Rimmel Lasting Finish Colour Rush Lip Balm - Swatches & Review!

Hello there! It's certainly been a while since I last posted...and I'm slowly trying to get back into the swing of things :)

Today I wanted to bring to you one of my most recent finds in the drugstore that was personally quite exciting. Rimmel London joined on the "Chubby Lip Crayon" trend and released its "Colour Rush Lip Balm" as part of its new Lasting Finish collection in UK towards the end of 2013. A couple weeks ago, I finally spotted them at Shoppers Drug Mart! However, the price tag of $6.99-8.99 (different Shoppers Drug Mart prices varies slightly) was bit high for my liking, so I decided to wait until Target or Wal-Mart stocked them in hopes that their price will be lower.

The waiting did pay off (sort of)! About a week later I found the display at Target for $5.99 each and I was able to purchase with my Target RedCard for another additional 5% off, so I picked up the following 4 colours:

L to R: 120 All You Need Is Pink // 220 Rumour Has It // 300 Viva Violet // 200 Keep Mauving

This product is your standard twist up jumbo crayon, packaging look and feel is basically identical to the Revlon Just Bitten Kissable Balm Stain, Jordana Twist & Shine, etc. It contains 2.5gm (0.095oz) of product, just slightly under Revlon's 2.7g, so there is hardly a noticable difference. The colour of tube is more or less an accurate representation of the lip balm so that's certainly handy.

The full display consisted of 10 colours in the range, apparently that's 3 more colour's than UK's original release of 7 colours.

Permanent display found at Shoppers Drug Mart

Let's jump right into the colours that I picked up :)

120: All You Need Is Pink: Originally I thought this colour was going to be more red because of the colour of the tube, however, once it is applied to the lips it becomes this bright pink colour. It is not a type of barbie pink, it is more like a muted hot pink colour but still carries a hint of fuchsia to deepen it slightly. This colour is definitely one that I will reach for often during the summer months because it alone does such a good job of brightening my complexion, perfect for when I want to keep my makeup to a minimum. Creamy colour with no shimmer particles.

220 Rumour Has It: Everytime I see this shade name I can't help but start humming Adele's awesome song...anyone with me? Anyway, because of its undeniable tie to the famous tune, I imagined this to be a deep dark red colour. But nope, it's still a pink colour, just deeper than "All You Need Is Pink", definitely more opaque lips. This pinky red colour is rather blue-based, and in general can make your teeth appear whiter, which I love. This is one that I'd reach for on a night out :) Creamy colour with no shimmer particles.

300 Viva Violet: A pinky violet/purple colour. Usually these colours, once they have too much purple tones in them, becomes a tad bit too dramatic for me to where on a regular basis. However, because the pink tones are much more prominent in this shade, this colour compliments wintery makeup trends beautifully. Perhaps I will not wear this much during the summer season, but as we are still in the Winter months here in Vancouver, this colour pairs beautifully with my smokier eye shadows and neutral tone cheek colours. It hasn't left my makeup bag in my purse since the day I got it! Creamy colour with no shimmer particles.

200 Keep Mauving: This colour is one of the more neutral in the line up. For myself, my natural lip colour is quite pigmented so this colour perfectly deepens the natural tones of them becoming a great "my lips but better" shade. For people with lips that are less naturally pigmented, this colour leans brown with hints of pinks that I think will be very appropriate for school or work because it's not such a bright colour, but rather able to help achieve the put-together look. Creamy colour with no shimmer particles.

Texture: These lip crayons are very comfortable to wear! They feel light and thin, but the colour payoff is amazing. It glides nicely on the lips with no tugging. However, it does tend to become patchy on any overly dry places on your lips so if you happen to have any of those you might want to add a basic lip balm underneath. All the colours applied creamy and shiny without any detectable shimmer or sparkly particles. I did not find that these dried my lips out at all, but don't expect them to be able to hydrate your lips if they are feeling a bit dry.

Scent & Taste: Straight from the tube I can detect a very faint but distinct sugary sweetness on the product, but it is not quite noticeable once you apply it on your lips. There is no minty scent or tingly feeling to these, so all in all I find them very comfortable to wear.

Colour Payoff: I would have to say colour payoff is perhaps one of the most impressive feature of these lip crayons. Even the light colours that I tested out at the store were able to provide opaque colours in one swipe! I don't have to go over the lips again and again to achieve the colour in the tube for any of these.

