Color Obsession: Pinky Nude Lips

Although the products that I'm reviewing are all over the board, I've noticed a distinct trend in the lip colors that I'm purchasing and reaching for on a daily basis. Plums and wines may be a huge trend for Fall 2014, but since it's still warm I've been reaching for pinky nude lips.

I recently had the revelation that there are nudes that work well with my immensely pigmented lips. (True story: I had a MUA not believe me that I wasn't wearing a lip product recently before a makeover. Sadly, that's not the first time that it's happened.)

These are all shades that I either have purchased within the last 2 weeks or have been living in my makeup bag (Reviews linked when applicable, others coming soon):

Chanel Rouge Coco Shine 54 Boy
Lipstick Queen Saint Pinky Nude
Bite Lip Gloss Honey
Giorgio Armani Rouge d'Armani Sheers 202 Brown
Estee Lauder Pure Color Lipstick Pinkberry (in GWP packaging)
Lancome Lip Lover 314 Casse Noisette
Charlotte Tilbury K.I.S.S.I.N.G B*tch Perfect
NARS Lip Color Dolce Vita
Estee Lauder Pure Color Envy Intense Nude
Tom Ford Lip Color Indian Rose
Tom Ford Lip Color Casablanca
Tom Ford Lip Color Negligee
Butter London Lippy Tinted Balm Abbey Rose
Lancome Lip Love 322 Beige Adage
NARS Audacious Lipstick Anita
NARS Lip Gloss Dolce Vita


Ever notice you're in a bit of a beauty pattern? I hesitate to call it a rut since there are so many beautiful shades. Also, I didn't realize how few of these had actually been on the blog!

That might give you a sense of why I've been rather quiet- I've got a ton of content and am trying to find the time to swatch, edit, and draft!

Yves Saint Laurent La Laque Couture Jade Imperial

Today I'm sharing an older polish with you that seems more appropriate for fall than the spring release. Yves Saint Laurent Jade Imperial was my first purchase from the brand, and one that I revisit often.

It was introduced in Spring 2013 (although it seems like longer than that). It was intended to be a spring-friendly version of the Pantone Color of the Year. I call it a milky, dirty jade creme with a flawless formula that looks just like that with two coats plus a topcoat.

It never seemed to be the typical spring color, so it's just right this time of year- when it's still warm but fall is just around the corner.

Ginger + Liz Colour Collection in Stress Management

Today I have yet another muted, dark teal creme polish to share. Yes, I'm obsessing over teal polishes right now. And yes, like any good nail polish hoarder collector, I have to have them all. This is also a new brand for me- one that I've seen at Ulta many times. Yet it took a wonderful teal to coax me into purchasing.

Ginger + Liz Stress Management ($12, 0.54fl oz) is a blue-leaning, dark teal creme. I really liked the understated, thin, grippy rubber cap because it allowed for precise application.  Formula-wise, I was impressed. This is two coats plus a topcoat on my nails here.

Since this was a new brand for me, I tested it out over a couple of days. It rated about average wear for me- I'm exceptionally tough on a manicure. I was able to get 2 days out of my mani, which is good in my case. 

Sephora by OPI Go My Own Way Nail Color

Today I'm happy to share with you an older polish that I only recently found at a discount store. The Sephora by OPI line had many wonderful shades, and Go My Own Way is just one of them. It's a lovely blue shimmer with teal undertones.

Like most of the other polishes in this line (and at this price point), the major downfall is the formula. I have three coats on my nails, and could've piled 2-3 more on for depth. Similar shades probably have a superior formula. I also have Seche Vite on my nails as a topcoat.

I'm in love with this, especially with all of the luxe teal shades on the market right now. I loved this enough to do 2 manis in a row with it- which is practically unheard of!  Unfortunately, this shade was discontinued, but it may still be lurking at various discount stores.

One last look, in a rare moment of sun:

Burberry Orange Poppy Nail Polish & Lip Glow Balm

Today's post is a bit late since Summer 2014 has come and gone, but I'd still like to share some of my selections from the Burberry Summer Showers collection with you. Although I wanted to purchase the entire collection, I ultimately passed on the blushes and concentrated on one of the three Lip Glow Balms and two of the three nail polishes.  I have the matching Lip Glow Balm and Nail Polishes in Orange Poppy to share today.

Burberry Nail Polish in Orange Poppy is a deceptive polish. It looks quite red in the direct morning sunshine, but it's really a stunning red-orange deep fiery shimmer. You can get a bit of that in the lower left part of the bottle in this photo.

