Not My Kind of Red: NARS Velvet Lip Glide in Le Palace

How 'bout I distract you from this dark and dreadful time we seem to be going through with some make-up? I was really excited to score this deluxe mini of the NARS Velvet Lip Glide ($26 for 0.2 oz/ ~6 ml) with a Sephora order late last year. I've heard really good things about this new formula, including adjectives such as 'unique', 'weightless' and 'long-lasting', and I'm all about innovation when it comes to beauty products. Also, how beautiful is this simple yet elegant packaging?

However, having acquainted myself with my Lip Glide over several days of wear, I'm a little confused. First of all, shouldn't the shade be called Le Palais? (Uhm, seems like Le Palace is a famous hotel/ night club in Paris, so probably the brand didn't just mean any palace. Okay then). But joking aside, I feel very conflicted over this lip product. Is it a gloss? Is it a liquid lipstick? Is it a stain?

The texture of this product is quite slippery and feels silicone-y on the lips - a little bit like a 'dry oil' or one of those dimethicone-heavy face primers, if you will. The brand promises a 'semi-matte' finish', but to be honest, I see quite a bit of shine on my lips, especially right after application, but then it dries down to more of a satin as the time goes on. It seems that you can vary the finish depending on the amount of product you choose to put on: one fine layer is a satin, a thicker coat or two layers look quite glossy. The overall formulation quite reminds me of Fyrinnae Lip Lusters, which are not a new product by any means - I reviewed two shades of those (Shangri-La and Visual Kei, here) back in 2012. There's a pleasant sweet vanilla scent to the NARS Lip Glide but luckily no taste.

I would agree that the Velvet Lip Glide feels quite weightless on my lips, which you'd expect from something with a rather thin formula. Unfortunately, as the day goes on, it feels neither comfortable nor hydrating. If anything, my lips feel a lot drier than with just about any standard bullet lipstick, and having looked at the ingredients' list, I'm not surprised - kaolin clay is the second ingredient. You know, clay as in stuff you put on your face to help with oily T-zone and to tighten pores. Am I the only one confused by that?

To top it all off, I don't find my Velvet Lip Glide to be any more long-lasting than just about any cream finish lipstick in my collection. Sure, once it wears off (which it does very quickly on cups and tissues and so on), there is a bit of a stain left behind, but that's also true for my other lip products in red and deeper shades. But overall, my biggest gripe with this formula is the fact that it feathers and bleeds outside my lip lines, even when I use the smallest amount of the product.

L-R: NARS Velvet Lip Glide in Le Palace, NARS Velvet Matte Lip Pencil in Cruella, ILIA Beauty Lipstick in Lucy's Party

The shade Le Palace is described as a 'deep cherry red'. I can't say I agree with that description - to me, cherry red suggests a cool-toned red a la Revlon's 'Cherries in the Snow', while Le Palace is decidedly warm and even pulls a little orange on my fair skin with cool undertones. I'd describe it more as a 'paprika red'. It's not really a very deep red either; don't expect a vampy look out of this Lip Glide. While Le Palace doesn't do anything for me, I think it'd be a flattering hue on skin with yellow or olive undertones.

L-R: NARS Le Palace (one dip of the wand into the tube), NARS Cruella, ILIA Lucy's Party

There you go; can't say I'm too smitten with this new release from NARS, and Le Palace has now been placed in my give-away make-up pile. Have you tried the Velvet Lip Glides? What did you think?

PS. Thank you for all the caring, wonderful comments on my last personal update post and an even bigger thank you for those who shared their stories with me - I feel very grateful to have such amazing readers as you. To those of you who seemed very worried and urged me to see a doctor: like I said, I do already feel much better but should it get worse again, I will of course talk to my health practitioner. Also, look who was trying to help me take photos for this post - you're welcome ;)

Luminous Nude Cheeks: Surratt Artistique Blush in La Rosée du Soir

Time for blogging is rather sparse these days, but I had to come on here to show you the newest member of my blush stash, the Surratt Artistique Blush in La Rosée du Soir ($32 for 0.14 oz/ 4g). After trying the Surratt pressed powder 'slurry' formula via his eyeshadow in Scintillante (reviewed here), I was really interested in trying a blush from the line, and I was finally enabled to do so by the Sephora VIB rewards card - even though I really do not need any more blushes in my life.

In the same manner as his eyeshadows, the Artistique blushes come in single resin pans which can be glued into a Surratt custom palette, available separately. For the time being, I'm too cheap to actually spring for that beautiful compact and just use the pans as is - luckily they're more substantial than a regular metal pan and also come with a sliding plastic lid to help protect the powder inside. The shade name is printed on the back label, which is also a sticker you'd use to secure the pans in the palette.

