Too Faced Melted Matte Liquified Long Wear Matte Lipstick in "Lady Balls"

When I first started falling in love with makeup, Nikkie Tutorials was the person I watched most.  That's probably still true to this day.  I think she's fabulous.  She is so fun to watch and I feel like if I knew her in real life, we'd be great friends.  She is so pretty and so funny, and if you love makeup and aren't watching her, you should be. 

I feel like we have sort of the same coloring, and if I'd discovered makeup when I was 15 years younger, I feel like we'd look a little bit alike.  Not too long ago, I saw a photo of her on Instagram showing a look she did with all highlighters, and I about died when I saw her lipcolor.

 

Yeah.

 

Its like the reddest red that ever was. I fell in love with it immediately, and knowing that Ulta carries Too Faced, I set off to make it my own.  Except I couldnt find it.  Anywhere.  Not even online.  I searched through all the Too Faced colors, and there was no Lady Balls to be found. It has confounded me for days.  Because its supposed to be a melted liquid lipstick.  I checked the name a thousand times.  And finally, yesterday, I figured it out.  It is a Melted Matte Liquid Lipstick.  Matte.  I thought all the liquid lips were matte, but I guess not.  I also found out that if I wanted it, I would have to go to Sephora.  Womp womp.

 

I'm not a Sephora fan, for a number of reasons.  I think their selection is smaller than Ulta's and I don't find their staff to be as friendly.  The Sephora store brand is not cruelty free, (Ulta's is) and usually, unless I am wanting a Kat Von D product, there is nothing at Sephora that I cant get somewhere else. 

 

It was driving me crazy, this color, though, and so off I went, behind enemy lines.  And I did find the product I was looking for, and you can see there are a few differences in the packaging between what Ulta carries and what I was looking for:

 

The product Ulta sells is on the right, and I have tried it before and liked the formula, if not the colors I tried.  The kind they have at Sephora has the doe foot applicator and is more of a traditional application for a liquid lipstick.

 

 

Even though I went in looking specifically for Lady Balls, I got distracted by some of the other colors in the line.  I didnt have time to try them all on, but I did swatch them, just to see if there was anything I'd want more than Lady Balls.  I'm easily distracted that way, and my hunt for  the perfect liquid nude is never ending.

 

 

If you find yourself interested, those colors, left to right, are Miso Pretty, Child Star, Sell Out, and Feelin' Myself.





So.... Lady Balls.  Its bright, like, really bright.  It is definitely the reddest red.  I figured it was close to some other reds I have, but I found that it is actually brighter.

This is Lady Balls, Stila Liquid Lipstick in Beso, and Kat Von D liquid in Outlaw.  I loved the color right away, we were definitely meant for each other.

in direct sunlight

 

 

in indirect sunlight

 

I am sad to say that I did not love the formula.  I found it to be drying, and yet sticky at the same time.  Not sticky in the type of way where your hair would get caught in it, but sticky in the way where I could feel it on my lips all day long.  I was very aware that it was there, and not so much in a good way.  I also found it sort of feathering and migrating throughout the day.  These are problems that can be fixed.  A lip primer and a lipliner would probably be a good solution, but I feel like this lipstick was kind of high maintenance.

 

 I also wasnt really dressed right for the color.  This is RED and I was pretty casual, and this isn't really a casual red.  I always say that red lipstick and sunglasses are all you need, and thats typically true, but this is a dressed up red. Also, indoor lighting is probably not the most flattering of this color on me.  Because it is so bright, and I am so pale, it was a little bit strong indoors.  Someone with more color in their skin could probably do this more justice than I am doing.

 

 

It was an ill-timed blind date for Lady Balls and me.  I am sure under different circumstances, with the right tools, and at the right time, we could have loved each other, but yesterday, it was not to be.  I saw my mom at the end of the day, and she said, "its really hard to get used to your face with all that makeup on."  And by then, I kind of agreed with her.

 







Colourpop! Liquid Ultra Matte Lipsticks

Colourpop came out of nowhere it seems like, to become one of the most popular brands on the market.  I was on their website last night and there was actually a line to check out because their servers couldn't process so much business at once.  I am excited for them, because its always nice to see a little company that makes a great product become successful.

There's nothing I love more than a liquid matte, and these folks make a wide array of colors.  They also make other lipsticks and makeup, which I haven't tried yet, but I am sure I will.  I have good friends who swear by their Lippie Stix, so I would give those a try too, if you're game. 