Lasting Power: These are not necessary advertised to be super long lasting, but the darker colours did leave a stain on my lips. Wear time is normal, most likely it will need to be reapplied if you were to eat and drink. Without eating or drinking, the original shine wore off in about 30 minutes but the colour was around for about 1.5 -2 hours. Again, because the darker colours do give a teeny bit of a stain effect so you can likely get away with not reapplying until after the 3 hour mark if the lack of shine doesn't bother you much.

Overall: I think these are great value for your money in terms of the amount of product and the quality of the product! I am very happy with the colours that I chose, however I wish the colour range did include one that was more of a true blue-based red. The overall colour range leaned quite pink, even the neutral colours were pink based. That kind of limited the selection of colours so perhaps Revlon still wins in the shade selection department, especially since they added a matte (very impressive) and super shiny line to their chubby lip crayons not that long ago. I say give these Rimmel Lasing Finish Colour Rush Lip Balm a try if you are one who enjoys lip colours that feels almost weightless on the lips but still provides shiny full-on colour in a single swipe :)

NEW! Maybelline Electric Neon Baby Lips - Swatches & Review

Hello everyone! It's been a while since I last posted...I've been busy with other things and a bit lazy too.. :( Anyway, today I would like to bring you a quick look at Maybelline's recent expansion to their Baby Lips line, with 6 new electric neon shades!

These have surfaced in the United States a couple months ago and since then I've been on a small but constant lookout for them to start appearing in our drugstores. I spotted these at my local Wal-Mart last week and have played with them for the past few days. They were in the permanent display along with the original shades and there is no indication to these being limited edition. Read on to find out my thoughts on how they compare to the original release of Baby Lips!

If you are not familiar with the Baby Lips formula, here is a quick blurb to get you up to speed. They are marketed as tinted moisturizing lip balms that provides 8 hours of moisture and gives a sheer wash of colour. The Baby Lips are lightly flavoured and it more or less related to the name and colour of the particular shade. So yes, each as a unique flavour! They are also lightweight and non-sticky.

These new shades in the range appear to be fun, bright, neon colours that seem like an awesome idea for summertime. The tubes are black for all but the writing on the cap corresponds to the colour of the lip balm inside. I find them so fun to carry around in my purse and there is a teeny bit of excitement that I get everytime I pull one out to use :P On the package it states that these are made "with shea butter & vitamin E". Both ingredientshave a reputation of being moisturizing. However, these new shades do not have SPF (sun protection), whereas the original shades do have SPF 20. **Fun fact: The limited edition shades also did not have any SPF.**

70 Pink Shock: This is a sheer hot pink shade, no shimmer. Perhaps the most pigmented of the bunch, it definitely gave the lips a pretty layer of pink that may replace the need for lipstick. This shade is slightly cherry candy scented, quite pleasant to me. The scent does linger on the lips for a while.

75 Fierce N Tangy: This shade appears "highlighter"-kind of neon yellow in the tube but swatches pretty much clear. It does not produce any colour on the lips and might as well be a clear lip balm. It is still very moisturizing and smells like lemons. However, the scent and taste is reminiscent to lemon-scented dish soap so that wasn't quite as enjoyable...

80 Berry Bomb: This is sheer purple shade with no shimmer. Even though it's name is Berry Bomb, I found the scent and taste resembling more that of grape than berry. A light, sweet kind of grape, nothing overwhelming and I quite enjoyed this one. This colour does not come off very strong on the lips, but it managed to give it just enough purple tinge that my natural lip colour deepened, but also enhanced the natural pink undertones.

85 Oh! Orange!: This one is pretty obvious, it's the orange shade! I also think the name of this shade is rather cute :) Unfortunately, this colour was not flattering on my lips or my skintone, it also seemed to accentuate my dry skin on the lips. The colour payoff is there though, so if yo're in the market for a fun sheer orange lip balm, this could be the one for you. It has a light minty orange scent.

90 Minty Sheer: So another one with no colour! This is the green one and true to its name, it's super sheer and it has a minty scent. However, this type of mint comes with a touch of "plant" to it...so not my favourite kind of mint. I personally much prefer the Peppermint scent of the original baby lips (clear balm in the green tube) over this one.

95 Strike A Rose: This is a great sheer red-pink colour, also no shimmer. Compared to Pink Shock, this looks more neon in the tube but comes off less neon on the swatch and on the lips. The end result for me was a healthy shade of pink with a lot of shine and a sweet fruity scent. I can't pinpoint it to a certain kind of fruit on this particular shade. I enjoyed this shade and I like how it gives colour but still sheer enough that your natural lip colour shows through.

