Lipstick Review Vol. 2

top row: Too Faced Melted Long Wear Lipstick in "Melted Fig" / Revlon Pearl in "Fuchsia Fusion" (No. 657)

bottom row: Maybelline Color Sensational Vivids in "Vivid Rose" (No. 875) / Bare Minerals Moxie in "Live It Up"

1. Too Faced Melted Long Wear Lipstick in "Melted Fig" — Okay, this is the nerd in me, but I usually do quite a bit of research on a lipstick before I buy it. I check out the color I want, look at reviews and photos of how it looks on other girls with similar skin tones. But this one was a completely spur-of-the-moment purchase. I’d never heard of Too Faced Melted before, but I was intrigued when my friend Ashley was looking at it in Sephora one day. I was hesitant because it’s a liquid in a squeeze tube, which I gave up on long ago in middle school. But seriously — it is now one of my all-time favorites. It goes on creamy but dries to a matte finish. And it lasts forever! I can get through a full meal and multiple drinks and barely need a touchup. Sometimes the dryness makes it feel like it’s wiped off, but when I look in a mirror it’s hardly moved. I’m not a huge fan of the fuzzy tip applicator (although it is soft!) because it’s a little bit harder to get a clean line, but overall, it’s my latest top pick. Rating: 5 stars.

2. Revlon Pearl in "Fuchsia Fusion" (No. 657) —This was one of the first lipsticks I bought back when I started wearing it a couple years ago. It’s the same brand as the purple I wrote about in my first review, but the formula is much better. It’s creamy and comfortable, but this one doesn’t rub off like chapstick. You’ll still need a touchup after a meal, but it doesn’t leave your lips feeling gross like some of the others I’ve tried. The color covers well and doesn’t bleed around the edges, which I can appreciate even more now that I’ve been testing out a few newer brands that do (looking at you, Moxie!). I like the magenta coloring of this one, as it’s bold but not too bright. It does have a very faint blue tint to it because it’s “pearl,” which bothers me sometimes depending on my mood. What can I say, I’m a matte girl! Rating: 4 stars.

3. Maybelline Color Sensational Vivids in "Vivid Rose" (No. 875) — This is one of my favorite shades. Period. It's a bold, vibrant pink that looks stunning on every skin tone. It's the perfect summer lip color, and I proved that many times over this past summer! I love the Maybelline lipsticks because they typically have a great, long-lasting formula and they're only $5. You can't beat that price when it comes to lipstick! This shade really does last well throughout the day. It does need touchups after meals, but it works as a lip stain, so even at the end of a 12-hour day your lips will still have the color on them. Actually, after I've worn it for a long time sometimes I'll wake up and shower and my lips will still be tinted from it! But it has a slight creamy feel, so it usually feels really good on my lips for all-day wear. I highly recommend this one if you're looking for bold pinks! Rating: 5 stars. 

4. Bare Minerals Moxie in "Live It Up" — Bare Minerals is my go-to makeup brand. I’ve been using its foundation for years and love it. I have had my eye on the Moxie lipstick line for a long time, but for some reason I just never tried it out. But since I’m such a great bargain hunter lately that I happened to find this beautiful red shade in a sale basket at a salon recently. I didn’t spend much time debating because I was in need of a new red lipstick, and for just $10, I couldn’t pass up one of my favorite brands. As soon as I put it on, I knew I made the right decision. The formula is super creamy and has a nice shine to it. The color is the perfect dramatic red, which was exactly what I was looking for. It didn’t last through lunch, but the edges stayed in tact, so my touchup was minimal. The only bad thing I have to say about it is that it does bleed, so a lip liner is definitely necessary. Rating: 4.5 stars.

What lipsticks are you loving right now? What are your favorites from this roundup? Have you tried any of these before? Let me know!

P.S. Lipstick Review Vol. 1, the key to healthy lips and my fall wish list