A Winter Lipstick Wardrobe | Cruelty-Free

Yay for another lipstick post if you're a lipstick lover like me!

This one was inspired by an article I found on the interwebs when I was looking for 2017 winter lipstick trends and it resulted in one of those fun 'shop my stash' sessions. The article published in Makeup Tutorials (here) lists some 13 lipstick shades and while I didn't pull together a collection of 13, I did come up with 6 shades that I think will meet most of my winter needs when I need to go out and face the world.  I must admit I came away with a few lipstick cravings too but I'll talk about those at the end of the post.

So - I've created my little lipstick capsule wardrobe for the winter - which was surprisingly enjoyable and got me out of my current makeup rut - and being the oversharer that I am I had to show you what I came up with! Can you tell I'm in a bit of a playful mood today?

My winter lipstick wardrobe is organised into 3 categories comprising muted shades, reds and brights.  This might sound impressive but it wasn't intentional!  Funnily enough and also quite accidentally I've also ended up with an even mix of traditional lipstick bullets, lipstick crayons, and liquid lippies, comprising some mattes and some creamy, glossier lipstick formulas. Without trying I really did cover the bases in this capsule...

My picks are listed in the same order as shown above, progressing from muted shades on the left through to the reds and brights:

Too Face Melted Liquified Long Wear Lipstick (Melted Chihuahua)

These liquid lipsticks have been available for a long time now so the social media novelty has well and truly worn off but I still have a soft spot for a matte lipstick that doesn't dry the life out of my lips. That's beside the point though because this is all about the colour and Melted Chihuahua is a flattering muted shade and just the kind of variation of nude lip that I like to wear in winter as it doesn't erase my lips or wash me out. The official description is dusty rose but it wears more like a brown nude on me and seems to work with warm or cool eye makeup.

Antipodes Moisture Boost Natural Lipstick (Remarkably Red)

The actual lipstick shade doesn't live up to the name but is instead a muted rose red. It has a very cool undertone and it almost looks plum on my lips so I pair this with a cool neutral eye makeup look.  The lipstick formula itself is quite creamy and comfortable to wear.

NARS* Velvet Matte Lip Pencil (Cruella)

Now, this is a true classic RED and it's matte. The end.

Nudestix Intense Matte Lip & Cheek Pencil (Raven)
This matte red is deeper and cooler in tone than Cruella and wears like a deep wine on my lips - unfortunately the swatch below doesn't do it justice.  Raven makes for another classic statement winter lip but I also feel that deep matte red lips are a must in my lipstick wardrobe all year round for an evening option as they add that drama that I like.

Urban Decay Cream Lipstick (Bang)
Moving on to the brights I also love wearing a bright red-orange throughout the year but it's more unexpected and fun during a dreary grey winter's day.  Bang (perfectly named) is a juicy shade in a creamy finish so not only does it look amazing but the creamy formula feels amazing on the lips too. Speaking of the formula, this is one of those one-swipe beauties of a lipstick so I could be tempted to look at the collection again in future...if only I could justify it of course!

Chi Chi Creamy Matte Liquid Lipstick (Drama Queen)
This almost fuchsia shade of bright purple is the most 'fun' bright in my lipstick wardrobe and while I have to summon up the courage to wear it, I enjoy it when I do.  This liquid lippy has a grape scent/taste and is creamy rather than flat matte as it does not dry down completely.  It does stain the lips significantly but the stain is a bright berry, reminiscent of the stain MAC Rebel leaves, which is fine with me as Rebel was my all-time favourite MAC lippy.

L-R:

Melted Chihuahua, Remarkably Red, Cruella*, Raven, Bang, Drama Queen

So, if you are in a lipstick rut and looking to be re-inspired I recommend this exercise.  It certainly has me feeling a renewed appreciation for what I have - I'm reassured I have enough options to comfortably keep up with the lipstick trends this season

And as for what I don't have in my collection?  Isn't it always the way for us makeup enthusiasts/junkies! I was looking for the perfect oxblood and toffee lipstick shades which I don't seem to have...but...I don't know...I think I'll stop here before I justify another lipstick purchase...

Do you follow lipstick trends or do you have your own signature look?

