Tag: cosmetics

Summer makeup is all about looking like you spent more time on your face than you actually did. When it’s this hot outside (90s F here), I’m trying to use as few products as possible. Since I know myself and that I’m still going to use some kind of tinted sunscreen/skin tin and/or concealer, a brow product, and mascara, I need everything else to be super minimal. I want one product that can do almost everything else: cheeks, forehead, and lips too. 

That’s where cream blonzers make so much sense to me, and I’ve been super into them lately. I want a single cream product that adds color, warmth, shape, and a slightly more alive look without making me think too hard. The problem, as always, is that a lot of bronzy blush products go very orange on me. My olive skin turns “warm and sun-kissed” into “why does it look like I put Cheeto dust all over my face” very quickly. I pulled together four cream blonzers I’ve been using for my minimal, too-hot-for-anything-else summer face. I don’t know why I haven’t seen more people talk about this category, because this is exactly what I want from summer makeup. 

In this post, all links are affiliate links (thank you for your support!), but all opinions are my own. Swatches are under a ring light to show true to color (photo #1) and then standard lighting to show the formula a little better (#2) for all the products.

Westman Atelier Face Trace Contour Stick in Coco – This is the one I would tell the green friends to look at first. Coco is annoying to describe because it’s not just brown, pink, purple, or tan. It’s kind of all of those things at once. It has this rosy purple-brown tone that works as a contour, but it has enough of the rosy/warm shift of color that I can blend it higher into the blush/bronzer area and not feel like I’m wearing a gray stripe on my face.

On me, this is the perfect olive skin version of the cream blonzer idea. It gives me some sculpting because it is cooler and more muted, but it still gives a faded, sun-kissed, slightly reddish warmth without turning orange. The formula is also beautiful. It blends easily, sits down well, and looks smooth on the skin. It also lasts very well. The only thing that keeps this from being my ultimate go to is that this is the least dewy and least comfy on the lips (it’s not supposed to be because it’s not a lip and cheek product, but I’m team use products how you want unless they come with warning). 

Lisa Eldridge Velatura Balm Dewy Lip and Cheek Stick in Cinnamon Bun – This is the one I reach for the most. The color is not quite as perfect for me as Coco, but it goes on so easily, and no effort is the name of the game when it’s hot out and you’re trying to do 5 minute makeup in your car. 

Cinnamon Bun is sheerer than Coco, as well as warmer, redder, and glossier. It is less sculpting and more “I went outside and got a little flushed.” It gives me a glossy red-brown wash of color that makes it look like I actually slept and drank water (I didn’t), and it works really well on both lips and cheeks.  I can put it on without overthinking placement, blend it with my fingers, and end up looking better in about 20 seconds. I really do love this formula (I have 4 shades and might just grab the 5th one for an in-depth review at this point). It’s also absolutely the best of these as a lip product. 

That all said, the biggest downside for this one is wear time. It doesn’t last as long as the other three on me, but for quick summer makeup, that’s not a huge issue, and it just looks so pretty. 

Haus Labs Color Fuse Glassy Blush Balm Stick in Glassy Cinnamon – This was the first product that made me fall in love with the whole cream blonzer category, so I still have a soft spot for it. Glassy Cinnamon is the warmest one here and the closest to orange in the swatch, but blended out it turns into a really pretty terracotta brown. On my skin, it gives more warm bronzy blush than anything close to contour, so I like it best when I want the look to very sun-kissed.

The formula is great. It blends easily, lasts pretty well, sits down nicely, and works well over other products. I have three of these and use them all the time. I’m just more hesitant to recommend this specific shade to green friends because it has the highest chance of pulling orange of everything in this post.

Versed Everything Balm Complexion Color in Canyon – This is the most affordable by far and also the one I’d get if you want your look to lean more blushy than bronzy. Canyon is the closest to a regular blush because it has so much more pink in it, but it still gives that soft sun-touched effect. It’s not as sculpting as Coco or as rusty as Cinnamon Bun, but it’s the least likely of these to go orange. It also really makes my skin look so pretty in a very effortless way. The formula blends seamlessly, sets down much better than I expected from this kind of balm format, and works well on the cheeks and the lips. 

