Category Archives: Powder

Is Weighty Makeup Automatically the Most Luxurious?

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The D&G Blush, ABH Highlighter, VBB Lid Lustre, and PML Quad are not pictured here, but they will be discussed in this post.

After the bombshell that was dropped regarding the Louis Vuitton Beauty line and their prices, I started to think about which items in my collection were the most expensive, which ones I thought had the prettiest packaging, if the prettiest was actually the most luxurious looking, and which ones had the most weight. I was surprised to discover that so few items fit into all of these categories.

I was happy to see the people I follow enjoying their La Beauté Louis Vuitton products, but some felt they needed to justify their reasons for making the purchase beyond just stating, “I wanted it, so I got it.” Across the board, customers who thought the items were or were not worth buying seemed to at least come to the consensus that the price (besides paying for the brand recognition), was largely due to the packaging. The lipstick components were said to be fully metal, along with the bespoke metal packaging of the eyeshadow quads. “You could hurt someone if you hit them with this,” was stated more than a few times by various people.

How a product looks and its weight are my top two criteria for feeling like the item I own is luxurious. Looks are subjective, but weight can be measured and precise. I started to think about the heaviest packaging in my collection (proportionate to its size dimensions) in order to answer the question…are these automatically the most lux?

Lisa Eldridge Rouge Experience Refillable Lipstick (68 grams)

In order to highlight how great this packaging is, I need to do a deep dive into comparing it to another brand. Please, bear with me on this, especially if you’re a fan of LV. I don’t judge anyone on how they spend their money, and this is just me working out why I am perfectly satisfied with Lisa’s lipstick being the height of luxury for me.

Lisa Eldridge took great pride explaining in her launch video how her refills were mono material, made of 100% aluminum and could therefore be recycled without degrading once repurposed, unlike the vast majority of other brands’ refills that have mixed metal with plastic.

According to Google: “You cannot usually recycle a lipstick refill that has both plastic and metal components together, as most curbside recycling facilities cannot separate the mixed materials and are not equipped to handle small, complex items.”

There is plastic inside the forever case by Lisa Eldridge, as this has a click closure, but she wanted the actual refills to be sustainable.

I cannot compare the LV lipsticks from personal experience, but it is my understanding that the refills are all metal as well and come with plastic caps that can be removed when recycling. The lipstick cases have an aluminum shell and brass detailing, but the magnetic closure that is so satisfying to use (and adds to the weightiness of a product) keeps it from being recyclable as well.

Summarized from Okon Recycling: Recycling magnets is technically possible, but challenging as it involves disassembling the magnet and removing any non-magnetic materials. However, there are some magnets that cannot be recycled.

So, it sounds as if both LV and Lisa Eldridge have cases that aren’t realistic to recycle but have refills that are fully recyclable. The LV lipstick case has a lot of expensive details like the product names and logo being etched in, the monogram flower-shaped refill bottom, etc. Lisa Eldridge has her logo etched at the top of the cap, allows the customer to personalize the base of the case with their initials etched in (up to three letters), and the case shape had to be custom made as well. Perhaps some prefer the sleeker LV design while others appreciate the vintage inspiration of Lisa’s more.

LV’s Lipstick Case + Refill is $160 and the refill alone is $69.
Lisa Eldridge’s Lipstick Case + Refill is $63 (engraving price included) and the refill alone is $30.

Sure, LV’s refill costs the same amount as other high end and luxury lipsticks in their completed form, but considering the details I listed above, is the LV case really $100 better that other brands’ cases, particularly Lisa Eldridge?

It can’t come down to the actual lipstick formula, because that’s part of LV’s $69 refill price.

At the time that I bought the Lisa Eldridge lipstick, I felt it was incredibly expensive. It is still the most expensive lipstick in my collection, based on what I paid and not the retail price. I rationalized my purchase because of the sustainability aspect, all the custom elements, the personalized touch, and how heavy it felt.

Taking branding completely out of the equation and thinking about the components alone, I do feel like this product by Lisa Eldridge is among the most luxurious out there, and I am no longer gritting my teeth at the price.

It would be nice if I liked the lipstick formula more, but there is some hope for me! I wrote a comment on Instagram that the brand responded to, and while the Velvet formula won’t be put in the refillable form, there might still be the possibility of the Lucents that I enjoy so much!

There are other things they’ve been “working on” that has taken years, such as making the empty eyeshadow palettes available for purchase alongside the eyeshadow singles, the return of the liquid blush in better packaging, etc. So, I’m prepared for this to take a while to happen.

If I can get the Luxuriously Lucent Lip Colours and/or Baume Embraces as refills, I will definitely get more use out of mine!

Olivia Palermo Beauty Eyeshadow Palette (226 grams) and Lipstick (79 grams)

Whenever I think about heavy makeup packaging, the Olivia Palermo Eyeshadow Palette immediately comes to mind. I’ve had it for years, yet I’m still not sure how I feel about the pattern, and I’m not sure what it’s technically called (perhaps wicker, woven link, basket weave, oyster strap, etc.). It just makes me think of the types of patterns I’ve seen for watch straps, which isn’t too terribly off track. Apparently Olivia drew inspiration for the packaging, “by a vintage Art Deco bracelet she was given for her 21st birthday.”

The eyeshadow palette has a magnetic closure and mirror, which further increases the weight, on top of the fact that the packaging is metal.

Although I’m not sure if they could have created a different pattern that I would like more, I can say it’s at least cool, unique, and easily recognizable. Plain flat gold is always beautiful to me, but this packaging looks different from any other I’ve seen. Well, almost. As of a year ago, Hatice Schmidt released a refillable lipstick range called, “The Gift,” with a case inspired by jewelry and the pattern reminds me of a curb chain/Cuban link style. So, there are at least two jewelry inspired components from brands that I know of.

I bought the Olivia Palermo lipstick at the reduced price of €32 (originally €40) from Niche-Beauty, and the eyeshadow palette for $28 (originally $58). I’ve discussed how I procured the eyeshadow palette in a past review, but it was during the time that I started working on this post that I felt the compulsion to finally get the lipstick. I have checked in on the brand on and off over the years, waiting for them to release additional products. Earlier this year, I saw a notice on the official website that the beauty products would no longer be sold and that they were turning the website into an influencer style page (oliviapalermo.com now redirects to her affiliate shopmy page). I assumed that meant the brand was shutting down, especially since I’ve only heard two beauty reviewers reference the brand one time each within the last three years. However, I was shocked to see the products appear on the Douglas website in either August or September, and then I saw them at Niche-Beauty as well. I don’t know if Olivia has better sales in Europe, or Germany specifically. I’m not even sure if she still has products available elsewhere in the US.

I felt Lisa Eldridge’s lipstick deserved to be in the post, but Olivia Palermo’s lipstick is the only one in my collection that is heavier. OPB’s lipstick is less expensive, but it isn’t refillable and the central part of the lipstick component is made of plastic. The outer packaging is what makes this seem so fancy.

Regarding the eyeshadow palette, it definitely screams luxury. It isn’t something you want to carry around in your purse or travel with it. Olivia wanted the old Hollywood glamour look and feel to her products, so this is something that you would want to keep on a vanity.

This is by far my most luxurious palette, and though it doesn’t have some of the additional premium features of the LV Quads, it makes me feel a lot more content about my collection and avoid FOMO. If I want heavy eyeshadow packaging, I certainly have it with this product!

Westman Atelier Beauty Butter Powder Bronzer (112 grams)

This is my golden pebble! It is tiny in size but mighty in weight!

Chantecaille is another brand with nicknamed “pebble” packaging, but theirs is plastic, thin, and it doesn’t feel substantial, even though they cost the same amount!

I bought my WA bronzer at 20% off, so the title of most expensive bronzer in my collection belongs to Hermes, even though I only bought the refill. Had I paid for the compact too, that wouldn’t have helped it to feel more luxurious than the Westman Atelier bronzer, considering Hermes’ thin plastic packaging.

This has a tiny mirror that I don’t use, and a magnetic closure. The brand has highlighters and face powders in this same style of packaging. I haven’t used their cream sticks or drops, but they don’t look as luxurious to me. The only other Westman Atelier packaging I have handled are the powder duos, which are certainly substantial and pretty to look at, but I don’t think it compares to this gold compact.

When it comes to the prettiest bronzer packaging, I think of Gucci’s and Charlotte Tilbury’s powder one, even though they are much lighter in terms of their size. However, I would never call something that’s a solid gold color ugly. So, it may as well be my most glamorous bronzer.

Fara Homidi Essential Bronzer Refillable Compact (106 grams)

This compact is about the same size and weight as the Westman Atelier Butter Bronzer. The amount of product from FH is 3.5 grams and the amount of product from WA is 8 grams. That is close enough to accounting for the 6 gram difference when I weighed the two products, which is why I’m still including it in this post.

Aesthetically, I find the Westman Atelier bronzer to be more appealing. Shiny things get me. However, I still think Fara’s is classy and pleasing to hold in the hand. Her other products come in red and blue packaging of the same weight. I don’t like the red, but the blue is very eye-catching. If the next product she releases is in purple or green packaging, it just might surpass WA’s as a favorite compact for bronzers.

D&G Cheeks&Eyes Match Blush (91 grams)

I have plenty of blush packaging that is bigger than this, and therefore heavier. However, for this small size, this is very heavy! Nothing really comes close to the weight, but I have to say that Gucci’s powder blush packaging is quite nice too, even if it’s lighter. Visually, I like Gucci’s more as well. In fact, I have a lot of blushes that aren’t luxurious feeling, but I love them anyway (such as YSL’s Make Me Blush Bold Blurring Blushes and Too Faced Cloud Crush Blushes).
So, this is one of the few categories where my heaviest blush might be the most luxurious, but it isn’t necessarily my favorite packaging. I do like it a lot though!

I have to add that this packaging feels like a mixture of plastic and metal components. I believe there’s something in the base of this compact adding weight artificially, especially since it doesn’t even have a magnetic closure. It has a push button instead.

Victoria Beckham Beauty Products:
Matte Bronzing Brick (166 grams), Eye Wardrobe (116 grams), Cheeky Posh (37 grams), and Lid Lustre (41 grams)

Similar to Olivia Palermo Beauty, VBB has a certain aesthetic that they maintain across most of their products. I like the horn brown/tortoise pattern, and it can be fashionable, but I don’t automatically associate it with luxury because of how many cheap products I’ve seen made in tortoiseshell style. The gold colored trim helps to elevate the look of the packaging, but it is the weight and feel of these components that make them undoubtedly luxurious.

