YSL All Hours Couture Face Palette in Golden Oasis

Posted on August 18, 2025 by ghekate

YSL continues to be one of those brands that I allow to be an exception to my Project Pan rules! I want to be much stricter with my face palette purchases, and this technically is one, but I don’t consider a product to be a true face palette if it doesn’t include a bronzer as well. There is a shade called Bronzed Dunes that is worn all over the cheek like a blush in the promo photo, but it is technically a highlighter. Therefore, this is just a blush and highlighter palette.

This product contains the following shades:

93 Restless Rose
02 Hypnotic Honey
77 Hallucinating Pink
44 Nude Lavalliere
54 Berry Bang
22 Bronzed Dunes

Size Comparison

Before we move onto the review, I just wanted to show a size difference in the photo above between the face palette, eyeshadow quad, and blush. I don’t own the individual highlighters or bronzers, but I believe those compacts have more of a square shape than the rectangular eyeshadow quads.

In my opinion, this palette is still small enough to be suitable for travel, but also contains pans large enough for small and medium sized face brushes to fit in them.

The Blushes

None of the blushes in this palette are new to the brand, but Nude Lavalliere and Berry Bang are new to my personal collection. I thought both shades were pretty, but I half expected them to not look as nice on me due to them leaning on the cool toned side vs my very warm undertone.

It’s true that in certain lights the Nude Lavalliere blush can look frosty on me and too purple if I build it up heavily. However, when I wear a light amount, I think I’m still able to pull off this color. The mauve-purple veil over the yellow-orange tone in my skin has a pink effect.

As for Berry Bang, it ends up looking warm on me, and my guess as to the cause is because of how little product I use, which allows my undertone to dictate how the color looks overall. One heavy application is all it takes for it to look cool toned again. Berry Bang is the most pigmented product in this palette, so I have to be careful in choosing airy brushes to work with it.

The satin-finish blushes are pigmented as well, but because less of the product gets picked up by my brushes, I still have to build them up a little. This is because the blushes are pressed harder in the pans of the face palette compared to what they are like in the single compact form.

Another difference I noticed is that the base color of Restless Rose from the palette is actually a little lighter and cooler toned than the single. However, that shade still has a golden shift, so it continues to look moderately warm on the cheeks.

Golden Oasis seems to lean cooler than the name suggests, between this version of Restless Rose with a cooler base, the mix of pearly and warm yellow tones of Hypnotic Honey, the purple and pink shimmer within Hallucinating Pink, and Nude Lavalliere’s pearl-colored shimmer and mauve tinge. Still, it’s technically a mixed temperature palette.

I’ve noticed no other differences in performance between the single blushes and the blushes in this palette. They’re still long lasting and blend well, even when multiple blushes are layered together to create a custom shade.

I have to acknowledge that I have heard some people say these are patchy and don’t blend well, whereas the vast majority say they are a favorite or even their holy grail blush.
While differences in opinions are normal, these are so polarizing that I wonder if there are different factories involved, and batches from one facility turn out better than others. I’ve noticed the people who say they are patchy tend to be located in the US and tend to have oily skin. I have no other explanations and can just say my experience with the blushes has been great, though I do prefer YSL’s satin formula over the matte ones.

More photos of Restless Rose, plus Peachy Nude and Nocturnal Nude can be found HERE, along with photos of Rose Haze and Spicy Berry HERE.

In case anyone is wondering, I do not have plans to buy the three newest individual shades (Hot Mauve, Chili Crush, and Mischievous Magenta). Chili Crush is tempting, but I have enough red blushes. Hot Mauve is super appealing, but too close in color to Rose Haze, which is the only YSL Blush I bought that I have since decluttered. It showed up on my skin, but was still lighter than I prefer to wear on myself.

The Highlighters

Hallucinating Pink (not to be confused with YSL’s other pink highlighter called 03 Rosy Sand) and Bronzed Dunes are the new highlighter shades. 02 Hypnotic Honey already exists, but it’s new to my collection.

*YSL Candy Glaze #14 Scenic Brown is on the lips.*

*Restless Rose is also used on the eyes in the left photo. Nude Lavalliere is on the eyes in the photo on the right.*

I’m going to keep this section short because there isn’t much to say. Hallucinating Pink makes for a pretty shimmer on the eyes, but it’s too noticeable in shimmer size and color on my skin tone. I’m sure it looks better on those with a cool undertone. Pink highlighters rarely look good on me.
Bronzed Dunes has the same particle size as Hallucinating Pink, but because it’s closer to my skin tone, it looks more natural. That being said, Hypnotic Honey still manages to look smoother than Bronzed Dunes in most face photos and even the swatches. I prefer the Bronzed Dunes color, but Hypnotic Honey looks better to me.
At the end of the day though, none of them are a favorite. I was curious about YSL’s formula, which is why this palette was so appealing. This palette’s retail price is €72 (some websites in Germany had it at 20% off instantly, making it close to €58. The highlighters alone are €62. So, it made way more sense to buy this full palette if I wanted to try out multiple shades. At several retailers in the EU, the highlighters can be found around €40-€45 during sales. The blushes are often between €30-€36. So, the palette is still a better deal, though maybe not in terms of cost per gram. I haven’t done that math.

I don’t regret my decision to buy this palette. I just wish I liked it more so that it wouldn’t go to waste in my collection. I will always choose my top eleven highlighters over the ones in this palette, plus my new number one (Prada). As for the blushes, Nocturnal Nude and Restless Rose are my most used, but it would be so much easier to grab my single compact of Restless Rose over this large palette.

Using the Blushes and Highlighters as Eyeshadows

Beyond having two functions already, or technically a third if you have a light enough skintone to use Bronzed Dunes as a shimmery bronzer, I’ve also used this palette several times on my eyes (as seen in the various face photos throughout this post).
I haven’t read up on whether these blushes and highlighters are technically eye safe, and whether they are or not depends on the regulations of one’s country anyway. I can only say that I have used them, for the sake of curiosity, and they work fine for me. For those not wanting to take chances regarding eye safety, I recommending asking the brand and/or researching that information.

Hallucinating Pink works more like a topper eyeshadow. Restless Rose and Nude Lavalliere had to be built up for the sake of getting full opacity. And even though Berry Bang is a dark pink/raspberry color, it’s too bright to create depth. If I put Berry Bang in the outer corner and have Hypnotic Honey more in the center, I can create a gradient from light to dark. However, Berry Bang pops so much on my skin tone that there is still a forward illusion instead of a receding one. So, I can only be satisfied when I use a darker eyeshadow with it (such as the darker colors from the Victoria Beckham Eye Wardrobe in Victoria).

My Reason For Buying This Palette

I must admit that YSL not launching the limited edition Burning Desire quad in Germany instilled some FOMO into me, and I did not want to miss out on something again. This is the real reason I couldn’t talk myself out of buying this palette.
That Burning Desire quad is available in the UK via Selfridges, but “due to changes in regulations,” Selfridges is not allowed to ship food and cosmetics to the EU. There was a brief time (I believe in 2023) that cosmetics were temporarily blocked from shipping to Germany, but that was lifted before the end of that year. The return of this no-food-and-cosmetics ruling has been ongoing since sometime after February 2025.

I can rationalize my purchase from the angle of wanting to own one of their highlighters and the benefit of getting two colors which I could theoretically even combine to create a better shade match on myself. Factoring in the two blushes I wanted, but only withheld buying because of the risk of them not looking great on me, this makes four products I got for a significantly lower price. The quality is great. The packaging is appealing. All of these things are the reason why I can recommend this face palette to anyone who really wants it.

So, I can rationalize the purchase, but the reason I can’t justify it is because I knew beforehand that the highlighters were going to be too shimmery for my taste. Some reviewers keep calling them “smooth” but I saw enough discussions about them having visible sparkle to know that I should have stayed away. There are so few sparkly highlighters that I like, and even those I still almost never wear past the review process.
As for the blushes, liking them isn’t enough to make me want to wear them as many times as would be needed to feel like I wasn’t being wasteful. I just got caught up in the excitement and fear of missing out.

Because this product isn’t just called the YSL Face Palette, and has the actual name Golden Oasis, I fully expect the brand to release additional face palettes in the future. There are currently fifteen powder blushes, so they still have enough additional shades to release a blush-only palette if they wanted. I doubt there will be powder bronzers included, unless those would be the new shades to expand the range. So those that don’t find Golden Oasis appealing enough could like the next one instead.

Hopefully, you’ve found this review helpful.Thank you for reading!

-Lili ❤

Are Face Palettes Worth It? Ft. Nars

Posted on August 11, 2025 by ghekate

This post is a review of the Nars Hot Escape Palette, but I think it’s also a good opportunity to discuss how much value (if any) face palettes truly add to a makeup collection. I didn’t include any face palettes in my Project Pan, since I didn’t think I had an overconsumption issue in that category, but my ever growing Hourglass collection has made me feel the need to reconsider this. In addition, my Project Pan was centered around trying to use my absolute top favorite makeup items, and so few face palettes would have even ranked high enough to be included.

Nars Hot Escape Cheek Palette in (Version III) Medium Deep

In the last few years, I’ve begun to think that face palettes aren’t something I should be buying, considering how infrequently I use them. The reason I made an exception for this Nars palette is because I thought the blush shades looked quite pretty and I have never tried a true Nars highlighter before. I have technically only used pale shimmery blushes from Nars as highlighters that came within their blush palettes, so I’ve been curious about the potential differences.

The highlighters from the Hot Escape palettes are what tempted me the most because shortly after this launch, Nars had also released their Light Reflecting Luminizing Powders. I wanted to try those as well, but I feared Ophelia would be too light and Total Eclipse might be too dark. Skinny Dip from this palette looked like it was right in-between those two and would be a closer shade match for me. I also assumed the formulas would be the same between the Light Reflecting Luminizing Powders and the highlighters in the Hot Escape Cheek Palettes because Volumes 1, 2, and 4 share the same names (Ophelia, Electra, and Total Eclipse). As it turns out, the highlighter formulas are not the same and the colors don’t seem to be correct either! Ophelia as an individual highlighter is the fourth darkest color and is a light bronze tone. The “Ophelia” from the Hot Escape Palette looks more like the shade Heavenly and is described as an opalescent pink. It’s even in the lightest palette to boot. So, I’m not sure why Nars would do something so confusing. Perhaps it was not intentional and an employee made a mistake when preparing the names for the packaging labels.

The confusion doesn’t stop there. Even though the ingredient lists are the same for the bronzers, I noticed Laguna 06 in the Hot Escape palette seemed much lighter than the individual shade I have in the mini size. I hope the differences are clear enough in the swatch photo below.

