Kat Von D Lolita Lip Duo - review and swatches

On my first trip to Sephora, I was finally able to look at Kat Von D products in store. I have been interested in the Kat Von D eyeshadow palettes (Shade & Light Eye Contour, I'm coming for you) and the liquid lipsticks. I have read and seen swatches of Lolita, and when I saw this cute little duo featuring Lolita and Lolita II, it was the perfect excuse to pick it up.

I don't find the consistency of these liquid lipsticks as thick as some others, like the ColourPop Ultra Matte or the Australis Velourlips, which means they aren't as drying. You can also layer the products without it cracking or causing any issues. However, because they are thinner in consistency, they are not as long lasting - if I have been eating anything with the ColourPop on my lips (bar anything too greasy which breaks the product), it will still be on my lips afterwards. With this product, it does break away, especially in the middle. But because you are still able to layer the product without any issue, it doesn't really phase me at all. With other brands, like ColourPop, I would need to remove all traces of the product from my lips before being able to reapply. 

(L to R: Lolita & Lolita II)

I picked up this duo from Sephora in store for $30. Unfortunately I cannot find it online, so it looks like it can only be purchased from Sephora stores. I really enjoy wearing both lip colours, and because they are neutral shades, I find them work appropriate too. Because they are a liquid lipstick, they dry down to a matte and are generally more long lasting - just remember to check in a mirror after eating, as you probably will need to reapply. I'm definitely looking forward to trying more of these liquid lipsticks. 

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X

Benefit Real Cheeky Party Blush Palette - review and swatches

Benefit Coralista is one of my favourite Benefit blushes, and when I saw this set I knew I had to purchase it. This was $69 from Myer Benefit Counters, but you can now purchase it for just under $50 - click here to see if it is available in a store near you. This set features 4 blush shades, 1 bronzer shade, a cream highlighter, mini mascara and mini gel liner. 

Along with having my favourite blush shade, Coralista, Rockateur was included in this palette, which I have wanted to try since it's release, but really haven't been interested in paying $50 for one blush. Surprisingly enough, Dandelion has become my favourite pick out of this whole palette - it does appear to have some micro shimmer in it, but once on the face it is relatively matte and quite a natural colour. Dandelion is described as a "sheer, ballerina pink". Rockateur is a rose-gold shade, and I think I will get more use out of this one in the cooler months as it is a bit darker, but it is a lovely blush colour and I'm glad it was included in this set. Sugarbomb is a mixture of peach, soft plum, rose and pink, and when swirled it appears a bit softer in tone to Coralista. This is a fun summer colour. Hoola is the bronzer shade in the palette, and a lovely shade for light-medium skin tones. It is a matte bronzer, not too warm, and a great option for contouring. Coralista in this palette is a little bit chalky. I've never owned the full size of Coralista, I've had it a few times as a deluxe size like this in different palettes, but to me this time around it is quite an underwhelming formulation. It definitely requires a bit more to make it work, but still one of my favourites. Coralista, as the name suggests, is a beautiful coral shade.

(L to R: Dandelion, Rockateur, Sugarbomb, Hoola, Coralista)

I do own a mini sample of the Benefit Watts Up! in stick form, but do prefer it like this in a pot. This is a cream highlighter, and is a champagne shade. The packaging it is in can be removed from the palette in a little compact, which makes it great for travel!

Last we have two other minis - They're Real Mascara, and They're Real Push-Up Liner. I have owned the They're Real mascara before, so I won't be opening this one up until I've used the mascaras I do have opened, but I do enjoy this mascara. The They're Real Push-Up Liner is quite an interesting concept, but I have struggled with it so far. I will give it a few more tries, but the Essence liner I use is super easy, and lasts just like a gel anyway!

I believe I will end up depotting the blushes in this palette as the packaging is quite bulky, and I'm sure I can repurpose the packaging for something else.

If you've been interested in trying out the Benefit blushes, I would recommend looking into this palette - and more so now that it is at a reduced price. The blushes are not full size, and are considered "medium size", except Rockatuer, which is a full size product (5g of product). Sets like this are real value for money, and I'm glad I now have a majority of the Benefit blushes in my collection.

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X

Lipstick Queen Hello Sailor Lipstick - review and swatches

My boyfriend purchased this lipstick for me because he is a sailor. I'd not really heard much about Lipstick Queen before I was gifted this lipstick, but now I own three of their lipsticks and adore them. See my review of the Lipstick Queen Velvet Rope in Brat Pack here. This lipstick is housed in a navy blue tube, and is blue in colour.

Lipstick Queen describes this one as follows:

"Turn the blackberry lip trend on its head with this ultra-modern, navy blue sheer lipstick. In a nod to the nautical, Hello Sailor tints lips in a cool, berry tone with a hint of sapphire. The sheer blue pigment is suspended in a protective Vitamin E treatment that can be worn alone as a nourishing lip tint or teamed with its Berry sisters in Saint or Sinner, to add a topaz glint to your berry lips"

The lipstick turns a sheer plum/purple/blackberry on the lips, and it is super moisturising (contains pure Vitamin E). And because the lipstick is blue toned, your teeth appear whiter. 

