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RubyHue Lipstick Review: Pat McGrath Unnatural Natural

27/1/2021

 
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The Gen X bellwether influences in Pat McGrath’s aesthetic will always be an intrinsic pillar of her appeal to we peeps of a certain vintage.  That darksided moosh of dirt and luxe, sinister historical x futuristic bling, the visual angst and effusion.  She came up with freaky units like Philips and Garland, McQueen, Galliano and Mugler et al., at a time when everything was on the slab and subject to the art school scalpel.  McGrath's shit is instantly recognisable and largely worthy of the reverence it receives.  So refreshing in these tawdry times!
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I’ve always admired two things about the Pat McGrath range from a distance; voluptuous packaging and the rigorous specificity of her individual shades.  Each one is a look per se, existing for a particular reason instead of just occupying some pointless rung on a chromatic ladder (see: latter-day MAC).  It's a bit weird then that Unnatural Natural (Luxetrance) is the first McG lipstick I’ve owned.   That would be because the retail price tag is beyond insane; pushing $80 here in the southern hemisphere with postage and that’s a fuck outta here situation, vanity be damned.  If you’re going to snatch an entire hundy, you better knock me on my arse with unconditional pornographic awesomeness.  So I dodged that trauma and picked it up second hand.  

​Unnatural Natural is, I think, discont’ now but there’s plenty still knocking around online; I salute my budget-conscious hos with this belated review.
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On a light face (my personal experience), UN is a lot; dark, strident, graphic and not something the casual lipstick person will probably enjoy.  For one, it comes out swinging from the tube with 100% intensity.  You can’t really cut it back for a daytime look.

The shade itself is a deep, highbrow, violet milk-chocolate brown.  The former keeps the latter decidedly neutral, even somewhat cool, so don’t pick this up thinking you’re getting a cosy ochre that will fuck well with your spray tan; Unnatural Natural will possibly hiss at your bronzer and any yellow tones you might have knocking around.

The violet element was apparent in the stain left by the palm-swatch, so please note its low-key pervasive influence on this shade if that's a tone you struggle with.  UN plays down the green in my eyes and emphasises the darker greyish murk, but makes my neutral to pinkish skin look great.  
While it's a beautiful and far more neutral option for deeper complexions with cooler elements, you might want to be dark/light enough to provide adequate contrast to avoid a lost-lip outcome.

UN in this Luxetrance formula is quite... 
heavily present on the lip, reminding me of another slightly annoying formulation, maybe some of MAC’s gluggier mattes, without the overt chalkiness?  It’s not so much uncomfortable as distracting and I do find it a wee bit drying on wipe-off.  There is a thick, waxy satin finish that persists, but the overall, socially-distanced impression is of a dense off-matte rather than any obvious lustre. 
Most disappointingly, it thins out on the centre of my lower lip after a few minutes under no particular duress, which fucks with the shade’s uniformity.  That is not something I’m inclined to forgive in a product at this price point.
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Unnatural Natural is a nice product, overall. That I wouldn’t put it in my top five is a bit of a surprise to me, given the hype.  The colour is sophisticated but the formula has some tactile drawbacks and the price makes me abandon cart every fucking time.  Oh well. ​
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L2R, MAC unless stated:
Russian Red, Sin, PMcG Unnatural Natural, Jasper, Paramount,
​Nars Golshan, Nars Lonely Heart, Marrakesh, Spice It Up
Paramount looks dupe-esque on the hand and you probably don't need both products, but its dissimilar formula makes it more of a trad brown once applied.  I thought Jasper (LE) would be a lot closer: nope- it's more of a Sin-type blackened, boiled wine.  Spice It Up may be difficult to get straight with the camera on a sunny day but it has quite a bit in common with UN, hue-wise, if you're looking for a lighter, shinier version.
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RubyHue Lipstick Review: You maybe masked and locked down but you can still be Glamour


Bite Beauty Arrowroot & Clove Liquefied Lipstick (Spice Things Up Collection)

22/1/2020

 
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The Bite Beauty Liquefied Lip product definitely shares a chunk of its DNA with ye olde OCC Lip Tars, both featuring plant oil-dominated formulas (you can taste the peppermint in both) and heavy pigmentation.  But I feel as though the former has learned from the latter's mistakes; the Bite stuff is more successfully emulsified slash homogenous and thusly far less prone to bleeding and separation on the lip, with bonus lack of Mentha burn.  It is relatively thick and comfortably emollient in a very smooth, sort of syrupy way, curiously unlike a conventional lipgloss.  I fucking detest lipgloss but am perfectly happy to wear this stuff, if that helps differentiate shit for you.  
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For a long time, I did not care for the concept of liquid lipstick, per se.  All those rubbery, cod-pucker hosebeasts on the social in their exhaust-fume nudes looked like they would bust something if they sneezed, for one thing.  That, and the colours and finish were not worth the trauma of those abysmal early formulas.  But then Bite Beauty put some out, I caved like a bitch and now I own about eight of the damn things. 

My initial delving into this genre were Clove and Arrowroot from the Spice Things Up collection.  Yes, I know these were LE but they're still pretty gettable online.  I'll talk about the formula first since it applies to all the liquid shades I've acquired thus far. 
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The oils make it a rather sticky prospect upon application.  Even though they matte down a little with wear, they generally retain a generous lustre that remains sophisticated, cushiony and plumping.
The pigment is magically trapped within the emulsion in a manner that is somewhat miraculous.  Clove is the only one I've found requires a bit of work with the wand  (which is quite adequate for all but the most sharply-detailed application) to stretch out over the lip languorously and come together into 80-90% opacity, which can be backed off to less than half strength without losing a meaningful version of the individual shades.

It's also almost supernaturally durable for such a glippy (Glippy: |ˈglɪpy| noun, informal: a quality comprising equal parts gloss and grease; e.g that stuff is really fucking glippy, don't get it on the pillowcase or I'll put your bollocks in an omelette.) product, going on though lunch with just a few lip smacks to put it right.  The formula's only downsides are the tendency of all such substances to collect chunks of detritus on one's gob, and for the clear oils to bleed slightly from the screw cap of the tube when laid flat.
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Clove is a deep, fairly neutral cocoa brown that borrows a little from your lip colour and is adaptive to a wide range of skin tones- WOC looking for a grown-up brown and ashy white chix alike may benefit.  Its on-the-face appearance is cooler and more closely related to the applicator shots than the palm swatch, just FYI.  

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ip heat helps create even, dimensional colour that is easy to taper out for us mature hos who need to lose a bit of edge definition.  If you like a dark lip but are fearful of too much hard, graphic colour, Clove is a great choice. 
Arrowroot is less glossy and more evenly opaque initially, wearing exceptionally well though it is a little less sophisticated for that monotonality.  It is a bright, true yellow-based ochre and, as you can probably see from the pics, that is a borderline challenging aesthetic, so don't pick it up thinking you're getting a quiet neutral.  Bite Clementine is a true clean orange, for comparison.

Arrowroot is what it is; it won't really bend to suit your personal tonalities and will fight with dark/cool lip skin.  It's probably a niche prospect for most and a dodgy one for me, but I love its militant pumpkin realness.
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Overall, Bite Liquefied Lipstick is a really nice product without the downsides I'd anticipated from this format.  I forgot to mention that after a full day in these colours my lips feel relieved and conditioned, which is such a lovely bonus- it is almost worth buying them for that effect alone.  Recommended.  
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L2R, MAC unless stated: Russian Red, Bite Clove, Nars Deborah, Nars Lonely Heart, Spice it Up, Deep Love,  Paramount
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Russian Red, Bite Arrowroot, Bite Clemantine, Chili, Bite Cin Cin, Bite Hot Harissa, Marrakesh

*  ewwmahgahhhhd there's like totally more lipstick revieeeeeews  *


RubyHue Lipstick Review: Nars Marlene (Audacious)

22/12/2019

 
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Xmas came early for me this year after a kindly reader, Carole in Canada, sent me an incredibly generous bounty of Nars and Bite Beauty goodies, purely out of the goodness of her heart.  That shit doesn't happen every day, let me tell you, so I'm going to review my favourite of the bunch, Nars Audacious Marlene.  Thanks, Carole!

You may have noted that I am a bit of a fucking Nars superfan but this enthusiasm is based strictly on an overwhelmingly positive experience of the brand.  In particular, I don't think I've ever met a Nars Audacious shade I didn't like, and Marlene is no exception to that unblemished record.  

Marlene is a warm, bricky red, the colour of a really good tomato soup or a pile of cayenne pepper, rich and dense with a strong orange undertone.  Once again, Nars pulls off the impossible by creating a hot red that doesn't look like something stuck to Imelda Marcos' or Pennywise's teeth in 1978. You have got to respect that. 
It is loud, but in a RuPaul sort of way; there is great art and finesse in its brilliant volume.  Furthermore, there is a strongly organic quality to Marlene's bigness, which is probably why it's so successful aesthetically.  It is the queen of all the ocherous reds I've tried thus far, pulling in the best elements of capsicum, brick dust, vermillion lacquer, blood orange, volcanic mud and hot sauce.

Despite all those descriptors I wouldn't really call this shade dirty, for the same reason it's not really retro or vintage looking either; that deep twist to its incredible saturation keeps it strangely contemporary.
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The Audacious range features a number of different finishes, with this shade representing its most creamy and opaque manifestation.  Marlene applies like warm butter, spreading easily right from that nice fat bullet without feeling greasy or slippery, pretty much cancelling out the influence of your native lip colour, which is always a blessing.

