Me Now Generation II Long Lasting Lip Gloss #36 (Born Pretty Matte Lip Cream)

Based on your comments under my latest New in post, this matte lip cream generated most interest, so here it is. It has a series of complicated names, both on the tube and on the Born Pretty website, so I shall just call it Born Pretty Matte Lip Cream. Born Pretty sells 12 shades of these and they are all swatched on their website. Now that I'm looking at it again, I'm surprised at myself hat I didn't choose a different shade as I like most of them, but this is a lovely colour any way, just a bit bright.

Colour: This is so bright! But when I asked others they said that it's nothing different from what I usually wear. #36 is a bright fuchsia shade, which looks like a warm shade in the tube, but on my lips it more neutral/leaning to cool. It's similar to Bourjois' Rouge Edition Velvet in Olé Flamingo and Catrice's Mission Pinkpossible as the closest comparisons I own. This is a shade for the brave, also because the lasting power is insane and when you decide to wear this, there is no going back unless you're prepared to spend quite some time with an oil based remover rubbing this off. It dries into that nice matte finish that I'm a huge fan off, though looking at it closely, it does have a tiny bit of the shine and also the thickness of application determines how fast it will turn matte. In case of a thin coat that happens almost immediately.

Texture: It's a lip cream, but very different from what I'm used to. It's thicker than for example Nyx's version and not a mousse-cream hybrid like Bourjois' version. I suggest applying a thin coat and avoiding layering it because once it's on the lips, it dries into this uniform matte layer and the thicker the coat is, the more prone it is to cracks and flaking after hours of wear. Because it dries into this layer, the first minutes or even a hour, you'll definitely feel it on your lips, not necessarily as a dryness, but more as tightness. This feeling disappears over time. The one issue I have with this is the stickiness, not when you press your lips to a glass or test it with fingers, but mostly just when you press your lips together. This stickiness is quite strong and is occasionally the cause of minor flaking, so this is not a product to wear when you know might be talking a lot right after application (unless you avoid letters p,b and m, but I don't how how that would work out for you). Like the tightness, the stickiness also disappears in time and it behaves like a regular matte lip cream.

I'm also wearing Smooth Liquid Eye Liner with a panda design on the eyes 

Staying power: Due to the stickiness you can guess yourself that this sticks on like a glue, except if you're so unlucky (or you applied it too thick) that a part might flake off. It lasts through meals and drinking, although it still transfers a bit. I can't say that this wears off particularly nicely. It disappears from the inner corners first, especially after a meal that includes oils, but the main bulk of the colour stays put for a long time. At the end of the day (meaning after at least 10 hours), it looks patchy, with the colour concentrating on the edges of the lips, but all the lips are still stained. Due to that strong stain action, I also have to warn you to be careful not to get this anywhere else than the lips because it's a pain to scrub off.

Packaging: It's a long tube in a design that is nothing new to me, since Manhattan had something similar four or five years ago. Apart from stickiness, which I can handle because I'm not much of a talker, I don't get along with the applicator. The sponge it fine, but the length of the wand is seriously impeding the ability to do a nice application. If only it were a centimetre or two shorter, it would make it so much easier.  

Scent: This has a paint like scent, which is not particularly noticeable.

Price and availability: These cost 2.99 $ on the Born Pretty website, which makes them some of the most affordable matte lip creams, especially if you consider that the shipping is free as well. All twelve colours cost 18 $.

I got a code to that gives you 10% off your order MKOH10, which is also in the sidebar (it's a direct link to the website).

All the name confusion aside, this is a nice and very long lasting matte lip cream for a very affordable price. The wand is a nuisance as it the initial stickiness, but these are not massive downsides. For the price these are lovely and I'm really digging the shade range.

Have a great day!

*I was send this by Born Pretty.

