BOURJOIS Healthy Mix Serum

My most worn foundation this month was the new Essence #insta perfect, which is an ok light base and perfectly fine for the price, but I then switched to Healthy Mix Serum and it's just some much nicer on the skin. Both are natural looking foundations with a low level of coverage, but Healthy Mix Serum creates a more healthy/dewy finish, like your skin is a better version of itself. Unlike Essence it's also not annoyingly tacky and it sets fast, something I always appreciate at foundations. The only thing Essence beat it in is the shade which is much lighter.  

Oval Brush from AliExpress

My second such brush from AliExpress, which I repurchased because I've been using my old one almost every day for years now and I should have gotten a spare ages ago. I have another similar one from a different brand, but this MAANGE is much softer. Actually my old one broke during washing, but the handle isn't that important at these brushes and I still can use it easily. It's the fastest brush to apply and blend foundation which is does flawlessly with no visible streaks and it works with all of my foundations. I ordered from here.

PHYSICIANS FORMULA Happy Booster Glow & Mood Boosting Blush 

Rose

I'm still on pink blushes and I dug out this beauty from the stash. I didn't like it when I got it first because it wasn't pigmented, but it turned out that it was only the top layer that was disappointing and now it's the most pigmented blush from PF I own. Shade is a classic warm pink with a matte finish and it creates that cutesy baby doll effect. The heart design also makes it one of the prettiest blushes in my collection.

RIMMEL Stay Satin Liquid Lip Colour

130 Yuppie 

I'll start by saying this is not my favourite formula because it stays sticky on the lips and it transfers but I love the shade and it's already become one of my standard every day lip colours. 95% of the time I wear these natural looking shades that just define my lips and aren't too bright. Finish is such a pretty satin, though I still prefer their matte range because they dry and I can touch my lips with no worries. 30 Yuppie is a lovely muted light-medium peachy-pink, a perfect mix of the two tones. 

THEBALM Meet Matt(e) Hughes 

Charming

This shade was just made for this time of year. It's one of those medium rosy-browns that were so popular two years ago and there are many dupes like Milani's Beloved and Colourpop Beeper. Formula of these is so great, they are properly matte, long-lasting and very pigmented plus they smell like After Eight.

ESSIE Nail Lacquer

Really Red

I wore red on my nails for the entire September and this was the first one. It's a neutral-warm red with a creamy finish and as it's usual for Essie, as great formula.

CATRICE Ultimate Nail Lacquer 

18 Bloody Mary To Go

I have the old bottle, but this shade exists in the new range too and it's not surprising because this is the prettiest red I've found to far. It's cool toned that which looks very retro-glamorous. If you're looking for a nice drugstore red, this is my first recommendation.

BODY FANTASIES Signature Twilight Mist Fragrance Body Spray 

I've already mentioned in New in that this is very close to Bath and Body Works Twilight Woods and luckily this mist is easily available in our drugstores. First notes are similar, but also a bit sharper, so it's not quite as a comforting scent, but more seductive. I think her it's the tonka bean that's more prominent than the wood notes It's different enough that I can justify having both this and Twilight Woods, but it still pleases the BBW fan in me.

CEZANNE Skin Conditioner High Moist

I ran out of my sample of Cezanne at the start of the month and as soon as I switched to Kikumasamune (same texture, but more popular of the two) and gone completely without either in my routine, my skin did not look as good as it did for the last few months. I guess it really agrees with my skin. So I got a big 500 ml bottle which just arrived, and it deserves an immediate spot in this favourites. It's a light toner-like lotion that absorbs fast and feels very hydrating. It contains ceramides, Job's Tears extract, 3 types of hyaluronic acid, collagen and amino acids, so all the good stuff. 500 ml will last me forever and I don't plan to use it just for my face, but also on as a body and hand moisturiser. I have been using my Kikumasamune sample for body and hands, and it hydrates my skin well without having to wait for it to sink in. 

GREAT FIRST IMPRESSIONS

SKINFOOD Black Sugar Honey Mask Washoff

I have to immediately praise this even though I got it just on friday and used it once, but this smells exactly like honey and I love it to bits. It's much less scrubby than the original Black Sugar, in fact it's true to its name a mask, which nourished my skin. Sugar particles are sparse, but present, so it still works as a scrub, but it's much more suited for those with sensitive skin than the harsh original.

