Swatches - Rimmel Lasting Finish and Rimmel Kate Lipsticks

Every now and then, on the very rare occasion where I'm not too phased by the lack of funds in my bank account and a little voice inside my head whispers the words 'treat yo'self' in a very Tom Haverford-like manner, I purchase a high end makeup product. Mostly foundation or concealer, or primer or brushes - items that are more 'essential' to me. I only own three expensive (well, to me) lipsticks and two were purchased when I was prowling through numerous Sephora stores in NYC, so the price was far more reasonable than it is in Australia. 

But for the most part, I stick to mainstream, 'drug-store' brands, easily available and more reasonably priced for my very stretched wallet. And none of these items have ever failed me. Sure, it's nice to own something a bit flashy, a bit more lush and luxe but I love the cheaper lipsticks I own. My lipstick collection isn't too extensive but the brand that is definitely the most prominent is Rimmel, because I find that the quality is so consistently great. So, on a rainy day (it's the last day of summer but #Melbz) I gathered them all up and did a little swatch-fest. For what purpose, who knows. But I hardly ever wear the lipsticks I own, which is tragic and so typical of me, so I thought maybe it was time to bust 'em out and reconnect a little.                    

From left to right, shades: Matte Finish 112, Lasting Finish 120 'Cutting Edge,' Kate Moss Lasting Finish 11, Kate Moss Lasting Finish 60,  Matte Finish 106 and Kate Moss Lasting Finish 04. 

These lipsticks all come in a compact plastic tube. The Matte Fnish shades are in red tubes, Kate Moss editions are in black and the regular Lasting Finish shades are in a deep eggplant coloured tube.

Top row: 112, 120 and 11

Bottom row: 60, 106 and 04

Overall, the formula on these lipsticks is great. They are moisturising (even the matte shades), don't tend to bleed out the edges, have a good colour pay-off. The swatches above were all done by applying the lipstick straight from the tube with a lip brush and concealer for minor cleanup. 

The matte shades are not entirely matte (the colour will still smudge or come off when you touch it) such as the liquid-to-matte formulas of the Lime Crime Velvetines or Australis Velour Lips but they are still a lovely, subtle alternative to more glossy shades. I will nearly always choose a matte lipstick over a glossy counterpart. Just personal preference. 

The photographs above are mostly accurate to real-life colour, with the except of '04' and '11.'  These shades were difficult to photograph in daylight, and are both significantly darker in person. '04' is a pretty deep, dark violet colour - very similar to M.A.C's 'Cyber' lipstick and '11' is a deeper burgundy colour. My pick of the lot is definitely 'Cutting Edge' - it's super pigmented and it's such a witchy kitschy shade without the grunge of '04.' 

Swatches: LIME CRIME Velvetines 'Salem' & 'Wicked'

Hello, hello! Massive disclaimer: I am not a makeup expert by any stretch of the imagination. I like makeup but I have no professional training or education and therefore if I stumble over technical language and end up sounding like I'm talking rubbish - it's probably because that's 100% accurate. BUT. This will be a review based upon my own personal opinions and preferences and that's the gospel truth. Also, while I know all about Lime Crime's dubious marketing strategies and customer relations reputation, this review is not going to discuss any of it, because like the makeup thing, I'm no expert.

Okay! On to the review! Excuse the selfies. Photographs of just my lips look absolutely horrendous.

Lime Crime's Velvetines have tempted me for ages now, but I always felt like the colors offered (Red Velvet, Suedeberry and Pink Velvet) were a bit too bright for me. Pink lipstick always makes me look like an odd, sad clown. Not cute. So I was happy to see this year's new collection, 'The Clueless Witch,' included shades that would hopefully not clash with my skin - Black Velvet, Salem and Wicked -  all of which are dark, muted tones. The collection has named these Velvetines 'Gothatines,' I guess to fit with the whole retro 90s aesthetic they're emulating?

These lipsticks are marketed as a 'Liquid-to-Matte Lip Stain.' I've always been a sucker for matte lipsticks, and so I was really hoping that these would live up to their reputation and actually have some staying power. Also, I figured my boyfriend might be happy that his clothing/face wouldn't be stained in smudges of red and purple.

If you care about this sort of thing: the packaging of these lipsticks is super cute. Classic Lime Crime pink, cutesy box adorned with roses.

