Review: Lip Bar Holiday 2015 Collection

Pardon my 2 and 1/2 month blog break. It was unintentional. Between the holidays, being sick on and off, and then having inventory at my work, I was super busy! I'd like to report that I am fully recovered from the holidays. Though I was sick just this past weekend (the weather here is being crazy!), I'm on the mend! I'm feeling much better and though the weather can't make up its mind, it is getting warmer here -slowly! I also am happy to report that hard work pays off! Though my job spent a month and half preparing for inventory at my work, we did indeed improve from last year and were successful overall! So, now I'm ready to get back to blogging! I was very happy in accomplishing my goal in 2015 for blogging more than I did in 2014. I even started 3 other blogs! I want to blog even more in 2016 than I did in 2015 and I know I'm off to a rough start, but it's not too late! I'm going to catch up now!

I'm starting my 2016 blogging with a review from The Lip Bar. The lipsticks I'm reviewing are from their 2015 Holiday Collection. Unfortunately, the shades are not available anymore, but I feel this company needs more recognition! This is not my first Lip Bar purchase. I first heard of The Lip Bar on Hautelook a couple of years ago. I ordered some lipsticks in some unique colors. Most of those colors are discontinued now, but I love them. I may do a review with those later on. 

The story of The Lip Bar is amazing! The company is founded by Melissa Butler who was working in the corporate world of New York, but desired a more creative and colorful career. So, she started making lipsticks in her kitchen and now has a full line of lipsticks, lip glosses, and liquid lipsticks. The company also has a very cool truck that acts as a mobile shop! To top it off, she comes from my home state of Michigan! So, I have to try and support! - All the products are made to be vegan and natural, which is what initially drew me to the products. I am always in search of products that are natural and safer than what is normally found on the market.

[left to right: Crimson Wonderland & Frostbite in natural lighting]

Of the 2 lipsticks that were released this past holiday season, only 1 of them was actually new. "Crimson Wonderland" was actually released for the holiday season in 2014 and they brought it back in 2015. "Frostbite" was brand new for the 2016 holiday season. Both were released in November and I purchased them on a great Black Friday sale that they had! Originally, they were $25 a piece. I was able to purchase them for half off at $12 a piece. If you were lucky enough to catch their clearance price after the holidays they were $10 a piece! I just couldn't wait till the end of the holidays! To me, these just scream holiday party!

[swatches left to right: Crimson Wonderland & Frostbite in natural light]

Above are swatches on my arm of the shades in natural lighting and I think they are beautiful! They definitely are perfect for the holidays and very different from the company's normal lineup of bright and bold colors. These 2 are definitely more wearable and fit a lot of occasions.

 [wearing: Crimson Wonderland in natural light]

Crimson Wonderland is described as: "The perfect holiday red" and is suppose to have a semi-matte finish. To me, this is a cool toned red with a blue undertone. I also found this shade to be more of a satin then a matte. I do love the color though! The pigmentation is beautiful. The formula doesn't dry out the lips and actually does give some moisture too. The Lip Bar lipsticks boast about their ingredients; besides being natural and vegan, they also contain Vitamin E and Coconut Oil.

[wearing: Frostbite in natural light]

Frostbite is described as "semi-matte plum". To me, this a berry red shade in a satin finish. Like it's partner, this lipstick offers some hydration to the lips and does not dry out the lips at all. 

The packaging of these babies really sets them apart from other limited edition lipsticks released! The tubes look like the standard intricate design from The Lip Bar, but instead of having the matte black finish, they put these babies in a shiny gold finish. It was a nice touch. Not to mention the company has it's own tissue paper!

Final Verdict

The packaging and presentation is on point! I've always been impressed with how sturdy and beautifully designed The Lip Bar's packaging is for their lipsticks. The shades are beautiful, but honestly easily duped as well. What sets Crimson Wonderland and Frostbite apart are the fact that they're handmade and infused with good products for your lips. They're performance and pigmentation are great! The only issue I had with these is that they were advertised as a semi-matte and they're a satin at best. It's hard to have lipsticks be moisturizing and matte at the same time though. I'm personally fine with these not being semi-matte, because in the winter season I have problems with dry skin and lips and these help with that issue; I don't have to worry about having perfectly primed lips all the time when wearing them. Unfortunately, they're limited edition and the company is not making anymore. If you're interested I would wait until the holiday season, when I'm sure they will pop back up again and probably bring a new friend or two.

Update: I found that you can still purchase Crimson Wonderland here. It's at the full price of $25 and it looks like it's sold in the regular black packaging.

