lip products, liquid lipstick

Wet n’ Wild Liquid Catsuit Matte Lipstick “Rebel Rose” | Review

Hello friends!

I apologize for my long absence! I think we can all agree in saying 2020 was a year of… well, who knows exactly what it was. That being said, I’m ready to move into the new year and get back into reviewing my vast amount of makeup starting with this product!

Color: Rebel Rose is a cool-toned pink nude. It’s the same depth as a traditional rose color, but with very purple undertones.

Finish: This liquid lipstick dries down to a completely matte finish.

Packaging: The packaging is a short, clear acrylic tube with a shiny black cap. The label is a sticker. If you’ve seen my review of the shiny version of this liquid lipstick they came out with, it’s identical, but with a different colored top!

Applicator: The applicator is one of the chair shaped ones, with a dip in the center that both holds product and creates an ease of application through better fitting the shape of the lips. I find these applicators to be easier to use than a traditional flat doefoot.

Application: Application was pretty easy for me! With the shape of the applicator, it was easy to cover one of my lips in the product without needing to do any cleanup afterwards due to going outside of the lines. I did need to dip back into the tube to get enough product to cover my top lip as well.

Transfer: Aside from the typical small bit of excess product that comes off at first, I found that the transfer of this lipstick was practically nonexistent. I didn’t see anything come off on my straw while drinking and nothing on my food or silverware while eating.

Fading: There was minimal to no fading that I noticed. Granted, this color is pretty close to my own natural lips, so there’s a chance I just didn’t see it like I would with another color. Still, after 8 hours I felt like my lipstick still looked good!

I did notice that the lipstick seemed to emphasize lines in my lips a bit, so if you’re like me and have pretty textured lips, exfoliate beforehand! If it’s something that really bothers you, I’d suggest skipping over this formula.

Comfort: As with the majority of matte liquid lipsticks, there is a slight bit of discomfort after 8 hours of wearing this. For the first eight, I barely noticed I had anything on my lips. Around the 9-10 hour mark, I was feeling like my lips were tight and I wanted the product to come off. This isn’t unique to this particular formula – I feel that way with most matte liquid lipsticks (I never prep my lips quite right!). If you were to ensure they were moisturized before putting on the lipstick (but being sure to remove the balm beforehand to not affect wear time), and exfoliated, I imagine you’d be able to comfortably go 12+ hours, as wear isn’t the concern.

Overall: I really enjoy this lipstick! The color is very me – I’m always up for a cool toned nudey pink since warm tones pull orange on me. The formula is great for those days you need something to last, without even considering the price in that. Add that you can get it for incredibly cheap, and this is a formula that I’ll be returning to for different colors as well.

Price Point: Wet n Wild boasts affordable makeup, and this product is no exception! At full price, the lipsticks are $5.49 each. Very frequently, you can find their products on sale on their website, Ulta, Target, Walmart, and other drugstores as well, so anticipate spending under $5 for a lipstick that I personally think is well worth it!

lip products, lip stains

theBalm theBalmJour Creamy Lip Stain “Namaste” | Review

Hello friends!

I am of the opinion that theBalm is a pretty underrated brand in the beauty sphere! They have their popular products like the Mary-Loumanizer or their eyeshadow palettes, but everything else doesn’t seem to get quite the same hype. Today I’m sharing my review on one of their lip products; their creamy lip stain.

Color: Namaste is a deep, warm pink. It looks slightly more neutral upon application, but wears into a fuchsia throughout the day.

Finish: As the name suggests, this lip stain’s finish is definitely a cream, similar to that of a bullet lipstick but with less opacity. It’s not quite shiny like many glosses, but does hold a similar vibe to one.

Packaging: theBalm is definitely known for their cute, vintage looking packaging featuring various people, and this isn’t an exception. The tube is a matte grey plastic, with a cute sticker in it featuring a red head saying the shade name. Each shade has a different character on it, which is a nice touch.

Applicator: The applicator is your standard doefoot. I didn’t feel like the shape helped or hindered in applying this product.