The thought crossed my mind that my mini could be darker because I’ve had it for longer, but the surface of mine is actually still lighter than normal because of how often I mixed Laguna shades 05 and 06 because of how red toned 06 was from the start! So, my mini of 06 will look even darker than the new one once I use it a few more times solo.
I don’t know why these two are different, and can only suspect they were made in different facilities even though they both say they’re made in the USA. It’s also possible Nars decided to tweak the shade a little in the palette, which doesn’t seem farfetched considering what they did with the Ophelia highlighter.
I actually don’t mind the new 06 bronzer being lighter and less red because it suits my complexion better. The quality and performance seems to be about the same as well. It’s still a buildable formula and long lasting. I wish it wasn’t quite so matte though.

Starting with the blush called Obsession, I think it’s a pretty color, but it having a matte finish is preventing me from liking it more. As much as I’m attracted to blush colors by Nars, and like them, them looking slightly dry on me is always the reason I don’t fall in love with them. It’s something I could never make sense of considering MAC’s matte powder blushes look similar to the Nars ones, yet the MAC blushes melt better into my skin and somehow just look more life-like and healthier. I have to say, Obsession still looks better on my skin than some of the Nars blushes I’ve used in the past. So, this isn’t quite a favorite, but I am happy enough to have it.

Night Swim turned out to be a little more berry toned than I expected, which is a color category I can be very picky about. Because it’s a lighter berry, that helps me to like it more, as I feel deep colored blushes can age me. It certainly doesn’t look drying due to the shimmer, but the reflect is a little metallic, and I’m not really a fan of that. It’s not enough to make me dislike the blush, just that it prevents it from being a favorite. I think I still like this color even more than Obsession!

My skin tone and everything else (except the blush) is more color accurate in the photo with the pink shirt. It was a cloudy day in my grey shirt photo, so everything looks greyer and cooler, but the blush color is more accurate.

The Skinny Dip highlighter is a suitable color for me, as I suspected it would be. My favorite highlighter brush picks up quite a bit of product, so I have to be careful how much I apply because a little goes a long way. In terms of intensity, it already reaches medium with the amount my brush picks up, so I don’t try to layer it further. It’s already a lot more than I’ve been wearing lately, outside of testing days.

The blue shirt photo is more color accurate for Obsession and Skinny Dip, but I wanted to show how the photo turned out on a cloudy day to better help show the difference in Night Swim’s cloudy photo.

Skinny Dip is not as refined as my Hindash, Charlotte Tilbury, or Prada highlighters, but it still has small enough shimmer particles to keep me happy. I don’t like when highlighters have shimmer specks large enough to look like glitter or when they’re spaced out too much and it looks more like accidental fallout rather than intentional. This highlighter is smooth enough to avoid leaving a stripe and blends nicely. The glow it gives isn’t that metallic either, though I suspect the newest individual ones could be. Overall, I’m quite pleased with this highlighter. This and the blush Night Swim are my favorite two products in the quad.

Because I can use all four colors and I like them all, this has a higher percentage of success rate among my face palette purchases. It also helps that I got it on sale for 33 Euros ($40 USD). However, I don’t know that I love it enough to reach for it over my individual makeup favorites. So, this might not have been a good purchase for me after all. I can at least recommend it as a good quality product for those that enjoy Nars cheek powders and past palettes, even if it’s something I personally could have skipped.

Returning back to the subject of whether face palettes are worth it, I have to state that I first of all consider a face palette to be a product with at least one highlighter, blush, and bronzer. So, duos, blush palettes, and something that has for instance only a highlighter, bronzer, and face powder is one that I don’t consider a true face palette. I don’t always use contour or face powders in a makeup look, but I almost always wear blush, highlighter, and bronzer. This is why I clasisfy face palettes this way.

I own more face palettes than is pictured above, but they are the only ones I considered worth bringing with me or buying once I moved. I would like to point out one of the palettes is custom and the one from Lethal Cosmetics used to qualify, but I prefer their highlighter and blush quality, so I replaced the bronzer with another highlighter.

The first point in determining whether a face palette is worth it is remembering the rule of thumb that the more shades it contains that suit someone, the more it’s worth. It is rare that I like every single face product in palettes, or that I can even use all of them. If a palette doesn’t have magnetic pans or a way to make it easy to mix and match for more options, it makes that product pretty much permanently imperfect. That limits how often I want to reach for it.
If there are premade, but customizable options, I have to consider the price and quality to determine if buying 2 or more palettes to create one perfect palette is really worth it.

The second thing to consider is whether there is even a single face palette that has quality that I consider a holy grail.
It’s one thing to have all usable products in nice shades, but can they even compete with my single blushes, highlighters, and bronzers as individual singles? Plus, there are some brands that use cheaper formulas in multi-functional palettes and sets (i.e., Too Faced holiday items allegedly). So, you might pay less than what the premium products would individually total up to, but it’s not a true deal if the quality is lower.
An example of this is when I had a few Tarte holiday sets containing mini blushes in a different formula versus their specifically labeled “Amazonian Clay” mini blushes set. The random blush formula was nice, but couldn’t compare to their claim to fame Amazonian ones, so I eventually decluttered them.

Within the Hourglass Ambient range, the At Night blush and finishing powders were once holy grails for me, but nothing else of theirs comes close. I wish the bronzers had a stronger sheen and the highlighters tend to be pretty, but have either too large of shimmer particles (even medium size is a lot to me) or too strong of a metallic reflect. There was a time that I considered their finishing powders to be unique, until Nikki told me about the Candleglow Sheer Perfecting Powders from Laura Mercier. As of late, the Ilia Soft Blurring Blushes (and I’ve heard even Kosas Baked Blushes) are giving Hourglass a run for their money.
Still, I do use my Hourglass palettes a fair amount specifically because they are near-holy grails in terms of formula and because I depotted and rearranged many of them. I know I wouldn’t reach for them enough if not for these two factors combined. Proof of that is the fact that I still left some of my palettes behind in the US.

I have four other blush and highlighter palettes from Nars (one of them is unreviewed), yet I still chose to keep a few of my individual Nars blushes instead of bringing those with me. I find that to be quite telling.

The Sephora Collection Microsmooth Multi-Tasking Baked Face Palette contains all beautiful colors, but the matte blush and bronzer are a little too matte and dry looking for me since moving to a different climate. That’s the main reason I don’t use it anymore.

The MAC Effervescence Extra Dimension Face Compact has baked gelee powders with shimmer or sheen, so my only excuse for not using it as soon as it was back in my possession is that I was in the midst of my Project Pan. It has only been a week since I started using it again.
The Sephora and MAC palettes have the highest chance of being favorites again because every shade in them work on me and have the kinds of tones I like.

Although I don’t consider the Hindash matte powder products to be more amazing than many of my matte blushes and bronzers, the brand makes my favorite and most used contour that’s within the Beautopsy palette. Plus, it’s really the tones and convenience of the powders being so multi-functional that causes me to continually reach for Beautopsy, especially when traveling. However, I haven’t stopped wanting to swap around Beautopsy and Monochromance shades to turn it into a perfect palette. Even if I did so, the next thing I would yearn for is to have a powder highlighter in that pan size, because that’s something I’m still missing to consider it a true face palette in my mind. So, this is why I haven’t bothered to depot and rearrange them yet.

My custom magnetic palette filled with face products also gets used a fair amount, specifically because my number one bronzer is in there. If I added my Prada highlighter and a MAC blush, I might seriously use that multiple times a week!
But this highlights my realization about face palettes: Every powder in there has to be a perfectly suiting tone for me, plus in a formula that is an absolute favorite.
So, I will have to either make my own custom face palette out of products from various brands in order to have one that I’ll use a ton, or I’ll have to commit to only buying new face palettes matching very high criteria in order for them to feel worth it.

I have come to this realization, but two things are in the forefront of my mind.
The first is that in the midst of working on the initial draft of this post, I technically already bought another face palette (the YSL All Hours Couture Face Palette), but it’s more of a blush/highlighter palette for me. So, it technically doesn’t count?
The second is that I am absolutely going to buy the Hourglass Ambient Light Fox Palette when it launches for the holidays. I have already established that this isn’t a holy grail formula, yet I am so hellbent on creating (through depotting) my ultimate Hourglass palette to somehow make it feel like I have finally reached perfection, which would finally make them all worth buying in my mind. In reality, I should quit while I’m behind, but this is a guilty pleasure of mine. I guess I can continue to make an exception for Hourglass.

Those are all my thoughts on face palettes, plus the Nars review. I hope it has been helpful!

-Lili ❤

Blush Sticks ft. Charlotte Tilbury and ABH

Posted on August 4, 2025 by ghekate

So many brands are releasing blush sticks this year! I wasn’t supposed to buy any, as I mentioned in my Project Pan, but Dior, Charlotte Tilbury, and Anastasia Beverly Hills made me cave! I am determined for these to be the last ones I buy, because I’m more of a powder girlie!

Charlotte Tilbury Unreal Glow Blush Sticks in Peachy Glow and Cherry Glow

I have no problem with Peachy Glow showing up on my skintone in person, but between my lights, cell phone, and the shiny finish, it’s harder to detect in photos. It’s at least visible in the picture where it’s unblended on my cheek. If I’m not wearing foundation, and I blend this color to my bare skin, it looks a little pearly and ashy. So, Peachy Glow doesn’t work as well on me on minimal makeup days.

*Fully blended (less light) vs less blended (and more direct light)*

Cherry Glow being the bolder color can be built up heavily, but I like how it looks when sheered out. It’s seamless on the skin, as most cream blushes are. This blush dries down to the point where it isn’t sticky, but I can still feel moisture on my cheeks.
If I don’t set this with powder, it looks a bit faded within six hours. It is still there in the eight hours the brand promises it will last, but what’s left is the barest flush of color. By 12 hours, there is nothing but mica/shimmer particles visible. The actual color is gone. Also, the dewy wet look disappears at some point earlier in the day. I would rather set my face with powder and top it with a highlighter, or use a glowy setting spray to bring back a dry kind of shine, so I don’t have to deal with a partly dewy cheek. Every touch to my cheek transfers when unset with powder, which is annoying.

*Normal application vs light/sheer application*

When set with powder, the remaining luminosity eventually disappears too, but at least it’s dry, transfers less, and holds more color on the cheek by the end of 12 hours.

The blush sticks look so glowy that it makes adding highlighter seem unnecessary. I use Charlotte Tilbury’s Unreal Skin Tint as a highlighter. Adding the skin tint on top doesn’t make a big visual change in that moment, but since the shine of the blushes disappear on their own, having the tint on top makes a difference in the span of the whole day.

These blush sticks can be used on the lips, but they have a creamy surface, not a hydrating one. I can see the cracks of my dry lips underneath, along with my discolored spot since I can’t build the color to become fully opaque. Cherry Glow is better at hiding the flaws than Peachy Glow, but this is no surprise since it’s a darker color.

