Category Archives: Makeup

An Unconventional Project Pan

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2024 was an unusual year for me because I had just moved across the world and only brought one quarter of my makeup collection with me. I had already decided which items I couldn’t be without, and so it became my goal to get as much use out of those items I took with me as possible.

Although I purchased way less makeup in 2024 than in previous years, and I had a comparatively smaller collection, I still ended the year with plenty of products that went untouched for twelve months! I wasn’t as hard on myself about it considering I had prioritized some makeup favorites, but a fact that I knew to be true in theory became much clearer to me:

  • When I buy new makeup, it takes time away from using what I already own.
  • When I focus on using neglected makeup that’s great quality, even that detracts from my ability to use my actual holy grails.

So, I came up with a different plan.

The Project Pan videos I’ve seen on YouTube centers around makeup that went unused for months or years, old favorites that got pushed to the back of drawers, products close to being panned already so the person wants to finish the job, etc. I have attempted this format unofficially a few times in the past, but I felt too restricted and ended up temporarily buying more makeup because I started to feel like there were pieces missing in my collection. I also prioritized creams and liquids (since those go bad faster) even though that sometimes meant I was using products that were just okay, instead of ones that I loved, so I could feel like “I’ve gotten my money’s worth” and could justify having purchased it.

In the US, I rarely returned makeup unless it was unusable for me in some way (like having an allergic reaction) or I really didn’t like it enough to be worth how expensive it was. Living in the EU, where I can’t return those pricey mistakes if I’ve already tried it and disliked it, changed my perspective a bit. I can do a ton of research beforehand, but I could still end up with makeup that just doesn’t work for me. At that point, the money is already spent. I don’t need to waste further time trying to use up something I like less than what I’ve already got. I don’t want to fall prey to the sunk-cost fallacy. I can’t get back my money, but my time is the next most precious thing. That time is better spent on the things I love.

I have this innate curiosity to try everything out there and to know which makeup items are of the highest tier. I don’t know what that is for every category, but I know what has worked the best for me specifically. There are certain items I feel just can’t be topped. So, why don’t I use those items exclusively?
I wondered if the quest to search for something better comes from the fact that I don’t use my holy grails every single time. I have an enjoyable enough experience using makeup, but if I felt thrilled from start to finish, could that quench my thirst to consume more?

That’s the purpose of this six month Project Pan I’m putting into action.
I have identified the top 2-5 items I consider holy grails from many different categories and I am going to try to use those products every time I do my makeup! In come cases, a product might not be my favorite formula, but it ranks at the top for being in my favorite color. This is a bit unconventional because there theoretically shouldn’t be trouble panning one’s most beloved makeup, but having a huge makeup collection is not the norm either.

In order to not feel constrained, I’m allowing myself to reach for anything I want outside of the Project Pan too. My goal isn’t really about hitting pan on specific products as much as it is about only using the things I’m craving to use. I want to feel guiltless and not worry about which products are oldest and need more attention, which products I said I liked but still haven’t used after reviewing it, or anything else that keeps me from using what I want in the moment.

I imagine that I won’t be able to avoid desiring exciting new makeup. For example, there are things I already saw sneak peeked on social media that I still want to purchase. I will buy things I want, and test them for this blog, but my hope is that I won’t be as tempted if I’m feeling fully satisfied with the makeup in my Project Pan. I also have some year long low-buys that are enacted, such as my self-imposed ban on buying cream and liquid color products, no highlighters, and only getting lip products from five chosen brands.

I’m going to show the condition of the items I chose at the start so that I can keep track of my progress until the six months are over. I will also show a few items that are not holy grails, but I already know I will want to get at least a little more use out of them before I put them away.

Foundations

My chosen foundations for the Project Pan are the Chanel N1 de Chanel, Estee Lauder Futurist Hydra, and Huda Beauty Easy Blur. The ones from EL and Chanel are the glowiest and dewiest in my collection, which is needed because this is the time of year when my skin is the driest while in Germany. I included Huda’s foundation because of the different shade options in those minis, and to layer with the others if I want extra coverage.

Some other foundation loves are the Hourglass Ambient Soft Glow, Nars Light Reflecting, Armani Luminous Silk, and Lisa Eldridge foundations, but those all require me to pair them with the Charlotte Tilbury Unreal Skin Sheer Glow Tint to look less matte, but my CT product is a bit light for me right now. I am still including the CT in my Project Pan, but under the highlighter category.

The foundations that I know I will use a few more times are from Rose Inc (Tinted Serum) and Fenty (Liquid Eaze Drops). I like those two enough that I just wouldn’t feel satisfied if I didn’t get more use out of them, though they also aren’t hydrating enough for my skin.

One other thing to note is that I’m still using the Danessa Myricks Yummy Skin Serum Skin Tint until the review goes up. Depending on how much I like that one, it might or might not join the others.

As for the conditions of everything: Estee Lauder’s is my backup bottle that I opened a few months ago, Chanel’s is one of two shades that was purchased almost a year ago and was the foundation I used the most in 2024, and Huda’s are minis in three shades, but I have no clue how much is left of any of them.

Concealers

My chosen concealers are the KVD Good Apple for under my eyes and the Hourglass Vanish Airbrush Concealer for my face. I always put the KVD concealer on top of the Milk Hydro Grip Eye Primer (and there’s about half left in my current tube). I am pretty sure I finished at least 2/3 of this concealer, but I have a backup. I also have an additional shade that I use on the rare occasion to mix for brightening.

Other concealers for my under-eyes that I might want to switch to depending on what foundation I’m wearing in order to match in tone are the L’Oreal Infallible, Fenty We’re Even, and my two Prisme Libre Skin-Caring ones.

The Hourglass one was chosen because it has the most coverage of the face concealers and the tone of it acts like a color corrector. I could have picked the Danessa Myricks Yummy Skin Lift and Flex or the Natasha Denona Hy-Glam for that purpose as well, but this was the best choice of the three. I have a full size and travel size in different shades. Neither were used much.

Powders

The Charlotte Tilbury Airbrush Flawless Finish Powders are what I use to set my under eyes (especially with the KVD concealer). In my Powder Collection Update and Declutter post from March 2024, I showed the original Deluxe sample I was using and the travel size I had in the wrong shade. I’ve been using this new travel size (shade Medium) and the full-size (Tan) for about a year. Occasionally, I’ve used this all over my face, but the dips in the pan were primarily from under-eye setting. I’m proud of the progress I’ve made, but if I’m going to use the KVD concealer, this powder is required to be part of my Project Pan too.

The Dior Powder No-Powder is my holy grail finishing powder that I’ve talked about endlessly on this blog. In the Powder Update/Declutter post I mentioned above, you can see how much progress I made in a year. This is one of the few products that the Project Pan won’t change my habits on. My rate of usage will stay the same as always, so I estimate that I’ll be finished with this powder by the end of the Project Pan, and I do have a backup to replace it.

The Chantecaille Perfect Blur Finishing Powder went untouched for another whole year! I am determined to get some use out of it considering how expensive this product is (even though I bought it for $33). It’s technically a finishing powder, but I’m going to use it like a setting powder for my face. I don’t expect to use it much in the dry winter, but maybe in spring.

Contour

I’ve been using the heck out of this Hindash Beautopsy Palette for years, but its number one usage is for contouring. I have only managed to make the barest dents into these pans (not including accidental scratches) because there’s so much product and I need to use so little of the powders each time I do my makeup! Again, this is something I don’t expect my Product Pan to really change my usage of too much. However, I still wanted to show its beginning state.

Bronzers

My chosen cream bronzer is the Charlotte Tilbury Beautiful Skin Sun-Kissed Glow Bronzer. I have purposely tried to keep picking up product from the same spot so I can retain some of the original pattern on the surface. This is a gigantic product, so I don’t expect to finish even half of it by the end of six months, but I do want to prioritize it again.

My chosen powder bronzer is the Hermès Plein Air H Trio Healthy Glow Mineral Powder. I absolutely prioritized this product last year, and I also kept dipping my brush into one half of the pan to retain some of the pattern, but this is another huge bronzer with so much product that it hardly looks used.

This is an easy one for me to want to use all the time, but it’s a very warm orange-toned bronzer, so I might use others in my collection during times when I’m in the mood for either a neutral or a pinky brown. Essentially, the parts that form the ‘H’ are yellow and the center portion of space between the ‘H’ is red. If I want to avoid the orange by using less of the darkest color, the yellower portions don’t have enough depth for my skin tone to be able to show up as clearly. So, other powder ones might be required.

Blushes

This is the second biggest category, aside from eyeshadows, though I can at least show these all in one photo!

I contemplated doing this by brand, but the truth is that I don’t have some of my favorite shades in my holy grail formulas. Once I decide I like a blush, I will wear it based on the color and finish. I won’t be thinking about how easy it is to blend and I will adjust my brushes accordingly based on how saturated or not I want my cheeks to be. The majority of blushes I own have fantastic quality, so selecting by favorite shades and then the top formulas among the similar colors was how I decided upon the group.

I will note that there are so many more I wanted to include, but these are the kind of colors I’ve been wearing the most over the past year. So, if I’m suddenly in the mood for an electric orange, I will allow myself to reach outside of this collection. The chances of that happening though are pretty low. There are very specific products not included here that might get one or two uses out of to satisfy the craving before they return to the back of the shelf.

The only time I think about the inconvenience level with blushes is in regards to liquid blushes. That’s why none of them are on the list, even though I think the Glossier and Rare Beauty ones are phenomenal.

The Dior Rosy Glow Backstage Blushes are an absolute favorite. I was pretty obsessed with Rosewood and it was the only one I brought with me to Germany. However, after Bronzed Glow was released in that stunning shimmery finish, I admittedly stopped using Rosewood. The chances are high that I’ll start using it again though, so both are being shown above.

The five Suqqu blushes I brought with me, plus the newest one from the Holiday ’24 collection, can be seen on my Instagram. I used a fair amount of the top two shown above, though it doesn’t look like it based on the pan. The third blush, 105 Akanezome, was purchased in November, but it quickly became a favorite. It’s one of the rare deep colored blushes from the brand that remains muted in tone without being ashy.

