Lina Choo The Great Artist Velvet Matte Lipsticks | Review & Swatches

What better day than Valentine’s Day to talk about some beautiful, luxe lipsticks, right? Lina Choo is a new brand to me and is now available on Beautylish, and they’ve debuted with six shades of The Great Artist Velvet Matte Lipsticks. They’re all named after famous artists, from Botticelli to Da Vinci to Van Gogh, and they come in colorful yet wearable shades.

The packaging of these lipsticks is just stunning. They’re housed in a weighty black tube with gold detailing that has a satisfying magnetic closure. The brand’s logos are etched into the gold tube and also into the lipstick bullet itself. They feel nice to hold and have a good, balanced weight to make application easy - if those kinds of things are important to you.

The formula is what really blew me away. They’re described as a velvet matte, but I’d say there’s a bit of a satin finish instead. They’re not completely matte on me, but rather have a tiny bit of sheen, and I really like that. They’re incredibly creamy and pigmented, giving full pigmentation with one swipe. They don’t catch on dry patches on initial application, and they continue feeling comfortable and actually quite moisturizing throughout the day. They feel like they have a little bit of slip like a lip balm would, but rubbing your lips together doesn’t shift the color. Rather, the color doesn’t budge at all. I can’t believe how long these last on my lips without fading at all, especially for such a creamy formula. I can apply these in the morning and they’re still totally intact by the end of the day, even after eating and drinking. They also stain the lips a little (as well as my arm after doing these swatches), so that probably helps the longevity.

The Great Artist Velvet Matte Lipsticks come in six shades: Andersen (a bright coral pink), Shakespeare (a true classic red), Da Vinci (a deep brick red), Botticelli (a peachy pink), Duras (a cool mauve-y pink), and Van Gogh (a punchy orange-red). I think they would be flattering on a variety of skintones because of their intense pigmentation. My favorites are Shakespeare and Duras.

Have you tried The Great Artist Lipsticks yet? What’s your favorite luxe lipstick formula?

*Lina Choo The Great Artist Velvet Matte Lipsticks have been kindly gifted by the brand, but all opinions are my own.

Review | Laura Mercier Flawless Lumiere Radiance-Perfecting Foundation

It’s been awhile since I’ve written a foundation review on here, and I think this one was worth the wait. Everyone’s been talking about the new Hourglass Foundation lately, but there’s a different new foundation on the scene that really caught my eye. I’ve always been a fan of the Laura Mercier Tinted Moisturizers (some of my earliest posts here featured it), and I had been meaning to try a foundation from the brand for awhile. When their newest foundation was released, I knew it would be the one for me just based on the name - “Flawless Lumiere Radiance-Perfecting Foundation.” It promises a “weightless, medium-to-full coverage, perfectly-glowing finish in any light.”

I use the shade 1C0 Cameo (which was also my shade in the Tinted Moisturizer), and it’s a great match for me. It comes in 30 shades in a variety of undertones, and there seems to be a good distribution of shades among those 30. Its consistency sits between thick and thin - it holds its shape when pumped out and doesn’t run down my hand, but it spreads easily over the skin and doesn’t drag. It interestingly feels like a burst of hydration when I initially start working it into my skin, which I’ve never experienced with a foundation before. I apply it with a dense buffing brush (this one), and it blends it out super easily and quickly. At this time I don’t have any makeup sponges, so I haven’t tried applying it with one, but I will report back once I do!

I have to make sure my skin has been well-moisturized (but maybe this is because it’s winter) before applying, specifically with an oil or an oil-based moisturizer. This makes the foundation glide on more easily and ensures it doesn’t look dry on my skin. When first applied, it has more of a satin finish on me that grows more radiant within about an hour - once that hour is over, that’s pretty much the level of radiance it will have all day. I typically don’t set it with powder until this hour is up, otherwise it makes it look too dry. The finish is just stunning - it seems to gloss over every imperfection and really blurs out my pores. I’d say they’re correct on describing the coverage, too - it sits somewhere between medium and full. I like to apply a thin layer all over, and then I’ll pat on a little more on areas where I need more coverage. It layers beautifully this way and doesn’t pick up on itself or get cakey. It’s been lasting a full workday on me without getting patchy or fading unevenly. It will wear away a little where I touch my face a lot throughout the day (I’m working on that bad habit), but it doesn’t leave noticeable patches.

A closeup look at the foundation - this is a light layer. Bronzer/blush/highlight are from the Hourglass Volume III Palette, lips are NUDESTIX Sin.

This has instantly become one of my favorite foundations - I could probably get rid of all of my other foundations and be just fine. I’d feel confident wearing this for a special occasion as well as every day. I just really love how it still manages to look like glowy, healthy skin, despite offering a higher coverage than I’m used to. It’s really been making me feel more confident while I’m waiting for all these Christmas-chocolate-induced breakouts on my chin to clear up.

Have you tried the Laura Mercier Radiance Foundation?

2018 Favorites: The Skincare

I’m back with Part 2 of my 2018 Favorites - all things skincare! I realized after taking the photos that I actually didn’t include any cleansers or moisturizers, but then I remembered I wanted to keep my picks to things I discovered in 2018, and my most-used cleansers and moisturizers were older, tried-and-true favorites (Glossier Milky Jelly, Priming Moisturizer Rich, Dr. Jart+ Ceramidin Cream, and Fresh Rose Face Cream mostly).

TONERS

Glossier Solution - I spent a good portion of the year not sure how I felt about this, actually. At first it really dried me out, but then I tried it again once my skin was more normal and less reactive and it’s been amazing. It keeps my skin (mostly) clear, super smooth, and hasn’t been too harsh.

