The Lipstick Tag

I had a request to talk about my lipsticks and I have indeed planned to do so for a while now, as in my mountain of post drafts, I had not one, but two lipstick inspired tags. One is called The Lipstick Tag and the other the Lip Products Addict Tag. I decided to combine them in one post as some questions were basically the same. 

1. What was the first lipstick you owned? 

I sort of answered this in my Make Up Memory Lane Tag a few months ago. The question there was about the first makeup item ever and as a true lipstick enthusiast it was of course a lipstick. It was one of L'Oreal's Color Riche ones in a my-lips-but-better rosy colour and I was 13 when I got it. I lost it within a month (this is a different Color Riche on the picture, but the packaging is still the same). 

2. What is your favourite lipstick brand? 

That's a hard one. I have so many different brands in my collection and the one thing I've learned through the years is how good drugstore lipsticks have become. On my All-time favourites page I have Catrice's Ultimate Colours under the category of regular lipsticks because they combine a great formula, affordability and lovely selection of shades. But there are so many other excellent lipsticks and the ones I have to mention are Bourjois' Rouge Edition and L'Oreal's colour Riche.

Of course if I consider liquid lipsticks here as well, then my absolute favourite are Bourjois Rouge Edition Velvet.

3. What is your most worn lipstick? 

I swap colour so very often and it's not uncommon that I change it several times daily, but a couple of years ago my answer would be Catrice's Ultimate Colour 250 Matt About Pink, which I wore almost every day (it's now sadly discontinued). I guess if I have to pick one that is my default shade that I just pick up when I'm in a hurry, or I need to look good without being too made up, it would be Bourjois' Rouge Edition Velvet in 07 Nude-ist.

5. What is your favourite finish?

Matte. Especially at bright and deep shades.

6. What was the last lipstick you bought?

It's been a while, so I had to check in my New Ins and Instagram, but it was Kiko's Velvet Mat Lipstick 612 Strawberry Pink that I got back in March . That's the one I bought, but since then I got sent several lipsticks and I believe the last one was Hot Shop Lipstick 01 from Born Pretty, which turned out to be way too orange for me.

7. How many lip products do you currently have in your bag?  

Technically five, but I have two bags. In the big one, where I also have an emergency bag, I keep Catrice Pure Shine Colour Lip Balm 070 I Don't Red It for a sheer red pout, a mini H&M lipstick in Perfect Red that is a gorgeous, super glamorous red and a Burt's Bees lip balm, which I literally never use. In my other smaller bag, which I carry most often, I keep Max Factor Colour Intensifying Balm 30 Redefined Rose for a no fuss pink and I actually reach for it very often, and I also carry a dinky sample of Avon Ultra Color Indulgence lipstick in Red Tulip which Petra (Adjusting Beauty) sent me for my birthday. 

Why I have so many reds, I don't know.

8. What is your favourite red lip colour? 

L'Oreal's Color Riché Pure Reds Collection Exclusive in Blake. People you need this in your life. I think that everyone deserves one fantastic red in their collection and this one is so worth it. It blows all other reds out of the water, including the old classics from MAC, which I have four including Ruby Woo and Russian Red.

9. How do you store your lipsticks? 

Basically all my makeup fits into two smallest drawers in my Alex unit and even those are a third empty. Some lipsticks are in the two makeup/lipstick organizer units that I got from Müller, while the others are in Ferrero Rocher plastic boxes (as you can see I eat a lot of that stuff). The lip liners are in a candle holder that I got years ago in Rutar.

 10. Which lipstick are you currently lusting after?

I'm currently on a search for a perfect warm red-purple, think Mac's Rebel like. I saw a swatch of La Splash Studio Shine Lip Lustre in Aurora, but I don't buy that the colour actually looks like that. I'd like to give Wet 'n' Wild Megalast Lipstick in Sugar Plum Fairy a try, to see if it looks the way I want.

I have a few others on my wishlist, which you can see here.

11. Favourite balm/treatment? 

For several years now it's Palmer's Cocoa Butter Formula Swivel Stick. It's basically the only lip balm I ever use, excluding the Labello's Fruity Shine Peach Lip Balm as that one is more of a gimmicky product to me since it's a tinted lip balm with little moisturising properties. But I must confess that my lips don't even need a lip balm any more. For some reason my lips are never dry.

12. Best luxury and best drugstore?

I haven't even tried that many luxury brands when it comes to lipsticks, but my pick would be Lancome Rouge In Love Lipsticks, however Bourjois Rouge Editions feel pretty much exactly the same on the lips. 

13. Best MAC lipstick? 

Without a doubt Relentlessly Red. It's bloody gorgeous and I never found anything similar. It's a bright red-magenta pink with a matte finish. I still only have a sample that I save like crazy, but one day I hope I'll get a full size of it.

16. The most disappointing? 

Not exactly disappointing, but lacking in quality - it's Makeup Revolution's lipstick. It just feels cheap. Their Iconic Pro didn't wow me either. I'm also not a fan of Essence Longlasting lipsticks. The formula is ok, but they last a total of 15 minutes on the lips.

