2018 empties post and long overdue check-in.

She offers a tentative 'hello'.

She offers ten thousand excuses.

(Skip to the first image of scattered empty lipstick packaging if you want the reviews and not the tedious preamble).

Hello everyone. It's me, the are-you-even-a-blogger-anymore blogger, coming at ya with a 2018 lipstick empties post. In motherfunkin JUNE 2019.

Honestly, I don't know if I am into this beauty blogging thing anymore. The change in the Instagram algorithm really put me off the whole scene. What I liked was the sense of a community and connectedness. The feeling of harping on about silly lipstick-related things to fellow enthusiasts. You know. Engaging. 

With my engagement having dropped drastically and fewer and fewer people even seeing my posts, it started to feel like I was spewing thoughts and swatches into an ever-irrelevant void. There's also the fact that I have become increasingly busy with cat rescue on what is now essentially a full-time basis (my insta account for my cat shenanigans is @help.meowt.bro) and so a lot of my brain-space and money is too taken up by that to leave much room for lipstick.

I've also been tied up with lots of grown-up life things. I got married, honeymooned, and am newly moved out and moved in. My dad has been in hospital several times, my cat died, I've been sofa-surfing a lot, my anxiety has at times been debilitating. In short, a bit of a whirwind. It's also been a bit of a bummer being broke. My feed is always flooded with exciting new releases that I know I won't be able to afford, at least not until they go on sale several months down the line. And who wants to read reviews that are too late to the party to be worth anything? Everything has already been said.

Meh. So I've been toying with throwing the towel in and bidding farewell to the, like, three people who still follow me. But then I find myself missing the old, safe ritual of swatching and reviewing. So I've decided that for now, I'm just gonna play it by ear. Post as and when I want to, however late, however irrelevant. Don't if I don't want to. Today, I want to. So without further ado:

THE GLORIOUS EMPTIES!

Nine used up in 2018! Not bad going at all, especially considering one of them was an entire palette. Now, forming an orderly queue....

1) Soap & Glory Sexy Mother Pucker lip lacquer in 'charm offensive'.

Soap & Glory Sexy Mother Pucker lip lacquer- 'charm offensive'

Mmm. Look how slick she looks! I don't often bother with glossy products because I hate stickiness and can find them messy, but this lacquer by Soap & Glory got into my good books. I wore it mostly because it was a very flattering shade on me, but the formula was also pretty good. It was surprisingly opaque. It lasted a while because while it did transfer, it was pigmented enought to still leave a lot of color behind, and just blotted down through wear to a more satin finish. It did feel 'thick', but didn't feel sticky. The wide paddle-shaped applicator made for an easy, streak-free finish. Inoffensive vanilla scent. Balmy and moisturising, and the wet-look glossiness made for a juicy looking pout. Top marks all round. It's £7 and well worth it in my opinion.

2) Baviphat Urban Dollkiss I Love Tint in 'cherry'.

Baviphat Urban Dollkiss I Love Tint- 'cherry'

I actually reviewed this in full way back here, where you can see the adorable apple shaped packaging in all its glory. I had to depot it into a little pot though because the wand was too short to reach the product beyond the halfway point. I've layered it up for this swatch. It's pretty sassy, no? I continued to like it, but I do have a few cons to add: the formula has a chemically taste. And a chemically smell. Other than that, it was cheap and cheerful and cute and you can't go far wrong with picking it up for a few quid on Ebay.

3) Yaby Cosmetics Lip Colour Refill in 'disagree'.

Yaby Cosmetics Lip Colour Refill- Disagree

Oh snap, it's another one I've previously reviewed. Here is the post. Oddly, this was a very difficult shade to photograph well, but I assure you it looks punchy and even in person. This was an easy product to use up because 1) I love the colour and the comfy formula, and 2) there wasn't very much of it. Such a tiny lil pan. I transferred the product into the rounded pot in the pic so I could throw it in my bag rather than having to pop it into a palette where it would be out of place and forgotten about. These refills cost £3.95.

4) Sleek Makeup Wonderlast lipstick and gloss duo in 'berry blush'.

Sleek Makeup Wonderlast lipstick and gloss duo- 'berry blush'

I love Sleek Makeup, but they were absolutely right to discontinue this product because it was a binfire of bad. The colour was lovely, but it was very streaky and dried to a crusty, flaking, bumpy clumpy mess that the gloss did nothing to gloss over. It only looks semi-tolerable in this pic because the lipstick was pretty much used up and I could only get enough on the brush to use as a stain. I tried. I tried again and again to make it work because I did like the colour. But yeah, I'm glad it's a goner. I will depot the clear gloss though, because there's nowt wrong with that end of the stick. Silver linings.

5) Anna Sui lipstick palette.

Anna Sui lipstick palette 

I reviewed this palette back over here too! I really put it through its paces and it has seen me through many a wedding. I've also found it very handy for when I needed a specific shade to match a specific thing- just mix up the colour you want, boo. I don't know if this is still available, but I got it a while ago when it was on sale for a tenner (marked down from the £30 RRP) from BeautyBay. I'm definitely gonna make use of the empty lipstick pans and make up my own custom palette. I'm quite looking forward to that actually!

6) Makeup Revolution Amazing Care lipstick in 'electric love'.

Makeup Revolution Amazing Care #happylips lipstick- 'electric love'

This Revolution offering was one of those lippies that have a coloured core surrounded by a balmy outer ring. This does make colour distribution uneven, but it's nothing a bit of lip smacking and smooshing won't sort out. The overall effect is one of a tinted balm: a light wash of colour and and some gel-like moisture. I had it in my bag so got a lot of use out of it, especially because I favour a stick-type balm to the sort you have to dip your finger in. This lippy is now discontinued, but I bet you can get it from Ebay.

7) Topshop Velvet Lips in 'Velveteen Ribbon'.

Topshop Velvet Lips- Velveteen Ribbon

This was pure shite. I only got through it because I kept trying to make it work (loads of lip balm underneath, lip primer, gloss on top, lip liner) until it just dried up in the tube. SO dry and uneven. You basically have to drag it across your lips, and once on, it just crumbles and flakes all over the place. Topshop can be quite hit and miss with their lipsticks. This one was definitely a miss, and they have now thankfully discontinued it and replaced it with a better liquid matte offering.

8) Primark 'liquid asset' liquid lipstick.

Primark 'liquid asset' liquid lipstick

This twist-up lip lacquer is way back from when Primark first started doing makeup. I love the cute pout-printed packaging, the total opacity, the almost latex-like finish, and the fun, girly colour. Needless to say, it has long been discontinued- though there are similar products you can get from most Primark stores.

9) Primark PS Metal Matte liquid lipstick in 'queen'.

Primark PS Metal Matteliquid lipstick- 'queen'

And last but not least, another Primark lippy! In the swatch above, I'm wearing over some darker lip liner. The formula of this metalic matte lipstick is water based, much like the Lime Crime Diamond Crushers. This means it's transfer proof for the most part, but water- rather than oil- removes it. It's very much a true metal finish rather than being shimmery or glittery, and makes for a nice highlighting shade. The only cons are that it does feel quite tight and does emphasise texture- but then I find that's true of metallic lipsticks in general. It's only £1.50, so worth giving a whirl if metallic lips are your jam.

And that's all folks! Who knows? I might even post again before 2000 and never.

Kisses

X

Liquid matte lipstick bumper roundup review

Yikes. Long time no bloggo, doggo.

It's been a while. I've been recovering from a mental breakdown  (yup, another one lololol), spending time with my animals, and generally trying to avoid any sources of stress in favour of living in a weird bubble of failed-adult denial. Does this mean I've neglected lipstick? Hell nah. Come on. You know me better than that.

I've been playing with a shit tonne of new lippies, so I thought I'd make life easy for all concerned (ok, for me), and amalgamate my rambles into one superramble. Buckle up kids. It's gonna be a wild ride.

Squad goals, amirite. Ok, so first on the chopping block is the Lix Matte Liquid Lipstick by Models Own, weighing in at £7.99. I have the shade 'coral fresh'. It's, er, a fresh coral.

The shade is bright- almost neon- and perfect for summer. The formula is moussey and feels fairly comfortable once dried down, if somewhat cakey. It's transfer proof, though friction will disturb it. It took a bit of faff to get an even and streak-free finish but it was worth it in the end. Just a heads up: this is pretty damn minty. If you love mint, you will go gaga for this. If you hate mint, AVOID AT ALL COSTS.

Anyhow, overall this lippy is a win for me. I quite like the fresh and urban packaging too. Swatch!

