Welcome to the bitten/gradient/ombre lip trend that's already more than 3 years old.

I understand that there will be a significant time lag when western beauty brands ride on the Asian beauty trends, but this really came a little late! Considering this release is actually designed for the Asian market, I expected them to create something like this a lot sooner.

I don't think America will appreciate the bitten lips trend anytime soon, because they love the illusion of fuller lips. The bitten lip does the exact opposite, by making the lips look smaller.

Maybelline recently released 6 shades in this new product line. It retails for SGD$16.90.



Each lipstick contains three colours: a concealing colour, a blending colour, and the main colour. Designed to easily create the Korean style just bitten lips, otherwise known as ombre/gradient lips.



The colours vary from red to orange.


image via cocopsyche.

I tried to get the official swatches, but I noticed it's just digital manipulation and not the real thing. Here is a swatch I found :)

The colours seem to blend in with each other almost perfectly (except for RD01)! Ridding you of the need to manually blend the colours with your fingers. The colours also look very wearable. I'm especially delighted to see a darker colour here (RD03).

From the swatch, you can also see it has a slight sheen to it, but definitely not enough to call it glossy.

Ending thought:
I'm happy there's finally a more affordable alternative to Laneige's Two Toned Lip Bar (SGD$34). Maybelline has perfected their lipstick formula so you can be pretty sure the lipstick will be comfortable to wear on your lips. While this is not a long lasting lipstick, do expect it to feel a lot more hydrating and lip balm-y than long wearing formulas.

On a side note, I think they chose a very unflattering promotional picture of their model. She looks like she has permanent duck lips because her upper lip is so pouty naturally. Hahahahha I can't help but laugh when I saw this. Pardon me. QUACK.

Were the marketing team hungry? Chiffon.. Cake?

Etude House recently released a new line of lipsticks! They are a mix between cream and matte finish. I have no idea what "chiffon" has got anything to do with the finish. In my mind I imagine it to have a bouncy finish (my mind is clearly thinking about the chiffon cake, what a glutton!), which speaks nothing about the finish.

Stripping the marketing thing aside, it's a semi-matte lipstick that promises more moisture than a traditional matte lipstick.

DEAR MY BLOOMING LIPS TALK CHIFFON | USD 12.40

The lipstick has a brand new packaging - eyelet trim decorating one side of the lipstick. With the cap off it looks like a capital letter B. The first time I saw this lipstick I only saw an image of it with its cap off, it made me wonder why a letter B on the packaging :P

Comes in 12 whopping shades, including the rarer brownish and nude shades. Case in point, brown shades are pretty rare in Asian lipsticks.


Click to enlarge!


At a glance.

For actual swatches, check out this korean blog.

EDITOR'S NOTE:
The nude shades (BE109 and BE110) really appeal to me. The almost neon pink PK027, which it's quite common amongst Korean brands still stands out to me. RD315 looks like a beautiful wine red! I might actually hunt these down some time in the future.. :) I don't have a lot of nude lipsticks, YET.

Image credit: Etude House

Just so happened that they are all from REVLON.

i have a thing for plum/wine/burgundy lipsticks, and i think my collection of such colour will grow in time to come.
it's definitely a colour i would wear any time,
not just reserved for fall or winter.
who am i kidding? there is no fall or winter in singapore!
i wear whatever makes me feel and look good.

wine shades are hard to find among drugstore brands,
this might be the reason why all three that i own belongs to revlon,
since they are the only brand (out of the drugstore brands in singapore) that releases such a colour.

i'll be comparing them against each other in terms of texture, finish, and how i like them.



the three lip products are:

1. SUPER LUSTROUS MATTE (010 WINE NOT)
2. COLORSTAY ULTIMATE SUEDE (035 BACKSTAGE)
3. COLORSTAY MOISTURE STAIN (005 PARISIAN PASSION) 

you can click on link to see more swatches and detailed review of the individual product!



swatches of the respective lipsticks on a piece of white tissue paper


COLOUR AND FINISH:
010 WINE NOT is the darkest of all, leaning on the brownish/purple side. it also has the least red in it. it's a true matte.