17. Liner, yes or no? 

Oh, yes. I also love wearing lip liners on their own, especially light colours. My favourites include Bourjois' Contour Edition Lip Liner 02 Cotton Candy, Essence's Lipliner 12 Wish Me a Rose, which is a dupe for Mac's Please Me, the űber gorgeous Catrice's Longlasting Pencil 070 I got you Babel, Essence's Longlasting Lipliner 05 Lovely Frappuccino as the 90's lip colour that actually looks like one against my pale complexion and Kiko's Smart Lip Pencil in 709 Magenta because it's a stunning red-pink shade. When it comes to reds, brights and deep shades I almost always use a lip pencil to fix the outer edges.

18. Best gloss? 

That would be L'Oreal L'Extrodinaire Liquid Lipsticks. They are expensive, but so lovely. The formula is super creamy, comfortable and these have great pigmentation. They also smell like peaches which for me is a huge plus.

19. Something extra? 

Some of my other favourite shades. Mac's Peach Blossom as my choice for a nude, Shiseido's Glowing Matte Pk224 Sugar Babe for the perfect peach on my pale complexion, Bourjois Rouge Edition Velvet 02 Frambourjoise because it's an amazing pink-red shade, L'Oreal's Colour Riche in Laetitia for the best ever burgundy shade, Mac's Dangerous for a bright, warm orange red. Revlon's Ultra HD in Rose for a classic, everyday pink that smells like Planica ice cream, Revlon's Colorbust Matte Balm in Unapologetic for a bright coral-pink that is a good dupe for Mac's Impassioned and Catrice's Ultimate Lipstick 360 MATraction for an amazing deep red-pink.

My entire collection, which I posted a while ago on Instagram:

 

And link to a Lipstick Tag I did four years ago here. 

I hope you enjoyed this picture heavy post and have a great day!

Catrice Longlasting Lip Pencil Berryson Ford

This may a completely wrong time to post about this lip pencil because to me it's such a classic autumnal shade, but write down the name of it in case you think you'll want to experiment with burgundy-berries in colder months as this is probably the cheapest product here in such a colour. I've seen this on Sara's blog and it instantly caught my eye. On her is has a pinkish-berry tone that made it so unique to me, though on me it looks a bit more ordinary, but I love the colour nonetheless. If you like deep red shades, you'll love this as you can pair it with lipsticks such as L'Oreal's Laetitia, Rimmel's Kate lipstick in 107 and Bourjois Rouge Edition Velvet in Grand Cru.

Colour: As the name suggests it's a berry shade, so a deep berry-burgundy shade at that reminds me a lot of the combination I love to wear of Catrice's Ultimate Stay Lip liner in Love the Way you Plum and Bourjois' Rouge Edition Velvet in Grand Cru. Basically it's a redder version of Catrice's Love the Way you Plum, but with a way better formula. It's even very similar to the L'Oreal's Laettia lipstick, which makes it perfect for defining the lips when I want to wear that colour. Berryson Ford is just one of those very glam shades that fits so well into the autumn/winter period. 

Formula: Catrice's pencils aren't exactly known for being super creamy, but since the shade is more pigmented, it doesn't drag on the lips or looks chalky like some light colours might. Due to being a harder formula than for example Essence's lip liners, it's much more precise which I find very important at such deep colours. Also because the shade is darker, it doesn't emphasize patches, but it's not easy getting the shade completely even since it's a pencil (it's the same problem as at Love the Way You Lie).

Staying power: Darker colours have a better staying power in almost any range of lip colours and this is no exception. However, this doesn't survive eating well and it can form a ring of colour if worn on its on, but if you plan to pair it with (preferably a matte) lipstick on top, it'll last longer.

Price and availability: I got mine in Müller for 2.29 €. Check that no one used the pencil because they don't have testers for these and I went in three drugstores to find one that was untouched. 

Berryson Ford on the left and ...And the Cherry on the Top on the right:

Have a great day!

Essence Lipliner 12 Wish Me a Rose (Including a Comparison with MAC's Please Me)

Considering how often I say that I'm not a fan of Essence's lip liners, I sure have a lot of them. I justify my collection by saying that these are so affordable and therefore a great way to try colours for the first time. However, I got this one for a different reason and that is that I heard this is a good dupe for MAC's Please, which I own only in a sample form. You'll see a comparison of the two at the end of the post, but even though I'm very strict with the word dupe, this definitely meet my high criteria.

Wish me a Rose is a light-medium warm pink with a creamy matte finish. It depends of what your skin tone is, but depending on how tan I am, the shade looks either a bit darker or lighter on me. By the way on the pictures a bit tanned, especially on the last picture.

