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.
Yves Saint Laurent created this powder blush line with 12 blushes in total, and in two finishes, although I would argue there are three. I would consider 69Lavender Lust (based on photos) and 93 Restless Rosé to be shimmer blushes considering they have the strongest reflect and shine compared to the other satins: 12 Nocturnal Nude, 42 Babydoll Pink, 44Nude Lavallière, and 83 Spicy Berry. The mattes are 06 Rose Haze, 24 Suave Sunstone, 37Peachy Nude, 54Berry Bang, 57Coral Clash, and 87 Pink Voltage.
*The names in bold above have a liquid counterpart. 66 Fuchsia Fling is not listed as a powder blush.
At the time of me working on this blog post, I’ve been unable to find each individual ingredient list (the YSL-DE site has a blank space and the YSL-US only lists the matte formula), so I cannot compare more shades to confirm. From the boxes I have, I noticed Nocturnal Nude has both mica and synthetic fluorphlogopite while Restless Rosé does not. Since Restless Rosé is the one with more obvious shimmer, I’m not sure what to make of that. At the very least, I think it supports my idea of there being a slight difference within the satin range.
The reason I wanted to go into the specifics of the shades is because YSL did not make all 12 available at the same time on any website, including their own. Even if all twelve were shown, nowhere during the first two weeks of launch had the full dozen listed as “in stock.” In fact, I only saw Spicy Berry (the darkest shade) available on US websites and the US was missing some of the lightest shades that were only in Europe and Asia.
I’m going to put my tin foil hat on for a moment.
Considering I saw sneak peeks for these blushes all the way in August 2024, and YSL’s parent company is the multi-billion dollar L’Oréal, I believe they were capable of producing the full range right at launch if they wanted. This should be the case especially because these blushes are intended to be part of the permanent range and are not limited edition. The liquid blush counterparts to these powder ones received both glowing and damning reviews, not just because of the controversy of misrepresenting how Lavender Lust would look on tan and darker models (before they replaced the promo photos), but also because the blushes have a lot of white in the base that make them appear ashy on people with dark skin, even in the tones of blush that would have normally looked flattering. Considering how quickly I saw the liquid blushes on sale, I wouldn’t say they flopped, but they might have under-performed.
Speaking of the liquid blushes, there will be a shade extension with 03 Mischievous Magenta (left) and 15 Chili Crush (right).
Anyone interested in seeing more photos can visit Amit’s Instagram, which is where this one came from, as well as Trendmood1.
It is possible that YSL felt it best to release the powder blushes quicker than planned. It’s possible they also wanted to play it safe and make blush color availability based on their demographic data per region. I’ve seen this happen before, but usually companies make at least their own website the place to get everything. YSL choosing not to do that makes me wonder if it’s a partial scarcity tactic. Many retailers, such as Sephora Deutschland with only two shades, still had the image below on their sites, which leads me to believe the intent is for YSL’s blushes to eventually be available everywhere.
Brands also tend to make every shade available to the US because it’s such a melting pot, so the fact that they did not have the lightest blushes at launch (especially Lavender Lust) feels intentional. However, I’d bet they will get there eventually. In the countries that did have Lavender Lust and Spicy Berry, those shades went out of stock the fastest, so I wouldn’t be surprised if those were produced in even smaller quantities compared to the rest.
I used the brand’s virtual try-on tool to show how the blushes I didn’t buy could potentially look on me. Spicy Berry was not an option.
It is my preference to wear warm toned blushes in color depths that are medium or medium-deep. Even though Berry Bang and Spicy Berry are the most dark skin-friendly options, I did not buy them because I’m so picky when it comes to the kind of berry tones that I like on myself. I don’t know any retailer in Germany that allows returns once the makeup has been opened/touched/used, so it’s a bit expensive to take the risk.
For those with a different skin tone than mine who want to see seven or more shades compared, I recommend these videos on YouTube that I still found to be helpful: Fabi Madeup, Dams Beauty, and Dear Eva Hansen.
Before we move onto the review, I’d like to be transparent in saying I tested these blushes for a shorter time than I normally give per product. I’ve had Peachy Nude and Restless Rose for just under two weeks and Nocturnal Nude for one week. However, the performance has been so consistent no matter the brush type, applications on bare skin and the various finishes of multiple foundations, that I felt confident in my experience enough to post this “early.”
37 Peachy Nude
Despite this having a matte finish, it’s not flat. When I wear a luminous foundation or one that’s verging on dewy, the blush looks like it has a slight glow to it as well, even though there aren’t any shimmer particles. This makes it look more natural on the skin, in addition to being slightly blurring. These blushes have “blurring” in the name, but Suqqu’s blushes tend to be more blurring, plus Armani’s Luminous Silk Blushes and Too Faced’s Cloud Blurring Blushes are both significantly more blurring than these. In certain places within North America, it seems the YSL blushes are called, “24H Buildable Powder Blushes.” So, the blurring claims aren’t supposed to be the main selling point worldwide.
This powder is super soft and reminds me of the buttery feeling that the brand’s matte eyeshadows have in their quads. None of these blushes fade on me. They’re all pigmented, yet blendable. Between the two finishes, I still prefer the shimmer ones. However, I like Peachy Nude a lot and considering I’m less impressed with matte blushes these days, the fact that I like this one so much is a good sign.
None of the blushes are firmly pressed, so even the softest and airiest brushes will be able to pick up product easily, and there will be kickup. Because they’re all so pigmented, plus easy to put a lot of product on the brush, I have to be careful not to overdo it with Peachy Nude. My camera refuses to capture how much more intense it looks in person. As for the other two shades, they are light enough on my skintone that I don’t need to worry about overapplying, but this could be an issue for other people.
93 Restless Rosé
This is the most shimmery of the three YSL blushes I currently own. The medium-dark pink with gold shimmer made me instantly think of the Nars Orgasm X shade. I wish I could compare them, but I left that shade behind in the US because the reflect of that one is so strong and the base color is sheer enough that it looks like I just have highlighter on my cheeks when light hits it directly and at certain angles. This blush can do that too, but I discovered that if I build it up enough, the pink will still be visible.
Besides working as a standalone blush, this also makes a beautiful blush topper. I love adding this on top of Peachy Nude to give my cheeks extra glow. Pairing it with Nocturnal Nude gives it a brighter pop.
The shimmery glow is satisfactory enough for me that I even skip putting on highlighter when I wear this.
12 Nocturnal Nude
This blush has super fine shimmer without the kind of reflect that is present in Restless Rose. Because of my skin’s color depth and undertone, it looks similar to Peachy Nude. However, Peachy Nude has more pink and no actual shimmer. Nocturnal Nude has more brown, which blends into my skin, and it leans slightly orange. I’d actually call it a coppery color and it reminds me so much of my much beloved Suqqu 138 Hyguugaaoi blush that is part of my Project Pan. The main difference is that Suqqu’s has more shimmer.
I am very pleased that unlike the liquid blushes, the powders don’t have that same ashy problem, which makes this range more inclusive.
Comparing my virual try-on results to my own experiences with three shades, I would say that it’s at least good at getting an idea of how natural or not each shade looks on me. It shows the colors at a little stronger pigmentation level than I’ve been able to build up, but it’s not that far off. Based on these results, even though I can see color on my cheeks for the photos of Suave Sunstone, Rose Haze, and Coral Clash, I don’t think those would stand out enough on my skin tone. My skin is also so warm that I think Nude Lavallière could look ashy, even if it’s not as crazy looking on me as Lavender Lust and Babydoll Pink. So, if you’re interested in these blushes but don’t have the ability to see them in-store, I recommend trying the brand’s tool before ordering.
If you’re on a low-buy or a budget, it can be helpful to remember that this line is supposed to be permanent and therefore part of sales at some point. I was able to get these discounted despite them being so new. My Origines and Parfum Dreams had them in the 35 Euro range and Flaconi had brief 10% sales, which is when I picked up Nocturnal Nude. In the US, there will be a spring sale at Sephora and it’s possible the official site might have bigger discounts once the blushes have been out for much longer.
I really like these blushes. They aren’t revolutionary, but they’re on par with many of my favorites. I’m very excited to have them and they will be included in my Project Pan. From a packaging standpoint, I love the various colors with those appealing quilted squishy tops and beautiful gold colored trim. The size reminds me of Gucci Blushes, but even though YSL’s components are lighter, they are still substantial enough to feel like a luxury product.
