Category Archives: Skincare

Battle of the Milky Toners and Essences

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

The Ordinary Saccharomyces Ferment 30% Milky Toner

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

The hero ingredients are Yeast Extracts and Squalane.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Anua Rice 70 Glow Milky Toner

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

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

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

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

Farmacy Honey Milk Hydrating Essence

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

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

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

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

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

Pixi Milky Tonic Soothing Toner (travel size)

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

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

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

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

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

Dr. Ceuracle – Vegan Kombucha Tea Essence

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Pat Mcgrath Labs Divine Skin: Rose 001 The Essence


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

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

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

Images from PatMcgrath.com

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

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

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

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

Honorable Mention #1: Rephr Rebalancing Essence 1.0

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

-Lili ❤

SPF in Makeup ft. Beekman 1802 and Toty

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

Beekman 1802 Milk Tint SPF 43 Tinted Primer Serum in Deep

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

-Lili ❤

Glossier Brand Review

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There are more shades of products that will be shown and discussed in this post than are represented in the photo above.

I consider Glossier to be one of those brands that cater to both Millennials and Gen Z, but they have this minimalist cool and youthful social media-loving aesthetic that feels unapproachable to me. The marketing just isn’t my vibe, yet I’m fascinated by it all the same.
I’ve discussed the Cloud Paints and Solar Paints before, but this time I have one of the two newest full-size Cloud Paints to feature, plus the exclusive mini 2023 Holiday set, as well as the other Glossier products in my collection that haven’t been reviewed here until now. I’ve wanted to do a brand overview for years, but it’s taken so long to acquire enough products that suit my makeup preferences. So, here we go in 2024!

Cloud Paints

My collection of full-size ones I currently own are shown above. I am decluttering Spark, Beam, and my older tube of Storm because I’ve had them all for too long. The other three were purchased late last year.

I was so excited for the shade Rise because reddish brown/terracotta type of shades are my favorites for a natural looking flush of color on my cheeks. The minis that came in the holiday set are significantly smaller, which I don’t mind because you don’t need a lot of product. The downside is that the opening is the same size as the full-size, and the pressure needed to squeeze product from the base of the tube makes too much product come out every time, which then wastes what is already so little product. Even when I’m being super careful, I sometimes run into the issue of blush still squirting out forcefully.

Puff doesn’t really show on my cheeks, but it makes for an interesting mixer shade, the way I used to use Beam and am now using Dusk. These types of shades alter the undertone, making them more to my liking or tones down the vibrancy.

Two weeks ago, the brand distinguished between Cloud Paint Blushes and their newly launched Cloud Paint Bronzers. I would be interested in trying them in the future because my only issue with the Solar Paints was the intense shimmer present. If the Cloud Paint Bronzers are identical to that formula (but shimmer-free), I’d like them. If they are slightly sheer like the blushes, I’m not as sure. However, I wonder if they could potentially mix well with the blushes in order to turn them into toned down nude or more neutral leaning colors.

As for Soar, I literally forgot I reviewed this before HERE, but here we go again! I have a few more mixing examples over there.

After using Soar, Puff, and Rise, I can confirm what I said in my original review about Storm (newest at the time) compared to the older shades: the new shades continue to be less pigmented. These colors are vibrant, but the ratio of gel to pigment of the newer shades makes it easier to have an even more natural look to the skin while not being overly natural to the point of having a watercolor serum-like effect. When I want lighter coverage or something to wear on low-makeup days, I reach for these. When I want something with a bit more pigment, I reach for the Rare Beauty ones, but even RB’s newer shades are less pigmented too.

Glossier offers free samples with orders and this time I got the shade Eve which is a much deeper version of Storm. If I use it super sparingly, it can look quite pretty, but this type of hue on my skintone can also look a bit like a bruise. So, this isn’t a color I would buy, but figured I could show it anyway for anyone curious about that color.

If these were the only liquid blushes in my collection, I’d have way more of the shades to be able to mix and match them. It’s one of my top two favorite liquid blush formulas because of the ease of blending, longevity on the skin, and how it dries down fully without a dewy or sticky feeling left on the skin. Because these aren’t the only liquid blushes in my collection, I didn’t go overboard on the shade repurchases. However, if I ever use up my tube of Rise, the chances are high that I would eventually buy it again.

Futuredew Oil Serum Hybrid

Glossier’s Futuredew is one of those hero products I’ve heard everyone talk about before, so I was excited to finally try it. It has an interesting herbal scent. Up close I can see the tiny sparkles or “light-reflecting minerals” within the pearly light-pink liquid, so I was hopeful. However, it doesn’t do much for the look of my skin or makeup if used in a normal amount. Perhaps my skin is just too dry because within a minute of being rubbed in, it’s practically all absorbed by my skin (as seen in my hand photo above) without leaving much of a dewy look behind. It can make ashy skin look normal, but it never makes me look dewy unless I slather enough layers of it on my skin. For daily use, I use the maximum amount that feels comfortable for me to tolerate because in large amounts (which is needed for the dewy look) it feels greasy and a bit heavy. While it’s true that I can load it up, it’s not practical for me to do that on a regular basis. However, I’m willing to do that for special occasions, and it was admittedly super helpful for my wedding, but more on that later.

I wasn’t about to take the whole heavy thick glass bottle with me in my luggage, as shiny and pretty as it is, so I put some in a tiny container to bring with me to keep testing. I tried prepping my skin well and applying the Futuredew and the results on my bare face were the same. A difference is only made by layering it up, so I don’t bother to use this for skin prep.

When trying to utilize this as a makeup primer, it doesn’t improve the longevity of my makeup. The results are normal. In addition, the tiniest bit of sheen that lingers visibly is completely hidden the moment I put on foundation. No luminosity shows through underneath unless I apply an ultra generous amount of product. Considering how my dry skin is behaving in German winter, where my natural oils still don’t come out even at the end of the day, loading up the product has been the answer to getting my foundations to at least have a natural look to it rather than matte. Under foundation, it was still impossible to look dewy, especially when I needed to lock-in my makeup with setting powders and sprays to prevent transfer and keep my face looking as fresh as possible in photos, but my foundation would have looked displeasing without it. As unimpressed as I was with how much product I needed to use to achieve the look I wanted (and technically still could not achieve fully), the Futuredew still ended up being helpful to me and saved the day.

I should note that the brand says using this product will cause the skin to be brighter and more glowy over time, but I’m not sure that I believe those claims. I will continue using the amount I brought with me and if I notice any improvement, I’ll update this post.

Milky Jelly Cleanser (Travel Size)

This is another product I was excited to try because it was hyped up for years as this luxurious type of cleanser, especially by popular influencers. I’m planning to include this in a cleanser post in the future, but my full thoughts on this product is that I don’t like it. It’s not milky or jelly-like in texture, only in looks. The “conditioning” part of the label better explains how it feels, which is like I’m rubbing lotion or hair conditioner on my face. I don’t know if there’s a term for it, but I’ve always been the type that gets unnerved by having anything oily feeling on my fingers and palms. I can tolerate putting on lotion if it’s the fast absorbing type that doesn’t leave a film or slippery layer on my body that I will continue feeling when skin touches skin for an extended period of time. I don’t mind those in-shower body lotions because they go on my body, but rubbing this milky jelly cleanser on my face just feels wrong because of my quirky sensory issue.
This might have been a feeling I could get used to over time, but this is advertised as being able to dissolve makeup even though it doesn’t! Or at least, my makeup is apparently too heavy duty for this cleanser to remove properly. Even on lighter makeup days, my skin never feels clean enough after washing my face with it, and it doesn’t pass the white towel test. If I wear heavier skincare like other facial oils, a thicker heavier face cream, and/or sunscreen, even those I don’t feel properly get removed from my face. If the brand wants to market this as a face conditioner, fine, but it’s not a good cleanser at all. A cleanser should be able to do the bare minimum and actually clean the face. There are better gentle cleansers out there.

Monochromes Essential Eyeshadow Trio Palette in Prairie

Oh, how I’ve waited so long for this to go on sale so I could justify buying it! I’ve certainly paid more for three eyeshadows, and even a single eyeshadow, but I wasn’t confident that I would like these, so I didn’t want to pay full price. The reviews were certainly mixed.

I am happy to report that I’m satisfied with the completed look. I got more pigment than I was expecting, which is a good thing in this situation. The matte blended nicely. The satin may as well have been a matte on my eyelids because there wasn’t much of a sheen. It looks very bland. The metallic didn’t have as much shine to it as I prefer, even after wetting my brush, but having it saved the look for me considering how much more I liked it instead of the satin. Also, I’m not sure why they call it a metallic when it’s more like a low impact shimmer. Then again, that description, though more accurate, probably wouldn’t help with sales.

The concept of this is certainly interesting for single shadow lovers to be able to have a potential favorite color in three different finishes all in one compact. That’s not me, so I was never going to be the target customer for this product. I was just curious about the quality, which is better than I expected, but the format just doesn’t suit my needs. It could be useful for me if each individual pan was customizable, so I could put a different color in place of that useless satin (for instance the Clay Matte, Teak Matte, Heather Metallic, or Rosin Metallic). Being stuck with a single trio that is only replaceable with another premade trio (and honestly wasted space that could have fit 4 eyeshadows if the logo wasn’t there) is very limiting.

For those that like minimal makeup and nothing too sparkly, I guess I could say this would be nice. However, it’s just so far removed from the type of makeup I like that I can’t help but feel there are so many other brands that do single eyeshadows better, trios, and quads and all for the same price or cheaper. I’d even recommend a little Natasha Denona mini 5 pan over this. ND’s quality is better. The closest equivalent I can think of is the Huda Beauty/GloWish Micro Mini Eyeshadow Palettes. Those are similar quality mattes (perhaps even slightly better) with soft shimmers that are only a little more impactful than the Glossier metallics, and in shades that can create a slightly more nuanced monochromatic look, all for $21 instead of $27 (or $22 for just the refill alone). Plus, I’ve seen the GloWish ones go on sale for half off (a better discount than I’ve ever seen from Glossier). The pan sizes are different, but the GloWish quad has 4.05 total grams (0.14 oz) of product versus Glossier’s 3.9 grams (0.12 oz).

Glossier Samples/First Impressions

Perfecting Skin Tint G1-G6 (Sample)

There wasn’t enough of the sample to do an actual wear test, so I wanted to just show off the shade range in swatches. G4 is my closest match, but it’s a half shade off. I would need to mix it with G3 to get something that matched my whole face and not just the lightest spots.

Stretch Concealer G1-G6 (Sample)

There was enough of the sample to do a wear test. This concealer is too creamy. As much as I would like a creamy concealer because my under eye area can be so dry sometimes, my eye area shape and lines require me to have a concealer that is flexible enough to stay put through movement (like Givenchy Prisme Libre) or to solidly lock into place (like Tarte Shape Tape). Creamy concealers move too much and crease on me horribly. That was unfortunately the situation with this one, which is a shame because I liked the coverage.

Stretch Foundation (Sample)

I can only guess that my shade would fall somewhere in the MD3 range. I did my best to mix the two closest ones in the sample card to create a custom shade for me. However, the mixture turned slightly grey from the two shades being too far apart in depth. I have a slightly grey tinge where I wore it in the photo below. It doesn’t look as bad in the photo, but it was quite obvious in person. So, I can’t really say how I liked this foundation in terms of looks. In terms of performance, that side of my face looked greasy at the end of the day. I like a little dew, but not that much. It felt nice on the skin, but it transfers more than the amount that’s acceptable to me. Perhaps powdering it would have changed things. I can’t say if I would recommend it or not based on the first impression. At the foundation’s price though, I’d rather spend a little more for my tried and true foundations instead. So, I won’t be buying this one.

Body Hero Oil Wash (Sample)

I mentioned in the cleanser section that I don’t mind in-shower body lotions. The ones I’ve used before don’t trigger my sensory issue. The same goes for this. I like how it instantly gets frothy and creamy when it hits water and gets rubbed onto the skin. It washes off easily and leaves my skin feeling clean and moisturized without a residue layer lingering on the skin. If I wasn’t such a Lush stan, I would consider buying a full-size bottle one day. It also has a nice light scent which makes for a great experience in the shower, though it doesn’t linger on my skin once I’m out. I should note that the scent of nearly all body washes don’t cling to my skin after I’ve dried off.

Another thing I noticed is that I was unable to see this product on the Glossier website until I changed my country settings to the US. I checked reddit and found out that as of at least 3 months ago, this product has been unavailable to those in the EU. I’m not sure why.

Anyway, that’s everything for today!