These Sephora Soft Matte Duos are another obsession. Tigerlily and English Rose are my favorite two. I have used them a decent amount, considering the size of my collection, but not as much as I would like. These are one of the prime reasons for me starting a Project Pan in the first place. Actually, that can be said for the blush category as a whole. If I wear makeup a few times a week, but I have 100 blushes I want to wear, I could only wear each blush 1-2 times a year. So, I’m forced to narrow down the choices (and increase how often I wear them) if I want to enjoy a good portion of them at least 10 times a year!

My MAC Blush collection alone is already out of hand. I decided to showcase my most used Glow Play out of the six I currently have with me, along with the custom blush palette I used a ton last year. It is so crazy to me how barely touched the pans appear despite my efforts. I have a few other MAC blushes I love that aren’t being shown here purely because they are shades or finishes I used a lot in the past, but less often nowadays.

My other blush palette being included is this one from Pat Mcgrath. The blushes show very little signs of use because I really haven’t used it much in 2024. Prior to owning this pan of Desert Orchid, I was using the Paradise Glow Duo which contained Desert Orchid and Paradise Venus. Prior to owning this pan of Nude Venus, I was using the single compact of it before gifting it to a friend. Prior to owning this pan of Paradise Venus and the half shade within Paradise Glow, I also had the single compact before gifting it to my sister. So, it’s no surprise that all my PML blushes look new when I keep switching to new pans of the same thing. The one I used the most from this palette is Divine Rose III specifically because I didn’t have it in any other form. I love these shades though, and took an unintentional break from them because I used them so much in their other compacts between 2022 and 2023. So, I would like to finally get back into using them. Also, I would have loved to bring my depotted baked shade Aphrodisia, but I was too afraid it would break in my luggage. So, I’m still waiting with bated breath to see if the brand will release more of the baked blushes in a different packaging (and I would actually welcome a repeat of Aphrodisia).

All of my Hourglass Blushes are fair game, but At Night is my favorite color by a long shot. This is the only one I really want to focus on from them, at least until I get access to Mood Exposure and Diffused Heat again (in the Ambient Lighting Edit palettes I left behind).

I think the BareMinerals Blonzer is the blush with my biggest pan dip, although it’s hard to tell in photos. There were times I used this exclusively for months! I traveled with it. I stopped using certain MAC blushes because of this one. Although I get more excited by some of the other blushes I mentioned, I know I will end up circling back around to using this. So, I officially included it.

In the case of the Benefit Wanderful World blush mini in Terra Spark, it doesn’t look all that worn because I was previously using the mini of the original Terra. I brought this blush and the shade Pom Pom, but I missed Starlaa and Java a lot. The only reason I left them behind was because I thought I’d use a similar color from Suqqu and the Chanel Lumiere Brun Roussi or Vieve brown blushes more often. That didn’t end up happening! I have to be in the right mood to wear Pom Pom, so it’s just Terra Spark in the Project Pan for now.

I started working on the details of this post in November. By the time it was Cyber Monday, I missed Starlaa so much that I repurchased it in the mini form. As Java is only available in the full-size, I held off on buying it. So, Starlaa is unofficially part of the Project Pan too.

I feel like I’ve used Chanel Blush Lumière in Brun Roussi a decent amount because I subconsciously replaced it with MAC’s Faux Sure blush, so that one took a backseat instead. For now, I’m continuing to work on this one over that one.

The last two are my drugstore options. I never forgot about these in my collection. It was always the situation that I considered using them more, but would be lured in by the luxury ones instead. The fact is though that I don’t have a mauve this good from other brands besides the Covergirl Trublend and I don’t have a light shimmery pink that doesn’t just look like a highlighter other than from Nabla’s Skin Glazing line. I still think these will only be occasionally used in the Project Pan, but I felt strongly compelled to include them for extra variety.

Highlighters

I truly cannot go through a highlighter if this is the state of mine from Charlotte Tilbury (on the right) that I’ve used at least 75% of the time in 2024. I used the 1st and 3rd strips exclusively. I can see where they’ve been worn in, but I don’t have any significant dips. Wild!
The ability to kind of fine-tune the color and intensity is why it’s the top highlighter in my collection.

The Hindash highlighter in Peak Heat (reviewed HERE) is a newfound love. This was not easy to get and I waited so long for a new Hindash product to fall in love with, so I’m absolutely putting this in the Project Pan.

Above is what I currently have left of the Charlotte Tilbury Skin Tint I talked about in the beginning. I probably only used about a half centimeter of product, but it’s still a decent amount considering my record. The pause on using it was from getting darker in the summer and wearing naturally glowier foundations. With the weather change, I’m bound to start using it again, but I’m not in a rush to finish it. This item is here purely for when I need it, so I just want to see how much gets used at the end out of curiosity.

Eyeshadows

There was no way I could pick just one palette for this category. The whole reason my eyeshadow collection got gigantic is because of my desire to have every color under the sun, including shades that shift. I thought it might be best to instead figure out the five brands whose eyeshadows I love the most and/or use the most. For example, I think Natasha Denona has fantastic quality eyeshadows, but I only use about 15 shades regularly out of my entire collection. It’s the same story for Viseart. I love all the colors available to me, but I keep going for the same ten or so shades.
For this reason, choosing one palette from each of the five brands would still feel too restrictive because of the color stories (my top ones are mainly greens and neutrals). So, as far as I’m concerned, my entire eyeshadow collection is part of the Project Pan, but I will put my favorite three palettes from Pat Mcgrath, Oden’s Eye, Melt Cosmetics, and YSL Beauty in my makeup area so they’ll be easily within reach. My custom Clionadh Stained Glass palette hasn’t left that spot in over a year.

Regarding taking starting photos, the state of my palettes haven’t changed enough since doing those ranking posts, with the exception of YSL‘s (that I only reviewed and didn’t rank). So, I’ll show the state of those here. I will also note that the Natasha Denona Mini Gold Palette is one that I’ve tried to prioritize using in the past, so I know it’s going to be on my mind to try and make more significant dips into the eyeshadows than was seen in that ND ranking.

I still have some new-to-me indie palettes I’ve been using that have yet to be reviewed, so I will be posting about those in the future. It will also be difficult for me to resist buying a palette from any of my top ten favorite eyeshadow brands if they release a color story I love.

Everything Else

When it comes to face and eye primers, mascaras, eyeliners, brow products, and lip products, I’m just going to use everything I currently have. Excluding the lip category, all the others I listed contain items I love, but are replaceable. I have repurchased them many times, but there’s always something else I could like just as much because they aren’t radically different from each other.

The only difference between my 2021 Primer Declutter and current collection is that I whittled it down even more. The only face primers I still have is a fresh deluxe sample of the Milk Hydro Grip and mini of the Benefit Porefessional Hydrating Primer. What’s left of my eye primers is a fresh MAC Paint Pot, old Gerard Cosmetics Clean Canvas, fresh Nyx Glitter Primer, and the Lisa Eldridge Liquid Silk Eyeshadow that I use as a base. Technically, the Milk Eyeshadow Primer is included, but I use that with concealer. The Milk face primer is a “like” not “love,” so I might buy a new primer when I finish the Benefit one. That’s iffy because I pretty much stopped using primers again and rely on skincare for my prep.

I always give a shout out to my Stila Stay All Day Waterproof Liquid Eyeliner, but I can get along just fine with others. My current two black liners I’m using are from One/Size and Stila, but they’re both almost out, so I have a Nyx and Sephora one waiting in the wings. I also have colored liners in gel pencil form, but I rarely use them, so I try to avoid buying more.

I’m really not picky about my brows. I’ve liked nearly everything I’ve tried. I am currently using up my last Benefit Precisely, My Brow Pencil and I interchange using it with the e.l.f. Instant Lift. It’s literally just a matter of grabbing whichever I see first. After both of those go, I have an e.l.f. backup.

My current mascara obsessions are the MAC MACStack and KVD Full Sleeve Mascaras, but I have so many I could name that I’m happy with and love. I believe I’m on my second full-size one from MAC and I have a backup. I’m nearly done with my current KVD one, but I have a backup here and in the US. I have a lot of other mascaras I brought with me still, so I just want to use them up while I can.

As for lip products, I found a ton of formulas this year that give me color without drying out my lips. I want to use what I’ve got and enjoy having the ability to switch between a bunch of different shades depending on my mood. So, there isn’t any one thing I’m going to focus on. My most used up lip products at the moment are the Ami Cole Lip Oil Treatment and Lisa Eldridge Baume Embraces. I have a backup Ami Cole lippie in the US.

So, that’s my list of products I’m focusing on! I’m not sure if I’ll do a midpoint check-in. I guess it depends on the number of views of this post so I can gauge the interest level. If there isn’t much interest, I’ll at least post my final results at the end of six months, even if it’s just for my own eyes.

Thank you for reading!

-Lili ❤

Battle of the Lip Balms

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Today, we’ll be looking at seven lip balms I’ve yet to review on this blog! As it’s winter time and most people’s lips on this side of the globe tend to be in a more vulnerable state, now seemed like the right time to tackle this topic! Hopefully it will be helpful for anyone with lips as difficult to keep conditioned as mine.

Before we start, I’d like to share photos and a first impression of one more lip balm: The YSL Valentine’s Day Loveshine Candy Glow Collector that I’ve only had for four days by this point. The shade 7b Nude Pleasure is not a new color. It’s just the packaging that is limited edition. It’s made of the same material as the other lippies, but the pink and blue outer portion feels like a soft touch matte. The only other shade available in this packaging is another repeat color called Nude Lavallière.

I have now experienced all of YSL’s Loveshine formulas. This has the thinnest consistency, is moisturizing, but not the best at hydrating. It doesn’t last on the lips as long as the others and I have to reapply quite a lot. It has the sheerest amount of pigment, but still bestows more color to the lips than I expected. At least, this particular shade does. This also has the signature fruity scent that I find very pleasing.
I consider this formula to be a sheerer, balmier, and lightweight version of the Loveshine High-Shine Caring Lipstick in Caramel Swirl #122.

My favorite of the YSL lip formulas are still the Candy Glazes. This specific balm is nice, so I don’t regret buying it. However, I don’t need more than one from this line in my collection; I bought it out of curiosity and for the limited edition packaging. I am on a lip product low-buy, but this was something I planned to get when I saw the sneak peeks six months ago, so it’s an exception.

Summer Fridays Lip Butter Balm in Sweet Mint

Summer Fridays’ range has different scents and colors. I wanted one that was essentially clear, so I chose Sweet Mint. The scent is weak in the tube, but once a thick enough layer is dispersed onto the lips, it’s much more apparent. I also get a minty tingling sensation from the combination of menthone glycerin acetal and peppermint oil that are in this formula.

