Bite Beauty Luminous Crème Lipsticks - Swatches and Review

Although I love my Luminous Crème Lipsticks from Bite Beauty and was heartbroken that they were discontinued, I will admit that many of them do not last for a very long time and can thus be a bit high-maintenance, since it is essential to bring them with you whereever you go, because you will have to re-apply in often less than one hour. Nonetheless, they are extremely comfortable to wear, and I like the way that many of the colors look on me. It is for that reason that I consoled myself about the end of the Luminous Crème line by buying all of the colors I could have ever possibly wanted, which brings us to this swatch-fest to come.

I realize that it may seem futile to write a review on a discontinued line of lipstick, but the purpose of this is twofold. Firstly, I still hold out hope that the line will be re-introduced, since many people liked the Luminous Crème line and prefer them to even the newest Amouse Bouche line. Whereas I prefer the latter in theory, as I generally gravitate toward more pigmented, matte finishes, the former is great for people who like a sheer, many times almost glossy/satin finish. In addition, I use my Luminous Crème lipsticks quite a bit if my lips are particularly dry, as they are almost as moisturizing as a lip balm.

Recently, Bite re-released a few of the Luminous Crème lipsticks in bold (Zivoli, Tannin and Mulberry) and nude (Retsina, Musk and Fig) sets, and additionally, Cava was re-released by itself. This leads me to hope that Bite may re-introduce the Luminous Crème line at some point in the future, since both of the sets sold out in less than 12 hours on the U.S. Sephora site and within 24 hours on the Canadian Sephora site. 

Some of the Luminous Crème colors have already been reviewed in m review of the Mix and Mingle lipsticks, since some were available as mini-duos in those holiday exclusive lines. Those that were part of the holiday line and the regular Luminous Crème line will be listed below the new swatches.

Arm Swatches

L to R: Retsina, Musk, Fiano, Salut, Cava, Pepper, Shiraz, Cin Cin, Apricot, Zivoli, Mimosa, Kir Royale


My Naked Lips (for reference)



Retsina


Retsina is a very light, yet fairly opaque nude color that is very creamy but tends to emphasize imperfections. It also appears a bit streaky, which means that it requires a couple of swipes to reach opacity. That being said, lips must be exfoliated before applying Retsina, but as long as your lips are prepped properly, Retsina is a lovely color.


Musk


Musk is a pinky-brown nude that is much more forgiving than Retsina. Originally, I had been a bigger fan of Retsina, but I find myself wearing Musk more and more, since it is a much more natural-looking nude for my lips.


Fiano


Fiano is a yellow-based, sheer nude color that has a bit of sparkle to it. Had I known about the sparkles in this one, I would not have purchased it, but they are actually not noticeable at all in everyday life, so Fiano functions almost like a lip balm for me, seeing as how it is so sheer. I had started wearing this in place of lip balm a while ago, but after a day of being in my purse, I smashed the bullet upon application, so I don't dare to take this out of the house for fear of breaking it even more.


Salut


Salut is ever so slightly more opaque than Fiano, but it is also a more yellow-based, sheer nude that works almost like a balm on me. The only difference between Fiano and Salut is that Salut does not have any sparkles and that it is somewhat darker than Fiano, albeit not noticeably so.


Cava


Cava is a gray-based lilac nude that is also on the sheer side of things. It only provides a light tint to my lips, which is nice for days when I am looking for a twinge of color but not a bold lip.

Somehow Cava decided to break on me when I did this arm swatch. It is a bit warm here, but I did not think it was that warm. However, I have the feeling that some of the colors, the nudes in particular, are softer than some of the others.

Cava is now the only lipstick of the Luminous Crème formula that is currently available, although some of the others appeared briefly in sets.


Pepper

Pepper is a good, warm-toned MLBB color for many people with lighter skintones. I really like Pepper, but I tend to favor cooler tones on the nude side of the color spectrum.

Pepper is another one that has proven to be rather heat sensitive. Although it has not yet broken on me, as Cava and Fiano have, it has come close in the summer heat, and the side of it is full of dents from the bullet bending into the packaging.


