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Bobbi Brown Shimmer Brick Highlighter Review & Swatches

September 10, 2018 / FASHION & BEAUTY / 0 comments

Hey there. Ever since falling in love with the Bobbi Brown Mini Glow Set that I got from the last Nordstrom Anniversary Sale, which contains the mini Bobbi Brown Shimmer Brick in Sunset Pink and the mini Face Blender Brush (seen HERE), I knew right then and there that I’ve got to have more of the Shimmer Brick Highlighters especially in their full sizes. I may be late in the game of liking these amazing blush-highlighter hybrids, but I just wanna take a moment to tell you how good these beauties are.

The Bobbi Brown Shimmer Brick Highlighters (standard size 0.4 oz: $48, mini 0.14 oz: $25) are the iconic face highlighters loved by a lot of people and is also an Allure Best of Beauty Winner. If you’ve never tried these compacts before and are wondering what’s so special about them, well there’s definitely a lot to love. For starters, these are meant to be as all-over face highlighters that deliver soft-focus color and lit-from-within glow, the kind that is natural and one that gives a subtle shimmer finish. Each compact delivers a glow that can be rosy, bronze-gold, lush coral, or metallic pink, and since there are five shades in one compact, the colors are multidimensional and forever changing once they get hit by the light. The pigments are good in these and they can be layered easily. Blending them is such a breeze and you can never go wrong if you put too much of the product since the colors have a soft-focus effect.

I mostly use these as highlighting blushes and these literally made me fall in love with face blushes all over again. I haven’t been a fan of blushes in a long time and it’s a beauty product I normally shy away from because I already have “somewhat prominent” cheeks and I did not want to emphasize them further. Literally, the only two face blushes I could tolerate are the Tarte Paaarty and the Nars Orgasm (or Goulue, but it’s currently sold out). Never knew I could love a multifaced highlighter/blush hybrid like these Bobbi Brown Shimmer Brick Compacts.

Bronze – deep bronzy glow. True to its description, this is a golden glowy blush/highlighter/bronzer.

Nectar – soft, coral glow. Adds a nice coral-pink shimmer flush on the face.

Pink Quartz – soft, warm pink glow. Appears like a metallic pinkish-pearlized highlighter on me.

Rose – soft, rosy glow. Very subtle rosy pink with a very slight shimmer.

Sunset Pink – Nordstrom Exclusive and is still available at BobbiBrown.com. Has a nice complex blend of rosy golden-bronze shimmer. At first glance, it looks like a combination of some of the shades from Bronze and Pink Quartz, but upon application, the closest shade it matches with is Bronze. Swatched HERE.

These compacts are so long-wearing that they’d still be on my face for a full day and they definitely elevate my makeup look. Also, they can be used as eyeshadows if you’re traveling and they can literally make you look well put together in a few minutes. Just brush a light stroke of these on the cheeks, add an eyeliner, emphasize the brows, a little lip color and you’re good to go. Oh, and add some hair flip drama, LOL.

Another thing I really like about these Bobbi Brown Shimmer Brick Highlighters is the fact that they’re not orangey or too pinkish, instead, their glow is very natural, versatile, and healthy-looking. You could pretty much wear them beyond Spring/ Summer and the radiance they have on the skin can still be wearable even if you’ve already applied too much product. They’re not super blinding, though they can be if you want a more dramatic effect. They’re just slightly shimmery and they have a nice glowy flush that adds warmth and directs light to the high points of the face. These are definitely my most favorite Bobbi Brown products and the ones I highly recommend.

The Bobbi Brown Shimmer Brick Highlighter is currently available at Sephora, Nordstrom, Saks Fifth Avenue, Neiman Marcus, Barneys New York, Bergdorf Goodman, Bloomingdale’s, Harrods, Macy’s, Net-A-Porter, Violet Grey, and BobbiBrown.com

Glossier Cloud Paint & Balm Dotcom Review And Swatches

August 8, 2018 / FASHION & BEAUTY / 0 comments

It’s been a while since I reviewed some Glossier products. The last time I talked about them was when I was just getting to know their stuff. You can check out that review HERE. Since then, I’ve fallen in love with Glossier. I always reach out for their products whenever I feel like I wanted something light, easy, and natural to use. Even during this Summer, I always have a glossier product in my purse, and lately, I’ve been loving their Cloud Paints (0.33 oz: $18) for that sheer and breezy pop of color on the cheeks, as well as their Balm Dotcoms (0.5 oz: $12) for that multipurpose lip and skin moisturization.

