It Cosmetics Live, Love, Laugh Vitality Face Disc

Before we jump into the post, I just want to let anyone who bothers to read this blog know that I am working to address my lighting issues.  Sometimes it seems okay, but as we get into winter and natural light is less readily available, it becomes a bigger issue.  Lately it seems like my swatches are just not showing up true to life.  I'll keep you posted.

And moving on to the lovely :D ...

For Christmas I received this beauty as a present from the lovely Ollie, though I think his mom might have helped him pick it out ;).  Please notice the big thumbprint in the highlighter where I couldn't refrain from trying it out before I took pictures.

Here is the It Cosmetics official word on the disc:

Live, Love, Laugh Anti-Aging Vitality Face Disc is all about that healthy look of vitality for the face and body! This disc is substantial in size and has a jumbo mirror inside ― it's an all-in-one makeup must-have! The waterproof matte bronzer, illuminating highlighter, and anti-aging vitality blush shade are naturally pretty, yet infused with cutting-edge anti-aging ingredients hydrating ingredients, including hydrolyzed collagen, acai, green tea, and vitamins A, C, and E. Talc, paraben, sulfate, mineral oil, petrolatum, synthetic fragrance, and phthalate free. Hypo-allergenic and non-comedogenic.

It certainly is substantial in size.  To paraphrase Ollie's mom, it's bigger than the blue banana.  That's not  a bad thing, but just be forewarned, it is large.  Very large.  This does mean that it has a large mirror, and tons of product, which are definitely pluses.  The packaging is similar to NARS in that it is a black rubberized packaging.  I'm not sure if it's susceptible to becoming gummy over time, but I'll let you know.

(daybulbs)

And here is where we get to the lighting issues.  Sigh.  The bronzer and the blush swatched very true to life, but the highlighter didn't at all.  In real life, it is a very subtle champagne color, not the chunky gold that you see in the photographs.  As soon as I get my lighting figured out, I will update this post.

(natural light)

(more natural light)

The blush is a gorgeous coral color with a satin finish.  The bronzer is matte and waterproof.  On me, it's a little too warm to use as a contour, but it's great for adding all over warmth.  The highlighter, as previously mentioned, is a soft shimmery champagne color.

All of these products wore fantastically well on my dry skin and hadn't faded noticeably at all by the time I took them off at around the 10 hour mark.  I can't speak to how waterproof the waterproof bronzer is, but if the opportunity ever presents itself, I'll let you know.

The It Cosmetics Live, Love, Laugh Vitality Face Disc contains a whopping 22.22 grams of product and retails for $38 wherever It Cosmetics are sold (which, I believe is the It Cosmetics website, QVC and Ulta).

Overall:  10/10

Sonia Kashuk Chic Luminosity Bronzer/Blush Duo in #53 Glow

As a general rule, I photograph my products before I use them because no one wants to see gunky cosmetics after they've been put through the wringer.  So I will apologize in advance because I did not photograph this particular product before using it.  That's because I had no intention of reviewing it.  I had to take a trip and I was in a pinch.  On a whim at Target, I picked up a decent looking blush and bronzer duo because hey, why not?

However, after several months of using this product I absolutely LOVE it.  So, here's the belated pictures and review.

This product comes in 3 shades, #51 - Glimmer, #52 - Glisten & #53 - Glow.  I would love to give you an official synopsis of how the products differ, but there isn't one.  And to be honest, the different shades didn't look terribly different in the store.  Maybe on the skin there's a big difference, I can't say for sure.  I picked up Glow because the blush shade appealed to be the most.

The product has the same snakeskin pattern that a lot of the Sonia Kashuk products have.  The design is very resilient and even after months of regular use, this is what it looks like.  The bronzer looks crazy metallic in the pan, but on the skin isn't nearly as full throttle as you'd think.

(daybulbs)

The bronzer is a very warm red-gold when heavily swatched.  It has phenomenal color payoff and a great texture.  On my skin, lightly applied, it is very warm and much more of a blush than a bronzer per se.  

The blush is a very warm peachy pink with good color payoff.  The texture of it reminded me a lot of the new MAC Extra Dimension blushes that came out this summer.

Both products have a lot of sheen, but no shimmer or glitter.  I love to use the two products together.  I run the bronzer along the back of my cheekbones to give some color, but also definition.  Then I put the blush on the apples of my cheeks.

