Thursday, May 29, 2014

Yves Saint Laurent (YSL) Rouge Pur Couture Glossy Stain #32 Avant-Gardiste

Hey y'all!!! How is everyone doing today? How am I doing, you may ask? Well, ever since my final exams of my final semester of law school finished, all I have wanted to do is sleep. I am so exhausted! The past three or four years were quite a roller coaster ride for me and my stomach is still doing somersaults from the experience. Ironically, it is only the end of one of life's chapters.  I have many more to write, yet I am so mentally exhausted already.  I don't have much of an appetite or the urge to socialize or do anything, I just want to meditate (i.e., not think, not worry). In about a week, I am going to start interning for a judge, which is exciting, but I am also a bit nervous.  Until then, I am going to meditate and sleep and blog about makeup as much as I desire. It is thundering and hailing outside. Sigh! Have I mentioned yet that I am terrified of thunderstorms? Yes, terrified to the degree of hives, heavy breathing, and redundantly saying, "oh my gosh, oh my gosh."


 How is this at all relevant to a makeup review you may ask? It is not at all relevant. Well, maybe it is.  For the past three years, I have had my eye on the YSL Rouge Pur Couture Glossy Stain.  Whenever I would visit Sephora, I would test out several shades, but hesitated to purchase one until recently. Mr. Beau purchased a suit from Nordstrom's and because of his purchase, he received a reward certificate.  He saved the reward certificate for me, so I could use it makeup.  Yes, I am a lucky gal. Anyway, I think I ultimately bought one because of the reward certificate and also because this was the first shade that I really liked.  After I purchased this shade, I did purchase one more shade, but the later purchase was not a direct purchase (even-exchange with YSL Rouge Volupte Shine).  I decided not to include color swatches of the second shade in this post because I am planning on giving it away to a relative or friend.  I had expected the second shade to be a mauve color, hence the name Mauve Pigmente, but it looks more of a plum-brown upon application.


Today's post is a review of the YSL Rouge Pur Couture Glossy Stain.  Although I absolutely positively adore this tomato red shade, I am not a fan of the product.  When I first apply this stain, my lips heat up, which is obviously not a comfortable feeling.  The warm sensation lingers throughout the wear of the stain. Furthermore, I constantly feel that I have product on my lips. This stain has a noticeable fragrance.  It does not smell good or bad, but it is prominent.  Fortunately, this stain is not a true matte stain, so it will not absorb the natural moisture of your lips.  This stain does transfer and wear off after eating and drinking.  It does not completely disappear off of the lips, but reapplication is necessary to maintain a presentable appearance.  The only person I would recommend this product to would be someone who enjoys wearing red lip colors on a regular basis and collects various red shades.  Otherwise, I myself am not planning on investing in another YSL glossy stain, even if I am drawn to a particular shade.  If I had reviewed this product immediately after purchasing it back in March, my review might have been rather positive. However, since the time I purchased this stain, I have tried one or two phenomenal lip products, which have raised the standard of comparison and, as a result, my expectations.  For the sake of suspense, all of you will have to wait to hear more about these phenomenal lip products. YSL #32 Avant-Gardiste ($35) was exclusively released at Nordstrom as part of the YSL Spring 2014 collection and is still available on their website and at select locations.

I hope this post was informative and helpful. Your friendly comments are much appreciated.  Come back soon. Thanks!
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Tuesday, May 27, 2014

L'Oreal Colour Riche Extraordinaire Liquid Lipsticks: Coral Encore, Rouge Allegro, Orange Tempo (Part II)

Hey y'all!!! The tide has come and gone, but here it comes again.  I first purchased three colors from the L'Oreal Colour Riche Extraordinaire Liquid Lipsticks collection in early December when the collection was newly released.  I remember rushing out to my car to try them and saying, "oh, wow, oh, love it!" Being that these lipsticks are liquid, I did not have to wait to get home and take pictures prior to trying them.  Later on, in February, I purchased three more shades, which are the ones I am showing all of you today.

