Tag: glossier ultralip

May 2022 Favorites

by liftbakelove4 Comments on May 2022 Favorites

I can’t believe May is already over, and it’s time for another round of favorites! As always, I’m only featuring products in my favorites that are true favorites that I’ve been using consistently for longer than a couple months. If there’s anything you were looking for a review on or a topic that you want me to cover, please let me know if the comments below! And, of course, thank you so much for being here, and it would mean so much to me if you subscribe here or on Instagram @liftbakelove for new posts.

BK Beauty 101 Contoured Foundation Brush – I will be doing a full review of all the BK Beauty brushes I have, but this one really stands out to me. It’s the perfect shape for so many things – foundation, bronzer, blush, highlighter. Because of the angle and the shape, it works so quickly for anything I’m doing. The density is perfect and doesn’t “eat up” too much product. Even though it’s large, it works so well for blush and bronzer in particular. It’s one of the first brushes I would rebuy now if I lost my collection, and that’s saying so much since I have such a large collection of brushes.

Natasha Denona Puff Paint Liquid Blush – This is a liquid blush serum that dries down but keeps its beautiful sheen – you can see how dewy it looks on my swatch above. I love using it as a finishing touch after I apply other cream blushes to add some brightness and shimmer-free shine. It never disturbs anything underneath it and is just the right amount of pigmentation to use in this way. I have it in the shade Darya, which is a bright melon color that is really unique to my collection, and I never think to reach for it, but now that I have started using it all the time, it’s become an almost daily staple.

Natasha Denona Puff Paint Liquid Blush in Darya

Glossier Ultralip in Villa – The Ultralips are a pretty pigmented tinted lip balm that has a touch more glossiness than your average balm. I love how moisturizing it is and how long lasting it is (for a lip balm texture). You can also build up the color without anything weird happening like pilling or patching. Villa is such an at home shade for me that makes it super easy to throw on, so I love using these during the day on work calls when I want something quick and easy while still taking advantage of how moisturizing these are.

Glossier Ultralip in Villa

Urban Decay 24/7 Moondust Eyeshadow in Space Cowboy – I own a ton of single glittery/topper type eyeshadows and love them all, but I think my absolute favorite is this one. I’ve used it on top of my eyeshadow almost every single time I’ve used my eyeshadow since I bought it, and I’m so happy with the effect it has. It’s a sheer shimmery eyeshadow that adds a wet look to any shadow without really adding any color or changing the color of the look underneath. It’s also incredibly reflective and glossy, doesn’t have any fallout, and is so easy to apply with a brush or fingers (and doesn’t require any glitter glue).

Urban Decay 24/7 Moondust Eyeshadow in Space Cowboy

Fitglow Beauty Lip Night Serum – I love all of the Fitglow Lip Serums so much, but I have been loving the night serum. This formula is incredibly nourishing, thick, hydrating, and long-lasting, which makes it perfect for super dry winter nights. It’s honestly the best nighttime lip treatment I’ve ever tried, and I wake up consistently to hydrated and nourished lips, which I’ve never had happen in the winter before using this product. It’s quite expensive for a lip balm, but it’s really so much more than that and totally worth it for me to not have consistently dried out, chapped, painful lips.

What were your favorites this month? Let me know if there’s anything else you’d like to see here on LiftBakeLove, 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.

MY 8 FAVORITE PRODUCTS UNDER $20

by liftbakelove4 Comments on MY 8 FAVORITE PRODUCTS UNDER $20

As part of my no-buy year, I’m trying to really get to know and love my collection and starting a “favorite products under $X series” to help me in that process. I’ll be doing posts every month for different dollar amounts, and I’m so excited to dive into my collection in this way. This time, I’m writing about my favorite products under $20. I would love see your favorites and recommendations for under $20 beauty products in the comments! And, of course, thank you so much for being here, and it would mean so much to me if you subscribe here or on Instagram @liftbakelove for new posts.

Glossier Stretch Concealer – My favorite way to use this concealer is all over like a foundation, and I’ve been using it a ton this way lately. I’ve been super tired lately with how dark it’s getting, and this has been so great to use to get my makeup done super quickly. I can just dot it all over my face, blend, and be done without needing both a concealer and foundation step. The Stretch Concealer looks incredibly skin like, lasts all day, and provides just the right amount of coverage for me (which is light). I find the light coverage makes it blend seamlessly and wear well even without powder since it’s harder to tell where it’s worn off than with a fuller coverage product. It also feels very light weight, and everything I put on top of it looks great. 

