Saturday, March 31, 2012

NOTD: Zoya Vegas Freeze over Zoya Moxie

Another Zoya Nail of the Day post!

This is an older combo that I did awhile back. I don't believe Vegas Freeze is even available anymore, which is too bad. It's a really interesting sheer, great for layering. I believe this is about three layers of Vegas Freeze over two layers of Moxie which, along with my usual Sally Hansen base coat and Seche Vite top coat, made for a rather thick layer of polish! I think if I were to do this again, I'd go ahead and sacrifice a layer of Vegas Freeze or try to get away with one layer of Moxie (or both!), even though Vegas Freeze takes on such neat depth when you use multiple layers of it. For reference, Moxie is a beet red/bright pink and Vegas Freeze is a sheer purple with lots of iridescent purple/pink glass flecks.

On to gratuitous photos!

Zoya's Vegas Freeze (on left) and Moxie (on right) 
 And sorry about the Way-Too-Many-Photos that are about to follow; I love the way this combination looks from different angles, and I couldn't choose just one or two pictures to show you the crazy depth this combination has! Unfortunately, you'll also notice the weird texture this took on from the multiple layers that did not want to dry...

Vegas Freeze layered over Moxie



Look at that sparkle! Ack! 

I loooove crazy sparkly red-purple shades like this. I will definitely be doing this combination again in the future, I'll just have to sacrifice a layer or two of polish.

Friday, March 30, 2012

FOTD: Copper Tangerine

Another relatively old-ish Face of the Day! You'll notice a couple of new-ish products in here that I haven't reviewed or swatched on the blog yet. I'm wearing a new shade of a Revlon Lip Butter on my lips, Tutti-Frutti, and I love it. This is my new favorite lip product; so easy to wear, and the formula just works for me. The second new product is Physician's Formula Youthful Wear Foundation. I've been hearing rave reviews for it, and  when I saw it on The Peach in this post, I had to have it. It makes her skin look like velvet, right? Well, not so much for me... I've got dry skin and it seems to emphasize that. But if I mix it with a little bit of face cream, it looks beautiful, although that does compromise the wear-time. I'll have to keep experimenting; perhaps if I mix it with primer, or even a couple of drops of Jojoba oil? Eh, we'll see. Once I have it all figured out, I'll get back to you guys with a review.

I am going to ask you guys to ignore a couple of things in the following pictures. Ignore the eyelash on my nose, and ignore the fact that my eyebrows are way past due for some cleaning up here. Ugh. I've been doing the "casual look" lately, and I haven't been as on top of grooming my brows as I normally am.

The look:



And here's what I used:



Face: Almay Primer, Physician's Formula Youthful Wear Foundation (mixed with a bit of face cream), NYC loose powder, NYX blush in Red, Flirt blush in Heartthrob

Eyes: MUFE Aqua Cream in #15, Urban Decay 24/7 pencil eyeliner in Underground, L'Oreal Infallible eyshadow in Amber Rush, Prestige eyebrow pencil, Anastacia brow gel, Prestige My Biggest Lashes mascara

Lips: Revlon Lip Butter in Tutti-Frutti

Here are some more pictures:


Cheeks!

Eye

Revlon Lip Butter in Tutti Frutti 

So there you have it! Another simple look... I haven't been interested in spending very much time on my makeup lately, but I'm actually really digging the simple looks. Sometimes I get caught up in adding more and more and more to try to get a more polished and refined look, but it's very easy to forget that a lot of the time, letting some natural beauty shine through is a good thing! Now, I'm not saying I will never do anything dramatic ever again... But I'm embracing not wanting to do dramatic looks, and not worrying that if I don't spend much time on my makeup, that I'll look "halfway done." Although I admit, my eyebrows could use a little more work! :P

Saturday, March 24, 2012

NOTD: Happy Hunger Games

I went and saw The Hunger Games yesterday, and of course I had to do a Hunger Games themed manicure using my China Glaze Capitol Colors polishes. 

