New LANEIGE Silk Intense Lipsticks

LANEIGE has updated their Silk Intense Lipstick range recently with revamped formula, packaging and shades. The new lipsticks come in sleek white and silver magnetized tubes that are more sturdy and grown-up looking than the original.

Compared to the original Silk Intense Lipsticks, the new formula is similar in intensity and coverage and share the same lightweight creme texture. However, I find the new formula less "slippery" feeling and easier to build up. The shades also contain ultra-micronized pigments so they go on more evenly and can be built for opaque coverage or worn sheer without looking patchy.

I've worn these a few days now, and I'm pretty happy with the feel and performance. I have not had issues with them making my dry lips flaky or uncomfortable, which ironically happens with some thinner, more slippery creme lipsticks. In fact, when my lips got quite parched and wrinkly in-between swatches these lipsticks just plumped them right up once I applied the next shade. Despite the creamy hydrating texture, they do last pretty well and a simple wet wipe is surprisingly not sufficient to remove it completely from skin. 

Silk Intense Lipstick 335 Get the Red

There are 35 shades available in Singapore at S$36 each, which is a good price point considering the luxe feel of the formula. They do somewhat remind me of Rouge Diors and Rouge Cocos in formula, with the exception being that the shades are obviously designed to suit Asian/pale-to-medium skin tones.

I've swatched them all below roughly separated by color category or the effect they have on the face, and marked LANEIGE's Star shades with **.

Soft peachy/pink Silk Intense tones

These softer tones look quite soft against the skin but have somewhat "natural" undertones. My personal pick here is 430 Pink Garden. These colors will probably look like pink-nudes or peach-nudes on most people.

430 Pink Garden

The next group are more typical Korean "It" shades. Coraly pink tones with a touch of juicy vibrancy.

I especially love 147 Raspberry Pink, which I'd describe more like watermelon pink, and 142 Love Me New Me, a classic K-style pink coral. Both shades look great worn ombre-style with minimal makeup, for a glowy stained lip effect.

As for the pinks, there are a couple of great ones as well. I personally would not use 101 Neon Pink or 350 Peony on their own but I do love 149 Cherry Popcorn and 362 Urban Jungle especially. I'm usually not a fan of pearlescent pink shades but I also found myself really liking 145 Glam Pink. I suggest applying a tiny bit and pressing your lips together for that rosy baby-lips "no makeup" effect.

Urban Decay Sheer Revolution Lipstick Swatches

Urban Decay Sheer Revolution Lipsticks are now available in Sephora Singapore (SGD$33). I have 7 out of the 10 shades here to swatch for you, and you should be able to get a feel for the texture and pigmentation from the images below. 

I'm a fan of the regular lipstick line, which is smooth and ultra-pigmented. But my lips have been a bit sore and chapped since a bad cold the past couple of weeks, so they haven't done too well with lipsticks. Hydrating glosses and sheer, glossy lipsticks are the way to go for me right now, so these came at a perfect time. 

Urban Decay Sheer Revolution Lipsticks: F-bomb, Slowburn, Streak, Rapture, Anarchy, Obsessed and Walk of Shame

The Sheer Revolution lipsticks come in gorgeous metallic purple cases, and what I like best about them is that while they are glossy and translucent, the textures aren't runny and super soft like many sheer lipsticks. They're a little like Tom Ford Lip Color Shines. 

The color range is pretty good, and ranges from an ultra-pale beige to cool-toned pinks and magentas, to coral-hues and reds. 

I usually expect most sheer lipsticks to look patchy and uneven on the lips, but I'll say upfront that all these did really well. They went on smoothly and didn't catch in lines or flaky bits. Just pressing my lips together evened out the color quickly, and the texture is not so light that the color wears away quickly.

Urban Decay Sheer Walk of Shame

Urban Decay Sheer Obsessed

Urban Decay Sheer Anarchy

Urban Decay Sheer Rapture

Urban Decay Sheer Streak

Urban Decay Sheer Slowburn

Urban Decay Sheer F-Bomb

It's really hard to pick a favorite shade here because so many of them are so pretty, but if I had to pick three out of these, it would be F-bomb (Cherry red), Streak (warm pink) and Anarchy (magenta).

These are too sheer to wear with matching liners. If you need a pencil, wear either a translucent one or a nude shade, so you don't end up changing the color and sheer finish too much.

Lancôme Lip Lover Swatches!

