Guerlain Holiday Meteorites for Holiday 2017

There are new Meteorites. Therefore I had to pick them up during the Sephora VIB Rouge sale. What's better than new Meteorites? New Meteorites at 20% off! If you're looking for a super-detailed analysis of this product, this isn't the post for you.  I'll be giving you a quick look and my thoughts, and following up later today with a second post because I'm feeling that holiday spirit as of late.

The Guerlain Meteorites Gold Pearl retail for $65 and contain 0.7 oz of product in a luxe gold container. It was bothering me for a full week and I finally know what it reminds me of. 

Anyone remember the Julep 20s collection in their old school nail box? The one with the mini lippies? There was a lip scrub in the same packaging!!

Let's focus back on the Meteorites. It's futile to swatch.

These remind me of the last gold meteorites- Holiday 2015? (*QBB does some research... yes, 2015. The one that looks like a snow globe.)

I'm talking about the one in the lower left with the gold in the middle of the globe

The main difference is that these don't have stars, and are a little more subtle but yet gold. I like them- they're pretty standard holiday offerings from the brand.

I'd highly recommend this for the packaging. I can't wait to cover myself with a little glitz as the season of glitz approaches.

MAC Snow Ball Prep + Prime Fix+ Set for Holiday 2017

ZOMG!

Holy Snow Balls!

I said something slightly saltier when I spotted this insane kit sitting at a local Macy's MAC counter.  Meet the MAC Snow Ball Prep + Prime Fix + Set.

Yes, that's three of the scented minis.

And yes- these are the guys who were back for Work It Out.  And cost $12 each then.

This set costs $20. $20. $20!!!!!

Hence my salty expression of joy that they're back.

This is possibly my favorite gift set I've encountered yet. I don't even need to review these- you know MAC Fix+. Just go. Go to the store and get this!

These normally would have a retail value of $36 ($12 each per 1oz Fix+- lavender, rose, and coconut), but this is something that should be in everyone's stocking at just $20.

Given that this is the third time we're seeing Coconut this year and second for this trio of scented Fix+ minis, I seriously hope this means that MAC is inching closer to making this permanent.

Pur Bronze Your Selfie

I have to share a total impulse purchase when browsing Ulta recently: Pur Cosmetics' Bronze Your Selfie Skin Perfecting Face and Body Liquid Bronzer ($26, 1.7fl oz)

2016 QBB would be screaming at 2017 QBB for purchasing this because I hate liquid bronzers. But here's the truth: this isn't your average liquid bronzer.

I love the squeeze tube, since it keeps it clean and nice. One of the things I hate about liquid products is when they're messy. I'm also a powder person. Still, I love this product.

Here's the liquid bronzer, dotted. I know it looks a little scary.

Let me take a moment to address the blue line. That's what Stila Magnificent Metals Glitter and Glow Liquid Eyeshadow in Violet Vixen did to me after 3 cleansing oils, 3 cleansers, 2 exfoliators, and scrubbing my hand until I cried. I have repeatedly reached out to Stila and Sephora but they have not responded. To say I'm upset and disappointed is an understatement. Please excuse the staining and let Stila know about it if it bothers you.

Here's what the Pur liquid bronzer looks like, spread out but unblended. It still looks really scary here:

But trust me on this.

Here's a couple of shots of this, blended out. It's so natural!

So it's totally wearable, even for my natural NW13-15 skintone. The trick that I've learned is simply just to keep blending.

My favorite way to use this is to blend down neck and chest if I want to use a foundation that's a little too dark (I technically need to mix one of my favorite foundations and can't always be bothered). I find it looks healthy and beautiful.

I got mine on sale at Ulta, so I don't know if it's being discontinued. I do recommend this, even for my pale friends. It's a product that works well on face or body, so those are relatively hard to find. It's very worth it for me.

On second search, it's a LE product but still available on Pur's website. GO! You'll thank me later.

It's Not Easy Being Green: Yves Saint Laurent Touche Eclat Neutralizer

In honor of St. Patrick's Day, I'm going to be bringing you a few of these green-themed posts today. First up, the most expensive per swipe green color corrector that I tried during my crazy testing: the Yves Saint Laurent Touche Eclat Neutralizer ($38, 0.08oz).

