Kat von D Studded Kiss Lipsticks

Kat von D's Studded Kiss lipsticks have been reviewed so many times by so many different people, and the consensus seems to be that either people absolutely love them, or they hate them. Most of the negative reviews have to do with the inconsistency of the quality of formula between the different colors, and the positive reviews typically praise the unique colors, excellent pigmentation and longevity. In my experience with the colors that I have (not all of them are presented in this review), all of those things seem to be true. The lipsticks are availabe in many unique colors that you cannot find elsewhere, and the quality of them is very different between colors.

I, personally, am not normally a fan of glitter, but it just so happens that all of the colors that I have that work well are those colors with glitter or shimmer. The glitter is quite gritty, but since these lipsticks are matte, it is generally not a good idea to press your lips together too much anyway. By avoiding the lip-pressing, you can avoid feeling the grittiness of the glitter, in case that bothers you as much as it bothers me.

Another minor plus point for the lipsticks is the scent. It is described as a creme brulee, and although it doesn't remind me of my favorite dessert, it is a pleasant smell, nonetheless.

Arm Swatches (sunlight)



Arm Swatches (indoor light)



My Naked Lips (for reference)


Wolvesmouth

This is a beautiful, shimmery berry red color that applies fairly evenly, compared to other colors in this line. It is quite drying, as many of the others in the Studded Kiss line are, but this one is less drying than some of the others. In addition, it tends to apply fairly smoothly, as it is less stiff than others.

Nayeon
 
Nayeon is a beautiful, black with silver glitter that gives it a gunmetal color. It is fairly creamy in consistency, but it applies rather unevenly. However, it can be built up to full opacity. Because your lip color may tend to show through, it is probably a good idea to apply a liner underneath.

Gold Blooded
 
Gold Blooded is one of the stiffer colors that I have, and although it is a bit difficult to apply because of the stiffness, it is buildable to fully opaque, even coverage. It is a beautiful cherry red that is unique because of the gold glitter in it. Again, the glitter is quite gritty, but this one is nonetheless a fairly wearable color for any occasion, since the glitter is relatively subtle.

Piaf
 
 Piaf is the most unique color of the whole collection because it is a dark bown with purple glitter. It applies somewhat sheer but can built up to opacity. However, it tends to settle into lip lines, and its coverage is not especially even so it should be accompanied by a lip liner.

Overall, the lipsticks in this collection are nice because they have such unique, sometimes very beautiful, colors, but they are also rather disappointing because the formula is not very good, even in the case of these lipsticks, which were better than the others. For example, I also have Agatha and Coven, and those are horribly stiff and chalky, and Homegirl is extremely stiff and patchy.

I am honestly a bit torn about these lipsticks because some of them are simply nice colors that you would not find anywhere else, and I truly wanted to love them. However, because the formula is not as good as I would expect for this pricepoint (they cost $21 USD for 0.10 oz), I would not recommend these, nor would I re-purchase any full-sized lipsticks from this line, but at least I can enjoy the colors until they are used up. Due to the fact that I do not wear these very often, since I don't really wear a lot of things that go well with glitter, these will likely last a long time.

Disclaimer:
I did not receive any financial or material incentives for this review. All opinions expressed herein are my own.

Related Links:
Sephora: http://www.sephora.com/studded-kiss-lipstick-P387435?skuId=1621762&icid2=D=c6:products%20grid:p387435
Kat von D: http://www.katvondbeauty.com/lip/lipstick

Bite Beauty Lip Lab Creations - Swatches and Review

In March 2016, I had the pleasure of going to the BITE Lip Lab in NYC, and I was so excited. You need to book ahead of time because the lab is very small, and only a small amount of people can fit in there at once. When you go, you are paired with a BITE makeup artist trained in color theory, and they mix the colors for you to test. Once you have settled on a color, you can swatch it, and it can then be altered as needed. As soon as you are finished creating the color, you can choose the finish, the scent, and the shape of the lipstick bullet. Next, you can watch as the colors are melted, mixed and formed into lipsticks, and then you can take your creations home with you. The process is much quicker than I had thought, as I was finished with all 6 of my lipsticks (I got doubles of two) in less than 45 minutes.

