Review - Lip Tint Comparisons... Max Factor/Maybelline/Revlon

So following my initial disappointment in Max Factor's Lasting Lip Tint back in May (the review for which can be found at http://hautefuture.blogspot.com/2011/05/review-max-factors-lipfinity-lasting.html), I was determined not to let my desire to find the perfect felt-tip pen style lip stain go unfulfilled. Despite the fact that I was very disillusioned by this first go at the idea, I was still hopeful, and why shouldn't I be? It's a great concept... a non-transferable lip product with an applicator which allows for almost perfect precision... what more could any girl ask for? And so my mini-quest began. I tried the Max Factor one for a little while longer and my mind actually was ever-so-slightly altered as I realized that perhaps I'd been a little too hard on the product. Yet I still purchased the Revlon and Maybelline equivalents just to be sure
that I was using the best on the drug-store market... here's my story...

Max Factor's Lipfinity Lasting Lip Tint in Berry Burst £7.99 at www.boots.com

So when I tried the product the first time, as the blog linked above suggests, I was really unimpressed. The color wasn't very strong, it didn't last very long, the brush molted (for lack of a better word) felt-y spots

of pink material all over my lips, my lips were dry and the color actually bled quite a lot before drying permanently. But then I gave it a few more tries just to give Max Factor a chance and the Lip Tint actually grew on me. I liked the sweet but subtle taste, the color was actually quite alluring and provided I didn't lick my lips a lot or eat the color stayed put. I didn't think much of the pen tip after I'd tried the other products as the felt used was obviously not very good quality and it allowed the product to dry out really easily, meaning that nowhere near enough of the product could be applied. Basically it still left much to be desired... Scorecard time!

Staying Power - 6/10

Flavor - 8/10

Color - 6/10

Softness of lips - 2/10

Applicator - 6/10

Product dispersal - 5/10

Packaging - 8/10

Value for money - 3/10

TOTAL 44/80

Revlon Just Bitten Lipstain and Balm in Gothic £7.99 at www.boots.com

This product gave me a good feeling, particularly as part of the problem with the Max Factor version was the dryness in my lips afterwards... when I used Lasting Lip Tint I actually had to purchase a new tube of Carmex (£2.69 at www.boots.com) because my lips were so raw. My initial optimism for this product was not unfounded...

I love Just Bitten. The felt tip is really thick and soft, meaning that when you apply the product it glides on smoothly. The formula is nice and thin upon first touch which is exactly what I want as it allowed my lips to get an even coating before it set dry (but not too dry!) on my lips, plus, somehow, despite this fluid consistency, it didn't bleed past the lip-line I'd outlined with the pen before complete application. The color was

really vibrant and didn't need a second application, suggesting that you get more out of your money and the product will last longer in my make-up bag, RESULT!

It's almost unfair to judge the lip balm at the other end of the pen, as the other two tints don't have one, but you know what, shame on them! They really should have a balm, and I am eternally grateful to Revlon for attaching one. In fairness, it's not the best lip-balm I've ever used, and yet it does the job. Keeps your lips moist enough to allow the product to feel comfortable on your mouth. On the other hand, using the balm does mean that the product is no longer non-transferable, although perhaps that is just in my experience, as I saw a faintly colored lip-balm stain on my wine glass during dinner. Then again, this is a sacrifice I'm prepared to make as the look and feel of this product is worth putting up with that minor inconvenience! Only thing I noticed lacking was a scent or flavor... I'm not particularly fussed about that though!

Staying Power - 8/10 without the balm 7/10 with the balm (it still gets 7 as it was only really the balm that came off and not so much the actual color, which is totally acceptable in my book!)

Flavor - 5/10 (no flavor at all... inoffensive, so I don't mind.)

Color - 10/10

Softness of lips - 9/10

Applicator - 9/10

Product dispersal - 10/10

Packaging - 8/10

Value for money - 9/10

TOTAL -68 and a half/80

Maybelline Color Sensational Lipstain in Shy Red costing £5.99 at www.boots.com

I was pretty impressed with this product as I found it better than Max Factor's Lip Tint even though it was £2 cheaper. Although it still didn't quite beat Revlon's Just Bitten...

