'90s Nude for Now

Despite the sane part of me acknowledging the last thing I need is another lipstick, when the new shades of Rimmel Moisture Renew Lipstick launched recently, I couldn't resist picking up Notting Hill Nude (720). This was a lipstick I felt compelled to rush out and buy after reading about it months ago on UK blogs. At the time, the revamped line wasn't yet available in Australia, so I waited patiently for the latest range to hit our shelves. While I rarely wear or feel drawn towards nudes, I had high hopes for Notting Hill Nude (the 40% off sale Priceline was having didn't hurt, making it an affordable $8.37). It's been touted as a Tom Ford Spanish Pink dupe (though to my eyes, they're really not that similar in colour), and it looked dark enough to wear on an everyday basis without washing the complexion out.

Rimmel Moisture Renew Lipstick in Notting Hill Nude reminds me of the quintessential '90s reddish brown nude lip, but modernised. It's not really my thing, but I can appreciate the intent. It's a medium, distinctly brown-based nude, but with enough red in there so it's more flesh-toned than caramel or chocolate. It's still a bit too brown for my liking, but you can definitely sheer it out or mix it with something pinker and softer, so it's fresher, less brown and not as dark. It seems like a very serious lipstick shade (no frivolous pinks or party brights here), office-appropriate, grown up, conservative and polished. It's a good pick for a true nude when you still want to give some shape and colour to your lips while keeping it entirely neutral.

One unexpected and quite unpleasant aspect of this lipstick is the smell. I do remember the other Moisture Renew lipstick I have, Nude Delight, having a similar scent, but it's nowhere near as strong (or maybe enough time has passed that it's faded). When you lift off the cap of Notting Hill Nude, the strong "grandma lipstick"/synthetic floral fragrance just assaults your nose. You can smell it when you're applying it, and you can smell it once it's on your lips. Formula-wise, the lipstick is smooth, glossy and nicely pigmented. It's not overly thick or creamy, but it's not thin and slippy either. It strikes a good middle ground between the two. It does settle slightly into lip lines because of the more moisturising formula, but it's not too noticeable.

l-r: Revlon Soft Nude, NARS Biscayne Park, Rimmel Notting Hill Nude, Face of Australia Sundae, Revlon Ginger Rose, Revlon Mauve It Over

Once I took Notting Hill Nude home and saw exactly what kind of colour it was, I instinctively knew I'd have a couple very close dupes. Closer than Tom Ford Spanish Pink, at least. I included two lighter nudes in the above swatch mainly for comparison purposes. Revlon ColorBurst Lipstick in Soft Nude is the lightest, most pinkish/peachy nude. NARS Satin Lip Pencil in Biscayne Park is a bit darker than Soft Nude, slightly redder and more brown-toned. Face of Australia Sheer Gloss Lip Crayon in Sundae is very similar to the Rimmel in colour, but significantly glossier and sheerer. Revlon Super Lustrous Lipstick in Ginger Rose is more opaque and less glossy than the Rimmel, also darker and more rosy. Revlon Matte Lipstick in Mauve It Over is probably the closest match to Notting Hill Nude in both shade and finish, but more matte, a tinge darker, slightly more red than brown.

I see Notting Hill Nude working with a variety of skin tones, given it's not one of those pale, milky nudes that only the fairest among us have a chance at successfully pulling off. It gives me a bit of a nostalgic '90s vibe (kind of like a lighter, glossier version of the lip colour worn in this "Kate Moss/boho/grunge look" by Pixiwoo, but the concealer added later on the middle of the lips ruined it for me), though it's not as dark or brown/raisin as what was in fashion then. I prefer it to Revlon Ginger Rose and Mauve It Over, two similar-coloured lipsticks that I feel are too heavy for my tastes. The smooth, shiny, lightweight texture makes it easy to layer with another colour or a balm underneath, or dab on for a more subdued, easygoing look. Just hope the off-putting smell eventually loses steam.

