More Nude Dungeoneering! The Not-Quite-Naked-Lip Edition feat. Too Faced Naked Dolly… ;-)

Greetings from a chamber where we’re all suddenly starkers, fellow rogues!

First up: Thank you to everyone who gave me a vote over at the Savvyist’s makeup challenge – I have made it to the first page, which I am inordinately proud of, all thanks to you ^_^. If you still haven’t checked this out, or would like to vote for a masked and red-lipstick’d rogue or one of the other enviable bold lipstick looks, there’s still one day of voting left! Quest on over here ❤

Right – on with the show!

Gird your loins, fellow adventurers! Or cover them if you’re shy! The process of wading into that enormous pile of miniature loot continues today as we stumble into the sixth chamber of the dungeon. Despite spending our time questing toward, flee- uh, advancing in the opposite direction from, and vanquishing things that are arguably naked (do flame-covered skeletons count as ‘clothed’?), the party suddenly gets all blushy when we ourselves are bared. (Well, I think the paladin secretly enjoys it, but… you know paladins). Why did the party’s armour suddenly vanish? Well, that’s all down to the artefact in here… Before I go into detail though, let’s keep everyone in the party up to date on what this little unofficial series is all about, with that handy echo from the first chamber:

‘I should mention first off that a large number of the minis came in the form of the Sephora Give Me More Lip holiday special set, which contains 17 lip products in three loose ‘colour schemes’: red, nude and pink. I ordered this set from Sephora through the indomitable Jaa, who was kind enough to wrangle all the goodies into a parcel small enough that it wouldn’t cost me the contents of Erebor to ship it here. Jaa was also kind enough to take me a couple of pictures of the set before the packaging had to go…‘

The 2014 Sephora Give Me More Lip set (photo courtesy of Jaa)

…and here the inside! So much miniature lip goodness *drools*. The Tarte pencil at the left centre is the only full-size product. Yet more photographic awesomeness from Jaa!

 ‘I was rather excited when I saw what this set contained, because it was basically a laundry list of brands I’ve wanted to try for the longest time. Since there are so many products here, and because I’m a rogue and we’re funny like that, I’m going to review the contents in spearate posts (or in small groups) so that I can devote proper attention to obssessively photographing each miniature lip product with other miniature things ❤‘

Right! While the Wizard is trying to cover his mandanglies with his beard, and Susie the Rockbard is strategically holding her lute in front of her, this rogue shall stride forth to the pedestal (shivering a little, tbh), and find out what the deal is with  –  Too Faced’s La Creme Lipstick in Naked Dolly!

Gotta love that brushed golden sheen – it’s even better in dungeon torchlight, of course…

I have actually only just realised that my last post was also a Too Faced product, which is partly because these two artefacts couldn’t be more different in a lot of important respects. Firstly, let’s look at the packaging! This little miniature lipstick comes housed in a lovely brushed, satin matte metal case. This thing has serious heft, people (as all gold that passes through the hands of a rogue should, really). The cap obviously just pulls off and on, but the mechanism of this process is so smooth and deliciously tight that you almost expect there to be some sort of hydraulics involved. The case takes a good, hard hammering around in a day-to-day (adventure-to-adventure) makeup bag, and although goblins will probably want to make off with it, they also probably won’t be able to get into it before their attention span runs out. It won’t open up in your bag either. I really hope the full size packaging is the same!

I do like me a substantial lipstick mini. Even orcs will be able to apply this without snapping the bullet!

I have to hand it to Too Faced – they do a really decent deluxe sample. The sturdy, bevelled bullet is big enough to make even the sorceress blush, and isn’t one that will snap on you any time soon. It glides oh-so-smoothly up and down in its golden sheath, and doesn’t catch on the sides. I was quite looking forward to getting my hands on this little treasure actually, mostly because ‘nude’ lipsticks and I have a rather fractious history. I find it difficult to find ones that don’t wash me out, as many companies’ definition of ‘nude’ is my definition of ‘I might as well have put foundation on my lips’. My lips are naturally rather zombie-like, so I was curious to see how this one would stack up, while avoiding the need to purchase a full-size of anything!

Getting a little more up close and personal with naked, pink (vaguely cylindrical?) things is something one tends to do outside the dungeon, but we’re making an exception here… 😉 Well, RPG dungeons. Well, it depends on the RPG…

The bullet appears to be a light, slightly peachy/warm pink. Obviously, I had concerns about the good old white base syndrome that most pale lipstick shades suffer from, as well as a slight fear that we’d enter ‘unnatural pale pink nude’ territory. What did I actually find? Well, the answer to that is somewhat complicated. Let’s have some swatches:

OMGNAKEDROGUELIPS

Regulars with long memories may remember a previous post I did revealing what I considered to be (and still consider to be) an excellent ‘nude’ for pale, cool-toned rogues such as myself. This magical artefact was Revlon Lacquer Balm in Demure, and you can see the swatches below. As you can tell, the two lipsticks share some common features on this rogue – they are both a pale, pinkish nude colour, and they both work on my lips without totally washing me out. The Revlon obviously has a little shimmer to it, comes in chubby crayon form, and has a vague minty taste/smell (but no ‘plump’) as opposed to Naked Dolly’s ‘vaguely coconut shortbread cookie‘ smell. The Too Faced, by contrast, is a shimmer-free translucent creme lipstick, with a satin sheen finish. Here’s where things get more complicated: while both of these lipsticks work well as ‘nudes‘ for me, and the two of them together give me a shimmer/no shimmer option, which is nice, the Too Faced lipstick can’t be built up.

As you can probably see from the picture above, there’s already a little clinging to dry/chewed patches on the inner part of my lips, and if I layer on more than maybe two light passes of this lipstick, I get dry patch clinging, a little milky liplininess, and we start to head into ‘foundation lip’ territory. Naked Dolly works *because* it’s sheerish, and my natural lip colour is very pale. If you have more pigmented lips, your mileage may vary, although if you are not a vampire you might do better too ;-). In terms of formula, Naked Dolly has a light slip to it, and is averagely to reasonably hydrating on my lips. Owing to the way I need to apply it, it lasts for about 3 hours – but this just fine for a vaguely-slippy, sheer lipstick.

My bare lips (looking rather pinker than normal, actually), and then my previous’ nude for pale rogues’: Revlon Lacquer Balm in Demure.

Righty ho!

I was very pleased that this lipstick worked as well as my previous ‘nude’, while giving me a shimmer-free option. I like the smell, the packaging, and the opportunity to try both a new (to me) lipstick line and a ‘nude’ shade without the hassle of buying a full size (and then potentially hating it). Having said all that, the formula isn’t perfect – but then the shade has a pale base, which is what usually leads to the problems I experienced in any lipstick. I’d be quite interested to try other shades from the line as well like Bon Bon and Lollipop.  To sum up in pros and cons (or chests and mimics, as I prefer):

Chests:

• Hydrating, weightless.
• A nude for vampire rogues!
• Sexy, sexy packaging
• Nice cookie-related smell.

Mimics:

• Sheer, but can’t layer it up much lest the milky aspect come through.
• Not hugely long-lasting (not surprising for a sheer though).
• Kinda difficult to get here normally.

What do you think, fellow adventurers? What’s your favourite ‘nude’ lip product (you’re allowed more than one)? Have you tried one of these La Creme lipsticks? What would it take to get you to run a dungeon mission naked? Can you think of any more good lipstick review related innuendo?

The practicalities: Too Faced La Creme Lipsticks are usually 0.11 oz and cost US $22 for the full size. Naked Dolly is a permanent colour, and they can be acquired from www.toofaced.com and www.sephora.com. For those of us in Middle Earth, I believe the Too Faced website does work with NZ Post YouShop! 😀

Until next time, fellow adventurers, don’t forget to check for traps!

Syl

I am an adventuring rogue, not a mercenary for hire, and as such, all opinions expressed here are my own, based on a genuine fondness for/interest in this product. If you have any queries or suggestions, please do not hesitate to pin your parchment to the board (contact me) at thepaintedrogue [at] gmail [dot] com., or use the contact form provided! All images and text on this blog are the property of The Painted Rogue unless otherwise stated. If you nick off with any of it, be prepared to find that your morning hot beverage tastes a little…different than usual. Didn’t the rogue say something the other day about that new poison that makes your inner ear itch maddeningly for the rest of your life? I think she did…

Power Lipstick for the 80’s Rogue: Getting Your Jem On with Too Faced Melted Fuchsia!

Greetings from a chamber full of fluorescent pink lichen, fellow rogues!

First up: some shameless self promotion! ^_^ I finally decided to join one of Savvyist’s makeup challenges, for Bold and Beautiful lips! I would love it if you stopped by and took a look – voting for me is optional (although much appreciated –  you can find me languishing at the bottom of page 2, LOL!) but there are many other awesome contenders to check out too ❤

Right – on with the show!

Gird your loins, fellow adventurers! The process of wading into that enormous pile of miniature loot continues today as we stumble into the fifth chamber of the dungeon! Even leaving aside the sudden, intense feeling that we all need to rock out, this chamber is arrestingly PINK :-D. Susie the Rockbard is totally loving it in here, and the buffs are rolling forth from her lute (which has developed an strangely electric twang). Before I talk about why, let’s just keep everyone in the party up to date on what this little unofficial series is all about, with that handy echo from the first chamber:

‘I should mention first off that a large number of the minis came in the form of the Sephora Give Me More Lip holiday special set, which contains 17 lip products in three loose ‘colour schemes’: red, nude and pink. I ordered this set from Sephora through the indomitable Jaa, who was kind enough to wrangle all the goodies into a parcel small enough that it wouldn’t cost me the contents of Erebor to ship it here. Jaa was also kind enough to take me a couple of pictures of the set before the packaging had to go…‘

The 2014 Sephora Give Me More Lip set (photo courtesy of Jaa)

…and here the inside! So much miniature lip goodness *drools*. The Tarte pencil at the left centre is the only full-size product. Yet more photographic awesomeness from Jaa!

