Emily Johnson

LYS, you are SO on your game with this new Speak Love Lip-Plumping Glossy Lip Balm! I am so impressed! Spectacular give me 14 of them right now! LYS Beauty Speak Love Lip-Plumping Glossy Lip Balm ($19) is a new hydrating, glossy lip balm that plumps, hydrates, and provides beautiful color to lips that launched for Spring 2025 in 7 shade selections.

Can we just stop a moment and not only admire the fact this is an amazing formula but also, $19 bucks? Hello! Everything is skyrocketing lately but LYS Beauty still offers a nice mid-range price on their makeup and I’m so here for that.

Let’s chat this new Speak Love Lip-Plumping Glossy Lip Balm because you need it now!

Ok, so, I have a lot of glossy clicks pens I love! You already know most of them but they’re all in danger of being tossed aside because my new main squeeze is LYS Speak Love Lip-Plumping Glossy Lip Balm. This formula is all I need for shine, color, and moisture. Everyone else take a hike.

I’m rarely excited about new launches lately. I’ve tried so many formulas over the years that it’s sort of hard to catch my attention and make me rave but this is definitely one that had me standing up and cheering hard. I only have one shade right now but I’ll be collecting them all like pokemon shortly! I really shouldn’t be too surprised this formula rocks because just about everything LYS Beauty touches turns to gold. The Triple Fix Blurring Skin Tint Foundation Stick is one of the creamiest foundation sticks I’ve had the pleasure of using and that creamiest extends to these new lip balms.

I’m obsessed with the Speak Love Lip-Plumping Glossy Lip Balm packaging. It comes in a triangle-shaped barrel with metallic rose gold accents and a faux pink leather casing. It looks very sleek and luxurious. It does twist up versus clicking which I like however, don’t over click as you can click it down. A very SMALL amount goes a long way so one click should be fine.

Oh this is a dreamy formula. So moist, so slick, so melty. It glides on lips like melted butter and has outstanding shine not to mention it’s crazy pigmented! A single layer provides full color pay off, intense shine, and beautiful moisture. It wears so comfortably on lips, feels weightless, yet super hydrating. Although it does have a plumping formula it doesn’t sting but does give lips a fuller appearance and makes them look so juicy. I got the shade Truthful which is a nude brownish rose. It looks perfect on my skin tone! These wear for around three hours before they require a touch up. During that time the color looked smooth and flawless. They are fairly slippery and slick throughout that wear which made my lips feel nicely hydrated as I wore them.

lys beauty Speak Love Lip-Plumping Glossy Lip Balm Swatches in Truthful

I just can’t. I’m so terribly impressed with this formula. Absolutely gorgeous. Pigment, color, super shine, what more could a makeup lover want in their life? Thanks so much to LYS for sending me a shade to try! I absolutely will be purchasing more of these.

LYS Speak Love Lip-Plumping Glossy Lip Balm are available now plus use code LYS25ICL to get 20% off your total on their website.

Muse Approved!

Where to buy

Nordstrom Sephora

The makeup bangers keep dropping! I’m having crazy success with some of my new makeup purchases this spring and Revolution Beauty Blush Icon Palette is next to be added to the must get list. Revolution Beauty Blush Icon Palette ($12) is a new ONE/SIZE by Patrick Starrr Cheek Clapper 3D Blush Trio Palette dupe that launched about a week or so ago in four shade selections. The palette is made up of a cream blush, a matte blush, and a shimmery highlighter. You can wear the shades alone or mixed together to create a beautiful glowing blush look.

I absolutely loved this. I tend to have pretty good success with Makeup Revolution Blushes and this formula was another win for me. I’ll readily admit some of Revolutions products don’t always work out for me but some of their stuff is very, very good (I’m still mourning the loss of my beloved Conceal & Hydrate Foundation! I cry myself to sleep at night because it’s gone). And the Revolution Beauty Blush Icon Palette is going into the very, very good pile for me.