The consistency isn’t sticky. It has a nice level of shine. There’s more reflect than a traditional balm, but much less than a gloss. I think it’s interesting that this balm contains some mica, which possibly adds to the reflectivity.

The brand says that this can be worn overnight as a lip treatment, but it doesn’t have enough grip to last the whole time. I have to reapply throughout the day and at the end of the night I have a mix of plumped soft hydrated spots and a few dry spots where the product couldn’t stay on the lips as long. This result is quite similar to the Lancôme balm I will discuss later, but this one works better as a conditioning agent for my lips. It hydrates my lips a tad more and holds on a little longer, making my lips softer overall.

I’ve had this since November 2023, and unlike many other lip balms I’ve used that come in squeeze tubes, the formula hasn’t separated. My luck might start to run out since it’s good for up to 12 months after opening, but I’m planning to keep this around a bit longer. In fact, it’s my replacement “bag balm” for when I forget to put on a lippie after leaving the house and have to grab one from my bag.

I am curious as to whether I would like the other shades, but I’m not going to buy more while I have so many other lip products to go through. This doesn’t get holy grail status with me, but I at least understand the hype. I also find it interesting that Morgan Turner didn’t think these were anything special, while living in Florida, until she moved to a colder climate. I had the exact same experience where I thought this was just fine while I was in Florida, but enjoyed it way more once I moved.

One other thing I discovered as a major reparative combination is applying the Clarins Lip Oil to my lips and then adding a bit of this on top. The Clarins works quicker at nourishing my lips than a lot of other products, but suffers from not having enough grip to stay on my lips for longer. Although the Sunday Fridays doesn’t have a lot of grip either, adding it on top helps the Clarins stay on longer overall and form a better occlusive layer. Having Clarins underneath also prevents me from feeling the cool-tingling effects of the Sunday Fridays balm.

Makeup by Mario MoistureGlow Plumping Lip Serum in Honey Glow and Blush Glow

At the time I bought this, I didn’t realize it was a plumping formula (which I usually avoid). Thankfully, it’s the cooling type rather than the burning one. The cold sensation lasts for two hours before it starts to fade away. I think it makes my lips slightly bigger, but it’s hard to tell as I already have full lips.

This has a click mechanism to propel it upward, but it can’t go back down, and because it’s a melting type of formula, it is very easy for this tube to get messy. I didn’t think anything about how light the component felt in the beginning, but after splurging lately on high-end and luxury lip products, I started to dislike the Makeup by Mario one. Comparing it to drugstore priced lip products in my collection, this is cheaper feeling than some of them and nearly all my mid-range lip products have more substantial packaging. There’s something sleek about it and appealing in a minimalist way, and I’m sure it cost more money to make every tube match the balm color, so I’m not disappointed visually. I’m only disappointed once I pick it up and hold it.

The balm smells sweet, but I can’t put my finger on what it’s supposed to smell like. It contains Vanillyl Butyl Ether as well as fragrance. After a few hours some of the layers sink into my lips, so there’s less on the surface, but the balm hangs on until I eat food.

When it comes to products creating a white rim around the mouth, I assumed it was from formulas that were too emollient. I don’t apply what I consider to be too much, yet I still get the white ring sometimes. Also, this doesn’t feel sticky when I first apply it, but after it has time to settle on my lips, it does become stickier. It’s nice to be occlusive, but watch out on a windy day if you wear your hair down or get too close to someone else’s hair!

It looks shiny on the lips at the start too, but when some of it is gone, it doesn’t look much different from a regular lip balm. Even though this product is hydrating and does a decent job maintaining moisture on the lips, I hate having to reapply because it feels cold for so long. It’s hard to forget it’s there, which is somewhat uncomfortable especially as I live in a cold climate. It’s the reason I try to avoid wearing the Too Faced Hangover Pillow Balm in winter (though the cooling only lasts 45 minutes to an hour, which is more tolerable). If the brand made a non-cooling/non-plumping version, I would consider buying one of those instead. This range has a ton of colors, but they’re too sheer for me to feel like I need more than one.

Fantasy Cosmetica x Makeup Just for Fun Tinted Lip Balm in Pomander

According to the website, this particular shade is “spiced orange scented” and the color is described as “sheer dusty orange.” Both the color and smell actually remind me of persimmons and cinnamon. I’m not surprised that I like the scent considering Fantasy Cosmetica has delved into fragrances already in the form of perfumes and candles. I haven’t purchased those, but I heard only positive things, so I expected scented balms from them to be just as good.

This particular product is part of a collab with Makeup Just For Fun and comes in four other shades and scents. I honestly bought it because I wanted to hit the free shipping minimum through Monolith EU and it had a good review from I Am Jamila.

I think the slight tint of color is very pretty. To me, this is a little sticky, but that helps to keep it on the lips longer. It works better as a moisturizing product for me than a hydrating one. Essentially, it smooths out and softens my lips, but once it wears off it doesn’t have lingering effects that prevent my lips from starting to dry. For example, the top conditioning products in my collection make it so that I can go 1-3 days without wearing anything on my lips before they start to chap. Because it can’t do that, I just won’t consider it a lip treatment. As a normal balm, it feels soothing the whole time I wear it with the extra benefits of a glossy appearance, flattering color, and smoothing aspect. It can’t survive past me eating a meal or drinking too much throughout the day, but I reapply less often than I would assume based off the consistency of the balm.
I should specify that after eating and drinking a lot, I have to apply more because the emollient layer is easily removed, but I’m left with a sticky coating on my lips that’s not as comfortable to wear in that barely-there state. The balm technically hangs on, but realistically should be reapplied.
I have to also be careful how much product I squeeze out of the tube. It’s not difficult to accidentally squeeze out too much.

I like this enough that I would have considered getting other shades/scents if I wasn’t on a low buy. I’d rank this product somewhere among the upper middle of my lip collection. It’s not a favorite, but I like it more than I thought I would.

Rabanne Lovebalm in Bloody Kiss 068

I didn’t have the patience to wait and take photos first before using this because I was so excited to immediately try it out. I had no interest in this product until Kackie Reviews Beauty talked about it in her video Testing 45 Lip Balms.
In September, Ulta had 10x reward points on Rabanne Beauty, so I bought the shade called Kiss My Neck and had it shipped to good old USA thinking I would still be going to Florida. Unfortunately, plans changed, so I don’t have that shade to showcase here today. However, I will update this post in the future to show pictures of the color (though I expect it to basically be clear).

That’s where I thought things would end, except that Hannah Louise Poston ranked it as the best luxury lip balm in her Epic Lip Balm Search video, and curiosity turned me rabid. As soon as it was on sale at Sephora’s German website, I bought Bloody Kiss, which was the only other color I wanted.

I usually avoid buying dark lip colors (especially cool toned ones), but because this can be applied in an ultra sheer layer, I was intrigued to have a balm that could leave me with a light tint or create a wintery-cold type of look.

Unlike my Ami Cole and Too Faced Pillow Balms that are effective at quickly nourishing my lips no matter what state they’re in, this one works slower. My lips look smoother when I apply the Rabanne Lovebalm, but I can see the color gathering in the crevices between chapped skin. In times like that, it’s best that I don’t try to do a sheer layer and to obscure the look by building up its maximum opacity. In the example below, it was nighttime and was wearing off, which was how I could see the spots that color gathered up.

Going back to the treatment aspect, this feels moisturizing from the balmy/waxy consistency and it isn’t oily or sticky. It clings to my lips well enough that eating is all that forces me to reapply (though I can usually get through breakfast without needing to). This grip is a good thing because I can wear the balm overnight and it can continue to hydrate at that slow pace. It takes nearly 24 hours, but by then my lips will be in better condition than the previous day. If my lips are in decent condition at the start, this balm keeps it that way and I have no problems. If my lips are in bad shape, even though this can improve them in 24 hours, I’m going to reach for something else that’s more moisturizing and hydrating to soothe my lips much quicker. So, I like this product a lot and consider it one of my favorites, but it’s not enough to make my top 5. Perhaps it would be in the top 10. Maybe my other shade will rank even higher.

I consider this on the heavier side of lightweight because I can sometimes forget I’m wearing it, but it’s not as light feeling as my other waxy (and admittedly inferior) balms. As a makeup product, the gathering of color in chapped spots isn’t great, but that can be worked around, and lighter shades in the line might not show this problem as easily. I like being able to control the color intensity. This has some shine, but it’s far from glossy. I give the brand kudos for creating a nice makeup/skincare hybrid. What comes to mind is the Lisa Eldridge Baume Embraces, which I think is an even better formula for my lips than the Rabanne Lovebalm. They are similarly priced, but Lisa’s is 2.8 grams and in a melty formula that I’ll use up way quicker than Rabanne’s at 3.4 grams. Both packaging is luxurious looking, but LE’s is gold toned and lightweight whereas rabanne’s is bigger, heavier, and has the really pretty pink ombre into silver tube. Rabanne’s feels more luxe in the hand, like a taller and skinnier YSL Loveshine tube.

At the start of the Lovebalm review, I mentioned Kackie and Hannah who raved about this product, but in the shade Soul Kiss. Even though I like this balm, I will be sticking with the two shades I have currently.

Lancôme Lip Idôle Squalane-12 Butterglow Hydrating Lip Balm in 53 The Tea is Hot

This product feels like I’m applying a satin lipstick, but it isn’t until I rub my lips together that I can feel the balminess. The finish has some shine, but it’s definitely not glossy. The consistency leans more creamy-waxy than oily-emollient. It’s lightweight enough that I keep forgetting I’m wearing it until I accidentally lick my lips and get the waxy-chemical taste.
The scent is candy-like mint, the kind that reminds me of buttery after dinner mints. In addition to fragrance, the formula contains peppermint oil, but I assume it’s intended to give a plumping or cooling effect, though I don’t detect either in practice.

This has a slight sticking quality, but not enough for me to call it sticky. My lips look smooth and I love the color I chose! It’s pigmented enough for me to be satisfied with the coverage, but the other colors I’m interested in would be of similar depth and just different in tone, making it not worth it to me to buy more shades (even at the discounted price I got).