​It doesn't thin out, even with vigorous redistribution, nor does it really dry down, retaining its supremely comfortable satiny finish that is tenacious enough to live through hot drinks and a light meal without wandering into any old bag wrinkles or doing that greasy breakdown thing.  It's lasting and reliable.
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You might be able to perceive the overwhelming nature of this shade's pigmentation and opacity in the palm swatches below.  Sheer it is not.
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Still, Marlene isn't for everyone.  I recently bleached the fuck out of my very black hair, am now terrifyingly ginger and pairing these two reds is umm... strictly speaking, a wee bit of an assault on good taste.  Ashy bitches and yellow-fanged smokers are absolutely shit out of luck.  Everyone else should have a go at this shade, especially all those deep/dark African and Indian majesties who have trouble finding a red that will stay even, graphic and loudly complimentary- I beg you guys especially to try Marlene.  ​

Below- natural light swatches.  Nars Iberico on the right there is a clean true orange and Urban Decay F-Bomb (original version) is a pretty red/red, if you need the references.  Marlene doesn't really go wonky under different lighting situations.  Mysterious Red is matte AF so you can see that F-Bomb and Marlene are definitely satin.
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L2R, MAC unless stated: Russian Red, Nars Marlene, UD F Bomb, Lady Danger,
​Nars Mysterious Red, Ruffian Red, Nars Iberico
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RubyHue Lipstick Review- just the facts


RubyHue Lipstick Review: MAC Marrakesh (matte)

25/7/2019

 
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MAC Marrakesh is one of those classic low-key shades that swing in and out of favour, in a cycle driven by forces I do not understand.  

This mysterious oscillation seems to be linked to availability; MAC's production and stocking decisions also surpasseth understanding.  I don't know if Marrakesh has been discontinued.  It was absent from most MAC stores in New Zealand last time I went looking and was appearing for WTF prices on auction sites.  I panic-bought in case it slipped away into the ages before having a chance to gather dupe-dust in the heaving bosom of my collection.

MAC has an annoying habit of yanking historical stalwarts from its permanent lines without replacing them with improved versions.  I feel personally disrespected every time that happens. And it's not that I'm a longtime stan of this shade; this is my first tube of Marrakesh, even though it be an original gangster.
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Just one caveat: I bought my stick from an Indian lady who didn't think it suited her, and I see how that could happen.  Some mid-brown or golden complexions with strong undertones will, counterintuitively, clash with this saturated ochre.

Texturally, it's thick and saturated, so no whacky naked lip tones can piss in its lemonade, and while designated matte, Marrakesh is not 100% flat and retains just enough low lustre to remain comfortable and flattering to most.  There are really no technical failures to report; two thumbs up for onsite performance.

I was surprised at Marrakesh's singularity and realise now why some may be hyperventilating at the prospect of it being decommissioned. I don't own any true dupes.  
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So what is it, even?  Marrakesh has been called virtually everything online, from 'bright red' to 'dark brown'.  I don't know where or how these people find their descriptors, but they need to step their shit up and invest in a fucking dictionary and/or colour wheel.  Marrakesh is a warm medium yellow brown.  It reminds me of the dense bauxite-laden soils you find in tropical Australia and Africa, especially after rain.  Or the rich ochre of cave and bark paintings.  The paprika dusted on your baked potatoes.  Rust streaks on ship steel.  In fact, that's exactly what Marrakesh is- rust, pure and simple. 

Colours found abundantly in nature are often our best friends.  It matters not where on the light/dark spectrum your face falls; Marrakesh is something you should try at least once.  You might think you're too cool or too blue, tonally speaking, but the opposing values in this shade can bring a fingerclick of drama to a look that needs a twist. 
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Nars Rouge Basque (pictured) is closest by a mile, but still redder, glossier and more conventional on the lip.  Nars Golshan and Bite Beauty Crushed Chili share a chunk of its DNA but they are, again, closer to red, even if I deem them neutrals.  MAC Chili looks like Marrakesh's twin if you haven't seen the former in a while; upon comparison it's surprisingly brighter and yellower.  MAC Paramount is quite a bit darker and a definite coppery brown rather than rusty.  MAC Auburn pencil is darker and cooler.  MAC Brick pencil is far redder.  MAC Retro is oddly apposite, yielding a similarly muted, mid-tone effect from different ingredients, being cooler and more dirty-sullen-rosy, so if you can't werk Marrakesh, but are hurting for something moyen, look into that guy.  I'm really enjoying this shade and advise you to pick it up... if you can find the damn thing.  Get your shit together, MAC.
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L2R, MAC unless stated: Russian Red, Marrakesh, Chili, Fresh Moroccan, Mocha,
​Nars Rouge Basque, Brick O La
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Make it stopppppp!  More RubyHue Lipstick Review; more.


Nars Lonely Heart Velvet Matte Pencil

23/6/2019

 
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François Nars and his henchpeople know their shit. In a market saturated with every imaginable thematic variation, they remain colourists par excellence.  Every time I think I've seen everything a shade can possibly offer, they boop out something like Mysterious Red and spank me with the broom I flew in on.

Colours are difficult.  Ask anyone who routinely makes stuff from scratch. That the Nars talent pool can afford to toss off something like Lonely Heart with so little fanfare is frankly amazing; other brands would blow their sphincters and build a collection around this shade.  For Nars, it's just... tuesday.  Respect.  

​I was thrilled to find Lonely Heart far more beautiful than it appeared online. Its singularity really fed into my current obsession with dark, haute neutrals.
That doesn't happen every day, let me tell you.  Brown is often just too fucking harrrrd to accurately describe or depict, apparently, which is possibly why so many punters revile it.  We've all been lured into blowing our dollar dollar bills on something regrettably poopy.  But I firmly believe there's a brown out there for everyone.
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Brown's haters need to build a bridge and move on to a higher taste level, quite frankly.  Lonely Heart awaits them, a coolish, slightly dusty true brown in which the ghosts of cinnamon and violet mingle; charred rosewood, if we're to get specific.
As a shade, it is stunningly nuanced.  Just as Nars Train Bleu is purple done right for anyone over 25, Lonely Heart is the apotheosis, the very pinnacle of brown; deep, aloof, nocturnal.  It references all those things in nature that please us- temple timbers, dried spices, autumnal dusk, a shadowed  iris.  Darker lips just pull out the violet tones a little more.  Sigh!

Imagine how Puccini-tragic it was to discover its in-situ behaviour was nowhere as stellar as its imperial tonality.  Comment osez-vous, François!  Je suis devastate.
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Yes, and fuck it all; beautiful it may be, but Lonely Heart's performance sucks massive arse, in practical terms.  It is the Keanu of the Velvet Matte line; picturesque and useless.  Puzzingly for such an irreproachable stable of pencils, this shade is problematic in a basic, cheap-arse sort of way, suffering all the cardinal sins of separation, migration, line settling, patchiness and cementitious mouth-feel.  I  was gobsmacked when I applied it for the first few times, amazed by the crappiness of the result.
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< The neutral light in the left palm swatch represents it most accurately.

​Don't get me wrong, Lonely Heart applies initially with the typical, startling ease of most Velvet Mattes, stroking over your edges like a dream.  The trouble starts with infill and building.  It won't layer up without clumping and skipping out.  Just when you think you might have achieved a passable application, you move into better light and see that the devil might as well have used your piehole as an ashtray.  

​My god, the frustration.
It's true that I have been an apologist for lesser shades and am all about recouping value with amendment.  Just like Keanu, Lonely Heart is too beautiful to ignore and I am still experimenting with redemptive measures that won't pollute its divine tonality.  Look at the hand swatches; see how it resists looking unsophisticated, even in the strongest warm sunlight?  Looking at it on the back of the palm, you would never suspect the kind of fuckery it pulls when applied where it counts.  

​I tried it over Urban Decay Ultimate Ozone primer pencil and, while that dealt with the clumping/patchy issue, the resulting finish made the Sahara look positively dewy and felt like Moroccan leather layer cake.  It also abolished the lovely violet leaning Lonely Heart gleaned from my natural lip, so I CPR'd that rosewood tint with some dabs of Bite Licorice.  It looked good.  For ten minutes.  Before quickly lapsing into muddy, clown-ring horror.  Mixing it with the recent and beautemous Bite Beauty Clove liquid lipstick (I will review it soon) offers some degree of salvation; 'tis still a tragic compromise.

Resist Lonely Heart.  Enjoy the pictures and dream of what could have been.
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L2R, MAC unless stated: Russian Red, Nars Lonely Heart, Paramount
​Nars Audacious Deborah, Chilli, Jasper, Auburn pencil natural outdoor light
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Because Education is Never a Waste:  More Lipstick Review


RubyHue Lipstick Review: Bite Beauty Crushed Chili

16/5/2019

 
One of the bad things about crowning a favourite lipstick line queen in your heart when you live in NZ is the knowledge that it will inevitably be based in some distant, uncaring land.  Damn your Canadian eyes, Bite Beauty.  You forced me give my personal details to that spammy, bloodsucking omnisquid Sephora, a concession I already regret.
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But that's my problem, not yours.  If you haven't caught wind of the unparalleled excellence of Bite's sticks yet, pull the dicks out of your ears.  It's not 2002.  There's no need to be wearing the questionable shit you bought at the chemist.  Throw that stuff away or regift it to your more ratchet friends and treat yourself to an Amuse Bouche shade.  There are different levels of coverage and moderate variations in finish, so read a few reviews to find exactly what you're looking for.  Or you could honestly almost pick one at random.  They are thoroughly lovely.

