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. 

Edit| Spring Lipstick Launches: Too Faced La Matte and Bite Beauty Amuse Bouche Lipsticks

Do you ever get the feeling that you have too many lipsticks? I honestly don't need ANOTHER lipstick, but I've been diligent with using up bullets and purging unflattering colors. 

Bite Beauty recently relaunched their Luminous Creme Lipsticks into the Amuse Bouche line ($26 each) with 34 colors in the range. The original line is rather drying on my lips, even if they are emollient, but my Pickled Ginger is flattering, ultra pigmented, and very kind to dry lips without bleeding everywhere. I'm already eyeing Spritzer (so unique *-*) and Radish for the VIB Sale in April. 

Meanwhile, Too Faced decided to go HAM with their lipstick line and introduce the La Matte Color Drenched Matte Lipstick ($22 each) with a total of 10 super seasonal colors in the range. I picked up The New Black which is a stunning coral orange. These are slightly drying on bare lips, but they are very pigmented and stain my lips with little need for reapplication. The finish is matte but plush rather than dehydrated!

If you're looking for a spring-summer lipstick that may induce hoarding tendencies but don't want to go with the liquid lipstick trend, you may want to check these out. 

xo Be

First Look| NYX Lip Lingerie Liquid Lipstick

NYX has just recently launched a huge line of nude liquid lipsticks (12 shades!) to compete with the higher end brands. The Lip Lingerie Liquid Lipsticks retail for $7 and can be found at Ulta as well. I picked up 3 shades out of their new flagship brick and mortar at Valley Fair Mall in San Jose. (It was with great difficulty as I had to strategically elbow and shove people out of the way to even get to the display!)

The selection was scant that day, so I picked up Teddy (a deep brown), Push Up (a cool pink nude), and Embellishment (a taupe purple). Embellishment is the most unique color out of the line and reminds me of Bite Cava lipstick. 

Here are swatches in various sources of natural lighting. 

You can find swatches of the entire line on both arms and lips on Instagram and the Internetz with ease. Therefore, I'll let you know my thoughts and experience with the product: 

Pros: 

• A matte liquid lipstick that doesn't transfer easily and wears like iron. I got 5 hours of wear untouched and it wears off evenly with oily food, so you can reapply. 
• Great range of cool, neutral, and warm nudes for all people from fair to deep skin tones. 
• Ultra pigmented. 
• Cheap! You can easily find a dupe for any "trendy" nudes and browns in the market. 
• Pointed and flat doe foot applicator gives you a precise application. 
• Not as drying as many other brands such as Jeffree Starr, KVD, Stila, etc. My lips can wear these every day. 

Cons: 

• The formula stays tacky on the lips IF you apply too much. If you frequently press your lips together you will HATE these. 
• You cannot layer the product like many liquid lipsticks. 
• Smells faintly like glue. It can feel like glue too if you use too much.
• Emphasizes lip lines. 

In short, these are awesome cheapies if you are familiar with how liquid lipsticks perform. If you're expecting a ground breaking formula that will glide over dry or cracked lips, you'll be better off getting a matte suede formula that have a higher chance of bleeding or transferring as the day goes on.

xo Be

Edit| High End Lip Products for Summer

I'm not one for high end lipstick hoarding. I've never had a lipstick go rotten on me but I've never been able to use up a lipstick completely. When I buy high end lipsticks, I usually cling onto their beauty so hard that I forget (or purposefully try not) to use them up. In the end, they sit like ancient relics on my vanity until I get scared and toss them into the fridge to prevent further death and decay.

However, since I've been honest with myself and purging what I don't need from my collection, I've had a lot more opportunities to start putting my lips to high end, rare, fancy lipsticks that feel too luxurious to use.

I've also had a chance to pick up more fun, summery colors that aren't too opaque and serious for both work and play.

