Laura Geller Baked Blush n Brighten in Peach Delight

Today's post is emblematic of the types of products I want to take the time to review but always get lost. I actually purchased this during the Spring 2017 Ulta 21 Days of Beauty, but haven't had time to talk about it until now.

I went on a Laura Geller bender this past winter and spring. After testing about 80% of her line, one of my favorite products is the Baked Blush n Brighten baked blushes. Today I'm sharing with you one of my favorites- Peach Delight.

Let's talk basics first. For $28 at Ulta or the brand's website, you receive 0.16oz/4.5g of this baked powder blush that was made in Italy (standard for the brand). On Ulta, I see a total of six shades; LauraGeller.com has 11 listings although not all are in stock.

Peach Delight is described as "vibrant pink flecked with peach shimmer." I think it's more like the color of a nice, ripe red grapefruit on the inside.

The small mirror included in the packaging pulls it a bit lighter.

I've tried a number of these blushes and several of them produce a similar sheen on the cheeks. I'm a big fan of the line, especially for a more natural flush. If you don't like shimmery blushes (or only do matte), steer clear.

I find these to produce a soft effect on the cheeks. This swatch gives you a good idea:

I think it's just an effortless look- which is what I've come to appreciate about the line as a whole. They last during the workday for me, but don't confuse these with an ultra-pigmented, ultra-longwearing blush. They're just right for a polished look though.


Bottom Line: These aren't matte. These also can look somewhat similar. You can probably achieve a similar look to many shades if you look at the Milani baked blushes, but I think investing in your favorite shade is a worthwhile splurge.

Laura Geller Baked Gelato Swirl Illuminator Palette & Baked Gelato Swirl Illuminator in Diamond Dust

This is an interesting post today- it's a combo of two that I'd planned. It's the same line, but two reviews in one post. I also don't have a lot to say about either palette- so they make a good pairing.

Today I'm sharing my thoughts on the Laura Geller Baked Gelato Swirl Illuminator Palette. This isn't a new item, so it's not that exciting. However, I wanted to push this review out because this is one of the Ulta Hot Buys through this version of Ulta's 21 Days of Beauty.

This is currently on sale for $19.20 (regularly $32) , and will be through Saturday, September 23. It appears to currently be sold out online, but many local stores have the product in-store.I purchased mine originally at Nordstrom sometime after the holidays (I think this was a holiday feature for the retailer last year) for that $32 original price.

In terms of packaging, it's unimpressive- like most of Laura Geller's palettes. This is a brand that focuses on product over packaging. This is a light-feeling, burnished gold cardboard palette. There's a brush that normally comes with the palette (no clue where mine is, sorry), and a small mirror in the back of the lid. It's made in Italy, and you get 0.07oz/2g of product each (there are 3 pans in the palette). For comparison, you get 0.16oz/4.5g for $26 with the singles. The listing claims this is an $80 value.

I originally purchased the palette to try the cult-favorite Gilded Honey; I now own all of the currently-available shades. The formula is extremely metallic but with a good natural bristle brush and a light hand it can be used on the daily; this is really more meant for those who like that metallic glow.  These do double as lovely shadows.

There are three pans- Ballerina (described as candlelit rose gold), Gilded Honey (described as effervescent caramel honey), and Peach Glow (described as peachy champagne shimmer).

And some swatches- remember, I'm NW13-15ish.

If I'm honest, Peach Glow is the only one I'm comfortable with wearing as a highlighter on a daily basis. Gilded Honey is both pretty dark and blingy for my tastes, but it's gorgeous. Ballerina's an eyes-only shade for me.

These perform well and have earned their cult-favorite status. I'm actually a huge fan of Charming Pink (cool toned light pink) for my complexion, but I'm very happy to have this palette. These are great products- not just for reference reasons.

