Current Favorites & Product Obsessions

IGK has quickly become one of my fastest hair brand obsessions. Everything I’ve tried styling wise has been great. I use dry shampoo quite a bit. I tend to shower every other day. The IGK Jet Lag Invisible Dry Shampoo is my newest acquisition by the line. It’s a little pricey for what it is, but it works. Well. No white residue and I like that as a dry shampoo it’s not intense and really drying or over powdery like some dry shampoos. More to come.

Zelens Z Matrix is this lovely pink gel that hydrates immensely well. I buy a jar in the winter to use in place of hydrating serums. It would work as a moisturizer for oily or combo skins during the summer if you live in a hot or humid climate. Otherwise I like to layer it. Review HERE.

I used to use Omorovicza Nourishing Hand Treatment all the day. It replaced La Mer for me. I was testing a bunch of hand creams for a while and stopped using it. I pulled a tube out again and it was love at first reuse again. Light enough and hydrating. Review HERE. This is easily one of my favorite hand creams and though pricey a tube does last a while.

January Labs Revitalizing Day Cream is this new discovery for me. It’s got an almost oil meets liquid lotion texture. Very fluid and light yet really really hydrating. More to come.  The Wayne Goss Air Brush should be in every one of these posts because it’s phenomenal. Now it comes in Rose Gold. Review HERE.

Miller Harris is a niche UK perfumery that I just adore. I haven’t used some of my heavier scents in a while and I’ve been pulling out L’air De Rien for a while. I’ve forgotten how much I loved it. It used to be available in the US as a brand but then they pulled out so you have to search around for it. This scent is musty and feminine without being overtly so. It’s completely unique and hard to describe. Musty, like an old book, warm with vanilla and amber, not overpowering. It’s really really good.

Iconic singer and actress Jane Birkin’s perfume, L’Air de Rien is a uniquely intimate and nostalgic fragrance. Seeking to capture all of Jane’s favourite scents and chic sensuality, L’Air de Rien captures the comfort of a lovers embrace, watching dust dance in the light as you lay entwined. An intimate blend of musk and amber, softened by the suggestion of old books through earthy moss and dry vanilla. Alluring and profound, with an unspoken intimacy and closeness.

Top: Neroli Tunisia. Heart: Neroli. Tunisia Base: Oak moss, Patchouli Indonesia, Vanilla Reunion, Amber, White musk.

Herbovore Botanicals released a new Coconut Ultra Hydration Body Oil an exclusive to Nordstrom. This smells like a light coconut nothing too sweet or overpowering. It’s the perfect natural coconut scent. The oil is not too heavy but hydrating. Love the glass pump package. It’s formulated with coconut oil and Co2 extract to deeply hydrate the skin. Its scent whisks you away to a tropical vacation with each application.

With it being colder I’ve been pulling out SUQQU’s Frame Fix Foundation Lightness. This is the newest liquid foundation out last year I believe. Still very hard to find as only Harrod’s & Ichibankao has it. Selfridges doesn’t carry it online. I love the coverage and hydrating nature. Yet it’s lightweight. I’ve been playing with shades 003 and 203. More to come soon.

Original Human was a chance discovery for me. I grabbed the Kalahari Melon Facial Serum which is perfect for my combo skin. I’m obsessed with all watermelon skincare products for one, two this is lightweight and perfect for day use. I also love raspberry oil so this was a win win for me.

Calms inflammation, restructures and brings balance, for acne-prone or combination skin. Grounded in a base of Kalahari Melon oil, this serum works to balance the skin and sebum production with essential fatty acids and lipids to restore and maintain the skin’s barrier function. High concentrations of Vitamin C and other antioxidants like carotenoids work to protect and calm the skin and promote healing. 

Ingredients Citrullus Lanatus (Watermelon) Seed Oil, Passiflora Edulis (Passion Fruit) Seed Oil, Rubus Idaeus (Raspberry) Seed Oil, Oenothera Biennis (Evening Primrose) Oil, Tocopherol (Vitamin E), Petroselinum Sativum (Parsley) Seed Oil, Helichrysum Splendidum Oil

I love the Chanel Ombre Premiere Cream Eyeshadow in general. Silver Pink & Memory are staples for a fast look. Silver Screen is the newest edition to the family. Limited edition this sparkling pewter shade is perfect for holidays. This is a bit more sparkling than the permanent shades. Same great formula. Review HERE.

NARS Christopher Kane Holographic Lipstick in Chroma Chrome caught my eye when I saw it on Instagram. A holographic nude pink, yes please. It was a UK exclusive as far as & I know I got mine of Selfridges. It’s a sheer shimmering very light nude with a pink shift.

Shock the runway with an electrifying collection of holographic sheens and metallic glitter tones inspired by Christopher Kane’s signature aesthetic. This imited-edition soft nude Lipstick in Chroma Chrome from NARS creates a subtle, holographic sheen for a universally flattering highlight effect. The long-wearing formula provides ultra-comfortable wear and silky colour that lasts.

Top Chanel Silver Screen, Bottom NARS Chroma Chrome:

Top to Bottom–Omorovica Nourishing Hand Treatment, Zelens Z Matrix, January Labs Revitalizing Day Cream, SUQQU Frame Fix Foundation Lightness 003, Chanel Silver Screen, NARS Chroma Chrome:

By Terry Preciosity Flash Light Elixir

I grabbed a both highlighters from By Terry’s Preciosity holiday collection. I will say I opened the powder version and while the inside was absolutely stunning with it’s pattern, I could not like the case at all. It was so cheap. It was a hollow lightweight plastic that squeaked and had a paper label on the top. Not a silk screen print as would be expected. A paper label which if it got wet at all would fall apart. Not what I expect for a luxury brand, it was odd for By Terry as her packaging is normally good. So I returned it unused, which is why I don’t have pictures, I couldn’t justify the price with such terrible packaging.

