Kat Von D Studded Kiss Lipsticks

I was so excited to find out a while back that new shades of lipsticks were being added into a brand new collection in the Kat Von D brand.  I tried to wait about two weeks for some reviews to show up online before I decided which shades to order and I'm happy with the two I've chosen to start with.

Agatha is a light, peachy nude shade with slight pink tones and a very matte finish.  Swatched on my hand next to MAC Crème d'Nude, they look quite similar in color.  However, more of the pink tones in Agatha show up on my lips than Crème d'Nude.  It's a great nude for fair skin and it looks good on my face even when I'm wearing my yellow undertone foundation (considering it's a slightly pinky-nude).

The matte finish is very long wearing and indeed very matte in texture, so prepping the lips is crucial to a smooth application.  I don't use lip primers, but I do exfoliate my lips with my toothbrush and then moisturize with a good lip balm for at least a few minutes before I apply the product.  Immediately prior to application, I wipe off the balm and apply the lipstick.

Agatha lasted for several hours with no color fading, even in the center of the lips.  Once I ate a meal, however, the texture started to appear very dry, even though it didn't feel that way to me.  While an amazing nude shade, this formula seems to be less than ideal for touching up.  It isn't completely transfer-proof, but is very transfer-resistant in my experience.  Overall, I'm in love with this lipstick, but I'll skip it on a dry lip day.

"Agatha" in indoor/sunlight window lighting

Wearing no foundation or concealer; "Agatha" lipstick

 Gothica is a glittery, shimmering, warm bronze shade. It's a gorgeous color and very unique to anything else in my collection (though, it is definitely dupe-able). The glitter is fine and not too gritty feeling on the lips, but I can feel it a little bit when I wear this lipstick.

This lipstick applies much more smoothly than Agatha does and doesn't drag on my lips at all. Since the glitter isn't as finely cut as some other lip products, it can look patchy if you're not careful during application and prepping the lips is essential.  This shade doesn't last as long on me as Agatha does, but is still long wearing nonetheless.  It is definitely not transfer-proof, but it doesn't transfer that badly since it's not a very creamy formula.

"Gothica" in indoor/sunlight window lighting

Overall, I give these two particular lipsticks a big thumbs up.  Both shades are not exactly low maintenance, but I think the colors are worth it.  Before this matte version of Agatha became available, I'd put off buying a "wash-out nude" lipstick because I'm not a fan of satin finish lipsticks, so this is a great option for anybody looking for a pale nude that's matte.  I can see Gothica being an awesome shade for autumn and winter, though, nothing's stopping me from wearing it now in summer.

Studded Kiss lipsticks retail for $21 at Sephora stores and online.  Kat Von D brand does not test on animals; however, I'm not sure if some products may or may not contain animal products, so be sure to read the labels.

Anastasia Beverly Hills "Medium Brown" Dipbrow Pomade

I was about to run out of my Anastasia "Granite" Brow Wiz pencil and was in need of something new.  Instead of just getting a new Brow Wiz, I figured I may as well give Dipbrow a shot.  They don't currently have any shades of Dipbrow that look very close to their usual "Granite" color, so I opted for "Medium Brown" since it's not too light and it's very ashy.  I, personally, prefer to avoid any warm tones in my brows, especially since I usually dye my hair black.

The Dipbrow Pomade appears to give you more product for your money compared to the Brow Wiz pencils.  Dipbrow costs $3 less and you hardly need any product at all to do an entire brow, depending on how much brow you have to begin with.  Obviously, one is more likely to use up the product more quickly if they're completely drawing on brows from nothing in lieu of filling and shaping hairs that are already there.  In order to apply this product, I just lightly tap my angled brush into the product once or twice to get a little bit onto the bristles and then lightly start sweeping the product through my brows, starting with the lower and then upper lines, getting them even, and then creating the tail ends.

If you're used to applying brows with an angled brush, this should be no different and will likely be very easy to get used to, as long as you're careful not to load up too much product onto the brush.  It's better to build it up gradually than to apply it heavily and then have to spread it all out.

For the sake of this review, I've taken photos of my brows with only the Dipbrow Pomade on my brows and I didn't fix or sculpt with any concealer, nor did I add black eyeshadow to the tail ends, which I usually do.