It’s decently moisturizing and hydrating while it’s on my lips, but the issue is that it’s not long lasting. By the end of the day filled with several reapplications, the spots where my lips had the product on longest remain soft, but places where the balm kept wearing off first (ex: corners of my mouth) were dry. Lancôme heavily advertises the 12% squalane and inclusion of ceramides, but I’ve never been able to tell how effective those ingredients are for my lips. I’ve worn products with both of those ingredients that either did nothing or worked well, so it’s impossible for me to know how much of a role they played versus the contributions from the other ingredients. In this particular case, Lancôme’s balm also contains shea butter that I know my lips enjoy, sunflower seed wax that I only know my lips enjoy in oil form but can’t tell if the wax would be as effective, as well as castor oil, canola oil, and jojoba butter and oil that I also haven’t been able to isolate and rate.

Since this works well when it’s on my lips, but I’m very bad at remembering to reapply, I won’t think of this as a lip treatment product. Instead, I will look at it as a makeup product with a few benefits. So, I am happy with my purchase.

Nivea Deep Moisture Balms (Melty Type)

I showed the photo of the unscented above, but I bought the honey “flavor” afterwards, since people were heavily praising the scented ones. The honey balm is yellow, but doesn’t leave any color on the lips. It’s called a flavor, but doesn’t actually have a taste, and its honey smell makes using this far more enjoyable.

It feels nice wearing this and isn’t too sticky, plus it has a nice glossy effect when I first put it on. However, as I wear it and talk, it likes to gather in the corners of my mouth and also form a white ring. Every so often I get the sensation of needing to rub my lips together to smooth the balm layer back out. It’s moisturizing, but it doesn’t have enough grip to stay on the lips past having several drinks. Another reason I have to reapply more frequently is because I have to wipe it off where it gathered in excess and then reapply to the spots I want.

Besides having several ingredients my lips like, the second best benefit to this balm is the 26 SPF PA++. Though direct sunlight isn’t as much of a problem for me anymore, it’s a general rule that I like to have at least one lip product with sun protection in my collection at all times. Lip skin is delicate for everyone, and my lips have their sensitive moments, so it’s especially important to have if I’m going to be outdoors for long periods of time, especially when I go back to Florida. This is the most conditioning formula of the SPF lippies I’ve used in the past, so this was worth it to me to buy this specifically for the SPF.

Labello (Original)

This product is a classic in Germany and maybe even the equivalent fame here as Chapstick brand of Chapstick is in the US. I’ve seen men and women using this around town and even my husband knows about it! I had so many reasons to expect to love this, but it’s just okay. It doesn’t last the longest on my lips. It doesn’t feel that it’s really penetrating deeply enough to hydrate. The ingredient list for this balm is simple, but it contains shea butter, sunflower seed oil, and vitamin e, which should all be things my lips like. Perhaps it needs additives to help make the star ingredients absorb into the skin better in order to work for my lips. Perhaps the added aroma and natural fragrance ingredients (Linalool, Citronellol, Citral) are drying my lips and counteracting the positive effects. I just know that this feels nice in the beginning, but within 3-5 hours I feel the urge to switch to a different balm because my lips feel dry. Within that time frame, the product needs to be reapplied anyway, but that sensation of dryness continues even after adding an additional layer. So, this unfortunately is the worst balm of the bunch for my lips.

Since I called this a battle in the title, I declare the Rabanne and Summer Fridays balms to be the victors! Third place goes to Lancôme.

That’s all for today! Thank you for reading!

-Lili ❤

Hindash Gradient Highlighter Compared to Holy Grails

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I was beside myself with excitement over this release! It’s not that I was in any need of another highlighter; it was because it had been so long since the brand released a new product! I’ve been tempted so many times to buy the Color Fluids and Heroline Eyeliner, but with so many good affordable options in that product category, I couldn’t justify the prices. Regarding the Color Fluids specifically, the shades are liquid versions of what I already have in the Beautopsy palette, and powders are already the medium I use most.
An amazing highlighter though is something I can consider. Let’s see if it was worth it!

Hindash Gradient Highlighter in Peak Heat

What makes this product special, to start off with, is the hybrid gel-powder formula. Nearly all of my holy grail highlighters are baked gelee or gel-powder hybrid too. This helps it to look skin native while having a wetter looking shine on the skin.

The particles in this highlighter are very refined. I can wear this subtly or add more for extra intensity, particularly if I spray my face afterwards. However, how reflective it will look is largely dependent on the surrounding light. It will not look blinding without being directly hit, or at least not with this shade. As someone who prefers sheer to medium intensity, I’m perfectly content with not beaming!

I have no fading or longevity issues with the highlighter. The only thing to note is that it works perfectly fine over foundation, but it doesn’t adhere as well on my bare dry skin. So, adding anything moisturizing to my cheekbones on a low makeup day will help it stay on.

It’s easy to say this is an amazing product, but I wanted to be sure that it wasn’t a recency bias. So, over the course of a few weeks, I started analyzing my powder highlighter collection all over again!

The Charlotte Tilbury Pillow Talk Multi-Glow in Dream Light has prettiest subtle glow, but it can be built up more intensely. It’s the friendliest on texture. It has ultra refined shimmer (except strip #2). The strips give me the ability to customize the color (although I don’t use #2 because of the larger sparkles). One negative is that it can look powdery, so using less is more. As long as I avoid trying to build up too much intensity, it is gorgeous.

The r.e.m. beauty Interstellar Highlighter Topper is super smooth, but shows the tiniest bit more particles compared to CT’s Dream Light, and it has more base color which means there’s a higher chance of it being harder to color match depending on the time of year. So, getting the right color is that much more important. That’s why my other shade (Miss Saturn) was good enough for the top favorites, but didn’t rank as high as Miss Mars because the color was off. Compared to many other highlighters I’ve owned, I still consider this to have a semi-sheer base enough to be a great “filler” highlighter to apply on top of scattered sparkles types of highlighters without increasing the intensity. This is slightly more reflective than CT’s Dream Light though.

Hindash’s highlighter is smoother than r.e.m beauty, but I can see it on the skin more than CT’s Dream Light only because the hybrid gel formula looks wetter, which is naturally more apparent. This can make it rank better or worse to me depending on my mood. When I do want more bling, Hindash’s can be sprayed to look even better, but CT’s doesn’t have the proportional improvement. It still looks great, but there’s only a minor difference. So Hindash’s is better at being intensified than CT Dream Light. These are the tiniest nitpicks! All of them are fantastic products!

Tom Ford’s Shade and Illuminate Highlighting Duo is the most reflective of the Top 5 and intense, so that can sometimes be great or not so great. The darker color is smoother. The lighter one has some slightly larger sparkles, which is why it dropped below Hindash in the ratings. It being hard pressed makes picking it up with certain brushes more challenging. Having the custom color is a good thing, though I’m forced to use the lighter color if I’m my winter shade, which might make the overall look have more obvious sparkle.

Charlotte Tilbury Hollywood Glow Glide Face Architect Highlighter is the wettest powder highlighter in my collection, but it has a strong base color. I used to consider this better than Dream Light because of the wet effect and reflectivity. Swatching them side by side, the Glow Glide looks more impressive. So how did it drop this far down? The base color strength. I said in my original review how important getting a matching color is for this formula to look good and not textured. Over time, I got lighter, so I started using Dream Light more, to the point where it became my number 1! In revisiting this Glow Glide, it looks gorgeous again because I’m back to being a little darker from the summertime.

The Gxve Beauty Highlighter is thinner than TF’s, and so the customizable color makes it the best color match within the top 10. It’s smooth, but others are smoother. It’s more reflective than the top 3, but also has slightly more noticeable shimmer particles. The scent is strong! It has the same drawback as CT Dream Light, that it can look slightly powdery on my dry skin if overapplied. I always do a subtle layer to avoid an intense bling anyway, so I don’t usually have this problem.

PML’s Divine Rose Highlighter is thin like Gxve and smooth in texture, but the shimmer reflectivity is more intense, which makes the particles more apparent than the ones ranked higher. I wish the brand made a deeper color in this formula because it’s a little pearly despite the gold color. It had the potential to tie with Tom Ford, if not for the color, since they have similar texture, finish, and intensity.

Dior’s Highlighter has the thinnest texture with a deep yet translucent base, but the shimmer color itself is too light for me right now. The shimmer is so refined and the formula is so smooth. It would be absolutely amazing if I could get a less pearly shimmer shade!

So, that’s the Top 8 powder highlighters re-ranked!

Below is the ranking list from highest to lowest of the holy grail highlighters I brought with me compared to all the individual highlighters or from duos that I bought in 2024. This is not a complete ranking of my entire highlighter collection though because I have plenty of highlighters still in the US that would have placed between the Hatice Schmidt one and Fenty’s, such as Becca Cosmetics Highlighters, Persona Del Mar Cali Glow Highlighter, MAC Extra Dimension Skinfinish Highlighters, Colourpop Supershocks, Melt Digital Dust Highlighters, etc. Even my nine year old version of Guerlain Meteorites would have ranked higher than the version I have with me currently.

  1. Charlotte Tilbury Pillow Talk Multi-Glow
  2. r.e.m. beauty Interstellar Highlighter Topper
  3. Hindash Gradient Highlighter
  4. Tom Ford’s Shade and Illuminate Highlighting Duo
  5. Charlotte Tilbury Hollywood Glow Glide Face Architect Highlighter
  6. Gxve Beauty Highlighter
  7. Charlotte Tilbury Unreal Skin Sheer Glow Tint Hydrating Foundation Stick
  8. Pat McGrath Divine Rose Skin Fetish Ultra Glow Highlighter
  9. Highlighter from the Dior Rouge Contour & Glow Palette
  10. Chantecaille Sunbeam Cheek and Eye Shade
  11. Hatice Schmidt Highlighter
  12. Fenty Demi’Glow Light-Diffusing Highlighter
  13. Natasha Denona Hy-Gen Skincare Infused Glow Beautifier
  14. Gucci Beauty Glow Highlighter
  15. Highlighter from the MAC Golden Hour Glow Face Palette
  16. Guerlain Météorites Light Revealing Pearls of Powder

The only highlighters I purchased in 2024 that are worth buying, because they topped my original list, are from Hindash and Dior. I’ve said before that I don’t need more highlighters, but this truly hammers this idea home.

That’s everything for today! Thanks for reading!

