Casual Red: ILIA Tinted Lip Conditioner in Bang Bang*

Oh, hai - I'm that beauty blogger you used to follow who all of a sudden kinda disappeared off the face of the Internet. But seriously, I know I said I'd like to start posting more a few posts back, and then couldn't get my sh*t together for the entire month of March, but hey - life's not easy with very little sleep. Anyway, I'm not here to talk about THAT; instead, I've wanted to show you my favorite red as of late.

You may remember I was quite a fan of ILIA Beauty Lipsticks that I first tried last year, and after that discovery, my interest was piqued and I couldn't wait to get my hands on one of the brand's cult products, the Tinted Lip Conditioner* ($26 for 0.14 oz/ 4g, available on Ilia's website here, as well as at Sephora). I asked my lovely PR person for the shade Bang Bang, hoping for a brightening red suitable for everyday wear, and I wasn't disappointed.

In terms of formula of the ILIA's Tinted Lip Conditioner, I would actually refer you to my review of their Lipsticks (here). That's right - I don't find that there's major difference in texture between the two. The Lip Conditioner is a rather firm lip product, very unlike my other favorite sheer lip formula, the Fresh Sugar Lip Treatment (here's my review of the shade Tulip in case you're curious). Ilia's tinted balm is waxier and feels a lot thinner on the lips than the Fresh, so if you find that the latter is too slippery for your liking, you'd be much happier with Ilia's Lip Conditioner.

I was also quite surprised at the level of pigmentation in Ilia's 'sheer' formula - maybe it's down to the shade, but I found Bang Bang to be nearly as opaque as Ilia's Lipstick range. You will get a more translucent look with one of two layers of both the Tinted Lip Conditioner AND the Lipstick; I've built up several layers of both products in my arm swatch, and you can see that the Lipstick is more pigmented, but you could also keep on going with the Tinted Lip Conditioner for near full opacity. That's exactly what the brand intended though so no complaints here - just know that if you're picking one of the brighter shades in the Tinted Lip Conditioner range, you won't get a 'barely there' tint but rather a nice pop of color.

L-R: Ilia Tinted Lip Conditioner in Bang Bang, Aveda Nourish-Mint Lip Gloss in Chuparosa, Ilia Lipstick in Lucy's Party

Bang Bang is a neutral classic red - on my cool-toned skin it reads rather warm, but I think it still suits my coloring, and would be a great choice for nearly all skintones. I actually love experimenting with mixing and layering Bang Bang with other lip products; I loved doing a gradient lip with the above-mentioned Fresh Sugar balm in Tulip, and I also think it looks great mixed in with my other favorite from Ilia, the Multi-Stick in Fine Romance (reviewed here).

There you go - I hope you enjoyed this little review of another product from Ilia's range. In case you were not aware, Sephora US now carries a few more Ilia products, including my beloved Multi-Sticks, as well as most of their lip range: regular Lipsticks, the Tinted Lip Conditioners, AND Lipstick Crayons. All of these products can be found here (non-affiliate link). I'm myself very tempted to purchase At Last, a dusty rose in the Multi-Stick formula, during the spring sale event :) What have you got on your wishlists at the moment? I'd love to know!

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!

Customized Lashes: Pacifica Beauty Dream Big Mascara* Review

Have you ever tried one of those customizable mascara wands? You know - like those brushes that are actually two in one - a large one for volume, and a small one for definition - or a newer version, where you twist the top of the cap to change the length of the wand and the distance between the bristles. While I'd always been curious about this type of mascara, I've actually never pulled the trigger to try it, fearing it would be more of a gimmick than a useful feature. So I was quite skeptical yet interested when I was given a chance to test the new Pacifica Beauty Dream Big Lash Extending 7 in 1 Mascara in the shade Black Magic* ($16 for 0.25 oz).

Right of the bat, let's choose to ignore the '7 in 1' claim. Pacifica is basically trying to convey this mascara will change your make-up life: on top of volumizing, lengthening and lifting up your lashes, the Dream Big mascara contains a conditioning lash serum. There are two settings you can use for the wand - the 'Length' setting elongates the brush and moves the bristles more further apart, whereas the 'Volume' setting shortens the wand and makes the bristles more dense.