Bourjois Rouge Edition Velvet 07 Nude-ist

I will openly admit that when I first saw and swatched Rouge Edition Velvets, I immediately disliked this shade and even considered it ugly. Oh, how wrong I was. But you have to admit that it doesn't look like much in the tube any way and quickly swatched under the deceiving shop lights it didn't really pack that wow factor like the rest of the shades. Turns out this is just gorgeous on the lips and I'm kicking myself for not picking it up sooner (Sanja recognized its beauty straight away. I should have trusted her judgment and advice *bows head in shame*).  

Nude-ist looks unappealingly dark nude in the tube and when swatched on the back of the hand, it has that brownish-nude look to it, which I found instantly unappealing. But on the lips it shows its true colours. It's a stunningly gorgeous muted rose colour, so basically a deep warm nude shade. It's almost exactly the same tone as my natural lips, but two (or maybe more) shades darker so it just brings some life to my face and some much needed definition (my lips are so pale and they get paler towards the edge, so I have no idea where they really end). I have nothing like it in my collection and it sparked the interest to find more colours like it. My cousin has the same shade for a while now and when she first saw this colour on me, she enthusiastically asked me what I wearing and was surprised when I told her it was Nude-ist, since she says it looks very different on her. So keep that in mind when you're looking at my swatches because I'm very pale and it's probably much darker on me than on most (I wear Nars Siberia if you don't know yet). It's very every day appropriate, though on my lips it's already not a true nude shade, but a classy medium natural-toned goodness and I would feel comfortable wearing this colour for any occasion.

 Yes, the cat ears are obligatory.

I've already talked extensively about the formula in my Grand Cru review and then some more in my review of Frambourjoise and Olé Flamingo. Given that I already own four of these, it's pretty clear how much I adore them. Out of those three shades it's closest in texture to Frambourjoise, meaning it has the type of pigmentation that is sheerer in the first light coat and fully opaque in the second. This is also the shade that is never truly matte (but it's very close) and doesn't completely dry, but rather stays more creamy and does transfer. This also means that those who tend to have drier lips might find it more comfortable to wear than for example Grand Cru, which becomes completely matte. However, if you're one who suffers from really dry lips, all these matte lip creams will feel drying to you. This lingering creaminess also means that it's the Velvet with the weakest staying power and only partly survives a meal or drinking, but still a lot better than an average lipstick in as similar shade.   

Here are all four shades I own: 02 Frambourjoise, 05 Olé Flamingo, 07 Nude-ist and 08 Grand Cru.

Have a great day!

Essence XXXL Longlasting Lipgloss Matte Effect 15 Coral Mousse

I love the old Stay Matt Lip Creams. Love. And Essence being, well, them, went ahead and changed the formula. Or at least it's a different formula just for this shade. I just can't wrap my head around it. Coral Mousse is a new shade that was launched when the originals were revamped, but I've only recently picked it up, because it wasn't available in my country. Honestly, I expected more.

Texture and pigmentation: It is oily. Where has the creaminess of the originals gone Essence? Or is it just this shade that has such a slippery formula? This particular shade also never dries to a matte finish and it stays creamy as well as oily on the lips. Why did they put a label Matt Effect on it if it's clearly a creamy liquid lipstick? The pigmentation is actually lovely and it's nicely pigmented with one swipe. At least they got one thing right.

Colour: It is completely different of the lips than in the tube. In the tube it looks darker and pinker with almost no peachiness. But on the lips it's clearly a peach shade, well, a desaturated peachy-pink-nude. It's a very decent everyday shade that is kind of a your-lips-but-better, but in a peachy way. Obviously, on anyone that is darker than me (NC/W15) it will look lighter.

Staying power: It's ok, but not as long lasting as the deeper shades of the old formula. It stays on for a number of hours, but disappears completely if you eat or drink.

Packaging: It the same long thin tube as of the rest XXXL line and has the same long flat applicator, which I find clumsy.

Price and availability: I believe this shade is only available where those 3 m long Essence stands are. It cost 2.25 €.

I like the colour and it's a nice every day shade that will appeal to a lot of people, but I'm a bit bummed about the formula. It's not bad, but it's not like the old Stay Matt Lip Creams, at least the dark shades and the staying power is a lot poorer, however, it could just be because the shade is so light. Nonetheless, it a decent buy if you're on a budget, though for a truly matte and long-lasting option go for Bourjois Velvets.

