Tag Archives: pigmented

Sephora Cream Lip Stain in Marvelous Mauve Review

Posted in Beauty, Reviews by

 Lip creams and lip stains are such a big thing in the beauty world right now. There are so many options from both high end and drugstores brands. I have been wanting to try the Sephora Cream Lip Stains as they are recommended by so many beauty bloggers. However, Sephora products are very hard to get hold of as we don’t have a store here in London. There are available websites online but the shipping fees are crazy. I picked mine up when I went on holiday and made sure I bought a few to last me for a long time.

Pros

It is very pigmented; mauve pink shade with dark undertones.

It goes on creamy and dries into a beautiful matte finish.

It is a lightweight stain and does not feel sticky at all.

It is long-lasting on the lips and does not usually require a touch up.

The collection has 15 shades in total including both matte and satin finishes.

Cons

It is not very accessible here in the UK. It is possible to order on the Sephora website but be aware of the shipping fees. There are beauty blogger that  keeps comparing this product to  Stila Liquid Lipstick in shadePatina as they said that it is the perfect dupe for it. However, I could not say for myself as I do not own the Stila liquid lipstick.

Tips

Make sure to exfoliate your lips especially if it is dry and peeling. Apply balm to give moisture to the lips before applying the product.

I usually scrape off the excess from the applicator on the side of the tube to make sure that I don’t pick up too much of the product.

I personally don’t use a lip liner with this product and I start in the centre of my lips and smooth it outwards towards the corners of my lips.

Stay away from oily foods to make it more long-lasting.

Verdict

I give Sephora Lip Stain in Marvelous Mauve the rating of 4/5. I love the finish and how pigmented it is. It is the perfect mauve shade for me as I prefer this shade rather than wearing nudes that washes me out. I usually exfoliate my lips as part of my regime, therefore I have not experienced any flaking or any dryness with this product. Avocado oil was one of its ingredients and this is to provide comfort and nutrition for the lips. On the other hand, I will just keep wishing that someday we will have the Sephora Collections readily available here in the UK. Overall, I am very happy with it and will continue to buy the other shades from the collection (perhaps another holiday soon that has Sephora stores).

Have you tried the Sephora Lip Stain in Marvelous Mauve? If not, what is your favourite lip creams? 

Lots of love from,

dsb

 

 

Lime Crime Velvetines in Red Velvet Review

Posted in Beauty, Reviews by

 I have been using this product for quite a while now. I am currently about to finish my second bottle; therefore I believe that I can give an informative review about the velvetines (in shade red velvet in particular). Red lipstick is a must-have staple in every woman’s make up bag, which is why I own a few red lippies and I must say that Lime Crime’s Red Velvet is one of my favourite.

Pros

It is very highly pigmented.

It has an excellent staying power as it last through meals but better to avoid oily foods.

It goes on creamy and dries into a beautiful velvety matte finish.

Lime Crime in general has cute packaging; velvetines comes in a frosted glass tube with a doe foot applicator.

The doe foot applicator makes it easier to apply on the lips.

Personally, I like the smell of it but I just can’t pinpoint as to how it smells like (vanilla cake batter kind of smell).

Cons

It is quite pricey and the price varies depending on which website you purchase it on.

It is not readily available especially in the UK. The UK websites that sells lime crime are usually out of stock of velvetines. Therefore ebay and amazon are sometimes the only options. Unless, you purchase from a US based website but you must remember that there is an extra cost for shipping charges.

The main issue for me is all the controversy of Lime Crime as a company and its owner Doe Deeree regarding identity/credit card information theft, restocking, repackaging and availability of the products.

 Tips

Make sure to exfoliate your lips especially if it is dry and peeling. Apply balm to give moisture to the lips before applying the product.

Use a lip liner for a more precise lip application.

I usually scrape off the excess from the applicator on the side of the tube to make sure that I don’t pick up too much of the product.

Stay away from oily foods to make it more long-lasting.

