MAC Versicolour Review and Swatches

MAC will launch their new Versicolours in Singapore on 7 April at SG$43 each. These hybrid gloss-stains are made with the same gel-oil technology present in products like YSL Glossy Stains and Dior Addict Addict Fluidsticks.

If you haven't tried these before, they go on like watery half-set pudding (it's really more pleasant than it sounds) and the volatile components in the formula evaporate, similar to matte liquid lipsticks. However, the product sets into a gel and retains its glossy shine. The product that looks like gloss but doesn't feel or smear off like gloss.

The launch kinda begs the question: why now?

After all, YSL launched Glossy Stains several years ago in 2011 or 2012, and a lot of other brands followed. Now, we have access to so many economical, accessible lines from Asian brands like Laneige, Innisfree, The Face Shop, etc that I struggle a bit to understand why MAC is bringing out their own line when it is so much later, and so much more pricey - than some of the options on the market.

I do have to say they have some really nice shades. What you need to remember with many of these gloss stains is - they stain. (Duh.) This means you will ALWAYS end up with a much deeper and rosier shade than you see in the tube after 15-30 minutes of wear. The only line which I've tried that does not deepen over time is Dior's Fluidstick, so bear that in mind.

I received 13 of 15 shades to swatch, and there was a mix-up in my baggy, so I had one repeat color. Apologize for only have 12 shades instead of 15 here for you to have a look at. Please note that the shades here have only had a few minutes to set, and are a touch deeper when worn on the lips for a longer time.

Shades not swatched here:

Let's Stay Together - warm pink

Resilient Rouge - cherry red

Perpetual Holiday - deep grape

Long Live The Night - true nude beige
Tattoo My Heart - warm salmon
Always & Forever - squash yellow-orange
Can't Stop Won't Stop - tangerine

I'm personally partial to Tattoo My Heart for a rosy lip look (it starts off soft but gets deeper), and Can't Stop Won't Stop. The good news is even if you like orange but think Always & Forever is a bit too yellow to pull off, give it a try and let it set on your lips for 15-20 mins before you pass it over. It will deepen up a bit and become more of a true orange.

Truly Everlasting - bright milky coral
Forever Darling - orange-based warm red
Last Minute - cherry pink
It's Neverending - rose pink

Preserving Passion - deep plum
Long Distance Relationship - violet
Constant Craving - pastel cool pink
Ceaseless Energy - bright Barbie pink

I like Preserving Passion and Long Distance just cos I think the lacquered juicy texture works well with rich, berry tones. Among these cooler toned shades. Constant Craving looks too pale and too scary in the tube but it does become more like Ceaseless Energy after the stain sets in, whereas Ceaseless Energy goes deeper, rosier and warmer.

Below is Long Distance Relationship about 20 minutes in. It's deeper than the arm swatch above, but it will deepen up a bit further until you get something that looks more like Heroine lipstick. I wore no lip liner or base shade, and you can see the color does wear quite evenly if you know how to apply it.

I mentioned above that it's nothing new, and this is also very expensive even by MAC standards. But if you see a color you like, I would still say check them out.

Why?

1. The shade range is great if you like funkier colors like violets, bright oranges, etc. Most brands either veer towards classic shades (YSL, Dior), or towards bright Asian-friendly pop tones (all the Korean brands). There are not that many lines with gloss stains in edgier, more unique colors.

2. The formula is good; early-generation gel stains have a tendency to go on uneven and patchy, and then be hard to smooth out once they set a bit on the lips. With this one, I can apply, then lightly roll my lips together to even out the color distribution. The product doesn't gunk up or go patchy when you do that. It is also genuinely conditioning and quite comfortable to wear.

3. The lasting power is great. Stains do last a long time in general; be prepared to have stained lips for a day after use. But not all gel stains stay glossy and lacquer-like for hours and hours. Many will set and go a bit thin and not be as glossy. This formula stayed shiny and looked pretty fresh looking for a few hours through drinking. (Of course, it kisses off and gets less shiny and pigmented if you eat.) Which is great if you like the look of pigmented glosses but hate the sticky gloopy feel.

Not a lot of hype remains for gloss stains in general, even though they do still tend to sell quite well across many brands. These are somewhere between Dior (ultra shiny and non-staining) and YSL (moderate shine and highly-staining) in performance. It's a bit thicker and more plush feeling than typical Asian formulas, which is nice.

It's down to individual preference and whether you find a color that makes it worth the YSL-esque prices.

Make Up For Ever Artist Plexi-Gloss Review

Make Up For Ever is replacing their existing lipgloss range with the new range of Plexi-Glosses from 2 April 2015, which will be available in 35 shades at the Pro Loft, and smaller color selections at all Sephoras in Singapore.

The new line promises high shine, extreme color, and great staying power, and I received 5 shades for review, so I'm swatching them all below, and giving you my thoughts on whether it delivers on the 3 promises above.

The new gloss comes in standard plastic tubes but has a rather interesting doe-foot applicator. This has been dubbed the Superflex applicator, and has an extended "flap" on one side which allows you to apply a bit more product in one swipe, and is slightly more flexible so the applicator won't also swipe the gloss right off your lips.

Does it work?

At certain angles yes. You can definitely get a lot more product on your lips than typical applicators. But if you get the angle wrong, the applicator will still swipe away some gloss just like regular applicators. So it's a hit and miss, although it's still a nice gesture because it does cut the amount of time you need to spend dipping back into the tube for more product.

The colors. Now they DEFINITELY deliver on the promise of vibrant, intense color.

Not all of them are opaque. It depends which shade you choose. But as you can see above, with the exception of the translucent sparkly beige (which is meant to be transparent), the rest are incredibly color-true and you can wear this on the lips without a base shade or liner.

You can click on the image below to expand to a larger size for a closer look at each shade, but I'm pretty darned impresswed with the color payoff. I typically do not like shimmery sparkly glosses, but I have to say the ones I tried were really nice.

I do have to point out that the very intense violet does stand out from the skin, which also makes it a bit more obvious where it settles into grooves on the lips, or may not be completely even. Not every shade works well on its own, and if you are ordering or purchasing any of the deeper colors in a non-sparkly texture, you should probably wear them over a layer of liner or lipstick.

And the shine? Well these sort of speak for themselves. They look like lacquer. Shine is definitely where this range excels without a doubt.

Make Up For Ever Plexi-Gloss lip swatches

The staying power is also great for glosses. Definitely on par with the typical cream lipsticks at least. But that does bring me to the one possible con about this product depending on your preferences when it comes to glosses.

It's sticky and quite thick. (If you've ever tried MAC Pro Longwear Lipglasses, these have a similar texture.) Which it needs to be, to stay on for hours and not bleed everywhere. But if you like those ultra-light, non-sticky glosses this will not appeal to you.

(Personally, I think it's unrealistic to expect a long-wearing, non-bleeding gloss to be non-sticky.)

You have to remember that if you have chapped, flaking lips, this will not feel comfortable. These thick gel-textured glosses are not moisturizing or balm-like, so it can actually make flaking lips a bit worse. Just be mindful and use the appropriate products at the appropriate times, and you'll be fine.

Final verdict?

If you like high-intensity glosses in a variety of finishes, and you want to make a statement with lacquered, dramatic lips, this is a GREAT range. The color selection is fabulous, and you can pick from soft neutrals to bright corals and violets to dark plums and what looks like a black shade. I'm definitely curious to check out more colors from the range.

I would especially recommend the richer pinks, corals, reds and plums, because these are where the color intensity and shine will really come through. For the paler, sheerer shades, they wouldn't necessarily look all that different from regular glosses you can get from other brands.

At SGD36 a tube, these are not cheap, so I would definitely stick with the more unique and high-impact colors if you are watching your budget.

However, if you have extremely dry lips or prefer lightweight, barely-there, balm-like "watery" textures like YSL Gloss Voluptes and Dior Rouge Diors, these would not be for you.

Dior Rouge Dior Brillant Swatches and Quick Overview

Dior's lipglosses are some of the top-sellers in the premium category in Singapore, so I don't think it would be much of a surprise if the new Rouge Dior Brillant range will quickly follow the Addict line and make it up towards the top of the sales charts as well.

These share the same midnight navy and silver packaging of the Rouge Dior lipsticks, and the key differentation is a combination of high color-payoff, with a lightweight feel, as compared to the sheerer, thicker-textured Dior Addict glosses.

These also come with a "scoop" doe-foot applicator, which holds a little pocket of gloss so you can get more product onto the lips with a single swipe, and incidentally, also makes it easier to apply these glosses on top of existing lipsticks or liners, without wiping off too much of the base color with a traditional applicator tip.

But all these aside, ultimately it's about the colors and textures after all. 

In Singapore, there are a total of 10 or 12 shades that I saw, and I don't have the full-range to swatch for you, but I did buy a couple myself when they just arrived in store, and also receive some for review, so I have a nice cross-section of 6 out of 10 here.

You can see from the textures that they are very lightweight. These are not like the new Chanel Rouge Allure Lacquers although some of the shades have a similar level of pigmentation. The very lightweight, non-sticky feel reminds me more of YSL Gloss Voluptés, which is great for those who do not like thick sticky textures.

Rouge Dior Brillant Swatches

Pigmentation level depends on the shades you get. 999, 858 Royale and 775 Darling are moderate-to-high pigmentation, whereas the paler and more shimmery shades are a quite a bit sheerer. 468 Bonheur is a classic pink-nude, which has the sort of sheer coverage you would expect of such colors.

(But none of these will have that opaque look you see on Natalie Portman in the ads. 999 is gorgeously pigmented but you won't get that effect without wearing a coat of matching red liner or an opaque red lipstick beneath. So take all ads with a pinch of salt.)

