Kevyn Aucoin The Celestial Skin Liquid Lighting Review + Swatch

Hi everyone!

Today I will be reviewing a higher-end makeup product that I have been putting to the test for some time now!

This product is a liquid highlighter that promises to give a nice glow to the skin rather than shimmer or glitter. It claims to sink into the skin and give a nice, smooth, radiant look. It also contains vitamin E, which I love in skincare, so that was a bonus. It is a fusion of skincare/makeup which I’m always intrigued by.

I have a very oily skin type and tend to want a more matte look. However, there are days where my matte foundations look really dry and strange on me and when I apply this product all over my face and then apply a matte foundation on top; it looks much more flattering and more skin-like. The claims I mentioned above have all been met in my opinion, because this product just gives a nice fresh, healthy sheen to the skin that really looks like skin and not like you applied a moisturizer with glitter in it. It dries down yet makes my skin super soft like I applied an extra layer of moisture.

Kevyn Aucoin The Celestial Skin Liquid Lighting in the shade ‘Candlelight’. Pumped out onto the back of my hand on the bottom and blended out on top.

I don’t really like how the first ingredient is mineral oil, because I have read that mineral oil is not the best ingredient to use daily. However, the strange thing is that the mineral oil in this doesn’t affect the wear of my foundation throughout the day. Also, you must shake this up a lot before pumping the product out so that the oil doesn’t separate.

I really enjoy having this product in my collection and like to use it every now-and-then when I want to apply a super matte foundation. However, I don’t think this is worth the $69 CAD price tag.

What do you think about this product? What Kevyn Aucoin product do you recommend I try next? Let me know below!

Click here to purchase.

Anastasia Beverly Hills Contour Kit Review + Swatches

Hi everyone!

I know that this palette is definitely not a “new” item but I like reviewing “older” items as well – it reminds me and hopefully you guys to pull it out of your collection and remember why you purchased it in the first place!

I love the sleek packaging of this palette; it isn’t bulky or heavy – perfect for travelling with. It has a magnetic closure so you don’t have to worry about breaking the clasp. The pans are removable as well; if you want to put it in a Z-palette.

The formula differs slightly for each pan; the top left shade (Vanilla) is a sheer matte powder whereas the middle top shade (Banana) is much more pigmented and buttery in texture. The right pan (Sand) has tiny shimmers in it and is very buttery and pigmented. The bottom middle shade (Fawn) is also more sheer in comparison to the other two contour shades.

These powders are very blendable and look smooth on the skin without looking cakey or heavy. I like how they included a shimmery shade in there so you have a subtle shimmery highlighter instead of the usual all-matte contour kits. However, I feel that two of the contour shades are extremely similar and wish they had a different shade that would pull more bronze rather than red. I really enjoy the middle contour shade; it is perfect for nose contouring!

Left to right: Vanilla, Banana, and Sand.

Left to right: Java, Fawn, and Havana

In conclusion, I really like this palette and find myself using the top and bottom middle shades the most. I don’t think there is anything specifically special about this product but I do enjoy it and would recommend to someone who wants a nice contour kit to travel with.

Have you guys tried this contour kit? Comment below!

Click here to purchase.

MAC Hyper Real Glow Palette Review + Swatches

Hello everyone!

I was on the hunt for a nice highlight palette to add to my collection and I really like the MAC Extra Dimension one – read my review here. So I thought I would give this one a go, I purchased the Flash + Awe palette which has lighter tones; they have another palette with gold tones as well.

I really like the sleek packaging, the three shades are separated which allows you to use them separately or mix the shades together. It contains a nice sized mirror and has a magnetic closure. The shades are fairly close in shade but each has a different undertone – champagne, pink, and gold.

MAC Hyper Real Glow Palette in Flash + Awe Swatched once per shade.

The formula is not exactly the same as the Extra Dimension ones. I would have to say that I like the Extra Dimension formula more than this because it’s more intense, where as this palette has a more toned down shine. I do like this for everyday use because it’s not too sparkly but rather glowy and healthy looking on the skin.

I don’t think that this is a must-have palette and do prefer the Extra Dimension highlighters by MAC over this however, this is a nice palette if you want to glow and not look over-the-top.

What is your current favourite highlighter?

Click here to purchase.