This lipstick currently retails for $37 from Mecca Maxima. For a sheer every day colour, this is a great choice. On my lips, it is a sheer plum, and definitely work appropriate. It adds a nice tint to your lips but isn't confronting at all (for those that are scared of purple lips). Essentially, this product is a tinted moisturising lip treatment. I also have the Lipstick Queen Queen Bee, which is a similar product to this. Both these lipsticks are super moisturising, and I believe this product is a great choice for the cooler months - not only is it super moisturising, but the shade is a great shade for the cooler months. 

If you are able to head into Mecca to swatch this, I would recommend it. It is an interesting product, and it might surprise you. It has just enough amount of pigment to transform your lips into a lovely blackberry tone.

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X

Dupe for MAC Velvet Teddy (MAC Velvet Teddy vs Too Faced Melted Chihuahua)

MAC Velvet Teddy is my absolute favourite lipstick. It is a medium toned nude, and complements my light complexion nicely. I recently acquired a mini size of the Too Faced Melted Chihuahua, which upon swatching I thought was a really similar shade to MAC Velvet Teddy. Here I have a mini comparison between the two.

The MAC is definitely more matte, whereas the Too Faced is more "glossy" - I say "glossy", as it does dry down to a semi-matte, but doesn't look as matte on the lips as the MAC.

(L: MAC Velvet Teddy, R: Too Faced Melted Chihuahua)

The MAC lipstick comes with 3g of product, and retails for $36 in Australia. The Too Faced comes with 12mL of product, and currently retails for $30 in Australia. The lipsticks are a different finish overall, but I find the shade quite similar and think it is a great alternative - and you are receiving more product with the Too Faced compared with the MAC. I still do reach for my Velvet Teddy rather than the Too Faced, as I find Velvet Teddy lasts longer on the lips. 

(L: Too Faced Melted Chihuahua, R: MAC Velvet Teddy)

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X

NARS x Steven Klein One Shocking Moment Cheek Studio Palette

If there is one thing I completely fall in love with, it is NARS cheek palettes. To be honest, I don't think I'd ever just purchase one blush by itself (they do retail for $42 each at Mecca), but when NARS releases them as a set like this, it definitely intrigues my interest. This palette retails for $100 from Mecca Cosmetica and Mecca Maxima, and it is limited edition.

This palette comes with two contour shades, a bronzer, and four blushes.

The first two shades in the palette are from the Contour Blush Duo in Paloma. The highlight shade in this duo is 2.7g, while the contour is 5.5g.  In this palette, there is 3.5 g of product in both the highlight and contour shade. The Paloma Highlight is a pale beige, with a matte finish. I find it works wonderfully as an undereye setting and highlight shade. The two contour and highlight shades are available as part of the permanent NARS collection as a duo, so if only the contour shades interest you in this palette, you would be able to purchase it separately. At Mecca, this retails for $62. I quite enjoy the light highlighting shade for setting under my eyes, and the darker contour works well on my light skin.

The Laguna Bronzer included in this palette is actually larger than the full size you can purchase. The one in this palette is 8.5g, whereas the one you can purchase all year round is 8g. I have purchased this bronzer on it's own - and only have the tiniest bit left, and it is in the other NARS Cheek Palette I purchased a few years ago (with drastic pan), so this is another welcome cheek product included in this palette.

I think NARS blush palettes are my favourite type of palettes. Each pan of blush in this palette has 3.5g worth of product, with a full size NARS blush having 4.8g. This palette comes with four blush shades - two limited edition shades, Robotic and Blasphemy, and two permanent shades, Luster and Dolce Vita. Robotic is a light medium pink, with a cool undertone, with silver flecks. Blasphemy is a medium rosy pink, also with flecks. Luster is a warm toned orange blush with gold shimmer. This blush is honestly gorgeous - it looks amazing on my light complexion. This is the star of the palette for me. Dolce Vita is a medium plum toned blush with gold shimmer.

(L to R: Paloma Highlight, Paloma Contour, Laguna Bronzer, Robotic, Blasphemy, Luster, Dolce Vita)

I really like that this palette has the names of each product on the back - it definitely makes it super easy. The One Night Stand Palette I have from a few years ago (see review here), I only know a few shade names by heart, and the rest I'd have no clue, because the information is not on the back of the palette.

Overall, I think this product is my favourite holiday release of 2015. It's not the cheapest product, but I believe it is great value for money. The packaging is sturdy, with a nice mirror. 2015 has been the year of the blush for me - I've never really been a big blush fan, but this year it definitely has grown on me. I really recommend the sets like this that NARS brings out from time to time. I definitely want to add the mini lipstick set from the Steven Klein Collection to my stash.

Thanks for reading,
X