We all know I love a good matte liquid lip.
Just when I thought I couldn’t keep ‘em coming, there’s always more to review. Up next on the docket are the Smashbox Always On Liquid Lipsticks, which has been around for a while, but they have recently released new shades.
This liquid lipstick (C$28 each) is billed as an eight-hour wear that is formulated to be comfortable on the lips (aka not dry them out). Best of all, there are a variety of colours in the line, so you’ll be able to find a shade suitable to every skin tone. With a staggering 44-colour shade range, you can have it all with these: nudes, bolds, brights, and – new to me – metallic shades.
Okay, what?
You heard that correctly, in addition to your typical crème colours, Smashbox has also come out with 12 different metallic colours that dry down matte but still give you that metallic finish.
The brand was kind enough to send me five shades from the line, three metallics and two of their crème shades:
- XO Vlada – copperish/rose gold with gold pearl
- So Jelly – fuchsia with fuchsia and blue pearl
- Punked Rock – grey with purple tint and silver pearl
- Gotta Light – light chestnut/medium nude
- Purple Taffy – pastel purple/lilac
Okay, so first up, the shade range on these is quite impressive and I was happy to receive a wide spectrum of different shades. These go on wet and then dry down to a nice matte. The metallic ones really do stay metallic. XO Vlada and Punked Rock have more of that traditional metallic finish, whereas So Jelly is more shimmery. The crème colours were definitely my favourite, with Gotta Light taking top place (it’s a nude, so shocking I loved that one the most), and Purple Taffy being beautiful on, but not really wearable for the office.
The wear on these is really nice, and for the most part, they stayed on wonderfully after eating and drinking. The formula is medium to lightweight, so it doesn’t feel like you are wearing heavy product at all. Also, they go on really nicely thanks to the pointed applicator, which makes it easy to line the lips first, then fill them in afterwards.
So how do these stack up to other liquid lipsticks out there? I actually really liked this line and would rank it high. I have tried better and I have tried worse, so this fits nicely in the middle (not quite Kylie Cosmetics level, but definitely up there). These are very comfortable to wear and didn’t find them drying at all, which is always a plus with matte liquid lipsticks. Also, with the shade range, you can’t beat that. The fact that the brand offers so many colours in so many hues (even unconventional ones lines black, blue, etc.) is a major plus.
As for the metallic, I thought it was a cool idea and unlike any other matte liquid lip I have tried this far. Personally though, even though I did like the metallics, I think I’ll stick with my tried-and-true crème shades.
Have you tried Smashbox Always On Liquid Lipsticks? What were your thoughts?
Please note, product provided by PR. All opinions are my own.
Like what you read? Check out these related posts:
When it comes to expensive moisturizers, first thing that comes to mind is La Mer.
At C$410 for a 60 ml bottle, the famous French moisturizer is the epitome of luxury. I’ve never actually tried it aside from a small sample (that was hardly enough to two uses), but last year I received a moisturizer that is definitely in La Mer’s price territory, at around C$250 per bottle.
British brand Rodial came out with the most-instaworthy skincare line. The Rose Gold Moisturizer, Serum, and Deep Line Filler is enriched with 24-carat gold technology, white rose fresh cells and vitamin C. Best of all, it all comes housed in the most stunning rose gold packaging.
I received the moisturizer and serum to see if this expensive skincare line is really worth it. The Rodial Rose Gold Moisturizer is a luxurious youth cream that is supposed to turn back time to give you firmer, smoother, and luminous-looking skin. This cream, which can be used for day and night, contains vitamin C to hydrate, as well as regenerative bioactive extract and 24-carat gold technology to smooth out vertical and horizontal wrinkles. It also includes Progeline, which improves the appearance of sagging skin for complete remodelling and oxygenating white rose fresh cells to brighten and improve radiance.
Considering the price tag on this, you do get a fair amount of product (50 ml), and a little goes a long way. This cream definitely feels luxurious when you put it on your skin and it blends out nicely. It also comes with a face-sculpting tool and a little booklet on re-creating the brand’s signature Rose Gold facial at home (I tried doing this a couple times, the thing is cool, but it’s a lot of work).
As for the Rose Gold Serum, this retails for C$230, and is an anti-gravity serum with instant hydrating, lifting, and radiance that is also infused with the same 24-carat gold technology. I apply this after the moisturizer and it’s blend of anti-ageing ingredients help lift, plump, and reshape the face so your skin feels firmer and looks rejuvenated.
As you can see in the photo above, I’ve been using this for a while (I couldn’t wait to dig into it, hence the small amount left in the bottle before I got around to photographing it). I don’t have wrinkles yet since I’m 29, but I like using anti-ageing skincare products to prevent my skin from developing them. Like I said, both these products feel very luxurious when you apply them. There is a noticeable difference in texture between this and a $30 moisturizer. Have I noticed a difference though? No. But, i have pretty good skin to begin with, and I want to keep it that way (which is why I use these products).
So would I recommend this, is it worth the price? Depends. These products are still relatively new and definitely do not have the hype that La Mer has this early in the game. I really enjoyed using these (I still do), plus they look so beautiful displayed on my vanity. Obviously though, I wouldn’t buy these for looks alone (I don’t think anyone would at that price point).
I really enjoyed both these products, but when you’re looking at around $500 for skincare, it’s a little rich. I loved the way these made my skin look and feel and if you want to treat your skin to something really luxurious, then I would look into purchasing these.
