Montag, 6. März 2017

New Year, New Resolutions

To be honest, I meant to post this a long time ago, as it is already March, but things have been a bit mad around these parts lately for various reasons. One of my New Year's Resolutions this year was to work on using up my makeup products, particularly my lipsticks, before purchasing new products, which is why this year's reviews will be including fewer new products and will focus more on showcasing and grouping different lipsticks and lip products by color, in oder to facilitate the dupe-finding process for others who may be in the market for certain shades.

Due to the fact that I have received some no longer cruelty free products as gifts, those may also be in the mix, but these will be kept to a minimum, as I do not personally support companies that continue to test on animals themselves or sell in countries in which the policy is to test products on animals. If any reviewed products are no longer cruelty free at the time of posting, I will be sure to make that clear in the reviews.

Hopefully the shade-specific dupe-a-thons will prove helpful to anyone looking for specific colors and not wanting to have to waste time searching by brand or finish in the process.

Samstag, 31. Dezember 2016

ColourPop Lippies and Lippie Pencils - Purples and Other Unconventional Colors

ColourPop lippies and lippie pencils are a great addition to anyone's makeup collection because they are high-quality cruelty-free, gluten-free products, which, at $5 USD a piece, are very affordable. They are generally highly pigmented and buildable to full opacity.

The lippies come in different finishes, ranging from matte to hyper glossy to créme to satin. They have a scent like vanilla which is not overpowering and seems to fade over time.

All of the following swatches were done with only clear lip balm between swatches. Other than that, only the colors that came with a pencil were paired with liners in order to give a more realistic impression of what the colors look like on their own.

Purples and Other Unconventional Colors


L to R: Brills (Pencil), Grind, Plastics, Leather (Lippie + Pencil), Dalia (Lippie + Pencil), Nevermind (Lippie + Pencil), Feminist, Charm (Lippie + Pencil), Bunny, Bullchic (Lippie + Pencil), Call Me (Liner), Swerve (Liner)

My Naked Lips (for color comparison)


Brills (Lippie Pencil)

Brills is a beautiful light lilac color that is great for lining the lips for similar colors like Nars Dominique, Bite Thistle or Bite Spritzer. I have used this one quite a bit, and as a liner, it is fantastic, although I would not wear it like this as a lipstick, as it would be quite drying over time.

Grind (matte)

Grind is a gorgeous bright pinky purple that has enough blue in it not to lean too pink. Although I would not call this one matte, it is beautiful and very comfortable to apply and wear. It is highly pigmented and can be easily built to full opacity.

Plastics (matte)

Again, I would not call Plastics matte, but it is a beautiful berry purple that applies and wears very comfortably. As you can see, it is quite pigmented and does not settle into lip lines.

Leather (matte) + Leather Lippie Pencil

I have used the Leather Lippie Pencil for lining my lips for other dark purple lipsticks such as Bite Beauty's Berry Rouge. I find the Leather Lippie to be a bit drying and not very pigmented upon application, as it settles into lines and drags when applying. That being said, I would recommend the Lippie Pencil but not the Lippie in this case.

Dalia (Lippie to Go Lippie + Pencil Duo)

I mistakenly sorted Dalia in with the purples because it appears dark purple in the tube, and I had forgotten that it applies as a dark oxblood red color. The color is nice, but as with the other duos, this one drags upon application and is rather drying. That being said, the duos are nice for trying out new colors but are not a good indication of how the normal lippies and lippie pencils apply and wear.

Nevermind (matte) + Nevermind Lippie Pencil

The Nevermind Lippie Pencil is one of my favorites for lining my lips for my Bite Beauty lipstick in Black Truffle or even for their other darker purples like Elderberry, but as you can see, the Nevermind Lippie is a bit drying, and it is patchy upon application. I need to sharpen the Lippie Pencil here, which is why the lines are also quite unsharp in the picture.

Feminist (matte)

Feminist is a nice dark purple, but it has quite a bit of slip to it and applies rather streaky, as you can see in the picture. It would be paired nicely with the Nevermind Lippie Pencil or even with its own, as I think that ColourPop has a Feminist Lippie Pencil, as well.

Charm (satin) + Charm Lippie Pencil
Charm is a beautiful mint green that is completely unnecessary but fun to have, nonetheless. As you can see, it is quite pigmented, and the Lippie Pencil helps a great deal for precise application. It would also be paired nicely with LimeCrime's Mint to Be.

Bunny (pearlized)

Bunny is quite sheer, which is not the best for this type of color. Even though I am generally not a fan of sparkles, I thought that it was nice that these sparkles are green. I can really only imagine wearing this for St. Patty's Day, but since I have other greens that are much more pigmented, I would still reach for any of them before this one.

Bullchic (matte) + Bullchic Lippie Pencil

As can be seen in the picture, Bullchic is a bit patchy upon application, which is also never good for a black lipstick. For the price of $5USD, however, this is better than other lipsticks at higher pricepoints, such as Pristine from Illamasqua, for example.