Application: I found getting an even application with this color to be a bit tricky, as it’s not fully opaque. I had to be careful to not swipe back and forth too much, or I would risk pulling up the product I’d already put on my lips and making it look patchy. One layer was the best bet for getting an even application, however I still wasn’t completely happy with the evenness of it.

I also had a bit of difficulty with getting the edges of my lips, as product would want to bunch up and leave a thick line – with many other products it’s easy to fix, but with this one I had to carefully dab it away or risk a more patchy appearance. I found it easiest to press and rub my lips together to disperse excess product.

Continue reading “theBalm theBalmJour Creamy Lip Stain “Namaste” | Review”

lip products, liquid lipstick

Physician’s Formula The Healthy Lip Velvet Finish “Berry Healthy” | Review

Hello friends!

I was unbelievably lucky and found a bunch of these Healthy Lips on clearance at Walmart – I couldn’t help but snag some because I’ve heard people rave about them.  Spoiler alert: for good reason, too!

Color: Berry Healthy is a neutral, deep pink that leans slightly cool, but could mostly be considered a neutral pink-berry.  The neutral-ness of the shade tends to make it look less berry than what one would traditionally think – there’s very little purple in it. I personally would consider this a pink nude in my own collection.

Finish: As most liquid lipsticks do, this formula dries down to a matte finish.  The packaging states that this is a velvet finish, but to me there isn’t much shine, and what little there is definitely goes away as the product wears.

Physician’s Formula The Healthy Lip Velvet Finish “Berry Healthy” | Review - A Midwest Belle

Packaging: The packaging on this lipstick is definitely unique to other liquid lipstick tubes! It’s square and acrylic with the silver cap.  This definitely feels weighty and more luxurious than a typical drugstore liquid lipstick.  The only complaint I have is that it’s unnecessarily bulky – there easily could have been less acrylic on the outside of the product and still kept the aesthetic.

Physician’s Formula The Healthy Lip Velvet Finish “Berry Healthy” | Review - A Midwest Belle

Applicator: I adore the teardrop applicator with a well on the inside. The shape lends well to application – it’s easy to get a crisp line with the pointed tip.  The well ensures that you don’t have to dip into the tube a second time as it holds enough product for both lips.

Application: I found application of this to be strange at first, until I got more comfortable with the formula.  It’s not actually fully opaque; it’s semi-opaque, but with this particular shade that actually worked in its favor.  The product is thicker than you would expect – not a mousse, but also not thin like a standard liquid lipstick.

There were some issues with evenness on application, especially on the edges of my lips.  You could definitely tell that some spots were more pigmented than others, however it was incredibly easy to just use my finger and dot off the excess.

Physician’s Formula The Healthy Lip Velvet Finish “Berry Healthy” | Review - A Midwest Belle

Continue reading “Physician’s Formula The Healthy Lip Velvet Finish “Berry Healthy” | Review”

Uncategorized

Monthly Makeup Basket | November 2019

Hello friends!

Today’s post is a pretty quick and easy one – I wanted to share what’s in my basket for November that I’ve been playing with!  There has been basically no change at all except for a new concealer.

Monthly Makeup Basket | November 2019 - A Midwest Belle

If you would like to see my current impressions of the products pictured above, make sure you check out my October basket – I don’t want to be repeating myself since there isn’t a whole lot to update on.

New Additions:

Makeup Revolution Conceal & Define Full Coverage Concealer: First of all, wow, what a long name! When I swatched this on the back of my hand I was concerned that the color wouldn’t match me well, but I wanted to throw it on my eyes quickly and see what I thought, and I’m already so pumped to keep testing! It’s everything that I wanted in a concealer that I wasn’t able to get from the IT Cosmetics one.  I’m very excited to share with you all my final thoughts!

Are you trying any new makeup this month?

lip products, liquid lipstick

Colourpop Ultra Satin Lip “951” | Review

Hello friends!

Funny story with this lipstick- I ordered the Kathleen Lights lip bundle, and was accidentally sent the IluvSarahii set instead.  When I told them about it, they said I could keep it, so yay for bonus reviews for all of you!

