Bite Agave Kisses Set for Holiday 2017

Today, I have one of the smaller sets for Holiday 2017 to share with you.  Say hello to the Bite Agave Kisses Set ($20) for Holiday 2017.

I've bought some of the Bite sets before, but this was my first time really experiencing (other than card samples) these products.

Just like all of the others I've tried, this comes in a reusable tin with the Bite logo.

This set is three steps to lip treatment: Balm, Scrub, Mask.

There are three products in this set, so let's break this down.

First, you receive a mini Agave Lip Balm.

This is 0.05oz/1.3g; the full size contains 0.15oz and retails for $18. I've nearly picked this up a number of times. I'm glad I hadn't.

I'm starting this review on a negative note- this let me down on only the fourth day of use. Since this is a soft formula, I did take care. Unfortunately, it shifted and started breaking almost immediately. It's moderately hydrating, but not worth the extra care.

Next up, the Agave Lip Scrub.

The deluxe sample in this set weighs in at 0.18oz/5g. The full size contains 0.26oz/7.39g and retails for $18- making this the most generously sized sample in here.

I already love their Whipped Cherry Scrub, so it was fun to try out the Agave version. I like it a lot, but it takes me so long to go through scrubs that I won't be purchasing a full size any time soon. I think it's a more effective scrub than the other one that I own.

Lastly, the Agave Lip Mask.

I've tried just a little card sample of this before, but I suspected that this would be a better test. I was correct. In this kit, you receive 0.18oz/5g of product; the full size retails for $26 and contains 0.52oz/15g of product.

This is by far and away my favorite product of the trio; I'll be purchasing a full-size during the upcoming sale. My lips are prone to chapping and cracking; this quenched their needs all night long. I know I'm late to the party on this, but it's a great product.

Now that I've tried the set for about 10 days, I really recommend it either for personal use or for a holiday gift. I might just pick up one for my mother, and a second to keep in reserve as a "just in case" gift. It's that good. I've stuck to the mini lipsticks in the past, but this is my favorite set that I've tried from the brand.

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!

Bite Beauty Deconstructed Rose Lipstick in Damask

Today I have one of Bite Beauty's LE Deconstructed Rose lipsticks to share with you ($28, Sephora).  I didn't feel the need to buy the whole set, but Damask called out to me.

I find myself struggling to describe the color accurately.  It's a saturated, vivid pink that lies somewhere past pale but not a medium tone.  It has blue undertones. It's demure when compared with, say, Tom Ford Flamingo but much darker than light pinks like Chanel Rouge Coco Shine in Romance. It's far lighter than the LE Bite Rose.

Bite describes Damask as "rosy pink." I agree, but wish I had more specific terms to better help you visualize it.

There is a distinct rose aroma from this lipstick, although I only noticed it upon application. Wear time is acceptable, but not outstanding. Over the course of a work day (8 hours), I applied before leaving home, after my morning latte, after lunch, and before leaving for the day. On average, it probably wears 3-4 hours without eating or drinking.

I am probably the queen of saturated pink lipsticks and find this to be unique.  I tested this by wearing it to the office, and it's perfectly appropriate. I actually wore this as part of a tamer look, so it shouldn't intimidate anyone.  I've mainly bought reds from Bite, so I appreciated this change of pace.

Here's a swatch on my hand, outside (I did my usual set and they're all so close that there's no value added):

And on my lips:

Overall, this gets a thumbs-up from me. I wish it had longer wear time, but at least I feel comfortable that it's made of food grade ingredients.

Bite Lip Layers- Bold

Today I bring you a great stocking stuffer. The store designers at Sephora must agree with me, since it's found in the bins near the checkout.

Bite Lip Layers is a double-ended lipstick that comes in two shades: neutral and bold. I'll be bringing you the Bold duo.  It consists of Pomegranate and Vidal.

For these swatches, Vidal is on the left, Pomegranate on the right:

Inside, no flash

Inside, with flash

Outside

The photos should indicate that these are beautiful matte creams.

Vidal is a bright pink that's very bold on the lips.

I found it to be bold yet wearable on the lips, much like everything I've tried from Bite.

Inside, no flash

Inside, flash (sorry for the blurriness)

Outside

Whereas Pomegranate is a a bold red.

It's a lot on the lips, but I think this would be great for an evening event, especially around the holidays:

Inside, no flash

Inside, with flash

Outside

Bottom Line: At $12, this is a fantastic stocking stuffer or way to try Bite's lip formula for yourself.  This has been out for awhile, but is still lurking at many Sephora and Sephora inside JC Penney locations.

Pricing/Availability: $12, at Sephora.

Bite Beauty Lush Lip Trio

I didn't participate in Black Friday this year, so I was shocked when a family member returned from shopping with this Bite lip gloss trio, one of Sephora's $10 Black Friday specials.  She saw the Bite lip pencils in my vanity and thought I probably would've purchased this for myself had I been with them. (Guilty as charged).  Since it's a special and I'm not sure if it's still available in stores, I'm just doing a mini-post here.