ALSO IMPRESSIVE, BUT NOT QUITE FAVOURITES

ESSENCE #insta perfect liquid make up

10 #cool porcelain

This deserves its place here because of the shade range. Essence did an impressive job and are now finally offering a very pale shade, which is one of the lightest in collection and doesn't have a very strong undertone, though it is cool. Formula is nice for those who want something very natural, with a low level of coverage, but don't believe the label "strong matte" finish because it's got a semi-matte or a satin one at best and doesn't hold oil (I have normal-dry skin and this doesn't hold back shine on me). It doesn't look as nice on the skin as my favourites, but it's a decent drugstore offering and the shade range is praise-worthy.

ESSENCE Metal Chrome Eyeshadows and CATRICE Sensation Ultra Creamy Eyeshadow 

I like these only with a cream eyeshadow base. They swatch very creamy and pigmented, but don't look that opaque on my eyes, so I creamy base makes them more intense with a better metallic finish. The texture of these is kind of addictive, you just play with it because it kind of feels like play-doh. As metallic topper for a more glamorous look, these are great, on their own, not that much, but I don't mind using a base with these.

WISHLIST

ESSENCE Glow To Go Palette - I'm impressed by the quality of the Go for the Glow palette and this one looks like it has a similar texture and strength of shine, but consists of lighter shades. I was already in Müller about to take it, but the only one left was swatched, so I'm waiting for new stock.

RIMMEL Maxi Blush 006 Exposed - I have Wild Card that I got as a PR product and is dark for my skin tone, though a nice shade, but it was Exposed that caught my attention in the shop. It reminded me of shades like Mac's Blushbaby, so one of those muted rosy-brown-beige shades that don't look like much in the pan, but usually really suit pale skin tones.

THE BODY SHOP Body Butter Fall for Pumpkin - I think this is the same as last year's Vanilla Pumpkin that everyone raved about and TBS Slovenia promised it'd be in the shop, but it never happened, so I missed it. Hopefully this version will be sold here, I'm interested in how it smells.

BATH AND BODY WORKS Autumn 3-Wick Candles - BBW candles are so expensive on eBay and Notino, and I'm jealous they have them -50% in the States, but I'd like to try at least one to see what all the fuss is about. Leaves is still one of the most popular ones and I saw that this year so many love Pumpkin Pecan Waffles. There's more other interesting scents, but I'll probably pick one of those two, or get a room spray which is cheaper.

Have a great day!

ESSENCE #insta perfect liquid make up

10 #cool porcelain

Essence finally came to their senses and started offering a foundation that comes in more than just a few light-medium shades (their usual ranges tend consist of a meagre four shades. They should expand concealer shades next). The new #insta perfect foundation somewhat "dupes" Mac's Face & Body in terms of packaging and is available in 9 shades that actually include a very pale shade and some deep ones as well. They finally have a colour that I can wear too, in fact I find 10 #cool porcelain perhaps a touch too light, though it matches my neck perfectly. It's a foundation that reminds me most of Mac's Face and Body, as well as Maybelline Fit Me Luminous, though the latter has more coverage. It's a light coverage foundation, light-medium at best, though it is buildable and doesn't get cakey at all, but still I haven't been able to build it up all the way to a proper medium-full. Finish is not as described "strong matte", instead it's a very natural looking foundation with a semi-matte finish and I still see my natural skin texture shining through. It's not a foundation that someone with an oily skin will want to wear without a powder as it stays tacky for a long time. It blends and applies with ease, so it's the type of foundation that's quick to apply, but it's not the most long-lasting one on its own. I liked it from the start, but as soon as I switched to my old favourites (Healthy Mix/Serum and Maybelline Fit Me Matte) I saw it's not as pretty on the skin as others.

Müller, 4.89 €

Swatches for the products mentioned here are on Instagram in highlighted story Beauty Updates.

ESSENCE Stay Cool Llama Highlighter

I got this without trying a tester because they didn't have any, but I hoped that it's perhaps a bit similar to the great Good to Glow palette in terms of texture, just in a lighter shade. Unfortunately this is very subtle highlighter, though you see the glow just fine in strong light, but it doesn't create that very luminous effect. There are three shades in this: a gold, a pink and a cool toned off-white, which all mix into a peachy looking shade with a glow. The texture is not chalky and it applies smoothly, but I wish it were softer. Honestly, Essence has done much better highlighters. It does look so cute, though.

