Selena Gomez's beauty range, Rare Beauty, offers a comprehensive selection of products, from foundation to lipstick and makeup brushes. This review delves into several key items from the collection, providing an in-depth look at their performance, formulation, and overall value.
Personal Skin Profile
The reviewer's skin tone can fluctuate between cool and slightly warm undertones depending on the season, and occasionally exhibits redness due to acne scarring. This personal context is important for understanding how the makeup products perform on different skin types and conditions.
Rare Beauty Product Reviews
Initially, the idea of another celebrity beauty line prompted skepticism, but the Rare Beauty range at Sephora sparked genuine intrigue. In a crowded beauty market, the brand's formula and overall vibe stood out. It's important to note that all products were purchased by the reviewer, offering an unbiased perspective compared to gifted reviews.
Primer: Always An Optimist Illuminating Primer
The Rare Beauty Always An Optimist Illuminating Primer retails for $26.00 USD for 0.94 oz/ 28 ml and $14.00 USD for 0.5 oz/ 15 ml, and is exclusively available at Sephora. It comes in a sheer, frosted nude-pink bottle with a pump dispenser, which is travel-friendly and minimizes breakage risk.
Shade and Formula
This illuminating primer is available in one universal shade: a very light pearly white with fine shimmer particles. The formula is extremely sheer, making it suitable for all skin tones. It has a gel texture that feels light and refreshing, providing a hydrated finish without any wet, sticky, or greasy residue. While it appears pearly white in the bottle, its color is unnoticeable on the skin, imparting a natural, fresh, and soft glow. The primer creates a smooth texture on the skin, like a dried gel veil, allowing foundation to sit evenly and look flawless. However, it does not significantly improve foundation adherence or longevity, nor does it control oil.
The primer can be considered a liquid illuminator due to its pigmentation. It works well on its own, mixed with foundation, or applied underneath. Its versatility allows it to be used as a targeted highlighter for a subtle glow. For its price, it's considered a lovely and worthwhile product, especially for those seeking an affordable illuminating primer that offers a fresh finish and smooth texture for foundation application.
Liquid Blush: Soft Pinch Liquid Blush
The Rare Beauty Soft Pinch Liquid Blush retails for $20.00 USD and is exclusively available at Sephora. These blushes are housed in small, frosted tubes resembling lip gloss, each with a doe-foot applicator and a gold cap. The packaging is user-friendly and travel-friendly.
Shades and Finishes
These liquid blushes are available in 8 shades, with 4 matte and 4 dewy finishes. The availability of both matte and dewy options caters to different preferences and skin types. The reviewer purchased one shade of each finish: Joy (Dewy), a vibrant coral, and Bliss (Matte), a soft peachy pink.
Formula and Application
The liquid blushes are highly pigmented, with a tiny dot being sufficient for full coverage. The reviewer recommends applying a small amount to the back of the hand before using a brush or fingers for blending. The formula blends out easily, providing a natural and fresh flush. The matte formula gives a glow-from-within appearance, while the dewy finish offers a fresh and glowing look. Due to their intense pigmentation, these blushes offer excellent longevity, lasting over 8 hours, making them suitable for all skin tones.
The formula is described as unique and exceptional, with universally flattering colors and effortless application. The blushes provide a brightening lift to the face, whether worn with or without foundation.
Highlighter: Positive Light Liquid Luminizer Highlight
The Rare Beauty Positive Light Liquid Luminizer Highlight retails for $22.00 and is exclusively available at Sephora. The highlighters come in a clear tube with a large, chunky doe-foot applicator.
Shades and Formula
This highlighter formula is available in 8 shades, ranging from light pearl to rich bronze, offering options for various skin tones. The shade Flaunt, a bronze champagne, was chosen by the reviewer. It appears bronze in the tube but sheers out to a more natural, golden hue on the skin.
The formula is smooth and silky, gliding easily onto the skin. A small amount is sufficient, and it blends seamlessly with an ultra-fine pearl that doesn't emphasize skin texture. The finish is a natural, soft luminosity rather than a metallic shine. While buildable for a more intense glow, it's not designed for a bold shimmer. The pigmentation is soft, providing a tint that adds nuance to the highlight. The liquid formula is versatile and can be mixed with foundation or blush for added glow without significantly altering their colors. It sets close to the skin, offering long wear (beyond eight hours on dry skin) without feeling wet.
Makeup Brushes: Rare Beauty Brush Collection
The unique shapes of Rare Beauty's brushes made them a point of particular intrigue for the reviewer.
Liquid Touch Foundation Brush
The Rare Beauty Liquid Touch Foundation Brush retails for $28.00 USD and is exclusively available at Sephora. This brush features a unique angled shape with a pinched end, making it dense and short. Its shape allows for precise application along facial contours and into crevices.
The bristles are dense and soft. This brush excels at foundation application, providing a flawless, blended finish with smooth sweeping motions. A stippling motion can be used for increased coverage. It works well with various foundation formulas, including powders and creams, buffing product into the skin for a seamless, natural finish with minimal product absorption. The reviewer found its versatility extended to applying cream bronzer, highlighter, and blush, making it a highly functional and effortless tool. The reviewer plans to purchase more due to its ability to perform exceptionally well with multiple product types.
Liquid Touch Concealer Brush
The Rare Beauty Liquid Touch Concealer Brush retails for $16.00 USD and is exclusively available at Sephora. This brush is a smaller version of the foundation brush, sharing the same pinched angled shape and density. It is effective for blending and maintaining coverage.
The tightly packed, dense, and soft bristles, along with the angled shape, make it ideal for concealing around the nose and under the eyes, blending seamlessly into smaller areas. While it can also be used for precise contouring, highlighting, and even as an eyeshadow brush, its versatility is somewhat limited compared to the foundation brush. However, it is considered an excellent and beautifully constructed brush, offering greater precision for targeted application.
The Look
For the look created, no foundation was used. The application consisted of the Bliss matte Liquid Blush and the Flaunt Liquid Highlighter on the cheekbones.
Final Thoughts
The Rare Beauty range has left a strong positive impression. The standout products are the liquid blushes and the foundation brush, praised for their versatility, craftsmanship, and seamless application. The liquid blushes, though highly pigmented and potentially requiring a learning curve, blend beautifully to create a natural flush with impressive longevity. The foundation brush is noted for its ability to apply any product to the face flawlessly. The brand's natural aesthetic aligns well with Selena Gomez's personal style, and the products feel thoughtfully developed with unique formulations that perform exceptionally well. The range successfully avoids feeling like a celebrity cash grab, offering well-executed and innovative makeup.