Well, since my window for blogging isn't very long at the moment, let me keep this post brief and just say that I really, really like the formula of this Surratt blush. It's just as pillowy soft as my Scintillante eyeshadow and applies like a beautiful glowy cloud of color to the cheeks. I feel like La Rosée du Soir certainly isn't the most pigmented blush formula out there, but that's my preference - I find opaque blushes very difficult to work with on my fair skintone.

The texture is creamy and blendable and looks natural on the skin; there's no trace of powderiness (is that a word? Don't think so...) once applied. The subtle luminous finish is also incredibly believable. I would compare it to one of my HG blush formulas, the Hourglass Ambient Lighting Blushes - it's the same amount of ethereal glow without obvious shimmer or, God forbid, glitter. However, I may even like the formula of the Surratt blush better, because it feels less dry than the Hourglass both on the skin and in the pan.

L-R: Surratt La Rosee du Soir, Hourglass Mood Exposure, NARS Douceur, KIKO Trio Blush in no. 1 Natural Rose

I know what you're going to say - La Rosée du Soir isn't a terribly unique shade. In fact, I have an almost exact dupe in my stash already. But the finish and tactile feel of the Surratt blush is unique enough for me to warrant keeping it, and this nudey rose color family is my favorite at the moment, so I don't mind having several to choose from. I've swatched it here against three other similar blushes to give you an idea of the shade if you're planning to order sight unseen. I've seen La Rosée du Soir described as a nude pink (Sephora says it's a rosy nude) but I would keep in mind that this shade pulls rather warm, especially on a fair skin tone. I would even say it looks a bit more like a nude muted peach on me; it's definitely warmer than NARS Douceur and less rosy than something like KIKO Shade Fusion Trio Blush in Natural Rose (here).

So while this purchase was definitely superfluous for my collection, I'm really pleased with Surratt La Rosée du Soir, and I would gladly buy more shades from the newly expanded range. It's also worth mentioning that yes, the brand's Cheek Brush (reviewed here) works exceptionally well for picking up and blending their blush formula. Have you tried any of the powder products from Surratt Beauty? What is your favorite everyday 'goes with everything' nude blush?

Glotion Trend: Tatcha Pore Perfecting Water Gel* Review

It comes as no surprise to say that I'm a fan of Tatcha skincare ever since I tried two of the original products from the range, the One Step Camellia Cleansing Oil and the Rice Enzyme Powder (here), which I still use in my skincare routine today. So I'm always looking forward to trying out their new releases, and I was especially excited to trial the Tatcha Balanced Pore Perfecting Water Gel Moisturizer* ($68 for 50ml/ 1.7 fl oz, available at tatcha.com and Sephora). My skintype is combination pretty much all year round, but in the summer it tends to get especially oily, so this moisturizing gel seemed like a match made in heaven for my skin.

The Pore Perfecting Water Gel quickly became 'the' skincare product of summer 2016. Wherever I turned, I heard nothing but raves - it was part of Sephora's 'Glotion' campaign, and every self-respecting beauty guru had it and touted it as a firm favorite. It seems to me that within a few months, it already became a cult classic everyone needed in their routine. I received mine a little later - in mid July - and have since been testing it as an integral part of my morning skincare routine.

On that note: I realize it is now October and beauty stories have already turned to nourishing products for the colder season. Yes, it would have been more fitting of me to put up this review in July or August when there was potentially more interest in a lightweight summer moisturizer. However, this is not how I work. I just don't think it's fair to you guys to write a full review of a product - especially when it's skincare, and expensive skincare at that - after just a few weeks of testing. When I trial a new product, I do need to use it consistently for at least a couple months to firmly establish what I think of it and rule out any hasty conclusions. In the case of the Tatcha Water Gel Moisturizer, I have tried it on bare skin, with different toners and serums underneath, and layered with several sunscreens, make-up primers and foundations over the top to fully evaluate its performance. I know there's a constant pressure in the beauty community to be the first to feature a newly released product and I do feel it too - but what's the point if I can't give you my honest and balanced opinion? My personal priority will always be to provide a thorough and detailed review instead of staying abreast of every trend. I hope you understand :)

Okay, rant over - let's get back to the point. Tatcha's Pore Perfecting Water Gel claims to offer 'ultralight, oil-balancing hydration', and 'features Japanese Wild Rose, Leopard Lily and Dokudami extracts to balance and clarify skin, while visibly tightening pores in 28 days'. There's also a fine 23 karat gold dust suspended in the formula, which aims to impart a shine-free glow to the skin. The ingredients list includes lots of lovely botanical extracts (green tea, rice, chamomile, licorice, silk, algae) as well as glycerin, propanediol and squalane from olive oil. The product comes in a sleek pistachio green glass bottle with a hygenic pump dispenser, and the gel itself has a definite herbal scent (maybe the closest to chamomile tea?) that dissipates quickly once on the skin - there's no artifical fragrance in this. One pump is sufficient for my whole face.