Models own lix matte liquid lipstick- coral fresh

Up next is the Lip Fix matte long lasting liquid lipstick from PS Workout range at Primark. It's a cheap and cheerful £2, and I believe it only comes in two or three shades, of which I have 'warm up', a nutmeg nude-brown.

The packaging is deceptive. You'd expect the squeezy tube to have that awful slanted plastic tip applicator of shitty cheap lipglosses. But lo! It has a doefoot applicator. The formula itself is good- lightweight, opaque, transfer proof. Very good for two bob. The only drawbacks are that it's a bit drying, and the odd packaging means you can't see how much product is left. And I kind of find the whole concept of wearing lipstick for a sweaty workout sesh a bit weird, but to each their own innit. Overall, another win. 

Primark lip fix work out matte long lasting liquid lipstick- warm up

In a similar colour category, I present to you Nyx Lip Lingerie in the shade 'exotic'. It'll set you back £7.

I hate it. 

Ok, it feels pretty plush, the shade is gorgeous, the concept of a range of nudes is nice. But it's just SO sticky. Even though it dries to a matte finish, it somehow never feels matte. It remains tacky and had my lips kind of sticking together. Ew. That said, this is from the OG release, and I know some of the newer shades have a different formula. It seems like the formula across the shades is inconsistent, with some being sticky, others being dry and crumbly, and some gloating smugly in that sweet, sweet spot of perfection. My advice would be to search reviews on any shades you have your eye on. I hope you get lucky, comrade.

P.s, check that rogue cat hair chilling on my lip

Nyx lip lingerie- exotic 

NEXT. It's MBA Cosmetics' liquid matte lipstick in 'violet riot', and....

WHAAAT? I just sauntered over to their site to double check the price and I can't find their liquid mattes anywhere. Perhaps they've been discontinued. Oops. 

So in that case, I'll keep it short and sweet. Pigmented, long wearing, no scent, no fancy packaging but a formula that falls solidly in the 'good' category. And the colour is incredible. A proper punky blurple, the likes of which has no comparison. If you like the shade, it's available in their cream lipsticks. And if you like the sound of formula, they have a bunch of metallic mattes, which might well perform similarly. 

Mba cosmetics liquid matte lipstick- violet riot

Moving on to another showstopping shade, it's Gerard Cosmetics' hydra matte liquid lipstick in 'mercury rising', an absolute scorcher of an orange. These are £11 in the UK.  

I'm late to the party with the hydra mattes. They've been around for a while and have long had their praises sung. I can see why. Classy packaging, a yummy vanilla scent, a moussey formula that sets to a comfortable, cushiony-matte finish, a great shade range. It's just really good, ya know? Do bear in mind that because of the somewhat moist formula, it's not quite as long wearing as other liquid mattes. It is still mostly transfer proof though. Just reign in the savage snogging. 

Gerard Cosmetics hydra matte- mercury rising

Next is a lesser known kid, a liquid matte lipstick from Eunique Beauty, a black owned, woman owned indie line based in the UK. You know how I like to support them small businesses. I have the shade 'melanin', a super dark brown, which I snagged for £7.99.

The formula seems to be of a thick cream consistency and is very pigmented, but I feel like the doefoot applicator, which is a little stiff and scratchy, doesn't lend itself too great to smooth application. Regardless, once on, it dries very quickly to a transfer proof matte finish. It's quite tight feeling, so be sure to pat on some lip balm beforehand. It wears well for a couple of hours before it starts to crumble, at which point it's best to completely remove and reapply than to attempt damage control. Despite the niggles with the formula, I still really love this lippy on grounds of colour alone. It's so unique (or should I say eunique harhar) and in that happy place between gothic and sophisticated. I bet it would look killer on deeper complexions too. 

Eunique Beauty liquid matte lipstick- melanin 

The next lippie is the most expensive of the bunch, and also the most disappointing. It's the Urban Decay Vice liquid lipstick in the shade 'studded', which is in the metallized finish. 

Sigh. I wanted to love it. I'm all about those quirky shades. Olive-grey with gold shimmer? Sign me up bruv. But it was SO sheer. It took me three coats plus spot touch ups to get it to look even. And you can still see patches. Wtf. And unsurprisingly, that many layers effect how it looks and feels. Think crispy, tight, dry. I manage to make it work using only one layer over a brown lip liner, but of course that means I have to compromise on the end colour. And I shouldn't have to make a product work. You kinda expect better from Urban Decay. Shrug. Maybe the other shades/finishes in the range are better, but 'studded' is a thumbs down for me. 

