5 Lip Glosses I am lovin this Summer - NYX, Soap and Glory and Tanya Burr!

I am all for bright bold juicy colors this Summer.. colors that screams  'Joie de Vivre'. 

These are some of the lip colors I have been enjoying before Fall sets in with shades of Wine and Berry [not that I mind] :)

From Top Left - NYX Butter Gloss in Cherry Pie, NYX Glam Gloss Aqua Luxe Glosses in Paint the Town and The Last Party, Soap and Glory Sexy Mother Pucker Gloss in Yummy Plum and Tanya Burr lip gloss in Exotic Island

You can find reviews of these glosses here:

NYX Butter Gloss

Soap and Glory

Tanya Burr

NYX Glam Aqua Luxe Gloss - [Mini Reviews below]

From L to R - NYX Aqua Luxe in The Last Party, SG Yummy Plum, NYX Aqua Luxe in Paint the Town, Tanya Burr and NYX Cherry Pie

NYX Glam Aqua Luxe Lip Gloss are not your office lippies- they are purely fun, party glosses. 

I wouldn't advise wearing these lip colors alone or even full on lips as the shimmer can be a bit over powering, especially with The Last Party. 

How I use - I dab it on the center of my bottom lips, not reaching the lip lines, but staying just a bit inside, to add a glossy shiny look.

They are very pretty but is a bit difficult to remove cos of all the shimmer, so I would always suggest keeping a wet wipe handy.

Revlon Colorburst Matte Balm in Shameless and How to Make a Bold Lip color more wearable..

Revlon is hands down the Winner when it comes to creating classic no-brainer risk free lip colors in Drugstore. 

I think they are the YSL of the Drugstore, because if you rank drugstore brands for the sheer range of colors, finish and consistent quality of lip colors, Revlon stands taller than others.

Do you agree? No?

Just think of Cherries in the Snow, Fire and Ice, those Lip Butters... ah, now you're nodding.. :)

Revlon's Colorburst Matte Balms have been in the market for some time but its only recently that I got a chance to buy this particular shade because most of the time they are either sold out or the tubes are opened & smeared all over!

I hate when that happens, don't you? 

Price is around $8-10 CAD but I got mine on sale [yay!].

Packaging is pretty neat - a sleek matte violet-purple casing with a silver bottom. 

About the product:

Like all other lip crayons, these are twistable retractable chubby crayons. 

They have a minty feel - common to all Revlon Lip Crayons and I like that. 

I was initially a bit worried that like some matte lippies, this one may not be very easy to apply, but it was pretty smooth in application.

However for dry skinned ladies, I would suggest prepping your lips before applying this - which is true for any matte lipsticks. 

Why I love this...

The color. That's the answer in one word. 

A bold violetish purple shade in a Drugstore brand? How often do you find that!

 Lets all support the Drugstore brands to come up with such natty colors!

This color does not apply sheer, unless you want to dilute the finish by applying over a nude lip balm or something.It applies patchy if you try to dull the intensity by rubbing your lips.

This happened when I tried to get a sheer color - patchy, aint it?

This is not a true matte, its more of a Satin matte finish - which I feel is more forgiving on lips than a true matte lipstick. 

I love the bold color that it gives in just 1 swipe.

This shade from Revlon has been compared to MAC's Heroine, so if you don't want to shell out for Heroine, here is the dupe!

Staying power is also pretty neat - around 4-5 hours.

It doesn't stain lips as much as Revlon Lacquer Balms, but still, there some staining. 

And what I don't like...

Hmmm... tough.. Nothing much, except that when the color fades, it can be a bit patchy, so either carry your wet wipes or be ready to re-apply.

Overall:

For the price, this is one bold lipstick you should try. 

Making a bold lip color like this, more wearable.. 

If you're scared of the too bold brighter color, here is what you can do to make it more easier.

• Exfoliate your lips with a lip scrub or sugar-honey mix
• Apply lip balm and lightly massage your lips in circular motions. Leave for 10mins.
• Apply a tinted lip balm or sheer lipstick - either in a very nude shade or a shade closer to the bold lip color you're trying to wear.
• Avoid a stronger shades cos that can dilute the lip crayon shade. 
• If you have a spatula, warm the spatula under candle flame. If not, bring a candle flame or lighter slightly close to the crayon tip, so that the wax can melt a bit. Caution - don't bring it too close, as the intent is only to get the wax a bit more melted and not to burn the stuff!
• The purpose is to get the color is a bit more creamier. Use a lip brush or a q-tip in either of the above case to apply the lip color.
• Start applying from the inner part of your lips to the out side. 
• Once you have applied the lip color, give a minute or two to set. Do not rub your lips or it may transfer.
• Now, if you're happy with the color, good. If you wish to dilute the color further, use a pink-ish nude lip gloss or tinted lip balm over this. 

