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September Blues & Fall Matte Lip Swatch Review

September 8, 2018 by The Partial Ingredients

Happy post Labor Day weekend! Now that we are officially in September, I am super excited for the upcoming season and can’t wait to get started on more Fall related looks. The nights and mornings have been getting cooler BUT the days have still been in the mid to upper 80s, so dress season is still a thing! Which is a good thing because this blue floral dress from Zaful has been one of my favorite recent additions. I really don’t have a lot of anything in powder blue and it’s nice to branch out occasionally with something a little different. Its a color that I just don’t really gravitate towards for some reason, but I really love the color and pattern of this one! As has been the case recently, this woven bag has made another appearance. It seems to go super well with so many dresses so it’s hard not to include it in a bunch of looks!

Now to change gears a bit–over the years, I have tried a bunch of different matte lip colors and I wanted to showcase which ones have become my regular favorites. Many of these I use daily, especially the ones with more of a nudey mauve tone that look great for casual everyday looks. As a certified pale person, I can also vouch that all of these colors look great with fair skin. This post might get long and it’s all about makeup so just a warning! If you’re a fellow pale person looking for the best lip colors for you, keep on reading! I would rate these lip colors on three different scales: affordability (1-5, 5 being most affordable), color tone (1-5, 5 being best color tone) and durability (1-5, 5 for most durable/longest lasting). Scroll down for a full review!

Outfit Set:Outfit Details: Dress: Zaful, Bag: eBay, hat: eBay, shoes: Free People

NYX Soft Matte Lip Creams

I wear these ALL the time. Zurich and Stockholm are similar, however Stockholm has a bit of an orangier tone. Cannes has been one of my go-to dusty rose colors and is nearly a perfect dupe for the NARS Velvet Matte Lip Pencil in Dolce Vita. Rome on the far right is a bit of a darker berry color so I wear it more for nights and going out. It looks darker on lips than on the swatch. Rome has a more vintage 90s look if you’re looking for that too. As you can see in the final photo, these wash off the most easily but because they are so affordable and the colors are great I can let that one go.

Affordability: 5, Color: 5, Durability: 1

Maybelline SuperStay Matte Ink

This one gets high marks because of it’s affordability, durability, and the color Poet is a perfect nude that isn’t super washed out. I tend to like more pinky nudes and this one fits the bill. The more beige it is, the more washed out I tend to look so this one is a great nude for pale folks. It goes on a bit wet but dries fairly quickly. It’s also one of the most durable and longest lasting ones that I’ve found.

Affordability: 5, Color: 5, Durability: 5

ColourPop Ultra Matte *WINNER*

This one is really impressive in terms of durability and just overall value. Platform goes on fairly light but somehow turns into a darker dusty pink. It’s probably the MOST matte above all of the others and is by far the most durable. I can wear this all day, drink coffee, water, you name it. It does not come off! The application is lightweight and dries the fastest. As you can see in the below photo, this one outperformed the others after washing with soap and water. It’s also one of the most affordable so this one is the winner in my book!

Affordability: 5, Color: 5, Durability: 5

MAC Liptensity

This color is absolutely gorgeous for Fall. Smoked almond is a gorgeous deeper rust red that is slightly less matte than the others. It goes on like a more traditional lipstick but you still get that overall matte look. Since it’s MAC, affordability isn’t great and I was surprised by how much it washed off in my soap and water test. However, it’s a beautiful, rich color so it gets an overall good rating from me!

Affordability: 2, Color: 5, Durability: 3

ColourPop Metallics

This one isn’t a true matte but it’s not really glossy as advertised. It goes on very dry and has a matte feel, even though it does have a bit of shimmer. Growing up in the early 2000s I think I’ve been traumatized by wet lip gloss so I really like this one being dry, while at the same time offering a little shine and shimmer. Tight Fit is a beautiful metallic with slight orangey pink tones. It reminds me a little bit of a pink grapefruit skin and looks beautiful on! Slightly less bold of a pigment but that’s okay for me. One of the top performers in durability and affordability.

Affordability: 5, Color: 5, Durability: 4.5

Sephora Luster Matte Lip Color

For all that rich pigment, it sure isn’t durable which is kind of surprising. I would have thought it would have some staying power. I wouldn’t call this an every day color for me, but it is beautiful. It’s a very rich, pigmented orangey red, and looks great if you want a bold look for the evening. I would call this a semi-matte since it’s not as quick drying as the others. It is not long lasting at all and tends to smear so I’m careful not to use too much of it at once. While it’s nice for specific looks, I probably wouldn’t purchase this one again.

