L’Oréal Paris Color Riche Matte Free The Nudes Lipstick 06 No Hesitation

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L’Oréal Paris Color Riche Matte Free The Nudes Lipstick 06 No Hesitation

Admin   May 11, 2020   Comment  

This line of L'Oreal's nude matte lipsticks appeared in our shops some months ago and it immediately attracted my attention. We have only a limited selection, which is similar to all of Europe I think, but US website has 16 shades, though with a different numbering system and names. I didn't pick any of the lightest shades, which might be a better suited nude tones for me (I've already found mine in Oriflame Pink Flair), instead I went for more 90's shade. 

Texture: I was blown away by the matte formula when I first swatched in the shop. It looked similar to Colourpop's Matte X, but mine is not as matte and it's less silicone-feeling. Texture like most matte lipsticks by now - smooth to apply and feels comfortable on the lips. I have no complaints about it and I think even those with more dry lips might find this one comfortable enough, but it's not as amazing as I had hoped. 

Shade: The colour looks brow in the tube, but on the lips it's more rosy-brown and lighter. It's a nice natural, wearable shade even for my pale skin tone, though I hoped it'll look a bit prettier on me, as the swatch on my hand made it look similar to Bourjois 07 Nude-ist.

Staying power: It lasts averagely ok for a matte classic lipsticks. By now all last well anyway.

Packaging: The packaging is standard for L'Oreal, it's just in a two toned nude shade. I've always liked the tubes from L'Oreal. 

Scent: It's scented with the classic L'Oreal lipstick fragrance that some call a granny scent, but I like it. It might be violets, I don't know.  

Price and availability: I got mine on Notino for 8.23 €, while it's about 12 or 13 € in drugstores here.

This is what drugstores needed, a wider selection of nude shades. Plenty of brands have nude colours, but it's limited to only a few per line. There could be more shades of course, as I'm not sure everyone is going to find their match now, but all look wearable to me. Formula is comfortable despite being matte and the only thing that might bother people is the fragrance. 

Have a great day

Maybelline SuperStay Ink Crayon 25 Stay Exceptional

lipstick Maybelline

Maybelline SuperStay Ink Crayon 25 Stay Exceptional

Admin   April 09, 2020   Comment  

These have been out for a while and I've been eyeing them ever since because they are matte and I'm a sucker for that. I also have their liquid versions which are some of the most long-lasting lip products I've tried. 

Texture: Formula is somewhat similar to Colourpop's Lippie Stix in Matte X, but it's not quite as amazingly richly pigmented. It glides on the lips with similar ease, like there's plenty of silicones in it. I can't say that it stands out in terms of the formula, since by now there are so many great ones. It can be very precise when sharpened, so here you have a lipliner and lipstick in one. It's a much more comfortable formula than their liquid lipsticks and though the finish isn't the same type of matte, this has a nice one too. 

Shade: 25 Stay Exceptional is a muted rosy shade. For some reason when I take a picture with it, the camera picks it up as a deep berry, but it's much more natural looking than that. I tried to fix it and I hope your screens will see it properly. It's not the best shade for me, I feel it's too dark , that's why I'd like to try 15 Lead the Way. 

Staying power: I have nothing more original to say apart from that it last well on the lips, several hours. It doesn't wear off oddly.

Packaging: This comes in a twist up format with a pencil sharpened on the other side.

Scent: It's got the same scent as their liquid lipsticks, so a strong fruity vanilla one.

Price and availability: I got mine on Notino for 6.46 €, but it's also available in drugstores.

In terms of formula these don't stand out, but I don't mean that in a bad way because nowadays it's hard to be something special since so many brands created great lipstick. But it does stand out for one thing - it can be used for precisely lining and shaping the lips, and it's easy to fill the lips with it quickly. I think I might get that second shade.

Have a great day!

Deborah 24 Ore Velvet Mat Lipstick 07

deborah lipstick

Deborah 24 Ore Velvet Mat Lipstick 07

Admin   March 10, 2020   Comment  

These are new in the drugstores and come in 8 shades. I have great experience with Deborah lips products, in particular I love their liquid matte lipstick, so this line immediately caught my attention. As expected I was not disappointed and these turned out to be great quality. 

