Living Nature's New Organic Red Lipsticks - Pure Passion Review and Swatches

Living Nature have recently released two new shades in their range of Organic lipsticks. The two new shades are both reds; Pure Passion is a classic red with a crimson undertone, whereas Wild Fire is a warm red shade. I was very kindly sent the shade Pure Passion*, and I really excited to try it out because I'm already a big fan of Living Nature's Organic lipstick formulation. I already own the shades Precious and Summer Rain, and I reach for both of them quite a lot as I love their creamy and long-lasting consistency.

Nars The Ultimate Lip Pencil Trio

International Giveaway: L'Oreal Color Riche Lipsticks

Today's an exciting day because I've got an International Beauty Giveaway to share with you. I've picked a selection of shades L'Oreal's new Color Riche Lipsticks in a range of shades that I hope will suit anyone who wins. I'll be giving away seven L'Oreal Color Riche Lipsticks to one lucky winner, so whoever wins will have a new lipstick for every day of the week!

The shades I'll be giving away are:

(pictured left to right in all my photos)

Androgyne (130)

Flamingo Elegance (136)

VIP (228)

16 Place Vendome (364)

Fuchsia Declaration (431)

Erotique (640)

Oud Obsession (703)


There will also be a second prize which I will be giving away on my twitter page - this is also an international competition. All you have to do to enter the compeition (which will run for the same duration as the rafflecopter competition below) is to invent your own unique, new lipstick name and tweet it to me at @OneLittleVice with the hashtags #NameMyLipstick and #Bbloggers- for example "I'd #NameMyLipstick {enter your unique, new lipstick name} @OneLittleVice #bbloggers". I'd also really like it if you could tell why you chose your final lipstick name. I'm looking for witty or elegant names - but I'm especially looking for memorable ones!

I'll be sharing some of my favourite entries and I'll pick a final winner once the competition closes. This person will win a brand new makeup bag containing some secret beauty treats, including at least one Color Riche Lipstick.

To enter this giveaway all you have to do is follow the instructions in the rafflecopter form below.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

L'Oreal Color Riche Matte Lipstick in Cliché Mania (229)

I've wanted a hot, orange-toned red lipstick for absolutely ages, and L'Oreal's Color Riche Matte Lipstick in Cliché Mania is everything I've been waiting for. As a shade, it's got that bright, summertime sizzle that just screams hot-weather and sunshine. And as soon as I apply it I feel bolder - it's the age old red lipstick effect!

As a formula, L'Oreal's Color Riche Matte Lipsticks are really lovely drugstore mattes. They're not drying like some of my other matte red lipsticks can be and this is probably because they still have quite a creamy formula. They glide onto the lips straight from the bullet with ease, and its surprisingly simple to achieve a neat application without a lip liner or lip brush. They feel incredibly comfortable once they're applied, and they tend not to budge for quite a long time unless you're eating or drinking. I did find that once I started to drink or eat the lipstick faded unevenly, slowly disappearing from the centre of my lips before needing a touch up. 

Overall, I think they L'Oreal Color Riche Matte Lipsticks are fantastic - definitely a new drugstore favourite formula - but they're not necessarily going to knock some of my higher end favourite formulas off their pedestals. That being said, Cliché Mania is a really gorgeous colour and I definitely prefer the shade to some of the high-end reds I have in my collection. I know it will get a lot of love this spring and summer!

If you'd like to win L'Oreal's Color Riche Matte Lipstick in Cliché Mania for yourself then head on over to my twitter page where I'm giving away a brand new lipstick for one of you lovely lot to win - all you have to do is follow me on twitter if you aren't already and RT my giveaway tweet. Good luck if you decide to enter - the competition will close tomorrow, April 18th, at midday.

Have you tried any of L'Oreal's Color Riche Matte Lipsticks? What's your favourite red lipstick?

Nude Lipsticks for Winter

Kylie Jenner seemed to single handedly turn the beauty world back on to darker nude lipsticks. I've been a big fan of darker nude lips for a long time and they're a particular favourite of mine in the winter. If you find the right shade then they can be really flattering, and work perfectly coupled with autumnal clothing colours and make-up shades. Swatched above are four of my favourite nude shades, and as you can see they're all quite different.

Illamasqua's Glamore Lipstick in Minx - RRP £16.50

This is the darkest nude shade I own, and you can clearly see that it has a rich, warm, rosy undertone that's quite unlike my other nude lipsticks. This shade would be great for darker skin tones, but I still enjoy wearing it (you can see photos of me wearing it in this post). It can be blended into the lips to create a long lasting dark stain, or worn heavily as a very bold, dark nude. If the shade isn't for you I would still highly recommend the formula, and Illamasqua has a whole range of nude shades designed to suit to a variety of skin tones. I'd love to try more from the range!

Revlon's Matte Lipstick in Mauve it Over - RRP £7.49

This is one of my most longstanding lipstick shades. Despite looking decidedly orange next to Minx, Mauve it Over is a very wearable nude with a matte finish. It's widely heralded as a dupe for Mac's Velvet Teddy Lipstick, but I haven't tried it so I can't really confirm or deny that. It lasts ages on my lips and it's very nude without being too dark and washing me out. It won't be a shade that's to everyone's tastes but I'd definitely recommend swatching it next time you're in a Boots or Superdrug store, you might be surprised at how much you like it. 

Gosh's Lipstick in Nougat (Brown #122) - RRP £6.49

Nougat is a deep brown with just  hint of pink. It's quite dark against my light skin tone and I think it would work well for a lot of different people. The formula is gorgeously creamy, definitely the creamiest drugstore option I've ever come across, and it wears really well. If you're after a drugstore lipstick that feels high end then I'd definitely head for the Gosh counter. If nude lipsticks aren't your cup of tea then I'd definitely check out Gosh's bright lipsticks, they're equally lovely and the formula works well with statement colours. 

Sleek's Sheen Lipstick in Liqueur - RRP £4.99

If you have very pale skin then I think you'll find this lipstick from Sleek the easiest to wear. It's definitely a nude but it has slightly pink undertones and it isn't anywhere near as dark as the other shades in my line up. Sleek's Sheen formula is thick and creamy, but not as good as the formula of Gosh's lipsticks. However, for £4.99 I think you'd be hard pushed to find a better option and if Liqueur isn't the right shade for you then there are some other wonderful colours to choose between - I've featured some before on my blog which you can read about here.

Are you a fan of nude lipstick? If so, what shades do you like wearing?

An Ode to Mac's Lustre Lipsticks (Syrup, Plumful and Lovelorn)

Now, I appreciate not everyone will know about Mac's Lustre lipsticks so we're going to cover that base first. Mac has a whole host of different lipstick formulas, each of which have a different finish when applied to the lips. I would argue that Lustres are the second 'lightest' feeling (Glazes would come first). They aren't heavy or opaque, instead they give a slick of shiny, glossy colour that works alongside the colour of your lips - you'll be able to see that they aren't totally opaque in my swatches below.

Left to Right: Plumful, Lovelorn & Syrup (swatches are two swipes of each lipstick)

Lustre lipsticks are wonderful summer lipsticks because you won't feel them on your lips. They have the lightness of a lip gloss or balm whilst still giving you noticeable and relatively long lasting colour. On me they last from between an one hour and three depending on if I'm drinking or rubbing my lips together lots (I can't be the only person who does that).

I also love that because they aren't completely opaque they look a little bit different on everyone who wears them. I've done a Mac Lipstick Collection post where I've posted lip swatches of my entire collection so you can see what each of these look like on my lips if you click here. If you were to compare these colours to other lip swatches they wouldn't be the same. This makes it a little bit more risky buying them without trying them on first but it also makes them a little bit more personal. 

I wear my Mac's Lustres when I don't want to have to worry about exfoliating my lips or using lip liner. For this reason they're perfect for lipstick newbies or those of you who want a lip gloss/lipstick hybrid because lustres are still really lovely and glossy. If you're going - on a date, to the cinema (where you'll probably eat and drink and can't touch up in the dark), to school or lectures or seminars or if you just love fuss free make-up then Lustre lipsticks are the ones for you. 

When I first got into Mac lipsticks I thought Cremesheens were the be-all-and-end-all and although I still love them (they're delightfully creamy, as the name suggests) but their place in my heart has been usurped by the Lustre formula. I have yet to come across any great drugstore dupes of how the formula feels on the lips but a similar looking effect can be attained from 17's Mirror Shine Lipsticks which at £4.19 are a lot more affordable but sadly not perfect dupes (they're just a little bit glossier than Lustre lipsticks).

Thus this week's lipstick post is concluded, but I don't think my love affair with Lustres will ever end! Have you tried any of Mac's Lustre Lipsticks? Do you have a favourite finish of Mac Lipstick?

My Topshop Lipstick Collection: Desert, Whimsical, Innocent & Idol

I don't have a vast Topshop lipstick collection (and three of these lipsticks I picked up in blog sales) but I do really like the formula of Topshop lipsticks so I thought I'd write a post on the ones I own. I personally don't think that the formula is always the same across all of the lipsticks but the all the ones I own feel like Satin finishes- meaning they have a matte look and feel to them but they aren't as drying as matte lipsticks.

The good think about a Satin finish  in a lipstick is that is stays put, as a semi-matte lipstick it has lasting power. The downside is that it isn't shiny, it isn't glossy and although it isn't super drying it isn't moisturising either. I don't like to wear any sort of matte-feeling lipsticks every day because the feel of them just isn't my favourite. However, I don't have a problem wearing them occasionally (especially when I don't want to worry about smudging, flaking etc.) and this is when I reach for my Topshop lipsticks.

My shade selection isn't the best. I absolutely love Desert, it's my favourite of the four, and although it can suit me it is very dependent on how I'm wearing my make-up and what blush I'm wearing. It's a nude that leans very orange so if I wear a pink blush it just looks weird! 

Whimsical is the only one that I bought new (and at full price) and it is a serious peach shade that packs a lot of punch. I feel self-conscious wearing this because I own nothing like it but I do think that it looks insanely pretty, and very girly! I definitely need to wear this one more often while I can because I don't think that this will look great with my alabaster white winter skin. If you're pale but are rocking a tan during the summertime then I'd recommend giving this one a try. 

Innocent transforms when it goes on the lips, it becomes a lot more starkly blue based and a little barbie-esque. I find this one very hard to wear during the day because it looks so obvious and "unnatural". It does, however, look very nice with slightly more glamazonian make-up and I've gotten compliments on this shade when I've worn it after dark. 

Idol is just, full on. It is bright and it packs a punk and I'm really enjoying it! I like bright shades in long lasting finishes (like Satin or Matte) because I can wear them without constantly worrying about transfer and smudging!

Some people have struggled with Topshop lipsticks but I honestly don't have a problem with them. They last very well on me and I think that at £8 each they're excellent value for money! My only word of warning is that the colours can look very different person to person, skin tone is key. If you like the look of one of my swatches that's great but I would urge you to swatch them yourself in store before buying them. I don't know what it is about Topshop's lipsticks in particular but I really do think that they are transformative colours. But anyway! I hope you enjoyed a peek into my small collection, I have some of their darker more vampy shades on my radar for the autumn months.

Do you own any Topshop lipsticks? Do you like any of the colours that I own?

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Beauty Bargain: Rimmel Moisture Renew Lipsticks (review and swatches)

(left to right: Latino, Precious Brown, Notting Hill Nude, Sweetheart Tulips, Violet Pop, Dusty Rose, Pink Chic)

After I dipped my toes into Fragrance Direct's stash of Rimmel Moisture Renew Lipsticks I loved the formula so much that I went back for more, five more... You might think I'm mad but at 99p a pop (with a normal RRP of £6.29 in Boots)  I let myself indulge a little bit. Some of these shades aren't available in stores but I've seen Latino, Precious Brown and Notting Hill Nude on the shelves of Boots so there's always the chance to swatch some of them for yourself before taking advantage of the bargains online prices.

The formula of these lipsticks is really nice. Advertised along the "moisturising" end of the scale they live up to expectations and aren't at all drying whilst still managing to maintain a very respectable three hour average when it comes to wear time. However, what makes them different is the colours. It might seem obvious but for me a lipstick is all about the colour, I can forgive a formula if I love a colour enough. Rimmel's Moisture Renew Lipsticks may not look like much in swatches (even to my eyes!) but on the lips they just look, I don't even know how to type it, they just look damn nice. The kind of nice which has you looking at yourself in mirrors and smiling. Very surprisingly Latino has become a front runner despite looking visibly frosty (it has an air of Mac's Costa Chic to it, frosty but still wearable and oh so summery). Notting Hill Nude is another shade I've been particularly enjoying as it is incredibly pretty whilst still being demure and low maintenance - I've not been one for frequent touch ups lately. Of the three pinks (which I imagine might look like the most wearable looking of the bunch) Violet Pop is definitely the most dramatic whilst Pink Chic is as close as I can stray into 'Barbie' pinks without getting washed out. Sweetheart Tulips is incredibly wearable as it is loud without being too bright, I think will suit a lot of skin tones. Precious Brown is a lovely shade, sheer enough to be wearable on me but it is just too glittery for my tastes - you can't see it too well when you swatch it but on the lips, especially if you layer it up, it is noticeable. Dusty Rose was the only real disappointment, it looked lovely in swatches I saw online but it doesn't look as pink as I was hoping and it is hard for me to pull off such an opaque brown tone. I'm sure it will be to some people's liking though.

All in all I'm pretty happy. It's hard to choose lipstick shades online so liking 5/7 of my picks isn't exactly bad odds, especially when the whole lot came close to the price of buying just one lipstick instore. You can find these lipsticks on Fragrance Direct.


Have you tried any of Rimmel's Mositure Renew Lipsticks?



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