Tag: olive undertones

Victoria Beckham Brand Review: What’s Worth It and What I’d Skip

by liftbakeloveLeave a Comment on Victoria Beckham Brand Review: What’s Worth It and What I’d Skip

This has been a very highly requested brand review (thank you so much for the requests – please keep them coming here or on Instagram). I’m so excited to share so many amazing products and a couple I personally would not recommend. In this post, all links are affiliate links (thank you for your support!), but all opinions are my own. As always, I’ve prioritized getting product swatches true to color so don’t pay too much attention to whatever is going on with my skin.

Posh Lipstick in Pose – This is my favorite Victoria Beckham product and the first thing I’d rebuy if I had to start over. It stays actually cool toned on me, which is absurdly hard for me to find. It’s a mid-toned mauve that never turns even a little bit orange. It’s that perfect pinky purple mauve I’m always looking for and can basically never find. The formula is lightweight and a little nourishing and dewy without being too glossy. It’s just such an easy everyday lipstick that I would buy again and again.

Posh Lipstick in Pose, Lip Definer in 02, Posh Gloss in Martini

Lip Definer in 02 – This is one of the VB products that has stayed in my rotation the longest. I just checked and I got mine in 2021 so it’s probably time for a new one, but honestly, it still works and smells perfectly fine. It’s a firmer formula that is long-wearing, and it gives me the clean definition I need to make my lips look more polished. This shade does go a bit go too orange on me so if I grab a new one, I’ll get a different shade, probably 03. This also is definitely a drier formula so I usually need to start with a little lip prep that has time sink in first.

Posh Gloss in Poolside and Martini – I love this formula so much. It makes my lips look smoother and more hydrated, and it’s shiny without being sticky. Poolside is the one I’d rebuy next because it’s the perfect everyday shade on me and plays so nicely with my olive undertones (I actually used it up, so I don’t have it right now and cannot swatch it). Martini is a very, very sheer glittery peach topper that’s won’t change the color of whatever you’re wearing underneath, but also looks really good on bare lips. I have a bunch of shimmery glosses and balms now and this one isn’t my favorite of the bunch, but I’m glad I tried it and the formula is still fantastic.

Matte Bronzing Brick in 01 (lighter shade, darker, shade, mixed together)

Matte Bronzing Brick in 01 – I use this constantly, which is very rare for a bronzer. The packaging is beautiful, and I love that it’s refillable, so you can keep the compact and just swap in a refill if you ever finish it. The matte finish is extra blurring on the skin without being overly dry or powdery. The undertone is ever so slightly cooler and more neutral than a lot of bronzers that end up going very orange so both tones work well for my olive undertones. It’s still warm but not too much. I use the lighter shade to blend out anything that needs blending, soften harsh edges, and bridge the gap between my cheek products and concealer, or to softly fill in hollows. Then I’ll use the deeper shade as my actual bronzer, or I’ll just mix the two together depending on the season. I also use both shades as eyeshadow all the time. It’s a great year-round bronzer because you can adjust it lighter or deeper without needing a second product, and I think it would work for a wide range of complexions too.

Lid Lustre in Tea Rose – This is the sparkly Victoria Beckham eye product I’d recommend of all the different shimmery eye products (more on the palettes later). The formula is gorgeous and really easy to apply with a finger or a brush, and you can do a light layer or build it up. Tea Rose is a perfect neutral taupe brown base with a soft plummy/pinky sheen that also has sophisticated glitters that flash pink-lilac and a little champagne/gold in different lighting. It doesn’t go orange or even all that warm, and I love it pared with the Pose lipstick. It’s a more fancy sparkle when the light hits than something like a Pat McGrath special shade, so it actually works really well for everyday. One warning though – mine isn’t super hard-pressed, and I tilted it too far once and got eyeshadow everywhere. So, just be careful!

