Lips of the Month | January

I have a love/hate relationship with these lipstick posts. I should probably stop waiting until the end of the month to do swatches because then I would remember which ones I liked the most. This time around, I decided to not take pictures of the actual lipstick tubes because I've been using more liquid style lipsticks and those are a pain for photograph.

Monte Carlo: NYX Soft Matte Lip Cream. This is probably my least favorite of the lip creams because it takes so much application to build up the color. I'm not sure if it's drying out really quickly or what because I don't remember needing to build it up so much when I originally swatched it. The lasting powder was good, but it definitely doesn't build up to as dark as I hoped.

Yield to Love: MAC Cremesheen formula. Limited edition from the Novel Romance Collection. This is one of my favorite more neutral mauve colors. I believe this was an online exclusive color that I managed to snatch up on the MAC site on the day it was released. I was going back and forth on this lipstick and I'm glad I bought it.

Electro: MAC Lustre formula. Limited edition from the Neo Sci-Fi Collection. I don't usually like the lustre formula, but I actually really like this color. I'm a huge fan of orange lipstick. I don't know why I decided I needed orange lipstick in January, but I guess it worked.

Relentlessly Red: MAC Matte formula. This has always been one of my favorite lipsticks by MAC. I've talked about this color before I think I've had this in multiple posts. It's a little dry, but because of that it dries down completely. I like having a lipstick that is transfer proof.

Ibiza: NYX Soft Matte Lip Cream. This is one of the colors I prefer. I really like the formula on this one and the color lasts for a decent amount of time.

San Paulo: NYX Soft Matte Lip Cream. I originally thought this was going to be a brighter pink, but I like the shade that it ended up being. 

Stockholm: NYX Soft Matte Lip Cream. This color is generally my go-to for a shade of lipstick or long wear lip color when I need something more neutral. I wore this to a holiday party and I didn't feel like having high maintenance lips, especially when drinking.

Flawless: ColourPop Satin formula. My first foray into ColourPop. I'll definitely do a swatch post at some point, but these are a new to me brand of lipsticks that I heard about on YouTube. They only cost $5, so of course I had to buy a bunch. This is the only Satin formula color that I liked, and I have to say that it's more of a satin-matte, which I like. The color is also pretty awesome.

Ellarie: ColourPop Matte formula. Most of the ColourPop lipsticks that I own are the matte formula, which is nice because those are my favorite lipsticks. This is a really nice berry color and I think it might be one of my favorites of the ten I purchased.

I <3 This: ColourPop Matte Formula. This is a nice bright pink that I'm sure I could find at least five dupes for in my collection. Either way, it wore really nicely and I like the stick packaging it comes in. The matte formulas are really nice.

Lumiere: ColourPop Matte formula. I bought this one because KathleenLights designed the color and it looked nice every time she wore it. I don't know if everyone was using a lip liner underneath, but it looks nothing like on the site. My lips made it appear like I wasn't even wearing anything. Not even like my lips but better, but more my lips but wearing absolutely nothing. This one was just okay because it wasn't what I was expecting.

Merlot: NYX Matte formula. I've talked about this color before. I really like it, although I wish it were just a bit darker. The picture makes it look washed out because it is a little deeper of a wine color in real life.

My favorite arm of lipsticks ahead! I was really feeling purples and I'm probably going to use these ones more often.

Salon Rouge: MAC Matte formula. Limited edition with the Heirloom Mix collection. I actually think this is my favorite MAC lipstick that I've purchased recently. It's definitely in my top 5 MAC lipsticks if I were to think about it off the top of my head. This is just the most perfect berry color and I need to use it more before the warm weather hits.

Russian Red: MAC Matte formula. I love Russian Red. This is my tube from the Wonder Woman collection and I think it was my first red MAC lipstick. The only downside to this color is that it never really dries down to a true matte. It's more of a demi matte that transfers, but at least it's moisturizing.

Spitfire: MAC Satin formula. Limited edition from the Wonder Woman collection. Likewise, I think this was my first purple lipstick. I really love the satin formula and I'm so glad I managed to snatch up this lipstick since it is such a sought after color.

Bauhau5: Kat Von D Everlasting Love Liquid Lipstick. This is such an intense pink/purple color. I've been enjoying liquid lipsticks and I'm pretty sure the KVD ones are some of my favorites. I do like the NYX lip creams, but they aren't transfer proof like these ones are. The KVD colors last me an entire 12 hour shift at work and manage to look fresh all day.

Prague: NYX Matte Lip Cream. This is probably another one of my favorite colors from the lip cream line. It is a bit more bold on the lips than on my arm, yet not as deep as the tube would lead you to believe.

LBB: ColourPop Matte Formula. This is another really nice color. It does remind me of Flawless, but with a matte finish. I find that I don't need to touch up the matte colors at all, which is something that I can really get behind.

High Bred Red: MAC Amplified Formula. This is one of those red lipsticks that I use just to make sure I don't forget about it. I don't love it, but I don't hate it. The picture is making the shade pull pink, but it is definitely a true red.

