My Sheer Lipstick/Color Balm Collection: Reviews and Swatches

With the weather getting warmer, I wanted to make a post of all the (4 total) lip products in my collection that are not quite lipsticks, and not quite lip glosses. They are the sheer in between, designed to be hydrating and give a natural tint to the lips.

Before we go any further, I should say that I have fair cool toned skin, and I love brown-toned lipsticks. My aims when buying brown toned lip products include avoiding ones that are too warm and yellow. All of the products listed are ones that I very much enjoy and use often.

Let's get started!

From left to right, we have:

1.) Clinque Almost Lipstick in Black Honey. I bought this a while ago from Ulta for $18.50. It contains nearly 2g of product. While Black Honey provides a natural, glossy, mulberry stain to my lips, I will say this product is not hydrating. I usually layer it with a lip balm like Carmex or Vaseiline. Still, the color is very flattering, but I do not think I would repurchase. 

2.) Becca Lush Lip Colour Balm in Chai. Originally sold for $22.00, I picked this up by chance for $5.99. It contains a little more than 5g of product. Though I paid so little for it, I would happily pick up other colors in the line as well- like Milk Chocolate.  This also has a natural glossy finish, and is very close to my actual lip color. It is not too warm and the color pigments adhere more to the skin than the other products in this post. It also has a sweet vanilla taste to it. 

3.)  Flesh Fleshy Lips Lipstick in Gorge, a warm brown that looks cooler in the bullet. Gorge costs $18.00 for more than 5g of product, so its a better deal than Black Honey. It is the sheerest product in the collection, but it does deliver in providing a warm tone. The texture is very smooth, buttery, and balm-like and feels quite hydrating. It leaves a natural, glossy finish. 

4.) Lastly, we have the Stila Color Balm Lipstick in Jessie. I originally had the grey-toned shade, Grayson, which I used up completely. Grayson provided a nice bit of coolness to my lips, and I was happy to have paid full price for it, which was $22.00. However, by chance I spotted Jessie, a brown-taupe shade at TJ Maxx for $8.00. It is a bit warmer than I would have preferred, but I do enjoy the formula.  The balms from Stila are probably the most moisturizing, and have the most melty formula. They also have a mint scent to them. Currently Stila is selling them at $8.00 as well.

Hope this was informative! Let me know if you tried any of these!

Shop My Stash: Lip Products

Though I am no means a lipstick/lip product collector, I have ended up with far more lip products than one could ever need. That being said, I am pretty terrible about remembering to use them. Typically, I apply a lip product with color before I leave the house, and then just use lip balm for the rest of the day.

I would like to get more use out of my lip products. So I picked four out of my stash to remember to use this week.

Here they are:

 We have:

1.) A NYX liquid lipstick/gloss thing from their Steampunk collection in the shade Ignite

2.) A Stila balm in the shade Grayson

3.) A Hard Candy lipstick in the shade Nudist

4.) Maybelline Shine Compulsion lipstick in Taupe Seduction.

I also swatched them below, but not in that order.

Below, the first shade swatched is Taupe Seduction. I bought this because I am a lover of all things taupe, even if this particular shade is incredibly rosy/mauve. It is incredibly glossy, and I am hoping it will be a bit moisturizing. I have used it a bit, but not have used it long-term.

The second shade swatched is Nudist. These lipsticks from Hard Candy have a really nice formula, albeit a bit too soft. Still, I think it's an excellent color and formula, and I do feel it is a bit moisturizing.

The third "swatch" barely appeared because it is so sheer. Grayson is a gray-tinted, minty lip balm that actually works well underneath under colors as a way to cool them down. By itself, you do get a hint of gray, but only a hint.

Lastly, I'm a little intimidated by this product from NYX, in the shade Ignite. Aside from the fact NYX was borrowing heavily from Fenty's hexagonal designs, the applicator on this gloss dispenses way too much product, if you're not careful. This gloss is extremely pigmented, slightly minty, and has a great color. I feel like I was not being careful enough with it in the past, which resulted in the product getting on my teeth. I am not a fan of the level of care I am supposed to use when applying this product, but it really is an interesting product I want to get an actual full day's use of.

