5 Mini Makeup Reviews

There was a time on this blog where I used to post daily, and I was a lot quicker at reviewing the products that I was using and loving. Nowadays life is a bit more hectic, and posting twice a week is about as much as I can manage right now. In the spirit of not leaving anything out, today I thought I'd feature five of the new beauty products I've been using over the last couple of months and I'd talk you through what I liked (or didn't like) about them. I've tried to include a mix of products - because, honestly, given the chance I can rant and rave just about lipstick for hours - and I hope that you enjoy this post and that it's helpful to anyone looking to make some purchasing decisions. 

Look Fantastic May Beauty Box #LFHello

Look Fantastic Beauty Box March #LFExplorer

Quick and Easy Everyday Makeup Routine

Autumn/Winter Drugstore Beauty Haul

Autumn Makeup Updates: Dark Nude Lipsticks

July Beauty Empties

Summer Makeup Primers for All Skin Types

January Beauty Empties

Day Date Makeup

Last Friday I went on my first date of the year - cue excitement but also a fair amount of nervous energy. I'm not going to say too much about how it went but I can tell you that we went for a coffee in a really lovely coffee-shop not too far from where I live and that we went during the afternoon. 

I don't know about you but I never really know how to dress for more casual dates, and certainly ones that occur during the daytime! In the end I opted for a relatively casual outfit (a plain, round-necked dress with a cardigan and boots) and the really paired-back, simple makeup look featured above (those are photos of my actual face-of-the-day before and after). 

I wanted to even out my skin and cover the redness in my cheeks and across my nose, so I applied my Revlon Colorstay Foundation in the shade Sand Beige using my Real Techniques Makeup Sponge. I think it did a good job of giving me natural looking coverage, as well as adding a bit of warmth to my complexion. For concealing under my eyes, I opted for Nars' Creamy Radiant Concealer in Vanilla with a bit of L'Oreal's Lumi Magique Concealer in Medium on top to add some brightness to the inner corners of my eyes.

I did my eyebrows using my Brow Definer in Blonde/Auburn from The Body Shop. It isn't the best by any means but it isn't too warm toned so it gives quite a natural finish (which I like). I did a very simple eyeshadow look using my new Urban Decay Naked 3 Palette but because of my hooded eyelids you can't really see the colours I used in my photo. I applied the shade Strange all over my lid and then Nooner through my crease, on top of Urban Decay's Eyeshadow Primer Potion which is incredible. I finished off by applying two layers of Maybelline's the Falsies Volum' Express Mascara (a mascara I've repurchased) which gave quite a fluttery finish.

To add some colour to my cheeks I opted for Mac's Cremeblend Blush in Brit Wit, this is another new product in my collection and I simply adore the colour and the formula - I'm going to do a full review at some point. I then also added some of RMS Beauty's Living Luminizer to the high points of my face. It's been a daily staple for me every since I got it a couple of months ago, I'd highly recommend it for anyone looking for a pretty and natural-looking, lit-from-within glow. And then, to finish everything off, I applied some of Revlon's Just Bitten Kissable Balm Stain in Honey to my lips. It gives long lasting colour and the shade seemed natural enough whilst still helping my lips look fuller.

This was a slightly different - and bit more personal - sort of post from me today but I hope you found it interesting. I'd love to know if you do your makeup differently when you go on dates - and what sort of makeup you might choose for a "day date"!

Revlon Colorstay Foundation Review

I dipped into some of my old haul posts and realised that I first discovered Revlon's Colorstay Foundation back in March, 2013. It took me a little while but I did eventually fall head-over-heels in love with this foundation. Applied properly - especially with the right primer - it comes close to being perfect. Here's how you can tell how much I like it, it's the first foundation that I've actually finished since I started this blog almost two and half years ago. 