-Lili ❤

Lisa Eldridge Rouge Experience Lipsticks

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Lisa Eldridge has a way of making everything she releases from her brand sound so exciting! I got swept up as usual, and that’s not to say it wasn’t worth it. I just don’t consider myself a lipstick aficionado, so I really don’t think I should have as large of a lip collection as I do! However, I can’t deny that she makes excellent products, which is why it’s always so hard to resist!

For those wondering, I have purchased her newest product, the Pinpoint Concealing Micro Correcting Pencil, but it hasn’t shipped yet. A review for it, and other unreviewed Lisa Eldridge products, will come in the future. Today’s post is just about the brand’s recent lipstick launch.

In November, I decided as a birthday gift to myself that I would take part in the full rouge experience:

  • First, I decided which lipstick shade I would buy pre-filled in the case.
  • Then, I clicked the engraving option and typed my initials before selecting “Add to Bag.”
  • Next, I added two lipstick refills to my cart as well.
  • Lastly, I added the beautiful Cherry Chocolate Velvet Makeup Bag to my cart before checking out!

Some important things to note is that the makeup bag costs $19/£19/€23. I got mine for free because the total amount in my cart exceeded the $105/£85/€102 price minimum. The bag did not get added to the cart automatically like it used to in the past. So, don’t forget to add it and potentially miss out!*

*Note: I worked on this post between November and December 2024. The Chocolate Cherry colored bag I referenced is no longer an option, but currently the one on offer is the Pinpoint Pencil Case in Olive Green.

There is an ongoing deal on the website that if you are already buying a complete Rouge Experience lipstick (lipstick plus case), adding one refill will drop the price of the refill by 15% and adding a second refill will drop the prices of the refills by 20%. This discount only applies to the refills. Trying to add 1 or more refills to the shopping cart will not trigger a discount if a complete Rouge Experience lipstick isn’t in the order too.

The engraving currently costs $4/£3/€4.

The qualifications for free shipping was met, so I was able to select the option for free standard international delivery. The expedited shipping fee to Germany is €10 via DHL. The free shipping option for me in the past had been via DPD. This time, it was through FedEx to Hermes.

If you signed up to be part of the Lisa & Me rewards program and accrued 300 or more points, you can redeem a code for 5% off your order total, which is what I did. I wish the brand offered additional redemption options, but it’s better than nothing.

183 Ashes of Roses

Even though Ashes of Roses looks different from Painterly in the tube, those two look quite similar on my skin, though different again on the lips. I just found that to be interesting.

Ashes of Roses is the color I thought I’d like the most, but it’s lighter on my lips than I expected. I can somewhat pull off wearing it without a lip liner, but I couldn’t help but still be disappointed. Using a brown or other colored liner darker than the lipstick is a great way to make an unflattering color work, but it’s honestly a hassle for me. There are many times that I grab my lip product to apply on-the-go. I can’t do that as easily if I need to put on lip liner first.

178 Lisa

I thought this might be an iffy color for me to buy since I tend to only like warm pinks. This shade is neutral, but it looks cool-toned against my natural lip color. For that reason, I only like this if I’m doing a full pink monochrome look.

The color Lisa is also a brighter shade than I expected. I have to use lip liners to try and mute it to something less vibrant, but it’s not as easy to do with my current collection of liners.

182 Simone

I was quite surprised that this color looked the best on me! It gives off a little bit of the “concealer lips” look. I think I could almost get away with using it without a lip liner too, but pairing it with one results in exactly the kind of look I was going for. So, this shade is more of a successful purchase.

Regarding how these feel on the lips, they’re not quite balmy, but also not fully waxy. This has a very nice glide in the application. It takes two layers to get full opacity, but I have to pass over the pigmented spots on my lips one additional time to fully cover where my lips are naturally darker.

I wouldn’t go as far as to call this sticky, but it has a slight tack feeling as if a layer is trying to grip onto my lips to help in making it long wearing. Lisa described this formula as something between the True Velvets and Luxuriously Lucent Lips, but this actually reminds me of her liquid lipstick formula as well. It had this slight gripping tack feeling too.

Based on my first impression, I was concerned about the discomfort level I felt at the end of the night after having worn it all day. However, every subsequent instance after that wasn’t nearly as dramatic regarding the dryness. This is why I try spend so much time doing wear tests for my reviews. On that first try, it’s easy to overlook other circumstances that affected the results. I will post my first impression notes, but also follow up with my findings after having worn these lipsticks on and off for a few weeks.

FIRST IMPRESSION NOTES: I started off with very well conditioned (for me) lips and put it on after breakfast. After having lunch, barely anything was missing. I had a very light imprint on my drinking glass, so I did not touch it up. By 4:30 pm (5.5 hours worn), I felt dryness in the outer corners of my mouth, but it was mostly fine. By 7:35 pm (8.5 hrs worn), I reapplied it because it felt significantly drier and started to be uncomfortable even though my lips didn’t look dry. It felt good at first because a tiny bit of moisture was added back, but after another hour (9.5 hours worn) my lips felt uncomfortable again and didn’t look nice and smooth like at the start of the day. My lips didn’t look crusty or peeled, but still felt a tad parched. It essentially still looked better than it felt. By 9:36 (10.5 hours worn), I ended the wear test and put on a Lisa Eldridge Baume Embrace. I could see the chapping by that point as I removed the remaining lipstick after dinner (which this time the meal was oilier so I had barely any lipstick left).

FINAL ANALYSIS AFTER MULTIPLE WEAR TESTS: I still believe that whatever ingredient helps to make Lisa’s liquid lipsticks long-lasting is partly present in these. I don’t have to touch up as frequently as I would have expected.
As to what happened the first time I wore the lipsticks, I had just come off a two week trial run of conditioning lip balms and lip oils, so my lips had gotten used to be over-saturated with moisture. Suddenly switching to a soft matte lipstick was uncomfortable in comparison. I gave it a week before starting to test the lipsticks again and I had no problems with discomfort despite wearing them in 8-12 hour time frames. My lips did get a little chapped in spots, but how frequently that happened depended on how well conditioned or not my lips were at the start of the day or over the course of several days. Essentially, if my lips were in a hydrated enough condition, my lips weren’t effected at the end of the day. If my lips were in bad shape, there was only minor chapping. The first impression was the only negative experience, and even that wasn’t really that bad. So, I’m pleased with the formula of this product!

I love the packaging. The formula is nice enough (I still very much prefer the Luxuriously Lucent Lip Colours). It’s essentially the shade range that I’m less enthused about. I was motivated to keep reaching for the Rouge Experience lipsticks because I wanted to be able to review them properly. After this is posted, I honestly don’t think I’ll be reaching for them again, except perhaps Simone since I don’t have a shade like that in my collection and might feel in the mood for a concealer lips type of look. Otherwise, I’ll keep wearing the Lucents and Baume Embraces every time. Lisa Eldridge mentioned that there will be many more shades and formulas to come, so it’s possible I’ll get another color if any actually excite me. However, I actually just hope she’ll put the Lucents into refill packaging so I can use that line in my special lipstick case instead.

That’s everything for today! Thanks for stopping by!

-Lili ❤

By Terry Tea to Tan Sun Powder Review and Final Bronzer Ranking for 2024

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Anyone who read my post containing the LH Cosmetics Bronzer will recognize why I was attracted to this bronzer. This type of embossing is my kryptonite! It was already in my possession before I realized why I felt so compelled to own it. Plus, the packaging was stunning! I never tried By Terry products before (excluding lip product samples), so that was an extra incentive to buy this. I was lucky enough to catch a sale not too long after launch and could purchase it for 44 Euros via the retailer Niche Beauty.

The color 4 Deep Bronze is a red toned bronzer that is quite a few shades darker than my skin tone, but it blends into my skin quite well, especially since I use my sheerer brushes with it. I have a bit more red in my skin right now after getting more time in the sun this summer, but this shade of bronzer might be too red for me by the time it’s spring. We shall see.

This bronzer is super soft to the touch and feels somewhat buttery for a powder (though not quite to the level of the Westman Atelier Butter Bronzer. I’m impressed with the quality, as it is very refined. I’m happy to know the high price tag wasn’t just for the pretty packaging.
The finish isn’t flat matte. It has the tiniest bit of sheen that gives a healthy-skin type of appearance, but I wouldn’t call it luminous.

There are two reasons it makes my top 15, but not my top 10. The first is because this is heavily fragranced. The smell reminds me of Irish Spring bar soap. It’s not an offensive smell and it doesn’t linger on the skin after it’s applied, but I’d rather not have that wafting in the air every time I go to use it.
The second reason is just the color. I wish there was a golden orange-yellow-brown color available and not just deep red-brown. It has a great formula, but if it’s not a color I love then there isn’t much reason to use it over everything else I own and prefer.
To a luxury lover, I would recommend giving this a try, provided one can find a good shade match.

Because I like the formula of this product, I was tempted to get the Starlight Glow CC Highlighter, but I heard it has visible shimmer particles, so I skipped it.

2024 Bronzer Collection Ranking

This list does not include every bronzer I’ve ever tried or owned. I did not include bronzers from face palettes, unless the brand sells the item individually as well. Not included in this ranking, despite my owning them or having owned them in the past, are the Huda Tantour, Glossier Cloud Paint Bronzer, and Benefit Hoola. Huda’s and Glossier’s are unranked because they were shipped to the US (so I haven’t used them yet). I did not include Benefit’s bronzer because it has been so long since I used it that I don’t think I can accurately compare them to the others. Plus, I need a shade from Benefit that’s between Caramel and Toasted. That’s why I never repurchased it.

The names in bold lettering were added to the ongoing ranking list in 2024. Last year’s Bronzer Ranking/Declutter and 2023 Bronzer Review Mega Post can be found HERE and HERE.

