Tarte Lip Service Limited-Edition LipSurgence™ Collection - Review, Photos & Swatches

Tarte Lip Service Limited-Edition LipSurgence™ Collection($29) is one the best holiday kits with an amazing selection of shades and great value! I had a 20% off in-store coupon at Ulta with no exclusions on prestige brands so, I snagged this. With each of these lip tints/lusters retailing at $24 individually, the kit is a total bargain.



The set comes with three Natural Lip Lusters in Dazzled, a shimmery coral pink, Flashy, a medium fuchsia with silver shimmer, Glitzy, a nude, shimmery pinkish brown and two LipSurgence™ Natural Lip Tints in Perky,a soft pink & Swank, a light cherry red, all in full-sizes. They all have a minty smell, feel super comfortable & very moisturizing on the lips. Tarte claims that they increase moisture content by 6000%(!!!). I've been using it only for a couple of days now. I can just say they are very moisturizing even after the color fades. I'll report back if my moisture content increases by any kinda ridiculous number after a couple of weeks! The lusters are quite shimmery & glossy than the tints. The shimmer is very fine & doesn't look very tacky. The tints are not completely matte either. They have a subtle, natural looking sheen. They are not madly pigmented, just perfect enough for just about anyone for everyday wear and give a very polished look.

The twist up crayon is a nice idea but since the bullet does not retract completely, I did end up snapping it couple of times while closing. I love the idea of not having to sharpen it though. The shade Swank especially leaves a nice tint while fading and the lustres last about 2-3 hours on an average.

L-R : Flashy, Perky, Dazzled, Swank, Glitzy

Overall, I love the shade selection & would definitely recommend this to anyone who loves natural looking lip colors. The set is a great value and well worth the price tag. Just like other Tarte products these are also formulated without any parabens, sulphates, synthetic fragrances & mineral oil.

What are your thoughts on the Tarte Lip Service Limited-Edition LipSurgence™ Collection?

Wet n Wild Silk Finish Lipsticks - Review, Photos & Swatches

Wet n Wild Silkfinish Lipsticks($1), are affordable lipsticks with great pigmentation and a smooth, silky finish that claim to deliver moist-looking lips with conditioning aloe vera. They come in 22 shades shades that range from fun colors to everyday neutrals.

L-R :516C Sunset Peach, 519A Hot Red, 525D Retro Pink, 545A Blushing Bali

516C Sunset Peach -  A shimmery, frosty coral. It looks very frosty on me since I have pigmented lips. I like to top it off with a nude gloss.
519A Hot Red - Bright red with a creme finish. Very creamy in texture, goes on smooth with a beautiful sheen. One of my favorite shades. Top it off with a clear gloss for a juicy pout!
525D Retro Pink - A very playful, bright pink with lavender undertones. This one had a grittier feel compared to the other lipsticks and went on a little patchy too.This would be a great pick for lighter skin tones.
545A Blushing Bali - A great everyday shade, perfect for people like me with pigmented lips and very flattering on most skin tones. It has a nice mix of pink & brown and the right amount of shine that keeps it from looking too flat.

L-R : 516C Sunset Peach, 545A Blushing Bali, 525D Retro Pink, 519A Hot Red

The texture of most of these lipsticks, with the exception of  525D Retro Pink, are smooth and a single swipe deposits a lot of color, almost true to what it looks in the tube. They last for about 2-3 hours just like any other lipstick would on me. They are not overly creamy so, they don't bleed either. While they may not be the most moisturizing lipsticks, they don't dry out my lips either. For the price, the packaging seems quite sturdy too. My only gripe with these lipsticks are the lipstick bullets that don't retract back completely which is not a very good thing for a clumsy person like me.

Overall, they are definitely something I would recommend especially if you love switching up your shades and want to try newer ones without breaking the bank. The lipsticks are not tiny either, they have a good amount of product in there.

What are your thoughts on the Wet n Wild Silkfinish Lipsticks?


Disclosure: The products in this article were provided by PR for consideration. All opinions are my own. For more information please refer to my Disclosure Policy. 

ALTERNA Bamboo Smooth Kendi Dry Oil Mist

ALTERNA Bamboo Smooth Kendi Dry Oil Mist is a leave on that helps control frizz, protects hair from heat styling tools and also enhances shine. Alterna also claims that this "double-duty formula can be used as both a deeply nourishing treatment that helps to repair split ends and environmental damage, and as a color protecting style primer. Made with strengthening organic bamboo and smoothing organic kendi oil, it banishes frizz and imparts intense shine while providing vital nutrients." 
 
Ingredients from Sephora.com :



Bambusa Vulgaris (Bamboo) Extract, Bambusa Vulgaris Extract, Bambusa Vulgaris Water, Foeniculum Vulgare (Fennel) Seed Extract, Saccharomyces Lysate Extract, Algae Extract, Daucus Carota Sativa (Carrot) Root Extract, Wasabia Japonica Root Extract, Simmondsia Chinensis (Jojoba) Seed Oil, Mauritia Flexuosa Fruit Oil, Triticum Vulgare (Wheat) Germ Oil, Aleurites Moluccana Seed Oil, Vitis Vinifera (Grape) Seed Oil, Olea Europaea (Olive) Fruit Oil, Persea Gratissima (Avocado) Oil, Passiflora Edulis Seed Oil, Ethylhexyl Methoxycinnamate, Butyl Methoxydibenzoylmethane, Phenyl Trimethicone, Tocopherol, Glycerin, Superoxide Dismutase, Saccharomyces/Zinc Ferment, Saccharomyces/Copper Ferment, Lactoferrin, Phospholipids, Phytosphingosine, Corn Oligosaccharides, Ganoderma Lucidum (Mushroom) Tyrosinase, Lentinus Edodes Tyrosinase, Retinyl Palmitate, Copper Lysl Oxidase, Acetyl Methionine, Acetyl Serine, Amino Acyl tRNA Synthetase, Glycine Soja (Soybean) Seed Peroxidase, Silanetriol Melaninate, Polyquaternium-10, Superoxide Dismutase, Bromelain, Papain, Water (Aqua), Phenoxyethanol, Fragrance (Parfum), Citronellol, Butylphenyl Methylpropional, Limonene, and Linalool.

I picked up the travel size for about $6 at a local salon. The full size is priced at $24 and has quite a lot of product. The mist comes packaged in a spray bottle which feels like glass but is good quality plastic & easy to travel with. The texture feels very light and a little more watery than most hair serums. I use it on damp, freshly washed hair before heat-styling or air-drying. Also because it is a little runny, you may need more product than usual but, the weighless oil absorbs almost instantly leaving no oily residue.

Alterna suggests using this on dry hair to enhance shine. My roots gets oily very easily so, I'm usually skeptical about using products for touch ups. But, when used before blow drying, it adds a very healthy looking shine and controls frizz to a good extent. The days I let my hair air-dry, I see a lot of added bounce which I'm very happy about! If you have extremely frizzy hair, you need to use quite a lot of this product which might make roots oily after a day. But, for mediocre frizz-control, it works really well without weighing down hair too much. 

Overall, more than anything else, I love the healthy sheen & softness my hair gets from using this. I also love multi-tasking products like this that protect and enhance hair's manageability. Added to all that, this product also has a very fresh smell that lingers on for a few hours!


Available at Ulta, Sephora and online at Ulta.com, Sephora.com

What are your thoughts on the ALTERNA Bamboo Smooth Kendi Dry Oil Mist?