Anastasia Beverly Hills Glow Kit in Ultimate Glow - Review and Swatches

Ever since I picked up my first Anastasia Beverly Hills Glow Kit in Gleam, I've wanted to try out another. Over the past few months I saw other Glow Kits from ABH such as That Glow, Moonchild, Sun Dipped and Sweets but I wasn't fussed on them. There was at least one shade in the palettes that didn't capture my attention, but I looked on the ABH website a few weeks ago and saw a new Glow Kit in Ultimate Glow and knew it was for me. It's $45 to buy and I used a shipping service so it wasn't as cheap as the roughly £36 it converts to due to shipping and customs costs (that may have been due to Colourpop or Bath & Body Works but I'm not too sure). 

Ultimate Glow consists of six limited edition powder highlights available in shimmering and metallic pearl finishes. You can layer them up or wear individually, and can be used anywhere you desire on your face. The shades all compliment each other, as one is a bright white and all the others are of a gold shade. The formula is ultra-fine that claims it won't leave any shimmer particles for a smooth, even glow. 

Inside are three shimmering luster shades: Snow, which is a true icy white with a platinum reflect, White Sand which is a warm beige with gold reflect and Golden Dawn, a warm amber with a gold reflect. The metallic pearl shades are: Sunray which is a warm copper with peach-gold lustre, Amber Gold, a warm rose with gold lustre and Hot Sand which is a warm bronze with an amber lustre.

 It's definitely a palette made for an obvious highlight and is in no way subtle. The formula isn't as light as the Glow Kit in Gleam, and works best with a densly-packed brush. It works so well for eyeshadow too since it's very pigmented and lasts so long on the skin. I feel like it definitely leaves some sparkle on the face which you can see from the swatches above but I don't mind this. I have more subtle highlighters for when I want a hint of glow, but this palette is made for a more intense look. This palette is being released in the UK soon, so people in the US have enjoyed it for a few months ahead of us, but it would be perfect during the summertime. Snow is the perfect shade for the winter, especially on my pale skin but I'll definitely be taking this with me everytime I travel in 2017. For darker skin tones it might suit more of an everyday wear, but I'm going to be using this as an eyeshadow whenever I feel like it, especially using Amber Gold as it's the truest rose gold shade I've seen out there so far.

I can't wait for it to be released in the UK so other beauty bloggers and lovers can get their hands on this. I imagine it will sell out fast too! This is actually a Christmas present for me from my Nan, but I've been allowed to review it before having it back until the 25th. I'm sure over the next few months it will make its way into my favourites and you'll definitely see it in my What I Got For Christmas post!

Read more

Anastasia Beverly Hills Contour Kit Review

I bought this Anastasia Beverly Hills Contour Kit in Light/Medium (£39/$40) whilst I was in Los Angeles back in April and included it in my Huge American Makeup Haul but didn't get round to reviewing it until today. As someone with combination skin I'm a huge lover of powder products as they keep my skin matte and I know they won't move during the day. Since I have quite fair skin I picked up the Light/Medium kit so that every shade would match me perfectly. There are six shades in the palette and the pans are exactly the right size for dabbing brushes into.

The palette comes with three powder highlights and three powder contour shades to create the illusions of higher cheekbones, softer jawline, a slimmer nose or a smaller forehead. The first shade is Vanilla which is a pale cream, which I mix with Banana (pale yellow) for under my eyes when I set my concealer as it helps cancel out any dark shades if my Urban Decay Naked Skin Color Correcting Fluids haven't already done the job. The last highlight shade is Sand which is described as a 'radiant chiffon' which is perfect for a subtle highlight along the nose and on top of the cheekbones. 

There are three contour shades, starting with Java which is described as a mocha shade, Fawn which is a tawny shade and Havana which is a 'warm russet'. I use Havana as a bronzer especially during summer to let me look a little sunkissed but couldn't contour with it as it's just too warm. Most days I use Fawn as it's the coolest shade out of the three and is the best shade to contour the hollows of my cheeks, by my temples and down the sides of my nose. If I'm going on a night out I sometimes mix Fawn with Java for a more defined look.

All of the shades blend easily and are incredibly smooth. Some powders feel cakey on the skin but these feel almost creamy and are a dream to apply. I tend to use brushes over beauty blenders as I feel I can really buff them in better. I'm in love with ABH products and since I'm using this almost daily I'm not going to jump to pick up the cream version. I think overall there are three of these Contour Kits and you can pick them up from a variety of places in the UK now. I did pick mine up in the Sephora in Santa Monica (CA) but places like Beauty Bay stock Anastasia Beverly Hills products. 

Read more