If you're been reading my blog, you know I'm not a big fan of lip glosses. After brunch last weekend, my girlfriends and I did what we love to do - shop. Honestly, is there anything better than some light shopping after brunch with your favorite girlfriends? I wasn't looking to buy anything in particular, but one stop at the makeup counters led to some lightning-fast purchases, including this lip gloss.
The packaging: This comes in a standard lip gloss tube, but of course, it's all gussied-up and made fancy because it's YSL. The applicator is the real star here though. It's shaped like a tiny pair of lips, so that you can evenly apply the product over your lips. The applicator is incredibly soft and really does make applying very, very easy.
The scent: Like most of their lip products, this has a mango scent to it. It is pretty strong, but does eventually fade after some time. Again, if you are sensitive to smells, smell before you buy.
The product: This gloss goes on smoothly without tugging (huge in my book!). It applied almost like a gel on my lips, so I was impressed. There was no clumping or stickiness when applying (like those darn Mac lipglasses). It wasn't hydrating (what gloss is?), but didn't completely dry out my lips either. This lasted about 2 hours on me, which is normal for a gloss of my lips. There was some slight tackiness at the end, but it was much less than any other gloss I've tried. Rose Satine (102) is a very sheer light rosy pink with fine gold shimmer. On my bare lips, it accentuated my natural lip color and provided a nice shine. The big pay-off to this shade comes when it's layered on top of other colors though.
Cost: $32 for 0.2 oz.
Questions? Comments? Let me know!
The packaging: I love YSL's packaging because the combo of black and gold never fails. This comes in a rectangular shaped lip gloss tube with a small window where you can see the color of the product. The applicator is bent at an angle and is wider than most applicators. I love the feel of the applicator because it is infinitely softer and delivers the perfect amount of product each time.
The scent: There is a weird sweet and tart scent when you sniff this product, but once applied, the scent disappears.
The product: This product is touted as a glossy stain that is supposed to be a combo of a lip gloss, lipstick, and lip stain all in one. It glides on smoothly with no tugging. Although it's not drying, it's not very hydrating either. After a couple of hours, my lips feel a bit tight, and I have to apply balm. The staining effect does last well over 5+ hours though, but the glossiness of this product begins to fade after a couple hours. Fuschia Tomboy (104) is a bright pink fuschia on me, but still very work-friendly (it's not neon/shocking fuschia).
Cost: $35, but with high-end products, isn't this price expected?
Questions? Comments? Let me know!
Another great drugstore find!
The packaging: These come in shorter, stumpier versions of lip gloss tubes. The applicator is a bit wider than most applicators which helps apply more product at once onto lips.
The scent: There is a sweet peach/mango scent to this. It did linger for a few minutes on my lips, but faded after a bit.
The product: These glided on smoothly and delivered a semi-transparent wash of color to my lips. They weren't drying, but didn't hydrate either. It did leave a shine on my lips and also left a stain. The color lasted about 3+ hours, and there was a slight tackiness to the product towards the end. Reapplication was simple, and I didn't need to prep my lips when reapplying. The only downside to this product was that when I ate/drank, it transferred off my lips, so I was constantly having to reapply.
Blushing Harmony (103) is a muted light-to-medium rose. This shade was great for every day wear.
Rouge Allegro (303) is a red that borders on the lighter, pinker side. This shade was perfect for Saturday brunch.
Cost: $7.99, but you can probably find it for cheaper with coupons.
Questions? Comments? Let me know!
Anything that touts itself as a balm but with color pay-off is a must-have in my book!
The packaging: This comes in a standard lipstick tube, but runs a bit bigger.
The scent: A slight soapy scent, but not discernible on lips.
The product: Cherry is a bright, soft red shade. This product comes with the color around a white center. The center contains resveratrol, which is an antioxidant. This is a balm, so it applies smoothly and is hydrating. It lasted a shocking 4+ hours on me, but I'm wondering if it's because I got a brighter shade. This is perfect for those who don't want to wear a fully opaque red lip, but still want to venture into the realm of red lips. You can dab it on lightly for an even more muted red lip effect or apply it straight from the bullet for a bright red lip.