Alabama: NYX Matte formula. When I first got this color, I thought it would be too brown for me to pull off. It is the only brown-red that I own and I really like the way it looks. All the NYX lipsticks go on so effortlessly for me.

Matte 408: Inglot Matte Formula. This color is redder in real life, but the picture makes it seem like it pulls more pink. The lighting started getting bad and these reds all look a bit pink. The Inglot mattes all look like crap when I swatch on my arm, but all I need is a bit of lip balm and they glide on my lips and last all day.

Bichette: ColourPop Matte Formula. This is another one of my favorites from the ten I bought. This reminds me a bit of Salon Rouge, which is why I like the color so much. I've been really into berry colors and this one hit it out of the park.

Damn Glamorous: MAC Matte Formula. This is yet another favorite MAC lipstick of mine. I think I just bought this a few months ago and this is only the second time I've worn it, but I really like the color and the finish.


Roundup!

MAC Lipsticks: 8
Matte: 4
Amplified: 1
Lustre: 1
Cremesheen: 1
Satin: 1

NYX: 7
Matte Lip Cream: 5
Matte Lipstick: 2

ColourPop: 6
Matte: 5
Satin: 1

Kat Von D: 1

Ingot: 1

Lips of the Month | December

I feel like I have a lot of variety in my lipstick post this month. I had a few new things to try out and I'm still digging more matte and satin finishes for the most part. I also went away for a bit and didn't bring any bold colors with me. In a couple pictures, my hands are all in the way because I had to hold my liquid lipstick applicators so they didn't get everywhere.

Matte 424, Matte 421, Matte 426, Eden, Pink Poinsettia, Girl About Town

From top: Matte 424, Matte 421, Matte 426, Eden, Pink Poinsettia, Girl About Town

Matte 424: Inglot Matte Formula. I really like this color, but I think I'll like it even more in the summer. I've been trying to wear corals and oranges lately, but it just isn't the season. I should probably stick with my reds and dark berry colors before winter ends.

Matte 421: Inglot Matte Formula. This swatches like crap because it's so dry, but it just glides on if you have a touch of balm over your lips. Inglot makes really great matte colors and I'm glad I decided to try some.

Matte 426: Inglot Matte Formula. I think this was the driest of the three Inglot colors I wore this month. It was a little dry on my lips because I didn't expect it, but I added a little lip balm and it was fine. This color also drags a little, but I can get over it because I like it so much.

Eden: NYX Matte Lipstick. I really like the color of this red. It's very pigmented, but I can't remember if it was long wearing. I feel like I need to touch up most of the NYX lipsticks, but I love the formula of them so much that I don't mind.

Pink Poinsettia: Tarte Amazonian Butter Formula. I've been pleasantly surprised with this line of lipsticks, but I do find that I need to reapply fairly often. My favorite part about wearing one of these lipsticks is the really nice minty smell that lingers.

Girl About Town: Amplified formula. Limited edition packaging from the Manish Arora collection. This is one of my favorite darker pink lipsticks. I really like the way it applies and I don't mind having to touch up a bit because the amplified formula is really great.

Candy Red, Adore It, Adora, Viva Glam Cyndi, Berry, All of Me

From top: Candy Red, Adore It, Adora, Viva Glam Cyndi, Berry, All of Me

Candy Red: Tarte Amazonian Butter formula. This didn't really pull red on my lips as much as it did a pinkish red. I still liked the color, but it probably isn't a lipstick I'll wear all the time. For this formula, I plan ahead and try not to wear it on days when I won't get a chance to touch up or reapply.

Adore It: Glaze Formula. Limited edition from the Adoring Carmine holiday set. This color and formula are just okay in my book. I do regret buying this lipstick, but I got it pretty cheap on eBay so I guess that's fine. Glaze formulas used to be my favorite a few years ago, but now I'm not a huge fan.

Adora: Kat Von D Foiled Love Liquid Lipstick. This is a discontinued product that I found in TJ Maxx while holiday shopping, so naturally I had to buy it. I already liked the stick version of Adora, but this is better because the lasting power is so much stronger. This liquid lipstick stays all day and because of that, I bought a few more. Love it.

Viva Glam Cyndi: Lustre formula. Limited edition from one of the yearly MAC Viva Glam collaborations. This lipstick came out with Viva Glam Lady Gaga. I used to really love this lipstick. It was very hard to find because I started out with my makeup obsession and using MAC right about when this lipstick was being discontinued. Someone ended up sending it to me from an old Livejournal group and we lived happily ever after. Just kidding. I kind of hate this lipstick now. It might be because it's getting old, but I'll compare the code on the bottom and see if I have older ones. It's half used up because I loved it so much, so at least I don't feel bad. It's also a lustre, which I'm not a huge fan of anymore.

Berry: Love & Beauty by Forever 21 Creme formula. I got this in an Ipsy bag and immediately wrote it off because it was from Forever 21. I ended up wearing it to work one night because it's actually a really nice holiday red. For a Forever 21 lipstick, I'm really impressed. I think I'll actually wear this again and I might look into Forever 21's makeup line.

