Kat Von D Everlasting Liquid Lipstick in 'Double Dare' and 'Lovesick'

 The liquid lipstick trend has hit the beauty world hard and I don't think its going anywhere any time soon. I decided to hop on this trend after thorough research on what I thought the best liquid lipstick formula would be for my dry, depraved lips. I settled on trying out Kat Von D's Everlasting Liquid Lipsticks due to their reputation of having a long-lasting and very comfortable formulation.  I settled on picking two neutral colors to try this trend out.

R: Lovesick, L: Double Dare

 I picked out 'Lovesick,' a mauve pinky nude, and 'Double Dare,' a dusty rose mauve. The products come housed in a slender plastic tube with ornate black designs on it. I like the sleek packaging a lot, and the slimness may make it seem like you get less product, you actually get 0.22oz of liquid lipstick which is double what you get in an Anastasia Beverly Hills liquid lipstick. The applicator is a standard doefoot applicator which I found very easy to use to get a relatively perfect application.

Top: Double Dare, Bottom: Lovesick

I love this product a lot.  I am someone who LOVES lipstick to death but can't be bothered to reapply it through out the day when it fades. I also have a profession that doesn't allow me to look in mirrors often or take frequent restroom breaks for touch ups so I tend to avoid putting on lip products at risk of fading or smearing in an unflattering way. I think this product solves this issue for me as I get a full 8 hours of wear time out of this lipstick with no touch ups needed. This stuff lasts through eating and drinking and best of all, it doesn't make my lips feel uncomfortable. I definitely wouldn't say that this lipstick makes my lips feel moisturized while I wear it, but I'm certainly not bothered by it.

As an added bonus, I noticed in the morning following wearing this product my lips always looked and felt very refreshed. After some light investigating I discovered this product is infused with Vitamin E and sunflower seeds which my lips apparently respond really well to!

I'm in love with these lipsticks and will surely pick up more shades in the future. It's a beautiful product that works and costs the fair price of $20 per tube. Its not cheap, but its not going to break the bank if I hold off on my normal Starbucks purchases for the week!

Find these liquid lipsticks HERE!

xxSJ

Sephora Beauty Insider Birthday Gift 2015!

Every year Sephora gives members to their rewards program a free gift in their birthday month!   If you're not a Sephora Beauty Insider, what are you waiting for??? There's no catch to join (no credit cards, no nothin!) and you get a free gift every year while also racking up points on every purchase you make to redeem for deluxe samples later. There is also the highly anticipated 15-20% event for Beauty Insiders every Spring and Fall.  This year, the gift was two mini Nars lip pencils for Beauty Insiders and VIBs (and an extra eyeliner if you are a VIB Rouge!). 

The pencils come in sleek containers with the housed color displayed on the end. These minis are .06oz of product each compared to the full size which is 0.08oz of product (pretty close!). The pencils, just like their full size versions, are NOT twist up so require sharpening. 

The two colors that come in the birthday gift are Cruella, a cult favorite bright matte red, and Rikugien, a satin mauvey pink. 

Here is Cruella on my lips. It applies really easy and smooth though I would recommend using a similarly colored lip liner to get a really perfect outline. This one can be a little rough around the edges since it is such a large pencil.

Above is Cruella compared to some other cult classic red lipsticks! 

Rikugien is very similar to Cruella in terms of application, but it is far less pigmented since it is a satin instead of a matte finish. I like how natural this pencil is and I think it is a great everyday lip color! 

Above is Rikugien compared to some other mauve tones I have in my collection.

The wear time of these lip pencils is pretty good at 6 hours, but you have to reapply after eating and drinking. Cruella does not wear off in a flattering way and leaves a red rim around your lips so make sure to bring the product with you for reapplication during a night out on the town.

Overall, I love that NARS included a bold statement color (and a fan favorite), along with a wearable everyday color. The value of this set is about $39 and it is COMPLETELY FREE if you are a Sephora BI!

No, its not a trap, I promise!
xxSJ

Review: Kat Von D Studded Kiss Lipstick 'Lovecraft'

 I received a mini Kat Von D studded kiss lipstick in the cult favorite color 'Lovecraft' and was excited to try out my first product from this collection! Kat Von D's lipsticks come housed in a black plastic tube covered in studs. Its very edgy in appearance and I can't think of a brand that's anything like it!

The tube does not snap closed very firmly and so I've found this little guy in my purse with out the cap on completely! This might only be a defect with the mini size but still something to note--these are so cute and might be intended for display on vanities. 

The color 'Lovecraft' is a 'matte mauve pink nude' and is one of those colors that always ends up being hit sellers among makeup lines because of the universal appeal. Worth noting is that the color swatches very rosey and warm on my wrist but appears almost purple hued with gray undertones when on my lips! 

 I definitely like how opaque and smooth this color is on the lips. I wouldn't call this lipstick revolutionary by any means as far as wear time or comfort, but I do think it is a very nice formula. The color stays put on the lips with out slipping or smearing and almost has a powdery feeling to it.

Overall, I like this lipstick and can see the appeal. The formula I would imagine caters to deeper or brighter colors quite well where you really want the lip product to be pigmented and stay put with out having to use a liquid or matte lipstick. If you've been unhappy with your lipsticks and are looking for a new formula to try I'd give this one a shot. Its definitely good and I see how it could be some people's holy grail!

Kat Von D lipsticks are $21 for 0.10oz of product ($210/oz). Check them out Here!

xxSJ