Both brows; only Dipbrow with no concealer, powders, or gels

Left brow; only Dipbrow with no concealer, powders, or gels

Overall, I highly recommend Dipbrow Pomade.  I have combination skin and my T-zone gets very oily and this stuff really stays on for hours and hours unless I'm careless and touch the tails of my brows too roughly.  It stays even better when I set the ends with eyeshadow and my hairs with a gel.  As long as not too much product is used, it should set on the skin and not slip around throughout the day.  I haven't tested it for its potential waterproof capabilities, but it's definitely sweat-proof for me.


Dipbrow Pomade retails for $18 at Sephora as well as Ulta and Anastasia's official website.  Anastasia Beverly Hills does not test on animals (as mentioned on PETA's site), though some of their products may contain ingredients like beeswax or honey, so be sure to read the ingredients on the packaging or on store websites.

In-depth overview of my experiences with different MAC lipstick finishes

I've accumulated ten MAC lipsticks and two lipglasses since this past November and thought I'd finally do an overview of each lipstick finish that I've worn and compare them.  In this post, I'll mention which shades I currently own or have owned, but will post all of the lip swatches and list any color alternatives in a separate post so this one won't get insanely long.


Matte finish is by far my favorite finish of MAC lipstick. They're smooth and semi-creamy to apply, yet dry down and stay put without feeling intensely drying on my lips. I rarely have to touch up unless it's because I've eaten or had something to drink.  However, if I DO happen to need a touch-up, I find that it's better to just wipe off all of the residual lipstick and completely reapply because if I simply add more lipstick, it cakes.  The shades I own are Please Me, Kinda Sexy, Velvet Teddy, Glam, and Smoked Purple.

Retro matte has amazing staying power, but is more difficult to apply than matte.  It's so dry that it sways back and forth inside the tube as I apply it, which has caused unsightly dents on the bullet.  I also find it a bit difficult to apply the product with a brush.  Otherwise, I do love the actual product once it's on my lips and it doesn't fade half as much as regular mattes do (which is already not much).  The shade I own is Ruby Woo.

Cremesheen is a very creamy finish and is slightly moisturizing, but does dry down a bit within a few hours on my lips.  For reference, my lips don't have severe dryness issues and don't ever crack unless I neglect to wear any lip balm for a significant time.  It is a pretty comfortable lipstick finish to wear since it feels similar to some balms, yet these lipsticks are very pigmented and are not sheer like Lustres are.  I had to de-pot mine because after using it for a couple of months, it shifted too much and wiggled loose in the tube, since it's such a soft lipstick.  The shade I own is Crème d'Nude.

Satin finish is one of my least favorites that I've tried of MAC's lipsticks so far.  The shades I've swatched or worn were always very pigmented and opaque, but they feel thicker and heavier on the lips than the matte and retro matte formulas.  They're not dry, yet they're not super moisturizing, either.  They apply almost a bit patchy on my lips and require more effort to get an even application.  The only reason I'll purchase a MAC satin lipstick would be if the color is too good to pass up.  The shades I own/have owned are Hoop and Viva Glam Nicki.

Frost seems to be a bit hit-or-miss. I only own one, but I mostly love it for its smooth texture. It does, however, need to be reapplied every few hours, which makes it higher maintenance on my lips than the other finishes I've tried. Even though if feels soft and smooth on my lips, it can sometimes show off fine lines and make them appear drier than they actually are. I get a feeling this may vary with some frost colors because some have hardly any frostiness and some have a lot.  It feels smoother on my lips than matte or retro matte, but slightly drier than cremesheen.  The shade I own is Pet Me, Please.

Amplified Creme is a super, super creamy and very opaque, intensely pigmented finish.  This is probably my second favorite to matte finish because it's like a combination of matte's high pigment and cremesheen's smoothness.  It's way more moisturizing than cremesheen lipsticks when applied in an average amount, but it can also be applied thinly with a brush or blotted to have a more stain-like effect.  The shade I own is Saint Germain and it's gorgeous.




Overall, I very much love tons of lipsticks that MAC has to offer.  While they have a ton of basic or dupe-able shades, they also have many shades that are unique either because of the colors or because of the finish.

MAC is not a vegan friendly company as some of their products contain ingredients like lanolin or carmine and they also test on animals.

L'Oréal Voluminous Miss Manga mascara

I decided to pick up the L'Oréal Miss Manga mascara at my local Rite Aid since the mascaras I already had at home were almost dried up and I was about to need a new one.  I got a bit suckered into the whole weeb appeal of its name being "Miss Manga."  Looking at the packaging, it does look pretty silly.  The little cartoon character on the packaging doesn't really look anything like a typical manga or anime character, but I got the mascara anyway since I've heard many good reviews.

