Nars – Red Square (velvet matte lip pencil)
Mood: ill, and by that I mean actually ill.
What's Up: Red square has awesome staying power, but is a touch on the dry side. It is very bright lipstick, and very easy to apply. (Sidenote: This shade meshes well with balm: I dab balm on top for brighter color. I apply balm first, then the pencil, for a more muted color.)
1st pic: Red Square Swatch || 2nd pic: Applying balm first then Red Square over the balm.
Lush – Santa Baby (seasonal product, natch)
Mood: SICK AF
What's Up: Santa Baby is a lip stain that comes in a chapstick tube and smells like cola. THIS IS NOT A DRILL. (Sidenote: This is one of my favorite low-maintenance lip colors because it stains spectacularly. Once the product rubs off, the color remains.)
1st pic: Santa Baby swatch || 2nd pic: Santa Baby stain (after the product rubbed off)NYX – Aria (Matte Lipstick)
Mood: Phenylephrine got me like
What's Up: Aria is Matte, but has some subtle shimmer to it. The consistency is not on par with other NYX Mattes, but the color is very pretty. (Sidenote: Aria is another stainer. I prefer the stain to the actual lipstick.)
1st pic: Aria swatch || 2nd pic: Stain left after Aria rubbed off.OCC Lip Tar – Femme
Mood: I found out who my father is and it got me like
What's Up: The excitement of seeing a lip tar in my Birchbox was quickly replaced by horror. This is the worst color. The only good part is that it made me feel like Jennifer Coolidge. (Sidenote: Want to try using a lip brush, but don't want to spend a lot on it? Go to an art store and get a small "filbert" paintbrush. It's basically the same thing. I got mine for $1.50.)
1st pic: Femme swatch || 2nd pic: Black eye makeup = matte bronzer + black eyeshadow + Nars Fire Down BelowMally – Warm Red (Lip Pencil)
Mood: Seriously, how do people take selfies all the time. This shit is exhausting.*
What's Up: So this is a lip liner that I got in my Allure box. The instructions said it could be worn as a lipstick, which is what I did. It's so so pigmented and not nearly as drying as I expected. (Sidenote: The staying power of this stuff was impressive. It's the most long-lasting I've tried so far.)
1st pic: Warm Red swatch || 2nd pic: Warm Red after several hours wear (and a meal).Revlon – Rum Raisin
Mood: Shaking these zipper blues
What's Up: Rum Raisin is the quintessential shades of the 90s. It is a muted, medium warm brown with a satin finish and decent staying power. It will also make you a supermodel.
(Sidenote: Oh what 90s. YES. On this day, the 6th of May, I wore a floor length flannel dress, nostalgic lapel pins, and a circa '93 willis purse. why am i not gen x)
1st pic: Rum Raisin swatch with Leo assist || 2nd pic: Rum Raisin after several hours wear.Nars – Train Bleu (velvet matte lip pencil)
Mood: ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
What's Up: I've worn Train Bleu a handful of times, and every time it has proven to be a high maintenance affair. The color is lush, and it does have decent staying power, but if you're a perfectionist, you will find yourself touching it up frequently just to keep the pigment even. (Sidenote: Train Bleu did not withstand the burrito test, which is something I just made up.)
1st pic: Train Bleu swatch || 2nd pic: Train Bleu burrito swatchNYX – Wrath (Wicked Lippie)
Mood: in looove
What's Up: All the Wicked Lippies shades are metallic, so I was expecting full-on robot mouth when I tried Wrath. It was much more wearable though! The formula isn't very long lasting, but it is moisturizing. It goes on opaque and very pigmented, but wipes off very easily. I suspect it would be great on top of a matte color. (Sidenote: Wicked did not withstand the dog test, which is something my dog made up while taking this photo.)
1st pic: Wrath swatch || 2nd pic: Wrath dog testClinique – Matte Crimson
Mood: I haven't washed my hair in 4 days
What's Up: This lipstick goes on smoothly and dries down to matte. It doesn't dry my lips out, but it does tend to get uneven over time. Nothing a little lip mashing won't fix. (that's pressing your mouth together, you pervs). (Sidenote: Matte Crimson partially withstood the Taco Bell test.)
1st pic: Matte Crimson swatch. I went to Taco Bell. || 2nd: Combination Matte Crimson swatch and Taco BellRevlon – Smitten (Balm Stain)
Mood: ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ (am I allowed to use this guy again?)
What's Up: I have the Balm Stains in a few different shades. They are ideal for days when lipstick feels too heavy, but I want some color anyway. Smitten has decent staying power for a balm, and leaves a pink stain behind when it rubs off. All the Balm Stains have a subtle minty scent. (Sidenote: I apply by using the side of the product on the center of my mouth, then press my lips together to blend it out. I then apply it to any spots where there isn't enough color. I learned that if I line then fill (like I do other lip pencils) the balm will wear in the middle and leave a gross glossy lip line around the edges.)
1st pic: Smitten swatch || 2nd pic: How to apply the balm stains to avoid mouth ring.
31 Days of Lipstick: Part 1 // Part 2 // Part 3 // Mega Swatches + Favorites
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*If the thought of taking a selfie everyday makes you break out in hives, but you want to try it as a way to build self esteem, I highly recommend limiting the amount of pictures you take. I started this month taking as may selfies as needed to until I found a picture I was satisfied with. This quickly spiraled and the process ended up doing the exact opposite of what I was trying to achieve (think 100+ selfies—none of which I liked—followed by deep feelings of disgust in my narcissism, a gradual slide into a pit of worthlessness, capped with a late night existential crisis.) Limiting the selfies I took removed the pressure to be perfect, plus kept the images more authentic. Good lighting helps too. Go figure.
PS: If anyone has a better term for "selfie" please share. It makes me feel like a turd.
PPS: How to apply Lip Tar: 1) Exfoliate (I've been using this product for years) 2) apply a light balm/wipe away excess 3) apply universal lipliner to mitigate feathering (I bought this one specifically for this month) 4) put one drop of lip tar on a small dish or back of hand 5) use a lip brush to apply a little bit of product to the center of your mouth and blot 6) work outward 7) flaunt
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