What it is: Fenty Beauty Gloss Bomb Shimmer Stix are 6 newly released shades expanding the line of the original Gloss Bomb Stix. They are sheer to medium buildable color payoff lipsticks with a glossy, sparkly finish, a balmy, moisturizing feel, and the same sweet tropical scent as the originals.

Price/Quantity:  $25 for 0.12 oz / 3.6 g

Availability: Fenty Beauty, Sephora, Ulta, Kohl’s

Shade Range: 6 shimmery shades (the original line comes in 11 non-shimmer shades)

Packaging: Plastic pentagonal lipstick case with a snap-shut cap. I like that the shape of the packaging makes it so the lipstick cannot just roll off the counter. The lipstick inside is a standard size (not a slim lipstick) and it twists all the way up and back down with no issues. They match the packaging of the original shade range but there is noticeable sparkle embedded in the plastic of these new shades.

Smell/Fragrance: These have a noticeable sweet, tropical, fruity scent with an almost “sharp” or “tart” quality. I can’t put my finger on what type of fruit I think it smells like. To me, it seems this is all scent as I do not actually taste anything in these.

Expiration/Shelf Life: 12 months after opening

Ingredients:

These are the ingredients listed for the shade Shimmering Fenty Glow. Most shades have their own ingredients list on the Fenty Beauty website with the majority of the ingredients being the same from shade to shade except for variations lower down on each list.

BIS-DIGLYCERYL POLYACYLADIPATE-2, DIISOSTEARYL MALATE, HYDROGENATED POLYISOBUTENE, SQUALANE, BIS-BEHENYL/ISOSTEARYL/PHYTOSTERYL DIMER DILINOLEYL DIMER DILINOLEATE, POLYBUTENE, CERA ALBA/BEESWAX/CIRE D’ABEILLE, SYNTHETIC WAX, BUTYROSPERMUM PARKII (SHEA) BUTTER, CALCIUM ALUMINUM BOROSILICATE, CALCIUM SODIUM  BOROSILICATE, AROMA/FLAVOR, PARFUM/FRAGRANCE, POLYGLYCERYL-2 TRIISOSTEARATE, CAPRYLYL GLYCOL, TIN OXIDE, TRIETHOXYCAPRYLYLSILANE, TOCOPHEROL, POLYHYDROXYSTEARIC ACID, HELIANTHUS ANNUUS (SUNFLOWER) SEED OIL, ALUMINUM HYDROXIDE, ACTINIDIA CHINENSIS (KIWI) SEED OIL, BENZYL BENZOATE, LIMONENE, TITANIUM DIOXIDE (CI 77891), IRON OXIDES (CI 77492, CI 77499), RED 6 LAKE (CI 15850)

Source: Fenty Beauty

Performance

Application: I am able to swipe these on straight from the tube without the help of extra brushes. I can apply a single layer for a more subtle hint of color or build it up 3-4 layers thick if I want. It’s not hard to get decently clean edges and, while I don’t typically use lip liners, I don’t feel the need to add one in to make these work for me.

Pigmentation/Color Payoff: For the most part these are all sheer but can be built up to a semi-sheer/medium coverage. None of them look completely opaque on me even applied heavily. Icy Amethy$t is the sheerest one, offering more sparkle and shine than color payoff. The rest offer noticeable color payoff in addition to the sparkle and shine and require less building for more intense color.

Texture/Consistency/Finish: These have a somewhat thicker/balmy texture when cold in the tube, but they melt and thin out easily against the warmth of my lip. They are similar in texture to the Elf Pout Clout Lip Plumping Pens (my review) and the NYX Fat Oil Slick Clicks (my review) but these have an ever so slightly thinner consistency and glide on with a little more ease. They feel like they have a little more slip than those. They are not as melty or thick as something like the Tarte Lip Vinyls (my review). Those ones can easily get heavy and goopy if I apply too many layers, whereas I don’t have that problem with the Fenty ones. They do not leave my lips sticky at all and the color doesn’t gather in spots or become patchy even applied more heavily.

The finish is quite shiny, almost as shiny as a gloss, but not as thick. I feel they are a little more reflective than the original non-shimmer shades, though it could be an illusion due to the sparkle. The sparkles are LARGE, glittery even. If you like a subtle shimmer, this is not it. The sparkles stand out but they don’t feel all that noticeable when I press my lips together. When I remove the shade, the color and balmy finish come off easily but a lot of the sparkle is left behind on my lips and I feel the need to use a makeup remover to help get the last bits off.

Longevity: I haven’t worn these all that long yet. At the most, I’ve tried wearing them for about an hour at a time without disturbing them by drinking water or coffee. I felt during those times, they stayed put pretty well and faded gracefully if I did manage to transfer a good bit of the color off my lip. They are balmy and they transfer easily at the slightest touch. They likely will need to be reapplied several times throughout the day. The few times I have reapplied them, I didn’t have any problems with the older layer making the new layer look bad.

Pros and Cons

Things I like:

• For being glossy, they feel lightweight
• Really nice amount of shine for a stick product
• I can press my lips together and they don’t feel sticky/goopy
• Color stays evenly distributed on the lip
• I can barely feel the glitter on my lips (not gritty)

Drawbacks and other considerations:

• I’m not a huge fan of large sparkle/glitter personally
• Glitter really clings to lips even after removing and gets on my face and anything I touch

Do I Recommend Them?

Yes but only if you LOVE sparkle. If glitter straying from where you intended to put is even a little annoying to you, maybe take a pause. The base of this formula is fantastic. I love the thinner balmy slip these have. They feel comfortable, hydrating, protective and they look very nice too. I’d love to see Fenty release an in-between finish in this formula that offers just a hint of fine shimmer but with the same type of glossy, transparent color payoff these have. 

Swatches

Icy Amethy$t

Icy Amethy$t is a pale, sheer lavender with blue and pink sparkle. There is more blue sparkle in this than pink. If I apply this one lightly, the base color isn’t too far off from my natural lip color. If I build it up, it begins to look closer to a cool mauve on me.

Flamingo Fling

Flamingo Fling is a pale, cooler pink with silver and pink sparkle. The silver sparkle is much more noticeable than the pink. The shimmer seems more densely packed in this shade than in Icy Amethy$t but there is still a good balance of base color and sparkle if I build it up in layers.

Fu$$y

Fu$$y is a medium, cooler, mauve pink with silver, gold, pink and blue sparkle. The blue sparkles stand out the most against the base color but from a distance, the sheen is more “neutral” and not distractingly blue. It seems the base color is slightly more opaque in this shade than the previous two.

Fenty Glow

Fenty Glow is a light, warmer, peachy pink with large yellow gold, greenish gold, blue and pink sparkles. The gold is the most prominent and the sparkles seem a little larger in this shade. The opacity of this shade is similar to Fu$$y. It’s still transparent but the color builds up much more quickly than Icy Amethy$t or Flamingo Fling.

C U In Maui

C U In Maui is a bright coral with large gold and pink sparkle. I can see both colors of sparkle closer up but from a distance, the gold sheen stands out more. This one seems to have more sparkle packed into it than some of the other shades but there’s still a good balance of base color to glitter when I build it up.

Hot Chocolit

Hot Chocolit is a true brown with slight reddish tones and gold, green, blue, and pink sparkle. Up close and even from a slight distance, I can see the various different colors in the sparkle but as with all the other shades, it doesn’t take away from the base color. Even though this shade is deeper (and more noticeable on me) the opacity is not too different than most of the other medium-depth shades. One thin layer immediately shows up on me (though still transparent) and I am able to add 3-4 more passes to build it up without it looking streaky. I feel it still looks good around the edges and I don’t need a brush or lip liner to make it look decent on me.

What it is: Laura Mercier Tinted Moisturizer Natural Dewy SPF 30 provides sheer to light coverage in a buildable, layerable, lightly hydrating formula that contains a combination of chemical and physical sunscreen ingredients. 

Price/Quantity: There are two sizes available. The larger one is $50 for 45 ml / 1.5 fl oz and there is also a smaller one that is $25 for 15 ml / 0.5 oz.

Availability: Laura Mercier, Sephora, Ulta, Kohl’s, Nordstrom, Macy’s, Amazon

Shade Range: 20 Shades. Looks like a pretty wide range from light to deep. Coverage is sheer to light so choosing a shade that’s a bit “off” will probably still be workable. The undertones for the lighter shades I was choosing from are somewhat “strong”. I could see the pink and yellow tones in them easily.

Packaging: Large squeeze tube with a twist off lid. There is no pump, so you have to gently press on the tube to dispense the amount you want. The product is not too liquidy or too thick, so it’s easy to control how much I dispense. I can leave it laying on its side on the counter while I apply it without worrying that the product will spill out.

Smell/Fragrance: It doesn’t smell fragranced to me but it does have a light version of a typical sunscreen smell. It’s less intense than a true standalone chemical sunscreen and I don’t find it bothersome. The last similar product I tried was the Elf Camo Hydrating CC Cream SPF 30 and I felt that one had a stronger sunscreen smell than this product does.

Expiration/Shelf Life: Mine has an expiration date printed on the top of the squeeze tube of 05/2026 and I purchased it 02/2025. There is no “after opening” shelf life printed on the packaging. 

Ingredients: These are the ingredients for the shade I chose. The four deepest shades have another ingredient list that looks mostly the same except for the pigments at the very bottom of the list.

ACTIVE INGREDIENTS: OCTISALATE 4.5% (SUNSCREEN) OCTOCRYLENE 5.0% (SUNSCREEN) TITANIUM DIOXIDE 0.84% (SUNSCREEN) ZINC OXIDE 3.04% (SUNSCREEN) 

All shades except Brunette, Umber, Sable and Mahogany: WATER, DICAPRYLYL ETHER, CAPRYLIC/CAPRIC TRIGLYCERIDE, POLYGLYCERYL-3 POLYRICINOLEATE, TRIBEHENIN, GLYCERIN, SILICA, MAGNESIUM STEARATE, SODIUM POTASSIUM ALUMINUM SILICATE, BUTYLENE GLYCOL, MAGNESIUM SULFATE, SORBITAN ISOSTEARATE, SODIUM CHLORIDE, PHENOXYETHANOL, ZINC STEARATE, STEARALKONIUM BENTONITE, POLYGLYCERYL-3 DIISOSTEARATE, ETHYLHEXYLGLYCERIN, POTASSIUM SORBATE, MICA, TOCOPHEROL, ASCORBYL PALMITATE, SODIUM HYALURONATE, ALPHA-GLUCAN OLIGOSACCHARIDE, POLYMNIA SONCHIFOLIA ROOT JUICE, MALTODEXTRIN, RUBUS IDAEUS (RASPBERRY) LEAF EXTRACT, ROSA HYBRID FLOWER EXTRACT, VITIS VINIFERA (GRAPE) FRUIT EXTRACT, LACTOBACILLUS. +/- (MAY CONTAIN/PEUT CONTENIR) TITANIUM DIOXIDE (CI 77891), IRON OXIDES (CI 77491, CI 77492, CI 77499)

Source: Laura Mercier

Performance

Shade: I chose the shade 1C Cameo, which had a noticeable pink tone but was a good depth match. One shade lighter looked more like a true neutral but was too light for me. One shade deeper was a teensy bit warm and slightly too dark for me.

Application: I have been using my fingers for the vast majority of application and only using a brush sparingly at the end to blend out some tricky spots (like near the brows and the corners of my nose). It blends really easily and really well just with my hands. If I had to skip using tools completely that would be just fine.

If you’re using this as sun protection, I found it is possible to layer more over itself later in the day without it looking cakey. 

Texture/Consistency/Finish: It has the perfect “medium thick” consistency. It’s not too thin or runny and it’s not mousse-y either. If I squeeze out a dab on the back of my hand and hold my hand up vertically, it doesn’t run down with gravity. At the same time, it feels lightweight and easy to spread over the skin. Once it is completely blended out on the skin it leaves the skin with a slight tack, similar to the way a moisturizer would. It’s not a sticky, greasy, oily feel though. If you are incredibly sensitive to the way things feel, it might feel a bit “heavy”. I’m somewhat sensitive but I don’t feel it is bothersome at all left unset without any powder on top.

It is described as having a “natural dewy” finish and that is the perfect way to put it. It’s not shiny or oily looking but it adds a bit more glow than what my skin has by itself. Looks healthy and natural. 

This isn’t a blurring product and I don’t feel it emphasizes or enhances my texture or pores. The texture of my skin for the most part looks like it does without the product, but the color overall is more even which creates the illusion that the skin is smoother.

Coverage: Sheer to light with one layer. I can build it up to a light medium coverage with 2 or 3 layers. The product layers very well over itself without picking up or sheering out previous layers. The coverage this provides is more like a natural skintone evening effect instead of “covering”. It isn’t mask-like. It’s the type of thing that’s easy to wear if you don’t want to apply any other makeup at all whereas with a foundation, I’d feel weird wearing foundation by itself. It does provide a noticeable improvement though.

Longevity: I’ve worn this all day for about 4 days now. What I’ve noticed is that, without any powder, it will develop an intense glow, bordering on shine by the end of the day, but otherwise it stays in place. I haven’t noticed it gathering in lines or looking splotchy near the end of the day. Also haven’t

noticed any oxidation though that’s rarely been an issue for me in general. The level of glow/shine at the end of the day isn’t that bad and I don’t feel self-conscious about it. I’ve set it with powder on a couple of those days and that definitely helped tone down the shine and keep it toned down all day. It still developed more shine as the day went on but to less of a degree.

Pros and Cons

Things I like:

• Great for no-makeup makeup. Looks fine all by itself with no other makeup because of the lighter coverage and natural finish.
• Applies well with just my hands. Tools help but I can skip them if I want.
• Forgiving on texture (so far).
• Is not “too sheer”. Provides a noticeable improvement without looking “makeup-y”.
• It gets along well with my current favorite primer/sunscreen (Supergoop Matte Screen).

Drawbacks and other considerations:

• It has a slight tacky feel to it. Nowhere near as bad as, for example, Elf Power Grip primer, and not something I personally find irritating. 
• It might be too dewy for someone with oilier skin. (There is apparently a matte version of this tinted moisturizer as well.)
• Has a light sunscreen smell to it that is not as strong as other sunscreens, but is still noticeable.

Do I Recommend It?

Yes for someone with a drier or more normal skin type that likes super easy/natural looking foundation. If you live near a store where you’re able to get a sample of this to try first, I’d recommend that for someone that maybe has oilier skin or thinks they might prefer a higher coverage product. Personally I do not feel regret purchasing this one.

The Sephora Collection Wild Khaki Nude Mega Mix Palette is a warm brown neutral palette with a touch of green. It contains 2 cream-powder matte hybrids, 3 true powder mattes, 3 shimmers with sparkle, and 1 smooth shimmer with all fine particles.

This selection of shades is one I’d describe as “everyday glam”. I thought this palette was better than the Fearless Cool Nude and Rebellious Rosey Nude for overall quality. All the mattes in here ranged from very decent to great. The ease of use and fallout from the shimmers was about on par with the Fiery Warm Nude palette. I liked this one. 

Price: $18
Availability: Sephora

Swatches

The shades are not named but are numbered 1-9 starting with 1 at the top left corner and 9 at the bottom right corner.

1 – Cream-powder hybrid. Pale warm nude with subtle golden tones and a mostly matte finish.
2 – Olive-toned bronze shimmer with a little bit of sparkle.
3 – True powder matte. Medium olive-toned brown.
4 – Pale nude shimmer with lots of larger sparkle, a small amount of glitter and not much of a base color. Feels waxier, adheres well.
5 – Medium green shimmer with larger sparkle. Mostly cooler toned because of what looks like a deep greyish green base color but has a golden sparkly sheen.
6 – Cream-powder hybrid. Black with a satin-matte finish. This gives off a “dewier” look than a true powder matte would.
7 – True powder matte. Deep warm brown.
8 – Deep bronze shimmer. All small shimmer particles.
9 – True powder matte. Light warm golden nude.

Looks

Look 1:

• 1 – Inner corner, brow bone, inner lid
• 2 – Inner lower lashline (dry brush)
• 3 – Crease
• 4 – Inner corner, brow bone (dry brush)
• 5 – Outer lower lashline (dry brush)
• 6 – Liner, smudged into upper lashline
• 7– Inner crease, outer lid
• 8– Center of lid
• 9 – Transition above crease
• Make Up For Ever Artist Color Pencil in Boundless Bisque – Waterline
• Loreal Voluminous Noir Balm Mascara – Upper lashes
• Winky Lux Detail Oriented Mascara – Lower lashes

I used every shade here. Didn’t use any primer but I did put a little bit of foundation on the lid and I used a powder foundation to set the lid before applying any of the shadows. I didn’t notice anything annoying or unpleasant about any of the shades. I thought they all worked well. I can see a tiny bit of fallout in the photos from the deepest matte. Even the sparkly shimmers didn’t have much fallout. The inner corner shimmer looks like it might have some glitter particles in it. From an angle, they look darker than the rest of the color in this shade and it looks like dirt or fallout from a deeper shade, but it’s not. It adhered nicely without the help of a setting spray and applied over another powder. The mattes were slightly powdery and gave me a little bit of kickup when I picked some up with a brush. It was most noticeable with shade 9. I don’t think it was excessive though. 

Look 2:

• 7 – Outer crease, outer lower lashline
• 9 – Transition for outer crease
• 6 – Outer lid
• 5 – Center of lid (dry brush)
• 8 – Inner lid, inner crease (dry brush)
• 1 – Inner corner

Shade 7 had a lot of pigmentation and blended okay by itself but being so dark, I found it helpful to use Shade 9 around the edges to diffuse the blend some more. Shade 9 was also nicely pigmented. Both of these seemed better than the mattes in the Rebellious Rosey Nude Palette.

Shade 6 is a cream-powder hybrid. It wasn’t hard to build up to the color payoff you see here, it adhered well, and blended easily. I didn’t use it over a large enough area to get a good feel for if it made my lid look more textured or dry compared to the lighter shades in this formula, but I feel like it may look slightly better in this deeper shade.

Shade 8 was a really nice shimmer. It is mostly, if not completely, made up of fine shimmer had great color payoff, adhered easily to the lid, didn’t require much building.

Shade 5 has sparkles and fine shimmer and wasn’t quite as easy to build up as the previous shimmer, but was still pretty good. It had a very little fallout.

Look 3:

• 3 – Crease, lower lashline
• 2 – All over lid (dry brush, fingertip)
• 1 – Inner corner, brow bone, used to blend around edges of matte brown

Shade 3 was a pretty good matte. I didn’t feel it was too sheer or too pigmented, color payoff was just right. I used Shade 1 to help smooth out the edges of the blend but I feel I could have skipped that and it would’ve looked fine.

Shade 2 was also decent. It seems to have mostly fine shimmer in it but I can see some tiny sparkles in it too. There was a very small amount of fallout but I had no issue brushing it off my skin. I was able to get a nice level of coverage with a dry brush, which, in real life, I felt looked perfectly fine. In photos I noticed it was ever so slightly uneven, so went back and applied a bit more with my fingertip to even it out.

Look 4:

• 9 – Crease, lower lashline
• 7 – Outer lid
• 8 – Center of lid (dry brush)
• 4 – Inner corner (dry brush)

Shade 9 worked well for the crease. Not much work to build it up to be easily visible. Blended out smoothly. I didn’t use any other shades to help it look smoother around the edges. Went on evenly. Decent quality.

Shade 7 was also a good matte. Good level of pigment, even color payoff. As far as I could tell it seemed to blend well, though I did sheer it into the lighter brown, which makes it more difficult to see. No fallout. In any case, it was not frustrating at all.

Shade 8 is the type of shimmer I prefer recently. No sparkle at all, all fine shimmer, high level of color payoff with minimal effort required to apply it. Almost no fallout.

Shade 4 was pretty nice too. This was is a sparkly “topper” type of shade. It is made of white flecks of sparkle without a base color. I was careful in how I applied it but I didn’t have too much fallout from it. I think if I was in a rush, being impatient, not being careful, I could easily get more fallout from it though.

What it is: Ouai Hair Gloss is a hair treatment you apply in the shower similar to the way a conditioner or hair mask is used, to increase shine, treat damage, protect color, and act as a heat protectant. It is left on for about 5 minutes and rinsed out. Conditioner may be used or skipped afterward depending your hair type and needs. It is supposed to be most effective when paired with heat styling.

Price/Quantity: $34 for 6 oz / 177 ml

Availability: Ouai, Sephora, Ulta, Amazon, Target, Kohl’s 

Packaging: Squeeze bottle with a tilt open lid. Very easy to dispense the product and control the amount I get out of the bottle.

Smell/Fragrance: It has a noticeable, moderately strong fragrance. It is a clean, bright, subtly floral scent. Leans feminine but not too much. Reminds me of Pantene products I used many years ago.

Expiration/Shelf Life: 12 months after opening.

Ingredients:

AQUA (WATER, EAU), DIMETHICONE, PHENYL TRIMETHICONE, C11-13 ISOALKANE, ISOHEXADECANE, DIMETHICONOL, PROPANEDIOL, GLYCERIN, ACRYLAMIDOPROPYLTRIMONIUM CHLORIDE/ACRY- LATES COPOLYMER, C13-15 ALKANE, PARFUM / FRAGRANCE, PANTHENOL, ORYZA SATIVA (RICE) BRAN EXTRACT, HYDROLYZED HYALURONIC ACID, SODIUM HYALURONATE, ORYZA SATIVA (RICE) SEED WATER, ROSMARINUS OFFICINALIS (ROSEMARY) LEAF EXTRACT, HELIANTHUS ANNUUS (SUNFLOWER) EXTRACT, HYDROGENATED CASTOR OIL/SEBACIC ACID COPOLYMER, SODIUM STEAROYL GLUTAMATE, CAPRYLYL GLYCOL, CETEARYL ALCOHOL, COCETH-7, TOCOPHEROL, GLYCERYL STEARATE SE, SACCHAROMYCES FERMENT, LACTOBACILLUS FERMENT, LACTIC ACID, CELLULOSE GUM, MICROCRYSTALLINE CELLULOSE, GUAR HYDROXYPROPYLTRIMONIUM CHLORIDE, CITRIC ACID, SORBITAN ISOSTEARATE, SODIUM HYDROXIDE, PHENOXYETHANOL, CHLORPHENESIN, LIMONENE, ALPHA-ISOMETHYL IONONE, GERANIOL, HYDROXYCITRONELLAL.

Source: Ouai

My Experience With It

I have had this in my shower for quite some time. I bought it when it first came out, tried it many times in different ways, and at this point I’m done giving it chances. It’s time to review it and declutter it.

For reference, I have fine, thin, straight hair. I have to wash it everyday for it to look clean. It will absolutely get greasy by the end of the day even if I use a clarifying shampoo and a dry shampoo after drying it.

This feels a lot like a conditioner when I dispense it into my hand except it doesn’t have the same slip and it doesn’t provide any detangling. The 5 minute wait time is reasonable and allows me to do other things in the meantime. 

As I rinse it out, it leaves behind a bit of an oily feel on my strands, especially if I use it on just-washed but not-conditioned hair. If I use a conditioner first, and then use this (which is not what the directions say to do), I have much less of an issue with this leaving that oily feel on my hair. For this reason, I have used it mainly from my ears down and not near the crown of my head.

I feel my hair dries about the same using a hairdryer, but the hair gloss leaves my hair with this stiff feel. Depending on how I use it in the shower, the coating this leaves on my strands can range from very tolerable to greasy, dirty, and stringy looking. Shampooing AND CONDITIONING before using the hair gloss makes it so I don’t have much an issue with my hair feeling dirty. Skipping conditioner doesn’t work at all for me. In that case, I’m better off not using the product at all.

