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

Another bumper lipstick review, boyyy

Hello from the other side.

Yeah yeah, I'm the worst blogger ever. But I'm back. With another excuse! I had a bunch of issues with my phone and have also been busy rescuing various downtrodden cats.

Of course, I've still been lipsticking. So I thought I'd do another roundup review, this time of a bunch of traditional lipsticks, so as to put something like a dent into my lipstick review backlog. Roll up, roll up!

Oh it is satisfying to see all my ducks in a row.  Let's go left to right, shall we?

Maybelline color sensational mattes lipstick- siren in scarlet

Pow! So this powerhouse of a red is the shade 'siren in scarlet', from the new(ish) matte collection of Maybelline's color sensational lipstick line. The only difference- apart from the finish, obvz- is that the cap is a translucent black. It's a good look.
And the lipstick itself is lovely. Velvety smooth with zero drag, not drying, no streaking or patchiness, no bleeding. A lovely plush matte. I suppose it doesnt last quite as long as more dry-textured mattes, but that's to be expected really. This particular shade is rumoured to be a dupe of MAC's iconic 'Ruby Woo', but I haven't compared them myself. This lippy is £6.99, which I think is very reasonable.

Wet n wild megalast matte lip cover- rose-bud

And now to something even more reasonably priced! Wet N Wild's megalast lipsticks are a steal at roughly the £3.50 mark. The packaging is unsurprisingly basic, but the formula is great. I'd say it's more of a satin than a matte, and it applies smooth and opaque. It looks and feels moist, not dry in the least. As for the 'megalasting' claim, I'd say it's a stretch. The formula does last fairly well, but that's more because it's so pigmented rather than due to a particularly grippy texture. I also own the shades 'don't blink pink' and 'purty persimmon', and they perform similarly- though I've heard some shades from the line are exceptions, being chalky and streaky.
'Rose-bud', which annoys me because it's unnecessarily hyphenated, is an adorable rosey pink. I can't decide if it's cool toned or warm, so I guess that means it's neutral. I love it.

Stila shine lip colour- Pam 

Another red, baby. This is the shade 'Pam' (why though?) From Stila Cosmetics' Shine lip colour line. Sadly I think this shade is discontinued, or at least unavailable in the UK. Which is a bummer, because it's gorgeous. Still, you can cop the sweet texture in other shades innit? It's sweeeet: it glides on without being too slippery, isn't streaky in the least, and makes your lips look all juicy and yummy. I expected the colour to be sheer, akin to a tinted lip balm really. But it packs a punch! It's not opaque, but it's more than just a shy rumour of colour.
And can we talk about the packaging? It's so pretty. The inner tube has this oh-so-pretty floral design on it that I swoon over each time I look at it. The price seems to vary between  £6 and  £22, which is odd. Shrug.

MAC Patentpolish lip pencil- kittenish 

Next up is a similarly textured lippy, though I'd say this one is slightly more glossy. It's MAC's Patentpolish lip pencil in the shade 'kittenish', a somewhat cool toned girly pink. I'm not gonna lie. I got this purely for the name. I like cats, okay?
So it was a huge bonus to find it applied and looked so dreamy. Pigmentation is roughly the same as the Cremesheen lipstick formula, so at about 70% opacity. It's one of those easy to slick on lippies that end up being a purse staple. I like it a lot. It weighs in at £16.20, which is fairly average for MAC prices.

Avon shine burst gloss stick- raspberry glaze

Are we gonna have another glossy juicy lipstick? Hell yeah, but this one has GLITTER. Avon's Shine Burst Gloss stick has microfine glitter specks in it which don't feel gritty in the least and add a bit of sparkly pizzazz to the pretty base colour. 'Raspberry glaze' is straight up summer. A bit bright, a bit balmy, a lot cute. I quite like the chrome tube, and I generally have no qualms about this lippy- particularly as it's only around the £4 mark. Keep an eye out for it as it pops in and out of availability with the various campaigns.

Dior Diorific lipstick- 005 Glory

Aaand for the grand finale, something high end.  Dior's Diorific lipstick looks cool. Buthe weird. Cool weird. You wouldn't think it was a lipstick. But it is a lipstick, and a fine one at that. 'Glory' is somewhere between copper and red and bronze. It's warm toned and very 90's and has a semi metallic finish, though with a matte texture (if that makes sense). It's opaque. It's not drying. It's long lasting, as it seems to really cling to the lips. It's GLORIOUS. If you're minted, you can cop it at a pricepoint between £22 and  £30 depending on where you shop. Or if you're perpetually broke like ya girl over here, get a bargain off ebay.

So that's all for now folks. Hope that was helpful. I've got a few more reviews to get up soon, so stick around yeah?

Love you

X

New look lipsticks- review and swatches

Greetings friends. My eyes are burning from lack of sleep but insomnia is kicking my butt so hard lately that I'm not even gonna try to fight it. Let's chat crap about lipstick then, shall we?

Right. So New Look have recently revamped their makeup line to have better quality, better looking, and more varied products. I'd tried out their old liquid matte lipstick formula and found it to be painfully dry and crackly, but I'm always down for second chances. This time around I picked up their new liquid matte lipstick and two of their traditional bullet lipsticks in different finishes.

The bullet lipsticks are £3.99 each and come in 'moisturising' or 'matte' finishes. They feel very lightweight and are nothing special to look at, though I definitely prefer the gold case of the matte lippies to the tackier looking silver get up of their moisturising counterparts. But let's talk formula.

New look matte lipstick- dusky pink 

This is the shade 'dusky pink' in the matte finish. I think the formula is best described as 'meh'. It's ok. Two coats will give full coverage, it's not streaky or drying or anything. But it's also not as good as other matte lipsticks out there (eg Primark's  £1 offerings). I like my matte lipsticks to really hug my lips and sit tight. To not skid around. This particular lipstick has a bit of a sheen to it so it doesn't look entirely matte, and it also retains a bit too much slip to really 'feel' matte either. So yeah. It's alright for the price. Just nothing to write home about.

New look moisturising lipstick- deep rouge 

Moving on to a lipstick that IS worth writing home about. Ah. I love it when a lippie blows my expectations out of the water. When I think of the word 'moisturising', I have visions of something sheer, somewhat greasy looking. 

Nope. The above swatch of the shade 'deep rouge' is only one pass of the bullet. No lipliner bruv. Oddly, despite being as comfy as the name implies, the formula looks and feels more matte than the actual matte one. I guess 'semi matte' would cover it. It feels like a second skin; it's so lightweight and plush, you'd forget you were wearing it. It does transfer a fair bit, but it's so pigmented and soft that a quick lip smush is enough to redistribute the colour. 

The most pleasant surprise was that it didn't bleed. GET IN! Moisturising formulae are notorious for seeping outside the lip line, so I was fully expecting my mouth to look a bit unfortunate a few hours into wear. But my lines were pristine. *happy dance* 

Anyway, I don't know if all the shades in the moisturising line are this good, but 'deep rouge' is a knockout for sure. 

Moving on to the liquid matte lipstick. She's definitely a looker! Not bad at all for £6. But then I'm always a slut for frosted glass and a weighty feel. 

The formula applies deliciously opaque with no streakiness at all- which is no mean feat for such a dark colour (the shade is called 'blackberry' and it's a super dark gothic purple). The paddle shaped applicator definitely helps with the ease of application. It dries down in a minute or two to a comfortable matte finish that is pretty much transfer proof, but will smudge with heavy friction. It doesn't crack or peel or feel like a desert stuck on your gob. And it's a really cool colour! It's like 'raven' velvetine by Lime Crime, but cheaper and comfier and less streaky. Just generally better.  

New look beauty super matte liquid lipstick- blackberry 

It's a huge improvement on the old formula and I'm definitely a fan. Go pick up a shade or two if you're on the prowl for an affordable high quality liquid lipstick. 

And let's face it, why wouldn't you be? 

Laters,

X

Tanya Burr soft luxe lip gloss- review and swatches

What do we think of Tanya Burr? I always thought her makeup was for teens until I saw it for myself. It's cute, but not so cute as to be be ridiculous for us oldies. It's the good kind of cute. I quite liked the look of her little eyeshadow palettes and face trios, but I picked up one of her new liquid matte lipsticks because, well, I would wouldn't I?

It's actually quite difficult to find these because they have the same packaging as the lip glosses and are found in the same shelf space. When you do find them, there are only three shades to pick from. All of them are quite pastel and pinky and not really dark skin friendly, but I'm gonna bet the shade range will be expanded at some point. Anyway, the tube itself is quite luxe, especially for a mere £5.99 price point.

Tanya Burr soft luxe lipgloss- rhubarb and custard 

 I got the shade 'rhubarb and custard', which is the least pastel of the three shades and thankfully fairly flattering. It's a bright pinky coral which screams summer. But I'm wearing it in winter because I'm a REBEL.

Apart from settling into lines, the formula is swell. It's opaque, sweet smelling, and dries down to a cushiony matte. I'm impressed.

Whatcha fink?

primark beauty makeup haul- review and swatches

What feels better than buying new makeup? Buying new makeup that's hella cheap.  What feels better than buying new makeup that's hella cheap? Buying new makeup that's hella cheap and hella great quality too. Let us begin today's review.

Ta da. So I was having a browse in Primark yeah, and I came across a new stand of Pro Beauty makeup, which appears to be a higher quality range than the still-good P.S Love makeup. The prices are fractionally more expensive  (we're talking three quid for a lippy instead of one quid) but the line up is impressive. There are clear anti feathering lip liners, felt tip lip liners (very novel!), colour correction palettes, lip glosses, foundations and loads of other cool things. Obviously, being the lipstick addict that I am, I  picked up one of the rick colour lipsticks from the range. I got the shade 'boudoir pink', a soft mauve shade.

Primark pro beauty rich colour lipstick 

It's one of those lipsticks that click open at the base to release the tube. Lots of fun. Anyway, the lipstick itself is lovely. Creamy and smooth and moist. A great first foray into the Pro Beauty range. Here's a cheeky swatch: 

Primark pro beauty rich colour lipstick- boudoir pink

Up next, a not so soft lippy. If you're a regular reader, you'll know I'm not one to shy away from bright shades. In fact, they positively excite me. So imagine how I squealed in surprise to find an unconventional colour on the high street- bright blue no less! Nice one Primark. Keeping up with the cool kids. The P.S Love high colour lipstick crayons are a mere £2, and come in a range of fun and colourful shades. The blue shade I snagged is called 'freedom', and here's what it looks like on...

Primark p.s love high colour lipstick crayon- freedom 

 I'll be honest- I didn't have high hopes for this. I thought it would be streaky and sheer and look more like greasy frostbite, but got it out of curiosity anyway. Hell naww. It's satiny and decently pigmented and moisturising. In fact, it's a great colour dupe of Lime Crime's limited edition and discontinued lipstick in 'cry baby', though it's a more slippery formula. Still, not bad for two bob. Not bad at all.

Will the gushing continue? Of course it will.  My third and final lip product is an absolute beauty. It made me want to scream, it was that good. Look- it's the P.S Love super matte liquid lipstick in the shade 'red'.

Primark p.s love super matte liquid lipstick - red

But. Wow. That is hardly your bog standard average red. It's so VIVID. For only £2, you get a supremely pigmented, brilliantly formulated liquid to matte lipstick with an amazingly precise applicator. It's actually not the least bit uncomfortable. Although it's a true powder matte finish, it somehow manages to feel lightweight, and not a crack or crumble in sight. Bloody hell Primark. Killing the gaaame.

And finally, I got. ... cosmetic glitter! I bloody love glitter. I'm always using it for lip art, and have quite a collection going on. This pack of three is excellent value though. Topshop sells one little pot of face glitter for £5.50, whereas for £2.50, you can get three pots AND a glitter adhesive. Which is kind of very useful for sticking glitter to your face. Primark wins.

Look at the beautiful glitter.

Primark p.s love face glitter

Well. Considering this little haul was such a success, you can bet I'll trot back for more. Until my next waffle,

Xx

vivid addiction liquid matte lipstick/ beauty bakerie lip whip- review and swatches

Two lipstick brands in one post? There's a reason for that. It's no secret that I hoard lipsticks. Sometimes, I end up with two shades that look kinda similar. Too similar. The same.  Yup. I bought the same lipstick twice. Take a look:

They may be different brands and they may have different prices, but the liquid matte lipstick/ lip whip is the same product, with even the same packaging (note: BB has recently started using new packaging). I think this is called 'contract manufacturing', where a factory makes a certain product and companies can then buy them and stamp on their own brand. A lot of brands do this, and I'll post some more examples in another post. In this case though, it makes more sense to buy the VA offering, simply because it's $11.99 compared to the $20 of the BB lip whips.