I continue to be intrigued by Glossier and its products. Thus far, the only ones that I can really stand behind are the Cloud Paints and Solar Paints (I admittedly decluttered my Solar Paint though), but I think I’ve given the brand a decent try and I will continue to keep my eye out for anything else they release in the hopes to find another gem like the Cloud Paints.

Thank you for checking out this review!

-Lili ❤

Let’s Review the Trendmood Box and ABH Palettes

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Volume 21 launched on November 3rd, and is the third Trendmood box I’ve purchased overall. For those who might not be familiar with them, the founder is Sophie of the Trendmood1 Instagram account. It’s not like subscription services that charge monthly until cancelled. Each box of products is curated and shown ahead of time (including details about possible shade variations that will be chosen at random). The prices of each box also varies and you have to buy each specific box you want each time it launches. There are currently no preorders. Quantities are limited and once they sell out, they usually aren’t restocked. What they ended up doing last year for Black Friday was selling a mystery box with a set number of products that would be randomly chosen from a pool of previously launched boxes. My second ever Trendmood box was last year’s Black Friday mystery one.

Volume 21 was supposed to be $48 for the products inside that had the combined retail price of $195, but using Trendmood’s own code at launch dropped it to $45. There is usually an incentive to purchasing early and signing up for early access (one hour before the normal launch). This time the discount was five percent, but it can vary. I got 20% off that Black Friday box with the special code.

I had actually heard people were disappointed by the Fall Romance palette since it came out before the Vol.21 box was available. The Fall Romance palette is $55 at full price, so I was willing to gamble that getting this for $10 cheaper, plus other items I was interested in having, would end up still being worth it. Let’s see if I’m correct!

I will start off reviewing Fall Romance, plus Nouveau that I bought last year that came with a free 2 piece set (mesh pouch and mascara) from purchasing through Ulta. Since I still have that Lash Brag mascara and I recently got 10x the points buying a mini of the new Lash Sculpt mascara, I’ll be reviewing them both too. I will include additional reviews of other products I’ve used from the Trendmood box at the end!

Anastasia Beverly Hills Fall Romance Eyeshadow Palette

Moonlight feels gritty and is difficult to pick up with a finger. It might be intentionally hard pressed to minimize the fact that it’s a flakier topper style duochrome eyeshadow. Divine felt surprisingly rough too. Even though it picks up easily on my finger, it takes multiple swipes to smooth it out for an opaque section of color. The brand considers it a duochrome as well and describes the shade as, “vivid purple with a sparkling pink-pearl shift,” but the shifted sheen is so subtle that it’s not a true duochrome in my eyes. Ember and Crimson are the two roughest textured shadows in the palette, but Ember smooths out nicely whereas Crimson is patchy both in swatches and on the eyes. With a lot of work, it can be covered up, but I’m not pleased with the way this one was made. Thorns and Mulberry are not quite as rough feeling as Ember and Crimson, but still not as soft as regular ABH matte eyeshadows. Unlike the first five shades in the palette, plus Midnight, the remaining shadows in the palette have a big kickup problem. I don’t usually pay much attention to some excess powder here and there, but it literally gets into the neighboring shades if I forget to pay attention to how softly I tap and pick up product on my brush. I’m wondering if we have another Subculture situation where the brand wants pigment, but feels they have to press the pans very hard so they don’t fly all over the place due to not using enough binders. I never owned the Subculture palette because the reviews scared me off, but I remember the complaints that came out about it and this seems similar with the exception that these mattes are even rougher feeling to the touch. Thankfully, these don’t feel like sandpaper when I’m actually applying them to my eyes, but it’s indicative that the formula is not the same as ABH’s usual eyeshadows. All that rough texture feels like how pigments/oxides feel without enough fillers, yet the ingredients show this is definitely not the case. So, unfortunately, I’ve been unable to figure out why these feel like this.

Something else to keep in mind is that the non-shimmers all deepen up considerably when I use MAC Paint Pot, so a drier type eye primer is better for me. At least, something like the Gerard Cosmetics Clean Canvas works better. I don’t know how these perform with ABH’s own primer which was definitely a very dry type. I ran out of the sample, so I can’t test the palette out with it.

Another thing that will probably be less important to others is that Thorns looks so similar to Twilight in the pans that I got them mixed up in one of the eye looks I created (but did not photograph), and only realized it when the spot turned blue where Thorns and Twilight connected with Divine. Thorns by itself is more vibrant of a green than the other one, but also has a stronger blue tone to it. The ability to see it in the pan depends on the lighting.

Looking at the photo of the yet-to-be-used palette at the top of the post, Fireside stands out as the most textured and foiled shimmer of the bunch, but I was disappointed that it didn’t look special on the eyes. Applying it damp smooths it out, so it looks more metallic than sparkly, but adding Fireside back on top with a dry finger brings some shine back. This technique improves my opinion of how it looks on me, but it’s still not my favorite.
Crown is a beautiful duochrome gold to green shimmer shade, but even though it’s one of the stars of this palette, Natasha Denona has done a shade like this better from her Gold palette (Lime Chrome) and the Mini Gold (Antheia).
Smoke is the smoothest of all the shimmers in look and feel, but is also the only one that creases on me. It’s only a tiny bit of creasing though. The bigger issue is the immense fallout, so I advise applying this one wet and/or using glitter glue. Nyx Glitter Primer pretty much solved this issue for me.

There’s a learning curve to using this palette in the beginning. I have to be mindful of the primer used. I have to be careful to watch out for patchiness from Crimson. I have to combat shimmer fallout. I also noticed that these shadows really didn’t like my crease brushes. They were more prone to patchiness from the color being too easily rubbed off. I had to switch to using mostly paddle shaped and flat brushes before blending the edge with no additional product with a crease brush at the end. For some reason, these work better when patted on slowly to be built up and not swiped across the skin the way I would normally work in windshield wiper motions with a crease brush.

Due to all these issues, I can’t recommend this palette. Because I know all the tips and tricks to making this work now, I have managed to complete eye looks in an acceptable amount of time and find it less difficult to use. I’m still annoyed when the matte kickup (which tends to be dark) keeps getting into the shimmers (which are mostly light) and wants to stick to them, basically dirtying up the color. I really love those tones of colors though, and the end result of the eye look most of the time. For that reason, I don’t regret buying the Trendmood box to get it, and I surprisingly keep second-guessing my decision to leave it behind when I go to Germany again.

In the Nouveau section, I delve into more theories as to why that one gets praised, but this one doesn’t.

The letters correspond to which mascaras were used. LS equals Lash Sculpt while LB stands for Lash Brag.

Anastasia Beverly Hills Lash Sculpt Lengthening & Volumizing Mascara (mini)

I have to mention that I was quite impressed with this travel size with how weighty it feels in the hand. This mascara packaging could not have been cheap, especially with the extra details like the logo on the cap and the metallic looking gold rim at the tube’s opening.

What I like about this mascara is that it gives length, but if I spend enough time with it, I can also get some volume. There’s no flaking or smudging. When I go for a second coat (needed for the volume) it can start to get clumps at the tips but by the time I finish fully brushing through the lashes, they are combed out and gone. Also, after the mascara dries, my lashes feel soft to the touch and not stiff or stuck in one direction.

Part of what makes this a bit time consuming to apply is that the formula gives me trouble with initially sticking to my lashes. When I accidentally got mascara on my eye, I was going to let it dry before trying to wipe it away, but the drop ended up falling off by itself leaving barely any evidence behind. When it does stick to the lashes, it’s like it skips parts of the strand and builds on the tips or the base of the lashes, often skipping the middle. I have to continually brush through to get it looking even. I believe it’s also difficult to build volume because it feels like the wand bristles aren’t close enough together and brushing through my lashes aren’t touching all my lashes in every swipe due to those gaps. So, I have to wiggle the brush back and forth to add as much product onto the lashes as I can and then comb them through and repeat. I get it to look the best I can, wait a minute, and then proceed with the second coat which is where I finally get some volume and extra length. So, this mascara does end up doing both just as is claimed, but it takes longer than my other mascaras to get there. However, this mascara’s benefit is how much better it is at looking uniform and clump free with this level of length and volume that does end up looking as good, or better than a few of my mascara favorites.

So, I’m happy to use this up, but I don’t know if I’ll repurchase it. I still prefer how quickly I can complete applying my other mascaras in just one coat since I’m impatient, even at the cost of the lashes looking a little wilder.

Anastasia Beverly Hills Lash Brag Volumizing Mascara

This mascara’s focus is on volume. I don’t get any clumping, smudging or flaking. The brush part of the wand is shaped in away that’s good at separating the lashes while still building volume. Just like the newer ABH mascara, once the product dries on my eyes, my lashes are left feeling soft and flexible to the touch instead of stiff.

I have to mention the packaging again with this one because it’s weighty like the Lash Sculpt tube, with the additional factor of the cap actually being a magnetic metal (in the photo above I show my triangular magnet attached to the cap). I’m not sure if this was weighted intentionally for balance in holding, the way some makeup brushes are intentionally weighted. There’s also a pretty rose gold-into-black ombre design. Anastasia Beverly Hills certainly puts a lot of money into their mascara components. I don’t understand why they’d give mascaras (something that gets tossed out or used up quickly) better packaging than some of their staple products, but perhaps it pays off more than I know.

The downside with this one is that it doesn’t give quite as much length as my favorite mascaras, and even leaves slightly less volume than some of them, despite specializing in volume. I can at least get it closer to my favorites if I spend a lot of time building it up using the same application techniques as the Lash Sculpt mascara, but I’d rather use my favorites that are cheaper and quicker to build. So, I intended to use this up, but I don’t think I’ll be repurchasing another one either.

While we’re at it, lets review the KVD mascara I got from the Trendmood box.

KVD Beauty Full Sleeve Long + Defined Tubing Mascara

I actually just bought this mascara prior to the launch of the Trendmood box when Ulta had a 10x the points on mascara event. It would have been very bad if I ended up having two full tubes of a mascara I didn’t like, but I consider myself lucky because I like it. And now I have a backup!

This is my first real foray into tubing mascaras. I remember using one or two when I was much younger with very little makeup knowledge. I didn’t like them at the time because I didn’t know they were supposed to come off in tubes, so it scared me off. It wasn’t until recent years that I thought I should give them another try.

The best part about this mascara is that I don’t get any clumping, flaking, or smudging. In fact, it doesn’t smear as much when removing it and in the moments when my eyes get watery, I can wipe the tear away without getting smudges either. The issue I have is that it can take a while to build up to my desired length and thickness. The quickest way I can achieve the result I want is to use a wiggling motion to build up to the acceptable level in the first coat, wait a minute, and then add another layer. It’s recommended to apply additional coats while still wet (to avoid clumping), but my way works best for me. Also, the tip end being bulbous required me to be very careful and deliberate in trying to reach the innermost lashes without accidentally touching my skin and getting mascara on it. Then I learned the brush is meant to be flipped from the horizontal position to the vertical position when it comes to the inner corners and lower lash line, so I’m able to reach them easier now.

When it comes to removal, using warm water and trying to slide the mascara off my lashes with my fingers feels more time consuming than when I just use a wipe with Bioderma, so I personally skip that and just remove my mascara the way I normally do with others.

Also, I have to mention the artwork on this tube is really cool and the component feels like aluminum. It’s nowhere near as weighty as the ABH mascaras, not that it matters. It’s just something I found interesting.

Really cool packaging is my weakness, but I try to not let that be the reason I buy a mascara since it’s going to be tossed out in a matter of months. The time when I have a hard time resisting is if a favorite mascara of mine gets released in new limited edition packaging. Then it’s hard to talk myself out of it because I already know it’s something I like, and will get use out of while getting to admire it looking pretty.

My final point regarding mascaras is that all three had no issues with flaking, which has been such a relief because the Huda 1 Coat Wow and Benefit Fan Fest mascaras that launched recently both had that issue for me, and worse than I’ve had from mascaras in a long time. Also, I’ve recently tried the L’Oreal Telescopic Lift Washable Mascara which gave length and volume very quickly, but at the expense of being prone to being clumpy if I spend too much time building it up (I think as it tries to dry). Plus, I can feel it stiffen my lashes, and not just to the touch with my fingers. I can literally feel the mascara on my lashes while I wear it, which can be uncomfortable at times. It’s at least as easy to remove as they say.

I figured I may as well throw in these comments on other mascaras because I love trying new mascaras but I don’t enjoy reviewing them and don’t see myself doing another one of these for a very long time.

