Review - Tom Ford Lips and Boys lipstick in Richard

I am SO excited to finally have my first Tom Ford lipstick. I snagged this one from Nordstrom a couple of days before the release of the collection since they had them listed. A little background - the Lips and Boys collection is limited edition, and was first released for only Black Friday. The collection was released again on December 26th and is now available at Nordstrom, Neiman Marcus, Saks, Bergdorf Gooman, and on the Tom Ford site. If you want to snag one, I suggest moving quickly, as they are disappearing!

Tom Ford Lips and Boys lipstick in Richard

Wrist swatch of Richard

When I got the package with the lipstick, I couldn't believe how TINY it was! Super, super little! It's a cute little thing though, definitely "clutch sized" as advertised. The lipstick itself has the Tom Ford logo embossed on the top. The shade is a plummy-mauvey-pinky shade, a very nice nude or My Lips But Better shade for me, at least. It's worth noting that the shade Richard is a direct dupe of the shade Negligee, which as a limited edition shade from the Fall 2014 collection. 

The application was smooth, and the formula creamy. The pigmentation was amazing, with full color on one swipe. The formula felt moisturizing, though as always, I paired with a lip primer. I also used a lip liner, and had no issues with feathering, bleeding, or gathering of color into the lip lines. There is a very distinct "lipstick" scent that fades a little after application. The lipstick did transfer onto my cup, and did not last through lunch. It was hard to tell if there was a stain left behind due to the color of my own lips. Overall, the lipstick lasted about four and a half hours on me before needing to be reapplied - this was because I had coffee and lunch. 

I must say, the Tom Ford lipstick definitely lived up to the hype. If I have the chance to get another mini or two from this collection I definitely will! The price per ounce for these clocks in at $457.14, with the full size Tom Ford lipsticks coming in at $500 per ounce, making the minis the better deal. My only worry is that since now that I know how lovely this formula is, I'm going to use up the mini and not be able to replace it!

Pros:

• Good pigmentation
• Creamy, smooth application
• Lightly moisturizing

Cons:

• "Lipstick" scent
• Limited edition
• Will transfer

Tom Ford Lips and Boys lipstick in Richard (Limited Edition) - $32.00 for 0.07 oz

Review - 4.5/5

FOTD - 12.30.14

It's been a while since I posted a Face of the Day, so I wanted to take one where I'm wearing a bunch of new products! I plan on reviewing the Too Faced Semi Sweet Chocolate Bar palette, Tom Ford Richard lipstick, and Koko #103 lashes very soon! I didn't do any touchups to these photos, so please forgive the quality. Still learning to use my new camera!

Close up - eyes closed!

Profile shot

Face:

• NYX Honey Dew Me Up primer
• Maybelline Dream Wonder liquid foundation in 15 Ivory
• NARS Radiant Creamy Concealer in Vanilla
• Illamasqua Cream Pigment in Hollow
• Soap & Glory One Heck Of A Blot! pressed powder
• Milani baked blush in Luminoso
• Anastasia Contour Kit (Sand, Vanilla, and Banana)
• Hourglass Ambient Lighting Powders in Dim and Diffused
• Urban Decay De Slick setting spray

Eyes:

• Anastasia Dipbrow Pomade in Dark Brown
• NARS Smudgeproof eye primer
• Inglot eyeshadow #353
• Too Faced Semi Sweet Chocolate Bar (Coconut Creme, Mousse, Puddin, Licorice, Blueberry Swirl, Butter Pecan, Rum Raisin)
• MAC Pigment in Vanilla
• Inglot gel liner #77
• Diorshow Iconic Overcurl mascara
• Koko Lashes #103

Lips:

• MAC Prep and Prime Lip
• Charlotte Tilbury Lip Cheat in Pillow Talk
• Tom Ford lipstick in Richard

Review - Burberry Complete Eye Palette in Plum Pink

This is one of the first of the many items I received as Christmas gifts! I'm really excited to start reviewing and showing these off! I marked this as "purchased" since it was technically paid for (just not by me!)

