The Quintessential Transforming Lipstick for Fall: Revlon Black Cherry

Yes, this post is pretty much a testament to my ever lasting love towards Revlon Superlustrous Lipstick in Black Cherry ($7.99 for 0.15 oz/ 4.2 g), which I've had in my stash for about three years now (see my previous review here). Every fall, I dig it out again, and marvel at its uncanny ability to transform any other of my lipsticks into that perfect mulberry shade that's eye-catching, but acceptable for everyday wear.

Obviously, on its own and at full strength, Black Cherry is a vampy shade that looks a bit intimidating, especially on my fair skintone. It's also not my absolute favorite formula to wear at full opacity as it can get a bit patchy and uneven. However, paired with another creamy lipstick, it performs very well. It increases the depth of any given shade and adds a purpley plummy tone, which I've been quite partial to lately. It also prolongs the wear of the other lipstick; it stains the lips when worked in really well, and layering lipsticks always makes them last better anyway. I usually put down a thin layer of Black Cherry first, patting it into my lips, and then top with a lighter shade - but I've tried it the other way round too and both work.

L-R: Revlon Black Cherry swatched heavily then blended out, Revlon Black Cherry layered under Inglot no. 58

The idea to write about Black Cherry again came about as a result of boredom and slight dissatisfaction with lipsticks in my Project Make A Dent and Project Pan. The only cold season-appropriate lipstick that I included in my Projects was Inglot Gel Lipstick no. 58, a pinky berry shades. For most of my lipstick-wearing life, I'd loved any and all shades of pink on myself, but lately I'm not really that into them. Enter Revlon Black Cherry, and I'm back to loving the Inglot lippie. I also like layering Black Cherry with Chanel Rouge Coco in Monte Carlo, a warm sheer red, that's also in my Project (that's the combo I'm wearing in the face shot).

If you've been scared of rocking your Revlon Black Cherry or any other deep vampy shade in your stash, I say give it a go layered with another shade of medium depth. It does take minimally more time and effort to use two lipsticks instead of one, but I do think it's worth it. Which lipstick shade have you guys been reaching for lately?

Cult Classics: L'Oreal Telescopic Carbon Black Mascara

The L'Oreal Telescopic was one of the first mascaras I absolutely fell in love with back in the day, long before I started this blog. I remember purchasing it at Sephora in Warsaw (yes, Sephora!) and loving the sleek silver tube. Obviously the Telescopic Carbon Black ($9.99 for 0.27 fl oz) is a different version than what I used to use, but I know that to this day it's a Holy Grail mascara for a lot of people, and I wanted to see if I still loved it too after having tried so many different low and high-end mascaras over the past five years.

I really like the black packaging of the Carbon Black; I actually didn't remember that the tube is shaped like a telescope, but I think it's a very cool design. According to Ulta's website, Telescopic 'features a patented no clump brush that applies the mascara precisely for long, perfectly defined lashes. Removes easily with soap and water.'. It's also fragrance-free and suitable for those with sensitive eyes and contact wearer.

I did remember that my Telescopic used to have a skinny rubber brush with short bristles, but I was still surprised at how tiny the wand on the Carbon Black is. It's so, so narrow! Some rows of bristles are shorter, some a bit longer - I'm guessing the idea is that you could rotate the angle of the brush to either get more volume or definition. My fresh tube has a somewhat wet formula, which is not my preference, but I think it will get drier (and better) with time.

Unfortunately, after the first week of use, I'm not very impressed with Telescopic Carbon Black. As you can hopefully see in the photo of my bare lashes, I have somewhat fine but long and full lashes (meaning, there's quite a lot of them). I usually like 'defining' mascaras, because I need something to comb through and separate my lashes so that they retain their full and fluttery look. However, the brush on the Telescopic Carbon Black clumps them together instead, and the wet formula is also prone to leaving clumps at the ends of my lashes. I think some of that is due to this 'flexible' wand business, which causes the brush to spring back when I'm really trying to wiggle it between the roots of the lashes - that's also where mascaras blobs on my lids come from. I think the combination of a flimsy brush that picks up a lot of the wet formula is not a good recipe for a clump-free mascara.

