The Hype Machine: Yves Saint Laurent Touche Eclat High Cover Radiant Concealer

The Hype Machine is a series that takes a critical look at well-loved, cult classic, appears-in-every-other-Instagram-photo products and asks: are they worth the hype?

A little under two years ago, this same series ranked the original Touche Eclat All-Over Brightening Pen as an above-average product, versatile and lovely, but probably more expensive than necessary. I've continued to use my Touche Eclat pen primarily as an undereye brightener, mixing it with my concealer du jour to get a bit less coverage and a brighter, slightly dewier finish. So when YSL released a true-blue concealer version of Touche Eclat (because, again, the original is not really a concealer; stop yelling at the poor thing), and when it was reviewed positively by bloggers I trust, I decided to bite the bullet and use up my gift cards.

Natural light on top, ring light on bottom. From left to right: YSL TE High Cover in 0.75 Sugar, YSL TE Brightening Pen in 2 Luminous Ivory, NARS Radiant Creamy Concealer in Chantilly, Glossier Stretch Concealer in G11.

What got me a little stuck was the shade range. I couldn't decide between the lightest shade, 0.5 Vanilla, and the second-lightest shade, 0.75 Sugar. After receiving several super-helpful comments on Instagram, I decided to go with 0.75 Sugar, since this is clearly meant to be an undereye/brightening concealer, and I knew the peachy tones of 0.75 would work well on my dark circles.

I'm glad I went with that shade. First of all, yes, 0.75 is DEFINITELY peach-toned, and it definitely works well on dark circles--more on that in a moment. Second, it's closer to the original Touche Eclat pen in 2 than you'd think. See, the original Touche Eclat pen darkens up a bit as it dries: it comes out looking almost identical to the very pale NARS Chantilly, but it ends up being about a shade darker. I'd peg the YSL Touche Eclat High Cover at about NC/NW 15 in terms of depth, and the YSL Touche Eclat All-Over Brightening Pen is maybe half a shade lighter.

The only other product on my face in these photos is a thin layer of the Surratt Surreal Skin foundation, which, LOOOOL, look at that beautiful application right over my top lip. I'M AN ARTIST.

The new High Cover version of Touch Eclat features a nearly identical metal tube and brush tip applicator; the only difference is that the High Cover version includes a black label, which is honestly helpful for differentiating between the two tubes quickly. I love the feeling and the weight of this packaging, and unlike many click tubes, it only takes a few clicks to get the product started.

One click will get you about twice as much product as you see in the above-middle photo. I actually find that a full click of this concealer is a bit much for me, so I just leave the rest on the brush for touch-ups or my next application. However, I tend to wear very thin layers of my base products, I only use this on my undereyes, and I have a sort of small face; you may use a whole click if you're covering more surface area or like more coverage.

Now, the name of this product may make you think this is going to completely blank out your dark circles. I don't think that's the purpose of this concealer. Instead, I think the name means this is a "high coverage version" of Touche Eclat (versus a traditional, maximum coverage concealer). I'd say this is a very natural, beautiful, just-barely-medium coverage concealer.

I can hear you scoffing. "Natural?! It looks like you smeared Vaseline on those undereyes!"

Look, I get what you're saying: my undereyes look hella-glossy in that after photo. But remember that it was photographed with a strong ring light shining directly down on me. In every other lighting situation I tested this in, including the all-important natural light, this just looked like a satin-y, natural, skin-like concealer. See the above natural light Instagram shot for proof!

You can also dust this very lightly with some powder to make it a natural matte texture. I found that powder took away any and all shine, and it prevented a bit of the (inevitable) creasing, but it didn't clump or cake.

Finally, let's answer that all-important question: is it worth the price? Again, I have to give you a wishy-washy "yes and no." For me, it's a pretty stellar product that's easy to apply, works well with all of my foundations, and really brightens up my face. I used to put two products on my undereyes; now I'm down to one. If you're like me and you have a hard time finding a single undereye concealer you like, it's aces. But if you already have an undereye concealer you love, I don't know that this luxury product is necessarily going to top it.

BOTTOM LINE: YSL has created a higher-coverage version of their beloved Touche Eclat pen that delivers natural, medium coverage that really works on my undereyes. If you're looking for a great undereye concealer, this could be the one for you; if you've already got a favorite, feel free to give this pricey pen a pass.

The Hype Machine is a series that represents my experiences and opinions. It is not meant to be a personal attack on a specific company, product, or consumer. I always recommend that you try products for yourself and see how they work for you. Everybody is unique, after all!