The Bronzing Duo and Eyeshadow Quad are among my heaviest based on size. The Cheeky Posh blush is small and doesn’t have that much extra weight, but I figure that’s because the component isn’t refillable like the other two. I’m including it because it has the same style of packaging as the others, and I still feel bougie when I handle it.

I rarely buy single eyeshadows, so I don’t have much to compare in terms of weight. The prettiest I own is probably the Charlotte Tilbury Hypnotizing Pop Shots, but those have lightweight plastic packaging and they are powders, which I don’t believe is fair to compare. It would be interesting to see how the glass packaging of Charlotte’s Eyes to Mesmerise stacks up, but I don’t own that.
I no longer have the glass packaging of Maybelline’s 24 HR Color Tattoo, but the best I’ve got is Melt’s Gel Liner (47 grams) and a MAC Paint Pot (56 grams).
I like glass as a component material, but it’s not uncommon to find for eye products. The Lid Lustre packaging has an elevated look compared to MAC’s, for example. The Melt Cosmetics Gel Liner that has the gold lid and butterfly print around the rim with the glass base is prettier to me, while also being slightly heavier. However, the font for the brand logo makes it look less sophisticated. I don’t think eye related categories of makeup follow the trend of weight indicating how luxurious a product will look and feel.

One thing about VBB packaging that does take away from the experience is the issue with the closing mechanism. I heard this was a problem in the past, and I never had an issue with my Bronzing Brick, but my eyeshadow quad doesn’t always stay shut when I snap it closed. Sometimes it’s fine, but other times it likes to pop back open with the slightest touch. I haven’t heard about anyone else having an issue with the quads, so perhaps I’m unlucky in getting one of the few faulty ones.

Pat Mcgrath Mothership Palettes (392 grams) and Eyeshadow Quads (122 grams)

All the previous components I’ve discussed had metal or a mix of metal and plastic packaging. The Mothership Palettes are fully plastic, but they are quite hefty in weight. The palettes are big for only holding ten eyeshadows, but that black shiny lacquer with the gold bottom still look lux to me. My Victoria Beckham and Olivia Palermo palettes are the only ones I can recall from my collection that aren’t made of plastic or cardboard. In fact, the Victoria Beckham Eye Wardrobe quad is only six grams less than a Pat Mcgrath quad, but Victoria’s compact is almost half the size!
I still chose these PML products as the next heaviest in the luxury category, though I have to admit that I have some lightweight quads that look fancier because they are gold colored. For example, Tom Ford (the trim technically), Guerlain, YSL (trim), Prada (mixed gold and silver), Lisa Eldridge, etc.
I find it difficult to equate weight with luxury in the eyeshadow category because of how many bulky heavy palettes brands have released over the years. So many of Jeffrey Star’s earliest palettes, Plouise, and Glamlite’s Food palettes were huge. I also recall when Stila had the Luxe Eye Shadow Palette in Happy Hour, which was a similar weight and size to the Mothership Palettes, but I bought it for $36. I can’t remember what the full retail price was, but it cost nowhere near the same amount as a Mothership.

So, I’ve come to the conclusion that weight doesn’t automatically equate with luxury in this category either. However, because of how uncommon it is to find hefty quads and palettes that are reasonably sized (Olivia Palermo, Victoria Beckham, and Pat Mcgrath), the ones that are weighty feel extra special to me.

Beekman 1802 Milk Tint SPF 43 Tinted Primer Serum

I didn’t want to include skincare, but this technically falls under the makeup umbrella. If I count it as a primer, it might be the heaviest I ever owned (even heavier than the glass bottle of Rituel de Fille Thorn Oil). Beekman’s looks like ceramic, but it’s colored glass.

I have to say “might be the heaviest,” because I don’t recall how it compares to the Guerlain L’Or Radiance Primer (now called the Guerlain Parure Gold 24K Radiance Primer), which is definitely the most luxurious looking primer I ever bought. The look of the Beekman product doesn’t appeal to me at all, but I was so impressed by how it felt in the hands. I had to leave it behind though because it was so heavy that I didn’t want to bring it back in my luggage.

If this counts as a skin tint, then it’s a lot less special. Plenty of brands make glass bottle complexion products. That’s why I didn’t include any true foundations or concealers in this post, because the prettiest bottles in my collection tend to look and weigh around the same.

When it comes to heavy primer packaging being the most luxurious, I have to say the Guerlain primer squashes that theory.

Anastasia Beverly Hills Smooth Blur Bronzer (112 grams) and Glow Seeker Highlighter (125 grams)

This bronzer is larger than the one from Westman Atelier, but it weighs the same. The reason I decided to include it anyway is because it’s still substantially heavier than the remaining bronzers in my collection. Plus, the highlighter component is a similar size and even weightier.
I cannot think of a single highlighter I own that comes in heavy packaging, other than this one.

I have noticed over the years that ABH has gradually been upgrading the packaging of most of their products. Their two most recent mascaras felt like either super heavy plastic or a mix of metal and plastic. The Smooth Blur Cream Contour Stick has a brushed gold colored metal cap and additional gold details. The Smooth Blur Matte Bronzer and Glow Seeker Highlighter have a magnetic closure and they feel quite substantial in the hand. I’m impressed with the packaging and find it to be quite pretty, but this is still another example of how weight doesn’t necessarily equate with a luxurious look. This packaging feels so much more substantial to hold and interact with than pretty much all others in the drugstore, mid-range, and high end categories. It feels like it should cost more than it does, and it looks appropriately high end to me, but not quite broaching luxury territory. I still think the Gucci Bronzer packaging tops it, despite it being lighter in weight, because it looks classier overall. As another example, MAC’s Sunstruck Bronzers look so beautiful, even though they are in lightweight compacts as well.

Final Thoughts

Based on my own personal collection, I’ve confirmed that in certain makeup categories, the most luxurious packaging is the heaviest. At the same time, I have many other products with a timeless and elegant look to them that are lightweight and made of plastic or other inexpensive materials. Essentially, the weight of a product enhances the luxury experience, but it does very little to elevate plain looking packaging. The best example of this is the Beekman 1802 Tint.

If I can get an Olivia Palermo palette that retails for $58 and feels ultra lux, but I can also buy a limited edition plastic Chanel quad for $86 and still feel like that’s luxurious as well, would that be considered silly? Should I be raising my expectations for all luxury brands?
At the beginning of this experiment, I would have said yes. However, I now see that if Chanel, Dior, Gucci, and other designer brands used higher quality materials, their products would likely fall in the LV Beaute range of prices (if not more). Some examples of that are the Chanel 31 Le Rouge lipsticks in the glass case, Dior Rouge Premier Lipsticks with the ceramic case and “formula infused with 24k gold,” along with the Guerlain Rouge G Exceptional Piece lines. There is only so much a person is willing to pay for a product from a luxury brand if the materials are the same as a mid-tier brand. So, that keeps designer brands from going overboard with their prices. There are also advantages to using lightweight materials, such as them being more convenient to take on-the-go for customers or makeup artists with large kits, sitting at attainable prices for aspirational shoppers, thinner packaging contributing to less waste of materials and sustainability efforts, etc.

So, when I really think about it, I wouldn’t be able to buy as many products in the luxury category if the components were more expensive to make or if they were made from higher quality materials. In fact, the majority of the products in this post were purchased with some kind of discount. Of course, I would love to have all my luxury goods in weighty packaging, but if that means I would have to accept those products being less likely to go on sale and/or accepting that the prices of them would double or triple, I am unwilling to do so.

The Dior Powder-no-Powder is one of my favorite makeup products of all time, yet the most I was willing to spend was €45 (essentially just paying full price) to get my name etched onto the compact. If I had the opportunity to buy it in a gold colored compact with a magnetic closure or some stunning limited edition pattern for €100, I don’t think I’d be willing to do that. This tells me that despite a product having a holy grail formula that is unable to be duped, I still have my limits. Some makeup will just never be worth it to me to buy, past a certain pricepoint, no matter what it’s made of. That means I cannot use the product’s weight, materials (including formula), or looks to justify a super high spend amount. However, I know that when a product gets hyped up, it can be much easier for me to consider crossing that price threshold if I can make a case for it being top tier from every other angle.
I bought one of the Chanel Boutons quads directly from Chanel because so many influencers were told by their SAs that the collection would be extremely limited, and I feared missing out. Less than one month after launch, I found the quads at multiple retailers for a minimum of 30% off.
FOMO works similarly to getting caught up in the hype of a product. I sometimes make purchasing decisions that I normally wouldn’t.

This is why I decided to make this post. I know there are others like me who enjoy luxury makeup and don’t have the biggest budget to work with. There are those who will be tempted by the exclusivity of a certain new beauty line and would normally not even consider getting anything at those prices, but the hype may be wearing down that resolve.
To those that want to be talked out of buying makeup at $100 or more…just remember that luxury makeup with fantastic formulas and high quality packaging can be found at a lower price. This post is full of examples of this. If one brand is out of your price range, you might be able to get similar products from another prestige brand. Other amazing and beautifully packaged products are just around the corner.

I hope this topic has been interesting, and even helpful.

Thanks for reading!

-Lili ❤

2025 Charlotte Tilbury Instant Look in a Palette

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I’ve been using the Hollywood Instant Look in a Palette (in Dreamy, Bronzed Beauty) sporadically over the past two weeks, so I feel ready to share my thoughts.

Before we start the review, I’d like to highlight the fact that Charlotte Tilbury used to have annual face palette launches, but they were usually not deep-skin friendly. The photos below are of the three darkest palettes the brand created until this year. I didn’t end up buying the one on the left because of how light it looked on tan reviewers I saw on YouTube. I didn’t get the one in the middle because I feared none of the cheek products would work on my skintone, especially since I was darker in 2021. I didn’t buy the one on the right because I rarely reach for blush and highlighter palettes. A face palette doesn’t feel complete to me without at least a blush, bronzer, and highlighter together.

Photo Credit: CharlotteTilbury.com

In 2023 and 2024, the brand took a break from making larger face palettes, so I’ve been waiting at least six years to finally try one! That’s why, despite my pledge to quit buying face palettes, I made this exception.

