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.

Confetti Sprinkles

I popped into Sportsgirl the other day, not really expecting to buy anything, and I noticed a new glitter polish on display. (I also may have spotted a few new Pout About It lipstick shades and I may have bought another pink lipstick but the thought is enough to trigger another bout of self-flagellation that I'll stop there.) Sportsgirl All That Glitters (gold hex glitter suspended in a clear base) has been a huge hit for me, so I didn't hesitate to try this new one out. 100's and 1000's consists of red, silver, gold, blue and green hexagonal glitter in a clear base. The glitter pieces are fairly small and uniform in size. The colour composition reminds me a lot of OPI Rainbow Connection, but the glitter in 100's and 1000's isn't as dense and not differently shaped. It also dries super smooth, without any roughness or bumps. This is 5 coats (yes, I have a lot of time on my hands). I love the effect but it's not something I'd be rushing to repeat given how much patience is required to get to the final result. As a top coat, I don't think this would be as versatile as All That Glitters, which is why I prefer it layered on its own.

Lipstick Cake

Browsing Priceline recently, I noticed two new Australis Colour Inject lipsticks, one in a bold coral/red colour, and a lavender pink adorably namedLick the Icing. Australis regularly release limited edition shades, and while the last two (Hula and Hustle) didn't call out to me, I simply couldn't resist Lick the Icing. At the very least I did some preliminary screening at the store by swatching Lick the Icing next to Revlon Lip Butter in Strawberry Shortcake and Maybelline ColorSensational lipsticks in Juicy Bubblegum and Rosy Dream. Satisfied there weren't any dupes, I took it to the counter. Despite the fact Lick the Icing has a distinctly purple undertone, and I'm constantly complaining how pink lipsticks look purple on me. And I'm painfully aware I have a million pink lipsticks, half of which don't even look good on me, that I won't be able to use up by 2018. It's safe to say I have a problem.

Lighter coloured lipsticks can often be problematic as they can apply quite patchily and emphasise fine lines and dryness. However, the formula of the Colour Inject lipsticks is genuinely moisturising and the colour settles nicely on the lips. A lip liner beforehand would give a more polished look.

l-r: Lick the Icing, Primrose, Pink Pout, Pink Champagne, Jive, Juicy Bubblegum, Strawberry Shortcake

I was surprised to see how different Lick the Icing is to some of my other pink lipsticks (I say some because unfortunately, I have more). The other lipsticks (from left to right: Revlon Primrose, Revlon Pink Pout, Face of Australia Pink Champagne, Australis Jive, Maybelline Juicy Bubblegum, Revlon Strawberry Shortcake) look darker and more rosy or berry-toned. In comparison, Lick the Icing is lighter and more pinkish-purple. Oddly enough, I don't find that Lick the Icing looks overly purple on my lips. It's closer to a bright pink that leans slightly lilac, which I find a more wearable option than a lavender lipstick like Revlon Lip Butter in Gumdrop, or darker, more outright purplish/grape lipsticks like Australis Colour Inject in Limited Edition 1.

Don't Go Glammy

When I saw the Essence Stay All Day Long Lasting cream eyeshadow in Glammy Goes To... (02) on Cherie's blog, I was immediately intrigued. I wasn't aware that Essence had a range of cream eyeshadows in their permanent collection. The limited edition Eye Soufflé in Pas Des Copper is one of my absolute favourite products, and when I spotted Glammy Goes To on display at Target, I picked up the last pot hoping it would be more of the same. There wasn't a large shade selection (I might have also taken home Coppy Right, but there weren't any left), and I wasn't particularly interested in the cool, silvery colours or darker metallics.

Swatched on my hand, Glammy Goes To looks like a goldish, light taupe shade. However, when applied to my eyelid, it resembles more of a super shimmery dirty yellow gold. I was also disappointed that the texture wasn't the same as Pas Des Copper, considering they're both cream eyeshadows made by Essence. I found the Stay All Day to be patchy and difficult to apply evenly with enough pigmentation, without it looking overly frosty. Once you pack on the colour (which you kind of have to, unless you want a barely noticeable, light shimmery wash), it starts looking scaly and extremely frosty. Definitely not recommended for those with dry eyelids. In comparison, the Eye Soufflé is much smoother and easier to blend, and generally a more flattering, wearable colour. The packaging of the Stay All Day eyeshadows is also a lot less sleek, with the thick, rounded lid. On the plus side, the lasting power does live up to its name.

I thought to compare Glammy Goes To with my other cream eyeshadows and the closest shades I could find to it in my collection. It's not as nicely textured as the Maybelline Color Tattoo 24 Hour eyeshadows in Bold Gold and Bad to the Bronze, which are much easier to blend and not patchy when applied. Surprisingly, I discovered Glammy Goes To is almost an exact dupe of L’Oréal Infallible eyeshadow in Sahara Treasure, though Sahara Treasure is not as aggressively shimmery and slightly less yellow. The taupe in the L’Oréal HiP Metallic Shadow Duo is also similar, but darker and more brown/bronze.

l-r: Glammy Goes To, Pas Des Copper, Bold Gold, Bad to the Bronze, Sahara Treasure, taupe in Electrified

l-r: Glammy Goes To, Pas Des Copper, Bold Gold, Bad to the Bronze

l-r: Bold Gold, Bad to the Bronze, Sahara Treasure, taupe in Electrified

It's clear from the similarity to Sahara Treasure and the taupe in the Electrified duo that I'm drawn to shades like Glammy Goes To, but I've finally come to accept that they don't really flatter me. As much as I love the look of Sahara Treasure, both in the pot and swatched on my hand, something about how it applies to my lid never seems to work. I think slightly darker, more bronze-leaning shades (like Pas Des Copper and Bad to the Bronze, if only the latter was less frosty) are more wearable options for me. Notwithstanding the shade, I have to say the Stay All Day cream shadow was a bit of a letdown for me, as it tends to apply unevenly and is blindingly shimmery if you want to build up the colour. An intensely shimmery eyeshadow that really lasts isn't necessarily a bad thing, just not what I was after.