035 BACKSTAGE is in the middle, a little more red and less brown as compared to 010 WINE NOT. after it sets, it has a slight sheen to it but doesn't look gloss.

005 PARISIAN PASSION has the most red in it compared to the other two. the finish is downright glossy.

CONSISTENCY AND TEXTURE:
010 WINE NOT glides relatively smoothly and deposits a thin layer of colour on my bare lips with ease. requires building up to amp the intensity of the colour. the bullet is considered hard when compared to the matte balms.
 
035 BACKSTAGE glides too smoothly, resulting in a sheer layer of colour. will require more layers in between the setting time. the bullet is harder than 010 WINE NOT.

005 PARISIAN PASSION is a thick liquid that has a balmy feel, goes on evenly and easily.

MOISTURE LEVEL AND AFTER FEEL:
010 WINE NOT is hydrating for the first few hours, reapplication is necessary to re-hydrate your lips. doesn't have much of an after feel, especially when i smack my lips.
 
035 BACKSTAGE not very hydrating but it doesn't make me feel dry either. has the typical sticky feeling the ultimate suede line has.

005 PARISIAN PASSION most hydrating out of all since it's a liquid. makes my lips feel like cushion the first few hours of wear (until it dried down to nothing). lips can feel dry then.

LONGEVITY:
010 WINE NOT transfers to cups like it's supposed to be married to it. without eating, i get 4-5 hours of wear.

035 BACKSTAGE doesn't transfer to foreign objects, but they do transfer to each other when i smack my lips. without lip smacking or eating, it can last the entire day. but that's unrealistic, so i get about 2 hours of wear out of it because i can't stop smacking my lips.

005 PARISIAN PASSION might have transferred but it's not observable since the liquid just meld into each other. the gloss only stays for 2 hours at most, but the stain stays till next morning!

IN A NUTSHELL:
there're pros and cons to each lipstick. for a habitual lip smacker, i'd say the moisture stain is the best because both the matte and ultimate suede lipstick will result in some transfers between my lips. constantly worrying about whether my lipstick is even or not tires my mind out unnecessarily. but if you're not a lip smacker, you might like the lipsticks more than i do.

so in a very biased ranking, my favourite plum/wine/burgundy lip product:

MOISTURE STAIN (005 PARISIAN PASSION) > SUPER LUSTROUS MATTE (010 WINE NOT) > ULTIMATE SUEDE (035 BACKSTAGE)

HAVE YOU TRIED ANY OF THESE? HOW DO YOU LIKE THEM?

Maybelline ColorSensational Bold Matte - Cheeky Coral

a pigmented, vivid lipstick that glides over my lips like butter? and it's (semi)matte!?

off the official website, maybelline has positioned this lipstick to be a matte lipstick that delivers vibrant and vivid colours. does it live up to the claims?


the lipstick series and names are printed on a plastic sleeve, not on the case itself. seems to be infused with honey for better hydration.


i got it in the colour MAT3, cheek coral.

image source: maybelline official website

there are 5 colours available in singapore, this is the only orange shade and definitely doesn't look coral to me.


ingredients list. the lipstick is infused with hydrating components, albeit in small quantities as they appear to be at the bottom of the list.


once i removed the plastic sleeve, it reveals the matte plastic cover and a metallic looking (but also plastic) lipstick container. i'm kind of bummed out that the inner case isn't made of metal.

official swatches from maybelline

MAT3 cheek coral is a bright orange on me. you'll get better colour payoff with at least 2 layers of the product as you can see from the swatches. compare it to the official swatch online and you'll notice the online swatches is way off.

the finish isn't totally matte though! it still retains a little sheen to it, but definitely not as glossy as a lip gloss would be. the lipstick is pretty lightweight, i don't feel much on my lips upon application. the texture is slightly different when compared to the revlon super lustrous matte lipstick. this feels more airy and bouncy, while the latter feels a little more skin hugging. don't get me wrong, i don't mean that the maybelline lipstick feels heavy, i just mean the pigments tend to glide over each other more easily (and hence lesser tugging). think massaging a whipped cream versus a solid shea butter over your skin. get the idea?

the lipstick glides over my lips very smoothly and easily, maybelline did a good job with the formula as the lipstick was really a breeze to use. no tugging at all! and it also feels hydrating, which is something i don't usually expect from a matte lipstick.

IMHO

i am really surprised by the colour payoff when swatching these at the drugstore. on my hands, one swipe is enough to showcase their full pigmentation. ditching the marketing claims, the formula is indeed quite hydrating. however, i do need to apply a lip balm throughout the day. at least it's more hydrating than the revlon matte lipstick!

the formula is not long wearing, but it does stay on my quite well until i decide to eat or drink. i don't remember having too much transfers or staining when i drink from a glass after the lipstick has dried out a little, i quite like that!

overall, i really like the formula of this lipstick! it's my first time trying out maybelline's lipstick actually! i'd buy more if they ever change the material of the inner casing from plastic to metal. i like to feel more weight to my lipsticks!

i purchased this from watsons for $17.90 when it was having a buy one get one free promotion!

i've been a fan of the biore aqua rich sunscreen for a few years now. a few years ago when they came out with the first variation of the sunscreen, the high SPF caught my eyes.also, the idea of having a hydrating sunscreen appealed a lot to me as i have dry skin.

over the years they released more products to their existing product line, and i've been collecting and testing them out ever since.

IN A NUTSHELL
1. lightweight
2. oil free
3. sinks into skin quickly, doesn't react with foundation
4. high SPF


from left to right: watery mousse / watery cream whitening / watery essence

the entire aqua rich line is infused with hyaluronic acid, making them hydrating without the need of oils. all three contains an SPF of 50, and PA+++.


the watery mousse was the first SPF50 product that was released. as the name suggest, it has a mousse like texture, making it very light weight. the water base texture is infused with hyaluronic acid, which helps to lock down moisture without the need for oils.


it comes with a small-ish opening.


and it contains 33g of products.


the water cream is infused with whitening ingredients, also, it does give off a brightening effect after using it! the product feels more nourishing than the watery mousse. its whitening ingredient is chamomile extract. i have no idea if it has any whitening power, to be honest. biore claims that it can fight dark spots.


it has a similar dispenser as the watery mousse.


it also contains 33g of products.



the watery essence is the third product to be released in the aqua rich line, it boast of a non sticky formula that absorbs right into the skin without any white cast. of course there're no white cast! this is purely a chemical sunscreen! if you have sensitive skin, make sure to test it out first. the idea of having no white cast is attractive, but not everyone can withstand chemical sunscreen.


the opening is different from the previous 2 products, it has a larger and wider opening.


and you get more product too! 50g as opposed to just 33g! all of them cost the same (SGD18.90 if i remember correctly), so you're getting a little more product for your buck if you get this on.



and finally onto the swatch, you can definitely tell a difference when i put them side by side.

watery cream has a cream like consistency (even though it looks real soft here, it's only like that because i messed up the squeezing process).
watery mousse does have an airy feel to it, you can see that after i pushed them out slightly in the upper right image.
water essence is nothing more than clusters of white stuff within a watery base. once i push it out, the white stuff disappears.

from the photo, the watery mousse seem to give off the most white case. in reality, both the watery cream and watery mousse gives off a slight white cast. it's not unwelcomed to me, because i do like that slight brightening effect.

the products have a very faint scent to them, smells like citrus to me.

IMHO

on to the main claim: are these hydrating/moisturizing?
perhaps i have particularly dry skin, i don't find them extra hydrating or moisturizing. this may be a good news for people with oily skin. in fact, i think the nature republic sunscreen is way more moisturizing for my skin! i really love that!

i notice they leave my hands with a weird taut feeling after spreading the product out on my face (with the help of my hands). it's something i didn't quite like, and i don't know if it's the product or just my hands drying out naturally throughout the day. (the nature republic sunscreen also gave my palms a similar feeling)

these products are "foundation friendly", meaning they don't react with my foundations to produce little rubbery stuff. you'll know what i mean if you tried using a moisturizing gel prior to using a foundation.

in my opinion, these work as very wonderful make up base thanks to their light weight texture. the high SPF also means i can do without reapplication for a longer period of time. the fact that they absorb right into my skin makes it makeup friendly as i do not have to wait too long for it to sink in. i loved them for a while, that's why i repurchased the watery mousse. but after trying the nature republic, i think i found my new favourite, since i prefer a more moisturizing formula.

if you like a light weight and oil free sunscreen, give these a try! you make like it! if you want something more moisturizing, check out the nature republic california aloe sunscreen!

did i miss out anything? leave me a comment and i'll answer your queries!

