Rimmel Lasting Finish Lipstick (036 Kiss)

I'm pretty sure I picked this up because it was on sale and I wanted to try a Rimmel lipstick. This is a kind of soft shimmery mauve-pink which is not a colour I've owned before. But now I do!

I actually really like the colour of it. It's easy to wear and is more soft than most of my other reds and oranges. It has the smooth texture of a creme lipstick and it covers evenly. It does have a bit of transparency, but not a lot. The colour still comes out strong.

It's lasts for a couple of hours before you have to reapply. And besides that the only thing that bugs me about this lipstick is the smell. It smells exactly like a Lipsmacker I had years ago from a Christmas collection and it was called Sugarplum. When I smelled the Rimmel I knew it was familiar but it took me a few days for me to place it. Anyways, I hated that smell, and therefore this is not really any better. The best way to describe it is like a really sweet grape smell. I can get past that though!

Shiseido Shimmering Rouge Lip Colour

I was given this as a present a year or so ago and I absolutely loved it! The only problem I had was when I went to repurchase. I couldn't find it easily and then when I saw how much they go for I was a bit disappointed. Although I love it a lot it is around $30 CAD, and for how fast I used it up I just can't justify it!

This lip colour is somewhere between a gloss and a lipstick. It has a transparent pigment that's shimmery as well as glossy. But it's not overtly either of those, it's really quite subtle actually. And I really like the texture of it. It's smooth and transfers evenly and it just feels nice. It's not sticky at all, and there's barely any weight to it. 

Unfortunately like anything with a high gloss it doesn't have a whole lot of staying power. But it's worth it for the colour it gives my lips. I'm not sure if it was just the shade I got (OR405 Sizzle) or if they all do it, but I use this when I want a more natural finish. So this is my perfect "my lips but better" product. I feel like it just enhances the colour of my lips and makes them look more polished. I wish so much I could ignore the price tag!

Shiseido Shimmering Rouge in OR405 Sizzle

Essence Lipliner

I bought this one day when I needed something I could put under my lipstick to set it better. It was something like $2 and I expected its performance to reflect the price I paid for it.

As a lipliner, it is mediocre. It doesn't make a sharp line, lasts about as long as a creme lipstick (2-4h), and it's so soft that lipstick doesn't stick to it very well at all. In fact, that's what I ended up using it as. Because it's smooth and creamy I either wear it on its own or mixed with another lipstick to get a good colour. That is actually one thing that is really good- the colour payoff. The only trouble with using it to cover the lips is that because it's so soft a lot of product comes away when I apply it, and I use it up at a rather fast rate. For the price though it's not hard to replace!

Swatch of Essence Lipliner in 008 Red Blush

Revlon Colorburst Lip Balms - Matte and Lacquer

I am absolutely loving these right now. More so the coral matte colour, but they're both wonderful.

They are technically a balm, so even though they have the colour intensity of a lipstick, they do hydrate.

And they smell so good! This is one of the things that will always make me love a product more. I was pleasantly surprised to find they smell and taste faintly of sweet peppermint (this may be a turnoff for some).

As I mentioned the colour payoff is really good. I'm basically wearing them as a lipstick. The matte I found to be really long lasting - like eight hours long lasting. And it stays just as long even if I put a lipstick on top, which is great. It's so nice to have a matte colour that doesn't dry out my lips!

The lacquer colour was a little disappointing after that. It's supposed to be super shiny, and if you swatch it on your hand, it will leave sparkles long after the colour is gone.  On the lips it wears like you've layered lipstick and gloss (without the stickiness), which is a nice effect. Unfortunately I found I had to reapply it 2-3 times in and eight hour period. So not nearly as long lasting as its sibling.

The packaging is nice, and you get quite a bit in one package. The silver base twists to push up the product. I find I can apply it without the use of a lip brush, but I'm a little concerned if this will last when the sharp tip disappears. We'll see!

Swatches of Revlon Colourburst Lip Balm
in 245 Audacious (L) and 115 Whimsical (R)

Yves Rocher Luminelle Lipstick in Coral

This was my first ever coral coloured lipstick and I still love it. It isn't really a full on coral when you put it on- it has a bit more of an orangey-red undertone than a true coral. 

It goes on smoothly and evenly. Because it is creamier, it feels hydrating on the lips. But as I'm finding with the smooth, creamy lipsticks it's wear time is not as long as some of my others. I generally have to reapply it one or two times during an 8 hour day.  

And of course what really gets me is the delicious smell it has. It's supposed to be fruity but I find it more like vanilla. Either way I love it!

Swatch of Yves Rocher Luminelle lipstick in 42521 Coral

NYC Smooch Proof 16h Lip Stain

I picked this up in a bargain bin awhile back and I'm really glad I did even though this probably means the colour or product is discontinued. 

