Tag: luxury makeup

5 Products Over $50 (but under $100) that I think are definitely worth it

Featuredby liftbakeloveLeave a Comment on 5 Products Over $50 (but under $100) that I think are definitely worth it

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. Since I’ve done posts up to $50, I’m going to shift a bit to talk about my most expensive products – over $50, $100, and $200, starting with my favorite products over $50. I would love to see your favorites and recommendations for this price range 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.

Dieux Deliverance ($69)– This is truly a game changing product. My skin had been looking a bit dull and overly dry in the summer, and even though I love the other products I use, I needed something more. This serum is supposed to address skin issues like irritation, uneven tone, texture, lack of firmness, among others, and it definitely does everything it says it does. My skin definitely looks more even, less dull, and less textured since I’ve been using this, and I can tell a big difference when I forget to use this. Given how much I love their Forever Eye Mask, I’m not surprised this is just as amazing.

Shiseido Benefiance Wrinkle Smoothing Eye Cream ($64) – This eye cream was sent to me to try and review, and I thought at the time “there’s no way I’m going to fall in love with a $70 eye cream.” And now, I’ve repurchased it at least five or six times! This is the only eye cream I’ve found that actually works to reduce wrinkles around my eyes without irritation and while still adding a ton of hydration. It’s totally worth it for me for how effective it is, and this is another product where I can really tell the difference if I switch to something else.

Aesop Rind Concentrate Body Balm ($97)– This is the most amazing smelling product I own, hands down. If I need a pick me up, this is always what I reach for first, because it smells like fresh squeeze citrus and is so bright and fresh. It always makes me so happy. I got this on sale for $82, and while it is expensive, you do get 17 oz which I have found is lasting forever even if I use it all over (seriously, I’ve owned this for longer than I can remember now and use it all the time since it sits on my desk, and there’s still so much left). This is one of the only body/hand lotions I would invest in, and I have no regrets.

Tom Ford Shade and Illuminate cream bronzer and highlight duo in Shade 0.5

Tom Ford Shade and Illuminate Duo ($89) – I remember when I first decided to get this how silly it felt to spend this much on it, but since then, I’ve gotten so much use out of it. It’s one of my favorite cream (or honestly makeup in general) products I own.  It has such amazing formula that blends like a dream, looks natural, and still makes an impact. I love how they are both a little sheer which makes it super easy to just throw on without having to be super precise, and it blends into the skin so seamlessly. I love that this has both a bronzer and highlighter in one and that the bronzer shade is neutral enough to be used as more of a “brontour.” It’s my go-to for quick makeup looks or when I really don’t want to have to think about what I’m doing.

Josie Maran Skin Dope Argan Oil + 100 mg CBD ($78)– This is my HG facial oil, and something I can’t live without, especially during the winter. Most facial oils I’ve tried have been equally moisturizing and glow-giving, and they all provide an occlusive layer as my last step in my skincare routine. The thing I love most about the Josie Maran oil is that it sinks in so quickly so I don’t end up with a oil slick on my face when I’m getting into bed even with how nourishing and occlusive it is. Besides being my go-to finishing skincare step, I also always see a big difference in my skin’s brightness and firmness when I use this vs when I don’t. If you’re looking to get this, I highly recommend waiting for a sale on the Josie Maran site because you can buy it for way less than $78 (even though I think it’s worth it even at that price).

What are your favorite products over $50 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.

PAT MCGRATH Divine Rose MOTHERSHIP EYESHADOW PALETTE REVIEW

Featuredby liftbakelove1 Comment on PAT MCGRATH Divine Rose MOTHERSHIP EYESHADOW PALETTE REVIEW

As part of my no-buy year, I’m trying to really get to know and love my collection, and part of that is doing more in-depth reviews of products I already have. This helps me spend more time playing with them and learning about why I like (or don’t like) certain products. For this series, I’m planning on doing a full review on each one of my palettes, starting with the ones I have from Pat McGrath. For transparency, I was able to get Divine Rose for $85 on sale last year, so while I know it costs $125 regularly, some of my opinions are influenced by having purchased it half off. 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.

