Services
From makeovers to personalized skincare consultations
Sign In
For those who know me, I love natural looks that are carried by quality products with just the right color selection to provide that natural, glowy, rosy, bronzy glow. I am so excited to have been provided these products gratis (gifts from Sephora), and I can't wait to try them out and tell you more!
Products (hyperlinks worked into each - so glad this feature exists now in the community)
- Bite Agave Lip Balm
- Bite Amuse Bouche Liquified Lip in Chutney
- ILIA Multi Stick in At Last
- ILIA Soft Focus Finishing Powder
- rms beauty Champagne Rose Luminizer
- lilah b. Aglow Face Mist
- lilah b. Bronzed Beauty Duo
- Antonym Organic Highlighter in Endless Summer
- Axiology Natural Lip Crayon in Enchant
- Axiology Natural Lipstick in The Goodness
I have finally had a chance to play with all the products and wanted to share my thoughts.
Bite Agave Lip Balm- Love this stuff! I've used the lip mask for a couple years, but this is more convenient.
Bite Amuse Bouche Liquified Lip in Chutney- Pretty liquid lip makes me think of a richer more luxurious version of the Colourpop Ultra satin lipstick. I was a little concerned that it might migrate but I did not have any issues. Chutney is a beautiful color.
ILIA Multi Stick in At Last- I typically use powder blush, but this was easy enough to apply and blend. The finish was not sticky which I have run into in the past with other multi sticks.
ILIA Soft Focus Finishing Powder- This was a a miss for me. The texture is soft and appealing, but it looks chalky on me. I have also come to expect a few bells and whistles with my powders-SPF, complication enhancing formulas, fairy dust and unicorn tears. This is a no frills natural powder that does not give me all the things I want in a powder.
rms beauty Champagne Rose Luminizer- This is subtle and lovely. I tend to use flashier highlight products but this is a very nice product of a more natural look. This is something my non-makeup wearing mom or sister could use without fear of looking like a disco ball. It is an accessible foolproof highlighter in a very nice color.
lilah b. Aglow Face Mist- Fancy face water! I enjoy indulging in magic face waters from time to time and this one is fresh and luxurious. Herbivore's rose hibiscus coconut water is my all time favorite this is a solid second place for me. (must also add that the packaging is very heavy and looks good on the vanity)
lilah b. Bronzed Beauty Duo- This bronzer runs a tad to warm for me and the pan is small making it difficult to get just one of the shades on a brush. It applies well it blends well, the packaging is so sleek and pretty.
Antonym Organic Highlighter in Endless Summer- This is a fun highlight I would love to see it on an olive or darker skintone. It is a bit sparkly (glitter) but it works as a light blush on me.
Axiology Natural Lip Crayon in Enchant- good lip product- it held up for several hours and wore away evenly. It felt good on my lips and did not have a bothersome taste or smell. The color is perfect for fall and i did not have any issues with fethering.
Axiology Natural Lipstick in The Goodness- I wanted to love this product- the color is super pretty the packacing is fun, but I found that it had a strange oily smell that I did not care for. It's not an overpowering smell but it was noticable throughout the day.
Update and some more experimentation. Keep in mind this was a fast & easy day, intended to be a natural look. I started with my regular foundation, and used the following:
ILIA Multi Stick: On cheeks
rms beauty Champagne Rose Luminizer: Highlighting on cupid's bow, plus as an eye shadow (experiment on lazy-girl product multi-use)
ILIA Soft Focus Finishing Powder: All over setting
lilah b. Bronzed Beauty Bronzer Duo: Applied generously to cheeks, forehead, nose in all the places the sun adds color to my face when I get sun.
