April Favourites

I've never done a monthly favourites post before, as I tend to stick with the same products regardless of the month and I usually blog about any recent purchases or discoveries separately. I always enjoy reading others' monthly favourites though, so I thought to do one of my own. I like that compiling a "favourites" post each month is almost like the beauty equivalent of a diary. Listing what were the most favoured and reached for items of the past month (even if they've been blogged about before or are regular favourites) is a really neat way of recording how people actually use the products they own.

L'Occitane Daily Face Cleanser with A.O.C. Olive Oil
For the longest time I hated this cleanser because it didn’t foam properly no matter how much I used. Recently I decided to give it another go, accepting that it doesn’t lather, and began to appreciate its virtues. I use a small amount in the morning and it’s very gentle and non-drying. It leaves the skin feeling moisturised and clean, without the harshness of cheaper foaming cleansers. I couldn't find it on the Australian L'Occitane website, which leads me to think sadly it's been discontinued.

Jurlique Rosewater Balancing Mist
I use this to bring some life and dewiness back to the skin if I feel I’ve gone a tad overboard with the face products (as can happen when you’ve slapped on foundation, blush, bronzer and highlight). I also spray it on a bare face for a refreshing misting. Like most of Jurlique’s products, the scent is divine. The trick is to hold the bottle (literally) an arm’s length away from the face – any closer and it’ll be more like a hosing down than a fine layer of mist.

Batiste Tropical Dry Shampoo
I’ve been pleasantly surprised by how well this works, as I’ve been a loyal user of Klorane oat milk dry shampoo for years. I bought this on sale just to try it out and I find myself reaching for it more than my Klorane. Though I prefer the scent of the Klorane, the Batiste performs just as well, if not better. I spray this on my roots in the morning in between washes and it keeps oiliness at bay for the whole day.

Revlon Lip Butter in Strawberry Shortcake
Not that I needed any more Lip Butters after my ridiculous haul, but I did go back and buy this last one. It felt remiss of me to not at least buy one pink shade. Yes, it still looks slightly purple on my lips, but it’s sufficiently darker and rosier than the light pinks in the range so it’s not completely unflattering for my skin tone. As a wearable, everyday pink, it’s been a fixture in my handbag since I bought it.

Real Techniques Buffing Brush
Not really a monthly favourite, as this is probably my favourite brush, ever. But I did use it on a daily basis this month with my Bourjois Healthy Mix Serum foundation (which I was this close to also including in my favourites, except for the niggling fact it’s too dark and yellow-leaning for me). This brush is pretty much the only one I use to apply liquid foundation. It’s quick, easy, super soft and gives a streak-free, fully blended, natural-looking finish.

Essence Eye Soufflé in Pas des Copper
I apply this with my finger in the mornings as both a primer/base and a wash of colour over the lid, before adding a touch of darker bronze eyeshadow closer to the lashline for slightly more definition and depth. I love the texture – it’s dense enough so that a thin layer glides on without looking patchy, and it’s not overly creamy so it doesn’t smudge or move around easily. It also blends really well with powder eyeshadow. This is a versatile, very wearable shimmery taupey/medium bronze shade that is virtually failproof. I hope Essence comes out with more neutral cream eyeshadows like Pas des Copper because this is undoubtedly one of the best budget beauty buys I’ve made.

Pout About It

Lipsticks are probably the best thing Sportsgirl make, beauty-wise. I have three: Beauty Queen (creme), Fruit Tingle (matte) and the newly released Rosie Posie (matte). The matte shades are intensely pigmented and bright, almost neon if layered on straight from the tube. The downside, as with mattes in general, is that they can be a little drying. The creme formulation is much sheerer and more moisturising, but not as long-lasting. Beauty Queen, which I bought quite a while ago, started my denial about my ability to wear light pink lipsticks. I don't think it works for my skin tone, but I try anyway. Fruit Tingle is a very summery and loud orange with reddish peachy tones. I usually tone the colour down by dabbing it on with a layer of lip balm underneath. Rosie Posie is a red-leaning bright pink with watermelon and coral tones, similar to Revlon Pink About It but less orange.