​Crushed Chili is from the LE Spice Collection, which contained some earthy bangers; I almost went for Hot Harissa but decided I needed more warm intermediate shades.  It was a good choice.  ​The texture alone is worth the $40 or so NZ bucks outlay- unctuous, comforting, impossibly pigmented, satin-smooth and kind to neglected lips.  ​
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Optimal spreadability straight from the tube can be a little temperature-dependant with the denser titles in this formula, but I find Crushed Chili only needs a wee bit of finger work around the edges to achieve perfection.  It's a creamy dream with any sort of brush, applying like the best sort of expensive interior paint to dress the lips in clinging, pliant russet goodness.

How Bite achieves such durability with such a satiny texture is a question for the ages, but Crushed Chili settles down immediately and stays put through hours of lipstick-munting activity.  It clings.  I'm guessing that mysterious density doesn't so much resist wear as appear unperturbed until the last molecule is gone.  Without bleeding or settling into those disgusting fudge-clumps that so many other deep, earthy shades are reduced to.  It's fucking supernatural.

The finish is a very stable, flattering and consistent low satin.  While it may not be as glossy as these sun-warmed product shots imply, CC is still a few degrees away from what I'd class as semi-matte.  You can blot it off for a flatter look and that works too.
Colour-wise, Crushed Chili is infuriatingly ambiguous in the tube and I was pretty flummoxed as to exactly what to expect.  Don't squint yourself into thinking it's some sort of deep dusty peach or dark melon.  Behold yonder hand swatches in afternoon sunlight, especially the multi-shade ones at the bottom of the review; they tell the real story.

I included both a fairly true red and orange at either end for accurate reference.  ​
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​Everyone knows MAC Chili; if you boiled that guy down, caramelising it, and added a splodge of tomato relish, you'd get Crushed Chili.  They're made of the same components, although the former is obviously yellower and lighter.  I'd call CC a slightly muted maple-russet, perhaps with some nutmeg grated into it.  MAC Spice It Up is probably the closest thing I own, but it's a Lustre, a great deal shinier and far less opaque under normal circumstances.  Nars Golshan is slightly redder but lies in the same vein.  

​It's a high rotation colour fam for me and I have a version in virtually every known finish.  Look into some reddish ochres today, brunette bitches.  They are intensely beautifying.  

Overall, it's pretty impossible to fault Crushed Chili, and lord knows I try to pop some shit on most things.  The price and availability aren't super-optimal, plus it's an LE so snatch it while you can; those bits suck, for sure.  That's all the nits picked.
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L2R, MAC unless stated: Russian Red,  Bite Crushed Chili, Verve,
​Chilli, Taupe, Spice It Up, Nars Iberico
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Die Happy: More Lipstick Review


RubyHue Lipstick Review: Nars Train Bleu Velvet Matte Pencil

12/4/2019

 
It's about time some big baddies like Nars Train Bleu got the review attention they deserve, so here I go.  

It's timely too, what with the most important hemisphere heading into winter.  Not that seasonality ever influences my choice of lipstick and I don't know why it ever would; do we wear blue on rainy days?  Yellow on sunny ones?  I mean, my mental health wouldn't win any fucking ribbons, but I'd probably check myself in somewhere if I started that shit.  Consider blackened shades in spring, if you are heading in that climatic direction. People may wonder about you, but so they fucking should.

There's no real point in making lipstick any darker than Train Bleu, because the intensive opacity just eats light and registers as black to the human eye.  At full thickness, TB is an inky elderberry syrup or deeply-stewed blueberry when lit, and fully black with a grape skin margin in any kind of tilt or shadow.  

But you don't need to go all tits-out with this colour.  Because of the fabulous Velvet Matte formula, you can draw it on at half strength and rock a more visibly blue-dominant purple without looking like lead poisoning, I promise.
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Every dramaturgical lipstick has its breathless following and Train Bleu's adherents praise its elevated colour balance and suave texture.  It's definitely nicer to wear than most of its equivalents, but I'm not sure that's saying very much.  Night Moth is the MAC pencil heart of darkness OG, but my god it feels like Akhenaten's crackly taint upon one's lips.  More emollient purples just end up in greasy hepatic horror.  TB is by no means perfect, but it strikes a pretty rational balance between workability and refinement.

Let's talk a wee bit more about yay and nay, vis-à-vis le violet.  There's not much middle ground between sulky, smells like encrusted Hot Topic-type manky darkness, and adult statement purple, is there?  The difference is elusive; for reasons that escape me, Train Bleu is dominant and austere rather than angry and slutty.  You won't look like you're wishing you still needed fake ID.  The choice depths of its intense baked blueberry character is well illustrated in the stigmata swatches below.  Perhaps it is its reference to the natural spectrum that keeps it classy.
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I just want to share with you that I got that above piece of astrakhan in a job lot from an ex-furrier to the Queen.  (While I would never buy or wear new fur for obvious reasons, I support the respectful utilisation of old furs, as I would anything that had cost an animal its life; they exist, and it is unethical and stupidly wasteful to discard them).

Anyways: TB can be smudged out and smoothly gradated, as you can see below, and never fully dries down to the extent that you can't budge it.  It's thick enough to feel persistently present on the lip, but it won't migrate embarrassingly or stain your mouth very much upon removal- always a bonus.
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The palm swatches demonstrate how little operational difference there is between Train Bleu (big S), MAC Night Moth (little s) and Pat McGrath Blood 2.  If you have one, you don't need the others and I would add MAC Smoked Purple, Night Violet, Bite Beauty Marsala liquid lipstick (not shown), and MAC Sin (right smudge) to that list, even though the latter appears very red-brown here in comparison.  They're all effectively the same once maxed out.  I have the original version of the Pat McGrath and the formula is fudgier and a little more slippy than the Nars stick.

As with almost every super-dark lipstick, Train Bleu has some failings.  It's just too perimortem-esque for the squeamish and will amplify dark eye bags and sallowness issues.  You will need to moisturise very well if you have ashy skin.  It will end up on your teeth at some point, which is odd for a matte.  It is slightly, although not tortuously, drying.  Those of us with full lips already know that it will skip the middle of our lower one unless thickly and patiently built there.  Older bitches like myself may experience a very slight peripheral wander of the purple tint into our biddy wrinkles, though that effect is not particularly odious and can even seem artful.  

On the whole, Nars Train Bleu is probably as dignified and utile as this sort of colour can be and I'm glad I acquired it.  Its singularity demands an exclusive focus, so it's probably a mistake to contrive a competing eye situation.  You could do a tiny hollow flick or a grey tightline, if you look too mooncalfish without a little something.  My favourite TB look is minimal and sort of baby-eating; no mascara, brows powdered over.  Halloween and Monday, taken care of.  
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L2R, MAC unless stated: Russian Red, Nars Train Bleu, Nightmoth, Pat McGrath Blood 2,
​Bite Beauty Licorice, Nars Terra de Feu, Vino, Sin, Bite Beauty Clove

Enter the Dragon: More RubyHue Lipstick Review


RubyHue Lipstick Review: Urban Decay Mrs Mia Wallace

8/2/2019

 
Do you still use much Urban Decay? You won't find a better eyeliner; take that from someone who's slapped on and scrubbed off a bathtub's worth of the shit in her many, many years of dramatic eye business.  But even this somewhat nostalgic crone thinks they need to move on from the anachronistic elements in their branding and perhaps cool it with the endless reiterative palettes of increasingly unpredictable quality.

All negging aside, there was a reason the most demanding demographics clasped the brand to their bosoms back in the day; UD stirred the chronically underserved freak aesthetic into superlative formulations better than anyone else, aside from the more obscure theatre brands.

They're still moving shit forward and largely eschewing that whole personality-centric promotional thing (cue cat retching gif).  As far as I'm concerned, the only bitch qualified to have their name on a fucking lipstick is Tim Curry.  Or Fat Bob.
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Please ignore the furriness apparent in these bullet pics; I lazily wiped a tissue over it and that's why it looks like it was dragged through a hedge backwards.

I bought MrsMW after falling for all the usual beauty-related honeytrap shit.  Namely, being assured it was that one death-dealing red to rule them all.  Imagine: settling on one shade, buying ten tubes and finally being able to rest.  This prospect was bolstered by Mrs MW's online pics (even though I know most of them are pure, unrepresentative garbage).  And then of course we have the ruinous, sirenic allure of discontinuity.  However tragically cognate they may seem, unavailability and awesomeness are unrelated values and at least 50% of my discont' buys have been duds.  I know it, you know it.

​I bought it anyway.  So I'm sorry to report the inevitable truth; slapped on conventionally, MrsMW doesn't offer a shit tonne of distinction.  
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Celebrity endorsement is a double edged sword. Not everyone itching to spend the last thirty two bucks in their account on makeup is a breathless starfucker.  Having long-despised both Tarantino (more cat retching) and the titular character, I had to step over my loathing of the wretched subcult surrounding them to buy this shade.  

​This is t
he initial Revolution LE Mrs Mia Wallace release in the purple bullet and it's difficult to ascertain if there's much difference between it and the later Vice version.  The OG one seems to go for a lot of $ on eBay for something that's still ostensibly available, so draw your own conclusions.
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​The first thing one notices is the texture of the Revolution version.  It is stodgy.  UD lipsticks are fairly immortal so it's nothing to do with its date of birth.  You could argue that there's a lot of colourant in this shade but UD F-Bomb is also heavily-saturated and manages to avoid any gluey edge to its pigment burden.  

