Reviews and Other Stuff

Month: May 2019

Charlotte Tilbury Hollywood Lips Liquid Lipstick Review + Swatches, Part II

charlotte tilbury hollywood lips liquid lipstick pin up pink

 

Ever since I reviewed the Charlotte Tilbury Hollywood Lips Liquid Lipstick (first part seen HERE), I’ve been constantly reaching for it because there’s just something about this lipstick that makes me love it so much. Not sure what it is exactly. It must be the texture or the finish, or it could be its gorgeous shades or simply the fact that it kind of reminds me of one of my favorite comfortable liquid matte lipsticks, the Burberry Liquid Lip Velvet (seen HERE).

 

charlotte tilbury hollywood lips liquid lipstick review

 

Regardless of whether it’s the glam packaging or the unique brush, the Charlotte Tilbury Hollywood Lips Liquid Lipstick (0.24 oz: $34) simply makes the lips look full and dramatic. At first, it starts thickly whipped and velvety upon application, and though it may take some time for it to reach its ideal matte finish, you will find that once it does, then it becomes this comfortable lightweight non-drying soft-focus matte lip color. It has very minimal transfer and the pigment lasts for several hours.

 

I really like the way this liquid lipstick looks on me, and since I use it a lot, I went on to purchase three more shades. The plan was to get one more shade only, which is “Too Bad I’m Bad” but heck, I needed lighter shades for this Spring and Summer, so I went ahead and got two more. See the shades and swatches below.

 

charlotte tilbury hollywood lips liquid lipstick swatch rising star, pin up pink, too bad i'm bad

 

Rising StarNude Pink. I was worried about this shade at first, thinking this might may me look too pale or too washed-out. But it actually didn’t. It’s one of those perfect everyday nude matte lip colors and it looks even better under the sun.

 

Pin Up PinkCoral Pink. This shade gave me mixed feelings at first. I like its bright pink coral/neon-ish tone, but I was worried that it might look too funky on me. At first swipe, it kinda does, but as soon as it sets, the color becomes more diffused and really wearable. It’s definitely a shade for bright clear skies.

 

Too Bad I’m BadWarm Rosy Pink. If I love the Show Girl shade for Fall (seen HERE), then I’m definitely in love with this color for Spring and Summer. It suits well for my skin tone and it gives a nice pop of rosy pinkish-red on the lips.

 

charlotte tilbury hollywood lips liquid lipstick

 

Bottom line, these lipsticks can make you look put-together really quick and the quality is superb.

Are you a fan of these too?

 

charlotte tilbury hollywood lips liquid lipstick rising star

 

The Charlotte Tilbury Hollywood Lips Liquid Lipstick is currently available at Sephora, Nordstrom, Net-A-Porter, Selfridges, Bloomingdale’s,ย Bergdorf Goodman, and Harrods

 

*Eyeshadow Palette is the Anastasia Norvina, reviewed HERE

*Gradient Scented Block Candles are the Ikea Lugga Candles, will be reviewing them soon

*Pouch is from Saks Off 5th, available in-store

 

Favorite Hair Texture Sprays

Living Proof Full Dry Volume Blast review

 

Hey All! In my previous haircare review, I mentioned that I’m obsessed about texturizing hair sprays. They come in different names, some are called Dry Texture Sprays, Texture Mists, Dry Sprays, Hair Texturizing Sprays, and even Wave Sprays, Salt Sprays or Beach Sprays function the same. I started using these sprays around the same time that I fell in love with dry shampoos (see my favorites HERE). For me, I love the way these texture sprays look on my hair, especially if you find the right texturizing spray that suits your hair type.

 

Lately, there’s been a surge of different types of hair texture sprays from different brands. While they’re not all created equal since most of them come in different formulations, I find that they all give this hair definition and texture that looks “lived-in” and “effortless” which I really really like. Also, I like the way they add texture to my layered strands and the way they lightly hold my hair in place. Some may also add volume and that’s a huge plus because it’s like getting a dry shampoo and hairspray in one.

 

I tend to like lightweight hair texture sprays which means I don’t like anything that grips on my hair too much to the point that my hair would look dry and stiff. I also don’t like anything very sticky. A tad sticky yes perhaps, but it has to be very flexible.

 

Here are my favorite hair texture sprays.

