Kat Von D Everlasting Lipstick in Lovesick

A recent trip to the US saw me floating next to the Kat Von D stand in Sephora, attracted to the Everlasting Liquid Lipsticks that every beauty blogger and their dog is writing about.  I also got attracted to the Lock It Foundation, but that's a tale for another day - possibly in a few months time, because every single branch of Sephora in the Bay Area was sold out of my shade.  Gah.

Anyway, back to the lipstick.  Everlasting Liquid Lipstick is one of those ultra-matte, ultra-long lasting lipsticks that are so, so hot right now, and the Kat Von D one has attracted quite the following because of the large shade range (28 shades!) and the availability of some unusual ones (hello, black goth lips) available in a retail store.  They cost $20 before tax, and given that my recent ultra-matte favourites are from Colourpop, and cost a mere $8 each, I decided to be restrained and only buy one shade of Everlasting Lipstick.

I chose Lovesick because it's a cool toned, mauve-y neutral pink, the kind of shade which goes with both heavy and light eyeshadow looks.  And wow, it's incredibly cool toned - if you're even slightly warm toned, you may find this shade makes you look dead.  If you're cool toned like me, it looks pretty good.

Texture wise, the lip cream is easily spreadable, and it's easy enough to outline and fill in your lips before it starts setting down.  Once set, it's almost unbudgeable - obviously, if you eat an oily thing it'll come off regardless, but normal eating and drinking are no match for this formula.  One thing I found compromised the wear was my habit of squashing my lips together immediately after applying lipstick - with this stuff, you need to walk around with your mouth open for a few minutes to let it set fully before you do any squishing, or it won't set properly, and it'll wear off patchily.

Everlasting Liquid Lipstick is just as good as Colourpop's Ultra Matte Lips.  It is, however, over double the price, and aside from way prettier packaging, it doesn't really bring anything that Colourpop doesn't.  Still, if you love a liquid matte lip, this one should be on your try list - Everlasting Lipstick really is lovely.

Disclosure:  Bought by me.

This post originated at www.londonbeautyreview.com. If you're reading it elsewhere, it's been stolen, violating my copyright.

BUY THIS NOW: Avon Perfectly Matte Lipstick in Splendidly Fuchsia, Peach Flatters, Perfectly Nude, Adoring Love, Wild Cherry & Pure Pink

Splendidly Fuchsia, Peach Flatters, Perfectly Nude, Adoring Love, Wild Cherry & Pure Pink

Splendidly Fuchsia

Peach Flatters

Perfectly Nude

Adoring Love

Wild Cherry

Pure Pink

Avon can be terribly hit and miss with their makeup, but wow, these new matte lipsticks are a HIT.  A massive hit.  A beautifully matte, surprisingly comfortable, well pigmented hit.

First off, let's talk about the packaging - perhaps the only disappointing part of this otherwise excellent little lipstick.  The tube is simple matte black plastic, no problems there, but there's a clear window in the lid which reminds me of the Constance Carrol lipsticks I used to buy at the market when I was a teenager.  The window looks a little bit cheap, although practically it is helpful to see the colour inside.  Although the label on the bottom helps there too, and is far less ugly.

Anyway, packaging aside, the lipstick itself is rather impressive indeed for a mere £8.  The texture is soft, velvety and balm-like, and glides easily onto the lips, leaving a good level of pigmentation behind.  This isn't one of those matte lipsticks which goes on slick and sets down matte - it goes on matte, the kind of matte that's a velvety and almost powdery.  And it stays matte on the lips all day, remarkably sticking to the lips like glue - I wore it most days last week and was impressed to find that my lips are still perfectly matte, colourful and even at 5pm having applied at 7am.

So there you have it.  A beautifully pigmented matte lipstick, which lasts amazingly well, comes in some truly gorgeous shades (Wild Cherry is my favourite), and costs just £8.  Run to the Avon website and buy it now!

Disclosure:  PR samples

This post originated at www.londonbeautyreview.com. If you're reading it elsewhere, it's been stolen, violating my copyright.

BUY THIS NOW: GOSH 9 Shades... Cool in Copenhagen Mattes

You guys, this palette is amazing.  AMAZING.  You should go buy one, right now.  Here's the link.  Go buy it.

OK, now I can tell you why it's so damn good.  Firstly, it's an all-matte palette, something which is a bit unusual on the high street, particularly in a palette with 9 shades of eyeshadow.  This is because matte eyeshadow is harder to do well cheaply compared to sparkly or shimmery eyeshadow - mica is a key component of high street eyeshadow because it's sparkly, abundantly cheap, and easy to colour.  Matte shades are really hard to pull off cheaply without ending up with a slightly chalky, low pigment finish.  With this palette, GOSH have pulled off matte finish shadows which are medium pigment, blendable, not at all chalky, and easily layerable for an intense finish.

