Reviews and Other Stuff

Trèstique Highlight + Perfect Multipurpose Stick in Maldives

Anastasia Beverly Hills Sun Dipped Glow Kit Review + Swatches

If you’re looking for a palette full of well-crafted highlighters with different tones, well, look no further because this Glow Kit from Anastasia Beverly Hills ($40) might just be the answer you’re looking for, especially if you’re crazy over highlighters nowadays.

 

Anastasia Beverly Hills Sun Dipped Glow Kit swatches

 

I’ve reviewed several highlighters here in the blog, some of them are in kits or palettes, while some are in one single compact. Some are even in liquid or stick forms which I will be comparing with this ABH Glow Kit later on this post. While it’s nice to have everything in one single compact that contains a blush, a contour, and a highlighter shade, this Anastasia Glow Kit is quite different. It has 4 highlighters in one single kit or palette, which I think is made especially for those who just can’t get enough of highlighters and for those who need a highlighter that truly matches their complexion.

 

anastasia glow kit review

 

Depending on your skin tone, some highlighters may overemphasize or underemphasize your features. Some may even make you glow too much like a flashlight. There are even some shades that just don’t show up on your skin. So with 4 highlighters in one palette? I’m all up for it.

Anastasia Beverly Hills Sun Dipped Glow Kit

Bronzed – This is a shimmery bronze-gold that can work as a bronzer or as a golden highlighter for different skin tones, but I think this is specially meant for medium to dark skin tones as well. This is really shimmery and if you wanna look super gilded like the queen of the Nile, then this one’s for you.

 

Summer – A pearly-gold shimmer for those with lighter complexions. This really highlights your cheekbones and all the bony prominences of your face.

 

Tourmaline – A rosy shimmer that’s a bit similar to Becca’s Shimmering Skin Perfector in Opal. I love this shade because it’s not too bright and not dark for a highlighter. A great complement to any light-medium skin tones.

 

Moonstone – This is a blend of peachy-pearl-golden shimmer that appeared to be very similar to the Summer shade once applied on my light-medium skin. In fact, it’s hard for me to tell the difference between the two. The difference between them is very subtle, but this is for sure a better option for those with light to medium complexion if you’re looking to level up your highlighter shade but doesn’t want a pure pearly shimmer on your face.

 

 

Anastasia Beverly Hills Sun Dipped Glow Kit review

These highlighters are well-pigmented and they’re really shimmery. You can layer them for sure, but I find that just a single swipe of a fan brush or a finger will already give an instant glow. They’re easy to blend, so that’s a big plus, but I find that they’re a bit more shimmery when compared to Becca’s Shimmering Skin Perfectors (reviewed HERE), yet they’re also as finely-milled and soft.

Anastasia Beverly Hills Sun Dipped Glow Kit swatches review

I definitely like all the four shades in this ABH Sun Dipped Glow Kit and I noticed that there’s really not a lot of fallouts, and if there is, it’s almost unnoticeable. Compared to some other popular highlighting palettes out there, like the Becca x Chrissy Teigen Glow Face Palette (reviewed HERE), well, even though that’s a different kind of story because that’s more like an all-in-one highlight/contour/blush palette, I feel like this is such a contender. This is great for traveling or just something to have around that’s easy to reach all the time, and with 4 choices of shades, you can’t really go wrong. When it comes to stick or liquid highlighters, well, there’s a lot of good stick highlighters out there that delivers smooth natural highlighting effects like Benefit’s Watt’s Up!, Trestique’s Highlight & Perfect Multipurpose Stick (seen HERE), or Nudestix Nudies All Over Face Color Bronze + Glow (reviewed HERE), but still this ABH Glow Kit in Sun Dipped is very practical, convenient, and worth the money. Overall, the formulation is superb, the shades are wearable, versatile, and they make you glow beautifully.

 

The ABH Sun Dipped Glow Kit is available at Sephora, Ulta, Macy’s, and Dillard’s

 

It’s almost weekend, Yey!

 

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treStiQue Mini Contour Travel Set Review

What’s Up Friends! I fell in love with Trèstique’s beauty products the moment I tried their Maldives Luminescent Highlighter that came with last month’s Sephora Play! I thought it has a nice smooth shimmer that naturally illuminates the curves of your face. Well, since then, I wanted to try other Trèstique products and I stumble into their Mini Contour Travel Set (0.04 oz $28), which has a blush, a bronzer and the same highlighter that I love in it, but in minis which are great for traveling.

 

treStiQue Mini Contour Travel Set Maldives luminescent highlighter Brazilian bronze bronzer bora bora coral blush

 

I noticed that most Trèstique products are aimed towards being practical. They’re pretty much easy to use, energy-saving and almost eliminates the need for a brush. Lord knows it can be quite draining to create the perfect makeup du jour, you know. Most of their products are pen style or have dual ends wherein the other end has a brush or smudger attached to it. I love that. Don’t we all?

 

treStiQue Mini Contour Travel Set

 

Back to the Trèstique Mini Contour Travel Set, each stick is about 3.5 inches long but there’s only about 0.5 inches of product in it. So there’s not a lot, but it’s good enough especially if you only use it for traveling. Also, for its price, it’s hard to complain. The formula of these mini sticks are not really creamy, I think they’re somewhat chalky and sort of dry, but they glide on the skin well enough. They aren’t very pigmented either, but they’re very buildable, so a couple more strokes on the face will do the job. They also don’t have any fragrance and they didn’t irritate my skin.

