Favourite Reds

You guys know how I feel about red lippies don't you?! I just can't get enough of them. If I can choose only one lip colour to wear for the rest of my life and that would be RED full stop. It just looks so flattering and so chic on all age groups and all skin tones. It can be worn on both day time and in the evening, casual days or formal events, red carpet, you name it so I thought I would show you my all time favourite red lip products, hope you like it. (Click the links for lip swatches)

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There we go, I've got all different toned reds here to show you today, from drug store to highend, and they are all my favourite. Let's start with the 3 more pinky toned reds. The thing I like the most about these pinky red is that they make my teeth look whiter, and I tend to go towards them in spring and summer because of the pink under tone. 

(left to right: Bite, Wjcon and Tarte. You probably can't tell from this picture but the Wjcon and Tarte ones are with glossy finish)

The Bite High Pigment Pencil in Quince is very opaque compare to the other two and much more "matte". I mean it's not complete matte more of a satin to matte finish which I really like, and the interesting thing about this lipstick is that in some lightings is more of a deep fuchsia and other times actually looks more red. So pretty and so comfortable on the lip, literally feels like nothing on. 

As far as the Wjcon Long Lasting Lip Pencil (Passion Rose 09) and the Tarte Amazonian Butter Lipstick (Candy Red) those are more sheer with glossy finish. The Tarte one is a little more opaque and more pink I would say. They are both comfortable on the lips and very hydrating. FYI the Wjcon one is not as long lasting as the Tarte one but I really like the colour and the fact that it is sheerer so that I can totally wear it on a casual/minimal makeup day. FYI Wjcon is exclusively sold in Italy but the KIKO Creamy Lip Crayons are very similar. 

Now let's talk about this Avon Glimmerstick Lip Liner in Red Brick. I have been using this for as long as I could remember. The colour is a brick red hence the name and it is a good match for most of my red lipsticks but perfect for warm reds. It's matte, lasts well, and for the price you really can't go wrong. 

(left to right: Dior and YSL)

Ohh Dior... You guys know how much I'm obsessed with Dior lipsticks, especially this Rouge Dior in 999 which in my opinion is a classic red and perfect for formal events or evening nightouts. It is a warm red from what I can tell and would look gorgeous on all skin tones. It is as light as a lipstick could ever get as far as texture goes plus it smells lovely. It's a must-have if you love red lippies. 

(with YSL on)

If you have to buy one thing from YSL and that would be the lipsticks. YSL certainly knows what they are doing when it comes to lipsticks because all their lip products are simply to die for. I like the formulas, the scent, how it feels on the lip as well as lasting power. I mean you just can't go wrong with YSL lipsticks especially the Rouge Pur Couture The Mats line. I have this gorgeous red shade in 209 Red Rythm and it is my go-to red lipstick when I go out in the evening. It is matte but not flat, feels light and lasts ages. It is also a classic red I would say, but a tad cool toned compare to the Dior one.

(from left to right: Bite, Avon, Wjcon, Dior, YSL and Tarte)

That's it guys. Those are my favourite red lippies. You know what I'm gonna say? When in doubt, go with RED.

What are your favourite red lip products? 

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The Perfect Lipstick: Estée Lauder Pure Color Envy Shine Sculpting Shine Lipstick

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I don't really own any Estée Lauder makeup if I'm honest but I love their Pure Color Envy lipsticks. I did a lip swatch blogpost a while back with four of their popular shades because they are just so gorgeous. I'll link it right here if you are interested. However those lipsticks are very opaque and intense, they are not what I would consider a day-to-day lipstick choice, but now Estée Lauder have came out with the Pure Color Envy Shine lipsticks which are sheerer than the original ones and a lot more glossy as well as hydrating which in my opinion are great for daily use. I picked up a miniature one in the shade 350 Empowered which is a gorgeous orangey red that looks beautiful on my warm skin tone. I must say I love when companies do miniature products like this one as it is just so easy to take it on the go with me for tough-ups and of course it looks cute. 

The most I like about this lipstick is the formula. It's so moisturising, not overly glossy which I simply don't care for, crazy comfortable on the lip, and the fact that it stains my lips very well even after the shine fades. It doesn't have a scent like other high-end lipsticks do which I really appreciate as nothing is worse than tasting synthetic perfume in your mouth. 

It doesn't stay on the lips as long as the original Pure Color Envy lipsticks but I honestly don't mind touching up as it is so easy to do, it just glides on, one coat is all I need but you definitely can build it up to a more intense opacity if you prefer. 

