The L'oreal Colour Riche Collection Star lipsticks available in the Philippines were specially chosen to suit a wide array of Filipina skintone and hair color. Five shades, worn by five amazing celebrities, are available for those going for the barely-there lip look.

Product Information:

"Collection Star gathers the most beautiful female icons of our time to design these five nudes to ensure that Filipinas get only the most glamorous take on nude fashion."

Price: P400.00
Weight: 4.2g
Packaging: Plastic, gold

Perfect Nudes? - The Collection Star Experience

The packaging isn't really something I fancy but the stars' signatures and the little square color info that tells you the lipstick shade are quite nice to look at. The bullets seal quick and tight so I don't have to worry about it getting wrecked even if I carelessly chuck it in my bag in a hurry.

 L-R: L'oreal Colour Riche Collection Star Lipsticks in Barely Plum (by Sonam Kapoor), Barely Moka (by Gong Li), Barely Coral (by Fan Bingbing), Barely Greige (by Jennifer Lopez), and Barely Pink (by Doutzen Kroes)
 
On the actual lipsticks-- all lipsticks are rich and creamy, which I don't really prefer as I'm more of a matte-lip girl, but I was able to choose a few nudes I know I can wear. Only Barely Plum and Barely Moka were opaque-at-first-swipe, the rest had to be swiped on at least thrice to show up on my pigmented lips. Wear time is about 3-4hours.

Let's review each L'oreal Colour Riche Collection Star shade:

Barely Plum - a beautiful, universal nude. It is a nice pop of color and I like how it doesn't emphasize some dry areas of my lips. This one has got to be less glossier than the others and probably is my favorite of the lot.

Barely Moka - I loved it when I first used it but when I figured it had too much sheen to my liking, I picked it up less frequently. This lipstick has superb formulation but the finish is just too glossy for me. I know girls with really thin lips will like this though.

Barely Coral - My true nude color. However, I am not fully sold on the formulation. I will need a couple of swipes to make it pretty on my lips and add a few more on drier areas. I don't understand why this swatches on my arm well but translates differently on my lips.

Barely Greige - lovely when swatched, awful on the tube, more awful on my lips. This has the most chunks of glitters on the tube and I don't understand why. Luckily, the glitters help create an illuminated nude look, almost like 3D lips even. HOWEVER, the color hardly shows up on my lips. That's not really the kind of nude I'm looking for.

Barely Pink - The colour is cotton candy pink and will definitely be a nice nude for girls with the fairest skin. It looks funny on me so I'm passing.

Overall Thoughts

P400 is not a hefty price tag considering the L'oreal Colour Riche Collection Star lipsticks have decent formulation and wear time. I wouldn't depend on swatches (either on arms or on lips) as these colours vary depending on one's pigmentation and lip moisture levels. Go try them out at counters before purchasing!

Personally, I love L'oreal Colour Riche Collection Star Barely Plum the most. I like Barely Greige the least and if I should choose a 2nd and 3rd favorite, it will have to be Barely Coral and Moka respectively. I'm neutral on Barely Pink since I am not fair, and if I were, it will probably be as good as Barely Plum on me.


Disclaimer: Products were sent to me by L'oreal Philippines. A review/post was optional.

I never stopped exploring beauty during the months I have not been blogging. It was during these times I gave lipsticks a little more attention as I've always been a balm-and-tint girl, too afraid of lipsticks emphasizing my already full lips.

It wasn't easy looking for a shade and finish I didn't feel like tossing out after a few swipes, post-purchase. I wanted something close to my lip color and is almost sheen-free. Let's talk about a lippie I've been using a lot lately-- VMV's Velvet Matte in Roustabout.

How much: P1,050.00/ 4g
Where to buy: VMV counters in SM department stores, Trinoma Mall

You can classify Roustabout as an MLBB shade. It's brick brown on the tube and salmon on my lips. I'd say it's a notch more pink than my normal lip color and I love how it lights my face up.

Here, indoors and using flash photography:

And under natural light, without flash:

Roustabout is neither lip staining nor long-wearing. I notice major fading after the 3rd hour.

