Not Quite Strobing: Marc Jacobs Glow Stick in 700 Spotlight Review

It seems that thanks to Influenster, this year will be all about discovering Marc Jacobs Beauty range for me - and I'm not mad at it. This time we've received a very trendy product to review: the Marc Jacobs Glow Stick Glistening Illuminator in the shade Spotlight 700* ($42 for 0.49 oz/ 14g). I'd only tried two other cream/ liquid highlighters in the past - Benefit Watt's Up and MAC Strobe Cream - so I was excited to give the MJ version a go.

The highlighter stick is packaged in a minimalist short but fat tube; at first I thought the price of this product to be rather high, but you really do get A LOT of product here - I can't really see how you'd be able to use the entire thing up in a reasonable amount of time, unless you were using it all over the face under foundation and/or on your body - which you absolutely can. That's definitely one area where I believe cream highlighters have a leg up over the powders; they can be layered with other products and multitasked more easily.

The shape of the stick is oval, which may look like it would come in handy to apply directly on the cheekbones; however, for my face at least, the size is too big, and with its impressive pigmentation, I find the Glow Stick more user-friendly when applied with my fingers, a beautyblender, or a smaller brush.

It's quite an emollient formula; I don't own the Watt's Up anymore so I can't compare there, but it is definitely thicker/ more viscous than the liquidy MAC Strobe Cream. Nevertheless, the Glow Stick's formula is very blendable, both under and over foundation. I don't think it sets necessarily, but when sheered out in a thin layer, it doesn't move anywhere on the face and wears beautifully for the entire day. I would recommend this formula to anyone in the combination-normal-dry skintype spectrum; if your cheeks are oily, it may migrate more for you.

On Sephora's website, the shade Spotlight (which is the only shade available) is described as 'universal glow'. I don't believe that's really the case. As you can hopefully see from my close-up shots and swatches, this highlighter is a very, very pale white gold - I can't pick up much of the golden tones once it's blended out on the skin, so you could also describe it as a very light ivory shade. It's fantastic on my fair skintone, and I think it would suit a variety of undertones as the shade is quite neutral; but if you're medium to dark skintone, I believe this shade would look quite stark and maybe even ashy.

The finish of Marc Jacobs' Glow Stick is a fine pearl, no large shimmer or glitter particles in sight. It packs quite a punch though so you can definitely get a more dramatic strobing/ mirrored effect if you want - that's not really my style, so I'm glad that it can be sheered out more easily too. In my experience, it doesn't accentuate my pores or fine lines on top of my cheeks, and layers just fine over both powder and cream blush, although I like the finish better when worn with creams - just looks a bit more natural.

Highlighters are definitely one of the more challenging products to photograph but I hope you can see the tone of Spotlight quite well compared to some of my other highlighters. In my review of the Anastasia Beverly Hills Illuminator in Starlight, I called that shade a 'pale white gold' too, but as you can see, compared to the Marc Jacobs Glow Stick, it's definitely more peachy pink. Surratt Eyeshadow in Scintillante has a less dramatic pearl finish, and the base shade leans more grey (but somehow nearly identically matches my skintone).

L-R: Marc Jacobs Glow Stick in Spotlight, ABH Illuminator in Starlight, Surratt Scintillante. I'm sorry you can't see these shades more clearly in the arm swatch, but that's just the consequence of swatching products which are incredibly close to my skintone.

In the face shot, I'm wearing the Marc Glow Stick on tops of my cheeks, tip of my nose, Cupid's Bow and a tiny bit under my brows. My base is Bourjois 123 Perfect CC Cream in 31, applied with a damp blender sponge and lightly set with MAC Blot Powder on the T-zone. I think the Glow Stick looks lovely and fresh - I applied a bit more than I would usually do for the photo, but I still think the overall effect is not too overdone. Even though I've been a lot more into highlighters these past two years, I'm still not convinced by the strobing trend, and I'm glad the Marc Jacobs product can be made to look more natural for every day wear.

Are you into strobing? I know a lot of us beauty fanatics just love shopping for and collecting different highlighters - and I can definitely see why, so many of the limited edition highlighting powders are just too pretty to pass up! Do you prefer highlighters in the cream, liquid or powder texture?

