Kat Von D Painted Love Lipstick
This is the first Kat Von D lipstick I have tried. Kat Von D Painted Love lipstick in Lolita is a pretty, neutral dusty rose color. The consistency of Lolita is quite thick and creamy. It has a satin-matte finish to it. I think, due to the thickness and creaminess of Lolita it is just slightly deeper in color than Dolce Vita.
The first day that I wore Lolita I was a little bit disappointed in it. It seemed to magnify every crack and crease on my lips and I found it a little drying. The good thing about it, though, was that because of its consistency it wore really well and lasted for a long time before a touch up was needed. It also faded evenly and left a pretty pink stain to my lips.
I was a little frustrated and almost decided to return Kat Von D’s Lolita to Sephora and get my money back, but I really like the color so I spent a couple of days mulling over what I could do with it and decided to give it another shot.
So, the second time around I applied Kat Von D Painted Love lipstick in Lolita to my lips, but then I also added a dab of clear MAC Lip Glass. This turned out to be a perfect combo. The MAC Lip Glass helped smooth out the lip lines somewhat and made my lips appear less dry and the lasting power of Kat Von D Painted Love lipstick helped everything stay in place for hours (it also helps that MAC Lip Glass generally has good staying power as well) . By the time I hit my lunch break (five hours later) I still had one almost perfect lipstick with very little fading or drying. I ate lunch (admittedly nothing super messy) at which time I need just a light retouch of lipstick and gloss, which got me through dinner time.
Will I repurchase this lipstick? I am still on the fence about it. I like the color but am not a fan of the thickness of it that just seems to sit on my lips. Another issue, which I did not hear about until after I had already purchased Kat Von D's Painted Love lipstick, is that there are many reports of people having reactions to it. I do have to say that, on occasion, it does make my lips feel tingly and prickly. It is not every single time and it is not enough to make me wipe it off but it is enough to possibly sway my repurchase decision. If you have sensitive lips Kat Von D's lipstick line may not be for you.
Benefit Silky Finish Lipstick in Good To Go
What brought this particular lipstick color to my attention was the considerable amount of press it has been getting lately because it is the exact lipstick used on Bella in the Twilight movie. I have not seen Twilight but apparently Bella's make up in the movie has been so popular that the make up artist that did her make up has given a run down of everything used. Thank you for that to the make up artist or I might never have discovered this beautiful lipstick.
The Sephora website lists Benefit Good To Go as a plum brown shade. It seems a bit more rosy to me than plum, though, and makes for a beautiful natural, my lips but better color that I think would be flattering on most skin tones.
Benefit Silky Finish lipstick feels wonderful on the lips. It is smooth and creamy and very light feeling. It also feels slightly moisturizing. The down side to that light and silky feeling is, unfortunately, lack of staying power, which is the trouble with most lipsticks of this consistency. Even my much more expensive NARS Dolce Vita lipstick, which is very similar in consistency, has very little staying power. The Benefit Silky finish did last through my morning cup of tea, just barely, but would be no match for any type of food. I do use a neutral lip liner underneath it which has helped a bit. Another downside of Benefit Silky Finish is that, also due to it's light texture, it tends to creep into the fine lines around my lips, which drives me a little crazy.
The packing of Benefit Silky Finish lipstick should also get a mention. I was surprised and pleased, when I took it out of the package, to discover that it was in a very sturdy and well made feeling shiny black metal tube with the Benefit logo in white on the side. I love it. It makes me feel like Benefit has gone that extra little step to provide their customers with a quality product.
I do like this lipstick overall. It is a pretty, natural color that will go with a lot of different make up looks. It can be kept light for a very natural, polished look or layered on for a little more color. It has a pretty shine to it that seems somewhere between lipstick and lip gloss. I think I will be wearing Benefit Silky Finish lipstick in Good To Go on a regular basis. It really does come close to living up to my HG (but over priced) NARS Dolce Vita lipstick.
NARS Dolce Vita Dupes!
The second one is from Kat Vond D's new line at Sephora. It is Kat Von D's Painted Love lipstick in Lolita. This lipstick is also $23.00 CDN at Sephora. $23.00 may still sound high for a tube of lipstick but compared to the $30.00 CDN I have been paying for NARS Dolce Vita it doesn't seem quite as bad.
Two other options that I find are also in the same color range are Covergirl Trushine lipstick in Blushberry Shine (which I have tried but I find it has less than zero staying power) and MAC Amplified Creme lipstick in Cosmo, which is a little darker than NARS Dolce Vita but still close in color.
Stay tuned as I plan on reviewing both Benefit Silky Finish lipstick in Good To Go and Kat Von D Painted Love lipstick in Lolita individually once I have had a chance to really test drive them.
From left to right in picture: Benefit "Good To Go"' NARS "Dolce Vita"', Kat Von D "Lolita"
Maybelline Super Stay Lipgloss
Maybelline Superstay Lip Gloss comes in a skinny double ended tube. One end contains the color and the other end contains the gloss. It claims to last for twelve hours.
For best results make sure to follow the instructions exactly. Start with clean dry lips, do not use any type of lip balm or lip liner before hand, and make sure to let the color dry well before you apply the gloss. I have read a lot of reviews on this product and my opinion is that the bad reviews are mainly from people who did not apply the product correctly.