The Hype Machine: Pat McGrath Lip Products

The Hype Machine is a series that takes a critical look at well-loved, cult classic, appears-in-every-other-Instagram-photo products and asks: are they worth the hype?

Pat McGrath herself needs little introduction. She's known for using a range of inventive materials to create unique looks, and she's done everything from editorial shoots to runway shows. When I watch her applying makeup, I am absolutely flabbergasted by her talent; it's like she puts a brush to a model's skin and magic pours out. It's no surprise that her makeup line has been wildly popular, especially when her products were first released in limited quantities on Sephora and sold out almost immediately.

But I'm not exactly rolling in disposable income, so as pretty as her products looked and as intense as the reviews and praise were, I just couldn't spend my money on the Pat McGrath range. $38 for a lipstick? $125 for an eyeshadow palette? And there's no way for me to swatch the products and experience the textures before I purchase? That's just beyond me and my means.

So how did I get these products? Well, my friends...I did some damage during Black Friday 2018. With the LuxeTrance lipsticks on sale for $26, I decided they were close enough to my $25 price ceiling to give them a try. I went for the shade Strangé, partially because it's a red and partially because I think that's a Grace Jones reference.

 She is perfection and this scene is iconic.

I also purchased an on-sale PermaGel lip pencil in Manhattan, thinking it would match Strangé. In reality, Manhattan is a bit darker and more brown, but that little bit of depth helps.

What do we think of the lighting in this photo: yay or nay?

The packaging for these products is definitely worthy of the price point. Every product comes in a beautiful box fastened with string. The writing on both the products and their boxes is gold foil. And while some people have complained that the giant gold lips on the lipsticks are tacky, I think they're just the right amount of over-the-top for a Pat McGrath range. The woman is famous for the number of bags and trunks she travels with; she's not exactly known for subtly.

Are the formulas inside those pretty packages worth a day's pay? Well, that depends. The lipstick is certainly beautiful: it feels incredibly thin and smooth during application, almost like a liquid, and it gives full color payoff with one stroke. I did blot and reapply on this day, like I do with all lipsticks, and after eating a bowl of homemade sesame chicken, I noticed that the lipstick was mostly intact, with some wear near the very inside of my lips and all of that slightly glossy finish gone. It goes without saying that I love this color, because...red.

The lip pencil, however, leaves something to be desired. The name "Perma-Gel" suggests that the pencil will be creamy and long-wearing. It certainly has a fluid, soft gel texture, but it doesn't prevent feathering in the slightest. This macro shot shows how my lipstick looked after just an hour of wear: you can see that the edges, especially on my top lip, are smeared. I love the color of the lip pencil and how it pairs with this lipstick, so I'll keep using it, but I'll likely use a slightly waxier pencil first to get my lip lines smooth and crisp.

Perhaps the best way to sum up my feelings about Pat McGrath's lip products and the hype around them is this: I haven't looked at any other lip pencil shades, but I have picked out one more LuxeTrance lipstick I'd like to own, 1995. (Take a moment to appreciate my restraint here, please, because there's a shade named Labeija and I haven't bought it just for the name.) It's just one shade, and I won't even think about buying it until it's on sale again. I'll get my use out of these products and may own a few more, but I won't break the bank for them.

BOTTOM LINE: Like the NARS Audacious lipsticks before them, these Pat McGrath lip products are beautiful, but not necessarily better than any of the $20 lipsticks I've tried. Skip the lip pencils and settle on one or two special lipstick shades unless your budget is endless.

The Hype Machine is a series that represents my experiences and opinions. It is not meant to be a personal attack on a specific company, product, or consumer. I always recommend that you try products for yourself and see how they work for you. Everybody is unique, after all!

The Hype Machine: Yves Saint Laurent Touche Eclat Radiance Perfecting Pen

 The Hype Machine is a series that takes a critical look at well-loved, cult classic, appears-in-every-other-Instagram-photo products and asks: are they worth the hype?

Few things are as iconic and infamously luxe as this highlighting pen, the Yves Saint Laurent Touche Eclat Radiance Perfecting Pen. Despite being such an enduring and immediately recognizable product, a lot of people seem to have issues figuring out what to do with this pen; it doesn't provide enough coverage to mask dark circles, nor is it as reflective as most modern highlighters. I was a bit stuck when I first tried it, too, mostly because it is considered an untouchable classic and I was afraid of messing it up. Now that I've fiddled with it for a few weeks, I think I'm ready to give you my thoughts.

