Lipstick Diaries, Round Three: Besame Red Hot Red and NARS Michiyo

Pay no attention to the woman in front of the curtain with some slightly jacked-up base makeup; she was trying a few new products and didn't always hit it out of the park. Let's focus on the lipsticks instead! On the left, we have a shade that has slowly become one of my all-time favorites, Besame Red Hot Red. I've probably said that about every Besame lipstick I own, but it really matters with Red Hot Red because I once called the shade "redundant." Yes, it's still like Victory Red and Besame Red got together and had a warm-toned baby, but it's definitely a little different. I think it's one of the most flattering reds I own.

On the opposite end of the color spectrum, we have NARS Michiyo, a very cool-toned pink. I'm weirdly picky about shades like this, probably because they clash with my warm-ish undertones. Michiyo seems to have the "right amount" of clash, if that makes sense: it sticks out without looking bad. I wore this makeup to class this past week and garnered half a dozen compliments. Granted, I teach a lot of ELL students who are openly obsessed with bright lipsticks and will compliment me any time I wear one, but they were especially enthusiastic about this one. Michiyo has also has great staying power (especially if you apply, blot, and re-apply) and photographs beautifully.

Lipstick Diaries, Round Three: Besame Tango Red and Glossier Cake

I have enough red lipstick to coat my entire body a million times over, but damn if I didn't finally buy Besame Tango Red in a snap during Black Friday 2018. While this product's description and swatch photos I'd seen made me think this wouldn't be my most flattering red, I still wanted it. And I can now confirm that yeah, other Besame reds are much better suited to my coloring, but this is still a gorgeous shade. Tango Red seems very similar to Carmine in the tube, but on my lips, it reads more pink and less orange, and it has a more muted quality to it. It's a relatively unique shade among my slew of reds. I agree with Besame: this would be truly stunning on people with olive undertones or a deeper skintone.

Oh, and yes, I bought a new tube of Glossier Cake to test out the Generation G lipstick's freaking third formulation in the last five years. I've gotta say, I agree with most of the reviews that have come in: the new formula builds better, but is more drying and accentuates the lines in my lips like woah. Just look at how parched my mouth looks in this photo, and I'd JUST applied the lipstick fifteen minutes before! I like the shade and the sheerness, but the new formula isn't comfortable in the slightest and definitely isn't worth the money.

The Hype Machine: Pat McGrath Lip Products

The Hype Machine is a series that takes a critical look at well-loved, cult classic, appears-in-every-other-Instagram-photo products and asks: are they worth the hype?

Pat McGrath herself needs little introduction. She's known for using a range of inventive materials to create unique looks, and she's done everything from editorial shoots to runway shows. When I watch her applying makeup, I am absolutely flabbergasted by her talent; it's like she puts a brush to a model's skin and magic pours out. It's no surprise that her makeup line has been wildly popular, especially when her products were first released in limited quantities on Sephora and sold out almost immediately.

But I'm not exactly rolling in disposable income, so as pretty as her products looked and as intense as the reviews and praise were, I just couldn't spend my money on the Pat McGrath range. $38 for a lipstick? $125 for an eyeshadow palette? And there's no way for me to swatch the products and experience the textures before I purchase? That's just beyond me and my means.

So how did I get these products? Well, my friends...I did some damage during Black Friday 2018. With the LuxeTrance lipsticks on sale for $26, I decided they were close enough to my $25 price ceiling to give them a try. I went for the shade Strangé, partially because it's a red and partially because I think that's a Grace Jones reference.

 She is perfection and this scene is iconic.

I also purchased an on-sale PermaGel lip pencil in Manhattan, thinking it would match Strangé. In reality, Manhattan is a bit darker and more brown, but that little bit of depth helps.

What do we think of the lighting in this photo: yay or nay?

The packaging for these products is definitely worthy of the price point. Every product comes in a beautiful box fastened with string. The writing on both the products and their boxes is gold foil. And while some people have complained that the giant gold lips on the lipsticks are tacky, I think they're just the right amount of over-the-top for a Pat McGrath range. The woman is famous for the number of bags and trunks she travels with; she's not exactly known for subtly.

Are the formulas inside those pretty packages worth a day's pay? Well, that depends. The lipstick is certainly beautiful: it feels incredibly thin and smooth during application, almost like a liquid, and it gives full color payoff with one stroke. I did blot and reapply on this day, like I do with all lipsticks, and after eating a bowl of homemade sesame chicken, I noticed that the lipstick was mostly intact, with some wear near the very inside of my lips and all of that slightly glossy finish gone. It goes without saying that I love this color, because...red.

The lip pencil, however, leaves something to be desired. The name "Perma-Gel" suggests that the pencil will be creamy and long-wearing. It certainly has a fluid, soft gel texture, but it doesn't prevent feathering in the slightest. This macro shot shows how my lipstick looked after just an hour of wear: you can see that the edges, especially on my top lip, are smeared. I love the color of the lip pencil and how it pairs with this lipstick, so I'll keep using it, but I'll likely use a slightly waxier pencil first to get my lip lines smooth and crisp.

Perhaps the best way to sum up my feelings about Pat McGrath's lip products and the hype around them is this: I haven't looked at any other lip pencil shades, but I have picked out one more LuxeTrance lipstick I'd like to own, 1995. (Take a moment to appreciate my restraint here, please, because there's a shade named Labeija and I haven't bought it just for the name.) It's just one shade, and I won't even think about buying it until it's on sale again. I'll get my use out of these products and may own a few more, but I won't break the bank for them.