I found Maybelline Superstay Lip Gloss to apply nicely. It took only a little work to evenly apply and smooth out. Be careful when applying the darker colors. There is only a small time frame to fix mistakes before the product dries. I let the color dry for several minutes and then brushed on a coat of the clear gloss.
Now, as for lasting power: at the five hour mark I had eaten a number of snacks and been sipping on water. The color itself had not altered at all. The gloss was less thick on my lips but only slightly less shiny. I did not notice any pilling, patchiness, or wearing off of the color at that point. I found that the gloss gets quite tacky after that many hours of wear, which is a bit distracting but livable.
At the seven hour mark wearing the Maybelline Superstay Lip Gloss, I could just begin to see the color wearing off at the inside edges of my lips but nothing really noticeable.
At the seven and a half hour mark my Maybelline Superstay Gloss met it’s match. I ate a burger and onion rings. Anything oily will take the color right off, although, even after that I could still see a slight pinkish tinge to my lips.
I have worn my Maybelline Superstay gloss for the last three days in a row and I am really happy with it. The only way I could see this product lasting the full twelve hours was if you did not eat or drink anything all day long, which isn’t very practical, but even getting seven and a half hours out of it makes it worthwhile to me. It would definitely have stayed on even longer if I had picked something non greasy to eat for dinner. This product could definitely get me through an entire work day with maybe only a small gloss touch up after lunch.
I particularly like the color Radiant Ruby as I wanted a nice everyday wearable red. Radiant Ruby, if applied with a light hand, is a pretty, toned down clear red that isn’t too bright or garish for my pale cool toned skin.
I will definitely continue to use my Maybelline Superstay Lip Gloss and will probably branch out and try the other colors.
Seeing Red!
I like all three and wear all three but, personally, for my cool toned pale skin I find the most flattering to myself to be MAC Red. If applied with a light hand it gives me a wearable red that seems to brighten up my whole face. MAC Red, while still bright, seems just a little less intimidating to me than Ruby Woo.
In the pictures above from left to right are: Viva Glam I, Ruby Woo, MAC Red
NARS Dolce Vita Lipstick
When I first looked at it in the tube I thought it looked way to dark but it actually goes on really, really sheer. I find it almost too sheer for my taste on it's own.
To help hold the color I put on a nude lip liner (MAC in Subculture) and then layer the Dolce Vita on top and this seems to help hold the color have a lot of staying power. Doing it this way I find I can pretty much get through a whole work day with only a little touch up after lunch. I find this shade dries quite matte but I like a little shine so I add a little clear MAC lipglass on top to give it just a touch of pretty sheen.
I have very pale, pinky skin with dark brown hair and eyes and this shade looks browny pink on me leaning almost to a berry shade. It does show up fairly dark on me when applied in several layers over lip liner. It is not a nude lip but still very neutral looking, not to bright. I do find that it seems to work quite well with my coloring and I can also see why it is considered quite a universal color. I believe it would be flattering on most people.
Would I buy this again? I do find the price ($29 CDN) more than a little high for a tube of lipstick. I don't think any lipstick is worth that, but I really like the color a lot and wear it regularly. It has become a staple lip color for me. I probably don't put it on as often as I would like to so that it will last longer. I will watch for Ebay deals again and probably buy it that way.
I do recommend this color if you don't mind the price. NARS has some beautiful shades of lipstick. If you are on a budget or just think it is silly to pay that much for lipstick I have read that Covergirl lipstick in Blushberry Shine and MAC lipstick in Cosmo are very close in color, though I have not yet done a comparison.
Embracing the red lipstick diva in you!
Ladies, in the age of neutral and flesh toned lip color, it is time to discover the red lipstick diva that lives within you. Go for it. I dare you!
Being a recent convert to MAC cosmetics I have been inspired to try out all kinds of new make up looks. MAC has just come out with a limited edition line called Cult Of Cherry. I went into my local MAC store to check out this collection and was blown away by the beautiful colors. The MA swatched lipstick shade Oh So Scarlett on my hand and I just loved the beautiful bright cherry red, but...was a little scared of the intensity of the color after years of wearing lipsticks in shades of rose and brown. Still wanting red, but something a bit more toned down, the MA swatched the original Viva Glam I red lipstick for me. Perfect!
I got this color home and immediately put it on. Let me tell you...if you are not used to wearing red lipstick it can come as a bit of a shock! I took one look in the mirror and thought "My god, that's red lipstick! Can little old me pull this off?!"
What I have learned is that the only way to wear red lipstick is to wear it with confidence. To truly wear red lipstick with confidence you have to be comfortable in it and to get comfortable in it you just have to put it on and go for it.
Red lipstick is powerful. It has the ability to make a woman feel sexy and confident and in control and even just a little bit wicked all at the same time!
Now that I have gotten just a little more used to seeing red lipstick on myself I have fallen in love. I can't wear red lipstick to work so nothing makes me happier than when a Saturday rolls around and I can throw on a little black tank top, a pair of jeans, and my favorite red lipstick and go...and I always take my new found confidence along as an accessory!
I challenge you to get out there and discover the red lipstick diva in you. It is liberating and fun and every woman should have at least one great red lipstick in their make up bag. A great red lipstick rates right up there with the perfect little black dress.