Max Factor - Fantasy Fire

I love this polish and I've read online that Revlon Royal which I wore yesterday is a great base for it.  I wasn't blown away by Royal on it's own so I was hoping the addition of Fantasy Fire might make me more of a fan.

 

 

Unfortunately I don't think FF looks any better over Royal than it does over various other colours I've tried it with so it wasn't really a win on that front and the tip wear of the Royal was still very evident which is annoying.

 

I so still adore Fantasy Fire though, it's definitely in my top 5 polishes of all time, just look at it's shimmery duochrome gorgeousness!



Revlon Royal is one of those polishes that I felt I should own but I'm not sure why, I've seen it mentioned a lot online but never owned it myself, until now.  I think it was a US release that never really made it over to the UK officially but now turns up on various websites for a bargain price, I found mine for 99p and decided to give it a go.

 

 

Royal is a deep, shock horror, royal blue.  The finish is a sort of jelly effect but with the colour being so dark it's not as sheer as a lot of jelly polishes.  These pictures are two coats.

 

I can't say I'm blown away by Royal, I found the tip wear on it really bad and although it's an alright colour it's not the sort that I really adore.  I can't complain for 99p but it's definitely not caught my attention the way it seemed to do with some bloggers.

 

 



Revlon Lip Butters - Part 3

You can see my previous posts on Revlon's Lip Butters, Part 1 - Candy Apple, Tutti Fruity, Lollipop, Raspberry Pie and Part 2 - Strawberry Shortcake, Creme Brulee, Sweet Tart if you click on the links.  Today's post features 4 of the new shades released for Spring 2013.  Wild Watermelon, Sorbet, Pink Lemonade and Juicy Papaya.

 

There are a couple more shades which I didn't pick up (Brown Sugar, Red Velvet and Sugar Plum) so there's now a pretty comprehensive selection of colours to choose from.

 

The shades I chose cover quite a range of colours.

 

Wild Watermelon - very bright pink toned red

Sorbet - bright fuchsia pink

Pink Lemonade - pale pinkish nude

Juicy Papaya - light peachy coral.

 

As with all the Lip Butters they apply smoothly and in varying depth of colour; Wild Watermelon and Sorbet are bright and quickly build up to an almost opaque coverage whereas Pink Lemonade and Juicy Papaya are softer more sheer shade, and I dare say a little more wearable for everyday.

 

I've include some swatches of the Lip Butters on my arm to give you an idea of the colours, these are two light swipes of each colour:

 

My favourites from my picks have to be Juicy Papaya, which is a wonderful, natural peach shade totally perfect for every day wear and possibly my current favourite lip colour, and to my surprise Pink Lemonade, initially I thought it might be too light for my skin tone but in fact it's really pretty on the lips - a soft subtle pink sheen which I really like and is quite on trend at the moment.

 

I like the fact that Revlon's Lip Butters give a nice pop of colour without the full look of a regular lipstick and these new colours are a nice addition to my collection.

 

Have you tried any of the new shades?  What do you think?

Revlon 260 Girly

I did a twin post using this polish the other day but I thought I'd also post a couple of pictures of it on it's own so you can properly see what the polish looks like. 

 

It's a very pretty pink jelly with pink, lilac and some holographic glitter through it.  You can't really see the holographic glitter until you're under very bright light, but it is there!

 

 

You can almost see it in this shot...

 

 

These pictures are three coats of Girly.

 

 

My one complaint about this polish is that is is VERY sheer, next time I would definitely layer it over something, most likely Barry M Dragon Fruit.

 

 

I do love this polish though, it's so nice to see big high street brands bringing us more indie inspired polishes.

Revlon 260 - Girly - Twin post with Nuthin but a nail thing!

When I saw this little beauty in Superdrug I knew I had to have it.  Girly is a sheer pink polish packed full of different shades of pink and lilac glitter, yet another fantastic indie copy from a high street brand, the more of these that turn up the better!

At £6.49 Revlon's polishes aren't the cheapest but you do get a large bottle and their polishes are generally good quality so for a stand out shade I don't mind paying it (especially when I have some Superdrug Beauty Card points to use up which lower the price).

Claire at Nuthin but a nail thing has also recently bought this polish so we decided to do a twin post to show a couple of ways to wear it, our hive mid was clearly switched on again because we both did sweet themed manicures!  You can see Claire's gorgeous effort here.  And my slightly less professional results below.

 

I was aiming for a sort of humbug design...

 

I used Cheeky stamping plate CH10 for the lines but I decided that it was still lacking something after the lines had been stamped so I added this little guy as an accent nail on both hands, a cupcake with a face!

