L'Oreal's Colour Riche Caress Stick Lipstick in Pink Vinyl, Blushing Sequin - Photos, Review, Swatches

Busybusybusy! D: I will try to get a few good, substantial posts in before my vacation, though!

Today I have for you two of the newish L'Oreal Colour Riche Caress Stick lipsticks. They come housed in pretty but fingerprint-prone gold packaging and, as far as I could tell, are available in 16 hues. I purchased two shades similar to what I like and tend to wear: Blushing Sequin, a warm bright rosy pink with a tinge of red; and Pink Vinyl, a cool pink with a touch of lavender. 

Blushing Sequin:

Pink Vinyl:

L to R: Blushing Sequin, Pink Vinyl

Alright. So, the shades are fairly lovely - sheer, easy to pull off, and providing a subtle wash of color. Unfortunately, the formula on this lipstick was terribly uncomfortable to wear. Immediately I felt stinging. (An allergy, perhaps?) It was mild, but still not something I want to put my lips through when I have other options. I found these drying and the texture to be slippery, very nearly slimy. Pink Vinyl disappeared within 1 to 1.5 hours of application.

Needless to say, I do not recommend L'Oreal's Colour Riche Caress Stick lipsticks despite wanting desperately to like them. I love sheer, balmy lipstick hybrids with a punch of color, and that's what I hoped these would be, but there are better options available. If you want to try out these lipsticks, they are available for about $9.99 each at drugstores.

L'Oreal Colour Riche in So Chic!; Sally Lustre Shine in Lava; Maybelline Color Show in Downtown Brown - Swatches, Review, Photos

Some of the new drugstore fall nail polishes have been catching my eye (calling to me, if you will) every time I've strolled past the displays. Here are some of my recent purchases!

L'Oreal Colour Riche Nail Polish in So Chic!, a peachy nude with gold shimmer (two coats). $5.99 in drugstores:

Sally Hansen Lustre Shine in Lava, a shimmery red/gold/pink/fuchsia/orange multichrome (two coats). $7.99 in drugstores:

Maybelline Color Show Nail Color in Downtown Brown, a frosty, shimmery warm brown with blue/green duochrome flashes (two coats). $3.99 in drugstores:

All of these ROCK, my favorite being Maybelline's fun and unexpected Downtown Brown. The formula on all of these was super awesome, more or less, smooth and buttery and easy to manipulate. I'm pleased to note that drugstore brands have recently been presenting us with increasingly interesting and complex shades, guaranteed to intrigue most nailphiles regardless of their budget. With the nail lacquer market as tight as it is, companies are forced to develop more creative and unique shades without sacrificing quality. The results of this heightened competition, such as the shades featured in this post, are lovely!

L'Oreal Infallible Eye Shadow in Iced Latte, Bronzed Taupe, Midnight Blue, Eternal Black - Review, Swatches, Photos

Ok, guys. Are you ready? This may be my most favorite drugstore makeup purchase ever, and it comes courtesy of L'Oreal's new Infallible Eye Shadow which, as an eye product, is simply spectacular (spectacular, no words in the vernacular... *ahem*).

These darling little moppets come in sturdy, clear, plastic jars, a packaging which allows the color to be seen through the base. Upon unscrewing the lid, one is greeted by this -

Look familiar? The pot, the stopper... reminiscent of the Armani Eyes to Kill shadows, no? :D

Here's Iced Latte, a warm champagne -

This is Bronzed Taupe,  a shimmering cool brown -

Midnight Blue, a gorgeous, jeweled, dark blue shimmer -

And Eternal Black, a black with silver microglitter -

Swatches -

L to R: Iced Latte, Bronzed Taupe, Midnight Blue, Eternal Black

The question I want to address first is if L'Oreal's Infallible Eye Shadows meet the high standards set by Armani's Eyes to Kill Eye Shadows, and the short answer is a resounding YES! These are beautifully pigmented, opaque in one swipe, and are offered in a variety of pleasing colors. What impressed me most is Infallible's wear time: without primer, these lasted me all day without moving, creasing, or fading! Did I mention I used NO primer? One night I absent-mindedly forgot to remove product from one of my eyelids (yes, my brain sometimes goes on strike). The next morning, besides looking like a crazy person sporting some very special post-modern asymmetrical makeup, the eye looked great and I could not discern any differences in intensity or migration.

Where Infallible and EtK differ:
1. Price, of course. I saw Infallible for between $8 and $10, and you can often save a few bucks with coupons or sales. EtK will set you back $32.
2. Size. EtK contains slightly more product at 0.14 oz against Infallible's 0.12 oz.
3. The texture is a tad different - EtK is more creamy, rich, while Infallible's consistency morphs into that of a powdered pan eyeshadow soon after it leaves the jar. Both are velvety, soft, and smooth.
4. Color selection. Here I favor EtK's unique, interesting shades woven together with the complexity and artistry expected of a luxury brand like Armani. L'Oreal's shade selection is more conservative but still beautiful, offering classic staples of beiges, pearls, taupes, etc.
5. Finishes. As far as I know, EtKs are all shimmers. Infallibles come both in shimmers and mattes, which I'm also intrigued to try.

Yes, these are pretty awesome. Have you spotted them in your local drugstores yet?

L'Oreal Project Runway Collection Audacious Amazon's Pout, Night's Owl - Swatches, Review, Photos

Do you watch Project Runway?

I watched religiously from the very start, but for the last few seasons I found my interest waning. Design overload! (Or, maybe I simply don't have as much time as I used to...)

Nevertheless, when I heard L'Oreal was developing a new collection inspired by the show I was intrigued, and subsequently disappointed - the only products that piqued my interest were two of the nail polishes and Audacious Amazon's Pout (a lipstick). Since the drugstore was out of one of the lacquers (the Raven one), I took home Night's Owl. (And when I say "took home" I mean only after paying! Don't want to imply that I'm some crazy makeup criminal! D:)

Here's Audacious Amazon's Pout, a vibrant pink-red -

Such a lovely statement color. In my opinion it can be an everyday shade as long as you're not a wilting lily, shrinking violet, wallflower, or any other of the timorous angiospermae! The formula is incredibly smooth and glides on easily.

Now, the gem of the collection, Night's Owl -

Do you see how gorgeous this is?? Do you?!? (You probably do.) Ugh. UGH. So rustic, glowing, deep, shimmery, spectacular. Off the top of my head this is reminiscent of China Glaze's Wagon Trail, but I'll have to pull out the CG shade to do a proper comparison. Regardless, Night's Owl is going to get a lot of play on my nails this season!

That's it for tonight, guys. Thanks for reading and if you enjoy this blog, I would quite love for you to follow me! (No pressure, though ;)