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

Rimmel London Wake Me Up Instant Radiance Shimmer Touch - Swatches & Review!

Of the several drugstore new products I've picked up lately, the new "Wake Me Up Instant Radiance Shimmer Touch" by Rimmel London is one of the ones that I am most excited to discover and try out. Of the available drugstore brands currently, I do not remember any brand has any liquid highlighter type of product available right now.

This new product is available in 4 different shades, and is sold for about $7-8, and is a permanent item in the Rimmel lineup.

Each tube contains 14ml of product, and the initial impression I get is that this is strikingly reminiscent of the NARS illuminator. Could this be the $36 (30mL) illuminator's drugstore dupe?

 "Lightweight, ultra-blendable mousse formula gives an instant touch of radiance. Wakes up skin with a halthy-looking glow. Long lasting flush of colour." - Rimmel London

As the claim suggests, the formula is quite mousse-y and blendable! But the fact that the product is housed in a squeeze tube means that controlling the amount of product squeezed out can be quite an art.  I find that often I squeeze out too much and end up wasting a bit of it... :(

L to R: Flush of Pearl // Radiant Rose // Peach Glow // Shimmering Sand

Flush of Pearl: This shade is a shimmery cream-pearl colour. I find that this is the most classic highlighter shade, and is best used on the high points of the cheekbone, down the nose bridge, and at the cupid's bow for that elevated look of your features.

Radiant Rose: This shade is a shimmery rosey-pink colour. This shade is the most pigmented of the four after blending out. This colour can be paired with powder blush to give an added glow to the cheeks.

Peach Glow: This shade is, as the name suggests, a glowy peach colour. This is a good alternative to "Flush of Pearl" if you have medium to darker skin tone, since the former could appear a bit ashy (from being too pearly-white) on deeper skin.

Shimmering Sand: This shade is a shimmery bronze-pearl colour. Absolutely gorgeous on people with medium-dark skin tones, or those who are tanned. The shimmer in this product is slightly more golden compared to the other ones, and is perfect for those who are looking for that "bronzed goddess" look, but may appear too orange for those who are in the lighter skin-tone spectrum. 

Overall, I find that this product, while the idea behind it is great, is just a little bit too shimmery for what I prefer in a highlighter. The consistency is also a bit too liquidy, as opposed to the "mousse" claim, which makes me expect it to be more creamy. The application is super easy, it is a good product for those who are just starting out to try out highlighters. I do really enjoy the shade "Flush of Pearl" for everyday use. I find the best way to apply it is squeezing a tiny pea size to the back of your hand, and then gently dabbing three small dots onto the area you wish to apply it (i.e. cheek bones, nose-bridge, etc) and gently blend out. Don't overblend! As it will rub off eventually all back onto the fingers and you end up with no colour but a bunch of shimmer on the face.

Lasting power is not strong, they do tend to fade quite fast if you don't set it with a powder product or a makeup setting spray. Without one, they lasted about 2-3 hours on me before it pretty much all disappeared, and I do not have oily skin by any means. 

As for whether or not they are a NARS illuminator dupe, I would have to, sadly, report that they are not quite there yet. If the colour can be a little more pigmented after blending out, consistency a bit more creamy, and the shimmer less sparkly after blending out, then it would be a great dupe. For now, I'd consider it an acceptable alternative to NARS, if you really must own a liquid illuminator. 

Another way to possibly make use of these liquid highlighters, especially the lightest shade, would be to use them as your brow-bone highlight. 

If you already have a good liquid highlighter you are currently using, I'd say you can probably skip this new product from Rimmel. If now, perhaps give one or two a try and you may be surprised at what it can do for you :)

Have you tried these out? Or let me know what your favourite highlighters are! Thanks for reading :)

Joanne

Rimmel London Kate Moss Matte Lipsticks - Review & Swatches!

Another Rimmel product and another lip product to talk about! Today it's about the newest addition to the Rimmel London Lasting Finish Kate Moss Lipsticks line, the MATTE lipsticks!

The packaging is so cute with the red tube and Kate's signature! The previous launch of the Kate Moss lipsticks brought us 15 new colours, in black tubes with Kate's signature in red. I really enjoyed those lipsticks because the colours were gorgeous, pigmentation was so amazing, the lasting power was good, and it didn't dry out my lips much at all. That being said, I had high hopes and expectations for this new line. However, since they are marketed at "matte", meaning no shimmer or shine, I do expect them to probably be a little bit more drying than its predecessor.

There are currently 10 shades available for sale, as part of the permanent display (these are NOT limited edition!), but I only purchased 7 of them because one was sold out that the time, and two are colours that I will not make any use out of (beige-nudes, almost concealer type of shades).

