Revlon Standout Matte Balm
A while back, I reviewed Revon’s matte balm ($8.99 at Ulta) in the shade Shameless. I was not a fan; I found that it was somewhat patchy and accentuated dry patches. However, after reading several positive reviews of the matte balms, some of which acknowledged Shameless as poorly performing as compared to the other shades, I decided to try one more shade – and I’m glad I did! Continue reading
Dior Addict Fluid Stick
Dior has recently released a new product, the Dior Addict Fluid Sticks (is it just me or is that a really terrible name?). They’re advertised having “the high-impact colour and long wear of a lipstick, combined with the shine of a gloss.” Texturewise, they remind me of the Maybelline Color Elixirs (reviewed) and L’oreal Extraordinares (reviewed), which are both supposed to be gloss-balm-liquid lipstick hybrid. The packaging of the Fluid Sticks is somewhat reminiscent of the Maybellines as well; both have a lipstick-shaped cavity for the product, and if you weren’t paying attention, you might mistake the product for a traditional lipstick with a clear lid. Continue reading
Good morning (or whatever time it is for you)! Today I have some quick lip swatches of Essence’s Stay Matt[e] Lip Creams ($2.99 at Ulta) – I have all three of the shades that are available in the US. I’m short on time today, so instead of a wordy review, I just have a few bullet points:
Velvet Rose
Smooth Berry
Silky Red
And here’s a full face photo with Smooth Berry, which is my (surprising!) favorite.
Lip: Essence Smooth Berry
*I purchased the product(s) featured in this post. This post contains one or more affiliate links. Please see my disclosure policy for more information.
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Revlon recently rereleased five “vintage” discontinued shades from the Super Lustrous lipstick line. The rereleased shades are (sadly!) limited edition this time around. I really like the Super Lustrous lipsticks – they are creamy, comfortable to wear, and have no scent. Note that the creme finish Super Lustrous lipsticks are different from the previously reviewed Super Lustrous Shine lipsticks (there are also shimmer/frost finish & matte finish Super Lustrous lipsticks – I don’t own any of the shimmers, but the mattes are great).
The five rereleased shades are, as you see above, Icy Violet, Snow Peach, Sandstorm, Fifth Ave Red, and Jungle Peach. I found a full display, but only one of the shades called to me – Fifth Ave Red. And it is a fantastic red! The color is gorgeous, a deep true red – and the formula is as good as I expect the Super Lustrous lipsticks to be.
Revlon Fifth Ave Red – it has no sparkle, it’s just the way the light reflecting back.
Revlon Fifth Ave Red – this is the most color-accurate swatch.
The lip swatch above is more color-accurate than the partial face picture below.
This swatch is slightly less color-accurate – it’s a bit washed out, but I wanted to show how it reads on the face.
Did you pick up any of the rereleased / vintage shades?
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NYC Expert Last Lipsticks:
Blue Rose // Creamy Caramel // Traffic Jam // Berry Me // Coralista
NYC has released several new (and permanent) products for 2014. They’re all viewable online at -->newyorkcolor.com --> now, but I can’t find a way to view all the new products together. So far I’ve noticed the following products which I think are new:
Today, I have five of the new $1.99 Expert Last Lipsticks – there were ten in the display, and there are -->twenty shades --> listed online.
Blue Rose // Creamy Caramel // Traffic Jam // Berry Me // Coralista
The lipsticks are packaged in coordinating colored plastic; note that some of the plastic casings are shimmery when the lipsticks are not and vice versa. The lipsticks, unfortunately, do not retract fully into the tubes, so you’ll need to be careful not to nick them with the lid.
In terms of texture, they lipsticks are fairly creamy and apply smoothly, but feel very faintly gritty to me. It’s not noticeable enough to be a problem, but they don’t feel luxurious either. The have a faint fruity-chemical scent, which is light enough not to bother me.
Blue Rose // Creamy Caramel // Traffic Jam // Berry Me // Coralista
The lipsticks are moderately pigmented except for Creamy Caramel, which is noticeably more sheer. Above, I’ve done three swipes of Creamy Caramel and two swipes with each of the others.
Blue Rose is a bright fuchsia with a very slight blue sheen. I don’t usually go for this type of color, but I quite like this one.
Creamy Caramel is a creme finish nude/brown; in addition to being sheerer than the other shades, it’s slightly more emollient and has a better texture. It’s a really nice nude on me – this is my favorite of the bunch.
Traffic Jam is a creme finish bright red. It’s fine, but nothing to write home about – there are several other options for a sub-$3 red lipstick that I prefer.
Berry Me is a creme finish berry – mauve. It’s a really nice color.
Coralista is an orange with a strong white base and silver glitter, though the glitter is not particularly noticeable when applied. This one clung to the dry patches on my lips and looked terrible in person – much worse than in the photo.
Overall, I’d say that these are decent but unremarkable. For $2 – and frequently on sale – they’re worth the price, and are a good option if you want to try out a color you don’t usually like. However, even in this price range, there are better options – I prefer the formulas of Wet n Wild’s lipsticks (MegaLast, Perfect Pout, and Silk Finish), ELF’s Moisturizing Lipsticks, and of course I love the formula of Black Radiance lipsticks.
E.L.F. makeup is definitely hit or miss, but they have some amazing products for very little money, so I keep going back! The website had a 50% off sale over Black Friday / Cyber Monday weekend, so I purchased everything I had been wanting, plus perhaps a little more to get free shipping.
I spent $35 for this:
Six lipsticks, three glosses, two tinted balms, one eyebrow gel, one glitter eyeshadow primer, two liquid blushes, one eyeshadow, one highlighter, and eleven brushes. I haven’t tried everything yet, but I have swatches plus some thoughts about the (new, or at least new-ish) Studio Moisturizing lipsticks and the not-so-new Essential Lipsticks.
First up: the Studio Moisturizing Lipsticks, which sell for $3 each (full price) and are pictured at the top of this post. These are fantastic – creamy but not too slippery in texture, no taste, light vanilla scent. They sit very nicely on the lips as well. Both colors I bought, Ravishing Rose and Red Carpet, are flattering and pretty – I especially like Ravishing Rose.
The packaging is great too – the casings are lightweight metal, not plastic, so they feel much more nicer than most drugstore lipsticks (and even some high end lipsticks!). They don’t seem to be particularly long-lasting, but since they don’t dry out my lips that’s not a dealbreaker for me. I love both of the ones I bought, and I will definitely be buying more the next time I place an order.
Red Carpet // Ravishing Rose
ELF Moisturizing Lipstick – Ravishing Rose
ELF Moisturizing Lipstick – Red Carpet
The Essential lipsticks, however, are not so good. They have a slight chemical scent; they don’t apply smoothly; and the packaging is barely functional. Not only does the lipstick bullet not fully retract, but I had trouble twisting all four of them up & down. That said, Posh is a great color and they are only $1 each (full price).
ELF Essential lipsticks
Seductive // Gypsy // Voodoo // Posh
Seductive // Gypsy // Voodoo // Posh
Posh
See anything you like?