Kylie Lip Kit

Love her or hate her, Kylie Jenner has taken the makeup world by storm.  And with a quickness.  She released her first Lip Kits back in November.  Those first three shades broke the internet and sold out in less than a minute.  That's crazy, right?  The first few restocks were weeks apart and until recently, her products have seemed impossible to get.

Now Kylie Cosmetics offers restocks almost weekly and products are still selling out quickly, but your odds are a little better.  There are now eight Lip Kit shades that retail for $29.  The Kits contain one matte lipstick and matching lip liner.  She also very recently introduced three gloss shades at $15 each.  And if that's not enough, her Instagram reveals three new metallic lipsticks that are simply gorgeous.

Even with a restock coming to us every week, the entire web site is cleared out within 30 minutes.  If you miss out, you could always snag one on eBay for double the cost.  Or, just be patient and try again next week.  It's not that hard!  I mean, I managed to get my hands on a Lip Kit AND a gloss!

Kylie announces restock dates on her app, but there is a subscription cost.  Which I am not interested in.  Luckily, the makeup community is full of people willing to share this information with us at no cost! Here are a few tips to help you snag one of these kits:

Get there early.  

You need to be ready.  If the launch is at 7pm, don't wait until 7pm to get on the website.  Try to be on there at least 10 minute early.  One launch actually happened a few minutes early and some shades were already sold out by the actual launch time.  The site will be "down" with a message saying the restock is coming.  Just keep refreshing the page.  The early bird gets the Lip Kit.

Know what you want.

Know what you want BEFORE you log on.  If you're torn between two shades and can only buy one, make a decision before you get there so you can add your selection to your cart right away.  You don't want to waste time going back and forth and miss out on something you really want!

Be prepared.

When I bought my Lip Kit, I had visited the site early in the day and created a VIP account.  When the restock happened, I was still logged in to my account so I didn't have to enter ALL of my info.  For the rest of it, I set up my browser to Auto-Fill my address and other information so when I checked out I didn't have to waste time typing everything in.  Just because the item is in your cart doesn't mean it's yours.  Yes, the time you spend typing your info in could be the difference between success and failure.

Be patient.

The site use this "in line" system.  So you add items to your cart and when you click "check out" you are redirected to a screen that lets you know you are currently in line to check out and when a spot is open you will be able to enter your payment info, etc.  This is where most people start freaking out.  My first time, I was in line for less than a minute and had my confirmation email two minutes after the release time.  When I bought my gloss, I was in line for about 5 minutes but I was still able to get what I wanted!  That's why it's important to know what you want so you can check out quicker.  Waiting in line doesn't mean the item is yours.  Some people lose items while waiting.  Kylie announced that a different system was being tested because many people don't like the in line situation.  Personally, I don't mind it and it probably keeps the site from crashing which gives people a better chance in the long run!

Don't give up!

Just because you didn't get one this time doesn't mean you won't get one next time!  The restocks are more and more frequent and more units of each shade are available so they aren't selling out as quickly.  Also, it's just makeup.  It's not the end of the world if you don't get one!


So...is it worth the hype?

I think so!  I really do love my Lip Kit.  I chose Candy K because I knew it would be something I could wear every day.  The shade is gorgeous!

The liner is smooth and applies perfectly.  It is slightly different than the lipstick to create definition.  It's great.

I'll admit, the lipstick formula felt watery to me.  I don't know if they're all like that, but my Candy K isn't as thick and creamy as some of the other brands I use.  But after applying it, I immediately decided a thinner formula might be better. 

Even a little watery, the lipstick is crazy pigmented.  It isn't streaky at all and applies flawlessly in one swipe.  And it feels more comfortable than some other formulas because it's thinner.  It did seem to take a bit longer to dry than some others, but this could be useful if you like to do an ombre lip.

I did not need to reapply and I found it didn't rub off with drinking through out the day (there was barely any of it on my coffee lid!).

It will dry your lips, so make sure to wear a balm underneath (as you should with all matte lipsticks).

But it smells like candy. So there's that. 


Overall, I am OBSESSED and I need the rest of the shades.  I can't wait to see what the gloss is like!

So the answer is YES...you need some Kylie Cosmetics in your life.


xo

Classic Lips

Where have I been?!  It seems like forever since my last post.  Sorry!  I've had a very busy schedule these last few weeks.

So I don't want to keep you waiting any longer.  Today I want to share with you the portion of my lipstick collection that I would call "classic."  To me, a classic lip is anything within the red family.  This includes pinks, corals, and oranges.  Classic colors like these are user friendly.  You just need to find the right tones to flatter your complexion.