This little guy contains 1g (5.90 euros) which is not a lot but it's the best way to try out new products when you don't want to commit to a full size (25.90 euros), but I can tell you right now that I will be picking up the full size maybe even more shades because these Pure Color Envy Shine lipsticks are the bomb! 

That's it guys, easy breezy. I strongly suggest you pick up one of these Pure Color Envy Shine babies. I honestly have nothing bad to say about them, they are everything I'm looking for in lipsticks and more. 

Let me know in the comments below which one you think I should try next and don't forget to follow Elaine's beauty reviews as well as Twitter/Instagram @eflicciardello for daily updates and new blogpost alert. Until next time... Muahhh... 

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Hot or Not? Clarins Instant Light Lip Balm Perfector

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Clarins is a brand I have been loving ever since I started using beauty products especially their skincare line but I have never really paid attention to the makeup items that Clarins carry because when I hear Clarins I think of their skincare products. Although I have been wanting to try the ever-so-famous Instant Light Natural Lip Perfector for as long as I could remember because everybody and their mother are raving about these little tubes of heaven. But you know me, I'm not a gloss person, I love my bold matte lip products, although the lip balm version of the Lip Perfectors from the Spring 2015 Collection look rather interesting as I do love a good old tinted lip balm. 

I only purchased one shade (05 red) from the range of 6 but I can tell you right now that I will be picking up more as these Lip Balm Perfectors are as good as everyone says if not better, because they are sooo buttery soft, very moisturising, not over-the-top glossy and smells divine. The moisture lasts well on my lips and once the shine fades, this particular one leaves a nice pinky red stain on my lip. They are, in my opinion worth every penny. These retail for 17 Euros a piece, although you do get only 1.8g (0.06 Oz) of product, it is nice to have in your handbag for whenever your lips are dry, and of course that sheer wash of pinky red is perfect for spring and summer when you don't want a full-on lip colour. 

It is definitely hot. I highly recommend picking up a piece especially for the handbag because it is dainty and lovely to touch-up on top of a matte intense lipstick as it really hydrates the lip plus you get an extra bit of colour. 

Have you tried these yet? Which shade you think I should go for next? 

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Tarte Kiss and Makeup 5-Piece Amazonian Butter Lipstick Set

I am pretty picky when it comes to lipsticks. The most important thing that I'm looking for is comfort. They have to be comfortable to wear and as the day goes by there has to be absolutely no tasty "talking line" on my lips. You know the line you normally get between your upper and lower lips. No no. I can't deal with that. I'm weird like that I know! This is the bottom line when it comes to lipsticks, I don't really mind if they are not long lasting, pigmented or not as long as they are comfy on my lip and zero "talking line" thingy that I was on about. 

I have been wanting to try some of the Tarte lipsticks for the longest time, like the Bite Beauty lipsticks that I reviewed last week, these 2 cosmetic companies are not easily accessible here in Europe and everybody has been talking about them and saying how good they are so I have to get my hands on them right? Lucky that my husband was in America for work so finally I got my Kiss and Makeup 5-Piece Amazonian Butter Lipstick Set by Tarte and I was over the moon, and let's just say that they are as awesome as everybody says if not better. 

My husband got it for me from the Tarte website unfortunately it is sold out because it is limited edition, but you can still purchase it from , and remember it is online only. 

This set is from Last year's holiday collection I believe as you can tell by the packaging, very Christmassy. I don't really care for the cardboard packaging to be honest but they are pretty sturdy  and I do like the fact that they are all different coloured. 

I'm not gonna ramble too much because there are a lot of reviews already and all I want to tell you is that they are out-of-this-world comfortable on the lips, easy to apply, moisturising, lasts pretty well throughout the day and pretty opaque considering they are that moisturising. And the most important part (for me) is that they don't leave the nasty line that I was talking about no matter how much I talk. I honestly love them so much and I would definitely get more when I get the chance. They are just like the name suggested, smooth as butter! 

Now swatches... Let's start with 2 of my favourite shades first. 

Candy Red: a pinky red shade that is pretty opaque in one coat, lasts really well on me. The shine does fade as the day goes by but it leaves a pretty pinky red stain behind. This is great for someone who is scared of wearing a bold red lip. Though opaque can be worn sheerly if you only apply a thin coat. 

Pink Poinsettia: a water melon shade which I think it would be so pretty to wear during the summer time. This is the kind of lipstick that actually goes with everything. 

Let's move onto Merry Berry which is the only limited edition colour in the set and described as a berry with sparkles but as far as I can see, there's no "berry" whatsoever. It's more of a "brick" kinda colour with a tad brown in it. It's not a shade that I normally go for nevertheless it is beautiful because of that blue and pink sparkles running through. It is what I call a "day time holiday" colour because it is sheer which is daytime appropriate dahh... and the shimmers in there couldn't be more holiday! 

