Category Archives: Blush

Dior Backstage Rosy Glow Stick Blush Review

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

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

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

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

The Reformulation History

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

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

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

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

The Performance

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

The Packaging

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

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

Comparisons

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

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

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

Ordering Process

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

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

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


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

Dior Backstage Rosy Glow Blush in 077 Candy

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

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

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

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

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

-Lili ❤

Charlotte Tilbury Soulmates Face Palette

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

-Lili ❤

Singe Beauty Evocative Blushes Review

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For the last several years, blush has been my #1 favorite category of makeup to purchase and wear. I have a similar taste in blushes as Angeschka Nyqvist, especially when it comes to shimmery ones, so it made sense for me to try some from her own brand. There are currently four shades in the range. I have three, but I did not buy Riveting Rhubarb under the assumption that it won’t be as flattering on my skintone as the others.

DISCLAIMER: I purchased all of these products with my own money. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Singe Beauty Evocative Silk Blushes in Timid Tomato, Risky Raisin, and Persistent Persimmon

These blushes are pressed firmly enough to maintain the shape of that embossing, but they are loose enough to be easily picked up with any brush I own, whether they’re a delicate natural hair brush or a sturdier synthetic type. I get kickup in the pan, but it’s an acceptable amount most of the time. I got it on my clothes once from a brush that picked up a bit too much!

To the touch, these powders are soft and have a slightly silky feel to them. It’s difficult to see shimmer on the surface in normal lighting. The blush has to have light shining directly onto it to spot it easily. This makes me happy because when I say I want a shimmery blush, I don’t really wish to see large individual shimmer particles. I just want a sheen, or an ultra refined reflect to make my skin have a bit of glow to it. I’m not looking for a highlight-blush hybrid, so I’m pleased with the way these blushes are.

They are all quite pigmented. I prefer to use a medium density brush or one that is on the light side to have better control over how much I put on. It’s quite easy to get carried away and find myself saying, “slow build…gradual build…oh, gosh too much!” The blushes blend easily, especially with each other, but it still requires using a light hand. I’d rather they be pigmented over having the problem of being sheer because Timid Tomato is my favorite of these shades, but the inclusion of shimmer could have had the Nars Orgasm effect on me (that when the light hits it, the shine obscures the base color and then it looks like I just have highlighter on my cheeks instead of blush).

I have no longevity issues with this blush, as long as it’s on top of skin that is moisturized in some type of way (via skincare or foundation).

I bought the other two blushes in October 2024, but I didn’t get Persistent Persimmon until December of that same year. I kept seeing people use this blush to create a sunrise cheek type of look, which was pretty enough to make me reconsider. I knew this was too light to be a standalone color for my cheeks, but I remembered how Scott Barnes had a yellow blush in his Chic Cheek palette that could be used to add warmth to blushes if they were leaning too cool toned on someone. I’m less into matte blushes now, which is why I didn’t bother to keep that one with me, but I thought having a shimmery version could be perfect! Below are some examples of cool and/or berry blushes I don’t like as much and how Persistent Persimmon added on top turns them into a somewhat coral color that I like way more!

Besides using this shade for adding shimmer and warmth, I can partly lighten blushes that may be too dark for my liking. So, I’m happy that this turned out to be another “fixer” type of product in the same way that I use the Dior Powder No-Powder for blurring and blending or the r.e.m. beauty Interstellar Highlighter Topper to fill in the gaps of scattered effect highlighters.

I have considered the possibility that Singe’s pink blush could have the same role as Persistent Persimmon, except to cool things down, but my need for that is so rare that I don’t think it would be worth the purchase for that purpose.

As I mentioned before, these blushes look different in natural or indirect light compared to light hitting it straight on. This shade is like my version of Nars Orgasm X, but better.

Risky Raisin looks a bit close to Timid Tomato on my skin. The difference is that it’s a touch darker with some brown and is a less saturated color overall. The red tinge in Timid Tomato pops a little more.

Overall, these are nice shimmer blushes. I like them, but there are blushes in my collection that I’m crazy about. I don’t have the same level of excitement using them as I do with, for example, Dior’s Rosy Glow Blush in the shade Bronzed Glow or Benefit’s Wanderful World Blush in the shade Terra. Those two are also twice the price as the ones from Singe, so I can at least say these blushes are among the top shimmer formulas I’ve used for under $20 USD. Because of VAT, the price I paid is around 23 Euros each.

On a less important note, I’ve been spoiled by luxury packaging, but I don’t mind Singe’s cardboard packaging or the absence of a mirror. I like that these details have kept the cost down. However, I’d actually prefer if these were available as refills. I would like to keep them in one single custom magnetic palette, so I’ve considered depotting them. The only reason I haven’t is that I also like how lightweight this packaging is. All of the custom palettes currently in my possession feel heavier in their empty state than the weight of these three blushes in one hand. I still don’t have a proper makeup area (renovations are still taking place), so it’s easier for now to carry these around in their current packaging until I have a more permanent setup.

Singe Beauty F03 Brush

I’ve found Singe’s eye brushes to be useful, but not as enjoyable of an experience compared to my fude brushes. I decided they weren’t for me and assumed the face brushes would be the same. However, from one brush snob (I say this with love) to another, Tina the Fancy Face has given Singe’s face brushes a more positive review than the eye brushes. So, I assumed I would prefer them too.

This brush feels wonderful when I rub my fingers across the fibers, but it’s similar to rubbing Sokoho level goat across my cheeks. It feels nice at first, and certainly fine with the brand’s own blushes, but if I try to use a makeup product that requires additional blending time, it can irritate my cheeks a bit. My skin has admittedly gotten more sensitive with age (or perhaps I’m just so used to using ultra soft brush hair), so this won’t be a problem for everyone. I just wanted to put it out there that if you’re the type that uses mostly natural hair brushes and only loosely packed synthetic ones, you might not want to buy this brush. But I’d like to reiterate that it’s only if I have to spend a long time blending that it starts to agitate my skin.

The Singe blushes are pigmented, but I don’t have to worry about overapplying as much when it’s on my bare skin. The product looks so skin-like and I can use this specific brush in a heavy-handed way. However, when my face has a little dew to it, the application of blush with this brush can be too concentrated if I’m not careful. I have to dip the brush lightly onto the surface of the blush, tap off excess, and sweep it on first before attempting to do the full on circular buff.

Because of these two potential complications, it’s just easier for me to not reach for this brush with powder products. What it’s fantastic for are creams and liquids. The size and shape is somewhere in the middle between my holy grail Sonia G Mini Base and the Classic Base that was too big to be a multi-purpose brush for me. I have enjoyed using this brush with Glossier Cloud Paint blushes, the Chanel cream to powder (Joues Contraste Intense) blushes, the Charlotte Tilbury Unreal Skin Foundation Stick (that I use as highlighter), etc. Those are products that I pounce on and they practically blend themselves. The way this brush moves ensures I still get good color payoff without the product getting absorbed into the bristles or dispersed into too wide of an area. I will probably continue reaching for the Mini Base over this one, but the Sonia G brush is almost double the price, so perhaps the Singe F03 would be a good alternative for someone.

Because of my enjoyment of this brush, but my desire to have it in a softer hair/bristle type, I purchased the Hakuhodo G6440 from Fude Bobo’s website and it is so wonderful! It’s only for use with powders (as it’s a blue squirrel/goat mix), but I’m thrilled to have it! I got mine during Black Friday, but it was still super expensive. It might only be worth buying for people who are lovers of pom pom style of brushes.

That’s all for today! Thank you for reading and I hope this has been helpful.

-Lili ❤

Makeup So Good I Had To Buy More Pt. 3

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I’m calling this a Part 3, even though Parts 1 & 2 were solely about blushes (plus one more about the fails). This post is intended to showcase additional colors of products I’ve already reviewed before.
If this is your first time visiting my blog…welcome! Herzlich Willkommen!
I will have links to the original reviews in each section (ex: in bold blue) if you’re looking for in-depth information about each product. In a way, this particular series is for the email followers and regular visitors to get any updated information and see how additional colors look.

Chanel Joues Contraste Intense in Rose Radiant (Rouge Franc)

I was so eager to try this on, that I only took one good photo of this in new/untouched condition. Unfortunately, it was in a room with ultra warm lighting. Once I realized this, I tried very hard to color correct the picture, but I couldn’t get it to look accurate enough and had to take a new photo instead.

This is the color I wanted most all along. I just didn’t think it would show up on me until I saw how it looked on someone a little darker than me. I’m very happy with this blush and I like that its appearance is subtle. Although I still like Rouge Franc, I didn’t like it enough to put it in my Project Pan. This one, however, is included in it.

Suqqu Blurring Colour Blush in 105 Akanezome

I’m including this here because I have so many Suqqu blushes, but this is technically a new formula and Akanezome is the only color I have in the Blurring Colour Blush line.
My list of various Suqqu Collections, which consist mainly of blushes, can be found HERE.