(indirect sunlight)

Both products wear really well on me.  I get probably 6 hours out of the blush before there's any fading at all.  I get a good 10 hours out of the bronzer before there's fading.  I absolutely love this product.  I love the color.  I love the fact that the compact is super easy to just throw in a bag and go.  It does double duty as blush and bronzer, super convenient.

When I say I love this product, I mean it.  I alternate this almost every day with my Guerlain Terra Ora bronzer, which is easily 6 times the price.  I LOVE this.

The Sonia Kashuk Chic Luminosity Bronzer/Blush duo in #53 Glow contains 6.8 grams of product and retails for $12.99 at Target.

Overall:  10/10

Guerlain Terra Ora Sculpting Powder and Contrast Highlighter for Summer 2013

Guerlain's Terra Ora Sculpting Powder and Contrast Highlighter is the limited edition summer 2013 Guerlain bronzer.  As far as I can tell, Guerlain does these every summer.  Last summer it was the Emelio Pucci Terra Azzurra blush/bronzer.

I should have taken a picture of me holding it, but I forgot.  This is NOT the huge one (that's the Guerlain Terra Neroli).  This compact fits neatly in the palm of my hand, but it still contains a good bit of product - 16 grams.  And to be clear, it should at this price point.

I've seen all sorts of blog and YouTube reviews on this product.  My favorite one was a YouTube review instructing people to stop treating this as a bronzer (and being disappointed) because it is meant to give you an all over healthy glow.  WHAT.  EVER. omg.

As with just about every other color product on the planet, a big part of what this product does will be dictated by your particular skintone (and often, skintype).  This product is a light golden beige.  On my pasty pale face, it absolutely is a bronzer.  On someone with a medium skintone, I could definitely see this being an all over glow product.  And on someone with a deep skintone, I suspect it would mostly be a waste of money, but could possibly be used as a highlighter, at least the center gold section.

I need a gold highlighter like I need a hole in the head, so I don't ever use the very center part.  I just don't.  I use the outer ring and here is a swatch of it on my skin

I think it is absolutely gorgeous.  It is very finely milled.  On the skin is has a beautiful sheen without any obvious shimmer or glitter.  It applies like a breeze, wears a solid 10 hours on my dry skin without a problem.  It doesn't emphasize pores (and trust me, I have some serious pores).  

The design on the product itself is gorgeous and shockingly resilient.  I've been using this thing for literally months and the design is still visible.

The compact is made of wood and has three magnetic closures.  The two halves of the compact come completely apart.  I'm fairly indifferent to this packaging.  It's okay.  I don't love it and I don't hate it.  I think it's fine.  The Terra Neroli bronzer comes in plastic packaging which I am much less excited about.

The Guerlain Terra Ora Sculpting Powder and Contrast Highlighter for Summer 2013 contains 16 grams of product and retails for a whopping $72 wherever Guerlain is sold.  I bought mine at Nordstrom.  Most retailers still have some in stock.  I get that at this price point, this would definitely be a miss for some people, but I absolutely love everything about this.

Overall:  10/10

Benefit Box O' Powder in Dallas

I swap on Makeup Alley and a few months ago, I picked up the Benefit Box O' Powder blush in Dallas.  Benefit describes the color as "an outdoor glow for an indoor gal face powder".  I'm not sure what that's supposed to mean, but I do think it's a lovely color.

I don't know what's up with the color balance on my camera.  This blush definitely is brownish, but it's not near as brown as it is showing up in these swatches.  It's a dusky pinky brown.  It reminds me a lot of the Tarte Amazonian Clay blush in Exposed or the Estee Lauder Pure Color blush in Rebel Rose.

Shades like this I really like for using as a blush/contour.  I just apply it along the back of the cheeks and it gives both definition and color without being over the top blush or contour.

The blush has good color payoff.  There isn't any obvious shimmer, but it has a satin finish.  I found that it blended easily and wore well.  I got a solid 8 hours out of it before there was any noticeable fading.

The biggest downside (as always) with me for this, and all, Benefit blush is the packaging.  At this price point, I don't want cardboard packaging.  And I think this is an older run of the product because the lid isn't attached at all.  Attached or not, I despise the packaging.

Benefit Box O' Powder blush in Dallas contains .28oz of product and retails for $28 wherever Benefit is sold, unless you're like me and you get yours in a makeup swap.