Secondly, not only is it a matte palette, but it's a matte palette of grey toned neutrals which are SO wearable, without leaning brown.  Which is interesting.  More interesting than the plethora of brown based neutral palettes we've been bombarded with since someone at Urban Decay made the connection between neutral and Naked.  Oh, and it goes really really well with a red or berry lip, which you know I just love.

Thirdly, it's cheap.  Cheap!  Just £10.99 for nine shades of matte, grey-toned neutral eyeshadow, in a no-nonsense plastic palette with a decent sized mirror.  Can't go wrong, eh?

So, now you've heard why this is probably my favourite eyeshadow palette in quite some time, go buy it.  Here's the link again.  And tell me what you think.  I'm off to buy a couple of backups...

Disclosure:  PR sample

This post originated at www.londonbeautyreview.com. If you're reading it elsewhere, it's been stolen, violating my copyright.

ColourPop Ultra Matte Lip in Solow and Avenue

Solow, Avenue

Solow

Solow

Avenue

Avenue

ColourPop's Ultra Matte Lip is one of those almost ubiquitous matte liquid lipsticks, and it's undoubtedly the most highly pigmented, most matte finish lipstick I've ever, ever tried.  Packaged simply in a tube with a doe's foot applicator, it applies very smoothly onto the lip, drying reasonably quickly to an incredibly matte finish.

As you can see from the swatches of Avenue, a deep, vampy red, you need to be both precise and fast with the application to get a sharp lip line and even coverage.  Solow, a cool neutral pink, is much more forgiving, but apply either on lips which aren't perfectly smooth and moisturised, and you'll end up with a patchy mess.

Once I got the hang of application, I decided that Ultra Matte Lip is one of the best super-matte pigmented liquid lipsticks I've tried.  Compared to another lovely matte liquid lipstick, Bourjois Rouge Edition Velvet, Ultra Matte Lip is definitely more work and more impact - Rouge Edition Velvet is an everyday matte, Ultra Matte Lip is for when you want to go all out.

Wear time is good, too, with the colour hanging on for a good four hours (providing you avoid oily foods) before becoming dry and patchy - you'll need to wipe it off and reapply, rather than top up, given the dryness of the formula; it's not fond of layering.  And at a mere $6, Ultra Matte Lip is incredibly cheap - as well as coming in a huge number of shades (38 at current count!).  If you have a US based friend you can lean on, or you're travelling to the States soon - make sure you try this one out!

Disclosure:  Bought by me.

This post originated at www.londonbeautyreview.com. If you're reading it elsewhere, it's been stolen, violating my copyright.

L'Oreal Color Riche La Palette Nude in Beige

L'Oreal's La Palette Nude is jumping straight on that never-ending nude eyeshadow bandwagon and holding on tight.  As well as this beige version, there are also rose and black versions - a little Naked, Naked 3 and Naked Smoky, don't you think?

Inside the plastic casing, you get a reasonably sized mirror, a double-ended brush, which features one sponge applicator and one surprisingly soft hair brush.  You also get ten shades of nude eyeshadow on the brown/beige scale, with a mix of finishes from matte to shimmer to metallic.

Five of the ten eyeshadows are matte, which is unusual for a high-street palette - matte eyeshadows are somewhat difficult to do well with a low price point, and most nude palettes rely on shimmery shades because it's so easy (and cheap) to make a well pigmented shimmery eyeshadow, as anyone who's bought mica online to make custom mixed loose eyeshadow well knows.  Not only are there quite a few matte shadows in the palette, but they're also rather good - medium in pigmentation, they swatch pretty opaque with a single swipe of a brush. and they're also reasonably smooth to blend, not chalky at all.

The non-matte shades are also nice enough:  there's the usual shimmering golds, metallic taupe and copper, and a rather fetching metallic mid-brown which is a little unusual.  They all blend smoothly and have medium pigmentation - they're slightly dry, though, so expect fallout, and expect that you'll need a primer to keep the colour true all day.

For £14.99, this palette gives you a good basic set of nude shades in a variety of finishes, although in reality it's unlikely that there are many makeup addicts who don't already have a nude palette or two in their stash.  It's unique advantage is definitely those matte shades - if you're looking for a reasonably cheap way to boost your matte collection, La Palette Nude in Beige is a great way to do it.

Disclosure:  PR sample

This post originated at www.londonbeautyreview.com. If you're reading it elsewhere, it's been stolen, violating my copyright.

