This is just a quick post today to share swatches of the Natasha Denona Tan Eyeshadow Palette ($72). I have a medium-dark skin tone (NARS Tahoe/Estee Lauder 4W4) with an olive undertone. So, keep that in mind as you consider how these shades look on me.
I was surprised how cool-toned this palette looks in person. Some of the shades definitely lean gray on me (at least in swatches), and I was not expecting that. I have avoided watching any reviews, so I don’t know how it looks on other skin tones. I know there will always be the “who needs another brown” crowd, but this is different from Natasha Denona’s I Need A Warm Palette. I did swatch some of the shades that were “close” in both palettes. If you already own the I Need A Warm Palette, I still don’t think you necessarily will be missing out if you pass on the Tan Eyeshadow Palette, but I Need A Warm is certainly a warmer palette to my eye. There is one shade named the same in both palettes (soft spot); they differ slightly, but probably not enough to be noticeable when applied. You can see my swatches and those comparisons down below, or by clicking read more.
Tom Ford Beauty recently revamped their line with new formulas and packaging for 2026. The brand still includes a velvet pouch with every Eye Color Quad, along with two double-ended brush/spongetip applicators. Surprisingly, this reformulation increased the product amount to 7.2g (up from 6g). The Tom Ford Eye Color Quad in Monlight Dip is a wet/dry formula. When applied dry, the eyeshadows give a soft, sheer look, and when applied wet, they give a bold, dramatic finish. I don’t personally use eyeshadows wet, so I’m not sure how much that helps this formula. However, I don’t think that they apply sheer when applied dry. They have enough opacity for my skin tone to see the colors as they appear in the pan. I can agree that they are soft, though. I just felt like I wanted more oomph from the pigment with this quad. I’ve worn these eyeshadows for 8-9 hours each time and haven’t had any creasing or fading. I do wear them with the MAC 24HR Eye Base as my eye primer, for reference.
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.
Nikki From HR 