makeup – lip gloss

Paul and Joe Lip Gloss G Summer 2010 Makeup 1

(image from www.paul-joe-beaute.com)

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Paul & Joe released Lip Gloss G a few months ago as part of the brand’s summer 2010 makeup collection. It is available in 10 shades, and today I am highlighting 07 Tangerine.

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Paul and Joe Lip Gloss G 07 Tangerine Summer 2010 Makeup 1

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Estee Lauder Pure Color Gloss 1

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In June, Estée Lauder launched Pure Color Gloss in the UK. It features 26 colors in three different finishes (Shine, Shimmer and Sparkle). Today I am highlighting 6 of the colors.

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Estee Lauder Pure Color Gloss Simply Pink 1

Simply Pink (Shine) is a warm milky nude pink. It is quite pigmented and has no shimmer (which is the case with the shades in the Shine family). The shade goes on slightly lighter than it looks in the tube. It gives a very glossy look for the lips, which appeals to me. But, personally, I think this shade is slightly too pale for my light-to-medium complexion. Also, because the shade goes on lighter than my natural lip color (and because the shade itself is quite pigment-rich), there is color/pigment visibly settling in lip lines. I think it would suit those with a fair complexion a lot better.

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Addicted to Dior Jeweled Lip Gloss Duo is the limited-edition star item of Dior’s summer 2010 makeup collection. I first saw it in Harrods and then in my local John Lewis, and I got it with my Boots points after the collection was finally launched in Boots. (Its retail price in the UK is 42 pounds.)

The front of the palette is engraved with the Dior logo and the address of the House of Dior (30, Avenue Montaigne Paris). There are decorative jewels on the Dior logo and on the four corners. The palette comes with a drawstring velvet pouch.

The palette contains two lip glosses. Two variations are available, and I went for 002 Addicted to Pink, which includes a medium bronze with soft shimmer and a vibrant pink with no shimmer. Both shades go on quite sheer. (001 Addicted to Coral includes a warm gold and a coral.)

(I tested the colors at the counter. I am pretty sure I will keep my palette in an unused condition.)



Even though I decided to get it as soon as I saw the image of it on-line, I don’t think it is among my favorite limited-edition star items from Dior that I have. It is not as glamorous as Lady Dior or Cristal Boréal and it is not as princessy as Dior Princess Ring.


I mentioned earlier that I thought it was slightly on the small side when I saw it in person for the first time. I was mainly comparing it with Dior Sparkling (in the photo above), which is the limited-edition star item from Dior’s holiday 2003 makeup collection. (I can’t quite believe that it is from nearly seven years ago.) Even with the delicate engravings, I think I prefer Dior Sparking. I like the fact that it is bigger and chunkier, and I like the beautifully glimmering pink decorative jewels on the Dior logo.

Having said that, I still think Addicted to Dior is certainly worth collecting. Dior’s limited-edition items that double as accessories almost always get extra points from me, and I do prefer Addicted to Dior to items like Poudrier Dentelle from Dior’s spring 2010 makeup collection. I am probably going to display it alongside some of my other limited-edition items from Dior on my dressing table.

(See images of 001 Addicted to Coral on My Women Stuff.)

Related posts on Dior:

Night Diamond (Holiday 2008)

DiorLight (Holiday 2007)

Diorissime (Fall 2007)

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Max Factor‘s latest lip gloss range, Vibrant Curve Effect, is co-designed by the brand’s Global Creative Design Director, Pat McGrath. The range promises to deliver vibrant colors, high shine, and fuller lips. Today I am featuring the shade in 11 Fashion Leader.

One of the features of the range is the slanted ridged ShineSculpt applicator, which is designed to pick up more gloss and to hug the lips better.

In the tube, the shade looks like a soft peach with mild shimmer. On the lips, it is a very sheer peach with soft shimmer. It has a subtle watermelon scent.

Even though the range is claimed to create high shine, I find it very difficult to create substantial shine or gloss with it. With a couple of layers, the product imparts a subtle and natural moist sheen on the lips. I had to layer the gloss for five or six times to get a soft gloss. The application picks up a decent amount of product, but it is not as effective as a brush or a spatula applicator.

In comparison, Revlon’s Super Lustrous Lipglosses which I recently reviewed are able to create a very glossy finish with two layers. They are also more pigmented and the colors are much more vibrant.

If you are looking for a lip gloss that has an ultra-natural finish, then Vibrant Curve Effect is worth a look. Also, if you like non-sticky lip glosses that don’t feel heavy on the lips, this range will probably appeal to you too.

However, if you want substantial shine and gloss, you are likely to be disappointed with the range and I would recommend looking into lip glosses from Dior, YSL (Golden Gloss), Lunasol (Full Glamour Gloss, one of my favorite lip gloss ranges), Paul & Joe, Makemania (Curvy Lip Silicone), Revlon, and Bobbi Brown (Brightening Lip Gloss).