 ‘I was rather excited when I saw what this set contained, because it was basically a laundry list of brands I’ve wanted to try for the longest time. Since there are so many products here, and because I’m a rogue and we’re funny like that, I’m going to review the contents in spearate posts (or in small groups) so that I can devote proper attention to obssessively photographing each miniature lip product with other miniature things ❤‘

Soooo then, let’s find out what in the name of Corellon and Olidammara is going on with the artefact in this bit of the dungeon (and its curiously synthesizer-esque theme song) –  Too Faced’s Melted Liquified Lipstick in Melted Fuchsia!

This one’s so hot, we had to put it on ice! 😀 Sorry, sorry…

I have long been attracted to this particular line of lip products, although more specifically to the Violet (what else?) and Fig editions (AND NOW OMG VILLAIN O_O). The Fuchsia one hadn’t really crossed too far across my radar (I mean, I have at least two other truly fabulous fuchsias in my kitbag), so I was interested to try both the formula and the shade at once.

The back of the tube! I’t all excitement, all the time here at Rogue HQ, you know 😉 It’ll melt your heart.. *badum TISH*

This happens to be one of the samples in the set that does live up to its deluxe claim – the packaging is the same as the full size, and there’s quite a bit to be had in here! I know it’s kind of a pointless observation, but I do really like the pink and gold together on the tube. I don’t know why it appeals to me so much, but for some reason it does! Perhaps it’s the memories I attach to it of Jem and the Holograms, or happy hours spent pretending Barbie was a secretagentgymnastprincessdoctor or something (I’m still incredibly disappointed that they never released a Rogue Barbie – fantasy professions that are not ‘wizard’ are woefully underrepresented in popular merchandising, I feel ;-). 

Fuzzy!! And the good kind, not the ‘I just put my hand into the darkness in this dungeon’ fuzzy.

 

The sample even has exactly the same applicator as the full size – something I was quite pleased about, as this was an aspect of the artefact I’d been particularly intrigued by. I have a bit of a sideline in applicator-conoisseurship – it’s something I don’t really mention often, as so long as the thing is functional there’s really not a lot to say about it, but it’s one of my favourite parts of cracking into a new lipstick or roll of lockpicks with handle extensions or whatever. This applicator is a hard-ish fuzzy bevel, not unlike the shape of a YSL or Too Faced lipstick. It doesn’t move or twist or anything, it just sits there, challenging your perceptions like a paladin who thinks he’s being clever. It’s actually got a feeling on the lips that’s *almost* rough – let’s say, like someone put white flocking on some very, very fine sandpaper. I don’t mean to put you off at all, because it’s just fine (and maybe this is a feature of the sample size?) but I was expecting it to be a tiny bit… plushier? In any case, it gives extremely (almost eerily) precise application… which is excellent for a shade like this!

Speaking of ‘shades like this’ though… we’re moving into the great (if very temporary) mystery of this product…

When I first squeezed it out, I had aspirations of achieving photographic artistry along the lines of The Great and Powerful Jaa (see: here). It quickly became apparent that this was not going to happen – not just because my skills are lacking, or because I have no tripod, so squeezing a tiny tube just enough + super macro + shaky hands is always an exercise in gymnastics and prayer… but because what came out of the holes underneath the flocking was… a bubble of pink juice that burst onto my camera lens. T_T

I cleaned off my camera and squeezed a bit more…and got more juice. I assumed this was maybe how it worked, so I applied some to my lips…for an underwhelming result. Only then did it occur to me to give the tube a good shake! I squeezed again, and, Glory to Corellon, the expected splurt of fluorescent pink goo eventuated (it’s not often you say that in life – at least, happily).

Left: Zuh? right: Yowza!
Left: camera yawns Right: camera squeals and shields its aperture.

As you can see, after a good shake, things worked as I had anticipated from other reviews I read – saturated, incandescent colour with a jelly-smooth finish. So saturated and incandescent, in fact, that you can see the reaction my camera had to it! It steadfastly refused to focus 100% properly on my lips until I went and stood in a nearly dark room. Anyway, you get the idea: this is BRIGHT. the formula is incredibly smooth – ‘jelly’ is really the best way I can describe it. I mean, compare those two pictures above – look how insanely smooth the full coat  makes my lips look!  The consistency is smooth (almost greasy on the initial pass), with a slight translucence that really makes it for me – this is an aggressively bright, 80’s, Barbie pink hot fuchsia, and these colours can be pretty hard for this vampire to wear if they’re flat or matte. You can even build the colour a little, and so keep it slightly less intense if you only go one pass. The picture above has two passes, and I didn’t have to correct the edges at all! Now, I’m pretty good at putting on lipstick, but inevitably something this bright needs a little wipe here and there. Not so with Melted Fuchsia, adventurers! The applicator and the not-too-liquid-once-you-shake-it-up consistency are really, really easy to apply.  The shade is also incredibly long wearing too, and fades evenly to a bright stain –  it fades so evenly, in fact, that I kind of can’t really tell you with precision how long it ‘lasts’ – I’d say 4 hours for the ‘gloss’, 5 or 6 hours for the ‘lipstick’ look and then ’till the cows come home’ for the stain.  It’s also weightless and non-drying. Holy orc bandoliers, people!

One note on the applicator: when I was reading reviews originally, quite a few people expressed concern about the sanitation factor (as you can’t clean/dry the fuzzy tip). Personally, I feel like it can’t be worse than a flocked doe foot applicator that you just plunge back into your gloss tube to marinate in there until your next application – if there is a preservative in the product (and I’m sure there is since the back of the tube says you can keep it open for 12 months!), then the flocked tip of the Too Faced thing should be saturated with that along with the colour, yes? I’m theorising here, and I suppose only time will tell, but there doesn’t seem to have been a big problem with it since these were released. Making sure it’s capped tightly, and not using it when one is sick (as usual for any lip product), should presumably preserve things! If it concerns you (say, you already use disposable wands for your glosses), then the goo consistency means you can certainly squeeze product out onto a brush or disposable wand if you prefer.

Righty ho!

I was really, really impressed with this, and (despite my interest going in) surprised by just how much I liked it! I’m putting the formula and applicator into Ye Olde Holie Graile status – the colour is beautiful, but a little too neon to be HG for me. Having said that, I have my eye on Violet, Ruby, Berry, Fig and Villain, now that I know how awesome this formula is! I’m hoping that these non-milky shades will perform just as well as Fuchsia 🙂 To sum up in pros and cons (or chests and mimics, as I prefer):

Chests:

• Jelly smooth, weightless and hydrating
• Long lasting, with stain (especially on my zombie lips)
• Awesome, fuzzy, precise applicator
• THEY HAVE DARK PURPLE

Mimics:

• You have to shake it up? (could be just the sample though)
• Neon-factor (not a big mimic. Maybe a de-fanged one – depends on personal preference)
• Transfer-potential (the thing here is that I usually wear glossy or creamy lipsticks, so transfer is kind of an accepted part of my life, LOL!)

What do you think, fellow adventurers? What’s your HG lip product (you’re allowed more than one)? Have you tried one of these Melted lipsticks? What exactly *does* an orc keep in their bandolier?

The practicalities: Too Faced Melted Liquefied Lipsticks are usually 0.4 oz and cost US $21 for the full size. Fuschia is a permanent colour, and they can be acquired from www.toofaced.com and www.sephora.com. For those of us in Middle Earth, I believe the Too Faced website does work with NZ Post YouShop! 😀

Until next time, fellow adventurers, don’t forget to check for traps!

Syl

I am an adventuring rogue, not a mercenary for hire, and as such, all opinions expressed here are my own, based on a genuine fondness for/interest in this product. If you have any queries or suggestions, please do not hesitate to pin your parchment to the board (contact me) at thepaintedrogue [at] gmail [dot] com., or use the contact form provided! All images and text on this blog are the property of The Painted Rogue unless otherwise stated. If you nick off with any of it, be prepared to find that your morning hot beverage tastes a little…different than usual. Didn’t the rogue say something the other day about that new poison that makes your inner ear itch maddeningly for the rest of your life? I think she did…

The Ultimate in Stealth Weaponry?! Rolling for Perception with Benefit Posiebalm…

Greetings from a surprisingly tiny chamber in the dungeon, fellow rogues!

Gird your loins, fellow adventurers! The process of wading into that enormous pile of miniature loot continues today as we stumble into the fourth chamber of the dungeon. There is…not a lot of space in here, to be honest. Especially with the paladin and his massive, uh, pauldrons, getting in everyone’s faces! For some reason, though, it’s getting hard to see the other party members, despite how close they are…time for a perception roll, everyone – who knows what’s going on in here! To keep everyone in the loop on the context for this post, you can still hear the echo from the first chamber of this dungeon:

‘I should mention first off that a large number of the minis came in the form of the Sephora Give Me More Lip holiday special set, which contains 17 lip products in three loose ‘colour schemes’: red, nude and pink. I ordered this set from Sephora through the indomitable Jaa, who was kind enough to wrangle all the goodies into a parcel small enough that it wouldn’t cost me the contents of Erebor to ship it here. Jaa was also kind enough to take me a couple of pictures of the set before the packaging had to go…‘

The 2014 Sephora Give Me More Lip set (photo courtesy of Jaa)

…and here the inside! So much miniature lip goodness *drools*. The Tarte pencil at the left centre is the only full-size product. Yet more photographic awesomeness from Jaa!