Müller, 3.89 €

ESSENCE Metal Chrome Eyeshadow 

01 Zink About it and 02 Ironic

I heard raves about this, most notably from Adjusting Beauty who's already posted a review of these. I got Catrice's version first which is a very similar texture. These are very creamy powder eyeshadows with a metallic effect and I picked the two shades that look most wearable, a rosy bronze 01 Zink About it and an old gold shade 02 Ironic. They swatch beautifully - very opaque and creamy with a strong shiny finish, and similarly to Catrice the surface dents under pressure. But, as nice as these are and I'm glad Essence finally offered something like this in our drugstores, I'm not in love with these. There are a couple of reasons, number one is that unless I use a creamy eyeshadow base under it, I get a super shimmery look with visible chunks everywhere, but the colour itself is too sheer on the lids unless I use a base (maybe it's just me with this problem because I saw these look amazing on others). Second this is that they crease during the days, which doesn't happen often on my normal eyelids. I thought I was going to adore 02 Ironic, however, on my lids it looks too washed-out gold, so I prefer 01 Zink About you which is that basic Satin Taupe like colour. I like them as a topper, but they're not amazing without a base. Maybe I need to get through the top layer or something.

Műller, 3.39€

ESSENCE Soft Contouring Lipliner

08 big proposal

This is my third shade of these and I already have a review of the other two if you're interested in how they perform, but these are some of my favourites. This new version is less creamy than the previous, so they last longer and are a lot more precise, but  despite the waxier texture they are not drying. I got this shade after seeing it at Adjusting Beauty. Of course this shade looks completely different on my neutral pale skin tone than on her very warm one, but I expected that and it's still the type of shade I'll use a lot. It's a muted light-medium peachy-pink that leans more to peach on me and it's a great defining colour that looks natural, so it can be used to cheat the lip line.

Müller, 1.19 €

CATRICE Metal Sensation Ultra Creamy Eyeshadow

040 Mauve Browntown 

Both Catrice and Essence added these metallic cream-to-powder eyeshadows to their regular lines. This formula feels even creamier than Essence's and I've made a large dent in it by using it every day for a couple of weeks . Compared to Essence this shade is also a bit less shimmery and somewhat sheerer when I swatch it, but it's got about the same level of pigmentation once on the eyes, meaning it's semi-opaque/medium. Best way to apply this is with fingers as I find the brush just doesn't pick up well. I need to layer it for a metallic effect, but in a thick layer, this unfortunately creases fast. I love the texture, how nice it applies and blends, however it's already a bit too creamy, so it moves too much on the lids. 040 Mauve Browntown is a Mac Satin Taupe kind of shade, so as the name says a mauve brown.

Müller, 4.79 €

*BOURJOIS Lip Duo Sculpt

04 Plum'Set Beach and 06 Rouge Tango

Bourjois launched their version of ombre lipsticks which are available in 6 shades. They combine two shades in a 2:1 ratio with which you should easily be able to create an ombre effect. It does work, but due to weaker pigmentation it takes a few swipes to really build up a fully opaque layer and you need to be very careful at how you place the lipstick on the lips again for the second swipe. Formula is creamy and comfortable with a creamy shiny finish. The lipsticks are a bit small for my lips and while granted they should be slightly smaller anyway so you can create a mixed ombre layer in the middle and not just have a line there, I'd like to see them just a millimetre wider because they now I ruin the ombre if I want to apply it all over my lips. I got two of their brightest shades:

 04 Plum'Set Beach - to me a truly weird combination of shades, a plum and tomato red, which is supposed to look like a sunset. The plum is much less pigmented than the tomato red, so it ends up looking really strange.

06 Rouge Tango - combines a deep and light shade of neutral red. It's a better combination than 04, but still I think the ombre look just does not look good on me and I don't feel it optically makes my lips plumper. 

Drugstores, 13.49 €

*RIMMEL Maxi Blush

003 Wild Card

Rimmel released three shades of these Maxi Blushes in Slovenia recently, other two are #004 Sweet Cheeks, a peach, and #006 Exposed, which is a very interesting neutral beige-dusty rose looking shade. Wild Card is quite a deep shade and I need to be very careful with it because it's too much almost with one swipe, so if you have a deeper skin tone, this will work great on you. It's a muted deep peachy-pink shade which on my cheeks looks like a strong warm pink. Texture could be a bit silkier, but I have such a dark shade that any texture is very unforgiving if you don't spend extra time blending it. I loved the look of Exposed in the shop, so I might go get that one.

