I am always happy to see more and more micro brow pencils being put out on the market. And I’m even happier when it’s a drugstore brand because it makes it far more accessible to everyone! The Maybelline Brow Precise Micro Pencil is here to elbow its way into the crowd of all the other brow pencils before it!
Maybelline Brow Precise Micro Pencil
And it actually delivers right up front:
The suggested retail price in USD in $2 cheaper than the NYX Micro Brow.
It also contains 0.005 ounces of product compared to the NYX Micro Brow which has 0.003 ounces (as does the ABH Brow Wiz, but that’s nowhere near the same price point).
And it’s got a spoolie on the other side (but I’d say that’s pretty expected now!).
Maybelline Brow Precise Micro Pencil
AND, amazingly enough, Maybelline has actually labelled this “Blonde” and, FOR ONCE, it’s a shade that’s actually appropriate for blondes. (Everyone else seems to go with “Taupe” and then they can’t get blamed when it’s not a colour match for your mane of hair). I also find it’s a better colour match than their BrowSatin Define + Fill Duo which I reviewed over a year ago.
Maybelline Brow Precise Micro Pencil – Swatch
As you can see from the swatch, the colour is blissfully cooler than it is warm. Nothing matches blondes worse than a warm brow colour (unless you’re actually strawberry blonde!).
Left – naked brow, Right – Wearing Brow Precise in Blonde
On the brows, this plays out like every other micro brow pencil: beautifully! It can shape my brow and give it the chunkiness that it’s otherwise missing. The MaybellineBrow Precise Micro Pencil applied a bit softer than the NYX Micro Brow and ABH Brow Wiz, but a bit more firm than the QUO Precision Brow Pencil (which is super soft).
The only downside I’ve noticed to this pencil is that the tip has broken off on me three times now. Just a very small amount, but it’d made me realize I need to use it a bit more softly. Aside from that, I love how it applies and I think the colour tone is perfect for my hair. I kind of wonder if I’m going to end up switching to this over the NYX Micro Brow. We’ll see once I’ve finished it how I feel, but if this one is definitely cheaper than the NYX one in Canada retailers then I don’t see why I wouldn’t change over!
If there’s one thing that Maybelline knows how to do exceptionally well, it’s lipstick. I have yet to encounter a lipstick in their squared off bullet packaging that I’ve not liked, and they’ve wowed me yet again with their Loaded Bolds collection.
Maybelline Loaded Bolds
The US release of the Loaded Bolds had a whopping 20 shades, but the Canadian release was pared down to 12 (sad face). So if there were a few shades that piqued your interest and you can’t find them here in Canada… you may want to take at some US sites and see if they ship to Canada.
The Loaded Bolds are hyper-pigmented lipsticks with a predominantly matte finish. What I mean by that is that they go on with a hint of a sheen, but that sheen does disappear after you’ve had the product on your lips for a while.
Maybelline Loaded Bolds in Midnight Merlot, Fiery Fuchsia and Violet Vixen
And thankfully, they’re a permanent product so you needn’t fear about them running out of stock forever!
Maybelline Loaded Bolds in Midnight Merlot, Fiery Fuchsia and Violet Vixen – swatches
I feel like a lot of the shades in this range could’ve fit under their Vivids umbrella, but the dark shades made it necessary to create another line. Of the three I tried, pigmentation was excellent on Midnight Merlot and Fiery Fuchsia, but Violet Vixen was definitely a bit patchy.
Wearing Maybelline Loaded Bold in Midnight MerlotWearing Maybelline Loaded Bold in Fiery FuchsiaWearing Maybelline Loaded Bold in Violet Vixen
Final Thoughts
Any mainstream makeup brand that wants to add bold, bright and radical colours (there’s a sapphire blue, white and black in this collection too!) is welcomed with wide open arms in my book. Overall, I found the formula on par with the rest of Maybelline‘s Colorsensational range. These had a touch of dryness to them, but that’s not unexpected with a formula that dries down matte. I found when the inner rim of my mouth felt dry, I’d just run a finger along the inside to melt the pigment – this worked wonders for me.
Since this isn’t the newest of releases, it’s entirely possible you’ve already checked out this line! Let me know your thoughts on it in the comments. 🙂
The products featured in this review were sent to me for consideration.