At $6, the price point is right.  The downside is that since this is an online business only, you can't try the colors on before buying.  I ordered a bunch of colors, along with my besties, and ordered an extra "beeper" to give away.  If you would like to enter, details are on my instagram!

This is probably the most "liquid" liquid lipstick I have ever tried.  Be really careful applying, don't set the bottle down, because the product is super watery and will drip right on out.  It takes about a minute to try and set, and once its on, its on.  It isn't coming off without some effort!  The formula is a little bit drying, which I actually like, because to me it feels like I'm not wearing anything.  If that isn't your cup of tea, I recommend a primer or some chapstick on underneath.

The colors I swatched are, from left to right, Solow, Trap, Bumble, Beeper, Stingraye, Tulle, and Creeper.  You can find them here.

The photo below shows the colors in the tubes, the swatches wet, and the swatches dry.

Solow

Trap

Bumble

Beeper

Stingraye

Tulle

Creeper

I really didn't feel like the first picture did justice to how bright Creeper is, so here is a second one. Its BRIGHT. Its almost too bright red for me, and I didn't know there was such a thing.  One coat with Creeper, anything else, they'll see you coming in the dark.

This is a great product, at a great price point.  They're busy, so you'll have to wait a bit for your order, but I would definitely recommend it.

Lipstick Queen: Frog Prince

 Lipstick Queen is a line by Poppy King that is easily the most moisturizing lipstick I have ever worn.  Though it is a cruelty free brand, it is not vegan, as they use beeswax in their products. A lot.  I have been wearing the lipstick for almost seven hours now and still feel like I just put on some chapstick.  I don't know a single brand that can hold a candle to this one in terms of moisture.

The line I want to talk about today is called Frog Prince.  Because its green :)  All of her makeup is really whimsical and fun, and I think the Frog Prince line might be the most of all.  I have only ever tried the lipstick, but I would be game to try the rest of it too.

 

 

 

Frog Prince's tagline is "Enchanting Emerald Shades Magically Transform Into Your Perfect Fairytale Pink."  The idea is that the color will look a little bit different on everyone, but naturally become a flattering shade on everybody.  

It really does apply green.

 

I'm sure that there is some very logical wizardry behind why it applies green, but is then pink. It is shiny, but it isn't overpowering, I actually like it a lot and usually I cant stand anything that isn't matte.  Its kind of like your own lip color, but better.

 



On me it turned kind of a mauve color, but in my search of the good ol' interwebs, it ranges from light baby pink, to almost a purple color.  It looks really fresh and natural, and it does feel really good on the lips.  They aren't playing around with the beeswax.

Those bees must be union, because at $25, this is one of the more expensive lipsticks.  Even my beloved Besame will only run you $22.  This definitely falls in the "treat yo self" category.

 

As the day wore on, and with eating and drinking, the lip color got to be a lighter pink, but none of the moisture left.  It still feels brand new on my lips.

 

 

I hope when you're wearing it, you only kiss Princes (or Princesses) and no frogs!!



Essence Nude Colors: Liquids + Long Lasting Lipsticks

I have been a lover of Essence for awhile now.  Their products are very inexpensive, and from my limited experience with the brand, they are really good quality.  I decided to try a bunch on today, since I am forever on the hunt for the perfect liquid nude and I found out they had some.

Left to right, starting at my hand, the colors are Almost Real , Beauty Secret, Colour Party, Porcelain Doll, Nude Love, and Barely There.  The first three are liquid lipsticks and the second three are traditional tube lipsticks.

I was most excited about the Almost Real, but because Nudes elude me, that one was super bad.  I didn't even get a picture of it  because nothing was there.  No matter how many layers I slathered on, there was absolutely no color.  It was so incredibly sheer. So, here are the other two liquids, which managed to show some color.

Beauty Secret

Colour Party

 

Of the three, Beauty Secret was my favorite. Its sort of a mauve color, which I seem to gravitate to.  In person, Colour Party is sort of a candy pink, and its probably not something I could wear in real life.  If you are looking for a candy pink with a glossy finish, for $3.49, this one would be hard to beat.

 

I prefer mattes and these are definitely sheer and shiny, which are two characteristics I don't love in a lipstick.  Of the colors I tried, the tube colors were much more opaque, and much less shiny, so I liked those better.

