The Lip Product Lover Tag

WARNING: The first paragraph contains a little rant, so if you’re not interested in me venting my annoyance at the ‘makeup addict’ phrase, I encourage you to just skip it and go straight to the questions!

Last week, I was tagged by Trishna from Tips Capsule (THANK YOU!!!) to participate in the Lip Product Addict Tag. I’d like to take this opportunity to share with you what is probably just a huge pet peeve of mine, but it really bothers me when the word ‘addict’ is associated with ‘makeup’ or ‘beauty’. In my books, addicts are people who can’t give something up even though they know it’s harmful. So, A) I really don’t think makeup is harmful, B) If it were harmful, I could definitely give it up. But it’s not. AND it’s not like I HAVE to buy makeup or I’ll have withdrawal symptoms. I’m not buying makeup instead of paying for groceries and bills. Those are my priorities, but if at the end of the month, after paying for all my basic necessities and setting some money aside, I still have some to treat myself to something I really like and enjoy, I’m not harming myself nor anybody else. Please, stop associating such a strong, negative word with makeup! Starting today, I’ve decided I’m only going to use the word ‘lover’, so this is the Lip Product Lover Tag!

Anyway, sorry for the rant (which is obviously not addressed to Trishna nor anyone in particular!), I probably should’ve just said that I had changed the name of the tag because I thought the alliteration sounded better, but sometimes you just need to let your thoughts out, you know? OK so, now, on to the fun part of the post! 😉

What is your favorite balm or treatment?
My favorite lip balm is from an inexpensive Italian brand called I Provenzali and it’s their coconut one (although it does have a gritty consistency in the winter, when the coconut oil in it solidifies). If you’re looking for a great tinted balm, I recommend checking out Fresh Sugar Lip Treatments, as they’re very moisturizing, nicely pigmented and pretty long-lasting.

What is your favorite eye-catching red?
This is a tough one, as I LURRRVE red lipsticks, but I’ll go with Tarte LipSurgence Matte Lip Tint in Fiery (which you’ve seen in my December 2015 Favorites), a gorgeous, deep red. Besides its elegant shade, I also really like its smooth, almost gel-like texture that glides beautifully on the lips. If I need a lipstick that lasts through a 3-course meal, though, I’ll reach for the SEPHORA Cream Lip Stain in 01 Always Red, another favorite of mine (and of any other beauty blogger on this planet, LOL!).

Best luxury and drugstore product?
I’ll start with the drugstore one because I don’t even have to think about it… It’s definitely Maybelline SuperStay 14HR Lipstick in Infinitely Fuchsia (I believe it’s called Fuchsia Forever in America). I love everything about this lipstick: its color, its formula, its longevity and its price tag (I have a full review for you here, if you’re interested)! For the luxury category, I have to mention both YSL Rouge Pur Couture The Mats (I have reviewed shades 201 and 208 here) and Tom Ford Lip Color Matte in Flame. I like the formula of the first one a little bit better, but the latter is the perfect shade for me (a gorgeous orange-red).

Best MAC lipstick?
Hmmm… If I had to only keep one MAC lipstick, I’d probably go with Heroine, as it’s the most unique in my collection. BUT All Fired Up and Ruby Woo are also huge favorites of mine… Boy, I’m really terrible at this thing!!!

Most disappointing lip product?
SEPHORA Kiss Me Balm in Soda Pop. I bought this on a whim at SEPHORA because it looked cute and smelled delicious (like gummy cola bottles). It was my own fault if I was disappointed, as I should’ve read the ingredient list before buying (and I wouldn’t have bought it). It doesn’t contain any natural oils/butters, which are the only things that really manage to moisturize my lips. If I buy a tinted balm it primarily has to act as a balm and feel hydrating over time. This one does provide a nice plummy tint, but it also dries out my lips (bear in mind that MAC Ruby Woo, which everyone and their mother seem to find drying, DOESN’T!), so it’s a big NO NO!

Lip Liner: Yes or No?
My lips don’t have any pigmentation nor a defined edge, so what I usually do is line them with a nude pencil (no matter the color I’m going to put on top) so that I have a guideline for a precise lipstick application.

Favorite gloss?
I don’t use gloss much, but sometimes, in the summer, I do like a little juiciness… My top picks are Dior Addict Fluid Stick in Mona Lisette and Lancôme Lip Lover in shade 336. Both are those new generation glosses that are pretty opaque and long-lasting. I really see no point in traditional, sheer glosses, because once applied they all look the same, no matter what they look like in the tube.

Anything else?
I also want to mention two NARS lipsticks that I didn’t include among my luxury favorites mainly because NARS is definitely high-end but doesn’t feel luxurious to me, does this make any sense?! Anyway, they’re the Velvet Matte Lip Pencil in Dragon Girl and the Pure Matte Lipstick in Carthage (here you can find a mini-review and lip swatches for both).

So, from this post we can conclude that:

1. I have a strong preference for bold, matte lipsticks.
2. I got out of bed on the wrong side this morning!

I tag the following five lovely ladies:

Hannah from Floraful

Shireen from Reflection of Sanity

Wendee from Wendee Isaacs

Selena from My Beautiful Reckless

Mary from She is Mary

But I’d also love to know about your favorite and most disappointing lip products in the comments below!

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