Sorry for my little hiatus, as mentioned in my goals post I tend to have phases of obsessing over beauty and then phases where I want nothing to do with it. I’m excited to get back into sharing my thoughts on beauty, but spoiler alert, we’re starting with quite the doozy.
Color: The 01 shade is a classic YSL shade; bright red as described by the Sephora website. Normally I would add a little more of my own thoughts but honestly, I think bright red is about as descriptive as you’d need! It’s got a pinky/orange base to create the incredible vibrance.
Finish: On application, due to the way the formula is (more on that later), it is high shine but dries down to a completely matte finish.
Packaging: The sample packaging I have varies from the full size packaging, unfortunately! My product is a clear tube with a shiny gold lid and a black YSL sticker on it. The full size tatouage product is a square shape, with a gold metal lid and “YSL” engraved into it. I will admit it does have a beautiful and luxurious look to it!
Applicator: The applicator is another huge difference between sample and full size, which I can’t help but wonder might be why application was so different and uncomfortable. The sample size product is a regular fluffy doefoot, which absorbs a lot of product and I think applied way too much. The full size applicator looks to be flat and mostly plastic, with just a small bit of fluff for comfort on application; I imagine this also regulates how much product will apply onto your lips.
I’m pulling my lipsticks to review from a specific organizer, which I thought had some of my very old lip products on it and that was it. I was surprised to see this lipstick when I grabbed it! It was a purchase from around the middle of 2022, so very recent compared to other products. I found this while on one of my many trips to TJMaxx, and obviously got excited because it was a unique formula in a nude color.
Color: With a shade name like “nude”, you wouldn’t be wrong in assuming that this is a neutral color. It’s a light brown with warm, peachy undertones that inevitably looks orange when applied to my lips. Still a lovely shade!
Finish: So I was curious to see what BH meant when they said liquid lip powder for their formula, and I can confidently say I understand now! The finish is a very soft matte; instead of the dry look of a standard liquid lipstick, this has a more blurred but still matte look that was incredibly popular a few years ago.
Packaging: I think the packaging of this particular product is really unique! It’s has a cylindrical shape with a rounded bottom. The product name is printed in hot pink, as well as the brand (though a bit hidden), and the rest of the product information including shade name is on the other side.
Applicator: The applicator is in a fun little chair shape, with a pointed tip that moves down into the “seat”, which is just a spot that holds product and hugs your lips as you apply.
I’ll be honest, as much as I enjoyed reviewing the past few products, I’m so happy to be back to liquid lipsticks! Even though they’ve lost popularity in the mainstream, I still have a ton of love for them. I’ve never had issues with most of them feeling too dry, and they’re so easy for me to wear and forget about!
Color: American Woman is described on the Sephora website as a chestnut rose, which is very accurate! It has a lot of pink in it, but I still get a distinct peach to it as well, which I think comes from the chestnut part. It’s another color in the same family as MAC’s Velvet Teddy & Pat McGrath’s Omi.
Finish: Unsurprisingly with a name like “power matte”, this lipstick goes on thin and shiny but dries down to a completely flat matte.
Packaging: Even though this is a mini, the packaging is the exact same between mini and full size. It’s a rectangular acrylic tube with a small clear window on each side. Everything else is a matte black, but not their usual soft touch packaging. The lid has NARS listed across the top, with one letter on each side.
Applicator: The applicator is so unique! I don’t believe I’ve seen anything like it. Instead of a usual fluffy doefoot or paddle, it’s a small soft applicator that is thin and pointed.
This post is going to be different from my typical reviews, but it’s something I feel is important to discuss and bring awareness to.
I think anyone who was in the makeup scene between 2015-2017 was horribly aware of the makeup market boom and the intense push to buy buy buy and own a massive collection of makeup rivaling that of the largest beauty influencers. Or perhaps, like me, you were completely unaware of this and fell into the trap of purchasing mass quantities of makeup you could never hope to use up.
