Review: Maybelline Color Sensation Moisture Extreme Lip Color in Summer Sunset

Hey! How's everybody doing? I hope all is well.

Anyway, I know it's been SUCH a long time since my last entry, so here it goes. I have never been the red-lipstick-wearing kind of girl. I can only wear scarlet on my lips about once or twice every other month. Yes, that rare. I prefer nude lips to red because honestly, it scares the hell out of me. If you're like me who's easily intimidated by a fire engine red, don't fret. It can actually do you more good than harm.

If you're feeling less than stellar, a swipe of fiery color can turn around your mood and give you that much-needed boost! All fierce and ferocious ladies think so!

After collecting so much stuff over the past few months that I was dormant in this blog, I realized I had this one lipstick on the bottom of my kit. I know I've had it for a while but I haven't really worn it much. Like I said, I'm no Marilyn Monroe. I just figured I didn't have the balls to wear such a gutsy color out. I don't know why I even got this in the first place (thanks to my impulsive buying tendencies), but I'm glad I did. Also, I'm not very keen on putting lipstick on a regular basis, as I tend to just lick it all off before the day even begins. (Must get rid of bad habits!)

It's the Maybelline Color Sensational Moisture Extreme Lip Color in Summer Sunset. Not solidly sure where and how much I got these for, but Maybelline products are widely available in personal care stores and department stores here in the Philippines. Here's a peek at what I'm talking about:

I've had it since 2010? I should get a new tube! :(

Pretty classy packaging

I still have plenty of product in the tube. Mainly because I don't use this very often.

In lighting

A hand swatch, just to show you how it shows up on parts of my body that are more tan than my face.

Me, wearing the Maybelline Color Sensational Moisture Extreme Lip Color in Summer Sunset (with just groomed brows and a bare face)

The reason why I j'adore this particular product is that it's a blue-based red. My skin tone is a little tricky. I'm somewhere between light and medium. I sometimes have yellow undertones (thanks to my Chinese lineage) but when I tan, my olive undertones show. Check out MakeupGeek's blog post on red lipstick for more information on which tinge of red you should go for. But this particular color pops against my in-between skin tone so it's really a good buy for me.

Okay, so here's a breakdown of my thoughts:

What I like about it:

- It is crazy pigmented. For a drugstore brand, it really delivers that punch of red right where you need it!

- Considerably affordable. One tube won't cost more than P 500 for sure.

- I can just groom my brows and wear this with a bare face. It makes me look that much more made up than when I have a nude lip on.

- It accentuates the light side of my skin color. It somehow gives the illusion that I'm a tad bit lighter.

- It also gives the illusion of whiter teeth. That's what blue-based red lip color does.

What I don't like about it:

- I'm not really sure if it delivers the moisture extreme factor that it has on its name. I have really dry lips and I prime with lip balm before I put this on. I still end up a little dry after a while.

- Wear is average. This can go on me for about 3 hours without touch-ups.

- Just like your average red lipstick, this can fade with food and drink intake. (Duh!) But you can always retouch!

If you're a red lip newbie, don't jump in the deep end just yet, but perhaps this can help. This is my first red tinge and I must say, red lips are not for the fainthearted. I'm glad I took the leap with this product.

Department Store Discoveries: March

Sharing with you some of the things I recently got from either HBC or Watson's. I'm so excited! Who says beauty has to be expensive? Clearly, they haven't gone make-up shopping on a budget!

1. SanSan Concealer in Beige (around Php 105)

2. BYS Lipstick in Risky Business (Php 229) - I love how it's a cross between baby pink, nude, and salmon! My first lippie from BYS is Cherry Black. Will post a review soon!

3. ELF Eyelash Curler (Php 129) - comes with a free rubber thingy

 

 4. ELF Eyebrow Kit in Light (Php 249.75) - Can't wait to rave about this!

 

5. Essence Matte Bronzing Powder in 02 Sunny - Still on trial phase. It's quite difficult for me to find a decent contouring powder, but I hope this will do nicely. I might get the other one for blondes too.

So yeah, my wallet cried a little, but overall I'm happy I'm packed with a few essentials. I've been trying to save up since being in-between jobs means my last pay would be withheld. I might have to scrimp out on shopping next time. Wish me luck!

Hey, I Heard You are a Wild One!

Errands day. I paid for Macho first at the bank then went out to get LaMar, my 6 year-old Canon 1000D checked out at the Canon Service Center in Magallanes. Mom said she'll meet me there and we'll go home together. Decided to wait for her in Starbucks at Paseo de Magallanes. I was supposed to sit in for a coffee seminar with a Free Tasting sesh at Starbucks but Mom arrived and she asked if we can go home. :(

I realized something... I used to think I can never pull off anything high-waist but then I started experimenting and found that with the right combination and with a belt that will help accentuate that curve, high-waist clothes can be for curvier girls like myself too! 

Oh, and judging by the title of this post, you can probably guess what my LSS is. :)

Anyway, here's a sneak peek into today's laid back tambay aka my alone time somewhere in the city...

Obsessed with anything mint green!

Reading The Unbearable Lightness of Being by Milan Kundera

Phone and camera on hold.

Been a while since I last wore red lips.
Lipstick: NYX Round Lipstick in Raisin (from Digital Traincase)
Lipliner: Ever Bilena Pro Lip Liner in Rose

Top: Halogen

Pants: from Bangkok

Wedges: MSE

Belt: SM Department Store

Earrings: New York and Co.

Floral Ring: Luxe and Luster

Odd ring: Gift from a friend

Bangle: New York and Co.

Hope you like this look! Feel free to hype it on Lookbook and Chictopia! (look to your right, there are widgets right there for both pages. Wee!)