The main issue I have with this product, though, is not what I’ve mentioned above. It’s that it really doesn’t add shine to my hair. The reflectiveness of my hair is damn near the same as when I don’t use this product. But now it feels dirty to some degree. So why incorporate this added step into my routine, then?

To be fair, this product might work for someone with thicker, coarser hair that doesn’t have issues with it easily looking greasy (though I’d still question how much shine it’s actually adding). I also don’t use heat styling much. The extent of my heat styling is using a blowdryer on the highest heat setting. I imagine pairing this with a flat iron would probably be much more effective on a different hair type.

Before and After

I tried my best to get a decent before and after. These photos are taken on different days but I used the same shampoo and conditioner on both days. The before is shampooed, conditioned, and dried hair. The after is shampooed, conditioned, hair-glossed, and dried hair. I almost want to say my hair looks less glossy when using the product (not by a whole lot) but it does look a bit more “sleek”. This is about the best result I am able to get with it. It’s easy to accidentally use too much product or not rinse it out well enough and end up with a stringier/dirtier looking version of the after.

The Sephora Collection Rebellious Rosey Nude Mega Mix Palette is a soft, warmer, pink-themed palette with several shimmer textures, a cream-powder matte, true powder mattes, a matte with fine sparkle, and a true self-adhering glitter.  

Visually to me, this shade selection stands out from the other palettes in the collection but I didn’t love it as much with actual use. The shadows worked well enough but the quality wasn’t quite as good as what was in the Fiery Warm Nude Palette. The shimmers were nice and there was less sparkle fallout than I got with the Fearless Cool Nude Palette but color payoff from the mattes was somewhat lackluster.

Price: $18
Availability: Sephora

Swatches

The shades are not named but are numbered 1-9 starting with 1 at the top left corner and 9 at the bottom right corner.

1 – Cream-powder hybrid. Pale pinky nude with a mostly matte finish.
2 – Pale sparkly nude. LOTS of sparkle, less emollient than the other shimmers.
3 – True powder matte. Deep reddish brown.
4 – Medium matte rose pink with micro fine sparkle. Sparkle isn’t visible on the eye.
5 – Pale nude (almost white) shimmer with a smooth sheen. Mostly small shimmer particles.
6 – Cranberry pink self-adhering glitter.
7 – Medium rosy pink shimmer with a subtle silver sheen. Mixture of fine shimmer and sparkle. Feels more emollient.
8 – True powder matte. Light warm pink.
9 – Burgundy shimmer with a little bit of larger sparkle. Feels more emollient.

In general the mattes were not that impressive to me in this palette. The creamy-powder in this palette, as with all the other palettes in this collection, sits heavy and textured-looking on my lids. The true powder mattes showed up okay but I found myself having to continuously build them up during application to maintain color vibrancy. They were too easy to sheer out while blending or while applying the shimmers nearby or over top of them. Using a primer can help solve this issue, however, I have been using primers less lately because my lids have been dry.

I liked the shimmers more in this palette than the mattes. Most had some level of sparkle fallout but I generally didn’t find it as annoying as the ones in the Fearless Cool Nude Palette. They all showed up easily, adhered well to the lid, and had a nice amount of shine. The only one I’d say needed the help of a setting spray or sticky primer was Shade 2. 

Shade 6 is the lone true glitter. This is one of the best glitters across all the palettes. It sticks to the skin better and I get very few stray specks falling down onto my face. It takes some effort to maneuver it around if you don’t place it just right at first, but it’s doable. I prefer that over one that doesn’t adhere well and gets everywhere. 

Looks

Look 1:

• No primer or any type of base product on the lid
• 8 – Transition (most visible in the center part of the crease)
• 3 – Outer crease, also added a TINYYYY amount to outer lower lashline to deepen the pink
• 4 – Inner crease, outer lower lashline
• 6 – Inner corner
• 2 – Outer edges of the glitter
• 5 – Center of the lid
• ColourPop Graphix Ink Liner in So Winey
• Loreal Voluminous Noir Balm Mascara – Upper lashes

Shade 4 didn’t go on as evenly as I would have liked but I felt that maybe my skin was just too dry. I’ll have to try it again. I had some spots that looked more sheer and I tried to build it up in those spots but it resisted layering over itself. It has ultra fine reflects within the matte powder but it doesn’t really translate as visible on the eye and it doesn’t give the finish any type of sheen either. It just looks like a regular matte.

Shade 6 is a self adhering glitter. It really sticks and wasn’t super easy to move around once I placed it on the skin.

I liked shade 5. Nice fine shimmer with a soft glowy finish and semi sheer opacity. 

Look 2:

• 3 – Inner/outer lid and crease
• 8 – Transition (used very lightly around the edges of shade 3)
• 2 – Center of lid, center of lower lashline (dry brush, wet brush)
• 9 – Inner/outer lower lashline
• 1 – Very inner corner
• 5 – Inner corner (layered over previous shade), brow bone
• Make Up For Ever Artist Color Pencil in Dimensional Dark Brown – Waterline
• Elf Lash It Loud Mascara – Upper lashes

I was going to do this on both eyes and I started out with Shade 3 on an unprimed lid and immediately regretted it. I started later in the day and my lids were a bit oily and this shade very obviously deepened in areas that were more oily. After trying to apply more to build the color up, it just wouldn’t build up. I gave up on that eye and tried again on the other eye over an eye primer. It went on WAY better. No clinging to oil/moisture, even color payoff, nice blending for the most part. I was able to move this shade easily but it needed a little bit of help from a lighter shade for a very smooth gradient around the edges. I also was not able to build it up a whole lot on this eye, so I think that’s just an issue with these mattes in general.

Shade 2 has small/heavy sparkles that fall out easily to an almost annoying level. They stick to the skin kind of firmly as well so it’s not the fastest thing to clean up afterward. It adhered mostly fine to the lid though and showed up nicely as a very noticeable sparkle with a dry brush. It didn’t stand out as much as I wanted when used on the lower lashline, so I applied it again with a wet brush there and then went over the lid with another layer using a wet brush as well. This shade gives off somewhat of a wet look though it doesn’t feel creamy or emollient.

Shade 9 had fine shimmer and sparkle but not much fallout. Very nice color payoff, shimmer/sparkle shows up well too, adhered well.

Shade 5 is more of a regular shimmer with smaller particles. 

Look 3:

• No Primer (small amount of concealer on lid)
• 8 – Crease, lower lashline
• 7 – All over lid (dry brush, fingertip)
• 1 – Inner corner, brow bone
• Make Up For Ever Artist Color Pencil in Boundless Bisque – Waterline
• Elf Lash Out Loud Mascara – Upper and lower lashes

Shade 8 was lighter and a bit sheerer than I thought it would be. I ended up packing it on heavily to get it to what you see here.

Shade 7 applied fairly well with a dry brush but I amped it up some more by pressing another layer on with my finger. It had moderate sparkle fallout and took some effort to clean up, sticking a bit to my powdered foundation. 

Shade 1 is a cream-powder. Looked a little heavier and more textured on my lid than the true powders.

Look 4:

• No Primer (small amount of concealer on lid)
• 4 – Crease, lower lashline
• 9 – All over lid (dry brush)
• 7 – Inner corner (dry brush)
• 1 – Blended around edges of matte pink with this
• Make Up For Ever Artist Color Pencil in Boundless Bisque – Waterline
• Loreal Voluminous Noir Balm Mascara – Upper and lower lashes

Shade 4 picked up and transferred easily, initially seeming to have good color payoff but it ended up dusting away easily when I applied the deeper shimmer nearby and while blending. I kept adding layers in the deeper part of the crease to build the color back up. Hardly any fallout from either the matte or sparkle portions of the shade.

Shade 9 has a slightly thicker/creamier feel for a shimmer. It also picked up easily on a brush and adhered well to the lid with minimal fallout. I didn’t have to layer it that heavily for it to show up well.

Shade 7 was also on the creamier side for a shimmer. I applied this to the inner corner with a dry pencil brush and had minimal fallout but this gave me a sheer application of color. To get it to pop more, I switched to a thick eyeliner brush, which gave me much more color payoff off but also increased sparkle fallout to be more on the moderate side.

What it is: Fenty Skin Cherry Dub Blah 2 Bright 5% AHA Face Mask is an exfoliating, cherry-scented, gel mask that is applied to dry skin and rinsed off after 10 minutes. It contains a variety of acids to immediately help smooth out dull skin and is supposed to help brighten the complexion and combat dark spots with regular use. This is purely a chemical exfoliator, as there are no gritty particles in it.

Price/Quantity: $39 for 75 ml / 2.5 fl oz

Availability: Fenty Beauty, Sephora

Packaging: Heavy glass jar with a sturdy plastic lid. There is also an added plastic cap/liner that sits between the jar and lid.

Smell/Fragrance: It has the type of cherry scent that for some reason brings back memories of childhood. It’s a strong, sweet, well rounded fragrance with just the right amount of tartness. I’m not against fragrance entirely in skincare but I prefer, if it is added, to be something like this, where it is very intentionally part of the experience and not just an afterthought. 

Expiration/Shelf Life: 12 months after opening

Ingredients:

AQUA/WATER/EAU, GLYCERIN, GLYCOLIC ACID, AMMONIUM ACRYLOYLDIMETHYLTAURATE/VP COPOLYMER, PROPANEDIOL, POLYACRYLATE CROSSPOLYMER-6, SODIUM HYDROXIDE, LACTIC ACID, 3-O-ETHYL ASCORBIC ACID, CARRAGEENAN, MALPIGHIA GLABRA (ACEROLA) FRUIT JUICE, MALPIGHIA GLABRA (ACEROLA) FRUIT EXTRACT, SALICYLIC ACID, PANTHENOL, CAFFEINE, SODIUM HYALURONATE, TOCOPHEROL, ROSMARINUS OFFICINALIS (ROSEMARY) LEAF EXTRACT, HELIANTHUS ANNUUS (SUNFLOWER) EXTRACT, ORYZA SATIVA (RICE) BRAN EXTRACT, RAPHANUS SATIVUS (RADISH) ROOT EXTRACT, LEUCONOSTOC/RADISH ROOT FERMENT FILTRATE, LACTOBACILLUS, MALTODEXTRIN, OLETH-20, PENTAERYTHRITYL TETRA-DI-T-BUTYL HYDROXYHYDROCINNAMATE, SODIUM BENZOTRIAZOLYL BUTYLPHENOL SULFONATE, SODIUM PHYTATE, GLYCERYL POLYACRYLATE,  PARFUM/FRAGRANCE, PHENOXYETHANOL, RED 40 (CI 16035).

Source: Fenty Beauty

My Experience With It

I first tried the Fenty Skin Cherry Dub Mask about a year ago, being somewhat intrigued with the ingredient list. With one use, I see immediate results. My skin looks and feels smoother and makeup applies much better. They say that with regular use, it is supposed to brighten the skin and treat dark spots. I use it somewhat regularly but not religiously and I haven’t seen these longer term benefits in my own skin personally. I do notice a slight brightening effect right after using it but I feel it’s probably just due to the top layer of dead skin being gone creating that illusion. For the most part, my skin tolerates this well with minimal to no irritation and I’m very happy with the results. It’s not the cheapest option for exfoliating the skin, but using a thin layer is still effective, and I can stretch out the time between uses. The price is worth how it works for me.

How I Use It

After some trial and error, my favorite way to use this is right before I shower. I may or may not wash my face before hand. If my skin is quite dry (not much oil on the surface), I won’t even wash my face, but if it’s oily I’ll do a quick rinse and pat my skin dry. I will then apply a thin layer all over, avoiding the eye area and lips. If I have any breakouts or areas of the skin that are broken I may try to avoid those as well just so it doesn’t sting. When I first started using this, I left it on for the recommended 5-10 minutes. After close to a year of using it, I feel like it’s better for me if I leave it on for more like 10-15 minutes. If I approach longer times like 20 minutes, I do notice it causes some mild redness and irritation.

I rinse this off in the shower because it is quite thick and simply using my hands with some water over the sink TAKES FOREVER. It is much faster to let the water run over my face in the shower to remove all of the product from my skin. I sometimes use a cloth (wash cloth, square of gauze, etc.) to speed this process up. Doing this is an added level of physical exfoliation, so be mindful that may be a bit too harsh if you have sensitive skin. Personally, I love the combo of this and it does an amazing job of making my skin feel super refreshed.

Depending on how dry or oily my skin is, I may not even use a facial cleanser afterward. In the warmer months, I’m more likely to cleanse either before or after but in the winter I often skip it.

When I use it more regularly, 2-3 times a week (for example: Mon, Wed, Fri) is a good amount that doesn’t irritate my skin but also maintains the smoothness I like. However, I kind of jump around to different products now and then so I don’t follow this pattern religiously. 

How Long It Lasts

I’ve been on the same jar for this entire past year and I’ve just now finished it. Last fall, I repurchased a couple more jars to have on backup in anticipation of running out.

I’d say if I was only using this one exfoliator regularly, I might be able to get around 4 months out of the jar. In the year that I had the container open, I didn’t notice any changes in texture, smell, or effectiveness of the product.

Pros and Cons

Things I like:

• Less harsh than a physical exfoliator.
• Just as effective if not more effective than a physical exfoliator.
• The cherry fragrance is a treat in itself (there’s something nostalgic about it).

Drawbacks and other considerations:

• Difficult to rinse off at a sink (better to do this in the shower) because it’s thick and gummy once it dries down. Using some sort of facial cloth makes this go much faster and provides a tiny bit of extra physical exfoliation.
• More time intensive than a physical exfoliator since you need to let it sit on the skin for a bit.
• It has a noticeable stingy feeling on the skin, which is even stronger if I’ve done any facial hair removal before use. I wouldn’t say it’s painful or all that uncomfortable, but it’s noticeable even with regular use.

The Sephora Collection Fiery Warm Nude Mega Mix Palette is a warm brown, bronze, and gold eyeshadow palette that contains 3 types of mattes and 5 shimmers with varying degrees of sparkle. There are no true glitters but one of the shimmers has some glitter particles in it.

Compared to the Fearless Cool Nude Palette, I enjoy this one a bit more. There was less fallout overall and for the style of eyeshadow I like to wear, I like the choice of shades better.

Price: $18
Availability: Sephora

Swatches

The shades are not named but are numbered 1-9 starting with 1 at the top left corner of the palette and 9 at the bottom right corner.

1 – Cream-powder hybrid. Pale peachy nude with a mostly matte finish.
2 – Copper shimmer with mostly small shimmer particles and a few larger sparkles.
3 – True powder matte. Deep reddish brown.
4 – Light peachy nude matte with micro fine sparkles.
5 – Medium bronze sparkly shimmer. More fine shimmer than larger sparkle.
6 – Golden white sparkly/flakey/glittery shimmer. Has a thicker and waxier feel to it.
7 – True powder matte. Medium orangey brown.
8 – Pale gold with larger flakey sparkles. Slightly drier, doesn’t grab onto skin as readily as shade 6.
9 – Yellow gold shimmer with larger flakey sparkles and a waxier feel.

There is 1 creamy-powder in here and it applied about the same as the ones in the other palettes. This one is a slightly deeper color which I think helps it to look a little more flattering. It is not deep enough to use as a crease shade but is good for blending and diffusing other shades or (on my complexion) to use as a color corrector and evening shade on the inner corner. I don’t love this formula as a “base” because the heaviness can still be seen even with other eyeshadows on top of it.

Both of the true powder mattes were nice. They gave me rich, even color payoff, blended easily and had little to no fallout.

The 1 matte with sparkle was decent. I did get a small amount of sparkle fallout from it, but the sparkles are very tiny and there’s not that much of it in the shade. I was able to use it heavily as a lid color and more lightly in the crease without much issue.

There are some very sparkly shimmers in this palette but I found these ones less messy than the ones in the Fearless Cool Nude Palette. The only one I didn’t give a good try on the lid was Shade 9. The way I used it probably wasn’t the best to test for fallout, but I remember it stuck well to the skin. Most are different enough to tell them apart on the eye except for Shades 6 and 8. Those two stand out well from each other in the pan but I think they look very similar in color once I put them on the lid.

Looks

Look 1:

• No Primer (but lightly used concealer on the lid)
• 4 – All over lid/crease (brush then tapped extra on with fingertip), lower lashline
• 7 – Add depth to upper outer part of crease
• 9 – Inner corner, upper part of winged liner (wet brush)
• 3 – Winged linger (wet brush, layered over top the previous shimmer)

The shimmer in shade 4 is extremely fine and pretty sparse. I got a little bit of sparkle fallout but it was very minimal for how heavily I applied this shade and it was easy to brush away.

Shade 3 was a nice matte, good color payoff, easy to blend, no noticeable fallout, not too powdery/messy in the pan. The formula is well balanced so it doesn’t feel dry/dusty.

Look 2:

• No Primer (but lightly used concealer on the lid)
• 1 – Inner corner, transition
• 4 – Add depth to outer crease
• 8 – Center of lid (dry brush)
• 2 – Lower lashline (dry brush)

I was hoping to show how shade 1 looks on the skin but it doesn’t translate all that well in the photos. Every shade in this collection that is this creamy formula sits on my lid this way. I find it more unflattering in real life than it comes across in photos. I prefer the true powder mattes in these palettes.

Shade 4 worked fine used this way — applied lightly with a fluffier brush, without regard for possible sparkle fallout. I had no issues. The fallout was very minimal and easy to clean up and the matte portion of the shade worked very well for this purpose.

Shade 8 is mainly sparkle with no noticeable base color (the way I used it). I didn’t apply it very heavily and it didn’t take much layering to get it to this point. It is not a very creamy feeling shade but it still adhered pretty well and surprisingly wasn’t very messy as far as fallout.

Shade 2 is the closest thing to a regular/standard shimmer. Mostly finer particles and a softer sheen. It felt slightly thin on color payoff but didn’t take me much time to build it up to this level.

Look 3:

• 1 – Inner corner, brow bone
• 3 – Inner/outer lid and crease
• 4 – Transition
• 2 – Center of lid
• 8 – Inner corner
• Make Up For Ever Artist Color Pencil in Limitless Brown – Waterline and smudged under lower lashline

Shade 3 was a good matte. I applied a lot of it and I didn’t get any noticeable fallout from it. It blended pretty well by itself but I wanted some warmth so I added shade 4 around the edges.

I also wanted to use Shade 2 again on the lid to get a better idea of the finish. Like I thought from the first time I used it, it has a softer sheen, isn’t sparkly, and had hardly any fallout which was a breath of fresh air compared to many of the other shimmers I’ve used from these palettes.

I didn’t quite use enough of Shade 8. It shows up but I should have used it over a slightly larger area so it would show up better. It’s a chunky shimmer. Looks like a glitter in the pan but it’s mainly sparkle + flakes.

Look 4:

• No Primer (but lightly used concealer on the lid)
• 7 – Crease, lower lashline
• 5 – Inner/outer lid (dry brush)
• 6 – Center of lid (dry brush, fingertip)
• 8 – Center of lower lashline (wet brush)
• 1 – Inner corner, lightly around edges of entire look to blend
• Loreal Voluminous Noir Balm Mascara – Upper and lower lashes

Shade 7 is a really nice matte. Most of the mattes in this collection are decent and there are a few that leave something to be desired, but this one stands out as being a little extra nice quality. Color payoff is great and it applies very smoothly. Easy blending, no noticeable fallout.

Shade 5 has a mixture of fine shimmer and larger sparkle but it’s a good balance between the two. The fine shimmer is dense enough to provide a solid base color so it goes on with a pretty high opacity. I got some fallout but there was less of it than with many of the other shimmers in this collection.

Shade 6 is a sparkly/flakey/glittery shimmer and it also has a thicker and waxier feel to it. I started out applying this with a brush and that did fine. It adhered perfectly well without having to wet my brush or use a sticky base and there was minimal fallout. However it went on a bit sheer and I wanted it to really show up, so I tapped on a bit more with my fingertip at the end. Sparkle annoys me lately but a formula like this one makes it much easier to tolerate.

Shade 8 is a drier type of sparkle and one that produces more fallout so I didn’t even try using a dry brush with it.

Shade 1 is a cream-powder but it almost matches my skin tone and I feel like that helps it look a little more flattering than the lighter shades in this formula in this collection.

The Sephora Collection Fearless Cool Nude Mega Mix Palette is one of several newly released, budget-priced palettes featuring the ability to rearrange rows of shades within palettes to customize them to your liking. This one mainly contains cooler-toned browns and taupes with various formulations ranging from a cream-powder hybrid matte to true powder mattes, as well as shimmers with a mixture of fine shimmer and larger sparkle, and flakier/chunkier shimmers that resemble glitter.

Price: $18.00
Availability: Sephora

Swatches

Shades are not named but are numbered 1-9 starting with 1 at the top left corner and 9 at the bottom right corner.

1 – Cream-powder hybrid. Ulta pale taupe with a mostly matte finish.
2 – White sparkly shimmer with a subtle golden sheen. 
3– Medium shimmery taupe. Mostly small shimmer particles. 
4– Flakey white shimmer with a subtle blue sheen.
5– Sparkly silver shimmer.
6 – Matte black base packed with lots of silver sparkle.
7 – True powder matte. Deep cool-toned brown.
8– Light bronze sparkly shimmer. 
9 – True powder matte. Medium cool taupe.

The cream-powder hybrid is more powder than it is cream. Pressing into it does not cause me to leave a dent in the pan. In the swatch above, it is layered pretty heavily, and in that state, it looks like it has a bit of a satiny-sheen to it. I don’t find that it has a satin finish on the eye though. Instead, it looks mostly matte but it looks heavier/thicker than a standard powder matte and emphasizes the natural texture of my lids.

The two true powder mattes were both nice. The lighter one was a tiny bit powdery in the pan but nothing excessive. Both had a good amount of color payoff and went on mostly evenly. Very little to no fallout from either.

There is a ALOT of shimmer in this palette and most of it is larger sparkle. If you like pinpoint reflects and you don’t mind sparkle fallout, you’ll probably be okay with this. If you prefer smoother-looking (metallic/satin) sheens and hate fallout, I’d caution you on picking this up. The composition and finish of the shimmers varies by shade. Some have much more sparkle than others, some are a bit more opaque than others. I thought they all generally were easy to pick up on a brush, without having to dig or press hard into the pan to do so. They also transferred easily from my brush to my lid. I nearly always found using my fingertip instead of a brush to be more effective at depositing color more heavily/opaquely. The formulas feel “balanced”, meaning they are neither dry/dusty and do not fly up in the air at the slightest touch, nor are they very creamy or emollient-feeling. I like the balance that they have.

Looks

Look 1:

• No Primer
• 1 – Crease/transition
• 9 – Add depth to outer crease
• 2 – All over lid (dry brush, fingertip)
• 3 – Lower lashline (dry brush)
• Loreal Voluminous Noir Balm Mascara – Upper lashes only

Shade 1 was barely deeper than my skin tone and very cool toned. This one has an almost-creamy feel to it and I thought it sat a little heavy on my lid.

I didn’t use enough of Shade 9 here to get a good feel for it.

Shade 2 went on a little sheerer than I wanted with just a dry brush but I liked how it looked when pressed on with my finger. It had borderline annoying fallout applied this way. The sparkles are small but heavy and they fall down under my eyes easily. 

Shade 3 didn’t seem to have as much sparkle in it, and more fine shimmer. I didn’t notice much fallout the way I applied it to the lower lashline. 

