Tarte Glamazon Pure Performance Lipstick - Swatches and Review

Tarte Glamazon Pure Performance Lipstick

The Tarte Glamazon Pure Performance Lipsticks are great. They have a creamy texture, and they apply smoothly and fully opaque in one swipe. I am so sad that they have been discontinued, but maybe they will make a comeback at sometime in the future (I hope). However, you can still find one color (playful) left on sale on Tarte's website (see links at the bottom of the post). These lipsticks last for about 2 hours, on average, which is not bad for me, since I constantly press my lips together throughout the day.

On to the lip swatches...


Bare Lips


Here are my bare lips, for reference.


Whimsy


Whimsy is a cool-toned light pink color that is beautiful and great for the spring and summer.


Playful


Playful is a light berry color that is nice for everyday wear. It is subtle enough to wear to work or just to add a bit of color to your lips. This is also the only color that is currently available on Tarte's website.


Foxy


Foxy is a bright, warm-toned pink that is a bit outside of my comfort zone. It has great coverage and pigmentation for anyone who likes pinks, however.


Fierce


Fierce is a great, warm-toned red that looks almost orange in this picture. In other light, it shows up as a classic warm-toned red that does not lean orange.


Wild


Wild is a beautiful, cool-toned red that can basically be worn for any occasion if you like reds like I do.


Overall I love these lipsticks. They have a neutral scent and are very comfortable to apply and wear. Their texture is a bit like that of lip balm, which is great for me, and they wear down to a less shiny finish after blotting. They are definitely not matte, however, so if you are looking for a matte finish, you might want to try Tarte's new line of Tartiest liquid lipsticks.

Tarte, please bring these back!


Disclaimer: I purchased these lipsticks on my own and received no financial or material incentives for this review.


Related Links:
Tarte's Sale Site with Playful: http://tartecosmetics.com/tarte-item-glamazon-lipstick
Ulta's Tarte Selection: http://www.ulta.com/ulta/a/Tarte/Makeup/_/N-1z1410mZ26y1?No=0&Nrpp=91&ciSelector=searchResults
Sephora's Selection of Tarte Products: http://www.sephora.com/tarte?node=1050000&currentPage=2
QVC's Selection of Tarte Products: http://www.qvc.com/beauty/tarte/_/N-rhtyZ1z138ni/c.html?pageSize=ALL

Bite Beauty 2015 Limited Edition Lip Lab Crème Deluxe Lipsticks - Swatches and Review

On the first Wednesday of each month of 2015, BITE Beauty released a new, limited edition lip lab lipstick, each of which sold for $36.00 USD. Almost all of these, with the exception of 008 (if memory serves), sold out within the first day or so of going live. Since I had been completely unaware of their existence until mid-June, I had unknowingly missed out on some colors that I ended up really wanting, in particular 001 and 005. That being said, I was ecstatic when BITE released a set of all 12 lipsticks at the end of November. Because I am obsessed with BITE's lipsticks, I, of course, bought the $298.00 USD set, and I am so happy that I did.

Each of the colors is beautiful in its own way, and the texture is comfortable to apply and wear all day. Every one applied fully opaque in one swipe, which is impressive for such a diverse collection. Some colors have more slip in them than others, and some are not as opaque as others, but I love each and every one. Below I have included lip swatches of all 12 colors. As an aside to the swatches, I had done them in a bit of a hurry, and because my parents' house has rather poor lighting, I did not realize just how horribly sloppy the application of several of the lipsticks was. That being said, I apologize in advance for the hot mess to come. In order to show the colors as true to their original form as possible, I did not apply any type of liner or base.


Bare Lips














Here are my bear lips for reference. 


001 (deep burgundy)


001 is a deep burgundy red which leans a bit brown. Evidently this color was reformulated due to issues that many people had with the first formulation. This color reminds me a bit of Scarlet from the Mix and Mingle collection, but it has a bit more brown in it than Scarlet. This color had a bit of slip to it and would definitely need a liner for accurate application.


002 (Japanese eggplant)


002 is a berry/lilac fushia color that applied beautifully. I don't normally like pinks much, but this one has enough purple in it for me to work with.


