A Makeup & Beauty Blog – Lipglossiping

Do you ever make snap judgements about products only to be proven very, very wrong?  I don’t mind admitting that I do… and in this case, I got one hell of a shock when the product put me firmly in my place.

The RMK W Crayon & Gloss Lips is a new release from the Japanese beauty brand and features a duo crayon/gloss system designed to impart big colour and shine.  When it comes to lips, I don’t tend to expect much in the way of pigment from Asian brands… my past purchases have taught me that it’s all about the sheer juiciness and moisturising formulas.

Generalising much, I know… but this is just what I have come to expect.

ignore the foundation, that’s coming in a later review!

The crayon end of the wand did two things to surprise me.

First of all, it dragged… it dragged across my lips like a dog not wanting to be taken for a walk.  It feels hard, a little waxy and not what I was expecting.  To be fair, this did mean that I could achieve a great, sharp line around the edge of my lips but I wasn’t impressed.

The firm texture meant that it took a fair amount of “colouring in” before my entire lip area had been filled and I couldn’t smoosh my lips together to spread the pigment, the formula just wasn’t creamy enough.  This does mean that it is however, extremely long-lasting.

The second surprise came from the amount of pigment the crayon imparted.  We’re talking serious colour.  Bold, opaque and a little startling.  In other words, fabulous.

So there I am… crayon on, thoughts a little jumbled at this point.

Ahh, the gloss end of the equation.  I hate gloss.  You know I hate gloss, we all know that yes… Lip”gloss”iping hates gloss.

Prior to actually trying the W Crayon & Gloss Lips out in person, I did toy with the idea that I’d probably just wear the crayon alone… but once it’s applied, it needs something more.  It just looks unfinished with the crayon worn alone on the lips.

And so I dived into the gloss section of the tube, pulling out the silicone spatula-esque applicator and layering a coat of the glitter-filled semi-transparent gloop across my lips.

“Oh!”

“It looks nice!”

“Really nice!”

The truth is that I just didn’t expect it to look like the perfect combination between pigmented AND juicy.  It didn’t expect it to plump and fill my lips to the point where I found it tricky to resist snogging myself in the mirror.

The gloss is completely non-sticky (trust me, I’m a massive fusspot) and refreshingly light on the lips.  It doesn’t try to migrate or pool unattractively, waiting for me to open my mouth and share strings of globby gloss with the world.  It just sits gently across the surface, sparkling away and making the crayon underneath feel far more comfortable than it did prior to the partnership.

Transfer is a bitch, so be aware… although my teeth were unaffected, my glass and cup both took a shocking hit.  Having said that, there’s so much pigment in the product that the transfer had no impact on how it looked on my lips.

After around 45-minutes, the shine gradually dissipates and it (to my eye) looks even better.  It loses the screamy “look at me” shine but retains the juiciness, appearing much like a well-formulated creamy lipstick.  Roll forward a couple of hours and you can just start to feel a little dryness creeping through from the crayon.  As your lips press together, there’s more texture and at this point, it would be a good idea to give your pout a quick blot with tissue or reapply another layer of gloss.

It’s not completely low-maintenance but for such a bold shade, that undercoat of crayon sticks like you-know-what to the proverbial blanket, making touch-ups with the gloss a lot less hassle than re-lining your lips or dealing with an ugly ring of colour around the lip-line.

Well, there you have it.  Massive, big and completely unexpected love from me for this unassuming tube of lip colour.

RMK W Crayon & Gloss Lips in 01 Cherry Red is priced at £22 and available in 5 limited-edition, seasonal shades.  You can find them online in the UK from BeautyBay.com, LookFantastic.com and instore at Selfridges!

* press sample

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I’m not doing any Valentine’s gift guides this year because, quite frankly, I can’t even come up with a single gift for my lovely husband, let alone a heartfelt collection that you lot could choose from.

A Twitter friend suggested that I just need to look down to find his gift, I assumed that she was talking about my baby bump rather than my vagina, but either way… after 10yrs of marriage and one snotty five-year old, I don’t think either suggestion will raise more than a sarcastic eyebrow.

However, the one Valentine’s-related release that has made my blood pump a little faster is this beautiful collection of sultry reds from Illamasqua.  If you’ve been reading Lipglossiping for more than a few seconds, you’ll already know about my love affair with red lipstick.  I only own the one from Illa’s range (Sangers), so to see the ridiculously feisty Maneater in my parcel evoked a couple of mid-air heel clicks.

