Reviews and Other Stuff

anastasia

Anastasia Beverly Hills Soft Glam Eyeshadow Palette & Amrezy Highlighter Review + Swatches

Why Hello There! I recently tested some newness from Anastasia Beverly Hills and I am so excited to tell you guys about the Anastasia Soft Glam Eyeshadow Palette ($42), as well as the Amrezy Highlighter ($28).

 

soft glam eyeshadow review

 

The ABH Soft Glam Paletteย has 14 shades composed of matte and metallic finishes. The colors looked to complementing and wearable not just for my own skin tone but also for everyone. As a fan of Anastasia products, I knew I couldn’t let this palette pass me by. Also, I got curious at Anastasia’s latest Highlighter collab with Amrezy, so I tried it in-store and I was really amazed by it.

 

anastasia beverly hills soft glam eyeshadow palette review

anastasia soft glam eyeshadow palette

Soft Glam Eyeshadow Palette ($42) – This palette is something that I’ve been anticipating from Anastasia. I wasn’t much of a fan of the Subculture Palette. I thought the colors looked so unworldly, LOL. But, I’m a big fan of the Modern Renaissance. Anyway, enter the Soft Glam Eyeshadow Palette. My first impression of this is really positive, and I love how the colors looked well-curated. Not too crazy on reds, pinks, coppers, and rusts, but geared towards everyday neutrals and earthy colors that are more in tune with most skin tones. Each color’s texture is very soft and smooth, almost buttery and the pigment is superb. They are also pretty easy to blend and you can pack the colors on the lids for a more defined look. The glittery shades feel very soft as well, and never rough nor scratchy. The colors are something you would want to wear every day and application-wise, I haven’t noticed any fallouts. I find that the buttery smooth and velvety colors adhere well on the lids with or without any eyelid primer. The colors stayed on my lids for about 6 hours, yet they do crease a bit after that, but maybe that’s because I tend to have oily lids, but overall, this particular eyeshadow palette is still very reliable and it never smudges on me. Also, I love the dual-ended brush that came with this palette. It’s great for applying colors and it blends them well on the lids. The brush can contour very well and it feels really soft. I even like it better than the Urban Decay Naked Palette brushes. Another thing I love about this palette is its velvety yellow mustard packaging that feels really good to the touch and allows for a good grip.

 

anastasia beverly hills amrezy highlighter

Amrezy Highlighter (0.31 oz: $28) – This is the highlighter made in collaboration with Amrezy, which is currently making a huge buzz right now, and there’s definitely a reason why. When I first swiped my fingers on this highlighter, I was really impressed by its light gold shimmer. It felt so soft and smooth and it looked really pigmented. But when I applied it to my cheekbones, it didn’t really show much. I got a bit disappointed because the color of this highlighter actually seems to be too close to my light-medium skintone, and it didn’t seem to be as pigmented as I expected it to be. It is definitely quite soft, so its effect is very subtle and very natural upon application, kind of like one of those Dior Nuder Air Luminizers (reviewed HERE). The problem is, I like my highlighters to be quite pigmented, and this isn’t quite that. Since this can be applied wet or dry, I tried to apply it using a wet dense brush and it works much better. I do recommend that you apply this highlighter dry if you want a soft natural finish, but apply this wet if you want an all-out glow.

 

anastasia soft glam eyeshadow swatch

 

amrezy highlighter swatch

 

Don’t these new ABH products appeal to you? Are you a big Anastasia fan?

 

The Anastasia Beverly Hills Amrezy Highlighter and Soft Glam Eyeshadow Palette is currently available at Sephora, Ulta, Dillard’s, Nordstrom, JCPenney, Macy’s and Urban Outfitters

 

Tom Ford Shade & Illuminate Glow Stick (Sunstruck) Review + Swatches

Tom Ford’s latest beauty release is not only a sight to behold but also one that has been much-anticipated. Finally, feast your eyes with the TF Shade & Illuminate Glow Stick ($55).

tom ford shade & illuminate glow stick

 

 

It’s a dual-ended cheek and highlighter stick that is housed in a luxurious easy to apply packaging. It is absolutely stunning to look at. So far there is only one shade that is being released and it’s called Sunstruck. The two colors have a very summery vibe to them, with the rose gold highlighter being a dewy creamy lit from within glow and the bold coral blush as also being creamy and vibrant.

 

tom ford shade & illuminate glow stick sunstruck

 

The highlighter may seem a bit too dark or brownish on the outside, but once applied and blended, it becomes a nice easy to wear rose-gold highlighter that could work very well on any skin tone. Also, this is a very creamy highlighter which makes it very easy to blend around the high points of the face without disrupting the foundation, and it also has a dewy shimmery effect. It isn’t super blinding that the extraterrestrials might come down here on earth, the effect is subtle and quite natural, kinda like a healthy beach glow. On the other hand, the hot coral blush was a bit of a shock for me at the beginning, that’s because it seems extremely pigmented and bright to look at even just at one swipe, and I was a bit worried that it might be too harsh on the cheeks. While it’s true that it’s super creamy and very pigmented, the technique is basically to just dab a small amount on the apples of the cheeks for that nice coral flush, kinda like sun-kissed.

 

tom ford shade & illuminate glow stick

tom ford glow stick sunstruck

 

The Glow Stick doesn’t have any scent and it can be pricey. Yet given its luxe packaging, size, and the substantial amount of product in it, it’s definitely worth the splurge. You can use either a sponge or your fingers to apply the product, and it’s pretty much a quick dab and go application.

 

tom ford shade & illuminate sunstruck glow stick swatch

tom ford glow stick swatch

 

Overall, I really like the effect that it does on my skin. I definitely look like I just came from frolicking on the beach complete with my with piรฑa coladas and sunblock spray. Oh my, this product is gonna be so overused. I hope TF will also release more shades of this glow stick soon enough.

 

Is this on your radar lately? I have a feeling that this is gonna be sold out pretty soon.

 

The Tom Ford Shade & Illuminate Glow Stick is currently available at Sephora, Nordstrom, Saks Fifth Avenue, Neiman Marcus, Bergdorf Goodman, & JCPenney