Maybelline Line Stylist Lip Liner

July 3, 2008

Maybelline has a pretty good soft lip liner at a nice price: The Maybelline Line Stylist.

This is a very slimline liner–one of the thinnest I have seen. The tip does a good job at giving a thin line, or a bit thicker with a bit of pressure. It is also nice an soft, but doesn’t smear.

Oh, and the color lasts extemely well. What more can you ask for?

Well…. there is one small issue with it, and we’re talkin tiny here–really not a huge concern to me at least. The packing is such that you turn it to click it up out of the tube. If you click too far, there doesn’t seem to be a reverse function. So proceed slowly!

Comparison Shop for Maybelline Cosmetics

Written by Carleenp · Filed Under Color, Lip Pencil

High End Product Substitution: Sonia Kashuk Velvety Matte Lip Crayon

July 2, 2008

It is no secret that I love the Nars Velvet Matte Lip Pencil. But I realize that it is out of some reader’s price range. For a very similar item, take a look at the Sonia Kashuk Velvety Matte Lip Crayon, which is almost a dead ringer for the Nars pencil. The Crayon was part of the new Spring 2008 collection and runs at around $7.

Below is a swatch of the Nars Dolce Velvet Matte Pencil and a Sonia Kashuk Lip Crayon in Velvety Nude. As you can see, the shades are very similar. Nars is on the left and Sonia Kashuk is on the right:

The Sonia Kashuk pencil goes on creamy and thick. Like the Nars pencil, it can be used both to color and to line, but I find it most effective as an all over color that is followed by lipstick and/or gloss.

Sonia Kashuk also has a great Lipstick and Gloss duo (Read Review). The products can be found in the land of the bullseye (aka Target).

Written by Carleenp · Filed Under Color, Lip Pencil

Beauty Bloggers’ Favorite Lip Products, Part I

June 11, 2008

Awhile back I asked a few fellow beauty bloggers what their favorite lip items were. This week I am featuring their responses about their their favorite lipstick and balm. Next week, I will let you know their favorite lip glosses and their opinions on lip plumpers.

I also discovered a fortunate side effect that might be unfortunate for the pocket book. I learned about some new items to try. But of course, now I want to go buy all of them! Especially Lipstick Queen, I have wanted to try that for a long time now.

For more great information about cosmetics and beauty, also visit these ladies’ blogs!

What is your Favorite Favorite Lipstick?

Ellen from Lipstick Powder n Paint says: “I am more a gloss fan than a lipstick one, but I am a huge fan of The Lipstick Queen’s products. Only yesterday I was wearing the Coral Saint lipstick. The colour is very pretty, sheer and not at all fluorescent.”

Like me, Isabella, the Muse at Musings of a Muse, has a favorite from the MAC Fafi Collection. She wrote: “Fafi for MAC Lipstick (Color: Flash n Dash)(Read the Muse’s Review) is the most flattering shade I’ve come across to date! So flattering in fact I considered purchasing a back up!” the Muse also provided the below picture of her favorites, so you can see the shade:

Toya from The Life of a Ladybug also loves MAC and the Fafi collection. She wrote: “I have to go with MAC. It is a toss-up between 1N from the N Collection and Not So Innocent from Fafi - both fabulous nude shades!”

Jamie at The Beauty of Life told me: “I am currently totally in love with Lancome Color Fever Shine in Pixel Pink. I am so glad I snapped up a tube before it was discontinued! It’s not too dark or too bright on my lips — it just gives the best pinkish tinge. It’s also really creamy and doesn’t start to feel matte or dry at all.”

What is Your Favorite Lip Balm?

Ellen said: “Every night and when my lips need a moisture boost, I apply Bliss Superbalm Lip Conditioner with SPF 15. It feels smooth and does not have an icky taste.”

Isabella shares another favorite with me. She wrote: “Smith’s Rosebud Salve (Read the Muse’s Review ). My cure all to everything! Chapped Lips, Dry Elbows, Cuts and Scraps, Hair Static, Under eye moisturizer, you name it and this stuff can be used as a cure all! Love it and I’m never without it!”

Add in another Smith’s fan! Toya said: “My favorite lip balm: Rosebud Salve, hands down. I also love its sisters: Minted Rose, Strawberry and Brambleberry Rose.”