The mascara dries down a bit stiff and crunchy (again, not my favorite) and while it doesn't flake off throughout the day (as long as you're not trying to comb it through with a lash comb after it dries), it does transfer on my brow bone where my lashes touch the skin there. Contrarily to the marketing blurb, I do not find it particularly easy to remove, even with a cleansing oil. So all in all, while it's certainly not the worst mascara I've ever tried (you know, Benefit They're Real springs to mind here, which is another one that lots of people seem to like), it's sadly no longer a favorite. I'll experiment with layering it together with another mascara and will wait a bit to see if it gets better with age, but I won't repurchase the L'Oreal Telescopic for the third time. Do you also experience that some products you used to love a long time ago aren't all that great anymore? I'd love to know!

Chocolate Bar Dupe? Makeup Revolution Death By Chocolate Eyeshadow Palette

Alright - Death by Chocolate Eyeshadow Palette by I Heart Makeup (~ $12.50 for 22g), a sub-brand of Makeup Revolution, is definitely NOT a dupe for any of the Too Faced Chocolate Bar palettes, even though it mimicks the idea, packaging and layout of the shades. But that is precisely why I wanted to try it: while I think Too Faced makes some really lovely eyeshadows, for my personal taste, both Chocolate Bars are way too warm. I just knew I wouldn't use at least half of the shades, so when I saw some recommendations for the Makeup Revolution version on Polish YouTube, I knew the shade selection in Death By Chocolate would tick all the boxes for me.

Let me start by saying that if you're a make-up fanatic like me, Death by Chocolate is by no means a necessary purchase. It sure is pretty and even practical, but if you have a larger collection, you should be able to dupe nearly all of the shades very easily. However, if you're still building your stash, or you're looking for an inexpensive eyeshadow palette for everyday, or would like to have a good travel palette you wouldn't worry too much about being damaged in your suitcase, Death by Chocolate is your friend - and if you're not into cool-leaning shades, there are two other versions that are more warm-toned (Naked Chocolate and I Heart Chocolate), and I assume the quality is probably very similar.

Unlike the Too Faced palettes, these Makeup Revolution spin-offs are housed in sturdy plastic cases. The only two things I dislike about this packaging is the plastic insert with the shade names (c'mon, I thought we all moved on from that!) and the fact that the top with the mirror is a bit heavier than the bottom with all the shades, so when you angle the palette at more than 90 degrees, the mirror just falls flat on the counter - a bit annoying, to be honest. But yes, the mirror is large and good quality, and would absolutely suffice to do your whole face while traveling.

As mentioned, Death By Chocolate follows the same layout as Chocolate Bars, having 14 regular sized shadows and 2 larger pans of highlighting shades. To my eyes, Death by Chocolate is a 'complete palette': you get both a matte and a shimmery highlight, you get at least two matte transition shades (one warm, one cool), you get a whole selection of shimmery lid shades, both warm and cool, and a pigmented matte black to use as a liner or deepen things up. There's also a fun pop of color by way of a beautiful glowy plum purple, one of my favorite shades in the palette.

Really, the array of looks you can achieve with this palette is enormous - from barely there daytime looks to sultry smokeys for a night out. Even though the shades are predominantly cool, there is a few warm options to spice things up. I also appreciate that the palette combines shadows in a few different finishes: we have some mattes, glowy satins and a lot of metallic, high shine shades (look at all these variations of taupe in the bottom row!).

First row swatched, L-R: White Light, Don't Let Go, Break Me Up, Consume Me, All Is Lost

Middle row swatched, L-R: Lick Me (mine broke and had to be repressed), Fool's Gold, One More Bar, Devour Me, Tear the Wrapper, Love You To Death

Bottom row swatched, L-R: Pray For Me, Dipped, Tease Me, Set Me Free, Bring Down Angels

As for the texture and pigmentation of these shadows, overall, I'm very happy with the quality. Sure, some shades could use a bit more pigment (e.g: White Light, the matte ivory highlight, or Devour Me, the matte dark plum), but actually, on the eyes they apply and blend very easily. One important note, as you can see from my arm swatches, a lot of these shades swatch very differently from what they appear to be like in the pan, e.g. Don't Let Go or Pray For Me. As a general rule, I would say these apply better than they swatch; they all have a buttery texture but are quite tightly pressed in the pans, which makes them difficult to pick up with a finger. From my vigorous rubbing for the swatch shots, some shades even developed a bit of hard pan, so I think from now on, I'll be only using brushes with this palette. Throughout the day, all the shadows I've tested wore nicely, although I think my favorite purple lost a bit of its vibrancy by the end of the day

