Maybelline Color Sensational "The Buffs" Lipsticks in Espresso Exposed and Sin-a-Mon (Part 1)

Hey Y'all!!! 

Today, I would like to share my review and a few pictures of the new Maybelline Color Sensational "The Buffs" Lipsticks. I am really looking forward to sharing my opinion with you all because so far I have heard or read a lot of positive reviews on these Buff lipsticks. I think some of you might relate to my review and possibly find yourself an affordable gem in this new collection. 

The Maybelline Color Sensational Lipsticks are quite popular amongst beauty bloggers and vloggers. A few years ago, I had tried a variety of shades from the original Color Sensational line, but ended up returning or giving them all away. I only had two issues with the ones I had purchased. First, I thought the lipsticks glided on smoothly, but ultimately left my lips dry. Second, none of the colors I chose suited my skin-color. I did like the scent though. I also tried two shades from the Maybelline Color Sensational High Shine Lip Colors. Again, the colors did not suit me. I did like the formula of the High Shine lipsticks, but the staying power was weak. Also, the scent was pleasant. I decided to forego trying the Maybelline Color Sensational "The Vivids" lipsticks. The bright reddish orange and electric purple shades were calling my name, but I did not give in.

Recently, Maybelline released the Color Elixirs. Take a look at my review of the Color Elixirs here. You will like what you see! I surely did!) After my positive experience with the Color Elixirs, I was eagerly awaiting the release of "The Buffs" after seeing a "spotted" or "preview" post on the Nouveau Cheap blog. 

So far I have heard/read two common criticisms regarding the Buffs collection - too nude and too brown. Personally, I was ecstatic to see the light brown base in these lipsticks. I have a fairly light skin-color for being Southeast Asian and do not have particularly deep pigmented lips, but nude lip colors like Urban Decay's Revolution lipsticks in Naked and Native or MAC's Half 'n' Half, Creme Cup, Modesty, and Angel do not suit me. While the rest of world is rocking the NYX Butter Glosses, the deepest shade of the bunch will look transparent on my lips. 

Honestly, it is difficult to gage what suits a particular person. Sometimes I try a product that has received poor reviews, but it ends up being "the one" for me - my hair, complexion, tone, color, whatever. On the other hand, while most people loved the Too Faced La Creme lipsticks, I was not too impressed. 

Either ways reviews are definitely helpful, especially if you have found a beauty blogger/vlogger who you can relate to. I like my introductory chatter, but enough of that! Let us move on my review... 

Packaging 

Even though I am giving these lipsticks full points in all of the categories here, the packaging is definitely one of my favorite features. I really like the transparent soft baby pink tubes. I took a million pictures to carefully capture the exact delicate light pink color of the tubes. The silver rim at the bottom pairs nicely with the pink. What if Maybelline had changed the silver part to rose gold? Oh-ma-gawhd! Yes! I suppose the pink tubes are slightly misleading some folks who might then expect pinky-nude lipsticks rather than beige, taupe, brown, earthy shades. 

Price 

I purchased these lipsticks at Meijer for $5.99. Recently, I found these at my local Walmart, Walgreens, and ULTA. In Walmart, the lipsticks were set up amongst the permanent products in the Maybelline section of the isle. However, in Walgreens, ULTA, and Meijer, the lipsticks were displayed on the outside of the isles, where the limited-edition and seasonal collections are typically displayed. I plan to buy the other shades at ULTA. These lipsticks are original more expensive at ULTA ($7.49), but ULTA is having a BOGO 50% sale right now. ULTA also has additional coupons ($3.50 off of $10, 20% single item, etc.) in their fliers and on their website and a reward-point system, which is an excellent way to save your pennies. 

