MONTHLY MAKEUP OBJECTIVES: Wear Stila Liquid Lipsticks

To kick off my completed monthly makeup objectives, I will start with the Stila Stay All Day Liquid Lipsticks.

My love for liquid lipsticks first started with Lime Crime's Velvetines, but naturally being only available in two colours, I started searching abroad for different brands - to which I found Stila. I will review these in the near future when I have time to properly swatch them, but I might as well treat you to some pics of me wearing it being that I have them!

One thing I will note about these liquid lipstick... don't buy them solely based on the colour of the tube. Fiore in particular is a lot brighter on than in the tube! When applied, they dry down and the colour changes slightly. If you're buying online, check a few swatches on the net first!

Stila Aria 

Stila Fiore

Aria is a deep but bright plum colour and Fiore is a bright pink/fuchsia. Both wear really well (I wore Aria out for dinner to purposely put it through it's paces... it really doesn't budge!). I am glad I finally got around to wearing them and Fiore in particular will be making its way into rotation over summer!

One more thing to note with application, a little goes a very long way! (So make sure you use a light hand).

That's one checked off the list with plenty more to come!
Love,
Your PM x

DUPE TEST: Stila Gemma vs MAC Heroine

Hello,

I have just posted a review on Stila's Color Balm Lipstick in Gemma (which you can read here), and it has prompted a dupe test which you may find handy.

Today's subjects are Stila's Color Balm Lipstick and MAC's Heroine.

Gemma (Left) and Heroine (Right)

Heroine has been one of MAC's most hyped about colours, particularly of late! It was recently re-promoted with their Fashion Sets collection (which is where I picked it up) and everyone seemingly wanted to get their hands on it. If you are one of those people that missed out, hopefully this helps!



Gemma (Left) and Heroine (Right)

A dupe test is always made a bit harder when the finishes are different. Heroine is matte whereas Gemma is a glossy finish. Gemma also has a very slight shimmer. The colours are of the same intensity/tone, but Gemma is a tad more red based, and Heroine is a tad more blue based.

Size & Price:

Stila: 3.5 grams of product for AUD$36

MAC: 3.0 grams for AUD$36
(+1 for Stila here!)

Availability:

Stila: Mecca Cosmetica (In-Store and Online)
MAC: Sold out. (But you can purchase MAC from www.maccosmetics.com.au or from select Myer/David Jones Stores)
(Stila also gets the +1 here as it's readily available)

VERDICT: Not quite dupes! Stila is a good alternative if you a) desperately want Heroine and can't function without it, b) you can't stand mattes and want something more mositurising or c) you want a colour nice bright purple.

More dupe tests coming your way very shortly!
Love,

Your PM x

UNDER THE MICROSCOPE: Stila Color Balm Lipstick in Gemma

Hello again,

I'm on a little blogging roll this weekend so I thought I'd post another edition of 'Under the Microscope', this time on Stila's Colour Balm Lipstick in Gemma!

Stila is not a brand I have many products of, but I bought some of their UV After Glow Lip Colours and was suitably impressed! I chose Gemma from the Color Balm range because of a) the colour and b) it's claims to be moisturising. I had previously swatched it on a play date to Mecca Cosmetica and after looking at it on my hand for the next 20 minutes, I decided I wanted it! haha.

The Packaging

The packaging is like an up-market balm tube, shiny silver with colour co-ordinating branding. I think it's really cool that it matches depending on what colour you have! (Helps you to find which one you are looking for too!).

Stila Color Balm in Gemma

These Color Balm lippies (need to stop being Australian and remember to not put the 'u' in colour!) come in about 18 different shades and claim to have "the full pigmented load of a lipstick but the nourishing properties of a balm".



Gemma - Under Lamp

Gemma - Flash

Gemma is a red-based purple with a slight gold shimmer. (I didn't know it actually had a shimmer until I put the macro on to photograph it!). In real life, the proper colour is somewhere between the two (it's definitely not as blue based as the artificial light one looks!). The product is very pigmented but also sheer (which would likely be due to it's balmy formulation). To clarify, you get a big hit of colour which applies evenly, but it is nowhere near opaque as a matte lipstick (for instance).

From the moment I put it on I was amazed at how light and comfortable it was to wear. It also contains Peppermint Oil to soothe and stimulate irritated lips. While they remind me of OCC Lip Tars more than anything (same smell), I am confused as to why you would want to stimulate irritated lips (unless this is to do with cell regeneration? hmmm). Anyway, it was definitely soothing to wear (especially as my lips are having a dry spell again). It did bleed a little, which was to be expected, so wearing it with a lip liner is recommended.

Once again, you can have a little treat of an in-action pic!:

The only downside to this product is it's blunt tip, which made it quite a pain to get it on. Yes, you could use a lip brush (making it easy fixed) but I do like the convenience of being able to apply straight from the tube, especially when you are on the run!

I am pleasantly surprised by these, and I recommend them for those times when you still want a nice pop of colour but your lips are dry and unhappy.

You can purchase Color Balm lippies from Mecca Cosmetica (www.meccacosmetica.com.au) for AUD$36 and you get 3.5gms of product. (Think of it as the same price as a MAC lippy but you get 0.5gms more!). You can also find Stila on Beauty Bay.

Have you tried any of the Color Balm's? Which is your favourite?

