Currently Lemming: Stila Smudge Sticks (Swatches)

What Stila Says:
"Obsessed for Smudge Pots? You'll go crazy for Smudge Sticks! This highly pigmented, waterproof eye liner glides on to deliver intense, vibrant color with staying power.

These easy to apply, eye liners have it all:

* Long Lasting
* Waterproof
* Easy to apply
* Several shimmer intense shades to make eyes stand out
* Vibrant colors
* Self sharpening propel pencil
Shades:
stingray- Black
lionfish- Brown with Shimmer
purple tang- Purple with Shimmer
moray- Olive with Shimmer
koi- Metallic Gold
silverdollar- Metallic Silver
peacock- Cobalt Blue
blue ribbon- Navy Grey"
(Source)

Lets see. We'll go through this one by one.
Long lasting? Yes, they lasted on my hand through a nap and halfway through a shower (Will elaborate on this later).
Easy to apply? Yes, these are incredibly creamy and set within 15 seconds.
Shimmery, intense, vibrant shades? CHECK! LOVE these colors!
Waterproof? Erm. Remember when I said halfway through a shower? They began fading once the hot water spattered on my hand and when I rubbed lightly, they disappeared even more and were completely gone with one good rub. Now, I realize that Stila doesn't claim these to be rub proof, but the colors lose their vibrant shades once the water hit the swatches. I don't recommend that you wear these to the beach.





stingray- Black. This seemed more of a satin black than a matte black--its got a bit of a sheen.
lionfish- This looks cool in the photos but its really more of a dark brown brown with golden undertones. Seems to be metallic rather than with shimmer.
purple tang- SO GORGEOUS. Deep metallic blue purple.
moray- Olive, there's really nothing more to it. Pretty shade.
koi- This is a very brassy gold...However, this and Silver Dollar are much more metallic than the others.
silverdollar- Pure silver.
peacock- Not really what I'd call 'cobalt blue', I think its more teal. Also a little more matte and satiny than metallic.
blue ribbon- Murky middle blue-grey. Also very pretty!

Simply Stila--Stila's New Drugstore Line

Link to original article here.

[taken from link]
"Lynn Tilton, who recently took over as CEO of luxury make-up brand Stila, recently announced plans to introduce an inexpensive line called Simply Stila to help consumers look great during the credit crunch. It’s obvious in pretty much every industry that consumers are being quite a bit more frugal with their cash, so this is a no-brainer move by Tilton and Stila.

According to Tilton, “I’ll be creating a new mass line, called Simply Stila. Of course this won’t be a $2.99 brand, but we think we can definitely retail for, say, $7.99 or $8.99. My dream for Stila is to become a base for a larger cosmetics platform. It is right out of the gates at this point, but everything we are doing is with the consumer in mind. It’s all about reaching the consumers, especially in this economy. We want to reduce the middleman and retailers and go directly to the consumer.”

Meanwhile, Lynn says the main collection - which has a host of celebrity fans, including Katherine Heigl, Kate Hudson and Lindsay Lohan - is going from strength to strength. “It has a great name, it is a superb brand and it has a tremendous talent pool. My favourite Stila product is the Bronzing Tinted Moisturizer, I think! Although everyone asks me that question I’m still getting to know Stila. I also love the 24k Lip Gloss and I use the Smudgepots all the time on my eyes.”"

What do you think? I'm not so sure about this. I'm afraid it might 'cheapen' the brand image, and if you're going to sell at 7.99-8.99 prices, what about the ingredients? Will you be coming out with seasonal collections too?

What's your take on the sitch?

Gone Under: Stila and Jane

Stila is NOT going bankrupt! I am doing this post to fend off the rumors.

Stila Rumors:
1. They declared bankruptcy last week.

2. That their website, which has been down for a few days, is the result of it. Their website sends you to Sephora.

Stila Confirmed that they AREN'T GOING OUT OF BUSINESS!
SOURCE:

1. "Just got off of the phone with a Rep from Stila, and was assured the company is NOT going bankrupt, and all is good in the world. So while I urge you to go pick up your favorite Stila products, there's no need to hoard them. Be patient - the website will be back soon, after routine maintenance is completed. And Stila isn't going anywhere!