Salt New York Crème Tint Pro Bronzer, Blush, and Highlighter – I’ve written about my love for Salt New York’s products so many times, and it’s because it continues to be one of my favorite cream formulas that I go back to over and over again. All the Crème Tint Pros I have (and I have 21) blend out incredibly easily and seamlessly, are super lightweight, and look so at home on my skin. This is my favorite formula for when I need a “I’m running late and need something easy” look – they blend out so quickly with a brush, sponge, or fingers and never look patchy. My most used shades over the years has been the bronzer in Light/Medium, highlighter in Beige, and blush in Rose, and I’ve really been loving Cocoa and Plum recently. They are all $16, but they have sales all the time, so I technically based on what I paid for most of them, these could have been in the under $10 post.

Salt New York bronzer in Light/Medium, highlighter in Beige, blushes in Rose, Cocoa, and Plum

Blush Divine Radiant Cheek & Lip in Ophelia, Foxglove, and Azalea– This formula is incredibly pigmented, opaque, and thick (like a balm), which I actually appreciate. It doesn’t need to be built up because it’s so pigmented but can still be layered with other cream blushes because it blends so easily. Because of its thickness, it has great staying power and even manages to keep its dewy (but not shiny) finish for hours. I love that you can just buy the refills for about half the price, and they pop into a magnetic palette super easily. I have the shades Ophelia (“true pink”), Foxglove (“warm terracotta”), and Azalea (“berry”). Ophelia is my most used because I’ve really been into a pink looks lately, but I find all the shades work well for me. All that said, if you’re not a fan of that super thick, on the edge of sticky cream blush, you might not like this formula, but I love it so much.

Blush Divine Radiant Cheek & Lip in Ophelia,Foxglove, and Azalea

Flower Beauty Desert Lights and Jungle Lights Eyeshadow Palettes – For being under $20, I’m still shocked at how comparable these shadows are to my high-end palettes from brands like Pat McGrath and Natasha Denona. The formula is incredible – it’s super pigmented, smooth, and sparkly. All the shades blend easily and last super well all day with a primer. They have enough dimension to use them all as one shadow looks and blend together well enough to make a more complex look with multiple shadows. They’re just incredibly creamy and easy to use in the same way my much more expensive shadows are. If you wanted the look of the Roen shadows without the cream texture and creasing, this might be a really good option. If I had to choose one, I’d go with the Desert Lights Palette because I use it much more often and am really into pinky rose golds right now, but the quality is amazing in both palettes.

Flower Beauty Desert Lights and Jungle Lights Eyeshadow Swatches

Em Cosmetics Soft Blur Velvet Lip Liners in Kitten and Mink – Out of all my lip liners, I definitely reached for these the most often. The formula blends so easily so you can get a soft, blurred, and diffused look. I find that creates a much more natural look that still defines my lips and helps prevent any feathering of the lipstick I use on top. Even with how soft and lightweight they are, they are very long lasting. I have the shades Kitten, a neutral rose, and Mink, a cool brown, which both work really well with my lip color and the with my favorite lipsticks and glosses.

Em Cosmetics Lip Liners in Kitten and Mink

Glossier Ultralip in Villa, Trench, Cachet, and Portrait – The Ultralips are a pretty pigmented tinted lip balm that has a touch more glossiness than your average balm. I love how moisturizing it is and how long lasting it is (for a lip balm texture). You can also build up the color without anything weird happening like pilling or patching. I love using these during the day on work calls when I want more color like a traditional lipstick, don’t mind having to reapply, and can take advantage of how moisturizing these are.

Glossier Ultralip in Portrait, Villa, Trench, and Cachet

Phytosurgence Phytobrushes – I’m still in shock about how good the Phytobrushes are, especially for both being under $15. I purchased both the Skybuff and Skyfluff brushes, and I’m in love with both of them. If you’re a regular reader here, you know how much I invest in fude brushes (from Sonia G., Chikuhodo, Wayne Goss, etc.), and these fit right in my collection because of how high quality they are. They suggest using the Skybuff for their Spectral Shine and Skyfluff for their Skin Spark blushes, but I actually love using them the opposite way. They blend out the products so seamlessly and quickly so that the products really look like they’re naturally part of your face – exactly the kind of look I love.

The Inkey List PCA Bond Repair Hair Treatment – I really struggle with breakage and split ends, and this product has completely changed that for me. I use this after every shower and now have way less breakage and almost no split ends despite not getting a hair cut for a long, long time. My hair also feels much softer and less frizzy even if I only used just this product. I’m used to needing to use a couple of different products to get my hair to look and feel great, so that has really impressed me! The only con for me is that I can’t stand this packaging – it’s so hard to spray the product, and I ended up having to pour this into a different container to keep using it. For $12.99, it’s absolutely worth dealing with though.

