I first talked about this blush back in July 2020 and I finally decided it was time to give it a try for myself. There are only 3 shades in the Trublend So Flushed Line and I purchased 360 Sweet Seduction. There is a lighter shade called 320 Love Me as well as a darker, more vibrant shade called 345 Hot and Frenzy. Update, January 25, 2022: Covergirl has added 2 more shades, Coral Crush and Temptation.
I’m so glad I decided to give this a try because I love it just as much as the discontinued baked version of the Trublend blushes. The baked version was offered back when Covergirl was still owned by P&G and they weren’t cruelty free. If you don’t know, Covergirl is now owned by Coty and went cruelty free back in 2018.
NARS has their 20% off friends and family sale going on right now. If you are in the market for any of their products you still have time to shop until the sale ends on May 18, 2021 at 3:00 AM EST.
I want to quickly mention my issues with ordering from NARS. I have not heard other complaints about ordering directly from their website, but since I have had issues I wanted to tell you my experience. The customer service department and their responsiveness to issues have typically been great. The problem is how many issues I’ve had. Out of the 4 orders I have placed directly on their website, I’ve had issues with 3 of them. One order was missing an item, one order was damaged, and one was lost. The lost order was the one time I didn’t have a good customer service experience and had to talk to someone different in order to get a replacement order. Again, I have always received replacements or refunds (when necessary) but the repeat issues are too much hassle for me to try ordering directly from them again. Clearly, not everyone will have issues, but I thought it was worth telling you about.
Anyway, I recently received a small (1.2g) Orgasm X blush as a sample on a recent order, so I thought I’d share a swatch. The regular size NARS Blushes retail for $30.00 (4.8g) and they offer a mini size for $16.00 (2.5g).
NARS Orgasm X Blush, $30.00
NARS Orgasm X Blush (sample, 1.2g)
NARS describes this shade as a shimmering deep coral with gold pearl and I think they missed the mark on that description. At least on me, the shade is more pink than coral, and I wouldn’t say there is anything deep about it. I definitely see the gold pearl, so maybe this does actually appear to be a deep coral on other skin tones. The shade is buildable, but the more you build the more that gold pearl starts to accentuate texture. So technically, I could get more color from it, but it never builds to anything deeper.
NARS Orgasm X Blush
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NARS promises that its iconic lipstick will be lightweight, long lasting, and resistant to bleeding/feathering. I do think that Banned Red (pictured above) does have a decent wear time for a satin lipstick. I can get a good 4 hours of wear through drinking and a light snack before it needs to be touched up. Unfortunately for me, I do not agree that it is resistant to feathering. I have some very fine lines along my top lip that this formula creeps into. On the upside, I don’t think anyone else would notice the feathering, but it does bother me. They also say that it will leave your lips feeling hydrated, which I also don’t experience. I do think that this formula is comfortable to wear, but I don’t feel that it offers my lips any nourishment.
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.
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.
Nikki From HR 