003 (chilly pepper)


003 was described as a fiery coral, which is a fairly accurate description. It is a bright, warm-toned red that definitely leans orange. This would be a very wearable color for anyone who wants to try out orange lipsticks but is a bit put off by the full-on oranges out there.


004 (dragon fruit)


004 is more of your standard fushia, and even though this is a bit outside of my normal comfort zone, I like that there is a hint of berry in this so that it does not look like a bright pink on me.


005 (lavender thistle)


I was so excited about 005, which is a sort of grayish lilac color, and I was not disappointed. I had been wanting to try out Nars' Dominique, but I am not sure how often I would wear that bright of a lilac lipstick. 005, on the other hand, is subtle enough to wear to the office all day, yet unique enough to wear out. This one is also light enough a color not to need a liner as much as the other colors in this collection, since it is a bit more muted. I have seen this compared to BITE's Amuse Bouche lipstick in Spritzer, but Spritzer seems closer to Dominique in brightness and opacity, but Spritzer appears to lean more pink, while Dominique leans more lilac.


006 (mango daquiri)


006 is a peachy coral, and even though I probably would not have bought this on its own, I am so glad that I have it in my collection, as it looks so much better on me than I could have imagined. I had been playing around with the idea of getting Melt's Summer, but this seems like a nice alternative, especially since it is so comfortable and creamy to wear, whereas Summer is a true matte and is said to be slightly drying. This color seems comparable to BITE's Amuse Bouche lipstick in Gingersnap, which is described as an "electric coral" on Sephora's website.


007 (snapdragon)


007 is a blue-based bubblegum pink, which I actually really like. It reminds me a bit of Violet from BITE's Mix and Mingle collection, which is one of my favorite colors from that line. Additionally, it looks like it may be quite similar to BITE's new Gin Fizz or Dragonfruit lipstick in the Amuse Bouche line.


008 (sweet mandarin)


Wow! Aside from the fact that I clearly forgot that I had a cupid's bow to be careful about when applying this, I adore this color. 008 is a bright orange that seems to lean slightly red, making it a bit more wearable for people who do not like yellowy orange lipsticks. It is a bit like BITE's Warmed Maple, except that it has more red in it. Overall, I think this is a great color, although it definitely needs a liner for precise application.


009 (candied apple)









Aside from the fact that this application is officially the hottest of hot messes, this color is gorgeous. Obviously, this color requires a liner and good lighting for even a reasonably good application. 009 was described as candied apple, which is a fitting description in my opinion. It is a nice, solid red that can be worn for any and all occasions.


010 (boysenberry)









010 is a pink-based purple that is not too in-your-face to wear to the office. It clearly needs a liner and has a bit of slip to it, but it is a lovely color.


011 (swiss chocolate)


011 is a sort of coffee brown with red undertones. It is a gorgeous color, but it has a bit of slip to it and absolutely needs a liner for accurate application. It seems similar to BITE's Truffle Matte Lip Crayon, but it is a bit lighter in color and less matte in texture.


012 (sugar plum)


012 is a pink-based red that definitely requires a liner. This color is almost too pink for me, but I think I can work with it. This one might be similar to the new Sour Cherry lipstick in BITE's Amuse Bouche collection.

Overall, these are great lipsticks to add to any collection, as BITE's lipsticks are always made with food-grade ingredients and are cruelty-free, gluten-free and paraben-free.

Some of these likely have dupes or similar colors in the new Amuse Bouche line, which I will be reviewing sometime in the weeks to come. Unfortunately, I only have three lipsticks from the new line, but just in case you see any colors you like in this collection that you would like to purchase, your best bet would be to check out the Amuse Bouche lipsticks for similar colors.

Disclaimer: These lipsticks were all purchased by me, and I received no financial or material incentives for this review.

Related Links:
Bite Beauty's Official Website: http://bitebeauty.com/
Bite Beauty's Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/bitebeauty
Bite Beauty on Sephora: http://www.sephora.com/bite-beauty
Bite Beauty Amuse Bouche Lipsticks on Sephora: http://www.sephora.com/amuse-bouche-lipstick-P405057?skuId=1796689  

Bite Beauty Mix and Mingle Part 1 (2014 Christmas edition)

First edition of the Bite Beauty Mix and Mingle mini lipstick duos

I first purchased these in 2014 around Christmas time, and these have re-appeared in various forms around Christmas season ever since (i.e., last year). I actually purchased new colors that came out in 2015, but those are unfortunately at my parents' house on another continent, which means that they will not likely be reviewed by me in the near future. Nonetheless, the ones that I do have will be reviewed here.