Lid Lustre in Tea Rose, Crease-Proof Eyeshadow Stick in Pecan, Instant Brightening Waterline Pencil

Crease-Proof Eyeshadow Stick in Pecan – This is one of my favorite eyeshadow sticks, and I’m actually not a huge eyeshadow stick person. The formula is truly great. I can throw it on, blend it out quickly, and it stays all day. Pecan is a really great color that actually stays brown on me, and there’s a tiny hint of green that makes it work so well with my olive undertones. It does have a hint of warmth in it, but not in a Cheeto way. This is also one of my favorite car makeup eye products because it’s so easy to throw on without a brush, and I can wear it alone or tap on a shimmer on top with my finger.

Instant Brightening Waterline Pencil – This is so good that I got rid of my other beige/white waterline pencils. The color is so good. It’s a yellow beige that brightens without looking stark or obvious, so it reads way more natural on me. I know it’s very yellow in the swatch, but it works really well actually on my waterline. The formula is also super easy to use, comfortable on the waterline, and actually stays put. When I’m tired and want to look more awake fast (which is always), this is one of my go-tos.

Satin Kajal Liner in Cocoa, Bronze, and Olive – This is a great eyeliner formula if you want creamy application with really great staying power. You have enough time to smudge or soften it, and I actually do use the little smudger on the other side of the pencil because it works great with this formula. The liner does sets down and doesn’t migrate or turn into a mess on me. It’s easy, it layers well, and it works for tightlining. The Ravie liner is still my pick for someone who’s really bad at eyeliner (it’s me, I’m very bad at eyeliner) but if you’re a little more confident and can handle a more pigment, this is next on my list. Cocoa (dark matte brown) and Bronze (antique green/gold/bronze shimmer) are my everyday favorite easy natural shades on me. Olive is a shimmery deep black based green that’s clearly green but also is a great choice if you want to start playing around with green since it’s not a bright lime green.

Satin Kajal Liner in Cocoa, Bronze, and Olive and Contour Stylus in Marble 

Contour Stylus in Marble – This one works, but it’s too expensive for what it is and way too warm to be a good contour for olive undertones. On the positive side, the packaging is super nice, like all Victoria Beckham products. Even though it looks like it might be a little dark at first, it blends out really well and can look natural on my high contrast complexion as a bronzer. That said, I don’t really love the super skinny precise contour stick format. The formula also feels a little dry and a little sticky on me. If you love a precise contour stick and you love the brand, you might enjoy it but this is not the one I would tell you to run out and buy. I will be doing a contour update super soon with your recommendations!

Eye Wardrobe Multi-Finish Eyeshadow Palette in Orchid (first four), Bordeaux (middle four), and Cocoa (last four)

Eye Wardrobe Multi-Finish Eyeshadow Palette in Orchid, Bordeaux, and Cocoa – These are my regret purchases, which I’m very sorry to report. The compact is super luxurious, the refill system is easy (I got one compact and 3 refills), and the formulas are genuinely fantastic. The mattes are silky, easy to blend, and not overly pigmented. The satins and shimmers are beautiful too, and I have no complaints about performance. My problem is the colors do not work for me. Orchid (supposed to be purple) goes brown-orange on me. Bordeaux is straight up orange, including the shade that should read more burgundy. Cocoa went gray-green on me, which I normally wouldn’t mind, except it’s gray-green that still goes orange, and it just doesn’t look right. The light matte in this one is also just Cheeto on me. Every time I use one of these, I have to grab another product to fix it or I end up wiping it off and trying again. If you struggle with shadows not looking like the pan on your skin, I wouldn’t recommend these. For the price, I’d personally grab a YSL Quad every time.

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

2025 Product Fails And What I’d Buy Instead

Featuredby liftbakeloveLeave a Comment on 2025 Product Fails And What I’d Buy Instead

I was going to do a full “worst products of 2025” post, but honestly I didn’t have enough fails to do one. It was an amazing makeup year, and I’ve had way more great products than bad ones. That said, I’ve been collecting the products that really didn’t work for me in a bin all year, and these are the five that really stood out as not working for me (and what I’d recommend instead). In this post, all links are affiliate links (thank you for your support!), but all opinions are my own.