This mascara is very wet, which, for me, is a huge drawback.  I've already tried letting this dry out a bit so it'll be more to my liking, but it's still a huge mess to apply.  The brush on the mascara wand is tapered and great for lifting the lashes; it also isn't too wide.  However, since this mascara is so wet when you first open it, the brush gets a LOT of extra product on it and it makes a huge mess on my eyelids.  The mascara definitely does lift my lashes, but that's about where the perks end for me.

Overall, I'd say this mascara basically sucks and isn't worth the ~7.99 I paid since I have to put a lot of effort into making it work.  Overly wet mascaras are usually a deal-breaker for me and enough reason to not repurchase since they're such a pain in the ass to work with.

The only way I've been able to wear this mascara is by not wearing any eyeshadow underneath since so much mascara smudges all over it.  I'll do eyeliner and then apply the mascara, then wipe all of the mess away with a Q-tip and call it a day.

L'Oréal does test on animals and is not a cruelty free brand.

Jesse's Girl Glow Stix "Tangerine" lip gloss

I was just at Rite Aid today to pick up a few things and decided to look over at the Jesse's Girl section hoping to find their liquid eyeliner.  Unfortunately, they didn't have any, but I then got drawn to their "Glow Stix" lip gloss because of its crazy, bright iridescence in the tube.  I picked up the color "Tangerine" because it was the only Glow Stix one there.

I was hoping this would show up very iridescent on my lips when applied, but it's actually very sheer and in most lights looks like just a clear gloss.  From some angles, the iridescent orange color shows up, but pretty subtly.

The gloss is very slippy and not sticky or tacky at all, which I actually don't prefer.  I like at least some tackiness so that the product lasts longer on my lips.  The plus side is that since it's slippy, it feels comfortable and moisturizing on the lips and doesn't create any of those gross looking strings of gloopy gloss over time, as long as it isn't applied too thickly.  It only lasts a couple of hours on my lips if I don't eat, but once I eat just about any type of food, it's almost completely off my lips.

The packaging is nice and compact, but the actual amount of product you get is not much.  It's overall a great gloss for anybody who wants a sheer/almost clear gloss with hints of color in certain lighting.  It's got a high shine and is not sticky whatsoever.


Each tube of Jesse's Girl Glow Stix gloss costs about $4.99 at Rite Aid stores or on their official website.  Jesse's Girl products are all cruelty free.  Some of their products have carmine in them.  All ingredients are listed on the website.

Video Tutorial: dark blue smoky eye; three lip colors

Here is a tutorial on how I like to do a very dark blue smoky eye look with neutral blackish brows and three of my favorite lipsticks to pair with it.

I love using dark blue eye makeup because I think it really complements my brown eyes, though I do think that dark blues (not necessarily bright, but definitely dark) can look great on tons of different skin tones and eye colors, especially when paired with more neutral lip colors.

Products used:

EYES:
Urban Decay Original Primer Potion
Maybelline Color Tattoo in "Electric Blue"
Shiro Cosmetics "Attercop, Attercop" eyeshadow
Nyx "Underneath It All" nude matte eyeshadow
Nyx black retractable eyeliner
Sugarpill "Lumi" loose eyeshadow
CoverGirl Clump Crusher mascara
MUFE Smoky Extravagant Mascara
Anastasia Beverly Hills "Granite" Brow Wiz
Anastasia Beverly Hills Lash Genius waterproofing top coat

FACE:
MAC Pro Longwear Foundation NW15
MAC Pro Longwear Concealer NW15
Nyx "Underneath It All" nude matte eyeshadow
MAC "Harmony" blush
MAC "Whole Lotta Love" Pro Longwear blush
MAC "Light" Mineralize Skin Finish Natural

LIPS:
MAC "Crème d'Nude" lipstick
MAC "Velvet Teddy" lipstick
Lime Crime "Salem" Velvetine


*all products were purchased by me

Music: songs are "Moth" and "Birds" both by Silent Partner from the YouTube Audio Library.

Lime Crime Velvetines and a lipstick

**Note: Since after doing this review and swatches, I, just like many other dissatisfied LC customers out there, have stopped purchasing and using products from this company because of the shit customer service and attitude they've shown to their clientele.**


Over the past several months, I've become a pretty big fan of the Lime Crime Velvetines, and was so excited to finally get two of the "Gothatine" shades they just came out with.  I picked up Wicked and Salem and already owned Red Velvet and Pink Velvet.

