Reviews and Other Stuff

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Stila Matte’ificent Lipstick Review And Swatches

stila matte'ificent lipstick

 

A couple of weeks ago, I was talking to my cousin and couldn’t help but compliment her alluring lip color. Just like me, she’s a makeup junkie and she mentioned that the Stila Matte’ificent Lipstick is her favorite matte lipstick of the moment and possibly one of her faves ever. She told me that she’s so in love with this particular lipstick that she keeps repurchasing them to keep in her stash. Her favorite shades from this lipstick are the darker tones like Framboise and Bordeaux. Meanwhile, I, her perpetual partner in making silly jokes, listened to her attentively and paid attention to her suggestion of me trying this lipstick. I’ve seen and heard about this Stila lipstick before and I’m a big fan of their products, especially their cult-favorite liquid eyeliners and of course their Stay All Day Liquid Lipstick which I reviewed HERE on the blog. However, for some reason, this Stila Matte’ificent lipstick had slipped through the cracks of my radar and I had simply forgotten to test it.

 

stila matte'ificent lipstick review

 

Thanks to my cousin, my love for Stila lipsticks have been renewed and boy, I’m so impressed with this lipstick so far. The Stila Matte’ificent is a comfortable lightweight matte lipstick with strong pigments that can last up to 5 or 6 hours on me sans reapplication. Contrary to some reviews, it isn’t drying on me and it has no annoying scent, just a regular buttery hint that you’d find typical in most lipsticks. It is slimmer than most lipsticks which is great since it allows for a precise application and speaking of how it applies, it does glide easily on the lips and it doesn’t emphasize the lips’ fine lines that much.

 

Here are my top four favorite shades

 

stila matte'ificent lipstick swatch

 

Bonbon – terracotta nude, this looks really great on my light-medium skin tone.

Brulee – caramel nude but looks greige on me

Framboise – dark raspberry, almost dark wine red

Mon Ami – rose nude, looks bright nude pink on me

stila matteificent lipstick swatches in mon ami, brulee, bonbon and framboise

Just like my cousin’s rec, I too am now in love with this lipstick. I find the shades to be very flattering and they wear very well on me. Unfortunately, for some reason, it looks like Stila might discontinue this lipstick soon (God, I hope not) since it’s getting harder and harder to find this lipstick everywhere. So far, it’s no longer available at Ulta or Sephora, but Stilacosmetics.com still carries some shades of this particular lipstick line and it’s on sale for $8.00. Nordys has some of the shades too.

Not really sure what the fuss is all about, heard an issue about this lipstick’s packaging, but so far, I haven’t had any, so I hope Stila would reissue this lipstick soon with more shades because, for me, this is a very good reliable matte lipstick and one that I highly recommend.

 

stila matte lipstick review

 

The Stila Matte’ificent Lipstick is currently available at Stilacosmetics.com, Nordstrom, Nordstrom Rack, Amazon, and Dermstore.

 

 

Favorite Compact Setting Powders

 Dolce & Gabbana Perfect Matte Powder Foundation in 100 Warm

 

Hi guys! A few months ago I did a roundup post of my favorite loose setting powders, you can check it out HERE. This post is a continuation of that, but this time, we’ll be talking about my favorite compact powders. Some of these powders may be meant as compact powder foundations or as pressed powders, but I tend to use them as my setting/finishing powder since I mostly rely on liquid or cream foundations for good coverage. Yet, there’s also a few that I really like to use which are good as worn-alone sheer everyday foundations for whenever I have good skin days.

 

Excited to see which products made it to my list of faves? Read below.

 

 

High-End

 

Giorgio Armani Luminous Silk Powder Foundation in #4.5

 

Giorgio Armani Luminous Silk Powder Foundation in #4.5 (0.31 oz: $62) – This is the powder version of the award-winning Armani Luminous Silk Liquid Foundation (reviewed HERE) and it’s as good as it gets. This may not have a full medium coverage as the liquid one since this goes a bit sheer, yet this is very buildable it can really stand as a powder foundation alone. This powder is so soft and smooth, oil-free, and feels really creamy and very weightless. I tend to use this as a setting powder and it does a good job at setting my foundation, especially whenever I use the Luminous Silk Liquid. The finish is subtly luminous and quite natural, and it doesn’t make my face look flat. It is pricey though but it’s worth having and it stays on for hours.

