Fyrinnae - Lip Lustres

I received my first Fyrinnae order two days ago, and I've been busting to show you all!  I'm still playing with the shadows, but I wanted to show you all the Lip Lustres I picked up.  These really surprised me - I wasn't prepared for the texture at all!  Imagine a liquid lipstick, but with a 'dry' feeling.  That's the best I can describe it. They feel 'dry' to wear as well, and although the stronger colours leave a stain you will still see a transfer onto your coffee cup (or Diet Coke bottle if you're like me!).  They've packed a lot of pigment into these tubes though, so what you see is what you get on your lips.

The other surprise was the scent - some were barely fragrant, some were so strong they made me sick.  If you're sensitive to scented products I'd be wary.

First up - Bare Shoulders.

This was pretty, a bit of a mauve/pink shimmer through what otherwise would just be a nude.  I could wear this easily, except for one thing - the Cafe Au Lait smell.  Oh god, it's gross.  My stomach was churning as I put it on.  And then the smell lingered as I wore it.  Such a shame.

Next, let me introduce you to Lollipop-Pop.

Pretty in pink with a blue shimmer twist.  I'm not a pink kinda gal, but this will be pretty to layer over others.  The scent was lychee - not bad, it was bearable.  Very strong again.  Why does it have to be so strong?  :(

Now it's Meloncholy.

It's a strong coral, which the site warns can lean to orange but almost brings out brown tones on my lips.  Too strong for me, but I'm going to sheer this down and I think I'll be onto a winner.  Scent is melon (funny about that), but was nowhere near as strong as the first two.  Thank god.

Aah, my favourite - Romantique.

Oh god, this is so pretty.  So pretty!  Described on the site as a 'semi-sheer soft warm pink with gold shimmer', it's just gorgeous.  I'd wear this with other colours, but just as easily on its own.  Would be interesting on the cheeks too... must try that out!  Toasted Marshmallow scent smelt more like coffee, but wasn't as potent as Bare Shoulders and disappeared quickly.

Now, to cross over to the dark side!  I grabbed some vampy shades to test out application as well as to compare to the Lip Tars (which many bloggers have drawn similarities between the two).

This is Diabolical Masquerade.

Disappointed.  I was hoping for a stronger red or glitter component, but in real life it just looks black.  And the application was pretty patchy.  The worst part?  THIS was the unscented one!  WHY couldn't it have been Bare Shoulders?

Lastly, it's the jet-black Monochrome.

Again - patchy application, even worse than before.  Once the gloss dries a bit it's rather unremarkable.  If I want jet-black lips I'll go for Tarred Lip Tar every time.  I'll use this to layer perhaps, but otherwise I don't recommend.

Overall there were some winners and losers, but the biggest request I have of Fyrinnae would to be make ALL the Lustres unscented.  It's so offputting.  And I'll steer clear of any of the darker colours.  I'll only purchase these if I see a really unique colour, but otherwise a traditional lipstick or gloss would be more comfortable to wear.

Keep an eye out for my Fyrinnae shadow swatches - no disappointments there!
Which one was your favourite?

Lip Tars - Katricia, Demure and Hoochie

The darlings at Makeup and Glow love to throw in some samples when you order - and with all the theatrical makeup I've been doing lately I've been ordering a lot!  I asked to try the latest OCC Lip Tars, which are all about the purples.

Katricia
OCC says: Creamy violet.

I say:  Yeah, it's purple.  Almost Cadbury purple.  I wouldn't wear this on its own, but it's a great base purple to own.  I'd be looking to add a drop of red to bring it to a more wearable colour.  In fact... how does NSFW (red, for those unfamiliar with LT shade names) look blended with it?

HOT!  Still purple, but much more wearable with a pink edge in it.  This is my favourite 'blend' that I did for this post.

Demure
OCC says: Rich, purplish fuschia.  (swatch below is Demure first, and Anime underneath for comparison)

I say:  Fuschia, baby!  Bright bright bright.  Not as bright as Anime, but you can see the 'purplish' tint when they are side by side.  Still freaking bright though.  But let's try to tone it down... with Grandma (coral).

