Glossier Lidstar | Review, Swatches, & Discount

In case you missed all the hype last night - Glossier's newest product, Lidstar, is here! Lidstars are liquid eyeshadows meant to give a soft, glistening sheen to the eyelids. We're one step closer to being able to do a full face of Glossier, and I am here for it.

I seriously feel like these were made for me - I wear cream/liquid eyeshadows on a daily basis, and the packaging reminiscent of test tubes just warms my little chemist heart. They're lightweight and easy to throw in a makeup bag. Method of application is a typical, slightly fuzzy doe-foot applicator. As always, there is much attention to detail on the packaging, most notably the Glossier pink cap adorned with the signature "G" logo. 

T-B | Moon, Slip, Fawn, Herb

Packaging aside, the formula is what's really wowing me. These are meant to be a sheer veil of color and shimmer, so they're absolutely perfect for an everyday look. They have a mousse-y, almost whipped formula that feels like practically nothing on the eyelids. Since they're on the sheer side, they're super easy to blend out and layer for a more opaque shade. They do layer really well, building upon itself seamlessly rather than cracking or caking up. I simply swipe some directly onto my eyelids from the doe-foot and blend with my fingers. They're super easy and give an effortless, diffused look. You know those eyeshadows that just add lots of life and light to your whole look? These are it. I just know I'll be reaching for these on a daily basis, especially Moon and Slip, to add some brightness to my eyes and keep myself from looking too tired. 

wearing Slip all over my eyelids, Fawn on the outer corners, and Moon on the inner corners

I'll admit I was worried about the longevity. How could something that is so lightweight and looks so dewy possibly be long-lasting, right? Well, these things set down and they really do. not. budge. I constantly am complaining about how oily my eyelids are and how nothing will really last on them more than a few hours without creasing, some products even with primer underneath. I put these to the ultimate test, and they passed with flying colors. I applied them at 7am with no primer, wore them all day through work (where my eyes are constantly watering from the dry air), and then wore them through a kickboxing class. I ended up wearing them for over 12 hours on that first day, and they were still in perfect condition when I washed my face at the end of the day - no creasing or fading, despite rubbing my eyes throughout the day and then getting really sweaty during kickboxing. I've also tried wearing them under other (powder) shadows, and they work really well to prime the eyelids and prevent creasing that way, too.

Lidstars come in six shades:

• Moon - a sheer cream base with blueish opalescent glimmer

• Slip - a sheer baby pink with golden highlights

• Fawn - a smoky taupe with violet and gold pearl

• Herb - a smoky green with yellow gold pearl

• Lily - a sheer lilac with blue and violet pearls

• Cub - a rose gold with warm shimmer

Of the four I have, my favorite is Fawn - it's exactly my kind of shade. Plus it was the mysterious eyeshadow Beyonce was wearing at the Grammys! But I've already gotten use out of all four, and they're all beautiful. You can bet I've already ordered the remaining two shades by now. Because they all have more sheer bases, they seem like they could be pretty universally-flattering. It allows your natural skintone to show through, so every shade will look different on everyone. I think that's really where Glossier shines - I love how they're able to make makeup products that seem so simple and yet adapt to whoever wears them. You wear the makeup instead of it wearing you.

Glossier Lidstars are available for $18 each or in a Duo for $30. You can also get 10% off your first Glossier order by shopping through glossier.com/reps/kelsey - I make a commission on orders through my link.

Are you going to be trying the Lidstars?

Glossier Lidstars were sent to me before launch for reviewing purposes, but all opinions are my own.

February Favorites

Remember how I was complaining on and on about how slow January was going by? Well February was the opposite - I can't believe today is the last day! I normally try to keep my favorites post down to 5-6 products, but there were so many great things this month that there's quite a bit to talk about here.

Charlotte Tilbury Filmstar Bronze & Glow | At the end of January my sister kindly let me borrow her Filmstar Bronze & Glow for me to try out and determine if I wanted to use it for my wedding makeup. This is 100% worth the hype and I need to buy my own ASAP - the powders are beautiful and pretty much impossible to overdo. The Sculpting shade is the real star for me here, as it's the perfect shade to subtly chisel out some cheekbones while also adding some life to the face.

