Clarins Instant Light Natural Lip Perfector 02 Apricot Shimmer Swatch & Review

I know this is one of those products that has been around for a long time and it doesn't look all that special- bare with me for a bit. It's very easy to get caught up in the limited edition, million and one collections that get pumped out every season so sometimes it's nice to get back to the basics. The tried and tested formulas that stand the test of time if you will, and this is one such item. The Instant Light Natural Lip Perfector in 02 Apricot Shimmer is a pale, milky peach balm-like gloss which hydrates your lips and smells divine.

It gives a slight hint of colour and doesn't settle into lip lines, it's a no brainer sort of gloss that you can just pop on without a mirror and looks great with all sorts of make up. My only gripe with this product is the applicator- it's sort of a sponge that the product squeezes through, not that hygienic! Apart from that you get a lot for your money- 12ml so you won't run out any time soon. I find this lasts about 3 hours on me, by which time my lips feel nice and hydrated. It's not particularly sticky or tacky either.

Swatches...

Clarins Apricot Shimmer (daylight)

Clarins Apricot Shimmer (flash)

Dior Rose Bikini Ultra Gloss 664 Swatch & Review (Summer Mix Collection)

So Dior have released another collection for the summer called "Summer Mix". This time it is 4 bright jelly nail polishes and 4 candy coloured lip glosses. The first of my purchases is the bright pink gloss called Rose Bikini 664 which is a pretty watermelon shade with a creme finish and no shimmer. I would say it was semi opaque- you get a good dose of colour but is definitely not full coverage. This is a lovely summer shade which is nice and low maintenance.

 I don't find Dior glosses particularly sticky or tacky, this shade held up for a good 3 hours before fading away- although the glossiness had worn down by about 2 hours. These glosses are non drying so my lips were still pretty hydrated after wearing them. I also couldn't detect any particular scent or taste. Overall a thumbs up for this one, great for summer (if not that unique) so if you're in the market for a new pink gloss it might be worth checking out.

Swatches...

Dior Rose Bikini (daylight)

Dior Rose Bikini (flash)

Revlon Colorburst Sizzle Lipgloss Swatch & Review (Escapism Collection)

Revlon Colorburst Lip Gloss in 046 Sizzle is a bright red-tangerine color with a glossy finish and no shimmer. It's been released with the Escapism Collection so I'm not sure if it is being made permanent. It's quite pigmented but it is a sheer formulation so your lips might change the colour slightly. This really reminds me of a gloss version of Chanel's Holiday Nail Polish and I think it will be perfect for the summer.

The texture of this is quite balmy so isn't sticky or tacky at all and it doesn't dry out my lips. I get approximately 3 hours wear out of this before it starts to fade away. It comes in the standard clear plastic tube with a longish doe foot wand, it also has a strange sweet scent- I can't quite put my finger on it but it smells a little artificial but luckily it doesn't linger for too long.

 Swatches...

Revlon Sizzle (daylight)

Revlon Sizzle (flash)

Mac Au Rose Suntints Lip Balm Swatch & Review (Hey Sailor)

Mac Suntints Liquid Lip Balm in Au Rose is a warm peachy pink with golden shimmer. This is my favourite of this years Suntints, it's quite sheer but I do like the subtle colour and golden sparkle, I think this shade will suit a lot of people. As with my earlier review of Abalone, these are not very hydrating as lip balms go so if you're looking for a moisturising everyday balm- this might not be for you. I think these work well when you're in a snip, want a touch of colour and to protect your lips (as these have a SPF 20) so my plan is to use these when I'm at the beach to save packing multiple products.

I typically get about 2 hours wear from these before touching up. They are quite thick and a little bit tacky. I can just about detect a faint sweetish vanilla scent but it doesn't linger once applied.

Swatches...

Mac Au Rose (daylight)

Mac Au Rose (flash)

Mac Abalone Suntints Lip Balm Swatch & Review (Hey Sailor)

 Mac has rereleased their suntint lip balms for summer, they come in the same squeezy tube which has been decorated with the Hey Sailor blue stripes. Abalone is a sheer hot pink with no shimmer, it gives a little colour but is mainly clear. It has a nice glossy shine and a light sweetish scent. The main problem with these I found the last time around was that they weren't particularly hydrating, and I'm afraid to say that hasn't changed much. I do like the way it has a built in SPF 20 so it's perfect for the beach but as an everyday lip balm I personally find it doesn't give enough moisture.