Shiraz

Shiraz is a gorgeous cool-toned MLBB color that works for many people with lighter skintones, as well. It is much like Pepper, but it is cool-toned, while Pepper is warm-toned. This is my go-to MLBB color for when I just want my lips to be about the color they are after I work out.

Although Shiraz does not seem to be quite as heat sensitive as Cava or Pepper, this one has also shown some signs of denting and bending in the heat.


Cin Cin

Cin Cin is a sheer orangey-coral-red color that is nice for anyone not wanting to go full-out red. I first bought this when I heard that the Luminous Crème line was being discontinued, as I had not had any desire to try out this color before that, but I am very glad that I got this one after all. It is great for a flush of color on days when I am not in the mood to line my lips for my reds or other bolder colors.


Apricot

Apricot is a somewhat sheer warm-toned red that is almost like a darker version of Cin Cin. I love this color, as it is sheerer than many of my reds but dark enough to make my lips pop.


Zivoli

Zivoli is described as a "brick red" (Sephora), which doesn't really fit very well in my opinion, as Zivoli looks like a typical blue-based sheer red to me. This one is similar to the VIB red color that Bite and Sephora had released a few years ago, but it is sheerer than the VIB red.


Mimosa

Mimosa is a bright, warm-toned red that is bolder and applies to a more opaque finish than all of the previous colors. Mimosa is said to be a dupe for Candied Maple (Canada-exclusive LE) and Cayenne in the Amuse Bouche line. It was released along with Belini and Kir Royale as a limited edition color shortly before the Luminous Crème (LC) line was discontinued. For that reason, I am a bit sad that I only have the sample size from one of the Sephora Rewards sets and that I never bought the full-size before the LC line went out, because since Candied Maple is one of the few lipsticks that I have used up completely, I know that this one will not last long for me, and it would be nice to have this color in the LC finish.


Kir Royale

Kir Royale is another one that applies fully opaque and is quite bold. It is a berry red that leans purple/magenta and was also a special edition color that was released shortly before the Luminous Crème line was discontinued like Belini and Mimosa. It seems to be a close dupe for Jam in the Amuse Bouche line.


Summary
Overall, the Luminous Crème lipsticks are wonderful. They are moisturizing, creamy and lightweight, and they feel like a lip balm. The nude colors seem to be a bit heat sensitive, and they do not need a liner in my opinion, but the darker colors are better paired with a liner (although I am normally too lazy to use a liner with them). I really hope that Bite decides to bring back the LC line because it differs enough from the Amuse Bouche (AB) line that both would most likely still sell very well. For example, I love the LC lipsticks, in particular when my lips are drier or when I am looking for a sheerer lip. 


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


Related Websites:
Sephora: http://www.sephora.com/bite-beauty?node=1050000

Bite Beauty - GTA - Swatches and Review

Bite Beauty GTA is a Canada-exclusive color that is a tribute to Toronto (i.e., the Greater Toronto Area, I've been told). Luckily, even though I am not currently a resident of Canada, I was able to acquire GTA from someone who volunteered to help non-Canadians get ahold of Canada exclusives from Bite Beauty. That being said, I am very grateful to that person for helping me feed by lipstick addiction because this color is gorgeous.



Arm Swatch



My Naked Lips

(for comparison)


GTA


GTA is an orange-based warm-toned red that is similar to Candied Maple and Mimosa, only slightly more orange than either of those two. It applies smoothly, and opacity is reached in one swipe. It has the creamy finish of the rest of the Amuse Bouche line, and its weartime is comparable to the other colors in that line (for me 2-4 hours). As you can see, I did not use a liner or primer here, but I would recommend both for more precise application.


Summary
GTA is a beautiful red lipstick, which, in addition to Candied Maple and Mimosa, seems to be similar to Cayenne from the Amuse Bouche line. That beings said, for any non-Canadians, Cayenne would likely be an excellent alternative. I am personally a huge fan of reds, as Candied Maple is one of the few lipsticks that I have managed to use up completely, and I am always happy to add a good, bright red to my collection, since I know I will get plenty of use out of it. For those who are less enthusiastic about red lipsticks, this one can definitely be passed on, as it is not a particularly unique color.

GTA retails for $30CAD and is still available on Sephora's Canadian website (see link below) for sale.

