Face

With the LORAC Light Source Illuminating Highlighters, the Light Source Will Be Cheekbones

May 23rd, 2016 by Jessica Revitte 11 Comments

Wearing a mixture of LORAC Starlight and Twilight — Wearing a mixture of the LORAC Light Source Illuminating Highlighters in Starlight and Twilight ($22 each)

I don’t know about you, but I think that when we look back at the “teens” (2010-2019), we’re going to remember this era as an era with some very distinct makeup trends, like contouring (duh), strong brows, probably lip plumping and, of course, lots and LOTS of highlighter.

I’m talkin’ more highlighter than J. Lo wore in the early 2000s.

What was once a product that I didn’t think much about has now become one of my favorite products. I have many of them, but I never seem to have enough.

“Why yes, I do need seven champagne-toned highlighters. Thank you for asking.”

Nothing excites me more blingy “in your face” glow products like LORAC’s Summer 2016 Light Source Illuminating Highlighters.

Like the Hourglass Ambient Powders, they’re highly shiny, finely milled powders based around various lighting conditions to give you a gorgeous, radiant glow, and they come in four $22 shades — Starlight, a white opal; Daylight, a soft gold; Twilight, a light bronze; and Moonlight, a pinky pearl.

LORAC also infused the silky powders with anti-aging antioxidants!

LORAC Light Source Illuminating Highlighters (L-R): Twilight, Starlight

Lorac Light Source Illuminating Highlighter swatches — LORAC Light Source Illuminating Highlighters (L-R): Twilight, Starlight

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It Cosmetics Universal Contouring Palette for Face and Body: I Sculpt, You Sculpt, We Can All Sculpt With It Cosmetics

May 20th, 2016 by Nicole Fraser-Herron 24 Comments

Sometimes the best beauty days are the ones where you don’t really try at all. Today I wanted to play with the new It Cosmetics Universal Contouring Palette for Face and Body ($40), but I didn’t want to spend more than 30 seconds on each eye. I also decided to channel my inner Pebbles Flintstone. Days like these are made for bold lips. It’s called deflecting!

Anyway, while It Cosmetics has created quite a lovely palette, I find the brand’s marketing description kind of off putting. The mention of plastic surgery and fillers sets the wrong tone for me and makes me feel like the goal with contouring should be to actually change your features instead of enhance them. Of course, there are times when the goal is to change facial features, but I think for your average cosmetic consumer (not makeup artist), that’s not what it’s about.

From It Cosmetics:

“Developed with plastic surgeons, the leading experts in contouring and aesthetics, each powder shade is formulated with proprietary Perfect Lighting™ Technology to mimic real facial contouring and provide a foolproof alternative to fillers. While the four contour shades absorb light and minimize the areas to which you apply them, the two highlighters enhance features you want to pull forward, creating the appearance of more volume. Talc-free, and perfect for all skin types and skin tones, these shades are infused with anti-aging collagen, silk and peptides to blend effortlessly and deliver smooth, natural-looking coverage that lasts all day.”

I just don’t want to be made to think that there’s something wrong with my face. I have to look at this mug every day! Makeup is heaps of fun and makes me happy, but I really try to only wear it to express myself, not cover up my insecurities. Also, I’m pretty sure that Perfect Lighting™ Technology is, like, matte vs. shimmer powders.

_MG_3176_web — It Cosmetics Universal Contouring Palette for Face and Body ($40)

Apart from my philosophical grievances with this palette, the formula is soft, pigmented, and soo easy to blend. I’ve been using it with this Contour & Highlighting Brush ($34.50 and also from It Cosmetics), and it does pretty much all the work for me. There is some dust that kicks up when loading up your brush, and the packaging is silver cardboard. It gets messy; I got contour powder in the highlighter pans more than once.

_MG_3122_web — Top: Soft Contour, Light Contour, Matte Highlight Bottom: Medium Contour, Deep Contour, Radiance Highlight

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These MAC Prep+Prime Highlighter Pens Should Really Be Called PERK+Prime! Miracle Workers

May 20th, 2016 by Jessica Revitte 12 Comments

I’m guessing that by now you’re all getting tired of hearing me bang on about how tired I am.

But really, it’s a vicious cycle. I recently read a meme on Facebook (don’t judge me) while scrolling through my feed during the wee hours of sleeplessness with a fussy baby that read, “Parenting is the constant battle between going to bed to catch up on some sleep or staying awake to finally get some alone time.”

L-O-L, is that ever true!

Hopefully for this tired mama, MAC’s new $26 Prep+Prime Highlighter click pens can help. They’re supposed to “effectively [bring] a soft, sheer wash of colour to skin.”

But first, can we briefly pause to appreciate the shimmering — dare I say sexy? — packaging? I’m in love with these boxes and tubes…

The MAC Prep + Prime Highlighters in all their glittery packaged glory!

