Current Loves/Wish List

Here are some of the items that I have been getting a ton of use from lately:

Charlotte Tilbury Hot Lips in Miranda May. Full review here, but the bright color has been a staple for me recently.

Natasha Denona 5 Eyeshadow #02 has been my go to formula, as it has the most amazing pigmentation and staying power. Full recap with swatches here. I definitely need to get another of these palettes soon.

By Terry Baume de Rose (review here) has been helping with the hydration issues my lips are having with the 90+ degree weather we are currently experiencing. I am very ready for fall or, at least, some relief from this heat.

Freida Rothman's Indigo Armour Collection. The whole collection is beautiful and I was so excited and very grateful to receive the rectangular ring (shown above) as a gift from my family.

It seems like there are tons of new launches happening in beauty right now. Here are a few I have my eye on:

Anastasia Foundation Stick. I love stick foundations in general and the lower price point of $25 has really piqued my interest in these. They are currently available from Anastasia's website, but I will most likely wait until I can see them in person at Sephora to ensure a good match.

NARS Velvet Lip Glides. These are described as a lipstick and lipgloss hybrid and I am really looking forward to trying these when they launch in early September. Temptalia already has some swatches up of the colors and the formula looks amazing. 

Elizabeth and James Nirvana Bourbon and Rose fragrances. I checked them out in person this weekend and they are amazing. I love the White (reviewed here) and Black versions, so I am sure that as we move into fall, these two will be purchased and added to the collection. 

Natasha Denona Eyeshadow Palette 5 in Palette 02

As I mentioned in the Face Glow review post, I recently purchased a Natasha Denona eyshadow palette. I chose Palette 02 because Beauty Professor stated in her review that it reminded her of the Tom Ford Honeymoon palette, which is often sold out and is something I have yet to splurge on.  I have green eyes and know that purple and taupe-y colors definitely flatter my eyes, so that was another selling point for me. There are 13 palettes total, so there is something for everyone. I have had my eye on the Palette 04, as well, and may eventually cave.

A close up of the pans:

The shadows in the palette are good size pans, which I like. They are highly pigmented and the only eyeshadow I own that is even close to comparable pigment-wise is Kat Von D Metal Crush. Wear time on these is impressive. I do always wear primer because I have oily lids, but these lasted over 13 hours on me before I took my makeup off and I experienced no fading or creasing. I also really love that there is no fallout, which is remarkable considering the pigment level.

Swatches below:

Outdoors in full sun:




Outdoors in shade:




Indoors:

The only part of the palette I am not crazy about is the packaging. I feel that, while it is in sturdy packaging, it is not really up to par with the price tag or other items in the Natasha Denona line. The Face Glow palette is in a nice gold metal case. I do appreciate that you can see the colors through the plastic, which is useful if you have more than one of these, but at the same time, I would like the packaging to be more consistent. As an example, below are the ND Face Glow and Eyeshadow Palette and the Hourglass Ambient Lighting Powder and Modernist Eyeshadow Palette. Notice how the Hourglass packaging is consistent? I want the Natasha Denona items to be that way as well. I think it would look nicer and give the brand a signature look, but that is definitely just my opinion and some people may prefer the packaging that allows you to see the colors.

Another packaging item to note is that even though it appears there is space for a brush, one was not included. I am not sure why you would put that and not include a brush. I would prefer to just not have the space, as it is a waste considering most full size brushes will not fit. So unless you have a smaller one hanging around from an old palette, that space is just left there.

Outer box packaging with shadow color names and ingredients:

Overall, despite my design issues with the packaging (which are entirely personal), the quality of the product itself is phenomenal and more than makes up for it. I am definitely going to be getting another palette sometime in the future, as I have been using this palette so much and love it.  Given that these are so pigmented, they are going to last forever. I purchased the palette for $48 at Beautylish. What is your favorite brand for eyeshadow?

Natasha Denona All Over Glow Face and Body Shimmer Powder in Light

I have heard so many good things about the Natasha Denona line and decided to try something out for myself. I chose the All Over Glow Face and Body Shimmer Powder in the shade 01 Light. The powder comes in a gold metal case that is a decent size for a highlighter. My case did come with a small imperfection on the front that you can see above, but since I will probably scratch it anyway, I decided it was not a big deal for me.

A couple things that I always look for in a highlighter are that I can wear it to work and that it looks natural in the day. I love a good highlight, but many are so shimmery that it looks unprofessional or, in my opinion, a little much for daytime (as pretty as they are, I find the Becca highlighters to be too much most of the time). The Natasha Denona is one of the prettiest, subtle highlighters I have seen and I really love the finish. Will it replace the Hourglass Ambient Lighting powders as my holy grail highlighter? Most likely not, but it is a really close second and I do love that it is the most understated highlighter that I have next to Hourglass. The powder lasted all day for me with no migration. I find that it is not frosty and does not overemphasize pores (for me all highlighters emphasize them slightly because I tend to have larger pores).

Here is an extreme close up so you can see all of the different shimmer colors:

I pulled a few other highlighters out to see how the Natasha Denona compares. Below clockwise from left: Natasha Denona in Light, Benefit Watt's Up, Cover FX Custom Enhancer Drops in Moonlight, Hourglass Ambient Lighting Powder in Dim Light, and the Hourglass Ambient Lighting Palette.

Below are some comparison swatches so you can see the difference. The most subtle are the Hourglass powders, the Natasha Denona is more in the middle, and the Benefit and Cover FX have a higher shimmer. The swatches are all in the order of the first photo.

Outdoors:




Direct Sun:




Indoors (no flash):




Below is a list of ingredients:

Talc, Mica, Octyldodecyl Stearoyl Stearate, Aluminum Starch Octenylsuccinate, Isopropyl Lanolate, Cetyl Acetate, Caprylyl Glycol, C12-15 Alkyl Benzoate, Acetylated Lanolin Alcohol, Dimethicone, Lauroyl Lysine, Parfum [Fragrance] (+/-) May Contain: CI 77491 [Iron Oxides], CI 77891 [Titanium Dioxide], CI 77492 [Iron Oxides], CI 77499 [Iron Oxides]

I have to say I am really happy with this purchase and am glad that I decided to get into the Natasha Denona line. I also bought an eyeshadow palette to be reviewed soon. This is one of the prettiest highlighters I own and I am most likely going to get the Medium shade to possibly use as a blush or bronzer. The ND blushes look beautiful as well. I purchased the powder from Beautylish and it retails for $38 for 10g/0.35 oz. Have you tried anything from Natasha Denona? Any recommendations for other products/colors from her line?