Left: Wand at the Volume setting, right: Length setting

I'll get right to the heart of this review: I quite like this Dream Big mascara, despite my initial wariness. HOWEVER. Frankly speaking, I don't see any difference in terms of look or performance on my lashes between the Length and Volume settings. In both cases, the result of applying two coats of this mascara is pretty much the same: nicely separated lashes with a bit of extra volume and length. If you like va-va-voom lashes, this is not a mascara for you. It definitely gives more of a natural daytime look, and if your lashes are already pretty good or you dislike to see product on your lashes, I'd say to give it a try. But if you're hoping for a more dramatic effect, I think the Dream Big would leave you disappointed.

Top: bare uncurled lashes, bottom: two coats of Pacifica Dream Big Mascara

The formula itself is perhaps a bit on the wetter side, and I tend to get a glob of product on the tip of the wand every time I open up the tube. But thanks to the rubber bristles, it doesn't clump up on the lashes too much unless I really rush my application. The mascara also wears well throughout the day; I don't get the dreadful smudging under my browbone but I've noticed it can sometimes flake a little bit, especially if I happen to touch my eye area by accident.

All in all, if you're looking for a natural - both in terms of effect and ingredients' list - mascara, the Dream Big from Pacifica is a great option. Like all Pacifica's products, it's also vegan and cruelty-free. Green beauty addicts, what is your favorite brand for mascara? From what I understand, mascara is a more difficult product to get right if you want something with clean ingredients, so I'd love to hear some recommendations from you!

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!

Aveda Fall 2016 Fōklôr Make-up Collection: Single Eye Colors* and Eye Definers* Review & Swatches

Even though I haven't been wearing a lot of eye make-up lately, I was instantly inspired by the eyeshadows in the Aveda's Fall/ Winter 2016 Foklor Make-up Collection to try some new color combinations on my eyes. The Fōklôr Collection was designed with two eye looks in mind: Sage Smoke, using the Petal Essence Single Eye Colors* in 981 Balsam and 980 Dusted Sage, and Risør Rose with Eye Colors in 982 Chia and 983 Rose Quartz ($15 for a single pan).

I've actually never tried any make-up products from Aveda or even heard much about them in the blogosphere, so I was even more interested to test out the contents of the PR package I was sent. First of all, I was plesantly surprised to see that Aveda's Single Eye Colors are available in pan form - I pretty much depot all of my singles into a free form palette anyway, so to me, single pans without a compact are the most convenient.

Let's start with the Risør Rose color scheme. Chia no. 982 is a very dark brown aubergine shade with a matte finish. In the pan, it looks more like a satin, but it applied matte both in my arm swatch and on the eyes. Out of the four eyeshadows I tested, I was the least impressed with the formula of Chia. The texture is quite stiff and dry and overall, I find this shadow poorly pigmented. I couldn't achieve any depth of color on the eyes even despite multiple layers, and I felt like what I did manage to apply faded significantly throughout the day (tested on top of Too Faced Shadow Insurance).

Rose Quartz no. 983 fared a bit better, although I would also classify it as a rather lightly pigmented shadow. It's a warm rose shade with gold and orange shimmer/ microglitter particles, which gives it somewhat of a rose gold feel on the eyes. Again, the texture wasn't very creamy and I had to press my brush quite hard into the pan to get enough powder on the bristles.

I had much better experience with the two eyeshadows from the Sage Smoke colorway. Balsam no. 981 is a cool-toned dark emerald green with a matte finish. In my heavy arm swatch (applied with a finger), this shadow looks very uneven and patchy, but I found that it applied quite well on the eyes, although again, it's not the darkest, most pigmented green out there. The formula is still quite dry but softer and easier to pick up from the pan.

I was possibly the most excited to try Dusted Sage no. 980. The name of this shadow is spot-on: it is indeed a muted, silvery light sage with a satin or a lightly pearlized finish. However, I was a bit underwhelmed with this eyeshadow's performance: again, it's very lightly pigmented and also quite hard and dry in the pan, which makes it difficult to build it up on the eyes. On my cool-toned skin, it also surprisingly turned a bit more warm than I expected; I couldn't see much of that silvery sheen.

I also received two shades of Petal Essence Eye Definers* ($17 each for 0.04 oz/1.14 g) included in the Fōklôr Collection: Gypsum Gold no. 981 and Slate Shimmer no. 980. Gypsum Gold is a warm gold (pearl/ metallic finish), while Slate Shimmer is a deep charcoal with silver shimmer. In terms of formula, Aveda's Eye Definers seem to be the more standard khol formula for an eye pencil; they're quite firm and don't glide on nearly as easily as the gel-like formulas (e.g. Urban Decay or Pixi) I usually go for. This formula also doesn't really set, although I didn't have issues with either Gypsum Gold or Slate Shimmer migrating throughout the day.

