MAC Studio Fix 24-Hour Smooth Wear Concealer (NC43 and NC45 Swatches)

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MAC Studio Fix 24-Hour Smooth Wear Concealer NC43 and NC45 Swatches Medium Dark Skin

We’re getting back to MAC today! This concealer is one that I have a love/hate relationship with and wish it worked better for me. I think it is a good formula but I also wish that it looked a bit more hydrated on me. In fairness, the Studio Fix 24-Hour Concealer has a natural matte finish, but I like to use matte concealers because it means I can typically skip setting powder. In fact, I can skip setting this with powder and it doesn’t compromise the wear.

While I agree with most of the claims on this concealer, one issue is that I don’t agree that it can be built to full coverage. It dries very fast and once it sets, adding any additional product on top causes it to lift and become patchy. So the best result I’ve been able to get is starting with as much product as I think I’ll need and blending with my fingers. The dry down is more manageable with finger application but even then, this doesn’t give me full coverage. If you don’t have dark circles or dark hyperpigmentation, you may find that this method gives you full coverage. However, for me, I really feel like I need a second layer and this formula just doesn’t layer well enough to do that.

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Dior Addict Lipstick Swatch (716 Dior Cannage)

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Dior Addict Lipstick 716 Dior Cannage Swatch Medium Dark Skin

To be blunt, don’t spend $45 on this lipstick. The Dior Addict Lipstick in 716 Dior Cannage is a beautiful color with a great shine and is very comfortable to wear but it just doesn’t last. I’m talking about 2 hours before it needs to be touched up.

Dior Addict Lipstick 716 Dior Cannage Swatch Medium Dark Skin

Dior is claiming 6 hours of wear and shine, which I have not experienced since I started testing this back in October. However, since the brand only used a sample size of 25 people to determine this, I shouldn’t be so surprised that the claim seems off the mark. I drink water and tea all day, so I do put lipsticks through a lot, but I can get 4 hours of decent wear out of my favorite formulas before feeling the need for a touch-up. On the upside, I do like the amount of pigment, and the fact that it feels like a balm is great for my dry lips.

Wearing Dior Addict Shine Lipstick in 716 Dior Cannage Lipstick

Update December 18, 2024: As I mentioned in my Best and Worst Products of 2023 Post, this isn’t a product I’d recommend because I think there are better lipsticks on the market for less money. However, since I bought it, I’ve been using it and it does work into my looks very easily. It is also easy to reapply it without a mirror, and I’ve never caught myself in a mirror looking crazy after having done so 😂. It is good that it is easy to reapply because it disappears quickly. I drink a lot throughout the day, which will make things wear down faster, but I get better wear out of other formulas.

716 Dior Cannage Comparison Swatch to Chanel Rouge Allure 209 Alter Ego

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New Feature On My Website

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I wanted to share a page I added to my website (Makeup Swatches), that features swatches of products that don’t appear in a dedicated blog post. Sometimes there are products that slip through the cracks for whatever reason but I’ve already taken photos of them. So I figured this would be a good way for me to share those items that might not get reviewed, but I think people would still want to see swatches for.

The two images below are just a preview to give you a sense of what I have posted so far.

page preview
page preview

If you’d like to check out more of my content, here are some places to start. 

  • Brands A-Z: Check out this index if you want to know what products I have posted about in the past.
  • MAC Cosmetics:  I likely have some swatches you’ve been searching for if you love Mac as much as I do. 

Disclaimer:  I purchased all products featured with my own money.  For my full disclosure policy, click here.

Estee Lauder Pure Color Creme Lipstick Swatches (Covetable 818, 561 Intense Nude, and Level Up 488)

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For some reason, Estee Lauder recently made the decision to reformulate the well-loved Pure Color Envy Lipsticks. The new line of lipsticks is now called the Pure Colore Creme Lipstick but they are still offered in 3 different finishes (creme, hi-lustre, and matte). I’ll only be talking about the creme formula today. The Creme lineup comes in 31 shades and retails for $36.00.

A note on the packaging before we get into the formula. I miss the dark blue tube of the old Pure Color Envy Lipstick. This new one is the same size and shape, but all gold. I just don’t think it looks as elegant and it is ever so slightly lighter. It still has a magnetic closure which is always a nice touch, but I do think they lightened the weight of the tube a bit.

If you’ve read some of my older lipstick reviews you may recall that the Pure Color Envy formula is my favorite lipstick of all time. Some of my favorite things about the previous formula were the coverage, shine, graceful wear down, and nourishing feel. So does the new formula live up to the old one? Not really. Let’s get into the reasons why.