The shade selection is limited, I think there's 4 in the permanent line (Bombshell, Beauty Queen, All About You and Fruit Tingle) and a couple of new shades that get released and then discontinued (e.g. Juicy Watermelon, Fuchsia Splash, Neon Lights and Tangerine Queen). I regret not getting Neon Lights when it was available (my blind optimism in finding the perfect pink is eternal), so the lesson is if you like any of the new shades, get them while you can. Along with Rosie Posie, there's also the recently released Night Owl, a burgundy/plummy/wine shade labelled as a matte but with more of a creme formulation.

l-r: Beauty Queen, Fruit Tingle, Rosie Posie

l-r: Beauty Queen, Fruit Tingle, Rosie Posie

 l-r (first row, then second): Beauty Queen, Fruit Tingle, Rosie Posie

Current Mascara Rotation

I'm envious of girls with naturally long, thick and curled lashes who need only a single coat of mascara to look instantly glamorous. I've got short lashes, made even shorter by the fact they're almost engulfed by my eyelid. I almost never wear false eyelashes, though they do make a huge difference. On a day-to-day basis, at least my Shiseido eyelash curler and a good mascara help to add some much-needed length and volume. Here are 5 mascaras I'm currently rotating (and yes, I realise that's probably about 3 too many).

L'Oréal Lash Architect 4D in Noir 

I use this one the most, along with Define-A-Lash. This is the only brush I've tried with a triangular tapered shape and it's a good all-rounder. The more pointed and narrow tip helps to separate and curl the lashes and the wider end helps to add volume. The downside is that it can get a little clumpy, especially when you first use it. A lot of mascara gets on the brush and you need to go over the lashes a few times to even out the application.

Australis Lash Me Mousse Mascara in Dark Chocolate

I adore this mascara. The brush is relatively stiff and the bristles are very defined, which creates amazing clump-free separation. It's like you're combing through your lashes with mascara. My one is near its end and has dried out a little, which I actually prefer because it means less smudging and excess product on the wand. Instead of black, I use the shade Dark Chocolate on my lower lashes for softer, more natural definition. I previously used Pitch Black for my upper lashes but for whatever bizarre reason all shades of this mascara except Crystal Clear have been discontinued. I could only find Dark Chocolate and some unusual blue shade left in bargain bins at Priceline.

Maybelline Define-A-Lash in Very Black

I picked this up with little to no expectations because it was something like $2 from Chemist Warehouse. I wish ardently I had bought about 3 more, because it's gone on to become a favourite. A warning: the wand is VERY floppy. To the point it's almost a challenge to stick it back into the tube because of how wobbly it can get. I had a little mishap when I first used it which resulted in walking to work wearing a mascara-flecked, light coloured top. The slightly curved wand really helps to curl and extend lashes. The pointed and somewhat spiky bristles also separate and thicken lashes well. It just seems to work for me. I'll miss it when I run out, which is soon.

Maybelline The Colossal Volum' Express Cat Eyes in Wild Black

The formula is quite wet, which minimises clumping but annoyingly smudges and transfers to my lids. The super curved wand is useful to curl the lashes, but I don't think it makes that much of a difference compared with other mascaras (and it's really my eyelash curler that does the job, rather than a particular mascara). The small, thin wand separates lashes decently but doesn't create a whole lot of volume.

CoverGirl LashBlast Volume in Very Black

This is one fat wand which has its pros and cons. I wouldn't use this mascara as part of my morning routine because it requires a little more time and patience and I'm always in a rush. The sheer size makes it very hard to get to the base of the lashes (if you haven't poked your eye or smudged mascara onto your eyelid in the process). As a result, it doesn't curl and lengthen as well, but true to its name, it does thicken and add volume. This would better suit someone who is blessed with already good lashes to really take them to the next level.