Whilst the consistency of the formula was similar to Just Bitten, thin, easy to apply and non-transferable once dry, it actually didn't give as much color as I would have liked. Having said that, the flavor and scent of

the formula was really pleasant. Plus, the tip of the pen was really good at lining my lips as the point of it was particularly sharp so it was easy for me to sketch and extend my natural lip-line a little further out, making for a plumper lip-look.

One thing I absolutely did not like about this product (and I know I'm just being a product snob here...) is that the packaging looks super tacky. I don't even like the name. I'm sure I can get over it though, I mean the price is right and the product is an excellent base to any lipstick meaning that even when you're lippy fades, or rubs off, your lips still look a healthy rosy color. Epic success. Let's get down to business...

Staying Power - 8/10

Flavor - 10/10

Color - 7/10

Softness of lips - 7/10

Applicator - 7/10

Product dispersal - 7/10

Packaging - 2/10

Value for money - 8/10

TOTAL - 56/10

Conclusion...

So there is a clear winner! Revlon actually did the best this time. I practically have nothing to complain about their product apart from that a sweet flavor would be a welcome feature. In terms of good value for money, it's fantastic, because you get a long-lasting lip stain AND a smooth moisturizing lip balm for just £7.99. On another point, you really can't go too far wrong with the Maybelline option as whilst it isn't perfect, it is priced fairly and generally is a satisfactory product.

Anyway, let me know what your experienced have been with these products. Perhaps you know some other alternatives and can help me on my search for a perfect lip tint? Until I find such a product, I'm pretty content to work with Revlon's Just Bitten!

Thanks for reading, please rate, comment, like, follow and subscribe :) It would be a great help!

Love you all

gabriellasofia

Beauty Tutorial - Sweat-Proof Makeup Look

Hope you enjoy this tutorial for sweat-proof makeup! This is the look that took care of me during a whole summer working in the humidity of Orlando Florida 16 hour days in the baking sun, so if this doesn’t work for you then you have problems... :P

All of the products were purchased them with my own money and I have not been encouraged by any company to do this tutorial... Nonetheless, I love the effects and totally and completely 100% recommend the products. This is what they were all called and how much they cost:

L'Oréal Paris Studio Secrets Anti-Shine Mattifying Primer - £10.29 www.boots.com

No7 Triple Protection Tinted Moisturiser - 50ml in Medium - £12.00 www.boots.com

benefit erase paste concealer & highlighter - £19.50 www.boots.com

No7 Creme Touch in Honey Milk - £9.00 www.boots.com

benefit brow zing in Bronzing Medium - £22.50 www.boots.com

Victoria’s Secret Cheek Tint – APARENTLY UNAVAILABLE but any dewy cream blush will do...

benefit coralista box of powder £23.50 www.boots.com

EcoTools Bamboo Powder Brush - £10.71 www.boots.com

InColor FabuLiner Liquid Eye Liner in Brown - $1.99 www.walgreens.com

Revlon Grow Luscious Mascara - £7.99 www.boots.com

Max Factor Lasting Lip Tint in Pink Princess - £7.99 www.boots.com

Carmex Moisture Plus Ultra Hydrating Lip Balm SPF 15 - $2.99 www.walgreens.com

Let me know what products you use to appear matte through the summer heat...

Thanks for watching, beauties.

Love
gabriellasofia x

Letter From the Editor: Welcome!

*My Moral For The Month...*

Dear Readers,

Finally having arrived back from what was shockingly quite a testing summer working in Walt Disney World, I am now as eager as ever to maintain my blog. My summer was incredible, really, it was.

