“You’re either in it for the long haul or you’re not” – Crystal Gayle
I filmed a haul video over on YouTube and wanted to share. Look out for reviews on a lot of these products soon!
Nana Adomah
Tag Archives: brownbeauty
Blushing All Over: BECCA Blushed Copper Review
“Man is the only animal that blushes. Or needs to.” – Mark Twain
BECCA have added another fantastic addition to their wonderful line of pressed shimmering skin perfectors (SSP). The newest, limited-edition shade is Blushed Copper and it’s everything I’ve come to expect from BECCA. I can’t believe that this is my first blog post on a BECCA product since they’re one of my favourite brands and this is my second pressed highlighter from them after my all-time favourite “Topaz”.
Textured surface
Blushed Copper is embossed with the same pattern as their “Rose Gold” pressed SSP and I hope that this will become part of their permanent line as Rose Gold eventually did. It’s the same size as all the other BECCA pressed SSP however, the packaging is a silver and copper rather than BECCA’s usual silver and brown. The colour of Blushed Copper actually pulls a true rose gold on my dark skin and it’s a shade that I think will work better for women with darker-toned skin. It straddles the line between a highlighter and a blush and it can easily be worn as both. It looks great by itself or lightly dusted on top of a similar-toned blush.
Indoor swatch swiped once and blended out.
Pictures really don’t do this product justice as it’s beautifully shimmery in real life. I’ve never seen a highlighter like this as it has true pinkish gold shimmer as opposed to the gold or silver found in other highlighters. The texture is ridiculously buttery and it almost feels like a cream rather than a powder. A tiny amount is all that’s needed for a gorgeous Summer glow and I received so many compliments when I wore this. I love the colour so much that I plan on trying this out as an eyeshadow in the future too.
This is a definite must-have in my opinion. More so if you have darker skin and are a fan of highlighters. It’s not a colour I would wear everyday but I know I’ll be rocking it every time I rock any look in the pink/ rose family. It’s a truly stunning shade and let’s all keep our fingers crossed that BECCA make this permanent.
BECCA’s “Blushed Copper” shimmering skin perfector pressed is limited edition and is sadly not available in stores but it can be found online at Sephora for $38.
Are you guys as obsessed with BECCA as I am? Let me know in the comments!
Nana Adomah
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Kevyn Aucoin Sensual Skin Enhancer: A Review
I squealed with excitement when I saw that Kevyn Aucoin was finally going to be carried at Sephora. I have a soft spot for Kevyn Aucoin (R.I.P) as his books were my makeup bible when I was younger. I’d wanted to try the sensual skin enhancer (SSE) for a looooooong time and this was the impetus I needed. The price had always put me off but this time I said “screw it” and clicked “order”.
According to the brand, the sensual skin enhancer’s “all-in-one, waterproof formula delivers complete coverage when used as a concealer, highlighter, an all-over foundation, or to contour your features. Infused with jojoba and honey, it works to hydrate the skin, and it is formulated with minerals that support the skin and is sweat proof and transfer resistant for full coverage and long-lasting wear.”
I couldn’t decide which shade I wanted so I went ahead and ordered both SX12 and SX13.
I knew I’d be primarily using the SSE as a highlighting product rather than a concealer so I ordered shades that were lighter than my skin tone.
First off, these are hands down the creamiest face products I own. When I say a little bit goes a long way, I mean a little bit goes a looooong way. You could use this as a concealer/ highlight every day for two years and I’m sure there’d be plenty left in the jar. The jar in which the product arrives is tiny but do not be fooled. There’s more than enough product for the price. It blends very easily and dries down to a semi-matte finish on me.
Left: SSE in SX13, Right: SSE in SX12
SX12 is an extremely yellow shade whilst SX13 leans more neutral. My perfect shade is when I mix the two colours together but I’d already determined to take back the colour that wasn’t my shade and at $48 a pop and with an overflowing concealer drawer, I can’t really justify keeping them both.
Aside from the price, my other gripe is that I find that this doesn’t stay put on me as long as my NARS radiant creamy concealer. I often have to touch up with a little powder whenever I wear this while I can often go for a full day with my NARS. Additionally, I think that those of you with very dry under-eye areas should beware. I have relatively normal skin under my eyes and I found that this can sometimes highlight any dry patches if I don’t properly hydrate beforehand. It’s also definitely not transfer-proof as claimed.
However, I love the look of this when I prime under my eyes with my Smashbox hydrating under-eye primer and set it with my MAC MSF in “dark”. I typically apply it with my fingers and blend it out with my beauty blender. It lasts all day with this method and it really does look beautiful. I’d love to try the SSE in a shade that matches my skin tone in the future and wear it as a foundation as I think it has a gorgeous finish.
In conclusion, this is a product that I’d class as a “nice to have” rather than a “must have” because you can definitely find comparable products for far less money. However, the versatility of the SSE is wonderful bonus (particularly for make up artists) and I’d encourage you to at least try a sample if you can.
The SSE can be found at Kevyn Aucoin counters in most high-end department stores and online at Sephora.
Any of you tried the sensual skin enhancer? What are your thoughts?
Nana Adomah
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Are You A Living Legend?: MAC The Matte Lip Collection Review
L-R: Living Legend, Fashion Revival
I’ve been super over a lot of MAC’s collections over the past few years and I swore I wouldn’t buy into the hype but here I am, the proud owner of two of the lipsticks in The Matte Lip collection. I ordered Fashion Revival and Living Legend and I couldn’t be more pleased.
There are eight lipsticks in the collection with Heroine being the only one that is part of the permanent collection. I already own Heroine and I have numerous reds so Fashion revival and living legend were the only ones that jumped out at me. I ordered these online but I’ll be sure to pop into the shops on Friday, when they are released in MAC stores, to see what the other colours are like in person.
L-R: Living Legend, Fashion Revival indoors daytime w/ flash.
Daytime swatch no flash
Living Legend is a fantastic deep aubergine colour that swatched with full opacity in just one swipe. I’ve been on my dark lipsticks a lot this year so this is a very welcome addition. Fashion Revival is a dark raspberry that’s also right up my street. I was scared it was just a more matte version of Rebel (my all-time favourite MAC lipstick) but happily it wasn’t too similar.
L-R: Living Legend, Fashion Revival, and Rebel
Rebel is definitely more purple and generally darker overall.
Now be aware of the fact these lipsticks are in MAC’s matte formula and NOT in their retro matte formula like I originally believed. The formula is slightly more matte than their amplified lipsticks but not a true matte matte like Ruby Woo or Flat Out Fabulous.
All in all, this is a nice collection by MAC and I’m sure they’ll sell in their shed loads so be sure to check them out when they hit stores this Friday. Look out for a FOTD featuring these very soon!
The MAC Matte Lip collection can be purchased here or in stores on Friday for $16 (yes we see you constantly increasing your prices MAC smh) and I highly recommend them. There are also six pro longwear lip liners and three blushes that are part of the collection so be sure to give them a gander.
Nana Adomah
Read Between The Eyeliner 