Author: Nikki

This is only the second lip product I’ve ever tried from Givenchy and I must say yet again, I like it. If you are curious, the other formula I tried was the Givenchy Le Rose Perfecto Liquid Balm that I reviewed back in 2020. I purchased this from Givenchy’s Holiday 2021 release so my case is a limited edition version in black velvet casing with a gold tube. However, the lipstick shade is part of their permanent lineup and typically comes in red velvet casing with a silver tube.

Givenchy Deep Velvet Lipstick – 37 Rouge Graine, $38.00

37 Rouge Graine is described as a deep garnet red.

If you’ve been around a while, you have likely heard me reference this line of lipsticks as my all time favorite formula. I stopped using them a few years back after finding out I have a wheat allergy (the formula contains wheat bran extract). Well about a year ago, I got it into my head that since the wheat ingredient was far down on the list I shouldn’t have an allergic reaction. So I repurchased what used to be my most used shade.

UPDATE April 19, 2023: Estee Lauder has discontinued this line and now has a reformulated line called the Pure Color Creme Lipstick. I have written a review and shared a swatch of the new formula in the shade 818 Covetable and 561 Intense Nude. You can see that review by clicking here.

Estee Lauder Pure Color Envy Lipstick – 440 Irresistible, $33.00

Estee Lauder describes 440 Irresistible as a dusty mauve with a cool undertone.

I’m continuing on with this series and talking about some products that I don’t hear mentioned much anymore, but they still manage to make it on the brand’s bestsellers list. I have already done a best sellers post on MAC, MAC Vol. 2, Maybelline, NARS, Bobbi Brown, and Laura Mercier, if you’d like to check those out. Today I’m revisiting some Clinique products. If you like shopping directly from the brand’s website, there are some Valentine’s Day markdowns. It is 25% off select items, and that ends on 15 February 2022.

I have used some pictures from my old blog (sensitive beauty blog) for a couple of the products I don’t own at the moment. So you may notice the watermark in the Stay Matte Foundation image, or that I’ve lost weight since the swatches for that and the Morning Java eyeshadow quad were taken. So anyway, let’s get to it.

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**Clinique Beyond Perfecting Foundation Plus Concealer, $40.00 (WN 82 Latte)

I have mentioned this foundation before in my fall makeup edit from 2020 (check that out here) if you want more information. Long story short, this is one of my favorite full coverage foundations for my dry skin. It does transfer some, but it is a trade-off that I deal with because it looks so nice on me.

Update March 4, 2022: I posted more swatches of this foundation in the shades WN76 Toasted Wheat, CN90 Sand, WN98 Cream Caramel, WN114 Golden, and WN125 Mahogany. You can check that out by clicking here.

	$ Sale Price $ 40.00 Regular Price
Clinique Beyond Perfecting™ Foundation + Concealer, WN 98 Cream Caramel – 1.0 oz/30 ml for Dry Combination to Combination Oily Skin

I originally reviewed the Chanel Rouge Coco Bloom formula back in April 2021 when it was new to the market. I won’t rehash the entire review, so if you want the nitty-gritty, you can read that by clicking here. Long story short: I still think that this is a comfortable formula with nice pigmentation and a beautiful shine but it has poor longevity and doesn’t wear away evenly.

As I mentioned in my original review, Chanel claims that the Rouge Coco Bloom formula is long-wearing, but I just can’t agree with them. For $42.00 this should just work as promised. However, even with MAC’s prep and prime lip (which typically helps me with wear time), I only get a slightly better result.

NYX Cosmetics makes some bold claims about the HD finishing powder. I decided to give this powder a try while browsing in the store, so I didn’t have any idea of what the claims were before testing it out. I think that ended up being a good thing because it allowed me to form an opinion without expecting anything specific.

The brand claims that this powder has a non-cakey, matte finish that helps soften the appearance of lines and pores. The HD finishing powder is available in three different shades. I purchased the banana shade, which is supposed to camouflage dark spots and dark circles. There are also translucent and mint green shades. The mint green shade claims to help with discoloration and redness.

I can’t tell you anything about the translucent or mint green shades, but the banana shade only delivers on a couple of those claims.

This blog uses affiliate links (marked with **).  I may earn a small commission when you purchase through links on my site.  Learn more here.

**NYX HD Finishing Powder, $12.00

This is by no means a new product from Estee Lauder, but it is one of their best sellers that I don’t hear much about. As far as I can tell, this version of the Double Wear Powder was reformulated sometime around the beginning of 2019. I remember the Estee Lauder counter had the previous version on clearance shortly before I bought this version for the first time. Every counter doesn’t always get the newest releases right on schedule, so please correct me if that timing is wrong.

Estee Lauder claims that this powder is soft and weightless, and I definitely agree. It feels like I have nothing on when I wear it alone as a powder foundation. That does translate to less coverage than some people might be looking for given the Double Wear name. This powder was designed to be a buildable multi-use powder, so it does start off as light coverage. Not a lot of powder picks up on the brush, which helps it function well as a setting powder. Getting into the buildable claim, it does build on itself with no issue. You can achieve a medium coverage if you apply it with a brush and apply two layers. If you use the included sponge you can get more coverage, but I don’t think it ever quite gets to the full coverage that the brand claims. The sponge also applies the product heavier, so just one layer gives me medium coverage. A second layer with the sponge does improve the coverage a little, but some of my scars still peak through. But again, it looks heavy applied with the sponge and accentuates texture on me.