Best Beauty Discoveries of 2015

I am very excited to finally share with you my Top Beauty Discoveries of 2015. Let me tell you, it was not easy to narrow it down, but I had to be pretty ruthless and think which products actually stood out to me. I am very content with the selection and I stand by every single product mentioned here. If I have a separate review on any of these products I will link it below. So, shall we dive right in?

Gwen Stefani x Urban Decay Eyeshadow Palette

First up and probably something that doesn't come as a surprise, is the Urban Decay Gwen Stefani eyeshadow palette. This palette is a neutral girl's dream. Since I got it, I haven't touched any of my other eyeshadows. I love everything about it, packaging, shades, longevity and blendability. If you are lacking on the neutral shadows department, pick this one up!

Urban Decay Matte Revolution Lipstick in 1993 and Urban Decay Revolution Lipstick in Rapture

Keeping it within the Urban Decay theme its Matte Revolution and Revolution lipsticks are one of the best lipstick formulas out there. Revolution lipsticks have been around for a while, but I have tried them for the first time only in 2015. In my opinion the Matte Revolution lipsticks are comparable to NARS Audacious lipsticks, but come with a more affordable price tag. 

Urban Decay After Glow 8-hour Blushes in Video and Fetish

Moving along, Urban Decay Afterglow 8-hour Blushes were pretty much all I wore for the past 6 months. These are extremely pigmented, long-lasting and talc-free (in case you are allergic like me). Can't fault these blushes, amazing stuff. I am not sponsored by Urban Decay - in fact, they have no idea who I am. I just genuinely like their products which are cruelty-free. 

La Girl Pro Concealer in Natural

I always had difficulty finding a concealer that provides a decent amount of coverage and does not emphasise fine lines. La Girl Pro Concealer does exactly that, and what's more it's cruelty-free and will not break the bank. I honestly have no idea how it can be this good and cheap. 

T-B: Sephora Cream Lip Stain in Marvelous Mauve, Milani Amore Matte Lip Creme in Lust,
Rimmel Exaggerate Lipliner in Eastend Snob

2015 was the year of liquid lipsticks and lipliners. People went bananas over a matte 90s lip, yours truly included. The two liquid lipstick that I used on a daily basis were: Sephora Cream Lip Stain in Marvelous Mauve and Milani Amore Matte Lip Creme in Lust. In terms of lipliners there was just the one and only Rimmel Exaggerate Lipliner in Eastend Snob. This is hands down my favourite lipliner of all time. The only downside is that it's not cruelty-free. A good alternative would be Catrice's Long Lasting Lip Pencil in 080 That's What Rose Wood Do!

Lastly a few skincare bits and a perfume that I discovered during 2015. Oskia Renaissance Cleansing Gel is by far my favourite product discovery of 2015. This cleanser is amazeballs. I have been using it for a couple of months now and my skin loves it. I have extremely sensitive, eczema and acne prone skin. This cleanser never leaves my skin feeling irritated or dehydrated. Instead it leaves it feeling smooth and nourished. I won't go into much details here, as I will be having a separate review on it soon, so keep your eyes out for that. Another skincare item that impressed me was the Sephora Mud Mask Purifying and Mattifying. It's great for clarifying the skin, especially if you have breakouts or congested skin. It's non-drying and you can actually see how it pulls all the nasty stuff out of your skin. Perfume wise the honours go to Jo Malone Mimosa and Cardamom. I don't have anything like it in my collection. It's floral, powdery but warm at the same time. Lovely scent and unlike other Jo Malone fragrances that tend to wear off on my skin pretty quickly this one stays put for a really long time.  

These are my tried and true beauty products which I will continue using in 2016. I would love to hear if you are loving any of these or what are your best beauty discoveries of 2015!

Until next time,
Muffy

Milani Amore Matte Lip Crèmes

Today I am bringing your way a truly exciting post. If you follow beauty blogs, instagram and other social media you know all the hype about liquid lipsticks. Pretty much every brand is coming up with their version. I am all about matte lips regardless of the trend or season, therefore I am the first to jump on the matte liquid lipsticks bandwagon. The ones I have tried come at a relatively high price point since they are not from a mass market. Imagine me going all bananas when I heard that finally a mass market brand was coming out with matte liquid lipsticks, I just could not resist. I am referring to the Milani's Limited Edition Amore Matte Lip Crèmes. If you want to know if you need to run out and get them, then stay tuned!