 ‘I was rather excited when I saw what this set contained, because it was basically a laundry list of brands I’ve wanted to try for the longest time. Since there are so many products here, and because I’m a rogue and we’re funny like that, I’m going to review the contents in spearate posts (or in small groups) so that I can devote proper attention to obssessively photographing each miniature lip product with other miniature things ❤‘

Soooo then, let’s find out what in the name of Moradin is going on – with Benefit’s Posiebalm artefact! Fittingly, for this product, this review is going to be relatively short… 😀

SHINEH *rogueish eyegleam*

Inkeeping with my recent trend, I’m going to talk about packaging first. It makes sense, since the packaging is the first thing you see, and in this case is also very nice indeed. The bits in this set are supposed to be deluxe samples, and in terms of the case, Posiebalm is holding up its end really well. The packaging is a cute, chubby little version of the full size, peachy chrome effect and everything. It has a strong snap closure (almost too strong) so you don’t have to worry about the goblin ratriders actually getting *into* your lip balm, even if they do manage to steal it (it is very shiny after all).

Where things get kind of interesting is on the inside….

A tiny pink nubbin – not inappropriately accomapnied by nipple-shaped mushrooms (it’s a unique sort of dungeon, this one…)

As you can see, this ‘deluxe’ sample contains precisely bugger-all product. I think this is why there was such confusion when we entered this chamber of the dungeon – everyone was having to do perceptions rolls (and failing most of them), because this artefact is enchanted with some serious stealth in terms of its contents. If you were looking quickly, you might assume it had been incorrectly filled in the factory, or made in honour of some sort of headless spirit, or attacked by extremely neat orcs with special decapitation scimitars. Or raised from the dead by a really, really distractable necromancer who never finishes the job and leaves partly raised corpses all over the landscape like mouldy mushrooms… 

A closeup, just to confirm that the amount of product in here is actually on the same millimetre scale as the miniature backdrop 😉

OK, I’ll stop now. Suffice it to say that I (and many others, I see) gave an involuntary snort when we saw the contents of the ‘deluxe’ sample.  It wouldn’t even be quite so arresting if the other samples in the box weren’t significantly more generous, and we didn’t all know that the price of the full size (relative to its pigmentation) is something that can be a bit hard to swallow in the first place. This is, perhaps, the first time I will be able to bring you a review of a product that is brand new to me…that I have already used up! 😀

You should have seen the gymnastics I did to get this to show up in a photo on my arm… I was using ALL THE DEX, people. Also, I forewent (?) the base makeup, so you get random dry flakes and pores, as my special gift to you 😉

This is the point where I have to wheel out the caveats and such. If you take a look in the picture above, you may be persuaded that this is a nice, gently tinted pink balm, and you wouldn’t exactly be wrong. It’s just that my natural lip colour is approximately zero, meaning that (inadvertently), I am the perfect person to showcase this product, from Benefit’s perspective. If you have any lip pigmentation or blush at all, this product may not show up on you. I will say, after going through the whole sample, that it has, vaguely, the feel to it of one of those ‘colour change’ lip products – you know, it goes on clear and then claims to tailor itself to your skintone or whatever (*snort*). Posiebalm goes on with colour, but it has that vaguely fluorescent edge to it that reminds me of the ‘pH’ lipsticks/balms. I think the other three shades (I kind of wish this sample had been Benebalm – red – or Lollibalm – lilac ) are all somewhat more pigmented, so those with rosier or darker natural lips may have better luck there. Benefit does seem to push the idea of wearing these balms over their matching ‘tints’, and I do own a sample of Posietint, but since the tints are plenty pigmented, you could just wear a  clear lip balm over them for the same effect. These balms shouldn’t *have* to be supported by another product underneath for colour; Benefit might as well just have released the balm formula in ‘clear’. In terms of that ‘balm’ part, it’s pretty nice. It feels soft and jelly smooth going on, it makes my lips feel soft and hydrated, but it only lasts about an hour. This wouldn’t be a problem, except that the full size is $34 here in NZ, and $18 in the US. That’s a lot for a not-very-long-lasting, very-slightly-tinted lip balm. There’s also the matter of the smell, which is…rose? Now, I quite like the rose smell on my Benetint, but this one, as Sunny found recently with another Benefit product, smells like the roses are past their best, with a somewhat sour note. It’s not unwearable (the scent doesn’t last much on the lips), but it doesn’t polish my daggers, if you know what I mean.

Basically, I wouldn’t be opposed to trying one of the other shades, if, (like with the Fresh Sugar balms), I was feeling flush in the gold purse department. To sum up in pros and cons (or chests and mimics, as I prefer):

Chests:

• Smooth and hydrating
• Pretty colour (technically)
• Fabulously shiny packaging
• Rogue-appropriate stealth-theme

Mimics:

• Expensive (for what it is)
• Sour-rose smell?
• VERY SHEER
• Only lasts ~1 hour (on me)

What do you think, fellow adventurers? How miniature is miniature? Would you try (or have you tried) one of these balms? What’s your favourite SHINEH packaging?

The practicalities: Benefit Posiebalm (and its sisters) is usually 0.1 oz / 3 g, and costs US $18 / NZ $34 for the full size. These balms may be acquired from Benefit’s own website, www.sephora.com, the and, in New Zealand, from the Benefit counter in Smith and Caugheys and online. The Sephora Give Me More Lip set does not, sadly, appear to still be available on the Sephora website. It was ~$60. There is, however, the Give Me Some Lip set for $25, which contains a shiny Bite lip pencil, as well as some other goodies.

Until next time, fellow adventurers, don’t forget to check for traps!

Syl

I am an adventuring rogue, not a mercenary for hire, and as such, all opinions expressed here are my own, based on a genuine fondness for/interest in this product. If you have any queries or suggestions, please do not hesitate to pin your parchment to the board (contact me) at thepaintedrogue [at] gmail [dot] com., or use the contact form provided! All images and text on this blog are the property of The Painted Rogue unless otherwise stated. If you nick off with any of it, be prepared to find that your morning hot beverage tastes a little…different than usual. Didn’t the rogue say something the other day about that new poison that makes your inner ear itch maddeningly for the rest of your life? I think she did…

The Forthright Rogue: Get a Word in Edgewise with Bare Minerals Marvelous Moxie Lipstick in Speak Your Mind!

Greetings from an unusually forthright chamber in the dungeon, fellow rogues!

Gird your loins, fellow adventurers! The process of wading into that enormous pile of miniature loot continues today as we break into the third chamber of the dungeon. This chamber might be dressed in demure pinky nude sandstone, but suddenly everyone in the party is getting it out in the open and saying what they think! O_O You might think a rogue wouldn’t usually have trouble putting her thoughts across, but sometimes you need a little boost to get past the bard and the paladin once they start holding forth! To keep everyone in the loop on the context for this post, you can still hear the echo from the first chamber of this dungeon:

‘I should mention first off that a large number of the minis came in the form of the Sephora Give Me More Lip holiday special set, which contains 17 lip products in three loose ‘colour schemes’: red, nude and pink. I ordered this set from Sephora through the indomitable Jaa, who was kind enough to wrangle all the goodies into a parcel small enough that it wouldn’t cost me the contents of Erebor to ship it here. Jaa was also kind enough to take me a couple of pictures of the set before the packaging had to go…‘

The 2014 Sephora Give Me More Lip set (photo courtesy of Jaa)

…and here the inside! So much miniature lip goodness *drools*. The Tarte pencil at the left centre is the only full-size product. Yet more photographic awesomeness from Jaa!

 ‘I was rather excited when I saw what this set contained, because it was basically a laundry list of brands I’ve wanted to try for the longest time. Since there are so many products here, and because I’m a rogue and we’re funny like that, I’m going to review the contents in spearate posts (or in small groups) so that I can devote proper attention to obssessively photographing each miniature lip product with other miniature things ❤‘

Alrighty then, let’s find out why everyone’s talking at once, by examining the artefact in this chamber – the Bare Minerals Marvelous Moxie lipstick in Speak Your Mind! 😀

Lying peacefully in the Crypt of the Damned, along with, presumably, one of the Damned.

Before anything ‘review’ related, I’d like to take a moment here to bask in wonderment at the fact that not only is the Bare Minerals Marvelous Moxie lipstick line available here in Middle Earth (NZ), it’s actually reasonably priced! You can acquire these lipsticks from the Bare Minerals counter at Mecca Cosmetica (or on their website), for only $28 a pop, which is in the Revlon price range! This might still make US readers swallow their tongues (I haven’t checked how much these are in the US yet), but it’s a lot better than most brands manage (you can get NARS from the same shop, but their lipsticks are closer to $60 a pop). Anyway, without further ado:

I believe this is intended to be one of the ‘nudes’ in the GMML box – while I would agree that it’s not as pink as, say Bite Palomino, I wouldn’t exactly say it’s a shade that will precisely blend in with anyone’s skintone (unless you’re pale and have just come back from a brisk walk in the sun or something). I think it might be better termed as a ‘MLBB’ lipstick, although even then there’s a pale, bright edge to it that veers away from the straight and narrow of that definition too. You’ll have to pardon my nitpickiness – this shade was truly a surprise for me, shade-wise (although not a bad one, as you’ll discover below!).

Actually available in Middle Earth, and won’t destroy wallets on sight! Truly a wonder for the ages…

First up: packaging and presentation. The tube is a plain black plastic case in the traditional lipstick style, and is perfectly functional for the purpose. The lipstick bullet itself has gone a route I’d like to see a few more miniature lipsticks go, in that it is shorter and wider as opposed to long and skinny. This helps to avoid unintentional breakage, which can occur despite the best and most careful of application intentions with some mini lipsticks. The lipstick has a vague, sweet minty scent and no flavour that I can detect. The scent doesn’t linger on the lips, and there’s no ‘plumping/cooling’ effect from the mint or anything (phew!). The lipstick applies very smoothly and creamily, and wears for a good four hours, leaving a slight pinkish stain behind (probably not as visible on anyone whose natural lip colour is not ‘zombie white’ like mine, hah!). It’s a tiny bit dry towards the end of wear, but not actually ‘drying‘. The finish is creamy/satin with a soft shine, wearing off more toward a soft satin matte with time (hence the drier feel at the end).

