MAC Cosmetics is my go-to brand for blush, so I had to check out their new talc-free Skinfinish Colourstruck Blush formula. They have released two finishes, matte and radiant, and I got one of each to try. In the radiant finish, I have CB96, and in the matte finish, I have Cheeky Chili. For reference, I have a medium-dark skin tone (NARS Tahoe/Estee Lauder 4W4 (pre-2026 formula) with an olive undertone. So, keep that in mind as you consider how these shades look on me. In the pictures, I don’t have bronzer or highlighter on, so you can just see the blushes.
MAC Skinfinish Colourstruck Blush in CB96 and Cheeky Chili
While I love both shades I picked, I’m more impressed with the radiant shade CB96. I do have a preference for a satin finish, so that doesn’t surprise me. CB96 doesn’t accentuate texture any more than anything with sheen will, and it builds and blends a bit more easily than the matte formula. It is normal for something with shimmer to blend more easily than a matte finish, so nothing out of the ordinary.
MAC Skinfinish Colourstruck Blush in CB96 and Cheeky Chili
I have been testing the NARS Natural Matte Longwear Foundation for a little over a month now. Since it was released in the winter, I really had to put it through its paces to figure out what was happening due to cold, dry Massachusetts weather vs my skin. For starters, I’m in my early 40s and have dry, eczema-prone skin, which I know isn’t the ideal skin type for a foundation like the NARS Natural Matte Longwear Foundation. However, my go-to foundation is the NARS Natural Radiant Longwear Foundation, which I would have also thought wouldn’t work for my skin type, but it does. I do have some issues with the Natural Radiant formula sometimes sinking into pores and lines, so I was curious whether this new Natural Matte Longwear Foundation would address those without drying me out.
TL;DR – scroll down for a chart that sums everything up.
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As with many matte formulas, this dries quickly and has a dry-down that sets, which helps its longevity. If you don’t blend soon enough, you may have trouble moving it around, but I have fewer issues with it becoming patchy when I’m well moisturized. Not surprising for a matte finish on dry skin, but I want to give you the full picture. It blends out well with both a brush and my fingers, but it looks and sits nicer on my dry skin when I apply it with my fingers. NARS is famous for recommending their foundations be applied with fingers, so that makes sense. But again, it does work well with a brush; it just looks a little nicer on me when I use my fingers. I’ve used the Smashbox Blurring Foundation Brush (synthetic), Chikuhodo GL-7 Liquid Foundation Brush (natural goat hair), and the **It Cosmetics Complexion Perfection Brush #7 (synthetic) without issues.
Wearing NARS Natural Matte Longwear Foundation Tahoe
As I’ve mentioned in the past, creasing will happen, especially as we age and expression lines and wrinkles deepen. With the NARS Natural Matte Longwear Foundation, I do see a tiny bit of settling in my smile lines towards the end of the day (at the 8- or 9-hour mark), but you cannot see it at a normal viewing distance. For me, that is great considering I do not set this foundation with any powder. It looks good on my forehead all day, but my forehead isn’t as dry as my mouth area, so keep that in mind. When I first started using this foundation, I had recently switched from my go-to Olay Peptide Serum to the Innisfree Green Tea Ceramide Milk. At that time, I thought this foundation was drying me out. Within a week of switching back to my Olay serum, I no longer felt dry after wearing the NARS Natural Matte Foundation. So skincare really does seem to make a difference with this formula. Another note on skincare: I know many people are sensitive to Niacinamide, and this foundation does contain a small percentage of it. So if any amount is an issue for you, this will be a pass.