Hitting It Out of Biscayne Park

Into the Gloss can't label NARS Satin Lip Pencil in Biscayne Park as "quite possibly the perfect nude?" without basically commanding me to buy it. I remember swatching the new range of lip crayons by NARS at Mecca Cosmetica in April and being seriously impressed by the glide-on smoothness and incredible colour payoff. After a few nights of intense Googling where I couldn't even come across a lukewarm review amid a sea of seemingly universal praise, I placed my order for a couple of them (believe me, it was near impossible to select just two) with HQhair. Now this is where the story sours. Let's just say that my experience with HQhair was not a positive one. I waited over two whole months for my goods to finally be delivered after my original order never showed up. In between, there was a lot of messaging, tweeting, calling, emailing, form-filling, more messaging, emailing, and waiting, waiting, endless waiting. Yes, my package made it to me in the end (sans a NARS pencil sharpener that I originally ordered which they ran out of), but at that point, I'd lost most of my enthusiasm because I was so sick of waiting and wondering whether anything would ever arrive.

Top to bottom: Revlon Balm Stain Charm, Revlon Super Lustrous Ginger Rose, Revlon Matte Mauve It Over, Revlon ColorBurst Soft Nude, NARS Biscayne Park, Revlon ColorBurst Blush, Revlon Balm Stain Precious

Biscayne Park is a warm brownish peachy nude. The closest colour I have to it is probably Revlon Just Bitten Kissable Balm Stain in Precious, though Biscayne Park is darker, more tawny and not as pinky nude. The texture of these Satin Lip Pencils is much creamier, softer and smoother than the Revlon Balm Stains. I find they sink into the lips nicely (rather than sitting on top of the lips) and wear much more evenly. This particular shade wasn't very staining, though I imagine the darker shades would be a different story.

The most striking aspect of the Satin Lip Pencils is how very little product you need for quite amazing pigmentation. I've applied Biscayne Park a few times and the only evidence to show for it is that the side and tip of the pencil have eroded slightly compared to its pristine condition. It's not really a stain like the Revlon Just Bitten Kissable Balm Stains or a tinted balm like Clinique Chubby Sticks — I find them closer to a opaque, creamy lipstick reimagined in pencil form. Despite being very soft and smooth in texture, the pencils still hold their form and aren't mushy or malleable when in contact with the lips. With time, the product can feel slightly drying on the lips, but nothing a bit of balm over the top can't fix. My only concern is how I'll be sharpening these since the pencil sharpener I ordered with them so I wouldn't have to deal with that very issue was cancelled. I do have a jumbo pencil sharpener from Australis, but I'm wary about how good a job it'll do. I would've much preferred a twist-up design as sharpening just seems to unnecessarily waste product.

I'm a fan of the relatively streamlined, sophisticated design (much less chunky and 'jumbo' than what seems to be the trend for lip crayons on the market). The rich colour payoff combined with the smaller design (and smaller tip, by extension) means that you can properly trace the outline of your lips with it like a regular lip liner. The only thing I'm not crazy about is the shade — ironic, given it was one of the primary reasons I bought it, hoping it would be the "perfect nude" as Into the Gloss suggested. I think Biscayne Park would look much prettier on paler, pink-toned girls. On my yellowish, two-to-three shades darker than fair-skinned complexion, it looks a bit plain, like my lips but slightly lighter and muted. It also draws attention to any redness or unevenness on my face, particularly around my nose. Rather than wearing it in the daytime, I feel it would work best with flawless, perfectly concealed, lightened skin, and contrasting heavily defined eyes.

Set to Shine

I'd never expected to win another giveaway so soon after Sue's, but I was lucky enough to win first prize in Amanda of Thai Tales's Christmas/150 followers giveaway as well! I was super excited to receive the Benefit High Flyin' Glosses set, which houses 6 x 6.5ml Ultra Plush lip glosses. The travel set is an ideal way to own every one of these new glosses from Benefit without spending a fortune in buying them all at full size. Each gloss is meant to be partnered with the boxed powder of the same name. I can't imagine myself getting through a whole 15ml tube, so I love that I can sample all the shades in these cute mini versions.

l-r: Coralista, Dallas, Bella Bamba, Sugarbomb, Hoola, Dandelion

Coralista was the only lip gloss that I'd already been exposed to, as a mini tube was featured in the Go TropiCORAL Lip & Cheek Kit. You can't go wrong with this summery coral shade. It's just the right mix between orange and red and I like that it's sheer and not heavy on the lips.