Now onto the By Terry Preciosity Light Elixir which comes in a small slim matte metallic dropper style bottle with the design printed on–Yay! Details per By Terry:

Achieve the ultimate festive glow with this dazzling serum for winter. The highlighting elixir serum releases your complexion’s natural glow, immersing the skin in a smoothing “D-Flawless” halo of light. Highly concentrated in multi-reflecting “D-Light” mineral pigments and premium ultra-perfecting prisms, the product’s luxurious formula blends into all skin tones without caking or leaving an oily residue, resulting in a beautifully radiant complexion. 

Formula Highly concentrated in multi-reflecting “D-Light” mineral pigments and premium ultra-perfecting prisms.

Application Tips 

– Just one to two drops provide an instantly luminous natural result. A few more drops create a fresh, festive, ultra-radiant complexion.
– Apply it as a corrective base on its own or mixed with a foundation, or as a top coat on facial features (forehead, nose, chin, cheekbones, eyebrow arch).
-Effortlessly blends with fingertips, a brush or a sponge. Shake well before use.

This is fluid highlighter. It has the signature stronger By Terry rose scent.  I want to love By Terry but it’s always very heavily fragranced like roses. I have a hard time with it. Luckily this isn’t skincare it’s a highlighter so it’s tolerable. The package is a small (15ml) slim frosted metallic bottle with a dropper style dispenser. A dropper is never my favorite packaging I always prefer a pump like the Cellularose CC Serums.

The highlighter has a dry oil texture almost. It dries down and sets and doesn’t stay wet. It has a slip to it that feels more like a dry oil than a slippery serum style liquid highlighter. This is a pigmented liquid highlighter. You only need a touch so start light and build up. This is very buildable. The shade is a shimmering white base with pink an gold pearls. No glitter here, just adult appropriate intense pearly shimmer. This formula blends in with ease, if you start light it looks very natural. You can make it very intense as well if you build it up. This lasts all day I had no longevity issues. You can either mix some in foundation for an all over radiance or apply to specific regions of your face for targeted shimmer.

Top to Bottom–By Terry Preciosity Sheer than Heavy, Topshop Polished Glow, Charlotte Tilbury Hollywood Lightwand, Cover FX Blossom:

This was a nice high quality liquid highlighter. The texture and luminosity are perfect for the holidays and well done. It’s a little pricey you get a smaller 15ml bottle for $68. The packaging, while much better than the pressed version, does have a few flaws. The dropper itself comes loose from the cap, I find myself having to push it back in now and then. Now that I’ve had this for about 4 weeks or so I’ve noticed the cap and top neck of the bottle is building up dried product very quickly. You always expect a little. The fifth or sixth time I opened this a bunch of dried product actually fell onto my bathroom counter and the rim was well built up with a powdery dry crust. Not ideal for the price, this should have come in a pump or a better bottle. The By Terry holiday collection has stunning high quality products inside of bad packaging.

October Samples & Empties

Time for the October Samples & Empties Post. Quick thoughts about each starting above.

Herbivore Botanicals Coco Rose Body Polish: You probably get tired of seeing this as it’s in every monthly samples & empties post. However, I do go through a jar every month. Love it to death. Hero product. Review HERE.

Erborian Cleansing Water: I liked the ability of this to remove my eye makeup gently. It was a bit more fragranced florally than I normally like. I still prefer Bioderma.

Blithe Vital Treatment 9 Essential Seeds: This was a nice hydrating slippery thicker essence. Slight citrus scent. I don’t know that this was all that brightening.

Zelens Youth Concentrate: Love this. This was my second bottle. One of my all time favorite retinol night serums. It also combines so many other high tech and natural ingredients with the retinol. I would buy again no question. Review HERE.

Sol de Janeiro Brazilian Kiss: Loved this buttery lip balm. Very hydrating.

Sunday Riley C.E.O. Rapid Flash Brightening Serum: I liked this. It’s good for a non L-Ascorbic Acid lover. Review HERE.

The Ordinary Ascorbyl Tetraisopalmitate Solution 20% in Vitamin F: This is a thin dry oil base with vitamin C. It was OK. I’m not a big fan of the oil base.

Paula’s Choice Clinical 1% Retinol Treatment: I wanted to like this. The retinol was non-irritating and nice. It’s the base texture. It’s a very hydrating lotion. So if you don’t want to mix this with heavier things it’s perfect for you. If you like thinner textured retinols this isn’t for you.

Oribe Soft Dry Conditioning Spray: I love Oribe and wanted to love this. The idea of a dry hydrating spray seemed interesting. It’s got some alcohol in it which dries my hair out a bit. It does hydrate some with oils. It just wasn’t my favorite type of product. It took my three plus years to use it up as I never reached for it. I had to force myself to use it up.

Amika: Nourishing Mask: I got this free from Influenster. It’s hydrating but heavily fragranced. It was OK.

Nivea In-Shower Lotion Cocoa Butter: Love this stuff. Affordable. Easy in-shower hydration to save me time. Review HERE.

Sephora Waterproof Eye Makeup Remover: Eh, it’s OK. Stings my eyes a bit. I didn’t even finish it.

