Top 5 Lip Colours for Spring

While I have enjoyed experimenting with darker lip shades this past autumn and winter, I am beyond excited that the weather is warming up and I can bring out the corals again. There is nothing I love more than a bright coral lipstick! These are my top 5 lip colours for spring, ranging from super matte to glossy depending on your preferences. Unsurprisingly, most are coral shades!

// Maybelline Colour Sensational Vivids in 'Vibrant Mandarin' ($16.95)

Probably one of my favourite lipsticks ever! This is a orangy-coral shade that is so pigmented, super bright and a lot of fun to wear. The formula is really impressive for a drugstore lipstick and there is a reason these are marketed as 'vivid'. While this isn't a matte lipstick it is still really long wearing so it is perfect for the warmer weather.

Formula: Creamy formula with a satin finish.

// MAC Lipstick in 'Coral Bliss' ($36.00)

Coral Bliss is a beautiful peachy-coral shade that is perfect for both simple day looks and full-on night time looks. I love this shade on my pale skin tone and it is also one of those lipsticks that is really easy to wear and you can reapply without a mirror.

Formula: Cremesheen - medium opacity that can really be built up, beautifully glossy finish and moisturising on the lips.

// MAC Lipstick in 'Impassioned' ($36.00)

One of the latest additions to my MAC lipstick collection, Impassioned ticks all the boxes for a bright pink lipstick, mostly that it does lean somewhat into 'coral' territory. I have really been enjoying wearing pink shades lately but find that most pinks just do not agree with my skin tone and/or make my teeth look yellow. Impassioned has quickly become one of my favourite pink lipsticks because it suits me so well!

Formula: Amplified - super pigmented but still creamy and comfortable on the lips, slight glossy finish.

// Maybelline Colour Elixir in 'Petal Plush' ($17.95)

These new release glosses from Maybelline are so beautiful. This is such a perfect everyday shade because it is a perfect soft pink with shimmer through it and is so comfortable on the lips. I really wish these weren't so expensive because I think the price is really ridiculous - luckily Maybelline is always on sale somewhere and I would 100% recommend waiting until you can get these reduced.

Formula: Lip Gloss - a creamy, non-sticky gloss with high shine finish.

// Bourjois Rouge Edition Velvet in 'Pink Pong' ($24.00)

This is one for you matte lovers! Another pink shade that I think is really universal and looks great on all skin tones. I love this formula for a night out, not only because it is matte and bold but because it lasts so long even through eating and drinking.

Forumla: Matte Stain - a thin formula that dries super matte on the lips. Lasts a really long time on the lips and leaves a stain.

What colours will you be wearing for spring?

xx Catherine

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Lip Product Haul!

My absolute favourite makeup products to shop for are lip products! If I see a blogger or beauty youtuber talk about a lipstick and it catches my eye I will usually go out and buy it. My lipstick collection is something I'm really proud of and love adding to.

From Priceline I've picked up a few different lip products - from matte to glossy and lip balms.
Firstly, as a recommendation from Sarah at morethanadored.com I purchased the Savvy Long Lasting Matte Lipstick in 'Maui' ($6.99) as I cannot resist a bright orange coral! While the colour is beautiful and quite neon, I find the formula quite sheer and can be a little patchy once you try to build it up. Still I can't believe how affordable this range is from Savvy!

Next, I've been wanting to add to my collection of Australis Colour Inject Lipsticks ($12.95) and chose the shade 'Gangsta Rap' after seeing a swatch online. It reminded me of the Lime Crime shade 'Airborne Unicorn' which I was hesitant to pick up, especially if I didn't like how the light purple shade looked on my skin tone and this was a more affordable option. I love the formula of the Colour Inject Lipsticks too!

A lip product I had my eye on since their release is the L'Oreal Colour Riche Extraordinaire lip lacquers ($21.95), however, I waited until they went on sale to pick one up. I chose the shade 'Rouge Soprano' which is a beautiful watermelon red and it just melts onto the lips. As they are a lip lacquer, they have a lot more pigment than a gloss and last longer as well. This product is very similar to the Colour Elixirs from Maybelline - same texture, applicator and smell even!

