Tag Archives: victoria beckham beauty

Is Weighty Makeup Automatically the Most Luxurious?

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

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

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

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

Lisa Eldridge Rouge Experience Refillable Lipstick (68 grams)

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Westman Atelier Beauty Butter Powder Bronzer (112 grams)

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

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

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

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

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

Fara Homidi Essential Bronzer Refillable Compact (106 grams)

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Beekman 1802 Milk Tint SPF 43 Tinted Primer Serum

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Final Thoughts

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

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

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

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

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

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

Thanks for reading!

-Lili ❤

Victoria Beckham Beauty Cocoa Eye Wardrobe and Lid Lustre Review

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I love the brand’s Eye Wardrobe in the shade Victoria, so when they released the Cocoa collection, I thought I would love this color story even more, particularly because I prefer how warmer tones of eyeshadows look on me.

Before we get into the review, I wanted to take the time to describe my order experience for those who have never ordered directly from the website. I used to get my VBB products from Selfridges, but the regulations are back with Selfridges being unable to ship food and cosmetics to Germany. So, I created an account to join the V-Suite, the brand’s Loyalty Program. When you join, that makes you eligible to add a free sample in your order, but I happened to sign up during the time when there was a glitch that didn’t allow that option to pop up in the cart. After missing out on a second order, I contacted the brand, and they were kind enough to send the ones I requested in a separate shipment. I will share details about what I got at the end of this post. Also, I checked the website a week later and the glitch was fixed.

The dust pouch comes with all orders and standard shipping is free over €70. Paid standard shipping to me costs €5 and they ship to Germany via UPS. Each time has been an interesting game of receiving the shipment confirmation within a day or two, getting an email the day after that stating that my order will arrive the next day, then the next day getting an email about the delivery being postponed/delayed, and then the product arriving after that. I’m happy that VBB ships fast, and now that I know things will not actually come the first day it’s expected to be delivered, I can just anticipate the actual date of arrival and plan accordingly. Whenever I get a package that ships out of Netherlands via other carriers, it usually takes 3-5 days or more. So, I’ve been really pleased to get my VBB orders from Netherlands to Germany in two days.

The price listed on the website includes VAT already and I have not encountered any additional fees after ordering.

Eye Wardrobe in Cocoa

The leftmost shade, which I call Shade 1, is the first satin I’ve used from the brand. Applying a normal amount looks opaque at first, but when I blend it lightly to smooth it out, it becomes a lot more sheer. If I don’t perfectly even out the discoloration around my eyes with primer, the pearly mica within this eyeshadow creates an unflattering grey tinge (due to the level of darkness underneath). So, I have to really pack this on to use it in larger areas, I must ensure that the eyeshadow primer I’m using will create a completely blank canvas, or I just need to use it strategically in smaller areas where I want to add brightness. The latter is the easiest option for me.

Shade 2 looks super warm when applied heavily, but if I’m just using a normal amount, it doesn’t look as bold. If I blend it out too much, it doesn’t stand out enough on my skin tone. That’s just the nature of having brown skin with a warm undertone, then trying to add a warm brown eyeshadow on top that isn’t too different in depth! So, I try my best to pack this shade on, and I’m glad that it’s buildable.

The photos above and below are the 4 steps to creating a single eye look. I wanted to show the process because of how easy it is for Shade 1 and 2 to get lost in the overall look.

I like how the eye makeup turned out in the photo, but this was actually my third attempt. I didn’t like my previous looks for several reasons, the first being that I used Shade 1 from the brow to the crease, which made everything that I tried to layer on top of it look a lot more muted. I tend to dislike my eye looks if there isn’t much of a gradient or distinction between colors, so the look became murky and unflattering. Even when I used less of Shade 1, I really did not like having it and Shade 2 blending into each other. The base color of Shade 1 is warm, but its semi-frosty sheen from the mica clashes with the intense warmth from Shade 2. I usually start my eye looks from lightest to darkest, but I found it was better to use Shade 2 strongly built up in the crease before adding Shade 1 in my usual highlighting spots. That way, I could add enough of Shade 1 for it to stand out in the look, but not in a thick enough layer to turn frosty-looking.
My final reason for disliking my earlier attempts is that I didn’t use enough of the darkest shade, which is needed to create that gradient and sculpt out the outer corner. Attempting a light, everyday type of look just isn’t my style. I wanted to celebrate having some lightness because these Eye Wardrobe color stories tend to be smoky and glam, but that’s what appealed to me in the first place. I just needed to embrace the drama, and that led me to finally creating a look that I liked.

