Rimmel Apocalips Lip Lacquers

Rimmel recently launched the latest lip offerings into the market called Apocalips. 

I was initially thinking this would could be another hybrid lipstick-stain product(al la L’Oreal Shine Caresse) but it is in fact a new category in its own right. This is a new breed of lip lacquers/glosses that are highly pigmented and creamy in texture, as you would find in traditional lipsticks but with the shine that is often seen in lacquer glosses. Lets check out the official wordings first shall we? 

Rimmel Says:

Combines the intense colour of lipstick with a lacquer like shine, Apocalips lacquers are packed with pure colour pigments; its lusciously creamy, conditioning formula promises a never-before combination of colour, shine and comfort that lasts and lasts.

My Views: 

Lightweight and wearing comfortably, it feels very emollient on lips without a hint of tackiness or stickiness  and the high shine also helps to create a plumping effect for those with thin lips. 

It conditions like a lip balm, helps to prevent lips from drying but will show up chapped lips so conditioning lips and exfoliating them is a must (try a dry toothbrush after showering when the flaky lips are softened).

The colours range from subtle nudes to bright and vibrant shades so there’s bound to be a shade that suits all occasions. One swipe of the brighter shades and you have full coverage on your lips – something i’m very impressed with.  What’s better is that you can layer these lacquers so you can mix two Apocalips together to form your own custom shade as well as dial up or down the brightness of the colours. 

Under natural light on NC30 skintone

Under Flourescent light on NC30 skintone

Packaged in a doe-foot sponge applicator, it spreads the formula easily and can even be used to create defined lines when tilted on its side which makes touching up on the go easy-as. It has a tasteless but distinctive apple peel scent which is quite unique as well.

My only complaints are that some of the creme shades without any micro shimmer to add dimension can make lips look flat ‘painted on’ (which also could be an effect you are going after as well but isn't flattering for everyday wear). Good thing is that this can easily be resolved with layering of shades to create one that sits better on your skin.  

Lasting-power wise, the nude colours survived about 1 hr of wear before fading and disappears even faster when eating but the brighter shades lasts 2-3 hours and still holds its colour through light eating. 

The Colours

100 Phenomenon
A pale pink nude that looks best on fair skin and those with cool skin tones for a very natural my lips but better look. Those with pigmented lips like myself with have some difficulty pulling off the look with this shade as it’s washes out the lips too much. 

600 Nude Eclipse
A brown based nude pink that works much better on warmer skintones and also sits better with pigmented lips. This would be the ‘my nude lips’ look if you have medium or warm skintones – then this shade is for you. I love wearing this on my lazy weekend days where i like a bit of hydration but am not going for colour.

701 Stargazer

Full of golden micro-shimmer, Stargazer is very sheer and on my lips, I can barely see the colour other than the shiny shimmer from different angles. I think this shades works best when layered over other lip products to bring some golden warmth and sparkle to the colour. 

201 Solstice 

This is a dusky rose shade that would suit all skintones. The presences of shimmer adds a dimension to lips and just makes this an even more exquisite shade on my skin. This is one of my top picks  of the Apocalips collection.

101 Celestial  

This is a warm dusty pink with a creme finish. It differs from Solstice in that it's a brighter version of the shade and it doesn't contain shimmer is produces a nice block colour effect for lips.

102 Nova
This is a cool Barbie-resque mauvy pink that would wear better on those with cool and light colour skintones.

501 Stellar 
This is a warm and vibrant cherry red that just pops and brightens up lips and goes well with all skintones. In bright white lights, it even has a slight orange tint to it. I love wearing this on my no-eye makeup days because all attention goes to my lips.

303 Apocaliptic 
A rich berry pink, this signature shade that just accentuates the pouts and again would suit all skin tones. It's definitely another bright colour so make sure you co-ordinate your blush with warm berry colours when wearing this shade.

Personally, I love the texture and comfortable wear of Apocalips. My top picks from the current eight shade offering would have to be Solstice, Stellar, Apocaliptic and Stargazer for layering. These lacquers are even better value when on sale (as often can be found at the Chemist Warehouse) for up to 50% off. 

Apocalips Lip Lacquer RRP A$15.95 and is available from Priceline, Priceline, Target, Kmart, BIG W, selected pharmacies and selected Coles and Woolworths stores. 

