Browsing new Spring makeup products: hits and misses




The other day I went on an exploratory trip to my local Sephora store to discover some of the new products that popped out this season, and see if they're really as good as they look in the promo pictures. I came out feeling let down by a few products but with a new gloss crush. Here are my thoughts on some of the new spring launches. 

Givenchy Ombre Couture Cream Shadow, $23: let me start by saying that I LOVE cream shadows, for their ease of use and comfort of wear. I also really like Givenchy's style, and I think they've done some really great new products lately, most notably Le Rouge lipstick. Needless to say, I was very excited by this new cream shadow, and in fact I almost ordered a couple shades online before even seeing them in person. I'm so glad I didn't... 
Although the texture feels soft to the touch, I noticed when swatching that it was hard to get an even coverage, and, the worst for me, the shadow made my skin look dry by emphasizing every little line. You know how a lipgloss can get into fine lines in your lips and make them look more visible? That's exactly what these shadows did to my skin. Not good. Moreover, the shades looked very flat and muddy. And I don't mean just subdued, I mean, it looked dirty. If you've seen that beautiful promo pic with the khaki shade looking so shimmery and rich and multi-dimensional, let me tell you, that's NOT how it looked at all in person. I'm very surprised to read so many rave reviews about these cream shadows. They just don't look flattering, and I would expect much better from a high-end brand. Am I really more demanding in terms of quality than the average beauty addict? 

3 of the Givenchy Ombre Couture. Note that
the shimmer is a lot more visible on the picture
than in person.


Dior Diorshow Fusion eyeshadow new matte shades, $30: I haven't jumped onto the Diorshow Fusion train because I found the original shades to be too shimmery, looking almost like glitter in a sheer base. So when I learned that Dior had release matte shades this season, I thought they might be more to my liking. Compared to the Givenchy new cream shadow, these have a much more flattering finish on the skin. However, they suffer from a major (and I mean, severe) lack of pigmentation. I tried Celeste, a lavender, Fantaisie, pink and Mirage, taupe, and none of them really showed up on my light to medium skin, even after multiple layers. Celeste was the worst. I do like sheer washes of color. However, I'd rather see SOMETHING on my lids without having to apply half the pot. Pass. 

Hourglass Ambient Lighting Blush, $35: this one was not much of a surprise but still a disappointment, since these new blushes were probably THE most exciting new product launch this season. They look absolutely stunning in the pan, and they are also supposed to be a blush/highlighter hybrid that brings color as well as a soft luminous glow to the skin. The problem is, they don't. I had read a few reviews by other bloggers saying that these blushes were mostly matte, and that's absolutely true. I don't know where the highlighter part goes when you apply the product, but the finish is a flat, almost matte, slightly powdery color. Some of them have a little bit of visible shimmer, but no luminous glow at all. For the price, there are better blushes out there without the powdery texture! The idea was great, but the product itself falls short.

2 of the Hourglass Ambient Blush

Yves Saint Laurent Gloss Volupté, $32: here's the good surprise in my shopping session - and my new gloss obsession. I was not particularly excited when YSL announced the release of these new glosses. There are so many glosses out there that one more variation didn't seem particularly important! When I saw the display, however, I changed my mind. The shades are absolutely gorgeous. They remind me of what Dior Addict glosses used to look like years ago before they were revamped: a lot of sparkling and shimmery spectacular colors that I all want to own. They also have a few shimmer-free pure colors in the range, which actually seem to be more pigmented and less sheer than the shimmers (I prefer my gloss on the sheer side). I bought Nude Carat, a sheer beige with subtle golden sparkles, and I'm already planning to purchase Rose Fusion, a stunning iridescent coral pink with the same golden sparkles. Grenade Pepite, a sparkly neon pink, is also on my list. 

Yves Saint Laurent Gloss Volupté display

The product featured in this review was purchased by Lulle. I received no compensation to write this post, which only reflects my personal opinion. This post contains affiliate links.

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