Tag: Covergirl

Beauty

Best Makeup Products of 2022

by Nikki2 Comments on Best Makeup Products of 2022

I hope you enjoyed the holidays. It has been busy and a little crazy moving so close to Christmas, but I’ve survived so far 😅. We stopped on the way to our new home to enjoy the holiday with family and that has been a welcome break.

So anyway, I wanted to share some of the best products that I tested this year. These items aren’t favorites of mine but I can still appreciate them for how well they perform. For more stand-out products, check out my recent post on the Most Surprising Products of 2022. Let’s get into it.

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

Charlotte Tilbury Pillow Talk Dreams Quad, $53**

Charlotte Tilbury Pillow Talk Dreams Quad Swatches and Review
Pillow Talk Dreams Luxury Palette

The Pillow Talk Dreams Luxury Palette is a great option for anyone that likes to keep things simple especially if you have a medium to dark skin tone. Those with lighter skin tones can still use this quad, however, all of the shades being mid-tones and darker keep it from offering as much versatility. That is just my opinion, of course, so don’t let me discourage you if you feel that I’m off base with that assessment.

Charlotte Tilbury Pillow Talk Dreams Quad Swatches on Medium Dark Skin
Charlotte Tilbury Pillow Talk Dreams Quad

All of the shades are nicely pigmented and although the shimmers offer a nice amount of shine, they are forgiving to eyelid texture. One thing that may be important for some of you is that the mattes in this quad do darken when they are applied over anything that may still be wet. If you want to see how dark they get, check out my full review post by clicking here. So if you use a cream base or concealer, the matte shades will look darker. You can also check out that same review if you want more details on this quad.

Smashbox Halo Tinted Moisturizer, $41**

MAC Studio Radiance Face and Body C5, Estee Lauder Double Wear Sheer 5W2, and Smashbox Halo Tinted Moisturizer Medium Tan Swatches

When I wear the Smashbox Halo Tinted Moisturizer I feel like I’m having a good skin day. Even on my driest days, it makes my skin feel moisturized and it wears comfortably all day. One caveat is that it isn’t as forgiving to eczema texture as something like the MAC Face and Body is, but honestly, that is a lot to ask of a product. It’s a dewy finish that can benefit from a little powder if you don’t like a tacky feeling on your skin.

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Beauty

The Most Surprising Products of 2022

by Nikki2 Comments on The Most Surprising Products of 2022

As I started to put together my 2022 favorites list, it started to look like the If I could Keep Only One Tag Post that I posted back in May. Since I often reference my favorite products and formulas throughout my reviews and sales suggestions, I was thinking it’d be more helpful to shine a light on some different products. So, instead of favorites, I want to talk about 4 products that surprised me (in a good way) this year. These products just don’t quite hit the mark to be my favorite but they are still great products that are worth checking out.

Hourglass Veil Translucent Loose Setting Powder, Giorgio Armani Luminous Silk Concealer, Covergirl Clean Fresh Tinted Lip Balm in Made for Peach and Clear, NYX HD Finishing Powder in Banana

Despite blogging for 9 years (I published my first blog post in October 2013 😲), I’m one of those people that still get excited to try new formulas. I can appreciate that for instance, all blushes give you a flush of color, and still be curious to know how the formula and color differ from another blush. I go into most reviews expecting products to work just fine. There really aren’t a lot of products that are just bad these days. So when something impresses me and moves beyond that “just fine” feeling, it can be especially exciting for me since I have tried so much makeup over the years.

Oh and I do realize that there are a lot of new WordPress and e-mail subscribers that may not know my preferences as well as some of you, so I created a page that lists my favorite products with any corresponding blog posts. You can check out that page by clicking here.

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

Hourglass Veil Translucent Setting Powder, $46**

Hourglass Veil Translucent Loose Setting Powder Dry Eczema Prone Skin
Hourglass Veil Translucent Loose Setting Powder

Despite hearing rave reviews about this powder, I couldn’t find much information about it working for those with both dry skin and dark skin. Based on the claims, the powder is supposed to work for all skin tones and have a natural finish. So, in theory, there should have been no issue but I was still skeptical so I went to Sephora to check it out in person. As you can see, it impressed me enough in the store to go ahead and purchase it. I don’t typically like loose powders unless they have the mesh screen packaging that most people hate, but I thought this sifter style looked like it wouldn’t be too messy. I still like the mesh style best, but this isn’t too bad. Since I only need a little bit of powder, it dispenses way more product than I need for one use, so I haven’t had any issues. If you pack on powder or have oiler skin I can see how this style of sifter may not give you enough product.

There is no white cast on my Estee Lauder 4W4/NARS Tahoe skin tone and there is no flashback in photos. My skin doesn’t feel dry or tight when using this and it works for both my face and my undereye area. I like it better on the face because I feel like my NARS Light Reflecting Powder does a better job at setting my undereye area. I am however impressed that this is the only powder I’ve ever tried that helps foundation and concealer stay in place under the nose pads of my glasses.

