The Lipstick Tag

I had a request to talk about my lipsticks and I have indeed planned to do so for a while now, as in my mountain of post drafts, I had not one, but two lipstick inspired tags. One is called The Lipstick Tag and the other the Lip Products Addict Tag. I decided to combine them in one post as some questions were basically the same. 

1. What was the first lipstick you owned? 

I sort of answered this in my Make Up Memory Lane Tag a few months ago. The question there was about the first makeup item ever and as a true lipstick enthusiast it was of course a lipstick. It was one of L'Oreal's Color Riche ones in a my-lips-but-better rosy colour and I was 13 when I got it. I lost it within a month (this is a different Color Riche on the picture, but the packaging is still the same). 

2. What is your favourite lipstick brand? 

That's a hard one. I have so many different brands in my collection and the one thing I've learned through the years is how good drugstore lipsticks have become. On my All-time favourites page I have Catrice's Ultimate Colours under the category of regular lipsticks because they combine a great formula, affordability and lovely selection of shades. But there are so many other excellent lipsticks and the ones I have to mention are Bourjois' Rouge Edition and L'Oreal's colour Riche.

Of course if I consider liquid lipsticks here as well, then my absolute favourite are Bourjois Rouge Edition Velvet.

3. What is your most worn lipstick? 

I swap colour so very often and it's not uncommon that I change it several times daily, but a couple of years ago my answer would be Catrice's Ultimate Colour 250 Matt About Pink, which I wore almost every day (it's now sadly discontinued). I guess if I have to pick one that is my default shade that I just pick up when I'm in a hurry, or I need to look good without being too made up, it would be Bourjois' Rouge Edition Velvet in 07 Nude-ist.

5. What is your favourite finish?

Matte. Especially at bright and deep shades.

6. What was the last lipstick you bought?

It's been a while, so I had to check in my New Ins and Instagram, but it was Kiko's Velvet Mat Lipstick 612 Strawberry Pink that I got back in March . That's the one I bought, but since then I got sent several lipsticks and I believe the last one was Hot Shop Lipstick 01 from Born Pretty, which turned out to be way too orange for me.

7. How many lip products do you currently have in your bag?  

Technically five, but I have two bags. In the big one, where I also have an emergency bag, I keep Catrice Pure Shine Colour Lip Balm 070 I Don't Red It for a sheer red pout, a mini H&M lipstick in Perfect Red that is a gorgeous, super glamorous red and a Burt's Bees lip balm, which I literally never use. In my other smaller bag, which I carry most often, I keep Max Factor Colour Intensifying Balm 30 Redefined Rose for a no fuss pink and I actually reach for it very often, and I also carry a dinky sample of Avon Ultra Color Indulgence lipstick in Red Tulip which Petra (Adjusting Beauty) sent me for my birthday. 

Why I have so many reds, I don't know.

8. What is your favourite red lip colour? 

L'Oreal's Color Riché Pure Reds Collection Exclusive in Blake. People you need this in your life. I think that everyone deserves one fantastic red in their collection and this one is so worth it. It blows all other reds out of the water, including the old classics from MAC, which I have four including Ruby Woo and Russian Red.

9. How do you store your lipsticks? 

Basically all my makeup fits into two smallest drawers in my Alex unit and even those are a third empty. Some lipsticks are in the two makeup/lipstick organizer units that I got from Müller, while the others are in Ferrero Rocher plastic boxes (as you can see I eat a lot of that stuff). The lip liners are in a candle holder that I got years ago in Rutar.

 10. Which lipstick are you currently lusting after?

I'm currently on a search for a perfect warm red-purple, think Mac's Rebel like. I saw a swatch of La Splash Studio Shine Lip Lustre in Aurora, but I don't buy that the colour actually looks like that. I'd like to give Wet 'n' Wild Megalast Lipstick in Sugar Plum Fairy a try, to see if it looks the way I want.

I have a few others on my wishlist, which you can see here.
Edit: I found the one! Rebel wasn't it, but MAC's D is for Danger is. Swatches here. 

11. Favourite balm/treatment? 

For several years now it's Palmer's Cocoa Butter Formula Swivel Stick. It's basically the only lip balm I ever use, excluding the Labello's Fruity Shine Peach Lip Balm as that one is more of a gimmicky product to me since it's a tinted lip balm with little moisturising properties. But I must confess that my lips don't even need a lip balm any more. For some reason my lips are never dry.

12. Best luxury and best drugstore?

I haven't even tried that many luxury brands when it comes to lipsticks, but my pick would be Lancome Rouge In Love Lipsticks, however Bourjois Rouge Editions feel pretty much exactly the same on the lips. 

13. Best MAC lipstick? 

Without a doubt Relentlessly Red. It's bloody gorgeous and I never found anything similar. It's a bright red-magenta pink with a matte finish. I still only have a sample that I save like crazy, but one day I hope I'll get a full size of it.