Swatchy goodness! Yes, it’s the first time in a while that I’ve remembered to take an arm swatch…

The colour of the lipstick, as I so maddeningly referred to at the beginning of the post, is best described as an ‘MLBB pink’. It’s a soft, warm pink, with a hint of peachiness to it (especially in warm light). Having said that, however, if you apply sufficient layers to build a nice opacity on the lips (two for me, which is normal for all but the most pigmented shades), there is a noticeable pale cast to it that makes it actually quite a bright lipstick in its own way. It’s not bright the way Revlon Unapologetic is bright or anything, but… well, it’s hard to describe! Perhaps some lip swatches… 🙂

Am I going insane, or is this lipstick enchanted with a pale brightness? It’s a pretty pink, whatever its overtones, however!

 

If you click on the photo above to zoom in, not only will you get front row seats to my amusing fuzzy lipbeard (does anyone else get this? No photoshoppping here, folks! LOL!), but you will see in the left-hand photo that there is a visible white base to the lipstick that actually makes it quite bright.  I should probably stress that I don’t find this to be a negative, but I wasn’t expecting it from either the bullet or the arm swatch! I tried blotting this lipstick, just to get rid of any excess creaminess (good if your lips are not perfectly smooth), and arrived at a gorgeous, soft, luminous rose pink colour. Most definitely rogue approved, and will be added to my MLBB guide shortly! For all my rambling, I really like this lipstick. It’s easy to apply, moisturising, and affordably available in my notoriously makeup brand-challenged country. I think it would make a good addition to any rogue’s kitbag, as it’s pretty but still relatively stealthy and goes exceptionally well with black clothing 😉 Even the message the name is sending is a good one!

What do you think, fellow adventurers? Have you tried any of The Marvelous Moxie lipsticks? How do you feel about white bases (even subtle ones) in lipsticks? Have you checked out my Guide to Stealthy Pink Lipsticks yet?? 😀

The practicalities: Bare Minerals Marvelous Moxie lipsticks are usually 0.12 oz / 3.4 g, and cost US $18 / NZ $28 each for the full size. Speak Your Mind is a permanent shade, and they can be acquired from www.sephora.com, the Bare Escentuals website and, in New Zealand/Australia from Mecca Cosmetica (stores and website). The Sephora Give Me More Lip set does not, sadly, appear to still be available on the Sephora website. It was ~$60. There is, however, the Give Me Some Lip set for $25, which contains a shiny Bite lip pencil, as well as some other goodies.

Until next time, fellow adventurers, don’t forget to check for traps!

Syl

I am an adventuring rogue, not a mercenary for hire, and as such, all opinions expressed here are my own, based on a genuine fondness for/interest in this product. If you have any queries or suggestions, please do not hesitate to pin your parchment to the board (contact me) at thepaintedrogue [at] gmail [dot] com., or use the contact form provided! All images and text on this blog are the property of The Painted Rogue unless otherwise stated. If you nick off with any of it, be prepared to find that your morning hot beverage tastes a little…different than usual. Didn’t the rogue say something the other day about that new poison that makes your inner ear itch maddeningly for the rest of your life? I think she did…

The Freshly Sugared Rogue: Exploring New Lip Balm Frontiers with the Fresh Sugar Berry Lip Treatment!

Greetings from the second chamber of the dungeon, fellow rogues!

Gird your loins, fellow adventurers! The process of wading into that enormous pile of miniature loot continues today as we break into the second chamber of the dungeon. This chamber is in a similar colour family to last time, but on the other end of the spectrum in terms of pigmentation and delightful smooshiness ^_^ Trust me, ‘delightful smooshiness’ is not usually a phrase you hear bandied about with regard to dungeons, but here I feel it applies. But I’m getting ahead of myself! To keep things organised, I’ll start all these posts off in a similar fashion, to whit:

‘I should mention first off that a large number of the minis came in the form of the Sephora Give Me More Lip holiday special set, which contains 17 lip products in three loose ‘colour schemes’: red, nude and pink. I ordered this set from Sephora through the indomitable Jaa, who was kind enough to wrangle all the goodies into a parcel small enough that it wouldn’t cost me the contents of Erebor to ship it here. Jaa was also kind enough to take me a couple of pictures of the set before the packaging had to go…‘

The 2014 Sephora Give Me More Lip set (photo courtesy of Jaa)

…and here the inside! So much miniature lip goodness *drools*. The Tarte pencil at the left centre is the only full-size product. Yet more photographic awesomeness from Jaa!

 ‘I was rather excited when I saw what this set contained, because it was basically a laundry list of brands I’ve wanted to try for the longest time. Since there are so many products here, and because I’m a rogue and we’re funny like that, I’m going to review the contents in spearate posts (or in small groups) so that I can devote proper attention to obssessively photographing each miniature lip product with other miniature things ❤‘

Alrighty then, let’s dig into the next little gem on the list (yet another popular choice for review from my fellow adventurers) – the Fresh Sugar Tinted Lip Treament in Berry! 😀

*bling* How jewel-like is that brushed metal, boysenberry-coloured packaging? *grabby rogue hands*

Can we just take a minute to talk about the packaging here? I realise I’m not the first to do this by any stretch of the imagination, but I think it warrants serious consideration. This tube is made of metal. It has heft. Heft! It has a screw closure at the base of the lid that I spectacularly failed to photograph. A screw closure. This is possibly the most securely packaged lip balm in the multiverse, and I am a fan. There’s nothing worse than pulling your roll of lockpicks out of your kitbag, only to discover that they have all become glued together with strawberry Chapstick or whatever (especially given how horrible that stuff smells). this lip balm will not do that to you. The packaging has your back. And this is just the miniature version.

It even has sunscreen. Sort of. For those sunny dungeons, don’tcherknow….

Speaking of smells, let’s start with a whiff of this. I had read various reviews likening it to everything from lemon cheese cake/lemon meringue pie to lemon Pledge, so my expectations going in were pretty much restricted to ‘lemon, probably?’. In this respect I was not disappointed, as the product does indeed smell lemony, with a sugary sweet but still fresh edge to it. Aptly named! It doesn’t have a flavour, per se, but there is a sweetness to it on the lips that is totally inoffensive. The perfume does hang around on the lips for quite a while, but since it’s a decent one I don’t really mind. It’s not like you turn away anything that obscures ‘dungeon musk’ while you’re adventuring, right? 😉

Some of the product…

While we’re on the subject of questing (yes, you may call me Queen of the Obvious Segues): you might not want to take this into the next magma cave/dragon’s lair/lost desert temple you visit. It’s currently residing in the refrigerator at Rogue HQ, standing very incongruously in the egg tray, because this is possibly one of the softest, smooshiest lip balms I have ever experienced. To be fair, the little bullet is always going to be dinky (and ADORABLE), but the susceptibility of this stuff to even relatively mild heat is incredible. I’d heard this was a bit of a characteristic of these balms, and the Internet did not lie: I opened it yesterday and pulled the whole bullet out, as it had glued itself to the inside top of the lid. No worries – I just dropped it back in and put it in the fridge to re-set, but it’s definitely something to be aware of. Even when it was not leaping (slithering?) out o the tube, it is very soft to apply.

…all of the product! I decided to keep it on ice, because, you know. Smooshy. 😀

On the topic of softness (sorry, I can’t stop now), Fresh certainly haven’t gone soft on the quantity if product they give you in this deluxe sample size. Matching the substantial packaging, there is a whole 2.2 g of smooshy goodness in here! This may or may not seem like a lot depending on your expectations from samples, but I was well pleased with it. Certainly, next to the Posietint sample, it is gargantuan 😉

Gargantuan Lips! OMG It’s Lipzilla! Et Cetera…

 

On to some pictures of my lips that make them look equally gargantuan! (broken cymbal noise). I’ve been dithering around talking about everything *but* the details you probably want to hear, but I thought I’d keep them down here near the lip swatch pictures, for the adventurer in a hurry ;-). This lip balm is, in short, really nice. Smooshiness and all. Meltiness and all. It has a lovely, smooth, almost jellied coating feeling on the lips, which is something I rather like in my balms when my lips are feeling dry. It lasts quite a long time on me for a lip balm (close on two hours, colour intact), and my lips feel better after using it. The colour is a moderately sheer berry pink that changes (on me) depending on the light. In cooler, darker or cloudier conditions, it takes on much more of a berry tone, while in brighter, sunnier, warmer ones it has a distinct pink edge. The difference out and about is even stronger than in the pictures, but it looks nice either way, so I’m not complaining. The only issue I have with the smooshiness, coupled with the sheerness, is that sometimes it can take a bit of work to get the colour even. Most of this work can be done by mashing your lips together a few times however, no mirror required.

So! All in all, I rather like this little balm, and it certainly lives up to the nice things said about it (and others in the line the line) by people whose opinion I respect. If you live in a hot climate and are looking for something to toss in your handbag, however, this is not the balm for you, and the full-size price tag (for a lip balm) is substantial (~$22) which may be a deal-breaker for some. I have, at last count, 1726431724 lip balms to get through, and I can honestly say that I have enough other ones that are also nice that I don’t feel the need to go out and get the full size immediately. Should the occasion arise, however, I would definitely consider it!

