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Posts tagged Sheer
Lipstick Queen Lipsticks and Lip Liner
9
4 years
by Naomi in Lips
Last week I received a very exciting goody bag from the lovely folks at Beauty Expert, containing not one, not two, but THREE Lipstick Queen products. Lipstick Queen was created by Poppy King, who has spent twenty years developing beautiful lipsticks with perfect textures and shades, and is a brand I have heard a lot of good things about. Two of Lipstick Queen’s most popular ranges are Saint, which features a wide range of sheer shades, and Sinner, which features the same shades but in bold, opaque hues. I was lucky enough to receive two lipsticks – one Saint and one Sinner, as well as a genius product that I wish I’d invented myself – the Invisible Lip Liner.
Clockwise from Top Left:
– Saint Sheer Lipstick in ‘Bright Natural’ – Sinner Opaque Lipstick in ‘Bright Rose’ – Invisible Lip Liner –
Over the past ten days I have been putting all three products through their paces, and the results have exceeded my expectations. Here are my thoughts on each little treat…
Invisible Lip Liner
There are two things that usually put me off using lip liner – my inability to draw a neat line, and the difficulty in finding a colour match for my lipsticks. Lipstick Queen’s Invisible Lip Liner tackles both of these problems, and is a product I’ve always longed for but never knew actually existed. The liner itself looks white, but applies to the lips clear, and it isn’t shiny so cannot be seen. This means you don’t have to worry about having a steady hand as it doesn’t really matter if you slip! The liner is also firm, but it has a smooth, moisturising consistency and glides on without tugging at your skin.
Perhaps most importantly, the liner does its job, and it does it well. It provides a neat barrier between your skin and the edge of your lips, and whilst wearing it I have never experienced any bleeding from my lipstick. It enables the appearance of a flawless pout without the worry of having to find a liner shade to match every lipstick you own. It literally goes well with any lipstick, and is as such the most versatile lip liner I have ever come across! Just see the swatch photographs below for proof.
Lipstick Queen Invisible Lip Liner retails for £17.00, which is a little on the pricey side, but if you’re looking for a high quality liner with a difference then this is worth every penny.
Saint Sheer Lipstick in ‘Bright Natural’
Lipstick Queen’s Saint lipsticks all have a sheer finish with a hint of light colour, and are perfect for everyday wear whilst still adding a touch of glamour to every outfit. ‘Bright Natural’ is an extremely pretty shade, with an overtone of pink which highlights your natural lip colour – ideal for days when you want to work the natural look!
The lipstick has an impressively light consistency, and is, in all honesty, the most moisturising lipstick I have ever had the pleasure of wearing (other than Sinner, of course)! It covers the lips in a layer of tinted shine which feels like a nourishing lip balm, and remains creamy and airy for as long as you wear it. I even forgot I was wearing lipstick when I had it on the other day. There is no chance of suffering any dryness with this, and it’s actually made my dry winter lips feel a whole lot better. This lipstick lasts too, and for a very long time at that! After wearing it earlier this week, a few hours, numerous drinks and a snack later it still looked as gorgeous as ever, and stayed that way until I removed it myself.
‘Bright Natural’, and all the other Saint Lipsticks, cost £18.00 each on Beauty Expert. Given their AMAZING formula they are a worthy investment, and you also get 4 grams of product, which is a whole 1 gram more than a lot of high-end lipsticks.
Sinner Opaque Lipstick in ‘Bright Rose’
The Sinner range of lipsticks from Lipstick Queen features a collection of intense, highly pigmented opaque shades which are guaranteed to make you stand out from the crowd. ‘Bright Rose’ is a sexy shade of vibrant red which is brighter than I’ve ever gone before, and I love it. It looks gorgeous teamed with sleek black eyeliner for a day look (which is how I’ve been wearing it this week), or for the evening it would go hand in hand with dramatic smokey eyes. It has great, long-lasting shine too, but no added shimmer so doesn’t look over the top.
Like Saint, Sinner is soft and moisturising as it is formulated with shea butter, so actively protects and heals the delicate skin of your lips whilst making you look fantastic. When I first wore this I was slightly worried that it wouldn’t last as well as ‘Bright Natural’, as every time I took a sip of water it left a big red smudge on the glass. However, much to my surprise, ‘Bright Rose’ lasts just as long, and despite the marks on the glass retains its striking appearance for hours upon end. It even survived my homemade pizza feast earlier this week!
Lipstick Queen Sinner Lipsticks, including ‘Bright Rose’, also contain 4 grams of high-quality product and also sell for £18.00 each.
Here is a swatch of all three products together, and yes, the Invisible Lip Liner has been swatched between both lipsticks – you just can’t see it!
The full range of Lipstick Queen Saint and Sinner lipsticks, as well as the Invisible Lip Liner, are available to buy on Beauty Expert along with a variety of other Lipstick Queen goodies, including coloured lip liners, Butterfly Ball Shimmer lipsticks and Big Bang Illusion glosses. Just click here to view everything! Beauty Expert offer FREE Standard UK and International Delivery too, which is an extra little bonus.