Disclaimer: Item marked with an asterix (*) is a press sample 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!

New Food Subscription: Degustabox Unboxing & Overnight Oatmeal Recipe

We're back from Iceland! While it's sad that our holidays are over and it's now back to the daily grind, I'm actually glad to be home. It's just nice to have everything on hand for when you need it and not have to live out of a suitcase, you know? Moreover, whenever we travel, after about a week of being beyond happy about eating out (as in, someone else having to cook and do the dishes while I can just kick back and enjoy the deliciousness), I do start missing making my own meals. I guess I find it hard to maintain my normal diet while traveling and at the end of the trip, I'm itching to get back to more balanced meals.

You guys may remember from my mentioning in passing that I cook about 90% of our meals myself, and both me and Mr consider ourselves 'foodies' - by which I mean that we like to eat, and we like to eat well. I've wanted to incorporate some more food-related content into the blog for a while but wasn't sure how to start, and then Degustabox*, a new food subscription service, reached out and asked if I'd be interested in showcasing their box and coming up with a recipe incorporating the products they sent. Not only was I excited about the prospect of free food (I mean, who wouldn't be?), I also thought that it's a subscription service I could actually put to good use - the products from various beauty boxes I've tried in the past would usually end up lingering in drawers untouched for years, but food really is a consumable resource, and thus more in line with my somewhat minimalist tendencies. It's fun to share food porn, so why not? Maybe it'll be inspiring for someone out there.

Degustabox* is a subscription service that will set you back $19.99/ month, including delivery, and each of the monthly boxes contains between 10-15 food products, some full size, some trial/ snack size. Obviously all the products that come in the box are non-perishable food items, and many of them are products that are just being released on the market, so that you get a chance of trying something new you may not have heard about before. If you're interested in signing up, you can use my affiliate link here to save $10 off your first box (or not - whatever you prefer!), and you can cancel your subscription at any time.

 Now, onto my first Degustabox unboxing! The box was delivered about 5 days after I received my shipping confirmation and everything inside was packed with care (lots of bubble wrap, heavier items on the bottom). The box also came with a welcome card and a page detailing all the products, their prices and short descriptions, as well as two recipes featuring two of the items. I have received 10 different items but there were more than one packet/ bottle of some:

4 snack-sized bags of Wise Popcorn (2 x reduced fat sea salt and 2 x Cinnabon flavors) - $0.75 each
1 bottle of Briannas Italian Vinaigrette salad dressing - $3.99
3 foil packets of Vita Coco Coconut Oil - $1.29 each
2 bottles of Topo Chico Mineral Water (one unflavored sparkling, one lime flavored) - $1.00 each
1 jar of Jif Peanut Butter in the Cinammon flavor - $2.99
2 snack-sized bags of Orchard Valley nuts - $1.98 each
1 bag of Haribo Sour Gold-Bears candy - $2.79
1 carton of Elmhurst Harvest Pistachio milk-alternative beverage - $3.00
1 bottle of Soy Vay Veri Veri Teriyaki Sauce/ Marinade - $4.99
1 bag of Honees Cough Drops - $2.75
Total Value: $33.34 for $19.99 

I find this to be a pretty good value - and to be honest, if I were to shop for these products in store locally (in Brooklyn), I would probably pay closer to $40-45 for all of these items (NYC livin' ain't cheap). You could probably find some of these items cheaper if you shopped around online/ used coupons, but I still think the box is great value. Also, I found all of the products included to be relevant to my lifestyle and preferences - I was excited to see a nut milk since my husband is allergic to cow's dairy, and while he's also allergic to garlic so that we won't be able to use the Soy Vay marinade, I can easily pass this item on to a friend (I'm keeping the garlicky cheesy Italian dressing for myself though, muahaha). We eat lots of nuts and peanut butter in this house and I like snacking on popcorn, so those are all great as well - and I'm excited to try the sour version of Haribo Bears, which used to be one of my favorites candies when I was a kid.