Anastasia Beverly Hills Nouveau Eyeshadow Palette

This palette doesn’t have the rough texture issue, and the eyeshadows are in fact incredibly soft to the touch because they feel like they were given light-medium pressure when machine pressed into the pans. Considering the fact that this palette isn’t as hard pressed, yet still manages to have slightly less kickup than the Fall Romance palette (though still more than I experience with the majority of palettes), is fascinating.
Nouveau and the Rose Metals palettes have been praised as being softer than ABH’s prior eyeshadow formula with better color payoff, but I think it really comes down to the press making a difference. ABH’s palettes prior to the release of Nouveau had mattes that were buttery feeling and shimmers with less slip. These mattes are soft because they’re powdery and not due to them being creamy. I wouldn’t be surprised if the previous eyeshadow formula was more expensive than this newer one in recent years. The way they’ve pressed the eyeshadows allow them to perform just as well, or in some ways even better than the older palettes, but I think Fall Romance falls victim to what happens when working with rougher pigments and needing to better adjust the ingredients for adherence. Fall Romance mattes would likely have Subculture level kickup if pressed lighter, which is why I think it’s a formula problem with the eyeshadow particles not being better binded to each other because of the darker colorful pigments requiring a lot more tweaking in formula than the lighter and neutral shadows the brand tends to stick to most of the time.

As I mentioned, this palette’s shadows are lightly pressed. My shade Lili was actually a little broken, but I was able to press it back so well and easily (no liquid added) that it looks practically untouched in the product photo above!

The eyeshadows don’t want to get in the deepest line in my crease, but other than that, I have no other issues of creasing, moving, or fading. The mattes blend well. The shimmers are a little less impactful than I would like, but they’re still quite pretty. I love the tones of the shades in this palette. I only have two complaints, which are Wisteria being the typical pastel that is too thin and has to be caked on like crazy to stick to and last on my eyes, plus has a lot of white in the base that shows ashier white and less purple than how it would look on someone else with lighter skin than mine. Also, other than using Wisteria as a pop in my inner corner, I have struggled to complete looks with Wisteria in any other spot around the eyes and have it look good. This shade just does not go with the rest of the color story.
My other complaint is that many of these color groupings (the greens together and the orange family) have the same depth, so there is very little differentiation on my eyes if I wear them in the same looks. I would have loved a deep green and/or dark terracotta so I could use something other than Muse to darken the outer corner.

Peacock looks so exciting, seeing as its a duochrome, but it’s let down by the shimmer particles being so muted. This kind of color is super popular from even mainstream brands. I used to have a color like it from Too Faced as a single back in 2015, and this is about as good as that one was (which is a bad thing considering how long ago that was). They don’t stack up to the shine and shift from some of the brands found in Sephora with updated formulas like Pat Mcgrath and Danessa Myricks.

Overall, I like this palette, but I don’t recommend buying it at full price. I’m glad I bought it to satisfy my curiosity, and for being able to understand the direction the brand is taking their eyeshadows now. I really enjoy using it in the moment, but when I think about other palettes I truly love, this purchase could have been skipped.

APRILSKIN Artemisia Rice Toner

This has 80% Korean Mugwort extract, which is why it’s from the Artemisia line (mugwort’s scientific name being Artemisia vulgaris). I don’t believe I’ve ever used a skincare product with mugwort prior to this one, but I’m becoming a lot more interested now after the results I’ve had. My box arrived October 11th, and since that time I’ve been using this toner frequently. There are quite a few claims that are advertised, such as soothing skin irritation (mugwort), boosting skin elasticity, reducing bumpiness, addressing uneven skin tone (rice bran water), and improving internal hydration and external moisture (four different hyaluronic acids). I don’t know which ingredient is supposed to boost skin elasticity unless they mean how the skin behaves when it’s hydrated (going back to the hyaluronic acids then) versus dehydrated. For the reducing bumpiness part, I also don’t know if they mean that by inflamed pimples being soothed and calmed, the inflammation will go down and thus be smaller in size? If so, that sounds like a stretch to me and it’s probably better for customers to only expect to get hydration, skin soothing, and brightening elements from this product. Those three are the ones I’ve personally observed.

I tend to just use this at night and my skin feels adequately hydrated after putting it on, to the point that I don’t feel the need to overload my face with moisturizers. Despite the external moisture claim in which the thinnest layer of film is left on the skin (enough to see in the light but not feel it on face), I don’t feel it’s occlusive enough and so I still need at least one other layer of product, but the fact that I don’t feel the need for something heavy duty is amazing. It’s especially helpful because even though I have dry skin, my pores only tolerate lightweight things and too heavy of creams cause a clogging problem. By getting hydration and moisture from a toner, using my regular lightweight serums and moisturizers seems even more effective.

As for the skin soothing, I didn’t notice anything until my skin was getting irritated from doing repeated swatching and wiping off of products on my face. Because I’ve been trying to figure out which products to bring with me on my trip to Germany, I needed to actually see them on myself to refresh my memory. The constant rubbing was making my skin hurt, but after cleansing my face at night and applying this toner, my cheeks felt less painful. I’m guessing it’s from both the mugwort and rehydrating ingredients to replenish what was stripped from my skin from the makeup removers and cleanser.

My skin looks glowier and less dull, but I can’t tell if it’s only due to that thin veil of residue/film that is left on the skin, or if my skin has actually been brightened. I feel like my areas of hyperpigmentation that look deep ashy grey-black don’t look quite as dull anymore, even before I apply the product, but I don’t know whether I can credit the toner or other skincare I’ve been using. Regardless, the other benefits are enough bonuses for me to continue wanting to use it. I like that this doesn’t have alcohol or witch hazel and that the slight herbal scent (which seems natural because I don’t see fragrance on the ingredient list) is extremely mild.

I’m quite happy with this product and plan to keep observing it to see if there will be other advantages to using it long-term.

Sigma Beauty Lip Cream in Dapper

There was a possibility of getting either Dusty Rose, Begonia, Dapper, New Mod, or Rosewood in this box. I think Begonia is the only one guaranteed to be too light for me. I might have liked the other shades as well, but Dapper being a pink-purple “warm hibiscus neutral,” looks nearly natural on me considering my mix of lip colors.

The lips look juicy/plump with this on, feels creamy and comfortable, has a bit of a slight staining effect, isn’t completely removed after eating, and clings to the lips quite well. The downside is the same as the majority of lip products with color in them, that my lips will still end up being drier and I will see spots that are peeling at the end of the day. So, I still need to condition them at night to not have the problem exacerbate.

Em Cosmetics Soft Blur Velvet Lip Liner in Foxy

It was possible to get either Bunny, Teddy, or Foxy in this box. I’m glad I got Foxy because it’s the only shade from Em Cosmetics that can function as a proper lip liner color for me. However, it is still darker than I typically wear. It’s great paired with Sigma’s Dapper though.

I like that it glides on smoothly because it has a slight creaminess to it, but not enough to slide around everywhere. I’m able to soften the edges without fear of totally wiping it off. It’s not waterproof or budgeproof, but it clings fairly well to my lips. By the end of the night, without touching anything up, I can still see it around 60-70% of my lip line depending on what type of food I ate that day.

I’m happy to have this item and plan on using it up, but I don’t think I’ll purchase a new one when it’s done. This is mainly because I prefer a formula that’s soft when I apply it, yet dries down to the point that it becomes hard to budge. This one has the emollient level I like, but doesn’t have the water-resistant factor. So I’ll continue reaching for the other lip liners in my collection along with this one.

Swirl and Sparkle Solid Makeup Brush Cleanser (Trendmood Edition)

I never heard of this brand prior to the inclusion in this box, so I had to do a little research. They make all kinds of “handcrafted vegan, cruelty-free, and all-natural” solid brush cleansers in various colors, scents, and shapes within the container. The scent of this one is Toasted Marshmallow, which is their most popular one. That smell isn’t very heavy, it’s pleasant, and fades quickly, so I don’t mind it being there.

It appears, based on the website, that $25 for 1 ounce is the typical price point from their offerings. My main arsenal of products I use for brush cleaning are the Blendercleanser Solid at $18 for 0.55 oz and the Rephr soap at $25 for 60 grams. I only buy the Rephr soap when it’s discounted (which happens frequently) and I have a stash of several minis of Beautyblender’s soaps that were either included with the Beautyblender, part of a free gift with purchase set, or redeemable for 100 points via Sephora. So, I’m used to spending a lot less or nothing at all for those two products. I also reach for the Dr. Bronner’s Pure Castille Liquid Soap when I need something heavier duty, and my 4 ounce bottle (in conjunction with the other products) lasted me three years and was $6 at the time from Amazon. I’ve also recently been using the Chikuhodo Makeup Brush Cleaner* which is practically a detergent and apparently contains surfactants. That one cost me $11 for 100ml. The container is meant to hold 115 ml so it will arrive looking like a lot of liquid is missing.

*Note: The link to the Chikuhodo brush cleaner is an affiliate link. Making a purchase using it on CDJapan will generate commission. This is the only affiliate link in this review. Any other links are regular non-affiliated ones.

If I’m trying to deal with stubborn stains, I use Cinema Secrets Lemon Makeup Brush Cleaner (the colorless one). It’s extremely harsh on brushes, so I don’t recommend it, but I admittedly use it on rare occasions and sparingly. Plus it leaves a film on my brushes, so I always feel compelled to wash it again afterwards. Some cleansers I’ve tried, but dislike, are the Beautyblender Instaclean (left brushes feeling oily) and the liquid version of Blendercleanser didn’t do as good of a job as the solid from my viewpoint.

I recently bought the Sephora Mini Daily Brush Cleaner, but haven’t used it yet because I misplaced it.

I say all this to show the wide variety of products I’ve experienced cleaning my brushes with from gentle ones to some that are harsh, and those products set the bar for the kind of results I’m expecting.

I began by washing my synthetic brushes, natural hair brushes, and then moved onto the brushes that are super dense and tend to give me the most trouble cleaning. For example, the Patrick Ta contour brush pictured in the top left of the photo below shows remnants of product that I missed being able to see when it rolled down with the water and collected onto the fiber tips. This kind of thing usually only happens with my thickest densest brushes like Tarte’s The Buffer and The Blur brushes. The Swirl and Sparkle soap easily took care of my Patrick Ta brush, which would have been bad if it didn’t considering it was just leftover product on the brush. The bigger test was comparing how it would do with Tarte’s The Blur brush with several uses of foundation built up on the bristles. Unfortunately, it didn’t give me any better results than I usually have with the rephr soap or beautyblender solid soap. It took quite a few repeated washings to get it looking clean as clean is it is in the bottom right quadrant of the photo, and even still, when the brush dried I was able to see some remnants on the tips, just like with the Patrick Ta brush.

I should note that I don’t do more than 3-4 washes on a face brush at one time. I find that it becomes counterproductive with the bristles being too saturated with water and at risk of damaging the brush even though I let them hang upside down to keep water out of the ferrule. So, I find that it’s better to squeeze out the excess, let it dry partway, and wash it once more before leaving it alone to dry completely.

For normal brushes, this brush cleaner seemed at first to be working quicker than Beautyblender and Rephr’s soaps. The bristles were literally feeling squeaky clean on both synthetic hair and natural alike. However, when the brushes were fully dried and I rubbed my fingers over the bristles, it feel like there was soap residue still on them. So, I had to rewash the whole batch. The next time I was on a brush cleaning spree, I remembered this and made sure to wash the bristles out extra thoroughly, even more than I spend with any other brush cleaner. This helped reduce the amount of residue, but there was in fact still residue. The whole reason I was feeling the hair in the first place is because the heads were dried exactly in the shape of the way they looked when I squeezed out the water, which I guess is further indication that some kind of product was weighing down the bristles and preventing them from puffing out.

Now, I know this soap contains oil, so I’m not sure if it’s supposed to be conditioning the brush and the residue is intentional. I don’t know if the fact that I don’t wipe my brushes on a towel (recommended by the brand for the purpose of a quicker drying time) would have also wiped that residue off the hair before being set aside to dry. I can attest that the residue is at least not dirty leftover product because the water runs clear when I try to wash them again, so it might be a conditioning thing. I’ll give them the benefit of the doubt.
Also, my brushes take about 30% longer to dry using this soap than when I use my other brush cleaning products. So, I guess squeezing the water out really isn’t enough and pre-drying them on a towel before air-drying them is essential.

In the photo above, I wanted to show a random thing that happened when part of the top layer came off. I can’t explain why this happened. I rinsed it off and put it back with the rest of the soap and was able to continue using the rest of the lifted off piece for another giant brush washing session.

I apologize for the next image being pretty gross, but I felt it best to show what happened around the third or fourth time I used this product. Unfortunately, it wasn’t until after I washed a giant batch of brushes that I saw the spots around the edges of the container. So, I hadn’t even attempted to rinse off the dirty residue yet.

Please be warned!