Packaging: The lipsticks are housed in a bullet that is the same shape and size as the standard lipsticks from the Lasting Finish line-up. I personally find that the Rimmel Crown logo imprinted that the top of the slanted lid is quite a classy touch and I really like it. However, for those of you who happen to store your lipsticks standing up (i.e. in lipstick holders) will not be able to stand these upside down to see the label on the bottom, since the slant top does not allow the lipstick to balance properly. The shade names are on a sticker at the bottom of the bullet. The twist part of the bullet feels a little flimsy but it is nothing major and nothing will break apart on you; I just mean that there seems to be less resistance to the twist than do other lipstick tubes. One thing to note is that the twist-able part is the black section, and that is exposed even when the cap is on, which means that there is a chance the the lipstick may be twisted upwards and be damaged against the closed cap. The red matte finish of the lipstick bullet brings a very feminine touch overall and the lipstick becomes quite eye-catching, which is nice :)

Scent: The lipsticks have a very typical and signature "lipstick" scent to them, which nowadays are somewhat associated with the "old lady lipstick" scent; a type of deep floral, non-sugary scent. However, the intensity of the scent is very low and comparatively, less and more toned-down than L'oreal lipsticks, if you happen to be familiar with those. The scent lingers for a little while after applying the lipstick to the lips and fades away within 15 minutes.

Pigmentation: I can not complain about the pigmentation of these lipsticks at all, because they pack such a punch! One swipe is pretty much enough to give full-coverage colour that is true to colour in the bullet. If you enjoy a bold lip look then apply one more layer and you are good to go. Or, an alternative would be to first apply a lipliner all over the lips and then apply this lipstick and you get instant opacity. The colour also applies fairly evenly, I did not notice much patchiness, which is always a plus.

Texture: As I mentioned before, these lipsticks run a bit on the drier side of the spectrum. That is partly due to the formula of the lipstick, for it is a matte finish. In my previous experience with the "Lasting Finish" line, they are not too moisturizing, since it does claim to have a longer weartime than others (too much hydration in a lipstick makes them slip and slide and therefore decrease weartime). So with a matte finish on top of a long-wear aspect, I do suggest prepping your lips well before applications. Using a good lip balm prior should be enough to do the trick for you. If you happen to have chapped lips with some dry skin, it would be best to give them a quick scrub before adding lipbalm because these lipsticks WILL ACCENTUATE DRY PATCHES. Provided that your lips are nicely primed prior to application, this lipstick will dry down to a non-shiny matte finish within 2 minutes and sits quite comfortably without feeling too heavy, however, I would not classify these as lightweight lipsticks.

Staying Power: The colour will definitely not last you thoughout an entire 8-hour work period, but it's nothing shabby and will last at least 2-3 hours provided there is no heavy eating involved during that time. However, when fading happens, I found that it faded from the center out, leaving a kind of an odd ring of colour around the lips. But, what I found was that if I applied a lip liner of a similar colour all over the lips first, before applying the lipstick, the fading effect diminishes quite a bit, and also the "ring of colour" from the fading becomes much less noticeable. Transferring of colour still happens after 1-2 hours, but it doesn't take off your lip colour completely.

Swatched with a single swipe from the tube.

As you can see from the above swatch, made with just one swipe of the lipstick, the colour intensity is great and the pigmentation is distributed relatively evenly. Pretty awesome for a $7 drugstore lipstick!

101: Matte - A true pink, with hint of blue undertone, slightly less bright than a barbie-pink.

102: Matte - A brighter pink than 101, with a definitely coral undertone

103: Matte - Pinky-mauve colour, a great noticeable colour without being too red. Could be a my-lips-but-better (MLBB) colour for those with more pigmented lips.

105: Matte - A brown-nude colour with slight hints of red. This is a very natural colour despite the way it may appear next to all the pinks and reds, it is a MLBB for me that evens out my natural lip colour and gives a polished look without being overdone.

107: Matte - A beautiful berry red colour. This colour is the deepest shade of the entire line. Not for someone who doesn't like bold colours on the lips, but those of you who can, or are looking to venture into the berry lips trend, this is a great colour for you! And perhaps better make the most use out of them while winter is still around, since the colour maybe a little too deep for the upcoming Spring season :)

109: Matte - An orange-coral colour. With a light hand at application (i.e. gentle dabbing across the lips rather than swiping) this colour mixes nicely with your natural lip colour to create a flush of healthy colour. Apply heavier and this becomes a really fun summer colour!