Instead of the Sephora Collection Color Shifter Strange Botanicals Palette, Try the Half Magic Eyeshadow Singles – This palette is such a cool concept. I bought it on sale because it was really inexpensive, and I thought it would be a fun way to try Sephora Collection palettes. But all of the mattes are patchy, hard to blend, and super uneven. The shimmer shade is fine, but pretty flat. It’s the kind of palette that makes you feel like you’re really bad at doing your makeup, and then you remember you own other shadows that basically apply themselves (like my beloved Byredo Bibilophilia palette).

Sephora Collection Strange Botanicals, Half Magic Blushing Lizard, Wet Pebble, and Sparkle Puff

The one topper shifter shade in the palette is actually really pretty (it’s the fifth shade in). It’s smooth, shifty, and performs well. But I think it’s better to just find your perfect shifty topper and buy that because you probably already own a bunch of mattes you love that perform way better. Specifically, I would recommend the Half Magic single shadows, especially since they have way more shades to choose from. I have Blushing Lizard, Wet Pebble, and Sparkle Puff. Look how much prettier and sparklier and smooth they are than the Sephora Collection Shades. I’d rather buy one amazing topper that can also be a gorgeous single shadow than buy a whole palette where I only reach for one pan.

Instead of the Make Beauty Heat Stroke Blush, Try the the Make Beauty Cream Stroke Blush – I wanted to love the dewy Make Beauty Heat Stroke Blush stick especially since I have dry skin. The formula ended up being more work than I want to do with a blush stick. The formula can get patchy and a little sticky, and even though the finish is nicely dewy, I don’t love how it sits on my skin. It also was really hard for me to find a shade that I thought would work well with my olive undertones, and even with Swelter being the best option I could find, it still doesn’t feel quite right on me.

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Heat Stroke Blush in Swelter, Cream Stroke Blush in Major Mauve and Hypernude

The Cream Stroke Blush sticks, though, I’m so happy with. I have Major Mauve and Hypernude, and I love this formula so much more. It’s easy to swipe on, easy to blend, and the finish is blurring without being too matte. It’s not sticky at all and lasts much longer than the Heat Stroke blush. The shades also actually look great with my olive undertones. Major Mauve is a terracotta leaning mauve (they describe it as an “Earthy Mauve”) that works perfectly with my olive undertones. Hypernude is peachy beige that definitely leans orange/warm on me but is perfect for when I want to do a warm look on purpose because it doesn’t go all the way to Cheeto orange like a lot of blushes do. I’m so glad they came out with this new blush stick formula, and I’m planning on grabbing Chroma for the summer. If you’re looking for something dewier that has a great formula, I’d recommend the Glow Recipe Watermelon Glow Niacinamide Dewy Flush.

Instead of the Ulta Beauty Collection Pressed Finishing Powder, Try the Canmake Abloom Face Powder – I was really excited about this one because I am always hunting for great affordable powders, and powders are my most read category on here. On my skin, the Ulta Beauty Collection finishing powder looked textured and drying without actually doing anything blurring, smoothing, or setting. It also feels a little too pigmented to work as a soft-focus finishing powder. If you’re looking for an Hourglass or Givenchy style powder, this is not the one. If you want to something similarly affordable that is actually a great finishing powder, I’ve been loving the Canmake Abloom Face Powder in shade 3. I’ve been using it just as much as my favorite luxury pressed powder from Givenchy, and it’s been working the exact same. Related, I’ll be doing a bunch of KBeauty reviews soon – let me know if there’s any products or brands you’re interested in reading about!

Ulta Beauty Collection Pressed Finishing Powder and the Canmake Abloom Face Powder

Instead of the e.l.f. Black Cherry Sheer Slick Lipstick, Try the Finding Ferdinand Delicious Balms – This one is supposedly a dupe for Clinique Black Honey, and I have worn variations of this shade family for years. Now that I understand my undertones and color theory better, I can see why it has always felt slightly off on me. I also know that it turns weirdly orange on some of you, and generally just isn’t a universal shade. Beyond the shade, I really do not like this formula. It feels a little drying, it does not apply as smoothly as I want a “sheer easy balm lipstick” to apply, it can look patchy, and it’s just not comfortable. And honestly, I didn’t love the original Clinique Black Honey formula either for the same reasons.