The Water Gel is especially recommended for normal, combination to oily skin types or to be used as a primer prior to make-up application. Unfortunately, after testing it in every way I could think of, I have to conclude it just doesn't work for my combination skin. Yes, the texture is a liquidy gel and it seems like it should absorb quickly into the skin - but for me, it just never fully sinks in, no matter how long I wait. Every time I tested it, the Water Gel left an unpleasant sticky residue on my face. It definitely hydrates my skin, but I just can't get over the feel of it on my face, and if I attempt to use it in combination with another hydrating serum underneath or even my regular sunscreen over the top, the end result is way too tacky, heavy and shiny. I also haven't noticed any improvement in the appearance of my pores; if anything, the shiny finish accentuates them under my make-up (there's no glitter or sparkle though so rest assured - I can't see any shimmer particles once I apply it to my face, it's just the actual shiny finish of the gel itself). It also doesn't prolong the wear of my make-up at all - on the contrary, I can see my foundation breaking down on the T-zone faster than with other moisturizers. In comparison, the Tatcha Overnight Memory Serum Concentrate (reviewed here), aimed for evening use and dry & dehydrated skin types, feels less sticky and more comfortable on my skin than the Pore Perfecting Water Gel. Yes, it doesn't really make sense - but such is my personal experience with this product.

I am not saying that the Pore Perfecting Water Gel is a bad moisturizer and you shouldn't give it a try - I'm saying it simply doesn't work for me. Skincare can be weird like that; maybe one of the key ingredients in this product just doesn't mesh well with my skin. But since I haven't really seen any negative - or uhm, even lukewarm - reviews of the Water Gel in the blogosphere, I wanted to add my thoughts into the mix. Have you already tried the Pore Perfecting Water Gel? Have you ever purchased a hyped-up product that just didn't work for your skin?

Disclaimer: Product featured in this post is a press sample I received from the brand's PR for review consideration. All links are non-affiliate. All opinions are 100% honest and unbiased, no matter if the product featured was purchased with my own money or provided free of charge. Thank you for reading! 

Natural Matte: Kat Von D Lock-it Setting Powder* & Setting Powder Brush* Review

This just goes to show what a bad beauty blogger I am - previously to having been sent the new Kat Von D Beauty Lock-it Setting Powder in Translucent* ($30 for 0.67 oz/ 19g) and the accompanying Lock-it Setting Powder Brush* ($38 each), I hadn't owned a loose face powder. I know the beauty sphere is all abuzz with the baking techniques and what not, but yeah... I was not on board of that particular bandwagon.

It's been such a nice change of pace though to once again experiment with setting my face using a loose powder. My loose face powder experience is a little limited - I only used Makeup For Ever HD (disliked) & bareMinerals Mineral Veil (alright) in the past - so I was curious to see how the Kat Von D Lock-it would perform on my combination skin type. The product comes in a generous 19g jar with a screw-on lid and a sifter (how do you like that star-shaped design?); very sturdy and straightforward although I wish there was an option to close the sifter for travel/ storage like in the Laura Mercier loose powders. This powder comes in one universal Translucent shade; in the jar, it looks very fair with a slight yellow undertone, but it is colorless on my fair skin (can't comment how it would perform on deep skintones - best to give it a swatch at Sephora). The product is also vegan, cruelty- and fragrance-free.

 The claims for the Lock-it Setting Powder include a 'smooth, seamless look' thanks to more weightless mica powders used in the formula, 'softly diffused pores' and a 'velvety matte finish'. For setting the entire face, the brand recommends the Lock-it Setting Powder Brush (reviewed below), while for the purpose of under-eye baking or setting, they've created a Precision Powder Brush. When you take a closer look at the INCI list, mica is indeed the first ingredient, followed by talc - beware if you're allergic. The powder also contains corn starch, jojoba esters and soybean oil.