Living Proof Full Dry Volume Blast: This is intense. Very powdery. Lots of volume. If you like that kind of thing. It wasn’t for me.

JUARA Candlenut Hydrating Shower Gel: This was a nice gel body wash. Pleasant light warm scent.

Molton Brown London Body Wash Eucalyptus: This was OK. I prefer the Pink Pepper one. This one was very minty.

OUAI Wave Spray: I love this stuff. It’s a tacky wave spray. But it works well if you apply it right. Review HERE.

Kat Burki Ph + Enzyme Essence: This stuff is divine. A gel essence with a light cucumber smell. More to come.

Skin Owl Beauty Whip: This is a lovely hydrating light cream mask. Review HERE.

African Botanics Nutritive Molecule Serum: Love this. So many active ingredients. Just so incredibly expensive. Stay tuned for the final thoughts after the large bottle

Kat Burki Hand Therapy: This is a really nice hydrating hand cream. Heavy but not too heavy. Intoxicating Kat Burki scent.

Ormonde Jayne Ambre Royal: One of my favorite British brands, niche perfumer. The scent is warm and amber but not too sweet. Normally amber scents are too sweet for me. I bought  big one.

EVE LOM Rescue Mask: One use and I hated it. Way too minty and the clay dries down. No thanks. I’ll stick with my Omorovicza.

Zelens 3t Complex: This stuff is sooooo good. Light yet super hydrating. This is easily my favorite night cream.

Rodin Luxury Face Oil: I always wanted to try this. Moderately hydrating oil. Too perfumed for me.

Furterer Intense Nourishing Mask: This was a nice hydrating hair mask. Nothing stand out, nothing bad.

Bioderma Matricium: This watery textured serum is amazing. Great for repairing the skin. I like it. More to come.

Lancome Monsieur Big Mascara: This was OK. Bigger brush style wand is nice.

Sephora Brow Freeze Light: I love this. Like a tinted brow wax in a stick. It’s only lightly coloring but it’s good for a quick fix.

Youth To The People Kale + Green Tea Spinach Age Prevention Cleanser: This was OK. Basic gel cleanser. Nothing special but nothing bad either.

Blithe Energy Yellow Citrus & Honey: This is interesting. Watery in shower splashing mask. Has a citrus scent. Not my favorite style of mask, but I’ll use samples if I have them.

LEE JHAM Vita-Propolis Ampoule: Slippery serum with propolis. It’s on my wishlist for a big one.

OUAI Repair Shampoo & Conditioner: Hydrating. I liked it. I have big bottles I’ll pull out of the closet soon.

R+CO Dallas Thickening Shampoo & Conditioner: This was OK. I like R+Co.

Charlotte Tilbury Light Wonder 7 Medium: A bit too golden for me. I’ll stick with number 6. Love love this light dewy finish foundation. Review of Light Wonder HERE.

La Mer The Treatment Lotion: Slippery hydrating toner. It’s nice just pricey.

Shiseido Benefiance Wrinkleresist24 Pure Retinol Express Smoothing Eye Mask: This is OK. It’s not my favorite eye mask because it’s not a hydrating gel type.

Blithe Soothing & Healing Green Tea: Same as above. Liked it and would use a sample. Probably wouldn’t buy a big one because it’s not my favorite formula for a mask.

Rita Hazan True Color Shampoo & Conditioner: Loved this. The scent is amazing, light and not overpowering like a lot of hair care can be. I’ll be getting big one some day.

Tata Harper Regenerating Cleanser: I’ve used a big bottle of this as well. It a creamy cleanser. I like it. It’s not on my list to get another big bottle just because I like other things better.

Current Product Obsessions & Favorites

Now that the artificial heat has turned on, with the exception of today, it means time for a switch in skincare and other things. I’ll start with Ormonde Jayne Tolu. I adore this warmer scent by UK niche perfumery Ormonde Jayne–one of my all time favorite brands.Tolu Eau de Parfum is created with pure Peruvian Tolu resin and is laced with golden frankincense and amber. A heady mix of orange blossom and clary sage is consolidated with intense citrus notes, taking the wearer on a sensual Oriental journey. Top: Juniper Berry, Orange Blossom and Clary Sage. Heart: Orchid, Moroccan Rose and Muguet. Base: Tolu, Tonka Bean, Golden Frankincense and Amber. It’s warm unique and unlike any other scent I’ve tried. While it’s similar to amber scents it’s not nearly as sweet as amber which is why I love it. I highly recommend checking it out.

Surratt Surreal Skin Foundation is not new to me. I reviewed it HERE. I tend to reach for it more in the fall-spring months and now that it’s cooler I’m happy to use it again. I find myself using shade 6 now. Originally I thought this shade was too cool for me, but it works best in general. I could use a tad more yellow in it but it’s close enough. I love the great coverage with a satin skin like finish.

I knew Cle De Peau Beaute Radiant Fluid Foundation would be perfect for cooler weather. It has dry oils & this weightless feel combined with enough hydration for fall and winter. I wear shade O30 and review is HERE. I love that it has a buildable light finish.

Perricone MD Hyalo Plasma is this amazing gel hydrator combing multiple forms of hyaluronic acid. It’s amazing to layer in the colder months for a great boost of weightless yet intense hydration. It replaces my hydrating serums in the fall and winter months. I talked about it HERE.

Paula’s Choice killed it when they made the RESIST Omega+ Complex. It’s a super hydrating creamy serum to light lotion. It can be used as a lotion for some skin types. It’s not quite enough for me alone, I need to layer it. It’s perfect for a hydrating winter boost of creamy hydration. More coming.