YSL Rouge Pur Couture Glossy Stain - Swatches and Review

Being prone to dry lips, I prefer my lip products to be of the hydrating variety but I love intense colours as well. So when YSL released their hybrid technology Glossy Stains last year – it just met all my lip needs.

This new generation of hybrid lipstick/gloss/stain technology with amazing wear just captivated me. I know there are countless reviews of the products already out in the web, but I’ll just add in my two cents today and explain why I love them so much!

YSL Rouge Pur Couture Glossy Stain

YSL Rouge Pur Couture Glossy Stain is marketed as:
"a technological breakthrough, a must-have with an exceptional hold. Fresh and light, the texture does not run, streak or fade. Lips show off a new kind of shine, they are infused with show off a new kind of shine, they are infused with colour. The pleasure is reinforced by an extraordinary feeling of comfort."

Glossy Stain is packaged in a bold black plastic rectangular tube with a clear window on the panel to indicate the shade of the product with a gold applicator lid on top and a red embossed YSL logo.Overall, it feels weighty, practical, sturdy and looks classy – all things you would expect from a high end product and from YSL albeit not as luxurious as their other lip product packaging (hello Rouge Volupte Shine!).

The applicator itself has a tapered flatten tear-drop shaped sponge tip, which works very well for depositing the product on lips brushing out to cover and blend, and when turned on the side, the brush does a great job of defining the edges of the lip.

The formula is the stand-out factor of the product. It has a faint and pleasant rose/floral scent when applied to lip, feels initially watery with a bit of slip, giving it that smooth and moisturising feeling without any sticky or tackiness. Texture wise, it feels feather-light on lips . I actually feel like I’ve applied a conditioning lip balm rather than a siren screaming lip colour. It doesn’t give a glassy gloss finish but the mid-shine finish and really adds moisture to any dry lips.

Glossy Stains also delivers the most amazing shot of colour, gliding easily on application to provides sheer (one coat) to complete coverage on my medium pigmented lips, something I rarely see with gloss products and would only get with lip stains and lipsticks.

Not only is the initial colour intense, the staying power is amazing. Once applied on lips, this stuff lasts through all day of normal wear, even with eating and drinking without much fading at all (which easily equates to 4-6 hrs if I had to give a number). Seriously, the gloss factor may wear off but the colour survives through the whole lunch or dinner course. Of course, it isn’t as intense as first application, but it’s still respectably presentable as a lip stain and sometimes I don’t try to re-apply the colour, preferring to slick on a tinted lip balm to get a lighter shade of wear after.

Ever since my first YSL Rouge Pur Couture Glossy Stain last year, I've been hooked. I started my collection  with the siren red shade #9 and have slowly been working my way through the brighter colours in the collection. Today I have 4 shades to swatch for you.

#9 Rouge Lacque is a true siren red with a cool undertone. It instantly glams and brightens up the face with its richness and intensity. Probably not for the faint hearted but definitely a starring shade for an evening out.

#12 Corail Fauve is a coral shade with a pink undertone in one coat and becomes more a coral red shade with 2 coats.

#14 Fuchsia Dore is a deep fushia with micro gold shimmer. On my lips, its looks a deep mauve shade and intensifies over time to be cool berry mauve that I adore for evenings.

#25 Fucshia Neo-Classic on my lips, it looks a rich fushia pink with warm berry base on my lips. Is is probably my favourite of the shades as it complements warm skin tones very well.

For my daily wear, I prep my lips with a lip balm (currently using Kiehl’s Lip Balm SPF 15), then lightly pencil in a nude lip pencil shade (to boost lasting power and act as a primer) before applying the Glossy Stain.

To me, these Glossy Stains are what technology can do to beauty products, bringing together all the best qualities of products in one. I can’t bang on enough of them and they are and will continue to be a staple in my makeup rotation. Although pricey, they are definitely worth their it and I’ve yet to find a good enough dupe, even in the L’Oreal Shine Caresse which I blog about here.

RRP A$50 at YSL counters in department stores or online here. I purchased mine online at Harrods (shade #25) and from duty free stores (with prices ranging from €27.50 to approx HK$240).

Bobbi Brown High Shimmer Lip Gloss: Pink Sequin

I'm a sucker for all things bling and that doesn't preclude lip products.

So when I recently passed by my local Bobbi Brown counter, I couldn't help but notice the newly released high shimmer lip glosses they had on display.

Just look at the promotional image for these lip glosses below. How could one not fall in love with such gorgeous shimmery colours?

