Stila vs. Lime Crime: The battle of liquid lipsticks

Any lipstick lovers out there have surely heard of the infamous Lime Crime Velvetines, and you might be curious about other options such as the Stila All Day Liquid Lipstick. (I'm still on the lookout for the Hourglass Liquid Lipsticks, but at the moment I have my fair share of liquid matte lip products.)

Comparison + swatches:

(L to R) Stila Beso, Lime Crime Red Velvet; Stila Carina, Lime Crime Suedeberry; Lime Crime Pink Velvet

(One swipe of each, no extra coats)

As you can see in the previous picture, all of them are very opaque. However, I have noticed a bit of patchiness with both coral offerings, but nothing a second thin coat or a lip liner can't fix! However, if I were to choose, I would go with Suedeberry over Carina, because Carina tends to get into the creases and look quite cracked when it mattifies.

Close-up picture for texture reference. 

(L to R) Stila Beso and Lime Crime Red Velvet

In terms of texture, Stila's liquid lipsticks are more creamy, whereas Lime Crime's are a bit more watery. This can be either an advantage or a disadvantage... you're probably thinking I'm crazy right now, so let me explain.

• As you can see in the picture, Lime Crime tends to bleed a little, but only when it's still wet (1 minute approx.) That means that if you mess it up, you can go over with a lip brush and clean it up or buff it for a less PERFECT lip. This also ensures that it mattifies quicker than Stila's, which is quite nice when you're in a rush (however, it does require the same precision, so maybe if you're running out of the house you should skip liquid lipsticks all together.)

• On the other hand, Stila's is quite creamy which some people may prefer, however I find that you can't press your lips together for some minutes in case it dries weird or creases, at least with Carina. Beso, and I guess other darker colours are easier to use. (I also have Aria, but I forgot about it altogether when taking the pictures.) *I think Beso is a great colour and it's quite long-lasting, however Carina has cracked my lips and gotten into the creases VERY FAST, which isn't pretty at all. 

Lime Crime Pink Velvet, Lime Crime Suedeberry, Stila Carina, Lime Crime Red Velvet, Stila Beso

Now, what about the colour?

I can assure you Carina and Suedeberry are ALMOST exact dupes [Suedeberry is a bit lighter and orangy-er], and the creamy texture of Carina is more comfortable to apply, although it sets into the creases and feels plastic-y once it has dried down.

Red Velvet and Beso also looked like exact dupes (they're REALLY close in shade) but Beso is a TINY bit warmer than RV. 

I can't say if Pink Velvet will be similar to Stila's Fiore, because I don't own Fiore (and seeing how similar these are in shade, I don't plan to anytime soon.)

And, last but not least, their packaging and price:

Stila has a sleek shiny tube, which holds 3ml or 0.1 fl.oz, for the price of $22 

(Millilitre per $ = 0,1363ml; Fl.Oz per $ = 0,0045 fl.oz.)

Lime Crime houses their liquid lipstick in a frosted glass tube, with a very pretty flower motif on the lid. This tube holds 2.6 ml, or 0,088 fl.oz, for the price of $20. 

(Millilitre per $ = 0.13ml; Fl.Oz per $ = 0,0044 fl.oz.)

This, of course, means that you're getting a little less for every dollar you spend on Lime Crime, in comparison with Stila's. However, it's not a big difference, in my opinion.

Lip swatches:

Lime Crime Red Velvet

(1 thin coat, no lip liner)

Lime Crime Pink Velvet

(1 thin coat, no lip liner)

Lime Crime Suedeberry

(1 thin coat + lip liner* MAC Dynamo)

*You can skip the liner, but you'll have to go back with Suedeberry to reapply where needed.

Final scores:

LC Suedeberry: 8.5/10 

LC Pink Velvet: 9.5/10* 

LC Red Velvet: 9.5/10*

(*I took 0.5 for the price, even though it's not a huge con, it lowers the scores)

Stila Beso: 10/10 

Stila Carina: 7/10

Are you planning on buying any liquid matte lipsticks? Which brand do you prefer? 

