Everyone loves a birthday, particularly when surprises are involved. Last week, two well-timed surprises happened in quick succession at Glossier HQ: First, Jasmin Johnson stopped by for a little makeup chat and surprised us when she mentioned it was her birthday that coming weekend. (By the time this publishes, she'll be 21—go crazy, girl.) Then, Tom Newton surprised her by presenting her with all the new Fenty summer launches—the very launches Jasmin went to Sephora to buy as a birthday treat. But they were sold out! Good call, Tom. Never has an in-office makeup session come at a better time.
Of everything in the Fenty grab bag, the Bilingual Lip Luminizer, an orange lip gloss with fuchsia undertones, was the first thing Jasmin reached for because she "saw Rihanna use it in the Vogue video and girl, her lips were poppin'." Yes indeed. Unlike the original universal Gloss Bomb (the ITG March Madness 2018 winner), Bilingual—along with Single (Rihanna's seafoam Little Mermaid moment), Ready To Mingle (a full on violet), Snake Skin (a pinky-green), Mermaid Thighs (a cobalt-purple), and Vaycray (goldipink)—are all about multi-dimensional, shocking color. Jasmin's pick was rosy enough to be mistaken for highlighter. "Anything is a highlighter to me," she said, ever the opportunist. But that was before she picked up Rum, the silky, shimmery, topaz Skinstick from the original Fenty drop. (But do you even remember a time before Fenty? Probably not.) Reflective enough to work on the high points of the face, but smooth enough to blend into the hollows and "chisel out the cheeks a bit."
The gloss is great, the Matchstix are iconic. But the Killawatt Foil in Mimosa Sunrise and Sangria Sunset? Beach please. It's too much! The hot sherbet on the left and sparkly magenta on the right are just begging for real estate on the face next to Bilingual. The powder is as close to perfection as it gets. Not so creamy that you're accidentally smushing your brush into your compact, but with a color payoff you'd expect from a more liquid formula. Hangs on tight, too. Blend together for a very festive peach glow. Wear it whenever—still works if it's not even your birthday.
Jasmin Johnson (Marilyn) photographed by Tom Newton.
