Colour Theory Lipsticks - Part 2...

Following on from PART 1 of the Colour Theory Lipsticks, here is the second batch from the bundle that was gifted to me back in Feb - two almost impossibly pale, two that are perfect Spring pout partners, and one sassy and bold red that will no doubt appear in my monthly faves post, well at least once I stop wearing a face mask when I venture outside ...

Always On...

Pretty, but not for me - my darling grandmother would have referred to this as a "salve" (something to treat dry lips or as a sunscreen) but not a lipstick to wear out...

Sugary Sweet...

Another one that I cannot wear, but it will come in handy as a soft blush come September...

Pink Persuasion...

Now, this is more like it - I have a few soft pink items in my wardrobe that I wear only in Spring/Summer, so I'll be putting this aside for later in the year...

Pretty in Pink...

Love this pink - muted yet with enough oomph and warmth to go with light denim, soft coral and even khaki...

Swipe Right...

My pick of this bunch - juicy and bright yet soft, and with less intensity than most of my other reds. The bullet looks a smidgin more orangey in the photo than it does on my lips, but that's just lighting differences...

As you can see these are all super-moist, and my only beef with this range is that the brand labelling on the case wears off pretty quickly, and then they look a bit scruffy. But other than that, great value!

Would you wear the paler shades?

Take care of you, and keep safe,

kats xxx

SPOTLIGHT: Favourite February 2020 LOTD's...

I hope all of you are coping ok with this virus nightmare, and pray there will be an end to it soon. In these troubled times of health and economic uncertainty, I am SO fortunate to be able to work from home, and only venture out to pick up essentials at the supermarket (masked and gloved) or for a neighbourhood power walk in the fresh air. I'm certainly grateful for the extra hour's sleep because I don't have to travel or get all dolled-up, but I have to remind myself to take regular breaks, to get up and move around, and hit the treadmill in the evenings - it's so easy to stay glued to the computer all day and half the night, and that's not good for anyone. But unlike so many others, I'm counting my blessings that I still have a job, and while the usual routine is out the window (believe it or not I didn't wear ANY makeup last week) I'm determined to keep up with the usual blog posts for as long as I can...

Let's start with some uplifting reds hey...

1. PUR Cosmetics Velvet Matte Liquid Lipstick - Key Red. Such a beautiful cream, such a sensational shade, and I give it a 9.5/10 comfort factor. There are so few matte liquid lipsticks that I can heap praise on, but this is one of them! It was actually gifted to me by a beautyheaven member as part of a Christmas 2017 Secret Santa ♥...

2. Maybelline Colorsensational Made For All - Red For Me. Lots of appearances in the Faves, and there'll be lots more - I reviewed the whole range HERE ♥...

3. Seraphine Botanicals Vegan Berry Tint - Cherry Cream. Another gorgeous cream that first appeared in July 2017 - it just keeps on keeping on, and how lustrous and lush is that red?! Still knocks me for six how well this covers all my freckly spots ♥...

4. David Jones Moisture Cream Lipstick - Honey Gold. I don't know if DJ's make their own lipsticks any more - they're not listed on their website, so maybe not. All the same, they knew what they were doing - this actually came in a Deluxe Sampler Tote in February 2016, which makes it at least 4 years old, yet that divine burnt orange hue still packs a punch and keeps my lips soft and supple all day ♥...

5. Colour Theory - Love Me Coral. Still crushing on this $5 range - there are two more of the shades down below, and 10 in the set - I've written up and swatched five of them (HERE) and the post of the other five is coming soon ♥...

6. Maybelline Color Drama Intense Velvet Lip Pencil - In With Coral.  Still in love with these gems - reviewed most of the set back in 2015 when they first came out (HERE). I hope the MNY design team member who came up with these was given a huge bonus for creating a brilliant formula in a wide range of colours for such a low price - they've certainly stood the test of time, and the odd shade or two is still available from Priceline ♥...

7. Maybelline Colorsensational - Mauve For Me. Sigh. I've said it all before, and many times over - one of my all-time favourite shades, and formulas ♥...

8. Maybelline Colorsensational Matte - Touch of Spice. Crikey here's another oldie but a goodie - I've just done a search and this one appeared for the first time in August 2016. Lipsticks are supposed to be binned after two years, but I can't bear to part with anything past that when it still looks fabulous on, smells perfectly normal, and keeps my lips hydrated - Roger that ♥...

9. Colour Theory - Vintage Crop. It was a very good year for this shade, credit to the vintner for creating a hue that's halfway between a rosé and a grenache ♥...

10. Nutrimetics NC Hydra Brilliance - Marshmallow. A Limited Edition (50th Anniversary) - why oh WHY did I not buy a few of these? One word - divine! ♥...

11. Maybelline Smoked Roses - Dusk Rose.  Reviewed three from the range HERE, and then went back for this stunner. Can't for the life of me figure out why I ummed and ahhed over this slayer as they were half price at the time. I guess it was because the hand swatch wasn't a patch on how it turned out on my lips. Anyways, I adore it so much I don't give a hoot that I had to pay a bit more for it ♥...

12. Colour Theory - Boyz-N Berry. Yes, another of the $5 lip smackers, fruity fresh and berry bright ♥...

Would love to know if there's one here you like more than the others ♥...

