Review: Korres Lip Butter in Pomegranate

I was actually looking for Quince shade in this product, but since they seem impossible to find, I bought this one instead...so here we go!

The packaging: This comes in a small tub with the top colored in the corresponding shade. Nothing too fancy or special here, but I definitely think the packaging and the labeling are simple and clean.

The scent: This has a fruity scent - it is mango? Raspberry? Something tropical? Anyway, the scent isn't overpowering and doesn't linger.

The product: Pomegranate is described as a sheer coral shade. I definitely agree, but it leans more on the pink side of coral. This product is like a thicker tinted balm than anything else. It goes on with a hint of color, but you can build up the color with more layers. As it's just tinted, you never get full opacity. This lasted for about 3-4 hours on my lips, and was both comfortable and hydrating. My only problem with this is that it comes in a tub-form. As I've mentioned before, I definitely don't like the idea of sticking my finger in this tub to apply it to my lips...especially if I'm out and have to do this (oh god, just imagine the germs!). I know they used to make this in a squeeze tube, but I don't see those anymore, so this will have to do. 

Cost: $12. For me personally, I think I could find better tinted lip balms for this price point, so this is a pass for me. 

Questions? Comments? Let me know! 

Review: Loreal Paris Colour Riche Collection Privee in Julianne

Ever bought something based on the name? That's what this purchase was all about. Loreal released a collection of nude lipsticks each named after a celebrity, and one of those celebrities is Julianne Moore. Since it was close enough to my name and seemed like a pretty shade, I went and snatched it up.

The packaging: Since it's supposed to be a limited edition, Loreal made the tube a bit fancier. It's a matte black tube with whichever the celebrity's signature on the side (in this case, Julianne Moore's signature). The tube isn't anything too special, but it does look nicer than the normal Loreal tubes.

The scent: This is heavy on the classic lipstick scent. When applying it, the scent was pretty potent. It lingered for a bit after applying, so beware if you have a sensitive nose.

The product: Julianne is described as a barely peach shade, but I think it leans more towards peachy-pink. It went on smoothly, but definitely brought out all the imperfections and lip lines on my lips. It didn't go on as evenly as I wanted, and even after I prepped my lips and tried again, it still was uneven. The shade wore well for about 2 hours, and was neither drying or hydrating. This shade did not work well on me because it was too fleshy for my skin tone and made me look sallow, but I can see it working on lighter skin tones. 

Cost: $5.99, but I'm sure you could find it for cheaper with deals/coupons. 

Questions? Comments? Let me know! 

Review: Bite Beauty Luminous Creme Lipstick in Lavender

Here's the thing. I love purple - all shades of it too. And I definitely want to be the girl who can rock a purple-shade lip color, but I just don't see that happening. BUT it doesn't mean I'll stop buying these shades and trying to find one that works.

The packaging: This comes in its own little box (what lipstick doesn't come in its own little box these days?) and has a fancy gold sticker in the shape of lips that says "limited edition." It's not. The tube itself is a matte dark gray shade and smaller than the average lipstick tube. 

The scent: It has a soapy scent to it, but it disappears after a few seconds of applying it. 

The product: Lavender is described as a vibrant orchid. I know on some people, it comes off as a sheer, light lavender shade, but on my lips, it is definitely a vibrant orchid shade. I actually ordered this online wanting a sheer lavender shade, but it definitely isn't on me. As with other Bite Beauty lippies, this goes on incredibly smoothly with no tugging whatsoever. It is very comfortable on my lips and keeps them fairly hydrated. It wore for about 4 hours, and here's the awesome part - my lips felt soft and healthy after it wore off too! 3 swipe gave me nearly opaque coverage, but I usually just do 2 swipes because I like a more transparent look. 

The only gripe I have with this line of lipsticks is that my lipsticks are constantly sweating. I don't leave them anywhere where they could be exposed to indirect or direct sunlight and keep them in a dry place, but regardless they sweat. 

Cost: $24. Being a huge fan of this brand, I say it's definitely worth purchasing any shade from this line!

Questions? Comments? Let me know! 