The new I’m The One Collection* contains a total of four passionate pieces from the British makeup line.  Including:

NEW! Intense Lipgloss in Touch (£14.50) – Infused with fine shimmer particles, this plush gloss will add depth and fullness to your lips.

NEW! Colouring Pencil in Feisty (£14.00) – A creamy addition to your lip collection, use our Feisty pencil to create a precise and alluring red lip.

Lipstick in Maneater (£16.50) – An intense, full coverage formula, apply this lipstick to bare lips for a long-lasting pop of colour.

Nail Varnish in Throb (£14.50) – Apply two coats of this glossy blood red shade for an elegant, classic manicure.

From left to right: Feisty Colouring Pencil  |  Maneater Lipstick  |  Touch Intense Lipgloss

Of all the items in the collection, I have to say that I fell in love with the least likely offering.

Feisty, the brand new lip pencil is one of the most pigmented-yet-creamy red lip-liners I’ve ever had the pleasure to use.  With a deep, long-lasting pigment… you usually have to compromise on the texture and a dry, unyielding lip pencil is something that many of us will be familiar with.  No such compromises are necessary here, it’s an absolute dream.

I’ll leave you with a couple of extremely pose-y FOTDs featuring the new Feisty Colouring Pencil and Maneater Lipstick.

If you fancy the chance at winning some hand-picked pieces from the new collection, you have until the 15th February to brush off your Social Media skillz and tweet @illamasqua a Red Lipstick Selfie, using the hashtag #ImTheOne – good luck!!

The Illamasqua I’m The One Collection is available to buy on counter and online now at illamasqua.com, priced at £50.00

* press sample

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I picked up Kevyn Aucoin’s lustful Blood Roses on L’s recommendation early last year, almost a full 12-months ago and I’m ashamed to admit that I’m only just blogging about it now.  This happens more than I’d like, often to the point where I just throw my hands up and declare “well, there’s no point blogging about it now!”

Still, in this case, it really is better late than never… thanks to SpaceNK – you can now find Kevyn Aucoin products in the UK with much less stress than the first time I tried to get hold of this lipstick.

Kevyn Aucoin’s Blood Roses falls into that once-upon-a-time unlikely genre of an incredibly creamy vamp. Haven’t lipstick formulas improved 100-fold over the past five years? It’s nothing short of miraculous. That being said, you need a steady hand or a lip brush to achieve precision with this one.

Alternatively, you could own a pair of full lips and give the bullet a gentle smoosh around for a post-modern, ironic take on how to wear the perfect lipstick, imperfectly.  Sadly, that kind of irony is wasted on my face, it just makes me look like a bit of an unfotunate.  For this one, I’ll stick to the tried-and-tested lipstick and liner look.

With a lipstick this full-bodied, it’s probably worth mentioning that any excrutiatingly pale chicks out there will look even more wan with a layer of Blood Roses.  Not necessarily a bad thing you understand, but you may want to consider a little contour, bronzing, or all of the above if you prefer to avoid the consumptive look.  Me?  Well, I quite like it.

For such depth of colour, the formula feels light and does a stellar job at resisting the bleed without the addition of a liner.  I usually wear this in a casual setting, I don’t mind the odd touch-up or grabbing a tissue part way through the afternoon to replace my lip colour.  If I were considering this shade for an evening out, I’d probably make more of an effort to bullet-proof it for longlasting wear.

This is a lovely video about the relaunch of Blood Roses, which incidentally, was Kevyn’s favourite shade.  Is there any better reason to treat yourself to this lipstick?  I think not.

Kevyn Aucoin’s The Expert Lip Color in Blood Roses is available to buy instore at SpaceNK, and online at SpaceNK and miseBeauty.com priced from £27.00

A luxurious-looking lipstick with a heavy-weight gold case.  The Signature Hydra Lustre range looks a little retro but it’s because of this rather than inspite of it… that it seems to ooze a touch of class.  In other words, I like to twirl the packaging… it makes me feel like a laydee.

Scarlet* is a slightly pink-toned red which will make it a good choice for the warmer weather.  I don’t know about you but the thought of wearing uber red lipstick in the Summer makes me feel a little uneasy, like I’m breaking some unwritten rules or something.