There aren't many negative things to say about all four of these Velvetines that I have except maybe that they're not 100% transfer-proof in my experience.  Regardless, they're the closest thing to transfer-proof I've ever worn on my lips.  You may not love these quite as much if you're prone to dry or chapped lips.  Absolutely moisturize and exfoliate the lips to prepare for these products because they'd be dreadful on dry lips.  Also, the value isn't that great since you don't get much product at all for the $20 each Velvetines cost.

The doefoot applicator is a really great size for applying to differently sized lips because it's on the smaller side and won't glob too much onto thinner lips, yet it's not so small that it takes tons more effort to apply to full lips.  The applicator also does an awesome job at shaping my cupid's bow without the use of a lip brush.  The swatches I'm attaching in this post involved no lip brushes and I applied the product only with the applicator.

Without further ado, here are swatches of the four Velvetine shades I own:

Staining left behind from Pink Velvet after using a makeup wipe.

Pink Velvet Velvetine

Red Velvet Velvetine

Salem "Gothatine" Velvetine

Wicked "Gothatine" Velvetine

Quick note about Wicked: unlike the other three shades that I have, Wicked is a bit more difficult to apply evenly and requires a bit more effort and usually a second dip into the product.  Not the end of the world, but the other three apply much more evenly and with less effort.

These Velvetines do stain my lips a bit, but I never am bothered by staining because I just wear some other lipstick over it anyway and it isn't noticeable.  Doing swatches on the back of my hand left a significant stain, however, which isn't coming off easily from makeup wipes alone.



I also got this Geradium lipstick when I ordered the Gothatines.  I wanted Poisonberry because purple is my jam, but it was out of stock the day I ordered (and, of course, it came back like a day or two later; just my luck), so I got Geradium because it's one I've always loved seeing on their site compared to the rest.  It's a gorgeous and bright coral-pink that shows up mostly pink on me, especially without foundation, as you can see in the swatch below.  Very creamy formula and super opaque, but it's quite thick and it gives that awkward feeling on the lips for me, like as if I applied too much lipstick and it's beginning to really pile on, even with only one layer.  I would not recommend setting this with a powder if you want to mattify because it would most likely cake up.

Geradium is very similar to MAC Viva Glam Nicki in color, and VG Nicki is a satin finish, so the texture isn't that different, either.

Geradium lipstick

All controversies and drama related to Lime Crime aside, the quality of the Velvetines is amazing and I love them because they really do last all day, except maybe for if I eat something oily and there will be fading in the center of the lips.  As for their lipsticks, I don't think I will be purchasing any other colors if they're all similar to Geradium.  I very much prefer drier and more matte lip colors, which is what makes me love Velvetines so much.


All Lime Crime Velvetines and lipsticks (as well as Carousel Gloss, Zodiac Glitters, a shadow primer, and some shadow palettes) can all be purchased on Lime Crime's website.  Velvetines retail for $20 each and lipsticks are $18 each.  Lime Crime's products are all vegan and not tested on animals, as per their website and social medias.

Milani Color Statement lipsticks

I've recently purchased two different colors of Milani's Color Statement lipsticks and thought I'd do a brief review.  :)

I picked up Orange-Gina and Nude Crème.  Orange-Gina is a bright orange color without much red undertone and some very fine glittery bits in the product.  The glitters give it a pretty shimmery look without looking like you stuck huge glitter chunks all over your mouth.  On me, Orange-Gina brings out all the redness on my face and makes me look even rosier, so I only wear this if I'm wearing foundation as well.

Nude Crème is amazing; it's a fairly light, but not too pale, pinky nude color that looks good even on fair skin.  It's actually great for lighter skin because it's not too beige and therefore doesn't give that concealer lips look that many people tend to try avoiding.  This shade is also a great dupe for MAC Kinda Sexy lipstick.  Kinda Sexy is a matte, whereas the Milani lipsticks are very creamy and slightly shiny, but the actual colors of the two are quite similar.

Orange Gina

Nude Crème

Milani is not a vegan company (some products may contain animal-derived ingredients, so be sure to read up on each product), but they do not test on animals.

Depending on the store, these lipsticks retail for about $5, give or take.

Pretty Zombie Cosmetics liquid lipsticks

I'd been eyeing these liquid lipsticks from Pretty Zombie Cosmetics for a while before finally deciding to order myself two colors as a birthday present to myself.  They appeared to be, formula-wise, good dupes for Lime Crime's Velvetines, but come in a couple of colors that LC doesn't currently offer.

