review and swatches: maybelline color elixir lip lacquer

   Oops I did it again. I said I was done with lip lacquers, but here I am writing another lip lacquer post. In my defense, it's a great product and you lovely people simply deserve to hear about. In fact, it was the official lip colour of London Fashion Week. Phwoar.

    Isn't the packaging just fabulously clever? It looks like an ordinary bullet of lipstick with a plastic cap, but it twists open like a gloss. Deceptive and highly appropriate- a lacquer is, after all, a lipstick/gloss hybrid. 

    I got the shade Blush Essence, which is a 'raspberry sorbet' kind of pink, I reckon. In terms of formula and consistency, it's almost identical to the L'Oreal Extraordinaire I reviewed here, except perhaps a little lighter feeling, and a tad sheerer in terms of opacity. And seeing as I loved L'Oreal's offering, I love this one too. 

 What do you think? Do you prefer this one or the L'Oreal? x

review and swatches: nyx macaron lippies lipstick- earl grey

I'm gonna review a blue lipstick today. Aren't I quirky and outrageous? I am. It's a NYX release- a whole line up of pastel rainbow sticks. It's the first pastel colourful range to grace the market, which makes the folks at NYX a bunch of trailblazers. Whilst outlandish brights do exist (think neon orange, acid greens), these are all white based shades. Muted/bold? Great! And they all smell like macarons.

    I got 'Earl Grey', which isn't grey. It's blue. I think it's because of the cornflower blue flowers that the tea is made of.

 Now, pastel shades are notoriously difficult to apply evenly, and this lippy is no exception. It's pigmented and would in fact be opaque- but for the fact that it's a creme formula. The soft texture means it's comfortable to wear, but is very frustrating to get a streak-free finish with. If only it was matte,  it'd be perfect. 

That said, if you've got some patience, you can make it work. Don't bother with a lip brush, just whack on a coat straight from the tube. Then, blot lightly with a tissue and dab on some translucent powder. Finally, apply a final coat in a patting motion rather than with swipes. I find this method keeps the lipstick in place fairly well and stops it skidding about all over my chops. 

Nyx macarons lippie- Earl Grey 

 I personally think such a cute and unique shade is worth the extra effort, but if you're not the sort to sport a baby blue pout, bear in mind the versatility of such a product. You can use a touch of it to adjust a lipstick shade. I've worn it over a red lipliner to get a gorgeous satin plum shade. 

Anywho. The NYX Macaron Lippies are an affordable  £5.50, so great if you want to experiment with a fun shade without breaking the back.  

Do you think you'll have a play or nah? 

X

review and swacthes: GOSH lip lacquer

It's the last of the lip lacquer posts guys, for now anyway. And it's a good finale. Introducing GOSH's lip lacquer, a little marvel of lippy that punches above its weight. I've got the shade 'lovely lips' which is a gorgeous nude with notes of peach, pink and light brown to make it a warm and flattering shade for a wide range of skin tones. Have a look.

    Isn't it sweet? The range comes in a variety of shades, one of which is called 'crispy lips'. Why, GOSH? They have varying degrees of opacity, some sheer as typical glosses, others much more of liquid lipstick pigmentation, and are housed in darling little glass bottles that look like nail polishes- a clue to the polished and shiny finish they offer. The applicator is a sturdy and fuss free doe foot. So far so good.

Gosh lip lacquer- lovely lips (outlined with lipliner)

       And the formula? It's a winner. Lovely lips is decently pigmented, and applies smoothly and evenly with no shoddy pooling or streakiness. It's super hydrating and stays that way throughout wear, making your pout all squidgy and juicy and kissy wissy. Longevity isn't great, but that's unsurprising given the consistency and finish, and at least the fade is even and natural. I really really dig this. And at £5.99, and often on promotion, I think you will too.

Let me know if you dig or if you dign't x

review and swatches: BareMinerals pretty amazing lipcolor

I like BareMinerals. So I was pretty chuffed when they launched their Pretty Amazing lipcolors and jumped at the chance to add another lip lacquer to my collection, and one that promised to be pretty amazing.

     Look: 'The innovative hydrating glaze of our Pretty Amazing^TM Lipcolor cocoons your lips in opaque high-impact lipcolour. The cushiony texture, insatiable shine and seriously polished appearance will propel you into an elevated state of gorgeousness. And our precision applicator handles like a race car, cornering, sculpting and accentuating every curve of your luscious lips for enduring colour with real staying power. Pretty Amazing.'

     It sounds really great, doesn't it? To be fair, it is hydrating. It does have a polished, glazed finish. The colour is high-impact. But I wouldn't really call the texture 'cushiony'. It's not sticky or anything, but it it isn't lightweight either. It also has a tendency to pool a little so you have to remember to smush your lips together to redistribute the colour. The applicator is also a bit clumsy with the thicker formula too; t's a bit too flexible for it and makes application slow and a little clumsy. I'd definitely recommend using a good lip brush- it'll make for a smoother finish and more precise edges. And you need that with colours as bold as these.

     And dang, are they bold! I'ts the one thing I really love about these lacquers. The colours kick butt with their opacity, they're bright and fun, and they have great names. Names like 'fearless', 'bravado' and 'savvy'. I picked the shade Moxie, because it makes me feel like I am a creature of pizzazz. I'd describe it as a cool toned bubblegum pink.