I wanted to acknowledge this history because I have always been critical of Hourglass for their limited shade selections in Ambient Edit Palettes, yet I haven’t said nearly as much about the Charlotte Tilbury ones. I think it’s because as much hype as Charlotte Tilbury powder products get, it’s never to the level of Hourglass. So, I was far more disappointed when I could not use an Hourglass Palette vs one from Charlotte Tilbury.

Starting with the eyeshadows, the 1 Brighten shade is described as a warm tan with silver shimmer. On my skin tone, the tan color is only visible if I apply it wet (as seen in the photo above), and technically on top of a darker shadow. So, if I just tap it on top of my lids without dampening it, only the silver particles show in a scattered-effect-topper kind of way.

2 Enhance is described as warm copper with pink shimmer. As seen in the second pair of eye looks, it is difficult to tell the difference between the two shades on my lids. In real life, if I put Enhance on one eyelid and Brighten on the other, my eyes wouldn’t be closed long enough for anyone to be able to spot the difference. So, I can’t help but feel like I got a duplicate eyeshadow in this palette. I don’t mind having what amounts to one topper shade, but to have two out of three is a bit disappointing. That being said, they’re at least pretty. If I want a sparkly and slightly less scattered look, I reach for Enhance instead of Brighten. It is also true that I can get a slightly pinker look when I dampen this eyeshadow shade, or much pinker when I use the blushes on my eyes too.*

*If you’re concerned about whether or not the face products are considered eye safe, based on your government’s regulations, I recommend checking the official Charlotte Tilbury website and ingredient lists for information regarding that. I have not looked into this, and have tried them at my own risk.

Regarding fallout, applying the shimmer eyeshadows damp ensures that I don’t have too many particles under by eyes by the end of the day, especially if I also use the Nyx Glitter primer. Plus, I get the bonus of these methods intensifying the amount of sparkle that’s on my lids.

3 Smoke is described as a rich burgundy matte. It is indeed dark enough that I can be satisfied with creating eye looks using only this matte and one of the shimmers. I don’t like how rounded my natural eye shape is, so I prefer to use at least three eyeshadows to create a high contrast look with a sculpted outer corner in an almond shape that detracts attention from how rounded my upper lash line is.

I get decent pigment from this shade, though I still have to build it up a little to be satisfied. Layering and blending with it is fine, but not super quick. Basically, this isn’t an amazing eyeshadow quality, but it’s nice enough. I at least don’t have issues with patchiness. For those wondering, I use the Lisa Eldridge Liquid Silk Eyeshadow as my main eyeshadow base.

I have attempted to create eyeshadow looks using the bronzer and blushes as well, but they are not deep enough to give me the depth I require in my eye looks. I have to end up using Smoke or reaching for a different palette to finish the look.

So, if I include the brown bronzer as a blending out or softening shade, the face powder as a brightening shade, the raspberry-pink matte blush and shimmery glow blush as ways to intensify the pink elements of eye looks, the Smoke shade for dimension, and I use the two shimmers damp, I’m content enough with the variety of pink and purple eye looks I can create.

Moving on to the face products, I thought it was a good opportunity to show the differences between the Flawless Finish powder shades.

The swatches look quite stark and ashy, but all of these work for me under my eyes. In fact, Tan looks the best suited for me in the swatch, but I rarely use it on its own because it darkens the look of my under eye concealer if I’m using one that’s already a skin-tone shade.
My go-to combination has been to use a mixture of Medium and Tan together. When I’ve used Light Peach, it has been for its color-correcting elements, lightening a blush, or if I’m in a hurry and don’t feel like reaching for a different powder shade while I already have this palette open. This also applies to when I’m using the Soulmates Duo, which is where Light Peach (it may also be referred to as Flawless Peach) was first debuted by the brand.
It’s the same great quality I’m used to from the permanent line of face powders.

As for the Tan-Deep shade in the brightening formula, I bought a mini for color-correcting purposes once again. I have only used it once, so I don’t feel comfortable posting a full review. However, I wanted to at least demonstrate how it looks for anyone curious.

I have a bigger Charlotte Tilbury post I’ve been working on for a while, so if there is any information I need to update, I will post about it at that time. That post might not be ready until next year though. There are a lot of other reviews I’d like to complete first.

Next up to discuss is the bronzer. When I heard it was the shade Tan, I was a bit disappointed because that shade has never worked for me in the past. However, the one in this palette does faintly show up!

I wish I still had my older version of Tan to be able to compare it to the new one and see if there has been a slight color change. The reason I think it’s possible is because it’s stated on the website that this bronzer is actually a new powder formula. So, maybe the brand made this version the tiniest bit darker. Maybe it’s not actually darker, and is just easier to see because it’s a warmer tone of orange that stands out more on my skintone. The third possibility is that I might be lighter now than when I was in Florida, so I have no idea if the older powder version of Tan would work for me by now. The cream version of Tan has always worked though.

Shade match aside, I do believe there is a difference between the old powder bronzer and new one. My powder version of Deep is fairly old by now, so I don’t know if that could account for the new one feeling the tiniest bit softer and creamier, whereas the older one has a more powdery consistency. The older one had a beautiful airbrushed finish, which also accounted for a more obvious makeup look. The newer one has a more skin-like finish, which I would normally consider a great thing. However, I reach for Charlotte’s bronzer specifically when I want a slightly heavier glam look. The airbrushed blur is what made it stand out from most of my bronzer collection. As nice as this bronzer finish is now, it’s not as unique.

The reformulated version matches the quality of many of my high-end and luxury products, which makes it a great addition to this palette. The blendability is nice. I have no issues with longevity. So, I wouldn’t go out of my way to reach for a different bronzer if I’m already in the process of using this face palette. This difference might just effect whether I would buy an individual compact of the brand’s reformulated bronzer if they do end up launching them, considering it wouldn’t be giving me something different from what I already have from Hermes, the older Dior bronzer formula, etc.
Powdery airbrush type of bronzers I love are by Victoria Beckham, Gucci, Vieve, etc. It’s just that Charlotte’s ranked above all of them for this specific look. The new formula is still good, but I would want it when I’m in the mood for a different makeup style (like neutral or natural).

Moving onto blushes, I don’t think Charlotte Tilbury has expanded their permanent powder blush range since the addition of Pillow Talk Intense in 2020. There have been limited edition powder blushes, but it’s interesting that the brand’s focus for the past several years has been to extend the options of Beauty Wands and various cream formulas. The limited edition powder blush shades intended for those with medium, tan, and dark skin have been just different enough for me to justify owning them all. However, I can understand some of the frustrations I hear my fellow makeup lovers talk about regarding the options. People are ready for something distinctly different, and not just in liquid or cream form.

Blushes are still currently my favorite category of makeup, although eyeshadows are getting close to reclaiming their former position. So, these blushes were what I was the most excited to try. When I saw 6 Cheek Matte Blush in person, I was nervous because it reminded me of YSL’s Berry Bang that I got in August. However, I was very happy that I find Charlotte’s to be a prettier tone on me. It’s pigmented, soft, and buildable. To have a little more control of the matte blush and get it to have as light of a layer as it appears in the demonstration photos above, I used the Sonia G Soft Cheek Brush.

This blush lasts all day without fading. It also doesn’t look too matte for my dry skin, although I prefer to add a little of 7 Cheek Glow Blush on top to make my cheeks appear a bit more supple.

I was surprised to see that the Cheek Glow Blush is the only one not inside a pan. It feels like a gelee or slurry formula on top of plastic netting/mesh. Some products like this can be hard pressed, but this one is not. I have no issues getting enough product onto my brushes, but since it’s not as pigmented as the matte blush, I like to cut to the chase and use a brush that’s a bit denser and picks up more, like the Hakuhodo G6440.** One other brush I’ve been loving with it is the Bisyodo B-P-03 Perfect Fit Powder Brush.* I haven’t written an official review for it yet, but I want to share the fact that it lays down these blushes so well and it’s great to blend with. Despite being large, I can dip the lower angled portion of the brush onto the surface of the blushes, and then when I blend, there is a portion of the brush that doesn’t have product on there. So, I can diffuse the blush without packing on additional product in the process.

*DISCLOSURE: Every link (in this Bold Blue Font) is a regular non-affiliate link. The brush link (in this Bold Black Font With a Blue Background) is the only affiliate link in this post. This means I would get a commission from anyone who decides to make a purchase from CDJapan after clicking my link. Athough chances are slim that anyone who has used my links in the past will see this message in a post that isn’t dedicated specifically to Japanese Fude, I still want to show my thanks and appreciation. As someone with such a tiny blog, it’s still a shock to me whenever I see that someone has used my link, or even to just see the number of people who have clicked them. Thank you very much. ❤

**Side Note: I feel compelled to point out that when I bought the Hakuhodo brush almost a year ago, it was listed at 19,000 YEN. Between Black Friday discounts and the shipping fee via shopping through Fude Bobo, I ended up spending a little less than that on the brush, and it still felt like quite the splurge for a brush of that size. Four months ago, Hakuhodo raised their prices again, so this brush costs 26,000 YEN now! As much as I love this brush, I cannot recommend Hakuhodo anymore at these prices.

Returning to the subject of the glowy blush, one downside is that it emphasizes texture a little bit. It’s not as intense or metallic looking as certain shades of the brand’s Blush Wands can appear, but it could still be too much for some people’s makeup preferences. Also, this blush shade shows up enough on me to consider it a usable standalone blush, but I find it more practical to regard it as a blush topper. It’s shiny enough to add glow like a highlighter, but the tone matches so well with the blush that I feel it doesn’t stands out enough or draws enough focus to my cheeks like a traditional highlighter would. So, I prefer to add the Cheek Glow Blush to the apples of my cheeks and/or the top of my cheekbones, but still apply a real highlighter on top to finish the look. Perhaps I would feel differently if my undertone wasn’t golden, since pink highlighters don’t pass for natural on me.

