Swatch Roundup
Swatches of foundation, concealer, blush, bronzers and more to help with shade selection during the Sephora sale!
I thought it would be helpful for me and maybe others if I did a round up of swatches of makeup—especially with the Sephora sale going on.
My top recommendation for the Sephora sale is the DIOR Forever Glow Star Filter Multi-Use Complexion Enhancing Booster. Shout out to
for originally recommending this. At first, I hesitated buying it because I already own the Charlotte Tilbury Hollywood Flawless Filter (in shade 2) and it seemed redundant. BUT, after chatting with Sarah about it, I realized that I would use them differently. With the CT Flawless Filter, I have always used that on top of my foundation and just on my cheekbones. But with the Dior, I use it all over my face (when I do that with the CT it looks too glowy on me) and I only use the Dior on its own or under makeup, and not on top of makeup (like I do with the CT). I just find that the thicker consistency and formula of the CT works better as a cream highlighter and the Dior functions more as an all-over glow enhancer.Bottom line, I need both in my collection, but if I had to pick one it would be the Dior because I use it every. single. day. It is beautiful on its own, it adds a lovely amount of glow under foundations (I personally LOVE it under the Chanel water fresh complexion touch). I got shade 3N* and I am on my second bottle. *I went 1 shade darker than what I would normally get at the recommendation of Sarah, and I think that was wise because it works both when I have a spray tan (which is only for vacations) and when I don’t (i.e., day to day).
Bronzers
Liquid and Cream Bronzers
InnBeauty Bronze Face Glaze - I like this for all over my face and under foundation or just around the perimeter of my face for some glowy bronze skin. I especially like this mixed with their other face glaze product which is a sheer luminous moisturizer.
Makeup By Mario Softsculpt Multi-Use Bronzing & Shaping Serum with Hyaluronic Acid in Light Medium. This blends out really easily, but I rarely reach for it because I think the undertone is great for me.
Westman Atelier Face Trace Contour Stick in Biscuit. LOVE this. I have actually gone through 2 of these in the past. I love the undertone and color. I also love that now they sell this in a mini version.
Makeup By Mario SoftSculpt Transforming Skin Enhancer in Light Medium. This is super sheer and glowy (it works for my combo skin but I do get a little dewy looking later on in the day). This can really be sheered out which I like. I was going to buy this again because I am nearly out of mine, but now I think I will get the Westman bronzing drops instead for a wash of color.
Westman Atelier Sun Tone Hydrating Matte Bronzing Drops in Shade 2 (medium tan).
Westman Atelier Sun Tone Hydrating Matte Bronzing Drops in shade 1 (light tan). I got a sample of this at Nordstrom to see if I wanted to buy iot during the sale, and I have been loving it. This color is great on me, it’s buildable, and I love how easily it blends out. I can use my fingers or a brush. I will include a separate photo to show the jump from shade 1 to shade 2 and 3 below. Shade 1 is going to be one of my Sephora Sale purchases if it comes back in stock!!!
Dibs Desert Island Duo stick in shade 2.5 (bronze shade is called “no shade”). I really like this bronze shade AND the pretty pink shade on the other side of it. It bends out easily and has good lasting power. Below is a photo of 3 of their other shades.
More Bronzers….
Armani Beauty Luminous Silk Creamy Bronzing Powder in shade 100. I bought this after using
’s bronzer on our last girls trip. First, I love the packaging because it has a great, big mirror which is perfect for traveling. The color is perfectly glowy and bronze—but I do find that I prefer to use this when I have a spray tan. I can still use it when I don’t have a spray tan, but I need to use a light hand and extra fluffy brush.RMS Beauty ReDimension Hydra Bronzer in Beachwalk Betty. This is my most reached for powder bronzer. That slightly sunburnt bronze looks really natural but doesn’t look ruddy. It has a super pretty sheen to it. I love that you can buy refills that are a bit cheaper and just pop them into the packaging. (Code VANESSA saves 15% at Dermstore).
NARS Laguna Bronzing Powder - Shade 02 (light medium with neutral undertones). This used to be my go to back in college so I recently picked up a mini size of this again. It is VERY similar to the Armani Beauty one in terms of the color and sheen, but I prefer the Armani I think (the packaging and big mirror help tip the scale in its favor).
Blush
Powder Blush
I specifically went into Sephora to pick out which shade of the YSL Make Me Blush 24H Buildable Powder Blush I wanted to buy during the sale. I thought I was going to decide between either shade 42 or shade 87, but I ended up loving shade 44 the most because it reminded me of a discontinued Becca Blush I used to always wear. I still really love shade 87, but it is very similar to the Tower 28 GetSet Blur + Set Matte Powder Blush I already own in shade Feliz Fresca (but the YSL formula felt a lot nicer. The Tower 28 is a bit dry and powdery). So whether I buy 87 or shade 44 will come down to a last minute decision. I found shade 42 in stock at Nordstrom and it was much lighter than I was anticipating, so that shade is out for me.
Kosas Blush is Life Baked Dimensional + Brightening Blush in shade Butterflies looks really light in the photo, but it is SUCH a pretty and luminous cheek topper. The last time I wore this in my stories I had tons of questions about which blush I was wearing. I recommend applying it with a duo fiber brush like this. The color itself it very similar to the Tower 28 Matte blush in Malibu, but the Kosas one has a really pretty sheen that gives the skin a luminous glow.