Jamie says: I actually have two favorite lip balms! There are tons of Bonne Bell LipSmackers in my purse, on my desk at work, on my vanity in the bathroom, on my nightstand … basically anywhere I am, there’s at least one with me. I love all the flavors and they make my lips feel really soft for hours (Read Jamie’s Review). I also recently discovered Korres Lip Butter and I love it! I have it in both Quince and Pomegranate, and each taste amazing and really help my lips to keep from getting chapped.

Check in next Wednesday for more beauty blogger favorites!

Update: Read Part II

Written by Carleenp · Filed Under Balm, Color, Links and Roundups, Lipstick, Misc.

Jelly Pong Pong Hump Balm and Lip Sorbet

June 5, 2008

Jelly Pong Pong is a line of cosmetics made in Italy with a number of interesting lip products. I recently gave a couple of them a try.

Hump Balm immediately had me scratching my head over the name. I found the answer on the Jelly Pong Pong website, which describes the product like this:

Sex in a stick and so very cheeky. These sinful lip stains are named after bedroom antics, giving you a sensual after-orgasm lip shade.
Scented in aphrodisiac chocolate, they are formulated with Jojoba, Avocado, Aloe Vera, Wheatgerm, Chamomile and Vitamins A + E, to nurture your lips back to soft, pouting glory.

So now the name makes sense…..

I didn’t find the chocolate scent to be very strong in these, which actually was just fine with me. The balms are decent enough as a tinted balm with SPF added, especially considering that they carry a very reasonable price tag.

Lip Sorbet is cute little item. The small tubes of gloss are handy for putting in a pocket or small handbag. The gloss itself is not sticky, and it has a nice hint of color and shimmer, but I wasn’t completely in love with flavor of the Strawberry Jello Lip Sorbet that I tried. But the neat size kind of makes up for that!

Written by Carleenp · Filed Under Balm, Color, Lip Tint

Sonia Kashuk Sheer Lip Color and Plumping Glossy Tint.

May 23, 2008

I have a couple of new favorite lipstick shade, and best of all they each come with an attached gloss! My new love is Sonia Kashuk Sheer Lip Color and Plumping Glossy Tint in the shade Passion Fruit and the same item in the shade Paradise 01. See swatches below.

First off, the dual lipstick and gloss is a nice touch. It also, like most Sonia Kashuk items, comes in pretty packaging. I’m kinds of a sucker for that stuff.

The lipstick, as the name says, is sheer. Passion Fruit has a wonderful rose/berry tone to it, while Paradise 01 is more of a berry red. Both are nice to look at and are generally good quality for the price.

The gloss is also pretty good. It has nice shine, good tint, and is not sticky in any manner. It comes with a brush applicator, when I would rather have a sponge, but that is just a personal preference for me. The gloss is unscented and unflavored as far as I can tell. It says it is plumping in the name, but I did not notice any plumping indicators, not even the tingle that most give off. I view it as simply a decent matching gloss and that is good enough for me.

But the best part of this set is the color. I adore the shades. Below is a swatch of Passion Fruit. Also shown is a Sonia Kashuk Velvety Matte Lip Crayon in Blossomy Nude that I quite like. It will have is own post in the near future.

Sonia Kashuk Lipstick and Gloss Passion Fruit

Here is a swatch of Paradise 01. It looks more red in the tube than it does on the skin. On my lips, I found that it provided a nice sheer berry with a bit of red hue that was quite wearable for either day or evening. Often berry red is a bit overpowering for my pale skin, but not this one. I liked the sheer effect of it.

Sonia Kashuk Lipstick and gloss Paradise 01

Sonia Kashuk products are available at Amazon.com (linked above) or at Target stores. The swatches were taken in full sunlight.

Written by Carleenp · Filed Under Color, Cool Packaging, Gloss, Lip Pencil, Lipstick

Revlon Creme de la Chrome Lipgloss

May 21, 2008

Revlon is usually my top recommendation for consistently good drugstore brand lip products. Revlon Creme de la Chrome Liquid Lipcolor is yet another nice offering.

I tried Creme de la Chrome in the shade Plum Appeal, which is a deep plum/red. The shade was a bit dark for my pale skin, but still was quite lovely. In the deep shades, this gloss acts almost as a stain. I found that I could apply it, wipe it off, and be left with nicely stained lips. So that dark shade can work for me after all!

The gloss is high shine with a very nice shimmery, luminous effect. It isn’t frosty or overly shimmery– instead it sort of just glows. I love it and plan to try it out in some lighter shades!

Comparison Shop for Revlon Cosmetics

Written by Carleenp · Filed Under Color, Gloss, Lip Stain