My warm eyeshadow look with Death By Chocolate Palette using Tear the Wrapper on the lid, One More Bar in the outer corner and Bring Down Angels in the inner corner

For now, Death by Chocolate isn't one of the Makeup Revolution palettes carried by Ulta, but I still thought I would review it for you in case you wanted to know about the quality of their shadows or decided to seek this one out on eBay/ order through Makeup Revolution's UK site. I've been really enjoying using this palette ever since I got it three weeks ago, but I think this is my last large eyeshadow palette purchase for a looong while. I just increasingly feel that every time I buy some new shadows, I have almost exact dupes at home already waiting to be used. Have you bought any larger palettes recently? Are you planning to pick up any of the newly released Holiday ones?

Double Cleansing on the Cheap: Andalou Naturals Apricot Probiotic Cleansing Milk

I've been on a green beauty kick lately, focusing on the mid-range brands like Andalou Naturals and Derma e in particular. The gist is that I'm a bit tired of spending big bucks on all the cult skincare favorites, only to realize that while they're nice and luxurious to use, they don't make that much of a difference to my skin, especially when it's already being kept in good condition thanks to my basic skincare principles, discussed in detail here.

So when my REN Evercalm Gentle Cleansing Milk was very nearly used up, I decided not to repurchase another one, despite the fact that my skin really enjoyed it. Instead, I replaced it with the Andalou Naturals Apricot Probiotic Cleansing Milk ($12.95 for 6 fl oz/ 178 ml); one of you has actually recommended this cleanser to me (thank you!), and since I've had good luck with almost all of the Andalou products I've tried (reviews of the 1000 Roses line here, and the Probiotic Renewal Cream + Facial Lemon Sugar Scrub here), I thought that this could be a great inexpensive product to use for the second step of the double cleanse.

The ingredients sound very good to me, but like with all Andalou products, bear in mind that it is fragranced - predictably, the Cleansing Milk smells amazingly of ripe apricots. It's a more natural apricot scent than the Origins Drink Up Overnight Mask, for example, and I definitely prefer it to the Origins - this one has an almost nutty element to it, maybe from all the nourishing natural plant oils (sunflower, apricot, sweet almond, rosehip and borage) used in the formula. The Andalou Cleansing Milk also contains a probiotic complex (mostly oligosaccharides and lactobacillus), as well as a whole skew of antioxidants such as resveratrol, coenzyme Q10, polyphenols and Vitamin E.

The cleanser is packaged in a convenient plastic bottle with a pump, which I greatly appreciate. The Apricot Probiotic Cleansing Milk, contary to the NUDE Omega Cleansing Jelly I've reviewed not too long ago, does not emulsify, which is something to bear in mind if you're used to emulsifying cleansing oils or (gulp!) foaming face washes. Instead, it has a soft creamy texture that spreads very easily on the skin - I would say the consistency is similar to a standard body lotion, or even a light face moisturizer.

I purchased it with the intention to use it either alone in the mornings, or as a second cleanse at night, so personally it doesn't bother me that it's not the greatest make-up remover, especially if you wear waterproof eye make-up. I wouldn't recommend it for that purpose. However, as a basic cleanser meant to cleanse the skin from the remnants of last night's skincare or lingering traces of make-up, it performs very well indeed. It feels soothing and hydrating on, and once removed with a warm wash cloth, doesn't leave a residue. My skin feels refreshed, plump and perfectly clean - I give it a big thumbs up!

All in all, I think the Andalou Naturals Apricot Probiotic Cleansing Milk is very comparable to the REN Evercalm Milk, and while I may prefer the herbal scent of the latter, that's not reason enough to pay more than double the price for the REN version. I also feel like the Andalou is a touch more hydrating than the REN, so I would definitely recommend it if you're struggling with dryness. I'm really happy with this purchase - yet again, Andalou products just don't disappoint. What is your favorite more affordable cleanser? I recently got a mini of the CeraVe Hydrating Cleanser and I'm excited to try that out next :)

Why So Many Raves? NYX Butter Gloss in Maple Blondie

Yet again, I'm late to the party, but do you guys remember all the raves about the NYX Butter Glosses when they first came out? And then again, when NYX launched their Intense gloss formula earlier this year. Everyone was freaking out over these, buying most of the range and touting it as the best lip gloss in the drugstore. I'd resisted the hype for a long time, but after using up some of the older glosses in my stash, I finally decided to get the NYX Butter Gloss in the shade Maple Blondie ($4.99 for 0.27 oz/ 8 ml). 