This is a nice color but I can't say it's a good buy. The finish may be wonderfully velvet, but it's a pain to put on! With or without lip balm, there's an uncomfortable drag when I use it. Also, it takes several swipes to get an opaque coverage sans a lip conditioner. Its weak formulation and barely satisfactory wear time doesn't justify the price tag. I've tried Shiseido's version of matte and they are buttery against the lips and covers fully at first swipe.

A few weeks after getting Roustabout, I learned that VMV holds a "Buy 1, Take 1" promotion for their lipsticks; had I gotten this on sale, it would've been a wiser purchase.

I know I could've gotten a similar shade from a more trusted lipstick brand for the price I paid for. What I'm unsure of is if the shade is as sheen-free as this one. VMV Velvet Matte Lipstick in Roustabout is still a tube-for-keeps as it is a nice warm shade and has a quality matte finish that's most flattering for my lips!

The G-lish Lip & Cheek Tints (which I discovered when a good friend gifted me a pot a few years back) are great lip products for those who are reluctant putting lipstick on on a daily basis. I find them tacky on the cheeks so I never use them as a blush. My forever fave is Nude Rush, a deep coral-brown shade, which I think will suit most skintones and different lip pigmentation.

At P100, these pots are very affordable. It's worth every peso as it is creamy, highly pigmented, and non-drying. The downside is that it doesn't really tint the lips (and the cheeks, I assume), hence, isn't long-wearing. There are three shades available; G-lish Nude Rush and Berry Blush will fit lightly and heavily pigmented lips while only those with pale lips will enjoy barbie-pink lips from Pink Crush.

I can't wait for these to get to our local counters! Although the beauty brand stayed safe with launching a couple of safe colors, I still think these lipsticks are worth checking out. Shiseido Lacquer Rouge creator, Dick Page, says:

The collection is about the simplicity of a lip gloss married to the intensity of a lipstick, with deep pigment and rich color payoff, long lasting shine and gloss.The lacquer rouge collection creates 'a speedy glamour'.

There are 12 shades to look forward to, four of which are Asia-exclusive colours (Carnelian, Amethyst, Rubelite and Sunstone). I dug up photos and some swatches from the net but wasn't successful with finding swatches for the Asian four (hee!):

Photo Source, by Ars Aromatica
Shiseido Lacquer Rouge swatched on NW18  (Asian skin)

Swatches from L-R: Nocturne, Drama, Savage, Nymph, Portrait, Blaze, Disco, Camel

Photo Source, by Beauty and the Feast

You can definitely tell that the lip lacquers are best on well-exfoliated lips!

For the Michael Kors NY Fashion Week Fall '12 runway, Dick Page did something marvelous with the Shiseido Lacquer Rouge. He used a wedged sponge and applied the liquid lipstick on the cheeks!

Check out The Effortless Chic for more photos

For sexy, flushed cheeks, makeup artist Dick Page used a white wedge sponge to spread Shiseido Lacquer Rouge in Drama (yes, that's a lipstick) from the largest part of the cheeks down toward the jawline in a chevron shape. "It's how you look if you've been skiing or in a hot tub or having very good sex one hopes," Page said.

Also, I found one reviewer who loved the Shiseido Lacquer Rouge's formula over the Chanel Rouge Allure Laque (check her story). The other blogger loved Shiseido's more than YSL Glossy Stains and Chanel RAL (her lip swatches here).

My eyes are glued on the Shiseido Lacquer Rouge in Blaze. I've never tried anything orange on my lips. I hear from other girls that among the 8 internationally released shades, Blaze is relatively transparent but buildable. The rest of the lip lacquers finish opaque at first swipe!

If you're scouring beauty brands for an inexpensive red lipstick, you're definitely in for some treat when you check out the Nature Republic Petit Cherry Rouge lippie in H20 (H stands for high-colour). I bought this last November 2011 during the Nature Republic Grand Opening at SM Fairview and I've been reaching for this every time I'd like a pop of red on my bare face.

What I love about it:

• highly pigmented
• inexpensive at P220 (Nature Republic card holders get an additional 10% off!)
• does not dry my lips out
• very creamy and glides perfectly on the lips
• cute and compact packaging; true-blue petite!

Uh-ohs:

• not long-lasting; i reapply after an hour or two
• not a perfect red on my pigmented lips; more of orangey-red on me

You might notice alphanumeric codes instead of lipstick names with The Nature Republic Petit Cherry Rouge products. Very Korean, don't you think? FYI: 4 variants are available, namely, High-colour (H), Moisture (M), Glossy (G), and Creamy (C). 

