NEW Revlon Colorstay Moisture Stains

If you've seen my previous post on Revlon's Just Bitten Kissable Balm Stains and Colorstay Matte Balm you know that I am addicted to them. That's why I was super excited when I heard Revlon was launching a gloss stain for the summer. So far I only grabbed two of them but I will probably go back for more!

I had been looking for an orange lippie for the summer so I got number 035 Miami Fever and then I fell in love with the berry one called Parisian Passion.

I was hoping Miami Fever would be really opaque and show up like it looks in the tube so that I could use it as my orange for the summer. It is more on the sheer side but still gives a ton of color. My lips have a fair amount of color to begin with so this showed up as more of a scarlet or red-orange on my than bright orange. I still love it but ended up getting a different lippie for my orange this summer (Revlon's Colorstay Matte Balm in Audacious). In the swatches I show the color as first applied to the skin and after wiping it off 60 seconds later.

I wanted all of the colors as usual but I was drawn to this berry one called Parisian Passion and when I read the name I knew I had to have it because I am obsessed with all things Paris. Just like Miami Fever this is not super opaque but still gives you a fair amount of color. Its a berry tone that leans slightly purple.

These Moisture Stains are just that. My lips never felt dry but were not super sticky either. After a few hours of wear and eating lunch the glossiness was gone but my lips were still soft and still had color from the stain. If they had SPF in them they would be the perfect summer lip product. That being said, I will probably end up grabbing a few more.

10 Lip Products to Keep in Your Bag Always!

If you're like me and have a bajillion different lip colors it's time consuming to search through all of them each morning when you're already five minutes late. That's why I like to keep a few favorites in my purse so I'm always prepared, even when I'm running late or being forgetful. This list also works well if you're just starting off in makeup and looking for some basic or must-have lip colors.

1. Chapstick/Lip Balm/Lightly Tinted Lip Balm
          CO Bigelow Mentha / CoverGirl Natureluxe Gloss Balm in Tulip and Hibiscus

2. Clear or Lightly Tinted Lip Gloss (Turn any lip color glossy)
          CO Bigelow Pearl Mint

3. Lip Color that Matches Your Natural Lip Color
          Revlon Just Bitten Kissable Balm Stain in Honey / Revlon Colorburst Matte Balm in
          Sultry

4. Nude or Pink Matte Lip Color
          ELF Studio Matte Lip Color in Natural

5. Neutral Colored Lip Gloss
          Dior Addict Fluid Stick in Whisper Beige / Armour Beauty Lip Gloss in Edie

6. Soft Pink Gloss
          NYX Butter Gloss in Maple Blondie

7. Berry Lip Color
          Marc Jacobs Beauty Lovemarc Lip Gel in Little Pretty / Revlon Just Bitten Kissable 
          Balm Stain in Crush / Revlon Colorstay Moisture Stain in Parisian Passion

8. Red Lip Color
          ELF Studio Matte Lip Color in Rich Red

9. Orange or Coral Lip Color
          Revlon Just Bitten Kissable Balm Stain in Rendezvous / Revlon Colorstay Matte 
          Balm in Audacious

10. Your Favorite Lip Color
          Revlon Just Bitten Kissable Balm Stain in Lovesick / Revlon Just Bitten Kissable 
          Balm Stain in Sweetheart / Revlon Colorburst Matte Balm in Showy

Don't forget to keep a small mirror in your purse along with a travel pack of tissues. I also keep 2 eye shadow sticks (they can double as eyeliner) and a travel size mascara and highlighter in my purse just in case. Lip colors can double as blush too if you're in a pinch!

Lip Scrubs and Taking Care of Your Lips

Lipsticks, lip stains, and lip glosses won't look fabulous if you're applying them on top of flaky, dry, and cracked lips. It is important to take care of your lips just like you would take care of the rest of the skin on your face and body. Here's what to do to keep your lips in tip-top shape!