Coral EncoreRouge AllegroOrange Tempo (Left to Right) 

If you are interested in reading my in-depth review of the Extraordinaire Liquid Lipsticks as well as seeing pictures of the three shades (Molto Mauve, Purple Prelude, Scarlet Concerto) that I had purchased initially, then click here.

I have already written an in-depth review of my overall impression of the Extraordinaire Liquid Lipsticks in a previous post, however, I will add a brief review here for each one of the colors shown below.

Coral EncoreRouge AllegroOrange Tempo (Left to Right) 

Coral Encore - is a pink-coral shade.  It applies uniformly and appears opaque in one to two swipes.  The formula is a gel-creme hybrid.  The application is precise and easy due to the unique shade of the applicator. Liquid lipsticks require proper control during application, which emphasizes the importance of a well-designed applicator.  The applicator picks up a good amount of product, so you don't have to continue dipping the applicator in and out of the product.


Rouge Allegro - is a soft pink-red shade. This shade leans more gel-like, than creamy. It appears slightly plummy in the picture below, but in person it is a basic pink-red.  This one applies a bit patchy and requires two to three swipes of the product to even it out across the lips.  The shade is quite beautiful, but nothing special.  Coral Encore and Orange Tempo on the other hand are the more exciting shades of the bunch.


Orange Tempo - is a bright orange.  This shade does have warm and yellow undertones, so I was concerned that it would make my teeth appear yellow, but it did not.  In fact, the effect was quite the contrary. Orange Tempo is falls between Coral Encore and Rouge Allegro in the formula and application gradient. Orange Tempo is more gel-like than Coral Encore, but not as much as Rouge Allegro.  It does not apply patchy and appears opaque in one to two coats.

 
Overall, the L'Oreal Colour Riche Extraordinaire Liquid Lipsticks are a great invention, but I have come to appreciate certain shades a lot (Coral Encore, Orange Tempo, Molto Mauve, Purple Prelude), while not caring much for the others (Rouge Allegro, Scarlet Concerto).

Coral EncoreRouge AllegroOrange Tempo (Left to Right)


What to expect from this product? The high-shine, glassy effect, and gel-like consistency of a gloss and the semi-rich pigmentation of a medium coverage lipstick.  What no to expect? Long-lasting staying power and staining effect. The staying power is quite weak. What else do I like about it? While this product is not a treatment for dry or chapped lips, it does not dry out my lips and leaves them feeling smooth.  Any other dislikes?  Now after owning these lip colors for months and comparing them to other liquid lipsticks, there is one thing about them that I feel uncomfortable with.  When I am wearing one of the Extraordinaire Liquid Lipstick, or even one of the Maybelline Color Elixirs, I feel like I have product on my lips.  The weight of the product does not diminish over time.  I think the weak staying power can be attributed to the fact that this product sits on your lips like an emollient film and thus comes off / transfers easily when you eat or drink.

Orange TempoRouge AllegroCoral Encore (Left to Right) 

Generally, I am not a big fan of glosses because I don't like the feeling that I have a layer of something on my lips (foreign-body sensation).  As long as you don't mind this sensation, which I don't mind much either, this lip product is worth trying.  Lastly, this sort of lip product is ideal for someone who finds lipsticks and traditional lipsticks to be "dated" and typical glosses to be sheer, and desires a happy medium.

I would advise purchasing these lip colors during a "buy one, get one half off" sale and use coupons (ULTA $3.50 off $10).  These lip colors retail for about $7.50 at Walmart and Target and $9.99 at other stores, such as CVS, Walgreens, and ULTA.

Well, seems like this post turned into an in-depth review part II. Apologies for the verbosity!

I hope this post was informative and helpful. Your friendly comments are much appreciated.  Come back soon. Thanks!
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Sunday, May 25, 2014

BITE Beauty Matte Lip Crayons: Satsuma, Grape, Sweety, and Blood Orange

Hey y'all!!! 

I do not know what came over me, but I recently bought these wildly bright lip colors.  I am going through a tough phase and its really putting my persistence to the test (hell its putting it through fire and ice), so maybe I was just feeling reckless and as a result I bring to all of you this review. 

If you follow me on Instagram and Facebook, then you have most probably already read my brief review and seen the swatches (on the arm) of the Bite Beauty Matte Lip Crayons. All throughout my final exams week, a couple weeks ago, I pined for sleep as I sat awake studying well into the early morning hours (3 a.m. devil's hour). Ironically, here I am and it is 2:00 a.m. No exams, but something... 

Anyway, I thought to post some additional pictures of the packaging and color swatches on the lips.  

Bite Beauty is available exclusively at Sephora.  The Matte Lip Crayons cost $24.  

Review
These lip crayons are richly pigmented and appear opaque in one swipe across the lips. They feel very creamy and smooth.  My lips were a bit dry when I applied these colors because I applied them only a few minutes after waking up, yet my lips look normal as demonstrated in the pictures below.  This shows you how excited I was to swatch these as soon as the sun came up.  Although a matte lip product, I did not experience heaviness, tightness, and dryness. So, technically these are not matte. Thank goodness! The small crayon bullet allows precise application, serving the dual function of a lipstick and a lip pencil.  I noted that the bullet of this Bite lip product is sturdier, yet more narrowly pointed, than the Bite High Pigment Lip Pencils. These lip colors have a naturally sweet scent. They 
are made with natural ingredients and are food grade. Lastly, the Matte Lip Crayon collection is limited-edition and selling out quickly. 


Grape, Sweety, Blood Orange, and Satsuma (Left to Right) 

Color Swatches 
Satsuma, Grape, Sweety, and Blood Orange (top to bottom) 





I hope this post was informative and helpful. Your friendly comments are much appreciated.  Come back soon. Thanks!
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Saturday, May 10, 2014

Christian Dior Dior Addict Lipstick 611 Cruise (Transat Collection Summer 2014)

Hey y'all!!! 

Happy Saturday, my blogger-sphere friends.  Hope all of you are having a wonderful weekend.  Yesterday evening was a special time for me - I graduated from Law School and received my Doctorate of Jurisprudence degree.  I already expressed my gratitude to God and my family and friends, who have all been an umbrella for me during this challenging journey.  

Well, this may appear vain to some of you, but I am also grateful for my blog and friends I made through blogging.  From Margo at Pretty Panda blog to the friendly ladies at Sephora, I thank all of you for listening to me vent and talking about fun things, like makeup. 

Today, I want to share my review of a new, limited-edition, Dior Addict lipstick from the Transat Summer 2014 Collection called Cruise (#611).  There is already a shade called Cruise in the permanent Dior Addict line, but the two shades are distinct. 

I have never before been inclined to purchase the Dior Addict lipsticks because they are not intended to provide rich pigmentation.  One, I have fairly pigmented lips. Two, I am not paying $32 to purchase a lipstick that is sheer.  I would rather just buy a tinted lip balm at a lower price point.  Dior has a line of lipsticks called Dior Addict Extreme, which I believe have the formula of the Dior Addict lipsticks, but provide more pigmentation.  I have purchased two shades - Black Tie and Sunset Boulevard - from the Dior Addict Extreme line, but I returned both because I did not like the colors against my skin-tone.  Again, I felt like the colors were deep, yet flat for my olive-yellow-beige skin-tone. 

So, you may be wondering why I purchased this particular lipstick? Well, scroll down and tell me if you are not as intrigued as I am with the bright orange-coral bullet you see. Yeah! It is absolutely gorgeous! Perhaps this vibrant color does not intrigue you, but it surely caught my attention.  Coral-red, coral-pink, coral-orange, and coral-anything is my favorite scheme of shades at the moment. 

I visited the Dior counter with the intent of purchasing all of the Dior Dior Addict Fluid Sticks ($35 each). Okay, may be not all! I did purchase five shades though, which I will be reviewing very soon. I only noticed Cruise in passing, but apparently I was not able to pass on it. 