As usual the pencil is very soft and easy to apply. The formula actually reminds me of Mac's Please Me as that one is a very creamy matte. I actually like that this shade is so creamy because this means that it doesn't emphasize dry patches, since such colours are prone to do so. Due to softness the tip of the pencil becomes blunt very quickly, so frequent sharpening is required. Staying power is average for a lipstick and poor for a lip liner, but I lot of people claim this formula lasts well on them. I find it doesn't survive a meal.

My expanding collection also includes two already discontinued colours. Soft Rose is actually very similar to 150 Vintage Rose in the Longlasting Lip Pencils range by Catrice, while I know of nothing similar to the Nude Coral shade. Wish me a Rose is by far my favourite colour.

Reviews of the rest: Soft Rose, Satin Mauve, Cute Pink, Nude Coral, Femme Fatale and Honey Berry.

 ESSENCE Wish me a Rose vs. MAC Please Me

Please Me and Wish me a Rose are indeed very, very similar. I notice only a small difference between the two when swatched on the back of my hand, Please Me is a bit brighter and that's it (my camera sort of amplified the difference). Even the formulas look almost identical, though, of course Mac's lipstick has a better staying power. On the lips I notice no difference at all, I actually had a hard time distinguishing where the line is between them, as it all looked like a uniform lip colour. 

 

This is a great drugstore buy and I would call it a good dupe for the much more expensive Mac's lipstick. In case of this particular shade, I actually like that the formula is so creamy, though the staying power still isn't the best on my lips. I've been really enjoying wearing this liner since I got it and my cousin actually has four or five of these in different places because she loves it so much.

These cost 1.19 € in Slovenia and are available in almost every drugstore as well as some larger supermarkets.

Have a great day!

Essence Lipliner 15 Honey Berry

So apparently Essence has two lip liners with Berry in their names. I obviously didn't know that and when I went to pick up Soft Berry, I mistakenly grabbed Honey Berry instead. But all is not lost, at least I got an interesting new lip colour to experiment with and these are so cheap anyway. 

Honey Berry is a purple that leans more to the pink side, so it doesn't end up looking draining. I thought I'll hate it on me, but it actually looks decent, especially if I have my hair up. I would wear this colour in colder months, though. When it fades, it starts to get a bit darker on my lips and also less pink.

Texture is classically super soft as usual at Essence lip liners and people love it. I'm not such of a fan, but I don't dislike them. Since it's a darker shade, it manages to cling on a bit longer than the rest Essence lip liners and it fades nicely. These lip liners don't feel in the least bit drying on my lips.

 

Essence lip liners cost 1.19 € and can be found almost everywhere here. I already have seven of them, even though I'm not a massive fan of the formula, but they are a great way to experiment with your lip colour for very little money.

Have a great day!

Essence Longlasting Lipliner 05 Lovely Frappuccino

When this whole 90's trend exploded, I was way out of my depth. Everyone raved about Mac's Soar and Brave, while around these parts, where we can't get Mac, it was all about Essence's Cool Nude, Come Naturally and Satin Mauve. I tried the latter to give this very coveted look a try, disliked it with passion and gave up on the trend, dismissing it as not for me. But then Essence launched a new line of lip liners, which includes a shade called Lovely Frappuccino that again became a very popular colour and after a few months of checking it out, seeing reviews everywhere and mostly because my fellow blogger Sara told me to just get it already, I finally parted from those 1.59 € and gave it a go. It turned out to be one of my favourite purchases this year.

Based on the colour of packaging, I'd never picked it up as it's one of the fugliest colour I've seen, but don't be fooled, it doesn't look one bit like that on the lips. It's a natural deep pink/mauve-brownish shade - it is actually very difficult to describe how it looks on me. This shade looks much warmer on other people than on my lips, at least judging from reviews I've seen (I included a few at the end of the post for you). On me it's a bit cooler and more mauve instead of warm brown, so it's closer to what Plum Cake looks on most. If you're struggling with such shades and colours like Satin Mauve look so draining and grey on you, Frappuccino is just for you. I've said this a few times already, but Nadja compared it to Soar lip liner and finds them very similar. 

I've received mixed responses about this lip colour ranging from "I love it" to "it's too dark for you". I've had it for about a month and it really grew on me. Yes, it's a bit dark, but I think it's still fine. I'm very late to the party with such a lip colour, but I don't care, at least I found it.

The texture is the same as at Yummy Berry that I reviewed before. It's a soft creamy pencil that resembles a lipstick, but it's not as soft as their regular liners, also it's not as breakable as Catrice's version. 

Staying power is better than at Yummy Berry which I find surprising. It survived a glass of drink, but when it came to a full meal, it wiped off just from the middle of the lips, however, since it's such a natural looking shade, it wasn't that obvious.

I'm a bit in love with this colour, it just looks like it was made with people that have my skin tone in mind or at least it's such a shade where everything just falls into right place. I finally have a 90's inspired lip colour that actually looks like one on me. So what do you think? Is it a colour for me? 

I got it in Müller for 1.59€.

Reviews from other people: Danijela, Nadja, Petra, Sara and Taya.

Have a great day!