I gave up on trying to take photos in front of the window. Time with sunlight streaming in is too limited in Germany and my pictures get washed out. The part that is important to see among the various photos is that this blush shade works for me despite how light it looks in one half of the pan. I do mostly concentrate on swirling my blush brush into the darker corner for more impact.

Suqqu’s Blurring blushes are in the same compact as the Pure Color ones and discontinued Melting Powder blushes, but they are matte black on the outside instead of shiny black.
Regarding the quality and performance, I really can’t tell a difference between the Pure Color and Blurring Blush formulas. My guess is that the Blurring Blush line just has more subdued tones, especially with the kinds of shades that are available to mix with in the compact.

YSL Make Me Blush Bold Blurring Blush in 06 Rose Haze and 83 Spicy Berry

The review containing Peachy Nude, Restless Rose, and Nocturnal Nude can be found HERE.

Because of the way Rose Haze looked on me when using the virtual try-on tool, I just couldn’t let this color go. It still looks pretty and is visible on my cheeks (even more so in person than in photos), but the light color combined with the matte finish makes this look a little less appealing on my dry skin than if it had a shimmery finish. Peachy Nude, being a little darker, doesn’t look as dry on my skin from my perspective.

Sometimes I want a light and subtle blush. It happens so infrequently though that there isn’t a reason for me to have too many of them. If I didn’t have a color like this from Sephora, Nabla, Chanel, and Pat Mcgrath already, I’d have felt more content in adding this to my collection. By now though, I do feel a twinge of regret, although the consolation is that I got it deeply discounted.

The scarcity tactic for this shade absolutely worked on me. It was the last thing I purchased from Selfridges before my Selfridges+ subscription ended. I must also admit that my discussion with Olive Unicorn Beauty about purple blushes led me down the path of wanting a higher quality and newer replacement for the singular purple blush I owned, my four year old blush called Potted from Colourpop. I have raspberry colored blushes and mauves, but Potted was my only true purple. I loved it, but the formula became less smooth over time and it’s a matte blush. Spicy Berry is a satin, which I prefer, so I bought it.

When I look at Spicy Berry up close, it looks cool toned and I could almost swear I see the faintest tiniest tinge of blue shimmer. However, when I hold it at a different angle, it looks more like a dark raspberry or deep magenta. Warm purples suit my skin better. Because my foundations are a bit golden and I discovered that orange mixed with purple or mauve turns into more of a pink color on me, I wasn’t that surprised to see how the blush shade appears on my cheeks.

All of these YSL blushes are pigmented, but Spicy Berry is extra pigmented. The photo above on the left shows how my cheek looked with just two taps of the blush onto my cheek with the rephr Koyo brush, which is a relatively airy squirrel and saikoho goat mixed brush. In the second attempt on the right, I made sure to tap just once at the top and apple of my cheeks and then switched to a clean brush to buff everything in. The result from that is exactly how I hoped this would be and it looks more like Potted this way. If I want a more visible color, I can just add Nocturnal Nude or another orange leaning blush on top because of color theory and how purples and oranges mixed together turn dark pink on me. The other alternative is applying a little more, but toning it down with the remnants on my foundation brush or using a blurring finishing powder.

I am very happy I bought this shade, but be forewarned that at this level of color intensity, it does have a tendency to look a little patchy. Blending it out or mixing it with other things can cover up it and fix it.

YSL Loveshine Candy Glaze Stick in 16 Watermelon High (YSL Lippies)

The Candy Glazes are my favorite of YSL’s lip formulas. I knew I should have stopped at buying number 14 and 15 because these are so sheer, but I couldn’t help myself once I saw 16 (which was part of this year’s shade expansion). It’s basically how I wanted 15 to look on me, but that one is a little light and milky on my pigmented lips. This color is a perfect light-medium pink nude for me! So, even though I know I could have gone without having this, I don’t actually regret buying it.

MAC Intimate Nudes Collection: MAC Lustreglass in Signature Move and MACximal Sleek Satin in Hodge-Podge

Both of these lipstick formulas are new to me and I only have one of them in each formula. However, they’re both from MAC’s Intimate Nudes range of lipsticks. After loving the way Signature Move looked on me, I purchased Hodge-Podge next because it’s a unique color for my collection. So, I think this can count for being in the category of a lipstick so good I had to buy another!

I love the shine level (when first applied) and the lightweight buttery feel of this lipstick. In addition to the sheer partly buidable coverage this has, these attributes remind me of the Lisa Eldridge Luxuriously Lucent Lip Colours. This just feels like an even more emollient version.
I find that this has more pigment than the Lucents, but no matter how much I try to build up color over the darker pigmented spots on my lips, this does not cover it completely. I don’t mind this, but I wanted to be clear that the buildable aspect has limitations.
This MAC formula also does not have the same staying power as the Lisa Eldridge Lucents.

After only an hour, my moisture-greedy lips absorb some of the lipstick and I can feel that there is less slip when I rub my lips together, in addition to the shine having dulled down. Even though there is less lipstick on the surface, my lips continue to feel moisturized. However, if I want the color to be noticeable, I definitely have to reapply after eating, and sometimes after finishing 1-2 cups of water. This is definitely not a long lasting formula. I end up feeling compelled to do touch ups every 3-4 hours (more or less frequently depending on my eating/drinking habits). By the end of the day, there are only the subtlest signs that my lips are drier than before. I can wear this a second day with no issues, or wear a lip treatment to bed to return my lips to a well conditioned state. So, that makes this one of the better lipstick formulas I’ve encountered, but the shorter wear time is a big tradeoff. Because I can get lip nourishment and sheer color from products like the YSL Candy Glazes, I feel like I own enough of these types of products. I foresee myself buying one or two additional shades in the future, but only if they are part of a limited edition collection or have some type of special packaging.

To me, this color is a muted yellow-brown. However, sometimes I could swear it looks a bit olive or that it leans a stronger grey depending on the lighting. How we perceive color is in relation to other colors, so sometimes I think Hodge Podge looks good when I have no other makeup on versus my foundations that tend to lean even warmer. The tones and depth of this shade is like a desaturated version of my skin, so it doesn’t look like full on concealer-lips/foundation-lips, but I don’t feel confident enough to wear this in public without a lip liner. Maybe it’s due to my preference for high contrast looks on myself, and Hodge Podge looks too flat.

In the second photo above, I demonstrated how this pairs with my two darkest brown lip liners. The one from Coloured Raine is warm, so it looks like a better compliment for my undertone. Palladio’s is cool, so I think it pairs better with the actual lipstick.

Although I can get this to fully cover the darker spots on my lips after I first apply it, the color wears down just enough to faintly see those spots after a lot of talking or repeated lip movements over time. So, the coverage level on me is high, but not full.

Regarding the performance, I don’t have to worry about reapplying anything from just drinking, though it will leave obvious imprints on surfaces and will not make it past a meal. After about two hours, similarly to the Lustreglass, some of the lipstick gets absorbed and it feels noticeably less creamy, though not to the levels of being considered drying. It feels super comfortable to wear, but I can still see that at the end of the day my lips show the beginning stages of wear before chapping. So, it still dries my lips like nearly every bullet lipstick formula on me, but at least while I’m wearing it, it looks smooth and shiny to the eye. In fact, my lips look smoother wearing this formula than the Lustreglass after several hours of wear (even though the Lustreglass is actually more moisturizing).

I like this lipstick formula, and it’s a relief to finally have some MAC lippies I’m not afraid to wear for fear of having my lips dry out. However, I don’t feel the need to purchase anymore (unless it’s part of an eye-catching limited edition collection).

Summer Fridays Lip Butter Balm in Hot Cocoa (Vanilla Mint)

I said in my Battle of the Lip Balms post that I wouldn’t buy another of these because my collection is so large, but I wanted one with a yummier scent and with a bit more color. Plus, there’s a 12m PAO, which mine has passed, so getting a discounted replacement during the holidays wasn’t quite so bad.

This has flavoring and smells like a tootsie roll, hot chocolate from a powder pack, or some other kind of highly processed chocolate. I don’t recommend licking this, but I did it for science and it does taste like a tootsie roll (plus Vaseline and wax)! I think it’s fun to have a hot cocoa scented lip balm, and I enjoy it. My husband doesn’t agree.

Lisa Eldridge Eyeshadow Singles: Supernaturally, Smoke & Mirrors, Dorian, Talk to the Paw, Posh, and High Maintenance

I was actually working on a Lisa Eldridge post separately, but then realized this was a better place to put the content since I have reviewed at least the eyeshadows before.

I’ve had Smoke & Mirrors from the Vega palette for over a year. Dorian and Supernaturally are from the Fawn Palette and I’ve had them since September 2024, but I didn’t start using these three until December last year. I was honestly a bit disappointed by the ones from Fawn, and it almost stopped me from buying Talk to the Paw, Posh, and High Maintenance from the limited edition Betty palette. However, I had hope the formula of those would be better after watching a few reviews on YouTube, like this one from Beauty with Substance.