Salem (left) is a chocolate-y brown colour. When I checked swatches online prior to purchase, the shade looked as though it may be a tad too light for my skin tone - as in, it appeared like it might blend into the rest of my face entirely. I was pleasantly surprised to see that it was darker than expected, a gorgeous deep, rich color that would probably suit most skin tones quite well. I suppose it would look significantly more 'gothic' and edgy on lighter skin tones, but looks decidedly more muted on mine.

Wicked (right) is a rich, brickish-burgundy colour (wow, you can really see how much of an expert I am... naht). I own a tonne of red lipsticks and hardly wear any of them because they're just not quite right (my sister has taken most of them hostage and it angers me how much better they look on her) but this is one red I can totally get on board with. The matte finish makes it a lot more subtle (maybe a dumb thing to say for a red lipstick but it's true) and it's a seriously flattering color for any skin tone.

Application: The Gothatines come in a matte glass and plastic tube, with a doe-foot applicator brush for application. The brush makes it easy to apply sweeping strokes easily, but make it very difficult to be precise around the fine edges of your lips. I suggest using a lip liner in similar color first, then applying the lipstain slowly and carefully around the middle, fuller parts of your lip. I usually then use a lip brush to grab a bit of product, then apply it around the edges for greater precision. I find that two coats of the lipstain is enough, as it is a highly pigmented formula. They apply as liquid and gradually dry to a matte finish in several minutes. Two coats takes longer to dry than one, which goes without saying, but I guess I'll say it anyway. In my opinion, the finish is not drying, but is actually quite pleasantly smooth - not quite 'velvety' but soft nonetheless. My lips are usually shockingly dry but these do not exacerbate the problem further.

Wear and tear: I find that these lipstains can literaly last hours without the need for re-application. The color does not fade nor bleed into the edges of your lips which is fantastic. The only time I've needed to touch up is after eating food that is a bit greasy or oily, or after using a straw. Even then, all that's needed is a tiny bit of color on the very middle. They're a bit of a nightmare to remove entirely, but I usually use liberal amounts of baby oil to do the job.

Below are some photos after I've just applied Salem and Wicked. I was planning on making my sister be my model because she generally has a nicer face and lips than me, but she ditched me for the week with her friend so, here we are.

If you got to the end of this post, congrat-u-frickin-lations! What a long, dull read. I apologise profusely. But thank you! Seriously, I highly recommend these Velvetines/Gothatines if you love pretty lipstick that applies well and stays ridiculously well and looks gorgeous.

#doilookedgyyet

#sahhipster

#hashtag

OOTD: Thursday morning, day and night

This week is the last of the semester. I only have one semester of uni to go. This is incredibly daunting to me, and I spent a good two hours today venting to one of my best uni friends about how nervous and anxious I feel when contemplating the future ahead. I'm excited for it, yes, of course. But nervous as hell and prone to hyperventilating and burying myself under my blankets when my mind dances over to the big scary 'FUTURE.' One of my friends got a job, and is dropping out of our course to pursue full-time teaching in an amazing school, and I am positively elated for him. But that just made it feel so real to me, that in just a few short months, I'll be expected to do the same, and truth be told, I am 100% not ready. Not even 10% ready, really. 

Anyway, I'll leave my nervous breakdown/anxiety rant for another day. Today was just nice. Despite starting uni at 8am and work later tonight - outside, the sun is shining, I managed to snag a park in free parking (no $8 fee for me, woo!), chatted with friends outside for hours, managed to deliver my presentation in class adequately and I'm just glad days like these exist. Plus I found some super cute boots at Target the other day and wore them today and I didnt get the usual aching that comes with new shoes that haven't been broken in! Ah. Small mercies.

 Jumper: New Look (link)
Jeans: Cotton On (DIY distressed/ripped - link)

Boots: Target (link)

Lipstick Collection

1. Rimmel Lasting Finish by Kate in '04'

2. MAC Amplified in 'Dark Side'

3. Revlon Super Lustrous Creme Lipstick in 'Raspberry Bite'

4. MAC Matte in 'Viva Glam I'

5. Revlon Color Burst Lipstick in 'Raspberry'

6. Covergirl 'Really Red'

7. Revlon Color Burst Lipstick in 'Cherry Ice'

Anyway, off to uni now for a one hour lecture (ugh!) and then some hardcore study time! It's the last week of semester so I'm so excited but first I've gotta get through three more assignments...