BOTTOM LINE: Like the NARS Audacious lipsticks before them, these Pat McGrath lip products are beautiful, but not necessarily better than any of the $20 lipsticks I've tried. Skip the lip pencils and settle on one or two special lipstick shades unless your budget is endless.

The Hype Machine is a series that represents my experiences and opinions. It is not meant to be a personal attack on a specific company, product, or consumer. I always recommend that you try products for yourself and see how they work for you. Everybody is unique, after all!

Lipstick Diaries, Round Three: Besame Victory Red and Colourpop Steelo

I try not to take photos of my makeup after I've been bombing around for a few hours, but that's what happened with this photo of Besame Victory Red, since I wanted to get to work a little earlier than usual. I wear this saturated, blue-based red to work a lot, actually, because my English Language Learning students love it, and it puts a lot of focus on my mouth. Trust me, when you spend 20+ minutes forcing them to stare at your lips to see where your tongue and teeth go for a "v" or "th" sound, you'll appreciate the help. While this is one of my favorite Besame reds and a shade I recommend often, I have to repeat that many dark-skinned people find that this shade turns pink on them. If you have deeper skin, you may do better with a shade like Red Velvet.

As for that picture on the right: your eyes are not deceiving you. That is, indeed, a lipgloss. Colourpop had a 20% off sale and I wanted to pick up a couple of their new-ish brow products, so I tossed in the Colourpop Steelo gloss as well. The internet insists it's a dupe for the original Fenty Gloss Bomb...and yeah, it's pretty damn close. (Granted, super-sheer pink with a bit of gold shimmer isn't hard to dupe.) The Colourpop glosses have a decent brush-tip applicator and a decent slightly sticky formula with a decent amount of shine, decent decent decent. I won't write worshipful odes to this gloss any time soon, but it's a solid product that I'm genuinely enjoying, and hey, I'm not the best judge of gloss to begin with.

As a final note, I apologize again for the washed out photo on the left. I'm bringing my sequin backdrop from Pennsylvania and may invest in a stronger ringlight to deal with the weird ass lighting situation in our new apartment.

Lipstick Diaries, Round Three: Glossier Like and Fenty Freckle Fiesta

Glossier recently reformulated and repackaged their Generation G lipsticks. I want to be less wasteful, so I'm holding off on replacing the shades I already own, including Glossier Like. This color is, no joke, just about the exact same shade as my natural lips, perhaps a hair darker and more mauve. On the one hand, wearing it makes me feel a bit silly because there's so little impact, but on the other hand, it's easy to apply without a mirror and it makes me feel put together. This is my second and likely last tube of Like, just because I prefer other shades that actually change the color of my lips.

The quality of that second picture is far below my usual standard, I know, but I won't be retaking it because I've decided to purge Fenty Freckle Fiesta. As beautiful as the color is, it just doesn't flatter me much, and I never reach for it of my own volition. It doesn't help that the round bullets are not my favorite; I'm sloppy and find it difficult to get a smooth, straight lipline with them. At the end of the day, if I can't see myself eventually finishing a tube of lipstick, I shouldn't keep that tube around, no matter how pretty the color is.

Lipstick Diaries, Round Three: MAC More Than a Woman and Besame Red Velvet

We're welcoming back the Lipstick Diaries with the shades from my most recent makeup bag: MAC More Than a Woman and Besame Red Velvet. While they look very similar in these pictures, they are absolutely different shades, I swear.

MAC More Than a Woman is an amplified cream from the recent Aaliyah collection. It's definitely a purple shade, which I normally shy away from, but this one has a lot of pink in it, which is probably why I'm able to wear it without looking like a total idiot. It also has the glossy finish amplified creams are known for. Paired with Sephora Deep Aubergine liner, I can see this being one of my favorites this winter. (Note: if you're wondering why this photo is so much darker than the other one, it's because it was a rare cloudy day on the great plains and I'm still figuring out my lighting. Please bear with me.)

Besame Red Velvet continues to be one of my favorite shades, and with good reason! It's a neutral, slightly deeper red that I think flatters almost everybody. This is one of Besame's "Classic Colour" lipsticks, so it has a more satin but-not-flat-matte finish. Red Velvet always nets me compliments, especially at work. My tube is in the special edition Agent Carter packaging, so you'll basically have to take it off of my dead body.

Lipstick and Blog State of the Union

We've finished moving and have settled in to our new place, so I think it's time to update everyone on the blog's status and to start a few new challenges.

First, the blog! Obviously I've been posting a little slower than I was in the spring, and I think that's going to be the norm for the rest of 2018. I'm currently working two jobs that require a lot of my attention and a good bit of writing, so spending an hour or more cranking out a blog post has become less appealing to me. I still enjoy blogging, of course, but it takes me a bit more time now that I'm doing more writing for work and less writing for fun.

Also, you may have noticed that I deleted my Twitter account. Frankly, I didn't use Twitter enough to justify keeping it and I got tired of it sending me emails. ("So-and-so just tweeted!" I don't follow them, Twitter; I don't caaaaare.) From now on, I'll add any announcements about charitable donations at the end of blog posts. I'd like to submit my ProLiteracy donation by the end of this month, for instance, so I'll put the confirmation picture in a late September or early October blog post. And thank you again to everyone who has donated!

As for the challenges: I've decided to go on a no buy for the rest of September and all of October. I don't think this will be too difficult for me, to be honest, because there's only so much room in my card catalogue and I'm rather content with what I have. That said, I'm easily suckered in by fall releases because #OctoberIsTheBestMonth, so I'd like to stave off the desire for more stuff just in case. There are a few new products in my collection that need testing, anyway, including several mascara samples and the NARS Pure Radiant Tinted Moisturizer.