Divine Rose shades are swatched and listed below from left to right top row and then left to right bottom row. For transparency, I took this after I swatched these and swirling with my fingers smoothed the shades and took away any signs of usage.

This was my first Pat McGrath palette and the one that made me fall in love with her eyeshadow formulas. That said, it’s definitely my least used compared to Midnight Sun and Bronze Seduction (review coming soon). I find that it doesn’t have as many rosy shades as I was expecting but they do still work really well with brown eyes. There also aren’t any super colorful shades which makes this a great everyday palette where I can actually use every single shade. It has 10 shades of varying finishes including mattes, shimmers, and glitters. I didn’t have any issues with any of the shades – they were all richly pigmented, blendable, had great lasting power, and had little fall-out.

Divine Rose shades are listed below in order from left to right on my arm

Skinshow Nude – This is one of my favorite inner corner and browbone highlight shades I own. It’s a soft golden beige with a pearl finish that just finishes off any look with a bit of brightness. The shimmer is very fine so it’s easy to use with any other eyeshadow finish without it feeling like it’s “too much.” It’s very similar to Skinshow Moon Glow in Midnight Sun except Skinshow Nude is more golden whereas Skinshow Moon Glow is more pink.

Velouria – This is a beautiful medium-dark mauve shade. I love using this in my crease no matter what kind of look I’m doing because it just works so well with my olive skin and brown eyes. It’s incredibly smooth, pigmented, and blendable so it works really well as a crease shade.

Sable Bronze – This is a light brown bronzey shimmer shade. Technically, it’s a metallic shadow but I find that the shimmer isn’t very strong. I love using this as a one and done shade all over the lid or paired with the darker mattes in the outer corner. Even though I love this shade, it’s definitely not at all unique, and I wouldn’t recommend getting this palette just for the bronzey shades like this one.

Refined Gold 002 – This is a warm gold metallic shade that is quite bright. I love using this in the middle of my eyelid to brighten up a look or add something really shiny, which this is. By itself, I find that it’s a bit too true gold for me, but it does pair really well with the rest of the shades in the palette.

Iridescent Pink 003 – This is a shimmery duo-chrome shade that shifts beige and pink. It’s a super cool shade but I rarely use it on its own. I love using it on top of bronzey shades to add some pink brightness and shimmer. If a look I make accidentally leans too dark, I will add this all over the lid to bright some lightness to the look.

Xtreme Mahogany – This is a deep matte brown that leans warm. It’s a beautiful shade for the outer corner or as eyeliner. I love how easy to blends out without losing its depth. This is much warmer than the darkest matte in the Midnight Sun Palette, so I find that I pull this out if I end up with a warmer look from either palette. I also find that this shade stays richer than other dark browns I own, which makes it more unique than I expected it would be.

Love Lace – This is a warm medium-dark metallic taupe, and it’s one of my favorite shades in the palette. It works so well as a one and done shade all over the lid for something more dramatic than Sable Bronze. It’s super smooth for a metallic shade, and I love how easy it is to get on my eyes and blend with a brush or fingers.

Rose Dusk – This is a rosy plum shimmer shade that has a beautiful sheen. It’s also of my favorite shades in the palette, and my go-to if I want an actual rosy look. I think this might be my most used shade in the palette because I love deep pinky eye looks that don’t pull red. It also pairs really well with the mattes in the palette for a more complex look.

VR Rose Venus – This is the other shimmery duo-chrome shade in the palette, and it’s much darker. It has a strong pink base and an even stronger gold shift. I think this shade is beautiful, but I haven’t yet had an occasion to really get a ton of use of it. I can’t wait to play with it more!

Astral Solstice – This might be one of my favorite shadows of all time and is hands down my favorite eyeshadow topper in my collection. This shade is a warm beige that is incredibly sparkly and shiny and is sheer enough to go over lots of base shades. Whenever an eye look is feeling lackluster, I can throw this shade on top, and it immediately feels incredibly special. I’m glad I love this shade as much as I do because I actually own it in two palettes now (this one and Midnight Sun) so keep in mind that this is one that been repeated across Mothership palettes.

What other palettes would you like to see an in-depth review of? 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.