DM, 9.49 €

*RIMMEL Stay Satin Liquid Lip Colour

130 Yuppie and 400 Obsession

After the matte versions which I find are fantastic from the selection in our drugstores, Rimmel launched the Satin version which will please especially those who like liquid lipsticks, but find matte versions too drying. I can't compare these to anything else I own, Revlon's Ultra HD dry differently and Coulourpop's Satins are matte, so these are something new in my stash. Formula is a mix between a cream and a mousse, they are fully opaque, but need a more careful application because the pigment shifts on the lips. They don't have the super comfortable feel of Revlon's Ultra HD, but they aren't drying at all as they are setting. They set to a proper satin finish - these really are true to the name and I like it. My main complaint with these is that they remain sticky for quite a while and they never dry completely, meaning they transfer. Staying power is comparable to a long lasting regular matte-satin lipsticks. 130 Yuppie is a lovely muted light-medium peachy-pink, a perfect mix of the two tones and I already like it a lot, even though I'm not that happy with the formula compared to the Matte ones. 400 Obsession is my fifth thousandth warm hot pink that every PR seems to send me (forgive me for saying this). Four shades out of fourteen are sold in our drugstores: #130 Yuppie, #200 Sike, #210 It Girl in #400 Obsession.

DM, 6.19 €

NIVEA Shower Oil Natural

I got this instead of the Aveo one which I normally buy because I couldn't get to a drugstore and I think I actually like it more even though it's costs twice as much. The formula is thicker, so I end up using it a lot less and one bottle lasts much longer. It also works better for shaving and leaves my skin softer than it's ever been (I really like that about it). The scent is equally bland as at Aveo which I count as a minus, though it's not a bad scent, just like a natural oil.

Interspar, 3 €

SUBRINA Shower Gel

Cherry Blossom and Perfume Drops

A repurchase of these two. They are affordable, come in big bottles if you buy them in Spar and these two are some of my favourite scents among shower gels. Cherry Blossom is a baby powdery floral type of scent and Perfume Drops smells like a sweet oriental fragrance. 

Interspar, 1.79 €

BATH AND BODY WORKS Fine Fragrance Mist 

Amber Blush

I'm a big fan of these, so I wanted to expand my collection and this was one I picked based on notes and reviews I read because I can't test these in person. It's similar to Paris Hilton's Can Can fragrance, which I used up a bottle of a couple of years back. It starts with a strong sweet raspberry syrup burst which mellows down in the first minutes and creates a smoother mix with the base notes. Amber is most prominent from the base, the rest which are suede, sandalwood and wood are weaker, but make the amber smoother. I detect no vanilla or star anise that are mentioned in the notes. It's a nice one, but not unique like Twilight Woods. 

Top notes: bergamot, mandarin orange, raspberry and champagne

Heart notes: jasmine, gardenia, star anise, apricot and magnolia

Base notes: vanilla, suede, crystal amber, sandalwood and musk.

Notino, 14.60 €

BATH AND BODY WORKS Fine Fragrance Mist 

Brown Sugar & Fig

I quickly feel in love with this scent and it's already been in my last favourites. It's starts with a brown sugar burst which is quickly followed by a very comforting milky, creamy scent which creates this sweet, but very comforting combination, like a warm milk with sugar but mixed with a clean skin scent. It's such a delightfully fragrance, I'm very glad I picked it. I detect no fig in this, not even in leaves form and some mentioned, so it's just a rounded creamy, milky scent. Great stuff! 

Top notes: passion fruit, california fig, white flowers, white peach and bergamot

Heart notes: vanilla orchid, jasmine, yellow freesia, lily-of-the-valley and coconut milk

Base notes: vanilla pod, amber, fig leaf, musk, maple and caramel.

 Notino, 12.90 € 

BATH AND BODY WORKS Fine Fragrance Mist 

Twilight Woods

I'm a huge fan of this one and I consider it my favourite scent since I got it, so I got a spare. It's a very feminine take on the wood notes which are the centre of attention here pretty much from the start. There's so berry notes just at the start, but they are actually a lot more noticeable in the Ultra Shea moisturiser than in the Mist. This fragrance makes me wish more women's fragrance focused on the comforting, smooth wood notes instead of generic vanilla, praline and patchouli combination (which is everything from La Vie est belle to Flowerbomb)

Notino, 12.90 €

BATH AND BODY WORKS Fine Fragrance Mist 

Chestnut & Argan

This was a last addition to my shopping basket because In the Sun was out of stock and I decided to skip Bali Blue Surf even though it's bloody amazing, but summer was at an end and that's a very fresh summery scent. Chestnut & Argan is absolutely nothing like its name, the combination is enigmatic anyway and the notes say "a feminine blend of chestnut, argan, sandalwood & musk". It starts with a strong sweet note, which could be chestnut, but it's not how real chestnuts smell, it's more candy-like. It settles to a sweet & creamy sandalwood scent and in time it's a more sandalwood-musk combination. It's a scent that's already been discontinued, but Amazon and Notino still have it.