Burberry Complete Eye Palette in Plum Pink

Wrist swatches of Plum Pink palette

I have had this palette on my wishlist for a few months, so I was excited to receive it! I am always in the market for more neutrals, and these plummy shade fit the bill. When swatching, they were a little powdery and patchy, but they apply much better over a primer and a base shadow. I wish the shadows were a little more "buttery" and smooth, but I was still able to apply with no fallout, and they blended nicely. Each shade was decently pigmented, though my favorite is the mid-mauve shade (second from the top in the quad.) I was able to do a complete eye look using these four shades. The shadows lasted all day over a primer and base shadow with no fading. Since I'm that person and work out with my makeup on after work (I need to not do this...) I was able to see that my eye look lasted through me being a sweaty mess.

The packaging on these quads is very luxe feeling, being a heavy metal compact with a magnetic closure, and the top has the Burberry check pattern. The quad came in a Burberry check pouch, with two mini brushes and a sponge applicator. One drawback to the metal compact is that is is super prone to fingerprints, but they are easily wiped off.

Pros:

• Pigmented
• Blendable shadow formula
• Luxe packaging

Cons:

• Slightly powdery
• Packaging prone to fingerprints

Burberry Complete Eye Palette in Plum Pink - $60.00 for 0.19 oz

Review - 4/5

Review - House of Lashes falsies in Au Naturale

I hope everyone had a great holiday! I've gotten a ton of new tools for blogging, including a fancy camera and a new laptop. Hopefully with these, I'll be able to post more often, and with better looking content!

This post is going to review one of my favorite pairs of falsies. Right now, I have about six backup pairs of these.

House of Lashes in Au Naturale

Close up of Au Naturale lashes

First and foremost - check out the adorable packaging! As a bonus, the packaging is all recyclable. Now, onto the lashes themselves. These falsies are very light, with natural looking lashes that are of varied length. The band is clear, which is always a plus. The lashes themselves are very long, which means I have to cut them down to fit my eyes, but it offers the benefit of a custom fit. The individual lashes are various lengths, which gives more of a natural feel. The ends aren't exactly tapered, but they aren't super blunt, like you see on some drugstore lashes.

The lashes themselves are a little fragile, so take care when taking glue off at the end of the day, or when taking them off your eyes. I find that since these are so light, they are perfect for everyday wear, as you barely feel them on your eyes.

Pros:

• Natural look
• Clear band
• Light on the eyes

Cons:

• A little fragile
• Pricey!

House of Lashes falsies in Au Naturale -$9.00 for one pair

Review - 5/5

Review - NYX Baked Blush in Chiffon

I'm a sucker for pretty shimmery things. I read that NYX's baked blush in Chiffon could be used as a soft, shimmery highlighter, so of course I went and picked it up!

NYX Baked Blush in Chiffon 

Wrist swatch of Chiffon

Chiffon is described as an "iridescent highlight." When swatched, it looks more like a soft, warm baby-pink shimmer than an iridescent shade. The shimmer is very fine, there are no big hunks of glitter. When blended out, the full effect is a very nice, soft, barely there pink highlight. I did find the product to be a teeny bit powdery, but maybe it's because I had to grind away at the dome of blush to get any good pigmentation for a minute, which is common with the baked line. 

Pros:

• No visible glitter, sheer shimmer
• Easy to blend out

Cons:

• Need to work off outer layer
• Can be powdery

NYX Cosmetics Baked Blush in Chiffon - $7.00 for 0.23 oz

Review - 4/5

Review - Bite Beauty Matte Creme Lip Crayon in Aubergine

Finally, the last of the Bite Mix N Mingle minis that I purchased way back during the VIB sale at Sephora! I don't know why it took me so long to wear it, but here it is. Since this is available as a full size, I will be putting the full size info at the bottom, as the mini is limited edition. The mini is $12.00 for 0.031 oz.

Bite Beauty Matte Creme Lip Crayon
in Aubergine

Wrist swatch of Aubergine

Aubergine is described as "eggplant" - clearly. However, this shade does not swatch or wear anywhere near an eggplant shade, as you can see. It's much closer to a brighter berry shade. The finish is more of a satin/matte hybrid than a solid matte. If you blot thoroughly, it's closer to a matte finish, but right after you apply, there's definitely more of a satin finish. The formula has good pigmentation, one swipe got me full color. The application was smooth, and the formula is more moisturizing than other matte formulas out there. There is a citrusy scent to the lipstick, but this fades after application.

While wearing, I did experience some transfer onto my coffee cup, but the lipstick leaves a good stain on the lips, so reapplication wasn't immediately necessary. I paired this with a lip primer, but I did not find the formula to be drying at all, quite the opposite. I would pair this with a clear lip liner at the very least, as it is a darker shade and since it is prone to transfer. The lipstick did highlight dry spots and flakes, and the color did gather into liplines a bit, so be sure to exfoliate before use (which, of course, I did not!)