Pat McGrath Midnight Sun Mothership Eyeshadow Palette Review

Featuredby liftbakelove3 Comments on Pat McGrath Midnight Sun Mothership Eyeshadow Palette Review

As part of my no-buy year, I’m trying to really get to know and love my collection, and part of that is doing more in-depth reviews of products I already have. This helps me spend more time playing with them and learning about why I like (or don’t like) certain products. For this series, I’m planning on doing a full review on each one of my palettes, starting with the ones I have from Pat McGrath. For transparency, I was able to get Midnight Sun for $65 on sale last year, so while I know it costs $125 regularly, some of my opinions are influenced by having purchased it half off. 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.

Even though this is one of the least talked about Pat McGrath palettes, it’s the one I was most excited about. It has 10 shades of varying finishes including mattes, shimmers, and glitters. The color story feels tailor-made for olive skin and brown eyes, and even most the more colorful shades are still ones that I can use.

Midnight Sun shades are swatched and listed below from left to right top row and then left to right bottom row. For transparency, I took this after I swatched these and swirling with my fingers smoothed the shades and took away any signs of usage.
Midnight Sun shades are listed below in order from left to right on my arm

Skinshow Moon Glow – This is one of my favorite inner corner and browbone highlight shades I own. It’s a pale beige with a pearl finish that just finishes off any look with a bit of brightness. The shimmer is very fine so it’s easy to use with any other eyeshadow finish without it feeling like it’s “too much.”

Bronze Eclipse – I love using this as a one and done shadow. It’s a rich bronze with warm undertones and a beautiful metallic finish. It goes on so smooth and easily and blends out like a dream. It’s just so quick to throw this one with a brush to get a beautiful eye look, but I can also mix in some of the lighter and darker shades in the palette for something more dimensional.

Vermillion Venom – This is a warm, deep burgundy red shade in the matte finish. This is the only shade in the palette I haven’t gotten any use of yet. It feels really smooth as I swatch it, so I’m sure it’s a lovely matte formula just like the rest of the mattes in this palette.

Blood Moon 005 – Surprisingly, this is my most used shade in the palette. It’s a beautiful warm-toned, bright sparkly copper metallic glitter. I prefer applying this with a wet brush for maximum impact but it works with a dry brush or finger too (though this might lead to a tiny bit of fallout). It really makes my brown eyes pop and works great as a one shadow look or combined with other shadows.

Jubilee – This is a warm pale gold with a sparkly metallic finish. It’s a bit too light and too yellow for me to use for a gold eyeshadow look by itself, but I find it helps add a brightness to a darker brown look or even something more neutral (like Mac Groundwork) as a topper shade.

Xtreme Dusk – This is a deep cool almost black matte that is a fantastic shade for deepening a look in the outer corner. It’s also great as eyeliner, especially because it’s not as stark as black but still darker than a dark brown. It is richly pigmented , silky, and super blendable without becoming sheer.

Taboo – This is one of the best crease shades I’ve found for my skin tone. It’s a more yellow toned brown that works really well with olive skin. Like the other mattes, it’s incredibly smooth, pigmented, and blendable. I was honestly surprised how much I appreciated this shade.

Wicked Envy – This is a medium-dark olive green that has a slight shimmer to it. Like the other metallic shades in this palette, this is incredibly smooth, pigmented, and easy to use. I love using this as an eyeliner shade because it’s quite a bold color and works really well with an eyeliner brush.

Blitz Violet Orchid – This shade is a cool-toned metallic purple that has flecks of blue in it. While this shade is beautiful, I’ve only used it once so I can’t say much about it. It goes on incredibly smooth and shiny and looks really cool, but I just don’t use purple very often.

Astral Solstice – This might be one of my favorite shadows of all time and is hands down my favorite eyeshadow topper in my collection. This shade is a warm beige that is incredibly sparkly and shiny and is sheer enough to go over lots of base shades. Whenever an eye look is feeling lackluster, I can throw this shade on top, and it immediately feels incredibly special. I’m glad I love this shade as much as I do because I actually own it in two palettes now (this one and Divine Rose) so keep in mind that this is one that been repeated across Mothership palettes.

What other palettes would you like to see an in-depth review of? 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.