If you follow any beauty accounts on Instagram, then I’m sure you’ve seen the news of the latest celebrity beauty brand, Rare Beauty created by Selena Gomez. When I first heard early news of this launch, I wasn’t super interested - celebrity brands don’t really pique my interest unless I’m a pretty big fan. All that changed once I saw the packaging and what kinds of products would be launching - everything spoke to me! I ended up ordering a variety of things on launch day to get a feel for the line and have been testing them ever since.
I picked up the Liquid Touch Weightless Foundation, Liquid Touch Brightening Concealer, Soft Pinch Liquid Blushes in Bliss (matte), Grace (matte), and Happy (dewy), Positive Light Liquid Luminizer Highlight in Enchant, With Gratitude Dewy Lip Balm in Support, and Lip Souffle Matte Cream Lipstick in Fearless. (I later went back and ordered another Dewy Lip Balm in Empathy and Lip Souffle in Courage). I skipped on the rest of the line because they were products I don’t use too much (or in the case of the brow product, something I have too many backups of what I’m currently using to get something new). I love the thought put into the products and packaging - a lot of them have features that make them easier to use for those that have limited mobility/strength in their hands. For example, the ball on the end of the tubes are to make it easier to open, and the eyeliner is a thicker pen than most on the market so it’s more forgiving with shaky hands.
Liquid Touch Weightless Foundation
I initially wasn’t going to order the foundation and concealer because I really haven’t been wearing any for months (check my latest post for my current everyday makeup routine). But once the initial reviews were coming in from people who had tried the products early, the foundation really seemed right up my alley. It claimed to have a barely-there feel, natural finish, and buildable coverage. The shade range is quite expansive (48 shades with a good spread between light/medium/deep), and I wasn’t sure which to get. I used Sephora’s shade finder, and after plugging in a few foundation shades I already use and know are a match for me, it suggested I get 160C. It’s a perfect match!
This foundation has a thin, serum-like consistency that is easy to apply with a doe-foot applicator. I have tried applying this with a sponge, a brush, and my hands, and surprisingly my favorite is the brush. It gives a flawless finish that is basically undetectable on the skin. The sponge gives a nice finish too, although it sheers out the product a bit. I usually use my hands for everything, but I found I still liked using the brush better - I didn’t have any issues with the way it looked applying it with my hands, but it just looked so good with a brush, and then I didn’t have to wipe my hands off afterward.
Honestly this is one of the prettiest foundations I’ve tried. It somehow manages to make my skin look quite perfect yet also natural. The way I apply it, it gives about a medium coverage, which is just what I like. I’ve tried building it up, and it builds nicely on itself to add coverage without caking up. I always apply face oils under my makeup, so that glow shines through this foundation. I think “natural finish” is a true descriptor. It’s one of those products that will mimic what you put underneath. I’ve tried wearing it over just moisturizer rather than moisturizer + oil, and the finish wasn’t as glowy. My skin is quite normal right now, but I have noticed it looking a little dry around some spots on my chin if I don’t take extra care to prep them properly. Some of my natural oils peek through throughout the day, but I don’t turn into a greaseball. It lasts throughout a whole workday on me with only minimal fading on my chin, which I’m assuming is from my mask rubbing against it all day.
Liquid Touch Brightening Concealer
The concealer has also become a fast favorite of mine. I’ve seen some mixed reviews, so I think it just really depends on personal preference. When I first applied the concealer, it seemed like it would be pigmented with high coverage, but this actually has a lighter coverage. I’d put it at about the same level of coverage as the foundation: medium. It’s quite hydrating and hasn’t ever looked dry on me. It has the same natural finish as the foundation - it’s neither too matte nor too dewy. They’re really a perfect match and work extremely well together. I got the same shade as I did in the foundation, 160C, but the concealer is a bit lighter. Because the coverage is on the lighter side, it doesn’t really look that light. It adds a nice subtle brightening effect under my eyes, but it doesn’t call attention to any other spots where I apply it on my face. It doesn’t crease under my eyes, and it doesn’t allow eye makeup to transfer onto it. Because of its lighter coverage and hydrating finish, this is also great on its own on minimal makeup days. I think I’ve found a new everyday staple!
