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 the beauty blog | |||||||
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Category Archives: LipsBourjois Rose Exclusif Lipgloss That Adjusts To The pH Of Your Lips
Yes, it’s another “goes on clear, turns into the perfect shade for you upon contact with the skin” product, folks! This one is from Bourjois, and it’s their Rose Exclusif lipgloss: a clear gloss which reacts with the pH of your lips to turn into the perfect shade of pink. Now, I must admit to a strange fascination with these products, perhaps because they remind me of my school days, when people always seemed to be bringing in “mood rings” and other items that claimed to change colour according to your personality. I’ve never quite trusted them, though, which is why, although I’ve tried out Smashbox’s ‘O’ range at the counter, I’ve never actually purchased anything that claims to change colour on impact. Could this be the product to change my mind? I think I’d probably want to test it first, to see just what shade of pink it turned into on me, but if you can’t wait then you can click here to buy it from ASOS. Tarte LipSurgence™ Natural Matte Lip Stain
My new-found love of lip stains means that I’m always on the lookout for a new lip-staining product to try, and quite a few of you have recommended Tarte to me recently. This is a brand I’ve actually looked at a few times now, but haven’t actually got around to trying, for reasons that totally escape me at the moment – probably because I’d already given all my money to MAC when I last stumbled upon a Tarte stand. This new LipSurgence Natural Matter Lip Stain, however, makes me even more determined to, er, give Tarte a try. My own preference is always for matt lip colours rather than gloss ones, so this looks ideal, and the highly pigmented formula also claims to be long-lasting, without any of the drying that so often comes with long-lasting lip colours. (In fact, it claims to actually increase the moisture content of your lips by 6,000% over the course of 28 days, and no, that’s not a typo.) Oh, and it’s peppermint-infused too, so if nothing else, it should at least taste nice. This comes in six different colours: I like the look of ‘Fiery’, but of course, I WOULD say that, as it looks like the brightest red they do. Take a look at the other shades available at Sephora, where this retails for $24. Dollface Reviews: Plump & Shine lip gloss in “nude”(I know the lighting came out different in these two photos, but I promise they’re both the same lips!) I always find plumping lip products difficult to review, because having tried about eleventy-one of them over the years, I’ve come to the conclusion that the only way to know whether they’re going to work for you is to try them out yourself. Most of them, after all, basically work by irritating the lips in such a way that they swell up, and what irritates one person’s lips might have no effect whatsoever on another’s. My lips, for instance, are clearly pretty easy-going. NOTHING irritates them, with the exception of one product, which makes them swell up until I look like I’ve been punched in the face. Twice. When my mother tried it, though, it made no difference to her whatsoever, and, similarly, I know people who get great results from glosses that do absolutely nothing for me at all. I mention all of this because while I don’t feel Plump & Shine, which I’m wearing in the “after” image, above, did much to plump up my lips (there is a difference, but not a huge one), that’s not to say it won’t make a difference to yours. As for the product itself, it comes in three shades: Candy, Seduce and Nude. I decided to go for “Nude”, which, as you can see, isn’t a clear gloss, but more of a “your lips, but better” pinkish shade:
It’s applied using a sponge applicator, and, as with most lip plumping products, makes your lips tingle for a few minutes after application. I actually quite like this sensation, but that’s possibly just me…
Once on, it gives a very high-shine finish, and also has a sweet taste, which is always nice. It’s not too sticky, either, which is the downfall of many a lip gloss, in my opinion. Want to try it yourself? It costs £24.95 and you can find your nearest stockist by calling 0844 243 9243. [Disclosure: this was a sample sent to me for review purposes] Carmex Lip Balm now available in strawberry
I know I’m not the only Carmex lover out there, so I thought my fellow fans might like to know that the lip balm is now available in a fruity, strawberry flavour! The balm still contains the usual ingredients – menthol, camphor and beeswax – to smooth and soften the lips, plus SPF 15 to protect them from the sun. Sadly, that’s not a problem I’m having here in not-so-sunny Scotland right now, but those of you lucky enough to be enjoying an actual summer will at least be reassured that your lips are in safe hands. This is available from the usual suspects (Boots, Superdrug, and anywhere else you normally find Carmex), and retails for £2.49. MAC Ruby Woo: the perfect red lipstick!
Because I can’t seem to walk past a MAC counter without buying a new lipstick, I picked up their Ruby Woo on impulse last month, having heard lots of people refer to it as the “perfect” red. Well, all I can say is that the reports were right. I absolutely love this colour. I want to wear it forever. In fact, I’ve already made a start on that, and have been wearing it almost constantly since I bought it. If they ever stop making it, I’m going to cry. That’s how much I love it. As you’d expect from the name, this is a bright, ruby red, and the kind of colour I always think of as “retro red” as it’s that deep, matt shade that women always seem to be wearing in old Hollywood movies. It’s a colour that proved very hard to photograph, so I’ve taken a few shots in different lighting. If you’re near a MAC counter, though, I recommend having a swatch of it: I think it would work with most complexions, and the application is velvety smooth. The only issue with this product, as with all red lipsticks, is that you do have to take a lot of care when you’re applying it – it’s definitely not a “one swipe and you’re done” lipstick, and you won’t want to try applying it while you’re on the bus, say. A lip liner, brush and steady hand is my recommendation here. It’s also not the longest lasting colour, and food will cause it to fade from the centre of the lips, leaving you with what Mr Dollface refers to as a “lipstick moustache”, where the cupid’s bow is still red, but the centre of the lip isn’t. Meticulous blotting and re-applying will help with this, but I’ve gotten into the habit of popping it into my bag when I go out, in case touch-ups are required. This is £12.50 at the MAC website.
I’d say this one is probably the closest match to the colour.