Canmake Color Stick Concealer (09 Skin Beige) Swatch and Review

in an attempt to search for another concealer that can perform what the sonia kashuk hidden agenda concealer is doing for me, i picked this up when it was on sale at a sasa event. i got this for $5!

IN A NUTSHELL:
1. lightweight, creamy and super blendable
2. light to medium coverage for natural look
3. colour most suitable for hiding dark circles
4. not long wear formula, but stayed on for at least 6 hours on my skin with a proper foundation and setting powder

read on if you'll like more details.


the tube is in a colour that's similar to the content - a slightly darker beige with orange undertones.


on the tube it did suggest that this colour is meant for covering dark circles, and it has a natural skin colour.


swatched on bare skin, the left side is unblended while the right side is blended out slightly.

09 is a dark peach colour.

IMHO

the coverage isn't full coverage, in fact it sheers out quite a lot after blending into the skin thanks to the lightweight formula. the coverage is buildable although i won't recommend it as this is a very creamy product, the chances of it creasing and enhancing the lines around the eyes are very high.

what i like most about this product is its colour and spreadability. it is lightweight and creamy at the same time - making it very easy to sheer out. the colour is very suitable for covering dark circles under my eyes, i'm not sure if it's because of the slight orange tone (which isn't that obvious once it's on my skin), i think it's most probably due to the slightly darker colour that made it work better than the brightening concealers i own.

the best way to use this concealer is to layer it over a brightening foundation. brightening foundations tend to make the under eye area look greyish, this concealer will return some natural skin tone to the area to make the dark circle less glaring, what you get is a very natural look at the end of the day - no more tired look eyes, but people won't be able to notice that something is weird because this lightens the appearance of dark circle instead of eradicating it altogether.

as the consistency of the concealer is thin, don't expect it to work wonders like achieving full coverage.

this is not a long wear formula, so it's best to set it with a powder after using. to prevent creasing, it's best to use just a thin layer of it.

i'm really surprised at its blendability as my experience with drugstore concealers told me they tend to be slightly stiffer and thicker. this defied my expectations. now, if only it's more pigmented..

i purchased this for SGD$5 when it was on sale.

Kate Mineral Powder Foundation OC-B Swatch and Review

call me a risk taker, i bought this from adambeauty without any idea how the actual colour look like. the word "mineral" drew me to this series. i didn't like the previous foundation powder i was using as it's too cakey (why am i surprised? i bought the canmake concealer foundation UV!).

i really like the white and simple casing too. i added some crystals onto the face to personalize it :D

this powder is supposed to be moisturizing as they have infused some olive oil, jojoba oil, and almond oil into the concoction. what's more amusing is the "W effect", i have no idea why they term it as that, but they mean for the powder to 1) protect the skin from friction, 2) cover up pores by diffusing light.

IN A NUTSHELL
1. finely milled
2. light to medium coverage, buildable
3. not cakey
4. leaves face feeling very smooth
5. not long wear
6. matte finish


the casing has a mirror within, a piece of plastic sheet to separate the sponge from the powder. i never opened the sponge though, not a fan of using sponge after my bad experience with the canmake foundation (i feel like sponges apply too much powder too quickly).

afterall, i actually use foundation powder to set my concealer, not really for the coverage anyway. this was a few years ago, before i actually studied the differences between the different type of products. i always think that marketers were trying to get me to buy things i don't need you see.. so getting this fouundation is akin to killing 2 birds with 1 stone - getting some coverage when i need it as a foundation, and setting my concealer with a little bit of coverage.


