Blogmas Day 17 | My Lipstick Collection

I have wanted to do a post like this ever since Danielle did one back in June, but as I had lip products that I was always just about to buy, I continually put it off until I did the Padawan thing and completely forgot about it altogether. Partaking in the blogging hell that is Blogmas this year has forced me to up my game a little with cracking out posts, and so the ever un-reliable synapses fired up and magically conjured this back to the forefront of my brain!

Here's the thing: I have a lot of lipstick. What I'm about to show you isn't even my entire lip collection -- there are many lip balms, glosses and lacquers that I chose to leave out because it would render the size of this post from ridiculous to unthinkable. I realised while swatching that somehow two lip lacquers did make it into this post, but then I remembered the following Ancient Chinese proverb: YOLO.

For even all that included in this, however, I feel obliged to say that this isn't my entire collection. Like an idiot, I missed out on four lipsticks because -- for some reason that still eludes me -- I didn't have them with the rest of my collection. One of them is in the hands of my mother, something that I hadn't realised despite the little niggly feeling in my stomach that my Rimmel collection felt a little smaller than normal.

I've tried my best to categorise all of my shades into colour groups, but you may notice a little disparity. After all, sometimes pinks look red, reds look pink, purples look pink, browns look red, purples look brown -- basically every lipstick looks like the colour it's not supposed to be.

The Curse of the Padawan strikes again.

However, I've done my best -- and at the end of the day, that's all you can ask for, so here's my lipstick collection!

Aaaaall the pink lipsticks!

...and their swatches.

Pinks (+ "Pinks")

• Rimmel Moisture Renew Lipstick in "Piccadilly Pink" || This is a really great natural-ish pink that always seems more pink than natural when on my lips. It's a great colour for day something if you want some colour without the Skittles rainbow, or for night if you want to keep your look a little more simple and sweet.
• Rimmel Moisture Renew Lipstick in "As You Want Victoria" || I bought this lipstick because it has the name Victoria in it, because nothing says impulse buy like a shade with the name of one of your favourite monarchs. This is a sassy, blue-toned pink that looks great day in the daytime especially.
• Rimmel Lasting Finish Matte by Kate Moss in "106" || This isn't a lipstick that I wear often, but it's great for days when you want matte, vibrant colours. It's a little lighter than "As You Want Victoria", and I feel like it's the midway between MAC "Damn Glamorous" and MAC "Good Kisser".
• Elizabeth Arden Exceptional Lipstick in "Fiesta" || I kind of "inherited" this lipstick when I got into makeup, in that it was in the top drawer of the bathroom and had been for some unknown period of time. It was brand new, however, and it hadn't dried out, so I've held onto it. It is possible to get this lipstick, but the packaging is different -- my thought is that my mum probably got this as part of a promotional deal once upon a time.
• Maybelline Color Elixir in "Fuchsia Flourish" || Given that this is a lip lacquer, I'm not sure why a swatch of this made it onto my arm. (It's possible that I just really, really wanted to swatch it.) Danielle sent me this in our beauty swap and I actually really like wearing it -- it doesn't bleed on me, which is great!
• Butter London Lippy in "Primrose Hill Picnic" || Apparently the synapses in my brain weren't working properly, because I've named this product incorrectly on my swatch. The tricky thing about Butter London is that although they have a variety of lip colours and glosses, it seems difficult to tell which is which. My bet is that this is one of their liquid lipsticks, although never does it ever say on the packaging what it actually is. I really love this colour, it kind of reminds me of Barbie pink -- and me and Barbie pink aren't two things which always get along.
• Napoleon Perdis DeVine Goddess Lipstick in "Olympia" || This is another inherited lipstick. It used to belong to my mum, but I borrowed it off her once and decided to never give it back. The colour is very similar to "Piccadilly Pink", but the texture is a bit creamier and not as "slippery" as the Moisture Renew lipsticks. The packaging for the current DeVine Goddess lipsticks is different to what I have.
• Klara Kiss Proof Lips Liquid Lipstick in "Neon Hot Pink" || This looks like a brighter, super matte version of "Primrose Hill Picnic", but I'm kind of not really fond of this. I got a sample at the Beautiful You expo in September, but I haven't properly tested it yet because the colour kind of puts me off. It's a bit too blue and a bit too matte for my current liking -- and of course it doesn't help that my brain keeps referring to it as a hooker pink. I think all this probably needs is a slick of gloss over the top to make it more agreeable.
• MAC "Yield to Love" || From the limited edition Novel Romance collection, this pink is kind of a "my lips but better" shade, and I like applying it when I want a light wash of colour with a dark eye look. It's not quite even in its application, but because it's not a strong colour, it's not such a big deal.
• MAC "No Faux Pas" || This is a hot pink from the limited edition Heirloom Mix collection and I think it looks beautiful, although perhaps more pink in person than it looks in swatch. It lasts well during the day, even through light eating and drinking!
• MAC "Damn Glamorous" || Is it a pink? Is it a red? I would swear that this is a very red-looking pink, but a pink nonetheless. It's from the limited edition Matte Lip collection, which just goes to show how many matte lipsticks are in my collection.
• MAC "Good Kisser" || Ugh, I think this must be my favourite of all my pinks, if only because somehow the lipstick inside looks a little bit scraggly (if you see my review, you'll know what I mean). I find that this tends to be the pink that I reach for most.