The one bad point about these glosses, though, is that the thin texture also means they don't last or stay put on their own quite as well as thicker stickier glosses. And these will also have a slight tendency to bleed outwards a bit if you wear them without a liner or a lipstick beneath. In my experience these work better on top of something else. In fact, the ultra-light texture makes them ideal for layering.

On their own, they're nice still, but I sometimes have trouble getting them to stay in a perfectly even, pigmented coat all over because they want to shift around all over the lips.

Curious? Dior wants you to have a try for yourself! If you're in Singapore, stop by the Dior Backstage Boutique at ION Basement 2 this month and flash this post to get a Lip Dress Up session (or a Diorsnow trial; you choose) and go home with your own 3-pc trial kit.

Dior Addict Fluid Sticks

Dior Addict Fluid Sticks

4 Recommended Shades from Dior

Dior Addict Fluid Stick 338 Mirage

Dior Addict Fluid Stick 551 Aventure

Dior Addict Fluid Stick 639 Artifice

Dior Addict Fluid Stick 754 Pandore

To read my review on these, follow the link to my main site!

LIP TARS: What they are, how they work, what I think of some of the colors.

Obsessive Compulsive Cosmetics Lip Tars

I was recently asked my thoughts on Lip Tars and whether I thought it was worth it to invest in them. Well, I own 5 tubes so that's saying something. The thing to remember though, is that it's not for everyone. I'd recommend it if:

1. You need to enjoy "mixology" and blending colors to make your own,
2. You LOVE very strong accent makeup on your lips and you don't mind spending more time on your makeup, OR
3. You're a makeup artist and you need to do both of the above.

 Most people would have no use for lip tars because:

• They can't be applied quickly like a balm or gloss; it would look crazy
• With most colors you need to use a brush
• A lot of the colors are incredibly strong and not practical for school or regular office-work (ultraviolet, yellow, blue, black, white,... )
• The pigments separate from the oils after awhile, and you need to have the patience to tip it the other way and shake it around until everything is mixed up again

That said, here are the colors I own and what I think, plus tips at the end of the post if you want to use them!

OCC Lip Tar in RX

True black. But you MUST wear a lip liner or some sort of wax base round your lips with this. It will very quickly bleed into fine lines.
I actually recommend MAC's Black Lipmix from the Pro range if you can get it.
It's not as glossy when it goes on, but the formula doesn't separate as badly and it goes on more opaque, with no bleeding. I would probably not repurchase this after I use it up unless I can't get my MAC for some reason.

MAC Lipmix vs OCC Lip Tar: The MAC isn't bleeding. It's just smudgy application. The OCC is though.

Mix with: ANY color to darken it or dull it.

OCC Lip Tar in RX

True, true primary blue. If you're looking for an opaque, intense blue whether to mix or wear on its own, this is the BEST shade you can get. I love it. Here's a post with a few things I did using RX.

One word for bloggers and those taking photos; this blue has a tendency to flashback in flash or bright lights, so it looks almost pastel blue in certain conditions. 

Mix with: Any color to cool it down. Use only a TINY dot when mixing!

OCC Lip Tar in Belladonna

This bright purple doesn't look this blue in real life. But even more than RX, the blue in this picks up in most frontal shots I take. In real life, it's not so ultraviolet.

Still it's a fantastic bright purple, and if you're the sort to love things that are "somewhat left of the center" (like me), you'll love wearing this color neat, without mixing anything in.

Mix with: Pinks to make them more lavender toned, with red for a burgundy/wine. 

OCC Lip Tar in Pretty Boy

Bright fuchsia pink.
This is the older sister (or brother) of Anime, OCC's best selling neon pink. It's still bright, but slightly more grown up and slightly more flattering on most skins. This is a shade I would recommend wearing just on its own with a fuchsia lip liner.

OCC Lip Tar in Ophelia

Soft beige pink.
The only pale shade I have in my collection at this time. It's a gorgeous cool-toned pink, but you can see no matter how much patting and blending I did, the lines are still visible where the pigments sank in. From a slight distance, and in real life, it's not really noticeable. Just be careful when you're taking anything in high-res.
Mix with: A bright color to soften it slightly. Although I'd also recommend just wearing this on its own because it's a very pretty and wearable shade for those with pale to medium-fair skin.

A few tips for those who can't resist the lure of these little tubes:

• Try to always use a lip brush, except with some paler colors that look patchy or streaky. Then I recommend using your ring finger to lightly spread an pat it out.
• Apply a very very thin layer first, spread it out sheer, let it set a bit, then build up more when needed. Don't plonk on a whole lot (this is not regular lip gloss!) because it will seep everywhere, and be more likely to bleed and sink into lines.
• Lip tars are a blend of pigments and oils. This is the reason they separate, and why they seem to go on glossy, then lose some of the shine after awhile. The oils vaporize and get absorbed, leaving mainly pigments, unlike wax-based glosses and lipsticks which will just sit pretty on your skin.

If you want to make your own D.I.Y. Lip Tars (works better with metallic pigments), I also have a post on that here.

OCC: http://www.occmakeup.com/