Matte Crème (de la Crème)

Trends in makeup seem to arrive in a blaze, often only to exit just as swiftly, overtaken by the next "big thing". I don't know if time's up on matte liquid lipsticks (are we onto lip oils now?), but for a period, they seemed to be all the rage. I was tempted by the Anastasia Beverly Hills Liquid Lipsticks, hyped by many a beauty YouTuber, but $17.95 USD shipping (plus $20 USD for a single lipstick) was not happening. Especially not with the Australian dollar flopping — I'd be paying $50 to have one lipstick shipped to me. Enter Australis Velourlips Matte Lip Cream, a local "drugstore"/affordable alternative to satiate my matte liquid lipstick curiosity. At $9.95 a pop, and often on sale at Priceline, they're cheaper than the similar NYX Soft Matte Lip Creams which retail for $12.95 each at Target.

l-r: Pa-ree, Hon-o-loo-loo, Lun-dun

Bottom to top: Pa-ree, Hon-o-loo-loo, Lun-dun

l-r (top row, then bottom row): Pa-ree, Hon-o-loo-loo, Lun-dun

These Velourlips aren't a new release (I remember reading about them all the way back in November 2013), but they didn't grab me when they first launched. Perhaps they were ahead of their time, or took a while to gain traction. I was finally motivated to take a closer look after Australis released several new shades and Shaaanxo featured the Velourlips in her 2014 Drugstore Favourites, calling them "basically the same as Lime Crime". On a recent trip to Priceline, I was playing around with the vibrant purply-pink shade Lun-dun and became hooked. I then read on a random forum that the shade Pa-ree looked close to Lime Crime Velvetines in Cashmere, so naturally I had to get it. The bright-but-pastel peachy nude Hon-o-loo-loo was my next pick since I had to take advantage of Priceline's 40% off cosmetics sale.

What has most impressed me about these Matte Lip Creams are the colours. Just how flattering a shade of lipstick is when applied is surprisingly easy to overlook, especially when one has far too many lip products, but I genuinely like the way all three appear on my lips. In particular, Pa-ree has been a revelation, in that the colour (combined with the ultra matte finish) is entirely unique to my overstuffed collection. It was very hard for me to get an accurate lip swatch because it's toned down and paler than my natural lip colour, while not being overly nude. It's also fairly neutral in tone (not too cool, not too warm). The relative lack of contrast between my skin and lips, and the muted, slightly reddish beige proved a challenge to photograph. I guess I'm between NC20 and NC25, your typical sallow Asian complexion with possibly slight olive tones (but who really knows), and Pa-ree is probably the single most flattering nude I have encountered. I'm reminded of just how good it is every time I wear it. It's also apparently more or less identical to Anastasia Beverly Hills Liquid Lipstick in Pure Hollywood.

Apart from the colours, the formula of these is virtually faultless. They're a tad drying, yes, but I think that's the nature of the beast. You can't really have a transfer-proof, long-wearing, matte finish lip product without some kind of dryness happening. It's not to an intolerable level, so I don't mind. They're so pigmented that I usually only apply one layer to my bottom lip, then press my lips together to transfer the pigment to my top lip and blend. I then use my finger to dab and pat away any unevenness and diffuse any wonkiness or excess product around the outline of my lips. They set fairly quickly and then stay put, however they're not staining and are easily removed with some lip balm and a tissue.

The Velourlips are entirely matte and opaque in pigmentation, but the lips still retain a soft poutiness to them. Your lips don't look like they've been painted onto your face. The colour seems to be part of the lip itself, melding completely with the lip rather than looking like a layer of product is sitting on top. Once applied, they don't settle, split or separate into lip lines, not even when you smile. Australis nailed it.

Taking a Shine to China Glaze

Following on from my Essie nail polish collection, I thought I'd dedicate a post to my smallish stash of China Glaze polishes. To the best of my knowledge, I don't even think China Glaze is stocked in any major Australian stores or chemists. I personally have only purchased my polishes online (Luxe and Lush, IV, It's a Trap-eze!), from Paddy's Markets (Stellar, Snow Globe, Techno), or random discounted pro nail stores (Swing Baby, For Audrey). If they weren't so hard to find and buy, no doubt I'd have a lot more.

l-r: Techno, For Audrey, Luxe and Lush, Swing Baby

Techno
This was one of the first crazy glitter polishes I bought, so back then when the concept was still fairly novel, it was absolutely irresistible to me. Techno glimmers and dazzles like a billion-faceted disco ball in the bottle. On the nail however, it's a bit less exciting. Pedestrian, even. It's basically small holographic, hexagonal glitter, with holographic normal glitter in a clear base. I've previously paired it with Revlon Blue Lagoon, and while the density of the glitter grabs your attention, it's all a bit too much. With Techno, I think less is more. I'd be more inclined now to paint just one coat over a creme base for added festivity.

