Brand: Benefit
Range: Ultra Plush Lip Gloss
Shade: Lollibop
Swatched by yours truly: Yishan

• Benefit’s new Ultra Plush Lip Glosses are exquisitely packaged and the texture is soft and luscious leaving lips baby smooth.
• Available in 6 new shades – Lollibop (hot pink), Icebreaker (clear), A-Lister (bubblegum pink), Kiss You (clear fuchsia), Poutragious (bright pink coral), Fauxmance (soft berry).
• Despite Lollibop being described as a hot pink, it turned out to be a barely-there pink on me with a milky finish – what I’d call an “innocent pink”.
• Verdict: Despite the pigment being an anti-climax, I love how smooth & moisturising it feels with zero stickiness.  The packaging reminds me of Paul & Joe except with a more retro feel, and I like that it stands securely on the lid making it a pretty desk accessory at the office or study.  Whilst the gloss is very smooth, it doesn’t actually smooth lip lines so it’s better for younger lips.

RRP: $23 AUD

This product was provided for consideration.

Brand: AYA Cosmetics
Range: Lipstick
Shade: In the Buff, Naturally Nude, Just Peachy, Particular Pink
Swatched by yours truly: Yishan

• AYA Cosmetics lipsticks are vegan, free of lead and provide rich, creamy colour without any toxic dyes or animal by-products.
• The lipstick packaging is also eco friendly – made from all-recyclable materials.
• Available in 4 shades – In the Buff, Naturally Nude, Just Peachy and Particular Pink.
• Applies creamy smooth & feels moisturising initially, but the ingredients absorb quickly settling into a satin finish.
• Ingredients: Cocoa Butter, Candelilla Wax, Castor Oil, Organic Meadowfoam Seed Oil, Sesame Oil, Avocado Butter, Macadamia Nut Oil, Vitamin E, Rosemary Oil, Grapefruit Seed Extract. May contain: Mica, Iron Oxides, Titanium Dioxide, Manganese Violet.
• Verdict: I had to wear lip balm while swatching these, but this lipstick actually works best directly on lips without any lip balm.  It grips better, creating a more opaque finish that will appeal to those that like an ultra-nude lip.  Just Peachy was the most suitable shade against my pigmented lip tone, but for all other shades I recommend them only if you like that “ultra nude” opaque finish and if you have a pale lip tone & complexion.

I applied a sheer layer over lip balm to make it work for my pigmented lips. Coverage is buildable into a more opaque finish.

 RRP: $16.95 AUD available online at AYA Cosmetics

This product was provided for consideration.

Brand: Revlon
Range: Just Bitten Kissable Balm Stain
Shades: Romantic, Smitten, Sweetheart, Cherish, Darling
Swatched by yours truly: Yishan

• Revlon Just Bitten Kissable Balm Stain’s are a lightweight lipstain with a pigmented flush of colour that’s long lasting and exceptional staining power that lasts for hours and hours.
• No lip balm required beforehand – the smooth gel formula glides on smoothly & softens lips for a supple, conditioned and moistured finish that looks fuller.
• Comes in a retractable chubby crayon applicator – no sharpening required.
• Available in 10 shades – Honey, Darling, Cherish, Lovesick, Sweetheart, Smitten, Charm, Romantic, Precious and Adore.
• Light peppermint fragrance.
• Tip: Make sure your lips are well exfoliated beforehand, otherwise this balm will stain in uneven patches.
• Verdict: As a testament to how amazing the staying power is, I had to photograph the lip swatches over 2 days (well spaced apart) and in a strategic sequence starting with the lightest to the darkest shade to make sure the stains from the previous swatch doesn’t interfere with the next shade.  I’m also amazed by how pigmented & moisturising they are without the need for any lip balm.   If you decide to change your lip colour just as soon as you applied it, the best makeup remover for taking off this stain is Clinique Take the Day Make Up Remover for Lids, Lashes & Lips.

Swatched without any lip balm.
Click below to view enlarged image

Darling & Cherish are better suited to pale lip tones as it contrasts against pigmented lips. That said, I liked the sweet pink stain that Cherish left on my lips as opposed to the red/fuchsia stains from the other shades.

The pink shades may look deceptively similar on my arm, but as you can see they are strikingly different on lips.

RRP: $17.95 AUD

This product was provided for consideration.

Brand: L’Oreal Paris
Range: Shine Caresse Lip Colour
Shades: Lolita 101, Romy 102, Marilyn 103, Princess 200, Juliet 300, Eve 400, Milady 402, Bonnie 501.
Swatched by yours truly: Yishan

• L’Oreal Paris Shine Caresse Lip Colours have an ultra-light fluid texture, that is a unique formulation of 30% water and 60% oil that boosts lip hydration and is comfortable to wear.
• The foam applicator has a hole in the centre, specially designed to remove any excess colour leaving a veil-like lustruous finish.
• The formula takes a while to set, making it easy to fix bloopers while it is still wet.
• Sheer buildable coverage – 2 layers is perfect for my pigmented lips, but for some shades I needed around as many as 3 layers for photography purposes.
• Available in 8 shades – Lolita, Romy, Marilyn, Princess, Juliet, Eve, Milady and Bonnie.

Are these dupes of YSL Glossy Stain?

• Both have lightweight fluid textures that have a non-sticky but slightly tacky finish.
• Both are long lasting and fade gracefully into a light stain, but YSL lasted slightly longer whilst L’Oreal left more of a stain.
• YSL sets quicker than L’Oreal where you’re left with that oil/water film that takes just a few more seconds to set.
• YSL has a more vibrant colour range & is richer in pigment but it’s offset by a water colour finish. Except for a few, most shades from L’Oreal are more subdued and need several layers to build coverage.
• YSL’s taste is noticeably synthetic, whereas L’Oreal has sweetened theirs slightly in an attempt to mask the synthetic taste – but I can still taste it.
• YSL does a better job at reviving tired dry lips & camouflaging lip flaws than L’Oreal, which only looks best on healthy lips.

Verdict: With both lip stains coming from the same umbrella company (YSL Beauty is owned by L’Oreal), it’s tempting to draw conclusions that they are dupes for each other.  I’d say that L’Oreal offers very impressive & similar results to YSL but I wouldn’t go as far as saying that one is replaceable for the other.  Where L’Oreal stands out from YSL is how easy it is to control just the right amount & it stains better than YSL if that’s what you like in a lip product.  Even though YSL has more sophisticated pigments, L’Oreal’s finish (once set) is more polished than the water colour finish of YSL that I find messy when combined with shades such as red & coral  hence why I only own one shade from YSL Glossy Stain).

Click on the lip swatches to view enlarged images.

Click on the lip swatches to view enlarged images.

RRP: $23.95 AUD

These products were provided for consideration.

Brand: Chanel
Range: Rouge Coco
Shades: Liaison 49, Sentiment 48 (Avant Première de Chanel Collection for Spring 2013)
Swatched by yours truly: Yishan

From the 1930s and throughout her life, Mademoiselle Chanel was courted by film directors in both France and Hollywood to create costumes for some of the most beautiful stars of the time.  Collection Avant-Première is Peter Philips’ homage to the classic movies which showcased her creations. Rouge Coco’s are a collection of contemporary, feminine lip colours styled on the philosophy of Mademoiselle Chanel: easy to wear and free of constraint.

Liaison #49 – soft satiny pink

Sentiment #48 – natural beige with peach tones

Swatched over a layer of Nivea Lip Butter.  The coverage is heavier if you apply directly onto lips without lip balm.

I’m wearing Liaison topped with Coffret D’or BU Rouge PK-262

RRP: $50 AUD

These products were sent for consideration.