*EDIT - Unfortunately, shortly after publishing this post I became aware that NARS is no longer a Cruelty-Free brand.*

(All products purchased by me)

Bite Beauty | Sweet Cream Amuse Bouche Lipstick

Ever since Bite Beauty reformulated and relaunched their lipsticks in the Amuse Bouche formulation last year I was keen to try one for myself.  Being a big fan of the original Luminous Crème formula I was disappointed at first to hear it was discontinued, then wondered how they were going to top it.

Revisiting my thoughts on the Luminous Crème lippy in a 2013 post I loved it because of the glide-on application, moisture-rich comfortable creaminess and the antioxidant ingredient resveratrol, the free-radical fighter found in red wine. I was raving like a crazed fan-girl in the original post so I won't link it directly but you can find it if you click on Bite Beauty in my blog labels. Also, as the original formula has been discontinued it's more of historical (and hysterical!) reference. 

So, the new Amuse Bouche lipsticks promise "bold, creamy lip color" and are "..made with 12 edible oils and triple milled pigments...", to provide, "...saturated lip color with weightless coverage".

Now, the shade I chose in Sephora called Sweet Cream, reminded me a lot of my old Bite lipstick, Rosé, in the shade at least as this warm coral pink looks very similar in the bullet... 

Sweet Cream:

Rosé (this bullet is all finished now):

...but there are some differences I've noticed in swatching and wear.  The new formula has slightly more drag on application, is less glossy and is definitely heavier in pigment.  It's less of a cream and more of a satin so it looks less luscious on the lips - slightly more ageing on me than the previously creamier, sheerer formula - but it stays put better than its predecessor and there is absolutely no bleeding.  

The colour stayed true on my lips from breakfast to lunch and only a minor reapplication was needed after lunch so it would be a good choice for those who don't want to worry about touching up their lipstick throughout the day and prefer a bullet over a liquid lip colour. Also being a bullet lipstick it faded evenly rather than flaking off or drying the life out of my lips and my lips felt comfortable all day.

Arm swatch:

And a selfie after a few hours of wear. There's slight fading but no bleeding:

So do I love this as much as the original? I feel there's a slight trade-off between that moisturizing feeling and longevity of wear but I do prefer a longer wearing, pigmented lipstick for work wear and Amuse Bouche ticks off those requirements for me.  Yes, this lipstick aficionado grudgingly admits this is a better lipstick.  And yes, resveratrol is still one of the ingredients too.

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  Ingredients:

Ricinus Communis (Castor) Seed Oil**, Glyceryl Rosinate*, Cera Alba (Beeswax)**, Simmondsia Chinensis (Jojoba) Seed Oil**, Butyrospermum Parkii (Shea) Butter**, Triisostearyl Citrate*, Argania Spinosa (Argan) Kernel Oil**, Euphorbia Cerifera (Candelilla) Wax*, Hydrogenated Vegetable Oil*, Sesamum Indicum (Sesame) Seed Oil**, Copernicia Cerifera (Carnauba) Wax**, Simmondsia Chinensis (Jojoba) Cera (Wax)*, Polymethyl Methacrylate, Hydrogenated Castor Oil*, Flavor (Aroma), Helianthus Annuus (Sunflower) Seed Wax*, Acacia Decurrens Flower Wax*, Polyglyceryin-3*, Helianthus Annuus (Sunflower) Seed Oil**, Vitis Vinifera (Grape) Seed Extract**, Silk Powder*, Pearl Powder*, Glyceryl Oleate*, Olea Europaea (Olive) Oil Unsaponifiables*, Trans-Resveratrol*, Vitis Vinifera (Grape) Seed Oil**, Almond (Prunus Dulcis) Oil**, Olea Europaea (Olive) Fruit Oil**, Cocos Nucifera (Coconut) Oil**, Persea Gratissima (Avocado) Oil**, Prunus Armeniaca (Apricot) Kernel Oil**, Punica Granatum (Pomegranate) Seed Oil**, Siraitia Grosvenorii (Monk Fruit) Extract*. +/- May Contain: Titanium Dioxide (Ci 77891)*, Iron Oxides (Ci 77491, Ci 77492, Ci 77499)*, Carmine (Ci 75470)*, Blue 1 Lake (Ci 42090), Yellow 5 Lake (Ci 19140), Yellow 6 Lake (Ci 15985), Red 40 Lake (Ci 16035), Red 6 Lake (Ci 15850), Red 7 Lake (Ci 15850), Red 27 Lake (Ci 45410), Red 28 Lake (Ci 45410), Red 30 Lake (Ci 73360), Red 33 Lake (Ci 17200), Manganese Violet (Ci 77742)*.

