Burberry - Fresh Glow Highlighting powder in No. Nude Radiance - Swatch and Review

I was walking through the makeup aisles of Nordstrom, like I always do, and I stopped by the Burberry counter on my way to Armani. The SA asked me if I was looking for anything and I'm usually not unless I'm buying something I need to replenish. But she sat me down and applied a lip color and this highlighter to my face (it was a long day and my face needed something to bring it back to life) and this powder did the trick.

I'm talking about the Burberry Beauty "Fresh Glow" Luminous Highlighting powder in No. 1 Nude Radiance. 

I have seen this powder when I walk by and I always think to myself...this would be too ashy or would not suit me...but I was wrong! :)

Nude Radiance is a frosty white with a hint of pearl. Absolutely stunning if you use a light hand :).

Review: I feel in love with this powder at first application. The SA was slightly heavy handed with the product BUT it still looked good. I think if you are of a medium-tan skin tone and fairer, this would look great! 

But you must apply it with a fluffy brush and with a light hand. If I was ape-sh*t and applied it like I do other highlighters, this would look chalky and ashy. So be patient and light handed. This is pigmented but super blendable. 

It did not fade throughout the day. I usually wear my makeup almost all day so it is nice to see that it holds up during a work day. 

Overall a great highlighting powder that isn't a glitter bomb but frosty enough to make an impact on the face. It's not an intense frosty, I want to add haha. It's a high shine kind of high light.

I have one heavier swatch and one more blended out :)

Hope you enjoyed this! Let me know your thoughts in the comments! :)

Bianca

Zoeva Brushes... worth the hype and shipping costs...?

To answer what you are thinking... YES, they are worth it!! 

Zoeva is a German brand that sales (possibly manufactures...?) these amazing brushes and also makeup. Check out their website if you want to check out their selection -> Zoeva Website. 

I want to mention briefly that the shipping costs for international customers is steep haha like scary steep. I was hesitant to purchase for a few weeks but when I saw the amazing selection and heard the great reviews, I knew I had to place a medium sized order to make the costs worth it. I paid $18 for shipping *insert dramatic sad face emoji here*. But I felt like it got to my house relatively quickly, I want to say about 10 business days. I was totally expecting to wait about a month or something ridiculous ha!

~Getting back on track now~

I purchased four (4) brushes total and as you can see from the picture, they are relatively unique shapes for brushes - except for the pencil brush haha.

  

To list off what I purchased, here it is from Left to Right: 126 - Luxe Cheek Finish, two of the 105 - Luxe Highlight, and 230 - Luxe Pencil

Thoughts on the Luxe Cheek Finish brush - UM AMAZING.

I absolutely adore this brush!! It is very multipurpose and so incredibly soft. I have been using this for my cream bronzer but you can use this for foundation (it is VERY similar in shape to the Tom Ford Cream Foundation brush btw...), highlighting products, cream and powder blush, setting powder... basically all your face product application needs can be met with this brush alone.

Next, the Luxe Highlight brush - perfection.

Yeah...so I purchased two of these bad boys and I'm so glad I did!! I use one for setting powder and the other for powder highlights. It's the perfect shape to do both! Of course, this brush also has multiple purposes but I primarily purchased these for under eye setting powder application and highlight application.

Lastly, the Luxe Pencil brush - makes smoking out the lash line effortless!

This the most boring brush of the bunch haha but works amazingly! The bristles are so soft and do not irritate my lower and upper lash line, unlike other brands. The blending of the products, whether it's smudging out an eye pencil or blending out shadow, it's effortless and gorgeous. The product is never blended too far down nor apply/smudge the product in a patchy manner. It's amazing!

So folks... I think can forget about the obscene shipping costs and buy from Zoeva again. The quality and prices are unbeatable. Each brushes was less than $15 each, I think. Which is AMAZING.

I use these brushes EVERY day and never once have their shed or stained or anything. They are just amazing brushes that are worth checking out.

I hope you enjoyed this review, if you have any questions feel free to ask. I will answer your Q's as best I can.

Hope you are all well and I will talk to you all later :)
Bianca

Amrezy Palette by Anastasia Beverly Hills - Swatches and First Impression Review

I don't know how they kept this a secret haha. This came out of nowhere and I'm so excited it's in my hands!!

In case you didn't know, this palette was made in collaboration with Amrezy on Instagram. She is a makeup artist and insanely popular on IG (over a 1 million followers). Also, she is insanely gorgeous and so so talented.

I purchased this palette at my local Ulta on July 15th (two days before Ulta officially would have it in stores - BOOYAH). 

This retails for an amazing $29. I'm still in shock over the price haha. So affordable for the quality of the eyeshadows you get.

So let's take a gander over to the packaging. 

The outside is gorgeous. I adore the cheetah print on the packaging plus the metallic golden background. It gives it a very exotic appeal. 

It is cardboard, not exactly the nicest but it does its job in holding in the eyeshadows. I do wish the packaging was nicer or more sturdier. I think that most consumers are getting use to the nice metal, tin, or whatever non-cardboard material palettes are made in these days. I honestly would pay an extra buck or two so I have piece of mind that if I travel or accidentally drop my palette that my eyeshadows will be okay. It cheapens it a little bit but it's not a deal breaker.

Now, the inside *ahhhh*.

You can see that is a very warm toned neutral palette with 2 brights in the bunch. This palette to me screams: exotic, sexy, goddess-like, and beautiful.

Without a doubt, this would be THE palette to reach for as we transition from Summer to Fall. But it's versatile enough that it can be used year round.

I believe that Amrezy took her most used shades and eyeshadows that many people can pull off and make it into one convenient palette. If you follow her in IG, you will see that she gravitates towards neutrals, especially warm toned, when she posts her looks.

Onto the review and first impressions of it.

In swatching the top row, I was blown away at the quality. Very smooth and incredibly pigmented. The bottom row, it was a little "meh" for me. I think you can see what I'm talking about in the swatches.

The bottom row, except for Vanilla, are all mattes. If you are a eyeshadow junkie like me or know a lot about makeup, we know that matte formula eyeshadows can be a little tricky. These are no exception. In finger swatching, Deep Plum and LBD were patchy and had to be layered a little more heavily than the other swatches (still didn't look too great :\).

But once you apply them to the lid, blending helps blur out the patchiness and they blend quite nicely.  That is a plus for sure.

The first time around, Caramel and Deep Plum were patchy upon application to my lids. I had to spend a lot of time blending; more than what I use to in comparison to other eyeshadows I own. Like I mentioned above, the shimmery shades were a breeze to work it and blend in seamlessly.

The second go around, it was MUCH better. I used a different fluffy blending brush to apply the shadows and it worked out perfectly. It was very easy to work with the blend to create a look. I used Iridescent Purple and Emerald in the second look and the colors were beautiful! They aren't obnoxiously bright, they were sultry but wearbale. Combined great with the Caramel and Deep Plum. :)

Check my IG if you are interested in how my looks came out :)

I hope you all found this helpful!

Have you purchased the palette? Are you going for something else and passing on this?

Let me know in the comments!

Talk to you all soon,
Bianca

YSL Rouge Volupté Shines - Review and Swatches

Hi everyone, I thought I would share with you my small collection of YSL Rouge Volupté Shines. 

I must admit that these are some of my favorite lipstick formulas out there. They feel on the lips are so smooth and lightweight. On top of that, they are long lasting.

These YSL Rouge Volupté Shines were purchased at either Sephora or Nordstrom (or if you are interested in these, check out anywhere that sells YSL makeup products). 

They retail for $35 and there are approximately 18 shades in the range.

The packaging is timeless and so luxe. I love how expensive and kind of heavy it feels in the hand. If you are going to be spending more than drugstore prices, I would expect nice quality and durable packaging that fits the price tag.

In the middle of the casing, you can see a "swatch" or a color indicator of the lipstick which is great because it does not look cheap and somewhat accurate.

As you can see from the picture above and below that I have used these lipsticks. Some more than others haha.

I absolutely love #12 in the summer months because it brings so much life to your face and look. It's so effortless to slap it on and go. When I wear #12, it will last me a solid 4-5 hours with a nice gradual fading/staining effect.

#9 is my go-to, ultimate favorite nude in my entire lipstick collection. It might be too dark for some but it's perfect for me. I have pigmented lipstick and this helps tone that down but has a little shine and some color. LOVE this one.

I would go for #5 and #17 during the fall or the transition from summer to fall. I think they are a touch too dark for the spring and summer. But the pigmentation is on point and apply beautifully.

Here are the swatches:

I LOVE this formula from YSL. They make a lipstick that stays on the lips and provides a slight staining effect. I think they are well worth the investment because: the packaging is gorgeous, the formula is perfection and provides a nice glossy finish to your lips, it stains your lips a little, and the color selection is great!

That's it for me. Do you have any favorites from YSL, whether they are Rouge Volupté Shines or anything else from the line? I would love to know them in the comments!!

I hope you enjoyed the post. And I will talk to you all soon :)

Bianca

MAC Pressed Pigments - Swatches and Review

Today, I am bringing you another post on pressed pigments but from MAC this time. These are sooo gorgeous... :D

I have here to show you from left to right: Day Gleam, Deeply Dashing, and Jet Couture. They retail for $21 for 3 g of product. Sold at CCOs, MAC (online or in store), Nordstrom, Macy's, etc.

I love these kinds of products. Like I had mentioned in my Urban Decay Moondust shadows post, these really amp up a look and add that sparkle that makes your eyes stand out.

A cool thing about these Pressed Pigments is that they are great on their own on layered on top of a cream or powder eyeshadow. Though, personally, I like to layer just so I can get the maximum amount of pigmentation for my look.

They are so gorgeous! Seriously, it's tempting to buy more... *must resist*.

Below are the swatches of all three. Um, how beautiful are these?!?!?!

*dead*

MAC's website describes the whole range of pressed pigments as "An intensely creamy highlighter offering extreme pearlescence and versatility of finish. Apply dry for high shine or damp for a dramatic wet look".

Personally, I would NEVER use these for face highlighters... haha. Glitter is a no-go for a face highlighting... at least for me because it would accentuate my pores like a mofo. Obviously, Jet Couture is simply a pressed pigment shadow as opposed to Day Gleam that could potentially be a face highlighter.

For my own personal use, I adore these for layering on top of my eyeshadows. They make your eyes stand out and be the focus on your entire look. They are buildable in coverage which is great. Keep in mind the swatches I have provided here are layered on considerably so my readers to see the what it looks like with full pigmentation.

I love these. I know these types of glittery shades are not for everyone but they are great for that extra something to add or amp up your eye makeup :) Or heck, even for stage/theater/halloween makeup, these would be AMAZING!

I hope you found this helpful! Any questions, leave them down in the comments. I would love to know your favorites from this range if you have any or your favorite pressed pigment type of shadows.

Thanks for stopping by as always <3,
Bianca

Urban Decay Moondust Eyeshadow in Zodiac and Diamond Dog - Swatches and Thoughts

Well aren't these a thing of beauty? 

I absolutely love these kind of shadows because it amps up any look. They have small particles of glitter through the main base color. It's not as chunky as other glittery eyeshadows but sure packs a punch.

These Urban Decay Moondust shadows are beautiful and retail for $20 each for 1.5 g of product at Macys, UrbanDecay.com, Sephora, and other places that sell UD.

Out of the range of seven, I purchased two that I think I would use the most. I mean you can't exactly use these every day haha but they can add to any look if you want to achieve that glittery effect.

Zodiac - smokey black with a blue-green shift and 3D sparkle. SUPER gorgeous!

Diamond Dog - deep brown with white gold sparkle. Amazing with a brown smokey eye!

Left is Diamond Dog, Right is Zodiac.

I think that the best way to apply these is with your finger. I have tried with different kind of eyeshadow brushes and it does not compare to how it looks when it is applied with your finger. You really get the base shadow to show up, especially if you are applying to the naked (and primed?) lid.

Since I purchased these, I will be honest with you, that I have used these a hand full of times in the last year haha. But these are handy to have when you want to have that glittery effect to the look you have on.

I love the formula on these, not too much fall out and applies well to the lid with a finger. :)

Hope you found this helpful! Look out for my next post with MAC's Pressed Pigments :D

Bianca

MAC Prep & Prep BB Compact in Refined Golden - Swatch and Review

Last week, I went to a MAC event at my local Nordstrom and I was able to learn a few things about different ways on how to apply face products that help with highlight and contouring and this was one of the MAC artist's favorite new products released by MAC.

This is the MAC Prep and Prime BB Beauty Balm Compact SPF 30 in Refined Golden.

First off, this is incredibly easy to apply. I feel like you cannot overdo this product because of the texture and how little product my brush picks up. I use the Zoeva 126 - Luxe Cheek Finish brush (post coming soon!) and it's AMAZING for this product.

According to MAC, there are 12 shades in this range and they are meant for actual foundation or, in this case, for bronzing up the skin. The cost is $30 for 8 g of product which I think is pretty solid bang for your buck.

In the picture above, the color of the Refined Golden in the pan seems more red than it really is. The natural sunlight messed with the lighting in room but the picture below is a more accurate representation of what the Refined Golden actually looks like; which MAC describes as "finely spun golden bronze with a soft pearl finish".

Do not be alarmed with the "pearl finish" aspect of it. Once applied to the skin, it is more of a satin finish and can become matte if layered on top with a matte contour or bronzer powder.

What is truly cool about this product is how buildable it is and you don't end up looking like an oompa-loompa. On my skin, which is a light golden tan -ish, and this doesn't disappear once I apply it on my skin!! :D.

I definitely recommend checking this out! Go to a store or counter and ask for a demo. That way you get to see how they would apply it on you and you can decide whether you like it or not. It's crazy easy to apply if you have a brush that helps apply and blend at the same time :).

What do you think about this product? Or used anything like it?

I'd love to know your thoughts :),

Bianca

MAC Tan Pigment vs MAC Melon Pigment vs L'Oreal Amber Rush Infallible

So I think I found a dupe for MAC's pigment in Tan...?

I do not usual come across dupes within my own collection but today was the exception. I was going to make this post comparing Tan and Melon pigment because they are so popular in the beauty community. While I was organizing my collection, I picked up this pressed pigment eyeshadow from L'Oreal and I knew I had to compare them! 

And as you can see they are very VERY close. The only real difference is the intensity of the pigment. Granted that the MAC Tan pigment was swatched dry but if you were to apply it from a damp brush, it would give you the same effect as the Infallible eyeshadow in Amber Rush. 

The pigments cost about $21 (approximately?) at MAC and roughly $8.99 at drugstores. Though, whichever one you go for, you will get a lot of bang for your buck.

MAC Tan Pigment on the left and L'Oreal Infallible shadow in Amber Rush

So now, comparing all three shades: MAC Melon, MAC Tan, and L'Oreal Infallible in Amber Rush.

MAC Melon, MAC Tan, L'Oreal Amber Rush - swatched DRY and NO primer

I knew right away that Melon would not really fit into this dupe/product alternative post, but I still wanted to swatch them all side by side so you all can see the differences with the products.

The Melon pigment is more of a gold with the slightest hint of peach running through it. It is definitely not as rose gold as Tan or Amber Rush.

Overall, I love these products. I would not return one just because they are dupes. It's fun to keep in your collection and compare for beauty research purposes ;).

Also, LOVE that MAC has been rolling out these mini/travel sizes of some of their products! I mean, does anyone ever go through a pigment from MAC? Not many people I'm guessing haha they are a perfect size for $10 :)

Alright, what you are thoughts about this? Do you agree with me?
And, did you accidentally find products that ended up dupes of each other? Let know what you have found in your collection!

Take care,
Bianca :)

Bobbi Brown Shimmer Brick in Beige - Swatches and Review

Seems like I cannot get enough highlighters in my life so I added another one to my collection haha. Seems so logical I know :P.

I have been a makeup "junkie" for a few years now and I have never given any of the Bobbi Brown Shimmer Bricks a chance and I have no idea why. But better late than never right!?

A couple of days ago, I purchased this beautiful thang from my local Nordstrom and I knew I would love it! 

The golden/beige toned highlighters work best on my skin because of my olive/tan complexion. When I saw this in a recent YouTube video by Amanda Ensing, I knew I needed it in my life. 

When I approached the counter, the SA asked me if I wanted to swatch it or bite the bullet. In my mind I was thinking, "GUUURL I knew I loved it, it's just coming home with me tonight" hahaha. I'm crazy I know ;).

What I love about this Beige Shimmer Brick is that all the shades in the compact are neutral toned so they would look good on a variety of skin tones. And there is a gradient of a very pale golden beige to a bronze. The shades are not too dark so a mixture of all of them would compliment someone in the medium skin tone range. I would stick with the top two for the paler girls and the bottom three for everyone else :).

The compact is elegant and pretty. I must admit that there is excessive packaging but nothing that would stop me from buying it ;).

*Mine came a little crooked haha but it opens and closes fine so I don't have any issues with it (yet).

Here, above, I have the swatches for you. Bottom of my arm is the palest of the shades and working up to the top with the darker, bronze shades.

The swatch at the very bottom is a mixture of all the shades.

All the shimmer bricks are intense. If you want a subtle highlight, I do not think this will be the product for you. But if you want to be glowing and getting your J Lo "on", consider the Shimmer Bricks!

Recently I have been all about that noticeably intense highlight, thanks a lot Amrezy. So this is right up my alley :). For me personally, I LOVE this product and I can see myself reaching for this product a lot during this summer months for that glow :).

What are some of your favorite highlighters? Let me know in the comments.

Hope you are all well,
Bianca :)

Update:
I thought sun light would help my photos but I didn't realize how greenish it looked until after I posted my initial review so here is another pic of the swatches!

The swatch all the way to the right is all the shades combined :)

Chanel Rouge Coco Shine in 46 Liberté - Review and Swatch

I purchased this Chanel Rouge Coco Shine sort of recently from my local Nordstrom and I was swatching colors that were "calling my name" and I fell in love with this one immediately. Like, I did not think twice about it.

What I love about this Rouge Coco Shine is that it is like a tinted balm; depends what shade you get, the pigment is more opaque than others. 

This one I have here to share with you is #46 - Liberté shade and I want to describe this is a very wearable nude with hints of pink, coral, and peach. Sounds like a mish-mash of colors but that's what comes to mind haha. 

 As you can see from the bullet, it looks like it would be a slightly bright coral red but it is extremely sheer.

When you apply it to your lips, it's a no brainer. I never look in the mirror because it's sheer enough to just slap it on but pigmented enough to pull your look together.

As you can see from the swatches, the top one is three swipes of the Liberté and the bottom one is a single swipe.

It can be built up in opacity but don't expect it to eventually layer up to match the color from the bullet.

The wear time of Liberté is not as great as other lip products I own but it's so easy that I do not mind reapplying when I need to. I want to see I get a solid 2-3 hours without eating or drinking anything. But if you do either of those things, it will disappear quite quickly.

I would recommend it if you don't mind reapplying relatively often, don't mind it being a glorified tinted lip balm, and don't mind the price tag of $32-34 (?) of a Chanel Rouge Coco Shine.

Do any of you own others from this range or any Chanel lipstick that is your favorite or must have? Leave them in the comment down below. I'd love to hear from you all :)

Hope you are well,
Bianca :)

Tom Ford Lip Color Shine in #10 Willful - Review and Swatch

I was itching to get another Tom Ford lip product but I wanted to test out the Lip Color Shine range (that kind of reminds me of Chanel Rouge Coco Shines but slightly more pigmented). 

I was swatching up a storm at my local Tom Ford counter and I was torn between Nubile and Willful. I was on the verge of playing it safe and going with Nubile since it was a nude, every day kind of shade but right as I was about to make my decision, I sprung for Willful instead. I'm crazy haha and indecisive. But I'm so glad I went with Willful.

Willful is this bright strawberry red that is PERFECT for this time of year. It really lights up your face in a way I couldn't believe. It gives your complexion this healthy look. Crazy, I know, since it is a lip product but it's the right kind of shade for the spring and summer months.

With the Lip Color Shine range, these retail for $48 (instead of the $49 of the Lip Color range). These line is more hydrating as it has a special blend of oils that conditions and moisturizes your lips.

The packaging on these Shines is thinner and sleeker than the normal Lip Color range. I like both packaging but the Shines actually fit in the little hole/space in my lipstick holder! haha

As you can see, it has that classic mahogany and gold casing. It is quite heavy (for a lipstick) despite the sleeker packaging.

It does not have TF embossed like all the other TF lip sticks which bums me out slightly but you'd wear it down with use anyways :P.

Here is the swatch of that beauty. This is two swipes of Willful and it's pigmented enough to warrant buying or looking at it. It is not a glorified, slightly tinted, lip balm. A lot of the shades in the TF lip range pack a real punch when it comes to pigmentation.

Due to the fact that it is a lip shine, the wear time is not as long. Through drinking and snacking on some munchies, I got a solid 4 hours of wear (compared to almost 7 hours with the Lip Color range).

What do you think of Tom Ford's line? Over hyped? Or do you love it? Let me know your favorites or what you have on your wishlist in the comments :)

Hope you enjoyed this quick review,
Bianca :)

Bobbi Brown Shimmer Brick in Apricot - Review and Swatches

Lately, I've been a sucker for highlighters and I heard about this one from Amanda Ensing on YouTube. She mentioned how this Bobbi Brown Shimmer Brick would be a high sheen, shimmery, gorgeous highlight that really compliments medium/tan skintones (hey, that's me!). 

I was never one for Bobbi Brown Shimmer Bricks or much of the range to be quite honest but my interest for the brand has grown in the past few months. And I'm glad I have because I have loved every product that I have purchased from this brand.

So, back to the highlighter, the shades within this product are gorgeous! *drools*

I purchased this bad boy at Nordstroms for $42. I am not 100% sure it is limited edition but it's still on sale since I was last on the Nordy's website or check in stores :).

The packaging with all Bobbi Brown products is a shiny black with the writing in white. 

They range from a white gold to a golden peach to a straight up bronze and into the peachier shades. All together, it makes this light golden peach shade that adds a lot of life back into the skin and looks so beautiful.

One thing I love about this product is that it is multi-purpose. This doubles as a eyeshadow "palette" and a sexy highlighter.

Here are the swatches of the Shimmer Brick. On the farthest left is the top shade and goes all the way to the right with the darkest of the peach shades. The last two swatches are of all the shades blended together. One swatch has more of the darker shades and the farthest right swatch has more of the lighter shades of the Shimmer Brick.

All in all, this is one heck of a highlighter. It is a touch powdery when you dip your brush into the product but it is not powdery once it is on the skin. I think this will be my go to highlighter for the summer since it is so intense and beautiful paired with peach and pink blushes.

I think I'll be purchasing the Beige Shimmer Brick next, I heard it was a close dupe to MAC's Whisper of Gilt (which I still regret never buying!!).

Anyways, have a great day/night and talk to you all soon!
Bianca