Remember that this may result in a non-matte effect. If you wish to get a diluted matte look, go for the "Blot- and Re-apply" till you get the color and finish you want.

5 Lip Crayons from Drugstore for a Mid-Summer Day out!

I made this list after noticing the lippies I turn to for an outing or a walk in the park.

Notice that there are no pinks? That's cos I am having a hard time finding that perfect pink shade in a lip crayon... The search is on....

You can find the reviews for most of these here:

NYX Chunky Dunk in Sex on the Beach
Revlon Colorburst Matte in Shameless
Hard Candy All Glossed Up in Chic
Revlon Just Bitten in Rendezvouz
Revlon Colorburst Lacquer in Provocateur

From L-R: NYX Chunky Dunk Hydrating Lippie in Sex on the Beach, Revlon Colorburst in Shameless, Hard Candy All Glossed Up in Chic, Revlon Just Bitten in Rendezvous and Revlon Colorburst Lacquer in Provocateur

L-R: NYX, Revlon Provocateur, Revlon Rendezvouz, Hard Candy Chic, Revlon Shameless

Please note that I am not saying these are your best options.. these are what I think would work good for a fun day out in the Sun.
So what do you think?

A Tale of 2 Highlighters ... Wet n Wild Color Icon Bronzer in Reserve Your Cabana and Something Surprising which you gotta see!

I say, don't be narrow minded when it comes to makeup products.. cos so many of them is meant for something but actually does something else better. 

I have had lipsticks that apply patchy but work beautifully as a cheek color. 

And sometimes a black eye pencil can add superb contoured effect to your Red lip color.

So without more story, introducing you to 2 products that are meant as something else but work beautifully as Highlighters. 

The 1st one shouldn't be a surprise because it is a popular Youtube guru favorite, espl with Emily Noel and that is Wet n Wild's Color Icon Bronzer in Reserve Your Cabana. 

I can't really think of a complexion for which this would be a bronzer unless you're like Edward Cullen. 

For fairer complexions, this could even be a overall luminous powder to add that subtle glow.

For Light Medium to wheatish complexions this would work as a wonderful highlighter. 

You can add this for subtle effect and this is my current daily office wear highlighter, cos its not at all OTT and has no shimmer in it.

I would suggest this for a day use cos of the SPF and also cos its a very subtle highlighter that works well in Daylight than at night.

As you can see [or cant see] it is a very subtle glow...

The next one is a surprise and something I never expected when I got this. Introducing a least likely candidate for Highlighter-ship - Yves Rocher 100% Natural Origin Loose Powder Foundation.

Yes. 

You read that right. 

This is a mineral foundation. 

But it works as a highlighter.  

Cos when Yves Rocher thought they'd make a mineral foundation that would give a luminous glow-y finish, they were not shy or modest..they went full out and created a foundation that if you use as a foundation, would make you look like a disco bulb. 

You can see how luminous the powder is...

I was pretty disheartened when I came home and tried this product, cos this was an impulse buy and I was thinking - how can anyone mess up a mineral foundation, espl a reputed company like Yves Rocher? 

So this was lying in the corner unused, when last day I swatched this for a "What Not To Buy" post and thought, Hmmmm... I tried it with a light hand and was most pleasantly surprised by the effect.

Can you see the highlighter effect? Trust me, its much stronger in person!

This has some shimmers, so I would suggest using this at night. 

For paler complexions this could be a bronzy highlighter for getting that healthy glow-y Summer look.

For medium wheatish complexions, I suggest using this with a light hand and layering it over your blush for a luminous finish.

Overall: Moral of the Story - if you fail in using a cosmetics in one way, try in some other way.. Who knows, you might discover something!

Summer Proof Makeup: Sephora Cream Lip Stain in Endless Purple 04

Yes, I know.
Sephora's Cream Lip Stain has been around.
For some time.
So if you think "Wow, are you just getting to know about this one? So lame!", my answer is No Dear, I have had this from Summer 2013 but I just got my lazy butt around to reviewing it. 



I got this last Summer thinking, Hmmm, I need a long wearing lip color just in case.... but I actually didn't get around to trying it very often and some how it got pushed beneath a lot of other better attractive products [Lets face it, packaging matters and this one sucks!]



Sephora Cream Lip Stain is part of the Sephora collection of makeup and skin care products. If you thought that being a store brand, the products will be cheap, think no more - these beauties costs $16 for 0.169 oz. 



