Let’s be honest, in the world of makeup and beauty, not every product is a guaranteed home run straight away. There have been many products throughout the years that I initially rejected or thought it didn’t work for me. Only for me to revisit it months down the line and discover how to make it work. And that’s what I’m shining the spotlight on today. These three products are ones that I have genuinely grown to love over time and are now staples in my collection. Let’s get into it!
GUCCI BEAUTY NATURAL FINISH FOUNDATION – $102.00
I reviewed this foundation back in early 2021. And while I remember liking it, it had two major faults that held me back from truly loving it. 1) it was a pain to blend out. 2) I could not get it to stay on my face without lifting whenever I went to set it. So, when I went to revisit it during winter this year, I changed my usual tactic. Firstly, this foundation with the Milk Makeup Hydro Grip Primer? Match made in heaven! I let the primer sit for a minute or two before I go in with the foundation. Which I would blend out with either my fingers or a densely packed foundation brush. And once it’s on, it doesn’t move. I also exclusively set it with a loose powder. There is something about the fineness of a loose powder that works so well with this foundation. Just a few simple changes and now this foundation is as good as everyone says it is!
DIOR BEAUTY BACKSTAGE ROSE GLOW BLUSH – $69.00
Did I buy this blush because on Instagram hype? Yes, yes I did. But you know me, I am easily susceptible to peer pressure. It was only when I had it in my hot little hands that I thought to myself ‘Oh Lord. What have I done? It’s way too cool tone and bright. It doesn’t suit me at all’. I ended up using it exclusively as a mixer blush just so I could get some use out of it. One day, however, I found myself experimenting with some lewks and I pulled out this blush to pair with something else. And that’s when I discovered that if I go into this with a light hand, it actually works very well with my complexion. Almost like a kiss of pink to the cheeks. I am now completely obsessed with this blush and often wear it on it’s own.
KAYALI VANILLA 28 – $133.00
I’m still not entirely sure what I was thinking when I initially decided that I didn’t like this perfume. Maybe I was in a bad mood. Maybe my hay fever was playing up. Maybe that first spritz was a bit on the alcoholy side. All I remember is that I scrubbed this off my arms when I first tried it because I immediately rejected it. On me, I thought it smelled like bad vanilla extract and it was very off putting. I used it one-two more times and then popped it back in my sample pile. It was only through pure accident that I even tried it again a few months later (I thought I had grabbed another sample). And for whatever reason, it actually smelled good on me that time. I actually got the brown sugar and caramel notes what everyone kept telling me was there. And I kept using it until my sample ran out. Then I quickly bought the 50ml because I knew I couldn’t live without it.
And that’s a wrap on my latest Spotlight On. What is a product in your collection that you eventually grew to love? Let me know in the comments.
Cheers and love
Emily xo