Tag: pat mcgrath

If I Could Only Keep One – What’s the One Beauty Product From Each Category I’d Choose?

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I was inspired by this video from Kackie Reviews Beauty where she went through the one product she would choose if she could only choose one per category. This was way harder than I expected it to be! As expected, I really struggled choosing just one blush and just one lip product (so I cheated and did liner, lipstick, and lip gloss). I’m planning on doing this once a quarter because I wrote a draft of similar theme months ago, and the products I would choose totally changed, and I think that would be a fun way to explore my “top shelf” items every few months.

Auric Glow Lust in Selenite – This product is my favorite for making my skin look amazing no matter what’s going on with it. Even if my skin is dull and dehydrated and not looking its best, Glow Lust will make it look glowy, smooth, and moisturized. Every time I wear it, I instantly feel more confident, especially for video meetings because Glow Lust reflects so beautifully and distracts from anything else going on. Of all of my glowy, liquid products, this is definitely my favorite of the bunch. I use it as a primer, mixed in with foundation, and as a highlighter, and it works amazingly well for all of those purposes. For this, I would choose Selenite because I can use it as a foundation as well as a primer right now, but in the middle of winter, I could probably get away with Morganite.

Auric Glow Lust in Morganite and Selenite

Ulta Under Eye Brightener – I have super dark undereye and can’t get away without a corrector, and I’m so happy to have discovered this one. It’s about $10 and a very effective dupe of my beloved Becca Under Eye Brightening Corrector. Just like the Becca one, this corrector works so well for correcting my super dark circles and helps hydrate my super dry under eyes for whatever concealer goes on top without any heaviness. It blends like a dream and the color is perfect for me. And it’s in stick form which is so much easier to use than the pot!

Ilia True Skin Serum Concealer in Arrowroot – I have been loving this concealer ever since I got it. It has a very hydrating feel and finish without being too glossy or dewy. It’s light to medium coverage which matches with the coverage level I prefer for my foundations.  Despite being so hydrating, it’s long-wearing and non-creasing throughout the day. It’s also incredibly blendable and easy to work with. I can use it under my eyes, for spot concealing, or all over as a light coverage foundation, and it works great. I’m so glad I have this one!

Ilia True Skin Serum Concealer in Arrowroot

Kosas Cloud Set Baked Setting & Smoothing Powder – This powder is really so amazing, and I know I posted about it super recently because I love it so much. I have it in the shade Airy, but because of how sheer it is, I’m sure Breezy or Feathery could have worked for me as well. It has a tiny bit of luminosity to it so it sets without mattifying too much, and it’s the perfect hybrid between a finishing and setting powder. I love using this for all over my face and to set all my cream products without getting rid of any of their dewiness.

Salt New York Sculpt + Bronze Crème Tint Pro in Light/Medium and Kjaer Weis Blush in Blossoming

Salt New York Sculpt + Bronze Crème Tint Pro in Light/Medium – I’ve been mentioning the Salt New York crème tint pro bronzer a ton lately, and it’s because it’s really become a staple in my everyday makeup routine. It blends out incredibly easily and seamlessly, feels like nothing on the skin, and looks so natural on me. It’s my favorite formula for when I need a “I’m running late and need something easy” look, which is every day right now. It blends out so quickly with a brush, sponge, or fingers and never looks patchy which is great when I’m behind on washing my brushes. This honestly might end up being the first cream color cosmetic product I hit pan on ever, and I wouldn’t be surprised.

Kjaer Weis Blush in Blossoming – This formula has the perfect balance between blendable and long-wearing. It’s so easy to work with, create impact, and stays all day. The first time I used one of these, I was shocked to find that it was still on my cheeks after wearing makeup for over 15 hours. I love that I can just buy a refill without the extra packaging and put it in my Salt New York empty palette, and that it’s still around $30 even for a luxury product. I’ve been loving the shade Blossoming, and I think it could be my one and only blush super easily with how flattering it is for me. It’s a beautiful rosy, warm pink that is a great match with the pink and brown looks I tend to gravitate towards.