Again, I wish both of these eye pencils were a bit more pigmented; I had to go over my lines several times for the colors to show up properly. I used Gypsum Gold to brighten inner corners of my eyes in combination with the two shadows from the Risor Rose look; however, the overall effect was so sheer and subtle that it didn't even register properly on my camera. I had better luck with Slate Shimmer, which I used in my interpretation of the Sage Smoke look below; I applied a very fine line along my upper lashline and to tightline. I don't think you can really see the silver shimmer all that much but I used it very sparingly - it would show up if I drew a thicker line or blended it out with a brush.

I had a lot of fun playing with eye products included in Aveda's Fall/ Winter 2016 collection, but I have to say I wasn't overly impressed with their performance. I understand that not all eyeshadows have to be deeply pigmented and a lot of make-up wearers prefer sheerer washes of color, but even so I found the dry and hard texture quite difficult to work with. I also prefer the newer gel-like eyeliner pencils to the khol formula, although if you like khols, I think these are a nice option and I love the subtle silver sparkle in the Slate Shimmer shade.

In the photo above, I'm wearing Dusted Sage all over the mobile lid with Balsam in the outer corner; I blended out the crease with Velvet Revolver from Too Faced for a more seamless transition. Like I mentioned earlier, I applied the Eye Definer in Slate Shimmer in a fine line along my upper lashline. On the rest of my face, I'm wearing Clinique Cheek Pop in Heather Pop on the cheeks and Aveda's Nourish-mint Rehydrating Lip Glaze in Pink Lupine* on the lips together with NYX Lip Liner in Nude Suede Shoes. For the base, I used Missha Perfect Cover BB Cream set with bareMinerals Mineral Veil, and NARS Radiant Creamy Concealer in Chantilly under the eyes, and defined my brows with Shu Uemura Hard Pencil in Seal Brown.

What eyeshadow shades have been inspiring you lately? Are you all about the warm neutral trend, or do you wear bolder color accents?

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! 

Neal's Yard Organic x Deliciously Ella: Rose, Lime & Cucumber Facial Wash* and Moisturizer* Reviews

Remember that White Tea Facial Spray from NYR Organic that I liked so much (here)? I'd never tried any other skincare from the brand but that my experience definitely piqued my interest, so when I was sent Neal's Yard's newest collaboration with Deliciously Ella, I was eager to give it a try. I'll be the first to admit here that I had no idea who Deliciously Ella was - turns out she's a UK plant-based food blogger, entrepreneur and healthy lifestyle advocate, and since her values align so much with what NYR is all about, it makes a lot of sense why they would come together for this project.

Two products suitable for all skin types were born out of this collaboration: the Rose, Lime & Cucumber Facial Wash* ($25 for 3.38 fl oz/ 100ml) and the Rose, Lime & Cucumber Facial Moisturizer* ($40 for 3.38 fl oz/100 ml). Both are packaged in beautiful limited edition boxes adorned with drawings of roses, cucumber and lime slices, while the product is housed in NYR's signature blue glass bottles with a pump mechanism. I was a bit surprised to see that both products are the same volume; I feel like most people would use more of the face wash than the moisturizer and brands usually cater to that, but I guess it doesn't really make a huge difference in the long run.

As you would expect, a big selling point for these Deliciously Ella face products is their refreshing rose, lime and cucumber scent. Unfortunately, I have to say that for me, the combination of these three notes isn't the most pleasant, and I've actually had a similar experience before with the Fresh Soy and Lotus ranges, which I believe are rose & cucumber scented. There's something about cucumber and rose together - maybe the leafy aspect of rose geranium essential oil, which both products contain - that makes me smell dill pickles, and it's a bit hard to ignore that connotation once it sinks in. My husband, who's roadtesting the Facial Wash with me, said the fragrance reminded him of weeds. Either way and regardless of the pickles, I do believe you're going to smell a very earthy, herbal type of rose cucumber scent and not a zesty and floral rose, so bear that in mind if fragrance is your priority.

Let's start with the Facial Wash, shall we? It's a clear foaming gel containing Ammonium Lauryl Sulfate and Coco-Glucoside as the main cleansing agents, but there are also some nice nourishing ingredients like glycerin, cucumber water and some plant oils like pumpkin, coconut and avocado. The brand claims this cleanser will remove dirt, daily grime and make-up, and that it is formulated with anti-oxidant blueberries and acai.