(This product was purchased by me)

Summer lippy selections! [Cruelty Free]

Quick - before the season's over here's my summer lip post!

Now, I haven't been following the S/S 2016 trends all that closely but for me personally this summer has been all about the extremes when it comes to lip colours.  I'm either choosing soft and sheer washes of colour or crazy bright lips - oh, okay there has been the occasional nude lip thrown in but not enough to warrant more than a passing mention! It's all about colour for me, so I've been favouring pinks, mauves and corals.

I'm really enjoying the bright lip, defined brow combination for an easy pulled together look whether it's been for work or an occasion, whereas a sheer lip with just a hint of colour has been the perfect pick-me-up for a 'rush out the door' situation  - you know, when the weather's just too hot or humid for me to bother with much more yet I don't want to be completely barefaced. 

So here's my little lippy wardrobe sharing my recent favourites. They're all unabashedly pretty, optimistic 'summer fun in the sun', and not too be taken too seriously shades - and all bunny friendly too of course!

Going in order from left to right (or gloss to matte) these are:

• The Body Shop Flavoured Lip Gloss (Watermelon) - The flavour/scent reminds me more of honeydew melon actually but that's beside the point.  I like wearing this alone for that hint of watermelon pink colour with a lot of juicy shine.  Summer's just got to be the best time to wear a juicy gloss!  The handy tube makes it one of those pop in the pocket and go lip options, and this gloss is also a great moisturising formula. 

• Essence Sheer & Shine Lipstick (11 All About Cupcake) - I look at the new Sheer & Shine range more as tinted balms than lipsticks and they're perfect for a low key lip. I've been enjoying two shades as they've got just the right depth of tone to add a bit of flush to my lips rather than washing them out. Don't be fooled by the vibrant looking lipstick bullet above because All About Cupcake is a very sheer and natural coral pink on the lips. 

• Essence Sheer & Shine Lipstick (07 Sparkling Miracle) - The bullet looks like a deep blue toned mauve but again it swipes over the lips with a sheer wash of flattering pinky mauve and I like having the cooler alternative to All About Cupcake.  

• Bite Beauty Luminous Creme Lipstick (Rosé) - This warm pink lipstick is a longtime favourite for spring/summer and I reach for it whenever I want a bright but warm pink lip.  It's just the right balance of playful yet grownup enough for me to get away with at the office too. 

• Too Faced Melted Lipstick (Melted Fuchsia) - Melted Fuchsia is a knockout punch, vibrant blue toned pink but I love it.  It instantly brightens up my face and I really don't need to do much else to look like I've made an effort.  It's more of a playful weekend choice for sure - the slight candy scent adds to the fun - and deserves to be seen during the day!

• Hourglass Opaque Rouge Liquid Lipstick (Muse) - This is a bright coral but the most sophisticated choice of the bunch because of its matte finish.  I feel slightly retro in this lipstick and it's great paired with a groomed brow for a polished summer face.

Here are all the lippies swatched in the summer sun (of course!) in reverse order from above:

Muse, Melted Fuchsia, Rosé, Sparkling Miracle, All About Cupcake, Watermelon

I obviously like my corals and pinks!

What lip colours or finishes do you favour in summer?



(All products purchased by me.)

Rimmel Lasting Finish By Kate Nude Collection: Swatches and review

My thoughts on nude lipsticks?  They can look beautifully natural and youthful if you can find the right shade - and therein lies the challenge. It can be so hard to find the right one and I know because I've bought a few over the years that weren't quite right for me because they were too pale and concealer-y, too warm, too cool, too dark, too dead looking and so on. I'm sure you get what I'm saying!

For that reason I was pleased to be sent the full complement of Rimmel's new Lasting Finish By Kate Nude Collection to review because I have a chance of finding at least one that will suit... 

The collection comprises five nudes from the extremely pale through to a very deep warm nude suitable for darker skin tones. The nude packaging has grown on me - I wasn't sure at first but now I quite like it (other brands are doing it too) and it does make it easy to single out the nude lippies in my drawer.