Votary London Super Seed Facial Oil. This is amazing. I took forever to finally splurge and grab it. It so lush and hydrating yet not heavy. Quickly this became one of my favorite facial oils. More to come.

Tom Ford Lip Color in Devore. I grabbed this on my recent trip to the Houston Galleria mall. I tried it on in the store, took it home and went “what did I do?” thinking this was too deep and brown for me. It’s oddly sheer for the Tom Ford Lip Color formula (usually more pigmented) and more of a pinky brown than brown like it looks in the tube. I quite like it. Don’t be scared of how it looks in the tube. More to come.

I was so in love with OSKIA Renaissance Cleansing Gelfor years. I took a break from it to explore other options for a while. This oil based cleansing balm gel removes all makeup and emulsifies to rinse clean away. It has the best light scent as well. Review HEREand HERE. It’s just amazing.

Becca Light Chaser Highlighters are my favorite from the brand. I adore Opal flashes Jade. Review HERE. It’s this beige that flashes a teal green. Unique and fun.

Votary London Clarifying Cleansing Oil is a lovely lightweight oil cleanser. The cloth flannel it comes with is superb as well. I use this even though I don’t have blemish prone skin. I love the lightweight feel compared to heavier oil cleansers. No real scent either. More to come.

Cuvee Beauty reached out to me and asked if I wanted to try a few things. The brands hair care is based on Champagne and since I love Champagne that was an easy yes. Out of the three items I played with the Champagne Spray is my absolute favorite from the bunch. It’s even earned a spot in my favorite of all time hair texture/sea salt sprays. It gives me perfectly textured hair with no crunchy or sticky heavy feel. My hair feels soft, weightless and perfectly textured and wavy. Love it.

Top to Bottom–Paula’s Choice Omega+ Complex, Perricone Hyalo Plasma, OSKIA Renaissance Cleansing Gel, Surratt Surreal Skin Foundation 6, Cle de Peau Radiant Fluid Foundation O30, Tom Ford Lip Color Devore, Becca Light Chaser Highlighter Opal X Jade:

Holiday Highlighters: Dior, La Mer & Becca

There is always a massive release of highlighters during the holiday season. I grabbed a few of the new ones so I thought I would put them all together for you in a post. I grabbed La Mer The Illuminating Powder, Dior Nude Air Luminizer in Precious Rocks & Becca Shimmering Skin Perfector in Gradient Glow.

Dior Diorskin Nude Air Luminizer Precious Rocks. Details per Nordstrom:

What it is: A limited-edition reinterpretation of the iconic Diorskin Nude Air Luminizer that features a motif created exclusively for the Precious Rocks collection.

What it does: It is a powder as light as a breeze, featuring a formula highly concentrated with illuminating pigments. Applied in gentle touches, it highlights areas of the face to catch and reflect the light. It comes with a brush and leaves behind a virtually imperceptible texture, revealing glowing skin for a radiantly luminous complexion.

This one is stunning. I just stared at it for a while. The gemstone cut design is quite nice. I didn’t want to use this one and wreck the design. However, I did mess it up eventually. This is a large compact you get 0.35 oz of product for $57. This has the same formula, size, set up (blue velvet pouch and mini kabuki brush) and quilted silver case as the permanent ones. This is just a limited edition shade. The texture is finely milled, light as air. It’s weightless seriously. I reviewed the original formula HERE.

The color is similar to shade 002 but this one is more nude, less pink. It’s a bit darker as well. This Precious Rocks is a pearly, frosty light nude champagne with some hints of peach and pink. You might also call it a light rose gold champagne nude. It has a few hints is very very fine micro glitter in it, which is not present in the original shades. You can barely tell but it is there. I hate micro glitter but this one is fine for me. It’s very frosty and pigmented. Apply this with a light hand and build up. I prefer to use the Wayne Goss Air Brush for this one which always gives me a light application.

Becca Shimmering Skin Perfector Gradient Glow. Details per Ulta.

Swirl, glow & go! A celebration of highlight, BECCA’s Shimmering Skin Perfector Pressed Highlighter Gradient Glow includes 5 best-selling shades all in one place! Features Bronzed Amber, Moonstone, Opal, Rose Gold and Topaz Shimmering Skin Perfector Pressed Highlighter. Each shade can be used alone or swirled together to create a custom glow for the highlight of your life! Everyone has a favorite feature, shine a light on yours.

Like a spotlight for the skin, Shimmering Skin Perfector Pressed Highlighter lights up your favorite features. Inspired by the dazzling light of the midday sun, this iconic formula is enriched with ultrafine luminescent pearls that absorb, reflect and refract light to amplify your natural radiance. The multi-toned pigment pearls adjust to your skin’s natural undertones. And unlike traditional pressed powders, this one-of-a-kind formula blends pigments with liquids, to create an unparalleled, creamy feel that applies like seamless silk and never cakes.

I love the Becca pressed highlighters. They are a buttery and creamy powder formula, never dry or powdery. I usually only like Opal as all the others are normally too pale, warm or deep for my tastes. I do love their duo chrome ones recently released. Becca Shimmering Skin Perfectors can get very frosty and are heavy duty highlighters. These are not for those who love a light glow. Start light and build up.

The shades are too small to use separately unless you use an eyeshadow brush. Swirled together they are an intense shimmering warm bronzed rose gold. This is not a pale shade so it will be hard for pale skin tones to pull this off. I even found it a bit too deep and warm for my light medium warmer skin tone. Out of the three shades I purchased this was my least favorite. Fabulous formula, just not the right shade for me. I like using the Wayne Goss Air Brush on this one too.