Texture: Formula is really well made. It's super smooth, it glides on the lips with ease and it's not too thick or drying. Finish is properly matte and it's got a good level of pigmentation, but it's not as opaque as matte liquid lipsticks. It doesn't feel uncomfortable not even after several hours have passed, so if you didn't get a long with the liquid version, these feel less dry on the lips.

Shade: 02 is a medium warm pink that's similar to the discontinued Essence Stay True Lipliner waterproof 08 Thank you Berry much. Deborah has accurate swatches of all shades on their website

Staying power: I was concerned it might not last long, but it looks like freshly applied several hour later, provided of course I don't eat anything greasy. It's not as long lasting as the liquid version, but for a regular lipstick it's really good.

Packaging: It's a crayon like pencil with a wind up mechanism, so there's no need for a pencil sharpener. However, there's also nothing to help you make it more precise again when use it up a bit, Maybelline's SuperStay Ink for example is a similar design and they added a sharpener at the back. Formula's are actually very similar, so here is where Maybelline takes the lead.

Price and availability: It's sold in DM for 8.69 €.

Deborah nailed another matte formula and this one is more comfortable than the liquid version if you tend to have more dry lips. It's so smooth and lasts well, so I'm very pleased with the formula, but it has some strong competition is the drugstores.

Have a great day!

Catrice Demi Matt Lipstick 100 Nude Crush Everyday

catrice featured lipstick

Catrice Demi Matt Lipstick 100 Nude Crush Everyday

Admin   November 20, 2019   Comment  

I believe these replaced their Ultimate Colour lipsticks which managed to last considerably well on Catrice's stands compared to most of their products. I had several of those and I considered them some of the best for the price, but these new ones have such a delightful formula, I can only compare them to two formulas and these are the most affordable ones. The initial launch of these completely passed me by, I mean I was aware of them, but you know how Catrice discontinues everything, so most of the time I just don't find it worth it trying their stuff because it's gone so fast - now that I've tried them, it's a shame it took me a while to really checked them out because the formula is so nice. 

Texture and finish: Formula is incredibly smooth, the only two formulas I can compare these two are Bourjois' Velvet Rouge the Lipstick and Colourpop Lippiestix Matte X, but it isn't completely matte like those two. Finish is slightly shiny, but not creamy - Catrice named it well as demi matte.

Shade: 100 Nude Crush Everyday is such a lovely nude shade. It's neither warm not cool, it just sits perfectly in the middle and it's also not too pale. Catrice likes to repeat themselves when it comes to shades, but I've not seen one like this one before. I've seen this shade look more cool mauve on others than it does on me and usually the opposite happens.

Staying power: It doesn't shine in the staying department like their Colour Ultimates did, so that's one department if falls short. However I don't mind it at this formula because it fades evenly and it's not drying, so in time lips don't get extra dry patches.

Scent: It's got a strange plastic, fruity and crayon like scent. It doesn't last long and it's not strong. 

Packaging: I like the tubes of these. Previous ones were heavier, but here have an interesting design and everything still works like it should. 

Price and availability: These cost 4.39 € in drugstores.

The formula of these in so nice, I've never seen a lipstick that would look so even and smooth on the lips in a light shade. The rest of the shade selection didn't attract my attention, but I'll give them a second swatch to see if there's something worth having. Let's just hope Catrice keeps these for a while.

Have a great day!

Max Factor Matte Lipstick 15 Flare

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Max Factor Matte Lipstick 15 Flare

Admin   October 22, 2019   Comment  

Some time ago Max Factor released matte classic lipsticks, a sort of a sister line to their Color Elixirs, which got a new packaging at about the same time. We have six shades here out of seven, the one missing is a pink called Blush. I got the shade Flame, which will appeal to fans of coral shades.

Texture: Unfortunately these aren't matte, at least this shade, instead it's a creamy-satin formula with some moderate shine and a very comfortable feeling on the lips. They don't differ that much from their Colour Elixirs and it's still a nice formula, but I was expecting something matte like the amazing Bourjois Rouge Velvets or Colourpop Lippie Stix Matte X. Pigmentation is medium-full, it's not intensely pigmented, not that I miss any more pigment myself.