Revolution Beauty Blush Icon Palette comes housed in a rather flimsy plastic compact that holds a total of 0.09 oz in cream blush and 0.12 oz each of powder blush and highlighter. It’s $12 for each palette versus the price of Cheek Clapper at $38 at 0.38 oz. Obviously, Revolution Beauty’s product has a little less but is still considerably cheaper than One/Size. That being said, I do think the formula are a lot different and although, the idea and packaging is the same the formulas are not. I have two shades of Cheek Clapper and one of the Blush Icon Palette and I can confidently say that both are lovely but they are different. One/Size’s shimmer is a bit more pigmented so it can act as a blush or a highlighter and the cream is a lot more pigmented as well. The powders are a bit silkier and more refined versus the drier consistency of Revolution Beauty’s formula. I like them both a lot but they are different.

Let’s break down the Revolution Beauty Blush Icon Palette’s formula one by one. The first shade we get is a cream blush! And yes, it does have a separate cover which means you won’t get a messy kick up of powder on it when you use the other shades or close the palette. A small plastic cover protects the cream from the powders in the palette. You’ll notice my shades swatched rather poorly in my photo but the shades build beautifully and you can get a lot more pigmented from the cream and powder blushes if you add more layers. The cream is very thin, a little dry, but feels lightweight on cheeks and does apply smoothly. It does apply fairly sheer almost like a sheer tinted balm but as I said, you can build the color up very nicely.

Next we have the powder blush! This has a lot more pigment. It’s a bit dry and not overly powder! It applies beautifully and very smooth. I was worried it would adhere to drier areas on my face but it provided smooth, beautiful color. And it looks quite lovely on top of the cream! The two formulas jive well together.

And finally wee have the shimmery highlighter! This is my fav part! I got the trio in the shade Aura Points Blush and I purchased is solely because of the gorgeous highlighter which reminds me of the one in the Natasha Denona Bloom Face Glow Palette. It doesn’t swatch very well but the shade looks STUNNING on my cheeks. It’s a bit powdery but applies super smoothly. It’s shimmery so a little goes a long way! It adds the most incredible glow on my cheeks. I could SWEAR to use the effect is the same as I get from my Natasha Denona Palette at a way more affordable price tag.

The wear time is quite good on all three of these shades. The cream wears a solid six hours by itself, the powder blush around eight hours, and the highlighter I can get about seven hours before the radiance starts to fade. Used together I can get eight hours or of blush wear but the glow and shimmer from the powder fades at around hour seven.

Revolution Beauty Blush Icon Palette was a win for me. I really want to check out more shades. If you love a shimmery, glowing blush look DO give this a try.

Revolution Beauty Blush Icon Palette is available now!

Where to buy

Ulta

About the Muse

Isabella is just an average everyday geeky girl who doesn’t blend her eyeshadow correctly, wears too much blush, and hopes she never finds her holy grail products because she likes the thrill of the chase so much. Her mission is to bring you super honest reviews on makeup, skincare, fragrance and all things beauty. She’s in no way an expert on the topic and she sure as hell isn’t a super model. But she’s passionate about makeup and is seeking like-minded individuals that like pina coladas, getting caught in the rain, and ones that enjoy spending hundreds of dollars at Sephora without feeling buyer’s remorse. If you’re that person feel free to reach out and leave a comment or follow me on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and Bloglovin‘.

It’s time! Experiment Beauty Molecular Mesh Barrier Strengthening Moisturizer is dropping today at 12PM EST! What is Experiment Beauty Molecular Mesh Barrier Strengthening Moisturizer? It’s Experiment’s next big breakout skincare release. This new moisturizer performs double duty with a hydrating formula that helps to strengthen your skin’s barrier but also, packaged with ingriendets that help to repair it.

Experiment Beauty is still in it’s infancy as a brand but they have been slowly adding to their portfolio of amazing skincare line up. I started my journey with the brand when I purchased the Experiment Beauty Super Saturated Barrier Support Serum and just a few short months later when they dropped Buffer Jelly I immediately knew I had to it that to my collection as well!

