Wednesday, August 1, 2012

Sleek Milkshake and Minx Pout Paint Review, Swatches and Comparison to OCC Lip Tars!

sleek pout paints review

Sleek Milkshake & Minx Pout Paint

Sleek Pout Paint ($6.49) is an intense lip pigment, with the consistency of a lipgloss, and the pigmentation and finish of a lipstick.

Sleek Pout Paints are available in (11) shades: Minx, Cloud 9, Mauve Over, Lava, Peachy Keen, Rosette, Port, Pinkini, Milkshake, Peek-a-Bloo and Pin up.

I got my hands on two of the shades; Milkshake and Minx. Milkshake is a vibrant coral-pink and Minx is a neutral beige-pink.

Sleek Pout Paints launched at around this time last year, and I remember when everyone was talking about them and comparing them to the very similar OCC Lip Tars. I love my OCC Lip Tars, but admittedly, I reach for my traditional lipsticks before my lip tars because they are more convenient to use.

Sleek Pout Paints and OCC Lip Tars alike need to be applied with a lip brush because the color is so opaque, you only need a small drop to coat your lips. If you don't own a lip brush, you can use any small brush (concealer brush, etc) or the wand of one of your lipglosses.

sleek milkshake minx pout paint

Tuesday, July 31, 2012

Lancome Rose Fresque Blush Review, Photos & Swatches!

lancome rose fresque

Lancome Rose Fresque Blush Subtil

Lancome Rose Fresque Blush ($30) is described on the Lancome website as a dusty, rosey pink. It has a bit of a plummy tone to it, yet it's pretty neutral overall. It doesn't get very ruddy on the cheeks, so it will work well for cooler skin tones, and it doesn't pull too purple, so it will equally flatter warm skin. *Please bear in mind that the blush featured in this post is a sample size, so it is much smaller and doesn't include a brush.

One helpful way of picking out a good neutral for your coloring is by having a look at your natural lip color. Our lip color differs from skin tone to skin tone - look for tones of red, purple and pink. My natural lip color is a light-medium, rosy pink with a hint of red. A similar shade would flatter my cheeks. Always remember that "nude" or "neutral" differs with every shade of skin.  

The consistency is very soft, and it's not overly pigmented, so it provides a soft wash of color to the cheeks. I like using a soft, fluffy blush brush such as the Real Techniques Blush Brush, and lightly tap and swirl the color on my cheeks.

It has a soft, natural matte finish that doesn't look dull or powdery.

lancome rose fresque blush subtil review

lancome rose fresque blush subtil

Sunday, July 29, 2012

MAC Blossom Culture Sheen Supreme Lipstick Review, Photos and Swatches!

mac blossom culture sheen supreme review

MAC Blossom Culture Sheen Supreme Lipstick

MAC Blossom Culture Sheen Supreme Lipstick ($16) is described on the MAC website as a soft pink with (white) pearl. It has a hint of coral, so it will work exceptionally well on warm skin tones. It's semi-opaque, and seems to enhance my natural lip color, while bringing a little bit of color to my face. It's a natural shade, making it great for daily wear, yet the hint of coral adds a little bit more. I think it's a great summer shade and will pair well with bronzed cheeks and pinky-coral blush!

If you aren't familiar with MAC Sheen Supremes, they are an ultra-creamy, moisturizing formula with a shiny finish. In some ways, they kind of remind me of the texture of Revlon Lip Butters (but creamier) — they feel like a soft, creamy lip balm, yet the coverage is opaque.

I love MAC Lipstick, and I'm crazy about Sheen Supremes. If you're a MAC fiend like myself, I urge you to check them out. I'm sure you'll fall in love too!

mac blossom culture sheen supreme

mac blossom culture sheen supreme review

mac blossom culture swatches
MAC Blossom Culture on my lips.

Friday, July 27, 2012

Dolce and Gabbana Darling Passion Duo Lipstick Review, Photos and Swatches!

Dolce and Gabbana Passion Duo Lipstick

 Dolce and Gabbana Darling Passion Duo Lipstick

Dolce and Gabbana Passion Duo Lipstick ($34) is a 2-in-1 hybrid of rich cream color and satin gloss. The outside lipstick layer provides most of the color, while the middle gloss layer provides shine. Darling is a glistening, warm peachy-pink with a cotton candy pink center. It's a lipstick that falls in the natural/nude category, and one that I find to be very sophisticated. It has light pigmentation (buildable) and leaves my lips glowing!

Although it's not the first time this type of design has been created, and with my personal experiences, 2-in-1 products tend to be failures (usually exceeding in one aspect and falling short in the other) - automatically I think of cream blushes that "can also be used on the lips", which usually ends up in dry, shriveled lips, but perfectly stained cheeks. Well, my good ol' friend D&G hit the nail on the head with the passion duo lipsticks, as the overall formula isn't anything short of fabulous.

The formula is silky smooth and feels great on the lips. The moisturizing ingredients in this lipstick seem to sink into my lips quite well without further drying them out.

The lipstick does have a noteworthy scent/taste of roses. Although it's not crazy strong, it's there. Imagine the scent of Guerlain Meteorites on your lips - that's exactly what it's like.

Darling is actually one of the sheerer passion duos, so the lasting power is very average. I've read that the more pigmented (darker) colors stick around much longer. If you're looking for a sexy, warm red, check out Incognito. (View Crystalis007 review & lip swatch - omg!)

Dolce and Gabbana Darling Passion Duo Lipstick

dolce and gabbana lipstick swatch
D&G Darling Lipstick on my lips.