The YSL All Hours Couture Palette in Golden Oasis still feels new to me, so it’s natural to want to compare these two products. In USD, YSL’s face palette contains three blushes and three highlighters for $85. Charlotte’s face palette contains three eyeshadows, two blushes, one face powder and one bronzer for $69. The differences in Germany were much smaller as it’s €72 for YSL and €69 for the Charlotte Tilbury palette. I essentially liked half of the YSL palette, but would only really use two blushes (and I already owned one of those two). With the Charlotte Tilbury palette, I can use everything in multiple ways and I like all of the shades. I can finish a good portion of my makeup by whipping out this single palette. I like it more than the YSL and more than the Nars Hot Escape Cheek Palette. I still stand by my thoughts that the ones from YSL and Nars could be good in particular circumstances, and what I actually paid for them was a pretty good deal. This one just turned out to be even better.

I don’t believe it’s recency bias if I consider this to be among my most useful face palettes: Hindash Beautopsy, Sephora Microsmooth Multi-Tasking Baked Face Palette, Hourglass Ambient Edit Palettes, and now the Charlotte Tilbury Instant Look in a Palette. Considering the fact that I don’t like to use any of the others on the eyes, this palette has that edge. Hindash’s still has my best contour color, Sephora’s has a true highlighter, and Hourglass’ has a glowy bronzer option. So, I like and use these on different occasions. I believe the reason I would end up getting a lot of use out of the Charlotte Tilbury palette is for convenience. It’s just easy to have so many usable pretty products in one palette, which is the whole appeal of having a face palette in the first place.
I am glad that this one turned out to be such a good purchase!

That’s everything for this week. Thank you for reading!

-Lili ❤

Hourglass Swan Palette and Dusk Quad Reviews

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Today’s post will be a review of the Swan Palette and Dusk Quad, plus I will show some mock ups of the DIY custom palettes I’m considering making using the Ambient Lighting Powders.

I already reviewed the Fox Palette, so if you wish to see more details about that one, please click HERE.

If you’d like to see even older Hourglass Palettes, I have a list HERE with the links to all of them.

Hourglass Ambient Lighting Edit – Unlocked- Swan (in Deer Packaging)

The Swan Palette comprises of Color Palette 2, generally known to be geared towards those with medium skin. I will admit the reason I bought another palette after Fox was because I could not let that beautiful Deer Packaging go. I like the original Swan design, but I felt an even stronger pull towards the Deer. So, I needed to put something inside it. I contemplated going for the Fox color story again, but I thought it might be more helpful for review purposes for me to choose Swan’s Color Palette 2 and see just how many shades I could get away with using. Plus, the blushes all looked pretty. So that’s what I did, and it’s not the first time either! I own the Owl Palette from 2023 that holds the Leopard color story, and I’ve gotten a surprising amount of use out of it!

DIM LIGHT (Finishing Powder) – This is one of the most frequently repeated shades among the Ambient Edit palettes, but thankfully only my second time getting it. It’s the lightest finishing powder Hourglass makes that I can pull off if I use it lightly, and if I’ve stayed out of the sun enough. At the moment, it’s a bit too light for me to wear with my regular foundations, but I have been successful in using it to lighten some of my foundations that are too dark or too orange right now.

In my review of the Fox palette, I mentioned that the quality seems better than it has been in the last few years. The powders feel softer and less dry. Out of curiosity, I felt my older Dim Light Powder from the Leopard Palette compared to the newer one, and this year’s feels the tiniest bit silkier. When I swatch them, the shades are identical, but when I rub them into my skin, I can see slightly more of a cast from the older powder. I hope my photo helps, but it’s a bit difficult to try and demonstrate the results from a sheer finishing powder on the skin.

This change probably won’t make much difference on someone with a light skin tone, but it works out better for me. Realistically though, I’m going to stick to using Eternal Light or Desert Light instead. So, Dim Light might be ignored by me when I open this palette.

GOLDEN HOUR (Highlighter) – This is a new shade for Hourglass and I feel it is one of the more refined highlighters they’ve made. There’s no avoiding that this is quite beaming, but it doesn’t look as crazy on me as I expected. In swatches, it is clear that Golden Hour is lighter than Divine Strobe Light, but it blends into my skin so well that I feel I can pull off Golden Hour even better.

Darker highlighters are obviously going to look better on me, so I don’t foresee myself using Golden Hour very much. However, it’s nice that I could if I wanted to. Since the quality is great, I think most people who like intense highlighters will be happy with this one.

This photo demonstrates my best efforts at applying a sheer amount of Golden Hour to make it work. It is incredibly easy for it to look beaming and intense if that’s what I wanted.

NATURAL BRONZE (Bronzer) – It’s no surprise that this doesn’t work for me as a bronzer. I can just barely see a cool-toned tinge on my skin in person (it’s invisible in photos). Hourglass finishing powders can be used as bronzer, so the reverse is true as well. However, because Natural Bronze leaves a slight grey tone on me, I cannot use it for either purpose. I’m fine with that considering it’s the only truly unusable powder for me out of six.

One of the complaints a lot of people with a lighter skin tone have is that Hourglass bronzers tend to lean too warm/orange. So, I wonder if this particular color will make the majority of customers happy. It is apparently not a new shade, but I don’t know where else it has been.

LUMINOUS CORAL (Blush) – I really like this color! It is a little darker than Ethereal Flush, and warmer than Coral Haze, which makes it my favorite of Hourglass’ coral blush shades! It’s vivid enough to pop on my cheeks without looking clownish and it doesn’t require too much effort building it up.

SUNSET FLUSH (Blush) – This blush has the Nars Orgasm effect on me: a slight tinge of pink may be seen when I face forward, but a gold sheen is all that shows when I turn my head towards the light. I could use this as a highlighter, but I prefer how it looks as a blush topper for Luminous Coral and Mauve Fusion.

MAUVE FUSION (Blush) – Although this blush is lighter than Amethyst Haze from the Fox Palette, it has enough pigment to look extremely bold with enough layers and a dense brush. In swatches, Mauve Fusion looks fuchsia-pink and Amethyst Haze looks magenta-pink. On my cheeks, Mauve Fusion looks like a normal pink blush. I still think it’s pretty, and between the two, I do think Mauve Fusion looks the most purple on my cheeks. However, I find Mood Flush to look like a truer mauve. Perhaps Mauve Fusion will look different on other people with a different undertone than mine (and a different ratio of color marbling in the blush).

Overall, the Swan Palette colors work pretty well for me. Luminous Coral and Golden Hour were my favorites, but Luminous Coral, Sunset Flush, and Mauve Fusion combined are the real standouts.

As much as I like this palette, I don’t love any of the powders enough to say that I’d have been missing out if I skipped getting Swan. However, I don’t regret my purchase when the goal was to have Deer Packaging, and I ended up with five usable products to boot.

Hourglass Ambient Lighting Edit Quad – Dusk

As you might already know, Hourglass released five curated quads in May 2025, plus the option for US-only customers to choose 4 out of 24 Ambient Lighting powders to put in a custom quad.
In my Window Shopping Hourglass post, I said the smartest move would be for me to wait and see if any of the shades I want will end up in one of the deeper holiday palettes I planned to buy anyway. This was my plan, but I kept thinking about the Hourglass Barney’s Volume III Palette that had my two most sought after shades (Lucid Glow and At Night in the “edit” size), and how it was never restocked. So, that compelled me to get the Dusk Palette in its final restock, which sold out a minute after I ordered it. Considering At Night did not make it into this year’s holiday palettes, I really don’t regret my decision. Plus, I got a discount on it.

I’ve had this quad for quite a while, but I figured the start of the holidays would be the best time to review it.

SUBLIME FLUSH (Blush) – I knew this blush would look cool-toned on me, and potentially ashy. Sometimes this shade doesn’t look too bad on me if I mix it with other blushes, but it’s really not for me.

MOOD FLUSH (Blush) – I have to build up this color quite a bit, but I love this blush. It’s a duplicate shade for me, as I already own and depotted one out of the Sculpture Quad, but that just means I can keep one in two different custom palettes of my own making.

OASIS GLOW (Blush) – I knew the chances were high that I couldn’t use this as a blush on my skin tone. I wanted this shade as a subtle highlighter, and that’s exactly how I’ve been able to use it.

AT NIGHT (Blush) – I own this in the full-size, but wanted it in the smaller Ambient Edit size to be able to put it in custom palettes. I love the one that came in the Dusk Quad because I have a larger section of deep red marbling, making it easier to get more of that dark color and less of the tan-beige color. This means it’s even deeper and requires less building up, so I’m very pleased.

I have been content to leaving this quad as is, as a blush/highlighter palette. However, with the additions of Fox and Swan, I’m feeling even more of an impulse to rearrange one or even two Ambient Edit Palettes!

Have I Achieved Creating the Perfect Palette Yet?

2015 – Ambient Lighting Edit Palette, 2016 – Surreal Light Ambient Lighting Edit Palette, 2017 – Ambient Lighting Edit Volume 3 Palette, 2018 – Ambient Lighting Edit Volume 4 Palette and Unlocked Ambient Lighting Edit Palette, 2019 – Ghost Ambient Lighting Edit and Ghost Ambient Lighting Blush Quad, 2020 – Sculpture Ambient Lighting Edit Palette and Sculpture Ambient Lighting Edit Quad, 2021 – Ambient Lighting Edit Universe and Ambient Lighting Edit Universe Unlocked, 2022 – Butterfly, Elephant, and Tiger Ambient Lighting Edit Unlocked, 2023 – Jellyfish, Leopard, and Snake Ambient Lighting Edit Unlocked, 2024 – Dragon, Evil Eye, and Lotus Ambient Lighting Edit Unlocked, 2025 – Deer, Horse, Swan, and Fox Ambient Lighting Edit Unlocked.

With this year’s launch (and my purchase of the Dusk quad), I have procured nearly every shade from Hourglass that I’ve wanted from the beginning of the launch of these palettes until now. Iridescent Coral is the only one missing, but it would likely be another highlighter shade on me, so I’m giving up on it.

I have experience depotting and rearranging these myself, which is great considering the brand still hasn’t made that option available to those outside of the US. I could continue to wait for this to happen, but there’s no telling when they will roll it out internationally, when they will use 6-pan palettes instead of quads, whether the palettes will be made of tin instead of plastic (which is more ideal for depotting without ruining the packaging). So, I am feeling a bit impatient when I see that creating my perfect palette is now within reach! My biggest obstacle at this point would just be procuring the right magnets and trying to depot the powders old-school style without my Z-Potter.