Affordability: 3, Color: 4, Durability: 1

NARS Velvet Matte Lip Pencil

I really like this pencil. It’s a true matte and goes on very smooth and dry. The color Dolce Vita is fantastic and is a rich dusty rose, but if you’re looking for a cheaper option, try NYX’s lip cream in Cannes. As you can see in the swatches, these colors are nearly identical. However, it’s not very long lasting and its affordability is so so.

Affordability: 1, Color: 5, Durability: 1

Dark Floral

April 9, 2017 by The Partial Ingredients

Lately I have been into long sleeved, dark floral patterned dresses and this one combines the best of those things. This dress is comfy and loose fitting with a great retro 70’s floral pattern. You can take it in at the waist with a belt if you’re looking for a more fitted look but I actually like the looseness of this style. I like this outfit as a transition look for the in-between seasons. Long sleeve dresses and tights are your friend for that weird in between time. It’s also super affordable too which is a plus.

I’ve also been pretty much obsessed with these Marc Fisher ankle boots…they just look so good with so many things! It’s hard to resist wearing them with pretty much everything. To complete this look I added my favorite Brixton felt hat and this Hustle & Hide leather bag. Who says black and brown can’t be worn together? I beg to differ thank you very much. In terms of where to wear, I would probably wear this out to a concert or as a Winter to-Spring every day look.

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Black on Black

February 28, 2017 by The Partial Ingredients

Don’t you love when you find something you haven’t worn in a while and see a new use for it? I was doing a closet purge and found this graphic tee tucked away on a back shelf. It doesn’t happen too often to me but it’s a bit like finding $20 in your winter coat pocket when you first take it out. I thought it would go great with some of new additions to my closet. Namely this Brixton hat and these lovely Marc Fisher ankle boots. The boots are amazingly comfortable with beautiful leather to match. I had been snooping around on Etsy trying to find a tooled clutch and I came across this one for a reasonable price. Very happy with the beautiful engraved patterns on it and it fits just enough for a phone and cash. You can really luck into some amazing finds on Etsy!

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Olive & Leather

January 16, 2017 by The Partial Ingredients

Maybe I’m boring but I’m a sucker for rustic colors inspired from nature. Browns, greens and greys are some of my favorites. It was nice to have an overcast day where the sun was more defused. Any photographer is probably familiar with the harsh lighting the glaring sun can produce so I was excited to have one of these days. Over the holidays I received this amazing leather wallet clutch from the Etsy store Hustle & Hide. The clutch is an elegantly designed half wallet/half clutch folded into a three piece design. It has a little sleeve for your phone, another for a few cards and a coin pouch. I absolutely adore it! The leather is high quality with beautiful texture and softness. The strap comes separate so you can convert into a wallet or a bag as needed which is pretty handy.

I’m wearing one of my favorite Lucky Brand ankle boots which have at last finally broken in. These puppies run very narrow and I was worried they would always be too tight on the sides. Luckily the leather has broken in and they are now super comfortable! But be warned: these shoes (and Lucky’s in general) run quite narrow. Just as an aside, if you do have a pair of leather shoes that are a bit too narrow, you can buy some thin nylon socks (like panty hose) to wear in the interim to break them in gradually without too much discomfort. To keep your shoes in good health, you can also add a coat of Lanolin wax to protect the leather from water and give it a good polish. Lanolin is a natural product that comes from sheep’s wool and it does wonders for protecting your leather stuff. It soaks into the leather like a lotion and leaves it soft and conditioned. It’s a great product to keep your leather items in great condition so they last for years. Plus they look so good all shined up so it’s a win-win!
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Black Velvet

January 1, 2017 by The Partial Ingredients

Happy new year! And now it’s January…ugh. Arguably the worst month of the year. It’s basically the Monday of the year in month form. I’m not that into “resolutions” but I’ve always wanted to try my hand at making my own clothes. As a kid I used to hand sew miniature clothes for my stuffed animals. So this year I thought I would get started on making some hand made, easy to make stuff. For my first project I settled on a loop or circle scarf. I don’t have a sewing machine so I hand sewed some black velvet into a loop with a single line of stitching. I think it turned out well and honestly wasn’t difficult at all to piece together. It definitely paid off because the only ones I saw online that were similar were like $30 bucks. Kind of a rip off. I got a yard of fabric for about $6.50 so it turned out to be totally worth it. Velvet is a great fabric for a scarf because it’s soft and dense for colder weather. I’m also ridiculously excited about this new hat and booties. I used to be hesitant about fedoras and heeled oxfords but I’m now totally down with both. These oxfords are very comfy even with the taller heel. I’m now of the opinion that fedoras on women look way better than on men. The over-sized cardigan is the perfect compliment to the scarf because it is so soft and warm it’s basically like wearing a blanket–and really what more could you ask for in a cardigan.

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