Speaking of drama, the star of the show is supposed to be the bold warm shimmery brown in this palette. As seen in the photo below, it was really not that impactful in the beginning! I liked the shine a little more when I applied it wet, but I was quite disappointed to discover that Shade 3 didn’t have the same level of sparkle as the shimmer shade in the Victoria palette. The mattes from VBB seem to be generally good, but the standout formula for me are the shimmers. When I feel the texture of the Cocoa shimmer, it isn’t as creamy or chunky as the shimmer from Victoria.

This may have just been an issue in the beginning of the testing process because some of my recent looks have been more to my preference. I guess I just needed to use the quad enough times to dig those shimmer particles out of the pan and onto my eyes. Granted, Cocoa is still smoother and drier than the Victoria shimmer by comparison, and since it’s a dark gold on top of a medium-dark bronze, the sparkles don’t stand out quite as much as silver on a blackened taupe.

In the swatches below, Cocoa looks a lot more impressive than in the beginning.

I’m not sure if my photos are good enough to be able to tell, but Shade 4 is not as smooth as the mattes in the Victoria palette, or even the terracotta color in Cocoa. It’s not rough or dry, but it just doesn’t feel as silky to the touch, and I’m not sure why considering the ingredient list isn’t any different. It’s quite surprising that Shade 3 from Victoria is much darker and smokier, yet quicker to blend out without patches than Shade 4 in Cocoa. I thought it might just be that Shade 4 doesn’t layer as well over Cocoa’s shimmer, but I didn’t use that shimmer in the mascara section and it still just doesn’t build up the same way. Perhaps the choice to make Shade 4 require more building was intentional. I haven’t seen anyone else mention this, but none of the creators had the same skin tone as me, so it doesn’t require as much product to build up this shade on them.

I’d like to clarify that I don’t think this shade is a dud. It’s not as if I can’t get it to work. It’s just not effortless on me, which I can’t help but notice because of how much use I get out of the Victoria Eye Wardrobe.

Additional information about Shade 1 that I want to share is that although I wish the base color was stronger, it’s still less sheer than the lightest shade in the Chanel Boutons Quad I reviewed a few months ago. Also, a benefit to it being somewhat translucent is that it makes a surprisingly pretty highlighter on me! I don’t know how often I’ll use it this way, but it makes me less disappointed by this shade.

I wouldn’t want to get anymore satin eyeshadows from the brand, since I doubt I would find them to be more useful than this.

Overall, it’s still a very usable palette. I’ve just ended up preferring to pair this with Victoria rather than using it alone. The shimmer in Cocoa being on the smoother side, but still reflective, leaves me feeling satisfied…enough. I have to admit that I’m just not as in love with the palette as I would have been if there was more bling, or rather, if it was easier to transfer the blingy bits from the pan onto my eyes. The only feelings of regret I have is when I think about the other neutral luxury quads I already own, but then I don’t feel as guilty for spending the money on Cocoa after making another look with Cocoa and Victoria together. So, perhaps it was still worth it in the end.

Lid Lustre in Velvet

So many people were praising the shimmer formula of the Eye Wardrobes when they first released, particularly the one from Victoria, because they said it was like having a Lid Lustre in a pan instead of a pot. Some even said the Lid Lustre formula is superior.

I am not a single eyeshadow type of person, but I find the idea of being able to buy additional shimmers without them being tied to a full quad quite enticing. So, I bought Velvet as my first one to try out!

Velvet is described as, “a golden olive with antiqued pearl, infused with Malachite.”
Many high end and luxury brands like to tout their crushed pearls, diamond powder, and whatnot as the key ingredient of their shimmery eyeshadows, despite the fact that we know it’s most commonly mica and/or synthetic fluorphlogopite doing the heavy lifting. In the case of the Lid Lustres, they are supposed to be “crystal infused,” with the ingredient lists citing the stones as extracts.
For example, there’s “malachite extract” in Velvet, “amethyst extract” in Midnight, “citrine extract” in Starlight, “opal powder” in Honey, quartz in Tea Rose and Mink, and so on. Since these crystals are so far down in the ingredient lists while synthetic fluorphlogopite and/or mica are right at the top, I feel like the contribution of these crystals is almost negligible except to New Age crystal therapy believers. However, I cannot deny how great the formula is, and how much shine and sparkle I get from Velvet, which is the most important thing.