Lipsticks and Packaging

L to R: Taupe, Rust, Purple, Green
As you can see, each of the bullets has a different shape because you can pick between these four shapes, and I wanted all of them. What you cannot see is that each of the lipsticks has a different scent, since you are also allowed to choose the scent of the lipsticks in the lab. I did not put the lipsticks up all the way because I have damaged lipsticks in the past by doing that and then being clumsy, but each lipstick contains the normal amount of product (0.15 oz/4.3 g).

Arm Swatch (sunlight)

L to R: Taupe, Rust, Purple, Green

Arm Swatch (indoor lighting)

L to R: Taupe, Rust, Purple, Green

My Naked Lips (for comparison)

Here are my naked lips. Sometimes the pigmentation varies from day to day or even from hour to hour, but this is more or less what they look like most times.

The swatches below are only with the lipsticks - no liner and no primer - so that you can get a true representation of the color of the lipsticks.


Taupe

This was the first color I had made. I was looking for a sort of greige color that was more taupe than beige. The BITE makeup artist got this one on the first try. I was in love! I chose the matte finish for this and for all of my lipsticks, but you can choose other finishes. I just happen to gravitate toward more matte finishes. That being said, BITE's lipsticks are never really 100% matte, but they are the most comfortable lipsticks that I have that come close to being matte. All of them are creamy and fully opaque in one swipe. This one is a beautiful color for everyday office wear or for whatever. Although most people would probably also suggest a liner, I normally don't line my lips with this one.

Because I got this before BITE came out with the Sweet and Savory line of Amuse Bouche lipsticks, I am eager to compare this one to Thistle, as I think it could be similar. Thistle is waiting for me at my parents' house, but because I live overseas, I won't be able to compare until probably next year.

Rust

I love this color. I had been looking for something more rusty than the brown-toned red Braised Maple lipstick that I love from BITE, and this is right on. The first try was a bit darker, but this color only required a bit more yellow, and in two tries, it was ready to go. This one should be used with a liner, but I am not always that good about that.

This formula seems to be slightly lighter than the Maple Matte Créme lipsticks that were Canada exclusives, but it is very comfortable and has good staying power.

Purple

The inspiration for this lipstick was Illamasqua's Kontrol, which is my favorite blue-toned purple color. I was just looking for a formula slightly less drying than Illamasqua's matte formula, and this is a great alternative. This is not an exact dupe of Kontrol, but it is fairly close, and in any case, it is a gorgeous color.

As an aside, I had only planned on making the Taupe and the Rust lipsticks in the lab, but because they were finished within 10 minutes, the BITE makeup artist told me that I could "play around" with other colors "just for fun," and I ended up buying two more colors.

This one also only took two tries before it was basically what I wanted, so the process is quite quick.

I am also curious to see how this color compares to Taro and Berry Rouge, which both came out after my trip to the lab. Those are also waiting for me at my parents' house.

Green

When I went to the lab, I was wearing an olive green sweatshirt, and I thought it would be fun to make a color that would go with it. Although this is not quite olive, it is a sort of teal-olive green that I really enjoy. I realize that this is the least wearable of all of the colors, but I am still happy that I got it.

This seems to be much lighter green than Kale from the Amuse Bouche line, but I will have to compare when I go back next year to verify.

Overall, my trip was a fantastic success, albeit an expensive one. I ended up getting two of the first two colors because if you buy two of the same color, the two lipsticks cost $60 USD, whereas each individual lipstick costs $45 USD. I justified getting two of each because I gave my mom the doubles, and she was very excited about her custom-made lipsticks.

Because I only got one of the purple and one of the green one, each of them were then $45 USD. Obviously, you can do the math to figure out how expensive this little outing was, but I still think that it was well worth it to get to make my own lipsticks and decide what scent, what bullet and what finish each has. In addition, you are given a recipe card with the color formula on it so that if you run out of your lipstick, you can have that color re-made.

BITE is opening a Lip Lab in Toronto, Ontario, Canada soon, and I absolutely plan to visit that lab in the future to make new lipsticks and compare lab experiences.

