[Review] Laneige two tone lip bar in #2 Red Blossom & #3 Pink Salmon

Gradient lips! It’s the lip trend in Asia now hailed from Korea and I find it really clever and flattering. It’s basically the technique of focusing more intense colour in the inner lips and gradually fading into the lip line with a nude / skin / another lip colour. The effect is gorgeoussss. Clever marketeers cuz we now have to get more lip products – lip concealer, at least two lippies, maybe a lip stain as a base omg. 

Today I’m going to review the Laneige two tone lip bar created for the very function of gradient lips that has two lip colours in 1 lipstick! Gradient effect in one swipe, it claims. I was so intrigued by this and it is still the only product in the market like that. Let’s get down to the review!

Brand: Laneige
Product: two tone lip bar
Shade: #2 Red blossom & #3 Pink Salmon
Type: Lipstick
Price: SGD34 (or around USD30 online)
Origin: Made in Korea
Website: Laneige website

THE PACKAGING

  

A rectangular lip bar packaging, different from the typical round lipstick. 

 
 See the little button at the side? Slide that down to get the product up. 

 
Innovative yea? It is retractable by sliding the same button up. But guess what, after photographing these, one of the sliders malfunctioned and it won’t retract even with sliding up! Gosh! Had to use a tissue to push the product back in so the cap can close. Thankfully it wasn’t too hard but don’t play with the sliding up and down unnecessarily!

THE PRODUCT

  

Song Hae Kyo is the prettiest!

   

They have 10 shades. #2 red blossom and #3 pink salmon suited me well when I tried it at the counter so into my bag it goes! 

THE SHADES

      

#2 Red Blossom has a bright red-pink and a nude pink-beige colour. 

# Pink Salmon has a bright true orange and a baby pink colour. 

Love these two lip bars as the colours are really complementary and brings out the gradient very nicely. Some of the other shades have more contrasting colours if you like, and some not even much contrast (like 7 cashmere nude) which defeats the purpose.

On my lips!

   

I find both shades brighten up my complexion in different ways! I don’t own any red red lipstick yet but I find #2 red blossom works on me! 

The texture is smooth and glides on easily. It also feels comfortable on lips, just like a moisturizing lipstick. The lighter colours may accentuate lines so lip balm or scrub first. 

The gradient effect is not achieved in one swipe though. Although I like the diagonal slant which helps create a softer effect, you need a Q-tip to blur out the harsh line between 2 colours. Fingers (even the last finger) don’t do the job as it ends up smearing the line too much that you lose the gradient and end up with one mixed colour on your whole lip. I also tried to use the lipstick edges to blend but then you kinda get both colours onto your lipstick, which you need to clean before your next use so you waste product. 

Staying power is so-so, maybe 3-4 hours? I haven’t found any lipstick which can last beyond 3-4 hours. Except Etude House play 101 pencil #11 with a very matte/dry texture. 

MY VERDICT

Pros:

• Gradient lips with less fuss! No need two different lip products. 
• Innovative design, fun product
• Sleek and light packaging 
• 10 shades, each made with complementary colours and good range from light to dark colours. 
• Comfortable moisturizing texture and wear on the lips

Cons:

• Still need a Q-tip to blur out the gradient line. Fingers too fat. 
• Need to be careful with button sliding thing as mine malfunctioned before using!
• Find the size of the product quite little (only 2g) for the price. It is not as wide as typical round lipstick due to its small rectangular design. 

Overall, I had fun! I’m especially happy with #2 red blossom since I could finally add some red to my lipstick collection. I put #3 pink salmon in my pouch and it is great for daily use and the bright orange really brightens my face with one light swipe. 

You don’t exactly need these lippies to create a gradient effect. Sometimes I actually prefer to use different products and play around with my collection, but for something to carry out and you want gradient lip as quick touch-up, then this is great 🙂

[Review] YSL baby doll kiss & blush in #4 Orange Fougueux and #8 Pink Hedonista

Hi everyone! Today I would like to review YSL baby doll kiss & blush! I really like how YSL comes up with their product names 🙂

Brand: Yves Saint Lauren (YSL)
Product: Baby doll kiss & blush
Shade: #4 Orange Fougueux and #8 Pink Hedonista
Type: Lipstick, Lip tint, Cream blush, Cheek tint
Price: US$40 (I got it at SGD45 duty free)
Website: YSL website

 THE PACKAGING

Comes in a clear square-cut container where you can see the shade clearly. And signature YSL gold tube handle. Simple and sweet! Light and won’t hurt to squeeze a few in your pouch XD

  
The applicator is like felt material with a pointed tip and a round pop in the centre. Overall it picks up the product very well, not too much or little at one go. 