Don’t you love when a brand listens to their customers?! In response to the love for the highlighters from their 2015 release of thePro Sculpting Duos, MAKE UP FOR EVER has just launched their new Pro Light Fusion Highlighters!
MAKE UP FOR EVER Pro Light Fusion
The new Pro Light Fusions come packaged in the usual sleek black compact, although there’s nothing emblazoned on the front to identify what product this is – which is a bit odd since the Pro Bronze Fusion and Pro Sculpting Duos have labels on the front. Regardless, the compact is durable and strong (and I would know… I’ve dropped these guys accidentally a few times…) and has a lovely large mirror inside.
MAKE UP FOR EVER Pro Light Fusion in 01 Golden Pink
As with their previous iteration, the Pro Light Fusion highlighters are made of a gel-powder, so it has that tougher gelee texture feel to the product if you touch it lightly. Rub your finger a bit on the surface and you’ll feel what I can only describe as a “slick powder”. Some gel-powder formulas can be tough to pick up on a brush, but this is definitely not one of them!
As far as I was aware, the Pro Sculpting Duos didn’t have any names other than 01 (for light skin tones) and 02 (for deeper skin tones). However, repackaged as the Pro Light Fusion highlighters, 01 has become Golden Pink and 02 is Gold (not pictured in this review – please see Samantha Jane’s post on 02 for pictures and swatches).
MAKE UP FOR EVER Pro Light Fusion in 01 – swatch
Gotta say, I can’t see where they’re coming from with the golden pink side of things because I do not see gold whatsoever in that swatch! Pink sure, but definitely not gold!
MAKE UP FOR EVER Pro Light Fusion compared to the Pro Sculpting Duo (both in 01)
Since I also own the Pro Sculpting Duo, I wanted to show you the difference in pattern as well as a comparison swatch.
MAKE UP FOR EVER Pro Light Fusion compared to the Pro Sculpting Duo – swatch
I would venture to say that the new Pro Light Fusion is a slightly more pink, whereas the Pro Sculpting Duo looks slightly more white in comparison. I find the difference is completely negligible on my face.
Wearing MAKE UP FOR EVER Pro Light Fusion in 01
And here I’m me wearing Pro Light Fusion 01 on top of a red-toned blush (NARS Impudique). I think it’s one of the most effortlessly gorgeous highlighters I own and I’m always astounded at just how well it shows up in both natural and studio lighting.
Wearing MAKE UP FOR EVER Pro Light Fusion in 01
I notice no difference between the Pro Sculpting Duo and the Pro Light Fusion in terms of texture, appearance and longevity. This is great news for those who loved the original product, but may not have been so keen on the contouring/bronzing component. This highlighter also builds really well – add more product and you’ll definitely be a beacon of light walking down a sunny street!
Final Thoughts
I think I’ve made it pretty clear that I’m quite a fan of this highlighter! I’ve reached for the Pro Sculpting Duo consistently over the last year that I’ve owned it, and now I’m really, really happy to have the highlighter in its very own single compact. I recommended it in my Sephora VIB 20% Off Sale Video and I stand by that completely. All summed up, the Pro Light Fusion highlighter is astonishingly pretty and it lights up my face. I really can’t ask for more than that!
The imagery for the NARSSarah Moon Holiday Collection made me gasp. It was ethereal, beautiful, futuristic and yet sensual and commanding all at once. It’s been quite a while since a makeup collection has grabbed my interest so intensely and I felt I just had to know more.
I’ll link you to the Wikipedia article, but, in short, Sarah Moon (born Marielle Warin) was a French model turned photographer throughout the 1970s. In 1985 she decided to focus on gallery and film work. This NARS holiday collection was created in collaboration with Sarah and the packaging focuses on inspired imagery from the movie Metropolis (1927) and the idea of transparency. This article from Independent explains a lot more about the collaboration and I encourage you to read it if you have the time/interest. It’s rare for me to look deeper into a collection, but there was something about THIS ONE that made me do so. Perhaps you’ll feel the same.
But anyway, let’s get into the makeup!
NARS Sarah Moon Get Real Lip & Eye Set
The Get Real Lip & Eye Set is jaw-droppingly gorgeous. The whole set comes packaged in a heavy-duty acrylic box with frosted imaging on the top lid. The lid lifts off to reveal a set that contains two mini Audacious Lipsticks and a full size Audacious Mascara. The products lift out of their separate plastic packaging and the whole box can be recycled as a beautiful keepsake box for you vanity.
