Review: Rimmel London Colour Show Off #140 Kiss Me

Rimmel-Colour Show off-Kiss-Me-#140

Although I am a self confessed lipstick lover, I tend to shy away from really bold colours, but with bright being the current trend, I thought I’d give it a go. So I started my hunt for a bold lipstick, preferably in a coral/pink shade, that was reasonably priced in case I never wore the damn thing again!

Enter Rimmel London Colour Show Off in shade 140 ‘Kiss Me’  at AUS$14.95

What I love: it has excellent colour pay off and I personally think it’s a very flattering, albeit bold, shade. It’s definitely a bright coral pink, so it ticked both boxes there, but you have to have the confidence to pull it off! I’m not ashamed to admit that I still haven’t gathered up the courage to wear this one to work, but I do love it for a flirty, fun weekend shade.

What I don’t love: the texture is a little heavy for my liking and the smell is very strong. It’s a rose scent, which is usually pleasant, but it can be overpowering, which is true in this case.
But what i really don’t like is the packaging – it’s a bright, shiny, flimsy pink plastic.  Hideous, tacky, urghh! Well that’s obviously my personal opinion, and I suppose you get what you pay for, but when you compare other lipsticks at the same price point I think it disappoints.

So although I love the colour, that’s probably all I love about this lipstick. If you’re looking for an inexpensive bold lipstick to see you through this trend then it’s definitely an option.

Rating 2.5/5

Review: Lancome L’Absolu Rouge #392 Prune Amethyste

L'Absolu Rouge - Prune Amethyste

If I’m going to be really honest, I bought this lipstick because of the packaging; glossy black case with a magnetic clasp that provides that perfect ‘click’ as it snaps closed – Heaven.

Aside from that I also really like the formula of this lipstick, it goes on so silky and smooth, I spend all day just smooshing my lips together so I can feel it! This lipstick is VERY moisturising, it’s like having butter on your lips, so did I mention – Heaven?

This particular shade is what I describe as one of my ‘statement’ pinks. It’s very bright so I usually wear it with black and very minimal eye makeup. I’d describe this as a satin finish with a hint of sparkle so it’s great for evening or if you’re feeling particularly bold during the day.

Scent wise it’s a pretty classic ‘lipsticky’ smell. There’s a slight rose scent which I think is nice but if you are adverse to lipsticks that smell then this one might be a bit strong.

Every time I wear this lipstick I always say to myself, I should wear it more often and at $30 AUD it’s a fairly reasonable price to consider expanding my colour range!

Rating 4/5

Review: Revlon Color Burst #35 Blush

Revlon ColorBurst-#35 Blush

I bought this lipstick a couple of weeks ago after reading some positive reviews on Make Up Alley and it has become my new go to lipstick! I’m actually wearing it more often than my Chanel Rouge Coco #5!

So I love this lipstick because:

• It has a beautiful creamy texture that feels so light on the lips, unlike the Rouge Coco, which is a little drying, I don’t notice my lips are dry at all with the Revlon.
• The colour is one of those ‘My Lips But Better’ shades. I’d describe it as a neutral pinky colour, which would suit most medium to light skin tones.
• It’s so easy to wear, I can apply it in a hurry and even without a mirror.
• It’s has a perfect amount of shine with just a tiny hint of sparkle. Enough to make your lips look full and luscious.
• The packaging is very chic – a matte black case with a diamond detailing on the front and back, very classy
• It has almost no scent at all!

I suppose the only down side to this lipstick is that it isn’t long wearing, and requires frequent re-application throughout the day, but given how quick and easy it is to slap on it doesn’t bother me at all!

Rating 4.5

Review: Maybelline Color Sensational #253 Cinnamon Stick

Maybelline ColorSensational-#253 Cinnamon Stick

I really like the Color Sensational range from Maybelline, I have a few of them now and I just find that they are a great inexpensive lipstick that go on smoothly, are not too drying and wear incredibly well. I also really like the packaging as they have a different lid color for each color family i.e. brown for neutrals, red for red, pink for pinks etc, which makes it really easy to locate the one you’re after quickly.

This particular shade is probably my favourite, it’s on the Maybelline website as a Neutral colour but it goes on as a sort of earthy red. This lipstick has little flecks of coppery sparkle through it so it gives a shiny, but not glossy, finish and the color payoff is great. It’s a rich red that is muted enough to be wearable everyday and, if applied with a brush, will seriously last hours. I had it on today and it lasted through breakfast, morning snack, a couple of cups of coffee all the way up until lunch time and, although it had lost its sparkle, was still in pretty good shape. It didn’t make it through lunch but I’m still fairly impressed.

So the downside? It smells like cinnamon-vanilla play dough! If you’re a fan of play dough, you’ll love this lipstick, and even if you’re not it’s not a strong smell so it’s worth putting up with it.

Rating: 4/5

Review – Chanel Rouge Coco #5 Mademoiselle

Rouge Coco #5 Mademoiselle

So I thought I’d start off with the lipstick everyone is talking about. I’m sure you’re probably all sick of reading reviews on Rouge Coco #5 but I promise to get it out the way and you’ll never hear about it again.

First have to admit that I was completely seduced by the ad. I totally can’t whistle, but I still walked around for days trying to get my lips to do that cute puckery thing that Vanessa Paradis had going! I finally decided to go to my Chanel counter to try it on and here’s the thing; usually a lipstick is like a slow burn for me, I have to wear it in, get a feel for it and then I decide if I like it or not, but #5 had me at hello.

It’s such a creamy, luxurious texture and it has been adequately described as a chameleon in that it looks different on everybody. For that reason it’s hard to describe the colour but I’d say it’s sort of a rosey beige. Also, in addition to throwing different colours depending on your skin tone, it changes under different light; I find it throws a more pinky colour in daylight, but a more coral colour in artificial light. It has great pigmentation and is pretty versatile in it’s application. I like to change the way I wear it, some days I’l lather it on so it’s nice and creamy, and other days I’ll pat it on with my finger just get a hint of colour on my lips. Even though it’s not a long wearing lipstick, it has great stay-put power – it’s kind of like it stains your lips. Ooh almost forgot to mention that it’s great as a blush too!

The only down side is that I have found it to be a little drying, so I have to make sure I moisturise my lips at night when I wear it.

The packaging is amazing and honestly there’s just something to be said about the feeling you get when you put on Chanel #5, but especially when it happens to be a lipstick!

Rating 4.5/5