Look 2:

• No Primer
• 9 – Crease/transition
• 7 – Liner
• 5 – Center of lid
• 8 – Lower lashline
• Refy Lash Sculpt Mascara – Upper lashes only
• Make Up For Ever Artist Color Pencil in Infinite Nude (this shade is discontinued but Boundless Bisque is similar) – Waterline

Shade 9 was a little powdery in the pan when I went to pick some up on the brush. It wasn’t a crazy amount but it wasn’t a particularly firmly pressed shade. I tapped some of the excess color off onto the back of my hand before applying it to the lids just so I could get more of a gradual buildup of color. It blended nicely without the primer underneath. It was a nice true cool toned neutral taupe on me (not too grey and definitely not a warm brown) that I could see myself using on a day where I just want “natural” looking eyeshadow.

Shade 7 worked well as a liner. Plenty of pigment, not too “soft” or “silky” of a formula. Stayed where I placed it with my brush and built up well.

Shade 5 was more sparkle than anything. I thought it might be a little more like a metallic but it’s just a lot of large silver sparkle. It adhered surprisingly well for how sparkly it is but I did get quite a noticeable amount of fallout. It wasn’t that hard to brush off with a spoolie. This shade looks blue on Sephora’s website. It’s definitely not blue. It’s a true light/bright silver. 

Shade 8 is also sparkly but has a sheer brown base color. I got some fallout from this as well but it also was not difficult to clean up.

Look 3:

• No Primer
• 9 – All over lid/crease
• 6 – All over lid (layered over previous shade), lower lashline
• 4 – Inner corner (wet and dry brush)
• Loreal Voluminous Noir Balm Mascara – Upper and lower lashes
• Make Up For Ever Artist Color Pencil in Boundless Bisque – Waterline

This is mainly to show the texture of Shade 6 on the eye compared to in the pan. There’s a lot of matte in the shade but also a lot of sparkle. It’s a fairly deep black with good color payoff. I got a lot of both pigment and sparkle fallout from it the way I applied it in this look. I applied this with a combination of flat shader brushes and my fingertip.

Shade 9 is my transition so the black looks more smoothly blended. I did not intend to apply the black so heavily over so much of the lid and if I’d realized that’s where I was going to end up, I would not have applied this taupe shade so heavily underneath it. 

Shade 4 is the flakiest shimmer in the palette. The clumps break up into smaller bits of shimmer if I smooth over them enough. I started with a dry brush but them dampened the brush as I continued layering more color on.

Look 4:

• ABH Eyeshadow Primer
• 7 – All over lid/crease
• 1 – Transition, used very lightly around the edges of shade 7, lower lashline (underneath the shimmer)
• 5 – Center of lid, lower lashline (wet brush)
• 2 – Inner corner (wet brush)
• Loreal Voluminous Noir Balm Mascara – Upper lashes and lower lashes
• Urban Decay 24/7 Glide On Eye Pencil in Mushroom – Waterline

I applied and blended Shade 7 mostly with a flat shader brush. It had plenty of pigmentation but wasn’t difficult to blend or apply evenly. I didn’t have much fallout from it. It darkened ever so slightly in the line of my crease but was easy to even back out by applying a bit more color in lighter areas.

Shade 1 is so light it almost blends in with my skin tone. I found it worked well to even out any redness or discoloration on the lower lashline, and the creamy formula sat better on that part of the eye.

Shade 5 is mostly sparkle with little to no base color. Applying it with a wet brush gave me this less-sheer look but if I use a dry brush with this, it will look more like scattered sparkles.

Shade 2 has finer, more dense shimmer and goes on with even more opacity than Shade 5. I prefer this texture more. It took on more of a metallic finish applied this way.

What it is: Elf Brow Laminating Gel is a waxy, strong-hold, brow styling product that can be used lightly for a natural look or heavily for a bolder look.

Price/Quantity: $8 for 0.27 oz / 7.8 grams

Availability: Elf, Ulta, Target, Walmart, Amazon

Shade Range: Only one shade (clear)

Packaging: Twist-open tube with an added double sided applicator. The main applicator is a spoolie and the two additional ones with the cap over top are a comb and mini brush. If I’m just doing a light application for a natural look, I don’t find the extra included applicators any more helpful than just the spoolie. For a heavier application to get a more “laminated” look, the mini brush was helpful. The spoolie holds A LOT of product. I have wiped off the excess into a tissue 3-4 times now and it continues to come out of the tube with more product than I want.

Smell/Fragrance: I don’t smell any fragrance but it does have a faint glue-like smell.

Expiration/Shelf Life: 6 months after opening.

Ingredients:

Performance

I’ve been using this a month or so now. I have a few other brow gel products and I’ve been reaching for this over those, so clearly I like it. There are things that annoy me about it though.

Texture/Consistency/Finish: This is described as a gel that dries down. I don’t agree with this description. To me this a primarily a brow wax and it does set down a little but it never fully dries. You can continue to move the brow hairs for however long you want but once it “dries”, if you attempt to add more or brush through the brow hairs again, the product will begin to look white and flakey on the brows.

Application: The way I apply this is by pulling the wand out from the tube, wiping off the excess either on a tissue or onto the neck of the container, and then LIGHTLY brushing through the hairs toward the front of the brows. I will use a clean brow spoolie to evenly disperse it through the hairs and get them in the shape that I want. Once that is done, I’ll apply the product more heavily to the outer tails of the brows, not worried about it looking heavy, because I use my finger tip to press the hairs against the skin. I have often applied more and continued fixing the tails of the brows without the issue of it looking heavy.

Longevity: If I don’t touch my brows, they will stay how I style them all day. Once in a while the outer tails will lift a little from the skin and I’ll just press them back down. This is something I don’t really do for “normal” everyday makeup but I like doing it for photos. This product holds the brows to the skin almost as well as the ABH Brow Freeze Gel. That one sets completely and stays “glued” all day but, this being more like a wax, has more ability to move with touch or strong facial expressions. As waxes go, this is the strongest-hold one I’ve tried.

Pros and Cons

Things I like:

• Very strong hold
• As long as I don’t touch my brows, they will stay in place all day
• Effective at holding down stubborn wire-y brow hairs
• Not crunchy-feeling (but does stiffen the hairs a little)
• Because it doesn’t dry fully, I can continue to make small adjustments to my brows as long as I want

Drawbacks and other considerations:

• Brush holds too much product
• Easy to apply too heavily and will then be visible on the brow hairs
• Combing through hairs once I’ve applied product (more than the amount needed to apply initial layer) can cause a flakey white appearance

Do I Recommend It?

For $8, yes. If this formula was in a container that offered me better control over how much I apply without having to reach for extra tools, I’d even pay more for it. If you aren’t too bothered by the extra steps, it might be worth checking out.  

Before and After

This is the way I normally do my brows for a more natural look. This is a very light application of product through the majority of the brow, with a bit more of a heavy application at the very tail end to help the hairs lay flatter against the skin. I did not use the extra double ended brush for this (just the spoolie and my finger tip to press the hairs down to the skin).

And here is my attempt at using this for the “laminated” look. For this I applied quite a bit of product throughout the entire brow, brushing them upward with the spoolie. To finish it up, I used the added mini brush the to maneuver the hairs into the shape I wanted. The very last image at the bottom is what the flakey white residue looks like at certain angles if you apply too much product. It’s not terrible but it can be annoying.

The Huda Beauty Icy Nude Palette is a cooler toned palette with lots of pinks, greys, silvers, and a hint of peach and gold in the right side column. It’s possible to get some depth out of this palette but for the most part, it is not a very smoky or dark palette. A good majority of the mattes stay in the light and medium range and the shimmers are also quite light and reflective. 

As with most of the larger Huda Beauty Palettes I’ve collected over the years, this one is ALMOST neutral but not quite. It complements a true neutral palette nicely but the tones in this are not really true skin-tone neutrals. 

I find it easy to grab for this palette on any old day for an easy-to-wear look that doesn’t feel too bold or done up. The most common way I’ll wear this is by using shades like First Class, Oneself, Poised, or High Life in the crease, the palest mattes on the inner corner and any of the shimmers on the lid. On a typical day, I don’t often wear deeper shades but these are not that dark on me and I’m able to easily use them with a light hand to add just a little bit of extra depth.

Price: $69
Availability: Huda Beauty, Sephora

Swatches

Iced Out– Pale blue to purple shifting shimmer with a very subtle and sheer warm base color. Sheerer opacity but builds easily and shows up well.
High Life – Light dusty lavender with a matte finish.
Platinum – Bright silver metallic with mostly fine shimmer and a little bit of sparkle. Has more opacity than some of the other shimmers.
Unapologetic– Medium deep reddish brown with a matte finish.
Faux Fur – Deep purpley grey-brown with a matte finish.
Gold Standards – Light peachy gold shimmer with larger flakey sparkles. Drier to the touch than the other shimmers.
Avalanche – Matte white. Somewhat sheer but brightens effectively.
Aurora – Medium rosy bronze with a sparkling metallic finish. Has more opacity than some of the other shimmers.
VVS – Warm silver with a subtle purple-gold shift. This one is flakier than the other shimmers.
Poised – Medium purple-grey matte.
She Riiich – Much deeper cool grey matte.
Cold Plunge – Pale peachy yellow nude with a matte finish.
IDGAF – Ultra pale, cool pink with a matte finish.
Bling – Silver biodegradable glitter. Feels grainier/sandier than traditional glitter and also has less of a reflect to it.
Oneself – Ultra pale greyish taupe with a matte finish.
Diamond Dew – Another warm silver similar to VVS both in texture and finish. This one is less warm than that one and is almost like a cross between a white gold and a warm silver.
Lavish – Medium muted rose with a matte finish.
First Class – Medium peach with a matte finish.

Video swatches here:

The mattes have a nice fine, smooth texture that feels lightweight and almost airy. They are a drier matte formula compared to other brands and I feel most of the lighter shades adhere better if used over a primer. They work fine alone but a primer definitely helps guard against dusting away with heavy handed blending. The only shade I had trouble using over primer was the shade Faux Fur. For some reason, that one would apply much more unevenly over primer and looked better over bare lids. Even if I didn’t use primer, this shade still did not apply as evenly as I would have like and emphasized texture on my lids. All the rest, even the cooler greys, were very nice though and I enjoyed how smooth they looked on my lids. If you’ve purchased any of the larger Huda palettes in the past, the formula of the mattes feels the same.

I like the shimmers less than I like the mattes mainly because of the fallout I get from them. The shades Gold Standards and Aurora had the most fallout and it took me a fair amount of effort to clean it up. The rest had minor fallout that was easy to clean up. Every shimmer has some amount of larger sparkle in it. Platinum has the least and mostly looks like a smooth metallic shimmer once I put it on the eye. It was helpful to use a setting spray with some of them both to keep fallout to a minimum and to get them to apply with more opacity more quickly. Despite needing a bit of help, I think the shimmers are still beautiful. They show up well, reflect a good amount of light, and I like the color choices that were made.

I personally enjoy the color story for the style of eyeshadow I like to wear. I felt there was a good range of depth in the mattes with a few different color directions I could go in (grey toned, rosy toned, or peachy) and the shimmer options easily complemented those mattes. I didn’t find it difficult to come up with looks but at the same time I didn’t feel bored by the shade choices. I could add some depth but in general I got lighter looks out of this palette, which is what I prefer. 

One thing to note about the color story… In the sea of palette options, this one might appeal as a potential everyday neutral palette. I want to just point out the shades in here are generally not true skin tone neutrals so it’s probably not the best choice for someone that wants a very “natural” eyeshadow look. For example, when I want an eyeshadow look that doesn’t actually look like I’m wearing eyeshadow, I end up needing a very light midtone neutral brown, which is not something you can find in this palette. Just keep this in mind depending on what you’re looking to get out of this palette.

Pros and Cons

Things I like:

• Love the matte formula for my aging eyelids
• These shades are easy to reach for any day of the week for any occasion
• Shades show up well but are not crazy bold/colorful/dark on me
• Cold Plunge and IDGAF double as color correctors on me

Drawbacks and other considerations:

• Shimmer/sparkle fallout is borderline annoying
• Faux Fur was the only matte I think didn’t perform well

Do I Recommend It?

Maybe. Only if you are not bothered by fallout. If you hate fallout, this may not be the best choice. I like the lighter tones, the nuanced colors, and the formula of the majority of the mattes enough that those positives outweigh the drawbacks for me. 

Looks

Looks 1-5 are available in the YouTube video below with some commentary on how the shades worked. I did looks 6-8 later off camera just to try a few more color combos.

Look 1:

• Cold Plunge – Inner corner, brow bone
• Lavish – Inner crease, inner lower lashline
• First Class – Outer crease/transition, outer lower lashline
• Aurora – Center of lid (dry brush, fingertip)
• Avalanche – Inner corner, brow bone (applied lightly to brighten)

Look 2:

• Oneself – All over lid and crease (applied pretty heavily)
• Poised – Crease/transition, most of lower lashline
• She Riiich – Outer lid/crease
• Avalanche – Inner corner, brow bone (more heavily than last look), near tear duct by lower lashline (very heavily)
• Iced Out – Center of lid (dry brush, fingertip)

Look 3:

• Cold Plunge – Inner corner, all over lid
• First Class – Crease
• Gold Standards – All over lid (first with dry brush, then with setting spray)
• Avalanche – Inner corner, brow bone (not very heavily, just to brighten)
• Faux Fur – Lower lashline

Look 4:

• Avalanche + Cold Plunge – Inner corner 
• High Life – Crease/transition (do this first!), lower lashline
• Faux Fur – All over lid, blended up into the crease
• Platinum – Center of lid (dry brush, then dampened brush)
• Bling – Lower lashline, layered over High Life
• IDGAF – Inner corner, brow bone (added this after the fact)

Look 5:

• Oneself – Transition
• Poised – Inner/outer crease, lower lashline
• Faux Fur – Add depth to outer crease
• VVS – Center of lid (dry brush, fingterip)
• Avalanche – Applied precisely near inner corner/tear duct
• Diamond Dew – Lower lashline (dry brush)
• She Riiich – Winged liner, smudged into upper lashline

Look 6:

• Poised – Inner lid/crease, inner lower lashline
• Unapologetic – Outer lid/crease, outer lower lashline
• VVS – Center of lid, center of lower lashline (dry brush, fingertip)

Look 7:

• High Life – Inner/outer crease, center part of lower lashline
• IDGAF – Center part of crease
• She Riiich – Liner
• Diamond Dew – All over lid (dry brush, fingertip)

Look 8:

• Cold Plunge – Inner corner
• First Class – Crease
• Unapologetic – Outer lid/crease
• Iced Out – All over lid
• Aurora – Outer lower lashline

What it is: Supergoop Mineral Matte Screen is A VERY lightly tinted, mostly transparent, all mineral sunscreen (titanium dioxide 1.3% and zinc oxide 17.4%) with a slight matte finish and the feel of a slick silicone primer.

Price/Quantity: There is a larger size which is $40 for 1.5 oz (45 mL) and a mini size which is $24 for 0.68 oz (20 mL).

Availability: Supergoop!, Sephora, Ulta, Amazon, Kohl’s, Nordstrom among several others

Shade Range: 1 Shade. This is tinted but it’s not really a product to use for coverage. The tint mainly helps to discourage the look of a white cast on the skin.

Packaging: Flattened squeeze tube with a twist off lid. It feels like decent quality, and it is easy to remove the cap and put it back on. The product is not very liquidy and it does not spill out of the container if I leave it laying on its side with the lid off.

Smell/Fragrance: It does have a light scent which is not hard to smell if I go looking for it but it isn’t something I notice with normal use. The packaging says it contains “no synthetic fragrance” and I’d agree that it does not smell fragranced at all. The scent is like subtle dry earthiness and it dissipates very quickly.

Expiration/Shelf Life: Mine has an expiration date of 03/2027 and I purchased it in September 2024. I didn’t find an “after opening” shelf life indicator on the packaging.

Ingredients (from the Supergoop! website):

Active Ingredients

Titanium Dioxide 1.33%, Zinc Oxide 17.42%

Inactive Ingredients

Dimethicone, Dimethicone Crosspolymer, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Methyl Dihydroabietate, Polyhydroxystearic Acid, C9-12 Alkane, Glycerin, Iron Oxides (CI 77492), Ethylhexylglycerin, Water (Aqua), Coco-Caprylate/Caprate, Silica, Stearic Acid, Iron Oxides (CI 77491), Iron Oxides (CI 77499), Hedychium Coronarium Root Extract, Lactobacillus/Arundinaria Gigantea Leaf Ferment Filtrate, Leuconostoc/Radish Root Ferment Filtrate, Titanium Dioxide (CI 77891)

PLEASE BE AWARE THAT INGREDIENT LISTS MAY CHANGE OR VARY FROM TIME TO TIME. PLEASE REFER TO THE INGREDIENT LIST ON THE PRODUCT PACKAGE YOU RECEIVE FOR THE MOST UP TO DATE LIST OF INGREDIENTS

Performance

This product is not something that was ever on my radar. I only became aware of it shortly before I purchased it, though I know it was out for a while already by then. I don’t remember whether I was specifically looking for a sunscreen at the time or why I stumbled upon it but reviews sold me on it. 

You should know that I primarily use this product as makeup but I enjoy greatly that it offers me SPF 40 at the same time! 99% of the time, I hate having to wear sunscreen under makeup. It usually destroys the finish of a perfectly fine foundation and the vast majority of the ones I’ve tried feel heavier or greasier than I’d like. I generally tolerate sunscreen by itself just fine, but would rather not wear makeup over it.

If you handed me this product while blindfolded and asked me to guess what it is, I’d tell you it’s a primer. It does not feel or smell like a sunscreen. Makeup does not sit on top of it the way it does with most of my other sunscreens. Makeup sits on top of it as if it’s a silicone primer.

It feels slick and silky the way a primer feels but it doesn’t feel oily or greasy. It doesn’t totally matte out my face but it does tone down light reflection a bit. I notice the mattifying effect a bit more when I pair it with a foundation (it will tone down the finish of the foundation to have less of a glow).

It comes in one tinted shade, a light peachy nude, but it offers pretty much zero coverage. It’s not like a skin tint. The added color helps it give off less of a white cast on the skin. When I look at a before and after of this on myself, I can see the very slightest hint of a white cast but it’s incredibly subtle. Not sure how much more noticeable this might be on a deeper complexion.

I only started using this as the days began to get shorter and now, being wintertime, it’s difficult to tell how effective this is. I will say, if I knew I was going to be out in bright sun for quite a while, I probably wouldn’t use this by itself, and might choose another sunscreen over it just to *feel* that I’m using enough sun protection. I prefer SPF 50 or higher and preferably something with more coverage or in combination with a foundation. Over the years, I have noticed that if I wear a high SPF and a relatively high coverage foundation over top, I tend to end up with less dark spots / freckles. 

Pros and Cons

Things I like:

• Actually feels nice to the touch (not heavy/greasy/thick feeling)
• Hardly any smell
• Wears well under my go to foundations
• Helps smooth the look of pores
• Doesn’t add shine and sometimes mattifies a little depending what I pair it with

Drawbacks and other considerations:

• I’d feel more comfortable with a higher SPF when spending long periods of time in sunny conditions
• Doesn’t work with every foundation I pair it with
• Another couple of shades would be nice for deeper complexions
• Might feel too slick for those with very oily skin
• Not water resistant, so not the best choice if you are going swimming or to the beach

Do I Recommend It?

If you like silicone primers, yes. If you hate them, no. That’s exactly what it feels like and how it wears under makeup. I used to have much oilier skin when I was younger and I remember not enjoying silicone primers at that point, whereas I enjoy them much more now. If you are looking for something that will give your skin a matte finish, I’d recommend with caution. It does mattify A BIT but not as much as a powder. It works best as a mattifying product in conjunction with other mattifying products.

What they are: Elf Camo Liquid Blushes are highly pigmented, creamy, blendable blushes that go for $7 each and come in 12 shades. They don’t dry down too fast or too much and can be applied with fingers or brushes, creating a noticeable flush with a hydrated-looking dew. Some of the shades have very fine shimmer that is only noticeable extremely close up. None of them have any large or noticeable sparkle. 

Availability: Elf, Ulta, Amazon

Smell/Fragrance: I do not smell any fragrance. There is a hardly noticeable paint-like smell if I’m really getting close and looking for it, but it isn’t noticeable at all during application.

Expiration: 12 months after opening

Ingredients: Ingredients vary a bit from shade to shade. They are listed both on the box the product comes in and can be found on the Elf Cosmetics website. Below are the ingredients for the shade Peach Perfect, to get an idea of the general formula. The first several ingredients listed are the same across many of the shades and differences can be found more toward the very ends of the lists for each shade.

Hydrogenated Polyisobutene, Hydrogenated Poly(C6-14 Olefin), Octyldodecanol, Trimethylolpropane Triisostearate, Boron Nitride, Illite, Hydrogenated Styrene/Methyl Styrene/Indene Copolymer, Trimethylsiloxysilicate, C9-12 Alkane, Alumina, Disteardimonium Hectorite, Phenyl Trimethicone, Ethylene/Propylene/Styrene Copolymer, Sorbitan Sesquioleate, Propylene Carbonate, Ethylhexylglycerin, Triethoxycaprylylsilane, Tin Oxide, Butylene/Ethylene/Styrene Copolymer, Pentaerythrityl Tetra-Di-T-Butyl Hydroxyhydrocinnamate, Aluminum Hydroxide, Tocopherol, Rosa Damascena Flower Water, Water (Aqua), Ricinus Communis (Castor) Seed Oil, Sodium Hyaluronate, Hydrogenated Castor Oil, Hibiscus Mutabilis Flower Extract, Phenoxyethanol; MAY CONTAIN: Titanium Dioxide (CI 77891), Red 7 Lake (CI 15850), Yellow Iron Oxide (CI 77492), Red Iron Oxide (CI 77491), Black Iron Oxide (CI 77499

elfcosmetics.com

Performance

Shade Selection: It looks like there is a good mix of shades that go from fairly pale to quite rich and bright and most of them differ enough from each other. A few of them look somewhat similar once they are sheered out, so I don’t think having shades that are close to each other in depth or tone is necessary at all. For example Peach Perfect and Dusty Rosé are similar enough once blended that having only one of them is needed to give me about the same effect. The lightest shades are pretty pale but because they are so highly pigmented, they show up well on my skin tone. The deepest/brightest shades also work on me and apply evenly and blend out just as smoothly, but I have to be much more light handed in how I apply them. For these ones, I need to dot the color on the back of my hand instead of directly onto the cheek and pick up a very small amount to achieve a comfortable level of color payoff.

Application: For the lighter shades, I just use a single small tap of the wand directly on the cheek and blend the color out with my fingers or a dense brush. The color blends out evenly without disturbing my foundation underneath too much. The creamy texture is not too far off from the texture of my foundation and I don’t find the blushes lift or disrupt my foundation underneath too much. They begin to dry down a little bit as I sheer them over the cheek but never reach a completely dry/set state. I could probably continue blending them indefinitely. For the deeper/brighter shades, this method results in way too much color payoff. For those, I find it easier to tap the wand on the back of my hand and then pick up a TINY amount on my fingertip to then blend over the cheek. It can also be helpful to do a final blend with a clean foundation brush. These blend out just as easily and result in color that looks just as even as the lighter ones. As long as the product doesn’t go bad or dry out, I could see a single container lasting for a very long time.

Texture/Consistency/Finish: These have a somewhat thinner feel without being watery. If I place the open container on its side, the product stays inside. They are lightweight and dry down a little as they are spread over the skin but they don’t have a powdery, mousse-y feel. They remain moveable and have a slight hydrating quality to them without being slippery or oily. If you look at the container photos for the individual shades below, a very slight amount of fine shimmer can be seen through the plastic packaging for some of the shades. Once I apply and blend them out on the cheek this shimmer doesn’t translate at all. It doesn’t result in a sparkly looking cheek, just a smooth, subtle, even sheen that looks like the skin is well hydrated. 