All of Me: Manna Kadar Lip Locked. I got this in my Birchbox in December and it was really the only thing that I tried. This is a cross between and stain and a gloss. The color is pretty decent, but I don't know how I feel about the formula. I definitely won't purchase a full size.

Addis Ababa, Bachelorette, Red Balloon, Beranice, Euro Trash, N9

From top: Addis Ababa, Bachelorette, Red Balloon, Beranice, Euro Trash, N9

Addis Ababa: NYX Soft Matte Lip Cream. This is just a really nice pink in the usual matte lip cream formula. I know I've said it before, but I'm head over heels for the Soft Matte Lip Creams. I own I think about 10 or so of them and I haven't come across any that I don't like.

Bachelorette: Kat Von D Everlasting Love Liquid Lipstick. This is the most recent formula that Sephora currently sells. If I didn't have a Beauty Insider voucher and a gift card, I wouldn't pay $19 for a liquid lipstick. Well, I don't know. This is pretty good. This is the first of three colors that I own, but I would consider getting at least one other color that was sold out when I shopped online at Sephora. It's worth noting that this liquid lipstick lasts ridiculously long and I'm going to insert a picture of the staying power.

Boom. I used my cleansing oil that takes off even waterproof eyeliner and mascara, so I was surprised that the lipstick stained my skin so bad. You can kind of see how my arm is a little stained from the other colors I just tried to take off, but I really needed to scrub with another pump of cleansing oil.

Red Balloon: Amplified formula. This has been one of my favorite MAC lipsticks since I bought it almost a year ago. I really like this color and I don't think it's something I would only wear during warmer weather because it isn't too summery. I also have been really loving the Amplified formula lately.

Beranice: Kat Von D Foiled Love formula. This is another lipstick formula from Kat Von D that has been discontinued that I found at TJ Maxx. The color reminds me of Adora, so I'm glad I don't have a full size of that one. I really wish I could have found more of these lipsticks, but judging by eBay, it's because people are buying them up and reselling them at really high prices.

Euro Trash: NYX Matte Lipstick. I wasn't sure about this lipstick at first. It's a little brown. I did try it on at one point and then I tossed it in the back of my lip drawer. I pulled it back out because I needed a handful of neutral colors to bring on vacation with me and this fit the bill. It's still a little brown, but I don't hate it.

N9: Make Up For Ever Rouge Artist Natural Lipstick. Sephora lists this color as being copper pink. It's nice. It's a neutral color. It's also really small because I got it for free in the Sephora birthday kit. I took it with me on vacation because I didn't know when else I was going to wear it. I wish I could have picked a different color, but this one wasn't bad.

Sweet Peach, Angelic Nude, Whipped Caviar, Show Orchid, Toying Around, Hellbent

From Top: Sweet Peach, Angelic Nude, Whipped Caviar, Show Orchid, Toying Around, Hellbent

Sweet Peach: Tarte Amazonian Butter formula. I was just hanging around with family and such so it didn't matter that the lasting power wasn't fantastic. I still love these lipsticks. The smell is fantastic and the colors are really nice. I think this might be my least favorite color of the five shades I have, but it was still nice.

Angelic Nude: Tarte Amazonian Butter formula. This is my favorite nude lipstick. I don't think I've ever had a nice creamy nude lipstick. There are a few NYX lip creams that are nude, but those are matte. This is just really nice. I'm surprised to find myself saying that this might be my favorite of the five shades that I own.

Whipped Caviar: NYX Matte Lipstick. I bought this on a whim because I needed another color to get a buy one, get one 50% off deal when I was first buying NYX lip products. I like this color more than Euro Trash, which is what I chose to buy instead of this one in my first order. I'm glad I got this one too because it's different and I actually prefer this color.

Show Orchid: Amplified formula. This is one of my favorite MAC lipsticks and I know it took me too long to buy it. It has a bit of an iridescence to it, which I really love. I will continue to wear this color all year long.

Toying Around: Amplified formula. This is unfortunately a lipstick that I don't want to wear until Spring rolls around. I just felt like my face looked funny when I was wearing this color. I think I'm going to file this color away for a couple months. It's one of my favorite colors and formulas, but it's just not for winter.

Hellbent: Kat Von D Foiled Love Liquid Lipstick. I hate that these were discontinued! I really loved this color. It's completely matte and transfer proof, but it has glitter in it! So I wore it on New Year's Eve for the worst restaurant shift of my life and it lasted through the entire night. I even slept in all my makeup and this lipstick was still on the next day when I woke up! It had barely faded at all. I seriously never sleep in my makeup, but it was just so late and I didn't even mean to do it. I just closed my eyes for a minute and seven hours.


Round up!

MAC Lipsticks: 6
Amplified: 4
Lustre: 1
Glaze: 1

NYX: 4
Matte Lipstick: 3
Matte Lip Cream: 1

Kat Von D: 4
Foiled Love: 1
Foiled Love Liquid: 2
Everlasting Love Liquid: 1

Tarte: 3

Inglot: 3

Other Brands: 3

Bobbi Brown Copper Diamond Shimmer Brick

This isn't so much of a review as it is a showcase. I've been lusting over this highlighter since it first came out and I finally decided it was time to purchase it before I could no longer find it anywhere.

