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

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

Sugarpill liquid lipstick and petty poison review

Howdy campers. I thought I'd rustle up a roundup review on some Sugarpill lippies, seeing as it looks like I'm now collecting them. There are individual reviews on 'kimchi' and 'trinket' already hanging out on my blog, but I thought it would be handy to see all the liquid lipsticks together. So let's hop to it.

Well, I think it goes without saying that the packaging is utterly adorable. But then, we'd expect nothing less from Sugarpill. Be warned though, you need to store these delicately because any friction will scratch off the logos. These come with rather shaggy applicators which I thought would be a little difficult to work with, but turns out they apply the product just fine.

Sugarpill liquid lip color: kimchi, pumpkin spice, strange love, Trinket. 

Sigh. So pretty. 'Kimchi' is a donut scented pastel lavender-grey with very subtle icy blue shimmer. 'Pumpkin spice' is a pumpkin spice scented nutmeg-orange with copper-gold shimmer. 'Strange love' is a creamsicle scented oxblood red with champagne-silver shimmer. 'Trinket' is a creamsicle scented  rose-mauve pink with gold shimmer. The shimmer in every shade becomes more prominent with wear (or a gentle rub).

They all require two coats for opacity, but the formula is so lightweight and plush that layering doesn't lead to that dreaded tight, mask-like feeling. They dry down in a few minutes to a comfy, transfer proof finish.

Bottom line- they look, smell, and feel GORGEOUS.

Moving on to the Pretty Poison bullet lipstick, seen here hanging out with her friend 'pumpkin spice'. These are semi-matte opaque lipsticks in super cute shades, of which I own 'U4EA' (pronounced euphoria). It's a fabulous teal which applies with no drag and no streaking. 'Odd' colours are notoriously difficult to formulate well, but Sugarpill have done really well on this baby.

Sugarpill pretty poison lipstick- u4ea

Of course, being a traditional lippy, it does transfer. Happily though, it's pigmented enough that it fades gracefully from the centre instead of leaving that awful ring. I didn't experience any bleeding either, which is great.

And, obviously, I'm smitten with the glittery pill-style packaging. It's like a toy!

If I get any more Sugarpill lipsticks, I'll add swatches to this post. I'm very likely going to get any new liquid lipsticks they come out with, but I'm also lusting over their new dark shades of Pretty Poison. Ah. The struggles of being broke.

Toodles x

Caked cosmetics lip fondant- review and swatches

I've been eyeing up Caked Makeup's lip fondants for a while now. Probably because I really really love cake. And I really really love lipstick. So as you can probably guess, I found it really really hard to resist the temptation. Reader, I caved. I bought the shade 'power trip', which was £14 from Cocktail Cosmetics.

It's so cute! The icing and the sprinkles and the cupcake scent satisfy my dessert cravings fo sho.

Thankfully, the 'fondant' itself is really nice too. It has a moussey formula which glides on pretty much opaque and dries down in around two minutes to a non-drying matte finish. Some areas can feel slightly tacky if you press your lips together, but going with the thinnest coat possible minimises this problem to the point where it's barely noticeable. It's transfer proof and long wearing. In fact, it's kind of difficult to remove.

Caked cosmetics lip fondant- power trip

Which is fine by me, because why would I want to take off such a gorgeous colour? It's such a deep, sophisticated red. Mmm.

Mmm. Dammit, I want cake now.

Tattoo Junkee matte lip paint + effects review and swatches

Tattoo Junkee cosmetics kindly sent me some of their cool lip kits, and after road testing them for a while, I think I'm ready to review the badboys. But fear not- this isn't a sponsored post or an ad and I'm gonna keep my thoughts honest as always.

Right. So the lip kits consist of a liquid matte lipstick and pot of shimmery highlighter powder. I LOVE the concept. The world is awash with liquid lipsticks so it's definitely exciting to see something a bit novel. I like that I can choose to wear the lipstick alone, add a touch of highlight to the high points of my lips, or just go all out and dust the shimmer all over. I also like that I have the option of using the 'effects' as a legit highlighter on my face, or even as an eyeshadow.

As for the formula, it definitely varies from shade to shade. 'Dazed' (blue) needed two thin coats for full opacity as it was a little sheer. 'Past curfew' (violet) and 'whatever' (oxblood) were both more opaque, but did require spots to be touched up. 'Pucker Up' (red) was DIVINE. Very richly pigmented, no streaking at all, and an absolutely gorgeous shade of red that seems to be a dead on dupe for my beloved Lime Crime 'red velvet' lippy.