Because it’s so much pinker, I like this the least on my forehead compared to the others, but none of these are perfect. I’m hoping this helped you pick one if you were in the market because you definitely don’t need all four of these! But I would love more muted red/rosy browns, red-browns, purple-browns, and not-orange bronzy blushes personally if y’all have any recommendations for ones you love! 

As always, some products may have been gifted, but all reviews/opinions are completely my own and unsponsored.

I very rarely buy this much from one brand all at once. Usually, I build up to a brand review over time. I’ll buy one thing, use it for months, buy another thing, keep testing, and then eventually write the review once I feel like I have enough real experience to give y’all a “real person wearing this in real life all day” review. That is one of the things I really care about here. I never want to swatch something once and call it a review. I want to know what happens when I do my makeup in the car, when I put something on at 5 a.m. and need it to last until 11 p.m., when I’m chasing my toddler, when I’m trying to get ready quickly, when I’m doing a long workout, and all the other normal life things that make makeup behave very differently than it does in a perfect first impression scenario.

All to say, I know these products just launched, and I would normally take way more time with them. But so many of you wanted to know what was worth buying, which shades were olive-friendly, which formulas were good, and whether the relaunch was worth the wait, so here we are. I bought everything myself, and I did buy more than I normally would because of the questions I got on Substack (thank you for all the questions and feedback!). 

One note on the packaging before we get into the products: across the board, the packaging is very fun. These feel like little art pieces, and if I had a smaller collection or displayed my makeup, I would probably love having them out. As someone with a lot of makeup and not enough storage, they feel super bulky. They’re harder to store because they’re all interesting shapes and not flat, compact products, which also doesn’t make them easy travel products. They’re also much lighter than I expected. I’m not mad about that because heavy luxury packaging is not always the easiest to use, especially if you have any dexterity issues. But I was expecting the blushes and lipsticks to feel weightier in the hand and less drugstore-weight.

And with all of that, here is my review of a bunch of the new Marc Jacobs products, starting with the products I’m super excited to keep using, then moving into the ones I can take or leave, and ending with the one that honestly makes me mad.

In this post, all links are affiliate links (thank you for your support!), but all opinions are my own. Swatches are under a ring light to show true to color (photo #1) and then standard lighting to show the formula a little better (#2) for all the products. 

Legally Bronze Talc-Free Blurring Powder Bronzer in 10 Light and 20 Light Medium – The bronzer in Light Medium is easily my favorite thing I bought from the Marc Jacobs Beauty relaunch, no question. I originally bought Light because I figured Fair would be too fair for me, and then I was chatting with people on Substack and someone mentioned that Light Medium was the perfect bronzer color, so obviously I had to know and bought that one too. They were right.

The formula is really great. It’s buildable, blurring, and easy to throw on. It’s not so sheer that I have to work forever to see it, but it’s not so pigmented that I’m scared of it, and it blends out easily without looking patchy. Light is honestly pretty orange on me. It’s not horrible, and it doesn’t look terrible once it’s blended out because the formula is so good, but it’s not the bronzer color I was hoping for. 

Light Medium though – I am not exaggerating when I say I have considered getting rid of almost every other powder bronzer I own because this is what I always wanted bronzer to look like on me. It has this rosy brown tan thing going on, but in certain light there’s also a slightly green, olive-friendly undertone that makes it look like it was made for my skin. It gives me warmth without turning orange even a little bit. I swatched it next to some of my other favorite bronzers (shown here next to the Gucci 01 classic for reference), and hopefully you can see how special it is. Most bronzers on me either go too orange or too pink or otherwise don’t look like bronzer is supposed to look on my skin. they look closer to blush. Light Medium actually looks like bronzer on me.

I’ve worn Light Medium every day since I got it, and this is the product from the relaunch I would buy again immediately. If you have similar undertones to me but you’re paler, I’d look at Fair before Light. If you’re a light-medium olive who struggles with bronzers turning orange, Light Medium is really, really special.

Born Star Cream-to-Powder Long-Wear Eyeshadow in Serving – This is the next product I loved, and mostly because of the formula. It goes on super easily with a finger or a brush, doesn’t need a ton of building, and stayed on me all day without creasing, even without primer. It’s such a great one-and-done eyeshadow because it gives enough impact to look like I did something special without a ton of effort. 