Color / Pigmentation 

Please take a look at the pictures below to see the colors. These lipsticks have excellent pigmentation. Sin-a-mon is as opaque as Espresso Exposed. I don't have to pack on multiple swipes to receive the look pictured below. Sin-a-mon is a milky, dark beige, with gray and brown undertones. I adore this color! Lighter shades look more age-appropriate on me. I have tried a lot of shades that are similar to Sin-a-Mon, but not one has impressed me as much as this one. It does not affect the natural color of my teeth. I don't think this is a warm or cool toned shade because it has a mix base of brown and gray. My teeth are a natural, healthy shade, but not pearly white, so I avoid certain colors that make your teeth look very yellow even if they really are not. Sin-a-Mon is such a unique shade, a must to try! I adore Espresso Exposed as much, if not more, as Sin-a-Mon. This shade definitely makes my teeth look pearly white. Although not thoroughly captured in the pictures below, Espresso Exposed is another unique shade... Well, unique to my collection at the least. Sin-a-Mon seems like a unique color in general, while some may already own a shade like Espresso Exposed. It is so beautiful in person. In person it looks more like the arm swatch than the lip swatch. It is a blackened plum with red and "espresso shot" brown undertones. The name is quite fitting! 

Formula / Application 

I really liked the formula of these lipsticks. I have mentioned before than I am a formula snob. I openly admit that I discriminate against drug-store lipsticks. I own three times as many high-end lipsticks as drug-store lipsticks. These lipsticks are creamy, but don't have a slip. I am tempted to say that the formula is semi-matte because they look and feel creamy, but dry down and settle on the lips. No, I don't mean to say that these are drying or settle into your lip lines. These lipsticks are much creamier than Revlon Matte Balm Stains and do transfer, unlike the balm stains, because these are lipsticks, not stains. These lipsticks glide on buttery smooth and do not absorb the natural moisture of your lips. These are not by any means hydrating. They apply smoothly and then set to a semi-matte finish, but I would like to emphasize that these lipsticks did not dry out my lips. Espresso Exposed looks a bit patchy at first swipe, but I dab it out a little with my fingers or a napkin, then swipe once more, and I am good to go. Sin-a-Mon just amazes me because I had expected it to look streaky or exaggerate my lip lines or not cover my lips uniformly (meaning the pink of my lips shows through the center), but I had none of these issues. 

Longevity / Staying Power 

The staying power is decent here. These two shades lipstick, especially Espresso Exposed, stayed on even after I ate. Of course the lipsticks did not stay put like stains and required touching-up, but still they did not completely wipe away with my food. 

A+ Overall, I adore these lipsticks and am planning on purchasing four more shades. I will post an update once I buy the other shades this week. The names of these lipsticks receive full points for creativity - implying sweetness and sensuality. Stay tuned because I will post swatches of four additional shades from the Buffs collection once I get them. Also, I am wearing another lovely Maybelline product in the pictures at the end. Can you guess what? I will have a review up on the mystery items soon. 

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MAC Huggable Lip Colors in Rusty and Rich Marron

Hey Y'all!!!

Today, I would like to talk about a new limited-edition collection of MAC lipsticks. The collection is called Huggable. MAC has a description of these lipsticks on its website. The formula of these lipsticks was inspired by the formula trending in Asia. 

What are the claims? The collection includes 12 shades that maintain a bright and luminous appearance for up to six hours. Specifically, the glossy-finish is meant to be long-lasting. MAC suggests that these lipsticks do not compromise on shine for color. The formula is allegedly emollient and creamy, which makes your lips look smooth and sculpted. 

What is my critique? I am quite fond of the MAC Huggable lipsticks. I definitely think that MAC should add these lipsticks to its permanent line of lip colors. Also, I would like to see more color options. Although trendy and seasonal shades are quite exciting for makeup enthusiasts, I really appreciate variety more. For example, I am not a fan of bright lip colors, such as hot pink, fuchsia, magenta, pink-coral, orange-red, red-orange, etc. However, bright colors are the trend at the moment. Personally, subdued pinks and nudes with brown undertones and deep reds look the best on me. Fortunately, the Huggable collection had two beautiful shades that I thought suited my skin-color. Experimenting with a variety of lip colors has really brought me outside my comfort zone. A few years ago, I would have never imagined that I would wear as many shades as I do now. Perhaps, I might be a fan of brighter colors this Summer. I highly doubt it though! 