So let's talk about the actual product and brush the brands aside for a second. It's opaque, non drying and will never crumble or smudge. Ever. In fact, I had a hard time removing it. Usually I just use olive oil but that method didn't work with this baby, so after scrubbing my lips sore, I decided to just call it a day and go to bed with the lipstick still tattooed on. In the morning, I tried again using my lush lip scrub. The oils and sugar finally managed to exfoliate the lipstick off, but damn did it put up a good fight. This kind of wear has pros and cons: you wouldn't want to wear it daily or if you were feeling lazy, because you'd probably lose the will to live when it came to removal (and would probably lose your actual lips too). On the flipside, if you needed a lipstick you could count on- one that would withstand oily food and water and all manner of friction- this is a formula that won't let you down.

Oh, another thing to note: even once it's dried down, it will still kind of 'stick' if you rub your lips together. It's odd, because if you touch it with your finger, there's no stickiness at all. Just one of those things I guess.

Vivid addiction liquid matte lipstick stripped 2/ beauty bakerie lip whip versailles 

Anywho. This shade, called 'versailles' or 'stripped 2' depending on brand, is very pretty.  I'd call it mauve nude if that makes sense- think Lime Crime's Faded velvetine. It's really feminine and understated and I'm glad I own it. Though I probably don't need two...

oil of olay colormoist lipstick- review and swatches

Oops I did it again. I picked a discontinued lipstick for my gold lipstick review series. Still, it's available from eBay and Amazon  (I checked) so if you like the sound of it, you can definitely snag it alright.

Oil of olay colormoist lipstick in golden spice 

So here it is. I like the packaging! It's a unique shape and has a pretty logo. This shade is called 'golden spice', a warm toasty gold. It's not metallic and it doesn't have shimmer, but it does have a luminous sheen to it.  This makes it a much more wearable option for those who doesn't want a glamourfest of a gold.

Oh, and the formula really does fit the name. The colour is moist as a buttered crumpet. It glides on like a dream and is so sumptuously juicy, it makes you want to keep rubbing your lips together.

Oil of olay color moist lipstick 682 golden spice 

Really, it's just so lovely. Olay, why did you discontinue it?

Silly billies.

Xx

Avon colour style lipstick- review and swatches

Instalment three of my gold lipstick series is an odd choice because it's discontinued. Ha. But I figured I'd still include it because it's a pretty and affordable gold, and there are always some for sale on eBay and stuff. So yeah, introducing avon colour style lipstick in 'almond ice'.

It's so tiny and cute! It's about half the height of a standard lipstick, though the bullet itself isn't much shorter so you still get a decent amount of product. The bullet looks and feels quite stiff and you expect a lot of drag on application, but it's actually fairly smooth. 

One swipe will get you a shimmering wash of gold, two layers will give you greater opacity. It lasts fairly well for a standard lipstick, and the shimmer lingers long after the colour has worn off. It makes a lovely lipstick highlight: just a dab of in in the centre of your lip over a darker shade. Mmm.

Avon Color style lipstick in almond ice 

Until next time, boo thang.

Xx

estee lauder pure color long lasting lipstick- review and swatches

Um, so I had this idea. The metallic lip trend has crashed and a whole load of brands are bringing out gorgeous foiled lippies, and I've long been a fan of such of a finish. So I figured I'd do I review series on some GOLD lipsticks. Yass. I've got some making their way to me in the post, but I've also got a fair few hanging out in my stash. So without further ado, let's take a look at gold lippie number one: Estee Lauder pure colour long lasting lipstick in the shade 'Tiger Eye'.

Hnnng. So pretty. This is one of those rare and miraculous shades that are both unique and wearable. Not all of us have the confidence (or the desire) to pull off a pure gold lip, so this lipstick is great way to get your shimmery gold kick without feeling OTT. It's a kind of copper shade that's loaded with the most brilliant golden shimmer. The warm base provides a healthy wash of colour and the fine glitter specks catch the light to give a truly mesmerising, dimensional finish. Whenever I wear it, I spend ages looking at my lips in the mirror. At all angles. Vain? Me? Always.

Estee Lauder pure colour long lasting lipstick- tiger eye

The gold shimmer is much more obvious in real life, trust me on that one. It GLISTENS. The formula is lovely too. Moist and rich and not gritty. But, of course, all this luxury doesn't come cheap. It's £22. But then, it's Estee Lauder innit, so you kind of expect that.