As for the creative aspect of this post - a recipe featuring some items from this month's box - I was a bit pressed for time so I went for something very simple (not that the food I make is generally complicated; rather the opposite, to be honest). Most mornings, we eat homemade granola with Greek yogurt (me) or soy milk (him) and berries for breakfast, but I decided to make this Triple Nut Vegan Overnight Oatmeal this time. I'm sure most of you have heard of and tried overnight oats before, but if you haven't - here goes:

1/4 - 1/3 cup of old fashioned oats (I use Bob's Red Mill - don't use the instant kind!)
3/4 - 1 cup of grain/ nut milk: I used the Elmhurst Harvest Pistachio Beverage, which is sweetened - if using unsweetened variety, add in some sugar/ honey/ maple syrup to taste
1 tablespoon of flax seed (you could also use chia - or skip altogether)

Mix everything in your breakfast bowl the evening before and set in the fridge overnight to soak and thicken. The flax seeds/ chia seeds expand and get more of a jelly consistency when soaked in a liquid, which gives this oatmeal a pleasant creamy texture, while the oats soften so that you don't actually have to cook them. In the morning, you can reheat in the microwave if you like, and top with just about anything - I used unsweetened coconut flakes, raspberries and blackberries, and a teaspoon of Jif Cinnamon Peanut Butter in the center; hence the Triple Nut (Pistachio, Coconut and Peanut) - get it?

And that's it, a quick, simple and customizable breakfast that's also filling and relatively healthy (although a bit on the sweet side from the sugar in the Pistachio milk and Jif Peanut Butter - we normally eat unsweetened kinds of both of these items). Anyway, I hope you enjoyed this somewhat different post, and let me know what you usually have for breakfast; I recently tried dairy-free overnight yeast waffles on the weekend (which you may have seen on my Instagram) and those were a big hit too. Now I'm thinking of venturing further into the world of yeasted deliciousness... I'll keep you posted.

Disclaimer: Product marked with an asterix (*) is a press sample I received from the brand's PR for review consideration. The post contains an affiliate link, which means I'll earn a commission if you decide to sign up to Degustabox after clicking. 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 and supporting my blog!

Am I A Mascara Snob? Guerlain Maxi Lash Review

I won't deny I'm pretty snobbish in a number of different areas: I'm a declared coffee snob. I'm a dessert snob. I'm a perfume snob. Truly, the list could go on. But until recently, I hadn't really considered myself a mascara snob.

I've never been one to claim the superiority of high-end mascaras versus the drugstore ones. In fact, I don't think I have ever purchased a high-end mascara with my own money - but I've tried plenty of gift with purchase minis and received generous gifts from friends and such. However, when I attempt to shortlist my Holy Grail mascaras, the following come to mind easily: Buxom Buxom Lash, Laura Geller GlamLASH, and most recently, Marc Jacobs Velvet Noir... Am I really so easily swayed by luxe packaging, or is there in fact something better about the formula of high-end mascaras? I've been pondering this question for a couple weeks now while re-testing a mini of Guerlain Cils d'Enfer Maxi Lash Mascara in 01 Noir ($32 for 0.28 oz).

I've had another sample of this rather expensive mascara about three years ago, and I remember REALLY liking it then. But you know what, a couple things have changed since then. For one, I used to have much longer and fuller lashes back then thanks to religious use of a lash-growing serum, and I know some of you would groan 'All mascaras look good on your lashes!', making mascara reviews somewhat superfluous. However, I haven't touched a lash serum in three months, and while my lashes aren't bad by any means, they're not extraordinary either. So how does Maxi Lash perform on my perfectly normal lashes?

It performs well. As you can see in the close-up, it has that rubber brush with lots of not-too-long bristles that I tend to prefer, and a drier formula - again, my preference. As you can expect from these two factors, it defines the lashes beautifully, grabbing every single one and coating with an even layer of mascara from roots to tips; I only have some issues at the outer corners, where my longer lashes need some extra product (this wand doesn't have any bristles at the tip which are ideal for that task). I don't get many clumps, I don't get any flaking throughout the day, and only minimal transfer onto my brow bone, which as you may know is my personal ongoing struggle with mascara.