Tattoo Junkee liquid lipsticks in 'whatever' (top row) and 'past curfew' (bottom row) 

They all felt quite tight once they'd dried down, so I'd recommend lip balm pre application and the thinnest layer of product possible. They were touch proof and very long wearing, and didn't feel that different with the shimmer on top. I really love the duochrome mermaidy effect the shimmer gives! Already pretty shades turn positively magical.

Tattoo Junkee liquid lipsticks in 'Pucker up' (top row) and 'dazed' (bottom row) 

I like that the brand offers a wide range of shades. Whether you like your neutrals or your loud traffic-stoppers, you'll likely find a colour for you. I also like that they're not too pricey. UK folks can cop them from Amazon for £11.39 per kit.

And I don't want to sound pushy or anything, but if you're considering trying one of these sets out, you maybe definitely need to get the red.

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

Fyrinnae magic whipped metallic liquid lipstick- review and swatches

I've waffled on about my love for Fyrinnae Cosmetics on this here blog many a time. But they recently released a product which is just so unbelievably good that I likely won't be able stop cheerleading for it until 2054. Behold!

Ok, so I generally keep my politics off here and focus on the fairly neutral terrain of lipstick. But this lipstick is political, and so am I. I like equality. I don't like discrimination.

So. Lemme give you some good reasons for why you need this lipstick:

1) this shade was spontaneously released in the wake of the monstrous 45th POTUS coming into office.
2) it's called 'we the people'. How cool?
3) it's an indie brand. Supporting small businesses is always a good thing.
4) 30% of proceeds go to ACLU or Human Rights Watch- you choose at checkout.
5) by buying from Fyrinnae, you're directly supporting a refugee (the founder) and two immigrants.
6) the brand is refreshingly inclusive of races, sexualities, and genders. Diverse swatches are the best swatches.
7) the formula is amazing. I've had problems with other shades being difficult to work with, but this particular baby is faultless. It's so lightweight! And transfer proof. And though you you'll need two coats for full opacity, it dries quickly and won't flake or crumble with wear.
8) um, it's such a stunningly unique shade. Raspberry pink-red base loaded with the most magical hot pink and icy blue sparkles.

Fyrinnae magic whipped metallics- we the people 

Sigh. It's just so pretty. Even if it was by a regular brand with no cause but profit, I'd still sing its praises for beauty and performance.

You can grab this wand of utter fabulousness for a very affordable  $9.75 from Fyrinnae.com.

Go go go!

Tarte quick dry matte lip paint- review and swatches

I didn't like the original the Tarte creamy matte lip paints.

Maybe it was just the shade I got ('Hangry'), because other reviews seemed full of praise. I tried to like it. Honestly I did. But it was hard to get an even finish with and it wasn't opaque, so it always looked a bit streaky. And it had a slippery silicone-y feel. And it transferred like a bitch.

So when the 'quick dry' versions came out, I figured I would like them a lot more. So I grabbed one. I have the shade 'get it!', an apricot nude.

For $20, I think the tube is a little plain. I wish the cool splatter stuff on the carboard outer packaging translated to the actual lipstick. Maybe just on the lid. Hm. One plus point on the design front is that the doefoot has been levelled up from the original line: it's got a scooped tip for maximum surface area in contact with the lip, and hugs gob contours beautifully.  

As soon I swatched it, I thought 'THIS LOOKS A LOT LIKE LIME CRIME 'ELLE' VELVETINE'. So I ran off to do a comparison swatch, and lo and behold! A dupe. In the swatches below, 'get it!' is on the left and 'elle' is on the right. 'Elle' is just a touch deeper, but the difference is so subtle that on the lips they look identical. 

Anyway, I much prefer the new formula. It's quite liquidy but it dries down fairly quickly to a powder-matte finish. It's opaque, not streaky, transfer proof, and while it does feel a little dry, it's also lightweight. I also didn't notice any scent, so good for those of you have sensitive noses. 

And, in finale, the customary lip swatch: 

Tarte quick dry matte lip paint- get it!

Over and out. 

X

Lime crime diamond crushers- review and swatches

Lip toppers are the new kids of the lip product world, and are getting to be quite popular. I've been tempted by certain pretties here and there, but the glossy formulae always put me off. I don't want to feel more product on top of product, ya know? Then Lime Crime came out with a line of sparkling lip toppers with a transfer proof lightweight finish. Erm, yes please!