 

Porcelain Doll

Nude Love



Barely There

 

Once again, the mauve one, Barely There, was my favorite.  I really liked the formula of the tube colors, and I have worn Barely There in the past and I know it has good staying power. Porcelain Doll is super light/pink in person, so I didn't really feel like that was the  right color for me, but the Nude Love wasn't too bad. I could see myself wearing that again.

 

 

For $2.99 to $3.49, its hard to beat the price of these lip colors.  If you are looking for more of a glossy look, or a top layer over a more opaque color, the liquids are pretty great.  They would be hard to wear on their own.  The tube lipsticks are way more opaque and hold up really well, especially for nude colors, which tend to just sort of fade away.  For the price I don't mind re-apply.  I don't find them drying and they stay in place really well.  I didn't feel like any of them feathered, and none of them were applied with liner.  Depending on what you're looking for, I think these are a good buy.

 

 

 



Lorac Pro Matte Color Crayons

Before I get into this products (which, spoiler alert, I loved) I wanted to say that I have been reading a lot of makeup reviews this week, and a lot of what I have noticed is... photoshop.  Makeup should be fun, and there is nothing wrong with retouching photos, but I think that a lot of times we look at things and think, "man, why cant I look like that?" its because nobody looks like that. 

 

Face slimmed, chin rounded, nose slimmed, skin de-blemished, eyes enlarged, eyelashes added, makeup changed.  And it took about two minutes and I have no idea what the heck I am doing! Imagine what someone who knows what they're doing can do? 

 

The pictures that I post are (99% of the time) not retouched.  I want people to see these colors and know what they would actually look like in real life.  Not only should makeup be fun, it should be accessible to everyone.  Everyone can wear bold lip colors.  Everyone can try different styles.  If I can do it, being a thoroughly regular looking person, its something anyone could do.

 

 

Now, onto the subject at hand!  I have been wanting to try Lorac for awhile, and had some time today, and decided not only to try them out, but try two colors that I would typically never wear.  I started out looking at the glosses, but they were so, so sheer, and I was really looking for something opaque.

 

 

I decided to try out their Pro Matte LipColors which are crayons that twist up so they do not need to be sharpened.  I honestly cannot remember the last time I loved a product this much.  For matte colors, the formula is super soft and moisturizing.  It slid right on.  It has grape seed oil and vitamins C & E in it, and it stayed soft all day. It wasn't drying at all, but it had incredible staying power.  I could not have been more impressed.

 

 

 

 

I hardly ever wear anything pink, so I thought it would be fun to try the two brightest colors I could find.  I didn't particularly expect to like either one of them on me.  And, at least with the coral, I was right.

 

 

I was immediately in love with the formula, and it smelled super yummy to boot.  It was just a little too orange-y on for my liking.  If I was blonde, or had a tan, this would be perfect.  But, since I am neither, the Coral was not for me.

 

 

 

Next up was the Fuchsia, which is super duper bright.  I was figuring I would hate bright pink, but as it turns out I loved it, and it was the Fuchsia I ended up wearing out.

 

See how bright?

 

 

 

I don't even think the pictures, and my goofy faces, do it justice.  I didnt expect to find it flattering, but I really did, and whats more, I think this color would look great on anyone.  Its bright enough to hold its own against tan skin, and pinky enough to work with pale chicks like me.  Red heads have the narrowest group of colors we can wear and not look dumb, so it was a total surprise to me that I loved it.

 

Even better, it stayed in place all day.

 

 

By the time I left work at 5:30, it was still totally in place, after eating, drinking, talking, working, etc.  I seriously cannot think of any of the lipsticks I have that stay put this well.  This product comes in a huge variety of colors, and I cant wait to try out more of them.  At $18, these are a bit on the pricier side, but well worth it.  This is a go-to, and you should definitely give them a try out.

 















Cruelty Free Makeup + Too Faced Lipsticks

I believe very strongly that makeup should be fun and should make you feel good when you wear it.  After my last post, my oldest son's bonus sister-yay for blended families- mentioned to me that her favorite mascara is from a cruelty free line.  It got me thinking that there is no better way to feel good about the makeup you are wearing than to know that it is cruelty free.  There are so many fabulous lines of cruelty free makeup, across all price points.  Here are just a few:

www.crueltyfreekitty.com is a great up to date website to learn about cruelty free makeup products!  I am also proud to tell you that my beloved Ulta is cruelty free.  They do not produce products in China, where animal testing is required, and their house line is cruelty free, which is great, because I have a lot of it. 

