Winky Lux Detail Oriented Mascara is a lengthening and defining mascara with a skinny precision wand for reaching every last lash. At the moment, it seems to be available only in black and I don’t see a waterproof version. It goes for $19 and is available to purchase from Ulta, Target, and Winky Lux.
Ole Henriksen Banana Bright Vitamin CC Eye Stick ($34 for 3.7g / 0.13 oz) is an eye cream and color corrector in one. It comes in three sheer shades to help neutralize dark circles and creates a hydrating base to apply concealer over.
Glow Recipe Strawberry BHA Pore Smooth Blur Drops ($32 for 30ml / 1 fl. oz.) is a combination product that can either be used as a step in your skincare routine or as a primer under foundation. It has salicylic acid in it to help keep pores clear and micro fine powders to help keep shine at bay. I liked the idea of being able to incorporate salicylic acid into my skincare route where I’m not using it at the same time as other products with ingredients that would interfere with each other. My intent was to mainly use it as a primer and get the skincare benefits at the same time.
Kosas Dream Beam ($40 for 40 mL / 1.4 fl oz.) is a tinted mineral sunscreen with SPF40 that blends aspects of skincare and makeup. It has moisturizing ingredients and gives the skin a smooth and subtly glowy finish. Used as a foundation primer, it helps to smooth out the look of texture and pores and the subtle glow shows through foundation ever so slightly. It can also just be used by itself as your primary face sunscreen, leaving no white cast on the complexion thanks to the peachy tint.
KVD Good Apple Full Coverage Serum Foundation is a buildable coverage, natural-finish foundation with a relatively thin consistency and surprisingly hydrating feel. It comes in 40 shades and you get the standard 1 fl oz / 30 ml of product for $42.
I picked up the Too Faced Italian Spritz Palette when it came out and have been giving it a go for the past couple weeks. Here are swatches of all of the shades along with descriptions and some of my thoughts on how they perform.
Here are swatches of all of the Essence Pure Nude Baked Blushes. I noticed these come out near the beginning of 2022 and collected them slowly over the past few months as they were never fully stocked at any of my local Ulta stores. These have the same name as the Essence Pure Nude Highlighter that became well known and loved several years ago.
Revlon Illuminance Skin Caring Foundation is a light to medium coverage foundation with a moisturizing formula and lightweight feel. It is said to have skincare properties with ingredients like squalane and hyaluronic acid, and is supposed to improve skin texture over time with daily use. It retails for around $18 and comes in 28 shades that appear to cover a wide range of skin tones.
Sephora recently launched these new “Color Shifter” eyeshadow palettes. They are $10 each and they come in 4 color variations. Each contains three mattes, a shimmer, and a topper shade. The color selection in them is pretty straightforward and balanced. I haven’t found it difficult to come up with a variety of looks for each palette.