111 Kiss of Life: This is the only colour in the entire line that has an actual shade name. This is the colour that is worn by Kate Moss on the display and promotional pictures! This is a true primary red, it has no obvious undertones, perhaps just slightly leaning more towards the warmer side of reds. However, the red is so bright and fiery that the tone of it will likely be ignored after application. This is a beautiful. classic shade of red that is best paired with a simple eye look and even complexion.

Overall I think these are a line of great lipsticks that are could be worth checking out :) Thanks for reading and definitely let me know what you think of them by leaving a comment! I'd love to know your thoughts!

Joanne

CoverGirl Outlast Stay Brilliant Nail Gloss - NEW nail polish - swatches!

Wow! Covergirl FINALLY released a line of nail polish again! It has been so long since their last nail polish line and frankly, I'm quite excited to see what CG has in store for us this time! I first spotted the new free-standing display in Shoppers Drug Mart about 2 weeks ago, and at that time it was listed with a regular price of $7.99. Even though many colours appealed to me, I held myself back from the rather high price tag. However, perusing the beauty aisle of Shoppers Drug Mart again today, I see found the polishes on sale for $5.99. It was time to buy several! :)

And several it was...the nail polish addict in me could not possibly leave the scene with just one..or two bottles. Nope, it will seven! Each bottle contains 11mL of product, which is slightly under OPI or China Glaze's 15mL bottles, but in comparison with other drug store polishes, Covergirl is right on the money! Essie, Revlon, Wet n' Wild, Rimmel, etc are slightly higher at a little over 13mL, Sally Hanson has some that are also 11mL, and Maybelline and Essence are slightly under at 7mL and 8mL, respectively.

I find the bottles of the Outlast line quite appealing also! In fact, they remind me a little bit of the high-end brand CHANEL and their nail polish line. Of course, the two are not exactly the same, but the shape, size and even cap design are very similar. These polishes have an external square cap that is to be removed and reveals the circular cap and brush underneath.

The brush is nothing out of the ordinary, just the typical slim brush. However, despite being on the thinner side coming out of the bottle, the brush actually spreads quite wide during application, which, in the end, still helps to achieve a flawless finish. :)

Right To Left: Always Naked, Magawatt Mauve, Smokey Taupe

Always Naked: This is a cream polish, with no sparkles or glitter. It is a very neutral colour, capable of giving the hands a very slim illusion. Colourwise, Always Naked is just a tiny bit tanner than Essie's Sand Tropez.

Megawatt Mauve: This is a cream polish, with no sparkles or glitter. It is a neutral dusty pink with a coral undertone. The colour is definitely workplace appropriate!

Smokey Taupe: This is a cream polish, with no sparkles or glitter. It is a dusky purple, leaning towards grey. I find this polish to be able to give the illusion of whiter skin of the hand, and when wearing it, it gives off a very sophisticated vibe.

Right to Left: Forever Festive, Wine to Nine

Forever Festive: This is a near-metallic finish polish, it is mostly red but in the light there is the slightest gold reflects. This polish is the perfect classic red nails for parties, especially during this time of the year with the holiday season!

Wine To Nine: This is a cream polish, with no sparkle or glitter. Please let me start by saying I LOVE the name, it's just too cute! And it is very fitting for the colour as this polish is a very soft yet wine colour with a plum tone to it. Absolutely stunning for nights out and it will go perfectly with any sort of gold accents.

Right to left: Golden Opportunity, Mint Mojito

Golden Opportunity: This is a finely milled sparkly polish. It is a silver-tone gold that doesn't come off too yellow. It is quite a festive polish that can be act as a base for glitter polishes, or definitely can be worn alone for that soft-spoken type of glam look!

Mint Mojito: This is a cream polish, with no sparkle or glitter. The shade is VERY close to the infamous Tiffany blue; it may just be a hair deeper and greener. This is similar to ESSIE's Turquoise & Caicos which is a bit greener, and to China Glaze's For Audrey which is a tiny bit bluer and lighter. 

Swatches part 1

Swatches part 2

The above swatches were all done with a single coat, which I find to be pretty amazing! The dry time was quite fast and was not streaky; the polish has really nice self-leveling abilities :) The finish was smooth and shiny and I'm very excited to test it on my nails for wear; would it really live up to it's "OUTLAST" claims? Now the big question is just...which one do I chose??

The following picture is of my swatch wheel held up to a light, and the polish doesn't appear to have too many "bald spots", an indicator of whether a polish will be sheer or patchy. With only one coat of polish on the swatch wheel, I have to say I am pretty impressed with the performance!

Checking for "bald spots" against the light!

The full display has 27 shades availabe, are you interested to pick up a couple and try for yourself if you come across them? Let me know what you think!

Thanks for reading,

Joanne