Well, mostly mask-proof. There will be a minuscule bit of transfer because hey, you eat and drink but compared to the glosses and soft-cloudy lippie textures that are the norm now, these are truly great without sucking the life out of your lips at the same time delivering great pigment.

Maybelline Superstay Matte Ink

One of the first few (second iteration) matte liquid lipsticks the beauty community had that stays all day even after eating and drinking without leaving your lips dry as the Sahara. When I say it stays all day- makeup wipes and cleansing/micellar waters can't remove this. The only way I've found to completely remove this was using lip balms or oil-based removers.

While I do find that it tends to transfer when I apply more than one coat on the lips or when I don't let it dry, it fares well throughout the day and night. 

Tip : Only one coat and let it dry first!

I confidently go on about my day without me worrying if I smeared it all over my face after removing my mask (which has happened in the beginning of the Pandemic with other lip products). While it's not 'heavy on the lips' I wouldn't call this lightweight or like I'm wearing nothing at all. I do find that applying it like a tint and spreading with my fingers makes this lightweight though- still pigmented albeit muted.

Breakdown :

• Affordable 349 (sale price around 199-249)
• Smells like sweet vanilla cake (not cloying)
• Non-drying
• Dry/chapped lips? Use lip balm first, wipe off then apply a thin coat of this.
• Pigmented and long lasting
• Not cruelty-free

Maybelline Sensational Liquid Matte

Feather-like, smooth and extremely comfortable this liquidy matte finish lipstick still packs pigment however it does transfer even after letting it dry and blotting. So re-application after eating and/or drinking might be in the itinerary. The formula is quite similar to the Colourette matte tints with the whole oil mixed with pigment idea so be careful when handling this. Don't open/apply this upside-down because it will leak. 

This tends to emphasize dry lips so my crusty and peeling lips need a thorough moisturisation if I want to use this. Even when it does transfer, the texture and comfortability has won me over. Masks be damned.

Breakdown :

• Affordable 249 (sale price around 149-199)
• Smells sweet 
• Matte finish and may emphasize dry lips
• Pigmented
• Last long on the lips but not exactly transfer-proof
• Not cruelty-free

L'Oreal Paris Rouge Signature Matte Lip Tint

This thing STAINS YOUR LIPS until the next day. The texture is a creamy gel-like lip tint which makes it feel like you have nothing on your lips. This is my most reached for out of the all them in this post. I can apply a sheer tint but also full-on. I'm very tempted to get the rosier and nude colours because I enjoyed my experience with this. Unless I have a lipbalm under my lips that I didn't wipe off prior to application, this barely transfers on the mask.

It's easier to remove, micellar water and oil based cleansers work BUT it still leaves a stain. Like I said, long-lasting.

Breakdown :

• Affordable 349 (sale price around 249-299)
• Smells a little like a sharpie haha but not overwhelmingly so
• Matte finish 
• Pigmented and extremely long-lasting
• Comfortable and barely-there feeling
• Not cruelty-free
• The stain's lasting power may just be because this is a very vibrant colour- the nudes I'm not sure about

Some might think why wear lip products if you wear a mask all the time? Why not? It's for us anyway right? It's still the end of the world so let people enjoy things Stacy!!!

What are your mask-proof lippies? Do you still wear lipsticks despite the mask and/or transfer?

XX,

CJ

There are a lot of good things about this BB cream, make no mistake. The only caveat (for me) ultimately is the usual cry for better shade selection. I mean I didn't even bother with a face swatch. Just imagine a ruddy-ashy face. Apart from the terrible shade selection, it has performed well. Ultimately though I wouldn't get this again nor would I recommend it.


xx,
CJ

PS. Wore the foundation for about 6 - 8 times. I tried to make it work by mixing it with other foundations but the gray and ruddiness still shows through.
PPS. I know there are foundations with SPF and/or firming/moisturizing/anti-aging claims. It's just that when you say BB cream (or CC cream) it's supposed to be a "supercharged", "next-level" tinted moisturizer. This 4U2 one, for me, is just foundation. Suffice to say my faith was eradicated with this BB. Eh?Eh?Eh?*nudge**nudge* *hint**hint*... :'( Ok...

---

http://www.4u2cosmetics.com/
https://www.facebook.com/4U2-Cosmetics-Philippines

---

Well one-brand for the most part. I did stray here and there (eyebrows and the powder). I'm also putting a dedicated review on some other products mentioned and not mentioned here (powder, lipstick).

I finally get to tackle the brand-spanking re-brand FS did with some old favorites and new additions. If you've seen my previous post about the newly re-launched FS Cosmetics or Features & Shades here you might be wondering what's really worth checking out and what can you pass up on. Here's my "one-brand" face of the day /makeup of the day with their products with quips on what I think of them.


Let's start with primer.

Aptly named "Primer" this pre-foundation base comes in a squeeze-tube (nice) and has 20g of product in it. That's a pretty decent amount since you really don't need a lot of this all over the face. This one especially tends to ball-up with the foundation if you use way too much.


Texture and appearance-wise it's very similar to Benefit's Porefessional. It's a silicone primer and it performs (I assume) as most silicone primers do. This does blur the pores and smoothes the skin leaving it velvety.


I personally don't subscribe to the notion that silicone primers or face primers in general makes makeup last long. I haven't seen a difference. I've tried the Maybelline and the Quick FX primers and they're all the same to me. One thing I can say is that this primer is heavily fragranced. The scent is very floral and "perfume-y".



For my actual base, I chose to go with FS's BB cream in Oriental. There are 3 shades available, this being the middle one. It claims to be a sun protectant, foundation, concealer and moisturizer. Basically an all-in-one product (as most BB creams tend to claim) but the concealer part is pushing it a bit.

I do really like this. It's smooth, blends in well, looks natural, feels light on the skin, moisturizing, has at most a (well...almost when you build it up) medium coverage and has an olive undertone to it (perfect) BUT...

It appears slightly ashy on me. I blame it on the spf for the slightly walking-dead appearance initially but it does adjust to your skin a little in about 10 - 15 minutes especially when set with a powder of your shade. It also has this light citrusy-floral fragrance that I don't mind unlike the primer.

I find it a little annoying that they didn't put exactly how much sun protection you get with this, so I suggest using a separate SPF. I also wouldn't suggest this to people with oily skin as this is quite moisturizing, glowy and tacky and stays that way if you don't set it. People with dry patches (me) would do well to exfoliate prior because this BB clings a little. Other than that, it's a nice everyday type of base for people who are okay with light coverage foundations (BBs/CCs).


This pretty "I'm ready for summer" blush in Twinkle Tan is gorgeous on the skin. It's like a bronzey blush with fine gold shimmer. It's smooth and very pigmented. If I had to recommend one thing out of everything here I'd suggest this one. The finish is this very gleamy highlighted-satin sheen — You won't need a separate highlighter with this for sure.


I haven't tried this for over 12 hours but for a typical 8-hour day it lasts well. Especially since it's less than P500, as with every product in this post.


This amazing True Light Liquid Lipstick in Glossy Peony is very pretty. Half of it because of the nice matte packaging and the light inside when you open it.


I would consider this more of a lipgloss than a "liquid lipstick". I think my perception of liquid lipsticks have been escalated because of the numerous liquid lipsticks that have been coming out for the past 2 - 3 years or so. It's not sticky like a typical gloss and it's decently pigmented as well. I would go as far as to say it's slightly moisturizing. Lip prep is important though because it settles in the cracks.


The colour is a pretty milky medium-peachy-rose with golden shimmer. Don't be put off by the shimmer though, it's really really nice on the lips. Not chunky "glitters" at all. It feels comfortable on, no strong scent nor taste and THE LIGHT GUYS. THE LIGHT!!!


For the eyeshadow I have their single eyeshadow in Ash Brown. It's a pigmented matte cool-toned dark brown. Rubbing my finger on the pan, it feels slightly gritty but for the most part it's smooth and blends well with a brush.


There's also a wide selection of colours and finishes. You can pop these in a four pan palette that they sell so you can customize your own palette. Richly pigmented, versatile and affordable for a whopping 4g, this will last long.


The black Mascarade Volumizing Mascara is okay. It builds up okay on itself. The pigment is really black and the brush is the normal bristled mascara brush I prefer but it only yields a natural lash look even after numerous coats. As you can see from the picture that's the extent of the the volumizing part it can do for my sparse lashes. For 10g, it's a decent pick for the price when you don't know which brand to go for.


It's not smudge-proof and waterproof, though it doesn't claim to be. But it's water-resistant so there's that. Like I said. It's okay but not something I'd purchase on my own. I like mascaras that give a lot of volume.