Take care of you, and keep your loved ones safe,

kats xxx

REVIEW: Colour Theory Blushes...

More goodies from the Colour Theory box that arrived a few weeks ago! Blush is something I simply can't live without. If I'm in a rush I can manage without concealer, contouring and mascara, but if I have absolutely no makeup on and there's a knock at the door, a couple of swipes of a soft-toned blush gives me the confidence to open it and say hello (hey, it might be a delivery of beauty stuff lol!). Even lipstick on its own can appear a bit out of place on me, but a gentle glow on my cheeks looks natural and healthy, and these blushes have just the right intensity to wear solo, as well as adding a much-needed radiance when I'm fully made-up ♥...

The three blushes in the Colour Theory range are all gorgeous, and I've no doubt at least one of them will be a great match to whatever your skin tone may be - there's a pastel pink (Pink Poison), a rose gold (Sunburst) and quite a bold terracotta (Misty Rose), and all of them are only $5 each, or two for $8 from Amcal or Guild Chemists...

Pink Poison

The palest of the three, and so pale I thought it wouldn't show up on my skin, but actually, it does! (see swatches below) While it doesn't have enough oomph for me to wear it alone, I've been using it to soften deeper shades that are a little too bold, tone down shimmery highlighting when I've been a bit too heavy-handed (it's almost a matte finish) or for colour-correcting others that are a wee bit too orangey. The brush picks up the powder easily, and the formula blends beautifully ♥...

Sunburst

At first, I thought this was more like a light bronzer as it looked quite golden in the pan, but when applied (and in natural light) it has more pink content, which is why I described it as rose gold above. It's a gem - silky soft, pretty as, and just the thing when you want a subtle ever-so-soft sunkissed glow ♥...

Misty Rose

Knowing my penchant for colour, you've probably guessed this is my favourite of the three - the most fabulous autumn shade and I love it so much I may be hitting pan by September! Unlike the other two, this one has more of a shimmery sheen, and the texture seems just that little bit creamier ♥...

Swatches!

The pan pics and swatches below were all taken in natural light, whereas in the photos above, I matched them with wardrobe items under cool artificial light - there are some slight tone differences, but I think you get the idea...

As with the lipsticks, I think these are amazing value. Thanks again to the Colour Theory team for sending these to me to try. Heaps more in the box to go through, so watch this space! ♥...

Take care of you,
kats xxx

Colour Theory Lipsticks - Part 1...

A few weeks ago the generous folks at Colour Theory sent me a surprise parcel containing most of the cosmetics from their range. I mean, there was so much in the box - nail enamels, highlighters, bronzers, lip glosses, blushes and of course, that makeup item so dear to my heart (and always on my lips), lipsticks! It will take me a while to work my way through all of the goodies, but I thought I'd start with what I've been wearing daily in the last week - half of the lippies ♥...

The Colour Theory range is only available at Amcal or Guild Pharmacies, or there is a website (HERE) where you can order most of the products. Every item (except for multi-packs) is $5, or two for $8. From what I've tried so far they are amazing value. The lipsticks are creamy, smooth, hydrating, refreshingly well pigmented, and there are 10 shades in the range - five soft pinks and nudes, and five bold shades, which if you know me, are TOTALLY up my alley lol. Because they are so moisturising they need to be reapplied fairly often, but I'd much rather that than have my lips all shrivelled by lunchtime ♥...

So let's get started with the first five...

Timeless

The first of the nudes I tried - it's such a delicate shade, but matched the outfit I was wearing perfectly. It has a hint of orange which makes it quite different from the others which are mainly pinks. Even though it is so pale, the coverage is excellent, and it complimented my complexion way better than I expected ♥...

Love Me Coral

Love me this colour - I would call it more orange than coral, but it's just plain gorgeous and surprisingly streak-free. Not too bright but with enough oomph to be noticed, I'll be wearing this quite a bit come Autumn/Winter when I want to cheer myself up ha ha ♥...

Pink Lemonade

Such a yummy pink - almost a magenta, but with a softness that's refreshingly girly, and not too loud. I wore this with a hot pink & black combo outfit and it was the perfect match. This is a shade I will wear all-year-round ♥...

Vintage Crop

My favourite so far - halfway between a plum and a berry, I just adore the fact that it has intensity without being too dramatic. I slayed them in the aisles pairing this with aqua - adore it! ♥...

Boyz-N Berry

100% berry-licious, this is almost a purple and delightfully fruity and fresh. The bullet pic was taken in natural light, and the lip one was under my cool makeup light, which is why the colour looks a wee bit different. Bold and really quite vampy, it will be perfect for the cooler weather when the darker wardrobe shades need a lift and it will undoubtedly have many outings in the future ♥...

I'm so impressed with these lipsticks - of course, I'm more partial to the brighter colours, but as you'll see in Part 2 (coming soon!), the nudes and soft pinks are ever so pretty. Thanks again Team CT for the opportunity to try these luscious lip smackers - I'm feeling very spoilt! ♥...

Have you heard of Colour Theory Cosmetics, or tried any of their lipsticks?

Take care of you,

kats xxx