I think it’s evident in the swatches of the shimmer eyeshadows compared to the Lid Lustre that the Lid Lustre is indeed more sparkly with a wet-look shine. I had assumed the Lid Lustres would feel like a cream eyeshadow, but it’s nowhere near that level of wetness. However, there’s still water, squalane, hydrogenated vegetable oil, glycerin, caprylyl glycol, caprylate, and propanediol in the formula, so the brand included a plastic protective lid within the jar to prevent those moisture elements from drying out.

I mentioned that I’m not a single-eyeshadow type of person, especially when it comes to cream and liquid formulas, but I thought it would be interesting to compare the Lid Lustre shine level to the Pat Mcgrath’s FetishEYES Longwear Liquid Eye Shadow and Lisa Eldridge’s Liquid Lurex.

I’ve always been impressed with the Lisa Eldridge liquid eyeshadows because they tend to be a little more impactful and set better than the ones from Pat Mcgrath, plus they happen to be less expensive as well. While they’re $30 for LE vs $32 for PML in the US, the prices in Germany are €25 for LE vs €34 for PML. So, it’s easy to see why Lisa Eldridge became my go-to if I want to use liquid eyeshadows.
VBB Lid Lustres are $38 in the US or €42 in Germany. The Lid Lustres are more impactful, but they also cost a lot more money. In Germany, the price of two Lid Lustres is the same as four eyeshadows in the Eye Wardrobe. I could spend €42 on a Lid Lustre or €55 for an Eye Wardrobe refill. So, as much as I like the idea of being able to just buy a single, the Eye Wardrobes are arguably a better value. Then again, if future Eye Wardrobe shimmers aren’t going to have as much bling as the Lid Lustres, the money may be better spent on the Lid Lustres instead. For all I know, there could be some tamer shades of Lid Lustres too. I haven’t seen the full range in person.

Since I’ve only had this pot eyeshadow for a few weeks, I can’t say how long this will stay fresh. I can only say that the formula adheres well to the lids, although it works much better when I apply it with my finger instead of a brush. I haven’t noticed any fallout. I don’t get creasing.* There’s no fading. I am very satisfied with the sparkle and shine level. If I apply these with a damp brush, the surface looks smoother, but the overall effect doesn’t change a whole lot.

*UPDATE: NOVEMBER 10, 2025 – I have to specify that I don’t get creasing or fading in the usual way I wear a Lid Lustre, which is with a primer of some kind underneath. Typically, I use the Lisa Eldridge Liquid Silk Liquid Eyeshadow to conceal the discoloration around my eyes, and it’s also a good barrier to prevent the oils from my eyelids from breaking down my eyeshadow. Since it’s second nature for me to prime my eyes before using a Lid Lustre, I didn’t realize that using a Lid Lustre on my bare oily eyelids will cause creasing before it starts to break down fully. So, please be aware that if you have oily lids too, a good primer is likely necessary.

If I were to store this in a drawer or someplace other than right where I do my makeup, I would not get enough use out of this product for it to be worth it. However, I have been keeping it next to the Victoria Eye Wardrobe, so when I want to use that palette, it’s not too much extra trouble to dip into Velvet as well. I definitely would like to have more of these, but I will think it over when Black Friday rolls around because the brand usually has 20% or 25% off products during that time.

One final thing I wanted to mention is that I have been very tempted by the Olive Eye Wardrobe color story, but a few people were disappointed with theirs, stating they didn’t like the satin and the shimmer didn’t have enough oomph. This is why I bought Velvet instead, and I feel like I made the right choice.

Website Samples/V-Suite

Victoria Beckham Beauty Vast Lash Mascara (Deluxe Sample)

I love the richness of the black mascara, and I could definitely use some volume, but I still prioritize length over volume. I used this in the Lid Lustre demo photo, and my lashes could hardly be seen above my eyeliner. So, I made sure to do as thin of a line as I could in the photo above, so the effects of the mascara can be seen. I have only used this twice and I didn’t have issues with clumping or smudging, though I did find a mascara flake under my eyes one of those times.

I know VBB has another mascara called Future Lash, which might be more my speed. I hope it will one day be a free sample option or that the brand will make a travel size.

The Concealer Pen (Sample Booklet 2: Medium Dark to Rich)

I’m mostly just sharing what the shades look like. There wasn’t enough product in the foil samples to try more than once, and I had to cut the wear test short.

I was pleased with the amount of coverage I got. There was a tiny bit of fading early on (perhaps I didn’t apply enough), but then for the next six hours it continued to look the same and didn’t fade any further. When choosing a concealer for my under eye area, I want it to match the color of my skin above my brows and my cheek area since my eyelid discoloration will be covered up with a primer, eyeshadows, etc. MD1 was too light and MD2 was too dark and too strong of a peachy-orange color and turned olive looking on me. I was going to give up there, but decided to try DK1 anyway, and it was definitely the closest match of the bunch! It’s still a bit neutral compared to the warmth of my surrounding skin color, but I think I can still pull it off when the rest of my makeup goes on.