Love,

Your PM x

DUPE TEST: Stila Tangerine Dream vs MAC Morange

Hello,

If you have read my last blog post you would know this one is coming!  I have reviewed the Stila After Glow Lip Colours (you can read my thoughts on them here). While I was swatching I came up with a suitable (and quick) dupe test to share with you! *drum roll...*

Stila After Glow Lip Colour in Tangerine Dream vs MAC Amplified Creme Lipstick in Morange

If you have at all read my blog before (or know me), then you would likely know of my love for Morange. It would have to be my all-time favourite lipstick and the colour is awesome! No disgusting yellow undertones here! Woohoo! I am always hunting down orange lippies for the next best thing (yes you can still get Morange but it's just an impulse of mine to look! haha). Inadvertently, I had purchased Tangerine Dream because it seemed nice and bright and glows under UV (lets face it if Morange was blacklight reactive I'd be set for the rest of my life! haha).

Anyway, let's get cracking!:

Tangerine Dream (Left) vs. Morange (Right)

Before I swatched them I thought they were close, but they really aren't as close as I thought. Morange is infinitely times brighter (and looks so bright next to Tangerine Dream even though it's not well conveyed in the photo) and more opaque too. Tangerine Dream has a redder undertone, which is definitely visible in the picture (but don't let it fool you, it's not red!). Apologies too for the staining from the other Stila colours! (My hands hold onto EVERYTHING!).

Size & Price:

Stila: 2.9 grams of product for AUD$25

MAC: 3.0 grams for AUD$36

Availability:

Stila: Mecca Cosmetica (in Store and Online)
MAC: Select Myer/David Jones Stores and Online

VERDICT: Definitely not dupes! Stila though is a good alternative if you a) don't want to fork out for the MAC or b) you want something a bit sheerer that still delivers a good pop of colour.

Have you got any dupe test suggestions? I would love to hear them!
Love,

Your PM x

UNDER THE MICROSCOPE: Stila 'After Glow' Lip Colour (Review & Swatches)

Good Day All!

I've still been a bit flat chat with life at the moment (hopefully soon I can reach a nice equilibrium between being a hermit and being social! haha), but I have been trying to wear lots of new products and test them out so I can report my findings to you!

Today's "Under the Microscope" are the new Stila 'After Glow' Lip colours. Stila is not a brand I am overly familiar with, in fact, these lippies were my first purchases from the brand! (Now, however I find myself logging onto beautybay.com quite frequently and adding a few bits to my cart. Whoops!).

These were marketed at festival-goers for the warmer weather (sorry, but festivals are not my deal!). But what attracted me to these was the fact they glow under UV light. YES THEY GLOW! Woohoo! (and now that I've acquired a UV torch I can actually provide proof of their claims! haha). I am a sucker for anything UV and I was sucked into these too, no exception!

There are six colours in total available and I have three I will review for you today.



Stila After Glow Lip Colour

The packaging is pen-style (a la Clinque, Nars, Bite Beauty and the like). I don't really have a problem with this as long as the lid stays on! (Which this one does). It's glossy black packaging with co-ordinating colour print depending on what colour you have! (This is a nifty feature for makeup hoarders like me because you can look in your bag and pull out the right colour and be confident you get it right the first time! lol). They have a pointed tip (which is good as long as you keep it that way!) and they WIND UP! Awesome! Anything pencil style that winds up gets a big thumbs up from me as wastage is minimal (You could sharpen up the point if you needed to but then you will waste some!).

Cute Chubby-Stick Style!

Electric Pink: A bright medium barbie pink.

Vivid Violet: A slight red-based violet. It's vivid (as it's named) but I wouldn't say it's overly bright. You could easily get away with wearing it in winter that's for sure!

Tangerine Dream: A bright orange. It's almost like a sheer version of Morange... (I smell a dupe test!).

L-R: Electric Pink, Vivid Violet and Tangerine Dream

I am actually suitably impressed with these. They are pigmented, but the opacity is not as intense as what I usually go for. However I find myself not minding. They are a bit more balmy, and don't feel quite as drying as most lippies (these are a good option if you can't really deal with matte lippies). A good option if you still want a decent, bright/colourful lip but don't want bold! UV wise, they do work! They are not as strong as UV dedicated lippies (I have some Kryolan ones which are so bright they almost want to poke your eyes out!). However, the not-so-strong UV is actually a good thing to avoid those embarrassing my-lippy-has-gone-bad-and-now-it-stands-out-like-a-sore-thumb moments! Electric Pink is the brightest of the bunch, but there is enough fluorescence in the others to still make an impact!

L-R: Electric Pink, Vivid Violet and Tangerine Dream

Unfortunately I haven't got a decent road-test photo! (But you can trust me that they're nice!). I wore Vivid Violet with a touch of Electric Pink over it, it was a nice combo! Wear time is not the longest compared to other lippies I have but you do get a few hours out of it before a touch up is needed (less if you eat of course). You also get a slight stain left but nothing massive. I can, however, offer a pic with me testing out the UV-ness! Pretty cool I reckon!

After Glow Lip Colour under blacklight!

Size wise, you are getting 2.9 grams of product for AUD$25 (Available from Mecca Cosmetica). This is actually quite generous/reasonable (for comparison MAC lippies are 3.0 grams for AUD$36). You can also buy these from beautybay.com (they do ship to Australia) and if you're a bargainista you may be able to snare them for a couple of dollars cheaper (depending on how good the Aussie dollar is! haha).

The other colours available are: Party Pink, Rave Red and Festive Fuchsia. (Festive Fuchsia may be on it's way to me soon... Whoops!).

All in all, these do get a thumbs up from me! Have you tried them? Thoughts?

Love,

Your PM x