As for the performance of this powder on my face after testing it for over a month, I like it but I'm not entirely in love with it. What I like is that indeed, this powder feels more lightweight and less chalky on my skin than something like the silica-based MUFE HD. I also enjoy the soft matte finish; it's definitely not a dry, flat matte but it still helps to blur the appearance of pores or skin texture. When used lightly with the brand's Setting Powder Brush, it does set and prolong the wear of my foundation but it doesn't completely stop the oilies from coming through a few hours after application (which is more or less standard across all setting/ mattifying powders I've tried to date). And while I can't quite push myself to do a proper heavy 'bake' with the Lock-it powder on my face, I have tried a more low-key version - setting my T-zone and under-eye area by pressing the powder into the skin on a damp Beautyblender. I was quite pleasantly surprised by the results; I expected my face to look cakey but instead I got a smooth, natural-looking velvet finish that managed to diffuse the pores on the center of my face as well as fine lines under my eyes. I've also noticed that I got a lot less shiny throughout the day when I used this method. So I guess low-key baking is my new favorite thing :)

And while a damp Beautyblender seems to give me more impressive results when used with the Lock-it Setting Powder, that is not to say that I don't like the Kat Von D Setting Powder Brush. Quite the opposite in fact; it's a beautiful, high-quality, soft, fluffy powder brush that's fantastic for lightly dusting the face, getting rid of excess product or even blending out a strong blush, bronzer or contour. Like other brushes in the Kat Von D range, it's synthetic with a long, tapered acrylic handle.

The shape of the bristles is a little different than a standard large domed face powder brush; instead, it's more elongated and a little less dense/ more floppy than what you may be used to. It just so happens that I have two other brushes with similar shapes - the Zoeva 101 Luxe Face Definer (reviewed here) is slightly stiffer, more dense and comes to more of a point, while the DUcare Powder Brush from their 10 Piece Essential Travel Collection has shorter bristles and a rounder dome profile. While I enjoy using my Zoeva for bronzer or contour, the Kat Von D Setting Powder Brush definitely feels softer and gentler for setting my whole face, and it picks up just the right amount of powder.

Overall, I like both of these Lock-it Setting products from Kat Von D, and they've become new staples in my everyday make-up bag. I do enjoy the increased versatility that a loose setting powder has to offer in comparison to a regular pressed one (being able to use it as a base under foundation, to lightly set over liquid bases, and to 'low-key bake') but I'll stick to my powder compacts for travel and touch-ups. The brush is a lovely addition to my collection and I'd definitely recommend it if you're looking for high-quality synthetic bristles. Now tell me - do you do the bake? Or only when we're talking about muffins, scones, cookies and cakes?

Disclaimer: Items marked with an asterix (*) are press samples I received from Influenster for testing purposes. All links are non-affiliate. All opinions are 100% honest and unbiased, no matter if the products featured were purchased with my own monies or provided free of charge. Thank you for reading!

ILIA Fall 2016 Lipsticks* Review: The Brides, Madam Mina and Lucy's Party

I posted an Instagram sneak peak of these gorgeous lipsticks from Ilia Beauty's Fall 2016 Collection a while back and I know some of you have been impatiently waiting for the full review; I just wanted to, you know, have some alone time with them before sharing with the world wide web ;) But now that we're all more into the autumnal frame of mind, allow me to introduce the three beautiful sisters: The Brides*, Madam Mina* and Lucy's Party* ($26 for 0.14 oz/ 4g each, currently available at iliabeauty.com).

Ilia's Lipsticks come packaged in their signature eggplant-colored carboard packaging, with the shade name indicated both on the outer box and the bottom label of the lipstick. I'm not a 100% sure on this, but I believe lipsticks from the same collection all share the same color of the bottom label - or at least these Fall 2016 ones have different color labels than the two other Ilia lipsticks I own from the permanent line. The bullet themselves are housed in simple but elegant aluminum cases with a lid that clicks on securely. These lipsticks are not scented, but to my nose smell similar to the brand's Multi-Sticks (here's my review of the shade A Fine Romance) or Illuminators (Polka Dots & Moonbeams reviewed here); meaning there's a subtle nutty rose fragrance there that doesn't linger or overpower.

Ilia Beauty describes their Lipsticks as having a 'creamy semi-matte finish' and feature a blend of organic ingredients such as castor, sesame and sunflower oils, beeswax, cocoa butter, rosehip oil and Vitamin E. Since I haven't talked about Ilia's Lipstick formula previously on the blog, let me touch on that first and then I'll show you the three shades in more detail.

L-R: Ilia Fall 2016 Lipsticks in The Brides, Madam Mina and Lucy's Party

Ilia Lipsticks have a thin, smooth consistency that reminds me the most of another natural lipstick I've reviewed recently, the Pacifica Devocean (here) - or something like the old elf Mineral Lipsticks. They're less creamy/ soft than most lipstick ranges on the market; to give you an idea, they are very different from buttery, high slip lipsticks such as Revlon Superlustrous range, NARS Audacious, YSL Rouge Pur Coutures or BITE High Pigment Lip Pencils. Ilia's Lipsticks are a lot more firm in the bullet and have a bit more tug on the lips when applied; nothing unpleasant but if you love a ton of pigment at the lightest swipe, these may not be for you. Personally, I find this type of thinner, more lightweight and somewhat less opaque lipstick formula a lot easier to wear and touch up throughout the day, and these Ilia lipsticks are also longer wearing and kinder on my vertical lip lines than those super creamy textures.