Here is the BITE website with links to the lip lab, where you can schedule your personal appointment: http://bitebeauty.com/





Disclaimer:
I was not given any financial or material incentives for this review. All opinions expressed herein are my own.

Bite Beauty Amuse Bouche (Part 1: Black Truffle, Molasses, Nori) - Swatches and Review

I realize that there are a lot of reviews out there on the BITE Beauty Amuse Bouche line, due to the Influenster and Vice Magazine giveaways, but here are some colors that are not in the Influenster Vox Box or in most of the Vice gifts.

Most people seem to love the Amuse Bouche line, and in general, I am one of them. However, now that it is summer, I've noticed myself reaching for the old Luminous Créme lipsticks that I have, since the formula it lighter in weight and thinner than that of the Amuse Bouche lipsticks.

Overall, the Amuse Bouch lipsticks are thick, creamy, fully opaque in one swipe, and relatively long-lasting compared to many other bullet lipsticks that are not completely matte. They are only available at Sephora, and their price is comparable to that of most other high-end brands at $26 USD or $30 CAD for 0.15 oz or 4.35 g.

Arm Swatch (sunlight)

L to R: Molasses, Nori, Black Truffle

Arm Swatch (indoor lighting)

L to R: Molasses, Nori, Black Truffle

As you can see from the arm swatches, because they are so thick, they sometimes tend to skip upon application, which could cause some issues. Therefore, a primer is recommended, and lip liner is necessary. Just as a heads up, I do not swatch with primer or lip liner so that the lipstick looks as true to form as possible.

My Naked Lips (for reference)



Molasses

Molasses is a lovely, 90s medium brown color that is said to be similar to Urban Decay's 1993. It is creamy and fully opaque with one swipe. This color fades fairly evenly, but I always keep a lip balm on hand because this formula seems to dry slightly over time. That is not to say that my lips feel dry per se, but the lipstick starts settling into lip lines, which is not a huge problem with this color, but a quick dab of lip balm seems to fix the problem.

Nori

Nori is a lovely brown-toned red that is creamy and is fully opaque in one swipe. Again, I always keep a lip balm on hand when wearing this because once the lipstick starts to dry out in about 2 hours, a dab of balm seems to help even out the color again and re-moisturize.

Black Truffle

Black Truffle is a gorgeous blackened plum color. Like the others, it applies fully opaque in one swipe, and it is very thick and creamy. Black Truffle seems to skip the most when applying, which can be dangerous, since it is such a dark color. This one definitely needs a primer and a liner, and because it is so dark, this one becomes especially problematic after the 2-hour mark when it starts to settle into lines. A balm is necessary to fix the problem, but this one seems to fade less evenly than the other two in this review. That being said, having the bullet and liner on hand is a good idea for re-application, since this one needs to be removed completely before re-applying.

Overall, these lipsticks are great. The colors are quite unique, and the quality is excellent. Not to mention that the smell is delicious - it is a citrusy smell that wears off over the course of time. The formula is great for most seasons, but I find it less comfortable to wear such a thick lipstick in the summer.


Disclaimer:
I did not receive any financial or material incentives for this review. All opinions expressed herein are my own.

Related Website:
Sephora Amuse Bouche: http://www.sephora.com/amuse-bouche-lipstick-P405057?skuId=1823293&icid2=D=c6:bite_lp_whatsnew_carousel_us:p405057

Nars Lipsticks and Lip Pencils

Nars is known for having high-quality cosmetics of all sorts, and their lipsticks, particularly the Audacious line, are rather sought-after. I have a random collection of lip products from Nars, and all of them are of great quality, even if some of them are not exactly my cup of tea. Others are absolutely my cup of tea because they are among my favorite lip products out there.

Just to give you a preview of the lip products I'll be reviewing, here are some arm swatches to start off with.

Arm Swatches
Indoor Lighting

L to R: Mayflower, Little Darling, Joyous Red, Jungle Red, Fire Down Below, Deborah, Rikugien, Cruella

Sunlight

L to R: Mayflower, Little Darling, Joyous Red, Jungle Red, Fire Down Below, Deborah, Rikugien, Cruella

My Bare Lips - for reference




Lipsticks
The first few lipsticks were part of a kit full of mini Nars lipsticks. Many people complained that they were too sheer, and I can see why, but I like them nonetheless. Because I wanted the colors to be shown as true as possible, I did not use a lip liner or primer, and as such, some of the lip swatches are quite a hot mess. Consider yourself warned.