Available in nine shades (including two correctors in peach and rose) to suit a wide range of skin tones, the Prep+Prime Highlighters are MAC’s answer to YSL’s eponymous Touche Eclat Stylo. Creamy and easy to apply thanks to the gentle brush head from which the product is dispensed, these highlighters do dry down quickly and oxidize slightly to a somewhat deeper tone than I’d expect based on the swatches.

Although the two shades on the right are just too deep for my complexion, any of the first three on the left would suit my skin tone, depending on what I want and need. The one called Light, for instance, is a classic highlighting concealer, while Medium would be better suited to cancel out the blue tones under my eyes.

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Rouge Bunny Rouge Masters of Texture: A Cosmetics Collection Befitting an Old World Fairy Tale

May 17th, 2016 by Jessica Revitte 11 Comments

Rouge Bunny Rouge Masters of Texture Collection — Wearing Rouge Bunny Rouge Raw Garden Eyeshadow Palette in 086 Antigo, Loves Lights Highlighting Powder in 066 Goddess, Alchemy Long Lasting Brow Liner in 088 Antimony and Dazzling Siip Tinted Luxe Balm in 091 Pinch of Nude

Ever encounter a cosmetic brand that’s so fabulous, so excitingly enshrouded in mystery that it almost feels magical to get your hands on a few products? For me, Rouge Bunny Rouge has always been that brand.

Perhaps it’s the whimsical product names, the slight difficulty in procuring their products (I’m not certain there are counters stateside, for instance) and the dreamy colors. I almost always feel like birds should be sweeping the kitchen and braiding my hair while I apply Rouge Bunny Rouge cosmetics.

“Rouge Bunny Rouge is quintessentially British — a vision of intellectual beauty, a uniquely Neo-Victorian style … [the brand is] also renowned for its fantastic world of storytelling. Elements of magic, whimsy and mystery are playfully reflected in the names of [the] products.” — Rouge Bunny Rouge

Very early on in my blogging days at Getting Cheeky (and you can tell just how early on by the photography), I managed to get my hands on the stunning shadow in Abyssinian Catbird, and the love affair began. So it was with the excitement of a love-struck fairy-tale heroine that I started playing with the Rouge Bunny Rouge Masters of Texture Makeup Collection.

Please allow for a brief pause while this makeup and classic literature lover swoons…

I can think of no more exquisitely packaged powders than those offered by Rouge Bunny Rouge. Housed in substantial and sleek black external packaging reminiscent of Victorian hat boxes, removal of the lid reveals a weighty black compact and sweet “RBR” monogrammed powder puff.

*swoon*

Rouge Bunny Rouge’s Loves Lights Highlighting Powder ($48) is not your average trend-driven illuminator. Finely milled to the point of feeling like a cloud, these beauties create a diaphanous, rather than overt, glow.

The brand describes the formulation of the powder as being composed of “spherical powders” which “[produce] an unusual perfecting powder with smoothing properties.” While it pained me to swatch away the ephemeral dandelion pattern on the surface of the powder, the result was well worth the temporary torture. I could verily paint myself from head to toe in 066 Goddess (an opalescent pale pink), and 067 Sweet to Touch (a gold spiked amber) pairs well with blushes of a plum hue on my complexion.

As for the Raw Garden Shadow Palette ($55) in 086 Antigo, it’s a work of art. I’ve tried many matte shadows in my time as a beauty lover, and while I have my favorites, it’s not often that I’m this impressed… To be honest, I don’t even remember the last time I audibly said “oooh!” while swatching, but Antigo accomplished just that.

Comprised of a faintly luminous golden pearl, a pink toned mink, rich deep brown and neutral coffee, this palette is as foolproof in terms of creating looks as it is indispensable. I am fully enamored of the texture and highly recommend this particular piece in the collection. Are you a neutral shadow lover? Then run, don’t walk.

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With the Benefit Cheekathon Blush & Bronzer Palette, Your Cheeks Will Cross the Fabulous Line

May 11th, 2016 by Jen Clark 11 Comments

Benefit Cheekathon Blush and Bronzer Palette — The CUTEST packaging!

Benefit, Benefit, Benefit…oh, how I love you! You really nailed it with the Cheekathon Blush & Bronzer Palette.

What do you think of first when you think of Benefit? Do you think of their boxed powders? They’re so iconic to the brand, and for good reason. Every single one of them is uh-may-zing! And now, rather than having to go out and buy them all individually, you can get five of Benefit’s best blushes and bronzers at once with the $58 Cheekathon palette.

Normally in kits like this the actual pans are usually smaller than usual, but listen to this: all of these powders are FULL SIZED!

What?!

That is so impressive to me. You don’t see palettes like that every day, and normally a single full-sized blush or bronzer would run you $29, so for the price of two of them you’re getting five!

The blushes you get with Cheekathon are Rockateur (a shimmery rose gold), Dallas (a dirty rose), Coralista (a shimmery bright coral), and Dandelion (a bright baby pink). And, of course, it wouldn’t be a Benefit release without Hoola bronzer (a perfect matte). You get such a variety of colors and finishes with this palette that you could probably get away with never using another blush in your life.

