Rapid reviewing new makeup launches

plus some first impressions based on first looks up some upcoming launches (hint: new is not always better)

The winter freeze is starting to thaw, and with it, new beauty launches are starting to fly out left and right. I just wrote in my last post that I’m currently in a low spending phase, and from speaking to many of you, it seems I’m not the only one.

So which of these launches are actually worth your time? I’m rounding up some recent releases that I’ve been sent and there are definitely hits and misses among the new launches I’ve tried.

I’ve felt every year for the past few years that the makeup industry has hit its saturation point, but this year, it really feels like we’ve hit a breaking point with how many releases can really be interesting and innovative. While there are definitely a few highlights mentioned in this post, I just can’t help but feel that what I already have that’s been released in the past 6 months, year, or even 5 years are still more impressive than some of the products coming out now. Am I just being cynical and old or is the makeup industry starting to reach peak makeup? You tell me….

Let’s get into some rapid reviews:

R.E.M Beauty - some surprising hits

• Blush and Lip Stick in Cab-eret - a smooth dewy cream blush formula that is buildable from sheer to intense pigment. I was impressed with the all-day wear of these blushes, with 8 hours of wear! I recently compared the Cab-eret shade with Rhode Toasted Teddy, and while the shades are subtly different, it was apparent while applying them side by side that the Rhode formula blends out slightly more seamlessly, and in the wear test, I found that the R.E.M formula was slightly more prone to transfer.

• Dreamglow Highlight Serum - this watery gel-serum highlighter gets major props for feeling lightweight when applied directly to skin, and it mixes seamlessly with foundations to lighten the texture a bit. The finish is a fresh dewy glow with some shimmer particles shot through it - the shimmer in the shade i have doesn’t look like obvious glitter particles from far away, but close up, I can detect some particles that aren’t my preferred everyday look. Maybe it’s just my shade, since the lighter lilac-pink shade looks more smooth. If you’ve tried other shades, let me know!

• Sweetener Concealer - I’m really enjoying the medium to full coverage concealer for its easy blendability. It has a soft matte finish that doesn’t look too dry under my eyes but also doesn’t have that smoothing hydrating finish of some of my favorite concealers of the moment. I mostly use concealer under my eyes but the soft matte finish may make this better a face/spot concealer. In hindsight, I probably should have also picked up some shades with a pinker undertone for under my eyes but shade Light 10N matches my face well.

Cab-eret, Honeypot, 10N

Tower 28 has a new powder blush, along with YSL and Saie and Urban Decay (and Rare Beauty, soon to come!) and who else?

Samo Sprtizer, Malibu Cooler, Sawtelle Slushie

It was only a matter before powder products came back, since it seems we’ve exhausted every format of cream blush. All 4 brands are hot on the powder blush launches, though I only have 2 to talk about:

• Tower 28 Get Set Blur Set Blushes - super pigmented matte blushes with a blurring formula. It has a small-ish range with 6 shades but 3 of the shades caught my eye. They apply very smoothly with a moderately fluffy blush (I like this or this), and in my initial testing have lasted all day without any issues. But since they’re so matte I feel the urge to add in something with a touch of shimmer - I wouldn’t quite call these chalky, but they feel a little thicker than some of the matte powder blushes I already love, like the Nars formula, Make Beauty, or Nabla - they may be a few dollars more expensive ($25-$34 vs $22) but I find all 3 formulas to be elegant, silky, and long-wearing.

YSL Beauty Make Me Blush Powder Blush - another super pigmented formula, but one that is much more impressive, with a smooth velvety finish and the ability to practically blend itself. There are shimmer and matte shades, and I have one of the shimmer shades, but find it blurring and silky and a luxurious experience all around. The only negative is that one of the shades I really want, a predictably ‘me’ warm neutral shade, seems to only be available in Europe. Still, I love the mauve-pink of their iconic 44 Nude Lavalliere in blush form.

