| Loves | January 2023 Beauty Favorites 

I’m kind of treating this January favorites as a 2022 favorites as well because a lot of my favorites have carried on into this year. With January being kind of a crazy start to the year, I found myself reaching for my go-to favorites from the past year. They’re reliable and amazing products that I know will continue to be a part of my everyday routine. 

1. Tom Ford Shade and Illuminate Concealer - I found that on my laziest days or when I’m in a hurry, which is most days, just using my two concealers all over my face is the fastest way to get a perfected complexion. I have a lighter shade for under my eyes and a deeper for mothers rest of my face. I just spot conceal but with how intensely pigmented this formula is, I just need a bit to cover everything. These got a lot of love last year and they have continued to serve me so well! Check out my full review of them here. 

2. Rare Beauty Perfect Strokes Universal Volumizing Mascara - This is the ONLY mascara I use! This formula is not waterproof but it doesn’t smudge, flake, or smear on me at all! I previously was on a hunt for a heavy-duty waterproof mascara because I had such a huge issue with my mascaras transferring on me! This one isn’t event waterproof but it lasts incredibly and it makes my lashes look full, long, and curled! It’s a totally dream and I have gone through many tubes of this mascara! 

3. Laura Mercier Long Wear Lip Liner in Naked - If I could only use one lip liner forever, it would be this one! There’s something about the color that flatters my skin tone and pretty much all my nude lip colors I own! It’s subtle yet, impactful enough to create a full and pouty look. The pencil is hard but not too waxy and not too hard, which I appreciate because it stays where I place it. I don’t love a super soft lip pencil, I feel like it doesn’t last long and has a tendency to move around on my lips. This one is perfect in every way for me and I just use it pretty much every single day! 

4. Givenchy Le Rose Perfecto Tinted Balm - The formula I currently own seems to be discontinued but they have a new formula that is available, it just looks a bit different and the shades have changed a touch. I imagine it is quite similar and it is just a very creamy liquid balm with a nice sheer color to it. I’ve really loving this nude glossy balm because it isn’t sticky, it’s hydrating, and it smooths my lip lines and texture. It also lasts a surprisingly long time if you’re not eating with it on. I’m a big fan and I might grab the new formula just to have a backup of this beautiful lip formula. 

5. Guerlain Meteorites Illuminating Powder Pearls in 02 Medium - This has been a staple in my collection for years! I’ve actually finished a tub of these powder pearls and I missed it so much that I had to bring it back into my routine again! I have no regrets! These multi-colored pearls may look like a fun gimmick but they actually provide a beautiful, soft luminous effect all over the complexion. If perfects, smooths, and illuminates yeh skin perfectly without giving that powdery look! I’ve never been a fan of powders but this one I just keep coming back to because it just makes your skin look better but still very much like skin! If you haven’t tried this or you’ve forgotten about it, I urge you to get one again! You won’t regret it! 

6. Anastasia Beverly Hills Brow Freeze - I put off purchasing this product for a while because I thought it might be just an Instagram trend or hype but when  no it went on sale recently, I thought it was about time I tried it for myself and I have no regrets! This unique gel formula turns into a wax that gives your eyebrows that trendy “soap brow” fluffy look without all the hassle! I will say, I’ve always struggled with my brows and after using this product, I can’t use anything else! There’s nothing quite like this product and the way it creates texture in the brows. It just looks so beautiful, clean, and defined! It’s hard to explain but you just have to try it for yourself! 

7. Bali Body BBSkin - Wow! I have to say, I haven’t been THIS stunned my a skincare range in a very long time! I was gifted these products to review but after trying them, I have not been able to stop using them! I literally use these products every day and I think they’re incredible! Plus, they are very affordable! I’m not sure how they were able to create such a premium skincare line and sell it for such a reasonable price but I am thankful because I will definitely be needing refills soon! Read my full review on the range here. 

