I'm always a little bit lipstick-addicted but I've seriously taken my obsession to another level recently! Maybe it's because there are so many amazing new releases at the moment. Today I thought I'd round up the products I bought from the two hottest new lipstick launches and let you know my thoughts.
Urban Decay Vice
Urban Decay recently pulled their entire Revolution lipstick range and brought out 100 new shades in various finishes. That's one way to grab our attention! The lipsticks come in Sheer, Sheer Shimmer, Metalised, Cream, Comfort Matte and Mega Matte and cost a nicely mid-range £15 each. If you think about it, a lot of Revlon and L'Oreal lipsticks go up to £10, and for just 1/3 more you can get a much better product. It's also that comfortable price-point where you can 'treat yourself' without feeling hideously guilty afterwards.
Both of the shades I picked up are from the Comfort Matte range. I'm really impressed with this formula; it's so nice and creamy in texture and, as the name promises, isn't at all drying or uncomfortable to wear. What I think is unique about them is that they give that insane pigmentation and non-drying finish whilst still being completely matte in finish. I often find that when you get this kind of glide-on texture in a lipstick, it has more of a sheen to it like the MAC Satin, Nars Audacious and ColourPop Matte Lippie Stix formulas. However this is much more matte in appearance! I do get a little bit of transfer with it, however I'd say these last 5-6 hours on my lips (obviously the brighter the shade, the more noticeable it is when it fades and the more often it'll need touching-up). Overall I'm so impressed with this finish and will definitely be looking to try more from the rest of the huge collection!
I first tried the Vice Comfort Matte Lipstick in Hitch Hike (£15), which is a really interesting shade I don't own anything else similar to. I would say it's somewhere between a dark brick red and a deep rose colour. I think it's one of those great day-to-night colours and is definitely a unique addition to my collection.
The Vice Comfort Matte Lipstick in Carnal (£15) is actually one 20 shades exclusive to Selfridges. My closest Selfridges actually doesn't stock Urban Decay for some reason and I didn't fancy a trek to the Trafford Centre to see if they had this so did a free click-and-collect to get my hands on this. I'd seen the shade on Temptalia and was fairly confident that I'd like it. When I gave it a go, this was confirmed because I totally love this warm mid-toned brown nude. It's absolutely gorgeous and is definitely a colour I feel comfortable wearing both for day and night.
The packaging actually feels really nice and premium, especially when compared to MAC for example, which is at the same price-point. It has a chrome sheath lid with this interesting water effect which fits securely onto the gold-based lipstick bullet. It has the 'UD' embossed on the bullet, which again is great for a slightly more affordable range.
Charlotte Tilbury Hot Lips
When I heard Charlotte Tilbury was launching a new Celebrity-inspired lipstick range, I immediately began reserving funds for the launch! I was honestly prepared to buy like 3 or 4 shades from the range. However when I went down to my local Selfridges, I was actually really disappointed with the shade selection. The only one that really stood out to me was Secret Salma, but it was one of those shades I have a lot of so I didn't think it was worth me picking up. However I re-visited and found myself swatching the Hot Lips Matte Revolution Lipstick in Super Cindy (£23). It isn't the kind of shade I'd normally go for but somehow I found myself trying it on!
I think the Charlotte Tilbury range is really lacking in shades for medium to darker skin tones, which is a real shame. Looking at the stars chosen for the line, I think Salma Hayek is probably the darkest-skinned lady of the bunch! I think the range could've really benefitted from a shade inspired by beauty icons like Priyanka Chopra, Kerry Washington, Joan Smalls or Jourdan Dunn or ideally all of the above (and no offence to either but they are at least as, if not more, relevant and globally famous as Emily Ratajkowski or Poppy Delevigne right now!) I get the impression the range is based on women Charlotte has worked with personally but I'm sure she has done the makeup of some famous Women of Colour she may have included in this! The website has always impressed me by showing makeup products on a range of skin tones, which kind of makes this slip-up all the more jarring. In general, it would have been nice to have something other than various shades of pinky nude with a few bright coral shades thrown in, I have to say.
Super Cindy is a pinky-nude inspired by the iconic 90s supermodel Cindy Crawford. As I said it's totally different to anything I'd usually wear, however somehow it just seems to work! I probably wouldn't recommend it on any skin tones darker than my own (unless you wore it with a lip pencil, but at the end of the day who spends £23 on a lipstick they can't wear on its own?) I often cringe when people refer to makeup as 'sexy' but I actually think this shade really is!
The formula itself is gorgeous; I'm a huge fan of the Matte Revolution range. It's such a unique formula that I find really hard to describe! It feels so comfortable and non-drying on the lips but still has a true matte finish without any sheen. However it isn't as opaque as the Urban Decay Comfort Mattes, for example. It isn't the longest-lasting lipstick that I have, even from this range, however I can get a good 4 hours of wear and to be honest it's so comfortable and no effort to re-apply that I'm not particularly bothered by this.
