Review: Stila Portrait of a Perfect Pout - Vibrant Lip Palette

I'll admit it - my lipstick drawers are lacking in Stila products. I have several of their liquid eyeliners, but I've never really sought out any of their lip products. However, over the holidays I bought two different lip products.

The first was this lip palette. I had seen it online and then stumbled upon it while out Christmas shopping at Dillard's. Since then, I've seen a crate-load of these at Nordstrock rack for $9, so don't be like me and have paid the full price ($16)!

The packaging: This comes in a slim, cardboard palette. It's very light and a bit flimsy, so I wasn't that pleased with the packaging. Also, it's a lip palette without an accompanying lip brush.

The scent: No scent detected here!

The product: This palette contains six shades. The consistency was very soft - almost too soft. I pressed my lip brush in, and it literally just sank through to the bottom. The shades were somewhat opaque. With the lighter shades, I could definitely see my natural lip color peeking through. They applied pretty evenly without streaks, and there was minimal settling into lip lines. I did a very quick lip prep by swiping on some lip balm before applying these colors. These all have a balm-like consistency, so they wore off quickly. Without eating and drinking, these lasted about 3 hours on me. With eating and drinking, they needed to be reapplied. 

(The pictures above go L to R in order of the shades.)

Hey Baby is a very light, baby pink with a bit of a metallic sheen. 
Pink Flamingo is a brighter pink with some peach tones in it.
Rosy Posy is a pink with a lot of purplish tones in it. 
Sangria is a bright pink with blue undertones.
Siren is a watermelon pink with a bit more red mixed in.
Merlot is a deeper red, but leans more on the brighter side than a true wine. 

Favorites: I lean towards brighter (non-baby) colors, so I did not like Hey Baby or Pink Flamingo very much. The color I've been using most out of this palette is Rosy Posy, which is such an easy color to wear. Overall, this palette is a good buy for girls who like pinks.

Cost: $16 on Stila's website and at department stores. Go to Nordstrom Rack and find it for $9! This is not worth $16, so definitely search for this on sale!

Questions? Comments? Let me know!

Review: Kate Spade New York "Supercalifragilipstick" Lipstick

It has been too long since I posted a review, but I'm here! Christmas and New Year's both passed in a blur, and I turned 30 this year! I think what everyone says about turning 30 is very true. It wasn't sad, it wasn't horrible, it's wasn't the end of the world. It actually feels great, and I'm more myself and at peace with everything than I've ever been. And 30 is the new 20, right? 

Anyway, I was at Nordstrom Rack over the holidays trying to get some holiday gift shopping in, and it's always days when you're shopping for others that you always find something for yourself. So, I was browsing the beauty section when I stumbled upon a basket of these Kate Spade lipsticks. Now, I thought these were out of season or discontinued because they were at Nordtrom Rack, but nope! These are still on the Nordstrom website for $24.00 each. I got them for $7 each - amazing! 

The packaging: These come in a bright pink and red box with gold lettering. The tube itself is gold with pink lettering. You have to push in the bottom of the tube to get the lipstick out, and it's actually really fun to push in and push again to reinsert the lipstick. The tube says "pucker up" which makes me smile each time I see it! Kate Spade never fails when it comes to "happy" packaging, so I loved the packaging on these.

The scent: There is no discernible scent with these.

The product: I purchased three shades. All went on very smoothly. They all have a creamy texture, and two swipes gave me full coverage. There was minimal settling into lip lines, and I didn't have to prep my lips for these. They were fairly hydrating, and lasted about 3 hours. With eating and drinking, these definitely come off, so I did have to reapply. The first is Peach Snaps, which is a bright peachy-coral on me. This color packed a major punch, and it definitely turned heads being as bright as it is! The second shade is Bashful Blush, which is a muted rosy nude shade. This is the most wearable of course, because it's almost a "my lips but better" color. The last shade is Parisian Pink which was a bright pink with blue undertones. This one would be great for the upcoming Spring/Summer, and definitely made my teeth look brighter.

 

Favorites: My favorite would have to be Peach Snaps, but it's also not a color I could wear every day being so bright. I will be rockin' it this summer though!

Cost: If you can somehow manage to find these at Nordstrom Rack, they're $7. Otherwise, Nordstrom is selling these at $24 each. Is it worth $24? No, so try hunting around to see if these are still on sale.

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: 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!