New: Tom Ford Lipstick

Okay, I know, I know, I'm a horrible blogger. Honestly, though, I've been bogged down with things to do (bad excuse I know).



But I thought you all would like the news that Tom Ford is releasing a line of 12 lipsticks. Yes, the same Tom Ford known for his racy, sex charged ads and perfumes. Bellasugar has the deets:

"The Private Blend Lip Color collection will be, in Tom's words, his interpretation of 12 classic colors."I took the most universally flattering colors that a woman can wear, and then I reimagined them in a modern and authoritative way," he told WWD.

Neiman Marcus, Saks Fifth Avenue, and Bergdorf Goodman will carry Tom Ford lipstick when it launches Stateside on June 1. Each shade will come in a chic ivory and gold case, and the formula contains moisturizing murumuru butter and soja seed. What's most exceptional about the collection, though, may be the price. At $45 a tube, you have to be a serious Ford devotee (or on a seriously large beauty budget) to have this luxury on your lips."

What do you think? Will you be plopping down the dough for a Tom Ford lipstick? I think I would, but the price point hurts a bit. Perhaps as a luxurious gift for someone, don't you think?

Scarlet Princess: Review: Besame Voluptuous Lip Color Set Red Velvet

So, after coming across my review of Besame Enchanting lipstick, Ms. Gabriella Hernandez herself commented on it! She also said to contact them to try their new Voluptuous lipstick (which is NOT supposed to replace Enchanting. Enchanting will be released full size later this year!). Anyways, for 35$ you get a nice box, a lip brush, that small velvet case for the lipstick (pictured above), a lip liner and a lipstick.

The lipstick is .14 oz or 4 grams, and about the same size as a MAC lipstick (the mac lipstick is very slightly taller due to the different shapes).
Note the different shape of the bullet...I like it because I always hate that I can lose the point of my lipstick. I didn't know how I'd use a completely curved bullet at first but it's surprisingly easy.

The packaging of these are metal and still evoke vintage themes but the black, as opposed to the previous red seems to be a bit more modern. I like it better! The black is very elegant and classy, and the cap will definetly stay on. Here's another picture of the set:

As you might be able to tell, the lipliner is nicely sharp. I can get a defined line from it and I don't need to sharpen even after a few uses. The lip brush is firm and slightly flexible, and nice for depositing even color. I was wondering how I could travel with it, as it doesn't have a cap, but I just wiped it with a tissue and it was okay. See the uniquely shaped handle? It's supposed to fit perfectly between your thumb and index finger. I think it may be a bit more of a marketing hype but it does work.

Please ignore the peach lipgloss underneath the Red Velvet swatches, that was the only decent swatch I could get for another product:
The lipstick I had swatched 3 sheer layers and the lip liner only 1, to give you an idea of how the color layers. The liner has a very nice match to the lipstick, you can hardly tell the distance.

The formula is nice on these (which also come in a nude and a pink color). I much prefer them over MAC's rather drying ones [please keep in mind I've only tried Lustres and Frosts], but I have to say that the Enchanting lipsticks probably had more WOW pigment factor. I think I'd use the Voluptuous color for everyday and the Enchanting for a night out or formal occasions. Also, remember that the Enchanting ones weren't supposed to be replaced with the Voluptuous!

I've heard reports of people disliking these because they were drying, but I find them very comfortable at first swipe. After a few hours it does tend to dry, like any other lipstick, so I put some lip balm on top. I'm so glad that the red fades evenly (though it does seem to become more magenta-ish over time, like pretty much every other red lipstick on me) and doesn't leave a ring around my lips. It might feather slightly though, but I didn't use lipliner with it, and the lip liner usually solves those problems.

Overall, I'm not sure if I'd repurchase these though. I really like the formula, but if I bought a set each time I wanted to try a different color, that'd be quite alot of extras you get with the lip liners (which I don't really use) and lip brushes. I think, that if they split the set up and had the option to buy the lipstick alone for a bit cheaper price that it'd get a positive response. I still want to try the nude color though!

