Spring Lip Picks

I decided it would be fun to lay out the colors I will be reaching for this Spring.  Some of these have already found their way into my purse to keep on me while I am out.  With the exception of one, they are all drugstore.  Thus, they are quite affordable!  YAY!

I'm not a huge gloss person, but I LOVE these Revlon glosses.  I wore them a lot last summer, too.  The two I prefer for the warmer weather are Coral Reef and Pink Pop.

These next two are new(ish) in my collection.  Even though Spring just hit, I've already been wearing them a lot.  They are the Maybelline Color Whispers in the colors Pink Up Peach and Coral Ambition.

Next up are a couple of L'Oreal lipsticks.  They are Cotton Pink and Sunset Angora.  I wasn't sure if I'd be able to pull off such a pale pink like Cotton Pink but WOW it is amazing and beautiful!

I'm still over the m oon about the Revlon Balm Stains.  I often find myself reaching for all of the colors I own.  The two I feel I'll be reaching for most often this spring are Cherish and Rendezvous. 

These two aren't from the same brand, but I didn't have two from the same collection to pair....so I just put them together.  Revlon Strawberry Shortcake (another pale pink that is quite wearable) and L'Oreal Summer Rose.  I wore Summer Rose a lot at the end of summer last year.  It lasts nicely on the lips.

These are two more not from the same brand.  They are Maybelline Coral Carnation and Lorac It Girl.  Coral Carnation is that fantastic pop of orange (without being clownish) that is stunning in the spring and It Girl is a long standing favorite of mine.  

None of these are "neutrals" but when I think of spring I think of finally pulling out brighter clothes and makeup and getting away with wearing pops of color on the lips.  All of these are fantastic for that, without being over the top. 

Cover Girl BlastFlipStick (Minx)

This is the last of the three Cover Girl BlastFlipSticks I received.  This was the one that I assumed wouldn't work at all on me....and I was right.  The coloring is just far too dark on me and doesn't look right.  However, I can see this being stunning on someone with olive or deeper coloring. 

Interestingly enough, these applied the best of the three I had the opportunity to try.  The others went on crumbly and had a tendency to look patchy.  This one, however, went on with more ease and didn't skip or create patches.  

The color is very rich and opaque.  I did like that there wasn't a ton of glitter in this particular one.  It has sheen to it, but didn't look like chunks of glitter on.  Even though the topping color was a bit frosty, it somehow worked well with the darker base color.  It created more of a sheen than a frosty finish.  

While I don't think I'll be able to get any use of the dark side of this lipstick, I might be able to put the more golden half to use over other lipsticks.  I think it could look quite nice with a rich red, perhaps even a berry shade. 

As with all of the others, this had a very dated, wax-like scent that reminds me of lipsticks from years ago.  Further, they were just as drying as the other two.  They are certainly long wearing, however.  They leave a stain behind even after the initial application has worn off. 

Now that I have tried several from this particular collection of lip colors, I can safely tell you that I (personally) don't see any worthy hype.  I think you are better off putting your money towards one of the many lipsticks that have recently hit drugstores.  I just can't give these my seal of approval.  If you love (or just like) these, though, I would love to hear your thoughts on them and why you enjoy them.  Also, let me know if there is a particular color from this collection that you are liking! 

*Product received for free through the BzzAgent.com website and the Cover Girl campaign.  All opinions are my own.

Cover Girl Blast Flipstick (Vixen)

This is the second of three Cover Girl BlastFlipSticks that I had the chance to try out.  If you are interested in my thoughts on the first, you can check that out HERE! (for the color: Stunner) My feelings, overall, are pretty much the same.

I find them to still be crumbly, but perhaps a touch less with this one.  I didn't enjoy the way they felt on the lips and while they claim to not be drying, I definitely feel as though it sucked the moisture out of my lips. My lips were in worse shape after removal than before applying. I always take the extra step of applying a balm, too, to avoid this. 

While I didn't think I would enjoy the color, I actually believe I enjoy it more than Stunner.  I will admit this isn't a color I pull off well, but I do like it more.   I think they are more wearable (for most).   There are still bits of glitter in the main half of this product, which is something I don't particularly enjoy.  The topping half isn't glittery, but frosty.  If you went very heavy with the second side, I think the color would look extremely dated.  Lightly, though, it is lovely.

In the photo above, the swatches go: side one, side two, and combined with side two over side one. 