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According to the website, the directions say, “With your very last clean brush, use it to swirl + clean off any residue in the container under water. Air dry the lid + container before locking + loading it for next time.”

After use, it’s my practice to literally clean off the top layer (as instructed) with the last brush and as little water as possible. Then I hold it upside down and try to shake out any lingering drops. I then set the tin in the area I keep the rest of the brushes. I let it air dry with the lid off for a minimum of 12 hours. Usually I wash my brushes in the morning, so I put the lid back on the soap just before bed. If I wash them later in the day, the lid remains off overnight. So, if 12 or more hours is too short of a time to let it air dry, there should be a mention of this on the website or extra instructions on keeping the soap tin as hygienic and clean as possible. I feel like this was an inevitable issue considering I noticed that while I was washing the brushes, I could see some water seeping between the canister and edge of the soap, even though I couldn’t see any space there. It somehow still was getting a tiny bit lower around the edges.

When I use my Beautyblender solid, I basically keep the soap on a surface to air dry, the scrubbing piece to air dry, and wipe the plastic container completely dry before leaving that open as well. Then at the end of the night I put them all back together. So, I was concerned that this soap being stuck in this container and not being removable could potentially have this issue since I was following directions and not trying to wipe it down.

So, my advise is to either take a sharp object and remove the soap and place it into a different container (the brand seems to have some soaps in plastic containers instead, which might be better) or to wipe off the edges of the sides as an extra precaution against water sitting in there. Then again, if water is seeping between the soap and the container edge, this might not help as a towel would be unable to reach it. So, cutting the soap out of it so it can be placed back in when after everything is dry might be the better plan.

I should also note that in my last use, I did have my brushes near the soap and it’s possible some drops got onto the soap during the drying process, but I don’t let my brushes dry in soaking condition. I squeeze them out, so there shouldn’t have been dripping water. I’ll still offer the benefit of the doubt. However, this just might not be a product suited for me and my needs. I still have 2 Rephr soaps (my current one is almost finished) and 2 Blendercleanser solid minis as backups, so I’m all set.

Bondi Boost Miracle Hair Mask

I did not expect to like this product, but I was pleasantly surprised! I’m a total noob when it comes to hair care. All I can really say is that prior to this year (because I’d essentially given up trying to find a good mask and just made do with conditioners I like), there wasn’t any mask I tried that did much for my hair. In fact, some made my hair feel worse. When I tried the Gisou Honey Infused Hair Mask, I said to myself, “Hey, this actually did a little something,” and was willing to settle for that. Then, I got the Function of Beauty Pro Conditioner Mask, which worked even better! I haven’t been able to test it enough yet to be completely sold, but I was pleased with the results.

The Bondi Boost Hair Mask is supposed to be used once a week, so between all the other hair products I’m trying out now (to figure out what to bring on my trip), I haven’t had the opportunity to use it more than a few times. However, I’m a new fan! I have super dry hair, and using this made noticeable improvements. I can’t see it as much from what my hair looks like once it’s dry, but I can tell the difference in looks and it being significantly softer when I combine it with my usual other hair products. It’s like this mask helps my hair to absorb more moisture, look more hydrated, and stay hydrated for longer. I haven’t been this pleased with a hair product since my discovery of the Olaplex No.3 Hair Perfector.

I’m not sure how much credit I should give this mask if I’m not satisfied with the results of the product by itself. However, I’m not a hair reviewer. For my own personal experiences, what matters most to me is how I can best use anything to get improved results, and if the combination of this mask with other products means that my hair looks healthier (and at a price that doesn’t completely break the bank), I’m all for it.

Anti-Chafe Stick with Shea Butter + Colloidal Oatmeal (mini/deluxe sample)

I tried this product once and then lost it until literally the day before my trip. It’s so small and I had products all over the place because of my packing and simultaneous decluttering. So, I can’t really say much about it, except that it felt fine on the skin (not greasy). I’ve never used any other Anti-chafe specific product, so I have nothing to compare it to either. To anyone hoping for more details on this one, I’m sorry!

I hope everything else in this review has been helpful! Thank you for reading!

-Lili ❤

Is High End Skincare Worth It: Tatcha, Lisa Eldridge, and Rituel de Fille

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DISCLOSURE: All products in this post were purchased by me with my own money. All links in this review are regular non-affiliated links.

Rituel de Fille Thorn Oil Priming Facial Elixir and Thorn Milk Hydrating Skin Mist

I bought the Thorn Oil for half price via Ulta just one year ago, but the Thorn Milk Mist I bought in May 2023.

On the bottle, the brand suggests using 5 to 10 drops of Thorn Oil on the face. Even though I have dry skin, it takes way too long for my skin to absorb even five drops, and makeup doesn’t settle properly on top. So, I’ve found that 2-3 drops is actually perfect for me. The oil is more of a yellow-orange color and the red coloring gathers after a while on the bottom or sides, so it has to be shaken thoroughly before each use. The glass jar has round balls in there (like the agitator mixing beads in some nail polish bottles) to help with that. When mixed properly, it doesn’t make the face noticeably red, however, there is a faint tinge I’ve seen via camera photos. It’s basically no more intense than certain sunscreens that can leave the tiniest blue or purple tinge that’s only visible on certain areas of my skin. So, I’d still consider it clear or clearish.

I have loved using this product, and considering how long it takes me to go through even travel sizes of primers, using nearly half of this bottle (at a rate of 2-3 drops per use) is impressive for me. The downside is that I couldn’t finish it before it started to change in smell. It’s listed as being good for 12 months and when it comes to Rituel de Fille products and their preservation system, definitely don’t expect things to last longer than it says. In fact, I’m surprised I got the full year out of this one. The smell changed from a beautiful slightly rosy herbaceous smell to smelling vaguely like fish oil by the end. In addition to makeup priming purposes, I would sometimes even use this as a facial oil in my skincare routine on days I needed extra hydration.

As a priming product with this much oil, I’ve noticed a few of my products can’t stand up to the formula. For instance, my KVD Good Apple Concealer breaks down super fast if I accidentally get some of the Thorn Oil in my eye area or top of the cheekbones where I have to carry down some of the concealer onto. I forgot which foundation of mine also broke down a little faster with this as a primer. And I’ve had some foundations that were a bit more transfer-prone with this underneath. However, this product helped save the Hourglass Ambient Glow Foundation for me and I don’t have issues using this at the same time as my Givenchy Prisme-Libre concealer. So, I’d say there’s a learning curve to figuring out which products go well with this. Theoretically, it would be easier to assume silicone and oil based will work fine. Water-based products could potentially have issues.

If I used the Thorn Milk Mist as often as the oil and didn’t have another skin mist I was trying to use up first, I imagine I’d have gone through this product in two months. In a month and a half using it not very frequently, I used up nearly half of the bottle. It may be the case that I over spray because I’m trying to chase the results I get from the oil, but it’s meant to be a lightweight product that imparts less moisture. After dousing my face as a prep step before applying makeup, I always feel unsatisfied with the moisture level and end up adding the oil on top afterwards. Using it in conjunction with the oil doesn’t feel like it makes much of a difference from using the oil on its own. Misting my face as the last step is supposed to give subtle dewiness, but any shine lingers for just a moment. It’s like my skin sucks it up too quickly. For those who find the Thorn Oil to be too intense for their makeup, perhaps the mist would be a better option. However, for my skin type, the Thorn Oil is the only one I’d repurchase.
I got both of these discounted, and as much as I’ve grown to enjoy Thorn Oil, it isn’t so great that I’d get it at full retail price. I like the glass bottle, the dropper dispenser, plus the color and smell adding to the pampering experience, but $45 is probably my limit.

Lisa Eldridge Skin Enhancing Treatment Cleanser and Luxuriously Gentle Cleansing & Exfoliating Cloths

To make it easier to follow the steps I use with the cleanser and cloths, I put them in bold black font. The surrounding information in regular font is still very important, including issues I ran into, but I wanted to make it easier for someone to be able to return to my blog and skim through for instructions if needed.

For the first two weeks, I used these products as instructed by Lisa Eldridge in her demonstration video. This includes using it to remove eye makeup as well, but I didn’t like having that area moisturized on top of my lids continuing to be oily.
So, my normal routine begins with me using either my Skinfood Rice Cleansing Tissue with Bioderma or my Makeup Eraser Cloth with Bioderma to remove my eye makeup, plus the concealer under my eyes. Then, I apply the blueberry size of product into my palm and rub my palms vigorously until I can feel it get warm from the friction. The consistency of the cleanser is like a slightly less sticky version of sap. It’s thick and not easy to spread evenly across the face unless it’s worked into the hands and thinned out prior to applying it to the skin. It has a lovely smell that reminds me of oatmeal or cereal when I put it on. That might be the case because the sap smells close to honey and I used to pour honey on my oatmeal (which was what I had for breakfast for most of my youth along with cereal), so I might be associating the sap smell with that experience. I could swear it has a slightly grain-like scent to it though.
Also, I’ve seen some tiny blueberries and huge ones, so I wasn’t sure which amount to go with in the beginning. Through trial and error, I found that a small to medium size blueberry amount works for me. Using too little isn’t as effective, but when using too much the worst that can happen is just wasting product. So, it’s better to use slightly more than using less. It only took a few times before I naturally started squeezing out the right amount.

Then, I spread the hand-warmed cleanser all over my face, avoiding the space between my eyelids up to the brow bones. Because my under eye area is dry instead of oily, I make sure to apply the cleanser there too, but more lightly than I would if I needed to actually remove makeup from that spot. As a treatment product, Lisa suggests leaving this on for at least two minutes. What I like to do is leave it on for at least two minutes for regular cleansing purposes. So, I put it on, wash my hands, and then do other things before I come back to the sink to remove it. I usually skip putting it on my lips. If I feel like they need some extra help, I prefer to apply the treatment to lips after my face has already been cleansed. Then I leave it on for a while before I remove it with a wet cloth.
It doesn’t need to be done separately, but my way makes it easier to keep the cleanser’s time on my face shorter than the time on my lips.

When the cleanser gets wet and rubbed, a milky film is produced. It easily rolls down the face taking droplets of makeup with it, so it was hard to take a picture of it and I didn’t want to leave my bathroom with the pigment dripping to get to a spot with better light. Sorry about that!

What I like to do after the two minutes are up is to wet one quarter of the cloth on both sides. These cloths are even bigger than the full-size Makeup Eraser, so I’ve found that I can get at least 4 uses out of a single cloth if I wipe my face with just one of the corners each time.

Then, I squeeze the excess water out of the cloth and into my hand so that I can use the dripping liquid on my fingers to wet my face, getting that initial milky film layer going as I rub it all over. The cleanser breaks down the makeup, but because it’s so thick, I feel like the makeup doesn’t remove as well unless I wet my face and it lifts to the surface like pouring water into a glass of oil and watching the oil rise to the top to be separate from the water. That’s the best analogy I could think up to try and describe the makeup mixing with the water and separating from the rest of the sap layer.

I make sure to keep my head hovered over the bowl of the sink so I don’t get pigment filled droplets everywhere, including down my own clothes. I take the muslin side of the cloth and wipe around my jaw first to catch the rolling droplets. Then I continue swiping the cloth all over my face, but avoiding the eye area. At this point, the layer of cleanser should be gone and only shiny residue showing at most. I flip to the fluffier side of the cloth and clean my eye area, as well as passing the cloth over the rest of my face until it feels clean of everything. I add extra water to the cloth and rub it over my face again if necessary.

Something I noticed when using these cloths is that I was getting at least 3 eyelashes on it every time. It’s not unusual for me to lose an eyelash or two while removing my eye makeup, but I was seeing it happen on non-makeup days too. The inner lashes of my eyes where I apply more pressure to clean the crevices between my eyes and nose were getting sparse. Eventually, upon closer inspection, I realized my lashes were getting stuck in the ultra tiny thread holes of the muslin side specifically. This is why I no longer use the muslin side in my eye and brow area. I still think it’s necessary to use it on the other parts of my face because it’s great at exfoliating, which also means it’s strong enough to lift off the sappy cleanser layer. When I tried switching to using this cleanser with the Makeup Eraser, I felt like there was too much residue left behind. The appeal of the cleanser is that it’s supposed to keep the skin moisturized, so I don’t need every trace of it to be gone, but what the Makeup Eraser left behind was just too much. And I do believe using a cloth with this cleanser is necessary. Trying to wash it off with nothing but water left my skin feeling very uncomfortable, like it was dirty. Using the fluffy side for the eye area has worked out better, and my inner lashes are almost back to full regrowth. I started testing out the cleanser in the middle of May 2023, and I didn’t pay attention to the lash issue for a very long time. So, it took ages for my already slow growing hair to come back. Plus, I sometimes forget to avoid the eyes with the muslin side and end up losing extra lashes again. This was user error on my part for not noticing it sooner, so I don’t hold it against the cloths. In fact, they’re so useful that I ordered a second pack. I only buy Makeup Erasers for 30-50% off, particularly as a half off Beauty Steal from Ulta. But that’s $10 for one versus Lisa’s at $12 for a pack of two and each of those two being larger than the Makeup Eraser. So, it’s a great deal. I will give the Makeup Eraser credit for feeling softer on the skin than even the fluffy side of the LE cloths. I use the LE cleanser most days of the week since buying it, but on the days that I’m using a different cleanser, I prefer to use the Makeup Eraser with it, unless it’s a thick cleanser or oil based one. Then, I use the LE cloth with it. So, there’s still place for both in my collection, though the Makeup Eraser is mostly delegated to being my cloth for wiping my makeup brushes between uses or my fingers between doing swatches.