You also get a little brush with the palette, which is actually pretty nice for contouring using Hoola.

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Unsung Makeup Heroes: Milani Baked Blush in Luminoso

May 9th, 2016 by Nicole Fraser-Herron 33 Comments

The long-running Unsung Heroes series here on Makeup and Beauty Blog features some of our all-time favorite permanent collection products.

Blush was the last, most recent category of makeup I got into, because I’m really fair, and while I’d say that my skin tone is generally more neutral, I do still get rosy. Since I thought that the point of foundation was to even out your skin tone, and getting rosy plays into that, I guess I just figured that blush was sort of a contradiction and would work against my efforts.

So I rocked a pale face for a long time. Then, well, I found Luminoso.

I’m pretty sure it was the first blush I ever tried, too, and what a good choice it was. It’s not just pink, and it’s not just peach. I feel like it’s the color that was meant to be there, like its found a home on my face.

Milani’s baked blushes are wonderful, and they’re not just good for the price (around 7 bucks). They’re good across the board.

I feel like Luminoso, especially, is kind of a one-stop shop. It isn’t matte, and it isn’t overly sparkly. It’s just a healthy peachy glow with a slight and very fine white/gold glow.

I think it looks phenomenal with, like, a really flawless base down, a strong brow, loads of mascara, and a classic red lip. Luminoso just like brings it all together.

Bolder lipstick shades wash you out pretty instantly, and Luminoso brings the life back into my cheeks.

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Try Clinique’s Chubby In The Nude Foundation Sticks for Blendable, Bountiful, Beautiful Coverage

May 5th, 2016 by Marcella Yakalis 7 Comments

Wearing Clinique Chubby In The Nude in Voluptuous Vanilla ($24) — Wearing Clinique Chubby In The Nude in Voluptuous Vanilla ($24 each, available in 10 shades)

Hey everyone!

So, if there’s one thing I’ve mentioned before, it’s how much I like convenient products. If there’s anything complicated involved, I won’t be interested in using or doing it for long.

This has probably been a driving force behind why I keep my makeup routine so simple.

“Simple” and “convenient” are two perfect words to describe Clinique’s Chubby In The Nude Foundation Sticks ($24 each, available in 10 shades), with their cream-to-powder finish and buildable sheer-to-medium coverage (they’re part of the amazing Chubby stick line).

They’re even easier to blend when you use a sponge or a damp brush, which I realized this past weekend while visiting my boyfriend’s parents. I didn’t bring the right brush with me, so I had to use my fingers.

The Clinique website recommends applying them like this:

Draw several strokes of foundation across the forehead, cheeks, chin and down the bridge of nose.

For sheerer coverage, fingertip-blend to a seamless finish.

For moderate coverage, use Clinique’s Buff Brush to buff foundation into skin using light, circular motions.

Applying with my fingers was a little frustrating, mostly because of how sensitive my skin is. I mean, the Chubby stick slogan is the #ChubbyDoodle, which stands for all the different ways you can draw your foundation on for different coverage, and I like the concept, but rubbing the foundation into my skin with my fingers was…less fun.

clinique-chubby-in-the-nude-foundation-stick-side — Forgive my red nose; I’m sick yet again.

Here I’m wearing Voluptuous Vanilla, which falls into the “moderately fair” category. Incidentally, I also like the suggestive names (like Curviest Clove and Abundant Alabaster) and the particular way Clinique grouped these from very fair to deep.

clinique foundation stick, chubby in the nude, — Clinique Chubby In The Nude Foundation Stick in Voluptuous Vanilla and Bountiful Beige

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Laura Geller The Truffles Collection: Now THAT’S a Sweet Gift

April 30th, 2016 by Jessica Revitte 14 Comments

Chocolate.

Just let that word sink in for a minute… Meditate on it. Close your eyes, and think of every scent and thought and feeling you get when you open a big box of chocolates.

Laura Geller The Truffles Collection — Clockwise from the top: The Laura Geller “The Truffles Collection” palettes in Chocolate Plum Cordial, Chocolate Toffee, Chocolate Pistachio and Chocolate Truffle

That’s the feeling Laura Geller wants chocolate-loving makeup aficionados to feel when they feast their eyes on the generously sized “The Truffles Collection,” currently available for $45 (a $168 value!). You could treat Mom to a chocolate shadow extravaganza for Mother’s Day (It’s Sunday May 8th, ladies and gentlemen. Do not forget your mama!), or snag this delicious box of coco-inspired baked shadows for yourself.

Laura Gellar The Truffles Collection — Laura Gellar, The Truffles Collection

The Truffles Collection comes with four separate palettes, each based around a different coco treat, and all are packaged in a big box that opens much like a classic box of chocolates. The individual palettes are housed in colorful metallic cardboard that matches the “flavor” therein.

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