Below is a mock up of the first concept palette I decided upon, which I gave the name Panda for no reason other than to wish it into existence. I’d love a Panda design in next year’s Hourglass Palettes!

CONCEPT PALETTE: “PANDA”

Eternal Light (Finishing Powder) – Lotus, Permanent Shade
Solar Glow (Highlighter) – Fox
At Night (Blush) – Dusk Quad, Permanent Shade
Mood Flush (Blush) – Sculpture and Dusk Quad
Mystic Flush (Blush) – Snake
Solar Bronze (Bronzer) – Snake

When it comes to choosing the best shades for me, as a person with a medium-deep skin tone, I think I’d put Eternal Light in any palette to be on the safe side of working for me, but Desert Light poses a very tempting second option.

There are plenty of pretty highlighters from Hourglass that I can make work, but the newest one from Fox is the clear winner. Solar Glow would be in any version of my ultimate palette, but if I made a second custom palette, there are a few blushes I use as highlighters that I’ve come to enjoy enough to put in the running.

My two bronzer contenders are Solar Bronze and Solar Fusion with one being my best shade match and the other being similar to that with an added sheen. At times, Solar Fusion will be too light, so the Solar Bronze would need to be in my alpha palette (Panda).

At Night is one of my favorite blush shades of all time, so a perfect palette would be incomplete without it. Mood Flush is typically my second favorite. It works alone as a subtle blush, but also pairs well with At Night. Mystic Flush is the most pigmented and easy to blend of the medium-dark pinks, so that’s typically my third blush option, but Sunset Glow is such a similar color that I go back and forth as to which I like more.

Desert Flush, Luminous Coral, and Ethereal Flush are the next ones that grab my attention the most from the blush swatch photo in the Luminous Coral review section. Truth be told, I haven’t been wearing Desert Flush because I’ve gotten more sun this year and that shade is really only usable for me when my skin is at its lightest. Luminous Coral is brand new, so I’m not fully committed to moving it around. Ethereal Flush is one that I keep forgetting about since it’s in my palette with lighter shades (Owl).

Speaking of lighter shades, Mood Exposure also shows up as a solo blush, depending on the time of year, but I also like using it to calm down punchier blush shades. So, I could see myself adding it to a custom palette as well.

Mood Exposure on the cheeks.

It wasn’t until this week that I started to question whether I should put all of my favorite Hourglass blush shades into one palette considering At Night and Mystic Flush can sometimes look alike. I need to have blush variety, but the colors should be the ones I wear most often. I considered placing Canyon Heat instead of Mystic Flush for the greater difference between shades, but ultimately left it as is.

The more I look at the Panda Concept, the more interested I am in making it.

CONCEPT PALETTE: “RABBIT”

Mood Exposure (Blush) – 5 Holiday Palettes, Permanent Shade
Lucid Glow (Blush as Highlighter) – Fox, Ghost Quad, Sunset Quad, Barney’s Volume III
Desert Light (Finishing Powder) – Fox
Luminous Coral (Blush) – Swan
Canyon Heat (Blush) – Fox
Bronze Fusion (Bronzer) – Fox

Since Desert Light and Bronze Fusion were close to matching my top picks, and Luminous Coral is the best of the corals, I decided to create a second mock up called “Rabbit.” The majority of shades in this one are from Fox, and while I might’ve been content to leave that palette as-is, rearranging them might help me get even more use out of them.

Lucid Glow and Oasis Glow are my top two blush-as-highlighter products from Hourglass, but Lucid Glow has more shimmer impact, so it won out. I did contemplate putting Infinite Strobe Light, but it’s just easier to keep Lucid Glow within the Fox Palette to minimize the amount of depotting I have to do.

For a similar reason, I’m leaving in Canyon Heat. It’s too new for me to know if it can top my other favorite blushes, but I’m still looking to have variety. This is the best of the oranges.

I could use Mood Flush a second time, since I have two now, or Sunset Glow to act as a duplicate for Mystic Flush, but I want to see how well this arrangement can do first.

It’s a little ironic that Mauve Fusion and Amethyst Haze didn’t make it into either of my theoretical custom palettes, considering they were the two blushes I was the most excited to see this year. They both have the potential to rise up the ranks though. I just need more time with them.

At this point, I can finally say that I don’t need additional Hourglass powders. I have all the shades I want. However, it’s not even about the powders anymore. I enjoy collecting them and whether I end up loving or hating the offerings, it’s one of the most exciting makeup events of the year for me to talk about with other makeup lovers. So, as long as the brand doesn’t do anything cancel-worthy next year, I will likely buy another palette. I will just try my hardest to limit it to one and not two!

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

-Lili ❤

Hourglass Ambient Lighting Edit Fox Palette

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In my post called Window Shopping the Hourglass Custom Quads, I came to this realization:
“The more I think about it, the more I realize having a quad isn’t necessarily what I want. A palette with one finishing powder, one highlighter, one bronzer, and three blushes sounds like heaven!”

So, Hourglass is off to a great start by having the Fox palette, the darkest of this year’s holiday offerings, meet those exact specifications. In addition, this palette contains 5 new shades and the only repeat is Lucid Glow, which I don’t own and have been trying to get my hands on. Fantastic!

Today’s post is going to follow my usual format when discussing Hourglass products.
First will be the review with comparison swatches included, next will be the assessment as to how well the brand has done this year, and lastly a list of things I wish to see in the future.

I received this product early because I purchased it prior to the official launch (shortly after the links were available online), and I paid for express shipping. However, I also ordered the Swan Palette (in Deer packaging) via standard shipping. It arrived too late for me to include anything but comparison swatches in this week’s post, but I will publish the review as a bonus post as soon as it’s completed. A review of the Dusk Quad will be in the Swan post as well. If you haven’t already, be sure to click follow to be notified by email whenever a new review is out!

DISCLOSURE: I am not affiliated with this brand. All thoughts and opinions are my own. I used two random influencers’ codes that I found online (via Retailmenot) to get 10% off my orders.

Anyone who wants to see a list of links to my past Hourglass reviews can find them HERE.

What We Got

Hourglass Ambient Lighting Edit – Unlocked- Fox Palette

IMPORTANT NOTE: Any Hourglass powders that have a swirl/marble/veining can differ in color from palette to palette. For example, Lucid Glow could look lighter and yellower or a darker coral-pink than mine depending on how much of each color is present in the blush. Amethyst Haze can look more of a plum-purple if it contains less of the shimmery pink. So, even though I am sharing swatches, mine may look different compared to what others have.

SOLAR GLOW (Highlighter) – I finally have a perfect highlighter from Hourglass! In terms of shade, last year’s Gilded Strobe Light from the Lotus Palette was everything I wanted, but the strobe formula tends to enhance texture more than I like. For some reason, this new one does not. Gilded Strobe Light is a golden shade with the same color depth as Solar Glow, but Solar Glow has warm yellow-gold veining along with marbling that looks identical to Gilded Strobe Light. Although Solar Glow is described as a “golden bronze” on the website, the yellow veining keeps it from having as much of a golden-orange tone as Gilded Strobe Light. So, the color stands out a little more on my skin, but it’s still in the right color family for me.

The shade match, plus the level of shimmer refinement makes this not just the best highlighter I own from Hourglass, but the kind of highlighter I like in general. Infinite Strobe Light from the Snake Palette was also a decent shade match, a little less reflective than the typical strobe highlighters, and it is slightly darker than Solar Glow. Divine Strobe Light from the Tiger Palette worked too, but neither than one nor Infinite Strobe Light became favorites. With Solar Glow, I can use my best brushes to get the exact level of shine I want, as it blends easily into my skin.
The shine doesn’t fade or dull down as the day goes on, nor does it have any other longevity issues.

I have swatch comparisons below, and a photo with me wearing the highlighter is in the Canyon Heat section.

LUCID GLOW (Blush) – If I wear this like a blush, I can see a faint peachy-pink tinge (the brand describes it as coral) on my cheeks. However, I feel this looks the best on me as a highlighter when paired with Amethyst Haze. Although Lucid Glow is a warm shade, the pink tone still manages to compliment the cooler pink-berry color of Amethyst Haze better than Solar Glow, which is even warmer.

Lucid Glow also makes a great blush topper for Canyon Heat. I prefer to wear a radiant blush the majority of the time, so the sheer color from Lucid Glow doesn’t alter the color of Canyon Heat that much, and just adds the glow.

I see this color as the warmer version of Iridescent Rose, a shade that Hourglass has put in at least 4 palettes by now. It’s around the same depth as Lucid Glow, and the brand calls it a warm rose, but it has a pearly-mica type of sheen that makes it appear cooler toned on me. Perhaps Iridescent Rose would look even better with Amethyst Haze on those with a cool undertone, but Lucid Glow helps to bridge the gap in making that shade work on me. Therefore, I don’t mind having this in my palette, even though I don’t wear it as a standalone blush.

The lightest blush from the Lotus Palette, Desert Flush, is still darker than Sunset Flush from the Swan Palette and Lucid Glow from the Fox Palette. The Lotus Palette continues to be the darkest Ambient Edit Palette thus far.

DESERT LIGHT (Finishing Powder) – The performance of all Hourglass finishing powders are the same on me, as long as the shade isn’t too light, which then makes my skin look dry, textured, and ashy. These powders are lightweight, sheer, easy to blend, have minimal ability to lock in makeup, and minor blurring capabilities. So, choosing between them comes down to whether or not there is visible shimmer and if the shade is a good match. The palest one I can wear from Hourglass is Dim Light, but it can slightly lighten my foundation if I am too heavy-handed. Desert Light is darker and warmer, so it suits me even better. It is technically still lighter than my skin tone, but I could only tell by applying a heavy swatch to my face. When rubbed in, the slightly brightened area did not look unnatural. So, it’s no surprise that using a normal amount on my face works well as a finishing powder.

My closest match, especially right now, is Eternal Light. Eternal Light is the tiniest bit darker than my skin tone (again only detectable when swatched heavily), but applying a normal amount looks perfect. I always have to preface that the Eternal Light shade from the Ambient Lighting Palette Trio in Volume III had noticeable gold specks in it, but Eternal Light from the Ambient Lighting Edit Unlocked Lotus Palette does not. This is why I prefer Eternal Light from Lotus and that’s the one I consider to be my best finishing powder shade from Hourglass. This new one, Desert Light, contains gold shimmer again, but the particles are far tinier than the Volume III trio. So, I don’t mind the beautiful sheen and the brightening effect. Desert Light is particularly well suited to calming down a “loud” blush, like Amethyst Haze, plus it adds a little warmth. I just have to be careful using it in my bronzer zone because it can make Bronze Fusion look even more subtle than it already is.

