I’ve taken quite the break from blogging. I took quite a long break back in December and then thought I would start my regular scheduled posts back up in January. And yet, here we are- it’s now mid-February and I am still not back on my Monday/Wednesday/Friday posting schedule. After almost eight years of blogging, it’s concerning to say that I just felt unmotivated to write posts lately. But, we do have to remember that we are still in the middle of a pandemic. I spend eight hours on a computer working from home, sitting through multiple Zoom meetings, and then, once the work day is over, I sit through three hours of class on Zoom as well. I guess it’s really no surprise that the last thing I want to do after all that is continue to sit and stare at my computer screen and try to pump out a blog post.
But if there is one thing that can make me want to start blogging again, it’s pretty new makeup. And one brand that gets me particularly excited to talk about is Samantha Ravndahl’s new makeup company, Auric Cosmetics. Sam has been one of my favorite Youtubers for years now and to say I’m a bit of a fangirl of hers would be a vast understatement. I love how candid and real she is with her viewers and she doesn’t conform to the typical “influencer” personality or act these days. And thus, out of all the Youtubers or Instagrammers or bloggers I follow, I knew she would never put out makeup that she didn’t fully love or believe in. We also have incredibly similar taste in beauty products so I figured her makeup line would be a big hit with me.
Sam Ravndahl ended up releasing two different products with her initial launch: Smoke Reflect, a cream and powder eye shadow duo as well as Glow Lust, a radiant luminizer. Although I would have liked to pick up both products, these are far from cheap. However, the price point is to be expected once you see how much attention and care went into the line. The products are packaged in stunning glass bottles with high quality pumps and caps. This is truly luxury makeup. And so even though I ended up paying $80CAD/$60USD ($60CAD/$45USD for the Glow Lust + $20CAD/$15USD shipping) for the one product, I do have to admit it was fully worth it. My credit card might not agree but oh well!
So I ended up picking up the AURIC Glow Lust in the shade Morganite. Although this might strongly resemble a foundation, let me be the first to assure you it is far from that. It is actually a liquid luminizer. This excites me tremendously because I actually don’t have anything like this in my makeup collection. What’s fun about liquid highlighters or luminizers, especially this one, is that it can be used in so many different ways. You can apply directly to your skin or blend with your moisturizer for an all-over sheer glow, you can mix with your foundation for a boost of radiance and more coverage, or you can apply to the tops of your cheekbones, temples and the bridge of the nose for a classic highlight! I have been having hella oily skin lately (thank you my dear hormones) so I have been loving just applying this Glow Lust to the top of my cheekbones and down the bridge of my nose for that subtle glow and radiance. I definitely don’t need any help in the shininess department for my whole face.
Until I bought this luminizer, I actually didn’t own a favorite highlighter. It seemed like every highlighter was too shimmery or glittery for my face. I didn’t want that super strong, fake-looking highlight. I wanted something more natural that just contributed to a healthy glow on my skin. And that’s exactly what this Glow Lust is. It is glitter-free (as well as fragrance-free, paraben-free, cruelty-free & gluten-free) and packed with ultra-fine pearl so it just gives a subtle radiance. It’s truly perfection. AND it’s not just a highlighter. It also contains squalane, glycerin and porcelain flower so it helps to smooth and hydrate your skin.
This luminizer is definitely not a one shade fits all (which I love). It comes in seven flexible shades (meaning you might match more than one) and I was instantly drawn to the light shade, Morganite. Morganite is said to be a fair cool beige although it does pull a little more yellow on my skin. I was a lil’ scared it would be too dark for me (most things are) but it ended up being a perfect match. The shade really helps to brighten up my skin without looking too noticeable.
Okay, I know I just went on quite the rave about this product but I mean every word I said. This product is one that I will have in my collection for years (it’s a hefty 35ml so I will never run out of it) and I truly look forward to using it every morning. I’ve really been striving towards narrowing down my makeup collection and only keeping products that bring me joy and make me excited to apply my makeup. And this is definitely one of those products. Congrats Sam on your beautiful launch! I can’t wait to see what you come up with next!