Packaging? I don't have much to say about the packaging. I like to provide you all with plenty of pictures so you all can determine for yourselves whether or not you all like the packaging and colors. The packaging is simple - a gunmetal gray tube. I like the gunmetal gray and rose gold tubes that brands have been using recently more than gold or silver tubes. Gold and silver tubes wear off over time and can get scratched up easily. On the other hand, black packaging is timeless and classic. I like that these tubes are sleek, rounded, and light-weight. I prefer rounded tubes to squared tubes.

Price? These lipsticks cost $20. For high-end lipsticks, I feel comfortable paying between $18 - $25. I think MAC has a reasonable price point for its lipsticks. I am only fond of MAC's creme-sheen, amplified creme, and satin (sometimes) formulas. I think $15 is a great price point for these excellent  formulas.  There are plenty of high-end lipsticks, which cost over $22 with horrible formulation, poor staying-power, dry texture, and odd scents. MAC lipsticks have a warm, yet clean, and very mild sweet scent. I am not sensitive to scents or fragranced products, but cannot tolerate wearing products that have an overwhelming chemical-like or plastic-like sort of scent. 

Color / Pigmentation?  The two shades I purchased have awesome pigmentation. One swipe is enough. I bought a light shade as well as a deep shade, but one swipe was enough for both. Rusty is a warm "rusted" red with chocolate brown undertones. I adore this color. It is so unique. It does not have orange or yellow undertones, but it is definitely a warm shade. I usually don't like to wear brownish reds because I feel like such shades make me look too mature for my age. However, rusty is age appropriate; it brightens the complexion of my face and its glossiness provides a youthful look. Rich Marron is a light pinky-brown color or the ideal nude for girls who have my skin-color and naturally mauve-toned lips. By comparison, the pigmentation of these particular shades is better than Bobbi Brown's Shine lip colors, which are also significantly pigmented. The pigmentation of these far exceeds the pigmentation of YSL Rouge Volupte or YSL Rough Volupte Shines. Can you tell that I have not had a good experience with YSL lip products thus far?

Formula / Application Honestly, I am in love with the formula of these lipsticks. Formulas that are comfortable, meaning that it does not dry out, irritate, or feel heavy on your lips, are obviously great. I think most of the lipsticks I have kept in my collection are comfortable. Sometimes though, very rarely, I find a formula that is more than comfortable, like these Huggable lipsticks. A more than comfortable formula makes your lips feel good, like a treat, but not necessarily a medicinal treatment for extremely dehydrated or chapped lips. There are days when my lips feel slightly dry, but are not cracked/chapped. On these days, wearing a formula like the Huggable lipsticks really helps. Anyways, these lipsticks feel lightweight, smooth, and did not absorb the natural moisture of my lips. I have yet to come across a lipstick or balm or gloss that is intensely hydrating, but this definitely made my lips look and feel moisturized. I found the formula of these comparable to Clarins Rouge Éclat lipsticks. The formula of the Clarins lipsticks is thinner and slippery. The Huggable lipstick formula does "hug" your lips and does not have the typical slip of other glossy lipsticks. This is definitely my favorite formula by MAC. I like the formula of these lipsticks much more than Urban Decay Revolution, Giorgio Armani Ecstasy CC, YSL Rouge Volupte / Volupte Shine, Bobbi Brown Sheer, and Marc Jacobs Lip Gels. 

Longevity If you do not eat, then these lipsticks might last longer than six hours. However, I ate three hours after applying Rich Marron and the color is gone. The color is gone, but the smooth feeling remains on my lips. The staying power of these lipsticks far exceeds the "lack of" staying power of the.  

Dearest MAC, please release more colors and replace the permanent collection of MAC Sheen Supremes lipsticks with these amazing Huggable lip colors. 

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Estee Lauder Pure Color High Intensity Lip Lacquer - Wet Plum, Amber Halo, Mirrored Mauve

 Hey Y'all!!!

I first spotted the Estee Lauder Pure Color High Intensity Lip Lacquers back in late August. I had tested a few shades on my hand. None of the shades in the collection had caught my eye with the exception of Mirrored Mauve. I liked Mirrored Mauve not because it was a unique shade, rather mauves shades are my favorite by default. It is a magnetic attraction!