As you may know, I'm not a big fan of foaming face cleansers, and the Rose, Lime & Cucumber Facial Wash hasn't really changed my perspective. While I do find it quite gentle on the skin but effective at removing last traces of make-up (after using a separate remover first) or to cleanse the face first thing in the morning, I also find it makes my face feel just a little too tight and dry after use. I still prefer to reach for my milk or balm cleansers, but if you like a foaming wash, I think this works very well - there's a nice soft lather with very little product and it rinses off very easily. I would recommend it more for oily, combination and normal skin types as I think it may leave dry skin types feeling a bit parched after use.

I've had better luck though with NYR's Rose, Lime & Cucumber Facial Moisturizer. It's absolutely chock-full of lovely plant oils such as coconut, baobab, avocado, sunflower and pumpkin oils, as well as moisturizing cocoa butter and glycerin. Similarly to the Facial Wash, it also contains cucumber water and the anti-oxidant blueberry and acai oils. The brand describes it as a light and gentle moisturizer to leave your skin feeling soft, supple and glowing.

The texture of this Moisturizer isn't very thick - definitely more of a lotion than a cream. I find that it spreads easily on the face but I wouldn't call it lightweight; at least on my combination skin and in the humid summer weather, I can definitely still feel a thin layer of the moisturizer on my face once it's fully blended in. For that reason, I currently prefer to use it at night, but I can see myself switching it to daytime use once cooler weather sets in. I don't actually mind that slight 'product feel' on my face in the least; my skin doesn't feel heavy or sticky, just nicely moisturized and nourished, similar to the result I achieve from using facial oils. I've been trialling the Rose, Lime & Cucumber Moisturizer for about 4 weeks now and it's been keeping my face feeling soft, comfortable and yes, I would say quite glowy. I find it to be a straightforward, effective moisturizer and I would recommend it most to combination and normal skin types; may be too much for those who are truly oily but not rich enough for the dry-skinned.

All in all, while I'm not completely head over heels over these two Rose, Lime and Cucumber products from Neal's Yard, I think they're very decent products and I can see how they'd be great building blocks for someone looking for a simple but effective skincare routine. As a skincare fanatic, my routine is anything but simple, but there are times when I wish I could do it all with just cleansing and moisturizing my face (uhm, like maybe when taking care of a newborn? I'll get back to you on this ;).

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!

Sunsets & Berries: Pacifica Power of Love Eye Shadow Palette* Review

Thanks to my Pan That Palette challenge this year, I have not worn or bought an eye palette other than my theBalm Nude' Tude for the past seven months and some change. A lot of you commented how you couldn't even imagine committing to about a dozen of the same shades for such a long time - and I feel you, because eyeshadow boredom has now become a thing for me, and it's painful. Which is why I was happy and excited to be shaken out of my ennui by this new arrival from Pacifica Beauty, the Power of Love Eye Shadow Palette* ($20 for 0.22 oz, available at pacificabeauty.com, ulta.com and Target).

Power of Love is a compact palette of ten coconut-infused mineral eyeshadows, which the brand describes as 'velvety rich, long lasting, creaseless' and having ' a soft, cream-like finish'. Like all of Pacifica products, they're 100% vegan and cruelty-free. The shadows are housed in a slim, streamlined carboard palette with a clear top so that you can see all the shades easily at a glance. One thing that slightly annoys me about the design is that even though the brand lists the shade names on the back of the outer box, the shadows are not actually named within the palette so I have no idea which name goes with which shade if that makes sense - it's like they wanted to name them but didn't commit to doing so all the way through. Huh.

Now, the shade selection is what got me really excited about playing with this palette. It's a predominantly neutral eyeshadow palette (my personal preference) that contains shadows ranging from light to dark in terms of depth, thus making it easy to create an entire look without having to look for complimentary eyeshadows elsewhere. However, it also features some fun pops of color: a khaki green with golden shimmer, a gorgeous wine shade, and a turquoise with a gold sheen. Those combined with the fun hippy packaging make for a lovely summer eyeshadow palette - just the thing I needed.