The lipstick formula is what I've come to expect from Rimmel's Lasting Finish range:  richly creamy, very well pigmented and very long lasting on the lips without any drying feeling.  These lipsticks last hours on the lips without any fading or bleeding and one application will easily last me from breakfast through to lunch.  Rimmel say they last "up to 8 hours" and that doesn't seem a stretch at all.  Also, there's none of the unflattering whitish 'fade' happening around the inner lip as can happen with some nude lip products. That these lipsticks perform so well was no surprise to me at all and I continue to hold Rimmel lipsticks up as my favourite from the drugstore because the quality is right up there with higher end brands.

Now onto the swatches.  As it happened I've found three nudes I can wear in this collection:  42, 43 and 45 so I'm personally quite pleased with the colour selection.

Swatched left to right:  40, 42, 43, 45, 48

And here I am wearing the pink nude 42 on my lips

The Rimmel Lasting Finish By Kate Nude Collection is available from the following stores:

Big W, Chemist Warehouse, Coles, My Chemist, Priceline, Woolworths.

RRP:  $12.95AUD

(Products were provided for my consideration.  All comments and opinions are my own.)

The hunt for the perfect brown-red lipstick (shopping my stash)

Here's a fun post for Hump Day!

So, I alluded to my change of hair colour in my last post and how it's influenced my taste in other things - namely makeup! It's amazing (pretty logical really) how a new hair colour can get you out of a makeup rut.  Taking advantage of that brief window before the red tint fades from my lightened hair - as it inevitably does and is already - I'm suddenly all about wearing complimentary warmer shades of lipstick and that had me zeroing in on brown-red.

My knee-jerk reaction was to go out and buy a new tube of lippy (Great excuse right?) but I've done the sensible thing first - this time - and gone on a treasure hunt in my lipstick collection to see what I have in brown-red.  Brown-red...is that Pantone's Marsala?? Hmmm...  Before I let myself muse any more on that point, here are the three lipsticks I came up with...
  
L - R: 
MAC - Dubonnet, Natio - Flame, Revlon - Wine With Everything

• MAC Dubonnet was the first lipstick I specifically dove into my collection for, as this Amplified formula lipstick is almost the colour of dried blood.  It definitely leans more to red but has the hint of brown to give it the warmth I'm looking for. This lipstick is by far the deepest shade in this trio and with its rich pigment and slight sheen it makes for a strong statement lip.  My only issue with this lipstick is because it's so dramatic and not a matte it requires more care to ensure it doesn't end up everywhere but on my lips when drinking and eating!

• Natio Flame is a shade lighter and brighter than Dubonnet and sits more in the middle of red and brown so is the true brown-red.  This shade looks like terracotta on my lips and has more of a low maintenance semi-matte finish.  This is the newest of the three lipsticks, which I bought on an unsuspecting whim a few months ago and is my favourite of the bunch because it is exactly what I was looking for in terms of colour and finish for a daytime lipstick. Success!

• Revlon Wine With Everything is an old tube (as you can see by the outdated packaging above) but this colour is a Revlon classic and still available in their core range of Super Lustrous lipsticks. This leans more towards the cooler end of the red spectrum as a plummier red, so kind of misses the brown-red mark although it still flatters strawberry-blonde hair, and is an appropriately classic rediscovery for a winter lip.

The swatches (top to bottom in the same order as above):

Besides having obvious fun playing in my own little makeup pit, the end result of this exercise were the realisations that:

I actually do have the perfect brown-red lipstick in my collection;
I don't need to go lipstick shopping after all;
I've embraced Pantone's colour of the year....maybe???
My own stash is the first place to shop!

When did you last shop your own makeup collection?

Review: Rimmel Apocalips Lip Velvet Matte Liquid Lip Colours

As I have a self-confessed craze for matte lips at the moment I was pleased to have a few of Rimmel's Apocalips Lip Velvet Mattes come my way for review.  I'm growing quite a little collection of liquid matte lipsticks and as we head into the cooler months down here I've been leaning that way more and more especially as I favour a clean-edged highly pigmented lip look in winter.

 

So what do Rimmel promise with their Apocalips Lip Velvet lippies?

 

• Weightless liquid colour with a velvety smooth finish
• Earth-shattering intense colour stays true for up to 8 hours
• Moisturizing formula instantly increases lip moisture by 31%*

 

I received 3 of the 4 shades in the range for review.  From left to right above and swatched below these are:  Atomic Rose, Meteoric Matte, and Burning Lava:

 

I agree with the weightless, velvety smooth finish colour claims as these shades all apply smoothly in a single coat and sit very comfortably on my lips.  There's that slightly velvety feel but no dryness and I'd almost have to check in the mirror to see the colour's still on.  There is no patchiness on application so one dip of the doe-foot wand is enough to coat the lips with 100% opaque colour.