Verdict

I give Lime Crime Velvetines in Red Velvet the rating of 4/5. I took out 1 point due to the controversy regarding the company and owner itself (identity/credit card information theft). However, I love the product because of its formulation and opacity. I feel like it has blue undertones, which makes the colour bright and very flattering on the lips. I like the lovely velvet matte finish of it. For me, the longevity of the product is great as it can last me all day without re-applying it, but of course that is when I’m cautious of staying away with oily foods. Overall, it is still one of my favourite red lipsticks of all time. This is the reason why when I first tried it I had to purchase another two pieces of the same shade, hence why I have the original packaging on the images above (not the current up-to-date packaging). I definitely recommend this product but after I finish the tube I’m using right now I still have a brand new one. Therefore I won’t be repurchasing anytime soon until I finish my third velvetines. I also want to try other similar products such as NYX Soft Matte Lip Cream (in Monte Carlo), Stila Stay All Day Lipstick (in Beso) and Jeffree Star Cosmetics Liquid Lipstick (in Redrum).

I hope my review helped you in any way. Comment below of what your favourite red lipsticks are? Have you used LC Velvetines and what do you think of them?


Lots of love from,

dsb

MUA Luxe Lip Lacquer in Tranquility and Kooky Review

Posted in Beauty, Reviews by

I have been obsessed with matte finish lipsticks for the longest time. So when I came across these lip lacquers I just had to give it a go. As you can see on the image above, I picked up two shades which are Tranquility (left) and Kooky (right). Tranquility is a brownish nude (lightest in the collection) and Kooky (darkest shade) is a wearable plum colour. The brand MUA stands for MakeUp Academy, which is known for offering low prices innovative make up products.

As for the packaging, it comes in a frosted bottle with a black lid and gold writings. It also came in a separate black box with gold writings on it. I am impressed with how it is packaged because it gives an impression of simplicity yet looking classy. As you can see below, it has a doe-foot applicator which makes it easier to apply on the lips.

Pros

Variety of colour choices (they have reds, pinks, coral, nudes and plum)

Highly pigmented but I usually apply more than one coat as the first application seems to be streaky

Very affordable as it retails for only £3 from Superdrug or MUA Store website

It gives a gorgeous matte finish

Cons

It claimed to have a long-lasting finish but I disagree I think that it has a minimal lasting power. It would definitely not last for the whole day without re-application.

From the MUA store website they described the application as it will glide ‘effortlessly’ but I think that it does not blend so well as it gets streaky

It feels drying on the lips especially the lighter shade

It can feel sticky and it can take a while for it to dry

This is how the shade ‘kooky’ looks when applied on my lips:

The shade ‘tranquility’ is not my go to shade of nude but this is how it looks with my skin tone: 

  Verdict

Out of both shades I own, I would definitely recommend the shade kooky. For some strange reason kooky glides on so much smoother on the lips than tranquility. The colour is more opaque and I feel that the plum shade comes out beautiful on the lips. I think that the shade tranquility does not match my skin tone as much as other nude shades that are available in the market.

I give MUA Luxe Lip Lacquer in Tranquility and Kooky the ratings of 3/5. I took out two points due to its claim of turning matte after few minutes of application. However, it seriously took a long time for it to be completely dry (roughly around three minutes as I had to apply more than one coat). While drying, I could not pout my lips together as it felt sticky and very tacky. When it was completely dry I found that there were some visible patchy areas, therefore a second coat was needed. It is very easy to remove the lacquers on the lips and it does not leave any stains after use. The staying power is minimal which is very disappointing. I think that I had high hopes for this product because I got used to my Lime Crime Velvetines which are by far a better product than this one.

On the other hand, MUA lip lacquers are very affordable as it retails for only £3. The opacity is pretty decent, so this would be perfect if you are looking for a lip product that looks nice in pictures. This can also be a good purchase if you are a newbie with lip lacquers and just simply want to try them. Overall, I would recommend it if you are looking for a low priced matte finish lip lacquer. It is very pigmented and the collection has nine different shade of choices. It dries matte on the lips and it looks very appealing in pictures. However, if you are not willing  to re-apply throughout the day and particularly looking for a good quality lip lacquer then this is not the product for you.

Have you tried MUA Lip Lacquers and what are your thoughts on them?

If not, what are your favourite lip products at the moment?

Lots of love from,

dsb