The brand is releasing highlighters next, but I’m on a highlighter no-buy and will be skipping them. YSL’s bronzer shade range looks limited, so I don’t have plans to buy that either. I can only vouch for the blushes being wonderful.
That’s all for today! Thank you for reading and please consider clicking the follow button if you’d like to be notified whenever I post!
The retailer Purish was having a birthday sale in July. I didn’t know anything about the Berlin based company until this year when I realized I could get some harder to find indie products on their website. Along with some Danessa Myricks products I plan to review at some point in the future, I bought items from Nabla and LH Cosmetics that I’ve been eying for a long time while in the US, but didn’t want to deal with the shipping costs. I’ll be discussing them in the order that I tried them, rather than grouping by brand. I hope you’ll find these reviews interesting and helpful!
Nabla Close-Up Blurring Blush in Satisfaction
I love Nabla’s Skin Glazing blushes and have long wished for a shade extension. So, even though these new blushes are a matte formula, I felt compelled to try at least one of them. The shade I chose can be iffy as to whether it will work for me or not. The color reminded me of Too Faced’s Cloud Blurring Blush in Velvet Crush, Tarte’s Amazonian Clay Blush in Exposed, and Sephora’s Duo Matte Blush in English Rose. It might even be similar to MAC’s Gingerly, but I would need to see it again to know for sure. In any case, some of the above work for me all the time or just in winter, so I took the chance. The only one I have with me to compare in swatches is Sephora’s English Rose. I intentionally mixed the two split pan colors together to get as close to Nabla’s Satisfaction as possible. English Rose can look completely different if I use more of the pink within the duo.
If I just use Satisfaction on my bare cheeks, it’s a little ashy looking, especially because it’s a matte formula and I have dry skin. However, when it blends into my foundation, the color warms up further and looks just as I hoped. I like vibrant poppy blushes, but sometimes I like having just a flush of pink. Sometimes, I want light pink cheeks like an anime character. It all depends on my mood! In order to get as much payoff as it looks in the photo below, I had to really pack it on my cheeks. A normal amount is very subtle.
I have no blending issues or longevity issues with this. The part I dislike is actually the smell. It smells like a mix between chalk and chemicals, though not as strongly as the MAC Bronzer issue when those launched last year. I used to smell it only when I first opened the compact and then it would dissipate in the air. I noticed a similar thing with the LH palette that’s being reviewed next. What a strange coincidence! By now though, after many months, I only get a slight whiff of the chemical smell if I put it right up to my nose.
I like the color of this blush, but I have to admit that after comparing it to the Sephora duo, I like Sephora’s more. The Nabla blush is supposed to be blurring, but I don’t find that to be the case. Sephora’s is a soft matte, which is a more flattering finish for my skin type as well. Plus, with English Rose, I can tailor the color to be similar to Satisfaction or more vibrant if I’m in the mood for more of a punch. The times I don’t feel like mixing is when I’m most likely to use this. I don’t foresee myself buying additional shades.
LH Cosmetics Reload Palette
There are elements that I really like about this palette, but I’ll start with the issues first. I love how Flow and Silence look in the pan, but if you keep blending those shades back and forth, they turn much darker. Flow becomes a dark purple and Silence turns dark grey. I even used it as an outer corner deepening/smoking shade in the fourth eye look below. It doesn’t matter whether I use primer or not, it stays the pan color when first placed and patted on (which is how I could get them to look alright in swatches), but the moment I blend, Silence turns grey. It’s not an issue of dirty brushes either. I literally tried it with a brand new brush. Considering I already have Offline to deepen eye looks, and I don’t really have much in the way of mid tone mattes since Flow and Silence don’t count, I’m unable to create the kind of looks I intended without reaching for other palettes. The eyeshadows are still pretty, but more dramatic than anticipated.
Thankfully, I have no issues with the colors of the other mattes. I was also able to use three different bases for the eyeshadows and the performance didn’t change. The shadows are pigmented and require a bit more time to blend than I’ve been used to lately, but the final result is worth the effort. At least, that’s what I thought in the beginning, but I’ve only used this palette one or two more times after my initial rounds of testing were completed.
The shimmers are on the thicker side, but I suspect it’s for adherence purposes. I don’t feel the need to apply them damp to increase intensity on the lids, nor to keep them together. I don’t have any fallout issues with these. I also like that there is a warm toned option with Reset and an option to go with the pinks with Energy. The shimmers pick up easily on a brush, spread and blend nicely, and they don’t have enough slip to them to cause creasing on me.
The color story allows one to take the color scheme in different directions: monochrome pink look, neutral, neutral plus one color, blue-green, warm or cool, etc. It’s just a shame that the variety is lessened by Silence and Flow. I would have loved to put a true olive green in the crease, have Moss on the lid, and deepen it with Offline. I’m not disappointed by the performance, only let down by the shades because this could have been a palette I reached for quite a bit due to the convenience of having colors I love all in one palette. Because I have to pair it with something else, the reality is that I use it less than I’d like.
I also need to mention that these have a bit of a chalky smell. This palette is not cheap (even though I bought it at half price) and the eyeshadows are made in Italy, so I don’t think this was cheap to produce. However, that’s what I associate with this type of smell. I only smell it when I first open the palette and the kickup flies through the air. So, it’s not a big problem, but an aspect I don’t like. Especially when I think about Huda Beauty 9-pan palettes that are a similar size, and cost 29 Euros at full price, compared to the Reload palette that’s 49 Euros at full price. The formulas are completely different, but I like quite a few of Huda’s Obsessions palettes and if both brands had a palette comprising of similar colors, I would choose Huda’s.
Nabla Cupid’s Arrow Longwear Full Colour Stylo in Arrow #12 Khaki and Arrow #13 Mauve
These weren’t on my radar until I saw Angelica Nyqvist using them more frequently in her videos during the summer. Since they were on sale and I realized the colors I wanted would compliment what I was missing from the LH Reload palette, I figured I may as well try them.
For starters, the experience is slightly different depending on whether or not an eyeshadow primer was used underneath everything or not. What is the same for both is that liquid eyeshadow goes on top of the Nabla stylos well when used as an eyeshadow base. When this product is used as an eyeliner, it holds onto the skin very well. It’s budge-resistant and water-resistant. When I first apply it, I try to keep my eyelids closed to allow it to set and try to avoid creasing. It only takes a minute to set on an un-primed eye. In one instance on a primed eye when I had to scratch around my lashes, I placed my thumb near the lid to hold it steady and got transfer on finger. Essentially, the more emollient a primer is, the longer it takes to set. In this instance, it was closer to 10 minutes.
On a primed eye, Khaki essentially looked the same, but Mauve was warmer and leaned pink (as opposed to no base where it looks cooler toned purple-mauve. I can draw the stylos on smoothly to apply them without needing primer, but if I want to blend the edges or smooth it out with a finger, it takes too much product off and I can see my skin discoloration underneath. On a primed eye, it’s easier to draw smoothly, but blending the edge also removes the primer with it and I can see bald patches left behind. So, it’s best if I draw product on, but use a lighter powder to blend out the edges.
On a non-primed eye, applying the Nabla Stylo and adding another powder eyeshadow on top doesn’t result in as much creasing, but over a primed eye it settles in my deepest eye crease. The bottom line is that I prefer to use this product as a creamy easy-to-glide-on eyeliner, and perhaps as an eyeshadow base in areas that I don’t have lines yet, such as the mobile lid. To use this as a standalone eyeshadow is too finicky for me. It’s easier to use a powder or more traditional form of cream and liquid shadows.
LH Infinity Bronzer in Forever
This purchase was made specifically because of Kackie Reviews Beauty. She took my curiosity and tripled it with her gushing about how great it is in multiple videos. With only four options available, I chose the darkest one. The shade Forever has enough depth for me, but will not work on someone with a rich skintone. It’s debatable how well it would suit someone within the deep category. My other concern was whether or not the color would be too warm of an orange, but I was compelled. The stars had aligned and now seemed like the time to get it.
It’s a bit silly, but I will admit that there was something visually drawing me in too. There was some reason I couldn’t stop wanting this product from the moment it launched. It wasn’t until I finally bought it that it clicked. The pattern in the pan is similar to the limited edition version of Becca Shimmering Skin Perfectors! In my review, I talked about how I experienced regrets for over a year because Champagne Gold was discontinued, and how I immediately bought it when it popped up on the Hautelook/Nordstrom Rack website.
