Season of the Slim Stick: MAC Powder Kiss Velvet Blur in Wild Sumac & Maybelline Color Sensational Ultimatte in More Cedar

Slim lipsticks, somewhere between regular lipsticks and lip pencils in width, have existed for decades (look no further than this Maybelline commercial from 1980). ColourPop’s original Lippie Stix, NARS’ now-discontinued Pure Matte Lipsticks, Hourglass’s Confession Ultra Slim Lipsticks, and Kevyn Aucoin’s Unforgettable Lipsticks all fall into this category. Slim lipsticks appeal to customers because of… Read More Season of the Slim Stick: MAC Powder Kiss Velvet Blur in Wild Sumac & Maybelline Color Sensational Ultimatte in More Cedar

Mysterious Red Is Dead. Long Live Mysterious Red.

Just in time for spooky season, I’ve made two bone-chilling discoveries. The first is that Revlon discontinued its Glass Shine lipsticks at the beginning of this year. The second is that NARS is currently selling off its remaining stock of Velvet Matte Lip Pencils and replacing them with an uninspiring ten-shade lineup of Powermatte High-Intensity… Read More Mysterious Red Is Dead. Long Live Mysterious Red.

Cheap Thrills, Part 1: NYX Smooth Whip Blurring Matte Lip Cream in Chocolate Mousse

Have makeup prices increased dramatically in the past year, or am I just no longer receiving a paycheck? I mean, probably both. For the past month, I’ve been searching for a brownish red lipstick similar to Elaine’s in the “Soup Nazi” episode of Seinfeld, but the $10-$20 price point of lipsticks, my former sweet spot,… Read More Cheap Thrills, Part 1: NYX Smooth Whip Blurring Matte Lip Cream in Chocolate Mousse

Glossier Cloud Paint in Wisp & Purple Blush Comparisons

Earlier this summer, Glossier finally released Wisp, the lilac Cloud Paint for which fans had been clamoring for so many years. (Wisp and the other new Cloud Paint, Soar, are supposedly limited edition for this summer, but I have a feeling that means “limited edition unless they sell well.”) A purple-blush fiend since my early… Read More Glossier Cloud Paint in Wisp & Purple Blush Comparisons

Urban Decay Lip Bond in PDA vs. Lucky Boy Breakfast Burrito

Happy spring! It’s been a while. Last summer, I decided to try Urban Decay’s new shiny-but-long-lasting lipstick formula, Vice Lip Bond, which seemed to be along the lines of Revlon Satin Ink and YSL Glossy Stain. Since the lipsticks were $27 each, more than twice the price of Revlon’s perfectly good version, I limited myself… Read More Urban Decay Lip Bond in PDA vs. Lucky Boy Breakfast Burrito

MAC Retro Matte Lipstick in Ruby Woo: The Ultimate Red?

Happy Lunar New Year! January 22 marked the start of the Year of the Rabbit, which happens to be my own zodiac animal. (Yes, that means I’m nine months away from turning thirty-six, the age at which I’ve always assumed I’ll have all my shit figured out, though that seems increasingly unlikely.) I realize that… Read More MAC Retro Matte Lipstick in Ruby Woo: The Ultimate Red?