A Makeup & Beauty Blog – Lipglossiping

When it comes to my current beauty routine, I’m sorry to admit that painting my nails is about as intense as it gets.  I’m still struggling to find “me” underneath all this baby stuff, not that I mind… it’s just that everything else seems so much more… not important per se, but… urgent, at least.  I was able to put aside some beauty and blogging time when Leila was born.  Back then, I lived with Mum and Dad, and Paul wasn’t on a constant deadline… plus, I guess I didn’t have another kid to invest my time laughing with.  It’s been an odd few months… simultaneously both easier and tougher than the first time around.

Anyway… back to the pretty polish.  I’ll save my blatherings, perhaps for another day.

Revlon have recently released a range of gel-effect nail polishes into the UK market.  The shade selection is huge, 30 colours in total alongside a diamond top coat.  There’s a lot of these gel-effect polishes around, jumping on the buzz-word bandwagon, but what do they actually offer above and beyond a normal nail polish?

Well, in this case Revlon promises: brilliant colour, gel-shine and long lasting wear.  But does it deliver?

Revlon Colorstay Gel Envy – #100 Cardshark

The formula, in my opinion, isn’t the easiest to work with.  It’s fairly thin but well-pigmented and has a tendency to pool at the edges if you overload the brush.  Working with thin layers is your best bet, even at the expense of having to apply another coat to achieve an opaque finish.

Having said that, the formula isn’t without merit because it self-levels as it dries, ensuring a neater overall look.  This makes it especially kind to those of us with ridges, flakes, and any other imperfections that may show through a freshly-painted nail.  The finish is lovely, intensely shiny and smooth… in terms of how it looks, there’s no need to add any kind of top-coat.

Revlon Colorstay Gel Envy – #210 Casino Lights

I’ve already mentioned the rich pigmentation delivered by the Revlon Colorstay Gel Envy range and nowhere was this more apparent than in #210 Casino Lights, a lemon yellow that dispenses with the classic yellow-polish-streakiness completely on the third coat.  Yellows are notoriously hard to work with, and this one was easier than most.

As for wear, I can’t comment on how it fares with the addition of the Revlon Diamond Top Coat… but worn naked, they did well.  I reached day 5 with minimal tip wear and no chipping.

Have you tried these yet?

The Revlon Colorstay Gel Envy range is priced at £6.99 a-piece, available insore and online at Boots.com

* press sample

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Perhaps it’s the OCD in me but I do so enjoy a themed collection.  A place for everything and everything in its place and all that.  No silly shade numbers o’ randomness that don’t mean anything to anyone.  Oh no! Revlon have got it very right with their geographically-themed latest product release.

The Revlon ColorStay Moisture Stain launch features a 12-strong collection of lip colours that embrace a gel-stain hybrid texture with a moisturising formula and a high-pigment finish.  The formula has been infused with Vitamin E and Aloe, those stalwart ingredients of the hydration team, making for comfortable day-long wear that leaves your lips feeling nourished.

Each shade claims its own playful colour personality, with shades named after some of the most iconic cities around the globe: Cannes Crush, Miami Fever, Rio Rush, and Parisian Passion to name but a few.

I’ve got my hands on the Hispanic delegate of the collection: Barcelona Nights – probably best described as a berry pink with slight purple undertones.

The packaging is great, in all its chunky squared-off glory.  There’s nothing pretentious here, it’s simply solid and tactile in a spiky kind of way.  As you draw the applicator wand out of the tube, there’s a certain degree of resistance… the sort of pause that makes you worry the applicator will release from the bottle-neck with a pop, spraying you with lip stain – like a badly-behaved yoghurt pot.  Infact, I’m still not convinced that it won’t, so take care when wriggling the wand free from its constraints.

Having said that, the tight-fit ensures that your applicator isn’t drowned in lip gloop – infact, it dispenses just about the perfect amount onto the tip of the sponge.