I swatched colors from the Moisture and Glossy variants which resulted to my partiality to High-colour because of its relatively outstanding color pay-off.

I'm still thinking if I should repurchase H20. Sometimes, I find the color too bold for my personality, hee. But I'll definitely check out more shades from the Nature Republic Petit Cherry Rouge line so that I end up with a lipstick that's more, erm, ME. 

Nature Republic Philippines' Branches and Contact Numbers:

Festival Mall Alabang, G/F, 822-2953
SM North EDSA, The Block, 4/F, across Wade, 921-4781
SM Fairview, Main Building, G/F, across Chinabank, 921-3829

Please don't forget to join my Neutrogena Fine Fairness BB Cream Giveaway! Deadline's today, 3PM.

Like Nature Republic Philippines on Facebook and/or follow them on Twitter to get updates on what's new and what's on sale!

Full Disclosure: Item reviewed purchased with my own money.

Here's another product I got from the HBC 88 sale, the San San Age-Defying lipstick in 03:

Price: 106php ($2.50), may even be lower during sales!
Color: mauvey pink
Shade Range: 5 shades to choose from
Ingredients: Castor oil, candellila wax, beeswax, paraffin wax, lanolin, mineral oil, vit. a, vit. c, vit. e, alpha hydroxy acid (AHA), colorant and fragrance

Pros:

• perfect MLBB shade for most Pinay skintones
• finishes to a flattering creamy gloss
• no strong scent
• photographs fairly nice
• cute blue packaging for those who love blue (raises hand!)

Cons:

• emphasizes the lines and dryness of my lips
• weak pigmentation, you have to apply more
• not longwearing

The packaging isn't something you'll be raving about but it's wonderful to note that the San San Age-Defying lipstick's cheap tag does not reflect much on its elegant blue casing!

This lippie goes sheer on me even after two swipes. You will definitely need a lot of product to get a pop of that pretty MLBB color.

When swatching, you might notice that this color yields a corally shade:

But it's really more pinkish mauve when on the lips. And here I am sporting the poorly applied lipstick. This is perhaps to point out how the lippie emphasizes the lines on my duhrrryyy lips:

Kumiko Mae wears this San San Age-Defying lipstick color better than I do! Check out her pretty look! But hey, I didn't do so bad here, did I? Goes to show how perfect the color is for us Filipinas!

Recommendation. This is perfect for photoshoots but may be too grueling to wear during events because of its need to be frequently reapplied. This is a nice choice though for everyday wear to complete a barely there makeup look.

When using this lipstick, I highly recommend it against a great skin. Those with acne scars and pits must layer on a good foundation to create the illusion of a better skin. Those with naturally clear skin can do without makeup and just put this lipstick on!

Topping the San Age-Defying lipstick in 03 with a nice similar shade of gloss might just address the longevity of wear issue. However, since the lippie is already hi-shine, there might be a risk of creating over-the-top glossy lips.

Here's Fashion 21's Aqualicious Moisture-Rich lipstick in Arctic Stone, which most local makeup artists claim to be a good dupe for MAC Twig. I haven't tried MAC Twig so I'm leaving photos for you to judge if it is indeed a sneaky local dupe.

MAC Twig vs its dupe, Fashion 21 Arctic Stone

Upon swatching, it appears that the lippie has tiny shimmers under the presence of a flash. For the freaked out shimmerphobes, do not fret, the glitters become absolutely unnoticeable when on the lips.

Price: 155php (~$4)
Pros: a pretty good shade for neutral lips, inexpensive, creamy and non-drying, great lip color to match dramatic eye makeup
Cons: isn't longwearing (2hrs max on me), color is not suitable for all skin tones (may appear odd/boring on darker skin tones)

The shade is so natural against my skin tone, I seem to be not wearing anything on my lips. Case in point:

The lipstick would've been prettier if I wore face makeup to cover up the bad skin. Remember that nude lips works best against a flawless skin.

FUN TRIVIA about me: You might have already sensed my lack of love for lipsticks with all those lip stain/balm posts. Fashion 21's Arctic Stone is the very first lipstick I bought. 

