Dolce & Gabbana Makeup The Classic Lipstick in Nude
Dolce & Gabbana Makeup: Natural Nude
Dolce & Gabbana Nude Classic Cream Lipstick ($30.00) is a creamy, opaque fleshy-beige with a touch of warmth. Just that subtle warm tone keeps it from looking pale and deathly on me, particularly since I’m warm-toned myself. I’ve definitely found that nudes can be difficult for me to wear, because they’re often pale or cool in nature and make me look a bit corpse-ish. (So not flattering!) Nude is surprisingly wearable on its own, though it is a touch light for me, and I’d personally layer it with a hint of glossy color to make it perfect for me. I think this is great nude shade for many others, though, and when you do need a very neutral lip color, this is a good standby.
The packaging is classy and timeless without being associated with old. The “gold” tube has some heft to it, which I do find as an attribute I like in my higher end makeup. My only issue with it is that it holds fingerprints, and I just find it can make your beautiful makeup pieces look a bit dirty, so I really wish they could prevent this somehow! (I know this is kind of an issue across most luxe brands, though.)
- Product: 9/10
- Value: 8/10
- Ease of Use: 8/10
- Packaging: 7/10
Recommendation: If you love luxury lip products, Dolce & Gabbana’s Classic Lipstick will not disappoint you. This is not a lipstick for everyone, because the price makes it an indulgence. I do wish it was more available, but at least it is available online at Saks.
Availability: Dolce&Gabbana, Saks Fifth Avenue
See swatches & lip swatch… Continue reading →
Dolce & Gabbana Makeup The Classic Lipstick in Iconic
Dolce & Gabbana Makeup: Classic Red
Dolce & Gabbana Iconic Classic Cream Lipstick ($30.00) is an opaque, creamy bright classic red. The name “Iconic” is incredibly well-suited to this particular shade of red. The formula is long-wearing, moisturizing, and feels great on lips. I love the intense color pay off, and the glossy sheen it gives off without actually being glossy or shimmery. Overall, I loved the formula and color itself–though this particular shade is not for the color-shy! The gold packaging is luxe and weight-y, though it does hold fingerprints (which is something I dislike, personally!).
- Product: 9/10
- Value: 7/10
- Ease of Use: 8/10
- Packaging: 7/10
Recommendation: If you love luxury lip products, Dolce & Gabbana’s Classic Lipstick will not disappoint you. This is not a lipstick for everyone, because the price makes it an indulgence. I do wish it was more available, but at least it is available online at Saks.
Availability: Dolce&Gabbana, Saks Fifth Avenue
See swatches & lip swatch… Continue reading →
Sneak Peek: MAC Cosmetics In High Def Collection
Launching on September 10th, MAC’s In High Def Collection (see full collection details here) contains several hand-picked products from the existing line as well as some new products that are designed to work well in the high definition environment. There are four new shades of lipstick: Close to Real, High Def, Resolutely Red, and Sharp Focus.
Lipstick ($14.00 U.S. / $16.50 CDN)
- Close to Real is a pale, frosty peach. Despite having a lustre finish, it doesn’t feel like one to me. It feels much more like a frost lipstick, and it definitely looks like it on the lips. I found this one to seem to grab onto every imperfection on your lips–even after I had exfoliated–it just didn’t look very flattering. The color is really pale, so I’d vote on using this more as a layering shade than standalone.
- High Def is a creamy, opaque pinky-coral color. It has a slight sheen, but it doesn’t contain any shimmer. On my lips, it doesn’t read very much coral (unfortunately, as MAC lacks corals!), but it’s still pretty. It looks more like my-lips-but-better with a bit more pinky-brown.
- Resolutely Red is a mostly opaque, lightly creamy shade of reddish-wine. It’s not super bold or bright, so it’s more of a wearable red. It’s not too cool or warm, either, which I definitely like. It has a glossy look to it when applied.
Of the three I tried, none of them really jumped out at me as must-haves. High Def and Resolutely Red are flattering shades, while Close to Real may be more difficult for some to pull off (it is for me, at least!).
- Product: 8/10
- Value: 8/10
- Ease of Use: 8/10
- Packaging: 7/10
Recommendation: If you’re a fan of lustre finishes but have always wanted a bit more color… you might like these, because they pack a lot more pigmentation than your average lustre!