First, let's clarify what this isn't: it's not a concealer. It's too sheer to cover up the darkness under your eyes, and it's too shiny to hide a blemish. It's also not a glittery, sparkly, or even dewy product; it's got more of a natural, healthy-skin like satin glow. That said, I've used the blog's "concealer" and "highlighter" labels because they best represent where you use this product and the effect it gives. Quote the Sephora summary, it "brightens, smooths, and perfects your complexion...highlight(s) your best features without any shimmer or glitter." For $42 a pen, it had better be damn good at perfecting stuff.

I've been using the shade #2 on the tops of my cheekbones, in the hollows of my eye, and under my brows. As you can see here, it blends out seamlessly and gives a lovely bit of glow and dimension. Because it's very sheer, it won't make your blush look muddy or look too stark around your eyes. The actual texture of the Touche Eclat pen is very thin and smooth, so it's comfortable on the skin and even blends well over fine lines. It works well with other products; obviously, it mixes with my undereye concealer, but I've also been tapping my Glossier Haloscope on top of it on my cheeks, and the combination is dewy and lovely.

That sounds majestic and perfect and glorious, but let's be honest here: is this a look that's so hard to get with other products? Nah. I can get a similar seamless glow from MAC Strobe Cream and equally effective color correction from the Maybelline Dream Lumi Pen; if I want something that adds a little glow and some color under my brows, I can mix a dash of concealer with my Strobe Cream. This is also a typical YSL product insofar as it reeks of perfume.

It's a lovely brightener that I've really enjoyed and will likely finish. I'd also have no qualms recommending it to other people who want this sort of effect. Am I going to repurchase it, though? Eh, I dunno. I don't think it's entirely necessarily, especially at that $42 price point. Still, I can see why it's been so beloved for decades.

BOTTOM LINE: This is an overhyped, but relatively versatile highlighting pen that's invisible on the skin, so it's no wonder it became a cult classic. That said, if you've got an undereye brightener and a natural highlighter you already like, you don't have to rush out and buy this $42 pen.

The Hype Machine is a series that represents my experiences and opinions. It is not meant to be a personal attack on a specific company, product, or consumer. I always recommend that you try products for yourself and see how they work for you. Everybody is unique, after all!

The Hype Machine: Sol de Janeiro Brazilian Bum Bum Cream

The Hype Machine is a series that takes a critical look at well-loved, cult classic, appears-in-every-other-Instagram-photo products and asks: are they worth the hype?

It's happened: I've purchased the Bum Bum Cream. I bought it during the recent Sephora VIB sale, several days before Kimberly Clark ranted about it in a recent Anti-Haul video. (That coincidence actually made me giggle.) Honestly, I ignored the hype about this product for months until it started popping up in videos and posts from a few of my favorite gurus, namely Jacquelyn, who raves about products so selectively I couldn't help but be intrigued. When I started hearing these personal faves claim that this was the most moisturizing and delightfully fragranced cream on the market, I broke down and bought a small jar. Hey, I was running low on moisturizer anyway.

The Sol de Janeiro Brazilian Bum Bum Cream is available in two sizes: $20 for 2.5oz or $45 for 8.1oz. Not wanting to break the bank on a new product, I bought the smaller size, totally forgetting how tiny 2.5 ounces of body moisturizer is--that's not even half the size of a Haus of Gloi Pumpkin Butter. The larger jar is obviously the better value, but it's still a damned expensive moisturizer. Some people might find the bright yellow-orange packaging tacky...

...and you're right. It is. I love it.

What I don't love is the awkward marketing for this product. Because I didn't pay much attention to this cream when it first started getting hyped on YouTube, I didn't notice how the advertisements fetishized Brazilian bodies. (And before you start screeching, "Renee, it's in the name!": I honestly thought it came from a Brazilian company and that was it. With a name like "Bum Bum Cream," I clearly wasn't using my critical thinking skills.) The Kimberly Clark video linked above already does a good job of ranting about this, so I won't do much complaining about that here. Just enjoy this blurb from the Sephora page:

Sol de Janeiro came together with a mutual love of the distinctly Brazilian attitude towards beauty, their secrets, and their know-how. This product supports the Brazilian philosophy that beauty isn’t a standard to reach, it’s an attitude to take. A head-to-toe sensuality that comes through in a smile, a saunter, a samba.

So let's move along to the actual product claims. Straight off the bat, this is not going to "firm" your skin like it claims. It's a freaking topical cream, and the top half of the ingredients is seriously mundane: you'll find water, caprylic triglyceride, fatty alcohols, and fragrance in just about every cheap moisturizer on the market. I knew this from the start and never expected it to give me...well, I don't know what some people think firming creams will do for them, but since we're on the Weird Cultural Fetishization train, let's say "a Brazilian butt lift." The other claims are that it's fast-absorbing, makes the skin touchably soft, and will give you a "perfect Brazilian glow" (ugh) with fine mica. Those three claims are what I actually wanted from the cream.