Dallas is the most pigmented of the lot. It's a browny rose that could almost pass as an extremely moisturising, slightly liquid lipstick. While more of a mature and conservative shade, it's also flattering and understated.

Bella Bamba is similar to Coralista in that both are very glossy and sheer with no shimmer, but rather than coral, it's a watermelon pink. Another shade that's tailor-made for summer.

Sugarbomb is a light pinkish brown with a lot of silver/diamond shimmer. In indirect light, it gives more of a frosted finish which I'm not the hugest fan of, but in sunlight, it has the prettiest sparkle and dimension.

Hoola is a golden nude with gold shimmer. It's the lightest shade of the six, but because of its sheerness, it doesn't wash me out like a nude lipstick might. It's close to being clear and really only gives a slight tint, but the gold shimmer adds something special.

Dandelion is a light nude pink with silver shimmer. Very sheer like Hoola with similar amounts of shimmer (Sugarbomb is the most shimmery), the pearly pink gives a very girly look.

l-r (first, second, third row): Coralista, Dallas, Bella Bamba, Sugarbomb, Hoola, Dandelion

While I'm not a big lip gloss girl, I feel like these six tubes have all my lip gloss needs covered. I love the variety of the set and how there's a good mix between levels of pigmentation, shimmer and colours, though overall the glosses lean more on the sheer and neutral (pink/nude) side. Each gloss is easy to wear, comfortable on the lips, moisturising and not sticky. There is a strong artificial sweet smell to these that I find quite cloying, but it's not a major complaint. Thank you Amanda for this lovely giveaway. I love reading her blog for reviews of Australian products and awesome nail art tutorials!

Constant Colour

You're probably sick of seeing them and they're old news by now, but I thought I might as well do a post on my collection of Revlon Just Bitten Kissable Balm Stains, now that they've recently been released in Australia. Priceline is currently holding a buy one, get one free sale on all Revlon nail and lip products, meaning you can nab two of these for $17.95. They're a little cheaper than the Revlon Lip Butters which are $21.95 each. I've already written about the first one I managed to get my hands on, Charm, so I'll focus on the three others I've since bought, Honey (from my New York trip), Precious and Sweetheart (from the Priceline sale).

l-r (first row, then second row): Precious, stain after Precious is taken off, Honey, Sweetheart

l-r: Honey, Sweetheart, Charm, Precious

Honey (001) This was the shade that I wanted to get the most after Charm, as it seemed the most suited for everyday wear. It's a bit darker than expected, especially since my lips are already quite pigmented. It's a rosy, slightly brown colour, kind of like a dark, muted raspberry, though it applies on my lips more like a light raisin.

Precious (050) I surprisingly really like this one. This is probably what I'd hoped Honey would be closer to. Precious is a pinky nude that is slightly peachy. It tones down my lips without looking too brown or washing me out. Like Charm, it stains brighter and darker than the colour itself, almost to a coral shade. I really don't like this aspect of the Just Bitten Kissable Balm Stains, as it seems to negate the whole point of having lighter shades if they're all going to stain much darker and not true to colour.

Sweetheart (025) Michelle first alerted me to this shade, and ever since, I'd been leaning towards getting it. Sweetheart is a medium, teeth-whitening bright pink with a stain that just goes on and on. Seriously, this one doesn't come off. Ever. I applied this on a whim at night, showered, double cleansed my face, and it was still there. No matter, I thought, surely it'd be gone in the morning. Woke up six hours later, and it was still there, bright as ever on my lips. Once you apply this, be prepared to have it stay on your lips for at least 8 hours. That's surviving futile attempts to wipe it off, multiple reapplication of lip balm, and even trying to remove it with a bit of Bioderma. The unbeatable lasting power means if you want a hot pink lip to last a whole night, and then some, Sweetheart is for you.