Deborah Lippmann Dupes

Found this amazing Essence polish in Blue Addicted recently. Apparently, it's a fairly close dupe for Deborah Lippmann Across the Universe. You can imagine my delight in finding it given that the Deborah Lippmann is $26.50 and this Essence was an absolute steal at under $3 (though the Deborah Lippmann is 3 times the size). The polish itself didn't disappoint. It's generously loaded with glitter and becomes opaque in about 2-3 coats. Blue Addicted is a dark, ocean blue jelly with blue glitter and light blue and green hex glitter particles. The composition gives the effect of depth with multiple coats, as glitter pieces are suspended between layers of the polish.

Revlon Scandalous (or Facets of Fuchsia) is said to be a dupe for Deborah Lippmann Bad Romance. Reading some blog posts that have compared the two, they look more or less identical to me. The Revlon might even have more glitter in it. It's a purplish-black jelly (the base is very similar to Revlon Plum Night) with fuchsia glitter and fuchsia hex glitter. My bottle also contains the very occasional, random silver hex glitter, which I'm not sure is an anomaly or consistent feature. Both Blue Addicted and Facets of Fuchsia dry quite smoothly for such dense glitter polishes. The only minor issue I have is that multiple coats of each can get a little lumpy and uneven, especially if you're like me and lack the patience to wait until each coat is completely dry. They're also an absolute pain to remove. Both would probably benefit from a clear top coat to really bring them to life, but being lazy I skipped that step.

What's In My Bag

Grabbed this blog post idea from the lovely Michelle of Eat Paint Sniff Glue. I carry a lot of junk. I omitted some more prosaic items like keys, pens, my work security pass and umbrella. There isn't a lot of makeup, with the exception of lip products. I have enough of those to set up a mini shop inside my bag.

The bag is a black Marc by Marc Jacobs Classic Q Groovee that I bought from Shopbop about a year ago. This is pretty much the perfect bag for me. I have considered buying a backup because of how much I love it. I really wanted to get a tan one, but in retrospect the black was a better choice given how prone to dirtiness my bags are. It's been subjected to total abuse, including being poured down on when I was suddenly caught in the rain, and has held up fine. I place dirty newspapers and rubbish in it (once there was a half-eaten cheeseburger), throw it on the ground, stuff it to the brink, pull it apart and rummage recklessly through it. I need my bags to be resilient and so far, it still looks as good as new. I love the design and the pebbled leather which seems to only improve with use.

Pocket Kleenex I can't live without tissues. I am the world's most wasteful tissue user.  

Covergirl Wetslicks Fruit Spritzers in Papaya Splash I'm not really a lip gloss girl, so this is something that just resides in my bag but rarely gets used.  

Korres Lip Butter in Jasmine and Pomegranate I love these. Quince and Mango are on my wishlist.

Klorane dry shampoo Gives hair new life and gets rid of oiliness with a spritz and brush through.

Burberry Brit Sheer mini perfume Not my favourite scent, but seemed ideal to throw in my bag because of the size. A clean-smelling fruity floral, I like the citrus and peach notes and white musk base. To me, very similar to DKNY Be Delicious Fresh Blossom.

Bag hook What a wonderful invention. When I'm sitting at a table, it takes my bag off my lap, chair or the dirty floor and frees up valuable space.

Glasses (case not pictured) I've worn glasses practically all my life. I blame reading by torch light under my pillow and too many hours in front of the TV as a kid.  

Small jar with Nivea Soft To smooth out any cakey areas on my face or for whatever reason that I might need a bit of moisturiser. It seemed useful when I put it in but I've barely touched it.

Revlon Beyond Natural Protective Liptint in Pink Rose Before Lip Butters, there were these. Smooth, glossy and pigmented. Smells of sweet berries.