The Bite Lush Lip trio consists of three mini lip glosses that weigh in at 0.06oz each.  The shades are, L-R: Honey, Garnet, Strawberry.

I'm not sure why these photos are so dark, but it's dark out now so they'd look worse if I retook them. Sorry.

Here's Garnet-Strawberry-Honey.  And then I swatched them:

Inside

Outside

Of the three, only Honey is shimmery; both Garnet and Strawberry are creme glosses without shimmer.  I think this is a great value at $10, so if you see them at the store, grab them!

Bite Beauty High Pigment Matte Pencil- Amarone

Bite is one of those brands that has flown under my beauty radar until recently.  I'm just sorry that it has.  After such good experiences with the Best Bite Set, I wanted to try one of the other colors.  I spent quite a bit of time in-store debating between this and a lovely violet shade.

I selected Amarone, which is described as a "raisin berry" shade.

Bite Beauty High Pigment Matte Pencils contain 0.09 oz of product and retail for $24, making the kits even more of a value.  As a reminder, Sephora is the exclusive retailer for these.

I love the construction of these pencils- they have the shade on the outside for easy recognition, and they have a good weight to them.  It's hard to describe, but there's an optimal weight for a product: not too heavy, not too light.

This is a lovely shade both swatched and on the lips.  I enjoy Bite's formula because there's a bit of gloss to the matte formula.

Here's a good look, inside, without flash:

Flash really pulls out the berry tones that are easily picked up in person:

It looks like a third shade outside.

I find this color to be a fall-friendly berry.  I get three to four hours of wear from Bite's matte pencils, but I drink all day.

Overall, I find this to be a fantastic value and worth exploring different shades in the line.  I have very pigmented lips, and this shade worked well for me.

Sephora Favorites Lip Service

One of the most hotly-anticipated beauty items every year are the Sephora Favorites sets. These mini collections offer huge value and allow you to try an assortment of deluxe minis and full-sized products.  Another key is that there are often different sets offered at Sephora/Sephora dot com and the Sephora inside JCPenney locations.

This Sephora Favorites Lip Service set is a Sephora inside JCPenney exclusive. It offers six products (2 full-sized) for $28 and claims a retail value of $83.

Let's start with the box.  The outer cardboard, which gives the details on the kit, simply slides off to reveal a rose gold box with a white Sephora logo:

 The lip products are nestled inside:

And now, the six lippies:


Bite Beauty High Pigment Pencil- Pomegranate

It should be no secret that this is the lip product I was most excited to try out of the set.  Pomegranate is the cheeriest red I've tried in awhile.  I'm a newcomer to Bite's lip pencils, but I'm not wasting any time loving them.  These are mostly matte but have a bit of sheen to them and last for 4-5 hours.  Best of all, they're made of organic, food-grade ingredients so you don't have to worry about what you might be ingesting.

Swatches:

Outside

Inside, with flash

Outside

Inside, with flash

Buxom Full-On Lip Cream- Kir Royale

I unmistakeably mixed feelings about this product.  Color-wise, I love it.  It's exactly what I've been reaching for or wanting from lip colors this fall.  This is a beautiful wine-colored gloss.  Formula-wise, I loathe it.  I hate, hate, HATE any plumping/tingling products because my lips are so sensitive.  This product makes my lips feel like they're on fire, and beauty just isn't worth it.  I wish the plumping trend would just go away NOW.

Swatches:

outside

inside, with flash

Outside

Inside, with flash

Obsessive Compulsive Cosmetics Lip Tar- Pretty Boy

This is my first experience with a Lip Tar, and Pretty Boy is a vivid, matte magenta.  These come with their own brush, but not the primer that OCC recommends that you use with them.  I found Pretty Boy to apply easily- but the Lip Tar itself was far more liquidy than I was expecting; there's a splat of Pretty Boy on my white bath rug as a testament.  This is liquid rather than thick gloss- so user beware!

Outside

 

Inside, with flash

Outside

Inside, with flash

Smashbox Be Legendary Lipstick- Nylon Nude

This is a beautiful nude lipstick.  The formula feels lovely, and I would've loved to have really worn this. However, I know it's a color that just won't work on me- hence the hand-only swatches.  I'll be passing this lipstick on to friends or family.  It should easily find a forever home because it's so lovely.

Outside

Inside, with flash

Stila Lip Glaze- Apricot

I think there's an unwritten rule that there has to be a Stila Lip Glaze in every lip kit.  Apricot is a popular inclusion.  It's a nearly colorless gloss.  For that reason, I'll just be showing you a swatch on my hand:

Tarte Glamazon Pure Performance 12-Hours Lipstick- Inspired

 This is the other product from this kit I was looking forward to trying.  After being introduced to Tarte this summer, I've been wanting to try the 12-hour Glamazon lipstick formula.  Inspired is a neutral mauvey MLBB.

Outside

Inside, with flash

Outside

Inside, with flash

Bottom Line: Overall, this is one of my favorite curated lip kits I've tried and I find the SiJCP version to be superior to the one offered at freestanding Sephora locations.