Milani Amore Matte Lip Crèmes

Milani is an affordable USA brand. I haven't tried a lot of their products, just the Shadow Eyez, because it's not readily available where I live. I was very happy to discover that Milani has an actual European website, so there is no need to order directly from USA. Amore Matte Lip Crèmes come in 8 shades and they are limited edition. This means if you want to get your hands on these you need to be quick. They are cruelty-free and infused with Vitamins A & C for added hydration. I picked up two colours: Lust, a muted-pink and Crush, a brownish-red shade. I figured for me to make a proper review on these I need to try both lighter and darker shades. I honestly think these are the two stand out shades from the entire collection. 

L-R: Milani Amore Matte Lip Crèmes in Crush and Lust

Milani Amore Matte Lip Crèmes in Lust and Crush

Now let's start with the packaging. I personally like it. It's sleek, non-bulky and doesn't feel cheap. You get 6g of product which is a standard amount. For comparison Sephora Cream Lip Stains contain around 5g of product, while Sleek Matte Me Lip Creams have 6g of product. Milani Amore Matte Lip Crèmes come with a flat doe foot applicator which I find easy to work with. You need just a tiny bit of product, therefore prior to application I suggest you wipe off the excess from both sides. The consistency is quite liquidy compared to some other formulas that are creamier or mousse-like. In my opinion it's most similar to La Splash Lip Couture's and Aromi Liquid Lipsticks textures. They have a sweet vanilla butter cup scent to them which I don't mind. I much prefer it to the La Splash chemical scent, which puts me off every time I use their products. 

When it comes to longevity they work really well. I have been wearing Lust for the whole day including drinking and eating. It did fade a little bit in the centre of the lips but nothing major. Since it's such a "my lips but better" colour you don't really notice the stark line as much. With Crush it's way more noticeable. In my opinion these are not as drying as for example the La Splash Lip Coutures and feel comfortable on the lips. Both colours applied beautifully with one coat and no streakiness was detected. I would say that you need to exfoliate your lips especially if you are planning on wearing darker colours. This is applicable to all liquid lipsticks brands. You will see why in the lip swatch below. 

Milani Amore Matte Lip Crème in Crush

Milani Amore Matte Lip Crème in Lust

Overall I am very content with these lippies. Would I recommend them? Hell, yes! I have been wearing Lust non-stop for the past few days and I just can't get enough. The formula is comfortable, cruelty-free, stays all day and is affordable. I wanted to get this post out as soon as possible so you could have a chance to try these out before they are gone. If you have been wanting to try liquid lipsticks but could not justify spending twenty euros and maybe not liking it at the end, give these ones a go. They retail for only 7,16€ and have a pretty good colour selection. If I had to recommend one, Lust would be it, as I think it's a universally flattering shade. If you want something more unique and bold, Crush fits right that bill. I would not suggest Flirt just because I read some negative reviews of it being streaky and hard to work with. I like these so much that I am contemplating of buying a backup of Lust and that's unlike me as I think there will always be something better.

Let me know if you have been converted to the liquid lipsticks and what are you favourites! 

Cheers,
Muffy

Visit My Stash - Dusty Rose / Mauve Lippies

I am sure if you have been following the blogging world for some time you have heard about the dusty rose / mauve lipstick trend. Everyone is talking about it and you see tons of pictures on instagram and pinterest inspired by the hype. I have always gravitated towards darker nude colours (regardless of the conventions) and have accumulated quite a bit over the years. I thought why not give you a sneak peek into my dusty rose / mauve lipstick collection in case you were thinking of joining the ranks.

Let's start with traditional lipsticks in a bullet and move to the liquid lipsticks. Up fist is Mac Creme in Your Coffee lipstick, I have a separate review on Mac lipsticks here. It is a creamy formula, glides on nicely, but I would suggest using a lipliner for a more precise application. The colour is what I would call a classic mauve: it has hints of rose and brown. Kiko Smart Lipstick in 918 Classic Rose is very similar but has more pink undertones which are barely noticeable. It is a relatively sheer formula, so you would need to put a few layers to achieve the colour that you see in the bullet. The formula is creamy, non-drying and it has the same distinct scent of vanilla as the Mac lipsticks. The staying power is not too impressive but as it is a sheer formula it is easy to reapply on the go. Last but not least is the YSL Rouge Volupte Lipstick in 9 Caress Pink. This one is a beauty! I have nothing like it in my collection. In my eyes it still falls under the dusty rose, mauve colour scheme but it has more rosy, pinky or even berry undertones. It has no brown it in whatsoever. It is a unique colour for sure. The formula is extremely creamy, thus you need to use a lipliner with it.