For Audrey
Probably among the best known China Glaze shades (if not the best known), and a polish on my wishlist for a considerable length of time before I managed to get my hands on it. I already have an entire post on For Audrey here, and my thoughts haven't changed much since. If you like the idea of wearing the iconic Tiffany & Co. blue on your nails, this is the polish for you.

Luxe and Lush
When swatches of the The Hunger Games Capitol Colors Collection started popping up, the only must-have for me was Luxe and Lush. At the time, the idea of a shredded flakie was completely new to me, so it opened my eyes up to a whole new world of layering possibilities. I tried it with a black base but the shards of glitter appeared predominately yellow, green and orange, which I didn't particularly like. I much prefer glitter/flakies that flash more pink, purple and opalescent, or at least a mix of everything. I think I might try it over a light blue base like Sinful Colors Cinderella next, as demonstrated by Jen. I find the glitter in Luxe and Lush to be very dense, almost to its detriment as it can get slightly lumpy and chunky, especially with its thicker formula.

Swing Baby
Back when I was obsessing (literally, not figuratively) over Orly Rage, I looked up reviews online and read that Swing Baby was similar. Naturally, if I frustratingly couldn't source Rage anywhere, I needed the next closest thing (because, you know, Revlon Crème Brûlée, Chi Chi Go Go Girl and Ulta3 Envy didn't cut it). Now that I have both Rage and Swing Baby, I can say that Swing Baby isn't even that close. Rage is lighter, more of a warm gold, with rose gold tones. Swing Baby is darker, more taupe and pewter, with a distinct greenish tinge to my eyes. It's not really the kind of colour I normally go for, so it now just sits in the nail polish category "Failed Polishes I Bought to Fill the Orly Rage Void".

l-r: Snow Globe, Stellar, IV, It's a Trap-eze!

Snow Globe
One of the most delicate and whimsical glitter concoctions I've encountered and very aptly named. Undoubtedly one of my favourite nail polishes ever. Snow Globe can simply be described as beautiful, though I summed up the colours I see in it before: "turquoise, peridot, amber, peach, cornflower blue, lavender". The base isn't completely clear, it's more slightly milky and white, which makes it even more reminiscent of an actual snow globe.

Stellar
I picked this up on a whim almost two years ago along with Techno and Snow Globe, and to be honest, I think I've only worn it once since. This is a nude/beige shimmer with a silver fairy dust overlay. It's not super reflective though, the overall effect is more subdued despite the metallic sparkle. I like how it looks next to IV, so I think I might incorporate the two polishes next time, perhaps in an attempt to replicate this gorgeous manicure by Ashley.

IV
I saw this on a colleague's nails one day, asked her what polish she was wearing, and pretty much ordered it off BeautyBay right after. IV is a soft pinky coral that I find really complements my skin tone. It's described as a carnation pink creme, but it leans quite peachy on my nails. According to Reika, it's very close to Chanel Morning Rose (IV is just missing the gold shimmer). A shade that I genuinely look forward to wearing and one that I'm happy found its way into my collection.

It's a Trap-eze!
Featured recently in my March Favourites and with a whole post dedicated to it here, there's not much further I have to say except that there's been no dip in enthusiasm. I'm lamenting I didn't receive this as a full bottle, because the prospect of running out is already giving me anxiety. A unique, playful and incredibly well-executed glitter that I never want to be without.

