precious Pat Mcgrath item (and one of the most precious makeup items in my entire makeup collection) was the Divine Rose II palette in the limited edition pink chrome packaging. This limited edition lavender palette with Dame Pat Mcgrath’s signature on it is priceless to me!

For those wondering how I got a signed copy, there was no announcement from the brand ahead of time. I logged into their website prior to the palette launch time and saw that it was already available to purchase. There was a box on the product page with a check mark indicating that I was opting in for the chance to win a signed palette. Later, I noticed that box was actually edited to clarify that the first 100 people buying the Lavender case (not the permanent black version) would be getting it. I had already assumed it would come down to whoever checked out first, so I completed my purchase even though the discount code didn’t work prior to 8:00 am EST. I didn’t notice until later that my palette was purchased at the US equivalent price, but it rose 9 Euros the very next day. So, I didn’t bother contacting customer service as I had already technically gotten a deal. It was also the next day that I received an email confirming I was one of the lucky ones!

What I found appealing about this palette is the colorful nature, the inclusion of greens, and there technically being less pinks and golds (a peach, a pink-mauve, and a black-based yellow is admittedly not that far off).

Although I’m very happy to have this palette, and I’m happy that PML gave us a palette different enough for me to justify finally buying another Mothership, I do have a few critiques about the colors chosen. For instance, there are only three mattes. Technically, Lunar Nectar is one of those sequin/matte-with-glitter-specks eyeshadows that look fully matte on the eyes because the glitter gets dusted away while blending. I hate that type of eyeshadow, but I can put that feeling aside. What I have an issue with is how similar Lunar Nectar and Twilight Lilac are. At least they are distinct enough that I can tell them apart on my eyes (when used separately), but orchids and mauves being in the same color family means one of them would be good enough alone to pair with the purple-pink shimmers in this palette. I don’t see why having both was necessary.

That being said, the quality of both of these shadows are nice. They feel a touch silkier than the mattes in my older Mothership palettes, making them slightly closer feeling to the Natasha Denona mattes (but thankfully not that far, as I still prefer Pat’s to Natasha’s). Even though they’re both pigmented, I find myself having to build up more layers to get Lunar Nectar to show on my eyes to the same level as Twilight Lilac.

My second color issue is that so many of us have been begging for greens, but putting Nocturnal Bloom and Blitz Radiant Rhapsody together in the same palette is like including a duplicate despite them having different finishes. When I use Nocturnal Bloom as an eyeliner on top of Blitz Radiant Rhapsody or using it in the crease with the shimmery green on the lid, it looks like I used one single eyeshadow instead of two. There’s not enough definition and distinction between them when used together in a look. I believe that Nocturnal Bloom is the more useful of the two. It serves as the deepening and smokey element in the palette. It can be used as liner. The blendability and smoothness is on par with the other mattes, which is great considering what a disaster of a shade that deep green called Altered State was from the Mega Mthrshp Celestial Nirvana palette. This shade layers well on top of the mattes and shimmers equally. Both Blitz Radiant Rhapsody and Astral Eden Envy are a little thicker than the other shimmers in the palette and seem to have stronger adhesion, which requires a little more work to get those two shades to merge seamlessly into any other shimmer. Particularly with the former, I have to pack on additional layers and mix with my fingers to create an even and well blended gradient of one shimmer going into Blitz Radiant Rhapsody. Plus, cool greens are less loved by me than other tones of greens. So, I wouldn’t have minded having a green multichrome (like a green-purple-blue or green-yellow-gold to match the theme) or a different toned deep green as a replacement eyeshadow. Even a light spring matte green or matte chartreuse would have been welcome to me.

I find it interesting that Astral Eden Envy looks so yellow in the pan, but it looks like an antique olive on my arm, while being gold (or at least golden-olive) on my eyes. I was concerned that it would be too similar to Pat’s iconic shade Gigabyte, but thankfully they are different.

Divine Dawn fills the position of Pat’s typical Skinshow type of shadows that are most often used in the inner corner, to highlight the center of the lid, or brighten under the brown arch. Even though this kind of shade is typically on the thicker and squishier side, Divine Dawn feels even thicker and grips the skin more, making it less easy to spread as smoothly as the Skinshow shades of the past.

If eyeshadow is going to disappear on me, it’s most likely going to happen to my inner corners, so perhaps this slight change of formula is a good thing. For my own personal use though, I can’t recall ever having an issue with longevity when using PML eyeshadows including in my inner corners. So, I would have preferred for this shadow to be a little creamier.
Also, this looks like a pale cream in the pan, but it’s more of a silvery pink-purple on my eyes.

Cosmic Fantasies is quite possibly my favorite eyeshadow in this palette, which I never saw coming. It’s a beautiful reddish purple with a dark base and no chunky glitter particles. It is a smooth metallic with enough binder that I can use it as an eyeliner without worrying about fallout. It layers easily with the other shadows and is the only other deepening shade in the palette. At the same time, the shine is just enough that I can use this eyeshadow solo and it doesn’t feel like a smokey shade on my skintone, even though it pairs well with those kind of looks.
This doesn’t feel super unique because there are similar shades to this in some of my other palettes from the brand, but Cosmic Fantasies has the tone, depth, and finish to help it stand out.