My days off were some of the best in my life so far, and yet, Working for the Mouse taught me that when I do eventually choose my official career path, I can't just slog through five days a week just because my two days off are good fun. It has to be something which I'm passionate and excited about, something that gets me up and out of bed at the crack of dawn with a smile from ear to ear. While I was going about some menial task like using my 'Disney Point' (a two-finger point as it's apparently more polite) to direct the thousandth guest over to the Indiana Jones Epic Stunt Spectacular which was clearly sign-posted for all to see, or explaining to a guest that, "Yes, the three o'clock parade is in fact at three o'clock" I remembered the words of Liz Earle and many a wise person before her... 'If you love what you do, you'll never work a day in your life.' I wondered to myself if I had ever worked such a job and immediately my work experience at Conde Nast Traveller leapt to mind.

My next few days were spent pining over how much I adored completing even the dullest tasks when working at the magazine; organizing the travel library, handing out the post or scouring the newspapers for the latest in travel news. I started to imagine where I want next for my work experience, or where I wanted to go to study my masters in magazine journalism and how I can work towards that. Of course, the first thing I thought of was by working on my blog. A platform which I can use daily to get my written word out there is invaluable to me and almost as soon as I thought it, I actually wished to myself that I was home, blogging on an almost daily basis.

So that's what I did. I came home. I came home early and terminated my Disney International College Program, changed my flight and three days later I was back on English soil.

With a new academic year comes a new look for my blog. I want this to be almost like an online magazine, a 'blogazine' if you will. Almost daily I will post various stories from fashion pieces, to beauty tutorial videos to relationship features and all that's in between. I have even posted my schedule for the month of September, just like a 'Contents' page so you know what is coming...

But enough of that, hopefully you'll all get used to the new look and can see just how much work I'm going to be putting into this blog from now on, so please tell your friends, get involved, rate, comment, like, follow and subscribe if you can; it would be a great help! :)

The moral of this 'Letter From the Editor' is that life is too short to waste it doing something you don't want to do. Don't get trapped by the financial stability, or the pride of the people around you, or even the ease of the tasks required of you. If you do then you run the risk of spending five sevenths of your life being painfully unhappy and I wouldn't wish that on anyone. Don't be afraid to be a quitter if it's really not what you want, and don't be afraid to shoot for something you think is totally out of your comfort zone. Follow your dreams, reach for the stars. You'll thank me one day :P

Love

gabriellasofia

*What's in this month?*

2nd September - Video - Beauty - Tutorial: Sweat-Proof Make-Up

3rd September - Blog - Fashion - My Autumn Musts

4th September - Blog - Health - The Importance of a Balanced Diet and Frequent Exercise

5th September - Blog - Feature - Age Gaps in Relationships

6th September - Video - Beauty - Tutorial: The New Season Look

9th September - Blog - Beauty - Review: Lip Stain Comparison

10th September - Blog - Health - The Number-One Stress Related Syndrome in Young Adults

11th September - Video - Hair - Tutorial: The Re-Birth of the Hair Braid

12th September - Blog - Guest Feature

13th September - Blog - Beauty - Review: Clarins Eclat du Jour Range

16th September - Video - Fashion - A Mid-Month Haul!

17th September - Blog - Feature - Are You A Feminist?

18th September - Blog - Feature - Why Good Customer Service is More Vital Than Ever

19th September - Video - Beauty - Tutorial: A New Spin on the Smoky Eye

20th September - Blog - Beauty - Beauty Without Breaking the Bank

23rd September - Blog - Feature - How the Mouse Stole My Magic...

24th September -

Video - Nails - Tutorial: Disco Ain't Dead

25th September - Blog - Fashion - Who's That Girl?

26th September - Blog - Guest Feature

27th September - Blog - Fashion - How I'm Wearing the New Season's Trends...

30th September - Video - September Faves

Hope you enjoy this month's blog as much as I enjoyed writing it! What are you most excited for?

God bless

gabriellasofia

Review - Max Factor's Lipfinity Lasting Lip Tint

As someone who gets more excited about lip products than world peace, I was really eager to try a new stain out. The original reason why I bought Max Factor’s Lipfinity Lasting Lip Tint was because my Rimmel Moisture Renew seemed to be hypocritically drying my lips out, big time. Plus, I’m a single girl who could do without a transferable lip colour topped with a gloopy lip-gloss, as I’m sure no guy finds either of those attributes in the least bit attractive and let’s face it, I’m not getting any younger, so every appearance-related product needs to count!