My project pan is still ongoing, but honestly, I use so little product at a time that I'm starting to worry I won't finish any of it by the time December rolls around. I swear, that Laura Mercier shadow stick is BOTTOMLESS.

To prevent boredom during this project pan, I've decided to add another challenge: a new edition of the Lipstick Diaries. My motivations for this are threefold:

1. I have too much damn lipstick, and this challenge always reminds me of that so I don't buy more;
2. It's a popular series that many people say is helpful; and
3. It will prompt me to figure out the lighting situation in my apartment to make posts as consistent as possible.

I've completed the Lipstick Diaries twice already, and I'd love to know if you guys have any suggestions on how to improve the series. Is there any information I should add? How should I arrange the photos? Should I stick with two lipsticks per post? What should I include in the wrap up? The ball is in your court!

Charlotte Tilbury Mini Reviews

Charlotte Tilbury is a talented makeup artist, no doubt, but between her using the word "pop" a few too many times in her videos and her Into the Gloss interview that described wearing makeup to bed so her husband doesn't see her bare-faced, I've found it a bit hard to stomach her as a person. For a time, those feelings were transposed to her makeup line. I held off trying it for a couple of years.

Now that I have tried several products from the range, I have to admit that I'm impressed. Is every product as revolutionary and unique as she claims in her tutorials? Of course not; sometimes, a black eyeliner is just a black eyeliner. However, most of the range seems solid, and while there are some definite duds, there are also a few standouts that I would wholeheartedly recommend. So it's time to give them their due and write some mini reviews. (I've already written a full review of the Light Wonder Foundation, which you can read here.)

I purchased the Beauty Light Wand from Nordstrom earlier this year, and I gotta say, the hype is real. It's a beautiful champagne gold highlight that maintains a wet, glossy look even after drying down. It looks amazing in photographs and always garners compliments in real life. I've also used it on my eyes without any irritation or issues--your mileage may vary. I am a bit weirded out by the sponge tip applicator because you can't really clean it, but I like that you can lock the tube so it doesn't leak in your bag. It has become one of the stars of my highlighter collection.

The other three products mentioned in this review were sent to me by Influenster in preparation for Charlotte Tilbury's big Sephora launch. Let's start with the Hot Lips lipstick, which I expected to get in a more muted shade like Secret Salma and instead received in the very nude color Kim K.W. This is one of two satin shades in the range, and if by satin they mean "not matte," then okay, I'm fine with it. But for me, "satin" has always been between a true matte (with no shine) and a glossy, rich-looking cream, ie, most of the Besame Classic Color lipstick range. Charlotte Tilbury Kim K.W. has more of that plush look I associate with cream finishes.

Quibbling aside, it's a good lipstick. It feels comfortable on the lips, it isn't drying, and it photographs really well. It can look a bit smeary on me in real life, but I think that's just because the color is so light, and using a darker lip liner around the edges of my mouth definitely helps. That said, I won't spend $34 on another tube unless they make a shade I desperately want. It doesn't beat the aforementioned $22-a-tube Besame lipsticks, so it's not worth the extra $12 to me.

If any of the Charlotte Tilbury makeup products disappointed me, it was the Colour Chameleon Eye Shadow Pencil, which I received in the shade Champagne Diamonds. It's not awful, it's just...very meh. Based on the name and the description ("mineral, soft-focus effects transform and enhance eye color for a range of looks"), I expected something complex and versatile. What I got was a pretty but plain champagne color with some flecks of glitter, which looks ordinary and one-dimensional even in the above macro shots. Eh.

That said, the actual formula of the eyeshadow pencils is just fine. It's a bit dryer than I expected, but it applies smoothly and evenly, and it definitely sets. I had no issues with creasing, and I didn't notice any of the glitter dropping down on my face. Again, this is not something I'd purchase with my own money, but I'm not opposed to wearing it or recommending it. It's a wonderful product for long days at the office, for instance. I just expected a little more shade complexity from a $27 eyeshadow called Color Chameleon. I'll stick with the cheaper Butter London Glazen Eye Glosses for now.

Now...let's talk about the Magic Cream. I'm trying to be more restrained with my skincare snark, since I've gone through half a dozen bottles of a $24 cleanser that is objectively rather basic. But I think a $100 cream that claims to contain "patented anti-aging, hydrating, and youth-boosting ingredients" that can "fight the aging process" needs to back up its claims with more than run-of-the-mill cloggers. I'd joke that reading this ingredients list gave me nightmares if it weren't all so generic. Butylene glycol and glycerin are cheap-as-dirt moisturizers included in most affordable options. Dimethicone is a form of silicone, and it's often used in skincare to make it seem smoother and more softening than it really is. Shea butter is a lovely ingredient, but it clogs my face like crazy. So on and so forth. Basically, it's $100 worth of hype based off of a mixture of other moisturizers Charlotte used to slap on runway models' faces.

Even if I weren't rolling my eyes a little too hard at this cream, I wouldn't be impressed. As expected, it didn't patch test well on my face, but I could use it on my neck and hands. It was a wholly average moisturizer with a thick lotion texture that took some time to soak in, then provided adequate moisture. And that's it. I'm sorry, but for $100 a tub, you'd better make my dry-as-a-grilled-chicken-breast skin plump, soft, and super-hydrated.

The only thing I liked about Charlotte's Magic Cream was the soft baby powder scent that reminded me of my mother, and I only liked that smell when it was on my hands. I certainly wouldn't want my face to smell like that.