OC-B is a bright ochre colour - the lightest shade they have in the collection. it looks rather peachy in the pan, but on my skin it takes a slightly different shade. japanese makeup brand makes it easy for us to differentiate between foundation shades. all ochre shades are neutral. if it has a "beige" embedded, it's warmer and yellowish.

this series has a total of 3 shades according to their official website. B is the lightest, while D is the darkest.


on my skin the powder looks less peachy, instead it has a whitish cast. under flash, it appears a little pink.

IMHO

the powder is much more smoother than the canmake one i've used in the past. in fact, i was really happy with my purchase, the powder is fine and smooth, it makes my skin so smooth after application.

on the official website, they claim they accomplish this smoothness by encasing mineral particles with a coat of kanten, which also helps with moisture retention. of course i can see that on the powder with my naked eyes! (hahaha i'm just kidding) i don't know how true it is, but i won't deny the effects i experienced - smooth skin like a baby's butt. as for moisture retention.. take that with a pinch of salt - just how moisture retaining can a powder be, really?

as for covering pores, i managed to achieve that with the help of a flat top brush. i can't say much about the light diffusing properties, in fact, i sometimes feel like the powder made my face look very one dimensional. perhaps it's due to the matte finish, and the slightly whitish cast when seen under certain lighting.

the powder provides a light to medium coverage, depending on how much you slap on. it can cover my blemishes (slight hyperpigmentation) when i buff it with a flat top brush. dusting the powder will result in an even lower coverage.

the powder definitely looks a lot better after it soaked in some of my oils throughout the day. but at the end of a long day, my face doesn't look as bright anymore. i'm not sure if it's because i've sweated most of the powder off or what.

as this is not a long wear powder, do expect it to come off when you perspire, especially if you tend to rub your face with a tissue. light patting is fine though, some powder may come off, but not all.

i bought this from adambeauty, it was a while ago and i've forgotten how much it cost, but it was having a special bundle promotion that time, i got the case and the powder at a much lower price than if i were to buy it separately.

will i repurchase this? not at the moment, as i want to try another one before i can do a comparison.

L'oreal Lucent Magique Touch Up Pen (Fair)

this was kind of an impulse buy. i've heard a lot about the YSL touche eclat highlighting pen. considering how loreal manufactures YSL's products, i can expect them to use similar formulations to achieve similar results, right? that's what i hope for, since i'm only paying a fraction of the cost for this little pen.

these are sold under the name "lumi" in the states. in asia, they're launched udner the lucent magique line.

IN A NUTSHELL:
1. very brightening
2. i can't tell if it really has the lit from within look
3. low concealing powder
4. rather thick consistency


the pen comes with a twist mechanism - twist the back and product will extrude from the plastic fiber tip. it takes about at least 3-5 clicks to get enough product streaming out for smooth application. there's no need to worry about getting too much product out at one twist.

the product claims to be infused with liquid light technology, a transparent liquid silver that helps to reflect light. !?!? i can't source any information on the "byron technology". but what this pen aims to do is to "cover" by reflecting.

you hear me right. if you can make something reflective like a mirror, then you won't be able to see what's behind the reflective surface, instead, you see light - the area will appear brighter and whiter.


suggested instructions and ingredient list.

there are two colours in the series, fair and light.
fair has a pink undertone, while light has a yellowish undertone.



fair is a light pinkish beige, several tones lighter than my original skin tone.

once it blends out, it becomes more subtle and seeks to brighten in a subtle manner. it performs pretty horribly in flash, be warned.

IMHO

the highlighter pen is a different kind of highlight to me. as opposed to the pearly kind of highlighter that we're familiar with, this is more of a whitening kind of highlighter. most of the highlight is due to it being in such a fair shade when contrasted next to my skin. while it can't cover or colour correct my dark circles, it did reflect light in a way that made them less visible.

i really can't say much about the "lit from within" look when i use this product, as i've tried flashing myself with the camera flash wearing this on one side of my face and my normal concealer on the other, both of them appear to have the same kind of brightening effect.

perhaps the difference is only noticed under ambient light, as i did notice some "blurring" effect on my skin after i used this product.

the consistency is slightly thicker than what i expected, making it a little hard to blend unlike the foundation from the same series. it helps to use a little more product as it allows it to be blended a little easier. it dries down pretty quickly, so tap and blend fast.

i find that i can use this as a brightener on my face to substitute foundation if i just want a brighter look. i usually use my foundation as a brightener, but thanks to its packaging, it makes it much more easier to deposit products onto my face. i think they should totally consider packaging foundation in this kind of packaging next time, it makes it travel friendly too.

i purchased this for SGD$10 when it was on 50% off at john little.

