astoldbymika.com

Tag: beauty review

COP OR FLOP: Do You Need the New Black Opium Illicit Green Perfume in Your Collection
I may earn a commission for purchases made through links in this post, however, all opinions are my own—YKTV.
Is this a safe space? The obvious answer is yes. I’m am not a huge fan of the cult-classic YSL Black Opium Eau De Parfum—there I said it. To clarify, I think the OG Black Opium smells great but it’s not a must-have in my fragrance collection. The slight powderiness of the fragrance is a bit off-putting for me. It reminds me of whatever fragrance my third-grade teacher drowned herself in daily or something my mother or grandmother would adore. But moving right along.
What is Black Opium Illicit Green Eau De Parfume?
YSL came in swinging 2022 with a new version of the beloved fragrance dubbed Black Opium Illicit Green. This reimagined version of Black Opium features new scent notes like fig and mandarin for a fruity non-powdery twist on a fragrance that perfume aficionados know and love. Of course, I blind purchased the fragrance when it dropped at the end of January to see if this was a version of Black Opium that could claim a spot in my growing fragrance collection.
What are the fragrance notes for Black Opium Illicit Green Eau De Parfume?
Price: $30 (travel spray), $78 ( 1oz perfume spray), $115 (2.5oz perfume spray)
Fragrance Family: Warm & Spicy–Warm & Sweet Gourmand
Key Notes: Green Mandarin, Fig, Coffee
Top Note:Fig Leaf, Green Mandarin, and Pear
Middle Notes:Fig, Jasmine and Orange Blossom
Base Notes: Bourbon Vanilla, Coffee, and Patchouli

Fragrance Description: ” Like a shot of adrenaline, this fragrance features a signature accord of black coffee twisted with luscious, juicy green mandarin and creamy fig. A zesty and unique take on the classic Eau de parfum, Black Opium Illicit Green is energizing and thrilling to wear.” Sephora.com
SHOP ON SEPHORA.COM
SHOP ON YSLBEAUTYUS.COM
READ LATER: An Honest Review Of Kilian’s “Princess” Perfume (Brace Yourself)
What’s the difference between the original Black Opium perfume and the New Illicit Green?
If you have a decent nose for identifying scent notes, you’ll immediately notice the hint of fig and mandarin which makes this perfume a lot less powdery than its predecessor. Both scents overall smell pretty much the same. With that being said, if you already own the original you may want to skip the newest version unless you’re a die-hard Black Opium fan that wants to collect them all like infinity stones.
My Thoughts: Is Black Opium Illicit Green Worth The Hype?
Let me start by saying I absolutely prefer the Black Opium Illicit Green over the original. As I mentioned before, the fruity notes did wonders for making this fragrance non-powdery which is my preference. Black Opium Illicit Green is as sexy as the original but more fitting for my personal tastes. I’m all for wearing perfume whenever you want but I’d label this as a Fall/Winter/Nighttime kind of fragrance. It’s sultry and sexy which is why I wouldn’t wear it during the day or in the middle of the summer.
Packaging + Bottle
For this Black Opium launch, YSL didn’t stray too far from the original packaging and bottle, only putting a hint of green to distinguish it between its sister scents.
Does the scent ofBlack Opium Illicit Green Eau De Parfume last?
After wearing it on three occasions, I have to say not so much. After just a couple of hours of wear, the scent is pretty faint. I’ve experienced the same thing when wearing the Original YSL Black Opium Perfume. For fragrances that can feel very overpowering at first, they become rather subtle rather quickly. I thought that this was just a “me thing” but when I did a poll on my Instagram, most people felt the same.
However, if you’re really into any of the Black Opium fragrances and want to make them last longer, I’d recommend applying Vaseline on your pulse points before spraying in order to help the fragrance last longer.
Pro-Tip: Apply Vaseline to your pulse points (wrists, inner elbow, chest, behind ears and behind knees) before spraying perfume to increase the longevity of the fragrance. You can purchase Vaseline on Amazon, Target, CVS and most other drugstores. (Click links to shop).
Where can I buy Black Opium Illicit Green Eau De Parfum?
YSL Black Opium Illicit Green Eau De Parfum is exclusively available at Sephora and YSL. You can shop or save to your wishlist by clicking the buttons below.
