Best Christmas Gifts for your Wife in 2022 (Beauty Recommendations!)

by risingtidembDecember 3, 2022

NOTE: This post contains affiliate links, which means I’ll receive a commission if you purchase through my links, at no extra cost to you. I only recommend products that I love. Please read my full disclosure here for more information.

I understand how it is — you want to get your wife what she wants for Christmas, a unique gift that will earn rave reviews from her this holiday season! (You know the saying – “Happy wife, happy life!”) However, you are overwhelmed by the endless rows of palettes, brushes, and hair accessories at Sephora or ULTA. In this post below, I’m going to list the best Christmas gift ideas for your amazing wife!

Of note, the best thing is that these recommendations are crafted with all skin tones in mind, so you do not have to worry about selecting the wrong shade of anything. I’m trying to make it easy for you, guys! 😉

1) Charlotte Tilbury Exaggereyes Palette – This rose gold themed palette is perfect for a special occasion, such as a wedding. It provides a classic look she can use every single day! Plus, its compact design if perfect for traveling.

2) Kat Von D Tattoo Liner – This is the perfect present for your wife. Perfecting eyeliner application is one of the most difficult makeup techniques, but one which, when mastered, changes your wife’s makeup game forever. This eyeliner literally applies itself, with a clean application to boot, making it one of the best gifts for your best friend. You can read my full review here.

3) Charlotte Tilbury “Pillow Talk” lipstick – Another great pick from Charlotte Tilbury! The luxurious packing of this lipstick will truly thrill your wife, and she will recognize this is a special gift. This nude pink lipstick provides an ultra-sophisticated look which will prove a great addition to her lipstick collection. She will look like a queen. This shade also comes in a medium or dark version, which you can find on the Charlotte Tilbury website. You can see my full “Pillow talk” collection review here.

4) Mac “Russian Red” lipstick – This true red Mac lipstick is iconic. This is the right gift for any woman (especially if your wife loves makeup) as it truly matches all skin tones. At fifteen dollars, the price point is pitch-perfect. I’m including a picture below of this beautiful lipstick in action:

5) Urban Decay Mini Naked 3 Eyeshadow Palette – The Urban Decay brand is a treasure trove of eyeshadow palettes – and thus offers the best Christmas gifts for your wife. Each palette is a collection of mostly neutral tones which provides plenty of different colors for everyday use. She will use any of these palettes for a very long time. You cannot go wrong with these! One of my most recent favorites is the Mini Naked 3 palette, although larger palettes are available. You can read my full review here.

6) Revlon One Step Volumizer and Styler – Probably the most useful gift on this list! If you have the type of wife who struggles with her hair (like me!), this is a wonderful gift which will help her achieve that supermodel blowout look in a time crunch (5 minutes max). The simple design makes this a foolproof tool. Read my full review here.

7) Buxom lip gloss – For the woman in a hurry, a quality lip gloss is worth its weight in gold. This allows a woman to achieve a polished look without a lot of hard work during a long day. She can simply swipe the lip gloss on her lips, no mirror needed. This is also the perfect thing to stash in her purse. The formula of Buxom lip gloss is outstanding and second to none. It is also extremely comfortable on the lips, rendering this a great gift. My full review is here.

8) Nars Orgasm Blush – This famous blush, with its scandalous name, will be a winner in your wife’s book. This is rose gold shimmer upon the cheeks, a blush to help her achieve the height of glamour on a date night or work day.

9) Too Faced Better than Sex Mascara – Another beauty favorite with a flirty name! Your wife will love the long seductive lashes this product will give her. You can read my full review here.