I've been using Revlon's Colorstay Foundation for Oily/Combination Skin in the shade Buff which is quite fair with yellow undertones. It's the second palest shade (those of you with truly fair skin would prefer the shade Ivory) which is usually perfect for me in the depth of winter, but at the moment and in the spring/summer it is definitely a touch too light. I recently repurchased Revlon's Colorstay Foundation opting for the next shade along, Sand Beige. It's much deeper than Buff but it doesn't have an orange undertone so I find it quite wearable. For reference, I've included comparison swatches below.

The only way I like to apply Revlon's Colorstay Foundation is with a makeup sponge, and the one that I use (and have repurchased three times now) is the Real Techniques' Miracle Complexion Sponge. It's quite a thick and medium-to-high coverage foundation and I find that it can apply too thickly when I use a buffing brush. However, when I use a damp makeup sponge I find it to be really buildable, leaving a very natural looking finish despite offering a medium coverage. It also lasts really well on my skin, across both the oilier and drier parts of my face. It doesn't fade unevenly and it doesn't emphasise any of my skin concerns, this makes Revlon Colourstay a really reliable and easy-to-wear option that's great for both everyday and evening wear. I've included before and after photos of me wearing Buff and Sand Beige so that you can get a better idea of the coverage and colour that the foundation offers.

In the above photos I'm not wearing a primer but I do generally like to use a primer when I wear any foundation. I have three favourite options that are all interchangeable depending on what sort of makeup look I'm going for:

The Body Shop's Instablur Primer

To extend the wear time of my foundation and smooth over congested or blemished skin

Monu's Illuminating Primer*

To extend the wear time of my foundation and to add dewiness and radiance

Revlon's Photoready Skinlights Illuminator in Bare Light

To add warmth and a "healthy" looking glow

All of these primers work well with Revlon's Colorstay Foundation and I'd definitely recommend them.  

I'm a big fan of this foundation and I hope that you found my review helpful, if you have any questions please don't hesitate to leave them in the comments or tweet me for a quicker response. I'd love to know what foundation is your favourite and how you like to apply it - I'm particularly on the look out for new brush or sponge recommendations!

Ten Party Makeup Picks for Under £12

Looking for some affordable new makeup for your Christmas or New Year's Looks? I've gathered together some of my highstreet favourites that all come in at under £12. I was planning on doing an "under £10" round-up but I just couldn't exclude the Revlon PhotoReady SkinLights in Bare Lights which comes in at £11.99. It's such a gorgeous highlighter that I love to use a primer when I'm going out for an evening, the bronze colour works really well at masking any redness in your skin. Anyway, here's my ten budget makeup picks for the party season.

Revlon PhotoReady SkinLights in Bare Light

W7 Liquid Eyeliner*

MaxFactor Creamy Touch Blush 

Glam Crystals Dazzling Gel Liner in Funk

Maybelline Colour Drama Velvet Touch Lip Pencil in Red Essential

Seventeen Stay Time Concealer

Rimmel Kate Moss Matte Lipstick in 111

Maybelline the Falsies Volum' Express Mascara

Maybelline Colour Tattoo in On and On Bronze

BeautyUK Baked Blush in Halo

Do you have any affordable makeup recommendations?

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?

Makeup Look: Wearable Metallics

I had my first mince pie last week and it completely switched on my Christmas spirit - and it's having an effect on my make-up bag. I've been really enjoying playing around with metallics, which are actually tipped to be a big spring/summer beauty trend. That being said, I still want a finished look that's wearable so I've been finding easy and subtle ways to update my look. It would be really easy for you to get on board with this trend too, you'd just need to swap out one of your existing makeup products for something with a bit of frost to it.

Lips

My two lip picks for this trend are Catrice's Ultimate Shine Lipstick in Good Nudes which is a warm, incredibly frosty, bronzed-nude. It's surprisingly pretty and easy to wear and works really well layered over other lipsticks for a subtle-but-not-too-subtle nod to the metallic trend. Alternatively, a really subtle way to wear this trend is to don Ilia's Lip Conditioner in the shade These Days. It's a rich, warm, bronzed nude that has the slightest frost to it that helps it catch the light and really enhance your lips.