 

Liquid

The liquid form of texture sprays tend to be lightweight and may have a slightly sticky feel, although some could get really heavy on the hair, while some could make the strands stiff and dry. These type of dry texture sprays are almost similar if not identical to sea salt sprays and wave sprays. They crunch the hair in varying levels of strength but they don’t necessarily add volume. Most of these are great for medium type of hair. For my preference, I like the ones that are very light and with a nice irresistible scent.

 

Alterna Caviar Resort Sea Tousled Texture Spray

 

Kรฉrastase Aura Botanica Beach Wave Texture Spray (5.1 oz: $28) – This pretty much takes the same scent as the whole Kerastase Aura Botanica haircare line (read the Kerastase Aura Botanica Shampoo+Conditioner review HERE). If you’re familiar with that line, then you will find the scent of this texture spray to be familiar as well. This has a nice light perfume-like scent. It sorta relaxes the hair and it gives a nice soft textured effect. It does give a slight “wet” look effect and it tends to grip the hair strands a bit stronger than most liquid textured sprays I’ve tried, but it’s flexible enough to be brushed. It makes the hair stay in place and it defines each strand well.

 

Alterna Caviar Resort Sea Tousled Texture Spray (4 oz: $28) – Similar to the Kerastase Aura Botanica Texture Spray above but this one has a slightly fresher scent and it gives a bit of hair volume while it mildly crunches the hair. You don’t need to use a lot of this and it gives a nice lived-in look. This could also work as a hair perfume or hair fragrance mist, just like the Kerastase texture spray above.

 

Living Proof Instant Texture Mist (5 oz: $26) – This has the lightest grip of all the liquid texturizing hair sprays I’ve tried and it smells divine. It’s perfect for keeping the strands and hair layers in place after straightening the hair. It doesn’t crunch much and it doesn’t add volume, but it keeps the hair looking naturally defined and clean. The spray nozzle of this delivers a very nice fine mist.

 

Aerosol

The Aerosolized type of hair texturizing sprays is my most favorite. This type not only defines and holds the hair together, but they also add some volume. It’s really like having a volumizing dry shampoo and hairspray in one.

 

Moroccanoil Dry Texture Spray

 

IGK Beach Club Texture Spray (1.7 oz: $14, 5 oz: $29) – This has a coconut scent that I kind of find to be quite too strong for my taste, but this definitely adds texture and volume to the hair like no other. I just love the way this looks on my fine straight hair. It makes my hair look more alive, defined, volumized, fresh, and truly bouncy.

 

Moroccanoil Dry Texture Spray (1.6 oz: $11, 5.4 oz: $28) – With a nice floral-powdery scent, this texture spray feels and applies more like a dry shampoo that adds a really nice hair definition but not necessarily too much volume. It doesnโ€™t crunch much either, but it just defines and holds the hair in place while absorbing excess hair oil.

 

Oribe Dry Texturizing Spray (2.2 oz: $22, 8.5 oz: $46) – This has similar characteristics to the IGK Beach Club Texture Spray above and yes, I like this a lot too. I even like this more than the Oribe Gold Lust Dry Shampoo (seen HERE) because this smells so good and it works very well for my hair type. For me, this gotta be the most perfect hair texturizing spray in terms of scent, volume, grip, and look/effect on my hair.

 

Living Proof Full Dry Volume Blast (3 oz: $15, 7.5 oz: $29) – I’ve ignored this dry shampoo several times because I honestly wasn’t sure what this was for. That is, until, I saw that this is an Allure Best of Beauty Winner and people rave about how good of a texturizing hair spray this is, especially for fine hair. So, I decided to give this a try. I really like the smell of this, and this texture spray pretty much functions like the IGK and Oribe ones above. Yes, this does give a nice hair lift, but it’s also true that the volumizing effect of this lasts for about 2-3 hours only. After that, you really need to reapply, and that’s why I always have a mini size of this in my tote.

 

Amika Un.Done Volume and Matte Texture Spray (1 oz: $10, 5.3 oz: $20) – Another one that is so similar to the IGK, Oribe, and Living Proof dry texture sprays above, but you may find the scent of this to be too strong. I generally like the feel and smell of this at first spritz, but after a while, the scent can be overpowering and kind of old lady-like for my preference. But that may just be me, some of you guys may actually find the scent of this to be totally fine.