Bobbi Brown Retouching Face Pencil in Illuminate Review + Swatch

Hi everyone!

I’ve been using this product for a while now and have gathered my thoughts on it to review for you guys! I have previously tried a few Bobbi Brown products but they were mostly skincare. I’m just getting into their makeup and so far I have liked what I’ve tried.

When you think about highlighting – you think about mostly powder, liquid or even a cream consistency. This however is a creamy formula that is housed in a chubby pencil casing which makes it very travel-friendly, easy to use, and sturdy. It also comes with the sharpener which is great because you may not already have one that will fit this pencil. The stick concept is easy to use because you just draw it on your face wherever you want a nice sheen/glow. I can place this in my waterline, inner corner and brow bone in a matter of seconds. I like to warm this up on my finger before patting it on to my cheekbones, cupids bow, etc.

Consistency-wise this product is creamy but not too creamy where it ends up looking greasy and gets everywhere. Instead, this is a nice creamy formula that goes on easily and stays put for hours. You can build it to look more dramatic or with just one swipe you get a subtle sheen. There are very fine micro shimmers in there but the eye doesn’t pick that up, instead it looks very fresh and has a sophisticated glow rather than tacky and chunky.

The color is gorgeous and I can see how this shade would work for a variety of different skin tones. It pulls pink with a subtle silver frost but it also pulls champagne with a very light gold depending on how the light hits it.

I really am impressed with this product and this is definitely my gateway into trying out more Bobbi Brown makeup products.

What is your favourite Bobbi Brown product? Let me know in the comment section!

Click here to view on the Bobbi Brown website. (currently 25% off)

MAC Extra Dimension SkinFinish Double Gleam Review + Swatch

Hello again!

I’m so excited for this review because I think I’ve found the perfect highlighter for very fair skin tones! Before using this I was obsessed with the Becca Shimmering Skin Perfector in Champagne Pop – click here to see my review on it. But I started to think that it might be too deep for me and maybe I need to try something lighter and brighter. In that post you can see that the second swatch is super peachy compared to my pale skin tone.

I really wanted to try a highlighter from MAC since I’ve heard good things and when I saw this shade (Double Gleam) I thought it would compliment my skin tone really well. The packaging is very simple and it contains 9g of product which is slightly more than a standard highlighter.

Online this product is described as a liquid-powder highlighter that is long-wearing (up to 10 hours to be exact). This shade in particular is described as a beige that breaks silver. Honestly, I’m not sure why the word “liquid” is mentioned as this powder may be silky and smooth but isn’t a liquid to powder consistency. I agree that it’s super long wearing; it really does last the whole day on my cheeks. Lastly, the color is gorgeous! It’s a pretty beige, almost rose gold shade and when the light hits it, it turns to a bright reflective silver.

MAC Extra Dimension SkinFinish Double Gleam Swatched.

I’ve found my current favourite highlighter! Great formula, long lasting, and the shade is perfect for me. What do you guys think?

Click here to purchase.

W7 Glowcomotion Shimmer Highlighter Eyeshadow Review + Swatch

Hi everyone!

If you are searching for an affordable highlighter that is pigmented, buttery, and is buildable to a blinding highlight then look no further!

I had seen this highlighter pop up a few times while looking at dupes for theBalm Mary-Lou Manizer and I was intrigued. I ended up purchasing this and at around $6 CAD I wasn’t going to feel horrible if it ended up not working for me. (Seller link below – free shipping)

The packaging is plastic and does not by any means feel luxurious but it isn’t too bad as it is sturdy, compact and fairly simple. It comes with a nice sized mirror which I appreciate and contains 8.5 grams which is standard for a highlighter.

The formula is really nice; it feels soft but not too soft where you would get tons of kick-back every time you stick your brush in it. It can be blended out to give a nice subtle sheen to the cheeks or you can really build this up to look intense. The formula is forgiving to textured skin and doesn’t exaggerate texture or pores too much. There is no glitter pieces in this – just a nice shimmery glow.

W7 Glowcomotion Shimmer Highlighter Eyeshadow Swatched Once.

After doing more research this is comparable to theBalm Mary-Lou but this is much more of a pale champagne where as Mary-Lou is more golden. I really enjoy this highlighter and would recommend it – be sure to check it out if your in search of an affordable highlight!