NARS Natural Matte Longwear Foundation sinking into smile lines
There have been mixed reviews for the Maybelline Lifter Serum Concealer ($13.99, 18 shades), and I’m honestly shocked by the negative reviews that I’ve seen. Due to the polarizing reviews, I wanted to give this some extra attention before posting my review, but my thoughts haven’t changed. For my dry, eczema-prone, early 40s skin, the Maybelline Lifter Serum Concealer is a hit! It is easy to use, has a satin finish, wears incredibly well with minimal creasing (even without powder), and has great coverage. I do agree with the complaints that it is not full coverage; it is pretty solid medium coverage. However, I do think it builds to a high-medium coverage. Of course, if you don’t have much to cover, you’ll likely experience it as a full-coverage concealer because it has a lot of pigment. In my opinion, as this formula blends out, it also sheers out, so it just never fully covers my dark under eyes or hyperpigmentation. But it still does a great job, and with the satin finish, it looks really nice under my eyes and as a foundation. Update March 25, 2026: Creasing is worse if I apply too much product, which isn’t unusual for most formulas. However, I still don’t think it is that bad.
TL;DR – scroll down for a chart that sums everything up.
As I’ve mentioned in the past, creasing will happen, especially as we age and expression lines and wrinkles deepen. With the Maybelline Lifter Serum Concealer, I can get about 3 hours of wear before it settles into the deepest crease under my eyes, but you can not see it from a normal viewing distance. For me, when the pigment starts collecting in the lines so much that I can see it from a distance, I’m not happy. When worn unset, the Maybelline Lifter Concealer stays put really well for me. I do pat out minor creasing that I see, but it wasn’t necessary until almost 6 hours of wear, and it isn’t a big deal for me to do that. When I pair this concealer with my go-to NARS Light Reflecting Powder, creasing was a little worse by the end of the day (about 10 hours), but it was nothing super noticeable. The LA Girl Yellow Brightening Setting Powder (not affiliated) pairs really well with this concealer, and I only had creasing in the deepest crease under each eye. However, it is a drier, more mattifying powder than NARS Light Reflecting, so the combination does sacrifice the beautiful satin finish.
While I personally think the formula is easy to use, I do want to warn you that it dries quickly for a concealer that isn’t a matte finish. It has a dry-down and sets, which help its longevity, but if you don’t get to blending soon enough, you may have some trouble moving it around. I blend it soon after I put it on my face, so I can’t say for certain, though. It has a thicker texture with a slight tackiness, but I haven’t found it to be an issue for application or wear. It blends out well with both a brush and my fingers. I do prefer how it sits on my dry skin when I use my fingers to apply this concealer. It dries down more matte when I apply it with a brush. I’ve used both the Morphe M131 Round Paddle Concealer Brush and the Sigma F64 Soft Blend Concealer Brush without issues.
The Maybelline Moisturizing Serum Lipstick ($7.99-10.99, depending on retailer) is supposed to deliver the look and color intensity of a bullet lipstick while moisturizing like a serum. The formula is vegan and claims to provide comfortable wear and 8 hours of moisture, with no feathering. While Maybelline is marketing the Serum Lipstick heavily for its added hyaluronic acid and oil blend, which helps add moisture, I don’t find this formula to be moisturizing. It also doesn’t dry my lips out, so that is good. In fairness, I do have dry lips, and I find that lip products with lanolin provide the best moisture for me. I also tend to get along better with formulas that do not contain hyaluronic acid. Some Lipstick formulas I like more for moisture than this one are the old-school Maybelline Color Sensational formula (which contains lanolin), the Estee Lauder Pure Color Creme Lipsticks, and the Pat McGrath SatinAllure Lipsticks. The Revlon Super Lustrous Formula is about even with the Maybelline Moisturizing Serum Lipstick in that it doesn’t dry my lips out, but I don’t think of it when I want something moisturizing.
The MAC Shadeshift Chrome Eyeshadow is a soft, slick feeling, dimethicone-based formula. You can see a dent in the formula after you swatch it because it is so soft. I am not sure if this means the formula is fragile, since I bought mine in-store at Ulta. I can’t say for certain it would make it through the mail.