The Butter Glosses come in simple slender tubes with the cap reflecting the color of the shade, which comes in handy especially if you have quite a few glosses in your drawer. The tube is shorter than that of NYX Mega Shine glosses. They come with a standard doe foot applicator, as you can see below, but I have to mention that the first time I pulled out the wand, it was all gunked up and covered in gloss, almost like the stopper has malfunctioned or something. I tried to wipe that off, but it's still a bit messy - I'll keep my eye on that for the next couple weeks to see if it happens again, but admittedly I wasn't very happy about it.

 Online, Maple Blondie looked more like a neutral peach to me, but in person, it's quite a bright pinky peach (no shimmer) with quite a bit of a white base, giving the shade a more pastel appearance. I don't really have any similar shades in my stash, but it looks a bit like a cross between Essence Stay With Me Lip Gloss in Candy Bar and the Clarins Lip Perfector in Rose Shimmer.

L-R: NYX Butter Gloss in Maple Blondie, Essence Stay With Me in Candy Bar, Clarins Lip Perfector in Rose Shimmer (one swipe each)

On my mauvey lips, Maple Blondie pulls a bit pinker than in the tube, and right away, you can see the issue with that white/ pastel base - the gloss sinks into and exaggerates vertical lip lines immediately. It also has a tendency to form that disgusting line of gunk where your upper and lower lip meet in the middle of your mouth. Applying very sparingly seems to help that issue a bit, but to me, it's just a sign of a less than ideal formula. As the time goes on, the Butter Gloss starts to feel a bit tacky, and transfers very easily onto any kind of drinking vessel you may be using.

Not sure what I'm missing here, but to me, the Butter Glosses perform very, very similarly to the old Mega Shines, the only real difference being the improved scent (cupcake vanilla versus cherry cough syrup). In fact, I probably prefer the few Mega Shines I still have left in my stash - but then again, maybe I just had bad luck with this shade, and other Butter Glosses don't sink into lip lines as easily. Once more, I'm left feeling underwhelmed and somewhat puzzled by all the hype, which seems to have become a trend for me lately. I guess, all the more reason to stop jumping the bandwagon and start purchasing even less stuff...

By the way, originally, this review was supposed to be all about the bareMinerals Buttercream Lip Gloss in Must-Have Pink (pictured below), which I've had unopened in my stash since January, when I purchased it as part of a (Holiday?) set I got on sale at Ulta. However, as soon as I cracked the tube open for swatches, I noticed that the smell was pretty strange - I still continued with my photos nonetheless, thinking that maybe it was supposed to be like that. NOPE. It's definitely gone off. A new, properly stored, never before opened or touched gloss has gone completely rancid on me. I realize it's just a mini and it wasn't all that expensive, but that makes me pretty pissed. I highly doubt that I will purchase any glosses or lip products in general from bareMinerals range ever again - I should have just stuck to my favorite Buxom Full-On Lip Polishes & Creams, which they also make.

Anyway, back to the NYX Butter Glosses, have you guys tried any of these? Do you agree with the raves? Also, please share any of your 'make-up going bad' stories, I'm hoping this will make me feel a little better; the Buttercream incident wasn't helped by the fact that a couple days later, I also discovered a Fyrinnae Lip Lustre that's gone off in my lip drawer. Have I mentioned that I'm not buying any lip glosses or liquid lipsticks until I finish what I have? Yeah. 'Coz it needs to happen.

Cotton Candy Eyes: Catrice Velvet Matt Eyeshadow in 020 Pink Up Girls

Is anyone else as excited as me that Catrice Cosmetics is now available at Ulta in the US? If you've never heard about Catrice, it's a European brand owned by Cosnova, which is an owner of another very inexpensive drugstore brand with stellar products, Essence. To me, Catrice is like a grown-up version of Essence: prettier packaging, better concepts and even higher quality. I'm really happy that Ulta has been expanding their range of affordable international brands; with Sephora's recent customer service fails, Ulta's definitely gaining an edge.