Of course, the packaging is gorgeous; did you expect any less from Charlotte Tilbury? It comes in the usual luxurious rose gold art deco-style tube, which has a bit of weight to it, making it feel more expensive. I think the bullet of these lipsticks is a bit of a marmite feature, however I love the square shape and find it helps me apply this quickly and easily without a liner. There's also a kiss-shaped embossment on the front of the bullet, which is a nice touch.
As a side-note, if you bought any of the Hot Lips range during July or August, £1 went towards Women for Women International (I bought this back in July). Why so little? Why only for 2 months? I have no idea, but I guess it's better than nothing!
Makeup For Ever
Makeup For Ever are one of those brands that has been bubbling under the radar for a while but since becoming more accessible in the UK over the past year or so I've been dying to try more of their products. They recently launched a ridiculously huge array of new Cream and Matte lipsticks that are supposed to be their most pigmented formula yet. I'd actually never tried their original lipstick collection so I can't compare them but these do have amazing payoff; you only need to do one swipe to get full opacity. Personally I love the slightly angular bullet shape because it makes these really easy to apply even if you don't have a liner to hand.
I'll briefly cover off the Matte shade I have first, which is the Artist Rouge Lipstick in M202 Candy Pink* (£17). I can't really say much about this because it's not my sort of shade so I haven't worn it out and about. From trying it quickly on the lips and swatching it, I can say that it's a very true matte formula; it isn't creamy or satin-like and has a slightly powdery feel. It isn't the most comfortable matte shade but didn't suck my soul dry of moisture, though I obviously can't comment on how it would feel after a few hours. I can say that it glides on smoothly without skipping though and you get even coverage without having to work at it. The colour itself is like a really vibrant fuchsia.
The two Cream shades I have are just my sorts of thing; ok they aren't exactly the most unique colours in my stash but they're the kinds of colours I like to wear and the quality of the formula does edge these ahead of other similar offering. I have the Artist Rouge Lipstick in C107 Mocha Beige* (£17) and C211 Rosewood* (£17). I find the formula to be consistent between the colours I have; though they're creamy lipsticks they have quite a satin look on the lips because they are still so pigmented. They're very comfortable and actually wear very well, though they do matte down slightly as the day goes on (I tend to re-apply around the 4-hour mark).
Mocha Beige is a bit like my perfect blend between two of my favourite MAC lipstick shades: Taupe and Velvet Teddy, with a more hydrating formula. It's a really nice brown nude, that doesn't have that greyish tone but isn't too warm. It's that perfect brown mid-toned nude lip for me and I think it's going to be a go-to during the Autumn months. Rosewood is a sort of pinky-mauve shade that's deep enough to suit me. I quite often come across these sorts of shades and they're just so light that they wash me out unless I use a darker liner with them (which I can't be bothered with most of the time). This has this darker, plummier undertone that makes it really wearable for me. Overall I really do rate this formula; the texture and quality of these lipsticks really makes them worth checking out.
Clarins in Bloom Collection
Clarins recently brought out this Limited Edition floral-themed collection which included a brand new lip balm as well as new shades in their much-loved Instant Light Natural Lip Perfector glosses.
I'd never tried these before despite all the hype because I'm just not a gloss kind of girl. However I was sent these so thought I'd give them a go and they're not at all sticky or gloopy. They're basically the perfect glosses for people who don't usually like them! I have the Instant Light Natural Lip Perfectors in 10 Pink Shimmer, 11 Orange Shimmer & 12 Red Shimmer* (£18 each). I really love the formula; these new shades have a very slight shimmer which you can't tell is there but gives dimension and makes your lips look nice and full. As I mentioned, these aren't thick or uncomfortable so I will definitely be checking out some of the permanent shades too now my eyes have been opened to the fact that not all glosses are the same! The shade Pink Shimmer is a vibrant peachy-pink and definitely my favourite of the bunch. Red Shimmer is a sheer true red that looks nice and rosy on the lips. Orange Shimmer is a very summery shade that I have brought to Italy with me. They squeeze out of the tube through a spongy applicator which really helps to get an even distribution of product across the lips and stops you dispensing too much product in one go.
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Also released as part of the collection (in very pretty floral packaging, albeit cardboard) is the Daily Energising Beauty Balm* (£16) this is kind of pricey for a lipbalm, however it is very moisturising and will adapt to being very slightly pink-toned on the lips which is great for a low key makeup day. It has this really lovely peachy scent too! I'm a bit in two minds about whether I'd repurchase this because although it's a nice balm, you can get one of the Instant Light Natural Lip Perfectors for just £2 more and I think I'd rather have more of those!
Have you tried any of these new lip launches? Which are your favourite shades and which are on your wish list?
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*DISCLOSURE - PRODUCTS MARKED WITH AN ASTERISK ARE PR SAMPLES/GIFTS OR PURCHASED WITH GIFTED VOUCHERS. ALL OPINIONS ARE MY OWN.
PLEASE VISIT MY DISCLOSURE PAGE FOR MORE INFORMATION.