Notino, 13.90 €

ESCENTRIC MOLECULES Molecule 01

2 ml

I had a "dupe" for this a couple of years ago from eBay (the "molecule" is the cheap ISO E Super) which I ended up not liking because it smelled like nothing (to me and anyone else smelling me), but I decided to give the original a go to see if it's as good as the hype says. I still find a full size bottle a rip off, so I got just a sample. It's the same as the ISO E Super I got from eBay, but stronger and much longer lasting. Still it's underwhelming, a basic water-like scent. I just don't get this stuff or at least my body chemistry doesn't.

Notino, 4.60 €

BODY FANTASIES Signature Twilight Mist Fragrance Body Spray 

I never thought I'd see these here in Slovenia. I've know them from Fragrantica because Coconut Fantasy was mentioned as a dupe for Bath & Body Works At the Beach. Well this Twilight version is a 95% dupe for BBW Twilight Woods. It's a bolder version of it, as it's a bit sharper at the start and it's not quite as cosy soft because of it, but it's close. So if you're interested in how Twilight Woods smells like or you'd like something very similar or you're just looking for something affordable and almost as good as a perfume, this is a nice one. 

Müller, 5.49 €

BALEA Rasiergel

Sweet Passion

I always like passion fruit in products and this is no exception. It's a classic candy-like passion fruit scent Balea usually makes. For some reason this version felt watered down when I used it (just once so far), I hope it was just because my skin was too wet. These are usually really good.

DM, 2.99 €

NIVEA Dry Comfort Anti-Perspirant

Dove stopped working on me, so I'm switching again. It's got a sharp-powdery clean fragrance and so far works great. Let's hope it stays that way.

Müller, 3 €

ESSENCE I love my brushes cleansing tool

I finally remembered to buy this. It's rough texture helps the brushes to get clean more effectively. I've used it just once so far and while it's nothing special nor it doesn't make the brushes any more clean, it beats using the palm of my hand to wash brushes. 

Müller, 2.79 €

EBELIN Polierfile

I've been using this for years to polish my nails and mostly the tips. It's got three textures, two are very fine, non-harsh files and one side is just a smooth, final polish side. If I use it all over my nails, like for example when my nails look yellow because of the nail polish, I get a very smooth result that looks close to applying a clear nail polish. I don't do it often though, so I don't thin the nail too much, so I mostly use it on the tips to smooth them out.

DM, 1.59 €

ESSENCE Aww My Cuties Nail File

Just a classic nail-shortening rough nail file. It's got a cute raccoon design on one side and on the other it's mint green. Two other versions exist.

Müller, 1.19 €

*MOROCCANOIL Ceramic Round Hair Brush 55 mm

I got one more item to try from Moroccanoil and it's another winner. This brand is just blowing my mind, especially the mask, which after I washed my hair with the cheap stuff again a couple of times, I can definitely say is miles better than any drugstore stuff as well as most of the high-end stuff. I've been very loyal to my Ebelin ceramic brush which is just fine, but this Moroccanoil beats it in several ways. For one it makes the hair smoother and tames the frizz better. The other is that it also dries my hair much faster, but that got a lot to do with the larger size than Ebelin's. If only I'd known how good these brushes can be if you invest a bit more, I'd gotten it ages ago.

Click2Chic, 26 €

EBELIN Eyelash Curler

It's a rather pointless to put this here because I just saw they don't have them an more, but it could have just been a rose gold LE and the regular Ebelin Eyelash Curler has the same design. I'm not very happy with it, as compared to my trusted Shiseido it just doesn't create such a lift and it feels somewhat rigid. On a plus side it doesn't pinch or rip lashes like Manhattan's I had ages ago. When it comes to curlers I really suggest you invest in a good one and don't got for the cheap stuff. Mine is going to end up as a prop for pictures because it's useless.

