UPDATE (March 4, 2022): Unfortunately, the Makeup Geek brand is going out of business and will close in April 2022. The website is currently 40% off.
Makeup Geek Highlighters, L to R: Sunlight, Firework
If you’ve never tried a Makeup Geek highlighter, the formula is somewhat dry feeling to the touch, but still manages to have good pigment. They are hard pressed in the pan so they have no kick up, but they are not hard to pick up on a brush. I think that by today’s standards this is on the more subtle side of formulas, but I do think they can be built up for more impact.
The shade sunlight is described as a soft copper, ideal for medium skin tones. On me this shade accentuates more texture than I prefer to see after applying highlight. I do think that it is just the nature of this shade being a little light for me. It doesn’t come off ashy and I can get away with it, it just isn’t my ideal shade. I do go over it with my beauty blender and that helps it blend into the skin more.
Disclaimer: I was fortunate enough to be sent a package to try out 3 of the new MAC Love Me Liquid Lip Colours. This was not a PR package, it was sent out to customers and I happened to receive one. The opinions I offer in this post are my own and I did not agree to feature or speak positively about these products.
Top to bottom: Bated Breath, E for Effortless, and Coffee and Cigs
Bated Breath, E for Effortless, and Coffee and Cigs, $25.00
The Love Me Liquid Lip Colour is basically a liquified version of their regular Love Me Lipstick range. They have a satin finish and do not dry down to the matte longwear finish that you may traditionally think of when you hear liquid lipstick. If you have ever tried the Milani Amore Shine Liquid Lip Color, then you will have an idea of what this formula is like.
In today’s edit, I’m talking about natural vs synthetic brushes, routines, and showcasing some makeup videos for products that I’ve been interested in lately.
Articles to Read
Natural vs Synthetich Makeup Brushes by Frends Beauty – Lately I’ve been doing some makeup brush research as I try to decide if I want to buy more natural hair brushes or stick to synthetic from now on. I personally see a difference in application. I’m not saying that synthetic brushes don’t apply product well, but I do feel that natural hair applies it better. My issue is upkeep and care. It is just easier to care for synthetic brushes and I’m not as concerned about messing them up. This article from Frends beauty helped me understand why I might be getting better results from natural hair brushes, especially for powder products. If you are not familiar with them, Frends Beauty is a beauty supply store for professional hair and makeup artistry supplies. While they are open to the public, their expertise has been gained by mostly serving professionals since 1940.
The Benefit of Routines – As someone who often thinks I’m boring for doing mostly the same things every day, it was nice to read about how helpful routines can be for both productivity and mental wellness.
Videos to Watch
There have been a lot of new releases lately that I found myself looking into, but ultimately not buying. So I figured I’d share some videos that helped me make that decision in case anyone else had their eye on the same products.
Smashbox quietly released this medium-dark version of their popular Cali Contour palette sometime back in 2020 (?). I say quietly because I don’t think there was any sort of marketing letting people know they had created this new shade variation. I was searching for a review of this palette for the longest time with no luck. I was surprised they didn’t try to hype this up more, considering all of the valid complaints companies have received about shade ranges lacking inclusive options. Anyway, I broke down and got it because I continued to hear lighter skin tones rave about the original light medium shade and finally had to see for myself if it was good.
Top row, left to right: warm contour, shimmer gold, cinnamon matte
Bottom row, left to right: banana matte, apricot shimmer, coco rojo
After mentioning my favorite lipstick formulas in another post, I thought it would be nice to swatch any formulas or colors that I haven’t shared in the past. Up first, the Revlon Super Lustrous Lipsticks. I have shown swatches of both Raisin Rage and Rum Raisin previously, but I decided to go ahead and include them next to a newer to me shade (desert escape).
L to R: Revlon rum raisin, raisin rage, desert escape
As I’ve mentioned, I really think this line from Revlon is still one of the best on the market if you like a traditional cream bullet lipstick. They are comfortable and provide good pigmentation. If you like an opaque coverage, these might be a miss for you, but I wouldn’t describe them as sheer. This formula does have a lanolin ingredient (C10-30 Cholesterol/Lanosterol Esters), so keep that in mind if you are allergic to lanolin.
UPDATE (March 4, 2022): Unfortunately, the Makeup Geek brand is going out of business and will close in April 2022. The website is currently 40% off.
Makeup Geek Foiled Eyeshadows ($8.49) promise a metallic sheen due the powder/cream hybrid formula. The shades I purchased are from the brand’s 2020 relaunch when they updated their formulas, color selection, and packaging.
