Spring Oranges and Corals

I'm definitely the kind of person who begins to feel dismayed when the colder months roll in and I slowly but surely find myself having to put away my corals and oranges and make way for darker Winter hues. It's definitely the dominant family of colours in my makeup collection, from lipsticks to blushes to nail polishes, and now that Spring has technically sprung I've been quick to make the most with a bright pop of colour on my lips.

Today I'm sharing with you my favourite coral and orange lip colours for Spring/Summer, and I've also thrown in a few of my favourite nail polishes, in-keeping with the colour scheme, to boot.

Revlon Just Bitten Kissable Balm Stain in Rendezvous

Already reviewed on my blog here, I rushed out to get this upon it's release last year, and it fast became - even until today - my most-used lip product. It's a gorgeous bright orange which comes in a tinted balm form, meaning it is fairly sheer, but in spite of this it's quite highly pigmented and easy to build for a bolder look.

I just love how moisturising these are, and easy to reapply on the go. The chunky crayons come complete with a metal twisty bit (the right name for this desserts me), making it simple to wind up when your product starts to get a bit low - no sharpening required. 

Topshop Lips in Infrared

Another Lip colour I picked up last year, initially I wasn't sure that this one suited me, finding it a bit too bright against my pale complexion and worrying that it only emphasised my lack of healthy glow. Fast-forward to this year, and it's been on my lips a lot - I think I've got a bit more colour in my cheeks at the moment, and am now finding it really flattering. For me, the shade is really similar to Rendezvous (above), but being a lipstick it's more highly pigmented and is great for those days where you want a really bright pop of colour on your lips.

This one featured in my Lipsticks I Can't Live Without last Summer :)

Maybelline Moisture Extreme Lipstick in Cool Watermelon

Moving on to the more pink-based corals, this one is the brightest of the bunch, and comes across as almost neon in photos. It's such a moisturising shade, which is just what I want in warmer weather - no chalky, heavy lip products for me. The only downside with this one is that wear-time is not great, but it's such a gorgeous colour that I can forgive it.

Maybelline Moisture Extreme Matte in Play Peach

The newest addition to this little selection, this one is now a staple in my makeup routine. It's an orangey-pink coral (not so much of a peach, as the name might suggest) and is such a flattering, easy to wear shade - a good one to go for if you're new to corals and not sure where to start. Being matte, you do need to make sure your lips are well exfoliated before application, but this has a really good wear time and is still going strong after eating and drinking (I don't know about you, but that's a rarity for me). Although it's matte, it's still fairly moisturising and feels quite comfortable on the lips - you can't even tell it's there.

Mac Vegas Volt

And last but definitely not least comes this little beauty, which was actually the first Mac lipstick I ever purchased. It's really similar to Peach Play (above), leaning ever so slightly more orange, and is definitely my favourite formulation. Being an Amplified Creme it's very creamy and moisturising, though it does stay put pretty well. In my eyes, you can't really go wrong with a Mac lipstick, and this is by far my most-loved for Spring and Summer.

Again, you can find this in my Lipsticks I Can't Live Without post from last Summer.

L-R: Revlon Just Bitten Kissable Balm Stain in Rendezvous, Topshop Lips in Infrared, Maybelline Moisture Extreme in Cool Watermelon, Maybelline Moisture Extreme Matte in Play Peach, Mac Vegas Volt

The nail polishes photographed are Miss Sporty in shade 326, Revlon Nail Enamel in Make Mine Mango (shade 920) and Essie Risky Business.

Will you be braving corals this Spring/Summer? Or if you're already a fan, what are your favourite shades?

Hope everyone is having a great week so far.

xx

Revlon Just Bitten Kissable Balm Stain: Rendezvous

I'm sure you've all heard about these little beauties by now.
Revlon Just Bitten Kissable Balm Stains had a lot to live up to, following the raging success of their cousins, the infamous Revlon Lip Butters. As I have said before on my blog, such was the hype surrounding the Lip Butters that I almost didn't want to like them, but alas, I just couldn't resist their charms, and to be honest, I think few people could. So after having been won over by them and by Revlon's Photoready foundation, I was very much looking forward to the release of these chunky pencils, although, never having purchased a similar product, I wasn't sure what to expect.
The Balm Stains have a smooth, slightly waxy texture, and require some pressure when being applied, but for me, the fact that they are not too slippery bodes well in terms of staying power. I find it easy to get an even colour all over my lips, and I like that I don't need to be as meticulous with this as I might a lipstick, with which any little mistake is glaringly obvious. Another definite bonus is the lack of sharpening required as the product wears down, thanks to it's handy 'twist up' mechanism.
So, onto the shade I chose.
Being a huge fan of orange lip colours, Rendezvous was the obvious choice for me (although I now wish I had picked up several of the other shades too!). It's a juicy tangerine shade, a true orange with no pink, red or coral undertones, and while that might sound scary to some of you, it's actually incredibly wearable. It's not just because I personally enjoying using these sorts of shades, either - I can honestly say that this, out of all the orange lip colours I have ever tried, is by far the easiest to pull off. If you have never tried anything similar, why not take the plunge and give it a go? Applying a light layer leaves you with a pretty orange sheen, whereas a bolder look can be achieved with a second. I'd say that pigmentation is pretty good, though it's definitely buildable.

- I'm afraid these photographs haven't really captured the true colour very well, but I decided to include them anyway because I always prefer to see them in reviews. Rendezvous is really much more, well, orange than it looks here, and as I mentioned, not at all red. - 

I have actually heard that, out of all the colours available, Rendezvous has the least staying power, but not having tried any of the others, I can't really comment on that. What I can say, however, is that regardless of this, I have been extremely impressed. I have never, in my life, found a lip product that stays on my lips for more than about ten minutes! I don't know why that is, but I tend to apply one, have a drink, and that's it - gone. And yes, even the most long-wearing lipsticks and stains are included in this. I do have a Topshop Lip Marker which is able to stand the test of time to some extent, but I must say, it does not fade evenly at all and leaves my lips looking patchy.

So imagine my delight when I tried this little treat out for the first time, went about my daily business, hadlunch, and then looked in the mirror to find that it had stayed put! Yes, admittedly it had faded to some degree, but not really much - and even better, my lips were still a lovely, even colour! 

Now, while these are 'balms' as well as stains, I wouldn't say that they are hugely moisturising, but then they are certainly not drying either. However, as with every lip product, I would recommend giving your lips a good exfoliate prior to application to achieve the best results. If you already have dry patches then they are going to show up, but I have yet to find a lip product with which this is not the case.

One more thing to mention is that these pencils do have a light, minty scent, which for me is not a problem at all and is actually rather pleasant, but if any of you dislike scented products then this mightn't be your cup of tea. Maybe this is childish of me though, but I would have quite liked it if the pencils had had fruity scents, as I always enjoy those.

So, as you have probably gathered, I am really enjoying using this product, and it has barely been off my lips since I got it! I will definitely be buying some more, although I think that Rendezvous is going to remain my favourite shade. Revlon really have come up trumps here again, and I'm looking forward to seeing what they come up with next!

A little summary of the main points mentioned for you:

• Good staying power
• Fades evenly
• Reasonably moisturising, though not hugely so
• Pigmented but buildable
• Handy twist-up mechanism
• Light minty scent

So I hope you enjoyed reading, and that perhaps if you have been on the fence or hesitating about trying these then this might have helped you make your mind up!

If you have tried the Balm Stains, what did you think?

Happy Friday! :)

xx