Price Index: $475/oz

First, it's not fair to compare this to most of the other items. Anyone familiar with YSL's famous Touche Eclat will understand what I'm saying. This has the same type of brush applicator as the non-color correcting items. With that comes a very thin formula.

Color-wise, this is a light mint with a distinct white base. It swatches more opaque than it wears:

It's one of the lightest in tone, which makes it perfect for my NW15 skin. However, it's a very light, emolient formula- like most products dispensed in a click pen.

The Wear Test: I knew as soon as I started playing with it that I wouldn't be maximizing this product's potential because of my needs for a heavy-duty redness reducer. I felt incredibly wasteful trying to cover as much of my skin as I needed to with such an expensive item. I was also indecisive- does one brush and blend with the applicator? Or brush, then blend with fingers? Or another brush?  I tried different techniques without a lot of great success.

I couldn't photograph it well because it was THAT thin.

One of the best parts of this one is that it didn't give my skin an overall green tint when blended, but I also questioned if I was blending it away. I was really disappointed with it for my purposes- it was way too sheer. However, I knew this going in with my Touche Eclat experiences in the past. Because I felt like it blended out so much to be effective for my needs, I hesitate to be too critical.

Bottom Line: This is by far and away the most expensive product per ounce. It's no wonder that it's meant for spot correcting rather than heavy-duty or large-area correction (my needs). I'll be looking at the other Neutralizers for spot correcting since the formula feels awesome- but I won't be repurchasing this one.

It's Not Easy Being Green: Cover FX Correct Click Color Corrector & Becca Backlight Targeted Colour Corrector

Much like Kermit the Frog said, it's really not easy being green. For the more than the past month, I've been testing a bevvy of green products on my face all in the name of color correction and science.

It also seemed like perfect timing to launch these posts right around St. Patrick's Day on Thursday.

I'm going to do something scary today: show you my uncorrected skin.  I've mentioned in many of my posts that I suffer from a mild case of rosacea. I've actually used it as a blush in the past with a thin foundation. I'm going to be honest: I have a lot of anxiety about this. I accept my skin, but given how cruel the internet has been to me and this site before, it is taking all of my courage to do this.

I remember early color correctors- large green concealer bullets. (I actually tested one of those just to be fair). I always loved the idea but hated the execution.

I'm thrilled that a bunch of companies have released lines of color correcting products new for Spring 2016 that join an already-robust offering of products. Please keep in mind that I'll be showing you Green products right now- meant for redness reducing for intense spots. Each of these brands are releasing products for brightening, dark spot reduction, sallowness reduction along with the redness reduction.

These posts have obviously been in the works and in testing for a very long time. I tested each one of these products for a minimum of three days, and with different foundation formulas during the trial period. One of the reasons why I wanted to create these posts, and ultimately a mega post is to compare different formulas side by side; although these are the green versions other correctors from the same collection are likely to share the same characteristics.


In order to cut down on post length, I'm going to do these one at a time- or in batches. First up, Cover FX's Correct Click Color Corrector.

 Cover FX Correct Click ($18, 0.19oz)


Price Index: $94.74/oz

My first thought upon opening this box was "is that it?" This is a very tiny little twist up stick-style color correcting stick. Here is it next to my deluxe mini Benefit Shy Beam Highlighter.

That said, it doesn't take a lot due to the consistency. It's a lighter green, and applies in a thin, even line:

This is very much a solid stick- think of it like a stick concealer on the dry end of the spectrum. I had to actually apply straight to my face so that my body heat could heat up the bullet enough to leave product where needed. With a stick/cream, you should be able to pick up product from the bullet with your brush and stiple it on. I couldn't do that with this one.


The Wear Test: I wasn't crazy about the stick format- I can easily see this tugging and breaking while awkwardly gliding over the skin. One would think that a solid concealer (vs a highly fluid form) would provide significantly fuller and long-lasting coverage, but that wasn't my experience here. It ended up being very light and patchy. It blended but left distinct lines as you can see in the photo. It lasted a paltry 8 hours or so; when I wasn't wearing a longwear, full coverage foundation I could see my cheeks getting redder as the day went on.

This is my first experience with this brand, and I'm left wanting more. I had high hopes for the reinvented stick corrector, but I'm left empty handed. 

Bottom Line: This is a pricey option based on the mini size of the item. This provides light coverage and blends pretty well with a light hand and good brush. I'd recommend this mainly for someone with light redness instead of a heavy-duty need. In all fairness, my skin was pretty darned angry when I was trying this one out so it was probably a rougher than average trial.

