Kackie has one of my favorite beauty channels to watch (and also one of my favorite people for so many reasons). 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. I rounded up all the makeup Kackie made me buy in 2023 (and since my last “Kackie made me buy it” post last year). As always, thank you so much for being here, and it would mean so much to me if you subscribe here for new posts! *Most links are affiliate links that support the blog.
Givenchy Prisme Libre Skin-Caring 24H Hydrating + Radiant + Correcting Creamy Concealer in N95 – This concealer is as good as everyone says it is, especially for those of us over 30. It’s incredibly hydrating while still offering a really good amount of coverage because it has such a creamy texture. I love using it all over as both my foundation and concealer, and it just looks so nice. It builds up really nicely if I want more coverage in certain areas while still looking incredibly natural. It plays well with all my powders and primers, so if I’m traveling, this is the one product I’ll bring with me because I know it’ll work no matter what else I do.
Fenty Foundation Stick in 02 – This foundation is absolutely beautiful and so easy to use. I’m so glad that I grabbed this because when I want to put on a more high coverage (for me) face of makeup, this is what I reach for. It blends out so quickly, is quite blurring, and make my skin look amazing without being too dewy or matte. It also is great for spot concealing because it builds really well, and it’s super easy to get just a little bit on a brush straight from the stick. This is definitely my choice out of all the stick foundations for dry skin, and I like it even better than the original Eaze Drop (even though I still love that foundation).
Make Beauty Skin Mimetic Microsuede Bronzer in Lunar – I love this bronzer, and I’m not a powder bronzer person (although I might be now, because I’ve gotten 3 of Kackie’s favorite powder bronzers now and I love them all). It isn’t patchy, it applies so well over cream products, and it manages to keep a satin finish with great staying power. The color is also so dialed in for my olive undertones. There’s 6 shades, and I think they did a great job with the undertones across the range (but let me know if you agree!). Like the pressed powder, I love the packaging and how luxe it feels (and that it’s a different color than the pressed powder which is so helpful since they’re the same size). Plus, this is also refillable, and the pan fits in either the powder or bronzer compact! I will say it’s quite warm relative to the Gucci bronzer I mention later in this post, which is exactly why I got the Gucci bronzer and now am using the Gucci in the winter while the Make was great in the summer.
Gucci Poudre de Beauté Éclat Soleil Bronzing Powder in 01 – If you know anything about my collection, you know I don’t need another bronzer (especially because you’ll probably have noticed I literally just wrote about a bronzer). So why did I get this one? I swatched all the ones I have, and they leaned a little yellow and warm, and Kackie mentioned how this one is on the rosier side so perfect for winter – and she’s right! It works particularly well if I’m doing a very berry leaning or pink leaning look (vs something more beigey or brown), and I didn’t have any bronzers that worked well for that before. The formula is beautiful – it’s blurring, blendable, and easy to use. I recently brought this on a trip home in a magnetic palette because you can actually pop the pan out, and I loved that I could put it in a mini palette with some eyeshadows so it didn’t take up nearly as much space.
Kaja Play Bento in Butter Up – Kackie loves the bronzer in this trio, but doesn’t care about the blush or highlighter, so I waited to get this 70% off so it was basically like I was only paying for the bronzer. That said, I actually really like all three of the products. I recently brought this as my only bronzer, blush, and highlighter travelling, and it worked out great. The formulas are all great – they go on so easily, blend out really well, and have great lasting power. And the colors all work great together since they’re designed to be used as a set. The only thing I don’t love about this is that the bronzer is quite warm for me right now – I think it’ll go great with the Make Beauty bronzer in the summer.
Charlotte Tilbury Matte Beauty Blush Wand in Pillow Talk – When I’m looking for something that’s matte and long wearing but not a powder, this is now what I reach for. You can dab this on directly from the applicator and blend it out in about two seconds with a finger, brush, or sponge. This shade is a perfect sheer neutral leaning cool desaturated pink that makes it go with anything. This blush reminds me of how I feel about the Westman Atelier Blush Stick in Petal in that it’s just so easy to use and blend when I’m running late or don’t have as much time to do a full “blush look” and is such a great “natural but makes me look way healthier and hydrated than I am” shade. If I had to choose between them, I think I’d choose Petal because I just love stick products, but I’m still so happy I own the matte wand now.
Kaja Bento Bouncy Eyeshadow Trio in Orange Blossom – This is an amazing set of shimmer shadows that you can wear alone or as toppers, but the reason I got this one is specifically for the dark brown shade that Kackie says is one of her favorite “bedroom eyes brown” colors. And it really is so perfect! I do love wearing any of them all over the lid or pairing them with my other palettes to bring in some extra sparkle, but the dark brown is my most used. The shades are super pigmented but still blendable, and there’s something really special about whatever glitter is in them. I got this on sale for $13, and I have absolutely no regrets. I do think I’ll be using the “sandy peach” and “sun-kissed tan” colors more in the spring and summer, and I’ll report back!
Hourglass Scattered Light Eye Shadow in Ray and Smoke – If I’m not using the dark brown shade in the Kaja Bento Trio, these are my next pick for a one and done shadow look. I already loved the formula (I’ve talked about Reflect over the years here), but I specifically choose these shades based on Kackie’s recommendation. They’re both incredibly sparkly and twinkly without looking like you’ve gone overboard with glitter. It’s easy to get a sheer wash of this shade or build it up to have a super glittery look, and it’s also really easy to blend out. It also doesn’t have any fallout for how sparkly it is which makes it great for someone like me that only wants to spend a few minutes doing their makeup in their morning. Kackie actually watched me put on Ray with a brush, and she was surprised at how I just whacked it on and blended in about 3 seconds, and it still looked great. Ray is medium bronzy slightly warm champagne and Smoke is a taupe that doesn’t lean too cool (and is perfect for “cold girl” looks). I feel like with both of these plus Reflect, I now have literally all I need to match whatever blush/lip combo I use.
Make Beauty Diffusion Set in Translucent Fair – This is my go to “I really need a powder that actually is a powder” vs all my other powders that just do the lightest touch of mattifying (like the Kosas Cloud set, which I also love, but it’s more a finishing powder compared to this one). Even though it actually helps set makeup and balance out the overall dewy looks I tend to do, it doesn’t look overly drying or crepey. It also provides a tiny bit of coverage (which is why it’s great it comes in different shades), which is great if I’m trying to set a specific concealed area that I really want to cover. I also love the packaging and how luxe it feels. Plus, this is also refillable!
Givenchy Mini Prisme Libre Loose Setting and Finishing Powder in 3 Voile Rosé – I love all the powders I’ve gotten (and I think they’re all Kackie recommendations if I’m being honest), but if I had to pick only one finishing powder to keep, it’d be this one. Honestly, I think if I had to choose one powder of any kind, it’d be this one as much as I do love having the Make one I mentioned above as a pressed powder option. It blurs and mattifies without drying out my skin or looking powdery, which is perfect for someone with super dry skin like myself. It definitely provides a bit of brightening for me in this color, but it mostly is just a really fantastic loose powder. Kackie said it provides a soft focus blur, and it really does do that. I actually decluttered my Hourglass Veil Translucent Setting Powder (which I’ve written about how much I love for years) because I noticed I never used it since I have the Givenchy, and it’s because the Hourglass feels so heavy compared to the Givenchy powder.
*I did swatches of both these powders, and you literally can’t see anything, so you’ll have to trust me!
YSL Candy Glaze in 02 and 15 – I’m honestly so annoyed by how right Kackie is about this one, because she’s obsessed with it, and now I am too. If you’re just looking for an incredibly luxurious lip balm that makes your lips look and feel amazing, then the clear (02) is fantastic. This is much thicker than my other clear lip balms, so it lasts for so much longer than I would have expected, to the point that I would absolutely use the clear as a nighttime lip treatment in a pinch. It also smells amazing, but if you’re not into fruity/mango scents, you might not appreciate it as much as I do. Shade 15 (Showcasing Nude) is a beautiful rosey brown that is a perfect my lips but better color that’s so easy to wear, and I’m always stopping myself from buying more of the shades.
Givenchy Le Rouge Sheer Velvet Matte Lipstick in 10 Beige Nu – This is now my favorite matte lipstick formula because it looks blurred out and matte without being too matte or drying out my lips. It’s exactly the kind of look I want when I’m not going for something glossy or shiny. It actually reminds me the Glossier Generation G formula but incredibly elevated and in way better colors. This color in particular is amazing for me (I think I watched Kackie put it on and immediately added it to my list for the next Sephora sale) – it’s my go to for “I don’t know what lip color I want to wear but I just need it to look good” because it goes with everything. If I didn’t do any kind of reviewing content and didn’t have a bigger collection to compare things, I could see myself keeping this as one of my only lipsticks and be entirely happy with it.
Naturium Phyto-Glow Lip Balm – Kackie is not a drugstore person, so when she said she really liked this, I knew I had to try it. It’s incredibly thick so it feels like it lasts for hours and hours, and it’s the one I reach for when my lips are feeling like they’re actually about to crack. I keep one of these in my jacket pocket, and I’m always so thankful to have it with me because it’s so nourishing and feels like it’s actually doing something. The only thing I don’t like about these is that it’s so thick it can be incredibly hard to get it to come out of the tube. You have to squeeze so hard I’m always afraid I’m going to break the packaging, but it’s worth it to me for how good this is and it being only $10. I know Kackie would recommend the Rhode Peptide Lip Treatment over this one if she really to pick, but I’d personally go with this one. If you want to see swatches of this vs some other lip balms, check out my last post (but the clear swatches are…definitely just clear).
Hermes Shiny Lipstick in Prunoir – On the complete flip side of the Naturium lip balm is the most expensive lip product (or maybe most expensive non-palette product) I’ve ever bought for myself. Kackie got me with the Givenchy and YSL products mentioned above, and I thought “okay, those were entirely worth it, but I’m not spending $80 on a lipstick.” Cue me thinking about it and thinking about it to the point that I just couldn’t get it out of my head how perfect it would be for me, especially knowing how much Kackie loves this one and how well her other lip recommendations have worked out for me. And I absolutely love it. It’s truly the perfect lipstick when I’m doing a berry toned or mauvey toned or purple leaning look (honestly, I could be happy with this for my berry looks and Beige Nu for everything else). It’s also incredible as a way to balance out lipsticks that just need a bit of purple added to them when it feels like something is off. The formula is perfect – it’s shiny and hydrating without sliding all over the place, and it’s sheer without being patchy or not really showing up. The only thing is that it really has that luxury lip scent that’s quite strong, but I’ll put up with it for how perfect it is otherwise. Of course, the packaging is also stunning and feels like something you paid $80 for. This shade might be out of stock, but the formula is great if one of the other colors would work for you!
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.
Makeup and Skincare Reviews 