After my face is washed, I like to do one final splash of water all over my face before patting it dry with a regular face towel.

I’ve always taken on the philosophy that I would not spend over $20 on a cleanser. When I used the one from rephr, it was discounted. So, this cleanser from Lisa Eldridge has been the one exception. It’s significantly more expensive, and I love using it, but I still don’t know if I will repurchase it or not. I have so many other cleansers (that are admittedly less enjoyable to use) that get the job done, but my dry skin loves the bonus moisturizing benefits. This is the type of product that takes care of my skin without changing it. I want my skin to be moisturized, but I don’t want it to turn combo-oily either, like some dry-skin products do. My skin feels more balanced since using the cleanser and I enjoy the luxuriousness of it and how it feels like I’m pampering myself even when I use it solely as a cleanser and not a treatment. This product made me finally enjoy having a skincare routine. Plus, it has been so great not needing to double-cleanse. For those reasons, it might be worth it for me to get it again once I run out. Lisa’s video has all the details on the benefits and the special ingredients. Some people might not think it’s worth the price, or some might think it’s amazing, but still too expensive to spend their money on. I think it’s an amazing cleanser that lives up to the claims when used properly, and I easily recommend it, but I also have to decide if I’m going to buy it again when the time comes.

There are supposed to be 200 applications worth of product per tube. The photo above was taken on September 19th, so roughly four months after I started using it. The amount I have left is about what I’d expect. Since I’m still occasionally using other cleansers to try not to waste them (and I’m still testing some out while contemplating whether or not I want to do a big cleanser comparison post in the future), I estimate that I’ll run out by March 2024.

Tatcha Forest Awakening Cedar & Hinoki Body Milk and Body Oil

I bought the travel size oil in April 2023, but the full-size body lotion was purchased a year ago. I like the light cedar-green scent to the products. It’s not my usual preference in scented products, but it isn’t that strong and it doesn’t clash with any perfume I decide to put on afterwards.

The Body Milk absorbs into the skin fairly fast, which is great because the thing I hate most about lotion since I was a kid was my skin feeling greasy and/or my hands having a filmy feeling that took a ton of soap and multiple washes to remove. I hated the feeling of pants sticking to my legs because of the moisture left from lotion that took ages to absorb. So, I love that I don’t have that problem with this one. It’s not all that long lasting in keeping moisture locked in (most of the day but not all day), but I still use it sometimes. As for my elbows, which are the driest parts of my body that almost nothing keeps it from looking ashy for longer than a few hours, this lotion doesn’t do much for that area.

The Body Oil I purchased after rave reviews from Tara Lynn who said the combination of the body oil with lotion was where the magic happens. I like that even though it’s an oil, it also absorbs quickly into my skin, but pairing them only increases the moisturizing benefits to my skin by a small amount. Considering the full retail price of both products, I don’t feel like it was worth getting them both for the end result. Tara Lynn mentioned that the oil combined with lotion from other brands is how she loves the oil, so perhaps that could make the difference to someone. As it stands, I don’t feel like either one was worth me buying and if anyone is super curious to try it, the brand started offering travel size minis individually and in sets a few months after the products launched.

Based on my experience with these specific high end skincare products, I don’t think they’re generally worth the price for me. I have to admit that when they’re good, they’re very good. More times than not, though, I tend to get the same efficacy or better at lower prices.

Thank you for reading! This is my 200th post on this blog! It feels a bit more special to have it be a topic that I don’t write about as often. For those diligently reading all this time, I thank you and I hope that you’ll continue to find my posts useful. Those that are new, I hope you’ll considering clicking follow or bookmarking this page to come visit again soon!

-Lili ❤

One Size, Terra Moons, and Other April Purchases Reviewed

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Welcome to my fourth low-buy check-in! This month’s three biggest hauls were due to Sephora’s Spring Savings Sale, me redeeming my points at Ulta for $125 worth of products, and the weakening of the YEN compared to USD enticing me to make several purchases from CDJapan and and Fude Japan. Most of these products were reviewed in posts prior to this one, and will be linked to open in a new browser tab, but there are still plenty to review for the first time here today.

SEPHORA COLLECTION Microsmooth Multi-Tasking Baked Face Palette in Captivate

This is allowed in the Low-Buy under the face product category. I am so glad I finally bought this because it makes for a fantastic travel palette! There are two versions available from Sephora and I heard wonderful things about the deeper palette called Captivate, but baked products can sometimes look lighter than they would appear on the skin, so I wasn’t certain this would work for me until I had help on this topic from Beauty Blogger, Nikki.

The bronzer is a fantastic shade for me in terms of both depth and undertone! Despite being a matte product, it leaves a beautiful natural finish and is very quick and easy to blend. I’m really impressed with it! The matte blush is one of my favorite type of red tones that reminds me of MAC’s Mineralize Blush in the shade Flirting With Danger. It can be built up to look intense, but I prefer to wear a very light application of it on my cheeks.

The shimmer blush is on the subtle side, but I still get a noticeable flush of color. It’s like a slightly lighter shimmer version of the matte shade in the palette. If I had to choose my favorite, it would be the matte one, but I still wear both. As for the highlighter, it’s not the most finely milled, but it’s still very pretty and if I chose to use this palette for the blushes or bronzers, I wouldn’t feel the need to reach for a separate single highlighter. I would just use the one in here.

The longest wear test I’ve had with this face palette is ten or eleven hours and only the shimmer shade started to fade at the end of the day, but I consider that to be a good result. The others remain looking nice until I’m ready to remove them.

While I was on a trip in April, I actually forgot to bring an eyeshadow palette, so I relied on Shade 3 for depth in the crease and Shade 1 was my lid shade. Considering I got this already relatively affordable palette for 30% off, I am very impressed and happy with the quality and have no issues recommending this palette.

SEPHORA COLLECTION 2-in-1 Brush-on Lash Adhesive – This was definitely supposed to be a No-Buy, but it had been on my list for a long time and when all Sephora Collection products were 30% off during the Sephora Spring Sale, I chose to buy it anyway.

I’m sorry that I don’t have an actual review for this item. For all these months, I have tried to get myself to test this out, but I just don’t want to. I haven’t been feeling like wearing false lashes in a long time and I really don’t want to open this product and start that timer ticking on how long it will last unless I’m ready to start wearing false lashes regularly again, or else this truly will be a wasted purchase. This was holding up my ability to get this post out, so I decided to just explain why there’s no review for this one and to publish it. When I eventually do, I will edit this post.

Patrick Ta Major Sculpt Contour Brush

It’s a bit ironic that in my post about “Synthetic Brushes I Bought in 2021,” I mentioned that despite liking some of the ones I bought, I didn’t plan on getting any additional ones, yet for the Sephora Spring Sale, I couldn’t help myself and got it after enjoying the Patrick Ta Blush Brush so much. This one is the perfect softness, head shape, and the bristles are packed at the right density to accomplish a fantastic sculpt that isn’t too sheer or too sharp. It’s the right balance of showing the product while also being nicely blended.

I love this brush so much for use with both my powder and cream bronzers and contours, that I was able to skip getting the Sonia G Lotus Base brush when that one was no longer tied to the full set. Being satisfied with a brush so much that I feel I can skip getting a similar Japanese version is a huge deal and shows just how highly I value this one from Patrick Ta.

Even though the Sonia G Mini Base is still my preference for cream bronzing and contouring, if the cream product is too sheer or too close to my skin tone and needs to be applied at maximum pigmentation, the Patrick Ta brush is my top choice. It’s also my favorite for powder formulas that need building up.

One/Size Cheek Clapper 3D Blush Trio Palette in Freaky Peach

I love this product so much! This is an all blush trio palette in three different finishes, but even though I can only use the shimmer one as a highlighter, I’m not counting it as a face palette. As a blush product, I was supposed to be limited on how many I buy this year, and I was also not supposed to purchase anything from new brands. This is my first ever One/Size purchase and it’s so great that I can’t regret it.

The peachy-coral cream blush, Rump Shake, is a very interesting texture. The closest I can compare it to in terms of formula is the LYS cream blushes. This reminds me more of a silicone balm than a traditional creamy emollient formula. It’s is very pigmented, blends easily on the cheeks no matter what type of tool I used to apply it with, it leaves a healthy sheen but it’s not dewy or sticky on the skin. Freaky is the name of the matte blush and it looks far too light for me in the pan, but One/Size face color powders deepen on the skin. So, it’s actually a medium toned shade of peach that is pigmented, yet buildable. I only need one dip in the pan though if I want to layer it on top of Rump Shake. I should also mention that tougher bristles can lead to a lot of kickup in the pan, so I use my softer natural hair brushes with the powder blush, and that also helps me to not overapply. I can’t emphasize enough that the cream and powder are quite pigmented, and me being able to use them both individually despite there being just one trio lighter than this one is proof of that. Whiplash is the shimmery golden peach blush topper/highlighter in this trio. It’s too shimmery for my taste as a blush topper, so I use it exclusively on top of my cheekbones. It’s a beautiful color, but unlike the other two products which give me zero issues with longevity, this one doesn’t want to stick to my skin for more than four hours. It lasts a few hours longer if I use it with a dewier foundation or wetter type of cream product, but six hours is around the time that the shine of the shimmer particles dulls down. So, for days I need my highlighter to last, I reach for something else. Considering I still have two other faultless products in this trio and the third is still usable, I’m very happy with this purchase and I do recommend giving this a try. For a long time, I was really tempted to buy additional shades, but I like the fact that each of these colors are distinctly different. Most of the other Cheek Clapper options are intended for monochromatic looks, and while I can still see the value in that, I feel like I’m getting more bang for my buck if I have different colors over different formulas. The cream blush isn’t the type I’d be afraid to wear in summer because it’s a little stiffer (as opposed to being super emollient) and the effect on my cheek isn’t that far from a matte look, which makes it not that much different of an effect as the powder blush. So, if I had the Rich Betch trio where the cream and powder look nearly identical, I would feel like I got a duplicate product. This is the only reason, other than my low-buy, that I haven’t purchased the two other Cheek Clappers that held my interest.

Tarte Sea Power Flex Concealer (Mini) in 53S Deep Sand

I bought this when Tina (The Fancy Face) raved about it in several of her YouTube videos. Even though concealers are allowed to be purchased in my low-buy, I didn’t want to take the chance of wasting a product if I didn’t like it, so I just bought the mini. That turned out to be a good decision because I hate this product. The shape of my tear troughs is such that products that are too creamy don’t stay put in the lines of my under eyes, so the concealer moves, creases, or does both even when set into place with powder. Because I have almost the opposite issue with Tarte’s Shape Tape, I didn’t expect their Power Flex to be a creamy intensely creasing product on me. The finish of it at least looks pretty and hydrated, but the negatives outweigh the positives.

The biggest issue I have with this product is that it offers medium buildable coverage, but I cannot get the maximum full opacity I need. The shade match is perfect, but my dark circles are still visible underneath even when I use 3 times the amount of my normal concealers. The Power Sea Flex is marketed as being full coverage, but the fact that it isn’t is reason enough to be unwearable for me. Unfortunately, I can’t even use it in other areas of my face because it doesn’t do a good enough job concealing my hyperpigmentation and scars.

This situation is very specific to me because many people don’t have the intensity of skin discoloration as I do, nor the amount of lines. So, those who have youthful and moderately blemished skin could find themselves loving this product.

Ellis Brooklyn Scent Diary Fragrance Discovery Set – It has been ages since I purchased anything perfume related! I’m unofficially on a no-buy with fragrances, but I can’t regret getting this since I rarely buy full-sizes anymore. I also hadn’t done a perfume post since 2015, so I decided to make one dedicated to this and other perfume samples that can be found HERE.