What do you think, fellow adventurers? Have you tried any of Fresh’s lip balms? What’s the most you’re usually willing to spend on a lip balm? Are there any other products you find particularly smooshy?? 😀

The practicalities: Fresh Sugar Tinted Lip Treatments are usually 0.15 oz, and cost $22.50 each for the full size. Berry is a permanent shade, and they can be acquired from www.sephora.com. The Sephora Give Me More Lip set does not, sadly, appear to still be available on the Sephora website. It was ~$60. There is, however, the Give Me Some Lip set for $25, which contains a shiny Bite lip pencil, as well as some other goodies.

Until next time, fellow adventurers, don’t forget to check for traps!

Syl

I am an adventuring rogue, not a mercenary for hire, and as such, all opinions expressed here are my own, based on a genuine fondness for/interest in this product. If you have any queries or suggestions, please do not hesitate to pin your parchment to the board (contact me) at thepaintedrogue [at] gmail [dot] com., or use the contact form provided! All images and text on this blog are the property of The Painted Rogue unless otherwise stated. If you nick off with any of it, be prepared to find that your morning hot beverage tastes a little…different than usual. Didn’t the rogue say something the other day about that new poison that makes your inner ear itch maddeningly for the rest of your life? I think she did…

Berries in The Snow! Atmospheric Adventuring with Bite Beauty Palomino Lipstick

Greetings from back at the very start of the dungeon, fellow rogues!

First of all: A very Merry Roguemas to all of my fellow adventurers out there! Whether your quest be great or small, whether you are beset by gelatinous cubes or swimming in golden treasure, I hope you had a lovely celebration with family, friends and as few paladins as possible. I have a few pictures of my own Roguemas on Instagram, if you’re curious as to how a rogue celebrates. It involves fewer daggers than you might think… 😉

Righty ho, fellow adventurers! It’s time to begin wading into that enormous piile of miniature loot I showed you the other day. I should mention first off that a large number of the minis came in the form of the Sephora Give Me More Lip holiday special set, which contains 17 lip products in three loose ‘colour schemes’: red, nude and pink. I ordered this set from Sephora through the indomitable Jaa, who was kind enough to wrangle all the goodies into a parcel small enough that it wouldn’t cost me the contents of Erebor to ship it here. Jaa was also kind enough to take me a couple of pictures of the set before the packaging had to go…

The 2014 Sephora Give Me More Lip set (photo courtesy of Jaa)

…and here the inside! So much miniature lip goodness *drools*. The Tarte pencil at the left centre is the only full-size product. Yet more photographic awesomeness from Jaa!

 I was rather excited when I saw what this set contained, because it was basically a laundry list of brands I’ve wanted to try for the longest time. Since there are so many products here, and because I’m a rogue and we’re funny like that, I’m going to review the contents in spearate posts (or in small groups) so that I can devote proper attention to obssessively photographing each miniature lip product with other miniature things ❤

Accordingly, today we start with one of my most anticipated items, and a popular choice for the first review from you guys – the Bite Beauty Luminous Creme Lipstick in the shade Palomino! 😀

A lipstick, lying quitely on a snowy, frozen pond. If only all quests were so tranquil…

Even though it’s currently Summer here in Middle Earth, I thought I would go with a wintry theme for this post. After all, the greater percentage of my readership is currently in the grip of varying degrees of cold weather, and there’s something about the combination of bold pink, matte black and snowy white that really tickles my dagger holsters. Did you know that baking soda makes excellent snow for miniature model terrain? No? Well, now you do ^_^ .

That thrill when, after a long trek through snowy landscapes, you see the treasure poking through the snow…

As should be obvious from the photos (but isn’t) the lipstick is miniature. I don’t own a full size Bite lipstick to compare it to, but it’s like any miniature lipstick you’ve seen before. It is tiny and sleek and almost insufferably adorable. I didn’t have any problems with applying the lipstick (i.e. it didn’t break off), but I was very careful about application. Probably it helps that the Bite formula is quite a soft and creamy one (assisted no doubt by the 26 degree C weather we’ve had recently). Accordingly, application is very smooth and easy, although you’ll want to be careful about getting crisp edges, as the pigment-saturated formula will stain a little if you go outside the lines.

Adorable mini lipstick is adorable. Also, DAT COLOUR.

The colour in the bullet is ‘hot pink’ to me, almost a Barbie pink, but perhaps a little darker and more fuchsia. Interestingly, this mini bullet has a sort of wood-grain like pattern to it; this is almost certainly an accident of maufacture/transport/whaever, but I quite like it ^_^ The lipstick does have a scent, kind of a…fruity/herbal one? It’s very faint, and hard to place. All I know is that it’s inoffensive, and doesn’t smell like either lipstick base or vanilla, which are the usual suspects. Possibly this has something to do with (as I’ve heard) Bite Beauty’s lipsticks being made from all food-grade ingredients, and it does actually smell more ‘edible’ than your average lipstick.

Who said lipsticks don’t grow on trees? OK, no-one, although I believe Charlotte Tilbury is implying they might…

I am pleased to report that this little gem from Bite totally lived up to my hopes and expectations from the brand. I heard creamy and hydrating…it was creamy and hydrating. I heard excellent pigmentation and smooth satin finish…right again on both counts! I heard good wear time and soft stain…it lasted four hours on me, and left a pretty decent fuchsia stain. What can I say, fellow adventurers? If you’re looking for a kitbag staple that will take you from snowy trek to dungeon deep to feasting table in the tavern, this is it. The colour is bold without being brash, adds a fantastic pop of colour to brighten a wintry day or glow in the summer sun, and keeps your lips happy while you wear it (well, mine didn’t complain!). If you have yet to investigate the Bite brand, maybe consider picking something up and giving it a go – especially when all these sets and things go on special in January… just sayin’… 😉

The lovely Palomino, in full glory to the left, and then blotted gently to the right.

As you can see in the swatches above, the hot pink of the bullet has a deeper, berrier leaning on the lips that I absolutely love. I think it adds a touch of sophistication to what is, in real life, quite a bright colour. The finish is a beautiful smooth, plump satin. You also have some options with this colour – you can wear it full strength, blot it down for a slightly sheerer, slightly more matte (but still luminous) colour, or thin it down with lip balm for a glossier, more subtle effect. Naturally, I forgot to take a photo of that last option, but I’m sure you can figure it out. The only tip I’d mention is to make sure it’s a lip balm that itself stays put on your actual lips, as opposed to seeping outside the lines. You can be sure the pigment will go with it! Although I haven’t tried it myself yet, I rather think this might be a good candidate for a ‘lipstick you can use as a cream blush’, too…

More lipstick porn… and miniature artificial ice porn too, if that’s what polishes your daggers ^_^

I can believe people who say that these lipsticks die in the heat – mine was nicely creamy though still solid, but it’s one that I’d be mindful of the storage for, especially if you live in a country where things actually get *hot*! Still, if disaster strikes, that’s what either a refrigerator, or the holy trinity of lipstick repair (little pot/lipbrush/microwave) is for! 😀 I’m prepared to deal with a little potential meltiness if it means my lipstick can double as emergency dungeoneering rations, but maybe avoid taking it on that trip to the bowels of the magma cave…

What do you think, fellow adventurers? Have you tried any of Bite’s lipsticks? What’s your favourite luminous fuchsia/berry/hot pink lipstick at the moment? How’s the weather where you are? 😀

The practicalities: Bite Beauty Luminous Creme Lipsticks are usually 0.15 oz, and cost $24 each for the full size. Palomino is a permanent shade, and they can be acquired from www.sephora.com. The Sephora Give Me More Lip set does not, sadly, appear to still be available on the Sephora website. It was ~$60. There is, however, the Give Me Some Lip set for $25, which contains a Bite lip pencil, as well as some other goodies.

Until next time, fellow adventurers, don’t forget to check for traps!

Syl

I am an adventuring rogue, not a mercenary for hire, and as such, all opinions expressed here are my own, based on a genuine fondness for/interest in this product. If you have any queries or suggestions, please do not hesitate to pin your parchment to the board (contact me) at thepaintedrogue [at] gmail [dot] com., or use the contact form provided! All images and text on this blog are the property of The Painted Rogue unless otherwise stated. If you nick off with any of it, be prepared to find that your morning hot beverage tastes a little…different than usual. Didn’t the rogue say something the other day about that new poison that makes your inner ear itch maddeningly for the rest of your life? I think she did…

Stay True to the Spirit of a Rogue with Blue and Purple Lipsticks from INGLOT… + 1 Year of Bloggy Adventures!

Greetings from back at the very start of the dungeon, fellow rogues!

It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a blogging rogue in possession of a large pile of loot must be in want of time to review it all.

As part of my continuing quest to make it through all the lovely things I collected in Dubai, I’m bringing you a rather late, much anticipated, but nevertheless hopefully still relevant review of two of INGLOT’s more intriguingly coloured lipsticks!

In semi-related news, today marks the 1st anniversary of my blog 🙂 To be honest, it’s kind of snuck up on me (given all the thesis madness that’s STILL GOING ON ARGH), but the little trophy from WordPress popped up in my notifications feed this morning to give me a little warm fuzzy buzz. I don’t have anything special planned, or any awesome giveaways organised (see: thesis), but I would like to take this opportunity to thank everyone who’s stopped by, said hello, and adventured with me these past 12 months. I’ve said before that my favourite part of blogging is the community, both fellow bloggers and readers, and I hope to enjoy this whole blogging thing for many adventures to come.  ❤

(When the Thesisbeast is finally slain…THEN WE PARTY) 😀

PURPLE LIPSTICKS OMGWTFBBQ ARRGHSQUEE! Uh, yes. Purple Lipstick. *cough*

Right: to get on with the actual review… I sort of wandered into the INGLOT store in the Dubai Mall without any special plans – I knew they had an impressive colour selection, and that was about it! Then I walked past the magical benchtop that held their pan lipsticks (or cream pigments, or whatever you want to call them) and ground to an immediate halt. I SAW PURPLE.