8. Ouai Matte Pomade - I’ve always been a fan of Ouai haircare and this product has been on my list for a while. I never thought about myself as a pomade-person but after attempting to perfect a perfectly snatched ponytail and realizing I have way too many uncontrollable baby hairs, this product changed my life! I have NEVER been able to control my baby hairs to have a perfectly slicked ponytail until I started using this pomade! What I love about it is, that it doesn’t make my hair look or feel hard or crunchy, like gel does. It just smooths down the hairs without looking greasy, crunchy, or hard. It’s also amazing for adding texture to the hair or smoothing down baby hairs and flyways for other hairstyles, as well! 

9.  Kerastase Nutritive 8H Magic Night Serum Hydrating Treatment - After receiving a sample of this product and after one night of use, I was hooked! I bought it immediately! Here’s a little POV for you - I haven’t cut my hair in about 5 months, I heat styled it fairly regularly, and I have noticeable split ends everywhere. So, I applied my generous sample all over my hair and the next morning, I awoke with the SMOOTHEST, SOFTEST, SILKIEST hair! Plus, you couldn’t tell I had split ends! How? I don’t know, maybe sorcery?! I don’t really care because this magical formula worked and it will forever be a part of my hair routine! 

10. Kilian Angel’s Share - You know, when I first bought this fragrance, I wasn’t 100% sold on it. I thought it was a little overrated but as I began wearing it more, it really grew on me and I can really understand the hype. This is one of the few fragrances that I get compliments on. I literally had a coworker stop me to ask what I was wearing that made me smell “so amazing”! This gourmand scent is sweet, decadent, and luxurious. Apparently, it is also contagiously intoxicating. It’s a pricey investment but you don’t need much of it to turn heads! 

Shop my January Favorites: 

| Review | Chanel Les Beiges Water-Fresh Blush

I have been anxiously awaiting for these blushes to arrive to the United States! It took just about forever after it was released in other part of the world and I had attempted to hunt them down but I was wary about getting them from other sellers. The Chanel Les Beiges Water-Fresh Tint (full review here) has been one of my go-to as of late and I have been anticipating this launch for so long. As a minimalist beauty lover, this formula is one of the pinnacles in genre. I really hope this formula lives up to it's reputation and popularity. Read on to learn more about this formula. 

The Chanel Les Beiges Water-Fresh Blush retails for $50.00 USD and is available at Chanel and other retailers. This formula is housed in the same packaging as the skin tint, a rectangular clear plastic bottle with a pump, which allows you to see the unique texture of the product. The pump is the ideal dispense system for a watery liquid formula like this because it will easily run out of a tube, even one that has a fine tip and jars are not as practical or sanitary. Plus, the plastic packaging makes it easy to travel with. I have always been a fan of this packaging. 

SHADES 

I am glad I waited for the US launch of these blushes because it seems like they added more shades to the range. This is, of course, important because we have a very diverse population in the US and will require a wider range of shades. This formula currently comes in six shades, ranging from a light peach to a bronze. Since the formula is on the sheer side, I gravitated towards the deeper shades in the line. However, I imagine I might pick up some of the lighter shades too. 

Intense Coral - This shades is a soft medium pink with a subtle warm undertone but I don't consider it a coral shade. This is a very pretty and universally flattering shade that will suit most skin tones. 

Deep Apricot - This shade is a warm orange-terracotta shade with a subtle reddish tone to it. This shade really gives you a sun flushed look. This shade will work for all skin tones but it will definitely flatter medium to deep skin tones best. 

Deep Bronze - This shade is a warm medium bronze with a subtle reddish tone. It doesn't appear very reddish in the swatch but when applied to the face, it does appear a bit warmer and more red. Depending on your skin tone, you can use this as a liquid bronzer but many people will like this best as just a bronze blush shade. 