This is my Bobbi Brown Shimmer Brick in Copper Diamond. I'm obsessed with it. I will probably never use it as eyeshadow, which is one of the ways it can be used, but I did do individual swatches of each strip of the brick. 

It's a nice golden color that I've been using all over my cheek bones and around my eyes to highlight. Since skin is supposedly duller in the winter, I figured it was a good choice to lighten everything up. I can't wait to use this in conjunction with bronzer during the summer though!

Inglot Matte Lipstick Swatches

Inglot was having a 20% off sale during Thanksgiving weekend, so I picked up some matte lipsticks. I've been eyeing Inglot's mattes for quite some time, but unlike MAC, they actually have sales..so I waited. 

You'll notice in the swatches that these lipsticks look really dry. They are. They're super dry and similar to MAC's retro matte formula. I use a light lip balm under these before wearing any of the colors. They have a tendency to drag without a little added moisture. All in all, I'm glad I snagged these at 20% off and I've already worn half of the colors. 

Matte 408, Matte 409, Matte 421

Matte 408, Matte 409, Matte 421

You can definitely see how jacked up these swatches look. I love these colors though, so I'm fine with working with a dry formula. Like I said, as long as I have a bit of lip balm on, these apply smoothly.

Because the formula is  so dry and matte, they're really long lasting. That's the big selling point for me with matte lipsticks.

Matte 423, Matte 424, Matte 426

My favorite color is 426. It's such a great reddish purple color and the staying powder on this lipstick is no joke. I also like 423 and 424, but those are more my summer colors.

This batch applied nicer than the other three colors, but I can't think of why. I promise that all six lipsticks are really pigmented, it's just that they don't apply well on the skin. I'll see if I can put a little balm on my arm when doing my monthly lip swatches and see if that makes a difference.

Like I said before, I don't mind the stiffer, drier mattes because they hang around on my lips a lot longer than the creamy mattes.

These lipsticks for me are a win and I might pick up other colors in the future, but I will wait for another Inglot sale.

Review and Swatches | Geek Chic Cosmetics - "Big Damn Heroes" Collection

From Top to Bottom: Little Albatross, Ambassador, Very Fine Hat, Inevitable Betrayal, Captain Tightpants

Yes, I've had these for years. No, I don't care, because damn, they're still relevant, and damn, they're still pretty. It's so hard not to buy literally everything on Geek Chic Cosmetics, but I have to stop myself. First, because I don't have the money to buy things, but second, because THEY'RE ALL SO FREAKING PRETTY. I purchased these five samples a few years ago and I use them every now and then, and they're still hanging around. So, that's definitely a plus. For $1.25, that's a huge win.

Second, I'm not huge on glitter, normally. But these colors are beautiful. I use Captain Tightpants quite often, and I used Ambassador combined with Captain Tightpants the other day. I also love LOVE LOVE Little Albatross. I haven't used it in FOREVER, but look at that beautiful color. I will also say the pigmentation on these is great. Yeah, I didn't quite swatch them evenly, but the swatches are true to color in real life generally. I like that there are some dark colors and some bright colors, and most of them are usable every day.

I will add that these shadows are cruelty free, gluten-free, and vegan. Which is also a plus. I'm really trying to incorporate more cruelty free products into my routine, and it's nice to know that these geeky-fun shadows fit that description.

My wish list for this company keeps getting bigger. I saw recently that they have sets inspired by Guardians of the Galaxy, Harry Potter, The Princess Bride, The Hunger Games, Doctor Who, and Game of Thrones. They also have a Walking Dead collection. Ages ago, I also bought the 8-bit D&D collection, which is no longer for sale.

The only thing, again, is that I wish they weren't all so damn GLITTERY. But, I will say that the glitter has never been a problem for me. It's not like I have glitter on my eyelashes or anything by the end of the day.

So overall, I'm really pleased with these! I hope to buy more from GCC in the future; it's just that I'm broker than broke, unfortunately. But, when I make some money, you bet I'll go on a spending spree!

Tarte Kiss and Makeup Amazonian Clay Butter Lipstick Swatches

I bought this set a few weeks ago and completely forgot about it. I have to also mention that I haven't worn any of the lipsticks because I haven't been feeling the colors. Although I tried on a couple shades, they just weren't speaking to me. That isn't to say that I won't wear them or don't like them. I just haven't gotten around to it because I bought a ton of lipsticks last month.

They all swatched really nicely. Surprisingly, my favorites might be the nude shades. That's probably why I haven't worn any of these. I want to wear the nude but I don't like wearing nude lips to work.

From Top: Merry Berry, Pink Poinsettia, Candy Apple, Sweet Peach, Angelic Nude.

As you can see, these lipsticks are more on the glossy side. That's also why I haven't reached for them. I've really been into matte or satin finish on my lips. I really can't wait to wear Merry Berry because it does have glitter in it. I don't like wearing glossier finishes on my lips for work only because those wear off easier and there isn't always time for me to touch up my lipstick.