Soft Pinch Liquid Blush
I really like that they came out with two different blush formulas - there a matte one and a dewy one. I was fully expecting the dewy blushes to be my preference, but I actually really love the matte formula. They both are housed in a similar component to the concealer and have a rounded doe-foot applicator. In my opinion, the applicator picks up a little too much product because boy are these pigmented. I have two shades of the matte blushes: Bliss, a nude pink, and Grace, a pinky mauve, and I have one shade of the dewy blush: Happy, a bright pink. I only need a small dab of each of them, and it’s more than enough product for both cheeks. These tubes will last forever! The matte blushes set fairly quickly, although not so quickly they’re difficult to blend. I find it’s best to apply these one cheek at a time. The finish is beautiful - it doesn’t add any extra radiance of its own, but it allows the glow of the foundation to show through. It gives a really natural, lit-from-within kind of look. The dewy blush has a little more playtime until it sets down, and it does still set despite being a dewy finish. This gives the cheeks a really juicy look, but it doesn’t feel sticky or tacky on the skin, and it doesn’t transfer. I find these last amazingly well on me throughout the day, even lasting longer than the concealer. The matte blushes last a little bit longer than the dewy ones, but it’s not a big difference.
Positive Light Liquid Luminizer Highlight
This is the only thing from my initial haul I could take or leave. It’s a lovely liquid highlight, but nothing about it really stands out to me. It has a gel-like formula that again is applied with a doe-foot. The tube is larger than I was expecting, too! I thought it would be the same size as the blushes, but it’s somewhere between the blush and the foundation size. It has a little bit of shimmer, but it’s not chunky or glittery. It blends easily and adds a really lovely glow to the skin. Right now I tend to prefer my highlights really natural and glossy, and this isn’t really like that. It looks more like a soft powder highlight. It’s definitely very pretty, but just not the look I’m going for most days! I’ve also been using it on my eyes as a pretty, glowy everyday eyeshadow, and it works wonderfully for that.
With Gratitude Dewy Lip Balm
Top to Bottom: Dewy Lip Balms in Empathy & Support, Lip Souffles in Courage & Fearless, Liquid Luminizer in Enchant, Liquid Blushes in Bliss, Grace, & Happy
The lip products in the Rare Beauty launch really spoke to me, especially the Dewy Lip Balm. All I ever wear anymore is tinted lip balms, so I knew this would be something I’d get a lot of use out of. I actually really love the packaging of these - it has a flat side, which looks cool and also is nice from keeping it rolling around. I have the shades Support, which is a plum brown, and Empathy, a neutral rose. They’re more pigmented than I thought they would be! They look more like a glossy lipstick rather than a tinted balm. They feel gorgeous and balmy on the lips, and the color lasts quite awhile and continues to feel nourishing even after the shine has faded. The first time I applied it I had some dry patches on the lips, and it did catch on those, so make sure your lips are exfoliated before applying. They have a kind of odd scent, like vanilla mixed with wax and sunscreen (despite there being no SPF), but it isn’t noticeable for long. I have noticed, though, if I apply too much I can taste it, which isn’t great. But my favorite way to apply this has been dabbing it on my lips to gradually build up the pigmentation, and I don’t have the taste issue when applying this way.
Lip Souffle Matte Cream Lipstick
I can’t remember the last time I wore a liquid lipstick, but when I heard that these were similar to Korean lip tints I wanted to try one. I got the shade Fearless, which is a similar plum brown shade to the Dewy Lip Balm I bought, as well as Courage, a nude mauve. These have that signature velvety texture of Kbeauty lip products due to the silicone content. They’re super comfortable and not drying at all, and they give a really pretty blurred effect to the lips. I think it makes my lips appear fuller, even without overlining. The formula seems to “adhere” better closer to my lipline than it does to the center of my lips (I’m guessing it’s a moisture thing), so I have to layer it a bit to avoid looking like I’m wearing lip liner with nothing on my lips. Still, to me this extra effort is worth it for the final effect and feel on the lips. I’m not sure if I would like a bolder color - I feel like it could be hard to get an even application, but I’m still eyeing the berry shade for fall anyway. This has the same kind of vanilla + waxy scent as the lip balm, but it fades much more quickly as the product dries down.
Did you pick anything up from the Rare Beauty launch?
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