LIPSTICK

Givenchy Le Rouge Sculpt Two-Tone Lipstick Review and Swatch – 04 Corail

December 23, 2017

Today’s lipstick swatching is for the gorgeous Givenchy Le Rouge Sculpt Two-Tone Lipstick in 04 Corail (also available at Sephora). I am obsessed with any lip color in the tone of brick reddish brown – it’s a very autumn color that reminds me of maple leaves. It seems the whole world is obsessed with the shade currently, so it is getting harder and harder to get hold of them from the popular brands in Australia. I accidentally came across this lipstick at Sephora and it was love at first sight with this color.

The two-tone concept is interesting, but I find it very hard to achieve an even two-tone look on my lips without spending a minimum of 10 minutes which nobody would. So in the swatch, I have mixed the two colors together. 04 Corail is in half true bright coral and half brick red. The beauty of a two-tone lipstick is that you can adjust the brightness and color by applying it with a lip brush. In my swatch, I have applied with 50% brick red, and 50% coral. The texture is silky smooth and feels very lightweight on the lips with a 4 to 5 hours staying power (without drinking/eating) in a satin finish.

Closer look

Swatch

Here is a selfie wearing Givenchy Le Rouge Sculpt 04 Corail. Other makeups include Giorgio Armani BB Fluid, Chanel Les Beige Gel Foundation, and Smashbox Eyeshadow Palette in Ablaze (reviewed here) on the eyes.

{ 2 comments }

Labels: GIVENCHY • LIPSTICK

Pat McGRATH LUXE MatteTrance Lipstick OMI Review and Swatch

December 14, 2017

The Pat McGrath LUXE Lipstick was crowned “The World’s Best Lipstick” as soon as they were launched, and they sell out in a blink of an eye. I couldn’t resist and ordered some of her popular shades on her website, and OMG they are totally lives up to its title and are simply irresistible. The pigmentation and the formulation are flawless that have totally set a new standard for me! The lipsticks have recently been restocked, and her entire line is currently 15% off on any order with code LABLOVE15 for a limited time. I thought I’d quickly share a swatch of one of her most sought-after shades – LUXE MatteTrance OMI. It is my new HG lip color now, and I will be getting many backups of it because it is too beautiful!

OMI is an opaque mid-tone terracotta rose color in full matte finish. Swatch is done with 1 swipe only. The color is the most flattering brown rose I have ever used – it doesn’t look too dark nor too beige, and would be suitable for most complexions.

Pat McGRATH LUXE Lipstick OMI

I have done a lot of ‘homework’ before I placed the order, and here is a list of all of her popular lipstick colors that are high in demand.

MatteTrance – OMI (Must-Have!); 1995; Obsessed; Flesh (which is still out of stock worldwide)

LuxeTrance – Beautiful Creature (highly recommend!); Strange; Sedition; Lavish; Unfaithful; Unnatural Natural

Stayed tuned for a more detailed review and swatches

{ 5 comments }

Labels: LIPSTICK • PAT MCGRATH

Lancome Matte Shakers Beige Vintage and Magic Orange Review and Swatch

November 20, 2017

I’ve been raving about the Lancome Matte Shaker on my Instagram a lot, so it’s time for a proper review (bought mine here in Australia). The most popular shade is the Beige Vintage which is often sold-out worldwide, and it has earned many raves amongst all the beauty enthusiasts. It was out of stock in Australia for a long time until it was re-stocked recently. Along with the beige vintage, I’ve also picked up the shade Magic Orange which I am also really loving.

The Matte Shaker is similar to a liquid lipstick – in a lightweight, watery and highly pigmented formula (aka lip cushion) that is done in the same fashion as a cushion foundation versus the traditional liquid formula. It glides on weightless and feels very hydrating to the lips even for a matte formula. The special sponge applicator gives a stamped-in affect, and the color is completely blended in with the lips, that gives a stain-like finish that looks very natural – there is no cakey, dry and chalky feeling on the lips. It takes about 1-2 minutes to dry down to a full-matte finish and stays put for at least 5-6 hours. The best way to apply the product is to use the fingers to pat it in for an ombre look, and it is important to shake the bottle before use.

Left Beige Vintage Right Magic Orange

I have to apologize for the swatching in this post. I did take some high res pictures but I did not like the lighting, so I did it again with my phone and once you cropped the pictures the res quality is very low!

Beige Vintage – as the name suggests it is a universally flattered muted beige rose shade that would suit everyone.

Magic Orange – is a super pretty bright coral orange with a hint of baby pink.

Here is a selfie wearing Beige Vintage!

