Dolce & Gabbana The Lipstick Classic Cream Lipstick in Sassy 525

By Gladys in Dolce & Gabbana, Lips Makeup 0 Comment
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I bought this lipstick at Herald Square Macy’s (NYC) without knowing a single thing about D&G cosmetics – I just fell in love with the color and decided to try it. This lipstick is everything a classic lipstick should be: it’s packaging is beautiful, the color is bold and provoking, and it’s quality is superb.

D&G Classic Cream lipstick is not cheap — $33.50, but it is not ridiculously expensive either if we consider that we’re paying for the brand as much as we do for the product. For example, Tom Ford’s lipsticks cost $50. D&G pricing is comparable to Dior’s and Chanel’s. They are very similar in quality too.

Packaging is stunning: the tube is classic retro gold which reminds me of an image of an expensive lipstick from my childhood when I saw how divinely beautiful ladies in the movies applied carmine red on their lips. It’s also sturdy and feels quite good in hands – sleek and compact. The tube has “Dolce & Gabbana” engraved on it.

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Clinique Chubby Stick Moisturizing Lip Colour Balm (in Mega Melon, Broadest Berry, Curviest Caramel)

By Gladys in Clinique, Lips Makeup 0 Comment
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Clinique Chubby Sticks are moisturizing tinted lip balms. I bought four travel-size chubby sticks for just $25 – I think it was a pre-Christmas limited edition. Although you can’t get this deal anymore, three of four colors are sold individually in full sizes and are available on Sephora.

These chubby sticks are one of the most popular products by Clinique and I can see why. They are super convenient to use and carry around, inexpensive and, most importantly, are two in one – you can use a chubby stick both as a lip balm and a lipstick with a good color payoff.

I got these travel-size chubby sticks in four colors:

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Dior Addict Lip Polish

By Gladys in Dior, Lips Makeup 0 Comment
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I think of Dior Lip Polish as a big brother of Dior Lip Glow Color Reviver Balm, one of my favorite lip products ever — I even took pictures of them together! Lip Polish is a lip primer and a lip polish that comes in universal sheer baby pink color (exactly the same pink that Lip Glow comes in). However, while Lip Glow works as a balm and a moisturizer, Lip Polish is more like an everyday hydrating lip gloss.

Lip Polish is expensive — $33, and honestly, I am not sure if such high price is justified. I am a big fan of Dior products and almost always think they are worth every penny I pay for them but not in this case. Let me tell you why.

The tube is very pretty. It’s made of clear plastic with Dior logo and has a silver cap. A spin-on applicator is nice too: not too big, not too small. Better than the one for Dior Addict Fluid Stick. The description on Sephora calls this applicator “revolutionary” – well, I think it’s a bit of exaggeration. However, this applicator does do its job right: it picks up the right amount of product and rolls it evenly on the lips.

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Hourglass N° 28 Lip Treatment Oil

By Gladys in Hourglass, Lips Makeup 0 Comment
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I have recently grown fond of Hourglass products. They are pricey but quality, very unusual (like their blushes), and always look like a piece of art. I have been looking at Lip Treatment Oil for a while – I am following pretty much all lip treatment products because of my constant issues with chapped lips. However, I hesitated to buy because, in my opinion, it is insanely priced: 0.25 oz. of lip oil cost $42. Eventually I decided to try it – winters are cold and windy in D.C., and my lips were so dry and cracked I couldn’t wear a lipstick anymore.

So, first of all, let me tell you what I learned about Hourglass lip oil. According to description, this product has 14 oils: from geranium to jojoba. Also, it has some vitamins, particularly, vitamins A, B5, C, and E. Finally, it has an ingredient called viamerine which supposedly helps with wrinkles. You can find more information regarding ingredients on Hourglass and Sephora websites. Also I posted a picture of the back of the box with the full list of ingredients.

The case of the lip oil is stunning – I think it’s the fanciest and most luxurious lip treatment product I’ve ever owned. The case is sleek and classy, and the dispenser tip – oh, it’s amazing. It is gold-plated (24 karat) and antibacterial. To dispense oil, you need to remove the plastic tip and using your index finger press on the grooved surface behind the tip to dispense the product. The applicator is great: it is hygienic and doesn’t tickle like other applicator wands.

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Marc Jacobs Beauty Le Marc Lip Crème in Kiss Kiss Bang Bang 216

By Gladys in Lips Makeup, Marc Jacobs Beauty 0 Comment
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I got a trial size of this lipstick for 100 points at Sephora. As many of you probably know, Sephora has a Beauty Insider program when you get a point for each dollar you spend at their store.

Marc Jacobs just recently introduced Le Marc Lip Crème line of lipsticks and I was excited to try one of them without actually buying it. For a long time I was a bit suspicious about Marc Jacobs beauty products because the company got into the beauty industry only 2-3 years ago. Some time ago I bought Marc Jacobs blush and I didn’t find anything particularly great about it.

The little baby lipstick (0.03 oz.) that I got came in Kiss Kiss Bang Ban 216 color which is described as “baked rose”. It’s probably one of the most popular colors in this line. It came out recenty but is already out of stock on Sephora. I am sure it will be back though – it looks like everybody wants it. It truly is a beautiful shade of rose – dark, saturated and vivid. This color is matte (the whole line is if I remember correctly) so do not expect any shine or glitter. The color and texture of Le Marc strongly reminds of a limited edition lipstick by Givenchy (Le Rouge 207 Rose Pumetis) that I own. I love my Givenchy lipstick and I am happy that Marc Jacobs came up with a product that strongly resembles it and is not limited edition.

