Category: Beauty

As a long-time MAC customer, I’m glad that Ulta not only carries the brand but also that they are typically stocked in the store locations I like to visit. I used to have a MAC store in my local mall, but it unfortunately closed. I’m sure that’s not a good sign overall for the brand, but now I typically shop for MAC items at either Nordstrom or Ulta. When I’m not feeling up to chatting with the sales associates at Nordstrom (who are amazing, by the way), I take advantage of the laid-back atmosphere at my favorite Ulta locations.

My love for MAC Cosmetics began in 2013 with the Mineralize Moisture SPF 15 Foundation and the original Face and Body Foundation (in the 120 mL size). I didn’t like Face and Body, but Mineralize Moisture Foundation was nice enough that I’ve been shopping from MAC ever since. I can still remember staying up all night the following year to buy the Alluring Aquatic collection. These were the days when Specktra had all the MAC collection product leaks, and we’d all be on there hyping each other up. The Specktra website hasn’t been very active in several years, and it was down when I checked it yesterday, but it was a fun time.

I don’t get quite as worked up over MAC these days, but my fan girl status is still secure. I am getting better every year at not buying from every release MAC has and being more selective. However, you won’t catch me in a store without stopping by the MAC display. So, I thought it’d be fun to share some swatches that I’ve done in-store at Ulta over the last year while shopping for some MAC products that I didn’t end up buying for myself.

Continue reading “Shop with Me (MAC Cosmetics at Ulta – Swatches of MAC Glow Play Blush Cushiony Blush, MACximal Silky Matte Lipstick, Studio Radiance Luminous Lift Concealer, and MACximal Sleek Satin Lipstick)” →

Happy Saturday! I’m on somewhat of a mission to figure out how to best showcase great products that aren’t necessarily being buzzed about anymore. With that in mind, I thought providing this type of snapshot, focusing on hydrating and non-drying concealers, would be helpful. While I can only speak from my own individual experience, I hope this rundown will be helpful to others with dry skin. For reference, I am 42 and have dry, sensitive, eczema-prone skin. I struggle with darkness under my eyes, dark spots from the occasional acne scar, dry patches, and texture from eczema. 9 times out of 10, I have to set concealers when I wear them under my eyes. Hopefully, that gives you some insight into what I’m dealing with and how it affects my experience with these concealers.

While I’m only discussing 12 concealers today, you can find a concealer ranking on my website, which lists the 25 concealers I’ve reviewed. I will provide links to the full written review at the end of each summary in case you want more details. The Ami Cole Skin-Enhancing Concealer is the only concealer listed that doesn’t have a separate review.

The Dior Forever Skin Correct Concealer, Lancome Care and Glow Serum Concealer, and Ami Cole Skin Enhancing Concealer are my picks for hydrating concealers. For non-drying concealers (but without added hydration), I’m featuring the Maybelline Lifter Serum Concealer, Givenchy Prisme Libre Skin Caring Concealer, Estee Lauder Futurist Skincealer, Armani Luminous Silk Concealer, MAC Studio Fix Pro Conceal and Correct Palette, and Too Faced Ethereal Light Illuminating Smoothing Concealer. Then lastly, I’ll discuss some honorable mentions: Lancome Teint Idole Ultra Wear All Over Concealer, Westman Atelier Vital Skincare Concealer, and Tom Ford Traceless Soft Matte Concealer.

You can find quick access links below if you want to skip around. Last Updated March 3, 2026.

Continue reading “Best Hydrating Concealers for My Dry Skin” →

As summer approaches, many of us start hunting for lighter coverage makeup that doesn’t feel heavy. I want to warn any long-time readers of mine that this post may be redundant for you. This post is an updated version of reviews I published in 2022, with the addition of only one new product. If you have dry skin and prefer to avoid extremely dewy finishes (like me), finding the right skin tint or tinted moisturizer can be challenging. In this post, I’ll discuss two skin tints (light coverage, minimal hydration) and three tinted moisturizers (light to medium coverage, hydrating) that give me a more natural look, feel light on my skin, and don’t go overboard with the amount of shine. For shade reference, my best foundation matches are NARS Natural Radiant Longwear Foundation in Tahoe and Estee Lauder Double Wear Stay in Place Foundation in 4W4 Hazel.

