Makeup and Beauty Blog | Makeup Reviews, Swatches and How-To Makeup
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It’s officially, finally spring — and for me that means pink lippies!
To be honest, I wear some of these lipsticks year round (especially ColourPop Clueless)…but I am somewhat seasonal with my makeup. I do think it’s fun to change my look with the seasons, and here are my current top pink spring lippies this year.
I went with lots of different finishes and colors this time (here were my pink spring picks last year). Whatever your style, I hope this list gives you some ideas.
So, I have been wanting to try Zoeva makeup brushes and cosmetics for the longest time. I’ve seen so many bloggers and YouTubers rave about them — the pigmented eyeshadows and gorgeous brushes — and the day has finally come. I’m finally trying Zoeva!
I wanted to share my excitement with you guys, so I filmed my first impressions in this video:
I also have photos and swatches of everything I talk about in the video (down below), so that hopefully you guys can get a good idea of what Zoeva has to offer.
ZOEVA History
“ZOEVA is a German brand, founded in 2008 by Zoe Boikou. The brand name ZOEVA is composed of ZOE, the Greek word for ‘life’ and EVA, the very first woman. From a basic range of only 10 makeup brushes, ZOEVA now offers a professional portfolio of over 50 makeup tools and 100 colors for a full face makeup routine. Our products are designed to make a real difference in the way women experience their beauty rituals.”
Zoeva Warm Spectrum Eyeshadow Palette swatches from top to bottom:
“ZOEVA is dedicated to the self-confidence and unique beauty of all women. Every ZOEVA product is made with love and designed with conviction and passion for makeup. Our ultimate goal is to offer luxurious, high quality products. Helping every woman to discover her individual beauty is our highest ambition. ZOEVA means celebrating yourself and being aware of your individual beauty.”
For size comparison, here are the Zoeva blushes compared to NARS and MAC blushes:
Here are swatches of the second group of $6.99 Maybelline Color Sensational Vivid Matte Liquid Lip Colors. (Click here to see pics and swatches of the first batch.)
Just as a recap, here are my thoughts on the formula overall…
First, these are incredibly vibrant, and almost all of the 10 available colors are completely opaque, even after a single layer. Unlike the name suggests, though, I didn’t find them to be particularly matte. I’d describe them more as satin, with some appearing a bit glossy. Also, they don’t ever completely dry down, and they aren’t nearly as transfer resistant as the liquid lipsticks by Kat Von D, ColourPop or Sephora, for example.
That being said, they aren’t as drying either, so there’s the big trade-off with this formula.
I love the color range and how comfortable these are. But, I don’t love the incredibly strong scent or how easily they smudge and transfer.
If you’re sensitive to fragrances, be very careful about these. Upon application, there’s a strong floral/powder scent (maybe freesia?) that I can still notice after 20 minutes (though it’s weakened by then).
I also feel a bit of a tingle on my lips after I apply them. I’m not sure if it’s a reaction to the scent or an ingredient in the lipsticks, but it isn’t painful and doesn’t make my lips red or swollen or anything like that. Just something I thought I should note.
Overall, if you’re looking for intense pigmentation in a comfortable and affordable liquid lipstick, these are worth checking out; however, if you’re looking for long-lasting lipsticks, you may be disappointed. And be careful if you’re sensitive to fragrances!
Here are swatches and details of the last five shades (the reds and purples) — Fuschia Ecstacy, Orange Shot, Rebel Red, Vivid Violet and Possessed Plum.
Fuschia Ecstacy.
Swatched on my arm, this looks like a pink/red, but on my lips it looks much redder.
I really like this color.
The $6.99 Maybelline Color Sensational Vivid Matte Liquid Lip Colors are, in a word, VIBRANT, and almost all of the colors go on fully opaque with a single layer, but despite what their name suggests, I didn’t find them to be particularly matte. I’d describe them as more satin, with some of them even appearing a bit glossy.
Also, they never quite completely dry down, and they aren’t nearly as transfer resistant as the liquid lipsticks by Kat Von D, ColourPop or Sephora.
That being said, they aren’t as drying either, so that’s a tradeoff.
I do love the color range and how comfortable they are, but I don’t love the incredibly strong scent or how easily they smudge and transfer. If you’re sensitive to fragrances, be very careful about these. Upon application, there’s a strong powdery floral scent (possibly freesia?) that’s still noticeable after 20 minutes (though less so). I also feel a bit of a tingle on my lips right after I apply them, but I’m not sure if it’s just a reaction to the scent or due to an actual ingredient.
It’s not painful, and it doesn’t make my lips red or swollen or anything like that, but it’s something I feel I should note.