Call Me (Créme Gel Liner)

Somehow when I opened Call Me to swatch it on my arm, the tip flew out and landed somewhere on the floor. I had never used the liner before so it must have either come broken or broken in transit. It is a nice brown, but I would never have bought it on my own had it not come for free with one of my purchases.

Swerve (Créme Gel Liner)

Swerve is another one that is not extremely impressive and that I would not have bought had it not come for free with one of my purchases.

I realized when trying on the last two liners that they are most likely meant for the eyes and not the lips, but I don't think that I would wear them for the eyes, either, as I tend to wear liquid eye liners. Moreover, these were not very unique colors, and they did not have very impressive pigmentation on my lips, if that can be used as any indication of how they would apply on eyelids.

Summary
ColourPop has a lot of great products, and at roughly $5USD apiece, you really cannot go wrong. There is some significant variance in the finish and formula between colors, but many are nice alternatives for other more expensive lipsticks. In addition, ColourPop is cruelty free, which makes their products even more appealing.

Disclaimer
I purchased all of these products or received them for free with my purchases. For this review, I was given neither financial nor material incentives. All opinions contained herein are my own.

Related Website
ColourPop: https://colourpop.com/pages/lips









Sonntag, 18. Dezember 2016

Hourglass Opaque Rouge Liquid Lipstick

Despite the fact that I do not normally wear liquid lipsticks, I had heard a lot of good things about Hourglass, and I was curious about this particular lipstick in this beautiful red color. For that reason, I decided to "purchase" a deluxe mini Hourglass Opaque Rouge Liquid Lipstick in Icon with my Sephora Rewards points.

Below you will see the lip swatch with no liner or primer so that its truest color and finish can be seen on my lips.


My Lips with just the Bite Beauty Agave Lip Mask for swatch-prepping purposes (for comparison)



Icon

Icon is a beautiful blue-based red that most people who like liquid lipsticks should appreciate. Because I only have the deluxe sample size, I found application a bit challenging, as not much product comes out on the applicator. I was, however, able to build up the color to full opacity. It did not seem to dry down quickly to a complete matte finish, as I found it to be a bit tacky. Nonetheless, it did not seem to be as drying as some liquid lipsticks that I have tried.


Disclaimer
I "purchased" this mini lipstick with some of my Sephora rewards points, and I received neither financial nor material incentives for this review. All opinions contained herein are my own.


Related Websites
Sephora: http://www.sephora.com/opaque-rouge-liquid-lipstick-P375384?skuId=1553593&icid2=products%20grid:p375384

Hourglass: https://www.hourglasscosmetics.com/

Kat von D Everlasting Liquid Lipstick

The Kat von D Everlasting Liquid Lipsticks seem to be loved by most people who wear them, and although they probably are very nice liquid lipsticks, I simply do not gravitate toward liquid lipsticks, in general. Nonetheless, I was curious, so I "purchased" this lipstick with my Sephora Rewards points.

Below I have swatched this lipstick in Underage Red without a liner or primer in order to show how it looks by itself on my lips.


My Lips with Bite Beauty Agave Lip Mask for swatch-prepping purposes (for comparison)



Underage Red 

Although I know that there was quite a bit of controversy about the name "Underage Red," it is a beautiful blue-toned red. These lipsticks dry down to a matte finish very quickly and do not transfer at all once they have dried down. For that reason, I can see what people love about these. I find this lipstick to be a bit drying over time, which makes proper prepping with a scrub and a balm essential. For me, however, this lipstick is too drying over time, which is one reason why I don't tend to like liquid lipsticks.


Disclaimer
I "purchased" this deluxe sample sized lipstick with some of my Sephora Rewards points. I received neither financial nor matieral incentives for this review. All opinions expressed herein are my own.


Related Websites
Sephora: http://www.sephora.com/everlasting-love-liquid-lipstick-P384954?skuId=1705052&icid2=products%20grid:p384954

Kat von D: http://www.katvondbeauty.com/

Lime Crime Lippies

I am aware of the controversies that have been circulating about Lime Crime over the years, but I decided to give their lipsticks a try anyway. There are two types of lipstick that I purchased: the Unicorn cream Lippies and the liquid lipstick. Although I have more colors in both finishes at my parents' house, these are the only three that I have at my place currently.

Personally, I prefer cream lipsticks to liquid lipsticks, even if that puts me in the minority. However, I will nonetheless try to remain as objective about the positives and negatives of both finishes as possible.

When I checked the Lime Crime website today, I noticed that the only Unicorn Lippie in the cream finish that seems to be available currently is the yellow New Yolk City lippie. It seems that Lime Crime has moved on to concentrate mainly on their Matte Velvetine liquid lipsticks.

