Almost a Hit: Revlon ColorStay Ultimate Suede Lipsticks

Lipstick technology have come a long way these days – you don’t have to spend a fortune or look too hard for one that not only gives good pigmentation but also comfortable wear. In fact, even drugstore brands are coming out with fantastic products.

The latest is from Revlon with their Colorstay Ultimate Suede lipstick (although in Australia, their pricing doesn't really sit in the drugstore price point like they do in the USA at only US$7.99!)

Revlon ColorStay Ultimate Suede lipstick
I was lucky enough to win 3 of these in a recent giveaway on Beautyswatch and will be swatching them for you today:

Revlons’ Description:
A one-step, ultra comfortable lipstick that provides all day colour, giving lips a velvety, suede finish that looks and feels good.

My View:
Packaged in plastic colour-coded bullets with clear lids, they twist up and down and you can hear clicks as you get to towards the base products to let you know you can stop the twisting.

These lipstick are indeed comfortable on the lips, being lightweight, you barely feel that you've applied a layer of product on skin, gliding smoothly on lips. I didn't feel that they were hydrating lips (it has Shea butter, aloe and vitamin E) but they were not drying and will accentuate chapped lips to remember to prep with a lip conditioner if you have dry lips.

Pigmentation is also very good, obviously not as colour-packed as those of high end products but a couple of swipes and full opaque colour can be achieved, even on my deeper lips (note: the shades I tried are darker shades, so the lighter shades may not show up as well on darker lips).

The formula has a satin (semi-matte) finish rather than the namesake suede finish and is tacky on lips. This is my one big gripe about the product. I love everything about it except the tackiness, which seems to get worse the longer you wear the product. I overcome this by slicking a non-sticky clear gloss on top, which changes the semi-matte finish but at least removes the sticky feeling and gives it added hydration.

Tip: Another way to reduce the tacky feeling is to apply a very thin layer of the product onto lips and use a lip brush to define the edges and fill in any gaps that didn't get colour with the product already on lips.

As for longevity, these easily last 4 hours straight without smudging or fading. It even fares well through eating, lose some pigment, but enough remains (at least on the richer shades anyway) that you still have colour on your lips. You usually would re-apply your lipstick after eating anyway to avoid the coloured-ring look (where there is no colour in the middle of lips) so lasting over 4 hours was more than enough for me.

095 Finale –  the little sister of siren screaming red shades, Finale is a rich fresh red that brightens the face and perfect for daytime wear as it’s not too dark but still packs a powerful colour punch.

005 Muse – a rich pink with a blue undertone that looks lovely on cool tone skin but equally alluring on warm skin tones.

075 Cruise Collection – a mid coral red shade on my medium lips. This is by far one of my favourite shades in lip colours and suites all skin tones, especially warmer skin colours

Overall, I quite like these new lipsticks from Revlon. I enjoy the light formula, good pigmentation and good colour selection. Except for the tacky feeling that gets worse over time, they could have almost been the perfect lipstick.

Have you tried this new lipstick? What are your thoughts?

RRP A$25.95 Available in 20 shades in pharmacies, Kmart, Myer, Priceline and Target

Going Gaga over Revlon Colorstay Whipped Creme Makeup

When it comes to the one makeup item that I’m very fussy about, it would be foundation. It is after all a base makeup that goes across my whole face and need to sit well for the entire day on my skin so texture and wearability is important. Add to that the complexity of finding the perfect colour match, it’s like traversing a jungle to find the perfect product for foundation.

So when I recently tried a new foundation that meets all these criteria, I just couldn’t wait to share it all with you.

Revlon Colorstay Whipped Creme Makeup SPF 20

First up, the whipped creamy texture is thicker than liquid foundation, but lighter than traditional cream based makeup. In fact is has a gel like consistency and is similar in texture to some of the thicker Asian BB creams (which is not to be confused with the western BB creams which are thinner in consistency and generally more like tinted moisturisers).

The gel consistency allows it to glide easily over skin and make it a dream to blend and buff with the use of a synthetic buffer brush (I use the Signma F82 brush but any dense synthetic buffing brush would do, just don't use the flat paddle varieties which will leave streaks and need more blending effort). Even fingers will give an amazingly even and flawless finish with this makeup.

#320 Warm Gold(en) depending if you are in the US or Australia

You can easily build up the medium coverage formula to full coverage and achieve this without your skin looking like it’s being caked-on with product. It will easily help hide small blemishes, pigmentation and dark circles in a cinch. It imparts a soft natural finish, not glowy but not completely matte either so your skin don’t look flat after base application.

It’s also a very hydrating formula and my face doesn’t feel dry nor does it accentuate dry patches when used along my usual mositurising regime (serum then moisturise) despite the fact that that I usually suffer from dry skin the side of my face. The sun protection factor is also great even though I already use a separate sunscreen.

on NC30 skin, no flash in fluorescent light. See how well it blends and matches my skin it is almost invisible

As for colour match, I found my perfect match in #320 warm gold(en), which is a warm medium shade with a slight yellow undertone and is slightly darker than the same shade name in the ColorStay liquid foundation that’s been in my makeup rotation for the past 4 years. The other thing I like about this foundation is that it doesn’t oxidise and change its colour during its life on my face, ensuring that I don’t turn an weird orangey colour

I honestly cannot find any fault in this foundation. It boasts a time release formula to keep it looking fresh for up to 24hrs but in honestly my longest single period of wearing it was 15 hours and by the end of it, I’d say that 50% of it has faded but because it wears so well, there are fewer makeup crease marks around my nose and laugh lines thanks to the flexible technology, it still looked good on my skin. After 12 hours, the makeup is still farily intact so that if you do a quick oil blot and powder touch up, you can still look quite fresh at the end of a long day if you are heading out into the evening.