My only qualm is the scent: it's way too strong and sickly sweet. I have to hold my nose when applying, but aside from that, it's a love thing.

Xx

rimmel London lasting finish lipstick, the Kate Moss nude collection. review and swatches.

Ok you crazy cats. Got another review for ya ain't I? Right. So the original lasting finish lipstick range by Kate Moss for Rimmel was a hit most folks. I own three shades myself, so I think that puts me in the 'fan' category. Happily for lipstick lovers, the success of the lipsticks led to a collection of nudes. Obviously, I went and got one.

Rimmel lasting finish Kate nude lipstick- 45

I got shade 45, which I believe is called either 'rose nude' or 'rosy nude', on account of its blushed leaning. I wish the name was on the tube instead of just a number though. Numbers aren't sexy. In fact, the tube isn't all that sassy either. I mean, it's nice. It's very 'look at me, I'm a nude lipstick', but it's less sophisticated than the traditional black casing of the original lippies.

Anyway, as you can see, I've already worn this baby quite a bit. It's a lovely cool toned slightly mauve nude with medium pigmentation, and it suits my Asian honey complexion well without washing me out.  Apparently, this shade is the least pigmented of the line- though I love it just as it is- so you can expect the others to give more than just a wash of colour.

Rimmel lasting finish Kate nude lipstick - 45 

As for the formula, well, it's lovely. Smooth, moist, not streaky or overly slippery. Just comfortable and  delightful. The only thing is, I wouldn't call it a 'lasting finish'. Wear time is definitely average, so don't get too excited over the longevity claim.

Aside from that, my only other real criticism is the shade range: it's not broad enough. I mean, if you're only gonna have five shades, at least make them significantly different so they cater to more skin tones.  As it is, there is one shade that is probably too pale for anyone, three shades for fair to fairly fair, and only one for anyone darker. I'd suggest maybe chucking out the super pale one and replacing it with a deep toffee shade?

Still. For just over a fiver, it's a decent lippy and I enjoy wearing it on my pie hole.

Xx

Avon ultra colour 3D plumping lipstick- review and swatches.

I've long been a fan of Avon's lipstick offerings, so when their new ultra colour 3D plumping lipstick came out, I snagged it. It promised voluminous action, rich colour and hydration- which are all undoubtedly good things. But did it deliver? Dun dun duuuun. The suspense must be killing you.

First impressions: sturdy packaging (though I do prefer the sexier black packaging of their standard ultra colour lipstick line) and good sized lipstick bullet that gets you a generous  coat of colour in one sweep. And the formula really does sweep- it's amazingly buttery and soft without being pure mush and is definitely well pigmented, with one pass giving almost opaque results.

As for the plumping... there is some, but be realistic with your expectations. It's not like one of those stinging glosses. There's a faint buzz that gives a slight increase to volume, but it's mostly the hydrating and cushiony formula that does it. It stays moist throughout wear, which is an average length of time for a satiny formula.

Avon ultra colour 3D plumping lipstick - bitten 

It does transfer, but fades flatteringly. This is partially due to the pretty stain it leaves, and partly because it's easily smushed to redistribute colour. So none of that dreaded lipstick ring. I did experience some minor feathering, but it was minimal and to be expected given the emollient texture. Clear lip liner fixes the problem easy peasy.

Now. Can we talk about the colour? I got the shade 'bitten', a plummy fuchsia. It leans a little more purple than it looks in the photo, but you can still see how vivid and pretty it is. I'm really digging it for spring!

At £8 and often on sale, I'd say this lippy is well worth the price tag. It feels like a luxury lipstick. Nice one, Avon.

rimmel the only one revolution lipstick- review and swatches.

If, like me, you're a frequent haunter of Superdrug makeup aisles, you'll know that Rimmel has released a line of new lipsticks that will allegedly tick every damn box. The Only One lipsticks promise comfort, lasting power, intense colour and immortality. And a lifetime supply of fluffy kittens. A sucker for such tantalising advertising, I popped a tube in my basket.

She's a good looking lady, I think. Boxy and black and has a bit of attitude, and a handy ring of colour that corresponds with the lipstick shade. The only thing that's slightly inconvenient is the shape of the bullet. I find it hard to define my cupid's bow with the flat round surface. Then again, it's not a biggie- the use of a matching lip liner or a lip brush fixes that problem.