 

The colours didn't quite last the claimed 8 hours as they do start to fade on the inside of my lips due to doing the usual things like drinking coffee etc. (and some do this more obviously than others) so I would reapply after about 4 to 5 hours to touch up where the colour needed refreshing.  Still, I didn't experience any caking or build up on reapplication so that wasn't a deal breaker at all. 

 

With regards to moisture, while these lip colours look matte they actually don't dry down 100% so they don't dry out my lips either and I can wear them on consecutive days without feeling like they're sucking the life out of my them!

 

There's another issue I want to address and that is the smell/taste.  I've been asked by several of you out there in social media land as to whether these smell as weird as the original Apocalips lip colours and after comparing I find these new Lip Velvets are slightly sweet scented and have no discernible taste although I'd still suggest you swatch in store if you are sensitive to scented lip products. 

 

And now for some lip swatches and my thoughts on the individual shades. 

Atomic Rose

 The least favourite shade for me.  I found it looked a little aging and the colour actually faded to a strange whitish peach on the inside of my lips.

Meteoric Matte

This beautiful blue red is going to be my favourite this winter and I love how smooth it looks on my lips. 

 

Burning Lava

 A true red and another flatteringly smooth lip colour.  I suppose this is my 'other' favourite.

 

 

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Overall I'm giving these lip colours a big thumbs up for long-lasting, non-drying lip colour. 

 

Rimmel Apocalips Lip Velvet Matte Liquid lip colours sell for $15.95AUD and are available at: 

Priceline, Priceline Pharmacy, Big W, Woolworths, Coles, Chemist Warehouse, My Chemist,
Target and Kmart and various Independent Pharmacies.

 

 

(This product was provided for my consideration.  All comments and opinions are my own.)

My (eclectic) MAC lipstick collection...

This post has been sitting around patiently, waiting to be written for so long that I've literally finished one of my MAC lipsticks in the meantime!  It's just that combination of being busy, feeling obliged to do PR posts first (beauty blogger problems clearly!) AND suffering three internet outages in as many weeks, but now I finally have that window of opportunity to do one of my just for fun posts. 

 

Let me open up my MAC lipstick wardrobe and share - I love reading other people's lipstick posts (lipstick is my other obsession besides nails) so this was definitely fun to do!  It did actually serve another, "practical" purpose too because I was well and truly ready for a Back 2 MAC lipstick so I wanted to do a bit of a colour inventory first and see where the gap is in my own collection.  Read on and you shall see!

 

Reds

I'll start with classic reds because that's where my MAC obsession started all those years ago - as you might have spotted in the picture one of these is very old too (original packaging!) but I've been keeping it for sentimental value and because it - amazingly - hasn't gone bad otherwise it would be going Back 2 MAC for sure! I'm going to list everything throughout the post from left to right so here we go...

• Lady Danger (Matte) - Described by MAC as a vivid bright coral-red.  I've been fixated with orangey reds over the past year and this was my most recent addition to my MAC family by way of Back 2 MAC actually! It's screechingly bright to the point I have to be feeling confident to wear it but it adds confidence once it's on so it's worth that first step.  While some of my MAC matte lipsticks are dry and apply with a lot of dragging across the lips Lady Danger positively glides on in one swipe.

• RiRi Woo (Matte) - Matte cool red with a retro matte finish.  Now this one literally is a drag unfortunately so it needs the help of balm to get it onto my lips without tearing them up. I love the blue red but it doesn't love me back.  I've hung onto this lipstick mostly because of the rose gold limited edition packaging.

• Russian Red (Matte) - I'm not sure what the official shade description is but to me this is probably the truest red lipstick in my entire lipstick collection! It's obviously old judging by the packaging and I've only worn it a couple of times a year on average because again it's a serious red and unfortunately that powdery matte formula dries out my lips.

• Dubonnet (Amplified) - The deepest red in my MAC collection and my favourite of the four.  This is brownish slightly vampy red which adds impact in a more toned down way than my brighter shades.  Being a fan of the Amplified formula I love how this piles on the colour in a single swipe and has a slight creamy sheen. Best of all it's the one red which doesn't dry out my lips! Without sounding depressing Dubonnet is the perfect austere red for autumn and winter in Melbourne when I wear my black clothes in all their glory.