I know that three out of four mini reviews ending with "I wouldn't spend my money on it" sounds like a lot of negativity. It's not: the makeup is usually good, sometimes great, occasionally shit, just like most other brands. It's just that I have found cheaper products I like just as much (Besame lipsticks) or better (Butter London Glazen Eye Glosses), and in those cases, I'm always going to save a few dollars. The Charlotte Tilbury makeup products are still worth recommending, say, if you want a nice nude lipstick or a quick and easy eye color for work.

The skincare range? Not so much. I've looked at some of the formulas for other products, and I'll take a hard pass on trying those in the future.

Charlotte Tilbury products will be available at Sephora on September 13.

This product was sent to me by Influenster in exchange for an honest review.

REVIEW: House of Besame Debutante Sheer Color Lipsticks

For as long as I can remember, my mother has been obsessed with costume dramas. Does she actually care about the plot of The Age of Innocence or Downton Abbey? Well, kind of, but she openly admits that her primary attraction to those sorts of shows is the lavish clothing wealthy people wore at the time. Even after discovering that the sort of people she's looking at didn't bathe too often and, therefore, said lovely clothing probably had a bit of a stench to it, she's drawn to anything that promises corseted women swooning over their beaus.

Despite the fact that I hate even wearing a bra and get most of my ratty black t-shirts from the thrift store, my mother's love of costume dramas rubbed off on me, as did my brother's interest in history. This prompted a fascination with cultural norms and beauty expectations throughout the ages, particularly the Revolutionary War era and the 19th century.

So you can imagine how deliriously happy I was when Besame, one of my all-time favorite brands, released a picture of their new Debutante Sheer Color Lipsticks, which feature the Gibson Girl on the box. After I posted the picture on my Instagram story with the shrieking caption "OH MY EDWARDIAN GODDDDD," Besame messaged me and said they had actually sent the new lipsticks to me.

How excited was I for these new lipsticks? So excited that I immediately made my mother promise to forward the box to me ASAP if it arrived after I'd moved. After several stressful weeks of moving in to our new place a thousand miles from home, receiving these lipsticks was a treat.

The Debutante Sheer Color Lipsticks are advertised as part of the new "House of Besame" line, which seems to be inspired by turn-of-the-century luxury beauty routines. They arrive in matte, pink tubes with the traditional Besame flower logo. At $22 per 0.12oz tube, they are the same size and price as Besame's breakout Classic Color range. The main difference, of course, is that these are meant to be sheer. These also have a different scent: the original Besame lipsticks smell very faintly of vanilla to me, but the Debutante range uses peppermint oil for a light mint scent.

There are currently three shades in the range. Berry Red is, as the name suggests, a relatively neutral, popsicle-stain red; it's slightly less brown and more vibrant in real life than it looks in this swatch picture. Mint Rose is a soft pink. Chocolate Kiss is a sheer version of the same warm brown shade from the Classic Color range.

While these lipsticks are more sheer than anything from the Classic Color Range, they're not as barely-there as some sheer lipsticks, ie Glossier Generation G. One swipe will net you visible color. Mint Rose and Chocolate Kiss are very slightly glossy, but only slightly, and this easily rectified with a quick blot if you prefer a more matte look. Berry Red has more of a traditional lip stain look to it.

From left to right: Chocolate Kiss, Mint Rose, Berry Red.

I fully expected Mint Rose to be my favorite of the three shades. But while it's certainly the one I'll wear most frequently, being so work-appropriate and my-lips-but-better on y skintone, I think the shade that impresses me the most is Chocolate Kiss. I love the original, full-on version of this shade, but it can be a bit tough for me to wear brown lipstick past autumn. This sheer alternative seems like it will be more wearable on different skintones throughout all four seasons.

As far as wear goes, these perform about the same as most sheer lipsticks: they last for a good 3-4 hours if you're gentle with them, but they will fade quickly if you eat a full meal or drink a lot.

I have two problems with these lipsticks. My first complaint is honestly a bit petty: the names of the lipsticks are on the bottom of the tubes and on the white barcode stickers on the boxes, but they're not on the box itself. I always loved the "This shade is a true replica of a shade from ____" stickers on the Classic Color boxes; it felt like it fit right in to the aesthetic. Having to locate the name on an obtrusive white sticker makes the experience feel a bit less lux than I'd expect.

My more substantial quibble is that Besame claims these lipsticks are moisturizing, but I can't agree; I actually found that they could be ever so slightly drying by the end of the day. I think this is caused by the peppermint oil, which dries my lips out a bit; your mileage may vary.

While the Debutante Sheer Color Lipsticks are never going to usurp the many Classic Color Lipsticks in my collection, they've earned the right to sit in the same drawer. They're easy to wear, beautifully packaged, and have me excited for whatever else Besame is planning for this new range.

RATING: 4 out of 5

House of Besame products are available at BesameCosmetics.com.

These lipsticks were sent to me by Besame. As I made clear to the company, I only write honest reviews. I do not accept financial compensation for my posts.

Swatches of All Eleven of My Besame Lipsticks

It's no secret that Besame makes my absolute favorite lipstick formula. I love it so much, I wrote them a gushing email and they ended up sending me a few other products to try. There's no shame in having a favorite formula. What is slightly more shameful is the fact that I own eleven tubes, ten full size and most purchased in the span of a year. I could own more, but I've told myself that I've already gotten rid of several redundant or unflattering colors, and I know that most of the shades I haven't tried wouldn't work in my collection.

Then again, I'm barely resisting Tango Red. Thank the Lord moving is expensive.

