Happy International Lipstick Day, gorgeous! Last year, I posted about my favorite lip products in celebration of Lipstick Day, but today I want to talk about my experience with a product that's become increasingly popular among every makeup aficionado and for very good reasons — liquid lipsticks.
There's no denying how much liquid lipsticks had levelled up since their invention in the 1990's. Its popularity soared to great heights last year, but this year is different. It totally boomed (fireworks and all). With just about every brand releasing their own line and version, we have undoubtedly reached a whole new era of liquid lipsticks. So here's the lowdown on my own immersion with this beauty trend that I really hope would last until eternity, with reviews of some of the liquid lipsticks I have tried recently.
My love affair with liquid lipsticks started with another love affair: liquid lip gloss. The wand is what got me sold in the beginning, it might as well be called magic wand. I don't have steady hands and would usually struggle achieving a clean swipe of lipstick without making some sort of mess. For me, the product is just easier to work with when using a brush as application tends to be more precise and seamless without the need for double dipping
So when all this hype with liquid lipsticks started, I went with Sephora Collection's Cream Lip Stain to finally give it a go. This line is still one of my go-to liquid lipsticks to date. My top shades are #13 Marvelous Mauve and #14 Blackberry Sorbet. They're very long-lasting, transfer proof, and also affordable, plus I love the fact that it's not drying which is a rarity among all matte liquid lipsticks out there.
My most favorite classic pink shade is Wow by Woojooh's Lipstuck in Oud Rose. I got a sampler when I was still subscribed to Glambox and this has become a daily staple. This lip lacquer is very matte with an impressive staying power. I just find it too drying, so lately I'd always end up using this on top of my Inglot matte lipstick in #425 instead. Believe me, this combo looks very pretty on and no need for a touch-up as the color can last you all day if you veer away from the oily food group.
I have mixed feelings about Kylie Jenner's liquid lipsticks to be honest, maybe partly because it took us almost two months to receive our orders. My friends and I pooled our selections and ordered together, but the parcel didn't reach Dubai after landing in Saudi Arabia. After weeks and weeks of hammering Kylie Cosmetics' customer service with tons of follow-up emails, they were nice enough to send us a one-time replacement box which my friend Kim asked to be shipped to her Shop and Ship US address. Five days later and my Kylie lipkits in Posie K and Dolce K arrived, but by that time my excitement for the product has already died down.
Yes, the packaging is very pretty with a touching Thank you note from Kylie Jenner herself, and I love that it already comes with a complementing lip pencil which makes application a walk in the park for me. It's also extreme-wearing which is a major plus and I love that it's vanilla-flavored which is pretty addicting to be honest. The only turn-off would have to be the colors since the shades I have chosen are not very flattering against my skin tone. Posie K was okay because I love pink shades in general, but lacks the punch and wow-factor I was expecting from such a trending brand which got sold out minutes after its launch. However, Dolce K was extremely disappointing. Proclaimed to be the perfect nude lipstick, but ended up getting completely washed out when I tried it on. It has done such a great job in erasing my mouth from my face, it might as well be a foundation/concealer. Maybe it would have worked had I settled for a deeper or darker shade from her collection, but I guess I'll never know.
The best thing about this whole National Lipstick Day she-bang would have to be Huda Beauty's liquid matte lipsticks which was launched the other day. While the nifty packaging kinda resembles Kylie's, the product itself trumps my Kylie lipkits in more ways than one. It's inexpensive, long-lasting, and has so much more variety in colors, plus it's closer to home (that's kinda in the literal sense since I live right next to Mall of the Emirates). I got the shades Famous and Trendsetter during its very successful launch in Sephora MOE branch last Wednesday and got so impressed that I had to come back the very next day dragging my beauty magpie friend Kim during our lunch break to get the shades Trophy Wife and Muse. It feels so lightweight when worn but the color is just wow, it's amazingly opaque.
The shade Famous by Huda Beauty swept me off my feet. It's so gorgeous, the almost old Hollywood glam kind of gorgeous. It's a deep bloody merlot color with a plummish tinge that's just bold and flattering against any skin tone. Huda describes it as an "effortlessly chic burgundy" shade and it's so amazing how this shade seems to scream positive compliments right back at you whenever you look in the mirror. I showed my husband after trying it on for the first time and he instantly said "You look like a doll. You should wear it everyday" which basically means two thumbs up. The #notjustanotherliquidlipstick tag really couldn't be more fitting.
I have also read some very good reviews about the liquid lipsticks line released by Anastasia Beverly Hills, NYX, ColourPop, and Kat Von D. There's just so many brands to try claiming to be the best liquid lipsticks ever. The only down side in all of these liquid lipstick adventures would have to be the ugly truth that they can be very drying to the lips. Using balms or lip primer helps but they tend to affect the lipstick's staying power.
Quick Tips: Exfoliate your lips regularly with a mix of olive oil and sugar to bid dry and cracked lips goodbye. I also swipe on Burts Bee's Replenishing Lip Balm before going to sleep every night which works wonders in nourishing the lips.
And ladies, drink lots of water please. It's totally appalling whenever I hear people who skip drinking and even eating to make sure their lipsticks stay put all day. That's very unhealthy and also just plain dumb to be honest. Lipsticks are supposed to boost up your confidence and not invented to make you an anorexic.
Have you tried liquid lipsticks? What's your favorite shade?
No comments