Arm Swatches



My Lips with Bite Beauty Agave Lip Mask for swatch-prepping purposes (for reference)


Unicorn Lippies (cream finish)
Mint to Be

Even though this color is completely impractical, I had to have it because I love greens - especially mint. As you can see, it can be built to fully opacity quite easily, and it is quite creamy. Again, even though this is not a practical color, I was very happy to have been able to purchase this while it was available.


Coquette

Coquette is a beautiful nude color that would might look good on some lighter skintones, but I find it to be a bit too light for my taste. As you can see, it does not apply fully opaque if you have any remnants of lip balm on your lips, but because it is not extremely drying itself, you may not need one before applying it, as long as your lips are properly prepped.


Matte Velvetines
Pumpkin

Pumpkin is a gorgeous rusty color that is one of my favorite lipstick colors. Application is fairly easy with the applicator, but a lot of product comes out, so you have to be careful not to apply too much. Really, you do not need a lot to cover your lips, but if you put too much on, it will simply take longer to dry down to a matte finished, which can be seen in the picture above.


Summary
Overall all of the lipsticks are nice, and I appreciate that there are very interesting colors available from Lime Crime. They all smell lightly of vanilla cream, and the Matte Velvetines are quite impressive regarding their opacity, wear time and comfortability. If you are on the hunt for good liquid lipsticks in unique colors, Lime Crime's Matte Velvetines will not disappoint.


Disclaimer:
I purchased all of these lipsticks myself, and I did not receive any financial or material incentives for this review. All opinions expressed herein are my own.


Related Website
LimeCrime: https://www.limecrime.com/en-us/pages/lipsticks







Samstag, 17. Dezember 2016

Bite Beauty Lush Lip Tint (Black Currant) - Swatch and Review

The Bite Beauty Lush Lip Tints are basically like lip balms that offer a hint of color. They are comfortable to wear, and they smell of sweet berries, which I find to be pleasant. The other colors that I have are currently at my parents' house, and therefore, I will only be reviewing Black Currant today. Nonetheless, this one provides a nice example of how the others are. As a short aside, I have had my eye on the color Tangelo for about a year, but it is never in stock. Bite, if you are reading, please bring Tangelo back!

My Lips with the Bite Agave Lip Mask for swatch-prepping purposes (for comparison)



Black Currant

Black Currant is the darkest of all of the lip tints, and it provides a hint of berry color to the lips. Although I really like these, I could see why people might be a bit disappointed by the lack of color that actually shows up on the lips, since there are a number of lip tints out there that are much more noticeable than these. For me as a lip balm fanatic, these are perfect, especially considering that I had been on the hunt for cruelty- and gluten-free lip balms anyway.

Evidently Bite is coming out with an Agave lip balm that is thinner than the lip mask later this month, and I am very excited about that. Nonetheless, that lip balm looks like it is only available in clear, which makes the Bite Beauty Lush Lip Tints still a good accessory to have in one's makeup arsenal.


Disclaimer
I purchased this on my own and was offered neither financial nor material incentives for this review. All opinions contained herein are my own.


Related Website
Sephora: http://www.sephora.com/lush-lip-tint-P307011?skuId=1406107&icid2=products%20grid:p307011

NARS Audacious Lipsticks - Dominique and Deborah

The NARS Audacious Lipsticks are magical. They are so creamy and opaque, and they last for quite a long time for cream-finish lipsticks. They have no noticeable scent to them, and they are so comfortable to wear.

The only (minor) issue with these lipsticks is the price. At $32USD for 0.14oz./4.2g, they are quite expensive for the amount of product that they contain, but considering their high quality, I find the price to be fully justifiable in this case.

In addition to these two lipsticks, I have about four more at my parents' house, but these are the only ones that are here for now.


My Lips with the Bite Beauty Agave Lip Mask for swatch-prepping purposes (for reference)


Deborah

Deborah is a nice brown that appears darker in the picture than it does in real life. Since I have quite a few red-toned browns, I had purchased Deborah because it seemed more neutral to almost yellow-toned in comparison. In the picture, it appears more neutral to almost red-toned, but rest assured, in real life, it is much more neutral-toned.


Dominique


Full Face with Dominique

Dominique is a gorgeous cool-toned lilac purple that I had been eyeing for a long time before I actually bought it. I wasn't sure how wearable it would be for everyday office attire, but as it turns out, it is not too out there, as it is a lighter shade. It is similar to Bite Beauty's Spritzer, but on me Spritzer is lighter and pinker.


Summary
These lipsticks are beautiful, creamy, opaque and comfortable to wear. They are not as long-wearing as other matte lipsticks from Nars, such as the Velvet Matte Lip Pencils, but they are also not as drying as those pencils. They are rather pricey, but given the pigmentation and wear, they make a good addition to anyone's lipstick collection.


Disclaimer
I purchased these myself and was not offered any financial or material incentives for this review. All opinions contained herein are my own.


Related Websites
Sephora: http://www.sephora.com/audacious-lipstick-P387906?skuId=1846898&icid2=products%20grid:p387906

Nars: https://www.narscosmetics.com/