Review: Jeffree Star Cosmetics' 2015 Holiday Collection

It's been quite a busy time for me these past few weeks with the Holidays coming to an end, dealing with some family issues and work. I've not had as much time to blog or even rest, but here I am coming with a new review just in time for the holidays! I have the Velour Liquid Lipsticks from Jeffree Star Cosmetics' holiday collection!

***Scroll to the bottom of the page to read an overall summary of the review and skip the fine detail.

For those who may not know- Jeffree Star Cosmetics is an indie make-up company started by pop star, Jeffree Star. His launch of liquid-to-matte lipsticks, called Velour Liquid Lipsticks, have been a smash hit in the beauty community and are now sold at Beautylish and Morphe! The company has only been around for slightly over a year now since they launched on Black Friday of 2014 and this is the first holiday collection for the brand!

[left to right: Ho Ho Ho, Mistletoe, Drug Lord, Doll Parts]

There were 5 lipsticks originally released exclusively for the holidays. I was only able to get my hands on 4 of the 5, but best believe I tried my hardest to get all of them! The first time they were released I was at work, so I wasn't able to get my hands on them. The next release, I was only able to get 4 of the 5 and the final release sold out so fast that I failed to get the "Androgyny" which was the last shade I needed. But the show must go on! Each lipstick was $18 and that's the regular price of these Velour Lipsticks. The packaging was specially made white with rose gold accent, which differs from the normal bright pink packaging with gold accent.

[swatches of the Jeffree Star Cosmetics Holiday Collection]

Left to Right

• Ho Ho Ho
• Mistletoe
• Drug Lord
• Doll Parts

[shade: Ho Ho Ho in natural light]

"Ho Ho Ho" is described as a "fierce, deep toned red with hints of metallic red and purple". My personal take is that it's a deep, berry red with tiny flecks of purple and red glitter. I tried my hardest to capture the glitter, but to no avail, I could not get it to show up with my camera and using the flash didn't help either. Even when the lipstick is on the lips it is hard to detect the glitter, which is nice for those who are not into glitter and shimmer. However, I'm a fan of glitter make-up and I was hoping to finally have a liquid lipstick that had glitter in it, but this was not the case. It's a beautiful red and perfect for the holidays, but not the most unique or special color out there. If there was one color to skip in this collection I would say this is it, just because there are so many red lipsticks out there and most of us have one similar or probably an exact dupe. I almost skipped on this one at first, but when I couldn't get Androgyny I said "what the heck!" and bought it anyway. I certainly do not regret buying it though and I will wear the heck out of it! The color performs well and lasts me a good 8 hours if I'm not eating or drinking. This shade is super pigmented and only needs 1 layer for opaque coverage.

***I have the original red shade released from this collection that's called "Redrum" and I can personally vouch that "Ho Ho Ho" is much more cool toned and much deeper of a shade!

[shade: Mistletoe in natural light]

"Mistletoe" is described as "true Christmas tree green matte". It is definitely a matte green, but when I think of a Christmas tree I think of a dark green or an evergreen color. To me this is a true green. I love it! I know LA Splash has made green shades of matte lipstick before, but I'm not a fan of that company. To me, this is the first real green liquid lipstick on the market and of course only Jeffree Star is bold enough to go there! I sincerely am thrilled with this color and will be sad once it runs out, since it is limited edition, but I keep hope that it will make a comeback one day. This shade lasts pretty well. The most I have worn it without touching it up is 4 hours, but I did eat food at these times. Food will always wreck liquid lipstick, especially if it's oily. I personally experienced this shade to be well pigmented, but still needs about 2 or 3 layers for full coverage.

[shade: Drug Lord in natural light]

"Drug Lord" is described as a "matte white" and that's exactly what it is. This is the first ever matte white liquid lipstick on the market and while some shied away from it because of it's bold nature, I couldn't get my hands on it fast enough! I saw the sneak peaks over the summer from Jeffree Star's Instagram and from that moment I eagerly awaited it's release! There's so much one can do with a pure white lipstick! Everything from using it as a mixer to cosplay options - this was definitely something I needed in my make-up wardrobe. Because of its light-colored nature, it does take about 3 layers to get it opaque. I found it best to wait until this shade dries completely before adding more layers. A great tip for this shade and other lighter shades is to pat on color in areas that need more coverage rather than continuously slathering on more layers all over, as this will give a smoother finish and waste less product. Drug Lord will emphasize any dry patches or dead skin on the lips, so exfoliating to the fullest is a must with this lippie! Once this white has dried, it stays put! I hope Jeffree Star Cosmetics will release this again in the future, because when I run out I will definitely want more! In my personal opinion, this should be part of the permanent collection.