However, would I pay $32 for a gold tube of this lightly perfumed luxe mascara? Uhm, I don't think so. Sure, I like it, but perhaps not as much as the Marc Jacobs Velvet Noir, which is a couple dollars cheapers and gives more volume in a single coat. And the other thing is that while what I've been testing is only a deluxe sample, the Maxi Lash dries out fast - I mean, I've only been using it for two weeks and I don't think it'll last more than another two. So for now, while I may have a PREFERENCE for high-end mascaras, I don't think I'm a die hard convert. I really enjoy trying out minis of expensive formulas, but it's more than likely that when I run out, I'll just head back straight to the drugstore.

What are some of your all-time Holy Grail mascara formulas? Do you purchase high-end mascaras regularly, and if so, which ones are your favorite?

Make-up Bag Essential: Surratt Beauty Surreal Skin Concealer in 02

If I were to take one make-up product to a desert island with me, it would be concealer. For me, it's always been an essential, ever since I first started breaking out in middle school - and I continue to use at least one on an everyday basis, even when I choose to forgo the rest of my make-up. It simply gives my face the biggest impact: conceals tired under eyes, stubborn freckles, redness around my nose, dark marks from old zits as well as those angry red bumps that decided to put in an appearance at the last moment. Ugh. Which is why I'm always on the lookout for the best concealer out there, and I love trying new ones, like this Surratt Beauty Surreal Skin Concealer in the shade 02 ($50 for 0.6 oz).

This is without a doubt the most expensive concealer I've ever had (especially considering the small volume of the stick) - to be honest, I would have never opted for it if it weren't a generous gift with purchase from the Surratt counter at Barney's. So far, I have really enjoyed everything I've tried from Surratt, so I was curious to see how their complexion product would perform on me.

There are 8 shades in the range, spanning very, very fair skin to deeper skintones. I'm saying 'very, very fair skin' because I own the second lightest shade, which you'll see in the moment is quite comparable to NARS Radiant Creamy Concealer in Chantilly (especially once blended out on the skin - Chantilly oxidizes on me just a touch darker than in my arm swatch), which I consider to be really rather pale. I'd think that shade 01 would probably suit those who are in the N5 range (Bobbi Brown Alabaster, Urban Decay Naked Skin Concealer in Fair Neutral and so on).

Surratt Surreal Skin Concealer in 02, NARS Radiant Creamy Concealer in Chantilly, Laneige Cushion Concealer in Light*

I quite enjoy the minimalist black packaging with a sparkling ombre detail, and the entire product is small, sleek and lightweight - perfect for touch-ups on the go. But again, you are paying quite a hefty price tag for such a small product. The bullet itself is also quite slim, and cut at an angle; nice size for applying directly under the eyes or on areas of redness, but obviously too large for precise spot concealing.

I've tested the Surreal Skin Concealer both under my eyes as well as on marks, redness and blemishes. The product promises to 'erase dark circles and offer surreal coverage', and right off the bat, I have to disagree. If you're looking high coverage, the Surratt concealer doesn't have it. I would say that blended out, it offers a light coverage, built up in layers or really concentrated (on blemishes, for example), it's medium. On most days, I don't have very dark under eye circles and currently no monster zits to cover, so it's alright for me, but I think if you need some serious concealing action, you'd be very dissapointed.

I was however quite pleasantly surprised with the texture of this product. Stick concealers tend to be quite dry and heavy, and accentuate any dryness on the skin. The Surratt concealer doesn't do that - it's quite creamy (but obviously less so than a liquid concealer) and sits lightweight on the skin. As you'll see in my face shot, it doesn't exacerbate dry flakes around my nostrils, and it doesn't make my under eye area look too crepey (I prepped with a hydrating eye cream beforehand). It also wears well throughout the day on me and doesn't slide off bumps or blemishes.

Left side: no concealer under the eyes, right side: Surratt Surreal Skin. I've also used it around my nose and on any blemishes. Foundation is Koh Gen Do Aqua in PK-1. Feel free to click on the photo to enlarge.

All in all, I think it's a decent multipurpose concealer - like I said in the beginning, it would make a great make-up bag essential if you like touching up your concealer throughout the day, or perhaps to take on a trip in lieu of two separate products, one for under the eyes and one for spots. I like either picking up some product from the stick on my brush and then buffing it into the skin, or applying with my fingers - I find that using the stick directly on the skin doesn't work as well, probably because like most stick products, this benefits from being warmed up first. However, I will not be repurchasing once mine runs out - I do prefer to have something with a higher coverage so that I don't have to spend as much time layering the concealer on blemishes.