 

 

The stamping was done with Barry M Gelly Hi-Shine in Plum and a white nail are pen for the cupcake accent nail.

 

I'm pretty pleased with how this turned out, although I'm not sure if it looks more like deckchairs than humbug sweets now that it's finished.

 

Here's a close up of the cupcake, despite this not being the best stamping effort ever you can see how clearly the image has transferred onto my nail, I was pretty impressed with how well it showed up considering the fine detail of the image.  I used plate CH16 for the cupcake stamp.

 

I really hope the addition of Girly to the Revlon UK collection means Whimsical might not be too far behind. *fingers crossed*

 

I love Girly but my top tip would be to use a base coat when applying it, these pictures are 3 thick coats and it's still not perfectly opaque.  Claire did the sensible thing and used Barry M Gelly Hi-Shine in Dragon Fruit under hers which is definitely what I will be doing next time!  Make sure you head over and check out Claire's half of the twin post too.

Revlon - Emerald City

This was my Christmas Day polish from last year, it's a dark forest green shade which dries to a matte finish, I always top coat it though so it looks glossy and sparkly.  It applies nicely and is properly opaque in two coats, unfortunately it doesn't wear well at all. 

 

 

 

This polish is very chippy a you can see from the pictures which were taken the morning after I applied it when all I had done was sleep, you can see there are already a few little chips on the tips. It's a bit of a pain as with it being a dark colour the chips are easy to see, as soon as it started to chip I realised why I hadn't had it out since last Christmas.

 

 

 

Most infuriating, it's such a beautiful colour I would definitely wear it more often if it wasn't such a chipper!

Revlon Just Bitten Kissable Balm Stain - Romantic

I already have a couple of these Balm Stains, which I blogged about previously, I really like the ones I have so I decided to add Romantic to my collection, it's a bright red shade, something I love wearing but am always a little wary of, it seems to be so hard to get just the right shade that not only looks good but also lasts. 

 

The formula of this balm stain is smooth and creamy and all of the colours I've tried in this range go on beautifully.  They have a nice glossy texture which isn't at all drying on the lips, of all the lip products I have I like the colour pay off and moisturising properties of these ones best. 

 

 

They're also great because they are so easy to carry around and apply, you don't even need a sharpener, simply twist them up when they start to wear down.

 

 

What I particularly love about this shade is that unlike a lot of bolder red stains it wear off beautifully, you aren't left with that horrid 80s lip liner line effect around the edges of your lips while the middle of your lips look bare.  The wear is even and easy to top up later on if you wish.

 

 

For me this is the perfect way to create bold red lips in a buildable way, one coat gives a flush of colour but going over your lips again allows you to build up the look into a bright, vivid red shade, perfect for a night out or when you really want to make a statement with your lip colour.

 

Have you tried any of the Just Bitten Balm Stains?  What do you think?

Holiday Make Up Bag

I always find it interesting to see what beauty products and make up people take on holiday with them, I have a terrible habit of packing waaaay too much make up when I travel and then never using most of it, so this year I decided to try and pack minimally make up wise and see how I got on (yes, this is minimal).

 

Here's what I took:

 

 

Urban Decay Naked Palette

5 Assorted eye brushes

Kiko Eyebrow Pencil

Elf Eyebrow Gel

Too Face Shadow Insurance

Maybelline Mascara

No7 Cream Blush

W7 Candy Floss Blush

2 L'Oreal Rouge Caresse - Dating Coral & Sweet Berry

Revlon Lip Butter - Sweet Tart

No7 Poppy King Lip Crayon - Skipping

Revlon Just Bitten Kissable Balm Stain - Honey & Rendezvous

Miss Sporty Dr Balm Lip Balm - Gossip Kiss

UD Grindhouse Sharpener

Maybelline BB Cream

Powder & Blusher Brush

Cotton Buds

Hair Clips

Eyelash Curlers

UD 24/7 Liners - Stray Dog, Demolition, Uzi & Perversion

NYC Face Powder

 

Despite this being hugely pared down from what I normally take I still didn't use all of it!  I could definitely have gotten away with fewer lip products and fewer eye liners too.  I never wear much make up on holiday and when I do it's always fairly light and basic yet I can't seem to convince myself it's ok to leave the country without a load of stuff!

 

Do you have the same problem?  Is it possible to pack a capsule wardrobe for your face?  What do you take when you go away?

 

Revlon - Just Bitten Kissable Balm Stain in Honey & Rendezvous

The blogging world has been full of chat about these since they launched in the US and now they are available here too, currently on offer at £5.99 in Superdrug (normally £7.99) or on 3 for 2 in Boots which works out cheaper if you will definitely use three shades, in hindsight I should probably have waited and gone to Boots to buy three but I was too excited when I saw them and had to grab a couple to try.