DOVE Purely Pampering Shower Gel

Coconut Milk and Jasmine Petals

My standard repurchase. I just got it today because there's an 1+1 offer in DM. I love the creamy texture of these and this version of the scent is just divine. It doesn't smell anything like described - coconut milk or jasmine petals, so it's hard to describe the scent in any other way than it's clean, but comfortingly and even a bit elegantly sweet.

DM, 2.79 € for 2

CATRICE Liquid Eyeliner 

010 Meeting Joe Black

Another of my standard repurchases I got today. I still use it daily and it's the only liner I've used in about a year. It's very black, glides with ease on the lids and lasts all day. One thing I've noticed twice so far - some bottles have a less black, sheerer formula than others. So weird and it annoys me because originally this is the best formula ever.

Müller 3.79 €

I just got these today so I'll talk about them more in the next New in when I have a chance to use them. 

This is the other DOVE Shower Gel I got for that 1+1 offer and it's the new Micellar Water one. I only washed my hands with it and I don't like the sharp clean scent. The texture is a creamy gel instead of a creamy lotion like their usual pampering range. 

I got GARNIER Olia in 7.0 Mittelblond/Dark Blonde because I have this urge to lighten my hair just a bit, but I'm not sure if I'll really take the plunge or just chicken out and give this box to mom, who uses Olia in a deeper shade. My hair is dark brown and there weren't many lighter/lightening colours in Müller I could choose from (at least from the recommended colours I found online) but I know from mom's experience Olia lightens well. I'm already concerned I didn't get enough, but at L'Oreal's Casting Creme Gloss one box was more than enough. Anyway if I massively screw up I have a whole drawer of Subrina's hair colours, some in my natural shades to fix me up (I'd use one of those, but none lighten such dark hair as mine).

ECOTOOLS Precision Blush Brush is my second such brush from this brand. It's not tapered like my old one, but the sizes are about the same. I haven't used it yet, but it feels super soft.

I've only opened SKINFOOD Black Sugar Honey Mask Wash Off to smell it and my word does it smell divine! It's like proper honey, like that L'Occitane honey scent they discontinued years ago. The original Black Sugar is amazing, so I'm hoping I'll like this version too. Scent certainly wins already.

Have a great day

This highlighting palette exists in two versions, a cool and a warm one. I have the latter called 02 the warms and apart from one shade, it's a cool palette, so this whole range is more suited for those with a cool undertone. These are described as holographic highlighters with a metallic glow.

Texture: These are soft, buttery powders with an intense shine on the skin, though shades differ in quality. First shade is by far the best in the palette with a metallic eyeshadow-like texture, in fact I have used it as an eyeshadow and it works great, while the other two have a less creamy, more of a classic powder type feel to them. 

Shade 1

First shade is a rose gold or dirty gold and it's the only I consider wearable and the one I use often, but it's already quite dark for my pale skin tone and I need to blend it out, so it doesn't look like I applied an eyeshadow on my cheeks. The glow is the strongest in the palette and it has fine shimmer that it doesn't look obviously glittery on the skin, but due to intensity it also doesn't look natural, just like the other two in the palette. I already made nice dent into this shade and it's not just because I use it frequently, but more because it's very creamy.

Shade 2

Second shade is a sci-fi-looking medium violet shade with blue shimmer or glow and it's just completely unwearable as far as I'm concerned. On my skin the violet-blue hue is visible, so it's a shade that's an eyeshadow for me. None of the shades are holographic, but this shade could be described as duchrome since it's a violet-blue combination.

Shade 3

The third shade is a pale pink with violet shimmer. It's paler, less sci-fi looking than the second shade, still I don't wear it because it's just too cool.  

Packaging: These are stored in a cardboard box with a big mirror and a magnetic closing system.

Price and availability: The palette costs 6.49€ in drugstores

I'm impressed by the metallic look of these, especially the first shade has an amazing butter formula, but it's a collection of bold shades that are hard to pull off, apart from the first warm highlighter. Essence has a Glow to Go Highlighter palette, which based on swatches I found online looks like it has similar texture as these, but it comes in a much more wearable collection of shades. I'll probably give that one a go because I'm really impressed with the quality of these powders.

Have a great day!

*PR product

A few days ago, I asked on Instagram stories for readers to choose my next anti-haul post. While ABH Sultry had the most votes (you can see that anti-haul here), the Huda Beauty Obsessions Precious Stones collection came in close second. 