Displaying PXL_20251121_165132239~2.jpg
e.l.f. Black Cherry, Finding Ferdinand the Black Balm and Lucky Cat

The Finding Ferdinand Delicious Balms are absolutely what I’d recommend instead (and you can use my affiliate code liftbakelove10 for a discount.)I showed the Black Balm and Lucky Cat in the swatches, but there are more shades if you’re looking for something warmer, cooler, more berry, more lavender, etc. The formula is so much better. They go on smoothly, feel comfortable, actually nourish the lips, and they smell amazing. The shades feel more dialed-in and nuanced than all the Black Honey dupes, and it’s much easier to find something that works for your undertones. I also like mixing the Black Balm and Lucky Cat to get a deeper black cherry tone that works for me.

Instead of the Ulta Beauty Collection 5-Pan Eyeshadow Palettes, Try the Colourpop 9-Pan Palettes – Ulta’s small 5-pan palettes are absolutely fine for an affordable eyeshadow palette. There’s nothing terribly wrong with the one I have, but it’s also just not amazing. And since they’re $14, and ColourPop’s 9-pan palettes are also $14, I would go with a ColourPop 9 pan every time. Not only because the formula is better, but you also get more shades. The eyeshadows are easier to use, have more consistent pigmentation, and overall just more fun to work with. Hopefully you can see how the mattes in the ColourPop shades are smoother and more pigmented and the shimmers are sparklier. Both brands go on sale often, but even at full price, I would choose ColourPop every time for the formula. If you’re willing to spend a little more for a mini palette that feels truly high quality, I love the Natasha Denona minis. I absolutely love the Mini Retro and Mini Glam palettes, and I would happily spend the extra $10 for any of those.

ColourPop Going Coconuts on the top (plus the four on the right) and Ulta Beauty on the bottom of the first five

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

Natasha Denona Mini Glam Palette: The Best Everyday Neutral Eyeshadow Palette for Olive Undertones

Featuredby liftbakeloveLeave a Comment on Natasha Denona Mini Glam Palette: The Best Everyday Neutral Eyeshadow Palette for Olive Undertones

I’ve tried countless neutral eyeshadow palettes, but the Natasha Denona Mini Glam Palette really stands out to me. It’s become my staple every day palette, especially because it works so well with my olive undertones without going too warm or too cool. I wanted to do a full rundown of each shade and why I love this palette so much. As always, thank you so much for being here, and it would mean so much to me if you subscribe here for new posts. All links in this post are affiliate links, and if you choose to shop through them, thanks for supporting the blog!

The Mini Glam palette has five shades that all work well individually as one-and-done looks or together to create various looks. Unlike other palettes that can pull too warm and orange on me, the browns actually stay brown, and the shimmers don’t end up looking like I accidentally added cheeto dust to my eye look. Because of this, the Mini Glam palette is super easy for me to throw on even when I’m running low on time. I can put together a polished look with minimal effort and without really having to think about it. I also love that I can do anything from a subtle wash of color to a cool-toned smoky eye with just this palette.

Of course, the palette is great for travel because it’s so small, and I even threw it even my backpack to take to the office one day with no issues. Some of the shades remind me of the Biba palette (I’m pretty sure Seed is actually in both), so this is a great way to get Biba palette vibes for only $27. Here are some swatches of all of the shades:

The shimmers, Golden Flesh (a gold-bronze metallic), Anjo (a gray-brown metallic), and Faye (a cool metallic champagne), all apply well with a finger or brush, though I recommend using natural fiber brushes if you can with Natasha Denona shadows in general. There’s no chunky glitter or fallout with these shades, which is another reason they’re super easy to throw on in the morning.

Seed is a creamy dark brown matte and Harlow is a creamy matte taupe that both blend easily without any patchiness. Seed is a perfect outer corner and liner color for me while Harlow is a great base and blending shade or easy one and done matte look.