I chose Rendezvous, a bright coral orange, and Honey, a nudey pink: 

Since I've only had these in my grubby paws for just over an hour I can't give you an extensively tested view just yet but so far the colour pay off seems good.  I'm not sure how much of a stain they leave but there is a good strong colour on the lips when they're applied and Rendezvous is bright!

One thing I found slightly off putting was the smell, it's minty which I was hoping would be a nice change from all the flowery sweet scents that have been in lip products recently, unfortunately this mint smells very much like it's still growing in the ground rather than being a clean medicinal mint scent.  It's not horribly over powering but it's also not as nice as I was hoping it would be.  I assume they contain some sort of menthol as there is definitely a slight tingle when these are applied.

Here are some on the arm swatches of my two:

I found both of the colours I have to be a similar opacity to Revlon Lip Butters, so not as full as a regular lipstick but pretty highly pigmented for something called a balm.  Overall I'm please, these are a nice looking, quality feeling product and don't require a sharpener which is a bonus.  As a poor man (or lady)'s Chubby Stick they are a great alternative and definitely worthy of a spot in my make up bag, whether I'll like them enough to go back for other shades remains to be seen.

Revlon Lip Butters VS L'Oreal Rouge Caresse Lipsticks - The Comparison Post.

My ever growing collection of Lip Butters & Rouge Caresse Lipsticks.

I've blogged fairly extensively about both these products of late, they are definitely my most recent obsession.  I really like both products but I think that they are both suitable for different times and looks, they're not quite as similar as their descriptions might lead you to believe so I thought I would do a round up and comparison post now that I have bought pretty much all of the colours I want to try, for now.
First off, here are all the individual posts in case you want to have a look at them in detail, there are swatches and product pictures on each post.

Revlon Lip Butters: Part 1 & Part 2
L'Oreal Rouge Caresse: Part 1, Part 2, Part 3 & Part 4

Revlon Lip Butter in Candy Apple & L'Oreal Rouge Caresse in Rebel Red

The Good, The Bad & The Ugly

The Lip Butters are generally a good deal more opaque in their coverage and a slightly more dry, less glossy consistancy.  I would definitely put them at the lipstick end of the spectrum rather than the balm or gloss end although they are lighter feeling and less opaque than a regular lipstick.

I think they're ideal for trying out darker or bolder colours which you might not be brave enough to try in a full blown lipstick, the sheerer coverage of the Lip Butters means that although they give a relatively strong pop of colour in most shades they don't give you that full on I AM WEARING BRIGHT LIPSTICK look that can be a bit intimidating, at least for me.

One slight issue I have found with them is that due to slightly drier texture they can tend to higlight dry lips a little (if that's an issue for you) and don't apply nicely if your lips are very dry or chapped, tending to clog up in the dry patches.  Also they can wear off in a slightly uneven way and and leave a line around your lips which isn't the best look.

The Rouge Caresse lipsticks are definitely NOT lipsticks, they are definitely more towards the balm or gloss end of the scale.  Compared to the Lip Butters they are glossier and feel a bit more more moisturising to wear, they also have a lighter feel on lips and tend to wear off in a more even way without leaving a line, although this could be due to the fact the colours are not as strong as the Lip Butters.  I also feel as if they wear off faster than the Lip Butters although, again, that may be due to pigmentation.

The range of Rouge Caresse colours, although larger than the Lip Butters, is not so bold or bright.  Although there are some colours which seem quite bright and vivid in the tubes they are not really as bright or opaque as their Lip Butter equivilents.  They are however a bit better on slightly dry lips, they don't tend to cling to the dry areas quite so much and they feel a bit more moisturising.

Neither product lasts particularly long and they do need to be re-applied fairly regularly.  One way I love to wear them is over one of my many lip stains, they add an extra pop of colour and / or gloss over the top of the lip stain and stop them from feeling so drying with the added benefit of the lip stain making the colour seem more opaque and long lasting.
Scent wise the Rouge Caresse have an almost fruity hint to them and a bit of vanilla, the Lip Butters are more vanilla and smell slightly more like I would expect a lipstick to, a sort of cosmetic, waxy kind of hint.  Neither are offensive but I prefer the Rouge Caresse personally.

Revlon Lip Butter in Candy Apple & L'Oreal Rouge Caresse in Rebel Red

Direct Colour Comparisons

There are similar colours in each range but very few direct dupes, especially due to texture, shine and opaquness.  Here are a list of the colours I have with what I consider to be their closest comparison colour / almost dupes.