Have a great day!

Bourjois Rouge Edition Velvets Frambourjoise and Olé Flamingo

After being seriously impressed by the gorgeous matte finish of 08 Grand Cru, two more Rouge Edition Velvets joined my collection. I've often spoken about Velvets in my recent posts and they were featured in several favourites, so the time has come for me to finally post the swatches of the other two. 

I won't go into too much detail about the formula, since I already covered that at length in my review for the shade 08 Grand Cru and it's pretty much the same one. However, 02 Framboujoise and 05 Olé Flamingo do indeed have a much smoother and more pigmented formula, yet they still need two layers for an opaque and even finish. Again it takes about 15 minutes for them to set to a velvet-matte finish and both have the same fantastic staying power as Grand Cru, so they can last very long provided they don't come in contact with anything greasy.

I had such difficulties swatching Grand Cru again, but on the lips it's much easier to build up the colour.

02 Frambourjoise

This is one of my favourite shades at the moment, I seriously flippin' adore it. It's a rose-red-pink that is a perfect mix between a fun and a glamorous colour. Unlike the other two shades, it never fully dries to a matte finish, rather it stays a bit creamy.

05 Olé Flamingo

Is a super bright, fuchsia pink with a warm undertone. As far as I can tell it's a very similar shade to Pink Pong, except that one has a blue undertone. This shade has without a doubt the best formula out of the three. It's smooth, very pigmented and dries to the perfect velvet-matte finish.

Like I said in my Grand Cru post, applying these needs a bit more effort and they require time to set, but the finish is beautiful. As I suspected Grand Cru is the hardest shade to work with and others have a much better, smoother formula. 

These cost about 12€ in drugstores. For those who can't get them in their country they are sold on Feel Unique, Boots International and Asos.

Have a great day!

Bourjois Rouge Edition Velvet 08 Grand Cru

I was really excited when I heard that Bourjois were launching their version of matte lip creams. I'm a huge fan of a matte finish and I own a few different versions of such lip creams with Essence ones (old formula) being my favourite. Rouge Edition lipsticks are my favourite formula in the drugstore range, so naturally I had high hopes for these. There are 8 colours available, you can see them swatched in this video from Le Simone Blog.

Texture: It's bit different from other matte liquid lipsticks I've tried. While others were light creams, this feels more like a mousse/cream hybrid. Application feels so soft, like the applicator is a fluffy cushion. 

Pigmentation: The pigmentation is where this product disappointed me a bit. I'm used to super pigmented formulas of these lip cream products, however, this swatches much sheerer and on the lips at least two coats are needed for full opacity. I swatched all the shades in the shop and though, the pigmentation of some shades was better, they are still not as pigmented as Essences (at least that's how it looked to me under the artificial lighting, but they all left a strong stain when rubbed off. Here you can find Essence's if you want to compare). This means that the first coat may look uneven and rubbing the lips together to evenly distribute the colour only makes it worse because of the mousse-like texture. It's best if you wait for one layer to set and then apply another over it. The lack of pigmentation also means that it's harder to create a nice, even edge around the lips, unlike with for example the Essence ones. If you apply too much, it does stay a bit sticky throughout the day and the product can start to clump together making it look uneven, however, if you apply the right amount, you can't even feel it on the lips at all. So this is not the easiest product to work with, but the final result can look fabulous.

Colour: This is the most perfect burgundy shade ever. No purple or brown undertones, just a proper deep red that is verging on vampy and exactly what I was looking for a long time. 

Finish: Like most matte lip creams this has a cream finish before it sets. Aside from pigmentation, another thing that does bother me is that it needs a long time to set to a matte finish, at least 15 minutes when two coats are applied, but what a gorgeous finish it is then. This has the most perfect, velvety matte finish out of all lip creams I've tried. It looks so glamorous to me. But such a matte finish has it's price. For one it feels a bit drier on the lips than other lip creams. Also the lips must be perfect before applying it, so no flaky bits or dryness. I exfoliate them before with some lip balm and a cotton bud, otherwise the product sticks to drier parts and those are then darker, therefore more obvious.

