Recent Favorites: Elegant Makeup

I haven't been posting any "Recent Looks" posts lately, and that's largely because I've been favoring a much more simple makeup aesthetic. I doubt it's very interesting to read a post where the same two or three looks are done, and it has honestly been really nice to just focus on a look I really enjoy and let it be easy. 

With the recent Sephora sales and promotions, I did buy a few new makeup items—mainly single eyeshadows—and they have quickly become some of my favorite products that I've come across in years. And what's interesting is that I personally haven't heard any influencers talk about them. I heard about the eyeshadows from a real-life friend who loves makeup just as much as I do. It has been really refreshing to have a friend recommend a product that they've been loving and then buy the product and have the same reaction. It's what YouTube used to be, when I really loved the content and the community. Now, it's PR packages and hidden sponsorships and contracts, and the only brands that get mentioned are the ones that pay and play the game. 

My recent favorites aren't really talked about, except for the Fenty foundation. And when I gathered all the products to take a picture, I noticed that they all look elegant. This is sophisticated makeup meant for adult women. This is not unicorns and mermaids and alien heads marketed toward children. 

Here are the products that I have been loving:

Fenty Pro Filt'r Foundation

If you read my last post, you'll know that I have been looking to replace my all-time favorite foundation, It Cosmetics CC+ cream. I have loved that foundation for years, but the shade range is unacceptable and so heavily favors light skin, and it's not a product or a brand that I feel comfortable supporting. If you've read my blog for a while, you will know that inclusivity is very important to me, and that factors heavily into my purchasing decisions. I can no longer be ignorant about the people who are excluded by the makeup industry and continue to support products that will only work for me as someone with light to medium skin. 

I honestly didn't think I would find a foundation that could replace the CC+ cream. I have hated nearly all of the foundations I have ever used, and none of them ever gave me the skin-like finish of the CC+ cream. I recently finished all three of my foundations in a project pan, so I decided to buy the Fenty Pro Filt'r foundation. Fenty was honestly one of only a few brands that had an extensive shade range that I felt comfortable supporting. The other brands I considered—MAC, Make Up For Ever, and L'Oreal—all have not worked for me in the past. MAC foundations clog and irritate my skin, Make Up For Ever foundations look too dry and matte on me, and L'Oreal foundations have caused my skin to break out. So, Fenty it was. 

Honestly, I absolutely love this foundation, even more than the CC+ cream. It came as a complete shock to me—even though the product has fantastic reviews—because nothing has ever come close to the CC+ cream. I immediately told my aforementioned friend about it, she purchased it, and loves it too. She was looking for something to replace the old formula of the Estée Lauder Double Wear Light, and she said the Fenty was a great alternative. 

I couldn't be happier that I found a foundation that I like even more than my all-time favorite, and the fact that it is from an inclusive brand makes it that much more thrilling.

NARS Exhibit A

In an era where we are always looking on the horizon for the next new thing to come out and dazzle us for a few moments until we're bored, I think it's nice to reflect upon those staples in your collection that will never be knocked off their throne. And for me, that's Exhibit A.

This is not a new product to me, but it has been my go-to blush for the past month. Every time I wear it, I always wonder why I own any other blush. This is my number-one—the blush that most flatters my skin. Exhibit A has been a part of my life for many years, and after my original blush got to be too old, I purchased this one. I only use a tiny amount because of how pigmented it is, so I find it impossible to think I will ever even hit the pan of it. But I use it, and I love it. And I don't think anything will ever replace it. 

Marc Jacobs Omega Shadows in Perfect-O! and The Big O!

Up front, I need to say that these shadows have really dumb and cringey names. But, if you can get past that, they are utterly gorgeous. The pans are huge—about the size of shadows in Juvia's Place palettes—and they are a "gel powder" formula. I love the texture and payoff of these shadows, but the colors themselves are not unique whatsoever. They come in matte, satin, and shimmer finishes, and I have one matte (The Big O!) and one satin (Perfect-O!), which performs like a matte. I use these as everyday, workhorse shadows, and I like having them as singles in individual packaging. I wear The Big O! almost every day in my crease, and Perfect-O! on the brow bone:

Fyrinnae Serendipity (over Pixie Epoxy) on the lid.