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Beauty

Makeup Fails and Just OKs (NARS, bareMinerals, Armani, Urban Decay, and Covergirl)

by Nikki4 Comments on Makeup Fails and Just OKs (NARS, bareMinerals, Armani, Urban Decay, and Covergirl)
NARS Copper Mini Voyageur Eyeshadow Palette, bareMinerals Bare Pro 16HR Powder Foundation in Medium 35 Warm, Armani Lip Power Long Lasting Satin Lipstick in 400, Urban Decay Hydromaniac Tinted Glow Hydrator in 60 Medium Dark, and Covergirl Clean Fresh Tinted Lip Balm in Red Maple Bloom Swatches

Sometimes products just don’t work out and it can be important to share those items even if I don’t want to do a dedicated review for them. These are just some quick thoughts on these products since I won’t be continuing to test them out for more in-depth reviews. Today I’m talking about the NARS Copper Mini Voyageur Eyeshadow Palette, the bareMinerals Bare Pro 16HR Powder Foundation in Medium 35 Warm, the Armani Lip Power Long Lasting Satin Lipstick in 400, the Urban Decay Hydromaniac Tinted Glow Hydrator in 60 Medium Dark, and the Covergirl Clean Fresh Tinted Lip Balm in Red Maple Bloom (limited edition shade, but permanent formula).

Continue reading “Makeup Fails and Just OKs (NARS, bareMinerals, Armani, Urban Decay, and Covergirl)” →
Beauty

Covergirl Trublend Bronzer in 420 Warmth and 400 Ebony (Swatches)

by Nikki2 Comments on Covergirl Trublend Bronzer in 420 Warmth and 400 Ebony (Swatches)
Covergirl Trublend So Flushed High Pigment Bronzers 420 Warmth and 400 Ebony Swatches
Covergirl Trublend Bronzers (L to R) 420 Warmth and 400 Ebony

I resisted buying these bronzers for a long time but I finally broke down last month. I have a soft spot for Covergirl, I think because it was a brand that got me started with makeup. I did mention these back in a Window Shopping Wednesday when they were newer to the market. A purchase like this is a big reason I don’t often do Window Shopping Wednesday posts because they end up becoming a shopping list of sorts. Anyway, I’m always paying attention to what Covergirl releases and with these bronzers, I was very curious to know how they compared to the bronzers that previously fell under the Covergirl Queen Collection. While I don’t have those older bronzers to do a direct comparison, I’m hoping it is still helpful to see what the new colors look like. The claims are big for the Covergirl Trublend So Flushed High Pigment Bronzer (they seriously could have chosen a shorter name 🙄). The brand claims it’s comfortable, high pigment, easy to apply, cream-like, lightweight, and blendable and I mostly agree. We’ll talk about the application and blendability near the end, which is my only slight disagreement. Alright, let’s get into some swatches.

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Commentary

On Wednesdays We Window Shop (March 2, 2022)

by Nikki2 Comments on On Wednesdays We Window Shop (March 2, 2022)
KVD Good Apple Concealer Swatches Medium Dark Olive Skin and Covergirl Trublend Bronzer in Ebony and Warmth, Covergirl Trublend Blush in coral crush and temptation, Merit Beauty Signature Lipstick, Patrick Ta Double Take Creme and powder blush.

If you follow the beauty industry closely, then you know that new releases are happening all the time.  So let’s discuss what new products are on my radar right now.

I stopped posting these over a year and a half back. It’s hard to believe it’s been that long. When I noticed that these posts were becoming more of a shopping list rather than just window shopping, I decided to take a break. But I wanted to give it another try to see if it can be an outlet to talk about makeup without buying so much of it. We’ll see how it goes.

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

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KVD Beauty Good Apple Lightweight Full-Coverage Concealer Tan 161 0.33 oz/ 10mL**

KVD Good Apple Concealer, $28.00**:  I was so disappointed to find out that I can’t use this formula. While alcohol in the formula won’t be a deal-breaker for everyone, I don’t gamble with it on my dry, sensitive, eczema-prone skin. The alcohol is the fourth ingredient in this concealer, so that is a high enough amount for me to pass on buying. I did go in-store and swatch this so I’ve included those swatches below for anyone that may still be interested. It is getting very good reviews even from people with dry skin.

KVD Good Apple Concealer Shades 161, 162, 167, 169, and 173 Swatches on Medium Dark Olive Skin
KVD Good Apple Concealer Swatches
Continue reading “On Wednesdays We Window Shop (March 2, 2022)” →
Beauty

Covergirl Trublend Blush (Sweet Seduction)

by Nikki1 Comment on Covergirl Trublend Blush (Sweet Seduction)
Covergirl Trublend So Flushed High Pigment Blush in 360 Sweet Seduction swatch on medium dark skin
360 Sweet Seduction

I first talked about this blush back in July 2020 and I finally decided it was time to give it a try for myself. There are only 3 shades in the Trublend So Flushed Line** and I purchased 360 sweet seduction. There is a lighter shade called 320 love me as well as a darker, more vibrant shade called 345 hot and frenzy. Update, January 25, 2022: Covergirl has added 2 more shades, coral crush and temptation.

I’m so glad I decided to give this a try because I love it just as much as the discontinued baked version of the Trublend blushes. The baked version was offered back when Covergirl was still owned by P&G and they weren’t cruelty free. If you don’t know, Covergirl is now owned by Coty and went cruelty free back in 2018.

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