Beauty Pie Triple Beauty Luminizing Wand – This blends so easily and quickly and creates a sophisticated glow without glitter. It’s a perfect wash of light-catching pigment and is also blurring. It looks great as a finishing touch to any look I’ve used it in, and I love that it looks great on the cheeks, brow bone, inner corner, or anywhere else I want it to go. I can apply it straight from the wand or use my fingers or a brush and it works great. It only comes in one shade but I think this shade would work for a lot of people because it’s so sheer. Compared to $38 for the Charlotte Tilbury version of this, it’s incredible that this only costs $9.18. I honestly would’ve thought this was a luxury product down to the packaging, and I can’t believe it’s less than $10.

Beauty Pie Triple Beauty Luminizing Wand

Pat McGrath Bronze Seduction Mothership Palette – Of all my palettes, I think I’d be able to get the most out of this, and it’ll give me everything I want (except a neutral glitter topper). It’s a color story that seems perfectly made for me with the bronzes, browns, pinks and purples that go 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 almost 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.

Bronze Seduction  swatches

Benefit Precisely, My Brow Pencil – Because of a sparse area I have in one of my brows, I never skip this step, so I had to include both this and a brow gel. I love this pencil because it goes on so quickly and naturally and the size makes it perfect to fill areas in fast but not overdo it. And unlike other pencils, it stays all day, so I don’t end up with a hole in my brow by the end of the day.

Rose Inc Brow Renew in Clear – I’ve been reaching for it over my other brow products and loving the result. I have giant, thick brows that look overdone super quickly, and I honestly didn’t realize how much a clear brow gel could make them look put together and “done” without overwhelming my face. It doesn’t feel crunchy or sticky but has great staying power like the rest of these products. Because of my big brows, the applicator is also perfect for me vs the usual tiny brow applicators. It makes applying this so fast and easy to get my brows into shape. Even though this is clear, it’s definitely the brow gel I would choose if I could only choose one.

Thrive Causemetics Liquid Lash Extensions Mascara in Brynn – This continues to be the best mascara I’ve ever used and would obviously be the one I’d choose if I could only choose one. It makes my lashes look amazing, doesn’t smudge, and actually holds a curl. The best part is that it washes off so easily and quickly. I have no idea how many of these I’ve been through (I always get the travel size sets during the holidays), and I can’t even think of another mascara I would pick.

Make Up For Ever Artist Color Pencil in Wherever Walnut – I actually have so many different lip liners, and it’s one of the categories I struggled with much more than I expected. At least right now, I would choose this one if I could really only have one. The Bite liners were a close second, but given that they are discontinued and no longer available, my choice for this year is this Make Up For Ever pencil. The formula is creamy without being slippery and helps define my lips without drying them out. I particularly like this color because it adds depth to my lighter colors and helps retain the shape for darker colors. It’s super neutral and so it doesn’t conflict with almost any look I want to do.

Lisa Eldridge Velvet Matte Lipstick in Velvet Muse– This formula is the most comfortable matte lipstick I’ve tried – they’re not drying at all, have the staying power I expect from a matte lipstick, and looks velvety smooth on the lips. They’re highly pigmented and blurring and cover the lips in one swipe. I love the shade Velvet Muse, which is described as a smoky rosewood. It’s got the perfect amount of brown and pink for me, and I find that it’s one of the shades of lipstick I have that goes with almost every look I want to do.

Fitglow Lip Serum in Gospel – Gospel is described as a warm berry, and it’s super in my comfort zone. It’s so easy to slap on with any of my usual makeup looks and is the perfect amount of pigmented for me. Aside from how well the color fits with most of the looks I like to do, FitGlow is always a go-to for me when I’m not sure what I want to wear because of the nourishing, thick, hydrating, long-lasting formula. It’s definitely my favorite lip gloss formula, and even if it wasn’t this shade, I’d pick something in this formula if I could only keep one.

