an extremely thorough Auric Glow Lust Review coming at you. grab a snack.
A few weeks ago, a new brand came onto the scene. Auric Cosmetics, created by Youtuber Samantha Ravndahl, is a luxury brand that places an emphasis on inclusivity with their tagline “Golden together,” high quality, and high ethical standards in the beauty industry. I’m going to link to Sam’s launch video here, because she’ll be able to explain the brands inception and messaging better than I can. I purchased a few products from the brand’s initial launch and have been testing them for review over the past few weeks. So in this we’re going to jump into the Auric Glow Lust Review. You can also click here for a review on the Auric Smoke Reflect shadows.
general brand notes from me –
I’ve been subscribed to Sam’s Youtube channel for years, so I’m a little predisposed to liking the products. However, I get the vibe that this brand was really created to be a standalone brand and not only as an extension of Sam’s Internet personality. And because of that, it allows me better separate my opinions from my mild parasocial relationship with Sam and the actual products and brand.
And let me tell you, I’m intrigued by the brand. For a lot of reasons. But one of the main reasons is that it’s a different approach than most influencers take when starting their own cosmetics lines. A lot of influencers come out with a brand and are like, “Look at this unique color story I chose for this eyeshadow palette,” or they create an interesting lipstick color story. But Sam kind of led on that these products were going to be alternatives to some of her favorite products that, because of her only shopping cruelty free now, she can’t use.
something old, something new
So many brands, especially new influencer brands, try to be different and stand out. But it’s almost like she’s doing the opposite. And instead of trying to be incredibly transformative and reinventive of the makeup wheel, she’s almost being incredibly unique and inspiring.
Auric is taking an approach of taking what’s already there, on the market, and present in the industry and doing it better with much higher standards in ethics. It’s almost saying to the makeup industry, “Hey. I can do this. Why can’t you?.” And unlike brands like Colourpop, that serve up really good product for an affordable price tag, Auric has really positioned itself as luxury. In a Colourpop situation, you can get high quality product, this luxury experience, without having to pay for it.
But the reality of the situation is: the more ethical option in business is usually the more expensive one. So to truly get better product, in every sense of the word, you have to pay a higher price tag.
the basics –
So let’s get into the meat of the post and actually talk about the Auric Glow Lust Review.
What is the Glow Lust? It’s a 3-in-1 highlighting, smoothing, and hydrating product. The website describes it as being packed with ultra-fine pearl and a skin-loving mix of squalane, glycerin, and porcelain flower, this artistry-grade, adjustable formula gives your instant radiance and hydration.” Simple terms: it’s a liquid highlighter that you can also use as a mix in product or alone all over the face.
It retails for $45 on the brand’s website and is cruelty free, paraben free, fragrance free, glitter free, and gluten free.
some shade information
The Auric Glow Lust comes in 7 flexile shades. While 7 shades seems insignificant, especially from a brand that touts inclusivity, you have to remember the nature of the product. It’s not a coverage product. It’s not a foundation. The formula is designed to be more sheer and can be manipulated by using more or less to work with multiple skin tones. In theory, you should be able to make 1-3 shades work for you.
- Morganite – Light cool beige
- Selenite – Light warm beige
- Pyrite – Medium olive
- Citrine – Medium warm
- Goldstone – Medium/Deep warm
- Axinite – Deep neutral
- Tourmaline – Deep neutral cool
I purchased the lightest shade, Morganite, which is labeled as a light cool beige. It was a no brainer; I almost always wind up purchasing the lightest shade. I had some reservations when purchasing that this would be a little too dark for me. Samantha is the model for this shade, and her skin tone is a few shades darker than me. And I was right. It is a little too dark, which caused a couple of problems that I’ll get into in a little more detail within the review section.
similar products
Like I said in the introduction, this is designed as an alternative to a product Sam already loves but doesn’t meet those ethical standards. Have you guessed what it is? Yes, this is an exact dupe for the Charlotte Tilbury Hollywood Flawless Filter*. It’s the same kind of product. It performs very similarly on the skin. The ingredient lists are almost the same. But, in my opinion, the Auric option feels more luxury, both in the hands and on the face.