Angelic Nude is actually a nude shade that works for my skintone. I also really love the look of Sweet Peach for a more toned down lip. I haven't been wearing glossy red shades, so I don't know how I feel about Candy Apple.

From Left: Merry Berry, Pink Poinsettia, Candy Apple, Sweet Peach, Angelic Nude.

One thing of note would be that these smell like mint! I was surprised about that because I've never had a lipstick that smells minty. Most of the lip colors I own have a vanilla smell or a similar sweet smell.

The smell does linger on your lips and it makes your lips tingle a little bit. I like the smell and the tingle, but I'm sure it isn't for everyone.

I forgot to mention that these lipsticks are full size, unlike many of the other holiday sets. I purchased mine for $18, but Ulta sells this online for $33, which is still a great price considering that one Amazonian Butter Lipstick retails for $16!

The packaging is cute and you can definitely tell that these are for the holidays. I don't have any other Tarte lipsticks, but I'm pretty sure all the Amazonian Butter Lipsticks are packaged in this same cardboard lipstick tube. The only downside to the packaging is that you definitely don't want to get this wet!

All in all, I really like this set and I'm sure I'll start wearing the colors more into the winter when my lips are a little drier and I can't wear a matte lipstick every day!

Lips of the Month - October

Monthly round-up of all the lipsticks I wore this month! I had hauled a bunch of NYX lip products and Kat Von D lipsticks late last month, which is why there's a lack of MAC lipsticks in this post. I've really been feeling red lipstick and darker colors instead of the brights that I had been wearing. I'm pretty sure most of the lipsticks I wore were either matte or satin formulas. I didn't end up wearing all my new lip colors this month, but I'm sure I'll get to them next month.

From left: Spitfire, Zurich, Milan, MAC Red, Sail La Vie, Bloody Mary

From top: Spitfire, Zurich, Milan, MAC Red, Sail La Vie, Bloody Mary.

I wore all satin and matte lip colors in this batch and barely anything bright. It's the beginning of my month of reds.

Spitfire: Satin formula. Limited edition from the Wonder Woman collection. I was never a huge fan of purple lipstick before buying this one. It leans a little more berry on my lips and it definitely can be toned down. This is one of the lipsticks I try not to wear too often because I'm afraid I'll use it up, even though it barely looks like I made a dent.

Zurich: NYX Matte Lip Cream. This was the first matte lip cream that I tried because I wanted to test drive it on my day off. I really do like a nuder color for when I don't wear a full face of makeup. I think my problem was finding the right nude colors. This is more of a pink-beige which looks less like the concealer lips that I think of when I hear "nude."

Milan: NYX Matte Lip Cream. This was a brighter pink than I expected because the color doesn't really match the tube. I probably like the color a lot more knowing that it's a little brighter because that is right up my alley.

MAC Red: Satin formula. I love this red lipstick. For times when I don't want a matte lipstick, satin is the next best thing. I love the color of MAC Red, but I noticed that it doesn't wear as well as many of my other red lipsticks. I can't remember if I was drinking and eating during my shift, but I felt that I reapplied this more than any other lipstick.

Sail La Vie: Satin formula. Limited edition from the Hey, Sailor! collection. This is probably one of my favorite shades of lip color. When I first purchased this, I was hoping it would be similar to Toxic Tale, which is another limited edition lipstick. It is similar, but a slightly different color and I love both of them.

Bloody Mary: NYX Matte. This was the first NYX matte lipstick that I tried. I really love the color. It's only slightly pink to where you can barely notice that it isn't a true red. I was really pleased with how smooth the NYX mattes were and I was so stoked that my lips didn't dry out while wearing this color.

From left: Sexer, Lovecraft, La Vie En Rouge, Indie Flick, Bachelorette, Stockholm.

From top: Sexer, Lovecraft, La Vie En Rouge, Indie Flick, Bachelorette, Stockholm.

It's worth mentioning that every lipstick in this batch had never been worn before. All of these colors are new! Still going with the matte lip for the most part.

Sexer: Kat Von D Iridescent formula. I loved this color! You can actually see the duochrome in my swatch above. It's a great neon pink with a purple shift. It wore really well and it felt nice on my lips. I would consider buying this in a full size if I got a discount.

Lovecraft: Kat Von D Matte formula. This color actually really surprised me. Just like Zurich in the previous batch of colors, it ended up being my perfect nude lip. I wasn't sure if I was going to like this color, but I do! I think part of liking it so much was the great matte formula.

La Vie En Rouge: Matte formula. Limited edition from the Matte Lip 2014 collection. I can't believe this was the only MAC lipstick from this batch! I do have to say that I'm biased because MAC still makes my favorite lipsticks, but this is my absolute top pick for this batch and maybe the month. It may have something to do with the fact that it's new, but I loved this color so much.

Indie Flick: NYX Matte. I had such high hopes for this color because look at the way it swatches. I gave such nice, dense coverage on my arm. This just didn't apply that great on my lips. It was kind of a let down because my lips were flaky pretty much the entire time I wore this lipstick.