So I have the shade 'strip', which is probably the boldest of the lot in that it has a bright colourful base and bright colourful shimmer. Shimmery Barbie pink on stained Barbie pink. Obnoxious, but undeniably pretty. Now, some of the other shades with more translucent base colours can be doubled up as highlighters. Not so with this shade. Unless you have a dark skin tone, the pink base colour is gonna show up as a weird stripe on your cheekbones. Which might look... odd. So if you want a multi use product, I'd recommend going for a different shade.

Anywho. The low down. It smells like delicious strawberry roll ups. The product can settle and separate in the tube but a quick shake sorts that out. The packaging reminds me of a toy fairy wand.

Application is easy. It's a water based formula which dries town to a lightweight finish, which can be wiped off just using water. The base colour intensity can be built with layering, as can the intensity of the shimmer. You can go from a wash of sparkle to a full on foiled effect. It's touch proof but there will be some transfer of shimmer. It works fine on its own, over liquid matte lipsticks, or even over traditional bullet lipsticks- though make sure to blot down if using a glossy or satin-y formula. In fact, topping a traditional lipstick with a Diamond Crusher can actually kind of 'seal in' the colour, making it almost transfer proof.

Lime crime diamond crushers- strip 

Ok. So, the above swatch shows two coats Strip applied without a base colour. Pretty breathtaking right? Pure light. I wore it to lunch and my friend legit gasped.

Aaaand here's how she looks over light and dark base colours: 'Bloodmoon' and 'marshmallow' velvetines, also by Lime Crime.  

Diamond Crushers 'strip' over lime crime 'bloodmoon' 

Diamond Crushers 'strip' over lime crime 'marshmallow'

Ta da. So all in all, I think this is an innovative and ridiculously pretty lippy, and for £14, considering it's multi use, it's definitely worth it. If you're on the market for a glittergasm, you need these. However if you lean towards the more demure, office friendly lippies... why did you read this post?

Love, 

Me.

Makeup revolution lipstick review

I'm poor. So when there's afforable lipstick up for grabs, I get very grabby. In consequence, I have quite a few products from Makeup Revolution. I thought I'd share my thoughts on a few of them here so other skint kids can get clued up.

Let's start with the Salvation Velvet Lip Lacquers, Makeup Revolution's answer to the liquid matte lipstick hype. These are £3 and come in a funky shade range and are housed in a fairly standard tube which I won't bother showing here because 1) it's not exciting, and 2) it's been bashed about so much that the writing has smudged off.

Makeup revolution salvation velvet lip lacquer- black heart

BAM. In your face. This almost-black purple is called 'black heart' and is a dupe of the ABH Liquid Lips shade 'potion'. So if you love that vampy shade but are on a budget, rejoice.

I own three shades of these liquid lipsticks and I've found the formula to be a little inconsistent. None of theme feel lightweight, but a shocking bright pink one I tried felt like actual cement and crumbled all over the place. Another shade was a little less cement-like but was streaky. 'Black heart' definitely performs the best of the ones I've tried. Considering it's such a dark shade, it's not too difficult to get an even finish with. It looks good for a couple of hours before it starts to break down and crumble, at which point it's best to just remove with oil and reapply than to attempt any kind of touch up.

It's definitely not a comfortable or foolproof formula, but for the price, it's not too bad.

Moving on.

The Ultra Amplification lipsticks are a fairly new addition to the MUR lipstick family. They're £3 a pop and promise comfort and and intense colour. I quite like the gunmetal effect of the tube. Not bad for a cheap product. I have the shade 'activate'.

Makeup revolution ultra amplification lipstick- activate

Yeah, it looks nothing like the bullet! It's definitely a muted plum shade on first impression (and going by the website swatch), but upon 'breaking' the surface, it turns out to be a mauve-ey pink. You can kind of see the difference in colour where I've touched the bullet on the first picture. The swatch above shows it to be a tad more pink than it is in real life, but that's my camera being shitty. It leans more mauve in person. Well, it's a pretty colour! Just not what I was expecting.

As for formula, I agree with the 'comfortable' claim. It does feel good on the lips and you won't need lip balm underneath. I don't agree that it's 'intensely' pigmented though. It's a little more sheer than I expected, though it is buildable to something near-opaque.

It's a nice lippy. Work friendly and not too fussy. Just don't expect any POW and Google for swatches in case you end up with a colour other than what you anticipated.

I'll post a few more Makeup Revolution lippies here as and when I get around to roadtesting them, so what this space.

Xox

Lime crime unicorn lipstick- review and swatches

Liquid lipsticks are fabulous and all, but nothing really beats the luxurious decadence of a creamy lipstick bullet does it?