MAC Shadeshift Chrome Eyeshadow Venom Duochrome Shift
The DIOR Backstage Rosy Glow Blush line uses pH-activating technology that, in theory, makes the blush look different on each person, resulting in a custom color. For holiday 2025, DIOR released 3 shades, and I decided to try shade 830 Fiery Red. I have not tried any of the shades from the permanent collection, so I’m not sure how this formula compares. The brand’s major claims for this blush are that it is long-wearing and buildable, and I agree. This particular shade is supposed to give a blurred finish, unlike the other 2 holiday shades, which have a pearlescent finish. It is not as smoothing as some other blushes that I’ve tried, but I don’t think it accentuates texture either. While the DIOR Backstage Rosy Glow Blush is technically fragrance-free, the formula contains raspberry ketone, which gives it a scent. I can smell it when I open it and apply it, but I don’t notice it while I’m wearing it.
I thought it would be nice to do a repeat of 2023 and 2024’s recap of the most-viewed posts on my website. I find it interesting to see what was popular on my website, even if I didn’t publish that post in 2025. So, I’ll share any updated thoughts on the products from my top 10 most-viewed blog posts of 2025. To view the original post/review I am referencing, click on the numbered title.
But first, some info for my new subscribers. In 2025, I created several indexes on my website, making it easier to find items by product type rather than through the long alphabetical brand listing page. Here is a list of all the index-type pages for your reference.
It has helped people find products more easily, so I’m glad I took the time to do that. I regularly update the indexes, so if you visit those pages, you will see the date they were last updated. If you ever have questions for me, you can leave a comment at the bottom of any of my posts. I am also available by e-mail (editor.nikkifromhr@gmail.com).
To both new and longtime subscribers, thank you for your time and support. 🙂
OK, here are the top 10 most-viewed blog posts of 2025!
The Lancome Care and Glow Serum Concealer is my go-to pick when I am at my driest, or I’m looking for comfort over coverage. My go-to for a non-drying concealer (but without added hydration) that gives me medium coverage is the Estee Lauder Futurist Soft Touch Brightening Skincealer. The Estee Lauder Skincealer may build to full coverage for some people, but on me, it creases too badly when built up. If you’re curious, my other favorite concealers that I turn to for coverage but are absolutely not hydrating for my dry, eczema-prone skin are the Lancome Teint Idole Ultra Wear All Over Concealer and the Estee Lauder Double Wear Concealer (only in summer). Check out this round-up for more information on hydrating (or at least not drying) concealers, featuring the following products:
Dior Forever Skin Correct Concealer
Lancome Care and Glow Serum Concealer
Givenchy Prisme Libre Skin Caring Concealer
Estee Lauder Futurist Skincealer
Armani Luminous Silk Concealer
MAC Studio Fix Pro Conceal and Correct Palette
Too Faced Ethereal Light Illuminating Smoothing Concealer
At the end of November 2025, CoverGirl released the TruBlend Skin Enhancer Baked Luminous Blushes and Bronzers ($12.99). So far, they are getting a lot of buzz, and many people are comparing them to the Hourglass and Laura Geller powders. I understand the comparison, but baked powders have been a part of CoverGirl’s line before. In 2016, CoverGirl released baked blushes and bronzers under its Trublend line, so the brand is no stranger to baked formulas. This release is more of a reboot for them.
Discontinued formula – CoverGirl Trublend Blush 305 Deep Mauve Swatch
Their Trublend Blushes were a favorite of mine back then, and I am equally happy with the Trublend Skin Enhancer Baked Luminous formula in 2025. Since these powders are swirled together in multiple tones, each compact will vary in shade. So keep in mind that if you buy these, yours may look different from what you see here or elsewhere online. These powders are pigmented, easy to blend, and smooth on the skin despite having a slight sheen. Neither of the shades I have (Strawberry Drizzle 420 and Caramel Truffle 320) has noticeable glitter particles, even under harsh overhead lighting. It is common for these types of powders to appear more glittery in the sunlight, though, so that remains to be seen in better weather.
Nikki From HR 