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First, I gave the YSL Babydoll Kiss and Blush in 5 Rouge Effrontee ($39) a good effort. When these were first released I gave them the side eye and moved along. Stains for blushes and cheek? Probably either too drying, sheer, or complete shit for both cheeks and lips. To my pleasant surprise, these nail polish shaped stains act like an opaque matte liquid lipstick on the lips and a lovely stain on the cheeks that lasts an entire day. Rouge Effrontee is a hot pink coral that's very flattering and bright.

On the glossy, watery, balmy end of the spectrum, the YSL Glossy Stain in 7 Corail Aquatique ($36) is a revisit of a favored formula for me. While I still think that the Revlon Moisture Stains are great dupes of this formula (a little thinner and patchier), Corail Aquatique is an easy-to-wear muted peach that could pass as MLBB if you're a Kpop princess.

Then shit got REALLY REAL, and I bit the bullet for two Guerlain Rouge Automatiques ($37 each) in Nahema and Insolence. It's hard to explain these colors without calling everything peach or coral, so I guess you could say that every shade I purchased is a mutation of coral.

Besides the adorable trap door/slide down for lipstick to come up contraption that may lead to many lipsticks ruined in the palm of your hands, the formula is...amazing. It glides on, imparting color that's moisturizing, doesn't bleed all over lip lines, and stays on for a solid 6 hours before fading evenly. 

*pupils dilate, grabs all teh Guerlain*

Here are swatches with Insolence on the left and Nahema on the right (two swipes versus one for each color). 

Because all of these options are on the sheerer side without being too in yo face about their pigment, I don't feel afraid to wear lipstick. All of them can be applied without a mirror and I don't have to blot anything down or feel self-conscious about stares. Isn't comfort what makes makeup fun in the first place? 

xo Be

Review| Clinique Pop Lip Colour + Primer in Poppy Pop

The Clinique Pop Lip Colour + Primer ($18) was a complete disaster for me. 

I picked up Poppy Pop after perusing the aisle of fantastic color choices, especially for spring and summer. Reds! Pinks! Nudes! Whatever you want! They all swatched very creamily and pigmented on my hand, so I was gleeful and picked out a color that I could rock all summer long. The packaging is adorable and totally easy to toss into your handbag without weighing it down. Tiny!

And...womp womp, it made my lips peel and feel tight after just one day of wear. 

If you can check the ingredients list and find out that you're not allergic/senstive to any, you might find these affordable and good fun. They're pigmented and glide like butter onto the lips, and last a moderate 4-5 hours before fading evenly. 

Sadly, my lips felt increasingly worse as I reapplied (yes, you can slap it right on top with no issues) and my lip lines became more and more pronounced.

I'm also not sure why they called it a primer since the colors are so opaque. Maybe this is meant to be a chubby lip liner? 

In any case, it wasn't for me. 

xo Be

First Look| MAC Huggable Lipcolour in Fashion Force and Glamorized

Holy f*cking shit, it's a MAC lipstick that doesn't cause my lips to crack, bleed, peel, or flake!

And as the biggest middle finger ever, MAC decided that their Huggable Lipcolours ($20) be limited edition releases. How about you make 'em permanent in a wider range of colors? I would be a MAC lipstick hoarder. (Well, I used to be, until I realized that I couldn't use a single one and purged them all to my mom.)

The packaging is sleek and VERY lightweight, making it perfect to toss into your handbag for touchups. And you will need touchups. This is not a long-wearing formula by any meaning of that word, but with minimal drinking and snacking they lasted for a few hours and left a slight stain on me. 

I get a little confused and try to twist off the cap every time, but the secure packaging just needs a good yank.

They have a faint scent of the classic vanilla specific to permanent MAC lipsticks. 

If you're a fan of comfortable, creamy, and jelly finish lip balms like Revlon Lip Butters (ironically, those make my lips feel tight, so wtf) you will find these amazing and worth collecting in multiple shades. That is, until you realize that half of the 2015 Spring launch is some mutation of a nude coral peach shade. There are two reds, a true orange, and a hot pink to *sorta* round it out, but you won't find any groundbreaking color here. They're all spring appropriate. 