It’s heavily scented, my nose detects fig… it’s pleasant enough but may be off-putting for anyone delicate to scented products.

The formula is a delight, infact so much so – that I’ve already added a few other shades to my swatch list for next time I’m passing Debenhams.  I usually call a lipstick non-drying rather than moisturising… but this one almost edges into moisturisation territory as I can see it practically ‘plumping out’ the furrows in my lips rather than sinking into them.

I would really recommend checking out the Estee Lauder Signature range more closely if you suffer from dry lips.

So, you’d think that with such a lip-friendly lipstick, you’d get similar slip to something like the YSL Rouge Volupte right?  Wrong.  Scarlet applies well with no drag but I’d certainly not class it as ‘glidey’.  It applies like a normal lustre lipstick and wears for a good 5 hours.

Pink reds aren’t generally my favourite shade – so I’d deduct a couple of points for that, I’d recommend swatching on skin before buying incase the bullet colour is a little different to how it transfers.  Also, the swatches on the Estee Lauder website are not good.

Overall though, I’m really impressed, particularly with the formula which delivers everything it promises and then some more for good measure.

Estee Lauder Signature Lipstick in #62 Scarlet is available to buy online from their website, HouseOfFraser and Debenhams or on counter, priced at £18.00

* press sample

Phew, your gorgeous red-lipped pics are still coming in thick and fast so it’s high time for another one of these don’t you think?

1. The beautiful Smaira from DollyMixFits is wow-ing us all in a stunning bold red, Rimmel’s Alarm.

2. Adorable Aina from Pudderkvastrabagast is vamping it up with MAC Currant lipliner & Hang-Up lipstick!

3. Sabrina from A Little Obsessed sports a striking high street red in a GOSH Soft n Shine Lip balm, Kiss – stunning!

4. Robyn from EyelinerAndSprayPaint is totally rocking indie brand’s Evil Shades Deviant Lipstick in Devilista

5. Kathrine over at ProductPixie sizzles in Nars Velvet Matte Lip Pencil in Red Square with a slick of 8 Hour Cream on top.

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Thanks ladies!  I flippin’ love seeing how all these gorgeous reds suit different skintones and hair colours so well!

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If you want to join in with the fun and submit your red lip look, email me a photo of your lovely selves with the following info:

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!

Are you ready for the 6th installment?  Looking fabulous ladies…

1.  Mia Farrow eat your heart out, JMTolman looks positively perfect in MAC Rebel.

2.  Fiona from AcousticDreamsHardcoreScreams should definitely wear brights more often!  Check out the shade Heartless from MAC’s Venomous Villains Collection.

3.  JennyW from MyFunnyValentine is rocking that red with some ‘tude!  NARS Heat Wave with MAC Redd lip liner to be precise.

4.  Fern from Fernlaura reminds us to remember the high street with Barry M’s Pillarbox Red!

5.  Jenni from NailPolishUK sets the scene with a powerful red lip in Rimmel’s Diva Red.

So impressed was I with Chanel Rouge Allure Laque in Dragon, I went out and bought Coromandel (£24) too.

I knew it was a risk, Coromandel is an orange-based red and I think it’s clear that I’m more suited to blue-based reds.

Still it will be interesting to see Coromandel in the swatch comparison lineup (week 2 is coming soon!)

We’re getting into Ronald McDonald territory aren’t we?  I think it’s a beautiful shade but for the purpose of learning more about reds and how different shades ‘react’ on different skin tones… are we in agreement that this isn’t the most flattering for such pink-toned skin as mine?

I mean… by all means, break the rules.  There is NOTHING to say that one shouldn’t rock a shade that isn’t classically correct for you.  Infact, I’d be willing to bet that some of the hawt-est chicks out there are rocking reds that POP off their lips precisely because they contrast so strikingly.  But in the interests of me being more your normal, everyday kinda girl – I think this one’s a fail.

As for the actual product.  It’s another Chanel beaut!  You can pretty much read my Dragon post and repeat the pros and cons of wear and quality for this one here.

I’m gonna do a high street red lip next… I’m getting a bit one-sided and high end centric here.  Red lips should be accessible for all right?!

What next?  Maybelline?  Rimmel?  Revlon?

