Nars has launched a beautiful collection for the spring and I am all over it – the products and shades are all any makeup lover – whether for everyday wear or for special events – would love. Nars Afterglow Collection includes Afterglow Eyeshadow Palette, Afterglow Overlust Cheek Palette, and Afterglow Lip Balm.

Afterglow Eyeshadow Palette is a limited edition eyeshadow palette with 12 shades in matte, satin, shimmer, and metallic finishes. The palette is a vividly warm spectrum of finishes in heated tones. The high-pigment matte formula deposits captivating colour, ultra-fine blends of shimmer and pearl reflect light for eye-catching effects, Glitter glides on easily.

The formula delivers incredible payoff and rich, high-impact colour. The shades layer on well with each other. I like how the apply well with fingers or with a brush, they blend easily to give the desired effect. The shades work pretty well to create a multitude of looks from everyday natural wear to bold and daring.

Below are the shades:
Top Row (left to right):
First Taste – shimmering pale gold
Shadow Hill – matte saddle
Hot Line – metallic tangerine
Whipped – matte warm brown
Second Row (left to right):
Crushed – matte apricot
Mad Love – matte peach
Push It – iridescent golden pink
Riding High – shimmering rose
Bottom Row (left to right):
Bayadere I – sparkling bronze
Trouble – shimmering coral
Deep Cut – metallic fuchsia
Guayaquil – bright metallic rust
Afterglow Overlust Cheek Palette is a limited-edition cheek palette featuring three blushes and three gel-to-powder highlighters. The palette has a trio of powder blushes in beautiful versatile shades to create a natural-looking rush of colour, while innovative gel-to-powder highlighters impart a pearlescent lustre that glides effortlessly and layers seamlessly for a second-skin finish.

I am liking the formula and shades in this palette – so perfect to use every day. The formula is so smooth and creamy – blends like a dream. It looks so natural on the skin – and will great as-such on most of the skin tones.
The shades in this palette are described below:
Top Row (left to right):
Tied Up – shimmering champagne
Deep Down – shimmering golden bronze
Drift – shimmering rose bronze
Bottom Row (left to right):
Let It Burn – satin soft rose
Get Lost – satin nude peach
Body Talk – satin dusty mauve

Afterglow Lip Balm is a moisturizing lip balm with a blend of antioxidants to condition and protects lips. It is not new for me but the shades are. I have loved this formula for a long time now – very moisturizing and keep the lips soft and supple. There are six new shades launched in this cult-favourite lip product.

The lip balm gives shine and a hint of tint. It also features Monoï Hydrating Complex for smooth, supple comfort and a blend of antioxidants to help protect and condition lips. One swipe gives a hint of high-shine colour along with a sheer sensation and long-lasting hydration.
Below is the description of the lip shades:
Dolce Vita – Sheer Dusty Rose
Turbo – Sheer Cherry Red
Wicked Ways – Sheer Mulberry
Torrid – Sheer Warm Coral
Fast Lane – Sheer Mauve Nude
Deep Throat – Sheer Pink with Shimmer

Nars Afterglow Collection is available Sephora.ca, Nordstrom,
Hudson’s Bay, and Shoppersdrugmart.ca and beautyBoutique by Shoppers Drug Mart.
Givenchy has launched its Spring 2020 makeup collection called the ‘Givenchy Gardens Collection’. The collection is a tribute to Monsieur de Givenchy’s over 40 years of passion for the Jonchet gardens. Nicolas Degennes took inspiration from the colours of the peony to create both the packaging and the different shades of the Spring collection. Givenchy Gardens Collection comprises products for the complexion, eyes and lips for a fresh and intense make-up.

For Spring 2020, the lip launches in this collection are all about intense pigment and shimmer. Le Rouge sheathes are decorated with three different floral paintings. A triptych of exclusive prints is made to recall nature’s renewal and unveil a new, limited-edition texture. The stick of the lipstick is sprayed with a fine iridescent mist that projects a metallic shine for a frosted effect. “Starry” pigments add light and sublimate the natural curve of the lips. The lipstick has a nourishing formula that promises softness and lightness for an intense and long-wearing make-up result.