The shade isn’t what I expected based on the swatches online, but it’s still really pretty. Serving ends up being an everyday warm brown on me, but not too warm. I’m a little disappointed it isn’t pinker, but the good news is that it doesn’t go copper or  Cheeto dust on me. It also has a little bit of a mauve undertone, which makes it work really well with the berry, mauve, and rosy blushes I tend to wear. It has a bit of a blue reflect but it’s not super strong. 

If you want something similar but a little cooler and more pink, I’d look at the Half Magic Single Eyeshadow in Blushing Lizard. Blushing Lizard is also sparklier, much less expensive, and has a stronger reflect. Serving is smoother and more everyday to me, while Blushing Lizard gives you more obvious sparkle and dimension. I’m very happy I bought this, and I would buy more shades because the formula is great. I just don’t think there are many other colors I actually need, especially with the eyeshadows I already own. I’ve also heard a lot of the other neutral shades run warmer than this, and Serving is already pretty warm on me.

Money Shot Multi-Use Illuminating Gel Highlighter – This is lower in the ranking not because I don’t love it, but because I really wouldn’t tell everyone to run out and buy it. The formula is awesome. Even though it’s a gel, it actually sets down and stays all day. I was worried it would stay tacky or move around, but it wears way better than I expected. It works exceptionally well tapped over another eyeshadow as a topper.

I wouldn’t use it all over the eye on its own. When I put it directly on my lid without primer or another shadow underneath, it looked a little patchy and pooled in some places. It just wasn’t as smooth as I wanted it to be. Over something else, though, it’s perfect. The color/effect is exactly why I love it. I love a super sparkly eyeshadow so much, and this is right up there with my favorites. It’s very sparkly, cool-toned, and has this blue-purple-green reflect that is basically the sparkle of my dreams. In person, the blue comes through much more than it does in photos. The blue reflect helps cut anything too peachy or warm, and it gives that bright, shiny sparkle I’m always hoping for.

I did also use it as a face highlighter, and I think it’s really fun if you’re a person who likes a very sparkly cheek and has an occasion for that. I’m not into that kind of look, so for me, this is really an eyeshadow topper. I’m really happy I got this, but I completely understand that a blue sparkly gel highlight situation is not for everyone.

Joystick Buildable Cream Blush Stick in Last Word and Self Centered – I can really take or leave these. The formula is really pretty, balmy, sheer, and easy-to-build up. The finish looks nice when I first put it on. The problem is that my face eats these so fast. On me, they last maybe an hour, even if I set them with a powder blush, which is disappointing.

I’m still happy I picked up Last Word. It’s a cool purple that actually stays purple on me, which is weirdly hard to find for green friends. A lot of purple blushes end up looking pink once they’re on my face, but this actually adds purple, so it works really well when I want to cool down a blush look or dial back some yellow without using a purple powder. Sometimes I just really don’t want to add more powder and want to bump up the dewiness of a look instead, and this is perfect for that.

Self Centered is fine, butit’s warmer than I expected and not as mauve as I wanted. On me, it’s more of a terracotta/bricky learning mauve, which is pretty, but also very much something I already own in formulas I like much more. I also think the formula Last Word is smoother and easier to work with, while Self Centered looks a little patchier on me. I’m keeping Last Word because the color is really useful for me, but I’d skip Self Centered unless that warmer bricky shade is really missing from your collection.

Heart On Long-Lasting Soft Shine Lipstick in Eat It Up – This one is so frustrating. The formula is beautiful. It feels balmy and nourishing, swipes on easily, and looks smooth on the lips. It is comfortable and wearable in every way I want this kind of lipstick to be. And the color is perfect. 

I swatched Eat It Up against MAC Alone Time, Victoria Beckham Pose, Ravie Zinnia, Ravie Dahlia, Merit Bespoke, Merit Archival, Merit 1990, Merit Slip, Bite Beauty Pepper, Bite Beauty Chai, Givenchy 16 Nude Boisé, Lisa Eldridge Toasted, Westman Atelier Soda, Westman Atelier Onyx, Charlotte Tilbury Pillow Talk Blush Balm Lip Tint in 90s Kiss, YSL Candy Glaze Lip Gloss Stick in 15 Showcasing Nude, MAC Pink Peppermint, MAC Signature Move, MAC Velvet Teddy, MAC It’s Personal, and Queen of Musia Becky Sharp, and nothing was quite the same.