What’s the most you would spend on skincare?
Please note, I was sent these products from PR. All opinions are my own.
Like what you read? Check out these related posts:
If there’s one beauty brand that I’ve been wanting to try for a while, it’s Charlotte Tilbury.
Here’s the thing though, living in lowly ol’ Winnipeg, we actually don’t have a Charlotte Tilbury counter here in the city. I travel often and always make a point to go to Nordstrom, where they carry the brand, but when you have as much makeup as I do, it really comes down to “do I need anymore?” Do I need more eyeshadow palettes? Mascaras? Primers, lipsticks, you name it. The easy answer is “no”, but when you’re longing for something, then, yes, yes I do.
So thus I ended up with some Charlotte Tilbury. The brand was actually kind enough to send over some goodies to try out and I was more than happy to play around with it all. Like I said, I had never used the brand before, but had only heard great things about it. In case you didn’t know, Charlotte Tilbury is actually a British celebrity makeup artist and came out with her line a couple years back in 2014.
There are some majorly buzzed about products in her line, so I was super pumped to get to try some of them out. First up is the Airbrush Flawless Finish powder, which is a skin-perfecting finishing powder. This is meant to be applied over top of your foundation and concealer to set it and it includes ingredients to prevent excess shine and brighten your complexion. There are three shades available, fair, medium, and dark, and meaning that these don’t go on too opaque. Since I’m quite fair, I have the 01 Fair and found that this does make my skin look radiant. The powder is quite silky and I like applying this with a fluffy powder brush. The soft-focus micro powders from nano-particles blur away lines and imperfections, meanwhile the rose wax and almond oil hydrates skin throughout the day.
I have used this a fair number of times and do find that it does darken up my foundation by a smidgen, but it sort of acts like my Hourglass Dim Light powder does. It makes my skin look flawless, sets everything perfect, and my makeup stays put for much longer. This powder retails for C$58, which is quite expensive for a powder (although the Hourglass ones retail for around the same price). With that being said, it is quite a luxurious product, that will not only make your skin look flawless, but toss that rose gold compact in your clutch for a night out.
Next up is the Filmstar Bronze & Glow, a fact sculpting and highlight palette. Available in two shades, light to medium and medium to dark, this duo contains a bronzer with very fine micro-shimmer (not noticeable on the skin), as well as an iridescent highlight. The brand actually sent me the medium to dark version, which is best suited to deeper skin tones, but girl, when you get Charlotte Tilbury, you make it work.
The bronzer is a little deeper than what I would normally use, so therefore I have to go in with a light hand. Thankfully, a tap of my brush in the product is all I need. Even though this is a deeper bronzer, I don’t find that it is overwhelming, it’s actually still very flattering on my fair skin. The bronzer includes a blend of pearl and pigment, making contouring a breeze (and natural looking), it’s also very blendable and smooth. It doesn’t just go on your skin and stay there like other bronzers. The colour is soft and blends out nicely.
As for the highlight, this is an apricot colour, which as you can guess would not really suit my skintone. I’ve somehow managed to make it work, but again, I need to go in with a very light hand. Considering how the colour is so deep in the pan, I’m actually surprised that I’m able to use this at all.
Wrong colour aside, I really like this duo and it will definitely get more use in the summer when my skin is more tanned. Here’s the thing, it retails for C$80, which is very pricey (considering you can get a contour kit with six shades for less money), but it does work wonderfully (especially considering that this isn’t even my correct shade and I can use it).
Finally, for the eyes, the Eyes to Mesmerise cream eyeshadow is perfect to use on its own or as a base. I believe she has six shades of this and it’s an incredibly creamy eyeshadow that just glides on the lids. I’ve used this solo, as well as underneath powder shadows and it works phenomenally.
I received the colour Marie Antoinette, an antique oyster gold hue/shimmery light brown with gold undertones that is pretty universal for any skin tone. It comes housed in a pot, so you can apply this with your fingers or a brush. I’ve used this for a few months now and found it’s still incredibly creamy and a little goes a long way (seriously, you only need a dab of this product). Its water-infused formula has a cooling effect on the eyes so it’s quite nice to apply. It also glides on and sticks down nicly, leaving you with a nice sheen once it’s set.
I find this particular colour to be incredibly flattering and love pairing this with a darker brown in the crease, as well as a shimmery champagne in the inner corner. Like I said, this works wonders both as a base for your powder shadow, or just by itself. For the purposes of this review, I just left it as is on my lids in the photos, so you can see what it looks like applied (I also used it as a base for my lower lash line).
These retail for C$36 each, which I feel like isn’t too bad for a good cream shadow. This will also last you forever. If you are wondering how it looks on different skintones, Charlotte Tilbury’s site has a number of models on there, so you can see how it would look with your colouring.
So my final thoughts? Although I do find some of her products to be expensive, they really do live up to the hype. This is a department store luxury brand that I’ve only ever seen sold at Nordstrom or Holt Renfrew, so that’s telling you something. I also want to note that I love her packaging. The rose gold gets me every time and it’s just so luxurious, so you could carry some of these around with you in your purse (especially the powder for touchups throughout the day). If you are looking to splurge, definitely look into this brand.
Have you tried any Charlotte Tilbury products? What were your thoughts?
Please note, products provided by PR, all opinions are my own.
Like what you read? Check out these related posts:
