avon colourtrend limited edition kiss n go spring shades lipstick review

Ok, so I know it's not quite spring yet, but I couldn't wait to pop out my new spring themed lipstick. For those who don't know, Colortrend is an Avon brand that tends to be more budget friendly than their other products, and are usually pretty colourful, and tend to be appeal to teens. My experiences with have been a mixed bag- the eyeliners are great, the eyeshadows are dire, and lipsticks are the best things on the entire planet. 

    No, seriously. I'll explain why in a minute. But first, let's have a look at one. The 'Kiss n go' line has been around for a long while, and has undergone a few transformations in that time. When I first became acquainted with them, they came in cheap black bullets with clear black caps (they looked cheap- very cheap) and felt waxy on lips, often having overly frosty finishes. In a word, cheap. Then, BOOM. They went and revamped the line. The packaging became more sturdy and less flimsy and more colourful. Not sleek by any means, but cheap and cheerful in a perfectly acceptable way, and a huge improvement.

     While the usual lipsticks are white, these spring-themed babies are all pinkified and floral, which is pretty and fitting, I think. Again, not particularly grown up, but pretty. And as an added extra pretty touch, there's a floral design engraved on the bullet! It's the little things, ain't it?

     And the formula? well it was revamped too. The new Kiss n go lipsticks turned out to be richly pigmented, hydrating, smooth, and very long lasting thanks to a grippy-not-slippy formula. The shape of the bullet was also changed: a wider, slanted surface that defined contours while depositing a generous amount of colour in one wide sweep. Feather-proof. No foul taste or smell. And on top of all that- they boast spf15. All this for a lippy at (and often under) £3.75? ALL OF THE WOW. There are high end lipsticks that don't deliver like these do. 

    Anyway, this particular shade is called 'racy raspberry', and is, as you might have guessed, a raspberry shade. It's the deepest in the spring collection, alongside other shades of pink. I found it to have a satin finish that wore to almost matte as I munched and sipped tea throughout the day, and it lasted well over five hours with its vibrancy still intact, though the juiciness had worn away. It does have a subtle shimmer to it, but it's nothing tacky- it just gives a radiant, luminous finish.

colortrend kiss n go lipstick- racy raspberry

     I was genuinely blown away with how brilliant they were, and kept going back for more. They have an impressive range of colours, and I now own an indecent number of them, as well as some from various limited edition collections. I'm a hoarder. So sue me.

    (Un)lucky for you guys, that means I'll have a mega swatchy review post of a jillion of these beauties on the way soon. In the mean time, GO BUY A WHOLE TRUCKLOAD. You will love them. 

xx

clinique long last soft matte lipstick- review and swatches

Hey there guys. It's been a while, but I'm back with another post of another lippy that I just luuurve. It's the Clinique Long Last Soft Matte Lipstick, and I've got one in the shade 'matte crimson' to share with you today.

 

     First things first- ain't she pretty? Shiny and heavy and different to the usual gold or black casing higher end lipsticks tend to sport. 

     The shade is, as the name suggests, crimson red with a soft matte finish. But what does soft matte mean? Well, for me, I found the 'soft' part came through in both texture and finish, making it different to the standard matte. In terms of texture, it was comfortable and actually kept my lips moist throughout wear without the need for a balm. How rare is that for a matte? And it terms of finish, I think the main difference is that it was free from shine but not that full-on powder-matte. Just little differences, but overall they made the experience of wearing a matte shade much more pleasant and hassle free, and I definitely prefer it to traditional mattes. 

      As far as application goes, there were no problems at all. It was soft enough to glide on without drag, and one coat gave full opacity. It does initially appear to have a slight sheen that's more akin to a satin finish, but give it a while to set and the matte reigns. Because of the finish and opacity, this lipstick does indeed last a long while. For such a bright shade, it didn't transfer as much as I expected it to and there were no problems with bleeding or that awful red ring. The fade was actually even and flattering, wearing down to a 'just bitten' stain. In fact, I prefer to wear it applied with a light touch and blotted slightly, for a less dramatic day look. See below, bro.

Clinique long last soft matte lipstick- matte crimson

Clinique long last soft matte lipstick- matte crimson

 

    Overall, I think this lippy is a winner and worth trying if your budget stretches that far (£18). Personally, while I do love it, it doesn't beat my other matte lipstick with equally comfortable formula- Daniel Sandler's luxury matte lipstick. It's also about half the price of this one, so do check that one out if you like the look of this but don't got the dolla. 

