With a lot of designers introducing or reintroducing makeup lines in the last few years such as Gucci, Hermes, Dries Can Noten and Valentino. I was wondering which ones you tried and what were your thoughts on it.
Hermes I tried the lipstick both in the satin and matte. Apparently the mattes have been improved but I have the original version which is drying. The satin are wonderfully thin and comfortable and they wear well. I especially like the reds. Rouge Piment is a must.
Gucci I tried the voile lipstick and I really like the shade and packaging. The formula is alright. It’s not too slippy which I like but it’s not very unique. I love the blush and I would recommend it. They have the perfect finish and the color tender apricot is great.
Chanel the quintessential designer brand. I like all the products I tried and the prices are on the affordable side of luxury except for the refillable lipsticks and the sublimage line. I’d say most products I tried were nice and reliable . My top pick would be Les beiges eyeshadows if you like a soft look that lasts well.
Dior their whole clean direction is questionable. The base products, the highlighters and the glosses are really nice. I’d skip the new quints and their mascara and you can find better blushes elsewhere.
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Favs:
Chanel. They have really been killing it for me since the Holiday release. I've always liked them but I'd gotten kind of bored until all these new, creative products. The Holiday release, the Eclat de Nuit palette and eyeliners, the Mermaid collection, even the bronzers which aren't suited for me but I still admire them -- I hope they keep it up. Their older formulas are reliable too; I have one of their Les Beiges palettes for 5 years now, still going strong. What I don't like is how they've been silent about "clean" reformulations, and I am curious to see if their new powder products will last as long. I've heard their eyeliners and foundations do not, and I have a lipstick break apart 6 months after it's purchase, which hadn't been used very much. So it looks like the liquids / creams aren't doing as well.
Dior. While they don't generally come out with entire collections I'm crazy over, they put out products here and there I scoop up. Their lip glosses are some of the best, I like their blushes, powder highlights, the occasional eyeshadow palette (though I wish they'd restock more often like Chanel tries to lately), and I could go on -- the formulas are solid. However, I have not tried any of the reformulated palettes, but I have bought one of the new ones and it's great. I think that's key: The ones they're not trying super hard to mimic are going to be better formulated because they have free range of how it should look / perform. I agree with the person who said their packaging is eh though. Compared to Chanel or Victoria Beckham (woo that packaging) it does not feel luxury.
Which speaking of Victoria Beckham, I've not tried anything from her brand I've disliked yet. Love her eyeliners of course, but also her cream blush, lip stain, and single shadows are wonderful. Again the packaging is just knocks it out of the ballpark with a luxury feeling.
Givenchy. I've only tried their green color corrector and loose powder, but I love them. The green one I can use as an all over foundation if I want to for something light weight and with decent coverage. The powder blends like a dream. Solid formulas. Packaging is alright. Both have also lasted me close to a year now I think, though I don't always reach for them.
Chantecaille. Are they stupid expensive? Hell yes, lol. I adore their single eyeshadows though in the Luminescent eye shade line and the one they came out with for the holiday. I do have two of their mattes and while I 100% believe they're far more overpriced than the others, they perform well. All I've tried though, besides a free eyebrow highlighting pencil they gave me, which does work perfectly fine. The packaging is unique too.
Lisa Eldridge. QUALITY. I feel like when I buy something from her collections, I am getting something makeup artist worthy. Great formulas and packaging. I didn't even like her lip velvets, too drying for my dry lips -- but I can respect them, lol. I can see why people do like them. They're actually velvet like. Her eyeliners hold so well too for precision (unlike VB who I like more for the smokey/smudgey), as does her lip liners, and the eyeshadow palettes / liquid eyeshadows are great. Also another brand with one of the few lip glosses I actually like; very hydrating.
Florasis. They don't get enough credit in the luxury sector. Their eyeshadow palettes have some of the best satins I've ever tried. I've had some for years now that still work great as the day I got them. The original highlighters they came out with too were so good for blinding highlight. The liquid lips also get overshadowed in favor of the more fancily packaged ones, but they're some of the best -- like I said, I don't get along with mattes too well on my lips, but theirs are perfect. Both the pressed and loose powders work great as well. And I don't think I need to go into how good the packaging is. Some of these luxury brands in the West need to take notes.
