Many actresses, whether in real-life or in the world of drama, wear a trademark lip color that we associate them with. Taylor Swift is known for wearing a creamy, bright, fire engine red lipstick. Jennifer Lopez is known for wearing a glossy, warm-toned, golden-beige lip color. Drew Barrymore is known for the wine-red tinted lips. Victoria Grayson and her daughter Charlotte from Revenge as well as Gloria Delgado from the Modern Family always have on a bold burgundy or deep wine-red lip color. Where am I going with this? We all watch television and drool over celebrity fashion trends, but that is not my point here.
I think to myself as I reflect upon my unreasonably extensive lipstick collection, do I have a signature lip color? I have reviewed a few lipsticks in the past, which I have deemed as the one and only lip color that I could survive with for the rest of my life. Disclaimer - if you are not that passionate about makeup and wearing makeup is just something like brushing your teeth, then you will find this post overly dramatic. I must admit that I am not very loyal to any single lip color I own.
Obviously I am not a celebrity or actress, so I feel that my signature lip color cannot be a bright red or a bold burgundy. I have also struggled to find my ideal n*de lipstick. Because of my olive-beige skin-tone and more pigmented lips, n*de lip colors look patchy, streaky, and dry on me. So I have to settle for the "my lips but better" shades that fall in the mix of pink-brown-rosy-mauve family or currently better known as the "Kylie lip" or "90s lip."
I am making my point! Be patient! Last week ULTA (e)mailed out a 20% off (no exclusions) coupon. I rarely, unless there is a special occasion, purchase high-end (or even drug-store) makeup without a promotion or coupon or sale or bargain. High-end makeup is rarely discounted. Rarely! Gifts with purchase deals don't really entice me because the quality of the "gifts" is not always up to par as the makeup you are buying. However, I do appreciate samples or deluxe samples of permanent products because as a blogger, I am always curious to try new products. Anyway, I had a fixed list of what I wanted to purchase with my coupon. Fortunately for the funds, it was a modest one too. The last time I received a coupon from ULTA was back in April (these coupons circulate every late fall, mid-spring). Since then I refrained from buying anything high-end in anticipation for the next coupon and instead maintained a shopping-list here on my blog.
Lipstick Queen was not on my list, but I am attracted to the brand for some unknown reason. I think it is the name because I have ordained myself a lipstick queen. In addition to the lipstick, which I am reviewing at present, I only own one other lipstick from Lipstick Queen called Jungle Queen. Although I always glance at this brand in ULTA, none of the lip products with the exception of Jungle Queen has impressed me. By chance I decided to try the shade Natural from the Sinner collection of Lipstick Queen lip products. I presumed I would not like this color, but I decided to try it anyway.
I fell in love with this shade the moment I tried it. It was a "I have to have you" shade. I admired it on myself, bordering narcissism. Why do I love this particular lipstick so much? First, I had presumed it would be a boring, mid-tone pink-rose shade. Secondly, these sort of "my lips but better" shades just seem to get lost on my face as if I just have a lip balm on. Lastly, I had heard that the Sinner collection of lipsticks can be drying and I like to stay far far far away from dry formulas. However, this lipstick proved me wrong.
This lipstick is not hydrating, but it is not drying either. When my lips are dry to begin with and I apply this lipstick without getting rid of the chapped dead skin, I can see the flakiness, but only if I look very closely. I think because this shade is deep and opaque it does not appear dry despite the satin-matte formula.
The main reason I am so fond of Lipstick Queen Sinner Natural is that it wears true to the color of the bullet. You get what you see with this one. Most rosy-brown shades show up much lighter on my skin-tone than they do on women fairer than me. It seems natural to desire what we do not have and take for granted what we do have. Women with fairer skin-tones tan, while women who are tan protect themselves from the sun with umbrellas and complexion-lightening creams. My point is I am a fan of a deep rosy red lip, which looks very natural. This shade reminds of a lip color I associate with women from the medieval era or homely milk-maids. I told my fiancé that this is the type of color I could wear if I were acting in the Game of Thrones. As you can tell from my elaborate explanation, this shade was a special find. So, what was my point ultimately? Well, I feel like this shade could possibly be my signature shade. This shade is exactly the kind of red shade that I can wear to the courtroom... don't you think so?
I am saving the best news till the end. During this particular trip to ULTA I made a new sweet friend! I love making friends out of the blue, when I am least expecting it. Obviously we all fall into social circumstances in the classroom or the office, but to make a friend in an unexpected way is truly memorable. I am a very shy person, but when I feel a connection with someone, the shyness disappears. My new friend is a makeup artist and what makeup-loving blogger would not be more than happy to find another makeup-loving confidant. She happened to be working at ULTA the day I decided to go there. It is one of my current points of positivity and just thought I should share. Sometimes in this mechanical material world we must take a moment to cherish random occurrences that we so often take for granted - like making a new friend. If the Omnipotent Being sends along a person who puts a smile on your face, while allowing you to be in your element, and does not make you feel obliged is worth that which words cannot justify. I always make it a point to express to my close friends how much they mean to me. Give your friend a call!
I hope this post was informative and helpful. Your friendly comments are much appreciated. Come back soon. Please follow, like, share, connect, and subscribe. Thank you!
That is one beautiful lipstick, especially on you!
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