Abalone has quite a thick texture and I get about 2 hours before I need to reapply.

Swatches...

Mac Abalone (daylight)

Mac Abalone (flash)

Chanel Calypso 337 Glossimer Swatch & Review (Summertime De Chanel)

Chanel has recently released its Summertime De Chanel Collection which includes lots of vibrant oranges and beige tan shades. I picked up the Glossimer in 337 Calypso, Le Vernis in Holiday and Delight and Soleil Tan in Sable Beige (reviews coming soon). Calypso is a very bright coral orange with lots of gold and pink sparkle. This is one of the most pigmented Glossimers I've seen from Chanel in a long time. You get a good dose of colour but a small amount of your own lip colour shows through so it may vary on person to person depending on the pigmentation of their lips.

Glossimers are non sticky and I can't detect any scent. It's quite a thick gloss with a balm-like texture. They are one of the more hydrating lip glosses on the market and I roughly get about 3 hours before it needs touching up.

Swatches...

Chanel Calypso (daylight)

Chanel Calypso (flash)

Lanolips Sunshine Lip Ointment Swatch & Review

This is my favourite of the colored Lanolips range, it's a bright sheer coral but still has enough colour to give semi opaque coverage. It's glossy and moisturising- my lips never feel parched or uncomfortable when I use these (see my review of Apples). They are perfect for traveling as they have an SPF of 15 and you get a balm, lip colour and gloss in one. I get about 3 hours wear from this and it is the sort of peachy coral shade that suits a lot of skintones. 

Swatch....

Lanolips Sunshine (flash)

Lanolips Apples Lip Ointment Swatch & Review

Lanolips by far is my favorite lip balm so I'm glad they also make these lovely colored lip ointments. This one is called Apples and is a bright cherry red with a glossy finish. It's surprisingly pigmented for a lip balm- you definitely couldn't put this on without a mirror! I do love the way these hydrate your lips and with regular use keep them in tip top condition- I've pretty much tried every balm on the market but I still keep coming back to Lanolips. These coloured ones also have a SPF 15 which is handy, especially in the summertime. It's unscented but does smell sweet- probably due to the almond and coconut oil. Oh and these are also animal cruelty free :)

Swatches...

Lanolips Apples (daylight)

Lanolips Apples (flash)

Revlon Colorburst Lipgloss 006 Strawberry Swatch & Review

 Part of Revlon's Colorburst range is this gorgeous lipgloss called 006 Strawberry. It's a bright warm toned redish pink with lots of small silver and pink glitter. This is one of those colours that flatters a lot of skintones, it's bright but not garish. It has a shiny finish and opaque coverage in 1 swipe, the glitter particles aren't gritty but I can just about feel them if I press my lips together. I get about 4 hours wear out of this one- it might make it through a cup of tea but wouldn't hold out through a meal.

Like all the Colorburst range this has a quilted lid which I think is quite cute. It's slightly scented but I can't put my finger what it is, vanilla maybe? The doe foot wand is easy enough to use even if it is a bit long.

Swatches...

Revlon Strawberry (daylight)

Revlon Strawberry (flash)

Cream Puff 3 Fairy Cake Lip Cream Swatch & Review

 This is the other Cream Puff by Collection 2000 that I bought, it's called (3) Fairy Cake and is a medium peach pink. Like Powder Puff it has the same velvety texture and semi matte finish. I find these quite moisturising as matte lip products go and what's particularly nice about this shade is that it doesn't  cling to or enhance any dry patches.

Fairy Cake is pretty pigmented- one swipe and you get full coverage. I get a good 4 hours wear from this and it leaves behind a hint of a stain, it's also quite highly perfumed with a sweet creme brulee scent. The packaging is a little basic, but for this price point you can't really complain!

Swatches...

Cream Puff in Fairy Cake (daylight)

Cream Puff in Fairy Cake (flash)

Pixi Succulent Lip Twin 4 Poppy Red Swatch & Review

 Pixi Succulent Lip Twin in Poppy Red contains both a bright cherry red lip balm/gloss and cheek stain. I find this a great travel product, not only as it's a good multi tasker but because the blush is so dense and waxy that in hot climates it's one of the only things that will not sweat off or melt with the heat.