Cream Blushes
Chantecaille Cheek Gelee in shade Happy - This is my most used blush product. I use this alone but I normally use it as a blush topper to give some glow. After using it nonstop for over a year I finished my first tube and immediately bought another. I have videos in my IG Makeup story highlight of me applying it. Chantecaille Cheek Gelee in shade
Rhode Pocket Blush in Spicy Marg. I really like this formula. It lasts a decent amount of time and blends out easily.
Danessa Myricks Beauty Yummy Skin Blurring Balm Powder Flushed - Matte Color for Cheek & Lip in shade Rose N’ Brunch. When I need a really long-wearing blush, this is what I reach for. It has amazing lasting power and I love this color, which is a really pretty natural flush (I especially love this with Chantecaille happy on top to give the luminous finish).
Rhode Pocket Blush in shade Piggy. I have been really loving baby pink cheek colors so this was right up my alley. Love this color.
Dibs Desert Island Duo stick in shade 2.5 (this is the color that goes with the bronzer I showed above).
Westman Atelier Baby Cheeks Lip + Cheek Cream Blush Stick in Chouchette. This is my favorite WA blush color (I’ll show more swatches below).
Jillian Dempsey Cheek Tint in Bloom. If you need a super compact blush for on the go, this is great. I just rub my fingers in the pan to warm up the formula and then apply to cheeks. I also love the color petal for an even softer but very natural flush.
Westman Atelier Baby Cheeks Lip + Cheek Cream Blush Stick in Mimi. This color is only available on the Westman website. TBH I never wear this. The color just never really wow’d me.
Foundation and Concealer
NARS Soft matte concealer in shade Vanilla - high coverage concealer that I use for covering up pimples.
Shiseido Synchro Skin Concealer in shade 201 and 203 (I got 203 for when I have a spray tan). I love these for concealing under my eyes. [**UGH. Apparently this is discontinued]
Sarah Creel Face Flex in shade 1.0 (I like this for under my eyes. My mom has this shade and uses it for that purpose as well), shade 2.0 (while this seems like the perfect match on my arm, the undertone isn’t perfect on my face), and shade 3.0 (I have almost emptied my first tube of this. I love it to spot conceal redness but I also use it all over my face as foundation). Love this product for how versatile it is and how it works great on mature skin.
Merit Foundation stick in shade Sandstone (fair-light neutral) and Dune (fair-light cool). I just got these in PR and I haven’t much time to use them. So I can’t speak to the formula yet.
I wanted to really love the Westman Atelier Foundation Stick, but I couldn’t find a great match for me. I got N and II in PR, but neither are perfect.
Below are more foundation swatches so you can hopefully see one you are familiar with to serve as a point of comparison.
In doing these swatches I realized that (1) I need to stop buying foundations, and (2) I suck at picking out my color online. A number of these aren’t a great shade for me, so I don’t know why I haven’t just gotten rid of them already. Sigh. My best match (for when I am pale) is by Shiseido (now discontinued). The Tom Ford is also discontinued.
I would say that I reach for the Chanel water fresh complexion touch the most (because I LOVE it on top of the Dior Forever Glow Star Filter Multi-Use Complexion Enhancing Booster) and it is the most skin-like finish (and then I just spot conceal redness). I never have to worry about it getting those pin-prick polka dots or settling in fine lines. It’s a beautiful product IMHO. My second most-used foundation is the Sarah Creel Face Flex in shade 3.0 (shown in previous image).
The Sisley Le Teint Foundation I got with a Dermstore credit, and thank god for that because it was a terrible shade match and it was stupid expensive. The Phyto-Teint Perfection is just a little too dark and too yellow and it is very VERY matte.
I threw in the Victoria Beckham concealer pen because I forgot to include it on my “concealer” swatches. But its a great match for me.
I was planning on buying the Dior Forever Skin Perfect Stick during the Sephora sale, but after seeing how many foundations I have open, I am going to restrain myself in the quest for the perfect foundation. But I did go in and swatch them to find my shade, and when I put 2CR on my face it really was the perfect match for me…. so it is hard for me to not buy it. As soon as I am out of the Hourglass Vanish Stick, I will give the Dior one a try, because I’ve heard great things.
I finished my Haus Foundation and didn’t repurchase only because of how many foundations I have open, but I did love that one. It has a very natural finish to it and medium coverage. I do need to be sure to powder my t zone with that formula because it is more hydrating. My shade in the Haus is 160.
Finally, here is an older photo of different foundation swatches. Because I loved the Chanel Water fresh complexion touch so much, I was trying a bunch of their other formulas, but I could never get a great shade match—except for with the Chanel N1 (which I used an entire bottle of and I liked, but I liked the Haus Labs foundation more).
Eyeliners
I am very much obsessed with the Victoria Beckham kajal eyeliners lately. The formula is SO creamy and you have time to blend it in (if you want) before they really dry down and stay put. I use them both as a buffed out liner/shadow and also on my water line. They do gradually fade a little after 8 hours or more, but I’m ok with that.
When I did these swatches, I was shocked at how similar the Sweed Beauty was to the VB Bronze color!
Most days I end up using the Chanel Waterproof liner on my water line (this is a drier formula than the VB but it lasts longer on my water line).
The Pixi liner is a LONG-time favorite… but it is sadly discontinued, so I was trying to see which of the VB liners was most similar to it (I would say Cinnamon is pretty close but more red than bronze).
I love you!! This is so helpful! A great Substack post.
Great recs. Thanks so much!