Pink Sequin (bottom left in above photo) caught my eyes and within one swipe of it on my skin, I was hooked like a crack addict.

In the end, I just couldn't walk away from the counter without doing damage to my credit card by bagging one home (and another blush in Apricot for good measure as well).

Pink Sequin High Shimmer Lip Gloss - 7ml 
What Bobbi says:  Rose pink with gold pearl

• To me, Pink Sequin is a peachy pink shade packed full of of fine pink glitter particles and golden sheen.
• With a tapered sponged applicator and highly emoillient formula packed with vitamin C & E, there is no stickiness with this highly conditioning gloss that gives lips a slight tingling sensation upon initial application (which disappears within minutes).
• The gloss itself is quite sheer and gives a light  pink overlay of colour to my medium pigmented lips. But it's the shimmer that makes this gloss magical.
• The universally flattering pink micro-shimmer and golden pearlescent sheen catches light at different angles to make your pout glistens and shine with brilliance.

Honestly the photos below does not do this gloss justice as you only get a one-dimensional view and don't see the shimmering effects.

I don't think I've ever loved a lip gloss so much as I have with this shade and formula. Seriously, it's making me want to burn an even bigger hole in my wallet and pick up half the high shimmer lip gloss collection!

What are your favourite glosses?

Available in 16 shades. RRP A$42 at Bobbi Brown counters or Bobbi Brown Aus online. The lucky people in the US get to bag this for a relative bargain of US$23.

Kit Cosmetics Viva La Color Pink Lip Duo Kit

The latest launch from Kit cosmetics is Viva La Color, a fun-filled fiesta inspired collection that injects vibrant colours into your makeup - something we all look forward to in our deary cool winter and would bring a smile to anyone's face.

And the best way to brighten up a smile is with pure pink goodness of a bright lipstick so it's just perfect that these limited edition Viva La Color collection has this perfectly paired lip duo kit.

Viva la Pink Lip Duo
Contains:  Lipstick in Show Stopper & Lip gloss in So Onto It.

Show Stopper - 10g

No introduction required for this alarming pink shade. Show Stopper just screams PINK on top of its lungs and Barbie or anyone with cool or neutral skintones will definitely look good with this on.
Warmer skin tones may find it too contrasting against the skin but would get away with it as a party look.

• On my more pigmented upper lips, it has a light purple tint when viewed in some light as seen in the swatch below. On lighter or pink tone lips (my lower lips), this comes off a beautiful bubble gum pink. 
• Kit's lipstick is a creamy medium-full coverage that is hydrating and glides on smoothly like well oiled wheels really and does not crackle and dry. Show Stopper has a semi-matte finish 
• Loaded with pigments, the colour payoff is fantastic and 1 swipe will give you opaque colour true to tube. Pretty on its own, it warms up and looks even better on me when I pair it with So Onto It lipgloss. 

natural light, no flash

So Onto It - 15ml

• Kit's lip glosses are quite thick but luckily it doesn't share the sticky tackiness that many thick lip glosses suffer from.
• There is some serious pigment overload here, if I didn't apply the product on to lips myself, I could be fooled into thinking that the colour payoff was a result of a slick gloss over a lipstick. Mind-blowing!
  Bright raspberry pink, it tastes like yummy cotton candy from carnivals. 
• Brimming with high shine and ultra glossy, the pretty pink shimmer catches the light and put pouts into lip envy 3D modes. Perfect on its own or jazz up any lipstick with this pretty powerful pink gloss.

natural light, no flash

in full sunlight, no flash

RRP A$29.95 at Kit counters or Kit Comestics online for a limited time.

Other items in the Viva La Color collection include

Long Live Color Palette for eyes, lips, cheek A$69.95
Lipstick in Viva la Rose, Viva la Berry A$24.95
Coral Lip duo kit A$29.95
Mini nail polish kit A$29.95
Carnival Nail colours in Carnaval Citrus, Sombrero Lime, Pinata Purple, Chiquita Pink, Siesta Indigo A$15.95

This post features a product provided for consideration.

Lancome Juicy Kusama Tubes

One of Lancome’s cult makeup products has got to be Juicy Tubes - beautiful smooth lip gloss that impart subtle colours, leave lips hydrated and give a great shine without any hint of stickiness.

So how do you go about improving a cult product? You go team up with reowned Japanese Artist Yaoi Kusama (famous for her polka dot conceptual artworks) to come up with a fresh fun packaging, add vitamin-enriched ingredients to the product and then make it a limited edition range.