Supernaturally is a Seamless Matte, just like Smoke & Mirrors, but it’s so much stiffer, drier, and less pigmented. Even though it’s natural for certain brown shades to have a hard time showing on my brown skin, this color is even sheer when I swatch it on the palm of my hand. Fired Earth and Troubadour are others in my collection that have better color payoff as well. So, I don’t know if Supernaturally was intended to perform, apply, and feel differently than the others.

Dorian is a Lustre, yet it is so dull! It looks like a matte shadow until light hits it directly at the perfect angle. Based on the website description of this formula, it seems like this is supposed to be the most subtle of the shimmer types. Based on my experience (and photos of Taffeta Fan) it seems like Dorian is the only one that can’t take on a pearly effect and isn’t as shiny as even Talk to the Paw despite it being a deep brown as well.

As I mentioned before, Talk to the Paw and High Maintenance are Lustre shadows. As seen in the swatch photo below, they are clearly less shiny and shimmery than Lisa’s Luminous formula, but they still pack more of a punch than Dorian.

I wanted a deep smokey shimmery brown all over my lids, so Talk to the Paw fulfilled the wish (though technically a taupe) that Dorian could not.

Posh is a Luminous shadow. It has the shine factor I want (once it is applied damp and/or with my fingers), but this particular shade has a hard time appearing pink (or mulberry mink) in tone on me unless I pair it with other shades in the same color family. This is not unusual for me when it comes to light pink shimmer eyeshadows looking more like a silver instead.

In the dry application, the individual shimmer particles are easy to spot. In the damp application, the shimmer looks smoother.

Below are swatches of the other shades in my collection that I kept with me.

And here are the swatches of the shadows I left behind.

I went through my Clionadh eyeshadows and found similar shades to the purples from the Betty palette, but nothing close enough to call a dupe because my Clionadh ones are duochromes and multichromes with strong shifts. I learned from Fedaro Beauty that there are much closer similarities within the Viseart Coy palette, but I left those shades in the US. What this indicates to me is that I don’t currently have those colors for a reason. The types of purples in Betty are just not my favorites. It was definitely for the best that I focused on the three shades I wanted most. I probably could have talked myself out of getting the three I did anyway, but because these shades are limited edition, I did not want to miss out.

Lisa Eldridge Liquid Silk Eyeshadow in Gaia and Phoebe

I planned to only get Gaia, but I enjoyed it so much that I felt compelled to own at least one more too.

Gaia works as a subtle one-and-done liquid eyeshadow, but I was more entranced by the color because it reminded me of one of my favorite eye bases from a brand I don’t support anymore. It’s so smooth on the lids. I have enough time to blend out the edges before it fully sets and it mixes well with other shades. It doesn’t crease, nor fade, and it doesn’t look drying on my lids. It usually stays put very well in my deepest eye wrinkle/crease. This formula is the reason I’m excited to try the brand’s upcoming liquid concealer!

Since I reach for powder eyeshadows 49 times out of 50, buying a lot of these wouldn’t be practical for me. I use matte liquid and cream eyeshadows even less than shimmery ones. However, when I tested this out as an eyeshadow base and it worked wonderfully with no issues, this became my replacement for the product that shall not be named! The only downside is that I needed a lighter shade to prime under my brows. That’s why I purchased Phoebe, but since it’s less pale than I expected, I have mostly been using Phoebe as an eye base/primer by itself. Gaia doesn’t get used as much anymore, but Phoebe is now a staple in my collection!

I have additional pictures of both of them used together in the Benefit mascara section, but I realized everything I photographed was during the testing phase, so I didn’t have any of me actually trying to create a seamless transition between the two shades.

The photo above is that demonstration. I have to put in more effort to get 100% full coverage considering the super dark sections in my eye area, so how this looks in this quick low effort example is satisfactory for me. There are plenty of great matte liquid eyeshadows at a lower price from other brands, so I consider this a semi-splurge type of product unless you’re someone with mature eyes. Then spending this amount of money for this product might be well worth the cost. There are also great primers available for a cheaper price, but since I prefer having an eyeshadow primer that covers the discoloration around my eyes (in a shade that isn’t that crazy far off from my skin tone) without having to resort to using an actual concealer, this product is doubly important to me.

*JUNE 29, 2025 UPDATE: I started using Gaia almost exclusively and within three months I was struggling to get product out. I had to uncork the stopper and mix it a little to start reaching product again. It still periodically moves to a spot along the sides that I cannot reach with the applicator, so I have had to uncork it an additional two times, which is not an easy task! I had to use tools because it’s very tightly in there to keep the product from drying out. So, if you think you might have used yours up quickly, I recommend removing the stopper and checking. By this point, six months after purchasing it, I estimate I’ve used up half of the product.

Benefit Cosmetics BADGal Bounce Mascara

I’m reaching a bit on this one to have this fit the theme, but I’ve been a fan of the original Benefit BadGal mascara, so I felt compelled to give the new Bounce version a try!

I conveniently had a free mini of the original from a past purchase, so I was able to compare it to the travel size of Bounce. Both are dry formulas. The original Badgal Bang has a plastic applicator that starts with a small round tip that gradually widens. It also has a bendy part on the wand that allows me to better angle the applicator to avoid accidental smudging of the mascara.
The Bounce version has one side with a bunch of brush bristles that curve and another side with straighter spikes that act a bit like a comb. I’ve tried to figure out how best to apply mascara with it, but I just prefer the original wand. The Bounce wand creates a fluffier wispier look, but it takes so much time to build up the length and thickness I want. It’s also tricky applying the mascara to my lower lash line because the brush part is too thick to get that close, but the comb part has more gaps, making it easier to miss the finer thinner hairs of my lower lashes with repeated swipes. I can get it to look good, but it takes extra time. I wonder if adding a bendy portion to this wand could have made it better.

I don’t recall my past minis and full-size tubes of the original BadGal Bang having an issue of flaking, but this newest tube does flake a little. However, the Bounce one flakes even more. For this reason alone, I don’t intend to wear the Bounce anymore and if I had to choose a winner, it would be the original!

That concludes everything in today’s post. I hope this has been helpful!

-Lili ❤

Are the Huda Beauty Blush Filters Really That Good?

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I have been on a no-buy for liquid and cream blushes since August 2023. The immense hype surrounding these Blush Filters had been steadily chipping away at my resolve. After eight months of resisting, I finally caved.

It’s convenient that the three shades I was most interested in buying were from the original launch, the Icy Nude Collection launch, and the newest “Blush Crush” or “Vibrant” Collection. I was able to see the changes that coincided with the brand revamping their logo and packaging. I was also curious if the formulas would be different between them, but they’re all the same from what I can tell.

The first thing I noticed was the fruity candy smell. It smells delicious, but it is a bit strong in the initial few minutes that I have the container open, and as the blush dries on my cheeks. A thin controllable amount comes out of the stopper and with the small applicator.

The Blush Filters are less pigmented than the liquid blushes from Rare Beauty and Juvia’s Place, but still a lot more pigmented than Glossier’s Cloud Paints. With the amount shown in the photo above, I get about 80% opacity, but these can be built up.

The blush doesn’t immediately set on the skin, but I still work on one cheek at a time because it doesn’t have an emollient consistency (nor gel-like or watery), so they don’t look like they’re spreading enough at first, but I just trust the process and keep moving my brush around and the blush does fully blend out and is streak-free. It doesn’t disturb makeup underneath either.
Once it dries down, it’s fairly budge-proof and there’s no fading by the end of the day. I’ve been impressed by its hydrated look, even though it’s completely dry to the touch, but I think that can be attributed to the “micro pearls” in this product. When I first tried it, I thought my glowy toner combined with a hydrating skin tint was the reason it looked luminous, but when I looked very closely at the swatches, I could see a faint gold sheen in Watermelon Pop. It’s too difficult to see the individual particles within the other shades, and it’s something I can just barely see when light hits it. The radiance is subtle, but enough to keep my cheeks from looking matte and flat. It looks great on minimal makeup days, but even better when it blends into my foundation to melt into the skin, turning even the more vibrant colors into wearable shades.

The glow combined with my lights actually made them look subtler in pictures than in person, so I built them up much heavier when I did a second round of photos. I don’t think my attempts made much of a difference, except with Watermelon Pop.

Watermelon Pop is a warm red that made me instantly think of the shade Love from Rare Beauty and Lily Love from Juvia’s Place. This isn’t a very unique color, but the warm golden micro shimmer makes me like this even more!

Latte is a medium reddish brown that looks redder on my cheeks than I expected, but it’s pretty and the kind of blush that’s right up my alley.

Sunset Lychee is described as a “Rosy Orange” and I’ve seen it look closer to orange on some people, but it is very much pink on me. It reminded me a bit of Rare Beauty’s Joy, but this one has more pink and less apricot.

These shades work out for me on their own, but they also layer well together.