 

Foam

 

ouai dry texture foam

 

Haven’t experimented much on foam hair texturizing sprays or in any other type of texture sprays other than mostly the liquid and the aerosolized powdery form. So far, in the foam type, I only like the Ouai Dry Texture Foam (5.8 oz: $28) which smells nice and it’s also a creamy lightweight foam that adds grit and texture to the hair, along with some really good volume. This is great to use even before styling or to refresh the hair and add some volume the next day without washing it. I find that this works well for my fine straight hair. Read more about this product HERE.

 

hair texture spray

 

Final words, if you’re new to dry texture sprays and your hair type is fine, you may wanna try the aerosol types and I highly recommend the ones from IGK, Oribe, Living Proof and Moroccanoil, or you can try the Ouai Dry Texture Foam above. If your hair is medium, thick, wavy, or curly, you might enjoy any of the liquid types, or you can still try the one from Ouai.

 

Are you a fan of hair texture sprays? Which one is your favorite?

 

 

Glossier Mini Haul

glossier generation g

 

Hey there! Heard Glossier got a new addition to their beloved Balm Dotcom salves. Upon checking out their website, it looks like they’ve also added/updated a few more other products as well, including the newly reformulated Glossier Generation G sheer matte lipstick. Curious as always, I decided to try their newest Mango Balm Dotcom flavor, and I also ordered another flavor from the same line which I haven’t tried before. Also, in this review, I’ll feature one new Generation G lip shade.

 

glossier balm dotcom coconut

 

See below.

 

glossier review

 

Balm Dotcom (0.5 fl oz: $12) – This is probably my most favorite Glossier products of all and I keep buying this because I really love how versatile this balm is. You can use it for just about anything and it doesn’t irritate the skin. It’s a very thick salve that truly soothes and moisturizes the driest area of the skin no matter what the season may be. Also, the flavor/scent of this is always very rich and definitely true to its description. On top of that, the packaging is so cute and easy to store or carry.

 

glossier balm dotcom review

 

  • Coconut – Untinted. This is the scent/flavor I didn’t talk about during my previous Glossier review, seen HERE. I’m usually not a fan of strong coconut scents, but this one is not overpowering. While this definitely smells like true fresh coconut, this actually kinda reminds me of that dreamy tropical paradise escape we all have in our bucket list.

 

glossier balm dotcom mango flavor

 

  • Mango – The latest addition to the Glossier Balm Dotcoms, and this does not disappoint. It’s got a true juicy mango scent with a hint of bubblegum perhaps, and it has a light coral tint that disappears easily upon application. The scent of this travels easily across the room and you can notice it as soon as you unscrew the cap. It is that good.

 

glossier generation g lipstick in like

 

Generation G ( 0.1 oz: $18) – This is Glossier’s sheer matte lipstick line that has recently been reformulated. I got so curious about this, and guess what? I actually prefer this new formula compared to the old one. See the Leo shade in its old formulation HERE. The old formula tends to get really dry on the lips over time.

glossier generation g lipstick in like

  • Like – Described as light cool pink according to Glossier’s website, this appears like a light nude mauve on my pigmented lips with a soft-focus blotted effect, even though it looks kind of dark purple-violet inside the tube. I find this to be perfect for my lips this Spring and coming Summer for a sheer mauve pop of color, and it’s quite moisturizing as well. This also feels light, comfortable, and it doesn’t transfer much. Since this is sheer, the lasting power is around 2-3 hours after eating or drinking. I think the Dior Lip Glow in Matte Raspberry (seen HERE) is very much similar to this in terms of texture and finish. Further, this has a light jasmine scent that goes away a few minutes after application. I really like this sheer matte lipstick/balm a lot, and this “Like” shade definitely deserves a lot of likes because it seems universally wearable enough as an everyday lip shade with its perfect natural nude-mauve tone. Since I like this lipstick a lot, I’m planning to review the whole newly-reformulated Glossier Generation G lipstick soon. So, stay tuned for the swatches.

 

glossier

Have you been loving any Glossier products lately? Which ones?

 

The Glossier Balm Dotcom in Mango and Coconut and the newly-reformulated Generation G lipstick in Like are currently available at glossier.com