What was the most expensive concealer you've ever tried? Do you use a separate concealer for your under eyes and for spot concealing, or do you prefer to have one multitasker?

Earning My Blush Stripes: Kiko Shade Fusion Trio Blush in No. 1 Natural Rose

I used to be a major blush fiend (as evidenced in the Addicted to Blush Tag) and was obsessed with the idea of finding the perfect pinky peach, the most effortless baby pink, the ultimate universal nude blush. Recently though, I've sorta given up on that quest. Not that I don't love blush - my face looks uncannily zombie/ vampire like without it - but a lot of the different blushes I had would end up looking roughly the same on the face. So I did a bit of culling of the less-than-ideal formulas... and as a result of seeing all that empty drawer space, I purchased another blush. Sigh.

But you guys, it was just too pretty to resist - look at it! It's the Kiko Shade Fusion Trio Blush in shade no. 1 Natural Rose ($15 for 6g/ 0.21 oz, available online at www.kikocosmetics.com/en-us/ and at Kiko stores). When I visited a Kiko boutique in Warsaw, I was a bit surprised by the price difference between this new Shade Fusion formula and their regular Soft Touch blush, which was also on sale. But as soon as I compared the texture of the two blushes and taken into consideration the design of the packaging, I wasn't at all interested in the more affordable Soft Touch line. I had to get the Shade Fusion.

The compact of the Shade Fusion blushes is just beautiful - small but weighty, with a simple, clean, luxurious feel. There's a nice mirror inside, and no wasting of precious space to include a crappy brush. Since the metal is so reflective, it is of course a fingerprint magnet, but I can live with that - and all make-up fans should now heave an orgasmic sigh because the closing mechanism is magnetic. Aaaaah.

But the tactile feel of this powder blush is what really made me pull out my credit card. It's so smooth and fine, with a silky texture and no powder kick-up. Yet, the product isn't hard-pressed into the pan - it's very easy to pick up with both my swatchy fingers or a blush brush. Not sure how Kiko pulled that off, but it's just so, so pleasant to use.

L-R: Kiko Shade Fusion in Natural Rose, NARS Douceur, Hourglass Mood Exposure, Catrice Rose Royce

I obviously gravitated towards the most neutral shade in the range, no. 1 Natural Rose. However, similarly to the Catrice Defining Blush in Rose Royce, the Kiko blush doesn't really look rosey on my skintone at all. Instead, it's quite warm and very slightly peachy. Compared to my other 'nude' blushes, you can see that both NARS Douceur and Hourglass Mood Exposure are a lot more brown. The pigmentation of the Kiko Shade Fusion blush is medium but buildable, and the finish is quite matte. You could of course play with the shade depth of this blush by concentrating your brush on different stripes - sometimes I like dipping my brush into the two darker shades on the bottom and applying that to the back of my cheeks, and then using the middle and top stripe for the apples to give myself a more dimensional look.

All in all, I really like this new Shade Fushion Trio Blush in Natural Rose - it's pretty, it's easy, it suits a variety of eye looks or lipstick shades. If you've been skeptical about Kiko products so far, I'd say to give them a shot, even if the range seems a bit overwhelming at first. I think that for the price, the quality is quite outstanding, and the brands follows current make-up trends very closely - so if you wanted to try something a bit outside of your comfort zone, you could do so with their products without breaking the bank. Have you tried any Kiko products? What are your favorite things in their line?

Volume & Definition: Marc Jacobs Velvet Noir Major Volume Mascara

For whatever reason, I had previously never tried anything from Marc Jacobs Beauty. I think I'm quite biased against newer beauty brands; I tend to see them as trendy and fun but not very invested in making quality products. So I wasn't really expecting much when Influenster selected me for yet another of their VoxBoxes (you can sign up for a chance to review products, too! Here's my invite link), this time in collaboration with Marc Jacobs - apart from being excited to try out new high-end make-up for free, duh.

