Lipstick Musings #1 - Coloupop Lumière and Aquarius and Bite Beauty Glacé

I love lipstick, but I'm not going to lie, when I do my makeup in the mornings, I'm in such a rush that I barely even think of what I'm putting on my lips before I step out the door. All the more reason for some useful, go with everything lipsticks in my arsenal.

Today I bring you three lipsticks I've been loving lately. Colourpop has been coming out with some lovely shades lately and two of my favourites have been Lumière and Aquarius, coincidentally, both created in collaboration with Kathleen Lights. Both are so easy to apply and go well with any makeup look. The only downside? For some reason, Aquarius smells like caramel, and I really don't like it.

Everyone seems to just love the Bite Beauty Matte Creme Lip Crayons, me included. I truly have never found such a creamy matte moisturizing lipstick. My shade of the moment - Glacé, a dusty mauve shade that brightens up my complexion. It's such an easy to wear shade.

Lumière, Glacé and Aquarius.

What's been your lipstick of choice lately?

Pantene Expert Intense Colorcare

Last week, in a not so seasonal storm, I had fun taking a few shots of the Pantene Expert Intense Colorcare Shampoo and Conditioner with my husband (who stayed inside, shooting through the patio door xox).

To see the full review, check out my Instagram post here.

Happy Monday!

Estee Lauder Bronze Goddess in 02 Medium Review + Comparison Swatches

Being a pale lady, finding a good bronzer has always been quite a challenge for me. They're either too yellow, not warm enough, too glittery... and the list goes on. After reading a ton of reviews (as I do when buying any product) on the Estee Lauder Bronzer Goddess in 02 Medium, I thought it might be a good match.

First off, it's massive! You're sure to have plenty to last you a whole year! Secondly, the packaging is pretty damn perfect - sturdy with a tortoise shell patter with a gigantic mirror on the inside. Love!

The blush is smooth, and easy to blend. The shade is quite neutral, yet leans a bit warm, and almost has a tinge of pink. I find it quite flattering on my skintone. You can't tell from the pictures, but it does contain a bit of shimmer. I don't find this translates on my face at all.

Because it's so difficult to swatch a bronzer alone (how can you tell if it's warm or ashy?) I decided to pull my bronzers and compare it to the Bronze Goddess in Medium 02.

In the shade, on a sunny day

In the sun, on a sunny day

As you can see in the swatches, the Estee Lauder bronzer applies quite smoothly. Comparatively, the Kevin Aucoin Sculpting Power, Body Shop Bronzer and Nars Laguna appear to be harder to blend out - I'd say this is accurate with a brush application on the face as well. To be fair, my Nars Laguna is really old and needs to be thrown out. So let's not judge the swatch - it's still a great product. The Body Shop Bronzer in 01, as you may be able to tell, isn't very pigmented - it appears powdery because I really had to layer it for the color to show up. And yeah, I'm not a big fan on that one.

In terms of shade, it seems to be somewhere in the middle of MAC Harmony and The Body Shop Bronzer. I wouldn't use the Kevin Aucoin Sculpting Powder for bronzer as it is very ashy brown.

If you're looking for a good bronzer for the summer I definitely recommend this one - but try it on first as bronzers can appear different on everyone! The Estee Lauder bronzer retails for C$42 for 0.74 oz while the Nars Laguna is C$52 for 0.28 oz. Yikes! Guess which one I'll be re-purchasing... if I ever finish it!

Clinique Pop Lip Colour in Nude Pop 01 and Bare Pop 02 Review

I don't know why it took me so long to try these, but I only got around to trying these Clinique Pop Lip Colour a few months ago. Actually, that's not totally accurate. I've had the Nude Pop 01 for a while, but had only worn it a few times. To be honest, I wasn't totally impressed but wanted to give it a fair shot. The reviews were so great on this, maybe I was missing something?

I started wearing Nude Pop 01 a lot more and the texture seemed to change. It was more emollient and smooth - maybe it just needed breaking in? I wanted to try a different shade so I decided to give Bare Pop 02 a go.

I love their packaging. How neat is it that their packaging correspond with the color inside the tube? Unfortunately, the two I own are so similar that I can't really tell them apart by looking! The rest of the range however has quite varied colors. The packaging is also sturdy and the cap feels very secure.

The formula is quite nice. I wouldn't say this is a very moisturizing lipstick, but it's comfortable to wear. It's a lot moisturizing for me than say a MAC lipstick - those tend to make my lips peel. I get a good 4+ hours wear out of these. For my drinking coffee/eating snacks all day self, that's pretty damn good.

Nude Pop 01 on the left, Bare Pop 02 on the right

Errrm, this is awkward. They look almost exactly the same in the swatch! I swear, on the lips, they look completely different on me. Bare Pop looks like a dark blush nude and Nude Pop looks like a true pinky nude on my lips. Bare Pop also has quite a heavy glitter - which almost put me off purchasing it. The glitter doesn't really transfer on the lips - it's there, but it wears off beautifully and you're not left with glitter chunks on your lips once the lipstick wears off. Thank goodness or else it would be a fail for me! Nude Pop is truly a perfect nude - not too pink, not too brown, and goes with everything. You can't go wrong with that one.

If you're in the market for a new lipstick, I'd highly recommend you check the range. There are a ton of colours available, and in true Clinique fashion, affordable and less than high-end brands retailing at C $22.

Have you tried these lipsticks? Which shade is your favorite? Send me some recommendations - I've got my eye on Plum Pop next!

