Tag: nyc

Beauty

Lip Monthly: May ’15.

Post author By yukino
Post date 10/12/2015

May ’15 Lip Monthly came in a yellow bag. For some reason this particular shade of yellow was even easier soiled than white. I rotate all Lip Monthly bags as my work make-up bags. Usually I carry them for a month, but this one I retired after about two weeks.

Jing Ai Lip Pencil in Raspberry Ice

Lip crayons! My love. Love the packaging, very simple and elegant. This is a bright pink-red berry colour. Very flattering on my skin tone. The formula is creamy. For better precision it’s better to even this one out with a lip brush, especially around the contour. This lip crayon is very pigmented, and also stains a fair amount.

NYC Sky Rise Lengthening Mascara in Extreme Black

Unopened! I have a queue of mascaras I need to try, and this one is second on the list, if my memory doesn’t fail me.

OFRA Long Lasting Liquid Lipstick in New Orleans

This is a second OFRA lipstick I own. The first one, Laguna Beach, I received via Lip Monthly several months ago. Now, I’d be honest – this isn’t a colour I would’ve bought on my own. It’s interesting to play with, and I have a few looks in mind that I’d wear it with. But this is an experimental shade for me, and I cannot see myself wearing this one too often. My skin is pale, and this is not the best shade to work with, especially if you have huge under-eye bags like I do.

However the quality of this lipstick formula is indisputable. It’s a true matte. Applies evenly, very easy to spread, and requires minimum correction on the contour of your lips. Use sparingly, as the doe foot applicator picks up a generous amount of product, and you honestly don’t need much for a fully covered lip.

As with all bold colours, make sure your lips are exfoliated and soft.

Read about OFRA Laguna Beach here.

Milani Power Lip Gloss Stain in Pink Lemonade

Unopened as yet! Will write a separate review once I use it.

OFRA and Jing Ai swatches. I’ll have you know these things stain like a mother. The gold stroke under them is an eye liner that my flatmate bought. I swatched it on my hand and realised that I absolutely must have one of my own. I’ve been searching for an affordable gold eye liner for ages for an eye look that I want to recreate, and it looks like I found one.

Lip Monthly is a subscription bag with a focus on lip products. One month is $12.95 (plus shipping outside US and Canada).

(This post features affiliate links.)

Tags face, jing ai, lip monthly, lips, mascara, milani, nyc, ofra, subscription bag, subscription box

Beauty

Weekly Treat: Lip Monthly December ’14.

Post author By yukino
Post date 01/20/2015

Thought I’d combine this week’s Weekly Treat post with Lip Monthly arrival, because receiving the bag is enough of a treat on its own. It arrived last week, and brought a bit of joy to an otherwise crappy day.

First, the bag: My favourite design so far, but unfortunately mine came with a bit of a faulty zipper. It closes well, but hasn’t been sewn on properly, so there’s a bit of a gap at one end. Regardless, this is my next designated work makeup bag.

Here’s the list of products:

Magnolia Makeup Lipstick with Applicator in Matador
Milani Brilliant Shine Gloss in Nude Touch
LA Girl Endless Automatic Liner in Mauvelous
NYC Lipstick in Mocha

Let’s get the last one out of the way first — I haven’t opened it yet, because I might just give it away to someone. I’m not sure if I’d ever be able to wear this colour, even if I had suddenly decided on a complete and total 90s revival. You never know, but for now it stays closed.

I’ve never had anything from Milani, so I enjoyed it if only for the novelty factor. I like the applicator — it’s flexible, and due to its shape it picks up enough product without the need to dip the wand back into the tube several times, thus making it that bit more hygienic. It really does have a brilliant shine, and lasts rather well on the lips. The scent is vanilla-ish, which is pretty standard for glosses. Beware, though, it’s sticky as hell. It doesn’t bother me much, because that’s just how lip glosses work, but I know it might put off some people.

The LA Girl lipliner is a subdued wine hue — the colour is called Mauvelous, and it’s rather fitting. It positions itself as semi-permanent which is, of course, bollocks. It does last a long time, however. Can’t exactly say how long, because as of now I’ve only worn it for about four hours before voluntarily removing. I have several lipsticks that match the tone of this pencil, so it will be seeing a lot of wear around these lands. Formula-wise, it’s a bit on the dry side, so if you’re like me and prefer to fill in your lips with pencil as well as outline, take care to moisturise beforehand.

Last but not least, Magnolia Matador. I’ve seen this get a bit of a bad rap in several Lip Monthly reviews, but I happen to disagree. This is a brilliant product if applied properly. Sure, the packaging looks a bit dodgy, but the product inside is great.