Straight from the bottle from left to right: Intense Coral, Deep Apricot, Deep Bronze

Heavily swatched from left to right: Intense Coral, Deep Apricot, Deep Bronze

Lightly blended swatches from left to right: Intense Coral, Deep Apricot, Deep Bronze

FORMULA 

This unique formula is a clear gel-like serum with pigment pearls suspended throughout the gel. The clear serum is what gives this formula its water-like texture and it's fresh finish while, the pearls deliver the color. This is a one-of-a-kind blush formula that I haven't seen among any other brand on the market. The product spreads quite easily and quickly so, less is more! You really need to only pump out a small dot of product then, work it into the back of your hand to break open the pigment spheres. This will prevent you from over applying the blush or applying the blush on unintended areas. If you apply it directly on the cheek, it spreads and the pigment pearls break randomly, which gives you a very imprecise application. The best way to get a precise application is to apply the product to the back of your hand first and breaking up the pearls before applying it to your cheek. I find using my fingers or a dense brush is best because you need to break open the pigment pearls. I like to use my fingers to tap the color on and then use a brush to blend the blush out. 

The liquid blushes are very pigmented so, the less you dispense the better. You can easily waste product by pumping too much out. Even when I'm being careful, I still find that I pump out too much. The nice part of the very pigmented formula is that it allows more skin tones to wear each shade. The color is quite vibrant but it also appears very natural on the skin due to the clear gel that the pigment is suspended in. 

This gel texture also creates the very fresh and natural finish of the blush. When the clear gel mixes with the pigment, it creates a translucent flush that blends seamlessly into the skin, looking very natural and makes it appear as if the flush is radiating from within. The finish is very dewy and a bit glossy but it doesn't have sticky or tacky texture. The glossy texture will make your complexion significantly dewier, even if you are applying it over a fairly matte base. It feels very fresh and water-like, as the name implies. This is a formula that remains glossy and wet on the skin so, it does not set down. This means that if you touch your face or if something touches your face, there will be transfer and removal of makeup. 

Despite the fact that this formula that doesn't set on the skin, it actually wears really well on the skin, as long as you're not touching your face. I have worn these blushes long past eight hours and they still looks quite fresh. I have a dry skin type with a bit of oiliness through the t-zone but overall, my skin doesn't produce much oil. I imagine if you have a more oily skin type, this blush will not only look dewier on your skin and it will not last as long. 

THE LOOK 

You can see how glowing and fresh my skin looks with these blushes on. I used the Deep Bronze as a bronzer on the lower part of my cheeks and on my temples. I then applied Intense Coral on the apples on my cheeks. You can see how natural it looks on my skin and how it fuses with the texture of my skin. 

FINAL THOUGHTS 

I love cream and liquid blushes but no formula compares to this unique one! The formula is something unlike other blushes on the market and it does take just a little more effort to apply but it is well worth it. I think for the most part the formula is pretty easy to use and applies beautifully on the skin. The pigment of these blushes is rich and vibrant, which means you don't need much product. So, you get a lot of bang for your buck when it comes to this pricey product. These blushes make your skin look so healthy, glowing, plump, and luscious. It really will look great on all ages because it just makes your sin look healthier and more youthful. This liquid blush formula lasts a surprisingly long time and that makes this formula even better. The shade range is lovely and I hope they will continue to expand the shade range because the formula is so beautiful! This is one of the most natural looking blush formulas and it makes your skin look very healthy. I can't recommend these enough and I really want to own them all! This is a formula well worth trying out! 

| Review | Victoria Beckham Reflect Highlighter Stick

It's here! The item that will complete the iconic VB glow! We're getting a highlighter stick from the famous fashion and beauty mogul. The brand really knows how to do complexion and cheek products really well so, I couldn't be more excited to test this new launch out! While it doesn't look like the most innovative product, I'm hoping the formula will elevate this highlighter among the ranks of some of the best in the industry. If you want to know if this product is worth it, read on. 