Overall:  7/10

Dior Paradise Duo in 002 Coral Glow

Today's review is for the Dior Diorskin Nude Tan Paradise Duo in 002 Coral Glow (I swear, cosmetics companies, what is the deal with the names lately?).  This beautiful blush and bronzer duo was released this spring and I believe it is limited edition, though it is still readily available at many retailers.

This is a summery take on the regular Dior Diorskin Nude Tan bronzer which is a lovely product in its own right.  In this packaging, you get half of the regular bronzer and then the other half is a coral blush.  It also comes in 001 Pink Glow, but I liked the coral better.

So you can use the products individually, or you can mix them together.  I use them individually.  I think on medium skintones, they could look lovely mixed together, but for my pasty pale complexion, it is glaringly obvious that I just swirled together my blush and bronzer.

As is to be expected from Dior, the packaging is beautiful.  This is a heavy compact.  It is a high gloss metal with the typical Dior quilted pattern.  It also comes with the cutest little kabuki brush you've ever seen - and it's also very useful!

In total, this contains 9.5 grams of product (half bronzer, half blush).  It retails for $56 wherever Dior is available.

Overall: 10/10

Physicians Formula Happy Booster Glow & Mood Boosting Baked Bronzer in Light Bronzer

Seriously, what is it with Physicans Formula and the names?!?!

I mentioned that a couple of weeks ago, I picked up some Physicians Formula products at CVS while they were 50% off.  One of the products that I picked up is the Physicians Formula Happy Booster Glow & Mood Boosting Baked Bronzer in Light Bronzer (what a mouthful).

As previously mentioned, while Physicians Formula could definitely improve their pricepoint (and occasionally, their quality), they certainly get packaging right.  Just look at this thing.  It's adorable.

Unlike the blush I reviewed recently, which was a big old disapointment, I really like this bronzer.  You can get three distinct shades.  

• Heart -  is an orangy gold.  I don't think you could use it as a bronzer, but it could definitely be used as a highlighter, though I tend to use it as an eyeshadow.  
• Outer circle - is a champagne brown.  On lighter skintones, it could be dark enough to be used as a bronzer, but again, it's shimmery enough that on some skintones it could be a highlighter (or eyeshadow).
• Mixed - is a slightly warmer champagne.  Again, highlighter, bronzer or eyeshadow depending on your skintone and proclivities.

The bronzer is baked, so you get an irridescent sheen, but it doesn't contain any straight up glitter.  It has good color payoff, but can be easily sheered out.  I got a good six hours of wear time out of it before I noticed any fading.

The Physicians Formula Happy Booster Glow & Mood Boosting Baked Bronzer in Light Bronzer contains 9.5 grams of product and usually retails for around $11 wherever Physicians Formula is sold.  I got mine at CVS (for 50% off).

Overall:  8/10

Hard Candy Baked Bronzer in Tiki

A couple of months ago, there seemed to be a mass hysteria in the YouTube beauty community about the Dior Amber Diamond highlighter being discontinued - which, as I understand it, isn't true.  For the record, the full product name is 'Diorskin' Ultra Shimmering Allover Face Powder in 002 Amber Diamond.

Anyway, several of the YouTubers that I watch picked up Amber Diamond and then mentioned that it is apparently very similar to the Hard Candy baked bronzer in Tiki.

Now, as much as I love highlighters and bronzers, I'm less crazy about gold highlighters.  And especially at the Dior pricepoint ($45), I am not going to rush out and pick it up.  But the Hard Candy baked bronzer in Tiki is only $9, so I figured I could give it a try.

Now, since I don't have Amber Diamond, I can't do a side by side comparison.  But even without it, I have a hard time imaging Dior putting out something that's truly a dupe for this Hard Candy product.  Tiki is super frosty and very, very yellow (as opposed to gold).  It is also crazy reflective and not at all subtle.

Why, exactly, Hard Candy labels this thing a bronzer, I have no idea.  I cannot even begin to imagine a skintone on which this would bronze anything.  I'd think that in order to bronze something, you'd have to be bronze and this product isn't.  It's yellow.  Frosty, banana yellow.

In the pan, the product is champagne beige with gold veining, but on the skin it is straight up yellow frost.  If that's what you're looking for, good for you.  You get 12.5 grams of product for $9, which is a heck of a deal - provided you're looking for a frosty yellow highlighter.

Did I mention this is a frosty yellow highlighter?  Because, really, I just can't imagine who the hell reaches for this thing in the morning.