Fresh Vitamin Nectar Antioxidant Glow Water* - I love a good continuous mist. This instantly perks up my skin and makes me look awake and healthy and glowy. It gives a good burst of hydration and smells like oranges.

SERUMS

Venn Skincare Age-Reversing All-In-One Concentrate* - This technically isn’t a serum, but I guess I use it as one. It’s incredibly moisturizing (I go right in with oil afterwards, rather than moisturizer + oil) and makes my skin plump and juicy for hours and hours, so it’s always a go-to if I’m feeling a little lazy and want to skip steps.

Farmacy Honeymoon Glow - I love a good exfoliating serum, and this one blew me away this year. I love that it contains Farmacy’s signature honey and Echinacea GreenEnvy so it doesn’t feel harsh or strip my skin. I always wake up to the smoothest, glowiest skin the morning after using this.

Peach & Lily Glass Skin Serum - When Peach & Lily dropped their own skincare line last year, I knew I had to try at least a few things for myself. This serum does what it says - gives that glass skin effect. It helps tone down my redness and gives a good boost of hydration without feeling sticky.

Stratia Liquid Gold - Again, this isn’t technically a serum, but I use it as one. If I had to strip my routine down to as simple as it could get, I would make sure I still included this. It’s chock full of ceramides, fatty acids, and cholesterols to protect and heal the skin barrier - I’ve noticed my skin has become less dry/more normal and a lot less sensitive since I started using this. I use it every single night without fail!

Caudalie Vinoperfect Radiance Serum* - The loveliest serum. This has Caudalie’s patented Viniferine, which claims to be more effective than Vitamin C at brightening and evening skin tone. It’s a thin, milky formula that sinks into the skin quickly. I used this religiously leading up to my wedding and feel like that’s one of the reasons why my skin was so glowy and smooth!

EYE CREAMS

Drunk Elephant C-Tango Multivitamin Eye Cream - I wasn’t a dedicated eye cream-user until this one. It has a beautiful, soft, balmy formula that’s a pleasure to apply and really has brightened up my undereyes. I use it every morning and feel like I might be using less undereye concealer now (??).

Caudalie Premier Cru Eye Cream* - This one made me a dedicated night-time eye cream-user. Most would make my eyes puffy by morning, but this one sinks in and moisturizes without being heavy. Although I don’t need much of its anti-aging benefits yet, I really do think this has helped to diminish some fine lines around my eyes I was starting to notice.

MASKS

Origins Clear Improvement Charcoal Honey Mask - I had always wanted to be a regular user of the original charcoal mask because it really helped to keep my skin clear, but it was just too drying to use often. This one, however, is absolutely beautiful. My skin loves anything with added honey so it loves this hydrating take on a clay mask.

Summer Fridays Jet Lag Mask - I purely got this one for the packaging, but stayed for how plump and glowing it makes my skin every time. It works especially well at depuffing my eyes - it’s my go-to before special occasions when I want my skin to look perfect.

Glow Recipe Avocado Melt Sleeping Mask - I only just got this in December, but I’m blown away. It has the nicest consistency - thick and creamy but sinks in with no stickiness. It smooths out my skin and keeps it moisturized and soothed all night.

Renee Rouleau Rapid Response Detox Masque - This is the one I reach for when the hormonal breakouts are taking over. It’s soothing and hydrating and yet really helps to make those stubborn zits go away. It also really reduces redness for me, too!

Peach & Lily Super Reboot Resurfacing Mask - This reminds me a lot of the Herbivore Blue Tansy Mask, but even better. It’s a slightly runny jelly consistency that gets to work eating away at dead skin cells and leaving you with a beautiful, glowing complexion. There’s also ingredients in there to soothe the skin so the AHAs don’t irritate it. My skin feels more soothed/less red after this mask than before it!

Caudalie Instant Detox Mask* - When my skin is throwing a tantrum, this is the one I reach for. It sucks everything out quickly, is easy to remove, and doesn’t dry me out terribly. It really reminds me of the Aesop Parsley Seed Mask, which was an old favorite of mine.

Caudalie Moisturizing Mask - This is a good, basic go-to for me. It deeply moisturizes my skin, leaving it plump and smooth, and it smells nice (but not in an “this is definitely going to be irritating” kind of way).

Fresh Lotus Rescue Mask* - Maybe my favorite mask of the year? I’m working my way through my second jar now. It feels hydrating and leaves me with the smoothest, most plump skin without any redness. I always reach for it before a special occasion - I used in on the morning of my wedding to make my makeup go on as smooth as possible.

Fresh Ultimate Nourishing Honey Mask* - This is one I’m dipping into more and more in the cold weather. It’s incredibly luxurious and deeply hydrating. I love honey masks because they feel like they’re helping to clear my skin, too.

OILS

Paula’s Choice Moisture Renewal Oil Booster* - An unsung hero of the year - I’ve gone through almost the whole bottle and I’m not sure if I even mentioned it once. It contains nine plant oils as well as ceramides so it really helps to keep my skin moisturized and fortified. It’s quite lightweight, so it’s good for night or day.

Leo Oil - If I had to choose one favorite product for the entire year of 2018, it would hands-down be Leo Oil. This beautiful blend of Rosehip, Meadowfoam Seed, and Blue Tansy Oils has absolutely changed my skin for the better - believe the hype! I started using this almost one year ago and saw such transformation in my skin. I’ve always used oils, but I think Dena got this one perfect. It’s nourishing, calming, and balancing. It’s drastically reduced my breakouts, calmed redness, and kept flaky skin at bay. I give full credit to this for clearing up my skin for my wedding so it’s something I’ll never be without!

What were your skincare favorites of the year?

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