Mrs MW stays unpleasantly present on the lip, and I don't care for the persistent greasy sheen either.  This kind of sinister mouthfeel can be reassuring on one level; you know the product will live through drinks and food and 3am, no problem.  You might end up with lint and rolling papers stuck to you though, so don't pass out anywhere.
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If you're salivating over the Mrs Mia Wallace of the enticingly intense raspberry swatches, you should know that some dirt and quite a lot more yellow show their arse once it's gone live on your cakehole.  

​How this ambiguity is achieved, technically speaking, remains a lens-evading mystery; 
Nars Red Lizard pulls exactly the same voodoo, tilting from berry to tomato in the blink of an eye.  For reference, I'm a blank white canvas with both blue and yellow undertones; the only thing this melanin-dodging pelt is good for is wearing lipstick without prejudice and Mrs MW even pulls dirty on me.  All the way into deep oily brick, in fact, a stronger look in this tonality than many might be comfortable with.  I find it boring at full volume and would prefer a big old matte like Nars Cruella to achieve this sort of effect with more sophistication.  

Any Mrs MW magic happens when you bust out a tissue and knock it back a little.  With some judicious sheering out, the grunge relents and lets the raspberry peep on through.  A moderately skilled punter can make the most of the colour shift to contrive a painterly, single-shade gradient so filmic and devastatingly gothique that you'll have to keep reminding yourself you haven't actually contracted syphilis from Aleister Crowley.  Worn well, Mrs MW can be a thing of (some) beauty.
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Is she worth the trouble you might go through to get hold of her in original form?  No, to be honest.  The aforementioned Red Lizard is superior and offers the same sort of tonal shift.  If you're looking for a something atypical and warmish, save the big eBay bickies for MAC Ruffian Red, that peerless paragon of high-functioning LE idiosyncrasy and the most lamentably fleeting offer of all time.  That one's worth every blood-soaked penny.  Otherwise, set pedantry aside and just be happy with your MAC Dubonnet, VG1, Russian Red, Nars Mascate et al.  They get the same big red shit done.
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(L2R All MAC unless stated) Russian Red, UD Mrs Mia Wallace, Ruby Woo,
​Nars Cruella, Mac Red, Tenor Voice, UD F Bomb  natural outdoor sunlight

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RubyHue Lipstick Review:  Nars Dolce Vita Velvet Matte Pencil & Sheer Lipstick

10/12/2018

 
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For a long time I have treasured the idea that Nars Dolce Vita is the deep, warm mallow pink that looks good on absolutely everyone.  A few people have since assured me that they look like smacked arse in this shade, but I wonder if they aren't just a bit affronted by this kind of strength in a pink.  Imma stick with Dolce Vita as my universal white-to-medium-brown person recommendation.
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The same universality could be claimed for the bullet version of this shade, simply because it doesn't actually deliver enough visible colour to fuck anyone up.  I bought it on a whim because I've always enjoyed the original and was disappointed by its well, abject sheerness.  Nars should have just called it Natural Lips instead of Dolce Vita and leading a bitch on like that.  

That's not to say the sheer version is without merit.  If you're new to the whole concept of lipstick, it's a great training shade.  If you're in an ultra-conservative environment, it's a way to add polish to one's facial situation without visibly offending.  It offers a really beautiful balm-like texture, fairly impressive staying power and an enviable natural sheen that serves up mid-90s Kate Moss at the beach naked under flattering atmospheric conditions-type satin lustre.  Sheer bullet DV is just enough of a thing to take the edge off patchy pigmentation and smooth away the dreaded forgot-your-lipstick issue that can sometimes blight a low-key look.  Perfect for sucking face across the table on a night out.  Or a walk to the shops when you think you might run into someone hot but don't want to look like you were... you know... trying.  Do people still do that?  I have fond memories.  These days I suppose one just stays home chugging anxiety meds and stalking them online.
Moving on to the Velvet Matte.  The Nars VMs are probably the most consistently wearable of the truly matte pencils in my humble opinion, and Dolce Vita is among the nicest of the lot, comfort-wise.  That soft, fudgey, sun-warmed mouthfeel is always welcome, and the syrupy, condensed, Venetian afternoon pink actually evokes an emotional response in my swampy old heart, always making me feel happier and less of a fucking ogre when I'm having a bad face day.  Dolce Vita is a truly romantic shade, sweet and rich, graphic enough save a red lip fiend from feeling naked and modest enough to keep a more basic unit from fainting at the prospect of visible colour. ​ I wouldn't be without it.
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​Shade-wise, it's essentially timeless, neither young nor mature, vintage nor modern, and I think it looks just as nice on a cool face as someone with yellow tones.  Unsurprisingly, it is the perfect compliment to a brown-based smoky eye or a simple black wing.  ​​

The palm swatch above tells the story of the different versions' respective opacities.  The pencil is 95% opaque but retains good workability; I can easily sheer it out and smudge it for a long time after application.  It's a definite matte but never dries down into parched oblivion, remaining supple enough to be touched up without caking.  Don't be fooled by the look of the bullet to the right there; the lipstick comes in at a paltry 10% (maxed out) by comparison, as you can see on my palm and in the lineup swatches below.  

Yes that is a ghetto manicure; I know better and should do better but I have a massive garden and no help.  Assistant weeders always welcome.
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Normally I would have moved such a low-clout lipstick on, but I keep the sheer DV because it offers amendment of the pencil shade and just because I enjoy the soothing feel of its quality formulation.  I wouldn't buy it again but it might become an OG option for the pigment-phobic.

Dolce Vita is an essential staple so just try it, goddamit.
L2R, MAC unless stated:
​
​Russian Red
Nars Dolce Vita Velvet Matte Pencil
Dolce Vita Sheer Tube Lipstick
Brick O La
Nars Walkyrie
Aim To Please Velvetease Pencil 
Hot Tahiti

Natual light, indoor and out.
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RubyHue Lipstick Review: Nars Janet (Audacious)

6/11/2018

 
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A big magenta carries the same mana as a classic red; assertive, trend-resistant and cross-seasonal.  Few shades are as explicitly beautifying.  It embiggens your eye colour and can even make a shitty dye job look better (I should know).  

​Janet is magenta done right; a rich, vivid and joyous embodiment of all those good things.  
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I know what you're thinking.  But I already have MAC Show Orchid and that's my pinky blue OG!  

​Is it, though?  The various Nars ranges have weaned me off many of my former MAC and UD favourites.  I may be aging out of the latters' target demo but I'm also a lot more fucking discerning these days and all those trashy sentimental favourites seem to have lost much of their charm.  

​It comes down to comprehensive quality.  On the face, Show Orchid and her slew of UD equivalents look so shrieking, greasy and candied beside Janet. SO is more fuchsia, to be sure, but one is strong and the others are just... loud.  I'm reminded of the difference between PJ Harvey and Courtney Love. 
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I didn't realise just how many iterations of this deep magenta I already owned before buying yet another one.  There is no end to my depravity.  ​
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At this point I should caution that it is ubermeta-awesome on the right face.  Just like a bold red, fuchsia-magenta can veer hard into visual nails/chalkboard territory when it's smooshed where it don't belong.  The more strident and less balanced the shade, the greater the potential for horror.  A blue pearl ups the hazard level even further; MAC Violetta on just about anyone is a perfect example of this gruesome phenomenon.
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Quality, bitches.  Quality.
​
I was fortunate to strike an overcast day to photograph this shade as direct sunlight blows it out of gamut.  These pics are pretty accurate, recording the temperature shift away from pink with the change in light.  Note the strong blue cast apparent in the bullet shot to the left there.  

This blue derives almost entirely in the pearl itself which is milled down to the kind of powdery nothingness that eliminates any gritty mouthfeel or impression of glitter, providing a moderate serving of violet duochrome over the true magenta base.  ​It may be hard to imagine, but this is a relatively sophisticated look, rooted in the careful selection of the two adjacent shades- that vital thing other, lesser versions get wrong.
Texturally Janet is a 90% opaque, medium-sheen satin which doesn't bleed, stays put and applies evenly straight from the tube.  There's no caking or drying, two minor blights that knock points off the muddier, stodgier UD After Dark.  My only real technical gripe is the typical Nars Audacious line's consistent skipping on the midst of my turned-out lower lip, but this shade will cover there if you take the time to drag it slowly over that area a couple of times.

We have Nars 
Janet (left) and MAC Flat Out Fabulous (Retro Matte) for comparison in the triptych below.  Trying to get Janet's blue duochrome to show up without the sensor splitting it into glitter is next to impossible.  The pic at far left if probably closest.
​And now for the caveats.  If you can't werq much blue, don't take a punt on Janet hoping your lip colour might bend her in your favour.  It won't.  Also- magenta's ability to blow up one's defects needs consideration.  This colour clashes horribly with my cheek capillaries and I have to correct that shit before we are simpatico.  It's not a casual slap-on shade unless your skin is all dewy perfection and your undertones are unicorn-compatible.
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Many of us love magenta but need assistance if we are not to look unwittingly editorial.  I've learnt some tricks.  Most importantly- hide yo problems: go for a medium coverage foundation or at least take your time with a good concealer.  If you really covet that low-information, freshly pissed-on in a fuck tape realness, by all means go hard with the ditchpig contouring and industrial highlighter.  I can only advise against it.  Related: magenta + asphaltic Instagram dirge-brow = mistake.  Stick with a minimal, tightlined, mascara-heavy eye.  If you don't have a truly appropriate blush to hand, don't just slap on a peachy random or you may discover there are worse things than looking a bit monochromatic.  