I want to use this post for a few different reasons:
I want this to be used for awareness regarding the ease of purchasing too much makeup and what can happen when we do this and don’t use it.
I want to feel like the products aren’t just going to waste even though they are no longer going to be able to serve me.
Everything you see listed in this post is going to be makeup that I went to review, but has gone bad and is no longer useable. This means that even though there is still plenty of product left, I did not use it during it’s shelf life and it can no longer safely be worn. It will all need to be trashed or recycled as best as I can do it.
Hopefully by seeing the amount of makeup below, you’ll consider your own collection’s size and use! This post is going to be updated as I pull makeup out of my drawer and identify it as too old to review/use. It may be months in between updates on it, and that’s what I hope for more than anything!
A few years ago I remember the Makeup Forever liquid lipsticks launching to some hype, but it died down quickly and I really haven’t heard much since. Spoiler alert, I have no idea why, because I think I’m obsessed with this formula!! Read on to find out my specific thoughts!
Color: 105 is labeled as “Rosewood” on the MUFE website, which sounds like an accurate description to me! It is a cool toned neutral with a purple undertone.
Finish: As the name states, this is a matte finish. It goes on with a bit of a cream finish but does dry down quickly.
Packaging: I have a sample size, so the packaging is a bit different, but overall the look is the same. It’s a shiny black lid with an acrylic tube that shows the color of the lip product, with the name and information printed on the side.
Applicator: The applicator is your standard doefoot, but mine is a bit fuzzy! I don’t know if that’s because it’s an older product or if it came that way, but it doesn’t really make any difference in terms of application.
Application: The formula has a kind of soft, mousse feel instead of the usual liquid. Application for this is pretty simple, as the wand works with the size of my lips perfectly. This is definitely an opaque-in-one-swipe formula, so I easily pulled the wand out of the tube and coated my lips without having to wipe off excess or dip in again.
I did have a tendency to get a little messy around the edge of my lip, so needed to do cleanup, but it was so easy to just wipe excess product away without it smearing or staining. There is a soft, sweet scent that doesn’t linger once the product is dry, and it dries quickly.
Transfer: With the formula being a more mousse, silicone texture I found that there was more transfer than there normally is with a liquid lipstick. There was lipstick left behind on my straw and my hand if I kissed it, but as the top layer of product wore off the transfer did lessen.
Fading: Despite there being more transfer than usual, I found that there wasn’t too much fading and the color did maintain itself decently well. I would definitely consider touching it up after a messy meal or just checking up on it after about half a day if you want it to remain perfect, but I was comfortable with letting it fade naturally as it remained pretty even as it went.
Comfort: This liquid lipstick is so comfortable! The formula is more mousse then liquid, which lends to it drying down without sinking straight into my lips and pulling all the moisture out. Wearing this two days in a row without putting on any sort of balm did leave my lips feeling a bit dry about 5 hours into day 2, but this is easily remedied by just taking care of your lips (shocker!).
Overall: As alluded to in the intro, I’m in love with this formula! The color is lovely, it’s super easy to apply and isn’t patchy, and lasts while still being way comfortable. This is definitely one that I’d buy full size and encourage anyone who loves a high quality liquid lipstick to do the same!
Price Point: This lipstick can be purchased for $20, but only from the Makeup Forever website. I was surprised that I couldn’t find it anywhere else, and I think that this formula might actually be discontinued in favor of their new liquid lipstick formula. I can’t say that one is better than the other since I haven’t tried the new one, but I can say that if you love the idea of a comfortable, long lasting liquid lipstick, it’s worth shopping directly from the site!
I’m back today with another liquid lipstick review! Would you be surprised to know that when I was in my wild buy-everything phase it was during the height of liquid lip popularity? You would not believe the amount of liquid lipsticks I still have left to share with you all.
A little caveat for this review, I believe this particular lipstick is starting to go off and the formula is changing. I don’t think that it’s going to change the review too dramatically, but it’s important to point out that my experience with this lipstick and formula may not be the norm.
