LARISALOVES

If there's one thing I love to buy it's lipstick, I can never ever have too many lipsticks and rarely hesitate to buy more. MORE I TELL YOU, MORE. However, some days I prefer to skip lipstick altogether out of pure laziness - what? Reapply every hour? No. However, the liquid lipstick trend really has it's perks! I purchased Stila Stay All Day Liquid Lipsticks in Aria and Patina and am really starting to understand the liquid lipstick craze.





The packaging is quite standard with black lid, black writing and a clear tube which allows easy color identification. Stila has recently come out  with new packaging changing it up with a gold cap and matching writing. It makes me a bit sad since it'll ruin the uniformity of my collection.


Patina is a muted mauve-y rose and is constantly selling out everywhere for the longest time. I fell in love with this shade after seeing someone wearing it on Instagram (Yes, PR & Marketing your job is done). I finally got my hands on a tube and it's the one shade that I wear most frequently of all my liquid lipsticks. It's a great everyday color and natural enough to wear to work if you're in the corporate sphere. Once again the product dries a shade darker on my lips than the color in the tube.


Aria is a true berry shade and darkens a few minutes after it has completely dried. It's a forgiving shade for those who are new to trying darker lips and aren't quite comfortable with a full vampy lip. This shade is for you, ladies. It's that beautiful shade which reminds me of Autumn and the cooler seasons.



PROS:

Stila's Stay All Day Liquid Lipsticks live up to the name - it says ALL day. Since I work long shifts on the weekends, it's the best time to test the longevity claims of beauty products but I was so surprised that it lasted over 10 hours.  I had a greasy slice of pizza for dinner and the inner part of my lips faded just a bit, a teeny tiny bit. Once it's on it's really on. I had to remove it with a waterproof makeup remover since Bioderma doesn't break down the product.
The pigmentation is also a dream, one swipe and there is no natural lip color to be seen. There is nothing more disappointing than a lipstick which appears stunning in the tube/bullet but glides on with horrible pigmentation. The creamy consistency, which smells like cupcakes, dries to a comfortable matte finish which I love. The doe foot applicator is bendy which I find helps fit the contours of my lips and makes applying the lipstick much easier. Note that the color tends to dry a shade darker on the lips.

CONS:

The formula is quite drying and does settle into the fine lines in my lips about an hour in. I also find that it clings to dry skin on my lips if my lips are particularly dry that day and I haven't exfoliated or used a lip balm. Also, the wand can be a bit tricky for those new to liquid lipsticks due to the fact that the bendy doe foot applicator picks up quite a bit of product. Any mistakes require a q tip and makeup remover because it will not budge. Because the product is so opaque, lines that are less than perfect are more obvious so it's not my first choice for train/car makeup.

VERDICT

It's not a product I'll be grabbing to apply on the go but would still definitely recommend. Yes, the formula is drying (like most liquid lipstick formulas) but that doesn't take away from the smell of cupcakes, amazing stay power and pigmentation. The applicator may take a short while to master but it's all worth it for lips that last over 10 hours and won't slip and slide.  However, those with really dry lips should steer clear. Personally, I will definitely be purchasing more shades in the future!!!


Are there any liquid lipsticks you would recommend?

This relatively simple look is perfect for a brunch date, running errands or for a day at work where you want your make up to look polished yet  understated. I'm also mindful that some of you might find makeup a bit daunting (what? why do you need 13 eye shadow palettes - am I right?) and so this post has a bit more detail than just a product list.

PRIMER




Some products cling to dry patches of skin so don't forget to moisterise. I picked up the Embroyolisse Lait-Creme Concentrate which is also known as the '24hr miracle cream' in France during a City Pharma craze and it has been my dry skin savior. I now wake up to plump and glowing skin!

There is also a wise saying that goes something along the lines of  "not prime to prime is a crime." Primer prepares your skin for makeup and allows your makeup to last much much muchhh longer than it would sans primer.

I've been loving Too Faced's Hangover Replenishing Face Primer which I bought on a whim after my face suffered from the European sun and the aftermath of flying for 30 hours. Blegh jet lag and cabin air. With a slight coconut scent and moisturizing formula, it acts as a great base for those with dry skin and flaky patches. For skin more oilier than a fresh cronut, opt for the Smashbox photo finish oil-free primer which allows me to tackle an 8-hour work day with out turning into a grease ball.

FOUNDATION

I dot the foundation directly onto my face  and use the damp sponge in a bouncing motion until its blended into my skin. A damp Beauty Blender is more forgiving on days where 4 minutes of blending with a brush requires too much patience. IT IS NOT JUST AN ORDINARY SPONGE. I REPEAT, THIS IS NOT A DRILL. It has been life changing.



For a sheer and more natural coverage: MAC Face and Body
For medium to full coverage: Make Up Forever HD Foundation & Bourjois Healthy Mix Serum




CONCEALER

To counteract blue-hued circles and any darkness under the eyes from lack of sleep, the Bobbi Brown Corrector in Peach works wonders.

To brighten and highlight I've been loving the Nars Creamy Concealer - Custard. A great drug store (and much cheaper) alternative is the Maybelline Fit Me Concealer which I would photograph if it wasn't so disgusting (a sign that it is well loved).


Also blend with the damp beauty blender.

I set my under eye area with the banana powder from Anastasia Beverly Hill's Contour palette and the rest of my face with Dim Light from the Hourglass Ambient Lighting palette.


CONTOUR, HIGHLIGHT & BLUSH





This contour palette has everything in the one place which relieves me from rummaging through my make up for 10 palettes in the mornings.

For blush I apply a peachy shade to the apples of my cheeks using an angled blush brush and it instantly takes me from walking dead status to something closer to humankind. I've been gravitating towards Nars Blush in Torrid.



BROWS

Eyebrows have been all the craze lately and so it should be! It's crazy how a patch of hair on top of your eyes can cause such a fuss. On days where I'm at work or in a rush the Anastasia Beverly Hills Brow Wiz in Medium Brown is the only thing I use on my eyebrows. The thin pencil makes filling in eyebrows a breeze and gives me two extra minutes of shut eye.


Or if pencils require too much precision for your sleepy self, Benefit's Gimme Brow in medium/deep has a tiny brush which allows you to brush on tiny hairs and is fool proof.



For evenings (and eyebrows a la Cara Delevigne) I usually opt for the Anastasia Beverly Hills dipbrow pomade in dark brown but I'll save instagram brows #fleek for another post.
EYES





For work or when I'm running errands I would pop open my Urban Decay Naked 3 palette habitually. The beautiful rose toned shades are friendly to work with, even one shade across the entire lid looks great. I apply Limit over the entire lid followed by Nooner on the outer third, through the crease and lower lash line.

I wear winged liner daily and if I don't, I feel naked for the day.
I have hooded lids which makes eyeliner quite tricky - open your eyes and your hard work disappears under the fold of skin ARGH. NikkiTutorials is the reason I bought the NYC liquid eyeliner in 877 Black and it is extremely black, matte and long wearing.


1. Draw a line from the outer corner of the eye towards the tail of your brow. Extend the line to your liking.
2. Open your eyes and place a small dot where your lid creases
3. Connect the end of the line to the dot and continue to pull the line towards your lash line.
4. Draw a thing line from the inner eye to connect to the line you have just created

Then I curl my eyelashes with the Kevyn Aucoin eyelash curler and apply two coats of the Too Faced Better Than Sex mascara.


VOILA!

LIPS


In all my years of hoarding lip products, this one is hands down my favourite of all time.
Nars Velvet Matte Lip Pencil in Dolce Vita glides on beautifully and gives your lips a natural flush of colour. It instantly adds life to my face without being high maintenance throughout the day. The ONLY thing in my collection that has achieved 'Holy Grail' status.


Douse your entire face in MAC Fix + for that glow, girl.


The finished look:


I'm still figuring out this lighting and photography business so please be patient hehe. Provide me with feedback and what you would like to see. Would you rather a photo with a list of products? Let me know!

Let me know what you use on the daily