Huda Beauty has expanded their Obsessions line of mini 9-pan palettes with a precious stones collection: Topaz, Sapphire, Emerald, Amethyst, and Ruby. 

And I won't be buying. 

Well, I mostly won't be buying. I did buy one of these palettes—Emerald—but we'll get to that in a bit. 

Unlike the other Huda Beauty Obsessions palettes, these follow a gem/precious stones theme. This is showcased on the packaging, which has a diamond made up of each shade in each palette: 

The main appeal, I think, to most of these palettes is that they follow a pseudo monochromatic color scheme and look different enough when compared to most other palettes on the market. But, for a lot of these palettes, they really aren't all that unique. They just seem to be because most palettes (for the exception of neutral brown palettes) don't follow monochromatic color schemes.

In my opinion, the least interesting of Huda Beauty's new Obsessions palettes is Topaz:

This palette looks slightly more interesting than most neutral palettes, and I appreciate that it is more inclusive than palettes like the Tartelette Toasted:

But it is ultimately still just a normal neutral palette, like Juvia's Place Warrior: 

Colourpop I Think I Love You:

And Jaclyn Hill x Morphe Armed & Gorgeous:

I also think that Ruby is kind of uninteresting: 

Like Topaz, while I find the Ruby color scheme generally better than other red-toned palettes, it is still one that is just too played out at this point. 

There's Jeffree Star Blood Sugar:

Lime Crime Venus:

ABH Modern Renaissance: 

Huda Beauty's own Rose Gold palette:

As well as the Mauve Obsessions:

Lime Crime Venus XL:

Viseart Nuance:

And Viseart Siren:

Among many, many others. 

Chances are, if you're interested in Ruby, you likely already have most, if not all, of these shades already. Ruby is just more red-heavy and doesn't have "filler" neutral shades, so it gives the appearance of being slightly more unique. But so many color schemes over the past few years have centered on red shades, and the market is now just as saturated with them as gold and brown palettes. 

To me, Amethyst is a little more interesting:

Amethyst is the most purple of all the "purple" palettes I've seen recently, which typically tend to be neutral palettes with a few pops of purple colors. But there are still many palettes that follow this color scheme. 

There's Lime Crime Venus II:

Viseart Amethyst (I mean, it even has the same name):

Natasha Denona Lila:

And Jaclyn Hill x Morphe Bling Boss:

Sapphire and Emerald, I think, are when the color schemes become much more unique. 

Sapphire, as the name would suggest, follows a blue color scheme, though it does have random yellow and silver shades, which I think were included to give the palette some variety and depth.

When I first saw Sapphire, I immediately thought of Tarte's fake palette, Icy Betch:

If you're unfamiliar, Icy Betch is something that Tarte put together in Photoshop as an April Fool's joke. Why they thought this was funny or a good joke is unclear, but it completely backfired on them when people thought it was a real palette and loved it. Tarte is known as a brand that caters solely to light skin tones and puts out the same palette multiple times a year, so for them to put out a colorful palette full of blue, green, and teal shades that is slightly inclusive was really exciting for people. But then Tarte had to tell people that this palette was fake and that it was all a bad April Fool's joke (that doesn't even make sense). It was very curious to see a brand clearly have zero concept of what consumers actually wanted. 

So other brands, Huda Beauty included, have come out with similar blue-toned palettes that are more inclusive. Most of the other brands that replicated Icy Betch are indie and I'm not too familiar with them, so I tired to think of more "mainstream" brands that have blue palettes. And I honestly couldn't think of many. 

There's NYX Water:

And NYX Wind:

As well as the very old Wet N Wild Blue Had Me At Hello:

But I couldn't think of many others. 

The main the reason I chose not to buy Sapphire, however, is that I actually have quite a few blue eyeshadows, which you can see in an older version of one of my custom palettes:

I also don't wear blue eyeshadow very often, so it didn't make sense to me to have an entire blue-themed palette. I like wearing blue shadow, but I already have more than enough blue shades to satisfy any want I have for a blue look.

And, finally, we have Emerald:

As I mentioned at the top of this post, this was the one palette from this collection that I bought. This is a color scheme that I personally haven't seen before, which felt like an impossible feat. I like that this palette encompasses sea green, royal green, and olive green, and I feel like there are a lot of color combinations that can come from such a monochromatic color scheme. Green is also a color that I really enjoy and wear often, and these are green tones that I didn't already have. 