EXFOLIATE
Lip scrubs are products made to exfoliate your lips. Usually you take some of the scrub and rub it over your lips much like a face or body scrub. The most common lip scrubs use sugar as the main exfoliant and are mixed with oils or butters to help moisturize. Like body scrubs, some lip scrubs may also contain fruit seeds or nut shells as exfoliants-so if you are allergic, read the labels! Many cosmetic brands offer lip scrubs such as Lush, Tarte at Ulta, Bliss at Sephora, or Fresh. My personal favorite and bank account friendly lip scrub is the one offered by ELF. This one is shaped like a lipstick, making it easy to use, and has a slight vanilla scent (because there is vanilla in it).

You can also make your own lip scrub with a few simple ingredients. Some good tutorials with lip scrub recipes are Lauren Conrad's and Honestly WTF's.

TIP: Exfoliate your lips regularly but listen to them! Some scrubs may be too harsh on your skin. You can always use a clean, damp washcloth to gently exfoliate too. Pay attention to the seasons as well, you may find yourself with more dry skin in the winter than in the summer.

MOISTURIZE
Lip balm should be applied immediately after exfoliating your lips to re-moisturize them. If it is in the morning you will want a lip balm with SPF in it to help protect your lips from the sun. If it is at night the SPF is not as important since you won't be in the sun (the same goes for your other moisturizers-SPF can clog pores and should not be worn at night). Lip balms use a variety of ingredients to moisturize your lips including shea butter, petrolatum, beeswax, and paraffin. There are many options to choose from so you should be able to find one with the ingredients you want in a flavor you like! Many lip balms also give you a touch of color so you can wear them as is without putting on any other lip products. Some good ones are Burt's Bees' Hydrating Lip Balm, classic Chapstick, and Rosebud Perfume Co' Rosebud Salve at Sephora.

When my lips get really dry in the winter I reach for C.O. Bigelow's Night Balm because it is a thicker formula that I can slather on at night and wake up with refreshed lips in the morning.

TIP: Buy in bulk and keep tubes of lip balm around wherever you spend the most time this way you can always moisturize whenever you need it. Also, you can layer your lip balm under your other lip products. I have a few cheaper lipsticks that I like the color of but they tend to dry out my lips so I wear a light layer of lip balm underneath.

Do you have a favorite lip balm or lip scrub? Comment and share below!

Beauty Blogs!

Looking for some other blogs to check out? Here's a list of beauty blogs that I like to frequent!

312 Beauty
This blogger, Laurie Leopold, is based in Chicago. She blogs about beauty and fashion along with a few other lifestyle topics. Updated almost daily, I love the clean and easy to read layout.

Nouveau Cheap
This blog is awesome for keeping up with the latest drugstore beauty products and deals. I always check this blog out before I do my weekend shopping.

The Beauty Department
If you're looking for beauty diagrams and tutorials this is the place to go!

Reddit: Makeup Addiction
This is a great place to find inspiration for makeup looks. It's also a nice community of people who love makeup!

What beauty blogs are your favorite? Comment below please!

OCC Lip Tar Review

Sooo many pretty colors! If you're into makeup and lip colors chances are you've heard about Obsessive Compulsive Cosmetic's Lip Tars. If you haven't heard of them, they are liquid lipsticks and are both vegan & cruelty free. They come in a tube and are best applied with a lip brush but I usually end up using my fingers. I recommend that you also use a lip liner to keep the color on your lips as well as utilize the clear lip tar as a base and top coat to seal in the color.  

Believe me when I say a little goes a long way. For the swatches below I just dabbed the tip of the lip tar on my arm and blended out with the tip of the lip tar since it was such a small area. I have only bought the Lip Tar All Star Mini x 12 Set and the All Star Mini x4 Set (both came with a lip brush and were from Sephora but the x4 was just a holiday thing) so I only have the smaller size tubes. The colors are also available by themselves in larger tubes. You can buy them from OCC's website here. I don't think I will run out any time soon though!