L'Oreal Lucent Magique Foundation N2 Pure Porcelain Swatch and Review

after eyeing for quite a while, i finally snapped it up when it went on 30% off in watson's. i thought i got a really good deal and was happy for a few weeks, until the next deal happened - buy 1 get 1 free. that's 50% off! WHATEVER!

i don't regret buying this anyway, because i LOVE it.

the entire lucent magique series aims for a lit-from-within look with its light infusing technology. from its official website, they say this is achieved with a silver transparent liquid that amps up the reflection.


it's quite a standard size for most foundation, fits in my hand nicely, and it has a pump. the gold part is just plastic paint though. i wish it's metal. i love the feeling of cold metal in my hand.


so gold. one of the things that loreal do to differentiate itself from their sister brand maybelline - loreal is more classy.


"first light creating foundation", oh really? :/ that's kind of misleading. the formula is oil free, while it's hydrating, don't expect it to lock in moisture for you.

it also comes with SPF 20, PA+++. however i didn't experience too much of the dreaded white cast that most foundation with SPF have.  


N2 pure porcelain is a light yellowish beige. N2 is the lightest shade they offer here in singapore.

after blending, it appears slightly fairer than my original skin tone. GOOD :) since i use this on the center of my face for brightening only. you can compare the way it looks under different lighting - in natural light it appears to have a white cast, but under flash it actually looks a lot more natural as light is reflected un-uniformly, which gives my hand dimension.


comparing between my hands, i almost couldn't tell which one has the foundation. this foundation performs very well in flash photography because it doesn't give that uniform white cast that most foundation product. instead, it reflects light according to your natural contours to highlight those areas. my hand on the left looks a little brighter than my hand on the right, also, it looks more dewy and hydrated, however, the "lit from within" effects is really subtle.


i only applied the foundation on half of my face, can you tell which side? it's on the right hand side of the photo. this is one thin layer of foundation. coverage is pretty damn low (i used a flat foundation brush).

IMHO

the foundation has a very light coverage, you can build it up but it'll take quite a few layers. it can't cover up my blemishes on my forehead, but it brightens very naturally. this doesn't produce a white cast unless you've layered on too much.

the foundation is very runny and thin, which explains for the coverage of the product. it blends easily, and unlike the revlon colorstay, this won't set that quickly so you can have all the time in the world to blend. once it sets after some time, it is slightly sweat resistant. don't expect it to rival the colorstay in this aspect.

as for the lit from within look and all that light infusing and light creating claims.. i can't say that it's entirely bullshit since this foundation did manage to reflect light in a way that no other foundation that i currently own can, but i'm pretty sure if i were to mix my nature republic blending highlighter into my foundation, i can get much or less the same result.

what i love the most is how natural the brightening effect is, perhaps it's because this colour matches the undertone of my skin. i usually use a slightly pinkish product for brightening, which make look a little odd when i didn't blend it into the side of my face well enough.

the watery consistency also helps to achieve that light coverage.

as with all foundation, this will accentuate any dry skin. moisturizing before hand can reduce the appearance of dry skin.

while the brightening effect is really awesome, i can't agree to what it claimed - a dewy, k-pop look. it's not as dewy as i expected. i guess you'll need to get the primer (which you can use as a highlighter as well) to achieve that look. i have the liquid highlighter with me so it's fine.

i bought this from watson's for SGD$16.90.

IN A NUTSHELL
1. brightening and light weight
2. light to medium coverage
3. not long wear
4. diffuse light very naturally and beautifully (especially so in flash photography)

MAKEUP LOOKS