My Essie Collection

About four months ago, I went through a major Essie phase and bought 8 of their polishes in a short period of time. Since then, I've been meaning to do a post about my Essie nail polish collection, but never managed to get around to it until now. I'm happy with the shades that I have and no longer feel the need to add to my collection, with the exception of limited edition flakie polish Shine of the Times. (Liz and Chloé know what I'm talking about.) It got so bad late last year that I seriously contemplated forking out $31 to have it shipped to me. Fortunately, I was talked out of it, but I'm still kicking myself for not buying it while I was on holiday in New York. I picked it up at least twice on separate occasions while at Rite Aid, only to put it down again. Why.

l-r: Leading Lady, Mint Candy Apple, First Timer, Bangle Jangle

Essie Leading Lady
I have an entire post dedicated to this stunner, so there isn't too much to add here. What I love most about Leading Lady is its glass fleck quality. It has this jelly-like translucence and shine, but is still entirely opaque. The red shimmer looks suspended in the polish, rather than just sitting on top of the nail or disappearing underneath.

Essie Mint Candy Apple
An Essie classic, Mint Candy Apple was always sold out at Woolworths or Priceline when Essie first launched in those stores. I had to resort to an online shop to purchase mine. In the end, I have to say this shade was a bit of a letdown for me. I was hoping for mint green perfection, but for whatever reason, this applies extremely blue on my nails. I already have way too many similar pale blues (Sally Hansen Complete Salon Manicure in Barracuda, Sportsgirl Nail It! in Iceberg) so I didn't need another one.

Essie First Timer
Ingrid of missglamorazzi kept talking about this polish and I'm glad she did, because it's turned out to be a surprising favourite. Greens are a bit unusual and mainly associated with Saint Patrick's Day or Christmas, but I find myself frequently drawn to them. First Timer is more medium-toned with a slight pastel edge, which makes it quite unique in my collection, as most greens I have are either very light and minty or much darker.

Essie Bangle Jangle
I bought this one blind, not having seen the bottle in person and basing my decision purely off swatches online, and it didn't turn out to be exactly what I was hoping. I've featured this previously with a copper/rose gold glitter which I thought paired well together, but the polish on its own is a little underwhelming. I'm not sure what it is precisely, but perhaps I was hoping for something paler and a touch more grey? More of an airy, delicate dove grey, than the medium dusty purple that it is.

l-r: Fiji, As Gold As It Gets, Chinchilly, Bikini So Teeny

Essie Fiji
Tanya Burr convinced me I needed Fiji in my life, but for the longest time I resisted buying it because I felt I could find similar alternatives for much cheaper. It was somewhat amusing in the end when I caved and bought this, because I compared it against all the "cheaper alternatives" I'd purchased that I thought would be nearly identical, and they were completely off. From swatches I'd seen of Fiji, I always assumed it was such a pale pink that it photographed nearly white. Turns out it really isn't that light. Revlon ColorStay Nail Enamel in Pale Cashmere and Sinful Colors Easy Going are much, much lighter.

Essie As Gold As It Gets
This definitely isn't as gold as it gets — see OPI GoldenEye for that. But it's a very pretty gold flakie topper regardless. The flakes are distinctly yellowish as opposed to a metallic gold and the density is good. I have on two coats in the picture. Because of the opacity of the flakes and the predominately yellow colour, it might not suit every single base colour that it's painted over. This one requires some experimentation to achieve the most flattering base and top coat combination, but it's nifty to have in your nail art arsenal.

Essie Chinchilly
Along with Mint Candy Apple, this is another one of those iconic Essie shades that you always hear about. For me, it's just too similar to Sally Hansen Commander in Chic to justify having both. An excellent "drugstore"/budget dupe for Chinchilly is Essence Colour & Go Quick Drying Nail Polish in Walk of Fame. Still, a very sophisticated, medium-to-dark mushroom shade that remains timeless.

Essie Bikini So Teeny
I first heard about this polish from Allison of amarixe in her Drugstore Makeup Haul all the way back in June 2012, so when I saw Bikini So Teeny at Priceline in November last year, I was mainly surprised that Australia had begun selling it more than a year after it launched in the States. This "sparkling, cornflower blue" (light, bright periwinkle with slight silver shimmer) is one of my favourite blue polishes because it's not a shade that I see very often. A must if you're partial to blue polishes.

l-r: Van D'Go, Funny Face, Absolutely Shore, A Cut Above

Essie Van D'Go
My very first Essie polish which I ordered from BeautyBay back when you could still order nail polish from there and have it shipped to Australia. This is a creamy pastel pinky-peach that looks quite Barbie-ish on my nails, but I love it anyway. The definition of a "spring colour".