Bachelorette: Kat Von D Matte formula. I loved this lipstick too. I don't think I've actually worn a Kat Von D color that has disappointed me so far. I do have similar colors to this and it actually looks a little similar to the La Vie En Rouge swatch, though Bachelorette leans more red/pink and La Vie En Rouge leans more red/coral.

Stockholm: NYX Matte Lip Cream. I wore this color when my dad came over because I definitely didn't need heavy makeup on to see him. I was really impressed that this wore through lunch and an iced tea. Another one of my perfect nude shades. I think I don't need to buy any more, but NYX definitely has my favorite nude shades.

From left: Fanfare, Kelly Yum Yum, Merlot, Motörhead, Mystical, Utterly Frivolous.

From top: Fanfare, Kelly Yum Yum, Merlot, Motörhead, Mystical, Utterly Frivolous.

There's a pretty decent amount of nudes in this batch because I had a job interview and orientation and didn't want to wear a red or pink lipstick. I went back to some MAC favorites as well.

Fanfare: Cremesheen formula. I think I mentioned this lipstick before when I posted my favorite neutral lip post. This is definitely more of a pink lipstick, but I guess it does lean nude when I swatch it on my arm.

Kelly Yum Yum: Satin formula. Limited edition from the Kelly Osbourne collection. This was an honorable mention in my favorite pink lipstick post. The more I wear this lipstick, the more I love it. The finish is perfect and the color is just so bright.

Merlot: NYX Matte. I do love this color, but I did think it was going to be on the darker side. It was darker than my usual red lip, which was what I was going for. This color also wears great, just like the other NYX matte lipsticks that I had tried.

Motörhead: Kat Von D Matte formula. I've read a few reviews on the KVD lipsticks and this color always seems to get a bad rap because it drags. I found that yes, it did drag a bit, but only on my arm. You can see that the color caught my baby hairs on my arm, but that it doesn't look particularly bad. I also didn't find that it applied badly to my lips. I always rub my lips with my washcloth in the morning and apply lip balm before I put on lipstick, so maybe that helps. Anyway, I loved this color and I even took the time to clean up my lip line with a bit of liner.

Mystical: Cremesheen formula. Limited edition from the Alluring Aquatic collection. This is another lipstick I mentioned in my favorite neutral lipsticks post. This is a my lips but better color and it leans a little more mauve nude. As always, I love the packaging of this lipstick and wish the collection came out with bolder colors.

Utterly Frivolous: Lustre formula. Limited edition from the Fafi collection. Yet another favorite color from my neutral lipstick post. The color is a lot more dense on my lips than it is on my arm and covers better than most of my lustre finish lipsticks. The only thing that steers this away from being neutral is that the lipstick is packed with glitter.

From left: Alabama, Feel My Pulse, Antwerp, Hexagram, Countess, Russian Red.

From top: Alabama, Feel My Pulse, Antwerp, Hexagram, Countess, Russian Red.

This is another batch of colors that I really loved. Russian Red is one of my all time favorite red lipsticks. By the end of the month, I tested out most of my Kat Von D lipsticks and a decent chunk of my NYX lipsticks and creams.

Alabama: NYX matte. I refreshed the Ulta site many times before purchasing other colors because this one was unavailable during the sale. As soon as it was available again, I checked my cart out super quick. When the color arrived, I was disappointed because it looked like such a brown red and it swatched really brown on my skin. Well, I finally decided to wear it and it doesn't lean brown on my lips at all. It's just a really great dark red lipstick. Again, I love the formula of these. The lipstick goes on smooth and doesn't dry my lips.

Feel My Pulse: Cremesheen formula. Limited edition from the Temperature Rising collection. I was really feeling purple lips on this particular day. This is a nice buildable color where it can look magenta or bright purple and I love the packaging of the Temperature Rising collection.

Antwerp: NYX Matte Lip Cream. I hadn't worn a lip cream for a while and decided to wear one of them. I really liked this color and it lasted a long time on my lips. I'm glad I branched off to these lip creams because I've been really loving them this month.

Hexagram: Kat Von D matte formula. I really didn't expect to like this color as much as I did for some reason. I wore this to my first day at my new job and I didn't want to rock a red lip, but I accidentally did. I thought this was going to lean more pink, but it definitely didn't. I didn't have to reapply this at all and I even went out for drinks after work with my coworkers from my other job afterwards and it didn't even transfer on my glass.

Countess: Kat Von D matte formula. I love this orange lipstick. This is definitely one of the standouts from the Studded Kiss lipstick set I purchased earlier in the month. This is a full coverage lipstick and is orange, but not too bright.

Russian Red: Matte formula. Permanent color, but the packaging is limited edition from the Wonder Woman collection. This is one of my favorite red lipsticks ever. It's a blue toned red that makes your teeth appear whiter. This is a bit of a darker red compared to some of my brighter red lipsticks like MAC Red. I feel like I don't wear this color enough, but it's definitely one of my favorite colors.


Roundup!

MAC Lipsticks: 10
Satin: 4
Matte: 2
Cremesheen: 3
Lustre: 1

NYX: 8
Matte Lipstick: 4
Matte Lip Cream: 4

Kat Von D: 6
Matte: 5
Iridescent: 1

Total Matte Lipsticks: 15 out of 24! 

