GUCCI Rouge a Levres Satin LIPSTICKS 2019 Review, Swatches: PART I BOLDS

GUCCI Rouge a Levres Satin LIPSTICKS 2019 Review, Swatches: PART I BOLDS

Swatches Cosmetopia Digest   Friday, July 19, 2019

Remember Gucci Beauty? They launched back in 2014, with Pat McGrath as one of the creative directors, but the range faded into oblivion in 2016.
They've relaunched now, with a spankin' range of 58 lipsticks in three finishes, for Summer 2019! The range is inspired by Old Hollywood and art and antiques - a passion of current creative director Alessandro Michele (shared by yours truly). This shows in the naming of the lipsticks, as well as the packaging.
Since I've been having a rough time lately, with allergy issues for myself and health issues for my family as well, I decided to treat myself to some of these (as well as a couple of other luxury lipsticks - see here for another recent lipstick haul - I tell you, there is NOTHING like a luxe lippie to cheer you up). Unfortunately, the more muted shades were out of stock when I placed my order, so I picked some of the bolder and brighter shades. I held off on the review, hoping the subtler shades would be back in stock soon. I then lost patience, and went ahead with the review, only to find that all the shades were back in stock! I have some dusty roses on their way to me - I will be adding the swatches of those to this very same post, so do bookmark it and check back in a couple of weeks' time!
For now, I have some of the bolder, fuchsia shades to show you, though I'll definitely tell you what shade numbers contain what colour families, and how to choose the shade you want.

UPDATE: I HAVE RECEIVED MORE NEUTRAL COLOURS - SWATCHES ADDED BELOW. 

Scroll down for my review and swatches of the Gucci Rouge a Levres Satin Lipsticks for Summer 2019.

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Estee Lauder Pure Color DESIRE ROUGE EXCESS LIPSTICKS Review, Swatches

Estee Lauder Pure Color DESIRE ROUGE EXCESS LIPSTICKS Review, Swatches

Swatches Cosmetopia Digest   Thursday, July 18, 2019

For me, the biggest problem with the Estee Lauder Pure Color Desire Rouge Excess Lipsticks is that name. WHY Pure Color? Why not start a whole new range instead of adding length - and confusing - to a handle?
I'll explain.
First, we had the Estee Lauder Pure Color lipsticks. Then came the Pure Color ENVY Sculpting lipsticks (reviewed here) - regular first, followed by a matte range. Then, we had the Pure Color LOVE Lipsticks (reviewed here). Liquid lipsticks followed (all reviewed here) - Pure Color Love Liquid lip colours, and Pure Color PAINT-ON Liquid Lipsticks. ARGH! Stop already! Can't they remove the "Pure Color" suffix at least now? Why is it on every darn lipstick launch ever? Surely Estee Lauder Desire Rouge Excess is enough without tacking on Pure Color in there?
Enough ranting about the name. Let's talk about the lipsticks themselves. These come in stunning packaging, possibly the best we've seen from Estee Lauder. Very heavy metal. All gold. Satisfying click. Incidentally, these are the lipsticks that are supposed to have the highest percentage of pigment in any Estee Lauder lipstick so far.

Scroll down for the review, swatches, and demo of the Estee Lauder Pure Color Desire Rouge Excess Lipsticks.

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By Terry Lip-Expert Matte Liquid Lipsticks Review, Swatches, Demo

By Terry Lip-Expert Matte Liquid Lipsticks Review, Swatches, Demo

Swatches Cosmetopia Digest   Monday, May 20, 2019

Cremes may come and glosses may go, but my heart shall continue to flip at the sight of a long-wearing matte liquid lipstick. Hopefully, the trend isn't over yet - there are brands that are continuing to launch liquid lippies, By Terry having come out with a set of 15 shades for Spring 2019, called the Lip-Expert Liquid Lipsticks.
These come in shine and matte finishes. No prizes for guessing which I picked. 
The packaging is very different from other liquid lipsticks we've seen; this one is futuristic, and, for the want of a better term, very cool. Doe foot applicator. I picked up three shades, and returned one - shade 3 happens to be a bubblegum pink rather than the dusty rose they've advertised, but shade 2 is perfect for everyday wear, while shade 4 is a deeper colour that I'm embracing in my quest to get out of my comfort zone. But you'll see all of that in a minute.

