Swatched: Stila Lippies

As promised here's the follow up to this post with some snaps of the Stila lippies. As you'll see most of these shades come up pretty sheer on me with exception of my new fave daytime lip Olivia and the stunning Cleopatra :)

Anni

Barbara 

Cleopatra 

Juliette 

Olivia 

Pam 

Until next time,

Swatched: Loads of Lippies (Picture Heavy!)

I'm still working my way through the make up stash I acquired from Andy's sister a couple of months ago but was playing with some of the lippies and thought I'd share some swatches in case any catch your eye! I decided to kick off with a couple of brands that you don't hear a massive amount about in beauty blog-land which are Chantecaille & Laura Mercier so here goes (excuse the sometimes sloppy application!)

Chantecaille

Comet

 Darby Rose

Framboise

Narcissia 

Raffia

Laura Mercier

Fig

Flirt 

Healthy Lips

Pink Dawn 

Tea Rose 

Berry Slush

Pink Seashell

My favourites would have to be Chantecaille's Framboise and the amazing LM Healthy Lips which applies really sheerly to leave a noticeable but natural stain for a flush of colour! I have some Stila lipstick swatches to post too so will pop them up asap!.

Until next time,

Swatched: OCC Lip Tar in Trick

This is one of those products that requires no formal introduction...OCC's lip tars are pretty infamous on the beauty blog circuit. I've been a bit reluctant to get involved before as a lot of the shades seemed to me to be quite blue toned which I can't easily wear. But I took the plunge and ordered up Trick which is described by OCC as a 'pale beige with subtle warm undertones'. I got it from Genie Cosmetics for £8.59 Lip Tars promised to deliver the lasting power of lipstick but with gloss-style application and as such are packaged in a dinky 8ml tube which looks like this.....

All lip tars are cruelty free, 100% vegan and free of parabens too. They are hugely pigmented which is meant to be particularly good against the harsh effects of digital photography and HD video...this is a just a light swatch on my hand and you can see how opaque it is.

I took the advice of previous reviewers and used a lip brush for even coverage and applied just the tiniest amount - you can always add more but too much will bleed and feather outside of your lip line. This is Trick on me....

....a pretty warm toned pale peach. I've only used it once so far but initial thoughts are that I love the colour and the pigmentation - I can already see that even such a small tube will last ages. On the downside application is fiddly and it did feel quite dry on my lips. I'm not sure if you can apply gloss or balm over the top as it might impact the longevity but I may give it a go!

Until next time,

Swatched: Sleek True Colour Lipstick in Fuchsia

A lunch hour purchase from Superdrug today. I was really excited to see that the Sleek stand had loads of the new shades of their True Colour lipsticks in stock....but not so excited that of the 16 or so colours there were just 3 testers! :( They cost £3.99 each...there was a 2 for £6 offer on but I wasn't keen on buying without trying so opted for just one in the shade Fuchsia - a stunning neon pink.

The range includes both matte and sheen finishes - Fucshia is the latter and so it takes a couple of layers to build the colour which once layered up looks like this.....

In addition its also lovely and moisturising so no need for balm underneath - here it is in action on my lips (excuse the scruffy application - I don't wear bright shades often and it shows!)

I'm absolutely in love with this lippie - its the perfect shade for summer and makes me smile as soon as I slick it on. I will definitely be picking up a few more of these once Superdrug sort 'tester-gate' out!

Until next time,

 

Swatched: NYX Haul

Hey everyone - as promised here are the swatches of the bits I picked up in my NYX ebay haul

♥ Concealer pot and stick

Despite picking these up in the same shade (04 Beige) they actually look slightly different when swatched with the concealer pot (top swatch) coming up ever so slightly darker than the stick. They're very different texture wise too. The stick has a much dryer consistency so I'd imagine will be better for concealing blemishes whereas the smoother texture of the pot will be good for under your eyes or those with dryer skin.