Little Darling

Little Darling is a very light peachy nude color, which is so sheer that I do not notice any change in my lip color whatsoever. The consistency is nice, so this could be a good replacement for a lip balm in a pinch. This was a limited edition color, unfortunately, but to be honest, if you did not get it, you really did not miss much here.

Mayflower

This is my least favorite lipstick of the bunch because of the glitter. Glitter is not really my thing, even though I do own some lipsticks (especially from Kat von D) that contain glitter. Since Mayflower is so sheer, however, the glitter is not as noticeable. Nonetheless, I will probably give this to one of my friends who really likes glitter. This was also a limited edition color, but it is not too tragic if you did not get one when it was available.

Joyous Red

Joyous red is a sort of warm-toned burnt orange-red that turns out fairly sheer. I really like this color and am a bit disappointed that this is not part of the permanent line. Because it is rather sheer, weartime is not extremely impressive because I have to re-apply maybe every hour or so.

Jungle Red

Jungle red is described as a "semi-matte bright red" (Sephora) and is part of the permanent line. This is one of the sheerer reds that I own, but it is a nice color, and because it is sheerer than most, it is a bit more wearable than other bright reds might be.

Fire Down Below

Fire Down Below is described as a "semi-matte blood red" (Sephora) and is also part of the permanent line. This one is not as sheer as the rest, thank goodness, because if it was, it would probably look much like Joyous Red, which is a nice color, but it is nice to have a bit of variety, I suppose. Clearly this is one that should be accompanied by a lip liner for more accurate application.

Scarlett Empress

Scarlett Empress, too, is part of the permanent line, and it is described as a "semi-matte blue red" (Sephora). I would say that this is more of a berry red than a blue red, but it is still a lovely color. It applies somewhat sheer, but can be built up to a darker shade.This one also needs a liner, as you can see.


Audacious Lipstick
The Audacious line has generally gotten rave reviews, which I why I was so excited to try the one that I purchased. They are, at $32 USD per bullet, rather expensive. The packaging is nice, with a magnetic closure that ensures that your lipsticks stay closed in your purse. The range of colors in this line is also impressive, with nudes and pinks to bolder, more vampy purples and darker browns and reds.

Deborah

Deborah is a beautiful brown color from the Audacious line, and it is very comfortable to wear. It applies very easily - almost too easily. It glides one fully opaque with one swipe, but a lip liner is recommended, since it is easy to swipe too quickly and end up with a very strange shape to your lips.


Satin Lip Pencil
The Satin Lip Pencils are just that - satin-textured lipsticks in pencil form that are wide enough and creamy enough to use in place of a lipstick, yet thin enough not to require a liner or brush for accurate application.

Rikugien

I am honestly not even sure if this is the correct name, but it is the only name I see on the lip pencil so I assume that "Rikugien" is it. It is a light pink nude, which is fairly sheer. It's not really anything to write home about, but it is a nice nude, and its texture is comfortable so it is very good for what it is, and if you are in the market for a good nude, this may be it for you.

Velvet Matte Lip Pencil
This is a very accurate description of this lip pencil, because it feels velvety upon application, but the finish is absolutely matte. The color is unquestionably long-lasting, but, as is often the case with long-lasting mattes, it can be quite drying over time. 

Cruella
 












This is the most gorgeous red that I own. It just seems like a normal red, and it is a very classic red, but the texture is smooth yet matte, and there is not much slip to the lipstick at all. Sephora's website describes the color as a "scarlet red", which is probably an accurate description. Because this is a pencil with a medium-sized tip, it offers a fair amount of precision. Cruella also wears like a dream because it lasts for up to six hours on me and leaves a stain. The only complaint I have about this is that it is a bit drying so I end up with chapped lips after one day of wearing this if I am not careful about applying lip balm periodically. I have two of these in smaller sizes from the Sephora VIB birthday gift and from a 100-point reward or something of the like, and I would definitely purchase the full size of this once I've gone through those.