The shade is vibrant and semi-sheer (though buildable), allowing the natural texture of your lip to show through.  Application is smooth, definitely more like a lipgloss than a liquid lipstick.  It feels a touch “plasticky” when first applied but it’s light enough in texture, thankfully, not to bother me.

I suffer from a visible “line” where product often refuses to adhere toward the inner reaches of my bottom lip… and I experienced it with this, at least… until the product had been given a few moments to fuse/melt from the warmth of my lips.  You need to allow this for a more even finish.

Most importantly, there is no stickiness.  None, or should I say nada.

Wear was fine, not because it was magnificently lingering but because as the colour faded, the stain remained.  For my personal tastes, it’s a little more glossy than I like to wear so I tend to apply, then blot.  Once.  This removes the “slippy” feeling – which is one that I can’t stand and the main reason for my lipgloss aversion – without removing the colour.

Overall, I’ve found it an easy-to-wear, easy-to-apply product… haven’t we all got room for one of those in our makeup bags?

The Revlon Colorstay Moisture Stains are due to launch next month, priced at £7.99 each and available from Boots and Superdrug

* press sample

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I don’t know how I feel about including this lipstick in my red lip series. I mean, it’s totally like the lipstick angels came down from heaven and stole all of the cherries to make it, but…

This isn’t a red lipstick and I’m sick of hearing it described as a blue-based red.  It’s pink.  Pink like Nicki Minaj can only f*cking dream of.  Although having said that, I’m gonna propagate the “this is a blue-based red lipstick” ’cause it’ll probably work better for my SEO.  Don’t tell me you haven’t been warned though.  It’s f*cking pink.

Colour dramas aside (the ones in my head), Revlon Cherries in the Snow is totally worthy of all the praise bestowed upon it, feeling more like a £20 lipstick than a £7.49 one.  It’s rich, luxurious, deeply-pigmented and long-lasting.  You can work it into the lips like a stain or wear it in all it’s full-bodied glory.  If you apply, blot, apply, blot (and I mean really blot) – it doesn’t transfer all over your glass and stays put for most of the day.

Frankly, every woman should own this – aslong as you like pink.  I found it really hard to get hold of, it was never in Boots and I’ve been looking casually for the best part of 4 years (seriously).  In the end I picked it up on eBay for way cheaper than the RRP anyway.  Go buy it.  Like now.

Do you own Cherries in the Snow?  Pink innit?

Please, for the love of all things vanity-driven, excuse the ‘left to dry naturally until it looks like shit’ hair.  Please.

Brushes mentioned:

E.L.F – Bamboo Angled Blush Brush (£5.50)
E.L.F – Studio Blush Brush (£3.50)
E.L.F – Studio Small Precision Brush (£3.50)
E.L.F – Studio Powder Brush (£3.50)

Boots No7 – Concealer Brush (£3.00 with till spit)
Boots No7 – Eyeshadow Brush (£0.75 with till spit)

Crown Brush – C139 Stiff Tapered Crease Brush (£2.95)
Crown Brush – C217 Bent Liner Brush (£2.60)

Stila – #4 Precision Eyeliner Brush (£3.50)

Revlon Vital Radiance – Brow Brush (£1.29)

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Do you agree with any of my choices?  What are your favourite cheap makeup brushes?

Well, I’ve tried one and you still ain’t gonna convince me that I need scented nail polish.  Infact, if anything… the scent gave me a low-grade headache.  Me no like and I sniffed my fingers.  Once.  It made me feel like a pervert.

Scent-aside, Revlon’s Peach Smoothie is an adorable colour.  I can’t decide whether it makes me want to snuggle in a cable knitted jumper or go lick an ice-cream.  It transcends seasons with its peach loveliness.  Depending on your skintone you may also find this making a good nude shade.

It’s a little sheer and needs 3 full coats to avoid a VNL but I’ll forgive that because it’s a quick-dryer.  It contains a very pretty gold sparkle which isn’t quite as prominent as I would like.