For now, I thought it would be helpful to wear all of the lipsticks back-to-back, especially since I own or have owned almost every red the company makes. There are a few shades that I've swatched, but no longer own: 1930 Noir Red looked almost black on me and had a "meh" formula, 1935 was beautiful, but I didn't need another cool red, and 1969 Dusty Rose wasn't flattering on me at all. The shades I haven't owned are 1922 Blood Red (too similar to Merlot), 1939 Tango Red (I don't need another warm red), or 1952 Wild Orchid (it's too purple and it's only available at certain times, anyway). I don't own any of the Snow White shades, either.

Bear in mind that I attempted to come up with the most basic, simple makeup I could so that I could wear a bunch of different shades without them looking too "off." Also, I had to apply and remove almost a dozen decently long-wearing, pigmented lipsticks; my mouth ended up looking quite the mess, and my application is nowhere near as sharp as I usually like. That said, I think this will still be a useful comparison post!

1920 Besame Red

NOTE: This shade was sent to me by the company.

Their Description: "True red with a cooler, blue-toned base. Bright, vibrant, and head turning."

My Description: I find that it's pretty much impossible to make a bright red totally neutral; it will always lean a little cool or a little warm. Besame Red is the former. While they call this "bright, vibrant, and head turning," I think it has a slightly more muted quality than their other cool reds (scroll to the 1940s for that). It's a surprisingly wearable shade that I reach for more than I ever thought I would. Fair warning, this shade always leaves a strong pink stain on my lips after I remove it.

1931 Carmine

Their Description: "Neutral orange-red, with mostly orange pigments. Perfect for golden and olive skin tones, bright and beautiful on light skin too."

My Description: If I had to come up with a list of my top three favorite Besame lipsticks, Carmine would definitely be on it. As per their description, this is a very warm red; in fact, I'd say it's just one step shy of being a straight up orange. I find this shade truly bright and eye catching on my fair, yellow-toned skin, and it really does look stunning on tan and olive complexions.

1933 Merlot

NOTE: This shade was sent to me by the company.

Their Description: "Dark brown brick-red shade. Neutral enough for daily wear on any skin tone."

My Description: It's interesting that Besame calls this "neutral enough for daily wear on any skin tone," because I think it's very vampy on anyone with light to medium skin. While it's too deep for me to wear daily, it's a great every day red on dark complexions, and I love it for special occasions. The richness of this shade always garners compliments.

1941 Victory Red

Their Description: "A highly pigmented and saturated red. Denser, brighter, deeper and a bit darker than Bésame Red. Ideal for all skin tones."

My Description: This photo isn't quite doing justice to how bright Victory Red is. "Saturated" is the perfect description for this very cool-toned, bold, brilliant red shade. Victory Red has a slightly glossier formula than my other Besame lipsticks; if I want their usual satin finish, I have to blot it. Even blotted down, this is not a red for the faint of heart. I also have to note that some darker skinned people have mentioned that this shade turns pink on them, so it may not be the best color for deeper skintones.

1945 American Beauty

Their Description: "A cool berry red shade from 1945 with magenta undertones."

My Description: Is this color flattering on me? Not really, thanks to all of the purple in it. Do I keep it anyway? Yes, because it's so damn pretty. It's a winner for those of you who want a red that's cool toned, but not incredibly bright. American Beauty reminds me of Revlon Cherries in the Snow, but it's more matte. In fact, this shade is more matte than any of my other Besame lipsticks.

1946 Red Velvet

Their Description: "A deeper red suitable for every day wear. This neutral undertone red looks wonderful on all skin tones."

My Description: Now, this is a neutral, deep red I could see most people wearing every day! I've never seen this shade look bad on someone. As the name suggests, it's a rich, velvety red shade. My tube is in the special edition Agent Carter packaging, which is gorgeous and worth every penny.

1955 Exotic Pink

Their Description: "A bright bold flamingo pink from 1955."

My Description: It seems that this color was discontinued, then very, very briefly brought back when the company found an extra box of lipstick in storage. In my opinion, it's a shade they need to bring back to the rotation. Not only does it provide a break from all of the reds (and yes, I love red, but we need a breather sometimes), it's also a gorgeous shade in its own right. As weird as it sounds, this is the sort of shade that makes me think of "ribbons" and "orchids," very beautiful, fun, cool-toned pink things.

1959 Red Hot Red

Their Description: "A bold and brazen warm red. Similar to Bésame Red but warmer, with more yellow tones. A classic fire engine red."

My Description: I didn't need this shade, but I was splitting the limited edition Agent Carter lip kit with a friend, and she didn't want either of the reds. And when have I ever turned down a red? So here we are. Honestly, if you have one of the other true reds from the range, you probably don't need this color. Yes, it's slightly brighter and warmer than Besame Red, but they're so similar on the lips that nobody would even notice. If I had to pick, actually, I'd go for Besame Red because that muted quality makes it unique. You could also call Victory Red this shade's glossier, cooler-toned cousin. This is still a lovely lipstick; I'm just saying it seems redundant in the range.

1963 Portrait Pink 

Their Description: "Pastel baby pink without shimmer, ideal for paler skin tones. A barely there pink for days when you want something simple and light."

My Description: I bought this lipstick expecting a truly mod, milky pink, but it ended up being brighter and less white than I expected. (For a real mod pink, I ended up going for Rodin So Mod.) You may find this more mod if you have light to medium skin; if you're darker skinned, I think this will be a bit too white based for you. As it stands, I like this shade, but I mostly use it as a mixer.