The Victoria Beckham Reflect Highlighter Stick retails for $42.00 USD and is available at Victoria Beckham Beauty. This highlighter is beautifully packaged in a vintage inspired gold tube with vertical ribbing and a off-white enamel logoed piece on the cap. It reminds me a lot of vintage lipstick tubes. The packaging is very lightweight and it doesn't have that weighty luxurious feeling that high-end makeup tends to have. However, it is still very beautiful. If you're a fan of Victoria Beckham, this packaging will look really familiar. It is the same packaging from her collaboration with Estee Lauder, you can see it here in my review of the Morning Aura Illuminating Cream. 

SHADES

As this is the first release of this product, there is only one universal shade. I imagine the brand will expand to more shades in a few months, as they have with other products in their range. This initial launch reveals a shade that designed to suit all skin tones and based on the description of the formula, it should suit all skin tones. 

Pearl - This shade is aptly named and it exactly as you'd imagine it would be. It is a soft universal translucent highlighter that contains warm reflective pearl particles. It has a beautiful pearly shimmer suspended in the glossy base. This is a very universally flattering shade  will suit the very fairest to the very deepest skin tones! 

FORMULA 

Yes, it's another highlighter stick on the market! Ok, is this version really any different from all the many many highlighter sticks out there? Yes, but only by a little bit. Let's start with the look of this highlighter stick. It's quite small and looks much closer to lipstick than a highlighter. The pros are you get more precision during application, it's great for traveling, and it's great for touchups. You would think you actually get less product because it looks like less product than your average highlighter stick but you actually get 5 grams in this highlighter, which is comparable to another luxury brand, Westman Atelier. 

The formula is slightly different your typical typical stick highlighters. They often fall on one of two formula types - glossy with little to no pigment or pigment and shimmer without the glossy texture. This one fall pretty much right down the middle. It has a medium champagne pigment that is ultra-fine suspended in a subtle gloss. The pigment doesn't come off as a shimmery shine like, a typical highlighter that relies on shimmers and pigments to create a reflect, which doesn't look as natural. It is also not incredibly glossy, which can make you look a bit greasy or wet. This one doesn't look "wet" on the skin but it offers the skin more of a healthy glow. Now, on a more oily skin type, you may still find this type of formula a bit greasy looking but that will be due to your oils coming through and mixing with the already glossy highlighter. 

The texture is balmy and subtly glossy. It glides on easily to the skin but it is best over cream and liquid products. I made the mistake of applying this on a powdered complexion with other powdered products and it moved the powdered products around, making the powders gather and look patchy. I would not recommend it. I do think the best way to apply this product is to apply it directly to your cheekbone and use your fingers to blend it out. The formula has a beautiful translucence to it, allowing most of your skin to shine through. It makes the highlighter look more natural. The balance between the gloss and the shimmer is really perfect. The shimmer is very fine and it doesn't pick up on texture or pores on the skin. This highlighter just gives you the perfect gleam to the top of the cheeks. I personally like this formula more than the super glossy and sheer highlighters or the creamy shimmer highlighters. 

This formula will last around five to eight hours, depending on your skin type and the conditions you are wearing it in. I find that with my dry skin I can wear it beyond eight hours and it's still stays strong but even on my skin type, by the end of the day, it will look much glowier than at the start. The oils in your skin will always mix with these glossy formulas and you will look much dewier. I do recommend powdering around the highlighter areas to prevent a greasy look by the end of the day. 

THE LOOK

You can see the gleam on the top of my cheekbones but it still has a little gloss. The highlighter looks a bit stronger here because I set my face and used powder products on the rest of my face so, in contrast, it looks a little extra glowy. It still is a very natural looking highlighter compared to a cream formula that is mostly shimmer pigments. 

FINAL THOUGHTS 

This highlighter really impressed me! I have always been a fan of glossy highlights but I also like the gleam of shimmer pigments. I often use the glossy highlighters to top my shimmer highlighters but this is the perfect balance between the glossy and the shine so, I don't need to layer my products. I like the compact and small product size because it gives you a lot of precision during application. Though the product looks small, you get just as much product as other luxury brands. I think this is one of the better balm highlighters you can purchase because while pricey, they really nailed this formulation. The balance of pigment to gloss is very impressive and it is what makes it stand out from other highlighters. This is definitely one that I reach for over some my other cream and balm highlighters. I really do recommend this highlighter and I think it is well worth the price! 