Yes, I’m gushing about this makeup as I didn’t think a whipped product would work for me because I’ve previously tried a few mousse foundation varieties (remember Maybelline dream smooth mouse foundation?) and didn’t like them. Revlon has really blown its competition out of the water and beats many high end products this time to come out with such an amazing foundation.

I cannot ask for more from a soft natural finish foundation that is so comfortable and long-wearing. I think it this is my 2012 holy grail status foundation. It's a big call I know, but I can't see many other foundations beating it. If you can find one in your colour (there are 7 shades available in Australia compare to 10 in the US), then you’d be silly to not try it.

RRP A$34.95 for 23.7ml at selected Priceline, department stores, Target, Kmart, Big-W and pharmacies.
This featured product was provided for consideration.

Top Gifts for the Holiday Season III

This third edition of holiday gift giving ideas will be a showcase of findings from the hours of online and instores scouring I've done in the last week in search for the ultimate beauty gifts that would make any girl happy on Christmas day.

GHD Midnight Set - RRP A$309

I haven't come across a single girl who doesn't like the GHD hair straightener styler. I've had mine for many years and if it was broken, I would definitely upgrade to this one. This deluxe set comes with a hardcase clutch to store the styler, 2 sectioning clips, a cute little mirror and a mini multi voltage hair dryer for travelling - super convenient, all of which come in a big black chest that you can use as a storage box. 

Available at selected salons nation wide and ry.com.au

L’Oreal Professionnel Serie Expert gift pack - RRP A$55

This great value gift pack comes in 3 variants.

• Serie Expert Vitamino Color for long-lasting radiance
• Serie Expert Force Vector for breaking hair
• Serie Expert Absolut Repair for fragile hair.

My personal favourite is the Absolute Repair set for fragile hair with a shampoo, conditioner and hair masque. It is just magic at preventing split ends and breakages in hair as well as boosting hair's hydration levels to keep it soft, silky and shiny.Available at Price Attack, Hairhouse Warehouse and other selected hair salons

The Aromatherapy Company - White Lily & Cassis Gift Set - RRP A$24.95
This pack from NZ contains 2 candles in glass jars and a 50ml reed natural essential oil diffuser set in the lucious Lily scent - it's heaven on earth for floral lovers like me.
Available in David Jones and selected Pharmacies.

Elizabeth Arden Prevage Total Protection Introductory Collection - RRP A$275/US$155
Having used the Prevage serum and day cream (review coming soon), I'm absolutely in love with the product but am crying poor at the prices. This set whilst still pricey is amazing value and the 50ml serum alone is arleady worth $265. So for a mere $10 more you get a 15ml face cream and 7.5ml night recovery cream. It is to date my holy grail anti-aging skincare and keeps face hydrated and protected all day long.
Available in limited quantities in Myer and David Jones.

Bobbi Brown Modern Classic Lip & Eye Palette - RRP A$160/US$75
Bobbi brown does a modern twist to her classic palette; the colours are all very wearable and the texture is just amazing and silky as to apply, it comes with a mini eye shadow and lip brush and have been on my Xmas wishlist for a whole month now...
Available in David Jones and selected Myer stores. 

Lanolips Christmas set - RRP A$19.94/$A24.95
There are 2 variations of these going around. Myer has the $24.95 set with 3 items (Rose balm hand cream, 101 ointment and lip ointment) while David Jones is hawking the $19.95 version for 2 items (Rose balm hand cream and 101 ointment only), both of which come presented in a pretty pink cosmetics bag for you to re-use. My tip would be to pick the Myer set as that gives you more bang for your buck .

Elizabeth Arden Luxury Beauty Hamper - RRP A$99
Contains a wide selection of eye makeup, lip colours and fragrances as well as a set of travel makeup brushes, all beautifully presented in a quilted red cosmetic case.

Revlon Foundation Holiday Set - RRP A$39.95
This pack contains the much raved about PhotoReady foundation (in shade Natural Beige) and 2 nail colours as well as a lip colour. Valued at over twice its selling price, it is a good time to try this foundation out if you haven't gotten a hold of it yet.
Available exclusively at Priceline

Mecca Cosmetica Metals Molten Shine Nail Set - RRP A$40
This limited edition duo will set your nails sizzling with a metallic coppery bronze that looks great against your (faux) bronzed skin and a lighter silvery taupe shade for muted but equally dazzling molten metal finish.
Available at Mecca Cosmetica counters and Mecca Maxima (Melbourne).

Estee Lauder Gloss To Go Set - RRP A$65
This limited edition of 6 pure colour glosses will bring shine, colour, shimmer and sparkles to lips, keeping your puckers soft, smooth and totally kissable on Christmas day.  These are new colours brought out especially for the holiday season and comes presented in a beautiful gold box. Get them while they lasts
Available at Myer and David Jones

Happy Christmas shopping everyone - the car parks are starting to fill up very quickly so be sure the go early in the mornings if you plan to do your shopping on weekends.