Because they launched so closely together, I can’t help but compare this to the Dior blush stick.
It seems like the majority of people have the opposite experience as me because Dior’s actually dries down on me without powder, unlike Charlotte’s. I like the packaging of both, but Charlotte’s is cuter whereas Dior’s feels more lux.
I don’t know if I would like Dior’s non-pearlescent blushes more than Charlotte’s, but the shine from Dior’s Candy lasts longer. Peachy Glow only looks wetter in the beginning.
Ultimately, I prefer the Dior formula, excluding the Dior Lip Addict scent someone thought was a good idea to add to the blushes. It is so off-putting!

This release from Charlotte Tilbury is nice, but it’s not a must- have product. It has less of a chance of becoming a staple in my collection than Dior’s blush stick.

Anastasia Beverly Hills Cream Blush Stick in Peach Caramel

This product has been out for a long time, but I waited ages to get it at a discount over 20 percent! The reason it was important to me is because I knew there was a chance it wouldn’t show up on my skin. I heard the colors in this range were not the most pigmented, that they were less saturated than many on the market, and that the orange-brown tones could blend in too much with my skin tone. This all turned out to be mostly true. Although I can see the blush on my cheeks, it’s very difficult to spot in photos. Ultimately, taking a picture of it unblended with a winter foundation shade on was the best way to see at least something on my cheeks!

What this has in common with Charlotte Tilbury’s blush is how long it lasts. Even though the ABH Blush Stick is less emollient and dries to a powdery finish, I can still feel it on my cheeks, it still transfers a little (on top of a hydrated base), and can fade. The finish is also matte. It lacking creaminess makes it stiffer in terms of spreadability, though it still blends out smoothly. I think ABH has prettier colors because they are more skin-native, but they are also severely lacking in depth. Peach Caramel is the deepest shade! At least Charlotte has options for those of us darker than tan.

When I have very saturated blushes from other brands, I have tried pairing this blush with them in order to help tone things down, but I was unimpressed by most of the combinations. The differences in the finish leads to them sometimes not blending together as smoothly.

Conceptually, I like that there is a brush on the other end of the stick (like the one from Makeup by Mario), but the surface area size is so small and doesn’t blend as well as my full-size brushes. So, it’s only useful if I wanted to bring this on-the-go and I was in some weird situation where I didn’t have access to my usual makeup tools.

Because this blush isn’t intended to be glowy, I have lower expectations, which this at least meets. I think it’s a nice formula, but not that special in the blush stick category. I think I even prefer Makeup by Mario’s Soft Pop Blush Stick over this one, but I could be biased because of how much I was in love with the shade Earthy Pink. If this blush was a little deeper and showed up better, I might be singing a different tune.
Within the realm of cream blushes as a whole, the ABH Cream Blush Stick is not something anyone needs to run out and buy. Both this and Charlotte Tilbury’s look completely different on the face because of their finishes, but they receive the same grade from me.

Thank you for taking the time to read my blog post.

-Lili ❤

Surprising Makeup Hits and Misses ft Rare Beauty, Glossier, Dior, and More

Posted on June 16, 2025 by ghekate

I visited the US in April and was reunited with the rest of my makeup collection, along with all the things I shipped there during 2024. Those products consisted of Japanese brushes that I didn’t want to pay extra customs fees for, reward point and gift card redemptions only applicable to US sites, products only sold within the US, etc. I had older makeup I still wanted to bring back to Germany, but I needed to decide which of the newer ones were worth coming along too. That’s how the idea for this post began! However, some of the makeup I brought back will be discussed in other posts, and I added some of my newer makeup purchases to this review instead.

Rare Beauty Soft Pinch Matte Bouncy Blush in Worth

It was difficult to photograph this color accurately because it looks darker in the pan than it actually is. I own the liquid version of Worth, and have reviewed it before, but I left it in the US. Since the liquid is sheer, I wasn’t surprised that I also needed to pack on a lot of this cream-to-powder version to get it to show up on camera.

I’ve been into subtle and/or nude blushes lately, so I expected to love this. I tried pairing it with so many different things expecting that perhaps my foundation shade mattered or that the undertone was clashing, that the color of my eyeshadow looks could be throwing it off, etc. I just wasn’t enjoying wearing it. The answer I settled on as to why that was the case is that it’s matte. I knew it would be from the name, but I’ve used shimmer-free creamy and bouncy type of blushes before that still had a natural emollient gleam to them from just being a cream product. Examples of this are the MAC Glow Play Blushes and Armani Neo Nude Color Melting Balms. Even within the Rare Beauty Soft Pinch Liquid Blush line that comes in dewy or matte finishes, the matte one still has some life to it. So, I wasn’t expecting this blush to have zero shine, especially from a product that has Synthetic Fluorphlogopite as the first ingredient.

The longevity is fine. The blush blends into and becomes one with the skin. For the best results, I use my densest synthetic brushes with it.

I borrowed the photo above from my Charlotte Tilbury x Genshin Impact post where I reviewed the Airbrush Flawless Setting Spray. By the time I started using that spray, I already knew that my issue with the Rare Beauty Blush was the fact that it’s matte. However, I was still taken aback when I saw with my own eyes how much of a difference some extra shine truly makes. I love how this blush looks when I use Charlotte’s spray over it. So this product changed from a miss to a hit for me!

Eadem Le Chouchou Exfoliating + Softening Peptide Lip Balm in Fig Sauce

I mentioned in my Project Pan that there are only 5 brands I’m purchasing from in the lip category this year. One exception was this balm because I would have bought it ages ago if it was sold in Europe. I could only find one website that would ship it to me, but then I would have had to pay at least double the price.
The tradeoff for having to wait a long time to get it from USA’s Sephora was that I could buy it on sale and with a gift card.

I have to talk about the metal applicator because it feels amazing applying this lip balm! I don’t like when products have a cooling ingredient that makes my lips feel cold for 30 minutes to 2 hours depending on the brand. Instead, I only get that wonderfully cold sensation during the application process and then I can go about my day. This really adds to the experience, so much so that I’ve even put other products on my lips and then used this applicator to spread it out! Perhaps one day I’ll buy some empty tubes off the websites I’ve found by typing, “metal applicator cosmetic tube” into Google and transfer some other glosses into them.

This is a very nourishing product and lives up to its reputation as a lip treatment. It fills the lines and smooths over the lips. It’s thick, but not goopy in a gel or oil way. It has more of a creamy-waxy feel. It adheres fairly well to the lips, which helps it to last longer before needing to be touched up or reapplied. I still consider this a little sticky, but it’s not to Ami Cole levels. It has decent color payoff, enough for me to understand someone wanting to buy multiple shades, but I wouldn’t want to buy more than one extra.

The results I get are similar to Ami Cole glosses, which is to say my lips feel softer and more hydrated the next day, but this does not completely remove all of my chapped skin. I can always spot a few areas on my lips that are still chapped the next day.
So, this hasn’t claimed a spot in my top five, but I still like it a lot.

Gxve Beauty Eye See in Color in Rich Girl

This was the only quad from the brand that I found appealing, but my immediate issue is that I don’t get enough depth from the darkest brown in this palette. While it theoretically shouldn’t be a problem to grab a dark eyeshadow from any other brand, I know I will subconsciously not reach for this palette since it is technically incomplete for me.

The completed look is pretty, but I couldn’t bring myself to choose this to pack in my suitcase over my many other options.

If the eyeshadow formula was superb, I would have considered taking this with me anyway. My issue is that the shimmers are a bit lackluster. There is still beauty in a lower impact shimmer if the intended eye look is supposed to be sophisticated or demure. I think the quality is fairly good, though it could have benefited from being a bit creamier. The mattes were fine. My brush picked up a lot of product, but with how soft they look on my eyes, I think someone would be surprised to know how much I tried to build up these eyeshadows. They are drier shadows that appear to be finely milled, but something about the formula just doesn’t feel modern.

This palette is long-lasting on me. It doesn’t take long to get a blended look. However, this isn’t for me. I do appreciate that the holder of the pans is easy to remove, so I could technically keep the compact or turn it into an empty magnetic palette if I inserted a magnetic sticker sheet. I could also technically add metal sticker pans to the bottom of the eyeshadow holder to pop it into a larger empty magnetic palette. Removeable packaging is always interesting to me.

In any case, this quad wasn’t a flop, but it also wasn’t good enough to keep around.

As a random side note, the Gxve Beauty website used to sell merch as well. I ordered one of the Signature Hoodies during a 50% off sale (just like I did with the palette). It has fleece lining on the inside, so I’m excited to wear it come winter. The website says products are now exclusively at Sephora and things are so frequently for 50% off that I really don’t know how the brand will continue to stay afloat.

I don’t know where these are being sold now. If they are discontinued, I’m glad I was able to snag one as a piece of makeup history.

Glossier Cloud Paint Bronzer in Coast

I liked the Glossier Solar Paints, but wished to have a version without shimmer. The Cloud Paint formula is one of my favorites for cream blushes, so to have a matte Cloud Paint in a bronze color seemed like it would be an instant win.

I picked Coast because it is the second darkest option and has a golden tone, which I wanted. The darkest color, Drift, looked like it would be too red for me despite being labeled by the brand as a deep neutral bronze. Coast is just too subtle for my skin tone right now. While I was in Florida, I didn’t do a good job of reapplying sunscreen. My skin had a slightly redder tone and was darker, so the bronzer really isn’t visible in photos as it was already so subtle in person. I have a photo below, but I apologize for the lighting being very off. I couldn’t get a clearer picture during the trip and my skin looks even redder in the photo than it was in real life (plus I was wearing the Beekman 1802 skin tint that’s red).

I don’t mind having a subtle bronzer, but my biggest issue wasn’t the color. I felt it just didn’t blend seamlessly enough into my skin. While it’s true that I didn’t bring my holy grail synthetic bronzer/contour brush with me, I came to realize that the watercolor kind of finish that’s beautiful and natural in a blush isn’t what I want in a bronzer. So, I left this behind. What a shame!

Tarte Tartelette Tubing Mascara vs Too Faced Ribbon Wrapped Lash Tubing Mascara

Back in 2014, during my short lived time making YouTube videos (all listed as private now), I kicked off my Mascara Showdown Series with a battle between Tarte’s Lights Camera Lashes and Too Faced Better Than Sex Mascaras.

I determined that Tarte was the winner because of the length, but the mascara I actually repurchased the most was from Too Faced. I don’t know if it’s because I ended up preferring the balance between length and volume or if I was just able to get the Too Faced mascara on sale more frequently. I eventually stopped buying the one from Too Faced because I started to get clumping and flaking issues that I never had before. I don’t know if the formula changed or there was a switch in manufacturers, but I moved on from that mascara.

The KVD Full Sleeve Long + Defined Tubing mascara made me interested in tubing mascaras again. I had a deluxe sample of the one from Tarte, so when Too Faced released theirs I thought why not…let’s do another showdown between these brands over a decade later!