I think this is a great product. Great products deserve to be raved about, but because there are plenty of fantastic liquid blushes out there that are blendable, set down, and are available in gorgeous colors, the Blush Filter’s level of hype seems to have been cultivated in part by very smart marketing.

I’ve always liked nice packaging, but now I’m even more aware of how non-luxury goods can still be very pleasing to look at and interact with. The Blush Filters’ rounded square shapes with their vibrant and semi-transparent packaging combined with the fruity-candy scent remind me of popsicles. There is also the collectable factor since each blush packaging matches the color on the inside. This makes the Blush Filter even more memorable and desirable. When there exist similarly performing blushes, packaging can make all the difference in choosing one brand over another. I have no regrets ordering these, even though I have reinstated my liquid and cream blush no-buy. The fact remains that I still don’t use them as much as powder blush no matter how amazing they are.

It’s a nice bonus that I got 30 Euros knocked off the price because of the reward points I accrued on my Huda Beauty website purchases over the past year. In that same order, I got samples of the #Fauxfilter Color Corrector, so I thought I would include swatches of those as well. My review of the full-size product can be found HERE.

The shade I own is Mango, which I like a lot. I have always gotten shades like Papaya in the past, and it works, but never 100% perfectly. Mango is essentially a pink-orange, which apparently suits me very well, but is a hair on the light side for me. At least, that’s what I thought until I had the idea to mix Mango and Papaya together, which I think looks the best out of all the options!

I still think it’s fantastic that Huda Beauty offers more nuanced shades of color correctors than I’ve seen from other brands. For instance, I don’t know anyone else who makes as dark of a pink as Lychee! Because of the effectiveness of Mango on me, I wondered if perhaps pink was a better corrector color shade and that brands just didn’t make any dark enough. It’s nice to confirm that Lychee doesn’t suit me. My correct corrector should be a fine line between pink and orange.

I should also point out that the demonstration photo of Cherry Blossom looks better than it actually should be. That was my mistake not cleaning my concealer brush well enough and the two colors mixed, so it doesn’t look as stark white as it should be (which is to say even paler on me than Pink Pomello). I couldn’t redo the photo because I didn’t have enough product left from the sample card.

That’s all for today! Thank you for stopping by!

-Lili ❤

YSL Make Me Blush Bold Blurring Blushes

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Yves Saint Laurent created this powder blush line with 12 blushes in total, and in two finishes, although I would argue there are three. I would consider 69 Lavender Lust (based on photos) and 93 Restless Rosé to be shimmer blushes considering they have the strongest reflect and shine compared to the other satins: 12 Nocturnal Nude, 42 Babydoll Pink, 44 Nude Lavallière, and 83 Spicy Berry.
The mattes are 06 Rose Haze, 24 Suave Sunstone, 37 Peachy Nude, 54 Berry Bang, 57 Coral Clash, and 87 Pink Voltage.

*The names in bold above have a liquid counterpart. 66 Fuchsia Fling is not listed as a powder blush.

At the time of me working on this blog post, I’ve been unable to find each individual ingredient list (the YSL-DE site has a blank space and the YSL-US only lists the matte formula), so I cannot compare more shades to confirm. From the boxes I have, I noticed Nocturnal Nude has both mica and synthetic fluorphlogopite while Restless Rosé does not. Since Restless Rosé is the one with more obvious shimmer, I’m not sure what to make of that. At the very least, I think it supports my idea of there being a slight difference within the satin range.

The reason I wanted to go into the specifics of the shades is because YSL did not make all 12 available at the same time on any website, including their own.
Even if all twelve were shown, nowhere during the first two weeks of launch had the full dozen listed as “in stock.” In fact, I only saw Spicy Berry (the darkest shade) available on US websites and the US was missing some of the lightest shades that were only in Europe and Asia.

I’m going to put my tin foil hat on for a moment.

Considering I saw sneak peeks for these blushes all the way in August 2024, and YSL’s parent company is the multi-billion dollar L’Oréal, I believe they were capable of producing the full range right at launch if they wanted. This should be the case especially because these blushes are intended to be part of the permanent range and are not limited edition.
The liquid blush counterparts to these powder ones received both glowing and damning reviews, not just because of the controversy of misrepresenting how Lavender Lust would look on tan and darker models (before they replaced the promo photos), but also because the blushes have a lot of white in the base that make them appear ashy on people with dark skin, even in the tones of blush that would have normally looked flattering.
Considering how quickly I saw the liquid blushes on sale, I wouldn’t say they flopped, but they might have under-performed.

Speaking of the liquid blushes, there will be a shade extension with 03 Mischievous Magenta (left) and 15 Chili Crush (right).

Anyone interested in seeing more photos can visit Amit’s Instagram, which is where this one came from, as well as Trendmood1.

It is possible that YSL felt it best to release the powder blushes quicker than planned. It’s possible they also wanted to play it safe and make blush color availability based on their demographic data per region. I’ve seen this happen before, but usually companies make at least their own website the place to get everything. YSL choosing not to do that makes me wonder if it’s a partial scarcity tactic. Many retailers, such as Sephora Deutschland with only two shades, still had the image below on their sites, which leads me to believe the intent is for YSL’s blushes to eventually be available everywhere.

Photo from Sephora.de

Brands also tend to make every shade available to the US because it’s such a melting pot, so the fact that they did not have the lightest blushes at launch (especially Lavender Lust) feels intentional. However, I’d bet they will get there eventually. In the countries that did have Lavender Lust and Spicy Berry, those shades went out of stock the fastest, so I wouldn’t be surprised if those were produced in even smaller quantities compared to the rest.

I used the brand’s virtual try-on tool to show how the blushes I didn’t buy could potentially look on me. Spicy Berry was not an option.

It is my preference to wear warm toned blushes in color depths that are medium or medium-deep. Even though Berry Bang and Spicy Berry are the most dark skin-friendly options, I did not buy them because I’m so picky when it comes to the kind of berry tones that I like on myself. I don’t know any retailer in Germany that allows returns once the makeup has been opened/touched/used, so it’s a bit expensive to take the risk.

For those with a different skin tone than mine who want to see seven or more shades compared, I recommend these videos on YouTube that I still found to be helpful: Fabi Madeup, Dams Beauty, and Dear Eva Hansen.

Before we move onto the review, I’d like to be transparent in saying I tested these blushes for a shorter time than I normally give per product. I’ve had Peachy Nude and Restless Rose for just under two weeks and Nocturnal Nude for one week. However, the performance has been so consistent no matter the brush type, applications on bare skin and the various finishes of multiple foundations, that I felt confident in my experience enough to post this “early.”

37 Peachy Nude

Despite this having a matte finish, it’s not flat. When I wear a luminous foundation or one that’s verging on dewy, the blush looks like it has a slight glow to it as well, even though there aren’t any shimmer particles. This makes it look more natural on the skin, in addition to being slightly blurring. These blushes have “blurring” in the name, but Suqqu’s blushes tend to be more blurring, plus Armani’s Luminous Silk Blushes and Too Faced’s Cloud Blurring Blushes are both significantly more blurring than these. In certain places within North America, it seems the YSL blushes are called, “24H Buildable Powder Blushes.” So, the blurring claims aren’t supposed to be the main selling point worldwide.

This powder is super soft and reminds me of the buttery feeling that the brand’s matte eyeshadows have in their quads. None of these blushes fade on me. They’re all pigmented, yet blendable. Between the two finishes, I still prefer the shimmer ones. However, I like Peachy Nude a lot and considering I’m less impressed with matte blushes these days, the fact that I like this one so much is a good sign.

None of the blushes are firmly pressed, so even the softest and airiest brushes will be able to pick up product easily, and there will be kickup. Because they’re all so pigmented, plus easy to put a lot of product on the brush, I have to be careful not to overdo it with Peachy Nude. My camera refuses to capture how much more intense it looks in person.
As for the other two shades, they are light enough on my skintone that I don’t need to worry about overapplying, but this could be an issue for other people.

93 Restless Rosé

This is the most shimmery of the three YSL blushes I currently own. The medium-dark pink with gold shimmer made me instantly think of the Nars Orgasm X shade. I wish I could compare them, but I left that shade behind in the US because the reflect of that one is so strong and the base color is sheer enough that it looks like I just have highlighter on my cheeks when light hits it directly and at certain angles. This blush can do that too, but I discovered that if I build it up enough, the pink will still be visible.

Besides working as a standalone blush, this also makes a beautiful blush topper. I love adding this on top of Peachy Nude to give my cheeks extra glow. Pairing it with Nocturnal Nude gives it a brighter pop.

The shimmery glow is satisfactory enough for me that I even skip putting on highlighter when I wear this.