Price

These richly pigmented liquid lip colors cost $25. Given the high price point, I was a bit hesitant to purchase these lip products until I felt that these were truly impressive. Just in time my mom received a 10% coupon to Dillard's (a U.S. department store). Fortunately, Dillard's, unlike Macy's, Belk, and Kohl's, does not exclude cosmetics/fragrances from the 10% coupon it sends out to its store-card holders.  Although 10% is not much, it at least covers a little more than the state retail tax (7 - 9%).

It is my impression that Estee Lauder is a brand that attracts individuals from an older age group (mid-30s onwards). Apparently, these days people are saying 30 is the new 20 and most days I do feel as if I have the "naivety" of a 14 year old. Wow! Why did I go off on this tangent? Anyways, I feel like young women (early to late 20s) in the beauty-blogger-sphere are more aware of brands such as Urban Decay, Benefit Cosmetics, Too Faced, Tarte, etc. rather than Estee Lauder. 

Some of my most favorite products are from Estee Lauder - Sumptuous Lash Volumizing Mascara, Pure Color Blush, Pure Color Lipsticks, and now these Lip Lacquers. 

Packaging 
Classy. I like this gold. This gold packaging looks much more elegant and sturdier, yet simpler, than the gold tubes of YSL lipsticks.

Estee Lauder Pure Color High Intensity Lip Lacquer is an opaque liquid lip product. It is an intensely pigmented synthesis of a gloss and lipstick. Lacquers are most often thicker than glosses with a patent leather sort of shine and not the sheer shimmer/sheen shine of a traditional gloss. 

The swatches on my arm in the pictures below demonstrate the saturated color that appears by just a single swipe of the sponge-tip applicator across the arm. Due to its rich pigmentation, this product must be applied carefully and in front of a mirror. These lacquers can be worn on top of a lip balm, unlike a stain-gloss that requires dry clean lips. 

Mirrored Mauve

Wet Plum

Amber Halo

When these lacquers are first applied, your lips may feel slightly uncomfortable. No, you will not feel a tingling, burning, or stinging sensation. These are not lip plumping products. No, these do not have a minty or pepperminty scent. What am I talking about then? Initially, these lacquers make my lips feel as if they are "trapped", like I have a film of some sort covering my lips. So, these lacquers adhere to your lips, which makes you feel like some foreign thing, like honey, is sticking to your lips, but not to worry because it is not a tacky-sticky feeling. In just a few seconds though this feeling on my lips disappears. 

The few seconds of heaviness is definitely worth it because once these lacquers set in place, the weighty feeling is lifted and you are left with a youthful, colorful pout. The only downside to these lacquers is that sometimes, but not always, my lips feel dry after this product wears off or I remove it. It makes me feel like my lips were exfoliated. This might only be an issue for people with chapped lips. I don't have chapped lips. My lips can get a bit dry from time to time if I am dehydrated or have the heat on too high in the car or at home. 

Lip Swatches

Wet Plum - shades like MAC's Rebel or Urban Decay's Venom look awful on me. This on the other hand suits me perfectly. Sometimes you just need to find the right brand or formula or shade of a particular color and then it suits you so well as if it was specially designed for you.

Amber Halo - I think this is the first traditional beige-nude shade to suit me. I have tried so many nude lipsticks in the hopes of achieving the Jennifer Lopez's or Eva Longoria's trademark caramel-beige-nude pout, but every lip color I tried would look chalky on me... until I found this one! 

Mirrored Mauve - this color fooled me. On my hands it looks like a warm mid-tone mauve pink. However, on my lips it appears more cool/blue-toned and much brighter. This is the barbie hot pink for my beige-olive (Southeast Asian / Middle Eastern) skin tone. 

Demo Swatches 

 Wet Plum 

Amber Halo

Mirrored Mauve

If you like YSL glossy stains, but want a cheaper alternative. If you like liquid lipsticks, but want something more glossy than matte (ahem ahem like Stila or Armani). If you like long-wear glosses, but want more pigmentation and color variety. If you like the Maybelline Color Elixirs or L'Oreal Extraordinaire Lip Colors, but feel like something is still missing (i.e., poor pigmentation, too much slip, etc.)? The Estee Lauder Pure Color High Intensity Lip Lacquer is the answer for y'all!!! 

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