Pixi Lip Lift Max - Petal Ice

I bought the Pixi Lip Lift Max one day when I was replenishing my Glow Tonic toner (try it if you have not - it is one of the best acid toners). I love glosses and the formula seemed promising. The product is described as a volumizing lip treatment with a glossy finish.

The gloss does have a nice cooling/tingling sensation.  I know that turns some people off, but it does not bother me.  It performs really well on its own and layers nicely over lipstick. It is fairly sticky, but I find that stickier glosses tend to have better lasting power and that is true with this one as well. I can get a few hours out of it depending on how much I eat/drink. Swatch on the lips below.

The main issue I have with this one is the price. The first thing I noticed was that the packaging makes it seem like there is more product than there actually is. The package the gloss is encased in is a normal size, but when you look at the package, you will notice that the tube has a large amount of plastic and a smaller amount of product in the middle. The part where the product is housed is barely larger than the wand.

In the Pixi gloss, you get .09oz/2.7g for $14, which is fairly expensive comparatively speaking. Price per ounce for Pixi is $155.56. I pulled three different glosses for comparison from Buxom, NARS, and Chanel. You can get a full size Buxom Full On lip polish, which is .15oz of product, for $20. If you look at price per ounce, that is $133.33, significantly cheaper than Pixi. NARS lipgloss is .18oz for $26, which is a price per ounce of $144.44, which is also cheaper than Pixi! Chanel lipgloss retails for $30 for .19oz (and they make a plumping lipgloss for that price, if you are interested in that). That is a price per ounce of $157.89, which is only marginally more than Pixi. I feel that the Pixi is definitely over priced for what you are getting, especially since it is not really marketed as a luxury brand. They are keeping the price low by giving you a small amount of product, but once you really break it down to price per ounce, you are paying a luxury price for a product you are buying at Target.

I feel that this gloss is good quality, but for the money and what you are getting, I would rather spend a little more up front, actually save money in the long run, and get a different product. I don't regret this purchase, but now that I have done the price breakdown, I will not be repurchasing this in the future. Pixi will still be getting plenty of my money from their Skintreats line, as I love Glow Tonic, the Nourishing Cleansing Balm, and H2O Skindrink. If you have not checked out their skin products yet, I highly suggest you do. Those are very high quality and reasonably priced. Let me know if you would like a review of those products.

Nude Lip Favorites

Today I thought I would share some of my favorite options for nude lips. I am including a couple of different formulas and price points, so hopefully everyone can find something that works for them. Some of my personal preferences for a nude lip are colors that do not wash me out and also having a formula that I like. Please note that these are colors that work for my complexion - your nude may be entirely different from mine.

Starting with the glossy formulas, the YSL Glossy Stain is a formula that I absolutely love. I reviewed the formula more here, but I really enjoy that the gloss stays shiny, even though it is a drier finish. I have several of the colors, but my absolute nude favorite is 106 Beige Anarchist.

I picked up a L'Oreal Infallible Mega Gloss Cream in shade 103 Protest Queen at Boots when I was in the UK for vacation a couple months ago.  I really like that it does not settle into lip lines, as many lighter shade cream glosses are prone to do so. The gloss has nice lasting power and a great sheen. I really wish this formula was available in the US.

NYX Butter Glosses are some of my favorites. Tiramisu I feel that the formula is a good quality and very moisturizing. I have a bunch of these glosses and really love the color selection. to me, these are the best glosses for a budget price. My favorite pinky-nude gloss from Nyx is in the color Tiramisu.  

Swatches outdoors in direct sunlight (L-R: YSL, L'Oreal, Nyx):



Indoors:

Onto the lipsticks/balms, The YSL Rouge Volupte Shines are a fun swipe and go lip formula. They are not super long lasting (usually around 2 hours), but they do feel hydrating when they are on the lips. I have quite a few of the colors but shade 09 Nude in Private is my favorite. It is such a pretty and easy shade. It blends seamlessly with my lip tone and is a color that I usually have in my purse. 

I jumped when Charlotte Tilbury launched her Hot Lips Collection a couple months ago. Very Victoria is the nude shade that I picked up. Even though it technically was a re-promote and not a new launch, I really love the color and was not sure how some of the other colors would look on me. I love the formula (reviewed here) and the taupe color is very flattering. 