On my olive skin, it reads like a muted, desaturated, grungy mauve that doesn’t go anywhere near orange. It is so good. So why am I so mad? I will never get over how this lipstick tastes. The fragrance is there, but it’s not horrible. At first I thought I could handle it. But the longer I had it on, the more I felt like it just wasn’t worth it. The taste lingered in a way that was really not okay. I was still updating friends hours later after taking it off because my mouth had a terrible aftertaste. I truly can’t remember even noticing the way a lipstick tasted this much ever before.

I also have it on good authority that there are other people who could not handle the taste either (hi fellow support group members!!). If you can handle it, I’m so jealous, and please enjoy the fantastic shades. I’m still glad I got to compare it because the shade really is harder to dupe than I expected, but I still don’t think I’d recommend it unless you are truly not bothered by this specific lip product taste. I’m going to keep hunting for a dupe.

What products should I test next? As always, all reviews/opinions are completely my own and unsponsored. I bought everything in this post myself. 

I’m about to do a bunch of big roundups so I’m taking a little break and just sharing the makeup I’ve been throwing on every day because I’ve had a lot of very early meetings and a toddler who really doesn’t want to leave on time. These products help me look more awake pulled together fast without having to think too hard or worry that something will look off or unblended. 

In this post, all links are affiliate links (thank you for your support!), but all opinions are my own. Swatches are under a ring light to show true to color (photo #1) and then standard lighting to show the formula a little better (#2) for all the products. 

IT Cosmetics Do It All Sheer Tint Face Balm in 120 – I’ve been reaching for this a lot lately because it’s just so easy to throw on, and my skin looks really nice when I wear it. When I don’t have time to work with a more traditional foundation + concealer situation, this gives super pretty sheer, skin-like coverage like a tinted moisturizer but even easier to work with. It blends really quickly and easily and doesn’t need to be powdered. Shade 120 works well enough on me for fast makeup since it’s not too orange or pink that I need to fix it. This is exactly the kind of base product I want when I need to look pulled together without spending a lot of time on my face.

Glossier Cloud Paint Gel Cream Bronzer in Swept – I honestly forgot I had this, and pulling it back out reminded me why I liked it so much. Swept is such a good quick summer bronzer shade for me because it adds warmth and bronze without going too orange or being too gray or contour-y. It’s actually quite rosy on me. The gel formula blends out quickly, looks natural, and doesn’t take much effort at all, which is exactly what I want when I’m trying to pull together a look quickly. 

Victoria Beckham Crease-Proof Eyeshadow Stick in Pecan – This is one of my favorite one and done eye products. I can swipe it on, blend it out quickly with my fingers, and it actually stays all day exactly where I put it. Pecan is a really good brown that stays brown on me, with a tiny hint of green that works really well with my olive undertone. It has warmth, but not in a Cheeto way, and I can wear it alone or tap a shimmer on top if I want it to look like I did more. 

Merit Flush Balm in Postmodern – Postmodern is described as a pink brown but on me, it’s an easy red cheek shade that makes it looks like I did way more with my makeup than I actually did. It’s a bright enough red that it’s a “cheek look” and still actually works with my olive undertone instead of fighting it. It also has enough blue and pink in it that it stays fresh and natural instead of turning orange or tomato-y. I love the Flush Balm formula because it’s so easy to swipe on and blend, and it gives a hydrated cheek look without getting overly dewy. I also love that this works well as a lip product, and I can get a really put together look in about 10 seconds. 

Merit Signature Lip Liner in Bauhaus – I already have this liner in Brownstone, and it’s one of my favorite lip liners, so I knew already that I loved this formula. I’m so excited to have another color in the range. Bauhaus is a deep cool plum, and I truly can’t imagine it going orange on anyone. It’s purple, but in a lip contouring way that I can blur it out and make my lips look fuller and more defined without it looking harsh. It works especially well with Postmodern because it adds a layer of cooler depth and keeps the red cheek/red lip look from feeling one dimension. Unsurprisingly, Merit also knows these go super well together and you can get them in the Cool Plums trio that also comes with the Shade Slick in Tabby. 