    Oh, another good thing. The packaging has a matte and shiny leopard pattern thing going on. Funky. Here, have some pictures.

BareMinerals pretty amazing lip colour- moxie

For £15, I'd say this is a nice product which bridges the gap between lipgloss and lipstick quite well. 

Anyone else tried these? Let me know your thoughts x 

         

Review and swatches: Chanel Rouge Allure Lacque

     A new day, a new lip lacquer post. This time, it's a high end brand. Chanel Rouge Allure Lacque, in the shade Imperial (73). Ah. And it's the best, and most expensive of the lacquer league. Take a look:

   The packaging is typical Chanel class- sleek black tube, heavyweight and sturdy with gold accents. It twists open to reveal a doe foot applicator with a twist in the form of a deeper groove. It's a good twist; it sweeps across the curves of your lips and gets you neat, defined edges with minimum fuss.

   Onto the gloop. What lovely gloop. It glides on smoothly and comfortably, moisturising in a creamy rather than balmy way. The colour is opaque but not heavy feeling, and it is not sticky at all. Though it does transfer, it still lasts very well, partly due to its novel formula, which applies glossy and wet but settles to soft creme finish. The only real fault is that over prolonged wear it can bleed, but that's nothing a bit of clear lipliner can't fix. 

      Imperial is very pretty colour, though a bit tough to describe. It's a sort of rusty red brown. I reckon it would suit pretty much all skin tones, and would make a really gorgeous shade for autumn. Have some swatches! 

Chanel Rouge Allure Lacque- 17 imperial 

Thoughts? x

review and swatches: L'oreal color riche L'extraordinaire liquid lipstick

After yesterday's somewhat scathing review of Rimmel's Apocalips Lip Lacquer, I thought I'd dedicate the next couple of posts to the brands that offer lip lacquer products and get. It. Right.

   Up first, L'oreal Paris have recently released the L'extraordinaire liquid lipstick, in a decent selection of shades, from brights to naturals. They claim the product is a slam dunk for your pouty needs: the coverage of a lipstick, the shine of a gloss and the hydration of a balm. Bold claim, babes. Well, is it as as extraordinary as it sounds?

   Actually, yes. I got a peachy nude shade, Nude Vibrato (600). First impressions were good. Sturdy gold twist-open packaging that shows the shade of the product. A whiff of chemically raspberry- not too bad, certainly not sickening. A slanted, soft and flexible applicator that get's you a good sweep of colour in a few easy strokes. And the formula didn't let it down either.

  It is, as L'oreal states, glossy. It is intensely pigmented, pretty much opaque. It feels absolutely luscious on the lips. I wouldn't say it feels light, but it is very balmy and not sticky at all, and manages to stay hydrating throughout wear, which is where a lot of lip products fail. It doesn't feather or bleed. The colour applies evenly and without streaks.

L'oreal  color riche L'extraordinaire liquid lipstick- nude vibrato

It's a million times better than its Rimmel forerunner, and at £8.99 in most dugstores and online, it's pretty purse friendly to boot. I'm happy to recommend it. Good job, L'oreal.

Any of you tried it? What did you think? Let me know, bro x

Review and swatches: lime crime carousel gloss

Well, the best way to kickstart my blog and attract a good readership probably would've been  to make my first post  a fool proof one- a popular product by a well known and well loved brand. But then, I've always been a contrary mary. It’s gonna be Lime Crime folks. The controversial-est brand out there, proper marmite territory.

      I’m gonna do the chicken thing and just focus on the products, which, incidentally, I adore. I've got a couple of the carousel glosses for you today. 

     Lime Crime’s carousel glosses are slick but not sticky at all, packed full of glitter, and have the kind of pigmentation you’d expect from a liquid lipstick-type product. The brush is tiny compared to other gloss wands, but that allows for more precise application- which you need with these mucky pups.

    Lime Crime’s characteristic whacky colours reach into their gloss collection, you’ll either be happy or unbothered to hear. There’s a green (Hollygram), a blue (loop-de-loop), a GORGEOUS gold (golden ticket), and a dark purple (kaleidoscope). I have none of these shades. Much weeping. On the bright side though, I do have:

• ·         Cherry on top- a bright cherry red
• ·         Candy Apple- deep apple red
• ·         Present- deep magenta-pink
• ·         Snowsicle- clear with rainbow sparkle

Here are some swatches. Pretty, innit?

   'Candy apple' is definitely my favourite. Can you see why? 

Lime crime carousel gloss - candy apple

   So, do I recommend these sticks of pretty? Yes, internet. I do. Though a tad pricey, you get a generous amount of product for your dolla in unique and impressively pigmented shades, which dodge the shudder-inducing stickiness that we tend to associate with gloss. Considering their texture, they last quite well too (more due to their colour intensity than the formulation) and fade well too. And they’re vegan and cruelty free! Massive yes. And, last but not least... have you seen how pretty the packaging is? SO BLOODY PRETTY. Swirly whirly lilacy unicorn girliness.

   Do you love them as much as I do? I hear some of the other shades are a bit cruddy- what have your experiences been?

Talk to me xx