Lip Smackers

I'm currently on a lipstick/lipgloss kick. I love checking out different lip products that aim to produce the most luscious-looking lips. I love lip glosses over opaque lipsticks because these give the most shine and color. If I use lip glosses alone, it's imperative that I use them with a lipliner, and they have to be semi-opaque, or almost like liquid lipsticks. I don't like my glosses TOO sheer, because it would just look like colorless grease sitting on my lips, seemingly like I ate a whole bucket of fried chicken from KFC.

That said, here are some lip products that are my current favorites:


MAC Rubia lipstick

Ahhh, the much-awaited, much-coveted MAC Rubia, named after the Latina singing siren Paulina Rubio. This is an extremely limited edition lipstick, because not all MAC counters or stores sold this particular shade. It was only made available in particular MAC store locations where there are huge numbers of Hispanic customers. This baffled me because although Hispanics would be more familiar with Paulina Rubio, customers generally buy a product because it looks good on them, and not because of who the product was named after.

That said, I was able to obtain my own brand-new-in-box Rubia lipstick from a swap. The girl only wanted a gift card from Sephora which was very accessible to me. I thought I really wouldn't like it because the reviews were pretty mixed, but I fell in love with it at one fell swoop. This lipstick is like a chameleon; it changes dramatically with every lipliner I wear. It can be very nudish and pale one day, and be just a beautiful brown peach with gold pearl on another, just like how MAC described it. I use this all the time and I think I'm almost half-way done with it. I think I need a backup!


Rubia worn with Rimmel Exaggerate full color lipliner in Epic


This is another pretty LE MAC lipstick, Festivity from the Balloonacy collection. It's a corally-peachy-pink tone with gold shimmer, and it's a frost formula which gives the lips a subtle sheen. It's a cousin of MAC lipsticks in Strawberry Blonde and Curtsy, which are also coral-based and very much coveted.


These are my J.Lynne lipglazes in Jodie, Nicole, Jessica and Julianne. I so, so love these. I said earlier that I prefer my lipglosses semi-opaque if I use them alone, and these really fit my requirements to a T. They operate so much like liquid lipsticks - creamy, luscious, but utterly pigmented, and have high-wattage shine. Best of all, the taste and smell are addicting! I sometimes just apply it on my lips so I can smell and taste it (yup, I'm a dork). I guess the real reason I apply it that often is because - read this - it curbs my appetite! No, really! It might just be me, but the J.Lynne lip glazes can be a great alternative to those ubiquitous weight loss pills, ha!


Generous samples of the J.Lynne lipglazes I'd obtained before I got the full-sizes:
Jodie - Nicole
Jessica - Julianne


Wearing J.Lynne lipglaze in Jodie over MAC lipstick in Syrup


MAC Holiday Dress Set 5 Warm Lustre and Lipglass
L-R: Florabundance (milky pale-pink, wonderful on top of dark lipsticks), Wonderstruck (peachy-pink with shimmer), Spring Bean, Instant Gold (creamy beige with gold), New Flame (deep plum-bronze with reflects)

I got this beautiful lipglass/lustreglass set via my friend Olga, who offered to custom purchase this set over at her neighborhood cosmetic company outlet or CCO. It was much cheaper than retail so I jumped at the opportunity. All colors are beautiful, but my favorite is Spring Bean, the slimy-looking green lustreglass in the middle. No, it doesn't appear green upon application, but morphs into a beautiful buttery-goldish brown that looks so flattering on the lips. I guess the natural color of the lips creates a reaction with the green pigment, making it not green but a gorgeous warm honey color.


MAC lipglass in Perky

Another beautiful lip product from the Balloonacy collection. This lipglass made me realize that lilac shades suit my complexion. I think the mid-tone purple flatters my skintone, and it doesn't apply purplish, but a light beautiful lilac that is just very pretty. I'm going to be sad when I run out of this. This is one of my most favorite lipglosses ever.


wearing Monave sheer lip glaze in Maple under MAC lipglass in Pas-de-deux

Of course, I cannot just rattle off my favorite lipglosses without mentioning one of my best bets, Monave sheer lip glazes. These glide like butter on the lips, pigmentation and texture are divine, and come in very convenient doe-foot applicator tubes. My favorites are Honey, Maple, Petticoat and Butterscotch. These are a staple in my purse as I use them both at work and on weekends. They are that versatile.


Aromaleigh Pure Shine lip glosses in Yum, Zen, and Lush

Like J.Lynne and Monave lip glazes, I like these Aromaleigh glosses because they operate like liquid lipsticks - are semi-opaque, have outstanding shine, are not uber-sticky. I also adore the smell and taste - like chocolate oranges! I am such a chocoholic, so how can my tastebuds and olfactory nerves say no to this barrage of heavenly sensations? Mmm-mmmm!! My only gripes however are the packaging and the very small amount of product in each pen. I am not exactly a fan of the click-pen with the brush applicator. I can tolerate the click pens a little bit more than the applicator, but I basically have no interest in either. Click pens take forever for the product to emerge at the tip, and when it does, it spurts out in massive amounts, which is such a waste of precious product. I also don't like the brush applicator that much because this is not a sheer product but semi-opaque, so applying this without a mirror is a no-no because it will surely feather and go beyond your lip boundaries. Good thing I got this at 35% off during Aromaleigh's sale. Nonetheless, I will still re-purchase because of the beautiful pigmentation, lovely texture and heavenly scent and taste. These Pure Shine lipglosses are fast becoming a favorite, packaging issues aside, which just basically boil down to pure personal preference.