A testament to how pigmented Ignite is is how it blends out, compared to the other lip products (excluding Grayson). Each swatch was pretty much even, but Ignite just would not fade.

I am intrigued to see how this week will go and will follow up with my thoughts.

Thanks for reading!

EoTD: Rose Gold w/ Stila's Glitter and Glow Liquid Eyeshadow in "Kitten"

So a long time ago I put Stila's "Diamond Dust" in a disappointing products post. And I still stand by that- it clung to texture, felt terrible on, and I just could not believe that was what the hype was about.

And then, as a result of my Sephora haul, and I got a tonnnnn of free samples- including a couple of uses of the Glitter and Glow in the shades "Kitten" and one that is slightly darker than Kitten.

Feeling brave, I decided to go with Kitten and layer it on top of Mac's Painterly Paint Pot...and I really like the look so far. I was stuck by how different it was to Diamond Dust- it was smooth, did not irritate my skin, and did not apply patchily. 

Of course, how it wears throughout the day will be another story. It is pretty warm and humid out, so I will be looking for creasing, etc., and I will update this post with my final thoughts. 

But other than that, I really like my look today. 

I am wearing the Fenty foundation mixed with Physician's Formula Healthy Foundation, and with Mary Loumanizer as a highlighter, which I have not worn in forever. It is one of those products I am trying to pan this summer. My blush is my usual mix to make a rose-brown tint, and I am wearing my Milani contour stick. Both powder and cream formulas are working very nicely on top of the foundation. 

I am also wearing one of the items from the Bite Beauty June Sephora birthday set- the lipstick in Chai. 

One thing I will say before I show the pictures is that compared to the eyeshadow powder version of Kitten, the liquid one is darker because its liquid base is rose brown. I like this quite a bit because it gives a bit more depth and complexity on the eye. I did pack the shadow Kitten on the center of the lid just for a bit more sheen and to see what would happen. 

Here are the results:

Also, before I wrap this up, I should say I got samples of a variety of products that I could feature on my blog, and decide whether or not I would purchase full size. These include:

-Tarte Blush in Exposed (though I already know I would not give Tarte a single penny)

-A couple of samples of Bite Beauty multisticks (maybe for a monochromatic look)

-A couple of samples of the Sephora story lipsticks

-Some Buxom liquid lipsticks

-Clinique Foundation

Let me know what you think of that idea! Thanks for reading. 

Swatch of Stila's Diamond Dust

So, as I mentioned before, I did end up buying Diamond Dust. It arrived today, and I haven't done a proper wear test or anything like that, but I did take some pics. I also wanted to really showcase all the colors in Diamond Dust, so for the first time I've included a short video. Please excuse the horribly shaky video quality.

Enjoy!

Stila Customer Service Whinge

So I did try to cancel my order of Kitten, which had been languishing as "processing" for more than a week. I emailed customer service last Sunday to cancel the order. I received an email back Monday saying that they needed my order number.

Now, I accidentally put in the wrong email when I filled out my order through paypal. So, I told them this, and gave them the rest of my order info that was available from Paypal.

Well, magically, they were able to recover my order information and magically my order shipped that day! Even though there was no record of that via paypal.

I already decided I will be gifting Kitten. I don't need it, and I am just so annoyed.

TJ Maxx Finds, ctd.

Continuing with my posts about finds at TJ Maxx, I thought I would go through my collection today to review it all- the good, the bad, and the bottom line.

To begin, I am learning not to buy things simply because they are on sale. I once found both the Too Faced Cat's Eye (or something like that) palette, and the MUFE Artist's palette at very reduced prices, but I did not purchase- knowing I would never have bought them at full-price, knowing I would never use them.

Part of the fun, though, has to do with taking a risk. Sometimes I buy things blindly, and it ends up working out. Sometimes it does not. Let's begin, shall we?

I. Buxom Full Bodied Lipstick in Dolly. Full price, $22. Bought for $6.00. I am so glad I found this. It is a perfect color for me, lasts long, has excellent pigmentation and texture. This was definitely a good buy.