Staying power: Once it sets this doesn't budge. It survives eating, drinking and doesn't transfer except if you rub it. It's one of the most long-lasting products I own. I know this close-up after 10 hours looks a bit brutal (which close-up doesn't really and I took a picture under a less forgiving artificial light), but from a "normal-people-looking-distance" it looked fine. At least you can see how much colour survives the day. I didn't touch it up nor use a lip balm over it during the day.

Scent: A strange chemical one, but only noticeable during application.

Packaging: A square tube with a doe foot applicator that is exactly the same size as the Rouge Edition lipsticks.

Price and availability: I got mine in Müller (Zagreb) for 89.90 kn (11.75 €), but I hear they are already available in some Slovene DMs. They will be available in UK next month, while they are already sold in France and Belgium (and I presume some other European countries).

I adore the velvety mat finish of this and the gorgeous shade, but these don't knock my favourite matte lip creams, Essences Stay Matte (old formula), off it's throne. The pigmentation and therefore application leaves much to be desired. If you get them, be prepared to put a bit more effort into application. However, I still think I'll get that 02 Frambourjoise shade that I liked in the shop. They may be pricey for a drugstore product, but the finish is amazing which makes it all worth it for me.

Have a great day!

Rimmel Apocalips Lip Lacquer Eclipse

Since I fell in love with Rimmel's Kate Matte Lipstick in 107, I've been on a search for a similar shade in a matte lip cream form which is my favourite formula to wear. I didn't find a matte version yet, however, I stumbled upon a post about new shades of Apocalips by chance (is it just me, or did this launch go mostly unnoticed in the blogging world?) and the deeper shade called Eclipse landed in my cart in minutes.

I already own the shade Stellar which is an absolutely gorgeous, bright pink-coral and it landed in my Best Buys in 2013 post. Apocalips are very pigmented liquid lipsticks with a glossy finish that gets more satin/matte when it's wearing off. The doe foot applicator is excellent for a more precise application (you'll notice in my review for 107 how difficult it is to apply nicely based on my lip swatch, but I managed to get some nice results with this one). The applicator has a small depression on one side of the applicator where the product gathers, so there is no need to dip the applicator in the tube several times. Due to the pigmentation, it's better to apply it gradually. I apply it in dots, then spread the product by rubbing my lips together and fix the edges with the applicator. I'm not a fan of a shiny finish, so I almost always blot it and I'm left with a matte finish, but there is enough intensity left for my taste. I also love wearing this as a stain as shown in the last picture. I apply a dot of product and rub it in with fingers. What's left is a nice berry stain that is very everyday appropriate.

Eclipse is a deep burgundy, a very vampy colour and perfect for autumn/winter if you're into such shades. Compared to Rimmel's 107 it's more red/burgundy and less berry. When I saw it in the tube, I thought this is not what I expected. It looks different in the tube than on the lips, almost a bit grey and brown.

What bothered me most at Stellar was the horrible scent, but it looks like they fixed that problem since Eclipse has a much more mild and a bit different version of the scent. 

It lasts so long on the lips and leaves a lovely stain behind. Like Essence matte lip creams, it does transfer on the glass when you're drinking, however it does survive a meal well enough, providing you don't eat anything greasy. It looks great as it's half worn off since it fades evenly. It doesn't dry out my lips at all.

(A prime example of my hair misbehaving, but I'm wearing a matching cardigan - my favourite at the moment.)

As a stain. It's a bit more burgundy and not as intense, but my camera picked it up as too pink.

Rimmel is available almost everywhere with a notable exception of Slovenia. You can get Apocalips lip lacquers on Feel Unique, All Beauty, Fragrance Direct and Asos. I paid 7.49€ on Feel Unique.

I've been feeling über crappy today, but writing this post made me feel so much better, so I hope you enjoyed it and have a great day!