12 Nocturnal Nude

This blush has super fine shimmer without the kind of reflect that is present in Restless Rose. Because of my skin’s color depth and undertone, it looks similar to Peachy Nude. However, Peachy Nude has more pink and no actual shimmer. Nocturnal Nude has more brown, which blends into my skin, and it leans slightly orange. I’d actually call it a coppery color and it reminds me so much of my much beloved Suqqu 138 Hyguugaaoi blush that is part of my Project Pan. The main difference is that Suqqu’s has more shimmer.

I am very pleased that unlike the liquid blushes, the powders don’t have that same ashy problem, which makes this range more inclusive.

Comparing my virual try-on results to my own experiences with three shades, I would say that it’s at least good at getting an idea of how natural or not each shade looks on me. It shows the colors at a little stronger pigmentation level than I’ve been able to build up, but it’s not that far off. Based on these results, even though I can see color on my cheeks for the photos of Suave Sunstone, Rose Haze, and Coral Clash, I don’t think those would stand out enough on my skin tone. My skin is also so warm that I think Nude Lavallière could look ashy, even if it’s not as crazy looking on me as Lavender Lust and Babydoll Pink.
So, if you’re interested in these blushes but don’t have the ability to see them in-store, I recommend trying the brand’s tool before ordering.

If you’re on a low-buy or a budget, it can be helpful to remember that this line is supposed to be permanent and therefore part of sales at some point. I was able to get these discounted despite them being so new. My Origines and Parfum Dreams had them in the 35 Euro range and Flaconi had brief 10% sales, which is when I picked up Nocturnal Nude. In the US, there will be a spring sale at Sephora and it’s possible the official site might have bigger discounts once the blushes have been out for much longer.

I really like these blushes. They aren’t revolutionary, but they’re on par with many of my favorites. I’m very excited to have them and they will be included in my Project Pan. From a packaging standpoint, I love the various colors with those appealing quilted squishy tops and beautiful gold colored trim. The size reminds me of Gucci Blushes, but even though YSL’s components are lighter, they are still substantial enough to feel like a luxury product.

The brand is releasing highlighters next, but I’m on a highlighter no-buy and will be skipping them. YSL’s bronzer shade range looks limited, so I don’t have plans to buy that either. I can only vouch for the blushes being wonderful.

That’s all for today! Thank you for reading and please consider clicking the follow button if you’d like to be notified whenever I post!

-Lili ❤

Trying More Makeup From Nabla and LH Cosmetics

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The retailer Purish was having a birthday sale in July. I didn’t know anything about the Berlin based company until this year when I realized I could get some harder to find indie products on their website. Along with some Danessa Myricks products I plan to review at some point in the future, I bought items from Nabla and LH Cosmetics that I’ve been eying for a long time while in the US, but didn’t want to deal with the shipping costs. I’ll be discussing them in the order that I tried them, rather than grouping by brand. I hope you’ll find these reviews interesting and helpful!

Nabla Close-Up Blurring Blush in Satisfaction

I love Nabla’s Skin Glazing blushes and have long wished for a shade extension. So, even though these new blushes are a matte formula, I felt compelled to try at least one of them. The shade I chose can be iffy as to whether it will work for me or not. The color reminded me of Too Faced’s Cloud Blurring Blush in Velvet Crush, Tarte’s Amazonian Clay Blush in Exposed, and Sephora’s Duo Matte Blush in English Rose. It might even be similar to MAC’s Gingerly, but I would need to see it again to know for sure. In any case, some of the above work for me all the time or just in winter, so I took the chance. The only one I have with me to compare in swatches is Sephora’s English Rose. I intentionally mixed the two split pan colors together to get as close to Nabla’s Satisfaction as possible. English Rose can look completely different if I use more of the pink within the duo.

If I just use Satisfaction on my bare cheeks, it’s a little ashy looking, especially because it’s a matte formula and I have dry skin. However, when it blends into my foundation, the color warms up further and looks just as I hoped. I like vibrant poppy blushes, but sometimes I like having just a flush of pink. Sometimes, I want light pink cheeks like an anime character. It all depends on my mood! In order to get as much payoff as it looks in the photo below, I had to really pack it on my cheeks. A normal amount is very subtle.

I have no blending issues or longevity issues with this. The part I dislike is actually the smell. It smells like a mix between chalk and chemicals, though not as strongly as the MAC Bronzer issue when those launched last year. I used to smell it only when I first opened the compact and then it would dissipate in the air. I noticed a similar thing with the LH palette that’s being reviewed next. What a strange coincidence! By now though, after many months, I only get a slight whiff of the chemical smell if I put it right up to my nose.

I like the color of this blush, but I have to admit that after comparing it to the Sephora duo, I like Sephora’s more. The Nabla blush is supposed to be blurring, but I don’t find that to be the case. Sephora’s is a soft matte, which is a more flattering finish for my skin type as well. Plus, with English Rose, I can tailor the color to be similar to Satisfaction or more vibrant if I’m in the mood for more of a punch. The times I don’t feel like mixing is when I’m most likely to use this. I don’t foresee myself buying additional shades.

LH Cosmetics Reload Palette

There are elements that I really like about this palette, but I’ll start with the issues first. I love how Flow and Silence look in the pan, but if you keep blending those shades back and forth, they turn much darker. Flow becomes a dark purple and Silence turns dark grey. I even used it as an outer corner deepening/smoking shade in the fourth eye look below. It doesn’t matter whether I use primer or not, it stays the pan color when first placed and patted on (which is how I could get them to look alright in swatches), but the moment I blend, Silence turns grey. It’s not an issue of dirty brushes either. I literally tried it with a brand new brush. Considering I already have Offline to deepen eye looks, and I don’t really have much in the way of mid tone mattes since Flow and Silence don’t count, I’m unable to create the kind of looks I intended without reaching for other palettes. The eyeshadows are still pretty, but more dramatic than anticipated.

Thankfully, I have no issues with the colors of the other mattes. I was also able to use three different bases for the eyeshadows and the performance didn’t change. The shadows are pigmented and require a bit more time to blend than I’ve been used to lately, but the final result is worth the effort. At least, that’s what I thought in the beginning, but I’ve only used this palette one or two more times after my initial rounds of testing were completed.

The shimmers are on the thicker side, but I suspect it’s for adherence purposes. I don’t feel the need to apply them damp to increase intensity on the lids, nor to keep them together. I don’t have any fallout issues with these. I also like that there is a warm toned option with Reset and an option to go with the pinks with Energy. The shimmers pick up easily on a brush, spread and blend nicely, and they don’t have enough slip to them to cause creasing on me.

The color story allows one to take the color scheme in different directions: monochrome pink look, neutral, neutral plus one color, blue-green, warm or cool, etc. It’s just a shame that the variety is lessened by Silence and Flow. I would have loved to put a true olive green in the crease, have Moss on the lid, and deepen it with Offline.
I’m not disappointed by the performance, only let down by the shades because this could have been a palette I reached for quite a bit due to the convenience of having colors I love all in one palette. Because I have to pair it with something else, the reality is that I use it less than I’d like.

I also need to mention that these have a bit of a chalky smell. This palette is not cheap (even though I bought it at half price) and the eyeshadows are made in Italy, so I don’t think this was cheap to produce. However, that’s what I associate with this type of smell. I only smell it when I first open the palette and the kickup flies through the air. So, it’s not a big problem, but an aspect I don’t like. Especially when I think about Huda Beauty 9-pan palettes that are a similar size, and cost 29 Euros at full price, compared to the Reload palette that’s 49 Euros at full price. The formulas are completely different, but I like quite a few of Huda’s Obsessions palettes and if both brands had a palette comprising of similar colors, I would choose Huda’s.

Nabla Cupid’s Arrow Longwear Full Colour Stylo in Arrow #12 Khaki and Arrow #13 Mauve

These weren’t on my radar until I saw Angelica Nyqvist using them more frequently in her videos during the summer. Since they were on sale and I realized the colors I wanted would compliment what I was missing from the LH Reload palette, I figured I may as well try them.

For starters, the experience is slightly different depending on whether or not an eyeshadow primer was used underneath everything or not. What is the same for both is that liquid eyeshadow goes on top of the Nabla stylos well when used as an eyeshadow base. When this product is used as an eyeliner, it holds onto the skin very well. It’s budge-resistant and water-resistant. When I first apply it, I try to keep my eyelids closed to allow it to set and try to avoid creasing. It only takes a minute to set on an un-primed eye. In one instance on a primed eye when I had to scratch around my lashes, I placed my thumb near the lid to hold it steady and got transfer on finger. Essentially, the more emollient a primer is, the longer it takes to set. In this instance, it was closer to 10 minutes.

On a primed eye, Khaki essentially looked the same, but Mauve was warmer and leaned pink (as opposed to no base where it looks cooler toned purple-mauve. I can draw the stylos on smoothly to apply them without needing primer, but if I want to blend the edges or smooth it out with a finger, it takes too much product off and I can see my skin discoloration underneath. On a primed eye, it’s easier to draw smoothly, but blending the edge also removes the primer with it and I can see bald patches left behind. So, it’s best if I draw product on, but use a lighter powder to blend out the edges.