Pros

• Moisturizing formula
• Smooth application
• Nicely pigmented
• Leaves a nice stain on the lips

Cons

• Prone to transfer
• Not extremely matte, more of a satin finish
• Gathers into liplines, highlights flakes

Bite Beauty Matte Creme Lip Crayon in Aubergine - $24.00 for 0.05 oz

Review - 3.5/5

Review - Kat von D Everlasting Liquid Lipstick in Berlin

This is the other mini that came in the Kat von D set I was able to snag on Black Friday. Since it's a mini and the set was $10, the price for this is $5 for 0.10 oz. Full size info will be at the bottom of the review, as always.

Kat von D Everlasting Liquid Lipstick in
Berlin

Wrist swatch of Berlin

I love minis - this one is so cute! It has all the aesthetics of the full size - a perfect mini. Berlin is described as a "warm rose" - I honestly haven't seen any very hot pink roses lately. It is a warmer toned dark pink in my book. Like the other shades in this line, the formula is on point. Smooth application, dries down to a very matte finish in about two minutes, giving you a small window to clean up mistakes. No scent really, which is good for those who dislike scented lip products. This comes with a doe foot applicator, which I find is precise enough to get a crisp line. The product is heavily pigmented, but I like to apply a light layer, let it dry, then apply another layer for optimal coverage and staying power.

The formula is slightly drying, but it is a fully matte formula so this is to be expected - I wore with a lip primer. I did experience a little transfer onto a cup, and the formula did one off when eating something a little greasy, but that happens to be the downfall of most lip products. However, quite a pigmented stain was left behind, so it wasn't very evident. I did not notice much fading before (obviously) needing to reapply after eating. I did not experience any bleeding or feathering, or gathering into lip lines or highlighting of flakes on the lips.

Another win for the Everlasting Liquid Lipstick formula. Make more shades, please! :)

Pros:

• Non scented
• Highly pigmented
• No bleeding/feathering
• Long lasting

Cons:

• Matte formula can be drying

Kat von D Everlasting Liquid Lipstick in Berlin - $19.00 for 0.22 oz

Review - 5/5

FOTD - 12.10.14

I am trying to get to work more...on time...than I have been, so here is my 20 minute makeup look that I managed to pull off this morning!

Hello from my car!

Eyes closed.

Here's a product list for you!

Face:

• NYX Honey Dew Me Up primer
• Maybelline Dream Wonder liquid foundation in 15 Ivory
• NARS Radiant Creamy Concealer in Vanilla
• Rouge Bunny Rouge Diaphanous powder
• Anastasia Contour Kit
• Hourglass Ambient Lighting Powders in Dim and Diffused
• NYX Baked Blush in Sugar Mama
• MAC Fix+
• Urban Decay De Slick spray

Eyes:

• Anastasia Brow Wiz in Soft Brown
• NARS Smudgeproof eye primer
• Inglot #353 eyeshadow
• Urban Decay 24/7 eyeliner in Mushroom
• Laura Mercier Caviar Stick in Sugar Frost
• Diorshow Overcurl mascara
• House of Lashes falsies in Au Nautrale

Lips:

• MAC Prep and Prime Lip
• Kat von D Everlasting Liquid Lipstick in Berlin

Review - Stila eyeshadow single in Kitten

I know this shade has been around for ages, but I finally got my hands on it! I received this in a swap with a reddit friend.

Stila eyeshadow in Kitten

Wrist swatch of Kitten

Kitten is described as a "shimmering nude pink." This shade swatched to be more of a shimmery champagne than a pink, much emphasis on the shimmer. I swatched this over bare skin, and it seemed to be mostly shimmer and less pigment. When using the shadow, the product was smooth and not powdery at all. I layered this over a nude shadow (Inglot #353) to create a shimmery nude champagne color on the lid, which went well with the matte nude eye look I created. The eyeshadow did fade a little bit throughout the day, though it did not crease.
Pros:

• Non powdery
• Smooth application
• No shimmery fallout

Cons:

• Faded slightly
• More shimmer than pigment

Stila eyeshadow single in Kitten - $18.00 for 0.09 oz

Review - 3.5/5

Review - Kat von D Studded Kiss Lipstick in Lolita

I was super excited to see that Sephora put out a mini duo set of the Kat von D Studded Lipstick in Lolita and the Everlasting Liquid Lipstick in Berlin on Black Friday. I was even more excited when I was able to check out in my cart with it, since I knew it would sell out quickly! (Of course, I saw it in store at like 3 PM the next day, so I need not have worried - I was still excited. Ebates!) Since the mini is only available in sets that are now long gone, I'll provide pricing and amount information for the full size below. The mini is 0.04 oz, and I guess in my set, is $5!