I did a base of Foie Gras and stamped a fishnet pattern in Harvest Moon on top. I thought the fishnet pattern in the glowing orange was a bit evocative of the electric fences that surround the Districts. 

I'll leave the editorializing elsewhere, but I have read the first two books. I thought they had strengths and weaknesses, but I'll admit I think the writing tightened up considerably in the second book, and that had been my main complaint with the first. They took me 4.5 hours each to read, and that was in the middle of the night when I wasn't at my peak AND I'm a slow reader; I don't know that I would have invested much more time than that into them, but I was excited for the movie. And the movie was fun! Not awesome, but really enjoyable, and I am looking forward to the next one. Despite any misgivings I may have about the plot or the execution (lol, no pun intended...), I love seeing a self-sufficient, intelligent, and capable heroine who is the star of the show in Young Adult fiction.  

Foie Gras and Harvest Moon

Foie Gras with Harvest Moon stamped on it

Foie Gras stamped with Harvest Moon
Sorry about the tip wear and the kind of jagged edge on the bottom; I've had this manicure for a few days now and it's on its way out! 

Thursday, March 22, 2012

Ulta Seashell (eyeshadow) & Exposed (blush)

As promised, I have swatches and a mini-review of Ulta eyeshadow in Seashell and blush in Exposed, featured in yesterday's Five Minutes With a Bombshell post. 

These were BOGO free, so I ended up paying $7 for both of them, although they normally retail for $7 each. I think I might go back while the sale is still running and pick up a couple more; I have a $3.50 off a $10 purchase, and a $5 credit from my Ulta rewards points. Not too shabby! Both compacts are the same size and design, with a black plastic base and clear plastic top, which is very nice since you can see the shade through the lid. These are also a vast improvement over the packaging for the older Ulta eyeshadows I own, which had silver painted plastic containers.They each have .08 ounces of product in them. The pigmentation on these was very good, and the product feels smooth and creamy. 

Seashell (the eyeshadow) is a pink with a golden sheen to it. I have been looking high and low for a shade like this. I have a really old Trailer Trash palette by Too Faced with the most flattering golden pink in it, and I haven't been able to find a dupe for it in years of keeping my eyes peeled. This is very close; the Too Faced shade is lighter, but the effect is very similar, and I'm sure I could layer this over a pearly white or white/gold duochrome to get the same effect on the eye, even if they look slightly different when swatched. 

Exposed (the blush) is a vaguely glowy/iridescent pale peachy pink. The finish is just a teensy bit glowy, so it's not going to look glittery or frosty on; just a little more "soft-focus" than a matte. It looks like it has just a touch of a neutral taupe or tan in it, which makes it look very natural on the cheek, rather than a bright pop of color. I have to say, it is surprisingly gorgeous on the skin. It applies sheer, but can be built up to a more noticeable color. You're not going to be able to get this SUPER bright, because it's just not that kind of a shade. It's perfect for a subtle flush you cannot screw up, and I think it would be flattering on a lot of skin tones; on pale skin, it's a warm flush, on medium skin tones it would probably add just a subtle glow, and I bet it would be lovely on darker skin as a highlight. Can you tell I'm kind of over the moon about this color? I want everyone to have it! 

Ulta blush in Exposed

Exposed

Ulta Eyeshadow in Seashell

Seashell

I swatched over my veins so you can get an idea about what kind of opacity you can get these built up to.

Seashell on the left, Exposed on the right

And this picture shows the glowi-ness better:

Seashell on the bottom, Exposed on the top

Finally, some comparison swatches. I always find these helpful since monitors display color differently; if you have any of the other shades, you might get an idea of where on the peach-pink scale these colors fall:

Left to Right: Urban Decay Snatch, Too Faced Trailer Trash shadow, Seashell, Exposed, Coralista 

Summary: I am really happy with both of these products! The colors are incredibly flattering and wearable, and the quality seems top notch. I had no problem with these staying put over eyeshadow primer (for the eyeshadow) and foundation. (for the blush). These can definitely compete with higher-end formulas, and frankly I'm surprised that Ulta's line of cosmetics hasn't gotten more buzz, at least based on my experiences with these. You'll notice I use another older Ulta eyeshadow in Sandstone in some of my looks; it's another favorite color with a great formula. Overall, I've had really good experiences with their products. Have I just gotten lucky? Or have you guys had the same experience? Let me know if you guys have any tips on things to check out or avoid! 