Overall, if you’re looking for intense pigmentation in a comfortable, affordable liquid lipstick, these are worth checking out; however, if you’re looking for something long lasting (or you’re sensitive to fragrances!), you may be disappointed.
Here are first impressions and swatches of the first five shades (the nudes and pinks) — Nude Thrill, Nude Flesh, Pink Charge, Electric Pink and Berry Boost.
Nude Thrill.
This one is very much my kind of nude lipstick. It goes on smoothly and opaque, even with one layer. The color really reminds me of Maybelline’s Truffle Tease.
Nude Flesh.
As you can see from the swatches, Nude Flesh looks similar to Nude Thrill, only with more pink. On my lips, the difference is more noticeable.
I think they’re both great nudes, and I can see myself wearing either one daily.
I’m sort of a makeup bag hoarder.
The easiest way to get me to buy something is to offer a free makeup bag. Then I’m sold (Clinique, I’m looking at you).
My excuse is that they always come in handy, whether for travel, organization, gift-giving… In fact, I always keep a makeup bag in my desk at work and another one in my gym bag. But I also like to have one that I just leave on my vanity, because it takes the guesswork out of doing my makeup in the morning, and I’ll also throw things in there that I’ve been meaning to try, so that I don’t forget about them.
I’ll also bring another makeup bag with me if I’m going somewhere after work, and I know I’ll want to freshen up my makeup.
See? So many makeup bags!
Here are what I currently consider my makeup bag essentials:
I’m not really one for powdering my nose on the go, so I have these Palladio Rice Paper Sheets instead. They soak up excess oil and don’t disturb the rest of my makeup. They’re very affordable, too (available at Ulta for $3.99).
If my base has worn off, or if I just want to add some coverage, I’ve been loving this Clinique Chubby in the Nude Foundation Stick. I use the shade called Gargantuan Golden. This one pictured is actually a free one that I got at Sephora, but I purchased the full size about a month ago (at Sephora for $24). I love how easy it is to blend on the skin with just my fingers, so it’s perfect for on-the-go. It’s build-able up to medium coverage and has a satin finish, so it looks very natural. If you’ve found other stick foundations to be too heavy or too creamy, look into this because it has a less slick feel than others that I’ve tried.
For added glow on the go, I absolutely LOVE Butterfly Beach by ColourPop Cosmetics. It’s a cool-toned champagne highlighter that instantly wakes up my face. I think it’s very flattering and so easy to just apply with my fingers, so this is one of my all-time favorite highlighters.
Cream eyeshadow sticks are among my favorite makeup products of all. I love how easy they are to use, and I’m always on the market for a new good shadow stick.
I did a roundup of my Top 5 Eyeshadow Sticks last year, and now I wonder if these Boots No 7 Stay Perfect Shade and Define eyeshadow sticks will make the cut.
The four shades here — Glistening Ray, Pink Pearl, Cool Mink and Velvet Truffle — are all smooth, creamy and extremely long-wearing.
After swatching them on my arm, I went to a cycling class, then showered, and the colors were still intact!
With the exception of Velvet Truffle, they’re all very sparkly, which I love.
Here are some swatches:
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Acure Organics Lip Lush ($5.99 each) lip glosses are perfect to just keep in your desk at work, in your car, or wherever, really. They’re lightly tinted and really moisturizing (but not sticky!), so they’re great basic lip glosses. The four I have here — Birthday Suit, Shmexy, Date Worthy and Daaang! — beyond having insanely cute names, have a light fruit scent that fades after a few minutes (which is a good thing in my opinion).
I like how moisturizing they are (due to the argan oil, echinacea, beeswax and other natural ingredients). Lots of lip glosses are really shiny but can be oddly drying or irritating for me. It’s like all that shine is just on the surface of my lips, and my actual lips aren’t getting any benefit, but that’s definitely not the case with these glosse, because they keep my lips feeling soft even after the shine wears off.
Here are some swatches on me:
The one called Birthday Girl is a clear lip gloss. Period. But it’s comfortable on the lips and easy to apply.
I’ve been keeping this one in my gym bag to use after working out. Like, my hair may look crazy, but my lip gloss is poppin’!
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Matte liquid lipsticks have been super popular lately…because they’re great! They’re intensely pigmented and long-lasting, but my goodness, they can be drying! I’m always experimenting with different lip balms that I can wear underneath them, and I think I’ve finally found the perfect layering product.
Murad Rapid Collagen Infusion for Lips ($24) is basically like a serum for your lips. It has the most unique texture that soaks right in. Five seconds after applying it, it looks like it’s gone, but my lips feel way softer.
I thought I’d tried every lip balm under the sun (and, to be honest, they all seem really similar to me), so I didn’t expect this to be much different. But it is. It creates the perfect base for liquid lipsticks because of how thin it is while still being incredibly moisturizing.