Mid-to-Meh:
Tom Ford. I only have two of their eyeshadow palettes, Pretty Baby and Daydream, because I don't find their products all that unique for the price point they're asking. Pretty Baby performs great, but Daydream is a little more lackluster. This is a brand I'd really recommend grabbing from a reseller because it's so oversaturated and you'll find plenty from reputable sellers for sometimes half the price. It's interesting because while their makeup is meh, they make my fav perfume of all time, Tobacco Vanille.
Charlotte Tilbury. Does she count? Because she wants to count, lol. I like some things and others are very unimpressive. I've decluttered most everything I've tried over the years besides 4 of her quads and her Chocolate Bronze eyeshadow pot, which I got on a deal. The packaging is not good -- the highlighter I bought last year literally spun inside the packaging, lmao. Idk I don't like her much either, so even as a brand owner she makes me roll my eyes.
Dislike:
Gucci. I tried one lipstick and that's it, but it was bad enough that I'd never give them my money again. Beautiful packaging, but it was like trying to color my lips in with a wax crayon, fragranced to the heavens.
Out of curiosity, was the Chanel lipstick that broke of the Rouge Allure Velvets?
It was the regular Rogue Allure in Inattendu, which was this past Fall's release.
Gotcha. My Allure Velvet snapped and I couldn’t figure out if it was the formula- my velvets from any brand have snapped at some point with the exception of my Dior, but that one is still fairly new. Or if it was the applicator/packaging. The clicky pop up thing is cool but it seemed like I was dislodging the base of the bullet and playing with fate every time I un-popped it. Then fate frowned on me and the stick ended up on my bathroom floor. I hated the formula anyways but it still pissed me off
How's the Florasis packaging? It looks gorgeous online but I'm scared of it not being so in person.
It's really as nice as it looks! Most of it is hard plastic, so it's not Victoria Beckham levels of nice materially, but I'd compare it to maybe Chanel, but prettier. Maybe some acrylic or resin too, depending on the product. Only the fan looking palettes I believe are cardboard, but they're very well made, with magnetic closures and artwork with a protective coating. Oh, but some of the lipstick casings are really nice -- there's ones that art made of porcelain. The liquid lips however which I like best are hard plastic.
Hermes: lip oils are cute and nice. nail polishes are fun and decent. Bronzers are very smooth. All wildly overpriced but they always make really nice gifts. Their fragrances are some of the best, most well crafted fragrances across all regular designer and private lines. Even niche fragrance snobs appreciate Hermes.
Givenchy: I have returned, or wish I could have returned, everything I have ever bought from the brand. Foundations, concealers, lipsticks, lip balms, lip glosses, loose powder, and probably some other stuff I’m choosing to forget. Givenchy and I do not vibe
Dries Van Noten: the lipsticks. I have waxed and waned about DVN lipsticks many times. I love them. The matte formula is my favorite of any matte lippie. I have a few of the satins and a sheer as well. But the colors are so unique. Really interesting selection of nuanced and well executed shades. The packaging is bright, fun, beautiful, and exactly what I want to see from a luxury brand.
Armani: they have nice things but the brand just doesn’t appeal to me too much. I really really hate their packaging, most of it feels like it was pulled from the mid 90’s. Those Neo Nude Melting Color Balms have an insanely good formula. Those I like, especially 50 cool mauve (also hideous packaging). The Power Lipsticks are very nice but I don’t have any, just some mini GWP’s. Great for the purse tho. Strongly dislike any of their regular line of scents. But the Armani Privē line is criminally underrated. Jasmin Kusamono is the most unique take on jasmine I’ve ever smelled in my life. It’s incredible. But the boring colors and ugly packaging is literally what drives me away from most of their makeup products
YSL: I feel like the brand is having an identity crisis. Anyways.. Their skin tint is wonderful. They are known for their lip products, though I never liked the oil sticks in the gold tubes despite having one or two since I was 18. 122 Burnt Zellige has been my ride or die. And I do like the Candy Glaze despite the stupid name. Super moisturizing, nice n shiny, great pigment, nice weighty packaging that’s clicks up and down. The Touche Eclat brightening pen is the OG no-makeup makeup, also something I’ve been using since my teens. Lash Clash in brown is my favorite brown mascara by miles and I really can’t tell you how many brown mascaras I’ve tried over the past 20+ years. I buy the Lash Clash two at a time when they have a sale. Not a big fan of any of their scents apart from Libre.