There is a shade called MD1.5 that was not part of the sample pack, but it’s available on the website. It is described as having a golden undertone, which sounds like it would be better for me than a peach or neutral that the majority of these medium dark to dark shades have. However, since MD1 was too light and MD2 was dark, There’s no way for me to know if MD 1.5 could still be too light, or if it could be perfect. I don’t usually buy brightening shades of concealer because it makes my under eye circles underneath look grey.

From my limited experience with these samples, I’m interested enough to want to buy one during a sale, but I don’t know if I should take the chance on MD1.5 for the undertone or play it safe with DK1 for its depth. Perhaps I should not get one at all, though I want this concealer not just for the makeup aspect, but also the advertised skincare benefits.
I’m working on a big concealer post that will probably be ready by December or sometime in the early months next year. So, if this doesn’t make it into that post, you’ll know I decided to skip it.

Well, that’s all I have for today! I hope this post has been helpful!

I don’t usually post referral codes, but I wish I had known about it to get 20% off my first order. According to the website, clicking this link, gives customers 20% off their first order of $75 or more. If you’re not interested in this method, the brand also offers 15% off for signing up to their emails. I used the code HELLO15. My internet searches say at some point WELCOME15 and/or GLOW15 worked as well.

-Lili ❤

Victoria Beckham Beauty Eye Wardrobe Review

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I’m no stranger to luxury eyeshadows, but I usually wait until I can buy them at a discounted price. I don’t know how to explain why I chose to purchase the compact and refill at the upcharged price from Selfridges. Call it temporary insanity I guess.

I was very interested in the Victoria color story, which is the only one I purchased, and the palette called Olive. This is finally the year of greens with Charlotte Tilbury releasing the Beautifying Eye Trend in Emerald Effect and Tom Ford launching Olive Smoke at around the same time. I painfully held off on buying them because I already have the Viseart Peridot quad, Dior Backstage Khaki Neutrals, Bobbi Brown Jadestone, Melt Gemini II, Natasha Denona Mini Gold and other of ND’s greens, plus all of Oden’s Eye’s greens, etc. I’m trying my best to use the makeup I already have, but I was super curious to find out whether I would like this brand’s eyeshadows or not. Although I know I could find similar shades to Victoria across all my palettes, I didn’t think I’d have them all in one place and one quad. So, this felt like the best choice for me out of the four available.

I was also eager to finally buy something again made by Victoria Beckham Beauty. The only other makeup items I own from the brand are the Cheeky Posh Cream Blush Stick and Matte Bronzing Brick.

After seeing Victoria in person, I realized that I do have a palette that gives a similar vibe. It’s the Huda Beauty Wild Obsessions Jaguar palette.

The biggest difference between the two is certainly the quality. With Huda’s palette, it gives off a lot more pigmentation and opacity. It blends well, but noticeably takes longer to complete the look than Victoria’s. In the grouping of three photos below, the eye looks on the top and bottom are with VBB shadows, but the one in the middle is with Huda shadows. Even when I build up Victoria’s shades to be more dramatic, the color values and depths from Huda’s colors are more distinctly different from each other, so they naturally pop and stand out more. Huda’s shimmer particles are also much larger. The finished looks are both beautiful to me and have their place. It’s a matter of whether someone wants more impact or wants more seamlessness.

The Jaguar palette is still available for $35 at full price, versus Victoria for $75 (or $50 for just the refill). In my Huda Beauty Palette Ranking post, Jaguar took and still holds the top spot. So, I just wanted to offer this alternative for anyone who wants similar colors at a more affordable price.

Victoria Beckham Beauty Eye Wardrobe in Victoria

This is described as a neutral palette, but my eyes are picking up a little warmth to the shades. The first one in the biggest pan is what I would consider a beige-taupe. It looks like a pale brown, but it goes the tiniest bit grey on my skin, so I would consider it neutral. The shimmer shadow has a dark brown base with a little red that adds the tiniest of warmth underneath the silver (and maybe even fine gold?) sparkle. The third color and neutral is what I would call a soft black or an incredibly deep purple-tinged brown that is practically black. The last shade is a near-neutral warm-leaning dark brown or mahogany.