Rainy days are up ahead but that doesn't mean our wardrobes should be as gloomy as the weather. Stay fierce, y'all! ;)

Love,
SGT <3

NYX Round Lipstick in Power

After a very long time, we finally got the chance to buy a new TV (no wait, make that two!), thanks to Daddy's special request for a birthday gift. Since there was a promo for 2 Sony Bravia Internet LCD TVs (one is 40", the other is 22"), we took the opportunity to dive in!

Our TVs at home are struggling to make it through everyday service. We think it's about time to upgrade and give our old ones a break (although we're not installing the newbies just yet.)

So anyway, this post is not about television, but about my thoughts on my new NYX Round Lipstick in Power. Again, thanks to Digital Traincase for the wonderful merchandise and the smooth transaction.

I recently made a review on Raisin and you can prefer to it for my pro's and con's when it comes to NYX Round Lipsticks. It's pretty much the same, except this one is in super editorial-esque pink!!! It's sort of a cross between lavender and bubblegum pink. Power is something you can see Nicki Minaj or Rihanna wearing (get the idea?).

At first I was curious how a color like this would look like on my skin. I was so nervous that I'd look tacky. But all fear aside, I decided to jump in and give it a shot. In the end, I actually loved it! It looks super brave (hence the name) and edgy. It really makes me feel powerful when I wear it. I actually think it looks great on Filipina skin. I'm not mestiza or fair, but this really fared well with my morena complexion. It complements my skin tone so well and brings out a nice glow.  I paired it with a bronze blush, gold eyeshadow stick from Etude House, my brow kit from The Face Shop, and I really loved the entire look! It's simple yet unexpected! Pictures of the look are on the lower portion of this post.

I love that this lipstick doesn't dry my lips out. This is probably one of the reasons why I don't really trust lipsticks that easy. I'm glad I found a formula that's creamy and just right for my lips. You should know too, that I forgot to take my trusty Carmex lip balm with me today, and I was only wearing this the entire day. No dry lips, even without lip balm! I like this shade a lot. I'm thinking of getting more shades from Digital Traincase after the Holy Week so I can bring them to Myanmar for work makeup. I really wish NYX had a store here in the Philippines!

What I got from Digital Traincase.

The shade on the bottom of the tube.

Swatches.

NYX Round Lipstick in Power

How it looks on.
Pardon the messy application, I just slapped it on my lips
as soon as I received the package!

Here are some of the shots I took of me wearing the lippie. It looks sheer, but it's really pigmented. Again, for reference as to what I like and dislike about NYX lipsticks, you can check out my previous post HERE.

There's just no way to describe the shade. It's edgy! I'm not really a lipstick kind of girl. I mean, I'm not very adventurous when it comes to trying new shades, as you can tell from my late discovery of the wonders of red lipstick... But experimentation has really worked out for the best so far. I wonder how other shades would look on me? Want me to try specific NYX round lipsticks? Let me know. Or better yet, send me a tube so I can test it out for you. ;) Teehee!

Keep smiling!

Love,

SGT <3

NYX Round Lipstick in Raisin

Yesterday, I received my package from Digital Traincase containing my orders: two NYX lipsticks (in Power and Raisin) and one NYX jumbo eye liner (in Lime). I was so stoked! It's been a while since I last purchase something online and back then, we relied on meet-ups and couriers were not as popular as they are now. What's even more amazing is that Multiply provides FREE SHIPPING for orders that cost Php 400 ($10) and up (on selected shops; I suggest you read the terms and conditions first).

I got a total of Php 520. The lipsticks cost Php 150 each and the eyeliner cost Php 220. Not bad, really. Plus, I won't have to go through the hassle of an additional charge for shipping or leaving my house to shop. It's really convenient!

I fumbled at first. I had no idea how the whole thing worked and with the help of a few friends, I was able to survive my first ever online purchase in years! Technology can really be a double-edged sword sometimes, but is more rewarding and helpful in the end. When  I checked the tracker, the courier got my name wrong. I contacted Digital Traincase immediately and truly enough, they got back to me in no time. I gotta hand it to them for great customer service! Thank you so much for the otherwise smooth transaction.

After two working days of my payment deposit via bank, here it is!

NYX lipsticks have their shade displayed on the bottom of the tube.
In my humble opinion, it doesn't really give an exact reflection of the actual shade of the lippie.

Looks really creamy.

Here are the swatches.

One swipe of Raisin.
Pardon the messy application. I was shaking from excitement when I was applying it.

Now for the review. Here's what I like about it:

• It's highly pigmented. Two swipes will really go a long way with this line of lipsticks.
• Without food and drinks, it stays on for quite a long time.
• It's very affordable at Php 150 per tube.
• Available in many shades. Just check out Digital Traincase for swatches and available stocks.
• I love the deep scarlet shade. It suits my not-so-fair skin just right.
• Its consistency is quite creamy.
• Doesn't dry my lips too much, probably because I used lip balm underneath the lipstick.
• Hassle-free delivery.
• Has a pleasant floral-ish scent. 

What I dislike about it:

• Simply swiping it on won't give you the best control. Applying with a lip brush is advised for a more precise application and distribution of color.
• Like most red lipsticks, it has a tendency to bleed if you're not too careful. Perhaps using a lip liner can help solve this dilemma.
• NYX is not available locally. However, there are online shops here that sell them for a reasonable price.
• The shade on the bottom of the tube has a slight discrepancy on the actual hue of the lipstick, which others can find quite misleading.

After all has been said and done, I give the NYX Round Lipstick in Raisin a thumbs-up. It's budget-friendly and a really good buy. I'll review the eyeliner and Power in separate posts. Hope this review helps!

Love,

SGT <3