Review: Nars Audacious Lipsticks in Lana and Charlotte

Life has been extremely hectic the past few months, so while I've been here, I haven't totally been "here." But it always seems like time slows down a bit in the fall/winter months, so I've been able to catch my breath lately. 

During the past few months, I've amassed a pretty huge backlog of lip products, but one of the best new releases were Nars' Audacious lipstick line. Hope all of you got to at least find a favorite out of the 30+ shades! 

The packaging: These lipsticks come in rectangular tubes that feel nice and heavy in my hands. The cap and the tube are magnetized, so the lipstick has a nice, muted click when you close it. 

The scent: None detected.

The product:

Lana is a bright orangey-red shade. It went on smoothly and had a very creamy texture. I found that I really didn't need much lip prep before applying Lana. It reminded me of LQ's Jungle Queen, but leaned a bit more red. One swipe gave nearly opaque coverage. It was lightly hydrating and lasted about 4 hours on me.  

Charlotte is described as an oxblood-burgundy shade, but on it translated to a darker raspberry shade. It went on smoothly, and one swipe gave nearly opaque coverage. It reminded me of Nars' Damned, but was creamier and not matte obviously. It was lightly hydrating and lasted about 6 hours on me. 

Cost: $32, but well worth it! 

Questions? Comments? Let me know!

Review: Tom Ford Bruised Plum Lip Color

Another day, another review! 

The packaging: Tom Ford is all about luxury, and the packaging for this lipstick does not disappoint! This product comes in a black and gold square tube - very heavy, very glamorous. The Tom Ford logo is stamped onto the product itself, so if you don't want to smear it when applying, you'll have to apply from the backside of the lipstick. I loved the packaging, but I had one problem with mine - the cap kept coming off when I had it in my purse. I don't know if I had a faulty cap or if others have experienced this problem as well?

The scent: There was a slight vanilla-like scent, but it was hardly noticeable.

The product: Bruised Plum is a deep red/plum (hence the name) shade with a tiny amount of shimmer noticeable. The shimmer isn't noticeable when applied to lips, but you can definitely see it when you hold the product up to light. I definitely had to prep my lips for this product because the first time I applied this without prepping my lips and a lot of flakiness and drying occurred. This product does tend to settle into lip lines and therefore, it doesn't truly provide even coverage. It wasn't as smooth and as easy to apply as Too Faced's La Creme lipsticks, but overall it was easy to glide over lips. Once applied, it stayed on for about 4 hours and definitely left a stain behind. I actually like the stain it leaves behind more so than when I first apply it, so lately I've been wearing this by blotting it on lightly with my fingertips rather than a full application. 
 

Rockin' Tom Ford while wearing a hoodie. Definitely mixing high and low today.

Favorites: This is my first taste of Tom Ford Beauty, so we'll have to leave this section blank until I get my hands on another product. 

Cost: This will definitely leave a dent in your account at $49. Would I recommend it? No, there's many dupes out there for this shade. You're really paying for the Tom Ford name - and if that's what you're after then buy it. Otherwise, sit this one out.

Questions? Comments? Let me know!

Review: Giorgio Armani Lip Maestro in #201

Hello all! It's been a long while since I posted a new review, but I have a huge backlog of products to share with you, so there will be many reviews coming along in 2014! Hope you all had a great Christmas and an amazing start to the new year!

2013 was a very interesting year to say the least for me. It was definitely a year where I really tested myself in all areas of life and came out of it really believing that I can do anything I set my sights on. I graduated from nursing school, passed my licensing exam, developed great new friendships, and grew deeper in my old friendships. I learned how to be alone and really enjoy it...and that I really like who I've become in the past couple years. I hope you all had as interesting (or more) of a year as I had, and that we all have an even more intriguing 2014!

So for the first review of 2014, I'm doing a late review on another Armani lip product. I am obsessed with Armani's beauty line since the middle/end of last year because they deliver on both staying-power and saturation.

The packaging: This matte lacquer is in a clear tube that shows the product inside and its capped with Armani's signature red cap. The applicator is a doe footed applicator that applies a heavy amount of product with one swipe. 

The scent: No scent detected at first whiff or second or third or ever. No scent when applied on lips as well.

The product: #201 (dark velvet) is a matte lacquer that is the shade of deep wine. Again, the applicator holds a lot of product, so I like applying with a lip brush instead. 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. I definitely prepped my lips by exfoliating and applying clear balm and nude lip liner before applying this deep shade. It does tend to feather on the edges a bit, but lining your lips should take care of that. This wore for 12+ hours through many glasses of wine and food. I've actually been wearing this a lot when I go out for wine nights because I tend to drink only reds and you can't tell if I have a wine stain on my lips with this on! 

This is how quick this product stains. I applied and after a couple mins, tried to wipe it off.

Favorites: I love this color #201, but if I had to choose one color out of the Lip Maestro line, it would definitely be #400. That classic red has been my go-to color for the latter part of 2013.

Cost: $32 - yes, expensive. But worth it? Absolutely. I've been wearing this for many, many months now...and still have tons of product left in each tube. 

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!