I don’t think I ever made that review comparing and discussing the situation between Lunar Beauty’s Moon Prism highlighter and the Makeup Revolution highlighter packaging debacle, but this crystal pattern I’m apparently obsessed with is on the outside of both compacts and I bought those back then despite never using the highlighters inside! And now, I believe I have solved the question why my inner makeup goblin couldn’t let the LH bronzer clear out of my mind. I think that experience of FOMO from the Becca days has continued, and now when I see makeup with that pattern I feel like I am missing out if I don’t get it. I’m finally aware of the psychology behind it, so I hope I’ll be better equipped to not let that be a factor in the future! As I’ve got the product now, let’s chat about it!
This bronzer feels very smooth to the touch. It isn’t as buttery as the Westman Atelier one, nor as creamy clay-like as the Glowish bronzer. The closest comparison I have is to the Kaleidos Symphony Contour Trios, which in turn feels like a lighter pressed version of the Hourglass Ambient Lighting powders. The LH bronzer has medium-buildable pigmentation and lasts all day.
Whether I get a smooth and diffused application or an uneven concentration depends entirely on my brushes. Because the surface of the bronzer has mounds and divots from the pan design, if the brush I choose doesn’t pick up an even layer (or I don’t swirl or sweep it around to coat it evenly), it will stick to my skin unevenly when I apply it and require me to spend a bit of time buffing. I tested a lot of new brushes with this bronzer specifically, so I was able to see that the density of the brush doesn’t matter as much as the even coating. I can use a dense brush for a strong yet blended look, or a fluffier brush to look seamless with the skin. In the photo below, I built up the bronzer so it would be more obvious on camera. It can also be built up to look smoother than I depicted, as I hadn’t learned the brush trick at the time I took the photo.
Because of how warm the color is, it’s harder to be able to tell I’m wearing bronzer, as it blends into my warm colored blushes (as seen in the right photo above).
Even when I use my best bronzer brush with this though, and even though I can get it to look smoother, it’s still doesn’t look as seamless as some of my other bronzer favorites.
This photo was taken a month later in the peak of summer, so I’m a little darker. The bronzer color matches better after having gotten some sun, and I used my best brush with it. A tiny bit of foundation, concealer, and the bronzer are all that’s on my face.
This is described as a luminous bronzer, but it doesn’t have much of a glow. I consider it slightly more radiant than a soft matte bronzer. There aren’t traditional shimmer particles that I can see, just sheen from the mica. It has even less of a sheen than some of my semi-glowy favorites.
To show the undertone compared to other orange bronzers, I have swatches of Kosas, a true luminous bronzer, and Armani’s Luminous Silk Bronzing Powder that has some shimmer particles as well as the mica-like sheen. “Forever” is the darkest option from LH, but Kosas and Armani both have a deeper option in their lines. Just something interesting to note.
I like this bronzer, particularly at the discounted price I paid. However, there are tons of bronzers I like. I estimate this would rank no higher than top 30’s or 40’s among my collection. It’s good, but didn’t quite live up to the hype for me. The sheeny finish isn’t strong enough on my face for me.
Nabla Beyond Jelly Lipstick in Ardor
Among the YouTubers I watch that review Nabla products, this particular formula has always been highly rated. So, getting it at half price was more than enough of a reason for me to buy it!
The lipstick component has a beautiful design with clear elements and black and gold touches that makes me think of timeless elegance. In the hand though, it feels like acrylic plastic, which I haven’t decided if I like or not. The fragrance used is an incredibly strong combination of fruit and florals. It’s pleasant, but also distracting. In the beginning, I didn’t like the fact that I could still smell it on my lips for hours after applying it. Thankfully, the smell goes away over time and is no longer an issue.
Its formula reminds me of the YSL Candy Glazes and Fenty Gloss Bomb Stix. It has a comfortable gel-like consistency that feels moisturizing on the lips and has sheer color that can be built up to medium coverage. Of the three lipsticks I mentioned, the one from Nabla feels the stickiest. It can last through a meal (depending on what someone eats), but it definitely needs a touchup after a second meal. When my lips are in a drier state prior to putting this on, within a few hours (even if I don’t eat) my lips will absorb some of the moisture it provides and I will have to reapply, despite still feeling the presence of the sticky layer on my lips. This has a few ingredients that my lips like, and my lips feel softer even after the lipstick has been removed, and that softness lasts until the next morning. So, this formula is hydrating and moisturizing, but I have balmy lip color products that are more nourishing. The reason I love this product though is for the color and how the jelly texture smooths out any dry or peeled looking skin on my lips. The retail price is 23 Euros, but I’ve seen it for 16-18 Euros on multiple websites for at least half a year. So, it’s a product I’d recommend to anyone who wants a less expensive option for a jelly or melty type of lipstick. In fact, of all the products I’ve reviewed in this post, this one is my favorite.
Nabla Skin Realist Tinted Balm in Shade 6 Dark
I had only seen three reviews for this product since 2021, and it was enough to make me want it, yet not enough to want to buy it without a discount. My reasons for that were the lack of reviews available and I felt very uncertain about the shade options. At the beginning of the post, I mentioned buying all these products during the Birthday Sale, but this one is from the Purish Black Friday sale when it was half off. Considering we’re in winter and I’m at my driest, now seemed like the perfect time to finally try it out!
In the photo above, I have the skin tint on in the left side of the yellow line and the Dior Powder no Powder on the right side with no foundation underneath. For me, I barely see a difference. This “tinted balm” only looks better compared to my bare face, so it doesn’t get any accolades for that. The name of the product implies that it will offer low coverage, but in the world of the Fenty Eaze Drops, Danessa Myricks Serum Foundation, and even Lisa Eldridge Skin Tint, the ones I buy usually have more coverage than I expect. This isn’t a deal-breaker though, considering it has similar coverage to the Givenchy Prisme Libre Skin-Caring Glow Foundation and I made that one work. My issue is that it fails to deliver on the radiance in multiple ways.
Another look of the Tinted Balm. In this photo, I’m not wearing a highlighter, but I do have on a satin blush.
The Skin Realist isn’t matte, but it doesn’t give me nearly enough glow, even though I leave it unpowdered. This contains hyaluronic acid, which essentially does nothing for me in this region of Germany that isn’t that humid. The only time I get this to look to the glow level I want is if I fully prep my skin beforehand and use a ton of this balm. Then, it looks closer to a natural finish foundation, but it still takes six hours before my skin starts producing oil and looking luminous. Unfortunately, by that point it also starts to look like “end of the night” makeup, even on days when I’ve done nothing strenuous. If I actually do laborious housework or go for a long enough walk to start sweating, it makes everything on my face start to fade and break apart. This really isn’t a longwear product. When I try to counter this by using a setting spray, I lose the benefits of prepping my skin and the most I can get is a soft matte look again. I feel this product requires too much effort for a skin tint (and especially one that touts being a makeup-skincare hybrid product).
On the Nabla side in the picture above, I used at least double the amount of product as the Danessa Myricks Yummy Skin Serum Foundation side. Danessa’s product looks more skin-like while still offering more coverage (which is easier to see by looking at both sides of my mouth). Considering I actually have more hyperpigmentation on the “DM” side, Nabla’s should look better, but to me it does not.
I was relieved to discover that this had low transfer despite the “balm” name. It fully dried down on my skin. However, this product just isn’t suited to my preferences in a complexion product. I have several low coverage foundations and skin tints that give me a prettier finish on the skin, fully set, and have better lasting power. I wouldn’t call this bad; it just couldn’t compete with what I already own.
I didn’t have the most success with these newest additions to my collection from Nabla, but I continue to recommend the brand’s Skin Glazing line, lip products, and their face brushes are pretty nice despite being synthetic.
Richer Rose is in MAC’s Sheertone Powder Blush formula, which is great. The shade is like a softer slightly muted version of MAC’s Frankly Scarlet, so I love the color. It still builds up pigment quickly for a “sheertone” blush, so I recommend using a non dense buffing brush or any shape that’s airy.
Glutton for Gold is in the brand’s Extra Dimension Skinfinish Highlighter formula. This particular shade is a duochrome gold to pink, though it just looks pink on my skin tone. It’s a smooth formula, but the shimmer particles are reflective enough and large enough to look borderline glittery on my cheeks. I like it best when used sparingly and really worked into my skin, because then it’s more wearable for me (and especially acceptable for the holidays).
These two colors pair very well together. In terms of performance, it’s the same great quality one can expect from MAC. There are no blending or longevity issues. It all comes down to color and intensity preferences.