     In fact, I think I'll give that one a review of its own at some point. Until next time, thanks for checking in, babeface x

essence xxxl longlasting lipgloss (matt) lip cream- review & swatches

 Look guys, I'm finally reviewing a winter appropriate neutral shade *pats self on back*. It's a soft nude, and it is (very appropriately) called 'soft nude'. Introducing the Essence XXXL Longlasting matt lipgloss, which described as a 'silky lip cream' with long wearing colour.

essence xxxl matt lip cream- 06 soft nude

    There she is. Not bad for a budget brand, huh? Certainly not garish, and it's a generously sized tube. This lip cream comes with a flat paddle-like applicator which is actually quite easy to use and distributes the colour evenly. It's long and it's flexible, so I guess that lets it cover a lot of surface area in one pass. 

   And one pass is really all you need. In fact, you might even want to wipe off some excess product as you don't need much to get decent coverage, and overdoing it can result in impairing the formula's ability to set. Yep, it will set somewhat, though not entirely. The finish is perfect for me because the slight softness afforded prevents drying, yet it's not so wet that it gets all messy and won't stay put. On first application, be prepared for a slippery texture and a soft sheen. Worry not though, it will dry down a little in time. Here's what it looks like freshly applied:

essence xxxl matt longlasting lip cream- 06 soft nude

    I like the colour! It's a great nude that I can see suiting a whole range of skintones. It's somewhere between a dusty rose and caramel beige- lovely.

    All in all, I'm impressed, and at £2.30, it's a sure bargain.

topshop lip cream- review and swatches

  

I'm back with another blindingly bright lip cream. I know, it's winter, and I'm technically supposed to lay off the neons... but what can I say? I just love me some colour. Today, I've been wearing Topshop's lip cream in the shade 'pout'. Take a look!

   Aww, look at those pretty polkadots. And look at that colour! Pout is an orange. Not a coral. A proper, in yer face, super opaque, mega vivid ORANGE, baby. Even I was a bit intimidated by it, and kept wiping off the excess product from the doefoot in a bid to tone it down. It didn't do much. It goes on perfectly true to colour and makes no apologies about it.

    Now, this is a lip cream that applies and wears as the word 'cream' would suggest. Slightly thick, moistening, plenty of slip. It doesn't bleed or feather despite it's formula and pigmentation, though it does transfer, as it remains a 'cream' consistency and doesn't set to the touchproof, matte finish of similar products. Nope, it's very much a satin finish that stays sort of 'wet' if you know what I mean. 

  Initially, I was cautious about the finish as I suspected the high transfer would equate to rubbish wear time, but I'm pleased to report it doesn't affect longevity at all. I reckon it's because the lip cream is SO BLOODY PIGMENTED, that you could stamp your orange pout all over the place and there'd still be a punch of colour left on it. Also, the slip allows you to rub your lips together to easily redistribute the colour without needing to reapply all over.

   Oh, and it smells like yummy vanilla.

topshop lip cream- pout

topshop lip cream- pout

topshop lip cream- pout

topshop lip cream- pout

Have you tried any of these? I'm quite interesting in the nude shade, 'dust'. Share your thoughts with me, lovelies xox

collection cream puff lip cream review and swatches

It's another super cute lip cream! Look at all the puffy fluffiness. It smells like fairy cakes and it's named after sweet treats and girly things. It's all soft and cushiony. It's the Collection Creampuff lip cream lineup! Boom. Let's have a look then.

    Honestly, I do like the packaging. It's cute and playful and appeals to my inner my inner girly-girl. I also like the matte black lid, a cheeky clue to the product's finish. This product comes in four shades, all of which are soft and wearable. I have shade 3, Fairy Cake, which is a lovely warm coral pink. I find it brightens my face easily and is the perfect choice for complementing a neutral day look- so I'm now at the stage where I've worn it so often, it's almost used up. Boo!

   It's not just the colour that has made it such a go-to product for me, it's because it's just so fuss free. The doe foot applicator distributes the cream quickly and evenly and one coat is all it takes for full coverage. And, unlike most lip creams/lip velvet type products, the Collection Creampuff truly lives up to it's claim of being 'moisturising'. This means I don't have to apply balm beforehand or worry about it going all crusty and icky, and we all know what a relief it is to find a product that doesn't lead to constant paranoia. That said, my lips aren't prone to excessive dryness, so perhaps those of you who struggle with chapping might well want to slick some balm underneath. 