As much as I love makeup, its just not that serious, you know?  There isn't a reason for animals to be hurt or killed for lipstick and eyeliner.  I am committing from now on to only review cruelty free prodcts, so if anyone knows of any particularly fab makeup, please let me know.

As an extra homage to Lucas' sister, I wanted to do a review from one of her favorite brands, Too Faced.  I have been wanting to try it anyway, because I fell in love with a few different colors on instagram.

 

From left to right, we have Too Faced La Matte Color Drenched Matte Lipstick in Sorry Not Sorry, which the website describes as a matte, peachy nude color.  The middle color is Too Faced Melted Chocolate Liquified Long Wear Lipstick in Chocolate Milkshake, and the last color is also a Melted Chocolate color in Chocolate Cherries. 

 

I knew going into it that Chocolate Cherries would look insane on me, but there are so many amazing pictures of it on instagram.  I looks so rich and indulgent and amazing. I am totally the wrong color for it though.  And I knew that.  And when I actually tried the color on, I cracked up laughing because it looked like I'd been punched in the face and my mouth was bleeding everywhere.

 

 

 

All of these are the same color.  Clearly someone with a tan should wear this, and not me.  Someone Latina, or Native American perhaps.  I don't even think it could be a white person who fake bakes, I think you need a tan that God gave you.  I had this color on for approximately 30 seconds, long enough to take this picture, and then I had to immediately take this off.

 

While the color was banana sandwiches, I did really like the formula.  It is very rich, and really does remind me of melted chocolate.  It does taste chocolatey and rich, and even the lighter color tasted the same way.  This line is definitely very decadent.

 

 

 

The other color I tried on from this line was Chocolate Milkshake.  The milkshake color was still probably a little brown for my coloring, but it has the same great formula.  The milkshake color would look amazing on anyone blond.  Case in point:

 

 

 

Look how amazing she looks?  I know I keep using the word, "rich" to describe these colors, but that's what it feels like.  The applicator is kind of...fuzzy... I guess, for lack of a better word, and it makes application of the color just really thick.  It feels like wearing candy.  







 

 

The color, on me, is still a little bit too brown.  I think redheads can wear brown, but its hard for pale skinned red heads.  If I had a little bit more of an olive tone, I think it would be a great color, or even if I had more freckles.

 

 

 

Melted Chocolate, which has six colors in its line, would be amazing for anyone who can wear shades in the brown family.  It isn't totally right for me, which is a bummer, because I love the formula.

 

 

The last color, and the pinkest of the bunch, was the one I ended up wearing out of the store.  I had originally seen it on facebook, and loved it, and wondered if I should try it out given my current unrequited love of all things coral.  It seemed corally to me, but when I texed some swatches to a friend, she disagreed and just called it nude.  Maybe it is, and I really cant even see colors anymore.

 

 

 

This formula is very matte, and applies in a thick layer.  In my experience, the nudes I have tried require several layers to get it thick enough to even show color, and that was definitely not the case here.  It applies opaque in one layer, which is the first time I have ever experienced that.  It felt really soft, and did not feel sticky at all, once it had dried.  It is definitely a formula I look forward to wear again.

 

 

As a side note, I don't have any photos of it, but I also tried Too Faced Born This Way Foundation and loved it.  My skin can be really patchy and red and I am always looking for something that offers really full coverage without caking.  This foundation is so soft, and at the end of the day it was still on my hand, like, seven hours later.  This is a product that is definitely worth the money.







Review: Benefit Cosmetics: They're Real Mascara + Others to love+ Last Lift and Tint

This started as just a review of Benefit Cosmestics They're Real Lengthening Mascara.  I wanted to review some of my favorite mascaras, and find a new one to try, and the more reviews I read, and the more mascaras I tried, all with the promise of bringing dramatic, falsie looking lashes, the more I realized that you just cant create that.  The only way to look like you have eyelash extensions is to get eyelash extensions. 

The big problem with extension is that they are time consuming to put on and they are $$$.  There is an excellent approximation though, in a lash lift and (if you need it like I do) tint.