Color: Queen B is a cool toned pink, and when dried down it has an almost purple-grey look to it. While I do enjoy cool toned lipsticks, pinks are not up there for my favorite shades.
Finish: This liquid lipstick formula is one that, unsurprisingly, dries down to a completely matte finish.
Packaging: The packaging on this lipstick is definitely unique compared to most liquid lipsticks! It’s an acrylic tube, but starts in a cylinder shape and then changes into a rectangle at the bottom. The cap is a satin gold color, and the printing of the product name/information is a metallic gold. Even the wand is acrylic!
Applicator: The applicator for this liquid lipstick is a standard doefoot; nothing special to report here!
I know, there’s a lot of shocking things happening right now! First – a new review, two weeks in a row?! Second – a product that’s actually still available for purchase??! I know, wild times, but I am feeling quite the rush of motivation to keep working through my makeup collection and sharing my thoughts with you all!
Color: Caramello is described on the Stila website as a “neutral nude”. This seems somewhat accurate, but looking at it on myself I actually consider it a cool-toned peach. It looks pretty grey on me, but still has an almost peachy color to it. It’s so hard to explain, but spoiler alert: I love it!
Finish: If you guessed that the finish of this product is matte, you’d be correct! It goes on shiny but dries down in about a minute to its flat matte finish.
Packaging: The packaging of this liquid lipstick is a traditional acrylic tube, but with a satin gold cap. The Stila logo is printed on the tube along with other product information, and the bottom has a sticker with the color name.
Applicator: The doefoot for this product looks pretty standard, but is a bit longer than a normal paddle and doesn’t have any flair.
A bittersweet review – as will all of my Bite Beauty reviews be from now on! One of my favorite lipstick brands, Bite Beauty, has announced that they will no longer be producing makeup, and instead solely focusing on their Lip Labs.
There’s no Lip Labs local to me, so I’ll have to just cherish the products that I already have! The good news is that I have a large assortment of Bite Beauty products despite my lack of reviews on them – that’ll have to change!
Color: Chicory is a warm toned brown, that leans somewhat orange on my lips.
Finish: The liquified lipstick formula is exactly as it sounds. The finish is creamy like a gloss, but more opaque than a lip gloss. It really does look on the lips like a cream lipstick that was never solidified into a bullet.
Packaging: The packaging is a grey soft touch shaped like a rectangle, with an acrylic spot on the bottom of the tube where the color is exposed. There’s a sticker on the bottom and the Bite logo printed on the cap.
Applicator: The applicator looks similar to a traditional doefoot, but is longer than is typical. This particular shape works very well with the product, as it is a bit thicker.
Application: I thought the application of this product was really nice! I love the shape of the applicator, and it made it easy to apply with one quick swipe and just a bit of cleaning up on the edges because I was messy with it.
There is a citrusy scent in this product – while it’s not super strong or offensive to me, it did linger for about 10 minutes after application before dissipating.
Transfer: Unfortunately, this particular formula is definitely one that transfers a lot. It never seems to set down and so drinking or eating definitely leads to lipstick on your cup, your food, your chin, etc. However, even something as simple as accidentally touching your lips will mean that you will definitely need to wipe it off of your finger or whatever might have accidentally touched it.
There doesn’t ever seem to be a point where it stops transferring, so it can get frustrating to constantly be checking your face or hands to make sure there’s not lipstick there.
Fading: Despite the amount of transfer, I felt like the color ended up staying pretty consistent throughout the wear. Part of that could be that the shade is close to my natural lips in depth, so that hides fading pretty well. Either way, it does end up looking like the color it starts with for a while. The glossiness of it does fade with the more product that transfers off the lips.
Comfort: This formula feels pretty hydrating, but I noticed that as it continued to transfer it got a little more sticky over time. Not sticky in the sense that your lips would be stuck together or that it was stringy, but it just got a little more tacky feeling and heavier instead of weightless.
