Fall Lips, Darker and more Subdued

It is officially fall which means my makeup will be much darker and more likely heavier than before since the burning heat won't make me sweat it off. Anyway, the past trend for me was always vibrant lips. Hot weather meant vibrant pink and cold weather meant vibrant red. This time around, I'm not going for vibrant lips *gasp*. I don't know why but I'm just more fond of more subdued and neutral colors this time around. Here are three lip products that will probably be my staple this fall.

It Cosmetics Your Lips But Better Waterproof Lip Liner Stain "Blushing Nude"
My friend and I were swatching things all over ULTA for a nice lip color reminiscent of the Kylie Jenner lip color (whatever you may say about her, you can't deny that her lip color is fab). I was specifically looking for something that was pinkish brown, a little bit like my lip color but better type of thing (how fitting considering the name of the product). Anyway, this fulfilled my kind of specific criteria: something thin for a more precise line, pinkish brown color, an automatic liner (aka something I don't have to sharpen), and within my budget of $20. This was right on the max of my budget at $20. The sales lady also recommended the product as she says it is one of her favorites as well.

Anyway, this product sure boasts a lot of things. It is waterproof and also a stain. It is paraben free and no animal testing. It has collagen, peptides, hyaluronic acid, shea butter, argan oil, jojoba oil, and avocado oil for an easy to apply creamy consistency and hydrating/nourishing effect. It also has anti-aging anti-oxidants like vitamin A, C, E, acai, green tea, and white tea. You can read the long description on the ULTA website here. All of that is nice but to be honest, I only bought it because it fit my criteria above. This is all really just a lucky bonus.

Unlike what they claim, I don't find this lip liner very hydrating. It feels just as dry any other lip liner. It does dry with a matte finish which makes any peeling dry skin much more obvious. You really need to exfoliate or do some type of lip scrub beforehand. However, the lip color does last really long and does leave a stain even after you try to wipe it off. It only faded a bit even after a meal. Obviously, the middle faded more than the edges. So far, I really love this lip liner.

Clinique Different Lipstick "A Different Grape"
My mom gave me this after she saw me sporting the It Cosmetics "Blushing Nude" since she said the darker colors look good on me (a rare show of approval). I don't know where she got it nor do I know much about the product but I usually like Clinique products. It's a good brand.

It's a little hard to be precise with this lipstick so definitely use a lip brush. It is very creamy and easy to apply. It is very pigmented and it doesn't dry out my lips. Despite having the word "grape", it doesn't really have a purple hue. It is more like a cranberry red and brown mix.

Mary Kay Liquid Lip Color "Cherry Coffee"
This is another hand-me-down from my mom. At one point in time, she was super into Mary Kay products but now she has moved on to Younique. Anyway, I believe this lip gloss came in a set that also had three eye shadows, a blush, and a double ended brush.

The applicator of this lip gloss is nice and makes it easy to really draw on the edges of the lips. The color is very pigmented and it doesn't dry my lips out. It has a shiny, glossy finish. This is also a mix of a red and brown but the red is more prominent rather than being an even balance. Rather, it has just a hint of brown.

Sometimes, I like to use all three of them together. First, I use the "Blushing Nude" lip liner to give then Clinique "A Different Grape" then Mary Kay "Cherry Coffee" for a shiny finish. I think the three look pretty nice combined.

Lush ~ Fresh Face Mask & Bath Bombs

I recently got into Lush products through the recommendation of a good friend of mine. Lush is a really nice company who believes in fresh and organic ingredients as well as being against animal testing. They fund a ethical campaigns and charitable organizations. That information can be viewed here on their website. They also participate in recycling by giving a freebie face mask when you return five empty black pots. The fresh face masks are called so because they are handmade and made by the employees in each lush store, so I'm told. Since the ingredients are fresh and organic, they are perishable. Therefore they must be kept refrigerated and also have an expiration date of usually 3 weeks after being made. This is also the reason why they cannot be bought online. Anyway, if you want to sample any of these masks, lush stores are usually quite generous in giving samples and letting you try things in store. If it is your first time there, an eager employee might just take quite a bit of your time to let you try many of their products.

Ickle Baby Bot (top right) $3.95 - This bath bomb is made of lavender, chamomile, and sandalwood to aid sleep. It does turn the water and very pretty blue color, not super intensely blue though. It smells really nice but the smell doesn't last very long. I'm not sure that it helped me sleep but it does make bath time a little more interesting. I let my little brother use it and he really loved the blue water and the subtle fragrance since he has a very sensitive sense of smell. Also, the little robot design is so cute!

Butterball (bottom left) $4.95  - This bath bomb is made of vanilla and chunks of cocoa butter intended to soften skin. This bath bomb has a very nice smell and turns the bath water just a tad bit murkier. The chunks of cocoa butter melt slower than the rest the product so you can see bits of it floating. I've taken some of the chunks and rubbed it on my skin and it does have the consistency of soft chocolate. My skin did feel a little bit softer after the bath though not enough to forego lotion. 