 

On the left is just my normal eye.  I have no makeup on at all.  My eyelashes are long enough, I suppose, but they stick straight out, and the are light in color.  On the right is the exact same eye, after I had the lashes lifted and tinted.  A lash lift, formerly a lash perm, is literally exactly what it sounds like.  My lower lashes were taped down so they didn't get curled up in the rods, and exactly the way you would perm hair, my eyelashes were curled up in a permanent way.  At the same time, they were tinted, meaning colored dark so they'd show up more.

 

In the picture on the right, I still don't have any makeup on. Not one drop. No mascara.  That's just my eyelashes.  In fact, after I had it done, I didn't wear any mascara.  It isn't needed.   If you are in or near the Kansas City Metro area, no one is better for lashes/brows than Kristine Kay.  She is a true artist and I have been going to her for years.  If you would like to have your lashes lifted/tinted I cannot recommend her highly enough.

 

 

Unfortunately for me, I am extraordinarily claustrophobic.  Because there are chemicals involved in a lift/tint, it is important that you keep your eyes closed through the whole process, which lasts about 30 minutes.  Something about not being able to open my eyes, caused the process to be really hard for me.  Some people it wouldn't bother a bit, and if you have had extensions before, you have to keep your eyes closed for way longer, so this would be a piece of cake for you.  The process doesn't hurt a bit, but you have to keep your eyes closed, and I just cant.  So for me, this probably isn't something I'd be able to do again, at least not without a lot of Xanax.  That's just me though.

 

 

For me, the easiest option is mascara. I used to really hate mascara, but I've come around to it in the last year.  I love to try different mascaras and I have probably 10-20 sitting in my mascara drawer.  I'm always searching to the closest approximation I can find to the look of the lift.

 

 

My most favorite that I have been using are W3LL People Expressionist Mascara and Smashbox Full Exposure Mascara.  I strongly prefer rubber mascara wands to the traditional brush type, because I feel like they clump way less, and they grab the little baby eyelash hairs.  The W3LL PPEOPLE mascara has one of the best wands I have ever used.  Smashbox has a traditional brush, so I was surprised by how much I liked it, but I think it gives really good coverage, and it isn't hard on my lashes.  In a drugstore brand, I think Covergirl Eyelights is the best, because it also has a great rubber brush, and the tinting of the mascara does really make your eyes pop.

 

 

I wanted to try a really dramatic mascara though, something that I feel like really has a lot of reviews for its lengthening mascara.  I feel like the big three that you just hear about over and over are Benefit They're Real, Too Faced: Better Than Sex Mascara, and Younique 3D Fiber Lashes. 

 

I knew, for sure, that Younique was not for me.  I will probably make enemies from that statement, because the people who use Younique totally swear by it, which is great.  If  you use it, and you love it, God Bless.  In the words of my very, very favorite makeup blogger, Angie Castellano, "there's no mascara police.  Calm down.  Do what you want."   I just have had bad luck with anything involving fibers in the past.  I cant make them work right, and its too hard for me.  I have a friend, who shall remain nameless, who was the first person to introduce me to Younique, and she loves the super cakey spider eyes look, which is not for me.  So, I always sort of equate the two together, which I am sure isn't fair.  I have other friends who wear it, and it looks great.  I just cant.

 

That left me choosing between the Benefit and the Too Faced.  Both amazing brands, both available at my beloved Ulta.  I ended up choosing the Benefit to review, because it has a rubber brush and the Too Faced has a traditional brush.

 



My little iPhone camera is not what I would like it to be, in terms of getting pictures of eyelashes, so most of them look pretty goofy, but hopefully, you can get a basic idea of how this all worked out.

 

The top photo is me with no makeup on, and the bottom is the benefit mascara.

 

 

In this picture, I have the Benefit mascara on the left and the Smasbox mascara on my right eye.  I definitely noticed an immediate difference in terms of length, and the rubber wand has tons of tiny spindles, including a ball of them at the top, so I definitely feel like its really grabbing everything. 

 

The only real drawback that I can see is that it is flakey.  A lot of the review mention it, and it  was something I noticed within just a few hours.

 

 

 

 

Even with the flaking, I really like it a lot.  Though it is not waterproof (there is a waterproof one, it just isn't this one) it does last all day, whereas some of my others, I feel like are gone by the time I get home.  You do need a good makeup remover to get it off though, soap and water will not do the trick.  Even with that, it doesn't feel sticky or clumpy.   I really like it, and will definitely put it in the regular rotation.