After loving Lip Ice's various lip balms, I'm moving on to another affordable lip moisturizer, the Nivea Fruity Shine in Cherry.

You can expect glossier lips from this product. It gives a sheer pinkish color to the lips which is natural enough to bring more life to your kissers. Although this has a more waxy feel than Burt's Bees and Lip Ice, this feature is something that chapped lips will have a good use for.

• Price: approx P80
• Comes in a tube containing 4.8g of lip conditioner
• Shelf-life: 12 months

See the shimmers? They don't really show up on the lips. These glitzies help create a nice, glossy effect!

This lip balm keeps my lips flake-free and moisturized for a good number of hours outside an air-conditioned environment. I like how well it works to provide a smooth base to lipsticks. However, I feel the need to gloss-up and reapply after shorter hours when inside cooler places.

One of the major reasons I'm hooked to applying the Nivea Fruity Shine balm every so often is its addicting cherry flavour! But despite this, there is a lot of product in the tube that can last me no less than a month.

That's 4.8g of Cherry awesomeness!

Nivea Fruity Shine Lip Balm is a budget-friendly lip treat that works and I'll gladly recommend to anybody. I just have to warn you, Cherry is undeniably delicious and fragrant so keep those teeth from sinking into the product!

The Etude House dear Darling Tint is a good alternative if you want a pop of color on the cheeks and a pair of effortlessly kissable lips. At 198php (~$4), this is a good lip and cheek tint.

Packaging

The almost gel-like tint is housed in a rather wide and long plastic. It has a doe-foot applicator just like most popular tints. This one is scented and has an initial grapefruit taste to it when applied on the lips.

Etude House Dear Darling Tint in Berry Red
a month after I purchased

Color

I'm not impressed with the color pay-off as I find it a bit unnatural (my gold standard is the natural flush that The Body Shop Lip and Cheek Tint gives me). Etude House's Dear Darling Tint is quite similar to the color you get from Nichido lip and cheek tint so make sure you don't apply too much on the cheeks.

When swatched, Dear Darling tint is very similar to The Bodyshop's tint
(L): The Bodyshop (R): Dear Darling Tint in Berry Red

Shade

There are 3 shades available: berry red (01), real red (02), and orange red (03). I got berry red since SA claimed it sold like pancakes. 01, as I've observed over the Etude House counter, has a stronger shade of berry than 02. 03 might be the least enticing to purchase because it really did nothing for my NC30 skintone.

Overall Impression

Because of the cheap tag, I'm satisfied with this product. It was able to give my lips a hint of color that adds to brightening up my face to improve the way I look. It has an impressive staying power both on the lips and cheeks. Minus the unnaturally red flush it gave me and the fact that it dries up relatively quick (vs The Body Shop's), I would've given the Dear Darling Tint a 5-star rating.

I will not recommend this to those who have stubborn-dry lips. Tints just emphasize the ugly truth.

Dear Darling Tint bigger than Bodyshop's

The big question is, will I repurchase the Etude House Dear Darling Tint when I run out? If I had the extra cash, I'd rather go for the Bodyshop's Lip and cheek tint (despite the fact that it has a less impressive staying power than the dear darling tint). On less financially glorious days, I consider this product a savior!

In the spirit of Lip Ice (you must've bumped into Pammy's and Phoebe's reviews by this time), I'm also doing a review on one of its popular variants, Lip Ice Fruity.  

I was lucky enough to get mine from a giveaway that I won (Phoebe's).  

Lip Ice Fruity Lip Balm in Strawberry, 3.5g, 89php
Available @ Watson's and SM Beauty

Pros: First off, Lip Ice Fruity w/ SPF15 is a good lip product to to get your hands on if you want a colorless lip conditioner that's affordable and non-greasy. It works well on dry and chapped lips even in an airconditioned room, but as with most lip balms, apply when necessary.  It's not some miracle product that will turn your lips hydrated the WHOLE day with one application.

Lip Ice is brought to you by Rohto-Mentholatum Malaysia

I love the fruity scent/flavour! I got the Lip Ice Strawberry variant and the flavour is just right for my liking. It may appear strong when you first apply it due to the mentholated feature, but the entire thing dies down in a few minutes.

I compare it to: Burt's Bees Beeswax Lip Balm; both lip balms have beeswax and are not icky sticky.

Burt's Bees Beeswax Lip Balm, P300+, 4.25g
Lip Ice Fruity, P89, 3.5g

I find that I need more application with Lip Ice Fruity than Burt's Bees
The minty feel also lasts longer with Burt's Bees

Cons: If you love some color on your lips, you ought to try their Lipcolor Balm or Sheer Colour variants instead. That'll save you a few bucks (that you can spend on Wish lip and cheek stain instead LOL). They also suggest pairing Lip Ice Fruity with the other colour variants for added colour, but I feel that doing that will already be too heavy on the lips (I tried my Sheer Colour+Fruity --- didn't like it).

Photo Edited from Lip Ice Facebook Page
available Fruity flavors are: Strawberry, Lemon, Apple,
Mandarin Orange and Grape Blackcurrant

Are you still swiping on some petroleum jelly on the lips (like my little sis... haha, I know what to give her this Christmas)?  Break free from it through Lip Ice products!

Lip Ice Fruity is a nice product that can fill in for your expensive balms when you run out of stock. It's a nice and affordable set to collect, too, either for your self or for gifting during the holidays!

Wish Lip and Cheek tint in Magic Red is a cheap alternative for those who fancy 2-in-1 tints.  I got myself a tube at Watson's a few days ago and I was so excited to put the cheap product to a test.

At 89php (~$2), you actually get what you pay for: the flimsy packaging, the sticky feel and the ugly fingertip stains. However, the clear tube is definitely stronger than you think. I loved how magically red it turned out on my lips that I looked back at the plastic lip tube and shook my head in disbelief, "this stuff really works".

Wish Lip and Cheek tint in Magic Red
89php @ Watson's

On the lips: Unlike The Body Shop's lip and cheek tint, Wish's color pay-off is very promising!  You only need a teeny weeny amount, spread it evenly on the lips, and you build the color from there. I also love how it really stains the lips. I noticed that even after eating, my lips are lovely pink!  Also, for those who do not fancy scented/flavoured products, this isn't for you.  Wish has a strong strawberry flavour!

Wish lip & cheek tint: A tiny amount offers a faint pink hue

On the cheeks: If you're already struggling putting color on the cheeks using a wand applicator, Wish will give you an even more difficult time getting an au naturale blush. It is a pain to get the right amount of tint out of the tube! You end up wasting a lot of product while staining your fingertips big time. But anything can be achieved with practice so I'm not giving up on this product just yet.

It's clear on the tube, but red on the lips and cheeks!

On a positive note, the tint glides magically (once again) on the cheeks and does not dry out easily (easy to blend).

It is actually an easier lip tint than a blusher. It is very sticky on the cheeks while it's perfectly fine on the lips.  But you can always work your way around it as a blusher through practice. I just love those moments where you purse your lips or rub your cheeks and that clear jelly substance just turns magically red.

Frequently compared to: Smashbox O-glow 

Pros: affordable, locally available, stains lips and skin for several hours, non-drying, little amount of product already gives outstanding color, highly blendable (no need to worry about creating streaks or spots)

Cons: very sticky on the cheeks (not good!), high risk of overapplication (both lips and cheeks), quite messy especially for beginners, flimsy packaging

Trying out Wish lip and cheek tint as a lip stain and blusher

Helpful hints: 

• Seal the tube TIGHTLY.  Otherwise, all the stuff around your lip and cheek tint tube gets an instant flush, too! Not nice.
• Tone down cheek color if you overapplied by putting powder on top of it. This also allows a less greasy/sticky cheek.
• Hold the Wish lip and cheek tint tube upright (capped part on top) when squeezing out the product. And please don't squeeze like there's no tomorrow.

If you feel like Wish lip and cheek tint in Magic Red didn't work for you, you might want to opt for their Strawberry variant instead. I'm eager to try it too since it has a more subdued color, the perfect antidote to always overapplying this reviewed variant.

Q:  How do I keep my Bodyshop cheek tint long-lasting?

A: I top it off with my Maybelline Clear Smooth Minerals in Gentle Pink!

Maybelline Clear Smooth Minerals Luminous Blush in Gentle Pink, around 350php (~$7)

Swatch: no shimmers but it glows; luminous indeed!

