Revlon Ultra HD Matte Lip Colors | Review & Lip Swatches | ChaiTimewithMeesha

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The Lipsticks-Ninja

Meesha ♥

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NARS Audacious Lipstick Collection (Jane, Dominique, Anita, Vanessa, Anna, Geraldine, Olivia, Leslie, Deborah, Sylvia, Barbara, Catherine, and Lana) | Video | Swatches | Demo | Review

*Visual Demo on "ChaiTimewithMeesha"*

*Review*

My friend Megan gifted me the NARS Audacious lipstick in the shade Jane.  A few weeks back she and I were having lunch together at Bravo on a rainy afternoon and she asked me, "if you could have any lipstick today at this moment which one would it be?" I responded, without giving it a second thought, "NARS Audacious Jane." After lunch we walked into the mall to do some window-shopping and a return at Sephora.  Later on as we drove home, I asked her why she was asking me about lipsticks that I want as if she had a trick up her sleeve.  I reminded her not to buy anything from Sephora until the VIB sale.  She, being my twin, could no longer contain the surprise and told me that she bought the lipstick for me as a just-because gift.  In that moment I was fighting back tears of happiness.  I felt so overwhelmed and had no words to express how special her gesture made me feel.  I am no social butterfly and sometimes I feel really sad about being far from my few close friends, but I sure am lucky to have such a special place in their hearts.  Megan's gift was extremely thoughtful, genuine, self-less, and generous.  

When I first saw pictures of the new NARS Audacious lipsticks collection on the Temptalia blog, the only shade in the collection that drew my attention was Jane.  Although Jane may look like a very subdued or rather boring shade when considering the color depicted by the bullet, once applied it comes off bright.  By "bright" I do not mean to imply neon bright, but more vibrant, not dulled down by a heavy brown base.  I have heard other beauty bloggers, with a lighter skin-tone than mine, describe Jane as a terra-cotta shade, but I would not describe it as that.  In my opinion, Jane is a muted coral-orange with a extremely light wash of a warm rosy-brown base.  It is not at all deep or muddy or yellowish or rusty like terra-cotta.  If you are an admirer of the current orange lip color trend, but desire something less loud and clown-like and work-appropriate, then Jane is the shade for you.  This may sound very silly, but Jane from Drop Dead Diva needs to discover this shade.  I imagine it would be one she would like to rock, especially because it has her name.  Ah, wouldn't it be cool if one of the NARS Audacious lipsticks had your name as its name?  Then who needs a souvenir keychain or magnet with your name on it when you can get a lipstick!  Well, maybe some gentlemen would not appreciate this gesture.

Once I began seeing / reading several positive reviews of the NARS Audacious lipsticks, I added a few more shades to my wish-list, such as Barbara (brown-nude), Anita (rosy-pink nude), Vanessa (mauve-pink nude), Catherine (tangerine), Geraldine (orange), Charlotte (wine-red), and Deborah (reddish brown).  I am patiently awaiting the Sephora VIB sale in November to purchase the other shades.  

The NARS Audacious lipsticks cost $32 each, which comes close to the price point of brands like Chanel, Dior, and YSL.  This price point is quite a bit higher than its other lip products, which cost about $25 per lip product.  The high price point comes as a surprise to consumers, who I suppose associate NARS as more of a mid-range high-end brand.  However, after trying a NARS Audacious lipstick myself and liking it more than any of the Chanel, Dior, and YSL lipsticks I own as well as observing that the quality of the NARS Audacious lipsticks far exceeds that of its older permanent lip product lines.  

The NARS Audacious lipsticks are available everywhere NARS is sold, like Sephora and Nordstrom.  There are a few shades (Dominique (dusty lilac), Vanessa (mauve-pink nude), Carmen (red) to name a few... ) that are exclusive to Barney's New York and NARS (stand-alone) stores.  I purchased Dominique last week, but am planning to return it because sadly this shade did not suit me at all.  

I say every lipstick wearer needs at least one NARS Audacious lipstick. Yes, needs! So, why does one need a NARS Audacious lipstick? This is the only lipstick amongst the lipsticks I own that I can assure you with extreme confidence that it is indeed a long-wearing lipstick, which is not a staining lipstick and will not kill the hydration in your lips.  This lipstick stayed on my lips through two solid meals and brushing my teeth before going to sleep at night.  In addition to its exceptional staying power, the pigmentation and formula are excellent as well.  There are no compromises here!  You are not compromising opaque color or staying power for a comfortable formula.  The NARS Audacious lipsticks provide it all.  The formula is the perfect amount of creamy and not overly emollient, making the application smooth, yet not slippery.  One does not need to apply more than a single swipe for full color impact.  

Overall, I am so pleased by the quality NARS Audacious lipsticks.  Their new and superb formula has influenced the quality I desire from lip products, making me even more of a lipstick snob than I already am.  NARS Audacious lipsticks are feel creamy during and after application applied, yet set to a comfortable semi-matte finish.  Lastly, these lipsticks provide rich pigmentation and excellent staying-power without actually staining your lips.  So, the product comes off easily without requiring you to scrub your lips harshly.

I highly recommend Jane as this shade would flatter so many skin tones.  Dominique on the other hand is an acquired taste.  Thus far no one amongst my confidants, mom, Mr. Beau, and one of my close friends (Alexandria - you know I'm talking about you), has liked the appearance of Dominique on me.  Of course I did not want to experiment with it too much because sadly at first glance I decided to send it back.  I have heard that Anna is a wearable version of Dominique, so I plan to purchase that shade in the future.  Update: I have decided to keep Dominique.  Something about it has drawn me from the beginning and I ultimately decided to keep it because it is a truly unique shade to my collection. Yes, that is how amazing these lipsticks are!  Thanks to Megan for the vote of confidence to rock this shade.

*Swatches* 

Jane

Dominique

Barbara 

Catherine

Lana

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!

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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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