In the last two years, I’ve been observing the timeline of what’s available from MAC by region (Asia and Australia vs Europe vs North American markets), available online vs in-store, which things to go their US and EU retailers, and what ends up at the CCO/CCS. It’s not unheard of for MAC to have specific products that are only sold to one sector, and that seems to be the case with these Golden Hour Glow Face Palettes. At the time that I’m writing this, the only colorway available in Germany is Medium. In Australia, I see that they have Medium and Deep (with Deep containing the Maraschino Ruby blush and Crushed Copper highlighter). This packaging is a more decorative version of the Sculpt & Glow duos and Pro Set & Blur Pressed Powder Duo MAC only offers online to their Asian and Australian markets thus far.
I haven’t seen a light version of a Golden Hour Glow Face Palette, but I would not be surprised if one gets found some way somewhere in the future.
I am very happy that I got this product at a 28% discount via a promo code. I’m not saying that it isn’t worth full-price, but since MAC always has 30-50% sales at some point and the holiday items rarely sell out before Christmas, I recommend waiting for some kind of deal for those wanting to purchase this.
For anyone curious, this is very likely to be my only MAC holiday purchase this year. I could be tempted into getting the MAC Skinfinish Metallic Cream Blush in Coveted Coral if I ever find it for under 25 Euros.
Natasha Denona Hy-Gen Skincare Infused Glow Beautifier in 03 Dark
I had no intentions to buy this because of the price and me being on a highlighter low-buy, but I kept hearing so many beauty creators continually talk about loving this highlighter and it having a unique texture. When it was on sale at Sephora’s DE website over a month ago, I could no longer resist.
I’m going to get the worst part out of the way; I hate how this smells! I was shocked to see that parfum was listed in the ingredients, because that means it was actually intended to smell like a mix of shea butter, baby oil, and something else I can’t quite determine. It’s objectively not repulsive, but the fact that it instantly brings to mind the ORS Olive Oil Moisturizing Hair Lotion is something I don’t like. It makes it feel wrong to put this product on my face!
Trying to pick up this product on a brush isn’t difficult, but I don’t like how it applies. With a natural hair brush, the particles get spread out on my cheeks and has that scattered sparkles look that I don’t like. If I apply it with my fingers the particles are packed together and then form one smooth looking surface. However, I then have the issue of trying to blend out the edges to avoid having a stripe, which becomes more sparkly on the perimeter from having been dispersed/thinned back out. Because it’s not a traditional powder formula and acts like a liquid highlighter, it takes some force to blend out the finger application because it doesn’t actually sink into the skin the way a cream would. The best method of application I could find was using the Sonia G Jumbo Worker brush. It’s a mix of synthetic and natural hair, is dense to pack on the product, but around the edges is slightly looser and partly fanned out to help diffuse. A fully synthetic option that’s nearly as well performing as the Sonia G brush with this particular product is the Fenty 120 Highlight Brush because of the spot product gets packed onto and the shape of the brush hugging the contours of the cheek. It’s perhaps less successful in other spots to highlight on the face.
Unfortunately, this product just isn’t for me. I love the feel of it, the shade options, and how it can look wet on the skin, but the cons don’t outweigh the pros for me. The functions of this highlighter is more easily accomplished for me by Charlotte Tilbury’s Unreal Skin Sheer Glow Foundation Tint. The CT product is a bit too light for me right now (and I’m not going to buy a darker one), and Charlotte’s is nowhere near as shimmery, but that’s why it’s better suited to my preferences and what I wanted to achieve with this kind of wet looking highlighter.
Spraying my face first before applying the Natasha Denona highlighter also helps it to look smoother, but when I’ve seen this highlighter under different lights I saw that it can appear ultra sparkly, so I really don’t like that. I found this out when I saw myself in the mirror before leaving home, versus what my highlighter looked like in the bathroom of my in-laws. I don’t know what kind of bulbs they have, but I’d rather not look like that again.
Below is a photo using some elements of everything I reviewed today. The highlighter on the cheeks is the Natasha Denona one.
If this kind of highlighter is to someone’s taste, I feel jealous of that person because I really wanted this to work. I paid for it, so of course I hoped to love it (and I can’t return it in the EU). The packaging feels so luxe to me. It looks like it could be a mini porcelain soap dish the way it has the indent at the top and feels weirdly cold on the outside. I also like the rose gold around the rim. The compact has the right amount of plastic to feel like I’m holding something substantial without it actually being heavy. In the future, I’m likely to either depot it (and put a pan of something else inside) or sell it.
Dior Forever Rouge Blush Contour & Glow in 200 Diorama
For several years, I’ve been using either deep bronzers (for brontouring) or the Hindash Beautopsy Palette for contouring purposes. Today, I’ll be sharing my thoughts on the first actual contour I’ve purchased in so long (and the highlighter that comes with it).
Dior released many blush and highlighter duos this year, but I decided to go for this product instead because there’s a bigger void for it in my collection. The texture reminded me of the Dior Powder No Powder, so I had high hopes for it being a smoothing and blurring contour. I was surprised to find that this is a little too dark and pigmented for me. I can’t use a wispy brush because it needs to be strong enough to pick up the product on the bristles, but at the same time a dense brush packs on a lot of product. A brush too wide is hard to blend out and can make my blush look muddy when some of it goes on top. A brush too thin concentrates the product even more to create a stripe. It can look patchy if not evenly applied and blended out. It’s hard to fix once it’s overapplied because the pigment is so intense. So, the Patrick Ta contour brush has been the best option I’ve found thus far. This product is finicky primarily because of the color.
The highlighter is quite pretty and fairly smooth. It reminds me of Bobbi Brown’s Copper Glow, without the random larger shimmer specks. I have highlighters with shimmer more refined than this, but this is still very nice. I’m happy with it and with my purchase overall. Don’t be surprised if you hear I’ve gone back to contouring with the Beautopsy Palette though!
I also feel compelled to add that I wish Dior would make deeper highlighter options. I don’t follow the brand super closely, but I follow them enough to feel confident in saying this is the darkest* powder highlighter they’ve ever made and it’s right on the cusp of being too light for me post-summer. *Based on online photos, the highlighter in the 757 Wild Dior duo looks to be the exact same depth and just be slightly more pink in tone.
Every time they release a highlighter, I’m drawn to it, but they’re always too light in the way they reflect. Without there being much base color, yes, the highlighters can stretch across many more skin tones. However, the reflect looking pearly white on me isn’t flattering, even if there’s a warmer base or one that’s deep enough for me. That’s why I was too afraid to buy either of the holiday highlighters this year, despite it looking pretty on someone darker than me (who doesn’t mind an icy highlighter). I would love an option that I don’t just wear in the winter-spring time when I’m lighter. Something comfortably dark enough.
This is a review I felt compelled to make, but I did not look forward to it. I’m always rooting for and hoping for Fenty’s continued success, but of everything I’ve tried, their only standout products that can compete with my favorites from other brands are the Liquid Eaze Drop Blurring Skin Tint and Gloss Bombs. There are a few things I disliked (all previous foundations, cream gloss bombs, and their eyeshadows), but everything else has just been okay. The only other makeup I used to really enjoy and recommend were the brand’s cream blushes, but I stopped liking them a year ago when other brands’ formulas were just so much better suited to my wants.
Fenty Cheeks Suede Powder Blushes in Sundress Szn and Lolly Poppy
I’d been waiting years for a proper powder blush from Fenty, and I went through a range of opinions since using them. I heard so many ladies with tan skin and darker saying all the shades were ashy except Daiquiri Dip. So, I was excited just to have mine show up on my skin. Then, I realized that the mica particles hitting the light was making them look ashy on me. My excitement dropped.
I know the brand listed Sundress Szn as being suitable for fair and light skin, but the pigment level and tone (as it appeared in marketing images) is what I wanted. It looked like a pink-brown or nude-brown. Most of Fenty’s colors are near to being primary and I was excited to have a more skin-natural shade. I thought I could just mix it with Lolly Poppy to deepen the color, but that doesn’t help. And in person, Sundress Szn just looks light pink.
Lolly Poppy is quite vibrant and not a color I want to wear on its own. I decided to try putting on a brown blush and adding Lolly Poppy just to the apples of my cheek. That combination turned out beautifully! I tried doing that with Sundress Szn and thought it worked, but when I realized how it looked outdoors versus indoors, I changed my mind about it. Sundress Szn just doesn’t look as flattering on my skin tone purely because of the sheen. As for Lolly Poppy, it’s more of an “I can make it work” situation when combining it with other products and using the barest amount. If I build it up, I realized it still gives me a similar problem as Sundress Szn where the reflect looks too white against my warm undertone. What a shame!