Clarins Ombre Matte in Carbon & Heather

Carbon, Heather

Heather

Heather

It's pretty soon to be talking about autumn makeup ranges, but hey ho, Clarins' autumn range is already live on their site.  It contains two new shades of the Ombre Matte eyeshadows, one of which I have fallen promptly and deeply in love with.

Before I reveal all on my sordid eyeshadow love affair, a quick intro to Ombre Matte - they're the original precursors to the Ombre Iridescente shadows I tried earlier this year, which were cream-to-powder-bouncy-sparkly, and unfortunately creased before the end of a long day.  The key difference, of course, is that Ombre Matte is cream-to-powder-bouncy-matte, and the relatively sheer level of pigmentation (which I found disappointing in the sparkly versions) works to your advantage with the matte shades.  A quick sweep of the ring finger across the surface of the product gives a soft wash of even matte colour, and a couple of sweeps deepens the effect for a smokier look.

The two new shades are Carbon - deep, deep black with teeny silvery sparkles - and Heather - greyish taupe with a distinctly lilac tone.  I've fallen for Heather, with it's beautifully eye defining hue, it's soft smudgy finish, and it's effortless application.  I can see myself wearing it rather a lot this autumn, paired with deep plum or black eyeliner, and a very vampy lip.  Nom.

Anyway.  If you like a bit of matte eyelid action, Ombre Matt is a winner - soft and easy to blend with an even finish, and they last the whole day with a dab of primer underneath them.  Find them now at the Clarins website, where they cost £19.

Disclosure:  PR samples

This post originated at www.londonbeautyreview.com. If you're reading it elsewhere, it's been stolen, violating my copyright.

Bourjois Rouge Edition Velvet - New Spring Shades Beau Brun, Don't Pink Of It,So and So Hap'pink

Left to right:  Beau Brun, Don't Pink Of It, So Hap'pink

Beau Brun

Don't Pink Of It

So Hap'pink

Bourjois have added three new shades to their already comprehensive Rouge Edition Velvet lineup for spring.  Beau Brun is a surprisingly deep brown shade with red tones (which handily prevent it from being too 1990s), Don't Pink Of It is a soft, pale, neutral pink which I imagine will be paired with smoky eyes up and down the land, and So Hap'pink is a bright, neutral toned pink shade with a slightly beige undertone, putting it firmly halfway between a bright lip and a my-lips-but-better shade.

So Hap'pink is my favourite of the three - it's a bright, fresh pop of colour which isn't too bright, and it works brilliantly with the matte finish.  Don't Pink Of It, conversely, looks a little bit chalky with that matte finish, and is my least favourite.

As always, Rouge Edition Velvet costs a reasonable £8.99 from Boots and all the regular high street stockists.

Disclosure: PR samples


This post originated at www.londonbeautyreview.com. If you're reading it elsewhere, it's been stolen, violating my copyright.

Clinique Long Last Soft Matte Lipstick in Matte Beauty, Matte Crimson, Matte Petal

Clinique have a new lipstick out, and like many other lipsticks being launched at the moment, they're all about matte.  They're called Long Last Soft Matte, and promise a full coverage, velvety soft matte finish, with a long lasting just-applied look.  They come in very pretty ribbed silver tubes which have a definite retro appeal, and the wearable matte finish just cries out for a 50s swing dress and heels for summer...

Matte Beauty

Matte Beauty

Matte Beauty is a tawny pinky-beige, the kind which goes with most complexions and looks flattering and neutral without being too strong (or too wishy-washy).

Matte Crimson

Matte Crimson

Matte Crimson is a classic red with blue tones and a very even finish.  It's teeth-brightening, instant glam, retro cool in a tube.

Matte Petal

Matte Petal

Matte Petal is a soft pink, which surprised me by having a relatively cool base to it - I often find soft, pale pinks unwearable, but this one is actually okay.

The texture of these lipsticks is lovely - they glide onto the lip, feel soft and buttery, and remain soft on the lip even once they've set down.  Wear time is indeed good - four hours or so before the colour starts to fade - I don't think I agree that they maintain a just-applied look for long.  They fade with dignity and absolutely no ring-of-doom but they do fade.  The colour remains soft and comfortable throughout the wear time.

Long Last Soft Matte Lipstick is available in eight shades, from neutral to red to a particularly sunny looking orange, and they cost a spendy but not too spendy £18 each.  All in all, a lovely, comfortable, muted way to wear matte this summer.  Find them at the Clinique website now.

Disclosure: PR sample

This post originated at www.londonbeautyreview.com. If you're reading it elsewhere, it's been stolen, violating my copyright.