The pointed tip is good for dabbing a few spots on the cheek before blending; and the round pop is great for spreading colour onto your lips. Truly made to work for both lips and cheek huh?! Clever people at YSL!

The bottle opening is made to be as small as possible but sometimes I still worry about air going in and out whether it will dry up the product *paranoid*

THE PRODUCT

On YSL Website:

Kiss your cheeks. Blush your lips. Play with color and mix and match your lips and cheeks. Yves Saint Laurent introduces the latest innovation in the edgy Baby Doll attitude. This 2 in 1 ultra blendable air whipped mousse beautifully highlights your lips and cheeks with a sensual soft matte finish. Available in 12 signature YSL shades.

What’s inside:

• – Hyaluronic Acid Spheres
• – Moisturizing action emollients
• – Softening action
• – Pomegranate extract
• – Antioxidant action
• – Candellila Resin
• – Protection
• – Mineral Pigments
• – Bright sheer color

THE SHADES AND TEXTURE

Edit    

Sorry the lighting is on yellow side. The  pigmentation is really high and colour difference is so clear with flash. 

#4 is a really bright orange coral while #8 is a sheer baby rose pink. Both are just my type of shades 🙂

The texture is really light – truly like air whipped mousse indeed and I love it! Nothing like it elsewhere. 

Blended look below! This shows how it might look on cheeks when you blend it out. 

  

You achieve also this finish when you dab product on lips or cheeks for natural look. Colour depth is certainly adjustable if you layer on concealer on lips or sheer foundation on cheeks. 

You need to dab rather quickly on cheeks to blend it out nicely before product settles. I use bb cushion or concealer to blend out the sides to avoid any harsh lines 🙂

Next, on mua lips!

  

It would work awesome to apply on cheeks too for a matching look, but I was lazy XD

 #4 suits me well as a my-lips-but-better product isn’t it?  #8 really brightens up my face, as with how coral / orange lippies work on me.  What I love is its consistent soft matte texture and gorgeous colour… 

The staying power is ok on lips, and longer on cheeks. I haven’t found a lipstick that truly stays anyway LOL. Because of its matteness, it could feel abit dry on lips and accentuate some fine lines. I also notice it leaves a tint of colour on lips even after product fades – which is a good thing although the tint tends to cling to the dry parts of lips…

MY VERDICT

Pros:

• Love the soft matte texture on both lips and cheeks
• Buildable colour from sheer to highly pigmented
• Wide variety of gorgeous shades (#4 and #8 suit me well but I’d love to get the whole range!)
• Truly dual function where it works well for both lips and cheeks – travel friendly!
• Staying power on cheeks are good! Colour can also be adjusted if you layer on sheer foundation. 

Cons:

• Pricey at US$40 if not duty-free. But product probably will last a long long while. 
• Abit drying on lips and may accentuate lip lines
• Staying power on lips not that long although it leaves a tint on dry parts of the lips which looks fine from far (not so much from near)

Overall 

I carry #8 in my daily pouch now and works great as quick touch up to both lips and cheeks when I need it! I keep #4 at home for us during weekends when I want bright lips 🙂 it’s also a great dual product perfect for travel. 

I tend to always get a natural sheer colour and a bright coral / orange shade for lippies but I’m really tempted to get other shades of this range like #5 as recommended by beautifymeeh YouTuber. The only thing stopping me is the cost and the chance to try something new from a zillion brands out there.  Till I figure what to do, I’m certainly happy with my purchase  and probably won’t ever need to repurchase since quite a lot of product in there XD

I’m just infatuated with YSL, you know?