Even red lipstick isn't just red lipstick.  Reds can have a variety of hues and undertones:  yellow, pink, blue, etc.  Which is why I have more than one red lipstick in my collection.  Sometimes I want a warmer red to set off golden eye shadow.  Or a cool red to stand out against a neutral eye look.  Whatever your need,  there is a red lipstick for every occasion. 

Classic lips are timeless.  They know no season.  Pink lips are just as pretty in spring time as they are in the dead of winter.  I think orange lips are perfect in the summer, but they are fitting to the colors of autumn as well.  And red...red goes with everything!

So here's some swatches to get us started.  These are what I would consider to be classic reds:

Riot and Nose For Style are definitely more muted reds.  Riot is described as "Marsala" which was Pantone's Color of the Year for 2015.  It's liquid to matte. Nose For Style is part of M.A.C's Haute Dogs collection and is limited edition.  It's a Mineralize Rich lipstick...so it has quite a bit of sheen and feels great on the lips.  Ruby Woo is probably my favorite red lipstick.  It's a matte lipstick, but it's much more comfortable than a liquid matte.  Mrs. Mia Wallace is from Urban Decay's Pulp Fiction collection.  This is a very comfortable lipstick, and it has a beautiful shine.  Redrum is a great red!  His formula is one of my favorites when it comes to liquid lipstick.  Hoe Hoe Hoe is part of the limited edition Holiday collection.  It's a bit darker and has purple sparkles! 

These shades are perfect for an every day look or an ultra glam look!


Here are some of my darker reds:

Tulle and Trust Issues have brown undertones.  On the lips, they look much redder.  Unicorn Blood and Wicked are both rich colors.  Unicorn Blood is a little brighter then Wicked, but both have a nice burgundy hue.  Dark Room is almost like a deep fuchsia.  It is compared to the color of beets, which I think is spot on.  Of all these colors, I find Tulle and Dark Room to be the most wearable.  I love deep reds like these for fall and winter.  However, I have been known to wear Dark Room on the hottest days of the summer!

Let's think pink, shall we?

I have been loving pink lipstick lately.  I find them extremely easy to wear!

Donut is just fun to wear!  It is a bit more coral, but it's more pink than orange.  Queen Supreme is a pastel neon.  This one works better with a liner underneath to darken the edges of your mouth a little.  Doll Parts is not only my favorite pink, but it might be favorite lipstick (at the moment any way).  And yes...that is quite a bold statement...but Doll Parts is seriously the perfect pink.  It's a little darker than most, not too "baby" and not too "hot."  It's just right.  Geradium is a close second (as far as pinks go).  It's warm and easy to wear.  Clueless is a limited edition shade based on the classic 90's chick flick.  It's a more nude pink.


Orange you glad it's time to talk about more lipstick colors?!

(714) is a pastel neon coral.  Against all these other oranges, it looks more pink than it really is.  I like this color, but of all my Jeffree Stars, it is my least favorite!  It looks much better with a liner underneath, but it is very pastel and against my fair skin it can wash me out a little.  Squash and Pumpkin couldn't be more fall if they tried.  I LOVE Squash so much.  Pumpkin is super wearable.  Gothica is a long-wear metallic.  I always forget about this guy.  Sparkly copper never fails.  Bang! Bang! is the perfect bright orange lipstick.  A Tennessee native, this color speaks to me on another level (Go Big Orange!).  It is definitely my favorite orange ever.

Obviously, I have a thing for classic lip colors.  They can seriously be worn by anyone.  Don't think that you can't pull off red lips...you can!  But if you're nervous to take the red plunge, ease your way in with a nice rosy pink.  Or try out a beautiful orange shade!  There is nothing stopping you from wearing your ideal classic lip color!

Pucker up, my pretties!

n00dz (and neutrals!)

I'm on my way to the beach right now, and in honor of the bare skin I'll be sporting, I think it's time we get down to it. After all that talk of a bold lip, why don't I share my nude collection?  And I don't mean risque photography...I'm talking about the big lip trend for this fall:  nudes!

There are SO many nude lipsticks out there.  Like...an overwhelming amount of them.  I'm guilty of buying up all the neutral lip shades I can get my hands on.  Even though my husband thinks they "all look the same."  They don't.

I have more neutral and nude lipsticks than anything else in my collection.  The reason?  I love bold lips.  We've already discussed this.  But, bold lips aren't right for every occasion.  Neutral lips are sexy any day of the week and for any event.