Pigmentation/Color Payoff: All of the shades share about the same level of highly pigmented color payoff. On my skin tone, I find it nice that the lighter shades show up well while still looking like a light blush color. During swatching, a couple of the bright pinks left a slight stain on my arm. The more orange-toned shades didn’t seem to do this. 

Longevity: I’ve wear tested this all day twice. Once with the shade Comin’ In Hot Pink and once with the shade Peach Perfect. Both lasted well all day and I could still see the color by the evening. Peach Perfect seemed to blend into my skin tone more by the end of the day than Comin’ In Hot Pink but was still visible. While the color sets to some degree, they can still transfer with touch. For example, if I were to lay my head on a pillow without removing my makeup, some of the cheek color would probably transfer lightly. I tested this by taking a tissue to the face midday and pressing into the skin. A bit of color came off onto tissue but the blush was still firmly gripping onto the skin and resisting transfer.

Pros and Cons

Things I like:

• Shows up well. A little goes a long way.
• I can continue blending them as long as I want. They don’t set down 100% dry.
• Not sticky or oily feeling.
• There’s no obvious shimmer or sparkle on the skin. They give the cheeks a natural-looking dewy finish.
• Doesn’t lift my foundation or lift itself during application.
• Color wears well and stays strong all day.
• Great selection of shades.
• Good price, good quality.

Drawbacks and other considerations:

• The color payoff can be really intense for the deeper shades (on me). This is fine but I need to change the way I apply them.
• The way the applicator pulls out of the container feels disconcerting but hasn’t actually caused any problems.
• If you have discoloration, active acne, or old scarring on the cheeks, liquid blushes in general can sheer out the coverage of your foundation. These are some of the better liquid blushes and are LESS disruptive, but powder cheek products don’t have this issue at all.

Do I Recommend Them?

Yes. I’ve been craving liquid blushes for a while and these are giving me exactly what I was hoping for. I wanted something that wouldn’t interfere with my foundation and give me a more hydrated/dewy looking finish without relying on shimmer to do it. These are priced very reasonably AND are actually nice quality too.

Swatches

Peach Perfect

Peach Perfect is a pale peachy pink with subtle warm undertones. If you like “apricot” shades but find they are often darker than you prefer, this is a nice lighter version.

Dusty Rosé

Dusty Rosé is a soft warm pink. This is similar to Peach Perfect but is ever so slightly more pink-toned. The depth is about the same and from a distance, they aren’t that easy to tell apart.

Suave Mauve

Suave Mauve is a medium cooler toned pink. This has a bit more depth than the previous two shades but I am still able to dot the blush (lightly) directly onto the cheek during application without feeling like I’m applying too much.

Coral Crush

Coral Crush is a beautiful vibrant pinky peach. With this one I have to be careful to apply the product lightly to avoid applying too much color to the cheeks. I can’t dot the applicator directly onto the cheek, not even very lightly, because too much product transfers. I have to pick up a tiny little bit on the tip of my finger and build up the color slowly and carefully to get a flush that is noticeable but not too bright.

Gorg Orange

Gorg Orange is an intense hot orange with strong warm undertones. In the container, the micro fine shimmer is most visible in this shade but it doesn’t actually show up as shimmer on the cheek. Just like with the previous shade I need to be VERY light handed when applying this one and be extra mindful of blending. It shows up as a true orange and not coral.

Bronze Bombshell

Bronze Bombshell is a warm brown with subtle red-orange tones. This isn’t too far off in effect from Gorg Orange on me but has a more neutral vibe. On me, this shade is like a liquid bronzer.

Pinky Promise

Pinky Promise is bright, warm bubble gum pink. I can apply this either directly to the cheek or more lightly by picking up a bit with my fingertip. Applying this more heavily gives me a brighter, zingier pink effect and using a lighter hand gives me a sweeter, creamier pink look. While swatching this, it left a very faint pink stain behind on the skin.

Comin’ In Hot Pink

Comin’ In Hot Pink is a medium-deep cool toned rose pink. This is another one I have to be super light handed with and build up slowly. The final effect ends up looking similar to Pinky Promise, but more cool toned. This one left a more noticeable stain on my arm during swatching.

Berry Well

Berry Well is a deeper reddish pink. This is similar in depth and color to Comin’ In Hot Pink but this has more red in it. The blended out effect looks more neutral-cool than straight up cool toned. As with many of the other shades, I couldn’t apply this directly to the cheek without the color coming out too strong.

Cheeky Lychee

Cheeky Lychee is a light warm pink and is one of the 3 new shades released in late 2024. It is similar to Pinky Promise but leans slightly more coral. It also isn’t far off from Coral Crush but is slightly less orange than that one. If you have either or both of those, this is probably similar enough to not need this one. Mixing those two original shades may give you something similar to this one.

Bold-Faced Lilac

Bold-Faced Lilac is another one of the new 2024 shades and is truly a new addition that isn’t too similar to any of the original 9 shades. It does actually look purplish but not so much that it looks unnatural. It perfectly threads the line between purple and light pink. If you like pale pinks and purplish blushes this one a great one.

Copper Etiquette

Copper Etiquette is the last of the 3 new shades released in 2024. It is a light rosy bronze. When sheered out, it is extremely similar in tone to Bronze Bombshell. I could probably wear both (one on one cheek and one on the other) and get away with no one noticing. That said, I like this one much better because it is far easier to apply on my skin tone and if I really scrutinize it, I can see that this one is more pink toned which suits me a little better.

What it is: The matte version of the original Elf Power Grip Primer. It is a clear gel foundation primer with a semi-tacky finish that helps to smooth the look of pores and texture when worn under foundation. The sticky feel is supposed to help “grab” onto foundation and make it wear longer while the matte formulation is supposed to help keep shine at bay throughout the day.

Price/Quantity: There are two sizes available to purchase. The larger option is 0.87 oz for $10, and the smaller one is 0.5 oz for $5. Oddly, the smaller one is a better value.

Availability: Elf, Ulta, Target

Shade Range: These primers do not come in shades. They are all clear. However, there are 3 versions of the Elf Power Grip Primer: the original green one, the pink one with niacinamide, and now this one with a matte finish. 

Packaging: Both size options come in a squeeze tube with a twist off cap. Neither one comes with a pump like the original Elf Power Grip Primer in the larger size. Personally I have no issues with this packaging. It is not difficult for me to remove or replace the lid and I have very good control of how much product I dispense from the tube.

Smell/Fragrance: It has hardly any smell to it, but what I can detect is vaguely herbal. It has an ingredient called Lemon Myrtle Extract, which is where I’m guessing this scent comes from.

Expiration/Shelf Life: 12 Months after opening

Ingredients (from elf’s website): water (aqua), glycerin, silica, butylene glycol, peg-150 distearate, niacinamide, polysorbate 80, backhousia citriodora leaf extract, tocopherol, ethylhexylglycerin, caprylyl glycol, potassium laurate, ammonium acryloyldimethyltaurate/vp copolymer, peg-240/hdi copolymer bis-decyltetradeceth-20 ether, phenoxyethanol, disodium edta

Performance

Application: I’ve been applying this in sections rather than applying it to the entire face at once because it does start drying down very quickly. I’ll give it about a minute to completely set on the face before applying foundation over top. Some foundations are more difficult or time consuming to apply over this product compared to just applying them over clean moisturized skin. For example, matte finish foundations tended to require longer blending times to get as even an application than without the primer.

Texture/Consistency/Finish: It is a thick gel that spreads over the skin fairly easily and dries down to a slightly tacky finish. It’s not as sticky as the original primer and leaves the skin feeling simultaneously silky and tacky. Feels cooling and hydrating during application.

Longevity: I’m not convinced this is SUPER effective at increasing wear time but I do think it helps a little bit. My foundation still looks pretty decent even after a long day when I use this underneath.

Pros and Cons

Things I like:

• Smooths skin as well as the original green Elf Power Grip Primer.
• Not as sticky or shiny on the skin as the original.
• Seems to help some foundations last a little bit longer than without.

Drawbacks and other considerations:

• Doesn’t play well with some of my foundations. So far it seems to work best with thinner, more hydrating formulas. Heavier/drier formulas with more of a matte finish didn’t sit as well over this primer.
• It’s not really all that mattifying. It just doesn’t add shine.

Do I Recommend It?

Yes. It’s a nice product BUT if you are specifically looking for a matte look, I’d caution you to look for other options. The finish it gives the skin is more of a natural finish. On me, I find my skin still reflects light with a soft glow even with this on and being that it has worked best with thinner more hydrating foundations, I never actually end up with a matte skin finish. As long as you’re fine with that and the foundations you plan to pair it with sound like they might work together, I think it’s worth giving a try.

Where I think this product adds the most benefit is in solving a problem with the original formulation. The original one is awesome at smoothing the skin underneath foundation but for my preference, it adds too much of a glow and too much of a tack to the skin. Even powder doesn’t quite do enough to tone it down. This one gives me that smoothing effect under some foundations (not all) but I don’t have the issue with it giving me excess glow when I don’t want it. I don’t feel the need to use so much powder either to keep that sticky feel in check.

I’m still figuring out how well it improves wear time and prevents oil breakthrough with different foundations. So far it has only been *slightly* effective in combination with Urban Decay Stay Naked Foundation and Revlon Illuminance Skin Caring Foundation at helping keep my natural oils from breaking through the foundation. I haven’t noticed much increase in wear time with any other foundation so far.

Above, I am showing you what it looks like without primer (first quadrant), with the primer by itself (second quadrant), and with a couple of foundations over top (third and fourth quadrants). On the lower left I’m wearing Laura Mercier Real Flawless Weightless Perfecting Foundation over the elf primer. This combo works very well together. On the lower right, I’m wearing Urban Decay Stay Naked Foundation with the elf primer on only one half of the face. This combo was okay together but not as good as the previous one. I didn’t feel the elf primer added any additional matte effect to the skin (the right and left side of the face look pretty much the same) and it also didn’t add too much of a smoothing effect either.

What they are: Tarte Maracuja Juicy Lip Vinyls are thick lip glosses in stick form that coat the lips quite heavily for a glassy, high-shine finish that smooths over the look of lip lines. This is not plumping formula but the thickness of the product has a plumping visual effect. 

Price/Quantity: $26 for 2.7 gram / 0.095 oz

Availability: Tarte, Sephora

Shade Range: 16 Shades. 8 of them are shimmery and the other 8 are not. Of those that are not shimmery, 4 are sheer and the other 4 are more opaque.

Packaging: Slim click up pen with a lid that snaps on and off. The clicking mechanism feels a bit more high quality (quieter, smoother, requires less force to press) in this pen than the ones from NYX and Elf. Other than that, the rest of the plastic casing feels like comparable quality to those brands.

Smell/Fragrance: All 8 of the ones I’m reviewing here have the same noticeable but not very strong sweet scent. It’s not fruity or floral, just a generic sweet scent, similar to a sugar cookie. They do not taste sweet and are not minty/tingly either. In addition to the fragrance, I also smell something that reminds me of synthetic oil.

Expiration/Shelf Life: 12 months after opening.

Ingredients: Dextrin Isostearate, Phytosteryl/Isostearyl/Cetyl/Stearyl/Behenyl Dimer Dilinoleate, Diisostearyl Malate, Dimer Dilinoleyl Dimer Dilinoleate, Synthetic Wax, Vitis Vinifera (Grape) Seed Oil, Passiflora Edulis Seed Oil, Citrullus Lanatus (Watermelon) Fruit Extract, Citrus Limon (Lemon) Fruit Extract, Euterpe Oleracea Fruit Extract, Fragaria Vesca (Strawberry) Fruit Extract, Lycium Barbarum Fruit Extract, Malpighia Punicifolia (Acerola) Fruit Extract, Passiflora Incarnata Fruit Extract, Prunus Persica (Peach) Fruit Extract, Punica Granatum Fruit Extract, Vaccinium Angustifolium (Blueberry) Fruit Extract, Vaccinium Macrocarpon (Cranberry) Fruit Extract, Flavor/Aroma, Sodium Hyaluronate, Tocopheryl Acetate, Synthetic Fluorphlogopite, Phenoxyethanol, Benzyl Benzoate, Ethylhexyl Palmitate, Tin Oxide, Triethoxycaprylylsilane, Benzyl Alcohol, Tocopherol, Trihydroxystearin, Glucomannan. (+/-): Titanium Dioxide (CI 77891), Red 6 Lake (CI 15850), Red 7 Lake (CI 15850), Iron Oxides (CI 77491, CI 77492, CI 77499), Yellow 6 Lake (CI 15985). Source: Sephora.com

Performance

Texture/Consistency/Finish: These are like thick solidified glosses at room temperature that melt instantly as they touch the skin. They have a fairly thick feel and transfer heavily as I swipe them across the lip. They look and feel thicker than most lip glosses or oils I’ve tried as well as the NYX Slick Clicks and Elf Pout Clouts. This causes them to smooth over the look of lip lines better than those products. For the most part I don’t find the thicker feel uncomfortable and as long as I don’t go overboard, they don’t get too goopy. If I am too heavy handed, they can start to gather a bit toward the corners of my mouth. The color mostly stays evenly dispersed over the lips, even if I press them together several times.

Half of the shades have shimmer/sparkle and the other half do not. For a few of them, if I press my lips together, the feeling of the shimmer is hardly noticeable. I have to really try hard to feel that the shimmer is there. Most of them have a mixture of ultra fine shimmer and slightly larger sparkle. Shimmering Mixed Berries and Shimmering Rose are the only 2 that do not have larger sparkle and have more of a glossy satin finish. The shimmer and sparkle in all the shades is subdued and not super noticeable unless you’re looking really close.

Application: For the sheerest shades, I am able to simply sweep these across the lips, doing maybe 2-3 passes for an even coat. For all of the opaque shades I feel the need to use a lip brush to apply the product cleanly around the edges of my mouth just because so much of the product deposits even with a light touch. I can reapply the deeper shades decently well without a brush as long as it holds up okay around the edges. Reapplication of the sheerer shades is no issue and I don’t feel the need to remove the previous layer for a fresh layer to look good.

Pigmentation/Color Payoff: This varies by color and finish. Of the non-shimmer shades, 4 are sheer and 4 are nearly opaque. All of the shimmer shades are sheer. Because the formula is so thick, I feel the color for the majority of the sheer shades shows up very well and is buildable if I feel like I want it to pop some more. Sheer Petal is the least pigmented and the only shade that is basically like a clear gloss on me.

Longevity: They do not seem to absorb, or dry down after wearing them but after an hour or so I notice the glassy reflection they have upon initial application begins to fade to more of a soft balmy glow. The color also seems to migrate over time even if I’m not eating or drinking anything. When wearing the shade Apple for a couple hours, I saw that the pigment started traveling into the very fine lines around the edges of my lips and the product in general starting moving into the corners of my mouth. I don’t think this is as much of an issue with the sheerer shades.

Pros and Cons

Things I like:

• Not sticky when pressing lips together.
• Smooths over look of lip lines more noticeably than most other glosses/oils/balms I’ve tried.
• If I press my lips together, the color doesn’t slide around and create weird looking lines on the lip. 
• The sheerer/lighter shades do not look milky.
• Packaging feels ever so slightly better quality than the drugstore alternatives.

Drawbacks and other considerations:

• Deeper and more opaque shades require using a lip brush for the best looking application.
• Deeper shades travel into fine lines around edges of lips and migrate into the corners of my mouth after wearing them for a while.
• The deeper shades are more high maintenance than I prefer.
• The synthetic oil scent is not super pleasant to me and I continue to notice it as I wear it.
• Many of the shimmer shades are way too similar to each other.

Do I Recommend Them?

If you like a thick glossy lip product that’s not sticky, I think you’ll enjoy these. I’m not as much into the more opaque shades personally because I don’t feel they look as flattering and are not as easy to use.

Swatches

Sheer Petal

Sheer Petal is an ultra sheer pale pink without any shimmer or sparkle. This barely adds any noticeable color to my lips and mostly looks like a clear gloss.

Sheer Iris

Sheer Iris is a sheer pale mauve without any shimmer or sparkle. This one has slightly more color payoff and opacity than the previous shade and the color itself is super close to my natural lip color which is more muted and cool toned.

Sheer Lotus

Sheer Lotus is a sheer bubblegum pink without any shimmer or sparkle. This shade adds a noticeable brightness to my lips but still looks pretty natural.

Sheer Berry

Sheer Berry is medium, cooler-toned, purplish berry without any shimmer or sparkle. It is applied somewhat heavily here but can be worn more sheered out if you want. It is the deepest of the sheer shimmer-free shades and I am still able to apply it straight to the lips without the help of a lip brush. The next four shades are the opaque shimmer-free options and I feel the need to use a lip brush with all of them.

Rosy Brown

Rosy Brown is a nearly opaque medium pinky brown with no shimmer or sparkle. This one is more difficult to apply. As I swipe it across the lips the, product melts a little too easily so ALOT of it transfers. With the sheerer shades, it’s not as much of an issue and doesn’t look bad. But this one being so pigmented, that heavy application can look very messy/goopy and with sloppy lines. I mainly sweep this on to transfer a decent amount of color to the lips and then use a lip brush to clean up the lines around the edges and make sure the product is sitting evenly/smoothly on the lips. Once I do that, the color mostly stays where I put it and remains even-looking, even if I press my lips together.

Hibiscus

Hibiscus is a nearly opaque warm reddish mauve without any shimmer or sparkle. I apply this one the same way I apply the previous shade.

Apple

Apple is a cool-leaning red without any shimmer or sparkle. It has a bit of depth to it so it doesn’t look too bright on me. It also doesn’t not start to look pink or orange if it is sheered out. I most definitely need a lip brush for this one.

Cacao

Cacao is a deep brown without any shimmer or sparkle. I also need a lip brush for this one.

Shimmering Mixed Berries

Shimmering Mixed Berries is a lighter, cooler toned sheer pink with a lot of super fine shimmer particles. The shimmer in this shade is smaller than in some of the other ones. It doesn’t look super obvious or add much noticeable sparkle unless you are looking super close up. I’d describe it as a glossy satin finish.

Shimmering Pink Lily

Shimmering Pink Lily another sheer pink that is a tiny bit brighter, warmer, and pinker than the previous one. This one has a mixture of the same fine shimmer as the previous shade as well as some slightly larger sparkle. The larger sparkles are a bit more noticeable on the lip.

Shimmering Bright Pink

Shimmering Bright Pink is similar to Sheer Lotus in that it adds a noticeable pink hue and brightness to the lips without looking “unnatural”. It also has a mixture of fine pink shimmer and larger sparkle.

Shimmering Cranberry

Shimmering Cranberry is a sheer cooler red with a hint very fine pink and gold sparkle.

Shimmering Cinnamon Spice

Shimmering Cinnamon Spice is a brownish nude with more prominent gold sparkle. The sparkle in this is the largest of all the shimmer shades so far, but is still not large enough to actually feel gritty on the lips. I don’t feel it at all if I press my lips together.

Shimmering Rose

Shimmering Rose is light peachy pink with all fine shimmer and no larger sparkle. It is SOO similar to Shimmering Mixed Berries, however this one is ever so slightly warmer. Both have the same subtle satin gloss finish.

Shimmering Daisy

Shimmering Daisy is a pale cool pink with some larger, more noticeable gold sparkle.

Shimmering Coconut

Shimmering Coconut is a pale warm nude with larger gold sparkle.

What it is: Milk Makeup Cooling Water Jelly Tint is a lip and cheek stain in a water-based jelly stick. It dries down quickly, feeling almost like nothing on the skin. It is not sticky at all and also does not feel moisturizing, hydrating or slippery. It feels like a “water stain” but instead of being liquidy, it has a giggly, gelatin-like texture. 

Price/Quantity: $24 for 5g / 0.17 oz.

Availability: Milk Makeup, Sephora

Shade Range: 4 Shades

Packaging: Chubby stick in a plastic twist up container. The cap pulls off and snaps back on. It requires a decent amount of effort to remove and replace the cap but it’s definitely not unreasonably difficult. Most of the label on the bottom of the packaging has large enough text to not need reading glasses (lol) but there are a few things I’d say are too small.

Smell/Fragrance: Very light floral scent. It’s not like a rosy scent, more like an “herbal” floral scent.

Expiration/Shelf Life: 6 months after opening.

Ingredients: Aqua/Water/Eau, Glycerin, Sorbitol, Propanediol, Butylene Glycol, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice, Niacinamide, Hibiscus Rosa-Sinensis Flower Extract, Hylocereus Undatus Fruit Extract, Kappaphycus Alvarezii Extract, Tremella Fuciformis Polysaccharide, Chlorella Ferment, Tocopherol, Maris Aqua/Sea Water/Eau De Mer, Allantoin, Agarose, Carbomer, Sodium Hydroxide, Glyceryl Acrylate/Acrylic Acid Copolymer, Pvm/Ma Copolymer, Potassium Carbonate, Citric Acid, 1,2-Hexanediol, Caprylyl Glycol, Ethylhexylglycerin, Benzoic Acid, Potassium Sorbate, Sodium Benzoate, Benzyl Alcohol, Phenoxyethanol, Fragrance (Parfum), Linalool, Red 28 (Ci 45410), Red 40 (Ci 16035), Yellow 6 (Ci 15985). Source: Milk Makeup

Performance

Shade Selection: All of the shades look like they are bright options. I only have this one shade (Spritz) that I can really comment on, but if the others offer the same level of color punch this one does, they are geared toward people that like brighter color in general. I chose Spritz, which is described as a coral orange, but this comes off much more red in person. I don’t get as much orange from it as I was hoping for. For the swatches above, the left side is a few swipes of the stick directly onto the skin, and the right side is applied with a tiny damp sponge (like a mini Beauty Blender). I find it interesting how the color looks warmer and less pink on the sponge side.

Application: This is a product I’ve had to try different ways of applying to get it to work well. The methods that worked best for me are the bolded paragraphs below.

For the cheeks, my first attempt was applying directly to the skin from the stick, thinking I’d just blend it out with my fingers. The color absorbed instantly into the skin and left a large red dot with hard edges on my cheek that was difficult to blend and diffuse. It stains the fingers doing this, so I need to be careful to clean my hands well afterward.

My second attempt was using a brush to pick up color and then apply to the cheeks. This worked way better and resulted in a much sheerer application that was still not entirely blendable, but sheer enough to be able to build up in a much more even way. I was mindful to choose a brush with dark bristles to avoid staining the brush.

The third attempt was using a damp sponge, which was my favorite way. It gave me an equally sheer application as the brush but somehow I felt it applied more evenly this way. I have a black sponge luckily, but if you go this route be aware it may stain a sponge as well. Below is how it looks applied with a sponge:

I tried one last thing when using it as a blush and that was to sweep it broadly directly onto the cheek, drawing the product on from the hairline near my ear halfway toward my nose, covering the entire area of the cheek I wanted to apply blush to with one large but very thin layer. Then I quickly grabbed a dense foundation blending brush and blended it out, focusing mainly on softening the edges. This does work and it did transfer a little to my brush, but my brush cleaner was able to remove it without leaving stains on my brush bristles. Applying one layer this way gives me a reasonably sheer but bright look and I was able to repeat the process and build up a second layer for more color intensity.

For lips, I first tried sweeping this directly onto bare lips that were not prepared in any way. No lip balm, no exfoliation, etc. They were ever so slightly chapped as well. The color grabbed onto the driest part of my lips the most intensely and went on unevenly in general. It didn’t feel like much of anything as the formula is super thin. It leaves no feeling of residue on the lips but I am somehow more aware that they are dry with this product over top. I have the feeling of wanting to apply lip balm over it.

Next time, I tried to apply it over lip balm and that gave me a slightly more even look, but the color still applied more heavily toward the inner part of my lips than the outer part. This is a look that is kind of unique and some people go for the “I just ate a popsicle” look on purpose. This had a much more comfortable feel to me as well.