In terms of blendability, it’s a little above average. It does look soft and not drying on the skin. It does look more like suede than being powdery. After the third use, a weird film looks like it starts to form on the surface, but not necessarily hard pan. It might just be the reflection of the sheen. Still, I recommend trying to avoid swatching it too often as I think oils touching the powder could be a problem over time. The photo shows its current state having been worn at least ten times for Lolly Poppy and six for Sundress Szn. Every time Lolly Poppy starts to look the way of Sundress Szn, the next use smooths it back out. Very strange!
Two of my favorite blush colors exist from Fenty (favorites in shade not formula) which are Rose Latte and Strawberry Drip, but the brand chose not to make them in powder form. Even if they expand this range, I would not buy more in this formula. I would love to hope that Fenty would listen to customer feedback and reformulate, but they never admit to faults, flaws, or flops. They keep it on the shelves and just release a new version. So, I will have to wait and hear if Fenty comes out with a line of “Silk Powder Blushes” for example instead of Suede, and hope those will be better. Theoretically, these should still work fine for someone with medium and lighter skin, but I can’t recommend them.
The final thing of note is that these have claims of being waterproof. I have not tested that on my face, but I can say the color lasts all day on my cheeks. That isn’t especially impressive since nearly every powder blush I wear has no longevity issues. The most I did was put it on the back of my hand and then ran water over it to see if the color would bleed and wash away. It passed that test, so perhaps if they’re really waterproof, that will be important to a specific group of people.
If you’re still here after that glum but necessary report, I thank you for reading. I am still in the testing phase of Fenty’s two newest lip products, but I will say I’ve been enjoying the brand’s new Gloss Balm Stix. I will do an official post in the future, though it’s unlikely to be posted any earlier than six weeks from now.
The title of today’s post refers to me reviewing a product from Givenchy, Guerlain, and Gucci! They’re three G-named luxury beauty brands with products I tend to like when I try them. Rather than reviewing them separately, I decided to combine them into a single post.
Let’s begin!
Givenchy Prisme Libre Skin-Caring Glow Foundation in W385
The Givenchy Prisme Libre concealers are in my top five favorites, so my interest in the glow version of the foundation began from there. When I saw this shade available for half price, I jumped at the chance to try it!
I’m sure it seems strange that I chose a foundation shade that’s lighter than the concealers I use, but my face color comprises of multiple shades: mainly the lightest sections (cheek area, chin, parts of my nose, and center of my forehead), medium section (forehead and perimeter of my face), and the darkest parts (dark under eye circles, dark spots, scars, and hyperpigmentation). Most of my foundations are either a middle ground shade between the lightest and medium colors on my face, or matching the medium color alone. Because of my severely dark under eyes, using a concealer that’s around my skintone depth (instead of brightening) looks best. It’s a long way to say that N390 is close enough to my skin tone depth, so I figured W385 might work. It’s not the best match for me, but it’s hard to be able to tell since the coverage is so sheer.
This foundation is supposed to be “buildable,” but it only goes as high as medium coverage with 4 full pumps for the whole face. It’s typical for me to use 1 or 2 pumps of any foundation at most. I used 1 full pump for one half of my face in the photo below, yet got hardly any coverage. Because I don’t enjoy the feeling of having too many layers of product on my face, I wouldn’t surpass three pumps. After a point, adding more doesn’t increase the coverage and it hinders the foundation’s ability to dry down on the skin. Using more drops also increases the ease of transfer.
Other than the foundation on one side, both sides have a little concealer around the eyes and mouth.
The Givenchy Prisme Libre foundation sets without needing powder, as long as I’m not heavy on the emollient skincare and stick to using no more than 2 pumps of foundation. Powdering, to me, would defeat the purpose of having a luminous foundation.
This has about the same amount of glow as the Chanel No. 1 Foundation in the beginning, but by midday and onward, the Chanel foundation gives more glow.
The dispenser part of my bottle top arrived broken. It spins around 360 degrees. If I don’t remember to hold it steady when pressing down the pump, it’ll spray everywhere. I don’t have the best memory, so I’ve made that mistake three times already since June. Since I bought this at such a high discount, I didn’t bother contacting customer service.
The darker and warmer color is the Armani foundation, but the squirts all around is the Givenchy foundation when I planned to wear them mixed them together.
As a side note, the Douglas retail website is wild! I’ve never seen prices fluctuate so much on a website before! When I checked again, some shades of this foundation dropped to 16 Euros, whereas other shades (including mine) went back up in price!
I find more use for this product as a mixer to sheer out foundations that are on the thicker side while getting a little more natural finish and coverage. For example, the Armani Luminous Silk foundation is one that never reaches luminous level and I can get a natural finish at best. The Givenchy product mixed with it improves it on every front. So, even though I don’t like this as a standalone product, it’s still useful for me.
*I’d just like to add that all photos were taken early in Summer, so I’m darker now. Definitely too dark to wear this foundation alone now.
Guerlain Terracotta Blush in 03 Deep Nude
I admittedly don’t feel like I can fully appreciate this because I bought it at the same time as the Chanel trio, and they’re basically the same color. It’s not as “nude” of a shade as I thought either. It’s basically just dark pink and I wish it had more brown. Color aside, I also wish it wasn’t so matte. I would have loved for there to be a sheen in this. This is why I didn’t get more shades, even though they were at least 33% off on websites I came across (I bought mine from Parfümerie Pieper).
I’ve had no issues with longevity. I can’t speak for the whole line, but this particular shade is pigmented. I try not to load up too much product on my brush. It’s better to build it up because it’s hard to try and buff it away. If I apply too much, I have to tone it down with a finishing powder or foundation. In a sheer amount, it looks pretty. The powder quality is nice, but not worth full price to me. What I paid is more in line, in my opinion, with what it should have been at the start.
As for the packaging, I think I remember reading some complaints about Guerlain’s Terracotta compacts looking boring and people wanting the blush components to be different, but I like it. I’m more concerned with the formula. I think the quality is decent, but I fail to see anything special about it that would make it stand out from other brands. For a similar price, the Armani Luminous Silk Glow Blushes, which are also matte, are ones I like better.
Gucci Poudre De Beauté Matte Compact Powder (refill) in 10
This is a very smooth finely milled powder. Although I opted to buy the refill so that I could keep the cost low, the intended component is just as luxe as the bronzer packaging and in a pretty shade of pink. Between the formula and compact, I can understand the price tag. For anyone wanting to do what I did and house it in an empty magnetic palette, just know that the pan itself isn’t magnetic. I had to add a metal sticker to the bottom. The sticker I purchased from Amazon and the powder I bought from Selfridges.
The shade I bought is perfect for me. It doesn’t darken when put on top of wet skin. I can see how this is dry skin friendly, but it’s a bit too weak. It tones down shine, but can’t hold at bay an actual dewy product. Also, despite what the product description says on the website, I don’t notice any blurring.
If you don’t like perfume in makeup, just know that every product I reviewed today has it listed in the ingredients. I don’t find the smell of any of them to be alluring, but none are bad either.
This is what the 3 G’s look like when used all together on my face! I tried to use as many “G” branded products as possible to fit the theme! The Gucci powder was all over the face, but the Givenchy powder was under the eyes.
I’d like to take this time to correct my feelings towards the Gucci Bronzer. In my ranking post, I put it in the category of “nice but not a standout formula, in a shade that wasn’t perfect for me.” It’s amazing how a different undertone can really change things! I got my hands on Shade 4 and liked it so much better! It’s still not in my top 10 formulas, but it’s better than I initially felt. With Shade 4, I can get it to blend into my skin better and have it look more natural. I can finally see that it’s smoother than I originally gave it credit for, especially considering how I was still able to make Shade 5 work despite being so off.
Anyway, that’s all for today! Thank you for reading!
My collection of Chanel products has grown since moving to the EU and having access to the products at reduced prices via the retailer Parfümerie Pieper. If I was still in the US, I would have tried to redeem them with reward points via Ulta.
*DISCLOSURE: Non-highlighted links in bold blue font (Example) are standard 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 directly using my link. The only affiliate links in this post are brush related. I have no ties to Chanel. All products were purchased by me and my opinions are my own.