Nudes to me are shades that are peachy, pinky, brownish, grayish colors.  I consider neutrals to be any sort of muted color that's...well...neutral.  Some of my neutrals are reddish, or purplish, or something like that.

I'm going to be swatching some of these shades multiple times so you can see how they compare to one another.

Let's start with the Nood Collection from Melt:

I obsessed over this collection for MONTHS.  Of course I got them all.  N00d is by far my favorite of the collection, and maybe my favorite nude in general.  Sext is a little light for me.  I'm super fair, so this shade kind of blends in with my skin.  If I wear it with a liner, it's much better.  Laced is a good one to wear any day of the week.  Catsuit is a little more vampy, so I usually wear it if I'm going out for the evening.  And it's perfect for fall!  All of these shades are matte, but the formula is slightly creamier than Melt's usual.

Now for Lime Crime:

Babette, Coquette, Cashmere, Bleached, and Faded I would consider to be nudes.  Faded is almost a perfect match to my natural lip color.  The rest are what I would call neutrals.  They aren't really nudes, but they aren't super bright or saturated.  But I love them!  Babette and Coquette are matte lipsticks, and the rest are liquids. 

Here's some from Colourpop:

I wrote about Colourpop a few weeks ago, so check out my post to get a full review!  Brink and Grunge are matte Lippie Stix and the rest are liquids.

Here's some randoms:

The Jeffree Star shades are liquids.  Too Faced Melted lipsticks are creamy liquid lipsticks with long wear.  Creme d'Nude is a cremesheen lipstick.  Stone and Lolita are matte.


And here's a comparison of some possible dupes!  As you can see, none of these shades are exact matches, but some are pretty close!

Nude lips are my Holy Grail.  I obviously can't get enough.    With so many finishes and formulas, it's hard not to want them all.

Now I'm going to put my toes in the sand!


Life's a beach my pretties!

Bold lips? YES YOU CAN!!!

When it comes to lipstick, I fear no shade.  I will wear any color any time.  And I really mean any color.  The only thing that bothers me about my bold lip choices is hearing people say “Wow!  I love your lip color!  I could never pull it off though.”  Ummmmm what?  Of course you can!

When I first started falling in love with lipstick, I had the same thoughts.  But then I remembered that makeup is supposed to be fun.  I’m sure some people see me with turquoise lips and think I look ridiculous, but I think I look fabulous!  And that’s all that matters.

I think everyone should feel confident enough to rock a bold lip color.  Step out of your comfort zone!  I promise you won’t regret it!  Most companies have social media accounts, Instagram included.  I research lipsticks on Instagram more than anywhere else.  I primarily search using #hashtags.  This way I can see shades on different skin tones, and find one close to my own so I get a decent idea of how I might look with certain lip colors.  This is a good way to find normal photos and see how the lipsticks look in natural light, with no retouching. 

Now I’m going to show off some of my collection.  I always use a lip scrub and apply a thick layer of lip balm before applying any lipstick. 

Before we talk swatches, here’s a mini-review of each brand/formula:

Lime Crime Velvetines:  these are liquid to matte.  They are the fastest drying of all the liquid brands I have tried.  I personally find the formula to be consistent between shades, although I’ve read other reviews that suggest otherwise.  These dry my lips out more than some other brands, but I still love them!  They smell like cake!

Lime Crime Unicorn Lipstick:  these have a semi-matte finish.  I say semi-matte because some shades have slight sheen.  They are long wearing and have a sweet vanilla scent.

Kat Von D Studded Kiss Lipstick:  these are matte or metallic.  The mattes are very drying, so make sure to wear LOTS of lip balm underneath!  The metallics don’t dry your lips out, but they are just as long wearing.  They smell like creme brulee!

Melt Cosmetics:  one of my favorite brands, these are all matte shades.  Some of the shades are a little difficult to apply unless you warm them up a bit (I suggest rolling the tube between your hands for a few seconds before applying.  Blow, Blitzed, and the Nood Collection have a slightly creamier texture.  They smell like vanilla cake.

MAC:  their lipsticks are available in several finishes.  The one I swatch here is matte.  The least drying of any matte I’ve ever tried, MAC’s matte lipsticks offer long wear.  All of their lipsticks and glosses are vanilla bean scented.

Jeffree Star Cosmetics:  this liquid to matte formula is probably my favorite...even though I find the formula to be slightly inconsistent between shades.  The pastel colors don’t apply as evenly as the darker shades, but I just apply a second layer before it dries completely.  These are more comfortable to wear than some others.  They have no scent. 