10) Ipsy subscription – If you are undecided as to the perfect gift and none of the above options appeal to you, I encourage you to buy an Ipsy subscription. It is a great way to cover all your bases! It is truly the best subscription gift, and a personalized gift at that. You can purchase an Ipsy monthly subscription at $13 per month for however many months you desire. Your wife will need to enter some information in the website regarding her beauty preferences (makeup vs. skincare, etc.) and skin tone. She will receive a bag of various beauty goodies each month, allowing her to test different products, a wide range of colors of makeup, and different skincare options before making a purchase and spending a lot of money. This is the perfect Christmas gift. (And if you don’t want to get this for Christmas, it’s also a fantastic Valentine’s Day gift as well!)

Merry Christmas to you and yours!

Colourpop Stone Cold Fox Palette Review and Swatches

by risingtidembSeptember 3, 2022

In recent years, Colourpop has truly emerged as a leader in the makeup industry. Perhaps my favorite part of their line is their countless, large, and high quality makeup palettes – of every imaginable theme!

One of their newer palettes is the massive and lovely Stone Cold Fox palette.

It contains 30 well-milled eyeshadows. Although it does contain a few scattered warm shades, this palette leans mostly cool, with plenty of mauves, grays, taupes, and silvers:

The packaging is sleek – light and compact. It is actually quite thin, which works great to help fit into a makeup drawer!

Without further ado, let’s review each shade – shall we?

1) “So Fine”

This is a Cinderella shade – or, rather, perhaps a fairy godmother shade! It is a silvery baby pink, which would be ideal for the lid, inner corner, or brow bone.

2) “Trip”

If you are looking for a subtle, barely-there pinkish taupe, this is the shade for you! It also contains silver sparkle. Suitable as a crease shade or all-over lid shade.

3) Lux

A creamy shade with rare silver sparkle, “Lux” is quite pigmented. It is ideal for the lid or brow bone.

4) “Dreamful“

“Dreamful” is a truly gorgeous snow white color, with abundant silver sparkle. The hue works as a lid color, brow bone, or even inner corner color. However, one downside is that this one is quite powdery.

5) “I Dig It”

“I Dig It” is a silvery glitter taupe. Beautiful as a lid color.

6) “Mystery”

A glittery mauve – again, an ideal lid color!

7) “Stranger”

“Stranger” is a natural-looking crease color – a light taupe which is slightly darker than “Trip.”

8) “Quarry Days”

“Quarry Days” is a matte warm-toned taupe, deeper than “Stranger.” Another great crease shade.

9) “U Rock”

“U Rock” is a cool-toned matte gray. Excellent crease shade.

10) “Magnetic Moon”

“Magnetic Moon” is my favorite shade in this palette! A glittery silver, this shade packs a punch in terms of pigment and has an almost foiled appearance. A stunning pop of color in the center of the lid!

11) Enigma

“Enigma” is a light warm-toned taupe. A crease color, for sure!

11) “Ghost Town”

“Ghost Town” is a deep, cool-toned taupe crease shade, with hints of mauve and plum.

13) “Stone Age”

Lighter than “Ghost Town,” “Stone Age” is a light mauve crease or lid shade – stunning on green eyes, I must say!

14) “Hard Place”

“Hard Place” is a mauvy bronze – best suited as a statement lid shade.

15) “Sediment to Be”

A pewter shade – ideal for the lid. This color reminds me of a moon rock!

16) “Rumor Mill”

“Rumor Mill” is a dark matte gray – best for deepening the crease or outer corner.

17) “Baby Doll”

“Babydoll” is a silvery taupe with a hint of mauve.

18) “Gneiss Guy”

I expected to love this shade but didn’t! A reddish mauve, “Gneiss Guy” contains glitter which is far too chunky and suitable only as a lid topper.

19) “Gravity Hill”

“Gravity Hill” is a deep matte mauvy plum – best for the deep crease or outer corner.

20) “Truffles”

“Truffles” is probably my second favorite in this palette – it is a highly unique shade. It’s a matte taupe infused with silvery blue sparkle.

21) “Bould Type”

A light matte grayish taupe.

22) “Caving In”

Silvery taupe with a touch of mauve.