Although the formula is on the creamy side and could feel heavier on the lips (like a thick balm) it does not bleed easily. I like them alone and can tolerate reapplication throughout the day without applying a lip balm in the morning. 

Let me re-emphasize: these are COMFORTABLE. Even if my lips are looking chapped or dry, these lipsticks seem to glide over textural issues and hide them well. The opacity is not as extreme as say, a NARS Audacious lipstick, but it is neither a sheer wash of color. See for yourself. 

This is Glamorized.

 And this is Fashion Force. 

Even if you're on the fence about the small and limited color selection, you should at least pick one up to try!

Since this is THE best lipstick formula for every day that I've found in a long time, I'll be picking up Play it Soft and Flaming Lips to round out my color library. Then I guess I'll have to wait until the next limited edition release. 

xo Be

First Look| Too Faced Melted Liquified Longwear Lipstick (Melted Peony & Melted Coral)

Ever bought something (or things...) and instantly regretted it the moment you tried it on at home? Or to keep it real, after trying it in your car using your rearview mirror the moment you get into the parking lot? 

Too Faced Melted Liquified Longwear Lipsticks ($21) are on every beauty blogger's #selfie and available at Sephora, Ulta, and online. Admittedly, I was curious to try them because of how much I worship their La Creme formulation. This time they came up short of expectations.

It's not that the packaging isn't adorable or that the six colors released aren't ultra pigmented and amazingly curated. It's my darn reptilian lips. I was cautious enough to only pick two colors because I know my lips don't always do well with stains. Melted Coral and Melted Peony are both perfect shades for spring and the soon coming summer.

Don't be fooled by the huge packaging. It's split up inside to house the tube in only half the box.  

You see, despite the claims of it being "creamy, comfortable, intense color, lasts for hours, made of unicorn shit, etc..." the Melted lipstick is not a "liquid lipstick gloss stain" mutant as advertised. In fact, it resembles a satiny lipstick that goes comes out of a rather unsanitary squeeze foam tip. 

It's the reason why I didn't swatch these directly on my lips at Sephora, out of fear of catching herpes and unpleasant germs.

Here is one coat of Melted Peony applied directly on my lips. You've seen this shot before. Look closely and you'll see the power grid of America's east coast from outer space on my lips. The color likes to congregate around the outer portion of the lips and really sink into any crevice it can find. Another thing to note is that the color isn't as striking and bright on the lips as swatches may suggest.

Let me just go through the claims and slash them down for you. Seriously, if your lips are at all sensitive or prone to dryness you can go ahead and just take these out of your fantasy Sephora cart. Those blessed with naturally soft, pouty, and perfect lips need not talk to me.

Creamy? Not even. Compared to their La Cremes and other lipsticks, they come out in a liquid form but don't have a balmy feel to them. They don't feel heavy nor particularly light on the lips. The biggest nay is how quickly the formula settle into every crevice and crack of your lips if you don't apply a balm underneath. 

Glossy? Meh. I found them to swatch rather glossy but they didn't have a huge shine factor on the lips and dried down to a satin finish. Intense color? You betcha. A little squeeze, a little dab, and a little swipe gives me full on lipstick pigmentation in a liquidy texture.

Comfortable? Kinda. They didn't make my lips peel or flake severely but they were too dry to be worn alone. I found it best to layer a moisturizing lip gloss on top or to wear a balm underneath. My lips certainly felt tight when I used it alone; bummer as the packaging and applicator is so touch up friendly.

Long lasting? Sure, if you only eat a cube of cheese when you feel faint. As for me, I reapplied every three hours. Both colors transferred onto my cup when I had tea and ran away completely whenever I ate. I usually have a problem with color transferring onto my chin (I must make exaggerated eating faces) but the color leaves evenly so there's no unsightly ring around the lips. They do stain your lips very slightly after they wear off. 

