L'Oreal Infallible Long Wear Lipstick - Review

This collection of L'Oreal lipstick is new in drugstores. So new in fact that none of the 3 stores I went to had any testers! I ended up choosing # 112 "Never Ending Kiss".

Let's start by talking about the colour. It is a really pretty natural mid-tone pink. On me its pretty much a "my lips but better" shade. It's something I can wear with just about anything and look polished. In the two swatch pics' below, it is the colour in the middle. I swatched three colours to show you that I think that if MAC Blankety and MAC Angel had a lipstick baby (wha'?) that this shade would be their offspring!

(Blankety/Never Ending Kiss/Angel)

Now I want to talk about the texture. This applies so smooth and silky. It glides on and feels amazing throughout application. However, after about 15 mins this gets VERY tacky and sticky on the lips. It can't help it I guess...it is a long wear lipstick. I do not like how this feels after the first 15 minutes of wear. They have not yet conquered the "I must have just sucked on a glue stick" feeling. Don't worry too much though...there is a silver lining!

After that 15 minutes, put any other lipstick (Angel is gorgeous with it) or gloss on top and voila! You have a long wearing lip combo that does last for at least half a day.

I will definitely wear and try ti use up this lipstick as I really do like the colour and luckily have figured out how to make it a comfortable wear by adding another product to it, but I don't think I will repurchase another one of these in the future.

A Perfectly Peached Pout

It seems as though the peach lip is more important this spring than a good pair of rain boots! Somehow, I have quite a collection of peachy pucker-hues all of a sudden. I will give you the run down and my personal thoughts about the colours in my collection thus far. (Left to Right)


First up is Cover Girl 015 bronzed peach
This was my first attempt at finding the perfect peach lipstick. I do like this colour and coverage. It has a nice satiny/frost and smooth finish. It is not too pale and not dark. I like this as an everyday peach. All that being said, I absolutely LOATHE the smell of this CG lipstick! I don't know how to describe the smell other than it smells like cooking oil. I do use this occasionally, but the smell of this products stops me from loving it, recommending it, and it re-buying it in the future.

Second is Revlon Colorburst Lipstick 075 Peach
This is a little less of a frost and more of a satiny smooth creamy finish. This is a good mid-tone peach that I do think would be flattering on most skin tones. I really like this lipstick and I have reached for it most often. It has pretty good staying power and feels good on the lips. This lipstick has almost no smell which is fine. Any hint of smell is just sort of sweet but I found it hard to find a smell at all.

Third is another Revlon Super Lustrous Matte 013 Smoked Peach
I really keep trying to like matte formulations on me. Somehow, I never think they look that good. That being said, this is a "mid-tone but brighter " peach. Very pretty, nice application, good lasting power. Again no detectable smell to it. If you love the matte formulas, this colour is definitely purchase worthy.

Fourth is MAC Sandy B
I think this is one of the very first MAC products I ever bought (uh oh, how old is this lipstick?). It is a paler toned frost with golden flecks in it. This is a very pretty lipstick (if you like frost) and has a sheerer application than the others in the group. That being said, you can of course get fuller coverage if you are a bit heavy handed with it. One of the best things about the MAC lipsticks is of course the smell...ah, vanilla. Even after a few (yikes!) years, there is no smell other than sweet vanilla. This colour has been around and is still around but give it a shot next time you are at the counter.

Fifth and almost last is MAC Jazzed
OK...now I know I am going to be going against the grain here but I HATE this lipstick! Do you remember all the fuss that was made last year when this came out? Blogger's and Guru's everywhere were absolutely raving about this colour. Could that many people have been wrong??? YUP They were wrong for me anyway. This goes on very chalky and settles into my lips in all the wrong ways. It is bright, which is good, but looks like granny peach, poor quality lipstick to me. I know this was limited edition, so if you didn't get one I say good for you! However, if you did get one, is there anyone else out there that thinks this colour is the biggest SCAM ever?

Last (finally) is Maybelline NewYork Super Stay 24 020 Continuous Coral
Maybelline says this new long wearing formula is WAY better than the long wear of days gone by. Well...
Yes, it does have good lasting power, but the same things we hated about the old long wear lipsticks still holds true here. It feels awful during the "wait until the colour dries" stage. The gloss coat is nice but you have to put that sucker on like every 15 mins to keep it feeling good. It is supposed to move with your lips during the day but sorry Sista', this still cracks and looks flaky and scabby after 8 hours of wear. All that said, I do really like the colour itself. It is the darkest and brightest in the collection and I think if this were a plain old good old lipstick, I would be really happy. I would not recommend these just because I don't think they offer anything more magical than what we have seen in the past.

Phew! If you are still reading, thanks for staying with me through all that Peachy-ness! My overall favorite is the Revlon Colorburst by far. I ashamedly will admit that I am quite sure the peach purchases are not yet over...