Revlon Scented Nail Enamels are priced at £6.49 and available from Boots.com

* pr sample

I don’t generally get enough time in the mornings to do much in the way of eyeshadow so I often rely on a slick of liner and a bold lipstick and to be honest, that suits me fine!  Seeing LondonMakeupGirl rock a gorgeous flick the other day inspired me to make the effort and extend my liner past the ‘comfort zone’!

I was also keen to wear my new Revlon Strawberry Suede lipstick that I picked up from eBay after hearing Lisa Eldridge extol its virtues… shame Revlon discontinued it, it’s pretty fabulous!

Products Used:

Face
Lancome Teint Miracle in 010
Inglot Cream Concealer in 32
NARS Multiple Tint in Beverly Hills

Eyes
NARS Ondine
Stargazer Liquid Eyeliner in Black
Rimmel Volume Flash x10
Illamasqua Eyebrow Cake in Gaze

Lips
Revlon Strawberry Suede Matte Lipstick

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What are you wearing today?

After promising myself that I would attempt the next Red Lip with a bit more complementary colour on my eyes instead of a rudimentary streak of liquid liner, I failed.

Revlon Fire & Ice is a re-release of a shade that first saw light of day in 1952… this makes it an absolute perfect option for those wanting to recreate a retro red look!  Fire & Ice has that hint of orange that places it firmly in the 50s.

I’m looking forward to doing the swatch comparisons for the last 7 offerings because this one will contrast nicely to the cool-toned reds that I favour without being in the same ‘orange’ family as shades like Chanel Coromandel.

The formula is creamy and glossy, I tend to apply and blot before slicking on another layer.  Not hugely long-wearing but it fades cleanly.  This is a great shade if you want to dip your toe into warmer reds without going all out.

Plus, at £7.49… it makes for a good budget choice!

I do love these retro reds… they always make me feel a little ‘pin up’… it doesn’t matter how much the rest of my body lets me down on that score, a quick peep at my tips is enough to convince me I am Bettie Page personified!

Is it the ratio of orange to red that does it?  It’s something that this shade, Eyeko Saucy and Models own Red Alert all seem to have in common.  I should do a swatch comparison to see if they’re as simillar in the flesh as they are in my head.

Anyway, rambling aside… All Fired Up is a neat-o shade.  It applies a little more sheerly than I anticipated and took three coats to remove all traces of VNL (two if I’d layered it on with a trowel).  It dries fairly slowly so would always use a quick dry top coat… I do anyway, so this isn’t really an issue for me.  It scores big points for long-wear, it lasted a full 3 days before tip wear became noticeable.

I really haven’t checked out many Revlon polishes, I kinda jumped straight from not digging polish into my OPIs and Essies… infact, I’m sure there’s some sick part of me that just loves the chase of a good product.

Giving this some wear over IMATS weekend has convinced me that I need to delve into the lower shelves of my nearest Revlon stand to investigate further, I like the bottle design and the brush which was a pleasure to use.

Revlon All Fired Up is priced at £6.29 and exclusive to Boots.

So, it seems that the UK is gearing up for the Spring release of Revlon‘s scented nail polishes… something that our cousins across the pond have had access to for a while now.

So, cousins… what’s the verdict?

I love me a bit of Revlon and these are indeed some v. pretty shades… but…

…the last time I dedicated any time to sniffing my fingers, I was about 6 years old and had just picked my bum.

And the thing is… If I saw someone partaking in a bit of finger-sniffing tomorrow… I wouldn’t be wondering what flavour they’d painted their nails.  I’d be making sure I didn’t shake hands with them.

I just don’t see how these are workable in our society.  Should we exercise our right to sniff proudly in public or will we become a nation of closet finger sniffers?  It’s not like we can even be surreptitious in the workplace ‘cos you know if you get caught with your fingers hovering near your nostrils and you’re being all clandestine about it, it’s only gonna look worse for you.

The only reason I could think of to justify making scented nail polish is to stop those stinky fumes from filling the room whilst painting your tips.  That would be worthwhile no?  Except this stuff stinks like regular nail polish until it’s dry.