First, you don’t need a lot. Like, at all. If you’ve ever worked with OCC Lip Tars, let them be your guide. I think it’s also a bit similar to Lip Ink in terms of application — it needs to be applied to dry lips, and if you want a more sheer or more vibrant shade, you need to blot the wand, not the lips, then apply in several layers, letting them fully dry inbetween.

It dries to a gorgeous velvet/ powdery completely matte shade. It lasts well on the lips, but unlike some other long-lasting lip products, it is very easy to remove using an oil-based makeup remover.

The downsides of this product are: it’s runny and therefore messy — not on-the-go kind of lipstick; it feathers, so definitely use a clear/ matching lip liner with this one; due to its matte/ powdery nature, it will highlight every single imperfection you might have on your lips, so scrubbing and conditioning your lips is a must. Just don’t use a balm directly under the product, otherwise it wouldn’t work.

It sounds so complicated, but once you figure out how this works, it’s a breeze. I really enjoy using this.

Left to right: Magnolia Matador, LA Girl Mauvelous, Milani Nude Touch.

Are you subscribed to Lip Monthly? What are your thoughts on these products?

(This post contains an affiliate link.)

Tags la girl, lip monthly, lipstick, magnolia, makeup, milani, nyc, weekly treat

Beauty

Lip Monthly: November ’14.

Lip Monthly usually ships faster, but living outside their usual zones of delivery coupled with busy winter holiday times meant that I received my November bag only recently, during the last days of December.

As usual, Lip Monthly shipped in a make-up bag. They come up with a new design every month, and I really like this month’s. They became a staple work make-up bag for me, as they’re pretty durable, and don’t get beaten up in my rucksack, where I tend to shove a bag of groceries and some catfood on my way home.

Let’s look at the contents!

First up are Hikari Lipstick in cabernet, NYC Expert Last Lipstick in 443 Purple Crush, and City Color Cosmetics White Gold Shadow & Highlight Mousse.

I’m wearing Hikari as I’m writing this post, and so far I really like it. It’s long lasting (lasted me through a portion of spaghetti, a glass of juice, and two cups of tea, as well as a lot of talking), and while I can’t call it moisturising, it’s not drying either. I’m currently going through a spell of annoying dry lips, and it didn’t make them feel any more uncomfortable than they already are. Also, despite their flakiness, the lipstick applied well, and the colour looked very smooth. The finish is somewhere between matte and satin.

I haven’t tried the NYC lipstick yet, but it looks like it’s got a bit of a frost in it. Not particularly a bad thing, but if it’s eaten easily, it might end up looking a touch too messy during the day. But as I said, I haven’t tried it yet, so no verdicts.

The City Color Cosmetics shadow/ highlighter I found impressive. Once I read that it was a mousse (ergo, a cream) shadow, I literally groaned, because cream shadows don’t last on my eyelids at all. I’ve got several that don’t even manage to stay long enough for me to finish the rest of my makeup. However, this seems considerably more long-lasting. Once you apply it on the lid, you’ve got a short amount of time to blend it how you want it, because after about 30 seconds it doesn’t seem to budge. The colour is gorgeous, but it’s also quite festive, so I don’t think I’ll be using this as an everyday look.

Next up are Ofra Lipliner in Silk and Crown Lip Brush. I haven’t tried the brush yet, but you can never have too many brushes! I’m short on the lip ones, too. The handle is a smooth matte black, and it almost feels like an artist’s brush, rather than a makeup one.

The Ofra lip pencil works great with my VeryMe lip gloss. I line my lips, then fill them in, and after that apply a layer of gloss. They look great together, and are perfect for day wear. I’m also happy that this is a pencil that requires a sharpener. For some reason I’m so nostalgic for them lately. They feel much better than the mechanic ones, and also allow for a more precise application.

You can subscribe to Lip Monthly here. Use the code “HOLIDAY299” to get your first bag for only $2.99 on 4 Month Subscriptions. Lip Monthly ships internationally! I can’t say that their service is perfect, but so far I’ve been pleased with their selections, and eagerly await my next bag. No plans to cancel the subscription.

(Above post contains affiliate link. Subscription paid for with my own money.)

Tags brush, city color cosmetics, crown, eye shadow, highlighter, hikari, lip liner, lip monthly, lips, lipstick, nyc, ofra, subscription box

Beauty

Incoming! December ’14.

