BEAUTY: 30 Day Lip Color Challenge

Last month I decided to embark on a 30 Day Lip Color Challenge. Well, okay, embark is kind of a strong word for what ultimately boils down to wearing a new lip color every day for a month. Because I found myself often reaching for the same few lipsticks, yet still mentally (and actually) shopping for more, despite my overflowing stash, I wanted to try this experiment. 

The rules were simple:

1. I must wear a new lip color from my stash every day for 30 straight days
2. I can't buy any new lip colors along the way

My reasons for trying this were also simple:

1. I have way too many lipsticks, glosses, stains, etc. and I don't wear most of them
2. I want to discover new favorites within my lipstick stash
3. I want to try new looks inspired by new shades of lip color
4. I want to see what colors I like best (and worst) on me and organize my lipsticks accordingly
5. I want to stop buying new things when I have 30+ lipsticks (I mean, really!)

The Results:

1: ELF Matte Lip Color in Rich Red  //  2: Wet n Wild Megalast Lip Color in Pinkerbell

3: Wet n Wild Megalast Lip Color in Purty Persimmon  //  4: Revlon Super Lustrous Lip Gloss in Coral Reef

5: Revlon Super Lustrous Lipstick in Love That Pink  //  6: Sephora Ultra-Shine Lip Gloss in 07

7: Wet n Wild Megalast Liquid Lip Color in Back to the Fuchsia  //  8: ELF Essentials Lipstick in Captivating

9: Blackheart Beauty Lipstick in Violet  //  10: Wet n Wild Megalast Lip Color in Cherry Bomb

11: Revlon Just Bitten Kissable Balm Stain in Smitten  //  12: Jordana Lip Gloss in Sugar Cookie

13: NYC Ultra Moist Lipwear in Retro Red  //  14: Revlon Super Lustrous Lipstick in Va Va Violet

15: Revlon Colorburst Lip Butter in Cherry Tart  //  16: NYC Up to 8 Hour Lip Gloss in Blush Forever

17: ELF Essentials Lipstick in Sociable  //  18: Jordana Lip Gloss in Dazzling

19: Wet n Wild Fergie Lipstick in D-Vinely Chilled  //  20: Wet n Wild Mega Last Liquid Lip Color in High-Pitched Wine  //  21: Wet n Wild Megalast Liquid Lip Color in Click My Hyper-Pink  //  22: NYC Ultra Last Lipwear in Berry Rich  //  23: Lancome Juicy Tubes in Pink Horizon  //  24: ELF Jumbo Lip Gloss Stick in Pink Umbrellas

25: Covergirl Outlast All-Day Lip Color in Ever Red-dy  //  26: NYC Ultra Moist Lipwear in Blossom

27: Wet n Wild Megalast Lip Color in Just Peachy  //  28: Revlon Super Lustrous Lipstick in Fire & Ice

29: Revlon ColorStay Ultimate Suede Lipstick in It Girl  //  30: Revlon ColorStay Mineral Lipglaze in Perennial Pink

What I Learned

The most noticeable lesson for me is that it's really annoying to take a picture of yourself every day. How are all you selfie addicts managing to do this? I just didn't always feel like posing, putting on makeup or, in some cases, putting on clothes. It got a little tired around day nine, but I pressed on in the name of science.

Swatches: Top row is lip colors #1 - #15 and bottom row is #16 - #30

More importantly (well, relatively anyway), I learned that: 

• Safe/subtle shades just aren't going to get much play from me so I might as well toss them.
• NO FROSTY LIP GLOSS EVER. To be fair, mine was super old, but more reason to let it go.
• The subtle differences between red lipsticks mean it's totally okay to have a lot of them.
• Covergirl All-Day Lip Color (#25) is REALLY good, which I totally forgot. I can wear this all day for a reliable matte red lip and it even lasts through pizza and a Halloween party - what more are you really looking for?
• Wet n Wild's Megalast lipsticks are out of this world and only, like, $2. Highly recommended, especially Cherry Bomb (#10) and Purty Persimmon (#3).
• I like dark lip colors on me more than I thought I did. Not longer just for special occasions.
• I probably don't ever need to wear Revlon's Va Va Violet (#14) or Wet n Wild's Click My Hyper-Pink (#21) ever again. I'll save them for when I want to look like a weirdo.
• No more glosses that aren't opaque - don't waste my time.
• Matte lips > glossy lips.
• I need more purple lipstick!

Top picture is lip colors #1 - #15 and bottom picture is lip colors #16 - #30

The goal was to keep me from buying lipstick by "shopping" my own stash and making me realize how many I already have, but in reality this experiment just made me focus so much more on my lips that now all I can think of is trying new colors. Oops. I will definitely be using more of my own first, though!

After scrubbing the swatches, ALL of the Wet n Wild Megalast Liquid lip Colors stayed put! I know I've mentioned it before, but those things are pretty amazing.

Would you try a 30 Day Lip Color Challenge? If you do, let me know so I can follow along!

How many lipsticks is too many? How long would it take you to wear all the shades from your stash? What's you favorite lip color right now?

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BEAUTY: ELF Lip Haul

Soooo, I went a little crazy on ELF lip products when they recently offered a $1.99 shipping sale. Since not everything in their product line is available in stores (or at least my stores) I'd been eyeing a few things on their website, but needed an extra push (like cheap shipping!) to make me pull the ordering trigger.