On a non-primed eye, applying the Nabla Stylo and adding another powder eyeshadow on top doesn’t result in as much creasing, but over a primed eye it settles in my deepest eye crease. The bottom line is that I prefer to use this product as a creamy easy-to-glide-on eyeliner, and perhaps as an eyeshadow base in areas that I don’t have lines yet, such as the mobile lid. To use this as a standalone eyeshadow is too finicky for me. It’s easier to use a powder or more traditional form of cream and liquid shadows.

LH Infinity Bronzer in Forever

This purchase was made specifically because of Kackie Reviews Beauty. She took my curiosity and tripled it with her gushing about how great it is in multiple videos.
With only four options available, I chose the darkest one. The shade Forever has enough depth for me, but will not work on someone with a rich skintone. It’s debatable how well it would suit someone within the deep category. My other concern was whether or not the color would be too warm of an orange, but I was compelled. The stars had aligned and now seemed like the time to get it.

It’s a bit silly, but I will admit that there was something visually drawing me in too. There was some reason I couldn’t stop wanting this product from the moment it launched. It wasn’t until I finally bought it that it clicked. The pattern in the pan is similar to the limited edition version of Becca Shimmering Skin Perfectors! In my review, I talked about how I experienced regrets for over a year because Champagne Gold was discontinued, and how I immediately bought it when it popped up on the Hautelook/Nordstrom Rack website.

I don’t think I ever made that review comparing and discussing the situation between Lunar Beauty’s Moon Prism highlighter and the Makeup Revolution highlighter packaging debacle, but this crystal pattern I’m apparently obsessed with is on the outside of both compacts and I bought those back then despite never using the highlighters inside! And now, I believe I have solved the question why my inner makeup goblin couldn’t let the LH bronzer clear out of my mind. I think that experience of FOMO from the Becca days has continued, and now when I see makeup with that pattern I feel like I am missing out if I don’t get it. I’m finally aware of the psychology behind it, so I hope I’ll be better equipped to not let that be a factor in the future! As I’ve got the product now, let’s chat about it!

This bronzer feels very smooth to the touch. It isn’t as buttery as the Westman Atelier one, nor as creamy clay-like as the Glowish bronzer. The closest comparison I have is to the Kaleidos Symphony Contour Trios, which in turn feels like a lighter pressed version of the Hourglass Ambient Lighting powders. The LH bronzer has medium-buildable pigmentation and lasts all day.

Whether I get a smooth and diffused application or an uneven concentration depends entirely on my brushes. Because the surface of the bronzer has mounds and divots from the pan design, if the brush I choose doesn’t pick up an even layer (or I don’t swirl or sweep it around to coat it evenly), it will stick to my skin unevenly when I apply it and require me to spend a bit of time buffing. I tested a lot of new brushes with this bronzer specifically, so I was able to see that the density of the brush doesn’t matter as much as the even coating. I can use a dense brush for a strong yet blended look, or a fluffier brush to look seamless with the skin. In the photo below, I built up the bronzer so it would be more obvious on camera. It can also be built up to look smoother than I depicted, as I hadn’t learned the brush trick at the time I took the photo.

Because of how warm the color is, it’s harder to be able to tell I’m wearing bronzer, as it blends into my warm colored blushes (as seen in the right photo above).

Even when I use my best bronzer brush with this though, and even though I can get it to look smoother, it’s still doesn’t look as seamless as some of my other bronzer favorites.

This photo was taken a month later in the peak of summer, so I’m a little darker. The bronzer color matches better after having gotten some sun, and I used my best brush with it. A tiny bit of foundation, concealer, and the bronzer are all that’s on my face.

This is described as a luminous bronzer, but it doesn’t have much of a glow. I consider it slightly more radiant than a soft matte bronzer. There aren’t traditional shimmer particles that I can see, just sheen from the mica. It has even less of a sheen than some of my semi-glowy favorites.

To show the undertone compared to other orange bronzers, I have swatches of Kosas, a true luminous bronzer, and Armani’s Luminous Silk Bronzing Powder that has some shimmer particles as well as the mica-like sheen.
“Forever” is the darkest option from LH, but Kosas and Armani both have a deeper option in their lines. Just something interesting to note.

I like this bronzer, particularly at the discounted price I paid. However, there are tons of bronzers I like. I estimate this would rank no higher than top 30’s or 40’s among my collection. It’s good, but didn’t quite live up to the hype for me. The sheeny finish isn’t strong enough on my face for me.

Nabla Beyond Jelly Lipstick in Ardor

Among the YouTubers I watch that review Nabla products, this particular formula has always been highly rated. So, getting it at half price was more than enough of a reason for me to buy it!

The lipstick component has a beautiful design with clear elements and black and gold touches that makes me think of timeless elegance. In the hand though, it feels like acrylic plastic, which I haven’t decided if I like or not.
The fragrance used is an incredibly strong combination of fruit and florals. It’s pleasant, but also distracting. In the beginning, I didn’t like the fact that I could still smell it on my lips for hours after applying it. Thankfully, the smell goes away over time and is no longer an issue.

Its formula reminds me of the YSL Candy Glazes and Fenty Gloss Bomb Stix. It has a comfortable gel-like consistency that feels moisturizing on the lips and has sheer color that can be built up to medium coverage. Of the three lipsticks I mentioned, the one from Nabla feels the stickiest. It can last through a meal (depending on what someone eats), but it definitely needs a touchup after a second meal. When my lips are in a drier state prior to putting this on, within a few hours (even if I don’t eat) my lips will absorb some of the moisture it provides and I will have to reapply, despite still feeling the presence of the sticky layer on my lips. This has a few ingredients that my lips like, and my lips feel softer even after the lipstick has been removed, and that softness lasts until the next morning. So, this formula is hydrating and moisturizing, but I have balmy lip color products that are more nourishing. The reason I love this product though is for the color and how the jelly texture smooths out any dry or peeled looking skin on my lips. The retail price is 23 Euros, but I’ve seen it for 16-18 Euros on multiple websites for at least half a year. So, it’s a product I’d recommend to anyone who wants a less expensive option for a jelly or melty type of lipstick. In fact, of all the products I’ve reviewed in this post, this one is my favorite.

Nabla Skin Realist Tinted Balm in Shade 6 Dark

I had only seen three reviews for this product since 2021, and it was enough to make me want it, yet not enough to want to buy it without a discount. My reasons for that were the lack of reviews available and I felt very uncertain about the shade options. At the beginning of the post, I mentioned buying all these products during the Birthday Sale, but this one is from the Purish Black Friday sale when it was half off. Considering we’re in winter and I’m at my driest, now seemed like the perfect time to finally try it out!

In the photo above, I have the skin tint on in the left side of the yellow line and the Dior Powder no Powder on the right side with no foundation underneath. For me, I barely see a difference. This “tinted balm” only looks better compared to my bare face, so it doesn’t get any accolades for that. The name of the product implies that it will offer low coverage, but in the world of the Fenty Eaze Drops, Danessa Myricks Serum Foundation, and even Lisa Eldridge Skin Tint, the ones I buy usually have more coverage than I expect. This isn’t a deal-breaker though, considering it has similar coverage to the Givenchy Prisme Libre Skin-Caring Glow Foundation and I made that one work. My issue is that it fails to deliver on the radiance in multiple ways.

Another look of the Tinted Balm. In this photo, I’m not wearing a highlighter, but I do have on a satin blush.

The Skin Realist isn’t matte, but it doesn’t give me nearly enough glow, even though I leave it unpowdered. This contains hyaluronic acid, which essentially does nothing for me in this region of Germany that isn’t that humid. The only time I get this to look to the glow level I want is if I fully prep my skin beforehand and use a ton of this balm. Then, it looks closer to a natural finish foundation, but it still takes six hours before my skin starts producing oil and looking luminous. Unfortunately, by that point it also starts to look like “end of the night” makeup, even on days when I’ve done nothing strenuous.
If I actually do laborious housework or go for a long enough walk to start sweating, it makes everything on my face start to fade and break apart. This really isn’t a longwear product. When I try to counter this by using a setting spray, I lose the benefits of prepping my skin and the most I can get is a soft matte look again. I feel this product requires too much effort for a skin tint (and especially one that touts being a makeup-skincare hybrid product).

On the Nabla side in the picture above, I used at least double the amount of product as the Danessa Myricks Yummy Skin Serum Foundation side. Danessa’s product looks more skin-like while still offering more coverage (which is easier to see by looking at both sides of my mouth). Considering I actually have more hyperpigmentation on the “DM” side, Nabla’s should look better, but to me it does not.

I was relieved to discover that this had low transfer despite the “balm” name. It fully dried down on my skin. However, this product just isn’t suited to my preferences in a complexion product. I have several low coverage foundations and skin tints that give me a prettier finish on the skin, fully set, and have better lasting power. I wouldn’t call this bad; it just couldn’t compete with what I already own.