Now, for the other product from Laura Geller's Baked Gelato Swirl Illuminator Line- the limited edition Diamond Dust ($26, 0.16oz/4.5g). I picked this up when it was first introduced (for the brand's 20th anniversary) but didn't plan to feature it because I didn't know how long it would be available.

Well. It's going to be around for awhile, and is even part of the brand's Holiday 2017 collection. When I spotted this on Ulta's website, I decided to do a mini review here as well.

Diamond Dust is a shade done by many brands- I actually referenced it in my Ulta highlighter palette comparison swatches. I call it a white pearl that flashes pink, but let's go to the actual brand for the claims.

Per LauraGeller.comhttp://www.laurageller.com/new-diamond-dust-baked-gelato-swirl-illuminator-limited-edition.html:"Diamond Dust: Holographic, pearlescent pink that moves with the light; made with patented technology that allows the shade to flip from violet to pink."

I haven't personally seen violet, but I think this shot shows the pink pearl the best:

It's just there.

In person, the pink shift is clearly visible in the light, but I've found it's darned near impossible to capture on camera.

I find this white-pink shifting duochrome to be one of the most wearable shades for my skintone. This one doesn't pull frosty- it's more metallic. This lasts all day, but this is one I really think flatters the lighter skintones rather then my deeper friends. To be fair, I think Diamond Dust and Charming Pink flatter the light skintones, Peach Glow and Gilded Honey are for medium skintones, and Gilded Honey and Ballerina flatter deeper skintones the best. So, everyone has at least two shades in this line.

Here's a swatch on my hand... it's hard to see the shift though.

See what I mean about it being great for my skintone? I do like this and reach for it in rotation. This shade is available via the brand's website and Ulta.

In sum, I really urge you to find the right shade or two out of this formula for your skintone. It's a great formula.

Laura Geller Filter Corrector Color Perfecting Balm

Quick side note: remember how I didn't plan to post daily? I started reshooting and pulling products I wanted to feature and noticed I have enough for daily posts through September at least. Don't get used to it long-term though!

This is one of those products that it makes me so sad to have to reshoot photos because of the damage done by regular usage!

For a hot minute over the past couple of years, we all got obsessed with color correcting. As someone who struggles with redness, I've always been down with green correctors. Like most trends, I feel like it had to reach its peak before getting back under control. I've been focused on working down my ridiculously large corrector stash lately and it really takes something different for me to part with my money. The newish Laura Geller Filter Corrector Color Perfecting Balm ($32) qualifies.

Can I take a quick moment to say how much I even appreciate the box? It's the little details that make this a standout product.

I picked mine up online from Ulta and purchased sight unseen. The design is really interesting- it's a vertical stack of three potted corrector balms. Overall, it feels really well put together.

I'll be honest- I really don't like potted products. They tend to be drier, and since you correct before foundation they tend to be difficult to work with. However, these are very emollient. Well done, Laura Geller!

Before I get into the products, let's talk quantity and price. For that $32, you get a total of 4g/0.14oz of product that was made in the USA.

That's exceptionally expensive. The Maybelline Master Camo palettes with 6 products contain 0.21oz and retail for $12.99, the Stila Correct & Perfect Palette has 0.46oz for $45, it's the size of 3 Bobbi Brown correctors (which retail for $27 each), the Sephora-exclusive Tarte palette has 6 x0.11 oz correctors for $45 ($36 on sale), and the individual Becca correctors are $2 less and contain 0.16 of product.

I'll be honest, that math just changed my entire opinion of this product. More on that later.


The top layer has a hidden mirror (nice touch) and a peachy corrector.

There's also a little booklet in the package that shows you how they suggest using the product. Spoiler alert: put peach under the eyes.

Here's a swatch of the peach corrector.

I'll be honest, it's too dark for me except when I'm self-tanned, or if I work it incredibly carefully and in a tiny amount.


The second layer is a blue corrector.

This is the most white-based corrector of the three, and easiest to wear with my complexion. Here's a swatch.