23) “Fascinated”

Light matte grayish taupe. Useful as a subtle crease color!

24) “For Granite”

Deep brownish plum doused with delightful pink sparkles!

25) “Play It Coal”

This mauvy plum shade also contains pink sparkles, similar to “For Granite.”

26) “Fickle Fate”

This matte shade is a marriage between eggplant and plum. Suitable for deepening the crease or the outer V.

27) “Cult Classic”

Matte grayish brown. An outer V shade, for sure!

28) “Rock Bottom”

This is your classic matte black shade. It works to deepen the crease or outer V – and could also serve as an eyeliner shade.

29) “Drama Mama”

Probably my third favorite color in this palette. This shade is a mix between rich cocoa brown and eggplant. I love it for the outer V.

30) “Obsidian”

This shade is very similar to “Fickle Fate,” only darker and leaning more towards brown than eggplant or plum.

Now, for side-by-side swatches…

First Row:

Second Row:

Third Row:

Fourth Row:

Fifth Row:

Overall, this is a fantastic addition to your eyeshadow palette collection which lends itself to a delicious variety of cool-toned looks!

I hope you’ve enjoyed this Stone Cold Fox palette review and swatches!

Related:

5 Colourpop Stone Cold Fox Looks

5 Colourpop Stone Cold Fox Looks

by risingtidembAugust 18, 2022

If you love cool eyeshadow looks, you will love the Stone Cold Fox palette from Colourpop!

I’m working on a detailed review with swatches, but, in the meantime, I’ve created 5 looks that you can recreate with this palette!

See below:

Look #1

Lid – “Babydoll”

Crease – “Ghost Town”

Deep Crease – “Rumor Mill”

Lash Line – “Rock Bottom”

Brown Bone + Inner Corner – “Dreamful”

Look #2

Lid – “Gneiss Guy”

Crease – “Gravity Hill”

Deep Crease + Lash Line – “Rock Bottom”

Brow Bone + Inner Corner – “So Fine”

Look #3

Inner Corner + Brow Bone – “Lux”

Outer Lid – “Obsidian”

Crease – “Quarry”

Deep Crease – “Drama Mama” + “Rock Bottom”

Look #4

Center of Lid – “Magnetic Moon”

Inner + Outer Lid – “Fickle Fate”

Crease – “Stranger”

Inner Corner + Brow Bone – “So Fine”

Deep Crease – “Rock Bottom”

Look #5

Center of Lid – “Mystery”

Outer + Inner Lid – “Truffles”

Crease – “Stone Age”

Deep Crease – “Obsidian”

Until next time! Full review and swatches coming soon!

Charlotte Tilbury Eyes to Mesmerize Cream Eyeshadow (Swatches and Review)

by risingtidembAugust 9, 2022

Today I’d like to review Charlotte Tilbury’s “Eyes to Mesmerize” cream eyeshadow (complete with swatches!).

These cream eyeshadows are housed in the typical sleek Charlotte Tilbury packaging, which screams elegance, sophistication, and Hollywood glamour.

The consistency is quite creamy and gel-like. I’ve tried applying this with a brush and have come to the conclusion that it’s best applied with the fingers. Patting it onto the lid, adding more to heighten the intensity, and then rubbing it into the crease works best.

It is difficult to explain, but these shadows, when applied as described above, create the illusion of a complex eye look, which involves several different shadows and took a long time to create. It is also a perfect eyeshadow for quick, on-the-go looks.

I’ve featured swatches below:

I’ll discuss each shade individually below, along with eye swatches!

1) “Oyster Pearl”

This shade, previously called “Marie Antoinette,” is a perfect blend of taupe, gold, and bronze. It is universally flattering, but is particularly appealing on blue eyes.

2) Pillow Talk

As part of Charlotte’s iconic “Pillow Talk” line, this shade is a dusty mauve with a sheen, and is actually very similar to the lipstick color of the same name. Gorgeous on all eye colors.