I love the quality of pretty much all of their products and with their low prices and cruelty-free practices, this is one brand that I never feel guilty about stocking up on. All of this stuff was about $17 with shipping! Kind of unreal.

Retractable Lip Brush

This is a handy tool with sturdy bristles that fits well on my lips and stores easily when capped. Love it!

Available Here $3.00

Lip Lock Pencil

This works like a reverse lip liner in a sense; you apply it just outside the lip line (on skin) to lock in lip color and keep it from bleeding or feathering. It's great to use when you don't have a matching lip liner, too.

Available Here $3.00

Essential Lipsticks

This basic lipstick line is a great value and the formula is really moisture-rich. The colors pop and glide on easily, but these do need to be reapplied periodically, as they don't have a super long wear time.

Available Here $1.00

L to R: Captivating / Flirtatious / Sociable

Essentials Lipstick in Captivating

Essentials Lipstick in Flirtatious

Essentials Lipstick in Sociable

Matte Lip Color in Rich Red

This is a twist up crayon with a sharpener hidden in the tail end. It's really easy to apply, both because of the soft, creamy formula and because of the slightly pointed tip. I outlined my lips and then filled it in for a full matte red lip.

Available Here $3.00

Lip Stain in Crimson Crush 

This stain looks and feels like a marker so it's easy to apply, but can also be a little messy. I liked the shade of red this gave my lips, but I wouldn't consider this a real stain because it came off a little at a time over the course of the day while eating, drinking, etc. I would definitely recommend exfoliating your lips before trying this out because the product settled more in some dry spots on my lips and left a bit of a ring around my lip line when it started to fade. Store this product tip down for easier use and a longer life.

Available Here $2.00

Moisturizing Lip Liner in Natural Blush & Bitter

These are basic lip liners that get the job done and they each came with their own little sharpener. I opted for a dark merlot shade (Bitter) to use with my similar shades of lipstick and a light pink shade (Natural Blush) which matches the shade of my natural lip color, since I can use that with any lipstick. Smooth color and easy application makes these a great addition to any makeup bag.

Available Here $1.00

I'm happy with my order overall, and I'm looking forward to trying out many, many new lip looks in the near future. I love when you don't have to spend a lot but you get a lot in return!

xoxo,
Michelle

BEAUTY: 5 Products I Love Right Now

I like to try new things, but I tend to be cautious with my wallet and even more cautious with my shelf space. All things considered, here are five products I’m happy to recommend for any person on any budget:

1. Johnson & Johnson Lavender & Chamomile Lotion

This lotion smells like a warm, cuddly bed feels. The large pump bottle goes for about $4 at drugstores and it’s worth every penny. It moisturizes well and absorbs quickly, without any greasy after effects. Some lotions on the cheaper end feel like hair conditioner on your skin – this is not one of them. Honestly, the function is all well and good, but the heavenly scent is what makes me want to apply it again and again (you’ll get whiffs with every movement!). You’ll never have a dry patch again with the addictive scent of this lotion.

  

2. Say Yes to Carrots Lip Balm

I’m a big fan of the Say Yes to Carrots brand as it is, but since it’s nice and natural it also tends to be on the pricey side (nothing crazy) so I only indulge when I’m not feeling cheap. Their shampoo and conditioner combo transforms your hair into a silky root vegetable infused dream, so I was hoping their lip balm would do the same for my lips. I scored this on clearance for $1 (yay!) but I think they go for around $4 regularly. I’m a diehard Burt’s Bees chapstick fan so I almost never buy lip products, but this one won me over with it’s moisturizing capabilities and the fact that I didn’t need to reapply every time I turned around like a lot of other lip balms. I command you: Say Yes to Carrots!

3. Suave Dry Shampoo

Is there any greater invention of the last century than dry shampoo? Forget the automobile, penicillin and cell phones – going an extra day without having to wash your hair is where it’s at! For those days that you just can’t bring yourself to do it, you want to preserve an amazing ‘do or maybe your hair just can’t handle the harshness of every day washing there is dry shampoo. Spray, fluff and you’ll look like a million bucks that just took a shower! It’ll be our little secret. This goes for about $3 and lasts a pretty long time with semi-frequent use. Be warned, it does have a strong fruity/tropical scent so sniff in store first.

4. Boots Sensitive Skin Face Wash & Lotion

I think I found The One! I’ve had many face washes over the years (remember Oxy pads?) and, while I’ve had a few serious courtships, I’d never fully committed until I found Expert Sensitive Gentle Cleansing Wash and lotion from Boots. The brand is less common than most, but I get this at Target in the fancy-ish section of beauty products (near Burt’s etc.) for only $4-$5 for each. The lotion lasted for almost a year, too and the face wash can be rubbed into my eyes to remove makeup with no irritation whatsoever. It’s love!

5. CoverGirl Outlast All-Day Lip Color in Ever Red-Dy

You may recall me mentioning in my What’s In My Bag post that I was in search of a red lipstain. I know Chanel is great and Mac makes some of the best lip products, but I wanted something more affordable so I’d feel like I could use it as frequently as I want without mentally calculating the cost of that use divided by the amount I have before it’s time to buy again. This CoverGirl stain was about $8 and from the first use I was hooked. The color is saturated and classic, and somehow manages to stay in place through drinking, eating and kissing all day. It will need to be smoothed over with the included clear lip gloss stick occasionally but my lips never felt desert-level dry at any point. Pro tip: exfoliate your lips first (apricot scrub works well) to get even coverage.

xoxo,

Michelle