Anyway, the formula really is everything it promises. Saturated colour, a glide on satin formula that is squishy and supple-feeling without being slippery, a texture that sticks well to the lips, and a magic way of not drying out your lips even after prolonged wear. Niiiiice. The only minor issue was a bit of bleeding a few hours in, but it was such an insignificant amount that it wasn't really noticeable.

Rimmel the only one revolution lipstick - best of the best

I got the shade 'best of the best', a bright, slightly blue based red. It's a classic red, that's what it is. I love this lippy and at £6.99, I reckon it's worth every penny. Nice one, Rimmel!

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makeup revolution iconic pro lipstick- review and swatches

Of the Makeup Revolution lipstick haul I got, I saved the best till last. Meet the Iconic Pro lipstick.

For a budget brand, the packaging is hella sweet. Look at the rose gold detailing! Love it. This is the shade 'liberty matte'. There's an impressive shade range with these, and some of the colours (as with this one) come in two finishes. I opted for the matte rather than glossy finish, because if I'm gonna wear a purple, I want it to last and to not be streaky.

I was so impressed with it! The lipstick glided on smoothly and with great pigmentation. In the above swatch I'd applied it over lip balm, so it looks a little glossier than it ordinarily would. On bare lips though, it looks more semi-matte. It's super comfortable and hydrating, but I was worried the ultra creamy formula would fare poorly in the longevity stakes. Actually, it wasn't too bad. I had a cup of tea with (delicious) ginger biscuits and though there was transfer, my lips were very much purple by the end of it. The fact that it stains also contributes to the flattering fade, as it means you don't have to worry about nasty bare-lip patches. Oh, and it doesn't bleed at all, so no lip liner needed!

And hell, obviously the colour is gorgeous. I LOVE my purples, and this one is so funky and ugh. For £2.25, this is a must have. Like, you must have it. Go. Get it. 

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TheBalm Meet Matte Hughes long lasting liquid lipstick review and swatches

I was pretty chuffed when I walked into Superdrug for a cheeky browse and was greeted with a brand spanking new counter for The Balm cosmetics. I'd been eyeing their new Meet Matt(e) Hughes liquid lipsticks for a while, so I thought it was the perfect opportunity to snag one. After lots of swatching, I settled for the shade 'Honest'.

The Packaging is typical of the brand's charming and modern-retro sass. There's a cute box the lipstick comes in too, though the eco warrior in me does wonder if it's necessary. But then, at least it's recyclable. The tube itself is lovely, though I wish there was a proper stopper to control how much product the doefoot gets loaded with. 

the balm meet matte hughes

Right, so after a lot of scraping, I lifted the wand and BOOM! Mint. A very minty sweet scent, which has a cooling tingly feel on application. The scent doesn't linger once the lipstick is dry though, and weirdly, it doesn't taste minty. 

The formula is creamy and smooth and well pigmented, though not entirely opaque. It layers well and doesn't crack or crumble, and there's not a hint of streakiness. In fact, it's really quite comfortable. Very lightweight and nowhere near as drying as other liquid to matte products. Oh, and it does last for hours on end as expected, though be sure to avoid oily food. 

the balm meet matte hughes- honest

I'm SO glad I bought this shade. All the recent grey weather had me craving a bright colour, and 'honest' ticks the box for sure. It's such a happy, vibrant coral!

All in all, I'm very happy with this lippy, though at £13.50, it's at a fairly reasonable pricepoint considering the quality. Whaddyathink? Let me know your thoughts, babe.

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Mac Heavy Petting lipstick review and swatches

It's been a long time since I've bought a MAC lipstick- I've just been unexcited by new releases and have been too preoccupied with swooning and obsessing over lipsticks from other brands. But the LE Dark Desires collection caught my eye, and chiefly for the wine coloured lipstick called 'heavy petting'. The colour itself wasn't so unique, but the cremesheen formula sold it for me (I know it divides opinion but it's my favourite mac finish). Oh and the name was pretty appealing hehe.

Mac heavy petting (dark desires)

So there she is. A rich, berry-leaning shade with good colour payoff and a sumptuous sheen to the finish. A very season appropriate shade. The swatch is of the lipstick alone, though I would recommend lipliner with it because it does tend to bleed. 

Wear time is average, and it fades to a cute bitten stain. Some people find the cremesheen formula drying but it's really comfortable on me... so I guess it comes down to your own experiences of it. 

Anyway I'm glad I got. I can see myself wearing this shade a whole lot. 

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