Overall Impression: I think I enjoy most of these new Baby Lips shade! The texture of these new ones are even more soft and less sticky/slick than the original so I find that a great improvement on the formla, making me love it even more than the old. The colours aren't the most exciting thing ever but they work. Nothing would be scary to wear out of the house, however, for most of these you won't want to be caught applying them without a mirror because if you miss your lip lines, they are pigmented enough to let everyone know :P Also, it would be advisable to still use some sort of light lip balm with SPF prior to applying these Baby Lips, especially in the summertime with lots of sunlight, becase your lips get can get sunburned too! Lips are the most common place on the body that is neglected when it comes to applying sunscreen and there are a number of cases of pre-cancer being diagnosed from the lips. So please don't forget to shower your lips with some sun protection love too!! These were purchased at Wal-Mart for CAD$3.96 + tax, so the price is not too bad. I think these are a great option if you want something light, quick & easy, and affordable! 

Have you picked up any? Interested in trying them out too? Let me know below! :)

Joanne

Revlon Colorburst Lip Butter - 4 NEW SHADES for Spring 2013 - Review & Swatches

Rejoice, Revlon Lip Butter lovers! :) Revlon has released 4 new shades in their The Pacific Coast by Gucci Westman Collection for Spring 2013!

L to R: Juicy Papaya // Pink Lemonade // Sorbet // Wild Watermelon

These 4 shades have very yummy names that are quite fitting for their corresponding colours, all of which appear to be excellent transition shades from Winter to Spring. I personally really enjoy the Revlon Lip Butter line of products because of the excellent colour payoff despite a relatively lightweight formula. I don't find that these lipsticks dried out my lips or emphasized lip lines much, so I have pretty high hopes for these 4 new colours. Consistent with the original line of lip butters, these 4 do not have much of a scent at all.

Let's take a closer look at each of the shades :)

027 Juicy Papaya: Juicy Papaya is the obvious coral colour in the bunch and it contains no detectable shimmer. The swatch on the arm was made with 3 swipes and the resulting colour is rather sheer, especially compared to my previous experience with the Revlon Lip Butters. When used on my lips, it managed to tone down my natural lip colour but the coral/orange colour is not too strong. The colour payoff disappointed me on this one but it still wore comfortably on my lips.

047 Pink Lemonade: Pink Lemonade has such a cute name and it appeared to be such a cute (almost)baby pink colour in the tube. However, once swatched on the skin it was obvious that this is another very sheer colour. If looked at closely, you will notice sparse specks of micro glitter in the tube but it is almost undetectable once applied on the lips. Instead, the finish is a nice glossy sheen of sheer pink. Pink Lemonade is still on the sheer end of the spectrum, but with its non-drying formula, I'd consider this a nice on-the-run, fool-proof, lip product. If you happen to have less pigmented lips than I do, the pink will definitely show up more true to colour of the tube.

053 Sorbet: Sorbet is one of the two bolder shades in the collection; it looks like a bright blue-based fuchsia in the tube. It has a slight see-through jelly-like finish to it, so although not as bright as it appears in the tube, it actually becomes quite wearable! It is a cream finish with no detectable shimmer or glitter, and once applied to the lips, not too heavily, gives a very fresh and healthy look to your lips. It's a great pick-me-up colour, and also pairs nicely with a soft eye makeup look, wonderful for Spring :)

063 Wild Watermelon: Last but not least, we have the final colour of the collection, Wild Watermelon. The name, again is quite fitting to what the colour looks like in the tube. This colour appears to be quite similar to Sorbet, especially on the swatch. Comparing the lipstick bullet side-by-side with Sorbet, Wild Watermelon is evidently more red-based. The extra hint of red is what makes Wild Watermelon appear different on the lips. The colour can also be built up to be stronger than what I have done in my photo, so that in itself makes it quite a versatile colour. This shade is also a cream finish with no detectable shimmer or sparkle.

Overall, I enjoyed these new shades although they are quite different from what I have come to expect from Revlon Lip Butters. Evident in my swatches and lip photos, these 4 shades all run on the sheer side and that was almost unheard of for the 20 original shades released. Those of you who are expecting the colours to be as bright and bold as they appear in the bullet may be disappointed with at least 2, if not all 4, of the new shades. However, I think the fact that the colours are a bit more sheer than the original releases actually made the two bolder shades more wearable and unique as compared to the old Revlon Lip Butters.