Over time, I’ve collected a few more shades of the Glossier Balm Dotcoms as well as the Cloud Paints. What I love about the Balm Dotcoms are their versatility. I could either use them as a lip balm or as a skin cream and boy, do they smell so good. Each tube is pretty much a sensory experience. You can definitely smell the true scents of cherry, birthday cake, mint, etc. among other things. Try using these balms at night, and you will feel like you’re being transported somewhere dreamy, delicious, and nice. LOL. For me, these Balm Dotcoms are probably one of the best lip balms I’ve ever tried since they not only have that nice flavoring, they’re also very soothing and hydrating on the lips. The formula is perfect for restoring dry chapped lips to a hydrated one overnight. They also aide in softly removing dead skin cells as well as retaining the skin’s moisture. The consistency is very creamy, dense yet feels lightweight, and non-sticky. There are several flavors/shades to choose from, ranging from untinted to a sheer tint. The packaging is also cute and pretty much easy to carry everywhere.

Rose – smells like a true rose with a subtle pink tint

Cherry – strong bubblegum cherry with a sheer reddish tint

Birthday – delicious birthday cake with very subtle shimmer and slightly exfoliating (sugar bits). No tint.

Mint – true peppermint scent that feels cooling. No tint.

As for the Cloud Paints, they’re pretty much foolproof to use, and you can never apply too much since they’re easy to correct. They’re not the type of liquid blushes that are super staining. Instead, their pigments are sheer but buildable, kinda like being lit from within, or having that natural flush. There are several shades to suit everyone’s skin tone, plus there are two new shades that have been added recently to this Glossier liquid blush lineup – the Dawn and Storm shades, which I haven’t tried yet, but I will pretty soon. The formula is not very liquid, but more of a very lightweight creamy gel. It’s very easy to spread and blend around the cheeks and you can pretty much build its intensity. I didn’t notice any scent and it’s perfect to wear if you have oily skin. The overall effect of these liquid blushes is very natural.

Beam – soft peach

Haze – deep berry

Dusk – brownish nude

Overall, I am deeply in love with these Glossier Cloud Paints and Balm Dotcoms. As someone with an oily skin type and with a tendency to have dry lips, these products are heaven-sent. I love that they’re affordable, that they come in several colors and the fact that their packaging is SO cute. Also, if you buy Glossier’s products, you’ll get a free pink bubble pouch which is perfect for traveling or for just storing and organizing your favorite makeup and skincare.

Are you into the gloss?

These Glossier Balm Dotcoms and Cloud Paints are currently available at http://www.glossier.com

Nars Radiant Creamy Concealer VS Tarte Shape Tape Concealer Review

April 3, 2018 / FASHION & BEAUTY / 0 comments

I get these questions a lot, “What’s the difference between the Nars Radiant Creamy Concealer versus the Tarte Double Duty Beauty Shape Tape Concealer? or “Is there even any difference at all?” Those questions also intrigued for quite a while. I’ve always been using the Nars Radiant Creamy Concealer and just sort of didn’t even bother to try the Tarte Shape Tape mainly because it’s always sold out, at least for quite some time, until now (I think). A lot of people said that it’s the best concealer ever, while some also claimed that the Nars ones are the real bestsellers. Hmm, that’s kinda confusing, isn’t it? so let’s take a closer look at these two very popular concealers.

Nars Radiant Creamy Concealer (mini/0.05 oz: $13, 0.22 oz: $30) – I bet that everyone owns this concealer or at least are very familiar with it. It’s a reliable creamy concealer that hides redness, dark spots, blemishes, dark undereye circles and any other skin imperfections. The best thing about this concealer is that it is easy to blend and it has a buildable formula. It is creamy and easy to work on the skin and it has very good pigments that set well for several hours of wear. Because of its creaminess, it doesn’t make the skin look dry and cakey, however, for the same reason, you still need to set this concealer with a setting powder, like the Laura Mercier Translucent Loose Setting Powder to extend the life of this concealer and minimize the chance of creasing. Also, this Nars Radiant Creamy Concealer comes in a vast range of shades to choose from, so you’re definitely guaranteed to find the shade that’s right for you.