Blitz Bronze Supernova is the most neutral shade in the palette, but it’s far from boring. This shadow is super sparkly with a mix of different shimmer particle sizes. In order to make it look smoother and to minimize the fallout, I apply it with a damp brush. Although it doesn’t surpass my two ultimate PML browns (Divine Dahlia and Bronzed Mink), it’s still a very pretty color and a great addition for the lighter eye looks.

While I have some misgivings about some of the shade choices, I think all of them are pretty. However, when it comes to the one that is actually the hardest for me to incorporate into my eyeshadows looks, it has been Astral Sunset Splendor. By the time I started working on the first draft of this post, I’d done 15 eye looks (some of them repeated on different days). Six of them involved using this peachy shade and three times I had to cover it up with another shadow because I didn’t like how it turned out. It pairs very well with Cosmic Fantasies, but it’s such a thin shadow that it gets overpowered by some of the more pigmented shimmers. Three failed attempts really isn’t a lot compared to the number of shades I could still try it with, plus with eyeshadows outside of the Petalmorphosis palette, so it’s possible I could like this color a lot more in other scenarios. I just typically prefer fully opaque eyeshadows, so this is currently more of an inner corner kind of shade for me when I apply it damp to control fallout. I think the shade Coral Kiss from the Nude Allure 5-pan palette is a much more interesting eyeshadow, and it’s not even an Astral!

The star of this palette that adds the most drama and color impact is Astral Iridescent Iris. This is a topper kind of shadow that looks silvery lilac in the pan, but pops to a brighter cool purple and silver on the eyes. The texture of this is closest to how the “special” shades in the Mothership palettes usually feel, which is to say on the drier side and a gritty-flaky kind of feel to them that will absolutely have fallout unless applied damp or over a glitter glue. I’ve dipped my finger into the pan at least six times, and I worry that it could be starting to hardpan. It feels like it’s starting to compact or compress itself into the pan, but so far I am not having issues picking up the product. This is something I will continue to monitor and will update if it becomes a problem.

Overall, I think the quality of this eyeshadow palette is great. I’ve had no issues with creasing or longevity. I have no patchy issues and most of the shades are super easy to blend (the worst performing ones are simply “easy” instead of “super easy”).

I know there is a huge debate going on about the “special baked formula” that the brand abandoned in Mothership X and onward. While it is likely that the process of making those four pan-less eyeshadows in that particular Italian formula might have contributed to the higher cost of the palette, I was never a fan of the texture and consistency of those eyeshadows. I loved the effect, but did not enjoy the dryness or fallout. The effect of these new Astral and Blitz formulas feel similar to the OG, but with more binders that make them easier to use. Some people, like me, prefer that. Others swear this new version isn’t as impactful and are willing to put in the extra effort to work with the OG eyeshadows we’ve been accustomed to over the course of seven years.

I think the OG lovers have some valid points in wanting there to be “special shades” in every palette, especially with price increases, but I don’t think the Motherships need to have baked shades in order to fulfill that wish. Ultra shifty multichromes are some of the most expensive pigments to make into an eyeshadow and having some in Motherships should at least satisfy the ones that want to feel their expensive palette isn’t expensive just for the packaging alone. This is coming from someone who refused to buy the beautiful Decadence palette because it contained solely metallic shades. In comparison, I think Petalmorphosis formulas are at least more expensive than Decadence. But for anyone who feels the Motherships are only worth buying if there are baked shades, then by all means don’t buy Petalmorphosis. Vote with your dollars! It’s odd to see Influencers and other Enthusiasts with the same complaint about three or more PML palettes while continuing to buy every single one. Then of course the brand won’t change course if they’re still making money off these “inferior” palettes! No judgements to anyone who wants to buy them all as a fan or collector. I’m just saying hurting a brand’s wallet has more impact than hurting their feelings. Influencers who talk about losing their love for PML while still buying all the products are sending mixed messages to their audience. In my opinion, giving a brand no attention is worse than talking badly about them. “All press is good press,” is a saying for a reason.

Two of the most interesting and contrasting viewpoints on the topic have been by the YouTube channel Alexis and Christina (I believe formerly known under the handle Lipstick Lesbians) and Mariam A also on YouTube.

I did a Pat Mcgrath Palette Ranking post last year and if I were to include Petalmorphosis among the rankings, it would probably be at #5, just barely above Nude Allure purely because this palette has additional shade options. I would also move Huetopian Dream to 7th place, just under Nude Allure as #6, because over the course of time, I missed having that palette more than the other two quints.

Pat Mcgrath Labs is one of my most loved makeup brands. I have been quite critical about certain decisions they’ve made, and therefore skipped many releases, but I haven’t given up on them just yet. I was worried when nothing interested me from them in all of 2024, but I’m hopeful this is just the start of exciting launches in 2025.

Thank you for reading. I hope this has been helpful and that you didn’t mind my unfiltered opinions!

-Lili ❤