L'oreal Colour Riche Caresse Lipstick Swatches, Photos, + Reviews

I'm here with another range review--this time featuring the L'oreal Colour Caresse Lipsticks. Weirdly enough, this is the first time I've ever reviewed a L'oreal product on my blog. So, hooray for trying new things! I have being eyeing these bad boys (in addition to the L'oreal Colour Caresse Shine Stain--reviews will be coming shortly) for months now and I finally just took the plunge and bought a few shades of each. 

The L'oreal Colour Riche Caresse Lipsticks are marketed as "vibrantly sheer color, non-cakey, [and] deliver  a feather-light finish without being sticky or heavy". After trying out these lipsticks for a couple weeks I was pleasantly surprised with how accurate the L'oreal's statement was. Both of the colors I purchased are medium to light pigmentation that glides onto the lips without any tugging. I would compare the texture to the new Maybelline Color Whispers but the L'oreal lipsticks feel slightly lighter on the lips and are definitely more of a sheer formulation. 

These aren't designed to be a long-lasting lip product and tend to last for about three hours before fading. When first applied, the lipsticks have a lovely glossy finish. This finish slowly fades to a more matte finish an hour after application. These lipsticks retail for around nine dollars--which is on the higher end of drugstore price range-- and comes with .1 oz of product. 

L'oreal Colour Riche Caresse Lipsticks: Blushing Sequin and Cardinal Plume

L'oreal Colour Riche Caresse Lipsticks: Cardinal Plume + Blushing Sequin

 Here are the colors swatched on my arm. When applied to the lips, the color intensity is variable depending on your natural lip color. On my lips, "Cardinal Plume" appears more like a pinkish-red color rather than the true red color above. "Blushing Sequin" is a fantastic every day color. It isn't a bright or bold color but it gives the lips a beautiful hint of pink. If I could only repurchase one color, I would chose "Blushing Sequins".

In conclusion, these L'oreal Colour Riche Caresse Lipsticks are fantastic for every day wear. They feel almost non-existant when applied to the lips and fade very naturally and beautifully as the day goes on. Their medium to light pigmentation makes application effortless. These lipsticks are perfect for "no-makeup" makeup looks to wear to the office or to school. Plus, the packaging is beautiful--especially for drugstore. I will definitely be buying a few more shades in the future.  

OPI "Can't Find My Czechbook" Swatch + Review

OPI "Can't Find My Czechbook"

"Can't Find My Czechbook" is just another reason why the latest OPI Euro Centrale collection is so amazing. I bought five colors and so far I've loved each and every one of them. There are a million nail polish brands to chose from out there but OPI is still my favorite brand. The cream formulation is flawless and while the color range is not top notch, the brushes truly are. I took a OPI hiatus for a few weeks but as soon as I used this polish I was reminded of how easy these brushes makes application. "Can't Find My Czechbook" is a lovely medium green-based blue. It isn't the most unique color I've ever seen but it really is gorgeous and I can't want to wear this color during the spring and summer months. 

OPI "Do You Lilac It?" Swatch + Review

OPI "Do You Lilac It?"

Where has this nail polish been all my life? I have heard everyone and their mother raving about this polish for years. And I don't know why but whenever I was buying nail polish I would see it but then think "Nah. I'll get that next time". But then I never got it next time and that was a mistake. I probably never would have bought it for myself if I hadn't picked it up for my sister (it was on her Christmas wishlist) and trying it over spring break when I went back home and we decided wanted to have coordinated spring nails. It is a medium pastel purple. Darker than Essie "Lilacism" but equally beautiful and perfect for spring. It was also very opaque--two coats was more than sufficient. OPI has a wide range of colors and not all of them are hits. It is hard to know which colors to buy and which colors to pass on but I highly, highly recommend this shade. It isn't the most unique shade but if you don't have a lilac nail polish, check this one out. Don't be put off by all the hype surrounding this product because the hype is well deserved. 

CoverGirl "Ballet Twist" Jumbo Gloss Balm Swatch + Review

After receiving a decent amount of hype on the internet, I finally went out and purchased one of the new CoverGirl Lip Perfection Jumbo Gloss Balms. I picked up two shades--"Ballet Twist" and "Watermelon Twist". From the color of the cap I assumed that "Ballet Twist" would be a subtle baby pink color but as I would find out after swatching it on my hand and then my lips, it is actually more of a shimmery nude.

Many people have been comparing this product to the Revlon Just Bitten Balm Stains or the Tarte LipSurgance Lip Tints (because they look similar) but these comparisons couldn't be more misleading. The Revlon Stains are just that--stains. They are smooth and pigmented and last for hours. These CoverGirl Balms are not meant to stain the skin and have a much shorter wear time (1-2 hours). The Tarte LipSurgance Lip Tints are highly pigmented and uber moisturizing. They also have a longer wear time than the CoverGirl Balms but their luxurious quality is heavily reflected in the price tag. If you are expecting your CoverGirl Balm to be similar to either of these products, you will be disappointed.

CoverGirl Jumbo Gloss Balm in "Ballet Twist" 

Here is the color swatched on my hand. It is almost impossible to see. I have a light-medium complexion and  I don't think the color would be very flattering (or show up) on skin tones much darker than mine.