Cheeks

Picking a golden or bronze highlighter is another easy way to wear metallic shades. Topshop's Glow in Gleam is a very pretty bronze highlighter (an alternative is Revlon's Illuminator in Bare Light). If you want something more full on then I'd opt for Illamasqua's Liquid Metals, I have the shade Electrum which is a yellow-toned gold that really packs a punch. It's all about blending this into a really sheer wash of colour and pairing it with a bronzer that suits your skin tone. It does look "different" bit it doesn't look clownish. Alternatively, you can add a bit of Electrum over the top of a nude lipstick to add a golden hue to your look. 

Eyes

Add some metallic highlighter to the inner corner of your eyes, and you could even sweep some across your eyelid for a sheer, reflective glow. I, personally, avoid metallic shadows for the daytime but I did see Eilish from Eyelash in Wonderland sporting Collection's Glam Crystals Dazzling Gel Liner and although it's a glitter liner it looks very pretty without being over the top. It also lasts incredibly well - we're talk all day - which makes it low maintenance and easy to wear. 

Review: Revlon's Matte Balm Stain in Elusive

If you've been reading my blog for a while then you'll know that I was obsessed with Revlon's Just Bitten Kissable Balm Stains. So much so that I own nearly every shade and I've swatched them all on my blog before (you can see that post by clicking here). So, when Revlon released their new Colorburst range I was overjoyed and it wasn't long before I bopped down to Boots and chose one of their Matte Balms to bring home with me. I picked up the shade 'Elusive', which I'm wearing in the the above photo, and my goodness, this is a gorgeous lip product!

Revlon's Colorburst Matte Balms come in a large array of shades but most of them fall outside the colour range I'm comfortable wearing on a day-to-day basis. 'Elusive' looks like a mid, dusky, pink shade and it swatches completely opaque (as you can see below). For a matte lip product it isn't that drying and it is still very creamy. In terms of a comparison, I would say that Elusive has a similar creamy consistency to a cross between Sleek's Sheen Lipsticks and Rimmel's Kate Moss Matte Lipsticks but it is less drying than both the Rimmel Kate Moss Matte Lipsticks and Sleek's range of Matte Lipsticks. I can't feel Revlon's Colorburst Matte Balm on my lips as I wear it - it doesn't dry my lips out or tug them like some matte lipsticks can do. In fact, although it does have a matte appearance it feels very much like a Satin finish lipstick on the lips (opaque, creamy but not as drying as a typical matte).

Left to Right: Revlon Matte Balm in Elusive, Revlon Just Bitten Kissable Balm Stain in Honey, MaxFactor Colour Elixir Lipstick in Pink Brandy, Mac Cremesheen Lipstick in Fanfare, Lanolips Lip Ointment with Colour in Rose*.

I love the colour of 'Elusive', I think it is incredibly easy to wear and the colour lasts really well on me. When the product begins to fade it leaves a stain on my lips which stops the product from looking patchy or uneven as it wears away. This is the sort of no-hassle lip product that I love and I'd definitely recommend it. I'll definitely be picking up one of the brighter shades once the sun makes a full-time appearance here in Leeds, I think the brighter shades will look gorgeous in the summer! You can find Revlon's Matte Balms online here for £7.99.

Also - I'm wearing Bourjois' CC Cream in 'Ivory' in my photos today so you can get a sense of the colour and coverage (if you're interested, you can read my full review of Bourjois' CC Cream here).

Have you tried any of Revlon's Matte Balms yet? What do you think of the shade 'Elusive'?

My Red Lip Wardrobe

For me, putting on a red lipstick is like putting on a new dress or a pair of high heels. It is an instant, fool-proof way to make myself feel dressed up. However, it dawned on me recently that although I have a passion for trying out new lipsticks I don't actually have many options when it comes to a red lip. I'm not one to really experiment with red lips, I definitely know what I like (blue based shades that aren't too much on the bright side) and my collection of red lip colours really testifies to that! I am starting to wear red lips a lot more frequently - nothing like bringing a little bit of glam into my student life - so I felt as though a post dedicated to the subject would be quite fitting. Today's post is just going to involve me showing you the six red lip colours that I have in my collection and walking you through which are my favourites and why. 

