Review| Innisfree Creammellow Lipsticks in #9 and #10

I believe Innisfree is a Korean makeup brand with loads of praise for its skincare products, but I was actually more interested in their Creammellow Lipsticks (~$12 on EBay). After a lot of consideration and perusing of swatches of this entire range, I picked up #9 Blueberry Burgundy,  #10 Latte Brown, and later came back for (not pictured) #4 Coral Grapefruit. 

They're all very similar, so just pick a color that you think would work better with your fairer or deeper coloring. 

#9 on the left and #10 on the right. #10 looks a lot more nude-brown on my lips. 

#4 is third from the left in this set of swatches. 

Again, the shade range is same-same so you won't need to buy more than one to try. However, these are really the *best* balm stains that I've tried. They beat out my other favorite, MAC Huggables in terms of moisture, longevity, comfort on the lips, and opacity of color. A lot of "balm stains" dry out my lips (see: Clinique and Revlon) and make my lips peel in sheets. These are comfortable and creamy without bleeding outside of lip lines as they retain a sense of "tackiness" on the lips. 

They wear for 2-3 hours and can be reapplied liberally. I stash them in my purse for touch ups once my lipstick has worn off. 

I'm wearing #9 here and it's not too vampy for this transition weather between the end of summer and fall. 

xo Be

Review| NUXE Reve de Miel Ultra Nourishing Lip Balm

Reve de Miel Ultra Nourishing Lip Balm ($19) is a godsend.

Quite literally, this was made by the angels to be bestowed upon lowly humans wishing to moisturize their mortal lips.

I've never had anything repair my lips to the point where matte lipsticks are not only bearable, they're wearable and even comfortable on the lips. I can wear NARS lipsticks (the original formula) with ease, even if they pull and drag. I can wear any other formulation and the *driest* my lips will look is with a few lines accentuated...not a giant mess of dead skin. Gross.

Okay, okay. You're wondering why a pot of lip balm is almost twenty bucks. But it works, I swear! It smells like chocolate oranges, doesn't leave a bad taste in your mouth, and isn't shiny or glossy. It pairs underneath any kind of lipstick or lip product well if you blot off the excess, and it also works to moisturize your lips overnight. That is, if you sleep alone, because my husband thinks he's being sly when he kisses me to get some of this onto his own lips...

I've had my pot for a month and haven't made more than 1/5th progress. I don't reapply throughout the day because (here's the kicker) I don't need to do! Before, I'd use my Bite Agave Lip Mask at night to heal flakey or peeling lips, but ever since using this balm I haven't had a single flaking incident.

And yes, I've repurchased just because I can. If we were in an apocalyptic world by tomorrow at least I'm kissable and can find myself a band of rogue shirtless and brawny men who will stand up for me. And my husband can too if he keeps stealing some from me.

xo Be

Review| Revlon Colorstay Moisture Stains

Revlon Colorstay Moisture Stain ($9.99) offers another product on the market that claims to do everything a liquid lipstick can while offering comfort on the lips. With the release of 12 shades from nudes to vamps you can find a color for every whim. The market has truly been saturated with the hybrid glosses of modern times. We only want lip products that are lipsticks, glosses, balms, and stains in one.

I picked:
Parisian Passion, a deep vampy plum
India Intrigue, a midtone jewel pink
Shanghai Sizzle, an orange red

Rio Rush, a bright blue based pink
Cannes Crush, a true coral

To be honest, I didn't expect miracles with this one. I really enjoy the formulation of recent hybrid gloss stains but their scents are often off putting. The Maybelline Elixirs are phenomenal if they didn't smell like cedar chips and mung bean. (Others smell vanilla...good for them!)

A nice ole' tamper proof seal makes it less of a germ playground before you get to use it.

Like other glossy stains, this one comes with a doefoot applicator. I made the mistake of trying to apply the product directly onto my entire lips with the doefoot. The formula is way too watery to allow an even coating so it's better if you use your fingers to spread the product onto your lips. Otherwise you end up with a streaky/gloopy mess!

These swatches are swiped twice for full opacity, but they are still pretty darn pigmented! 

Again, do notice that they have a sheen to them without being ultra glossy. 

Besides the formula/applicator dilemma, I have nothing but raves for the Moisture Stains. It may come as a huge surprise, but I think these are dupes for Dior Fluid Sticks for a fraction of the price. Yes, really!

1. The formula is wet/watery but dries to a balmy consistency that isn't sticky or prone to bleeding outside of the lip lines. It's not goopy or sticky in the least.

2. Although they are thin they pack a lot of pigmentation for a single swipe and shows up opaque on the lips with one layer.

3. There isn't a discernible scent or taste which is a huge plus in my book. 

4. The gloss wears off after a meal but the color stains your lips slightly for 3-4 hours before fading. As expensive as Fluid Sticks come, they wear and last the same way.

5. Like the name says, it's very comfortable on the lips. I have chronically peeling lips and these don't make them feel dry or tight. In fact, they are almost as moisturizing as a real lip balm and I can truly wear it alone.

Here is Cannes Crush after a super greasy meal of fried rice and sausage. It's not ultra vibrant but still stains the lips with a hint of color that doesn't scream "I'm trying to look perfect!!"

Here is India Intrigue freshly applied. The overall look is not quite glossy or matte, but more like a satin lip pencil without any heaviness on the lips.

I probably will only pick up one or two more, but I really do enjoy my current small collection. These are perfect to stash in a handbag and reapply throughout the day. 

xo Be

Review| Bite Beauty Agave Lip Mask

 

 The BITE Beauty Agave Lip Mask ($26) is a godsend; literally the second coming of Christ in a squeeze tube. Never mind that it's almost 30 bucks for a lip balm, it's really so good that it has warded off peeled and flakey lips every day that I have it on.

Also, the scent reminds me of vanilla and...faint essence of kerosene. Yum. I'm guessing that's the scent of agave which I'm not familiar with. All of that is a-okay as long as I can wear my matte formula lipsticks every day.

 

The first ingredient is medical grade lanolin, which is proven to help heal dry lips but can also create an allergic reaction in others. I didn't have any reactions (aside from a reaction to the godawful packaging that dispenses too much and then too little.) The packaging is a metal tube that is hard to squeeze, so I advise pushing only from the bottom and working your way up. This will help prevent the tube from cracking later on. 

The balm comes out much like toothpaste, but ultra thick and goopey. Trust me, one pin prick is enough for your lips. It's so thick to the point that I will wake up in the morning and still feel it chillin' on mah mouth. When I use Aquaphor it usually kisses off or is gone by the morning, forcing me to reapply every so often with no permanent results. 

I've been using this on the regular and I can safely say that I don't have to reach for a lip balm or moisturizing lip gloss every five damn seconds. I don't have to even carry them in my handbag for touch ups! 

The biggest complaint I hear is the price. While this product works, and it works well, the effects aren't long lasting over time and you continually have to reapply every morning to keep your lips moisturized. Because I apply lip balm before lipstick every day, this isn't a huge dealbreaker for me. I see this tube lasting for at least six months before repurchase making it worth it for me. 

xo Be

Review: Aqua Rouge Lip Cream

Remember this?

One word: Ew.

As you may know, I recently hauled a Makeup Forever's Aqua Rouge lip cream out of curiosity. I am extremely lazy when it comes to my lips. What's the point of layering product upon product on your lips when you're going to devour a giant sandwich in a few hours? At most, I layer lipstick over lip balm, or swipe on a gloss before I head out. 

So when I saw the Aqua Rouge lip creams, I was instantly attracted. After all, the product promises to be waterproof, long lasting, hydrating, etc. (basically the Iron Man of lip products). If I swipe on a layer of color, wait for it to dry, and then layer with a gloss, it would last until I scrub the crap out of my lips at the end of the day? Oh hell yeah.

Sad to say, I tried this out for a night out on the town and felt self conscious about my lips the entire time. Once you layer on the cream color, you better commit harder than a monogamist in an apocalyptic world. If you apply too thick in one corner and too little in the other, you cannot fix it once it dries with the gloss. To test my theory of long lasting abilities, I left the tube at home. Then I saw a reflection and screamed...oh no. 

So what was a girl to do? My lip color was radiant and beautiful, but applied without a mirror, it was patchy. Especially with the color 18, a bright orange coral, I looked like a pumpkin glutton. It was awful.

Trying to fix the problem, I scrubbed with a moist towel in the bathroom. Nothing happened. I applied lip balm and wiped it, nothing. The color and mistakes would not soften. I was glad I was in theaters to see Pacific Rim, where no sunlight could reach me. 

Are the colors pretty? You bet. Are there a lot of them, yes. 

Does it last forever as claimed? Agonizingly so. If you don't take your time and refer to a mirror, good luck fixing it without an oil based makeup remover. However, if you get it right the first time, you may enjoy this product very much.

Is it moisturizing? To a surprising degree, yes. Even when I scrubbed my lips raw, the gloss helped my lips recover. 

The worst part, however, is the artificial fruit/lychee smell. Imagine it lingering on your nose as you try so desperately to get rid of the color. At one point I started crying inwardly. It was a beauty nightmare. 

My verdict is that if you are very careful when applying delicate things with a doefoot applicator, go for it. It will most likely be your best friend. For me, the smell and mistake-unfriendly expectations left me annoyed. And the worst part? It's so expensive! I can get a lipstick and layer on a cheap gloss for the same price. I would advise you to try it first at the mall, walk around and see how people stare at you (in a bad, terrible way), and then come back to remove it with a steel wool pad and some bleach. If you find this an innovative product, I congratulate you. Seriously, you just skipped out on so many lip product steps. Plus you get to eat your food without bothering to touch up. It's a definite hit or miss in my book, and for me, a terrifying miss. The cons outweigh the pros. Or should I say, outlast.

In all honesty, it just wasn't right for me. I think that if you are looking for a hydrating stain, however, this may be a huge winner in your book. You can find swatches of this coral along with the many beautiful shades with a quick google search.

Tell me, what's your last lip related incident that's left you scarred?

Be