Nudes & Naturals (or whatever they are)

Swatchity-swatchin'.

Nudes & Naturals (aka What Does That Even Look Like?)

• Elizabeth Arden Beautiful Color Mosturizing Lipstick in "Desert Rose" || I really feel like this kind of shimmery peach-toned dusty rose gives my lips a natural look, which is great for if I'm doing some kind of full-on eye makeup. I find that this is also an appropriate lipstick for the workplace -- and naturally that means I ignore it in favour of super bright colours. I got this in like a promotional pack of goodies for spending over a certain amount at Elizabeth Arden, so the actual proper tube looks much prettier.
• Elizabeth Arden Ceramide Ultra Lipstick in "Rose" || The perfect workplace pink, it's noticeably subtle. If I want something low-key but more pink than "Desert Rose", this is what I go for.

Brown-ish colours

Swatches that prove my dubious colour assignments.

Browns (+ "Brown-ish")

• Maybelline Creamy Mattes Lipstick in "Divine Wine" || Danielle gave me this and I looove it! It's out of season for me right now, but you can bet your bottom dollar that I'll be busting it out come autumn. (Plus, marsala anyone?) This is definitely the oxymoron that it promises to be: a lipstick that looks matte but feels creamy on the lips! I can't wait for this collection to get to Australia -- I WILL BUY THEM ALL.
• MAC "Hearts Aflame" || So maybe this should've gone in with my collection of reds, but it did seem kinda brownish! I always get so many compliments when I wear this colour, so, naturally, it is a favourite of mine in the colder months.
• Estée Lauder Pure Color Long Lasting Lipstick in "Shimmer" || I love this lipstick, but it seems as though you can't get it in anymore -- I'm not too surprised, because this was a lipstick I inherited/stole from my mother, so it was likely in our house for a while. There is, however, always the possibility that it was renamed as something else, so when my bank account fattens up in the new year, I'm going to go into Estée Lauder and try and see if they have something similar. This golden brown is actually really nice to wear whether you choose it for day or night, and it's really comfortable on the lips.

Corals

Definitely corals.

Corals

• Maybelline Creamy Mattes Lipstick in "Craving Coral" || Perfect for if you want a matte finish with a creamy texture, I really feel like I need to bust this out more often. It doesn't apply as evenly as "Divine Wine", but I feel that it's fixable and, as such, not really a big deal.
• Maybelline SuperStay 14HR MegaWatt Lipstick in "Burst of Coral" || I was expecting this to be more orange when I bought it (because coral naturally means orange), but that it's a bright pinky coral is both surprising and refreshing. It looks quite pink in the tube and I haven't tested it out yet, but I'm interested to see if it will last the 14 hours.
• Rimmel Lasting Finish by Kate Moss in "12" || Story time: this was the first lipstick that I ever bought, and I hated it. Despite not being a huge lipstick person at the time, I decided to go for it because it was incredibly cheap at the time, but the first time I wore it, I could not wait to get it off. Corals make my skin look darker -- I feel like they bring out the yellow tone, and I was not a fan of that. Now, however, it's rather grown on me.

Purples

Purples and berry swatches

Purples & Berries (Probably)

• Maybelline Color Sensational Vivids Lipstick in "Hot Plum" || I bought this on a whim when I saw this it was reduced to clear at my local Woolworths -- and I think it was the first kind of bright, neon colour I ever had. It was definitely a step out of my comfort zone, but I was determined that I could make it work. Doing so basically means putting it on and feeling fabulous no matter what anyone might say.
• Rimmel Lasting Finish Lipstick in "Amethyst Shimmer" || This is a kind of pinky-purple that's a smidgen lighter than the same in "Sugar Plum". I really like this line, the colours fade really well into a sort of "my lips but better" shade after a few hours. Can't complain!
• Avon Simply Pretty ColorBliss Lipstick in "True Rose" || I got this as a present a few years ago, before I got into makeup and became the lipstick fiend that I am today. It was subsequently shoved to the back of the bathroom cupboard until I took everything apart and rediscovered it -- and it's actually a really nice colour! It's similar to the Lasting Finish lipsticks that I have, but with perhaps a little more shimmer.
• MAC "Lingering Kiss" || I put Hearts Aflame in with the "browns" and not this? What's the matter with me? This did seem a bit more purple than brown in my initial swatchings, and it was only when I swatched it up against the rest of them that I looked at it and went, "Hmm."
• Rimmel Lasting Finish Lipstick in "Sugar Plum" || A lighter version of "Amethyst Shimmer", this could probably have been passed off as a pink. Oh well. Padawan skills 4 lyf.
• MAC "Rebel" || I bought this because I was seeking to recreate a look (and still am). It's not one that I often wear on its own because I find that can cling to dry patches and make them worse, but I like it layered with the MAC "Talk Sexy" lipglass.
• MeMeMe Long Wear Stain Lip Cream in "Morello Silk" || The packaging for this product drew me in, with Greek muses and intriguing names. It was hard to pick one colour, so I ended up with going for "Morello Silk" but a) Chloe Morello; and b) I'd always seen it out of stock before. The shade is between MAC Rebel and MAC Lingering Kiss, but I'm not overly fond of how it applies from the tube. I think a lip brush may work a bit better.

