Author: Nikki

I had trouble deciding how to wrap things up for 2023. It has been a crazy year for me and that definitely caused me to rely very heavily on old reliable products most of the year. I did test some new products but then I often found myself going back to old staples with a few exceptions. I truly believe that most products on the market these days tend to work well. A certain product may not work for a certain skin type, color, or style preference but that doesn’t make the product bad. However, thinking back on the new things that I tried this year, everything strikes me as either being just fine or not right for my dry skin. I’m not overly excited about anything in particular. Makeup in general is still exciting for me but I guess this year it served as more of a utility for me. Don’t get me wrong, there is nothing bad about makeup being seen in this way, I am just typically more excited to experiment than I have been this year. So for my 2023 year in review, I’ll start with a couple new makeup products that I did end up incorporating more regularly (“best”), a few “worst” of 2023 products, and then highlight my old reliable products that were in heavy rotation. 

2023 Best Makeup Products

PAT MCGRATH DIVINE ROSE III BLUSH

If you are unfamiliar with the Pat McGrath Divine Blush formula I have done a full review of Paradise Venus (here) and a comparison of Paradise Venus, Nude Venus, and Divine Rose (here). The Divine Rose III shade was released at the same time that the brand released its bronzers back in April. While I like this formula, it is the shade I enjoy the most about this product. I just feel like it is very flattering on my Estee Lauder 4W4 skin tone. Divine Rose III is buildable and although matte, it never looks flat or dry even on my dry skin type. I have found this shade and Divine Rose to have a firmer press in the pan than Paradise Venus. When I use Paradise Venus, I have to be careful and there is powder kick-up in the pan that I don’t experience with Divine Rose and Divine Rose III. 

As I mentioned in my previous Sonia G reviews (Builder Pro, Classic Crease, Soft Cheek), I don’t have much experience with Fude Brushes.  If you don’t know, Fude refers to Japanese makeup brushes handmade by artisans. If you are interested in knowing more information on different types of Fude brushes, my go-to sources are my friend Lili’s blog (Fude Collection Series) and Alicia Archer on YouTube (her Fude Q + A may be a good place to start). I’ve also mentioned that a great starting point for anyone interested in this brand is the blog written by Sonia G herself (www.sweetmakeuptemptations.com/).  I’m happy to share my experience with these brushes for those interested to know my thoughts.  However, Sonia does an excellent job at describing the functionality of her brushes as well as showing how they compare to each other and other brands on the market.  In my experience, her descriptions are accurate and she is fully transparent if a brush is a re-release.  For instance, the Fundamental Classic Cheek brush was previously released as a part of the 2020 Mini Keyaki set. So if you are interested in Sonia G brushes I can’t recommend checking out her blog enough.

Ok, now we can get into my experience with these brushes. 

I originally reviewed the Urban Decay Hydromaniac Tinted Moisturizer in July of 2022 and was less than impressed. The shade range had a lot of gaps and the shade I picked (60 Medium Dark) is very orange. I don’t like it any better now than I did then when used on its own, but by pairing it with the NARS Soft Matte Advanced Perfecting Powder (Bay) I’ve found a way to use it. As I mentioned in my other Better Together post, I’m not suggesting that you should buy two products to make something work. I am only hoping to inspire some experimentation or at least a willingness to consider that products have a learning curve.

I have been using Chanel’s Ombre Premiere Longwear Cream Eyeshadow formula since 2017 and I still feel the same way about them. They could be easier to use and for the $36 price tag, there are certainly cheaper options that likely perform better for most people.  This formula was the first cream eyeshadow I was able to find that didn’t make my eyes look dry or crepey. While I do like the results I get from these, they can be difficult to work with. The dry down time is fairly quick and I find that it works best with either the included brush or a finger.  The enclosed brush is tiny and easy to lose so that is a downside. Unfortunately, I don’t have the little brush anymore so I can’t show it next to something for scale.

This Forgotten Best Sellers series allows me the opportunity to talk about older products that still dominate a brand’s best sellers list. To keep it simple, I use the brand website’s best seller list rather than separate retailers. I have already done a best sellers post on MAC, MAC Vol. 2, NARS, Bobbi Brown, Clinique, and Laura Mercier if you’d like to check those out.

I have to admit that it was January 2023 when I initially looked at the best sellers listed on the Maybelline website, and the products have definitely shifted since then. Maybelline has also changed the website design since then, and it is not easy to view more than 8 best sellers. So I also checked Walmart, Ulta, and Target to at least make sure the items I’m talking about today make sense to feature. So getting into it, today I’ll be spotlighting the Nudes of New York Eyeshadow Palette, The Falsies Lash Lift Mascara, and the Color Sensational Made For All Lipsticks.

Maybelline Nudes of New York Palette, $13.99 (Walmart.com and Amazon)

In my opinion, the Maybelline Nudes of New York Eyeshadow Palette is a standout product at the drugstore. It’s a shame that it seems to have disappeared from actual store shelves, but it is still a permanent product and I’ve seen it on both the Walmart and Amazon websites. Overall, the Nudes of New York is a warmer neutral palette, but if you lean into shades like soloist, pioneer, protector, heroine, and self-starter for some of your looks, you can keep things from looking overly warm.

Charlotte Tilbury seems to be a very polarizing brand. People either love it or hate it. I haven’t tried enough of the products to make a definitive statement on the brand as a whole, but I think the products that I have tried are good. The two lipstick colors that I am showcasing today are part of the Hot Lips 2 line. It is $38 to purchase these shades that come in a refillable casing and the refill bullet is $26 (shown below). There are 5 collectible cases available with the Hot Lips 2 shades in them. Charlotte Tilbury does occasionally release new shades in differently designed refillable packaging, but they also have a classic bullet available for $35 although, the shade availability is different.

Charlotte Tilbury Glowing Jen, K.I.S.S.I.N.G Formula – Tawny Beachy Rose (Soft Rose according to Sephora)

I think this is a nice lipstick formula with a satin (slight sheen) finish. It wears well, which for me, is about 4 hours. That is typical for the bullet lipstick formulas that I consider to be good. The wear-down is subtle and not at all patchy.  I drink water and tea all day, so for lipstick to hang on and have enough color left to not need a touch-up until the 4-hour mark is great for my expectations. The K.I.S.S.I.N.G formula is comfortable to wear (doesn’t dry out my lips), it doesn’t accentuate my lip lines, and it sits nicely even if I have some dryness/chapping. With one caveat, it doesn’t slide around, get on my teeth, or bleed into the fine lines around my upper lip.  The caveat is that this formula does cling better to my lips if I don’t use too much lip balm, or at least wipe off excess lip balm before applying it. This is not necessarily unique since I use emollient lip balms, but it is something to keep in mind if you are someone who has dry lips and applies lip balm right before lipstick. It isn’t that you can’t, but I do think it wears better and moves around less when my lips are not slippery before applying it. For a point of reference, there are several formulas that I don’t have to make sure to remove excess lip balm to get good wear. Some that I can think of right now are the Propa Beauty Luminous Satin, Huda Beauty’s Cream, Chanel Rouge Coco Ultra Hydrating, and Maybelline Color Sensational (which contains lanolin).

You don’t need me to tell you that $75 is a lot of money to spend on a powder, so that leaves me at a loss for what exactly to tell you about the Westman Atelier Vital Pressed Skincare Blurring Talc-Free Setting Powder. That name is obnoxious to go along with the price, but it does clue you into what is “special” about this particular setting powder. If you are not familiar with Westman Atelier, it is a luxury clean beauty brand. Although there can be overlap in which ingredients are left out of clean beauty products, each brand determines what “clean” means for them. So I encourage you to visit the Westman Atelier About Us Page to see what they consider “clean” before you decide if you even want to know about my experience with this powder.

The Packaging

Before I get into the performance, I want to gush over the packaging. At this price, you are in fact paying for the way these products are presented, so it matters. It comes in a linen, drawstring pouch to protect the compact. I bought mine in April 2023 and haven’t gotten any scratches, but I do keep it in the pouch, and I’m also generally not rough on things. The pouch is also more of a blush pink color that doesn’t really come across in the image.