Caliray Lipguard SPF 31 Hydrating Gloss Balm in Big Sur – This is the SPF lip product I’ve been keeping in my pocket now that it’s sunnier out and using as my finishing step (especially because my office has a giant window). Big Sur is such a pretty rosy brown-pink with a little warmth that doesn’t go Cheeto orange. Because it’s sheer and glossy, it just adds a light rosy tint. It feels moisturizing, lasts pretty well for a glossy balm, and isn’t overwhelmingly sticky. It doesn’t taste amazing but it’s way better than every other SPF lip product I’ve tried so far. 

*For those of you who saw the Substack note I posted with this actual look and want to know what mascara I was wearing, I can share soon but it’s pretty great.

What products should I test next? As always, some products may have been gifted, but all reviews/opinions are completely my own and unsponsored.  

I’ve been watching everyone’s Sephora sale reviews and last-minute recommendations, and I could feel myself starting to fill up another cart. The problem is I had already shopped the sale once, I ordered a bunch of Lisa Eldridge and Ravie products to test, and I also have a huge YesStyle birthday order I’m working through. So instead of placing another order, I shopped my stash. Some of these are products I hadn’t used in a bit, and some are things I just wanted to spend more time with, but all of them reminded me I already had great options at home. In this post, all links are affiliate links (thank you for your support!), but all opinions are my own.

Moira Love Blur Blush in 12 So Divine – Hybrid cream-powder blushes are so popular right now, and because this is probably my personal favorite blush texture, it was very easy to convince myself I needed another one. Instead, I pulled back out my this Moira blush, and I’m so glad I did. It has that bouncy cream-to-powder texture that makes this category so good, and the formula is actually really blurring. The shade is such a pretty berry flush on me without being too bright or too purple, which can be a hard balance to find. It blends out to just the right amount of pigment, lasts all day, and reminds me a lot of the Rare Beauty blushes in this formula, which I also love. Pulling this back out was exactly the reminder I needed that I did not need to buy another trendy hybrid blush just because I was watching everyone else’s sale reviews. If you want a full Moira review, I actually have a bunch of products from the brand and just haven’t found the right place to post them yet, so let me know in the comments if you’re interested! I also really like buying Moira products from HB Beauty Bar because they seem to always be having a good sale.

Prada Reveal Skin Optimizing Refillable Soft Matte Foundation in LW5 – Soft-focus, perfected base products are very tempting to me right now, but instead of buying another one, I pulled back out the Prada foundation I already own and love. This is still one of my favorite foundation formulas because it gives that really smooth, blurred finish while still looking like skin. The coverage is on the lighter end of medium, but it builds easily without getting heavy or cakey, which is a huge part of why I like it so much. This is what I reach for when I want my skin to look especially polished without feeling overdone. Pulling it back out was a very good reminder that I did not need to buy another trendy base product when I already had one of my favorites at home (did I already buy four new base products before this to test for y’all? Also yes).

Etude Fixing Tint in 14 Rose Lilac and 15 Woody Pink – I am very into the whole lip blush, blurred matte lip situation happening right now. It reminds me of when matte lips were everywhere, except the formulas we have now are so much better. You still get that soft matte, blurred look, but without the super dry, crusty feeling that used to come with it. I have honestly been testing a ridiculous number of these kinds of lip products at this point, at least fifteen, so if you want a full roundup sooner rather than later, let me know. But instead of buying yet another blurred matte lip during the sale, I pulled back out my Etude Fixing Tints in 14 Rose Lilac and 15 Woody Pink. I don’t want to speak too soon, but I’m pretty confident this is my favorite formula in this category so far. I love how flexible this formula is. You can do just a little for a soft hint of color or build it up more, and either way it stays comfortable and looks super smooth. Woody Pink is a dusty rosy neutral that works really well with the mauvey beige looks I wear all the time. Rose Lilac is deeper and moodier, more of a jammy berry-plum, and it pairs especially well with berry-toned blush. Another thing I really like about these is the tint they leave behind. Woody Pink fades into a really pretty light pink stain, while Rose Lilac leaves more of a berry tint. This is one of those categories where using what I already have has honestly just made me want to buy more of it, but these are so good that I’d rather keep reaching for them instead. These are also under $10 right now.