Here are the swatches! Colors from left to right are: The x4 set: Memento, NSFW, Anime, Black Dahlia

 The x12 set: Clear, Divine, Clockwork, Psycho, Stalker, Strumpet

And 6 Metallics: Pris, Lovecraft, Yaoi, Super NSFW, Electric Grandma, Authentic

The lip tars have a slight minty flavor and do not dry out your lips. As you can tell, the color payoff is huge. There are quite a variety of colors and finishes. Plus, you can get creative and mix different colors for different effects (they can even be used on the cheeks as blush). You can even use the lip tars on top of other lip products. For example, check out how Reddit user seamuscoffey used Revlon's Matte Balm in Shameless that I reviewed the other day here and OCC Lip Tar in Tryptich to create this awesome nude lip. It's just like magic! 

Review: Revlon Colorburst Matte Balm in Shameless

I spent most of 2013 searching for the perfect pigmented purple lip color. During my search I picked up Revlon's Just Bitten Kissable Balm Stain in Darling and Marc Jacob's Lovemarc Lip Gel in Little Pretty.

Since my lips are already fairly pigmented, the balm stain just added a very subtle purpley-lilac tint to them. I also tried applying Nyx's Milk pencil on my lips first which intensified the color a bit but defeated the purpose of the balm stain since there was an extra layer of product.

I had been stalking Marc Jacob's Beauty Line since I heard the first whispers of it and I did love the Lovemarc Lip Gel. It gave my lips a berry stain (great in the Fall months) but with more of a purple tint than a red-ish berry tint.

However, the purple lip color that I have received the most compliments from, and my favorite one, is Revlon's Colorburst Matte Balm in Shameless. I was already a die hard fan of their Just Bitten Kissable Balm Stains and when I heard about the Lacquer and Matte balms were coming out with I began checking multiple Walgreens, CVS stores, Targets, and Ultas until I found them and that gorgeous purple color called Shameless. And then one day, I found one Shameless left unopened at a Walgreens downtown Chicago and immediately bought it. Within 24 hours I was in love.

Anyone who is familiar with the original balm stains should be familiar with the fact that there is a huge color payoff and that they are very moisturizing while also staining a bit. The newer Matte and Lacquer ones are labeled as balms so they are still very moisturizing but do not really stain. Shameless takes about two coats to get an even and full application and it does not hurt to use a nude lip liner to prevent bleeding (especially if you tend to go a little outside the lines when applying like I do). My go to is E.L.F.'s Lip Lock pencil because it is cheap and transparent so it does not matter what color gets paired with it. Once you put Shameless on, it feels as though you have a layer of purple velvet on your lips. While many matte lip products tend to be drying this one is not at all. While I recommend that everyone at least try a loud lip color like this, I understand that it will not be everyone's cup of tea. If the deep dark purple is not for you, I still highly recommend trying the other Revlon Colorburst Matte Balms. I also have Sultry (a muted brownish red), Complex (a nude), and Showy (a bright pink).

First Post!

Hello!

Welcome to Lovely Lippies! This blog will focus on lip color and lip products. That includes lip glosses, lipsticks, lip butters, lip balms, lip stains, and everything in between. Posts will consist of reviews, swatches, dupes and other lip related shenanigans. I would love for this to become a resource for people to check when buying new lip products.

I am a girl on a budget and so I have appreciation for both drugstore brands and department store brands of make-up. This blog will feature a mix of them. The goal is to find the products that work best for me, and possibly all of you! Plus it is a bit safer financially to try a purple lip with an $8 drugstore lip color than a $38
department store brand lip color.

I really love make-up because it is a fun way to express myself. I have always experimented with colorful eye shadows and bright lips. For me make-up is an accessory and one that is meant to be played around with. So I invite you to have some fun with your make-up too!