Chanel: I’m a Chanel ho, I’ll admit it. I’ll also admit that I don’t like most of their packaging… Foundations, they reliably put out great base products. Baume Essentiel stick, it’s the only highlighter I need and I use it almost daily. Liquid lipstick, i refuse to buy anything else. Cream eyeshadows, best I’ve used. Cream and powder bronzer (travel size in the cream specifically), single eyeshadows (new formula), glosses, liquid blush, liquid illuminator, lip liners, that damn Le Volume mascara- all are loves. The eye liners are shade dependent but some out preform anything else I’ve ever used. Satin and the sheer lipsticks are nice, I mainly like the colors (Adrianne and Moment are HG’s) and they have some beautiful reds. The regular powder blushes are ok, they used to be better. But the seasonal limited edition blushes always have a great formula. The loose powder isn’t the best, but it’s nice and I’ve been using it for half my life. The eyebrow wax is awful. That matte velvet lipstick formula is trash. The Longwear Concealer is one of my most hated makeup items ever. For fragrances- their Les Exclusifs line has some of my favorite fragrances on the planet. Not so much of a fan of their regular line of scents apart from N°19. My biggest gripe with Chanel is that most limited edition products seem to have a superior formula. They should have superior formulas in ALL of their product.
Gucci: That. Damn. Bronzer. That shade in 01. It deserved every bit of the hype and I love it. Blush is a great powder formula. The regular face powder is underwhelming. Wanted to love the foundation, shade range is A+ and very nuanced, but I had a hilariously bad experience with it. The satin and matte lipstick formulas are just ok but the colors are mind blowing- the range of nudes and bright shades is perfection (orange!! You know how hard it is to find a good bright orange that doesn’t look cartoony??). Really beautiful packaging to look at but sometimes can feel underwhelming in hand. But why on earth did they make all these refillable components but not produce the refills??! That annoys me
Dior: again, not a brand I generally gravitate towards but I’m liking it more. Still find the majority of the product releases to be pretty boring. Not a fan of the packaging of any powder products at all. Lip liners are excellent. Rouge Dior Matte lipsticks are super comfy. Totally get the love for all of their complexion products even if they might not be right for me. Super polarizing but the Backstage Blushes are great. Eyeshadow quints are perfect for maturing lids, I just don’t like the color stories. The Velvet Primer is ok? Sometimes I think it looks nice, sometimes I can’t tell if it’s doing anything. Don’t like the liquid or Dior Forever lipsticks at all. The mascaras are all too wet, runny, and smudgy for me. The lip stains are terrible. Fragrances- haven’t found one I like or would spend money on apart from a vintage bottle of og Poison. Drown me in that dark gothic sex juice pleaseandthankyou.
Tom Ford: nice packaging but so soooooooooo overpriced. Except for the foundation stick. That’s actually not too bad for as big as it is. Like the formula too. Everything else? Eh. Shadow quads are nice but not $90 nice, more like $30 and on sale nice. Not terribly impressed with the lipsticks, both in formula and shade selection. Fragrances can be hit and miss from TF. Some I want to bathe in (Jasmin Rouge, Black Violet, Shanghai Lily, Noir de Noir). Some make me retch (Black Orchid, Velvet Orchid, Rose Prick, Costa Azzura, Metallique ). But they all tend to be very loud scents and many have stupid, ill conceived, cringe worthy names.
I’m curious about the Givenchy lipsticks what don’t you like? I want to treat myself to a lipstick or two to celebrate something and while I’m leaning more towards the DVN lipsticks I’m curious about both velvets.
Talking about the DVN lipsticks I’m really tempted by crafted red, pink vermillion and crafted orange, but I want to only pick two. Do you have a preference between the satin and the mattes?