Sol de Janeiro Beija Flor Elasti-Cream with Collagen and Squalane (Travel Size)

After experiencing the terribly smelling Bom Dia Bright cream that the brand previously released (mine smelled like potent olives instead of plums), I was too skeptical to purchase a full size of the Beija Flor even though the product claims sounded fantastic. The smell of this is at least pleasant, but a bit strong. It’s not surprising that parfum is listed as the third ingredient. I don’t know how to describe the scent, but it has been hyped up a lot by people on social media saying it smells like Baccarat Rouge 540. I’ve never smelled that fragrance myself, so I cannot confirm or deny if this is true.

The texture of this is very thick, yet it doesn’t feel as moisturizing as my other skincare products. It’s at least occlusive, so I like that it prevents my skin from drying out further. I haven’t noticed any other benefits when used on my body, like the advertised skin firming and cell turnover, but I still intend to use this up. I prefer the moisturization level of the brand’s Coco Cabana Cream, so perhaps I can apply that first and this new one after to seal it in. I believe I left my Coco Cabana in Germany, so unfortunately I cannot test out that combination anytime soon.

Farmacy 10% Waterless Vitamin C Serum

I was pretty shocked when I found this serum for such a low price on Mercari literally days after it launched at Sephora. Then again, this is one of those products that were sent to quite a lot of people in exchange for a review, so someone was bound to not want theirs.
I’m on a skincare low-buy, but I’ve been on the hunt for a good Vitamin C serum with a stable formula that will last longer than six months after opening. I believe that this has an airless pump mechanism and there are two holes under the bottle that support my theory. If it is indeed an airless pump, combined with the waterless formula, I anticipated that this could limit the issue I have of Vitamin C serums oxidizing and losing their efficacy before I can finish them.

The consistency of this is very runny and feels greasy initially, but this is also an oil-free formula. The brand says that propanediol ingredient is the reason it feels this way, but it does dry down on the skin after a few minutes and is no longer greasy, but I am left with a tiny bit of residue on the face. If my skin is especially dry, I don’t feel anything at all. Ultimately, this doesn’t matter since I put a moisturizer and other products on top afterwards anyway.

When I apply it to my skin, it instantly has a warming sensation. The first time I used it, my face was approaching almost burning level, but that only lasted a few minutes. It has never been hot like that again, and just continues to have a mild to moderate amount of warmth in the first minute that I apply it.
General skincare advice for Vitamin C usage and other acids is to start small, like around 5% depending on what the active ingredient is, and gradually increasing it over time as needed. I hadn’t used a potent version of Vitamin C in a while, but it was still in my routine enough that I didn’t expect to get a burning sensation from just 10% of L-ascorbic acid. So, just as a reminder, this could potentially be too strong for someone new to using Vitamin C or with sensitive skin, and consider how often you may be using other acids in your routine as well.

This serum with its additional ingredients are intended to brighten and even the skin, combat dark spots and hyperpigmentation, and keep it hydrated. I use this in cycles, so it’s hard to tell how much this serum alone is contributing. The two other products I rotate through have been giving me slight gradual improvements over time and adding this one to that cycle has not given a noticeable boost above the norm. So, there are three possibilities I can think of:

  • The serum is as effective as my current products, not better or worse.
  • The serum isn’t contributing at all and the benefits to my skin are from the other products I’m using.
  • The serum could be more effective, but I don’t use it consistently enough.

I’m going to play the long game on this one and just continue to use it the way I have been and if I run out of the product and I notice its absence, I will consider repurchasing it at that time. However, based on past experience, I just don’t think Vitamin C is that effective for me. I get better results from AHA’s like the Farmacy Honeymoon Glow AHA Resurfacing Night Serum. Even that hasn’t rid me completely of my hyperpigmentation, but it noticeably faded those areas and the smile line that gives me trouble isn’t quite as deep as before. I’ve been relying on AHAs and BHAs well over a year, and in a cycle, so it’s not a fast process. I had improvements right away within the first week, two weeks, and then month, but after that achieving anything further has been a very slow process as adhering to a consistent skincare routine has never been my strong suit.

Lastly, as shown in the photo at the top, this product “leaks” in the sense that it always has the tiniest of droplets around the pump when I open it, even if I wipe it down along with the cap after using it. The droplets are so minimal in size that it doesn’t bother me much and I don’t consider the amount enough to feel like I’m losing product. However, I’ve seen some photos online of other people having a more significant leaking problem than me. I always keep mine stored upright, so perhaps this is why I don’t have as much of an issue as others do. I recommend avoiding putting this in a bag, flat in a drawer, and don’t take this traveling.

Dior Backstage Glow Face Palette in 002 Glitz

I really should not have bought this, breaking my highlighter no-buy aside, because I heard these highlighters would be sparkly and I don’t like visible glitter specks in my highlighters. So, I can’t explain why I was so determined to buy it.

This was yet another Mercari purchase. I make it a point not to review products I’ve purchased from a third-party if I purchased them too long from the launch date to be assured of its authenticity, but I also wanted to show what I purchased in April for low-buy purposes. So, I guess take this particular section with a grain of salt. I do believe this is the real quad, especially with that typical Dior scent these have. Below is how the shades look on me.

The highlighter named Peach is the only one without glitter that I would call a true shimmer shade, but unfortunately it’s too light for me. Because Bronze is closest to my skin tone, the glitter isn’t as obvious as the others. I didn’t have any issues with wear time or fading, but this palette isn’t for me and I may eventually declutter it.

Florasis Floral Engraving Odey Makeup Palette (The Encounter)

I forgot this wasn’t even the Florasis palette I wanted (the Floral Engraving Phoenix). I was just so excited to be able to grab a completely unused and untouched one of their stunning looking palettes at a reduced cost off of Mercari. You know a brand is doing well when people want to make dupes, but I was still surprised to come across one such dupe on Amazon. In any case, I am happy with the results of this palette but I wish the blue shade wasn’t in this because it contains PET (plastic glitter) which isn’t safe to use in the eye area. I also don’t think anyone wants to see glass listed as an ingredient in their makeup.

The “glass” probably refers to “glass microspheres” which are apparently so tiny that they aren’t dangerous. However, there is still PET, so I have chosen not to use or even swatch that blue shade. Also, I can only guess that the numbers start from left to right and top to bottom. Not all countries have writing in that direction, but I assume this is the same as English.

Florasis is a Chinese brand, so I can’t help but compare them to Zeesea. This palette is made of cardboard, but Florasis typically has very luxurious packaging, similar to Zeesea. However, Zeesea doesn’t currently have eye shadow palettes with as intricate of pan embossings as the ones from Florasis. This price point of Florasis products are also much higher.

The website states that this palette is mutli-functional and the formula of the shadows certainly contributes to that. It’s listed as a powder formula, but they feel like a matte lipstick to the touch; like a stiff cream essentially. Applying with a brush was tricky because it wants to stick and dry to the bristles.

So far, I’ve stuck to my rate of two eyeshadow palettes per month so I adhered to my low-buy with this purchase (even though I said I wouldn’t buy from brands that are new to me this year). In addition, some of these eye shadows can be used for contouring, blush, and highlight, so it counts as a face palette too.

I haven’t touched this palette since I completed my initial wear tests. I could not even remember how I did the eye looks above because it was so long ago. Considering I never reach for this, the versatility aspect still didn’t make this a good purchase for me, but I just couldn’t let go of the idea of trying out at least one Florasis palette. My curiosity has been satisfied.

Terra Moons Cosmetics Chameleons in Terrestrial and Spring Equinox Multichromes in Galactic Blossom and Vela Supernova

https://videopress.com/v/WcY124RZ?resizeToParent=true&cover=true&preloadContent=metadata&useAverageColor=true

If you’ve used Terra Moons chameleons and multichromes before, these work the way you’d expect. All three are super sparkly looking with large glitter particle size and the colors are intense. The formula is smooth to the touch, but when applied to the eye without a tacky base or being applied with a brush that has been sprayed to wet it, it can get messy. So, I do recommend something like the Nyx Glitter Primer to keep them applied precisely and minimize fall out.

Terrestrial was a pre-order item that didn’t begin shipping until May. I used my points saved from their reward program in order to essentially have the shipping paid and part of the item. BadtoTheBrow noticed it was similar to Bloodline, and I am obsessed with how Bloodline looks in photos and on everyone else, but the base color doesn’t show through on my eyes. So, rather than buying a second Bloodline to check if it was a fluke, I wanted to try the one from Terra Moons in the hopes it would be more of what I wanted from Clionadh’s multichrome.

Unfortunately, Bloodline and Terrestrial basically are the same shade. I can bring out a little more of a pink look if I pair it with another pink shadow around it and I can always pat a red multichrome on top to manually create the red-toned look I want, but I wish it was naturally the way it looks in swatches on me and didn’t require extra effort on my part. I didn’t bother to show comparison swatches between the two because the swatches looking slightly different on my arm doesn’t show the issue of them looking identical on my eyes. And for whatever reason, Terrestrial’s shifts are easier to detect on my camera than Bloodline, so comparing eye swatches wouldn’t be a fair representation for Bloodline either.

Galactic Blossom and Vela Supernova were pre-orders that were supposed to begin shipping in June, but I got lucky and had mine arrive in the middle of May. According to my Low-Buy rules, I’ve pledged to only purchase a few single indie eyeshadows per collection, so this was definitely allowed. My only regret is that I didn’t buy these two with my order of Terrestrial in order to save on shipping costs and time.

Photos showed Galactic Blossom as a strong pink-gold, and in some cases, shifting into literally a rainbow. I’d never seen a multichrome shift to so many colors, so I absolutely had to get it. Unfortunately, on my eyes it looks mainly yellow, and on camera it looks limey yellow-green with some pink. It’s not what I wanted, but I do like how it looks in person. On my arm, at sharp angles I can see that rainbow towards the edges, so it’s not false advertising. It really can shift that way, but it doesn’t look like that on my eyes and I want others to be aware of that possibility that it’s not going to look the same on everyone and how it looks depends largely on the curvature of the eyes and lighting.

As for Vela Supernova, the colors are what I expected, but ironically, I like it the least of the three. It’s not as unique of a purple shade as I anticipated. I admittedly can’t think of multichrome dupes myself (Temptalia says Roseline, Cerise, and Mosaic) but the shade of purple looks like what I have as some of my purple shadows without the shifting ability.

I don’t get fading, dullness, or any other longevity issues with these multichromes. Terra Moons really stepped up in their multichrome offerings to the point that I think they’ve tied with Devinah for the #2 spot of best indie multichromes (from North America at least). Clionadh is still holding that #1 spot in my eyes.

PAT McGRATH LABS x Bridgerton 2 Blushing Delights Blush + Highlighter Palette and PAT McGRATH LABS x Bridgerton 2 SatinAllure Lipstick in NÉGLIGÉE – The dedicated post to these products are HERE. Technically the Blushing Delights Palette is a face palette, and therefor allowed in my no-buy. The lipstick makes 5 out of 5 in my goal to end the year without purchasing anymore lip products.

Billie Eilish Eilish Eau de Parfum Travel Spray – The review for this is in the same post HERE as the Brooklyn Ellis perfumes. This was part of my Ulta points redemption, so I did not pay anything out of pocket.

MAC Wild Cherry Glow Play Blush Color Peaches ‘N’ Dreams and MAC Mini Macstack Mascara – These two were also part of my Ulta point redemption order and have already been reviewed HERE. I said I wasn’t going to get another Glow Play blush and I resisted for about a month or two, but my interest in peach blushes (especially in my favorite formula) got me again! As for the mascara, which I am on a year long no-buy for, I at least feel better that it wasn’t a full size purchase and that I’ve stuck to the mascara no-buy pretty well so far. However, I want to continue to stick to it and not purchase another in 2022.

Neutrogena Ultra Sheer Face Serum SPF 60+

Left are the active ingredients of the discontinued Neutrogena Ultra Sheer versus the active serum ingredients on the right.

This is the only Ulta point redemption item I have left to review! I did have one other purchase in my order, but they kept sending me the wrong shade so that product was returned. In any case, I was the biggest fan for 7-8 years of the Ultra Sheer Liquid SPF 70 Sunscreen until it was discontinued. The fact that this is supposed to have 60 SPF protection while also being in a thin formula intrigued me. I planned to either wear it alone or wear it to help boost the effectiveness of my current sunscreen, the Round Lab Moisturizing Sun Cream SPF 50++.
I don’t think double-sunning (I just made up that term…can we please make “double-sunning” a thing?) is that bad of an idea, because in one of Dr. Dray’s videos, she said the Round Lab is fantastic for a variety of reasons, but she views it more as a moisturizer that happens to have a very good sunscreen in it due to it not being waterproof (and therefore not as reliable in occasions where one will be sweaty). This serum isn’t waterproof either, but I feel like I’m doubling up, in theory, by having both this serum and moisturizer/sunscreen with high spf. This serum leaves no cast on me and although it’s slightly greasy looking as I start to apply it, that look doesn’t remain when it’s fully rubbed in. I do have dry skin though. This serum isn’t a fluid consistency like my previous holy grail sunscreen, but it’s very lightweight and easy to rub in, unlike the Ultra Sheer Dry-Touch that I despise. It’s like a good middle ground between the two.