Let's get the mica out of the way. Yes, it's there. Yes, it's extremely fine; I had to tilt my just-moisturized arm under direct light for several seconds to spot the faintest hint of shimmer. No, it doesn't really make you look more glowy, at least not from what I'm seeing. No, it's not a deal breaker, at least for me.

As for fast-absorbing: that's definitely true, and given the texture, I'm not surprised. I was expecting a thick, rich ream, but lo and behold, this product actually has a typical lotion texture. It's not as dense as a true body cream, but it's also not as watery as, say, Palmer's Cocoa Butter. It spread decently, yet I'll definitely finish this jar faster than I thought I would; it took me about a quarter sized amount to do one leg, for instance. The Bum Bum Cream soaks in almost immediately and leaves no residue behind.

It's not especially moisturizing, though, and that's the real clincher for me. The raves and reviews suggested I would be blown away by how nourishing the Bum Bum Cream is, that it'd make my skin so soft and supple, I'd give zero fucks about the cost. But that didn't happen. Yeah, it moisturized, but quite lightly. I'd get the same amount of hydration from the aforementioned cocoa butter.

 Like the smell, hate the price? There's a body splash for that.

Last, but not least, the scent. This is what gets people worked up about this product, and I kind of see why. It's a very sweet, but not overly cloying smell with a hint of something tropical. Sol de Janeiro calls it "pistachio caramel;" I think it smells exactly like that pineapple fluff dessert some aunt always makes for family functions. Is it a nice smell? Sure. Is it especially unique? Eh, not really. If you're in it for the smell, just get their body splash. Better yet, get the body splash and a cheaper, fragrance-free moisturizer. That'll get you further in the hydration department than a jar of Bum Bum Cream.

BOTTOM LINE: The Brazilian Bum Bum Cream isn't terrible, but it's definitely overhyped. There are more moisturizing products available at half the price, and at the end of the day, that's all this product does: moisturize. If you're in it for the scent, check out the body splash instead.

The Hype Machine is a series that represents my experiences and opinions. It is not meant to be a personal attack on a specific company, product, or consumer. I always recommend that you try products for yourself and see how they work for you. Everybody is unique, after all!

The Hype Machine: Diptyque Candles

The Hype Machine is a series that takes a critical look at well-loved, cult classic, appears-in-every-other-Instagram-photo products and asks: are they worth the hype?

You can't swipe through a beauty-related Instagram feed without spotting a Diptyque candle. Maybe it's a half-empty jar of Tubereuse next to a nightly skincare routine, or maybe it's a cleaned out glass of Vanille full of brushes and lip pencils. Regardless of the scenario, it's clear that Diptyque's candles have obtained a cult following.

I'd be skeptical about these candles, too, if it weren't for so many glowing reviews. Many a YouTuber has proclaimed Feu de Bois the holiday gift to beat, and the comments on retailer pages are loaded with statements like "These are the best candles I've ever used, worth every penny, would repurchase!" And since one of my favorite retailers, Nordstrom, had a trio available, I decided to take the plunge and spend some coins.

The trio arrives beautifully packaged in a simple white box secured with plastic wrap. You can actually smell these candles as soon as you pull off the plastic, which gave me high hopes for the throw. Each candle is clear glass with white wax and the trademark labels. Said labels kind of feel like stickers to the touch, but the stood up to me scraping them with a fingernail to sate my curiosity, so I think we're okay

The three scents in the trio are some of the brand's most popular. Baies ("Berries") is especially acclaimed, and I can see why: it's a balanced mixture of sweet and woody that reminds me of a juniper bush. Shocker of shockers, Roses smells like rose, but it's not at all powdery. Rather, it's fresh and airy, and there's a bit of a watery quality to it when it's burned. It reminds me of newly opened roses in a vase. Figuier ("Fig Tree") was my least favorite of the bunch, and I chalk that up to personal preference. The scent in the jar is a little herbal and (as fig can be) vaguely coconut-y; when burned, however, it takes on more of a traditional fig leaf scent, with a tiny bit of fruity pulp and dry bark in the mixture.