CANYON HEAT (Blush) – This is finally an orange blush I can get behind! Past orange blushes from Hourglass were metallic, to the point of seeming more like highlighters, and were just too saturated for my liking. Canyon Heat is more of a slightly muted terracotta with a soft matte finish. The earthy orange-brown hue is quite flattering. It shows up on me, but a little more pigment could have made this blush better able to suit those who are darker than me. This is probably going to be too light for some people I know.

I find it interesting that of the three blushes, this one has the least amount of sheen. However, it still contains Mica, Synthetic Fluorphlogopite, and Boron Nitride as the first three ingredients. There is a possibility that other people could have a stronger sheen in theirs than mine. Then again, the Desert Light finishing powder also has those top three ingredients, but still has even less of a sheen than Canyon Heat. In any case, Canyon Heat is not flat matte, but isn’t shimmery like the other blushes either.

I like Canyon Heat, but I need more time with it to decide if it can surpass my older favorites.

AMETHYST HAZE (Blush) – Hourglass has a few mauve blushes (Mood Flush and Mood Exposure), and they released a deep-pink berry blush called Rose Heat from Universe Unlocked in 2021, but Amethyst Haze and Mauve Fusion are the closest they’ve gotten to making a purple blush. Amethyst Haze is like a magenta-berry and is one of their darkest blushes, alongside Red 0 from the Lotus Palette in 2024 and Rose Heat from the 2021 Universe Unlocked Palette. Mauve Fusion from this year’s Swan Palette is a slightly lighter, cooler, and less pigmented version of Amethyst Haze. I consider it to be a fuchsia-pink. Mauve Fusion has a touch more blue tone, while Amethyst Haze has a little more red.

I’m always happy to see a dark blush option from Hourglass, and that it’s less pigmented, making it easier to work with than Red 0. Amethyst Haze is also only moderately metallic, so I think it has a pretty finish.

BRONZE FUSION (Bronzer) – This bronzer isn’t as light as Lustrous Bronze Light from the Leopard and Elephant Palettes, but it’s just barely dark enough to show up on my skin while the last of my summer color is clinging on. Solar Bronze has been my correct bronzer shade up to this point, but what Bronze Fusion has going for it is the fact that it’s the darkest shimmer/glow bronzer Hourglass has made so far.

The foundation shades I wear most of the year are Nars Light Reflecting Foundation in Caracas (but in some formulas, like Sheer Glow, I wear Macao), Hourglass Ambient Glow Foundation 13.5W, Danessa Myricks Yummy Skin Serum Tint in 11, and Chanel N1 in BD91. I should theoretically wear BD101, but I make BD91 work even outside of winter. I used to mix BD91 and BD121, but BD121 is too orange.

Why this is important is because I can see the bronzer on me when I wear BD91, but when I wear a full face of BD121, I can only see the warmth the bronzer adds in person. The sheen is subtle to begin with, but even harder to see in photos. So, once again, I find myself liking a product that will unfortunately be unusable for a lot of makeup lovers that have come to expect the “Color Palette 3” of the holiday palettes to be deep-skin friendly.

Wearing Chanel Foundation in BD91

How well this continues to show on my skin throughout the year will determine whether it’s above or below Solar Bronze as my favorite.

When it comes to using these powders on the eyes, it’s once again something I’ve done for review purposes, but will rarely do in my everyday life. It’s similar to how I dislike using Hindash powders on my eyes, but love them on my face. They just look so dull on me as eyeshadows.

How Did Hourglass Do This Year?

My Tiger Palette in the top left contain two blushes from the Butterfly Palette. My Owl Palette contains the color story of Leopard, but I swapped out one blush for Mood Flush. My Leopard Palette has contains the color story of Snake.

Regarding the Fox Palette specifically, I think Hourglass did a fantastic job in catering it to my preferences. I’m thrilled about that for myself, but it’s a step backwards from being inclusive towards those with deeper and richer skin than mine. There are four options this year, if we count the Sephora-US exclusive Horse Palette. Considering that one has all repeat shades, I’m willing to overlook it, but I understand why some of the people I know are disappointed that Fox is their only option and that they can only use half of the palette.

Staying on the topic Fox, I feel that the quality is better this year. The powders feel slightly less dry. The shimmers are more refined. The choices to make most of the shades warm-toned suits me well. One of my biggest complaints with how they used the marbling “miscelare technique” in the past was to combine a color with beige, effectively ensuring the combination would turn into a medium value color at the darkest. As fascinating as the swirls look, I would have rather Hourglass make dark palettes with solid colors (like they did in Lotus) to ensure there aren’t huge shade discrepancies among the same palettes. Lucid Glow isn’t new, so I’m lucky mine had enough pink veining to be wearable. Amethyst Haze and Bronze Fusion look solid from afar, but they are actually the combination of two dark colors on each tile. I believe even the Solar Glow highlighter has the subtlest bit of marbling between dark warm gold and bronze. I’m happy they’ve done this successfully for the darker powders.

Although the depth of the colors could be be improved, I feel like Fox has the most cohesive and complementary options for those in the warm-toned Tan to Medium-Deep skin category. For example, with the Lotus Palette, I felt that I was forced to use the two blushes together to create a middle-ground color because the two had such a huge difference in depth. The person who could rock the lightest blush alone wouldn’t be able to use either of the two highlighters. In Fox, I can use Lucid Glow in various ways with both blushes, and technically by itself. The highlighter, bronzer, and Canyon Heat blush are beautifully warm and clearly go together. If I feel Amethyst Haze is too dark or too cool, I can fix both issues once I put the finishing powder on top. I can also use all three blush shades to create the perfect medium toned neutral flush on the cheek that isn’t too muted or too bold and isn’t too shimmery either.
The only downside is that I have to be careful using the entire face palette together since the combination of Lucid Glow and Desert Heat can tone down the vibrancy a bit too much. Some examples of this are in the photo below, but I would realistically only use 4-5 shades at a time.

I’m still gathering my thoughts about the Swan Palette, and I don’t own Deer, but it seems Hourglass intended for Deer to suit those with fair skin who want not only light Ambient powders, but ones specifically formulated to require building up. Both Han Beauty 101 and Theresa is Dead seemed less than pleased by the Deer Palette, even though it was intended for people like them. It really highlights the fact that it’s not enough to match someone’s skin tone depth. Preferences play a big part, which is why being able to customize these palettes in the future is so important. Hourglass makes a lot of money off people (like me) who buy more than one palette, but they also know fatigue is starting to set in. The limited availability of custom quads was likely a test, and I hope the customers passed that test.
Also, regarding Deer, Han Beauty 101 said that she has used the palette enough times that she’s getting more pigment now, especially having switched to a denser brush. So, perhaps that’s something to keep in mind for those who want to buy Deer.

I think the amount of repeat products Hourglass put in the palettes are acceptable (Deer – 3, Swan -2, Fox -1, Horse-6), because I view Horse as no different than the Owl Palette from 2023 that didn’t have a Color Palette attached to it. Besides the holiday palettes with special packaging, Hourglass releases a few repeat palettes and trios each year anyway. They just don’t get talked about as much and disappear off their website just as quickly as they arrived.

Overall, I’m quite happy with Fox. Usually it’s the blushes that have me the most excited for the holiday palettes, but this year it’s the highlighter, finishing powder, and bronzer. I think this is a good addition to my collection, which is quite the relief considering I am supposed to be cooling it on buying face palettes. It’s nice to know the hefty price was worth it.
I didn’t get all holy grail shades, but many of them have become second favorites instead.

Future Wishes

I liked the animal options this year. The new artist they hired, Sasha Unisex did a great job. After all, a good portion of my decision to buy a second palette was for the packaging.
I am still hoping and wishing Hourglass will commission a Panda and Rabbit in the future.
Since we’ve had non-animal ones like the Barney’s cover, Evil Eye, and Lotus, I would go crazy for a star/moon/celestial design. I’d also love to continue on the mythological train and have a phoenix, mermaid/siren, unicorn, etc.

I’m still hoping Hourglass will take the two colors within At Night to be mixed into one solid color, with an increase in pigmentation. If they made a solo blush out of the darker of the two colors in At Night, I think that would be pretty great too.

Hourglass makes a lot of pinks and berries, but I’d love a red-brown similar to Pat Mcgrath’s Paradise Venus or Benefit’s Terra. Perhaps the reason Hourglass has zero true red blushes is because they don’t use carmine. Red 0 from Lotus was still an ultra deep pink. I would just like to have less pink and orange, and I’m still hoping we’ll get darker nude blushes that will look natural on someone with dark skin.

The creation of a rich dark bronzer is still on the wishlist for so many people. That would be great to finally see next year.

Sometimes I create mock ups of what my perfect Hourglass Ambient Edit Palette would look like, if I was in charge of the arrangement. It was easy to decide my top two finishing powders, bronzers, and highlighters, but I have been so indecisive about the blushes that I decided to cut that portion from today’s review. I think I will try to include it in the Swan post instead. So, if you’re interested in seeing that as well, please visit my blog again soon!

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

-Lili ❤

E.L.F. Halo Glow Powder

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I’ve always liked this brand, and their products are good, but they don’t end up being staples in my collection. The makeup I like most from e.l.f tend to be dupes for higher end products, which I consider to be nearly as good, but not better. This is the only reason I don’t review e.l.f products as frequently on this blog, because I already own the makeup they’re creating alternatives for.

I didn’t realize a loose powder version was released long before this pressed one. In Germany, the loose powder is €9 for 6.8 grams and €16 for 10 grams.
I’m not certain if this is supposed to be similar to anything else on the market, but I was intrigued enough to want to give it a try.

e.l.f. Cosmetics Halo Glow Powder Filter in Tan Warm

This gave me quite the great first impression! It’s not a weighty product, but I was pleased to see that it had a mirror, as well as a velvety puff. The powder is so soft to the touch and is not hard-pressed, so one has to be careful not to pick up too much powder with a brush. This isn’t translucent and slightly lightens my foundation, so I prefer using a brush with this rather than the puff that packs on a lot of product. That way, the color isn’t a problem for me. Based on the photos I’ve seen, I still think I picked the best one for me.