What are your favorite products under $20? Let me know in the comments below! Let me know if there’s anything else you’d like to see here on LiftBakeLove, 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.

5 Functional Dupes I Bought of Makeup I Already Had

by liftbakelove1 Comment on 5 Functional Dupes I Bought of Makeup I Already Had

My no buy is giving me lots of space to explore my collection, and one thing I’m starting to notice is how many things I own that basically look exactly the same once they’re on my face. I’m calling these pairs of products functional dupes because they may not be the exact color or formula, but once I have them on, no one could tell the difference. I definitely didn’t need to buy both! When my no buy is over, I’m going to make sure I think about whether I have something that can be used for that look in my routine even if it’s not exactly the same – as Hannah Louise Poston would say, if I could “dupe the vibes”. This is not meant to be a “this or that” kind of post so I won’t be saying which one I’d get or keep – they really are that similar, but if you want me to choose, feel free to ask in the comment. As always, thank you so much for being here, and it would mean so much to me if you subscribe here or on Instagram @liftbakelove for new posts!

Tom Ford Shade and Illuminate in 0.5 and Salt New York Sculpt and Bronze in Light/Medium – Both of these are cream bronzers that give a super natural look in about 2 seconds. They are both super blendable and easy to build up to the opacity I want even though they go on a bit sheer. As you can probably see from the swatches below, the Tom Ford is slightly cooler and slightly dewier, but once they’re blended out on my skin, I can’t tell the difference between them. They both apply in exactly the same way and work great with a brush, sponge, or fingers. They’re also both great for travel (Salt New York because it pops right into a palette that I can customize and Tom Ford because it’s a compact duo).

Tom Ford Shade and Illuminate in 0.5 and Salt New York Sculpt and Bronze in Light/Medium

Rose Inc Blush Divine Radiant Cheek & Lip Color In Azalea and Phytosurgence Skin Spark Blush Balm in Simmer – If you’re looking for an opaque, warm-toned pink blush, both of these are perfect for that. Both formulas have are thick and creamy and a little goes a long way. They both blend super seamlessly and easily into the skin, leave an impact with very little product, and stay all day. Because they’re so pigmented, they don’t need to be built up but absolutely can be layered. The finish is just glowy enough without being sticky even though they both have a balmy, moisturizing texture. Azalea has a bit more red in it, but on the skin, I can’t tell the difference between them especially once they’re blended with bronzer, highlighter, and other blushes.

Rose Inc Blush Divine Radiant Cheek & Lip Color In Azalea, Phytosurgence Skin Spark Blush Balm in Simmer

Flower Lights Amazon from the Jungle Lights Palette and Pat McGrath Sextrovert from the Sublime Palette (discontinued) – While I chose these two to compare, this is a great example of how many shimmery and glittery gold, bronze, and brown shadows end up looking the same even if they have lots of little differences in a swatch. I’m sure I have over a dozen of these kinds of shades, and they basically all do the same thing. These formulas are very similar in that they both have a bit of a warm leaning shift to them, are very soft, and are very flaky and shimmery. I actually forgot which was which and had to swatch them again underneath (you can see a bit in the corner) because they look so similar in real life. I would also say that these two color stories fill the same gap in my collection with the darker purply and green shimmers and lighter and bronzier golds. I definitely didn’t need both of these palettes and would happily only have one in my collection.

Flower Lights Amazon from the Jungle Lights Palette and Pat McGrath Sextrovert from the Sublime Palette

Glossier Ultralip in Villa and Lisa Eldridge in Kitten Mischief – These two are probably the most different in terms of formula, even though the colors are almost exactly the same on the lips. The Ultralip formula is much glossier (pun intended) and hydrating whereas the Luxuriously Lucent formula has a much more natural finish that I find to be more drying over time. Even with that though, I end up with basically the same look while wearing these, especially after it’s worn in a bit. Because I love this color, I would bet I have a bunch of other lip products that do exactly the same thing, and I’m going to remind myself that I already have the perfect lip products many times over in my collection.