​Finally, don't succumb to the temptation to pencil a magenta outline, even in the utterly, inconceivably unlikely event your liner matches perfectly.  In fact, wipe a fingertip lightly around the edge of your application or do the same with a transparent primer stick to blur it out a wee bit.  Extra wearability is achieved just by taking down that margin contrast.  

But whatever.  I love Nars Janet.  She can sit on my face any time.
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L2R all MAC unless stated: Russian Red, Nars Janet, Urban Decay After Dark,
Bite Beauty Beetroot, Girl About Town, Rebel, D for Danger

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RubyHue Lipstick Review: Bite Beauty Cin Cin & Vento Luminous Créme

13/7/2018

 
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Been on a leeetle bit of a mini Bite Beauty binge over the last month or so, scoring some shades in a couple of bulk buys that I would not have normally considered.  I paired Bite Cin Cin + Vento (both Luminous Creme formula)  in this review with the thought that they will both probably be of interest to the mmmm... less dramatic amongst us.  

​I'm not talking 
Duchess-level Basic here because let's face it; those hos might be freeqs in the sheets (BIG question mark) but they're not bringing much to the damn streets.  Just saying.  

​
I think it's a lack of consistent nutrients thing.  Just saying.
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For the uninitiated, Bite Beauty's Luminous Creme is, broadly speaking, forgiving and wearable in contrast to their more matte/saturated Amuse Bouche and Crayon product.  It's a formula for people who sort of hate lipstick but are trying to get into it, out of boredom or a sincere desire to reform their homely ways or whatever.  Easy to apply, delightful to wear and unlikely to inspire fear in the unwary.
So: Cin Cin.  It's the gelato-gingery-orangey one in these pics.  I've been wearing it a lot since I took them, which is something of a surprise as it's not a massive shade.
Like almost all Bite product, Cin Cin is a pliant, non-feathering dream to wear with far longer persistence than you might expect from this kind of formula.
If you loved MAC Giambattista Valli Margherita and share my abject sadness at not being able to really pull that shit off, Cin Cin is like an answered prayer you didn't even know you were mumbling.  It has the same pastel-esque tangerine-y loveliness, but with j u s t enough depth to bless the darker lip-haver with something more satsuma lite than glue residue. Whereas Margherita suffered the technical difficulties inherent in white pigment+lip, the Luminous Creme formula rides to the rescue by not cock-blocking any natural affinity with our native schema.
Cin Cin provides slightly less coverage than say, a Nars Satin Pencil-type situation, hence the wearability. The only conceivable downside to this paragon may be its tendency to look pretty no on most cool-coloured citizens; obviously, these shades play best when referring to those yellow, red and brown tints present in the warmer face.

Edgelords might consider flipping this gack potential into creative wtf with 
Cin Cin + clown-coloured hair + a cool face; one could certainly play up the uncomfortable combination.
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On to Vento.  I'm just going to say right now that this shade could not look more fucked on my face if it consented to some sort of whole-Smurf-village gangbang.  We may not be simpatico but I will put on my objectivity cap and review it in that noble light.  

Though it is a wee bit difficult to accurately represent, we are dealing with a light-medium, blue-leaning rose pink satin and a moderate degree of translucency (think MAC Lustre).

​
Vento is not quite as ghostly-pastel as it may appear against my pasty hand, so subtract a wee bit of the white cast and take your lip colour into account.  It'll still look like this to varying degrees though- it is definitely a thing for arctic blondes, ash-kissed brunettes and lovers of soft-focus, just because it's so modest and blue-leaning.  
It clashes with the broken veins and redness on my sad old face, so consider any scarring or pigmentation issues you might have before splashing out.

Vento's charm lies, counterintuitively, in its lack of graphic heft; it is subtle, casual, vintage, conventionally pretty, completely SFW and a nice foil to a big eye.  It offers a nice alternative to those of us wanting a bit of polish without the slimy grossness of lip gloss- Vento's lustre is low, satiny and durable.  It's just the smidgen of sneaky pastel that strikes the wrong gong for the warmies; oh well.

I wear it around the house anyway, purely for the pleasure of its sublime texture.  This shit be angel grease, second only in my experience to the crushingly expensive Chantecaille stuff (which I must get around to reviewing) as far as conditioning and comfort are concerned.   And Vento is so visually lightweight and stable that I also sneak it under all those chalky-arse mattes that will suck you dry if you don't amend, which is why it's staying in the stash.
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​L 2 R, MAC unless stated: Russian Red, Bite Cin Cin, Nars Iberico, Chili, Bite Vento,
Girl About Town, Bite Amarone, Nars Afghan Red  natural outdoor unflashed
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RubyHue Lipstick Review: Bite Tannin

12/4/2018

 
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There is always an elusive ∞ factor that separates a merely good lipstick from those that make you feel extra-goddess.  MAC Ruby Woo is like that.  Urban Decay F Bomb.  For some, it's Nars Dolce Vita or some other satanic concoction.  Call it glamour, call it dirty old witchcraft; for me, Bite Beauty Tannin sits simpering amongst these hallowed creations.  Like a slutty muse.
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Note the caveat, though.  Tannin's vague translucence means this shade is subject to variables, according to the nature of the light, thickness of application and especially your own underlying colours.  If you're lucky, you'll get that dreamy sanguine warmth infused with a suggestion of syrupy tomato and rose-jam.  But for some, Tannin will show a more generic face, rendering as a straight-up, albeit high quality, dark raspberry, which is nice enough, even if the magic does miss you.

On my dark, bare lips, I get a warmer, murkier, more painterly look than I do when applying over something like UD lip primer. 
Tannin's x factor lies in both its gorgeous, almost fevered depth of colour and luscious texture.  It's weird how rarely those two things go together, even in this day and age.  Online images don't really do this shade justice because it's one of those reds that looks somewhat pedestrian to the camera sensor- the human eye is far more sensitive to the nuances that make it great, so it's easier to describe than to accurately depict.  Tannin is a deep, slightly debauched, burnt-jam red with a puff of smoke blown over it, just 'off-clean' if you know what I mean.  Sauce, coulis and reduction are the words that come to mind; on the right mouth, it is luscious and arresting, overwrought and juicy as only this Bite formula can be.  
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Pale mouths and/or primer will provide just enough of a white cast to make Tannin possibly go all flat and literal.  So your native tonality  is the crucial interjection.  Keep that in mind.
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Bite Tannin (L) + Nars Charlotte
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You might have gathered that I personally adore Tannin almost unreasonably but I'm trying hard not to let that bias my assessment.  So- downsides? Given that they are devoid of a lot of the nastier preservative crud etc. found in mainstream products, Bite sticks can be a wee bit susceptible to heat and humidity fluctuations, both in the tube and on the lip.  Deep in the arsecrack of a disgustingly hot summer, I noticed that greasiness can surface under trying conditions. Thus Tannin can be a tad mobile on the lip when worn heavily and can also skip the centre, which is annoying if your lips are somewhat poofey and turned out like mine.  I use a brush when this is happening.  It might possibly bleed on someone especially prone to that issue, but I have old-lady lines and don't experience any problems.  
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Finish-wise, there is a plumping, satiny lustre, heightening to medium glossiness depending one how much you pile on.  It is very comfortable to wear and deliciously hydrating.  There is a hint of sweet flavour and a fruity scent; they aren't grotesquely synthetic and don't bother me.  
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You need a bit of mana and personal heft to pull this shade off, or you could find yourself worn and not in a good way.  My most meaningful recommendation is this: I'm a fucking tough bitch to please and Tannin surely doth please me.
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L2R all MAC unless stated: Russian Red, Bite Tannin, Nars Mascate, Ruby Woo,
​Guerlain Garçonne, Nars Majella, Lady Danger
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RubyHue Lipstick Review: MAC Bloodstone & Jasper (James Kaliardos 2017)

13/9/2017

 
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I have no knowledge of James Kaliardos but whoever he is- bitch knows his lipstick.  Bloodstone is an Amplified Creme (the BEST MAC formula), a glorious rose red that slides onto your mouth like scarlet-scaled serpent and blesses your lips with a juicy slash of high vinyl polish, church window colour and outrageous comfort.  Can you believe no one is paying me to say that about their shit?
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With this kind of high shine you're usually risking line bleeds and migration but Bloodstone defies physics to stay put even on my old trout pout, plumping my shit up and knocking the yellow out of my teeth.  It's what I always wanted MAC Red to be; a wig-snatching classic cool red without any nasty formula fails.  
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MAC Bloodstone (James Kaliardos 2017) is the kind of thing that deserves a place in an ancient royal burial, along with golden torques and silver cauldrons and majestic fur robes.  It is visual consommé.  Sexual chocolate.  Luxury embodied.  I barely knew I was alive until our paths crossed.
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It reminds me somewhat of True Love's Kiss, another MAC LE from a few years back which I enjoyed. Bloodstone is definitely a superior rendition, being glossier, more intense and just more generally fabulous.  Red OG Guerlain Garçonne is a first cousin, if a little warmer.