I never curl my lashes, so sometimes the mascaras look better or worse depending on how my eyelashes are naturally shaped that day. I’ve used the Tarte mascara five times and I can say that even if it had amazing results, what puts me off from it is how long it takes to dry. If I try to layer up even more product, then it takes even longer. I can touch my lashes thirty minutes later and it still doesn’t feel fully set. This is a big problem when I’m trying to photograph multiple eye looks in a day and in the process of removing my eyeshadow with a Makeup Eraser cloth and Bioderma, my eyelashes clump together, the color smears, and the stickiness makes it difficult to remove the rest. Part of the benefits of tubing mascara is the ease in which one can remove it with warm water. I can remove them with micellar water as well, so I’m not surprised that some of the Tarte mascara comes off. The annoying part is the weird middle ground where some of it comes off and smudges while the rest still clings on with a tight grip. It makes it so that I am forced to fully remove it every time when I want to do a new eye look, whereas with other tubing mascaras and even regular mascaras, it’ll come partly off and I can easily reapply more mascara because they didn’t turn my lashes spidery and hard. This is a makeup reviewer problem, but having to wait so long for it to fully dry is an issue overall. One time I made the mistake of applying this mascara not far enough in advance of watching a heartfelt scene in a show. The side with the Tarta mascara was a mess and got in my eyes. The side with Too Faced did not.

I didn’t like the Too Faced Ribbon mascara when I first tried it, but every time after that (at least 15 times so far), I have enjoyed it. Just like the showdown from many years ago, I found that Tarte’s mascara was better at lengthening, whereas Too Faced’s mascara was better with building volume while still giving nice length. It can start to clump if I build this up a lot, so I have to be careful about finding the balance between satisfaction and knowing when to stop.

I like the one from Too Faced, but I think I still prefer my tubing mascara from KVD. It gives better length than Tarte and if I’m patient enough I can build up the volume to similar results as Too Faced, though it can also start to form clumps if I take things too far.

The Tarte mascara is a miss. The Too Faced mascara is a hit.

Dior Backstage Rosy Glow Blush in 077 Candy

I reviewed the cream blush stick version of Candy already, and updated the original post, but this still feels like a good place to talk about the powder blush since it’s a miss for me.

This new powder formula is definitely an improvement on the original formulation and first reformulation, in terms of being more pigmented and less hard-pressed. I also think this square packaging is cuter and easier to use with larger cheek brushes. The reason it’s a miss for me is purely due to the color. I loved the addition of shimmer in the Bronzed Glow shade from version 2 of these blushes, but the base color of Candy being so light means that it unfortunately does the same thing as Nars Orgasm on me. I can see the pink shade at one angle, but when it hits the light, the gold reflect is nearly all I can see. So, it appears as if I tried to use a highlighter as blush! This kind of shimmer is not that refined either, which makes it unsuitable for my preference as even a blushlighter or blush topper.

The saving grace for me is that I can add the Candy blush stick on top to help the shimmer become one with the skin, plus boost the appearance of the pink color.

I’m happy using the Candy shade of Glow Stick on its own, but going forward, I will never wear the powder version of Candy by itself. Based on my continued enjoyment of the previous powder blush reformulation, and acknowledgement that the new one has improvements, I still recommend the powder blush. I just can’t recommend Candy or Toffee to anyone close to my skin tone because of that highlighter effect. Bronzed Glow still gives me hope that Dior can nail a shimmery blush in this new formula in the future if the base color is darker.

That’s everything I have for this week. Thank you for visiting and reading!

-Lili ❤

Luxury Blush Reviews: Chanel, D&G, Westman Atelier, and Gucci

Posted on June 9, 2025 by ghekate

One of the benefits of living in Europe is the access one has to so many beauty retailers of various sizes, which means many more chances to find deals on luxury makeup. I’m still in the midst of a multi-year blush obsession, so today’s post is a review of some of the latest ones I’ve added to my collection.

Chanel Les Beiges Healthy Golden Glow Powder in Soleil Couchant

This comes with a brush, and it works, but I prefer to use my fude favorites with it.

The included pouch has a fun limited edition double C design, though the compact itself has the standard look for the Les Beiges line.

I like orange colored blushes from Chanel in the beginning, but I eventually stop using them after the review is completed. The Chanel Fleur de Printemps highlighter side was a bit light for my taste while the blush side was very subtle. Chanel Beige et Corail had the awesome fall design imprinted, but I got frustrated with how much I had to build up the color on my cheeks.
Finally, Les Tarots de Chanel in Blood Orange had enough pigment, but the matte finish kept me from using it, so I gave that one to a friend.

Soleil Couchant is definitely shimmery and is in the baked-gelee formula that I prefer, so I was willing to give an orange blush from Chanel one more try. The 22% off discount from Parfum Dreams helped sweeten the deal.

The blush side looks like an actual Blood Orange shade in the compact, but it’s a true orange color on my cheeks. I am admittedly disappointed that the red tones don’t show as strongly in this blush, but it’s still pretty. What makes up for it is the gorgeous gleaming finish that is shimmery enough for me to sometimes skip wearing highlighter. It’s not a metallic kind of shine either. The powder has ultra refined shimmer and looks smooth on the cheeks.

The highlighter is a beautiful color that suits me very well with its depth and tone. What is surprising and fascinating to me is that although I can see the individual sparkles, I really like how it looks when paired with the blush! I typically hate glittery highlighters because they look like I got fallout from my eyeshadow instead of being intentionally placed. I prefer highlighters that give a glassy glow and look like my skin is naturally luminous with undetectable shimmer. This highlighter from Soliel Couchant somehow doesn’t emphasize texture and adds a soft twinkle. I don’t know why this is different from other glittery highlighters to me, but it is!

Though I’m faced once more with a blush that’s on the sheer side, I have an easier time picking up product and building up the color now that I have been using the Bisyodo Cheri Series CH-FD Foundation Brush. Soliel Couchant is also less hard pressed than Beige et Corail, so that will reduce some of the potential frustration over time. The photo below shows some of the flaky bits of the highlighter as it comes off the surface onto my holy grail highlighter brush that’s also from Bisyodo’s Cheri Series, the CH-HC Highlight/Cheek Brush.

DISCLOSURE: By linking these brushes, I am obligated to state that any unhighlighted links in bold blue font (Example) are normal non-affiliate links. Links marked in bold black font with a light blue background (Example) are affiliate links. Affiliate links allow me to get a commission if purchases are made on that website after using my link.

I think this will finally be an orange blush from Chanel that I will continue to reach for, but only time will tell. I like this duo a lot, but I love the Brun Roussi Blush Lumiere and Joues Contraste Intense Cream-To-Powder Blush from Chanel even more.

Extra bits of information to note is that I can use my normal highlighter brushes to pick up product, so the firmness level isn’t an issue for that side of the duo. This doesn’t have a fragrance and I’ve had no problems with longevity.

Westman Atelier The Powder Duo in Suede/Sable

I like the Westman Atelier Butter Powder Bronzer, so I assumed the powders in this duo would feel the same because they have identical ingredients, just in different quantities. The blushes are soft, very finely milled, and have a slightly velvety feel, but I wish they were a touch creamier.

The high quality of the blushes is undeniable. They have a soft matte finish, but I would have loved this product if there was more of a sheen. Suede is exactly the kind of shade I’m interested in right now. It’s a warm pinky rose color with some brown, making it a great nude blush for many people, though perhaps not someone more than a few shades darker than me.

They blend well into the skin and don’t fade. I’d say these are medium pressed. I get hardly any kickup, yet the powders coat my brushes easily. I am not forced to use a dense brush in order to build up color, which is great! Despite these being pigmented and buildable, there’s still a limit to how intense they can become.

Sable doesn’t work for me as a blush, but I figured that might be the case when I bought it. It’s a little lighter than my skintone, so it makes Suede look ashier if I try to combine the two on my face. I can theoretically use it to tone down vibrant blushes in my collection, but I haven’t tested that yet. I’m more likely to just use my Dior Powder No Powder for that purpose.

I took the risk getting this shade of duo because I wanted Suede so much. Ganache was the only other color I was interested in, but that’s paired with Poppet, which I wouldn’t want anyway.

Because I got this at a discount from Niche-Beauty, paying a high price for essentially one blush helped lessen the blow to my wallet, though not a lot. I have a feeling it’s going to be forgotten among my collection because as pretty as it looks, I can list at least 20 other blush shades in my collection that excite me more.

I feel this product could have been more beneficial if it was in a trio, like the Artist Couture palettes.

I also wish the pans were customizable so I could have ensured I received two usable products.

I can recommend the powder duos because of the quality. However, it’s only worth it if both shades are a perfect match. There are so many amazing quality blushes on the market at various price points that I don’t consider this one from Westman Atelier a must-have product.

Dolce&Gabbana CHEEKS&EYES MATCH Blush in Joyful Peach

There was a point last year when I wanted to play with makeup that had weighty and luxurious packaging. I was missing my Westman Atelier Butter Powder Bronzer, Olivia Palermo Beauty eyeshadow palette, etc. So, when I saw the D&G line was on sale, I went for something that had the highest chance of being a success for me in a category I clearly love.

The packaging is as lovely and as heavy as people have said. I like the round-edges with the white top that resembles enamel, and the gold metallic details. Everything on the outside feels plastic, so I’m not sure what material was used to add the artificial weight on the bottom. The weight in the lid, I believe, comes from the mirror.

I wouldn’t call this a highly pigmented blush, but it’s not sheer either. My brushes being able to pick up a lot of product adds to the illusion that it’s more pigmented than it is. Thankfully it is buildable, so a shade this light on me can still show up. It’s also surprising how little kickback I get considering how much product coats my brushes.

Per usual with most blushes on my dry skin, I experienced no fading. It’s unscented, so one doesn’t have to deal with the parfum that designer brands love to add to their makeup lines. Joyful Peach leaves a slightly blurred soft matte finish on the skin. The dewier one’s face is, the more it melts in.

The beautiful formula, the blendability, and ease of building up color are reasons why I was tempted to buy more of these blushes, but as someone with as huge of a collection as mine, I decided to refrain. For example, Playful Rose is one of my favorite types of blush shades, as I love a brown nude with a hint of rosiness. However, I already have Vieve’s Sunset Blush in Piazza and Benefit’s Wanderful World Blush in Java, which are also mattes that I enjoy.
I tend to prefer glowy blushes over matte ones, so this is another reason I resisted.

The Westman Atelier powder blushes and this one have a similar look on the cheeks, though D&G’s becomes one with the skin more, especially as the day goes on. So, I think I prefer the blush from D&G the tiniest bit more. It certainly has the more upscale looking packaging. However, I still don’t think this is a must-have product. If someone is in the mood to splurge though, this is a nice option.

Before we move on to the last blush, I wanted to add that I’ve worn this as eyeshadow several times, since it’s intended to be used on both the cheeks and eyes for monochromatic looks.

The issue for me is the same across the board with using bronzers, blushes, and highlighters that excel in looking smooth and refined around the face, that they create too soft of a look on my eyes. With Joyful Peach, I can only build up to medium opacity. I have to make sure my eyeshadow base/primer completely obscures my skin discoloration before adding this shade on top, or else the darker spots show through underneath. Pigmentation issues aside, this doesn’t seem to have an issue with fading, adherence, or layering with other eyeshadows. So, this can work for eyeshadow purposes depending on someone’s style/preference.

