lip products, liquid lipstick

Makeup Forever Artist Liquid Matte Lipstick “105” | Review

Hello friends!

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.

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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!

lip products, liquid lipstick

Jolii Cosmetics Luxe Creme Matte Lipstick “Focoso” | Review

Hello friends!

I found the brand Jolii Cosmetics on Ipsy, and would absolutely never have heard of them had I not gotten this liquid lipstick in a bag. Before even trying this out I bought another three colors, so you’ll be seeing more reviews in the future!

Something I would like to point out is that the Jolii Cosmetics website states that this product is Made in Italy; however, the label on my lipstick states that it was Made in China.  I emailed to get clarification but never heard back from the brand. With the recent controversies with BoxyCharm & Ciate London, I thought this was important information to share if it could influence your purchasing decision.

Color: Focoso is a purple-based brown with neutral undertones.  I’d say the brown makes it look warmer, while the purple balances it as a generally cooler color.  On the lips it definitely pulls more red-brown.

Finish: The Luxe Creme Matte formula is one that dries down mostly matte but still has just a touch of sheen to it.  As it wears throughout the day the sheen does disappear and leave a completely matte look.

Jolii Cosmetics Luxe Creme Matte Lipstick “Focoso” | Review - A Midwest Belle

Packaging: I love the packaging of this lipstick! The gold cap and frosted tube really makes it look lux. My one complaint is that the words on the tube seem to be rubbing off, similar to the way that ColourPop lip products do.

Jolii Cosmetics Luxe Creme Matte Lipstick “Focoso” | Review - A Midwest Belle

Applicator: This applicator is just a basic doefoot, but it does work well with the mousse formula. There is no need for a well or pointed edge to make application easier.

Application: I found that because the formula was relatively thick instead of being watery like many liquid lipsticks, it was easy to apply and get in a smooth line. I never had to dip back into the tube for more product, and it went on evenly and opaque in one swipe with enough for both lips.

Jolii Cosmetics Luxe Creme Matte Lipstick “Focoso” | Review - A Midwest Belle

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bullet lipstick, lip products

Bobbi Brown Luxe Lipstick “Brocade” | Review

Hello friends!

As you read in my Year of Lipsticks post, I’m making it a goal of mine this year to test as many lip products as I can!  I’ve had this lipstick for about a year now and have always admired it, but never tried it out.

Color: Bobbi Brown’s Brocade is described as a “bright purple plum” on the Sephora website. I would describe it as a bright warm purple with a reddish magenta undertone.

Packaging: First off, the packaging is so stunning and it looks expensive.  It’s a beautiful gold with black accents, and has an insignia on the top of the lid.  It’s feels heavy, and looks like it would be worth the $37 price tag from the packaging alone.

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lip gloss, lip products

Huda Beauty Lip Strobe “Mystical” | Review

Hello friends!

As you saw in my Makeup Brands I Want to Try in 2019 post, Huda Beauty is one of the brands that I want to test out this year!  It’s actually funny that I have them on my list, considering I’ve owned something from the brand for over a year, but at least I’m finally getting around to it!  Instead of starting with her liquid lipsticks, however, I’ll be reviewing a lip strobe I got in one of my Ipsy bags.

Color: Mystical is a beautiful purple with blue glitter flecks.  To me, purples always make me feel like my teeth look yellow, and this one is unfortunately not an exception.  However, it is a very unique shade to my collection!

Applicator: The applicator is definitely different compared to others I’ve used so far.  It has a traditional teardrop shape on top, but then tapers to a curved hook.  It’s also incredibly flexible, so it hugs your lips as you apply and makes getting an even line pretty easy.  The applicator holds just enough product to cover one of my lips, so I did have to dip the applicator back in to get more product for the other.

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