Smashbox Photo Finish Primerizer | Another bandwagon I'm glad I jumped on this month. Normally I skip primers and rely on my skincare to "prime" my skin for makeup, but this is one I can get on board with. It makes my skin look so juicy and plump, smoothing away any dry patches without being greasy at all. I think this does extend the wear of my makeup a little as it keeps my skin from drinking up my foundation.

Dior Addict Lip Glow, 'Berry' | Yes I know - another Lip Glow. I now have three and they're all very important to my collection. The berry shade is the latest addition to my little Lip Glow family, and I just love the color it gives my lips. It doesn't have as much of a color change on my lips as the other two I have, but it's such a beautiful berry shade that adds a nice flush to the lips. I find it goes well with most makeup looks I do, from extremely minimal to something a little more bold.

Stila Shimmer & Glow Liquid Eyeshadow, 'Cloud' | I keep thinking this was an impulse buy, but I had actually been wanting it for weeks when I finally did buy it at the beginning of the month. I had heard such great things about the Shimmer & Glow Eyeshadows, and I love the original Glitter & Glow Eyeshadow I have so I wanted to give it a try. I went for Cloud, a lavender with a stunning gold shift. I don't have anything like it in my collection. I love plum tones on my eyes, and the gold shimmer in it keeps it wearable, almost like a neutral. The formula is just as great as everyone says, and it doesn't crease on me all day long.

Fresh Black Tea Kombucha Facial Treatment Essence* | I finally finished up the Missha Essence I had been using at the beginning of this month and was able to crack this baby open. I had wanted to try the new Fresh Essence since they started teasing it on Instagram, and it's just as good as I was hoping. It has Fresh's signature cucumber scent and feels super cooling and hydrating on the skin. The watery consistency sinks in instantly, and I find it really helps to plump up my skin. With continued use I think it's really helped to smooth out my skin. I pat on a few layers morning and night, and it's always a step in my skincare routine I look forward to.

Renee Rouleau Rapid Response Detox Masque | This is another product I saw on Instagram and decided I needed it. The people I saw reviewing it were saying it was helping to clear up their acne caused by hormones and diet, which pretty much explains me to a T. It works by not only helping to clear up bacteria and excess oil but also soothing redness and irritation. I've never tried a mask that was both great for detoxing and also hydrating the skin, and it's definitely something my routine was missing. Right now, I'm using it about once a week and twice in the week leading up to my period to help ward off those breakouts. I've been breaking out from starting Curology this month, but this mask has been keeping my skin in check otherwise.

Glossier You Solid Perfume* | The latest Glossier launch is of course a favorite for the month. I've worn Glossier You every day since it launched in October, and it's quickly become my favorite scent to wear. Now you can easily take it on-the-go for touchups. The solid perfume is housed in the cutest little pebble that fits right in the palm of your hand. It's super weighted so it feels so nice to hold, and it has the signature thumbprint in it to make it easy to open with one hand. It has a super satisfying magnetic click closure too - I find myself just clicking it open and closed absentmindedly sometimes. The scent wears closer to the body than the original spray of course, but I find it has about the same lasting power on me. I like to layer a bit of this on before spraying the perfume before I leave the house - I find it helps it last even longer. 

Essie Grow Stronger Base Coat | My nails were in a sad state for most of January, and I'm trying to get them back into shape now. I picked up the Essie Grow Stronger Base Coat this month based on Tamira Jarrel's recommendation, and I'm obsessed. It leaves a sheer nude tint on the nails, so I've just been wearing it on its own all month. It really has made my nails a lot stronger, and they grew so long that I actually had to cut them last week - normally they break before I get the chance to cut them. I haven't tried it under other nail polishes yet, so I'll report back on that when I do.

Kristin Ess Signature Hair Water | I really need to write about my favorite hair products, because then you'd see what a Kristin Ess love affair I've been having. The Signature Hair Water is a new addition to her line, and I was instantly intrigued - it seemed like it might just be a spray can of water, but I bought it anyway. I've actually found this great for reviving my hair when it starts to get frazzled by the second day after washing - it's got a bit of castor oil in it as well as their "zip-up technology" that help to seal split ends. Normally getting my hair wet without washing it makes it dry super puffy, but this doesn't do that. I've found it super helpful this month when my hair has gotten wet from being outside shoveling - I'm not left with frizzy hat hair afterward.