Tarte Pin Up Girl Holiday Blush Palette: Swatches + Review

I was so bummed when I missed out on last year's holiday collections because I just wasn't wearing a full face of makeup. My normal routine was BB Cream, powder, and maybe a dusting of blush if I was feeling either pale or ambitious. This year, I wanted to make sure that I bought at least one blush palette, the Nars or the Tarte, because I've been wearing blush and bronzer daily.

I decided on the Tarte Amazonian Clay Blush palette because the Nars palette wasn't yet announced. This palette was probably going to be less money and I already know I like the Tarte blushes, plus these are all limited edition colors.

This is the packaging for the palette. It looks like a little golden clutch. I do have to agree with everyone else and say that it is on the bulky side, but this isn't something I'm going to be tossing in my purse. Right now, I just keep the palette on one of the my shelves in the bathroom. The little pearl hair pins actually can be removed and used in your hair. I haven't even bothered with those yet. I might just take them off the palette so that they don't leave an indent.

Bulky packaging aside, I do have to say my biggest con for this palette is that the names not listed anywhere on the actual palette. The insert shown above slips out of the palette even when it's closed. The only other spot that has the names is the back of the box. Eventually, I want to know which blush I've been using. I do still have the box and the insert, but it would be so much more convenient to have the blush names printed on the package, especially since there's already a sticker on the back.

From top: Irreplaceable, Bashful, Whimsy, Embraced, Breathless.

Looking back, I'm actually glad I didn't get the Off the Cuff palette from last year. It contains permanent colors, one of which I don't like and another that I own which is a bronzer. I really like these colors better.
Additionally, I've actually worn all of these colors and I can say I definitely love them. It's nice being able to have five colors all in one spot.

Embraced and Bashful are the only two shimmery colors and the other three are matte. I've really been into neutral and nude blushes, so Breathless was a nice addition to the palette for me. That said, Embraced and Irreplaceable are probably my favorite colors in the palette, followed closely by Bashful. I think Breathless just isn't a standout because my favorite for a nude cheek is Tarte's Exposed, which I have in a single pan. I'm also not a huge fan of pale pink blushes like Whimsy. I like this color because it doesn't come off like Pepto Bismol like some blushes and it isn't chalky, but I'm not ready for the color yet. It just doesn't mix well with my bronzer like the other colors do.

I think the only other thing worth mentioning is that these blushes are powdery. That isn't necessarily a bad thing. I just realized the first time I was trying these out that a bunch of powder kicked up when I swirled my brush in the pan. I'm used to how MAC blushes are a bit stiffer. The color pay off on these are great, which I think is because of them being slightly softer and powdery.

Packaging get a B- because I want the names on the palette and it's a little bulky.

Blushes get an A- because I really love them overall and the color selection is nice. Despite the powdery mess you can cause, the colors are worth the pain.

So do I think this is worth $42? Absolutely. I'd rather pay the $42 for this palette than the $65 for the Nars palette that has a huge pan of Laguna bronzer in it and a bunch of colors I won't wear.

NYX Matte Lipstick Swatches

I don't feel like I can do a proper review on these lipsticks even after wearing three out of the eight of them. I much prefer to do swatches than reviews anyway. For the most part, these lipsticks are right in my color spectrum so I'm happy with the colors I ordered. 

I'm sure I've also mentioned how much I've been loving matte finishes for quite awhile. For the longest time, MAC was the only brand of lipstick I owned. I think I'm a little biased when I say that they make my favorite lipsticks. I have to say, I really like the formula of these matte lipsticks. That really surprises me only because these NYX lipsticks retail for $5.99 and I've been paying up to $16 for my MAC lipsticks.

Euro Trash, Angel, Street Cred, Indie Flick.

Euro Trash: This is the only color that definitely stands out from my usual color preferences. I did purchase this on purpose though, because I have been branching out to more neutral colors for every day wear. At first, I was really put off by how brown this color was. I did put it on immediately after noticing how brown it was to find that it comes off as a my lips but better shade. I haven't worn this out, but I have worn it around the house. This particular shade is very creamy while staying matte.

Angel: Just like with Euro Trash, I was surprised at how different this color was from the swatches I saw online. I thought this was a little lighter, but this ended up being a slightly brighter pink. I'm definitely not complaining. I really like the way this color swatched, as it was also very creamy. This is a color that I have lined up to wear at some point within the next couple weeks, so I'm sure it will also be in my monthly lip post soon.

Street Cred: This is a brighter pink than Angel, but they do look a lot more similar swatched next to each other then I thought they did in the tube. This is another super creamy color. I'm sure they're all creamy and I'm going to say that for every one of these shades. This is also another color that I have lined up to wear at some point. I've even debated it against other colors and it's gone back for really no reason other than I didn't want to wear bright pink.

Indie Flick: This color is everything I thought it would be when I bought it. Out of the first bunch, this is the only one that I've worn outside the house. I love that this is a bright coral orange, which is one of my favorite shades to wear. I wanted to get this out of the way because I know I'm going to be wearing more red and purple now that it's starting to get a little colder outside. This did have to be reapplied after I wiped a bit of the drier parts of my lips, but it performed a lot better afterwards.

