Tag: Giorgio Armani

Beauty

Worst Makeup Products of 2022

by Nikki3 Comments on Worst Makeup Products of 2022
bareMinerals Bare Pro 16HR Powder Foundation in Medium 35 Warm Swatch
bareMinerals Bare Pro 16HR Powder Foundation in Medium 35 Warm
Armani Lip Power Long Lasting Satin Lipstick in 400 Swatch
Armani Lip Power Long Lasting Satin Lipstick in 400

Even when products don’t work for me initially, I do my best to test them in different ways to find a way to use them. Unfortunately, these are some products that I could never get to work. Labeling these as the worst makeup products of 2022 doesn’t mean that they won’t work for anyone else, but for me, there are several other products with better performance that I would recommend over them.

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

ONE/SIZE by Patrick Starrr Turn Up The Base Buttersilk Concealer, $25**

ONE/SIZE by Patrick Starrr Turn Up The Base Buttersilk Concealer, $25**

The ONE/SIZE Turn Up The Base Buttersilk Concealer was so bad for me that I returned it. I don’t think it is a bad product, but it did not work for me at all. This formula dries down quickly, but not so quick that it is hard to work with. Since it is matte I was hoping that I could wear it without powder, but unfortunately, I got creasing. Creasing is a typical issue for me so that definitely doesn’t mean it will crease on everyone. Setting it with powder did help the creasing, but it was already so dry looking on its own that the powder only made it look worse. Obviously, that makes sense, but since I was trying it out anyway, I tried it with powder just to see how it went. In addition to how dry it looked, it also felt uncomfortably dry as I wore it.

I also couldn’t find a good shade match. I only have one shade to show you a swatch of but I did try 2 different shades. Medium Dark 4 (GO) was better for me for my under eye area but I sometimes need something a little darker for spot concealing. Shade Medium Dark 3 (G) didn’t work well for me and all the other options were too dark or had an even worse undertone.

One Size Turn Up The Base Butter Silk Concealer Medium Dark 3 (G) Swatch Medium Dark Skin

This is a matte, full-coverage concealer, so if you know my skin concerns (dry, sensitive, eczema-prone) you may be wondering why I even tried it out. Well, the Sephora product information does claim that this can work for dry skin and I also watched several reviews from other people with dry skin that love this formula. So it just doesn’t work for me personally. I would recommend the Pat McGrath Sublime Perfection Concealer** and the Too Faced Born This Way Super Coverage Multi-Use Longwear Concealer** over the ONE/SIZE concealer. The Pat Mcgrath is the most similar with its full coverage and matte finish. The Too Faced concealer has better coverage than both the Pat McGrath and One Size but it has a natural/satin finish. For swatches and more details on Pat McGrath and Too Faced concealers, I have a post that you can check out by clicking here.

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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).

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Beauty, Commentary

Would-Be Favorites: Petty Complaints, Beautiful Products (Pat McGrath Blushing Delights and Armani Melting Color Balm)

by NikkiLeave a Comment on Would-Be Favorites: Petty Complaints, Beautiful Products (Pat McGrath Blushing Delights and Armani Melting Color Balm)

Ok, I have a confession. I don’t really think that the complaints that I have with these two products are petty. It was just really hard to figure out how to title this post. As I was thinking about it, I do think some people would call them petty complaints. The Pat McGrath Blushing Delights Palette and the Armani Beauty Color Melting Balm in Warm Plum are two products that I think I would have considered favorites if I wasn’t a beauty blogger. As a reviewer, I pay more attention to small details and analyze products more than I think a “normal” consumer would. If I never wrote a review and never read the brand’s claims (for Armani), I truly think these two items would be favorites.

Pat McGrath Blushing Delights Palette Review and Armani Melting Color Balm 60 Warm Plum
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Beauty

Concealer Round-Up (Pat McGrath, Armani, Dior, Too Faced)

by Nikki2 Comments on Concealer Round-Up (Pat McGrath, Armani, Dior, Too Faced)

Soooo I went a little concealer crazy this past year. I used to have 2 concealers and didn’t seem to be bothered by that. Then for some reason, I got it into my head that I needed to try out more formulas. Admittedly, I’m still not the most experienced with concealer but since these were shades that I personally had trouble finding swatches of, I’m hoping this is helpful anyway.

Pat McGrath Sublime Perfection M21, Giorgio Armani Luminous Silk 9, Dior Forever Skin Correct 4.5N and 4WO, Too Faced Born This Way Cookie Swatches on Medium Dark Skin
L to R: Pat McGrath M21, Armani Luminous Silk 9, Dior Forever Skin Correct 4.5N and 4WO, Too Faced Born This Way Cookie

I am in my late 30’s and my skin type is dry, sensitive, and eczema-prone. I look for medium to full coverage because I do have darkness both under and in the inner corner of my eyes as well as the occasional acne scar that I want to cover. Like many women of color, I also have discoloration around my chin area. If I do wear a foundation that doesn’t cover it well, I do rely on concealer to pick up that slack.

For shade reference, some of my best foundation matches are Estee Lauder Double Wear in 4W4, MAC Studio Fix Fluid in C8, and NARS Natural Radiant Longwear Foundation in Tahoe.

Pat McGrath Sublime Perfection M21, Giorgio Armani Luminous Silk 9, Dior Forever Skin Correct 4.5N and 4WO, Too Faced Born This Way Cookie Swatches on Medium Dark Skin
Concealers (left to right): Pat McGrath M21, Armani Luminous Silk 9, Dior Forever Skin Correct 4.5N and 4WO, Too Faced Born This Way Cookie
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Beauty

Giorgio Armani Neo Nude Melting Color Balm (60 Warm Plum)

by Nikki6 Comments on Giorgio Armani Neo Nude Melting Color Balm (60 Warm Plum)

I first found out about this product from my friend Lili and she had the same experience that I did with shade 60 Warm Plum. In Lili’s review, she also tested the shade 30 Warm Coral and had a much better experience. Her review was my basis for trying this product, so if you want more details and to see both of the shades on someone darker than me, please check that out by clicking here.

Giorgio Armani Neo Nude Melting Color Balm 60 Warm Plum
Giorgio Armani Neo Nude Melting Color Balm in 60 Warm Plum

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

The brand uses words like airy and creamy to describe the Melting Color Balms** and I would say they missed the mark for the shade 60 warm plum. I found this formula to be quite dry. It actually feels like you are not getting any product regardless of the tool, but eventually, somehow you do get pigment. From there it is buildable as the brand promises but the darker you are the more work you’ll have to put in to get your desired intensity. Lucky for me, I didn’t feel like I needed to build it much. After I manage to get the product on my brush, I felt like I only needed that one application for one cheek. So I did need to load my brush with the product again for the other cheek. I don’t need to build beyond that one layer to be satisfied with the color. When I build this shade too much, it starts to look like a bruise on my skin tone. So the light, buildable nature of this shade ends up working out for me personally.

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