La Mer The Illuminating Powder. Details per Nordstrom:

What it is: A lightweight, shimmering pressed powder.

What it does: It’s infused with illuminating gemstones, brilliant pearls and color-true pigments that provide all complexions with a healthy-looking, luminous glow.

This beauty comes housed in a weighty brown metal compact with a floral design on the front. This compact is so heavy and luxe, very very pretty. This is pricey at $130, it’s not a large compact either you only get 0.28 oz of product. I didn’t expect to love it, but it’s really nice. This is so finely milled and lightweight. Not that drier lightweight powder like Dior but just a nice lightweight powder. It’s not powdery at all.

This has three lightly shimmering shades in the compact–A light pink, light creamy gold & pale peach. The silver splash is overspray and comes off after a few uses. The compact being small makes it hard to use these colors separately, so while I did swatch them separately the swirled combination is what you’re really going to get. Together they are a lightly shimmering light champagne with hints of peach and pink in the tone. It’s just enough pink and peach to keep it from being a standard pale champagne. This just gives me the most amazing completely natural glow. It’ a truly divine formula and the case is quite spectacular. You could use a goat highlighter brush to apply this one to get a deeper pigment or heavier application. You won’t overdo it with this one.

Top to Bottom–Dior Precious Rocks Sheered Out than Heavy, Dior Nude Air 002:

Becca Gradient Glow–Top to Bottom in Palette than Mixed:

La Mer The Illuminating Powder–Colors Separate (Pink, Cream, Peach) than Mixed:

Charlotte Tilbury English Beauty & American Sweetheart Lipsticks

Charlotte Tilbury just released some exclusive holiday goodies on her site. Among them is a few limited edition lipsticks in American Sweetheart & English Beauty. I love Charlotte Tilbury lipsticks so I grabbed both. There was a red as well but I have enough reds I never wear so I skipped that one.

American Sweetheart—Details per Charlotte Tilbury:

Darlings, discover a lip look for every city! My K.I.S.S.I.N.G Lipstick in American Sweetheart is a naturally tawny pink lipstick in a moisturizing finish. This creamy, buildable formula is perfect for adding a polished look to your makeup look.

WHAT MAKES K.I.S.S.I.N.G LIPSTICK MAGIC:

• Perfect, full, kissable lips really do grow on trees!
• The Lipstick Tree protects your lips from UV damage & oxidative stress to leave them soft, soothed & hydrated.
• Light-diffusing pigments gives your lips a multi-dimensional finish to leave them look full-bodied and luminous.
• The blend of waxes glides over your lips for a rich, buildable colour.
• Ideal for a moisturizing, pink lipstick perfect for everyday wear.

I reviewed the K.I.S.S.I.N.G. formula HERE. It’s a creamy hydrating pigmented lipstick. I adore this formula. American Sweetheart is a warm creamy deeper pink nude. This is very warm, much warmer than I expected. I was hoping this was going to be similar to the discontinued Confession lipstick also described as a tawny nude. As you can see in swatches below this is much warmer and pinker than Confession. It wasn’t my favorite shade. I prefer Confession more.

English Beauty–Details per Charlotte Tilbury:

Darlings, discover a lip look for every city! My Matte Revolution Lipstick in English Beauty is a pretty, naturally nude pink matte lipstick. This wearable, modern matte finish is perfect to dress up with a smokey eye or for everyday wear.

WHAT MAKES MATTE REVOLUTION LIPSTICK MAGIC:

• Younger, healthier looking lips can be yours with this formula!
• Antioxidant Lipstick Tree extracts with soothing orchid help to soften, protect and hydrate your lips.
• Revolutionary, square, angled tip mimics the shape of a lip brush for a precise application.
• 3D glowing pigments will help create the illusion of lit-from-within lips.
• Ideal for buildable, long-lasting matte finish lipstick.

I love the Matte Revolution formula. It’s my favorite comfort matte. I reviewed the formula HERE. English Beauty is the closest I’ve gotten in the matte formula to my perfect nude. Super Cindy is too warm. Pillow Talk is too deep and brown. Very Victoria is too cool and brown. I’ve been just waiting for this perfect light pink nude in the formula, as well as the KISSING formula.

English Beauty applies out of the bullet like the perfect light pink nude. Then it set to a deeper cooler pink shade. More of a light cool rose. I notice these matte shades tend to seem lighter and warmer on application then they set down five minutes later to a slightly deeper and cooler tone. While the shade is very similar once it sets it can change the entire feel of the lipstick. Ultimately English Beauty sets to a cooler neutral rose pink. It’s a lovely shade and my favorite of the Matte Revolution nude bunch to date. It’s just not what I thought it was going to be when I first swiped it on.

Left to Right–American Sweetheart, English Beauty:

Top to Bottom–Charlotte Tilbury Very Victoria, English Beauty, Pillow Talk, American Sweetheart, Confession:

Current Product Favorites & Obsessions

It’s been warmer this week than the previous two so I went back to using some lighter foundations and cream products. I’ve been reaching for the Chanel Ombre Premiere cream shadows again. A lot. I’m loving Silver Pink as a base with Memory as the center lid. Memory really warms it up overall and it’s the perfect day combo I can apply in less than two minutes. See review and swatches HERE. Rituel de Fille Rare Light Luminizers are a cream highlighter I reach for constantly. The shades are so unique and multi-dimensional. They are creamy but not too creamy. They have enough weight to last. Phosphene is one of my favorites. Review & swatches HERE, HERE & HERE.