I find these lip crayons to be slightly on the drying side, in that you need well moisturised and exfoliated lips for these to go on smoothly. They're a little inconsistent and unpredictable, in that the staying power differs depending on the shade (with Sweetheart being miles ahead of the rest), and the lighter colours stain a totally different colour to how they initially apply. I cannot fault the packaging however, and for the most part, they're a fun and (still) novel way to add truly long lasting, transfer-proof colour to your lips.

The Shy One

I only have a small number of MAC lipsticks, but it all started with Shy Girl. When I began to do a little more research into the different shades of MAC lipsticks, I made a note to put Shy Girl at the top of my list, as all the YouTube videos and blogs I'd read had sung its praises (especially this post by Evelyn and this video). At the Macy's MAC counter in New York, I picked up Shy Girl, tried it on my lips, and knew it was a must-have.

I'd describe this colour as a peachy nude with a slight silvery shimmer that's only obvious when the lipstick is taken off. Shy Girl has a subtle but noticeable sheen. In warmer light, it appears to border on a light coral. It's a Cremesheen lipstick which I've always thought was meant to be more moisturising and creamy, but I find it a bit dry and hard in texture. However, from my experience, MAC lipsticks, like Revlon, are generally quite forgiving on the lips, in that they can easily be applied straight from the tube and don't tend to settle into fine lines. Shy Girl is one of those effortless everyday colours that you can reach for without thinking. It's dark enough to not wash the complexion out, but peachy enough to not be a traditional brown-leaning nude. It's difficult to find a neutral lipstick that is the right colour and easy to wear. Shy Girl fits the bill.

l-r: MAC Shy Girl, Revlon Charm, Revlon Soft Nude, Rimmel Nude Delight, Face of Australia Iced Almond

It turns out that I have a few similar shades, but no exact dupes. The closest to Shy Girl is probably Rimmel Moisture Renew lipstick in Nude Delight, which makes sense since Nude Delight is one of my favourite, though oft-neglected, nude lipsticks. Face of Australia Lip Quench in Iced Almond looks very similar to Nude Delight in the swatch, but on the lips it's actually more of a pale, slightly pinkish beige, with a very creamy formulation that I find difficult to work with. Revlon ColorBurst lipstick in Soft Nude is significantly lighter but still has that distinct peachy tone of Shy Girl. Revlon Just Bitten Kissable Balm Stain in Charm is the sheerest and palest, but it stains more coral, so somewhere between when it's first applied and when it stains the lips would be the closest approximation to Shy Girl. I've always loved the colour of Charm before it inexplicably changes colour, so finding Shy Girl means I can now happily wear that shade all the time.

Charmed, I'm Sure

Revlon haven't yet released their Just Bitten Kissable Balm Stains in Australia yet, but they're available on Ebay for beauty enthusiasts who simply can't wait. Not being Ebay savvy and having a general dislike of Internet shopping, instead I seized the opportunity to get my hands on Revlon's follow up to their popular Lip Butters by asking a friend to scout one for me on her recent trip to the US. The particular shade I was after was Charm (035), after seeing it on various blogs and deciding that it was the colour that appealed to me the most. Honey and Sweetheart are closely behind, but I managed to limit myself to just one.