And that, readers, is how these Juicy Tubes known as Awakening of Love were born.

Juicy Tubes: Awakening of Love by Yayoi Kusama

• Being a collaboration with an amazing artist, the packaging of the tube is adorned with too-cute polka dot patterns and 3 adorable designs that are worthy of an art display itself. 
• Comes in 6 beautiful shades with 70’s Free-Love era inspired names like Crazy Yuzu, Vigorous Fruit, Exotic Bomb, Yoga Vanilla, Baba Jasmine and Peace & Flowers in shades of sheer berry to pink and peach. These are lightly scented in vanilla, honey and fruit flavours as well. 
• Packed with Bisabolo and sweet almond oil, vitamiC, B5, E and moisturising shea butter to protect and nourish, Juicy Kusama Tubes are also designed to make your lips feel good with ginseng and Acerola extract. 
• I have Yoga Vanilla (a pretty peach with fine pink and gold shimmer in vanilla flavour - the pink shimmer is not showing up as well in the photo as in real life) and I love how it’s non-sticky yet incredibly shiny and gives me glossy puckers that looks great on its own or layered over my favourite lipstick. 

If you are a collector of products with special packaging, then these are not-to-be-missed, so make sure you mark the release date down in your diary for these limited edition Juicy Kusama Tubes.  

Lancome Juicy Tubes Yoga Vanilla swatch

10ml RRP A$29. Available  from July 10th at Lancome Counters in selected Myer and David Jones Stores.

This product was sent for consideration.

Review: Rimmel London Royal Gloss

Want a tasty treat but don't want the guilt? Then look no further than the latest lip gloss offerings from Rimmel London as they are so yummy, you'll be smacking your lips all day long with these on.

Rimmel London Royal Gloss

• With vitamins A,C,E and nutrient rich royal jelly to keep your puckers conditioned and hydrated as well as protect them from chapping.
• Comes in 3 translucent shades with delicious flavour like Candy Bar (a cotton candy flavour), Cookie (cookie and cream biscuits flavour) or Sugar Glaze (boiled sweets flavour). 
• Imparts glossy shine and just the right amount of shimmer to to sheerly tint lips for an extra dimension.
• Non greasy formula that just glides on lips makes it a real winner in my books.

The moisturising properties make Royal Gloss a great lip gloss to have in the handbag so you can whip it out to apply and give a yummy pick me upper any time of the day.

RRP A$10.95 for 14ml at selected Priceline, Target, Big W, Kmart, Coles and selected pharmacies.
This product was sent for consideration.

Illamasqua Toxic Nature Collection: Torture Sheer Lip Gloss and Glister Precision Ink

The Illamasqua Toxic Nature collection was released back in March this year so I am very late to the party to do a review on the products from the collection.

Truth is though, I only received these items recently so am trying to get this out ASAP so that if you are interested in the shades, there's still opportunity for you to pick it up in stores or online. 

Sheer Lip Gloss in Torture 7ml - A$33

As its name suggest, this medium thickness in consistency is very sheer and wearable despite the vibrancy in the tube. In fact, I wish there was more pigment as I quite like the colour of Torture – a pretty coral peach. 

It’s non sticky formula will be welcomed by those who hate sticky glosses and imparts a subtle layer of colour whilst keeping lips moist for hours. It's perfect for adding hydrating shine to lips and can be layered over your favourite warm colour lipsticks. 

Torture looks almost bare on my lips

Precision Ink in Glister 1.8ml - A$43.50

Precision ink is a liquid liner with a sharp felt tip that makes drawing precise lines a easy and fool-proof. 

Glister is a pink nude shade with iridescent pink shimmer. Although I found the shade too light to use as a top lid eye liner, A thicker line over eye shadow brightens up my peekers and it also works very well on the lower lids to widen the eyes and give is a light shimmering dimension.

For anyone artististly inclined, you can draw it anywhere on the skin for added shimmer and is one of the more unique shades that won’t be found in any other brands as a liquid liner. 

Once dry, the colour stays on for hours and is smudge and water-proof. The precision ink formula is definitely a keeper and has me keen to explore other precision  inks shades. 

Illamasqua is available exclusively at Myer Melbourne, Chadstone, Sydney, Bondi, Brisbane and Robina. 

Products were sent for consideration.