MAC Cosmetics 2024 Glow Play Blushes, Lipsticks, and More

Posted on July 22, 2024 by ghekate

To call myself a “fan” of MAC blushes would be understatement, and the Glow Play line of blushes are among my favorites. I was so excited to see MAC expand the line, although they discontinued a few shades like No Shame and Rosy Does It.
As soon as it was available, I bought two of the three darkest colors: Pinch of Marrakesh and Plush Pepper. The one I opted out of getting is called Big Diva Energy, because it seems like a deeper version of Plush Pepper, and Plush Pepper is plenty deep on me already.
A week later, I found a 28% off discount code, so I bought Ginger Luck too.

For anyone curious how the colors compare to their older shades, I have a photo below. I also have a close-up video of them on my Instagram. Unfortunately, as discussed in my MAC Blush Declutter post, I had to temporarily leave the others in my collection behind.

These swatches look intense, but they look much tamer when blended out.

I saw a YouTube video from Dear Eva Hansen comparing the old and new version of Totally Synced, and they are not the same. I don’t know if any other shade went through changes, but that’s something to keep in mind if you’re making a repurchase.

Aside from the added colors, the whole line has been reformulated. I don’t have any of the original boxes with me to compare, but I have the ingredient list from the Incidecoder website that has not been updated yet. Setting the “may contain” portion aside, the most notable changes seem to be the removal of talc and replacement of mineral and synthetic oils with naturally derived oils.

From a performance standpoint, I haven’t noticed that much difference between the old and new ones. I find it easier to pick up color on my brush with the new ones, but I assumed that was because they were fresher. After seeing the ingredient list, it might really be the case that the new formula is slightly more emollient and therefore having less of the drawbacks of some putty style blushes. MAC does tout that this is a finger-friendly formula, and it’s true that it doesn’t take much effort to apply these to the cheeks for a natural look. I’ll always prefer using a brush though.

This might sound absolutely crazy, but I actually liked the way I had to load up my old Glow Play blushes on my brush because it required me to dig more into that putty. The ads I keep seeing for the reformulation shows finger indents to indicate how “bouncy” or “cushiony” these are, but I just lightly pass over the surface with my Sonia G Mini Base, Sonia G Jumbo Worker, or my finger, and I’ve got enough product to cover at least one cheek, if not both. There hasn’t been any situation where I needed to push into the product enough to form a dent, except with the original line. I’m not actually complaining, just pointing out that the marketing is trying to appeal to Gen Z, TikTokers, etc with “fun” makeup. Whereas dents in mine were created out of necessity, now you can do it voluntarily to play with it? That’s an option I guess.
As much as I liked the imprint from my brush, I will grow to enjoy how much quicker I can apply them even more.

They have the same lasting power as always and I don’t need to set them with powder on my dry skin. They also aren’t as glowy as the name suggests. It has that cream-putty type of glow to it, not the shimmery or mica kind.

About the colors specifically, I wanted to note that Pinch of Marrakesh is nearly identical to Armani’s Neo Nude Color Melting Balm in 30 Warm Coral. Since that’s another formula I’ve loved and raved about, I wanted to mention that for anyone who already owns it.
I also couldn’t help noticing the similarity in names of the new colors. I suspect Pinch of Marrakesh is inspired by the brand’s Marrakesh lipstick shade, since it’s an orange-red type of color. I wouldn’t be surprised if Plush Pepper was supposed to be a sister shade to Burnt Pepper, which looks slightly more red on the cheeks, whereas Plush Pepper has a bit more rose pink tone to it. For some reason, it’s the opposite when I swatch it on my arm, but on my cheeks that’s how it looks.
One of the reasons I initially skipped getting Ginger Luck was because even though I figured it could work as a mixer to turn some of the more vibrant shades into a more nude one, the description of the color reminded me of Gingerly, which barely shows up on my cheeks. Coppertone is the lightest nude from MAC that I can pull off. Just for fun, I’ll link a comparison between the two from Temptalia’s Blog HERE, though I have pictures wearing both in one of my many MAC Blush posts HERE.

As you can see, Ginger Luck faintly shows up on my cheeks and looks the tiniest bit ashy because it’s too light for my complexion. Adding a little Plush Pepper on top creates exactly the kind of look I was hoping for. The combination is still a sheer light-medium pink shade on me, but the slight boost of rose-red helps it to pop more.

Having Ginger Luck essentially tones down vibrancy while adding a touch of brown to it. It’s a similar process when I try to tailor the color of my colorful Glossier Cloud Paints with Dusk.

I’m very happy MAC extended the Glow Play color range to include more options for those with dark skin and in less vibrant colors. I’m still waiting for true dark nude shades as well, like a darker version of Ginger Luck (True Harmony isn’t dark enough). They’ve created limited edition shades before, so I’d love for that to happen again.

In addition to getting the Glow Play blushes, some of my other MAC purchases have been yet another Fix+ spray in the mini size with the original sprayer, another Fix+ Stay Over Setting Spray from the Teddy Forever Collection since my other one is still in the US, and the Lash Dry Shampoo Mascara Refresher. I also bought two limited edition lipsticks, so I thought I would review those here as well.

Fix+ Stay Over Alcohol-Free 24HR Setting Spray

This bottle has a limited edition design, but MAC has now equipped all their Fix+ sprays in bottles with this type of sprayer. I liked the power and wide spray range of the previous ones, but I admit the new ones do a better job at creating a fine mist, with one exception. Every time I use it, there are between 1-3 larger size droplets on my face. This isn’t a colorless spray. It’s milky, so after I spray, I look in a mirror and try to tap out the obvious droplets.

Aside from that, this is a very interesting setting spray. I’ve accepted that setting sprays are going to increase makeup longevity, make it water-resistant, but won’t be transfer-proof.
The MAC Stayover Spray is a whole different thing. It increases the longevity, but is not water-resistant, though it’s better at being transfer-resistant.

I tested it with foundations that transfer fairly heavily and it was alternating throughout the day from not transferring to only lightly transferring depending on the moisture level of my skin. Whenever my face was shiny, I knew those spots would leave a slight imprint of color on my finger, but it was like this spray continued to try setting my face. If I stopped sweating or my face started to be dry again, lightly touching my face would not get foundation on my fingers. It might be the film-former particles at work that MAC describes in the product description on their site!
When I perform a waterproof test for sprays, I wait until the end of the makeup day and splash my face with water. I can usually see the droplets rolling down the surface and not leaving a trail. With the MAC spray, it left a trail. I rubbed the spot to try and fill in the void, but it looked messed up. So, I went to go get my Makeup Eraser cloth, but when I returned to look in the mirror I noticed my foundation looked perfect. It’s like it set itself again!
This spray doesn’t contain upsalite, the special oil absorbing ingredient that are in a lot of Danessa Myricks products, but the way it performs throughout the day reminds me of that one. I don’t like upsalite because it makes my skin feel tight, and this spray does have a little bit of a stretching sensation, but not full on tightness.

The transfer-resistant nature of this spray is obviously more effective with my foundations that are less prone to transferring, plus factoring my dry skin type. I don’t know how effective this would be for those with other skin types or dewy foundations. The formula is alcohol free and intended for those with hydration needs, so I recommend taking that into consideration if you’re interested in buying this product.

There are so many factors that impact how effective a spray will work for me (the skincare I used, the products I used, the humidity levels, the overall weather, etc.). Even my once tried-and-true Urban Decay All-Nighter wasn’t always fool proof. So, I’ve always taken a “better than nothing” approach to setting sprays. I use it when I know I’ll be hugging other people or out in the elements, so I just hope for the best. However, I do feel a little more confidence in at least minimizing the possible transfer when I use this spray, so I’m happy with it.

One more thing to note is that this doesn’t leave a glycerin-looking shine to the skin the way that the normal MAC Fix+ spray does. It looks that way while it’s still wet on the skin, but the dry down is just natural looking.

MAC Lash Dry Shampoo Mascara Refresher

When this product first came out, a lot of people were saying it was just a gimmick and that if a mascara needs refreshing at any point in the day, then it’s a bad mascara.
I had a bit more faith in MAC because they’ve come out with some really unique formulas over the years and have been innovators. Just in case though, I waited for a sale before buying it. I’m glad I did because the naysayers seemed to be right about this one!

I wondered how I should even go about testing these claims since none of my mascaras need touching up throughout the day. I decided that I should at least see what this could do on its own. So, I applied one coat to my lashes, seen in the photo above. It’s certainly not pretty, but adding a second coat makes them look too clumpy and spidery, which is not my preference. It also doesn’t add much extra length, just volume.

I tried to use it as a “refresher” for my MAC Stack Mascara, but that mascara was unchanged by the end of the night. I still applied the Lash Shampoo on top of it and I noticed a significant boost in volume and a bit more length, but I can also achieve that by adding a second coat of MAC Stack Mascara. In fact, one of the reasons I love that one is I can build it up as much as I want and it won’t harshly tug at my lashes. It applies layers very well. So, using the Lash Shampoo didn’t go above and beyond the norm.

In the photo above, the top left and right photo is what the MAC Stack looks like freshly applied. The bottom left and right is what it looked like at night when I topped the MAC Stack with the Lash Shampoo.

I figured it would be better to test this product with a different mascara, so I picked the L’Oreal Telescopic Lift. This is technically a sneak peek of eye looks for an upcoming review (most likely to be published in October) using the LH Cosmetics Reload Palette. In the top left and right burgundy eye look, I’m wearing the L’Oreal mascara. In the bottom left and right green-brown-blue eye look, I wiped away some of the L’Oreal mascara and then topped my lashes back with the MAC Lash Shampoo.

The whole reason I was interested in this mascara in the first place is because I would often do back-to-back eye looks when testing larger eyeshadow palettes. I would do a different eye look on each eye, then remove the eyeshadow with micellar water and a cloth so I could create two new looks. In the process, sometimes the mascara would come off with it. Some mascara formulas wouldn’t reapply that nicely after having micellar water partly on the lashes (would form clumps or turn spidery), or were the type that was too stiff to add additional layers after it dried. So, I thought the Lash Shampoo could be the answer to that issue. Again, it adds volume and length, but it’s easily prone to turning the lashes spidery. It takes so long to wiggle the wand and comb through over and over to unclump the lashes. Plus, the end results are no different that trying to recoat the partly wiped off lashes with the Telescopic one. Two coats of the L’Oreal mascara gives me a similar look.

So, it may be the case that if I remember what the “bad” mascaras were or ever come across some new ones in the future, this product could be useful. However, if I just stick to my favorites, I will have no need for a second mascara to go with it.

I don’t know if MAC intended for this to be a gimmick, but it’s at least not useful for me. When I remember how half-assed they did the Sims 4 collab, I can’t put anything past them.
It’s humorous that the brand that brought me Glow Plays is the same one that cooked up the Lash Shampoo.

MAC 40 Year Anniversary “Bringback” Amplified Creme Lipstick in Double Shot and the Teddy Forever Collection Retro Matte Lipstick in Eternal Teddy

Once again, I’m dealing with constantly shifting natural lighting and my artificial lights wash me out too much, so these lipstick shades are hard to capture accurately. I did my best. Even though I’m wearing the same shirt as the Ginger Luck photos, which were added to this review a week before publishing, these pictures come from day 2 of trying to work around the constant fading in and out of light due to the cloudy weather here. I tried a third time (also in the same shirt) with at least Double Shot, but lipsticks look different on everyone anyway depending on their skin tone and the pigment level of one’s lips.