II. Buxom Eyeshadow Brush, bought for $5.00, maybe? retails now for $11.00. I don't use this brush as much as I once did, but its shape and bristle density make application very easy.

III. Soho Naturals Powder Brush, retail price $10.00. I don't know how much I paid for it. It is my oldest brush, and the only brush I have that I feel comfortable applying blush with. Still a very good buy.

IV. Too Faced Bullet Proof 24-Hour Shadow Liner in Mink. Regular retail is more than $20, and I paid half. I have not used this yet, but I have swatched it, and this stuff lasts forever. I am saving it for an occasion where I have to be at work all-day.

V. Kat Von D High Voltage eye primer. This stuff is so gross :( . It smells like paint, and has a yellow tinge that I can see through my eyeshadow. Definitely not as good as any of my other primers. Will declutter.

VI. Marc Jacobs eye palette in The Tease. Regular retail $59.00, bought for $20.00. Definitely a good cool-toned palette with a lot of possibilities. One shade was slightly damaged when I bought it, but I will hold onto it. Not planning on buying any more of these palettes, full-price or no.

VII. Ecotools Brush Cleaner, bought for $3.00, regular retail $7.00. I don't feel as though I am getting a thorough clean with these, but they are good for quick temporary clean.

VII. Boscia Cool Blue Foundation Essence, bought for $12.00. Regular price $20.00. I am not too impressed with this moisturizer, but I do enjoy the cooling sensation. I use it once in a while.

VIII. Stila Jewel Eyeshadow in Topaz. Bought for $6.00, regular $20.00. Nope, not worth it. Haven't really used it, don't want to use it. Depotting did not help.

IX. Algenist Reveal Concentrated Luminzing Drops in Rose, $5.00, regular price..Sephora sold a duo of this for $22, making one worth $11. I LOVE this. I thought this would be a dupe for Nyx's Born to Glow Liquid Illuminator in Sunbeam, as they are both a pale pink with microshimmer. They do appear very similar, with perhaps Algenist having finer shimmer. The difference, though, is that while Nyx's fades quickly, Algenist Drops last ALL DAY. Once blended, that stuff does not budge.

X. Dr. Brandt Save our Skin Comfort Cream, $10.00. Now, a quick google search reveals that the company was sent warning letters from the FDA regarding unsupported/unsupportable claims they made about their product, especially as these claims would suggest that the company is using ingredients not approved by the FDA. I don't know how this issue was resolved, and I would certainly like to know! Save Our Skin comfort cream is sold for $55.00, and I would never EVER pay that kind of money for this kind of product, especially with a government agency sending them warning letters. Not a good look. Still the cream itself is quite "comforting" and does feel good on the skin. I''ll continue to use it when I feel like it.

Decluttered/not pictured:

X. Kat Von D Chrysalis Palette, bought for $20.00
XI. Kat Von D Innerstellar Palette, bought for $20.00

Am I crazy? Quite possibly. I didn't like these palettes because I did not feel they offered enough variety and consistency. Some mattes and shimmers in both were impressive, and I did end up decluttering them. Some I would never use. Both palettes are long gone now.

Anti-Haul, Part I "That's a No From Me, Thanks"

Happy Sunday! Today I thought I'd fight the Sunday blues by writing an anti-haul, one of my favorite types of videos/articles to see/read. As I've said before, Kimberly Clark is one of my faves, and she really brought this type of video/discourse into the online beauty community.

For me, anti-hauls are personal in a way that benefits others. These are based upon my personal preference and experience, so a reader might agree or learn that perhaps a specific product would then support their needs.

Please be aware that much of my reasoning will also be hyperbolic, much in the way hauls themselves are "OMGEE guise you neeeeeeed this!!!!"

Let's begin. The following are products that I actually want reeeeeaaaly bad. But I don't need them!!