Unfortunately, as soon as I started swatching these eyeshadows on my arm, I noticed some issues with the formula. In short: the quality is not consistent. Like, at all. Let me break it down for you, starting from the top row, going left to right:

A light peach, shimmer/ pearl finish. Medium pigmentation but smooth and easy to apply.
A warm bronze, shimmer/ metallic finish. Slightly more pigmented than the peach, again very buttery and easy to pick up on the brush and blend out.
A matte beige brown, sheer to medium pigmentation, smooth and blendable.
A satin khaki green with golden sparkles, very sheer, hard pressed in the pan, difficult to pick up on the brush.
A satin berry with pink undertones, sheer, hard pressed in the pan, difficult to build up. Doesn't even come close to the deep wine shade I was expecting when I looked at it in the pan.

A matte navy with a slight purple lean, sheer to medium pigmentation, soft and smooth but not very buildable.
A pinky mauve with a high shimmer/ metallic finish, pigmented, soft, smooth, creamy, a dream to apply and blend out on the eyes. This is THE stand-out shade of the entire palette.
A satin ivory with pale yellow undertones, very sheer, difficult to pick up on the brush or build up on the eyes.
A satin turquoise with golden sparkles, again very sheer and difficult to work with.
A satin/ pearl cream leaning light pink, sheer but a bit more pigmented and easier to apply than the yellowy ivory.

Sooo... Let's see - how many shades from this palette did I actually count as reasonably pigmented? I believe it's 4 (maaaybeee 5) out of 10. That's not great, you guys. And the ones that I said were sheer - they really ARE sheer. What you see in my arm swatches (bare skin, swatched with a clean finger) is sometimes 7+ swipes of the shadow. Who has time to do this many layers on their eyes for the colors to even show up? On top of that, all the sheer shades are quite hard in the pan and all got hard pan on them just from rubbing my finger across the surface during one swatch session. When it came to applying them to my eyes, I got quite a bit of powder kick-up by digging in my brush so hard just to get something onto my lids. Yeah. Not cool.

That being said, I do think I got some really pretty eye looks out of this palette. My first take, which I intended to be a bit more colorful, turned out to be somewhat sunset-over-the-ocean themed. I used the yellow ivory on the inner corners, light peach on the lid and navy in the outer V, blending it all out with the matte beige brown, which by the way is a perfect transition shade for my fair skin. On the lower lashline, I applied the golden turquoise shade; it pulled a bit more green on me than I would have liked so I added a bright cobalt blue pencil liner to my waterline. It turned out quite pretty - but it did take me much longer to execute because I had to keep layering for intensity, and some shades looked a bit more muddy on my eyes than I would have liked (namely the matte navy and the turquoise).

For my second look, I decided to play with the ever so trendy pinky berry shades. I used the lightest pink in the inner corners, the stunning metallic mauve on the lids, and the satin berry in the outer corner and crease, again blending everything out with the matte beigy brown. I accented the lower lashline with the warm bronze and finished the look with a subtle aubergine wing (Pixi Endless Silky Eye Pen in Deep Purple). I really, really liked how it came together, and actually got a lovely compliment on my eye make-up while wearing it ('Excuse me, but your eye look is absolutely stunning! Are you self-taught or did you go to school for make-up? I would love to learn how to do that!). The longevity on both looks (on top of my usual eye primer) was very good and I didn't notice any fading or creasing throughout the day.

So overall, my feelings on the Pacifica Power of Love Palette are pretty ambiguous. On one hand, I wish the quality (pigmentation and texture) were even - or at least somewhat similar - across all the shades. On the other, the few eyeshadows that do have a good formula are absolutely beautiful and make for a gorgeous look on the eyes. But is it worth it to buy an entire eyeshadow palette for just that one stunning make-up look? I don't think so. I will probably be passing this palette on to a loved one who is still a beginner when it comes to eye make-up; at least with those sheerer shadows, it's more difficult to mess up.

What is the one eyeshadow palette you have been reaching for the most this summer? Have you already jumped on the berry eyeshadow trend? I'm seriously considering picking up MAC Cranberry eyeshadow in the near future.

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!