Cost: $24 for 0.13oz
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I can't stop raving about how much I love Bite Beauty. Every lip product I have tried has been so worth the money. Definitely recommend this brand.
The packaging: This comes in a standard lipstick tube, but the cap has indentations on both sides on the top. The tube is a nice size, so it fits nicely in my hands.
The scent: There is a slight soapy-type scent, but it goes away quickly. I didn't notice it when I applied it on my lips.
The product: Rose is a bright peachy pink shade. It went on smoothly and was fairly opaque once on. I put on two swipes for full coverage, but one swipe will give you a nice blotted-on look. I didn't have to fully prep my lips before applying - just a swipe of balm. It wasn't drying, but didn't hydrate either. It lasted a good 4+ hours through eating and drinking. On days where I want a more natural look, I blot this on with my fingers and it gives a great bright flush to my lips.
Cost: $24 for 0.13 oz.
Questions? Comments? Let me know!
I ordered this on a whim not thinking much about it, but it turned out to be a pleasant surprise! I don't buy many Stila products, so this was definitely a product that made me want to start exploring more Stila lippies.
The packaging: I am not a fan of Stila packaging. This came in a cardboard box, which I find pointless. It seems like a waste of paper. The product itself is in a twist-up tube, which was definitely a plus in my book.
The scent: There is a fruity berry scent to this, but I couldn't smell it after a few minutes of applying.
The product: Festival Fuschia is a bright medium pink on me. It glided on effortlessly without tugging or pulling on my lips. It wasn't drying, but it wasn't very hydrating either. It lasted about 3 hours on me before I had to reapply. Since it has a balm-like texture, reapplication was very easy. I absolutely loved the color it turned out to be, and was surprised that it didn't end up being a true shocking fuschia shade. These After Glow Lip Colors contain black light responsive pigments, so under black light, these are supposed to glow into a neon/fluorescent shade. However, I don't have a black light, so I wasn't able to test out that effect. Regardless, it's a gorgeous shade!
Cost: $9.00 on the Stila website as of now! Go and get it - it's a steal at that price!
Questions? Comments? Let me know!
Sometimes (a lot of the time actually) drugstore finds can be just as awesome as high-end lipsticks. Here's one of the many times when this is the case.
The packaging: Very simple, classic lipstick tube packaging. There is a clear window at the top of the cap where you can see the color of the product. I think the only thing that stinks about drugstore lip products is that you can't try the color on or swatch it before you buy it. It is great that there is a tiny clear window to see the color of this product, but I really didn't know what I was going to get until I actually took it home and put it on.
The scent: No scent.
The product: The shade I purchased is Fire & Ice and is a gorgeous bright reddish-orange shade. Apparently this shade tends to lean more red on some and more orange on others. On me, it leans more towards the orange side. It goes on incredibly smooth and creamy. It was neither hydrating nor drying and lasted 5+ hours on me. I didn't have to prep my lips much before this, and reapplication was a cinch. Towards the end of the 5 hours, I did dab on some balm, but my lips tend to be very dry, so this may just be my problem. This shade made me feel happier just by applying it, and it made my teeth look whiter too. I definitely will be wearing this more in the summer!
Cost: $4.99 but I'm sure you can get it for cheaper with coupons.
Questions? Comments? Let me know!
This is a long overdue post on the Bite Beauty Best Bite lip set that I picked up over Christmas! BUT since I've been wearing this off and on since than, I do have a solid review to deliver about these.
The packaging: The Best Bite set came in a tiny tin box with four high pigment pencils in about a two-thirds of the original size. The pigment pencils are nice because they are twist-up tubes as opposed to ones you have to sharpen (hate those!).
The scent: No scent detected.
The product: These are as they are named - HIGH PIGMENT. One swipe delivered opaque coverage, especially with the brighter shades (Quince and Cranberry). These pencils went on very smoothly with very slight tugging I did have to exfoliate my lips beforehand because they did show lip lines and cracks without exfoliation (especially with Madeira). They weren't hydrating, and my lips tended to feel dry after the fourth hour of wear. These lasted 5+ hours before noticeably fading. Reapplying tended to be slightly difficult because my lips were dried out by the time I needed to reapply.