I don't think this is something anyone needs to rush out and find.  I just think there are so many fantastic drugstore lip products out right now and this one doesn't rank up there with the others.    These feel too much like something I'd have bought 10+ years ago (scent, formulation, and color wise).

*Product received for free through the BzzAgent.com website and the CoverGirl campaign. All opinions are my own.

Maybelline Color Whisper

Last week I was browsing around Target and as I was passing through the cosmetics section I noticed several new product displays.  One of them, which I hadn't heard anything about, was for a Maybelline lip product.  I took a closer look and discovered it was for their Color Whisper lipsticks.  I was intrigued and had to purchase two of them to try out.  

Though I wanted quite a few of the colors, I settled on just two until I determined whether or not they were worth my money for more.  I selected Pin Up Peach (love the name) and Coral Ambition. Looking at the tube and by the name of the product, I assumed they were going to be a more sheer lip color.  I was correct.  The bullet itself doesn't look sheer or anything, but it seems every brand is coming out with a moisturizing, somewhat sheer lipstick/color. 

As you can see from the swatches, they don't pack a ton of color.  Some people will enjoy this, and others will say they hoped for more. Personally, I'm on the side of enjoying them.  I have quite pigmented lips, and sometimes I just want a hint of change but nothing over the top.  Also, for day wear, I enjoy something that is more of a light wash. This fits that bill.  

When I first bought and smelled these, I couldn't detect any scent.  However, when I was swiping them on I did notice a fruity or perfume scent.  I couldn't put my finger on what it was, but every time I applied them, I could definitely pick up on a fragrance.  It took me several times wearing them to finally decide it was sweet and fruity....I think I am smelling a fruit loop cereal scent!  It is different, but I like it!

Over all, I think these are worth checking out.  The ones I have go on more smooth and consistent than the Revlon Lip Butters (which I do really enjoy).   They don't seem to skip or look patchy.  They feel nice on the lips, quite hydrating, with nice slip.  These aren't a long wearing color, though, so do keep that in mind.  

I bought mine at Target for $5.99.  I'm sure we'll be seeing these pop up in more stores and, hopefully, some sales will begin that include these.  I would like to purchase a few more colors.  All in all, these get two thumbs up from me!

CoverGirl Blast Flip Stick in Stunner

As a BzzAgent, I was recently invited to participate in a Cover Girl campaign.  I received three different lipsticks.  These are the BlastFlipSticks.  Their selling point is that you get two lipsticks in one.  You can create multiple looks with this one product.  You can wear each side on its own, layer them together, or create a gradient look on the lips. 

I was very excited to try these seeing as I really enjoy lip colors. People who know me know that I have quite the nail polish collection along with a ridiculously crowded lipstick drawer. Of course I was on board with testing these out!  Unfortunately, I wasn't over the moon with them.

The first thing I noticed upon application was how crumbly they went on.  I have rarely experienced this. As I was swiping it on, it would sort of ball up and crumble away!  What was happening?  I had to take my finger and smooth it onto the lips. 

Further, they are so full of shimmer.  The base color has little gold glitters in it, which on its own is quite bold.  It would be okay...maybe...in the summer.  Even then, though, I'm not a big shimmer or glitter fan.  Not in my lip products.  Of course, this is a personal preference.  I know some people absolutely ADORE shimmer and glitter in their glosses and lipsticks. However, as if that weren't enough, the second side had even MORE shimmer in it!  Ugh, too much shimmer for me.  It was shimmer overload. 

Another thing that I didn't like was the smell.  It was very wax-like and reminded me of lipsticks that you would purchase years ago.  Some people will be happy about this because of sensitivities to added in fragrance (like vanilla and such).  I would have enjoyed a bit of something added to these, though.

Something I can't deny is the wear time.  The pink of this particular one really seemed to cling to my lips.  It almost created a stain on my lips.  Even after it had dulled down and wasn't fresh and vibrant, there was still a decent hint of pink left behind. There was also that pesky glitter, though.  ::grumble::

Over all, this just didn't work for me.  I really wanted to like it.  Of all of them, I thought this would be the one I would like the most.  It seemed to be the one that was most popular, too!  I just can't get on board with it, though.  I would have to say you should pass on this. :-(

*Product received for free from BzzAgent.com through their CoverGirl campaign.  All opinions are my own!