As promised yesterday, I’m dutifully returning to give you a rundown of my lipstick collection. A warm thanks goes out to everyone who liked yesterday’s post- it’s nice to receive support, especially when talking about cosmetics, something I’m far from an expert about. But we all have faces, right? And I enjoyed talking about what I like doing with mine, so I decided to come back to it today (rather than talking about the books I have lined up or giving Disney Princes academic grades- both posts I have floating around toward the top of my mind).
I’m not super experimental with lip color. In fact, as you may have gathered yesterday I’m not super experimental with my makeup look at all, but I’d like to think I’ve at least some idea of what looks well on me.
Before I go into actual colorful things I want to mention Nivea lip balm. If some chapped-lipped person sold their soul to the devil to get the perfect lip balm, it would Nivea’s (particularly in the dark blue and light blue colors). It’s a bit steep (for lip balm) at $3, but very much worthwhile during a New England winter. Or a glaringly sunny summer, because SPF. I mean, someone (who I’m very grateful to) sold their soul for it so I can definitely manage $3. Worship.
Also, Nivea has an EdT? A powdery lavender floral EdT? I’m intrigued.
Lolita by Kat Von D: This is the funniest and most serendipitous of stories. And one of my most favorite lipsticks. I was in Sephora (because I always go when I’m near one to check out new mainstream fragrance releases) and I spotted this one out of the corner of my eye, liked it, wiped the top off the sample and then dabbed a little on. And I loved it. After a week or so panicking over the fact that I had fallen in love with a $20+ lipstick (it’s a slippery slope!) I bought it and have never felt any regret (and I’m very prone to buyer’s remorse, despite (or maybe because of) my indecision and anguish about purchases). I have the Studded Kiss lipstick, the packaging is delightfully edgy, the lipstick smells nice and vanillin, it goes on vey well. And of course the color, which is a brown-leaning matte rose.
And the problem: I hear that there are different batches of this with color differences between them. There’s also a liquid lipstick that varies a bit. It’s all a bit complex, I just hope when I run out that I find the color of current batches similar to what I have now, because I’m getting attached to it.
Rebel by MAC: Rebel is another one that sort of found me (I’d watch a romantic comedy about people finding their soul mate lipsticks- very meet-cute, romcom type thing). I was in Macy’s (?) at the MAC counter, just browsing because browsing is relaxing, especially when you’re not actively looking to shop, but rather to admire all the pretty things. When I saw a dark purple tube of Rebel I decided to try it on because I was curious about how it would look, and lo and behold, it came out as this bright plum-berry color. I don’t remember if I bought it then and there or proceeded to anguish about it for a week or so (as is my wont), but I’m very happy to have it and we continue to be very much in love. And I’m always happy to see it getting some appreciation elsewhere- as in this hilarious article. “It’s the lipstick the coolest girl you know wears, not every girl you know.” Well then. *Pats self on back*.
Am I cool now? I wonder if anyone thinks I’m the coolest girl they know? Seems unlikely. Who is the coolest girl I know? And does show own MAC Rebel?
Napa Vineyard Lip Crayon by Burt’s Bees: This was a calculated lipstick purchase undertaken last summer when I was in the market for a good semi-casual cool red lipstick. very successful purchase (I’m wearing it today actually). It’s pretty buildable so you can opt for a more natural tinted color or a darker wine stain (Ooooh, Napa Vineyard, I get it). I’ve heard some complaints about the formula being dry, but honestly so much as you have your trusty Nivea lip balm you should be good to go (or you know, some petroleum jelly/Vaseline, which is, like scotch tape, the universal solution)(What is the meaning of life? Vaseline and scotch tape and 42). I actually like the dryness (am I weird) because it keeps the color from running or spreading, you can get a nice shade gradient going where the color is darker in the middle of your lip, or more in toward your mouth. It occurs to me that this might make me look consumptive, which is poetic enough, even if I am aiming for ‘has-eaten-strawberries-chic’.
Snow White by NYX: [Sorry, no perfect picture!]. I should trust NYX more often with my lip color (and general beauty) needs, because I’ve been very pleased with the things I’ve bought from them so far (namely this lipstick and the eyebrow palette I talked about yesterday). This was another well-researched purchase, but it’s hard to know what to expect from a lipstick called ‘Snow White’, with all of the ‘lips red as the rose’-ness that that entails. Because really, roses come in so many shades, some red and some not (honestly I’m a fan of a nice peachy pink cottage rose). Anyway, I do love this. It’s very creamy and transfers a bit, but the color is a deep bluish red, I would even say blood red over rose. It’s a good thick formula with concentrated pigmentation, and very much worth the price. I like to wear it out or just around when I want to be more intimidating, or to top of a more neutral look.
Those are my four most favorites! I also have a lovely fuchsia from Maybelline (Fuchsia Flash) that I wear sometimes for dance pieces- it’s perfect in every way but at the same time not very me. And Wet n Wild Cherry Bomb which has a splendid color and the worst of formulas. It’s a goth-leaning bitten color, but goes on dragging and is quite uncooperative when it comes to being spread. One of those times where I would happily spend a bit more to get the same color with a better formula.
You know what I could probably use? A lip color that’s actually a neutral 😛
List Mimsy 