Aloha there!
I have been obsessed with anything lipstick related in recent months. At first, it became a hunt to find the perfect "your lips but better" color and then my hunt transformed into finding a bolder lip that I would force myself to rock.
Like any other person, there are things about my appearance that I am uncomfortable with or wish I could change. My lips are one (or two?) of them. My lips are naturally so pale and washed out that going sans lipstick makes me look sick. It is definitely not a cute look on me. And I also think I have a crooked smile which makes me feel super self-conscious when I smile. Oh imperfections. Oh flaws. Why does it take a lifetime to embrace them?
I've always played it safe and opted for colors that seemed more natural. Now, as a woman in my late 20s, pushing 30, my confidence has solidified a bit more and my desire to be bolder and try new things have increased.
Now let's get to what my obsession got me in recent months (starting from most recent purchase):
Wet N Wild Mega Last Lipsticks
One of my more well-to-do friends buys both high end and drug store lipsticks, mostly high end because she has the money to front. HOWEVER, she was telling me how she would buy Wet N Wild lipsticks over high end on many occasions because of the pigmentation and longlasting power of them. I finally got myself to spend the $1.99 and try it.
These are the two colors I bought: Wine Room 906D and Mauve Outta Here 907C
Wine Room 906D (pinkish red)
Mauve Outta Here 907C (brighter pink)
The verdict: I LOVE Wet N Wild!! Why did I wait so long to try them?!?! I always passed it up when I was at the drug store since I haven't seen too many reviews (or commercials) on Wet N Wild lipstick. There was a 40% off Wet N Wild products at CVS 2 - 3 weeks ago. This was my push to finally get my hands on these lipsticks. And with 40% off, why would I pass that up?!
The lipsticks didn't glide on as smoothly as most lipsticks. It seemed dry, but it wasn't drying at all.The colors are matte. The swatches are pretty true to the color on your lips though the actual lipsticks appear darker. As you can see, the colors are quite vibrant. Wine Room came out shiny in the photo due to lighting, but it is a beautiful color. Mauve Outta Here came out looking brighter than I thought it would. It's a color that I wear when I'm trying to be more adventurous and bold. It's definitely not a color I can pull off at work, but it is fun when I'm trying to spruce up a look with some brighter lipstick.
Would I repurchase? YES. I definitely would like to try other colors to find a muted pink / work appropriate color
Jordana Cosmetics Twist and Shine Moisturizing Balm Stain
I first found out about these products through Jerlyn Phan, also known as MakeUpFreeek on Youtube. She is an amazing makeup artist and definitely one of my top favorite YouTube beauty gurus to watch.
She had talked about these $2.99 lip balm sticks in a YouTube video. At $2.99, I had to get my hands on them (though they did vary from store to store. I paid ($2.99, $3.29 and $3.69 at different Walgreens)! My friend and I went to three different Walgreens in one day to find the colors we wanted. I then went to a Walgreens closer to my home the next day because the third Walgreens we tried didn't have what we wanted. And ding ding ding! I found the last color that I wanted - Cranberry Crush!
Now for my swatches (excuse my washed out face. I am not wearing my usual tinted moisturizer):
08 Terra Crave (orangey brown tint)
05 Honey Love (mauve pink, my fave)
06 Cranberry Crush (magenta)
This color came out darker on other swatches I've seen. I wish it was darker on my lips too.
I still really like it though :]
My three balm sticks
This is a screen shot of the other Jordana colors
The verdict: Overall, I did like the Jordana balm sticks. They did stain, especially the Cranberry Crush which makes sense since it's really pigmented. Though they all tint into a bright pink or Kool-Aid red (at least for me). The tint, however, was very strong on the inner portions of my lips. My friend who has naturally dark pigmented lips claimed a light tint for all the colors she has (Cranberry Crush, Terra Crave, and Rock N Rouge).
Each of the lip stains do have a glossy finish. The "Shine" in "Twist and Shine" stands very true! It has a glossy finish, especially on the center of lower lip, but does not feel like a gloss, which I very much appreciate since I am not a big lip gloss fan.
Would I repurchase? YES and no! I definitely will be repurchasing 05 Honey Love. Honey Love is closest to "my lips but better" which is what I've been trying to find for ages! I am on the fence about repurchasing 08 Terra Crave though I really do like it. I wouldn't repurchase 06 Cranberry. It comes out really magenta bright on me, which is weird because on others' it came out as a beautiful Fall dark cranberry color. BOO. I also didn't like the stain of the 06 Cranberry. It was too Kool-Aid for me. I don't think I'll be trying any of the other colors. I've tried Sweet Pink and Rock N Rouge - not a big fan.
L'Oreal Infallible Le Rouge Lipstick
I am the type of person who HAS to finish a product. Unless it's totally grotesque, I will somehow make it work and finish it. The next two products are two lipsticks that I had bought a long while ago. After I bought them, I told myself I wouldn't buy anything more until I used them all up...and as you can see from the pictures above, I broke my own promise. OH WELL. I rationalize it with the fact that Jordana and Wet n Wild were so affordable, it's okay :D
L'oreal Infallible Le Rouge Lipcolor in Intensely Mauve (512)
I apply this brick red color every morning for work. Very little goes a long way. It's quite pigmented.
L'oreal Infallible Le Rouge Lipcolor in Eternal Rose (227)
This color is showing up as a darker "natural" pink in the pictures. With this lipstick, a little goes a long way as well. The color is very interesting. Sometimes, it looks like a darker pink color with a brownish tinge to it, sometimes it looks like a brighter pink with a light purple tinge. Nonetheless, I do really love this color. I keep it in my purse for touch-ups throughout the day
The verdict: I have had these two for a long time and I'm nearing its end, specifically for Eternal Rose. I do love these lipsticks because they are longlasting. I do have to reapply (as with any lipstick), but it does stay on for a good while. Thank you to Judy from ItsJudyTime on YouTube for introducing me to this lipstick. She mentioned it on her daily vlog so I had to try it.
Would I repurchase? YES! I want to try Forever Frappe, ItsJudyTime's favorite. And I also want to look for a "my lips but better" color in this line.
After writing this post, I realize that I buy mauve-y pinks and reds. I buy pinks thinking they would be more natural, but they end up being a little more bold, which is quite exciting for me. I don't think I'm quite ready to rock a full on cherry red lip, but maybe one day. For now, I'm getting used to my bolder pinks and muted reds.
So my obsession with lippies ensues and my hunt for the perfect "your lips but better" lipstick continues! I do love the Jordana lip stain in Honey Love and will definitely be repurchasing that as I had mentioned. I would like to find a lipstick version of "your lips but better."
I am going to do my utmost best to control myself and NOT purchase new products at this time. I need to take a chill pill on my lipstick spending. And I'm trying to finish my older products first.
Please let me know some of your favorite lipsticks. If you've found the perfect "your lips but better" lipstick, please oh please share!
<3<3<3