Estee Lauder Pure Color Gloss lip colour: swatches
A box! A box! What’s in the box?!
Lip gloss! Today just got about 46.76% better than it already was. (Also: cute little case, no?) This is Estee Lauder’s new Pure Color Gloss, which launches this month, and is available in 24 colours, six of which I’ve swatched for you below, in a photo I have to ask you to excuse the quality of: as you can probably see, this product has a super-shiny finish, which proved difficult to photograph, even in our opaque Scottish daylight:
The wet-look, high gloss look of all of these speaks for itself, but these actually come with three different finishes: SHINE (ultra-glossy finish), SPARKLE (a dramatic, metallic-based look) and SHIMMER (finely cut pearls provide mirror shine with intense shimmer). Of the shades you see above, the finishes are: SHINE: Tempting Tearose, Simply Pink SHIMMER: Electric Ginger, Praline Paradise, Mod Poppy, Passion Fruit In all honesty, I can’t really see a whole lot of difference between these, other than the obvious differences in the colour. They all have a juicy, shimmery look about them, which provides plenty of shine (and gives a lip-plumping effect), but which would be subtle enough in terms of the actual colour to be worn over another lipstick if you wanted to. The colours I was sent fall mostly into the brown/pink camp, and my favourites are Passion Fruit and Mod Poppy:
Again, it was hard to photograph these properly. Passion Fruit has come out pretty true to colour, but Mod Poppy is a more intense, plummy shade in real life than it’s shown up here. As these are glosses, I found they lasted pretty well until that first mug of coffee, but that’s to be expected. They’re comfortable to wear, however, and non-sticky, which is definitely in their favour, as the stick-factor has put me off many a gloss in the past. These are £15, available from Estee Lauder.
[Disclosure: this was sent to me as a press sample] P.S. If you’re on Facebook, I set up a page for Hey, Dollface, which you can join by hitting the ‘Like’ button below. Go on, you know you want to… Dollface Reviews: MAC Pro Longwear Lipstain Marker in Purposefully Red
I almost always wear red lipstick. It’s a bit of a trademark of mine, and on days like today, when I wake up late and grumpy, still feeling the effects of jet lag and a summer cold, and I just can’t be bothered putting on a full face of makeup (or, er, washing my hair), I absolutely swear by a quick swipe of red lippy to create an instantly more polished look – even when “polished” is the last thing you feel. Red lipstick is hard to maintain, though, which is why I’ve started to turn my attention more towards lip stains these days. Enter MAC’s Pro Longwear Lip Stain Marker, which I picked up on vacation, having read mixed reviews of it. As the name implies, this comes in the form of a marker pen:
I know some people dislike the “felt tip” nib, but I’m actually quite keen on it. Because this is a fairly bright colour it’s not one you can use without liner, but the tip of the pen is hard and fine enough to line the lips with before “colouring them in”.
The colour I chose was ‘Purposefully Red’, which is a fairly classic bright red. There are quite a few reds in this collection, though, and to be honest, I didn’t feel that there was a huge amount of difference between some of them – there were quite a few I’d probably have been equally happy with, and I was torn between this one and “A Classic”, the deciding factor being purely the fact that the MAC store I was in at the time only had this one in stock. I’ve made a mental note to try out some more of these when this one runs, out, though (which will probably be soon, at the rate I’ve been using it).
As for the application, at first I felt it was a little on the watery side, making it harder than usual to get even, but this tends to be the case with stains, and I got used to it very quickly, to the point where it now goes on very easily. It’s comfortable to wear, and not nearly as drying as lipstick (particularly longwear lipstick, which can really play havoc with your lips), and I love the way it looks when it’s just been applied. In terms of staying power, it doesn’t last quite as long as some other “long lasting” lipsticks I’ve tried: I get probably about 3 – 4 hours worth of “normal” wear out of it, which includes eating and drinking – it would last longer if you abstained from both, but there’s no fun in that, obviously. I did find that it was less resistant to food and drink than I was expecting, too, so it’s not fantastic as a stain, but on the plus find, I don’t find it remotely drying, love the colours and can’t feel it on my lips at all, so it’s one I will probably be re-purchasing. It’s $16 from MAC. Barry M Lip Lacquer Crayons
Crayons… that are also lip colours. That really appeals to the part of me that’s secretly only seven years old, and as that’s quite a large part of me, I’ve spent quite a bit of time this afternoon looking at Barry M’s new Lip Lacquer Crayons, and wondering which one I’d buy (Cherry Red, just in case you’re wondering). These promise to create a high-shine, ultra glossy finish, which isn’t quite the style I usually go for (I’m more of a matt lip kinda girl), but there’s a first time for everything, especially when the price is only £4.95. Available in five different colours, you can order yours here. Models Own Solid Colour Lip Balm Pots
I know there are a few of you out there who, like me, love lip balms, but need a little more colour than they typically provide in order to look human rather than dancer vampire, so I thought these little lip balm pots by Models Own (it always really bothers me not to use an apostrophe there, but it IS how the brand name is written, so…) might be of interest. They’re balms rather than lip colours, but they are highly pigmented, which means there should hopefully be none of that “barely there” colour that’s perfect on all you (lucky) dewy-skinned English Rose types and not so useful on us “If I fell asleep on the beach, people would think I was a corpse” types. There are three shades to choose from, two of which are available at ASOS, for £5 each. I actually sometimes wish ASOS.com DIDN’T sell beauty products: it’s just far too tempting to slip a little something into my shopping basket next time I’m indulging my shoe obsession over there! Dollface Reviews: Collection 2000 Lasting Colour Lipstick
I’m still on the hunt for long-lasting lipsticks, and, like a Fairy Godmother in my time of need, Collection 2000 sent me some of their Lasting Colour Lipstick to try out. Take a look under the jump for some swatches:  | |||||||