The only palette that I could think of with a somewhat similar color scheme is Viseart Absinthe:

In terms of my experience with Emerald, I have used it twice and used all shades. Here is my palette:

And here are two looks that I've done.

Look 1:

Inner and outer lid: 3

Center of lid: 1 (applied wet)

Transition: 2

Crease: 6

Inner corner: 9

Lower lash line: 5

I have some complicated feelings about this look. To be blunt, I kind of hated it, but that was solely because of the crease. The mint and royal green shades just completely clashed with my skin tone. And that's interesting to be because I have a shimmer mint from City Color Cosmetics (called Hint of Mint), and it is one of my favorite shadows. 

While I'm not really scared of color or being "too loud," this look was actually too loud for me. I think I would have loved the colors on my lid, inner corner, and lower lash line with a different shadow in the crease, and I honestly don't know of a look where I could incorporate the matte mint and royal green shades in a way that I would like. I personally don't like to wear matte shadows on the lid all that often, and they really didn't flatter me in the crease. I could try the royal green shade on the lower lash line, but I'm not confident that will turn out great. The mint shade also took a while to build up, so I don't think that would be a good lower lash line color either. 

Shade 1 was the color I was most excited for, and I was disappointed to learn that it's a chunky glitter shade. I did not use a glitter glue primer with this look, and I had to wet that shade for it to have any kind of opacity. I enjoyed the other shades in the look. 

Look 2:

Lid: 9

Crease: 7

Outer corner: 8

Lower lash line: 4

This was a much simpler look than the first one I did, and I have to say that I think it looks a lot better in person than it does in pictures. Of the two looks, I much prefer this one, but it's also one that I could have created (mostly) with shadows already in my collection. I have a matte olive shade in my Viseart Dark Matte palette, and I have plenty of gold shadows. I really enjoy the shimmery dark olive that I put on the outer corner of my lid, though it doesn't appear in photos well. 

Overall, since I have only used this palette twice, I don't have a very firm opinion on it, but I am happy that I now have most of these shades. I'm still unsure what to do about the shades that didn't flatter my skin tone, but I'm willing to use them again and see if I can't figure something else out. It might just be a matter of grounding the look with a brown in the transition area. 

Emerald was the most unique palette to me out of the Precious Stones collection, but if you're only semi-interested in green shades, I think this palette can be a pass and you can instead buy some singles. 

To round out this post, I wanted to talk about some palettes that incorporate many of these color schemes and put them together in one place. 

Immediately, a palette that came to mind is The Emily Edit: The Wants. However, if you've read my review of that palette, you know that I don't recommend it because the quality is very poor. Because I loved the color scheme, I duped the palette with shades in my collection, and I think this palette is almost like a highlight reel of the Huda Obsessions Precious Stones collection, minus Sapphire.

This palette has browns (Topaz), reds (Ruby), purples (Amethyst), and greens (Emerald—though the tones are completely different). 

Viseart Dark Matte also has similar colors to all the Precious Stones palettes:

As well as BH Cosmetics Weekend Festival:

And Urban Decay Born to Run:

To end this post I will say that I now own two Huda Obsessions palettes: Emerald and Coral (which is not part of the Precious Stones collection). I think Coral has a better formula, and while I wouldn't say that the formula is bad, I have worked with better ones that are easier to blend. Unless you've been absolutely craving an entire 9-pan palette of different tones of one specific color, I would say it's safe to pass on this entire collection. Instead, buy a few single shadows that you like and use them to complement what you already own. 

I would also like to add that if you don't see yourself wearing orange, red, purple, blue, or green looks often, then this collection is also an easy pass. Each of these palettes cost $27 before tax and shipping, and while that is less expensive than other mid-range products, it is still a lot of money to spend on shadows that you feel you will only occasionally wear. 

Added to that, as much as these palettes seem like they are unique, there are still so many palettes that are comparable. And chances are, as with all of the new makeup that is being launched, you likely have something similar enough that you don't really need to add to your collection. 

I certainly have more than enough brown/orange, red, purple, and blue shades, and I don't need to add individual palettes in all of those colors to my collection. In terms of Emerald, I'm mostly happy with the palette and the purchase, though this might end up being more of a companion palette for me than something standalone. With that said, I also won't be surprised if this is a palette that ends up returned or decluttered. The quality is not quite what I hoped and expected it to be, and if I find that it's not quite working for me, I won't hesitate to get rid of it. 

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