Lawless Forget the Filler Lip Plumping Line Smoothing Gloss in Lavender Sorbet – There are always a million glosses, lip balms, and other glassy lip products tempting me, and I definitely did not need to buy more of them during the sale. Instead, I pulled back out the Lawless Forget the Filler in Lavender Sorbet, which is already one I love. The shade is such a pretty cool-toned milky violet that adds the nicest tint on its own, but it’s also really good over other lip products when I want to cool something down a little. I also love this formula so much. It does have some tingling, but nothing painful or intense, and I really do think it makes my lips look smoother and better overall. It’s also super nourishing and hydrating and lasts pretty long for a gloss. I honestly was considering grabbing another shade, but once I put this one back on, I realized I already had the one I needed. 

Unleashia Glitterpedia Eye Palette No. 1 All of Glitter – I am always a little bit at risk of buying another glittery eyeshadow because I really do love having something sparkly on my eyelids. But I have plenty of eyeshadow palettes I’m already testing, plus another one I’m excited for later this year (if you know you know), so I absolutely did not need to add another one right now. Instead, I pulled back out the Unleashia Glitterpedia palette in No. 1 All of Glitter, and it has been perfect for adding that sparkle to every eye look. It’s a palette of nine glitter shades in a really good range of tones, and only one pulls a little too orange for me. A few of the shades are chunkier pressed glitters, so if that’s not your thing you probably won’t love this, but there are also several smoother sparkle shades that work beautifully if you don’t want to mess with pressed glitter. I would not recommend this as your only palette if you’re hoping to do a full eye look because all but one are really best used as toppers (which you can probably see in the swatches – they really look amazing over something, but not great over bare skin). If you want a dedicated sparkle palette to add that extra layer of glitter, this is a really fun one.

Have you shopped your stash lately, or is there a category you keep almost buying more of? As always, some links may be affiliate links that support the blog and some products may have been gifted, but all reviews/opinions are completely my own and unsponsored.

I realized I would need to write a reallllly long post with all my Sephora favorites I’d recommend for the sale, so I decided to focus on the 10 products from Sephora I’d buy first if I had to start over and rebuild my routine. I really tried to focus on what I’d actually buy from Sephora instead of doing a full-face roundup/one from every category. You’ll notice some categories (like bronzer, contour, powder blush, and mascara) are missing because my favorites aren’t available at Sephora. In this post, all links are affiliate links (thank you for your support!), but all opinions are my own.

Glow Recipe Watermelon Glow Niacinamide Dew Drops – This is the primer that makes my skin look so much better, no matter how little sleep I got. It’s skincare and glowy primer in one, without leaving a greasy finish. It gives that fresh, bouncy finish like you just drank a gallon of water. Even though it provides a glow, it still sets down and provides a great base for makeup to sit on top of and also looks great on no-makeup days because of the finish. I’m really happy I finally grabbed the value size in the last Sephora sale.

Armani Golden Hour 24HR Lightweight Skin Tint with Hyaluronic Acid in F3 – This is such a beautiful skin tint that’s worked well with every primer and sunscreen I’ve paired it with. It’s also played well with all my powders. The shade is a bit too peachy but I don’t feel like I need to add a color corrector when I wear this which is huge for me. You can see next to the Tower 28 concealer below that it would look seamless, except that the Tower 28 is so perfectly green in comparison. It gives light coverage that lets my freckles peek through, similar to the Lisa Eldridge Seamless Skin Tint. You can build it up a bit to light-medium coverage, but it won’t go a real medium or even full coverage. The finish is natural (not too matte, not too dewy), and really looks just looks like skin but better. It has a slight fragrance, but nothing overpowering or lasting. It blends out incredibly easily and holds up really well throughout the day without getting patchy or breaking up. I’ve honestly been really neglecting my other base products so I can wear this instead.

Tower 28 Concealer in BW – This is a newer shade that is specifically supposed to work for olive undertones, and yup, it really is green. This is one of the only concealers I’ve found that actually looks like my skin tone (on my face) instead of just sort of working well enough. I already liked this formula, so having a shade that actually matches me is awesome. It blends in beautifully and looks really natural on the skin, which is why you can’t really see anything in the swatch. It looks like they also have a medium olive shade, so I may end up grabbing that in the sale and mixing the two together because BW is about to be too light for me heading into the spring and summer. I really appreciate that BW is a true warm olive, and it matches me much better than any of the other shades I’ve tried so far.