February Favorites Featuring Lorac, Lise Watier, Clarins, Estee Lauder and more!

A little late, but here are the products I've been using non-stop this February!

I never bothered purchasing the Lorac Pro when all the hype was happening around it. But this past winter, I saw it on Ebay for a reasonable price and thought it would be fun to try it out! Don't worry, it's completely authentic - I did a ton or research to make sure I wasn't getting duped. I'm happy to report that I've gotten a ton of use out of this beauty. The matte shades are soft and easy to blend, the shimmery shades are gorgeous and pigmented, and you can pretty much create any look with this! My favorite shades this month have been the Gold shade and the Light Bronze. Unfortunately, this palette isn't readily available in Canada, but you can purchase it on Amazon (sadly, at a ridiculous mark up).

I've been try to curate my makeup brushes this month and one of the stand outs I've recently purchased at Winners is this Olive & Olivia angled brush. I struggled for the longest time to find a brush in my collection that worked well for applying the Kevin Aucoin Sculpting Powder but this brush works perfectly. It picks up the colour quite lightly and blends it out so easily. Unfortunately, I can't find this brush online, but check your local Winners in case it's available! Keep your eyes open for a favorite brush post soon on this blog!

The two lip products I've been completely obsessed over has been the Clarins Instant Light Lip Perfector in 08 (as you may have guessed) and the Lise Watier Baume Gourmand in Rose. You can read the Lip Perfector review here, but basically, I absolutely love this product. I bought 07 this weekend and cannot wait to wear it! The Lise Watier Baume Gourmand was a surprise for me - I purchased it on a whim at a Shoppers Spend Your Points event and have worn it so much since. It description is accurate - it's a balm as it does have moisturizing properties, but it also gives quite the lovely natural pink flush of colour on my lips. I've been loving this easy to wear option. And plus, the packaging is adorable!

I've long been a fan of Estee Lauder's Double Wear Stay-In-Place Eye Pencil formula, the black colour being one of my favorite liners ever. So it was only natural that I pick up the Coffee 02 colour eventually and it's quickly becoming my favorite brown liner. It has a lovely smudger on the end which is super convenient for smoking out your liner. And it seriously stays on all day.

Laura Mercier's blush in Spiced Cider is not a blush I would have picked up had I not seen it on other bloggers with fair skin. It seems so dark in the pan and the shade is what I would describe as a terracotta rose/coral. On the skin, it gives me such a gorgeous glow that I've been wearing it a lot this past month with more bronze eyeshadow. I've already professed my love for Laura Mercier blushes and seriously don't know why these don't get more love.

For your convenience, I've added swatches of the products below.

As always, thank you for reading and visiting my blog!

Clarins Rouge Eclat in Pink Cherry (24), Hot Rose (23), Rose Praline (26), and Instant Light Lip Perfector 08 Review

Clarins has long been a favorite of mine in the lip product department. Long before I tested the Spring 2016 shades of the Rouge Eclat, I owned a few other shades (maybe one of them was Nude Rose 01?) which I loved but they have since expired and have been thrown out. So I was quite excited to test these out again! 

The packaging of the Rouge Eclat is pure luxury - a gold solid base where the lipstick is contained, and a lovely sturdy plastic cover. I love that there is no chance for the base of the lipstick to break off - this baby is secure! And I'm such a sucker for gold packaging, let's be honest. 

I don't know if it's the weather (-30C guys, like really), but I was a bit disappointed with the formula and found these dried my lips after a couple hours. I'm not sure why as they apply quite creamy, feel great on the lips and they even smell amazing. But for me, they simply weren't moisturizing enough. The color payoff of these is great, albeit a bit sheer. I'm personally a fan of more sheer lipsticks as I find they make my lips look plumper and younger - I'm definitely not on the liquid lipstick bandwagon. Even with its emollient and less opaque formula, which tends to wear off quickly, these lipsticks wore 4+ hours on me. 

Left to right in natural light, Pink Cherry (24), Hot Rose (23), Rose Praline (26) and the Instant Light Lip Perfector in 08

My favorite is Rose Praline (26). It's the perfect my-lips-but-peachier shade that goes with absolutely any makeup look. I think Hot Rose (23) and Pink Cherry (24) will be absolutely perfect for Spring with a lovely cat eye liner - I can just picture it. And with the warmer weather, maybe my lips won't feel as dry under these lipsticks.

The arrival of two new shades of the Instant Light Lip Perfectors created a bit of hype online! I knew I'd be getting my hands on the 08 shade as soon as I could and I'm so happy I did. It's a gorgeous berry shade that looks natural, but still pigmented on the lips. I absolutely LOVE this product. What amazes me the most is how moisturizing this gloss/balm hybrid is. I'm wearing this shade today, and my lips still have some product, and feel completely moisturized after 4+ hours of wear, coffee, water, a granola bar, and honeydew melon. That's kind of kick ass!

While I was a bit disappointed in the Rouge Eclat, I am completely smitten with the Instant Light Lip Perfector in 08. You absolutely needs this if you have dry lips but can never find a lip color that has the moisturizing properties you need. I'm pretty sure I'll have to buy the 07 shade before it's out of stock! Nay, I will absolutely buy it. It's also stunning.

* I have received these products for consideration, but my opinions are always my own. I am not being compensated for this review and I always strive to review products with honesty. I did however purchase the Instant Light Lip Perfector myself.