And I just couldn't help buying the new Maybelline Baby Lips 'Electro Pop' balm ($3.95). These new additions to the Australian market look like the Baby Lips available in the US and I have the flavour 'Berry Bomb' which smells amazing. Unfortunately, these aren't available online yet, but I did purchase it from Priceline.

Target has also been on sale lately and with 30% of ChiChi I picked up two of their Stay on Lipliners, 'Lady in Red' and 'Status'. These are beautifully creamy and so insanely pigmented! I can't believe I got these for only $6.96. ChiChi is really fantastic value for great quality products and is often on sale at either Target or Myer. I also picked up the NYX lipliner in 'Natural' after I saw one of my fave Aussie Youtubers Katrina post on instagram saying it was a dupe for MAC's Velvet Teddy lipstick. NYX is rarely on sale in Target and unfortunately wasn't on this occasion but still a great price at only $9.95.

Finally, the last two items in my haul are from a brand I've been dying to try for so long. Unfortunately, I couldn't make it to IMATS this year where I was planning to pick up some lipsticks from Lime Crime. To make me feel better about missing the event I order a few lipsticks online anyway. I had also wanted 'Geradium' and I also ended up ordering 'Babette'. The price of the Lime Crime Lipsticks vary online, however, the cheapest I could find was on Australian online retailer Princess Polly. Each lipstick was AUD$22 and I only paid $5.00 for express shipping (it arrived the next day!)

L-R: Geradium, Babette, Rouge Soprano, Maui, Gangsta Rap, Lady in Red, Status, Natural.

I hope you enjoyed this lip product haul! I definitely have been loving playing with all these bright, fun colours :)

xx Catherine

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My 'Go-To' Lip

It's crazy to think that only a year ago I owned one lipstick (and went through my mum's collection whenever I needed a red!). Now with a collection of close to 70 lipsticks, lip glosses and liquid lipsticks (oops!) I still pull out that first lipstick I owned whenever I'm stuck for what to wear.

Preppy by Australis is part of their Go Long Longwear lipstick range and is a mauve-pink nude with a matte finish. I remember buying this shade because of the name but it is and absolutely gorgeous nude shade for my skin tone making it my go-to lipstick for everyday.

I also love layering the NYX Butter gloss in Creme Brulee on top when wearing Preppy at night for an extra glam look and creating the perfect nude lip for a smokey eye.

Australis is available from Priceline, KMart and Big W. The Go Long Longwear lipstick range retails for $12.95.

NYX is available at Target and the Buttergloss range retails for $9.95. I'm not 100% sure if Creme Brulee is a shade available in Australia, but you can also purchase NYX online from crushcosmetics.com, beautyjoint.com and cherryculture.com.

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New Releases: Essence

Essence has released a few new products into their permanent line. Essence is definitely one of my favourite affordable brands and here are a few of their new releases that I have picked up!

XXXL Longlasting Lipgloss in 'Baby Doll's Favourite'
RRP $4.10

• This lipgloss is so gorgeous! As you know I love the XXXL Shine glosses from Essence and the Longlasting version is just as impressive. they shade is a gorgeous pinky nude with a subtle shimmer that makes you're lips look so plump! This lipgloss reminds me a lot of the NYX butter glosses - it is long-lasting, non-sticky, super pigmented and really comfortable to wear on the lips.

XXXL Longlasting Lipgloss Matte Effect in 'Velvet Rose'
RRP $4.10

• Unfortunately the matte formulation of the longlasting lip glosses is very disappointing. With the matte lip trend huge this year, I was excited to see an affordable option from Essence. What is confusing is that they decided to release them as a gloss, when clearly a gloss isn't matte. While the shade is a beautiful soft nude it is so uncomfortable to wear on the lips I don't think I will ever reach for this. It applies patchy and the product collects at the outside of the lips which is definitely not a good look. Whilst the product does give a more matte finish is doesn't seem to dry down and you are left with a weird coat of moisture sitting on top of your lips. Definitely a miss.