Maybelline Baby Lips in Relieving Menthol Has replaced Blistex Lip Conditioner as my default lip balm. I have a tube in my bag, a tube at home and at least 3 unused backups stowed away.

Cotton On Body round mirror Decently sized but not too big, I like the pink, bow-patterned exterior and how sturdy it feels for something that cost a couple of bucks.

Missha blotting paper To take the oiliness of my T-zone down a notch, though tissues work just as well.

Revlon Super Lustrous lipstick in Primrose Probably my favourite pink lipstick, if not my favourite lipstick, period.

iPod Shuffle Very old and falling apart (only one earphone is useable). Mainly for when I get hooked on a particular song or album and feel the need to listen to it on repeat.

iPhone 4 I was an iPhone naysayer and latecomer, but I'm now fully converted. Still can't do Apple computers though.

Jurlique Citrus Purifying Mist I prefer the rosewater one which I have at home. This was a gift which I take around with me because of the smaller size. I use it when my face feels in need of a refreshing misting. Has a strange medicinal/citrus smell which I don't like.

Oroton pouch I think this was originally a small makeup bag, but it now masquerades as a wallet. I appreciate the super soft, supple leather and the unexpected roominess (good for stuffing receipts, tickets, notes, coins, cards, lipsticks, keys and whatever other junk I have).

Best of Ulta3

Yet another post to reiterate my love and appreciation for Ulta3 nail polishes. I've collected over 30 of these and they only set me back around $60 in total, most bought for $2 at Pulse Pharmacy or Soul Pattison Chemist. Here is a definitive guide of swatches for what must be nearly every colour.

These are high quality polishes for the price, the cremes in particular are consistently impressive (perfect consistency, ultra smooth and only requiring 1-2 coats) and there are some seriously gorgeous shades. They're cheap enough that you can buy a few each time to just play around with and try out. Essence, the only comparable nail polish range I can think of in terms of price and colour range, only has 5ml in each bottle, compared with Ulta3's 13.5ml. However, Essence makes infinitely better glitter polishes (Ulta3 is more for cremes, metallics and foils).

My top 5 Ulta3 nail polishes: Allure, French Pink, Watermelon, Earl Grey, Envy

l-r: Earl Grey, French Pink, Watermelon

Earl Grey

I've featured Allure and Envy previously, so I won't swatch them again. I'd been searching for Earl Grey for what feels like years, so I was ecstatic when I randomly found it recently. Unfortunately the brush that came with it was defective, so I attempted to replace it with a brush from another Ulta3 polish which I was going to throw out. The problem was when I tried to get rid of the existing nail polish on the replacement brush. I thought all I needed to do was soak it in nail polish remover and clean up the cap as well. But after I dipped my "clean" brush into Earl Grey, I didn't factor in that the remnants of nail polish remover would mix with the nail polish and apply like oil and water to my nail. Minor setbacks aside, Earl Grey is an easy to wear, smoky/mushroomy/putty colour with just enough warmth and deviation from a straightforward grey to give it interest. It was difficult to photograph accurately on my nail, so I'd say the truest colour representation is in the picture of the 5 bottles. The lightness of the grey and the underlying taupe and beige tones give it a point of difference from the mainly blueish/purplish greys or darker taupe polishes I own. French Pink is a very pale pink which I love for a feminine, polished look. It'd be ideal as a base for light-coloured glitter (I'm definitely going to try it with Revlon Popular next time). Watermelon is an orange-based coral with slight salmon pink tones which should complement all skin tones. Bright but not neon, it's one of my favourite polishes for summer or to inject colour year-round.

In the Bag

After my Revlon Lip Butter haulage at Priceline, I also nabbed one of the Beauty Bags they had as part of their current promotion. If you spend $60 on participating brands, you get a complimentary bag with several full-sized products. From memory, Priceline has been running this campaign for a few years now, and I've made sure to get one each year. There's probably nothing I'd set out to specifically buy in these bags, but it's still quite a generous offering, particularly if you take advantage of the discounts and special deals they have for the brands included in the promotion.