Final result. A very no-makeup makeup look. After running errands and being out for more than 5 hours, the bb cream and blush performed really well. I guess the primer also did its job? The mascara and shadow were still there too. But the shadow faded a little bit maybe an eye primer would do the trick next time. I was most surprised about the blush though, I only put a little but it still held on at the end of the day.

I also didn't break out. To be honest though I only used the primer twice but I had the sinking feeling it would break me out if I used it consecutively. I also couldn't stand the scent so that's the only thing I used twice.

Other products used : Palgantong/3WC Powder in #23 as setting powder and for eyebrows I used Pinkies Collection brow pencil in black, Glam21 pencil and Maybelline brow mascara in Dark Brown.

[Reference : Sensitive, dry-normal skin, slightly oily t-zone and dry patches. Sweaty boy.]


Like I mentioned, everything here is less than Php 500. So the brand on the whole is pretty affordable. What would you try from this brand? Which FS product would you like an in-depth review on? My personal picks are the gloss, shadow and blush.

xx,
CJ

---

http://www.fscosmetics.com/
https://www.facebook.com/FS-Cosmetics
https://twitter.com/FSCosmetics
https://www.instagram.com/fscosmetics/

---

Part of my gripe before about local lip brands was that they seem to be averse to nudes — pink-nudes, mauve-nudes, peach-nudes, beige-nudes, brown-nudes and so on. There were a few by two (or 3) brands but not much variety. If you wanted a red or pink however you can take your pick amongst the sea of cherry-reds and orange-reds. Now we have BYS, Essence, Wet N Wild and Pinkies Collection for some much needed competition in the local nude lippie scene.

Pinkies Collections is the urbane girl’s favorite cosmetic. With chic and long-lasting makeup lines, Pinkies meets your delightful expectations. - Pinkies Collection Facebook

I bought two nude lipsticks from their Matte Collection —Bark and Callalily, they were only ones that suited me best out the four "nude" shades and I figured they were something I could wear a lot. I also swatched their lip pencils and while I didn't necessarily like the texture, I still got Atlantic just to check out the colour on my lips —the chocolate brown looked interesting.


I think that the packaging of these lipsticks is cute, with its sturdy solid plastic light -pink tube, but it is a little bulky and a little excessive on the plastic compared to the actual lipstick inside. In the image above, the two lipsticks look similar, but that's not the case when you swatch them.

The Smooth Silk Lip Pencils are actually marketed as Eye & Lip pencils, possibly because of the other colours in the line ( I saw a purple and blue). The pencil itself is really long for Php 99.  And I think that's pretty cheap.


The colours are very pigmented as you can see. The Matte lipsticks are a true-matte formula meaning they can look dry and can emphasize dry patches especially pale beige-pinky-nude Callalily. It sits well but prepping the lips is still a must. The lipsticks can also feel dry or drying when you're staying in an air-conditioned room and you have to talk a lot (me). Texture-wise, they're creamy but can drag a little on the lips because it's legit matte. Not a deal-breaker for me as I love the colours (Bark, my favorite, is a nice dusky-rosey-mauve), the finish and the longevity.

Although in the swatches, Bark registers more pink it's definitely more muted and mauvey on your lips in real life.


Atlantic is super soft (to the point of breakage if you're not careful) and glides on the lips. The finish gives a little bit of shine. I wouldn't really use this as a lip pencil because I know it will bleed outside the lip-line given how slippery it is. I also wouldn't use this on the eyes. It works very well mixed-in with both lipsticks, giving me more options to how I want to wear Bark and Callalily. Because to be honest, Callalily washes me the F out. It's a little too light unless I wear dark/statement eye makeup or I blot off most of it.

As for the colour of the lip pencil (Atlantic), it's definitely something out of a 90's beauty magazine. It's like a mocha with a hint of gray. I know the lip swatches look warmer but it definitely has some gray to it.



I'm still adjusting to my digicam which explains the weird lighting of the photos above. Please refer to the other photos for a better idea of the colours.

For Php 198 / 189 (they were cheaper before :( ) you get a really good pigmented true-matte lippie and for Php 89-99 a smooth, creamy and pigmented lip pencil/lip colour. These are pretty damn affordable in my opinion.

Have you tried this?  Would you try it? What do you think of the colours?


xx,
CJ

PS. I broke my good camera and now I'm using a digi cam so the colour settings can get challenging when I take a picture of my face. :( The hand swatches and others are easier to manipulate/correct.
PPS. I first mentioned the matte lippies here.

---

Facebook : https://www.facebook.com/Pinkies-Collections

---