Eternal Teddy is my first Retro Matte lipstick, and my goodness it is too much for my dry lips! I have to wear a balm underneath to manage the discomfort, but this color isn’t quite what I expected, so I don’t think I’ll be wearing it again anytime soon. I’m a sucker for that packaging though.
As for the amplified lipstick formula, I still suffer dryness, but it’s a far more comfortable formula to wear. Double Shot is described as a mid-tone mocha brown. On my lips, it appears a little more mauve and brown than my natural lip color, and slightly lighter, but I like it. It looks great paired with a darker lip liner! This shade reminds me of a few others in my collection, but I left them in the US, so I can’t compare them. In any case, I have a lot more of a chance to wear this color. I’m glad I bought it.

I hope this has been helpful! If you’re a lover of all things MAC or just makeup in general, please consider checking back every Monday, or clicking follow, as to not miss out on any posts!

-Lili ❤

Lethal Cosmetics x Avatar the Last Airbender Collab

Posted on July 15, 2024 by ghekate

Oh boy! I can’t start this review without talking about the insanity of this launch. There was so much traffic to the website that it went down even before the starting time (4:00 pm Central European Time). There were continuous 500-504 Gateway errors. US shoppers had the option to try their luck with the retailer Camera Ready Cosmetics, but the rest of the world only had the official Lethal Cosmetics website to be able to purchase from. After about 40 minutes, the brand announced on Instagram that they would need time to fix things and for everyone to try again at 5:30 pm CET. They specifically mentioned they would hold the stock back so that even if someone was able to get on the site, they wouldn’t be able to purchase until the appointed time as to make it fair for the ones who got off the website. It was clear they needed less people overloading the servers. The website was still giving the same errors until 5:36 pm, which is when the queue page appeared for me.

I took a screenshot, but the numbers were counting down so quickly that I couldn’t capture my true number in line (a little over 2000), but it did say 55 minutes and took close to that long to get on the main website. I added things to my cart, but the checkout process was constantly producing those same gateway errors again. The saving grace was that I didn’t need to go back in the queue or add things to my cart again. Refreshing over and over eventually got me back to the checkout page at the points where I last left off.

The most confusing part of this process was when I finally returned to the PayPal page and clicked to submit the order, it started loading, and then brought me to the error message again. I had a moment of hope when I could hear my cell phone buzz and saw I had the PayPal confirmation notification and email confirmation from Lethal Cosmetics. Just to be even more certain, I continued to refresh the page in the hopes that I could get back on the website and check the order status through my account information. However, when it finally loaded, it said the items sold out in my cart. My cart had been emptied though, so I added everything back to the cart and noticed that this time the Appa Bag was listed as “preorder.” I checked my confirmation email, but it didn’t have a preorder description. So, I think I may have been one of the very last people to get the remaining stock! Lethal Cosmetics set the limit of 3 of the same type of item per person, so I had added a second bag to my order so I could gift one to my sister-in-law. I wanted the Appa Cosmetics Bag because it’s adorable, but my Schwägerin is an actual fan of the show and she was thrilled to have it! Her toddler was instantly attached to it as well and started filling it with toys.
Thankfully, anyone unable to get this collection was able to pre-order for what is estimated to be a July/August shipment.

It took 2 hours and 40 minutes for me to complete my order. I nearly missed getting the items I wanted as non-preorder. My order took over two weeks to get shipped and delivered.
Let’s see if it was worth it!

Earth Palette

For starters, I am so on board with this color story! If I’m going to wear yellow leaning greens or blue leaning greens, these are the shades I prefer. I love how bright Dai Li looks, although it darkens on my lids if used with other dark shadows or on one of my wetter primers. I’m not sure if Metalbending is technically a duochrome, but at the very least it has a beautiful yellow-green shimmer on what looks to be purple-grey base. I’m not the most knowledgeable about color theory, but on my eyes it looks like it leans on the cooler side of yellow. It has been a long time since I’ve used Lethal Cosmetics shadows and the shimmers seem more to my preference now than before. They don’t feel as thick, but they go on smoothly and opaque. I don’t know if the brand necessarily increased the sparkle level; it appears the particle size of the shimmers are just bigger. Kyoshi is a somewhat flaky multichrome. I have minimal fallout applying the shimmers with my brush and fingers, but Kyoshi gets messy if I try to apply it to my inner corners without dampening the brush.

I get a little creasing near the inner corners where my eye line is the deepest. Wherever I place the shimmer has a tendency to move up a bit higher on my eyes over time (basically covering up some of the crease). So, if you have oily eyelids, these might be a potential problem depending on the severity of it. The amount I get doesn’t deter me from using this palette.

The mattes are closer to how I remember them always being. With Lethal shadows, they’re going to pack a punch! They are pigmented and a bit on the dry side, not the soft nearly creamy feeling powder mattes that have become my preferred formula. I like that these apply opaquely. They require some work to blend, but the end result is beautiful. They adhere well and don’t fade throughout the day. I recommend not using a tightly packed brush and applying with something that won’t put on a ton of product at once. I recommend also using a resilient type of bristle for blending, though it being dense isn’t required per say. This isn’t the kind of formula where I can easily blend it out by working the edges back and forth repeatedly. It sticks too well to the skin, which ensures no patchiness and no fading, so the tradeoff is just needing to switch up my technique. I have an easier time applying a lighter color, darker color, and then applying the lighter color back on top to blend and create that gradient.

I used the Earth palette, plus a beige shade under the brow bone (Lodge) and shimmery greenish gold (Antheia) in the very inner corners of the eyes from Natasha Denona’s Mini Gold palette. So the majority of the eyeshadows used in the look are from Lethal Cosmetics.

If you’re a fan of depotting palettes to create custom magnetic ones or rearranging shadows, these pans are magnetic and able to be removed.

I have a gigantic Lethal Cosmetics eyeshadow collection. They’re one of the first indie brands I tried, and there was a time when I had nearly all of the shadows. I love their color stories and the way that they’ve grown as a company. Everything I have praised them for in the past holds true today. Their eyeshadows, though better than before, haven’t been my preference for a few years now. However, I have no regrets buying this palette. I don’t like to switch up my makeup applying techniques just to use specific products, but I don’t mind for this one.

Ty Lee Lipstick

Lipsticks are less exciting for me than other forms of makeup, but there was no way I could resist that component and with the intricate design on the bullet. It’s just so pretty! I like that it has a magnetic closure, but the magnets are on the weaker side. I would feel nervous chucking this in a purse with other objects for fear the top would come off. However, I assume it would be just fine in a pocket of a purse.

The lipstick bullet appears quite dark. All three shades in the collection looked to be the same depth with just different undertones in the marketing images. However, when applied to actual skin, this lipstick reveals itself to be a medium-dark pink. I understand the confusion about this shade though because Lethal’s Instagram page was flooded with comments about how “the Ty Lee lipstick should be pink” and “I wish these lipsticks weren’t all red.” The brand responded by telling people it was pink and that there was a softer option, but the color in the tube is not how it will actually appear when worn. It even looks dark and red in the brand’s swatches, but it appears much brighter on me. I can’t even say it’s a skin tone difference because they have swatches on an arm that’s similar in color to mine!

Regarding the formula, it has a creamy finish. It feels soft and the tiniest bit waxy (like a Burt’s Bees balm) as it spreads across the lips. It has a little shine, but it’s closer to a satin than a glossy formula. It feels comfortable in the beginning, but is drying over time. The shine lessens after several hours and although the lips continue to have some slip to it when I rub them together, I can still feel it drying beneath the surface.

It has medium pigmentation, so if I want the color to look opaque, I have put at least four layers to cover the two spots on my lips that are naturally darker than the rest. For this reason, I have the urge to want to pair a lip liner with this lipstick so that the outer edge remains defined and opaque, plus to fill in those darker spots so I could use less product. Despite it not being fully opaque, it has a slight staining effect. If I try to wipe it off after it’s been on for at least four hours, there will still be some color left behind, especially between the cracks of dry patches. It doesn’t take much to remove the stain though. Just a little water on a cloth will do the trick.

At the time that I took these photos, it had been cloudy all day for a full week. The pictures above were the better ones I could capture between using my artificial lights versus the natural light available to me. Videos of the products can be found on my Instagram post HERE.

Now that I’ve finished the testing phase, I’m going to stop using this lipstick. It’s not because it’s a bad formula; it’s because this shade of pink is a bit bright for my taste. I like the design and packaging of the lipstick, so I plan to keep it shelved as a collector’s piece instead.

Appa Makeup Bag

I wanted this because it’s cute! Don’t throw tomatoes at me, but I’ve only seen the M. Night Shyamalan version of The Last Airbender. I haven’t seen the Nickelodeon show*, nor the Netflix live-action show. However, it is on my list of things to watch. I have a feeling that once I do, I will be even more happy to have this bag. Cute creatures in anime always become my favorites like Chopper from One Piece, Happy and Frosh from Fairy Tail, Chiaotzu (technically human) and young Dende from Dragon Ball Z, etc. Call it FOMO, but I couldn’t shake the feeling that I would regret not getting one even though I have no need for more makeup bags.

This is another product that’s going to stay on a shelf for collector purposes! The “fur” is soft and seems pretty well made. I think $25 was a very reasonable price for it. It looks like it could hold a fair amount of makeup, but it doesn’t have a handle, which is what I would prefer to have for a functional cosmetics bag. Don’t be surprised if I end up stuffing this with soft accessories like scarves and wool caps and using it as a pillow or stuffed animal instead!

Yes, I still like stuffed animals.

Anyway, I think Lethal did a fantastic job with this collab. Even without me knowing very much about the series, it seems like they worked really hard to do this franchise justice. I would love for them to tackle another IP or do a Round 2 for this collection!

That’s all for today! Thank you for reading!

-Lili ❤

*UPDATE: I finished watching the animated series (not the Netflix live action), and although I didn’t like the show as much as I hoped, I did end up being happier with my decision to buy the Appa bag.

Armani Luminous Silk Bronzing Powder and Charlotte Tilbury Unreal Skin Tint Review

Posted on July 8, 2024 by ghekate

I thought of this title because most products take me a long time to decide how I feel about them. Whether my initial impression is good or bad, I always get the feeling that the results could be better if I test them under various conditions and with different techniques. So, that’s why it takes me quite a while to solidify my thoughts. However, with the two makeup items I’ll be featuring today, my thoughts haven’t changed from that first use and onward!

Charlotte Tilbury Unreal Skin Sheer Glow Tint Hydrating Foundation Stick in 12 Tan

First of all, what a mouthful of a name! Charlotte Tilbury certainly likes her over-the-top names and product descriptions on her website, but I’m not complaining. It’s funny to me.

I’m going to start off by saying that I do not use this product as a foundation. I’m an avid beauty YouTube watcher and saw a ton of reviews for this before it became available at Sephora’s Deutschland website (and on sale, hurrah!), so I saw how greasy looking this was on anyone who put it all over the face prior to powdering. Regardless of the reviewers’ opinions, I thought the glow looked beautiful on everyone, which is why I wanted to buy this…as a highlighter.

It’s important to explain that while I lived in Florida, I had dry/normal skin. Now that I’m living in Germany, with much less humidity (so drier air) and colder temperatures for the majority of the year, my dry skin issues exacerbated to the point where my natural finish foundations and slightly dewy ones look matte on me. Some of my products would turn glowier as the day went on while in Florida, thanks to sodium hyaluronate/hyaluronic acid, but moisture never broke through during German winter, no matter how long I wore them. The only foundation I have with me currently that makes my skin look glowy, but still takes several hours to happen, is the N°1 de Chanel Revitalizing Foundation.
My desire was to find a product that would give me glow at the very beginning, so I could enjoy my Chanel foundation more and start using my other foundations again.

