Holy Crap: Topshop Velvet Lips in Raven

When I saw this in Topshop yesterday I had the biggest makeupgasm I’ve had for a VERY long time. I’m a huge fan of ‘velvet’ lip products, and am super happy brands like MUA, Sleek and drugstore brands over the world are now starting to carry this type of formula. But this, dear friends, is something a little special. This velvet lipstick is BLACK.

HOLY SHIT, IT’S BLACK. Most people would never reach for a black lipstick in their lives, but as a used-to-be goth and still a person-mostly-in-black, a black lipstick in this formula is a huge sodding deal. I owed it to teenage me to have this lipstick. Black is such an unforgiving shade when it comes to formulas, and sadly most blacks are too creamy and don’t wear well or aren’t black enough. Liquid and gel liners can crack on the lips and often black eye pencils are either too smudgy or too hard to drag across your entire lip. Enter Topshop ‘Raven’:

 

OH GOD IT’S SO BLACK. And is shot through with just the right amount of iridescence to make it not look super flat. Guys, I’m so in love. If you’re not familiar with this type of product, it’s a cream in the tube and applies opawuely, drying to a super-long wearing matte finish. As expected, it’s dry but not drying, and doesn’t smudge or flake once set. I haven’t worn it long enough to comment thoroughly on it’s wear time, but if it’s anything like any of the brands that do this formula, it basically won’t budge unless you’re eating something really oily. I’ll do a look using this soon, but I was too excited to share!

You can get ‘Raven’ for £10 at topshop.com

Did I mention it’s black?!

Quickie Review: Kryolan Mini Liprouge Palette in L2

I couldn’t wait to play with this so you’ve got a swatched picture – sorry! I bought this from another makeup artist for a bargain price after she’d swatched it and never used it. I was really excited to get it in the mail as I’d seen it before but hadn’t a chance to play with it, plus this had five green and blue lip colours in and I love those sorts of shades!

Kryolan have lots of mini palettes for lipsticks, concealers etc., the idea being that you can test things out easily, compare the colours and then you can buy the ones you need. A lot of artists will use them in their kit as they’re so light and compact, but this version comes with a clear lid which I’ve found to break pretty easily. (Some other versions of the lip palettes do have a sturdier lid.)



I swatched all the colours above with a cotton bud – I couldn’t deal with swatching them all on my lips! Most colours are on the thin side but all are pigmented – only the white wasn’t as pigmented as I would like it to be. LP647, the shade in the left hand bottom corner of the palette, is actually a beautiful duo-chrome rose gold sort of colour.

L.Lilac alone and with L. Glitter Gold on the top. I love this purple!

LC122 alone and with L. Multi Color on the top. The glitters are very stiff and don’t apply well over a creamier shade. It looks horrible, but I left it in so you can compare  to the swatch above where a glitter has applied much more nicely over a thinner base.



L BG. The metallic shades, while pigmented, are very thin. Again, this swatch could be built up but I wanted to demonstrate the thin-ness of some of the metallic shades. I’d wear this shade over an eyeliner or lipliner base, or mix it with other colours to add a different sheen to them.
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Overall, this palette is a great addition to a makeup artists kit, or for a makeup enthusiastic. However you use makeup, it’s pretty unlikely you’ll need so many crazy colours, and this is a really good cost-effective way of having a bunch all in one place. The majority of shades are thin but buildable – I would recommend a base with the metallic shades - while the glitter shades will work best over a thinner base or a lipliner as opposed to a creamier base as you can see from the pink swatch above. The thinness of lipsticks can be a plus or a minus point depending on how you look at it. They’re more comfortable to wear and easier to get a crisp edge with when they’re thin but you may have to use a little more product. I love the addition of white and black which makes this great to mixing.

They have a waxy-makeup scent like a lot of professional brands but it’s not noticeable after a minute or so.

Kryolan can be hard to find – try your local professional makeup store first if you have one, or if you don’t, most large cities will have one. In London Screenface and Charles Fox are stockists and I know larger, more well equipped fancy dress stores will often stock these sorts of brands. http://www.dauphines.co.uk/ is an amazing UK based website for professional and SFX makeup as is http://www.backstageshop.co.uk/ where you can pick this palette up for £13.90

Top 5 Pink Lipsticks for Summer!