It looks pretty "berry" in the tube but when it's on the lips, well on my lips it is not, and you can't really see the sparkles either. When you remove it, the glitters does stick a little on the lip. 

Sweet Peach: and like the name, it is a peach colour and kinda nude. It is gorgeous when paired with a smokey eye. 

See?!

Lastly, the only nude colour in the set: Angelic Nude which is a typical peachy pink nude (my kinda nude) that should suit for a lot of skin tones. I'm not gonna swatch this one because I'm thinking of doing a winter giveaway. I think a lot of you would look good with this colour and because Tarte is not as easy to get here in Europe so it would be a great opportunity for some of my European readers to try. I'll let you know the rules and details once I get everything together. At the mean time here is a swatch from one of my favourite beauty bloggers "Making Up the Midwest" so you get an idea of how it looks on the lip. 

Pretty ehh?! Photo Credit: Making Up the Midwest

There we go beauties, these are just so dreamy and lovely so I have to share. Hope you like the review and stay tuned for the giveaway! Thank you so much for the support and everything, make sure to follow my blog by clicking the "following" button on top of this page. Until next time!! Muahh! 

Twitter/Instagram @eflicciardello 

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That Kylie Jenner Lip

Hello beauties, happy Saturday! A lot of girls have been trying to recreate Kylie's lip and I can see why because her lips look so full and sexy but very natural at the same time so today I want to show you my take on Kylie Jenner's lip, hope you like it. 

Photo credit: okmagazine.com

See? See what I'm talking about?! Absolutely gorgeous lip colour, I'm falling head over heels with it and the full sexiness of course. It is actually very easy and simple to achieve. Let's just say if I can do it everyone can. 

Obviously you wanna exfoliate and moisturise you lips beforehand so I'm not gonna bore you with all that (if you fancy seeing what I use to exfoliate and moisturise click ), but make sure to wait until the lip balm absorbs completely or wipe off any residue before applying lip liner. FYI: A lip liner is a must if you wanna achieve the fullness that her lips have. 

The one I'm using is from Lancome in the shade Rose The, and I think it might be the closest to the actually lip liner she is using which is "soar" by MAC according to Kim K who did a beauty chat with pixiwoo sisters (I'll link it  if you are interested) and told them that this is the lip liner she uses. 

What you wanna do next is draw your lips a little bigger than you would normally. You can then fill the whole lip with the liner if you want it to last longer. I, however don't, because the lipstick I use is actually pretty long lasting. 

This lipstick is from Bite beauty and is one of the High Pigment Pencils in the shade Rhubarb which is this gorgeous mauve colour described as Plum Rose on Sephora's website. The hint of pink and brown in this pencil makes it very natural looking, one of those your-lips-but-better shades. Couldn't be more Kylie! I am in love with it. It is long lasting, matte but not flat, comfortable to wear, non drying and has great pigmentation to it. I'll do a separate blogpost on this next week because I have other shades to show you so look out for that. These high pigment pencils are simply gorgeous and the formula is just to die for. 

What I like to do last is to lightly, very lightly dab a subtle highlighter on the centre of my bottom lip and a little on the cupid's bow just so they look a little fuller. 

(left: natural light and right: under artificial light)

This is what I come up with and I think it looks pretty similar compare to Kylie's. What do you think? Seriously, try it guys and I guarantee you'll love it, because this colour is so flattering and should suit  for a lot of different skintones, and I love the full and sexiness you get. I have been wearing this combo non stop lately and I'm pretty darn sure that I'll wear it throughout the whole autumn and winter. So natural yet so put-together and elegant. 

That's it my lovelies hope this is helpful and please tweet/instagram (@eflicciardello) me a photo of your Kylie Jenner's lip cuz I would love to see. Thank you and have a lovely weekend beauties! Bye!! xx

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4 Steps to the Perfect Lip

Hello beauties, today I want to share with you all my secret to achieve a perfect lip! A perfectly done lip is just so darn important in my makeup/skincare routine and I think it should be important in everyone's routine. I can go out and wear no foundation, no eyeshadow nor blusher but I can never leave the house without a perfectly moisturised as well as a full on coloured lip. This is just something that is extremely important to me like eyebrows for example to some people but to me a perfect lip is always a must. I mean come on, women look much sexier if the lips are smooth and moisturised. Agreed?!!! I get really annoyed if my lips are chapped or dry so if you are like me then stick around for my ultimate tips to avoid all that. 