Please - if you see anyone passing along the bankruptcy rumor, correct them, will ya? This is harmful for a company...

If you have any questions, contact me @ jen@beautyschoolblog.net!" Taken from source.

That's good news. Even though I don't buy from Stila alot, I would hate to see them go.

Jane rumors:
1. Deep clearances at Walgreens.

Jane confirmation: SOURCE
1. 'Jane & Company today filed for reorganization under Chapter 11 of the United States Bankruptcy Code in Wilmington, Delaware." (from Source).

Sad economic times...

PSA: RANT: Stila lipsticks!

As an update to my much fawned over Rock The Vote Red, I am pissed off. Alot!

Let's take a trip back in time...

July 2008: Rock the Vote and Stila team up to create Rock The Vote Red lipstick. Cue excitement.

October 2008: I manage to swap for Rock the Vote (retail 17$)

October-December 2008: Tried Rock The Vote a grand total of 3x.

March 2009: I open RTVR and it's gone bad! It smells yucky--like crayon--when it used to smell like nothing.

WHAT THE HECK!? I pretty much have to throw away a 17$, tried 3x lipstick. Throw in the fact that I've had it for 6 months.

Wow Stila...that's all I can say. Better fix this, or you'll be losing a LOT of customers. I, for one, am not going to buy any lipsticks or glosses from stila till they fix it, because I don't like to waste my money. Now, I've got to trash it...

Review: Stila Rock The Vote Red

(part of the stila Rock the Vote ad on stilacosmetics.com)

This is the color that Stila cosmetics designed intending to encourage people to 'rock the vote' or to go vote in the 2008 US elections.

What they say:
"Hit the polls wearing Rock the Vote Red! This election year, Stila has teamed up with Rock the Vote and created a powerful red lip color, to inspire all you Stila girls to exercise your right to vote. If you have not registered to vote yet, don't despair. Just click the register to vote icon to get started. Remember, casting your ballot is the only way to garentee your voice will be heard, and if you look incredibly glamorous at the same time, all the better!"
--taken from stilacosmetics.com

Wear: This gets a great score from me for wear. It wears well, and doesn't fade until the very last hours of the day. And when it fades, it fades evenly and leaves a really nice stain.

Color: I would say this is a yellow red with a slight hint of blue, if that makes sense! I think it would look great on a variety of skintones.
How it looks on NC20:


Comparisions: I find this pretty much a DEAD ON dupe for MAC Port Red, LE in Naughty Nauticals (May 2008). The only difference (so subtle however) is that Rock The Vote is a hint bluer. I also feel that the MAC is more moisturizing, and of course, more fragranced with that vanilla scent.
Top is MAC port Red, the bottom is Stila.


Texture: For those who have tried MAC frost lipsticks, I find it slightly firmer than that. It's super pigmented though, so a little will last a long way. This is a LOUD color! I don't think I would recommend it for those who are scared of red and just want to test out the waters. Part of the reason why I love it though is because of that obnoxious brightness.

Price: One of them will set you back 17$, which is an OK price. It's not cheap, or expensive, but middle of the road. However, I have heard reports of Stila lipsticks going back super quickly--if this happens to me I definetly will not repurchase, as 17$ for a lifetime of a few months is a ripoff! However, a percentage of the sales for this shade (not stated how much) will be given to Rock the Vote.

Packaging: This comes in Stila's signature enforced silver cardboard packaging. It's very chic, in my opinion, very sleek and pretty. I expected a little more design on the tube though, from Stila! I think it would be nice if they incorporated more of the Stila girls onto their packaging.

All in all, if you are looking for a dupe of the elusive MAC port red, or just in need of a great red, this is the red to go to! Order now, at stilacosmetics.com before December 14th, and you can get it before the holidays!

Comparision: Red Lipstick

This post will bring some good news for red lipstick lovers! While there are only two pictured, they are pretty much dead on for each other! Which means, those who missed out on MAC Port Red (14$, Naughty Nauticals, May 08) can now get Stila Rock the Vote Red (Also LE, 18$ @ stilacosmetics.com). Here are the pictures to prove it!

L is Stila Rock the Vote, Right MAC Port Red




Top is MAC Port Red, bottom Stila Rock The Vote Red