New Maybelline Color Drama Intense Velvet Lip Pencils - Swatches & Review!

Boy oh boy do I love a good lippie, you know what I love even more though? A good lippie that dupes a high end lippie more than 3 times its price. Watch your house, Nars Lip Pencils, Maybelline Color Drama Intense Velvet Lip Pencils are coming up behind you fast & furious. 

These pigment loaded pencils are impressive at first glance but even more so once applied. I'm a huge fan of the pencil design, especially when it comes to brights such as these as you really can't go wrong when lining your lips. And the cack handed crowd go wild - YAAAAY. 

The intense colours might seem a little daunting to those more used to a muted lip shade but the semi-matte finish make the lighter of the shades day time friendly and the more daring ideal for a night tripping the light fandango. 

As you can see, each shade saturates the lip in intense colour, while keeping the soft shine needed to make it comfortable on the lips. For wear time we're talking a good two hours before reapplication is needed to bring Velvet Pencils back to their initial intensity. 

On the bright side, the stain fades evenly and can be topped up with balm should you want a more muted look as the day goes on. Truthfully though? Chuck that handy dandy peann luaidhe in your mála and slick it on as needed.  

We're getting 10 of the 22 shades available Stateside and for just €6.79 a pop and I can tell you right now that these will fly off the shelves with ease. Maybelline  Color Drama Intense Velvet Lip Pencils are available from this month. I'd hugely appreciate if you could shout out as and when you spot 'em as I'll be stocking up too. 

What say we? Are you a Nars Lip Pencil fan? Reckon these could topple them?

New: L'Oreal Glam Shine Stain Splash in Milady, Princess and Juliet with Photos and Swatches

Lovers of YSL Glossy Stains (who also love their sheckles) rejoice! L'oreal is set to add to your lip loves with their brand new product the L'Oreal Glam Shine Stain Splash and you won't need to sell seashells down by the seashore to afford 'em either. 

I was sent the beautifully pigmented Milady (whose name always makes me think of this picture) by the brand last week and have been so impressed that I've picked up both Princess and Juliet from my very own Eurobux since. 

The first thing that strikes me with these stains is that the colour in the (very shiny) tube doesn't translate onto the lips. It would seem that they show up differently on everyone's kisser with Milady's bright violet hues turning a rich red with purple undertones on mine. 

While Juliet looks bright pink in the tube, the applicator makes it seem positively neon yet on the lips its a bright orange toned red. I like it. A lot. 

In each of these collages I've applied one coat, allowed that to dry and, as is my wont, deepened the shades with a second coat. Buildable beauty, that's what we like, L'Oreal. 

Princess is quite possibly my favourite of the three for a daytime lip. Showing as a bright coral orange in the tube on the lips it's a beautiful soft toned peachy pink. 

All three are non sticky, non tacky and taste smell delicious. Formulated with a blend of light hydrating oils & concentrated pigments these stains also contain 30% water and feel light as air on the lips. 

L'Oreal promise 6 hours wear, I'm getting on average 4, though the gloss wears off after the first and leaves the pigmented stain behind without drying. I don't feel the need to reapply though as a sheen of Vaseline on top brings the colour back immediately. 

A thought struck me as I was admiring these glosses though, can you see it? That's an awful lot of tube left at the base that the applicator hasn't a snowballs chance of reaching. I'm hopeful that the formulation is fluid enough that I'll be getting my sheckles worth when I get halfway. 

L'Oreal Glam Shine Stain Splashes are on counters now, I picked these additional two up for €12.29 in Boots Blanchardstown this week - in comparison to €33 for a Glossy Stain, that's not too shabby at all. 

There's 8 colours available but I'd urge you to do your homework online and look at swatches of each before purchase as they are more than a little deceptive with colour translation from tube to lip. 

Have you tried 'em yet? 

Revlon Red Velvet: The Lip Butter that Changed my Mind

I had pretty much written off the Revlon Lip Butter movement and all its balmy efforts with my last three purchases because truthfully they whelmed me. But when I caught glimpse of one of this years newest additions swatched online, I knew Red velvet might just be the one to sway me. 

Praise Jebus I was right. I'm going to let the pictures take over at this point because LOOK: 

First Step: The torturous task of finding blog props to photograph before use!

Rich and Moist just like its namesake

Revlon's Red velvet is a deep red with pink/plum leanings

You can almost taste it, right?

I'm just shocked the cake lasted this long

On the actual kisser. Red Velvet, it makes me smile, wha? 

I think what thrilled me more than anything else with this lip butter is the fact that it didn't bleed or feather on my lips. Now I know I'm no Spring chuck but I've never had a difficulty with feathering before and the thoughts of carrying 'round a lip pencil just for my lip balm was far too much faff to be doing with. 

Not only is Red Velvet soft, moisturising and fairly long wearing (2 hrs approx) but it's the most flattering red I've worn in a while, considering my aversion to bright colours. I've had several compliments while wearing this shade and you know what? That makes me happy. 

There are five limited edition Revlon lip butter shades available for Summer 2013 with the last two here joining the permanent collection: Wild Water / Juicy Papaya / Sorbet / Pink Lemonade / Brown Sugar / Red Velvet / Sugar Plum. Thankfully Red Velvet made the cut!

You can check out the other shades in action, Brown Sugar especially over here on Sunday Girl's delectable blog. Truth be told I'm not sure I'll be picking up any others though I know for a fact I'll be stocking up on this. Thankfully they're 3 for 2 at the minute in Boots. 

What think we? 

YSL Rouge Pur Couture The Mats: Prune Virgin for a Bold Lip Virgin

First arriving in the Autumn YSL Contemporary Amazon collection, I've been a little wary of Prune Virgin Rouge Pur Couture Mat simply because it's so dark in the bullet. I'm more a gloss or coffee coloured kisser girl. How wrong I was. 

The Mats are formulated with Jojoba oil and emollients so my concerns about Prune Virgin drying my lips were also completely unfounded. It's silky soft on application and wears as one of the most comfortable lipsticks I've used. 

Prune Virgin  (€32),Shiny & Bright on first application

YSL promise 6 hours wear with The Mats and again, I was dubious so I thought I'd give you a look at Prune Virgin on the lips 6 hours later. For Science. 

Prune Virgin 6 Hours Later

As you can see, the colour fades evenly and even after 6 hours the lips are pigmented and still soft. I did apply one swish of Kiehl's Lip Balm during that time but that was more of habit than necessity. 

Minimal makeup & bleary eyed from a 8am site visit but Lips a Poppin'!

I can safely say I'm converted. Prune Virgin is absolutely nothing like I had imagined and it's found its way right into my make up rotation. It's my ideal for early mornings, haring out the door with no time for full face application. 

What think we? Have you tried any of The Mats? Or are you Bold Lip Lover?