Formula-wise, these are all on par with the 20 original releases. Lightweight, glossy, non-drying, and lasts an OK amount of time. The lighter shades, Juicy Papaya and Pink Lemonade tend to be weaker on the staying power, one problem being once they fade a little bit, I can hardly tell if they are there anymore, so I'd say probably 1.5 hours tops for those. The two bolder shades, Sorbet and Wild Watermelon, lasts about 2-3 hours without eating.

Finally, I'd like to mention that as far as I know at this time, these 4 colours are NOT limited edition, as they have been spotted with its own designated slots in permanent displays in the US. Although currently these are still only found with the special collection displays, I'd expect them to reappear in the Canadian Revlon permanent wall displays soon :)

Thanks for reading! What your favourite Spring time lip product?
Joanne

Maybelline Color Whisper Lipsticks - Review & Swatches!

I'm so excited to be able to write this post today. Ever since the very first sneak peaks and news of Maybelline's newest lipstick line has surfaced on the internet, I have been waiting eagerly for them to finally land in the drugstore. Here is what Maybelline has to say about their newest lip product in Spring 2013:

"Pure color pigments suspended in a weightless gel. No heavy waxes or oils. Soft, sexy gel-color." - maybelline.com

I purchased these for $7.96 + tax at Wal-Mart, which also happens to be where I found the new permanent display. Up until now I have not found a trace of these lipsticks at other drugstores yet, but I'm sure they will surface soon.

Today I share with you the 12 shades I have of the 20 available shades :)

Packaging: The lipstick tube of the Color Whispers are very sleek and pretty. They have the same build as all the other Maybelline lipsticks, BUT it's a teeny bit taller and quite a bit skinnier when compared side by side. I especially love the cursive logo on the side of the cap and I find it to be a very pleasing visual to the overall look. The cap is secured nicely at the bottom with grooves yet is still removable easily. I do not feel like it would accidentally pop open in a makeup bag or purse.

Color Whisper lipstick is noticeably slimmer than the regular lipsticks...

...and a bit taller!

The "Bright and Light"; swatches below

45 Who Wore It Red-er: Cream. This color is the most "red" color of the entire range, and it still transcribe to the lips with a strong hint of pink. The more it is built-up, the less pink it appears and becomes more red.

50 Cherry On Top: Cream. Similar in color tone to #45, but it is about 1 to 2 shades lighter. It gives a beautiful just-bitten look to your lips and is a great intro colour for anybody who is looking to venture into bright lipsticks. 

65 Pink Possibilities: Cream. A sheer mid-tone pink. It is a great my-lips-but-better (MLBB) colour. Very similar to #60 if worn sheer, but when it is built up it becomes redder than #60

60 Petal Rebel: Cream. This is the most "Barbie-pink" color of the entire range, and also happens to be the colour worn by the model in Maybelline's promotional poster. However, this one is difficult to show true to colour if you happen to have pigmented lips that are redder in tone, because the colour of the lipstick is pretty sheer. However, if you have lighter colour lips, about 3 swipes across should give you a nice pastel pink.

70 Faint For Fuchsia: Cream. This is pink with purple undertones. If you use it sheer it is definitely an MLBB colour, but it can be easily built-up to become a brighter colour that is eye-catching yet not overwhelming.

90 Oh-La Lilac: Cream. Don't let the lipstick tube scare you! This really is not as purple as it looks...if you wear it sheered out :P Because there is enough pink tone in it, when worn sheer there is hardly much purple that is noticeable and the colour becomes one that can give a healthy flush of color to your lips. 

The "nudes and darks"; swatches below

95 Mad For Magenta: Cream. Borderline purple berry colour, quite a bright pink if worn with several layers.

75 Rose of Attraction: Cream with sparkles. This is the only lipstick in the range that I have seen so far that has actual sparkles inside. The sparkles are noticeable in lights but I couldn't feel it on my lips; it had no gritty feeling to it at all. The base color is a rosy coral color.

80 Made-It Mauve: Cream. Sheer brick red. It ventures into the brown tones but still has enough red to make sure your lips are still healthy looking.

20 Mocha Muse: Cream. A sheer brown colour with a hint of red-undertone. It is quite sheer and doesn't really build up easily to show up on my lips, which are pretty pigmented on their own. 