The Freedom System. Also known as choose-your-colours or ‘the dwarven approach to deciding when it is appropriate to start quaffing and eating all the pies’.

As you will be aware if you hang around here for any length of time, I have a bit of a thing when it comes to purple, especially lipsticks! Since it’s an anniversary, I feel it’s only appropriate to mention that although my first real post didn’t feature a purple lipstick, the second one did 🙂 The first one had coral. I guess I thought I’d start with something I wore daily, and then work in the direction of stuff I *wish* I could wear to work. 😉

Our brave adventurers stumble across a strange artefact in the woods…

So! Of course I immediately chose the two purples an had them popped into one of the hady dandy two-pan Freedom System palettes. I do like that Inglot offers a reasonable selection of pan-form things, and that there are a few options when it comes to how many pans you have in your palette. Obviously, there were other shades of lipstick that I wanted from the line (how about the chartreuse, the white and the yellow, for starters?), but I was on a bit of a budget, didn’t know if I would like them, and thought I would stay true to my roguish roots. The colours I chose were #95 (the more bluish one) and #99 (the warmer violet). I’ve niggled before about lazy naming ayatems, but given the number of shades and items INGLOT has on offer, I can see the practicality of a numerical system. I’ll give them a pass this time, but I am partial to actual names for shades of makeup. 😉

INGLOT lipsticks in #95 (blue) and #99 (purple). These shades are the absolute devil to photograph. Getting the shade right is like getting the paladin not to look smug in a photo. Essentially, it can’t be done.

I am rather fond of the packaging in the sense that it’s very sleek and operates by means of magnets. Magnets are awesome, and the magnetisation happening here is just as strong as you need it to be, and not so strong that when you’re trying to slide the lid off it suddenly pops and you gouge the hell out of the pan (I think we’ve all had something similar happen to us with some aggressively sealed product or other). Thumbs up to INGLOT for that one. The frosted aspect to the lid (for some reason), is totally my jam.

The lid opened relatively smoothly, and for a second they wondered if it was going to be some sort of crypt. Fortunately, lipsticks eventuated, rather than hordes of the vengeful living dead.

Normally, I’m not really a lip brush person (too lazy), but I wasn’t about to start finger painting with these, so I dusted off my Dior lipliner (which has an excellent brush on the other end) and attacked the pans! The texture of the lipsticks is smooth and very creamy, but isn’t too slippery. I didn’t experience any feathering during wear, and the colour applied evenly, but I have the sneaking suspicion that if you do personally find that lipsticks bleed or settle into your liplines, these lipsticks might lean in that direction. They feel nice and weightless on the lips, last about 3 hours (decent for me) and don’t taste of anything. The only downside is that they have a moderately onoxious fake cherry scent, that needs to die in a fire. I am biased because of some truly heinous medicine I had to take as a child, but even at the best of times, I feel like fake cherry scents don’t lend a whole lot of sophistication to a product. With the quality of the lipsticks and the sleek packaging, the scent is like… well, if you took a sundae crafted from madagascan vanilla bean ice cream and molten Valhrona chocolate and added a ‘pffft’ of spraycan ‘cream’ and a neon red maraschino cherry on top… *sniffs snobbily*:-)

All that aside though, these are nice lipsticks, for a great price, with an excellent selection. If you’ve been hesitating over trying INGLOT, or trying some more unconventionally-coloured lipstick, then this might be a great place for you to start! These are officiallt Rogue Approved lipsticks (and colours), so go forth and adventure, secure in the knowledge that I have your back when it comes to lip products. 😛

#99 (right), #95 (left) and my attempt at an ombre lip at the lower centre.

As you can see in the picture above, they both have decent pigmentation (the blue a little better than the purple), and they are both very smooth and even. I should note here that the Freedom System does have another blue lipstick in the line, but it’s more of a cyan type of blue, rather than an indigo/cobalt. I just don’t want to give the impression that this is the only blue in the line, hah! Anyway, I couldn’t resist the opportunity to try my hand at an ombre blue/purple lip, and so pressed both colours into service, along with my trusty mainstay, MUFE #49 to add depth and shadow in the corners and around the lipline. Although I prefer lipsticks in bullets generally, the whole pan and brush business does give a wonderfully artistic atmosphere. The lip look was inspired by Phyrra’s hair, and a recent, fabulous ombre blue lip look that Fancie posted in Instagram ^_^ .

What do you think, fellow adventurers? Have you tried any of the INGLOT lipsticks? Do you go for blue or purple in your makeup looks much? What do you think I should do to celebrate my Blogiversary? 😀

The practicalities: INGLOT 2-pan Freedom System palettes cost US$8 each (I need to check how many AED) and the lipstick pans cost US$7 each for 1.2 g/0.05 oz. All are permanent, and may be acquired from INGLOT stores and counters around the world, as well as from www.inglotusa.com (and other international equivalent websites).

Until next time, fellow adventurers, don’t forget to check for traps!

Syl

I am an adventuring rogue, not a mercenary for hire, and as such, all opinions expressed here are my own, based on a genuine fondness for/interest in this product. If you have any queries or suggestions, please do not hesitate to pin your parchment to the board (contact me) at thepaintedrogue [at] gmail [dot] com., or use the contact form provided! All images and text on this blog are the property of The Painted Rogue unless otherwise stated. If you nick off with any of it, be prepared to find that your morning hot beverage tastes a little…different than usual. Didn’t the rogue say something the other day about that new poison that makes your inner ear itch maddeningly for the rest of your life? I think she did…

Adventures with the Ballet Monster – Lancôme Lip Lover in #321 Rose Contretemps (Plus Full Set Swatches!)

Greetings from an adorable, pink fluffy dungeon, fellow rogues!

It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a blogging rogue in possession of a large pile of loot must be in want of time to review it all.

As part of my continuing quest to make it through all the lovely things I collected in Dubai, I’m bringing you a rather late, but nevertheless hopefully still relevant review of Lancôme’s (relatively) new Lip Lover gloss, in the shade Rose Contretemps! I also have some special treats for you – full swatches of the shades released in NZ,  a rousing story of makeup-adventure with the adorable ballet monster, and some ballet videos to match the names of the glosses! So strap on your bandoliers and pointes, fellow rogues, here we go!

The Lancôme Lip Lover line is (as far as I can tell) essentially Lancôme’s offering at the same altar Dior laid their Fluid Sticks, Maybelline their Color Elixirs and YSL their Glossy Stains. Sort of a hybrid of lipgloss, liquid lipstick and (theoretically) lip treatment. In essential terms, however, what the Lancôme lip lover is is a thick, non-sticky, lip-coating and slightly lip-plumping gloss. Some of the ones in the range are very pigmented, others not so, as you can see in the swatches I’ve made here of all the shades that we got in NZ:

Swatches of all the Lancome Lip Lover shades available in New Zealand (except Rose Ballet).

 

As you can see, they’ve made the whole set more or less ballet themed, which of course wins instant brownie points with me! What loses brownie points with me is that they chose not to bring the shade Violette Pirouette to Middle Earth… *grumble* 😉 In case you’re interested, I’ve compiled a little glossary of the ballet terms used in the names (some of which I’m sure everyone already knows!). If you’d like to skip directly to my story and  review of Rose Contretemps (not actually available in Middle Earth either – I got mine in Dubai), it is a little further down!

The links are to pictures or videos of the step 🙂

Adage: A slow sequence in ballet, one famous example being the Rose Adage from Sleeping Beauty.

Nymphes: Well, nymphs, in French. But nymphs (or variations thereon, like sylphs) are quite an important staple in many classic ballet stories. A nice example is the ballet Ondine.

Manège: Interestingly, this (literally) means ‘riding school’ or, refers to a circus ring. The connection to ballet is the ‘ring’ part, such as in the step jeté en tournant en manège, in which a guy (usually) travels, jumping, in a wide circle.

Cygnes: Swans. I think we can all guess a good example of where this comes from, eh? 😉

Casse-Noisette: Nutcracker. I think this one might be an easy guess too!

Cabriole: A step of elevation, in which the dancer jumps up, then beats the ankles together with the legs out straight in front or behind, before they land.

Pas de Prune: OK only the ‘pas’ part is really ballet – it means ‘step’, and turns up in most things defined by a specific ‘stepping’ movement, such as pas de chat, pas de cheval, pas de bourrée etc. The whole name ‘Pas de Prune’ cracks me up, because I can’t hear ‘step of the plum’, only ‘step of the prune’. Which is presumably very fast. In the direction of the bathroom… 😀

Arabesque: my favourite thing ever in ballet :-D. Standing on one leg with the other raised up behind. You’ll know it when you see it!

Etoile: means ‘star’, but it’s ballet related in that it is the highest dancer rank of the Paris Opera Ballet.

Contre-temps: Against time – used by the French School for beats done against the time of the music.

Attitude: A position in which the working leg is bent – can be in front, or behind, or at the side, or turning…

Pirouette: A spin! May be done passe, à la seconde, en attitude, en arabesque, fouetté…

Pointe: Another no-brainer perhaps 😉 If you’d like to see a review of a pair of pointe shoes, you can do so here!

 Rose Contretemps

Alright, after that little excursus into ballet terminology, I expect you’re interested to see what Rose Contretemps has in store, yes? Well, there’s a story behind that one… I was doing a little bit of solo adventuring one day when I came across a surprisingly pink and fluffy dungeon. There was tulle stonework, and sequined stalagmites, and somewhere in the background you could hear Tchaikovsky. While I wasn’t particularly threatened by this environment, a good rogue never lets her guard down! I was just checking for traps amongst a pile of pointe-shoe shaped mushrooms when I heard some scuffling from the deep fuchsia shadows. Before I even had time to react, the rare and adorable ballet monster chainée’d out of the corner, and came to a halt at my feet.