Antonym Organic Highlighter (Endless Summer): First tried highlighting tops of cheek bones, then applied all over my face
Axiology Natural Lipstick (The Goodness): On my lips 🙂
My initial assessment from about two weeks ago still holds for the products reviewed back then. To that, I would like to add:
Antonym Organic Highlighter (Endless Summer): I really struggled with this one. I'm just not a powder highlighter girl. All powder formulas tend to cling to my facial hair and accentuate it, so it's a feature that is inherent in all powder highlighters for me, and not really anything about this one. One of my favorite ways to finish my face is with some highlighting pearls from a brand that is definitely not natural, has fragrance, and is not cf. So, I used the Antonym Organic Highlighter as an all-over dusting to finish and add that full disco ball glow I like. It was ok for this purpose. Because the colors in the highlighter are heavy on the pinks, it definitely threw a slight ruddy cast. The key here is very slight. If I was opposed to using products that had synthetic fragrance and did animal testing, then this product would be a good dupe for, say, Guerlain Meterorites Pearls in Medium. If it had some other colors in there to balance out the reds, then it would be spot on. Also, for those who love powder highlighters, it would be a good one to try. Finally, the scent. There is one. It's zippy and fresh, and reminds me of apple cider vinegar. I suspect since they don't use chemical fragrance, it is what it is (nothing added to change what it is). I happen to like it, but it is worth mentioning. I am eager to try more from the brand, particularly the blush. The highlighter is high-quality, but, I'm just not a powder highlighter gal (except for all over my face, then the shade needs to be just right).
Axiology Natural Lipstick (The Goodness): I have a medium complexion and pigmented lips, so lighter lipstick colors are typically not great on me. I tried this one with low expectations, and wow, I was impressed. It worked great with my natural lip color, adding a frost to it and enhancing it instead of battling it. The formula was comfortable, and not excessively slippy - everything I look for in a lipstick. I am so grateful that natural, cruelty-free lipsticks exist that perform this well. I now reach for it on a regular basis, as I dig the performance and the perfect "lazy day" look it gives. The brand is on my list to investigate some more colors.
Here's my look with some of the products and my full thoughts in the spoiler.
In the picture I'm wearing the bronzer, antonym highlighter, bite liquid lipstick, and glow mist. I'd like to post a second look with the multistick, rms highlighter, and one of the axiology lipsticks.
Spoiler
- Ilia Soft Focus Finishing Powder: This is the only thing I actively dislike. I have normal-dry skin and this powder feels heavy. It also seems to take away the coverage of my concealer and leave a powdery white cast to my makeup (even though I'm already powder white lol). I definitely don't think this is safe for WOC.
- Ilia Multistick in At Last: This I LOVE. It might be my favorite thing in the box. I feather a stipple brush on the stick and apply it to my face. It can be built up to be pretty strong or gently applied for a natural finish. It has a more balmy texture than the Bite multisticks, but isn't quite as balmy or sheer as the Milk makeup multisticks.
- Lilah B. Aglow Face Mist: I'm ambivalent on this. I can only use it with a minimal base because the spray is pretty chunky. I spray it and then have to pat some spots in with a beauty blender. I'm going to keep using it, but I don't think I'd recommend it can be hard to work with. I like the Tatcha one better.
- Lilah B. Bronzer Duo - This is ok, I don't really like bronzer. This is a nice and light shade that works for my skin. The error is probably my fault because I don't really know where bronzer goes, and my cheekbone is kind of sharp so it always looks like it has a dirty line to me. I wouldn't buy this myself, but I don't buy bronzers.
- RMS champagne rose highlighter. I Looooove this so much. I'm dry and I love balmy textures, so it doesn't bother me that this never dries down. I think if you're sensitive to greasy textures you would not like this. It gives a very wet looking highlight. The color isn't very prominent which is nice for me because I'm so pale. I don't think people with oily skin would like this at all.
- Antonym Highlighter in Endless Summer - This is a verrry powdery product. If you push your brush in too hard you're going to get a lot of kickup, which I actually like. I like really powdery blushes (like Hourglass) because I find them easier to blend. This is a weird color for me so I use it like a blush topper. I hope you can see it in the picture. It isn't glittery but it does add a really nice sheen to a matte blush. When you swatch it you can see some glitter, but that doesn't transfer to the cheeks.
- Axiology Natural Lipstick in The Goodness: This is my second favorite thing in the box. It's lightweight, shimmery, and very flattering on my skintone. I hate wearing lipstick but this is very nice. The packaging is also fancy
- Axiology Natural Lip Crayon in Enchant - This is a really cool color that I thought I would hate, but it can be applied sheer or built up. It has silver/blue reflects in it and I'm excited to use it in the winter. It's pretty dry, but I pat it on with my fingers and it works well that way.