(The product featured in this article is provided by Max Factor.)

Related posts:

NARS Lip Glosses in Supervixen & Sunset Strip

Barry M Lip Gloss Wands

Natural Makeup Recommendations (2 of 3): Cheeks & Lips

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(From left to right: Revlon Super Lustrous Lipglosses
in Lilac Pastelle, Pink Pop, and Coral Reef)

For Spring/Summer 2010, Revlon has released its first color makeup collection with Gucci Westman, the brand’s global artistic director. Today I am featuring three of the five new shades of Super Lustrous Lipgloss.

All these three shades are bright and well-pigmented, and they don’t contain any shimmer. They have a glossy vinyl finish that lasts well. A thin layer is enough to give the lips a gentle pop of color, and a second layer adds a considerable amount of shine and color and creates a liquid-lipstick look.

Coral Reef (right in photo), when applied light-handedly, is a relatively natural shade for my medium-to-warm complexion. But I personally slightly prefer Pink Pop (middle), which is quite versatile. One thin layer of it gives the lips an elegant rosy-pink look. With more layers, the color turns more vibrant and closer to a hot pink.

I thought I would like Lilac Pastelle (left) at least as much as I would like the other two, but it turns out to be a little too pale for my light-to-medium skin tone. (I might like it more if it were a lot sheerer.) I think it should suit those with a fair skin tone a lot better. It might also work for you if you like a relatively nude look for the lips.

The rest of the collection includes two other shades of Super Lustrous Lipgloss (in Peach Petal and Fire Cracker), two Nail Colours (in Minted and Lilac Pastelle), and one (limited-edition) ColorStay Eyeshadow Quad in Summer Suedes.

(The products featured in this review are provided by Revlon.)

Related posts:

Coffret D’Or Jewelcious Eyes in Purple Amethyst

Natural Makeup Recommendations (2 of 3): Cheeks & Lips

Dior Lady Dior in French Chic

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My natural makeup recommendations continue with items for cheeks and lips. (See my recommendations on eye makeup here.)

Items for Cheeks

Sometimes, when you don’t have time to deal with eye makeup, using a blusher can really give the face an instant lift. The key is to use a shade that is as close to your natural flush as possible. I personally prefer moderately pigmented blushers without visible shimmer and those that are either matte or luminous matte.

RMK Ingenious Powder Cheeks in MT-02 Light Pink (top)

It is marginally the lightest and the most cool-toned of the three blushers featured here. The brush included in the compact is very soft and easy to use, making this item very suitable for touch-ups away from home.

Lavshuca Cheek Color in PK-1 (left)

This is the kind of default PK blusher shade which we expect from most Japanese makeup lines. The sparse pink-toned shimmery particles visible in the pan is not visible when worn.

Boots No. 7 Cheek Colour in 25 Petal (right)

It is slightly warmer than the other two and has a very soft peach undertone. It is among my favorite blushers from non-Japanese brands. This shade is particularly good for spring and summer when most of us pick up a little bit of warmth on our complexions.

Items for Lips

SUQQU Blend Lipstick in 16 Mizuka (upper left)

Go for this shade if you like a warm milky nude-pink for the lips. I usually dislike nude shades for the lips (I don’t think they are flattering), but this shade has enough pink in it so that it looks gentle and natural.

Maquillage Lasting Climax Rouge in RS310 (right)

Go for this shade if you want more color for the lips. It is a warm-toned rose and is more pigmented than the SUQQU lipstick featured here. It can be layered for more vibrancy.

Makemania Curvy Lip Silicone in 501 (bottom left)

The ultimate clear lip gloss. It has a very good lip-magnifying effect. (It does not achieve the effect with skin-irritating ingredients that dilate the blood vessels.) I also like the spatula applicator.

Bobbi Brown Brightening Lip Gloss in Popsicle (bottom)

This is one of Bobbi Brown’s new items for spring 2010. It is a gentle warm pink that should be flattering for most people. It is softly pigmented but the color does show up on the lips. It has a long-lasting glossy finish with a touch of shimmer.

The final part features my recommendations on base makeup.

(Items from Bobbi Brown, RMK, and SUQQU featured in this post are provided by their respective companies.)

Related posts (other wearable items):

For Cheeks:

Jill Stuart Mix Blush Compact in 01 Baby Blush

Albion Eprise Water Face Color in 100

Maybelline Dream Mousse Blush in 04 Mauve

For Lips:

SUQQU Creamy Lipstick in 22 Benikoji

Lavshuca Jewelry Lips in PK-1 & RS-1

YSL Golden Gloss in 03 Golden Pink

Blue-Tinted Lip Glosses

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Bobbi Brown recently launched the Makeup Facelift collection, which aims to create a bright and well-rested complexion. The collection includes both existing and new items, and today I am highlighting two Brightening Lip Glosses in this collection (one existing shade and one new shade).