 You get a pretty decent amount of balm and it's lovely and hydrating too. The color is a warm red but on my lips it turns much pinker. It's translucent but still contains a lot of colour and has a very glossy finish. As it has plenty of slip the wear time isn't particularly long- about 2 hours. The blush is also a warm red tone but once blended out it turns more pink/coral depending on your skin tone. You can use it by itself or set with powder on top but it's pretty pigmented on its own.

Pixi Poppy Red (flash)

Pixi Poppy Red (daylight)

Cream Puff Lip Creme in 2 Powder Puff Swatch & Review

 I've been trying to get my hands on these ever since Make Up Artist extraordinaire Lisa Eldridge mentioned them in one of her videos, so when I happened to find myself in Superdrug I took the opportunity to pick a couple up. This Cream Puff from Collection 2000, in 2 Powder Puff is a pale beige with a velvet matte finish. What's really nice about these is that they're quite hydrating as matte lipsticks go and very comfortable to wear. I get about 4 hours from them but with this shade you need to make sure your lips are in good condition as it can cling on to any dry bits!

They smell quite strongly of creme brulee but it doesn't last too long on the lips. This makes a lovely nude lip to go with a smoky eye while still avoiding the whole "corpse lip" look.

Swatches...

Cream Puff "Powder Puff" (daylight)

Cream Puff "Powder Puff" (flash)

By Terry Aqualip Jelly Tint 101 Dancefloor Flirt Review & Swatch

On a recent trip to SpaceNK I came across this little gem from By Terry, it's a beautiful sheer fluro hot pink lip stain. This  has a lovely water-gel texture that feels lightweight yet hydrating so to me it definitely feels like the next generation lip stain. It's not at all sticky or tacky and literally feels like water on the lips.

It claims to have a "tattoo-print color" and it really does last- even through a decent meal and several drinks it still looked great. The packaging is relatively plain but functional, I should note that it looks neon orange in it's little tube but when you swatch it or wear it on the lips it's most definitely pink!

Even though this product is sheer it's still very intense colour and gives a nice tint to the lips. I get about 5-6 hours wear from this one before it starts to fade away. It really is a great product and I really hope Terry will come out with more of these in future!

Swatches...

By Terry Aqualip In Dancefloor Flirt (daylight)

By Terry Aqualip In Dancefloor Flirt (flash)

Urban Decay Lip Love Lolita Swatch & Review

Urban Decay Lip Love Lip Therapy in Lolita is a bright sheer Barbie pink. These are designed to be a hybrid between a lip balm and a lipgloss. It's smells like honey (which I love) and gives a tint of colour and glossy shine. I use these quite a lot when I'm out and about instead of lugging around both balm and gloss and I find it does the job well. I wouldn't throw away my balms in place of this as I think it's fine for daytime hydration but you need something slightly more intensive for night.

As it's quite runny I find that I get about 2 hours wear from this before it fades off. It comes in a clear plastic squeezy tube which is nice for traveling and you can see how much product you have left.

Swatches...

Urban Decay Lip Love Lolita (daylight)

Urban Decay Lip Love Lolita (flash)

Chanel Rouge Allure Extrait De Gloss 60 Exces Swatch & Review

 Chanel's Rouge Allure Extrait De Gloss in Exces is a bright cherry red with a extremely glossy finish. This lipgloss gives great coverage but it's not opaque coverage, rather a dense jelly finish. It's a beautiful and universally flattering shade that is particularly good if you don't feel brave enough to wear a full on red lipstick but would rather something a little softer. It has a balmy finish that's quite nice and hydrating, I get about 3 hours wear from this before it fades down to leave a soft stain behind.

The packaging is lovely as per usual from Chanel, it's a heavy black square glass with a long paddle shaped wand making it super easy to apply.

Swatches...

Chanel 60 Exces Extrait De Gloss (daylight)

Chanel 60 Exces Extrait De Gloss (flash)

Illamasqua Indulge Intense Lipgloss Swatch & Review

Illamasqua's Indulge Intense Lipgloss is a ultra bright neon pink with a warm undertone and shiny finish. This sort of reminds me of Mac's Nicki Viva Glam Lipstick in lipgloss form. It's very, very opaque in coverage. It's quite thick in texture which means it lasts a good 5 hours on me before fading away. I love this colour and don't  have another lipgloss quite like it.

Swatches...

Illamasqua Indulge (daylight)

Illamasqua Indulge (flash)