A light application will get you a deep pink rose with a sort of casual 80% opacity.  Keep building and the pink drops right away, flipping Bloodstone over into a vibrant royal ruby with a wet lustre.  The texture is sublime; butter-smooth, balm-like and intensely flattering, depositing colour so evenly that you'll scarcely believe your eyes. A super-fine blue/purple micro pearl is apparent in the tube and these sunlit shots, but I don't see it on the lip.  
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L2R MAC unless stated: Russian Red, Bloodstone, Ruby Woo, Tenor Voice, Guerlain Garçonne, MAC Red, Nars Majella outdoor natural light
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My love for Bloodstone is utterly unqualified and wish I could have bought another hundred tubes.  Delicious.
MAC Jasper (same collection) will be a slightly more difficult proposition for many. Personally, I'm enjoying its bang-on rendering of that most elusive of shades: dried, weathered blood with slightly ashy/neutral undertones. A sombre, complex raisiny sort of thing. If that doesn't sound like your sort of shit, I won't argue; it's fabulous on some, not so much on others.  You probably already know which camp you belong to.  It's aiight on me; I love a deep bruisy lip and have enough cool tones to make it work. Yellow/bronzy types will probably find it too corpsey.
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I experience no bleeding and pretty extended wear, even after hot food.  My boofy lips tend to lose lipstick from their midst and if Jasper suffers a wee bit in this respect after a while, it's still better than most deep shades.  It is more forgiving to rough/chapped mouths than you might expect but don't expect actual hydration- these dark dyes are drying. That's just how they roll.
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You might see some vague brown happening if your display is a bit aged or poorly-calibrated; compare it to Nars Deborah, the true brown in the swatches, and you'll see they have nothing in common.  Old rose enthusiasts will recognise Jasper's dusty, sun-baked Gallica petal tonalities and it is this organic element that elevates it above its duller, less sophisticated contemporaries.  Jasper is more adult than you might suspect, attributable to both its deft colour balance and Satin formulation.  I love a gothy matte as much as the next person but I think we can all acknowledge their chalky shortcomings; this guy dries down to near-flatness without making one's lips feel like they DIAF.  Nor do the pigments clag up and separate; Jasper is a hundred times more wearable in really real life than your average port/tannic/charred situation.  Fucking yay.
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To summarise Jasper, I say: a difficult shade, well done.  Deep, stable, grown up and semi-wearable.  It's an updated, non-basic plum, really.  The closest thing in my collection is probably MAC Fixed On Drama- that is redder, a lot warmer and contains brown tones.  Look into it if you're one of those 'can't wear red' people bored with tamer neutrals.
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L2R MAC unless stated: Russian Red, Jasper, VG1, Nars Deborah, Nars Golshan,
​Just a Bite (LE), Fixed On Drama  natural winter outdoor light
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RubyHue Lipstick Review: MAC Aim To Please Velvetease pencil

2/8/2017

 
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MAC Aim To Please Velvetease pencil.  I was keen to know if this line would approach the quality of the Nars Velvet Mattes that have long been my favourite pencils.  My only pissiness with the latter is the dreadful need to sharpen; I get around this inconvenience by dabbing the shaved curl back onto the remaining pencil because I am a ridiculous tightarse, but it still irks.

Let's go right for the practicality jugular.  MAC Velvetease pencils are wind-up and in theory this is obviously preferable to a conventional fixed crayon-style presentation.  
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The sight of all that expensive product falling away into oblivion from a sharpener, like tears in rain, is always a stab straight to the thrifty, beauty-conscious ventricle.  But not all winding pencils are created equal, as you probably know by now.  This Velvetease pencil winds up and down pretty well without wobbles or skidding so no complaints in that direction. The stick of product is thick enough to withstand the pressures of said motion and the housing is pleasant enough, a silver-flecked plastic that feels neither cheap nor flimsy.  I'm not embarrassed to produce it in public.  The lid stays on in one's bag or pocket.  It doesn't melt like butter between thunder thighs or turn into octogenarian candle wax three days after purchase.
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Aim To Please is a toasty, somewhat ocherous, organic pink, appearing warm in most situations but possessing enough dusty-neutral DNA to pull slightly cool on certain complexions and in blueish light (see the swatch in front of the ivy); it definitely shifts a bit and in this case that's a nice, natural effect that keeps Kardashianmouth syndrome at arm's length.  It's more universally suitable than something like MAC Mehr, Stone or Whirl, which can sink you to the tits in ashy regret.  I went so far as to assign ATP to the resale pile for this median quality since I already own (and love) Nars Dolce Vita (yellower, pinker), until realising how similar it was to my treasured Nars Walkyrie, which I am having trouble backing up.  ATP is slightly lighter and less dramatic than Walkyrie but the effect is samey enough.  It's a really natural, widely-compatible walking-around shade and I appreciate it now more than initially.  
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Texturally, it goes on well, applying silicon-smoothly with none of the stiff drag of a bad matte.  It feels lighter and slightly more flexible than the Nars pencils- pretty insubstantial really, which is either a bonus or a negative depending on personal preference.  It's neither particularly drying nor at all emollient.  While it might slightly emphasis your lip lines, Aim To Please looks objectively better than a lot of similarly-toned mattes, containing just enough lowlight lustre to be actually flattering rather than just plain flat.  It doesn't look sprayed on from a fucking can, á la liquid mattes (shudder).

Even if the stubby, fat-arse tip shape on this windy pencil annoys me, there's nothing intrinsically bad about Aim to Please and I'll be keeping it.  If it is generally representative of the MAC Velvetease line, the Nars pencil formula still comes out ahead IMO due to its superior richesse; it is denser, more pigmented and just feels a wee bit more luxe. I'm just biased in favour of a heavier, more hardcore-saturated product.
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L2R All MAC unless specified: Russian Red, Aim to Please, Nars Walkyrie, Retro, Mocha,
​Nars Dolce Vita (VM version)
in a range of natural light
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RubyHue Lipstick Review: Hourglass Velvet Rouge Raven

12/7/2017

 
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Let's get my one lonely objection to this item out of the way first.
​I haaaaaate the broad squared-off tip shape.  
​Hate it.
I might be the only one left in the slap-wearing world who had never worn an Hourglass product until very recently.

To my mature, somewhat jaded eye, there's always been something... nonessential about the brand.  It's so moyen.  Mid-price, allegedly mid-performing, middling colours... I was never inspired to try it until someone dangled an Hourglass red in front of my nose for cheap.  Snapped at it like a great white at whale fat.  And I'm glad I did.
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This huge spatulate excrescence makes it almost impossible to apply straight onto my boofy, sharply defined and somewhat petite cupid's bow without all manner of awkward, unintuitive postural fuckery, which is bloody annoying. You might drive a large, flat lip shape and find the square end perfectly delightful, but small mouth-havers will probably need to dig their brushes out.  That's the sum total of my hateration and it's a purely subjective gripe.
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Hourglass Velvet Rouge Raven suffers from the kind of arse-about-face nomenclature that had me avoiding it for no good reason.  Velvet Rouge sounds like a line of those cheap, housepainty liquid mattes that have been so ubiquitous until very recently and that had given me a case of the hell nos.  But it's the opposite of that nasty shit in actuality and has slid into high rotation for me because of that rarest of lipstickish attributes; genuine red buildability.  Where most reds just appear piss-weak at anything less than full strength, Raven really does work at many levels of opacity, morphing from a warm persimmon stain through to a mid-bright flattish marmalade, and finally into a big hot total red with robust yellow-tomato undertones.  If this is characteristic of the Velvet Rouge line per se, I'm sold on them all.

You can see what I mean in the squiggle swatch below, where it appears at both smudge-strength and full opacity.
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Shade-wise, it's a near dupe of Nars Heat Wave with its cheeky hit of mellony coral, though the texture is softer and looser, spreading a little more easily and furnishing impressive lip-comfort.  Do you need both of them?  Probably not.  Raven is the one I'd recommend to the general population as it is slightly glossier, a bit more deeply red and definitely more glassily translucent, allowing you to adjust the level of colour to something you are comfortable with. 

This sort of red so often inspires an extreme love/hate response and I used to be on the hard-no end of that spectrum until I discovered that it's far more wearable if you avoid the thick matte versions.  For this reason, Raven is infinitely more doable than MAC Lady Danger and other such one-note traffic cone business. 
While these shades are obvious choices for golden-toned complexions, Raven's diverse undertones mean it can be a tasty contrast on a cool face, too.  And while it might not be able to claim subtlety it is truly more striking than gaudy and that is the real test of a good orange red. 
​
Raven doesn't move around too much or even really bleed on an old trout like myself.  No matter how thickly you slap it on, it never feels too greasily built and settles into a supple, lasting satin that imparts a big whack of old-skool glamour.  I find little to no staining after wiping it off, and a decent application will last through dinner; there's not much of a scent and I don't find it irritant in any way.  

Not for shrinking violets but Raven gets my fuck yes seal of dramatic approval.
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L2R MAC unless stated: Russian Red, Hourglass Raven, Nars Heat Wave, Lady Danger, UD F Bomb, Tenor Voice, Nars Iberico 
Outdoor natural light.  It's really important to turn your device screen to its optimal viewing angle to convey nuance between these sorts of hot reds because they push colour gamuts in direct light.
​For effective comparison, Iberico is a pretty straight true orange.
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*   RubyHue Lipstick Review   *


RubyHue Lipstick Review: Bite Beauty Liquorice

14/6/2017

 
By now I'm on the record as loving almost everything about Bite Beauty lipsticks, from the delicious packaging (exhibit A at right there) to the high-quality ingredients and plain old performance.  The only thing I don't enjoy is the outlay; down here in NZ, we pay around $40 for a full sized lipstick plus postage, and that's painful.