I’m on a skincare low-buy, but sunscreen is an exception since it’s vital that I have a good one. The kind of acids I’ve been using make my skin more sensitive to the sun, in addition to living in Florida with an extremely high UV index the majority of the time. It’s imperative that I keep my skin protected.

I haven’t had any issues with pilling while wearing this serum, plus the Round Lab Sun Cream, plus makeup, so I’m happy with this product. I don’t know if it will be completely necessary for me to continue repurchasing it in the future if I find a waterproof sunscreen that I end up liking, but we will just have to see!

Nars High Profile Cheek Palette – This was a limited-edition holiday release in 2021 that I intended to purchase, but so many reviewers commented on how similar the blushes looked to each other. So, when I found one on Mercari that was barely more expensive than a single full size Nars blush, I decided it was worth getting at that point. By the time I bought it, I had already finished my Rediscovering Nars Blushes post, but I had to admit I was curious to try this gel powder formula to see if it would give me an additional finish from Nars that I could like besides their mattes. The review is HERE and as a palette with a highlighter along with the blushes, I think I’m going to allow myself to count this as being allowed in my low-buy.

SUQQU Melting Powder Blush in 07 YOIURUSHI – This and all my Suqqu purchases have been reviewed HERE. Suqqu was definitely not on my list of exemptions to the blush low-buy, but I was curious how this new formula stacked up to the usual powder formula.

MAC Surrounded by Stars Extra Dimension Skinfinish Palette – The review can be found HERE. MAC’s Magnificent Moon Collection is supposed to be in celebration of Ramadan and was released worldwide first before coming to the US. I purchased mine from Selfridges since it was there first, I was waiting for something to add to my cart to get the Suqqu blush, and I had free shipping via the annual global shipping program I signed up for with Selfridges. Since it’s a split highlighter and blush quad, it’s allowed in my low-buy.

CLIONADH HAUL – I decided that I would do a dedicated post to this haul, found HERE, but as a Thursday bonus instead of my usual Monday postings. I’ve mentioned endlessly how much I love Clionadh eye shadows and multichromes, so there isn’t much to say about the formulas and it’s just a matter of showing them off and possibly doing comparisons to other indie brand shadows.

FUDE JAPAN HAUL and CD JAPAN HAUL – I believe the brushes I purchased in April have already been reviewed HERE, with the exception of the Hakuhodo brushes which are still being tested.

That’s all for today! If you’d like to see previous posts in the low-buy series, as well as sneak peeks for the upcoming ones, I created a dedicated page to it HERE. If you’d like to see more content from me, be sure to click follow via email or to return back every Monday at 11:30 am EST! Thank you for reading!

-Lili ❤

My February Purchases Reviewed: KVD, Essence, Tarte, etc.

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I wish it was possible to have reviews for my February purchases up quicker, but two of the orders were from international brands, which took nearly a month to arrive. I then needed adequate time to test out the makeup, but I was away from home quite a lot in the month of April. So, here we are now!

Some of these items have already been reviewed by now, so in order to give the unreviewed products their time to shine and not be repetitive, I will just add links that open a new tab to the locations of the previously discussed products.

KVD Beauty Good Apple Lightweight Full-Coverage Concealer in 167

This feels like old news by now since so many reviews have been released about this super hyped up concealer, but I may as well give my take on it too. This product, in terms of performance, has surpassed the identically priced and beloved Tarte Shape Tape Concealer! I have to use it in specific ways though in order to get it to last all day.

This product is full coverage but spreads very easily within the first half minute or so. The applicator feels lovely on the skin, but the amount it picks up is too much for my entire face, even when I scrape the excess product off the tip. With the scraped off amount, if I try to blend in the same spot, it still spreads outside of the brush zone, so I have to continue blending out the edges to get it to seamlessly fuse with my foundation, which can lead to it moving too far. How I minimize this is by applying a thin layer of concealer to the areas I need coverage, but I leave a little room on the edges and try to avoid my under eye lines. Then I wait at least 45 seconds to let it start to dry. Then I start blending and tap my brush onto the wettest parts that haven’t settled yet and use that to spread and cover all the blank spots. If I’ve lost some of the coverage by then, I dot the tiniest bit of extra product to those areas and smooth it out. This technique allows me to use the least amount of product, but prior to this, I learned it’s better to apply the concealer in two light layers rather than one heavy one. It also helps that I use the Sonia G Jumbo Concealer brush which doesn’t trap the product in its bristles or pick it back up off the face.

I don’t follow the inner and outer corner concealer application spots, the concealer triangle, or other shapes beauty gurus show because my dark circles and discoloration are unique and must be applied in the way that suits my face. I was in a bit of a rush when I took this picture, but that initial application doesn’t have to be perfect. The key is to cover most, but not all, of the undereye darkness and discoloration so that even less product will be able to settle into those lines later when I blend in the rest of the concealer. This is the method I use exclusively with the KVD Good Apple Concealer.

I’ve also been content with leaving my concealer as is and not setting it with powder, though without powder, I’d need a decent amount of product in order to keep it lasting all day. Denatured Alcohol is fairly high in this concealer, as the fifth ingredient. This probably helps with the quick dry down/partial self setting aspect, but it does concern me as someone with dry skin to have a drying ingredient in it. However, I decided I will continue using this concealer, at least until I’ve used it up because I like it so much. I love that it’s so lightweight but builds up to full coverage and looks a little more hydrating under my eyes than Shape Tape, even with the alcohol. It’s also longer lasting than Shape Tape. I think it’s important to prep my under eyes, but if I use a moisturizer (I don’t use eye creams anymore) with too many oils, it will break down my concealer quicker than usual. I’ve had better success using my primers/priming moisturizers like the Bobbi Brown Face Base, Tatcha Silk Canvas, Touch in Sol Pretty Filter Glassy Skin Balm, MILK Hydro Grip Eye Primer, etc. If I use something under my concealer, that’s when I make sure to set it with powder.

Regarding the color options, I recommend paying close attention to the swatches because some of the shades are randomly darker than the swatch above and below. Several shades are also essentially the same depth, but just have different undertones. When I was trying to figure out which one to get, it was quite confusing. If KVD created something between 173 and 177, that would be my ideal color provided it’s actually darker than 167 but lighter than 177. My current shade works under my eyes, but it’s too light for the hyperpigmentation around my mouth and gives a grey look when I cover it up. And for those who don’t know, I prefer having a concealer shade that matches my face, rather than being a few shades lighter. The dollops of product depicted for each shade are also much deeper than in reality, so I recommend going by the swatches or seeing these in store to be safe. My nearest Sephora never has anything new but both malls closest to me are closing, so I know that’s not possible for everyone to do.

For those curious, here are some swatches and shade comparisons. I only have a mini of the Deep Shape Tape right now, which I suspect is lighter than the full size, so I would say take that with a grain of salt, along with the Pat Mcgrath concealers which are nearly used up and also changing in consistency and should probably be tossed out. I typically mix PML’s 22 and 24 to get a better match and Lancome’s 460 and 495 to get a better match as well.

One thing to watch out for though is that after using it for a month, the color seemed a little darker than when I first got it. I think it’s due to repeated exposure to air. I will continue to monitor what happens with this concealer as time goes on and update this post if necessary.

Nyx Marshmellow Smoothing Primer (Mini)

I was always intrigued by the idea of this primer, but I held off buying it until I tried a sample of it and loved how it gave me what I wanted out of the Touch in Sol Pretty Filter Glassy Skin Balm, but with more of a shine to my skin. The sample I got was perfectly blended and mixed, but in my $8 mini, the oil and rest of the product is partly separated so much that it leaks out of the tube every time I open it. I know this is common in some products, but it’s quite the annoyance trying to apply it evenly to my face and not get too much oil in one spot. Before every use, I rotate between shaking the tube and massaging the packaging a few times to try and get them to mix back together.

This has a light marshmallow scent to it. There are quite a few claims on Ulta’s website like, “This primer smooths, softens, extends makeup wear for 16 hours, hydrates, soothes, evens tone, minimizes texture, blurs lines, adds a soft focus finish AND keeps makeup fresh.” After several wear tests, the longest being ten hours, I can only confirm the skin softening, minuscule amount of line blurring, and keeping makeup fresh. I hoped that the initial shine I got on my skin when first applied would continue throughout the day, which it does sometimes, but at other times this primer actually partially mattifies my skin. I would not have noticed if I hadn’t done several wear tests using the NYX primer only on one side of the face. Sometimes it goes on perfectly clear and at other times it leaves a slight white cast, which at least is undetectable once foundation is on top, but still it’s quite the strange phenomenon. The only explanation I have is the separation of the formula and me being unable to consistently mix it back together in the tube. So, on those matte days, I don’t know if my skin is actually being hydrated. It at least feels hydrated, so that’s a good thing for me.

I don’t wear makeup for long enough to know if it would last 16 hours and I have no idea what a “soft focus finish” from makeup would look like in real life, so I can’t confirm or disprove those claims either.
I still like this primer, but not enough to repurchase it unless I somehow start noticing the other supposed benefits like a more even tone, minimized texture, and an increase in the blurring power.

Essence Coffee to Glow Highlighter Beans

Calling this subtle wouldn’t be the right wording, but it gives more of a sheen or glow than a blinding reflect. It lasted a full eleven hours without fading during my longest wear test and with my best primer. The worst performance of it when combined with different base products left me with a very subtle sheen by the nine hour point. I’m quite shocked at how similar it actually is to the Guerlain meteorites in terms of performance, though it’s a little more toned down than those and the Guerlain is a little more friendly to texture.

It smelled like coffee when I first bought it, but a month later it smelled faintly like coffee but mostly like pencils. It’s the type of smell that is detectable when I put it on, but I can’t smell it after I finish blending it. According to Ulta and Essence’s websites though, these are somehow fragrance free. I skimmed several videos to see what others had to say about the beans, and theirs had a smell too, so I don’t know why this is the case if they aren’t supposed to be scented. Maybe it’s the foam or packaging itself that’s scented and not the makeup.

There are way less beans in the cup than I expected because there’s a foam layer that fills most of the space, as can be seen in my product photo far above. I don’t mind this since I’ve never gotten even a quarter of the way through a highlighter.

It is easier to get powder from the lid rather than trying to pick up product off the beans because I have occasionally gotten crumb size pieces between the bristles of the brush and when those fall to the floor it makes a mess. The beans stay mostly intact if I rub my brush over them, but they are not difficult to break. One shattered between my fingers when I tried to swatch each of the three colors against my arm and it got everywhere!

Considering I did not enjoy the Essence Pure Nude Highlighter Palette, I’m shocked how much better these are and how much more I like them. For those who like subtle highlighters and don’t mind scented makeup, I’d recommend trying these out if they’re still available. Also, those of a lighter skin tone can remove the darkest beans if there is a concern of this leaving a dark cast on the face. Conversely, those with a darker skin tone can remove the golden yellow beans if there is a concern of it being too stark, but I think it may be less of an issue for those on the deeper skin tone spectrum as can be seen here in this YouTuber’s video.

Essence Coffee to Glow Eyeshadow Palette

I should note that these two Essence products and the Nyx primer are all allowed in my low buy under the stipulation of “products that I intended to get last year but was prevented from doing so for one reason or another.” I tend to prefer colorful eyeshadow palettes, so the only reasons I wanted this palette were for the glossy and swirl shadows. I felt like it would somehow give me a taste of Huda Beauty’s Naughty Palette which has those types of shadows in it.

The #5 gloss shadow has a hard gel layer with all the pigment pearls at the very bottom, so I had to crush it down to the pan in order to get any color out of it. I expected it to just be a gimmick and it would certainly have been pointless wearing it on its own on my eyes if I hadn’t mixed it. It’s supposed to be a “universal eye shadow topper,” but that isn’t my makeup preference. Instead, I use this as a base primer and it greatly increases the longevity of the shimmers I apply on top, as I saw in an eleven hour wear test. I almost always get creasing on my eyes, and using the gel as a base does deepen the creases, but it also keeps my shimmers in place and prevents the transfer that I get from my lid to my crease when I use a regular eyeshadow primer.

