You know, I can’t say I’ve had the most productive Friday…
Good grief, lady! — I have not been able to concentrate for squat!
It’s called “Friday brain,” and symptoms include an inability to concentrate on important tasks, like bill paying, making phone calls for work and catering to your cat’s weird whims (such as carrying him up and down the stairs), and an enhanced ability to focus on frivolous, fun tasks, like looking up movie times, doing the robot to that catchy Bruno Mars song (Locked Out of Heaven) or going to Sephora.
DO THE ROBOT!!
Which reminds me, I ran into Sephora earlier this afternoon to grab a new bottle of Living Proof Restore Shampoo, because it keeps my hair from acting wonky, and I spotted a couple of new things while I was there.
Like these new Stila Beauty Balms…
I seem to recall Stila having another beauty balm, but I don’t think that one contains SPF. All three of these new ones do — broad-spectrum SPF 30 — which means they protect against UVA and UVB rays.
The one in the white tube on the far left, HD Beauty Balm — I think that one is supposed to work like a straight-up primer; Illuminating Beauty Balm, the one in the peachy tube, is supposed to give a brightening glow to the skin; and the Bronzing Beauty Balm, the third one, is supposed to impart a bronze tint.
All of them also claim to do a bunch of other cool things, like priming the skin for makeup, mellowing out imperfections and fortifying the skin with antioxidants…
I didn’t try them on my face in the store, but I did swatch, and based on the swatches, I liked the texture. They felt fairly light, not overly greasy or heavy (all three are oil-free), and when I rubbed them in, my skin had a slight sheen (but still looked pretty natural).
Should be good for girls who don’t like to wear a ton of foundation.
Oh, and I also ran into a couple of new Field of Flowers fragrances from Philosophy at the store…
When I sprayed Violet Blossom on one wrist and Peony on the other…I liked Violet Blossom more. 🙂
I love violet scents, and Violet Blossom just felt cozier to me.
I also liked light and refreshing Peony, but it seemed a little better suited to summer (NOTE TO SELF: remember to sniff Peony again in a few months).
Okay, I’d better get back to work now… Got a lot more robot-ing left to do.
Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,
Karen
Hey Karen!
Very informative post. What are these beauty balms exactly? Are they supposed to be like Korean BB creams? Or tinted moisturizers? Or foundation + primers?
Speaking of BB creams, do you have any favorites? Have you ever tried any Asian brand ones? I’ve tried a Holika Holika one, a Missha one, and a Face Shop one, and they’ve all been too light (color-wise) on my skin. Do you have any suggestions for girls with yellower/tanner skin tones?
Thanks!
Lucia
Stila used to have tinted moisturizers in the illuminating colors and other shades a while ago. In fact, I used to have a Stila illuminating tinted moisturizer in that peachy tone! It looks like with this BB cream they have revamped the formula though, so it is probably a lot better than what I used to use. BB creams are essentially glorified (but the benefits listed are actually real and work) tinted moisturizers. I would try the Stila one out. I loved that tinted moisturizer, and I’m always interested in seeing what each beauty company does with BB cream. I currently use Garnier’s and love it. It’s perfect for the winter because it’s got a more creamy consistency and really moisturizes well. For the record, Garnier’s BB cream also got great write-ups in Allure magazine especially for hydrating skin. Can’t wait to hear all about Stila’s new BB cream!
That HD Beauty Balm actually looks quite nice–I might have to check that out! I tried a sample of Stila’s all-in-1 (or something like that) foundation a couple of months ago and I actually REALLY liked it. It was my first Stila base product and I was impressed. Not sure why I didn’t repurchase a full-size…I need to go to the counter this weekend so I can look again and also play with these new Beauty Balms
Hmmm violets… I love their fragrance, I hope this scent was used more often in cosmetics!
I’m curious about the Stila BBs. A real nice add-on to their line, or just another BB launch for marketing reasons?
I think I need to check out that shampoo!
Oh Karen I love belting out that song by Bruno!!
These BB creams don’t give me any life alas I continue my journey!
The YSL mascara sample I’ve been using smells like violets… kind of weird, but a nice smell :p
I’m sticking to my Missha BB Cream I think. I’ve never had a base that worked so well for me. It comes in a nice shade for my very fair skin, is moisturizing, and lasts all day (which is a huge issue with me with foundations on my very very dry skin). I had the Stila Illuminating Tinted Moisturizer back in the day in that peachy shade… it was too dark for my face, but I liked it on my legs. (I got it on clearance when it was discontinued).
I used the stila illuminating tinted moisturizer for years. This seems to be basically the same thing, with a few more claims. I’m using UD naked skin foundation right now, and have a misha bb cream on the way, can’t see that I’ll need this, unless I can get it on sale sometime.
I’d love to try out the Philosphy fragrances.
Sarah
What’s your honest opinion on BB creams? Somehow, I just feel that they are over hyped, glorified versions of a tinted moisturiser. And if you think that every girl should have one, which would you recommend?
I always want to try a beauty balm but I don’t need the coverage… LOL Looks great though1
I love Living Proof Products. I have been using the Restore line for months, and my hair has never been healthier. I don’t hear too many people using it, maybe because it is pricey, but that stuff has changed my hair for the better!
Didn’t know that Stila had some balms in the works. Thank you for featuring these and swatching. Might give the brightening one a shot.