The Marc Jacobs Velvet Noir Major Volume Mascara* ($26 for 0.32 oz, comes in just the black shade - Noir) is the third mascara to join the brand's line-up, forth if you're counting their Lamé Noir Ultra-Glittering Mascara (see what I mean by trendy and fun?). When I ripped open the box, I was immediately pleasantly surprised by the simple but weighty packaging; they used some really luxurious feeling plastic for the tube, lol. I actually like most of the brand's packaging - what can I say, I really appreciate black with silver accents.

Velvet Noir claims to 'create instant, smudge-proof length and volume in three strokes or less' with super-concentrated black pigment and a lash-maximizing curvy brush (from Sephora). The hourglass-shaped brush is quite large, which is usually not my preference, but I'm actually very impressed with the design. The rounded tip allows me to reach both inner and outer corner lashes and build up layers just where I need it, while the densely packed bristles grab every single lash and comb out any clumps. It's a combination of two things that I like the most in a mascara: volume and definition. I like.

Despite the size of the brush, I don't really have problems with smudging the mascara on my lids, although it is a bit difficult to maneuver on the lower lash line. The mascara layers easily, although I never really feel the need to dip back into the tube - one coat is perfectly enough for me. The pigment is a very nice matte black, and even without curling my lashes, they appear lifted and fanned out.

As for longevity, I'm pleased to say that this relatively dry formula doesn't crumble or flake throughout the day. On me, it does transfer ever so slightly onto the browbone - but that's a common problem if your lashes happen to touch the skin under your brows when looking up. It's not as bad as other non-waterproof mascaras though, and can be minimized with an eye primer and some powder.

All in all, I'm very impressed with this mascara; maybe it's because of all the mascara duds I've been trying lately, but I would actually consider repurchasing the Velvet Noir. You know you don't want to be without a product when you start thinking things like '$26 is not so bad for a high-end mascara, right?'. Uhm, right. What are your favorite products from Marc Jacobs? What was the last mascara you were really impressed by?

Disclaimer: Item marked with an asterix (*) is a press sample 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!

Holiday Party Glow: Anastasia Beverly Hills Illuminator in Starlight

I'm really sticking to that wishlist, you guys, and it's working for me - all of my purchases so far have been great successes, knock on wood! One of those is Anastasia Beverly Hills Illuminator in Starlight ($28 for 0.32 oz/ 9 g), a beautiful powder highlight in the 'gelee'/ MAC Extra Dimension type of formula. I'd never had a powder product with that texture before, so I was excited to play around with Anastasia's version.

I was also right to wait it out and see if Anastasia's own website would have any Black Friday/ Cyber Monday deals on this product, and while the sale wasn't super amazing, I managed to get my Starlight plus their A23 Highlighter brush (pictured) in a set for $26 with free shipping. I'm not going to review the brush right now - first impressions are that it isn't anything special - but still, the combo was just a little bit cheaper than the full price of one Illuminator.

I've read somewhere that the Illuminator's packaging looks cheap and doesn't go well with the rest of Anastasia's make-up line, but I don't really find any problems with it. Sure, it's just black plastic, but it seems sturdy and comes with a large mirror inside the compact.

Word on the street is that the pretty art deco-inspired embossing on the powder was chosen not just for visual impact, but for how increases powder pick-up on the brush. Hmm, maybe - I haven't really noticed anything different about that, but then again I normally use a very soft highlighter brush (Zoeva 105 Luxe Highlight, here) that allows me to precisely control the amount of product on the bristles. Either way, I think it's a beautiful design that adds a special something something to this highlighter.

Now, as for the gelee formula... I guess if I wasn't told before that it was a special type of formulation, I probably wouldn't have noticed all that much - sorry. The product is pressed quite firmy in the pan, which I like as it diminishes the amount of fly-away dust all over the compact like in the other two powder highlighters in my stash. Despite that firmness, it's easy to pick up quite a bit on the brush, and it's nicely pigmented - definitely not sheer, but not fully opaque either (that would be terrible for a luminizing product, don't you think?). Anastasia's Illuminator has a nice slip to it as well, which makes blending out a breeze - it definitely feels creamier/ less dry than my two baked highlighters, shown below for comparison.

The other significant difference between Anastasia's powder highlighter and the other two that I own is that the Illuminator has a lot more, well, glow to it. It's more reflective, and when applied heavily, can even verge on that metallic/ wet look that I usually avoid. However, it doesn't exaggerate pores too much, and it's quite easy to sheer out for daytime, so I'm happy to at least have the option of a heavier highlight if I want - it'd be really pretty for a Holiday party look, for example.