  1. Hermès Plein Air H Trio Healthy Glow Mineral Powder
  2. Charlotte Tilbury Beautiful Skin Sun-Kissed Glow Bronzer (cream)
  3. Charlotte Tilbury Airbrush Bronzer (powder)
  4. Kosas The Sun Show Bronzer (old version/discontinued)
  5. Victoria Beckham Matte Bronzing Brick
  6. Rare Beauty Warm Wishes Effortless Bronzer Stick
  7. Glowish by Huda Beauty Bronzer (discontinued)
  8. Anastasia Beverly Hills Cream Cream Bronzer
  9. Hatice Schmidt Labs Bronzer
  10. Colourpop Super Shock Bronzer
  11. Gucci Bronzing Powder
  12. Dior Forever Natural Bronzer
  13. Vieve Modern Bronzer Duo
  14. Westman Atelier Butter Powder Bronzer
  15. By Terry Tea to Tan Sun Powder
  16. Armani Luminous Silk Bronzing Powder
  17. Mented Bronzer
  18. Nars Laguna Talc-Free Bronzing Powders
  19. Hourglass Ambient Lighting Bronzer
  20. Pat Mcgrath Divine Powder Bronzers
  21. MAC Sunstruck Bronzer (Matte)
  22. Covergirl Trublend Bronzer
  23. Nars Laguna Cream Bronzer
  24. Nabla Skin Bronzing
  25. Nars Powder Bronzer (old version/discontinued)
  26. Armani Luminous Silk Bronzer Drops
  27. Rose Inc Cream Bronzer
  28. Glossier Solar Paint (might be discontinued in favor of the Cloud Paint Bronzers)
  29. Danessa Myricks Power Bronzer
  30. MAC Sunstruck Bronzer (Radiant)
  31. Melt Contour/Bronzer Stack
  32. Jaclyn Hill Sun Bathe Pressed Bronzers (discontinued)
  33. Kosas The Sun Show Bronzer (Current Version)
  34. Kaleidos Contour Trio
  35. LH Cosmetics Infinty Bronzer
  36. I Heart Revolution Tasty Coffee Bronzer
  37. r.e.m. Hypernova Bronzer
  38. Fenty Sunstlk’r Instant Warmth Bronzer
  39. The Makeup by Mario Perfector
  40. Coloured Raine Powder Bronzers
  41. Makeup Revolution Glow Splendour
  42. Milk Makeup Matte Bronzer Stick

I still get the desire to use everything in my top 30. However, the bronzers I use the most are the ones I still have with me within the top 11.

That’s everything! Thanks for reading this final post for 2024. I hope you’ll return in 2025. Happy New Year!

-Lili ❤

Did Kiko Milano Dupe Pat Mcgrath? Drugstore Reviews

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I was not the only person confused when I was scrolling through the GlamJunkiescom Instagram page thinking I just saw a newly launched collection of Pat Mcgrath 5-pan palettes, only to read the description and realize it’s a collaboration trio of palettes between Kiko Milano and Sara Sampaio!

I haven’t purchased a single thing from Pat Mcgrath in 2023, which is wild considering what a huge fan I am of the brand. The color stories just didn’t entice me enough. However, the Kiko Milano Dazzling Drama palette seemed practically made for me, so I bought it. In the collection, there is also Dazzling Sunset and Dazzling Daydream, but I didn’t get them because they had colors too similar to what I own from Pat Mcgrath. I just wanted to see if Kiko managed to recreate the look and performance of PML’s shadows for less money. If you’re curious, please continue reading! Also, I’ve included a few bonus reviews at the end of this post!

The palette sizes, unicartons, and packaging materials are identical. The texture of the shimmers and press/ribbon pattern on the non-shimmer shades look just like the 5 pans from Pat Mcgrath. Visually, the only identifiable difference is that Kiko’s pans are smaller.

The palettes from both brands are made in Italy. From what I can see, the ingredients are the same too, just in different amounts/order. The biggest discrepancy is that the “mattes” from Kiko have silica and kaolin as the final ingredients. Bold Bordeaux looks like a matte shadow in the pan, but it’s a satin. It’s smoother than Purple Passion, which is the actual matte. Despite having such similar ingredients, Purple Passion doesn’t have the same creamish-powder feel that made me fall in love with Pat Mcgrath’s cream-powder formula from her quints. Kiko’s feel stiffer, less creamy, and not as smooth or easy to pick up, but the finish manages to look the same.

I would be fine with the “mattes” feeling different, as long as they performed as well. Unfortunately though, these two shades end up looking identical on the eyes because the vibrant color (Purple Passion) darkens and Bold Bordeaux turns smokey dark grey-purple when blended. It’s like there’s a dark base in them that’s used to create the illusion of opacity, but when I attempt to blend the shadows on my eyes, the purple tones get blended away and I’m just left with the darkness.

In the first eye look, Purple Passion is in the inner half of the crease with Bold Bordeaux on the outer half. In the second eye look, I used Purple Passion in the crease alone and tried my best to not blend it as much, yet it still darkened. I’ve tried different eyeshadow bases and using no base at all and it didn’t change the outcome.

I used Jade Journey on the lower lash line in the first look and all over the lid in the second look. In that second look, I put Illuminating Nude in the center of the lid and inner corner too. Radiant Plum is the lid shade in the first eye look.

The Kiko palette swatches beautifully. If I saw these swatches alone, I would have thought the quality of this palette was the same as Pat Mcgrath’s, but it’s only a match for the shimmers. I was able to show the vibrancy of Purple Passion because I didn’t have to swipe or blend back and forth on my arm, which would have caused it to darken. I am most disappointed by those, but the shimmers are great. Kiko’s shimmers don’t feel as wet, but they have nearly the same pigment level and sparkle as Pat’s quint formula.

I love the green shade! It is pretty much a dupe of Galactic Conquest from Pat’s Sith Seduction palette that I skipped buying because I only wanted that green. Now, I don’t feel FOMO since I have a decent substitute!

Radiant Plum and Illuminating Nude are the kinds of colors I see from all brands and I have similar enough shades from PML too, so they aren’t as special even though they perform well. In fact, this whole color story reminds me of Viseart’s London Etoile. Ever since making that comparison, I became less excited about this palette and just wished to have access to that one again. In some countries, that palette ranges from 24 to 28 Euros compared to Dazzling Drama costing 26 Euros. I would recommend the Viseart palette over this one.

Compared to Pat Mcgrath, Kiko’s eyeshadow is 7.7 Euro per gram vs 9 Euro per gram, so I see the price savings. It’s a collab product, so it should technically be cheaper if it wasn’t tied to a celebrity. However, is it really saving money if I only use the shimmers? With Pat Mcgrath, I normally don’t have to worry about shadows not being true to color. For me, I’ll stick with PML.

As promised, here are some bonus reviews. Since Kiko is on the more affordable side of makeup, I thought I would include some of my previously unreviewed drugstore purchases from this year.

Nyx the Marshmellow Setting Spray

This has the same smell as the brand’s Marshmellow primer, which I like, but the scent is strong. I can still smell it for several hours after putting it on, which is why I count this as a negative aspect.

It’s a mattifying setting spray, but it’s only semi-effective. I don’t know how well this would hold up on someone with oily skin. It doesn’t feel like it dries out my skin and it doesn’t leave it feeling tight or uncomfortable. It prohibits my dry skin from letting moisture break through if I pair it with a foundation that essentially does the same thing, but if I’m using a dewy foundation, then my face will continue to glow (just less than usual). It basically helps low transfer makeup to improve on the transfer resistance, but it’s not tough enough to make an easily transferring foundation become transfer proof.

I decided to put my theory to the test and use the same foundation all over by face, but only spray one half of it. I waited four hours and then pressed a napkin to my face. The left half (the side with no spray) has slightly more transfer than the right half that was sprayed. However, the difference isn’t enough to make me want to use this product and I am content with just skipping the setting spray step altogether. If there’s a time when I need my makeup to be locked into place, I’m going to reach for others first.

My only other complaint about this product is the sprayer. A lot comes out, and forcefully at that. I wish it would spray like a mist, but I’m considering transferring the liquid into a different bottle so it will be more enjoyable to use.

Essence Call Me Queen Mascara and Essence Lash Without Limits Extreme Lengthening & Volume Mascara

Both of these mascaras gave me an initially bad impression. I discovered that opening and closing them, then setting them aside for at least a week was the trick to getting a better outcome. When I first opened the tubes, they were too wet. The formulas had a hard time building on my eyelashes. Two weeks is the sweet spot for the mascaras to thicken, which is enough to get at least satisfactory results. Unfortunately, within a month of opening each, they both started to form clumps and started to be a bit too thick. It takes me five minutes to get them looking nice per eye. Ten full minutes to apply mascara is too long for me, especially when I can get it done much quicker with my favorite Essence mascara: Volume Stylist 18h Lash Extension Mascara.

Lash Without Limits gives me a little more volume and a fluffy look to my lashes. Call Me Queen still gives volume, while also adding the tiniest bit more length, but the shape of the applicator makes it slightly harder to apply mascara to my innermost lashes.

I would consider the amount I used in the photos to be two coats, even though I repeatedly went over the lashes so many times. Because these mascaras are so wet, they are both prone to smudge onto my lid/lash line if I squeeze my eyes shut too tightly before the mascara has time to dry. I don’t notice flaking, but any clumps that stick to tips of my lashes have the potential to fall on my face later in the day.

My preference between the two is the Lash Without Limits, but I would not repurchase either of them purely because of how long it takes to get them to look separated, as clump-free as possible, and with enough length and thickness built up.

That’s all I’ve got for today! I hope you’ll return next week to check out another new post!

Happy Holidays!

-Lili ❤

Trying More Makeup From Nabla and LH Cosmetics

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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.

That’s everything! Thanks for reading!

-Lili ❤

Fenty’s Newest Forms of Gloss Bombs

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I’ve always been a fan of Fenty’s original Gloss Bomb formula, but I had so many and could never get through finishing any of them. I eventually decluttered them because of how old they were and planned to repurchase a single one to keep in my collection. When I thought about the glossy products that I preferred from several other brands because of the level of nourishment they brought to my lips, I decided not to make that purchase. However, when Fenty released the Gloss Bomb Oil and High-Shine Gloss Stix, I had to see for myself how the newbies measured up to the standard.

Starting with the Gloss Bomb Oil, it does feel exactly like a cosmetic chemist took a Gloss Bomb and mixed in some oil to make it slightly less thick, less sticky, and more emollient. The downside is that this change also made it harder to adhere to my lips, so it absolutely cannot last through a meal and comes off very easily when drinking. They succeeded in making this feel more hydrating than the regular Gloss Bomb, but because it’s not long lasting and I often forget to reapply lip products, I’m without that moisture for longer and then end up with dry lips anyway.