 

treStiQue Mini Contour Travel Set Review

 

Brazilian Bronze (Bronzer) – A matte bronzer that appears to be light brown upon first swipe, but it can be layered to create a deeper tone, adding more depth to the face. Personally, I find that I have to put 3-4 deep strokes on my face to create that natural-looking contour.

 

Bora Bora Coral (Blush) – A coral-pink blush that also seems really light at first application, yet it’s buildable and it blends quite well. The nice thing is there’s no shimmer on this blush, so it creates a natural flush on the cheeks, which is nice, even though it requires a few more swipes.

 

Maldives Luminescent (Highlighter) – As what I’ve said in my previous Sephora Play! review (found HERE), this is a well-done pearly highlighter that gives a discreet soft shimmer on the face. It’s great for everyday use and it blends smoothly. It’s also very long-lasting and since it has a sheer coverage, I love that it doesn’t overwhelm the face with too much glitter.

 

treStiQue Mini Contour Travel Set swatch

 

This is indeed a great trio set for traveling, and it even comes in a mini round bag which is a great add-on. I just wish that these sticks were slightly more pigmented and that there’s enough product on each of them. Other than that, the Mini Contour Travel Set by Trèstique is practical to use, easy to blend, affordable and time-saving. You might as well have one for your next sojourn.

 

treStiQue Mini Contour Travel Set Review

The Trèstique Mini Contour Travel Set is currently available at Sephora.

 

Have a great day makeup lovers,

 

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Sephora Play! May 2017 Box

Sephora Play! May 2017 Box review

 

Hello! This month’s Sephora Play! Box has been pretty exciting with its “Beauty On The Rise” products. A couple of new and interesting brands, a cult-favorite, and some really unique formulations of products were included in my box. There’s a highlighter, a few lip products and another mysteriously featured scent. There’s even a hair care and skin care in there. Hmmm, this is definitely one of the most exciting box I have ever received. Oh, and also, the products didn’t come in a cute pouch this time, instead, it came in a cute transparent envelope marked with the words “Play” on it. A different take on the usual Sephora Play! pouch bags. Hmmm, Interesting…

Sephora play may 2017

 

       1. Grande Lips Lip Plumper in Clear – Gone were the days when you can just purchase a Grande Latte, now you can definitely purchase a Grande Lips, Hahah! This clear lip gloss can be worn alone or under a lip product with the promise of plumping your lips with regular usage. It has hyaluronic acid to soften the lips as well. While I haven’t noticed the plumping effect, I did feel the stinging feeling on my lips once this product was applied, which is quite similar to Too Faced Lip Injection. I’m not really a fan of the tingly sensation on my lips, I feel like I’m having that bee-stung allergic lip reaction, but I do get the intention and effect of making the lips feel and look full.

Grande Lips Lip Plumper

       2. Trèstique Highlight + Perfect Multipurpose Stick in Maldives Luminescent – I love this gel highlighter a lot, and I now love Trèstique. This multitasking product can be used to add a subtle or layered glow on the face, or it can be used as a shimmery eyeshadow. I like its soft smooth texture the Maldives Shade is just perfect for daily use.

       3. Christophe Robin Cleansing Purifying Scrub with Sea Salt – Don’t be mistaken by thinking that this product is a body scrub like I did, because I almost used it as one. That’s what happens if you don’t read the instruction. You will always fail the test. LOL. This is a product for the hair and it’s more like a shampoo, or should I say, a hair scrub. Designed for oily hair or dandruff-prone scalp, this hair care product smells divine. Slightly lemon-ish and slightly perfumey, this feels really good on the hair and the scalp. Best of all, it didn’t leave my hair dry and I like that this foams very well, making my hair feeling so clean. A little bit goes a long way and follow it with your favorite conditioner. I love this product much already.

       4. Maison Margiela ‘Replica’ Beach Walk Eau de Toilette Spray – With bergamot, ylang ylang, pink pepper and cedarwood, this is a light musky scent. I’m normally not a fan of musky fragrances but this one is especially pleasing to the senses. It’s light enough for day time wear and even though it smells like a thousand jasmines, this scent is bearable enough for me and it’s not too heady.

       5. Nudestix Magnetic Matte Lip Color in Greystone – Another new formula and new brand for me. It’s supposed to be a lip stain, a lip color, and a lip liner in one. The pigment is so rich in this interesting lip color. It’s also very long lasting that it almost didn’t budge when I first tried to take it off. Hmmm, it’s another surprise love for me, though I didn’t really like the Greystone shade, but I’ll be off looking for some wearable shades of this very very promising lip product.

Nudestix Magnetic Matte Lip Color in Greystone

     

       6. Sunday Riley Ceramic Slip Clay Cleanser – Apparently a fave in the fashion industry, this greenish clay cleanser is meant to minimize pores and balance the skin. It smells slightly spicy and earthy at the same time, but not clayish at all. It also has a hint of neroli and is actually quite refreshing. It cleanses my face well, but it doesn’t lather much. I usually leave it on my face for one minute as instructed and complement it with another face cleanser whenever I feel like I needed more cleansing.

 

 

Sephora may 2017 play box review

 

Bottom line, I enjoyed this month’s Sephora Play! box contents. Never knew I’d like Replica scents, while now I know that I’ll be on the lookout for other Christophe Robin and Sunday Riley Products. I have my eyes set on more shades of the Nudestix Lip Colors for sure and perhaps a full size of the Trèstique Hightlighter + Multupurpose Stick.

 

What’s your fave from this month’s Sephora Play! goodies?

 

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