16. The most disappointing? 

Not exactly disappointing, but lacking in quality - it's Makeup Revolution's lipstick. It just feels cheap. Their Iconic Pro didn't wow me either. I'm also not a fan of Essence Longlasting lipsticks. The formula is ok, but they last a total of 15 minutes on the lips.

17. Liner, yes or no? 

Oh, yes. I also love wearing lip liners on their own, especially light colours. My favourites include Bourjois' Contour Edition Lip Liner 02 Cotton Candy, Essence's Lipliner 12 Wish Me a Rose, which is a dupe for Mac's Please Me, the űber gorgeous Catrice's Longlasting Pencil 070 I got you Babel, Essence's Longlasting Lipliner 05 Lovely Frappuccino as the 90's lip colour that actually looks like one against my pale complexion and Kiko's Smart Lip Pencil in 709 Magenta because it's a stunning red-pink shade. When it comes to reds, brights and deep shades I almost always use a lip pencil to fix the outer edges.

18. Best gloss? 

That would be L'Oreal L'Extrodinaire Liquid Lipsticks. They are expensive, but so lovely. The formula is super creamy, comfortable and these have great pigmentation. They also smell like peaches which for me is a huge plus.

19. Something extra? 

Some of my other favourite shades. Mac's Peach Blossom as my choice for a nude, Shiseido's Glowing Matte Pk224 Sugar Babe for the perfect peach on my pale complexion, Bourjois Rouge Edition Velvet 02 Frambourjoise because it's an amazing pink-red shade, L'Oreal's Colour Riche in Laetitia for the best ever burgundy shade, Mac's Dangerous for a bright, warm orange red. Revlon's Ultra HD in Rose for a classic, everyday pink that smells like Planica ice cream, Revlon's Colorbust Matte Balm in Unapologetic for a bright coral-pink that is a good dupe for Mac's Impassioned and Catrice's Ultimate Lipstick 360 MATraction for an amazing deep red-pink.

My entire collection, which I posted a while ago on Instagram:

And link to a Lipstick Tag I did four years ago here. 

I hope you enjoyed this picture heavy post and have a great day!

Max Factor Colour Intensifying Balm 30 Redefined Rose

These didn't get as much attention as the Creme Puff blushes, though they were released at about the same time, but I remember Max Factor had a similar product before, though these definitely have a better pigmentation. These come in nine shades and I got the shade 30 Redefined Rose, which looks so gorgeous in the tube, but it's a different colour on my lips. I'm surprised that Max Factor showed restraint and called these balms because they get pretty intense if you layer them, though they still have that lip balm quality, but I'm sure most companies would exaggerate and call these sheer lipsticks.

Redefined Rose looks like a gorgeous warm pink in the tube, actually the shade looks similar to Nude-ist from Bourjois just pinker, while on my lips it's lighter and more neutral. This difference is kind of expected, since lip balms and sheer lip products rarely look on the lips like in the tube. It's gives me plenty of colour, but without being too much, so it's a great everyday colour. The pigmentation is surprisingly good considering the description - one layer is sheer, but several coats make it almost opaque. The finish it leaves is creamy to slightly glossy, in fact it reminds me a bit of Mac's Cremesheens, but the formula isn't as thick.

The formula is very comfortable to wear, as I expected, and it really feels like a very good lip balm. I find it more waxy than a regular lipstick and that actually helps with the staying power, so it manages to stay on well, especially if you apply a lot of layers. I can't tell you the exact amount of hours because each individual has different habits and I never check the time while testing these things. It survived a meal well enough, but then it was freshly applied.

The scent is not amazing as it does have this plastic note to it and it lingers, but it's not awful. I do think that people who are very sensitive to fragrance might have a problem with it.

The packaging is sleek and plastic. It's a thin tube that fits into any pocket, so it's very travel friendly. 

This is going in my bag. It's a simple product that I can use either sheer or built-up, the colour is a nice pink, it's moisturising and because it's a bit more waxy, I have no fear it will melt in the heat. Plus the packaging is thin and sleek. It's not an amazing product, but practical and nicely pigmented for a balm.

These cost 8.49 € in drugstores. 

Have a great day!

*The product was sent to me.

L'Occitane Pivoine Sublime Tinted Lip Balm in Rose Nude

The whole Pivoine Sublime collection looks to die for (the press pictures are perfection), but I think these lip balms generated most interest. The thing is that they look similar to the famous Fresh lip balms, though in my opinion they are even prettier. There are four shades available: Transparent, Rose Nude, Plum and Rose Amber. These have SPF 25.

I got the shade Rose Nude, which looks red in the tube, while on the lips it's gentle rose shade. It's a very cute colour for those who don't like to wear a lot of colour or want a natural look and it would be the perfect shade for a "no makeup" makeup look. Pigmentation is decent and I needed a few coats for the intensity on my pictures, though the lip balm is still quite new. In terms of nourishment they remind me of Labello (Nivea) lip balms, however, these feel smoother and less "wet" on the lips. These won't heal very chapped lips, but for me they are moisturising enough.

It smells divine, just as the moisturiser. It's a sweet floral scent, which is genuinely lovely and every time I either open the jar of the moisturiser or apply this lip balm on the lips, I thoroughly enjoy the experience. I should probably go check out their Peony fragrance next time I'm in L'Occitane. 

The packaging looks so glamorous. It's a metal tube, which has special closing system to prevent it from opening itself in the bag. This is the packaging you'll love to display on your office/school desk.

These are expensive at 16.30 €, but you know how I say, it's your money and you can spend it the way you want, either for this fancy tube or a cheaper tinted lip balm. It think these are cool and very luxurious looking, even though they're just tinted moisturisers. 

I also got Pivoine Sublime Perfecting Cream which is housed in one of the most stunning packagings I've ever seen. I've been using it for the past few days and so far I love it. I'll do a review when enough time will have passed.

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Poleg obarvanega balzama sem dobila še izboljševalno kremo za obraz Popolna potonika, ki jo uporabljam zadnjih nekaj dni. Za zdaj mi je izjemno všeč, ampak bom spisala objavo o njej ko se mi bo zdelo, da sem jo že dosti dobro stestirala.

*Obarvani balzam za ustnice Popolna potonika SPF 25, 4 g. Naravno rožnati odtenek

Prepustite L'Occitanu, da naredi vizualno izjemno lepo kolekcijo, ampak Popolna Potonika je pa zame res popolna. V njej je kar nekaj novosti, se mi pa zdi, da so balzami za ustnice pritegnili največ pozornosti. Izgledajo kot v tujini zelo popularni Fresh balzami, s tem da meni L'Occitanovi še lepši. Na voljo so štiri odtenki: prosojen, naravno rožnati odtenek, jantarni in temnorožnati odtenek. Balzami imajo zaščitni faktor 25.

Sama imam naravno rožnati odtenek (Nude Rose), ki v stiku izgleda rdeč, vendar ima na ustnicah še malo roza pridiha. Je tak prikupen odtenek, sploh za tiste, ki niso navajeni nositi živih barv, ker se da intenzivnost odtenka počasi nadgrajevati. Za tak odtenek kot ga imam na slikah je bilo potrebno nekaj slojev, je pa balzam še nov, tako da bo morda, ko bom porabila zgornji sloj, še bolj pigmentiran. Kar se tiče hranilnosti me spominja na Labelle, ampak je občutek na ustnicah bolj gladek in ni tako "moker" (težko je drugače razložiti). Ne bo ravno pozdravil razpokane ustnice, ampak za povprečnega uporabnika je dovolj vlažilen.

Diši prekrasno sladko cvetlično. Odkar imajo parfum Potonika ga nisem še nikoli preizkusila in mi je zdaj zelo žal, ker če diši tako kot ta balzam in krema iz te linije, je to najboljši cvetličen vonj kar sem ga preizkusila, pa sploh nisem neka ljubiteljica cvetličnih vonjev. Embalaža izgleda preprosto elegantno. Je iz kovine in ima dober sistem zapiranja, ki preprečuje, da bi se sama odprla v globinah ženskih torbic. 

Cena obarvanih balzamov bo 16,30 € kar ni poceni, ampak odločitev ali si to ceno zaslužijo je vaša. Meni so zelo lepi in kar luksuzni, pa čeprav so le obarvani balzami (ampak njihovi drugi balzami za ustnice v tubicah so pol cenejši, okrog 8 €).

Kolekcija Popolna Potonika bo na voljo od 23.4.2015.

Pivoine Sublime Perfecting Essence

Izboljševalna esenca za obraz Popolna potonika

30 ml,  44.70 €

Pivoine Sublime Perfecting Cream

Izboljševalna krema za obraz Popolna potonika

50 ml, 38.10 €

Pivoine Sublime CC Skin Tone Perfecting Cream SPF20

Available in light and medium.

Izboljševalna CC krema Popolna potonika SPF 20

Na voljo v nevtralnem in srednjem odtenku 

30 ml, 28.50 €

Pivoine Sublime Perfecting Mist

Izboljševalna meglica za obraz Popolna potonika

100 ml, 13,70 €

Pivoine Sublime Tinted Lip Balm Rose Amber SPF25

Transparent, Rose Nude, Rose Amber and Plum.

Balzam za ustnice Popolna potonika SPF 25 

Prosojen, Naravno rožnati odtenek, Jantarni odtenek in Temnorožnati odtenek

4 g, 16,30 €

Have a great day!

*I was send this lip balm, but no conditions were set.