A whole lotta reds.

Swatches of reds!

Reds

• MAC "Sparks of Romance" || This is one of my favourite red lipsticks, although for whatever reason, I don't wear it too often. It's a beautiful red with a little bit of gold shimmer.
• Klara Kiss Proof Lips Liquid Lipstick in "Flaming Red" || I haven't yet dabbled in this Klara product either, but I feel like careful application would be key. These do dry down to a very, very matte finish and it would be a disaster if it was misapplied, because it was quite difficult to get off my arm.
• Maybelline Color Elixir in "Signature Scarlet" || This really doesn't belong here seeing as it's more of a gloss, but here it is! Unfortunately this colour bleeds and feathers on me after a bit, making the edges of my lips look a little fuzzy and blurred. I'm trying to work out a way to get it to stop bleeding, but so far no luck.
• Rimmel Lasting Finish Matte by Kate Moss in "107" || This was among the first of the lipsticks that I bought but then left alone because I thought the colour didn't suit me. I tend to wear it sometimes anyway, because these days I quite like it -- it's matte, but not uncomfortably so.
• MAC "Salon Rouge" || This is a nice pinkish red, but I haven't had much of an opportunity to wear it lately. It's a classic colour that I think will look on any skin tone.
• Elizabeth Arden Beautiful Color Moisturizing Lipstick in "Red To Wear" || This is similar to, but a little lighter than, MAC Salon Rouge. It's a good red to have if you want one that's not too over the top or bright.
• Maybelline Color Whisper in "Who Wore It Red-er" || I'm not actually too keen on this shade. For whatever reason, I thought this would be a sheer colour, more towards the lip balm end of things -- it is compared to most of my other lipsticks, but I feel like it's in a weird stage of opacity where it doesn't seem to work on me.
• MAC "Viva Glam Rihanna 1" || I think this was the first MAC lipstick I ever bought, after wanting a red that was, in one word, brilliant. This is probably my favourite lipstick of all time -- I love the colour, I love the shimmer, I love the finish.
• MAC "La Vie En Rouge" || This red has a little bit of orange in it -- or so far as I can tell. I think this is a nice colour for those who want a red that's one step short of vibrant.
• Lipstick Queen Medieval Tinted Treatment || This probably could've been left out as it's kind of more of a lip balm type product, but whatever. This product is marketed as the red that everyone can wear, as you can wear it sheer or build it up (to a point). I love this on my "no make-up" if I just want a tiny hint of colour on my lips. Also it has the word "medieval" in it, and that automatically gets it bonus points.
• Hourglass Opaque Rouge Liquid Lipstick in "Icon" || I think this was the first high end lip product that I ever purchased. It's a beautiful blue-toned red that will, hands down, look gorgeous on everyone. Unfortunately, it feels a little heavy on my lips, but I can usually ignore it for the greater good.
• Hourglass Opaque Rouge Liquid Lipstick in "Raven" || I was unsure about this shade originally, as it's more orange-based than Icon, but I find that I really like to wear it. It's not as heavy on the lips as "Icon", so I feel less self-conscious when I wear it.
• Rimmel Provocalips in "Play With Fire" || If you're looking for a deep red that won't budge, this is the one you want. No joke, once this product sets it is game over -- no changing your mind, no take backs. You need to apply it carefully, but it's such a beautiful colour that if you get it right, you'll look smashing.

The Ones That I Forgot

• MAC "Ruby Woo" || Forgotten because I had it in my cupboard and not in my lipstick shoebox! I bought the Heirloom Mix Red Lip Bag a little while ago and thus acquired the Ruby Woo set!
• Bésamé Classic Color Lipstick in "Red Hot Red" || This is supposed to be the shade wore by Marilyn Monroe -- it's a beautiful blue-based red in vintage-style packaging.
• Bésamé Classic Color Lipstick in "Cherry Red" || I forgot about this lipstick and the other Bésamé lipstick because we weren't supposed to get this one -- we'd asked for two "Red Hot Red" but got this instead of one of them. As I'd intended to swap this one at a salon, I kept the bag at the back of the bathroom cupboard, thus forgetting about it. It has been a long time, however, so I think I might actually keep the both of them. Sorry, Ma!
• Rimmel Lasting Finish Lipstick in "Starry-Eyed" || My mum borrowed this because she was after a dark colourer, but she's pulled Sarah and not given it back to me. I'm not in any hurry to get it back though -- I think I may have one or, dare I say, a dozen other lipsticks that can keep me occupied!

That's it for my lipstick collection! As I mentioned at the start, this isn't my entire lip collection -- although I can assure you that it's not a whole lot bigger. I think.

Let me know which lipsticks are your favourites! Do you have any suggestions? I want to know those too! (Because I am absolutely most definitely not going to buy any more.)

Sarah xo