See how non-glossy the color is on the lips? Not as advertised. I'm very suspicious that I've bought a bad batch where the formula is super matte and drying. 

Overall, I won't be purchasing any other shades and I'm contemplating a return on these! I don't like the extra work put in just to make them wearable, and the overall product is nothing to write home about. Don't be fooled by bright colors; you'll find a much better formulation in other spring releases!

xo Be

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

First Look| L'oreal Le Matte and La Laque.

I finally have ventured outside of my 10 mile zone to another Target in search of these mystical lipsticks. And they are indeed mystical. I hadn't been able to find them for the past few weeks, even though it's been out for at least two months now. Such is the life of limited edition items; they get clamored over by crazy makeup enthusiasts and disappear, never to come back.

Ah, but I've finally found them. Here are some swatches and pictures for your enjoyment. You may live vicariously through me.

From left to right: 414 I Lacque You A Lot, 413 Lacque-onic, 409 Matte for Me. Below, the order is reversed.

 

Matte for me is a blue based pink, in the same family as MAC's Girl About Town/Crosswires/Impassioned.

Lacque-onic is my favorite, a true red with a shine. 

I Lacque You A Lot is an orange-red that seems similar to MAC's Lady Danger with a shine. 

None of the colors are particularly wearable for every day (work/school) unless you're the adventurous type, but they are beautiful nonetheless. They remind me of NARS' matte and satin lip pencils with a much lower price point, and dare I say they are much less drying? I'd love to pick up even more, but I received the matte shade in a swap and only found the other two at Target. Also, I believe they retail for about 8 to 10 dollars (if you can find them, try to buy a few just in case!)

All three shades are very opaque and pigmented, long wearing, and not prone to bleeding or drying. The matte shade applies like a satin and dries down to a matte and wore down to a light stain after three hours. The La Laques are a little more prone to feathering if not laid on top of a liner, but they do not slide around.

The only downside is that they smell rather outdated and "drugstore", which is a given. I really hope that these are just L'oreal's way of testing the waters before jumping in with a more extensive collection.

Have you been able to find these at your local drugstore or Target? I think most people are having good luck with Target. Let me know what you think!

Be

Review| Urban Decay Lip Primer Potion

We all know that Urban Decay is a cosmetic powerhouse when it comes to eyeshadows, lipsticks, setting sprays, (okay everything), but they also take the cake when it comes to primers. I stock up on their eye shadow primer every chance I get and have never wandered elsewhere. Of course, I should have known better that they would have a primer for lips. If you want your eyeshadow and foundation to look flawless all day, why not your lips?

Well, duh. They've already thought of that. It's called the Lip Primer Potion. Urban Decay claims, "This invisible primer lays a silky foundation for your favorite lipstick or gloss. Color is truer, applies smoother, lasts longer, and will not feather!" It retails for $20 and contains moisturizing Vitamins A, E, and C as well as SPF 15. It has no color payoff and the worst it will do is let your lipsticks apply true to color.



Bold claims, considering how most lipsticks fade unevenly on my lips and leave them looking drier and crustier than a teenage boy's quilt blanket. Disgusting. Even the creamiest lipsticks tend to fade much quicker than intended, even with flawless prep work and Satanic prayer. It's also the reason why red lips haven't become my signature look and fuchsia lipsticks only venture out in the evening. Like, two hours max before I rush home and furiously scrub my lip flakes.

Well, I have to say that this is the best swap investment I've ever made. Take a look at my test run schedule this morning:

• 8:00 AM- Wearily eye bold lipstick stash and wonder when I'll ever use them up. Notice the lip primer in the corner. Test time! I apply it over bare lips (I applied balm in the bathroom), line with MAC's More to love lipliner, and apply UD's Bang lipstick haphazardly within the general mouth area. Wink at sexy clown looking back at me in the mirror.