Will you be rushing to buy these when they’re released next year?

The new Revlon Grow Luscious mascara had me all confused.  It promises to promote stronger, longer lashes and with all these ‘lash enhancing’ products entering the mass market, I initially wondered if we were looking at another one of these.

We’re not.

Revlon’s Grow Luscious incorporates into it’s formula something that it calls unique fibres and phytopeptides complex which it promises will enhance the condition of your lashes thereby enabling them to remain strong and intact right to the end of their natural growth period.  This tries to prevent premature breakage, not grow your lashes ladies.

There’s no real way for me to accurately quantify those claims, but I don’t see any reason why a good balance of lash conditioning agents wouldn’t in some way help to keep your lashes in good condition in the same way a conditioner can keep your hair feeling softer and stronger.

It’s attractively (if rather simply) packaged in a green metallic-looking tube, minimalist in appearance.

The wand is VERY large, larger infact than my Benefit Bad Gal’s wand which is kinda my benchmark for large wands.  Those with smaller eyes or short lashes may struggle with application issues.

The formula is quite thick and perhaps a little dry but that’s a-ok with me.  I can’t stand ‘wet’ mascaras… I make a terrible mess with them and although the Revlon Grow Luscious does seem to attract a little gloop on the tip of the wand, it’s nothing I can’t wipe off on the edge of the tube.

The tips of my lashes are a little out of focus here… but I’m showing a comparison between the new Revlon Grow Luscious (on the right) and Boots 17 Wild Curls (on the left).

Boots 17 Wild Curls seems like a good comparison as a fellow high street offering that’s proving to be the one to beat at the moment.

It’s not so easy to tell in this image… but the Revlon does have the edge in the length stakes.  Not by a huge amount…. just by a whisker an eyelash 😉  It also smells kinda lovely… I know some of you laugh at me commenting on the smell, but some mascaras STINK!  It’s always nice not to have to hold your nose everytime you lift the wand to your eyes.

However, the Boots 17 Wild Curls takes the lead in the definition stakes… it defines each lash with greater precision and has an overall less clumpy appearance.

Final Verdict – The new Revlon Grow Luscious mascara is a nice, solid high street offering.  It hasn’t blown me away with incredible results and I’m not gonna tell you I love it.  I like it.  I’d like it more if it was a couple of pounds cheaper.

Revlon Grow Luscious Mascara is available in most high street chemists (Boots et al.) and online, priced at £9.99

Set for a June UK release, here’s a sneak peek of the new Revlon Colorburst lipstick range.  Beautifully packaged in a sleek, quilted tube… Revlon Colorburst is a good-looking range!

12 Shades are set for UK release ranging from a deep vampy plum through to natural nude shades… I believe the US has 20 available, so we’re short a few!

The formula is creamy, smooth and pigmented with various finishes including cremes, shimmers and all out frosts.

Despite packing a vibrant punch of colour, the lipsticks feel extremely lightweight and easy to wear.  I’ve found them fairly… no I’m not using the term “moisturising”, ‘cos I’ve never found a lipstick GIVE moisture… but some steal more moisture than others, and these aren’t too drying at all.

Check out the REVLON embossing on the bullet!

Finally, some swatches…

Revlon Colorburst Lipsticks are set for a UK release of 2nd June, retailing at £7.99 each.

Any of the shades calling out to you?

I haven’t got a side by side swatch comparison and I’m not claiming this dupe discovery as my own (a quick Google search threw this up) but it’s been said that Revlon Colorburst Lipstick in Soft Rose is a colour dupe for Chanel’s Rouge Coco in Mademoiselle.

Is it?

It’s pretty darn close!

I’ve got a full lip swatch post coming soon(ish) of all the new Revlon Colorburst shades… I’ll try and get it live by the end of the week.  I don’t believe the Colorbursts are out in the UK yet… so cool your heels lovely ladies, they’re a-coming!

What d’ya think?  Close enough?