*The eye look on top shows Joyful Peach used in the crease and lid. The eye look below it is the same, but with a shimmer eyeshadow added to the lid.*

Gucci Luminous Matte Blush De Beauté in 11 Intense Ruby

I reviewed this blush formula before HERE, but this particular limited edition shade and packaging was part of a holiday collection that I also reviewed HERE. It bothered me that the blushes were so much more expensive in Europe (or at least Germany) than it was in the US. So, I purchased it during last year’s Sephora sale and finally have my hands on it after my visit back to Florida in April.

I see no difference in terms of formula. The performance is the same as the permanent blushes and only the packaging design is different. Speaking of which, Gucci has another limited edition packaging design throughout Asia. I discovered it from amit.beauty.talk and a few other sneak peek accounts on Instagram. It is finally supposed to be available in two re-promoted shades for the rest of the world sometime in July.

The formula is silky to the touch, goes on the skin smoothly, and has a soft satin sheen. It has a lot of pigment, so using the right brushes is key to how much or little effort it will take someone to blend. The color Intense Ruby is quite similar to Intense Plum, but I find Intense Ruby to be slightly less pigmented and therefore easier to work with. The slight difference in undertone is another reason I actually like Intense Ruby, whereas I’m pretty sure I already decluttered Intense Plum (I couldn’t find it among my things).

I would also like to say that I have come around a lot on Warm Berry and despite preferring the Armani Luminous Silk Glow Powder blushes in my past review, the Gucci blushes are the ones I’ve been using more out of the two. However, given enough time, that could reverse again! They are pretty on par with each other.

And that’s everything for today! Thank you for reading.

-Lili ❤

Dior Backstage Rosy Glow Stick Blush Review

Posted on June 2, 2025 by ghekate

I was very eager to get this post out, so I’ve only used the Dior Backstage Rosy Glow Stick in 077 Candy six times so far. This hasn’t gone through my usual amount of testing rounds, but I feel that I have a good handle on how this blush performs.

I must admit the chances are high that I will eventually buy something else from the collection of new powder blushes, cream blush sticks, and lip butters. Whether that happens or not, I still intend to update this post if there is anything noteworthy I’ve forgotten to mention or that I’ve discovered after using this product for a longer period of time.*

*JUNE 14, 2025 UPDATE: I bought the powder blush version of this shade as well. The review is at the end of this post.

*The swatches are slightly washed out, but this was photographed in natural light from the window.*

The Reformulation History

Before we get into this, I just wanted to point out that the original Backstage Rosy Glow Blushes were Pink and Coral. In 2023, the brand dropped “Backstage” from the name and relaunched Pink and Coral, along with the new shades Rosewood, Cherry, Berry and Mahogany. In 2024, they expanded the Rosy Glow range by adding Bronzed Glow, Pink Lilac, and Poppy Coral. Bronzed Glow was the first blush to have visible shimmer particles and it was much easier to pick up product onto a brush.
The “Backstage” name was added back to the Rosy Glow Blush line in 2025, after a second reformulation and new packaging. I don’t know if this means Dior was going to drop the Backstage line, then decided against it. From what I hear, this line is much more popular with the younger generation on TikTok, so that could account for the reconsideration.

The new line of cream blush sticks and second round of reformulated powder blushes comprise of the shades Pink, Pink Lilac, Rosewood, Cherry, Berry, Toffee, and Candy. So, there is currently no Coral, Poppy Coral, Mahogany, or Bronzed Glow.

As I mentioned, Bronze Glow already had visible shimmer and was easier to work with than the others, so I would not have repurchased it just to get the cute square packaging even if it was an option. However, it’s tempting to pick up the new Rosewood. I can’t justify getting it though because my old one is only hard-pressed and still doesn’t have hard-pan on it. I have plenty of brushes that can pick up product decently enough.

If I were to buy one of the powder blushes, it would be Candy, Cherry, or Berry. The older version of Berry looked way deeper than is my preference, but the new Berry’s tone looks prettier to me.

The Performance

Candy has turned out to be a very interesting shade for me to wear! The base color is bubblegum pink, but the golden shimmer makes the blush shade appear warmer. In addition, the ph-adjusting pigment turns the blush a little darker on my cheeks, which prevents it from looking ashy on my skintone while also helping it to actually show up. Without it, I don’t think I would have been able to pull off a color as light as this and in a formula that blends out to be as sheer.
Of the available colors, this is the closest thing to a coral shade that they have.

This isn’t a stiff blush stick. The product glides easily so that I can draw a line of product directly onto my skin without disturbing my makeup underneath. It’s also easy to blend in, leaving no harsh edges and it doesn’t require warming the product up on the back of the hand or via the fingertips to make it easier to spread. So far, my favorite way to apply this has been using angled synthetic brushes and the Singe Beauty F03.

I watched a lot of videos to try and figure out which shades I wanted, and in the process I heard every reviewer talk about this cream being a bit sticky or dewy. This was not the case for me within the first four days. So, I assumed either mine is drier than everyone else’s or my dry skin type plays a part in how this blush sets down on my face. After putting on the blush and touching my cheeks, the most I saw and felt on my fingers was the same amount of moisture as I would get from a full face of skincare and nothing else.

It wasn’t until a different testing session when I applied and blended out this blush with my fingers that I was left with dewy cheeks. My theory now is that because I usually draw or place dots onto my cheeks and then use my brush to blend it out, the wetter elements of the blush get picked up and hold onto the fibers of my brush, so that it’s mostly just the color that is left behind. The little dew that remains gets pushed deeper into my dry skin, so I’m left with hydrated and moisturized feeling cheeks that still don’t require powder to set it! This might not be the same scenario someone with oily skin will experience. Dior does specifically state this contains cherry oil and is intended to be dewy.

I wonder if the minimal amount I use also plays a part. Because this is not a bold color, I can see the temptation to build up a lot of swipes on the cheeks right away. However, I’ve learned from using Rosewood to just give those Red Lakes time to do their thing and darken. So, I tend to not add that much product and I’m still given enough color for the blush to be seen in person (though not as prominently in photos).

My favorite way to use this, other than by itself, is to apply it on top of a matte blush for added opacity and that pretty golden glow. I think it looks better when the cream stick is on top of powder, instead of underneath it.

The worst wear time I’ve had so far was when I used my most moisturizing milky toner as part of my skincare routine, wore my dewiest and most transfer-prone skin tint that provided light-medium coverage, and I did not set my face with powder. The blush faded to the point of having noticeably less color within two hours and I could see my skin underneath. However, there was enough blush to look like I had used a cheek stain. By the end of the night, it was still present and there was still a little glow.

The best wear time I’ve had, without relying on powder, also involved a hydrating milky toner and my glowiest foundation with high coverage. In this scenario, I don’t see fading until five hours in, but I have plenty of color remaining. My longest wear test under these conditions was 12 hours and the blush was still there.

I know firsthand that setting the blush with translucent face powder extends the wear, and it definitely won’t be a problem if paired with another powder blush. It’s also possible that the darker blush stick shades with more of the ph-adjusting pigment could be longer lasting.

An additional note is that this product contains fragrance. It smells like a combination of vanilla, candy, and mint. It’s like a milder version of the Dior Addict lippies. I don’t really enjoy there being menthol and peppermint oil, as it makes me instinctively want to keep it away from my eyes. It doesn’t burn, but I associate the smell with Vicks Vaporub.

The Packaging

I’d just like to throw out there that the packaging is genius! I love that I can stick the handle down into the blush cap for it to be held securely while I twist it and then apply the product! I can even set it down on the table without fear of it tipping over.

For those who have purchased multiple glow sticks, it’s nice that every blush has a corresponding cap color to make it easier to determine what shade it is without having to read the label on the bottom. The silver handle with the Oblique print is a very classy design touch as well.

Comparisons

*This photograph was taken under artificial light, but it better represents how the colors will look on my face.*

Although they look very different in the swatches, YSL’s Restless Rose looks quite similar to Dior’s Candy when applied to my cheeks. The difference is that Restless Rose’s glow comes from the reflect of the shimmer, and Candy has a wetter looking sheen.

I can’t think of a better analogy other than to say Dior’s Rosewood (in the older formula) and Candy look close enough to be sisters. Rosewood doesn’t have visible shimmer particles, but it has a soft sheen and they are both pinks. The shade differences are easier to see when they’re built up, but if I’m aiming to get a sheer amount of color from both of them, it would be difficult for someone to be able to tell they weren’t the same (other than the shine levels). This is why I’m trying my best to resist buying more.

Ordering Process

Before we close out this post, I just wanted to talk about the very different experiences I’ve had between ordering from the US and Germany.
I’ve seen plenty of influencers saying, “Always buy directly from Dior for the luxury experience and perks.” However, only select regions have the Dior Beauty Loyalty Program.
Within Europe, it’s just France, the United Kingdom, and Spain even though my orders to Germany are shipped from France anyway. I can choose the Couture gift packaging, get two free samples, and on the rare occasion one can choose an additional deluxe size mini sample if the purchase is over 100 Euros, but that’s it.*

*Technically, this time the box was a little different, as it had the Dior Dioriviera/Toile de Jouy print on the inside (I think leftovers from Mother’s Day). Usually the carboard box is plain, but I turned this one inside out so I could repurpose it!

When I ordered from the US, I was part of the reward program. Besides the various gifts at different tiers, there are always different free gift with purchase codes floating around that include bigger things than just perfume samples. I’ve seen others get charms/ornaments, pouches/makeup bags, etc.

According to Dior Deutschland, the blush sticks and lip butters are exclusive to their website. This is why I bought mine at full price. Since there’s not much incentive for me to buy anything else directly from Dior, my plan is to wait for the powders to come to retailers in Germany so that I can accrue points from those reward programs and most likely get 20% off as well. As of this very morning, all three product types are available at Douglas. So, the “exclusive” element was only for a short time.

Dior Backstage Rosy Glow Blush in 077 Candy

It didn’t take long for me to do exactly as I said. I bought this at 20% off from Douglas and I’m updating this post with my review of the powder blush!

The aspects that Dior improved with this new powder blush formula over both previous versions is that this is more pigmented and less hard-pressed, though it’s still dry to the touch. I also think the square packaging is cuter and I can use larger cheek brushes with it. The downside for me is with this particular shade. It unfortunately does the same thing as Nars Orgasm where I can see the pink color at one angle, but the gold reflect is nearly all I can see once light hits it. Then it appears as if I tried to use a highlighter as blush! This kind of shimmer is not that refined either, which makes it unsuitable for my preference as even a blushlighter or blush topper.

The saving grace for me is that I can apply the Candy blush stick on top to help the shimmer become one with the skin, plus increase the amount of pink color that can be seen.