This looks beautiful over a moisturized base, but it doesn’t look that smoothed or blurred over dry patches. It sets my face in the sense that it dries the emollient spots, while still allowing for some luminosity (that I assume is from the Synthetic Fluorphlogopite), but it doesn’t really control oil. If I’m using emollient skincare, my face will start to get that wet-shine look again as the day goes on. This is a great thing for me and the kind of look I try to achieve in the wear of my makeup. I figure this could be a problem for others though.

I’ve used this once to set down my concealer, but it got broken down around 4-5 hours in. So, I haven’t used it that way again. A finishing powder isn’t really intended to set, but I wanted to test it anyway. The Charlotte Tilbury Airbrush Flawless Finish Powder has “finish” in the name, but I only like to use it under my eyes because it’s too drying for me elsewhere, and acts more like a setting powder on me. So, I can’t always judge products based on their name.

I think this is a good pressed powder for someone with dry skin who uses products that will allow glow to shine through, but doesn’t want to look overly luminous.
It’s probably not fair to compare this to my Dior Powder No Powder that’s like 4 times more expensive (and seems to be discontinued), but I prefer the sheen in that one way more. In fact, there are several other high end products that I prefer over ELF’s, but I can’t think of a single other drugstore finishing powder with a texture and performance as nice as this one.

Huda Beauty created something similar with their GloWish Luminous Pressed Powder, as well as Melt with their Glazed Skin Sheer Finishing Powder. Both were so glowy that I could only use them as highlighters. I believe ELF has done a better job. Even though this product has not become a staple in my collection (because it couldn’t compete with my holy grail finishing powder), I recommend it as a budget-friendly alternative for someone without a lot of uneven skin texture. That part is key.

Thanks 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 ❤

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Givenchy Prisme Libre Bronzing and Sculpting Powder in 003 Organza Bronzé

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Givenchy Prisme Libre Pressed Powder in 06 Organza Ambré

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

-Lili ❤

Is Guerlain’s $95 Gold and Diamond Powder Worth It?

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When the Guerlain Parure Gold Skin Diamond Micro Powder launched in September 2024, it was not even on my radar because of the price alone. However, over time, so many luxury beauty reviewers were praising this powder as the best alternative to their holy grail face product: the iconic and now infamous Givenchy Prisme Libre Loose Powder.

When my makeup obsession began in 2014, I only cared about face powders to set my concealer and help lock in my makeup for longevity purposes. I had closer to normal skin at the time, so as the years went on and my skin became drier, I only needed powders to set the concealer under my eyes. Every so often I would fall prey to the hype surrounding a powder, but there was never one that I fell in love with for putting all over my face until the Dior Powder No-Powder. I had several that I really liked, but Dior’s was an actual love. That product caused my interest in powders to soar, but none since then have even come close to surpassing that one. This is largely in part to the sheen of the powder and how intensely it blurs and evens out my skin.

The reason this is important is because the most I ever spent on my precious powder was $45 for 11g. Because I was working through two different shades, I have not yet panned one, and it has taken me nearly four years to get this far with the Dior powder. So, there was no way I was going to spend $95 on something else, even if it turned out to be the most magical makeup product on the planet. I waited, very impatiently, until this powder could be found for a deal greater than 20% off. I was so excited when that eventually happened via Flaconi and I snagged it for 56 Euros!

The photo below shows how it looks (top left) compared to the Hourglass (top right) and Givenchy powder (mini on the bottom). Please ignore the tape covering the holes. This is my way of maintaining control over how much comes out at once.

The texture of the Guerlain powder is very fine and smooth, but dry feeling. Despite the product name, which sounds like it should be super radiant, I cannot see any shimmer nor sheen when I apply this to my skin. This powder completely mattifies without the skin looking dry. It also leaves a slight veil of color and is a little blurring.

I was pleasantly surprised that Deep works for me, even though it’s a neutral color (warmth would suit my undertone best). I kept hearing how comparable Guerlain’s powder was to Givenchy’s, and they do feel similar to the touch, but the way it actually looks on my skin reminds me more of the Hourglass Veil. The main difference though is that the Hourglass Veil isn’t as translucent and it provides some coverage to aid in creating a smooth canvas, moreso than through means of blurring. Because it’s easier to see the Hourglass powder on my skin, it’s less forgiving during the times of the year when I’m at my lightest. Because Guerlain’s is similar to Hourglass, but sheerer, it’s like having an even better suited replacement.

My most blurring powder is the one from Dior, second comes Chantecaille’s Perfect Blur, and then Guerlain’s is third. Technically, the reformulated Givenchy Prisme Libre Powder has the same amount of blurring capabilities, but I only liked it under my eyes as it left my face looking too matte. When it comes to the kind of finish I want on my skin, I still prefer a product with a sheen. Even though Guerlain’s powder is mattifying, if my foundation is hydrating enough, this powder eventually allows for the oils to come through as the day goes on in a controlled manner that allows for some glow, but never enough for my naturally dry skin to appear oily.

I always applied the Milk Hydro Grip eye primer to my under eyes and then put the KVD Good Apple concealer on top before setting it with the Charlotte Tilbury Airbrush Flawless Finish powder. This trio of products was the best way for me to keep my dark circles covered all day.
When I tested out my usual pairings with the Guerlain powder instead, I was shocked to see that it held up nearly as well as Charlotte Tilbury’s. When I tried the KVD concealer with just the Guerlain powder, it lasted longer than if I use KVD together with Charlotte’s without the Milk primer. The more I used Guerlain’s powder, the happier I became with the results and being able to skip the step of using Milk’s primer! The Charlotte Tilbury powder is part of my Project Pan, so I am continuing to stick to my usual routine, but every so often I’ve been using the Guerlain powder for my under eyes as well. Although I still wish the Guerlain powder had some sheen, I recognize the fact that it might not have looked as nice under my eyes if this was the case.

As much as I like this powder, I still keep circling back to the price and being unable to understand why the hype for this is so intense. There aren’t a ton of reviews on YouTube, but I see a lot more of my fellow makeup lovers championing it on Instagram. This is a great product, but I just don’t see how it’s $95 kind of great.
Perhaps I just don’t get it because I don’t have the right skin type to be able to fully appreciate its capabilities. So, I’m going to try and look at its worth from different angles.

The easiest defense for the cost of this powder is the price per grams. This contains a whopping 35 grams. The Hourglass and Givenchy powders would cost way more money if they had the equivalent amount of product. The Guerlain Parure Powder has enough powder in the jar to last me a lifetime, but will it? It has a PAO symbol representing 12 months. In addition, I start to get squeamish about using any makeup older than five years old. If it looks, smells, and performs the same, I might continue to use it a few more years after that, but I do not use makeup indefinitely. The “it’ll last me forever” line is one that I say sometimes, but it isn’t an actual selling point for me.
If I’m able to use this powder happily for 5 years, it would essentially be like paying $19 a year to use it. That still seems steep to me considering I like this, but I’m not in love. Since I bought this at the discounted price of 56 Euros or $58 USD, that’s about $11.60 per year. Factoring how little product I use and how many other powders I have in my collection, this is more acceptable to me. I am satisfied with the powder for the price that I paid.

Another contributing factor to the high price tag could be the expensive ingredients. There’s supposed to be real ground up 24 karat gold, crushed diamond powder, and perhaps they are even charging more money for the fragrance that’s included considering how expensive Guerlain’s perfumes are. My counterpoint to those is that gold and diamonds are so low on the ingredient list that they have no actual impact on the overall look of the product on the skin. They are too small to contribute to the radiance level and they don’t give any benefits to the skin. Their only purpose is to add to the luxury factor of just knowing it’s in there. As for the parfum, it’s not the signature violet smell that I loved in the original meteorites, but it’s still nice. However, I prefer for my makeup to not have any scent at all, so this is actually one point against them. There are times when I was going to reach for the powder, but my husband was in the room, so I didn’t. He’s sensitive to smells and opening the jar causes powder to permeate the air, which lingers for 5-10 minutes. So, the perfume in there actually prevents me from using it as often as I would like.

As for the packaging contributing to the price, this is just plastic. It has a pretty gold colored lid and comes with a thick luxurious puff. In fact, Guerlain’s puffs are the nicest ones that I own (that come included with the makeup I bought). Considering Guerlain has such stunning Meteorite tins, I can’t imagine the Parure packaging being more expensive than those. So, I don’t think the packaging is enough of a factor either.

There are other points that could be made, but the bottom line is that even if I can calculate how it adds up to $95, I don’t see the value for myself. At a sale price though, I kind of get it. I’m content with my purchase, though I still believe they should sell a mini.

That’s all for today! I hope this has been helpful or at least an interesting addition to the growing debate regarding luxury goods in this economy. Thank you for reading!

-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 ❤

Hourglass Lotus Palette Holiday 2024

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It’s that time of year again! The holiday makeup launches have started rolling out and this is the first of them that I’ve purchased! Let’s get right into the review, and I’ll save my overall thoughts, suggestions, and discuss my ordering experience towards the end.

*DISCLOSURE: Non-highlighted links in bold blue font (Example) are standard non-affiliate links. Links marked in bold black font with a light blue background (Example) are affiliate links. Affiliate links allow me to get a commission if purchases are made directly using my link. The only affiliate links in this post are brush related. I have no ties to Hourglass. All products were purchased by me and my opinions are my own.

WHAT WE GET

Hourglass Ambient Lighting Edit – Unlocked – Lotus Palette (in Dragon Packaging)

I am including some demonstration photos. In the photos with the black shirt, I’m wearing the Huda Beauty Easy Blur Foundation in shade 440 G Cinnamon. I used Eternal Light to set the concealer under my eyes. In the photos with the dark gray shirt, I’m wearing the Hourglass Ambient Soft Glow Foundation in Shade 14. In these pictures, I’m wearing Eternal Light all over the face, so the pictures with the blush (and no highlighter added) still look a bit highlighted due to the use of that finishing powder.
I’ve gotten a little darker this summer, so I wanted to show how the products look on different foundations and with lighting coming in from different times of the day.

