Every time I turn around I swear there is another new bronzer being released. Out of the new bronzer releases that have caught my eye I have purchased one limited edition and one permanent release. I already did a full swatch post of my purchases from the limited edition Mac 2020 Summer Bronzing Collection if you want to check that out. But in this post, you will get to see how the shade Totally Taupeless from that release compares to some others.
I also purchased the newly released NARS Bronzing Powder in the shade Punta Cana, if you have been wondering how that shade compares to other bronzers on the market.
L’oreal Age Perfect Radiant Satin Blush in 425 Amber
I’m pretty sure that this was my first experience with a blush by L’oreal and I am not disappointed. I feel like they did a great job with the level of pigmentation. You can go into the pan with any brush shape without being careful, but it still picks up enough color to show up. In my experience, this blush works great with both synthetic and natural hair brushes. The formula is easy to blend on the skin and despite the inclusion of emollient ingredients (i.e. coconut oil, mango seed butter), it behaves like a traditional powder formula.
Mac Cosmetics recently did a restock of their Selena Collection across several different retailers. Whether you missed out on the initial release or you are late to the game you are now getting another chance to check it out.
MAC x Selena Extra Dimension Highlight in La Leyenda
For comparisons to Whisper of Gilt and Soul Glow (Holiday 2018 Palette), click to continue reading.
Givenchy has turned its iconic lip balm into a liquid gloss formula. I think that if you read the description from Sephora and that is what has piqued your interest, you will likely be disappointed and feel that this lip gloss claims to be a balm. However, according to the description on Saks, it is actually called a liquid gloss formula. I purchased the shade 14 Nude Soul.
Givenchy Le Rose Perfecto Liquid Balm, $36.00
This balm starts off as a lip gloss, but as it wears away it feels more like a balm. On my lips, the color is a light pink. It has a slight scent that doesn’t linger for very long. Surprisingly, it does hang around through drinking and eating for 2 to 3 hours and I still feel like there is a balm on my lips even a little while after that. I can also feel that it did help my chapped lips after just one day of wearing it. I also feel like my lips feel softer and smoother after I use it. It does have a tingle at the start of wear thanks to pink pepper that is supposed to plump the lips. If you’ve ever used a gloss or lipstick with peppermint oil in it, then this will feel similar to you. I didn’t notice any plumping effect from the tingle and it goes away fairly quickly. I really like this and do feel it performs a lip balm function but with a nice sheen on the lips and gives a hint of color.
Buy High: Smashbox Blurring Foundation Brush, $32.00
Buy Low: e.l.f. Ultimate Blending Brush, $6.00
Smashbox Blurring Foundation Brush vs elf Ultimate Blending Brush
Both of these brushes work well for those who like to apply foundation in a buffing motion. They can also be used to stipple for more coverage when needed. I truly feel like I can get the same results from both of these brushes. The biggest application difference is coverage level. The e.l.f. Ultimate Blending Brush has a shorter handle and the closer your hand is to your face, the more pressure you use. This translates to heavier coverage. If you are aware of that you can be careful to use less product and that will lessen the coverage you get. If you like higher coverage that won’t be an issue. The Smashbox Blurring Foundation Brush gives you more flexibility in coverage simply because you’ll naturally hold the brush further down because the handle is longer. The Smashbox brush also has markings on the handle that indicate where to hold the brush depending on the coverage level you want.
The Nubian 3 Palette by Juvia’s Place is a little underrated in my opinion. In a time when so many people are complaining that makeup releases are all looking the same, I do not think this palette got enough shine when it was released.
When it was first released I feel like there were some criticisms about the color story not being coral enough. Every color exists on a spectrum of the shades mixed to create them. So for instance coral is a color that falls in between red and orange. So with orange being a mixture of yellow and red, every coral created is going to have different amounts of yellow, orange, and red present in the mixture. What that means, is that some corals are going to have more of an orange tone to them because they have more yellow and others are going to be pinker in tone, because they have more of the primary red pigment.