That’s where this Charlotte Tilbury product comes to play. I’ve been using powder highlighters to try and get a glassy wet-skin looking glow. It’s a decent solution now that we’re in summer, but it’s not as effective when my skin is extra dry in winter (plus fall and spring really). I’ve always hated cream highlighters because they tend to be too emollient and remain dewy feeling on the skin, as well as disturbing my makeup underneath. Liquid highlighters I’ve used don’t disturb things as much and most dry down fully, but they also tend to look super shimmery or metallic, which can look too obvious/stark on a minimal makeup day.
I am so happy to say the Unreal Skin is the product I’ve been waiting for all this time!

It wasn’t too long ago that I reviewed Dior’s Forever Glow Star Filter, with the comparison to the Charlotte Tilbury Hollywood Flawless Filter. Dior’s product was the closest I’d ever come to perfection, but the drawback was having to use specific techniques to make it work because it’s technically darker than my skin tone and the next available shade up is too light. So, despite thinking I could stop looking for a glow product, I took one more chance by getting the Unreal Skin Tint.

I am typically within the 12 to 13 shade range of Charlotte Tilbury complexion products, depending on the line, as well as the time of year. I had a difficult time deciding whether to get shade 12, 12.5, or 13 in the foundation stick, but decided upon the lightest of the three since it’s a sheer and therefore flexible coverage product that I wanted to highlight with anyway. 12.5 could have possibly worked too, but I think I made the right call choosing 12. When I did a swatch with my finger and rubbed it in, the darker base color became visible. The lighter sheen and that base combine to form a better shade match for me than all the liquid highlighters I own. It never looks that dark when I put it on my skin because I use a brush to blend it in, which doesn’t completely remove the reflective layer. The difference can be seen in the top swatch of the third column of the photo below. I reapplied that swatch with my brush instead of my finger.

My reasons for preferring this product over the Hollywood Flawless Filter is that the color suits me better, the amount that I use is self-setting and dries down with almost no transfer, it looks more skin-like even though it’s a shinier and a more reflective product. It feels lightweight on my skin, so that I completely forget it’s there on minimal makeup days. Neither product disturbs my makeup underneath, but I’m impressed by the fact that I don’t have to warm up the product on the back of my hand first, nor rub the stick onto my brush bristles before applying it to my face. I can just drag the stick directly onto my skin and then blend it out with my brush without ruining even my KVD Good Apple Concealer, which notoriously doesn’t play well with a lot of my products.

The left photo has no bronzer, no highlighter, and just a thin layer of the Chanel foundation. The right photo has the Armani Bronzer on and the Charlotte Tilbury stick as highlighter on the cheekbones and above the brow. There’s also the tiniest bit on the cupid’s bow, chin, and nose.

The Unreal Skin looks a bit more pearly in photos than in person, but it’s also more detectable without blush. I used a combination of a Glow Play blush and Powder blush from MAC in the photo below and then it took on a more natural appearance, despite having applied the CT stick to such a large area on my cheeks (mainly for demonstration purposes). If I was going to use this product while skipping blush, I would have applied it more precisely to a smaller zone. I wanted to be able to show that even if it’s in a larger section of the cheek, using a powder product of any type on top will tone down the glow.

This is the completed makeup look. These last photos were taken a bit later when the sun wasn’t shining as brightly through the window, so I look a bit darker overall and warmer in color with the addition of blushes and bronzer built up. Plus, I usually skip wearing my Dior Powder-No-Powder for review pictures because Shade 5 warms up and slightly darkens on me too (I don’t have Shade 4 with me), but I wanted to depict what I interpret as a minimal makeup look and show how finishing powder differs from the CT glow on me.

I have to add that because of my dry skin, the type of skincare I use, and the small amount of the stick I end up applying, this product dries down enough that I don’t need to powder it. For those that use dewy primers, dewy foundations, have oily skin, or end up with thick skincare products that sit on top of the skin instead of fully sinking in, the results could be very different. Those that live in humid climates may also need to set it, which would diminish most of that shine.

Purely for testing purposes, I confirmed that using the Unreal Stick as a skin tint is too shiny for me. As a primer, putting a natural finish foundation on top (may as well be matte on me) tones down some of the shine. However, it’s still too much for my liking. Adding some face powder to strategic areas gave me the appearance of a natural finish foundation, but I still prefer how it looks when I just use this product as highlighter. Using it as primer makes the end result feel heavier on my skin and is just enough extra emollience to make the foundation transfer more heavily than usual, as my husband can attest to after I greeted him on the testing day!

The amount of glow in the completed look photo (in the neon tank top) might be too much for some, but I absolutely love it because I don’t get any shinier throughout the day. There was a heatwave and it was 87°F /31°C at the time I took those photos, but that didn’t effect the performance at all. The Chanel foundation does its thing and will make other spots more glowy, but I don’t get oily looking or greasy when I apply the amount that I do. This isn’t the type of product I think anyone would enjoy the look of when built up, unless it gets powdered after.

Technically, the Unreal Stick emphasizes texture, but it’s nearly negligible, especially for how glowy the product is overall. It’s not much of a problem for me because the areas I apply the product to aren’t wrinkly spots, though I do have some bumps and moles. I’m only mentioning this because it may be more of an issue for someone trying to use this product as intended, as foundation. In my case, I avoid applying it to my forehead, since the bumps there become more noticeable if it’s not powdered down (as seen in the maroon shirt photos).
I’m happy with this product because it still emphasizes less than many other highlighters I’ve used, and even less than the Dior Forever Glow Star Filter.

So, now, I can genuinely say that I’m finished looking for a skin-glow-aiding product. In the event that I notice any changes over time, such as the stick drying out in the tube or the product expiring before its 12 month period-after-opening, I will update this post.

The final aspect I wanted to mention is that the component isn’t weighty, but it’s not cheap feeling to me either. I heard some complaints about the packaging not being luxurious enough, but I see Charlotte Tilbury as a high-end brand and not completely in the luxury sphere. I think the packaging is pretty. I also think the component comes apart based on the rattling sound it makes when it’s not fully twisted down. I wouldn’t be surprised if there becomes a refill option in the future. Quite a lot of Charlotte Tilbury products are refillable.

Armani Luminous Silk Bronzing Powder in 110

This product has been out for a while now, but I really thought 110 would be too close to my skin tone and that 120 looked too much like a contour color, based on photos I’ve seen online. I still think 110 isn’t that far off from my skin tone in terms of depth, but the undertone makes it to stand out more. More specifically, on my bare skin it stands out a lot. On top of foundation, especially mine that are a little darker and more golden-orange, the color appears subtler. This bronzer can be intensified by building up a few layers though. I’m also glad it shows up significantly more than the Armani Luminous Silk Glow Liquid Bronzer Drops in 110 ever did!

No bronzer in the left photo compared to a normal bronzer application in the right photo. A heavier bronzer application can be seen in the Charlotte Tilbury section further up.

The section I used a few times, seen in the photo below, doesn’t look as sparkly compared to the untouched areas in the pan. I began to wonder if the shimmer ran all the way through the product or in smaller amounts the further down one goes. It looked like the sparkle was solely on the outermost layer, but after a few additional uses, I started to see shimmer again.
So, even though the very prominent gold specks can be partly rubbed away in the pan, it will return. What’s most important to me is that this powder imparts a sheen, which I love my bronzers to have.
I’m not a fan of obvious shimmer particles in places other than my eyes. However, like those “sequin” eyeshadows that are matte formulas with random shimmer specks that get flicked off the skin when blended in, some of the gold particles in this bronzer don’t stick to the face. If I’m not in a bright setting, the shimmer that does linger around isn’t that noticeable. So, I’m accepting of this, but I know in the back of my head it will remain a point against this bronzer compared to others in my collection that I love. This type of issue is why I ended up not keeping Yacht Life from Mented (matte with golden shimmer) over Vacay (warm tone pink leaning soft matte bronzer). Armani’s bronzer having a sheen, which Mented’s does not, is the saving grace.

I like the smoothness of the powder, how easy it blends in, the sheen-like appearance on the skin. It adheres well and doesn’t fade all day. I even applied this to my forehead while I was sweating and I was worried that my brush would create hard-pan on the surface or that it would look textured on my skin, but it applied normally. The powder is easy to pick up, even with my delicate squirrel hair brushes. I just lightly tap into the compact and can get plenty of product on the bristles. If I’m wearing a foundation that requires me to to build up this bronzer to get it to show, then I switch to a larger saikoho goat hair brush to pick up even more product, but it doesn’t necessarily need to be a dense brush.

The compact is pretty on the outside and has a big heavy mirror housed under the lid which makes the packaging feel weighty overall. It certainly exudes luxury to me. For size reference, it’s about two millimeters smaller in circumference than the Charlotte Tilbury Beautiful Skin Sun-Kissed Glow Cream Bronzer packaging.

The only drawbacks about this bronzer for me are the gold particles and the color. I wish it had slightly less of an orange tone, because it looks even warmer on my complexion once it’s actually on my face. That’s all. Otherwise, I have no complaints about the formula. It’s far too soon to rank it with my other bronzers, but what I can say is the consistency feels like a mix between a soft matte, like the Hermes, and the almost clay-like appearance of the Glowish and Hatice Schmidt Labs bronzers.
I don’t consider this a holy grail product, but I like it and I feel like it was a good purchase. I should preface though that I did not pay the full 52 Euros for it. I got it on sale for 37 Euros, thanks to an “Armani Cosmetics Promotion [for] Europe” via Selfridges.

I hope these reviews have been helpful. Thank you for reading!

-Lili ❤

Guerlain Ombres G Quad Wild Nudes and Tower 28 Mascara

Posted on July 1, 2024 by ghekate

This quad was on sale via Douglas, and I’ve wanted it for ages, so I snapped it up! I had completely forgotten that the eyeshadows in here were set into pans and are not the same eyeshadow formula as the initial Ombres G launch from the permanent range. If you look at marketing images, they look like baked eyeshadows without a pan, but only the original releases are this way. It’s a big deal for me because the non-pan eyeshadows are a more special texture and typically cost more to make. The baked gelee formula helped make the hefty price more palatable, so when I learned the newer launches weren’t the same, I said I wouldn’t buy them. Oops!

The colors are pretty, though very soft, muted, and natural on me. Shade 2 doesn’t really show on my eyes. I hoped Shade 1 would give me more dramatic depth. Shade 4 is quite pretty. Even though I have to be in a specific mood to want to wear pink, this is at least one of the types of pink I like. Shade 3 is pretty, but I can’t help but compare it to Shade 1 in the Royal Jungle palette that I love way more! It’s because the color in the Royal Jungle palette has a lot more pigment and sparkle. Wetting it makes it even more intense. Shade 1 from Wild Nudes is a satin and I will almost always prefer a shimmer over a satin.

Because the colors don’t show up intensely on me, I can’t really get much variety. I’m actually okay with that because I don’t expect too much from a quad. If I can get one very pretty look and wear that repeatedly, that’s fine with me. The unfortunate aspect is that Royal Jungle does that for me already, so I should have just stuck to using that one.

Guerlain Royal Jungle Compared to Wild Nudes

In terms of this eyeshadow formula, it’s a very smooth, finely milled powder. I definitely like this more than Tom Ford’s standard powder formula. However, I do still like Tom Ford’s wet/dry formula over Guerlain’s baked gelee one. I also still prefer Guerlain’s first release of permanent eyeshadows over the more normal powder one. My original review of Royal Jungle can be found HERE.