Anyway, back to Catrice Cosmetics: one of the must-haves in the range have always been eyeshadows, and I've been hearing nothing but raves about the matte formula of their singles, so I obviously needed to pick one up 'for research': this is the Velvet Matt Eyeshadow in 020 Pink Up Girls ($4.99 for 0.12 oz/ 3.5 g, available in 6 shades total; punny names also appreciated).

The Velvet Matts come in their classic clear plastic packaging, which I really like for the clean aesthetic and the ability to easily see the color inside. The only thing with this particular shadow is that it's a tad difficult to open; I'd advise not trying to wedge your nails in the little crack but rather pushing it open with the side of your fingers. The eyeshadow itself is domed; that, coupled with the fact that these are made in Italy, makes me think they may be a baked formula.

The tactile feel of this eyeshadow is really unique: it's so incredibly smooth and silky that it resembles one of those siliconey cream-to-powder products. It's like the epitome of buttery eyeshadow - it feels amazing when you pick it up with your finger. I'd say this is a true matte formula, which is actually not that easy to come by, and that for a lighter shade, the pigmentation is very impressive. It's not chalky, it's not patchy, it doesn't look shrivelled and dry on the eyelids; I do think it's the best matte eyeshadow formula I've come across so far at the drugstore - it can rival my Rouge Bunny Rouge mattes.

The shade Pink Up Girls is a true cool, pastel baby pink. I'm not normally one to opt for a light pink eyeshadow (hence the lack of similar shades in my arm swatches), as it can feel a bit too juvenile and girly for me, but I'm in fact quite happy I got this one, because its white base brightens my veiny eyelids very nicely without having to use any shimmer. Stila's Desire (depotted from the In The Moment palette) is the closest shade in my collection, but as you can see, it's clearly a lot peachier and a bit darker.

 I've used Catrice Pink Up Girls all over the lid in this look on top of clear eyeshadow primer (NARS Smudgeproof Eyeshadow Base) so that you could see the level of coverage. Some of my pesky veins are still showing through, but the shade definitely pops even without a colored base - I think that on top of an off-white or ivory base, the color would be even more intensive. I've also tried it on top of a medium shimmery cream eyeshadow (Maybelline Color Tattoo in Bad to the Bronze) and the effect was very pretty - like a bronzy pink with a satin sheen, plus the whole look wore like iron for hours on end.

Yep, I have to agree with everyone who's raved about the Velvet Matt eyeshadows from Catrice - they really are an outstanding formula, especially considering the price. Even though I don't really need any more matte eyeshadows in my stash, I'm considering getting a few more just for the pure pleasure of using them. Have you tried any eyeshadows from Catrice? What are your favorite shades?

Natural Eyebrows: NYX Micro Brow Pencil in Taupe

I will let you on a little secret: I hate Instagram brows. Drawing on thick, blocky, ombre eyebrows with a brush and cleaning up your lines with concealer seems like a living make-up nightmare to me. If it's a style that works for you, then great, but personally I think they're not only over the top, but a little... aging. Remember all those Disney villains with sharp, angled brows? They kinda remind me of that.

In about 95% of my face shots from the past year, I've been wearing Shu Uemura's Hard Pencil Formula 9 in Seal Brown, and I still love it (by the way, it's the little pencil that just won't quit). I was however getting a bit bored using the same brow product every day, so when I spotted the new NYX Micro Brow Pencil in Taupe ($9.99 for 0.003 oz/ 0.09 g, I got mine 40% off, muahaha) on Ulta's website, I pulled the trigger. Essentially, it's a dupe for Anastasia Brow Wiz; it features the same tiny nib, retractable mechanism and a small spoolie on the other end for combing through your brows - except, it's $11 cheaper for the same amount of product.

Speaking of the amount of product: yes, you only get a tiny bit in one pencil. The Shu pencil comes  with 0.14 oz/ 4 grams of pencil, which is about 44 times the amount of the NYX - that's insane! So no, you're not getting good value for your money by buying one of those ultra-thin eyebrow pencils, but you do get the precision. While I do think that both Anastasia's and NYX's brow pencils should be priced lower to reflect their small volume, I'm quite glad that this pencil won't be lasting me another five years; I've wanted to try it, use it up, and move on to something else later.