Danessa Myricks Yummy Skin Liquid Blurring Balm Setting Spray – The Danessa Myricks spray has become more of a powder step for me than a normal setting spray. Sometimes I spray it onto a brush or puff and press it into the skin and basically use it as powder. Since it’s still been super dry here and so has my skin, I’ve been reaching for it most days instead of actual powder, and I’ve been really happy with how that’s been working. 

Laura Mercier Translucent Pressed Setting Powder Ultra-Blur – If I really want an actual powder step to lock something in, this is the one I reach for. I love that no matter what I do, it never feels like I put too much of this on. It’s truly translucent so it doesn’t add any coverage or change the color of what I have on my face. It’s definitely only doing a tiny bit of setting and mattifying (so I wouldn’t recommend this for combo/oily skin) but I love how it’s able to do what I want a powder to do without adding any heaviness or getting cakey. It does have a tendency to hard pan, but you can easily fix that with a piece of tape.

Makeup by Mario Master Mattes® Long-Wearing Cream Eyeshadow in Mauve – This shadow has quickly become a one-and-done favorite. The mauve shade is actually a warmer brown on my skin tone but it looks so polished with very little effort – it’s the tan/brown I’ve been looking for that isn’t Cheeto orange. It applies super easily, blends out quickly, and once it sets, it stays put all day without creasing. I love using it alone, but it also works really well as a base under other powder shadows. It’s exactly what I want in a liquid matte shadow. I also love how easy it is to get just a little bit off the doefoot because the formula is a little thick, which means you don’t end up with way too much that blends out all over your face. I honestly might grab some more shades in the sale.

Rare Beauty Soft Pinch Liquid Blush in Believe – This is very far away from beige in the packaging, but on me it turns into a perfect soft muted beige flush that looks like it just belongs on my face. The brand describes it as a true mauve, and it has that desaturated cool-toned mauvey pink tone that ends up looking just right instead of orange. This is a pretty pigmented formula as you can see in the swatch where I applied directly from the doefoot in a line. You really don’t need that much, and 0.25oz will last forever. The formula is great – it blends easily, lasts all day, and sets down to a really nice skin like finish that isn’t too dewy. If your blush disappears on you, this is a really good one to grab.

Rare Beauty Brow Harmony Flexible Lifting and Laminating Eyebrow Gel – I’ve tried so many brow gels, and nothing has ever really held my brows in place all day until this one. I’m honestly always shocked that my eyebrows stay put with this until I wash them off, with zero crunchiness, flaking, or stiffness. The hold is strong but flexible, and it actually looks natural. I wish it came in tinted shades, but even with the clear shade, it’s worth adding into my routine for the shaping and hold.

Eadem Le Chouchou Exfoliating + Softening Peptide Lip Balm in Fig Sauce – I’ve talked about these balms so many times because they’re genuinely some of my favorite lip products ever. What I wanted to share is that Fig Sauce is such a good color. It’s a super pretty milky rosy brown that ends up being the perfect everyday shade. I usually go for deeper and more brown colors because of my high-contrast olive complexion, but this one still works so well. It’s flattering, easy, and very much a “throw it on without a mirror” situation. The formula is incredible, the scent is amazing, and I haven’t met a shade I didn’t like. I’m so happy to have another one in my collection, and I highly recommend them if you’ve been curious. I still love the shimmery ones (Pain au Chocolat and Coissant au Beurre), Boba Bounce, Bissap Glaze, Guava Fresca, and Butter Mochi, but Fig Sauce has definitely become one of my favorite day-to-day colors.

Every Experiment product I’ve tried so far – I’m cheating a little by making this one product but I would immediately replace all four of the Experiment products I’ve tried. I love them, I use them every day, and they are really special. The Super Saturated Barrier Support Serum gives my skin a lot more hydration, and the Molecular Mesh Moisturizer is one of the best moisturizers I’ve ever used. The Oil Buffer Jelly and Softwear Lip Treatment are very important parts of my nighttime routine and supporting my skin barrier overnight. I use both at night as my last steps, and I definitely notice when I skip them. I’m actually grabbing a new Molecular Mesh, a Support Serum, and a Softwear lip treatment in this sale because I’m about to run out of all 3.

What Sephora product would you replace first? Let me know if there’s anything else you’d like to see here, and thanks for reading! As always, some links may be affiliate links that support the blog, but all reviews/opinions are completely my own and unsponsored.