For the DvN: Satins are very nice but I feel like there are a ton of nice satin formulas. The mattes are wonderful matte formulas. Great preformance (not going to be a liquid longwear but excellent for a bullet), very comfortable, not thick feeling or too siliconey, not dehydrating at all, no problem with bullets breaking. Neither are shitty formulas but it’s mainly about the colors. There is a density and depth to the satins and mattes that I don’t find in my other lipsticks, even when you blot them down they still pack an absolute punch. Punk Vermillion is one of favorite and most unique shades in my entire pile. Great if you like bright lip colors and it’s beautiful. Kinda shifts around from a coral to a strawberry pink to more red. Idk, I’ve used to down to a stump tho and I’ll definitely repurchase. Crafted red is so so vibrant and rich. It’s the perfect neutral true red for me. Not too deep and dark, not orangey, no pink or berry in it. And I have been wanting Crafted Orange, that and/or Midsomer Coral are next on my list, so if you get that please swatch it!🙏
And the Givenchy’s were all too drying on me and they got a little crumbly on my lips. The sheer velvets in particular are pretty weightless to the point of almost being uncomfortable (if you don’t mind the feel of completely bare lips you should be fine tho). But those ones did get pretty patchy after an hour or so. And the velvets are pretty soft formulas so they are prone to breakage like most velvets unfortunately
Thank you so much for your detailed thoughts it’s very appreciated.
If I get crafted orange I’ll definitely swatch it. Unfortunately there doesn’t seem to be any swatch of that color online so I am a little on the fence.
Regarding the sheer velvet your experience seems to be similar to what I have had with the other sheer mattes I tried. So I guess I should stop trying.
Some favourites:
Dries Van Noten - The lipstick packaging is absolutely beautiful. I have a lot of makeup and the lipstick cases truly feel special and precious. I have one of the satin and one of the matte formula - both are really nice, and I think the shade range is really considered, but the packaging is really the highlight.
Chanel - Like OP I think of them as a really classic, reliable brand - but with enough fun, seasonal releases sprinkled in to keep things interesting. Every once in a while they come out with something unexpected, like the glittery Mermaid Glow Baume Essentiel.
Does Victoria Beckham count? She does have a clothing brand that came first. If so, they're a real staple in my collection - great formulas, beautiful packaging.
Meh:
YSL - I love their Candy Glaze lip ... sticks? Lip balms? But the product naming is atrocious - so many of the lip products have almost identical names, and it's so confusing. Not to mention they seem to reformulate or rebrand them all the time and they all come in basically the same packaging.
Gucci - I have the bronzer and some of their lipsticks. I think the packaging - especially on the lipsticks - is beautiful and the formulas are nice, but none of their other products really appeal to me and they seem to be discontinuing some of the more interesting lipstick shades.
Dior - I think the formulas themselves are solid, but if we're really focusing on the luxury, designer-brand aspect of things, none of them feel particularly special or luxurious in packaging.
Tom Ford - I like the eye quads and am still holding on to my Naked Bronze/Golden Peach Cream & Powder Eye Shadows, but I think the pricing is just egregious for what you're getting.
Newer to me:
Prada - I've only tried the foundation. I like it, but the lipstick/eyeshadow quads just didn't really speak to me.
Givenchy - I've only tried the concealer which is great. Would like to try the loose powder and blushes too - I feel like I never used to hear about their makeup, and lately they've had a few products go viral.
Ah I forgot about VBB as a designer. Totally agree. I’ve loved nearly everything I’ve tried apart from the eyeliner in Fig. For some reason the formula seemed different from the other liners. The rest of the liners are great, great blush sticks, the lipstick have some wonderful dusty desaturated shades, mascara is nice, lid lusters are gorgeous, I use my brown eyeshadow stick all the damn time, and I adore the glosses!
I agree with a lot of your assessment especially on the packaging of Dior, except for the couture highlights and the bronzer which is nicer, and on YSL constantly changing everything.
I’m really looking at those Dries Van Noten lipstick. I love the packaging. Which shades did you choose? Do you have any preference between the satin and the matte?
Oops, I actually have one satin and one sheer! Though I would like to try the mattes too, and might make an order since they came out with two (gorgeous) new case designs.
I have the sheer in Graphic Ochre and the satin in Stanley Orange. Both are really comfortable on the lips so I would probably go with the satin - I think it's a better level of pigmentation - unless you are someone who is looking for something pretty low-key.
My thoughts:
Chanel: Probably my all-time favorite designer brand. I just bought a ton of their Spring '24 line and I've really been enjoying it. My favorites from their line are their nail polishes which I've been collecting for over a decade and a half, eye shadow quads, and face color products. The Rouge Coco lipglosses are probably my favorite new makeup product.