Essie Funny Face
A medium fuchsia/hot pink that I was fortunate to win in Sue's giveaway. The formulation on this one is impeccable, it applied so smoothly and evenly, and was opaque in one coat. For whatever reason, I don't find myself naturally drawn to fuchsia shades in nail polish, though I can't seem to stay away from them in the lip department. I should really give more love to Funny Face because it's fun and girly (and I can totally go matchy-matchy with my lipstick).

Essie Absolutely Shore
My favourite Essie polish ... and one of my favourite polishes, period. Now this, not Mint Candy Apple, is mint green perfection, though it's more of a pale, airy, slightly dusty, seafoamy green. For a light colour, it applies completely opaque with not a bald patch to be seen in just two coats. Absolutely Shore paired with Revlon Whimsical is my ultimate go-to combination.

Essie A Cut Above
Major pink bling bling. This is incredibly dense for a glitter polish which means you can easily wear it on its own for ultra jazzed up nails. It only has one colour of glitter in varying sizes, so it's not the most complex of glitter concoctions, and there are similar polishes that are more affordable (Maybelline Color Show Sequins in Rose Bling comes to mind), but when this is on the nails, it demands your attention.

Guilt-Free Butter

The other night, I stumbled upon Sarah Wilson's blog and her post on the best toxin-free cosmetics. A couple of the people she contacted to provide a list of their "safe beauty" buys mentioned Butter London nail polish for being "3 Free", i.e. free from dibutyl phthalate, toluene and formaldehyde. I have to admit to being fairly apathetic about toxins in cosmetics, but her advice about gradually phasing out existing products and replacing them with toxin-free versions, being wary about chemical nasties in ingredients lists and generally using less stuff made me think about the potential harm I'm exposing myself to as a beauty junkie. When it comes to nail polish, I've always been under the impression the vast majority of big companies are already 3 Free, so it was never of particular concern to me to make sure that was the case. Regardless, the mention of Butter London encouraged me to dig out and dedicate an entire post to my small collection.

Thumb to pinky: Yummy Mummy, The Black Knight, No More Waity, Katie, Tart with a Heart, Pink Ribbon

I don't know what it is about Butter London polishes, but I simply adore the packaging and most of the shades they come out with. If they weren't so exorbitantly priced in Australia ($22 each), I'd probably count more in my collection. My experience with the formula has been inconsistent — the glitters tend to chip on me very easily, but the cremes and sheers are very smooth and long-wearing. I find some of the glitters to be invariably lumpy when applied, even with multiple coats, base and top coat. They also dry to a brittle texture that doesn't adhere well to the nail's surface, making the polish prone to chipping and easy to peel or flake off.

l-r: The Black Knight, No More Waity, Katie, Tart with a Heart, Pink Ribbon

Thumb to pinky: Yummy Mummy, The Black Knight, No More Waity, Katie, Tart with a Heart, Pink Ribbon

I've already written an entire post on Hen Party, so I haven't swatched it again here. My first Butter London polish was the smoky light taupe Yummy Mummy, a freebie with Madison magazine a long time ago. Yummy Mummy is an office-friendly neutral made up of a mix of purple, tan and grey with extremely delicate silver microshimmer that prevents it from being a straight up creme. Madison were also offering Trout Pout as the other freebie polish — to this day I regret not picking it up since the magazine itself was only $8 or so. Pink Ribbon was another, more recent magazine freebie (the alternative free polish was Pillar Box Red which I passed on, as I'm not a big red wearer). It's very reminiscent of Revlon Peach Nectar with its sheerness and pale orange hue.

I purchased the three glitter shades, The Black Knight, No More Waity, Katie and Tart with a Heart from the Spa & Beauty Expo in August last year (there was a 3 for $30 deal which proved irresistible). Tart with a Heart has iridescent round pieces of glitter much like China Glaze Snow Globe, but with a peachy-yellow shimmery base and bizarrely, tiny black dots of glitter that I don't think add anything to the polish. I suppose the combination makes Tart with a Heart more unique than your usual iridescent glitter in a clear base (like Deborah Lippmann Stairway to Heaven or Revlon Heavenly). The Black Knight looked stunning in the bottle, but each time I've worn it, I've always felt it falls a bit flat on the nail. The pink, blue, silver and green glitter doesn't pop against the black and isn't as glimmering as hoped. While the glitter is fairly dense, there's not enough contrast with the base and it's a bit too small in size to make an impact. No More Waity, Katie (except for the end of her pregnancy, it seems) is my favourite of the bunch, a slate grey-leaning medium purple with lavender sparkle. The two work harmoniously to create a sophisticated but still playful glitter.

