I originally reviewed the Chanel Rouge Coco Bloom formula back in April 2021 when it was new to the market. I won’t rehash the entire review, so if you want the nitty-gritty, you can read that by clicking here. Long story short: I still think that this is a comfortable formula with nice pigmentation and a beautiful shine but it has poor longevity and doesn’t wear away evenly.
Chanel Rouge Coco Bloom in 114 Glow
As I mentioned in my original review, Chanel claims that the Rouge Coco Bloom formula is long-wearing, but I just can’t agree with them. For $42.00 this should just work as promised. However, even with MAC’s prep and prime lip (which typically helps me with wear time), I only get a slightly better result.
NYX Cosmetics makes some bold claims about the HD finishing powder. I decided to give this powder a try while browsing in the store, so I didn’t have any idea of what the claims were before testing it out. I think that ended up being a good thing because it allowed me to form an opinion without expecting anything specific.
The brand claims that this powder has a non-cakey, matte finish that helps soften the appearance of lines and pores. The HD finishing powder is available in three different shades. I purchased the banana shade, which is supposed to camouflage dark spots and dark circles. There are also translucent and mint green shades. The mint green shade claims to help with discoloration and redness.
I can’t tell you anything about the translucent or mint green shades, but the banana shade only delivers on a couple of those claims.
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If you follow MAC Cosmetics, then you may already know that several years back they made the switch to synthetic makeup brushes. Most people are not happy about that switch and the reviews of the synthetic brushes have been terrible. The only good reviews I’ve seen have come from Makeup artists and people that I assume had never tried MAC’s natural hair versions. I got the synthetic 239 brush for free in an order that I placed and I actually liked it, which led me to try these two brushes as well. I won’t be reviewing the 239S at the moment. It has been so long since I have used it, I don’t feel like I can give a good review of it right now. So I’ll have to circle back to that brush in the future.
MAC 217 Natural Hair (left) and MAC 217S Brush (right)
Smashbox Shadow Blending Brush (left) and MAC 224S Brush (right)
Keep in mind when reading through my thoughts that my natural hair MAC 217 brushes (I have 2) are about 6 years old. So some of the variations could be due to age. Also, I no longer own the natural hair version of the 224 so I’m working from memory on that comparison. I will also be comparing the 224S to my Smashbox Shadow Blending Brush because it is the closest shape I currently own.
This is by no means a new product from Estee Lauder, but it is one of their best sellers that I don’t hear much about. As far as I can tell, this version of the Double Wear Powder was reformulated sometime around the beginning of 2019. I remember the Estee Lauder counter had the previous version on clearance shortly before I bought this version for the first time. Every counter doesn’t always get the newest releases right on schedule, so please correct me if that timing is wrong.
Estee Lauder Double Wear Matte Powder Foundation – 4W4 Hazel (left) and 5W1 Bronze (right)
Estee Lauder claims that this powder is soft and weightless, and I definitely agree. It feels like I have nothing on when I wear it alone as a powder foundation. That does translate to less coverage than some people might be looking for given the Double Wear name. This powder was designed to be a buildable multi-use powder, so it does start off as light coverage. Not a lot of powder picks up on the brush, which helps it function well as a setting powder. Getting into the buildable claim, it does build on itself with no issue. You can achieve a medium coverage if you apply it with a brush and apply two layers. If you use the included sponge you can get more coverage, but I don’t think it ever quite gets to the full coverage that the brand claims. The sponge also applies the product heavier, so just one layer gives me medium coverage. A second layer with the sponge does improve the coverage a little, but some of my scars still peak through. But again, it looks heavy applied with the sponge and accentuates texture on me.
I already had this post in the works, but I decided it was time to finish it since NARS recently released its new Light Reflecting Advanced Skincare Foundation. With this new release, they have also expanded the shade range for the Light Reflecting Powders (both loose and pressed).
This Sleeper hit is a little different because I already knew I liked this powder in the shade Sunstone, but the color was a little too orange for my coloring. After debating for a long time about the translucent color, I decided to just give it a try. I often jot down notes on my makeup just in case I decide to write a blog post about something in the future. When I reviewed my notes, this powder not only kept coming up, but I was also pleased with it every time I used it.
I mentioned the consistency of Bobbi Brown’s matte eyeshadows in my last post about the brand’s best sellers and it reminded me that I wanted to post about this. It took me a long time to buy this shade because I was worried it would be too cool-toned for me, but it turned out to be just warm enough.
This particular shade is a classic matte finish from Bobbi Brown, simply labeled as Eye Shadow. The brand also has Mettalic Eyeshadow, Shimmer Wash Eye Shadow, and Luxe Eye Shadow.
Update September 7, 2024: Bobbi Brown reformulated the bronzers to be talc-free in early 2024. Click here to read my review of the new formula and swatch of the shade Golden Natural (including comparison swatches).
I wanted to talk about some older products that I don’t hear mentioned much anymore, but they still manage to take up permanent residence on the brand’s bestsellers list. I have already done a best sellers post on MAC, MAC Vol. 2, Maybelline, NARS, Laura Mercier, and Clinique if you’d like to check those out. Today I’m revisiting some Bobbi Brown products.
This is basically a spin on shopping my stash. My hope is that it helps you think of ways to take inspiration from what you see others using and find a way to recreate it with what you own. Today, I’m going to be discussing some limited-edition eyeshadows from MAC. Bougie Babe was released with the 2020 Loud and Clear collection, while Dare to Diva and Hollywood Heroine were released with the 2019 MAC in Monochrome Collection.
Since everything I am sharing is limited edition, I’ll also offer you some alternatives from my own stash, as well as some products I’ve discovered using Temptalia’s swatch catalog (love her website!).
First, let’s take a look at the swatches of my limited edition shades next to the alternatives I found in my own stash.
Nikki From HR 