Cle de Peau Beaute Radiant Stick Foundation in Ocher has been a favorite all spring and summer. While it’s a very lightweight coverage foundation, the ease of swiping it on with the water cooling sensation during application is sublime. What I love the most about this one is that it doesn’t budge once you’ve applied it. Review HERE. I also love Chanel Les Beiges Healthy Glow Gel Touch Foundation. It’s lightweight and pleasant to wear. This is one of the only cushion style foundations I’ve ever enjoyed as it’s not as oily or greasy as some of the others. I wear shade no 30. Review HERE.

I didn’t expect to like the limited edition La Mer The Illuminating Powder. Maybe I just didn’t want to because its pricey. The heavy weight case is amazing. It has a artsy floral design on the compact. The powder itself is finely milled and produces a lovely glow, no shimmer or intense shine here. It’s a perfectly light highlighter with an amazing smooth texture and really pretty case. More to come soon.

Dr Jart+ UV Sun Fluid is going to be one of my winter sunscreens. It’s not drying, clear and a lightweight milky serum gel fluid texture. I love that it’s SPF 30 and not 50. There’s no reason to wear SPF 50 on a daily basis. This feels like a lightweight serum lotion more than an SPF. Love it. Talked about it HERE.

Byredo has become a favorite fragrance brand of mine over the last two years. Byredo Rodeo is a new scent only found on their website. It’s limited edition. Top: Leather Accord; Middle: Midnight Violet, Suede; Base: Black Amber, Vetiver. Very simple and clean. It has a leather scent but the floral balances it out to make it light. It has a very addictive quality to it. It’s what I wanted Hermes Cuir d’Ange to be. No powdery notes at all. Just light leather with a slightly sweet hint that makes it just plain good.

Now that it’s getting colder I can start wearing facial oils in the daytime again. Mostly on the cheeks but I will use all over once the artificial heat kicks on for the winter. I have the air conditioner on tonight, so not quite yet. But in the next month or so. KYPRIS Beauty Elixir II is a lovely dry lightweight facial oil perfect for my combination skin. Review HERE.

OSKIA’s new Citylife collection is superb. A full post is coming shortly. As I get older my eyes get drier. Combined with the ever so slightly cooler weather I’ve been using heavier eye creams. The OSKIA Citylife I-Zone Balm is a lightweight oil based balm that melts into an oil with the heat of your fingers. Pat it right into the eye area before bed for a not too greasy extra boost of eye hydration. I quite like it.

Jane Scrivner is a new UK brand for me to delve into. I tend to really like UK skincare and perfume brands. I grabbed two items from them.This ‘OO’ Over oil Cream is very unique (And it’ a Beauty Short List Winner). Not only is it bright yellow, it has a whipped light texture that’s amazingly hydrating. It’s even suitable for night use. More to come.

Top to Bottom–Chanel Les Beiges Healthy Glow Gel Touch Foundation, Cle de Peau Radiant Stick Foundation, Rituel de Fille Phosphene, La Mer The Illuminating Powder, Chanel Silver Pink, Chanel Memory:

Top to Bottom–Dr Jart+ UV Sun Fluid, Jane Scrivner ‘OO’ Over Oil, OSKIA Citylife I-Zone Balm:

Violet Voss PRO Eye Shadow Palette Taupe Notch

I have absolutely no need for a large eyeshadow palette or more nude eyeshadows (even though that’s all I wear). Yet something about this palette intrigued me when I saw pics online. The shimmers looked nice. So I threw the Violet Voss PRO Eye Shadow Palette in Taupe Notch in bag bag and have been playing with it for the last week. Details per Sephora:

What it is:
A game-changing eyeshadow palette with 20 rich shades in a variety of finishes.

What it does:
This uniquely rich, taupe-toned color story includes 20 wearable shades that work just as well individually as they do paired with each other. The versatility of this palette gives you the ability to create limitless looks.

This set contains:
– 20 0.06 oz/ 1.8 g Eyeshadows in Elite (soft beige), #1 (peach ivory), Bestest (soft peach brown), Super (soft golden beige), Top Notch (peach), One N Only (pink sandy brown), Upper Crust (tan), Royal (mushroom), Exclusive (smokey brown), First Class (medium muted brown), High (warm rose-toned brown), Taupe (grayish brown), Numero Uno (icy cool taupe), MVP (warm toffee), Ace (cool-toned brown), Extra (warm milk chocolate brown), World Class (cool-toned purple brown), VIP (deep copper brown), Supreme (warm rustic brown), Prime (deep cool ash brown)

Violet Voss Cosmetics was created to provide professional quality makeup for both the beginner and advanced makeup enthusiast. Their easy-to-blend, highly pigmented shadows are formulated with hydrating jojoba oil, and the selection of palettes let you create endless looks – from subtle to sultry.

This palette is housed in a cardboard case much like the Z Palettes. I love nudes so this taupe palette seemed like a good buy for the $45 price tag. The eyeshadows are pigmented, not drying nor powdery, smooth and actually pretty damn good. I was impressed which I didn’t expect to be. The texture is buttery on the shimmers and silky on the mattes. The mattes aren’t too dry or streaky and apply pretty well. Which is all I can ask for on a matte. I love the mix of mattes and shimmer shades. You can create and amazing number of looks with this palette. The majority of shades in this palette are all in the neutral to cool range.