I don't own any other blue correctors. According to the little booklet, it's supposed to eliminate yellow undertones and provide brightening.

The third and bottom layer is a traditional green corrector.

Here's a swatch. In terms of green correctors in my collection, it's dark.

And here's the little booklet:

OK, now that I've tried to objectively show you the product, let's get into my real opinion.

Who is this product really meant for?

Not me. This is marketed as a universal corrector and I strongly, violently disagree. It's only because I'm incredibly comfortable with correctors that I can make the green or peach work.

Let's look at a group swatch, and then I'll explain:

First off, the peach would make my dark circles darker without any self-tanner. This is a medium-to-deep shade. I can make the blue work-but I wonder if skintones darker than medium can pull it off because it's so white-based. The green is way too deep for fair-skinned people like myself- this is more of a medium-deep green, based on my experience.

In short, this is really meant for medium skintones, otherwise it's really difficult to work with.

I kept it for the blue, to be honest.

What about the formula?

It's certainly balmy. You'll note in the photos how torn up it looks. Here's what one light dab of my finger looks like:

Yikes! It's nice and emollient, but a little goes a long way. I think it would be easy to blow through this product extremely quickly, but it does a nice job on the face and doesn't appear to interfere with foundation.

I do like the performance, but it's not summer-shipment friendly. This is a melty product.

Is this a good value? Nope, nope, nope. It's nice and compact and travel-friendly. That said, I was onboard with the product until I did the math earlier. It's really, really expensive for what you get- especially for non-medium skintones.

It's in-store at Ulta now- if this interests you (I do like the blue), I recommend checking it out in-person before buying.

Laura Geller Island Escape Palette for Summer 2017

Laura Geller is a relatively new brand to me. I was first exposed by the powder foundation via Ulta's 21 Days of Beauty. Porcelain is gorgeous on me- and it pulls nice and pink. Even though I liked and used the product, the brand didn't grab my attention.

I have a confession: I started buying Laura Geller this spring because I was out of brands to try at my local Ulta. And it was a good thing, because I'm slowly working my way through parts of the line.

The Island Escape Palette ($42, Ulta-claimed exclusive) is comprised of 12 baked eyeshadows in a colorful cardboard palette. It's a little more sturdy than the larger Nudes/Warms/Cools palettes.

I'll be honest: it was the green in the lower right that sucked me in. I'm obsessed with that color for summer in general- so my mind danced with joy when I first saw this palette.

I don't use baked shadows dry- but I did swatch for you just so you can see the difference. It's two different palettes! Honestly, these (like most baked shadows) are patchy and unpigmented when they're dry but stunning wet.

Row 1: Au Natural, Daybreak, Passion Fruit Pink, Hot Tropics- DRY

Row 1: Au Natural, Daybreak, Passion Fruit Pink, Hot Tropics- WET

Row 2: Island Haze, Wild Hibiscus, Paradise Purple, Deep Iris- DRY

Row 2: Island Haze, Wild Hibiscus, Paradise Purple, Deep Iris- WET

Row 3: Pebble Beach, Black Sands, Deep Waters, Jungle Green- DRY

Row 3: Pebble Beach, Black Sands, Deep Waters, Jungle Green- WET

Can we just stare at that green for a bit? That completely makes the palette for me.

I will mention that this is extremely messy:

I think Island Haze is likewise beautiful.

As a palette collector, I do love this palette. I find baked shadows to be a lid-only formula because they tend to be shimmery. Do you need more shimmers? Probably not. That said, these are the brightest baked shadows that I own... and that green.

June 2017 Favorites

I'd originally planned to do a May 2017 favorites, but it just didn't happen. So, welcome to my first monthly favorites back! I'm going to try to streamline things a bit. If there's a hyperlink, I'm referring back to a previous review. Believe it or not, I'm calling back into the archives pretty deeply with this favorites.