Grandstand is described as a neutral medium copper brown (top left)
Legend is described as a warm copper (top right)
Mystical is described as a warm deep plum (bottom left)
Flame Thrower is described as a warm copper (bottom right)
I definitely think that the formula delivers the metallic sheen as promised. You can get a more subtle finish from these shadows if you apply them with a flat shader brush. In my experience, you can get a shiner finish with more impact if you apply them with a finger.
Unfortunately, that is were the good news ends for me. I did have some fallout and it isn’t easy to wipe away. The fallout sticks to my face and then it is hard to remove. This was worse for the shade Mystical, I assume because the shade is darker and has more contrast with my skin tone. I also experienced fallout throughout wear, but it wasn’t noticeable from a normal distance. It is one of those things only someone trying to examine products for review would see.
Update June 6, 2025: I recently revisited this concealer and discussed it in my Forgotten Best Sellers: MAC Cosmetics (Vol. 2). This used to be my number 1 concealer. Yes, even with my dry skin, this concealer used to be the only one that I would use. But that all changed when I discovered the Dior Forever Skin Correct Concealer (the original fragrance-free formula). Despite being dry, I loved the high coverage, long wear, and self-setting ability of the Pro Longwear Concealer. Unfortunately, as I got older, I got drier and moved to drier climates. I moved from the south to the Midwest, and then from the Midwest to New England. So the aspects of this concealer that make it great no longer work for me. I know this for sure because I recently revisited this concealer. It is still a top performer, but too dry for me, and I should’ve known better. As you may have heard me mention, most days I wear makeup for about 10 hours. This starts to look dry around hour 4, but is still passable. At around 8 hours, however, the concealer cracks and separates. My dry skin steals what little moisture the concealer may have, which is to be expected. There are other matte concealers that I can’t wear for that long without cracking (Huda Beauty, One Size). It also doesn’t leave me feeling dry the next day, so it still outperforms many matte formulas. So it’s still good, just not good for me.
This blog uses affiliate links (marked with **). I may earn a small commission when you purchase through links on my site. Learn more here.
**Pro Longwear Concealer ($28.00) is a bestseller for MAC and is overall highly reviewed on retailer websites like Ulta, Nordstrom, and Macy’s. Listen, I know the pump and overall packaging are annoying, but the product itself is excellent. I do not experiment with concealers much, so it is very possible that there is something better out there. But for me, this is a winner.
I have dry skin, and I can still get away with using this product. It does dry down to a matte, long-wearing finish, so I don’t have to set with powder. If you have dry skin, then you know that being able to skip powder can really help. For the most part, this doesn’t settle into my fine lines and wrinkles. I say for the most part because it does sink into my deepest wrinkle, but I can’t tell unless I get real close to the mirror. For reference, the Bobbi Brown Concealer and Corrector formulas sink into lines and wrinkles on me. The formula that is in the MAC Studio Fix Conceal and Correct Palette does not sink into lines on me, but it does need to be set with powder, whereas the Pro Longwear Concealer does not.
I purchased the shade Cinna-Bae but I’m thinking I could also have gotten away with the shade Caramel Delight for my skin tone. The brand suggests the shade Cinna-Bae for tan to light dark skin and the shade Caramel Delight for medium to medium dark skin. There are three darker shades in the range after Cinna-Bae and one shade lighter than Caramel Delight.
Coloured Raine Cinna-Bae Bronzer, $16.00
I would still consider it a first impression, but so far I am in love with this bronzer. I use Estee Lauder Double Wear foundation and I don’t set it with any additional powder and I still find that this formula is easy to blend. Keep in mind that Estee Lauder Double Wear does dry down to a matte finish, but I have experienced blending difficulties with another bronzer over this foundation, so I wanted to mention that. I feel like the finish isn’t a flat matte and that it gives me the same type of healthy look that I get from the Becca Sunlit Bronzers. The Becca bronzers do have a sheen to them and again this formula is definitely matte. I just feel like both of these formulas make me look healthier than before I applied them. I was worried about the depth of the color, but it is so easy to blend that I really don’t even find myself having to be careful.
Coloured Raine Bronzer Cinna-Bae
The closest bronzer shade I have for comparison is a MAC bronzer from the limited edition Aladdin collection (right swatch).
L to R: Coloured Raine Bronzer Cinna-Bae vs MAC x Aladdin Your Wish is My Command (LE)
UPDATE June 2, 2021: There isn’t much to say here other than I’m still loving this bronzer. It picks up easily on both synthetic and natural hair brushes and it blends easily. It is very pigmented, but the ease of blending means I don’t have to be careful with it.
Have you tried the new Coloured Raine bronzers? If so, how do you like it?
If you enjoyed this post, please consider sticking around. You can check out my Brands A-Z index if you want to know what products I have posted about in the past.
Disclaimer: I purchased all products featured with my own money. For my full disclosure policy, click here.
Nikki From HR 