SHOP ON SEPHORA.COM
SHOP ON YSLBEAUTYUS.COM
February 1, 2022
[REVIEW] Rihanna Smells Like “Heaven” so she created her own perfume
Word on the street is Rihanna smells good as hell. After years of celebrities raving about how good the “bad gyal” smells, Rihanna finally decided to drop her own perfume. I guess she figured we all would like to smell like success and good vibes. Summer 2021, Fenty Beauty and Rihanna blessed us with the FENTY Eau de parfum, the first scent from the former singer’s namesake brand.
FENTY Eau De Parfum Scent Notes

View this post on Instagram
“Magnolia and musk unite with tangerine, blueberry and hints of Bulgarian rose absolute, geranium and patchouli”- FentyBeauty.com.
SHOP AT FENTYBEAUTY.COM
SHOP AT SEPHORA
Does FENTY perfume smell like Kilian Love, Don’t Be Shy (Rihanna’s previously rumored favorite perfume) ?
Credit: Sephora.com
Kilian Love, Don’t be Shy fragrance profile (from Sephora.com)
Fragrance Family: Floral
Scent Type: Warm Floral
Key Notes: Orange blossom, Vanilla Absolute and Luscious Marshmallow
Long before Rihanna dropped FENTY Eau De Parfum, it was rumored that her perfume of choice was Love, Don’t Be Shy from luxury fragrance house Kilian Paris. If you haven’t smelled this fragrance, let me be the one to tell you that the scent is absolutely divine. It’s expensive as hell (around $195 for a travel set), but I can see why Rihanna would be a fan.
While Kilian Love, Don’t Be Shy and FENTY Eau De parfum both have sweet elements, I don’t find them similar at all. But why would Rihanna copy and paste a perfume in the first place? Duh. Love, Don’t Be Shy is much sweeter, intense scent. FENTY Eau de parfum has a unique fragrance profile with some earthy and woody elements but dries down soft and sweet with a slightly musky undertone. According to the brand, it creates a unique scent for everyone based on their body chemistry.This is a good time to mention that the fragrance is unisex, in case you were wondering.
Read Later: FENTY Skin Review
Thoughts on FENTY Eau De Parfum (shop here)
Let me lead by saying that the FENTY fragrance smells great in my opinion and unique. I can’t reference one perfume that smells identical to it. When I first sprayed the scent, it came off somewhat masculine and very intense, but once it dries down, the fragrance is subtle—with my body chemistry, it has a great balance of sweetness and musky. It pairs really well with sweeter fragrances (especially those with hints of vanilla-like NEST Madagascar Vanilla Perfume Oil). The scent feels luxurious and sultry (major rich bitch vibes), and the warm amber glass bottle is absolutely stunning.
I recently discovered that I’m one of those people who sometimes don’t smell perfume on themselves. Initially, I thought this fragrance didn’t last, but apparently, it smells amazing, according to the compliments I’ve gotten while testing it out. Rihanna and her team recommend spraying directly to the chest to get the most out of the fragrance (they’re not wrong). Of course, you should apply to your pulse points (wrists, behind elbows, behind knees, lower throat, and behind ears) as you would any other perfume.
@mikadadiva
It’s giving rich baddie. Have you guys smelled? #fentybeauty #fentyskin #fentyparfum #fentyperfume
♬ original sound – ASTOLDBYMIKA💕
Additionally, I love spraying this fragrance in my hair (wigs, not my natural hair). I can’t explain it, but this scent smells particularly good in my hair compared to some of my most loved fragrances. Personally, when Fenty hair care becomes a thing, I wouldn’t mind it if the Fenty Eau de Parfum scent was the fragrance for the products. Rihanna, if this perfume launch was you checking the temperature for Fenty Haircare, your secret is safe with me.
For my chemistry FENTY Eau de Parfum indeed smells really good, but it wasn’t necessarily what I imagined in a fragrance from FENTY. While I don’t think it will be my signature scent (I’m still exploring that), I don’t regret buying it and adding it to my growing collection. FENTY Eau De Parfum is not a crowdpleaser but those who are open to indulging in something outside of their comfort zone truly enjoy this perfume. I’ve literally have had strangers tell me how good this perfume smells on me even though they think it smells horrible on them—that goes to show that it truly pulls on body chemistry.
SHOP AT FENTYBEAUTY.COM
SHOP AT SEPHORA
Fenty Parfum Body Creme

View this post on Instagram
If there’s one thing to know about Fenty it’s that their Butta Drop Whipped Oil Body Cream gives a lasting glow like no other. Surprise—a body creme will be launching with the Fenty signature scent. The brand describes the scent of this body creme as “A deliciously thick, whipped oil body crème that intensely hydrates scented with @badgalriri’s iconic, intoxicating personal fragrance.” We can expect this Fenty Parfum Body Creme to hit Sephora and FentyBeauty.com on September 1st, 2023.