Lancôme Lip Lover

For a more detailed review, click here!

Otherwise just scroll down to look at all the swatches!

Lip Lover Swatches: Click to expand

Soft/Nude shades.

Coral and pink shades!

Deeper, brighter shades.

Lancôme Noel 2013 Holiday Collection Swatches/Review!!!

An early look at swatches of the unreleased Noel 2013 Collection from Lancôme, which will be out from November 2013, and - O.M.G… IT IS GORGEOUS…

This collection will be available globally (thank goodness), although a few of the shades and exact release dates might vary from region to region. (I'll update with pricing information soon; don't have it right this moment!)

Lancôme Hypnôse Cream Eyeshadows in Star, Drama, and Doll Eye textures.

These babies are more pigmented than the Diorshow Fushion Monos, but the textures are not all consistent!
From left: Sapphir Noir, Quartz Taupe, Emeraude Eternelle, and Diamant Argente.

The limited edition Hypnose Star Mascara in a starry tube, and a Swarovski-crystal coated l'Absolu Rouge in a holiday-exclusive shade, #394.

Use it as a highlighter, an all over body glow, or an eyeshadow. Rose Etincelle blush-highlighter compact is almost too pretty to use.

The unexpected favorites from this collection. These look like normal polishes, but they are most definitely not. These are MATTE. If you can't quite picture how matte nail polishes can also be incredibly glittery or frosty, go down to the link at the bottom to see nail swatches!

A bit of fun for lazy girls who want all the drama of a perfect flick, but don't want the hassle of drawing it on themselves. These stick on patches can be re-used up to 3 times. (I'll experiment to see how you can make them last longer!)

Beautifully rich and pigmented Absolu Velours go on matte but settle to a beautiful glossy finish. See lip swatches in the link below!

To see the full post and lip and hand swatches of the stuff you see above, click here!

[Requested] Shu Uemura Sweet Red Collection Swatches

There was a request to do lip swatches for the Fall 2013 Sweet Red collection by Shu Uemura, especially for those of you who can’t swatch it in-store. All shades above are done without liner or primer so you can see the textures!

Shu Uemura Sweet Reds limited edition lipsticks

What you need to know is this collection of 6 jelly-like shades departs from typical opaque fiery reds. Though they feel smooth and slick like balm-lipsticks, they go on evenly without that annoying streakiness and patchiness. There’s also a lot more sheen.

Aside from Lacquer Red which is a true red, 3 of these go on coral-toned and 2 a slightly rosy-tone. They can be worn sheer or built up in 2-3 coats, which is how you’ll get the best “jelly” sheen.

Shu Uemura Sweet Red lipstick swatches (from left) Dolly Red Lucid, Sweet Devil Rouge, Baby Flame, Mon Shu Red Pure, Lacquer Red, and Spiky Rose

1. Dolly Red Lucid (creme) - the softest and most translucent shade in the collection, this is a soft pink-toned coral.
2. Sweet Devil Rouge (creme) - a true semi-sheer warm-toned coral.
3. Baby Flame (shimmer) - jelly-like coral with a rosy-pink shimmer. Probably the most unique shade of the bunch.
4. Mon Shu Red Pure (shimmer) - a cooler-toned, rosier version of Baby Flame, with paler shimmer.
5. Lacquer Red (Creme) - the truest red of the bunch, this layers up to a more intense finish than the rest of the shades. If you like red but find opaque ones too scary, try this glossy one.
6. Spiky Rose (Creme) - the “blue”-toned red of the bunch, this is a beautiful rosy shade that can be worn like a stain, or layered to an almost-red.

Tips for wearing these:

• Sweet Red lipsticks are sheer and glossy, so they are great if you have dry or thin lips, and it’s not necessary to wear a balm under them, as that would just make them slide around.
• The glossiness means these won’t last as well as typical lipsticks which have more pigment. To make sure they stay on longer, and don’t bleed into fine lines, coat your lips with nude lip liner first.
• I’d also say they are quite skin-tone flattering because there are a lot of soft undertones in these reds and a conditioning texture so if typical reds tend to look too severe and aging on you or you want a more youthful sheen to the lips, check these out.
• Sweet Reds are out in the US already and should also already be available everywhere Shu is sold by October!

Shu Uemura Sweet Red lipstick in "Lacquer Red", the true red of the bunch.

To see all 6 lip swatches, click here!