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Urban Decay Super-Saturated High Gloss Lip Color (Crush and Lovechild swatches and Review)
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I was recently gifted two of the new Urban Decay Super-Saturated High Gloss Lip Colors by some wonderful friends at work, and I’ve got to say - these are so fun.
They picked out the only two that did not contain frost or sparkles (good choice, J), along with some other things I’ll write about soon.
- Lovechild - Muted mauve that’s almost an MLBB (My Lips But Better) shade. I hear it’s already sold out at some Sephoras in Singapore.
- Crush - Traffic-stopping, saturated hot pink creme
Format / Packaging
These lipsticks come in chubby-stick form, like fat pencils, and contain 2.8g (0.10 oz)of product each, which is slightly less than a typical lipstick (0.12 - 0.13 oz usually).
They aren’t twist-up, so you will have to sharpen them once the nubs are worn down.
Texture
Lightweight compared to most lipsticks and very much like lip balms. These aren’t as soft and smushy as I would have expected. They’re firm like regular lipsticks and easy to apply, and there isn’t much of a scent that I can detect or notice after application.
In fact, they are quite similar in consistency to MAC Casual Color Lip and Cheek Colors, but in pencil form so you can slip them into a bag or a pocket and not worry about things melting or breaking easily.
Appearance / Consistency
These go on medium-sheer, but you can build up the color very easily for more opacity. Many chubby-sticks look like weak, tinted balms, but these definitely don’t. It might be a bit of a stretch to call them “super-saturated” despite the name though. They aren’t all that saturated compared to most lipsticks.
Shine-wise, don’t be too surprised or disappointed if they don’t look shiny when just applied. The formula causes the product to stay firm at room temperature. A minute or so after application, the heat of your lips will melt it and bring out a soft, glossy sheen.
Wear / Tenacity
Quite good. I could wear these for 3-4 hours without touching up. The problem is that these are so light and balm-like that I tended to forget I had anything on my lips at all, and just chewed/licked/smeared everything off within 1-2 hours.
They definitely keep their original appearance better than tints or stains, which either fade or lose their sheen quickly, but because it’s quite creamy, you can’t expect them to stay on like matte or long-wearing glosses and lipsticks.
Price
Honestly, not cheap at US$19. Especially if you consider that these contain less product than the typical lipstick, and that you will always lose some product when you shave them with a sharpener.
One thing UD can do to improve these would be to make them in a twist-up format so there is minimal waste. (Then again, if they do that, I expect they will just pass the extra cost to the consumers by charging us more for each stick.)
Verdict?
If you love the texture and finishes of MAC Casual Color pots, but don’t like dipping your fingers in or bringing a lip brush around, then these would be a good alternative.
I have not tried any of the Revlon Balm Stains (the local drugstores need to bring these things in faster!) so I can’t do a comparison, but from what I’ve seen, the UD Lip Colors will be much more opaque and intense, and won’t provide that stain effect.
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Note: Urban Decay cosmetics are vegan and cruelty-free.
![Drugstore Makeup - Favorites of the Moment! (Aug 2012)
This is a question which was asked yesterday so I thought it was time to do a detailed post about the drugstore or low-cost items that I love.
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*Disclaimer: I’m located in Asia, so I don’t necessarily have access to all the same brands that you might! If you like a particular brand that I don’t mention, it might simply be because I can’t get it here. Do reply/comment to this post and share YOUR favorites with everyone!
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Favorite BB Cream
Shall I say “CC” cream? I’ve tried so many from Maybelline, Garnier, etc but I still have to say you should stick with the real BB Creams from Asian specialty manufacturers if you want something that isn’t just tinted moisturizer.
I’m still loving my Rachel K, and I know it’s not easily available outside of Singapore, but I know the ever-fabulous Lisalisad1 on Youtube will be distributing these in the US shortly. Do drop her a message on lisalisad1.com to find out about the expected date it will be available - and let her know I sent you there! :-)
The Rachel K feels feather-light and has no visible “makeup texture” on the skin, sets to a natural matte finish, controls oil, but still manages to even out my skin tone better than other tinted moisturisers I’ve tried. Pair that with a whole load of antioxidants and an above-30 SPF, and you have a winner.
I usually apply a mineral powder over it because BB creams don’t usually match your skin tone and are better as a primer or neutralising base rather than foundation.
Note: This does have fragrance so if you’re very sensitive or don’t like scents, avoid this.
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Foundation:
Bourjois Healthy Mix! Big rave. I’ve used it for over a year and it’s the only drugstore foundation that I will still pick over the higher-end options in my stash like Dior Nude, Make Up For Ever HD, MAC, etc.
It’s got medium coverage, a featherweight matte texture (you can tell I’m big on “featherweight”), lasts the whole day when I’m out for more than 12 hours, and looks really good upclose. I quite like Revlon Colorstay in terms of how it looks, but it feels heavier and has that horrible scent. If you don’t mind the smell and don’t mind mixing it with a touch of clear primer to sheer it out, that’s a good one as well.
The biggest problem? This comes in so few shades, which is really disappointing.
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Concealer:
I don’t have a whole lot of options here (the options in Asian drugstores are staggeringly pitiful), but of the ones I’ve tried, I like Revlon Photoready concealer because it’s that in-between texture that is not too creamy or to dry, so it’s kinda multi-purpose. You can use it on blemishes AND under the eyes, although the shade range sucks in Asia, and I can’t say it is especially good at either purpose.
I’d love to try Hard Candy Glamouflage one of these days.
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Eyebrow and Eye Pencils:
Brows - Maybelline Eyestudio Brow pencils are cheap, effective and come in a good dark taupe shade for those with black brows like myself.
Eyes -
I love Milani Liquif’Eye but for those outside the US, I love Bourjois pencils as well. They come in the most amazing metallic colors.
If you’re in Southeast Asia, the other one you have to check out is Silky Girl. I’ve always been a bit of a snob in terms of dismissing anything with bad branding/advertising, but their colored pencils are produced in Germany by the same manufacturers who supply other brands.
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Shadows:
NYX or Wet n Wild - great shade range, great texture, great price. I don’t have access to Sleek or Barry M unless I ship them in (which defeats the purpose), but I’m hoping to try these someday.
Coastal Scents Hot Pots - not technically drugstore but they’re cheaper than drugstore, at $1.99 per pan. If you follow me on Instagram (@makeup_box), you’ll have seen my recent picture of the huge 28 shade palette I filled with a rainbow of hot pots. The pigmentation is fantastic on most of the new shades, and I have to say the quality of many of these would match or surpass a lot of my high-end brands. The problem is you can’t accurately tell the colors online.
If you’re in Asia and can’t access the above 2 online, then go for Kate (above), which is silky-smooth and as finely-milled as high-end shadows. The only issue is that the shades are all shimmery/glittery, and most palettes don’t have enough dark shades (which ironically many Asians need, to create depth and definition to monolids)
Liquid/Gel Liners:
Liquid - Bourjois is #1. I love the fine brush tip. I don’t have Wet n Wild here or I’d love to try thei regular liquid liner for a comparison.
Gel - Maybelline Eyestudio. It’s not the best gel liner in the world by any means, but for something that costs what it costs, and that FANTASTIC brush you get with every jar, this comes close.
Mascara
L’oreal Voluminous (yes, yes, I know many people find it clumpy but it’s not on me, which is odd.) I AM curious about the new Voluminous Full Definition but the local drugstores have not brought that in yet.
Rimmel and Bourjois get props because I like most of their mascaras as well.
If you have short stubby lashes, the get Majolica Majorca Lash Expander. I used this exclusively for about 4 years back when I was working in Taipei and not that interested in exploring makeup. (Gasp.)
Blush:
I do like baked blushes in general because they tend to go on more translucent and give a nice glow. Revlon and Bourjois are pretty good. i LIKE NYX’s as well, but you’ll need to tap your brush on the back of your hand before applying to your cheeks or you can get a lot of chalkiness and fallout.
For cheap online blushes, I highly recommend La Femme blushes (makeupmania.com) if you’re in the US. This is one of those brands that is SO pigmented that they can easily function as eye shadows, and each pan costs less than $5.
Lipsticks:
Creme: Maybelline Color Sensational, Revlon Colorburst
Matte: Revlon Matte (not all the shades have good texture; Stormy Pink is so bad I wonder how it made it past Quality Control)
Would love to try: Cover Girl
Gloss:
Revlon Super Lustrous. They’re constantly being compared to Chanel Glossimers in terms of texture and performance. Enough said.
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[Main image source: luuux.com]](http://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m869ob2HV71qh70jmo1_r1_400.jpg)
