NARS x Charlotte Gainsbourg Collection | Tint, Tint, & More Tint

May 18, 2017 in Makeup

If I was forced to choose one makeup brand to use for the rest of my life, I'm sure it would be NARS. I haven't yet tried a product from them that's disappointed me, and I don't really expect to find one that does anytime soon. When their latest collection, a collaboration with Charlotte Gainsbourg, dropped, I instantly knew I needed to pick up a few pieces. The collection is meant to mimic Charlotte Gainsbourg's signature look - fresh, dewy skin and sultry smokey eyes. I couldn't afford to get everything from the collection, so I picked up a few new formulas I spotted - the Hydrating Glow Tint, the Multiple Tint, and the Lip Tint.

The product I was most excited for was the Hydrating Glow Tint. Anything with "glow" or "tint" in the name instantly draws me in, and despite having a drawer full of glowy, lightweight foundations, I needed to give this one a go. It comes out as more of a mousse-y, almost whipped texture, and spreads and blends easily on the skin. For being called a "tint," it certainly gives more coverage than I was expecting - it's still on the light side, but it's definitely more than sheer. It's quite hydrating without feeling oily or heavy, and it gives the skin a super healthy glow that's not greasy. It seems to set well on its own, too, so it doesn't feel tacky throughout the day. It really reminds me of the bareMinerals Complexion Rescue, which is one of my favorites, so it's no surprise that this has already become a favorite, too.

I've only tried one of the original NARS Multiples, but being such a fan of a flushed, natural look for my cheeks, I was super excited to give this new Multiple Tint a go. I got the shade Jeanette, which is a sheer berry shade. This looks fresh and dewy on the skin but doesn't feel sticky. It gives such a natural flush to the skin - it's a little more pink than one of my favorite berry-colored blushes, the Glossier Cloud Paint in Haze, so it's justifiable (*insert winking emoji here*). It blends into the skin super easily and leaves a stain effect. I've only tried it on the cheeks so far, but I will report back with how it does on the lips.

I've been really into more sheer lip options lately, so the new Lip Tint seemed like it was right up my alley. I got the shade Ephelide, described as an "antique rose." It goes on the lips like a creamy glaze of color. This more neutral shade isn't streaky, although I've heard a couple people mention it takes more work to get an even coat from the deeper shades. It's quite comfortable on the lips, but as a glossy color, it doesn't have the best lasting power. I don't mind this, however, because it's easy to reapply throughout the day. Like the Multiple Tint, this leaves a bit of a tint to the lips as the gloss wears away. Overall I love the pieces from this collection, and I'm super tempted to pick up one of the eyeshadow duos before it's gone for good.

Have you tried anything from the NARS x Charlotte Gainsbourg collection?

Five Products Worth the Splurge

May 17, 2017 in Makeup, Skincare

It's probably no secret that I love to splurge on beauty products. The way I justify these splurges is that it's all research - sometimes the products are worth it, and sometimes they're not. I just love the whole experimentation aspect of it, and trying out expensive products makes the whole process more fun if I'm honest - there's more at stake, you know? Anyway, I've picked through my collection to find my top five favorite splurges to let you know which are actually worth the money.

Drunk Elephant TLC Sukari Babyfacial | As the one skincare product on this list, the Babyfacial has really blown me away in the past couple months. The 25% AHA/2% BHA mask/peel is meant to be used once per week to renew and resurface the skin. I find when I'm using this consistently, my skin is brighter, smoother, and clearer. It tingles a bit upon initial application, but it fades quickly and isn't uncomfortable. I keep it on for twenty minutes at a time, and I see some results immediately, but they really stand out the morning after. I'll definitely be using this the night before my wedding - it makes the skin look so glowy and bright.

Giorgio Armani Luminous Silk Foundation | Let's continue with the skin theme - I avoided this cult-favorite foundation for such a long time because of the price. It's definitely the most expensive foundation I own, but if you're looking for a higher coverage foundation that still looks like skin, then this is definitely worth the money. It's absolutely beautiful on the skin, although I would say it's probably better for normal to dry skin types - it does have a luminous (though not dewy) finish. I love wearing it on its own for special occasions, but I also love mixing it with something like the Glossier Perfecting Skin Tint for everyday. It mixes beautifully with everything I've tried (another favorite to mix with is the Koh Gen Do Aqua Foundation), and it lasts such a long time. Normally, my foundation will have disappeared by lunchtime (as my skin drinks it up), but this lasts all day until I wash my makeup off.