[shade: Doll Parts in natural light]

"Doll Parts" is described as a "cool toned pink". It is cool toned, but I was surprised at how mauve it is when I received it. All of the pictures on Instagram made this shade look much pink-er than it really is. I do have quite pigmented lips, which would help deepen the shade, but this in itself is definitely more of a browned pink, aka mauve. I do like it and it's great for an every day color. I have found myself wearing these to work parties I've attended with my finace, since it isn't too flashy for those black tie moments, but it doesn't have much of a holiday feel. It seems more like something that would be a regular release for this company, but it is still a nice shade. It's very pigmented and only needs 1 layer for opaque coverage! It stays put after drying and dries fast. Minimal touch-ups are needed.

Final Verdict

I have never been disappointed in Jeffree Star Cosmetics' Velour Liquid Lipsticks. The formula speaks for itself! They are pigmented and creamy. They do not dry out the lips and they stay put for up to 8-12 hours. They dry down matte like they're suppose to and look amazing. Not to mention the unique colors they come up with! - As for the holiday collection. I think it's a great first go at a holiday collection. It was a bit frustrating with the online ordering and the limited supply versus the number of people who tried to buy these. Even with the lipsticks being sold on 2 other sites it was still hard to get! However, that's the only bad thing I can say about the collection. The lipsticks themselves are all greatly pigmented and perform like champions! The only question you should have is: What color do I want?

Androgyny Update- It was announced on the final release date of this collection that Androgyny will be a permanent shade in the collection after so many were bummed that they could not get it and it sold out so fast! It will return in February 2016 in the regular pink and gold packaging. I will definitely be trying to get my hands on it!

Doll Parts update- It is a rumor as of right now that Doll Parts may be part of the permanent collection in the future. No dates or a future release have officially been announced, however.

Stock Update

• As of right now all holiday shades are sold out on JeffreeStarCosmetics.com. Drug Lord & Doll Parts are still listed on the site, despite being sold out. Mistletoe and Ho Ho Ho have been removed.
•  Beautylish still has Mistletoe in stock. All other shades are out of stock, but still listed.
• Morphe still has Mistletoe in stock. Doll Parts and Ho Ho Ho are out of stock, but still listed. Drug Lord has been removed from their listings.

Other Products Used:

• Tarte Amazonian Clay 12-hour Full Coverage Foundation - foundation
• MAC Prep + Prime Skin Smoother - face primer
• Too Faced "Shadow Insurance" - eye primer
• Tarte "Tarlette Palette" - brows
• Too Faced Chocolate Soleil Matte bronzer - contour
• MAC "Ocean City" - blush
• Too Faced Chocolate Bar "Salted Caramel" - crease color
• MAC Electric Cool eyeshadow "Super Watt" - all over lid color
• It Cosmetics Naturally Pretty palette "Love" - upper crease blend color
• It Cosmetics Naturally Pretty palette "Pearl" - inner eye color
• Tarte Tarlette Palette " Best Friend" - outer corner and crease color
• Tarte Clay Pot Liner "Black" - upper lid liner
• Tarte Lights Camera Lashes Closeup Liner - bottom lash liner
• It Cosmetics Hello Lashes - mascara
• Tarte Lights Camera Lashes Statement Mascara - mascara

Review: MAC Punk Couture Lipsticks

The Punk Couture collection by MAC was released at the end of December of last year (2013). Most of the collection were re-promotes, which is a good thing if you wanted something you ran out of; missed; or was damaged/lost. 

I'm still behind, but originally I was never going to post anything on these lipsticks. I feel that just about everyone in the beauty community who wanted these did indeed buy them and they all posted their swatches and selfies with them. So, I didn't really feel the need, but since I have had time to use them, I thought I'd give my review on them. So, this is more informative than just swatches and pictures. All but 1 of the lipsticks were new and on the day they were released I bought 3 of the 4 lipsticks at $15 a piece. The one lipstick I could not come to buy was "Punk Couture" which MAC described as a "deep blackened grape". It was really purple to me and I enjoy light purples, but not dark ones.

The 3 lipsticks I bought from the Punk Couture collection:

• Hautecore
• Instigator
• Studded Kiss

The lipsticks came in black tubes that are shaped similar to bullets and have the MAC logo printed on it. 

Here are the lipsticks before they were ever used. They do look quite beautiful if I do say so to myself. In the same order as the boxes- Hautecore, Instigator, Studded Kiss. All 3 lipsticks are Retro Mattes. (In case you don't know, "Retro Matte" is a super matte formula from MAC. This is a step above a regular matte.)