Review: Sisley Hydrating Long Lasting Lipstick in L33 (Rouge Passion)

My best friend and her family try to go on a extended family vacation every year. Last year, due to unforeseen circumstances, they didn't get to go anywhere. However, this year they took a month-long vacation to Prague, Paris, and Geneva. In Paris, S and her mom (who is basically my second mom) went to the flagship Sephora store on the Champs-Elysees. If you're in Paris, this store is a must-see. It's ENDLESS. 

Anyway, when they arrived back home after a month, they surprised me with some new lip products, and one of those surprises included this Sisley lipstick. Sisley is a high-end luxury brand based in Paris. I had been wanting to try their lipsticks, so I was ridiculously happy to receive this.

The packaging: This comes in its own little box...but here's the other thing. It comes blanketed in its own little black velvet cover. There's luxury, and then there's luxury in the form of your lipstick having its own velvet cover. The tube itself is gold with an "S" cut out on the side of the tube. The tube feels nice and dense in my hands, and it closes with a nice "click" that ensures your cap won't come off. 

The scent: This has the classic, old-fashioned lipstick smell. You'll either love it because it will remind you of watching your mom put on lipstick and kiss you when you were a kid, or you'll hate it because it's too floral/perfumey.

The product: L33 is a vibrant blue-based red. It goes on incredibly smoothly - it's creamy, hydrating, and comfortable on lips throughout the wear-time. It didn't tug on my lips and glided across so easily. I did a very simple lip prep before applying this, but I think I could get away with not even prepping my lips. One swipe gave me nearly 99% opaque coverage, so the color pay-off was insane. This lasted on me for 6+ hours, and left a beautiful stain afterwards. 

There is one downside to this lipstick: You definitely should and have to apply this with a brush. Applying from the tube is tricky and can get messy unless you have incredibly steady hands. Once you've applied with a brush, touch-ups can be done straight from the tube. 

I also wore this lipstick by blotting it on with my fingers, and it looked equally great sheered on. I also have to say that my lips tend to get very dry throughout the day, so it's been hard to find a lipstick that really hydrates my lips. This lipstick was hydrating enough to where I did not have to apply any lip balm until the end of the 6th hour. 

Cost: $55 but so worth it! 

Questions? Comments? Let me know! 

Review: Nars Lipstick in Dolce Vita, Schiap, and Manhunt

I got bored several weeks ago and wandered into Sephora. As any girl knows, you cannot trust yourself to walk into a Sephora and walk out empty-handed, especially if you're bored. Sephora is like a candy store for women. So anyway, I went in not looking for anything in particular, and walked out with three Nars lipsticks. Again, my bank account hates me. Credit card companies, however, LOVE me.

The packaging: Each lipstick came in its own box. The tubes are shorter than normal lipstick tubes, which doesn't bother me. It's an all black tube with NARS written in white on the cap. 
 

(L to R): Dolce Vita, Schiap, Manhunt

The scent: There's a somewhat off-lemon scent to this, but it doesn't linger. You also have to be sniffing pretty hard to smell this. 

The product: Dolce Vita is a sheer lipstick. It's a described as a sheer, dusty rose shade. It's definitely a MLBB lipstick on me, and I've been wearing this non-stop since it's such an easy shade to apply. It applies smoothly and was neither hydrating nor drying. It lasted about 4 hours on me.  
 

Dolce Vita

Schiap is a semi matte lipstick and is a bright, almost-neon pink. It does have some blue undertones. My lips definitely needed to be prepped before applying this, but it applied smoothly. It wasn't hydrating, and after a few hours, I felt like I needed to apply balm to my lips. It lasted about 5-6 hours on me. I actually like applying a very thin layer and then sheering this color out using my fingertips rather than applying a full opaque layer.  
 

Schiap

Manhunt is a sheer lipstick and is a poppy red. In the swatch I took in sunlight, it almost looks like it has some coral in it. This is described as sheer, but with two swipes, it gave me an almost opaque coverage. It applied smoothly, wasn't very hydrating, and lasted about 5 hours on me. Again, like Schiap, I like applying a thin layer and sheering out this color. It makes it a lot more wearable in the daytime. 
 

Manhunt

Cost: $26 each.

Questions? Comments? Let me know!