I may earn a commission for purchases made through links in this post, however, all opinions are my own—YKTV.

September 10, 2021
Morphe Tapped Into Black Women In Beauty For Their “Filter Effect Foundation” Launch
I may earn a commission for purchases made through links in this post, however, all opinions are my own—YKTV.
Once upon a time, Morphe was a key player in my life as far as makeup is concerned. As a broke beauty enthusiast, Morphe always held your girl down, dropping products that fit my budget while offering the quality of prestige makeup that I couldn’t afford. From visiting the Morphe store in Los Angeles to waiting on long ass lines at IMATS to get deals at their booth, it’s safe to say your girl stanned the hell out of Morphe at a point in time.
Why I stopped buying Morphe
In the most recent years, Morphe completely lost me as a fan by repeatedly aligning themselves with problematic brands and Influencers such as Jeffree Star, Nakita Dragun, and Laura Lee. A long story short, I haven’t been checking for Morphe until their most recent launch—The Morphe Filter Effect Soft Focus Foundation in which the brand tapped into some of my fav Black Beauty Gurus to launch.
What drew me to this Morphe launch?
When Morphe announced that they were launching this new skin-like foundation with MakeupShayla as the face and makeup artist Danessa Myricks as the creative director and photographer, it caught my attention immediately. I’m trying to be on the right side of “cancel culture”, so instead of automatically assuming the brand was pandering to the Black community, I decided to embrace the launch and hope their intentions are pure (FYI, I’m playing you hella close from this day forth, Morphe).
Deet’s on Morphe’s Filter Effect Soft-Focus Foundation
Credit: Morphe
# of Shades: 40
Coverage: Buildable
Finish: Natural
Price: $20
Retailers: Morphe.com, ULTA
My Shade: Filter Rich 28
What does the Morphe Filter Effect Soft Focus Foundation claim to do?
Key Claims (pulled from ULTA):
- Hyaluronic Acid boosts moisture levels and vitamin E delivers antioxidant protection
- Pore-blurring pigments diffuse the look of imperfections
- Natural, buildable coverage
- Longwearing, sweatproof, and transfer-proof
- Free of oils, fragrances, and parabens
- Luxe formula crafted in Italy
FYI, I tried this foundation FOUR times before writing this review
https://www.instagram.com/p/CLH8r_DFjBO/
I often try foundations more than once when writing reviews mainly because first impressions can often be faulty. Also, I initially used a concealer that I honestly don’t think I like very much and needed to make sure that I was judging the foundation based on its actual performance and not other products I used with it.
With that being said, I reccomend using other complexion products like concealers and powders with this foundation only if they give off skin-like finishes and natural coverage as well. Otherwise, it may leave your face looking a hot mess.
Some of my favorite concealers (that work well with Morphe Filter Effect Soft-Focus) are:
- Fenty Beauty Match Stix Matte Contour Stic k (technically a contour stick but works as a concealer if you have a light enough shade)
- NARS Soft Matte Complete Concealer
- PAT McGRATH LABS – Sublime Perfection Concealer
The verdict
I can’t lie, several points were made with Morphe Filter Effect Soft-Focus Foundation. While it isn’t (in my opinion) truly long-wearing, sweat-proof, or transfer-proof, it looks SUPER natural. Even when you build up the foundation it looks and feels like skin (probably due to the formula including key skincare ingredients like hyaluronic acid and vitamin E). Though it transfers from my experience (especially while wearing a mask), my skin still looked flawless by the end of the night.
It’s clear that this formula isn’t meant to be a full-coverage, cover all of your flaws type of foundation. It seems nearly impossible to cake up this product—if you want a skin-like finish you can’t go wrong with Morphe Filter Effect Soft-Focus especially for only $20.
I’m going to end this by saying. if Morphe wants to show they’re truly working to be inclusive they need to continue including Black women behind the scenes and in other facets of their business. Also, Morphe girl, just stay away from the problematics. I need this energy all the time or not at all.
The Morphe Filter Effect Soft-Focus is currently available on Morphe.com and at ULTA. Share this post and let me know if you plan on trying!
SHOP ON MORPHE.COM
SHOP ON ULTA.COM
February 17, 2021
Cop or Flop | Fenty Beauty Gloss Bomb Cream Color Drip Lip Cream
I may earn a commission for purchases made through links in this post, however, all opinions are my own—YKTV.