A Highlighter for Highlighter Haters: ILIA Beauty Illuminator in Polka Dots & Moonbeams*

Do you remember my rave review of ILIA's Multi-Stick in A Fine Romance (here)? It was one of the only two cheek products I took with me on our Icelandic getaway and I literally COULD NOT put it down for those two weeks - and beyond. So I was very excited to give another of Ilia's 'cheek sticks' a try - it's their cream Illuminator in Polka Dots & Moonbeams* ($34 for 0.15 oz/ 4.5g, available on iliabeauty.com), a shade aimed for fair and light skintones. What's even more exciting is that ILIA Beauty has now made their Sephora debut with their three Illuminators, available both in-store and online (click!), and I'm crossing my fingers to see the full line there in the near future - pretty please? :)

The packaging of Ilia's Illuminator is exactly the same as their Multi-Sticks: a simple burnished metal tube with a chubby bullet inside. One thing worth noting is that when you first get the product, it's important to remember to push the cap all the way down until it clicks securely, because it's very easy to leave the tube half-open and potentially have the product dry out if you're not careful.

All of ILIA Beauty's line features certified organic nourishing ingredients. The Illuminators contain sunflower, castor, sesame seed and avocado plant oils, as well as cocoa and shea butters. The product is fragrance-free but there is a very faint 'natural' scent to it when you put your nose to the tube - I can't smell it though once it's applied on my face.

I find taking color-accurate photos of highlighting products extremely hard, but I tried to do my best here. As you may be able to see, Polka Dots & Moonbeams (btw, first prize for a super adorable shade name) is a pale ivory pearl. While on its own and in the bullet, it looks like it may be leaning warm and slightly yellow, when you look at my comparison swatches you'll notice that this shade is in fact extremely neutral. It has neither pink, peach or white gold undertones but it's not a stark white pearl either - I'm making a terrible job of describing it, am I not? Let's just have the photos speak for themselves then.

In terms of formula and texture, again I find Ilia's Illuminator quite similar in feel and performance to the brand's Multi-Stick. It's a bit of a firm consistency in the tube but it becomes more emollient and easy to pick up with the warmth of your skin. It's definitely on the sheer side when it comes to pigmentation, which can be a good or a bad thing depending on your preferences. If you like the look of a strong, mirrorred, strobed cheek, I would steer you away from this product. However, if you dislike most highlighters because you find them too unnatural and obvious - well hello, meet the product of your dreams :) 99% of the time I firmly belong to the second camp so I absolutely love the natural luminosity Polka Dots & Moonbeams brings to my face. The texture is so soft and easy to blend that I virtually can't tell I have any product on my cheekbones, and thanks to all the lovely plant oils and butters, it leaves a bit of a moisturized sheen on the skin as well. On that note - mind you, the Illuminator doesn't set, so if your skin type is very oily, you may not like this creamy texture.

I have tested Polka Dots & Moonbeams on bare skin, on top of a liquid foundation, on top of a cream blush and under a powder blush and it blended in and sat well on the skin in all four instances. In fact, I find Ilia's stick highlighter easier to work with than Marc Jacobs Glow Stick in Spotlight (reviewed here); the Glow Stick is actually a bit thicker and more emollient and sometimes I find it looks a little funny when combined with powder products. I also like the shade of Polka Dots & Moonbeams better than Spotlight; in my heavy arm swatch, Spotlight looks a lot more yellow/ pale gold on my fair skin with cool undertones, while Ilia's product seems to be the perfect natural match for my coloring.

L-R: Ilia Beauty Illuminator in Polka Dots & Moonbeams, Marc Jacobs Glow Stick in Spotlight

L-R: Ilia Beauty Illuminator in Polka Dots & Moonbeams, Marc Jacobs Glow Stick in Spotlight, Surratt Eyeshadow in Scintillante, Anastasia Beverly Hills Illuminator in Starlight

In these swatches, you can also see that both Marc Jacobs Spotlight stick and Anastasia Beverly Hills (powder) Illuminator in Starlight (reviewed here) are more pigmented and reflective. Surratt Beauty Eyeshadow in Scintillante that I like to use as face highlight is sheerer just like the Polka Dots & Moonbeams, but has this somewhat strange subtle grey cast.

I'm sorry for the weird lighting in my face shot - the day I took this photo was really grey and overcast and I don't think it showcases Polka Dots & Moonbeams to its full potential. However, you can still see how natural this Illuminator looks on the skin - it's definitely not too much for everyday wear. Even if you normally hate how highlighters look on your face (or, as a fellow pale person, find most of them too dark for your coloring), I think you'd be surprised by how much you like the ethereal glow of Ilia's Illuminator - definitely give it a swatch next time you're in Sephora!

Have you incorporated highlighting into your regular make-up routine? What is your favorite texture for a highlighter - liquid, cream or powder? I'd love to know!

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!