♥ HD Eyeshadow Base

♥ Soft Matte Lip Cream in Stockholm

Heavily swatched to show the texture

Blended out

♥ HD Studio Grinding Brush in Nutmeg

The grinder in action - so exciting! (I am officially sad!)



Until next time,

Swatched: NYX Lipsticks in Ceto and Pumpkin Pie

I picked up these NYX lippies from the fab Joy's Cosmetics ebay store. I know these have been reviewed a zillion times before but I thought I'd add my two pennies worth with some pics and swatches.

Despite looking quite different in the tube Ceto and Pumpkin Pie are quite similar once they're on. Ceto comes out ever-so-slightly darker but both create a gorgeous coral pink shimmery lip.

  

Until next time,

Reviewed: Elf Luscious Liquid Lipstick in Bark & Maple Sugar

What they say....
"True color therapy is here. Intensive hydrating agents along with natural pigments leave lips with Long-lasting color and moisture. This luscious liquid lipstick creates wearable color that flatters a multitude of skin tones and looks"


Top - Bark
Bottom - Maple Sugar

What I say....



Packaging The see through packaging that houses these lipsticks is very Ruby and Millie-esque and is topped off with a dinky sponge applicator. However whilst twisting one of the tubes the top third of the pen popped of entirely spilling the contents everywhere  - I tried to reattach it but to no avail so Bark is sadly in the bin! I'm sure this was probably a one-off but it still sucks! :(

I also have to say that you don't get much product for your moolah - just 1.5g. Now I know I've only paid £1.50 for the blinking thing but I still feel slightly short changed, not helped by the fact that the see-through tube kindly reveals that the pen looks half empty before you even start!

Product Bark and Maple Sugar are both nudey pink/browns and are actually quite similar - the main difference is that Maple Sugar is ever so slightly shimmery whereas Bark is a flat finish. Consistency is pretty good, not too sticky although it also wears off pretty quickly so not as long-lasting as Elf claim. I can't say it felt particularly hydrating either although to be honest that's what I use lip balm for!


Bark

Maple Sugar

Price £1.50

Would I repurchase? The jury's slightly out on this one. My fave of the two shades is Maple Sugar which with its subtle shimmer, is a lovely shade for daytime wear. Neither shades are anything super spectacular though and that coupled with the packaging failure means I probably won't rush back online specifically to buy this again.

Would I recommend? Why not...for £1.50 its worth try but go easy on the twisting!

Until next time,

Reviewed: Elf Lipstick in Fantasy

What they say....

"Indulge your lips with long lasting color and shine. The moisture rich formula hydrates, conditions and softens on contact for silky smooth lips"

What I say....

Packaging The lippy is packaged in a glossy silver tube whilst the inner tube is see-through which looks quite funky. My only qualm with the packaging is that the twist mechanism is really flimsy and loose and so the lipstick can easily move up inside the tube even when the lid is on. As you'll see from the pics the top of the lipstick bullet is flattened off which is the result of it getting squished against the lid whilst in my bag :( A quick scan of other reviews suggests this is a design flaw with all of these lippies, rather than just a one off.

Product Fantasy appears to be a mid- brown shade in the website piccies and in the tube but as you will see, it comes out as more of a nude pink/brown on me. According to the elf site it is unscented but a quick sniff suggests otherwise - it smells really sweet and sugary but not in an unpleasant way.



Results This lippy applies really well - it has a smooth, creamy consistency and feels moisturising on the lips - no dryness here. Its also easily buildable - a quick swipe gives a lovely wash of colour but it can also be layered up for a stronger look. The only downside is that its not a particularly long-lasting formula and I found myself having to reapply quite a few times throughout the day...although it applies so nicely that I actually didn't mind!

Price £1.50

Would I repurchase? Yes definitely - I can't wait to try the other shades but at they moment they are all out of stock...guess its a good sign if they're being snapped up!

Would I recommend? Yes just take care with the packaging or you will have one mashed-up lippy in no time.

Until next time,