Pink Lilac (existing shade, right in photo) is a soft cool pink with a very subtle hint of lilac, and Popsicle (new shade) is a medium-to-warm pink. Both have a low-to-medium pigmentation level, but the colors are pigmented enough to show up on the lips.

They have very fine shimmering particles which are predominantly silver-toned. The finish is gently pearly without frostiness. The glossy vinyl finish that they have lasts very well.

Color-wise, between the two, I prefer Popsicle. The warm pink looks very natural and brings a touch of liveliness to the face, which is part of the aim of the collection, and I think this shade should suit most complexions. Pink Lilac is relatively paler and should suit slightly lighter complexions.

The Makeup Facelift collection also features Eye Shadow in Navajo. It used to be a limited-edition shade that was only available in the Basics Eye Palette in Bobbi Brown’s holiday 2008 collection, but it is now available as an individual shade. You can see the mention of the shade here.

(The products featured in this article are provided by Bobbi Brown.)

Related posts:

Beautiful Lips – with Blue Lip Glosses?

Million-Selling Lip Gloss: Sony Curvy Lip Silicone

YSL Golden Gloss in 03 Golden Pink

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(image from Trish McEvoy)

One feature that Trish McEvoy is known for is the Makeup Planner System, which combines Makeup Planners (makeup pouches with binder rings) and Makeup Planner Pages (refillable palettes). Today I am reviewing the limited-edition Bejeweled Makeup Planner Collection for holiday 2009.

The set contains a Petite Refillable Makeup Page, which holds up to eight eyeshadows and can be filed into the Planner.

The palette includes:

Eye Definer in Deep Aubergine: dark brown-toned purple (matte)
Eye Definer in Amethyst: dark violet (with sparse shimmer)
Glaze Eye Shadow in Sable Bronze: light-to-medium warm beige (softly metallic)
Eye Shadow in Delicate Pink: gently pigmented off-white pink (matte)
Blush in Easy Going: soft warm pink (glowy matte with very subtle shimmer)
Bronzer in Dual Resort: pale beige (shimmery) and brown-toned beige (mildly shimmery)

I personally really like Glaze Eye Shadow in Sable Bronze and Blush in Easy Going. Sable Bronze has a flattering sheen which doesn’t look flat or frosty, and the shade has a natural warmth to it. (It doesn’t look ashy or too bronze.) The blusher adds a soft and natural flush to the cheeks. The powder is smooth and velvety and is very easy to apply.

Overall I think this palette is more suitable for those with a light or light-to-medium complexion, as Sable Bronze, the blusher, and the bronzer might be too subtle for those with darker skin tones.


Eye Base Essentials is an eyeshadow base with quite a creamy texture. The shade included in the set is Bare, which is a pale beige with a pink undertone. It has sufficient pigment to even out the skin tone in the eyelid areas. It also contains ingredients to provide additional moisture for the eyelids, such as hydrogenated vegetable oil and bees wax.


The set also includes Beauty Booster SPF 15 Lip Gloss in Brightening Pink. It is a moderately pigmented cool berry pink with no shimmer. The color looks quite bright in the tube, but, as it is not too pigmented, it looks considerably more natural on the lips. It creates a vinyl-like glossy finish, which lasts well.

It contains avobenzone, which provides protection against UVA rays, and it is fragrance-free. It contains peppermint oil, which might be a concern for some people. But it is the last ingredient on the ingredient list, and it doesn’t feel tingly or cause discomfort or irritation when I wear it on my bare lips. (It only feels very mildly cooling.)

All the items are housed in a limited-edition White and Black Quilted Petite Makeup Planner. (It measures 11.5cm x 15cm x 7.5cm approximately.) The planner contains a small see-through pouch, which fits snugly in the Planner (as seen in the photo at the top).


Except Eye Shadow in Delicate Pink, which is not on Trish McEvoy’s website as an individual product, all the makeup shades in this set are available individually. I think this is a very nicely edited set with well-coordinated and easy-to-wear colors which are quality basics and can suit various occasions.

In the UK, this set is exclusive to Harvey Nichols.

(The product featured in this article is provided by Trish McEvoy.)

Related posts:

Dior Cristal Boréal

SUQQU Christmas Makeup Kit A (for Holiday 2009)

Paul & Joe Holiday 2009 Collection (Pearl Powder, Pencil Eyeliner, and Pouch C IV)

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I always look forward to Dior’s seasonal makeup collections, especially the limited-edition Star Products. Sometimes I am excited by the Star Products, and sometimes I am underwhelmed. For me, Dior’s holiday 2009 collection is probably one of the best holiday collections that Dior has brought out, and Cristal Boréal Crystal Gloss Jewel is certainly one of the reasons why I love the collection.