Revisiting Essence Mono Eyeshadows

It's been almost a year and a half since my first foray into Essence Mono Eyeshadows, and while my overall experience with the brand has been hit and miss, I didn't expect to be drawn to any more of their single eyeshadows. With the exception of Mystic Lemon (43), which I've tried to unsuccessfully pass off as a NARS Albatross dupe, I've barely touched the other two eyeshadows I bought, Taupe of the Pops (46) and Blue Mission (38). Given my lukewarm feelings, it's somewhat surprising that in the past week, I've purchased two more of their Mono Eyeshadows, Cappuccino, Please! (58) and "metallic effect" Party All Night (35). I guess you really don't need much of a push when they're a mere $2.85 each.

l-r: Party All Night (35), Cappuccino, Please! (58)

Cappuccino, Please! was something I rushed to take to the counter after halfheartedly trying out the tester and being amazed at how soft, buttery and smooth it felt. There is absolutely no powderiness, chalkiness or fallout normally associated with cheaper brands. It felt like a product that was worth ten times its price. I like how it's not overly metallic and shimmery — it has more of a subdued satin finish while still retaining a lustrous quality. In terms of the colour, it's your standard beigey/champagne highlighting shade which I foresee mainly using to brighten the inner corners of the eyes for more dramatic nighttime looks.

Party All Night is an eyeshadow I've contemplated buying on countless occasions but have repeatedly resisted, rationalising that I simply do not need it given the bazillion eyeshadows I have at home exactly like it. Well, one night I just cracked, because who cares at $2.85? Carly's recent review may or may not have given me the final push I needed. It's definitely something I could've done without due to its similarity to a suite of metallic taupey/bronzy eyeshadows I keep on high rotation, but another one in the mix can't hurt.

l-r: Blue Mission (38), Taupe of the Pops (46), Party All Night (35), Cappuccino, Please! (58), Mystic Lemon (43)

My Essence Mono Eyeshadow collection now consists of five shades, four predictably neutral and shimmery, one random matte cornflower blue. To this day, it boggles the mind why I bought Blue Mission. Yes, it was cheap and a unique and vivid colour, but come on now ... I know I'll never use it. It's just sitting there, taking up space, collecting dust, waiting to be thrown out. Let's not fool myself into thinking I'd ever reach for it, not even for attempted "bright"/"colourful" looks during summer, or concentrated on the lower lashline for a more accessible "pop of colour". Not going to happen.

l-r: Maybelline Bad to the Bronze, NARS Kalahari, Essence Party All Night, L'Oréal Tender Caramel, Urban Decay YDK

Party all Night compared with shades that I thought would be close. To a layperson, these five would be virtually indistinguishable. They're all very metallic and nicely pigmented. Urban Decay YDK is the most coppery, followed by NARS Kalahari (I have this shade in the NARS And God Created the Woman palette, which is the left side of the NARS Kalahari eyeshadow duo). The base colour of L'Oréal Tender Caramel underneath its overpowering frosty overlay is actually quite similar to Maybelline Bad to the Bronze. Party All Night appears the most pale and slightly dirty/ashy, more neutral than YDK and Kalahari, which are warmer. My favourite is Kalahari, because it reflects the least silver. Overly frosty eyeshadows are my pet peeve.

l-r: Urban Decay Bootycall, Laura Mercier Buff Pearl, Essence Cappuccino, Please!, NARS Alhambra, Urban Decay Sin

Except for the peachier and darker NARS Alhambra (again, from my NARS And God Created the Woman palette, this time I believe it's the right side of the regular Alhambra duo), the other four shades are basically the same with only very subtle differences. I usually opt for the slightly pinky Urban Decay Sin to highlight the inner corner of the eyes, as I find Urban Decay Bootycall and Laura Mercier Buff Pearl a little bit too white for my yellow skin tone. Cappuccino, Please! is a bit more yellowish-beige which works better for me. The texture is pure win considering how affordable it is.