Although I love this lipstick for everything it is, my one gripe is with its status as Canada-exclusive, as I am generally against having products that are country-exclusive in favor of a more egalitarian system of sales. I understand that many companies have country-exclusive products for various reasons related to shipping and customs laws and the like, and I understand that interational companies (like Bite and Sephora) can potentially sell their exclusive products for more money and gain more profit by making them exclusive, but I do not approve of these practices, regardless of which country these products are exclusive to.



Disclaimer
I purchased this lipstick myself, and I received neither financial nor material incentives for this review. All opinions expressed herein are my own.


Related Website
Sephora: http://www.sephora.com/amuse-bouche-in-gta-P409852?skuId=1849934&icid2=products%20grid:p409852

Bite Beauty - Rouge Berry - Swatches and Review

Bite Beauty's Rouge Berry lipstick in Amuse Bouche formula is exclusive to Sephora VIB Rouges, which is the status of anyone who buys more than $1,000.00 USD worth of products from Sephora in a calender year. In other words, this is the status for those of us who officially spend far too much money on cosmetics ;o)

Sephora often releases products that are VIB or VIB Rouge exclusives as a nice perk for frequent buyers, and this lipstick was one of the most recent releases among those products. Based on the reviews on Sephora's website, quite a few customers were a bit disgruntled about the discrepency between the color of the lipstick shown on the website and the actual color, because it looks like a wine-berry color in the picture, but in reality, it is quite a bit deeper purple than one would expect from the picture. (Update: Evidently, the picture has been changed to reflect more accurately the dark purple that Rouge Berry is, so it seems that people have stopped complaining about the difference between the picture and the actual color.) I, personally, really like the color, but I can see why some people might be a bit shocked to see just how dark it actually applies. Of course, this can easily be remedied by blotting or by dabbing on the lipstick lightly, so in reality, you can get a more wine-berry color out of this one with a small amount of effort.

The VIB/Rouge exclusives seem to generally be available for quite a while, but it is never clear how long any given product will be in stock and available for purchase.


Arm Swatch




My Bare Lips

(for comparison)


Rouge Berry

Rouge Berry is a deep wine berry color that vampy and great for the fall. It applies creamier than some of the other deeper colors from the Amuse Bouche line, which makes application much quicker and easier. Nevertheless, I would still recommend a balm or primer and a lip liner for more precise application. I can see why some people thought that this color might be too dark, but for me, personally, it is a very wearable color for anyone who likes a good, darker lip. Of course, it can be blotted or patted on to achieve a lighter color. One additional thing that might be of interest is that this lipstick stains bright pink, which is something that I have experienced with some of Bite's other berry colors (e.g., Sugared Maple).


Summary
Overall, Rouge Berry is a beautiful deep berry color that is not for the faint of heart. It is quite vampy when applied to full opacity, but it is not unwearable by any means. In my opinion, it is an excellent addition to any lipstick lover's collection.


Disclaimer
I purchased this lipstick myself and received neither financial nor material incentives for this review. All opinions expressed herein are my own.


Related Website
Sephora: http://www.sephora.com/amuse-bouche-lipstick-rouge-berry-P410166?skuId=1833441&icid2=products%20grid:p410166

Bite Beauty - Amuse Bouche Lipsticks (Part 2) - Swatches and Review

Over time, I have acrued more and more Amuse Bouche lipsticks, which are amongst my favorites. I will most likely buy more because the texture is comfortable but almost matte, and most are fully opaque on the first swipe. Some of the colors in the Amuse Bouche line are very wearable, whereas others are unique albeit not very practical, as you will see in the following swatches. All of them have a citrus scent, which is nice and refreshing, but not too strong, and it fades quite quickly over time.

Because of their thicker texture, they tend to have a bit of tug to them, especially the darker colors. Therefore, a balm or primer is recommended for all of them, and a lip liner is needed for the darker colors. For a less bold lip, all of the Amuse Bouche lipsticks can be patted on or blotted after full-strength application.


Arm Swatch


From L to R: Verbena, Gazpacho, Beetroot, Spitzer, Thistle, Lavender Jam, Whiskey, Taro, Kale, Squid Ink

My Naked Lips

(for comparison)

Lip Swatches 
The following lip swatches were done without a liner or a primer, although I did apply balm in between swatches here and there because my lips were becoming dry, the actual swatches are of the lipsticks themselves only. As a sidenote, since I did not use any lipliner for the swatches, some of them are a bit sloppy.