Texture/Consistency/Finish: Feels literally like Jello and has a slightly cooling effect if it touches the skin. It doesn’t have a menthol-y cooling feel, just cool like cool water. It “melts” ever so slightly if it touches the cheek directly and a little bit at a time will transfer to the skin. Very thin lightweight feel, without any tacky residue at all. Milk describes the finish as being like watercolor and I think that fits well. It’s sheer and see through but at the same time the color is vibrant, very visible and can have hard edges if you aren’t careful in how you apply it.

Pigmentation/Color Payoff: It is technically sheer (transparent) but the color it gives is pretty intense and bright. For cheeks, if it is applied with a brush or sponge, I can see how they would describe this as being sheer. It is very buildable when used that way and can go from barely there to POW. For lips, if I just do one or two quick passes, the color goes on lightly over most of my lips, except for parts that are drier (especially the inner part of my lips). On those parts it looks pretty bright. If applied over a balm, it does go on more sheer and a bit more evenly, but still not as even as I’d like.

Longevity: On the cheek it really lasts well. If I wear it all day, it hardly fades at all by the end of the day. On the lips it needs to be reapplied after about half a day to maintain color vibrancy but it stays on well through meals and barely transfers at all onto my coffee cups.

Pros and Cons

Things I like:

• As a blush, has good staying power, resists fading.
• Doesn’t leave a sticky feel on the skin.
• As a lip product, reapplies well (if used over lip balm).
• When worn over a lip balm, gives me the look of a bright/bold lip gloss without the mess of one.
• Little to no transfer or fading with eating and drinking.

Drawbacks and other considerations:

• Requires lots of trial and error to figure out how to use it.
• Stains fingers if you use your fingers to blend it out.
• Doesn’t apply evenly on the lips the way a lip gloss or balm does. Tends to deposit color more heavily on drier areas and to the center part of the lips.
• As a lip product, it isn’t necessarily drying, but does not provide any moisture or slip at all.

Do I Recommend It?

This has been a frustrating product for me. If you are someone that struggles with products that require a learning curve, just be aware that’s what you’re getting with this one. For someone that enjoys learning how to use new products/formulas and trying different application methods, the main benefits I’d say this one offers is the type of color effect it offers on the cheek (being very vibrant while at the same time sheer/transparent), longevity as a blush, the popsicle lip look, and the ability to wear a bright/bold lip color that can hold up through meals and not transfer onto drinking glasses. If any of those is important to you, it might be worth checking out.

Comparisons

From left to right:

• Milk Cooling Water Jelly Tint in Spritz
• Elf Camo Liquid Blush in Coral Crush
• Saie Dew Blush in Poppy
• Revlon Gel Serum Blush in 130 Beaming Coral
• Nars Blush in Exhibit A
• GXVE Beauty Feelin’ Cheeky Blush in Flirty Talk

The formula is very different for all of these but I picked out a handful of shades to help make the color of Spritz more clear. To me it is more red than orange, but I do see the pinky/coral tone clearly. The Milk product doesn’t leave any sort of dew or reflect on the skin as it absorbs and dries down completely. If you like a glowy cheek, use a hydrating product underneath to help give the skin a dewier finish.

What it is: Make Up For Ever HD Skin Setting Powder is a loose powder that is supposed to be blurring, mattifying, lightweight and undetectable, and it is boldly claimed to fight shine for 24 hours. 

Price/Quantity: $43 for 18 grams / $22 for 7 grams

Availability: Make Up For Ever, Sephora, Kohl’s

Shade Range: 12 Shades. 8 of them are complexion shades, and 4 are color correcting shades.

Packaging: I’m not sure what the mini size packaging is like but this larger one has a sifter that can be closed by twisting the black portion of the jar. The puff fits perfectly over the sifter so, if you hold the puff over the holes as you turn the jar over, a bit of powder will then coat the surface of the puff. I like this concept for keeping mess down and it does sort of work. It only really keeps mess down if you apply the powder using the puff this way but I personally prefer using a brush, so I still turn the jar over with the lid on to get some powder up above the sifter. That way I’m able to pick some up on a brush. In general, I find the packaging is pretty clean to use either way. So far, I haven’t had issues with powder “leaking” out.

Smell/Fragrance: Smells like absolutely nothing to me.

Expiration/Shelf Life: 12 months after opening. 

Ingredients: Mica, Kaolin, Silica, Zea Mays (Corn) Starch, Lauroyl Lysine, Caprylyl Glycol, Pentylene Glycol, Dicaprylyl Carbonate, Squalane, Ethylhexylglycerin, Sodium Dehydroacetate, Tocopheryl Acetate, Tocopherol, [+/- Ci 77491, Ci 77492, Ci 77499 (Iron Oxides)]. Source: Sephora.com

Performance

Shade Selection: This powder ends up coating the face in a way where the color is hardly noticeable. It’s nice to see a wide range of colors here, especially the color correcting ones. I’m just not sure the difference in color/tone will end up being all that noticeable unless a shade that is wildly different from someone’s skin tone is used. I bought mine from Sephora and went with the shade Light Vanilla. It was described as having golden undertones which made me a little hesitant, but with actual use, I really don’t notice any golden/yellow tone whatsoever. It ends up looking mostly like a pale neutral translucent shade on me.

Application: I prefer dusting this on lightly with a brush. Doing it this way gives me a much thinner application but still very noticeably mattifies. Even for the under eye and cheek area, this lighter application is plenty to remove any tackiness from my foundation to keep any sparkle fallout from eyeshadow from sticking to my skin, but it doesn’t look heavy. 

The puff can also be used for a heavier application that will help fight shine for a little longer than the brush method. I don’t really enjoy doing it this way because I feel it ends up looking much heavier and looks more like I’ve got an obvious layer of powder sitting on the surface of the skin. Even if I dust off excess, I still think it looks a bit too heavy. 

One thing I’ve tried doing for the sake of keeping shine away longer is using a brush to first apply a very light layer and then pressing over it with the puff (without any extra powder on it) to really sink the powder into the foundation. This kind of works and looks better.

Texture/Consistency/Finish: The powder does feel pretty fine once it’s all spread out on the skin. It may not look like it in the container, though, because it does kind of like to stick together in small clumps. It doesn’t feel like a silica powder — you know those ultra silky ones that flow almost like a liquid, and fly up into the air at the touch of a brush. It feels more like a traditional powder. Weightier, but still fine. It has a few skin conditioning ingredients a bit lower down in the ingredients list but I don’t find this to be like a “hydrating” powder. It feels like it’s more on the dry side.

Pigmentation/Color Payoff: Very sheer. I think if someone were to buy a shade that was a bit off, it probably wouldn’t be noticeable.

Longevity: This was the thing I really wanted to know about this powder. Does it actually last? For me, this falls a bit flat in terms of keeping shine away for long periods of time. I can go about half a day before I see shine coming through. I’ve tried this all week with different foundations and most days, I felt the need to reapply once midafternoon to get my skin back to a place I felt comfortable with. It certainly works better than some more “hydrating” powders I’ve used for controlling oil. Above I’ve shown this next the discontinued Too Faced Peach Perfect Powder, which I love for how smoothing it is, but it does nothing for shine control.

Pros and Cons

Things I like:

• Fine, lightweight texture. Lives up to the “undetectable” claim pretty well.
• Controls shine and oil fairly well but nowhere near what it claims.
• There’s a TON of product in here. It will last for quite some time.
• I appreciate the thought that went into the packaging design. Even if you don’t apply the product with the puff, it is nice that they included it and that mess is generally not a big problem regardless of how it’s applied.
• I can reapply this many times (so far I’ve tried about 3 times), without it building up to a point where my foundation starts to look cakey. This is actually a huge plus that sets it apart from lots of other powders I’ve tried.

Drawbacks and other considerations:

• It can look heavy if applied with the puff. I feel like this is very dependent on other factors though (what foundation you pair it with, how your skin is doing, etc.)
• The large size is really expensive for what it is. I have other powders I paid a lot less for that effectively do about the same thing.

Do I Recommend It?

This is another one of those products, where, yes, it’s a good product. It mostly does what it says, aside from the 24 hour claim (such things really should never be taken seriously). But I feel like it’s not really worth the price unless you really want the brand name, the logo, and the better packaging design. I don’t feel the powder itself is significantly better than lower cost options.

What they are: Summer Fridays Dream Lip Oils are sheer, lightweight lip oils with a thinner but still very smooth and glide-y consistency and a slight minty tingle. 

Price/Quantity: $26 for 4.5 ml / 0.15 fl oz

Availability: Summer Fridays, Sephora, Kohl’s

Shade Range: 4 shades

Packaging: The product comes in a heftier plastic container with a soft frosted finish and feel. The lid twists open and closed easily, feels secure, and seems sturdy enough to not break easily. The stopper inside the bottle is sized well so that I am able to remove the wand without excessive effort. The doe foot applicator has a nice soft, plush feel.

Smell/Fragrance: It has super faint minty scent and taste. They are not sweet or fragranced and what little chemical scent I do pick up on is ultra subtle.

Expiration/Shelf Life: 6 months after opening.

Ingredients: Hydrogenated Polyisobutene, Hydrogenated Poly(C6-14 Olefin), Octyldodecanol, Ethylene/Propylene/Styrene Copolymer, Ricinus Communis (Castor) Seed Oil, Rosa Canina Fruit Oil, Butyrospermum Parkii (Shea) Oil, Persea Gratissima (Avocado) Oil, Prunus Armeniaca (Apricot) Kernel Oil, Simmondsia Chinensis (Jojoba) Seed Oil, Squalane, Vitis Vinifera (Grape) Seed Oil, Rubus Idaeus (Raspberry) Seed Oil, Cocoyl Hydrolyzed Collagen, Tocopheryl Acetate, Tocopherol, Siraitia Grosvenorii Fruit Extract, Menthoxypropanediol, Caprylyl Glycol, Butylene/Ethylene/Styrene Copolymer, Pentaerythrityl Tetra-di-t-butyl Hydroxyhydrocinnamate, May Contain/Peut Contenir (+/-) Iron Oxides (CI 77491), Iron Oxides (CI 77492), Red 7 Lake (CI 15850), Titanium Dioxide (CI 77891), Iron Oxides (CI 77499), Blue 1 Lake (CI 42090). Source: Sephora.com

Performance

Shade Selection: The shade selection is a little sparse for me. The two midtone options are a bit too similar for it to be worth having both. I like that there’s at least one very light and one somewhat deeper option. It would be nice to see some brighter shades because the way they impart color noticeably but evenly is really nice for a gloss/oil type of formula.

Application: The applicator holds a bit too much product for me, so I wipe some of it off into the neck of the bottle. I don’t feel like I need a very thick layer for color to show up, but applying it more heavily does definitely amp up color payoff.

Texture/Consistency/Finish: This has a thinner, more slippery, but also somehow more plush and moisturizing feel than some other recent lip oils/glosses I’ve tried. It feels like it has a plumping ingredient in it and gives the slightest hint of tingle (not burning/hot or painful, more in line with a minty feel but not really cooling). Not sticky and really nice feel. 

Pigmentation/Color Payoff: Depends on the shade. The lightest one has barely-there color payoff but the three deeper ones give me a noticeable tint. I can see my lips through the color but they add some life to my naturally very pale lips. They definitely have more color payoff than the Elf Lip Oils.

Longevity: These wear off pretty easily. If I don’t eat or drink anything, they will stay on for a couple hours. But they seem a little more easy to sheer down with any type of touch than other glosses/oils.

Pros and Cons:

Things I like:

• The texture feels really nice.
• The amount of color payoff and the smoothness of the way that color looks on the lips.
• Gives a slight smoothing effect to lip lines.
• Very little scent.
• More of a light minty tingle (prefer this over the hot/burning ones).
• Impressed with all the nice oils in the ingredients list.

Drawbacks and other considerations:

• Not a cheap option.
• Wears off easily.

Do I Recommend Them?

It’s going to be up to you to decide if it’s worth buying a $26 lip oil/gloss. I think it’s a nice product and I enjoy it but I’m not sure it’s THAT much different than cheaper options. There are things about them I prefer to other similar products I have and I’ve found myself reaching for these over those. The texture and color payoff are the main things for me. Personally, I’m on the side where I prefer the thinner/lighter formula but if you like a thicker feeling product, it’s possible these might not do it for you.

Pink Cloud

Pink Cloud is a very sheer, pale, cool pink. This gives my lips a hint of pink color, where they would otherwise blend in with my face with nothing on them.

Blush Dreams

Blush Dreams is a warm pinky nude with a little bit more color payoff than Pink Cloud. This shade is similar to the next one in depth and color but is just a tiny bit warmer.

Soft Mauve

Soft Mauve is a cooler toned pinky nude that leans more in the purple direction than the previous shade.

Rosewood Nights

Rosewood Nights is a deep but quite sheer purply brown. This one has the most impact color-wise on me but when I consider the depth, it seems sheerer than the two midtone shades.

What it is: Elf Lash Xtndr Mascara is a tubing mascara that is supposed to provide length and drama instantly. It claims to resist clumps, flaking, and smudging and remove easily with warm water. 

Price/Quantity: $7 for 0.25 oz / 7 g

Availability: Elf, Target

Shade Range: 3 shades (Soft Black, Pitch Black, and Deep Brown)

Packaging: The tube is pretty standard and a tiny bit narrower and shorter than other mascaras I have. It has a flexible silicone brush that gives slightly when pressed against the neck of the container but isn’t too flexible, so I can still get good control with it. The wand holds a very reasonable amount of product so I don’t feel the need to clean excess off before applying it to the lashes. To close it, it twists shut with a subtle “pop” once it is fully closed.

Smell/Fragrance: It has a fairly strong scent that I wouldn’t describe as fragrance but more as alcohol and other chemicals. I didn’t notice the scent over the past week just using the product normally but when actively looking for a smell, it was very easy to pick up on. 

Expiration/Shelf Life: 6 months after opening.

Ingredients: 

Here are the ingredients that are on my box. They don’t totally match what I see on the website.

Performance

Shade: I chose the shade Pitch Black and I’m happy with the depth of color I get from it. I feel it is plenty dark enough but I’m sure I’ve used other mascaras that were a deeper/richer black before.

Application: This applies fast for me compared to other mascaras I have. Within a few swipes, I very quickly see noticeable length and volume and I don’t need to add more than one layer to get my lashes to a place where they feel “done”. It goes on evenly without clumps and I don’t find it super easy to accidentally get mascara on the skin around my eyes with this brush. I always curl my lashes and this doesn’t undo the curl when I first apply it and once it dries, it holds the curl for the rest of the day. 

The wand holds a perfect amount of mascara so I don’t need to clean excess off before going in for application. I also don’t feel the need to go back into the tube for more mascara to get one eye done. I will dip back into the container to get some more for the other eye though. 

The product is not too wet or too dry/waxy but it does seem to dry down on the lashes quickly after I sweep it on, affecting how I can layer the product. While I don’t feel the need whatsoever to layer for plenty of impact, if I did want to apply it heavily, I need to do it within a minute or two. If I wait too long before adding more product, it can start to look clumpy and my lashes will stick to each other.

How It Wears: After several days, the only bad thing I’ve noticed about how this wears is some slight flaking. It seems to do this consistently but the flakes are pretty small and there aren’t a ton of them. I’ve been seeing if it will smudge by wearing it on the lower lashes with a hydrating concealer and so far it hasn’t smudged. 

Removal: Being a tubing mascara, it is meant to be removed with water. What I’ve been doing is using makeup remover to take off most of my makeup and my eyeshadow, and then I’ll go to the sink and use some warm water to soften up the mascara before gently pulling the “tubes” or large chunks of mascara off in a pinching motion. Once it’s exposed to water for about 15 seconds, it very easily loses its grip on the lashes and comes off with very little effort.

Worth Buying?

I feel like this mascara is well worth the $7. It’s not much more than some of the cheapest options at Ulta and it performs really well. The only drawback for me personally is some minor flaking.

Before and After

What it is: Laura Mercier Real Flawless Weightless Perfecting Foundation is a light to medium coverage foundation with a very fluid, highly spreadable formula and a natural to dewy finish.

Price/Quantity: $52 for 1 oz / 30 mL

Availability: Laura Mercier, Sephora, Ulta, Nordstrom, and many others

Shade Range: 30 shades

Packaging: Glass bottle with a soft-touch frosted finish, plastic cap, and a pump. The pump isn’t the easiest to control how much product I dispense. It works fine, it’s just that I feel like I can’t pump only a tiny bit out, if that’s all I need. I am able to twist off and remove the pump if I want to. For the most part the packaging has a nice quality feel to it.

Smell/Fragrance: Ultra low odor. I have to try really hard to detect any kind of scent from this and what I do get is an extremely faint chemical smell.

Expiration/Shelf Life: 12 months after opening

Ingredients:

ISODODECANE, ISODECYL NEOPENTANOATE, HYDROGENATED POLYISOBUTENE, HYDROGENATED POLYCYCLOPENTADIENE, HYDROGENATED DIDECENE, SILICA, POLYGLYCERYL-3 DIISOSTEARATE, HYDROGENATED STYRENE/ISOPRENE COPOLYMER, DICALCIUM PHOSPHATE, DISTEARDIMONIUM HECTORITE, CELLULOSE, LAURYL PCA, THEOBROMA CACAO (COCOA) SEED EXTRACT, HYDROGENATED LECITHIN, CAMELLIA OLEIFERA SEED OIL, AQUA/WATER/EAU, PENTAERYTHRITYL TETRA-DI-T-BUTYL HYDROXYHYDROCINNAMATE, TOCOPHERYL ACETATE, BUTYLENE GLYCOL. MAY CONTAIN/PEUT CONTENIR/(+/-): IRON OXIDES (CI 77491, CI 77492, CI 77499), TITANIUM DIOXIDE (CI 77891). 

LauraMercier.com

Performance

Shade: I got the shade 1C2 Chiffon, and it is nearly a spot on match for me. I chose the shade in store and I’m glad I did because I don’t think I would have chosen the right one if I had purchased online. Neither neutral option seemed to work for me. It seems like all the undertones for the lighter shades lean in a yellow direction, but the cooler ones are just less yellow. So the neutrals seemed too yellow for me and the warm were like out of the question lol. Below are some comparison swatches for other foundations I have:

Application: My usual spreading the product over the skin with fingers first then blending with a sponge/brush works fine. The product moves with almost no resistance over the skin and blends out fast. It kind of has a tendency to streak and settle into pores because it moves so easily. As long as I stay aware of that and apply a thin even layer that is blended well, it’s not really a problem.

Using only a brush or a sponge to apply and blend out the product both end up giving me about the same result, and these methods also work fine. Using both of these give me a slightly higher amount of coverage, especially using a brush. I can get about medium coverage this way. Both of these also result in a slightly less natural/skin-like look though. The finish ends up looking good enough, just not that ultra natural look that almost looks like no-makeup.

It has applied fine over my go-to sunscreen, Australian Gold Botanical Tinted Face SPF 50. I’ve also tried it over a couple of primers and didn’t love the result. The ones I’ve tried so far are Milk Makeup Pore Eclipse Primer, and Elf Liquid Poreless Putty Primer. The sunscreen gives me the best look, helping to smooth the look of pores even more than with the foundation alone. Neither of the primers really help the finish of the foundation look any smoother on me. The foundation alone gives me a naturally radiant finish and the Milk primer seems to help tone down the dewiness of the foundation.

Texture/Consistency/Finish: Very fluid and lightweight and a bit hydrating/moisturizing. Not quite watery, but almost. It reminds me of what was in those cushion foundations several years back. I kind of like having a formula like that without the excessive packaging of the cushion compact involved. The finish is on the dewier/glowier side when left unset. It’s not ultra glowy but it’s definitely more radiant than a “natural” finish.

Coverage: Light to medium coverage depending on how I apply it. Using fingers to apply and doing a final blend with a sponge or brush gives me lighter coverage, a sponge gives me a bit more coverage, and the brush gives me the most. I can add very light layers to build it up but it’s not the best formula for trying to layer. I think it may be too fluid/liquidy and the coverage just doesn’t seem to increase very noticeably with additional layers. It also looks more makeup-y and settles into pores as I layer it. Using a brush to apply a heavier layer initially is my best bet for medium coverage.

Longevity: Most days it seems to hold up fine with an initial layer of setting powder over top. It will begin to develop a slight glow by midday but doesn’t get horribly shiny by the end of the day. However, I also wore it during some very humid days we had recently and I wasn’t able to keep shine under control very long with powder on those days. Every time I have worn it, it stayed in place and did not gather in lines/pores after many hours of wear. It has also consistently looked more skin-like later in the day than when it was first applied.

Pros and Cons

Things I like:

• I like how it seems to look better the longer I wear it. It looks more skin-like and less makeup-y as the hours pass.
• It doesn’t move during the day when I’m wearing it, even if I wear it for a long time. It doesn’t gather in pores, in lines, or around my nose even as my face gets more oily later in the day.
• It doesn’t transfer or rub off easily.

Drawbacks and other considerations:

• Didn’t work the best with primers (worked fine over my sunscreen though) – just tends to look less natural and gather in pores and on texture more when paired with a primer.
• A bit too glowy for me, which doesn’t help to smooth the look of texture. Finish is fine if I set it with powder.
• I have to use a lot of this compared to other foundations, at least 2 pumps to cover the whole face and up to 4 pumps if I want higher coverage.
• Not the most buildable formula.

Worth Buying?

There are too many things about this foundation that I don’t love for me to recommend it or say it’s worth buying. I think I’ve just figured out I prefer higher coverage foundations recently and this one is pretty light coverage and not super buildable. I don’t feel like I can safely grab for any primer or sunscreen and feel confident this foundation will get along with it. Even though it is lightweight, spreads quickly, and is light coverage, it is not quick to apply. I feel the need to spend more time than I want to for this type of product fussing with how it is sitting on the skin and how it is blended out. The one major plus that almost makes it worth it for me is how, once I get it applied how I want it, it doesn’t move and looks better the longer I wear it. That may make it worth it for some.

What it is: ColourPop Lip and Cheek Balms are multi-use cream products that can be used as blushes or tinted lip balms. 

Price/Quantity: $12 for 4.75 g / 0.17 oz

Availability: ColourPop exclusive

Shade Range: 3 shades, can be purchased as a set for a small discount or individually.

Packaging: Plastic heart shaped compact with a mirror inside and a snap closure. It has a notch at the very bottom of the heart point where I can use both of my thumbs to pry the lid apart from the base to open it. I feel it is easy to open and stays shut securely. I don’t think the pan is removable from the compact.

Smell/Fragrance: It smells like nothing to me. The very bottom of the ingredients lists some different fruit oils, but they don’t seem to add any kind of scent to the product.

Expiration/Shelf Life: I don’t see an indication of expiration on the product itself or the box it came in.

Ingredients:

PENTAERYTHRITYL TETRAISOSTEARATE, DIMER DILINOLEYL DIMER DILINOLEATE, TRIISOSTEARIN, ISOPROPYL MYRISTATE, POLYETHYLENE, MICROCRYSTALLINE WAX, POLYBUTENE, SYNTHETIC BEESWAX, STEARALKONIUM HECTORITE, ZINC STEARATE, PHENOXYETHANOL, PROPYLENE CARBONATE, CAPRYLYL GLYCOL, DIETHYLHEXYL SYRINGYLIDENEMALONATE, THEOBROMA GRANDIFLORUM SEED BUTTER, TOCOPHEROL, ETHYLHEXYLGLYCERIN, HEXYLENE GLYCOL, BUTYROSPERMUM PARKII (SHEA) BUTTER, CAPRYLIC/CAPRIC TRIGLYCERIDE, FRAGARIA VESCA (STRAWBERRY) SEED OIL, PRUNUS ARMENIACA (APRICOT) KERNEL OIL, RUBUS IDAEUS (RASPBERRY) SEED OIL, SAMBUCUS NIGRA SEED OIL, ALUMINA, IRON OXIDES (CI 77491, CI 77499), RED 28 LAKE (CI 45410), TITANIUM DIOXIDE (CI 77891), YELLOW 5 LAKE (CI 19140).