• 11:30 AM- Head out the house to run errands and get Starbucks. Order a tall iced coffee and their new Spinach croissant. Noms. Immediately look in mirror. The glossy top layer of the lipstick is gone, but the original color is still on! And even! The color is not as "satiny" but is a lovely matte.


• 1:00 PM- First vape of the day. Check in bathroom mirror, color is still there!? Lips feel a little tight, but no noticeable flakes are coming out. I apply NYX's Butter Gloss in Creme Brulee. Usually this starts an awful cycle of peeling and reapplication that cannot be remedied.


• Now (2:00 PM)- Lip line is not as precise as in the morning, but nothing is bleeding outside of the lines, even with gloss. Color is just as vibrant as in the morning and the faint gloss added back the sheen I wanted. No flakes! Woohoo!

I am in love with this lip primer, considering how I've never seen this at Sephora before. I've always thought that lip primers are over-glorified lip balms, but this is the bomb. The formulation feels like a heavy wax based lip balm and takes a bit of elbow grease to apply, but the end result is so worth it. I would rather wear this under every lipstick and take an extra minute in my routine than have to constantly check my mirror in paranoia. Where has this been all my life??

Well, I have another interview tomorrow, and the hubs has finally found work within Orange County. Happy day! I'll be rocking my red-orange lip look into tonight's celebration dinner.

Be

First Look| MAC Rebel and Diva DUPES

The Internet beauty world is a vicious cycle of researching, eye raping swatches, reading reviews, and stalking other beauty blogs until I give up and just run to my nearest department store to spend boatloads of money. However, since I am on a tight budget, I decided to find dupes for MAC's Rebel and Diva at the drugstore. According to MakeupbyCheryl, Wet n Wild had great dupes for the shades, but they were sold out. After spending a good amount of time perusing the aisles and trying to recollect from my memory which brand has the best formulation, I settled upon Maybelline's lipsticks.

 

420 Deepest Cherry and 410 Blissful Berry

So, as you can see, they belong to the general realm of berries and dark plums. However, these drugstore dupes were $7.99 (Buy one get one half off!) at Rite Aid rather than MAC's 15 a pop lipsticks. As I have no method of transportation at the method besides my weary feet, I didn't want to harass the husband into taking me to the mall to buy something as trivial as makeup (sarcasm).

As you can see from this hideous picture, the colors are rather comparable. Not exact, but comparable. Blissful Berry took a few (okay, four) swipes to show up opaque and Deepest Cherry took two. However, they stain even when wiped off, especially the berry shade. I can see both being dabbed onto the lips to create a Korean ombre milky lip. You can also layer it on for a playful twist on the vampy trend this fall.

Excuse my lined and chapped lips. This is Blissful Berry, the dupe of MAC Rebel. This picture is showing it pretty true to shade, maybe a hair lighter. It's very wearable for my NC40 coloring at the time. I won't show you how Deepest Cherry looks, since it looks absolutely dreadful if you don't prep your lips before wear. While I doubt these dupes are on par with MAC's formulations, they are still half the price of the real thing and very soft, long lasting, and not drying. They smell like crayola, but that's still better than L'oreal's sexy grandma play-doh smell. I did look through L'oreal's collections of lipstick but quickly shied away from the smell. BLEGH!

That's all for today, I'm taking pictures of my swap haul for you guys and will post it soon!

Be

Review | Urban Decay's Revolution Lipsticks

This seriously sounds like a recipe for love. Twenty two shades, 22 dollars, 22 reasons why I will be broke very very soon. I've seen beauty bloggers rave and obsess over this for the past month, and for some reason, I just wasn't that interested. Bright shades? Pass, I've seen brighter. Creamy and moisturizing? Lies, no such thing. In all honesty, I don't need another lipstick, even if it blows everything I own out of the water. Even if it cooks breakfast every morning, or does my laundry, or please me better than ice cream.

I resisted, I really did try.

