Sonia Kashuk® Satin Luxe Lip Color in Classic Red mixed with Plum Wine on my lips.
Finding the right makeup that works well with my skin texture and tone now that I’m in the later half of my 30’s, is a challenge. I spent much of my teens and twenties trying product after product and once I hit my 30’s I sort of just stuck with the ones that worked. I was tired of having cupboards full of products that didn’t work only to remind me how much money I wasted on them. But that’s not always the best strategy. Sometimes you get stuck in something you think works {aka: 80’s mall bangs} and ten years later it has become your signature style only to realize, it’s not “in style” at all. But sometimes it just happens I guess… time passes so quickly now.
Foundation is and always has been, my biggest challenge. Matching the color is a task in and of itself, but as you age, the texture of your skin changes as well, so finding a foundation that doesn’t make my skin look older than it is, is essential. I’ve been using the mineral powders for some time now but I wonder if they are doing me less favors than I think?
When BlogHer offered me this opportunity to try out and review the Sonia Kashuk Fall line from Target, I was happy to oblige! I knew I wanted to dive right in and was excited to receive so many new products to play with! I really got a good feel for the entire line of products from foundation to nail color, and I honestly can’t say one negative thing about the collection.
Face…
Starting with the base of all makeup application {right after your moisturizer and primer if you use it}, your foundation. I chose Sonia Kashuk® Perfecting Luminous Foundation in Vanilla {$9.99} and also grabbed the Sonia Kashuk® Perfecting Translucent Illuminator {$14.99} to add radiance to my skin.
The vanilla foundation matched my skin tone almost perfectly actually, but was a touch too dark. Rather than applying the illuminator before or after, I mixed it in with my foundation to brighten it up instantly. The two combined suddenly became the perfect match.
The combo blended into my skin really well for a light-weight, all-over coverage and even hid my splotchy darker spots on my forehead. I didn’t use a powder over it at the time, but definitely could have added a swipe or two of something translucent to set it.
I LOVE the illuminator… look at my cheeks in this photo! It really works and I’ve been using the combo as my makeup base for a month now.
Brushes & Bronzer…
Sonia is known for her amazing brushes, and of course, the limited edition line seen here don’t disappoint. The sleek and curvy handles are easy to hold and the synthetic bristles are really soft to the touch. They feel nice against my skin. Shown here from left to right: 1. Large Powder Brush {$19.19} 2. Dense Blush/Powder Brush {$17.99} 3. Small Eye Shadow Brush {$9.59} I do prefer a rounder tipped brush for my all-over eyeshadow application though. I liked this one for finer lines and to aid in a smokey eyeliner look.
The new Bare Minimum Pressed Powder Bronzer {$9.99} is better than the last bronzer actually, because of the dual colors. It’s light too, so you can layer on your bronze glow slowly without overdoing it. It comes with its own little brush, but I prefer to use the Limited Edition Large Powder Brush {$19.19}
Eyes…
I LOVE these Instructional Eye Shadow Palettes. They are so smart! They come with 12 different eye shadow colors which are all really velvety and blendable. AND, on the side, each palette comes with pull-out step-by-step instruction guide and photos, for three different eye looks.
I actually loved these so much, I bought the Neutral Instructional Eye Palette {$19.99 ~ which I wasn’t asked to review} and the Eye on Dazzling Color Instructional Eye Shadow Palette {$19.99}. I love the neutral colors for day wear… but also as a base for the shimmery jewel tone shades in the Eye on Dazzling palette.
Lips…
You know I love a good neutral pout, so even though I wasn’t asked to review it, I bought the Sonia Kashuk® Lip Definer {$5.79} in Pink Whisper and it is perfection. I actually used it as a base underneath the two rich lip sticks I tested out below.
The Classic Red is just that… a really perfectly classic red color. It’s a great one to have on-hand at all times for the perfect red lips. The Sonia Kashuk® Satin Luxe Lip Color {$9.99} tubes make it really easy to see exactly what color you’re buying. They are dead on. I liked the Plum Wine but I thought it was going to go on a bit darker, with a fun 90’s kind of feel, but it was much a softer effect, which in all reality, is more wearable.
Envisioning a strong contrast between the two colors, I first applied the Plum Wine to my top lip only and the Classic Red to my lower lip, thinking it would make a fun photo. But really, the colors were of the same intensity and worked so well together I ended up blending them together… see the very first photo in this post for a good idea of the blended color {though if you look really carefully, my top lip is a bit more plum and my bottom is more red ;}. These lipsticks really glide on nicely and stay put without drying out my lips.
Nails…
The entire Sonia Kashuk® Nail Colour Fall Shades are amazing. My three favorites are Hocus Pocus, Emerald City, & All Vamped {see below}. They are all really rich solids vs the fine glitter shimmer in the other colors, which are gorgeous as well. I have to say that I really love the brushes too. They are easy to apply and go on thick and smooth.
* If you missed it, check out my Seismograph Manicure using 3 different Sonia Kashuk nail colors!
I really loved this entire collection. I’ve already incorporated the neutral eyeshadows and the lip liner as well as the foundation and illuminator into my daily makeup routine. I think for the cost of the individual products, the 2012 makeup line is surprisingly luxe and high end –from the packaging, to the brushes and tools, and the actual products themselves. It a definite must-try if you haven’t yet!