From bottom: Euro Trash, Angel, Street Cred, Indie Flick.

Bloody Mary, Eden, Alabama, Merlot.

Bloody Mary: I hate to admit it, but I did get add this color to my bag before looking at swatches just for the name. If it were any other color than red, that wouldn't have happened. This is more on the pink red end of the spectrum, but that doesn't mean I don't like the color. I love all red lipsticks. I did find that this pulled a bit less pink on my lips when I wore it out, so I don't feel like it's true to the swatch color. If I had to choose, this color would probably be my favorite out of the bunch and it was also the first one I wore.

Eden: Blue based reds are probably my favorite shade of red, so it was no surprise that I had to get this color. There were probably six reds in this collection of matte lipsticks and I had to restrain myself to buy them all. Based on the swatches online, I really needed this color and it will most definitely be worn this month. It swatched super creamy, and based on my experience with Bloody Mary, I have a high expectation that it will wear the same way on my lips.

Alabama: I was really passionate about getting this color. When I ordered on Ulta, this one was sold out so I had to make another order so I could bring this one home. I was really surprised when I saw just how brown this red turned out to be. I'm not sure if I'm disappointed because I haven't seen how it wears on my lips just yet. I'm hoping it turns out to be that amazing dark red that I thought I was buying from the swatches I had seen.

Merlot: I think this might need to be the next color I wear. This ends my hunt for a nice purple based red that isn't so purple that it isn't even red anymore. As long as it wears on my lips as nicely as it swatches, I don't think I'll be let down. I was so happy to see that this didn't lean too purple that I made sure it was in my lipstick lineup for the next couple weeks. I definitely can't wait to wear this one.

From Bottom: Bloody Mary, Eden, Alabama, Merlot.

As you can see, all these lipsticks swatch nicely and are super creamy. I didn't get any of the lighter shades because those aren't really what I wear. I also read in multiple places that the brighter and darker colors apply smoother and wear nicer. Nude colors don't personally wear well on me at all, so I can see where others would have issues with the formula if the color isn't designed with enough pigment.

Overall, I do really like these and can see myself purchasing more of them in the future. I hope NYX releases more colors so I'm not just buying the rest of the reds!

Kat Von D Studded Lipsticks Holiday Set Swatches!

Even though the Kat Von D lipstick set wasn't what I set out to purchase from Sephora, I was extremely happy with them. Despite the fact that they're small, you get a lot of product for $39, especially considering that one lipstick costs $21.

As I've mentioned, these are small. This is the tube lined up to my finger, which is a little longer than the lipstick.

I don't have a regular KVD studded tube to compare the lipstick to, but you can pretty much tell how little the bullet is just against my hand. It still rolls up with enough product, but it is miniature. 

Agatha, Lovecraft, Sexer, Adora

From bottom: Agatha, Lovecraft, Sexer, Adora

Wonderchilde, Motorhead, Bachelorette, Hexagram, Countess.

From bottom: Wonderchild, Motorhead, Bachelorette, Hexagram, Countess.

Unlike a favorite lipsticks post, I can't comment on these at all. At the time of swatching, this was a first impression. At present posting time, I've worn only Sexer. I can say that these are pretty dry when swatched. Obviously, you can tell which ones drag because it was really difficult to make my swatches look nice and smooth. I also didn't want to make large swatch boxes because of the small amount of product.

These will probably perform like a MAC matte, which are on the drier side. I've read multiple reviews saying that the colors apply patchy, but I haven't been able to try any of these more matte shades on my lips. I will have more to say about these in my monthly lip post because I do plan on wearing some of these shades.

I wanted to buy this set because I liked eight of the nine colors. I'm sure you can tell that Agatha, the lightest nude, is not my cup of tea. It's possible that I'll try it, but I can't say when I would wear it.

I think my favorites are going to be: Sexer, Adora, Bachelorette, Hexagram, and Countess. I'm excluding Motorhead because it looks super patchy and reviews say that it translates like that to the lips. Wonderchilde appears sheer and patchy. Agatha and Lovecraft are not really my style.

All in all, I think I would rate this set about a B+ because most of the colors are nice and there is a variety of finish. I do with there were a couple different color combinations available, but I'm happy with the colors I have. I think the set is a solid value because it is $39 and I would never purchase a $21 lipstick, which is why I typically stick with MAC and lower end brands.

The packaging on the other hand, I would rate as a C- for this reason alone...

The top of the lipstick sticks out of the bullet, which makes putting the cap back on an instant hassle. In one moment, you could decapitate your lipstick.

I also noticed that these actually come out of the bullet quite easily. I don't know if this has anything to do with the fact that they're sample sized, but the lipstick came right out. I didn't even need to put much effort into it. I know for a fact that my MAC lipsticks don't do this unless there's a dramatic change in temperature. I'm obviously not going to be pulling my lipsticks out of the bullets, but I thought this was something that I should shine some light on just in case.