What did you think about these?

M.

Summer lip trends!

The summer has started, at least for me (finally), after finishing my exams and starting to make authentic summer plans such as parties on the beach, a trip to an island nearby, etc. 

However, what beach party would be complete without a summer lipstick to wear? 

This is the reason why I have searched through my collection to find the most adequate lip products for summer, with different trends: classic red, bright fuchsia/hot pink and orangey red. There's one for everybody! 

Trend #1: Classic Red

Everyone loves a good cool toned red, it's a classic look that's been going on for decades, right? And I have the perfect colour for you guys: NARS Velvet Matte Lip Pencil in "Dragon Girl".

This product is great for summer because it comes in a pencil form, so that means you don't need a lip brush or anything else. I put it on my lips, and then dab with my ring finger to soften any hard edges. 

I think it's a pretty easy product to use, and as it's so bright, and not a dark red at all, this is very summer appropriate. You can see more of "Dragon Girl" in this post: CLICK.

Trend #2: Fuchsia/Hot pink lips

I really love fuchsia colours on the lips, especially when they're matte, but I also find that for summer the matte look is quite uncomfortable, that's why I put together three different looks, depending if you're more of a light lip person or matte at heart, and then I threw a fuchsia lip stain too :) 

First, is my matte alternative: NARS' Lipstick in "Funny Face"

This is straight from the tube, and as you can see it's a beautiful lipstick. It's very bright, but not what you'd call a barbie pink, which I'm glad it's not, because cool toned pinks don't look too good on me. 

You can also apply this by dabbing it with your fingers, creating a matte but light look, which I think is more suitable for summer rather than the straight-from-the-tube way.

Second is L'Oreal Rouge Caresse in "Impulsive Fuchsia".

This is a sheer balmy lipstick, but it packs a punch of colour that looks really good in summer, because it's a very vibrant and beautiful fuchsia! Definitely one of my favourite lipsticks for this summer :) 

To see more, click.

And the third look is a lip stain, Stila's Raspberry Crush.

I found out this lip stain has SHIMMER. Oh, that was such a disappointment, because I had the Cherry Crush and that didn't contain any shimmer whatsoever. So I think this doesn't look right if you apply it straight from the tube.

However... 

...If you wait a couple of minutes and you take a makeup wipe, gently take away the shimmer, and you're left with this BEAUTIFUL stain on your lips. And if it looks a bit patchy like mine do in the picture below, I just apply my BodyShop plum balm because it evens it out and moisturizes!  

Trend #3: Orangey-red lips

2012 being the year of the colour Tangerine Tango, I only see fit that we talk about this colour for lips. However, I'm not a big fan of BRIGHT ORANGE lips, at least not on myself, so I think this is a more wearable way of taking advantage of this trend.

I prepared two looks, a matte one and a sheer glossy one. 

First look, is NARS' Lipstick in "Heat wave". 

Both of the pictures above show the lipstick applied onto the lips straight from the tube. It may be a little too thick for summer, or depending on what you like your lipstick to be like. That's why I also  dabbed it with my finger for a more soft look, without losing any brightness.

The second look was created with L'Oreal Rouge Caresse in "Rebel Red".

This colour is FRUIT PUNCH love. My other favourite for this summer, I just can't stop looking at it, it's SO BEAUTIFUL! And glossy, and comfortable, and it leaves a stain behind! Can you ask for more?

See more swatches here, click.

I hope you all liked these looks, and I recently bought NARS' Bolero, so I may PROBABLY do a second installment of this kind of lip trend posts. I tried mixing up high and low end brands, L'Oreal, NARS... no MAC, however, but it will be present in my second installment if I decide to go for it! 

What recommendations do you have for any of these trends? Do you own a beautiful lipstick that matches any of these categories? Go ahead and comment! 

Love,

Maria.