I also haven't noticed them drying out my lips, although the slight moisture they add right after application will absorb within a couple hours - so if you like the feel of a some kind of product on your lips at all times, top up with a lip balm or add another layer of the lipstick. I would describe all three of these lipsticks as having medium pigmentation and a natural satin finish, no shimmer whatsoever. Overall, I really enjoy this lipstick formula, and it's made its way to the front of my make-up drawer.

The three shades in the Fall 2016 line-up were all inspired by the various characters in the Francis Ford Coppola's movie 'Dracula'. To be completely honest, the first time I saw the name 'Madam Mina', I immediately thought of the Leslie Nielsen spoof movie 'Dracula: Dead and Loving It' and the hilarious hypnosis scene. Oh well - me and my pedestrian references ;) The lightest of the three shades, The Brides, is described as a 'pink tan', but I also saw on the brand's Instagram that it was being called a 'warm peachy nude'. What is it then - a pink, a peach, a pinky peach?

I guess that would depend mostly on your skintone; to my eye in the bullet, it's more of a warm peach, and on my lips it looks like a tan nude with a hint of peach. In case you're curious how it looks like on a completely different skintone than mine, check out Larie's review with swatches here. In terms of depth, this is somewhere between a wearable, darker nude and a My Lip But Better shade on my fair skintone.

Madam Mina, described as a blush mauve, is a little darker and more cool-toned than The Brides. It definitely veers more into the My Lips But Better territory, but again, on my cool undertone complexion, it doesn't really look very mauve or blush and instead pulls more of a warm browny rose.

It's lighter and less pink than something like BITE Rhubarb or the YSL Rose Stiletto, reviewed here.  I don't think it's too warm on me, but be aware that if you have a light skintone with cool undertones, it probably won't be a mauve shade on you - which for me is actually the case with very many 'mauve' lipsticks.

Lastly, the vampy gloriousness of Lucy's Party, described as 'a deep, oxblood red' or 'bold pinot noir' shade. Now in her review, Larie said this was a neutral red shade on her; on me, as you can hopefully see in the face shot, it's a darker red that pulls just a bit cool, especially when blottted down or worn in a thinner layer. I think oxblood is a pretty good description; and would you know that my husband actually called this shade 'vampiric' when I put it on (uhm, excuse me, like that's a bad thing?). I think this just proves Ilia knew what they were doing when they formulated this shade :) Despite the boldness of Lucy's Party, I actually found this shade quite easy to wear - there was no bleeding or feathering and the lipstick faded evenly after eating, leaving behind a pretty red stain.

Here are all the three shades swatched next to each other so that you can see the shade difference between The Brides and Madam Mina more clearly. To be honest, if I were deliberating which shades to get from the Ilia Fall 2016 collection, I would pick up either The Brides or Madam Mina but not both - for whatever reason, on my lips they end up looking not too dissimilar. Also, in case you were wondering, there's no discernible difference in the performance or formula of these lipsticks across the three shades, which is sometimes the case with other brands. All three are the same level of lovely.

L-R: Ilia Lipsticks in The Brides, Madam Mina and Lucy's Party

In their Fall 2016 collection, Ilia also released a few new vegan make-up brushes, out of which I have the Defining Lip Brush* ($28 each, available here) to show you. It's a synthetic Taklon pencil shape brush with a cap that can be attached to the bottom of the brush to prolong the handle for ease of application on the go.

To be perfectly honest, I rarely reach for lip brushes and I certainly don't think you need one for Ilia's Lipstick formula (even for the face shot wearing the vampy Lucy's Party I just applied straight from the bullet). I was a little surprised by the shape of Ilia's brush - the ferrule is round and not pinched/ flat like for other lip brushes I've seen, but the pointy tip allows for a lot of precision in application and the bristles are soft and comfortable even on my dry and sensitive lips. I also really like this brush for highlighting the inner corners of my eyes with powder or cream shadow - obviously not right after I used it to apply my lipstick ;)

Whew, now that was a bit of a lengthy read, wasn't it? Hopefully this post satisfies your curiosity about Ilia's Fall 2016 shade line-up and their Lipstick formula in general. I have also received one of the brand's cult Tinted Lip Conditioners to review, so keep your eyes peeled for that in a couple weeks. Which shade speaks to you the most out of Ilia's Fall Collection?

