ulta – Hoots of a Night Al

Clinique Long Last Soft Matte Lipstick in Matte Crimson

August 19, 2016 4 Comments

I’m a strong believer that red lipstick looks beautiful on anyone! It’s universally flattering, adds some glam to any look, and feels timeless. That’s why I was so excited to get this tube of Clinique Long Last Soft Matte Lipstick in Matte Crimson recently.

As you can see, the color is a beautiful, classic red shade. I tend to prefer classic reds over reds with orange, pink, plum, etc. tones. I think it’s the most flattering on my neutral-warm toned MEGA fair skin.

Plus, how cute is this packaging? I think this lip-covered tube may be exclusive to Ulta, but thankfully the Matte Crimson color can be purchased wherever Clinique is sold! (It comes in a classic silver tube everywhere else.)

The Long Last Soft Matte Lipsticks are described as “creamy, matte lip color with staying power.” Their claims include, “This lipstick keeps its soft, matte finish for hours. It will not feather, creep, stain, or dry out.”

I found all of these to be true! I must say, the application was a little difficult. It glided on easily, but the shape of the lipstick made me think this may be easier applied with a lip brush.

However, once applied, I loved it! The color is rich and very pigmented. It claims to be matte, but demi-matte may be more appropriate. It’s not drying like other matte lipsticks, and it will also transfer. I think that’s something to keep in mind if you’re looking for an all-day lipstick.

In the several hours I wore this, it didn’t feather at all, which I often have an issue with. It also didn’t dry out my lips. When I finally wanted to take it off, I had to use makeup remover to get off all the color!

It was very comfortable on my lips and didn’t dry them out like other mattes. It didn’t wear off at all, but I feel like it would have wear off evenly over time, which is nice.

I loved the shade because I feel like it made my teeth look whiter. Some other shades of red aren’t as flattering to teeth color, so I think this one may be slightly blue-red. I’ll never pass up a lipstick that improves my smile!

I love red lipstick because it can be used year-round! I think this Matte Crimson will definitely be in my lipstick rotation this fall.

As you can see here, I paired my red lips with a simple daytime eye look. This color would be great with smoked out eyes for a date night, too, though! Red is versatile like that. 🙂

It costs just under $20 a tube, but I feel like this classic shade would be a great investment. One of my favorite drugstore alternatives is Revlon Matte Balm in Standout, but it’s not quite as vibrant. For a red option that’s even longer-wearing, I prefer MAC Pro Longwear Lipcreme in Perpetual Flame.

If you’re in the market for a new red lipstick to try, I, obviously, would happily recommend this one! It’s vibrant, non-drying, long-wearing, and beautiful!

Do you have a favorite red lipstick I need to try? Let me know!

Foundation: Revlon Colorstay

Concealer: Maybelline New York Instant Age Rewind Eraser

Bronzer: Physicans Formula Bronze Booster

Blush: Wet n Wild Icon Blusher Pearlescent Pink

Highlighter: Wet n Wild MegaGlo Illuminating Palette

Eyeshadow: e.l.f. Prism Eyeshadow Palette in Sunset

Eyeliner: Maybelline Unstoppable Eyeliner in Onyx

Mascara: Maybelline Lash Sensational

Eyeshadow Primer: Maybelline Eye Studio Color Tattoo Metal in Barely Branded

Lipstick: Clinique Long Last Soft Matte Lipstick in Matte Crimson

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Beauty

Beauty Blurbs: Revlon Just Bitten Kissable Balm Stain in Romantic

February 3, 2014 4 Comments

Hey y’all! Today I wanted to do a quick review of another Revlon Just Bitten Kissable Balm Stain. I already sang the praises of Honey and Crush, so I picked up Romantic on my last trip to Ulta assuming I’d love it just as much. Unfortunately…I didn’t. I gave it a whirl this morning as I was leaving to go babysit. I felt like a showgirl…this was definitely not the best morning babysitting look. The things I do for y’all.

The outside of Romantic’s tube made me think it was going to be a rich cranberry red with tons of color like the other balm stains. However, Romantic was more like (shocker) a balm stain. It was kind of sheer and shiny without as much pigmentation as some of the other shades. I guess I shouldn’t be surprised because it does fit the bill as a balm stain, but it really differs from my other shades.

It looks thick in my pictures, but I can assure you it was pretty sheer. There was definitely a good amount of color, but Romantic wasn’t as vibrant as Crush for sure. It was also slightly pinker than I was expecting. The wear was comparable to Crush and Honey, but Romantic may have worn off slightly quicker. I think the more sheer color caused less of a stain to remain on my lips as well. Although I do like how it looks in my natural light pictures, I decided to return this shade to Ulta today. It definitely looks better in my pictures than it did in person. At least Ulta has an awesome return policy!

For someone looking for more of a sheer balm-like lip product, I would say go for Romantic. I wasn’t a fan, but the color was pretty, and I could see others liking it for sure. If you think you’d like it, grab a tube of Romantic here! I was able to pick up another Revlon ColorBurst Matte Balm to try today, so hopefully I can review that soon! I also have some new eyeliners, eyeshadows, and primers to review too! Lots of Beauty Blurbs coming your way!

And, to round out this post, some more super awkward pictures of me. Enjoy!

Beauty

Beauty Blurbs: ck one mascara Review

January 17, 2014 No Comments

Okay, I’m sure you’re all starting to think the only thing I care about is mascara after my recent posts. I promise I use other makeup though. 🙂 In fact, I have another Revlon Just Bitten Balm Stain review coming up soon! Today, I wanted to share a review about ck one mascara.

I received an email from Ulta with a coupon for a free tube of ck one mascara for my birthday! If you ever shop at Ulta, I’m going to go ahead and recommend you join their rewards program. Every week I get coupons for either 20% off my purchase or $3.50 off a purchase of $10 or more. It’s not always a huge discount, but something is better than nothing! You can also occasionally redeem points for free products based on how many you’ve accumulated. And apparently for your birthday, you also get a special surprise!

I was excited to find out this was for a full tube of ck one mascara, valued at $18. The color I received was Black, which was perfect as that’s what I would have chosen! They do also have a blue one (along with other colors), which could be fun on occasion! The packaging was so sleek; I loved it. One thing to note however, is the black half of the tube is matte. This could cause some annoying fingerprints if it comes in contact with other makeup similar to NARS packaging. It’s not a huge deal to me, but it’s worth noting if that bothers anyone.

According to the box, the “multi-look brush expands or contracts for on-demand volume, length and definition.” The most unique thing about ck one mascara is definitely the wand.

It can be left straight or by twisting the top of the lid the brush curves and contracts. It’s great for anyone who prefers one type of brush over the other. I alternated with both styles, and I didn’t notice too great of a difference in application. Some people may though, depending on your lashes or style of application.

I wasn’t expecting much, but after one coat, I was happily surprised. The mascara was easy to apply and went on very smoothly. I don’t think it added much volume, but my lashes were definitely longer and more defined.

My second coat definitely added more volume and a little more length. It is also worth noting that I had trouble swiping the wand through my lashes for the second coat. It kept catching and was almost impossible to work through the roots of my lashes. I typically prefer to let my mascara dry some between coats, and that caused a slight issue with this mascara. Perhaps in the future I will try adding my second coat immediately.

Here you can see a side by side comparison of one versus two coats. One coat is definitely a softer look. I think if I applied a second coat immediately, it would eliminate some of the clumping. I really loved how well the tiny bristles accentuated my bottom lashes.

Another issue I had with the wand was some residue on my lids after the second coat. I’m sure most of that is just due to “user error,” but I typically don’t have that issue with wands with longer bristles (ironically?). Another thing to note is that my eyes were slightly irritated at the end of the day. There is currently lots of pollen in my area, so it may be due to that. I haven’t tested this mascara again to be sure though, so I figured I’d mention in just in case anyone experiences similar issues or has very sensitive eyes.

Overall, I have to say, I’m very pleased with the ck one mascara. At $18, I’m not sure if I’d buy it again over my $5-6 drugstore mascara, though. It’s definitely fun to try out new mascaras, but if it’s coming out of my own pocket I’m more hesitant to splurge.

I was happy to try out this birthday surprise from Ulta though! Anytime something is FREE, I’m a happy camper!If your makeup budget isn’t very strict, I’d definitely recommend picking up ck one mascara to give it a try! Or, if you have a birthday coming up, make sure to sign up for Ulta’s Rewards program! I’m not sure if this is their “free gift” in every region or not, but you’re sure to get something fun!

Thanks for stopping by, and I promise I’ll branch out from mascara reviews soon! 😉