So bless these little Amuse Bouche units and their more modest price point.  They're around half the size of a regular tube but let's be honest- how many shades have you legit worn down to the bone before you tired of them?  Lipsticks are the other risky hookup; you have to tongue a lot of dross to find the classic keepers, so it's best not to invest too much in randoms.

Bite Liquorice is a deep, velvety blackened red with a surprisingly traditional matte finish that is somewhat uncharacteristic of the brand, at least in my experience.
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Other Bite stuff claims matte territory but they're usually more medium satin if truth be strictly told; for me, Liquorice is the first to nudge that designation almost literally, at least when brushed on and especially after 20 mins.  It certainly dries down.  Not saying we're in MAC Retro Matte country but many casual punters may not appreciate the loss of that supple emollience they're expecting from this brand.  

Shade-wise, Liquorice is a wee bit polymorphic, shifting from a deep cherry with slight rosy blue tones toward the proper oxblood of the official description in some lights, becoming truly sanguine.  Sometimes there is brown involved, sometimes there is not.  From the online pics I thought we'd be looking at more of a Nars Cruella/MAC Dubonnet-type warm red.  Dark, dirty garnet is what you get instead, both in the tube and on the lip.
This is a tricky, tricky shade, both technically and aesthetically.  It's the sort of super-rich, ganache-like colour that's very high-contrast on the majority of white peeps and can make many of us look like disappointed clowns.  You know; Rooney Mara Syndrome.  As though your mouth is wearing the rest of you like a hat.  

​How do you know if you can pull this stuff off without ending up in a puddle of oh honey no?  Strong features help.  My rule of thumb- the visual weight of the Liquorice (et al) on your lips should be equivalent to at least one other element on your face.  In my case, my dark googly eyes are a match for a heavy lip situation.  Conversely, deeper complexions, particularly of the cooler persuasion, can carry Liquorice with gay abandon.  It just might be that HG secksy midnight red you were looking for.
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There are no 100% stone cold dupes in my collection but I own a couple of close enough colour analogues.  Liquorice is just a nose-boop deeper, more opaque and very slightly warmer than Nars Charlotte; you don't really need both if it's just a dark cherry look you're after.
The same goes for MAC Sin, which is similarly matte/blackened- once applied, the effect is very similar.

But you know what really sells me on this shade?  The tenacity of the opacity.  Deep lip devotees know it's one thing to achieve a righteous level of inky darkness- keeping it that way is a whole nother kettle of bananas.  The moment you smile or blink or press your lips together, it starts with the janky stunting, receding from the midst of the lip, settling into lines and separating out into ugly patchiness.
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If Liquorice looks that way where I've piled it on haphazardly in the swatches, disregard because a miracle occurs on the lip. When applied thickly enough to yield maximal charred ruby goodness, this stuff holds pretty tight, barely sneaking into creases and most importantly, not succumbing to that ugly dodge-and-blot splotchy matte effect.  Liquorice builds to an homogenous black tulip truffle and stays like that- intact and coherent- for a good couple of hours.  No primer required.  

​Gobsmacking, eh?
Strangely for something so densely pigmented, Liquorice doesn't leave much of a stain at all and my mouth feels smooth and somewhat conditioned afterwards; not as much as with some of Bite's more slippy items, but still- a matte that doesn't leave your lips feeling like roadkill?  It's witchcraft.

To summarise: slightly drier and perhaps more trad-matte than you might expect but the superlatively even colour payoff for this sort of shade is outstanding.  
Fuck/Marry/Kill?  Lock down hard and die holding hands.
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MAC unless stated: Russian Red, Just a Bite (LE), Viva Glam 1, Bite Liquorice, Dubonnet, UD Mrs Mia Wallace, Nars Cruella, Sin

This is sludgy midwinter light with a slight yellow cast that resisted correction.  It's pulling the darker shades around 5% browner than they appear on the lip (if you know Sin, you'll see what I mean).
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RubyHue Lipstick Review:  Paula's Choice Berry & Bright lip Crayon- Currant

30/5/2017

 
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Excuse my hyperbolic outrage but there is no excuse at all for shitty lipstick in this day and age, when even budget brands can achieve perfectly acceptable results.  And from what I gather, the Paula's Choice line isn't even cheap, which astounded me because I was thinking this had to be a single figure outlay situation.

Chromatically, Currant is a hard, cheap-looking plasticky red, tainted with that offensive 80's pinkishness that we seniors just could not escape back in the day, but my dislike isn't merely associative.  The shade is objectively gauche, especially in direct sunlight which really plays up its ugly monotonality.  It's the kind of thing Barbie would wear if she wanted to leave a tide mark on Ken's junk hump.  Pageant red.  Cosplay red.  Shudder.

​Bite Pomegranate seems fairly twinsy in the sunlit pics but note how the latter backs up the saturation with an appropriate level of opacity and tweaks it slightly warmer, creating a much more wearable and sophisticated shade.  I love Pomegranate and detest Currant, if that's enough anecdotal differentiation for you.
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I don't know anything about Paula's Choice and to cut a short story even shorter, I don't give enough of a shit to research it.  I have somehow ambiently deduced that it's mid-end personality-based shiz blah blah blah headbutts table in rigid dribbling stupor.  

Do I sound unenthusiastic?  Because I am. Unethusiastic.  About Paula's Choice Berry & Bright lip crayon in Currant.  Which feels a bit strange because I haven't actively hated a lip product in quite a long time.  

​There is plenty to dislike, though, starting with the phrase Berry & Bright, which makes me emit cobra noises.  Currant is a totally inaccurate descriptor and I hate that too.  Also hate the fat, half-sparkly, busted-arse Xanadu-looking mofo of a crayon quite passionately and am unwilling to be seen with it in public.  

​If a fly-spotted yellowing plastic makeup stand in a crappy small town chemist circa 1985 could talk, it would say Paula's Choice Berry & Bright in a croaking smoker's baritone, and probably wipe its nose on its sleeve.
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Currant goes on unpleasantly, building from icky-pink to Snow White (polyester version) red.  The thick kidney fat texture and persisting stickiness create a contact/transfer nightmare and feel like last night's cold chip grease stuck to your lips.  I will very occasionally tolerate a gruesome formula for the sake of hot colour payoff, but there's no gold at the end of this rainbow; you just feel like you can taste where the leprechauns were sitting.

If I absolutely had to say something nice, I could admit I was bracing for Currant to smell like wet dog and it did not.  The pencil winds up which means, well, less waste.  It doesn't bleed, I'll give it that.  
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But no, you're not imagining things; there really are horrid knobby hentai-esque blobs of embedded wax (christ I hope that is wax) in the midst of the product.  They're hard and sort of scratchy.
And I don't care if this was a one-off production problem or characteristic formula issue because it was by no means the only thing I hated about this pencil.

Currant probably stays on for a long, long time but five mins was more than enough for me and I could never make it past the half hour mark before running for the tissues.  I don't know what possessed me to buy this execrable product (yes I do- someone was offloading it cheaply) but let my pain light your path to righteousness- if you're looking for blue-leaning raspberry red without the vulgarian factor, pick up ye olde MAC Red (just buy a primer), MAC Salon Rouge, Nars Red Lizard, Nars Charlotte or one of the Bite pencils (maybe Cranberry).
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(L2R) MAC Russian red, Paula's Choice Currant, Bite Pomegranate, Nars Cruella,
​Nars Majella, MAC Red
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*   More Lipstick Reviews: no one knows how to stop me   *


RubyHue Lipstick Review: MAC Spice It Up (Lustre)

2/5/2017

 
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Are you decrepit enough to remember getting those American sultanas in the tiny little cardboard boxes as part of your school lunch?  Back when food came from trees instead of being popped out of moulds?  MAC Spice It Up is quite a bit like those delicious things; nostalgic.  Sweetish. Caramelised and brownish.  Something you don't think you're really in the mood for... until you partake, and then you can't put the damn thing down.  
Spice It Up was something I picked up entirely on spec since no real buzz regarding it had ever come my way. I can't decide if it's just that zero-expectation halo around these obscure, unfashionable MAC shades or their genuine intrinsic awesomeness that makes them so appealing, but SIU has definitely settled into high rotation.

That's in spite of it hailing from the much-reviled MAC Lustre stable, that bastion of lip-fucking, mouth-fleeing three minute wonders that I'm hardly alone in hating.  Impressive.
Lustres usually suck, by and large, which is doubly annoying because the concept of a reduced opacity formula in non-naff casual shades was totally righteous and is still pretty underserved. ​

But let's get down on Spice It Up.
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All this is assuming moderate lip pigmentation in the potential subject (i.e. you).  That's probably the most important thing to consider about  Lustres and their ilk- your mouth is the X factor.
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We're looking at a medium nutty raisin shade, which sounds warm and brown but really isn't that simple- SIU is neutral at best and actually leans cool.  