And on the other end of the spectrum, we have  Becca Backlight Targeted Colour Corrector ($30, 0.16oz), which can be picked up at Sephora.

In terms of portability, I adore this little cutie.

Price Index: $187.50/oz

This pot-based corrector was actually a bit tricky to track down, as it's sold only at Sephora (where it's been quite popular) and on Becca's website. This shade has been sold out on Sephora.com for awhile, and I tracked down the last one within 25 miles of me. Needless to say, this set me up for high expectations.

This cute little concealer pot comes in four colors, with the color name listed on the bottom:

1

Very cute and portable. There was one quirk- when I first opened it up, I saw this on the surface:

I'm not sure if that texture is intentional or not, but I didn't notice any texture issues once I started using it. I was a bit concerned when I ordered it, since it looked really dark. Turns out, I didn't have to worry about that.

I think I'm old school; there's something so nice and precise to be able to control the application with a concealer brush. That swatch took 2 passes to build up. I'm a believer that less is more, so I was already feeling good about this one. It's also very creamy- it reminds me of a great cream eyeshadow.

The Wear Test: I probably put this one through its paces more than any other corrector. Two of the three days I partook in Happy Hour- something which usually brings about red cheeks. Add in that I was on Hour #13 for the day upon arrival at Happy Hour, and it was set up for failure. Well, I'm thrilled to report that it didn't fail me! Even worse, on Day #3, I wore pink makeup. Becca's Corrector was up to the task.

In terms of application, I painted little lines on my face, then used my Sephora Collection Airbrush Concealer Brush to blend it out. It blended well and didn't leave a green or white cast to my face. It was up to the task for 12+ hours each day. The form allowed me total precision- something that I crave with my makeup. I went with a light hand partially to test the effect of this product- plus it's easier to photograph that way.

Bottom Line: This is an excellent corrector that blends out well. I subjected it to some of the worst conditions throughout the entire test period and it performed admirably. The only issues I have with it are accessibility (it was hard to find) and the price point. $30 for a pot of corrector is starting to feel pricey, but that might just be me. Ultimately, however, this was one of two products that irritated my skin so I'm left at the drawing board.

Clinique Redness Solutions Daily Protective Base Primer

While I'm waiting for the discoloration on my swatch hand to fade, it seems perfect to discuss a green product. In full disclosure, I found this post photographed and saved as a draft when I restarted the blog. I checked to see if the product had been reformulated in the interim. It hasn't, so my feelings on it are still valid.

Let me be blunt: I am a naturally pink human being. That said, I suffer from mild rosacea on my cheeks that requires a hefty quantity of concealer to cover. So when Clinique's Redness Solutions Daily Protective Base SPF 15 ($23) was recommended to me, I was so happy to give it a try.

It's a great value- $23 for 1.35oz of a multitasking primer/sunscreen/corrector. I assume that the SPF is functional since I never burned while using this tube up. That's about all I can say about this product in a positive manner.

Let's take a look at just how green this is:

For those who don't understand color theory, it's supposed to cancel out red. So, I blended it out on my very pink skin:

Do you see problem #1? There's essentially no difference between the area on which it was applied and my bare skin. Using this primer didn't reduce the amount of concealer that I had to use- which is the main reason why I was testing this primer out! I have other primers that perform much better for just priming.

Problem #2 is just that: it's a mediocre primer when paired with my usual foundations. Perhaps it has much better performance with Clinique's own line but I really didn't like this as a primer.

So, it's a poor primer and doesn't color conceal. That leaves just sunscreen; I swear by SPF50 rather than 15! Overall, this product just doesn't perform up to expectation. I'll still be pushing for an effective color corrector, but this Clinique primer just isn't it.

YSL Spring 2016: Boho Stone Collection

I know that this collection has already been covered by many others, but I wanted to share my thoughts nonetheless. I've had it since Boxing Day, so I'm a bit late. I've only recently gotten around to testing it though. Consider this day 1 of several posts that you've seen other places first but I'd love to give my spin on.

I purchased 4 items from the Spring 2016 Boho Stone Collection: the Couture Palette Collector Indie Jaspe, the Face Palette Collector Gypsy Opale, and the two polishes- Love Pink and Peace Green.