Kat von D Studded Kiss Lipstick in Lolita 

Wrist swatch of Lolita

I know a lot of people dislike minis, but I happen to like them, especially for lipsticks. I have never finished a lipstick, and with my ever growing collection of them, I doubt I ever will finish a lipstick. If I do, I'm sure I will throw myself a huge party, where I end up buying myself five more lipsticks to celebrate. That being said, this one is so tiny and cute! It's about 2.5-3" tall overall, and the case is a very lightweight black plastic. The non studded parts show fingerprints pretty easily, since it's black.

Lolita is described as a "matte dusty rose" - dusty rose is definitely apt here, but on my lips it pulled a tiny bit mauvey nude. In the swatch, there's a small bit of a satiny sheen to the finish, but after applying the the lips, it's matte. It isn't as matte as the liquid lipsticks in the Kat von D line, so if your lips can't handle the whole "matte as fuck," thing, this may be the kind of matte you need. Application was decently smooth, pigmentation was good, I did not need more than one swipe. These lipsticks are known to be very fragile, so I applied with a caution, and even so, mine bent a tiny bit and hit the side of the tube - I didn't even turn it up that much! This is true for both the minis and the full size, so buyer beware. There is a light vanilla scent that dissipates after application.

I was able to have my morning cup of tea without much transfer at all. I paired this with a lip liner (Make Up For Ever Aqua Lip liner in 14 C) and a lip primer, and experienced no feathering or bleeding. The formula did highlight some dry flakes as the day progressed, but my lips themselves did not dry out, but I have a feeling this was thanks to the lip primer. I also exfoliated my lips beforehand. I did not notice any fading on the inner lip or any color gathering into the lip lines.

I happen to like this little lipstick, so I may go and pick up another one or two of the regular size to see how they fare - I've heard they're pretty hit or miss, though. I'm happy I have a mini at least!

Pros:

• Good pigmentation
• Not OVERLY matte
• Little to no transfer

Cons:

• Fragile in the tube
• Highlights flakes
• Potentially drying

Kat von D Studded Kiss Lipstick in Lolita - $21.00 for 0.10 oz (full size)

Review 3.5/5

Review - Bite Beauty Lush Lip Tint in Raspberry

I've been trying to change up my makeup collection lately, and get rid of items I have been neglecting. I did a swap with a friend on reddit, and she sent me this Bite Beauty Lip Tint in return! I had been wanting to try this, so I was so pumped to get this! Also - it was new! What a great swap.

Bite Beauty Lush Lip Tint in Raspberry

Wrist swatch of Rapsberry

First order of business - when you use the product, the little white B in the middle DOES get all pink. But it does stay in the shape of a B! Moving on to less important matters - the product does hvae a light berry/fruity scent upon application, but this disappears quickly after applying. Application is smooth. The product is quite pigmented for something only being branded as a tint. The product has some slip to it, but not too much so.

During wear, the product did transfer onto my cup while drinking. However, a very nice stain was left behind, almost to the point where no reapplication was needed. (For science, I reapplied.) I wore with a lip primer, but I did not use a lip liner, and I experienced no bleeding, feathering, or gathering in the lip lines. The formula was highly moisturizing, and my lips felt hydrated during the entire course of wear, and even after the product transferred off to my cup, or was seemingly mostly absorbed into the lips, only leaving the tinted stain behind.

The Lush Lip Tint certainly lives up to its name - it does leave a very pigmented tint behind! I really like this product, and I will look to pick up another shade or two to review in the future!