Let me know what your current favourite highlighter is down below!

Click here to purchase.

e.l.f. Baked Highlighters Review + Swatches

Hello again!

I actually purchased these highlighters quite a while ago but haven’t gotten around to doing a review on them. I did a review on the e.l.f. baked blush in “pinktastic” here and even though it is labelled a blush, it is definitely a beautiful affordable highlight! This review is on the shades “Moonlight Pearl” and “Blush Gems”.

The packaging of these highlighters are the same as the baked blushes; the dome shaped baked product is housed in a very simple packaging with a see-through lid, which is great because you don’t need to open the lid to see the shade. As you can probably tell, “Moonlight Pearls” (on the left) is not dome-shaped and that is because it broke off during shipping; this happened twice as I ordered another one as well.

When I hear about a baked product I automatically think “dry” and “not pigmented” but this isn’t the case with these highlighters. Similar to the baked blush I mentioned above, these are buttery and very pigmented. However, I think that the baked blush has a better formula (more buttery and pigmented) but these are not far behind.

“Moonlight Pearls” is on the left and “Blush Gems” is on the right.

Moonlight Pearls is a very light champagne/ almost white shade and Blush Gems is a light rose gold shade. Both are extremely shimmery and last a decent amount of time before fading away.

Comment below and let me know what your favourite highlighter is currently!

Click here to purchase.

BECCA Shimmering Skin Perfector (Champagne Pop) Review + Swatches

Hello again!

I love the look of glowy healthy skin especially in the summer time and since I have an oily skin type I usually stick to powder highlighters instead of liquid or cream. This review is on the shade “Champagne Pop”, which is a collaboration with Youtuber Jaclyn Hill. This was limited edition when it came out but BECCA cosmetics made it a permanent shade!

The packaging is the same as the other pressed Shimmering Skin Perfectors; I like how sturdy and compact it is. It has a decent mirror on the inside and contains 8g of product; which is more than the average highlighter.

The formula is extremely pigmented and feels quite buttery and smooth; not at all powdery. I like using this with a very flimsy fan brush so that I can build it up slowly since it is very intense. It blends effortlessly; if you do apply too much it can easily be fixed. This formula is amazing; it lasts for the entire day with some fading after about 8+ hours.

I have a neutral-fair skin tone and this isn’t too dark on me or too peachy where the color would be obvious. I think this shade would suit a wide range of skin tones.

Click here to purchase.

I won this in a giveaway! Click here to visit her blog.

e.l.f. Pressed Mineral Bronzer Review + Swatches

Hello again!

This “bronzer” is definitely a highlighter despite it’s label. It isn’t an intense highlighter but it isn’t subtle either. This review is on the shade “Baked Peach”.

The packaging is the same as the mineral blushes; it is lightweight and has a see-through lid so you can see the shade. The formula is amazing; extremely buttery and blends out very easily; it is even better than the mineral blushes. The pigmentation is intense! It also has good staying power; is detectable on my combination-oily skin by the end of the day.

The only downside to this product is that I wished they had lighter shades, or a highlighter with the same formula. Since I have a fair skin tone this looks better on top of a matte blush since it has a strong peach undertone. This would work wonderfully as a highlight on medium to dark skin tones.

Have you tried these mineral bronzers?

Click here to purchase.

Pretty Girl Makeup Bronzer Review + Swatches

Hi everyone!

This is labelled as a bronzer but it is more so a gorgeous peachy/gold highlighter! Because of the peach, it can also be used as a light glow-y blush. This review is on the shade “Toes in the Sand, Gettin a Tan!”.

The packaging is very sleek and simple; it has a twist on lid which is see-through, making it easier to find the shade you are looking for. The rose imprint on the “bronzer” is beautiful and it makes me happy every time I look at it. It is also very sturdy; great for travelling.

The formula is buttery and silky, making it easy to apply and blend out. It is very pigmented but hard to see in the swatches below since the shade is peachy with a golden sheen and not a stark white, gold, or silver. This formula really sticks to your skin and wears off very slowly; it will last the entire day.

This product does not contain Talc or paraben which is a huge bonus; I always feel better about putting on products that do not contain these two.

Click here to purchase.

Disclaimer: I received this product for reviewing purposes. All my reviews are my honest opinion whether I bought the product(s) or it was sent to me.