The Wild Nudes eyeshadows blend easily. They are opaque, though with a medium amount of pigment that’s slightly buildable, but not by much. They are soft to the touch, but not creamy and doesn’t have slip to them, so I don’t have to worry about creasing. There are no longevity issues either.

When I did an eye look combining shades from both palettes, I realized that other than the pink, the parts I liked about it were mainly from Royal Jungle. It’s only the black shade that is a bit of a dud in my quad. So, I also get some use out of having Wild Nudes to be able to use the dark brown matte even though I’d prefer if it was deeper.

Overall, this palette is nice, but not entirely worth the price I paid for it (even on sale). However, eyeshadow minimalists might love this one. For those wondering how I feel about Royal Jungle since my last review, I can say that I still enjoy it and that one was at least worth the discounted price.

As a bonus unofficial review, I wanted to mention that I’m wearing the Tower 28 MakeWaves mascara in all the eye photos. I purchased a travel size mini six months ago, but only started using it a few times within the last few months. It was such a hyped up mascara in 2023 that I could only deal with FOMO by stating I’d get it when it released in a smaller size.
I have to say that I was not impressed. The formula was on the dry side, or rather, I couldn’t get much product on the mascara wand and had to dip in repeatedly. And then in order to get my lashes to look how they did in photos, I had to build up three layers (which I normally stick to one or two at most). Even with the extra layers, the end result wasn’t better than what I can get with my other mascara favorites in terms of length and volume. Granted, it’s possible that the full-size gives better results if the stopper isn’t so tight on that tube or perhaps mine partly dried already. Some mascaras in the travel size can perform differently than the full-size. I won’t be investing more money to try and investigate further though. I give allowance to the possibility that it could be different, but I’m personally going to treat this as an accurate representation of the full-size.
On the positive side, I give credit for it not clumping or flaking, even with extra coats. Plus, the brand states that this mascara is intended to give “amped-up, natural-looking lashes” when I prefer more dramatic lashes. Influencers are the ones that hyped it up to be more my style. For those that want length and volume while also looking more on the natural side, I recommend Benefit Cosmetics Bad Gal Bang. It’ll give similar (but even prettier to me) results in less coats.

That’s all for today! Thank you for reading!

-Lili ❤

Wayne Goss Brush Relaunch 2024

Posted on June 24, 2024 by ghekate

I’m not sure what else to call what’s going on with the Wayne Goss beauty line except a “relaunch,” since none of his previous brushes are available for purchase. On his YouTube page, he has discussed past financial and business mishaps with his brand, whereas now he has his own website and continues to partner with the retailer Beautylish. He promised that many brushes his customers loved in the past will eventually return, but this year he started off with launching the First Edition Collection. Those are the Saikoho goat hair artisan brushes. Next, he launched the White Gold Collection which are not Japanese handmade brushes, but he assured fans that the chosen manufacturer makes top of the line synthetic brushes.
Today, I will be sharing my thoughts about both collections.

DISCLOSURE: All brushes discussed today were purchased by me with my own money. This review contains only one affiliate link. Non-highlighted links in bold blue font (Example) are standard non-affiliate links. The link marked in bold black font with a light blue background (Example) is the affiliate link. Affiliate links allow me to get a commission if purchases are made directly using my link. Whether you click to shop through them or not, I appreciate you visiting and I hope you find the information I’ve provided to be helpful!

The White Gold Collection

I’m going to start off by saying that I believe the purpose of this line is to provide pretty looking brushes at a relatively affordable price. His sets contain useful shapes and is great for someone with a small brush collection with a lot of needs to fill.
I think this line will be less impressive to the experienced fude lovers because I don’t see how these are more special than other synthetics I own. Granted, a lot of the synthetics I use are more expensive than his, like Smashbox, Patrick Ta, Scott Barnes, etc. So, I respect what he’s done in giving more functional shapes at prices that are competitive with mid-range synthetic brush brands, and certainly less expensive than brushes from luxury brands usually cost.

I acknowledge that I am not the target customer for this line because I prefer natural hair brushes and I already have pretty much all the synthetic brushes I need. For new synthetics to remain in my collection, they must be practically tailored to my face shape and to my preferences for how I like to apply my makeup.
Japanese-made synthetic brushes tend to cost nearly the same amount as their goat hair brushes. Considering Wayne and I seem to share the same sentiment that synthetic artisan brushes just aren’t worth the price, despite how far the technology has come to mimic natural hair, I was curious to see what he considered a worthy alternative. So, I had to try some out for myself!

#2 Angled Cheek Brush – Intended for Bronzer/Contour, Blush, and Highlighter

With bronzer, this worked beautifully. This brush has medium density and splays a bit when pressed into the skin, which helps to diffuse the product. When using a brush in this shape (such as the Sonia Kashuk Starstruck Angled brush), I usually put cream bronzer on the thickest part, towards the back where the brush starts angling upward, but this isn’t packed firm enough there to stamp into the hollows of my cheeks. So, I prefer to dip the brush into bronzer along the angled edge and pounce it around the perimeter of my face while it diffuses from the splay and gives me a light-medium even application. I apply bronzer with this brush in this way no matter if it’s a powder or cream formula. This brush is suited for someone who wants to cover a big area quickly, but maintain control of how much product is built up at a time. The angle also allows some amount of precision application. It’s not a small concentrated application, but also not a large airy one either.

With blush, it didn’t feel intuitive to swirl or sweep. Tapping/Pouncing it along the cheeks works great. The end result looks well blended, smooth, and diffused. It also feels very pleasant on the skin because of how soft and bouncy the fibers are.

For Foundation, this does the job well enough. Since these bristles don’t have the slick slippery feeling to them (the slipperiness being something I don’t like from a lot of synthetic brushes), this has a little more grip on the skin and therefore doesn’t glide across my skin with ease. Instead, it works better when I use short quick sweeping strokes across my face. The large surface area at least let me finish covering my face quickly, but I can see why it wasn’t advertised for this purpose. When I use foundation brushes in this shape, I expect it to be ultra dense like the Smashbox Full Coverage Brush or the Sonia Kashuk one I mentioned. The longer hairs and the way it splays lends itself more to suiting someone who likes buildable face products and is uninterested in full coverage makeup.

Yes, this works for highlighter as listed within the product description on the website, but it feels strange to hold it in the necessary position for me to apply it precisely. I’d rather use a dedicated highlighter brush, although that extra function makes this a great travel brush since it’s so multipurpose.

#6 Fan Brush – Intended for Highlighter and Blush

The original natural hair WG 15 Fan Brush set the bar for all other fan brushes. When I use that one, it picks up my Charlotte Tilbury Pillow Talk Multi-Glow highlighter with ease, but with the new #6, it can’t pick up that much even when I rub it vigorously into the pan. I actually preferred using Brush #2 for highlighter over this one! Most of my favorite highlighters are in a baked gelee formula that are picked up easier with my goat hair brushes. The amount of highlighter I manage to get on the bristles of #6 blends well, but this brush is easier to use with looser pressed highlighters. This one is helpful to apply a semi sheer layer of an intense highlighter, like the Fenty Demi’Glow.

When I try to tap the brush and rub it into the product, the strands bend too much and don’t dig into the product enough. Maybe I need to adjust the pressure I use and work it at a different angle to get it to pick up more, but I wanted this to perform like the original natural hair fan brush, so changing my application method from how I use that one isn’t intuitive. This synthetic brush is similar in size and shape, but wispier than the original.

Also, when I got this brush, one strand came out and two strands were longer than the others. I resorted to plucking them out rather than cutting them. So, I wasn’t too pleased about that. Regarding using this brush for sheer blush applications, I started to test out that technique and then stopped. It was far too tedious and felt unnecessary for me because not getting enough pigment from a blush is way more prone to happen to me than needing to sheer one out. So, this brush can be used for adding a whisper of blush, but I’m more likely to just grab a normal-sized cheek brush to get similar results much quicker.

Honestly, I could have skipped getting this brush.

#7 Hooded Eye Brush – Intended for Blending and Packing on Eyeshadow, plus Concealer Use

I tried this first with concealer. It blended it in very nicely, but it’s for someone who likes a thin layer, as opposed to me who is used to the Sonia G Jumbo Concealer Brush who wants to pack on product and get maximum coverage.

This brush gets into corners nicely since the bristles are long, flexible, and splay a bit without going into the category of being floppy. This allowed it to work great for nose contouring because it diffuses while being worked into the skin.
I also tried this with eyeshadows. Again, this brush is more for diffusing. It picks up a lot of product, but it doesn’t pack it on intensely enough for my preference. In the comparison pic, it’s next to the Sephora 71 brush purely to show a size comparison. It’s a big brush to use on the eyes, which is ironic since it’s being marketed to those with hooded eyes. Hooded eye brushes tend to be smaller, but I think it’s in this category because of how well it gets into crevices and is gentle on the skin.

For eye primer application, it doesn’t feel firm enough to blend such a thick product and flops around. Diffusing can be good, as to not use too much product on the eyelids, but I feel it takes too much away.

#15 Push Liner Brush – Intended for Liner and Brow Use

For starters, this brush feels gentle when pressed along the lash line, but it’s very firm and tightly bundled, which can be felt when I run my finger across the bristles. It doesn’t bend as much either.

It’s a bit wider than I’m used to, so it can be little tricky to use in my inner corners as I line my eyes with powder eyeshadow, but I can manage. I also use this to highlight under my brow arch. For cleaning up the edges of eyeshadow with concealer, this brush applies it sharply. However, it’s hard to then blend it and spread it with that same brush. I prefer using a brush that I can complete both tasks with such as the Wayne Goss 08 from his original line prior to this year.

I have not tried to use this with brow products since I currently have no brow pot products. I also don’t have pot eyeliners with me. I have tried to line my eyes with a cream-to-powder eyeshadow though and it worked. I could create a nice sharp line. So, I expect it should have no issues with gels, actual creams, or liquids.

The Push Liner brush can be used as a lip brush as well, but I’m not interested in using it this way. This brush has practical use, but doesn’t seem different from any other synthetic liner brush, excluding the fact that it’s one of the widest in my collection. Perhaps someone else would like that attribute.

When it comes to washing these, I only had trouble with 7 and 15 that came in contact with my KVD Good Apple Concealer. I had to wash it 3 times to get the brown out. So, if you like keeping your white brushes spotless, be mindful of what products you use with them and the intensity of the pigments. I don’t have my usual cleaning arsenal at my disposal, just the Beautyblender Pro Soap. Also, these brushes don’t bloom after being washed, which is to be expected of synthetic fibers. The size they are upon being removed from packaging is the size they should stay. I just wanted to add this note because I’m so used to using natural hair brushes that I almost forgot this fact myself.

I purchased the UNITS 305 Highlighter Brush because I wanted to see how it compared to Wayne’s line. Visually, the bristles are a slightly darker whitish color. The ferrules are rose gold compared to the yellow gold color of Wayne’s brushes. I chose the 305 brush specifically because I figured it was more fair to compare something whispy to the fan brush, and the other Units brushes on the Beautylish website looked too different in shape from the WG brushes. The Units brush has strands that are slightly silkier. It’s like Units ones feel softer but slightly more synthetic whereas Wayne’s feel like they’re intentionally less silky to be able to mimic the sturdiness of goat. I’m curious to see what other UNITS brushes are like, but I have no need for more synthetic brushes.

In addition, the extra crimping between the ferrule base and the handle, plus the thickness of WG’s handles and rounded shape make them feel a little more luxurious and substantial. Holding the UNITS brush feels like holding a pencil.

