call it beauty.: Lipstick Bandit

February 20, 2012

Said You Wanna Be Startin' Somethin'...

For the third installment of the Lipstick Bandit posts, we bring to you STARTER LIPSTICKS!

Being a performer, lipstick has pretty much been a part of my life since I was a child. Seriously, I've been wearing lipstick since I was probably 9 or 10 years old. Since I couldn't really remember which lipstick "started it all" for me, so to speak, I decided to write a post about a lipstick that would be a great "gateway" product for any lipstick newbies out there.

Generally, when I'm thinking of trying a makeup product for the first time, I have two guidelines: Choose a wearable shade and, if possible, test a drugstore version first.

I know drugstore products are not as luxurious or glamorous as their high-end counterparts, but you can't deny that brands are really stepping up their game in these past few years. Thus, I bring you today, Maybelline's Color Sensational Lipcolor in Warm Me Up.

(Forgive the grossness of the lipstick. I had a photo of an unused one but it was in my previous laptop)

I have a few Color Sensational lipsticks in my "collection," if you will, and they're definitely one of my favourite drugstore lipsticks. As with the other shades I own, Warm Me Up applies really smoothly and has a creamy texture. It's not moisturizing, but it's not drying at all.

These lipsticks are also very pigmented, and if you know me, you know I like 'em pigmented.

I get a regular amount of wear time with this lipstick, but what I really appreciate is that it fades in a subtle way. Unlike other lipsticks that look horrendous once you've taken a sip or a bite of anything, these babies will just softly fade away so you don't look ridiculous.

Warm Me Up is a lovely pinkish-nude shade (think MAC Jubilee, only pinker) that is definitely MLBB material for me. I feel that if you're easing your way into using a certain product, it's important to choose a shade that you can wear constantly. Warm Me Up is perfect for that because it's completely wearable and I imagine it would look gorgeous with a lot of different skin tones.

So now here's the best part... You, dear reader, get to check out the other Lipstick Bandit's posts!

Have a great week, lovelies!

November 14, 2011

Lipstick Bandit: My Favourite Fall Lipstick

When I received an email from my fellow Lipstick Bandits, I was still in the Philippines and Fall was so far away from my thoughts that I thought I wouldn't be able to find a Fall lipstick in time. Well, looks like my worries were unnecessary as I was able to find my fall lipstick a few days after I arrived back home.

Except, adjusting back to work and having a delayed case of jet lag has made writing this post an ordeal and a half. And sure, I could've spent Sunday afternoon home writing it, but I couldn't pass up the chance to see Henry Cavill and Luke Evans throwing it down while shirtless :p. It's a totally good excuse, you guys...

...Aaaanyways...

Bite Luminous Crème Lipstick according to Sephora:

What it is:
A lush, long-lasting, moisture-rich lip color.

What it does:
This lip color delivers super antioxidant resveratrol, which fights free radicals with potent long term anti-aging benefits. Each lipstick contains the amount of resveratrol found in five glasses of red wine.

What it is formulated WITHOUT:
- Parabens
- Sulfates
- Synthetic Fragrances
- Synthetic Dyes
- Petrochemicals
- Pthalates
- GMOs
- Triclosan

What else you need to know:
This products is free of synthetics, polybutenes, and petroleum byproducts and made exclusively with lip nurturing, food-grade ingredients that are healthy enough to eat.

When I first swatched this lippie, I actually gasped a little bit. Still, the $28 price tag was a bit of a kick to the gut, especially since I didn't earn any money in October. So I went in search for a cheaper alternative, but couldn't find anyway. So I ended up just buying the darn thing, since I was so in love with it already.

This lipstick, which Bite has dubbed "Mulberry," is very creamy; it glides on smoothly & effortlessly, with amazing colour payoff. Sadly, despite being a "moisture-rich" lipstick, it is still no match for my über dry lips and this lipstick is emphatically not something you should wear when your lips are dry. Thankfully, they're behaving at the moment, so I'm enjoying wearing it :). That said, I'm afraid I've developed some sort of reaction to lipsticks as of late. The skin along my top lip and the skin on the left side of my bottom lip get pretty dry and itchy when I wear lipsticks for a prolonged period of time. I experienced that the first time I tried this lipstick, though it hasn't happened since then.

(dotted on)

Mulberry is a gorgeous wine-red shade that actually looks a lot like MAC Media, albeit a less intense version. Unfortunately, my camera could not fully capture the shade in all its glory. It's more... Well, wine-y than my photos suggest.

It's such a lovely colour, that I've been semi-obsessed with similar shades ever since I purchased this lipstick. I know I said nude would be my go-to shade in the Fall, but ~~I lied~~ I just can't resist! One thing to keep in mind with this product is that it has a tendency to shift if, like me, you like to smush your lips together. So you'll definitely want to keep that to a minimum while wearing Bite's Luminous Crème Lipsticks.

My favourite way to wear Mulberry is by dotting it over or under lip balm. I tend to wear it with Korres' Lip Butter in Jasmine because it doesn't add any colour, though layering MAC Tinted Lip Conditioner in Fuchsia Fix over Mulberry is also a really gorgeous combo!

So there we go, my favourite Fall lipstick! Of course, as you all know, I'm not the only Lipstick Bandit around... Wondering what the other Lipstick Bandits are loving? Check out these posts for all our fall favourites:

What's your favourite Fall lipstick?

call it beauty.

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February 20, 2012

Said You Wanna Be Startin' Somethin'...

November 14, 2011

Lipstick Bandit: My Favourite Fall Lipstick

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