One quick tip before we get started. You absolutely don’t need to buy a skin tint or a tinted moisturizer if you already have a foundation. You can mix some of your everyday moisturizer into your foundation to sheer it out. You can also apply less foundation than you typically do and sheer it out that way. Some foundations don’t spread as easily as others, and that’s when mixing in a moisturizer or serum can help.

Continue reading “Best Skin Tints/Tinted Moisturizers for My Dry Skin (Tower 28 SunnyDays, Smashbox Halo Tinted Moisturizer, Urban Decay Hydromaniac, and More!)” →

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

The brand new **NARS Light Reflecting Luminizing Powders ($42) were first released as an Ulta exclusive but are now available on the NARS website. I assume they will eventually make their way to other retailers, but for now, I’ve only seen them at Ulta. This formula comes in 5 shades (Eros, Heavenly, Electra, Ophelia, and Total Eclipse). I purchased the shade Ophelia, which I thought would work best for my NARS Tahoe/Estee Lauder 4W4 skin tone.

The packaging is in a circular compact similar to the Soft Matte Advanced Perfecting Setting Powder. But instead of a black soft-touch finish, it has a white plastic design to match the Light Reflecting Eye Brightener. This compact is also refillable, and it is easy to open and remove the pan. The refillable aspect does not interfere with the look or feel of the packaging. It was nicely designed. Even better, the **refills are already available on the NARS Website for $30. Unlike the Talc-Free Powder Blushes, the Luminizing Powder offers refills in all 5 shades.

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	$ Sale Price $ 30.00 Regular Price
NARS Light Reflecting Luminizing Powder Refill, Ophelia

Update June 13, 2025: Thanks to Lili for helping me figure this out. The ingredients for the single highlighters (Light Reflecting Luminizing Powder) are different from the highlighters in the Hot Escape Cheek Palettes. I’m not sure why they kept the names of the highlighters from three of the summer palettes when the formulas are different. As I have continued to use this highlighter, I started to wonder if the undertone or shade is just slightly off. Then, I was swatching the Hot Escape Cheek Palettes in-store this past Saturday, and the highlighters from the palettes felt a little softer and seemed less metallic. So, when I discussed it with Lili, she discovered that the ingredients were different.

Continue reading “NARS Light Reflecting Luminizing Powder (Ophelia)” →

Morphe recently launched a new line of makeup brushes, and I was excited to check them out. I did try some eye brushes from their last brush release (Vegan Pro Series), but the handles were too long for me, so I was happy to see them shorten the handles this time around. The marketing calls them “reimagined,” and they are made with synthetic fibers that are silver ion-infused, which have antibacterial properties. If you wash your makeup brushes regularly, you shouldn’t need to worry about bacteria, but I suppose it can’t hurt to have some extra help.

Morphe Makeup Brushes ($6-$18 for Individual Brushes and $18 to $98 for Sets)

I’m reviewing 12 of the new Morphe Brushes for you today. I’ve listed both what the brush handle says and, in parentheses, the brush’s name as it appears on the Ulta website. I have at least 1 comparison brush for size and shape reference for each of them. While some of the comparisons may not be direct use comparisons, I wanted to provide some size and shape context, as zoomed-in pictures make the brushes appear much larger than they actually are. I experienced some lighting issues this week due to frequent cloudy and rainy conditions, which resulted in some images not being as crisp as I would have liked them to be. However, I think you can still see the size and shape fine. One last note before I get into the reviews: I have washed these brushes multiple times. They are easy to clean, dry fairly quick, and hold their shape so far, but of course, it could be months or even years before you can really tell how durable they will be. Update October 21, 2025: The brushes are still holding up well and keeping their shape.

Continue reading “Morphe Makeup Brushes Reimagined (Review and Comparisons)” →