L-R: Mac Creme in Your Coffee, Kiko Classic Rose, YSl Rouge Volupte Caress Pink

L-R: YSL Kiss & Blush Nude Insolent, Sephora Marvelous Mauve, Stila Patina, 
Lush Perspective

When it comes to the liquid lipsticks, let me present you the Oh-So-Famous Stila Stay All Day liquid Lipstick in Patina. It has been pretty impossible to get your hands on it since people went ballistic over it, myself included. It is a lovely dark mauve colour that leans more towards rose rather than brown. Sephora Cream Lip Stain in 13 Marvelous Mauve is almost an identical dupe. The only difference I could see, if I want to be super picky, is that Stila Patina is more muted and darker on the lips. Both last incredibly long but they can be drying as expected with any matte liquid lipsticks. If you are looking for an alternative that is vegan but is still in the same colour family I would suggest checking out Lush Liquid Lipstick in Perspective. It is not as opaque or long lasting as Sephora or Stila, but a good everyday choice. The last one is YSL Baby Doll Kiss & Blush in 10 Nude Insolent. This is a multitasker that can be used as a blush and as a lip stain. The colour has way more reddish brown in it compared to the rest. I haven't used it as a blush but as a lip stain it works pretty good. I think this colour would be especially flattering in the fall.

L-R: YSL Rouge Volupte Caress Pink, Kiko Classic Rose, Lush Perspective
Mac Creme in Your Coffee, Sephora Marvelous Mauve, Stila Patina,
YSL Kiss & Blush Nude Insolent

I know this can appear excessive but these are the colours that I wear the most. I like to have a few options here and there in terms of finishes and shades. If you are interested in giving the dusty rose/mauve trend a go, I would recommend Kiko Classic Rose as a starting point. It is cruelty free, reasonably priced and you can build up the colour to your liking. For you vegans out there, Lush Perspective is a winner. 

I hope you had fun exploring what is in my stash. Let me know if you would like me to make similar posts in the future. I am thinking purple lippies could be next, maybe? Let me know!

Cheers,
Muffy

Matte Liquid Lipsticks - Ethical Pick

If you want to jump on the matte liquid lipsticks bandwagon but you are unable to find a brand that is cruelty free and has no nasties, look no further! Recently I came across an indie brand Aromi that produces liquid lipsticks in an ethical manner without compromising the longevity and quality of the product. Aromi is a US based  company which strongly believes that testing on animals is completely unnecessary. Their products are handcrafted in the USA and are made with vegan and cruelty free materials. These products are formulated without parabens, phthalates, gluten, animal-derived ingredients, triclosan, mineral oil, or sodium lauryl sulfate.

Aromi Matte Liquid Lipsticks in Sweet Marsala and Desert Taupe

Aromi Matte Liquid Lipsticks in Desert Taupe and Sweet Marsala

I placed an order with Aromi a few months ago, hence I had some time to test these products out. I decided to get two colours, Sweet Marsala and Desert Taupe. One is more on the brighter side and the other one is an everyday type of shade. Each lipstick contains 4g of product and retails for $17,00. They have a flat shipping rate of $10,95 to Finland and the rest of Europe. This differs depending on your location, therefore double check the shipping information here. 

Top to Botton: Sweet Marsala and Desert Taupe

Lip Swatch : Sweet Marsala

Lip Swatch: Desert Taupe

I have accumulated quite a substantial number of matte liquid lipsticks over time from different brands like Sephora, La Splash, Sleek, Stila, and in my opinion all of them perform pretty much the same. They do vary in terms of consistency; some are more liquidy, others are creamy or mousse-like. Aromi falls into the liquidy category, which feels nice on the lips upon application. When it sets it becomes kiss proof. It has a slight scent of vanilla, which does not bother me. Based on my experience there is no such thing as a non-drying matte liquid lipstick. Any matte lipstick will dry out your lips to a certain degree, it is part of the deal. Aromi is no exception. As with any liquid to matte formula these lipsticks will start to fade at the centre of your lips when you eat greasy or oily food. However, due to their runny consistency you can easily reapply without them crumbling off your lips.  

To my knowledge Aromi has been expanding the colour range for their matte liquid lipsticks based on public demand. This shows that they are open to suggestions and take their customers' opinions into account. If you want to rock a greige lip, Desert Taupe is definitely the way to go, plus it is surprisingly wearable! Marsala has been chosen as the colour of the year 2015, therefore you can't go wrong with picking Sweet Marsala. As for me, I am thinking of getting Toasted Almond shade next.

Do you know of any other similar brands that I should try? 
If you want me to review other liquid lipsticks in my stash just let me know!

Cheers,
Muffy