The Swatches – Juvia’s Place Nubian 3 Coral Palette, $20.00
Juvia’s Place Nubian 3 Coral – 1st row
Juvia’s Place Nubian 3 Coral – 2nd row
Juvia’s Place Nubian 3 Coral – 3rd row
So to me, there are 6 corals in this palette that range from a light pink coral to a deep red coral. It is also important to keep in mind that we all see color differently and that is fine. The way shades appear on different skin tones will also matter. But to me, this reads as a coral palette. I also think that the addition of varying tones of gray gives this palette a unique twist on being neutral without the ever-popular warm mid-tone brown.
The packaging of this palette is really nicely done. The Palette feels sturdy and it has a good quality mirror. The double-ended brush that comes with the palette is the same great quality that you’ve come to expect from Sigma Brushes. The palette overall is a little thick, but that is what allows the brush to have a space to sit inside the palette, so it doesn’t bother me.
Sigma Cor-de-Rosa Palette
Update October 21, 2025: I was shocked to recently notice that Sigma’s 14-pan eyeshadow palettes are now clocking in at $65. Back in 2020, the price was $49. When the Sigma Cool Neutrals Palettewas released in April 2024, it was $52. Now, they are suddenly at $65. Everything is getting more expensive, but this price jump is worse than most I’ve seen. This is one of the 14-pan palettes that comes with a double-sided brush (E58 Diffused Crease and E54 medium Sweeper), which does add to its cost; however, that was already included in these palettes when they were cheaper. There are a lot of reasons to continue buying Sigma eyeshadows. They are cruelty-free, talc-free, and I’m pretty sure their cosmetics were clean beauty before people were calling it clean beauty. I also often enjoy their color selections for eyeshadows; they appeal to me, and more often than not work well for my olive undertone better than other brands. However, the formula has never been good enough for me to recommend it unless it was on sale for 40% off. And this was back when they were $49, meaning I only recommended others purchase them for about $29.40 before tax. Now that they are $65, they would have to be over 50% off to get close to that price. Let’s say this price increase annoys you as much as it does me, but you still want to purchase Sigma eyeshadows. They do still have good sales. I don’t see them doing 40% sales as much as they used to. Now, 30% off is the more standard discount. I have seen higher percentages when they are clearing out old inventory of limited edition collections or discontinued items. They also go on sale at Macy’s, Nordstrom, and JCPenney, so if you are still interested in the brand, I’d keep an eye on those stores.
UPDATE October 21, 2021: In my experience, the Sigma formula is really great for those who like applying shimmer shades with their fingers and prefer a buildable matte eyeshadow. If you are someone who likes super-saturated colors or only likes to apply eyeshadow with brushes, I think these may miss the mark. For a more detailed breakdown, click here and check out my updated Sigma Eyeshadow Palette Review.
My early impressions of this palette are good for the most part. The shimmers I have tried seem to be smoothing on the lid, but I haven’t had the opportunity to try Belle of the Ball or Sunsprite yet, which have more sparkles running through them.
L to R: Belle of the ball, Veranda, Sunsprite, Damask
The mattes are powdery and have some excess powder that is kicked up when you dip a brush in the pan. The lighter-toned mattes I’ve used so far (Hybrid and Apricot) did take some building up, which surprised me. When I was using this palette, I primed my eyes with the NARS Smudge Proof Eyeshadow Base in the original version. I do find that the Too Faced Shadow Insurance Eye Shadow Primer can intensify the color of shadows more than the NARS primer, so I’m going to try this palette with that next.
L to R: Shakespeare, Apricot, High Society
Since the mattes are a looser formula, a lot of product picks up on the brush fairly quickly. I didn’t have any issues with blending or fallout, but I just expected more punch from apricot and hybrid when I used them.
The Summer 2020 Bronzer Collection from Mac Cosmetics has finally made its way to retailers other than Ulta Beauty. I talk a little about the collection in one of my Window Shopping Wednesday Posts and once the collection got to the Mac website I decided to purchase some items.
MAC Bronzer Collection, Summer 2020
This is a limited edition release, so if you are interested in any items I’d look into them where ever Mac products are sold. If you only want one item, I would suggest trying the Mac Cosmetics website and Nordstrom first, since they both offer free shipping on any order. As of February 3, 2022, the only place I’ve seen the bronzer in stock is at QVC and that is in the shade Beige-ing Beauty. The Sand Tropez shadow is still available on the MAC website in the Goodbye’s section.
Nikki From HR 