Scroll down for the review and swatches of the By Terry Lip-Expert Matte Liquid Lipsticks.

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By Terry Lip Powder Essence Is A Powder That Becomes Liquid!

By Terry Lip Powder Essence Is A Powder That Becomes Liquid!

Swatches Cosmetopia Digest   Saturday, July 28, 2018

I've been in a makeup rut for a while now. Everything feels same-old, same-old, you know? Warm neutral eyeshadow palettes with lots of orange-ish variants. Filter-ing foundation variants. Matte liquid lipsticks. Meh. I want new, exciting things!
That's when I saw the By Terry Lip Powder Essence on Feelunique, when I was browsing around with a birthday discount code. Guided by my intuition, I decided to buy it.
What is it? A POWDER. A powder that transforms into a long-wearing, highly pigmented, liquid lipstick, upon contact with the lips. I'm completely stunned.
While awaiting my order, I was plagued with doubts. How was a powder even going to go on my lips, let alone stay there? Would I not end up with a massive mess on my face? Would the powder not be drying on my already parched lips? What if I dropped the product and all the powder spilled out?

Scroll down for the review and demo of the By Terry Lip Powder Essence.

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Karl Lagerfeld x ModelCo Lip Lights Matte Liquid Lipsticks Review, Demo, Swatches

Karl Lagerfeld x ModelCo Lip Lights Matte Liquid Lipsticks Review, Demo, Swatches

Swatches Cosmetopia Digest   Sunday, June 17, 2018

When I heard that fashion supremo Karl Lagerfeld had collaborated with Australian beauty brand ModelCo to bring out an exclusive, limited edition makeup collection for Summer 2018, I was as excited as any makeup lover. This has been touted as the most anticipated makeup launch of this year.
The collection launched on May 14, and is 100% cruelty-free. There is a whole gamut of products in here - eyeshadow palettes, mascara, eyeliners, highlighters, makeup sets, makeup brushes, lip toppers, lip glosses, matte liquid lipsticks... pretty much everything except foundation itself. All products are one-stock-drop only.
I have the matte liquid lipsticks to show you. These are called the Lip Lights - as you've probably guessed, there is a light when you open the tube, which means you can apply this lipstick in the dark or in low light without accidentally endowing your ears in scarlet. There are eight shades in the matte liquid lipstick range, and each one costs £22 - for a 6ml tube.

Scroll down for the review, swatches, and demo of the Karl Lagerfeld x ModelCo Lip Lights Matte Liquid Lipsticks, and my thoughts on the whole collection.

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Revolution Pro Supreme Matte Lip Pigments Review, Swatches, Demo

Revolution Pro Supreme Matte Lip Pigments Review, Swatches, Demo

Videos Cosmetopia Digest   Friday, May 25, 2018

The Revolution Pro Supreme Matte Lip Pigments are long-wearing cruelty-free liquid lipsticks from the professional range of Revolution Beauty. They cost just £4 each, and are supposed to be dupes for the NARS Power Matte Lip Pigments.
They come in a whopping 30 shades. Very impressive - there are foundations out there that don't have half as many shades. The shades range from white to black, and include neutrals, pinks, berries, brights, reds, and corals.
These claim to be transfer-proof, fully-pigmented, and long-wearing. Let's see if all that is true.

Scroll down for review, swatches, and demos of the Revolution Pro Supreme Matte Lip Pigments.

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Mid-Year Makeup Giveaway 2018: Open Worldwide

Mid-Year Makeup Giveaway 2018: Open Worldwide

Tarte Cosmetopia Digest   Friday, May 18, 2018

As promised, my mid-year makeup giveaway is on - it is open to my YouTube and email subscribers.
The giveaway is open worldwide, as usual, and closes on July 15, 2018.
The winner - one person - gets an assortment of 12 makeup products. Winners WILL only be chosen by the Gleam widget at random - NOT by me, thanks very much!
As usual, comments containing profanity, rudeness, racism, hyper-links, promos of MLM, entreaties to pick you as a winner, and so on, will not be published.
Enough. Off you go; look at the prizes, rules, and entry form.