Step 1. Exfoliate... Nobody likes to see a chapped lip cuz it ain't pretty. Prepare some hot water in a bowl and place your lips over it. Keep your lips in position for about 5 minutes or longer if you have time. You can then use a lip scrub or a toothbrush gently move your fingers or your toothbrush around your lips and scrub off the dead skin cells or any flacky dry bits that you might have. Don't rub it too hard though as your lips might feel burning afterwards. 

My all time favourite lip scrub is this Bubble Gum one from Lush and it is so sweet and tasty. Well I know I'm not supposed to eat it but I like to lick it sometimes. Oops... But who doesn't like bubble gum right?! It not only smells lovely but also does a great job for scrubbing off any nastiness on your lips. You can make your own of course but I just really like this one. 

Step 2. Moisturise... Apply a moisturising lip balm straight after exfoliating (very important). Don't leave your lips without a lip balm for more than a minute as they might become dry again, also after all that scrubbing your lips are thinner and need to be moisturised and protected ASAP. 

My can't-live-without lip balm is this Reve de Miel by Nuxe. I think I don't need to ramble more about this one as it is featured in many of my blogposts and has been a highly raved product in the beauty world. It is as good as everyone says but better, a lot better, so hydrating and thick which I love and it is matte. 

Step 3. Lip mask... Apply a lip mask and leave it on for as long as you can to lock in the moisture and keep them smooth and soft. This step is better to do at night and is optional if you are in a rush. Put a thick layer of any lip mask that you have or a very very hydrating lip balm but has to be a thick layer so that it can really penetrate deep into the lips. Then what you need to do is take a piece of plastic film and place it on your lip and leave it on again for as long as possible, preferably overnight. It might seen a little extreme but trust me you will wake up with the smoothest, softest and most moisturised lip ever. 

(Top: with a thick layer of my Clarins lip balm on

Bottom: with a piece of plastic film over the lip balm)

I don't have a lip mask to be honest but I use a thick layer of my all time favourite lip balm by Clarins and it is as good as any lip mask in the market. This Moisture Replenishing Lip Balm is just so hydrating, so smooth on the lip and I love the thicker texture but by no means sticky. 

Stop from here if you are off to bed but if you are doing this in the morning or before going out then obviously...

Step 4. Lipstick... Apply your favourite lip product to finish off that gorgeously moisturised lip, et viola... A perfect lip that any woman could ever dream of. 

(You see if your lips are nice and moisturised then any lip colour will look gorgeous)

There you have it. My secret to a perfect lip. If you follow these 4 steps and trust me your lips will thank you and every woman will stare at your lips (in a good way) and every man will want to give that gorgeous lip a big fat kiss (in a romantic and sexy way)... :)

Thank you guys so much for reading and remember to follow me on Twitter and Instagram @eflicciardello for daily updates. If you like my style then follow my blog by hitting the "following" button on the top of this page. Have a lovely day wherever you are and see you in 2 days! Bye! muahh! 

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New Favourite Lippies feat YSL, Urban Decay and Chanel

Happy weekend beauties! Today I wanna show you some of my newly purchased lip products that I have been falling head over heels with. They are all absolutely gorgeous in every way so are you ready? 

The first lipstick I am going to show you is probably my most favourite among the 3. Meet: YSL Rouge Pur Couture The Mats in 209 Red Rythm. O M to the G! How gorgeous is the packaging! I believe this colour is newly released because my local Sephora literally just got it a few days before I purchased it. (FYI this colour is sold out pretty much everywhere so hurry if you wanna get your hands on it)

I am in love with the colour and the formula. I love a good red lipstick and this red is just so wearable. It looks like a red with a little brown tint in the bullet but it is actually just a classic deep red but very subtle in a way and slightly cool toned. I hope that makes sense. It is honestly so beautiful and would suit for a lot of skintones and of course can be worn all year long, day and night because it is not really a in-your-face red. And the texture. Ohh boy! It feels extremely comfortable on the lip. It doesn't make my lips feel dry. It's matte but very hydrating, just feels comfortable. The lasting power is pretty amazing as well because it's matte. The funny thing is that it is matte but it looks kinda between a matte and satin. Definitely not one of those lip stains kinda of "matte" if you know what I mean. I just can't get over how gorgeous the texture is. Highly highly recommend if you are looking for a nice comfortable red for everyday use. 

If you have been following my blog for a while then you know that I am a big fan of the Urban Decay Revolution Lipsticks. I already own one in the colour Venom which I absolutely adore so I got another one and it's in the colour Rapture. It's a mauve with a slight pink undertone to it, a deeper dusty rose if you will. So pretty for autumn and winter. The formula of these lipsticks are out of this world amazing. It's hydrating, comfortable, never dry out my lips, crazy pigmented and it stays on the lip really well throughout the day! Obsessed! It has a glossy finish but not too much which is cool! If you haven't tried any of the UD revolution lipsticks then hop to it because they are the bomb! 