Various pieces of this collection have been going in and out of stock at the usual haunts since their release. I hate showing items that may or may not be available but I'm making an exception here.


After seeing initial swatches of the Couture Palette Collector Indie Jaspe ($60), I was sure that this was the palette of the season for me. After playing with it, I'm not so sure.

First, let's look at how stunning the packaging is. It's truly a collector's item.

This eyeshadow quint contains a pink, a peach, a light green, a dark green, and a silver.

They swatch like a dream on my hand. Although I have no idea why silver is showing purple in my swatches. Hmmm...

Those are the colors that drew me in. I can't replicate that performance on my eyes though. The lighter shades start running together and fade quickly, even with primer. If anyone has any primer suggestions please let me know because I want to love this. I've tried NARS Pro Prime, Smashbox Eyeshadow Primer, and using MAC Painterly to anchor it. Same results across the board, which makes me sad. I have faith that I can find the right combination though!

Overall, this is worth checking out. It's beautiful, and would be tops on my list if I could get the pigmentation to translate to my eyes.

I'll admit it- I bought the Face Palette Collector Gypsy Opale ($48) because I got sucked in by the
compact.

This is a lovely face powder (I use it as a final powder). The individual stripes are large enough to be picked up by a very, very small brush- but why bother? I simply swirl a brush around. I'm so glad that I nabbed the above photo before I started testing because the YSL embossing was gone by the third or fourth usage. The above photo reflects a totally virgin pan of powder in the sun.

I've been testing this as a finishing powder for about a week. It's pretty, but it's not a must-have. If you don't have lots of other powders, this one is fairly reasonably priced and comes in a stunning compact. I didn't bother taking any swatches since it produces a translucent powder. Even though there's a lot of pink in it, it doesn't make my face any pinker. I'll probably keep this around and in frequent usage for when I'm playing with pinks. The compact's that cute to look at.

I wish I'd had more glowing reviews for you than I had. I do like the products and find them to be a reasonable price. They're nice, but they didn't wow me (the packaging, on the other hand....).

However.

There are also two nail polishes with this collection ($27 each) - one of which caused quite the buzz. Love Pink and Peace Green are stunning polishes with a hint of duochrome. While the compacts got the incredible packaging, these are showstoppers.

Let's start with Peace Green.

Peace Green is a gorgeous mint with pink shimmer. A shimmer which shows up in the bottle, only slightly on the nail, and darned near impossible to photograph. However, I GOT IT!!! in this somewhat blurry shot:

Isn't that amazing? Now you understand why people have gone crazy for this shade.

Here's Peace Green on my nails:

Bottom line, this is a stunning polish. Good luck tracking down a bottle!

Next up, Love Pink. I was ready to pass this but I'm SO glad that I didn't!

This is an amazing pink with flashes of green. It's the opaque, green version of Deborah Lippmann Dream a Little Dream. It's everything I had been looking for in a pink polish. I'm in love.

Here's Love Pink on my nails:

There's a bit of the duochrome flashes peeking through here.

I pulled some comparisons in my stash for both of these- take a look. I find them both totally unique.

That's it for my selections from YSL Spring 2016. I've seen these items go in and out of stock at Nordstrom and on YSL's site. Don't forget to call your local Bloomingdales either! Stay tuned tomorrow for my purchases from Chanel's LA Sunrise Collection.

Koh Gen Do Cleansing Spa Water

I had a HG makeup remover- Caudalie Cleansing Water.  I've gone through two small bottles of it.  However, I decided to try Koh Gen Do after reading so many raves for it online  I'm never going back!

One of my initial hesitations of Koh Gen Do Cleansing Water is the price ($13/3.38oz or $39/10.15oz).  That works out to $3.85/oz for the small bottle and $3.84/oz for the larger one.  In contrast, Caudalie Cleansing Water retails for $ 14/3.38oz for the small bottle and $28/6.7oz.  That works out to $4.14/oz for the smaller, and $4.18/oz for the larger.  Once I did the math, I was stunned.

The Koh Gen Do is better and cheaper- a real steal!

Performance-wise, there's no comparison. The Koh Gen Do cleansing water is gentle, unscented, but will melt off the even the toughest mascara, eyeliners, and cream eyeshadows with just one swipe.  There's no reason to wash it off, or even have a separate eye makeup remover.  Consider me sold.