 

Now for some rather messy swatches in the same order as above!

Nudes

One of these nudes has literally been worn to death since I took these pictures because I loved it to death...

• Peach Blossom (Cremesheen) - A soft pink-nude with a shiny finish.  I've been enjoying this as my nude of choice over the summer because it's a swipe and go kind of colour.  Cremesheens are up there as being one of my favourite finishes in the MAC family for their shiny formula but for one significant drawback:  a lot of mine have snapped at the stub.

• Modesty (Cremesheen) - This was the nude lipstick I loved to death and finished off.  The mauve-nude tone perfectly emulated and embellished my natural lip colour so it was the 'my lips but better' lipstick of choice and I can definitely see it being repurchased.  Despite being a Cremesheen the bullet held fast without snapping so that's another reason it was/is a favourite. 

• Brave (Satin) - This is the 'other' Modesty if you like as it has a very similar, ever so slightly more mauve nude tone and is my current MLBB choice.  Being a satin it can look a bit flat and lifeless on my lips worn on its own so I prefer to top it with a bit of gloss. I've just been reading this is one of the shades for the Kylie Jenner lip if you're into that look although I bought this lipstick a couple of years before the craze.  Apparently I was ahead of the trend!

• Plastique (Frost) - Caramel frost.  I bought this one more than a couple of years ago and it only comes out to play as a topper these days because it's just a little too beigey on its own.  I'm considering putting this lipstick in my Back 2 MAC pile.

 

The swatches:



 Pink & Purples

 

This is a bit of a motley grouping of colours but close enough for me...

 

• Impassioned (Amplified) - Described by MAC as a bright warm pink this - HOT coral pink in my words - is the most screamingly bright MAC lipstick in my collection hands down!!!  I jumped on the bandwagon with this one when it felt like everyone was raving about it.  Honestly whenever I wear this statement shade my lips enter the room before I do! I really need to pluck up every ounce of courage to put it on - although right now I can feel my little inner voice daring me to again!

• Up The Amp (Amplified) - The official description for this shade is lavender violet - a pinkish purple!  I don't shy away from purple because it works with my complexion, whitens my teeth and it's an unexpected alternative to pink.  I've worn this lippy a lot but because the Amplified formula is a one-swipe wonder and super pigmented it's going to take forever to wear down the stub.

• Rebel (Satin) - This scary looking bullet wears as a bright pink plum on my lips and this is my favourite MAC lipstick shade of all time and the first MAC lipstick I have repurchased.  I love how this shade can be built up from a sheer raspberry to a deeply vibrant colour depending on my mood.  I opt for this in the cooler months as an alternative to dark red but I can also get away with it as an unexpected summer evening lipstick choice when I want to wear a statement lip.

 

And the vibrant swatches!





 

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After going through all the lipstick shades in my collection I realised there was indeed a gap and I needed a soft pink lipstick to fill it.  My selection when I finally did go the MAC counter?  Angel!

 

What's your favourite MAC lipstick shade?



Review: Rimmel Provocalips 16HR Kiss Proof Lip Colours...

...and how they kept my lipstick game strong over the festive season!

Let me be honest - when Rimmel initially released their Provocalips 16HR Kiss Proof Lip Colours I wasn't going to jump on the bandwagon because I figured I'd been there and done that years ago.  So of course as it goes with all new releases the hype starts building (which I duly ignore), and then my friends start raving (maybe there's something to this?), and then finally in mid December the PR company sends me some samples to try (okay then I'll try these and find out for myself!)


Provocalips 16HR Kiss Proof Lip Colours promise:

•  Kiss proof, transfer proof, food proof high impact endless colour.
•  No tight feeling or dry lips. Lips feel smooth and moisturized all day long.
•  Easy removal with Oil based makeup remover. 

  

 

 First up, I have the say the packaging is too cute (my admitted weakness) and being colour coded makes it easy to see which colour you're grabbing for. 

 

The application itself is a two step process.  First, colour is applied directly to clean, unprimed lips, then allowed to dry for around 60 seconds WITHOUT smooshing or smacking your lips together (or your lip colour could adhere to itself and peel or flake).  Once dry, the clear topcoat is applied to seal the colour and moisturise the lips.  Both the colour and topcoats are easily applied with the doe foot applicators.  I found the topcoat was a must, as although the lip colour will dry transfer-proof alone, it feels uncomfortably tacky on the lips without it. This means the finish of these lip colours is shiny - at least until the topcoat wears off.