Batty For Butter

These wretched Revlon Lip Butters. They targeted both the lip product fiend and hoarder in me. I may have gone a little overboard. When I saw they were buy one, get one free at Priceline, all restraint flew out the window. Truth be told, I had been waiting for the sale for a couple of weeks. I stalked my local Priceline in advance, to pick out all the colours I wanted. Then came the agonising deliberation about which I should buy and which I should leave behind. I finally narrowed it down to 6, but my resolve started weakening when I saw reviews and swatches from Australian and UK bloggers (where these have been recently released) of other shades that I hadn't picked. So I started thinking again...

In the end, I decided I would rather chastise myself for shameful levels of self-indulgence, than have that awful feeling of overriding dissatisfaction because my collection felt lacking. I somehow managed to pull off a pretty miraculous feat in not buying a single light pink colour. Cupcake and Strawberry Shortcake particularly called out to me, but I convinced myself that if experience was anything to go by, they just wouldn't work for me. In hindsight, I probably could've swapped one of the berry/plummy/darker shades for a baby pink. For more variety, if nothing else.

These are really a triumph of marketing and packaging. Not saying that the product inside isn't good, because for the most part, I'm actually fairly impressed. But the reality is, the colours and formula are hardly revolutionary. They've just been expertly crafted into an attractive collection of 20 shades, with sophisticated packaging, scrumptious names and Emma Stone as the poster girl. The online community certainly played a part in generating major hype, which I bought into with zeal.

These Lip Butters vary in terms of creaminess (or "butteriness"), and pigmentation. Generally, the ones with glitter (like Peach Parfait and Berry Smoothie) are less smooth and creamy than the ones without. Some of the darker shades (Lollipop, Raspberry Pie, Cherry Tart) are more or less standard lipsticks, but with more moisturising properties. Pigmentation can be built up with any of the shades. Peach Parfait is to me the most wearable, though I'm not a fan of the glitter and you need a couple of swipes to get any colour. Of the brigher shades, I love Sweet Tart and Cherry Tart.

 l-r: Creamsicle, Peach Parfait, Tutti Frutti, Sweet Tart, Lollipop, Raspberry Pie, Berry Smoothie, Cherry Tart

Getting Rosy

Small confession: I suck at applying blush. I have a friend who does it so perfectly, I honestly thought for the longest time she was naturally blessed with a permanent, rosy flush to the apples of her cheeks. It made her look so cherubic and youthful. In contrast, I haven't figured out the technique that seems to work for me. Probably in large part because my face is generally quite flat and my cheeks moon-like. There's a lot of surface area in which to go wrong. I try to keep it simple, smiling maniacally in front of the mirror and focusing the colour on the part of the cheek that juts out, but it either looks obvious, or overblended. I've now resorted to going back with my foundation brush and using whatever remnant product is left to both contain and soften the edges of the blush I've applied.

When it comes to colours, I tend to stick with inoffensive pinks or peaches, usually with a touch of shimmer. Better leave the more experienced to figure out how to rock mulberry or fiery red. In comparison to my eyeshadow, lipstick and nail polish hoard, the number of blushes I have is at a sane, even modest, level. These six that I reach for the most comprise 80% of my whole collection.

l-r: Rose D'Or, Prima Ballerina, Petal, Screen Siren, Mineral Rose, Flirtatious Pink

Bourjois Blush in Rose D'Or (34) Probably my favourite and most used. Soft medium pink with peach tones and gold shimmer. It's sheer enough so you don't need to worry about taking extra caution to not overdo it, and pigmented enough so it actually shows up when applied. The blush pot is cute and portable and I don't mind the strong powdery scent. If I find that the top layer is hardening, I just scratch a little off with my nail and it's as good as new.