Double Cleansing with Rose Petals: Nuxe Micellar Water* & Cleansing Milk* Review

I have finally, FINALLY worked my way through that giant bottle of Shu Uemura Anti/Oxi Cleansing Oil (featured here and here), and as luck would have it, the tube of NUDE Omega Cleansing Jelly (reviewed here) I was using along with it run out at the same time as well. That seemed like the perfect opportunity to try a new cleansing power couple: Nuxe Micellar Cleansing Water* ($20 for 6.7 fl. oz, available at us.nuxe.com here and Ulta here) and Nuxe Comforting Cleansing Milk* ($20 for 6.7 fl. oz as well, available at Nuxe here and Ulta here), both from the brand's Rose Petal Facial Cleansers range, which is suitable for all skintypes including sensitive.

I'm a strong proponent of double cleansing my face at night: first to remove make-up and/or sunscreen, then to deeply clean the skin with a more nourishing product. I have not used a micellar water for a while - I believe the last one I tried was either Bioderma Hydrabio (I've also used the cult Sensibio in the past) or one from Avene; in general I prefer an emulsifying cleansing balm or oil to remove grime from my face. But I was willing to suspend judgement and see how effective Nuxe's version was at getting rid of that stubborn mascara and eyeliner.

The Micellar Cleansing Water comes in a simple plastic bottle with a flip top - very convenient and doesn't dump too much product onto my cotton square all at once. Something you'll notice right away with Nuxe's product is the fact that the liquid has a very slight yellow tint (unlike most other micellar waters that tend to be clear) and quite a strong soapy rose fragrance. I have said this in the past about other Nuxe's products and I'll repeat it here: yes, I would have preferred if the brand used less fragrance in their products or even skipped it altogether. However, it's not like I hate this scent - it really reminds me of soap I used to use at my grandparents' summer cottage when I was little; but more importantly, it doesn't irritate or aggravate my skin. So there's that.

Ingredients for Nuxe Micellar Cleansing Water include rosewater, glycerin, allantoin and hyaluronic acid

As far as effectiveness goes, if memory serves me right, Nuxe's Micellar Water is just as good at removing make-up and left-over skincare as the overhyped Bioderma. Which for me is... unfortunately still not as good as just about any cleansing balm/ oil. Nuxe's micellar solution gets rid of all my face make-up quickly and without effort, but it doesn't quite dissolve all of my mascara and eyeliner. It gets rid of most of it - but I will usually still have some left right at the roots of my lashes. It's not my absolute priority to get rid of every last bit at this stage, since I'm following with another cleanser anyway, but I thought it's still worth mentioning. On the plus side, it doesn't sting or cloud my eyes, and leaves my face feeling soft and hydrated.

I then follow up with the Comforting Cleansing Milk, spreading one pump of product evenly across my dry face (or, well, slightly moist after wiping with the Micellar Water). Again, I find the design of the packaging to be both pratical and aesthetically pleasing. Unsurprisingly, the Cleansing Milk has the exact same scent as the Micellar Water but again, it's not a deal breaker for me personally. I will then massage the product briefly, concentrating on trouble areas such as my eyes or sides of the nose - some of it seems to absorb into my skin in the process - and then wipe off with a warm damp washcloth. I rinse the cloth and repeat several times to make sure I get as much off as I possibly can. In the mornings, I will also use the same technique with the Cleansing Milk, but it's a lot faster since I don't have any make-up to remove :)

Ingredients for Nuxe Comfort Cleansing Milk include rosewater, macadamia, coconut & sunflower oils, as well as glycerin and allantoin

I'm very happy with the results I get from the Comforting Cleansing Milk; it cleans my face effectively (I can see absolutely no left-over make-up on my washcloth after several passes) without stripping it of all moisture or disturbing its acid mantle. By the end of my cleansing routine, my skin feels smooth, plump and refreshed but without any residue or sticky feeling. Compared to another cleansing milk I was using recently, the Andalou Naturals Apricot Probiotic Cleansing Milk (reviewed here), I think the Nuxe's version is just as deep cleansing but somewhat more moisturizing, so I'd recommend it especially if your skin is normal to dry.

Out of the two products, I definitely prefer Nuxe's Cleansing Milk over their Micellar Water, but it's more due to my personal preferences than any fault of the product - I'm just still not a fan of these cleansing waters. However, if that's your thing - or you just need something super quick to cleanse your face when you don't necessarily have access to a sink and running water - Nuxe Micellar Cleansing Water is a really good option.