NARS Sarah Moon Get Real Lip & Eye Set
The products in the Get Real Lip & Eye Set are healthy size products too – the NARS mascara is full size and the mini lipsticks are larger than any deluxe size sample I’ve ever seen in my life.
NARS Audacious Mascara
The NARSAudacious Mascara has 200 (!!) molded bristles and lengthening hooks. It’s a plastic bristle brush and it’s on the large side of things for a mascara wand. The bristles and hooks are also far larger than your average size brush, which means they’re also spaced out a lot more.
Wearing NARS Audacious Mascara
I was neither in love, nor hating on this mascara. It thickened my lashes more than it lengthened them and I found it could clump a little bit (not a bad thing for a volumizing mascara). I personally prefer a bit more of a taper to the ends of my lashes, but, as we’re all aware at this point, everyone has far different views on mascara so it’s really, REALLY hard to review one for someone else. This was neither a wet nor dry formula – it was kind of in between. (Please note, in all following face shots, I have falsies on.) I noticed a slight bit of flaking, but nothing like I’ve experienced in some other mascaras, and it really only happened after the six hour mark.
NARS Audacious Lipsticks – Leslie and Bette – swatches
Also included in the Get Real Lip & Eye Set, are two Audacious Lipsticks. And these lipsticks take a back seat to no one! I fell in love with them during the Fall 2016 launch, and these shades are just as impressive as those. My swatch shot shows basically no difference between the two shades, but the face shots definitely tell another story.
Wearing NARS Audacious Lipstick in Leslie
NARSLeslie was a slightly thicker and creamier formula for the Audacious line. I found I got a lot of pigment deposit, so I would suggest applying this lightly so that you just don’t end up overapplying. This colour shows up very terracotta with a hint of berry on me.
Wearing NARS Audacious Lipstick in Bette
Despite my swatches, Bette comes out very dark in tone and completely dissimilar to Leslie. This was a thinner formula than Leslie and had a tendency to fade right on the center of my lips. I love the colour so much, that I’d just encourage you to wear a lip liner underneath.
NARS Sarah Moon Holiday Collection
There are a few other sets in the collection (which I don’t have), as well as a slew of individual products. Most of the products, of course, focus on tones of red which is entirely appropriate for a holiday collection.
Wearing NARS Never Tamed
I’m done saying I’m not a nail polish person, and NARS‘ Never Tamed nail polish may be the shade that pushed me over the edge. Having never owned a true red nail polish, this shade has had me staring at my fingernails in awe. It’s almost a week later since I took these pictures and am now writing this post, and I’m still looking at my fingernails and sighing in happiness. This shade is everyyyything to me right now. The formula was very easy to apply, although I did find the brush was identical in width to my pinky finger (never done a nailpolish application in one swipe before!). For full transparency: Because I always apply a glossy taco on top of my nails now (quick drying top coats are something I should’ve gotten into sooner), please be aware I’m also wearing Seche Vive on top. I’m also wearing two coats of Never Tamed.
NARS Fearless Red and Impudique – swatches
New to me is the Matte Lipstick formula – I have the shade Fearless Red, and I think this is my also first ever NARS blush: Impudique. (“Impudique” is French for “immodest”.)
Wearing NARS Fearless Red matte lipstick and Impudique blush
I’ve been wearing Impudique blush in all of the face shots in this post, but I’m also pairing it with Fearless Red matte lipstick in this shot. Impudique blush is beautiful – it is everything I want in a red-toned blush, and more. It’s super pigmented (so go lightly with your brush) and adds an unbelievable colour to my cheeks. It also has a sheen built into the product that I was not expecting – the first time I applied it I was so confused – although I had not, I looked like I had applied highlighter on top! (I’m not wearing highlighter in any of the face shots in this face.) This is also the perfect shade to make it look like you just came in from the cold winter air.
I have mixed feelings about the Fearless Red lipstick. The colour is fantastic, there’s no doubt about that, and I really like how I look wearing this shade (you can see me wearing it in my Drugstore Favourites video). It also feels “comfortably” dry. That being said, I also had varying results: with no primer applied, this lipstick wore well through a lot of talking (my video), but, I wore it the next day to work and coupled it with H&M’s lip primer, it did not do so well. My suggestion would be to wear it without lip primer, even if you feel you usually need one.