I have three coats plus topcoat on my nails in this shot:

I find this to be an incredibly lovely shade, and I wore it frequently this summer. Burberry Nail Polishes retail for $22 and contain 8ml/0.27fl of polish. These shades are listed as limited edition.

I picked up one of the three Lip Glow Balms to try the formula, and I felt that Orange Poppy was the most unique of the three shades. The Lip Glow Balms are limited edition, retail for $28, and contain 4g/0.14oz of product.

It contains the same iconic Burberry check on the balm like other Burberry lip products.

Orange Poppy appears to be a neon orange balm and almost unwearable. It's not what it seems, just bear with me. I adore Orange Poppy.

Just look how lovely it is!

One of the reasons why I only chose Orange Poppy was because I wanted a shade that wasn't easily dupeable in my stash. I love balms, and the Burberry Lip Glow Balm is one of the best I've seen. It's a hydrating balm that does highlight any flaws in texture, so make sure to exfoliate.

Just to show how much of a balm this really is, here's a representative swatch, outside:

It's so lovely on my pigmented lips as well. It's actually wearable three seasons of the year.

Bottom line: Burberry hit it out of the park with this formula. The only reason that I didn't pick up the others is that I have similar shades in my stash. As long as they're available, I do recommend them.

Burberry Nail Polish & the Lip Glow Balms are still available at Burberry.com, Net-a-Porter.com, and Nordstrom.com

Tom Ford Black Cherry Nail Lacquer

It should be no surprise that I'm starting my review of the Tom Ford Fall 2014 items that I purchased with Black Cherry, the lone nail lacquer in the collection.  It was Tom Ford's nail lacquers that first introduced me to the brand. The line retails for $32 each and contains 12ml of polish.

I have three coats plus Seche Vite topcoat on my nails here:

Black Cherry is a darkened red plum that appears black. It's a classic vamp and beautiful for fall. This is such a classy shade and one lovely enough that I'm considering a pro manicure to really get the most out of it. I adore this shade, and it's just warm enough to not look harsh.

Like other Tom Ford Nail Lacquers, this is a glossy shade with incredible wear time. Tom Ford's nail range contains some gel ingredients (per some of their SAs), hence the amazing wear. When I tested it, I felt both way out of season but also incredibly chic. I'll be posting a comparison post with some of my favorite dark shades in the next few days so you can really see the difference.

Black Cherry is currently available at Tom Ford counters, and online at the usual retailers. Unlike Nude Dip and the blush duos, this doesn't seem to be selling out.

I'll have the other pieces of the collection that I purchased soon- the weather has been exceptionally cloudy and un-swatch-friendly over the past week or so. The few times that the sun has been out, I've been at work!

Sunday Dreaming

It's that time again for Sunday Dreaming! I've had my eye on a few items this week- what are you looking at these days?


1.  Chanel Les 4 Ombres Tisse Venitien ($61)

Shockingly, I haven't bought any of the new eye quads released by Chanel yet. I've been in love with Tisse Venitien since I saw the first promo images. I plan to pick it up soon, but since it wasn't limited edition I didn't go running. Although these aren't colors I usually run towards, I can't get this quad out of my head.

2. Lancome Grandoise Mascara ($32)

This mascara has fascinated me since its release. I've picked it up several places and am fascinated by the wand. I'd like to give it a try, and hope to pick it up the next time there's a Lancome GWP that catches my eye. Since I've nearly completed my Lancome Lip Lover collection, it may be time to try Grandoise Mascara.



3. Smith & Cult Dark Like Me ($18)

Are these bottles of nail polish not the cutest things ever? I discovered them browsing Net-a-Porter, and now I'm really intrigued. Admittedly I haven't done a lot of research, but one of the reasons why I have such an enormous stash is that I'll give any brand a try!

4. Charlotte Tilsbury K.I.S.S.I.N.G Lipstick in 'Bitch Perfect' ($32)

OK, I'm admitting it. I've turned into a giant lemming lately. All of the frenzy about this shade, plus my recent (soon to be discussed) revelation that there are nudes that just work for me means that I'm side-eying this shade. It's back-ordered everywhere, so I'm not sure when I'll find it.


5. Burberry Lip Color in Antique Rose ($33)

I have been wanting Estee Lauder's new Intense Lip Color in Intense Nude. I still do. But it was this swatch from The Beauty Look Book that made me gasp and say that I need Antique Rose in my life. I love Burberry shades and I'll happily pay a $3 premium vs EL. This is right in the neutral wheelhouse I've found myself in. (I'm going to have to coax myself to get on trend with those deep lips once it's cooler than 90 regularly!).