Then I went to Sephora and the display case captured and enraptured me. "Swatch F-bomb, doooo it!" a voice whispered. I shivered with hesitation. Oh, it was the makeup consultant. Yes, yes, I swatched quite a few until my hands were crazy with colors. How creamy it is indeed, I thought. Look at all of these beautiful nudes and brights, I thought. Slowly, against my very will, I picked out Anarchy and made my way to the checkout. Then the rest happened in due time.

Sigh.

I've always been a fan of UD's makeup, from their primer to eyeliners and eyeshadow palettes, but I never knew they even had a lipstick line to revamp. Apparently, the Revolution lipsticks are part of their Fall 2013 collection and will be a permanent addition. Let's get right into the review!

Color: With such a great range, you are sure to find a couple shades to love and covet. Check out Phyrra's swatches here. Even before hitting the store, I was eyeing most of them with the dedication of a sex offender. Pigmentation is opaque and strong. I picked out four colors:

• Anarchy, a hot pink/true fuchsia


• Streak, a slight coral pink (it's a pity that there were no other true corals in the line)


• F-Bomb, a true classic red with no discernible undertones


• Shame, a deep berry (looks disgusting in the picture right? It's actually the shade on the UD's model's lips...perfect for fall!)

Pricing: At 22 per lipstick, this is definitely smack dab in the mid-range of lip products. Now, if only they were a little cheaper to facilitate my hoarding obsession....I wouldn't say this is a strange price point, especially for UD products. There isn't too much product for the price but this is never a problem as I've never been able to finish any lipstick. I got mine at Sephora and Ulta.

Packaging: A lovely silver bullet, big enough to kill vampire-werewolf mutants with style. The inside is UD's iconic purple, and the tube slides shut with no click but a tight feeling. I'm a huge fan of how the lipstick bullet itself is a little more slender than others with no pointed tip. It makes application a breeze! A clear label adorns the bottom for you to identify.

Wear: It is indeed creamy without having too much slip to bleed. Wear time is about 4 hours, typical of most lipsticks. However, the best part of this lipstick is how it doesn't flake! It almost feels like YSL's Rouge Voluptes without the pricepoint. For the most part, many of my fuchsias and hot pinks tend to dry out my lips no matter how much I scrub my lips raw or layer lip balm. These wear comfortably for about 4 hours and start to stain/fade after that time mark. There is no ugly ring around your lips even after a meal. My favorite thing about these is that they do not crack or chap your lips! I have encountered many a high end lipstick that do so (ahem, NARS...)

Swatches: Now for the good part. These are all two coats, with Anarchy being one single swipe, and indoors.

This is in natural but dim lighting.

This is under yellow lighting from a fluorescent light. Sorry for the carpet, seems like I love hoarding dog hair more than I think. Gross.

And these are in direct natural sunlight from the window. You can see that Anarchy has very intense pigmentation, and Streak is much more pink than online pictures suggest.

Overall, I am really pleasantly surprised by the quality of these newly launched lipsticks and would love to collect a few more. I'm eyeing 69, Bang, Liar, and Naked 2. Forgot to tell you they have rather naughty names!

Are you thinking of trying out a few? I've seen quite a few bloggers hoard up on these, and I mean HOARD. As in, 10 shades and counting sort of irresponsible. UD is doing another thing right.

Be

Review: MAC Cremesheen Glass

Richer, Lusher?

Is there such a product that makes me richer while plumping up my lopsided sausages?

Sadly, the answer is no. These cremesheen glass, or fancy tinted lip glosses, from MAC run about 20 dollars at Nordies. Surprising, since MAC lipsticks are only about 15 dollars. Good thing the mother offered payment in exchange for giving her advice on a new red lipstick shade and foundation. I recommended Studio Fix Fluid for a summer foundation and Viva Glam I (one of my recent finds) for a sexy red shade. She actually gave her SFF to me in an act of great charity, and upon seeing its finish on my skin, she had to re-buy. Women logic. SFF's full coverage and strong oil control makes flaw covering and tone-evening a one step process for lazy summers (no concealer or powder needed).

