Happy first Bite Size Reviews post for 2024! Yes, it’s been a minute since I last did one of these. But it’s once again time to chat about some of the standout products that I’ve tried recently. We have some bangers and some mid products in the mix. Let’s talk about them!
CHARLOTTE TILBURY CHARLOTTE’S MAGIC CREAM – $149.00
So, full disclosure, this has recently made the transition from being in my stash as a primer to being in my skincare routine as a night cream. As while I did enjoy using it as a primer, I did find it to be a little too heavy for during the day Especially during the summer months when my skin isn’t as dry. At night, however, this really shines. It’s deeply nourishing without being overbearing. And it’s great for really locking in the moisture. I do wish it didn’t have the fragrance though. Because it does linger for longer than I would like (and I’m saying that as someone who LOVES Gardenia).
NARS BLUSH in BEHAVE -$54.00
Nars blushes are iconic, we all know this. But I do feel like they get lost in the shuffle these days with all of the new and shiny blush launches. So, consider this your reminder that these are still fantastic blushes. And this shade in particular, Behave, is just so easy to chuck on. It’s a matte pink mauve that isn’t too cool but isn’t too neutral. And I find it to be a more flattering shade that pairs with so many makeup looks. I will say, this is a shade for the fair/light skin folks. It’ll definitely read ashy on anyone deeper than, well, me. Thankfully, Nars has an extremely expansive blush library.
HUDA BEAUTY #FAUXFILTER COLOUR CORRECTOR – $50.00
I’ve tried a few colour correctors recently. And I reckon this is my favourite of the bunch. I like that it’s in a liquid form. As I find I occasionally have problems blending the cream ones out before they set down. This one, you actually get a little time with. It wears well under pretty much every concealer that I’ve paired it with. And the brightening effect I get with this compared to not using a colour corrector is extremely noticeable. I use the shade Peach, which is the second lightest shade designed for those with warm/neutral undertones.
MAYBELLINE SUPERSTAY 24hr HYBRID POWDER FOUNDATION – $29.99
I reviewed the concealer in my last Bite Size Reviews. So, I figured I would chat about the corresponding powder. Now, while this is intended to be a powder foundation, I did predominately use this to set my makeup. And while it did a good enough job, I will say that it wasn’t amazing or mind blowing. My big issue with this is the shade range. This is the shade 10 Ivory. And because this actually has some pigment to it, this pulls extremely peach on my skin. The next shade down available to me was True Ivory, which was very pink in it’s undertone. And Nude Beige was too dark for me. I’ll try to use it up. But I’ll be sticking to the Fit Me Loose Powder in the future.
KOSAS UNDRESSED EYESHADOW PALETTE – $69.00
In a bid to actually use more than 5 eyeshadow palettes a year, I’ve been challenging myself to use a new eyeshadow palette a week whenever I do my makeup. And this was the first palette that I used in 2024. The Undressed Eyeshadow palette launched last year and it’s Kosas’s first eyeshadow palette (they’ve previously launched liquid eyeshadows). The Undressed Eyeshadow Palette contains 8 shades, 7 mattes and 1 shimmer. The matte shades are all varying degrees of browns and the one shimmer shade is a champagne peach. The shades in the palette, for the most part, lean in the neutral/warm shade range. Only Whisper is noted as a cool toned shade.
I’ll start with this, are the matte shades good? Yes. They aren’t super pigmented, but they are buildable. And they are easy enough to blend out. The shimmer shade Strip, however, isn’t super impactful. And it creased a little too quickly for my liking. I mostly used it as an inner corner highlight. My problem with this palette is that I found it to be quite limiting. I found myself reaching for the same 3-4 shades every time I used this palette. And more often than not, I was pulling in other palettes to complete the look. It’s also a weird collection of shades. I wish that Whisper was replaced with another neutral brown. And I didn’t use that peach shade, Gaze, much either. If you’re a warm matte lover and you don’t already own the Makeup By Mario Master Mattes palette, then I say grab it. Otherwise, it’s not a must buy, in my opinion.
And that’s another Bite Size Reviews done and dusted! I hope you enjoyed it. And as always, if you want to know my thoughts on anything that I’ve had in my stash, just shoot me a DM.
Cheers and love
Emily xo