MAC Quite Cute Collection - April 7th Launch

This collection really reminds me of all the plastic makeup pieces that used to come with my Barbie dolls! It is very sweet and youthful and...cute! I am really excited to see this collection up close and in person because I don't think the pictures (as usual) are even a close representation to the actual colours.

I don't honestly know how much of this will be purchase worthy for me personally but maybe I will find a couple treasure pieces to take home and love! (photo credit)

As usual, one of the best places to see a full list with pricing and photos is here.

Will you be at the MAC counter on April 7th?

Holy Grail Products....so far....

Holy Grail products are items that you have purchased and re-purchased and just can't seem to live without. Even when you cheat on them with the "new guys", they always embrace you when you come back for more. I always find it interesting to see different people's Holy Grail list...I think you can really come to know a person by the products that they love. It has also helped me in figuring out which Bloggers and Gurus I know I can trust, because we tend to love the same products! Here is my list of loves so far:

Cleanser: BeautiControl Spa Facial Purifying Cleansing Gel 
I just love this cleanser! It does not make my skin feel too tight after use and you only need to use a small amount of product. The other great news is that it is sulfate-free! It also comes in a foaming cleansing lotion for drier skin.

Hydrator: BeautiControl Spa Facial Defend & Restore Moisture Creme 
I have been using the creme in this line instead of the lotion because the winter here this year has been SO awful, my skin is just so terribly dry. I feels thick and creamy but absorbs quickly and does not interfere with foundation application. I recommend the creme for dry winter skin and the lotion for oily skin or summertime skin.

Exfoliator: Soap & Glory - Scrub Your Nose In It
This is actually a scrub and mask in one product! I use this almost every morning in the shower. If my skin needs an extra deep clean, i just leave it on for 2 minutes et voi la !


Lip Balm: Aquafina Lip Balm
This lip balm is definitely my fav'!  There is original (minty) and the Flavor Splash trio which are a fruity-mint mix. I always have one of these in my purse and find they provide great lip relief for dry cracked lips...it's also the minty taste that sucks me in!

Makeup Remover: MAC Cleanse Off Oil 
I have never used a makeup remover as amazing as this one! It takes absolutely EVERY stitch of makeup off my face no matter what! I use this on my face dry, do a quick rub-a-roo, rinse, and then follow with my gel cleanser. I don't think I can be without this product for as long as I wear makeup!

Concealer: Bobbi Brown Creamy Concealer
While this product is quite pricey, I do think it is actually worth it. It has a wonderful creamy (surprise!) texture, glides on and stays put. I use shade "Warm Ivory" under my eye area. I got the kit that comes with the setting powder. I don't really use the powder, but the concealer itself is a favorite. You need to use such a small amount of this product, it does last quite a long time so that helps justify the cost...to me anyway.

Lip Gloss: Rimmel Vinyl Gloss - Eastend Snob
This gloss is a pale pinky shimmer but with a nude undertone. You can put it over almost anything and wear it by itself for a very pretty lip as well. I have bought MANY of these but when I went to find it on the Rimmel website, the shade is no longer an option...ARGH...it may be discontinued!

Brow Pencil: Annabelle Eyebrow Pencil - Blond
I keep going back to this pencil as I find it very affordable, easy to use, and most importantly, a very good colour for my hair and skin tone. I think it lasts all day and doesn't really fade or move with normal wear.

Eye Shadow Primer: Urban Decay Eyeshadow Primer Potion
If you have never heard of this product before, trust me: Buy it, Use it, LOVE IT!!!


Mascara: L'Oreal Voluminous 
If there is one product that I can not live without, it's mascara. Mascara was the very first makeup item that I was allowed to start using as a young teen. Being blond as well, my mom understood the importance of eye lashes! I have tried A LOT of different mascaras over the years but this one, more than any other cosmetic product, is my Holy Grail. I LOVE L'Oreal Voluminous Mascara. It does what it says, it stays where it should and the brush is easy to maneuver. I embraced Carbon Black when it came out and love it too. 
Recently, I bought and tried the Voluminous Millions version. It has the funky wand, and took about 1.5 weeks to "break in". I didn't think I liked it as much as the original, but after going back to use the original, I think I have decided that the Millions is my new fav'! If you want volume, lot's of volume, I highly recommend either of these mascaras. (I have tried the Collagen version and did not care for it at all)
 

Mac Sheen Supreme Lipstick Giveaway

Five by Five is giving away 3 of the new MAC Sheen Supreme Lipsticks! The colour choices are awesome. Hurry over and enter her contest to win!

http://echosidestyle.blogspot.com/2011/03/mac-sheen-supreme-lipstick-giveaway.html