How do you remove stubborn make-up at the end of the day? What is your favorite texture for a facial cleanser - gel, milk, oil or balm? I'd love to know!

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 products were purchased with my own money or provided free of charge. Thank you for reading!

Blueberry Stained Lips: Pacifica Devocean Natural Lipstick in Beach Goth*

Growing up, I always loved the summer season in my mom's kitchen, because it meant all kinds of delicious lunch pairings of pasta/ dumplings + fresh fruit: pierogi with blackberries, knedle with strawberries or plums (which I made a few weeks ago and bragged about on Instagram here), and then possibly my absolute favorite, łazanki (small pasta squares) toppped with wild (low bush) blueberry sauce and lots of whipped sweat cream. I would devour that dish in minutes and then lick the plate clean, giving myself a purple mouth that remained stained for the rest of the day. This is exactly what Pacifica's Devocean Natural Lipstick* ($10 for 0.07 oz/ 2g, available at pacificabeauty.com as well as Ulta and other green beauty retailers) in the shade Beach Goth reminds me of - those strange blueberry lips of summer.

(By the way, don't you find the name Beach Goth a little amusing? Just imagine that poor goth girl clad all in black being absolutely miserable and sweating her eyeliner off on a sandy ocean shore. Or maybe I just have a twisted sense of humor :)

Pacifica Beauty describes their Devocean lipstick range as 'highly pigmented color [that] glides on smoothly, will not feather and lasts for hours'. Devocean lipsticks contain coconut oil, shea butter, jojoba esters and vitamin E, and like all Pacifica products, are vegan, cruelty-free and gluten-free. The lipstick is packaged in a lightweight slim plastic tube with the color of the outer box loosely corresponding to the shade inside, and a label on the bottom of the tube specifying the shade name (thank goodness!). I quite enjoy Pacifica's design aesthetics: colorful, whimsical, somewhat bohemian - it definitely stands out from other brands. The lipstick has a beautiful sweet coconut scent when being applied to the lips, but it doesn't linger for very long afterwards.

Beach Goth is definitely not for the faint of heart - I mean, what did you expect with a name like this? It's PURPELH. I was admittedly a little intimidated when I first opened the tube but game to try it out anyway. As I expected, it swatches a lot different from what it looks like in the tube: what looks like an intense dark purple in the tube applies more like a wash of cool purple with a mauve undertone. The finish is a jelly/cream (crelly?), no shimmer whatsoever.

L-R: Pacifica Devocean Lipstick in Beach Goth, Lancome Color Design in Wine Party, Revlon Superlustrous in Black Cherry

The texture of the Devocean lipstick is very creamy but thin; in fact, despite Pacifica's product description, I would say the pigmentation and formula in between a lipstick and nicely tinted balm. In terms of feel, it's definitely not as thick and onctous as standard cream finish lipsticks (say, Revlon Superlustrous or YSL Rouge Purs) and instead reminds me of something like Guerlain Rouge Automatiques. It feels hydrating and comfortable on the lips but it's prone to wearing off easily on teacups and the like and would require frequent reapplication to retain the intensity of color. I can live with that though - can you see how full and luscious it looks on my lips? You can still see vertical lip lines but they're softened and there's no product gathering in there. The lips look smooth, even and natural, not like they're covered in a thick layer of product.

In general, I really enjoy somewhat sheerer lipstick textures, so it's no surprise that I really enjoy my new Devocean lipstick. However, the shade Beach Goth - like that blueberry stain of my childhood - is a combination of strange and wonderful on me. My fair cool-toned coloring makes it difficult for me to wear neutral/ cool purple blushes and lipsticks without looking bruised/ chilled to the bone but Beach Goth somehow walks the line without pushing me too much into the undead territory. I have nothing like it in my stash, and it takes some guts to wear it outside the house - but makes me feel cool and a bit different. I also really like Beach Goth in smaller doses, lightly patted on or layered with another warmer lipstick, lip liner and/ or gloss.

If you're looking for a moisturizing, lightweight lipstick, I think you'd love the Pacifica Devocean range - and if your skintone is warmer than mine (or you simply like unusual shades), you'd certainly look killer in that Beach Goth purple. For a more classically flattering color choice, I'm also eyeing the MLBB Tenderness or peachy pink XOX shades. What is your experience with natural lipstick lines? What is your favorite sheer lipstick/ tinted balm formula?

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!