Anastasia Beverly Hills:  also liquid to matte, this formula is comparable to JSC as far as comfort goes.  They don’t dry my lips out like some other formulas.  They also have no scent.



Following are swatches of what I would consider my BOLD lipsticks.  The photos on the left are without flash, photos on the right are with.

Let’s start with purples!  Purple was my first step into the world of bold lip colors.  I think purples are really easy to wear.  However, certain shades can make teeth look a bit yellow.  The purples I have do NOT make my teeth look yellow at all, but there are others that may.  A few of these look sort of pink-ish in these photos, but on the lips they lose that pink hue. 

Blow Pony, Rave, Pansy, Jinx, and Potion are liquids. The rest are matte lipsticks.

Onto the blues!  Blue is a little scarier than purple, but I think it’s another good place to start.  Blue shades seem to flatter every skin tone.

Blue Velvet and Abused are liquids. Blitzed is matte. Cry Baby has a slight iridescent sheen. Poe is metallic.


And a little green never hurt anyone!

Mint to Be, Blitzed, and Blow are matte. I swatched Blitzed again to show you how it compares to greens! Dirty Money is liquid. 

Now for the monochromatic shades:

Space Cake and Bane are matte. NaYEON is metallic. I don't have a black liquid, but don't worry. One will wander in to my collection eventually!


I encourage you to grab a bold lipstick ASAP.  I usually do a more neutral eye look when I wear bold lips, but there’s nothing wrong with going all out!  Gold glitter looks amazing when paired with purple lips.  And nothing sets off those blue lipsticks like a bright orange eye shadow.  Don’t be afraid to try something new!


I know you can pull it off, my pretties!

Colourpop: the brand you aren't using yet!

I've been so caught up in spending every penny of my hard earned money on $20 lipsticks, that I'd never even considered the $5 ones.  Colourpop is dishing out some pretty unique products that won't break the bank.  I follow several MUAs on Instagram, and all of them rave about Colourpop.  I figured if it's good enough for Amrezy, it's good enough for me.

Colourpop offers a wide range of products:  eye shadows, blushes and highlighters, lip sticks with matching liners, and liquid lipsticks that dry matte.  I'm a sucker for liquid lipsticks and Colourpop just released their own line of Ultra Matte Lipsticks...so I was basically forced to try them.

But don't worry.  These Ultra Mattes are $6.  SIX.  SIX DOLLARS.  So they can't be good quality can they?  WRONG!  Granted, I just got these today in the mail and I've only tried one of them...but I'm impressed!  The color payoff is great and it applies smooth in one swipe, not streaky in the least.  My only complaint with these is I feel there is almost too much product on the applicator when I pull it out of the tube.  When I was swatching these, one of them literally dripped across my lap.  And when applying the lipstick, it was starting to drip down from the lid towards the sponge.  I'm not sure if this is normal or maybe they were warm from sitting outside in my mailbox all day...either way it's not a huge deal.  And here are swatches of the Ultra Mattes I picked up:

I also grabbed a Lippie Stix in "Brink." I haven't worn it yet, but I'm already in love! And for $5? Yeah ok. I will say, there's not as much product here as a standard lipstick, but it's a great way to try a new shade without going broke.  They come in a variety of finishes and most of the Lippie Stix have matching liners! How awesome?! Check out this swatch of "Brink"

I also picked up a Supershock Eyeshadow for $5 in "Girl Crush" and a Supershock Blush for $8 in "Bonus." Both are matte but are available in other finishes. These bad boys have a completely unique formula. They have an almost mousse-like texture. It's hard to explain until you get one for yourself. They really are magical. And the reasoning behind it is brilliant! This texture means zero fallout. I KNOW RIGHT?! It is recommended that you apply with your fingers to get maximum color payoff, but synthetic brushes will work just fine. Natural fibers will absorb too much of the product and won't blend like synthetic fibers will. I swatched with my fingers, but when I applied to my face I used brushes and felt it was just as pigmented. The shadow I swatched over primer, but the blush was one swipe over clean skin. It's made to build up, so if you need more color just keep adding until you get your desired look: 

Overall I'm super impressed with my Colourpop haul. Their website is super awesome too! They swatch everything on three different skin tones and compare shades to one another so you can get a better idea about which ones are right for you. Plus they give you a personalized, handwritten note with your order. LOVE. I will definitely be giving them more of my money. You should too!

Until next time, my pretties!