Review: Lipstick Queen in Medieval Tinted Treatment

After running errands this morning, I found myself at Ulta. I tend to always find myself popping into Ulta, Sephora, Nordstrom, or Neiman Marcus's beauty counters when I have free time nowadays. Since I couldn't let myself leave empty handed, I grabbed another Lipstick Queen product off the shelf. 

Since I haven't found a Lipstick Queen product I really like but hear great things from other bloggers about this brand, I've been determined to find something I really truly like. And I think I found it today in this tinted treatment. 

The packaging: This comes in a box with Lipstick Queen labeled on one of the sides, Medieval labeled on the other, and Medieval artwork of a woman on another side. The tube itself is brushed plum with lettering done in a lighter mustard yellow. I absolutely do not like this tube. When I tried to recap the tube, I couldn't get the cap back on. It was so stiff, and I ended up having to jam it back on. I haven't had this trouble with the cap and tube for Hello Sailor or Stoked, but those tubes both felt like they were made of better quality.

The scent: No scent detected.
 

Lipstick Queen in Medieval (one swipe)

The product: This tinted treatment is very sheer, rosy red. It went on smoothly like a balm and kept my lips hydrated and soft. It's packed with all sorts of great things like Vitamin E, mango butter, and shea butter, so it's definitely comfortable on lips. I loved this color! It looked like I had been sitting around pinching my lips. It's definitely a color that could work on anyone. It was easy to apply without a mirror too. I put it on at 11am this morning right after purchasing it and it's still on my lips and going strong at 4pm right now!

Favorites: Well, I have a new Lipstick Queen favorite and this is it! If you love red like me, but don't want to rock a full, bold red lip on your off days, this is the product for you.

Cost: A bit on the pricey side at $22, but this tube seems like it'll last forever.

Questions? Comments? Let me know!

Review: Giorgio Armani #400 in Rouge Ecstasy, #400 in Flash Lacquer, #400 in Lip Maestro

If there are any lip products that I would beg my friends to buy, it's actually ALL THREE of these. Actually, the last dinner I had with a couple of my girlfriends, I had to stop the conversation to rave about the lipstick I was wearing - that's how great these all are!

This started off innocently enough. I bought the Lip Maestro in #201 (a beautiful deep deep burgundy which I'll have to review later) and thought that the formula was the best thing I'd ever used. So then, I looked up what other shades were popular within this line and discovered the best red ever - the four hundred. 

It is Armani's signature red. It's a blue-based red, and I don't know who wouldn't look good in this shade. I found out that the #400 comes in every line of lip products and so the obsession was born. 

The first week, I went and bought Lip Maestro in #400 for its 12+ hour wear promise and the matte look of it. The next week, I went and bought Rouge Ecstasy in #400 as its considered the first CC lipstick (care & color) and wanted to see what the hype was about. The third week, I went and tried to buy the Flash Lacquer in #400 to find out that it was sold out, so I had to order it online and wait another week. But now, they're all here, and I've been trying out all three all throughout this past week...and I'm completely in love. 

The packaging: These all come in a black package with the Armani label in silver. Flash Lacquer is housed in a clear tube that shows the product inside and its capped with a black cap. The Armani logo is attached to the cap, and when you screw the cap back on, it gives a satisfying click when it's fully twisted on. The applicator is a doe foot applicator. Rouge Ecstasy is housed in an all red tube. The tube is magnetic, so you never have to worry if you've put the cap back on tightly enough. The lipstick itself has the Armani logo branded on the side. Lip Maestro is a clear tube that shows the product inside and its capped with Armani's signature red cap. It's similar to the Flash Lacquer except that the cap is red.
 

Rouge Ecstasy in #400

Flash Lacquer in #400

Lip Maestro in #400

The scent: Flash Lacquer and Lip Maestro have no scent. Rouge Ecstasy has a very distinct "lipstick" smell that lingered for awhile. It didn't bother me, but it was very noticeable. 
 

L to R: Rouge Ecstasy, Flash Lacquer, Lip Maestro

In natural light - all shown in ONE swipe

The product: Flash Lacquer is a very high shine lip gloss. #400 in this product isn't as pigmented because it is a lip gloss. It went on as a rosy red on me, but the color was still gorgeous. The product went on smoothly and evenly. Even after eating and drinking, the color remained and even a bit of the shine stayed. It lasted about 6 hours on me. 