Scroll down for my mid-year makeup giveaway, open worldwide.

Rouge Dior Liquid Lipsticks Review, Swatches, Demo

Rouge Dior Liquid Lipsticks Review, Swatches, Demo

Swatches Cosmetopia Digest   Sunday, April 01, 2018

For some reason, the Rouge Dior Liquid Lipsticks came without much brouhaha. I mean, there is SO much noise about beauty launches these days... leaks on some Instagram accounts, debates over the leaks, pre-ponement of the launch date owing to said leak, PR parties, luxury holidays, massively over-egged packaging, more debates and controversies... I'm actually veering towards designer brands such as Chanel and Dior simply because of the lack of a hullabaloo over new releases.
I found these when Harrods had a 10% off sale, and they seemed a lot of fun. I had already picked up a few Armani Lip Magnets in store, and when I read that the formula was similarly non-drying, I knew I wanted these. They have a whopping 28 different shades - ARE YOU HEARING THIS, BRANDS COMING OUT WITH FOUNDATIONS AND CONCEALERS? - and a number of these are neutral, though some of the subtle shades I wanted were not in stock. I only picked three of them.
There are three different finishes - matte, satin, and metal. Obviously, I went in for matte. These are powdery-matte. Velvet matte. Not at all drying.

Scroll down for my review and swatches of the Rouge Dior Liquid Lipsticks.

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INC.redible Matte My Day Liquid Lip Paint Review, Demo, Comparisons

INC.redible Matte My Day Liquid Lip Paint Review, Demo, Comparisons

Videos Cosmetopia Digest   Sunday, February 11, 2018

Metal and glossy lips may be attempting a comeback, but the matte lip trend is as strong as ever. The latest liquid lipstick on the bandwagon is the INC.redible Matte My Day Liquid Lip Paint, from Nails INC - the nail polish brand, no less. Good to see polish brands such as Models Own, Butter London, and Nails INC venture into makeup territory.
The INC.redible Matte My Day Liquid Lip Paints come in a generous 14 shades, covering everything from neutrals to brights. These are just £8, for which you get 3.8ml of product, packaged in a sturdy tube, where you can see both colour and quantity of product left. There's a doefoot applicator which does the job, and the fragrance of the lipstick is very similar to that of Jouer Long Wear Lip Cremes, or the Huda Beauty Lip Mattes - tropical and sweet, but not irritatingly strong.

Scroll down for the review and demo of the INC.redible Matte My Day Liquid Lip Paints.

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Anti-Haul Q1 2018: Ten Beauty Products I'm Not Buying

Anti-Haul Q1 2018: Ten Beauty Products I'm Not Buying

Skin care Cosmetopia Digest   Friday, January 26, 2018

I've never done an anti-haul post before; primarily because I hadn't gone through a phase where I've found a bunch of products that were meh - until now.
There's are several reasons I find myself underwhelmed by these products. For starters, there's the launch pace. I mean, brands are churning out products at such a rate that
For another, there's the rationale behind some of these - if it ain't broken don't fix it, but a number of these products seem to do just that; compete with their own existing, successful lines.
Another reason is that I've never been attracted to some of these trends. Everyone seems to be hopping on to some of these trends right now, without bothering to research whether their usual clientele even goes in for those trends.
Inferior quality is also why I'm avoiding at least two of these products.
With two others mentioned here, I'm staying away because they will not suit me; either shade-wise or skin type-wise.
Whatever my reasons - you'll know them in detail in a minute - the fact is that brands need to sit down and rethink their launch pace, their raison d'etre, their target market's preferences, the necessity - and type - of a new product, and packaging.

Scroll down for my first anti-haul of the year; here are 10 beauty products I'm not buying this year.