And that’s everything for today! Thank you for reading.

-Lili ❤

Charlotte Tilbury Soulmates Face Palette

Posted on May 19, 2025 by ghekate

I could not get into the Sailor Moon anime, but I love the art and style of everything in that world! This product looks like it could be Sailor Moon merchandise, but without feeling like children’s play makeup. This compact has some weight to it, even more than the compact of the brand’s powder bronzer. Since I like Charlotte Tilbury setting powders and blushes, this was not a launch I could skip.

Charlotte’s Pillow Talk Beauty Soulmates Face Palette in Pillow Talk Flawless Peach

From what I can tell, the setting powder in this compact is no different from the permanent line. According to the website, the name for it is Light Peach, but everywhere on the packaging only refers to it by “powder” with no other name. I guess it could technically be called Flawless Peach Powder, and the blush could be called Flawless Peach Blush, but I’ll continue to refer to it as Light Peach.

I haven’t hopped on the pink setting powder trend because of how it usually turns out on someone of my skin tone and color depth, but I was intrigued by this peach option. I can sometimes get away with using the Medium powder on its own, and I’m happy to say that I think I can wear Light Peach on its own as well! It looks crazy when I first apply it, but after sweeping to blend it in, I think it looks pretty good and has a brightening effect!

Most of the time, I mix Medium and Tan together to get a more natural effect instead of brightening. I found that I’m able to do the same with Light Peach.

Per usual, this powder is mattifying without being too drying. It makes the undereyes look smoother. It helps to set my concealer in place and lock it in. I only use this powder under my eyes, so I haven’t tried it on my face, but since it brightens, I can guarantee I wouldn’t want to use this color all over. For my needs, this is great! I’ve made a small dent in my travel size of Medium, so I no longer have to consider buying a replacement when I use it up.

Just like the 2023 Mini Duo Charlotte Tilbury released that had a powder blush and highlighter, there were no names for them on the packaging, but the website referred to the blush as Rich Terracotta. This year’s blush is called Peach Blur on the website.

I really like this blush! It’s a great color and looks airbrushed on the skin. The texture for the blush actually reminds me of the setting powder, but in a richer color with a lot more pigment. That’s surprising considering they share 6 out of 15-18 of the same ingredients.

This year’s matte blush is still less pigmented than Rich Terracotta, which I consider a good thing because that one was easy to overdo. I have a lot more control with Peach Blur because of its buildable nature. One advantage to having a setting powder and blush in the same compact is the opportunity to use the setting powder to tone down the blush if I go overboard in applying it, but it’s easy to avoid, so I don’t need to do that. I guess this is more helpful for someone with a lighter skin tone than mine. The only time so far that I’ve applied the blush too heavily was when I added a second layer of Peach Blur on top of my foundation that hadn’t fully dried down yet. Even then, it was easy to buff and blend out the blush.

When it comes to longevity, I have noticed some minor fading, but there’s still enough on at the end of the day for me to be satisfied with it. This also comes off my cheeks if I take a nap, but that’s a bit more understandable!

I also have to note that I’m very much in my glowy blush era, so the fact that I’m this happy with a matte blush is impressive in itself. This is a pricey product (I got it for 20% off), but I’m very happy with it. Sometimes brands make limited edition products that are cashgrabs, and I’m glad to know Charlotte Tilbury isn’t one of them. Whether the Genshin Impact Collab falls into that category is debatable, but I don’t consider this to be a cheap product or a gimmick. The duo includes the brand’s number one best-selling product in a new shade, along with matte powder blushes that she has yet to release as a permanent item. Perhaps that time will come!

I hope this has been helpful. Thank you for reading!

-Lili ❤

Singe Beauty Evocative Blushes Review

Posted on April 28, 2025 by ghekate

For the last several years, blush has been my #1 favorite category of makeup to purchase and wear. I have a similar taste in blushes as Angeschka Nyqvist, especially when it comes to shimmery ones, so it made sense for me to try some from her own brand. There are currently four shades in the range. I have three, but I did not buy Riveting Rhubarb under the assumption that it won’t be as flattering on my skintone as the others.

DISCLAIMER: I purchased all of these products with my own money. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Singe Beauty Evocative Silk Blushes in Timid Tomato, Risky Raisin, and Persistent Persimmon

These blushes are pressed firmly enough to maintain the shape of that embossing, but they are loose enough to be easily picked up with any brush I own, whether they’re a delicate natural hair brush or a sturdier synthetic type. I get kickup in the pan, but it’s an acceptable amount most of the time. I got it on my clothes once from a brush that picked up a bit too much!

To the touch, these powders are soft and have a slightly silky feel to them. It’s difficult to see shimmer on the surface in normal lighting. The blush has to have light shining directly onto it to spot it easily. This makes me happy because when I say I want a shimmery blush, I don’t really wish to see large individual shimmer particles. I just want a sheen, or an ultra refined reflect to make my skin have a bit of glow to it. I’m not looking for a highlight-blush hybrid, so I’m pleased with the way these blushes are.

They are all quite pigmented. I prefer to use a medium density brush or one that is on the light side to have better control over how much I put on. It’s quite easy to get carried away and find myself saying, “slow build…gradual build…oh, gosh too much!” The blushes blend easily, especially with each other, but it still requires using a light hand. I’d rather they be pigmented over having the problem of being sheer because Timid Tomato is my favorite of these shades, but the inclusion of shimmer could have had the Nars Orgasm effect on me (that when the light hits it, the shine obscures the base color and then it looks like I just have highlighter on my cheeks instead of blush).

I have no longevity issues with this blush, as long as it’s on top of skin that is moisturized in some type of way (via skincare or foundation).

I bought the other two blushes in October 2024, but I didn’t get Persistent Persimmon until December of that same year. I kept seeing people use this blush to create a sunrise cheek type of look, which was pretty enough to make me reconsider. I knew this was too light to be a standalone color for my cheeks, but I remembered how Scott Barnes had a yellow blush in his Chic Cheek palette that could be used to add warmth to blushes if they were leaning too cool toned on someone. I’m less into matte blushes now, which is why I didn’t bother to keep that one with me, but I thought having a shimmery version could be perfect! Below are some examples of cool and/or berry blushes I don’t like as much and how Persistent Persimmon added on top turns them into a somewhat coral color that I like way more!

Besides using this shade for adding shimmer and warmth, I can partly lighten blushes that may be too dark for my liking. So, I’m happy that this turned out to be another “fixer” type of product in the same way that I use the Dior Powder No-Powder for blurring and blending or the r.e.m. beauty Interstellar Highlighter Topper to fill in the gaps of scattered effect highlighters.

I have considered the possibility that Singe’s pink blush could have the same role as Persistent Persimmon, except to cool things down, but my need for that is so rare that I don’t think it would be worth the purchase for that purpose.

As I mentioned before, these blushes look different in natural or indirect light compared to light hitting it straight on. This shade is like my version of Nars Orgasm X, but better.

Risky Raisin looks a bit close to Timid Tomato on my skin. The difference is that it’s a touch darker with some brown and is a less saturated color overall. The red tinge in Timid Tomato pops a little more.

Overall, these are nice shimmer blushes. I like them, but there are blushes in my collection that I’m crazy about. I don’t have the same level of excitement using them as I do with, for example, Dior’s Rosy Glow Blush in the shade Bronzed Glow or Benefit’s Wanderful World Blush in the shade Terra. Those two are also twice the price as the ones from Singe, so I can at least say these blushes are among the top shimmer formulas I’ve used for under $20 USD. Because of VAT, the price I paid is around 23 Euros each.

On a less important note, I’ve been spoiled by luxury packaging, but I don’t mind Singe’s cardboard packaging or the absence of a mirror. I like that these details have kept the cost down. However, I’d actually prefer if these were available as refills. I would like to keep them in one single custom magnetic palette, so I’ve considered depotting them. The only reason I haven’t is that I also like how lightweight this packaging is. All of the custom palettes currently in my possession feel heavier in their empty state than the weight of these three blushes in one hand. I still don’t have a proper makeup area (renovations are still taking place), so it’s easier for now to carry these around in their current packaging until I have a more permanent setup.

Singe Beauty F03 Brush

I’ve found Singe’s eye brushes to be useful, but not as enjoyable of an experience compared to my fude brushes. I decided they weren’t for me and assumed the face brushes would be the same. However, from one brush snob (I say this with love) to another, Tina the Fancy Face has given Singe’s face brushes a more positive review than the eye brushes. So, I assumed I would prefer them too.

This brush feels wonderful when I rub my fingers across the fibers, but it’s similar to rubbing Sokoho level goat across my cheeks. It feels nice at first, and certainly fine with the brand’s own blushes, but if I try to use a makeup product that requires additional blending time, it can irritate my cheeks a bit. My skin has admittedly gotten more sensitive with age (or perhaps I’m just so used to using ultra soft brush hair), so this won’t be a problem for everyone. I just wanted to put it out there that if you’re the type that uses mostly natural hair brushes and only loosely packed synthetic ones, you might not want to buy this brush. But I’d like to reiterate that it’s only if I have to spend a long time blending that it starts to agitate my skin.

The Singe blushes are pigmented, but I don’t have to worry about overapplying as much when it’s on my bare skin. The product looks so skin-like and I can use this specific brush in a heavy-handed way. However, when my face has a little dew to it, the application of blush with this brush can be too concentrated if I’m not careful. I have to dip the brush lightly onto the surface of the blush, tap off excess, and sweep it on first before attempting to do the full on circular buff.

Because of these two potential complications, it’s just easier for me to not reach for this brush with powder products. What it’s fantastic for are creams and liquids. The size and shape is somewhere in the middle between my holy grail Sonia G Mini Base and the Classic Base that was too big to be a multi-purpose brush for me. I have enjoyed using this brush with Glossier Cloud Paint blushes, the Chanel cream to powder (Joues Contraste Intense) blushes, the Charlotte Tilbury Unreal Skin Foundation Stick (that I use as highlighter), etc. Those are products that I pounce on and they practically blend themselves. The way this brush moves ensures I still get good color payoff without the product getting absorbed into the bristles or dispersed into too wide of an area. I will probably continue reaching for the Mini Base over this one, but the Sonia G brush is almost double the price, so perhaps the Singe F03 would be a good alternative for someone.

Because of my enjoyment of this brush, but my desire to have it in a softer hair/bristle type, I purchased the Hakuhodo G6440 from Fude Bobo’s website and it is so wonderful! It’s only for use with powders (as it’s a blue squirrel/goat mix), but I’m thrilled to have it! I got mine during Black Friday, but it was still super expensive. It might only be worth buying for people who are lovers of pom pom style of brushes.

That’s all for today! Thank you for reading and I hope this has been helpful.