Dior: They have an amazing satin eye shadow formula. They also have some good nail polishes. I've had some other assorted items from Dior that I've like such as blush and bronzers.
Tom Ford: Their wet/dry eye shadow is probably my Holy Grail formula. They also have my HG lipstick, bronzer, and powder highlighter. However, a lot of my favorites have been discontinued and the new stuff isn't that interesting.
Hermes: I love their nail polishes. The blush wasn't great and was too heavily perfumed for my tastes. The eye shadow isn't very pigmented but extremely pretty. Packaging is a let down for the price.
Gucci: I only have their nail polishes but they're fantastic. Fun colors, great shine, and long-lasting. Highly underrated. Other items from the line have caught my eye but it's either something I'm really not wearing right now (lipstick) or I couldn't stand the scent (blush and bronzer).
Christian Louboutin: Everything I have gotten from this line has been crap. Nail polish, lipstick, pretty packaging but horrible quality.
YSL: The Blur Eclat primer makes my pores disappear and lets my foundation float over texture and dry patches so it's a new HG for me. I have a few of the Rogue Volupte Shine lipsticks that are okay, not my favorite formula but they work. The eye shadows have been very hit or miss.
Armani & Givenchy: The handful of products I've used from these two brands have been good but otherwise unremarkable.
Guerlain: Terracotta bronzer is always a solid choice although there are formulas I like a little better. Their eye shadows and lipsticks are good but don't really stand out to me.
I haven't tried Prada but a few of the eye shadow quads have caught my eye.
I love designer brands, I'm very guilty, I deserve what I deserve (poverty, I guess?). I only buy at bargain prices though, I have to say.
Valentino is very recent so I'll talk about this first. His base products are stunning. I have the V-lighter which is an illuminating primer and the Very Valentino foundation, both are incredible quality. The primer gives that candlelit, not overwhelming glow that looks just tasteful and chic and it works super well with the foundation, which is thin, second skin-like and moderately luminous. They are and also look expensive on your skin.
When I want my skin to look the best, I use these for my base. I also heard great things about his powder products, both the bronzer, the blushes and the powder, apparently they are super silky and blend effortlessly.
Dior is a favourite, I think their products are the most reliable amongst all the designer brands, so far I've never come across a Dior makeup product that was bad, and it's a brand that I've tried extensively.
Chanel used to make good products, I don't trust them that much anymore. The Soleil de Tan is an old classic that I still use to this day, ever since they reformulated they left a bad taste in my mouth. Every freaking person on earth loved it, I still can't fathom why they did it. And I've no idea what happened to their cream blushes, I have one and love it to bits, the most long lasting cream blush I've ever used, hands down, but it's gone. Anyway, their base products to me are hit and miss, their lipsticks are a treat that I recommend (the packaging feels luxury for real), the mascaras are a huge fat NO if you have sensitive eyes (they have fragrance and make me cry instantly like a fountain), the powders are good.
Givenchy is trash to me. Their base products (concealers and foundations) were incredibly disappointing to the point that I wore them twice and decluttered them. Never tried their famous loose powder but I have my own OG from MAC so I don't care.
Armani has a lot of good products, especially their base products. I'd buy any foundation they'd come up with. Their blushes (both cream and powders) are super super nice.
YSL is ok but I'm not up to date on their products. The All Hours foundation (at least the old formulation) is gold, fantastic performance.
Tom Ford: I only have their highlighters duo and it's excellent, along with a lipstick, also good and not drying.
I love my Gucci matte lipsticks. I have Anne Lilac and Virginia Fleur de Lis. I don't think I'd pay that much for more 'standard' shades but for those special ones, it's worth it.
I have one of the Chanel Le Rouge Duo ones in Milky Blueberry which I think will be my wedding colour. It's really lovely and they genuinely do last for hours and hours.
I have the Armani Neo Nude Melting Balm blush in 50 Cool Mauve, which is my only non-lip designer product. It's beautiful. A great natural shade on me.
And lastly, Givenchy Le Rouge lipstick in Framboise Velours - a total classic.
I think the only thing that appeals to me from designer lines outside of what I've got is the Chanel Baume Essentiel - although I have enough natural highlighter type products that I don't need it.