Overall: While I enjoy the color and adore Bite as a brand, this formula just wasn’t a hit for me. I like products that are no fuss, and this is definitely not one of those if you’re out and about doing things, eating, drinking, etc. I will be moving this out of my collection to allow more breathing room for the rest of my makeup.
Price Point: Even before Bite Beauty was closed, this formula has been discontinued for a while now and there’s no way of getting ahold of it. It was $24 at the time of it being available.
I’m back for another review of the Huda Matte Liquid Lipsticks – this time in another very popular neutral shade! I’m pretty sure Bombshell is one of the OG lip colors.
Color: The Sephora website describes Bombshell as a “subtle pinkish nude”. This feels very accurate to the color swatched and on the lips as well. On my undertones it pulls a bit more orange, but in fairness it is considered a “subtle pinkish” nude, and not just a pink.
Finish: With this being a matte liquid lipstick, the finish ends up being just like any other liquid lipstick – a fully dried down matte with no shine.
Packaging: The packaging on this product is a sleek, square acrylic tube with a satin matte black cap. The label seems to be printed on and has stayed with no fading through the time I’ve owned it. The bottom has a sticker with the color name.
One thing to note, which may bother you, is that the square of the cap is just the slightest bit off of the square of the tube. While it’s not especially noticeable or bothersome for me, if you are someone who likes everything to look perfect I’d be weary.
Applicator: The applicator is a very standard doefoot, which works well with the consistency of this formula. I didn’t notice any fraying of it or wear that would make application more difficult.
Application: It should first be noted that like all other Huda products, this lipstick has a strong vanilla/baked good fragrance. While I personally enjoy the smell, if you are someone who doesn’t like fragranced lip products you may want to skip – the scent does linger for a few minutes after application as well but will fade.
Applying this is no different from most other liquid lipsticks. The product is very liquidy and is easy to swipe on quickly. The standard doefoot makes getting straight lines simple, and the product is completely opaque in one swipe.
I did notice that for the first 15 to 20 minutes after applying, my lips were very sticky both to the touch and to each other, but this didn’t seem to affect transfer. After that, it was completely dry.
I’m back with another review on the Madison Miller collaboration with Ofra! Today we’ll be looking at the liquid lipstick she came out with. Once again, Ipsy came in clutch with this collection so I was able to purchase this sample through their add-on program.
Color: The Ofra website lists this color as a “neutral mauve-pink”. This is a very accurate descriptor – this pink shade definitely has a purple undertone to it, but not so much that I’d consider it colorful. However, I do not consider this a nude on me, as the color overall is quite pink.
Finish: With this being a matte liquid lipstick, it does dry down to a mostly-matte finish. Ofra liquid lipsticks tend to stay just a touch shiny, as they don’t fully dry down for comfort’s sake. That said, there’s not so much of a sheen that it’s noticeable, so it will still look like a matte lipstick on the lips.
Packaging: The packaging for my lipstick is actually the sample packaging – Ofra’s full size products come in square tubes. However, the tube between both is still acrylic with the matte white cap. The printing on the label looks to be the same as well, but all in one area (as pictured) instead of on different sides like it would be with the square tube.
I don’t know if it’s because my lipstick is relatively old or the sample packaging, but I did have an issue with a piece in the cap coming loose and sticking to the stopper. I can put the wand back into the tube and it will return to the cap instead of continuing to stick, but just something to note.
Applicator: The applicator is a standard doefoot that works well with most liquid lipstick formulas, and this one is no exception. The doefoot is also pretty smooth, so no spots where it’s fluffy and makes it difficult to get a clean application.
Application: With the formula being slightly moussey, there were times where a little too much product came out on the wand and I had to scrape it against the stopper to remove the excess. Actually applying the product was incredibly easy; the shape of the doefoot makes it easy to get nice lines and an even application.
Karissa Talks Beauty 