I have tried a LOT of different cosmetics brands, all with their own pros and cons. It is incredibly rare for me to find a brand that I love every single product, but Sappho New Paradigm has won that slot.
I’ll be completely honest, when I first applied a full face of Sappho, I don’t think I expected to fall in love with it. Everything went on so easily and looked camera ready, so naturally I was waiting for the other shoe to drop; ‘I’m sure it will fall apart mid day and I’ll be annoyed’. Wrong. So wrong. It wore perfectly, through heat and workouts. The performance and longevity of this brand are truly impressive.
Starting with the Essential Foundations, I received the shades Leisha and Lisa. Leisha will be perfect for cooler months, and Lisa is a perfect match for me for summertime. The texture of these are lightweight and refreshing on contact. They leave the skin feeling hydrated and silky and provide a light to medium coverage. Because they aren’t thick or heavy, they build up easily too without caking. Honestly, they feel like skincare! The ingredient list explains why…the first ingredient is aloe, which is why these feel so hydrating. It also contains soothing ingredients like calendula and chamomile, green tea to provide an antioxidant boost, and jojoba and shea butter to moisturize. I absolutely love these foundations – my skin still looks like skin, just fresh and perfect. I’m also a huge fan of the glass bottles…yay for being more eco-friendly than plastic!
The other complexion perfector is the Concealer. I received the shade light which is perfect for me to brighten, especially under the eyes. The coverage of these can be built up to full coverage pretty quickly, but of course you can dab on a little and sheer it out, too. What I love though, is that even when you really build it up, it doesn’t feel heavy or greasy (in fact, I hardly have to set it!) It also doesn’t build up in fine lines much, which is also a huge bonus. If you have dry skin, I would advise to moisturize well first as these don’t have the same somewhat oily consistency as most other full coverage concealers. For my combination skin though, this wears absolutely amazing throughout the day.
Before I talk about the powder products I received, I want to touch on the compact I put them in! It’s a small square with a magnetic bottom, meaning you can put in multiple eyeshadows, blushes, powders, and can customize your own palette. (Side note, because the bottom is completely magnetic, other brands/pan sizes work in this case too). It’s also lightweight because it’s made of pressed paper; this makes it recyclable, but it’s surprisingly sturdy for the material used.
In my compact, I have 3 eyeshadows; Rebekah, Patricia, and Tanya. Rebekah is a slightly pink tinged champagne with a decent amount of shimmer/sparkle. This is a great everyday shade, and base color for all over the lid or as a brow highlight. It’s on the more sheer side. Patricia is probably my favorite out of the three; it’s a greige/taupe shade and I love it as a crease color, but it also looks beautiful as the base shade for a smokey eye. A little dramatic eyeliner, and you have a look. Tanya is the most vibrant of the three, a cerulean blue. This shade goes on a little more sheer at first like Rebekah, but builds up beautifully. Personally, I’m partial to using it as an eyeliner with an angled brush and little facial mist.
The other powder product in the compact is blush in the shade Tutz. I absolutely love this blush. It’s the perfect cool, baby pink on me. The formula is so smooth and fine and on the skin it almost melts into the complexion. I attribute the performance to the jojoba and argan oils in the formula – they really do help it blend into the skin beautifully! Plus, this shade is perfect as a redhead because it provides contrast to the warmth of my hair. Major fan of this.
As a redhead, finding brow products that match well is difficult. In fact there are only a few that work, but none that are an exact match to my haircolor…until now. The Brow Pomade in the shade Auburn is a perfect match for my copper red hair. Beyond the color selection though, it wears without smearing or fading – even after tough sessions on the spin bike. The texture is creamy without being too soft, too. Stellar performance.
I’m incredibly hard to impress with mascaras for a few reasons: most end up smudging on me, and I like the most dramatic lashes possible. Finding mascaras that can live up to my expectations is pretty rare. The first time I applied the Vegan Black Mascara I thought ‘wowza! If this lasts all day, it will likely take the spot of “favorite mascara”. Aaaaand, it did. It passed with flying colors! Even after a hot day walking around in the city, and a spin session where I was drenched in sweat, my eyelashes still looked a mile long, well defined, and dark. The brush on this also happens to be my favorite kind – a plastic bristle brush, and the formula isn’t too wet, nor too thick. It’s the goldilocks of mascaras. Just right.
Matching the cool tone of the Tutz Blush, is the Lipgloss in Hazey. The formula of these glosses are richly pigmented and easy to build up for more shine. One coat feels a lot like a lip balm, not overly tacky or sticky but dewy. Two coats yields shine and high color payoff. Worth noting, they are made with organic oils and butters and they are still vegan. The shade Hazey is such a pretty pale pink, without being too light. I have received SO many compliments while wearing this!
I also received a few brushes: the Buffing brush, Eyeshadow brush, Angle Brush, and Blush Brush. Initially I felt like the Buffing Brush seemed a bit small for applying foundation, however after using it it gives such a beautiful airbrushed finish. Sure it takes a second longer than bigger kabuki style brushes, but the effects are well worth it. Also, because of the rounded edges, this works great for applying concealer to larger areas and under the eyes.
The Eyeshadow Brush is big enough for applying shadow all over the eyelid, but narrow enough to apply crease colors as well. It’s definitely a universal type of brush, and picks up a fair amount of color, too.
The Angle Brush, I absolutely love! The size and shape make this idea for applying winged liner and eye shadow to the lower lashes (my preferences for use), as well as as an eyebrow brush with pomade.
Also a noteable ‘love it’ brush for me, the Blush Brush. This is hands down my favorite blush brush, ever. Big and fluffy, yet dense and has long bristles to provide some flex while applying cheek colors and bronzers, this brush is absolute perfection. Definitely a must have. All the brushes have synthetic bristles and clean easily.
Everything is vegan, housed predominantly in eco-friendly glass packaging, and the color selections are all spot on. The formulas are brimming with skin-loving botanicals, and everything is so high performance it’s unreal. It’s arguably my favorite cosmetics line and is so well rounded.
Have you tried Sappho New Paradigm?
Boldly Lauren 
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