Smoothing it over one's hand reveals those secretive notes that make it far more of a success on the lip than may be implied by any verbal description. Hints of aged mahogany red and wine pink lurking in the undertones are elevating, prettifying elements.  No matter how hard you slap it on, SIU won't take you to clown town or I
nstaho alley, but it will deliver something of more lasting value- subtle, tinted contrast. The elusive 'half look' that understudies a dramatic eye or just rubs the ashy horror off a generally dismal face situation.  It is remediation for dummies.  A 10 second morale-boost when you just can't be arsed to do anything else.
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Underlying lip colour supports Spice It Up to be all it can be; the combination of these naturally-derived shades becomes more than the sum of its parts.  You may not get the same agreeable visual payday if you're one of those ghost-lipped types who have trouble persuading lipstick to look anything but garish and unsympathetic... then again, SIU can supply a subdued dead-petal stain to light/cool lips and that sort of low-key journée gothique result can be tremendously alluring.  I'm hard-pressed to think of someone who really, fully could not wear this shade under any circumstances.  Maybe give it a miss if you're pale and yellow-toned?  

​Nars Golshan pencil is probably Spice It Up's closest tonal relation in my collection, comparatively speaking, despite the latter being darker and more intense.  Together they form a beautiful and effortlessly flattering ombre. MAC Brick-O-La is way pinker.  MAC Taupe and Mocha are a far more explicitly sandy tan.  Retro holds a lot more dirty mauve and its heavier pigmentation gives a completely different effect, so I don't particularly associate them.
I think SIU looks best patted on and/or finger-smudged which yields a nice, slightly autumnal tweak, oddly more toffeeish than the pinkish hand swatch, plus a modest sheen.  You get 50% opacity from one swipe and while that's perfectly sufficient to make an impact even on darker lips, SIU is buildable to around 80% before it veers into slippy patchiness; that's a great result for this sort of finish.  When patted on it's got a sweet little density which settles well on the mouth and lasts (in the absence of serious assault) for around half a day before needing maintenance with that bonus gentle fade that characterises all the worthwhile Lustres.  I don't experience wrinkle bleeds or that slimy de-emulsification effect that can strike down some MAC Cremesheens as well as the lesser shades in this category 

Unusually, I have nothing bad to say about Spice It Up.  It's a nice change from all those hard neutral mattes when you don't want too much look.  I don't even begrudge the fact that it won't stick around til dinnertime- it doesn't even outstay its damn welcome.  You can't claim that about very much these days.
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L2R (MAC unless stated): Russian Red, Del Rio, Spice It Up, Nars Golshan, Taupe, Verve, Retro
a range of natural in+outdoor natural light
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*   RubyHue Lipstick Review: a feast for your face   *


RubyHue Lipstick Review:  OCC Vintage Lip Tar

5/4/2017

 
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A thin, finger-type application yields the ye olde, half-shadowed scarlet implied by its name.  It's quite clean and simple at this intensity.  Pile more on and it will take you deeper, dropping down into dramatic teak-burnished depths that set it apart from the basic-red herd and expand Vintage's appeal across the complexion spectrum.  It's not as overtly grungy as MAC VG 1 or Dubonnet, but that moderate dirty undertone means virtually anyone with the inclination can wear this colour successfully (it's more apparent on the lip and with a bit of wear than in swatches).

​Vintage turns your whole face into a lip situation, the sort of red that outcompetes/minimises dermal annoyances like broken veins and recent zit scars etc.  It retains the laid-back, mid-life vinyl sheen level visible in these images, a flattering lustre that emphasises lip architecture without making one look deranged or inflatable.  It's a classic stunner that I cannot fault, aesthetically speaking.  

And now for the bad news.

​Despite OCC's extremely commendable ethical stance (they're vegan and cruelty-free), I've disposed of a number of lip tars in impulsive disgust at their general performance.  The older tube stock is a bitch to apply, even with the quite-nice OCC brush, and necessitate an annoying level of brush hygiene.  I really don't know how the new doe foot applicator will do much better given the texture, but I haven't tried it yet.  That legendary pigmentation (and it is fabulous... except when it isn't) means controlling the intensity can be a frustrating exercise.  Different shades and even batches seem to offer wildly different performance; SuperNSFW was a stubbornly separated, underpowered mess, Traffic was a greasy, patchy nightmare and Electric Grandma?  That shit desiccated my lips like some sort of hungry vampire (peppermint oil can counterintuitively suck the life out of your lip skin).  

​As
you can probably see, this stuff is oil-borne, seriously liquid and virtually nothing you can do will change that.  Anything more than the lightest application will seep outward, smudging that hypermassive pigmentation into corners you didn't know you had and staining like fucking stigmata.
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It was probably dumb and certainly lazy of me to hold off reviewing an OCC Lip Tar until they repackaged the damn things.  But no reformulations were proclaimed so my observations are still relevant.  

I've long entertained a looove/haaaate relationship with this product.  Let's go with the positives first up.  Generally speaking, the shades themselves are nothing short of purring glamour in liquid form; I delight in their high drag quotient and unreservedly adore their indefatigable intensity.  

​Vintage is no exception, exiting the tube as a thick bead of deep, arresting sanguine.  It is a medium-dark; lightly smoked red.  A sunbaked blood red.  Chocolate cake smashed into raspberry sauce red.  I can't think of another iteration of this shade that delivers quite so much boiled-down, cacao-ruby goodness, except perhaps its stablemate, that mighty bitch Stalker.  
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Without hardcore priming, Vintage will absolutely bleed, whether you're young, old, wrinkly or pristine.  Check it out on my hand in the pic overhead; its already packed its bags and headed off in every diddly doodly direction after 30 seconds.
​

I use heavy-duty stick primers like UD Ultimate Ozone and the ELF stuff (both reviewed here) to keep Vintage from wandering.  It's just a shame these stodgy products somewhat mattify and diminish this lip tar's virgin beauty.
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Bleeding may still occur anywhere the tar sneaks past the primer margin and eating/drinking is begging for trouble, so if you're over thirty and heading out the door with Vintage instead of just sitting round the house looking dope AF, take a mirror and preload, lol.  

When all's said and done, OCC Vintage is undeniably beautiful and incredibly infuriating, like a peacock perching on your washing line and shitting on your jarmies.  I still own three OCC tars and will probably pick up a few more despite their tendency to trifle with my sanity because they pack so much seductive visual punch and I like to throw dollars at ethical businesses.  Just be aware that some shades seem to suffer varying levels of compatibility between their carrier oils and their dyes, leading to unacceptably short lifespans and practical fails- in my experience, anyway.

If lip tar performance issues worry you, I recommend the Nars Satin Lip Pencils; I'm applying Majella as I write this and it really kicks just as much arse as Vintage with none of the technical problems.  Storage tip:  stow lip tars in a cool, dark place and regularly shake and sort of squish them round their tubes to keep them happily emulsified. 
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(L 2 R All MAC unless stated) Russian Red, OCC Vintage, Viva Glam 1, Nars Cruella,
​Deep Love, Fixed On Drama, Nars Marjella
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RubyHue Lipstick Review:  Nars Moscow Pure Matte

23/11/2016

 
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Though I love the Nars Pure Matte line, Moscow held me at bay until recently.  So many people have called it so many diametrically-opposed things; definitely red, not red at all, bright, deep, muted, dramatic; it's like everyone was just going off something their sister's best friend's cousin told this guy they knew.  Lipstick lovers- we can do better.  

​I'll have a go right now. 
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Okay, so a quick glance at someone wearing Moscow could possibly register a red lip situation.  But have a good squint at the squiggle swatch above right there.  Moscow's on the left beside MAC Lady Danger, which to me is a good example of where true red ends and orange begins.  I'd call Moscow terracotta, copper or russet before anything else; I mean, Nars Rouge Basque is redder, and that shade's still a long way short of true red if you're asking me.  Maybe it's the name?  Moscow always makes me think of bold scarlet on an icy blonde and confusion is probably what I deserve for cherishing such a basic-arse stereotype.  

Moscow is unequivocally warm, as you can probably see, so anyone with neutral to toasty tonings should be perfectly fine.  It's a friend with benefits for redheads and auburnies who find true reds too clownish; the skeptical can feast their eyes on the cave-beast pallor of my hand up there and assure themselves that this shade really isn't too much against our particular epidermal fortunes.
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I wouldn't call Moscow too much in any direction, to be honest.  It's no deeper or stronger than any of the mid-range neutrals like MAC Retro or all those delightful liquid matte dried dog sick- sorry, greiges- everyone's doing to death right now.  It won't blow anyone's socks off or get you frogmarched out of the office.
​

Close inspection of the tube shot directly above will reveal another of the surprises lurking up Moscow's figurative sleeve; a super-fine, old gold glitter or pearl.  It's a very long way short of visible nana frost but lends a subtle and flattering dimensionality that sits really well with an eye look featuring the coppery richesse of UD Baked or MAC All That Glitters.

It's the thinnest of the Pure Mattes that I've experienced, going on at around 70% opacity and retaining a slight suggestion of translucence even when thickly-applied.  Moscow is also near-creamy, comfortable and visually forgiving, making it a great 'gateway' matte for someone a wee bit afraid of this textural genre.
I don't have any problems with it, personally, and am only slightly disappointed that it wasn't a bit more dramatic.  But then again, there isn't exactly a dearth of drama in my lipstick drawer so I should probably just learn to appreciate Moscow for its flattering and reassuringly organic wearability.  It really is the nicest and definitely the most sophisticated member of this ocherous orangey group that I know.
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L2 R (MAC unless stated) Russian Red, Nars Moscow, UD F Bomb,
​Nars Rouge Basque, So Chaud, Dubonnet, Ruffian Red
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