When I got my trio, I read the little instruction sheet and followed it to the letter: I put the Roses candle on a flat, safe surface and prepared to burn it for 2 full hours. Unfortunately, the candle had no intention of burning. I tried lighting it for several minutes, but the wick wouldn't light. When I finally got the flame to catch, it was a tiny pin prick, and it only stayed lit for a few minutes before fading out. I was baffled. I tried to light the candle again and the same thing happened: it wouldn't stay lit. I may not be an expert in home scents, but I'm certainly not a novice, and this has never happened to me with a brand new, visibly fine product.

Frustrated, I sent the trio back to Nordstrom and asked for an even exchange. I'm glad I purchased through Nordies because their customer service can't be beat: they sent me a brand new trio within a week of receiving the package, and when I tweeted that I was impressed with their service, they sent a "glad to be of service" response.

This is as bright as it got. The flame burned out shortly after I took this photo.

My new trio seemed to be much better. Roses burned evenly and beautifully for a full two hours, and while the scent was quite light, it certainly filled the room while burning and lingered. Figuier wasn't quite as strong--I had to be within a three foot radius to smell it while it was lit--but again, it burned well and had some throw.

I will say that while these scents are pretty, they aren't especially unique. Baies is the only one that stands out to me, and even then, I'm sure I could find a comparable berry-scented candle if I looked. I've also gotten the same amount of throw (or better!) with some of my cheaper candles housed in less attractive jars. Still, they got the job done. I was satisfied.

Then I decided to light Baies, the one I was the most excited about. And despite the fact that it looked no different from the other two candles in the trio in terms of the wax level or wick length, it happened again: it took me several minutes to get the wick to catch, and the tiny ball of flame disappeared within 5 minutes.

I sent a message to Diptyque expressing my disappointment. One candle? That's a fluke; it's totally permissible. Two out of six? That's a pattern.

To be clear, I'm not knocking these candles entirely. They aren't the worst money can buy, and in fact, they brighten up a room by smelling and looking pretty. But because two of the three candles I sniffed weren't particularly special, and because I experienced quality control issues with both sets I tried, I just can't recommend that you spend an entire paycheck on Diptyque. As for me? I'm going to enjoy Roses and Figuier, and I'll chalk Baies up as a loss.

BOTTOM LINE: Diptyque candles look and smell lovely, but they aren't more potent or special-smelling than what most other candle brands produce. You shouldn't have persistent quality control issues at this price point, either. It might be worth finding one or two special scents for "Treat Yo Self" days, but if you decide to pass on these candles, you won't miss much.

The Hype Machine is a series that represents my experiences and opinions. It is not meant to be a personal attack on a specific company, product, or consumer. I always recommend that you try products for yourself and see how they work for you. Everybody is unique, after all!

The Hype Machine: Physician's Formula 2-in-1 Lash Boosting Eyeliner + Serum

The Hype Machine is a series that takes a critical look at well-loved, cult classic, appears-in-every-other-Instagram-photo products and asks: are they worth the hype?

For the most part, the internet's Beauty Hype Machine focuses on mid-to-high-end products, stuff that many-a-guru will claim is "reeeally expensive, but worth it, I swear!" We think of hyped beauty products, and things like YSL Touche Eclat ($42) and Soleil Tan de Chanel ($50) are the sort of luxury cult classics that immediately jump to mind.

Yet not all raved about and regularly promoted products are of the department store variety. The Physician's Formula 2-in-1 Lash Boosting Eyeliner + Serum (say that name three times fast) has been every other YouTuber's favorite liquid eyeliner for years. And while it carries a higher price tag than a lot of other drugstore products, clocking in at around $10, it's still a sight cheaper than high end alternatives.

Let's get this out of the way: this product is supposed to contain ingredients that help your lashes grow thicker and fuller. I haven't noticed anything like that, and to be honest, I'm not that fussed. I bought this product to be a liquid eyeliner, not a lash serum. And it seems like most people who sing this eyeliner's praises feel the same way.

And as an eyeliner? This one is aces. The pen is relatively narrow, making it easy to hold, and the tip manages to maintain its shape without feeling stiff or rough. Actually, when I apply this eyeliner, it feels like I'm using soft paint brush. The tip is longer and thinner than most other liquid eyeliners I've used, and it makes it remarkably easy to get a fine, solid line at the inner corners of the eye. I also found that doing a flick was easier than ever before, which kind of stunned me--I didn't think it could get easier than it was with ye olde Wet n' Wild liquid eyeliner.

Obviously, I have to use a black pencil on my upper waterline (as seen above) to complete the look, because liquid eyeliner does not feel good in your eyeballs. But even without the pencil, the Physician's Formula Lash Boosting Eyeliner gives you solid color. I got the Ultra Black shade and am really loving it; it has the barest hint of a satin sheen to it in real life, but it reads matte on camera (which I think is more flattering in photos) and is totally weightless.