I’m not a big shopper, especially now that I’m saving money, but over the course of the month things end up weaseling their way into my hands. Some months it might be a lot, others not so much. These are the things I bought or received during the month of December. Rather a lot of stuff this month, now that I think of it, probably because of the holidays.

Oriflame The One Nail Polish in Black Noir, Steel, Platinum, and Gold Splash

I’m a nail polish addict — well, a beauty addict — but aside from that unfortunate predilection I happen to really like the revamped main line of Oriflame polishes. It is my superficial goal to own every single one, so expect quite a few of these to pop up in the Incoming! posts.

VeryMe Mirror Gloss in Clover Haze

Clover Haze is exactly the cool-toned pink lip gloss that suits my skin tone and doesn’t take any trouble to coordinate with the rest of the look, as it’s practically just an improved version of my lips. The texture of this is what you’d expect a squeeze tube lip gloss texture to be — a bit gloopy during the application and rather sticky, but smooth-looking and -feeling when on the lips. I enjoy using this if only for its scent and colour.

AVON Care Rich Moisture Body Lotion and Milk & Honey Bubble Bath Moments

Haven’t tried these yet, as I’ve this thing where I try to finish the current product before I start anything new, otherwise I find myself under a mountain of half-finished shower gels and hand creams. The lotions seems to be fast-absorbing and a little on the thin side, which is exactly how I love mine. The scent is a little on the strong side, but it’s not unpleasant. And you can never go wrong with Milk & Honey.

Oriflame soap bar; In Style earrings; Giordani Gold lipstick sample

Giordani Gold Voluptuous lipsticks have been on my list of things to try for a bit now, so I was quite happy to receive this sample. It’s in the colour 26607 Red Organza, which I don’t think is in catalogues any more. The lipstick itself is a warm-toned sheer red with a lot of glitter to it. My photos don’t translate the colour well, but an idea of coverage can be seen in a swatch below:

On the left is one swipe, and on the right (the thicker line) I tried to build up some more colour. I succeeded but only just. The formula of this is more of a rather pigmented balm than a lipstick, to be honest. It also leaves glitter everywhere in its wake. It’s moisturising, though. I’ll use up the sample, but I don’t think I’ll be buying a full-sized lipstick in any colour.

Milk & Honey Gold is an old Oriflame series. It’s lived that long, because it’s pretty good. The scent of all the products in the series can be a bit too strong for me, but for products that I wash off immediately, like soaps and shampoos, it works well. The packaging of this particular bar is limited edition for winter holidays, as I understand.

Aren’t these earrings just gaudy? They were a gift from my brother, who knows I enjoy all kinds of sparkly stuff, even if I’m not going to wear it, so he buys something every time he makes a trip to his local version of Poundland. These did see the light of day, though, for the New Year’s Eve in the office (yep, yesterday was a workday for me). I felt like a proper Christmas tree, but I didn’t mind one bit. So jingly and sparkly and ugh.

In Style costume jewellery

Here’s the rest of the things my brother managed to grab on his trips to the shop. Bracelets give me a bit more of a spring/ summer vibe, so I’ll be wearing them come April or so. The yellow one is so dainty! I’m used to big bangles and thick leather cuffs, so this is a bit of a novelty for me, but I figure it’s good to branch out. My favourite thing is the necklace. I love it so much! Pretty sure it’ll become a staple for me.

Giordani Gold Illuminating Pearls; Oriflame HyperStretch mascara

I’ve been hunting down these Giordani Gold Dreamy Moments Illuminating Pearls for roughly a year now, and finally they cropped up! These should definitely be used as a highlighter, otherwise one might end up looking like a member of the Cullen family under the sun. Oriflame HyperStretch mascara was a bonus programme exchange. I had it before, and while it’s not the best mascara, it’s an okay one. And hey, can’t argue with free, can you?

Allure, Elle, Glamour

A stack of magazines. Little excites me more than beauty and printed word, so when these two are merged together, I’m just lost to the world for a couple of hours.

Lip Monthly November ’14

A proper Lip Monthly post is coming your way next Thursday, but here’s a preview of the products. Loving the colours of lipsticks, and I’ve been blown away by the eye shadow.

That’s it for the month of December! What made its way into your drawers and onto your shelves that month? Do share, do share.

(Above items, with an exception of mascara and lipstick sample, were either bought with my own money, or received as gifts from family and friends. Mascara was received in exchange for loyalty points; lipstick sample was a gift with purchase.)

Tags allure, avon, city color, elle, glamour, hikari, incoming!, jewellery, magazines, makeup, nail polish, nyc, oriflame