As of now, this line of shadows doesn't have many colors, but I think the range is nice, especially for being so limited. I'll be interested to see if they make other colors in the future, but for now, these were the only two that I felt warranted buying since they are everyday staples in my collection. I wouldn't use the other colors every day, and I already own several dupes of all of them, so I don't see myself buying any more unless the range expands. 

Hourglass Scattered Light Eyeshadows in Smoke, Reflect, and Foil 

When I mentioned to my friend that I was really interested in sheer washes of sparkle and shine, she told me I should try the Hourglass Scattered Light eyeshadows. I bought three colors—a taupe, champagne, and gold—but truthfully, the taupe (Smoke) and champagne (Reflect) look very similar. Reflect also looks almost identical to another shadow in the line, Aura, which is supposed to be pink. So, unfortunately, these shadows don't have a ton of individuality. 

If you're looking for intense pigment, these are not for you. If you hate sheerness, these are not for you. If you hate the idea of a "shadow topper," these are not for you. However, if you like intense shine, these are really pretty and worth considering. 

Reflect:

Smoke:

Foil:

As you can see, Smoke and Reflect are very similar. There is a slight difference between the two, but I wouldn't say that it's strong enough to warrant buying both colors. But these are very beautiful shadows, and although the colors are not exactly unique, the payoff is unlike anything else in my collection, and I have been loving them with a bold lip. 

Marc Jacobs See-quins Eyeshadow in Copperazzi

Because I loved the Hourglass Scattered Lights so much, my friend recommended I look at the Marc Jacobs See-quin shadows, which she said are supposed to be like the Scattered Lights. I wouldn't say the two are very similar, to be honest. Yes, they both have almost a gel-like consistency and work best applied with a synthetic brush, but the Marc Jacobs shadows are full of multi-dimensional glitter whereas the Hourglass have intense shine. 

As you can see, like the Hourglass shadows, there is a ton of reflect and shine to Copperazzi, but it also has a lot of glitter, which the Hourglass shadows don't have. In photos, this shadow honestly doesn't look that impressive, but in person, especially in the light, this is one of the most brilliant, multi-faceted eyeshadows I have ever seen. It also has quite a bit more pigment than the Hourglass ones, so, between the two, I would say the Marc Jacobs shadows pack more of a punch. 

Tom Ford Fetishist

I went through a period for the last several months were I didn't want to wear any lipstick at all. If I wore something, it was usually a tinted lip balm. That's likely because I had been wearing really intense, colorful eyeshadow, and I liked a light lip to balance things out. Now that I have been wearing lighter eye makeup, I have been really liking my lipstick to bring the drama, and Fetishist has been my go-to. This is the only Tom Ford lipstick I have ever purchased, and I can say that this lipstick stays on longer than any other lip product I have ever used, including liquid lipsticks. When I purchased this color (online), I thought it was going to be brighter and more berry, but it is actually quite deep, almost like oxblood. It put me off for a while, but the color was pretty, so I chose to not return it. Since then, I have come to really appreciate this color, especially paired with a light eyeshadow and NARS Exhibit A blush. 

Bésame Cosmetics Red Velvet

Since I've been loving Fetishist, I decided to pull out another dark lipstick favorite, Bésame's Red Velvet. I really love Bésame lipsticks because they have fantastic staying powder as long as you blot and apply two coats (note: the Tom Ford lipstick does not requite this to last all day). Red lipstick always feels intimidating to me because of the upkeep (and, yes, I still worry if I have gotten red all over my face throughout the day), but I really love the depth of this color. Like the name suggests, it is a deep red instead of a cherry-red, and like Fetishist, it looks fantastic with a light eye and NARS Exhibit A blush.