3 of the Best Everyday Lip Shades: MAC, Bourjois & Collection
There are some girls out there who are confident rocking a statement lip everyday; slicking on fuchsias, reds and purples with gay abandon. I, however, am what’s known in the industry as a ‘coward’. Bold lip colours are so risky; what if I clash, what if I get it in my hair, what if people mistake me for a clown? I prefer to stick to neutral lips on most days, and so usually have at least 8 different lip products floating around my bag at any one time, all slightly different shades of nude and pale pink.
There are 3 that I’m currently reaching for most at the moment that I decided to share with my fellow neutral-loving chicas. They’re all from different brands and are in very different price brackets, so there’s something for all the Fancy Nancys and Cheap Chelseas out there. Let’s begin with the cheapest of the 3, which has been a staple in my makeup bag for years…
Collection Lock ‘n’ Hold Lipgloss in Urban Punk – £2.99, Boots
I know some people find lipglosses a bit dated, and considering I think I first picked this up when I was still a teenager it should really be very dated. However, I just can’t let go of a decent, easy to apply nude lip gloss, and this one from Collection does the job. Lauren gave the Rock Steady shade a mixed verdict when she reviewed it here, but I will say that Urban Punk is a slightly warmer, less milky shade than Rock Steady, making it more wearable. The 6 hour wear claims are, as Lauren said, really high on the nonsense-ometer, and I apply this lipgloss fairly regularly throughout the day. But despite that, I always like how it feels on my lips, like the colour, and when it does fade it does so evenly and still leaving a nice sheen.
For £2.99 this is a cheap and cheerful lipgloss that I think still does a lot better than a lot of its similarly-priced rivals.
Bourjois Rouge Edition Lipstick in Beige Trench – £7.99 from Boots
Although it’s a drugstore brand, I always find Bourjois to be the slightly pricier end of the scale and so don’t usually get much from them. However, I fell in love with this shade during a recent swatching frenzy and had to have it. Although it looks very brown in this photo, it’s actually a cool-toned nude. With a slightly purple undertone to it, it gives quite a 90s effect while still being basic. This is the first of the Bourjois Rouge Edition lipsticks I’ve tried and I have to say, I am super impressed. The formula is creamy and moisturising, and lasts well without flaking. I still think paying £8 for a lipstick is a bit steep (you know Cheap Chelsea I mentioned earlier? SURPRISE, SHE’S ME!), but for an everyday colour that you know you can rely on, I suppose it’s worth it. It’s also double worth it if you can buy it while there’s a Buy One Get One Half Price offer on, like I did (Chelsea wins, hurray).
MAC Cremesheen Lipstick in Crème Cup – £15.50 from MAC
Finally, we have the brand that really needs no introduction. I recently added Crème Cup to my pitifully small MAC lipstick collection as I was looking for a neutral shade for my sister’s wedding, but wanted something slightly pinkier than my beloved nudes Crème D’Nude and and Pret-A-Pretty (which can look a bit foundation-lip-esque if over-applied). Once again ignore the darkness of the photo; Crème Cup is the perfect pastel pink. My toes curl at the cliche phrase ‘my lips but better’ but unfortunately that’s probably the best way to describe this shade. The Cremesheen formula is smooth and moisturising, though I do think you have to be careful when re-applying if you have any dry patches on your lips. Other than this though, it is of course HEAVEN in a lip case, and the typical vanilla scent will have you belting out “I’M SO FANCY” to any passers by.
Collection | Bourjois | MAC
So there we have my current 3 favourite everyday lip shades. If you have any you think I should try, let me know in the comments below!
Primark PS Love Lip Gloss Crayon | Review
Regularly readers probably know by now that I adore Primark with a fierce love – similar to the love that lionesses have for their cubs, but a bit less bitey. I’ve already dabbled with their new-ish range of cosmetics, PS Love and recently reviewed their Volumising Ultra Black Mascara. I was actually really impressed by that product, and in fact since writing that review I’ve became even more of a fan and it’s my go-to everyday mascara at the moment.
So when I popped into Primark recently (on one of my usual ‘I only came in for some socks and have accidentally left with a shopping bag that weighs the same as a small child’ trips) I decided to pick up one or two more products. One of these was the pack of false nails which I reviewed here and the other was this here lip crayon.
I opted for a nude shade because, frankly, everything is better in nude (lips, shoes, Kit Harrington…). First up I’m quite fond of the packaging – the plastic lid is a little on the cheap side, but I think the gold detailing is quite a nice touch. Plus the crayon winds up which is really handy, as sharpening is sooooo 2003 (I remember having some sort of glittery eye crayon from Barry M – no I don’t know why I thought that was a good look either – and it was literally the biggest nightmare to sharpen. Blue glitter err’where).
Then we get onto the actual application of the product. And my overall opinion can be summed up in the following noise: meeeeeeeh.
The colour payoff actually looks much better on my hand than it does on the lips. To be honest, it’s barely noticeable once on. Obviously it’s a lip gloss crayon so it’s a much more sheer formula than we’re used to with a lot of other lip crayons on the market right now. And in defence of the product, it does feel smooth and glossy to apply, and leaves a sheen. However, it’s certainly not as glossy as a proper gloss (has the word ‘gloss’ started to look like a made-up word to anyone else by now?) and if I’m honest the staying power is minimal.
Overall I think this is one of those hybrid products that doesn’t quite hit the mark in either things it’s trying to achieve. I’d be intrigued to see whether the other colours in the range offer a stronger colour payoff, but won’t particularly be rushing out to buy one with my own money. I know they’re only £1.50, but I can buy like, three Greggs sausage rolls for that (maybe even four if they’ve got an offer on).
It’s rare for me to say anything bad about Primark, but even lion cubs are probably little shits sometimes.
Have any of you tried the lip gloss crayons from Primark? What do you think?