It even has instructions at the box's back!

I dab Bodyshop's tint over the apples of my cheeks, then use Charm's stippling brush to get a small amount of mineral blush and dust it over the tint.... and voila!  A natural flush that lasts longer!

Here's how the tandem worked on my cheeks after an evening reunion (~6 to 7hours post-application; blotted twice):

Not as stunning as how it looked before going out; nevertheless, it still looked healthy on me

(this post has the amount of scars I had to cover up, scroll through the bottom)

What I used:

FACE:

Clinique DDMG

Smashbox Photofinish Primer Clear

Cinema Secrets Ultimate Foundation in 302-65A

Aromaleigh URFP in Peaches and Cream to 'degrease' my face from the concealer

Joppa Grecian Gold Mineral Foundation

Aromaleigh URFP again to seal in everything

LIPS:

Still, The Bodyshop Lip and Cheek Tint!

My tattered and torn Bodyshop Lip and Cheek Tint; I love it to bits!  Surprisingly, this baby knocked out NARS powder blushes bad in my case...

I know there are a lot of people who are wary about getting this cheek tint because of:

application issues

dissatisfaction in color pay-off

some reviews that say it doesn't last long

But I hope you can:

try using a flat foundation brush to distribute the gel

experiment with building up its color

digest what I've reviewed because it can really last long

Because I believe that the Bodyshop lip and cheek tint gives the best healthy blush and I want you to experience it, too!

Thanks for reading!

If you still remember my post on my dear friend Kristine's bachelorette party, I'd have to tell you that she already tied the knot last week!

Her wedding started at 9:30AM and I was late for the ceremony proper since I still had one patient to attend to.  With only an hour to spare for preps to her wedding, I pushed my luck on just  my amateur prettifying skills, mineral makeups and freshlook dailies contacts to give me some radiance that day.

And it didn't fail me! Yay!  My other childhood friend, Reina, sarcastically quipped that it was dubious that I'm out of time to prepare with the kind of makeup I was wearing.

The No -Makeup Look:

FACE:

Clinique DDMG

Smasbox Photofinish Primer (Original)

Cinema Secrets Ultimate Foundation in 302-65A used as concealer on blemishes, pock marks & undereyes

Aromaleigh URFP in peaches and Cream using Charm stippling brush

Joppa FC Medium 3 using EDM flat top brush (2 layers)

Joppa Grecian Gold using EDM flat top brush (1 layer)

Aromaleigh URFP in peaches and Cream again to seal in all the mineral :-)

LIPS&CHEEKS:

The Bodyshop Lip & Cheek tint patted on cheeks

EYES:

Eye tapes

Freshlook Dailies Contacts in Pure Hazel

Fanny Serrano black gel liner using Fanny Serrano angled liner brush

The Face Shop's false lashes

Fanny Serrano lash curler

BROWS:

Fanny Serrano clear mascara

Lancome dual eyeshadow (Noix shade) using Fanny Serrano angled liner brush to fill in sparse areas of brows

Now these shots were taken after the reception's program.  My lip and cheek stain's awesome job can no longer be appreciated.  My mineral makeup has made me look dewy, not oily.  My eyes, despite the lack of shadows, still popped with the freshlook dailies+flasies tandem.

Reina in her taupe dress, me in my floral number, and Kristine, of course, in her bridal gown.

The three of us have been friends way back Kindergarten days in Maryknoll Child Study Center.  We've been schoolmates/busmates for 12 years, too.  We've fought over stickers, snubbed each other during that time and even caused the entire schoolbus (including our seniors) to be divided as they took sides.  We've sang 'The greatest love of all' with what we then thought was 'voicing', pioneered trick or treating in our village, graduated and made our parents proud altogether.

These people are the closest to my heart although we barely see each other after college (we live in the same village!).  We may have new sets of people we hang out with at present, but we know deep inside us that we are genuinely bestfriends forever!

PS:  These were the pock marks that I had to conceal.  I just thought I had to share.  Natural makeup is very possible even if you have lots of blemishes and ugly, ugly, ugly scars.

Pock marks, pimple blemishes, and monolids.  The solution? (at least temporarily! =D) Mineral makeup, a good concealer, eye tapes and freshlook dailies!