Welcome to The Great Beauty Try-On, where we seized the opportunity to test-drive the best-selling makeup products from some of your favorite beauty brands (plus some newcomers!) and documented the process along the way.
I’ll be the first to admit that my makeup application skills are lacking. Because of this and the fact that I’m a beauty minimalist, I never felt the need to buy expensive products in the past. I’m making an effort to learn and as my makeup game improves, I’ve been investing in more high-end products as a reward. My latest obsession is luxury makeup brand Westman Atelier, which I was first introduced to last year when I stumbled into a friend’s makeup bag. She let me borrow the cream highlighter and I instantly fell in love and finally decided to get one for myself along with the brand’s other best-selling products. Below, see two easy looks I created along with my review of each item.
I first created a look that is very much in my comfort zone. It’s natural, glowy, and perfect for daytime. I opted for the brand’s light coverage complexion drops, added some blush and highlighter on my cheeks, and then used a sheer pink lipstick. I then applied a barely there pink shadow on my eyelids with just a touch of green in the outer corners to make my hazel eyes pop. A swipe of mascara, a little brow pencil, and some pressed powder in my T-zone finished off the look. Not to brag, but I’m impressed with myself.
Part serum, part foundation, I was expecting these complexion drops to be similar to a BB cream, but the results were much more dewy and radiant. I recommend applying with your fingers for a natural look instead of using a brush or sponge. Fair warning: A little goes a long way.
While I wouldn’t typically spend $75 on a setting powder, this one warrants the price tag thanks to its lack of any pore-clogging or synthetic ingredients and the addition of vitamin C. I was a little intimidated by the stark white color, but the formula buffs right into the skin seamlessly.
This ultra-fluffy brush is perfect for applying setting powder without any streaks or creasing into fine lines.
I always feel like I’m spreading germs when I have to stick my finger into a product, so I love that Westman Atelier’s cream blushes are in a stick that can be applied directly to the skin. This one is the perfect pink shade for a rosy complexion.
If there’s one product category that Westman Atelier does right, it’s highlighter. Super Loaded is a more pigmented, creamy formula but I’m just as fond of Lit Up, a sheerer, gel highlighter. For daytime looks, this peachy shade is my favorite of the four options.
If you’re in the market for a light-pink gloss, I promise this is the one.
I’ve never felt an eye shadow with this texture before. It’s a mix between a cream and a powder but almost has an elasticity to it. I used this trio to create the above daytime look, primarily using the light-pink shadow, but focusing on the purple and green would make for a gorgeous evening look too.
I like that this brow product features a pencil on one end and a brush on the other, making it super convenient when traveling. The pencil is a bit thicker than other ones I’m used to so I used a very soft touch when applying it to my brows.
For an evening look, I wanted to focus on a more dramatic eye. This shadow palette allowed me to do just that—I used the dark purple shadow as a base and applied the black one as an eyeliner. For more coverage, I opted for the foundation stick this time after going in with some contour. I used two different highlighters on my cheekbones (because why not?) and applied a nude-pink lip gloss that has quickly become my new favorite.
Where has Vital Skin been all my life? It’s both a concealer and a buildable foundation and I can’t say enough good things about it. Side note: The shade finder feature on Westman Atelier’s website yielded very accurate results for me.
I have this brush to thank for my flawless foundation application.
This contour stick is light and blendable—perfect for contour beginners like myself.
You can create so many looks with these colors, and have I mentioned yet that the packaging is magnetic so you can stack them for easy storage? Because you can and it’s amazing.
I’ve been applying a small amount of this highlighter to the top of my cheekbones regularly and I’ve never received so many compliments.
This sheer, bronzy highlighter is perfect for getting that “just came back from the beach” glow.
This lip gloss must be in my purse at all times, it’s that good.
The luxurious packaging alone is reason enough to purchase this mascara—trust me.