1. TONYMOLY Inked Cushion Gel Liner, 2g/$10 g. Okayso this is one of those purchases that seem like a good deal. Ten dollars, and a good amount of product. Also, I will be perfectly honest when I say that I only want this because of the packaging. Check it out:

The reviews on Amazon, when filtered through Fakespot, are pretty positive. These are also similar in concept to the Storybook Cosmetics product, and I don't want to give money to Storybook Cosmetics. However, the reason I am not going to buy this is because I already have eyeliner. And when it comes to irresistible packaging, who am I really trying to impress? So it looks cute but....it's just for my eyes only. And I'm not positing to instragram to hundreds and thousands of followers...so what's the big deal? If you see the way I store my some of my eye product, the "display" element is kind of moot:

Finally, I am not going to buy this because it is a cushion eyeliner. In a way it does not matter how much product it has. Earlier this year, I purchased the Physician's Formula Eye Booster Cushion Eyeliner, which has 3 g. And it was completely dried out. I tried to revive  it, but it was too late. Cushion products in both are exposed to a lot of air, due to the amount of surface area, so they don't last very long. So even though there's a lot a lot of product, it won't last long. 

So while I admire the outer design of the product, and the way it appeals to my lit nerdy self, I have no use for this. I'm not going to buy it. 

2. Natasha Denona eyeshadow. Her singles are more than $20 dollars. Five-pan palettes are almost $50. And other palettes range from $129-$139.00. I am not a professional makeup artist. I am not trying to be. There is no point in buying any of this. One, you would expect for each and every shade to be perfect across the board. You are paying for this. Of course, looking at Temptalia's reviews, that is not the case. 

3. Viseart. My saltiness for Viseart was kindled yesterday when I was watching EmilyNoel83's video on the Pretty Vulgar brand's eyeshadow palette. She was pretty "meh" about the shades, but it was her reasoning that annoyed me. According to her, when compared to Viseart, it is hard to gauge the quality/appreciate the quality of other eyeshadow brands. I call BS. That can be said about every single brand apart from Viseart, if that is the case. She should then, in all future eyeshadow reviews, say the same thing, that essentially Viseart ruined all eyeshadow for her.

Of course, that is unreasonable. I think she was completely apathetic about the brand's quality, and really had nothing else to say. Which, if that is the case, just say so.

I won't purchase Viseart because I have too many matte eyeshadows, and their other shimmer palettes are not that well-received, apart from the Bijoux Royal palette. I would consider purchasing that one, but it has colors I just would not wear. I am also not a makeup artist, again. 

4. Ardency Inn Manuka Honey in Rose Gold, $20-something. Okay, this one pains me because it is getting harder and harder to find this online. But it is soo pretty. But I keep telling myself it is just eyeshadow, and rose gold eyeshadows are not that uncommon. We'll see. 

5. Stila, Magnificent Metals. This one is is getting a lot of buzz. For .15 oz, it sells for $24. I feel like that's pretty pricey for Stila. I am not going to buy this because the quality varies too much from shade to shade, and it's pretty inconsistent. This is due to the fact that some of the shades have an actual color liquid base, while others do not. I've also heard reviews of the glitter falling off/being chunky. After looking at the swatches at Temptalia, hardly any except for the Rose Gold look opaque. And the "mermaid/unicorn" pink/purple/blue duochrome ones are simply not my style.

6. Carli Bybel Deluxe Palette from BH Cosmetics, $19.00. I am one of those few who did not purchase the original one. For me, most of the shades looked exactly the same, and I am not a fan of BH Cosmetics matte eyeshadow. The Deluxe palette, which came out last month, certainly looks deluxe. I've watched a couple of videos that have swatches of this palette, but no live swatches, which I thought was strange. I am not going to purchase this. Though I think the shimmery shades are quite pretty, I would love to see BH Comsetics sell them as singles. Again, the mattes would be redundant for me, and the sheer amount of highligher in this palette is overwhelming. This palette looked bloated.
And I don't really buy the claim that some highlighters can be used as eyeshadow. It really depends on the formula. If the highlighters are of a looser formula than the eyeshadows, then one would require glitter glue or a really sticky primer, because many highlighters are actually formulated to blend and sheer out.

I see a lot of people talk about her original palette on YouTube. She ends up in a lot of decluttering videos. Whether or not people declutter it, many of them attest to the fact that they simply do not use it. While I do think the deluxe palette  is certainly more inspiring than the original one, I have a feeling that in a couple of months, people will be saying the same thing about the deluxe one as well.