   It's also really long lasting, and dries to a fairly budge-poof, transfer-proof soft matte finish. Initially, I thought it wouldn't settle and would retain a degree of slip- sort of like a matte lipgloss- and I thought the very soft sheen would remain. I was wrong though: just give it a few minutes and it will dry down to a true matte that doesn't slide about.

Here's how it looks freshly applied. Note the soft sheen.

collection cream puff- fairy cake

 

 And once fully dry...

collection cream puff- fairy cake

The best thing? These are priced at a mere £2.99. Gotta catch 'em all! That's what I'm almost certainly gonna do once mine runs out and I finally have an excuse to buy more ;)

sleek matte me lip cream- review and swatches

   Second post of the night, 'cause I'm on fire! I know I probably shouldn't gush so much for two posts in a row- it just makes me look like an indiscriminate gusher- but this lip cream is so worth gushing about. It's the Sleek Matte me ultra smooth matte lip cream. I don't know why it took me so long to get my hands on it really. I think I was just trying to be a good girl, with that whole 'yes baby, I know it's pretty, but you don't need any more lipsticks do you?' routine. Thankfully, I told that voice where to go and got my maniacal beauty-addict little hands on a rather fabulous product.

It is pretty, isn't it? Funky looking and modern and sassy. I got the shade 'brink pink', and boy is it bright! It's like it's tipped over the brink of a bright shade into an all out neonfest. And I love it! It's so happy and bold and summery, and every time I look in the mirror wearing it, I'm like 'whoa! Look at my lips! So sassy', and do a pouty sassy pose.

   And it's not just the colour that stands out, the formula is pretty cracking too. Fully opaque with smooth, streak-free application and a transfer-proof, second skin finish that lasts hours and hours. In fact, it barely even budged through meals, and survived me stamping big kisses all over my baby cousin's cheeks. This sort of longevity usually comes at a price though- that of a drying effect. I personally didn't notice my lips being particularly parched or uncomfortable, but my lips aren't hugely prone to chapping. If yours are, a bit of balm underneath is the way to go, and it won't interfere with the finish or wear time, providing you don't slather on goopy layers of it, naturally.

sleek matte me lip cream- brink pink

 The Sleek Matte Me lip cream are available in superdrug stores and on the brand site, priced at £4.99, and I think they are brilliant value for money. Heartily recommended. x

nyx soft matte lip cream- a review & swatches

 And so, we move onto lip creams. What's the difference between lip velvets and lip creams? Well, generally speaking, not much. That's why I'm using my next few reviews as continuations from the lip velvet series rather than as a separate category. They tend to be thicker in consistency though, as the name implies, and tend to maintain a bit of slip throughout wear rather than setting to a budgeproof second skin. I say 'tend to', because sometimes, the only real difference is in the name. Enter NYX Soft Matte Lip Cream.

     These babies are cute and playful- if they came in jars I'd want to sit cross legged on the floor to scoop out the insides and eat em. They also come named after cities (I do love my themes), and my shade is Antwerp, which I picked because my best friend's nickname for me is 'Twerp'. Now I can be an twerp, hehehe. It's a gorgeous shade- the love child of a dusty rose and a vivid coral, giving the perfect balance between pretty subtlety and loud-mouthed fun. I really really love it, and find it so flattering to my medium complexion. It might just be in my top ten favourite lipstick shades.

   As mentioned earlier, the finish is typical of velvets, in that it tattoos your lips with long lasting, touch proof colour. It's a real winner of a texture. NYX definitely got the 'soft' part of the name bang on, because this feels so buttery and light to apply, and once it sets, though very matte, manages not to look or feel dry. One layer is all that's needed for full opacity, so there's none of the dreaded patchiness that comes with touching up after the first coat has dried. It doesn't crumble or flake with wear either- it's truly brilliant. How did I only just discover it?

   Have some swatches, though they honestly don't do the shade justice. The woes of a bad camera.

nyx soft matte lip cream- antwerp

 

nyx soft matte lip cream- antwerp

 These cost a mere £5.50 from the NYX uk site (under the gloss section), and if I had loads of spare money, I would buy all the shades and love them and cuddle them forever.