GILDED STROBE LIGHT – Hooray! Hurrah! Finally, the right highlighter color for me from Hourglass! I had said that Divine Strobe Light from the Tiger palette was “perfect,” but I don’t wear that depth of highlighter anymore, and prefer for it to basically be a shimmery version of my skin tone. Prismatic Strobe Light from the Volume III trio was too dark, so I’ve been hoping for the brand to release something in-between. I’m so glad that day is finally here! That being said, this strobe line is beautifully reflective, but it enhances texture more than I’d like. The powder is ultra smooth with fine shimmer, but the shine effect can be a bit much for me if I’m not careful and over apply. However, I’m still happy to have this. I have ways to tone down highlighters and I could always just use it to bump up the intensity of other highlighters if I want.

DESERT FLUSH – A dark medium muted option! Hurray! Thank goodness this blush is one solid color combining “deep beige” with “peach”, because this is already on the cusp of what should be included in this palette in terms of depth (not in terms of color because a peach was absolutely needed in the line). It’s a buildable shade that shows up on me, but I have to use my dense brushes to pack on the color so I can wear it on its own. One such brush is the Sonia G Cheek Pro. In winter-spring, this color should be easier to wear. In any case, I find this shade useful to tone down or pair with Red 0. I am sometimes in the mood for a light blush, but this is pushing the limits of what I’d feel comfortable wearing in public by itself. I foresee myself combining this with other blushes from other brands.

ETERNAL LIGHT – I’m going to repeat what I said about Eternal Light from a previous review. This finishing powder is a golden brown color that matches my face perfectly! It gives a subtle luminous sheen, but also has a few flecks of gold glitter throughout. The difference this time, in the Lotus Palette, is that the larger gold specks seem to be way smaller than they are in the Volume III trio palette. In the past, the specks forced me to use it as either a mixer shade with bronzer or as a barely there highlighter. I’m thrilled I can actually use this shade as a setting powder now! I don’t know if it’s just my palette, or if all Eternal Light shades are now made with more refined shimmer.

As mentioned earlier, I set the concealer under my eyes with Eternal Light in the photos with the black lace shirt, and used it all over my face in the photos with the dark grey shirt. The matte blushes can look a bit flat on my dry skin, but using the finishing powder all over imparts some glow and makes them look more flattering.

RADIANT ROSE STROBE LIGHT – I normally don’t like pink highlighters, but this is actually pretty! It pairs so beautifully with the Red 0 blush. When used sparingly, this looks a bit gold too (or at least golden copper). I had to actually build up the color in my face demo photo for the rose tone to be clearly visible, which of course increased the emphasis on texture. Contrary to how it appears in my photos below, the reflectivity of this shade isn’t as strong as Gilded Strobe Light when used in smaller amounts. I like that part about it.

I used all the shades from the palette on my eyes in this photo above.

RED 0 – I’m honestly shocked that this shade is in this palette because Red 0 is such a special color for Hourglass. It’s their “exclusive pigment replacement for carmine.” They’d been working on the formulation of this color for years, first introducing it in their lipsticks. I would have expected them to pull the same stunt as Butterfly and put it in Dragon, but they didn’t. I give major kudos for that.

The description calls this a brick red, but I don’t agree. It’s a deep reddish/pink or deep rose. How it appears on my skin can be affected by my undertone, but it doesn’t look brick red in color when eyeballing it in the palette either. This shade is ultra pigmented, and I have to use a light hand and airy brushes to wear it subtly, the way I prefer. For example, with the Chikuhodo REN-7. I also want to note, regarding the color, that this is quite similar to a lot of blushes I’ve gotten recently (Chanel’s Deep Rose from the trio and Guerlain’s Deep Nude), but the tone is the slightest bit different. It makes me like it that tiniest bit more.

Of all the shades in this palette, I think this has the most potential to be added to the permanent blush line. If they do, I’d recommend swatching it in stores because it wouldn’t surprise me if they alter it to make it less pigmented, so that it’s easier for a wider range of people to be able to wear it. It’s already intense on me if I use even an airy goat brush and apply two light layers instead of a single one with squirrel or fox.

BRONZE HEAT – This is the darkest bronzer created by Hourglass thus far. It’s slightly darker than the Transcendent Light finishing powder, but it’s more of an undertone difference than depth difference. Transcendent Light looks deep brown – pink on me. Bronze Heat is neutral brown with a splash of red. Even though I prefer yellow/golden bronzers, I think Bronze Heat still looks good. I’ve gotten some sun this summer though, so the tones in my face have some red to it right now, which is probably helping it to match. I’m curious to see if I’ll still like it when I’m back to my normal skin tone. Solar Bronze, though lighter, is still my favorite bronzer from Hourglass so far. I’d love a deeper version though. In general, I’d still love to see a truly rich bronzer option, but the tweak to this year’s color is enough that people I follow that are a little darker than me that couldn’t wear last year’s bronzer have reported being able to use this year’s. So, even a small change made a difference. I can’t discredit that.

In these photos though, I had to pack on the product to get it to show. My favorite brush to use with these Ambient Lighting Edit Palettes, ever since I got it, is the Eihodo No. 153 which I used in the left picture. For the right picture, I switched to the much more dense Chikuhodo FO-2. They both fit so well into the size of these relatively small face powders.

Overall, I’ve noticed no differences in quality between the powders in these palettes and the ones in the past. The matte ones can look a bit too matte, which is when pairing them with the finishing powder helps. They’re all so smooth with the benefits that come from being a baked powder. I have no longevity issues. These continue to be lovely powder products! The consistent performance of these products year to year is how I’m able to confidently post this review after having used it for barely more than a week, instead of my longer testing process.

COMPARISONS

I don’t have access to my full Hourglass collection, so I could only compare things to my Tiger-Butterfly custom hybrid palette, the Snake palette (in Leopard packaging), and Lotus (in Dragon packaging). This year’s deep blushes are finally distinctly different from each other, and previous years. The highlighters and bronzers are super similar though, with just slight undertone differences.

The list of all my previous Hourglass reviews and rants (especially the Holiday palettes), can be found HERE.

HOW DID HOURGLASS DO THIS YEAR?

Before I can begin to answer this question, I wanted to point out some things I mentioned wanting over the years to see how Hourglass answered or ignored feedback from plenty of customers that shared the same thoughts as me.

2021
I hoped for less repeat shades, I believed there should be 3 palettes per year with one of those clearly designated as suitable for tan to deep skin tones (or darker, or for there to be at least a deeper extension of the permanent bronzer range). I also wanted more accurate representation of the shades in promotional images.
2022
I wanted a true bronzer for dark skin tones and not a translucent powder than could be used as bronzer. I didn’t mind if the brand released a mini or repeat of At Night in the deeper palette. I mentioned being willing to spend $100+ instead of $85 to make every shade in the palette customizable. I mentioned that it would be nice if they used their “miscelare technique” to mix two medium or darker colorful shades in a series of blushes instead of pale beige bases with a single color.
2023
I wanted a deeper bronzer option (since so far the depths are similar and the undertone is just changed), a dedicated true Deep/Rich palette option (even if it’s too much for someone like me), and some dark brown blush color options (less pinks and corals with the occasional orange). I hoped they would continue with palette cover customization, though choosing individual shades is still the ultimate dream. I also wished for a rabbit and/or panda cover art which would tie-in with the brand’s collaboration with the Nonhuman Rights Project.

So what did we get in 2024?

  1. We got almost no repeat shades!
  2. We have 3 palette options again with better designated colors per category (fair/light, light/medium, and tan-deep). Not being able to choose all 6 shades is okay if presets will continue to be good (ex: not having deep blushes in the fair palette like they did with Butterfly).
  3. The brand decently represented the accuracy of shades in their website photos.
  4. Hourglass gave us another dedicated deep bronzer, though it’s barely darker than Transcendent Light, and mostly another tone change.
  5. They opted out of using the miscelare process, ensuring that every tan-deep palette will work the same for everyone instead of some people, who would normally be able to wear the shade, being unable to because their swirl had too much of the lighter color.
  6. Hourglass gave everyone a peach and/or nude option. Everyone seems to love that. The Evil Eye colors had the typical Hourglass pinks and were too similar to each other in one palette. The Dragon and Lotus palettes were better at having distinctly different shades.

What are my hopes for 2025?

I would love if the brand would continue with adding more nude blush options (especially a deep skin friendly one with some brown along the lines of Chanel’s Brun Roussi Lumiere, MAC’s Coppertone, Format, and Burnt Pepper). All the reviews and comments I saw were positive regarding having less vibrant options. The only semi-negative part was Desert Flush not being deep enough to use alone for those with deeper skin tones, so ensuring they are at least dark medium in depth would be great.

I am still looking for Hourglass to make an ultra deep bronzer in at least the permanent collection, if not the Ambient Edit Palettes. I’m not that much darker right now, yet the bronzers are close to being too subtle on me, so this still isn’t dark enough for a ton of people.

I’d still be fine with Hourglass making At Night a repeat in the palette or for them to release a mini. Better yet, I would love the two colors within At Night to be mixed into one solid color and with an increase in pigmentation. That would be fantastic!

I would still love a rabbit and panda themed cover art.

That’s it! I really don’t have any major criticisms or requests. I think this is the best the brand has done so far. Back in 2021, I was worried that listening to customers was just performative and that we wouldn’t continue to see much work towards inclusion. I’m happy to say that someone over there seems to be putting in effort regarding this topic. It’s not even about wokeness. It makes financial sense to create products for customers when the demand is clearly there.

LOGISTICS

This was the first year I had to order my palette outside of the US. I’m happy to say it went smoothly. It cost €90 (VAT included). Influencer promo codes were able to be applied to the order. Shipping was free, but I added €5 for expedited shipping. I wanted to buy a gift box and gift bag in Dragon print, but they kept getting taken out of my cart on the payment page, so I assume they aren’t offered outside of the US.
My package was delayed a few days, but that was due to the weather conditions in Germany at the time and not the fault of Hourglass.

If Hourglass continues with this upward trajectory, I will likely purchase next year’s iteration of holiday palettes too. Now that I have to spend even more than usual for these palettes, it’s that much more important for the brand to nail the colors and also offer shades different enough from previous launches.

That’s everything! Thank you for reading! Be sure to click the follow button if you’d love to be updated whenever a new post from me drops!

-Lili ❤