Pros

• Highly moisturizing
• No bleeding/feathering
• Stains lips nicely

Cons

• Very prone to transfer
• Scented, noticeable when applying but fades

Bite Beauty Lush Lip Tint in Raspberry - $24.00 for 0.13 oz
Review 4.5/5

Review - Bite Beauty Luminous Creme Lipstick Duo in Fig/Date

I'm totally slacking on reviewing products - I have a whole bag of stuff I need to swatch and photograph, and a backlog of stuff to wear and review! I picked this lipstick duo up back during the VIB sale (and right now there is ANOTHER Sephora sale going on!) which tells you how long ago it's been since I've had this. I wanted to wear both colors before I reviewed it, and I finally got around to it!

Bite Beauty Luminous Creme Lipstick Duo in Fig (left) and
Date (right)

Wrist swatches of Fig (top) and Date (bottom)

This is another one of the Mix N Mingle minis that Bite Beauty released for the holiday season at Sephora. I scooped up a bunch of these, as you can see by my past couple of reviews (and there are more coming!) I've decided to hop on the nude lip trend (a little late, as always) so this duo was perfect!

As I've come to expect from Bite's products, the formula is pigmented, long lasting, and high performing. Application was smooth, and the lipstick itself is creamy. Both shades applied with even pigmentation. There is a very light scent, a more lipstick-y scent than anything else, but it fades upon application. I did not find the lipstick itself to be drying, and did not experience any feathering, but I wore with a primer and a lip liner for both shades. While wearing Fig, I did find that after a time, the product did gather into lip lines slightly.

Pros:

• Smooth application
• Pigmented
• Non drying

Cons:

• May gather into lip lines during wear

Bite Beauty Luminous Creme Lipstick Duo in Fig/Date - $12.00 for 0.05 oz (x2)

Review - 4.5/5

November 2014 Favorites

I hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving if you are in the US - and if not, I apologize for the long absence! I'm back with my favorite items for November. A lot of these are my go-to items, which I can't believe I haven't added to a favorites list yet!

1. House of Lashes eyelash adhesive - I've been wearing falsies on a daily basis for the better part of a year now, but I had yet to make the plunge into using this glue. I got it a couple of weeks ago, and now I don't know how I'm going to do without it! It dries to be 100% clear, which is perfect! The other glue I was using was clear-ish, which was okay, but not perfect. This also has a brush applicator, which really helps with messiness and cutting down on getting glue everywhere. It also gets to the right tackiness pretty quickly. I'm really happy with this! It's also iridescent somehow, and looks pretty cool!

2. Maybelline Dream Wonder liquid foundation -  I wear this in a lot of my posted 'FOTD' posts. This came out back in June, I believe, and was supposed to be a drugstore 'dupe' of Armani Luminous Silk foundation. Now, never having tried the Armani foundation, I still really like the Maybelline! I experience minimal oiliness, and the foundation stays put when set with powder. I apply using a beauty blender, and the application isn't patchy or anything. I was able to find a good color match within the line, but I hope they come out with a wider range of shades, as it's a bit limited right now.

3. MAC Prep and Prime lip  - I love this lip primer, I put it on under every lip product, even gloss. It's moisturizing, easy to apply, and gets the job done. It has no scent, which is an added bonus, as companies LOVE to add scent to lip products for whatever reason. It's also clear, so it won't distort the color of any of your lip products, though some people may want a product like MAC Lip Erase. I may look into other lip primers in the future just to broaden my horizons, but I always recommend this one to those in need of a good primer.

4. Anastasia Dipbrow Pomade - I use the shade Dark Brown, which I chose to picture here. I love this stuff! Anastasia debuted this product the beginning of this year, and it's become a staple in my routine. I use it either alone or paired with brow wiz, and it's super versatile! I can create a power brow, or a natural looking brow, just with this product. And the best part is that it doesn't budge! There is a bit of a learning curve with it, since you need to learn how much product you need to use to get the desired look. I use this with the Anastasia #12 brush, but any stiff angled brush would work, preferably a synthetic bristle brush. I highly recommend this for anyone looking to diversify their brow game!

5. NYX Baked Blush in Sugar Mama - NYX also came out with their Baked Blushes earlier this year, and it's a really great product. I have a couple of these, but I always reach for Sugar Mama if I need something soft that goes with mostly everything. Sugar Mama is a soft peachy color with a bit of sheen, and it adds a bit of glow to the cheek as well as color. The blush is nicely pigmented, but also buildable without getting clownish. I find that though it does have some shimmer, it isn't overly noticeable, so you can still add a highlight without turning into a disco ball. Definitely look into this line, if not this shade specifically!