All About Nude Eyeshadow Palette 
RRP $6.45

• Again, Essence has hopped on the trend bandwagon and released a nude eyeshadow palette which has been absolutely huge this year. I was excited for this one because the shades were a really interesting twist on the classic nudes. The inclusion of a really beautiful purple/taupe shade and metallic gold in particular caught my attention. I used the purple shade in a smokey eye I did recently and I absolutely loved it! The pigmentation is impressive, they are soft, easy to apply and blend out and with a primer underneath (I use the elf eyelid primer) they have excellent staying power. If your makeup collection is already overflowing with nude palettes I wouldn't say it is a must have, but still an incredible product from Essence, particularly considering the price.

Blush Up! Powder Blush in 'Heat Wave' 
RRP $6.45

• This is the one product which I initially had no intention of buying because whilst the colours are stunning I just couldn't see myself wearing something so bright on my cheeks! However, I couldn't resist the ombre effect and was interesting to see how pigmented the product was and how the colours would look applied when swirled together. On the cheeks this blush leaves a really beautiful flush of coral that that be built up to a more intense colour.

Overall I have always been impressed with the majority of products available from Essence and these new releases are no exception. The affordability of all products available from this brand means that it is a great way to try new colours or products.
Essence is available at Priceline and Target.

xx Catherine

Lips by NYX

NYX Round Lipsticks
Swatches

Narcissus

Rose

The Verdict

I'm not super impressed by these lipsticks and after reading a lot of hype surrounding them am a bit disappointed. Although the colours are gorgeous and pigmented I really don't think I will be getting a lot of use out of them. First of all I didn't expect them to have such a frosty finish which I am not fussed about at all. They do claim to be moisturising which is true, but the moisture sits on top of the lips making them quite uncomfortable to wear and I was always worried about the product going gloopy and patchy.

Where to buy?

I bought mine from cherryculture.com and definitely recommend this site when bulk buying NYX products. They retail for USD$4.00 but always seem to be on sale and I picked them up for $2.80 - Definitely a great deal. The swatches they have on the website are definitely NOT true to colour so do a bit more research if you're after a specific colour or like me just YOLO it and choose a few random ones.

You can also buy NYX from Target in Australia and they retail for $8.95 - still relatively cheap for a lipstick in Australia. A good option if you want to swatch colours.

NYX Soft Matte Lip Cream

Swatches

Tokyo

Istanbul

The Verdict

Again, another product that claims to be moisturising but really the moisture sits on top of the lips, making them fairly unpleasant to wear. The colours are BEAUTIFUL though and I love the semi-matte finish they have. I bought these thinking they would be similar to the Australis Velourlips but these are completely different. I like to wear these when I just need an easy lip colour for popping out of the house to go to the shops or lunch with a friend. Not overly long lasting but because they are so easy to applied with the doe foot applicator a good one to take on the go. I like wearing Tokyo with the Peaches and Cream Butter gloss!

Where to buy?

• AUD$12.95 from Target and crushcosmetics.com.au 
• USD$6.00 from cherryculture.com

NYX Butter Gloss

Swatches

Peaches and Cream 

Crème Brulee

The Verdict

Probably one of my favourite lip products of all time. Incredibly buttery and absolutely feels like it melts onto the lips. They are the most pigmented, long lasting and glossy lip glosses I have ever worn. I prefer to wear these just on their own but will also add a nice gloss and extra colour to a matte lipstick. This is a product that absolutely deserves the hype.

I CAN'T BELIEVE I ONLY HAVE 2 I NEED ALL THE COLOURS!!

Where to buy?

• AUD$10.95 from crushcosmetics.com.au
• AUD$9.95 from Target
• USD$5.00 from cherryculture.com

NYX Mega Shine Lip Gloss

Swatches

131 Gold Pink

The Verdict

A nice gloss that is very pigmented just like the butter glosses, it also has really tiny gold glitter in it, that isn't chunky or particularly gritty while wearing so it's definitely my go to gloss if I'm feeling in the glitter mood. It has an angled doe foot applicator that makes application super easy. The only thing I don't like is the smell, which is exactly like those red Starburst lollies no one likes.

Again, I prefer to wear this alone because the pigmentation is so great it gives a nice, natural, glossy finish.

Where to buy?

• AUD$11.95 from Target
• AUD$9.95 from crushcosmetics.com.au
• USD$5.50 from cherryculture.com.au

xx Cat ^.^