Disclaimer:  Products featured in this post are press samples I received from the brand's PR for review consideration. All links are non-affiliate. All opinions are 100% honest and unbiased, no matter if the product featured was purchased with my own money or provided free of charge. Thank you for reading!

New Staple: Kat Von D Lock-it Concealer Crème* & Edge Concealer Brush* Review

It's been so nice this month to have a few brand new products to play with in my everyday make-up routine, especially after reaching for the same old, same old from my 4 months-long Project Pan. While making a concentrated effort to use up older concealers in my stash, I came to the conclusion that I was no longer happy with how they were performing on my skin and I was more than ready to find a new staple for my daily make-up bag. Lo and behold, my wishes have been answered when I was selected to review the new Kat Von D Beauty Lock-it Concealer Crème* in the shades L3 Warm and L5 Neutral ($26 for 0.22 oz, available at Sephora and katvondbeauty.com), together with the brand's Edge Concealer Brush* ($24 each).

You may find this hard to believe but these are my first products I've ever tried from Kat Von D Beauty. I was strongly tempted by a few other items in the past (in fact, I gifted my BFF her Shade & Light Eye Palette for Christmas and she really loves it!) but never actually pulled the trigger. The brand has been generating a lot of buzz for the past few years and it's easy to see why: great shade range and broad availability, staying on top of the trends and building customer loyalty through consistently high quality products (ekhm - maybe with the exception of those now discontinued blush duos). So yeah, I don't really know why I never purchased anything from the brand, especially that it has a major plus for me personally - it caters to a wide range of skintones including very, very fair, and I mean even fairer than me in the middle of the winter.

In the past I wasn't feeling very inspired by KVD's design aesthetic but I have to say that once I unpacked my new goodies, I found myself really drawn to the look of these products. I like the black and silver color scheme, the Gothic lettering, the wax seals for the logo on the boxes and the ink drop on the actual concealer tubes (all of those things combined remind me of the World of Darkness role-playing games I used to play, especially Vampire: The Masquerade).

But the designs are also practical; the concealers have labels on the bottom indicating the shades, and most of the tube's been kept clear to allow you to see the shade inside at a glance. Moreover, these Lock-it Concealer Crèmes have very good stoppers that dispense just the right amount of product onto the applicator and prevent any messes or spilling at the neck of the bottle. I'm also quite fond of the shape of the doe foot itself: it tapers down towards the tip, allowing for a more precise application.

The product claims for the Lock-it Concealer Crème include 24-hour wear, instant full coverage, smooth, even finish, and a crease-proof but hydrating formula (it does contain glycerin and hyaluronic acid). It is meant to be used for all areas of the face (and body): under the eyes, on blemishes and discoloration, and even to contour and bake (huh?!). These sound like rather lofty goals to me, so obviously I was very curious to see if the concealer actually performs to such a high standard.

After 3 weeks of testing this concealer in different conditions, I now feel I have a pretty good grasp of how it works on my skin and for my individual needs. I have worn it under the eyes, on blemishes and hyperpigmented/ red areas of the face, alone and layered with other concealers, on top of two different eye creams, on its own as well as set with powder. The final verdict is that I really like it, although it's not my Holy Grail (still remains to be found). My review is pretty much a comparison to my previous staple, the NARS Radiant Creamy Concealer, which is also a high coverage cream concealer with a doe foot that can be used for under the eyes as well as spot concealing.

Between the NARS RCC and the Lock-It, I do prefer the Kat Von D. It has a slightly thinner texture with maybe a touch less coverage that I personally find much more flattering on the skin. With the NARS concealer, I had to be very mindful of the amount I was using because anything more than a tiny dot would result in a cakey, dry, aged-looking under eye area, and it would also crease and gather in my fine lines quite a bit by the end of the day. I liked the NARS a lot more on hyperpigmented spots and blemishes, but again had to be careful because it had a tendency to look heavy and textured. The Kat Von D Lock-It Concealer Crème looks a lot more natural and seamless on my skin and I do find my under eyes look more rested & hydrated after application than with the NARS. However, it performs slightly worse on blemishes than the NARS RCC; it seems a little too emollient and can slide off the area if not applied properly; I like best to quickly dot it around my problem spots, wait for a few minutes, and then come back and blend it into my foundation. The Concealer Crème also definitely benefits from setting with powder (I've tested it with both MAC Blotting Powder and the Kat Von D Lock-it Setting Powder*, review coming soon), both on the face and under the eyes, where it unfortunately still creases for me - but I have yet to find an under eye concealer that doesn't crease.