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Color: 951 is a really beautiful warm medium brown shade.  I’d say it has a little more depth than your average nude, but is still pink enough to be less intimidating for those scared of a traditional brown.

Finish: The Ultra Satin lips have an almost-matte finish that never quite dry down.  It’s like a demi-matte with just the slightest bit of sheen to keep from the traditional flat finish that most liquid lipsticks have.

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Packaging: The tube of this lipstick is just like their standard tubes, but the cap is a beautiful gold instead of their traditional silver.  The printing on it is also gold versus their traditional holographic text, and it says “iluvsarahii X Colourpop” to notate the collaboration.

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Applicator: The applicator on this is standard for Colourpop; a basic doefoot. While mine does fray a bit and doesn’t sit smooth, I had no difficulties at all with getting straight lines.

Application: I found the application of this particular shade to be very easy.  The color is opaque in one swipe and easy to get a smooth, straight line, even on the edges.

It does remain slightly tacky because it never truly dries down, so in the first few minutes after application it feels a bit off until you get used to it.  If I hadn’t been paying specific attention to that detail, I wouldn’t have felt this on my lips at all.

There is no discernible scent with the Colourpop lipsticks; it smells a bit like chemicals, but the scent isn’t offensive and did not linger. I could never smell it once it was on my lips.

This color had a tendency to emphasize the texture of my lips, especially when they were dry, so even upon application within a few minutes you could see each crack and crevice.  This can be helped by either having smoother lips than I do, or exfoliating/using balm the night before use to minimize the clinging!

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Transfer: One thing that I’ve noticed with all Colourpop Ultra Satin lips is that they transfer quite a bit; this one was no exception.  I found that it would come off on my water bottle after just drinking water, and always came off on my food.  I left lipstick everywhere, especially as the first layer wore down.  After it faded off a bit the amount that transferred did lessen, so if you blotted right away you would probably have less issues than I did!

Fading: Despite the fact that the amount of transfer was frustrating, I was surprised that the fading wasn’t too bad.  After eating a larger or more messy meal, there was a definite need for reapplication, otherwise I had a ring of product around the outside of my lips, and my lips looked even stranger due to the line emphasis.  However, just wearing throughout the day with drinking, breakfast and a non-messy lunch means that this lip product would still look good!

One thing I did notice was that the product built up a bit as the day wore on, which meant that I had patches of slightly orange dry spots on my lips.  This is something that I had only noticed when my lips were especially dry, so again if you properly moisturize beforehand I don’t think you’ll have this issue.

Comfort: Unlike a normal matte liquid lipstick, this never dries down completely. Because of that, I could always feel a bit of stick when I pushed my lips together and I felt more aware of it being on my lips.  That said, it remained incredibly comfortable throughout the duration of wear.  It’s not hydrating,  but it’s also not drying at all and is a great formula for those who hate liquid lipsticks for the feeling of them.

Overall: I love the comfort of the ultra satins, but the fading and transfer of them is definitely frustrating. I think part of the problem is that I have yet to try a lighter shade; both Stud and this one are a bit darker, more brown-toned nudes so it’s not a surprise that the appearance and wear would also be similar.

I haven’t quite decided if I’ll keep this yet, but I’m leaning a bit towards yes.  It’s really beautiful, and if you love this formula and can put up with the fading, you absolutely will not be disappointed!

Price Point: If you really love this color but don’t want to purchase the bundle, you can buy the single lipstick here for $7.  However, if you’re looking to buy a few lipsticks and save some money, you can buy the whole kit here!

Have you ever tried the Ultra Satin formula from Colourpop?

lip products, liquid lipstick

BareMinerals Gen Nude Matte Liquid Lipstick “Hemp” | Review

Hello Friends!

I have a habit of buying lipsticks from Marshall’s on the regular, and I thought that this was a really beautiful color to try!  When this formula first launched, I heard a lot of buzz about how nice these were, so I wanted to test it for myself!

BareMinerals Gen Nude Matte Liquid Lipstick "Hemp" | Review - A Midwest Belle

Color: Hemp is a pale peachy nude with a pink undertone.  In some lighting it looks more nude, and in others it pulled very orange; almost coral.  I would still consider this a bright peach nude though!

