Review: e.l.f. Mineral Moisturizing Lip Tint SPF 8

All last month I had been waiting for the best e.l.f. coupon so that I could buy brushes galore. I got so excited when I got a coupon for 10 free mineral eyeshadows with a purchase of $25 or more. I got up to $20 worth and then couldn't figure out what else to pick. This lip tint was was one of those last items I decided to pick up.

e.l.f. Mineral Moisturizing Lip Tint SPF 8 (Blush)

Review:

e.l.f.'s Mineral Moisturizing Lip Tints have the consistency of a lip balm with a nice color pay off. I'm actually really surprised by how creamy and how packed it is with moisture! The hydration can be credited to the fact that these tints are made with Coconut, Jojoba oils, and Vitamin E. My lips feel amazing and soft when I wear this; to the point I have to remind myself I look ridiculous smacking my lips together feeling how smooth they are. The buttery softness wears off in maybe 1-2 hours, but my lips still feel smooth a good number of hours later. Although, you will need to reapply often to keep the color. I'm also thankful for the SPF protection, can't ever protect your skin enough from the sun! I have to say that the flavor/smell kind of seeps into my mouth. It isn't bad, but what I would expect an edible crayon to taste like...

The color is exactly what I was expecting. Blush is a nice sweet pink that really just brightens up your lips. I don't really see too much of a difference in my lip color but it adds a nice soft shine. (I have to add that I am sick so I am puffy and congested in the photo. So sexy.) I don't mind the little pigmentation because it makes for a great lip treatment to quickly apply and not have to worry about smudge or mirror application. Some reviews on the e.l.f. website do state that the other colors are not completely true-to-color, but just take a look at the reviews if you plan on ordering. 

I have to say I adore the container. It isn't too tall nor is it really fat, it is the perfect size to fit nicely in your skinniest legging jeans without making you look like you have a growth on your hip or butt. Plus, I like that twisting mechanism is like a lipstick container and inside the tube. I somehow always wind up my chapsticks while they are in my jean pockets, to the point they become giant blobs. 

e.l.f. states that these lip tints diminish the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles around the mouth. I don't think I can testify to that yet. But really? That seems far fetched for a $3 lip tint. But I didn't order this looking for a miracle...just for a pretty tint to hydrate my lips. And it does exactly that. 

e.l.f. Mineral Moisturizing Lip Tints retail for $3.00 and are available in 8 colors. Take a look at the shades at: www.eyeslipsface.com

The bottom line: Cheap, Silky smooth lips, Sheer color coverage, Sweet container, and Acceptable Wear. 4/5

Review: NYX soft matte lip cream

I have never used any NYX products in the past, but after seeing their name here and there over the past few months I decided to try a few different products. First, I chose the soft matte lip cream because I found a coupon for 50% off each bought on the NYX website. Surprisingly it was a coupon from the MyGlam Dec bag (although the coupon officially has expired, boo). Many shades many enticed me but I didn't want to buy too many colors since I wasn't sure how well the product would work. So I went to both extremes: neutral (Stockholm) and bright (Amsterdam). 

The many times I have tried to take just lip photos, my lips look funny, uneven, and grumpy...so I figured for lips I will just do a complete head shot. Hello world!

NYX soft matte lip cream in Amsterdam:

NYX soft matte lip cream in Stockholm:

Review

NYX soft matte lip creams are just that...a cream. There is really no way else to describe them. NYX sells 11 colors varying from bright reds, to bright pinks, and many neutrals in between. I had the hardest time deciding what colors to get, so I decided to go for a sexy red (Amsterdam) and a neutral color that I figured would match my skin (Stockholm). The other shades are also named after major cities around the globe. 

They glide on like a lip gloss but thankfully are not sticky. The color is nice and pigmented; I only applied one coat of Amsterdam to achieve the look I wanted and two of Stockholm. What really suprised me when I opened up the bottle was the smell. They are SCENTED, although they smell good I dont want to salivate from the smell of my lip product. Like a vanilla latte or cake batter. The cream applies like butter but will slowly set, maybe took around 5 minutes for the cream to feel completely dry. Thankfully, the smell disappears as they set.  Once the color sets they are matte.

NYX states that the creams are highly durable and moisturizing, so what is my verdict? I found that Amsterdam wore off in just a few hours, well it turned into a softer, bright stain on my lips. But if I put gloss over it, the color would transfer to my gloss brush. Stockholm had very long lasting wear, but the color was so minimal to begin with. I tend to have problems with massive loss of color from saliva, which I think is beyond hideous, but color wears off mostly evenly. I dont look a mess a few hours later, just a little more refined. Now were the soft matte lip cream's moisturizing. Not really? My lips felt dry and looked dry. I'd recommend putting on a thick coating of lip moisturizer before applying. Or add a layer of gloss on top to keep them moisturized while you are wearing (but that defeats the whole matte thing, eh?). 

Color-wise I was very disappointed with Stockholm, the photo from the website does not match the product swatch at all. My swatch is obviously very pink toned, whereas the website shows Stockholm being more yellow. I wanted a color to make my lips almost concealer-like, but this almost matches my lip color perfectly. Amsterdam is pretty much what I expected, just a little brighter. I'm hesitant to try other shades if the website swatches are off for other colors.

NYX Soft Matte Lip Cream's retail for $6.00 and are available in 11 colors. Take a look at the shades at: nyxcosmetics.com

The bottom line: Cheap, Pigmented matte color, Acceptable wear, but somewhat drying. 3/5

Have you tried NYX soft matte lip creams before? What do you think about them? What is your favorite shade? Let me know in the comments.