Nikki

$10 off Clinique Foundations and Concealers at Macy’s (ends 8 March 2022)

Published on March 4, 2022November 29, 2023 by Nikki2 Comments

Clinique Beyond Perfecting 2 in 1 Foundation plus Concealer WN 82 Latte Medium Deep Skin Swatch — Clinique Beyond Perfecting 2 in 1 Foundation plus Concealer WN 82 Latte

Whether you already use Clinique foundation in your daily makeup routine or have been wanting to try one of their foundations, this is a good sale. I recently reviewed two of their best-selling foundations in my Forgotten Best Sellers: Clinique post. If you are interested in a review of the Beyond Perfecting Foundation + Concealer or the Stay Matte Foundation, you can check that post out.

Clinique Beyond Perfecting, $34.00 ($24.00 during sale)

Clinique Beyond Perfecting is one of the best full coverage foundations for my dry skin so I have tried several shades over the years. My best match is WN82 Latte for most of the year but WN98 Cream Caramel works a bit better in the summer despite being a little orange on me. As a heads up, I do think the shade WN82 Latte has been discontinued because it is in the last call section on the Clinique website. Pictured below are shades CN90 Sand, WN82 Latte, WN98 Cream Caramel, WN 114 Golden.

Clinique Beyond Perfecting Foundation plus Concealer CN90 Sand, WN82 Latte, WN98 Cream Caramel, and WN 114 Golden Swatches Medium Deep Skin — Clinique Beyond Perfecting Foundation + Concealer (L to R): CN90 Sand, WN82 Latte, WN98 Cream Caramel, WN 114 Golden

I have a sample card of the Beyond Perfecting Foundation, so I have also swatched the shades WN125 Mahogany and WN76 Toasted Wheat below.

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On Wednesdays We Window Shop (March 2, 2022)

Published on March 2, 2022November 29, 2023 by Nikki2 Comments

KVD Good Apple Concealer Swatches Medium Dark Olive Skin and Covergirl Trublend Bronzer in Ebony and Warmth, Covergirl Trublend Blush in coral crush and temptation, Merit Beauty Signature Lipstick, Patrick Ta Double Take Creme and powder blush.

If you follow the beauty industry closely, then you know that new releases are happening all the time. So let’s discuss what new products are on my radar right now.

I stopped posting these over a year and a half back. It’s hard to believe it’s been that long. When I noticed that these posts were becoming more of a shopping list rather than just window shopping, I decided to take a break. But I wanted to give it another try to see if it could be an outlet to talk about makeup without buying so much of it. We’ll see how it goes.

KVD Good Apple Concealer, $28.00: I was so disappointed to find out that I can’t use this formula. While alcohol in the formula won’t be a deal-breaker for everyone, I don’t gamble with it on my dry, sensitive, eczema-prone skin. The alcohol is the fourth ingredient in this concealer, so that is a high enough amount for me to pass on buying. I did go in-store and swatch this so I’ve included those swatches below for anyone that may still be interested. It is getting very good reviews even from people with dry skin.

KVD Good Apple Concealer Shades 161, 162, 167, 169, and 173 Swatches on Medium Dark Olive Skin — KVD Good Apple Concealer Swatches

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Luxury Beauty Sale at Bergdorf Goodman (ends March 9, 2022)

Published on March 1, 2022June 13, 2025 by Nikki2 Comments

Shop this luxury beauty sale now through March 9, 2022. Use code BGBEAUTY at checkout.

$50 off when you spend $250
$100 off when you spend $400
$275 off when you spend $1,000
$675 off when you spend $2,500

I hope it goes without saying, but if you aren’t interested, you don’t need to shop this sale at all.

If you are a luxury beauty lover you likely already know what is available at Bergdorf Goodman, but there are a couple of standouts that I wanted to point out. As usual, I tend to stay in the makeup lane, but this sale could be nice for anyone into luxury skincare and fragrances that can get pricey.

Pat McGrath Labs

Pat McGrath Celestial Odyssey Luxe Quad Bronze Borealis Swatches on Medium Deep Olive Skin Tone — Pat Mcgrath Bronze Borealis Quad – Top: Lunar Legend, Sienna Rose | Bottom: Mink Dusk, Cyber Bronze

If you missed any of the Pat McGrath holiday 2021 items Bergdorf still has a few pieces in stock. I enjoy my Bronze Borealis Quad from the collection and I posted swatches and a review that you can check out if you’re curious for more details. They also still have stock of the Blush + Glow Trio in both shades (amber allure and galactic sun).

This could also be a good option if you haven’t had a good experience with ordering direct from the Pat McGrath Labs website. I haven’t personally ever had issues, but I have heard of people having trouble. If you order direct through Pat McGrath there are better sales available, so keep that in mind as well.

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Givenchy Le Rouge Deep Velvet Lipstick – 37 Rouge Graine

Published on February 23, 2022November 29, 2023 by NikkiLeave a comment

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 Le Rouge Deep Velvet 37 Rouge Graine Swatch Medium Dark Olive Skin — Givenchy Le Rouge Deep Velvet 37 Rouge Graine

Givenchy Deep Velvet Lipstick – 37 Rouge Graine, $38.00

37 Rouge Graine is described as a deep garnet red.

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Estee Lauder Pure Color Envy Sculpting Lipstick – 440 Irresistible

Published on February 16, 2022November 6, 2024 by Nikki3 Comments

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 Sculpting Lipstick 440 Irresistible Swatch Medium Dark Olive Skin — Discontinued formula – Estee Lauder Pure Color Envy Sculpting Lipstick in 440 Irresistible

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

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

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Forgotten Best Sellers: Clinique

Published on February 10, 2022August 2, 2025 by Nikki2 Comments

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)

Clinique Beyond Perfecting 2 in 1 Foundation plus Concealer WN 82 Latte Swatch Medium Deep Skin — Clinique Beyond Perfecting 2 in 1 Foundation plus Concealer 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

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Product Update: Chanel Rouge Coco Bloom Lip Colour (114 Glow)

Published on February 9, 2022November 29, 2023 by Nikki4 Comments

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.

Chanel Rouge Coco Bloom 114 Glow swatch dark skin — Chanel Rouge Coco Bloom in 114 Glow

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.

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NYX HD Finishing Powder – Banana

Published on February 1, 2022June 6, 2025 by Nikki6 Comments

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.