Now there are new launches that I haven’t tried yet, but I’m not sure about these…

• Saie is coming out with a new baked formula that doesn’t really spark any excitement, especially with a similarly limited range of the same variation of blush shades that are everywhere these days.

• Rare Beauty is also about to launch a “bouncy” matte blush slightly more intriguing, but once again, it’s the same variation of shades as all the other launches. Am I the only one feeling like brands are trying to reinvent the wheel?

• Urban Decay is also hopping back into the powder blush game with the Face Bond Powder Blush, and if I’m honest I’m not over their old powder blushes and the packaging of these new ones seem like a downgrade from the old version.

2015 vs the new face bond

I cannot be the only one who thinks their older blush circa 2016 seems like a much more interesting blush than the new launch?

Speaking of YSL, they released 2 shades of one of my favorite lip formulas, and they’re a hit as expected

44 and 16

I’m surprised it took this long for their iconic nude pink Nude Lavalliere shade to come out in this formula, and this might be my favorite version so far. It can tend to be a little too pale and cool for me, but this version is more sheer, and the thicker glossy formula allows it to spread out into a more even milky look. I like this even better paired with a contouring lip liner - for me that’s MAC Greige or Rhode Twist.

As iconic as Nude Lavalliere is, I’m most excited about 16 Watermelon High, a muted rose shade that is the epitome of my lips but better for me. It has just the right amount of pigment and balance of tones (neutral with slight warm) to be the most wearable everyday shade for me. Will this dethrone shade 14 as my most worn shade? Time will tell….

Versed is stepping into the makeup game and all of their products are under $20 -

The whole line is very exciting, with the same founder as minimalist favorite Merit, but the price range makes this much more accessible, plus the whole line is also available at Target. The line includes eyeshadows, concealers, blush, lip products, and more, and I was sent a few things to try:

• Skin Solution Skin Tint - a lightweight skin tint that offers light coverage in a smooth serum lotion texture and bonus SPF 40. I was really impressed with the feel and finish of this skin tint - it made my skin look healthy and had a nice glow that wasn’t too dewy or radiant, and it held up pretty well for a normal 10-12 hour day. I noticed a bit of transfer from where I wear glasses that I don’t normally notice with other skin tints or other foundations, so that was a minor downside, but for a sub-$20 product, I was very impressed. I no longer have the Ciele skin tint to make a direct comparison (I was never able to find a great shade match), but the feel of the formula felt similar based on my memory of that.

• Shade Swipe Blush Stick - a sheer dewy blush balm that glides on smoothly and blends out easily with fingers and brushes. It’s reminiscent of the Merit Flush Balms, actually, with similar, if not slightly longer lasting power. I love the shade Brownstone, which is a rusty brownish red blush that might finally be the closest shade I’ve found to Rhode Toasted Teddy, which I’ve been trying to dupe since I got it.

• Face Diffuser Multi-Tasking Brush - a dense brush that can apply creams and liquids alike. I used this to apply both the skin tint and blush stick and found it worked perfectly well to apply both. However, I can’t help but compare this to the Merit Blending Brush, which is just more dense, softer, and applies product with a little less effort. It might be twice as expensive, but does the blending in half the time as the Versed version so if you have budget, I’d recommend the Merit one instead.

• Soft Gloss Lip Serum - a comfortable sheer lip tint with a moisturizing and glossy finish that I am enjoying a lot more than I expected to. It has a formula that is reminiscent of a formula like the Hourglass Glossy Balm - a touch thinner - but not in a way that would make me reach for Hourglass more than this one. It even has the slight minty feel that the Hourglass has, and is not quite as strong, which is a bonus for me. There are fewer shades than the Hourglass, but if you find a shade you like, the $12 price range of this one is very nice. I would definitely pick up more shades of this formula.

Wearing Skin Solution Skin Tint in 4W, Brownstone, and Bake

What do you all think of these new launches? What about the rapid review format? I’d also love to know the launches that are catching your eye (please! I need something to look forward to!) or the ones that are making you hit the snooze button.

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