Last but not least is a gloss I purchased lately. I know what you are all thinking! Gloss... Me? Really? I'm not a gloss gal and I never really like the ultra glossy, sticky feeling on my lips but I give in to this lovely Chanel Glossimer Lip Gloss in 175 Savage Grace simply for 2 reasons. One: the colour. It's a plummy berry shade with lots of magenta glitters in it. I don't have anything like this in my collection I just had to get it! It is so gorgeous for a night out. The glitters are finely done and they don't stick to the lip when I remove the gloss which is neat. Two: the formula. I think Chanel lip glosses are popular for a reason and now I know why because it is so smooth and not sticky at all. Feels lovely on the lip! By the way this colour is so pigmented one dip will do for the whole lip but you can build up for a more intensive colour if you like. 

That's it guys. Those 3 Lippies are my current obsession. What are yours? Let me know in the comments below or tweet me @eflicciardello. Have a lovely weekend beauties! See you all next week! Bye! Muahh! 

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Bite Beauty Best Bite High Pigment Pencils Review and Swatches

Hi beauties, another week has begun and I hope you all had a lovely weekend with your loved ones. Today I want to review the Best Bite High Pigment Pencil set from Bite Beauty so hope you like it. FYI: This set is currently out of stock from Sephora online so if you really like the set, the best thing to do is walk into your local Sephora and see if they have any still available. This set is last year's I believe and Bite just came out with another of these pencil set this year but with different colours of course so if you like the review you can certainly consider the new set. Bite Beauty is exclusively to Sephora USA just bear that in mind. They should really consider making their products available in Europe as well because people will go nuts with them, just saying. 

This little set contains 4 deluxe sized crayon pencils and they are described as high in pigmentation, long lasting with matte finish, and apparently they are all infused with food grade ingredients that are good enough to eat. Emmm... Don't know about that but it's good to know that these lip products have some natural ingredients so that they are safe for our lips because I don't know about you guys, for me I like to lick my lips, bad habit but can't help it, so definitely a thumbs up for that. 

I can tell you right now that they are definitely worth the hype and perform as described on the tin. They are incredibly pigmented like you wouldn't believe even the nude one. They feel extremely comfortable on the lips and they do last pretty well throughout the day. I mean I do touchup after drinking and eating but you can easily get away with the nice stain that they leave on your lip without touching up. They are semi-matte finish I would say but after a while they do tend to lose the little shininess that you get from when freshly applied and become pretty matte. They are not lip stain kind of "matte" that's for sure which I actually prefer. 

The good thing about these pencils are that they don't require sharpener because they are twist-up ones, and the tip are pretty fine so you don't even need lip liners. 

Now Let's get into the swatch. Note: the "Cranberry" is a limited edition shade, exclusive to this set. I won't swatch this colour because one of my best friends really wanted to try some bite lip products so I would be giving this to her therefore I can't open it, sorry about that, but I will show you a swatch from beauty redefined who is an incredible beauty blogger. 

photo credit: beauty redefined

Cranberry (Limited Edition), a classic vibrant red and slightly blue toned, really pretty and very festive, would be great for Christmas. I really want to keep this one for myself as I love a good red and the formula of these pencils are just ahh-mazing, but hey bestie is more important right plus my husband will be in America again so he can pick another one of this up if it's still available of course. 

Quince, a vibrant fuchsia that is so darn pretty for all skin tones, but bear in mind that this shade transfers everywhere around my lip so my suggestion would be blot your lip after with a tissue and you're good to go. A great fun bold colour for a night-out in the town. Agreed?

Rhubarb, a muted mauve that has a slight pink and brown tint in it. My favourite in the bunch, so wearable, so pretty, a great Kylie Jenner kinda lip colour. I'm obsessed with it. It can be worn all year round, day and night. Love love. 

Lastly Madeira which is a pale pink nude but also has a slight beige in it. It is more matte than the other 3, and is probably my least favourite in the set because it is just too nude for my like, but that being said, the formula is amazing and it is actually really pretty layered with Rhubarb so that it doesn't look as nude. 

There you have it guys. This set is truly amazing and I definitely will pick up some other Bite products when I get the chance, but Bite Beauty if you are listening, please make your products available in Europe because a lot of us who live this part of the world also wanna get some and try. 

Question: what's your favourite Bite lip product? xx @eflicciardello 

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