1965 Portrait Peach

Their Description: "Delicate soft peach color and cousin of our Portrait Pink."

My Description: "Delicate" and "soft" are subjective, so I'll just note that while this is, yet again, not a pastel peach on me and it's brighter than I initially expected, it actually feels very 60s. It reminds me of the shades Audrey Heburn wore in movies like Breakfast at Tiffany's. This is one of my favorites to wear with dark eye looks for a pop of color, and I love how it adds a bit more saturation to beige nudes like NARS Raquel.

1970 Chocolate Kiss 

Their Description: "Neutral milk chocolate brown, especially flattering on red-heads. A great nude shade for medium to dark skin."

My Description: I can't recommend Chocolate Kiss for darker skin enough, but I also quite like it on my fair complexion. I think it's because this is a brown with a lot of red in it. It reads more terracotta than straight-up brown on me, and I like it. I only have a mini because it's not the sort of shade I wear often, but I always enjoy it when I do wear it.

All Shades Together for Easy Comparison

Try This: Create New Lip Colors

I know super huge, macro lip shots freak some people out, but I think it's worth it if it can save us some money. Obviously, lipstick is my weakness, and when I see a blogger wearing an incredible new shade or a makeup artist showcasing a formula with a unique finish, I want to rush out and buy another tube pronto. But the truth of the matter is that I don't have a ton of money to buy new products, and I don't really need them, anyway. When I look at my collection of over a dozen lipsticks, assorted balms, and various pencils, I realize I can make most colors with a bit of mixing.

Take this first lip as an example. Lisa Eldridge did a video showcasing a variety of bright-but-not-stark lip looks, and I was weirdly attracted to this sort of "popsicle"variation. (I say "weirdly" not because it's an odd look, but because glossy isn't usually my style.) I stopped myself from buying a new Korean lipstick and tried mixing shades instead. I used Portrait Peach for the overall color and some Fenty Freckle Fiesta for a bit more depth, and I layered Fresh Sugar Caramel Lip Balm under and over to create that more sheer, shiny finish. Boom: no new lipstick required!

Pencils are also an excellent mixing tool. Using them just around the edges of your mouth is a great way to get a clean shape, create depth, and prevent feathering, but it can also alter the shade of the lipstick on top. Rodin So Mod is a bit too milky and pastel for me to wear on its own, so I always use a dash of NYX Nude Pink around the edges to keep my mouth from disappearing. If you cover your entire lips in the darker, more peach liner, then So Mod becomes a less pastel, but still milky and mod-ish shade. I love this look so much, I've finally decided to let go of MAC Faux lipstick. (It's in the same color family, just more purple and muted, which isn't as flattering on my skintone.)

Granted, this only works if you have a small collection of lip products to begin with. If you only own a couple of lipsticks or a single pencil, your options might be more limited. Yet with one gloss, six pencils, and sixteen lipsticks, my collection is not huge by blogger standards, and I can still come up with a range of new colors. Even if you only have two lip products, it's worth smearing them together to see what you can get.

Also, a word of advice on matte liquid lipsticks: you can still blend most of them. You'll just have to move quicker. Some people do one color on their top lip and another on their bottom, then rub their lips together, but I find that a lot of modern liqui-mattes dry too quickly for this, and it can mess up the lip line. You can try dabbing a bit of each shade on the back of your hand, then blending them together and applying them with a lip brush for precision.

REVIEW: Fenty Beauty Mattemoiselle Plush Matte Lipsticks

NOTE: This post was meant to go live on Monday, February 19th, but I accidentally posted the original draft. Hence, there may have been some typos I did not address immediately (I apologize), and there will not be another post until later next week. Oops. See you next weekend!

I have zero legitimate excuses for buying more lipsticks, even with a gift card and a reasonable price tag. The truth of the matter is that I adore Rihanna, I want to support inclusive brands like Fenty, and I just fucking love lipstick. That said, I held off on testing the Mattemoiselle lipsticks for a while because most of the rave reviews were coming from big YouTubers who received the entire shade range in an admittedly stunning PR package. The final push? Talented, smaller creators I like started wearing Freckle Fiesta, which was the shade that called to me from the beginning.

The Fenty Mattemoiselle Plush Matte Lipsticks retail for $18 each. That seems like a steal, but these lipsticks are tiny: each one contains just 1.7 grams of product, making them almost half the size of the average high-end lipstick. Not surprisingly, the tubes are physically small as well, and the actual lipstick inside is about the thickness of a cigarette. Beyond that, I like the look of the packaging just fine. The tube is a very lightweight, silver plastic, and the lipsticks have "FB" stamped in the top (though this disappears after your first application).

From left to right: Fenty Candy Venom, NARS Michiyo, Fenty Freckle Fiesta, Besame Chocolate Kiss.

There are currently 14 shades in the range, and it's an eclectic mix. You get soft, "work appropriate" shades like Spanked (dusty rose), bold and bright colors like Griselda (burgundy), and a handful of unique, not-in-most-lipstick-range shades like Clapback (navy) and Midnight Wasabi (green). While I disagree that each individual shade will "flatter all skintones"--Up 2 No Good will turn white on deeper skin, for instance--I think the range has something for everybody, and a lot of the colors are very flexible.

I picked up the bright pink, Candy Venom, and the "spiced terracotta," Freckle Fiesta. Both shades seem to work on just about everybody, though Freckle Fiesta definitely seems to read more orange than brown on dark skin. As you can tell by the swatches, they are densely pigmented. I compared them to the two most similar shades in my collection, but they still stand out: Candy Venom is darker and more purple than NARS Michiyo, and Freckle Fiesta is more yellow and less muted than Besame Chocolate Kiss.

