Nikki From HR

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**Givenchy Le Rouge Interdit Satin Lipstick, $48 (shade 114)

The formula of the Le Rouge Interdit Satin Lipstick was nice and felt comfortable on my lips, but the scent of this lipstick was a deal breaker. I have been able to wear Givenchy lipsticks and lip balms in the past, and felt that the smell went away, but that was not the case for the Le Rouge Interdit Satin formula. I’m not sure if the fragrance added to this formula is in fact stronger than in the past, or if I’m just more sensitive to it now. Either way, I couldn’t hang in there long enough to truly test the formula out. Givenchy promises that this lipstick provides 24-hour hydration with a 6-hour color impact, and it comes in a genuine leather case. It is well reviewed, and I’ve had great success with Givenchy’s products in the past, so it may be worth considering for those not sensitive to fragrance.

I have swatches and comparisons below of the shade with Estee Lauder Covetable, Charlotte Tilbury Stoned Rose, Charlotte Tilbury Nude Romance, and Pat McGrath Negligee. Givenchy’s 144 Satin ended up being quite a unique color. None of the other shades I have are really that close.

Continue reading “Makeup Fails (Givenchy Le Rouge Interdit Satin Lipstick and Ilia Eye Stylus Shadow Sticks)” →

I stumbled on the 2025 Halloween Collection from Wet n Wild when I was in CVS last weekend. Well, I think Fantasy Makers is the branding that Wet n Wild uses for Halloween. If I’m mistaken, please let me know. I did check the batch code to make sure it was new, and it was manufactured 2 months and 21 days ago. So even if it is not a Halloween release, it is new to the market.

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There were two different 10-pan eyeshadow palettes in CVS, the Poisoned Forest and the Queen of Brights. The palettes were more expensive than the permanent collection, $7.29 vs the $6.49 listed on the Wet n Wild website for the permanent collection. **The Queen of Brights Palette is $6.19 on the Wet n Wild website. I decided to buy Poisoned Forest. I just couldn’t see myself using the Queen of Brights enough to justify having it. But I did take pictures of it in the store so you can see what it looks like. I’m not sure if Wet n Wild typically releases its limited edition products at online retailers, but as of today, I couldn’t find these online anywhere. Not even on the CVS website, despite buying them in CVS.

Continue reading “Wet n Wild Fantasy Makers 2025 Eyeshadow Palettes (Poisoned Forest Swatches and Queen of Brights)” →

Just dropping in to tell you about some post updates for the Chanel Les 4 Ombres Boutons 239 Boutons Baroque, MAC MACximal Sleek Satin Lipsticks, and a conversation on concealer creasing.

Chanel Les 4 Ombres Boutons 239 Boutons Baroque – 👈🏽 Click here for the updated post with my review of the 239 Boutons Baroque quad and comparison swatches of the quad to Chanel 252 Peche Glacee and Tom Ford’s 40 Golden Hour quad. Update September 7, 2025: The collection is now available at **Bloomingdale’s and **Nordstrom.

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MAC MACximal Sleek Satin Lipsticks – 👈🏽 Click here for my review post of the MAC MACximal Satin Lipsticks, which now includes photos of me wearing the shades Creme in Your Coffee and Paramount.

Continue reading “Updates (ft Chanel 239 Boutons Baroque)” →

Makeup By Mario’s Softsculpt Blurring Bronzer ($38) was recently released. It is a reformulation, making their bronzer line talc-free. I never tried the old formula, so I’m not sure how this one compares. The brand is promising a lightweight, easy-to-blend formula with a soft matte finish. As the name states, it is also supposed to be blurring with a light-medium coverage, and they also claim it has a sweat and humidity-proof finish. Not the shortest or longest list of claims, but I actually agree with all of them (1 might be a little questionable, more on that later). Right away, I will tell you, if you like your bronzer to be very pigmented, this one might get frustrating. The light-medium coverage is accurate. The formula is firmly pressed, and there is no kick-up. So basically, not very much product picks up on the brush. This can be a downside for some, but that does make this easy to control and blend.

Continue reading “Makeup By Mario Softsculpt Blurring Bronzer (Swatches and Review)” →

I have some swatches of the Chanel Les 4 Ombres Boutons ($86, limited edition) in 239 Boutons Baroque to share with you. I literally just got this in the mail about an hour ago, so I haven’t used these on my eyes. Update August 19, 2025: Scroll down for my review and comparison swatches with the Chanel Single Eyeshadow Peche Glacee and the Tom Ford Golden Hour Quad. But as I’ve said in the past, it can be hard to find Chanel swatches on someone with a similar skin tone. Since this collection is limited edition, I wanted to go ahead and share the swatches. I have a warm olive, medium-deep skin tone (sometimes medium or tan, depending on the shade range). My best foundation matches for shade reference are NARS Natural Radiant Longwear Tahoe and Estee Lauder Double Wear 4W4 Hazel. 

The Chanel quads come with a velvet pouch, and the pouches for each of the 4 quads in this collection have a different design, so I wanted to include a picture of it.

Continue reading “Chanel Les 4 Ombres Boutons (239 Boutons Baroque Review and Swatches)” →

I’ve been having a hard time writing this review for the Morphe Cloudlight Soft Glow Veil Powder ($16, 8g, 4 shades). It feels hard to explain it when a product pretty much does what it says it’s going to do, but I still don’t like it. For reference, I’m in my early 40s, and my skin type is dry, sensitive, and eczema-prone. I use heavy and hydrating skincare (glycerin-based serum, heavy oil-based moisturizer), which will affect how products look and perform.

According to Morphe, this is “a sheer, weightless, multi-tone powder that sweeps on to softly set and finish your look with natural radiance.” Again, I pretty much agree. It is weightless, and it sets my makeup well, while also giving radiance. I have the shade Golden Hour, which is described as golden with balancing peach. It doesn’t look very golden on me (NARS Tahoe/Estee Lauder 4W4, olive undertone), and leans more pink, but it is not unflattering. However, since this powder is multi-tone and swirled, each compact will vary slightly in shade. That is something to keep in mind. If you buy it in person, the packaging does allow you to see the powder, so you might be able to pick one with a better swirl pattern based on which shades you need.

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

Continue reading “Morphe Cloudlight Soft Glow Veil Powder Review (with comparisons)” →

I just have a quick swatch post for you guys today. I discussed the Hourglass Curator Eyeshadow Palettes ($68) last month in a Wednesday Window Shopping Post. I did decide not to purchase any of these, but while I was in Sephora the other day, I was able to get swatches of the Futurist, Expressionist, and Realist Palettes. These palettes are talc-free, vegan, and cruelty-free. The packaging looks nice, but the size is so small that it just ends up feeling cheap, considering that these are $68. They are also small in terms of product quantity.

• Hourglass Curator Eyeshadow Palette – $68 for .09 oz (from Bloomingdale’s site)
• YSL Couture Mini Clutch Eyeshadow Palette – $68 for .17 oz
• Pat McGrath Divine Bronze Luxe Eyeshadow Palette: Venusian Sunrise – $62 for .18oz (review of the Bronze Borealis Quad can be found here)
• Charlotte Tilbury Luxury Eyeshadow Palette: Pillow Talk Dreams – $55 for .18 oz (review of the Pillow Talk Dreams Quad can be found here)

I knew they were small before I saw them in person, but walking up to the display, it just hit me differently to see them. Then, picking them up, I just expected a little more weight. And I say that as someone who often uses their pressed powder, which is plastic and not necessarily weighty. They swatched ok, but they just don’t feel worth it to me. However, I haven’t tried the formula on my eyes, so keep that in mind.

Continue reading “Hourglass Curator Eyeshadow Palette Swatches (Futurist, Expressionist, and Realist)” →

I’ve posted about Chanel’s Ombre Essentielle Eyeshadows ($40) a couple of times (here and here), so this is also kind of a product update. All of the shades are swatched at the end if you want to skip to that. The shade 224 Ble D’or Antique is my favorite of the four shades that I own, and it is the only one I haven’t talked about anywhere on my website before, so I’ll start with that one. Chanel describes this as a golden green metallic, and I agree. The amount of shine it provides is impactful without looking textured or dry. When swatched, it feels a little loose and gritty, but whether I apply it with a brush or my fingers, it isn’t messy to use. I tap my brush off to minimize fallout, and that does work. Sometimes there is a sparkle or two that strays, but overall, the application is fine. However, this does have fallout throughout wear. I mainly see it near my inner corner area, and again, it is a few sparkles. But I only see it if I am up close in the mirror, looking for issues. Chanel calls these “long-wearing” eyeshadows, but then states that they provide 8 hours of comfort and wear. That sounds a little contradictory in a way. Typically, I expect long-wearing claims to be closer to the 12-hour mark. However, I do find that, except for 240 Brun Fauve (I’ll discuss this one at the end), the shades that I have last for the entire 8 to 10 hours that I typically wear my makeup for.

Continue reading “Shop My Stash: Chanel Ombre Essentielle Eyeshadows (248 Latte Frappe, 240 Brun Fauve, 252 Peche Glacee, and 224 Ble D’or Antique Swatches)” →