Oh and another thing-- red lipstick is seriously a PAIN in the ass to photograph. I can't count how many pictures I took, and I still will include 4 to give you an idea how the lighting alters the shade. It's not that vibrant honestly, more of a slightly muted red (AKA, not Marilyn Monroe) and deeper.
This pic's probably the most accurate:



(Sorry for the annoying placement of the watermarks, but after a case of picstealing ebay'ers I won't take any more chances!)
*This review will kick off the Scarlet Princess series of red lipstick :)
**Please note, this product was sent to me by Besame Cosmetics for reviewing purposes.

Swatches: Jill Stuart Lipstick Part 2

[image from ichibankao.com]

Continuing from yesterday: Here are the rest of the lipsticks!

Swatches: Jill Stuart Lipstick Part 1

[image from ichibankao.com]

Today we are going to take a look at Jill Stuart lipsticks. These retail for 850NTD which is about 26USD, so pretty pricey! They are more sheer than full on pigment, which seems to be popular in Japanese lines, very shiny and come in 19 colors. Beware--these ARE scented with rosey floral and do not seem to dissipate. I would compare these to tinted lipbalms more than lipstick.




07-10 are pretty much clear on my arm. This is after several swipes--that's how pigmented these are, but those are sheer colors.
07 is a light nude, but of course you can't tell that on my arm...
08 is a light baby pink, but again hard to tell on my arm.
09 has more pigment and is a medium cool leaning pink.
10 is a very frosty light lilac lipstick. I can't see it looking too great honestly...

Keep in mind that while these look very scary in the tube [especially number 1 as a bright scarlet red!] they turn very wearable on the lips.
Are you eying any?

Review: Besame Classic Line Lipstick

It's a real pity that the Classic Besame line is no longer available. There were so many fantastic products, and, while I know the line isn't sold at their website anymore [but their new lipsticks are up!], apparently you can still find them at some brick and mortar stores. Of course, there's always the chance of Ebay and Swap, so I thought I'd do a review anyways.


Firstly, I have to say that these retailed for 18$ apiece. But look at them! It's TINY! It's barely the length of my pinky, and it's shorter than a MAC lipstick! Jeez. So far, not so good for Besame lipsticks, that are so tiny. But I LOVE the packaging, as it comes in a lux red velvet pouch and the lipstick container itself is made of weighty golden metal, embossed with red designs. Here is a link to the lovely Karlasugar's blog which has guest swatcher Rina's swatches of all the Besame Classic lipstick: Here. There is also a MAC / Besame lipstick size comparision.

Packaging:


More Size Comparision:


The color I have, Besame Red, is a gorgeous, retro blue matte red. I really liked it, but as it is brighter than MAC Port Red [which I already consider very bright!], and more blue-based, it really didn't look good on me in my opinion. I however, LOVED the vanilla scented formula that was weightless, not drying at all and so comfortable to wear. I wish I could get my hands on Potrait Pink, as the rest of the colors don't suit me!
Comparisions between the 3 red lipsticks I own [above].

As you can see, these lipsticks are BRIGHT! They are PIGMENTED! Besame Red is a great red but not for the shy! They fade evenly and last a long time.

How Besame Red looked on me:


Overall, I really hope to get my hands on another Besame lipstick, as I loved the formula and pigmentation, but swapped away Besame Red because I didn't feel comfortable with the bright color. I would recommend these lipsticks for people looking for full coverage and lasting lipsticks. I advise you to go on a hunt for these lipsticks as soon as you can, as who knows what the new ones are like, and you may never see these again!

Haul: Mail CG Trushine, CCO French Grey!!

Covergirl Fire Shine Trushine! Looks like a wearable red! For the swatch, left is 1 coat, right is 4 coats :] I had Nude Shine before, but it was too peachy brown for me and I ended up giving it away. But from pics, I already want 3 more Trushines!

