LaurEss Haul. Swatches.

I've heard so many good things about LaurEss foundations, so I finally decided to check these out. :)

Here is what I got:

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I ordered 2 samples of foundations (2 USD each) in Subtle Neutral Minimalist ("light neutral beige") and Gentle Neutral Elemental ("fair neutral beige"), and 2 liquid lip glosses (3 USD each) in Intoxicating ("shimmering warm pink") and Harmony ("creamy and matte, light muted peach"). I got 1 free sample of foundation in Subtle Ivory Minimalist ("light neutral with gold undertones") with my order.

Shipping was 5 USD for International. Quite reasonable, especially if you order more products.

Ordered on 1.3 (Monday), order was shipped on 3.3, received on 15.3 (Monday). I guess it's ok.

My initial thoughts:

I've already tried all the products. I love everything! My order came in the envelope, products were sealed in a plastic bag over a sheet of carton. Yep, it was that weird. lol Foundation samples come in sealed jars.

 

I am still not sure which shade is the best match as they do look very similar to each other and it seems they all look very natural on my skin (especially indoors). I think I prefer elemental formula though as it provides more coverage. It looks very natural, I'd even say flawless if I didn't have any breakouts and scars. Unfortunately, this foundation can't cover everything (you know what I mean, don't you?). Have to try Ethereal formula next time. And still... honestly, these three shades are the best match for me in terms of formula and shades! I usually end up with a bunch of completely useless shades with some awful chalky "sitting on the surface" formulas.:/ So this is a big plus in my book.

 

As for the lip glosses. I like them a lot: wearable shades, smooth application, pretty long lasting, nice smell (toffee), nice consistency (glossy but not sticky)! I am very pleased with my order! And I will definitely come for more one day! :)

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One thing I want to mention is the size of the lip glosses! Remember me talking about the size of the liquid lip gloss of Silk Naturals ("tubes that appear to be smaller than that of Fyrinnae")? Well, prepare for some HUGE AWWWW! lol These are so much smaller! You had to see my face when I saw these tiny beauties! I know for some of you it might be a big "no-no" for 3 USD (for 0.03 oz = 0.9 ml!? when full size of 0.33 oz = 10 ml is 13 USD), but for me it's a PLUS. I wish they'd be a little cheaper though. That being said, I'm in love! :) And they seem to last forever despite being this small. Magic. lol

 

Here is a comparison for you:

 

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Awww! lol

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From L to R: Fyrinnae Lickable, Silk Naturals Summer Fling, LaurEss Harmony

 

Have you tried LaurEss? What are your thoughts? Any favourites?

PS LaurEss doesn't repackage!

Fyrinnae Haul Vol. 3. I heart lip lustres! :) Swatches&comparison

I did it again! I went for more! Lip lustres this time! :) Here are my previous Fyrinnae hauls: 1st and  2nd (incl. lip lustre swatches).
Here is what I got this time:

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Ordered on 17.2 (Wednesday), they sent me PayPal invoice on 10.3, order was shipped on 19.3 (Friday), I received my order on 25.3 (Thursday). Check their website for more details on their shipping schedules. They're quite busy and it takes time to CREATE product not just pack.

Shipping is free worldwide for orders > 20 USD. How cool is that? :)

I had some difficulties AGAIN when I tried to pay with PayPal. The payment just didn't go through. And this time I got an invoice almost one month later. I sent 3 letters until I "finally" got a reply. As you might have heard the shop was closed for around 1-2 weeks, and guys were very busy with orders, updating the website and launching new products. I fully understand that, so no complain here. And they again "discounted a bit for the trouble". :)

Here is some odd and great thing about the company:  I ordered 10 lip lustres, 10*2,5=25 USD. Because of the "trouble" I paid only 21 USD, plus I also got a free sample eyeshadow! Add the wrapping material (I honestly think there is no need to pack like that, with less material you can save so much more time&resources!), add the shipping on the package 5,64 USD. Now do the math! :) This is probably the greatest company in terms of price&quality ratio! And they deserve even more!

The only "negative thing" about the company is the time. If only they could ship a little bit faster! Ohhh... Please note, I'm not complaining! I admit, I'm impatient! lol Who isn't when it comes to lip lustres!? lol And still their products are worth the wait! :)

My initial thoughts:

I got a free sample eyeshadow in Mephisto (it's from Halloween 2009 collection). Now tell me it's a coincidence! lol About a month ago I wrote a post about buying products just because of their names, a couple of weeks later I got a free eyeshadow from Silk Naturals in shade Twilight. Plus, I also mentioned that I'm a little bit superstitious, and here it comes - Mephisto eyeshadow! lol I must admit I find it pretty. :)

I've already tried all the products. And, OMG, I heart lip lustres! The best thing about them is that every one of them is unique (not only the shade, but also the texture). You will be able to recognise each of these from a mile. :) See what I mean:

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And a "family picture" (all my lip lustres together):

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Do you see what I mean now? :)

My absolute favourites: Flavor Of The Day ("semi-sheer light peach-pink with gold shimmer") and Lickable ("soft, shimmery beige-peach").

My favourites from the new ones: Lace Gloves ("sheer beige-peach (? not sure, as the word is missing on the website) with pink and red highlights"), Pink Guitar ("rich medium pink"), Ryo-Pinko ("medium mauve-hued pink") and Type A ("shimmery, rich garnet red"). The first 3 are pretty wearable shades, Type A is just GORGEOUS! My pictures just don't do this shade any justice. I'm in love with this shade, but I doubt I'll ever dare to wear it in public. :/

Did I mention they all are pigmented and opaque? Seriously, Fyrinnae lip lustres are one of the best lip products out there. And for 2,5 USD, you just can't go wrong! And, they smell yummy! And, ingredients are much more health-friendly!

The moment I saw Meloncholy ("medium coral-melon shade") I immediately thought of my all time favourite lip gloss Dior Addict Ultra Gloss Reflect in shade 347 Orange Raffia. I also grabbed Flavor Of The Day for a comparison. Meloncholy looks very close to Orange Raffia when in the bottle, but it's much more orange and opaque irl. I'd say that Orange Raffia is in between Flavor Of The Day and Meloncholy.

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From L to R: Flavor Of The Day, Orange Raffia, Meloncholy

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From L to R: Flavor Of The Day, Orange Raffia, Meloncholy 

I had the same "I saw it somewhere" feeling when I first saw Kitty Ears. Remember me "complaining" about BMG gloss in Tainted being tan/brown/bronze instead of pink? I'd say Kitty Ears (btw, it's being discontinued, it's not on Fyrinnae website anymore) is more orangey bronze than just plain tan/brown/bronze Tainted. It's my least favourite from the bunch, but it's still better than Tainted. There, I said it! lol

Check these two out:

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Have you tried Fyrinnae lip lustres? Any favourites? Any lemmings? :)

PS I just want to point out that all these colours look a little bit more pigmented and opaque IRL. My camera washes them out for some reason (makes them kind of "see through"?). The above "tube pictures" look more realistic.

Silk Naturals Haul. Swatches.

So my quest to find perfect'n'healthy lip products continues! :)

I've heard so many good things about Silk Naturals, so I finally decided to give it a go one day. :)

Here is what I got:

 Sunshine, flash (yep, you've heard that right! It wasn't a good idea to take pictures under such a bright sunlight! But flash saved the day! Who would have guessed? lol)

I ordered 3 solid lip glosses (4,5 USD each) in Berry Crush, Foreplay, Precious, and 1 liquid lip gloss (4,95 USD) in Summer Fling. I got 2 free eyeshadows: full size in IDK (I guess there was a campaign) and a sample baggy in Twilight (oh my, it follows me everywhere?! lol).

Shipping was 4,2 USD for International. Quite reasonable, isn't it? There is also a discount for first time buyers. Check the website for more info.

Ordered on 25.2 (Friday), order was shipped on 3.3, received on 11.3 (Friday). I guess it's ok.

My initial thoughts:

I've already swatched all the products. I love my new lippies! Wearable shades, smooth application, pretty long lasting, nice smell (kind of toffee with spice?)! And they feel like lip balms on my lips! :) Surprisingly (as I didn't expect to get any eyeshadows) I really love these shades, and the pigmentation is as usual for mineral eyeshadows - decent. I am very pleased with my order!

One thing I want to mention is the size! Solid lip glosses come in sleek tubes, liquid - in tubes that appear (read further for more info) to be smaller than that of Fyrinnae. Baggie sample is considerably smaller than that of Aromaleigh's for instance. That being said, I'm in love! You had to see my face when I saw these tiny beauties! :) The tube of Summer Fling is such a cutie! Aww! :)

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Fyrinnae Lickable on the left, Silk Naturals Summer Fling on the right

As you can see from these 2 pictures, Summer Fling although appearing to be smaller due to the "optical illusion" contains more product than Lickable. I can't say the exact amount though. My guess would be 4-5 ml. I'm not sure if I saw the info on the website. :/

I was a bit skeptical when I first saw Summer Fling in person. It looked so dark in the tube, but when I tried it on I instantly fell in love with it. It's such a gorgeous wearable shade! Take a look:

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Here are the swatches of all 4 plus a little extra:

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 From L to R: Everyday Minerals lipstick in Icing the Cake, Summer Fling, Berry Crush, Foreplay, Precious

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From L to R: Everyday Minerals lipstick in Icing the Cake, Summer Fling, Berry Crush, Foreplay, Precious

I organised Silk Natural products from the sheerest to the most opaque from R to L. These are all buildable though.

Description from the website:

Precious- light pink with gold pearl- Hunny Bunny Clone

Foreplay- shimmery golden pink Climax gloss

Berry Crush- Golden Berry Gloss- MAC Viva Glam V Clone 

Summer Fling- Warmish Rosey Pink

Why did I include the EDM Icing The Cake (btw, I got it for free with my last order) I hear you asking? Just because I wanted to show you how it compares to Summer Fling (in shade) and Berry Crush (in consistency). I really love the shade of Icing The Cake, but the lipstick itself (especially its smell) is awful! If you've ever tried lippies from EDM I bet you can understand me. :)

Have you tried Silk Naturals? What are your thoughts? Any favourites?

PS Silk Naturals doesn't repackage!

Beautiful Girl Minerals (BMG) haul. Swatches.

Have you already heard of me getting rid of all (well, not all actually, my HG from Dior and Avon stay with me until the end, or until I find their perfect dupes! :) )  my lip products that contain mineral oil and other nasty stuff? Be prepared for my massive (in my opinion, obviously) attempts to find perfect'n'healthy lip products. :) On a side note, I'm SOO behind writing about my hauls, gotta hurry up before I got lost in all those packages... and pictures... lol

I didn't want to order a lot as I don't like to waste products (I mean, who wants to have a bunch of spoiled lip stuff? lol) and, most importantly, because BMG's pictures and colour descriptions (if any) were not that good.

I ordered 2 All natural lip glosses (small wand 3,5 ml, the same tube as of Fyrinnae's lip lustres, 3 USD) in Cosmo (it's called Cosmo Kiss on the website) and Tainted, and 1 (1/8 tsp, 0,5 USD) Multi purpose powder sample in Impatient.

I got 2 free Multi purpose powder samples in Irresistible and Innocent.

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Note: Impatient is a little bit greener irl, it's a shimmery bright chartreuse described as "a stunning yellow/green shade!" on the website.

 

Shipping was 3 USD for International. Quite reasonable, isn't it?

Ordered on 1.3 (Monday), order was shipped on 7.3, received on 18.3 (Thursday). I guess it's ok.

My initial thoughts:

I've already swatched all the products - the pigmentation is as usual for mineral eyeshadows - decent. Although keep in mind that I haven't tested these eyeshadows "in action" yet. The only product that got my full attention is Cosmo lip gloss.

Now here comes a "weird" story of me trying to figure out what shades to choose. The first thing that caught my eye was the inconsistency in description of lip glosses. Some have lip swatches, some have bottle pictures, some have a "swirl of colour", some have colour description, some not, some have it all wrong... :/

Let's take a look at 2 lip glosses I got. 

Cosmo is defined as a "gorgeous pink with gold". I would add that it's pink with a hint of blue (cool toned), but the fine golden shimmer makes it appear warmer. I was a little bit skeptical of wearing a cool toned lip gloss (I prefer warm tones), but, man, it is MEGA gorgeous!!! And, it's pigmented! Surprisingly, I like the mild scent (in fact the lip gloss is not scented, or flavoured, but my guess would be that it's castor seed oil's "fault"). :)

Here comes a sad story. Tainted is described as "gorgeous pink with shimmer". Now, don't be mad at me, but can you, please, tell me if I'm seeing things? lol It's plain shimmery brown/tan to my eyes. I can spot some tiny tiny shimmery pink bits on the picture with flash, but I honestly think it's just my camera's "wonderful" ability to see things; and then it still should be pink with shimmer, not something with pink shimmer, right? :) The "best" thing, BGM sent me 5 ml bottle (although it says 5,9 ml on their website) instead of the small size I ordered. I guess they ran out of small bottles, or put it by accident, or just wanted to please me as a first time customer, but all I felt is a frustration and shame. :/

On one hand, I probably have to inform them that I got a wrong size bottle and pay the difference (1,5 USD), on the other hand - I absolutely don't like this colour! It's not what I expected it to be (gorgeous pink? with shimmer? NO?!). And it doesn't suit me. At all! I tried to make it work by mixing it with some other shades, but it's too dark and intense to do something wearable for my taste. And the bottle is huge (I much more prefer those tiny bottles)! And I hate wasting (aka not using) products. I wish it'd be in a mini size, I wouldn't feel so bad. :/ 

The worst thing is that I tried it straight from the tube at first (when I didn't yet realise how different the shade is), meaning that I can't give it to anyone else, as it now "belongs to me". lol I know I might be weird sometimes. :)

Take a look:

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Cosmo on the left, Tainted on the right

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Cosmo on the left, Tainted on the right

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Cosmo (after about 4 hours of wear!)

Note: Have yet to figure out why my lip swatches look so washed out and "see through" even without a flash. :/ Swatch pictures look more colour accurate.

As for the Multi purpose powders... I really admire their universality as they're said to be suitable for eyes, lips and nails. But, why couldn't they arrange these colours (although they have not that many) in some certain order (by colour, or by name at least?). It would be so much easier to find (and compare!) shades you like. But no! You'd better play "spot your favourite", or "what catches your eye?". lol

I laughed so hard when I got  my order. Let me explain. I ordered a green shade, right? That is Impatient. When I opened my order, I thought why on Earth is word "impatient" doing here, did they mean I'm impatient? lol Then I realised it was my choice. I was so much into colour, I didn't even pay attention to its name. :) Remember me speaking about "buying products because of their names" thingy? And they "called" me Innocent and Irresistible! lol To be honest, I don't like these (I mean freebies) shades simply because I wouldn't wear them as I already know that some certain colours just don't look good on me. Maybe I have to mix Innocent with that Tainted lip gloss? Hmmm...

Overall, I will buy other (as Cosmo became one of my favourites!) lip glosses from BMG again, when (and if) they will improve their colour descriptions. :)

I saw Phyrra mentioned that BMG offers 20% discount till the end of March. Be careful with those descriptions before ordering.

Have you tried BMG? What are your thoughts? Any favourites?

PS BMG doesn't repackage!

Fyrinnae Haul. Vol. 2. Lip lustres swatches.

Here is my 2nd haul from Fyrinnae. Check my first haul and swatches if you haven't already. WARNING! This is going to be a picture-heavy post with lip lustres swatches on my lips. Yep, you've heard that right! :) I managed to take pictures of my lips somehow. lol  I really hope I won't freak anyone out. :) And again, please bear in mind it is my first time "lip swatching". :)

 

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From L to R: Nonsense!, Naughty Elves (free sample), Snow White

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From L to R: Nonsense!, Naughty Elves (free sample), Snow White

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From L to R: Nonsense!, Naughty Elves (free sample), Snow White

Not pictured: Powder Primer (7 g for 5,5 USD) and Fluff sample (1,5 USD).

Ordered on 28.1 (Thursday), they sent me PayPal invoice on 30.1, I received my order on 15.2 (Monday). IMO it's quite fast! Check their website for more details on their shipping schedules. They're quite busy and it takes time to CREATE product not just pack.

I had some difficulties AGAIN when I tried to pay with PayPal. The payment just didn't "want" to go through. And they again "discounted a bit for the trouble". :)

My initial thoughts:

I'm in love with Powder Primer! It works really well! I already did a quick review in my previous post (check the link above).

Have yet to try Fluff.

I ordered two matte eyeshadows this time and got one semi-matte/semi-shimmer eyeshadow for free. I really like these colours (can you call black a colour? lol). If you read my last post (link above) you might recall that I "complained" about my fail in blending Fyrinnae eyeshadows. Any help and tips are warmly welcome! I don't have this kind of problem with other brands. Strange. I must be some kind of a "blending nerd". lol 

The time has come! Lustres! OMG! These are awesome! How many times have you heard that? :) 2,5 USD (sample size - cute little tube with doe-foot applicator) for THIS amazing product? How freaking cool is that? I got 4. The quality is really impressive! Can you tell I'm excited? :) I love the scents (quite rare thing for me!) and the feel of these lipsticks-lip glosses "hybrids", they glide so smoothly and feel so nice on the lips! The most interesting thing is that they feel a little bit differently depending on their finish. Deceptive Innocence feels very creamy, whereas Romantique feels kind of "metallic" (sounds weird, but I just can't find the words to express this feeling), Flavor Of They Day feels very soft and moisturising (pretty much like a lip gloss) and Lickable feels somewhat in between Romantique and Flavor Of The Day. Did you understand my point? lol 

I'm absolutely in love with Lickable and Flavor Of The Day! The best thing - they look very much like my two absolutely favourite shades. I'll show you in a minute. I did a comparison pictures for you. :) Romantique is too frosty and pale for me... It's a beautiful colour though. Deceptive Innocence is also a bit too pale, it kind of washes me out. But! I found a perfect pair for it! I pair it with Everyday Minerals lip "balm" in "Icing on the cake" (I got it for free with my last order, have to make a post about it), which has the worst ever lipstick "scent", but very beautiful and flattering shade. Together with Deceptive Innocence they make a perfect couple! "Goodbye" to that yucky plastic scent , "Hello" sweet coconut. lol

I just want to point out that all these colours look a little bit more pigmented&opaque IRL. My camera washes them out for some reason (makes them "see through"?). The above "tube pictures" look more realistic.