Shop Victoria Beckham Beauty: 

| Review | Westman Atelier Vital Pressed Skincare Blurring Talc-Free Setting Powder

It's actually about time Westman Atelier released a powder. The brand has had their Vital Skin Foundation Stick (full review here) since their launch but not until now did they release a powder to go with it. While I'm not a powder person sue to my dry skin, the skincare-infused formula intrigues me. Will this powder truly feel like skincare and make my skin look flawless? Read on to find out! 

The Westman Atelier Vital Pressed Skincare Blurring Talc-Free Setting Powder retails for $75.00 USD and is available at Sephora and other retailers. The powder is housed in a heavy, small, reflective gold compact. The compact has a nice weighty feeling to it in your hands that feels expensive. The reflective packaging is beautiful but be aware that it is a magnet for finger prints and scratches. Luckily, the brand gives you a thin drawstring cloth pouch for the compact. The bag is a nice touch but feels a little cheap and will really only protect it from getting scratches. It is a pretty compact t pull out for touch ups though. 

SHADES 

This formula currently comes in four versatile shades to suite a specific range of skin tones and one universal translucent shade to suit all skin tones. Since I own way too many translucent (the clear kind) powders, I decided to go with one that is designed to enhance my medium skin tone. I mean technically, the colored ones are still translucent powders but they just have a subtle tint that will help correct and perfect the complexion. 

While I haven't tried the universal shade, I don't notice much of the correcting properties of this powder. The color is very faint and subtle, I think if anything, it might provide a slight brightening effect but even that is not noticeable. I don't think the shade matters that much but this is relative to your skin tone. For example, I don't think a very fair person should opt for the deepest shade even though the coloring is very subtle but they can choose from the lighter shades available. 

Crème - This powder has a very pale yellow tint to it and when I applied to the skin, it blends in completely invisibly. 

FORMULA

This pressed powder has a super soft and ultra-fine texture. You can barely dip your brush into the powder and you will pick up a lot of product. This is a very impressive texture for a pressed powder because when you press a power into a pan, you can really loose that light and sir-like texture. However, this feels almost like a loose powder and it acts like a loose powder. Due to the very light and fine texture, I highly recommend using a smaller brush or a more tapered brush to allow you to control the product and the application of the product.

The powder instantly melts into the skin and looks totally invisible on the skin! It also doesn't feel like anything on the skin! You don't feel or see the powder at all! If you apply this powder over a very dewy or glowy foundation, it will instantly mattify down the shine but it doesn't make the complexion look completely matte. It just dulls the shine and makes the complexion look naturally matte, like the natural look and texture of the skin. It gives the skin a velvety finish that is so flattering. The real magic this powder offers is the burring and soft-focus effect to the skin! 

I don't have heavily textured skin but when I first used this powder it shocked me how significantly smoother and softer my skin appeared! It was very apparent in pictures. I looked at pictures of my skin with this powder on and I thought, "Wow! What's on my skin?", this powder literally has me mesmerized with my skin! I don't use powder 90% of the time I wear makeup but this beautiful texture and filtered effect has me head over heels for this powder! It makes me want to reach for this powder every day of my life! You need so little of this powder to set your face! The tiny bit of powder just creates such a powerful effect and it goes way beyond the abilities of a typical face powder. 

This powder sets my makeup so beautifully and perfectly. The powder makes my makeup last longer, it prevents any oils from peeking through throughout the day, and my makeup looks pretty flawless long into eight hours! It really helped my makeup wear beautifully on a hot day. I'm not a believer in makeup that looks flawless for long after eight hours. I don't think makeup is supposed to be perfect for forever and you will need to touch up. Since I have dry skin, I need little to no touching up when I'm wearing this powder, even if I'm having a long day. 