Tarte Double Duty Beauty Shape Tape Concealer (0.33 oz: $27) – What I said about the Nars Radiant Concealer is almost also true with the Tarte Shape Tape Concealer. In fact, I find it to be quite surprising that these two concealers are so similar to each other. The Tarte Shape Tape is also smooth and creamy and it blends well into the skin. It also has a very good coverage that conceals any imperfections, and its formula lasts throughout the day but you still need to set it with a setting powder as well.

With all that’s being said, here are some key points about the two concealer’s main similarities and differences, with some pros and cons.

Packaging: The Nars Radiant Creamy Concealer has a slimmer tube with a much slimmer brush/wand compared to the Tarte Shape Tape. Because of that, it’s much easier for me to use the Nars Radiant Concealer since I can control the amount of product I need to use with just a few swipes of the brush. With the Tarte Shape Tape, I definitely need to be careful with the way I apply it because the brush is large and wide so you might run the risk of using too much product. I have to literally just put one or two dots of the concealer on my face.

Blendability: Both concealers need to be blended properly and they do spread and blend well using the original Beautyblender or the Beautyblender Micro Mini. The Nars Radiant Creamy Concealer seems to be slightly easier to blend compared to the Tarte Shape Tape, although both concealer immediately sets on the skin after a few seconds.

Pigment: I find the Tarte Shape Tape Concealer to be slightly more pigmented than the Nars Radiant Concealer, and that is the reason why it takes a few more dabbing and blending for the Shape Tape concealer to blend very well on the skin. Yet that difference of pigment strength is very very subtle and almost hard to discern for some.

Fragrance: There is a slight and pleasing floral fragrance of the Tarte Shape Tape, while the Nars Radiant Creamy Concealer does not have any scent at all.

Price: The Nars Radiant Creamy Concealer comes in two sizes; the mini, and the regular size, while the Tarte Shape Tape seems to come only in one regular size and it’s $3 cheaper than the regular size of the Nars Radiant Creamy Concealer.

Lasting Power: Even though both formulas are not really prone to extreme creasing, they still require a loose setting powder to set them for hours and hours of wear. However, I find that the Tarte Shape Tape holds its pigments and concealing ability slightly much better than the Nars Radiant Creamy Concealer. I could get a good 12 hours wear with the Tarte Shape Concealer and it never creased on me. My dark undereye circles were thoroughly concealed, it didn’t accentuate my fine lines nor my dry undereye areas, and even though I have oily-prone skin, the Tarte Shape Tape Concealer held through.

Verdict, I like both concealers and I feel like it’s good to have both. I like the Nars Radiant Creamy Concealer for an everyday use or at times when you don’t really need to have hours and hours of perfect makeup. I’m giving it more points for its easy to use brush applicator and also because it comes in a ton of shades to choose from. However, for that same reason, I feel like it’s a blessing and a curse. Having a ton of shade range adds more dilemma to the consumers in finding the right shade for them, that’s because having too many similar shades might confuse and deter people from buying a certain product, not to mention, time-consuming. On the other hand, it’s also a good thing since that means potentially finding the right color for you. Anway, it was much easier for me to decide which Tarte Shape Tape Concealer to buy and I didn’t have to get confused. The Light-Medium shade is the best for my skin tone. Its closest Nars Radiant Concealer shade match would be the Custard color. In this review, you’ll find the Macadamia shade which I’ve been using nowadays. Back to Tarte, I actually like the light floral scent of the Tarte Shape Tape, but I don’t like its wand. Too big, too much product to apply, it’s a challenge to work around, but if I want my makeup to last and be on point, I’d definitely grab a Tarte Shape Tape Concealer. Bottom line, get both, or either of the two will do, they’re pretty much almost identical anyway and you won’t be disappointed with any of them.