Another side note is that this brush reminds me of the Wayne Goss Air Brush, just slightly smaller in width and thickness besides also being synthetic.

For someone looking for a special experience, that’s what Wayne’s natural hair line is for. I think these are nice quality synthetic brushes, and I don’t think there’s any harm in recommending someone try out a few. However, I can’t pretend that they’re super unique or vastly different from others I’ve tried. Perhaps if they were more suited to my preferences, I would be a lot more excited about them, and I can see how other people would be thrilled with these.

Lastly, I find it interesting that these brushes are less expensive than the First Edition line, but they come much more securely packaged. Each brush comes in their own box with a thin plastic holder that is fitted to hold that specific brush. It has an additional plastic sleeve over the bristles, although the fan brush came in a thicker plastic fan shaped guard, and the large angled face brush was in one of those mesh looking plastic brush guards. It further drives home my assumption that Wayne wanted to provide a luxury experience even though the brushes cost less than his other line.

The First Edition

I’m just going to acknowledge the long-standing rumor that Hakuhodo used to make Wayne’s original brush line. I personally have a hunch that even if they were before, I don’t believe they are anymore. That being said, this line of brushes has hair that is even softer than the original ones. I think Hakuhodo fans will still like Wayne Goss brush quality and shapes. Considering how high Hakuhodo has marked up their own goat hair brushes, while still mixing the majority of them with synthetic fibers, I believe Wayne Goss’ brushes have become the better option. Well, at least with some of them!

F2 Cheek Brush

This shape is my favorite type for blush. The F2 feels amazing and is even softer than my number 13 from the original line. The downside is it still sheds just as much! It actually didn’t shed in the first five uses, but after that it kept happening even after being washed several times by now. I lose about 2-4 hairs with each use, which got to the point when after several months I just stopped using it altogether. The shedding issue seems to be a trait of this particular shape and how it’s bundled. It happens with the F2, happened to the extremely similar Wayne Goss (original) 13, and even what I call the dupe from Rephr (number 37). My recommendations for ones that don’t shed on me at an abnormal rate are the Hakuhodo J210 and Chikuhodo T-4.

F3 Powder Brush

This is a fairly big brush, but fantastic. It blends everything well. It’s super soft and, just like the F2, it feels softer than my other WG goat brushes. It produces a normal amount of shedding, meaning I’ve probably lost up to 5 hairs in the initial few uses and washes, but now it’s only every so often that I’ll lose one. It doesn’t have an exact dupe (from what I can tell) from the original line, but it’s almost a mix between his Artist Large and original 00 Holiday brush since it tapers towards the top, but is a bit more rounded rather than pointy towards the tip.

I’ve continued to have this brush in my rotation since November 2023 and use it mainly for bronzing and contouring. The way that if fluffs around the widest part picks up the perfect amount of product for laying down the color, but not depositing it all at once. It builds as it continues to be worked back and forth. The brush gives an airy effect without being too widely dispersed on the skin.

This works nicely as well for targeted face powder application and with blush. However, I still really love it particularly for contouring. The F3 is what gives me hope that the rest of the Fundamental face brushes are great and in line with WG original brushes and quality. I know my own preferences. The only reason I haven’t purchased more is because I have less use for the other face brush shapes, and the eye brush ones aren’t my style either. Wayne mentioned some of his original brushes may return in a different form, and I am hoping that means the Air Brush will be back! I would also be tempted to get another natural hair fan brush, not the synthetic one. More reviews for past Wayne Goss brushes can be found on this list with links HERE.

That’s everything! Thank you for checking out this review!

-Lili ❤

Lisa Eldridge Lip Product Collection and Reviews

Posted on June 17, 2024 by ghekate

*Not pictured, but included in the review, are Lisa’s new balms and newer lip pencil.*

I don’t know how my lip collection from this brand grew to be so large, considering I’m pretty basic when it comes to what I use on my lips. Lisa Eldridge just has a knack for making everything sound glorious and I can’t help but be curious, even about products that don’t typically suit my makeup preferences. Today, I’ll show all the lippies I own from Lisa Eldridge, discuss my experience, and reveal which line is my favorite.

It figures that I would have this review ready to go, only to find out five days prior to the publish/posting date that Lisa Eldridge would be launching a new lip balm line. So, I decided to postpone this review until I could add the additional items.

Velveteen Liquid Lip Colour in Muse

I appreciate that this is a liquid lipstick that doesn’t feel like every bit of moisture gets sucked out of my lips. I agree with the brand that it doesn’t crumble or get chalky, and I guess it’s technically smudge-proof, but it’s definitely not budge-proof for me. The color clings very well to my lips, but it still transfers. That being said, it was good enough for me to wear on my wedding day in combination with other lip products.
It layers well between applications. The dry down color is a bit darker than how it first looks when applied, but that works in my favor since I would not be able to wear other iterations of the shade Muse because (based on model photos) it appears too light to look flattering on me. Overall, this Velveteen Liquid Lip line isn’t for me, but I don’t regret getting one to try out. I continue to use it periodically.

True Velvet Lip Colour in Velvet Sorcery and Velvet Affair

I reviewed one of these before, and my opinion hasn’t changed. The True Velvets are comfortable feeling all day, which is an achievement for matte lipsticks, and quite a bit is able to linger on the lips after a meal. However, despite it not giving me the sensation of feeling like my lips are getting dried, my lips are still sensitive enough that they get a tad drier after wearing them. The various colors are pretty and they stay put on the lips so that lip liner isn’t technically necessary. However, I recognize that this isn’t the right formula for my skin type nor preferences. The Luxurious Lucent line is though.

Enhance and Define Lip Pencil in Sorcery

Sorcery’s Lip Pencil is a bit lighter than the lipstick, which is an interesting choice. This comes from the Enhance and Define line, as opposed to the newer Sculpt & Shade lip pencils. I have to say that I had such a hard time sharpening this one. My Nars sharpener, which hasn’t given me issues with any other pencil, nearly destroyed this one. It constantly kept making sharp edges and never smoothed out no matter what I tried. In order for this pencil to be usable to me, I had to buy the Charlotte Tilbury sharpener. I was happy that I could finally sharpen this thing properly. Of course, I had no idea that a mere few weeks after buying the CT sharpener, the brand would release a new line of pencils that come with a sharpener. I can confirm that the Lisa Eldridge sharpener does also work for the pencils in this line. Thank goodness!

I like the way this pencil glides smoothly around my lips, but then quickly becomes budgeproof and waterproof. The sharpening problem really turned me off to this product because it was unusable for so long. However, I now like it enough again that I considered buying more. The main reason I don’t is because I prefer my Coloured Raine lip pencils and would rather save the money for something else from the brand that’s more unique of a product. It’s easy to get a nice lip liner from plenty of companies.

Sculpt & Shade Lip Pencil in 3W

My, how things can change in a matter of weeks! In the previous paragraph, I said I would hold off on buying more lip pencils from the brand, but here I am updating this post! So, I purchased this right after watching Lisa’s YouTube video showcasing the Baume Embraces. I figured, let’s just put this curiosity to bed.

I had assumed the formula between this pencil and the previous line of pencils were different based on the Sculpt and Shade pencils looking like standard wood ones and coming with a sharpener versus the Enhance and Define having a gel formula. I can say now that this one feels less dry on the lips and I can achieve a blurred soft-matte look to my lips, but it’s not budgeproof. I had it on for about fifteen minutes and then rubbed my finger across it. Even though it didn’t completely wipe away, it still smeared. It’s a formula that can survive even through eating one meal, but it’s more prone to being moved around than the Enhance & Define ones due to it’s more moisturizing formula. When I did a swatch comparison on my arm to test how easy or not they stay put, the Enhance & Define swatch was way more difficult to remove even with Micellar water.

Having tried both lines, I like how well the Sculpt and Shade pencils blend into other lip colors and I like the natural tones, but I prefer the spreading ease and smudge-resistant nature of the Enhance & Define Lip Pencils instead. However, if I want to fill in my lips completely before adding another lip product on top, the Sculpt and Shade formula is kinder to my dry lips. I can use them both, but if I had to only choose one, it would be the Enhance & Define.

Luxuriously Lucent Lip Colour in Meet Me in Berlin, Spirited Away, and Painterly

This is one of my favorite lip lines from Lisa Eldridge and the one I’m constantly tempted to purchase more of! For starters, it’s moisturizing. It feels good on the lips. I like shiny/satin lipsticks, so the finish is right up my alley. It’s not that I’m interested in sheer lipsticks per say. I like the kind that deposit color that soak into my lips and doesn’t have the color sitting on top of my lips. It’s hard to explain. It’s as if I applied a lip stain to my lips that got soaked up, but then added a shiny balm on top. Normal lip stains or tints dry out my lips too much though, which is why some semi-sheer/buildable color lipsticks are what I prefer to use to achieve this type of look. Often times, if something is colorful with a balmy texture, it has trouble showing enough of that color on naturally more pigmented lips like mine. There usually isn’t enough color in the balm itself. With the Luxuriously Lucent Lip Colours, they’re pigmented enough to look like separate distinct shades on my lips with some of my natural color peeking under. It’s the “your lips but better” type of situation on me. And though it’s emollient, it isn’t so much that it smears everywhere. There’s still a little grip to it on the lips.
They remind me of the Urban Decay Vice Lipsticks in the sheer formula I used to be crazy about before they were discontinued.

I should note that after about five hours, it loses most of its shine and then starts to feel a bit drier from then onward, but it’s still comfortable to wear. It goes from looking like a strongly colored balm to a traditional creamy lipstick finish.

I’m continually tempted to buy the shade Rose Official to complete my collection (out of what’s currently available), but I fear it might be too similar to Spirited Away on me. Plus, I’d like to get more use out of the three I currently have, so I’m holding off.

Gloss Embrace Lip Gloss in Rain and Blush

The two shades I purchased have been categorized as “light natural pigment level,” which explains why they look so similar just with different undertones. There are currently six glosses that have stronger opacity levels than mine.
I purchased Blush first, but realized that a shade with a warmer undertone would look more flattering on me, which is why I purchased Rain.

These live up to the claim of being nourishing, as it’s a bit like a makeup-lip care hybrid or a lip oil and gloss hybrid. It leaves a sealed hydration effect on the lips, even after the top layer of the gloss is gone. They’re not super sticky, but they aren’t all that lightweight either. I don’t forget that I’m wearing it while it’s on. I reviewed one of these before in December of 2022, and since that time I have found colorful glosses that are slightly more conditioning (like Suqqu’s Treatment Wrapping Lip and Too Faced’s Hangover Pillow Balms) or both conditioning and glossier, such as the Ami Colé Lip Treatment Oil. The Ami Colé ones specifically are why I stopped buying the Gloss Embrace, but I can at least vouch for these being nice and that I still use them from time to time.

Baume Embrace Melting Lip Colour in Sweet Fig and Red Curve

And now for the newest release! As I mentioned in the Luxuriously Lucent Lip Section, I like having color on my lips if I can still get moisturizing benefits and have not be fussy with the color sliding all around. Tinted balms usually don’t have enough pigment in them to show up as a different color on my lips, so I was extremely curious to try out this formula. Lip care is even more important to me than showing color because of how sensitive my lips are to drying out. I sometimes use the Lisa Eldridge Treatment Cleanser as a mask for my lips, and have wished I could keep that product on my lips for an extended amount of time (it doesn’t cling to well enough to be able to wear it like Vaseline or something). Considering this product has Meadowfoam Seed Oil that’s also used in the cleanser, plus different butters that work fairly well for my lips, I was too impatient to wait for reviews and felt compelled to buy them right away.