Urban decay vice liquid lipstick metallized- studded

And lastly! The cheapest of the bunch. It's Miss Rose longlasting lipgloss (it's a liquid matte lipstick). It doesn't have a shade name or a fixed price tag, but it's between £1 and £5 on ebay. I got mine from Pakistan. 

It's actually pretty good. It has a painty smell (which dissipates once dry) and is a bit sticky, but it's not drying and it doesn't crumble or peel or collect in icky pools or any of that crap. And it lasts like a trooper. All day plus food and drinks plus naps. Plus a zombie apocalypse. 

And I just adore this shade of pink. I think it makes me look a bit cute. A bit. 

Miss rose long lasting lipgloss 

And that concludes our tour through some of my recent lipstick acquaintances. Yep. SOME. I have an entire backlog to get through. Watch this space....

....If you don't have a life. 

X

Another Primark lipstick review and swatches

New year, new m- ... lol nah, still an emotionally unstable wasteman with an unhealthy dependence on lipstick. So. On to the first review of 2017.

If you're a regular here, you'll know I'm generally a huge fan of Primark's cheap and cheerful makeup. If you're a new visitor, well, er... I'm generally a huge fan of Primark's cheap and cheerful makeup. If you fancy acquainting yourself with a range of their offerings, you can find previous reviews here, here, here and here. Today's ramble, however, will be on the lippies below:

I'll start with the P.S Love matte long last lipstick because it's a tried and tested fave and probably the most widely available throughout Primark stores. The shade is called 'claret' and it costs a mere quid.

Primark p.s love matte long last lipstick- claret

It's pretty damn gorgeous. In real life it's a touch more brown than the maroony shade my camera picked up, and is even deeper and richer. I shit you not. It's deliciously dark with a little building up and matte without feeling dry, and surprisingly non streaky given the colour. I found it wore really well for a traditional bullet lipstick. Not much transfer and none of that dreaded lipstick ring.

If this particular shade is a bit too vampy for your liking, they usually have a few more demure options on offer too.

Primark p.s love metallic liquid lipstick 

Up next is the fussy-but-hella-worth-it metallic matte liquid lipstick. Metallic lippies are (rightly) all the rage these days, so I was stoked to find the humble aisles of Primark proffering a cheap option. This shade is a bright and super reflective gold called 'queen'. In the above swatch, I'm wearing it lightly over Neve Cosmetics pastello lip liner in 'rose'.

And you will need some sort of a base, at least with this shade. Applied alone, it dries quickly to form a touch proof film of colour that whilst being dazzling, also looks tight and dry, exaggerating lip lines in a not so pretty way. It looks great as a lip topper though, and will seal your lippy to make it transfer proof.

Oddly, whilst most liquid to matte lipsticks are broken down by oil, this one is dissolved by water. That's not any kind of problem though, at least not for me. Just something to bear in mind if you have a wet snog scheduled.

MOVING ON.

Primark p.s Pro kiss proof liquid lipstick- nude in private 

This very pretty shade is called 'nude in private'. Which is odd because it's a mauve and not a nude hue. Shrug. It's from the P.S Pro range so is marginally more expensive than the regular P.S Love stuff. I think it was around the £4 mark, but that's still very affordable.

I really liked the P.S Love liquid matte lippy for its powder-like matte finish and bold colour. This one has a very different formula, but it's still a winner. It's entirely opaque, smells like cake batter, and dries to a touch proof matte finish which still feels a little moist. So long as you don't slather on too much, it doesn't look or feel dry at all.

Oh, and the paddle shaped applicator deserves some praise too. It's wide and flat with a curved top, which gets you a fully painted lip in one sweep and easily clean edges. Win.

Primark p.s Pro sheer shine lip crayon- bubblegum pink

Aaaand ending with the only dud of the bunch: the P.S Pro sheer shine lip crayon. It's shit. I can usually appreciate a good old juicy lip crayon, but this ain't that. It's somehow both greasy feeling and matte looking. It's a pain in the left buttock to get an even finish with and even then, it manages to cling to dry patches you could have sworn you didn't have.

Avoid it like it's your manipulative and not even that attractive ex.

Hope that was helpful.

X