I’d like you to imagine red velvet curtain….
Now mentally swish it aside to reveal……
A TABLE!
These are the lipsticks I have reviewed so far, painstakingly marked out of 10 in 5 categories and then ranked in order. I was pleasantly pleased, once I’d scored them all, to find that they actually came out in the order of preference that I unconsciously had hovering around in my head. It kind of gives away today’s review before I’d started, but it was also interesting to see the dramatic drop in points for 2 of the cheaper lipsticks. You get what you pay for ladies! (I do have to say that the Prestige was let down badly by the packaging, so if that’s not important to you it’s a better buy than the Stargazer!)
Today I am back bargain bucket with a Collection 2000 Volume Sensation lipstick in Ruby Red at just £2.99
The Blurb
This is another “volumising” lipstick and claims to be stuffed with magic ingredients that will give you super plump lips without expensive surgery, all for £2.99 *raises sceptical eyebrow*
Ahem….
“Forget expensive ‘trout pout’ inducing lip treatments, Collection 2000 Volume Sensation Lipstick is a collection of wearable shades in playful pinks, cute corals and pretty plums. Each moisturising lipstick in the range has a luxurious creamy feel and is fortified with40% volumising ingredients to plump your pout in a flash!”
The Pros
This is a nice, full coverage lipstick with a semi matte finish. I liked the shade as well, which was a pleasant, deep red.
I remain, as ever, unconvinced that I experienced any plumping benefits. If there’s one thing I’ve learnt is that the most you can really expect from a lipstick it’s that it turns your lips red and doesn’t end up all over your face. If it claims any properties that sound like magic then they’re probably talking pants.
The packaging was relatively inoffensive and the texture was pleasantly thick and creamy. It only took one coat, straight from the tube to get a nice deep colour and it lasted a good 3 hours before I noticed it wearing off, which isn’t bad.
Sorry the close up picture is slightly blurred this week! I struggled for some reason, it’s not easy taking photos of your own lips you know.
The Cons
I did find the texture a little drying, which meant that as it wore off it didn’t wear off at all evenly and left a bright red line around the outside of my lips and nasty little clumpy bits in the middle. Make sure you exfoliate your lips really well with this one!
I also suffered horrendous problems with it bleeding into the fine lines around my lips, very unattractive. I tried applying it with a lip-brush and the thinner layer that produced partially resolved that problem. Bit of a cheat, but whatever works! I also had a bit of trouble getting an even lip-line applying it from the tube as well, so a lip-brush was definitely the way to go.
Also, although the packaging isn’t offensive it is very modern with it’s funky slanted lid and bright pink foil pattern. This isn’t a problem, but you don’t exactly feel Hollywood glamour oozing from your pores when you apply it, not unless Hollywood glamour is a night club in Great Yarmouth anyway. *Oooh, get her, bitch*
The Verdict
You know, I take it back when I said I might buy the Stargazer lipstick as it was cheap. This ones a penny cheaper and a million times better. As you can see from my amazing score chart it scores almost comparably with the more expensive lipsticks.
I think you have to be more careful with your application than with the expensive brands. If you make sure you exfoliate your lips, apply lip balm and use a lip brush and blot well then it’s a really good every day lipstick. Personally I would still make sure I treated myself to a posh lipstick for use when I’m going out, but for every day this is definitely on the purchase list and I’ll probably actually use it again!
Finally, in further attempts to make pictures of me wearing lipstick more interesting than just a big photo of me grinning, I give you Pouty Chick. This is particularly classy as you can see my What Katie Did Bullet Bra. Maybe I belong in that nightclub after all?
As a final special treat (gosh I’m spoiling you today) I’ve put together all the pictures of the 6 lipsticks I have so far reviewed and you can get 6 photos of me grinning like a loon for the price of one. I’m also wearing the same dress in 4 out of those 6 photos. I wear it far too much.