One thing I like about Cristal Boréal is that it is housed in a proper box, which does justice to the Swarovski crystals on the oval-shaped pendant. I am not really a fan of the velvety pouches that Dior’s seasonal limited-edition items usually come in, as they get dusty very easily. It is good to see Cristal Boréal much better presented. (As one of my readers, Kiks, so rightly said, this time it is more Dior than Dior Beauty.)

Four of the crystals are Aurore Boréale crystals. They reflect the light in colorful hues and they all have a nice depth to them.


According to the information leaflet (that comes with the pendant), the pendant features 52 Swarovski crystals.There are 52 crystals on the pendant itself already (I have counted them), so I am not entirely sure whether the one on the metal tag is also a Swarovski crystal.

(the back of the pendant)

The pendant contains a lip gloss, which is available in two shades (silver and pink). I went for the pink one (#251 Pink Crystal). Both shades are quite sheer and they mainly show up as subtly multi-colored shimmer.



The pendant flips open on both sides. There is no mirror, but the inside of the lid and the back of the pendant can work as mirrors.

Dior’s makeup accessories are usually statement pieces, and Cristal Boréal continues the tradition. While the Princess Ring is still my favorite seasonal Star Product from Dior, Cristal Boréal is among my favorites too.

I also like some of the other items in Dior’s holiday 2009 collection. (It is a very purple-toned collection.) The two 5-Color Iridescent Eyeshadow palettes are quite stunning. I prefer the softer Purple Crystal (which looks similar to 129 Pearly Lilac in the Lilas Addiction collection, which has not been available in the UK), even though the orchid purple in Smoky Crystal is my favorite shade in the whole collection.

(Purple Crystal)
(image from www.dior.com)

(Smoky Crystal)
(image from www.dior.com)

Another item I tested is Cristal Boréal Cristal Eyeshadow in Purple Gem. It is a low-key medium purple with sparse glitters. Personally, I would like it better if it didn’t have the glitters.

(image from www. dior.com)


Overall, with purples and greys, this is another trend-sensitive collection from Dior. (It is a good extension from Dior’s fall 2009 collection.) The two Cristal Boréal shades might not be very original, but I think they do have a solid collectibility factor.

Updated on November 23rd, 2009:

Blogger.com seems to have failed to publish one of the comments for this post. If you believe it to be yours, I am sorry about this and please, if you would, kindly consider posting it again. Thank you very much!

Related posts:

Lady Dior in French Chic
(spring 2009)

Dior Night Diamond
(holiday 2008)

Golden Dior Luminizing Makeup Jewel
(summer 2008)

DiorLight Jewelled Makeup Necklace
(holiday 2007)

Dior Diorissime Palette
(fall 2007)

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A few months ago, I reviewed Barry M‘s Lip Paints that were released for summer 2009. Today I am featuring the new Lip Gloss Wands. There are nine shades available at the moment, and here are my thoughts on three of them.

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(from top: Pastel Pink, Sugar Pink Glitter
and Strawberry Glitter)
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Sugar Pink Glitter is probably the most wearable shade among the three. It is a clear gloss with sparse multi-colored glitters. (The glitters are not too chunky.) It creates a soft moist sheen and can be layered to achieve a glossier finish. It can easily be worn over most lipsticks.
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Strawberry Glitter appears to be slightly more difficult to pull off, as the glitters look quite dense in the tube. But it turned out to be more wearable than I thought. It is a clear gloss with a lot of plum-red-toned glitters, and the finish is slightly glossier than that of Sugar Pink Glitter. (The glitters are the same size as those in Sugar Pink Glitter.) If your lips are very pale, the glitters can look quite glaring. But if you have rosier lips, then the glitters should complement them well and glimmer beautifully. It should go quite well with lipsticks of darker shades.

Pastel Pink is a very funky shade. It is a pigmented glossy pale milky pink with very fine shimmer. It looks (and smells) like strawberry milkshake. The shade you see in the photo is what it looks like when worn, and it is pigmented enough to cover the natural color of my lips. It is too pale for my light-to-medium warm-toned complexion (as far as day-to-day makeup is concerned), and I think, in most cases, it should suit those with a fair complexion a lot better.

The three shades have different scents. Sugar Pink Glitter smells like brown sugar, Strawberry Glitter smells like black currants, and Pastel Pink, as mentioned above, smells like strawberry milkshake. I don’t usually like scented lipsticks or lip glosses, but these scents are not overpowering.

Barry M is an affordable brand that continues to come up with interesting colors, and these lip glosses are certainly worth a look if you are in Boots or Superdrug next time.

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Related posts:

Lancôme Fall 2009 Collection
(featuring two new Color Fever Glosses)

YSL Golden Gloss in 03 Golden Pink

Beautiful Lips…with Blue Lip Glosses?

 

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