 

 Giorgio Armani Neo Nude Fusion Powder in #4

 

 

 Giorgio Armani Neo Nude Fusion Powder in #4 swatch

 

Giorgio Armani Neo Nude Fusion Powder in #4 (0.12 oz: $58) – I am absolutely crazy in love with this glowy finishing powder. It is great to use with just about any foundation to achieve that radiant look, and it’s also perfect to balance and set a matte foundation so as not to look very flat. If worn alone, this makes for a perfect glassy skin effect, which is sheer yet glowy, radiant and youthful but not super blinding and over-the-top. I love how this makes my skin look luminous for everyday makeup look.

 

Tom Ford Illuminating Powder in 01 Translucent swatch

 

Tom Ford Illuminating Powder in 01 Translucent (0.21 oz: $79) – I was a bit wary when I got this powder because it looks a little too bright and too yellowish for my taste, but this actually goes on as a true sheer and translucent powder with a brightening effect. It’s perfect for the undereyes or to set any type of foundation since this doesn’t leave any flashback and it feels super fine. The finish of this a bit matte so it does a good job of controlling shine on the face as well. The packaging is also TDF.

 

Tom Ford Illuminating Powder in 01 Translucent

 

Dolce & Gabbana Perfect Matte Powder Foundation in 100 Warm – Been buying this for a long time and this has always been my preferred overall face powder due to its soft sheer consistency with good coverage and soft-matte finish that lasts a long time without making my face look flat and cakey. The packaging also looks luxe and elegant with a nice sponge applicator where you can apply this powder wet or dry. However, lately, it’s been difficult for me to get my hands on this since this compact has been sold out everywhere. I hope this gets restocked soon.

 

 Chanel Le Teint Ultra Tenue Ultrawear Flawless Compact Foundation SPF 15 in 30 Beige swatch

 

Chanel Le Teint Ultra Tenue Ultrawear Flawless Compact Foundation SPF 15 in 30 Beige (0.45 oz: $60) – This is one of those foundation powders that are just all-around so good in every aspect. This goes on as creamy and smooth and it smells divine. The finish of this is velvety-matte but it doesn’t make the face look flat, and it truly has a buildable medium coverage that feels weightless and simply blurring. It may be perfect as a worn-alone powder foundation, but this also does a good job at setting the makeup and controlling shine for hours while protecting the skin due to its sunscreen ingredient. This also has a nice soft sponge for a flawless application.

 

 

Drugstore

 

Neutrogena Healthy Skin Pressed Powder in 30 Light-Medium

 

 

Maybelline Super Stay Better Skin Powder in 25 Nude Beige (0.32 oz: $10.99) – This is the drugstore dupe of the Chanel Le Teint Ultra Tenue Flawless Compact Foundation above and it’s also pretty good. I love how this powder incorporates skincare with its salicylic acid ingredient, and this is also oil-free, non-comedogenic with a natural to matte finish.ย  This provides a pretty good sheer to medium coverage and this has a sponge applicator as well, but it’s not as soft as Chanel and it doesn’t wear as well as Chanel’s, so you’re still gonna need a blotting paper after 3-4 hours of using this if you’re the oily type. However, this is the next best thing to the Chanel Compact Foundation and this gets the job done whether as a stand-alone foundation or as a setting powder.

 

Maybelline Super Stay Better Skin Powder in 25 Nude Beige swatch

 

Neutrogena Healthy Skin Pressed Powder in 30 Light-Medium (0.34 oz: $12.99) – This has always been my go-to drugstore pressed powder for just about anything, from setting my makeup to oil-control and frequent retouches, I couldn’t count how many times I’ve repurchased this ever since I was younger. This actually used to have SPF in it which I love but now it doesn’t, which is a bummer. I mainly use this as a blotting powder for my oily-prone skin and this never caused any breakout, though I still have to use blotting papers from time to time. I love how sheer and light this is and when used as setting powder, this never cakes. The new formula of this compact is now blended with antioxidants.

 

L'oreal Infallible Pro-Glow Powder in 23 Nude Beige swatch

 

Maybelline Super Stay Better Skin Powder in 25 Nude Beige

 

L’oreal Infallible Pro-Glow Powder in 23 Nude Beige (0.31 oz: $12.99) – This is a duo compact finishing powder with the top half being glowy and can be used as a highlighter, while the bottom half is matte-ish and can be used as a setting powder. When combined, they give a nice very subtle luminous effect to set the makeup. It may not have the same glowy and radiant-effect as the Armani Neo Nude Fusion Powder above, but this is a nice good affordable alternative.

