Lipstick Queen Saint Eden Lipstick Review and Swatches

One of the shops I made a point to visit in New York City was Space N.K. in Soho. Space N.K. is a beauty boutique that originated in London's Covent Garden in 1993 and has expanded throughout the U.K. and the U.S. I remember visiting a Space N.K. in London's Soho neighbourhood years ago. 

While there, I picked up a lipstick by Lipstick Queen by Poppy called Saint Eden. I'd heard about Lipstick Queen before but don't think I've ever seen it in person before. It turns out there are only two locations that stock Lipstick Queen in Canada so I'm glad I got to check out the line in NYC!

Lipstick Queen has two lines of lipstick - one called Saint and one called Sinner. These are ten shades, one sheer (Saint) with 10% pigment and one opaque (Sinner) with 90% pigment. This is a great idea. Lipstick Queen focuses on the colours and formulas and just adds more pigment to some of them. That way someone a little wary of wearing a red lipstick (there's a lot of you out there!) can opt for the sheerer shade.


Lipstick Queen lipsticks are approximately $18 US. 

The shade that I bought, Saint Eden is a bright watermelon red shade.

Let's take a look.

I really like Lipstick Queen's packaging. It's a simple plastic sleeve with a thin piece of cardboard for presentation and I LOVE the art and colours. So retro, elegant and playful.

The lipstick itself is in a buffed matte gold tube and it's got a nice solid weight to it. 

Here's Saint Eden swatched on my arm. See how sheer it is?

Lipstick Queen lipstick is very moisturizing as you can see from the sheen. Lipstick Queen lipsticks are highly moisturizing and their Saint lipsticks are the most moisturizing of them all. 

Saint Eden is a bright cherry-watermelon shade. It can be applied thinly or layered for more opacity. It's a great not-quite-red shade that will work on both warm and cool skin tones. 

Due to the sheer, moist nature of Saint Eden, it isn't a long-lasting lipstick and it will come off when you eat or drink. But its sheer nature allows you to touch up pretty easily on the go as well.

Saint Eden can be applied from the tube, with your finger or with a brush. Wearing it on top of a lipliner will give you more opacity and wear.

I really like this lipstick. I love the texture and the fruit punch colour. It's perfect for the bright lip trend of spring 2012. 

Have you ever tried Lipstick Queen lipsticks?

MAC Reel Sexy Lipsticks Review and Swatches

As part of the ongoing onslaught of new spring collections, MAC brings us Reel Sexy. A full collection of colour products, I have the four LE lipsticks for review. All photos taken in natural light on NC 40 skin.

Reel Sexy, Watch Me Simmer, Pink Popcorn and Heroine

Reel Sexy, Watch Me Simmer, Pink Popcorn and Heroine

Reel Sexy (Amplified) - a medium peach which leans on the orange side, opaque coverage but must be layered a bit to get a consistent finish.

Watch Me Simmer (Amplified) - a bright, hot coral pink, opaque coverage. This colour was repromoted from the Shop MAC Cook Mac collection of a few months ago.

Pink Popcorn (Lustre) - a semi sheer pink with mauve undertones. 

Heroine (Matte) - a medium deep pink violet, smooth, dense application and a creamy finish.

I think these four colours are right on trend for spring. It's an interesting palette because it focuses on corals and purples, with not a neutral beige or pink in sight! I also like that MAC has varied the finishes and the brightness of the colours. If you are feeling more demure or are looking for a soft day look, you can reach for Reel Sexy or Pink Popcorn. If you want to ride the bold lips trend, you can go with Watch Me Simmer and Heroine.

As I look at the website, a few of the shades are already sold out. If you missed Watch Me Simmer the first time around, now is a great time to pick it up. Corals of all varieties have been impossibly hot the past few seasons and show no signs of slowing down in popularity. 

J

butter London Wallis Review and Swatches

butter LONDON has become my favourite nail polish. I've eyed Wallis for awhile, it intrigued me but I'm not one for warm nail polish shades so I didn't think it'd suit me. But it called my name over and over so I bought it.

Wallis is named for Wallis Simpson, the American socialite and double-divorcee who scandalized the UK by falling in love and marrying the crown prince Edward. Edward abdicated the throne of England in order to marry her and his younger brother George became King. If you've seen the recent film The King's Speech, you know some of the story.

butter LONDON's Wallis is described as a tarnished, metallic olive gold, as mysterious and regal as its namesake.

And here it is on my nails. I used three coats.

Wallis surprised me. I loved the colour. It's as it's described but it's got flecks of red and gold (click on the photo above to see) and quite a bit of depth.

Like the other butter LONDON polishes I've tried, Wallis goes on very smoothly and dries quickly. I could have gotten away with two coats, but went for three for the perfect finish.

However, after a day or two of wearing it, I decided that the gold flash of Wallis wasn't to my liking. I'd  been meaning to buy a mattifying top coat so I did and applied it to my manicure.

Here's what Wallis looks like mattified. I LOVE it. It makes it look even more antique.

Anyone out there own Wallis? Do you love it? What do you think of it with the matte top coat? Yay or nay? Or do you prefer it with its own lustre?

Any other butter LONDON fans out there?

C.

By Candlelight Mineralize SkinFinish Review and Swatches

I attended an Estee Lauder Warehouse Sale in June and came home with a bagful of discounted goodies. Click the highlighted link to see what I hauled. Here's one of the products I picked up. It's MAC's By Candlelight Mineralize Skinfinish and cost $15. 

MAC Mineralize Skinfinishes are luxurious velvet-soft powder with high-frost MAC metallic finish. Smoothes on: adds buffed-up highlights to cheeks and brows, or an overall ultra-deluxe polish to the face. 

By Candlelight MSF came out with the Warm & Cozy collection in late 2009 and in the In the Groove collection in July 2010. It's a soft, warm, golden rose that is ideal as a highlighter on the top of the cheekbone, as a highlight on the collarbones or lightly all over the face. 

If you want to apply Mineralize Skinfinishes lightly, use a fluffy brush and if you want to highlight more specific areas of the skin, such as the top of your cheekbones or browbone, use a smaller but still fluffy brush. 

By Candlelight MSF is a bit heavier than the other MSF's I've tried so you need an even lighter hand when applying it, unless you want a heavy sheen! This stuff is pretty powerful shine-wise but it can be used a few different ways. Try it with a wet brush for a smooth, high sheen finish on the apples of your cheeks or with a dry brush for a more diffused effect. 

And of course, MSF's buff like a dream. Apply it to your cheeks and buff away, blending it out. It makes your skin come alive. By Candlelight is especially lovely on tanned skin and olive skin, but because it's pink-gold it works on many skintones. It's fantastic in the summer for that sunkissed glow or just as a highlighter glow. 

Here's me wearing it on the apples of my cheeks and blended onto my browbone. 

So very pretty!!

C.