The Fenty Mattemoiselle lipsticks have an incredibly smooth, soft texture that glides on to the lips with ease and provides opaque color in a single swipe. If I had to compare the texture to anything, I'd compare it to a cream-to-powder blush or foundation, not because it's dry or dusty, but because it has that silky smoothness to it. It definitely feels less "wet" and creamy than most traditional lipsticks. They're very forgiving on fine lines and feel weightless on the lips. "Plush" defines them aptly.

I found these lipsticks slightly drying, but only slightly. Your lips may feel a tad parched at the end of the day, and you'll definitely want to wear some balm afterwards. However, they are comfortable for a solid 8+ hours and do not cause flaking or shriveling.

In terms of wear, you're going to get above average lasting power for these puppies. They don't feather much, but they will smear with enough pressure, and they will fade a bit if you eat a full, sloppy meal. I like to apply, blot, and reapply with all of my lipsticks, including these, because it gives me a bit more staying power.

Here's a close-up of my lips with both colors so you can see the texture. Again, it's an incredibly smooth and flattering formula.

Now, that sounds absolutely stellar, but I have to tell you that one thing about the Mattemoiselle lipsticks disappointed me in a big way: the packaging. I'm no lipstick novice, but I found it very tricky to get sharp, even lines with the tiny, rounded lipstick bullets; I had to touch up the edges of my lips with a q-tip every time, and it's still not as sharp as I'd normally like it. I also noticed that a little bit of lipstick always smeared on to the edges of the tube, even when they were brand new and just-opened, as if the lipstick wasn't placed straight in the tube. You can actually see this little blob of lipstick "spillage" in the header image of this post.

If it weren't for the packaging, I'd probably give these lipsticks a 5 out of 5. That said, I will be returning Candy Venom because I don't think it flatters me very much. Freckle Fiesta, though...I know it makes me look a tad sallow in some pictures, but for whatever reason, I still love that color and I just can't quit it. At the very least, I'd like to see if I can finish this tube up. It shouldn't be too tough given the small amount of product in it.

RATING: 4 out of 5

Fenty Beauty products are available at Sephora.

My Favorite Red Lip Pencil

Before I wised up to the racket that is "free shipping when you spend X!", I would toss things I didn't really want or need in to my shopping cart to hit that shipping minimum. When it came to MAC's website, I usually picked another tube of Strobe Cream or a new lipstick. On one occasion, I decided a red eyeliner seemed like a good idea...probably because the pencils were on sale or something of that ilk. I'd tested the MAC Chromagraphic Pencils in the nude shades before and found them to be pigmented and creamy, so I figured I'd have the same luck with Basic Red.

It turns out red eyeliner isn't exactly the best look for a professor. I wore scarlet wings to class once, received a snippy comment from a higher-up, and retired the pencil to the back of my collection. And at the time, I had such a huge collection that this one pencil was quickly lost in the mix.

I've since downsized my collection dramatically, all the while becoming more and more aware of what I do and don't need to achieve certain looks. Only two red pencils have stuck with me: NYX Auburn, which I've owned for far too many years but refuse to quit because it works so well with deep bordeauxs and bold crimsons, and MAC Basic Red.

Top: Besame 1941 Victory Red and 1920 Besame Red. Middle: MAC Chromagraphic Pencil in Basic Red. Bottom: MAC Scarlet Ibis and Besame 1931 Carmine.

Basic Red is the cleanest, most neutral red lip liner I've ever found. Some people say it leans a little warm, but honestly, I think it depends on which lipstick you pair it with. I wear it with all four of the shades above: the cool toned and saturated Victory Red, the more muted Besame Red (which appears outright purple-ish here because it's so muted in comparison to other three shades, but is clearly a soft, slightly blue red on the lips), the slightly warm Scarlet Ibis, and the orange-red Carmine. In every case, lining my lips with MAC Basic Red, then bringing the lipstick right to that pencil line always gives me the sharpest, fullest look I can get sans lip brush.

I've also worn Basic Red on its own with just a hint of balm or gloss on top, as in my Best of 2016 video. The formula is smooth enough to apply evenly to the lips and feel comfortable, but waxy enough to stay put. (The standard MAC lipliners, I find, are a bit too dry and flaky to be worn all over the lips.)

This truly versatile pencil deserves far more hype than it gets. That said, I'm not so much encouraging you to rush out and buy it as I am encouraging you to think very carefully about the products you already have. It's the stuff we tend to reach for automatically, without fanfare or fuss, that's truly deserving of "Holy Grail" status.

FOTD: New-to-Me Besame Reds

It's very rare that I feel compelled to write a company and tell them I love their products, but Besame's lipsticks have wowed me to that point. So I shot them a quick email expressing my love, making sure to add that I've tried a squillion lipstick formulas at this point and nothing has quite compared. Imagine my shock when they replied, said they loved my blog, and would like to send me a few more things to try.

Maybe "shocked" isn't the best description. I was stunned, then elated, then suddenly insecure because I felt unworthy, then proud of myself because BESAME NOTICED ME AND THEREFORE I'VE MADE IT AS A BLOGGER.

They mentioned sending a few lipsticks in the bundle, and since I'm nothing if not thorough, I sent them the long list of Besame shades I've already tried and photographed. I openly admit that I was holding out for one of their warm reds, like Carmine or Tango Red, but I knew I'd be excited about whatever they sent me. I also assumed they'd send along 1920 Besame Red, since...I mean, it's named after their brand.