Dior Fusion Mono Eyeshadows | These are such an underrated product. If you like soft, easy eyeshadow looks, then you definitely need to check these out. I always assumed they were cream eyeshadows, but they're more of a pressed pigment - it has a "bouncy" formula that's not quite powder and not quite cream. They blend out so easily with fingers and stay put all day. My favorite shade is Meteore, a beautiful copper-y bronze.

Burberry Light Glow Natural Blush, 'Earthy' | Burberry has one of my favorite blush formulas, and the shade Earthy is the most perfect shade for every day. It's such a good nude blush that adds a bit of warmth and definition. The formula is lovely - super buttery and smooth, and with the perfect amount of pigmentation. I like my blushes to be buildable rather than strongly pigmented right away, and the Burberry Light Glow Blushes are basically foolproof.

Charlotte Tilbury Matte Revolution Lipsticks | The Charlotte Tilbury Matte Revolution Lipsticks are my favorite matte lipstick formula. They're not drying at all on me and stay comfortable throughout the day. They come in the prettiest shades - all of mine are on the neutral side of course, but I'm still dying to get my hands on Glastonberry and Red Carpet Red. Lipsticks are one thing I really think you don't need to splurge on, but these beauties are definitely worth it. My favorite shades are Pillow Talk and Very Victoria.

What products do you think are worth splurging on?

KKW x Kylie Cosmetics Creme Liquid Lipsticks | Review + Swatches

May 16, 2017 in Makeup

Guys, I tried so hard not to give in to the hype of these, I really did. I had told myself I was done buying Kylie Cosmetics products (I had never had a bad experience, but supporting a company that didn't have the best customer service record felt a little funny to me), but these just drew me in with their beautiful packaging and promise of a creamy, comfortable formula. Plus my friend Jewlie was raving about them, so I needed to see what the fuss was all about.

Let's talk shipping - I've never had any issues with Kylie Cosmetics, like I said above, but this time, my order took a full two weeks to ship. When I hadn't gotten a shipping notification after 14 days, I sent an email to customer service. Within fifteen minutes of sending that email, I got a shipping notification, which felt a little fishy to me. Nevertheless, I got my lipsticks two days later and was a happy camper.

The four liquid lipsticks in a new "creme" formula were done in collaboration with Kim Kardashian West, who is pretty much known as the queen of the nude lip. There are four nude shades, which to the untrained eye might look quite similar, but they're different ok?! There's Kimberly, a true beige-y nude, Kim, a peachy nude, Kiki, a pink nude, and Kimmie, a deeper warm nude. Some people are cringing at KKW naming all four shades after herself, but I wouldn't expect anything less - if they're all her go-to nude shades, why shouldn't they all be named after her? All four shades are beautiful, although Kimberly (and maybe Kim and Kiki, too) might be too light for people with anything deeper than a medium skintone. I love them all except for Kim - it's just a little too peach for me, but I'm passing it along to my sister since it was the one shade in the collection she wanted.

The formula is one of my favorite liquid lips so far. It's not long lasting (I can get maybe two hours before needing to reapply), but it doesn't claim to be. These days, I'd much rather wear a comfortable lip product than something that lasts all day but zaps all moisture from my lips. They have a thin formula that lets a bit of your natural lip shade shine through, which I appreciate in a nude lip - it makes it more wearable for me. Despite not being super pigmented, they aren't streaky and are easy to get an even application. Once on the lips, they feel lightweight and almost moisturizing, like how a creamy bullet lipstick would feel on the lips. They fade evenly over time and wear away while eating, but you're never left with an unsightly ring around your lips. They're easy to reapply without needing to wipe everything off.

The thing I like the most about these is how they look on the lips - they seem to smooth over lines and make my lips look a little fuller and pouty-er. I went into this set being fully skeptical, but Kylie has won me over again.

I got these when they restocked, and I've heard rumors of them being restocked again, but for the time being they're not on the website. I'll update this post if I hear any restocking news, so either keep an eye out here or on Kylie Cosmetics's social media channels. If you love a good nude lip, I'd definitely say these are worth picking up.