When I applied each of these liquid lipsticks, the application felt pretty much exactly the same as applying a Velvetine and dries matte the same way as well.  Velvetines are sweetly scented, so if you don't like scented lip products (I happen to love them!), Pretty Zombie's liquid lipsticks aren't scented at all.  Probably the biggest difference I notice between Velvetines and Pretty Zombie liquid lipsticks is that, in my experience, Pretty Zombie is NOT transfer proof.  It transfers less than non-matte lipsticks, but still transfers, whereas Velvetines transfer less.  I've found that the PZC lippies are actually more comfortable than Velvetines, too.  Sometimes, if my lips are not properly moisturized before applying, the Velvetines will feel very drying on my lips and almost make them feel as if they're shriveling up.  Nicht gut.

With the more runny liquid lip products I've worn before, including these, it can be difficult to apply the product without overdoing it and making a mess.  I find the best way to avoid this is to start applying the product in the center of the lower lip, then take whatever's left on the applicator or brush and use that to shape the upper lip and cupid's bow.  Sometimes, a lip brush can make it even easier to get a more precise shape with these liquid products, but I manage with just the doefoot applicator.


Anyway!  Here are some swatches.

3 Witches; cool, deep purple with no red undertones

Black Cat; pure, opaque matte black

*Side note about "Black Cat": this product would be amazing to use for cosplay, as would any of the colors, but "Black Cat" would do wonders for a Homestuck troll costume, as it has awesome lasting power.

As it may be noticeable in these swatch photos, this liquid-to-matte formula does accentuate any dry patches that may be on the lips.  For the sake of swatching these products, I didn't moisturize prior to application, but I recommend that anyone who wears liquid-to-matte products to definitely moisturize the lips with a balm at least a few minutes before applying.  The color payoff and coverage is amazing with these products.


These liquid lipsticks retail for $12 each and can be ordered on Pretty Zombie Cosmetics' official website.  One downside to ordering from this company is that popular shades often go out of stock and take a while to be restocked.  It's worth the wait, though, if you like liquid-to-matte products.  For a little over half the price of a Lime Crime Velvetine, you get much more product in the tube.  All of their lip products are vegan and cruelty-free!  :)

KA`OIR Cosmetics "Lip Lock" and "Rude Girl" Lipsticks

I purchased these two lippies from KA`OIR a while back when I was first starting to get into "unusual" lip colors.  For anybody who's looking to experiment with fun lipstick colors for the first time and likes a satin finish, KA`OIR is a pretty good place to start!

These lipsticks definitely feel more like a satin than anything else.  They have some shine to them, yet aren't balmy or glossy.  They're also not matte or flat.  The two shades I have are great for pairing with darker lip liners.

Lip Lock

Lip Lock lipstick over Nyx black retractable lip liner and highlighted with Sugarpill "Lumi" loose shadow.

Rude Girl

As of August 3rd, 2014, there are 34 shades of lipstick available on KA`OIR's website.  They also have many lip glosses, nail lacquers, and cosmetic glitters.

Most of the lipsticks retail for $15.99 each, but a few of them are priced higher, for some reason.  All of KA`OIR's products are not tested on animals and ingredients are listed on the packaging, as stated on their FAQ page.

Melt Cosmetics "Space Cake" lipstick

I had been contemplating buying Melt Cosmetics' "Space Cake" lipstick for months ever since seeing it on Melt's Instagram.  It always appeared on the company's official site or social media photos as this intriguing matte grey with slightly blue undertones, but sometimes customer photos made it appear more blue than grey.

Nevertheless, I decided to finally order it and see for myself.  On my lips, it does show the blue tones quite a bit, but is definitely grey overall.  Gorgeous over a black lip liner and blended together.  The texture is very matte and does drag slightly across the lips, but that's sometimes to be expected with matte lipsticks, especially those advertised as "ultra-matte".  It has lasting power even without any blotting, though it is not transfer-proof unless it's set with powder.

As it appears in the above photo, my lips appear quite dry with this lipstick on.  This is mostly because I had been swatching several products before this one and my lips had taken a beating.  This lipstick applies pretty smoothly even though it's super-duper matte.  If you have dry lips already, I'd recommend using a moisturizing lip primer if possible.  This will definitely accentuate dry patches on the lips.

Melt gets a big thumbs up from me for this shade.  It's so unique and surprisingly wearable-feeling!

Space Cake retails for $19 on Melt's official website.  All of Melt's lipsticks are vegan and cruelty-free!  :-)