Mattes For Measure

Continuing on from my Revlon Super Lustrous (crème finish) and Revlon ColorBurst lipstick posts, I have this final installment featuring my collection of Revlon matte lipsticks. Nothing is more validating than when Queen Lisa Eldridge lists the Revlon matte lipsticks among her High Street/Drugstore Makeup Favourites. In her words, the lipsticks are "very wearable, not drying, comfortable to wear on the lips, long-lasting, and the colours have been really editorial." Matte lipsticks are notoriously drying and I find that the texture of these inconsistent in terms of how forgiving they are on the lips. I normally apply a thin layer of lip balm (Maybelline Baby Lips in Relieving Menthol) to prime my lips first for best results.

Sky Pink (012)
One of the very first lipsticks I bought when I started to delve deeper into makeup. I believe I even paid full price (!!), which was $21.95 (though to be fair, it was to redeem some gift with purchase, but still). This light, yellow-based pink is exactly the kind of shade I remain obsessed with, despite it usually not working for my sallow Asian complexion. I need flawless, pale skin to pull this off. The colour payoff isn't great, especially on my already pigmented lips. I found it emphasised lip lines and sat on top of my lips, rather than sinking in. I had to work the colour in with my fingers. It might be smoother and more hydrating with a gloss over the top.

Pink Pout (002)
Rumoured to be a dupe of MAC Snob (or even MAC Angel), Pink Pout is a cool mauve-pink. It's very similar in colour to Revlon Super Lustrous lipstick in Primrose, but I prefer the formulation of Primrose to Pink Pout. On my lips, it appears more like a muted, dusty pink that could almost pass as a nude. The texture and pigmentation were considerably better than Sky Pink — much creamier and melded into the lips better.

Smoked Peach (013)
Bit of a strange one. It's a retro, nudeish orange with almost a fluoro, burnt edge. Despite being a matte lipstick, it contains quite a noticeable silver pearl that I dislike. Overall, the colour just looks very unnatural against my skin tone, which is why I don't find myself reaching for it much, despite my preoccupation with coral/peach shades in general. I found it to be relatively drying and a bit chalky as well.

Mauve It Over (003)
Brownish rose colour, a bit too tan and dark on my lips to be a true MLBB shade. I would prefer if it were more rosy, perhaps a bit pinker, and lighter. Combined with the matte texture, I personally find the shade looks quite mature on me. I like fresher, juicier, more youthful shades. Still, this is a good pick for something work-appropriate and conservative. The formulation is one of the best from this matte line.

Pink About It (004)
Reddish, coral pink that's not too loud or bright. It perks up the face, but still remains more on the subdued side. There's a dustiness to it that prevents it from being super vivid and intense. Very similar to Sportsgirl Rosie Posie, also a matte lipstick, but Rosie Posie is lighter, brighter, more pink and less red. Like most brights, works best with minimal eyes and fresh, luminous skin.

Strawberry Suede (005)
Probably the only shade you really need from this line, and infamously discontinued. Of the six Revlon matte lipsticks I have, Strawberry Suede has the best pigmentation, the most vivid colour and applies the most smoothly to the lips. It happens to be one of my favourite reds. I find that orange-leaning reds like Strawberry Suede are more playful and summery than blue-based reds, which tend to be more dramatic and serious. The matte finish makes the bright colour seem more polished and gives the impression I put in much more effort to apply it than I did. With a slick of balm underneath, it appears to have a subtle sheen.

l-r: Sky Pink, Pink Pout, Smoked Peach, Mauve It Over, Pink About It, Strawberry Suede

l-r (top row to bottom): Sky Pink, Pink Pout, Smoked Peach, Mauve It Over, Pink About It, Strawberry Suede

The Revlon matte lipsticks are a bit hit and miss, but I still enjoy having Sky Pink in my collection (if only to look at) and Strawberry Suede is a must. I could probably do without Smoked Peach (not the most flattering shade on me) or Pink Pout (only because of its similarity to Primrose, which I prefer). Pink About It is a good pick for a bright that's not too in-your-face. Mauve It Over, despite being too brown and dark for me, is still worthwhile having as I feel it is a timeless neutral, especially for those with lips that aren't as naturally pigmented as mine.