ColourPop.com

Performance

I picked up Heart’s Content, which is the lightest shade. It’s a neutral, maybe even leaning warm light-medium pink with no shimmer or sparkle. Color payoff is buildable easily going from sheer to very noticeable on me if I layer it up. It’s not very dewy and doesn’t leave my skin feeling tacky/sticky. Just looks like a natural skin finish. My hair doesn’t really stick to it unless I try hard to make it happen.  I have lighter and cooler pinks and I feel the depth and warmth of this is just right for my skin tone. 

It feels somewhat firm in the pan but is creamy enough to pick up easily with a quick swipe of the finger. I can apply it to the cheeks with my fingers but the firmness of the product requires a bit of effort to blend it out. Using a brush is much faster and easier. The product has a lot of wax in it and as a blush, it doesn’t leave my skin feeling overly balmy, greasy, or sticky. As a lip balm, personally, I think it feels a little too waxy and not necessarily hydrating or protective. It applies easily to the lips, stays on decently well and doesn’t have much of a shine.

I’ve tested it for wear time twice (8-10 hours) and I can tell it fades by the very end of the day but doesn’t disappear completely. For most of the day, I notice no fading at all. It’s only by the very end that I see noticeably less color on my cheeks. As long as I apply it a bit heavily early in the day, it holds on well enough.

Comparisons

Swatched from left to right, I have:

• ColourPop Lip and Cheek Balm in Heart’s Content
• Elf Liquid Blushes in Pinky Promise and Dusty Rosé
• Saie Dew Blushes in Baby and Chilly
• Too Faced Cloud Crush Blurring Blushes in Candy Clouds and Velvet Crush

Elf Liquid Blushes are way more pigmented but leave a similar finish on the skin (not overly dewy and not dry/matte).

Saie Dew Blushes are dewier, stickier and are more geared toward drier skin types. If you have oilier skin, you’d probably like the ColourPop or Elf blushes better.

Too Faced Blushes are just here for color reference!

The ColourPop Lost In Love Palette is a limited edition Valentine’s Day palette for 2024. It mainly consists of various pinks and one true red but also has some peach/orange/coral and berry shades. There are 6 mattes, 4 shimmers, and 2 pressed glitters. As far as I can tell from the outside of the palette and the box, it doesn’t seem that any of the shades are pressed pigments. Some of the deepest mattes left a tiny bit of staining on the skin during swatching, but none of the shades left my eyelids stained after use.

The size of the palette is like the ColourPop Fairy Well Palette, which is slightly larger than some of their older 12-pan palettes (like the So Very Lovely Palette) and has larger 26mm pans. The pans are magnetic and removable but are shallower in depth than regular single shadows from ColourPop and other brands.

Price: $18
Availability: ColourPop exclusive

Swatches

Falling – Pale pink shimmer without much of a base color. Particles are larger than fine shimmer but not super chunky/large.
Ever & Ever – Matte pale peach.
Totally Smitten – Pressed multicolored glitter in a sheer, shimmery pink base.
Dibs – Cooler-toned matte light pink.
All My Heart – Bright tangerine orange shimmer with a mixture of fine shimmer and larger sparkle and a sheer pinky-coral base color.
So In Love – Medium warm pink shimmer with lots of large silver sparkle. Lots of fallout from this shade.
Cupid Called – Very bright medium pink with fine shimmer.
Better With U – Pressed multicolored glitter in a sheer, shimmery peachy-gold base.
Amorous – Vibrant, matte coral-orange.
Fave Texts – Intense tomato red with a matte finish. This is a warmer red that doesn’t turn pink as it is sheered out.
Just Us – Pinky raspberry red with a matte finish. Feels a bit drier and grittier than the previous two mattes.
Yours Truly – Deep berry pink with a matte finish. Same drier/gritter feel as Just Us.

The mattes have good color payoff in general, with Ever & Ever being the sheerest but still pigmented enough. They are slightly drier in feel than other matte shadows I have, especially the two deepest shades, which are also a bit gritty. They apply to the lid with plenty of intensity right off the bat but can be easy to brush away with blending or when placing the shimmers/glitters over them. Using a primer helped them to adhere better and reduced the amount of dusting away that happened. Whatever I wasn’t able to prevent, I just fixed at the end of the look I was doing by layering on a bit more of any shade that got sheered out. I noticed this more with the deeper mattes than with the lighter ones.

The 4 shimmers vary slightly in finish and they also vary in the amount of fallout I get from them. The hot pink Cupid Called is the only one with all fine shimmer and almost no fallout. The one with the worst fallout was So In Love. Compared to other shimmer formulas I have, these aren’t quite as “creamy” or “buttery smooth”, but they apply with reasonable ease. For some, I find it helpful to apply them with a dampened brush or a fingertip to get a bit more color payoff and opacity out of them.

The 2 pressed glitters have a waxy texture that adheres to the skin without the help of any other product. The larger particles in both shades seem like they are basically the same coloring and look like they are duo chrome or multi chrome. The majority of the glitter particles are gold/orange/warm green and fewer of them are indigo/violet. Better With U, the warmer one, also has a tiny bit of green in it. Both have smaller shimmer particles as well. Totally Smitten has light pink shimmer and Better With U has light gold shimmer. When used on the lid, I don’t see a whole lot of the shimmery base unless I apply it very heavily. For the most part, I get a sheer overspray of warm-ish multicolored glitter.

Pros and Cons

Things I like:

• Fills some gaps in my collection. I don’t have much pink eyeshadow in general.
• Good variety of textures and depths to use it as a standalone palette.
• The pinky/orange theme instead of strictly pink and red is a nice change for a Valentine’s collection.
• Color payoff is pretty good overall. The two very lightest shades in the top row are the sheerest but still show up on me.
• The pressed glitters are easy to use. They adhere to the skin well by themselves without needing help from any other product. I also feel that I’m able to move them around if I don’t quite place them where I want at first. Fallout is mostly minimal.
• None of the shades stained my eyelids.

Drawbacks to consider:

• Some of the matte shades feel like they dust away easily during blending or when adding shimmers over top. Using a primer helped them stick to the lid better. After applying shimmer, I also would go and layer on a bit more of any matte shades that seemed to sheer out.
• The only shade with a lot of fallout was So In Love. The rest either had little to no fallout or a small/tolerable amount of fallout.
• The glitters take more effort to remove than the rest of the shades. When doing some of the glitter heavy looks, I felt the need to use an extra makeup remover wipe to make sure I got all the glitter off.

Worth Buying?

I think the price for this palette is actually really good for all that you get. Even if you don’t like the entire palette by itself, if there are enough shades in here you think you would like to have and use with other stuff you already own, it might be a good one to pick up. If you are someone that is very picky about quality and already have lots of stuff from indie brands, this is probably not going to do it for you quality-wise. Everything in here works well enough but you might just not really love it. Personally, I think it’s a fun little palette and worth the $18.

Looks

Look 1:

• ColourPop Party Proof Eyeshadow Primer
• Ever & Ever – Crease, lower lashline
• Falling – All over lid (dry brush/finger)
• Sydney Grace Snow Queen + Makeup Geek Vanilla Bean single shadows – Brow bone, inner corner
• Make Up For Ever Infinite Sand Liner – Waterline
• Winky Lux Detail Oriented Mascara – Upper and lower lashes

The lighter matte turned out lighter / pinker toned than I was expecting based on how it swatched. It has pretty good color payoff but I did build it up a little. Very easy blending, didn’t dust away easily, didn’t look chalky for being a lighter shade. The shimmer photographed nice and has kind of a unique light pink sparkle/reflect. It adhered decently well but I did use my finger to apply it more heavily for better payoff. There was a notable amount of fallout that I had to clean up but I don’t feel it was annoyingly excessive. Particles are larger than fine shimmer but not super chunky/large.

Look 2:

• ColourPop Party Proof Eyeshadow Primer
• Makeup Geek Vanilla Bean single shadow – Brow bone, inner corner
• Dibs – Above crease, center part of lower lashline
• Yours Truly – Liner, outer lower lashline
• Better With U – All over lid, layered over mattes along lower lashline
• Falling – Inner corner, brow bone
• Winky Lux Detail Oriented Mascara – Lower lashes
• Elf Lash Xtndr Mascara – Upper lashes
• Make Up For Ever Boundless Bisque Liner – Waterline

I used one of the pressed glitters here. On the upper lid, I mainly kept it on a bare part of the lid so I could see what kind of base color there was in it (not much really) and on the lower lashline I used it over some of the matte shades. I like the glitter better over something a little deeper to help it pop more. It has a waxy feel and it picks up and transfers easily to the lid with a flat brush. I got a few specks of fallout from it, but it mostly stays well on the lid and is pretty easy to move around if I don’t place it exactly how I want at first. I have no idea how it might lift deeper eyeshadow underneath or how it might affect wear time. Previous pressed glitters I’ve used from ColourPop have caused creasing quickly on me. Short take on the glitter: I like it.

I also used Falling again and I can see by how I used it, it’s one of those shimmers that has a more muted/tamped down reflect. It’s not super shiny but more glowy. I used it with a dry brush only and it adhered perfectly fine with not a ton of fallout. I think this shade has more fallout when I apply it with a finger.

Look 3:

• No primer, used whatever small amount of leftover concealer was still on my brush to pat over the lid
• Ever & Ever – Inner transition, inner lower lashline
• Dibs – Outer transition, outer lower lashline
• Yours Truly – Outer lid
• Amorous – Inner lid
• All My Heart – Center of lid (dry brush)
• Totally Smitten – Inner corner
• Winky Lux Detail Oriented Mascara – Upper and lower lashes
• Makeup Geek Vanilla Bean single shadow – Inner corner, brow bone

I applied the lighter mattes first and then went in with the deeper mattes, finding they didn’t want to adhere very well. I think it may be better to go the opposite way with the mattes in this palette. They were easy to brush away when blending or adding the shimmer over top. They don’t feel dry or thin though. I only used a dry brush to apply the shimmer on the center of the lid but I did spend some time layering it. I was tempted to use a setting spray but decided not to, to see how it would look in photos. It didn’t get much fallout and it ended up looking nice in the photos.

I applied the glitter way too heavily on the inner corner. It was pretty easy to move around but I couldn’t really go back and sheer it out after I applied too much. It has somewhat of a light shimmery pink base color behind the larger sparkles.

Look 4:

• No primer
• Anastasia Beverly Hills Baby Cakes single shadow – Brow bone, inner corner
• Just Us – All over lid/crease
• Amorous – Transition above outer crease
• So In Love – Center of lid (dry brush only)
• All My Heart – Lower lashine
• Winky Lux Detail Oriented Mascara – Upper and lower lashes
• Elf Lash Xtndr Mascara – Layered a bit over previous mascara on upper lashes for more volume

I went darker to lighter this time with the mattes and didn’t have as much of an issue with adherence. The shimmer on the lid has more chunky sparkle than All My Heart and I had much more fallout with it. It also felt a bit crumbly as I picked it up to use it on the lid. Shimmer on the lower lashline applied without any problems. Blending in general was easy but I did see a tiny bit of dusting away as I tried to use the orange above the crease, so I built the pinky-red shade up a bit once again afterward.

Look 5:

• ColourPop Party Proof Eyeshadow Primer
• Makeup Geek Vanilla Bean + Anastasia Beverly Hills Baby Cakes single shadows – Brow bone, inner corner
• Yours Truly – All over lid, crease
• Dibs – Lower lashline
• Better With U – Center of lid
• Totally Smitten – Center of lower lashline
• Winky Lux Detail Oriented Mascara – Lower lashes
• Elf Lash Xtndr Mascara – Upper lashes

Yours Truly did better applied this way without any other shadows preventing from adhering. I still had to pack it on a second time in some areas after using the glitter though. The glitter lifted the color a bit. I used a pencil brush to do all the blending around the edges. I usually use a flat shader but the only one I really like has white bristles and I don’t want to stain them with this color. Generally felt okay about the quality of most of this. I got kind of a lot of fallout from the glitter I used on the lower lashline. The other glitter didn’t have as much.

Look 6:

• ColourPop Party Proof Eyeshadow Primer
• Sydney Grace Snow Queen – Brow bone, inner corner
• Amorous – All over lid/crease
• Ever & Ever – Transition above crease
• All My Heart – Center of lid (wet brush)
• Amorous + Ever & Ever mixed – Base color for lower lashline
• Better With U – Layered over mattes on lower lashline
• Winky Lux Detail Oriented Mascara – Lower lashes
• Elf Lash Xtndr Mascara – Upper lashes

All My Heart went on much better with a wet brush but possibly looked a bit thick. Didn’t have much fallout from the glitter on the lower lashline. This looked more neon in photos than in person.

Look 7:

• ColourPop Party Proof Eyeshadow Primer
• Dibs – All over lid/crease
• Falling – Inner corner/brow bone (dry brush only)
• Totally Smitten – Center of lid
• So In Love – Lower lashline
• Winky Lux Detail Oriented Mascara – Lower lashes
• Elf Lash Xtndr Mascara – Upper lashes

Dibs performed like the darker mattes where it was easy to dust away and lift with the glitter, except that being lighter, it wasn’t as easy to notice this. I packed on some more toward to end to get it looking good again. None of the shimmer/sparkle/glitter shades had much fallout. Adherence was decent all around except for the issue with the matte.

Look 8:

• Don’t remember if I used primer here
• Ever & Ever – Inner lid/crease
• Fave Texts – Outer lid/crease, somewhat winged out
• Cupid Called – Lower lashline
• Make Up For Ever Boundless Bisque Liner – Waterline
• Danessa Myricks Tourmaline velvet pomade (from the Defining Neutrals Palette) – Smudged into upper lashes and winged out slightly

This last look was me trying to use the remaining 2 shades I hadn’t used yet. I wouldn’t have normally chosen to pair them together but that’s what I ended up with.

What they are: Saie Dew Blushes are semi sheer liquid blushes with a dewy finish. They have a very hydrating feel and never fully set down, remaining dewy looking throughout the day. A few shades have some fine shimmer up close in swatches but I don’t notice any sparkle or shimmer once they are on the cheek.

Price/Quantity: $25 for 12 mL / 0.4 oz

Availability: Saie, Sephora, Kohl’s

Shade Range: 9 Shades

Packaging: Plastic container a bit larger than a lipgloss with a large doe foot applicator. The shade names are printed on a label on the bottom of each container.

Smell/Fragrance: These are fragrance free but they do have a mineral/chemical scent. I don’t find it to smell paint-like or offensive and it’s not something I notice with normal use but it is strong enough to easily detect when looking for a scent.

Expiration/Shelf Life: 12 months after opening.

Ingredients:

ISOCETYL STEAROYL STEARATE GLYCERIN TRIBEHENIN SAMBUCUS NIGRA (ELDERBERRY) FRUIT EXTRACT MICA GLYCERYL STEARATE GLYCYRRHIZA GLABRA (LICORICE) ROOT EXTRACT SILICA MORUS ALBA (WHITE MULBERRY) ROOT EXTRACT SYMPHYTUM OFFICINALE (COMFREY) LEAF EXTRACT OENOTHERA BIENNIS (EVENING PRIMROSE) ROOT EXTRACT [+/- MAY CONTAIN/ PEUT CONTENIR TITANIUM DIOXIDE CI77891 IRON OXIDES (CI77492, CI77491, CI77499) YELLOW 6 LAKE RED 7 LAKE RED 22 LAKE FERRIC FERROCYANIDE

saiehello.com

Performance

Shade Selection: I originally was just going to pick up the shade Baby to give this formula a try. That shade is pretty straightforward and I had a good idea of what I was going to get with it. But I had a harder time visualizing what the rest of the shade range might look like on me, which is why I thought doing a post on this would be helpful. There are groupings of pinks, peaches, corals, a berry shade, and a brown shade. I think because of the color payoff these are generally suited better to lighter/medium skin tones, though the shades Poppy and Dreamy may show up on deeper complexions.

Application: I dot the product straight onto the cheek and blend it out mostly with my fingers and may do a final light blend with a brush, especially around the edges. Saie recommends adding a few dots to the cheek. Personally, I find one not-too-tiny-dot to gives me plenty of color payoff. Once I blend that out, I may add one more layer right in the center to build up the color. So far I’ve tried them over KVD Good Apple Serum Foundation, Too Faced Born This Way Multi Use Sculpting Concealer, and Laura Mercier Real Flawless Weightless Perfecting Foundation and it has gotten along well with all of them without lifting the foundation (much). They can slightly sheer out my coverage but not to an amount that I feel is a problem. The cooler/pinker shades kind of emphasize old acne scarring when I don’t wear a high enough coverage base underneath but the warmer shades are a bit more forgiving. I think someone that has pretty even skin without much need for coverage will probably like the cooler shades better.

Texture/Consistency/Finish: These have a lightweight gel serum texture that feels super hydrating upon application and remains tacky unless set with a power. There is enough tack that my hair can stick to my cheek which is a tiny bit annoying. They give the skin a wet (kind of sweaty) look, in a good way, without visible shimmer or sparkle.

Pigmentation/Color Payoff: Semi sheer. They show up better than some drugstore options I’ve tried and are easier to avoid over applying than the Elf Camo Liquid Blushes I tried recently. When applying with fingers, I find it more difficult to layer and build up the color but using a brush makes building up color or applying it more heavily from the get-go easier. Because they are so dewy/hydrating, they move super easily if touched, so it’s not hard to move or pick up color from a previous layer as I’m trying to add more.

Longevity: So far I’ve tried Baby and Chilly for wear time. Baby seemed to fade by the end of the day one of the times I wore it (set with powder) but not on a second test without powder. Chilly did not fade after wearing it all day. They can be sheered out and transfer easily if touched, though, and that can shorten wear time.

Pros and Cons

Things I like:

• I don’t have to be too careful about application. With most of the shades, it’s hard to overdo or apply too much.
• Pretty much every color works for me.
• Depending on the shade, these can look very natural. Oddly the warmer ones look more natural on me.
• Part of Saie’s brand image/mission is to be environmentally conscious.
• I think the dewy finish without relying on shimmer is unique.

Drawbacks and other considerations:

• The tackiness is a bit much but I can tolerate it for the effect.
• There are a couple options that may work for deeper skin tones but these are probably going to be most suited to lighter/medium skin tones.

Worth Buying?

Liquid blushes are not a thing I have loads of experience with but of the ones I have tried, these are the dewiest. Most I’ve used have been the kind that set down completely and I never did love that kind of formula. If you really want the wet-skin look, these will definitely give you that and I’m not really sure of a good alternative option. If you think sticky skin will get on your nerves, they probably won’t be the best bet for you.

Swatches

Peachy

Peachy is one of the lightest options aside from Baby but has more color payoff than I was expecting. This is one of my favorite shades out of them all.

Rosy

Rosy is similar to Peachy but a bit more pink and also a bit more pigmented. I can use a little less of this one for the same level of color payoff.

Cutie

Cutie is like a deeper version of Peachy. I really like this shade as well and think I could use this one to get a pretty similar effect as Peachy by just using less of it.

Spicy

Spicy is a deeper reddish brown. This one didn’t swatch the same as the others but ended up applying to face about the same. The color ended up looking not too different from Cutie once it was all blended out.

Baby

Baby is a light cool pink. It was the first shade of this I tried which led me down a rabbit hole of trying to find the rest of the shades. This is the lightest/sheerest out of them all and requires the most building to show up well on me. When swatching this, this one left a very faint stain on my arm but I didn’t notice the same issue on my face with regular use.

Chilly

Chilly is cool-ish medium mauve. I’d probably grab for this one for an “everyday” color if I wanted something cooler.

Dreamy

Dreamy is a like a deeper version of Chilly. I can use this one to get a similar look if I use it more lightly. This is one of the few that I feel I could apply too heavily by accident.

Sweetie

Sweetie is a medium pinky coral. This one also stained my arm when swatching a bit more heavily than the shade Baby did.

Poppy

Poppy is a bright orangey-coral. This looks more orange in a heavy swatch but when sheered out, ends up looking more pink. This one left the heaviest staining on my arm during swatching and the stain was noticeably pinker and cooler than the orange in the photo above. I would avoid using this one with brushes that have light hairs/bristles to avoid staining them. This is the other shade I feel the need to be careful to not apply too much of.

What they are: Elf Pout Clout Lip Plumping Pens are sheer balmy lip products that lie somewhere between a lip balm and a lip gloss. None of them have any shimmer or glitter and they have a lightly minty tingle. They are supposed to plump but I don’t get much of a plumping effect. They are hydrating and I feel that helps to give the lips a smoother appearance.

Price/Quantity: $8 for 0.07 oz / 2.0 grams

Availability: Elf, Walmart

Shade Range: 8 shades

Packaging: Slim, plastic click up pen. It has a button on the bottom of the pen in a color matching the shade inside. I have to press the button 3 or 4 times to push the product up enough to swipe over the lips.  Once I push product up, it cannot be retracted back into the pen like with a twist-up style lip product. The lip product itself is very soft and melts easily so this kind of packaging works well. The lid snaps off and on with a good amount of tension. It doesn’t feel like it will fall off easily but isn’t too difficult to remove either. The names of each shade are on the pens on the bottom of the button but the lettering is so tiny and so thin, it’s nearly impossible to see without the help of a magnifying glass. The white label I’m showing on the lid below is just how I decided to make my life easier so I know the name of each shade as I grab for them.

Smell/Fragrance: These have a light scent that reminds me of coconut oil (which is not listed in the ingredients) and a very faint sweetness. It doesn’t seem to me that these were made to smell intentionally fragranced as the scent I do pick up on is barely there. They do have a cooling minty sensation that is a bit more noticeable than the mintiness that was in the Elf Glow Reviver Lip Oils (review). There is no minty scent though. 

Expiration/Shelf Life: 12 months after opening.

Ingredients:

These are the ingredients for the shade In The Clear. The other shades have very similar ingredients listed and the “MAY CONTAIN” section varies a bit for each shade.

Bis-Behenyl/Isostearyl/Phytosteryl Dimer Dilinoleyl Dimer Dilinoleate, Diisostearyl Malate, Hydrogenated Polyisobutene, Bis-Diglyceryl Polyacyladipate-2, Synthetic Wax, Polyglyceryl-2 Triisostearate, Menthone Glycerin Acetal, Silica Dimethyl Silylate, Passiflora Edulis Seed Oil, Microcrystalline Wax (Cera Microcristallina), Punica Granatum Fruit Extract, Citrullus Lanatus (Watermelon) Fruit Extract, Vaccinium Angustifolium (Blueberry) Fruit Extract, Sodium Hyaluronate, Ricinus Communis (Castor) Seed Oil, Fragrance (Parfum), Tocopherol, Hydrogenated Castor Oil, Helianthus Annuus (Sunflower) Seed Oil, Water (Aqua), Butylene Glycol, Ethylhexylglycerin, Phenoxyethanol; MAY CONTAIN: Titanium Dioxide (CI 77891)

elfcosmetics.com

Performance

Shade Selection: None of the shades contain any shimmer or glitter and I LOVE that there is a completely clear option in a formula like this. I often apply a lip balm or lip mask when I start doing my makeup so that if I feel like wearing a lipstick at the end, my lips are all prepped. The clear one is perfect for this. 

The shades are all different enough from each other to tell them apart once they are on the lips. Just Peachy and Pinky Out look too similar when swatched but Just Peachy is noticeably much lighter on the lips. Bust A Mauve and Wicked Cherry are pretty close but Wicked Cherry is more red.

