Review: YSL's Gloss Volupte in Rose Satine (102)

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!

Review: TONYMOLY Petite Bunny Gloss Bar in Apple

I was Sunday shopping post-brunch with my girlfriends (a Sunday ritual) and stumbled into Urban Outfitters. Now, I'm at an age where I think I've mostly outgrown what Urban Outfitters has to offer. I can't really pull off graphic tees (especially ones with clever sayings) and I'm in no need of flasks or any other of-the-moment hipster products they're peddling. However, every now and then, I do stumble upon something in UO and it's usually in the beauty department. 

UO has been making me very happy lately because they're starting to carry more and more Korean beauty lines - especially online! You can shop products from 3CE (3 Concept Eyes), TONYMOLY, and SkinFood. I wish more Korean brands would open actual storefronts in the US, but for now...this is it.

So, while browsing in UO, I saw these very cute TONYMOLY gloss bars. My friend C told me she had bought this in Peach and liked it, so I picked up one in Apple. 

The packaging: This product comes in stick form with the cap shaped like a bunny's head. The cap is incredibly cute and makes me smile every time I look at it. Each stick is colored in the shade the product is, and you twist up the bottom to push more product out. The product itself is not shaped in the usual pencil-point. It's actually flat. I found that I like this shape more because it's easier to apply on my lips, and since this is more like a gloss-balm, I don't need to necessarily worry about going outside my lip lines. The great thing about this product and its packaging is that you can stash it into your pockets, your purse, anywhere. And if it peeks out, it's even cuter because you get to show off its little ears!

The scent: There is a slight fruity scent (melon?), but it's very faint. It's almost like it's there...and then it's not. I couldn't smell it once applied to my lips, and I couldn't smell it very well even when I stuck my nose right up to it and kept inhaling! 

The product: Apple is a bright, translucent pink shade. With one swipe, you'll get the faintest hint of color. With two or three, you'll see more of the pink shade. It does let my natural lip color come through though, but that's not a bad thing. It makes my lips look incredibly healthy and rosy due in part to the gloss part providing shine and the balm part providing a full, healthy look to my lips. It kept my lips fairly hydrated, but the product only lasted a couple hours on my lips. No lip prep is required because it is a balm, so that's a plus.

Favorites: Don't know yet - will go back and grab another shade to test!

Cost: $8. It is a high mark-up when compared to the actual price in Korea, but it's just so darn cute. Definitely something you could buy as a little gift for your little sister, little niece...maybe even your sophisticated girlfriends who are still young at heart (like all of mine!). 

Questions? Comments? Let me know!

You might notice the watermarks on all my photos. To prevent people from using my photos as their own (especially on Instagram), I'm trying to make it a point to make sure each of my photos has this. The downside of the blogosphere... :(

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: Lancome Gloss in Love in Scarlett Starlette

I'm not a huge fan of glosses because I've never found one that feels good on my lips. I have a huge problem with my lips getting dry easily and glosses usually just sit on my lips and get sticky. Because of these issues, I usually don't buy lip glosses, but this one was actually a little gift from my mom, so I decided to give it a try.

The package: This comes packaged in a silver box and the tube itself is transparent so that you can see the color of the product and it's capped off with a silver cap. The really cool thing about this tube is that instead of unscrewing the cap to get the applicator out, you push the little button on the side and the applicator pops out. This saves a lot of time and it's satisfying to push the button to pop it out and hear an audible "click" when you push the applicator back in. 

The scent: There's a faint cotton candy scent to this, but it goes away once you apply it. It's not strong at all, so it shouldn't bother sensitive noses. 

The product: This gloss goes on smoothly and it's really thanks to the applicator. The applicator is curved in a "U" shape to match the contour of your lips, so it makes applying really simple. The color I got (#162 Scarlett Starlette) is a medium pink. It has shimmer in it, so when the light catches, there's a very pretty glitter effect you get. This shade isn't too pigmented - it just gives a nice rosy pink tint to your lips. I was really surprised because this gloss wasn't sticky at all and felt like it really sunk in to my lips. The staying power wasn't too great - it stayed on for about 2 hours. 

Favorite: This is the only shade I've tried in this line, so I'll update once I go back and try others. 

Cost: $27 for 0.20 oz. If you really like lip glosses, I'd say to purchase this line of glosses. Would I go get another on? Probably not because again, I'm not really into lip glosses.

Questions? Comments? Let me know!

Review: YSL's Volupté Sheer Candy (Glossy Balms)

Today's review will be on my favorite line of lip products. Honestly, you cannot go wrong with Yves Saint Laurent! I'll do a separate post on YSL's Rouge Volupté Shine, but for now, we'll focus on the Glossy balms.

The packaging: These come in a reflective gold box and the tube for the glossy balms is a reflective silver tube. I love, love, LOVE the feel of these. They invoke a very old-Hollywood glamour feel and the heaviness of the tube adds to this rich feeling. You'll just feel classy holding this in your hand.

The scent: Bad news for sensitive noses - this has a very distinctive mango smell. If smells bother you, there's no getting away from this. You'll smell it putting it on, you'll smell it when it's on, and it'll linger for awhile. I don't mind smells, and actually I love the smell of these.

The product: Every shade of these glossy balms glides on effortlessly. They don't tug or pull on your lips, you don't have to prep your lips beforehand, and you don't need a mirror for the lighter shades. When applied, the colors are true to what you see in the tube. 

The first shade I chose was 02 - Dewy Papaya. It's a very sheer, peachy tinted balm. It has a small amount of sparkle to it, but it's not too noticeable. This lasted about an hour or so on me. It's so sheer that after about an hour, I reapplied to get more color. However, if you like a very sheer shade that just adds a tiny bit of color to your lips, this is the shade you should start off with.

The second shade I chose was 04 - Succulent Pomegranate. I am in love with this shade - it's a very bright pink. I love this shade because at times when I feel like wearing hot pink on my lips, but don't want it to stand out too much (such as matte lipsticks or stains), this sheer wash of hot pink is perfect. This lasted longer than the first shade - a little over 2 hours (but during that time, I ate and drank). It's easy to reapply though - one swipe should give you a nice sheer wash of color while two swipes will give you a brighter, shinier pink.

The third shade I chose was 05 - Mouthwatering Berry. I was actually shopping for a thank you gift and chose this for the recipient...and ending up getting one for myself (this happens more frequently than it should)! This is a sheer reddish berry shade. The shade is similar to what you would look like after eating a bowl of blackberries. I like wearing this on nights when I know I'll be drinking red wine because if I have any wine stains on my lips, I can cover it up by using this! If you've always wanted to try a bit of a deeper berry shade, but feel nervous about going straight into lipsticks, try this first. It's sheer so you can build it up the saturation level to whatever makes you comfortable. This lasted about 2 hours as well.

Favorites: It's hard to choose because I love them all, but the one I wear most is Succulent Pomegranate (04). The shade of pink just makes me happier when I swipe it on, and I feel like it wakes my face up whenever I'm looking especially tired. 

Cost: $32 - very pricey. BUT I use at least one of these every day. Very worth it in my opinion, but choose your first shade wisely, so you'll get the most out of your money!

Natural lips

02 Dewy Papaya

04 Succulent Pomegranate

05 Mouthwatering Berry

Questions? Comments? Let me know what you think!