I didn’t have the most success with these newest additions to my collection from Nabla, but I continue to recommend the brand’s Skin Glazing line, lip products, and their face brushes are pretty nice despite being synthetic.

That’s everything! Thanks for reading!

-Lili ❤

Quick Reviews: MAC, Natasha Denona, and Dior

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MAC Golden Hour Glow Face Palette in Medium

Richer Rose is in MAC’s Sheertone Powder Blush formula, which is great. The shade is like a softer slightly muted version of MAC’s Frankly Scarlet, so I love the color. It still builds up pigment quickly for a “sheertone” blush, so I recommend using a non dense buffing brush or any shape that’s airy.

Glutton for Gold is in the brand’s Extra Dimension Skinfinish Highlighter formula. This particular shade is a duochrome gold to pink, though it just looks pink on my skin tone. It’s a smooth formula, but the shimmer particles are reflective enough and large enough to look borderline glittery on my cheeks. I like it best when used sparingly and really worked into my skin, because then it’s more wearable for me (and especially acceptable for the holidays).

These two colors pair very well together. In terms of performance, it’s the same great quality one can expect from MAC. There are no blending or longevity issues. It all comes down to color and intensity preferences.

In the last two years, I’ve been observing the timeline of what’s available from MAC by region (Asia and Australia vs Europe vs North American markets), available online vs in-store, which things to go their US and EU retailers, and what ends up at the CCO/CCS. It’s not unheard of for MAC to have specific products that are only sold to one sector, and that seems to be the case with these Golden Hour Glow Face Palettes. At the time that I’m writing this, the only colorway available in Germany is Medium. In Australia, I see that they have Medium and Deep (with Deep containing the Maraschino Ruby blush and Crushed Copper highlighter). This packaging is a more decorative version of the Sculpt & Glow duos and Pro Set & Blur Pressed Powder Duo MAC only offers online to their Asian and Australian markets thus far.

I haven’t seen a light version of a Golden Hour Glow Face Palette, but I would not be surprised if one gets found some way somewhere in the future.

I am very happy that I got this product at a 28% discount via a promo code. I’m not saying that it isn’t worth full-price, but since MAC always has 30-50% sales at some point and the holiday items rarely sell out before Christmas, I recommend waiting for some kind of deal for those wanting to purchase this.

For anyone curious, this is very likely to be my only MAC holiday purchase this year. I could be tempted into getting the MAC Skinfinish Metallic Cream Blush in Coveted Coral if I ever find it for under 25 Euros.

Natasha Denona Hy-Gen Skincare Infused Glow Beautifier in 03 Dark

I had no intentions to buy this because of the price and me being on a highlighter low-buy, but I kept hearing so many beauty creators continually talk about loving this highlighter and it having a unique texture. When it was on sale at Sephora’s DE website over a month ago, I could no longer resist.

I’m going to get the worst part out of the way; I hate how this smells! I was shocked to see that parfum was listed in the ingredients, because that means it was actually intended to smell like a mix of shea butter, baby oil, and something else I can’t quite determine. It’s objectively not repulsive, but the fact that it instantly brings to mind the ORS Olive Oil Moisturizing Hair Lotion is something I don’t like. It makes it feel wrong to put this product on my face!

Trying to pick up this product on a brush isn’t difficult, but I don’t like how it applies. With a natural hair brush, the particles get spread out on my cheeks and has that scattered sparkles look that I don’t like. If I apply it with my fingers the particles are packed together and then form one smooth looking surface. However, I then have the issue of trying to blend out the edges to avoid having a stripe, which becomes more sparkly on the perimeter from having been dispersed/thinned back out. Because it’s not a traditional powder formula and acts like a liquid highlighter, it takes some force to blend out the finger application because it doesn’t actually sink into the skin the way a cream would. The best method of application I could find was using the Sonia G Jumbo Worker brush. It’s a mix of synthetic and natural hair, is dense to pack on the product, but around the edges is slightly looser and partly fanned out to help diffuse. A fully synthetic option that’s nearly as well performing as the Sonia G brush with this particular product is the Fenty 120 Highlight Brush because of the spot product gets packed onto and the shape of the brush hugging the contours of the cheek. It’s perhaps less successful in other spots to highlight on the face.

Unfortunately, this product just isn’t for me. I love the feel of it, the shade options, and how it can look wet on the skin, but the cons don’t outweigh the pros for me. The functions of this highlighter is more easily accomplished for me by Charlotte Tilbury’s Unreal Skin Sheer Glow Foundation Tint. The CT product is a bit too light for me right now (and I’m not going to buy a darker one), and Charlotte’s is nowhere near as shimmery, but that’s why it’s better suited to my preferences and what I wanted to achieve with this kind of wet looking highlighter.

Spraying my face first before applying the Natasha Denona highlighter also helps it to look smoother, but when I’ve seen this highlighter under different lights I saw that it can appear ultra sparkly, so I really don’t like that. I found this out when I saw myself in the mirror before leaving home, versus what my highlighter looked like in the bathroom of my in-laws. I don’t know what kind of bulbs they have, but I’d rather not look like that again.

Below is a photo using some elements of everything I reviewed today. The highlighter on the cheeks is the Natasha Denona one.

If this kind of highlighter is to someone’s taste, I feel jealous of that person because I really wanted this to work. I paid for it, so of course I hoped to love it (and I can’t return it in the EU). The packaging feels so luxe to me. It looks like it could be a mini porcelain soap dish the way it has the indent at the top and feels weirdly cold on the outside. I also like the rose gold around the rim. The compact has the right amount of plastic to feel like I’m holding something substantial without it actually being heavy.
In the future, I’m likely to either depot it (and put a pan of something else inside) or sell it.

Dior Forever Rouge Blush Contour & Glow in 200 Diorama

For several years, I’ve been using either deep bronzers (for brontouring) or the Hindash Beautopsy Palette for contouring purposes. Today, I’ll be sharing my thoughts on the first actual contour I’ve purchased in so long (and the highlighter that comes with it).

Dior released many blush and highlighter duos this year, but I decided to go for this product instead because there’s a bigger void for it in my collection. The texture reminded me of the Dior Powder No Powder, so I had high hopes for it being a smoothing and blurring contour. I was surprised to find that this is a little too dark and pigmented for me. I can’t use a wispy brush because it needs to be strong enough to pick up the product on the bristles, but at the same time a dense brush packs on a lot of product. A brush too wide is hard to blend out and can make my blush look muddy when some of it goes on top. A brush too thin concentrates the product even more to create a stripe. It can look patchy if not evenly applied and blended out. It’s hard to fix once it’s overapplied because the pigment is so intense. So, the Patrick Ta contour brush has been the best option I’ve found thus far. This product is finicky primarily because of the color.

The highlighter is quite pretty and fairly smooth. It reminds me of Bobbi Brown’s Copper Glow, without the random larger shimmer specks. I have highlighters with shimmer more refined than this, but this is still very nice. I’m happy with it and with my purchase overall. Don’t be surprised if you hear I’ve gone back to contouring with the Beautopsy Palette though!

I also feel compelled to add that I wish Dior would make deeper highlighter options. I don’t follow the brand super closely, but I follow them enough to feel confident in saying this is the darkest* powder highlighter they’ve ever made and it’s right on the cusp of being too light for me post-summer.
*Based on online photos, the highlighter in the 757 Wild Dior duo looks to be the exact same depth and just be slightly more pink in tone.

Every time they release a highlighter, I’m drawn to it, but they’re always too light in the way they reflect. Without there being much base color, yes, the highlighters can stretch across many more skin tones. However, the reflect looking pearly white on me isn’t flattering, even if there’s a warmer base or one that’s deep enough for me. That’s why I was too afraid to buy either of the holiday highlighters this year, despite it looking pretty on someone darker than me (who doesn’t mind an icy highlighter). I would love an option that I don’t just wear in the winter-spring time when I’m lighter. Something comfortably dark enough.

That’s all I’ve got! Thank you for reading!

11.11

-Lili ❤

Fenty Cheeks Suede Powder Blush Review

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This is a review I felt compelled to make, but I did not look forward to it. I’m always rooting for and hoping for Fenty’s continued success, but of everything I’ve tried, their only standout products that can compete with my favorites from other brands are the Liquid Eaze Drop Blurring Skin Tint and Gloss Bombs. There are a few things I disliked (all previous foundations, cream gloss bombs, and their eyeshadows), but everything else has just been okay. The only other makeup I used to really enjoy and recommend were the brand’s cream blushes, but I stopped liking them a year ago when other brands’ formulas were just so much better suited to my wants.

Fenty Cheeks Suede Powder Blushes in Sundress Szn and Lolly Poppy

I’d been waiting years for a proper powder blush from Fenty, and I went through a range of opinions since using them. I heard so many ladies with tan skin and darker saying all the shades were ashy except Daiquiri Dip. So, I was excited just to have mine show up on my skin. Then, I realized that the mica particles hitting the light was making them look ashy on me. My excitement dropped.