Cruise is a coral-pink-orange shade.  The pigmentation is fair; neither is it sheer, nor is it opaque. One swipe of this lip color is not satisfactory for me.  I apply about three layers to achieve the pigmentation that you see in the picture below.  I really like the formula of this lipstick.  It feels like a lip balm (not a treatment lip balm) that is not greasy, yet leaves the lips feeling smooth and in good condition.  Although the formula is nice, the product is not long-lasting.  Of course the lipstick is light-weight and balm-like, so it is no surprise that the product is not long-lasting. However, if a lipstick costs $32, it is a given that you may expect a bit more from this product than what it offers.  I have tested it out three times thus far and will give it another try, but I am inclined to exchange this lipstick for something else. I feel a bit guilty for keeping an expensive product that I don't believe I will get any use out of it. 

I recommend this product to those who do not have mid to fully pigmented lips and do not mind the hefty price tag and poor staying power.  


I hope this post was informative and helpful. Your friendly comments are much appreciated.  Come back soon. Thanks!
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Thursday, May 8, 2014

LORAC Alter Ego Lipsticks: Seductress, CEO, Duchess, Jet Setter and Secret Agent


Seductress, CEO, Duchess, and Jet Setter (left to right - top to bottom) 

Seductress, CEO, Duchess, Jet Setter, and Secret Agent (top to bottom) 

Seductress - is a unique shade in my opinion. It photographs brighter than how it appears in person. I would describe it as a bright rose. 

CEO - is a deep true mauve shade with taupe-brown undertones. This shade could be a "my lips but better" shade for some people and for others, who have an deep olive beige skin tone, this could be an ideal nude. 

Duchess - is a pink-nude. 

Jet Setter - is my favorite of the bunch.  It is a vibrant, neon purple with magenta, blue, and red undertones.  Usually purple based shades can pull out the yellow tone in your teeth, even if your teeth are a normal, healthy white, but with this shade you do not have to worry about the "yellow-teeth" issue. 

Secret Agent - is a dark milk chocolate shade. It looks like melted chocolate on my lips, but dry. Yes! We will discuss the dryness shortly. 

I was anticipating the arrival of these Alter Ego lipsticks even since LORAC began posting teasers on Instagram. The lipstick shades look delicious! 

Sadly, my affinity to these Alter Ego lipsticks end at the shade selection. These lipstick apply smoothly and feel lightweight and creamy on the lips. However, the texture and formula of these lipsticks is awkward. Awkward, you ask? Can I say awful? Yes, the texture of these lipsticks is like a velvet mousse. This lipstick withers away and begins to look patchy if your lips get wet. Do not be fooled by the smooth and creamy feel of these lipsticks because once you take a look at your lips in the mirror, you get a reality check. The formula is actually very matte and drying.  I feel the need to apply a gloss or lip balm with these lipsticks, which simply steals the appeal of the actual true colors of the lipsticks.  Seductress, CEO, and Jet Setter appear less dry than Duchess and Secret Agent. Jet Setter looks the best as you can realize from the pictures above. The only two shades I would personally recommend from this collection are Jet Setter and Seductress.  Although these lipsticks have an affordable price tag - $16 each, I really do not believe that these are a must-have.  I returned Duchess and Secret Agent immediately after taking pictures for this review.  I would have returned CEO as well because there is nothing special about the shade, but I kept it because my aunt may like the color. 

LORAC is one of my favorite brands, so I definitely recommend trying other products from this brand. I have enjoyed the LORAC Unzipped palette, LORAC pro-stain blush in Rosy Glow, and LORAC Breakthrough Performance Lipstick with SPF 15 in Leading Lady. Unfortunately, these lipsticks were not a hit for me, but I am glad that through this experience I found a flattering neon purple shade (Jet Setter). 

I purchased my first two shades at ULTA, using a 20% off (special non-exclusions / can be used on prestige brands). I purchased the remaining three at Kohl's, using Kohl's cash (Kohl's coupons cannot be used on prestige cosmetics, but you may use the Kohl's cash). 

I hope this post was informative and helpful. Your friendly comments are much appreciated.  Come back soon. Thanks!
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