{ 2 comments }

Labels: FOTD • LANCOME • LIPSTICK

TOM FORD BOYS AND GIRLS LIP COLOR – THE GIRLS Review and Swatch

September 24, 2017

Tom Ford has released another epic collection of the Boy and Girls Lip Colors – The Girls (limited edition). They come in 50 new shades housed in his iconic white and gold case in the clutch size. They are named after 50 women he admires, and the finish varies from sheer, metallic to ultra creamy rich. I picked up 4 gorgeous colors to share with you in this post – Marisa, Isla, Zoe and Grace, as I know many of you are after the swatches! I bought mine here in Australia, and they are also available here with worldwide shipping.

As usual, I go for my usual MLBB colors and they are just beyond beautiful! All of them are ultra-rich with a creamy consistency in full coverage and opaque colors. Marisa, Isla and Grace all have a high shine creamy finish, and Zoe has visible tiny specks of shimmer so it looks a tad more shimmery than the other colors when it is applied. Swatches below are done with 2 swipes only.

From left to right: Grace, Zoe, Isla, Marisa

Marisa – Medium nude creamy MLBB dusty pink.

Isla – Medium peachy coral

Zoe – Medium warm MLBB muted coral with shimmer

Marisa – Warm rosy pink coral

Group Swatch:

{ 5 comments }

Labels: LIPSTICK • Tom Ford

Charlotte Tilbury Hot Lips Lipstick Review and Swatches

August 29, 2017

I took a mini break from blogging as I just felt exhausted from everything, and after my two weeks of holiday in Japan, I am mentally re-charged again to get back to my usual routine of life including my favorite blogging. This review is long overdue, as I have had the Charlotte Tilbury Hot Lips for a while. I ordered 5 amazing beautiful shades on Net-A-Porter based on these online swatches (big thumbs up for the swatches on her website as they are always accurate and reliable). It was a 100% successful order for me, as every color is what I expected and they all wear so beautifully that I struggle to pick a favorite!

Left to Right: Miranda May; Super Cindy; Kidman Kiss; Secret Salma; Hot Emily

Charlotte has several lines of lip colors, and the Matte Revolution (reviewed here) is the best for the texture and finish in my opinion. The HOT Lips lipstick range was born under the collaborations with 12 female celebrities (hence all lipstick shades are named after them), and it has the formula as the matte revolution line. It gives a velvety matte finish without making the lips look and feel dry, and the color stays put for 5-6 hours depending on the color. It applies silky smooth and streak-free, and it has a lovely buttery but non-slippery consistency so it is easy to blend without feathering. It makes the lips feel soft and plump for a youthful look. Overall as a matte lipstick, this is one of the best formulas you can find in the market.

As usual, I picked up some nude, MLBB and red and pink lip colors. All the colors are very effortless and are great for everyday wear, and they go with all sorts of makeup looks and occasions.

Kidman Kiss – is a medium peachy-pink nude. The color is similar to my natural lip color so it doesn’t wash me out and is a such an easy to wear elegant color for a natural look.

Super Cindy – is a true medium muted nude color. It has the perfect balance of nude and dusty pink that instantly makes your lips look more sultry and edgy. One of the IT shade to get your hands on now!

Secret Salma – is a true medium MLBB rosey pink. This is a must have color that most girls can’t get enough of including myself!

Hot Emily – is a coral red that is just as pretty and hot and takes your breath away like the real person. Dab it to the center for a gradient look that gives a more youthful and girly appearance.

Miranda May – I would say this is a very Miranda Kerr color as she always wears a similar lip color in pictures. It is a very pretty and friendly pink coral that would look flattering on most girls, and it instantly brightens up your complexion.

Group Swatches:

{ 10 comments }

Labels: Charlotte Tilbury • LIPSTICK

Tom Ford Soleil 2017 Clutch Sized Lip Balm Review and Swatch – 02 Neotropic and 04 Fathom

June 2, 2017

Whenever there is a new Tom Ford makeup release, we all know there’s going to be a race as a lot of popular items tend to sell out within hours! With the latest Tom Ford Soleil 2017 collection, I managed to pick up two of the most popular clutch sized Soleil lip balms (LE) – 02 Neotropic and 04 Fathom (bought them here in Australia) These lip balms have taken luxury to a new level packaged in the iconic Tom Ford design in a super cute mini size. The formula is very user-friendly for applying on-the-go for adding a flush of color as well as moisturization.

marble plate is available here

The lip balm has the size as the lips and boys, but in a beautiful glossy white case with gold trim. It doesn’t feel waxy nor ultra balmy like a traditional lip balm. The texture is quite hard (unlike the FRESH lip treatment that breaks easily) so you will not add too much product on the lips. It applies silky smooth and feels completely weightless on the lips. The pigment is on par with a sheer lipstick – 2 swipes give enough coverage for adding the right amount of color with a degree of translucency. It doesn’t make your lips look overdone, and gives a very pretty youthful and fresh look. Lasting power is about 4 to 5 hours.