Availability: MAC Cosmetics (August 27th)
See swatches… Continue reading →
On Display Lipglass
MAC Makeup Art Cosmetics Collection: Lipstick & Lipglass Lip Swatches
As I promised, here are lip swatches for all of the lipsticks and lipglasses released with MAC’s latest collection. I have to say that I don’t like any of the lipsticks on me! I don’t think they’re suitable to my coloring, or else the shades are just too blah. Front Lit is like Bubbles lipstick – lots of shimmer, and it’s one of those shades you use more for layering than to wear alone or to add color (instead, it adds shimmer). The lipglasses were definitely better, but my favorites remain as On Display and New Spirit lipglasses.
See lip swatches… Continue reading →
Givenchy Velvet Purple, Glamorous Fuchsia, Lilac Confession, Capricious Pink
Givenchy’s Latest Lip Gloss Launch
Givenchy Gloss Interdit Ultra-Shiny Color Plumping Effect
($24.50 for 0.21 oz.) is a new product launch by Givenchy which features twelve shades of the new lip gloss. I tried out four of those twelve shades, and I gotta say, I like the new formula!
- Velvet Purple is a semi-sheer berry-burgundy shade with subtle shimmer and lots of glossy sheen.
- Glamorous Fuchsia is a semi-opaque, medium bubblegum pink that goes on more creamy in finish and look but still has lots of glossiness.
- Lilac Confession is a semi-opaque, medium pink laced with lightly cooled lilac with a frosty shimmer finish.
- Capricious Pink is semi-sheer, light shimmery pinky-beige shade that goes on more sheerly and more of a muted, light pink, which is a bit different compared to the swatch (which is more of a bright pinky-coral).
The gloss does lightly plump up lips, but there is no noticeable burn/tingle that is often associated with lip plumping products. (Trust me, I am no fan of that lip plumping tingle.) It’s a medium-thick, non-sticky gloss that can be semi-sheer to more opaque, depending on the shade chosen. Glamorous Fuchsia and Lilac Confession both had good pigmentation, while Velvet Purple was most certainly noticeable, it still appeared as more of a sheer gloss. Capricious Pink had the least color pay off of the four, but that is the nature of lighter lip glosses.
I find that these wear for four or five hours with minimal fading, and they don’t leave behind any residue when they do fade away after eating/drinking. They’re also moisturizing and feel really lovely on your lips–lightweight and not thick or tacky. They’re a bit pricey relative to other brands’ lipglosses, but the price is right in line with what I’d expect from Givenchy.
- Product: 8/10
- Value: 8/10
- Ease of Use: 8/10
- Packaging: 7/10
Recommendation: Lipgloss lovers will likely enjoy this new formula, and if you want some fuller lips… even better. The way the gloss looks helps to further amp up your natural lip shape, too. A wee bit pricey for some, but if it’s within your budget or you feel like splurging… not a bad choice!
Availability: Sephora
See product photos, swatches, and lip swatches… Continue reading →
Korres #52 Red Cherry Lipgloss
Real Lip Gloss Color & Shine with Korres Cherry Full Color Gloss
Korres Cherry Full Color Gloss
($16.00 for 0.20 oz.) is a richly pigmented, glossy lip gloss formula. It is available in thirteen shade varieties from light pinks to beiges to reds.
I tried #52 Red Pink, which is described as a sheer cherry red by Sephora, though I’d completely disagree! It’s more of a semi-opaque, glossy red doused with pink to tone it down and laced with just a smidgen of gold shimmer. The gloss formula is moisturizing, non-sticky, and it has a bit of a cherry scent to it. I wouldn’t call this a particularly long-wearing lipgloss, but I get around three to four hours of wear without the product fading or migrating.
Again, much like Korres’ Eyeshadow pricing, the lipgloss comes in as an affordable high-end brand. For comparison, MAC Lipglass goes for $14.00 for 0.17 oz.; Benefit Lip Gloss goes for $18.00 for 0.17 oz.; Guerlain KissKiss Gloss goes for $29.00 for 0.20 oz.; and Smashbox’s Limitless Long Wear Lip Gloss goes for $21.00 for 0.10 oz. As far as I can tell, Korres Cherry Full Color Gloss comes in as a great budget-friendly way to buy high-end without breaking the bank.
- Product: 9/10
- Value: 8/10
- Ease of Use: 8/10
- Packaging: 7/10
Recommendation: If a small but varied range of lipgloss that’s moisturizing and non-sticky is up your alley, check out Korres’ Cherry Full Color Gloss. If you like them sheer, be sure to research the shade or check it out in store to be sure it’s not too pigmented.
Availability: Sephora
See more photos and swatches… Continue reading →