3) Rose Gold

“Rose Gold” is an airy, more cheerful cousin to intense “Pillow Talk.” It’s the same shade as a penny. Flattering to all eye colors.

4) Sunset Rose

If “Pillow Talk” and “Rose Gold” had a baby, “Sunset Rose” would be it. This combines the femininity of “Rose Gold” and the passion of “Pillow Talk” – perfect for the office or a date night.

Related:

Charlotte Tilbury Pillow Talk Look

Charlotte Tilbury Pillow Talk Look

by risingtidembJune 25, 2022

NOTE: This post contains affiliate links, which means I’ll receive a small commission if you purchase through my links, at no extra cost to you. I only recommend products that I love. Please read my full disclosure here for more information.

Charlotte Tilbury has become the face of feminine sophistication and catwalk glamour! As “makeup artist to the stars,” she has perfected this magical combination. Her makeup comes with a hefty price tag, but, in most cases, it is 100% worth it!

I have created a Charlotte Tilbury look below! While not every product used in the look is from Charlotte Tilbury, it does feature many of her most iconic creations, particularly in the “Pillow Talk” line:

Foundation: Tarte BB Tinted Treatment 12-hour Primer (Shade “Fair”)

Powder: Charlotte Tilbury Airbrush Flawless Finish Setting Powder (Shade “Fair”)

Blush: Charlotte Tilbury Blush (Shade “Pillow Talk”)

Undereye Concealer: Anastasia Beverly Hills Magic Touch Concealer (Shade 1)

Lipliner: Charlotte Tilbury Lip Cheat Lip Liner (Shade “Pillow Talk”)

Lipstick: Charlotte Tilbury Matte Revolution Lipstick (Shade “Pillow Talk”)

Eyeshadow (Lid): “Rose Gold” shade topped with “Sparkle” shade (from the Charlotte Tilbury “Exaggereyes” Palette)

Eyeshadow (Outer Lid + Crease): “Red Brown” shade (from the Charlotte Tilbury “Exaggereyes” Palette)

Eyeshadow (Brow Bone + Inner Corner): “Ivory Cream” shade (from the Charlotte Tilbury “Exaggereyes” Palette)

Eyeliner: Charlotte Tilbury Rock ‘N’ Kohl Eyeliner Pencil (Shade “Barbarella Brown”)

Brow: Anastasia Beverly Hills Brow Pomade (Shade “Medium Brown”)

I hope you have enjoyed this look! As Charlotte would say, have a wonderful day, DARLINGS!

Charlotte Tilbury

3 Naked 3 Mini Looks (Plus Review!)

by risingtidembJune 12, 2022

As a mega-fan of the Original “Naked 3” Palette from Urban Decay, I was thrilled to hear about the “Naked 3 Mini” – and it has not disappointed me!

This little gem of a palette is compact – in fact, it could fit in your pocket! Thus, it is a perfect palette to pack while traveling:

These colors are in the rose gold family similar to the original “Naked 3” shades; however, these shades are unique enough to differentiate them from the namesake palette.

SHADES:

“Glassy” – This shade is a gorgeous champagne, which is ideal for placement on the browbone or the inner corner. It is also perfect as an all-over wash to the lid.
“Public” – Stunning rose gold. There are no words to describe the beauty of this shade. It provides subtle glitter, with no chunkiness.
“Laced Up” – Matte dusty rose. This color is the quintessential crease shade.
“Stolen” – Shimmering dusty rose; ideal for lid application.
“Right Time” – Dusty purple/mauve; excellent for crease application.
“Spiced” – Very deep eggplant purple shade with pinkish sparkling specks. This shade dials up the drama and anchors the palette. It is perhaps the most versatile – as a liner, deep crease shade, or suitable lid color on a date night.