Candy Apple Lip Butter - Rebel Red or Aphrodite Scarlet Rouge Caresse
Candy Apple is much more opaque / darker (see comparison photos)

Tutti Fruit Lip Butter - Dating Coral Rouge Caresse
Similar colours but the Rouge Caresse is very sheer and peachy toned whereas the Lip Butter definitely leans orange and is much more opaque.

Raspberry Pie Lip Butter - Sweet Berry Rouge Caresse
Considering these both have berry in the name they are very diffirent, Sweet Berry is what I would call a mum shade, it's pretty but very neutral, a berry shade that leans towards the browny end of the solur spectrum.  Raspberry Pie is a very dark, bold berry shade and probably the most opaque of all the Lip Butters.

Lollipop Lip Butter - Impulsive Fuschia Rouge Caresse
Similar in colour, both bright pinks with a blue hint / shimmer to them, again the Rouge Caresse is much more sheer.

Sweet Tart Lip Butter - ? Rouge Caresse
Sweet Tart is a gorgeous bright, Barbie pink, none of the Rouge Caresse shades I have are a good match.

Strawberry Shortcake Lip Butter - Lovely Rose Rouge Caresse
These are similar in that they are both light, frosty pinks, Lovely Rose is the lighter of the two and slightly more sheer.

Creme Brulee Lip Butter - Nude Ingenue Rouge Caresse
Very similar colour-wise, the main difference again is opaquness and coverage, the Lip Butter is far more opaque.

? Lip Butter - Tempting Lilac Rouge Caresse
I don't have anything similar to Tempting Lilac, it's a blue leaning lilacy pink, pretty and quite different from all my Lip Butters.

Revlon Lip Butter in Candy Apple & L'Oreal Rouge Caresse in Rebel Red

The Winners?

Overall, I really like both products, for me the Lip Butters allow me to wear bright, bold lip colours without fully comitting to an proper lipstick, I love them for nights out and days when I want it to be obvious I have colour on my lips or fancy a stronger look.

The Rouge Caresse I prefer for everyday looks, they're a little more subtle and more like a wash of colour and they also have the benefit of feeling nicely moisturising while they're on. They're ideal for chucking on with a simple make up look when I want to feel more done up but don't want to spend time applying lots of lip products.

I tink it very much depends on what you are looking for from the product, for me I really like having both in my make up bag for different occasions but if I had to choose I would probably lean a little towards the L'Oreal Rouge Caresse just because they feel a little better on the lips and are more wearable every day.

L'Oreal Rouge Caresse Lipstick - Rebel Red, Nude Ingenue & Impulsive Fuschia

Boots 3 for 2 will most definitely push me over the edge into bankruptcy some time very soon, it makes everything seem like such a good deal!

This time I took the opportunity to add another three of the L'Oreal Rouge Caresse Lipsticks to the two I already have, and I chose Rebel Red, Nude Ingenue & Impulsive Fuchsia.

I love the packaging on these, they are so sturdy and well made feeling and the lids seem to really clip on well so no worries about them popping off in your make up bag.

I'm really pleased with all three colours, a perfect neutral nude, a lovely sheer red and a bright pop of vivid fuchsia I will definitely be wearing them all a lot.

The colours seem slightly more sheer than their Revlon Lip Butter counterparts which may be good or bad depending on what you're after, for more coverage I would definitely lean towards Revlon but for a sheer wash of colour the L'Oreals are perfect.

 Some quick swatches on my arm

Overall I am really impressed with these so far, the wear on them isn't amazing, I tend to get around 3 hours maximum before I like to top up but they're so light feeling and quick to apply that it isn't a hassle to have to apply them fairly regularly.

As someone who doesn't get on very well with proper lipsticks these are ideal for me and I may have to add a couple more shades to my collection in the future.

L'Oreal Rouge Caresse Lipstick - Aphrodite Scarlet & Dating Coral

After falling for the Revlon Lip Butters recently, which I blogged about here and here, I decided to try a couple of the new L'Oreal Rouge Caresse Lipsticks too as they have been described as a similar sort of product.  Superdrug had a Buy 1 Get 1 Half Price deal on so I picked up Aphrodite Scarlet and Dating Coral to try.

The packaging is great, sturdy and easy to handle and with the added bonus of having colour coordinated packaging based on the shades, I hate lipsticks which all look the same until you take the lid off.

Aphrodite Scarlet is a pinky red and Dating Coral is, as you would expect, a soft coral shade. Here are a couple of quick swatches on my arm to show the colours.

Unfortunately I've not had a chance to properly try these out yet as I am sporting a massive cold sore at present but I can't wait to give them a proper test drive as soon as it's healed up.