Laura paige city color matte lipstick review and swatches

I'm late to the party with these lippies . City Colour Cosmetics has always been a brand that I've been interested in- they seemed to have a lot of good reviews and a bunch of affordable and high quality products. Anyway, eventually I ordered one of their matte lipsticks from eBay for £2.50.

It looks decent for a budget lippy, though the lid doesn't snap on all that securely. I'm paranoid that it's gonna fall off on my bag and make a smushfest, though I suppose it won't be too bad considering the bullet isn't exposed.

city color matte lipstick- juicy melon

I got the shade 'juicy melon' which is a lovely flattering coral pink with a subtle shimmer that stops it from looking entirely flat. I really like it!

Now it's a matte, and that translates to the texture. It's quite firm and dry, with quite a bit of drag on application. That said, the pigmentation is gorgeous and it doesn't feel drying once on, though a little lip balm beforehand wouldn't hurt. Oh, and another thing to note is that it is quite strongly perfumed. The smell isn't unpleasant and it doesn't linger, but it does take some getting used to.

One great thing about this lipstick is that once on, it lasts aaaaages. There's barely any transfer and it really clings like a trooper.

So yeah. Overall it's a thumbs up. Erm, k bye.

max factor lipfinity lipstick review and swatches

Trusted UK makeup brand Max Factor came out with lipfinity lipstick range a long time ago. They were quite novel upon release, and years down the line, are still pretty unique compared to lip products in a similar category. I originally bought a candy pink shade and hated it. It didn't suit me at all and the silver frost accentuated the appearance of dryness. It looked tacky and shrivelled and I just couldn't make it work for me. But, once upon a time in a Superdrug not too far away, an offer on the Max Factor stand tempted me to give this product another go. I have. So today, I'll be reviewing shade 16, 'glowing'.

 

 

Glowing is beautiful, wearable shade that is much more flattering to my complexion. Unlike the heavy frost of the first purchase, the shimmer in this one is pretty and adds luminosity. I'd describe the colour as a faded dusty rose with a dash of mauve. So here's how it works. Apply the liquid base colour with the doefoot applicator. Don't spread on too much or try layering because it will look claggy. Stick to a thin, even coat. Let it dry. At this stage, depending on whether/how you've prepped your lips, it may or may not feel too dry. On me, with my fairly well behaved lips not prone to excessive dryness, it felt fine. Like a regular liquid to matte lipstick, though of the drier variety. It may however look a little dry and shrivelled even if it doesn't feel so, so it really just depends on which shade you have and how it behaves on your lips. Depending on those factors, you could opt to leave it as it is. It will be touchproof and last forever. Or, go ahead and slide on the balm topcoat. It will smooth out any puckeriness and give a shoft sheen, and generally make your lips look and feel more juicy and lightweight. 

max factor lipfinity shade 16 glowing

Just to demonstrate the difference, in the above swatches the top is with the balm topcoat and the bottom is the base colour alone. Oh, and they're both outlined in Barry M lipliner in shade 9. I tend to wear it alone for a while and just top with the balm if/when it begins to feel uncomfortable. Now, there are a lot of two step lip products out there. A lot of them, though, require glosses to seal in the otherwise rubbery colour. Meanwhile, the Lipfinity can work alone, and the balm is completely lightweight and smoothing. It's a much better option for those who don't like glossy lips, as it just leaves a subtle sheen.

All that may sounds overly faffy and annoying. You have to carry around the balm and base together or else risk a lip look disaster (Max Factor, won't you please consider making them into a double ended wand?) You might run out of the balm before the base colour, in which case you'll have to buy a refill. The two steps and drying time make it less than ideal for when in a rush. But. BUT. The big perk is the fact that this lippy does. Not. Wear. Off. Like, at all. Ever.

So, all in all, it won't be for everyone and it does take some getting used to. I wouldn't wear it everyday, but when I know I need something with lasting power, something I can rely on to stay flawless.... who ya gonna call? LIPFINITY. Sorry, ghostbusters.

ofra long lasting liquid lipstick review and swatches

 

 

Soooo. TheLipSwatch, sister page to DupeThat on instagram, recommended Ofra liquid lipsticks as some of the best liquid-matte formulae out there. So, being the sucker that I am, I had to go and buy one didn't I? I got mine from ebay, though the rrp is $19.90. That's definitely on the steeper end, so is it good enough to warrant that price?

 

I'm undecided. I mean the formula is amazing and the colours are beautiful. But there could have been more product for the money and I would have expected more from the packaging. But I got mine for a happy fiver, so I've got no grounds for complaint *smug laugh*.

