lipstick

October 2014 Favorites

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October 2014 FavoritesOctober 2014 Favorites
1. Anastasia Dipbrow Pomade, $18 / 2. Clarisonic Mia2, $150 /
3. Sensationail Gel Polish – Midnight Rendezvous, $9 / 4. Nivea Sensitive Body Wash, $5 /
5. Maybelline Creamy Matte Lipstick $6 / 6. Ponds Luminous Finish BB+, $11

We are well over three-quarters of the way through 2014. Holiday season is descending upon us…but in the meantime, here are my October 2014 Favorites.

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Touch of Spice – Maybelline Creamy Matte Lipstick

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I finally picked up the specific Maybelline Creamy Matte Lipstick I was wanting in the first place – Touch of Spice.

Touch of Spice is a sort of My Lips But Better shade – a matte rosy shade with a bit of brown. Very autumn-appropriate and extremely wearable in all situations (as compared to Divine Wine, which may be a little bold for the taste of some). The formula seems to be identical to the aforementioned darker shade and the lighter Daringly Nude. I don’t know about you, but it drives me up the wall to get two colors from the same line to find that they have completely different consistencies and wear time. I’m pleased that the Creamy Matte line from Maybelline is pretty consistent (at least across these three shades I own).

Maybelline Creamy Matte Lipstick Touch of Spice

Like all the others in the line, it features a frosted tube in a sort of plum-ish shade that is not indicative of the lipstick itself.

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September 2014 Favorites

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September 2014 Favorites

September 2014 Favorites
1. MAC Lipstick – Brave $16 / 2. Sonia Kashuk Brush Cleaner $8 /
3. Clinique Almost Lipstick – Black Honey, $16 / 4. CeraVe Moisturizing Cream, $14 /
5. Maybelline Creamy Matte Lipstick – Divine Wine, $6

I didn’t think much of it during the month, but looking back – my September 2014 Favorites were pretty lippy!

Details after the jump.

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Maybelline Creamy Matte Daringly Nude

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Two weeks ago, I shared a review and some swatches of Maybelline Creamy Matte Lipstick in Divine Wine. I actually purchased Daringly Nude, another non-corpsifying (on me, at least) nude lipstick. I had never really thought of a matte nude lip but when I went to make my purchase they were out of the other shade I wanted, so I went with this instead – I figured Daringly Nude would be, “safe,” as lip colors go.

Maybelline Creamy Matte Lipstick in Daringly Nude - Case

I actually swatched this one on my lips as soon as I left the store. It flattered, so I was happy. It felt good on my lips, didn’t dry them out, and it lasted decently. The consistency of Daringly Nude feels identical to that of Divine Wine, though Daringly Nude appears more matte on the lips than Divine Wine. I also noticed that it settled into my lip lines a little bit more – but this may not have happened if I had super moisturized lips.

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My Lipstick Looked…Different

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Last year, I went to a MAC counter with a friend to find a lipstick to wear to my wedding. It was winter, I was pale, and I was seeking a My-Lips-But-Better shade that was slightly more pink than my natural lipcolor. I wound up choosing Brave, a satin finish; I loved how it looked with Soar pencil underneath. It was subtle and made me look like me (though I enjoy reds, I feel most comfortable in MLBBs and neutral pinks), which was important considering the occasion.

MAC Brave LipstickMAC Brave Lipstick

Fast forward to late spring! I had started my sunless tanning routine with Million Dollar Tan’s excellent Cabana Tan lotion line. I was tan and golden, and felt good about not harming my skin in the process. I started refining what my day-of makeup was going to be – applying, tweaking, etc. – most times sans lip because, come on. I knew what the lip looked like.

One time I decided to finish it properly, lip and all. I was so excited to be done, thinking, “Oh yes, I nailed this!”

Except I wasn’t as enamored of the lip as I remember being. What?! I remember being so enamored of the shade when I bought it. Was it the cruel salesfloor lighting within Macy’s? No, I had photos of it. In natural light, even. It looked so cool, almost making my lips look ashy…what the hell happened? Lipsticks don’t just change color!

It had only been about a month since I started sunless tanning, but I had reached where I wanted to be – it was enough to change the effect of the lipstick drastically against my skin. Thankfully, the arrival of my Glambot order saved the day; armed with MAC Cosmo, I was able to blend the two lipsticks on my lip (over the Soar lip pencil) to achieve what I wanted on my newly-tan skin.

Because of that, I put Brave away and hadn’t reached for it in a while. Recently having returned to my palest shade (props to Million Dollar Tan – it really lasted!), I reached for it this week and found that it looks good again.

In short, if you tend to be a bit of a chameleon depending on the season, don’t be surprised (or upset!) if certain shades (of lipstick or blush, especially) don’t flatter as much as they did at another time. Certainly don’t do anything rash like throw a product away over it. With lipstick, try mixing it with another lipcolor (or even just topping it with a gloss to alter it a bit). If that doesn’t work,  give it time, wait for the next season, and try again; your skintone has a huge impact on these things.