25 Lust for Blush: Cream. Pinky-nude colour. I thought I would really love this particular one, but unforunately it, again, doesn't really show up on my lips, just gives it shine but that's about it.

85 Berry Ready: Cream. Berry Colour, just as the name suggests. This one is amazing, the pigmentation is so great. The swatch was just ONE swipe, where as all the other ones were 2 swipes. Of course, to get the colour on the lips it does require a couple swipes back and forth, but the opacity it produces rival that of lipsticks!

Scent: The Color Whisper lipsticks has no detectable fragrance as far I can smell. It has a very very faint sweet barely-there smell, but nothing more.

Taste: Similar to the scent, there is hardly any detectable taste to the lipstick after it is applied to the lips.

Texture: I feel these lipsticks really lived up to the claims of being lightweight. Wearing them, my lips felt hydrated without the feeling that I'm wearing a lip colour; I had no dry lips as the product wore off. There is just a very slight stick to the product that I can feel at the center of my lips when I talk. The texture and feel of these lipsticks are definitely on par with Revlon Lip Butters, L'Oreal Balm, and L'Oreal Caress Sticks, I may even like the Maybelline best out of the four.

Coverage: The coverage of these lipsticks are awesome! They are MUCH more pigmented than Maybelline Baby Lips without sacrificing to a dry texture. These are not to be confused with tinted lip balms, because they are much better than that. Maybelline Color Whispers are light lipsticks with strong color payoff and excellent moisturizing properties. Some shades, especially those lighter one and those leaning more brown and nude, will require multiple swipes across the lips to achieve the color in the tube. 

Wear-time: Wear-time is rather short for Color Whisper lipsticks. Since they are so lightweight, they hardly cling to the lips. Therefore, it wears off after about 2 hours, or 1 hour with lots of talking, or about 30 minutes if eating is involved. The shine is maintained quite well. The dark colours wear better than the lighter colours, likely because it is easier to still see it as it starts wearing off. I do not find that these produce a stain on my lips after wearing off, even for the dark colours. However, one downfall is that they do ACCENTUATE DRY LIPS, so make sure your lips are nicely moisturized prior! Also, because the product is so lightweight, it is actually quite slippery too and will move around the lips and is especially obvious with the light pinks.

Final Thoughts: Overall, I really enjoy this new line from Maybelline. I know that I love the deeper shades a bit more than the lighter shades. There are about 2 shades from the range that I know will be just TOO light to show up on anybody's lips and will just end up serving more of a shiny lip balm, so I will not be purchasing those shades. With most of the colours, a mirror is not necessary for application which makes reapplying on the go very easy. The lipstick feels so nice on my lips that I really don't mind having to reapply about every 1-2 hours. If you enjoyed the Revlon Lip Butters or L'oreal Caress Sticks, or found L'Oreal Balm underwheming, I HIGHLY recommend trying out a couple of the Maybelline Color Whisper Lipsticks! Favourite shades so far: BERRY READY, WHO WORE IT RED-ER, PINK POSSIBILITIES, CHERRY ON TOP.

Have you tried these? Let me know!

Joanne

NEW! Maybelline Baby Lips - Limited Edition Shades

Hello! Couple months ago, US based magazines started sporting ads from Maybelline that showed sneak peaks of 5 limited edition shades of their newest lip balm line Baby Lips. Not long after, 3 were spotted in stores in the US, but it took until yesterday, while perusing through the aisles of a Wal-Mart in Vancouver, that I discovered these LE shades on the north side of the border :)

The limited edition shades are (sadly) only available in these double packs in which they are housed with one other permanent shade. Going from left to right (LE shade names bolded):
1) Peach Kiss & CORAL CRUSH
2) Quenched & PINK WINK
3) Pink Punch & TWINKLE

I previously own Peach Kiss and Pink Punch; they are much loved products in the lip balm category (moisturizing with good colour payoff) for me and I really don't mind having now picked up back ups for those two. The shade Quenched is one that I didn't own previously so I'm excited to try that too. Needless to say, I am ecstatic about finding these 3 limited edition shades and can't wait to break them out of the package and try those out soon! Perhaps I will have time to do some swatches to post as well!

There will be two more LE shades that are to be released sometime in the new year, and the names are YUMMY PLUMMY & MELON MANIA.

Have you found these in your area too? 
Tried any? 

If you're interested make sure you keep your eyes out for them and I hope you find them soon! :)

Thanks for reading!
Joanne