Good fortune came my way and I recently scored a few free lipsticks courtesy of Sephora x NARS and Shiseido- by way of a recent discovery, the free sample site Freeflys.com (register if you haven't already! I've already scored some free Cerave, Nivea, and Dr. Brandt as well). I thought I'd share some quick swatches and thoughts on them. And I know it's technically Thursday, but it's 12:00 somewhere and I couldn't wait any longer!
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| Quelle bonheur!! FREE Shiseido and NARS |
The Shiseido lipstick I won in a giveaway contest. Apparently I was given the shade from the Veiled Rouge collection that most fit my personality based on a little quiz they had up on their site. The shade is called Mischief.
I also picked up my Sephora birthday gift for 2015 early while checking out during the VIB sale not too long ago. Which is something you can do apparently... Sephora, December babies thank you. In case you weren't already aware, the gifts for this year are the NARS lip pencils in Rikugien and Cruella.
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| I hypothesized Rikugien over Cruella would actually look like Mischief, but was wrong. Hence the rightmost swatch. |
NARS Rikugien is a very natural sheer pink MLBB (My Lips But Better) color with shimmer throughout. If you recall, shimmer usually doesn't really bother me, mostly because
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| RIP ODB |
No but seriously, it's great for everyday wear. It's not a color I would have personally picked out, but I will probably get some mileage out of it. It has an average wear time of a few hours. $26.00 at Sephora.
NARS Cruella is a deep, matte red that I think is hands down the best red in my current collection. It's really unfussy due to its long-wearing matte finish and is totally understated and chic. I call it my French-girl chic red (please don't roll your eyes). I think it looks lovely worn on its own, not competing against any other colors on the face. I also really enjoy having a red in pencil form; it really makes it easy to get that precise application. This I may repurchase. $26.00 at Sephora.
Shiseido Mischief is described on the site as a coppery red with shimmer. I don't agree with the description. In real life it looks a bit more like a shimmery berry-toned red. I understand that shimmery lipsticks are in vogue what with the most popular lines out there being the Tom Ford Lip Color Sheers and the TooFaced Melted Metal collection. Like the TF, this is a nice option because it isn't messy or difficult to apply. I've mentioned a few times that I'm not against shimmery lips, but I do believe that a sheen looks best laced through some colors more than others. Gold x bright red? Take me now. (Incidentally, there's one called Carnevale.) Silver x violet? Another winner. (They have one called Sloe) Gold and berry? I'm unconvinced. What's funny is that though this color allegedly fits my personality, I cannot imagine wearing this under any circumstance. Actually I looked through their line and think that any of the other colors would have been a better match. Le sigh. But in case this one 'speaks' to you, you will be happy to know that the formula is comfortable and moisturizing. It isn't long-wearing and the color can migrate a bit when eating or drinking, but it is nothing out of the ordinary. $25.00 at Sephora.
As Rikugien and Cruella are great all year round shades, make sure to pick them up with your next Sephora order if you haven't already! If you don't have access to a Sephora, I believe Nordstrom ships internationally and carries them. (Affiliate) Links are provided below.
Speaking of FREE, I'm running my first giveaway early next week. Stay tuned for details!
Thanks for reading!
-Joan
If you're curious about my policy on press samples, affiliate links, and sponsors, see my disclaimer and policies.
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