The Ballet Monster, complete with her weapon of choice.

 

When she stopped spinning, she sat down with a little ‘phew’ (her eyeballs were still spinning a little), resting her weapon in her lap. Instantly I was intrigued – it looked like a coral-pink gloss artifact I had heard rumours of in the tavern. I wondered how I might get her to part with it – there was certainly no way I was going to take a dagger to her (unless she pulled a Monty Python on me), so I was going to need CHA rather than DEX here.

 

The Ballet Monster offers up the Scared Lip Lover of Rose Contretemps. Or something.

 

Fortunately for me, I didn’t even have to ask: as soon as she got her breath back, she offered the tube up to me, on one condition: that I would dance a pas de deux with her. The fluffy ballet dungeon was a pretty lonely place, it turned out, since the last male ballet monster had left in a huff over the colour scheme. Perhaps this was going to be a DEX issue after all! As if to convince me, she showed off the snazzy features of the weapon: the nifty push-button opening mechanism, and shiny window that lets you see the colour of the product, and the interestingly shaped doe-foot applicator.

The Ballet Monster gives a seminar on gloss application!

 

The not-really-a-doe-foot-more-like-a-flipper-actually applicator!

The curved side of the applicator is supposed to hug the lower lip, while the pointy end is intended to help with precise application to the top lip/around the lip edges. It certainly does this well, and the amount that comes out on the applicator from one pull is enough to coat the lips (in my experience). Pigmentation (on this shade) is excellent, giving a nice, nearly opaque jelly-like finish. There are a couple of caveats, however. This gloss isn’t sticky at all, but if you don’t like the feeling of your lips being ‘coated‘, you may have reservations here. I happen to love that feeling (for whatever reason), so I’m all in! Secondly, and this might be partly because of the pigmentation on this shade, I found that if my lips were not in good condition before application, things got a little streaky and clumpy. It was nothing that couldn’t be fixed by a little extra spreading, but it is technically tedious. I suspect darker pigmented shades are even worse for this.

Lip and arm swatches! I think these convey nicely the ‘coaty’, gel-like nature of this gloss, and the very, very subtle shimmer…

Isn’t this thing gorgeous though? When my lips are happy, application is a dream, and the gel/jelly finish and the colour all make my heart go pitter pat. I forgot to take a photo of my bare lips here, but regular adventurers will tell you that they are essentially the same colour as my face. #zombielips. Technically, there is some kind of plumping thing going on. I don’t feel a tingle, per se, but more the frisson of a fizz. Unlike most lip plumpers, it’s extremely gentle, and the effect is rather nice.

 

Lancome, really? You couldn’t stretch to an actual name on the item? The little box has the name on it, but who keeps those?

 

How did that pas de deux go? Quite well, actually, once I got down low enough to be useful to a ballet monster who is less than a foot tall. ^_^. She certainly seemed happy, tossing the Lip Lover into my hand, and bourée-ing away into the chiffon-draped depths of the dungeon. When I get back to town, I might see if I can find a gnome cobbler who can make her a pair of pointe shoes… 😉

 

What do you think, fellow adventurers? Have you tried any of the Lip Lover line? Have you ever met a ballet monster? What’s your take on lip-plumping?

The practicalities: Lancôme Lip Lovers cost NZD$49 each for 4.5 ml / 0.15 fl oz, are permanent, and may be acquired from Lancôme counters around the world, as well as from www.lancôme-usa.com (and other international equivalent websites).

Until next time, fellow adventurers, don’t forget to check for traps!

Syl

I am an adventuring rogue, not a mercenary for hire, and as such, all opinions expressed here are my own, based on a genuine fondness for/interest in this product. If you have any queries or suggestions, please do not hesitate to pin your parchment to the board (contact me) at thepaintedrogue [at] gmail [dot] com., or use the contact form provided! All images and text on this blog are the property of The Painted Rogue unless otherwise stated. If you nick off with any of it, be prepared to find that your morning hot beverage tastes a little…different than usual. Didn’t the rogue say something the other day about that new poison that makes your innear ear itch maddeningly for the rest of your life? I think she did…

It’s a Trap! The Perils of Precipitous Polish Purchases! (And Remedies for Same)

Greetings from a position doing the splits over a spike pit, fellow rogues!

Since I’m in a rather delicate position at the moment (re: spike pit), I’m actually going to try and keep this post rather short. There’s also the fact that I don’t really like negatives, but I thought this was an important and useful conversation to have! After all, as rogues we’re supposed to see the traps before they happen, so on the off-chance you  do fall into a trap, what can you do about it?

As I mentioned in a recent polishy post, I’m not generally an impulse purchaser – especially when it comes to makeup! With the prices the way they are here in Middle Earth, added to the fact that you can’t return things once opened, unplanned expenses aren’t really an easy option. However, we all have our moments, even rogue (who are generally more preoccupied with suddenly finding gold than suddenly losing it). Mine came in Dubai, where I spied a rack of bright and gorgeous Nailstation Paris polishes on sale, and scooped up three. Two have been pretty successful (I didn’t just grab them totally at random, after all), but this last one, sadly, didn’t quite hit the mark (unlike that spike in the pit down there that’s threatening to, well, you know…). 

I present: Nailstation Paris Cocorico, a bright sky blue with hidden white pearl…

 

Sky blue goodness, with a pale whitish (superfine) pearl, if you can spot it!

 

Looks good, right? Well, it is, in the colour sense – I actually really like it. The pearl isn’t overt, so it doesn’t get to ’80’s frostpearl’ on you (frost mages from the ’80s had an interesting style, to say the least), and the colour is neither too cobalt nor too baby/pastel. It’s like that door that looks totally innocuous, and has some nice, nonthreatening carvings on it. Can’t be a trap, right? We’re in a hurry after all, and the treasure must be much further in….

Anyway, it’s when you put the polish on me that the problems begin to crop up…

Lobster claws! 😀 Also, Nailstation Paris Cocorico (blue) and OPI Rose of Light (glitter). Pardon the particularly mangy looking cuticle area on my little finger – eczema waits for no swatch picture…

 

As you can see, this polish gives me the dreaded ‘lobster claw’ effect – when you wear a (usually mint green I think) polish on your pale/cool toned hands, and they magically look INCREDIBLY PINK. This blue also brings out some yellow splotches as well, which is interesting, but not particularly attractive. Now, as much as I like this blue as a colour, it made my hands scream at me in all the wrong ways. My nails stabbed me in the eye from arm’s length every time they passed into my vision. It was like that time I picked up that gorgeous sparkly ring in that dungeon…some weird sh*t went down that day…

Cuddly sweater shot, because every polish deserves at least one turn with a cuddly sweater.

 

Next to my flamboyantly fluffy cuddly sweater, the colour is still incredibly hard. Now, although I’m bitching and moaning about it, your mileage may vary – if you have a skintone that suits these colours better, or if you’re just really a fan of bold sky blues, then this colour may be a winner for you. Before you go, however I’m afraid I have to warn you that there are a couple of other issues here as well – for a start, the polish is…chewy. You know, the kind that manage to be thick *and* streaky, and seem to dry partly as soon as you get the brush past the opening of the bottle. Secondly, the *actual* dry time is really long. I think I waited for about half an hour for this to stop being tacky (let alone dent-proof). Even the next day I could still gouge it without much effort. Part of the reason I’m harping on this is that the other two polishes I tried from this brand didn’t have any of these problems, so this one was kind of a letdown.

However! I promised solutions in the post title, and you’ve already pretty much seen it – my ultimate solution, if you’ve gotten a polish you don’t really like, is to whack a favourite glitter topcoat over it. Yes, I know what you’re thinking: ‘Syl, you complained about this colour smacking you in the face, and now you want to make it sparkle as well?’. But since I like glitter so much *especially Rose of Light OMGBUYITDOITFLAIL* I find that it actually softens the effect for me. The reflection from the glitter takes the hard edge off the colour, and, well, sparkles are always OK in my book. An alternative solution would be to reserve the colour for nail art purposes (where it will make an excellent sky blue if you need one) or paint a design with it/over the top of it (it might actually make quite a funky ‘modern french tip’ over navy blue or orange). I know you could also just sell it/give it away or throw it away, but I feel bad about selling/giving a polish to someone where the formula itself is iffy, and I CANNOT just throw things away (comes from living in a world where an OPI polish used to be close on $30 a pop).

What’s your favourite method for dealing with a polish you regret buying (depending on why you regret it, probably)?

Of course, one solution, to make yourself feel better, is just to remove the offending polish and put another favourite combination on instead. To that end, I give you Chanel Rose Insolent (which I have waxed lyrical about, in actual iambic pentameter here), and OPI Blush Hour (of which I took my first ever successful super macro shot here) with two coats of thick lacquer topcoat to make it SUPER SHINEH. In a word: ahhhhhh 🙂 Now if you’ll excuse me, I just need to get this spike out of my…

 

The other hand! 😀 Same light. I changed the sweater so the fluff wouldn’t get too busy with the sequin explosion… my thumb is still pink, but that has more to do with the fact that the thumb-hole in the sweater is kind of tight 😛

 

One of the benefits (?) of natural light photography is that occasionally you don’t even need a computer to achieve arty, semi-overexposed shots…

 

What do you think, fellow adventurers? Have you had any impulse purchase disasters? How do you deal with them? Does it ever involve ‘add glitter’?

The practicalities: Nailstation Paris polishes cost EUR 15 /AED 50 (I think) each for 15 mL and may be acquired from assorted stockists listed on the Nailstation website. You can check out the details for Rose of Light here, Rose Insolent here and Blush Hour here!