This is a long-lasting formula as well. I had next to no smearing, smudging, or flaking throughout the day, despite the fact that my eyes water like crazy. It was decently easy to remove the eyeliner with a Shiseido cotton soaked in baby oil, though of course, it helps to hold the saturated cotton on your eye for a while to break the product down.

The $10 price tag kind of sucks when you consider that drugstore offerings are supposed to be more affordable. There are absolutely serviceable eyeliners that are half the price, after all. But I've come to the conclusion that the Physician's Formula liquid liner beats all of them, from my long-standing $4 Holy Grail Wet n' Wild liner to the lauded Kat Von D Tattoo liner. I'd especially like to recommend this product to liquid eyeliner beginners, since it's affordable and easy to control.

BOTTOM LINE: This is a rare moment--the hype is real and much deserved. If you're in the market for a felt-tip eyeliner that's easy to use AND long-lasting, give the Physician's Formula 2-in-1 Lash Boosting Eyeliner + Serum a shot.

The Hype Machine is a series that represents my experiences and opinions. It is not meant to be a personal attack on a specific company, product, or consumer. I always recommend that you try products for yourself and see how they work for you. Everybody is unique, after all!

The Hype Machine: NARS Audacious Lipsticks

The Hype Machine is a series that takes a critical look at well-loved, cult classic, appears-in-every-other-Instagram-photo products and asks: are they worth the hype?

Sometimes--probably in more instances than I'd like to admit--I can be a makeup hipster. I wouldn't say that I write a product off as soon as it becomes the raved-about community wunderkind, but I'm definitely suspicious and curious at the same time. I actually imagine myself circling around hyped-up products like my cat when the furnace kicks on: on the one hand, WTF even is that noise?!, but on the other hand, oooooh waaaarm.

So it took me a while to get a NARS Audacious lipstick and test it out. My first shade was Michiyo, a bright blue-based pink. As noted in The Lipstick Diaries, I really liked this shade on my skintone and I thought the formula was nice. But I'd yet to be totally wowed, especially with the $32 price tag. When the Sephora VIB 20% off sale rolled around and I noticed I was still short a dark, blue-based red lipstick, I decided to give NARS Charlotte a try.

That, my friends, is where the love affair began.

 Natural light on top, flash on the bottom; from left to right: Charlotte, Anna, Michiyo.

Charlotte almost got me hooked on this range. Yes, it was a hair drying like Michiyo before it, but neither was horrendously parching, and both shades were saturated, wore evenly, and garnered boatloads of compliments. I noticed that these lipsticks were better than many of their counterparts in my collection--they wear more evenly than MAC satins and are less heavy than the Hourglass Opaque Rouge Liquid Lipsticks, for instance.

I fell in love with the packaging as well. To some extent, it's typical NARS: sleek and black with the logo embossed on the case. But NARS is infamous for using rubberized black packaging, which gathers fingerprints and dirt like crazy. The Audacious tubes are matte and smooth, making them easy to clean. They're also magnetic so the lid snaps on tightly.

From left to right: Michiyo, Charlotte, Anna.

Now, I said that Charlotte almost got me hooked on the range. Anna was a bit of a wake-up call for me. It seems like a perfect cool pink in most bloggers' photos, so I was suckered in to buying a tube of it. But on my fair skin, this stuff turns straight purple. It's not a bad shade--my mom actually loves it on me--but it's not the color I thought I'd get. In fact, while the Audacious color range is expansive, I find that the "softer" shades run a hair dark for my liking. As such, there's no truly flattering nude pink or beige shade for me here.

Do I think this is the end-all be-all of lipsticks? Probably not, especially if you dislike anything even remotely drying or already have a pigmented satin lipstick range you love. Is $32 a little steep? Definitely. But if you can find a few shades that really speak to you and flatter your complexion, it may be worth the splurge for such a beautiful-looking formula. Just resist the urge to replace every single lipstick in your collection with an Audacious counterpart. I almost fell down that rabbit hole myself.

Almost.

BOTTOM LINE: The NARS Audacious lipsticks aren't the kindest to super dry lips, nor are they the cheapest lipstick you can get. But the color range is phenomenal, and the formula definitely reeks of quality. Save your pennies for a few signature shades.

The Hype Machine is a series that represents my experiences and opinions. It is not meant to be a personal attack on a specific company, product, or consumer. I always recommend that you try products for yourself and see how they work for you. Everybody is unique, after all!