I've been wearing a few traditional lippies in rotation of late. I have a whole bunch of them I've been meaning to review, but I'm gonna talk about Lime Crime's new unicorn lipsticks today. Mostly because, being limited edition, a review on these kids is a bit more 'urgent'.

Ah. The girly toybox whimsical bullet we know and love. The packaging is the same as the discontinued original line of unicorn lipsticks, but the colours and formula are different. Instead of the rainbow of colourful hues offered before, the new range consists of more 'wearable' shades. This is good thing if you shy away from mint green lips, but maybe disappointing if that's totally your jam. I still have my wacky colours from the old line, so I'm more than happy with the current options. I picked the shade 'soft spot', a creamy nude.

Lime crime soft stop unicorn lipstick 

Aww. I definitely have a soft spot for this colour. It's flattering nude that would work well for fair to medium skintones, but could be paired with a darker lipliner for deeper skintones too. The formula is slightly more matte than the original line, which translates to a somewhat stiffer texture but also longer wear. It's opaque and feather resistant, and while it does transfer, it's so pigmented that you still have colour on your lips for a while. I found it to be neither drying nor hydrating. I'd suggest the old scrub and balm routine before application anyway, just because it makes for a smoother canvas.

So. If you feel like you might want to try one of these, get your skates on kid. They're limited edition.

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Cryptic cosmetics liquid matte lipstick- review and swatches

Instagram lipswatch extraordinaire @depechegurl has had her own makeup line, Cryptic Cosmetics, for a while now. I missed out on the 'gore couture' collection but managed to snag one of the shades from the newer 'till death do us part' gang. I got 'ceremony', which is described on the site as follows:

A rosy taupe goth brown named after the last song written by Joy Division. The shade represents the color dead red roses become.

Ooh. Sold to the closeted goth with good taste in music. 

She's a looker! A frosted glass tube with thorny rose patterns in the lid and a cool logo. What's not to like? Full marks on the aesthetic front. 

On opening, I was chuffed to find the applicator was of the teardrop shape variety- my favourite kind for precise application. It's got a little groove in it that holds just the right amount of product in one dip.  

Application was beautiful. Creamy consistency, opaque coverage, perfect drying time. The finish is a matte that feels soft and cushiony and doesn't look or feel the least bit drying. If you avoid liquid to matte lipsticks because you find them dry and tight, check these out. You will be convered. 

SWATCH TIME. 

Cryptic cosmetics- ceremony 

On me, 'ceremony' looks somewhere between plum and brown and dark taupe. It's dark and edgy but not to the point where it's 'scary', if you know what I mean. I can see this shade looking great on all skin tones. 

Overall, I'm very very impressed. It's a £13.54 lippie that's luxurious as heck and performs like a high end product. 

Epic win, amirite? 

2016 empties.. and a confession.

If you haven't already guessed, I have a bit of a thing for lipstick. I hoard lippies like they're going out fashion- and they're doing the opposite, so there's more I end up hoarding. My collection numbers in the hundreds. It is obscene. To be fair, I don't really give a shit about anything else. Bags, shoes, hair products, other makeup, clothes, designer stuff, perfumes... meh. 

I managed to get through four lipsticks in 2016. Ground em right down to the stub (have you any idea how satisfying that is?). Considering I have literally hundreds of lipsticks, to use up FOUR is no small feat. 

They must have been pretty special to get that much usage, right? Wrong. Here they are: 

1) (top left) revlon colorstay moisture stain in 'London posh'- full review here.  

2) (top right) avon pro colour and gloss lip duo in 'berry luscious', now discontinued. 

3) (bottom left) a lipstick from this limited edition tiny boxy palette thing by No7 from boots. It had this colour in a slidey drawer and two lip glosses on the top compartment. No longer available. 

4) (bottom right) Estee lauder pure colour long lasting lipstick in 'tiger eye', reviewed here.  

None of these lipsticks are particularly mindblowing, they just happened to live in my bag or coat pocket and therefore got reached for on the regular. Lambs to the slaughter.  

And they were slaughtered often because I have this weird rule. Okay, so I have ocd. I've had it since childhood and it's manifested in different ways throughout the years, some more harmful than others. This particular thing is more silly than harmful though. I can't touch my bare lips against a cup. 

It started out as a 'ritual' with coffee. Put on lipstick, drink coffee. Then it extended to tea, hot chocolate... even fucking lemsip. And the lipstick thing went from habit to essential. If I'm out and I'm absolutely dying for a coffee, and there's one put in front of me, but I don't have a lipstick handy.... I just can't. I can't drink it. 

This has been a confession.  

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.

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