If you could only choose one of each product, what would you choose? 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 Bronze Seduction Mothership Eyeshadow Palette Review

Featuredby liftbakelove1 Comment on Pat McGrath Bronze Seduction 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 Bronze Seduction 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.

Bronze Seduction 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 third Pat McGrath palette, but the one that I’ve wanted for the longest. It’s the color story that seems perfectly made for me with the bronzes, browns, pinks and purples that go 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 almost 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.

Bronze Seduction  shades are listed below in order from left to right on my arm

Skinshow Divine Glow – 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 and Skinshow Nude in Divine Rose, but Divine Glow is the most neutral vs the more gold or pink versions of this shade in the other palettes.

Entrapment – This is a medium-dark warm toned matte brown. Because of the warmth, it goes really well with the golds and pinks in this palette, and I appreciate that it doesn’t overlap with most of the browns I have in my collection that are natural or cool. I love using this as a softer shadow liner or to darken the inner corner just a bit. It’s incredibly smooth, pigmented, and blendable so it works really well for this because it doesn’t blend away to nothing.

Bronze Blaze – This is a light-medium golden 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 this bronzey/gold shade.

Rose Gold 005– This is my favorite shade in the palette and definitely my most used. It’s a beautiful pinky bronze metallic shade that creates a really impactful look by itself. I love how shiny it is and how it’s a “sophisticated pink”. It has flecks of gold and pink in it that I find make it pair really well with my brown eyes. If you want to up the impact, you can use this shadow wet and it has a super pretty shiny, sparkly finish that I am honestly obsessed with. I would never recommend getting a palette this expensive for one shade, but now that I have it, I’m very happy with this palette just for this one.

VR Fire Opal – This is a shimmery duo-chrome shade that shifts green and teal. It’s a super cool shade but I rarely use it on its own. I love using it on top of super warm shades to add some coolness, brightness, and shimmer. This shade is incredibly shiny and also works really well wet. If a look I make accidentally leans too dark, I will add a light layer of this all over the lid or just in the center to bring some lightness to the look.

Xtreme Aubergine – This is a very deep matte purple that leans slightly 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 darker than the darkest matte in most of my other palettes, so I find that I pull this out if I ever want something super smoky (which is rare, but does happen). I also find that this shade stays richer than any other purple shadow I own, which really impressed me.

Guilty Pleasure – This is a warm light-medium 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 super easy and not too dark (or too light) for me. 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. It also pairs really well with the rest of the shades in the palette.

Disobedient – This is a deep matte brown that leans slightly warm. It’s a beautiful shade for the outer corner or as eyeliner. I love how easy to blends out without losing its depth. That said, it’s definitely not a super unique shade of brown, and while I’m glad it’s in this palette to add to looks, it’s not incredibly exciting vs some of the other shades.

Blitz Flame – This is a dark warm toned red metallic shade that is super sparkly and rich. Even though it’s very red in the pan, I find that it shows up more deep pink on me (it looks almost the same as Ruse Dusk from the Divine Rose palette despite how red it looks like it’ll be). I love using this as a base for sparkly toppers or as a way to dark the outer corner with a non-matte shade. It pairs really well for a gradient look with Rose Gold 005 or Bronze Blaze.

Astral Luna Gold – I’m glad I didn’t end up with a third Astral Solstice, which is the Astral shade in Divine Rose and Midnight Sun – the other two PMG palettes I own. That said, this shade is not for me. It shifts gold, blue, and purple, and I never use it. Like Astral Solstice, it’s beautifully sparkly and glittery and much smoother than I would have expected. It makes any base shade so incredibly bright, wet-looking, and shiny. So if you’re into a blue/purple/gold sparkle situation, you might love this!

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.