Until next time, fellow adventurers, don’t forget to check for traps!

Syl

I am an adventuring rogue, not a mercenary for hire, and as such, all opinions expressed here are my own, based on a genuine fondness for/interest in this product. If you have any queries or suggestions, please do not hesitate to pin your parchment to the board (contact me) at thepaintedrogue [at] gmail [dot] com., or use the contact form provided! All images and text on this blog are the property of The Painted Rogue unless otherwise stated. If you nick off with any of it, be prepared to find that your morning hot beverage tastes a little…different than usual. Didn’t the rogue say something the other day about that new poison that makes your inner ear itch maddeningly for the rest of your life? I think she did…

The Perfect Purple Treasure: HG Goodies with Laura Mercier Amethyst and African Violet!

Greetings from the site of another(?!) Holy Grail, fellow rogues!

It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a blogging rogue in possession of a large pile of loot must be in want of time to review it all.

As part of my continuing quest to make it through all the lovely things I collected in Dubai, I’m bringing you a rather special, shiny pair of treasures today! Laura Mercier was a brand I was *very* keen indeed to get my rogueish little mitts on, and I was fortunate to be able to amass a tidy collection of pretty, wearable pinky purple things from it. I have already reviewed the pinky lip things here, and today we’re tackling the purple eye loot! Yes, I know what you’re thinking: ‘Syl, you have so many purple eye-related things already! Now there are more?!’ to which I would gleefully reply: ‘DUH!’ (I’d try for something more eloquent and polite, but, come on – it’s purple we’re talking about here! ;-)).

Although I’d had my eye on probably half the Laura Mercier line before I went to Dubai, there were a couple of things in particular that sparked my interest. One was the famous African Violet eyeshadow that I’d seen in assorted LM palettes on the venerable Temptalia, and the other was the Amethyst Caviar Stick that I’d seen on Sunny’s beautiful blog. Accordingly, these were the first two items I hunted down.

Lura Mercier Loot! Eyeshadow single in African Violet, and the Caviar Stick in Amethyst…

First up, let’s take a look at the glittering, golden pinky lavender that is African violet:

The rogue rummaged around in the corner of the dungeon, finding a grate with a broken statue, many spiders, and a mysterious, shiny brown chest…

 

Although I considered several gorgeous palettes that contained this shadow, it was most economical for me to just buy the single I was interested in. I don’t have many shadow singles (I think the only others are a red KIKO one and the brown Lancome one I use to do my brows, off the top of my head), but I’m glad to add this one to the roster, as I see it getting a lot of use! The packaging is a sleek, slightly purpled dark brown colour, and is…well, a totally normal eyeshadow single compact. Sometimes, a treasure chest is just a treasure chest, fellow adventurers!

Flipping her lockpicks deftly back into her jerkin pocket after opening the mysterious chest, the rogue marvelled at the wondrous shininess obscured by the mysterious, inscribed inner cover..

 

Inside the compact is the eyeshadow in a square pan, covered with the usual clear plastic slip. I removed this, and instantly lost it. I’m not too cut up about it, but there is a part of me that hates to lose pieces of things, no matter how useless… *twitch* 😉

Having removed the sheath, the rogue cautiously approached the shinies, alert for any trap…and admiring her stylish pants in the large, clear mirror that occupied the chest’s lid…

 

Let’s just take a look at this gorgeous little slice of purple shininess, shall we?

 

Ooh… one kind of raking light. Here it looks more silvery/lavender…

Ooh, another kind of raking light! Here it looks a little darker, more warm violet/gold…

 

African Violet is a shimmering, almost-glittery-but-not-quite eyshadow with a smooth texture and light to buildable pigmentation. I don’t want to say ‘sheer’, because it’s not. It doesn’t have that thick, buttery opacity that, say, UD Half Baked does, but then I don’t think that’s the idea.  The name of the product is ‘luster eye colour’ (in an odd mix of English and US spellings), and that’s exactly what it does – it provides a wash of shimmering colour that illuminates the lid, but doesn’t stray into heavy metallic territory. I’m probably explaining this quite badly, so let’s take a look at some swatches! There’s a quick eye look, too, at the bottom of the post.

Swatches of African Violet (left) and the Amethyst caviar stick (right). The three pictures are showing the two in varying angles of light, to give an idea of the range of shimmer. As you can see, African Violet isn’t dense, but it ain’t patchy-sheer either!

As you can see in the swatch, African Violet on my skin is more of an African Lavender – a delicate, warm toned lavender with a shimmering light golden overtone. *drools*. I’ve been lusting after this shadow for a long time, friends, and it doesn’t disappoint! 😀 I think it would be perfect for anyone who wants a shadow they can just sweep over the lid for a casual, easy look, pop into the inner corner or the centre of the lid for a hint of lavender shimmer over another colour or layer onto the lower lash line for an ethereal touch to an eye makeup look. As you might guess, this describes 90% of my daily eye makeup. The other 10% is, of course, this.

In another corner of the same dungeon: more broken statues in crates and a mysterious brown log! No, it’s not what you just thought… (fortunately)

The Caviar Stick somes in a sleek, swivel-up pen format, with a click on lid, in the same colour as the eyeshadow compact. Helpfully, the back end of the pen shows the colour of the shade inside.

Two domes: one rogueish, hooded head, one caviar stick in Amethyst…

 

As you can see in the picture above and the swatch photo, Amethyst is…well…brownwithlavendershimmerovertones. It’s really quite hard to describe, actually! 😀 At first swatch you’re like ‘oh. It’s…kind of a mahogany brown?’ and the visions of glittering purple geodes vanish from your mind. On closer inspection, however, you notice the ethereal purple shimmer that accompanies the brown, and your interest is reawakened… (well, assuming you like ethereal purple shimmer, but, I mean, who doesn’t?).  The swatches are shown again below, for your convenience…

Swatches of African Violet (left) and the Amethyst caviar stick (right). The three pictures are showing the two in varying angles of light, to give an idea of the range of shimmer.

Amethyst has two very important features: firstly, it’s is almost offensively wearable and easy to work with. You can use it as an all over shadow, You can use it as a liner. You can smoodge the edges out, or not as you like. It doesn’t smear, It doesn’t feel tight. The colour is never too much, but holds its own. If only all paladins were so versatile! Secondly, this thing wears like IRON on me. Seriously – even without primer (my lids aren’t especially oily), I wore this for FOURTEEN HOURS, two of which were intense, sweaty ballet, and when I looked in the mirror at the end of the day the caviar stick on my lash line was *perfect*. Not just ‘decent’, not just ‘respectable’, but *perfect*. I’m almost ready to start looking for sorcery here, people. Bring me a mage! I need an Arcana check! Melissa? Where are you?! 😉

Essentially what I’m saying here is that Amethyst is phenomenal. It’s basically entered my daily routine, and competes even with the great and mighty UD Demolition. Obviously, they are two different kinds of product (Demolition is a matte dark brown pencil eyeliner), so one won’t replace the other, but I now have two things I reach for on a daily basis, and for me, that’s impressive! Yep, Amethyst is officially in my adventuring essentials kitbag, with newly minted HG status! 

Now, how about a look? This is a quick look I happened to take some photos of (does anyone other than a beauty blogger ‘happen’ to take photos of eye makeup?) – one that I tossed on on a Sunday to wear to ballet. I was in the mood for something a little ‘undone’, but still ethereal and pretty – kind of like a Bard who had a big gig on Saturday night, but still wants to look put together for her visit to Corellon’s temple the next morning. Accordingly, I have dubbed it ‘The Sunday Morning Rockbard’…

Why can’t I take pictures of both of my eyes together where I don’t look like I’m in a trance? Mysteries, mysteries…

I cropped my brows off because I’m just that little bit extra lazy, and don’t tidy them before ballet always. The eyebrow stubble isn’t noticeable until you take closeup photos… speaking of which, I should mention that these were taken on a mobile device, as the camera was out of commission, hence the lower quality. Hopefully, you can still see what I was going for! 😀

This makeup look took me literally two minutes. I cannot stress how effortless and versatile these two products are… I love both of them, and all in all I’m very, very pleased with my Laura Mercier goodies. I was very excited about the brand, and it has entirely lived up to my expectations – in the case of the longevity of Amethyst – far surpassed it! I can most definitely recommend these two products, if you’re in the market for some ethereal purple goodness! Honestly, I kind of want to collect ’em all with those caviar sticks… *sigh*

 

What do you think, fellow adventurers? Have you tried any of Laura Mercier’s eyeshadows or caviar sticks? What’s your favourite effortless eye makeup? How much do you love ethereal, shimmering purple things NO IT’S NOT A LOADED QUESTION, NO, NOT AT ALL?

The practicalities: Laura Mercier eyeshadow singles cost US$24 each for 2.26 g / 0.09 oz, and the Caviar Sticks cost US$28 each for 1.4 g /0.05 oz. Both of these shades  are permanent, and may be acquired from Laura Mercier counters in the US, Europe and Dubai, as well as from www.lauramercier.com and www.sephora.com (the links aren’t affiliate, just here for your convenience!).

Until next time, fellow adventurers, don’t forget to check for traps!

Syl

I am an adventuring rogue, not a mercenary for hire, and as such, all opinions expressed here are my own, based on a genuine fondness for/interest in this product. If you have any queries or suggestions, please do not hesitate to pin your parchment to the board (contact me) at thepaintedrogue [at] gmail [dot] com., or use the contact form provided! All images and text on this blog are the property of The Painted Rogue unless otherwise stated. If you nick off with any of it, be prepared to find that your morning hot beverage tastes a little…different than usual. Didn’t the rogue say something the other day about that new poison that makes your innear ear itch maddeningly for the rest of your life? I think she did…