Sure enough, they sent a tube of Besame Red (on the left) along with a tube of 1933 Merlot (on the right). I actually hadn't noticed Merlot until recently, but it looked really beautiful in swatches, so I was beyond thrilled to receive it. For the record, I've already reviewed the Besame formula, but here's a quick summary: dense but not heavy, opaque, not overly drying on the lips, great staying power as long as you apply-blot-reapply (which I do with all of my traditional lipsticks, anyway), applies smooth as silk, photographs like a dream, creamy satin finish. The only shade I've tried thus far that hasn't fit this description is Noir Red, which I found drying, smeary, and not as smooth to apply.

1920 Besame Red is not the sort of red I'm immediately drawn to, but it's definitely lovely and flattering. It leans cool toned and has a muted quality that gives it a certain softness. Of all of the Besame shades I've tried, Besame Red somehow feels the most "vintage" to me. I like this one best with a relatively simple makeup look, since it's so beautifying and classic.

I have a slight preference for 1933 Merlot, which is a deep shade with a brick-brown side to it that makes it very striking and lush. (My mother said it looks "rich," which is probably the simplest yet most apt description.) Because it's a more glamorous shade, I like it with a little more on my eyes. Usually, that means winged eyeliner, but on this particular day, I decided I have a lot of nice powder eyeshadows and I should probably use them more. And since I lack eyeshadow application skills, I basically just smeared them on. If it works, it works.

Frankly, when it comes to Besame's red lipstick range, neither of these tops my beloved Victory Red, but that's a tough shade to beat. I do think Besame Red would be a better option for light to medium skinned people who found Victory Red too bright, and Merlot will look especially stunning on deeper skintones. Thanks to these two shades, my love of Besame lipsticks has only grown.

These lipsticks were sent to me by Besame. As I made clear to the company, I only write honest reviews. I do not accept financial compensation for my posts.

You can purchase these shades on the Besame website.

Moderate Stash: End of 2017 Lipstick Collection Swatches

I didn't think I'd do another "here are my lipsticks" type post before the end of the year, since I've been on a lipstick no buy for the last few months. But my collection has actually changed a bit since that declutter video, thanks to a couple of swaps, some beauty box arrivals, and another mini-declutter conducted whilst swatching for this post. I honestly can't wait to do my end-of-the-year inventory, because I'm incredibly proud of how small my collection is now.

Is my lipstick drawer worthy of a minimalist now? Heck no, but I've definitely made some improvements since my last Moderate Stash swatch post. For starters, I've admitted that I just don't like gloss and have gotten rid of pretty much all of them, and anything gloss-adjacent; the only one I own now is the clear gloss from Glossier. (Wow, I never thought I could put the word "gloss" in to a sentence so many times...)

Doing a regular inventory like this also stops me from buying more shit I don't need. I won't lie: there are a few shades I'm interested in getting as soon as 2018 rolls around, namely MAC Chili. And if Besame comes out with Red Velvet in special Agent Carter packaging? I don't know if I'll be able to resist, since I already love the shade and Hayley Atwell is ah-mah-zing.

Anyway, let's get on to the swatches! Natural light is on the left, flash is on the right.

Mauves and Purples

Pinks

Peaches and Browns

Reds and Corals

(Side note: I decided to get rid of Ciate Diva shortly after swatching it. Don't get me wrong, it's a nice lipstick, but it's so similar to Besame Victory Red that I don't think I need both.)

1P2L: Lipstick with NARS Jungle Red

When I get stumped by my makeup, I'm tempted to buy a new product, illogically thinking that'll make everything fresh and exciting again. The smarter thing to do, of course, is to use what I already have, but try a few new looks or alternative application methods. With that in mind, I've decided to start a new series called 1P2L (1 product, 2 looks). The goal? To use the same product to create discernibly different looks. I'm not a makeup artist, so of course none of my creations will be particularly awesome or unique, but I do hope they'll serve the "stop buying shit you don't need" purpose.

For lipstick, I decided to try out my newest shade, NARS Jungle Red. The look on the left is meant to be very soft and youthful, while the look on the right is a more traditional winged liner deal.

The trick with the lips on the left: use your lipstick as a stain instead of applying it at full opacity. You can do this two different ways. The first method is to rub your finger on the lipstick, then pat the color in to your lips, using a clean finger to spread or press it in without distributing more pigment. The second method necessitates a thin layer of slick lip balm on the lips; then you brush the lipstick on using light, feathery strokes, applying as literal pressure as possible. I actually did both here--pressing with my finger for a base layer, then adding balm and a bit more lipstick on top for more color--but do whatever works best for you.

Obviously, the more full-on look is just the lipstick applied straight from the bullet. I still recommend a few additional steps, though: exfoliate your lips beforehand to get a smooth application, and use a lipliner to keep the shape relatively straight, even if you're using a very forgiving shade.

Here are the two piles of products I used for these looks. (I certainly didn't rub a candle or some perfume on my face, but it's an instagram photo, sooooo.) For the lighter look, I skipped foundation and kept the brows a little softer and messier, but I also applied a much stronger red (Stila Hibiscus) to keep the face from looking too bare. For the heavier look, I added winged liner and darker, more drawn-on brows to balance out the darker lipstick. And since Jungle Red is a satin matte, I tried to create a glossier finish on the other parts of my face.

Using lipstick as the first product for 1P2L may seem like a copout, and it...kinda is. I talk about using your lipsticks as a stain all the time. But it did encourage me to get rid of Jungle Red, since I have similar shades I consider more flattering on my skintone. Small victories!