Books, Movies, TV, Etc | Stop what you're doing right now and go watch "I'll Have What Phil's Having" and "Somebody Feed Phil" on Netflix. They're both docuseries starring Phil Rosenthal (creator of Everybody Loves Raymond), and he goes to different cities around the world and seeks out the best food. He's such a goofy guy and they're both great "feel-good" shows. Speaking of heartwarming shows, I've also been loving the new Queer Eye series - I haven't watched them all yet, but I'm hooked. I love it just as much as the original and I love all five of them. I listened to the audiobook of Princess Diarist by Carrie Fisher this month, too, and while I read the book already, I'd highly recommend listening to the audiobook. Carrie Fisher narrates it, and her daughter Billie Lourd reads the journal entries included. It was great to hear it come to life, and it made me miss Carrie Fisher even more. For music, I'm totally behind on this, but I'm finally listening to Lana Del Rey's Lust for Life album and I'm obsessed. I've always been a Lana fan, but until now none of her albums really topped Paradise for me.

What were your favorite things this month?

Products marked with an asterisk (*) have been sent to me for consideration, but all opinions are my own. This post contains affiliate links.

The Perfect Nude Lip Pairs

It's no secret that I love a good nude lip. Lately there have been two lipstick + liner pairs I've been rotating between over and over, and I love them both so much that they're contenders for my wedding lip. With my coloring and the natural pigment in my lips, I prefer slightly deeper nudes with a bit of pink in them. If I go too light I look dead, so I like to keep them about the same shade as my lips. 

T-B | Pat McGrath Bare Rose, YSL 44, both layered, CT Pillow Talk Liner, Pillow Talk Lipstick, both layered

My tried-and-true favorite pair, and I'm sure it's a lot of people's favorite too, is the Charlotte Tilbury Lip Cheat and Matte Revolution Lipstick, both in the shade Pillow Talk. It's the perfect pink nude shade that really enhances the lips. It's got that pink tone, but there's also some brown, beige, and peach mixed in there, so it seems like it would be a quite flattering shade on lots of skintones. I'm so happy she took the iconic lip pencil shade and turned it into a lipstick. As you can see from the swatches the lipstick is a little bit lighter than the liner, but this makes it the prettiest shade with more dimension when you wear them together. The Lip Cheats are definitely one of my favorite lip pencil formulas - they're a little waxy to grab onto the lips, but they're creamy enough to easily apply and stay put throughout the day. The Matte Revolution Lipsticks are also one of my favorite formulas - I've never tried a matte lipstick that was so comfortable. Most mattes dry my lips out and make them look wrinkly, but the Matte Revolutions keep them looking plump, and while they're not exactly hydrating, they don't leave my lips gasping for moisture. 

The Pillow Talk Duo was a longtime favorite for about a year, and then my next duo came along to give it a run for its money. This one is definitely more pink than Pillow Talk, and a little more pink than nude even. It's a similar shade to my lips though, so it still counts as a nude for me! The liner is the beautiful Pat McGrath Permagel Ultra Lip Pencil in Bare Rose that I can't shut up about lately. This formula is no joke, applying so creamily and comfortably, but then literally not budging until you take an oily makeup remover to it at the end of the day. Bare Rose is such a pretty soft pink shade with just enough brown thrown in to make it a nude. It's almost the same shade as my lips, but perhaps a little bit more pink. On top, I've been layering the YSL Rouge Volupte Shine Oil-in-Stick Lipstick in 44 Nude Lavalliere. This formula is divine as well - not the longest lasting, but a dream to reapply. It's balmy and creamy and is one of the most comfortable lipsticks I own. It's a little sheerer than a traditional lipstick, but I love that it lets the shade of the lip liner show through. These look stunning layered and almost turns into a more mauve shade. 

Are you into nude lipsticks? What are your favorites?

This post contains affiliate links.