LEFT TO RIGHT: Rimmel Kate Moss Lipstick in 107, Rimmel Kate Moss Lipstick in 101, MaxFactor Colour Elixir Lipstick in Ruby Tuesday, Revlon Super Lustrous Lipstick in Revlon Red, Revlon Just Bitten Kissable Balm Stain in Romantic and Lanolips Lip Ointment with Colour in Apple.

Rimmel Kate Moss Lipstick in 107

This is probably my most worn dark red lipstick. It is a red that is definitely on the berry end of the spectrum and I find it incredibly flattering year round. I do tend to reach for this lipstick more in the autumn and winter months and lately I've been really loving it. This lipstick has a satin formula - so it is on the matte end of the spectrum but it isn't too drying on the lips. I find that it lasts really well (a must have if I'm going to wear a bold lip) and it is a shade that I often get compliments on.

Rimmel Kate Moss Lipstick in 101

After the success of the shade '107' I couldn't help myself but go back this year and pick up another colour to try. Rimmel's Kate Moss Lipstick in 101 is a gorgeous true-red and I must admit that I find it quite bold to wear. When I brave this one out of the house it does make me feel quite wonderful. It has the same formula as '107' so it lasts really well even when I sip on drinks or nibble on food and I feel comfortable that it won't smudge or bleed. I love Rimmel's Kate Moss lipsticks, especially these 'matte' ones in the red packaging.

MaxFactor Colour Elixir Lipstick in Ruby Tuesday

The formula of MaxFactor's Colour Elixir Lipsticks is absolutely gorgeous and I definitely think that they're highly underrated. Ruby Tuesday is a gorgeous blue based red that really brightens up my face when I wear it. The formula is very creamy, opaque in one swipe and lasts through meals. I'm incredibly impressed with it whenever I wear it and it is normally the lipstick I reach for when I want a bright red lip instead of a darker berry-red.

LEFT TO RIGHT: Rimmel Kate Moss Lipstick in 107, Rimmel Kate Moss Lipstick in 101, MaxFactor Colour Elixir Lipstick in Ruby Tuesday, Revlon Super Lustrous Lipstick in Revlon Red, Revlon Just Bitten Kissable Balm Stain in Romantic and Lanolips Lip Ointment with Colour in Apple

 Revlon Super Lustrous Lipstick in Revlon Red

The colour of Revlon Red is intense and its brightness often puts me off wearing it. I find Revlon's Super Lustrous Lipsticks very light and moisturising but that does mean that the lasting power isn't as good as the lipsticks that I've previously mentioned. Additionally, I always use a lip liner with Revlon's Super Lustrous Lipsticks because I find that they have more of a propensity to bleed and smudge than my other red lip colours. That being said, the effect of this lipstick really is quite something and if you're after a vivid colour to wear to a party or event then I'd definitely recommend this one.

Revlon Just Bitten Kissable Balm Stain in Romantic 

This is probably the easiest 'daytime red' lip colour that I've come across. The shade is slightly more orange toned than I would like but sheerness of it means that it's easy to layer up to an intensity that I'm happy with and then the lasting power (because it is a stain) makes it effortless to wear. I'd highly recommend Revlon's Just Bitten Kissable Balm Stains and I've been raving about them all year long!

Lanolips Lip Ointment with Colour in Apple*

Lanolips' Lip Ointment with Colour in Apple is the best option for anyone with dry or sore lips. It is a thick, very effective lip treatment that just happens to have a gorgeous touch of colour to it. I tend to wear this when my lips are having an off day (central heating and wind are doing them no favours) but when I still feel I need a little colour added to my face. The colour only lasts about an hour before you'd need to reapply but it fades evenly and it isn't sticky like a lipgloss. In my books it scores very highly! I'm quite the Lanolips convert.