It has a bit if transparency to it, but the colour is still rich and you can build it up to a small extent (better the more time it has to dry between coats). I do find it dries the lips a little, but I guess that's to be expected since it is a stain. I love the colour and effect it gives my lips (kind of a bitten look?).

It lasts quite a while- not the amount claimed on the package, but full colour lasts 2-3 hours and a faded stain lasts about 6 hours. I tried using it as a base for lipstick, and although it's great for blocking out colour and lessening the patchy effect of worn out lipstick, the stain doesn't last as long this way.

By itself it is smooch proof, at least I assume so because it doesn't leave any residue on my mugs or spoons! And it's basically water proof  (and therefore lick proof). It's quite hard to remove with just water actually and requires something a bit stronger if you want it off before it wears off.

One last perk is that I just love the smell. It kind of reminds me of wine and berries.

Swatch of NYC Smooch Proof 16H Lip Stain in 498 Berry Long Time

Maybelline Lipstick in Very Cherry

This is 635 Very Cherry by Maybelline. It is a super bright red with a slight gloss. It has a nice smooth texture and it goes on evenly.

And! It smells really good. This is such a plus for me. I find it's the little things on top of a good or even moderate product that make it soo much better. Another of these things is the packaging on this- I love the highly reflective silver base and the transparent red lid.

It wears pretty well, especially if you wear a lip liner underneath. And if you don't touch anything. As soon as I do, I find there's a lot of transfer and it sticks better to my thermos than it does to my lips!

Swatch of Maybelline 635 Very Cherry

I find this colour comparable to my Revlon 740 Certainly Red. This is creamier, but doesn't stay put as long.

Maybelline 635 Very Cherry (left) and Revlon 740 Certainly Red (right)

Essence lipstick in Look At Me!

I got this a while back and didn't really use it that much. I've started wearing it a little more now for the Fall season. It looks like a shiny nude colour in the packaging, but the swatch looks copper, and it seems more bronze on the lips. It is really shimmery and shiny though! There's a ton of little flecks of shine that are super reflective.

It's good for a quick application, but it does need to be reapplied quite often. The texture is really smooth and creamy, and it smells like vanilla which is a major plus! I find I mostly wear it over other lipsticks because my style tends toward bold lips, and on its own this is a subtle colour with quite a bit of transparency.

Swatch of Essence lipstick in 40 Look At Me!

Annabelle Volume Lip Plumping Gloss

I got two of these in a sales bin a few weeks back. I saw the colour and couldn't resist! I've really been liking the bright corals and neon oranges this summer. I got 840 Metro Mango and 845 So Sanguine.

Although these swatch beautifully, they just weren't what I was expecting as a lip colour. They're hard to apply because you have to squeeze the bottle as you're applying it. The texture is quite sticky and it bothers me almost as soon as I apply it. And the worst part is that my base lip colour doesn't work with the gloss colour.

I tried making my lips closer to my skin tone with concealer (Rimmel Wake Me Up Concealer, reviewed here), which actually did a really good job of making the colour better and the texture not quite as sticky. It is still hard to apply though. I use a brush, which also helps get the colour even across the lip. Quite a process for a gloss!

Swatches of Annabelle Volume Lip Plumping Gloss
Top: 845 So Sanguine 
Bottom: 840 Metro Mango

Products Post: Revlon Lipstick

There's three red Revlon lipsticks that I keep going back to and I thought I'd share them with you.

Clockwise from back left: 725, 740, 010

1.  Super Lustrous Lipstick Creme 725 Love That Red

This is just such a nice bright lipstick that is fresh enough for summer and festive enough for fall and winter. It also seems to go with any shade of red I'm wearing or contrast a blue or grey. I find it goes on quite nicely and I rarely need to use a liner or a brush to apply. Although it can last me the day I find myself reapplying it once or twice, especially after eating. 

2.  Super Lustrous Lipstick Creme 740 Certainly Red

This one is a bit more a true red than the 725 (725 has more of an orange base) but it's still really similar. I reach for it a lot more in the fall and winter, though I do use it in the summer. It has the same wear and application pattern.

3. Colorburst Lipstick 010 Plum

This is definitely a purple red. Of course I use it a lot more in the fall/winter, but I have a certain summery gold shirt that just pops with this lip colour. It has a bit of a sheerness to it and I find the colour looks better and stays better with a liner or a stain underneath. I'm pretty sure this line was turned into something else, since I can't find it on the website (you can still buy it elsewhere online). This makes me so sad because besides being a good colour, the packaging details are just lovely and I'll probably keep the tube once it's gone!

Swatches of 725, 740, and 010