L-R: KVD Lock-It Concealer in L5 Neutral, KVD Lock-It Concealer in L3 Warm, NARS Radiant Creamy Concealer in Chantilly, Surratt Beauty Concealer in no.2

As for the shade match, both Light 3 Warm and Light 5 Neutral are currently great matches for my very slightly darker summer skin tone. In theory, depending on your undertones, one shade should work better for the under eyes and the other for elsewhere on the face, but in practice, I have found very little difference in how L3 Warm and L5 Neutral look once blended in. As you can see from my arm swatch, both are definitely darker than my NARS Radiant Creamy Concealer in Chantilly (but both of them are the same depth, regardless of the L-number); if you're looking for something truly fair, KVD also offers the shade Light 1 (Neutral) as well as a pure white shade (White Out).

I have also been very pleasantly surprised by the KVD Edge Concealer Brush*, and it has quickly become my favorite tool to blend out concealer on larger areas of the face (under the eyes, around the nose).

It's a dense duo-fiber synthetic brush with a pinched ferrule but a cut tapered edge; hopefully you can see what I mean in the close-up photo. When I first saw the shape, I thought it was a little gimmicky - I remember when Sigma first came out with their 3DHD brushes, which for the most part weren't reviewed very favorably. However, in the case of the KVD Edge Concealer Brush, I do think this design works very well - the sharper edge allows you to get very close to the contours of your eye/ nose without sacrificing softness or blendability.

I also enjoy the larger size of this concealer brush; compared to my other concealer blending brushes, you can see that the head of the KVD one is much wider, which allows it to cover a larger area quickly. The bristles are not as dense as to drag the product around (as is the case with my Zoeva Concealer Buffer) and the brush can be used both with a stippling and a buffing motion. Overall, I find the quality of this brush to be very good - I've washed it several times since receiving it and there's been no shedding nor any other issues. One thing that takes some getting used to is the length of the handle - most brushes I own are much shorter so I sometimes find myself hitting my mirror with the brush's end. But the elongated, narrowing shape certainly looks very cool... or even slightly lethal :)

I hope you enjoyed this rather lengthy review of these new products from Kat Von D; I realize they're gathering a lot of interest at the moment so I wanted to cover most potential questions. If there's anything else you'd like to know about these, please ask in the comments, and stay tuned for my review of the Lock-it Setting Powder* and Lock-it Setting Powder Brush*. Thank you for reading!

Disclaimer: Products marked with an asterix (*) are press samples I received for free from Influenster for testing purposes. All links are non-affiliate. All opinions are 100% honest and unbiased, no matter if the products featured were purchased with my own monies or provided free of charge. Thank you for reading!

No More Dry Skin: TATCHA Overnight Memory Serum Concentrate*

I mentioned in my Evening Skincare Routine post (here) that I've been using a new product from TATCHA's Luminous range for a while now - the Overnight Memory Serum Concentrate* ($110 for 50ml/ 1.7 fl. oz), so it's high time to give you my thoughts on it.

The Overnight Memory Serum claims to 'restore hydration, refine texture and visibly plump fine lines' thanks to Okinawa Red Algae and 7 botanical extracts. It also contains quite a few plant oils (squalane from olive oil, rice germ and camellia), as well as glycerin and royal jelly. The serum can also be used in a fine layer to add extra glow during the day; Tatcha says this is the ultra-concentrated version of their cult Dewy Skin Mist, and recommends using one to two spoonfuls per application.

Why the golden spoon, I hear you ask - isn't that a bit gimmicky? While it certainly adds to the luxurious appeal of the heavy glass jar, it's actually very useful to scoop out product as Tatcha's newest serum has a very interesting texture: it is in fact a jelly. The serum wobbles amusingly in the pot when shaken, which really reminds me of panna cotta, but curiously once you scoop out a little, the surface evens itself out within a couple minutes. The jelly turns to watery gel when picked up with your fingers, and spreads easily and evenly on the face. I appreciate the novelty factor of this packaging and texture, but to be honest, I think it does take more time and effort than just pumping a blob from a bottle, so there's that.

The serum has a faint herbal scent that dissipates quickly, and is suitable for all skin types, including sensitive skins. I have been applying it most nights for the past three months, and here's what I think: this is another damn good product from Tatcha (see my reviews of their One Step Camellia Cleansing Oil & Rice Enzyme Polish here, as well as Camellia Beauty Oil and Nourishing Lip Balm here. Oh, and I also really like their Deep Hydration Firming Eye Serum). I'm sorry - at this price point I wish I could tell you to save your money - but it really is effective and makes a noticeable difference in my skin. In simplest terms, I haven't had any dry patches or flakes on my face since I started using the Overnight Memory Serum. None. I used to always, always have a few flakes around my nose but those are completely gone now, and I can't remember the last time I had to worry about dry, crusty skin on my face.

