I Was a Big Marc Jacobs Beauty Fan. Here’s How the Relaunch Compares.

I had hoped for a faithful resurrection of the Fineliner formula, but it seems that the new Drawn This Way gel eyeliner is a completely different product. The Fineliner had a super-skinny, squared-off tip that made drawing the sharpest cat-eye flicks a breeze; Drawn This Way has a more standard pencil shape. The Fineliner was also retractable, but you’ll need to hunt down a sharpener that can handle a plastic casing for Drawn This Way. I found the new version better for imparting a smudgy, devil-may-care look than for drawing precise lines. It does glide smoothly and blend nicely, and the long-wear claims held up; it clung on even after a hike under the midday sun. It’s a genuinely good eyeliner, and I’ll absolutely continue using it, especially for softening and smudging along my under-eye. But sadly, it’s not going to fill the Fineliner-shaped hole in my heart.

The Flashes mascara wand has a similar hourglass shape to the Marc Jacobs Velvet Noir mascara, but it’s less bristly; the old one was fluffy and voluminous, while this one has shorter, spikier bristles. It gave my lashes a precise, defined look, separating and lifting without exaggerating them quite as much as Velvet Noir did. But since my daily makeup is more toned down anyway (I don’t need va-va-voom lashes just to stare at my laptop), I actually find it more wearable for every day.At $29, it’s the same price as other everyday mascaras I’ve loved, like Too Faced’s Ribbon Wrapped Lash mascara and Ilia’s Limitless Lash mascara. I’d say it performed just as well as but didn’t outshine similarly priced competitors, so if you’re compelled by the reviews and the cute star-shaped packaging, it’s worth trying, but it’s not a must-buy.

I remember opening the old Marc Jacobs bronzer and being hit with the scent of coconut. I didn’t feel the need for my bronzer to smell beachy, so I never really used it. Thankfully, this new Legally Bronze bronzer is fragrance free. I tested it in two ways: The first time, I applied it in select areas around my nose, cheeks, and jawline for a sculpting effect, while the second time, I used a large, fluffy brush to lightly powder it all over my face for a bit of glow. I preferred the latter look; I got the shade Light, and it’s just enough to give my complexion some color and warmth without looking overwhelming, but the shade didn’t seem dark enough for contouring. Lately, I’ve been using Charlotte Tilbury’s Airbrush bronzer, but it’s more expensive than the Marc Jacobs, and both create a similarly blurred, natural finish. I would definitely be open to repurchasing the Marc Jacobs, but might opt for the Light-Medium shade instead.

Speaking of scented makeup … the first thing I noticed about this lipstick is that it has a very strong, candy-sweet fragrance — like a bag of pick-n-mix you’d get at BonBon. The formula is infused with cherry oil, which might be the culprit, but to my mind an artificial cherry scent feels more appropriate for Lip Smackers than prestige cosmetics. The lipstick itself is nice. The color I chose, Booty Call, is a warm beigey tone that’s a pretty spot-on match for my natural lip color and has a soft satin finish. But it didn’t wow me, and considering the many, many lip products on the market, I’d personally skip this one.

The eye shadow surprised me and turned out to be my favorite of the bunch. I don’t often go for eye-shadow singles — palettes are much more versatile and economical — but this is one I’d be willing to splurge on. I went with Serving, a beautiful pinkish nude infused with iridescent pearls that shift into a lavender hue in the right light. It works as both an allover lid shimmer or an inner-corner highlight. I might also tap it along my nose bridge and cheekbones for some extra glow.

The Joystick cream blush comes in ten shades, from standard pinkish nudes to some more out-there colors like orange and lilac, but I decided to play it safe with the rosewood-hued Shady Business. Blush sticks are quite versatile, and the shade worked well for adding a wash of color to my lips and eyelids in addition to my cheeks. The formula blended easily and felt lightweight and moisturizing on my skin — it’s infused with hyaluronic acid and daisy oil — with a buildable, natural finish. However, the daisy-shaped packaging, while cute, added unnecessary bulk. The blush itself makes up maybe a fifth of the tube’s total volume, and it’s far too chunky to tuck neatly into my travel pouch (a bummer, since cream blushes tend to fade more quickly than powder blushes).

So far, the brand has only released one color of its gel highlighter: a cool, luminous purply hue. I own a very similar product (Milk Makeup’s Cooling Water Jelly highlighter in the Boba shade), but I actually liked the Marc Jacobs one more: The sparkle is noticeably stronger, and it has a more lavender tone compared to the Milk’s more lilac hue. Its unusual color and glittery finish does make it a bit more suited for special occasions like concerts and festivals than everyday wear; the iridescent purple tint is lovely but likely wouldn’t go with more natural or warmer-toned makeup looks. I’ll be keeping an eye out to see if new shades get released down the line.