Category Archives: Lip Gloss

Maybelline Dare to be Nude Color Elixir Review, Swatches, Comparison

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Maybelline Dare to be Nude Color Elixir - Charming Cocoa - Almond Aura

Charming Cocoa // Almond Aura

As promised, I have a review of two Color Elixir from Maybelline’s new limited edition Dare to be Nude collection. The collection includes six of the glosses – all limited edition – and I picked up Charming Cocoa, a red-brown, and Almond Aura, a creamy mid-tone nude. When I swatched Charming Cocoa, I realized that it was quite similar to Intoxicating Spice – which I love – so I have all three swatched side by side below, as well as lip swatches of all three.

Maybelline Color Elixir Comparison Swatches - Intoxicating Spice - Charming Cocoa - Almond Aura

Intoxicating Spice // Charming Cocoa // Almond Aura

Maybelline Intoxicating Spice Swatch

Intoxicating Spice

Charming Cocoa

Almond Aura

I’ve now written about the Color Elixir glosses twice (initial review // reviews revisited) but to recap, they have a comfortable non-sticky cushiony-gel texture; they leave my lips soft and moisturized and they’re very flattering – lip lines are minimized and lips look fuller. Pigmentation level varies significantly between shades, from semi-opaque to quite sheer. They don’t last very long on me, but I don’t mind reapplying.

Here are the six shades of Color Elixir I currently own:

Maybelline Color Elixir Swatches

Signature Scarlet // Intoxicating Spice // Charming Cocoa // Almond Aura // Caramel Infused // Amethyst Potion

Have you purchased anything from Maybelline’s new Dare to Be Nude collection?

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Milani Ravish Raspberry Brilliant Shine Gloss Review & Swatches

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Milani Ravish Raspberry Brilliant Shine Gloss

Milani Brilliant Shine Gloss – Ravish Raspberry

Milani has released several new & permanent items for 2014, including 14 shades of a new lip gloss called the Brilliant Shine Gloss. I purchased one shade, Ravish Raspberry, and have been wearing / testing it for the past few weeks.

First, I really like the packaging – I find the square shape very appealing, and I’m always a fan of clear tubes for gloss. I don’t love the gold top, but I don’t mind it either.  The applicator is a flattened doe-foot shape and it works well to apply the gloss.

Milani Brilliant Shine Gloss – applicator

The gloss itself is thicker and sticker than I prefer, but not SO sticky that I find it unwearable.  It’s (moderately) moisturizing while worn, but doesn’t leave any lasting moisture. It smells very sweet, like vanilla sugar cookies.

Ravish Raspberry is bright pink with no shimmer or sparkle (about half the shades are shimmery).  It applies very evenly and doesn’t settle into lip lines.

Ravish Raspberry

I unfortunately do not have a lip swatch for this – but you can see all 14 shades swatches on Vampy Varnish here (skin swatches plus close-up lip swatches) and on Makeup and Beauty Blog here (skin swatches plus & full-face photos).

Overall, this is a really nice gloss and I would recommend it to anyone who doesn’t mind a sweet scent and a slightly sticky texture.  Neither of those are my preference, but they aren’t a dealbreaker, so I’m planning to pick up Red My Lips (bright red) & Black Cherry (deep red-berry) the next time I see them on sale.

 

Wet n Wild Fergie Vicious Varnish High Shine Gloss Stains: Review & Swatches

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I recently found a Walgreens with a fully stocked, updated-for-2014 Wet n Wild display, and I bought several of the new products to test out. Today, I have a review and swatches of the Wet n Wild Fergie Vicious Varnish High Shine lip gloss stains. The stains come in the following ten colors, and I bought five of them, which are in bold. Continue reading →

NYX Licorice Butter Lipstick and Devil’s Food Cake Butter Gloss Review & Swatches

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 After I posted my IMATS purchases, I got a few comments asking for swatches of the NYX Butter Lipstick & Butter Gloss.  NYX released the Butter Gloss ($4.99, Ulta) a couple years ago, and due to it’s popularity released Butter Lip Balm ($3.99, Ulta), and now there’s a Butter Lipstick ($5.99, Ulta) and more shades of the gloss.

I have a very mixed relationship with NYX products – find all my NYX reviews here – but I really like the Butter Glosses and can see why they’re so popular – smooth, non-sticky, and reasonably moisturizing. I also have one Butter Lip Balm, Biscotti, and while it’s a nice my-lips-but-better color, I find the texture a little stiff and don’t find it particularly moisturizing.

Continue reading →

Milani Power Lip Gloss Stain Swatches & Review

Purchased – No Affiliate Links

Milani has released several new items for 2014, and although they’re not yet online, they are starting to show up in stores. Earlier this week, I purchased two Power Lip gloss stains, and I am loving them so far!

The Power Lips are packaged in short, squat tubes, and dispense through a dense white brush tip. Be careful when you start to twist them, because there will be no product, no product, no product . . . then BAM, too much product! This is true of every similarly packaged item I have tried, though.   Continue reading →

L’oreal Colour Riche Extraordinaire Lip Color Swatches & Quick Review

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L’oreal recently released a new lip color, the Colour Riche Extraordinare. I’ve seen them around at a couple drugstores, and I purchased three of them at Rite Aid earlier this week.

The bad news: I thought these were a liquid lipstick (and have seen them called that online) but they are not – they’re more of a moisturizing gloss, and very similar in feel to Maybelline’s Color Elixir lip colors (reviewed here). The good news: I have really been enjoying the Maybelline Color Elixirs, so although I’m a bit disappointed that these aren’t lipsticks at all, I’m still happy to have them. And, note that L’oreal classifies them online as a lip color, but does not call them a lipstick – they’re marketed as having color and care, much like the Maybellines. Continue reading →