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Best of Beauty 2017: Favourite Lipsticks

Best of Beauty 2017: Favourite Lipsticks

Reviews Cosmetopia Digest   Sunday, December 31, 2017

Here's my penultimate post of the year (yes, there's one more left, and no, it isn't "Happy New Year", haha). This is the last installment of the Best of Beauty 2017 trilogy. It features my favourite lip products. Not just lipsticks - I've included my favourite bullet and liquid lipsticks, lip liners, toppers, balm, and glosses. Should probably have added a scrub - but nothing much wowed me this year, and it turns out that my favourite Lush Bubblegum breaks me out around my mouth. Pretty much all Lush products have been breaking me out badly - I wonder why!
Anyway, favourite lipsticks.

Scroll down to check out my favourite lip products for 2017 - including lipsticks, lip glosses, lip liners, balms, and more. 

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Morphe Liquid Lipsticks Review, Swatches, Demo

Morphe Liquid Lipsticks Review, Swatches, Demo

Videos Cosmetopia Digest   Thursday, October 05, 2017

Morphe Liquid Lipsticks are the second lot of products I've tried from the brand, the first being contouring brushes, which made my contouring game so much easier. The lipsticks promise a bulletproof kiss, and are just $12, or €13.95, or £9 each. They are made in the USA and come in 22 shades.

Scroll down for my review and swatches of the Morphe Liquid Lipsticks.

Please watch this video for the swatches and review of the Morphe Liquid Lipsticks - please also give me a thumbs-up, and do subscribe to my channel!

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Estee Lauder Pure Color Love Lipsticks Review, Swatches

Estee Lauder Pure Color Love Lipsticks Review, Swatches

Swatches Cosmetopia Digest   Wednesday, September 27, 2017

Estee Lauder's Pure Color Love Lipsticks came out earlier this year. Despite having "Pure Color" in the name, the packaging and look seemed to be a departure from the Pure Color Envy Sculpting Lipsticks - see review here and here. I picked up three after falling in love with the shades in-store.
There are different sets in this range - Matte, Pearl, Chrome/Foil, and Creme. I only picked the creme ones; you get enough matte from liquid lipsticks, and I like my bullets lippies to be hydrating when I touch-up.
There are 30 shades in the range, and there's something for everyone, from the subtlest of neutrals to the vampiest and boldest lippies. 

Scroll down for the review, swatches, and demo of the Estee Lauder Pure Color Love Lipsticks.

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First Impressions of Sigma's Lip Makeup, Swatches + Discount Code

First Impressions of Sigma's Lip Makeup, Swatches + Discount Code

Swatches Cosmetopia Digest   Wednesday, August 16, 2017

Sigma's makeup brushes are a staple in my makeup routine, with the Diffused Crease Brush (E38), Soft Blend Concealer Brush (F64), and 3DHD Kabuki Brush playing a role each morning as I rush about. However, I had not tried any makeup from the brand before.
I can now tell you that the lippies and the eyeliner are as great as the brushes. The pigmentation and the creamy texture are as marvellous as you would want! I have some swatches further below, though detailed review posts are coming soon.
To mark the 70th anniversary of India's independence, Sigma has a generous offer - code INDIA20 will get you a generous 20% off your order until August 17!

Scroll down for swatches and first impressions of Sigma Power Crayon and Power Stick Lipstick.

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Mid-2017 Makeup Haul, Including 10 Lipsticks!

Mid-2017 Makeup Haul, Including 10 Lipsticks!

YSL Cosmetopia Digest   Tuesday, August 15, 2017

I usually go on two makeup shopping-sprees in a year - the first one is around June-July, and the second one is around Christmas/Boxing Day, to take advantage of the sales.
This year, my haul was mostly from Harvey Nichols (I missed a gorgeous GWP by one day; can you believe it?), Selfridges, and Debenhams. The haul included 10 lipsticks, but just the two eye palettes. But why am I talking about it? You can see my haul for yourself further below.

Scroll down to see my mid-2017 makeup haul from Harvey Nichols, Selfridges, and Debenhams.

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Laura Geller Fifty Kisses Lip Locking Liquid Lip Colour Review, Swatches

Laura Geller Fifty Kisses Lip Locking Liquid Lip Colour Review, Swatches

Swatches Cosmetopia Digest   Friday, June 09, 2017

Laura Geller Fifty Kisses Lip Locking Liquid Lip Colour is a long-wearing liquid lipstick range that promises to stay put through 50 kisses, launched in early 2017. There are eight shades available. I have two of them to show you, and will be showing you a third one shortly.
The shades I picked are Ravishing Rose and Melon Crush.