I’m thrilled to have this particular lipstick back in my rotation. Foundation/concealer being the exception, have you ever found this to be the case with a product in your collection (flattering when purchased, not so much in a different season)?

Maybelline Creamy Matte Lipstick – Divine Wine

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Lipsticks are one of those fun items that you don’t need a ton of time to test in order to fully evaluate. Despite the fact that I don’t wear them often (they’re a little high-maintenance for my day-to-day tastes), I love the look of a matte lip. When I heard that Maybelline added this new Creamy Matte Lipstick formula to their Color Sensational line, I was damn excited. I actually saw them on YouTube first before seeing them in a store, on a blog, etc – Nicole Guerrero was wearing Touch of Spice in a recent video and I was like, “Yep. I need dis.” I looked around and could find no information online, not even on Maybelline’s site.

A few days later, I saw other YouTubers sporting shades from the Color Sensational Creamy Matte Lipstick line and the message was clear, “go to Target.” Next time I was there, armed with a new coupons (no shame in trying something new with one, after all), I went to get Touch of Spice and Divine Wine. They were out of Touch of Spice, but I did get Divine Wine to share with you.

Maybelline Creamy Matte Lipstick - Divine Wine

The caps on the Creamy Matte Lipstick shades are identical: frosted for a matte look, but this otherwise looks like many of the other Color Sensational lipsticks from the outside.

Maybelline Creamy Matte Lipstick - Divine Wine Case

So dark! The flash makes this look not quite as dark as it is. It isn’t like… Nyx Soft Matte Lip Cream in Transylvania or Nars Train Bleu dark, but it is a pretty deep wine red.

Maybelline Creamy Matte Lipstick - Divine Wine - Open

Swatched. For reference on how dark it is, Maybelline Creamy Matte Lipstick this is sitting next to a well-known shade, Stila Stay All Day Liquid Lipstick in Beso. Should have let Beso dry, but I was rushing.

Maybelline Creamy Matte Lipstick - Divine Wine Swatch (Stila Beso above for comparison)

Though I will sometimes wear a bold red lip, I pretty much never wear a dark lip. In fact, I can remember the last time I did, not counting Halloween scenarios – my mom had a dark burgundy(ish)? Clinique lipstick ages and aaaages ago. I pilfered it. I was not even a teenager yet. That was all.
I am not vampy! I like sheer washes color on my lips and clean eyeliner. I am out of my comfort zone! Applying it, eeek, it is so dark. Just applied:

Maybelline Creamy Matte Lipstick - Divine Wine, Applied

And I love it! Again, slightly ligther in the flash, but trust that this is very fall appropriate.

Despite being called, “Creamy Matte Lipstick,” this is definitely more of a satin-matte finish; the lighter shades are slightly more matte. I think this finish is flattering with this color, personally, but if it want it so-matte-its-flat, this may not be the formula/color for you. It doesn’t feel dry going on – some matte lipsticks can skip or tug on your lips during application, leading to mistakes or uneven-application, nearly necessitating use of a lip brush. Not these! They glide on pretty easily and have great color payoff in one pass. They aren’t as unforgiving as a classic matte lipstick (I’m looking at you, MAC Retro Matte formula – I’ve seen what you’ve done to lips!) but I chose to exfoliate and treat prior just in case. So far, I haven’t noticed any feathering or sass from this lipcolor, but I would probably use a liner (if I had an appropriate color) with this one just in case.

I noticed, also, during application and wear, that the scent of the Creamy Matte Lipsticks remind me of the scent of the Nyx Soft Matte Lip Creams. I’m sure they share some common ingredients, though I’m not sure what they are. I would wager that it is whatever allows them to apply easily and remain matte. I love my Nyx Soft Matte Lip creams, but I already have a strong preference for this type of lipcolor to be in a lipstick form rather than a tube with a doe-foot applicator.

I got about about 3.5 hours of wear before needing to reapply, but that includes drinking two glasses of tea and eating dinner. I heard and confirmed that it wasn’t a punk about reapplying, but even the Nyx Soft Matte Lip Creams can be punks when it comes to reapplication. To be fair, I think expecting a lipstick to last through eating and drinking is entirely unrealistic – and this one does not claim to be long-wearing, so I am happy.

It is so damn new that even now, almost a week after I’ve purchased them, I cannot find them online anywhere. Not Amazon, not Target, not drugstore.com – but I will be sure to update you with a link as soon as I find one. In fact, I have another shade to share with you at some point – I’ll hold off until I can get a dang link for you.

Are you into matte hues? Seasonally-appropriate ones? Will you try one of the new Maybelline Creamy Matte Lipsticks, or stick with something more familiar like, say, a Nyx Soft Matte Lip Cream?