The longevity is average. I didn’t get any creasing with them but by hour 10 or so there was some fading. If you happen to be up from 6am until 10 pm like me this will fade pretty well by ten pm (I apply at six am). I wouldn’t hold that against this palette in any way, that’s a long day. These aren’t Natasha Denona quality but pretty similar in the shimmer textures. I do prefer my Surratt mattes to these, but these mattes are actually pretty good in general. I’m not a fan of cardboard cases but for the cheaper price I can deal easily. This is a pretty good quality palette for a decent price. If you’re a nude/taupe eyeshadow lover you should check this out.

Elite is a matte pale cream. #1 is a shimmery champagne. Betest is a matte milk chocolate. Super is a shimmery light neutral rose gold pink nude. I love this shade. Top Notch is a matte pale peach. One N Only is a shimmery neutral pink beige.Upper Crust is a shimmery light neutral tan. Very taupe like. Royal is a matte cool medium gray brown. Exclusive is a matte medium neutral brown. First Class is a matte medium cool brown.

Top to Bottom–L to R First Row than L to R Second Row:

High is a shimmery medium to deep plummy brown. Taupe is a matte deep cool brown gray. Numero Uno is a shimmery medium to deep cool gray taupe brown. MVP is a shimmery medium plum brown. Ace is a shimmery deep neutral to warm steel gray. No blue tones here. Extra is a matte warmer neutral medium to deep cocoa brown. World Class is a deeper matte slate with gold micro glitter. This and Top Notch are the only two shades I don’t like. VIP is a shimmery deep cooler bronze brown. Supreme is a shimmery cool deep plummy red toned brown. It’s almost like a soft black with red pearl. Like a better formulated MAC Smut. Prime is a shimmery deep sooty brown toned gray.

Top to Bottom: L to R Third Row than L to R Fourth Row:

Pat McGrath Labs LuxeTrance Lipstick, Permagel Ultra Glide Eye Pencil & Ultra Lip Pencil

I recently visited the new Pat McGrath Labs counter at Sephora. I’ve had bad luck with Pat McGrath products in the past. Mostly because the kits were so complex–they just never felt designed for someone who needs a simple morning routine like myself. I always hated the cheap lab style packaging and the fact that everything came in a kit and not as singles. I hate kits because I never use half of it so it’s a waste. I was happy to finally see a line from Pat McGrath that was not kits and came in beautiful sturdy packaging. I grabbed the LuxeTrance Lipstick in Donatella. Most of the shades were what I figured they would be. Dark, bright or very vibrant. All shades are creams no shimmer.

I was surprised Donatella worked for me. With the description Beige Mauve I figured it would be too cool for me. This is a cool beige mauve as it says. However, it’s a great nude. Not too light to wash you out either. It’s not extremely cool in tone either. Check out that box. It’s stunning. It shuts by wrapping the string tie around the two circles. The glittery lips is an amazing photo. The packaging is a deep navy glossy plastic with a gold metal trim. There is gold lips on the front–Love it! Very artsy and unique much like Pat McGrath. While her kits were always too extensive for me I did appreciate their artistic appeal.

The bullet of this lipstick is also stunning. It’s so glossy & has a very streamlined shape. I almost didn’t want to ruin this by wearing it because it’s so beautiful. The texture is creamy. The lipstick is pigmented, has a satin finish and is long lasting. I very much loved it. I’m thinking of grabbing a red shade now. This feels creamy and thick on, not too thick but enough to really last and hydrate the lips at the same time.

Here it is on the lips. Not too cool, nor too pale. Has enough pink (mauve) to not be just a cool brown nude. If you love nudes I would recommend this creamy long lasting satin finish formula to anyone. While it’s a bit pricey at $38 it’s a good quality lipstick with a fun artsy flair.

The Permagel Ultra Lip Pencil & Ultra Glide Eye Pencil were pleasant surprises for me. These glide on like butter. Seriously these are amazing. They’re pigmented, blend easily and last all day long. These don’t budge or smudge. I’m officially obsessed now. The lightweight gel texture is so good. Plus look at that box packaging. Love it.

I grabbed the Permagel Lip Pencil in Done Undone. Described as a light pink nude. That’s accurate. I’s a warmer toned pencil that has an ever so hint of shimmer to it. This on isn’t drying on the lips like some long last lip liners. All lip liners are drying to some degree from the high wax content, this one is not bad. It’s very comfortable.

I also grabbed the Permagel Ultra Glide Eye Pencil in Shade. Described as a midtone taupe which is fairly accurate. It’s a cool brown grey. It’s a deeper shade but a relief from black. I like non black shades for the most part to define my eyes. Black is nice but can be a bit harsh for me. These pencils retail for $25 and come with their own pencil sharpener. They are well worth the price.

Overall, I was very pleased with this new range of products from Pat McGrath. Finally her great quality products match in a quality package. I would love to see her expand the lipstick shade range. There’s a big lack of shades in the lighter nude range. Not really pale shades, though that’s lacking too, but in the medium light range. The majority of shade are in the medium, medium deep to dark and vampy range. I wanted badly to love the eyeshadow palette as well, but it just had way too much glitter for me. As expected the texture was amazing on the eyeshadows.

Left Done Undone, Right Shade.