Let's get started! :)

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Deceptive Innocence

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Deceptive Innocence

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Romantique

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Romantique

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Flavor Of The Day

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Flavor Of The Day

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Your L: Dior Addict Ultra Gloss Reflect in shade 347 Orange Raffia (my all time favourite lip gloss!)

Your R: Flavor Of The Day

Verdict: Dior is more orangey and more sparkly, but these two still look pretty much alike.

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Your L: Dior Addict Ultra Gloss Reflect in shade 347 Orange Raffia (my all time favourite lip gloss!)

Your R: Flavor Of The Day

Verdict: Dior is more orangey and more sparkly, but these two still look pretty much alike.

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Your L: Dior Addict Ultra Gloss Reflect in shade 347 Orange Raffia (my all time favourite lip gloss!)

Your R: Flavor Of The Day

Verdict: Dior is more orangey and more sparkly, but these two still look pretty much alike.

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Lickable

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Your L: Avon Pro-To-Go in Nude Peach  (my all time favourite lipstick!)

Your R: Lickable

Verdict: Avon is peachier and more matte looking, but these two still look pretty much alike.

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Your L: Avon Pro-To-Go in Nude Peach  (my all time favourite lipstick!)

Your R: Lickable

Verdict: Avon is peachier and more matte looking, but these two still look pretty much alike.
Note: Have no idea what's that scary deep scar-looking thing on my lip (on your left). Hmm... :/ Probably some "mimic wrinkle" (could there be any on the lips?). lol

 

THE END! :)

Have you tried Fyrinnae primers? What about lip lustres? Any favourites? :)

PS Waiting for PayPal invoice again! ;)

My favourite lip combos...or... how losers become winners! :)

Yay! I'm back! I missed you! And a special hello to my new followers! Thank you! :) On to the topic. I got this idea several weeks ago. However, a couple of days ago I decided to do a major change in my lip products collection. I'll tell you at the end of this post. :)

My favourite lip combos...or... how losers become winners! :)

Have you ever regretted you bought a lip product that appeared to be a total fail? I experienced it 4 times! And what did I do? I decided to pair those losers! lol Guess what? These two pairs are one (well, it makes 2) of my favourite "everyday shades" (I counted, I have 5 faves at the moment)!

So, here they are!

Combo Nr. 1: "Peachy Juicy Fruit"

Loser 1: L'Oreal lip pencil in Nr. 655 Rose Beige - too freaking drying and the colour is kind of dirty (if it makes any sense). Is absolutely pointless with other shades.

Loser 2: Gosh On stage Cool lip jam in Nr. 102 (cool name, isn't it? lol)- quite sticky (one of the stickiest lip glosses I've tried), quite sheer (it's much more sheer than on this generous swatch), tingles at the beginning (because it's "cooling"). I quite like the pale shimmery peachy shade though. If only it would be MORE opaque (it's not buildable, unless you want to end up with greasy lips)! And the scent is very yummy - Wrigley's Juicy Fruit, anyone? :)

Winner: Opaque shimmery peachy shade. Less sticky and no tingling, plus it's long lasting!
Note: I apply L'Oreal pencil all over my lips.

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From L to R: L'Oreal l/p, Combo, Gosh l/g

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Combo Nr. 2: "Indian Peachy Pink"

Loser 1: NYX round lipstick in shade Indian Pink - too freaking drying, frosty and orange (it's more orange IRL than picture shows)!

Loser 2: NYX lip gloss with Mega shine in Sweet Heart - very pale "ghosty like" shade, nauseously sweet cherry scent, quite sticky.

Winner: Gorgeous peachy pink shade. Somehow the smell doesn't bother me that much when I wear these two together. Strange. :)

 

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From L to R: Indian Pink l/s, Combo, Sweet Heart l/g

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Hopefully, I inspired one of you to rediscover some pearls in your stashes! :)

Tell me your story of unwanted lip products that when paired became your heroes! :)

PS The big change - I decided to get rid of all my lip products that contain mineral oil. Unfortunately, all 4 of the mentioned above favourites have to be disqualified. But fear not, the replacements are coming! Stay tuned! :)