I've amassed 5 lip crayons from 3 different brands (Clinique, Face of Australia, Revlon) in a short period of time. As cute as they are, the novelty of them has worn off considerably. Applying colour to your lips with a chubby lip crayon is pretty much like having an oversized lip liner that leans more on the sheer side. There really isn't any advantage to a lip crayon over a regular lipstick or stick of lip balm, except that it takes longer and you need to fill in your lips, sometimes resulting in slightly uneven application. I've noticed that the Revlon is a lot firmer and more pigmented than the Clinique Chubby Sticks and the Face of Australia Sheer Gloss Lip Crayons, which are sheerer and softer in texture.

l-r: Charm, Revlon Lip Butter in Creamsicle, Face of Australia Lip Quench lipstick in Iced Almond 

The scent of the Revlon Just Bitten Kissable Balm Stain reminds me strongly of candy canes. Sweet and minty. For such a light colour, the crayon itself is decently pigmented, but doesn't quite override the natural pigmentation of my lips. Charm is a peachy nude that gradually leans more and more pink. The colour immediately reminded me of Revlon Lip Butter in Creamsicle, which sure enough, is more or less an exact dupe (possibly a touch lighter). The thing I didn't expect was the weird transformation Charm would have on my lips. First applied, it's quite nude and peachy, but then it becomes increasingly darker and more pink. If you wipe off the product completely, it leaves an almost coral stain to the lips. It stains much darker, brighter and more red than the actual crayon colour, which is unexpected and a bit bizarre.

l-r: Charm when initially applied, stain on lips when Charm is rubbed off

I'm not sure whether other lighter colours have a similar effect. I'd imagine the darker pinks and reds would have similar staining properties which wouldn't be too unusual, as the stain would more closely match the shade of the lip crayon. The strong stain that the Just Bitten Kissable Balm Stain leaves on the lips does set it apart from other lip crayon products I've tried. The visually appealing packaging is very close to the Clinique Chubby Sticks, but a bit lighter in weight and with a colour-coded cap as well as body. I only wish that the initial colour stayed on the lips and didn't turn into something totally different.

Nude Parade

This post is somewhat overdue. I did my pinks and corals, now here's a rundown of my nude lipsticks. I don't wear nude lipstick often, though there's something inherently appealing about them. Maybe because when I think of nude lipstick, I imagine dark, sexy, smokey eye makeup and smouldering night time looks. We've all been schooled that a nude lip is the obvious companion to heavier eye makeup so that the eyes aren't competing with anything else. The main issue I have with nude lipsticks is that they take more effort to look good. I find they work best with a flawless, glowy base and strong, neutral eyes. Given that kind of makeup isn't exactly my everyday face, I don't have that many opportunities to wear nude lipstick. For the daytime, I usually prefer something with a bit more colour, or nothing at all.

My nude collection, from left to right in the pictures below:

• Revlon ColorBurst in Soft Nude
• Rimmel Moisture Renew in Nude Delight
• Face of Australia Lip Quench in Iced Almond
• BYS Longwear Lipstick in Beautifully Bare
• BYS Lipstick in Champagne Rain
• Australis Colour Inject Mineral Lipstick in Mambo

l-r: Soft Nude, Nude Delight, Iced Almond, Beautifully Bare, Champagne Rain, Mambo

It's kind of impossible to describe each individual colour, as they're all fairly similar and consist of varying amounts of beige/tan, pink and peach. Soft Nude is hands down my favourite. It neutralises and lightens my natural, medium reddish-brown lip colour to a soft, slightly peachy nude, while still working with my overall skin tone. I favour the texture and pigmentation of the ColorBurst lipsticks as I find that they apply to the lip really well without emphasising fine lines. I'm not a fan of really creamy lipsticks, as the product usually just sits on the surface of the lip and smears and smudges. Nude Delight is my second favourite, it's basically Soft Nude but darker and peachier. Iced Almond looks almost identical to Soft Nude in the swatch, but it's actually a touch lighter and has more pink, which looks slightly more brown when worn. Beautifully Bare is more of a medium brownish-pink, though it's still a distinctly nude lipstick on my lips. It's quite a wearable and natural looking colour. Champagne Rain is very close to Beautifully Bare, but the tiniest bit darker and more brown. It also has a hint of frostiness which I don't love. Mambo is utterly unflattering on me as it's way too brown and very much a skin colour. I'm sure it has the potential to look good on someone else, but on me it manages to remove the natural redness of my lips so all that's left is a dull, lifeless brown. If I really want to wear it, I need to apply a bright pink lip gloss over it to add some colour and warmth.