The Hype Machine: By Terry Baume de Rose

The Hype Machine is a series that takes a critical look at well-loved, cult classic, appears-in-every-other-Instagram-photo products and asks: are they worth the hype?

The average beauty addict has a slew of lip balms bouncing around in their bag, clogging up their vanity, and accidentally getting washed in the pockets of their jeans. With so many balms, it's hard to believe that one can ever be an object of desire...but the By Terry Baume de Rose most definitely is. Adored by beauty bloggers and YouTube haulers alike, some have claimed that it's the best and most moisturizing lip balm out there, totally worth the $60 price tag. (I didn't pay that, by the way--this is a sample size pot I got on the kinda-sorta-cheap.)

The packaging for this product is truly lovely and luxurious. While the sample jar has a plastic lid, the full size Baume de Rose is in a glass jar with a weightier lid.  Even the product itself has a high-end appearance: it's soft, glowy, and pink in the jar.

Baume de Rose is definitely a "rose" product, though, and not always in a good way. It smells and tastes strongly of synthetic rose perfume, and to be honest, that never seems to go away, no matter how long I wear this. I know plenty of balms have fake scents and fragrances, but this one is just unpleasant.

The texture of the balm is very sticky and thick, both on the fingers and the lips. This stickiness lasts for several hours, which, yay, the product doesn't fade right away, but ew, it feels truly uncomfortable. And while it looks beautiful and glowy on the lips--see how much it softens up my lip lines?--it never actually moisturizes. In fact, my lips feel slightly more dry after I've been wearing this for a few hours.

I've tried this product numerous times, both during the day and right before bed, and to be honest, I'm not getting much out of it. Yes, it does a nice job of making your lips look softer, but it doesn't actually soften. It's an illusion, and an expensive one at that. No thanks, By Terry; I'll stick with my $6 tube of Aquaphor.

BOTTOM LINE: By Terry's Baume de Rose certainly gives the lips a soft, pretty look, but it behaves more like a heavily-fragranced gloss than a moisturizing balm. I can't imagine paying $60 for that.

The Hype Machine is a series that represents my experiences and opinions. It is not meant to be a personal attack on a specific company, product, or consumer. I always recommend that you try products for yourself and see how they work for you. Everybody is unique, after all!

The Hype Machine: Byredo Fragrances

The Hype Machine is a series that takes a critical look at well-loved, cult classic, appears-in-every-other-Instagram-photo products and asks: are they worth the hype?

Byredo has become the fragrance house of choice for the chic and social media-savvy, a photogenic darling that appears in almost every Into the Gloss Top Shelf. We see the elegant yet no-fuss bottles owned by elegant yet no-fuss people, and we ask ourselves, "Will Byredo make me that cool?" At least, that's what I asked myself after seeing bottles of Gypsy Water and Bal d'Afrique all over the internet. So I procured a slew of Byredo fragrances in various forms: manufacturer's samples (pictured above), handmade splits and sample vials, and full bottles.

My initial impression of the Stockholm-based line was "cool and modern." The bottles are simple: round glass, white label, black block print. The names are evocative and interesting--how can you not want to try something called Baudelaire?! And the note breakdowns imply fascinating surprises, like the "carrot and pimento berries" top notes in Seven Veils. Suffice to say, I had high expectations.

A few of Byredo's fragrances managed to meet, or almost meet, those expectations. I figured I would enjoy Oud Immortel because oud is one of my favorite notes, and sure enough, it's fabulous. When you first apply this fragrance, you get the strange, exotic bitterness and sensuality of the oud, but there's also the bright, sharp, slightly acidic scent of lemons. It's a thrilling and spiky start. Oud remains the star player, but it's backed by different notes as the day progresses: patchouli and rosewood make the middle more balsamic, and it all ends with a base of moss, patchouli, and wet leaves. It's all very punk rock and dangerous.

Seven Veils is also an interesting addition to the line. It's a grown-up gourmand, insofar as it always smells delicious, but never goes in to "cheap candle" territory. While the top does include those interesting carrot and pimento berry notes to add some spice and texture, the main player in this one is the vanilla. It's warm, sweet, and tasty throughout. Though relatively linear, Seven Veils does end with a slight tangy note.