Unless you’re new here (if you are, what’s poppin’ sis), you know that I live for Fenty Beauty Gloss Bomb Universal Lip Luminizer (say that three times fast). Even with me being inside for the majority of 2020 and now 2021 going into 2022 (damn), I used this magical gloss pretty often. In conclusion, Fenty Beauty Gloss Bomb is chapstick for bad bitches, and I will never stop using it as such. And now we have Fenty Beauty Gloss Bomb Cream Color Drip Lip Cream to add to our bad bitchery.
When I caught wind that Fenty Beauty would be dropping a shimmerless version of the Gloss Bomb, dubbed Gloss Bomb Cream Color Drip Lip Cream, I was on the fence. While I was intrigued by it not having any glitter, I also thought, “if it’s not broke, then why to try to fix it?”.
Keeping reading for my honest thoughts and shade try on.
I’m a bit crazy so I purchased every shade from Sephora (using their in-store pickup option, which I highly recommend), and here are the swatches plus my honest opinions.
Shades
Fenty Glow
This shade is meant to be the OG Fenty Glow Gloss Bomb’s exact color match without the glitter. I think this color is FIRE but it looks a little pinker on my lips than the OG Fenty Gloss Bomb does (see my IG pic below to compare).
https://www.instagram.com/p/Bsgw5KQAZ20/
SHOP ON FENTYBEAUTY.COM
SHOP ON SEPHORA.COM
Cookie Jar
Described as a chocolate caramel shade, it’s clear that this gloss was made with melanin in mind. This is def a nude gloss that I would wear without any lip liner.
SHOP ON FENTYBEAUTY.COM
SHOP ON SEPHORA.COM
Honey Waffles
This nude gloss is literally everything, especially if you have a warm skin tone like myself. The name couldn’t describe it any more perfectly. Complete transparency—I used a brown lip liner (shade Intense Cafe from Clinique) and it made the shade look almost identical to Cookie Jar. With that being said, I don’t think it’s absolutely necessary to pick up both.
SHOP ON FENTYBEAUTY.COM
SHOP ON SEPHORA.COM
Fruit Snackz
I don’t know who needed to hear this, but red glossy lips are truly that girl. I used MAC’s legendary “Nightmoth” Lip Liner to create the combo before applying the gloss on top. The centermost part of my lip is the truest depiction of Fruit Snackz color.
SHOP ON FENTYBEAUTY.COM
SHOP ON SEPHORA.COM
Mauve Wive$
Honestly, I didn’t think I would like this shade as much as I did; however, when paired with the right liner (aka MAC”s Nightmoth). It’s perfection!
SHOP ON FENTYBEAUTY.COM
SHOP ON SEPHORA.COM
Verdict
Okay, so boom. I’m 100% feeling this new addition to the Fenty Gloss Bomb family. The shimmer in the original formula never bothered me but it’s nice to have an option without that has a bit more pigment. Of course, in these times wearing this gloss with a mask may not be desirable. In that regard, I have to say it’s not a “must-buy right now” kind of product but if you’re like me and love applying gloss in the comfort of your own home, I say go for it, boo.
How about that pigment?
I think a lot of us were expecting the Fenty Beauty Gloss Bomb Cream Color Drip Lip Cream to be much more pigmented than what it is however, we have to keep in mind that it’s still a lipgloss, not a lipstick. I did attempt to layer to the gloss heavy to make the color appear more pigmented but let me be the first to tell you that’s not a great idea. Applying too much of the Gloss Bomb Cream inevitable makes the color separate on your lips. While the Sephora description describes it as a medium-to-full coverage gloss, I think sticking to just one swipe is best.
I don’t prefer the Fenty Beauty Gloss Bomb Cream Color Drip Lip Cream over the OG Fenty Gloss Bomb range however, I don’t regret adding to my collection and can see the new lip drip being a part of my stay at home glam.
Let me know if you plan on picking up any Fenty Beauty Gloss Bomb Cream Color Drip Lip Creams. And don’t forget to share this post with a friend so they can see swatches and sip this tea!
SHOP ON FENTYBEAUTY.COM
SHOP ON SEPHORA.COM
December 17, 2020
REVIEW—Is Fenty Beauty Gloss Bomb REALLY That Good?
I may earn commission for purchases made through links in this post, however all opinions are my own—YKTV.
Ever since Fenty Beauty hit the scene in the fall of 2017, more than several points have been made. One of these points being the infamous Fenty Beauty Gloss Bomb Universal Lip Luminizer (say that three times fast). (more…)
March 2, 2020