I purchased both of these myself and loved them so much I found myself repurchasing them and adding them to my daily routine. My dry skin adores them. My posts gained interest from Experiment Beauty and when they launched Softwear and later on Plasma Wash I was one of the first people to try these new launches out. And now we come full circle as Experiment Beauty finally, much to everyone’s delight, launches a moisturizer. I was very flattered when several weeks ago Experiment reached out and said hey, want to try out newest top secret launch? Of course, I was all hells yes. I appreciated the fact they not only trusted me not to leak the info but also, the fact they gave me over a month to try out the product. Too many times I’m offered some new moisturizer or eye cream and immediately a brand wants me to post thoughts on it. I’ve grown with this blog and I realize that using skincare for a few days or a week does not make for a good review. Experiment gave me plenty of time to play with Molecular Mesh, try it out for skin, inject it into my routine, and see how my skin reacted to it.

These are my thoughts, review, and swatches of the new Experiment Beauty Molecular Mesh Barrier Strengthening Moisturizer.

Experiment Beauty Molecular Mesh Barrier Strengthening Moisturizer arrives in a 100% aluminum tube that holds 2 oz of moisturizer. Finally, a brand that understands how bad it is putting a moisturizer in a jar. Even my test sample came in a small tube and not a jar. The ingriendets will remain stable in this packaging. They do have a tube squeeze available so you can get every single last drop out of the tube. I believe they’ll be gifting it with your purchase today if you signed up in advance. If not, that’s ok, as I think the tube is easy enough to squeeze! They key is a nice to have item but the packaging is perfectly pliable. I’m an avid Ialuset user and I find Experiment’s packaging WAY easier to squeeze.

This formula is fragrance-free and promises to provide all day hydration, barrier repair, redness reduction, resilience (less prone to dryness and irritation), soothing, and bounciness.

Let’s start with the most important fact which is barrier repair. What is your skin barrier? Very simply your skin barrier is the outer layer of the skin. It’s made up of a mix of dead cells, lipids, proteins and fats which all act to protect your skin from the environment. Think of it like orange. An orange has a rind that you need to peel to get to the sweet, juicy fruit under it. It’s the same for your skin. It has a little bit of a tough exterior that is protecting the more tender skin under it. How do you know if your skin barrier is damaged or has been compromised? If you’re over exfoliating, using chemical exfoliants too often, or using harsher cleansers you may have damaged your skin barrier. How do you know it’s damaged though? You’ll notice rough patches, redness, tenderness, and sensitivity and even stinging when your apply your skincare.

I do not have a damaged skin barrier. The older I’ve gotten the more I care about what products I use, how I use them, and what ingredients they contain. I can’t speak to you about any miracles that Experiment Molecular Mesh is doing for repair damage because I don’t have any issues to repair. Nor do I have redness. I can speak to you from a dry skin girl’s stand point though and from a girl who lived through a pretty bitter Winter this year!

What was my skin like before using this? It’s been pretty damn cold in New York so my skin was very dry, tight after cleansing, a bit flaky, and I’d go so far as to say I had a little bit of windburn from skiing and snowboarding so, I guess that counts for a little bit of redness. After using my skin is bouncy, plumped, plush, and what I’d call juicy. It leaves skin feeling super hydrated and dewy but don’t worry it sets nicely and absorbs fully making it a great base for makeup. It did ease my wind burn and also, I’ve noticed my skin was a lot less dry the more I used it even after a cleansing which is when my skin is at it’s driest and tightest.

This is a gel moisturizer so it does absorb very rapidly. No matter how much you apply it sinks into skin beautifully and never feels oily or greasy nor does it create shine. It doesn’t sit on top of dryness it absorbs into skin and leaves behind a beautifully hydrated surface. I tend to apply it when my skin is a little damp which makes it feel even more hydrating. It’s a breathable formula so those of us with dry skin can slather it on without fear of it being too heavy under our makeup. And those with oily skin can use a little bit for just the right amount of moisture without it feeling oily or greasy. Even though it’s marketed as a repair cream I’d absolutely use this daily not only for moisture but also, to protect skin and keep it healthy.