Perhaps the highest quality Byredo fragrance I tried was Mojave Ghost. This is one of the sweetest fragrances I've ever smelt, to the point that I--queen of the "fragrance has no gender" mantra--have a hard time seeing it as anything but "traditionally feminine." That being said, this fragrance develops throughout the day and takes the wearer on a journey, which I appreciate. It starts out with full-on Jamaican naseberry (aka sapodilla), and you get this fruit in both smell (extremely sweet) and texture (slightly grainy). As the day progresses, Mojave Ghost becomes thicker and heavier; I get the impression of flower petals and fruit rinds stomped in to a thick syrup. The drydown pushes the fruits and florals to the background and focuses on a woodsy, almost vanillic musk. It's not my type of scent, but I appreciate its quality.

 
My favorite of the bunch is probably Black Saffron, a sweet, smooth fragrance that's often compared to Tom Ford Tuscan Leather because they both contain raspberry and leather. But Black Saffron isn't an exact dupe of Tuscan Leather. Black Saffron has a sweeter raspberry, a softer leather (think suede), and an overall less dramatic feel than the Tom Ford offering. It somehow manages to be very wearable despite the note breakdown. Though it is quite linear, it's such a nice smell that I don't mind the lack of change. I actually have a full bottle of this one!

The thing is...none of these smelt particularly new to me, nor did they smell like the "best version" of X type of fragrance out there. Yes, Oud Immortel is a good oud with some interesting qualities, but does it smell better than some of my favorite oud fragrances, like House of Matriarch Blackbird? Not a chance; I'd choose Blackbird over Oud Immortel any day. How does Seven Veils compare to other vanillas on the market? Well, it's good, but it's not as heady as Thierry Mugler Alien Essence Absolue or as cozy as Imaginary Authors Memoirs of a Trespasser. They don't stand out from the crowd. And this ended up being my reaction to most of the Byredo fragrances: they didn't live up to their cool names or the hype around them.

Take the two roses I tried, Rose Noir and Rose of No Man's Land, as an example. Both names sound fascinating: Rose Noir conjures up images of something dark, sexy, and mysterious, while Rose of No Man's Land suggests you'll be getting something truly different and unearthly, or at least something with a sort of "journey" to it. But that's not what you get. Rose Noir starts sweet and slightly spicy, then quickly fades in to a pleasant but simple green rose with a bit of an airy quality. Rose of No Man's Land feels more like Rose of Every Man's Land, insofar as it's the same rose I've smelt on every other perfume wearing woman throughout my life. Yes, the opening is kind of interesting--it has a sort of mildewed quality that I find weirdly appealing--but again, that opening quickly fades in to something boring.

That's not to say that Rose Noir and Rose of No Man's Land smell BAD, because they don't. They smell fine. They're just...really bland and run-of-the-mill. And at this price point, with this level of hype, I better get more than just "run-of-the-mill."

Then there are the fragrances that just didn't work for me. I sort of knew Blanche wouldn't be a favorite of mine because the note breakdown includes plenty of white florals and powdery notes, and powdery isn't usually my thing. I didn't expect the overbearing "cleanness" of it, however; it actually smells like laundry detergent on my skin. Buyers who are in to intensely clean, powdery, and chemically white fragrances may enjoy this one, but I find those buyers are few and far between.

The oh-so-popular Bal d'Afrique was another fail for me; as soon as it hit my skin, it smelt like plastic, cheap sunscreen, and lemon Pledge. Shortly after applying Bal d'Afrique, I went to the theater to see Hotel Transylvania 2 (because I'm an adult), and I noticed that there were small children sitting all around me. I occasionally noticed something that smelt vaguely like urine and I assumed it was the children...until I got out of the theater and realized it was me. Something about this one stinks like straight-up pee on my skin! Maybe it's the jasmine they used, because jasmine can smell quite fecal, or the fruits and musks just don't blend well with my chemistry. But that bad smell is definitely there. To be fair, the drydown is decent on my skin: it's an unusually smooth and soft vetivier. But a few hours of not-so-bad vetivier do not make up for the rest of it.

Shortly after receiving my manufacturer's samples, I contacted Byredo and asked them if I should try 1996 or M/Mink. They responded within the week and sent a very helpful and thoughtful email. But after trying almost half of the line, I've come to the conclusion that Byredo fragrances aren't worth the price for me. Maybe I'll try M/Mink in the future, but for now, I think I'll leave the line to the fashionistas and the cool guys.

BOTTOM LINE: Byredo makes some lovely fragrances, but very few are unique or outstanding. Much of the love for this line seems to come from the scents' wearability and the brand's "chic factor." Best for folks who like easy-to-wear standards that will look great on their vanity.

The Hype Machine is a series that represents my experiences and opinions. It is not meant to be a personal attack on a specific company, product, or consumer. I always recommend that you try products for yourself and see how they work for you. Everybody is unique, after all!