Overall, Nars does not disappoint with their variety of lip products. There is definitely something out there for everyone, and even though they are rather pricey, they are worth every penny because of the excellent quality that Nars products promise.

Disclaimer:
I did not receive any financial or material incentives for this review. All opinions expressed herein are my own.

Related Websites:
Sephora: http://www.sephora.com/nars?node=1050024
Nars: http://www.narscosmetics.com/

Urban Decay Lipsticks

Urban Decay has quite a variety of lip products, and with the latest release of the much-anticipated Vice line of lipstick, I realize that these lipsticks are now effectively obsolete. However, this may give you a good idea of the pigmentation of the Urban Decay lines, since they are quite consistent about quality and pigmentation across the board, except of course, if you purchase the sheer lipsticks.

Here are arm swatches of all of my UD lip products to start off.
 
From L to R: High Gloss Lip Pencils in Naked, Punch Drunk and F-Bomb; Revolution Lipstick in Shame and Matte Revolution Lipstick in Blackmail

My Lips - for reference



Super-Saturated High Gloss Lip Color - Lip Pencils
I was thrilled to get these three lip pencils on sale from Sephora, although it was sadly because they were being discontinued :( Although the colors are beautiful, I do not really care for the texture, since it is quite sticky - much like a typical lip gloss. I suppose I should have figured that, since they are advertised as being "high gloss", but I had never experienced a lip pencil with this texture in the past. The texture aside, the lip pencils are highly pigmented, and as promised, highly glossy.

Naked

Naked is a light peachy nude color that would likely be wearable for a range of skintones, since the pigmentation of this color is less striking when compared to the other two.

Punch Drunk

Punch Drunk is a lovely red-toned orange color that is fully pigmented with one swipe. Because this is in the form of a pencil, application is made much easier, and as could be expected, there is no need to line your lips first. This may not seem that exciting, but when I come to the lipsticks below, precision is not a given with all of the UD lipsticks.

F-Bomb

F-Bomb is a nice, classic, cherry red that also applies fully opaque with one swipe. Again, it is wonderul not to need a lip liner because this is narrow enough to line very well. Since I do not yet have any of UD's lip liners, I will very likely be investing in those sometime in the near future.

Revolution Lipstick
Shame

Shame is one of the satin finish lipsticks from UD's old Revolution line, and as you can see, a liner is needed because the bullet is so large and rounded that precise application is very difficult when applying the lipstick directly from the bullet.

Matte Revolution Lipstick
Blackmail

Blackmail is one of the matte lipsticks from the old Matte Revolution line, and because the bullet is just like that of Shame, precise application is extremely difficult. The other thing about Blackmail is that it has some slip to it, but it applies rather patchy so you end up having to fill in quite a bit. That being said, the "matte" label does not apply to this lipstick in the classic sense of the word because this is a very creamy lipstick. However, either after blotting or over time, it does wear down to a matte finish.

Naked, F-Bomb, Shame and Blackmail are all available in the new Vice line, and it seems like the colors are very similar, but the formula may have been improved upon in the case of Blackmail. In addition, Naked and F-Bomb are no longer available in the high gloss formula, but F-Bomb is available in its original form, as well as in a sheer formula.

I hope to be able to check out the Vice lipsticks soon, since I have heard many good things from those who have tried out the lipsticks already.

Disclaimer:
I did not receive any financial or material incentives for this review. All opinions expressed herein are my own.

Related Links:
Urban Decay's Website: https://www.urbandecay.de/lips/lipstick/vice-lipstick-mega-matte
Sephora: http://www.sephora.com/vice-lipstick-P409523?skuId=1828847&icid2=D=c6:ud_lp_whatsnew_carousel_us:p409523

Illamasqua Lipsticks

I was very excited when I first found out about Illamasqua, since it is a cruelty-free company that offers a range of unique lipstick colors in matte and satin finishes. However, I quickly found out that the pigmentation, creaminess and staying power differ vastly between the colors.

Because all but one of my lipsticks have matte finishes, I have decided to review all of them together here. Below are two arm swatches of the colors: one in sunlight (man! I look pale) and one in indoor lighting.