Ooh, now this is nice.  In real life it's still strong, but the 'electric' edge has been taken off.  I really like this combination.

Hoochie
OCC says: Vivid, true magenta.

I say:  neon purple!  This would be great for a high fashion look, but also remember the amazing mixing quality of lip tars and you could easily create some divine shades.  Use it to lighten up a colour that you think is a little deep, but you don't want to use white (since it just looks like a pastel of the original version).  If I felt like mixing a new colour with this I would add... Fondue (dark brown).  Because I can.

I'm always surprised when I mix the Lip Tars - this is still a statement lip, but more 'winter' than 'Ibiza Disco'.  In real life it's very dark and vampy, not something I would do myself but I wouldn't look twice if I saw this on someone else.  Really nice.

Personally I don't think I would add any of these to my collection - I have ten (yes, I know...) and I've covered all the primary colours with a few extras, so I can mix almost anything I need.  If I was going to add anything I'd love to have Katricia as I think it's the most 'wearable' of the three when mixed with other colours.

I'll have to do a post on my favourite Lip Tar hybrids.  What's your favourite blend?

Australis Haul - Part Two!

After the pleasant surprises of my first post, would the good times continue? A lip gloss and a brush set were awaiting my review... and the results are in!

Let's start with the Colour Inject Mineral Lip Gloss in Hip Hop (RRP $11.95)

I was initially worried as bronzes aren't my colour of choice.  I'm not a fan of tanning or bronzing after seeing so many bad examples walking down the Brisbane streets every day.  But this product came out quite sheer, and was actually really wearable.

The smell was like a fruit that I can't put my finger on (but nice - not off-putting at all), and the texture wasn't at all sticky - just smooth and easy to wear.  The colour was almost like a nude that had a subtle bronze tone to it, and the small glitter particles add a touch of fun without being too 'disco' for daytime..  I could see myself wearing this on its own, or over other colours that are too pink for my tastes.  I like it!

And now the Brush Set (RRP $18.95)and Angled Liner Brush (RRP $6.95)- which I have to say I don't hold high hopes for.  I hate scratchy brushes, so I'm very picky with what I use.

First points go for size - great for travel.  Short handles mean they fit in my cosmetic bags.  Good start.

The brush set says it has a 'domed eyeshadow brush, eyeshadow applicator, tapered lip brush, brown brush, mineral powder brush and foundation sponge'.  I would consider it to have an 'eyeshadow brush, lip brush, lash comb/ brow brush, cheap sponge and two useless applicators'.  The mineral powder brush is cheap and scratchy, and the 'eyeshadow applicator' is a cheap sponge-tip that will last one swipe before it splits.  The foundation sponge has the texture of a disposable, so will disintegrate quickly.  But the eyeshadow brush is dense and soft on the eye, the lip brush is tight and will give a great line, and the lash comb/brow brush works well.

The angled liner brush is soft as well and applies shadow well, but it's too soft for a tight line.  Keep it for smudged/smoky shadow.

If you want great brushes at a low price point, go for EcoTools (which is available at Priceline).  Don't bother with these Australis ones.  I'll be using these in emergencies only.

So there you go!  More Australis than you can poke a stick at :)

Australis Haul - Part One!

 had the pleasure of attending some makeup artist workshops run by the awesome Mandi Levanah in Sydney, which were amazing.  She willingly shared the secrets of the industry that she had to learn the hard way, and I am forever thankful for her.  She's also sparked my obsession with manicures and OPI polishes, but that wasn't hard!  So if she ever reads this - thank you so much, and I can't wait to do another workshop with you :)

As part of the workshops we got a goody bag!  Yay for freebies!  And it featured a number of Australis products, which was interesting as their low price point can often reflect poor quality.  But she swore to us that times have changed, and we'd love these products.  And, like so many other things, she was right!

First of all - Colour Inject Mineral Lipstick in Cha Cha

This was surprisingly sheer, and took a couple of coats to build up to this intensity.  This isn't a tone of red I would usually wear, but the smooth and moisturising formulation has me interested.  I think I'll keep this to mix with other colours, but I may pick up a different colour in this range. A RRP of $12.95 for such a wearable formulation is music to my (poor) ears.