-Lili ❤

Makeup So Good I Had To Buy More Pt. 3

Posted on March 31, 2025 by ghekate

I’m calling this a Part 3, even though Parts 1 & 2 were solely about blushes (plus one more about the fails). This post is intended to showcase additional colors of products I’ve already reviewed before.
If this is your first time visiting my blog…welcome! Herzlich Willkommen!
I will have links to the original reviews in each section (ex: in bold blue) if you’re looking for in-depth information about each product. In a way, this particular series is for the email followers and regular visitors to get any updated information and see how additional colors look.

Chanel Joues Contraste Intense in Rose Radiant (Rouge Franc)

I was so eager to try this on, that I only took one good photo of this in new/untouched condition. Unfortunately, it was in a room with ultra warm lighting. Once I realized this, I tried very hard to color correct the picture, but I couldn’t get it to look accurate enough and had to take a new photo instead.

This is the color I wanted most all along. I just didn’t think it would show up on me until I saw how it looked on someone a little darker than me. I’m very happy with this blush and I like that its appearance is subtle. Although I still like Rouge Franc, I didn’t like it enough to put it in my Project Pan. This one, however, is included in it.

Suqqu Blurring Colour Blush in 105 Akanezome

I’m including this here because I have so many Suqqu blushes, but this is technically a new formula and Akanezome is the only color I have in the Blurring Colour Blush line.
My list of various Suqqu Collections, which consist mainly of blushes, can be found HERE.

I gave up on trying to take photos in front of the window. Time with sunlight streaming in is too limited in Germany and my pictures get washed out. The part that is important to see among the various photos is that this blush shade works for me despite how light it looks in one half of the pan. I do mostly concentrate on swirling my blush brush into the darker corner for more impact.

Suqqu’s Blurring blushes are in the same compact as the Pure Color ones and discontinued Melting Powder blushes, but they are matte black on the outside instead of shiny black.
Regarding the quality and performance, I really can’t tell a difference between the Pure Color and Blurring Blush formulas. My guess is that the Blurring Blush line just has more subdued tones, especially with the kinds of shades that are available to mix with in the compact.

YSL Make Me Blush Bold Blurring Blush in 06 Rose Haze and 83 Spicy Berry

The review containing Peachy Nude, Restless Rose, and Nocturnal Nude can be found HERE.

Because of the way Rose Haze looked on me when using the virtual try-on tool, I just couldn’t let this color go. It still looks pretty and is visible on my cheeks (even more so in person than in photos), but the light color combined with the matte finish makes this look a little less appealing on my dry skin than if it had a shimmery finish. Peachy Nude, being a little darker, doesn’t look as dry on my skin from my perspective.

Sometimes I want a light and subtle blush. It happens so infrequently though that there isn’t a reason for me to have too many of them. If I didn’t have a color like this from Sephora, Nabla, Chanel, and Pat Mcgrath already, I’d have felt more content in adding this to my collection. By now though, I do feel a twinge of regret, although the consolation is that I got it deeply discounted.

The scarcity tactic for this shade absolutely worked on me. It was the last thing I purchased from Selfridges before my Selfridges+ subscription ended. I must also admit that my discussion with Olive Unicorn Beauty about purple blushes led me down the path of wanting a higher quality and newer replacement for the singular purple blush I owned, my four year old blush called Potted from Colourpop. I have raspberry colored blushes and mauves, but Potted was my only true purple. I loved it, but the formula became less smooth over time and it’s a matte blush. Spicy Berry is a satin, which I prefer, so I bought it.

When I look at Spicy Berry up close, it looks cool toned and I could almost swear I see the faintest tiniest tinge of blue shimmer. However, when I hold it at a different angle, it looks more like a dark raspberry or deep magenta. Warm purples suit my skin better. Because my foundations are a bit golden and I discovered that orange mixed with purple or mauve turns into more of a pink color on me, I wasn’t that surprised to see how the blush shade appears on my cheeks.

All of these YSL blushes are pigmented, but Spicy Berry is extra pigmented. The photo above on the left shows how my cheek looked with just two taps of the blush onto my cheek with the rephr Koyo brush, which is a relatively airy squirrel and saikoho goat mixed brush. In the second attempt on the right, I made sure to tap just once at the top and apple of my cheeks and then switched to a clean brush to buff everything in. The result from that is exactly how I hoped this would be and it looks more like Potted this way. If I want a more visible color, I can just add Nocturnal Nude or another orange leaning blush on top because of color theory and how purples and oranges mixed together turn dark pink on me. The other alternative is applying a little more, but toning it down with the remnants on my foundation brush or using a blurring finishing powder.

I am very happy I bought this shade, but be forewarned that at this level of color intensity, it does have a tendency to look a little patchy. Blending it out or mixing it with other things can cover up it and fix it.

YSL Loveshine Candy Glaze Stick in 16 Watermelon High (YSL Lippies)

The Candy Glazes are my favorite of YSL’s lip formulas. I knew I should have stopped at buying number 14 and 15 because these are so sheer, but I couldn’t help myself once I saw 16 (which was part of this year’s shade expansion). It’s basically how I wanted 15 to look on me, but that one is a little light and milky on my pigmented lips. This color is a perfect light-medium pink nude for me! So, even though I know I could have gone without having this, I don’t actually regret buying it.

MAC Intimate Nudes Collection: MAC Lustreglass in Signature Move and MACximal Sleek Satin in Hodge-Podge

Both of these lipstick formulas are new to me and I only have one of them in each formula. However, they’re both from MAC’s Intimate Nudes range of lipsticks. After loving the way Signature Move looked on me, I purchased Hodge-Podge next because it’s a unique color for my collection. So, I think this can count for being in the category of a lipstick so good I had to buy another!

I love the shine level (when first applied) and the lightweight buttery feel of this lipstick. In addition to the sheer partly buidable coverage this has, these attributes remind me of the Lisa Eldridge Luxuriously Lucent Lip Colours. This just feels like an even more emollient version.
I find that this has more pigment than the Lucents, but no matter how much I try to build up color over the darker pigmented spots on my lips, this does not cover it completely. I don’t mind this, but I wanted to be clear that the buildable aspect has limitations.
This MAC formula also does not have the same staying power as the Lisa Eldridge Lucents.

After only an hour, my moisture-greedy lips absorb some of the lipstick and I can feel that there is less slip when I rub my lips together, in addition to the shine having dulled down. Even though there is less lipstick on the surface, my lips continue to feel moisturized. However, if I want the color to be noticeable, I definitely have to reapply after eating, and sometimes after finishing 1-2 cups of water. This is definitely not a long lasting formula. I end up feeling compelled to do touch ups every 3-4 hours (more or less frequently depending on my eating/drinking habits). By the end of the day, there are only the subtlest signs that my lips are drier than before. I can wear this a second day with no issues, or wear a lip treatment to bed to return my lips to a well conditioned state. So, that makes this one of the better lipstick formulas I’ve encountered, but the shorter wear time is a big tradeoff. Because I can get lip nourishment and sheer color from products like the YSL Candy Glazes, I feel like I own enough of these types of products. I foresee myself buying one or two additional shades in the future, but only if they are part of a limited edition collection or have some type of special packaging.

To me, this color is a muted yellow-brown. However, sometimes I could swear it looks a bit olive or that it leans a stronger grey depending on the lighting. How we perceive color is in relation to other colors, so sometimes I think Hodge Podge looks good when I have no other makeup on versus my foundations that tend to lean even warmer. The tones and depth of this shade is like a desaturated version of my skin, so it doesn’t look like full on concealer-lips/foundation-lips, but I don’t feel confident enough to wear this in public without a lip liner. Maybe it’s due to my preference for high contrast looks on myself, and Hodge Podge looks too flat.

In the second photo above, I demonstrated how this pairs with my two darkest brown lip liners. The one from Coloured Raine is warm, so it looks like a better compliment for my undertone. Palladio’s is cool, so I think it pairs better with the actual lipstick.

Although I can get this to fully cover the darker spots on my lips after I first apply it, the color wears down just enough to faintly see those spots after a lot of talking or repeated lip movements over time. So, the coverage level on me is high, but not full.

Regarding the performance, I don’t have to worry about reapplying anything from just drinking, though it will leave obvious imprints on surfaces and will not make it past a meal. After about two hours, similarly to the Lustreglass, some of the lipstick gets absorbed and it feels noticeably less creamy, though not to the levels of being considered drying. It feels super comfortable to wear, but I can still see that at the end of the day my lips show the beginning stages of wear before chapping. So, it still dries my lips like nearly every bullet lipstick formula on me, but at least while I’m wearing it, it looks smooth and shiny to the eye. In fact, my lips look smoother wearing this formula than the Lustreglass after several hours of wear (even though the Lustreglass is actually more moisturizing).

I like this lipstick formula, and it’s a relief to finally have some MAC lippies I’m not afraid to wear for fear of having my lips dry out. However, I don’t feel the need to purchase anymore (unless it’s part of an eye-catching limited edition collection).

Summer Fridays Lip Butter Balm in Hot Cocoa (Vanilla Mint)

I said in my Battle of the Lip Balms post that I wouldn’t buy another of these because my collection is so large, but I wanted one with a yummier scent and with a bit more color. Plus, there’s a 12m PAO, which mine has passed, so getting a discounted replacement during the holidays wasn’t quite so bad.

This has flavoring and smells like a tootsie roll, hot chocolate from a powder pack, or some other kind of highly processed chocolate. I don’t recommend licking this, but I did it for science and it does taste like a tootsie roll (plus Vaseline and wax)! I think it’s fun to have a hot cocoa scented lip balm, and I enjoy it. My husband doesn’t agree.

Lisa Eldridge Eyeshadow Singles: Supernaturally, Smoke & Mirrors, Dorian, Talk to the Paw, Posh, and High Maintenance

I was actually working on a Lisa Eldridge post separately, but then realized this was a better place to put the content since I have reviewed at least the eyeshadows before.

I’ve had Smoke & Mirrors from the Vega palette for over a year. Dorian and Supernaturally are from the Fawn Palette and I’ve had them since September 2024, but I didn’t start using these three until December last year. I was honestly a bit disappointed by the ones from Fawn, and it almost stopped me from buying Talk to the Paw, Posh, and High Maintenance from the limited edition Betty palette. However, I had hope the formula of those would be better after watching a few reviews on YouTube, like this one from Beauty with Substance.

Supernaturally is a Seamless Matte, just like Smoke & Mirrors, but it’s so much stiffer, drier, and less pigmented. Even though it’s natural for certain brown shades to have a hard time showing on my brown skin, this color is even sheer when I swatch it on the palm of my hand. Fired Earth and Troubadour are others in my collection that have better color payoff as well. So, I don’t know if Supernaturally was intended to perform, apply, and feel differently than the others.

Dorian is a Lustre, yet it is so dull! It looks like a matte shadow until light hits it directly at the perfect angle. Based on the website description of this formula, it seems like this is supposed to be the most subtle of the shimmer types. Based on my experience (and photos of Taffeta Fan) it seems like Dorian is the only one that can’t take on a pearly effect and isn’t as shiny as even Talk to the Paw despite it being a deep brown as well.

As I mentioned before, Talk to the Paw and High Maintenance are Lustre shadows. As seen in the swatch photo below, they are clearly less shiny and shimmery than Lisa’s Luminous formula, but they still pack more of a punch than Dorian.

I wanted a deep smokey shimmery brown all over my lids, so Talk to the Paw fulfilled the wish (though technically a taupe) that Dorian could not.

Posh is a Luminous shadow. It has the shine factor I want (once it is applied damp and/or with my fingers), but this particular shade has a hard time appearing pink (or mulberry mink) in tone on me unless I pair it with other shades in the same color family. This is not unusual for me when it comes to light pink shimmer eyeshadows looking more like a silver instead.

*In the dry application, the individual shimmer particles are easy to spot. In the damp application, the shimmer looks smoother.*

Below are swatches of the other shades in my collection that I kept with me.

And here are the swatches of the shadows I left behind.

I went through my Clionadh eyeshadows and found similar shades to the purples from the Betty palette, but nothing close enough to call a dupe because my Clionadh ones are duochromes and multichromes with strong shifts. I learned from Fedaro Beauty that there are much closer similarities within the Viseart Coy palette, but I left those shades in the US. What this indicates to me is that I don’t currently have those colors for a reason. The types of purples in Betty are just not my favorites. It was definitely for the best that I focused on the three shades I wanted most. I probably could have talked myself out of getting the three I did anyway, but because these shades are limited edition, I did not want to miss out.

Lisa Eldridge Liquid Silk Eyeshadow in Gaia and Phoebe

I planned to only get Gaia, but I enjoyed it so much that I felt compelled to own at least one more too.

Gaia works as a subtle one-and-done liquid eyeshadow, but I was more entranced by the color because it reminded me of one of my favorite eye bases from a brand I don’t support anymore. It’s so smooth on the lids. I have enough time to blend out the edges before it fully sets and it mixes well with other shades. It doesn’t crease, nor fade, and it doesn’t look drying on my lids. It usually stays put very well in my deepest eye wrinkle/crease. This formula is the reason I’m excited to try the brand’s upcoming liquid concealer!

Since I reach for powder eyeshadows 49 times out of 50, buying a lot of these wouldn’t be practical for me. I use matte liquid and cream eyeshadows even less than shimmery ones. However, when I tested this out as an eyeshadow base and it worked wonderfully with no issues, this became my replacement for the product that shall not be named! The only downside is that I needed a lighter shade to prime under my brows. That’s why I purchased Phoebe, but since it’s less pale than I expected, I have mostly been using Phoebe as an eye base/primer by itself. Gaia doesn’t get used as much anymore, but Phoebe is now a staple in my collection!

I have additional pictures of both of them used together in the Benefit mascara section, but I realized everything I photographed was during the testing phase, so I didn’t have any of me actually trying to create a seamless transition between the two shades.

The photo above is that demonstration. I have to put in more effort to get 100% full coverage considering the super dark sections in my eye area, so how this looks in this quick low effort example is satisfactory for me. There are plenty of great matte liquid eyeshadows at a lower price from other brands, so I consider this a semi-splurge type of product unless you’re someone with mature eyes. Then spending this amount of money for this product might be well worth the cost. There are also great primers available for a cheaper price, but since I prefer having an eyeshadow primer that covers the discoloration around my eyes (in a shade that isn’t that crazy far off from my skin tone) without having to resort to using an actual concealer, this product is doubly important to me.

*JUNE 29, 2025 UPDATE: I started using Phoebe almost exclusively and within three months I was struggling to get product out. I had to uncork the stopper and mix it a little to start reaching product again. It still periodically moves to a spot along the sides that I cannot reach with the applicator, so I have had to uncork it an additional two times, which is not an easy task! I had to use tools because it’s very tightly in there to keep the product from drying out. So, if you think you might have used yours up quickly, I recommend removing the stopper and checking. By this point, six months after purchasing it, I estimate I’ve used up half of the product.

Benefit Cosmetics BADGal Bounce Mascara

I’m reaching a bit on this one to have this fit the theme, but I’ve been a fan of the original Benefit BadGal mascara, so I felt compelled to give the new Bounce version a try!

I conveniently had a free mini of the original from a past purchase, so I was able to compare it to the travel size of Bounce. Both are dry formulas. The original Badgal Bang has a plastic applicator that starts with a small round tip that gradually widens. It also has a bendy part on the wand that allows me to better angle the applicator to avoid accidental smudging of the mascara.
The Bounce version has one side with a bunch of brush bristles that curve and another side with straighter spikes that act a bit like a comb. I’ve tried to figure out how best to apply mascara with it, but I just prefer the original wand. The Bounce wand creates a fluffier wispier look, but it takes so much time to build up the length and thickness I want. It’s also tricky applying the mascara to my lower lash line because the brush part is too thick to get that close, but the comb part has more gaps, making it easier to miss the finer thinner hairs of my lower lashes with repeated swipes. I can get it to look good, but it takes extra time. I wonder if adding a bendy portion to this wand could have made it better.

I don’t recall my past minis and full-size tubes of the original BadGal Bang having an issue of flaking, but this newest tube does flake a little. However, the Bounce one flakes even more. For this reason alone, I don’t intend to wear the Bounce anymore and if I had to choose a winner, it would be the original!

That concludes everything in today’s post. I hope this has been helpful!

-Lili ❤

Are the Huda Beauty Blush Filters Really That Good?

Posted on March 10, 2025 by ghekate

I have been on a no-buy for liquid and cream blushes since August 2023. The immense hype surrounding these Blush Filters had been steadily chipping away at my resolve. After eight months of resisting, I finally caved.

It’s convenient that the three shades I was most interested in buying were from the original launch, the Icy Nude Collection launch, and the newest “Blush Crush” or “Vibrant” Collection. I was able to see the changes that coincided with the brand revamping their logo and packaging. I was also curious if the formulas would be different between them, but they’re all the same from what I can tell.

The first thing I noticed was the fruity candy smell. It smells delicious, but it is a bit strong in the initial few minutes that I have the container open, and as the blush dries on my cheeks. A thin controllable amount comes out of the stopper and with the small applicator.

The Blush Filters are less pigmented than the liquid blushes from Rare Beauty and Juvia’s Place, but still a lot more pigmented than Glossier’s Cloud Paints. With the amount shown in the photo above, I get about 80% opacity, but these can be built up.

The blush doesn’t immediately set on the skin, but I still work on one cheek at a time because it doesn’t have an emollient consistency (nor gel-like or watery), so they don’t look like they’re spreading enough at first, but I just trust the process and keep moving my brush around and the blush does fully blend out and is streak-free. It doesn’t disturb makeup underneath either.
Once it dries down, it’s fairly budge-proof and there’s no fading by the end of the day. I’ve been impressed by its hydrated look, even though it’s completely dry to the touch, but I think that can be attributed to the “micro pearls” in this product. When I first tried it, I thought my glowy toner combined with a hydrating skin tint was the reason it looked luminous, but when I looked very closely at the swatches, I could see a faint gold sheen in Watermelon Pop. It’s too difficult to see the individual particles within the other shades, and it’s something I can just barely see when light hits it. The radiance is subtle, but enough to keep my cheeks from looking matte and flat. It looks great on minimal makeup days, but even better when it blends into my foundation to melt into the skin, turning even the more vibrant colors into wearable shades.

The glow combined with my lights actually made them look subtler in pictures than in person, so I built them up much heavier when I did a second round of photos. I don’t think my attempts made much of a difference, except with Watermelon Pop.

Watermelon Pop is a warm red that made me instantly think of the shade Love from Rare Beauty and Lily Love from Juvia’s Place. This isn’t a very unique color, but the warm golden micro shimmer makes me like this even more!

Latte is a medium reddish brown that looks redder on my cheeks than I expected, but it’s pretty and the kind of blush that’s right up my alley.

Sunset Lychee is described as a “Rosy Orange” and I’ve seen it look closer to orange on some people, but it is very much pink on me. It reminded me a bit of Rare Beauty’s Joy, but this one has more pink and less apricot.

These shades work out for me on their own, but they also layer well together.

I think this is a great product. Great products deserve to be raved about, but because there are plenty of fantastic liquid blushes out there that are blendable, set down, and are available in gorgeous colors, the Blush Filter’s level of hype seems to have been cultivated in part by very smart marketing.

I’ve always liked nice packaging, but now I’m even more aware of how non-luxury goods can still be very pleasing to look at and interact with. The Blush Filters’ rounded square shapes with their vibrant and semi-transparent packaging combined with the fruity-candy scent remind me of popsicles. There is also the collectable factor since each blush packaging matches the color on the inside. This makes the Blush Filter even more memorable and desirable. When there exist similarly performing blushes, packaging can make all the difference in choosing one brand over another. I have no regrets ordering these, even though I have reinstated my liquid and cream blush no-buy. The fact remains that I still don’t use them as much as powder blush no matter how amazing they are.

It’s a nice bonus that I got 30 Euros knocked off the price because of the reward points I accrued on my Huda Beauty website purchases over the past year. In that same order, I got samples of the #Fauxfilter Color Corrector, so I thought I would include swatches of those as well. My review of the full-size product can be found HERE.

The shade I own is Mango, which I like a lot. I have always gotten shades like Papaya in the past, and it works, but never 100% perfectly. Mango is essentially a pink-orange, which apparently suits me very well, but is a hair on the light side for me. At least, that’s what I thought until I had the idea to mix Mango and Papaya together, which I think looks the best out of all the options!

I still think it’s fantastic that Huda Beauty offers more nuanced shades of color correctors than I’ve seen from other brands. For instance, I don’t know anyone else who makes as dark of a pink as Lychee! Because of the effectiveness of Mango on me, I wondered if perhaps pink was a better corrector color shade and that brands just didn’t make any dark enough. It’s nice to confirm that Lychee doesn’t suit me. My correct corrector should be a fine line between pink and orange.

I should also point out that the demonstration photo of Cherry Blossom looks better than it actually should be. That was my mistake not cleaning my concealer brush well enough and the two colors mixed, so it doesn’t look as stark white as it should be (which is to say even paler on me than Pink Pomello). I couldn’t redo the photo because I didn’t have enough product left from the sample card.

That’s all for today! Thank you for stopping by!

-Lili ❤

Lili's Beauty Blog

Swatches, Reviews, and Articles Revolving Around the Cosmetics Industry

Category Archives: Blush

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Blush Sticks ft. Charlotte Tilbury and ABH

Surprising Makeup Hits and Misses ft Rare Beauty, Glossier, Dior, and More

Luxury Blush Reviews: Chanel, D&G, Westman Atelier, and Gucci

Dior Backstage Rosy Glow Stick Blush Review

Charlotte Tilbury Soulmates Face Palette

Singe Beauty Evocative Blushes Review

Makeup So Good I Had To Buy More Pt. 3

Are the Huda Beauty Blush Filters Really That Good?

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