With regular primers like the MAC Paint Pot and Gerard Cosmetics Clean Canvas, my eye looks using this palette are still fine past ten hours but the shimmers aren’t as intense. As for the mattes, I was impressed with the color payoff. They blend sufficiently. I just wish Essence included a deeper shade because I can’t get much depth out of shades #1 and #8 which are the two darkest colors in this palette.

I always use #3 to blend out the edges of the other mattes in the crease. For the inner corner, I use #2 or #6 but my favorite thing is to use them together for the inner corner highlight because #2 has the best reflect but it can be a bit dark depending on how much of the darker swirl is used, whereas #6 is lighter but not shinier. Those two shades don’t last as long on my eyes because I do touch my eyes frequently throughout the day and these are easily removed by touch, no matter what primer I use.

#4 is a nice metallic shade and both #4 and #6 feel like normal shimmers with some slip, but the #2 “bouncy swirl” shadow is quite creamy/wet feeling.

This palette is only $8 and is unscented. It was definitely worth me purchasing, even if it was purely for the fun of playing with some of these uncommon textures and formulas. The lightweight packaging feels like recycled cardboard and the palette is tiny and fits in the palm of my hand, but what it lacks in packaging quality, it makes up for with the eyeshadow formula.

Rephr Hydration Cream 1.0

I purchased this when rephr was offering a “set your own price” option where one could pay even as low as $0 to get it, plus the shipping cost. When I first used it, I applied way too much to my face and continued to get dewier throughout the day. In many subsequent uses, I learned that if I applied a smaller amount, it fully absorbs into my skin and is fully hydrated without leaving a trace of shine, which is fantastic for non-makeup days! I only like a little dew to my skin when I have a full face on; I don’t want to look shiny when I’m barefaced.
I’m also impressed by this formulation because it meets the requirements of my dry skin as a powerful moisturizer that is also lightweight. Rich/Heavy products tend to clog my skin. It’s not the easiest to find something that lets my skin breathe while also lasting all day.

Some highlights about the benefits of this moisturizer are that it’s fragrance and essential oil free, it’s made in Korea, it’s made of recyclable lightweight aluminum packaging, and it contains:

  • Niacinamide (5%)
  • Dimethicone (3%)
  • Glycerin (3%)
  • Centella Asiatica Complex (2%)
  • Meadowfoam Seed Oil (1%)
  • Panthenol (0.5%)
  • Algae Complex (2.0%)
  • Soybean Complex (1.5%)

Other lightweight moisturizers for my face that can do the job are the Innisfree Jeju Cherry Blossom Jelly Cream ($25 for 50ml), Round Lab Birch Juice Moisturizing Cream ($15-36 for 80ml), Laneige Water Bank Hydro Gel ($38 for 50ml), Saturday Skin Waterfall Glacier Water Cream ($39 for 50ml), etc. So, rephr is offering quite the deal at $26 (listed price) for 100ml. The only one of those I mentioned that I like better than this one is from Round Lab, though I believe the rephr cream may be more occlusive.

I’m terrible about keeping to a consistent skincare routine, so I can’t say how this product performs on a regular daily basis, but I’ve used it enough these past few months to be able to say that it’s great and hasn’t caused me any issues.

Colourpop Pressed Powder Blush in 4ever Yours – That review is here.

This is was the first official breech of my low buy this month. I’m not supposed to buy blushes unless it’s one of the brands on the exceptions list, which this is not. Considering how similar it is to the heart shaped blush I bought from Colourpop last year, I should have stuck to my guns and not gotten it.

Colourpop Super Shock Highlighter in Champagne BB

According to the rules of my low buy, I should not have gotten this either. It’s the classic case of wanting it because I like the formula, but I don’t need anymore, especially when I have them in shades I already like. My only defense was that I at least removed the other highlighter and three blushes I had out of my shopping cart, but I just ended up buying those anyway in March. Oops!

This shade looks a bit too dark for me in swatches, but when it’s diffused onto the skin, it looks like the perfect depth and still brightens the area due to the sparkle. It lasts on my cheeks all day and I can’t even regret this purchase because it’s great! Unfortunately, this particular Super Shock has already been discontinued.

Oden’s Eye x Angelica Hela Palette – The review is Here.

This fits in line with my two eye shadow palettes per month rule. I’m doing quite well with that so far!

Kaleidos Lip Clays (plus Smokey Nostalgia Tin Box) in Skinship, Cognac, and Bare – The review is Here for both the Lip Clays and Blush listed below.

I purchased the custom bundle which requires 4 lip products, but the fourth was a gift for a friend. So, I’m not counting that last one as part of my lip no-buy and my total is currently 3 lip products out of the allowed 5.

Kaleidos Smokey Nostalgia Blush in P03 Sanguine – The review is linked above.

This is another purchase that technically goes against my low-buy. Kaleidos isn’t on the exceptions list for blushes, but I have always wanted to try one from them and couldn’t due to the shades not being suited for my skin tone.

MAKE UP FOR EVER Electric Brushes Set

This set with tax came to $36 from Nordstrom. The original price was $69 and has a retail value of $150. It includes :

  • 106 Foundation Brush: a brush for applying and blending all kinds of foundation for an even result.
  • 124 Powder Kabuki Brush: a brush with a short and slender handle for ensuring smooth and even application of all powders to create a lightweight, flawless result.
  • 152 Highlighter Brush: a brush for easily and delicately highlighting your face and body with its soft fibers.
  • 228 Precision Shader Brush: a paddle-shaped, flexible brush for applying, blending and smudging all types of eye products quickly.
  • Brush case

Today’s review will be about the foundation, powder, and highlighter brushes, but I’m going to give someone the shader brush. I rarely like synthetic eye brushes, so it would be a waste for me to even bother trying it. In general, I prefer natural hair brushes, but I’ve always wanted to try these, just not at full price. It was still very early in my exploration of makeup when MUFE decided to make their brushes fully synthetic. Regarding my no buy/low buy, I’m unofficially on a makeup tool low buy. However, I didn’t set any restrictions in writing.

The Foundation brush, I had seen in action during a Rouge event many years ago when a MUFE representative did my makeup and I wanted it ever since. I typically don’t like paddle style brushes, but this one works just as well as I remembered. I get zero streaks using this brush. I’m able to apply and spread foundation easily and get around edges and small corners with ease as well. I have a background with painting ceramics, and painting on canvas is an occasional hobby, so I can’t be sure if that plays into why this brush is so easy for me to use, but it is.

This brush can also apply a crisp line for cream sculpting products, though the shape of the tip isn’t the best for blending, but I can still do it with this brush.
It costs $36 which ended up being the price I paid for the entire set. I personally think it’s worth $25 at most, but having this brush made the whole set worth it.

I find it so strange that this is listed as a Highlighter brush considering it’s bigger than my Smashbox Cream Cheek brush and many other blush brushes.

It applies far too much highlighter for my preference, so I consider this a blush brush instead. That being said, I’m not the biggest fan of this brush for that purpose either. There’s so much bristle for such a flimsy floppy splay that doesn’t feel like I have much control of the blend. It’s like it smears blush across the skin like a mop rather than buffing in the blush. When I use easy to blend and pigmented blushes, this brush works perfectly fine. However, with a sheerer blush or lower quality one, it takes forever since it’s lacking firmness and makes things look patchier. I figured if this is problematic with powders then maybe cream blushes will be better for this brush, but that’s not the case. It doesn’t allow me to fully work the cream products into my skin and it just sits on top of it. With even more emollient creams, it has the issue of spreading product too far out.

This retails for $37, which I don’t think it’s anywhere near worth that. If I had bought this #152 brush individually, I would have returned it. I don’t recommend this one.

The retail price for this one is $52! I can’t recall if I ever paid over $40 for a synthetic fiber brush, so it’s no surprise that I wouldn’t normally buy a brush like this. The handle on this one feels even sturdier than the others in the line.

It’s the most dense at the very center and looser packed around the edges. When I put this brush handle side up against my palm, it sinks in at like a centimeter before it forms what feels like a wall. It’s so solid that I can’t get the bristles to splay, it just stiffens. This does the same thing when I apply a powder to my face. If I grip the handle and use a normal amount of pressure to spread powder on my face, it feels incredibly firm to point that it offers very little movement and the bristles drag heavily across my skin.

The way I like to use it is holding it in a looser grip and just blending with the tips without applying pressure. This method still gives me a strong blend without feeling like I’m using the world’s densest brush or attempting to exfoliate my face. I’m not saying that these brushes are scratchy. The bristles on all of them are soft, just not the softest synthetic I’ve felt, especially when pressure is applied and it drags on the skin. These fibers actually remind me a bit of pony hair, but softer. Now that I know the trick to using this brush, I do like it and I’m happy it’s part of the set. It can’t compare to my natural hair powder brushes, but I use those for an airier and more blended finish. This brush is one that I’d use when I want to actually load on a thin solid layer, like with face powder, before blending it out.

Even though I’m not planning to use this brush, I wanted to show how it looks through the plastic. The retail price is $25.

I feel like I got an absolute steal on this brush set! Even though I don’t want to purchase anymore synthetic fiber brushes, I can’t regret buying these.

MAC Glow Play Cherry Blossom Blush in HD Cherry Tree – The review is Here.

Considering how many MAC blushes I own, this shouldn’t be on the exceptions list, but it is because I don’t have the willpower to cut off the brand that ranks number one with blushes for me. So this purchase is still allowed according to my Beauty Resolutions.

Tarte Amazonian Clay Best of Cheek Set (Holiday 2021)

This set went on sale for $22 on 2/22/22, so with tax it came to just under $24. I always wanted to try this formula of Tarte blushes because people have been raving about them since I started getting into makeup and they always said that despite the holiday items being notoriously lower quality, this formula from Tarte was always great. After trying these minis out for myself, I can understand why these are such beloved blushes! The longevity is insane. I’ve done several wear tests with the longest being eleven hours and by that point the blush still looked freshly applied!

I used the maximum amount of Exposed, a moderate to heavy application of Charmed, a heavy application of Captivating, a moderate amount of Delight, and a light to moderate amount of Fantasy on the cheeks. Charmed and Delight had more room for building up.

I bought this expecting to only be able to wear the darkest blush in the set and just test out the formula of the highlighter, so I was pleasantly surprised to see everything show up on me! Exposed is described as a “nude pink” and admittedly barely shows because the brown tones blend into my skin. The pink is what makes it visible, though it’s on that cusp of being too light for me, so I will probably find a new home for that shade.
Charmed is a limited edition “bright pink” that I consider a light-medium tone that works for me if I spend a little time really blending it into my skin. The one that I’m actually shocked that I can wear because it’s even lighter than Charmed is the “bright peach” shade called Captivating. It looks crazy at first, but it warms up as I blend it in. I love the look of peach blushes, but they are usually ashy on me, which is why I go for corals as my closest equivalent of peach. It excites me to no end to have found one of the rare peach shades that I can pull off!
The last blush is another limited edition shade called Delight. It’s a “deep rose” that’s a cross between Exposed and Charmed, but darker. It’s the most natural looking of the shades on my cheeks and it’s the only one I don’t have to build up for depth of tone reasons and not pigmentation reasons. All of these blushes have a good amount of pigment.
As for the highlighter, the limited edition “rose gold” shade Fantasy is too light for me. Beyond the shade match, the way it reflects in the light emphasizes texture in a way that other highlighters I’ve used that are even lighter than this one don’t do. I don’t have enough experience with Tarte Highlighters to be able to say if this is indicative of their formulas, but I have an upcoming review where I tried another one that I liked much better and did not have the reflect and textural problem. That one went on smoothly, whereas this one sticks in places and takes a bit of blending in, so I think it’s just an issue with this particular highlighter.

So, in this set of five travel size products, I intend to continue using three of them. That makes the usable items worth $8 each in my eyes based on what I paid, plus the knowledge I gained in learning that I really like the Amazonian Clay blush formula! Each compact contains 1.5 grams of product, so the three I’m keeping equals 4.5 grams that I paid $24 to have. A full size blush from tarte is 5.6 grams for $29.
For these reasons, it made the set worth it, but I wouldn’t have felt the same way if I paid the $39 full price. Tarte lists this as being a $75 value, but there’s a combined product weight of 7.5 grams, which means the set should actually cost $38.84.

This is why I always recommend waiting for Tarte’s holiday items to go on sale. Then it has a chance of actually being worth buying if the products are not 100% suited for someone.

We’ve now reached the end of the post! I had so many products to review, which I expected would slow down my purchases for March, but it did not! It worked in the beginning of March but halfway through the month things got a bit crazy. I would estimate that post won’t be ready until August. I hope you’ll visit my blog again soon! And if you missed January’s purchases, they can be found here.

-Lili ❤