The CoverGirl packaging is getting a thumbs down from me. It is packaged very similarly to the Clinique Chubby Sticks, Tarte LipSurgance Lip Tints, and the Revlon Just Bitten Balm Stains but I find that the dark purple/black color scheme isn't very flattering. It looks and feels cheap. I've also read a lot of reviews on the internet with consumers having problems with the product breaking and falling out the tube. I dropped my Jumbo Gloss Balm on the bathroom floor mat one morning and the same thing happened to me. I originally thought it was just an accident but after reading about so many other women having similar experiences, I'm beginning to believe it might be a design flaw on the part of CoverGirl.

CoverGirl Jumbo Gloss Balm in "Ballet Twist" 

Here is the color swatched on my lips. "Ballet Twist" is averagely pigmented. It is not very buildable but it does make my lips a lovely shimmer nude color. Even after three weeks of testing out this lip color, I am still a bit torn. I like the way it looks on my lips. It is more lightweight than my other nude lipsticks (Revlon "Nude Attitude" or MAC "Myth") and it also has a subtle sheen (and thus I don't feel like I have to wear a lip gloss every time).

But at the same time this isn't the product that I thought I was buying from CoverGirl. This is not a gloss or a balm. It feels like any other moisturizing drugstore lipstick (although maybe a tad bit lighter) and while it does have a sheen to it, the end result is more similar to a luster finish lipstick than anything else. Maybe my expectations were too high ( I was hoping for a drugstore equivalent to the Tarte LipSurgance LIp Tints) but I was doomed to be disappointed. It is a nice product (I'm not trying to say that it is horrible and no one should buy it) but I'm disappointed that CoverGirl is not making it easier for their consumers to pick out makeup products by naming them appropriately. These probably should have been called CoverGirl Lip Perfection Jumbo Luster Lipstick Pencils--or something like that. I'm not in marketing or advertising, so please don't judge too harshly.

In conclusion, the CoverGirl Jumbo Gloss Balm in "Ballet Twist" is an okay product. It is not a true balm or a true gloss but it is a nice nude lipstick for everyday wear (although, beware, it can look a little frosty in certain light). It isn't very buildable and as a result might not show up on people with darker skin tones. 

CoverGirl LipPerfection Lipstick Swatches, Photos, + Reviews

Ah! It is officially spring and that means bright and bold lipstick. I have recently become a tad bit obsessed with the CoverGirl LipPerfection Lipsticks and in the time span of the last month I have acquired six new shades. In my defense, they were on sale.

CoverGirl LipPerfection Lipsticks (R-L): Burn, Spellbound, Euphoria, Eternal, Dazzle, Siren

Here are the six shades I purchased. First things first, let's talk about the packaging. I think that CoverGirl did a nice job with this range. I like it much better than that outdated blue packaging from CoverGirl's Continuous Color range but in the end, I think the packaging is average when compared to other brands. Although, I must say that the color swatches at the bottom of the lipstick tube's are fairly accurate and make color selection process a little easier. 

CoverGirl claims that these lipsticks have "beautiful, rich color" and "helps create soft, smooth, beautiful lips in just 7 days". Now, the first claim is pretty standard but the second claim left me a bit skeptical after I first read it. In the weeks since I first bought these lipsticks I have learned a few things. 

One) CoverGirl was not lying. These lipsticks--for the most part--are extremely pigmented and very long lasting. Most of the brighter and darker shades stain the skin with an intensity that even makeup removing wipes can't remove. If you need lipsticks that will last all day, pick up one of these bad boys from a drugstore near you. Two)  They're very moisturizing--except for Siren which I will talk about later--but they will not replace a chap stick  They feel wonderful on your lips but I haven't noticed any difference in the softness of my lips after seven days of wearing this lipstick. I think CoverGirl exaggerated a bit on that claim.  

Three) Look very closely to the bottom of the tubes because many of these lipsticks are glittery (and if you're glitter averse like myself, this is a handy tip). But be sure to look closely because it isn't obvious when you first look at the shades. 

Four) They have a generic lipstick smell--I'm sorry but I couldn't think of any other way to describe it. The smell didn't bother me but after looking at other reviews online, it was something that bothered some people.

CoverGirl LipPerfection Lipsticks (L-R): Euphoria, Eternal, Dazzle, Siren

CovverGirl LipPerfection Lipsticks (L-R):  Burn, Spellbound, Euphoria, 

CoverGirl LipPerfection Lipsticks: Burn, Spellbound, Euphoria, Eternal, Dazzle, Siren

Here are all of the colors swatched on my arm. I will do more in depth reviews/swatches of all these colors in the near future but here is my quick thoughts on the shades I own. If you can only buy three shades I would recommend Euphoria (Oh my goodness, I am obsessed with this shade), Eternal, and Spellbound. All these colors have creme finishes and would look great on a variety of skin tones. They're also all quite bold colors--perfect for spring. 

What is your favorite drugstore lipstick? Leave your answer in the comments below. 

OPI "You're Such a BudaPest" Swatch + Review

OPI "You're Such a BudaPest" 

Another day, another nail polish swatch. After taking a break from blogging last week, I took some time this weekend to finally get swatches for a few of the shades I've been wearing recently. This color, "You're Such a BudaPest" is one of the new colors that came out in the OPI Euro Centrale collection--which if you read my post (click here) you will know that I absolutely loved. It was easily one of the best collections OPI has come out with in my recent memory.