I got the shade 'hollywood' which is an adorable happy pink. I've been wearing it pretty much all week. Now as for the formula, it's not entirely opaque (though it is pigmented) so it's more wearable for those who shy away from bold shades. That said, it layers beautifully so you can definitely build up the coverage. I'm wearing just one coat in the swatches below.

ofra liquid lipstick- hollywood

Isn't it cute? And I can see why it was recommended- it doesn't look or feel dry at all. Though it sets to a matte finish, it still retains a little moisture that keeps it from feeling uncomfortable.

What do you think? Worth it or nah? x

milani amore lip creme, review and swatches

 

 

So. I ummed and ahhed over whether or not to get Milani's liquid to matte Amore lip cream. Do I really need another liquid-matte? Do I not already have all the shades under the sun? Is my bank balance not crying for mercy? But then I found it was limited edition, and the rest is history. Anyway, I've been wearing it all day today. Check it out:

 



milani amore lip crème- adore

I got the shade 'adore', which is a lovely milky peach toned nude. I wore it with a deeper nude lipliner to make it complement my Asian skintone better (though I swatched it without the liner so you could see the true colour), but I think fair skinned folks could rock it alone pretty easily.

I do like the packaging- it makes it look more pricey and elegant than a (more or less) affordable brand's product would. But then, gold is always gonna up the luxury factor, ain't it? Also, I really love the applicator. It's a long paddle shape which makes clean lines child's play.

The formula is good too. Not exceptional, but very good, especially for the price. It may look a little cakey in the swatch, but I did slather on a lot there. I found it looked and felt fine if a small amount was spread well. The more you put on, the more cakey and crackly you're gonna find it, so less is more with is. When it sets, it's to a touchproof and smudgeproof finish, and though there's no moisture at all to it, if you have a bit of lip balm on underneath, you won't find it drying.

So it's a thumbs up. I like it and I'm glad I got it. And if you do too, you'd better snap it up fast because these ain't gonna be around forever, hun. xx

makeup monsters matte liquid lipstick review.

 

Anyone else think my liquid to matte lipstick addiction is getting out of hand? Me neither. The new girl in my collection is by Makeup Monsters Cosmetics, a small cruelty free indie makeup brand that runs on etsy, their own site, and soon to be launching on other sites. Good on 'em for their success! I bought mine from etsy for £10.77.

 

Ain't the packaging cute? I love when indie brands put their own personal touches to their products. Though there wasn't much point in posting this, as this is their old and now discontinued packaging. Their new one still has monsters on but the tube is more similar to the Jeffree Star ones. Anyway, this brand offers a MIND BLOWING selection of colours, from wearable neutrals to neon greens. I had such a hard time deciding on a colour, but eventually settled for 'nefarious'.

makeup monsters- nefarious

What a gorgeous purple! I really love it. I found the doefoot applicator to be stiff enough to get clean lines without the need for a lip brush. The formula is a wet but not runny consistency and my swatches show just one coat. So long as you spread well (and the generous drying time and easy layering makes that no issue) you'll be rewarded with an opaque, truly matte finish. Wear time is great with no smudging at all, though oil is the nemesis.

A great bonus was that is felt lightweight and wasn't overly drying like some liquid mattes are. I had in on for four hours and at the end of that time, my lips didn't look like shrivelled prunes. High fives all round!

makeup monsters matte liquid lipstick- nefarious

Overall, I'm very pleased with this brand and would recommend trying out a shade, though I wish you luck with picking just one out of all those gorgeous colours! xox

2true wow! gloss stick- review and swatches

Look yeah, I love me an orange lippy. It's one of my favourite shades. So when I saw this new wow stick by 2true in superdrug, at a mere £2.99, I had to snag the red-orange one, shade 5, called 'powerful pout'.

And it is bloody powerful. The intensity is a little bleached in my crappy phone swatches, but this stuff is OPAQUE. In fact, its pigmentation coupled with its very soft texture means you do have to be careful not to smush on too much. I definitely prefer to use a lip brush.

2true wow gloss stick- powerful pout

Because of how pigmented it is, the color lasts for a long time. It has a satin gloss finish though is easily blotted down to a matte, with hardly a dent of compromise on the colour. I would suggest using a clear lip liner with this, as it does have a tendency to bleed.

Another downer is that it's quite hard to sharpen. That softness being pesky again. But honestly, these are minor gripes. This much pigment in such a vibrant colour is hard to come by with budget brands, and I'm super glad I bought this. In fact, I think it's a great product dupe for the Urban Decay super saturated gloss pencil. I think I might review that soon. So watch this space xx