NARS Sarah Moon Holiday Collection
So there are the pieces from the NARSSarah Moon Holiday collection that I’ve been playing around with! My recommendations are towards that stunning nail polish, the Impudique blush (*swoon*) and anything involving the Audacious lipsticks (there’s even a set with eight of the lipsticks!). Let me know if you were intrigued by this collection and whether or not you plan to pick anything up.
Alongside the BECCA x Jaclyn Hill Champagne Collection release, BECCA released a new addition to their highlighting range: the Shimmering Skin Perfector Slimlights.
BECCA Shimmering Skin Perfector Slimlights
With the highlighter craze having no end in sight, the beauty world’s insatiable demand for more highlighters means we’re getting a lot more options to make us shine up to the heavens. And I, for one, hope this craze never ends!
BECCA Shimmering Skin Perfector Slimlights
So far the Slimlights have been release in three shades that match their predecessors that are also available: Pearl, Champagne Pop and Topaz.
BECCA Shimmering Skin Perfector Slimlights in Pearl, Champagne Pop and Topaz
The Slimlights are a twist up tube highlighter that makes for quick and easy application. I’ll be honest, the first time I tried this, I applied it straight from the tube onto my cheekbone and tried to blend it out with my finger. The shine and finish I was accustomed to with BECCA‘s highlighters was just not there and I was more than a little confused. How could my favourite highlighter brand let me down like this??
….and then I read the packaging and Sephora’s site. The Slimlights are intended to create added dimension in targeted areas – down the bridge of your nose, on your brow bone, the top of your lip and the inner corners of your eye. Suddenly this product made a heck of a lot more sense to me!
BECCA Shimmering Skin Perfector Slimlights come with a sharpener in the base of the wand.
The Slimlights come with a sharpener in the base of the tube which you can pull out and use to sharpen the crease product if you so desire. Personally, I don’t see the point in that since I’m not likely to use this as a liner.
BECCA Shimmering Skin Perfector Slimlight in Pearl, Champagne Pop and Topaz – swatches
Swatched out, you can see the Slimlights deliver a punch of pigment as well as a lovely sheen. I was especially impressed with Topaz because the bronze-gold coming off on that shade is beautiful! It’s not quite for my skintone, but it is a STUNNING shade.
BECCA Slimlight vs Pressed – Pearl & Champagne Pop
Since I had pressed versions of both Pearl and Champagne Pop, I wanted to compare them for my own sake. Pearl is a dead ringer in both the Slimlight and Pressed formulas, but you can clearly see that Champagne Pop is a much different shade. The Champagne Pop Slimlight is more of a pale yellow-gold (it looks a lot like Moonstone I think, although I don’t own that shade), whereas the Pressed version has far more peach in it.
Wearing Pearl on my brow bone and Champagne Pop on my inner corner.
With my knowledge of how to wear these now intact, I found I preferred to wear the Slimlights on my eyes. Champagne Pop makes the most beautiful inner corner highlight. I like that the shade is slightly paler than the pressed version because I think it works well on me. I also liked adding a bit of Pearl to underside of my brow to add a hint of shine. I did find Pearl was a bit more difficult to blend out than Champagne Pop, but nothing that would deter me from using the products.
Final Thoughts
If there’s one thing I can highlight about this product is the fact that it’s meant as a targeted highlight for smaller areas of your face. I remember reading the tear sheet I had after I’d used the product the first time (on my cheek) and I was like “well aren’t you dumb, Chelle!”.
After figuring out how to properly use the Slimlights, I am pleased to report that I love what they do. I have often struggled with inner corner highlights for my eyes because I feel like when I use a pencil brush to apply powder it goes freaking everywhere, including getting directly in my eye. With the Slimlight, I was able to target the inner corner directly and blend it out with my finger. It’s a small thing to be relieved about, but it definitely made me feel better about applying product there. Not to mention that it definitely felt quick, easy and foolproof! (Sidenote, I have tried Topaz on my eye as a lid colour on a whim, and I found it creased pretty quickly. So while the product says nothing about using it on your eyes, I thought I’d just give you the heads up that I tried it and it didn’t work out for me.)
Do I recommend these cheekbone highlighting? Absolutely not – but they’re also not meant for it! Do I recommend these for specific highlighting needs on smaller areas of your face? 100% percent. My personal shade preference? Champagne Pop – but get the one that you feel would suit you best!
