I am back writing the kind of review I want to read! And apparently, thousands of others are looking for this content as well. Fear not, I am here to answer all your questions because I love researching things before I buy them and I might as well share my findings!
I have updated my reviews of:
The entire Westman Atelier makeup line as of Summer of 2020.
If you're searching for reviews of the following, you'll find them in Part 1.
Super Tinted Loaded Highlighter
Lip Up Highlighter Stick
Lip Suede
Beauty Butter Bronzer
Baby Cheeks Blush Stick
Face Trace Contour Stick
Eye Pods
Eye Love You Mascara
These are pricy products, so if you're looking to save, make sure you check out the Westman Atelier listings at Glou. These are some of our hottest products, so if you don't see what you want in-stock, fill out our product request form and Team Glou will reach out to our network of sellers to find it for you. (We usually can).
New additions in this review:
Squeaky Clean Liquid Lip Balm
Skin Activator
Vital Skincare Complexion Drops
Vital Pressed Skincare
Bonne Brow Defining Pencil
Liquid Superloaded
I have middle-aged tastes, so Westman Atelier's whole vibe is right up my alley. The products that I have bought and purchased are ones that I continually reach for and travel with. What you need to know is that I am cheap enough that I only travel with a "personal item"and anything that is deemed "travel-worthy" is the best of the best. Westman Atelier is really expensive. However, Gucci Westman has won me over again and again with phenomenal products, customer care, and unprecedented levels of transparency into her process. Not to mention access to Gucci herself.
Squeaky Clean Liquid Lip Balm 50 CAD / 38 USD
6 shades
First off, I am a lip product junkie. At time of writing I have 21 lip products on my desk. So when I repurchase a product, it's a big deal! Squeaky Clean is my go-to every day lip gloss. It's got packaging and formulation DOWN.
I have never, ever seen such a well engineered lip gloss container in my life. The lid clicks into place in the most satisfying way. It's not a hard click, it's a gentle soft click. It's the soft-close drawer of lip gloss tubes. And the subtle gold rim? Design perfection. The thoughtfulness is what makes this lipgloss the epitome of luxury.
I originally got this in Pipsqueak which is a sheer juicy red. The scent reminds me of lemonade which I LOVED. When I was running low on Pipsqueak, I ended up getting the muted rasberry shade Ma Puce (tbh, every time I read that I want it to say ma pubes) and was super disappointed when it didn't have as strong of a scent. Apparently the lemony scent was really key to my experience. I repurchased Pipsqueak recently and was greatly disappointed that the lemonade scent wasn't there. I've reached out to Westman Atelier and they assured me that the formula has not changed. However, judging by the reviews in 2021 people mention the citrus-y scent, but the more recent reviews people say it is scent-less. With the scent, this is my all time favourite gloss. Without it? It's just shy of perfection.
(Top: Pipsqueal; Bottom: Ma Puce)
Squeaky Clean checks all of my boxes, but if you're looking for something long lasting (relatively speaking for a gloss) and pigmented, this ain't it. If you're looking for something...
- more pigmented? Chanel Coco Rouge.
- cheaper? Tower28 Jelly Lip Gloss. (Less elegant formula, doesn't last long.)
- similar balmy, cushiony feel with a fresh citrus scent at a lower price point? Minori.
The only other full-size lipgloss I have depleted are the ones from Minori. The formula is less pigmented, and a go-to at my desk for moisturizing. She's a real hidden-gem.
The other thing I want to note is that this is not a lip oil. Those have been super popular lately, and this is definitely a balm. The glossiness wears off after a bit, so it's not a hard-core gloss either. So if you're looking for something lighter, more pigmented, you might prefer a lip oil. My favourite one is the one from Merit.
Vital Skincare Complexion Drops 88 CAD / 68 USD
20 shades
Shop Vital Skin Foundation for less at Glou. This product is typically sold out due to the one-off nature of listings, but the Glou team will be happy to hunt down your shade for you.
The first time I tried Kosas' Tinted Face Oil, I became obsessed with its unique formula. However... I ran into problems with it pilling with some skincare items, and it accentuating any sort of dryness. Somehow it was the chalky, drying, while also feeling greasy by the end of the day. It was not cute.
I thought these complexion drops would be similar. It is absolutely not.
They aren't as pigmented as the Kosas', which in this case is great. It actually makes it easier to build up and blend in. I have combination skin and really didn't know if this was going to be for me. It is definitely dewy, but paired with the Vital Pressed Skincare powder? The *perfect* level of glow is here. I really think these two are a match made in heaven. I thought this was going to be a winter kind of product, but it layers so well over my SPF
Vital Pressed Skincare 98 CAD / 75 USD
5 shades
Shop Vital Pressed Skincare for less at Glou. If the shade you are looking for isn't listed, fill out our product request form.