Well, just for at the moment anyway ;) I’m not actually that huge of a pink lipstick fan (compared to other colours, anyway!)  but I always seem to pull them out in the summer and here are some I’m loving at the moment:

 

 

Covergirl Siren: I love this lipstick so much that when the dog ate my original I had to beg my lovely American ladies to send me another one! If this texture was in any other colour, I’d not be fussed at all but there’s something about this foil-like sheen that is just amazing with the pink.

 

Darling Girl Love Is An Act: SO many blue sparkles in this! Very pretty and unique. I love DG lipsticks and can’t wait till they come back early next year.

 

Inglot Sleeks Cream in 95: These thing are *so* glossy in real life and this is a beautiful, slightly milky pink that smells like candy. If you like this sort of shade, it’s worth checking out.

 

Make Up Store Lip Liner in Gum: I love this matte rose from MUS with a hint of blush and brown lashes. Gorgeous! It’s still a strong colour so you have a focal point for your look, but the colour in itself isn’t super lairy.

 

 

MAC Insanely It: Nearly all my pink lipsticks are MAC and I’m trying to use more non-MAC lipsticks but I love the Sheen Supremes so much these snuck in! This particular shade has a hint of sparkle and I love the texture.

 

Alright kids, what colour are you loving for summer? What pinks don’t I have that I need?

Quickie Review: Lime Crime Velvetine in Suedeberry.

A lot of people have been going nuts over Lime Crime Velvetines, with them selling out left, right and centre. I found one on a UK website and curiosity got the better of me!*



The packaging is very, very pretty. I can see the frosted glass getting scuffed up pretty quickly but I like that it reflects that the product itself is matte. The lilac and red colouring is dead cute, and it has a unicorn on the cap of which I cannot but approve! It would make a pretty gift, I think. Here’s what the brand have to say about the product itself:

To me that sounds like a recipe for Sahara lips! I like a matte lipstick, but one that has tips to remove it on the packaging made me really worried these were going to be ridiculously drying. At least I can’t say I wasn’t warned, I guess.
I didn’t want to use a lip liner while I was testing it, but the swatches here are applied with a lip brush. I found it hard to get the colour to look smooth and not streaky just using the doefoot applicator. I applied one coat with a lip brush to get the shape, and then reapplied to get the depth of colour. The product is pigmented enough that one coat will certainly do the trick but I can’t get application nice using one coat. I don’t see this as a problem as I have small lip brushes I use often for lots of products anyway.

Isn’t it pretty? It’s less of a pinky coral than I thought from website swatches, but as I’m an orange fan I don’t mind at all. Lime Crime do have a history of really inaccurate website swatches so googling swatches of any of their products is a good idea. The product itself  goes on like a liquid and dries very matte very quickly. It really is super matte and I’m not sure if that looks great on me or not yet!

Here’s a shot of me wearing it after eight hours of wear. I had one touch-up after lunch, but that was it. It doesn’t look amazing, but the base of colour is certainly still there and I don’t have an ugly ring of colour on my lips, or any icky goopy buildup on the ‘waterline’ of the lip either like you can get with some products.

Whether you the way this wears or not or not is going to be pretty personal – I don’t like it as I’d prefer to apply fresh rather than touch up as I think the result looks better, and it’s really tough to actually remove this product. There’s no way you’re going to remove this on the go! I’m impressed with how much is actually left on my lips though, as I did notice a bit of transfer throughout the day on to cups/boyfriend. I also wore it the night before the application above, where it survived a workout (yes, I am that guy), a bit of a snog and dinner. In the shower afterwards it went smudgy – you really do need a remover for it. Despite the fact that it’s so long lasting, it’s not actually hideously drying on the lips. It didn’t get to the point where I felt I HAD to take it off. If I’m totally honest, I found it less drying than a MAC matte which wears for about the same time on me (with a touch-up).

Overall, regardless of the fact I don’t think Lime Crime are all that, I really like the product and would consider the other shade. I bought this from Cute Cosmetics for £11.50

*I know a lot of you aren’t Lime Crime fans, and I’m not overly enamoured with them as a brand either. While I really wanted to try this particular product, I know a lot of people choose not to shop from them and I’d really, really recommend Googling them if you’re not sure.

Quickie Review: Barry M Ultra Moisturizing Lip Paints in 162 Cranberry Red and 158 Coral Blush

I recently started spotting cute pink tubes on the Barry M stand, and, never one to pass up on a 3-for-2 offer, I snapped up a couple of the new colours along with a lovely sparkly polish.

 

162 “Cranberry Red”

An absolutely gorgeous blue-based red – perfect for those who want to dip their toes into the vampy trend that rears it’s head every fall but are perhaps a bit shy when it comes to plums or deep colours. It goes on easily with a nice sheen, but it does dry down after about an hour or so and become more matte.

158 “Coral Blush”

As you can see, this one isn’t as forgiving on application if you have dry lips and it takes a good swipe or two for good coverage, but I will forgive it those minor flaws as it is so SO pretty. Ever-so-slightly brighter in real life, it leans very pink on me (and I have seen it looking much more coral on other bloggers, so I do recommend giving it a good ol’ swatch before you buy) and has a slight neon undertone. Very niiiice.

 

Longevity on both is great and I can detect a slightly sweet scent compared to the regular range which I don’t detect any on. I’m going to take issues with the “ultra moisturizing” claims as I don’t find either of them moisturizing in the slightest. We all know that Barry M’s range can be very inconsistent and that a lot of their formulas can lean quite dry. In light of that it’s a bit annoying that these lippies don’t live up to their names, but they’re fantastic nonetheless and at £4.49 they’re still an absolute bargain.

Quickie Review and Swatches: Evil Shades Deviant Lipstick

I really need to give up on the 'quickie review' crap - they're never quick! I think I just like saying 'quickie.' Anyway, feast your eyeballs on the Evil Shades Deviant Lipsticks in my collection.


Silk Stockings:




The last picture captures the colour of the base well, but it shows up like the top photo normally - the sparkles/shift are a soft blue! Really awesome unusual nude.

Fateful:



Fateful is a black with purple shimmer. For a black lipstick (which are tricky buggers) this is freaking ace - no rubbing it over your lips 10,000 times to get some colour to show! The only downside is you need to wear lip liner, as you can probably see, but that's the case with all blacks I've ever tried.

Primrose Path:

Such a perfect day-to-day shade - a peachy pink with subtle green shimmer. The green shimmer makes it unusual enough that I think I'm cool, but it is very subtle and wearable still!

Devilista:


One of my favourite reds! I really think this is a knock-out shade and I like its not-too-sheeny, not-too-matte finish.

Obscurity:

 

 

A deep metallic blue. I have trouble with this one - it takes a bit of effort to apply it opaquely, but it's not like it takes ten minutes or anything.  I'm going to try it over concealed lips and see if that makes a difference.

Mage:

It's green. What more can I say? I got a sample of this with an order and I love it! *Probably* wouldn;t wear it out, but we'll see...
  
Bane:

Bane is a really pretty light pink with a blue shift and I think it's a nice addition to anyone's colection. The formula of this one is really light and balmy and as such is sheerer than the others. Great for layering.

Corruption:

Corruption is a metallic purple with blue glitter (you can see it if you click the bottom picture, it's more obvious in real life). A really cool and unusual shade! This is a bit of a funny one - it is pigmented, but I have to really warm it up first to get it to show on my lips. Bit odd, but once it's warmed up, it applies nicely and doesn't budge.

Corset:

 

A beautiful wine colour. I love these shades but often find they're too red or too black - this one has a lovely berry juiciness to it. Do you have lipsticks that whenever you put them on you make kissy duck faces at yourself? (No... just me?) Well, this is one of those lippies!

Fearless:

Errrr. How awesome is this? It's quite hard for me to describe - it's very bright but it's sort of... a neon undertone than rather than a omg-my-retinas bright.The best thing about it is it's UV REACTIVE. I can't wait to see how it glows under blacklight. Funnily enough, I don't have one knocking about to swatch it under but I will update this post soon as I've got a UV shoot coming up.


Boring word time...

What to say about these? Well, the first thing I love is the price. They're $4.25 each, so about £2.60, and they're quite often on 3-for-2, so they're a freakin' steal. They wear very well - I worse Primrose Path the other day and it lasted through a picnic and beyond, which is no mean feat, I tell you, and they're not drying, although some formulas are slightly drier than others. I'll reiterate that they're cheap as fucking chips, because I still can't get over what you get for the price.


I should also mention the packaging. Here's the new tubes:

 

Versus the old tubes:

 

The old packaging was a bit bothersome - I find it hard to neatly apply some of the colours with the big chapstick round tubes as I have a skinny upper lip (not complaining, of course, as I'm sure the packaging has a lot to do with that awesome price) but the new slimmer ones solve that problem and look pretty swish too. Love the new labels as well - look how far they've come along since the original white ones!


Have you tired these lippies? Any reccomendations?

Naked: My nude, neutral and 'wearable' lipstick collection

I've posted my reds, my oranges, and my brighter, funkier pinks and I'll have a purple post coming up - I just ordered a few purples, so writing one now makes no sense! With those posts in mind, as well as the fact I don't own any blue/green/crazy colours, here is my 'everything else' post!

-Make Up Academy shade 11



I bought this after seeing Beauty's Bad Habit compare MUA lipsticks to high-end ones. It has a nice peach tone to it, which I like - me and peach get on very well.

-Make Up Academy Shade 9



I was a little unsure of this lipstick at first - I don't even really know what shade this is. Sort of... purple-y brown-y? Though the colour eludes me, it's pretty and it's cheap, so it's a winner in my eyes.

-Make Up Academy Shade 7



Seen lots of love for this shade on blogs and I can see why -glossy, moisturizing, and nice and bright without being too lairy for everyday wear.

-Clarins Joli Rouge in 705 Soft Berry



I really like this lippy, but I only have one of those tiny GWP tubes, Sadly, the price will probably put me off purchasing, £16.50 is a bit much. It's a lovely balmy formula with a sweet berry scent.

-Boots Natural Collection Moisture Shine Lipstick in Caramel



A wee bit frosty, but that's not something that bothers me. I really like this lippy as it's a nice, slightly warm brown without being too dark for everyday wear (though I generally get on with browns quite well) or, forgive me, poopy looking.

-Boots Natural Collection Moisture Shine Lipstick in Rosebud



A favourite everyday colour of mine. Really beautiful natural pink, and for less than £2, I really like the formula. If you're checking the range out, pick this up!

-Boots Natural Collection Moisture Shine Lipstick in Apple Blossom



A cheap-and-cheerful favourite that's almost always sold out at Boots. I fear concealer lips with this one, even though it is quite obviously pink. Pale lipsticks are just something I don't have the confidence for and that my skin does not like!

-Gosh Velvet Touch lipstick in Darling




A cult fave, this is a very pale, slightly pink-toned creamy nude. Looks freaking rank on me. I've seen other people with a similar skin tone to me rave about this and I... I don't get it. Great for mixing, though.

-Rimmel Moisture Renew lipstick in Soft Coral


I adore this shade - it's very similar to NYX Margarita, FYI - but I find the barrel of the lipstick a little hard, and the glitter is fairly gritty. The formula isn't as nice as other lippies in the range, in my opinion.

-Fyrinnae Lip Lustre in Romantique



Another shade I'm scared is too pale for me. A lovely pink-gold duo, but I find it settles into my lips after a few hours. I've worn this blotted with clear gloss over the top.

-Wet and Wild lipstick in 903C.



Another shade in my hunt for a dupe for Lime Crime's Cosmopop. Wendy sent this to me in a swap... it probably shouldn't be in this list of colours, but it's not orange enough to be featured in my orange post. I love this lippy and I'll be pairing it with a smokey lilac eye this spring!

-Nyx Round Lipstick in B52



Lovely rosey-brown cream. I find this a little too dark for me - a bit 90's porn star - but it's a lovely shade nonetheless.

-Evil Shades Deviant Lipstick in Silk Stockings



Certainly my most unusual nude lippy! It has a sheer brownish-peach base, with loads of blue iridescence! The blue is more blue in person, but the shimmery effect is bang-on here. My fiance told me I had 'jizz-lip,' but I love it, so I refuse to believe him.

-Evil Shades Deviant Lipstick in Primrose Path

Silhouette Screams wears this bad boy a lot, and it looks great on her so I snapped it up. It's a gorgeous pinky-peach that's fabulous for everyday wear, and while you can't see it in my photo, it has lovely green sparkles!


-Barry M 139 Golden Bronze


This is probably the palest 'nude' I have that actually suits me. It's one of Barry M's nicer formulas - lovely and creamy. This lippy is whittled down to a wee stump - one of my only ones!


If anyone can recommend a more skin-toned nude lippy for me, I'd love to hear your suggestions!