BB Seaweed $6.95 - This fresh face mask is a favorite of my good friend and I have to say it is my current favorite too. This mask is meant to soothe with aloe vera and rose absolute and moisturize with honey and olive oil.  Amongst the creamy ingredients are also little bits of seaweed. My face does get a little sensitive and more red after washing and using this at the end of the shower has really reduced that. I can tell that my face is less sensitive when I put on moisturizer. It doesn't sting as much. Also, it is considerably less red when I get out of the shower. Also, a little does go a long way. This container lasted me about five and a half uses (the half meaning I didn't do anything above the level of the eyes). I would recommend this and would definitely buy it again.

Ayesha $6.95 - This mask is meant to tighten and smooth skin using kiwi and asparagus. My face definitely looked and felt tighter after use. The longer you keep it on, the tighter your face will be. This mask isn't moisturizing though so I definitely had to use moisturizer afterwards. Some other cons to this is that the smell is really strong and not all that great. I guess I learned to like it but I didn't really like it at first. Also, the mask looks kind of gross but it does actually work. I got a good almost six uses out of it since the consistency is looser than that of BB Seaweed.

Oatifix $6.95 - I asked the employee for a mask that would moisturize my skin and she recommended this. She said it smells good enough to eat and she admitted she did taste it and it tasted ok too. She was right. It does smell good enough to eat with the nice sweet scent of bananas and vanilla. The mask looks exactly and has the consistency of cold oatmeal that has a finely ground almonds. I was certainly tempted to take a taste but decided against it. Unlike BB Seaweed and Ayesha, the consistency of this is very thick so I only got about 4 uses out of it. In terms of moisturizing, I was actually a little disappointed. I felt it didn't moisturize as well as BB Seaweed. To anyone thinking of trying this, I would recommend reaching for the BB Seaweed instead.

I'm so sad that I am so broke right now because I would like to try more face masks. I was underwhelmed by bath bombs. I'll include other inputs from my friends. I've been told the Breath of Fresh Air Toner Water works well and the Charity Pot lotion is very moisturizing. From my friend who has leg muscle pains, she swears the Wiccy Magic Muscles Massage Bar works wonders. My friend also says the fresh face mask Cosmetic Warrior works great for break outs. Personally, I would like to try out The Sacred Truth since I'm all about keeping myself looking young. Well, perhaps that will be in my next Lush haul.

Dolly Eye Cookie Grey

I love grey lenses that are also three tone so obviously, I just had to try these lenses. I bought them from Uniqso and I was initially attracted to them because the design was so similar to Kimchi Bambi Grey and GEO Princess Mimi Sesame Grey. I do hope that these lenses have the enlargement and the vibrant color that can stand up to those similar lenses.

Uniqso always has such cute packaging. I always plan my orders so that I can have free standard shipping. They arrive usually in 3-4 weeks and always come with a tracking number. The lens containers are safely insulated within the boxes. I am a loyal customer to Uniqso because they have great customer service and always respond quickly to my messages.

Dolly Eye is also known as the brand EOS. Dolly Eye Cookie Grey has a base curve of 8.6 mm and a diameter of 14.5 mm. Interestingly, it is listed on the site as being 2 tone but I could argue that it is 3 tone. The water content is 38% and the replacement period is 12 months. The lens are offered in plano to -10.00, which is huge range. The lenses cost $22.90 per pair. The Dolly Eye Cookie series also comes in blue, brown, green, pink, and violet.

Color&Design
These types of three tone designs are my favorite because the brownish/yellowish part in the middle just makes it look prettier. The design of these lenses are very similar to other lenses I have tried such as Princess Mimi Sesame Grey and Kimchi Bambi Grey. It isn't as vibrant though as the kimchi ones and is more subdued and dark like the princess mimi ones. The color is subdued enough to still be natural but looks so pretty in sunlight or bright flash.

Enlargement
These lenses are only 14.5mm, which gives them a natural enlargement. This means they can be worn with minimal and sometimes no makeup depending on your eye shape.

Comfort
These are very comfortable and I have no problem using them for up to 8 hours or even longer. They don't really start to feel dry until I get sleepy, but my eyes normally get dry around then anyway even without contacts. Otherwise, I can barely feel that they are there.

Overall
I would say that these are basically the princess mimi ones but with a more natural enlargement. The design is pretty but the subdued color makes it very natural looking. I would definitely recommend buying these if you are a lens wearer with a more casual or minimal daily makeup look. Above are some pictures from my instagram.

Expect more circle lens reviews to come! I ordered quite a haul from Uniqso for my birthday. I ordered six lenses for only $80.45 with free shipping! Quite a steal, don't you think? If you plan on ordering from Uniqso, enter my friend's discount code "SUY10" for 10% off your purchase. With that discount code, my member points, and Uniqso's monthly promotions, I was able to get $30.50 off the original price of my order! Uniqso really is my go-to place for cheap circle lenses.