[Review] and [Comparison] – NARS Contour Blush in #5180 vs MAC Mineralize Skinfinish Natural in #Medium Dark

Hi beautifuls! I always considered contouring / shading to be advanced makeup skills that only pro-makeup artists can handle, but for the past year or so, this concept has boomed so much that any new makeup junkie like me can learn the tricks of making my face look slimmer without exercising *hooray!*

Today I’ll be reviewing the NARS Contour Blush in #5180 that I bought in Japan, and also doing a comparison with MAC Mineralize Skinfinish Natural in #Medium Dark (gosh what a long product name). 

Brand: NARS
Product: Contour Blush
Shade: 5180 Olympia (ivory/rose)
Price: US$42 or 4200yen 
Type: Blush / Contouring
Origin: Made in USA
Website: NARS official website

THE PACKAGING

   

  

Classic black NARS packaging with velvet-matte finish very nice to the touch. 

  

Love the NARS font – so classy. Decent size mirror. Larger area for contour shade (rose) and lesser for the highlight shade (ivory). 

THE PRODUCT

From NARS:

A LUST FOR BLUSH

A duo of contouring blush shades to create natural-looking dimension for the face with a lightweight luminous finish. A deeper shade enhances definition while a lighter shade illuminates the high points of the face.

  

Closer look at the powders. They are TOTALLY MATTE. No shimmers at all, so double thumbs up for me! 

There are 3 shades from NARS for this product and this is the lightest and probably the only usable one for fair or Asian skin tone (I am NC/NW20). The other 2 shades are much darker suited for darker skin tones. 

Also love the fact it has both highlight and contour shade in one compact! Good for travel. Just gotta remember to pack a contouring brush along~

Now onto comparing with MAC!

  

Regarding MAC Mineralize Skinfinish Natural:

A luxurious domed face powder with minerals, slowly baked to provide a dimensional yet natural-matte finish. Provides perfect light coverage. Use to set and fix foundation or as a touch-up throughout the day. New mirrored compact.

I was introduced to this by a MAC salesgirl when I told her I am looking for a contouring product. This powder has a thousand shades and she picked #Medium Dark for me. It is really a natural light powder that can be a foundation, setting powder, etc and I never would have thot it could be used for shading. Thanks to the helpful MAC salesgirl!

THE SHADE AND TEXTURE

  

The contour shades are quite different. NARS has more of pink/red hues while MAC definitely lends more to a brown/beige shade. 

The contour shade in NARS is called Rose and I feel it is very apt. A rosy pinkish shade that can be a blush on its own. 

  

Swatches! Reconfirming the rosy hues of NARS and brown hues of MAC. 

On texture, NARS feels really smooth and silky while MAC powders are really fine though not as silky to the touch. 

Both are MATTE. No shimmer. 

  

Just nose shading only. It’s amazing how a small dab of powder makes your nose look taller/sharper. 

  

Nose shading comparison only. Can you see the shade difference? Sorry it’s really subtle. 

I think you can pick the colour that best matches your eyebrow colour or overall makeup look. 

Now onto cheek shading! I’m still super amateur in this so pardon the skills please!

No other blush product applied~

NARS definitely create a more rosy pink look while MAC is slightly darker. Both offer great contouring and definition!

I think you don’t need another different blush product for NARS whereas for MAC, perhaps a pastel lighter colored blush might be good to brighten the face. NARS also has the white highlight shade so it’s really convenient. 

MY VERDICT of NARS

Pros

• Super silky and smooth texture
• Easy to blend, hard to get unnatural blotches
• Fully MATTE
• Contains both highlight and contour shade in 1 compact
• Sleek flat portable packaging with mirror (but no brush)

Cons

• Packaging can get dirty easily with foundation stains from fingers on the matte surface
• Need to buy good contouring brush (no brush included)
• Rosy shade may not suit all skin tones (but it suits mine well!)
• On the expensive side?

Overall

It took me awhile to open this NARS product as I was using the MAC whenever I wanna do shading if at all. Still learning the technique. But I think the rosy hue of NARS probably suit me better than MAC, especially for natural neutral makeup daily. I also love that it has a matte white highlight shade! Don’t really like shimmers on face as I could end up looking like a shimmer ball. 

MAC probably suits a darker makeup look better but I’m definitely happy I have both! Can pick and choose to suit whatever look I have on the day 🙂

Btw for the brush, I use MAC angled contouring brush #168 or Hakuhodo angled highlight brush #B512 / #G512. Both work greattttt ~