I have included a few similar products below. The Glow Lust is still a luxury product. It’s pricey. So I’ve included a few drugstore alternatives* that are a little more cost effective but deliver a similar effect. Also, I wanted to include similar products, because you might already have one in your collection. So the need to run out and purchase this new one may not be a necessity. Remember, we talked about this being an alternative to an existing product, not a new product.
the packaging –
Excuse me while I gush about packaging for 5 minutes.
If I were to create a brand, I feel the packaging would be similar to this in aesthetic. The inner packaging is beautiful; the outer packaging is beautiful. And I knew it was going to be amazingly gorgeous from the product photos, but in person it was even better than I was anticipating.
The outer packaging is honestly the epitome of contemporary luxury. It’s a diffused black matte with this gorgeous emerald/amethyst/black/gold crystal screen printing and embossed gold lettering. And the actual product packaging is true luxury. It feels incredibly expensive. I didn’t think Auric would launch with $80, $90, $100 products, but if you told me that’s how much the product cost, I’d have believed you.
The bottle is a satisfyingly heavy, frosted glass with gold embossed writing. The cap is that matte black with this sleek Art Deco-like gold drip and top. And again has that gold embossing.
There is a heft, a weight to the packaging. And, to me, that signifies luxury. Some of your dollar goes into the experience of using a luxury product. It feels expensive in your hands and adds to the experience of using the product.
how the product is dispensed
When a product is designed as a mix in agent, I really do expect a pump, which this has. Personally, I think the packaging makes this product a little more intuitive to be a priming/mix in product, because of the pump. Whereas, the Hollywood Flawless Filter is a little more intuitive to be a highlight, because of the doe foot applicator.
I enjoy having the pump on this product, in particular, because of the issue with the shade I mentioned earlier. Not only does a pump allow you to have control over how much product you dispense, it’s incredibly helpful for me with this product. Because the shade is a little too dark, if I use too much, I don’t like the result. By being able to pump out the smallest amount, it keeps me from overdoing it.
some packaging qualms
Sam addresses this in her video, but initially the cap on the Glow Lust is quite difficult to open. She explains they packaged it this way to keep the product from drying out. But it definitely takes a little effort to open the first few times. The cap does loosen over time, though, and I don’t have any issue opening it now.
the formula –
Let’s just address the elephant in the room first. This is an exact dupe for the Charlotte Tilbury Hollywood Flawless Filter*. It has the same thick texture. When it pumps out, the cream holds its shape. And it gives you the same type of finish on the skin.
So the actual formula of the Glow Lust gives you a satiny, slightly light diffusing finish, and a little bit of coverage that softens the appearance of blemishes. But even with that diffusion, when you turn, you get the most wet and dewy glow. It’s the kind of product I’ve gotten very into lately.
The formula itself, from a tactile perspective, feels very creamy and gel-like. It glides on the skin and feels luxe and pleasing against the skin. It blends into the skin well and doesn’t break up other makeup products. I haven’t noticed any pilling or weird wear with any of the other products I’ve used with it.
it’s definitely makeup
I have been a fan of glowy base products for a couple of years now. And I have found many of them fall into 2 categories: skincare/makeup hybrids and definitely makeup. I use Glow Lust as a makeup step, not as a skincare step or skincare extension.
Some of those skincare/makeup hybrids I love are products like the Glossier Future Dew* or First Aid Beauty Coconut Smoothing Moisturizer*. The Glossier Future Dew* is very thin and oily (not in a bad way) and almost serum like. It gives your face an all over radiance without any coverage. And the glow it gives is more sheer and less pigmented, like skincare. Future Dew* gives a wet kind of glow while Glow Lust leans a little more gold, and you can see the pigment.