Arm Swatches in Sunlight


L to R: Underworld-Liv-Flare-Apocalips-Kontrol-Disciple-Pristine-Soaked

Arm Swatches in Indoor Lighting


L to R: Underworld-Liv-Flare-Apocalips-Kontrol-Disciple-Pristine-Soaked

My Lips - for reference


Matte Lipsticks
The matte lipsticks from Illamasqua are very true to their description because they are absolutely matte. As such, most are at least slightly drying over time, but there is quite a bit of variance in the degree of creaminess or stiffness between the colors. The matte colors tend to be easier to apply when the temperature is a bit warmer, but even then, some are not easy to work with.

Here are swatches without any primer or lip liner, which should help to explain why some are not extremely attractive.

Underworld

Underworld is an iridescent, purple-blue-pink color that is rather sheer. It could be a beautiful color, but it is so stiff, and when applied, it always applies in patchy splotches. This is probably the best application I have gotten out of this lipstick, since it doesn't look that bad, but other times, I have applied multiple coats in efforts to make the color more even - only to make everything even patchier. I wanted to love this because I thought that it could be a great, sheer color to wear alone or combine with other lipticks, but I cannot even wear it. Maybe it only applies like in the picture in the summer, so I will give it a try on other warm days, but this is disappointing, since it could be so pretty if only the formula wasn't so horrible.

Liv

I cannot imagine who this color would look good on - maybe people who are a bit tan and quite daring - or maybe in combination with another color in an ombre look of some sort. Liv is fairly creamy compared to some of the others, but it applies in streaks and is difficult to even out because it comes off so easily, revealing the lip color underneath. This color would definitely need a primer or a lip concealer to prevent that from happening, but I have no idea when anyone would wear this, except maybe as part of a costume.

Flare

Flare is one of the stiffer colors that must be built up quite a bit, but it doesn't apply in streaks like Liv. The color is a yellow-orange that is beautiful, if not universally flattering. It definitely needs a lip liner, as almost all of the other colors, and it should be accompanied by a primer and/balm because it is fairly drying.

Apocalips

Apocalips is one of the creamier colors, and it generally applies fairly smoothly and comes off opaque in one to two coats. It is a beautiful teal color, and this is one of the first lipsticks I bought from Illamasqua, which made me think that all of them were so smooth and only minimally drying. Sadly, that is not the case with many of the mattes.

Kontrol

Kontrol is my favorite lipstick from Illamasqua, and it is one of my favorite lipsticks, in general. This is by far the creamiest of the mattes from Illamasqua, and it applies fully opaque in one swipe. Over time, it is slightly drying, and because it does not wear off evenly, it is necessary to have the bullet on hand. However, it does last for about 5 hours before re-application is necessary.

Disciple

As you can see, Disciple is one of the colors that streaks when applied. It is one of the stiffer colors, and even after applying multiple coats, it stays patchy. The only hope is to cancel out your lip color and use a liner. Keeping lip balm on hand is also vital because this color is very drying. It also tends to settle into lip lines.

Pristine

Pristine is probably the second worst of all the Illamasqua lipsticks that I have (next to Underworld). It is very stiff and impossible to apply evenly. It always ends up patchy, and it settles into lip lines. It is also very drying over time.


Glamore Lipstick - Satin
I cannot speak to all of the satin lipsticks from Illamasqua, as I only have one, but if the others are as good as this one, they would be great lipsticks.

Soaked

Soaked is the only satin that I have, but it applies so smoothly and completely opaque in one swipe that I may consider purchasing other satins. It is a red-toned orange that definitely needs a liner, but that is more flattering than Flare.

Overall, I have been extremely disappointed by about half of my Illamasqua lipsticks, and the other half really surprised me positively. That being said, I will be much more weary about buying any lipsticks from them in the future, but if the lipsticks are on sale sometime, maybe I will pick up some more of the satins. Apocalips and Kontrol are two of my favorite matte lipsticks that I own, and because Kontrol is not an easily dupable color, it is definitely worth the money for the great quality and the unique color.

I have not received any financial or other incentives for writing this review. This review represents my opinions about the lipsticks described.

Illamasqua's website: http://www.illamasqua.com/