Here are the lipstick swatches. I only swiped the lipstick down my hand once each and that is amazing! You can see how pigmented they are and how nice they apply. From left to right- Hautecore, Instigator, Studded Kiss. The only issue I had with these lipsticks were with Hautecore and you can see on the swatch that it has patchy spots. Hautecore just does not apply completely smooth.

Here is what Hautecore looks like on. It is described as a "true matte black" and this was the only lipstick that was not new to MAC. This was released on Black Friday of the same year (2013) as a special. Although it was said by MAC that this was an early release and that those who did not get it on Black Friday would be able to buy it later when the Punk Couture collection was released, so the plan was always to release Hautecore in this collection -it's just technically a re-promote. As for the lipstick itself- it is matte and it does look nice on. It wears decently, but the application is not smooth. It takes work and multiple layers to build up the smooth and opaque look you see here. Though a lot of people have said the same thing I have about this lipstick, overall it is loved and I assume that is because there are not a lot of matte blacks in the cosmetic world and especially in the major market. This one takes a bit to set as well and in my opinion does not appear as "retro" as the other retro mattes I own. You can see in the picture it does not look as flat as most retro mattes and is almost more like a regular matte. It wears nice though once you actually get the lipstick to your liking.

This is Instigator. This is described as a "deep blackened plum". Well, in the swatches that were released before the collection were released made it look almost black and to me that seemed too close to Hautecore and wasn't worth purchasing. This lipstick is a very nice color and even though it is quite dark, it's still light enough to be worn on quite a few occasions. This lipstick takes a bit to set. The retro matte of this lipstick will show once it has dried and set on your lips, until then it is more like a regular matte. For the most part this lipstick applies nice, but if you have lips that are more on the pigmented side you'll need a few more layers to make it opaque. It wears very nice though. I've not worn it for more than about 5 hours or so at a time, but it has lasted me nicely every time I've worn it.

Finally, here is Instigator as worn. It is described as a "dark oxblood red". This is the one lipstick most people passed on for being "ordinary" or "too similar to others". I understand to an extent, with RiRi Woo just released before and that's a similar (but not exact) retro matte red, but I like it. It is darker than RiRi Woo. Of course me being the odd duck, I choose this one over Punk Couture, which Punk Couture was more sought after. This lipstick applies the smoothest of all 3 and the most opaque. It wears very nicely and I enjoy it. This lipstick sets fast too and the retro matte effect shows through nicely.

Overall, all of these lipsticks are very nice and have that vanilla scent that MAC lipsticks do. They wear nice and I personally did not experience any drying from these formulas on my lips. As with most mattes and especially retro mattes, your lips should be prepped and smoothed before applying for best performance and appearance. You cannot buy these lipsticks anymore in stores, but there are a lot still available for sale by individuals and the prices are around $30-$45 depending on which lipstick and who is selling it. If you don't feel like overpaying you can wait for a re-release. I have a good feeling all of these lipsticks will be available again at some point.

Leave all questions and comments below, and if you have your own review of any of these lipsticks then please feel free to leave your link below!

CVS Last Chance Sale Summer 2013

As many of you know, CVS has been having a Last Chance sale. They marked things 50%-75% off, which is a great deal, even if you consider that CVS usually has higher prices than Walmart or Target (with the exception of sales or the use of coupons). I really wanted to jump on this sale, but my grandfather was ill and I wasn't able to go about my day doing what I please. To make a long story short, he passed away and my time and money went to a 20 hour trip and family matters. - Most of the sale items, at least around my area, are gone. Some of the CVS stores have even taken down the sale banners. I happened to stop in a CVS that is in a town just outside of where I live, because I was waiting for my car to be fixed. I actually have never been in this CVS before, but it is nice. I did find a few clearance items, but most of it would not suit my skin tone or skin type. However, I did find 1 gem and couldn't pass it up! For $2.12, which was 75% off of the regular retail price, I found a Revlon Super Lustrous Lipstick!

The color is #663 "Va Va Violet". It is a deep, dark purple. For those not familiar with Revlon lipsticks, they don't have a scent and they're pretty nice lipsticks for drug store cosmetics. I personally am not a fan of their rival, L'Oreal. I cannot stand the smell of L'Oreal lipsticks!

I have always been a fan of dark colors, especially purples and reds. (I also really like browns; more along the lines of cafe colors.) So, I was really satisfied with my find! From what I can tell from the other stores around here and on the Revlon site, it looks like this color has been discontinued. -I shall enjoy it while it lasts.

When swatched, this color is not as intimidating as some people may first feel it is. Obviously, for me, it's not an every day color and I don't think it would be for most of us, but I'm excited to wear it out!