So in terms of hydration and moisturization, Tatcha's serum wins in spades. Because my skin is now so hydrated, it also looks more plump and glowy overall - but if you were hoping for a brightening effect as in reduced hyperpigmentation, I don't think this serum really targets those issues. My other miniscule gripe with this product is that now that we've entered the hot and humid months, it's actually a bit too moisturizing; it doesn't absorb all the way into my skin leaving a bit of a tacky layer, even when used in a small amount and without a moisturizer over the top, and in the morning my skin is quite oily. It hasn't however caused any breakouts or clogging - it's just that I don't really enjoy the feel of  heavy layers on my face in this damn heat, which is also why I don't use a facial oil in the summer. Personally, for my combination skin, Tatcha's Overnight Memory Serum Concentrate is a godsend in the winter, but a bit OTT in the summer.

I'd say that if your skin is oily, I'd skip the Memory Serum altogether and maybe go for something like their just released Pore Perfecting Water Gel Moisturizer (I haven't tried it myself though - just pointing out there are other products in the range geared towards combo and oily skin). If your skin type is combination/ normal but seasonally dehydrated, or dry - by all means, get yourself a jar and watch your flaky skin disappear. While the price point is quite high, one jar should last you a really long time - mine doesn't even look like it's been used. What is your favorite hydrating serum for night time? Do you prefer jar packaging or a pump bottle?

TATCHA Overnight Memory Serum Concentrate is available on tatcha.com here (complimentary shipping and returns in the US as well as a deluxe sample gift on your first order) as well as at Sephora, Barneys and QVC.

Disclaimer: Product featured in this post is a press sample I received from the brand's PR for review consideration. All links are non-affiliate. All opinions are 100% honest and unbiased, no matter if the product featured were purchased with my own money or provided free of charge. Thank you for reading!

Summer Proof Mascara: Shiseido Full Lash Volume Review

Summer heat and humidity is already upon us here in New York, which creates the perfect conditions to test the wear of a make-up product. Having recently finished off my sample tubes of mascara, I dug this one out of my stash: the Shiseido Full Lash Volume Mascara in Black ($25 for 8ml/ 0.29 oz). I haven't had great luck with Asian mascara in the past (click here for my review of Heroine Make Volume & Curl) but they do often wear much longer than the ones from Western brands, so I thought now would be the perfect time to give the Shiseido a try.

The mascara is packaged in an interesting 'twisted' tube, which reminds me of the Frank Gehry building in Lower Manhattan. It's quite sleek and not too bulky, something I really appreciate in make-up packaging in general. The brush itself has a curved shape with lots of short natural bristles all the way around; nothing innovative but very functional nonetheless.

Shiseido's Full Lash Volume promises 'flexible' volume (whatever that means) with a natural-looking curl and soft, touchable finish. It also claims to separate lashes for a 'stunning fan effect' with no clumps. All of those things sound great to me, but does the product actually deliver?

Well, yes and no. The formula of this mascara is a bit on the wet side right when you open the packaging, but now that I've been using it for about three weeks, it has definitely dried out to a significant degree. The brush is designed very well to separate lashes from roots to tips, but as the time goes by, I have noticed more and more clumping. I would say the volume I get from this mascara is quite good, but nothing dramatic - I usually have to build it up in two coats, and really concentrate the tip of the brush, which has more mascara on it than the rest of the brush, on my outer lashes to get any product there.

I don't find that the curved shape of this brush gives my lashes any more curl - if anything, I think they look a bit less curled than they usually do, maybe because of the wetness of the formula? Another downside is that I don't think it actually fans out lashes very well; they seem to all go in one direction instead. However, where this mascara absolutely excels for me is the wear. As you may remember, my perpetual struggle with mascara is getting transfer onto my browbone, and I have had absolutely no smearing there. I also haven't noticed any flakes or fading throughout the day. I would have thought this mascara was waterproof if it weren't for the fact that it's also very easy to remove at the end of the day with just about any make-up remover/ facial cleanser.

Top: bare uncurled lashes, bottom: after 2 coats of Shiseido Full Lash Volume

All in all, I really enjoy not having to worry about flaking or smudging when I wear this mascara, although I have used other mascaras in the past that have given my lashes a fuller, longer and more dramatic look. While it's not my Holy Grail, I may revisit it next summer if I don't find anything better with similar longevity. Have you tried any mascaras from Shiseido? What is your favorite mascara to wear in the summertime?