As a makeup product, Coppa Cookie is a bit nostalgic because I remember as a kid borrowing a metallic copper/warm brown lipstick color like this from my sister and loving it. Admittedly, this kind of finish isn’t my style anymore. It’s only coppery-pink when built up to the max, and the color isn’t opaque even then and has a bit of trouble looking evenly spread the same way the Fenty Gloss Bomb Cream formula was like on my lips (but not quite as bad as that). To get the kind of color in the first picture in the trio above, is an amount I would not want to wear regularly because it’s uncomfortably heavy with too much product on the lips anyway. In a normal amount I want to wear, my natural lip color absolutely peeks through underneath and looks like the kind of pigmentation level of a normal Gloss Bomb.

I might have still been tempted to buy a non-metallic shade of this in the future if not for the Gloss Bomb Stix, which is my new favorite!

To me, Fenty finally topped their original Gloss Bombs! For starters, this isn’t quite as sticky and is slightly less thick, yet it adheres just as well! I wouldn’t call it a lightweight product, but it’s tolerable because of how moisturizing it feels with a bit of extra hydration. The color is very even and the product looks smoothing on my lips. I was curious why this one felt the most comfortable and compared the three ingredient lists. All of them have the shea butter my lips like, but this one has sunflower seed oil too, which my lips love! My lips remain soft all day and are in better condition the next day. Ami Cole’s Lip Oil/Gloss Treatment is still more effective as lip care, but I’m still very happy with this formula, especially considering the makeup aspect.

As a lip color product, I love this Spice Cold shade! I bought it because it looked like a pink-brown. In the bullet, I can see it has a little purple tone to it, but on my lips it still ends up pink brown with the tiniest hint of mauve. The brand has a lot more shades with stronger purple tones available for those who actually want that kind of color. I like the tones of the lippies like Fenty Glow and Sorta Selfi$h, but I wanted a gloss stick dark enough that I could wear it without needing a lip liner. The nude shades being so light is the only thing keeping me from buying more, but I expect to see the brand eventually expand the range.

I have to add that this product reminds me a lot of the YSL Candy Glaze. Fenty’s is more pigmented and YSL’s is slightly shinier, but the gel-like feel and moisture level is so similar! Fenty’s is the tiniest bit more hydrating for me and I like the packaging and the scent (though it’s starting to fade a few months in), but YSL’s smells even yummier and the packaging is more luxurious. YSL’s price is easier to absorb when on sale for just a few bucks more than Fenty’s full retail price, but Fenty is at least more affordable (by comparison) all year round. They both have totally different ingredients, but to me, this is a good alternative for someone who doesn’t care about packaging and would like a similar-enough product for less money.

Another product I’ve found that is similar to Fenty’s is the Nabla Beyond Jelly Sheer Lipstick. It has a similar texture, but Nabla’s is even stickier and a little sheerer!

That’s everything for today! I hope to see you next week!

-Lili ❤

Gucci Highlighter and Holiday Palette

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I have previously used Gucci’s foundations, bronzers, blushes, and face powder. Today is the continuation of my exploration of the brand, having added their eyeshadows and powder highlighter to my collection. Prior to these new additions, the standout products for me have been the bronzers and blushes, so I was curious to see if the others could live up to their hype!

Gucci Limited Edition Multi-Use Quad Eye Palette in 04 Festive Glow

I was never attracted to the color stories, layout, pan shape, and packaging for Gucci’s eyeshadow quads in their permanent range, so I was shocked by how drawn I was to this holiday release. I like the red elements on the outer packaging and was enchanted by the Fiery Coral and Royal Bronze shades specifically. The retailer Douglas dropped the price for these by 20% within days of launching, so I was sold!

Pink Glow and Fiery Coral are both considered toppers, but only Pink Glow has a translucent base with iridescent pink shimmer. Fiery Coral has a subtle coral base color with gold shimmer. I can see this when I pack the eyeshadow onto my lid with my finger (4th eye look), but it’s especially visible when I apply it with a damp brush (2nd eye look). Pink Glow is absolutely not a unique color, but it’s useful to have as an inner corner highlighting shade and to pair with Soft Burgundy.

Soft Burgundy is a satin-matte, with a soft creamy texture that looks very smooth around the eyes and pairs well with the pinky-orange coral tones of Fiery Coral. Because Fiery Coral comprises heavily of gold shimmer, it can look very similar to Royal Bronze when Royal Bronze isn’t applied damp. However, I love the pairing the two together anyway, since Fiery Coral gives Royal Bronze a boost of extra sparkle.

These eyeshadows are all thin, but buildable to an extent. Pink Glow is a true topper, so I can’t get an opaque look out of it. Soft Burgundy is dark enough to provide contrast for the other colors, but I don’t consider it a depth creating shade on my complexion. These are some elements that prevent me from being fully in love with this quad, but I still like it a lot.

One of the aspects that can be challenging to use this quad is picking up color. The eyeshadows are firmly pressed into the compact and I get too impatient to build up color with a brush, so I often use my finger for everything, except the inner corner that requires more precision. I also prefer to increase the intensity and opacity by spraying my brush. Going in for second and third dips with the same brush has caused the surface to look a bit off-putting over time, as seen in the photo below.

This pricepoint puts it on par with Guerlain and YSL quads, but in my opinion those brands have a better eyeshadow quality than Gucci. What Gucci has going for it is this color story that is quite bold within the luxury beauty sphere. I applaud them for taking a risk with something so colorful and not leaning on neutrals. This is the most festive launch I’ve seen from a luxury brand this year, and I’m glad to have it, even if I don’t end up getting the most use out of it.

Gucci Glow Highlighter in 03 Warm Gold

It seemed like nearly everyone I watch on YouTube fell in love with this highlighter. I was fully planning to skip getting it because I’d already purchased two other high end highlighters, but Douglas’ 20% off got me again!

My friend and blogger Nikki shared photos with me of the Gucci highlighters, and those are what helped me initially decide not to get them. I even commented that on her page! The discount and all the hype made me forget my reservations about the visible particles, but I wish I remembered because that’s what is keeping me from liking this highlighter. YouTube influencers were hyping up the uncommon gel texture, but being different doesn’t make it automatically better (plus Natasha Denona’s Hy-Gen highlighter is even more unique feeling). It’s beautiful with a wet looking shine, but I don’t like that I can see the individual shimmers. When I watched TrillxLauren‘s video on YouTube, she mentioned with repeated use the highlighter texture looked more like how she tried it in store and had hoped it would perform more to her liking. I too had hope. I hated it the first time I used it, but once I wore off the top layer, I liked it a little more. From then on, I made sure to pick up product from the same spot every time I tried it. The result was it always looking pretty in photos, but I was so torn about how it looked in person.

I’ve tried different brushes and application techniques, but the bottom line is I just can’t get over seeing all the shimmer particles. Perhaps if I had a darker color it would blend more into my skin and then I would love it. This isn’t unheard of since I had a similar experience disliking Gucci’s Bronzer until I got the lighter shade. In this instance, I think Warm Bronze would be too dark and there isn’t anything else more suitable in-between (Opal Pink would look too icy for me). So, unfortunately this was a purchase I should have skipped.

As a further example of what I mean, below is a comparison between Gucci on the left and Gxve Beauty on the right. The one on the right still has a visible glow and I can see shimmer still, but they’re much smaller. As pretty as Gucci’s looks in the picture, the texture is amplified when I view it from my own mirror. Gxve Beauty doesn’t have a unique formula, but it’s beautiful and it works. The retail price is $30 and I bought it during a half off sale. So, compared to Gucci’s $59 retail price, I regret giving into my impulses.

At least the quad was a win!

In the photo on the left above, I’m wearing the Gucci bronzer, blush (Warm Berry), eyeshadows, and highlighter. I forgot to use the powder and left behind the foundations. I wanted the new blush in 11 Intense Ruby (it’s called Watermelon in Europe) because of the color and beautiful limited edition packaging, but it bothered me that for some reason Gucci’s blushes cost way more in Germany than in the US. The rest of the makeup is closer to being the same price. Another reason I was hesitant to buy it for a higher price is that it looks like a slightly lighter version of Intense Plum that I decluttered. There’s still a chance that I might like Intense Ruby better, so I ordered it during the Sephora sale from the US site and it’s with my family there. When I eventually go back and try it, if I like it enough, I’ll bring it home with me!

Lastly, I will note that using my r.e.m. beauty Highlighter Topper (which I have called my “fixer highlighter” in the past) does help improve the look of the Gucci highlighter, but I’m not interested anymore in trying to make this work when I have so many others I can use by themselves to achieve the kind of glow I want.

That’s everything! Thank you for checking out this week’s post!

-Lili ❤

YSL Lippies: Candy Glaze, Loveshines, and Volupté

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The YSL Rouge Volupté have been raved about for over a decade. I’ve always been a basic gloss kind of gal, so I couldn’t justify the $45 to try them out. When the Candy Glazes (Loveshine Candy Glaze Lip Gloss Stick) launched in 2023, there was a resurgence of interest for myself and other beauty lovers, but the price continued to hold me back. It wasn’t until I realized the brand’s website had these frequently on sale between $22-30 that I really started to pay attention. By then, they also had the High-Shine Caring Lipsticks (Lip Oil Stick) and Candy Glow Tinted Butter Balms (aka Sheer-Shine Colour & Care Lip Balms aka Candy Glow Lip Balms). All of them had “Loveshine” in the names and were used interchangeably on social media. The names themselves vary by country. I had no idea what the difference was between “candy glow” and “candy glaze” and which colors of components went with which formula. With such similarities, I was deeply confused and had to spend a lot of time researching. Today, I’m going to share my thoughts on the formulas and all the relevant information I can find. If anyone else was just as confused as me, I hope this post will help.

YSL Rouge Volupté Shine Oil-In-Stick Lipstick in 122 Burnt Zellige

To start with, this is the first YSL lip product I ever purchased. I was so happy when I bought this because it was on sale and has stunning packaging that I was able to personalize for only $5 extra. Seeing my name engraved on the lipstick makes it feel so much more special. I have another one (87 Rose Afrique) that was delivered to the US just before I left, so I haven’t seen that shade yet in person.

The main benefit to purchasing from the YSL-US website is the ability to engrave any lipstick from among their permanent ranges. On the YSL-DE site, I’ve been unable to find any engraving options and haven’t seen the same kind of discounts. Instead, all their retail partners frequently have sales on these lip products within the 25 Euro range. There are of course less shade options. Anyway, I purchased this warm red-brown color.