Skincare:

I loved my safe sun the first half of the month, and went back to naturally pale the second half. I'm loving two products from Clarins, both of which I featured all the way back in May 2014! I repurchased the Clarins Radiance-Plus Golden Glow Booster for face  because I'd been bronzing my body but not my face. I also pulled the Clarins Shimmer Oil out of the cabinet (I'm still working on that initial bottle, but this stuff doesn't go bad.) and applied it with the Real Techniques body sponge for a gorgeous look. Sadly, I think it's discontinued but I'll keep my eyes peeled.

I'm toying around with posting my morning/evening skincare routines because I'm really honing in on what works for my skin. For the first time in years, I didn't even get hormonal acne this past month and I credit my skincare routine for that. Fingers crossed, I've introduced a serum that scares me within the past week at night to try to perfect my tone.

I will give a special shout-out to The Ordinary Caffeine Serum 5% with EGCG. I love Chanel's Le Lift Concentre Yeux, but not its $115 price tag. The Ordinary's serum isn't nearly as hydrating but it gives me a similar effect for $108.30 less! I'm also loving a lower-priced alternative in Enlite Skin Cardio Serum. I find that it's quite similar in effect to a serum I've tried from Clarins in the past. I've also continued to love Drunk Elephant C-Firma Day Serum and attribute my skin clarity to it. I'm testing some other Drunk Elephant items and plan to write a full write-up once I have thoughts.

In terms of cleansers, I reach for Enlite Foam Away Daily Clarifying Foaming Cleanser almost every morning and Pixi + Caroline Hirons Double Cleanse nightly.

I was trying to explain my favorite SPF items but it turned preachy so I'm not going to touch it here.


Makeup:

This was a month where I feel like I pulled it back to basics a bit. I rediscovered some old favorites.

• Primer: I really discovered CoverFX Mattifying Primer with anti-Aging Treatment last month, but I used up a travel size. After I use the backup I previously purchased, I'll get the full size. Given the number of primers I own, this says a lot. I also fell in love with the Milk Makeup Blur Stick after initially dismissing it as too trendy. Nope, it works.
• Base: I alternated between two combinations primarily: the It Cosmetics Your Skin But Better CC Cream, which was my jam in May as well, and I finally caved and bought Lancome Teint Idole at the end of the month after playing with samples for the entire month.
• Concealer: I'm still obsessed with my Tarte Shape Tape and actually picked up a third shade to work when I'm self-tanned.
• Powder: I guess I knew a great thing almost 2 decades ago- MAC Studio Fix remains my favorite.

• Blush: I really used two blushes this month: NARS Orgasm (in the Foreplay palette here) and Natasha Denona Blush Duo #19
• Bronzer: I really loved two bronzers this month: last year's iteration of L'Oreal GlamBronze in 01 (I've spotted this year's in stores already) and Marc Jacobs O!Mega Bronzer in Tantasic (which smells like coconut).
• Highlighter: I rely upon Laura Geller Baked Highlighter in French Vanilla on a daily basis for eye-area highlight because it's so subtle, and I also fell in love with Pixi x Aspy Novard Glow-y Powder in London Lustre.
• Eyeshadow: Of course, I adore the Natasha Denona Sunset Palette (I will be reviewing this because it's now been made permanent), and have been loving the Viseart Neutral Matte & Warm Matte palettes amongst others.

• Lipstick: This has only been a favorite the past week or so, but I rediscovered Urban Decay Vice Lipstick in Peyote to pair with my UD Heat palette. I also love MAC Shy Girl (in the LE packaging)
• Lip Gloss: This was really a month for gloss for me. Some of my favorites were Anastasia Beverly Hills Lip Glosses in Caramel and Metallic Rose. I also loved MAC Creamsheen Glass in Cha-Cha-Cha (especially with Shy Girl), Chanel Rouge Coco Gloss in Bourgeoisie, and bareMinerals Gloss in Sugar (mini pictured because my full size ran off somewhere)

What were your favorites this month?