Wednesday, March 21, 2012

LOTD: Five minutes with a Bombshell

Hey Guys!

I have another quick look to show you! I had two new Ulta products, an eyeshadow and a blush, that I picked up while they were having a BOGO special that I knew I wanted to use, and I threw the rest of this quick look together around that. Guess what lip product I used...? That's right, MAC Bombshell! I love this pink, and both the blush and eyeshadow were shades of pink with a gold sheen, so of course I had to use Bombshell with it. I ended up with a streamlined monochromatic look with a slightly retro vibe.



Here is what I used:


 Face: Almay Primer, Rimmel 25 Hour Foundation, NYC Loose Powder, Ulta Blush in Exposed, NYX blush in Red (on apples of cheeks).

Eyes: Urban Decay Primer Potion, Ulta eyeshadow in Seashell (on lid into crease), L'Oreal Infallible eyeshadow in Amber Rush (in outer crease), Urban Decay 24/7 eyeliner in Corrupt (outer 1/3 of lower lash line), Sephora Doe Eyed felt tip eyeliner in Black (on upper lashline), Prestige Brow Pencil, Anastasia Brow Gel in Caramel, Stila Major Lash mascara, Prestige My Biggest Lashes mascara; NOT PICTURED, Revlon eyeshadow in Vintage Lace (blended from crease to eyebrow).

Lips: Labello balm in Rose, MAC lipstick in Bombshell


The finished look! 

Cheeks!

Closed eye!

Open Eye! 

The Lip! 
I love how this turned out! I think the golden pinks really brighten up my complexion, and it was sooo fast and easy. Both the blush and the eyeshadow are great; I have a post with swatches and a mini-review that I'm planning on posting VERY shortly, so keep your eyes peeled for that. I might even get it up tonight, if I'm feeling ambitious! (read: if I am scared I will forget what the products in the comparison swatches are) I can definitely see sprucing this up for a few different looks this summer; with peacock blue eyeliner when I want a pop of color, with a darker crease color and more sculpted cheek to dress it up, etc...

What do you guys think of monochromatic looks like this? I don't tend to do them very often (using the same color on lips, cheeks, and eyes), but with a shade this pale, I think it works and is a really easy way to pull a look together when you only have a few minutes to spare.

MAC Sheen Supreme Lipstick in Blossom Culture

I was out and about last week and ended up bringing home MAC's Sheen Supreme Lipstick in Blossom Culture, which was released with the recent Too Supreme collection of lip products. On Mac's website, it is described as a glossy lipstick with a frost finish. Blossom culture is a pink-coral shade; kind of like NARS's Niagara, but less pink, more peach. It has medium coverage; it's not totally sheer, but this is definitely not an opaque lip color. My one major complaint is that this settles into my lip lines; I swear, I don't have crazy deep lip lines, and I absolutely hate when lip colors do this. I'm going to try wearing it over a layer of lip balm to see if that fixes the problem, since I love this color.

This isn't my first Sheen Supreme lipstick; I like the feeling of the formula quite a bit. It is a little bit plush, like a kind of thick, glossy balm. These retail for $14.50, and this shade seems to still be available on MAC's website. They have the traditional MAC vanilla lipstick scent; not my favorite (it's a bit plastic/synthetic smelling, to my nose) but it's not something I notice after it's been on my lip for awhile.

Sheen Supreme Lipstick

Blossom Culture

Blossom Culture in the tube; it leans just a bit peachier on my lips

Swatch of MAC Sheen Supreme Lipstick, Blossom Culture

Please forgive my foundation in these pictures; I was test-running a new foundation that did not agree with my dry skin, and ended up looking pretty awful. Ignore the nose area especially :(

Wearing Blossom Culture
 You can enlarge this if you'd like to see how badly it settled into my lip lines. It's not as noticeable as with some milky shades, for instance, but it's not great. I think if you had wrinkles around your lips, it would definitely bleed into those, so keep this in mind if you're considering this shade or formula. You may have to use a lip liner with it if this is a concern of yours.

Blossom Culture Sheen Supreme Lipstick

Summary: I am really torn when it comes to this lipstick! I have been avoiding wearing it because of the lip-line issue; Looking at the photos, I realize it's not as bad as I think it is, and I doubt anyone would notice unless they were really invading my personal space, but I shouldn't be avoiding wearing a brand new lipstick! The color is such a wonderful peachy-pink-coral shade for spring, though; I have been so surprised that I don't already have half a dozen lip colors in this shade (NARS Niagara is the only lip color in this family that I have, and it's a good deal pinker). I wouldn't recommend this unless you are in love with the color and don't care about it settling into lip-lines. That being said, I'm sure I'll still end up reaching for this pretty frequently through the spring and summer because of the gorgeous color.

Tuesday, March 20, 2012

Blog Makeover

Hi Everyone!

As you may have noticed, Bower of Blisse has undergone a bit of a facelift! I may continue to fiddle with some of the aspects (fonts, etc...), but I imagine there won't be any major changes from here on out. Well, until the next makeover :P I was never 100% happy with the old background and style; I had wanted something feminine and a little bit vintage, but what I ended up with was always a bit too busy for my taste. I think I just kept on gilding the lily hoping the next element would tie it all together, but as we all know, at that point you're fighting a losing battle. This new iteration of my blog may not be the most original or unique design, but I think it is easier to look at, and it definitely reflects my personal aesthetic a little bit better. I love poppies, and I love corals and orange-reds, so the color palette is easy for me to love.

Let me know if you have any suggestions, especially regarding readability; I would hate for the fonts or the colors I've chosen to be an eyesore; I was trying to find a nice balance between readability and originality. The only feedback I've gotten on it so far is from my minimalist boyfriend for whom "pretty" doesn't quite cut the mustard.

As always, thank you for reading; it means a lot!

-Sarah

Monday, March 19, 2012

Not Makeup... Cats, shopping, and food!

Hi Everyone!

It's been a little while since I've done a non-makeup related post and, while this is a makeup blog, I enjoy sharing other things with you guys every once in awhile! I have a few fun things in mind for this evening's post; none are things that I would want to devote an entire blog post to, but I don't feel as bad if they're all sharing a post!

First off, cats:



Miranda is the fluffy black one, Finn is the pale orange tabby. They are best friends! If you've been reading my blog for any length of time, I'm sure you've seen pictures of them before now, but I just love showing them off :P Proud cat mommy! I had to take Miranda to the vet last week, she had a weird sore near her eye and another near her ear, and had itched a bald patch on her back and another on her tummy! I was so scared... It turns out she has a really severe flea allergy, although we hadn't noticed fleas on either of the other cats. They are all on flea medication now, and she is on two other medications to manage the itching and the bacterial infection from her itching and what-not. She's on the mend, but it was really scary not knowing what was wrong with her!

Second up... SHOES!

I got these at Kohl's. I love Kohl's for shoes. I used to work there, and it definitely helped me out with shopping strategies and how to get things on sale. Everything in there is overpriced if you are paying what it says on the tag, but you can get some good deals if you wait for sales and then stack coupons with the sales, although I do have a Kohl's card; it's harder to get discounts without one, but if you have one, you can frequently get 20%-30% off on top of sale prices. These are a Simply Vera by Vera Wang style, originally $65, when I bought them they were on sale for around $44, I had an additional 20% off, and there was an additional $10 in Kohl's Cash for every $50 you spend. So I ended up paying around $35 out of pocket for them. Not bad! I don't like spending a lot on shoes, but I am hard on my shoes and if I buy them at Target or Payless, they tend to fall apart very quickly. I also have wide feet, and Kohl's shoes tend to fit my feet well!

If you've never used Kohl's Cash, it's the "sale" that always managed to piss off the most customers. A lot of people misunderstood and thought we would just give them $10 cash out of the register for every $50 spent... Um, no. It's basically a gift certificate you can use on anything in the store with no minimum qualifying purchase between the dates specified, and it's usually good for about a week starting when the current sale ends. So you wouldn't want to buy lots of stuff counting on making up the difference in Kohl's cash, but if an item you want is already on sale and you have a coupon and you're going to get Kohl's cash, it's an awesome promotion. The last two times I got Kohl's Cash, I used it towards jeans for $3 (after sale and Kohl's cash) a week later, and a beautiful dress for $7 (after sale and Kohl's Cash).

My new shoes! These are knock-offs of Sam Edelman's "Beatrix" flats (available at Nordstrom). These are Simply Vera by Vera Wang Ballet Flats (available at Kohl's). Check out the crazy spike and rhinestone detail; they are different heights and sizes. These are suuuper comfy, too!

My new shoes! 

Love them! 
I basically only wear flats and heels, so these have been getting a lot of love since I picked them up! Definitely New Favorite Shoe status.

The next thing I wanted to share with you guys is an amazing salad I made last week. Salad is one of my favorite foods; I find it so incredibly satisfying. A good salad, to me, is full of different textures and flavors, and I never feel gross after finishing one. I debated posting this, since a salad "recipe" (especially when it's as non-specific as mine) seems a bit dumb. I usually just throw in non-measured amounts of whatever I have on hand. This combination turned out really great, though, so I thought I'd share it in case you guys are looking for inspiration!



Dressing: 

If you've got a good salad dressing, you can brighten up even the saddest of salads. I rarely buy salad dressing anymore; homemade is so easy and so much tastier. It's also a lot healthier for you!

I never measure; I usually do about 2/3 vinegar to 1/3 oil proportion, with 1/3 of the vinegar being balsamic, 2/3 being red wine vinegar, but feel free to shift these proportions. I tend to like my dressing quite zippy, so I don't have to add much but still get a really strong flavor. More oil, less vinegar will give you a milder dressing; more balsamic, less red wine vinegar will give you a slightly sweeter dressing. Little known fact: lots of inexpensive balsamic vinegar is just colored red wine vinegar with sugar. Add the rest of the spices and ingredients to taste.

Extra virgin olive oil
Red Wine Vinegar
Balsamic Vinegar
1 teaspoon mustard (dijon is great; regular yellow will work just fine as well)
1 minced clove garlic (just smash it and throw it in whole if you don't want as much garlic flavor)
Dash garlic powder (leave out if you don't want a strong garlic flavor)
1/2-1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
1/4-1/2 teaspoon fresh, freeze dried, or dried basil. (Dried basil won't have as strong a flavor; you may want to add more to compensate for this)
Dash red pepper flakes
salt and pepper to taste

Feel free to adjust the herbs and spices depending on what you like and how big of a batch you're mixing up. I usually do about 8-10 ounces of dressing when I use these general amounts.

Add all your ingredients to a jar, salad dressing cruet, or small tupperware container. Make sure it's something that will seal up tight, then shake it for all you're worth! The mustard will help the vinegar and oil combine. Dried mustard will do this as well.

For the best flavor, let this sit for a few hours at least for the flavors to come together. I never do this, but it's always SO MUCH BETTER the next day than when I use it right after mixing it up. Like... SO much better.

Salad:

Trader Joe's Herb Salad mix (it has assorted baby greens and herbs like parsley and dill) is my favorite base, but you can use whatever you like. Remember, the darker the leaf, the better for you! Any sort of baby greens or spring mix would work well for this dressing.