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Dior ‘Rouge Contour’ Lip Liner in 775 Holiday Red

By Gladys in Dior, Lips Makeup 0 Comment
Overall Rating

I got this lip liner as a complement to Dior 743 Rouge Zinnia lipstick. The colors matched perfectly, and although I am not a big fan of lip liners (keep forgetting to use them) I thought that such a bright and bold color of lipstick had to be accompanied with a matching lip liner.

‘Rouge Contour’ lip liner pencils are a line of rich-colored lip liners by Dior. Each costs $30, which is quite pricey in my opinion. This lip liner comes as a pencil and has a brush on the other side. There is also a complimentary sharpener, which a nice touch. I remember how upset I was when I bought Urban Decay lip pencil without realizing that I had to buy their sharpener separately.

The Holiday Red color is a rich red with a dark rose undertone. It looks beautiful and elegant. It glides on very easily and application doesn’t require a lot of expertise. As a lip liner it is not drying. I know that some ladies use lip liners as lipsticks but I never do it so I wouldn’t know how drying it would be if you apply it all over your lips.

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tarte Glamazon Pure Performance 12-hour Lipstick (in 5 colors)

By Gladys in Lips Makeup, tarte 0 Comment
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I hesitated to write about these lipsticks because they are only sold at tarte website and you can’t go into a store and try it (I’ve never seen a tarte store before). I bought all five of mine on Sephora but these lipsticks disappear and re-appear all the time there, so last time I checked they didn’t sell Glamazon. Anyway, I have them in five colors and really like them, so I want to share why.

This lipstick costs $16 and is advertised as a 12-hour performance lipstick. I have to say it’s one of the most long-wearing lipsticks I’ve had. It does truly stay on your lips for hours even if you eat and drink. Unlike lip stains, it’s very creamy. It’s creamiest when you just applied it and then, in five minutes or so, it dries out. tarte says the moisturizing effect of the lipstick is due to Amazonian clay. I have no idea how true that information is (sounds romantic though) but the lipstick does feel pretty good on my lips. It doesn’t have any sparkle and practically no shine but it does provide solid, even color. Also, the color doesn’t look unnatural (Kat Von D’s liquid lipstick problem) and doesn’t fade for a long time.

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Dior ‘Diorific – Golden Shock’ Lipstick in 005 Daring Shock and 007 Passion Shock

By Gladys in Dior, Lips Makeup 0 Comment
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Lipsticks in Dior’s Diorific line are stunning this year. Gold is in right now (and has been for a while), and a lot of fashion gurus employ gold motive in one way or another. However, not many were able to introduce the richness and beauty of gold with such chic and taste as Dior.

The Diorific line this year includes a variety of products: from lipsticks to nail polish. Today I will only talk about lipsticks. I am in total love with them. I haven’t bought any other Diorific products because the reviews on some of them were not positive (golden powder) and moreover, I wasn’t interested in the highlights of the collection: nail polishes and powder with shimmer. I really liked the limited edition eye shadows but by the time I wanted to buy them they were gone. 🙁 Oh well.

There are two types of lipsticks in the Diorific line 2014. The first one is called simply ‘Diorific’ and the second one is ‘Diorific – Golden Shock.’ ‘Diorific’ is an array of rich festive shades with long-lasting matte finish. ‘Diorific – Golden Shock’ is a set of 6 two-tone lipsticks. One tone is matte finish, and another one is the same shade with gold shimmer added. I haven’t bought any Diorifics yet although I am planning to, but I have two Golden Shock lipsticks.

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Bite Beauty Mix N’ Mingle Lip Minis – Lipstick Duo — Nude rose/light brown nude

By Gladys in Bite Beauty, Lips Makeup 0 Comment
Overall Rating

Bite Beauty made a special limited holiday edition — a Mix N’ Mingle Luminous Crème Lipstick Duo. This is a two-in-one lipstick – it opens from both sides and on each side there is a different lipstick. I have heard a lot about Bite but before this lipstick had only bought their lip color palette once (it was 3 years ago and I never really used it).

This lipstick costs $12. Pretty cheap. It’s very small (in Sephora pictures it seemed larger) – and each lipstick is just 0.05 oz. The case is well made – classic Bite matte grey, and is good for travel and for carrying in your purse.

I got this lipstick in nude rose (fig) and light brown nude (date) combination. The description on Sephora says that colors are “festive”, however, I think that this particular combination is everything but festive. Both colors are way too light and subtle. “Date” color is very light brown nude and is practically invisible on my lips. Pigmentation is practically non-existent. It also doesn’t have any shine or sparkle. However, it’s creamy and moisturizing which is good. I would call this lipstick a tinted balm – because, in my opinion, it’s what it truly is. It also doesn’t have any flavor but it does have a taste — which is unpleasant and synthetic.

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Dior Rouge Dior Couture Colour Voluptuous Care Lipstick (in 743 Rouge Zinnia)

By Gladys in Dior, Lips Makeup 1 Comment
Overall Rating

The search of a perfect winter red has been epic. I have a medium skin with yellow undertones and most reds don’t work with it. Usually I just avoid the Christmas red obsession altogether and wear my nude pink lipsticks but this year I decided that I do need an awesome red in my life. After a lot of research, I decided to go with Guerlain (I love their lip products) but both Nordstrom and Bloomingdale’s failed me miserably: out of 6-7 existing Guerlain classic red shades they only carried 1 or 2 at the store. And, naturally, those two reds they had didn’t work for me at all.

Then I went to take a look at Dior’s reds. I have a very long relationship with Dior (I bought my very first high-end makeup from them), and love their lipsticks just a bit less than Guerlain’s.

Dior Rouge Voluptuous Care Lipstick line provides a wide range of full-coverage lip colors with satin finish and moisturizing effect. It costs $35 before tax. Rouge Zinnia, in my opinion, is the only truly red shade in this collection. From my experience, Dior usually concentrates on pinks and nudes of all shades (2014 Winter Collection is an exception).

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