Continue reading “Estee Lauder Pure Color Creme Lipstick Swatches (Covetable 818, 561 Intense Nude, and Level Up 488)” →

Pat McGrath Divine Bronzer Swatch (Bronze Divinity)

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Pat McGrath Bronze Divinity Divine Bronzer Swatch Medium Dark Skin

Bronzers from Pat McGrath have finally arrived! As excited as I was for this release, it felt like I waited forever to get my order. I try to mention the long shipping times when ordering directly from the Pat McGrath website when I post about the brand. I ordered about 15 minutes after launch, and I didn’t get my order until 8 business days later. Keep in mind that some people may still be waiting for their orders, so I’m just giving context for my personal experience. The brand’s website states that processing takes 1-2 business days and shipping takes 5-7 business days. So, I received my package within the stated timeframe. I still feel like it took a long time, but for my order, they delivered according to their terms.

So anyway, on to the actual product. I bought the shade Bronze Divinity, thinking that Desert Glow would be too light for me (it probably isn’t). Luckily, this formula is buildable, so I was able to apply it without trouble. The shade bronze divinity turned out to be more orange than I was expecting, but I do think that my olive undertone has a lot to do with that. In the brand’s defense, the shade is described as a terracotta bronze. While this does have a touch of red, it definitely has the burnt orange tone of terracotta.

Click continue reading to see a swatch of bronze divinity and see it compared to NARS Punta Cana.

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Pat McGrath SatinAllure Lipstick (Negligee)

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The Pat McGrath SatinAllure Lipsticks made their first appearance as part of the Bridgerton 2 collection in March 2022. When the collection was released, I ordered Negligee and Veiled Rose but unfortunately, Veiled Rose was too cool-toned for my preferences so I returned that one. Today I’ll show you Negligee and give you the rundown on the formula in case you are interested in this line of lipsticks.

Pat McGrath x Bridgerton 2 Collection
Pat McGrath x Bridgerton 2 Collection
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What’s Old at Sephora, Vol 3 (VIB Sale April 2023)

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As always credit for this overall concept goes to Emily Noel on Youtube. She has some older videos about What’s OLD at the Drugstore and I’ve always loved the idea. I’ve done this Sephora VIB Sale version two other times, so if you’d like to see more products you can check those out here and here.

So anyway, while neither of these concealers is the newest thing to the market, I’m taking this time to highlight them because I think they still hold their own against new releases. The sale dates are 14 April 2023 – 24 April 2023 depending on your membership tier. All of the dates and discount levels are listed at the bottom of this post. Keep in mind that you can also shop the sale at Kohl’s locations that have Sephora sections and Kohl’s online. Often things sell out at Sephora and they are still available at Kohl’s.

NARS Soft Matte Complete Concealer Caramel Swatch
NARS Soft Matte Complete Concealer

NARS Soft Matte Complete Concealer, $32.00

This was released in January 2017 and I still see a lot of people using this which says a lot considering how fast new releases tend to dominate people’s routines. This is a standout concealer in both form and function. I think we can all agree that there aren’t as many pot concealers as there are liquid doe foot style concealers. Also, it just seems like most people don’t even want to try a pot concealer. I think that is because they are seen as being heavy. Although this NARS Concealer is definitely full coverage, you can apply it lightly to minimize the amount of product sitting on your skin but still get the coverage you need. The texture is almost a mousse and it has a lot of slip due to dimethicone being the 1st ingredient, so it blends easily. This sets down to a matte finish as promised and I personally don’t have to set it with powder (which I love). It stays in place all day and doesn’t crease very much.

For shade reference, you can see me wearing NARS Natural Radiant Longwear in Tahoe by clicking here and Estee Lauder Double Wear in 4W4 by clicking here.

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L’oreal True Match Super Blendable Foundation Review (W7, Reformulated 2023 version)

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L'oreal True Match Super Blendable Foundation W7 Swatch and Review

If you haven’t yet heard, the L’oreal True Match Super Blendable Foundation has been reformulated and repackaged for 2023. I do have a history with the original formula, and although it’s been a while since I used it, my experience with the new formula is the same. I think this is a beautiful foundation, but for my 40-year-old, dry, sensitive skin, this is not my favorite foundation to wear. I felt the same way about the original formula. I’m not saying this won’t work for others with dry skin because I think it actually works great. It just feels less comfortable throughout wear than I’d like. I recently moved, and I do wonder if my skin just hasn’t fully embraced the climate change yet, but only time will tell.

Keep reading to hear about my experience with it, see what it looks like on me, and see some comparison swatches.

Continue reading “L’oreal True Match Super Blendable Foundation Review (W7, Reformulated 2023 version)” →