The following, chopped into bite-size (or smaller) pieces:

Tomatoes (de-seeded; just slice it up in wedges and then scoop out the gooey disgusting part)
Orange bell pepper
Raw broccoli
Red onion (sliced thinly)
Shredded carrot
1/2 avocado, cubed
Shredded Parmesan
Mozzarella

Mix it up and go! This combination was especially satisfying; the garlicky basil vinaigrette with the tomato and mozzarella was amazing. I always add a bit of parmesan to my salads, whether I'm using blue cheese, feta cheese, or mozzarella in them; it adds a lot of flavor, even if you're only using a little bit. Just don't use the kind that comes in a shaker; you want real, cheesy parmesan so it will have some texture and a strong flavor for not a lot of cheese. Salads aren't healthy anymore if you add too much cheese, but I feel like a little bit really adds flavor, texture, and helps make it more satisfying if you're having salad as a meal.

So, that's a little bit of what I've been up to when I'm not writing about makeup!

FOTD: Burnished Browns

Hi guys! I have another slightly old Face of the Day to show you; sorry if my descriptions of what and how I used products is lacking. This is another look from when I was trying to work without my makeup bag of tried and true favorites, and I ended up re-discovering some old favorites!


The look! 
Here's what I used:

"The Goods" 

Face: Almay Primer, L'Oreal Infallible foundation, Bobbi Brown concealer, Benefit High Beam, NYC loose powder, NARS Laguna Bronzer, NYX blush in taupe (cheek contour), Flirt blush in Heartthrob, MAC blush in Melba.

Eyes: Urban Decay Primer Potion, TheBalm eyeshadow in The Guy Who Died But Didn't Really Die, TheBalm eyeshadow in The Supermodel, TheBalm eyeshadow in The Oil Tycoon, Korres eyeliner in Petrol Blue (upper and lower lashline), Mac Eyeshadow in Contrast smudged into Petrol Blue on upper lashline, TheBalm Eyeshadow in The Basket Case (to highlight browbone and inner corner), Stila Major Lash Mascara, Revlon Addictive Eyeshadow Quad (darkest shade to fill in brows), MAC Brow Finisher.

Lips: CoverGirl Natureluxe Gloss Balm in Clove

Cheeks

Closed eye! 

Eye! 

Lips!

I really liked using blue eyeliner with the different shades of bronze and brown, although I always forget that Petrol Blue doesn't stay put... It looked like I had dark circles under my eyes by the end of the day!

Friday, March 16, 2012

NOTD: Pixel Public Display of Affection

Another batch of old pictures I forgot to post last month! Oops! I love this color, though; I've been wearing a lot of pinky-peachy-nude polishes lately. It feels so sleek and clean on nails, and with the weather doing flip flops, it's a type of shade that matches my warmer-weather wardrobe as well as my cold-weather duds. High of 55 degrees and I'm bundling up in a grey sweater and black scarf? No problem, my nails match. High of 78 and I feel like busting out my sandals and a coral tank top? Once again, not a problem; nails coordinate perfectly. I am longing to wear a punchy coral or a deep berry, but I can't commit to either since it drives me nuts when my nail polish clashes with my wardrobe!

I'm wearing Public Display of Affection by Pixel in these photographs. Honestly, it's a new favorite color; I love the way it looks against my skin tone. It's a pink-nude with a little bit of taupe to it, and it looks so classy on! It's a slightly sheer formula; I think it took me either three or four coats to get it to the level of opacity you see in the photographs here. Sorry I can't remember exactly, I just remember thinking about running out and buying a backup since I use so much on each manicure and these bottles are tiny at only .17 ounces. They are $2.49 a bottle at Ulta (where I buy mine), but they are often on sale for around $2. They come in a range of colors and finishes that feel very fashion-forward. I get pretty good wear on these, too; if I tend to get about 3 days of solid wear from other brands (with maybe a chip or two on the third day, depending on the condition my nails are in before putting on polish), I get about an extra fourth day of wear from Pixel. Can't complain about that! Because these are inexpensive, come in smaller bottles, and have a great range of trendy shades, Pixel is a great way to try out colors you don't think you'll wear often enough to justify buying a full size bottle of more expensive polish in. I find the quality pretty comparable to China Glaze, OPI, or Essie; a bit of a step up from  the average drugstore formula, but there's nothing truly outstanding about it.

Pixel Public Display of Affection


Pixel Public Display of Affection Swatch

Summary: I think this is a great neutral color that is really versatile, and I have no complaints about the formula, either. Because the bottles are so small, the brush has a shorter handle, which makes it a little bit more difficult to maneuver, but I don't find this to be a big problem; the cap is flared slightly so it's easy to get a good grip on it. The brush itself is full-size. Check out this brand the next time you want a fun nail polish color, but don't want to invest in a larger bottle! Available online and in-store at Ulta, although I don't see this particular shade listed on the website. It had a slot on the normal in-store display, though. 

Tuesday, March 13, 2012

Wet n Wild Mega Last Lipstick in Cherry Picking & Purty Persimmon

I was out at Target today and they had some of the new-for-spring Wet n Wild products out on the shelves! I picked up Cherry Picking and Purty Persimmon, two shades I'd been keeping my eyes open for. All last summer I wanted a bright magenta pink, but couldn't bring myself to buy one. Well, for $1.97, Cherry Picking is a great option. It packs quite a punch, and is (admittedly) not a color I'll be reaching for very often, but for less than two bucks it's great to have in my collection. Purty Persimmon is a bright, bright true orange, another color that I don't have in my collection. I have corals and orange-reds, but nothing that looks really and truly orange. I love experimenting with color, but it doesn't make sense to throw $20 on a lipstick I'll wear just a couple times a season, which is why I love brands like Wet n Wild that offer fun shades in good formulas inexpensively.

The Mega Last formula is a drier, thicker lipstick; it is densely pigmented, and dries down to a semi-matte finish. I don't find it to be particularly moisturizing, but it doesn't dry my lips out either; it's like not having any protective layer on my lips. It does feel a bit "heavy" on lips as some of these long-wearing formulas do, even though it doesn't leave a thick layer of product. These lipsticks claim to stay put for 4 hours, and I think that's about accurate, although they do leave a stain even after they've faded, whether you want them to or not! They really pack a wallop in the pigmentation department. Out of curiosity, I got a bit of lipstick on my finger from my swatch and dabbed it on my cheek to see what it would look like as a blush; one fingertip of lipstick picked up from patting it against a swatch was more than enough product to give me clown cheeks on both cheeks. It's that pigmented.  Once they're on your lips, they'll stay put; they don't feather, bleed, or smear around too easily, and it doesn't emphasize lip lines; it doesn't conceal them, but it doesn't settle in them or make them look worse. I tried to choose pictures that would show you the texture of my lips, instead of pictures where I'm smiling widely and my lip lines are all smoothed out.

Here is Purty Persimmon:

Purty Persimmon 

Swatch of Purty Persimmon

Wearing Purty Persimmon 

Wet n Wild Purty Persimmon

Oops, forgot to take these first!


Purty Persimmon in the tube

And here is Cherry Picking...

Wet n Wild Cherry Picking


Cherry Picking in the tube

Swatch of Cherry Picking 

Wearing Wet n Wild Cherry Picking

Wet n Wild Cherry Picking lipstick


Summary: I really love these colors! The Mega Last lipstick formula isn't my favorite, but it's definitely not my least favorite, either. I am really excited to be able to add a couple of bright colors to my lipstick arsenal without having to drop a lot of money on shades I know I won't wear often enough to invest in a lipstick formula I love wearing.  For $2, you could do a lot worse; these are pigmented, don't have a weird taste or scent, and the range of colors is bold. The semi-matte cream finish is quite nice as well; you can easily change the finish by layering them over lip balms, wearing lip gloss on top, or topping them with a bit of translucent powder to dry them down to a matte.

Have you guys tried any of the Mega Last lipsticks? What do you think of the formula? I don't know that there's another lipstick on the market right now that I can easily compare it to.