What inside of it? It’s water-based with Glycerin, Squalane, Safflower Seed Oil, and a hot of triglycerides. Triglycerides help hydrate skin, improve it’s texture, help to enhance it’s barrier, their even anti-inflammatory. Not to mention we have Ectoin here as well which helps skin look younger and protect it against the environment. And of course, Experiment loaded it up with tons of moisturizing glycerin and we even have diglycerin so we have not one but two different water retention ingredients in this formula (squalane and diglycerin) which will help our skin to retain hydration. And of course there are soothing ingreidents as well since this is a Barrier Repair Cream! The first one is centella liposomes which is soothing and hydrating for dry, sensitive skin and can even help with eczema. The second is guaiazulene which will calm redness and helps to support the skin barrier further.

Experiment Beauty puts a lot of effort and science into their skincare and this new launch is no different than their others. Molecular Mesh Barrier Strengthening Moisturizer is a product you’ll want to buy to not repair it but also, to hydrate it and protect it. As a first time moisturizer launch this is a formula I can get behind and recommend to anyone who needs more moisture in their life or just needs a little help soothing dry and perhaps irritated skin.

Experiment Beauty Molecular Mesh Barrier Strengthening Moisturizer get a Muse Approval. I highly recommend checking this one out! Molecular Mesh Barrier Strengthening Moisturizer launches today at 12PM on Experiment’s website. If you’d like to support this blog you can use my promo code THEMUSE10 for 10% off. I get a small commission when you use my code. Thank you if you use it as it helps maintain this website.

Will you be indulging in Experiment Beauty Molecular Mesh Barrier Strengthening Moisturizer?

Where to buy

Experiment Beauty

Need a way to spruce up your purse? I got you! And it’s cheap too! If you got five bucks you need this little handbag strap! Here’s how I styled it.

I was at Target recently and came across this adorable little handbag strap! I popped it onto one of my Steven Madden bags and it just made everything looks so much more cuter. I can’t tell you how many times people have complimented on it. I’ve also, used it on smaller bag bags and it fits perfect.

They also, have a good $10 version which is a Gold Chain and Pearl Strap that’s just as pretty!

It’s such a simple, inexpensive way to spruce up an older bag or a new one! Highly recommend snagging this! It’s adorable.

Get it now at Target!

Where to buy

Target

I picked up a few items from the Lush Ramadan Collection and Basma Body Scrub was one of those items. I have to say, before I review Lush Basma Body Scrub, that their Ramadan Collection always has bangers in it. We got Sticky Dates from a Ramadan Collection and now we have at least two or three items (I’ll tell you more about those in another post that’s upcoming!) from this year’s collection that are pretty darn amazing as well! Let’s hope some of these items go as viral as Sticky Dates did so we can keep them around all year long!

As you already know I’ve become quite obsessed with Lush Body Scrub. I swear this formula has taken over my beloved Tree Hut Scrubs. Lush just keeps launching scrub after scrub and I can’t get enough of this formula. However, Basma Body Scrub, well, that’s a whole other story and a next level.

Someone at Lush decided to get all crazy with this formula because it’s not like the normal round of doughy Lush Scrubs we’ve been seeing. This is more of a jelly-like Tree Hut texture and I’m here for it. Honestly, it looks like smashed up fruit pulp! Don’t get me wrong I do like their regular formula but this is quite nice as well! But user beware it does make things a tad slippery in the shower! Nothing too crazy but there is a bit of slipperiness. This formula gets my dry elbows and knees super duper smooth! It goes from a grainy scrub to a luxurious lather the more water you add. And it smells divine!