Glossier Ultralip in Villa, Lisa Eldridge in Kitten Mischief

Pat McGrath Taboo from Midnight Sun and Natasha Denona Freckle from Biba – Unlike the earlier eyeshadow comparison, these entire palettes aren’t the same. This is more an example of how all medium, neutral brown eyeshadows look the same once applied even if they look a bit different in the pan. I use these kinds of colors as my crease shade, and since there’s one in most palettes, I have so many of them to choose from. I also played around with the darker browns and greys that I have and as expected, those are all virtually identical. Given that I love natural eye looks, what I’ve learned from this is I don’t need any more eyeshadow palettes. And even though these palettes are different in terms of their color stories, I do end up gettting very similar looks out of them (dark brown in the inner corner, lighter brown in the crease, glittery shade all over the lid, lighter shimmer in the inner corner), so I do think I could have gotten by with just one of these even though I love them both.

Pat McGrath Taboo from Midnight Sun and Natasha Denona Freckle from Biba
Pat McGrath Midnight Sun, Natasha Denona Biba

Do you own any functional dupes that you imagined would be totally unique to your collection but do basically the same thing? Let me know if there’s anything else you’d like to see here on LiftBakeLove, 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.

Glossier Ultralip Review

by liftbakelove4 Comments on Glossier Ultralip Review

I’m a little late getting this review out because I wanted to spend a lot of time with them. I got them right on launch day and have been using them every day since then, so I feel like I’ve had them long enough that I have a better feeling for which shades are my favorite, which pair best with different lip liners I have, and what other comparable formulas are out there. If you’re looking to get them (or another Glossier product) for less than full price, they normally have a sitewide 20% sale for Black Friday and you can use this link for 10% off sitewide if you are a new Glossier customer. Links below are affiliate links.

The Ultralips are a more pigmented tinted lip balm that has a touch more glossiness than your average balm. I love how moisturizing it is and how long lasting it is (for a lip balm texture). The shades I chose all have a great level of pigmentation that’s low enough that I can swipe them on without a mirror but high enough that they make an impact. You can also build up the color without anything weird happening like pilling or patching. Glossier says that the formula is so comfortable it’s like “pulling on a buttery-soft, well-loved cashmere sweater”, and I definitely agree. This is like putting on your favorite pair of sweatpants after a long day, but for your lips.

Ultralip in Portrait, Villa, Trench, and Cachet

I have the shades Villa, Portrait, Cachet, and Trench. I was very surprised by how much I like Portrait – it’s a bright pink shade that I didn’t realize I needed in my collection. It goes so well with any of my brighter blushes and really brightens up the rest of my face. Villa is my perfect lips but better shade, and Cachet and Trench are both browny nudes (Catchet leans more purple and Trench more orange) that are very much in my comfort zone. I started writing which one I would choose if I could only choose one, and it turns out, I really can’t. They all have a place in my collection, and I’m really happy with all four of them.

Lisa Eldridge Luxuriously Lucent Lip Colour in Kitten Mischief, Ultralip in Villa, and Em Cosmetics Lip Cushion in Magic Hour

I wanted to compare the formulas of the Ultralips with the Lisa Eldridge Luxuriously Lucent Lip Colour, Rare Beauty Dewy Lip Balm, and Em Cosmetics Lip Cushion. The Ultralips are more moisturizing and glossier than the Lisa Eldridge Luxuriously Lucent Lip Colour, but it’s the closest formula that I have. I personally prefer the formula of the Ultralips particularly because I need the extra moisture, but the Luxuriously Lucent Lip Colour plus a gloss works to replicate the effect.

Ultralip in Trench and Rare Beauty Dewy Lip Balm in Thankful

The formula of the Rare Beauty Lip Balm is super similar to the Ultralip formula except it’s a bit more waxy. I also personally can’t handle the smell/taste of the Rare Beauty lip balm so I’m really thrilled to have found a similar color to the one I have to use instead.

Lisa Eldridge Luxuriously Lucent Lip Colour in Spirited Away, Ultralip in Cachet, and Em Cosmetics Lip Cushion in Venetian Rose

I love how hydrating and glossy the Em Cosmetics Lip Cushions are, and they definitely have a place in my routine, but I find they are so soft and emollient that I need mirror to apply them. The Ultralips are easier to use for that reason, and I don’t worry about them moving outside of my lip line in the same way.

If you want more information on the Ultralips, I highly recommend watching Hannah Louise Poston’s review on them. Her video is over a half hour just on the Ultralips, and she got a few of the shades I didn’t get. I found it really useful in not getting more shades during the recent sale because I don’t think the formula of the brighter shades would work for me. I also really try to remember Hannah’s advice that she’s given before – if you find the perfect shade in the perfect formula, don’t buy more shades, just enjoy using the one you have.

What did you think of the Ultralips? Is there something else you’d like me to review? Let me know in the comments below, and thanks as always for reading!