Application: These apply about as one would expect — just swipe across the lips like a lipstick. A couple of passes very easily transfers product and color. For some of the deeper shades, I found it helpful to have a lip brush nearby to smooth out the edges of my lips. Because the product is so melty it’s not hard to lose precision. That meltiness also makes me feel like I’m using a lot product each time I apply one of the shades, and could quickly run through an entire pen. 

Texture/Consistency/Finish: These melt easily when they come in contact with the skin. They feel like a cross between very thick lip gloss and a very melty lip balm. Pressing my lips together, the product doesn’t feel like it is too thick or heavy and it is not sticky or goopy at all. They feel soothing and protective like a nice lip balm. Swatching these wasn’t the easiest thing because a lot of product would come off in patches as I moved it over my skin, leaving a thick uneven looking swatch. I smoothed over pretty much every swatch with a brush but here is how it swatches without me messing with them and how the product looks in the tube afterward.

Pigmentation/Color Payoff: I can get sheer but noticeable color from these. They can be applied a bit more lightly for a pretty natural look or I can layer them up to get the color to pop more. I feel like I have a good amount of wiggle room for layering these before they start to look too thick or uneven on the lips, but they do have a limit. The midtone and deeper shades are easier to apply more heavily but the lighter shades like Just Peachy and Pinky Out start to look goopy on me if I apply too much.

Longevity: These are thick enough and stay on for a few hours if not touched. They don’t absorb or evaporate or seem to disappear on their own. If I eat or drink they do easily transfer but even then, they still hold on pretty well. I wore one to work and drank water throughout my shift. After a couple of hours, I could tell the product had worn away from the center of my lips but was still holding on around the edges of my lips. Where it was still holding on, it maintained its comfortable balmy feel.

Pros and Cons

Things I like:

• The clear one is nice as a lip balm alternative or lip treatment before makeup.
• Minty feel.
• No shimmer.
• Feels really comfortable and smooth. More moisturizing and soothing than a waxy lip balm and thicker than a lip gloss or lip oil.
• Good price.

Drawbacks and other considerations:

• It seems like I could use them up quickly.
• The lighter shades don’t build up as well as the deeper ones and can easily look goopy.
• I don’t really see plumping from these. They help fight dryness and keep my lips moisturized which helps them to look a little more smooth.

Do I Recommend Them?

I definitely recommend the clear one for anyone as an alternative to a lip balm. For the ones with color, maybe go for shades that are a bit deeper than your natural lip color (just based on how the lighter ones applied on me). If you actually want them for plumping though, you’ll probably not get what you’re hoping for.

Swatches

In The Clear

In The Clear is a totally clear, shimmer and sparkle free shade with shine nearly like that of a lip gloss. It doesn’t have the same wet, glassy effect of a gloss, but has more reflect than a lip balm.

Just Peachy

Just Peachy is a super pale peach. This one is surprisingly too light for me. The arm swatch is heavier than the lip swatch. I can see this one settling into my lip lines and it become more obvious the more I build it up. Out of all the shades, I enjoyed this one the least.

Pinky Out

Pinky Out is a light warm pink. This one is a bit better for me than Just Peachy for a natural/neutral looking color but can also look heavy/goopy if I apply it too heavily on the lips. I don’t notice it settling into my lip lines as much probably because it’s just deep enough of a color.

Toasted

Toasted is a light peachy caramel. It’s not too orange and not too brown and not too light lol. If you’re into brownish shades, this is an interesting one. On my lips, it pulls a bit more pink because of the shade is sheer and my natural lip color kind of skews the overall effect. I can go a little more heavy handed with application starting with this shade as well as the rest below without it looking bad on the lips.

Bust A Mauve

Bust A Mauve is a medium coolish mauve. This one is a little deeper and cooler toned than I usually think of mauve being.

Wicked Cherry

Wicked Cherry is a medium-deep brownish red. It’s is somewhat similar to Bust A Mauve but more red and warmer.

Red My Mind

Red My Mind is a medium-deep pinky red.

Plum On Over

Plum On Over is a deeper reddish berry.

What it is: ABH Brow Freeze Gel is a clear brow gel with strong hold and a glossy finish that dries down and sets brows in whatever style you like. The formulation and thicker consistency is different than a regular brow gel, allowing for a little more versatility in how it can be used.

Price/Quantity: Full size is $26 for 0.24oz/7ml and the mini size is $13 for 0.15oz/4.5ml. The mini a slightly better value.

Availability: Anastasia Beverly Hills, Sephora, Kohl’s

Packaging: The outer part of the packaging has a soft-touch, rubberized feel. The wand is a plastic/rubber type of wand with two different lengths of bristles. One side has longer, more spaced apart bristles and allows for a lighter coating of product while the other side has shorter bristles that are spaced more closely together. Using the shorter side lays more product more quickly over the brows. Two sides of the wand also completely lack bristles at all and are just flat, so you can use it to press the brow hairs flush against the skin. Personally I find using my finger more effective than using the flat edge because that way I’m not adding more product while attempting to shape the brows. You can definitely apply too much and create a mess on the skin around the brows. I feel the wand holds a good amount of product so that I’m able to give both brows a light coating for a natural look without having to dip back into the container. If I apply it heavily to laminate the outer ends, I may dip back into the container once or twice.

Smell/Fragrance: No noticeable fragrance but I do smell a light chemical scent mixed with a moderate alcohol scent. If I apply it heavily, I can feel the cooling sensation of the alcohol as well. So far I haven’t noticed it irritating my eyes during application.

Expiration: 6 months after opening.

Ingredients:

WATER/AQUA/EAU, ALCOHOL DENAT., HYDROXYETHYL ACRYLATE/SODIUM ACRYLOYLDIMETHYL TAURATE COPOLYMER, POLYACRYLATE-2 CROSSPOLYMER, GLYCERIN, TROMETHAMINE, SORBITOL, ACRYLATES COPOLYMER, PANTHENOL, POLYSORBATE 60, SORBITAN ISOSTEARATE, BUTYLENE GLYCOL, CITRIC ACID, ALLANTOIN, ETHYLHEXYLGLYCERIN, SODIUM PCA, SODIUM LACTATE, ARGININE, ASPARTIC ACID, PROPYLENE GLYCOL, PCA, BIOTIN, PELVETIA CANALICULATA EXTRACT, LAMINARIA DIGITATA EXTRACT, GLYCINE, ALANINE, SERINE, THREONINE, VALINE, ISOLEUCINE, PROLINE, HISTIDINE, PHENYLALANINE, 1,2-HEXANEDIOL, CAPRYLYL GLYCOL, BENZOIC ACID, MYRISTOYL PENTAPEPTIDE-17, SODIUM BENZOATE, PHENOXYETHANOL

anastasiabeverlyhills.com

Performance

Texture/Consistency/Finish: Doesn’t feel lightweight like a standard brow gel, but thicker and stickier like honey. It goes on the brows totally clear and dries down completely holding the hairs strongly in place. Once it sets, it continues to look glossy. It reminds me of those skincare facial masks that are a clear gel that you allow to dry for about 15 minutes and then peel off, but in a tiny little container with a precision brush. 

There is a small amount of flaking that happens but it is far less than what I got with the Milani Brow Wax (review). If I work quickly and get it applied thoroughly before it starts drying, I have much less, and possibly zero flaking. What you see above is how it ends up looking most of the time when I just do a natural look with it. If I work too slow and apply a lot of product, it can start to gum up as I brush it through the hairs and cause way more visible residue.

Application: It combs through the brows just like a regular brow gel but the brush design is supposed to help you style your brows in different ways. I can use the side with the longer bristles to move and shape the hairs into place in a more natural looking way. The side with the shorter bristles makes it so that I coat the brows with a bit more product and lays the hairs closer to the skin — this gives me something between a natural look and a laminated look. And you can also use the flat side without any bristles to press the hairs flush to the skin.

It gets on the skin if you do anything more than a natural look with it and it leaves a glossy film around the brows. If I only get a small amount on the skin, it’s not a big deal, but if I do a laminated look, it’s a ton of shine on the skin and it looks like a mess. In this case, trying to brush it away is difficult. Using a spoolie to do this kind of peels it away, leaving some flakes around the brows in the process. Using a pointed cotton swab with some makeup remover or micellar water to clean up around the edges gives me a much better result.

Used heavily to laminate the brows, it holds really well. It holds better than a wax and very nearly as well as soap. Even if I make expressions and move my brows around a lot, the hairs stay in place. I am able to apply pomade and brow ink over it and those things adhere perfectly fine over the dried brow gel in areas where it is coated very heavily.

If I use it just to fluff up the brows, where I’m not getting much of the product on my skin, I can still work brow powder with a brush through the hairs and onto the skin underneath without difficulty getting the powder to adhere or moving the hairs. The hairs stay in place well during application and I don’t get any flaking from touching the dried gel.

Longevity: After 1 wear test of about 11 hours, my brows didn’t move one bit by the end of the day. They still looked exactly the way they did when I finished them in the morning. No added flaking, no hairs pulling up away from the skin, and still fluffed up in the front half of the brow.

Pros and Cons

Things I like:

• I like that this is a strong hold product that comes in a tube with an applicator. It makes application easier, faster, and simpler than a product in a pot.
• Works well for the brow style I like which is natural most days with the occasional time where I want to laminate the outer 1/3 down (especially for photographing eye looks).

Drawbacks and other considerations:

• It gets on the skin if you do anything more than a natural look with it and it leaves a glossy film around the brows. 
• Completely laminated, “soap brow” style is possible but leaves a mess on the skin around the brows that is difficult to avoid.
• Dries down to a stiff/crunchy feel.

 Worth Buying?

If you only see yourself using this for the purpose of lightly grooming and shaping your brows, it will give you about the same result as a regular brow gel. If that’s how you plan to use it and you already have a brow gel, this probably won’t add a whole lot of usefulness. However, if you like the idea of having a little more flexibility with a single product that can do both natural and more bold brows, it might be worth trying. Likewise, if you have more coarse brow hairs and need an extra strong hold product, I could see this possibly being more effective than a regular brow gel. For fully laminated brows, I prefer the less glossy look of brow waxes and soap, but this one works decently well if you only laminate a small portion.

Natural Look

Partially Laminated Look

“Soap Brow” Look

What it is: Sephora Collection Colorful Contour Matte Powder in Fair to Light is a very cool toned contouring powder with sheer, buildable color payoff and a nearly matte finish.

Price/Quantity: $14 for 0.12 oz / 3.5 g

Availability: Sephora, Kohl’s

Shade Range: This product comes in 4 shades. I chose the lightest (and I presume the coolest) of them. Looking at the shades on the product page, it looks like they aren’t all so incredibly grey-toned.

Packaging: Clear plastic compact with a snap closure. It’s fairly large and very easily allows me to fit a large fluffy brush into the pan. It feels lightweight but decent enough quality that I don’t feel I will break it easily. The pan is not easily removable as it is pressed into the compact with adhesive dots. With careful patience and some precision tools, it could probably be maneuvered out if you really wanted to.

Smell/Fragrance: Even if I get really close and try hard to see if there is any smell or fragrance, there is very nearly zero smell to it.

Expiration/Shelf Life: I don’t see any indication of shelf life on the packaging.

Ingredients:

Mica, Kaolin, Calcium Carbonate, Zinc Stearate, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Oryza Sativa (Rice) Bran Wax, Microcrystalline Cellulose, CI 77499 (Iron Oxides), C13-15 Alkane, CI 77007 (Ultramarines), CI 77491 (Iron Oxides), Ethylhexylglycerin, Sorbic Acid, CI 77492 (Iron Oxides), Aluminum Hydroxide, CI 15850 (Red 7 Lake), Tocopherol, Helianthus Annuus (Sunflower) Seed Oil, CI 15850 (Red 7), CI 19140 (Yellow 5 Lake), CI 42090 (Blue 1 Lake), CI 77742 (Manganese Violet), CI 77891 (Titanium Dioxide).

Sephora.com

Performance

Shade: Fair to Light is a light greyish taupe with an ultra subtle purplish tone and a nearly-matte finish. Of all the contours I have tried this truly is the coolest-toned, greyest one yet. It does not have red/rosy tones like many “cool toned” contours do and it doesn’t warm up in color on my complexion as I blend it out. It stays truly greyish/cool as I complete application. I mention the purplish tone only because it is noticeable when swatched alongside other contours I have, but I do not notice any purple tones with actual use on the cheek or eye. The matte finish is not dry or flat looking but I also do not pick up on any visible shimmer or pearl particles in most lighting situations. The only time I see any hint of sparkle is with overhead pot lights. Window light and diffused studio lights do not show these sparkles at all.

Application: I have only used this a handful of times and in a couple of ways but I have found it easy to work with. It applies much more evenly than I was expecting for being so grey and blends out well without patchiness. As a cheek contour, I have been using it with a Morphe M510 brush, which is a fluffy brush that is smaller than a blush brush but larger than a fluffy eyeshadow brush. It allows me to pick the product up lightly and apply it a little more precisely than I would apply a blush. I’ve also used this as eyeshadow and found it picked up well on a flat shader and blended well with a crease brush. Color applies sheer, builds up gently and slowly, and diffuses gracefully. It is definitely possible to over apply this though! If I build it up too much, I go past “believable shadow” to “is that eyeshadow on my cheek?” before I realize it. The fact that this is pretty sheer is absolutely a good thing. 

Texture/Finish: Sephora describes this as being ultra-fine and I have to agree. Running my finger over the pan, I feel zero grittiness and powder picks up in a thin, even layer without feeling dry or dusty. I get very little mess or powder kickup when tapping a brush into the pan. I have to dig into the pan repeatedly with a brush before I start seeing loose powder collect on the surface.

Pigmentation/Color Payoff: Sheer but buildable. Adheres well and evenly though.

Pros and Cons

Things I like:

• As contours go, this is extraordinarily cool-toned, which is difficult to find.
• Sheer pigmentation makes application nearly fool-proof.
• Color applies evenly and blends out without patchiness.
• Really nice texture. Very fine, smooth powder.
• Nice large pan with a good amount of product.
• Reasonable price.

Drawbacks and other considerations:

• It can be over applied in a way that is jarring compared to an over applied bronzer. The grey tone is really stark against the color of skin when it is layered on too heavily. It’s not super easy to overdo though and once you figure out where that limit is, it’s pretty easy to avoid overdoing it again.
• A few other reviewers mentioned this not being truly matte. There is a very small amount of fine shimmer that occasionally shows in certain lighting. I don’t find it obvious or pervasive enough to interfere with the general matte effect though.

Do I Recommend It?

Yes. If you struggle to find a truly cool-toned contour, this one is worth trying. I kind of expected them to get the color right but I am pleasantly surprised that the quality is also really nice and for a fair price.

Comparisons

From left to right, what I have swatched above is:

• Sephora Collection Colorful Contour Matte Powder in Fair to Light
• Fenty Beauty Cheeks Out Freestyle Cream Bronzer in Amber
• L.A. Girl Just Blushing Blush in Just Because
• Fiona Stiles Sheer Sculpting Palette in Light/Medium (lightest shade swatched)
• Loreal Infallible Pro Contour Palette in 813 Light
• Kevyn Aucoin The Sculpting Powder in Light
• Essence Contouring Duo Palette in 10 Lighter Skin
• NYX 3 Steps To Sculpt Palette in Fair
• Nars Contouring Blush Duo in Olympia

Note: Anything not linked above is either discontinued for sure or is likely discontinued. Most of them seem to be findable through third party sellers though.

L.A. Girl Just Because is the closest shade I have to the Sephora contour and for a long time it was the best cool-toned option I had.

Fenty Amber is also a great option that I love but this one warms up on me as I blend it out. In the pan it looks pretty grey and similar to the Sephora contour but as I sheer it out on the skin, it begins to look more olive toned. Although it changes color, any warmth I get from this is very subtle.

Kevyn Aucoin, Essence and NYX all have that tiny bit of red in them that kind of bothers me and makes them not really contour-y in my opinion.

Fiona Stiles was my *favorite* for a long time and I still find it to be unique in lightness and tone. Very sad this was discontinued.

L’Oréal is pretty good and mostly cool-toned. It also has a sheer buildable quality but I hate the split pan. I would have loved this to be a single contour shade separate from the highlighter.

Nars Olympia isn’t really much like the others but I threw it in just to help see the difference in tones a little better.

What it is: Sephora Collection Brightening Dual Facial Enzyme Exfoliator is supposed to remove dead skin through both chemical and physical exfoliation. The chemical exfoliation is provided by enzymes from the fermentation of pomegranate fruit and the physical component is bamboo stem powder. It has a good amount of somewhat larger scrubby particles in a base that feels like a gel cleanser and is geared more towards oily skin types.

Price/Quantity: $14.00 USD for 125 ml / 4.22 fl oz

Availability: Sephora, Kohl’s

Packaging: Squeeze tube with a lid that flips open and snaps shut. I gave it a modest effort, but wasn’t able to twist the entire cap off of the body of the product. When it arrived brand new, the lid was sealed shut by piece of plastic that needed to be lifted and removed (similar to opening a plastic jug of milk). 

Smell/Fragrance: This is unscented and smells like nothing to me.

Expiration/Shelf Life: 12 months after opening.

Ingredients:

Glycerin, Aqua (Water), Bambusa Arundinacea Stem Extract, Lactobacillus/Punica Granatum Fruit Ferment Extract, Lauryl Glucoside, Hydroxyethyl Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer, Sodium Benzoate, Citric Acid, Xanthan Gum, Leuconostoc/Radish Root Ferment Filtrate, Sodium Citrate, Polysorbate 60, Sorbitan Isostearate.

Sephora.com

Performance

Texture/Consistency: Somewhat thick, clear, cleanser-like gel base with a good amount of small to medium size physical exfoliant mixed in. It does not lather like a cleanser but it does become creamy as I work the product into the skin and has that stretchy quality that cleansers and liquid soaps sometimes have. There’s plenty of gritty exfoliant in the gel so I don’t feel the need to use a large amount of product to get it to work (a pea size or a bit larger is plenty for the whole face). The gritty particles are not as fine/small as what is in some other facial scrubs I’ve used and they vary in size so I feel some larger ones occasionally as I buff it over the skin. In general, they are smaller than something like a sugar/salt scrub and don’t feel like they have sharp edges. I don’t find the physical exfoliant too abrasive or irritating and it’s easy to spread evenly over the face. 

Effect on my skin: Immediately after use, my face feels squeaky clean and almost stripped, as if I’ve used a face wash meant for oily skin. The usual moisturizers and facial oils I go to feel like they don’t quite do enough (when normally they do). I feel the need to add in a richer moisturizer or layer on an extra hydrating serum to combat the stripping effect the exfoliator has. I’ve used it quite a few times and it has never left my skin looking red at all.

Later in the morning, when applying makeup, I can see that this mostly smooths over larger, flatter, easier to reach areas well (like my forehead, and sides of my face). Makeup applies more smoothly over those areas when I use the exfoliator. However, there are some parts of my face that my exfoliators often miss (like around the corners of my nose and areas that are more prone to dryness and irritation). This is one of those products that doesn’t get my skin entirely smooth. It’s better than nothing but it makes me feel that possibly the chemical component isn’t effective enough for my skin.

After about two weeks of incorporating this into my skincare routine, I haven’t seen any type of drastic change. Nothing very negative or positive has resulted from using it, but it does temporarily help improve the condition of my skin for the next day or two after using it.

Pros and Cons

Things I like:

• There is enough physical exfoliant in here that I don’t feel the need to use a ton of product.
• It doesn’t leave my skin feeling red or irritated after use.
• Very cost effective considering the size of the container.
• Truly unscented.

Drawbacks and other considerations:

• The physical exfoliation particles aren’t as small/fine as some other products.
• I’m not convinced the chemical exfoliant is all that effective or may just be too gentle for me.
• Misses harder to reach areas (like the corners of my nose, between and near my brows). This is where I rely on the chemical component to pick up the slack.
• Leaves my skin feeling almost “stripped”.

Do I Recommend It?

I don’t recommend it if you have dry or combo skin and even normal skin types may find it too drying. It might work fine for someone with truly oily skin though. It’s not my favorite exfoliator but it’s an okay budget option.

Comparisons

Youth To The People Yerba Mate Resurfacing Energy Facial 

This one has a creamier base that does not strip the skin of moisture. I wouldn’t say it adds any moisture but just leaves the skin feeling balanced after use. The physical scrub in this feels finer and more densely packed into the product. I get a more thorough, even exfoliation all over my face, including areas that sometimes get missed like the corners of my nose. This one has given me some mild redness, especially when I first started using it, but my skin quickly adjusted to it. For me this is the gold standard that I would love to find a cheaper version of.

Trader Joe’s Nourish Microdermabrasion Scrub

This also has finer physical exfoliating particles in it than the Sephora Enzyme Exfoliator but not quite as much of it. I feel the need to use a bit more product to get enough of those particles distributed over the skin. It does not include any type of chemical component and I feel that I don’t get quite as good of a result overall. After use, some areas of dead skin that might get smoothed over a bit better by the Youth To The People product, might still look and feel not as resurfaced as I’d like. It certainly is better than nothing though and is another okay budget option.

Trader Joe’s Blueberry & Acai Facial Scrub

I’m not sure if this is still available but it was another combo chemical/physical exfoliator that I used several years ago. I went through about 2 containers. This one definitely stung if I had even the tiniest tear in the skin from a breakout or from any facial hair removal. It’s was tolerable but not easy to miss. The physical scrub in this was all different sizes, including some larger seeds that looked cool but seemed completely unnecessary and distracting during use. 

What they are: Sephora Collection Colorful Powder Luminizers are a range of 6 new highlighters. They have a gel-powder formula that helps them to meld with the skin without looking dry and they give off a soft, buildable glow without glitter or large sparkles. These are $14 each, contain 0.12 oz / 3.5 grams of product, and can be purchased from Sephora and Kohl’s.

Packaging: Simple clear compact that snaps open and closed. The hinge has a good amount of tension to hold whatever position it is placed in and opens completely flat if desired. It doesn’t look like it’s possible to remove the pan easily from the packaging.

Smell/Fragrance: No detectable scent or fragrance.

Expiration: I could not find an indication of shelf life anywhere on the product.

Ingredients:

Mica, CI 77891 (Titanium Dioxide), Cetearyl Ethylhexanoate, Silica, CI 77491 (Iron Oxides), Glycerin, Polysorbate 20, Caprylyl Glycol, Squalane, Ethylhexylglycerin, Synthetic Fluorphlogopite, 1,2-Hexanediol, Pentaerythrityl Tetra-Di-T-Butyl Hydroxyhydrocinnamate, Chondrus Crispus (Chondrus Crispus (Carrageenan)), Xanthan Gum, Dicalcium Phosphate, CI 77492 (Iron Oxides), Tocopherol

Sephora.com

Performance

Shade Selection: I like that they have paired this down to six shades but at the same time span a large range of depth. Most of the shades are neutral-ish and offer the type of sheen that can go from ultra subtle to noticeable but not mirror-ball with the most colorful thing being the shade Pink Flash. I think almost anyone can make almost any of these shades work in some way as they are sheer but buildable. The two lightest ones have the least visible amount of base color or “cast” on me. The rest have a sheer warm base color that could get in the way if you don’t want it there or it could help to add some color to the cheek.