These eyeshadows are soft to the touch and create low or medium kickup depending on the brushes used. They’re not quite as buttery as YSL’s eyeshadows, but these are still incredibly good quality! They are pigmented, but so easy to control. They give enough pigment for me (excluding Shade 1 that doesn’t show up as much) right from the start and can be built up a bit. There is just enough difference between the shades to avoid feeling redundant in the palette, but they also blend seamlessly into each other and create a smokey hazy effect without putting much effort. I am so impressed!

I’ve tried this on three different eyeshadow primers/bases and had no issues with longevity. How my eyeshadow looks in the morning is exactly how it will look at night. These don’t fade on me. I don’t get creasing from the shimmer, which surprised me because it feels creamy and that can sometimes lead to migration on my lids from other brands’ eyeshadows. I also get very little fallout from the shimmer. It adheres well to my eyes without needing a glitter primer and I haven’t felt the need to spray my brush with it either. If I do want more impact and for the shadow to look more silver, applying the shadow to my lids with a damp brush turns it creamier, smoother, and opaque. Although I usually prefer a more intense shimmer eyeshadow, it’s nice to have one that is a bit…demure.

For more impact, one can start with the darkest color first and then work from lightest to darkest again.

When I did a side by side comparison of Jungle to Victoria, it made me think about how well this palette would look paired with a purple, so I tried that and liked how it turned out. For Valentine’s day, I combined the colors in Victoria with eyeshadows from other brands as well, and can confirm that they all play well together.

I may have similar colors to the Victoria Eye Wardrobe, but the ease of use and control that I have on building up the colors makes this palette much more valuable to me. YSL makes my favorite matte formula, but I can’t build up depth in the same way because the only shade deep enough is the black shadow from Over Noir and that is much more intense than Shade 3 in this one. My best palette for that task was previously the Hindash Beautopsy palette, but this one has an even easier formula to work with. Victoria, for my skintone, is still best for building subtle depth and not for intense drama. There will be times when I want more out of my black eye shadows.

Regarding the size, the eyeshadow palette is significantly smaller than the bronzing brick.

The bronzing brick compact is also way easier to open and close. I can open it with one hand, whereas it’s much harder to try that with the eyeshadow component. I don’t know if my empty palette is supposed to have such a stiff hinge, but I know for sure that I shouldn’t be having so many issues with mine closing and staying closed. There appears to be a slight defect because mine clicks back open again and I have to press it back down 2-3 times before it will remain closed. However, I can also press or hold the front part of the compact (not touching the button) and sometimes the pressure of just picking it up makes it pop open.
The Selfridges rep agreed with me upon reviewing the video I submitted to them and they reimbursed me for the cost of the empty palette. So, if mine continues to get worse with repeated use (it went from needing to be reclosed 50% of the time to now 100% of the time) or I’m unable to shut it at all, I could try my luck and buy another one.
There is another option, which is to stick this in a regular empty magnetic palette because the refill works in those. However, the reason I bought it is because I specifically wanted the luxury packaging.

In my review of the Lisa Eldridge Pinpoint Concealer Pencils, I explained that it performing better on my smile line than any other concealer is the only reason it was worth buying for me. In the case of this palette, the eyeshadow quality is among the crème de la crème in my collection. However, how much I like this or will use this depends on my mood. I might reach for a Pat Mcgrath eyeshadow instead because it delivers stronger pigment. I could choose a Natasha Denona shimmer because it’s more eye-catching. The best quality doesn’t automatically mean it’ll suit someone’s preferences. So whether this palette is worth buying is going to be subjective and up to each individual shopper.

I think the quality is top notch. I think the compact is elegant and weighty (although I was unlucky to have an issue). I am still open to the possibility of buying refills in the future, but I don’t know how likely that will be considering I still prefer YSL’s formula and I can find their permanent quads for at least 10-20 Euros cheaper. Those compacts aren’t as heavy, but they are still luxurious to me. I would rather wait around and hope for YSL to release a color story similar to Olive. Tom Ford is the most comparable brand I can think of in terms of pricing, and I prefer VBB quality over theirs (excluding the wet/dry formula), but even Tom Ford’s quads can be found at a CCO/CCS for 40% off or more. I prefer VBB over Lisa Eldridge, Guerlain, and Gucci palettes that are comparable to the price of VBB’s refill alone, but it’s not always about quality. There are some shades I love that I know I will never see made by certain brands, so I will continue to seek out eyeshadows from other cosmetic companies.

I’m content with my singular Victoria Beckham Beauty Eye Wardrobe, but if they release a breathtaking color story, I could be swayed to purchase another.

That’s all for today! Thanks for reading!

-Lili ❤