Tag: liquid eyeshadow

About-Face Brand Review: Testing Olive Foundation Shades, Brown-Toned Products, and More

Featuredby liftbakeloveLeave a Comment on About-Face Brand Review: Testing Olive Foundation Shades, Brown-Toned Products, and More

I’ve been trying out a bunch of About Face products lately, and I have to say, I’ve been pretty impressed overall. Some of them have quickly become staples in my routine, while a few have some quirks worth mentioning. I wanted to share my thoughts on what really stood out—both the hits and the misses—and why some of these are definitely worth checking out. Thank you to About Face for sending me a few extra products to test – products marked with * are ones that were sent, otherwise I bought things myself. In this post, all links are affiliate links (thank you for your support!), but all opinions are my own and unsponsored.

The Performer Foundation in F2 Olive and L2 Olive* – I love this foundation so much I have it in two shades (one for winter and one for summer). This is a super lightweight serum-y medium coverage foundation that builds really easily. It has a skin-like finish that’s hydrating but not overly dewy. It doesn’t dry out my skin, and it wears really well throughout the day. I particularly love that they have actual olive shades – this is one of the only foundations I own that I don’t have to wear with a green color corrector. In the swatches, L2 Olive is pulling a bit more yellow than I find it to be in real life but keep in mind these are definitely warm olive shades. The packaging isn’t my favorite because I don’t prefer a giant doefoot, but that’s not enough to keep me from using this constantly over my other foundations. *I bought the original two bottles myself, and the brand sent me a new L2 Olive which I’m so excited to have.

F2 Olive, L2 Olive, Capulets

Matte Fluid Eye Paint in Capulets – I’ve been using the Merit Solo Shadows so much as one and dones or as a base that I totally forgot I had this About Face liquid eyeshadow. I decided to try it again, and I’m so happy I did. It’s so easy and fast to throw on and blend out with a finger or a brush. It dries fast enough that I can easily put other things on top of it but not too fast that it gets stuck where I don’t want it. Capulets is a perfect light brown that doesn’t go orange on me (as someone with an olive undertone, that tends to happen a ton with browns). It also has great lasting power so I love to throw this on when I only have 2 seconds and then can add other things on top of it later in the day, and it’ll still look just as good.

Cheek Freak Blush Balm– This blush dries down to a matte finish that actually lasts such a long time for a cream blush. It starts off really balmy so it’s really easy to pick up on a brush or finger and blend into the skin, and then it stays where it is. I also love how the packaging matches the color of the blush since I have three of these – it’s always easy to find the one I want. Laid in particular is a super bright pink blush that is just the quickest way to that flushed look, especially in the summer. If I want to look really awake and hydrated, this is my go to since it’s so bright and flattering. Get Some is a warm rose that gives a soft, natural flush that pairs well with almost any makeup look. I wanted it to be more brown but it definitely leans more in the red direction on me. Score is a beautiful bright purple that is so good for warm olive skintones. This was one of my first real purple blushes, and I’m so glad it introduced me to how good purple looks on me.

Laid, Score, Get Some

The Curtain Call Set & Smooth Loose Powder* – This powder is a bit tricky for me because it ended up being a little too drying for my undereye area, which is usually my primary use for setting powders. However, I have it in the pink shade, and it actually works really well for brightening around other parts of my face, especially the center of my forehead and other areas where I want to highlight without using an actual highlighter. It has a finely milled texture that blends seamlessly without emphasizing texture, making it perfect for targeted brightening rather than an all-over powder. If you don’t have incredibly dry skin, you might really love this powder, and I do really like how the pink doesn’t actually read as pink on my face.

Coquette and Side Eye

Blurred Matte Lip Plump Soft Matte Liquid Color in Side Eye and Coquette* – I was pleasantly surprised by how much I loved this formula. It has a soft matte finish that’s incredibly comfortable and doesn’t dry out my lips at all, which is impressive for a matte lip product. It genuinely does make my lips appear plumper and smoother. The plump comes from a mentholy/minty type of ingredient, so be aware if you’re sensitive to that. Side Eye is a “nude brown” but I find it leans quite warm and almost turns too orange on me. I’m happy it doesn’t though because I think it’ll be great for summer with bronzy looks. Coquette is a classic soft pink that just looks really nice. For my high contrast features, I wish it was a little bit darker, but it’s easy to throw on and goes with a lot of what I tend to wear. The staying power is fantastic, and even as it wears off, it leaves behind a soft, even tint.

What other products would you like me to review? 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.

Glossier Lidstar Eyeshadow, Haloscope Highlighter, and Generation G Lipstick Review

by liftbakeloveLeave a Comment on Glossier Lidstar Eyeshadow, Haloscope Highlighter, and Generation G Lipstick Review

During the 2021 holidays, I was gifted a Glossier set that comes with a Lidstar eyeshadow, Generation G lipstick, Haloscope highlighter, and Stretch concealer. I have never tried any of these products other than the Stretch concealer (which I love and have posted about many times), so I wanted to take this opportunity to review these staple Glossier products. Before I get into it, I love so many products Glossier makes and a few are even HGs of mine I’ve repurchased over and over again, so the fact that (spoilers) all of these ended up not being perfect for me is not a comment on the brand’s products in general. And as usual, my goal is to provide you with information to make the best purchasing decisions for yourself and the reasons why I might not like something might be why you’d love it! 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!

Lidstar eyeshadow in Bun, Haloscope in Quartz, and Generation G in Leo

Glossier Lidstar in Bun – I really love how easy this formula is to use and how perfect the color is for a work appropriate one and done eye look. Bun is described as a soft champagne with a gold shimmer, and it’s a great shade of champagne because it isn’t too warm or cool. I can apply and blend the eyeshadow on both eyes in about 20 seconds and haven’t needed to use a brush any time I’ve used this. And initially, I’m always really happy with how it looks. Then, within about a half hour, the shimmer looks a bit faded, and it starts to look patchy. It’s a very different wear experience than other liquid eyeshadows I have like the Lisa Eldridge Liquid Lurex, which stays sparkly and full impact all day. The Lidstar seems to break up on my eyelids very quickly, and I find myself applying other shadows over top to make it look the way I want. I’ve tried it with and without eye primer and glitter glue and nothing seems to help. As a base for other shadows, it works pretty well, but I have so many other eyeshadows that I’d rather use for that.

Haloscope in Quartz and Generation G in Leo

Glossier Haloscope highlighter in Quartz – I love the effect this gives when I take the time to apply it just right. It provides a natural looking subtle glow that is glitter free and looks like I just have healthy skin. But because it has a champagne colored section and a clear section, if I apply it directly to my skin, I end up with a darker streak on my cheekbones and a patch where my blush has picked up under that. Instead, I’ve found it’s really important to either swirl it on the back of my hand first and then pick up with a brush or use a brush to pick it up from the stick before I applying it. I can get away with swirling my fingers in it and then tapping onto my skin but that can also lead to picking up product underneath because it’s a bit sticky. I hardly reach for this because I have so many easy to use cream and liquid highlighters that don’t require really any thought or attention.

Glossier Generation G in Leo – Like the other two products, I love the shade of this product. Leo is a perfect neutral brown that is so easy for me to wear and never looks like “too much.” I’m not surprised that it’s as drying as it is because it’s a matte product, but I find that it’s more drying than the other matte lipsticks I have. I can get away with using the Generation G if I really prep my lips with a lip mask while I’m doing the rest of my makeup or topping it with a gloss. I do appreciate that it’s sheerer than my other lipsticks, which makes it super easy to throw on. It also lasts much longer a lip gloss or balm, so it’s great if I need something to last under a mask. That said, I’d much rather use the Glossier Ultralips for a similar effect of the Generation G with a gloss added on top without needing two products. That way, I get the benefits of all the hydration that comes with the Ultralip formula which I’d rather have even if I need to reapply, since I am very rarely these days going somewhere I really need the lasting power of a lip product.

What products in your collection do you like but don’t use often for one reason or another? 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.

Lisa Eldridge Liquid Lurex Eyeshadow Review

by liftbakelove2 Comments on Lisa Eldridge Liquid Lurex Eyeshadow Review

I own almost everything that Lisa Eldridge has come out with except for her lip liners and foundation and have generally been super happy with the products (including the lipsticks, highlighter, blushes, and lip glosses). When I saw these eyeshadows come out last year, I knew I wanted to try a couple and have been testing them since then for this review. If you’d like to see a full Lisa Eldridge brand run down, let me know in 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 for new posts.

Spoilers: I absolutely love this eyeshadow. This formula is so quick and easy to use. It’s almost like a mousse and feels half way between a cream and a liquid. I’ve tried using a brush and fingers, with and without a primer, and applying directly from the doe-foot and from my hand – nothing I tried didn’t work out amazingly. The formula doesn’t crease and looks exactly the same all day. I tested it on a 17 hour makeup day, and it honestly could have just been applied. I even did an hour and a half long gym session, and it didn’t budge. I’ve used it as one sheer layer, a thicker application, and layered on top of itself, and it looked great all three ways. I love how I have enough time to play with it and blend it out however I want before it sets down. They’re also both some of the more spangly eyeshadows I’ve ever used, which may be the thing I love about them the most.

Angelica (left) and Bianca (right)

Angelica is a rosy bronze that is the absolute perfect shade for me – I feel like I’ve been hunting for this color for years, and here it is. It’s the perfect mix of brown, bronze, rose gold, and metallic sparkle that isn’t too dark or too light. The sparkle really shines against the darker color in a very sophisticated way. I can pair it with almost any blush and lip color, and it looks right at home. If I could only pick one eyeshadow to keep, this would probably be the one.

Bianca is a warm, purply-pink that really makes my brown eyes pop. It also has a very sparkly, almost metallic finish, that makes it one of the sparkliest eyeshadows I own or have ever seen. I used Angelica first and thought that was the sparkliest eyeshadow ever, and this totally blew it out of the water. I was worried it would be too light and pink, but I’m really happy with the color for a brighter look and can’t wear it in the spring and summer. That said, I find that it looks better on me with a crease color and some added depth in the outer corner vs being a true one and done for me like Angelica.

Agelica (Top) and Bianca (Bottom)

The Liquid Lurex Eyeshadow is in the same price range as other liquid shadows like the Kosas 10-Second Eyeshadow ($28). It’s more expensive than the Bodyography Liquid Eyeshadow ($20) and the Glossier Lidstar ($18), but I like the formula so much more than those. The shadows stay pigmented and sparkly all day and don’t fade or crease, but they’re still easy to remove. They also are much easier to work with because of their almost cream like texture. Even if I wasn’t on a no-buy, I wouldn’t get any other liquid shadows because I honestly would rather be using the Liquid Lurex every time. And if I could go back in time, these would be the only two I would get.

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.