Madeira is a nude peach/pink shade that did not work with my skin tone. It made me look unhealthy and close to death since it seemed to make me look sallow.
Rhubarb is a medium rose shade that was an every day color for me. Very work-friendly!
Quince is a bright pink shade with blue undertones. Definitely a great choice for summer.
Cranberry is a deep red shade. I wore this more in the winter, but blotted out as a stain, it would be great for the summer as well.
Favorites: I tended to steer toward wearing Cranberry the most, but that's because I am obsessed with reds (dark, light, and in between).
Cost: $24 for the full size pencils as this set is no longer available.
I am a bit obsessed with products that intuitively change on your lips to a custom shade, so it's no wonder that I have several of these products in my make-up drawers. I've already reviewed the Givenchy Hydra Sparkling Magic Lip & Cheek Balm, but here are several other ones...
Smashbox O-Gloss
This one was one of the original intuitive glosses to come out.
The packaging: It comes in a squeeze tube, so you have to apply directly from the tube. I really dislike lip products that you have to apply from a tube, so this isn't my favorite packaging.
The scent: No scent here.
The product: The gloss comes out clear and after a few minutes, it does change to a faint pink on me. The gloss is not hydrating at all (like most glosses) and it tends to dry out my lips after a few hours. It also gets pretty tacky on my lips. Like most glosses, the wear time on my lips was about 2 hours.
Cost: $24 for 0.34 oz.
Dior Lip Glow Color Reviver Balm
The packaging: This comes in the standard Dior packaging. The tube has a flattened ball end and the clicks on to the cap. I don't like the packaging because I prefer the standard lipstick packaging. It does set it apart though, so I'll give it that.
The scent: It has a powdery cotton candy like scent. It doesn't linger on lips though.
The product: The balm goes on clear and after a few minutes, it changes to a light pink on my lips. The upside to this product is that it is hydrating (it is a balm after all). It wears for about 2 hours, but it's so easy to reapply that I don't mind.
Cost: $32 for 0.12 oz.
It Cosmetics Lip Vitality Flush in Je Ne Sais Quoi
The packaging: It
comes in a silver tube with half of the tube being pink. The words
inscribed on the pink part are "Live Love Laugh with Vitality." The tube
is sturdy, and the product has a very sharply, sculpted point at its
highest end (great for lining lips before filling them in).
The scent: It
has that classic lipstick scent - almost soapy, almost synthetic. It
goes away after applying though, so it shouldn't be a problem.
The product: If I could buy my girlfriends just on lip product right now, this would be it. I already raved about It Cosmetic's Lip Vitality Flush in Pretty Woman, and Je Ne Sais Quoi is just as amazing. This goes on as a pale pink, but on my lips, it changes to a very healthy pink glow. My friend S tried this on her lips, and on her, it changed to an amazingly bright pink. This product is touted as a 4-in-1 (lipstick, lip balm, lip gloss, lip stain), so it was not only hydrating, but left a light pink stain that lasted for 4 hours or so on me. A big tip when applying this: just because it's clear/very light pink going on, do not go outside your lip lines because it will leave a stain. The first time I put this on, I did it carelessly and I looked like a four year old putting on mommy's lipstick for the first time!
Cost: $20 for 0.11 oz.
Tarte Lipsurgence Skintuitive Lip Tint in Energy
The packaging: Comes in a twist up tube with a cap.
The scent: There is a peppermint scent to it that does tend to linger on lips.
The product: This goes on clear like the other products, and changes to a brighter pink on me than the other products. This is probably because this seems to contain a lot of peppermint oil. I am not a fan of products where I can tell there is a lot of peppermint oil because I hate the stinging effect (no matter how small) it has on my lips. My lips tend to get irritated very easily with peppermint, so this is probably why my lips changed color the most with this. It wasn't hydrating and it wasn't drying either, and lasted about 2-3 hours on me.
Cost: $24 for 0.10 oz.
Favorites: Out of all the four products, my favorite would have to be (you guessed it) It Cosmetic's Je Ne Sais Quoi. You get the most for your money with this product in my opinion!
Questions? Comments? Let me know!