Scroll down for the review and swatches of the Laura Geller Fifty Kisses Lip Long Liquid Color.

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Soap & Glory Sexy Mother Pucker Matte Lip 3D Lip Colour Review, Swatches

Soap & Glory Sexy Mother Pucker Matte Lip 3D Lip Colour Review, Swatches

Swatches Cosmetopia Digest   Sunday, March 26, 2017

I have been obsessed with the Soap & Glory Sexy Mother Pucker Lipstick in Perfectly Bare - see review and swatches here. The shade was so pretty and the lipstick so creamy that the SAs in Selfridges wanted to know what brand it was, and refused to believe me when I said it was a Boots buy.
The Sexy Mother Pucker Matte Lip 3D Lip Colours are a 2016 launch from Soap & Glory. At first, I gave them a derisive look - they were lip crayons, after all, and I always find that lip crayons are less pigmented and less lasting than bullet lipsticks, let alone liquid lipsticks.
The SA at Boots convinced me to pick one of these up. There were five shade options. I chose the mauve-iest shade of the lot - Chocoberry, which is neither "choco" nor berry, but a regular mauvey-pink.
If you are in the UK, buy from Boots here. US readers can get this from here.  

Scroll down for more on the Soap & Glory Sexy Mother Pucker Matte Lip 3D Lip Colour, including swatches and review.

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Beautylish Lucky Bag 2017 Review, Unboxing, Contents

Beautylish Lucky Bag 2017 Review, Unboxing, Contents

Wayne Goss Cosmetopia Digest   Saturday, January 14, 2017

Meet the world's best beauty box. It comes out only once a year, on Boxing Day. I bought last year's Beautylish Lucky Bag, which you can see here, and fell in love with the concept.
Lucky Bags are popular in Japan around the New Year time - businesses distribute them, believing they will bring good luck to the recipients.
There is no actual bag - the contents of the Beautylish Lucky Bag come in a regular box with special wrapping paper. The owl, which Beautylish incorporates in the wrapping paper each year, is said to bring luck. Nils, who co-founded Beautylish, tells his staff to make each bag better than the previous years'.
The Lucky Bag costs $75, and international customers need to pay shipping as well. You cannot combine orders with the Lucky Bag. But the contents are worth a lot more - my own bag contains products worth a whopping $194, as you can see below. 
Spoiler: There are NO eyeshadows in my Lucky Bag!

Scroll down for the contents of the Beautylish Lucky Bag 2017.

2016 Makeup Favourites: Best 10 Lipsticks Of The Year

2016 Makeup Favourites: Best 10 Lipsticks Of The Year

YSL Cosmetopia Digest   Tuesday, December 27, 2016

Did you have a good Christmas? I had the time of my life, and came away with better loot than I have had in a while. Swag included a Coloured Raine eyeshadow palette, a 40x jeweller's loupe, new trainers, books, a new jacket, and more. But all that is for another time; I'm too lazy to take photographs today.
Now that the year is almost done, I thought I would talk about my favourites - this year has clearly been all about liquid lipsticks, with brands coming out with new, non-drying formulations. I hope the trend continues well into 2017!

Scroll down for deets on 10 of my favourite lipsticks from 2016. 

Charlotte Tilbury Hot Lips Lipstick in Secret Salma Review, Swatches, Comparison

Charlotte Tilbury Hot Lips Lipstick in Secret Salma Review, Swatches, Comparison

Swatches Cosmetopia Digest   Thursday, December 22, 2016

Charlotte Tilbury's Hot Lips range of lipsticks is inspired by the most iconic women of our times. The formula is exactly the same as Charlotte Tilbury's Matte Revolution lipsticks, reviewed here.
I only picked one - and if you haven't guessed that it is either a dusty or mauvey pink, then you don't know me at all.

Scroll down for the review and swatches of Charlotte Tilbury Matte Revolution Hot Lips Lipstick in Secret Salma.

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