First off, we have a picture of the packaging, which has remained stable over time. The containers are gray and matte and have a normal closure (i.e., not magnetic). They are great for carrying around in your purse for re-application or for trying another color later in the day if you are feeling adventurous.




Once opened, they look like this:



Top Left to Bottom Right: Tangerine (sorry, the flash took out the orange somehow, but it is in fact, a very bright, beautiful orange), Lingonberry, Poppy, Scarlet, Retsina, Musk, Palomino, Violet


Bare Lips (for comparison)

 

In the following swatches, I am wearing only the lipstick with nothing else on my lips so that their color is as true as possible, given my lips' natural pigmentation.

Retsina



Retsina is a light, peachy nude that I rather like wearing. It applies smoothly and can be built up to opacity in a few swipes. One thing to be careful about, which is visible in the picture, is that if your lips are at all chapped, it shows, as Retsina tends to settle into lines rather quickly and accentuate any dryness. Therefore, I recommend exfoliating and applying a primer to help with this issue.


Musk



Musk is a light, pinky-beige nude that would be flattering on a variety of skintones. It applies smoothly and is very creamy, and it wears fairly well for a nude of this creamier texture. Normally, it lasts about two hours on me before I need to reapply or refresh with lip balm over it.


Tangerine



Tangerine is a gorgeous, neon orange that might be a bit out there for many people, but I love it. This is one of my go-to colors for summer, since it is so bright. It applies fully opaque with one swipe and lasts about two hours of me teaching class and repeatedly pressing my lips together. It also does not seem to settle into lines as much as some of the other colors do.


Lingonberry



Lingonberry is a pretty, bright pink color. I, personally, do not like wearing pinks, but it is a beautiful color, and it also applies fully opaque with one swipe. Wearing it around the house, it normally lasts between two and three hours, and it does not tend to settle into lines.


Palomino



Palomino is a bright pink that applies smoothly and fully opaque with one swipe. Again, I do not naturally gravitate toward pinks, but if I did, this would be a great color.


Violet



Violet is a cool-toned violet-pink, which I love. Cool-toned pinks are much more wearable for me, and as such, I do wear this one any time I can coordinate it with my outfit. This one also applies smoothly and fully opaque with one swipe and tends to last through two hours of class, during which I talk quite a bit.


Poppy



Poppy is a beautiful, classic red. I have so many reds like this, so I cannot say that it is a unique color, but it is very creamy and comfortable to wear, which is something I cannot say about many other reds. Like many of the colors in this line, it applies smoothly and fully opaque in one swipe and tends to last about two to three hours on me.


Scarlet



Scarlet is a deep, almost brownish red, which is my favorite color of all of these. It applies smoothly and fairly opaque in one swipe, but it has a bit of slip to it and therefore, should be paired with a lip liner. Due to the formula and the dark color of Scarlet, the coverage may appear a bit uneven with just one swipe, which is why I often apply two layers. One issue I have had with Scarlet during wear is that it tends to settle into lines over time, so I often have to refresh with a balm after about two hours.


To sum up...
Overall, I love these lipsticks, and for the price of $14.00 (They used to be $12.00), they are a great way to try out two of Bite's colors at once. Since many people I know, myself included, are not able to use up a whole tube of lipstick very often, these provide a great alternative, since they are very small (1.55 g/ 0.05 oz.). Of all of the colors, Retsina and Scarlet are the most high-maintenance for me, but that is not surprising, given the fact that they are the lightest and darkest colors, respectively.

Hopefully Bite will continue to release these for Christmas seasons to come, as they make great stocking stuffers and great ways to try out Bite's lipsticks.

Disclaimer: All of these lipsticks were purchased by me, and I received no material or financial incentives for this review.

Related Links:
Bite Beauty's Website: http://bitebeauty.com/
Sephora: http://www.sephora.com/bite-beauty