I know the brand listed Sundress Szn as being suitable for fair and light skin, but the pigment level and tone (as it appeared in marketing images) is what I wanted. It looked like a pink-brown or nude-brown. Most of Fenty’s colors are near to being primary and I was excited to have a more skin-natural shade. I thought I could just mix it with Lolly Poppy to deepen the color, but that doesn’t help. And in person, Sundress Szn just looks light pink.

Lolly Poppy is quite vibrant and not a color I want to wear on its own. I decided to try putting on a brown blush and adding Lolly Poppy just to the apples of my cheek. That combination turned out beautifully! I tried doing that with Sundress Szn and thought it worked, but when I realized how it looked outdoors versus indoors, I changed my mind about it. Sundress Szn just doesn’t look as flattering on my skin tone purely because of the sheen.
As for Lolly Poppy, it’s more of an “I can make it work” situation when combining it with other products and using the barest amount. If I build it up, I realized it still gives me a similar problem as Sundress Szn where the reflect looks too white against my warm undertone. What a shame!

In terms of blendability, it’s a little above average. It does look soft and not drying on the skin. It does look more like suede than being powdery. After the third use, a weird film looks like it starts to form on the surface, but not necessarily hard pan. It might just be the reflection of the sheen. Still, I recommend trying to avoid swatching it too often as I think oils touching the powder could be a problem over time. The photo shows its current state having been worn at least ten times for Lolly Poppy and six for Sundress Szn. Every time Lolly Poppy starts to look the way of Sundress Szn, the next use smooths it back out. Very strange!

Two of my favorite blush colors exist from Fenty (favorites in shade not formula) which are Rose Latte and Strawberry Drip, but the brand chose not to make them in powder form. Even if they expand this range, I would not buy more in this formula. I would love to hope that Fenty would listen to customer feedback and reformulate, but they never admit to faults, flaws, or flops. They keep it on the shelves and just release a new version. So, I will have to wait and hear if Fenty comes out with a line of “Silk Powder Blushes” for example instead of Suede, and hope those will be better. Theoretically, these should still work fine for someone with medium and lighter skin, but I can’t recommend them.

The final thing of note is that these have claims of being waterproof. I have not tested that on my face, but I can say the color lasts all day on my cheeks. That isn’t especially impressive since nearly every powder blush I wear has no longevity issues.
The most I did was put it on the back of my hand and then ran water over it to see if the color would bleed and wash away. It passed that test, so perhaps if they’re really waterproof, that will be important to a specific group of people.

If you’re still here after that glum but necessary report, I thank you for reading. I am still in the testing phase of Fenty’s two newest lip products, but I will say I’ve been enjoying the brand’s new Gloss Balm Stix. I will do an official post in the future, though it’s unlikely to be posted any earlier than six weeks from now.

-Lili ❤

Reviewing Three G’s of Luxury Beauty

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The title of today’s post refers to me reviewing a product from Givenchy, Guerlain, and Gucci! They’re three G-named luxury beauty brands with products I tend to like when I try them. Rather than reviewing them separately, I decided to combine them into a single post.

Let’s begin!

Givenchy Prisme Libre Skin-Caring Glow Foundation in W385

The Givenchy Prisme Libre concealers are in my top five favorites, so my interest in the glow version of the foundation began from there. When I saw this shade available for half price, I jumped at the chance to try it!

I’m sure it seems strange that I chose a foundation shade that’s lighter than the concealers I use, but my face color comprises of multiple shades: mainly the lightest sections (cheek area, chin, parts of my nose, and center of my forehead), medium section (forehead and perimeter of my face), and the darkest parts (dark under eye circles, dark spots, scars, and hyperpigmentation). Most of my foundations are either a middle ground shade between the lightest and medium colors on my face, or matching the medium color alone. Because of my severely dark under eyes, using a concealer that’s around my skintone depth (instead of brightening) looks best. It’s a long way to say that N390 is close enough to my skin tone depth, so I figured W385 might work. It’s not the best match for me, but it’s hard to be able to tell since the coverage is so sheer.

This foundation is supposed to be “buildable,” but it only goes as high as medium coverage with 4 full pumps for the whole face. It’s typical for me to use 1 or 2 pumps of any foundation at most. I used 1 full pump for one half of my face in the photo below, yet got hardly any coverage.
Because I don’t enjoy the feeling of having too many layers of product on my face, I wouldn’t surpass three pumps. After a point, adding more doesn’t increase the coverage and it hinders the foundation’s ability to dry down on the skin. Using more drops also increases the ease of transfer.

Other than the foundation on one side, both sides have a little concealer around the eyes and mouth.

The Givenchy Prisme Libre foundation sets without needing powder, as long as I’m not heavy on the emollient skincare and stick to using no more than 2 pumps of foundation. Powdering, to me, would defeat the purpose of having a luminous foundation.

This has about the same amount of glow as the Chanel No. 1 Foundation in the beginning, but by midday and onward, the Chanel foundation gives more glow.

The dispenser part of my bottle top arrived broken. It spins around 360 degrees. If I don’t remember to hold it steady when pressing down the pump, it’ll spray everywhere. I don’t have the best memory, so I’ve made that mistake three times already since June. Since I bought this at such a high discount, I didn’t bother contacting customer service.

The darker and warmer color is the Armani foundation, but the squirts all around is the Givenchy foundation when I planned to wear them mixed them together.


As a side note, the Douglas retail website is wild! I’ve never seen prices fluctuate so much on a website before! When I checked again, some shades of this foundation dropped to 16 Euros, whereas other shades (including mine) went back up in price!

I find more use for this product as a mixer to sheer out foundations that are on the thicker side while getting a little more natural finish and coverage. For example, the Armani Luminous Silk foundation is one that never reaches luminous level and I can get a natural finish at best. The Givenchy product mixed with it improves it on every front. So, even though I don’t like this as a standalone product, it’s still useful for me.

*I’d just like to add that all photos were taken early in Summer, so I’m darker now. Definitely too dark to wear this foundation alone now.

Guerlain Terracotta Blush in 03 Deep Nude

I admittedly don’t feel like I can fully appreciate this because I bought it at the same time as the Chanel trio, and they’re basically the same color. It’s not as “nude” of a shade as I thought either. It’s basically just dark pink and I wish it had more brown.
Color aside, I also wish it wasn’t so matte. I would have loved for there to be a sheen in this. This is why I didn’t get more shades, even though they were at least 33% off on websites I came across (I bought mine from Parfümerie Pieper).

I’ve had no issues with longevity. I can’t speak for the whole line, but this particular shade is pigmented. I try not to load up too much product on my brush. It’s better to build it up because it’s hard to try and buff it away. If I apply too much, I have to tone it down with a finishing powder or foundation. In a sheer amount, it looks pretty. The powder quality is nice, but not worth full price to me. What I paid is more in line, in my opinion, with what it should have been at the start.

As for the packaging, I think I remember reading some complaints about Guerlain’s Terracotta compacts looking boring and people wanting the blush components to be different, but I like it. I’m more concerned with the formula. I think the quality is decent, but I fail to see anything special about it that would make it stand out from other brands. For a similar price, the Armani Luminous Silk Glow Blushes, which are also matte, are ones I like better.

Gucci Poudre De Beauté Matte Compact Powder (refill) in 10

This is a very smooth finely milled powder. Although I opted to buy the refill so that I could keep the cost low, the intended component is just as luxe as the bronzer packaging and in a pretty shade of pink. Between the formula and compact, I can understand the price tag. For anyone wanting to do what I did and house it in an empty magnetic palette, just know that the pan itself isn’t magnetic. I had to add a metal sticker to the bottom. The sticker I purchased from Amazon and the powder I bought from Selfridges.

The shade I bought is perfect for me. It doesn’t darken when put on top of wet skin. I can see how this is dry skin friendly, but it’s a bit too weak. It tones down shine, but can’t hold at bay an actual dewy product. Also, despite what the product description says on the website, I don’t notice any blurring.

If you don’t like perfume in makeup, just know that every product I reviewed today has it listed in the ingredients. I don’t find the smell of any of them to be alluring, but none are bad either.

This is what the 3 G’s look like when used all together on my face! I tried to use as many “G” branded products as possible to fit the theme! The Gucci powder was all over the face, but the Givenchy powder was under the eyes.

I’d like to take this time to correct my feelings towards the Gucci Bronzer. In my ranking post, I put it in the category of “nice but not a standout formula, in a shade that wasn’t perfect for me.” It’s amazing how a different undertone can really change things! I got my hands on Shade 4 and liked it so much better! It’s still not in my top 10 formulas, but it’s better than I initially felt. With Shade 4, I can get it to blend into my skin better and have it look more natural. I can finally see that it’s smoother than I originally gave it credit for, especially considering how I was still able to make Shade 5 work despite being so off.

Anyway, that’s all for today! Thank you for reading!

-Lili ❤