Next - Perfection Brush On Lip & Cheek Tint

I've always kept clear or lip & cheek tints, as I'm naturally (too) rosy and thought they would highlight my overall redness.  But I was pleasantly surprised with this combo!  I had an English-rose flush to my cheeks and a subtle stain to my lips that was totally wearable.  Add some volumising mascara (vibrations anyone?) and I'd be ready to leave the house.  This could be my new winter look!

RRP $10.95 (bargain!)

Lucky last - Jumbo Mineral Bronzing Powder

Mandi swore we'd be surprised at this product - she claimed it was the perfect bronzer colour.  And she was totally right!  A soft bronze sheen illumnated my cheeks but in an oh-so-subtle way.  I did have to buff this colour after application to soften the edges, but that may be because it was applied straight over liquid foundation (for the smoothest result I should have powdered my face first).  And I'm not a fan of tans or bronzing, but this was a great contour that just added warmth to my cheeks.  And for RRP $19.95 for 35g of product, you get a lot of bronzing for your buck.

Check out the difference - the cheek tint is on the lips and the left cheek, the bronzer is on the right.

(gosh I look serious - makeup testing requires concentration!)

The lipstick will need some tweaking before it enters my makeup bag, but the lip/cheek tint and the bronzer are going straight to the pool room (oh, how very 'Aussie' of me!).  I always wrote off Australis as poor quality, but these products have proved me wrong.  I love it when that happens!

Next up: review of Australis brushes and a lip gloss - will the surprising results continue?  Stay tuned!

MAC 'Naked Liner' lipliner, 'Myself' lipstick and a Lip Tar experiment

Follow my blog with bloglovin

As soon as I saw the Too Fabulous collection from MAC I knew this was a collection calling my name. Gorgeous creamy textures, soft colours and a very girly feel. That being said, I'm trying to behave myself and not spend so much on makeup, so I limited myself to the one product that immediately drew me in.

'Naked Liner' seemed to be the nude I have been looking for - so often a 'nude' lipliner is too dark, especially for people who have naturally lighter lips. This looked perfect!

This is my natural lip, then with Naked Liner applied:

  

Yeah - it's REALLY nude.  As in skin-colour nude, not lip-colour nude.  This freaked me out at the counter, but now I see so many uses for this.  Not only is it great for cancelling out your lip colour altogether, but it's great to totally block out your natural lip shape so you can then redraw it!  The touch of pink works really well to avoid looking deathly.

To prove this I did a little experiment.  I lined half my lips with Naked Liner:

Then I added RX Lip Tar:

Can you see how much smoother the texture is?  The colour more vibrant?  And it was so easy to get the intensity with the liner, in comparison to the non-lined side which took a lot more blending and layering.  And added bonus is that the liner gets rid of any redness or discolouration around the lip, so your lipstick line looks really crisp.

And just for fun, I added Anime Lip Tar to the bottom lip:

It constantly amazes me how versatile Lip Tars are.  The colours blend well whether you're mixing them first or just applying straight on the lip (like I did here).  I've got ten colours, but there are new ones coming out - I'll see if I can swatch them for you!

Anyway, back to MAC...

While I was at the counter I looked for a nude lipstick (I don't own one - what's with that??) and I picked up 'Myself' lustre lipstick from the All Ages, All Races, All Sexes collection.

  

I really like this colour!  It's nude, but it's more on the mauve-side so it's still interesting to wear.  The tiniest amount of shimmer keeps it from looking too flat.  Really like!

Here is Naked Liner with Myself lipstick:

I'm really glad I got these two colours.  Naked Liner is probably a little too 'nude' on it's own for me, but it makes other colours so vibrant and your lip line so clear.  Myself will now live in my handbag as my go-to lipstick, as it's so versatile.

MAC can be purchased all over the place, and the Lip Tars were from the lovely Rachael at Makeup and Glow - www.makeupandglow.com.au.