There are three shades available in this lipstick:
Sparkling Peony No 01 – bright pink colour studded with golden illuminating pigments, recalling peony, a symbol of everlasting femininity
Sparkling Poppy No 02 – deep red embellished with pink illuminating pigments evoking poppy, a symbol of renewal

Sparkling Lily No 03 (swatched in the picture) – radiant orange enhanced with silvery illuminating pigments embodying a bouquet of lilies and irises, symbols of purity and nobility

For Spring 2020, Khôl Couture Waterproof is available in three new comfortable and creamy shades as if plucked from a garden of pure colours:
Peony N°11 – graceful powder pink for a radiant, summery makeup look
Iris N°12 – delicate purple for a luminous springtime makeup look
Poppy N°13 – deep red, emblematic colour of the Maison underlines the eyes for a fresh and bold makeup look

Givenchy Gardens Collection includes Prisme Blush in the iconic Spice shade – perfect for a fresh and luminous complexion. The case is adorned with a bouquet of irises, symbol of royalty and purity – nicely reinterpreted in an impressionist style.

The Prisme blush with four prisms and two colours: the orangey shade (a pure, matte and ultra-pigmented colour) is paired with the iridescent pink highlighter. These two shades can be blended together or applied next to each other, quickly and easily. The pink highlighter can also be used to highlight the tops of the cheekbones, the brow bone or the bridge of the nose.
Overall, a beautiful collection and it does inspire me with its spring vibes to include more colour and fun into everyday makeup. Givenchy Gardens Spring 2020 Collection – all the products are available at Holt Renfrew and Sephora.ca.
*Press samplesPhilosophy is not a new brand for me but it is new for my blog, I am not sure why and how I did not share about their products on my blog yet – not that I have tried a lot from Philosophy but not few even. I used to love their 2-step micro-delivery peel, their body lotion, body wash, cleanser, and facial wipes. Philosophy is the wellbeing beauty brand launched in 1996 in New York and has a range of multi-tasking skincare products and feel-good scents. In this article, I am sharing three cleansing products from the brand which I have used for a long enough time, not recently but in the past – a few years back. When I received a gifted package with some cleansing essentials from the brand, that is what triggered me to check my blog, although I have shared these few times on my Instagram. I am sharing three products from Philosophy’s Purity Made Simple range – micellar cleansing water, one-step facial cleanser, one-step facial cleansing wipes.

Purity Made Simple Micellar Cleansing Water is powered by micellar technology and is a no-rinse cleanser that removes dirt, impurities and makeup for skin that feels clean, hydrated, toned and refreshed. I use it in the evening as a first step when removing my makeup, it is gentle on the skin including eyes and does not irritate my skin and eye area.

Purity Made Simple One-Step Facial Cleanser is an award-winning facial cleanser that is multitasking and its 3-in-1 approach to cleansing. It gently cleanses and melts away face and eye makeup in one simple step, while toning and lightly hydrating. This cleanser leaves skin feeling clean, comfortable and balanced. It does not leave my skin feeling dry or uncomfortable.
Purity Made Simple One-Step Facial Cleansing Wipes is a convenient, disposable cleansing cloth, perfect to keep in a purse, gym bag or travel bag to keep skin pure and clean whenever, wherever I go. The wipes work well to wipe away dirt, makeup and oil with no need to rinse, although I do follow with a second cleanse just to make sure. The skin feels clean, soft and refreshed after using these wipes. I usually prefer most of the days as my first step to removing makeup followed by second cleanse with One-step Facial Cleanser. I have one pack of these wipes in my gym bag and another one on my vanity. I alternate these wipes with the Micellar cleansing water.

Overall, these three cleansing products from Philosophy are always nice to have in my cleansing squad – they are gentle, even on the days my skin is behaving, and work well to remove makeup and dirt without making my skin uncomfortable. Philosophy skincare is available at philosophyskincare.ca , Sephora Canada, Shoppers Drug Mart, and Hudson’s Bay
*Press samples