Shade: 15 Flame is a bright reddish coral. It's a classic summer shade that will look great on those with a warm undertone. When I was checking the shades in the drugstore, I liked Nude most, as it seems such a lovely universally flattering light-medium rosy brown shade, but also their shade Love is one of the prettiest looking cool toned reds I've seen.

Staying power: Considering it's not a fully opaque matte lipstick and more like a regular creamy lipstick, staying power isn't mind blowing. I get an average wear time with this, depending on what I'm doing during the day and it survives eating terribly forming a ring on the edges of the lips, plus some patches in the middle. You definitely need to reapply this one after eating or take it off completely.

Scent: These have a sweet vanilla scent.

Packaging: The shape of the packaging is the same as at Colour Elixirs, but these come in black and have a rubberised cap.

Price and availability: These cost 9.99 € in drugstores.

I can't say I'm impressed by these, as when I hear matte, I expect a fully matte finish. This is a classic creamy-satin lipstick that's comfortable to wear and that's about it at this formula. The shade range is pretty and I think shade Nude would fit many people, but considering these are Max Factor's range completely without any frosty shades, they really should expand the range with some more natural shades. 

Have a great day!

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Oriflame OnColour Collection

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Oriflame OnColour Collection

Admin   August 08, 2019   Comment  

Oriflame launched a new or renewed collection of makeup products that they described as an explosion of colours. I think this is the successor of the Colourbox line, but I'm not sure whether that one was discontinued or not. In any case it's the same price range and consists of trendy shades. I usually do individual reviews, but not this time, so it's going to be a long post.

 Power Up Foundation

Texture: It's a light and creamy formula similar to tinted moisturisers. It's easy to apply and blend with any method.

Coverage and finish: The foundation has a light coverage and it doesn't look well covered in person, but for some reason it looks very good on camera. Finish is dewy-shiny, so powder will be a must for most people and I don't think this is the best foundation for oily or combination skin. Overall it's not very impressive other that the fact it looks very natural on the skin and you can't tell you're wearing makeup apart from the shine that can be mistaken for a moisturizer.

Shades: This foundation comes in 4 shades and I got 2, 38805 Light Porcelain and 38807 Natural Beige, the first is the lightest is the range. Both shades are way too dark for me and I have to use lightening drops to use them, which is disappointing because their Giordani Gold MasterCreation in Rose Cool Porcelain is a good match for me and I expected Oriflame has light shades across their foundation ranges.

Staying power: I have never experienced a makeup meltdown like I did with Oriflame. This foundation never sets and the rest of the makeup was just smudging during the day, which doesn't happen on my normal-dry skin.

Packaging: These come in regular tubes with a screw lid.

Price: Regular price is 9.90 €, but Oriflame often has discounts.

Perfecting Concealer Stick

Texture: This formula is surprisingly not that hard, waxy stuff that put me off such formulas years ago, but it is summer, so maybe this has an effect. It glides with ease on the skin, but it's not a soft creamy formula that I experienced at Makeup Revolution Fast Base Stick.

Coverage and finish: It's hasn't got a lot of coverage as it doesn't have the best pigmentation and you have to build it up. Maybe that's what's saving it from looking heavy and cakey, but the level of coverage doesn't go above medium and my dark circles tend to peak though this formula. 

Shades: This comes in only two shades, 39914 Natural Beige and 39913 Light Ivory, both are light, so not a lot will find a match here. Unlike the foundation the lightest shade fits me, but the other one isn't that much darker either. 

Staying power: Like I said at foundation, there a meltdown happening at this entire line. Everything is so smudgy, but this concealer tends to last longest.

Packaging: A classic wind up lip balm tube, cheaply made, but it holds.

Price: Regular price is 6.50 €.