The Tarot of Chanel Matte Powder Blush in Blood Orange
My desire to buy this partly stems from my fascination with the occult (from the fantasy sense and not actually taking it seriously), and partly from my desire to have an easier-to-apply orange blush from Chanel. Last year, I purchased Beige et Corail, but it wasn’t easy to wear between not being pigmented enough and the firmness in which it was pressed.
The color surprised me, because on my skin tone it looks more like a peach than a blood orange. It at least appears slightly darker on my cheeks. I’ve had this for over a month and honestly haven’t used it much outside of testing purposes. I am still glad to have an easier shade to wear, but I think I’m all set on blushes within the orange family from the brand.
Regarding the quality, it is nice. I like it much better than the blush in the Les Beiges trio containing a blush, bronzer, and highlighter. The powder is much softer and easier to pick up with any of my brushes. It’s blendable and buildable with a soft matte finish.
The quality is there, but I would not have been missing much if I skipped on this one, though it is a limited edition collection item. Chanel tends to be out of my budget, but for anyone that considers their products to be worth the price, as long as it’s the “good Chanel quality,” then I don’t think they’d be disappointed.
Since I nearly accidentally threw out the brush, I should note that Chanel does include a brush with this blush. It doesn’t fit inside the compact, and is instead housed in its own velvet pouch that is inside the unicarton/box. The blush comes in a pouch as well and seems to be fragrance free.
Chanel Joues Contraste Intense Cream-to-Powder Blush in Rouge Franc
I’ve heard that is one is a permanent edition to the Chanel line. Out of the five colors, I was drawn to Rouge Franc (purely for its eye-catching vibrance), Rose Radiant (the type of warm pink I like), and Grenat Profond as a gorgeous deep berry. I think the latter would have been too cool for my skin tone, and Rose Radiant didn’t look pigmented enough to be able to appear true to color on my cheeks. So, I only purchased Rouge Franc.
I bought this at the beginning of the month. In contrast to the Tarot blush, I’ve used this one surprisingly more than I expected. I can achieve a somewhat sunburned or flushed look to my face. At times, it looks more orange-red. Other times, perhaps when paired with cooler makeup or pink tones, it looks deep reddish-pink. In any case, I like the color more than I expected.
In the first series of photos, it’s applied over Huda Beauty’s Easy Blur in 440G. With the green tank top, I’m wearing the N1 de Chanel Foundation in BD91 mixed with some of the 440 Easy Blur on the outskirts of my face. In the last photo, I’m using the HB Easy Blur in 450G. I wore it during different times of day with varying amounts of sunlight. This product can look way more punchy in person than how it looks on camera when I tried to build up the blush in the last two photos. However, I enjoy when it looks more subtle, so how it’s depicted in the first two photos is the look I try to achieve each time. The point is that for such a strong color, it can be sheered out. The formula is also not as “intense” as the name suggests. There’s pigment, but it’s not opaque as one blends it into the cheeks.
When I watched reviews to decide if I wanted to get this product, I heard that it’s best to use a synthetic brush and to watch out for the intense rose fragrance added to the formula. Regarding the scent, I weirdly mostly smell it from the outside of the compact. If I put my nose directly up to the powder, it’s not any more intense than when it’s further from my face. It has also lessened over time, but parfum is listed high in on the ingredient list, so those that avoid it should be warned. As for the brush situation, I haven’t had problems using the Bisyodo CF-FD Brush (Sokoho goat hair) nor the Sonia G Mini Base (a mix of synthetic and natural). In fact, the denseness of the Bisyodo brush really helps to pick up enough product and sheer it out to a thin even veil. I think the important thing to note if you’re not using a synthetic brush is to make sure the brush is a densely packed goat, fox, or perhaps even kolinsky. I wouldn’t try it with a squirrel brush or even a goat one if it has too much bend or give to it.
This is a cream to powder formula. Although I agree with others that the closest comparison is to the Armani Neo Nude Melting Colour Balms, these are still different enough that I would not call them dupes. The Chanel blush is more solid in texture than a cream, and if I press down hard enough I can leave an imprint. However, it’s not as squishy as the MAC Glow Plays either. Product can be picked up much easier onto the fingers or a brush than the Armani and MAC blushes. Also, if I don’t clean my brush enough between uses, I start to see some of my foundation come onto the surface of the blush the way it does with the MAC Glow Plays too.
I like the way cream blushes keep my dry skin looking hydrated, but I hate when they don’t set down on the skin. Using this Chanel formula avoids that problem as it doesn’t feel wet or oily on my cheeks. It also is marked to last for at least 18 months after opening, which is longer than a lot of cream or liquid products. The color fades a bit, but will still be visible all day, as long as I am wearing a foundation that is transfer resistant.
If Chanel expands the range, I know I will want to buy more. However, the colors would need to be different enough from what I already have from Armani, MAC, and Suqqu (discontinued Melting Powder Blush formula). The blushes from those three are the most similar to the look I get on the cheeks. Chanel’s formula is the easiest to apply of them all, but the price difference for the ease of use doesn’t completely even out. It would have to be the most perfect color ever for me to get another. However, I’d still recommend it to luxury lovers.
That’s everything for this week! Thank you for reading!
It’s that time of year again! The holiday makeup launches have started rolling out and this is the first of them that I’ve purchased! Let’s get right into the review, and I’ll save my overall thoughts, suggestions, and discuss my ordering experience towards the end.
*DISCLOSURE: Non-highlighted links in bold blue font (Example) are standard 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 directly using my link. The only affiliate links in this post are brush related. I have no ties to Hourglass. All products were purchased by me and my opinions are my own.
I am including some demonstration photos. In the photos with the black shirt, I’m wearing the Huda Beauty Easy Blur Foundation in shade 440 G Cinnamon. I used Eternal Light to set the concealer under my eyes. In the photos with the dark gray shirt, I’m wearing the Hourglass Ambient Soft Glow Foundation in Shade 14. In these pictures, I’m wearing Eternal Light all over the face, so the pictures with the blush (and no highlighter added) still look a bit highlighted due to the use of that finishing powder. I’ve gotten a little darker this summer, so I wanted to show how the products look on different foundations and with lighting coming in from different times of the day.
GILDED STROBE LIGHT – Hooray! Hurrah! Finally, the right highlighter color for me from Hourglass! I had said that Divine Strobe Light from the Tiger palette was “perfect,” but I don’t wear that depth of highlighter anymore, and prefer for it to basically be a shimmery version of my skin tone. Prismatic Strobe Light from the Volume III trio was too dark, so I’ve been hoping for the brand to release something in-between. I’m so glad that day is finally here! That being said, this strobe line is beautifully reflective, but it enhances texture more than I’d like. The powder is ultra smooth with fine shimmer, but the shine effect can be a bit much for me if I’m not careful and over apply. However, I’m still happy to have this. I have ways to tone down highlighters and I could always just use it to bump up the intensity of other highlighters if I want.
DESERT FLUSH – A dark medium muted option! Hurray! Thank goodness this blush is one solid color combining “deep beige” with “peach”, because this is already on the cusp of what should be included in this palette in terms of depth (not in terms of color because a peach was absolutely needed in the line). It’s a buildable shade that shows up on me, but I have to use my dense brushes to pack on the color so I can wear it on its own. One such brush is the Sonia G Cheek Pro. In winter-spring, this color should be easier to wear. In any case, I find this shade useful to tone down or pair with Red 0. I am sometimes in the mood for a light blush, but this is pushing the limits of what I’d feel comfortable wearing in public by itself. I foresee myself combining this with other blushes from other brands.
ETERNAL LIGHT – I’m going to repeat what I said about Eternal Light from a previous review. This finishing powder is a golden brown color that matches my face perfectly! It gives a subtle luminous sheen, but also has a few flecks of gold glitter throughout. The difference this time, in the Lotus Palette, is that the larger gold specks seem to be way smaller than they are in the Volume III trio palette. In the past, the specks forced me to use it as either a mixer shade with bronzer or as a barely there highlighter. I’m thrilled I can actually use this shade as a setting powder now! I don’t know if it’s just my palette, or if all Eternal Light shades are now made with more refined shimmer.
As mentioned earlier, I set the concealer under my eyes with Eternal Light in the photos with the black lace shirt, and used it all over my face in the photos with the dark grey shirt. The matte blushes can look a bit flat on my dry skin, but using the finishing powder all over imparts some glow and makes them look more flattering.
RADIANT ROSE STROBE LIGHT – I normally don’t like pink highlighters, but this is actually pretty! It pairs so beautifully with the Red 0 blush. When used sparingly, this looks a bit gold too (or at least golden copper). I had to actually build up the color in my face demo photo for the rose tone to be clearly visible, which of course increased the emphasis on texture. Contrary to how it appears in my photos below, the reflectivity of this shade isn’t as strong as Gilded Strobe Light when used in smaller amounts. I like that part about it.
I used all the shades from the palette on my eyes in this photo above.
RED 0 – I’m honestly shocked that this shade is in this palette because Red 0 is such a special color for Hourglass. It’s their “exclusive pigment replacement for carmine.” They’d been working on the formulation of this color for years, first introducing it in their lipsticks. I would have expected them to pull the same stunt as Butterfly and put it in Dragon, but they didn’t. I give major kudos for that.
The description calls this a brick red, but I don’t agree. It’s a deep reddish/pink or deep rose. How it appears on my skin can be affected by my undertone, but it doesn’t look brick red in color when eyeballing it in the palette either. This shade is ultra pigmented, and I have to use a light hand and airy brushes to wear it subtly, the way I prefer. For example, with the Chikuhodo REN-7. I also want to note, regarding the color, that this is quite similar to a lot of blushes I’ve gotten recently (Chanel’s Deep Rose from the trio and Guerlain’s Deep Nude), but the tone is the slightest bit different. It makes me like it that tiniest bit more.
Of all the shades in this palette, I think this has the most potential to be added to the permanent blush line. If they do, I’d recommend swatching it in stores because it wouldn’t surprise me if they alter it to make it less pigmented, so that it’s easier for a wider range of people to be able to wear it. It’s already intense on me if I use even an airy goat brush and apply two light layers instead of a single one with squirrel or fox.
BRONZE HEAT – This is the darkest bronzer created by Hourglass thus far. It’s slightly darker than the Transcendent Light finishing powder, but it’s more of an undertone difference than depth difference. Transcendent Light looks deep brown – pink on me. Bronze Heat is neutral brown with a splash of red. Even though I prefer yellow/golden bronzers, I think Bronze Heat still looks good. I’ve gotten some sun this summer though, so the tones in my face have some red to it right now, which is probably helping it to match. I’m curious to see if I’ll still like it when I’m back to my normal skin tone. Solar Bronze, though lighter, is still my favorite bronzer from Hourglass so far. I’d love a deeper version though. In general, I’d still love to see a truly rich bronzer option, but the tweak to this year’s color is enough that people I follow that are a little darker than me that couldn’t wear last year’s bronzer have reported being able to use this year’s. So, even a small change made a difference. I can’t discredit that.
In these photos though, I had to pack on the product to get it to show. My favorite brush to use with these Ambient Lighting Edit Palettes, ever since I got it, is the Eihodo No. 153 which I used in the left picture. For the right picture, I switched to the much more dense Chikuhodo FO-2. They both fit so well into the size of these relatively small face powders.
Overall, I’ve noticed no differences in quality between the powders in these palettes and the ones in the past. The matte ones can look a bit too matte, which is when pairing them with the finishing powder helps. They’re all so smooth with the benefits that come from being a baked powder. I have no longevity issues. These continue to be lovely powder products! The consistent performance of these products year to year is how I’m able to confidently post this review after having used it for barely more than a week, instead of my longer testing process.
COMPARISONS
I don’t have access to my full Hourglass collection, so I could only compare things to my Tiger-Butterfly custom hybrid palette, the Snake palette (in Leopard packaging), and Lotus (in Dragon packaging). This year’s deep blushes are finally distinctly different from each other, and previous years. The highlighters and bronzers are super similar though, with just slight undertone differences.
The list of all my previous Hourglass reviews and rants (especially the Holiday palettes), can be found HERE.
HOW DID HOURGLASS DO THIS YEAR?
Before I can begin to answer this question, I wanted to point out some things I mentioned wanting over the years to see how Hourglass answered or ignored feedback from plenty of customers that shared the same thoughts as me.
2021 I hoped for less repeat shades, I believed there should be 3 palettes per year with one of those clearly designated as suitable for tan to deep skin tones (or darker, or for there to be at least a deeper extension of the permanent bronzer range). I also wanted more accurate representation of the shades in promotional images. 2022 I wanted a true bronzer for dark skin tones and not a translucent powder than could be used as bronzer. I didn’t mind if the brand released a mini or repeat of At Night in the deeper palette. I mentioned being willing to spend $100+ instead of $85 to make every shade in the palette customizable. I mentioned that it would be nice if they used their “miscelare technique” to mix two medium or darker colorful shades in a series of blushes instead of pale beige bases with a single color. 2023 I wanted a deeper bronzer option (since so far the depths are similar and the undertone is just changed), a dedicated true Deep/Rich palette option (even if it’s too much for someone like me), and some dark brown blush color options (less pinks and corals with the occasional orange). I hoped they would continue with palette cover customization, though choosing individual shades is still the ultimate dream. I also wished for a rabbit and/or panda cover art which would tie-in with the brand’s collaboration with the Nonhuman Rights Project.
So what did we get in 2024?
We got almost no repeat shades!
We have 3 palette options again with better designated colors per category (fair/light, light/medium, and tan-deep). Not being able to choose all 6 shades is okay if presets will continue to be good (ex: not having deep blushes in the fair palette like they did with Butterfly).
The brand decently represented the accuracy of shades in their website photos.
Hourglass gave us another dedicated deep bronzer, though it’s barely darker than Transcendent Light, and mostly another tone change.
They opted out of using the miscelare process, ensuring that every tan-deep palette will work the same for everyone instead of some people, who would normally be able to wear the shade, being unable to because their swirl had too much of the lighter color.
Hourglass gave everyone a peach and/or nude option. Everyone seems to love that. The Evil Eye colors had the typical Hourglass pinks and were too similar to each other in one palette. The Dragon and Lotus palettes were better at having distinctly different shades.
What are my hopes for 2025?
I would love if the brand would continue with adding more nude blush options (especially a deep skin friendly one with some brown along the lines of Chanel’s Brun Roussi Lumiere, MAC’s Coppertone, Format, and Burnt Pepper). All the reviews and comments I saw were positive regarding having less vibrant options. The only semi-negative part was Desert Flush not being deep enough to use alone for those with deeper skin tones, so ensuring they are at least dark medium in depth would be great.
I am still looking for Hourglass to make an ultra deep bronzer in at least the permanent collection, if not the Ambient Edit Palettes. I’m not that much darker right now, yet the bronzers are close to being too subtle on me, so this still isn’t dark enough for a ton of people.
I’d still be fine with Hourglass making At Night a repeat in the palette or for them to release a mini. Better yet, I would love the two colors within At Night to be mixed into one solid color and with an increase in pigmentation. That would be fantastic!
I would still love a rabbit and panda themed cover art.
That’s it! I really don’t have any major criticisms or requests. I think this is the best the brand has done so far. Back in 2021, I was worried that listening to customers was just performative and that we wouldn’t continue to see much work towards inclusion. I’m happy to say that someone over there seems to be putting in effort regarding this topic. It’s not even about wokeness. It makes financial sense to create products for customers when the demand is clearly there.
LOGISTICS
This was the first year I had to order my palette outside of the US. I’m happy to say it went smoothly. It cost €90 (VAT included). Influencer promo codes were able to be applied to the order. Shipping was free, but I added €5 for expedited shipping. I wanted to buy a gift box and gift bag in Dragon print, but they kept getting taken out of my cart on the payment page, so I assume they aren’t offered outside of the US. My package was delayed a few days, but that was due to the weather conditions in Germany at the time and not the fault of Hourglass.
If Hourglass continues with this upward trajectory, I will likely purchase next year’s iteration of holiday palettes too. Now that I have to spend even more than usual for these palettes, it’s that much more important for the brand to nail the colors and also offer shades different enough from previous launches.
That’s everything! Thank you for reading! Be sure to click the follow button if you’d love to be updated whenever a new post from me drops!
I reviewed the first launch of Hermès Blushes (found HERE) when the brand released only matte finishes. Then, during the Summer of 2023, they added three shimmery blushes to the Rose Hermès line. Considering I felt that the matte blushes were equal to, but did not surpass my favorites, I was unwilling to pay full price to try a new one. All of my blush favorites are under $40, so the refill price of $48 was pushing my limit. I waited months for the refills to be released so that I could add a metal sticker to the bottom and pop it in a magnetic palette, but it took so long that I stopped checking for them by the end of 2023. Imagine my surprise when I stumbled upon it on the Selfridges website and saw it was finally available!