As for the shade, Starlight is the perfect highlight for fair to light skintones. I've heard it described two ways - either as a very pale white gold, or as a very pale pink, which seemed quite confusing to me; is it warm or cool-toned then? Well, it's a little bit of both. In artificial lighting, it definitely has more of that white gold iridescence, but in daylight, I see more of the baby pink, so I believe it's a white gold/ pale pink duochrome on a white base. Either way, I would describe its tone as neutral, so it should suit a variety of lighter skintones - it also compliments just about any blush shade. Compared to my other highlighters, Laura Mercier Baked Powder in Highlight 01 (click) is more champagne/ beige, while Makeup Revolution Vivid Baked Highlighter in Radiant Lights (click) is significantly darker and more peachy pink. I'm sorry these swatches are not more visible, but truth be told all three of these products are rather close to my skintone.

L-R: (far left) Anastasia Beverly Hills Illuminator in Starlight blended out, then swatched heavily, Laura Mercier Baked Highlight 01, Makeup Revolution Baked Vivid Highlighter in Radiant Lights

I took a whole bunch of face shots to try and show you Starlight in action, but I think winter afternoon light isn't bright enough to pick up on the glow - the only thing it managed to pick up on was my dry and flaky skin (I also didn't apply the Illuminator heavily on my cheeks because I was heading out to work). You can see it concentrated more in the inner corners of my eyes, but uhm, yeah - well I guess this picture shows that you really can apply this highlighter more sheer and subtle for daytime.

Anastasia's Starlight rounds up my powder highlighter collection very nicely, and I'm happy that I pulled the trigger on it. I really love all three of the luminizing powders I now have in my stash, and I don't think I'll be adding another one any time soon - I feel that three is a really good number to have some variety but still be able to regularly use all of them. What was the last powder highlighter that you've bought? How many do you have in your stash?

Multi-tasking Base: Missha Perfect Cover BB Cream SPF42

Missha was one of the first Korean brands to arrive on our beauty scene, and their Perfect Cover BB Cream SPF 42 PA +++ ($22 for 50ml but frequently on sale: entire Missha website is 40% off plus free shipping until midnight today) was one of the first products from the brand to win the hearts of many a beauty blogger. I purchased this smaller 20ml trial size in-store last year (don't you think all brands should offer smaller sizes of foundations for less? Such a great idea!) and I've only just dug it out from my back-up stash to try now.

Missha's BB Cream comes in a simple cardboard box with a full list of ingredients (although surprisingly, the sunscreen content is not listed separately as an active ingredient, which I believe is required by law here in the US), and the product itself is packaged in a slim squeeze tube, which I always appreciate. The claims for this BB Cream are 'natural-looking coverage while providing sun protection, treating dark spots, and preventing wrinkles', and it can be used either as a primer or alone as a foundation.

The texture of this product is a slightly thicker lotion that spreads and blends out easily on the skin. It does have quite a strong fragrance - it smells like a cross between old-school Nivea and sunscreen to me, kinda nostalgic - and it can linger, so I would advise against purchasing this BB if you're sensitive to scents. The Perfect Cover BB definitely has a more emollient, moisturizing feel as it contains mineral oil as well as natural plant oils, glycerine and hyaluronic acid, but I wouldn't say it feels heavy or tacky once blended in. The coverage is light (a bit surprising given the product's name, but in line with the brand's claims) and it has a natural, glowy finish on the skin. This BB Cream doesn't pool into my fine lines or pores, but due to the dewy effect, it doesn't disguise them either.

Compared to the L'Occitane Immortelle Precious BB Cream that I reviewed not too long ago, on my combination skin, I definitely prefer the Missha Perfect Cover because of its better longevity and more lightweight feel (I didn't include the L'Occitane BB in the swatches as I've already passed it on to a drier-skinned friend). I'm not surprised that Perfect Cover is one of Missha's best-sellers - it would be a fantastic multi-purpose product for someone looking for just a little bit of coverage to even things out but with the added conveniance of not having to layer a separate SPF or even moisturizer under one's foundation in the morning. One thing to keep in mind is that this product has a tendency to leave a bit of an ashy cast on the skin (probably due to high zinc oxide content); the shade I chose, Light Beige no. 21, can look a bit grey on my skin if applied more generously.