INGREDIENTS

Now, the "skincare-infused" claim does raise my eyebrows. Here is the full ingredients list: 

Zinc Laurate, Mica, Lauroyl Lysine, Silica, Simmondsia Chinensis (Jojoba) Seed Oil, Ethylhexylglycerin, Sodium Dehydroacetate, Phytosteryl Macadamiate, Polyglyceryl-2 Triisostearate, Enterococcus Faecalis, Butylene Glycol, Water, Hydroxyapatite, Zinc Oxide, Theobroma Cacao (Cocoa) Seed Extract, Chenopodium Quinoa Seed Extract, Magnesium Ascorbyl Phosphate, Tocopherol, May-Contain: Iron Oxides (Ci 77491), Iron Oxides (Ci 77492), Iron Oxides (Ci 77499), Red 30 (Ci 73360).

While I like the way this powder feels on the skin for long-term wear, I don't feel like it has improved my skin in any way. It's just a very comfortable formula. I know that there are a few brands who include this claim when it comes to their powders but I still have some doubts. While this powder does feel very nice and seamless on the skin, it's hard to really tell if there is skincare in the powder acting on my skin. Most of us already wear skincare day to day prior to applying makeup and you're using so little powder, so even if you're using it daily, you probably won't notice the "skincare benefits" from this powder. 

Even if we want to give the brand the benefit of the doubt about the inclusion of skincare, the product description highlights the following "skincare ingredients": 

-Quinoa Seed Extract: Minimizes the look of pores and retexturizes the look of skin.

-Vitamin C: Neutralizes free radicals, visibly evens tone, and supports natural collagen.

-Probiotic: Enhances skin’s natural defense mechanisms.

Let's look into these "skincare ingredients" a bit deeper. 

Quinoa Seed Extract - This is a great anti-aging ingredient that stimulates the synthesis of collagen. While this formula contains this ingredient, we need to keep in mind that not all forms of an ingredient makes it an active ingredient. Additionally, the amount of this ingredient in this formula is most likely not enough to impact your skin and that's IF the extract is potent enough to actually do something, this product is not directly contacting the skin and we use so little of it. 

Vitamin C - If you already know a fair amount about skincare, you will vitamin c is one of the most unstable ingredients that you can include in a product. Its instability means that it breaks down rapidly and will no longer provide the benefits for your skin. Now, powdered vitamin c is a more stabilized form of this ingredient but again, the formula doesn't contain enough to do anything nor will this powder have direct contact with your skin, like your skincare would. 

Probiotic - This is one of those ingredients I really don't like brands throwing around because a real probiotic is a "live culture", it is a living organism but we all know that unless you're refrigerating your products, this "probiotic" is most likely a marketing ploy. 

THE LOOK 

You can see how flawless my skin looks in these photo and it's not my foundation! Obviously, my imperfections are covered but it is the powder that creates that seamless, smooth, and soft texture. Obviously, I still have some texture on my skin but my skin looks significantly more perfected and softer. I also love how it doesn't look at all like powder on the skin, it's totally invisible. 

FINAL THOUGHTS 

I will admit, when I first saw this powder release, I had no interest in it and I thought it was just going to be another overpriced translucent powder. Also, I am just not a powder-person; however, this powder has completely changed my mind! This powder makes me want to actually use powder daily again! In fact, I have been reaching for this powder every time I do my makeup. It really makes my skin looks so beautiful and flawless! The way the powder blurs, softens, and filters my skin is so incredible and unique to other powders on the market! It is luxurious and feels truly special. While I don't believe the skincare properties are anything significant or what makes this formula special. I like the idea of skincare infused makeup but I'm still very skeptical and I don't think it actually makes a difference in my skin. That being said, I still think this is an ABSOLUTELY INCREDIBLE powder and totally worth it! I know it's expensive but I think it is easily one of the best products the brand has to offer and I have tried almost all of their products. This is a MUST-HAVE!

Shop Westman Atelier: