Swatches + Review: Nars NARSissist Unfiltered I Cheek Palette (Limited Edition)

Nars NARSissist Unfiltered I Cheek Palette ($59, Limited Edition) - The palette is made of plastic and comes with a full size mirror. Each pan is exactly the same size as the deluxe sample size and contains 3.5g/0.12oz of product. (Nars' full size blushers each contain 0.16oz/4.8g for $30; therefore the palette is valued at $131.25.)

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Haul: Bloomingdale's Bonus Box

Hey beauties!! I just wanted to share some goodies that I received from Bloomingdale's with you all. =)

Tory Burch Love Relentlessly Eau de Parfum Spray (1oz/30ml for $68) is a new fragrance from Tory Burch. It has a warm and sensual woody scent with a hint of sweetness. This is the type of perfume that I tend to gravitate towards. (For reference, I also use Dior J'adore and  Narciso Rodriguez For Her.) The perfume also comes in additional sizes, 1.7oz/50ml for $86 and 3.4oz/100ml for $115. The rollerball is 0.2oz/6ml for $28.

Notes: Pink Pepper, Pink Grapefruit, Sicilian Lemon, Sparkling Pear, Raspberry, Lychee, Rose Essential, Orris, Jasmine Sambac, Patchouli Heart, Ambertonic, Australian Sandalwood, Vetiver, Cedarwood Heart, Tonka Bean Absolute

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Swatches + Comparison: MAC It's a Strike 2016 Collection (300 Game, Bowl Out and Join My League Eyeshadows)

MAC It's A Strike Eyeshadows (Limited Edition) - Each eyeshadow retails $16 and contains 1.5g/0.05oz of product. They're also very easy to depot and can be stored in an empty palette, such as the 12 Piece Interchangeable Palette, which can be purchased from Coastal Scents for $5.95.

• 300 Game is a blackened cherry with a matte finish. Mac's I'm Into It and Makeup Geek's Cherry Cola are more of a reddish brown. I'm Into It and Cherry Cola look very similar to one another, except I'm Into It is slightly darker than Cherry Cola and looks more brown when heavily swatched. Deep Damson looks alot like 300 Game as both colors are more of a purplish burgundy. The only difference is that Deep Damson is slightly lighter, but when applied onto the eyes, they look essentially the same. Makeup Geek's Bitten is lighter, not as matte and pulls more red compared to 300 Game. 

I use all of these shades the same way and as a pop of color in my crease when I want to spice up a neutral eye look.

• Bowl Out is a midtone grey with a matte finish. It's not as light & grey as Copperplate and not as dark & brown as Join My League? and Concrete (review). Also, Coquette is definitely not a dupe as it looks more like a khaki shade compared to Bowl Out.

• Join My League? is a dark espresso with a matte finish. It's not as warm as Espresso and looks most similar to Concrete, except Concrete is slightly lighter and pulls more grey. When blended into the crease, they look practically the same.

I use Bowl Out, Join My League?, Coquette, Concrete and Espresso interchangeably. They are all great shades for defining the crease and creating depth.  

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Swatches + Review: MAC Good Luck Trolls Glow Rida, I'm Into It Eyeshadow, Cremesheen Lipsticks + Pro Longwear Lip Pencils

MAC Good Luck Trolls Beauty Powder in Glow Rida
(Limited Edition, $28 for 10g/0.35oz)

Color: It's a warm peachy beige that leaves a subtle glow to the skin. 

Formula + Application: The pigmentation is very sheer and works best as a highlighter for my NC30/35 skin tone. I recommend using a dense natural brush, such as the Sonia Kashuk #17 (comparison pictures), because dense natural hair tends to pick up and pack on powder products much easier.

I love pairing Glow Rida with matte blushes when I want a subtle sheen on my cheeks. It gives me just enough luminosity without looking too dewy or frosty for day-time office wear. 

Longevity: It lasts at least 8 hours without fading when worn over foundation + setting powder. (I don't have issues with products lasting on my cheeks in general. I also have cheeks that are neither dry nor oily.)

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Swatches + Review: Bite Beauty Amuse Bouche Lipsticks, Yves Saint Laurent Rouge Volupte Lipsticks and Burberry Lip Velvet Matte Lipstick

Bite Beauty Amuse Bouche Lipsticks (each retails $26 for 0.15oz)

Packaging: Each tube comes in a rubber type packaging and has a secure closure that snaps shut. 

Scent: They have a pleasant fruity citrus scent and taste.

Formula: The formula is packed with 12 nutritious and edible oils. They're slightly more hydrating than the Burberry Lip Velvet Matte lipsticks, but not as hydrating as the YSL Rouge Volupté lipsticks. They're still wearable for someone like me, who has extremely dry, chapped lips, as long as I prep my lips with a good balm. I love how creamy they are without slipping & sliding all over the place and that they don't "sit" on top of my lips. The formula reminds me alot like the MAC Satin lipsticks (review), except the Bite Beauty ones are slightly more hydrating. I also like that they're not too glossy and they do not emphasize my already full sausage lips.

In terms of pigmentation & longevity, they provide buildable, medium to full coverage with at least 4 hours of staying power. Sake, Pepper and Fig wear a little bit longer and leave behind a natural stain, while Meringue & Sugarcane fade away quicker, especially when eating & drinking.

• Meringue is a peachy nude with a satin finish. This is my favorite color of the bunch. It actually pulls more pink when worn on my lips and is the perfect nude for my NC30/35 skin tone. 
• Sugarcane is a pale pink with a satin finish. It's paler than Meringue and darker than YSL's Nude Beige #1. I find that Sugarcane complements lighter beauties better.
• Sake is a dusty mauve with a satin finish. It gives me the "vampy" look with a mauvey twist and is a great color for the night time.
• Pepper is a medium-dark dusty rose with a satin finish. 
• Fig is a nude rose with a satin finish.

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Swatches + Review: Nars Nordstrom's Best Cheek Palette + Dior Intemporalle Blush Palette

Nars Nordstrom's Best Cheek Palette ($65, Limited Edition) - The palette has the standard Nars rubber packaging and is very sleek. It's valued at $124. Each pan is exactly the same size as the deluxe sample size. 

Scent: It's fragrance-free.

Shades: It comes with 4 blushes, a highlight and a bronzer. So, it basically has all the cheek products that you need and is great for travel. 

• Orgasm (3.5g/0.12oz) is a peachy pink with gold shimmers.
• Deep Throat (3.5g/0.12oz) is a soft pink with a golden sheen. When compared to Orgasm, Deep Throat leans more coral and is less shimmery.
• Albatross (3.5g/0.12oz) is a pale ivory with gold shimmers. When applied to the tops of my cheekbones, it leaves a gorgeous golden sheen and does not look chalky at all. This is a shade that you have to try on your skin because swatches do not do it justice.
• Luster (3.5g/0.12oz) is an apricot shade with a golden sheen.
• Desire (3.5g/0.12oz) is a cotton candy pink with a matte finish. It looks bright when swatched on my arms, but when applied to my cheeks, it looks more wearable and flattering on my warm, NC30/35 skin tone.
• Laguna (3g/0.1oz) is a brown with gold shimmers. The one in the palette looks more neutral toned compared to the deluxe sample, which looks warmer. 

Formula: The pigmentation is sheer, but can easily be layered. They also blend into the skin nicely and are very easy to work with.

Longevity: I generally don't have issues with cheek products in terms of longevity. The ones in the Nars palette last at least 8 hours without fading when worn over foundation + setting powder. (For reference, I have cheeks that are neither dry nor oily.)

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Review + Swatches: Urban Decay All Nighter Foundation, Makeup Setting Spray + Kat Von D Lock-It Concealer Creme

Urban Decay All Nighter Foundation ($40 for 30ml/1oz)

Packaging: The bottle looks like it's made of metal, but it's actually plastic & feels lightweight. So, it's great for travel. I like that it allows you to see when you're running low on the product. It also has an airless pump, which makes it easy to get out every last bit without wasting a single drop.

Scent: It's fragrance-free and doesn't smell like anything during application.

Color: It currently comes in 24 shades. Those ending in ".5" have a cool undertone, while those ending in "0" have a warm undertone. It also oxidizes just a tiny little bit within a few seconds of application. I didn't experience any oxidation throughout the day and it didn't make me oompa loompa orange like other reviewers have mentioned. Shade 4.0 has a strong yellow undertone and matches my NC30/35 skin tone perfectly. (For reference, my other foundation shades are L'oreal True Match W4, Dior 021 mixed with 031 and Burberry Cashmere in Beige No.26.)

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Swatches + Comparisons: Guerlain, Lancome and Illamasqua Lip Liners

Packaging: The Guerlain Lasting Color High Precision lip liners have a built-in sharpener that's removable and is handy for those who want a super sharp point every time. However, all of the lip liners mentioned in this post, including the Guerlain one, the Lancome Le Crayon Lip Contour, and the Illamasqua Lip Slick Stick, do not require a sharpener because they all twist up and have a tip that's small enough for lining the lips with precision. It's also important to mention that the caps on these are all very secure and prevent product from drying out as quickly. They also require some muscle strength to pop open!

Guerlain Lasting Color High Precision Lip Liner ($32 for 0.35g/0.01oz) - The formula is very creamy, pigmented and glides onto the lips easily. It can last all day if I drink through a straw and don't eat. (Ha, like that's going to happen!). Once I start stuffing my face with food, the lip liner fades. 

• Bois De Santal 44 is a mauvey rose with a satin finish. It looks really pretty when paired with Burberry's English Rose lipstick (review). 
• Rose De Mai 63 is a warm rose with a satin finish. (It's mislabeled as Rose De Bulgarie on other retailers' websites.) I love pairing this one with Burberry's Tulip Pink. Under direct lighting, I can tell that there are some shimmers in both lip liners, but when applied onto my lips, they look nearly matte. 

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Swatches + Review: Becca Shimmering Skin Perfector Pressed Highlighters and Sephora x Disney Minnie's Inner Glow

Becca Shimmering Skin Perfector Pressed Highlighter in Opal

(retails $38 for 8g/0.28oz)

Packaging: I got the travel size (2.4g/0.085oz) as a free gift with purchase. The compact is made of plastic instead of Becca's typical rubber packaging. It's also perfect for travel! 

Color: Opal is a champagne shade with gold shimmers. This shade works best as a highlighter for my warm NC30/35 skin tone as it does not add any color to my skin. 

Formula: The Becca Shimmering Skin Perfectors have a very soft, delicate, and creamy texture. They're also very pigmented and a little goes a long way. In terms of performance, they all apply smoothly, blend with ease and just "melt" right into the skin.

They're not as metallic as say, the Mac Extra Dimension Skinfinishes (review), but they're by no means subtle and still provide a high sheen finish. To apply, I recommend using the Inglot 4SS brush (comparison pictures) because it's dense enough to provide a concentrated finish, but it also has enough flexibility to blend product well. The shape also fits nicely on the bridge of the nose and on top of the cheekbones without covering too much area. For a more subtle glow, use a light hand and a fluffy synthetic brush, such as the MUFE #140 or check out the highlighter in the poured version. 

Longevity: All the Becca Shimmering Skin Perfectors last at least 10 hours when worn over foundation + setting powder. (For reference, I have cheeks that are neither dry nor oily.)

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Swatches + Review: Nars Long Hot Summer Eyeshadow Palette, Orgasm Blush, Audacious Lipsticks and Velvet Lip Liners

(Direct Sunlight)

Nars Long Hot Summer Eyeshadow Palette ($45, Limited Edition) - The palette is about three-fourth the size of my hand and measures approximately 3.80 inches x 0.25 inches x 2.20 inches. It's very sleek and travel-friendly. Each shade contains 0.03oz/1g of product. Nars' individual eyeshadows retail $25 (with compact) for 0.07oz/2.2g and $18 in pan form.

• Long Hot Summer I is a shimmering cream.
• Long Hot Summer II is a bronze taupe with a shimmery finish.
• Bellissima II is a matte gray-brown. This shade is also available in the duo compact. 
• Long Hot Summer III is a shimmering copper.
• Long Hot Summer IV is a shimmering warm brown.
• Bengali is a matte rich chocolate brown. Out of all the shades in this palette, Bengali is the only one that's available individually. 

Formula: The eyeshadows have great pigmentation, layer well and blend easily. Just make sure to tap off any excess before applying so you don't experience major fallout. I usually apply my eye makeup before foundation so I can easily wipe away any shimmers that have fallen down my cheeks or underneath my eyes. 

Longevity: They last at least 8 hours without fading or creasing. (For reference, I have extremely oily lids and always wear a primer underneath as a base.)

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Swatches + Comparisons: Benefit Cheekathon vs Tarte Tarteist Blush Palette

Benefit Cheekathon Blush & Bronzer Palette ($58, Limited Edition) 

Packaging: It comes with 4 full-size blushes, including Dandelion (0.25oz), Rockateur (0.17oz), Dallas (0.32oz) and Coralista (0.28oz), a full-size Hoola matte bronzer (0.28oz), a brush made of natural bristles and a sizable mirror. Each shade retails $29, which makes the value of the palette to be $145!

I never bought Benefit's individual blushes because I find the cardboard packaging to be too bulky. The palette is actually not as thick and is a huge space saver compared to buying the blushes/bronzer individually. (It measures 7 inches x 0.85 inches x 5 inches.) It may not be as travel-friendly as the Tarte Tarteist palette, but I would still take this with me on trips, especially if I'm going to be out of town for more than a week and want to create various looks. I just love that all the shades are conveniently laid out in one palette. 

The insert is removable and pops out easily. So, you can use the box for storing little trinkets when you finish the palette. You can also depot the pans and pop them into an empty Z Palette. 

The brush reminds me of the NARS Ita (review), except the Benefit one is a little bit wider and denser. It works really well for contouring because it's narrow enough to fit nicely on the hollows of the cheeks and fluffy enough to blend out any harsh lines with ease. For blush application, I prefer a domed-shaped brush, such as the Sonia Kashuk #29 (review) because it covers the entire cheek area more evenly and lightly. I also love that the pans are wide enough to fit any type of brush easily.  

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Swatches + Review: MAC Matte, Satin and Cremesheen Lipstick Collection

Scent: All the lipsticks mentioned in this post have a pleasant vanilla scent when I sniff directly from the tube. They don't taste like anything when worn on the lips. 

MAC Matte Lipstick ($17 for 3g/0.10oz) - This formula is the least hydrating of the bunch and can cause the lipstick to cling onto dry patches, which is expected, considering that the finish is matte. (Make sure to exfoliate well and wear a lip balm underneath!) They provide buildable, medium to full coverage and last at least 5 hours. (They will also fade alot quicker when eating and drinking as with any other lipstick.)  

MAC Satin Lipstick ($17 for 3g/0.10oz) - This formula is slightly more hydrating than the matte version, but not as hydrating as say, the Burberry Kisses (swatches). They're still wearable for someone like me, who has extremely dry, chapped lips, as long as I exfoliate well and prep my lips with a good balm. They also provide buildable, medium to full coverage with at least 4 hours of staying power. I especially love that they're not frosty or too glossy as my full sausage lips do not need to be accentuated any further. They also leave behind a very pretty stain.

MAC Cremesheen Lipstick ($17 for 3g/0.10oz) - This formula is the most hydrating of the bunch. I find that they glide onto the lips smoothly without skipping and provide buildable, medium to full coverage with at least 3 and a half hours of staying power. They are non-drying and very comfortable to wear. They also leave a sheen that's not too glossy (which is very important for me). I'm definitely getting more shades soon!

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