Overall: 3/10

Avon Glow Bronzing Pearls in Sunkissed

I know, just about every beauty line out there now have their very own ripoff of the Guerlain Meteorites.  I lust after the Guerlain Meteorites.  But I do not need another finishing powder, no matter how beautiful.  So I've saved myself the $58.  However, this does not preclude me from trying the cheap knockoffs.

I've seen several YouTubers using the Avon Glow Bronzing Pearls.  I'm pretty sure they came out with Avon's summer 2012 collection.  They're no longer available from Avon and I have to tell you, if you missed them, you're not missing much.

I'm not exactly sure what complexion this particular shade could bronze.  You see the swatch above?  The one where you can barely see where the product is swiped.  Yeah.  There's virtually no pigmentation to this product.  I picked up Sunkissed.  I'm sure it came in at least one other, darker, shade.  

It's a highlighter.  It does have a decent amount of shimmer.  Not the most finely milled or flattering shimmer, but it's there.  I know that a lot of people love the scent of this product.  As previously mentioned, my sense of smell is pretty non-existent, so that's not exactly a plus for me.

Overall, this product feels gimmicky.  It's a chunky, gimmicky highlighter and it sits largely unloved in the back of my makeup drawer.  If I was in desperate need of a highlighter, I suppose this would work, but I have other highlighters that I love far more and that are far less messy and cumbersome to use.

Avon Glow Bronzing Pearls in B01 Sunkissed contain a whopping 22 grams of product.  I picked mine up on sale from Avon.com for $6.99.

Overall:  4/10

Hourglass Illume Creme-to-Powder Bronzer Duo in Sunset

Hourglass cosmetics describes their new Illume Creme-to-Powder Bronzer Duo as:

A multi-purpose crème-to-powder duo featuring a bronzer paired with a blush or highlighter. The bronze shade imparts a natural golden glow, subtly defining and contouring the face. Accent colors of sheer rose (Sunset duo) or champagne beige (Bronze Light duo) warm and illuminate the complexion. Illume’s luxurious vitamin-enriched formula blends seamlessly onto skin without blotching or streaking.

So, the bronzer duo comes in two shades, Sunset, which I have, is a duo of bronzer and a warm pink blush.  The Bronze Light duo contains the bronzer (same shade as the Sunset duo) and a champagne beige highlighter.

Originally I picked up the Bronze Light duo because those were the product reviews (and raves) I'd seen.  I glanced at the Sunset duo, but I mistakenly thought it was just a deeper version of the Bronze Light.  When I got home and realized that the Sunset duo actually contained a blush as opposed to the Bronze Light's highlighter, I immediately exchanged Bronze Light for Sunset.

Let's face it, I'm going to get way more use out of a blush than a highlighter. Sunset is it. ;)

I will admit up front that my expectations for this product were high.  I had seen several YouTube gurus whose opinions I respect and generally agree with, rave about this product.  (Though both of them did review the Bronze Light duo.  You can see GossMakeupArtist's review here and Josh Collier's review here.)

I also felt like I had a good handle on how this product should perform.  I already have the Chanel Soleil Tan de Chanel gel bronzer, which I love.  Like the Hourglass creme-to-powder bronzer, the Chanel bronzer isn't great for contouring.  I think it leans too orange on my skintone for that.  But for that summer, sun-kissed glow without the sun damage, it's great, even on my pasty pale skin.

(sunlight)

(daybulb)

As for the cream blush, I feel like I've seen a hundred different cream blush formulations and I was curious to see Hourglass's take.  I really like the formula a lot.  It is incredibly pigmented and while it goes on smooth and creamy, it dries down to a powder finish very quickly and has fantastic staying time.  I got a solid 8 hours out of it before it started to fade at all.

(sunlight)

(daybulb)

Overall, I really, really like this product.  As usual, the hourglass packaging is so sleek and luxurious feeling.  There is a lot of product.  The product performs fantastically well and it's paraben and cruelty free.  It's a total win, even at this price point.

Hourglass also touts the following benefits for the Illume line:

• Shades illuminate the skin while delivering year-round bronze color
• Stays fresh on skin all day without blotching or streaking
• Vitamins A and E provide moisturizing and antioxidant benefits
• Compact features a mirror that swivels 360°
• Free of oil, wax, parabens, phthalates, sulfates and fragrance

The Illume Creme-to-Powder Bronzer Duo contains 11 grams of product and retails for $40 wherever Hourglass Cosmetics are sold.  (I got mine at Sephora).

Overall: 10/10