You can find more shades and what Sephora has to say about these lippies here - affiliate link


What I think...

Regarding packaging, as I mentioned, it sucks and has no glamor. Only good thing is the transparent casing helps you to find the color easily.



The wand is soft and helps easy application - nothing great, nothing bad

Shade: Endless Purple is slightly misleading-you'd expect a good dark or bright purple shade. Instead this is a deep berry mauvish shade, that is best suited for Fall/Winter days.



Texture, Scent and taste: I like the creamy texture. It does not feel heavy at all and applies very smoothly. I couldn't detect any serious scent, as long as it does not smell like paint, I am usually good. No taste as well.

Finish: This goes on with a Satin finish for the application and first 15mins. After that it dries down a bit to a matte effect. Now, unless you don't mind [like me] to show the world lines on your lips, you want to exfoliate and hydrate your lips before applying this lippie. Make sure you're doing that at least 15mins before applying this or you won't get a good matte effect.



Staying Power: This one has some good staying power and lasts for around 4-5 hours with food and drinks. Which is pretty impressive, right? 
However, beware - the color fades from center so if you don't reapply, you might end up having scary outlined lips!


Overall: I like this. But not as a stain, cos its not a stain, its a liquid lipstick. There is some slight staining from the color as with most dark/bright lip colors, but that is it. If you're looking for a liquid lipstick and you end up in Sephora, take a look at these beauties before wandering off to the Stila aisle.. :)

Inglot Cosmetics Freedom System Blush in shade 34 [Why you need this for Summer]

Inglot is a brand I absolutely love [check my reviews here]


I just wish they had stores here in Toronto - buying something from their website is hard because
a) No swatches or good pics  b) the most pathetic naming system- who names products by numbers these days!




I am loving this peachy coral warm-toned blush so much these days - I would say unless you're very pale skinned, this is a blush you should check out. This blush has some golden shimmers but they are not harsh or weird and just adds to a subtly highlighted cheek look.



Application is a breeze with this blush. The texture is very silky - I have read reviews where people compared it to MAC blushes with points awarded slightly higher to Inglot blush.



Overall: I love it. I am getting more blushes and lippies and more from Inglot as soon as they announce a store sale or as soon as they start a store in Toronto -which I hope is pretty soon!

If you're in Canada, you can shop them here - Inglot Canada Website

New in Town: Bonne Bell Lip Lacquer in Daiquiri [a.k.a. What Not To Buy for $6 ]

It feels like all I am doing nowadays are "What Not To Buy" posts.. :( Good for you guys cos you can steer clear of the stuff but pretty bad for mah purse.. Ah well..here is another one to the collection.

For a company that started in 1927 and has seen pretty much everything on the evolution of makeup, Bonne Bell doesn't seem to have really got the game in hand yet. The 2 products I have tried [click for review] so far, has been super duds. And here is yet another one to the gang. I have a new lipstick to try and some how I don't have much hope for that one!

You can get the product info here; it says it retails for $3.95 but I got it for $6 from my local Real Canadian. 

My Experience:

The Good...

Daiquiri is a pretty cool toned coral pink shade with golden shimmers. Sounds pretty right? It is, really. The color is a great summer shade and when I can get over my cribs about this product, it looks good on my lips.  

I also like the cute and handy packaging.

The Bad... 

Abra ca dabra... 

Zimboooooombaaaaaa....

Make me a gloss Sticky Sticky Sticky, 

Make me a gloss Goopy Goopy Goopy, 

Make me a gloss Smelly Smelly Smelly,

Make me a gloss Weirdly Sweet, Weirdly Sweet Weirdly Sweet..

Lo! My wish is fulfilled! 

The Ugly...

Look at that wand.. just look at it... and tell me, how anyone can use this!  

Reminds me of some bug with lot of legs.. yeeeeeesh.....

I feel like a kid trying to draw pictures with a useless brush that comes with a tiny cheap paint box!

Overall: If you like the color and the glossy look and has some sentiments towards Bonne Bell, go for it. Otherwise, I see no reason to buy this.

 

Sorry for the poor image quality of pics in this post- I had to take this quickly as my friend's kid liked the tube and wanted it, so I was trying to take pics before she grabbed it.

Disclaimer: This review is only intended for this particular shade of this product. Also I have no way of knowing if I picked a rotten one out of other good stuff, I can only review what I have. 

NYX Butter Glosses in Tiramisu and Cherry Pie

After using these glosses, I wondered - what exactly makes them sooooo irresistible? 

Is the pretty packaging? 