I wore these every day for a week, and I’m quite pleased! I bought Sweet Fig to have as a “my lips but better” option, which turned out exactly as I hoped. I rarely wear a bold red lip, and the ability to have the barest tinge of red using Red Curve was super appealing to me. I love how it looks in a light layer! When it’s built up, it’s like a warmer version of Tarte’s Maracuja Juicy Lip Balm in the shade Strawberry. They both look beautiful paired with Lisa’s lip pencils.

The consistency is even more balmy than how the Luxuriously Lucent Lip Colours feel. It’s more moisturizing, hydrating, and shinier. The shine lasts longer. The color takes a minimal amount of pursing of the lips and working it in to look smooth and even. I was impressed how nicely it looked, even in swatches, without needing to blend it by rubbing back and forth with a finger or lip brush. It’s nowhere near splotchy like Fenty’s Cream Gloss Bomb formula or Tarte’s. I am very glad that even when I wear a light layer, the product lasts on my lips until my next meal. If I wear it before bed, it is gone by morning, but at least the hydrated effects continue and I wake up with less peeling/chapped lips than usual. It’s not the most moisturizing product in my collection, but it does a great job. Plus, it’s the most color in a product I’ve been able to get on my lips without dealing with dryness that usually eventually comes with it. An even better bonus is that my husband, who hates kissing me when I’m wearing sticky or creamy lip products, admitted he didn’t mind it when I wore the Baume Embraces! He’s happy that even though it transfers, it’s sheer enough to not be noticeable on his lips, and that it’s not sticky or wet feeling (at least not in the amount I use).
If I take sips of my drink repeatedly and have only worn a light layer, or if I’m extra dehydrated, I have to pack on many more layers for it to last a long time before requiring a normal amount to reapply with.

These balms don’t contain fragrance, but the ingredients used have their own natural smell which is mild and pleasant (light Shea Butter smell plus the tiniest bit fruity).*

*UPDATE DECEMBER 12, 2024: I just wanted to include the note that five months after I started using these, the nice natural scent turned into a “makeupy” smell. It smells like a waxy lipstick, which is not as pleasant as before, but I try to ignore it because of how much I like the formula.

The components of the balms are longer, but skinnier, and contain a little less product than the normal lipstick tubes. It closes with a click instead of magnets. Some people don’t like this change, but I theorize that the tradeoff for having a slightly less expensive tube is getting the more skincare-rich lip product. Skincare formulas tend to be more costly than makeup formulas. I imagine adding more skincare to the line, for nearly the same price, required cutting packaging costs. The metallic gold still feels substantial and not cheap, so I don’t mind the change. I can’t pretend it’s not still expensive for a balm though. In my case, with my lips being so temperamental, I don’t regret these purchases at all. Once the brand expands the range, I might be in trouble wanting to buy them all!

I held off on posting this review not only to include the newest purchases, but also because I heard of a product that’s supposed to be very similar to these Baume Embraces. However, they didn’t arrive until two and a half days ago, so I need more time to test them. From the first impression, they’re not a close enough dupe. So, I decided to save that comparison for another time.

My holy grail lip product right now are the Ami Cole lip oils. They condition my lips better than these balms, but this is still a good product and one I will use a lot more since my hubby prefers these. That doesn’t mean I will stop using the Ami Cole product, just that the Lisa Eldridge balm is a nice compromise if I don’t want to wipe off my lip product before I see him.

I feel it’s too soon to decide if I like the Baume Embraces more than the Luxuriously Lucent Lip Colours. I can at least say this is a favorite from the brand. It feels like the answer to me wanting a more moisturizing version of a Lucent, and with more control in building up the color as well!

It has long been debated whether high end and luxury lipsticks are worth buying over drugstore options. I believe that the packaging (in color, weight, magnetic closure, etc), bespoke components (like the lipstick bullet designs), and ingredients justify the prices of these lipsticks, balms, and glosses. I’m not as certain about the lip pencils though.

It’s no surprise that the Luxuriously Lucent Lip Colours and Baume Embraces are my favorites, but I believe everything from Lisa Eldridge’s line has objectively good quality and performance. It’s just a question of whether the brand carries something that suits your particular needs and that can’t be found elsewhere. Only you can answer that one!

By now, there is only one Lisa Eldridge lip formula I haven’t tried: Insanely Saturated Lip Colours. I don’t believe this line is intended for me, so I have continued to skip it.

Thank you for reading!

-Lili ❤

Oden’s Eye Palette Ranking

Posted on June 10, 2024 by ghekate

Not pictured above, but will be included in the rankings, is the Stone and Rock Palette.

I unofficially started an eyeshadow ranking series for the brands whose palettes I own the most of in my collection. So far, I’ve done this with Pat Mcgrath Labs and Huda Beauty. Today, we’ll be doing it with one of my top ten favorite eyeshadow brands: Oden’s Eye.

From Best to “Worst” the ranking is as follows:

Each of the thirteen above (excluding #11) are linked to their previous reviews. I did many eyeshadow looks already, so anyone looking for that kind of inspiration specifically can click there.

I’d also like to note that even though there has to be something that falls in the worst category, the quality of these palettes is so good that I don’t hate any of them. #13 is there purely for preference reasons, and if I had to assign a grade for #12 in the USA grading system, it would be within the B- range, which is still quite good.

Disclosure: I am not affiliated with this brand/company. All opinions are my own and every palette was purchased by me with my own money. The links in this specific post are regular non-affiliated ones.

Top Three

I mentioned in my October 2022 low buy series what my top four were, and my thoughts haven’t changed. For a while, numbers one and two were nearly tied, but by now I have solidified my opinion on how they rate for me.

Merry Christmas Palette (Original Release Holiday 2022)

Because I typically use this palette in conjunction with Clionadh singles, I didn’t have many eye looks showcasing using this palette by itself, so I decided to add some here.

Looking at the state of my palette, it’s clear that I reach for specific shades mainly: the entire first row, Snow Man, Best Wish, Little Star, Gingerbread, Happy Ending, and Santa Star. The greens, duochromes, and neutrals in here allow me to create some of my all time favorite looks. Colors like Best Wish aren’t prevalent in my collection, so I have some unique options, and the palette layout’s color combinations inspire me. In addition, this is the brand’s best quality with no duds. The number of times the brand had to bring this and the Christmas Eve palette back is a testament to how good they are and why they’re so sought after.

In the purple eye look photo, you’ll notice I have a purple matte in the crease that I created using a blue and red shadow. That’s one of the things I love about Oden’s Eye, that their shadows are so blendable and layer well with each other, that I can do certain tricks to get even more use out of this palette. I really can’t stress enough how much this palette inspires me and how often I think about using it, even while testing other palettes and wishing I could incorporate some of the shades into whatever eye look I’m creating at the time.

I don’t think I ever want to have to rank my entire eyeshadow collection, but I know that if I did, this palette would place within the top ten. I don’t know where exactly it would fall on that list, but it would be somewhere among the cream of the crop!

Red Dragon (Legendary Diversa Group 1 Round 1 w/Judy)

Considering the number of beautiful greens, neutrals, and specialness of the duochromes that make up this palette, it’s no surprise why this was such a close contender for first place. I don’t care so much for Fire or Dragon, but everything else is a color I continually reach into this palette for. I’m a colorful eyeshadow lover at heart, and this palette gives me soft and more toned down colors than the Merry Christmas palette, which is why it took second place. It’s my dream version of a neutral palette, but slightly less inspiring. I can name a lot of other neutral palettes (or neutral palettes with pops of color) that I love, so it’s the shimmers in particular that helps this one stand out from the pack. Solar Flare is a particularly stunning shadow, and I really like Luna as well.

The quality is once again top notch. It’s not a perfectly performing palette since Aurora is still hard to layer with the other shadows and if I don’t want the look to be too soft, it takes some time building up the mid-tone shades. However, softness is a preference thing which could make the palette closer to perfection for someone else than it was for me.

The Urd Mini Palette (Norn’s Collection)

Following the theme, I love greens and I like having a neutral shade in the crease or to deepen up/add smokiness to the look (which is fulfilled by Past). This is why this palette is in third place. I love the shimmer level of Luxury and the tone of that dark green. Nostalgia is the kind of murky green I like, similar to Matcha Cookies in the Merry Christmas Palette and Jade from Red Dragon. I’m not usually one who likes pastels, but Memory works well. I rarely use the shades in the center, but they are additional options.
At one point, this was my most used Oden’s Eye palette that I enjoyed bringing along while traveling. This was my ultimate small mini green palette for years until it got upstaged by the Natasha Denona Mini Gold palette. Since I got Mini Gold, I rarely use Urd anymore.

Because I can technically get a similar look from the two previously discussed Oden’s Eye palettes, and those other ones have extra shade options, I had to rank them higher. Also, the quality of Urd is very good considering this is technically the brand’s “older” formula. Their newer formula is a bit softer and a touch easier to blend.

Christmas Eve (Original Release Holiday 2022)

At first glance, this doesn’t look like the kind of palette I should like because of the number of cool toned shadows, especially the blues. However, something about the arrangement of the colors is very inspiring. It still has a green and some neutrals to appeal to me, but it also has those stunning golds and purples. This is the palette I think of in the rare instance that I actually want to incorporate some blue into my looks because I’m more likely to use deep blue or duochromatic ones, both of which this palette has to offer. When I feel like I’m wearing too much of the same look, I have this palette to break me out of that.

Again, the quality of this and the Merry Christmas palette have yet to be topped by any other Oden’s Eye palette. This is why, despite it not being my usual preference in colors, it deserves to be in the highest percentile for the quality. Because I use the Natasha Denona Mini Gold palette more than the Urd palette, it left room for Christmas Eve to be more used by now than Urd!

Norn’s (Norn’s Collection)

This is a bit nostalgic because it’s the color story that enticed me to try Oden’s Eye products in the first place. It’s no surprise that I like it considering the whole bottom row of duochromes, it having Pink Chameleon as a multichrome, there being greens, purples, and neutrals. It has so much of what I love, which is ironically a partial hindrance. It’s easy enough to mix colors with neutrals, but if I want to use two different color families or a two-tone look, these colors don’t all go together. I’ve done blue-purple looks and red-orange looks, which sound like they should work, but I didn’t like how they turned out. In addition, even though there are many colors I like, if I want to do a monochrome look there aren’t enough purples to complete it the way I would want it to look (unless I do some mixing like the photos seen below). For my green looks, I’m missing a midtone green shade. As sparkly and pretty as Amber Palace is, I’d prefer a smoother and less flaky gold shadow so I could use it in my inner corner. So, I love the colors and it’s a good quality palette, but it is a bit challenging to think up cohesive looks in the beginning. By now, I’ve used it enough times that I have my go-to looks for this palette.

Also, even though it doesn’t look the most used, it’s simply a matter of needing to test other palettes and being unable to use this more due to time restraints. This is not a palette I’ve ever forgotten and at least every few months I say to myself, “I should use Norn’s again.” For all these reasons, it had to rank highly.
I even bought the updated formula so I could have it here when I moved! That’s why I chose to do eye looks below in order to test the quality and make sure that I liked it as much as the old one, if not better. Thankfully, it is a little bit of an upgrade, though Outsider is still not the easiest to blend.