Essence Blush Soufflé in Prima Ballerina Reviewed already in an earlier post, my only gripe is that on its own, the lasting power is only about a couple of hours. For the price though, this one is worth tracking down. The air-whipped texture is unlike anything I own and a breeze to work with, and the colour is very soft and sheer, perfect for a subtle, fuss-free and quick dab of colour to the cheeks.

Australis Paparazzi Perfect High Definition Blush in Screen Siren Though the blush is marbled, it essentially applies as a peachy pink matte. This is a high quality product for the price, the powder is smooth and soft with excellent pigmentation and staying power. You get a tonne of product (9g) which I'll probably never finish, housed in a medium-sized compact with a mirror.

Revlon ColorStay Mineral Blush in Petal (020) Again, a peachy pink with subtle gold shimmer, except with some light tan tones. A common complaint seems to be that it takes several layers to build up the colour. It is quite sheer in pigmentation, which on the positive side, makes it more natural-looking. Texture is slightly chalky. I picked this up for $4.90 at Priceline, so I don't feel any particularly negative feelings about it. If I bought it anywhere near full price, I'd most likely feel differently.

Savvy by DB Baked Mineral Blush in Mineral Rose A cheapie from Priceline that I bought when I was first beginning to experiment more with makeup beyond eyeliner and a tiny bit of foundation every day (if I could be bothered). Needless to say, it all went deeply downhill from there. This is a decently pigmented, slightly shimmery (but not with visible particles), coral-leaning blush (strange, since Mineral Rose suggests something more pink). Not my favourite shade, but wearable enough, and can be quite pretty for the summer or in combination with bronzer.

Australis Crème Colour in Flirtatious Pink I've dedicated a whole post to it, and since then, there's been no dip in my appreciation for this multipurpose cream product. If I'm headed off to dinner or drinks after work on a Friday, I make sure to toss this in my bag for a quick and easy touch up. It effectively injects some life and colour to the face in a matter of seconds. Best of all, it's a lot harder to screw up something in a cream consistency that you literally just rub onto your cheeks with your fingers where you want colour. For someone a bit blush-challenged like me, that's a big plus.

Over Easter

Easter was a Blue Mountains day trip, my routine hair cut which I get every 12-18 months (chopping off two wigs' worth of hair and scaring the hairdresser), having yum cha twice in two consecutive days, a friend's housewarming where we were served a bona fide feast of ribs, roasted vegetables, stir-fried beans and marinated chicken wings, and buying more stuff (pictured below). That last part was sadly inevitable, and doesn't include the ridiculous number of mini Klorane dry shampoo cans I bought from Chemist Warehouse today. Or a giant faux foxtail, which I can't decide is more feral or delightful.

Bourjois Healthy Mix Serum I've wanted to try this foundation for a long time given all the positive reviews I've read on it. Target was having a 40% off all Bourjois products sale so I decided to finally buy it. The main issue I have with this foundation is that there isn't a shade which really matches my skin. Vanille (52) is way too light, but Beige clair (53) is a bit too dark. I like the apricot scent and the semi-matte, glowy finish that it gives, but the coverage does seem on the sheer side and I'm not sure it lasts. I'll have to wear it a bit more to give a final verdict, but overall I think it's a really nice foundation. I'd be interested to compare it to Rimmel Wake Me Up which has been marketed similarly.

Essence nail polish in Grand-Plié in Black, part of the Ballerina Backstage collection. I've been buying more Essence nail polishes recently and was drawn to this black nail polish with a twist. This shade would be perfect for the colder months. Coppery orange glitter particles spice up a classic black base.

Revlon nail polish in Scandalous (761), renamed from Facets of Fuchsia. I've been patiently waiting for this to be released in Australia as every swatch I've seen has convinced me it's a must-have. I'll feature a post on it when I get down to wearing it, but for now, I'm just glad that it's finally mine.