Golden Flesh and Anjo both work really well for one and done looks depending on if you want to go more bronze or more taupe. They also layer beautifully together. Faye is a fantastic inner corner highlight, and I’ve also used it all over the lid for a subtle daytime look.

If you have olive skin and struggle to find truly flattering neutral tones, I highly recommend giving the Natasha Denona Mini Glam Palette a try. It has become an absolute essential in my collection and is worth every penny especially since it’s fairly affordable given the cost of other quands and quints (looking at you, new Hourglass quads).

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.

YSL Couture Mini Clutch in 200 Gueliz Dream – My favorite eyeshadow palette for my olive undertones

Featuredby liftbakelove3 Comments on YSL Couture Mini Clutch in 200 Gueliz Dream – My favorite eyeshadow palette for my olive undertones

The Sephora sale still has a couple days left (and then there will be Black Friday and other holiday sales), and if there’s one thing I’d recommend getting while it’s on sale, it’s this palette. It’s described as having a neutral nude pearl, terracotta, beige and mid-brown. I think this really undersells the mauve quality of the terracotta shade and how special the topper is, so I wanted to do a full rundown of each shade and why I love this palette so much. Thank you so much for being here, and it would mean so much to me if you subscribe here for new posts. All links in this post are affiliate links, and if you choose to shop through them, thanks for supporting the blog!

For only four shades, this palette gives me a ton of different looks which is one of the reasons I think it’s worth it. I can use all four shades to make a more complex look or use each of them alone for a one and done. I can make something that pulls more brown, beige, pink, mauve, or pearl depending on which shades I use and where. No matter what you pair it with, it seems to work beautifully. The formula is also so easy to use and blend and longwearing. I’m honestly talking myself into trying another palette while typing this but I know this particular one is the one I would keep reaching for.

The upper left shade is such a pretty sparkly topper. It has a mostly gold shimmer in it but also has some tiny pink glitters, so I find it works really great no matter which of the mattes I pair it with. Pictures don’t do this justice – you really have to swatch it in person to get the effect of the sparkle. It definitely wouldn’t replace any of my single glitter shadows like the Hourglass Scattered Light or the Bodyography Glitter pigments, but it has just enough oomph for the kind of look I’m going for when I use this palette while still not being over the top. It doesn’t have a ton of pigment backing it so I don’t ever use this alone, but I love using it on top of the other shades or other matte shadows I have.

The upper right shade is a light brown beige that leans pink and never turns orange on me. I actually use this shade all the time as an easy one and done matte shadow look or to add some additional pink to an eye look to make it look better with whatever blush I’ve used that day. I also grab this palette for this and the lower right shade to help bring together a look with another palette because I always find I’ve ended up with a little too much orange to go with a pink or purple leaning blush. This shade helps solve that really quickly without going overboard into the pink direction since it’s still primarily beige.

The lower left shade is a perfect neutral dark brown that also never goes orange on me. I love using this for the outer corner or for a shadow liner. It’s just the right amount of depth that I can throw it on without thinking about it. I won’t accidentally make a look too smokey but it will still add the illusion I’m looking for. Like the other brown shade, it has just a touch of pink to it that helps it blend seamlessly with the other shades. It also means I can also use this to help me balance out an eye look I’m doing. That said, I can use it in a non mauvey/pink look, and it’ll still blend in great as a neutral brown.

The lower right shade is a more muted rusty terracotta matte shadow that leans mauve. I’m having trouble really describing this color, but it’s just so versatile for something that isn’t just a brown. It’s the perfect rusty color that I’m honestly always looking for in a blush, and I love using it all over as a base or to build up color in my crease. It goes so well with the types of colors I like wearing as someone with an olive undertone, and it never looks too red on me. I also use this to bring more rust (for lack of a better word) to an eye look whenever I need it.

This palette is $88, but especially if you can get it on sale, I think it’s incredibly worth it for the shades, the formula, and how well it works as a neutral palette on my olive skin. 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.