Counting ColorBurst

I have no idea why Revlon discontinued their ColorBurst lipsticks. The formula is undoubtedly my favourite of the "drugstore" lipsticks I've tried. I find them to be very moisturising, weightless and comfortable on the lips. Most of the shades I have are on the light side and go on relatively sheer, making them ideal for a natural, understated lip for the daytime. The black quilted packaging, grown up shade selection and sophisticated formulation are all reminiscent of something I'd expect from a higher end brand.

Soft Nude (070)
My favourite nude lipstick. It's not too dark or light, not too pink or brown. There's just the right level of tan and peachy tones. I don't go for nude lips very often unless I'm wearing a heavy smoky eye, but I doubt I'll find anything else as perfect as Soft Nude, though Rimmel Nude Delight comes close.

Blush (035)
A very MLBB colour that came in the Priceline Beauty Bag last year. It's a light brownish rosy colour with a slight silver pearl that I wish wasn't there. I don't have many shades like this in my collection because of my immediate tendency to gravitate towards pinks, peaches, purples and berry shades. My lips are also naturally pigmented so something like Blush (which is basically my lips but a little bit darker and more brown) isn't terribly exciting unless I'm aiming for a more conservative, entirely neutral look.

Petal (096)
Neutral to slightly cool light pink with gold shimmer. Like Blush, this is pretty sheer so you need to really layer it for the colour to show through. I tend to be extremely averse to any kind of shimmer, glitter, frost or pearl in my lipsticks, but Petal feels and looks refined despite not being a crème. It's a nice option when you want a bit of pink on your lips that's not too cool, milky or bright.

Rose Nectar (028)
The most shimmery of the bunch, but the colour is one of my favourites in the ColorBurst range. As Cherie pointed out, Rose Nectar is very similar to Revlon Lip Butter in Peach Parfait, especially in terms of the visible gold glitter. Rose Nectar is more of a light orange (with a sheerer base) compared with the darker pink of Peach Parfait. The gold glitter/white microshimmer is very noticeable, but the texture of the lipstick isn't gritty in any way. It's very smooth and glides on, though the sparkle may be a bit too much for some.

Soft Rose (040)
I ran out to the shops to track this down after reading this post by Jane comparing Soft Rose to Chanel Rouge Coco in Mademoiselle. My mother has this lipstick so I was familiar with it, but resisted purchasing one for myself. Soft Rose is a very classic lipstick shade but also feels quite modern. It's one of those universally flattering colours that would complement most skin tones. It's a neutral, muted rose with just the right amount of red and not too much brown. I find this shade to be decently pigmented (much more than the first four shades), such that anything more than one layer can be too dark for my liking.

Fuchsia (030)
My most recent ColorBurst lipstick acquisition, I felt I needed this after reading numerous reviews over the years describing Fuchsia as a dupe for MAC Girl About Town. They're probably not 100% identical (Girl About Town looks a touch brighter), but to me they're close enough to not warrant having both. The superb texture of these lipsticks really comes through in the more pigmented crème shades. This applies smoothly and evenly, even with multiple layers, and feels so comfortable and lightweight on the lips.

True Red (090)
One of the few (relatively speaking) red lipsticks I have, though in all honesty I barely touch it. It's not too orangey, nor is it too blue-based. It's not really a colour I'm excited to reach for, mainly because I'm not a huge fan of reds, and also because it's not bold or different enough to catch my attention. I find this to be a little bit sheer and it was slightly patchy when I tried to build up the pigmentation.

l-r: Soft Nude, Blush, Petal, Rose Nectar, Soft Rose, Fuchsia, True Red

l-r (top row, then bottom row): Soft Nude, Blush, Petal

l-r (top row, then bottom row): Rose Nectar, Soft Rose, Fuchsia, True Red

My lipstick collection is a reflection of my child-like preferences for novelty and trends (dominated by pastels, brights, darker shades), often without much consideration given to how flattering the colours are when worn. I feel like my ColorBurst lipsticks fill a void I otherwise would have neglected, by offering more grown up, easy-to-wear shades that lean on the conservative side. Except for the vivid Fuchsia or True Red (which I never wear), they're mainly work-appropriate, polished, relatively sheer but buildable colours that never draw too much attention to the lips, but provide a finishing wash of colour to tie in with the rest of your makeup.