I have to admit that sometimes my inability to purchase something (sold out, limited edition, early teased product that won’t be released for months, only available in certain countries, etc.) intensifies my feeling of missing out. With enough time, I can reason with myself that I probably won’t love the item enough for it to be worth buying. That logic didn’t work in this instance, but I am very lucky that the outcome was in my favor! I actually like this blush so much more than I expected and I feel like it’s at least more worth the high price than the matte ones!
Hermès Silky Blush Powder (refill) in 58 Rose Cuivré
The shade that I purchased is the deepest of the three shimmery blush options. The right half of the photo above shows that the base color is medium-dark. When the light hits the shimmer, the blush looks medium peachy-pink instead, depicting how much the shimmer can lighten the overall look of the blush. This is one of the reasons I wasn’t certain if this shade would be too light for me. Shimmery blushes can sometimes look too ashy or like a pure highlighter on me, regardless of how deep the base color is, such as Nars’ Orgasm X.
Upon swatching Rose Cuivré, I discovered that it looks similar to MAC’s blush shade in Pinch Me, which was also similar to the first Hermès Blush I bought called Rose Feu. At least, Pinch Me and Rose Feu looked similar when applied on bare skin. When applied over foundation, Rose Feu darkened and looked slightly more red and less of a deep pink.
One of the things that I’ve come to realize is that Hermès makes the silkiest and softest feeling pressed powder products. Their bronzer is still my number one favorite in my collection. The matte blush was very good, but on par with my other favorites. This iridescent formula though is the silkiest feeling shimmer blush I own. It’s even softer than the Gucci blushes. The particles are so finely milled. There are no large sparkle or glitter particles. Visually, it looks like the MAC Sheertone Blush formula, except so much softer and more refined. I can also use my softest blush brushes, such as my grey squirrel ones that don’t pick up as much product as goat, because it’s still able to grab a decent amount of product and it doesn’t require a dense brush to buff the blush smoothly into my cheeks. Lightly sweeping the product into my cheeks produces a beautifully blended result. It adheres well to my skin and lasts all day.
I skip wearing highlighter when I use this because the glow is easy to see. It gives a pearly effect, but thankfully does not look too silvery for me to wear. It’s right on that cusp of looking slightly cool, but still flattering on my warm undertone complexion. I could possibly still enjoy this blush if I was a few shades darker, but I don’t know if this is deep enough for someone in the deep-dark category or beyond.
The sheen from this is what I imagine it would look like if my beloved Dior Powder No-Powder was made into a blush formula. The textures are not the same, since the Dior powder is much harder pressed in comparison. It just has the slightly blurring quality and is one of the few other products I can think of that gives off a sheen that’s nearly pearly-looking, yet works for my skin tone. Considering the Dior powder has holy grail status with me and is my favorite finishing powder of all time, that’s high praise for the Hermès blush to conjure that image for me. I figured this product would make a great blush topper, but as one can see in the swatch photo, the luminosity lessens considerably on top of another blush. I think it becomes an issue of too much pigment and not enough of the shimmer in the mixture. If I add more of Rose Cuivré on top, it turns too deep and intense. So, this blush looks better when used on its own.
When it comes to luxury goods, there are a lot more factors to consider than just the performance or quality as to whether it’s “worth the price.” As much as I am enamored by this blush and impressed by the quality because it’s the finest shimmer powder one I own, it’s not the absolute perfect color tone for me. I intend to get a lot of use out of it, just like with the brand’s bronzer, but I still have blush colors that are my favorites from other brands. It was worth it to me to buy this refill, and I will probably even put this in the Hermès blush compact that currently houses Rose Feu when I get it back from the US. However, I still wouldn’t be able to justify the $84 for this. Good lord, did the price go up since last year? Weren’t they $77? Hermès being the luxury brand that it is, the price could be considered next to nothing for their regular customers. So, it’s all about perspective.
I hope this has been helpful to anyone still curious about this shade. Technically it has been out already for a long time, but at least now the refill option keeps the cost down for those more interested in the product itself. One final note is that this contains fragrance.
That’s all for today! Thank you for giving this review a read!
The compact photo above is better at showing the depth level, but the compact photo below is more accurate to the undertones.
I have more than enough makeup for one person, even though I currently only have access to about a quarter of my collection. For that reason, I tried my hardest to not be tempted into buying this Chanel product. I love their blushes, but I don’t use them enough. I have heard fantastic things about their highlighters, but most are too light for me (and the one I bought wasn’t as refined as I expected). I don’t own any bronzers from the brand, so that would be a new experience.
I watched a video from French for a Day to talk myself down from Chanel products in general, but even she seemed excited for the trio. It was ultimately the assurance that this would work on my skin tone from watching the video from I Am Jamila that kept me interested in this product. In addition, so many people I follow on YouTube and Instagram continued to rave about it even beyond the initial release, indicating that it’s not just temporary hype. The final nudge I needed was a small discount from the retailer Parfümerie Pieper, and I was sold!
Chanel Les Beiges Poudre Belle Mine Ensoleilleé in Deep Rose Gold
The blush is nice. It’s not difficult to nail a blush formula though, so I expected it would be good. It’s not my favorite tone of pink, but it’s pretty. For those that have the Guerlain Terracotta blush in Deep Nude, this is basically the same color.
The bronzer is also pretty good. If you’ve seen my ranking of bronzers that I purchased in 2023 exclusively, I would say it performs as well as MAC’s Sunstruck bronzers, Pat Mcgrath’s Divine Powder bronzers, and perhaps even Nars Laguna Talc-Free Bronzing Powders. This means that it’s among bronzers I like a lot, but not quite enough to make the top 10. I didn’t watch French for a Day’s actual review of the trios until I finished my first draft of this post, and in her opinion the powders are average quality for Chanel. That doesn’t make them bad, just not the best that the brand is capable of producing. I felt strangely reassured when hearing this because it matched my feelings, after using this product for a while, that perhaps this being called “phenomenal” is an over-exaggeration.
I had mixed feelings about the highlighter initially. I love a subtle highlighter, but this is too subtle for me to want to use alone. It’s along the same vein of the Guerlain Météorites, but even less shimmery. I built it up as much as I could in the photos above. What made me start to like this highlighter is that it offers something I don’t have in my collection, which is the ability to turn the bronzer and/or blush into a glowy one without changing the color or making it overly shimmery. It lightens the color, but not by much. I have a few products that I mix with others to achieve this effect, but they are pigmented products that will alter the final color by adding more of a brown tone, warmth or make it cooler toned, etc. This one is sheer enough to transform other products too. In practical usage, I don’t know how often I would pair this with other products besides the ones in this compact, but the option is there.
In the previous photos, I was wearing the Lisa Eldridge Foundation which is a little dark and leans orange on me. In the photo with the blue shirt above, I’m wearing a combination of the Givenchy and Armani foundations, which are a better match (and it’s also a slightly sunnier day, so this is why I look a bit lighter). As for the Chanel products, I wore the amount I normally would, rather than building it up for photos, like the previous ones. The sheerer application of blush with the highlighter on top accounts for the depth differences in the photos.
I have no issues with fading or longevity with this product. These aren’t the smoothest powders I’ve used, but they blend pretty well, especially with a fox or saikoho goat brush. I also have some smaller sized brushes that can fit well in the compact, so it isn’t too much of a hassle having all three colors that close together. A tip I learned for getting into the blush easier is to turn the compact 180 degrees so that it’s the top stripe and the highlighter is on the bottom instead. Then I can dip the angled part of my brush into the blush and can see what I’m doing from top to bottom rather than trying to avoid the brush getting into the bronzer while having the back of the brush hitting the edge of the compact.
Sometimes luxury products look pretty, but don’t feel luxurious. This does feel like a luxury product in the hand, and because the retailer I purchased from included a few Chanel samples, just like the official Chanel website does, I still had the luxury experience.
Having three products in one feels like the pricing is appropriate, especially for a brand like Chanel. I posed the question in the title as to whether this was worth me buying. Considering the discounted price I paid, I think it technically was. However, from a personal standpoint looking at all the makeup I own and factoring in how often I’ll use this palette, perhaps it wasn’t. Time will tell, but for now, I am happy I made this purchase.
DISCLOSURE: I posted several links, including the retailer, but they are normal links, not affiliate links. I paid for these myself and these opinions are my own. At this time, I have no personal or professional connections to the companies or influencers mentioned.
Thank you for reading! I hope it has been helpful.
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