Revlon nail polish in Popular (230), formally Starry Pink. At first I wasn't going to buy this, content with having found Scandalous, but the milky pale pink and silver hex glitter just looked so irresistibly pretty in the bottle that it had to be mine. It'd probably look better on fairer hands and it takes immense patience to layer on (above is 4 coats), but this nail polish is pure sweetness and innocence. I now need Whimsical to hit our shores ASAP, said to be a dupe of Deborah Lippmann Glitter in the Air and basically the baby blue version of Starry Pink, but with multicoloured glitter.

Bloom Sheer Colour Cream I already have this in Dewy (now discontinued), which is a lovely pale, shimmery pink that works as both a blush and highlight. All the colours in the range are covetable, but I was most enamoured of Coy, a gorgeous peachy pink. It was a toss up between Coy and another cream blush I've had my eye on for a while, Max Factor Miracle Touch Creamy Blush in Soft Copper, which is more an earthy orange. I love the versatility and ease of cream products that can be used all over the face. Already I can tell that this is going to be a staple in my makeup bag.

Nail Envy

I wish I hadn't bought Chi Chi Go Go Girl because Ulta3 Envy is basically a dupe, but better and 6 times cheaper. Envy is a brilliant, silver-reflecting pale bronze foil. I really like that the colour is more saturated and less silvery than Go Go Girl and there’s also greater complexity of tones. In some light, it’s more of a subtle light taupe (leaning more brown with the faintest hint of mauve), other times it's more a dark champagne gold. Application was smooth and streak-free. Two coats is required for complete opacity but you could probably get away with just one.

For maximum bling, I paired Envy with Sportsgirl All That Glitters. I’ve previously worn All That Glitters all over the nail (with too many layers to count to achieve the final result), but I’m pretty impressed with it as a top coat. It delivers a good spattering of glitter with just one stroke, without too much manual placement needed after to even out coverage. The effect reminds me a little of glitter polka dots.

Envy is my new favourite of all the foil polishes I own, and I never traditionally took a shine to foil polishes. It's liquid precious metal poured over the nail. My photo doesn't do it justice at all, it needs to be worn and seen in action. For $2, this one's too good to not pick up.

Next Best Thing

So the Revlon Lip Butters have finally landed in Australia. Small problem: they’re $21.95 each. As hyped-up as they are and as much as I want to build an obscene collection, I won’t be purchasing any at that (ridiculous!) price. Still, it was a thrill to be able to finally see, touch and swatch them in person at my local Priceline. I’m holding out for when they go on sale, hopefully sooner than later.

With the Lip Butters out of my reach for now, I’ve developed a newfound appreciation for these two L’Oréal NutriShine by Colour Riche lipsticks I have in Shiny Grapefruit and Rose Guava. The retail price for these is about the same as the Lip Butters, but I bought them as part of the Silver Collection gift set on sale at Priceline for $15. The NutriShine lipsticks are similar to the Revlon Lip Butters in that they’re a cross between a balm and a lipstick. They’re not as pigmented as a lipstick and more hydrating, while still having more colour and gloss than a regular lip balm. Shiny Grapefruit is a juicy mid-tone pink with gold shimmer, Rose Guava is darker and plummier, like a rosy mauve.

l-r: Rose Guava, Shiny Grapefruit

l-r: Rose Guava, Shiny Grapefruit

Soft and smooth in texture, these glide onto the lips and feel very moisturising. They don’t settle into fine lines and have a glossy finish without having the thickness and stickiness of a gloss. While sheerer than most lipsticks, the pigmentation for both is good, certainly miles ahead of several Lip Butters I swatched in person (Crème Brulee, Creamsicle, Gum Drop and the light pink shades come to mind). The one thing I don’t love is the glitter in these, most visible if you take the product off your lips. After wiping off the swatches I did for the photos, my arm positively dazzled with silver glitter particles. The shade selection isn’t as trendy and varied as the Revlon Lip Butters, but these NutriShine lipsticks will have to fill the void for now. The formulation is excellent and they’re still a great way to pop some colour on the lips without resorting to the heaviness and seriousness of a lipstick.