It contains juicy raspberries, grapes, and blackcurrants. I smell a little bit of Comforter in it but also, some wild cherry comes through too! I realize cherry isn’t a note but that’s what I smell. It’s juicy, sweet, fruity, and delicious! I can’t get over how delicious it smells. I feel like I’m scrubbing my body in fruit pulp! It’s just delicious and the scent lingers beautifully skin well after your shower is over.

Too bad Lush Basma Body Scrub is limited-edition as this one is a keeper! I got a backup I loved it so much!

Lush Basma Body Scrub is available now at Lush stores or online.

Where to buy

Lush

Hey, did you hear? Catrice introduced a few new shades of Under Eye Brightener and also, there’s a new Catrice Under Eye Brightener Setting Powder to go along with it!

Catrice Under Eye Brightener Setting Powder is a new setting powder that sets concealer and brightens up the eye area. It’s available in four shade selections and priced at $6 (use code 58EB5HH05W6J for 10% off your Catrice order at Amazon).

I really like the pink shade of the Under Eye Brightener and they do the same shade in the new Under Eye Brightener Setting Powder but pink setting powders do nothing for my under eye area. They just make me look rather pasty! Thankfully enough, they have this available in a warm nude and although, I do prefer a banana shade I decided to give this a try!

Don’t buy this. Catrice has some brilliant products but this sadly isn’t one of them. First off, think about it, this is six bucks for 0.08 oz. You might have to pay twice that six dollars but you can get double or more product from any number drugstore brands. This is a pretty small amount of product and even if I really loved the formula I find the smaller pot is frustrating. I find it a bit messy to get my brush into it and if you use a triangle powder puff for baking you’ll experience the same mess. It’s just too small a pot! Granted, this isn’t really meant to bake with and I don’t bake so that’s fine by me! But if you are using a smaller blending brush just to set concealer with this is still too small a pot to get your brush into.

Secondly, the shade range isn’t it for this girl. They really missed the mark with the shades. Why is there no banana shade? They go from a pale pink to what they call a warm nude and have two darker shades called Golden Toffee and Dark Mocha. I thought that the Warm Nude would work out for me but it’s SUPER pasty pale. Honestly, when I purchased this I had some sort of high hope it would be some sort of dupe to the old Skin Food Skin Food Salmon Dark Circle Powder Review but it absolutely is not. The shade is warm too pale for me. I feel like the pink won’t work, this is too pale, and the other two shades look a little too dark. So, yeah, shade range is not really great in my opinion.

The formula isn’t particularly friendly for me either. It’s soft, silky, finely milled but terribly dry. I have drier under eyes and I prep very, very, well before anything goes under them but even after all my prepping this still settled into my finer lines. The texture is lovely but it’s just a bit too matte for me. It does apply easily on top of concealer and initially looks very smooth but after about 30 minutes it sinks right into my finer lines and starts aging me terribly.

Sadly, Catrice Under Eye Brightener Setting Powder just that great a formula. I wouldn’t recommend this one for a purchase. There are tons of loose powders on the market that are way better. It’s a no from me!

Where to buy

Amazon

It’s time my friends! Snif Hot Cakes dropped today! I’m not sure what happened but this highly anticipated gourmand is now available at snif.co! Notes of fluffy flapjack with melted butter, maple syrup, sugared musk, and berry compote makes up this new gourmand from Snif! Plus you can try it FREE! If you head over to the website and purchase the $65 bottle it comes with a 2ML sample. Once you get the set you won’t be able to spray the bottle but you can use the 2ML sample. If you LOVE IT you can go ahead and crack open that larger bottle and your credit card will be charged the 7th day of your testing your sample out. If you hate it, just returned the unused large bottle (they’ll send you a prepaid label to ship it back)! Pretty nifty right?

But wait, there’s more…!