Top to Bottom–Pat McGrath Donatella, MAC Fleur de Force, Surratt Hevyn, Zelens Nude Beige, Charlotte Tilbury Confession, Lipstick Queen The Whole Truth, Le Metier de Beaute Beauty Professor:

Top to Bottom–Pat McGrath Done Undone, Kevyn Aucoin Flesh Tone Lip Pencil Medium, MAC Spice, MAC Boldly Bare; Pat MGrath Shade, Armani Smooth Silk #2, Pixi Graphic Greige:

The Brush Bar & Board: Review

I love my Japanese brushes. I also love to keep them clean. Well, not really. No one really likes washing all their brushes because it feels like a chore. However, I do love having clean brushes. I love anything that makes this chore easier. Typically I wash my brushes using friction in my palm with mild soapy water, then hang them upside down to dry. I used to hang them on a towel bar with hair ties. See my post HERE for this brush system. It’s an effective and very cheap system. If you have enough towel bars for all your brushes. I then discovered the Benjabelle Tree which I discuss HERE. Still fairly cheap and I can store the drying brushes in my closet overnight to dry.

The ultimate purpose of drying your brushes upside down is so the water doesn’t loosen the glue in the ferrule of the brush and ruin it. I was approached by The Brush Bar to try their brush washing system. As I am always up for a new way to clean and dry brushes I couldn’t say no. I received The Brush Bar & Brush Board to play with. Details per The Brush Bar:

The Brush Bar A game-changing tool that solves one of the biggest frustrations in makeup: brush care. All smart beauty lovers know that drying brushes with the bristles pointing up is a no-no – water seeps into the ferrule and loosen the glue that holds the bristles together. Laying brushes flat prevents this, but often leads to misshapen bristles and long drying times. Enter the Brush Bar! The patent-pending design secures brushes pointing downward, preventing damage and misshape and cutting drying time in half – all while taking up just a couple inches of space on counters, sinks, and vanities! Plus, it folds into itself for easy storage and travel.

 

Features

• Innovative design fastens brushes with bristles pointing down so they keep their shape, last longer, and dry faster
• Its 10 prongs in 3 sizes (2 small, 6 medium, 2 large) hold brushes of any brand, any size
• Sleek, compact design is space-saving and travel-friendly
• Comes with its own velour carrying case

The sleek black case opens, flip out the prongs with a flick of the wrist, and close the case again. You can then set the case on any flat surface with the prongs facing out to hold your brushes that need drying. This is a matte black plastic case with metal prongs. It retails for $38.

The case is weighty on the end across the prongs so it sits on any flat surface without toppling off. I set this one my little picture shelf and left my brushes to dry all day. It was extremely versatile and portable, you could set it anywhere there’s a flat surface. It was nice as I could keep my drying brushes high and away from my two year old’s brush grabbing hands.

The large prongs worked well for blush brushes and most larger face brushes. It’s not large enough to fit my Tom Ford Bronzer Brush and it struggled holding this SUQQU Face Brush. I had to really shove the SUQQU brush in there. The medium prongs held my eyeshadow brushes well. The small prongs held the small brushes well. My really small concealer brushes were too small and slid right out. The prongs were just too big for them. While I loved the innovative design, portability and ease of use, I found this worked best for small to large brushes. Extra large and extra small brushes just don’t fit in the prongs.

The Brush Board A game changing makeup brush cleaning tool. Made of a hard material with 6 different surfaces that deep cleans, but does not damage brushes. Simply deposit your brush soap onto a selected surface, add water, and swirl your brush to deep clean between the bristles. The first ever makeup brush exfoliator.

Features

• Made of firm material for maximum cleaning power
• Water-pooling sections that cup water for a lasting lather
• 6 different textures to scrub between and around the bristles
• For the most effective clean, apply a brush cleanser and a splash of water before gently swirling brushes back and forth along the board’s surface.
• Can easily be cleaned by running it under warm water and laying out to dry
• Keeps hands clean and dry as you wash your brushes
• Comes with its own velour carrying case

Surfaces

1. Cylinders – gentle clean
2. Pyramids – 4 edges and a point for the deepest clean
3. Cones – deep cleaning cones double as a bristle comb to separate bristles for quick drying
4. Triangular Cylinder – medium scrub
5. Straight Grooves – dual purpose scrubber and scraper
6. Wave Grooves – a waved version of the straight grooves

I found I liked to use this best by laying it flat in my bathroom sink as it left my hands free. I filled the board with mild soap (I use baby shampoo) & lukewarm to room temperature water (never use really hot water to clean brushes as it loosens the glue in the ferrule which is what you’re trying to avoid). The best system I found with this was to put soap in the cylinder side (shown on the left here) so you can scrub the brush in the soapy water with the rougher cleaning side first. Then I moved the brush to the middle more gentle side for a rinse and extra scrub. Lastly I did a final rinse in the most gentle side (shown on the right). This technique seemed to really clean my brush quickly and effectively without getting my hands dirty. When your done just dump the water, refill and repeat.

You can see the makeup come right off while cleaning. I found the first side with the cylinders, cones and pyramids was very good at cleaning but a little rough for more gentle haired brushes. I would only use this side on the tougher brushes like synthetics and maybe goat hair or the larger brushes with longer hairs to get in there better.

The side with the cylinder, waves and grooves was my favorite side. As the cylinders on this side are still rough and harder on gentle brushes, I only used that side on the goat hair brushes. I used the grooves/waves for squirrel hair eye brushes and more gentle hairs. The grooves and waves cleaned the gentle brushes well enough. Don’t press and swirl too hard while cleaning. You want to prevent splaying the brushes out and ruining their shape. Be gentle. This board retails for $28.

Overall, I liked the cleaning system and it worked well. The Brush Bar is portable and easy to use. The Brush Board is effective for hands free cleaning. Once I figured out my system it was easy to clean quickly. The Brush Bar is offering you my readers 15% off your first purchase with code MICHELLE15 here at getbrushbar.com