I had non-existent expectations for this powder because I'm not a powder user. I've tried, but ones that I like initially, always end up failing me in some way. I loved the blurring properties of the IT Cosmetics Bye Bye Pores, but it was too soft and crumbled easily. I enjoyed the Kosas one for a period of time as well, but it also broke in transit and tends to settle into pores.
With the Vital Pressed Skincare? You can’t overdo it with this powder. At first I was frustrated because I wasn’t picking anything up, but once I got through the top layer, magic. There were some spots that were showing signs of "hard pan", so I was nervous for the first few uses because I can't use a perfectly clean brush every single time I want to dip into the compact. But it doesn't seem to be in issue - it's just wearing away.
But the real magic is how it actually provides oil control over many, many hours. I work very late into the night, and even after wearing the oil based complexion drops all day, this powder kept the perfect amount of glowy. It’s not too mattifying and not drying at all.
It's also so lightweight that unless you're using it on top of something dewy, it's hard to tell it's doing anything at all. However, it's so good at keeping my skin balanced I'm reaching for it even on zero makeup days.
(Update from future Karen: I no longer reach for this. I'm truly too lazy to be bothered with a powder. There is some kind of weird semi-hard pan situation going on that makes me not want to pick it up.)
Bonne Brow Defining Pencil 50 CAD / 38 USD
4 shades
There's one thing that I really wish this brow pencil had and that was a gel at the end with the brush. The packaging seems made to be able to hold a gel, but it's just a dry spooly.
I asked my sister, who is an avid brow pencil user, to try this instead of her usual Hourglass to get her thoughts. She's extremely picky with her makeup and knows exactly what she likes and sticks with it. I took away her Hourglass from her makeup drawer, replaced it with Bonne Brow, and she immediately asked for it back.
I like the amount of pigmentation and how easy it is to lightly fill in spots, but I am just not reaching for it. It's really hard to compete with my Glossier Boy Brow and its ability to fill and hold in one step.
Skin Activator 198 CAD / 150 USD
Alas, Westman Atelier breaks into skincare.
This thing only comes with 20ml!!! Standard for a serum is 30ml. What I am looking for is a one and done product that is the day-time equivalent of my Augustinus Bader Rich Cream. Both Gucci, and reviewers have said that this one serum forgoes the need for another moisturizer, so here we are. The fewer products that I can travel with, the better. And having super luxe products with me makes travelling and living in hotels suck a little less. (Look, if my hotel room comes with a private bathroom, I'm living the high-life, okay? That's where we are in this start-up journey.)
I am fully aware that this is not a product made or marketed for someone in their 20s. From the disclosed ages of reviewers most customers seem to be between 57 and 84.
The texture is not great, but it's not so sticky that it completely ruins the user experience.
Packaging is like a larger version of their foundation sticks. I wish the packaging was a little more differentiated because the light pink and white look very similar at first glance. Finally, a refillable product! It reminds me of a travel perfume atomizer. The outer case, plus pump are to be reused, leaving just a glass vial to be rinsed and recycled. What I don't love is how the inner vial doesn't sit perfectly centred within the case. Everything else in the line is so perfectly engineered that I'm a little let down.
At this price point this better be a goddamn miracle in a bottle. I've been dying to try the Victoria Beckham x Augustinus Bader serum and primer, but that stuff isn't 20% off twice a year at Sephora okay? Someone PLEASE list it on Glou Marketplace for me. There has to be someone out there whose been gifted those and doesn't want them right?
(Update from future Karen: I actually really enjoy the texture of this serum now and it feel like a real treat to use. It has also earned a spot in my travel bag, which is pretty much the highest praise I can give any product - I travel light. It's just a great one and done moisturizer. She's still overpriced though.)
Liquid Super Loaded 78 CAD / 58 USD
Shop Liquid Super Loaded for less at Glou.
The original Super Loaded Tinted Highlighter in Peau de Peche has been a go-to product for three years. I cannot express my love for it enough. You can read my thoughts on it in my first Westman Atelier review. So, rarely is there a product that comes along that I need to get my hands on ASAP.
I was hoping that this would be like Drunk Elephant's D-Bronzi but, better? Because somehow this brand has been able to churn out product after product that makes me justify the price because the formulations are somehow slightly superior than any similar product I've tried.
Unfortunately, I think I like the D-Bronzi drops more... I always liked the idea of additive drops, when I was introduced to the idea via CoverFX's Enhancer Drops. An easy way to add slightly more coverage to sunscreen, or turn a liquid complexion product into a summer shade.
The Liquid Super Loaded is just a little too oily for my liking.
Wearing it on its own, it feels heavy and doesn't feel like it settles in like a good face oil does. And by the end of the day it managed to enhance the look of every pore and make me want to wash my face for feeling so oily.
And then there's the lemony scent... I want it in the liquid lip balm but doesn't want it all over my face.
I've been mostly using a drop or two in the Vital Skin Tinted Drops, and it's fine... It ends up feeling like I have too much product on my face. I wish the formulation was thinner, and designed more to be mixed with other products.
- Wear mixed with SPF
- Wear alone again
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