Hela (Oden’s Eye x Angelica Nyqvist Round 1)

This palette has greens, but they lean a lot more yellow or blue toned than standard greens, which makes them less my preference. However, they’re still pretty. Goddess is a shade I rarely use, but in combination with the other shades, I’ve been able to make some really pretty looks. This color story makes me think partly outside the box and partly within my comfort zone, which I can at times appreciate. Angie intended for Hela to benefit both color and neutral lover’s alike, and I think she succeeded in that. It explains why this palette appeals to me so much, though I can get intimidated by the color story and sometimes don’t want to rise to the challenge in coming up with a look. The quality is fantastic, but because it’s 50/50 whether I want to use this palette or reach for another one instead, it’s place in the middle of the pack seems about right.

Hummingbird (Legendary Diversa Group 1 Round 1 w/Tina)

Visually, this palette stands out the most and is what I consider the “fun” one. It’s colorful and tropical with that beautiful multichrome called Fancy. I don’t choose this palette as often as the others because a fourth of these shades are blues, which I rarely use, and I don’t like how the Star Apple shade is formulated and looks on my eyes. It’s the only eyeshadow that is time consuming to blend, whereas all the other shades are really great quality. While I appreciate the vibrancy of the shadows, it’s hard for me to use this as a standalone palette. This is a major factor as to how I like it so much, and why I recall it so fondly in my memory, yet it still managed to rank at 7th place. I think a palette like this is useful to have in one’s collection, even as a companion palette. However, if I’m ranking things based on each palette’s own merits, I can’t position it any higher.

Giant Wolves (Legendary Diversa Group 1 Round 1 w/Annette)

To this day, I still have mixed feelings about this palette. The quality is fantastic, minus Hati which was the shade that needed to be repressed because it was impossible to get product out of that pan. This color story is appealing to me visually, but not as much to actually use. I’ve been able to make interesting and pretty looks in the past, but they’re a bit edgier than I’m into now. The top row and Desolate are the main reasons I reach for this palette, but I just keep using Merry Christmas or Red Dragon’s greens instead and forget I also have green options in this one. If I want a bright pink, I reach for the Hela palette instead of Ablaze. I don’t want those blues in the bottom row and I have plenty of grungy greens like Antipode by now.

The first four shades in this palette are similar to what’s in the Stone and Rock palette, but I can at least say I’d choose to use Giant Wolves’ version over Stone and Rock. I still like Desolate more than Cheer, and Sköll is like a way more exciting version of Splendid as a deep plummy blue-purple duochrome rather than dark gunmetal.
So, although this palette is a little less unique, it’s still different enough to be worth keeping. I don’t think I’ll be getting much more use out of the palette, but I’m not ready to give up on it just yet.

Flora Story (Legendary Diversa Group 2 Round 1 w/Amanda)

The eyeshadows in this palette feel a little different from the brands other eyeshadow formulas I’m used to, and this could be at the request of Amanda/MakeupJustForFun who Oden’s Eye collaborated with on this palette. I discussed this palette and each shade at great length in the original review. To sum it up, this palette is full of soft tones that are still pigmented. The textures are a bit different, the two matte greens look similar on my eyes, and Orchid isn’t formulated in the way that I’d like in terms of how it appears on the eyes.

As I started working on this blog draft, I realized that the eye looks I created in the Merry Christmas palette are just a warmer version of the looks I created for my Flora Story review. One of the things I praised this palette for in the past is that it added something different to my Oden’s Eye collection, but since I figured out how to recreate those looks, it dropped down to 9th place. I also would have said I’d keep reaching for this palette in the future, but I have my doubts now. I don’t think I’ll be bringing it back to Germany with me.

Trick or Treat (Oden’s Eye x Angelica Nyqvist Round 2)

This is a nice performing palette, even better quality (in my opinion) than the Flora Story palette. The only reason it’s ranking this low is because the colors I like in here are close to some of the shades in the Merry Christmas palette, but in the tones I prefer less. Because I have the Merry Christmas palette in a color scheme more my style, I will reach for that over this one every single time which makes this almost pointless to have in my collection. Admittedly, I wanted it for the palette artwork on the cover, plus to support Angie after certain individuals were being unnecessarily mean rather than constructive about this holiday release. I won’t get into it here as I harped on it quite a bit in my original review. There are some pretty shades in here, but I’m more confused rather than inspired by this color story. Since I prefer the Merry Christmas palette, I don’t see myself using this again unless something happens to my Luxury shade from the Urd palette. Then Crypt Keeper could be a substitute.

Stone and Rock Palette

There are so many Oden’s Eye palettes with phenomenal greens in them, which is why I only allowed myself to purchase this one if it went on sale during Black Friday (which it did and so I had it shipped to Germany). I thought that this would become my go-to green palette, but once I saw how they looked on my skin, I realized these aren’t the tones of greens that I love.
Madness, Exuberance, and High Spirits are right up my alley. I still have to build up Madness quite a bit for it to be visible though. Cheer, Dreamland, and Frenzy make a nice combination as they share a blue undertone, but as I mentioned countless times that isn’t my preference. Frenzy needed to be applied damp in order to get on my eyes smoothly, and Cheer is a dark blue-green that’s easy to blend unlike Outsider from the Norn’s palette. Jubilance is pretty, but blends in too much with my skin tone. Gleefulness is beautiful in tone, but it’s not my favorite to use because it’s so flaky (and strangely wet feeling in the pan compared to the other shimmers). Passion is slightly smoother, but still a little flaky. Cheerfulness looks light green in the pan, but the tone is more blue than I expected! It’s a smooth shimmer, but with some shimmer particles that are randomly bigger than the others. I didn’t need to apply Cheerfulness or Lightheartedness damp, nor High Spirits which was bound to be different since it’s a multichrome. High Spirits is truly smooth in texture and reminds me of Clionadh’s Jeweled Lite multichromes (based on photos online). Splendid is more like a traditional shimmer. It’s not as fine in shimmer as High Spirits, but it’s not flaky like most of the others.
All of these shimmers have the amount of sparkle I like, but the downside for me is that they’re sheer. I can see my skin from beneath them unless I put a matte shade on the lid first. I tend to not like shimmer topper eyeshadows, and though these aren’t technically “toppers,” they’re still less opaque than I want. I also don’t get a strong enough green tone in them, considering this is a green palette, unless I put High Spirits on top.

I like that there are neutrals in here and a gradient of options from light, medium, to dark. That makes it a cohesive palette. This palette leans more cool than warm, which is not my favorite choice, but I’m sure many people would love that aspect. Elevated works nicely as a deepening shade, which I prefer over Passage. Black shadows can be tricky to find a balance between making an impact, but being buildable so it doesn’t immediately overpower a look. Passage isn’t the best, but it’s not the worst either.

Since this palette is said to be “richly pigmented” but also can be “…soft and natural,” I’m going to assume the sheerer shimmers was an intentional choice and not a downgrade in quality. The overall performance is pretty good, but I couldn’t help feeling disappointed by my own mistake of not realizing this color story of greens is intended for cool toned green lovers and not me. Among my entire eyeshadow collection, this would probably fall in the middle. It’s only because there’s such tough competition among the Oden’s Eye offerings that it landed this far down.

The Bottom Two

Solmane II is an admittedly very pretty color story. The pastels work well for me, which isn’t easy to accomplish on those with dark skin. However, I’m still not the biggest fan of wearing blues on my eyes, so the entire first row is a miss for me. The darkest shades in this palette are a little harder to blend than the usual Oden’s Eye quality I’m used to, but they get a passing grade. I like warm purples rather than cool purples, so even the middle row isn’t my favorite. Ironically, the oranges are my favorite aspect of this palette. It’s ironic because Oden’s Eye tends to do too straightforward of oranges for my taste, without much nuance, yet this is the palette in which I think they did oranges better. So, because the quality is alright (rather than fantastic) and the color story isn’t fully my preference, this is why it’s nearly last in my collection. I still don’t think it’s a bad palette, and if someone wanted to buy it, I wouldn’t dissuade them. I’ve certainly had worse from other brands. This one just isn’t for me and I don’t plan to use it again.

Cat’s Breath is in the bottom because I just cannot get myself to use this palette! I’ve only done a few looks with it and didn’t even complete a wear test because I didn’t like how they turned out. We’ve got the blue, a pastel, light cool toned silvery shimmers, and a standard orange: all things I dislike for eyeshadow colors. White Peach and Cat Hair are the only two colors I like, but Cat Hair is a tone of brown that doesn’t show on my eyelids. So, I haven’t been motivated to give this a thorough testing despite owning it for well over a year by now. I just wanted it for the adorable art design. This palette is also in Oden’s Eye’s older formula. It’s discontinued, so I especially don’t feel a reason to properly test this palette. It’s a collection piece and nothing more, which is why I had to mark it last.

And that is the end of this ranking post! If I was forced to do some spring cleaning, I would keep everything in the top 8 and declutter the rest. Of those at the top, I still need to bring over Hela, Hummingbird, and Giant Wolves. If it wasn’t for the baggage weight limit, Hela at the very least would come with me in the move.

Thank you for reading!

-Lili ❤

Dior Forever Glow Star Filter and Glow Maximizer Review

Posted on June 3, 2024 by ghekate

Charlotte Tilbury was ahead of its time in popularizing the concept to everyday makeup wearers that specific types of liquid highlighters could also be used as glowy primers, used alone or mixed with foundation, etc. Dupes have been released since then, but in 2023 and onward there was a boom of launches from seemingly every brand trying to make their version of the Hollywood Flawless Filter. Since I don’t use liquid highlighters enough, I professed in past reviews that I would not purchase anymore of these types of products. However, my skin became excessively drier since moving to Germany from Florida. Foundations that would normally give me a natural or slightly glowy finish were suddenly looking matte on me and staying that way all day. I want a product that gives a healthy shine to my skin so that I look less dry. Considering how much I’ve grown to enjoy Dior products, I decided to give the Forever Glow Star Filter a try when it was conveniently on sale on the Douglas website. I had a sample of the Glow Maximizer from a previous Dior order, so I’m including a review of that here as well.

The Star Filter color I purchased is 5N. This shade is a tad darker than my natural skin tone, and a little warmer, but it’s the closest match I have. I’m always in-between shades with Dior’s complexion products. 4.5W that I tried in the older formulation of the Backstage Face and Body Foundation was very much too light. I’m even between shades in their bronzer range (7 and 8) as well as powder (4 and 5). So, I always just settle for the closest one.

As seen in the picture above, no shimmer particles are visible on the skin under natural light. It just looks like it has a sheen, which is my ideal outcome. Under warm light, it has a natural, yet slightly shimmery look to it. Under white light, the shimmer is much more evident by comparison, but still quite refined. I would prefer if it looked dewy rather than shimmery in every kind of light, but I’ll take what I can get. So far so good!

*Cloudy moment in front of the window versus some sun shining through.* *The Star Filter is the only makeup worn in both photos.*

I tried this on bare skin just in the highlighter spots. Because of the shade option, it has a slightly dark cast when viewed at angles not hitting a light source, but I don’t plan to wear this without any other makeup anyway. I just wanted to see and show how this product looks in the most minimal makeup situation and test if it dries down, which it does.

The next thing I wanted to see was how it would look if used alone (one the side of the face with the yellow arrow in the photos above) versus the other half that was devoid of any foundation. The darker color was apparent. I used a small amount when taking the photo, so it didn’t look as glowy as I’ve seen it can get when more than one pump is used. It gives light coverage, which was still more pigment than I was expecting. Although it looks pretty when used this way, it’s a bit much for what I’m trying to achieve. I want specific areas to look radiant and healthy, not for every inch to look shiny as though from sweat.

