Ilia

Product Spotlight: Ilia Balmy Tint Hydrating Lip Balm in Runaway

September 22nd, 2021 by Karen 6 Comments

ilia runaway — Seriously, one of the best “throw it on and go” lip colors!

If you have any plans to start your holiday shopping early, girlfriend, I’m going to support that 100%! I’m currently on a kick where I do things hella early, as in waaaay before they’re due, and I flat-out love it (more on this in a few).

Going back to the holiday shopping… May I suggest you start with this lovely little number from Ilia for your friends and fellow makeup lovers? I love it so much I’ve given it as a birthday present twice, and I already intend to put it in a Christmas stocking or two.

Balmy Tint Hydrating Lip Balm in Runaway ($28) is a neutral rosy nude with a creamy finish and subtle shine. It’s more pigmented than most lip balms but less intense than a typical lipstick, and you know what? It’s absolutely fabulous and just so easy to wear. I’ve worn it in pretty much all of my work meetings over the last couple days… Have there been four? Or was it five? Seriously, I’ve lost count. I forgot that working with other people means a whole lotta meetings. Thankfully, this lip balm looks great on camera and in real life, and I’ve been wearing it a ton!

It’s lightweight yet moisturizing, so my lips feel good when I’m wearing it, and I also like the light vanilla flavor and scent. The whole vibe is very comfy, like stretchy pants, except for…your lips.

And the color? Now, this might sound gross, but for some reason I really like lip colors that are the same color as my gums! Weird, I know, but “gummy pinks” light up my face. It’s very my-lips-but-better, and I suspect that this particular shade will work across a wide range of skin tones.

Fittingly, it’s called a lip balm, which I think makes it sound a little less intimidating and more approachable than a full-on lipstick. Sure, it’s less intense than something full-coverage like Stila Beso, but when all I want is a quick touchup, I’ll grab Runaway over Beso any day of the week because it requires less precision.

I purchased Runaway at Sephora because I wanted the option to return it, but next time I think I’ll go to the Ilia website instead. I heard they had a Black Friday Sale last year with 20% off everything. If they do that again, I’ll be there.

OK, so, back to doing stuff and showing up early…it’s my new favorite thing in the whole wide world! Lately, I’ve been showing up to appointments 15-20 minutes early — from dropping Connor off at school, to going to meetings, to arriving to school-related events — and my world is forever changed. Parking has been easier, I’m not stressed out about showing up late, and it just feels great being one of the first to arrive. I can’t believe I’m saying this, but if I’m there early, I’m a happy camper! 😊

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

P.S. Happy first day of fall! 🍂

Ilia The Necessary Eyeshadow Palette in Cool Nude

September 17th, 2021 by Karen 10 Comments

ilia the necessary eyeshadow palette cool nude — The Ilia Necessary Eyeshadow Palette in Cool Nude

I wonder… At what point in history did the word “cool” turn into a way to say that you liked something?

“Keanu Reeves asked you to marry him? That’s cool.”

“Wait, you adopted a fifth cat? SO COOL!”

“How cool is that Ilia eyeshadow palette?”

Cue segue into today’s review! 😂

The Ilia Cool Nudes palette is pretty cool — both in terms of color temp and how cool it is to use — and it’s all about easygoing eyes.

It comes with six moderately pigmented powder shadows. You get:

A matte nude beige
A shimmering bronze-taupe
A matte lavender gray
A matte cool brown
A matte burgundy
A shimmery dark golden violet

Ilia wrapped everything up in a very sleek but simple, modern-looking white case with a mirror.

ilia cool palette swatches — The Ilia Necessary Eyeshadow Palette in Cool Nude swatched on my skin (I’m an NC42 in MAC)

First, these shadows blend like they mean it! No harsh lines here. I do a few swishes with a tapered blending brush, and I’m good to go.

Next, there’s barely any fallout from them, and the wear time is quite good. After a long day, I’ll see only slight creasing on my lids. My lids are dry, by the way, so I usually skip primer.

It’s a more natural look and perfectly in line with Ilia’s laid-back aesthetic. I’m guessing that Ilia purposefully designed the pigments to be only moderately punchy, which I appreciate when I only want a little something on my lids, and I don’t plan on taking pics (more on this in a second).

If you enjoy wearing color but prefer eye looks that define and highlight your lids without screaming “I’m obvious,” you’ll probably like it too. I think fans of the Clinique quads — which have a very similar vibe — will be into it. It’s a total errands-work-everyday piece.

With all that said, however, I’m not a fan of the way this palette photographs. The shadows simply don’t pop in pics like Honest Beauty’s Get It Together Palette does (my current go-to).

I took a few pictures of the eyeshadows the other day, and while I could see them in real life, I looked like I was barely wearing any eye makeup at all in the pics. On their own, the shadows mustn’t be vibrant enough to handle flash photography on my skin unless I do trickery to amplify the pigments, like by layering a base primer underneath them and using a wet eyeshadow brush.

Bottom line? I like it. This palette is lovely for casual makeup and everyday eye looks, but IMHO it’s not really for special occasions. Mind you, I think it’s purposefully designed that way, so I say go for it if wearable, everyday eyeshadow is your thing.

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

Easygoing, Effortless Daytime Makeup With Ilia and Saie

September 8th, 2021 by Karen 14 Comments

ilia saie september 2021 — Hooray for a little bit of face paint!

I treated myself to some new makeup last weekend — a taupe cream shadow, a matte coral-pink cheek and lip cream, a brown pencil liner and a new mascara.

ilia saie september 2021 k3 — Swatches from the top: Ilia Liquid Powder Chromatic Eye Tint in Fresco, Ilia Color Haze Multi-Use Pigment in Temptation, Ilia Clean Line Gel Liner in Dusk and Saie Mascara 101

I’m still in the “getting to know you” stage with everything, but here are some quick thoughts on these pieces, all which are part of Ilia’s and Saie’s permanent collections.

Ilia Liquid Powder Chromatic Eye Tint in Fresco: So good! Pigmented and easy to blend, with a crease-free formula that lasts. The sheen finish is forgiving on fine lines, too.
Ilia Color Haze Multi-Use Pigment in Temptation: Where has this been all my life? It’s long-lasting on cheeks and lips, and a little goes a long way. Blends and layers like a dream.
Ilia Clean Line Gel Liner in Dusk: I bought this mostly because the color reminds me of MAC Coffee, and I like the twist-up packaging. It stays on my lash and waterlines all day long.
Saie Mascara 101: Just OK. Great length and decent lift, no flaking or smudging. Easy to remove. I could use more of a volume boost, though, especially at the roots.

ilia saie september 202 -k2 — From the mascara wand: Saie Mascara 101, Ilia Color Haze Multi-Use Pigment in Temptation, Ilia Clean Line Gel Liner in Dusk and Ilia Liquid Powder Chromatic Eye Tint in Fresco

ilia saie september 2021 k1 — I popped on a little bit of gloss (Chanel Rouge Coco in Physical) on top of the lip pigment just for fun!

I’ve liked what I’ve tried from Ilia so far, and so I just added these things to my wish list.
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