2022 EMPTIES (WILL I REPURCHASE?) – PART 9

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Back again with another 5 empties (fully finished products)! I have a bunch of empties this month, but, as usual, I am keeping these posts to 5 products to keep them short. As always, I’m super excited to take a good look at what I thought of the products I’ve finished and whether or not I’d buy them again. 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.

Sunday Riley Luna Sleeping Night Oil – As someone with very dry skin, I really liked having such a thick and moisturizing oil as a retinol option. If I was super tired and didn’t feel like doing my full routine, I could just use this and go to bed and would wake up with skin that still looked hydrated and glowy. Even though I’ve loved and used this for year, I have found other retinol products I like more, and I don’t love that this has blue dye in it so I have to be careful about laying on a pillow right away. So, I won’t be repurchasing this.

Josie Maran Argan Daily Moisturizer SPF 47 – This has been my sunscreen of choice for a couple years now since I first tried it. It’s both moisturizing and lightweight and doesn’t leave a white cast despite being an all mineral sunscreen. I love that the formula doesn’t dry out my skin or have a tint that leaves my face looking a strange color like a lot of mineral sunscreens tend to do. It doesn’t pill, it great under makeup, and also smells amazing – every time I put it on, it just cheers me up and helps me get ready to face the day. I am already using my backup.

SkinCeuticals C E Ferulic – This product is supposed to “improve the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles, loss of firmness, and brightens skin’s complexion,” and it definitely does all those things. I was actually surprised by how well it worked, and how nice my skin looked after using it entirely. That said, I’ve switched back to some of my other vitamin C serums since finishing this, and they also work great (even if just a little less well). So, I’m not going to repurchase this because it’s $169, and there’s just so many other Vitamin C serums on the market that are very effective.

Pat McGrath Lip Fetish Balm in Clear – Before I talk about why I love this, I want to say that I don’t think this is worth it at full price (or even 50% off). I was able to grab this for $12, and for me, it’s totally worth it at that price. This balm is incredibly moisturizing and imparts a glossy look to the lips without being too much. I love adding it on top of matte lipsticks to turn any lipstick into a slightly sheer/shiny product without adding anything too glossy or sticky or something that would make it wear off too quickly. All that said, I have so much lip balm right now that I definitely can’t justify replacing this yet, and I bet I’ll find things I like even more.

NBM Cuticle Buddy in Lavender– My nails have never been healthier or stronger since I starting using these, and I don’t freak out about nail breaks anymore because they grow back so fast now. I used the Lavender scent every night as I’m getting ready for bed, so I’m not surprised it’s the first one I fully finished. It’s calming and relaxing and the perfect “wind down” scent. As always, you can use my affiliate code with Shop NBM to get 10% off sitewide: LIFT10. I’m not repurchasing this one yet because I have like 10 other ones going right now, but I definitely will one day!

I’d love to know – what have you finished lately? Like I mentioned, I have a ton more empties that I will be posting about, and I’ll be sharing empties posts every other Friday all year. 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.

April 2022 Favorites

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I can’t believe April 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.

Tower 28 SunnyDays SPF 30 Tinted Sunscreen Foundation in Melrose – I honestly think this might be my favorite foundation of all time. I’m surprised I haven’t written about it yet! The formula is so incredibly smoothing and glowy. It makes my skin look both perfected and hydrated while feeling super comfortable on the skin. I can put it on with a brush, sponge, or fingers, and it looks great. The wear time is amazing considering how lightweight it is, and it absolutely wears in instead of off. Now that we’re heading into summer, I’ve been wearing it more often even though I actually have had it since last year. I also have been relying on it whenever I travel and want something I can apply quickly with my hands.

Tower 28 SunnyDays SPF 30 Tinted Sunscreen Foundation in Melrose 

Pat Mcgrath Divine Blush in Fleurtatious – The formula is incredibly smoothing and blurring, and it looks so beautiful on my skin. It is one of my most flattering powder blushes, and it’s the one I use when I don’t want to think about how I’m applying my blush. It lasts incredibly well, and it works great to set a cream blush if I want my look to last all day. Fleurtatious is a warm-toned light pink that works so well with the tones that I love to use, and as you can see in the swatch below, it’s just pigmented enough to show up but not too pigmented to take over a look. I’ve been reaching for this so often to finish off my looks now that we’re in Spring.

Pat Mcgrath Divine Blush in Fleurtatious

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. 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. So, I’ve been swirling a brush over it and applying it from the brush, and it honestly looks so great. I had written a review about how I didn’t love this because it’s a bit sticky, but now that my skin is a little less dry with the changing seasons, it seems to be working better. I’m glad I’m getting more use out of this!

Glossier Haloscope highlighter in Quartz

Dieux Instant Angel Skin Restoring Moisturizer – The product page says that “this nourishing face cream supports and repairs skin while giving an ethereal glow,” and that is incredibly accurate. This has helped me get rid of any dry, flaky patches on my skin, and it really has makes a huge difference in hydrating my skin closer to normal. It’s also gentle enough that I can use it on my currently dry, flaky eyelids with no issues, and it soothes and moisturizing them so well and so fast. It also sits perfectly under makeup because of how fast it melts into the skin and because it imparts a bit of a glow.

Josie Maran Intensive Daily Repair Body Butter –  I finally found a body butter I like more than the Josie Maran Whipped Argan Oil Body Butter, and it’s also from Josie Maran. I haven’t been using this as long as the other products, but I had to share. I have incredibly dry skin on my body to the point that I sometimes get itchy hives, and I haven’t had any since I started using this. It’s so incredibly nourishing, moisturizing, and honestly healing. Like the other body butters from this brand, it’s still fast absorbing and super lightweight even with how moisturizing it is. I’m so glad I have this, and it’s well worth the price (especially since Josie Maran products go on sale often).

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.

KACKIE (REVIEWS BEAUTY) MADE ME BUY IT in 2021 (PART 3)

Featuredby liftbakelove1 Comment on KACKIE (REVIEWS BEAUTY) MADE ME BUY IT in 2021 (PART 3)

Kackie has one of my favorite beauty channels to watch – so much so that it’s part of my morning routine Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays when she posts new videos, and I can’t imagine it any other way. What makes her stand out for me is that she actually reviews products rather than fawning over new releases. She covers textures, colors, formulation, packaging, etc. in depth, usually with comparisons to similar products you might already have. She has what she refers to as an encyclopedic knowledge of products, and I think that’s why I find her reviews so helpful. Kackie goes out of her way to give the most pertinent information to help viewers decide why something might or might not work for them and what they should know about the product when making a purchasing decision. For that reason, almost everything I’ve gotten because of her recommending it has become a fast favorite and something I wish I had bought sooner. Because I’m on a no-buy in 2022, I rounded up all the products Kackie made me buy in 2021 since my last “Kackie made me buy it” post. 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!

Lisa Eldridge Liquid Lurex Eyeshadow in Angelica and Bianca – I absolutely love this eyeshadow. This formula is so quick and easy to use. It’s almost like a mousse and feels halfway 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’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 some of the more spangly eyeshadows I’ve ever used, which may be the thing I love about them the most. 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. Bianca is a warm, purply-pink that really makes my brown eyes pop.

Angelica (left) and Bianca (right)

Tower 28 Beauty BeachPlease Lip + Cheek Cream Blush in Happy Hour – This is one of the dewiest blushes I own – it’s super pretty on dry skin. The formula of these is incredibly easy to use and blends out super quickly. It does leave a slight stickiness that isn’t always my favorite, especially if I know I’m going to be wearing a mask. This is described as a warm toned pink, but I find it pulls very peachy-orange on me. Because of that, I haven’t used it that much since we’ve been in the winter months, and I’m excited to use it more in the summer. Of all the blushes Kackie has “made me buy,” I think this is my least favorite, but that’s just because she sets the bar so high with all the other blush recommendations.

Pat Mcgrath Divine Blush in Fleurtatious – The formula is incredibly smoothing and blurring, and it looks so beautiful on my skin. It is one of my most flattering powder blushes, and it’s the one I use when I don’t want to think about how I’m applying my blush. It lasts incredibly well, and it works great to set a cream blush if I want my look to last all day. Fleurtatious is a warm-toned light pink that works so well with the tones that I love to use, and as you can see in the swatch below, it’s just pigmented enough to show up but not too pigmented to take over a look.

 Em Cosmetics So Soft Blush – I knew I would love these the first time Kackie described the texture of these – they’re everything I look for in a cream blush. The So Soft formula is incredibly soft and creamy (like the name implies), and that makes it so easy and quick to apply. It blends so seamlessly into the skin without disappearing. It’s actually one of the longest wearing cream blushes I own despite being so blendable. I have the shades Lychee (warm melon), Venetian Rose (vinatge rose), and Pearl Tea (brownish nude), and I get lots of use out of all the shades.

ABH Dewy Set Setting Spray – The Cover FX Dewy Finish Setting Spray had been my favorite for years, but I like this even better. It does just the right amount of dewiness and sets my makeup while still leaving everything skin-like and flexible. I love how this makes my makeup look after everything is said and done and how it provides great lasting power without drying out my skin (in fact, I think it adds another layer of hydration). It’s also less expensive than similar options, like the Hourglass Setting Spray Kackie says it’s a dupe of, so I’m very excited this has come into my makeup routine.

Tower 28 SunnyDays SPF 30 Tinted Sunscreen Foundation in Melrose – I honestly think this might be my favorite foundation of all time. I’m surprised I haven’t written about it yet! The formula is so incredibly smoothing and glowy. It makes my skin look both perfected and hydrated while feeling super comfortable on the skin. I can put it on with a brush, sponge, or fingers, and it looks great. The wear time is amazing considering how lightweight it is, and it absolutely wears in instead of off. I’m so happy I decided to grab this!

Kosas AirBrow – Kackie convinced me to try this over, and I’m so glad I did! It finally unseated Glossier Boy Browhich I had been using for years. It tints and fills in the brows so quickly and easily without overdoing it or over applying the gel. It doesn’t get crunchy or hard and stays in place all day. I prefer it to the Boy Brow because it’s a bit thicker so it lasts longer and keeps my brows exactly where I want them all day. 

Glow-All Super Powder Face Palette – I really struggle with powder products because they tend to stamp on vs deposit color and blend out so it’s super easy for me to overdo. I knew based on Kackie’s description I would have no issues with this formula, and she was right! It’s so easy to work with and you don’t have to think about what you’re doing because it’s so hard to overdo it. The formula is also incredibly creamy and blurring as you can hopefully see in the swatches below. I’m so happy to have this for travel and for quick and easy looks at home. I brought it with me when we visited family for Thanksgiving, and it was great to have everything in one palette, including such different blush colors. You can still get a pretty big brush in the pans, which I really appreciate. The palette is $17.13, and I’m loving it so much more than my Hourglass Ambient Lighting Edit – Sculpture Unlocked palette which was $58.

highlighter, bronzer, and blushes from the face palette

Beauty Pie Triple Beauty Luminizing Wand – This blends so easily and quickly and creates a sophisticated glow without glitter. It’s a perfect wash of light-catching pigment and is also blurring. It looks great as a finishing touch to any look I’ve used it in, and I love that it looks great on the cheeks, brow bone, inner corner, or anywhere else I want it to go. I can apply it straight from the wand or use my fingers or a brush and it works great. It only comes in one shade but I think this shade would work for a lot of people because it’s so sheer. Compared to $38 for the Charlotte Tilbury version of this, it’s incredible that this only costs $9.18. I honestly would’ve thought this was a luxury product down to the packaging, and I can’t believe it’s less than $10.

Beauty Pie Triple Beauty Luminizing Wand

Beauty Pie Seamless Foundation Buffing Brush – This brush is really densely packed which ensures it maintains the level of coverage of any product I’m using it with. It also never creates any streaks and cleans really well even with consistently using it with liquid products. While this brush is amazing for foundation, I actually love it even more for cream blush. It blends every formula so seamlessly and quickly and is my go-to for when I’ve overdone my blush and need to blend everything together quickly because of its size. This brush is under $10 and feels similar to my much more expensive synthetic brushes. I now totally understand why Kackie said in her review that she wanted tons of these in her collection.

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.

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.

Cate the Great Beauty Made Me Buy It

by liftbakelove3 Comments on Cate the Great Beauty Made Me Buy It

Cate has one of my favorite channels on YouTube, and she is a really great person. She sung me Happy Birthday on a live stream and gave my blog a shout out in a different live stream because she’s awesome! I really appreciate her approach to reviews, and (spoiler) I’ve been incredibly impressed with everything she’s recommended. I’ve even found a few things that aren’t makeup that I’ve fallen in love with because of her channel. If you aren’t following her yet, I recommend it! She also has a bunch of discount codes and affiliate links for various products (including some of these), so I would head over to her channel to use those to support her and save some money.

One of the first things I got that Cate recommended is the Charlotte Tilbury Light Wonder Foundation in 2 Fair. This is a “your skin but better” foundation – it’s incredibly light weight and feels like a moisturizer. It looks incredibly seamless and natural and blends in so quickly. It’s slightly dewy and is low to medium coverage, which are both things I look for in base products. Even though I love this, I likely won’t repurchase it when I run out because I have so many other foundation favorites that are less expensive like the Glossier Skin Tint, Fenty Eaze Drop, and the Typology Tinted Serum.

The Fenty Eaze Drop filled a gap in my foundation collection I didn’t realize I had. It’s a really unique formula that’s blurring, light-weight, not too matte, and doesn’t budge. The formula is almost entirely mask proof and sweat proof, but doesn’t look heavy at all. I love that I can blend it in super quickly with my fingers, and it looks flawless. It also works great with a brush if I don’t feel like using my hands to apply it. I wouldn’t recommend using it with a sponge if you have dry skin, but otherwise, I have no issues with it. I was on the fence given some folks had issues with it, but I trust Cate, and she was right! It’s my pick when I want a bit more coverage than the Charlotte Tilbury Foundation or any of my skin tints.

Charlotte Tilbury Light Wonder in 2 Fair, Fenty Eaze Drop in 2, Kosas Concealer in 02, Glossier Stretch Concealer in G11

I’d heard about the Kosas Revealer Concealer from a bunch of people but Cate finally convinced me to pick it up. It blends out beautifully and doesn’t dry out the area under my eyes – it really does feel like a concealer & eye cream hybrid. It doesn’t lose coverage when you’re blending it out, which is super important to me with concealers since I have incredibly dark under eyes. I can use it both under my eyes and on my face and alone or with foundation. Cate uses the concealer in shade 1, and I think that would have been a better match even though 2 is a good match for my face. I’m planning on trying the new Thrive Causemetics concealer next but would absolutely grab the Kosas in shade 1 otherwise.

I wasn’t sure about the Glossier Stretch Concealer in G11, but I figured I would give it a go because Cate loves it so much. I’m really happy I did – it’s my favorite pot concealer and is great for someone with skin as dry as mine. My favorite way to use this concealer is all over like a foundation. It looks incredibly skin like, lasts all day, and provides just the right amount of coverage for me. It also feels very light weight, and everything I put on top of it looks great. I would recommend using setting powder on top of it if you don’t have dessert dry skin like I do or if you’re planning on doing any amount of sweating.