As for a lip balm, it moisturizes the lips mildly – good enough for keeping your dry lips soothed throughout the day, but not nourishing enough for dry and chapped lips.

02 Neotropic is a bright orange color. It’s must-have color me as it’s different to the usual pinks and reds, and it’s a very wearable orange color as it’s not too warm and it instantly brightens up the complexion

04 – FATHOM is a pretty pink red

Swatch on hands – the finish appears more glossy when swatching on the hands, but once it’s applied on the lips and blended out it gives a semi-satin finish.

{ 9 comments }

Labels: LIP TREATMENT • LIPBALM • LIPSTICK • Tom Ford

Dior Addict Lacquer Stick Review and Swatch – Lazy, Turn Me Dior and Party Red

May 6, 2017

It’s been a while since my last update, and every day I was blaming myself for not posting a review for the lovely Dior Addict Lacquer Stick (currently 10% off on Nordstrom!) which I have acquired a while back. It was one of the most exciting lip color collections that I had anticipated, and being a beauty fanatic I was sitting in front of my pc and placed an order as soon as the collection was available online several weeks back (some colors sold out fast at some shops overseas!). I picked the colors LAZY, TURN ME DIOR and PARTY RED which is my favorite. I bought them here in Australia.

The design of the lacquer stick is the best I have seen from Dior so far. The black and purple tinted glossy tube makes it very high end and modern. The gel formula seems to be the new trend now. The Dior Lacquer has the comfort of a hydrating lip balm, and the intensity of a highly pigmented lipstick, and mirror shine of a lip gloss. Basically, this is the best of all-in-one lipstick you can have. It feels very silky smooth on application, and it gives a nice hydrating slip feel to the lips but feels much smoother and more lightweight than applying a lip balm. The color seems to meld into your lips and gives a lacquered glossy finish that makes your lips appear more youthful and plump.

One swipe gives a full coverage for all 3 colors I own. Lasting power varies on the color. For the highly saturated colors I can get up to 6 hours of wear, and for soft and nude color such as Lazy it is about 3-4 hours of wear.

577 LAZY is muted mauve pink. The color is quite close to YLBB, with a more dominant mauve undertone.

744 Party Red is my favorite color! It’s a vibrant orange red which is the type of red that looks the best on me! It looks young and makes a great gradient lip look.

877 Turn Me Dior is the color they are promoting with for this range. Jennifer Lawrence wore this color for the ad, so did the Asian Makeup Maven Pony. It’s a bright red color with a raspberry pink undertone that looks more glamorous. As for me I like to dab just a tiny bit of this color to the center of my lips then blend for an everyday look.

Group Swatch – All colors are applied with one coat only. It gives a full coverage and conceals all the dry lines beautifully.

Bottom Line: Perfection! The formula is hydrating, ultra-weightless and very easy to apply on the go. The Dior Lacquer Sticks are available at Nordstrom with 10% off, or Neiman Marcus who are running a beauty event GWP at the moment. They are also available here with worldwide shipping.

{ 3 comments }

Labels: DIOR • LIPSTICK

MAC Retro Matte Liquid Lip Color Review and Swatch – Burnt Spice, Lady be Good and Rich & Restless

March 4, 2017

My quest for the perfect matte Liquid Lipstick never ends, and today I am sharing my thoughts on the Mac Retro Matte Liquid Lip Color. The colors I picked include Burnt Spice (from the new collection), Lady be Good and Rich & Restless are from the original collection.

As much as we adore the matte finish at the moment, it is not an easy task to the find a good non-drying formula. It is always a little tricky to tell how they perform when you are trying them at the counter, as some formulas tend to feel more drying and even cracking on the lips over time. I didn’t have a high expectation for the MAC formula as I have heard some negative reviews about them, but surprisingly the retro matte wears comfortably on the lips for a day without drying my lips – for the colors I have picked. It also doesn’t enhance dry patches and flakes on the lips. For the same price range, I prefer the MAC more than Kat Von D (reviewed here) as the consistency is more creamy and less drying for delivering the same full matte opaque finish.

From top to bottom: Lady be Good; Rich & Restless; Burnt Spice

The Retro Matte is also insanely pigmented, as one teeny tiny dab of color is enough for the whole lips to show the true color (I think one tube can last a year of daily wear!). It applies creamy at first and gives you about a minute to blend and define the lips before it dries down to a full matte finish like ink on the lips. In the swatch, I applied it with a lip brush so it looks nice and clean in the picture. In real life, I prefer to apply and smudge it with my fingers to achieve a more subtle and effortless ‘just-kissed’ lips.

Color Swatch

Burnt Spice – a rosy terracotta

Lady Be Good – MLBB peachy beige color. It looks identical to Burnt Spice from the tube, but once applied it is lighter and has a stronger peachy tone than brown.