This lives up to the description of being an oil-in-stick. It’s not as shiny as a lip gloss, but it feels slightly more substantial than a pure form of lip oil. The color spreads nicely across the lips. It takes about two layers to get high-medium pigmentation. Going over the lips more than three times increases the frequency in which the product will spread to the outer edges of my lips and start to feel like too much was applied.
I don’t know if it’s just this color, but it has a light staining effect. I can get through a light meal where the emollient layer is gone, but slight color is left behind. However, this can’t last through a second meal without needing to be reapplied. This isn’t a long-wear type of product, but while it’s on my lips they feel nicely moisturized and fairly hydrated considering I have a lot of problems with lip care products that have an opposite effect if colorants are used. I definitely like this formula, but I don’t think these would be worth the full price if not for the brand name and luxury packaging. At the discounted price I paid though, I’m quite happy.

According to some sources, the Loveshine High-Shine Caring Lipsticks are just new packaging for the Rouge Voluptés, but according to YSL’s own website, it’s called an “upgraded” formula. I notice a difference and will discuss that in the next section.
I cannot find any Rouge Voluptés on their DE website (and they’re only available in select colors at retailers), but they are still being sold readily within the US. So, I don’t know for certain if the Rouge Voluptés are officially discontinued or how long it will take before they are gone for good.

I can keep my engraved cap long after the lipstick expires and put it on a newer YSL lipstick, but it would look a bit strange pairing a silver base and gold cap!

YSL Loveshine High-Shine Caring Lipstick in Limited Edition 209 Pink Desire, 122 Caramel Swirl, and 202 Peachy Glow

I already reviewed the glittery version of Pink Desire in my 2024 YSL Holiday post, so I will focus on the others. I have to say though that I noticed the limited edition Pink Desire feels balmier. The feeling of the limited edition version is the whole reason I wanted a more of these in wearable shades. I didn’t want to buy YSL’s Loveshine Balm because I heard of that one’s lack of pigmentation and the PH adjusting properties that I’m not interested in (though I will most likely try the formula next year in the limited edition ombre pastel pink and blue packaging that has been sneak peeked for at least four months). *

*Edit: I did buy it! Review for the Loveshine Balm is HERE.

Between Pink Desire and Caramel Swirl, the ingredients of the two shades are nearly identical, but the 5th and 6th ingredients swapped positions and the lower middle section has a few more in a different order. So, perhaps those minuscule changes still had an impact. The feeling of the limited edition version of Pink Desire would make it absolutely worth buying more (in different color options) if I could guarantee I’d get that same kind of texture/finish. Caramel Swirl feels more slippery. Peachy Glow feels like a true middle-ground because it’s balmier than Caramel Swirl, but feels oilier than the limited edition Pink Desire. I cannot account for why that is, considering the only ingredient differences I see between Caramel Swirl and Peachy Glow are the ones that effect the color. “Collector” Pink Desire is more different than Caramel Swirl and Peachy Glow are to each other, so I will go out on a limb and guess that if someone buys a Loveshine without shimmer specks it’s going to feel like the rest of the permanent range.

I will refer to this formula from now on as simply “Loveshine” because that seems to be what most people shorten the name to instead of High-Shine Caring Lipsticks or Lip Oil Sticks. Based on the permanent shades, Loveshines are moisturizing, but not equally as hydrating. It’s occlusive, forming a barrier keeping moisture on the surface, but I don’t feel like it conditions my lips over time as well as some colorful lippies I own from other brands. For example, I like Lisa Eldridge Lucents more for the color choices and way they feel on the lips. I also prefer the Lisa Eldridge Baume Embraces because they’re more lightweight, yet have a stronger grip on the surface of my lips. With the Loveshines, I get this needy sensation to keep rubbing my lips together. I can feel it and am aware of it all day, unlike the Rouge Volupté. The color sinks a bit into chapped spots, but since I spend so much time rubbing my lips, it smooths the color back out. The smell is lovely (candy-fruity) and I’m still pleased with this as a moisturizing product and adding color to the lips. As the day goes on, after the emollient layer eventually wears off and colorant is still lingering, that’s when my lips start to turn dry and look drier than when my day started. That might be a me thing and my problems with some pigments/dyes. However, this doesn’t happen with the Rouge Volupté and I own the same color for one of them!

When I bought Caramel Swirl, I thought the number for it sounded familiar, but I made the mistake of only checking for a duplicate name. Because my first one was called Burnt Zellige, I thought they would be different. Technically, if I really stare hard at the color on my lips and in swatches, Burnt Zellige has the tiniest bit more red in the red-brown with Caramel Swirl being slightly more pink-red-brown, but I highly doubt anyone would notice if I put one on one half of my lips and put the other on the other half. The tiniest difference in color is as small as what can occur between different batches of the same lipstick. I can see it, but I asked my husband and he could not. What type of lighting I’m under also plays a factor. So, I will acknowledge they’re the same shades in different formulas.

In essence, the differences I can detect between this Rouge Volupté and the same shade of Loveshine is that the Rouge Volupté is more pigmented (took 2 swipes in the photo above versus 3 swipes of the Loveshine), oilier and more hydrating, but that oil keeps it from lingering on the lips as well as the Loveshines. I also get a staining effect with the Rouge Volupté, but not with the Loveshine.

I have to address another part that is tricky regarding these lipsticks. The color in the tube isn’t necessarily the color one will end up with on the lips. Also, I’m not sure why 202 was named Peachy Glow when it’s not a peachy color. It looks like a nude pink on me and I’ve seen it look medium-dark cool mauve on other people. Neither of those shades match the pinky brown that it looks like in the tube. I feel catfished by a lipstick! Thankfully, it’s still pretty, though a bit pale on me. I don’t recommend purchasing these based on the tube color, but judging off swatches is a risk too!

I think this is a nice product and most people that love the Voluptés will love the Loveshines. I have such picky lips that if I wanted to use it as a “caring” treatment type of product, this wouldn’t be worth the price (unlike on other people with less lip sensitivities who would have zero issues with this). However, as a makeup product and just wanting to have something comfortable enough to wear in a pretty color and with packaging that feels luxurious and indulgent, this succeeds in that.

YSL Loveshine Candy Glaze Lip Gloss Stick in 14 Scenic Brown and 15 Showcasing Nude

Figuring out the differences between these lipsticks was confusing enough, but I also realized some shades exist in multiple formulas! There is a 14 Scenic Brown in this Candy Glaze, as well as a 207 Scenic Brown of the Loveshine Lip Oil Stick (High-Shine Caring Lipstick). So, if someone requests a YSL lippie in Scenic Brown for Christmas, a birthday, or some other event…be sure to find out which formula they prefer!

The Candy Glaze feels more like a gloss than a lipstick, so now I understand why it’s considered to have a jelly texture. It feels both moisturizing and decently hydrating. To me, this is like a thinner version of Fenty’s Gloss Bombs and I would even go as far as to say Fenty might have duped this with their Gloss Bomb Stix. Another similar product are the Nabla Beyond Jelly Sheer Lipsticks. The downside to both Fenty and Nabla’s lines is that there aren’t additional shades from them that I would want to buy over the single ones I currently own. I’d be interested in shade extensions for both.

This feels stickier and therefore has more grip on the lips than the Loveshine, but that’s not a bad thing. Among all glosses on the market, this is on the lower medium spectrum of stickiness. I can sometimes forget I’m wearing it because it doesn’t move around as much on the lips, but I’d still consider it medium-weight instead of lightweight. Multiple layers can build up a tiny bit more opacity, but I don’t recommend swiping too much on as it can then become heavier, thicker, stickier, and gather too much in the lip corners. This has a click mechanism for getting product up and back down. It’s meant to discourage anyone from rolling up the Candy Glaze in this soft formula too high and damaging it.

After doing swatches, I noticed Scenic Brown had a slight staining effect on the skin, but Showcasing Nude didn’t. I assume this is due to the colorant used and the darker shades in this formula will do it, but not all of them. It’s just interesting because I heard the Candy Glazes were supposed to have the most color payoff, but both of my shades look way sheerer than was represented in the many photos I saw online from the brand and beauty influencers. At the same time, if I build up the color specifically on the dark pigmented spots on my lips, it gets covered fairly well. So, I guess I don’t need it to be a more pigmented formula.

I’ve mentioned the difficulties being able to tell what the shades actually look like in person. There is yet another element of trouble, which is distinguishing between similarities among all the formulas. On me, Showcasing Nude and Peachy Glow look pretty similar. Showcasing Nude is paler, so I prefer the look of Peachy Glow on myself even though I prefer the Candy Glaze formula. With the numbering system being different, I haven’t been able to figure out an easy way to compare shades across formulas.

In playing around with different lip products in my collection, I found out that if I take a little bit of my Rabanne Lovebalm in Bloody Kiss and lightly press it onto my lips to get some of that deep color, then apply Showcasing Nude on top, the lip look becomes a wearable cool-leaning medium pink. It’s such a pretty combination!

My Candy Glazes have a scent, but it’s not as strong as the Loveshines or Rouge Volupté. I get the barest whiff of sweetness, but they don’t have as distinct of a fruity candy-like smell as the others. I bought them in October, so it can’t be due to being too old.

Of all the YSL lip products I tried, I like the Candy Glaze formula the most. However, I can’t ignore how much this reminds me of the Fenty Gloss Bomb Stix and those are 23 Euros ($25 USD) at full price versus a maximum discounted price of 26-29 Euros for the Candy Glaze.

Based on everything I’ve tried, I understand the hype for YSL Lip Products and do feel that it’s warranted. However, I recommend waiting for a sale. Perhaps 10 years ago these were more unique, but other brands are catching up and matching formulas. I’m thrilled that I’ve been able to find colored lip products that look beautiful and are also capable of nourishing my lips. However, I do have more options than just YSL. There is admittedly something about the packaging that is alluring enough to make me want to buy more. So, no judgements to anyone who buys these at full price (my limited edition one was full price). We’re still getting a quality product and I can’t say that I wouldn’t buy more in the future. One of the biggest deterrents though is that I don’t shop for makeup in person and even when I try to make sure I’m not getting the same colors within the same formula, it ends up nearly matching the color of another formula of YSL lippie. These are too expensive for me to want to keep getting duplicates!

That’s all for today! Consider clicking follow if you’d like to be emailed whenever a new post is out!

-Lili ❤