They’ve scaled back on their launches over the last few years, which I think has improved the consistency of their releases overall, though they can get too into a theme.
— Christine
I like how their seasonal collections are more edited and focused, though I think they repeat themselves a lot. It’s a brand I’d expect to experiment more, especially with seasonal launches.
— Christine
There are some lovely formulas in their line, but they do not seem to innovate often. I’m always surprised that they don’t have a line of liquid/cream or powder eyeshadows (think Shimmering Skin Perfectors for eyes) and more face products (like more bronzers and contouring formulas).
— Christine
When they’ve expanded their core ranges, I’ve found that they often become my favorite products, but they do very limited, repeated seasonal collections–like I feel like we’ve seen the same “new” eyeliner shades over and over again with very subtle tweaks. That leads me to my next point, which is they’re a brand that takes a good idea and regurgitates it to the point where you wish they’d innovate again.
— Christine
They have a lot of high-quality product formulas, and with everything at an affordable price point, it is a great brand to reference for anyone on a budget. The downside is that they dupe themselves frequently, so it’s key to learn–and learn quickly!–that it’s not a brand one “collects.” I also wish they would stop including pressed glitters in their eyeshadow palettes.
— Christine
I love the Viva Glam charitable initiative–it is still one of the best charities in beauty. They have some great formulas in their core line, but they really don’t expand/extend the line (or refresh in places) as often as I would expect!
— Christine
I love how it can really lock my base in place, and it’s also a nice way to help get everything to come together in the end, whether to get an even finish or to help soften a harsher blush/bronzer. There are a few that can cause flash back in photos, and sometimes formulas can look quite dry on the skin!
— Christine
They’re really lovely to work with when I’m doing a lighter makeup day–like if I just wanted to add some warmth and definition all-over the face but wasn’t planning on setting my makeup or having a ton of blush/eyeshadow. They are also nice for layering underneath powder bronzer for greater longevity. I like the finish of cream bronzers, too, and they’re more forgiving.
— Christine
I like that you can get more depth and true-to-pan color when applied over the right base products. Like most matte powders, they can darken noticeably when applied to bare skin or anything that it’s really dry/matte already, so they’re not as versatile, can be harder to blend, and then require adding more product on top make it look skin-like again.
— Christine
I often wear bronzer as a subtle blush – a bit of defining and color without wearing an actual blush shade – so I tend to like some shimmer. I also love highlighter, so I can roll with a matte bronzer as much as a shimmery one… though I find shimmery powders are easier to blend out (generally)!
— Christine