Application: If used strictly as a cheek highlighter, I would use a small fluffy brush (like a large eyeshadow crease brush) to pick up product and dust it along the tops of my cheekbones. The powder grips onto the skin well but I can use my brush to buff over it, spread it out and diffuse it till I get it looking like I want. If I go into one of the deeper shades to use as bronzer or blush, I can tap lightly into the pan with a blush brush to start and continue building up the color till I’m happy with it. Again, since they adhere well to the skin, I buff over the cheek a bit as I go to make sure the color is looking even and well blended. I don’t have any issues with patchiness or unevenness until I get to the shade Blinding Bronze. This one still works and ends up looking even but it shows up much more starkly against my pale skin so I need to spend some more time blending it out. Using them as eyeshadows, I can use all the same eyeshadow brushes I normally would for regular eyeshadows or my fingers. They adhere well even if I use dry brushes and give a soft shimmer finish that is just a bit more reflective than a satin finish eyeshadow but less so than a foiled/metallic shadow. There is hardly any fallout used this way but I did notice the shade Rose Quartz gave me a tiny bit of sparkle fallout (as that is the shade with the most visible sparkle in it). The amount of fallout I got was far less than I get from the average eyeshadow though. 

Texture/Consistency/Finish: The gel-powder formula is a bit firmer to the touch and easier to pick up just the right amount of product on a brush. It is difficult to over apply the product unless you are trying to. It does not have a powdery, dry texture that flies into the air as a brush touches the pan. As it is applied to the skin it adheres easily and lays closely and smoothly on the surface. It does not leave a visibly powdery finish on the cheek. The sheen these give off is on the softer and more refined side. They can be built up easily to a level that looks obvious and noticeable to others but it never goes into “seen from space” territory.

Pigmentation/Color Payoff: Most of them have a sheer base color that gets slightly more visible against my skin tone as I go into the deeper shades. Iced Pearl and Rose Quartz are the only ones that I cannot see a base color against my skin tone. The rest of them could be passable as glowy blushes (or glowy bronzers for the shades Glitzy Gold and Blinding Bronze) if they are built up heavily enough. If they are built up that heavily, I don’t feel the amount of sheen and luminosity I get from the shimmer is so intense that I wouldn’t feel comfortable wearing them out.

Longevity: On the cheek, these last well all day. They can transfer off a bit if I’m touching my face too much but with normal wear, I still see it clearly by the very end of the day. Worn as eyeshadow, these have okay wear time but benefit from the use of a primer. I get about 6 hours without primer until I start seeing it crease and in that same time with a primer I see only the very faintest hint that it’s beginning to fade in the crease. Being closer to skin tone shades and somewhat more sheer than a true eyeshadow, its easy to get away with this slightly less than ideal wear time as it isn’t very obvious.

Pros and Cons:

Things I like:

• I find all the shades usable in some way. Most of them are pretty basic, neutral shades that aren’t shifty or glittery.
• Beautiful sheen that isn’t too overpowering and can be applied ultra subtly or built up to be fairly noticeable, if desired. 
• Only one shade with marginally larger sparkle. Chunky sparkle is not an issue with these.
• The gel-powder texture isn’t dry and sits well on the skin.
• Easy to pick up the right amount of product on a brush.

Drawbacks and other considerations:

• Might be too subtle for someone that loves a super intense highlight. 
• The base color in some of the shades may show up as a “cast”. 
• Building up the sheen also means building up the color.

Do I Recommend Them?

Yes, these are nice quality for a fair price. I especially like that the shades offered are “wearable” but aren’t TOO basic. They add a little something extra not only from the sheen but from the colors themselves. And I find the multi-use claim actually true as I can use some of them for glowy blush/bronzer or eyeshadow and they function well for those purposes.

Glitzy Gold

For all of the demo photos below, I am wearing the Natasha Denona My Mini Dream Blush (just matte part) and used the highlighters on the tops of the cheekbones. The true color of each shade alone is better seen in the swatches and the demos can give you an idea of the kind of effect they might have if used as highlighters.

Glitzy Gold is a bright golden copper. It’s not a particularly yellow gold and also not very dark so I can just barely pull it off on my skin tone if used with a light hand. The base color in this one adds a bit of warmth to my cheeks that almost looks like a light bronzer.

Sparkling Honey

Sparkling Honey is a light-medium rose gold. It is more pink than I expected based on the shade name but is still warm-toned. This one is ever so slightly deeper and warmer than my skin tone but I can still use it lightly as a highlighter. Works well as a blush topper too.

Pink Flash

Pink Flash has a very sheer warm peachy base color with an easy-to-see pink sheen. The pink sheen definitely overpowers the base color but not completely. The base color is a bit deeper than my skin tone but it is sheer enough that I don’t think it looks bad. This is one I’d use more as a glowy blush or a blush topper than a highlight.

Blinding Bronze

Blinding Bronze is something I’d use as a glowy bronzer or an eyeshadow. It builds up on the skin more slowly and gently than an eyeshadow. Picking up color on a brush or a fingertip is easy but I pick up less color in one pass than something like an eyeshadow. This one has mostly small particles but if I really scrutinize it there are just a scattering of some small sparkles as well.

Iced Pearl

Iced Pearl has a very subtle light pink sheen in certain lighting (more visible in the demo photo). I wouldn’t describe this as being a shifty shade but it does seem to look different depending on what kind of light it is under. This has all tiny shimmer particles and gives a soft, smooth glow to the skin.

Rose Quartz

Rose Quartz is slightly deeper than Iced Pearl and has a warmer pinky tone. This one is mostly made up of a base of small particles but does have some slightly larger shimmers that create a sparkling shimmer finish. Of all the shades, this is the one with the most visible sparkle, but the overall effect is still soft and subdued.

Worn As Eyeshadow

To give you an idea of the kind of finish and color payoff these have when used on the eyes, here’s a quick look using Blinding Bronze all over the lid, Sparkling Honey on the lower lashline and Iced Pearl on the inner corner. I used dry brushes for most of this but patted Blinding Bronze on with my finger to the upper lid as well. I used the lightest matte shade from the Natasha Denona My Mini Dream Palette in the crease before applying any of the other shades.

What it is: The Natasha Denona My Mini Dream Glow Blush is a mini cheek trio based on the larger cheek palette from the earlier My Dream Collection release. It contains 2 matte blushes and 1 highlighter all pressed artfully into a single pan. The color of the deeper matte blush is the same as the one from the larger palette in the collection.

Price/Quantity: $20.00 for 4 grams

Availability: Natasha Denona, Sephora, Ulta, Beautylish

Shade Range: 1 shade option.

Packaging: Plastic compact with a soft-matte finish and feel that opens most of the way but not completely flat and has a magnetic closure. It has a fairly large mirror inside the lid and the pan inside is not removable. The weight feels lighter than expected in the hand but otherwise it still feels like well-made, nice quality packaging. 

The pan is about the average size of a blush (see comparisons below). The side that contains the matte blushes is plenty large enough to fit a normal sized blush brush into without dipping into the shimmer next to it. It’s not super easy to pick up only one of the matte shades though as they are very slim and somewhat splotched into either. I can only realistically mix the two mattes but the resulting shade works well and is neither too light nor too dark. 

Smell/Fragrance: Smells like absolutely nothing to me.

Expiration/Shelf Life: 24 months after opening.

Performance

When mixed, the color of the matte blushes is a very slight warm-leaning medium mauve. It is similar and very comparable to several other blushes that have been favorite go-to shades. The color payoff is easy to control. I can apply it lightly and build it up easily to look more intense. Either way, the color goes on evenly and sits smoothly, almost seamlessly, on the skin. It doesn’t look dry or powdery even up close. The finish of the matte side is like a natural-matte. It’s not totally flat and dull but does not have any visible shimmer in it.

The shimmer is fine, not chunky or sparkly. It has a good amount of reflect that is very buildable. I can apply it very lightly and get a subtle glow or build it up to something more dewy looking. It gives a smooth, soft glow. It’s not a blinding metallic sheen but it can be built up to be strong enough to look a bit “unnatural” if that’s the type of highlight you prefer. It has a slight rosy-neutral tone to it but still looks very neutral/nude on my complexion, definitely not pink. Though it is a powder, the texture is almost “creamy”. Not dry in the least and melts into the skin well.

There is a bit of powdery kickup in the pan if I try to mix the blushes and highlight together all in one swirl. If pick them up separately, I don’t get as much kickup. I think the shimmer is pressed a bit looser or just crumbles much more easily when touched than the mattes do. The amount of kickup is a noticeable but I don’t think it’s too excessive.

After one wear test of 9 hours, the blush was still visible by the end of the day. It faded a little bit but I was touching my face occasionally over the course of the day. For this test, I used the highlighter as a topper on one side of the face and mixed into the blush on the other side. The highlight on the side where I used it as a topper faded much more than the side where I mixed it together with the matte blush.

Pros and Cons

Things I like:

• Color works well for me personally. The type of shade I’d reach for when I’m not sure what blush to pair with the rest of my makeup. Very “neutral” on me. “Goes with everything” kind of color.
• Buildable color payoff. Easy to add subtle color or build up the intensity.
• Even application of color without patchiness whether applied lightly or heavily.
• Not inexpensive but not unreasonably priced for the quality.
• Pan is large enough to use just the mattes or the shimmer if I want.

Drawbacks and other considerations:

• There is only this one shade. I like the formula and having the blush and highlighter together but more shades in this format would be awesome.
• There is some kickup when using a brush to mix the highlighter and blush together in the pan.
• The color of the matte blush is easily dupable.

Do I Recommend It?

Yes. Even though the color isn’t the most unique, I really like how both the blush and the highlighter apply and sit on the skin, and the presentation is super cute. I like the convenience of having the highlighter included and being able choose to just use the matte side or swirl it all together for a more glowy and slightly lighter looking color.

Swatches

Comparisons

The first two swatches are of the Natasha Denona Blush and the rest are:

• Too Faced Cloud Crush Blurring Blush in Velvet Crush
• Tarte Amazonian Clay Blush in Exposed
• Benefit Rockateur (discontinued)
• Benefit Wanderful World Blush in Willa
• Essence Satin Touch Blush in Satin Love (discontinued)
• Essence Pure Nude Baked Blush in Rosy Rosewood
• Nars Blush in Orgasm

There are some similar shades, especially of the matte portion of the Natasha Denona blush. It’s not super unique in color but it does have a slight warmer peachy nuance.

Above I have:

• Fenty Killawatt Freestyle Highlighter in Lightning Dust
• Becca Shimmering Skin Perfector in Moonstone
• Becca Shimmering Skin Perfector in Opal
• Benefit Cookie
• Benefit Dandelion Twinkle
• Maybelline Master Chrome Highlighter in Molten Rose Gold
• Essence Pure Nude Highlighter in 10 Be My Highlight

The Natasha Denona highlight is brighter and has a slight pink tone to it compared to the others. On the face, I don’t find that it actually looks pink, though. The reflect I get from it is right in the middle, not being as shiny as something like Benefit Cookie but more reflective than Essence Pure Nude Highlighter and Benefit Dandelion Twinkle.

The Natasha Denona My Mini Dream Palette is probably the closest thing to a truly neutral palette I have from the brand. The shade selection stays mainly beige and brown and only leans very slightly warm-toned. There are 3 powder mattes and 2 shimmers with all small particles that offer a soft but still satisfying sheen. It includes one shade from the larger My Dream Eyeshadow Palette (Nurture) and 4 new shades.

Price: $27
Availability: Natasha Denona, Sephora, Ulta, Kohl’s, Beautylish

Swatches

Devotion

Devotion is medium warm beige shimmer with all small particles. In the pan, this looks cooler-toned than it looks on the skin. It is definitely warm and has a peachy tone that keeps it from being too yellow or gold.

Balance

Balance is a light peachy nude with a matte finish. It has just enough depth to contour the shape of my eye with but is light enough to get away with using in a no-makeup makeup look. It looks like it would be similar to the lighter mattes in the I Need A Nude Palette but this one is warmer in tone. Those are definitely taupe and this is more visibly peachy/brown once placed on the eye.

Passionate

Passionate is a light peachy pink shimmer with mostly fine particles. There are a very small amount of comparably larger (but still small) shimmer particles that give the finish a little bit more dimension than the other shimmer. They don’t cause a significant amount of fallout though. This is cooler-toned when seen side by side with the other shimmer in the palette. The depth of this is bright enough to use as an inner corner/brow bone highlight and at the same time doesn’t give me a blinding frosty look when used all over the lid.

Loyalty

Loyalty is a very deep brown with subtle red undertones and a matte finish. I like that this has strong pigmentation and adheres well but I am still able to blend it. It requires more time and effort to get a smooth blend with this one but for a very deep shade, I prefer that over something that dusts away too easily.

Nurture

Nurture is a medium brown with very subtle peachy tones and a matte finish. This one looked warmer than I was expecting when used as a transition shade. If I use it to add depth to the crease along with Balance as the main transition shade, it doesn’t add too much warmth, though.

Performance

This palette is not for everyone but it happens to work perfectly for my complexion and for the style of makeup I like to do. Though it is mainly neutral, I did describe a few of the shades as leaning warm (in the peachy pink direction). Having a neutral-cool complexion, these types of shades don’t look warm on me. They look totally neutral against my skin tone. But this is relative, so I’m not sure how they would come across on someone with more yellow or olive undertones.

The three mattes are spaced apart nicely so that the lightest one is just barely deeper than my skin tone, the medium brown steps down in depth just the right amount, and the deepest one is dark enough to use as liner or as a rich smokey eye color. The two shimmers are also different enough from each other to justify having them both in the palette. It is tiny and only has a handful of shades to choose from but feels totally complete on its own. 

The quality does not disappoint either. The past few palettes I’ve used from the brand have been really nice quality and this one is no exception. Color payoff is more intense from the mattes than the shimmers. The deepest matte is the most intensely pigmented of them but isn’t difficult to apply or blend. The shimmers have more of a buildable color payoff. I can pick them up with a dry brush and get a softer sheen from them or press them on with my finger for a bit more shine. These are not the most reflective shimmers but I’m happy with the amount of shine they give off.

I’ve wear tested it twice and got excellent wear time with it. Over primer, I got 10 hours of wear before I noticed slight creasing starting to show and without primer, it started creasing around 6 hours in. On another day, I wore it the same way with primer on one eye and without primer on the other, but I also added a glitter primer to the lid to amp up the metallics. This lasted all day as well but with the glitter primer, I had even less creasing by the very end of the day.

Pros and Cons

Things I like:

• One of the best shade selections I’ve found in a long time for everyday use. Feels “complete” and very neutral (only slightly warm).
• I can get a decent variety of looks out of it even though it’s only 5 shades.
• Quality of the powders is great. They apply well and last all day. Mattes have that smooth “buttery” quality, blend easily, and have good color payoff. Shimmers don’t have any large chunky particles in them and give a good amount of sheen to the lids.
• Very little fallout overall. I don’t feel the need to be extra careful when applying any of the shades.
• Wears well all day on me.

Drawbacks and other considerations:

• It’s not gonna be the perfect shade selection for every skin tone.
• You might already have shades like this in your collection.

Do I Recommend It?

Yes. I’m thrilled about this little palette. It’s tiny but has all the basics there and in a good quality formula. Personally, I feel it’s well worth the $27.

Looks

Look 1:

• Balance – Transition, lower lashline
• Nurture – Deepen outer corner
• Devotion – All over lid
• Passionate – Inner corner
• Loyalty – Liner

This is the way I usually place neutral eyeshadows for a soft glam look that is still wearable for everyday. The shimmer on the inner corner was applied with a dry brush and adhered fine with not much fallout. The shimmer on the lid was applied with a combo of a dry brush and my finger. I get a bit more pow out of the shine if I use my finger. The shimmer particles are all tiny and are not as prone to falling out. What little does fall down onto my cheeks is not super noticeable. The dark matte brown is very pigmented and worked well as liner.

Look 2:

• Balance – All over lid/crease as a base (most of this got covered by other shades)
• Nurture – Inner/outer part of crease, lower lashline
• Loyalty – Inner/outer lid, smudged into base of lower lashes
• Devotion – Center of lid, layered over mattes on lower lashline

I wanted to use the deep matte brown and the deeper of the midtone matte browns more prominently. The deep brown is nice quality. It applies evenly and blends out smoothly with good adherence and minimal fallout. I was going to just do an all matte look (see the last slide) but decided to top it off with one of the shimmers at the end.

Look 3:

• Balance – All over lid/crease, lower lashine
• Passionate – Center of lid

This one is meant to show the depth and tone of the lightest matte shade and give you a better idea of the lighter shimmer as well. The light matte is deep enough on my skin tone to contour the shape of my eye with but is light enough to use in a no-makeup makeup look. It has a warmer, somewhat peachy-pink tone to it. The lighter shimmer has a subtle pinky tone and it’s not too light or bright.

Look 4:

• Nurture – Crease/transition, outer lower lashline
• Balance – Inner lower lashline
• NYX Glitter Primer – All over lid
• Devotion – Pressed over the glitter primer with my finger

This last one shows the deeper of the midtone browns used as a transition as well as what the metallics look like when used over a sticky primer. I get an overall slight warmth out of these shades but it’s a good amount that doesn’t veer into looking unnatural on me.

Comparisons

Here is the Natasha Denona My Mini Dream Palette shown along with the Natasha Denona I Need A Nude (left), My Dream (right), and Mini Starlette (bottom) Palettes.

When looking at it next to the I Need A Nude Palette, it looks like the same kind of color scheme but it’s not. There is some similarity but this one is more brown and that one is more taupe. On me, I find it to be a nice light neutral brown, not particularly pink-toned and for sure not yellow-toned.

Looking at it next to the Patrick Ta Major Dimension 3 Palette, the shades in the My Mini Dream Palette are closer to the bottom cooler-toned row in the Patrick Ta palette. I don’t consider the bottom row of the Patrick Ta palette to be truly cool toned but closer to true neutral.

Above I picked out the Morphe 18CT Matte Palette to show side by side with the My Mini Dream Palette. The Morphe palette is very cool toned on me through and through. Even the warmer-looking browns in the top right look cool-toned on me. The shades in the My Mini Dream look like they might be similar in tone just judging by how they look in the pan, but once I’m wearing them, they are slightly warmer. I throwing this in here just for visual comparison.

What it is: Loreal True Match Radiant Serum Concealer is a high-medium coverage concealer with a thinner more fluid consistency and natural-matte finish. It is supposed to also have skincare properties with hyaluronic acid for hydration and caffeine to help depuff the under eye area.

Price/Quantity: $15.99 for 0.33 fl oz / 10 ml

Availability: Ulta, Amazon, CVS

Shade Range: 24 shades

Packaging: Mostly a typical concealer container but the doe foot wand is a little more unique with one flat, broad side, sharper edges and a slightly pointed tip. The product doesn’t coat the wand too heavily but if I’m applying concealer to the face directly from the wand, I feel the need to wipe the small amount of excess product off on the neck of the container. The applicator has a soft fuzzy texture that feels comfortable and plush against the skin. The edges are not too sharp and the pointed tip isn’t too pointed but does offer a tiny bit more precision than a typical doe foot applicator. Brand new, the product came sealed with a small sticker holding the top and bottom portions of the tube closed. 

Smell/Fragrance: I don’t smell any fragrance at all but there is a noticeable alcohol scent during application. It’s not super strong but it’s enough that it isn’t easy to miss.

Expiration/Shelf Life: 12 months after opening

Ingredients: These are the ingredients for the shade C2 from the Ulta website. 

C2: Aqua/Water/Eau, Isododecane, Dimethicone, Alcohol Denat., Butylene Glycol, Glycerin, Trimethylsiloxysilicate, Diphenylsiloxy Phenyl Trimethicone, Synthetic Fluorphlogopite, Peg-10 Dimethicone, Niacinamide, Sodium Hyaluronate, Silica, Disteardimonium Hectorite, Isopropyl Lauroyl Sarcosinate, Diisopropyl Sebacate, Magnesium Sulfate, Dimethicone/Vinyl Dimethicone Crosspolymer, Bis-Peg/Ppg-14/14 Dimethicone, Disodium Stearoyl Glutamate, Phenoxyethanol, Propylene Carbonate, Caffeine, Dipentaerythrityl Tetrahydroxystearate/Tetraisostearate, Silica Silylate, Tocopherol, Aluminum Hydroxide, Tin Oxide. May Contain (+/-): Ci 77891/Titanium Dioxide, Ci 77491, Ci 77492, Ci 77499/Iron Oxides, Mica, Ci 77163/Bismuth Oxychloride. (F.I.L. N70031568/1).

ulta.com

Performance

Shade: I picked up shade C2. I use the Loreal True Match Super Blendable Foundation in N1 but the concealers in N1 and N2 were both sold out at the time when I ordered, so I decided to give the next closest option a try. I’m glad I didn’t get those other shades because C2 ended up be much lighter and more neutral than I was expecting. I’m guessing the other two would’ve been way too light on me.

Application: I’ve tried applying this with a small flat synthetic brush like I do with many other concealers. It works fine that way. If I lightly scrape excess product off on the neck of the bottle, I can also sweep the applicator directly across my under eye area and get a nice thin, even layer of it on the skin. I don’t normally use that method, but it seems to work well with this concealer. If I apply it that way, then I just quickly tap it out with my fingers and the coverage ends up even and well blended. I can add a second layer the same way if I want to build up the coverage and it layers over itself well that way.

Texture/Consistency/Finish: This has a thin, lightweight texture that feels very fluid when I first apply it but it dries down as I blend it out. It even has that faint alcohol scent that is sometimes present in thinner complexion products. In the container, if I look at it REALLY close under just the right lighting, I can see the finest bit of pearl in the formula. On the skin with actual use, I don’t see any pearl or shimmer whatsoever. I do not feel this actually looks radiant at all. Once this is applied and sets, it looks like a matte finish product. It sits closely to the skin which I like but it is dry looking and all the micro fine lines in my skin are visible because of it. The longer it sits on the skin, it’s as if the moisture in the product continues to dissipate, leaving behind the powder pigments. Over time, as I’m making facial expressions and the skin is moving, the powders kind of gather in those lines and give the surface of my skin a lightly “cracked” appearance. This all sounds kind of dramatic and it’s only noticeable very up close. From a normal distance, it’s not all that visible, but most of my other concealers don’t do this.

During a full day wear test (set with powder), I noticed that by the end of the day I had no creasing under my eyes and the dryness that I see when I initially apply the product went away. The skin looked more normal, more hydrated, and smoother but still matte. The cracked appearance went away and I no longer had the issue with the product looking like it had migrated into the fine lines of my skin. 

Coverage: High medium, almost full coverage. I’m surprised by how much coverage this offers for being a much thinner consistency. It works both for the under eyes and as spot concealer, though I think the consistency is more geared toward the under eye area. It is buildable to an extent but can lift previous layers of itself that have already dried down. The lifting issue happened more on my nose and when using it as spot concealer. I noticed hardly any lifting at all when I used multiple layers under the eyes.

Longevity: I have wear tested this only once (set with powder) and found it held up well till the end of the day. I didn’t have any creasing in the fold under my eyes and the coverage stayed strong. This is the type of concealer that dries down and sets so it doesn’t transfer or rub off very easily at that point.

Pros and Cons

Things I like:

• Very high coverage, really neutralizes dark circles. 
• Thin, lightweight feel. Doesn’t look or feel heavy even when layered.
• Stays in place well once it sets.

Drawbacks and other considerations:

• Says it’s supposed to be hydrating but I don’t find this hydrating.
• Not thrilled about the crackly, dehydrated appearance this has up close.
• Only going by one shade in my possession and the swatches on the product page, the shade selection seems kind of weird. 
• Alcohol scent and just having alcohol high up in the ingredients in general.

Do I Recommend It?

This is another product that I’m on the fence about. There are things I really like about this and if I were younger, it would probably suit me better. But I don’t think this is a good fit for someone with more mature skin. I also don’t think it would work well for someone with dry or dehydrated skin given how the moisture in the product dissipates over time as it is worn. If you’re younger and have more normal/oily skin, it might work well. Otherwise, it’s probably a safer bet to pass on this.