Is it the beautiful gliding formula of the gloss?

Is it the range of 22 non-shimmery lip shades with a great mix of pastel and bright colors?

Is it the non-sticky creamy formula?

And I think I hit on the answer when I say - its all in the name! 

I mean, can you resist a lip gloss, so prettily packaged with the name "Butter Gloss"? 

(Lets keep aside the fact that trying to glide a chunk of butter on the lips feels pretty yucky and not fun. )

Just the name is enough to conjure up an image right from the pages of a glossy magazine.... Awesome marketing, NYX! Kudos!

You can read what NYX has to say about these glosses here

Price: $5 USD, they have lots of pretty shades too!

My Experience:

Let me start with what I don't like about these 1st, cos thats a short list!

1. NYX don't ship to Canada and Rest of the world, so we miss out on all the good stuff and sales. I don't consider their "partnership" with MyUS as a shipping option - thats too expensive to buy these pocket friendly products!
2. As much as I love the sturdy packaging, I wish it was partly clear so I could see the product inside :(
3.  Hmmmmmmmmmmmm.... thats it? Really?

 Now for the good stuff:

1. Pretty cool packaging - its fun to line them up in the drawer! :)
2. Lots of pretty shades to choose from
3. Non-sticky application with a beautiful glossy finish
4. Average staying power of 2-3 hours but provides longer lasting hydration - no need for lip balms with these babes
5. One of the most comfortable-on-lips formula, especially from drugstore

Tiramisu is a pretty dull shade for my skin tone, but could be a nice MLBB shade for paler cool toned skins. 

Its a cool toned nude 'Dusty-Rose'-ish pink-ish brown.

 

 

Cherry Pie is a beautiful Orangey Red, which makes it a great day wear for Summer.

 

 

Overall: Well, what is not to love? This is probably one of the best products from NYX. If you don't have them yet, try them soon, cos you're really missing out!

Ipsy June 2014 Glam bag - "Pretty in Paradise" featuring the bag designed by Rebecca Minkoff

After I got this bag,  I realized that I rarely try out the various items I get from Ipsy - its like I just like getting new stuff in mail but can't go about using it [cos I am a lazy lazy lazy bug]. Anyways, lets dig into this month's Ipsy.

Ipsy is like a dear lil Santa that visits every month [on paying $15CAD of course but thats just a technicality] and even when I don't care much about the stuff inside, it still makes me happy to see the shiny pink package. 

This month's theme was Summer and beach paradises with Michelle Phan's video on Beach Essentials  kinda setting the mood- I don't know what all things she has done to look like this but she looks really amazin! Since I am planning a trip beach next week, this video and bag comes at a good time - let's see how useful it is!

Highlight of this bag has been - well, the bag itself. Designed by Rebecca Minkoff [never heard of her till this month's Ipsy, I should start reading Vogue or Instyle more], this bag has received so much attention in the blog world that it was probably inevitable that it disappoints, slightly..

The black base with pineapple print meant for a Hawaii theme, is very pretty and I love it. But I don't know if I should call this unique or designer stuff.  I mean -its just a black pineapple print bag with normal texture and red interiors. I like the red interiors though, but designer -really? I also found a bag in her website that may have been designed at the same time!

But its still a fun makeup bag to carry to beach- so thats in!

The other items in the bag are :

Be A Bombshell Lash Out Mascara
DERMAdoctor DD Cream Dermatologically Defining BB Cream with Broad Spectrum SPF 30
Marc Anthony Dream Waves Beach Spray
Nicka K New York Shimmer Eyeliner in Green
NYX Butter Gloss  in Eclair

Out of this, the stuff I really want to try are the eyeliner and mascara. But neither is very exciting - product wise or color wise.

NYX butter gloss is nothing new and I already have a lot of shades, in fact I am reviewing 3 this week. 

The DD cream  may be good but I don't know how I can review it or even get a good use out of it, considering the size. Unless I find it performing that well, its just Meh for me. As for the beach spray - I am not a fan of the look [basically cos I cant get it right :)sheer jealousy].

So out of the 5, 3 is okay dokey and 2 is so so. Which makes this a good bag for me, but nothing exceptional.

I might decide to take the eyeliner because you can never have too much green eyeliners on a trip to beach :)

I wish Ipsy would start introducing all the new brands  - which was one major reason for signing up with Ipsy, instead of bringing the same Ol' Ol' brands. Hope some day I can open my Ipsy and find a Fyrinnae or Dose of Colors or Holika Holika in it!

If you wish to subscribe to Ipsy, this is my referral link; hope you like it as much as I do!
You can also read my other Ipsy reviews here.