Finish: After first being applied it has a demi-matte appearance, but it did end up drying down to a very flat matte like a traditional liquid lipstick.

BareMinerals Gen Nude Matte Liquid Lipstick "Hemp" | Review - A Midwest Belle

Packaging: I think the packaging of this is really beautiful! It has a black cap and stripe, with a tube that fades from frosted to clear.

Applicator: The applicator of this is a long, flat and rounded tip doefoot that works well to gather enough product for application.

Continue reading “BareMinerals Gen Nude Matte Liquid Lipstick “Hemp” | Review”

lip products, liquid lipstick

Colourpop Ultra Matte Lip “Viper” | Review

Hello friends!

A while back, I made a giant Colourpop order, and part of the reason was for the free lipsticks you would get for spending a certain amount!  This was one of the lipsticks that I was excited to get for free.

Color: Viper is described on the Colourpop website as a “true dusty rose”, which is mostly accurate!  I’d add that there’s a definite purple appearance to it when it dries down completely, whereas I would consider rose to be a more pink shade.  It’s also darker than how it looks in the tube, which is a bit deceiving, so be aware!

Colourpop Ultra Matte Lip "Viper" | Review - A Midwest Belle

Finish: True to its name, Viper is definitely a matte lip.  It’s got the very traditional, completely flat matte appearance which ends up clinging to every single crevice in my lips.

Colourpop Ultra Matte Lip "Viper" | Review - A Midwest Belle

Packaging: The packaging of this is very basic; just a plain tube, silver chrome accents, and shiny writing for the label.  I’ve had this lipstick for long enough that the writing has actually completely faded off – you can still see where it was, but there’s no actual indication from a quick glance anymore.

The stopper in this particular shade seems to be defective.  There’s a ton of excess product that appears to almost be leaking out despite the fact that I always keep my Coloupop lips upright.  I’m assuming that it’s just from me having to wipe the extra product from the doefoot off and it staying at the top of the tube.  My wand is also really messy looking and overall I’m not super pleased with it.

Continue reading “Colourpop Ultra Matte Lip “Viper” | Review”

lip products, liquid lipstick

Huda Beauty Matte Liquid Lipstick “Trendsetter” | Review

Hello friends!

I’ve owned the Huda Beauty liquid lips for a while now, but for some reason I’ve never actually made it a point to test them.  I’ve heard a lot of good things, so I figured it was finally time for me to share my own thoughts!

Color: The color I’m testing today is Trendsetter!  Sephora describes it as a “stylish brown nude”, which is almost spot on.  I think that calling it a brown makes it sound somewhat intimidating, and it’s more of a neutral midtone nude. It’s darker and more neutral than what some people may consider a “nude”, but I personally don’t think it’s what people traditionally think of as brown.  It’s all in your own preferences!

Huda Beauty Liquid Lipstick "Trendsetter" | Review - A Midwest Belle

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lip products, liquid lipstick

Anastasia Beverly Hills Liquid Lipstick “Ashton” | Review

Hello friends!

One brand that comes to mind as the pioneer of the matte liquid lipstick trend is Anastasia Beverly Hills! Way back in the day when liquid lipsticks were just becoming a thing, this was one of the original formulas you could find.  Today I wanted to share with you whether I feel like they’ve stood the test of time, or have fallen flat compared to other formulas!

Anastasia Beverly Hills liquid lipstick "Ashton" Review - A Midwest Belle

Color: Ashton is described as a “midtone yellow-brown”.  While I find this color really pretty, if you don’t love browns you probably want to skip on this and go for a different color instead.  The yellow undertone might be something that doesn’t work well with other skin tones, so this is definitely a color I’d suggest swatching first!

Packaging: I love how sleek the packaging looks!  The silver tube has ABH’s symbol on the top in black, so it matches the tube and makes it easy to identify among other liquid lipsticks.  I also really enjoy the gold detailing on the top of the tube as well!

Continue reading “Anastasia Beverly Hills Liquid Lipstick “Ashton” | Review”