Rouge Ecstasy is the first CC (care and color) lipstick created. It definitely lived up to both C's. It goes on like a balm (very slick, very smooth) and feels so comfortable. I kept forgetting I had anything on my lips - that's how great it feels on! The color was heavily pigmented - a gorgeous blue-red that made my teeth look whiter. It lasted over 10 hours through eating, drinking, talking, etc.  

Lip Maestro is a matte lacquer. I applied it with a lip brush instead of the doe foot applicator because I feel like the applicator holds too much product. With Lip Maestro, you need only ONE swipe for full coverage and you only need to use a very tiny amount of product to cover your lips. This #400 shade is gorgeous - a very in-your-face red. It goes on smoothly, but definitely prep your lips before applying. Once on my lips, it stayed and didn't budge for 12+ hours. It was almost scary how well it stayed put. 

Favorites: Again, I absolutely fell in love with each of these, but if I had to choose, I would definitely pick #400 in Rouge Ecstasy. The double whammy of both care and color in one tube sold me. This is the one product I cannot stop raving about and I almost wish it didn't last so long, so I could keep popping out this tube and reapplying this GORGEOUS color! Get it, get it, get it!

Cost: Ouch - these are pricey! Flash Lacquer is $29, Rouge Ecstasy is $34, Lip Maestro is $32. BUT, I promise you - you'll fall in love! If you can splurge on one, get Rouge Ecstasy!

Questions? Comments? Let me know!

Review: Revlon Colorburst Lipgloss in Embellished

I was walking through a Kroger a couple weeks ago picking up some groceries, when I found myself in the makeup aisle. Revlon has a little set-up for their new Evening Opulence collection, and I saw this lip gloss and though..."why not?"

The packaging: Just a clear tube with a black quilted cap. The clear tube allows the shade to show through, and the applicator is a doe foot applicator. 

The scent: No detectable scent here!

The product: I have yet to find a lip gloss that I can't live without...and the search continues sadly. I purchased this product in Embellished which is a deep burgundy with purple glitter flecks in the tube - but it didn't translate to my lips. On my lips, it went on smoothly, but as a red-brown tint. It also went on unevenly and settled into some of my lip lines. It also felt a bit sticky, and I ended up wiping it off within the hour. 
 

Revlon Colorburst Lipgloss in Embellished

Favorites: This is the only shade I've purchased in this line, but I've heard great things about Adorned (a hot pink shade) in this collection.

Cost: Around $7.59, but I'm sure you can find it for cheaper or get some coupons for this. I wasn't very impressed with this product, so I wouldn't recommend buying this.

Questions? Comments? Let me know!

Review: Lipstick Queen's Endless Summer in Stoked

Hey all! I'm back from a long couple weeks filled with finals and prepping for my boards. I took my boards last Friday and YES - I passed! It's surreal to actually have my nursing license, and I've taken the last week just letting it soak in. Also, I've been doing absolutely nothing - after an eternity of studying and doing clinicals, I just wanted a week to do absolutely nothing. 

Anyway, I have a bunch of reviews lined up, so let's start with the first one. I bought this at the tail-end of summer, but never got around to posting a review on it until now. 

The packaging: This comes in its own little box with a sun-and-surf motif on one of its sides. The tube itself is a brushed golden yellow-orange shade, and the product itself is a bright coral color. I really do like Lipstick Queen's packaging - I find it to be really (for a lack of a better word) happy. The color of the tube really did invoke summer. It's the shade you would see when the sun is setting, so they did a great job with this shade.

The scent: No scent!

The product: The product goes on smoothly, but my lips did feel dry within an hour. Also, I had to put about 3 swipes of this on to really get the color built up. One swipe was very sheer on me. The color itself is gorgeous - a bright, beautiful coral. It lasted about 2 hours on me, so it wears off quickly. This is definitely a shade I would wear during the day during the summer because it is so bright and sheer. 
 

Lipstick Queen Endless Summer in Stoked

Favorites: Out of Hello Sailor and Stoked, I would choose Stoked in a heartbeat. One swipe for a sheer coral wash on my lips, and I would be out the door to go lie on the beach!

Cost: $22. I think this is pretty pricey, and feel that you could find better corals at this price range.

Questions? Comments? Let me know what you think!