My idea with stains is that I can paint them on then top them off with some smooth-making balm such as my Carmex Lip Balm in the strawberry flavour, which retails at Boots online for £2.69. Then it gives my lips that berry-bitten effect whilst also keeping them soft and kissable. Or that was the idea. Can you already hear my disappointment? Well, before we get into that, let’s see what Max Factor claims.

‘Lipfinity Lip Tint Pen has a non-transferable water based formula that doesn't just sit on top of your lips but permeates the upper layers for a stunning kiss-proof effect. And its nifty pen applicator is perfect for precise application so you can build up the colour as much as you dare or keep it light and simple – you're in control!’

How very promising, I mean, it sounds like genius. A felt tip pen for your lips which paints on a formula specifically designed to tattoo through the thin skin on lips, to leave them with a passionate looking, lasting bitten-lip effect. I even kind of hoped that after enough uses this product would create some sort of permanent stain so that my lips might always look like they’d been kissed so hard it had almost bruised them... talk about oozing sex appeal, right? Well, that’s not quite the way it worked out.

The thing we have to remember also is that perhaps my lips were not a perfect canvas. I bite my lips when I’m nervous. Any kind of change in the weather makes them drier than the Sahara. And they have never taken well to any kind of coloured lip product. But with all that in mind, I can still attest that this is the worst I have ever used in my decade or so of applying make-up.

This product was bought in yet another Boots online haul (seriously, I have an addiction to spending all my wages on beauty items for my reviews... perhaps I should see someone...) It retails at £5.99 and I chose Berry Burst because I liked the idea of the natural berry colour. I had a romanticised image of Amazonian tribal women crushing berries from trees before tattooing the colour onto their full, lush lips. Now, you know I don’t usually like to epically slander a brand or product. However, I cannot express how much of a waste of money this item was for me. Even if they’d given it to me for free I would probably never use it again.

So what’s the story? Well, I opened up the product for first use and immediately loved the idea of the pen. It was really precise to apply the product with and initially seemed like a better innovation than the wheel. However, after a couple of uses I noticed that in the same way as the felt on the tip of one of my multi-coloured Bic pens began to crumble off and flake across the page when I was a child, this Max Factor product began spreading tiny dark balls of fluff around my mouth. The tip of the pen is now ruined, not ten uses later and is, disappointingly, less precise than Max Factor’s description claims.

Now for the formula: horrendous. Actually, that’s too harsh. However, I really don’t like this formula. It’s very liquid-y and seems to gravitate towards any cracks or cuts which you may have on your lips, which is quite the inconvenience for me as it is exam time so my lips are ripped to shreds at the moment (a little exaggeration, but still the skin on my lips is uneven right now!) On the other hand, this formula smells a little like sweet cherries, and tastes faintly sugary too, which is a bonus. And yet after a few seconds it dries up on your lips looking very permanent... that is until you put some lip balm over the top at which point the colour no longer appears none transferable but is suddenly sliding all over your mouth in a messy looking red mess, more reminiscent of a naughty child who’s been eating poisonous berries from a bush than the romanticised image I had of the tribal babes. Gutted. The second time I used the product, despite keeping the top firmly secure when I was not using it (that’s a lesson I had to learn the hard way as a child with my Bic felt tips...) the nib was dry and next to no product was dispensed. I ended up having to shake the pen and dip it in a little water before a pitiful amount began to show on my lips.

I just find that this product was a massive let down, drying out my lips without Carmex, looking sloppy with it and not really living up to its claim at all. I’m sorry I can’t say anything more positive. To improve the product, Max Factor should start with the nib of the pen applicator and use a better quality material because as much as I enjoy the texture of fluffy pieces of felt hanging around my lips, I’m not sure how attractive it looks. I guess, ‘Not at all.’

If you’ve had a similar experience please let me know. Or better still, if you have something good to say about the product or any advice and tips to help me make this work for me, I would love for you to reply in the comments box below. Until such a time when I am aware of some sort of Miracle Method for using this product, it will stay in my make-up box... for a little while.

gabriellasofia