So there you have it, those six red lip colours make up my red lip wardrobe. I'm definitely on the hunt for new shades to try in the new year as compared to say pinks and neutrals I really haven't tried many red lipsticks! Which lip colour did you like the most? And do you have a favourite red lipstick?

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My New "Thing": Glossy Lips

After 'discovering' lipstick last November I've been wearing lipstick all the time whilst simultaneously harbouring this, relatively unfounded, dislike of lip glosses. Yes, some lip glosses are sticky feeling and sometimes hair sticks to them - and let's face it, that feels really gross - but glossy lips do look pretty fricking lovely. There's something so sensuously glamourous  about a seriously shiny lip (and I'm not talking about that barely clad, fish-pouting sort of glamourous). I tend to associate glossy lips with youth, and with a sort of carefree, life-loving attitude - towards which I'm always striving. In short, to me they're not just a beauty item, they're a lifestyle choice.

And, you know what, I opted into it. It began with a blog sale purchase of a Mac Cremesheen Glass, one of the most pleasing lip gloss formulas I've ever had the pleasures of coming across. I bought a limited edition shade (Colour Saturation) that admittedly is a little but more on the Autumn/Winter side of the colour chart but I still think it looks great. Spurred on by this early success I went back to some old favourites, the Body Shop Lip Glosses have a wonderful formula and they're lovely and shiny. Now, you can see I was getting more and more into the whole thing, I moved over into Revlon's offerings (most of which I picked up at Fragrance Direct for 99p!). I absolutely love Kiss Me Coral which was sent to me by Kayleigh from Beauty Wish, and Pink Pop is another wonderful summer friendly colour - both of these can be found in Boots and Superdrug. I also have been seen sporting the Model Co. lip gloss that I got free with Glamour recently - surprisingly, for a freebie, it has a really great formula!

I've become accustomed to the upkeep required when wearing lip gloss. I've always got a mirror handy and I kind of like whipping out the adorable little tubes of sheeny goodness to top-up. I also love how light all of these options feel on the lips. In this heat wave that the UK has been having I've enjoyed a very paired down make-up routine - literally just BB cream, mascara and lipgloss, and I've never felt so good. There's a confidence that one can find by trying something different, and to be honest, I think this little foray of mine is just the beginning. I'm on a spending ban at the moment so I can't invest in anything new but I do have a Mac Dazzleglass hidden away somewhere that I previously deemed way too sticky and I'm going to have to give a second chance. Here's to second chances, and to trying something new!

What are your thoughts about lip glosses?

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FOTD: No Brush Needed!

So the other day, after finally finding time to wash my make-up brushes, I realised that I had to go out and that  I wanted to apply some make-up. I've become incredibly reliant on my make-up brushes for applying my make-up, it's been a ridiculously long time since I applied make-up completely brush free! So I challenged myself to coming up with a simple, day-time look that didn't need any brushes.

The products I ended up picking to use were the following:

Etat Pur Radiant Complexion Care*

Collection Concealer

The Body Shop Brow Definer in Blonde & Auburn

MaxFactor Clump Defy Mascara

MaxFactor's 24hr Colour Tattoo in On and On Bronze

Maybelline Dream Touch Blush in Apricot

Revlon Kissable Balm Stain in Honey

Etat Pur's Radiant Complexion Care feels like a very thin tinted moisturiser, and on me it's a little bit too pink. However, with a good concealer to help with areas that need a little extra coverage, you can really blend it out with your fingers so that it evens your complexion while still leaving your skin looking really natural. The concealer I use is Collection's Lasting Perfection Concealer in 'light'- I really need the shade 'fair' but it is never in stock whenever I go looking for it! This is really easy to blend with your fingers which makes it really handy for on-the-go.  The Body Shop's Brow Definer is my go-to eyebrow product for natural looking eyebrows and I use it pretty much every day. MaxFactor's Clump Defy Mascara has been my mascara of choice for a couple of months now (it's almost time to bin this tube... sob). The colour is intensely black and the wand makes it really easy to build up volume in your lashes so it's perfect for both daytime and evening make-up looks. On my eyes, I also used a touch of Maybelline's 24hr Color Tattoo in On and On Bronze for just a little bit more definition. I prefer applying this without a brush anyway so this was one of the first products I thought about using. For a little bit of colour on my cheeks I dabbed on some of Maybelline's Dream Touch Blush in Apricot. I dab it on and then blend it out so that it isn't too stark, and the great thing about this blush is that it's pretty subtle but it is buildable so it's pretty versatile. Lastly, I applied one layer of Revlon's Kissable Lip Balm Stain in Honey to my lips. It's a couple of shades darker than my natural  lip colour which makes it a lovely subtle colour that's just makes my lips stand out a little bit more. 

The finished look....

You can see that the coverage of Etat Pur's Radiant Complexion Care is pretty light but it's perfect for days when you don't want to wear too much make-up- I'd just prefer it if it was a smidgen more yellow!

I hope you liked this FOTD, it proved to me that I don't NEED my make-up brushes but it also showed me how much I rely on them everyday. I think that if you do use your brushes lots and lots then buying good quality brushes is really important. 

Are you reliant on your make-up brushes? Do you think you could come  up with a FOTD without them?

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A Product I Keep Picking Up: Revlon's Kissable Balm Stains (Review and Swatches)

Swatches of product when first applied, and then swatches of the stains they leave behind.
(left to right: Romantic, Rendezvous, Lovesick, Smitten, Honey, Precious)

I posted about Revlon's Kissable Balm Stains way back when I'd just started my blog and I raved about them! My love for these has not waned but my collection has doubled since then so I thought I'd do an update, especially as I just keep on reaching for them! As you can tell from my photos, Honey (MLBB shade) and Romantic (red) are my two most reached for shades but Lovesick, Smitten and Precious are very new additions to my collection and I think I'll be wearing them a lot through the summertime. I love the look of Rendezvous but I always chicken out of wearing orange shades! When you look at my lip swatches (below) you'll see that it's lovely and subtle but the brightness of the packaging does put me off when I'm choosing a lip colour in the mornings. I'm on a real coral kick right now so I'm hoping that I pick it up more when the weather improves- cloudy, dark, snowy days are not encouraging me to choose bright anything!

Smitten and Precious are shades which aren't available in the UK and I received them in my Canadian Beauty Exchange. Precious is unlike any of the UK balm stains but Smitten is relatively similar to Lovesick. It's hard to see it in my swatches but it's actually a little bit darker than Lovesick which I find makes it a little but more flattering on me. Lovesick and Smitten leave the best stain behind when their glossiness fades so when I want a completely hassle free day where I won't need to worry about smudging or fading these are the colours I reach for. I'm keen to pick up 'Crush' which is a berry shade and I have a feeling it's staying power would be similar to the bright pinks but I think I may wait until autumn/winter before buying it as it isn't particularly summer-y.

All of these Lip Balm Stains look and feel fantastic on the lips, they last amazingly well on the lips and the packaging is incredibly practical. My only complaint is that the lids seem to crack quite easily, although that may be due to the battleground that is my handbag! I haven't tried Clinique's Chubby Sticks (which these are a highstreet dupe of) but at £7.99 these are really affordable for me and I don't think I'd ever try Clinique's Chubby Sticks as I love these too much. I know MUA are releasing a similar dupe called 'Power Pouts' and although I am intrigued I don't know if they will rival Revlon's Kissable Balm Stains. If you haven't already tried one of Revlon's Kissable Balm Stains then I'd highly recommend them. The hype they received last year wasn't for nothing, and I don't think a week has gone by without me using them at least once or twice a week. I love them and I don't think I'm going to stop loving them any time soon.


I hope my swatches help anybody out there who is stuck for what colour might suit them!

Swatches

(left: Precious         right: Honey)

 (left: Romantic           right: Rendezvous)

(left: Smitten             right: Lovesick)

What's your favourite shade? 

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