As for the texture and performance of the NYX Micro Brow Pencil, I have absolutely no complaints. The texture is a bit softer than the hard Shu pencil, but still easy to control through the brows. The tiny tip allows me to fill in exactly where I need it, and it allows for drawing in short little strokes to resemble actual brow hairs. It doesn't look heavy or obvious in the brows and lasts an entire day on me.

The shade Taupe is a great match for me - although it's not quite as ashy as the Shu Uemura's Seal Brown. It's a bit darker and also warmer than the Benefit Gimme Brow in Light/Medium (which is too light and ashy in my brows). I think if you need/ prefer very cool tones in your brows, I'd look at some of NYX's other shades - maybe Ash Brown would be a good option for those with slightly darker brows. By the way, sorry there are no arm swatches in this post - swatching firm eyebrow pencils on my inner arm is just not my idea of a pleasant blogging session.

Hopefully you can see in this photo that the NYX Micro Brow looks quite natural and effortless on me. I realize that for some, the way I do my brows looks just too messy and unkept, but I really like that slightly 'wilder' style - I enjoy bushy, textured arches and think they're very youthful. Now tell me, what do you make of the Instagram brow trend? What is your favorite way of filling in your brows - powder, pencil, gel or pomade?

Drugstore MLBB: Maybelline Color Elixir in Caramel Infused

One side effect of only allowing myself to buy two make-up products a month is that I rarely shop the drugstore these days. But I recently decided to remedy the situation and bought quite a few inexpensive things (oops, more than two...) that I'd had my eye on for a long time. One of those products is the Maybelline Color Elixir in the shade Caramel Infused ($6.99-8.99 for 0.17 fl oz), a balm-gloss-lipstick hybrid that came highly recommended from my pal Larie at the Eye Heart It blog.

Btw, am I the only one to think that 9 bucks for a drugstore lip product is a bit steep? It's like the only time you can get a good bargain at the drugstore now is when you shop the sales - and not even the Buy 1 Get 1 50% off, but more like the 40% off that only happen a few times a year. ANYWAY. For a more affordable product, I find the packaging of the Maybelline Color Elixirs really pretty; a bit reminiscent of the Dior Addict Fluid Sticks, and I like the fat, shorter tube. The applicator is also one of those newer generation bent fluffy doe foots (doe feet?) that pick up just the right amount of product and perfectly hug the lips.

If you're sensitive to fragrance, these do have a scent; sort of an artificial sweet vanilla with maybe a touch of floral. I don't find it very strong though, and I can't really smell it at all after application. Now, my favorite thing about this Maybelline Color Elixir is the texture: it's like a thicker, balmy, cushiony gloss that's absolutely non-sticky on the lips. It applies evenly, gliding over vertical lip lines and dry flakes. It really does feel like a liquid lip balm with enough pigmentation so that you don't need to layer it over lipstick. Yes, the color and glossy shine wears away after a couple hours and doesn't last through eating (or drinking), but I honestly don't mind - it's just so, so comfortable on my dry lips.

I was a bit hesitant to order a shade with the word 'caramel' in the name, fearing this would be way too brown on my cool-toned complexion, but Caramel Infused turned out to be the perfect My Lips But Better shade. It's a lot more pink than the color of the tube would suggest, and in fact, it almost perfectly matches the shade of Maybelline Color Sensational Lipstick in Warm Me Up. As you can see in my arm swatches, MAC Viva Glam V is lighter and more peachy (plus, it has gold shimmer while Caramel Infused is a cream finish), Buxom Lip Polish in Dolly is sheerer and has more of a cool mauve undertone.

L-R: Maybelline Color Elixir in Caramel Infused, Maybelline Color Sensational Lipstick in Warm Me Up, MAC Viva Glam V, Buxom Lip Polish in Dolly. Swatched in the same order below.

Overall, I'm super happy with this purchase - thank you Larie for the recommendation! Speaking of bloggers' recommendations, I've noticed lately that I no longer buy products as soon as they come out or even after the first barrage of posts from the big beauty gurus (who are usually sent the items for review), waiting instead to see if any of my favorite bloggers try them out themselves, and then waiting even a little longer to see if they continue using the product via their Face of the Day posts or updates on Instagram. I just really don't care anymore about buying and trying every single new release out there; instead, I want to have a smaller collection of truly the best formulas available on the market.

How do you decide which new product to bring into your make-up stash? Have you tried any of these balm-gloss-lipstick hybrids? Which one's your favorite?

The Subtlest Sheen: Makeup Revolution Vivid Baked Highlighter in Radiant Lights

Highlighting seems to be a big trend right now, what with the rising popularity of 'strobing' (is strobing the new contouring? Lol) or the release of BECCA's Champagne Pop. As much as I have absolutely zero interest in both of those things, I have to say that I've been enjoying highlighting a lot more than I used to, mostly because my skin's been getting more even-textured and less oily than it was even a year ago.

I've been ogling many powder highlighters online for months, and I particularly had my eye on baked powder compacts from a very affordable UK brand Makeup Revolution, known for duping many of the high-end brands. I actually first heard about these Vivid Baked Highlighter Powders from Polish YouTubers, and had a beautiful pale lavender shade called Pink Lights on a wishlist for my mom to pick up for me online. But recently, when Makeup Revolution became available at Ulta.com, I hopped over there and, in the absence of Pink Lights, chose Radiant Lights (now $6 for 0.375 oz, weirdly enough, two weeks ago I paid $6.99) instead, which is an icy pink shade. Ulta has it described as a 'unique lilac perfect for fair to medium skintones', so I'm thinking this is Pink Lights after all but the name's been changed in the US for some reason.

I have to admit that the packaging disappointed me a little right from the start; it just feels like a very lightweight, cheap and not very durable plastic, the rose gold lettering starting to disappear already. But the actual raised design of the powder, reminiscent of sand dunes and MAC Extra Dimension products, looks quite beautiful indeed, and suggestive of a much more expensive product.

From all the raves on Polish YouTube, I had quite high expectations for the texture and performance of this Baked Highlighter. I find that drugstore highlighting products often suffer from two major problems: either they're chock-full of actual glitter particles, or the particles are so subtle/ inexistent that they don't show up on the skin at all. But Makeup Revolution has got it exactly right: the shimmer in Radiant Lights is smooth and refined, but packs enough power to illuminate even the dullest of complexions.

The actual texture in the pan is quite firm and not at all powdery, but my brush picks up product very easily, and I don't need to either tap my brush off or build it up in layers to achieve a beautiful finish on the face. You'll hopefully be able to see it in my close-up arm swatches, but the level of glow of this Vivid Baked Highlighter is the most comparable to my beloved (and much pricier) Laura Mercier Matte Radiance Baked Powder in Highlight 01. I would say the main difference is that the Makeup Revolution has a bit of a harder texture in the pan (Matte Radiance can kick up quite a bit of powder) and maybe feels a bit less creamy - but if you've been lemming after Laura Mercier's but couldn't stomach the price tag, the Vivid Baked Highlighter seems to be an excellent alternative (not a dupe, mind you - Highlight 01 and Radiant Lights are two very different shades).

As for the actual shade Radiant Lights, it's a very cool pink with a silver opalescence, and as such I think it would be best suited to fair and light skintones with a cool or neutral undertone. Compared to other highlighters in my stash, it's the most similar to Benefit High Beam, although I think it shows up subtler on the skin, which I personally prefer. FYI, despite synonymous name and similar look in the pan, the shade Radiant Lights is nothing like Hourglass Ambient Lighting Powder in Luminous. In the swatches on my arm, Makeup Revolution Radiant Lights looks like nothing, but on the face it performs very well indeed - see that gorgeous glow on top of my cheekbone? I've also used it on my browbone and inner corners of the eyes, and it's just as stunning in that role.

L-R: Makeup Revolution Vivid Baked Highlighter in Radiant Lights, Benefit High Beam, Laura Mercier Matte Radiance 01, Hourglass Ambient Lighting Powder in Luminous

All in all, I'm very pleased with this new addition to my highlighter rotation, and because the packaging is less bulky and the price easier to swallow, I can easily see Makeup Revolution Radiant Lights becoming a staple in my travel make-up bag. It compliments my skintone well (which is not that easy to find for us fair folk!), doesn't exacerbate my pores and is easy to work with, making it damn near perfect in my book. As for longevity, this baked powder wears all day on my face (I have normal skin type on my cheeks for reference).

Have you tried anything from Makeup Revolution already? What is your current favorite highlighter on your skintone?