Snif also launched a brand new selection of Body Mists that are meant to compliment the Hot Cakes Perfume! We have Extra Whip which has notes of icing sugar, vanilla, and cold aldehydes with sandalwood and musk! We have Hazel Nut with notes of milky cocoa with creamy hazelnut, slices of banana, and a swirl of coconut! And we have Berry Styles with notes of ripe blueberries and raspberries with lime, blue freesia, vanilla, and creamy woods. The body mists are available in 2.5 oz bottles for $22 each or 8 oz ones for $34.

Can’t decide on a topper? Neither could I! In that case, grab the Snif Hot Cakes + Toppings Layering Bundle! The set is $74 and features all three body mists in 2.5 oz sizes and a 10ML of the new Hot Cakes Perfume! You can mix, match, layer, and cocktail any and all of them together with your Hot Cakes.

The official launch for Snif Hot Cakes was set for tomorrow but they apparently let these loose early on their website. Sign up for their newsletter and text alerts to get 15% off! Or use code SNIF15 to enjoy the discount.

Where to buy

Snif

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Happy Monday, friends! Are you bright-eyed and bushy-tailed and if not is your eye cream at least making you look like that? Mine is. I ran out of Heimish Marine Care　Algae + Peptide Eye Cream which I immediately re-ordered (P.S. Did anyone know there’s a Marine Care Retinol For Face Serum! I totally grabbed it!) But have no fear, you know I have tons of eye creams to keep me nice and hydrated. I ended up hauling out Mizon Snail Repair Eye Cream instead and I forgot how much I love it. Awww! I had a brand new one I brought about two months ago and here I am just using it now.

Mizon’s formula contains a huge amount of snail secretion as well as Niacinamide as well as Meadowfoam. The formula promises hydration while improving dark circles, fine lines, and wrinkles. Personally, I’ve used it for a long time when it originally launched and I never noticed it doing much for darkness under my eyes BUT I also, don’t have major dark circles. I will say it’s a very thick, creamy formula that absorbs easily and does in fact make finer lines look fantastic. I’ve always been of the mentality that eye creams aren’t going to actually eliminate fine lines or wrinkles but what they will do is soften the look of them since these lines are typically worsened when you’re drier and the older you get the drier your eyes will become. The skin’s ability to retain water diminishes as you age especially in areas like the undereye are so it’s always a good idea to reach for the most hydrating under eye formula. This formula is perfect for dryness and it works beautifully under heavier, pigmented concealers as it allows them to apply easier and look smoother. Moral of the story if you’re eyes are dry you NEED to try this! It’s a gem!

Oh P.S. This week I’m in love with Marcus Chang. I’m leaving my boyfriend and Marcus and I are getting married, having kids, and I’m going to be a stay at home mom while he’s the CEO of some big company no one has ever heard of. In all seriousness, how is he 40 plus but looks 25? Is it the Mizon Eye Cream? Someone find out and get back to me before our kids are born. Also, you can see his pecs in almost every episode of Lost Romance. You know I love you too much not to share that with you!

Happy Monday! Get out there and be the good people I know you are and do it with lots of Mizon Eye Cream under your eyes.

Where to buy

iHerb Amazon

Ingreidents:
Water, Snail Secretion Filtrate (48,000ppm), Glycerin, 1,2-Hexanediol, Limnanthes Alba (Meadowfoam) Seed Oil, Niacinamide, Butylene Glycol, Cetearyl Olivate, Squalane, Polyglyceryl-3 Methylglucose Distearate, Sorbitan Olivate, Octyldodecanol, Cetearyl Alcohol, Glyceryl Stearate, Beeswax, Dimethicone, Polyacrylate-13, Palmitic Acid, Stearic Acid, Chlorphenesin, Phenoxyethanol, Polyisobutene, Ethylhexylglycerin, Adenosine, Polysorbate 20, Sorbitan Isostearate, Disodium EDTA, Betula Alba Juice, Prunus Amygdalus Dulcis (Sweet Almond) Seed Extract, Myristic Acid, Sodium Hyaluronate, Portulaca Oleracea Extract, Copper Tripeptide-1