That's it for this week- just a short little list of items I'm looking at.  What are you looking at this week?

Affiliate links appeared in the preceding post. For QBB's explanation of Affiliate links, please read the Disclosures page.

Dior Gel Vernis Tra La La

Today I'm going to share with you one of my three purchases from Dior's Gel Vernis range, released this past spring. As a nail connoisseur, I was incredibly intrigued by this line.

This is Tra La La, #155. It's a lovely baby pink loaded with shine, a promise from all polishes in this range. Yes, I had to throw that box on the cap since it looked like a mirror.

In this case, the photo is deceptively beautiful. If only it was so easy to get this look.  Formula-wise, I find Tra La La to be a disaster. This is the product of three or four very thin coats (it's been awhile since I photographed this, so I honestly can't remember) plus topcoat.

I'll be honest- I'm not a fan of the Dior Gel Vernis line. I've yet to be impressed with a polish from the revamped line. I'm going to keep trying, though.

Giorgio Rouge d'Armani Sheers Hydrating Lip Color 624 Dark Plum/Spinel

Today I have my final initial color selection from Giorgio Armani Beauty's Fall 2014 Fade to Grey Collection. This is my first lipstick from the line, and I'm still honestly playing with the color. Rouge d'Armani Sheer Lipstick #624 is listed online as Spinel, but my box calls it Dark Plum. Again, what's the deal with multiple shade names?

Rouge d'Armani Sheer lipsticks retail for $34 and contain 3.8g/0.13oz of product.

Since this is the first Armani lipstick that I've bought, I wanted to take a moment to talk about the packaging. Armani lipstick tubes are nicely weighty. They're not a perfect tube, but the shape fits nicely in one's hand:

There are two colors of Armani lipstick tubes. Rouge d'Armani Sheers are in black casing for easy identification.

Let's talk about the formula for a moment. Rouge d'Armani Sheers are the lighter lipstick in the line. It's comparable to Chanel's Rouge Coco Shine. As such, it's both shiny and sheer. It's as shiny as the Chanel lipsticks, and they both are far more shiny than Burberry Lip Mists.

One of the reasons why I chose #624 was because I've yet to figure out how to wear a lovely purple lipstick.

I love the Armani logo stamped on the lipstick. #624 is a bit of a difficult shade to accurately capture, so I turned on the flash to try to show the iridescence.

I really enjoy this shade, but there's one big negative that I couldn't capture on any swatch: this shade shows every imperfection. Make sure that you exfoliate prior!

Swatched in direct sun, with one pass on the left and three on the right. It's gloriously shiny and amazing:

Outside, no direct sun. This is where the purple and blue tones really pop:

Inside, with flash turned on- the warm, mauve tones surface here.

I'm going to scare you and show a full swatch of this shade. Please bear with me, as this is a lovely shade. It just (in my opinion) requires a bit of tweaking to be workable in real life situations.

Outside, in direct sun:

Outside, no direct sun:

It's a lovely shade, so I wanted to make this work.  Luckily, all it took was a bit of blotting. It's like it's a totally new shade! #624 becomes a lovely mauve with purple undertones. When I tested it, it lasted about three hours- until I started eating/drinking. That's pretty standard for me.

Back in the direct sun, with the original lipstick blotted:

Outside, no direct sun:

Much better!  And work-friendly.

It's completely wearable and on-trend for fall. I'm going to keep exploring this range. I purchased my lipstick in-store at Neiman Marcus, the only local store with the Fall 2014 collection currently in-store. However, it's available at all of the usual places online.

QBB Update in Progress

This blog needs a virtual orange cone! You may have noticed that I'm making a few changes right now. This has included a template change, and I'm starting to activate buttons and sub-pages that have been in my mind for months. Please be patient, as this could take a week or so in total until I'm happy with the final product. The current buttons are actually placeholder until I have all of the links live and can just re-code in HTML by hand for a streamlined look.

You'll also notice the appearance of affiliate links and ads. Please read the Disclosures page for important information.

Please excuse the virtual construction zone, but I hope that the blog will be more functional and visually appealing once I'm done!

But I need YOU! Please comment on the post or shoot me an email at quirkybusyandbeautiful [at] gmail.com with anything that you'd like to see on the blog.