 

best setting powder

 

When choosing between a loose finishing/setting powder versus a compact setting powder, I think I have my preference towards the compact ones because they’re less messy to use and they travel well. What are your favorite setting powders? Do you also prefer the compact ones?

 

 

 

Shiseido Modern Matte Powder Lipstick Review And Swatches

Shiseido Modern Matte Powder Lipstick review

 

Hello Everybody and Hello to all lipstick lovers! I finally got the Shiseido Modern Matte Powder Lipstick (0.14 oz: $26) during the Sephora Holiday Bonus Sale, which is still ongoing and the next round will be coming up this weekend (more details and my wishlist HERE, will be adding another wishlist soon). It’s always great to take advantage of these sales so we can finally get that lipstick or be it any makeup our hearts desire. For me, I’ve been wanting to try this Shiseido matte lipstick because as what I’ve said before, someone recommended this to me and the reviews in Sephora have been great so far, even though there’s not a lot, and also, I haven’t really found several beauty bloggers talking or raving about this lipstick which is kinda strange because this particular Shiseido lipstick is actually an Allure Best of Beauty Winner this year.

 

Shiseido Modern Matte Powder Lipstick

 

To tell you a bit of story as to how I got so interested about this lipstick, let’s go back a couple of months ago to my trip to Minnesota, specifically Mall of America, lol. I was at Nordstrom’s Tom Ford beauty counter swatching some of their latest lipsticks when one of their SAs asked if I needed some help, which I gladly accepted and I asked her several questions regarding TF’s latest beauty launches. While I was talking to her, I couldn’t help but notice her beautiful lipstick color. She had this sort of semi-glossy brownish taupe lip color that simply looked glam and very Fall-ready. My first thought automatically was, it’s probably one of Tom Ford’s, but then I was like “no, it can’t be, I need to ask her” lol. So I did, and I was so shocked when she told me that she’s actually wearing two kinds of lip products and none of them are from Tom Ford, LOL! shockerz! I was like “Whaaaat?!”, I swear I felt my invisible wig falling, LOL. She did show me the two lip shades she used, one is a Chanel Jumbo Lip Crayon which she used as a topper, kinda like a gloss, then the base is the Shiseido Modern Matte Lipstick, and she loved it so much. I totally had no clue about this lipstick at all or how good it is, not to mention ever trying any Shiseido lipsticks before. So I then decided that my next mission will be to try and test this particular lipstick asap.

 

Shiseido Modern Matte Powder Lipstick

 

The Shiseido Modern Matte Powder Lipstick is a super lightweight comfortable lipstick with a true matte finish. It is creamy and it glides effortlessly on the lips without feathering. There is no noticeable scent or any flavor at all, and the packaging has a magnetic case that feels thick, slightly heavy, and overall robust. I find the shades to be well-pigmented, wearable, and just beautiful. The formula does transfer but only a little bit and it lasts pretty much the whole day on me. I may have to retouch a tiny bit after eating but still, the color stays on my lips. Also, this lipstick might slightly emphasize the lips’ fine lines, but this never made my lips dry at all.

 

Shiseido Modern Matte Powder Lipstick

 

Here are some of my favorite shades:

 

Shiseido Modern Matte Powder Lipstick in thigh high, disrobed, murmur, semi nude, velvet rope, nocturnal

 

Thigh High (504) – nude beige

 

Disrobed (506) – nude rose

 

Murmur (507) – rosewood

 

Semi Nude (508) – cinnamon, but more like a spiced cinnamon

 

Nocturnal (521) – brick red

 

Velvet Rope (522) – sangria

 

Shiseido Modern Matte Powder Lipstick

This lipstick’s shape and form reminded me a bit of the Charlotte Tilbury Matte Revolution lipsticks (reviewed HERE) but I find this Shiseido Modern Matte Lipstick to be a lot better in terms of texture, comfort and wear time, plus, this lipstick is way cheaper. With that, I do believe this lipstick deserves a 5-star rating since it’s very well done overall, and this is definitely one of the best matte lipsticks I’ve ever tried. I highly recommend this to you all.

 

Shiseido Modern Matte Powder Lipstick review

 

The Shiseido Modern Matte Powder Lipstick is currently available at Sephora, Lord & Taylor, Nordstrom, and Saks Fifth Avenue

 

*Crown Catchall is from West Elm

*All In Good Taste Book (Kate Spade) is available HERE

*Peonies Book is from HERE

*Veranda Entertaining Book is also from HERE

*Diptyque “Figuier” candle is available at Nordstrom