And the Coconut Smoothing Primer* from First Aid Beauty gives a similar glow to the Glow Lust, you can see pearlized pigments on the skin. But it doesn’t offer any coverage. It does, though, offer a ton of hydration. It’s thick like any other moisturizer would be, thicker than the Glow Lust. And more moisturizing than the Glow Lust as well.
a 3-in-1 formula
The Glow Lust is supposed to be good for 3 uses:
- All over to smooth out the complexion with an added radiance and glow
- As a precise liquid highlight that can be used atop makeup as you’d use a traditional highlight — on the high points of the face
- Or as a a mix in product to add luminosity and slight diffusion and color correcting to another product like a foundation or moisturizer
You just have to change the amount of product you’re using depending on how you want to use it and the end goal you’re trying to achieve. That’s where the pump packaging comes into play, making it easy to manipulate.
the review –
In terms of texture, I love this. It feels so silky smooth on the skin and really does feel luxurious. It’s an experience using it. And I like it.
the shade situation
I mentioned that I purchased the lightest shade, Morganite, and that is too dark for me. This was a no brainer for me, and I did go in anticipating it being a little dark. And it was. It’s too dark for me to use as a standalone, all over the face type of product. It’s darker than my normal skin tone, and in some cases, actually accentuates redness on my face. However, while I don’t wear this as an all over kind of product alone, I do think it does a really good job at diffusing blemishes and the skin. If there is a color that works for you, this is going to be beautiful alone.
The pump packaging is really important to me. It allows me to only use the smallest amount of product if I choose to. A thick application of this product, on me, is just too dark. It’s darker than my skin tone; it’s darker than my foundation and concealers. Therefore, I’m unable to use it as that stand alone product. But as a very thin layer, it sheers out gives my skin the most beautiful glow.
my favorite way to use this
My favorite way to use this product is a very sheered out layer on bare skin or beneath other makeup. Using it all over doesn’t work for me because of the shade. And I, personally, don’t care for using this as a highlight after makeup application. It’s pretty thick, and that’s just not the product I reach for as a traditional kind of highlight. And, if I accidentally get too much, it’s darker than my foundation and concealer. So it can look a little dark and odd. But you definitely can use this as a highlight. I didn’t find it broke up any of the makeup beneath it. And it looked really pretty. It’s just a preference thing for me.
room for improvement
Honestly, my only complain is the shade. I wish, in the future, they come out with a shade that’s a few shades lighter than Morganite and a little more neutral. Because it’d be perfect for me, and those. with similar skin tones. Editor’s Note 11/17/2021: They did reformulate Morganite to be lighter and more neutral (and added additional shades,) but I haven’t tried it yet.)
If I hadn’t bought this to review, I wouldn’t buy it again — currently. As a consumer, I’m not a good candidate for this product. Because of the shade. However, as a reviewer, I’m an extremely good candidate to try this. Because I can now tell you the qualms I have with the product and the shade.
the bottom line –
The bottom line is that the Auric Glow Lust is a beautiful product, and if you are a good candidate for a glowy illuminatng product, this is one I would highly recommend … with a few caveats.
- If you already have similar products, you don’t need to run out and purchase this now. Auric will be here for a while, and Glow Lust will be there when you need it. But it does perform the same as some of the other products I mentioned.
- If you are similar to my skin tone or lighter, the lightest shade may not work well for you, or in the same limited capacity it does for me. But if you have any skin that’s deeper than mine, you will definitely find a shade in this product.
- If the price is out of reach for you, don’t feel like this is a necessity. There are less expensive alternatives that offer similar results. This isn’t an “affordable” brand; it’s truly a high end brand. However, if high ethical standards in beauty do matter to you, the price may be worth it for you.
Well, wasn’t that a hefty review? I hope that this Auric Glow Lust Review was thorough enough for you and answered some questions. At the beginning of this review, I talked about the brand’s first edit being dupes to current best sellers on the market. Do I think the entirety of the brand will be like this? I don’t know. But I’m satisfied with that model if it is, and I also look forward to other innovations if that’s what the brand brings as well. I am highly interested in the future career of this brand. And I think we’re going to be seeing a lot of great things from it in the future.
I also picked up two shades of the Smoke Reflect from Auric’s initial launch and have a review for that you can find here. (It’s not as long; I promise.)
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