Verbena


Verbena is a lovely light terracotta pink color that is great for everyday wear. This one has less tug to it and applies very easily.


Gazpacho


Gazpacho is a beautiful blue-toned bright red color that is a perfect pin-up red. This is a perfect red that everyone needs in their collection. Of course, like most bold colors, Gazpacho should be accompanied by a liner for more precise application.


Beetroot


Beetroot is a berry red that is quite similar in color and texture to Sugared Maple from the Maple Matte Crème collection and in color to Kir Royale from the Luminous Crème collection. It is wonderful for everyday wear, but it definitely needs a liner, as you can see.


Spritzer
 
Spritzer is a beautiful light pinky purple that is somewhat similar to Dominique from the Nars Audacious line, except Dominique has a slightly cooler undertone when compared to Spritzer. This is also one of the more wearable unique colors from the Amuse Bouche line, since it is not too out there compared to some of the colors below.


Thistle


Thistle is a beautiful taupe greige color that is quite similar to the one that I made at the NYC Lip Lab, which can be seen in an older post. That being said, I love this color. It is great for everyday wear - even at the office - because it is unique but still not too shocking for a professional environment.


Lavender Jam


Lavender Jam is a unique, blue-based lilac color that is not particularly practical, although it is gorgeous. This one seems to have a bit more slip to it than other colors, which on the one hand, is not necessarily a bad thing, since some have quite a bit of tug to them when applied without any balm or primer. On the other hand, it means that this one might be a bit more streaky at first, although it can be easily built up to full opacity.


Taro

I find Taro to be much more wearable than Lavender Jam, although not everyone would agree. It is another purple that is blue-based and fully opaque in one swipe. This is such a unique color, and I was so excited that Bite had released this.


Whiskey


Whiskey is a dark brown with red undertones, which is not at all what I think of when I think of whiskey. That minor critique aside, the color is beautiful and deep. Of the darkest colors in the Amuse Bouche line, Whiskey is among the more wearable colors, which makes it a nice addition to any lipstick addict's collection.


Kale


I love the color green, and even though it is not practical to wear green lipstick in everyday life, I do try to mix it up occasionally, which is why I had to have this color, even though it will certainly not get as much use as any of the conventional colors. This is by far the darkest green lipstick that I own, which is what makes it especially unique.


Squid Ink


Squid Ink is not as unique a color as Kale, seeing as how many brands have navy lipsticks nowadays. Nonetheless, the texture and opacity of the Amuse Bouche line puts this one far ahead of other comparable colors.


Summary
As with most products from Bite Beauty, I am a huge fan of the Amuse Bouche line. Nonetheless, I would be lying if I said that I did not miss the Luminous Crème line, since I think that the two different textures both are great for different purposes.

The Amuse Bouche lipsticks are all quite a bit thicker than the Luminous Crème lipsticks, which makes them bolder and more opaque. These lipsticks require some prepping with a balm or a primer because especially the darker colors have a bit of tug to them, which makes them skip upon initial application. All of these lipsticks can, however, be built to full opacity rather easily, and they tend to last quite a while. For me, most of them last around two to four hours at work, but that takes into account that I tend to drink a lot of water, tea, and coffee, and as an avid wearer of lip balm, I tend to press my lips together quite a bit more than most people.

I would highly recommend these lipsticks to anyone who is looking for something comparable to the Nars Audacious lipsticks, since these are less expensive at $26USD for the Amuse Bouche lipsticks compared to $32USD for the Audacious lipsticks. In addition, Bite has made a great effort with this collection to release new, unique colors that you may not find anywhere else at this quality.


Disclaimer
I purchased all of these lipsticks myself, and I received no material or monetary incentives for this review. All opinions expressed herein are my own.


Related Link
Sephora: http://www.sephora.com/amuse-bouche-lipstick-P405057?skuId=1823244&icid2=products%20grid:p405057http://www.sephora.com/amuse-bouche-lipstick-P405057?skuId=1823244&icid2=products%20grid:p405057