I know I talk about the Auric Glow Lust all the time, but it really is such a great product. It gives both a super smooth and glowy effect to the skin, whether I use it as foundation, a primer, a mixer, or a highlighter. Of all of my glowy, liquid products, this is definitely my favorite of the bunch. The packaging is also amazing, especially the pump – it’s so much easier to use than something like the Charlotte Tilbury Hollywood Flawless Filter. It feels like much more of a luxury experience, from the packaging to the formula. I have a full review here if you’d like to see more comparisons!

I have no idea why more people don’t talk about the Chantecaille Brightening Eye Nude Kajal – I think Cate may be one of the only people I’ve seen mention it! It’s the only eye liner I’ve found that is the right color to brighten up my eyes when I use it in the waterline – it’s not too white or too yellow. It just looks like I actually get enough sleep and makes my eyes look less red, even if it’s from allergies. It also stays all day and doesn’t irritate my eyes. It’s on the pricier side at $29, but mine has lasted me so long, and I think it’s completely worth it.

I had wasn’t planning on buying the Hourglass Ambient Lighting Edit Sculpture Unlocked palette, especially because it was $58, and we all know I don’t really use powder products or need any more of them. Then, I saw it on sale for $35 and decided to grab it after watching Cate’s review of it, and I honestly have no regrets. It’s so quick and easy because the powders are very finely milled and blend seamlessly into my skin (see swatches below). I can do a full face is about a minute, which has been fantastic. If you don’t need a full palette (or can’t find a version for your skin tone which is likely because Hourglass really needs to do a better job at making sure these work for all skin tones), I would recommend getting a mini version of the product you want. They make minis of most of their powder products, and they last forever.

The Pat McGrath Lust Glosses (I now have Pale Fire Nectar and two Pat McGrath Mini Lust: Gloss Trios) is one of my favorite gloss formulas all of time. Cate is obsessed with the Pale Fire Nectar shade so I started there. Everything Cate said about these is true. There is just the right amount of glitter to make my lips look amazing, and the color is perfectly pinky coral without going overboard. The formula is incredibly hydrating and smoothing, even with the glitter. When I saw the trios on sale for $9 at Sephora, I knew I had to get them. Every color in the trios are great for me, and they all have the same great formula. They also have amazing lasting power – you can’t go wrong with this gloss, and there’s usually always a couple of shades on sale on the Pat McGrath website.

Video swatch of Pale Fire Nectar

The Farmacy Honey Potion Renewing Antioxidant Hydration Mask is my HG face mask, and I am so thankful to Cate for introducing it to me. This mask warms up as you massage it into your skin, so not only does it work to deeply moisturize and calm my skin, it’s also a really great relaxing experience. It is the perfect mask to use after an exfoliating treatment or when your skin is feeling extra dry. It really is the best face mask of all time. My skin feels so smooth, hydrated, and glowy after using this. It’s my go to for when my skin is feeling stressed, irritated, overly dry, or anything else that requires help. It always comes to the rescue, and my 1.7oz jar is still going strong so it was totally worth the investment.

Cate is known for her amazing headbands, and I love how they look on her. I decided to pick up some of the ones from Soulvation Society after she talked about them. They are so soft and comfortable and feel incredibly high quality. They also stay put and don’t put any dents in my hair. They don’t give me a headache even if I wear them a long time, which I normally have issues with. I got the neturals twist pack which comes with 5 super pretty shades that go with anything else I’m wearing. I’m honestly set for headbands for a long time with these!

I pretty much immediately bought the Frâicheur Facial Ice Globes after watching this video. I love using them at night to help my nighttime skincare absorb quickly and in the morning to depuff my face before putting on makeup. I think they really help my skin improve over time, but even if it’s just a placebo, I love the way it feels when I’m using them. My favorite thing about them is that they really help me with headaches and migraines. They really came in handy when I was experiencing a few terrible migraines last week, and I was so glad I had them. I love that you can keep them in the freezer so I always have them ready to go, which is particularly great when it starts getting really hot.

If you like these influencer made me buy it posts, comment below who you you’d like me to focus on next! Thanks as always for reading!