And I scored a Trip5 Sultry Eyes palette! AND IT HAS FRENCH GREY IN IT! The price was 22.50$ but I paid about 24.83 with tax! SO worth it! Look!





Includes:
Sun Cruise gloss
Freckletone l/s
Filament, French Grey and Carbon eyeshadows.
213SE brush

Review: Sephora Cream Lipstick

I finally pulled this lipstick in 441 (931) (I hate how they have numbers for names! I don't know which one is the official name, especially now that Sephora is discontinuing the series and it's 5$ from it's original 12$. It's absolutely great, and I'll be looking at Sephora's lipsticks in much better light soon.

What Sephora says about their Cream Lipstick: "Smooth Sephora's creamy, rich lip colors on one at a time, or team a couple together to create a shade that's uniquely you. There's a shade for every need, every day, every evening."

What I say about Sephora Cream, Lipstick:

It's really too bad that their discontinuing this series! I received a brand new one as a swap extra awhile back and only tried it today. It's great!! While it's not BAM in-your-face pigmented, it's medium pigmented and shows up on my reddish lips. Even over lip balm, which sheers out even the most pigmented lipstick, it's a nice pop of color. Here are some swatches:



As you can see in the pictures, the lipstick is really glossy and creamy. They feel great on, like another layer of balm. As time goes on, it may be a little drying, but since this lasted through a bottle of Coke, lunch and a granola bar, I don't care. This particular color is a nice pinky-coral that I really like! I thought it would be too bright and clownish once I put it on (part of the reason why I haven't touched it till now!) but it's definetly not. However, you can layer it if you do want it brighter.

The packaging is just OK. I like that it has the color of the lipstick shown in the clear bottom, and the glossy black doesn't make it look cheap either. A pet peeve I do have is that I wish the label was not on the inside of the cover, but on the bottom, like MAC. But it's not likely to confuse itself with other lipsticks of the line either, due to the clear bottom.

Scentwise, I can't detect anything on my lips, but when I opened the tube and sniffed it (lol) it does have a sort of sparkling grape juice scent. I don't know why I think it smells like it, and again, I don't smell it on my lips, but it's a good idea to mention it anyways.

While the original price was 12$, I would gladly pay that for any of Sephora's Cream lipsticks. They're better than MAC (in my opinion, since MAC is quite drying), if not just as good. However, since they're being discontinued, run to your Sephora and see what shades they have left! You won't be disapointed.

Swatches: Red Lipstick

Hi All--I thought I would do a comparison swatch of all my red lipsticks--a grand total of 3! They are:

MAC Port Red (Which I highly recommend to anyone who can find it)
Besame Besame Red 208 (Which sadly does not look good on me, too blue, but is *perfect* for that retro Marilyn Monroe siren look!)
Stila Rock the Vote Red.

Now that I look again, Stila's is darker but pretty much the same color as Port Red. But I remember that it wasn't the first time I looked at it--could Stila's formula have turned that fast? The smell does seem a little different. Hmm.

In the pictures, the order from top to bottom is the MAC, Besame and then Stila. Hope this information is useful!

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

MAC Strawbaby

Oh. My. God. Nc25 and above ladies, you need this. Especially if you want a lippie that will brighten your face up. I had been lemming this for months after the 2/08 Fafi release, something like since June and July. When I managed to swap for this, I was *almost* disapointed when I opened it. It didn't look like all the pictures! But at first swipe across lips, it was love. The color description is a coral rose with rainbow pearl, in the lustre finish. Its pretty pigmented for a Lustre, and definetly pretty warm. The price was 14$, which is the regular price of MAC lippies. I probably wouldn't go to the trouble of hunting it down again because there probably are dupes out there, but I'd repurchase the shade anytime.

Left and Above (swatches) are MAC Lightly Ripe lipstick, Cult of Cherry collection.

Random Lipsticks

Here are a few pictures of a few lipsticks I have...

Lancome rose influence 361, beige sismic 202:




Estee Lauder Peach Fizz 324, Candy 116: