First Look| Besame Mini Lipstick Set

A Secret Santa wanted me to fall in love with Besame Cosmetics and sent me their 2016 Holiday Mini Lipstick Set ($25) directly from Sephora.com. 

Review| Chanel Rouge Allure Velvet in La Diva

I had been stalking La Diva from Chanel's Spring 2014 release ever since it became an inside joke. A potential roommate had texted my husband asking about an open room in the most illiterate manner ever and signed it off as ~La Diva. Ha, no. 

I HAD to have it, but I wasn't sure if it was a good idea to splurge 35 bucks on a single lipstick. Never mind it's Chanel and has the most simplistic yet elegant packaging ever... it's still three plates of sushi! However, I'm a huge sucker for fuchsia lipsticks and don't say no to bright colors.

Is it worth 35 dollars? I'm going to lean toward yes. I feel like a diva wearing it and it gets positive attention from both men and women on the street! I don't feel like it's too garish for me because of my dark hair, and you can always tone it down by blotting it on. 

• For a matte finish, it's non drying on the lips and reminds me of a creamier Guerlain RA. Seriously, not drying at all! It doesn't pull or tug when you apply it. 
• However, it does accentuate lip lines, so moisturizing beforehand is a good idea. My lips are on the chapped side at all times so this is a must for me. 
• I got four hours of consistent, no mess, no bleed or transfer wear out of this lipstick when I layered it over MAC's More to Love lipliner. I did not have to blot or reapply a second coat for it to stick. I even ate really greasy/mayo-happy food with it and it didn't migrate to my chin (always happens with most lipsticks.)
•  I put on a simple Nivea balm and smooshed my lips together to revive the color. Reapplication over itself might pull, but over a balm it's like the first application in the morning.
• The color is on point. I don't even care what other colors were released because I'm in love with this one. It leans toward a cooler purple-pink without being lilac and doesn't wash me out or clash with my complexion. It reminds me of NARS Funny Face but with a subtle difference. 

Excuse the claws you see in the packaging, I was trying to capture a somewhat beautiful moment shared between my heart and this lipstick. So luxurious. So beautiful. The grooved "Chanel" in the lipstick's bullet itself makes me want to lock this up and never touch it to my mere mortal lips. 

Here are the ingredients. You know, to this day I'm still not sure why some lipstick brands peel my lips while some are matte in formulation but last and wear so well. I'm sure I must be allergic to a similar ingredient across the board. 

The bullet comes off from the cap with a push down/slide out method. It's rather interesting and probably helps to keep the product intact in your purse. 

Wow...the perfect bright magenta/fuchsia/orchid goodness. Please excuse my nasty nails.

Here is a FOTD with different lighting (bad weather! bad!) featuring La Diva. I wanted to keep the eyes soft just in case this pink came out shockingly bright. Not to say that it isn't, but it's still tame compared to the bright pinks I always buy during the spring and summertime. 

I think my lipliner may have toned it down. Have a look at the similar fuchsias in my collection and decide for yourself if you already a dupe. I'll be putting this collection up on a separate post later for your perusal. Since I layered La Diva over More to Love in my FOTD, the color is a tad darker than it's supposed to be. No matter! I think the combination is striking and more flattering. 

From left to right: Buxom in Berry Blast, NYX Addis Ababa, MAC More to Love, NARS Yu, NARS Funny Face, Chanel La Diva, UD Anarchy, MUFE 36, MAC Girl About Town, Maybelline Fuchsia Flash. 

Will I be trying out other colors from the Rouge Allure Velvet line? You bet! I'm smitten with everything about this lipstick and I want to try a warm coral for summer. If you're going to invest in in "it" lip color for spring, I think this is it.

xo ~La Diva

Review| Le Rouge Givenchy (202 Rose Dressing/304 Mandarine Bolero)

Though I may haul many and often, I have a hard time justifying spending close to 40 dollars for a single tube of lipstick...which is why these were generously given to me via multiswap on MakeupAlley. I've always been curious to see if the price point of a lipstick determines its performance. 

These Le Rouges from Givenchy retails for 36 dollars which to me is about two dinners for two in Garden Grove. Never mind the fact that Tom Ford sells his lipsticks for close to 50 dollars. Good lord, that sounds like an expensive addiction...much like cocaine...fleeting and costly?

Encased in real leather and a metallic closure thingie (I have no clue how to describe it other than the fact that it does snap shut), these lipsticks are fancier than you'll ever be. Look at that logo etched onto the lipstick itself. Absolutely and pointlessly luxurious. 

As for performance? 

Texture: A little bit on the matte side and can cling to dry patches. It's best that you exfoliate and moisturize well. It won't peel your lips off like a matte formula from MAC, but it's not flattering nonetheless. It doesn't drag on the lips, which is a huge surprise.

Color: The color payoff is awesome, as expected for a matte formula. It lasted through 4 hours of wear, a hearty bowl of pho, and my manic impulse to rub my lips together constantly. It also reapplied very well and didn't look patchy afterwards when it faded. I absolutely love these two colors for my olive complexion. 304 Madarin Bolero is the perfect coral red for spring and summer, rivaling my MAC Lady Danger. 202 Rose Dressing is the perfect "uptight but polished" color that's perfect for work. 

Smell: Sadly, the smell and taste of these babies are very off-putting. The smell is not pungent but the taste is pure plastic heaven. If you enjoyed munching on glue as a child, this may bring back good memories. 

I feel super grateful that an MUA swapped this with me, but I feel like brand imaging was strong with this one. Overall, they lasted well but I dreaded re-application time once it came. As fancy as the tube was and as rich-betch as I felt pulling it out of my Coach handbag, it tasted like dollar store crayon. 

So, do you think I should venture into Tom Ford next? I feel like there is criticism on the market for these Le Rouges, but everyone and their mom digs $TF. 

xo Be