Tarte Park Avenue Princess is one of their Amazonian Butter lipsticks. It is a paler shade for me and probably the lightest color I can wear before it starts to wash me out. I also like the minty scent (something to keep in mind if you are not a mint person). 

Swatches outdoors in direct sunlight (L-R: YSL, Charlotte Tilbury, Tarte):



Indoors:



What are some of your favorite nude lip colors and formulas?

Bare Minerals GEN NUDE Lips

Bare Minerals recently launched a collection of nude lip colors in three different formulas: a matte liquid, gloss, and lipstick. I purchased two of the Bare Minerals GEN NUDE Buttercream lip glosses on a whim while I was replenishing some skincare items a few weeks ago and also received a deluxe sample of the GEN NUDE Matte Liquid Lipcolor. The most noticeable part of trying to decide on a couple colors to buy was the impressive color selection. It is nice to see a large range of nude lip colors offered because, let's face it, "nude" is not the same shade for everyone. I think that the variety of shades will make it easier for most skin tones to find something they like.

The two Buttercream shades I purchased are Forbidden and Must Have. The Buttercream formula has a nice smooth texture and is not sticky at all. It applies pretty evenly, although Forbidden may be a bit light for my lip shade, as I had to work a little harder to blend that one in. Must Have is an apply and go color for me. Staying power on these is pretty short and I have gotten max an hour and a half of wear time, but usually about an hour before I need to reapply. It is not a big deal to me, as glosses often tend to have shorter wear times. I'm sure the wear time issue is largely due to the glosses being hydrating, but I have other glosses than can last hours, so it is a bit disappointing.

I am not a huge matte lip color lover and do not really use liquid lipsticks at all, but I chose to try the sample of the Matte Liquid Lip color because it was a free Sephora VIB reward option and curiosity got the best of me. I received the color Swag, which is described as a mauve. It has a nice consistency that is easy to blend and apply to lips. It dries down nicely to matte finish and does not settle into lip lines  as long as you do not over apply (made that mistake one day). It is not as drying as some other matte liquid colors I have tried, but if you have dry lips, especially with any peeling or flaking, this is not for you. The color lasted around 3 hours on average for me before fading. Even though liquid mattes are not something I reach for very often, this is a nice formula that I can see myself using. 

Swatches below in order of first labeled photo.

Ourdoors in direct sun:



Indoors:

Swatched on lips:

Since the ingredients are not fully listed at all stockists, here they are for your reference. 

The Buttercream formula:

Ricinus Communis (Castor) Seed Oil, Oleic/Linoleic/Linolenic Polyglycerides, Copernicia Cerifera (Carnauba) Wax (Cera Carnauba/Cire De Carnauba), Brassica Campestris/Aleurites Fordi Oil Copolymer, Flavor (Aroma), Helianthus Annuus (Sunflower) Seed Oil, Euphorbia Cerifera (Candelilla) Wax (Candelilla Cera/Cire Candelilla), Oryza Sativa (Rice) Bran Wax, Sorbitan Olivate, Sesamum Indicum (Sesame) Seed Oil, Theobroma Grandiflorum Seed Butter, Cetearyl Ethylhexanoate, Lavandula Angustifolia (Lavender) Flower Wax, Persea Gratissima (Avocado) Butter, Astrocaryum Murumuru Seed Butter, Butyrospermum Parkii (Shea) Butter, Lonicera Caprifolium (Honeysuckle) Flower Extract, Lonicera Japonica (Honeysuckle) Flower Extract, Portulaca Pilosa Extract, Simmondsia Chinensis (Jojoba) Seed Oil, Tocopherol, Palmitoyl Tripeptide-38, Amethyst Powder, Tourmaline Powder, Nephrite Powder, Pearl Powder, Sapphire Powder, Beeswax (Cera Alba/Cire D'abeille), Glyceryl Caprylate, Diisostearyl Malate, Sorbitan Isostearate, Polyglyceryl-2 Triisostearate, Sucrose Cocoate, Silica. May Contain (+/-): Mica, Iron Oxides (Ci 77491, Ci 77492, Ci 77499), Titanium Dioxide (Ci 77891), Carmine (Ci 75470), Blue 1 Lake (Ci 42090), Red 6 (Ci 15850), Red 7 Lake (Ci 15850), Red 28 Lake (Ci 45410), Yellow 5 Lake (Ci 19140), Yellow 6 Lake (Ci 15985).

The Matte Liquid formula:

Isododecane, Octyldodecanol, Bis-Diglyceryl Polyacyladipate-2, Dimethicone/Bis-Isobutyl Ppg-20 Crosspolymer, Nylon-12, Caprylyl Methicone, Hydrogenated Polyisobutene, Silica, Polyethylene, Sorbitan Sesquioleate, Acetylated Glycol Stearate, Helianthus Annuus (Sunflower) Seed Wax, Euphorbia Cerifera (Candelilla) Wax (Candelilla Cera/Cire Candelilla), Microcrystalline Wax (Cera Microcristallina/Cire Microcristalline), Glyceryl Behenate, Cetearyl Alcohol, Diisostearyl Malate, Vanillin, Ascorbyl Palmitate, Retinyl Palmitate, Tocopheryl Acetate, Tocopherol, Silica Silylate, Water (Aqua/Eau), Caprylyl Glycol. May Contain (+/-): Mica, Blue 1 Lake (Ci 42090), Yellow 5 Lake (Ci 19140), Iron Oxides (Ci 77491, Ci 77492, Ci 77499), Red 28 Lake (Ci 45410), Red 33 Lake (Ci 17200), Red 7 Lake (Ci 15850), Titanium Dioxide (Ci 77891).

One last item to note about the ingredients - if you have any type of gluten sensitivity and need to avoid gluten in your makeup products, both of these items are gluten free.

This seems to be a really great launch from Bare Minerals. The color selection and quality of the products are amazing. I really think almost every skintone is represented, which is wonderful. The products are available at all Bare Minerals stockists. The Buttercream glosses and Matte Liquid color retail for $18 each. The Radiant lipsticks are $20.  Have you purchased any of these? What is your perfect nude?

Bright Pink Lips - Laura Mercier French Kiss Lipstick

A little random fact about me - I am a magazine hoarder. I have tons of them; some saved for over a decade. I read them to remember things I used to like, or to get inspiration. I was looking through an old magazine the other day and saw this great feature about Debbie Harry. In several of the photos, she was wearing bright pink lips. I bought a sampler set from Sephora months ago that contained a very bright pink lipstick and it sat in my drawer collecting dust, until I saw this article and tried it out.

The sampler set I bought is no longer available (the Sephora Favorites Paint it Pink  set, in case you bought it), but the lipstick is sold separately and it is the Laura Mercier Velour Lovers Lip Colour in French Kiss, which is described as a bubblegum pink. The description of the product states that it is a matte lipstick that stays all day without drying or making lips feel chapped. I have to say that I am not in agreement with that. I do tend to have drier lips as a result of living in a dry climate, but this is definitely more drying than say the Charlotte Tilbury Matte Revolution formula.  The staying power is pretty good though it does not last all day. I tested the formula on its own and got a 4 hour wear time. I have been putting a Make Up Forever Artist Plexi-Gloss in shade 202, which was also in the set, on top to achieve the shinier look in the photo. It also helps with some of the lip hydration issues I have with the formula, but obviously adding gloss makes wear time go down a bit.

Both colors swatched on the lips (Plexi-Gloss layered over the French Kiss lipstick):

This is definitely not an everyday look for me, but I did use this combo recently on a girls' night out and it was a nice change from my usual, more conservative lip looks. I kept the rest of my face more neutral so that the lips were the highlight of  the look. It is fun to sometimes switch things up and deviate from the norm. Have you tried any bold lip looks lately?

YSL Rebel Nudes Set

The Yves Saint Laurent Rebel Nudes gift set is a Nordstrom beauty exclusive as part of their Anniversary sale (and the last item from my haul), but all of the shades are available separately. I like all of the colors and the formulas, so the set was a great value for me. The set also includes the makeup bag pictured above.

I thought I would offer a bit of a breakdown of the pricing if you are trying to determine if this would be a good value for you or not. The Rouge Volupte Shine Oil-in-Stick is normally $37, the Vernis A Levres Plump Up and Glossy Stain are $36 each, for a total value of $109 (for some reason the Nordstrom site says the value is $108). The set retails for $72, so you essentially get one lip item and the makeup bag for free. That is a pretty significant price break considering all of the items are full size. If you do not like one color, you could always gift it.



I really love the Glossy Stain formula and feel that it is very unique. The glosses dry down and do not transfer very much, but the look is still glossy. I also like that they are not drying to the lips and that I can wear them without a primer or balm underneath. They leave behind a nice wash of color, even when most of the shine has faded.  They are probably the longest lasting glosses that I have and I have gotten significant wear time from them (3-5 hours depending on how much I eat/drink, which is impressive for a gloss formula).



The clear Glossy Stain shade is called 200 Plump Up and is meant to have a plumping effect. It does not give me a noticeable plumping effect, but if you are someone looking for a plumping formula that does not tingle, this fits the bill. It does give the lips a very pretty shimmer. The 07 Corail Aquatique shade has quickly become one of my favorites. It is a wonderful coral color that looks great on my summer skintone and complements the bronzers I seem to be wearing non-stop.



The Shine Oil-in-Stick is not a formula I have tried before. It launched earlier this year and has a high concentration of oil to provide moisture to the lips. The shade has buildable coverage and does definitely feel moisturizing. The 47 Beige Blouse shade is definitely more of a rose/pink nude. For some reason it looks much cooler toned on my lips than it does swatched on the arm or even in the tube. I tend to prefer the Nude in Private shade over this one right now as I gravitate toward warmer colors in the summer, but think during the winter the Beige Blouse shade will be more of a staple for me. Given that it is a more moisturizing formula, it is not as long lasting (around 2 hours).

Swatches:



On the lips in same order shown above:



This set is a great value if you are looking to restock on shades or try different YSL lip formulas. I own several Glossy Stains and have to say that it is one of my favorite lip formulas. Overall, I am very happy I picked this one up. There is also a Rock Pink set if you are looking for more cool toned options. The set is available exclusively at Nordstrom, but all of the products contained in the set (excepting the makeup bag) are available at Sephora, YSL Beauty, Neiman Marcus, etc. What is your favorite YSL lip formula?

Bright Summer Lip Looks

Today I thought I would share a quick roundup of some of my favorite bright lip colors for summer. I find that bright colors are so much fun for lips in the summer, especially since I tend to wear less makeup everywhere else due to the heat. I think these colors help liven up the complexion and make me look more put together.



I picked the Fresh Sugar Tinted Lip Treatment in Tulip, Marc Jacobs Lip Creme in Je T'Aime, tarte Amazonian Butter Lipstick in Coral Blossom, YSL Volupte Tint-in-Oil in No 5 Cherry My Cherie, Chanel Glossimer in Amour, and Nars Lip Gloss in Salamanca. See swatches below.

In direct sunlight:



Outdoors in shade:



I hope you enjoyed these favorites. What are some of your favorite summer lippies?

Buxom Full-On Lip Creams and Polishes

I am a lip gloss person. I'm not sure if that is from gloss being so huge when I was in high school in the late 90s or what the deal is, but it is my preferred lip formula a majority of the time. One of my favorite brands for lip gloss is Buxom. I really like the formula for so many reasons. Buxom has two different types of gloss - one is called Full-On Lip Polish and the other is Full-On Lip Cream. The main difference between the two is shimmer. The Polishes have it and the Creams do not.



Both the Polishes and Creams have a tingly feel that is supposed to give slight plumping effect. I don't really get a huge plumping boost, but I do like the feel of these. They are moisturizing and not overly sticky. They have a great staying power for how shiny they are - I can usually get 3-4 hours out of these depending on how much I eat/drink. The color payoff on these nice - slightly jelly and sheer, but the color is definitely noticeable.  I also love that they do not settle into lip lines. This is especially important for me for the lighter colors, like White Russian. White Russian is what I wish Nars Turkish Delight could have been, as TD settles horribly on me.

I have three of each to show you of my favorites. First will be the creams:




The Lip Polishes are:



Swatches below in full sunlight:



Swatches below in shade:



I honestly cannot say enough great things about these. I wear both the cream and polish formulations all the time. I also love that Buxom puts out sampler sets - many of the ones pictured above have come from various sample sets that I have gotten from them. It is a great way to try the formula and get a multitude of colors. Right now Sephora has a set of the polishes which contains some really cute brights - you get 6 mini polishes for $32. The full size versions are $20 each and retail at Sephora, Ulta, Buxom, etc. What are your favorite glosses?