- Bite Amuse Bouche Liquid Lipstick in Chutney - again I don't like wearing lipstick and I like liquid lipsticks even less, but this is fairly comfortable. I have REALLY dry lips but this never sank into my lines or made my lips feel dry. It's heavier than a NARS lip glide but it stayed cushion like the whole time I had it on. I could only keep it on for about 4 hours before I wanted it off. I did find that if I went to long without moving my mouth, my lips were kind of glued together - but the lipstick never peeled or crumbled. I kept getting it on my teeth, but I'm a lip biter. I liked the color on me and am happy to have it, but I don't see myself buying more colors.
- Bite Agave Lip Balm - Love this. It's very thick, but my lips are very dry so it's been great. I use it every morning and night and my lips seem happy.
- Ilia Multistick in At Last: This I LOVE. It might be my favorite thing in the box. I feather a stipple brush on the stick and apply it to my face. It can be built up to be pretty strong or gently applied for a natural finish. It has a more balmy texture than the Bite multisticks, but isn't quite as balmy or sheer as the Milk makeup multisticks.
- Lilah B. Aglow Face Mist: I'm ambivalent on this. I can only use it with a minimal base because the spray is pretty chunky. I spray it and then have to pat some spots in with a beauty blender. I'm going to keep using it, but I don't think I'd recommend it can be hard to work with. I like the Tatcha one better.
- Lilah B. Bronzer Duo - This is ok, I don't really like bronzer. This is a nice and light shade that works for my skin. The error is probably my fault because I don't really know where bronzer goes, and my cheekbone is kind of sharp so it always looks like it has a dirty line to me. I wouldn't buy this myself, but I don't buy bronzers.
- RMS champagne rose highlighter. I Looooove this so much. I'm dry and I love balmy textures, so it doesn't bother me that this never dries down. I think if you're sensitive to greasy textures you would not like this. It gives a very wet looking highlight. The color isn't very prominent which is nice for me because I'm so pale. I don't think people with oily skin would like this at all.
- Antonym Highlighter in Endless Summer - This is a verrry powdery product. If you push your brush in too hard you're going to get a lot of kickup, which I actually like. I like really powdery blushes (like Hourglass) because I find them easier to blend. This is a weird color for me so I use it like a blush topper. I hope you can see it in the picture. It isn't glittery but it does add a really nice sheen to a matte blush. When you swatch it you can see some glitter, but that doesn't transfer to the cheeks.
- Axiology Natural Lipstick in The Goodness: This is my second favorite thing in the box. It's lightweight, shimmery, and very flattering on my skintone. I hate wearing lipstick but this is very nice. The packaging is also fancy
- Axiology Natural Lip Crayon in Enchant - This is a really cool color that I thought I would hate, but it can be applied sheer or built up. It has silver/blue reflects in it and I'm excited to use it in the winter. It's pretty dry, but I pat it on with my fingers and it works well that way.
- Bite Amuse Bouche Liquid Lipstick in Chutney - again I don't like wearing lipstick and I like liquid lipsticks even less, but this is fairly comfortable. I have REALLY dry lips but this never sank into my lines or made my lips feel dry. It's heavier than a NARS lip glide but it stayed cushion like the whole time I had it on. I could only keep it on for about 4 hours before I wanted it off. I did find that if I went to long without moving my mouth, my lips were kind of glued together - but the lipstick never peeled or crumbled. I kept getting it on my teeth, but I'm a lip biter. I liked the color on me and am happy to have it, but I don't see myself buying more colors.
- Bite Agave Lip Balm - Love this. It's very thick, but my lips are very dry so it's been great. I use it every morning and night and my lips seem happy.
Anonymous
Here's a quick, light summery daytime look with many of the products Sephora and the brands so generously sent.
A bit of the lila b. bronzer on the eyes (light and dark) and on the cheeks (dark for contour), Antonym highlighter on apples of cheeks, RMS Champagne Rosé highlighter above, Ilia Multistick in At Last on lips, topped with Axiology Natural Lipstick in The Goodness.
I absolutely love everything and found the products to be well-pigmented (where applicable) and easy to work with, be it application, blending, or layering.
Also, selfies are hard. I showed my mother one of the ones I took not in a mirror and in natural light and she said, "Who is that?" At first I thought she was joking, but she wasn't.
Anonymous