When testing how this product looks as a primer underneath foundation, I chose to pair it with the Hourglass foundation because that one notoriously looks dry and unappealing in the beginning, but looks much better after several or more hours when my natural oils start producing and mixing together with it. I wanted to see if the Dior Star Filter would help me look radiant from the very start and not have to wait 2-5+ hours.
Well, I could see tiny mica particles still underneath, but the foundation took the actual glow away when used on top of the Star Filter. It still looked better and less dry, but I suspected it wasn’t a necessary step, and that I could achieve what I wanted without using it all over the face, just in specific spots.

Adding the Star Filter back on top of the foundation in the typical highlighting spots confirmed again that it’s a little too dark on me. The shimmer itself isn’t too dark, just the base pigment used. From the frontal profile view, it looks a bit like a bruise on the other side of my cheek that didn’t have the Star Filter as primer under foundation, just as a highlighter over foundation. From the side profile view, as seen in the left photo below, that cast isn’t visible because light is hitting that spot and reflecting to make it look lighter. I could try mixing the foundation and Star Filter together to lighten the base color, but there’s too much coverage in both products, so I’d get a better color at the expense of diluting the glow. It would likely give me the same effect as the primer under foundation, which is not the finish I want.

Additional testing days confirmed that I could use this product as a liquid highlighter to make my skin look glowier, without putting it everywhere. However, I also realized my concealer placement was crucial because of the color depth differences and different finishes. Because my concealer is matte and the product looks shimmery, the spot where they met looked a bit harsh. So, I learned that I should add a little bit more concealer back on top to help blend the two products into each other.

I also felt that it looked better if I placed my blush on after using the Star Filter as highlighter instead of using it in the order I usually do (bronzer, blush, then highlight last). This way, the matte blush would have more of a blended gradient between the matte zone and where it turns dewy looking. I’m very glad this product dries down and can be applied with fingers or a brush (I didn’t test it with a sponge) and it blends in just fine and doesn’t disturb my makeup underneath (not even the KVD Concealer that usually breaks down quickly if other products get on it). So, as long as I wear blush and get creative with the placement of adding complexion products sparingly around the edges, the slightly darker base color isn’t as much of an issue. This product also works just fine when I add a powder highlighter on top of it, and helps hide the darker color even more.

Texture is emphasized a little bit more, but not as intensely as most other highlighters would make it.

I’ve done multiple wear tests, with one such example seen below. In that picture, at the five hour mark after sweating a lot from doing housework, the glow was just absolutely more than I wanted. It was very sweat apparent on the side where the Star Filter was used also as primer. On the other side, I was a bit less glowy. However, I didn’t mind how it looked in the areas that I used the Star Filter. The parts that had too much were from the foundation itself.

*I fused two different pictures together with light shining on each side so it would be a fairer comparison.*

Dior versus Charlotte Tilbury

*Shade 5N from Dior compared to 6.5 from Charlotte Tilbury*

I still had my mini of the Hollywood Flawless Filter in the US, but I decided to order another mini here, just to make sure my comparisons of the two were accurate. It’s a good thing I did because this was not how I remembered! For some reason, the facts got morphed in my head thinking that the Charlotte Tilbury product had a slightly metallic sheen. This is not the case! The Auric Glow Lust that I reviewed at the same time HERE is the one that had a pearly/almost metallic kind of shine. In fact, the CT product is the one that looks dewy and wet rather than shimmery. This is more of what I wanted, except that it’s too much in that direction. It’s easy with this product to overdo it and look greasy instead of glowy. In addition, the Charlotte Tilbury product dries down 70-90% depending on what products are used underneath like a dewy primer or later in the day after the foundation breaks down a little and natural oils are produced. It’s also more transfer prone than the Dior Star Filter. The Dior product sets from 90% to fully dried down on my skin with little to no transfer. This is at least how it stands based on the various combinations of products I’ve tried. It is possible that the performance could worsen in a more humid climate, in hotter temperature weather, and when using other products.

The photo above shows how I used the Charlotte Tilbury Hollywood Flawless Filter on my nose and the top of my cheekbones sparingly. I do like how it looks. Ultimately though, I prefer something that sets more. This is why I stopped using the CT product, whereas I like Dior’s and will keep using this one when I want to look less dry.

A few other things to mention is that like everything I own from Dior, the Star Filter has the signature Dior scent that smells slightly powdery, floral, and soapy. I use so little product that I usually can’t smell it in the air or when it’s on my skin. Charlotte’s just smells like makeup.
The textures of both products are similar in the sense that neither one is a runny liquid. They have the consistency of acrylic paint, except that CT’s feels like it has more slip to it. The times that I’ve applied these with my fingers, Dior’s felt like applying a normal liquid foundation whereas CT’s felt like applying a cream-gel hybrid moisturizer.

For curiosity’s sake, I mixed a little of the Star Filter with a bigger portion of the Flawless Filter to see if I could lighten the 5n color that way. It worked, but it took on too much of the Flawless Filter’s consistency and remained partly dewy to the touch (though with less transfer). So, I still prefer to use Dior’s Star Filter by itself so it can set down. As long as I wear a blush with Dior’s product, the slightly darker and warmer color isn’t as much of an issue because the shimmer itself is light enough.

Dior Forever Glow Maximizer (Sample)

This product reminds me of the Star Filter in the consistency of the liquid, how it feels on the skin, how long it takes to set, and how well it blends into the skin. Where it differs is that this has more of a metallic look to it rather than the shimmer-sheen. The shade Rosy looks a bit strange to use as a highlighter on my skin tone, but it works if I pair it with a red blush like MAC’s Desert Rose or even Dior’s Rosy Glow Blush in Bronzed Glow. Rosy is also dark enough to use by itself as a shimmery blush shade, as seen in the photos above where I am not wearing another blush or highlighter with it (just bronzer).

Since I just have the sample, I’ve been limited in the amount of times I could test it (four times before this review). However, I can at least confirm that it’s similar to the Star Filter. For my own preferences and what I’m looking for (dewy looking and less like an obvious liquid highlighter), the Star Filter is a better product for me. Someone wanting a more traditional liquid highlighter that can be sheered out or used in a more impactful way that also fully sets/dries down will likely prefer the Glow Maximizer.

That’s all for today! Due to the price, I don’t think I’ll be getting more of either product. I’m just going to make do with the 5N shade rather than trying to buy 4N and just hope it won’t have the opposite problem of too light of a cast or having to deal with mixing the shades. There’s also just so much product in these bottles, more than I could ever use up, so it would feel wasteful. Since what I own is good enough to deal with my dry looking foundation problem, I can get back to my assertion that I don’t need anymore liquid highlighters after this.

I hope you enjoyed reading this review and that you’ll pop back in next week!

-Lili ❤

Clionadh Deep Sea Treasures Palette

Posted on May 27, 2024 by ghekate

This is more of a showcase than a review because I’ve talked about Clionadh eyeshadows so many times on this blog and the quality is always consistent. These are the same performance, pigmentation, and shine I’ve come to expect from the brand.
A few things to note is that Clionadh has a few notices on their website regarding some of the shades. Kelp Forest and The Bends may cause staining. Also, S.C.U.B.A contains silver powder so, “Avoid contact with broken or abraded skin.”
It’s like one time in a thousand that I ever notice staining issues on myself from eyeshadows I’ve used (and not yet from Clionadh), but it could be because of my skintone that I don’t see it and/or that I always use primers. I figured it’s still important to relay this information.

Also, Shipwreck is the smoothest shade that I can apply directly to my eye area with my fingers. Saltwater Pearl, Fool’s Gold, and Kelp Forest are fairly smooth as well. However, S.C.U.B.A. is semi-flaky. The extremely flaky ones are The Bends, Ring of Fire, and Cephalopod, so I have to apply them with a damp brush to minimize fallout and prevent making a mess everywhere under my eyes.

Of the three eye sets above, the first set shows Saltwater Pearl whereas the second and third are The Bends in slightly different lighting.

In the picture above is Fool’s Gold and the green shade is Kelp Forest. In the picture below is Ring of Fire in the top set and Cephalopod in the bottom set. I used a matte shadow from a different brand in the crease of the Cephalopod shade.

Below is the photo of Shipwreck at various angles.

The last photos are of S.C.U.B.A.

In saying that these are the Clionadh quality I’ve come to expect, they match some of the less dramatic lines. So, these aren’t as shifty as the Jewelled Multichromes nor intense and sparkly like the Glitter-Vibrants. They’re still pretty though. I truly only wanted Fool’s Gold, Cephalopod, and Shipwreck, but couldn’t buy them separately. Perhaps in the future they will be released as singles.
I bought the palette on sale, but since Clionadh (at this time) doesn’t collect VAT, I was hit with a surprise 19 Euro fee that was demanded of me upon delivery to Germany, making the total more expensive than if I made the purchase to the US at full price. Thankfully my husband was home early from work because I didn’t understand what the DHL worker was asking, why he kept trying to walk away with my package, and that my husband had the exact amount in cash (the man refused to offer change back). I was still new to the whole VAT and international shipping thing, so for anyone in a similar situation, just know that there could be issues buying outside of the US and Canada.

That’s all for today! Thanks for checking this out! I hope this helps!

-Lili ❤

Guerlain Météorites for Spring 2024

Posted on May 20, 2024 by ghekate

Ever since getting my 2015 Guerlain Météorites, I’ve been searching for some that aren’t as old to replace it. Unfortunately, no others from Guerlain have been able to fill that void. This brings me to the reason I purchased their newest Météorites, in yet another attempt to find something identical.

Well, this has certainly been the closest I’ve come! The older Météorites have an intense violet scent, whereas these new ones have been tweaked to smell of violets, sandalwood, vanilla, and musk at the same strongly lingering intensity. I prefer the original, though the new one is still okay. I don’t detect any of the vanilla, but the woody note mixed with violets is very present. Since they changed the scent anyway, I wish they toned it down so I wouldn’t smell it for so long while wearing it on my face and so the scent wouldn’t remain in my brushes either.

As for the color, Amber is subtle on my skin tone. I think going a shade lighter would have had the unfortunate effect of the pearls looking too cool for my warm undertone, and therefore ashy. The permanent Météorites have always been subtle, but my limited edition one had extra shimmer, which is the only thing I’m missing from these new ones. So, rather than using it as a highlighter, I can actually use these all over the face as intended as a finishing powder. When I think about it, I shouldn’t be searching anymore for subtle highlighters since I already have plenty I love.

When I use these Météorites, they’re impossible to detect on my camera when I take photos. I can see the slightest effect in person, and it’s pretty, but I actually prefer the sheen I get from using the Dior Powder No Powder over this one. So, once again, I think it’s time to end my search. I have other products by now that do the two functions I want, albeit separately, but have an even prettier effect than using the Guerlain product alone.

Considering this stunning packaging and having a layerable product, it’s still worth it for me to keep for the time being. However, I’m not sure that it would necessarily be worth it to others. I think perhaps this is just best for luxury lovers and not those who prioritize performance of makeup over everything else.

That’s all for today! Thank you for reading!

-Lili ❤

The only digital edits in the photos were to blur the background and remove moles which can be distracting for review purposes. The lighting in the first photo was the result of artificial light overpowering the natural light that was lacking during a cloudy and rainy day. I kept that one in this review since the tiniest of the meteorite particles were slightly more visible.

Lili's Beauty Blog

Swatches, Reviews, and Articles Revolving Around the Cosmetics Industry

Author Archives: ghekate

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Dior Forever Glow Star Filter and Glow Maximizer Review

Clionadh Deep Sea Treasures Palette

Guerlain Météorites for Spring 2024

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