Power Face Powder

Texture and finish: This feels finely milled and doesn't look dusty/powdery on the skin no matter how much I apply it. I got the shade 38801 Medium Beige, which is the darkest of the two (other is Light Porcelain), but it is transparent anyway. Since the foundation is so dewy and moisturising, I hoped this would set the makeup, but it did not prevent the meltdown and smudging. I don't use powders in my regular routine and definitely not mattifying ones, so I'm not the best judge or these products, but I was not impressed with this. I tried a brush and a sponge, but nothing worked as I expected. On the plus side it didn't look cakey or did it start to flake my foundation like powders tend to do on me.

Packaging is fairly small and you can a puff with it which isn't the best quality. I also miss a mirror, it's almost a must at powders.

Price: 9.90 €

Big Lash Mascara

Brush: It's got a classic defining plastic brush with two lengths of bristles and it defines ok, though it could fan out the lashes better.

Formula and effect: It's not the best volumising mascara and it's better at just adding a bit of length, but it's nothing impressive. Due to being a regular formula it also doesn't hold my lashes up, so I'm not a fan of this one. It's just average and I prefer their The One Eyes Wide Open & Awake mascara even though that one also doesn't hold the lashes. 

Price: Regular price is 7.90 €.

Perfect Duo Pencil

Texture: A majority of shades is quite hard, though they transfer, you just have to go over the line a few times. The deep brown shade is by far the best performing, soft and most pigmented. They transfer to the waterline, but you have to go over the line several times. It's hard to get used to this quality after using Maybelline's Tattoo for a few months.

Shades: 5 shades of these are available and I got three combinations:

- 36088 Mocha & Rosegold which is a dark brown and light brown-gold-ish combination

- 36089 Blue & Sapphire, a medium blue and dark blue combination

- 36090 Green & Turquoise, a mossy green and turquoise that leans more to blue combination

Staying power: Honestly, these are the most infuriating product in the selection. A few seconds after I apply them on my upper eyelid they transfer to my crease, I deliberately didn't want to clean it up for the pictures because doing that is futile with these as they immediately transfer again. Even with a ton of powder under it, I get the same result and my eyelids aren't at all oily. They perform much better in the waterline and surprisingly don't last only an hour, so if you're getting these, stick to the waterline.

Price: Regular price is 6.50 €.

Creamy Lipstick

Texture: These are run-of the-mill regular creamy lipstick with a shiny finish and semi-opaque to full pigmentation. They glide with ease on the lips and feels almost like a lip balm, so they are great for those with dry lips, just get a light shade because they can get messy and need frequent reapplication. 

Shades: There are 20 shades in this range. 

38742 Blush Nude 

Shade Blush Nude is gorgeous, it's a lovely nude and it's a shame about the staying power, but it's actually very similar to Oriflame's The One lipstick in Pink Flair which is better quality.

38775 Clover Lilac

Clover Lilac a medium violet. Depending on your skin tone, it might look more pink than on me.

38750 Deep Red 

Deep Red is a classic burgundy and a messy one at that. After eating I ended up with lipstick on my nose and I still don't know how exactly that happened. Stick with the light shades at this formula and go for the The One Colour Stylist for the dark ones.

Staying power is their weakness, especially at the lightest shade which is gone in an hour, but ever Deep Red is not that much more impressive. I got about three or four hours with Deep Red, but it wasn't in the best state. 

Packaging is cheap, but it works and the cap holds. 

Regular price is 6.50 €.

Nail Polish

Formula: These are the best products in the OnColour line and so lovely to use. They don't state they are gel nail polishes, regardless they behave similarly and they are very smooth to apply. One coat is enough, even at the darkest Deep Plum shade and I don't think I have any such shades that wouldn't be sheer with the first coat. 

Shades: 
- 38983 Soft Pink is a pink coral with a cream finish. It's very likely it will look more pink on darker skin tones.
- 38992 Deep PlumDeep plum is pretty much black and it's hard to see that violet jelly-ness or a violet reflection, especially since it's so quickly fully opaque.
- 38996 Silver Black is a graphite grey with silver frost.

You already know that asking me how well nail polishes lash is futile because everything lasts well on me, but Lana from Lana Talks gave this formula a thumbs up, so I think this is a formula worth trying. She swatched shade Cloud Blue.

20 shades in total exist, 5 are special shimmery shades.

Regular price is 6.50 € for 5 ml.

Have a great day!

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