Naomi x
*These Lipstick Queen products were sent to me by Beauty Expert/The Hut Group for review purposes. All opinions expressed are honest and my own.*
Illamasqua Sheer Lipgloss in ‘Tantrum’
2
4 years
by Naomi in Lips
I bought this lipgloss from Illamasqua’s summer sale back in July, and promised in my unboxing post that I would review it. So, after almost two months, I thought I would share my thoughts on it. In all honestly I haven’t worn it very many times yet as I have been saving it for best, but I have used it enough to be qualified to talk about it!
On first impressions the lipgloss is pleasing to the eye as it comes in Illamasqua’s signature black packaging, which I always think looks very classy and luxurious. The lipgloss tube itself is rounded at the application end and tapered at the other, which is also quite appealing. The lid clicks on, rather than screws on, and the gloss applies by squeezing the tube, rather than with a brush.
I have to say, I’m not too keen on this type of applicator as Illamasqua’s gloss tubes are quite stiff, so it can be difficult to get much product out of the hole. Also, I find that squeezy application can be a lot messier than using a brush as it’s harder to get even coverage and neat edges.
The formula of the gloss is fairly good, however. It’s a little bit sticky, but luckily not too thick so it doesn’t feel heavy or cloying on the lips. It has a light fruity scent and flavour, almost like raspberry sweets, which reminds me of the colourful ice pole lollipops I used to eat as a child. I know some people don’t appreciate being able to smell and taste their make up, but this is so delicate I actually really like it.
I don’t own many higher-end lipglosses so I don’t have much to compare Illamasqua’s to, but Tantrum lasts a surprisingly long time on the lips. I applied it earlier today before having a drink and a snack and it looked exactly the same after as it did before, and continued to do so for a couple of hours. The same can’t be said of some of my cheaper glosses! Although, it is still outdone by my favourite gloss of all time – Avon’s Glazewear Lip Gloss.
On Illamasqua’s website Tantrum is described as ‘a deep berry pink’ colour, and looks dark purple in their photographs. However, as you can see above, it is a lot pinker in reality. I am a fan of pink so I don’t mind, but I was quite surprised by the difference in colour when I first received it. However, the glittery particles in the gloss have a silvery blue hue which is what gives the gloss its purple shine.
Since the gloss is sheer, the colour doesn’t translate as boldly onto the lips as it looks in the tube, but it is there subtly and it has a nice shimmer finish. It can easily be built up to achieve a more striking look, and it makes a nice top layer over matte lipstick for a strong shine.
Tantrum was £7.50 for a 7ml tube in Illamasqua’s sale when I bought it, which is a decent price, but at £14.00 full price I’m not sure I would pay it. I do like this gloss and it is a good quality product, but it isn’t especially outstanding. I’ve used countless glosses in the past which were worse than this one, but I’ve also used many better ones, which were also cheaper. I’m glad I have it in my collection though, and I’d still like to try Illamasqua’s lipsticks out for size.
What are your thoughts on Illamasqua’s Lipglosses? If you want to try them for yourself, you can find them here.
Naomi x
Unboxing my First Illamasqua Order
11Illamasqua are a brand that have intrigued me for a long time. They’re British and known for being cruelty-free, and being a British vegetarian myself I am all for local, ethical businesses. Their website states that they are dedicated to ‘self-expression through make up art’ whilst ‘challenging the conventions of the make-up industry’. I have never been one for sticking to conventions, so I was really drawn to their wide range of unusual colours and cosmetics when I discovered them many moons ago. The brand have been around since 2008, but despite my long term obsession with their make up, I received my first ever Illamasqua order today. I know I’m a bit late to the Illamasqua party, but better late than never! I don’t usually do unboxing posts as they can be a bit boring and I did only order two items from the sale that I’d been eyeing up for a while, but I thought I’d give you a sneak peek of what I’ll be reviewing in the coming days/weeks 
From what I’ve seen on other blogs, all Illamasqua orders come packaged in a black cardboard box like this:
Not terribly exciting to look at, but that ‘beauty box’ element makes it feel a little bit more luxurious than receiving your items in a plain ol’ jiffy bag.
Upon opening the box, I was greeted with my receipt and a flyer about their Skin Base Foundation.
Underneath the flyer were two little freebie items. When I placed my order I was given the opportunity to add one, both or neither of the freebies to my order, so obviously I went for both of them! I was sent a 1.5ml sample of Illamasqua’s new fragrance ‘Freak’, and a booklet of their Human Fundamentalism collection which I’m really looking forward to browsing. It has some great pictures inside of different and unusual make up looks which I’m sure I can draw some inspiration from!
I tried the perfume out earlier and though it isn’t as sweet as the perfume I would normally choose, I have really taken to it. It’s also lasted a long time on my skin and smells as strong as it did when I first put it on a few hours ago.
And now, onto what I actually bought… Sheer Lipgloss in ‘Tantrum’ for £7.50 (RRP £13.00) and Nail Varnish in ‘Snap’ for £5 (RRP £13.50). I must point out that I absolutely love Illamasqua’s classy black packaging!
I’ve already swatched both products and they seem promising! ‘Tantrum’ is a gorgeous pinky purple shade, described as a ‘deep berry pink’ on their website, and ‘Snap’ is ‘rich pewter’ with a ‘shimmer finish’. But that’s all I’ll say for now! Keep an eye out for my review posts of everything, including the ‘Freak’ sample, which I’ll be doing soon
Have you tried any Illamasqua make up?
Naomi x