 

 

The first thing I noticed is how incredibly richly pigmented these are and I had opaque colour on my lips in one swipe. These can still be built up to some degree with extra coats before the colour sets although not too heavily because it can result in a too thick coat of product, prone to peeling from the lips. Honestly though I think a single coat of colour should really be enough - as you'll see when you get to my swatches later in the post!

 

Once the colour is set, it is 100% SET and mine did not budge through all the eating and kissing I did throughout the festive season.  It was a huge relief to be able to wear bright lip colours without worrying about leaving lipstick prints on family and friends' cheeks, nor about having to touch up my lip colour after lunch or dinner and finally not worrying about colour bleeding outside my middle aged lip line!

 

These do wear very comfortably for a long wearing lip colour too and I didn't find myself rushing to reapply the moisturising topcoat because I really didn't need it.  The initial application is enough to seal in the tackiness too so it's a set and forget it for the rest of the day situation.

 

I received 3 of the 8 shades available to review and because I was won over I ended up buying another because of course I needed a long-wearing red for Christmas day!

 

 Top to bottom:  Skinny Dipping, I'll Call You, Little Minx, Kiss Me You Fool

 

Swatched on the back of my hand Left to Right:

Skinny Dipping, I'll Call You, Little Minx, Kiss Me You Fool

 

 

And now for the documented wear test!

 

Provocalips shade I'll Call You freshly applied at 10:00 am -  I decided to pout for a change...

 

 

And those brutal but necessary close ups:

 

10:00 am lips

 

7:30 pm lips in fading light with top coat freshly applied

 

The only sign of wear is where the colour has faded from the inner portion of my lips after a long day of lunching and grazing with friends and to be honest, had I not pouted my lips this wouldn't be noticeable at all.  If I was concerned with the fading (which I wasn't because I was back at home) a quick reapplication of colour in the centre of the lip would freshen it up perfectly.  I kept my Provocalips on for the rest of the day and it stayed like this until I chose to take it off at 11:00 pm with some eye & lip makeup remover.  

 

 

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Yes, I totally get the hype and I'm more than impressed Rimmel Provocalips 16HR Kiss Proof Lip Colours - I think they are a very reasonable buy at $17.95 each too.

Rimmel Provocalips 16HR Kiss Proof Lip Colours are available at:

Priceline, Priceline Pharmacy, Big W, Woolworths, Coles, Chemist Warehouse, My Chemist,
Target and Kmart and various Independent Pharmacies.

 

 Have you tried these?

 

 

(This product was provided for my consideration.  All comments and opinions are my own.)

 



REVIEW: Luk Beautifood - Lip Nourish

It's always a bonus to be wearing and reviewing a product at the same time and I've been wearing my Lip Nourish natural lipstick from Luk Beautifood pretty much constantly over the weekend (and right now). Okay, so I know exactly how it looks, feels, wears, smells, tastes (or not!) and I'll share my thoughts shortly...

 

First let me do my little brand intro because Luk Beautifood is another Australian natural beauty brand I've recently discovered, specialising in 'no-makeup', looking makeup aimed at the busy, no fuss woman, made from "...natural, raw and organic food so you can relax knowing you are nourishing your skin with healthy, non toxic ingredients." 

Luk Beautifood products contain no synthetic fragrances or colours, artificial flavours, phthalates, petroleum oils, lanolin, synthetic emollients, preservatives (including parabens, BHA, BHT), GMOs, animal products (other than beeswax), cochineal beetles (carmine E120).

...Getting back to the Lip Nourish lipsticks themselves: These are a range of 100% natural sheer lipsticks made from "clean active foods" and are enriched with Vitamins A, C & E, antioxidants and omega 3 & 6 essential fatty acids from avocado, sesame seeds and plant lipids to "fight free radicals, moisture-balance and protect to keep the lips soft, smooth and illuminated."  

There are 7 shades/flavours in the range, all naturally scented by their namesake ingredients and I chose the sheer dusty pink Orange & Juniper, obviously scented with orange rind and crushed juniper berries!!
 