I have a love/hate relationship with these Guerlain Rouge G lipsticks.  They’re stupidly expensive and I blame it ALL on the elaborate casing.  Yes, the packaging is kinda delightful… it’s sexy and tactile and all those things but it also weighs my bag down and brings guilt to my purse.

Greta is a cool toned, creamy red that delivers maximum pigmentation with little effort.  It’s a formula that’s comfortable to wear for many hours despite drying down to a slight satin finish.  It’s fairly well behaved but I still wouldn’t recommend wearing without a lip liner.

Wear is slightly better than average.  I’m not sure what ‘average’ is, I haven’t really quantified it that definitively… but if I’m pleased with the wear (which I was) it means that a).  I wasn’t infront of a mirror every hour reapplying and b).  I didn’t scare myself with patchiness when I made it to the mirror.

£28 is a lot of money to spend on one lipstick and it’s not something I do that often. (honest guv)

If you wanted a signature red with classy packaging, a great formula and bold colouring… I would recommend checking out the Guerlain Rouge G reds… they also do a more orange-toned one too (the name escapes me atm).

1.  Shannon shows us how to go bright with NYX lip liner in Orange paired with a slick of Carmex to gloss it up!

2.  Portuguese Joana from SketchBookSix is rocking a cheeky look with her Sephora own brand red lip!

3.  Nathalie from OhLaLaMaquillage is looking delightful in Manhattan Perfect Creamy and Care in Shade 27

4.  A classic beauty (both the lipstick and the owner!), Charlotte looks divine in MAC Viva Glam I

5.  Samantha is TOTALLY working that Maybelline Color Sensational lipstick in Please Me Red

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Thanks ladies!  You be killing me dead with your hawtness!

If you want to submit your red lip look, email me a photo of your lovely selves with the following info:

Touted as a ‘true’ red, I can’t decide if I agree?!  One minute I think it’s a teeny bit orange-red and the next… leaning toward the blue.  Perhaps that is the mark of a true red?

Oh, I don’t know… these reds, they start to confuse me after a little while!

Sangers is matte, very matte and a little hard textured.  I’ve been warming it up on the back of my hand before applying as the brush drags across my lips otherwise.

It’s bold and it’s beautiful and somewhat unforgiving on dry lips.  But it lasts like a trooper with practically no transfer at all.  Not even a speck on my wine glass (ok, cracked mug – I was trying to sound sophisticated).

I bought it last week from the store on Beak Street and it’s another red that I’m pleased to call mine own.  I will wear it often but ensure that my lips get extra TLC before and after.

Sangers is priced at £15.50 and available in the flagship store, Selfridges and online.

I was a very nervous girl leaving the house in this YSL Rouge Volupte Red Taboo lipstick…

It’s a beautiful cool-toned red with just a hint of raspberry but it’s a Rouge Volupte.  It threatened to slip like me on ice skates and I feared that it was just as likely to land me on my bum.

You either love or hate the YSL Rouge Volupte range.  Creamy, non-drying, deeply pigmented and scented like a fruit salad.  These are pretty nice properties in a nude or mylipsbutbetter shade.  In a red?  A red that needs to stay put?  Uh Oh.

First things first… this lipstick needs a lip liner, it’s a braver woman than I who attempts to wear this bare-backed.  Application is effortless (nearly)… I applied straight from the bullet to the centre of my lips before pulling the colour outward with a lip brush.  Then I waited for dry-down.  And I waited… and I waited.  Then I checked my watch, panicked and wondered if I should blot and decided on the “bugger it, that’ll have to do” option instead.

A word to the wise (from the utterly stupid)… don’t attempt to eat, drink, lick your lips or indeed breathe whilst wearing this beautiful shade.  It WILL transfer faster than that email you clicked ‘send’ on by accident.

I get about 2/3 hours wear from Red Taboo before needing to stage a lipstick intervention.  On the flipside, because it is so creamy… I can dab a little more on from the bullet and get away with smooshing my lips together.  Obviously, that doesn’t give me the cleanest line in the world… but if you’re on the go – you can get away with it.

CheapSmells.com sent me this lipstick for my red lip series so I’d like to point you in the direction of where you can pick it up on their website here.  This particular shade is selling for £15.90 (a saving of 24% off the RRP).