L-R: Missha Perfect Cover BB in no. 21 Light Beige, Revlon Colorstay in Ivory, Koh Gen Do Aqua Foundation in PK-1

All in all, I'm quite happy with Missha Perfect Cover BB Cream. Most days, the coverage is a bit too light for me, but I've also been mixing it in with a more longlasting and opaque foundation, and I like the effect. I also really enjoy wearing Missha's BB when my skin is particularly dry and dehydrated (hello, winter season!), although it doesn't have any miraculous properties like erasing flaky skin - it just feels more comfortable than a mattifying base. What foundation do you usually reach for once the weather cools down? Do you prefer to layer SPF with foundation, or do you rely on sunscreen in your base products?

A Pillow For Your Under Eyes: Laneige Cushion Concealer SPF30 in Light*

With the increasing popularity of cushion foundations (read my review of Laneige's BB Cushion here), many brands have decided to go all out on the cushion technology, introducing cushion blushers, gel eyeliners, eyeshadows and more. Laneige is definitely on top of that trend with their Cushion Concealer Broad Spectrum SPF 30* ($20 for 2.5 ml at Target), available in Light (which I have here to show you) and Medium.

First off, I have to say that Laneige's Cushion Concealer doesn't actually have a cushion - the applicator is in fact a soft fluffy... ehm, ball, I guess. Or round doe foot. It looks pretty adorable when brand new with its baby pink color. The delivery method of this concealer is a clickety pen, and I absolutely love, love that there's a window on the side of the packaging so you can easily see how much product you have remaining. The concealer with the most similar packaging on the US market right now is the newly released Burberry Cashmere Concealer, while the Maybelline Age Rewind is a similar concept, but it features a sponge on the end and the size of the applicator is much larger. Laneige's doe foot fits perfectly into the curves around your eyes or nose.

The Cushion Concealer boasts SPF 30+ (combination of physical and chemical sunscreen ingredients), which is a rarity, as well as skincare benefits on top of its concealing action: it's supposed to have a hydrating and brightening effect. I was actually expecting the texture of this product to be much thinner, but in fact, it's quite creamy (only slightly thinner than my NARS Radiant Creamy Concealer), and blends easily into the skin. The tone of the Light shade is definitely quite yellow on me, which surprisingly works well not only on areas of redness but also under my eyes (I have a lot of purple tones there, but if your eye area is more olive, this may look too ashy).

I would say the coverage of this concealer is medium, so for me personally it's not really suited for pin-point blemish concealing. It's sufficiently opaque though to disguise the darkness under my eyes or redness around the nose. When blended in, the finish of this concealer is a natural satin, but unfortunately on me, it sometimes exacerbates texture under my eyes, and I find it a bit difficult to layer over my eye cream - it blends out unevenly, especially towards the outer corners. It looks alright when I pat it in with a finger versus blending out with a brush, but I'm not sure if the results warrant babying this product so much; judge for yourselves in my uncomfortable eye close-up.

L-R: Laneige Cushion Concealer in Light, Bobbi Brown Corrector in Porcelain Bisque, NARS Radiant Creamy Concealer in Chantilly

No concealer on the left under eye area, Laneige Cushion Concealer applied on the right.

Overall, I think it's an average concealer - it's just a bit too much effort for me to coax it into behaving the way I would like it to. Looking at the photos of my under eyes with and without concealer, I actually think the two sides don't look all that different, and maybe I'm just not the best judge when it comes to under eye concealers because I don't have huge issues to conceal in that area. If you've been thinking about purchasing Laneige's Cushion Concealer, keep in mind the two major downsides of this product: very limited shade range and the price per ounce - 2.5 ml of product isn't a whole lot (in comparison, NARS Creamy Concealer contains around 6.5 ml, while the Maybelline Age Rewind contains 6ml for $7-8). Have you tried any of the spin-off cushion products? What is your current favorite concealer?

Disclaimer: Item marked with an asterix (*) 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 products featured were purchased with my own monies or provided as free press samples. Thank you for reading!