 

 

Packaging first and this is my one gripe so I'll get it out of the way.  As the twist up mechanism was a little stubborn, I thought the balm wasn't going to twist up from the tube at all! After a few attempts I got it working but I'm not going to twist it back down into the tube just in case. I don't know if it was just my luck but I figure it's worth mentioning.

Now onto the important stuff inside the tube!  The fruity - in this case citrusy - scent seems quite strong in when you smell it in the tube, but the flavour is quite subtle when applied on the lips and really only lasts a few minutes before it fades away to nothing.  So if you're not a fan of flavoured lip products don't let the mention of flavour put you off here because it's not going to hang around.

The thing I really fell for was the ease of application and the comfort on the lips.  The colour is sheer, satiny and very natural looking on my lips so I can literally swipe it on without the need for a mirror - something I rarely do unless it's a colourless balm.  I completely get that the Lip Nourish lipsticks are for the 'no-makeup' look and the result is basically my lips but just that little bit better in the most subtle way - it's like the old 'is she or isn't she?' wearing makeup idea put into practice and I like the subtle youthful glow, sans gloss these impart on my lips. Being the diehard bright lipstick girl that I am, I know these won't take the place of my signature bright weekday lip look but they're a brilliant idea for low key weekend looks, and whenever I don't want to wear makeup but want that little indiscernible healthy looking 'something' on my lips. 

And the comfort? The Lip Nourish feels like a lightweight, almost velvety balm and is very long lasting, with no greasy migration beyond the lip line at all, and my lips feel soft without any stickiness or tackiness. As you can see in the swatches below Orange & Juniper was the perfect natural pick for me.

Swatched on the inside of my arm:

 

And on my lips:

 

 

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  Luk Beautifood Lip Nourish natural lipsticks are $24.95 each from the Luk Beautifood site here or the full set of 7 can be purchased for the super special Christmas price of $99.00 here.

 

 

 

(This product was provided for my consideration.  All comments and opinions are my own.)

REVIEW: Rimmel Lasting Finish Colour Rush Intense Colour Balm

So the time has finally come for Rimmel to launch their own version of balm crayons as part of the new Rita Ora Colour Rush collection...

 

 

I love jumbo lip crayons because of the 'fun' factor and the convenience of a lipstick/liner/balm in one and because just about every makeup brand have launched their own jumbo crayons I have quite a few - to the point of feeling a little jumbo crayon fatigued.  I was still curious to try these because, you know, it's Rimmel and they are my go-to for drugstore lipstick. 

Rimmel says: "Indulge your lips with hi-voltage shades of rich, feel-good colour for an all-day super charged stand out lip look [with]... a stay-put colour balm offering all-day comfort without ever feeling sticky."

 

There are six colours in the range and I've been testing 100 - Give Me A Cuddle (peachy pink) and 200 - Keep Mauving (deep mauve ): 

 
My impressions:

Okay so these crayons obviously look the same as others out there, with the same colour matched packaging and same twist up mechanism.  When it comes to scent or 'taste', rather than the minty scented varieties I'm used to these have a soft creamy vanilla scent so that's an initial point of difference worth noting if you're not partial to mint, or are a fan of vanilla. Me? I'm partial to both.
 

The Colour Rush Intense Colour Balms are definitely well pigmented, with a creamier finish than some other brands so they don't take too many swipes to build up the colour - I'd describe these as more lipstick-y than balm-y in that department. I'm going to pretty much agree with the "all-day comfort" claim too because they're not drying at all and feel perpetually moisturising every time I press my lips together.  They don't necessarily last all day - they will fade with eating and drinking - but will last from breakfast to lunch before the need for a touch up so the staying power is very good.  The best thing from my perspective is how such a moisturising lip colour clings to the lips with zero bleeding - that's a big plus for me.  If I have one criticism it's that these will stain the lips after several hours of wear, but that's a similar criticism of most lip crayons.
 

 

 Swatched L to R:
100 Give Me A Cuddle, 200 Keep Mauving

 

  100 - Give Me A Cuddle

 

 200 - Keep Mauving

At $12.95AUD these are probably the best priced crayons out there too so are well worth trying if you've yet to jump on the bandwagon!

 

The Colour Rush Collection by Rita Ora is now available from Priceline, Priceline Pharmacy, Target, Kmart, BIG W, selected pharmacies and selected Coles and Woolworths stores.


(This product was provided for my consideration.  All comments and opinions are my own.)