Anyway, I digress. Richer, Lusher is a beautiful coral/orange shade that looks lovely on its own or over a pink lipstick for more dimension.

PROS:

- Non-sticky. Lip gloss reminds me of the third grade. Sticky lip gloss reminds me of my third grade frenemy. Associations are powerful. This gloss doesn't stir up any old memories.

- Color is semi-opaque. In the tube, it looks like a heavy liquid gloop lipstick. The color payoff is a little less sheer than an actual Cremesheen lipstick but is more...

- Moisturizing. Even more so than its lipstick counterpart. The gloss can pair with any lipstick in order to prevent cracked lips or settled lip color.

- Doefoot applicator makes it easy to apply, though not precise enough without some reference to a pocket mirror.

- In general, a beautiful and subtle color that can lean nude for a smokey eye or brightening on its own. It is not opaque enough to clash with another lipstick but only helps amplify another lipcolor, either from a lipstick or lip liner.

- The Cremesheen Glass line has many beautiful, collectible, wonderful, obsession-inducing shades to choose from.

CONS:

- What the expensive heck? 20 dollars for a lip gloss? Good thing lip glosses last me for ages until I get annoyed at the sticky caps and throw them away.

Would I repurchase? Not likely. Would I purchase another shade in the collection? Yes, given that the color was absolutely to die for. I spotted many other lovely shades, but the price tag induced rational hesitance. My wallet actually screamed "No!" audibly. Just kidding. But 20 dollars for a lip gloss? Am I wrong for thinking that lip gloss shouldn't be more than 5 bucks under any circumstance?

Anyway, I am heading back to San Diego tomorrow to start my summer classes and clean up the house in order for a big move to another part of town. The upside is that I won't have to unpack anything, but I would still love to do a collective haul for you guys if you're interested. I'm not meaning to brag, a lot of the stuff I got were presents and gifts from my family for graduation who knows how much I love makeup and cosmetics. I got hooked up with some really great gems like a BeautyBlender, Origins face products, MAC products, and plenty of stuff from Sephora. If I do a collective haul, I'll be posting it up as a video on Youtube and link it here.

Tata for now,

Be

Haul: Drugstore Lipsticks and Eyeliner

Hi guys,

Went over to Walmart today to pick up some toothpaste and 3 in 1 for the husband. Apparently, men can't take the extra time to wash their body and hair separately, much less condition it. Good thing the entire bottle (about the size of my forearm) was only 3 bucks. Maybe it's more cost efficient to shower like a man...

They were having a rollback on Rimmel lipsticks, and I was in need of a good drugstore red lippie. I picked up the very YT popular Rimmel Kate #1.

It seems to be a very vibrant red that isn't too light or vampy. I'm not sure if I can wear it in the summer however as i prefer my orange-toned reds for the heat.

The one above is from the same line, but number 6. I really dig watermelon pinks at the moment and since these Rimmel lipsticks were only 3.97 each, I had to get two. I did have to dig through a few to find one that was untouched, as these are sold without a seal. Really? You trust people enough to not open and swatch in store?

Revlon's "Love that Pink"

Rimmel's Moisture Delight in Violet Pop

I also picked up the two above to add to my pink/purple collection. Love that Pink seems very similar to Kate's #6, but just a tad darker. Violet Pop is a little grandma chic, but I think can be pulled off by ladies with darker skin.

Above is a swatch of all four, in natural daylight. (From L to R: #1, #6, Love that Pink, Violet Pop.)

I also picked up two liquid liners, one with a brush application by Rimmel and a felt tip by Maybelline, both in black. With the summer heat, eyeliner is all the eye makeup I want to wear!

I reserve brush tip liners for days where I have the patience of a saint, but the master precise looks very promising. The biggest thing I look for in a liquid liner is zero transfer onto the lids and thus, lasting quality. No liner looks good flaking off the lids!So, that's all for today. I will be back to do reviews for each brand's product later! Happy Hump Day!
-Be