I made a number of cool finds in September, from makeup to clothing and more — in fact, there was only one disappointment this month, which was a nice surprise. Let's get right into the winners and duds.
Made the Cut
Simihaze Beauty SUN FLUSH + VELVET BLUR
Anyone who's been keeping up with The Cut has likely noticed a pattern: I'm a bit of a mark when it comes to Instagram ads. A number of the products I've tried have been influenced by ads I've seen in my feed, and we can add Simihaze Beauty to that list. I didn't know that the brand was created by twin influencers Sama and Haya Khadra and had actually never heard of them before discovering the brand (and... still know nothing about them). Intrigued by the look of the products, I decided to try their SUN FLUSH All-Over Face Tint ($35) in Soft and their VELVET BLUR Matte Lip Balm ($36) in Sahara.
The packaging on these products is unique and unusual: chunky, oversized tubes in vibrant green and pink that look great standing on a dresser or vanity. SUN FLUSH is a really nice multipurpose tint that can be used on the cheeks, eyes, and lips, though I only use it as a blush. It's not the most long-lasting blush but it at least lasts for a good part of the day and the shade Soft is a pretty, warm-toned nude. VELVET BLUR is more of a lipstick than a matte balm and the shade Sahara is a flattering pink-brown. One knock against this brand, though: the pricing is ridiculous. These products are absolutely not worth their price point and should be about $10 cheaper. It's not that they're garbage — as I just said, I really liked both of them and use them regularly — it's just that nearly $40 for a multipurpose tint or matte lip balm is high-end makeup pricing and these are definitely not high-end products. Well made and perform well, but not high-end.
IRIS AV EMMA Makeup Bag
Earlier this year, Gisou partnered with an independent creator named Emma Iris Halvarsson to put out a line of limited edition makeup bags. The bags sold out almost instantly after going live on Gisou's site and Emma, who's based in Sweden, saw a massive influx of business. She makes every makeup bag by hand and takes orders via DM on Instagram; customers either request a specific fabric or inquire as to what fabric she has available at the time, request specific zipper colors, and choose between the large and small size. Emma will give a shipping estimate (which varies depending on how many orders she has at the time), quote you a shipping cost depending on where you're located (she ships worldwide with some exceptions), and offers tracked international shipping for an additional fee. She sometimes has pre-made bags ready to ship out; DM her to ask about their availability.
I placed my custom order with Emma back in late May and she said it would take about eight weeks to finish my order, sometime in late July. It ended up being shipped out in late August and arrived in mid to late September. A couple of things contributed to the significantly later arrival time — delays in fabric shipments, Emma being slammed with orders which led to delayed communication — but the bag finally arrived and it's so cute. The fabric is thick and quilted, and the large size holds SO much product. I'm using mine to store my skincare and I still have even a little room to spare despite it being pretty stuffed. Head to Emma's Instagram account at @irisavemma to get info on bag sizing, pricing (prices are in SEK), and how to order. I feel that mine was worth the wait and loved being able to support her small business.
World Market Blush Abstract Quilted Carol Jacket with Pockets
I've been shopping at World Market since I was a kid, and as an adult have come to enjoy their jewelry, furniture, and home decor in addition to their great food offerings. Clothing is the one place where they struggle; perhaps it's just that most of what they sell isn't at all my style, but they just really don't offer very much and most of it isn't great.
The Quilted Carol Jacket ($59.99), however, is a real standout piece. The blush color is more versatile than one might think (it borders on being a neutral more than a pink shade) and the abstract pattern sewn into the jacket gives it a lot of visual interest. It's cool paired with a graphic tee, but equally as interesting paired with a simple white tee and jeans. It's incredibly soft and keeps me pretty warm without being too heavy — the perfect fall layer, and especially for fall in the Bay Area. Unfortunately, at the time of writing the jacket is sold out (looks like this was really popular because it just went live on their site recently), but you can sign up to be alerted when it restocks.
Wild Fable Women's Button-front Cropped Cardigan | Linen Floral
Nearly everything in my wardrobe is pretty neutral and understated. I like good texture, a graphic tee with a bold design that isn't too busy, or a simple pattern that isn't garish. But there is that part of me that can't resist some ultra-feminine print that reminds me of 90s Barbie clothes and Wild Fable's Button-front Cropped Cardigan ($20) in the Linen Floral print is exactly that.
I picked this up on a whim during a Target grocery run (because what Target run doesn't involve a run through the clothing section?) and just absolutely love it. It's very soft and the coral pink-red is such a good color. I paired it with a green tank for some interesting contrast and my checkerboard Vans for some pattern play. This cardigan runs on the small side; I wear XS in all tops at Target but had to size up to a S for this one. It's also cropped, so I prefer to wear mine with high-rise jeans. Nice to add something fun and unusual to my wardrobe every now and then.
Didn't Make the Cut
Glossier Monochromes
I get where Glossier's head was at with their recently-released Monochromes eyeshadows, but the word that keeps coming to mind for this product is "boring." These are simply boring. I can relate to the feeling of not wanting to buy an entire palette for one or even two shadows; this is why I really enjoy products like VIOLETTE_FR's Yeux Paint or buying single eyeshadows that I can easily apply with a finger for a simple wash of color. But as much as I might like a color, I can't see myself buying it in three different finishes and especially not metallic (I only wear matte eyeshadow).
Monochromes are one color in three finishes — matte, satin, and metallic — set in a recyclable tin, but you can't mix and match colors to build a palette of three different colors in whichever finish you prefer. So if, like me, you like one of the colors in one of the finishes, you'd have to either buy the Monochrome palette for the one color you want (completely defeating the purpose of eyeshadows meant to combat the practice of buying a palette for one color) or multiple Monochrome palettes to get all the colors you want and cobble together your own custom palette.
No thanks.
Glossier sells refills for the tins at a slightly cheaper price than the tin + eyeshadow, so it feels like a real opportunity lost to not enable consumers to build their own custom three-shade palette. Most of the colors are nice but everything about this product feels underwhelming, so I'll have to pass on these.
Be sure to check back next month for another round of products that made the cut and didn't, and thanks for reading my monthly series, The Cut.
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