I have 3 separate looks utilizing this remarkable palette:

LOOK #1

LOOK #2

LOOK #3

Related:

5 Urban Decay Naked 1 Looks

5 Urban Decay Naked 2 Looks

Urban Decay Naked 3 Review

5 Urban Decay Naked 3 Looks

Urban Decay Naked Basics Review

4 Lorac Unzipped Palette Looks – Plus Swatches!

by risingtidembSeptember 20, 2014

Look #1

Look #2

Look #3

Look #4

See you next time! 😃

Bare Minerals Loose Eyeshadow Round-Up

by risingtidembOctober 17, 2013

Today I’d like to review and swatch my Bare Minerals loose eyeshadow collection — and then communicate my thoughts regarding their uses. This post will focus on Bare Minerals’ shimmer shades only since the matte shades are too numerous — those will be saved for a later post 🙂

1) “Bare Skin” – Gorgeous peach sheen. It’s beautiful applied all over the eyelid for a one-shadow look. The peach tones particularly compliment blue eyes.

2) “Rapture” – Beautiful copper shimmer, with just a hint of coral.

3) “Soul” – Buttery white satin shade, which manifests a subtle iridescence when applied. Perfect as a base color over the entire eye.

4) “Satin Ruffle” – Grey-white pearl. This shade is actually the most sheer of these shadows and might work best as a brow bone or inner corner highlight.

5) “Magnolia” – Glistening baby pink. This shade is pinker than the photo allows, perhaps too pigmented to use as a highlight color. Great for a one-shadow look on the lid itself. The rosy undertone makes green eyes pop.

6) “Citrus Twist” – Stunning coral pink with golden shimmer. If the Nars “O” blush had an eyeshadow equivalent, this would be it. Very flattering to green eyes!

7) “Celestine” – Dainty pearlescent silver. Beautiful as a one-shadow look applied on the lid.

8) “Queen Tiffany” – Rich mahogany shimmer, with a warm undertone like burnt copper. Beautiful on blue eyes.

9) “Drama” – The most gorgeous taupe eyeshadow I’ve ever seen. Period. Universally flattering — a must-own shade! Better than MAC’s “Satin Taupe,” in my opinion.

10) “Glamorista” – Olive green sheen. I love this shadow since it’s the color of my eyes! 🙂

11) “Brocade” – Glittering indigo. This is arguably the most striking – and unique – shade in the collection. It possesses a 3-dimensional quality, with navy, purple, black tones. It reminds me of the starry night in Van Gogh’s painting. This shade has all the makings of a killer smokey eye! 🙂

12) “Dark Chocolate” – Shimmering golden brown. Similar to “Queen Tiffany” — without the warm russet undertone.

13) “1990s” – Royal purple with golden and silver sparkle. Another fantastic “smokey eye” shade!

14) “Sapphire Sky” – Shimmering navy. For some reason, this shade applies less evenly than the others, although it certainly has “smokey eye” potential as well.

What I love about these eyeshadows is their luminous three-dimensional quality, in which one can discern multiple different pigments and undertones. This makes for some truly unique and complex shades, which can not be easily duped. On the negative side, one must be very careful with the loose pigments since a spill can cause a dreadful accident on the carpet or dresser. (I have learned this fact through experience!).

Nevertheless, I think it’s well worth picking up a few of these shades since they are one-of-a-kind and do not crease, even without primer 🙂

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The Blushing Poet

Category Archives: Eyeshadow

Best Christmas Gifts for your Wife in 2022 (Beauty Recommendations!)

Colourpop Stone Cold Fox Palette Review and Swatches

5 Colourpop Stone Cold Fox Looks

Charlotte Tilbury Eyes to Mesmerize Cream Eyeshadow (Swatches and Review)

Charlotte Tilbury Pillow Talk Look

3 Naked 3 Mini Looks (Plus Review!)

4 Lorac Unzipped Palette Looks – Plus Swatches!

Bare Minerals Loose Eyeshadow Round-Up