Beak & Claws: Anna Sui Limited Edition Lipstick in Red Tint

As part of their summer collection Anna Sui Cosmetics released 8 LE lipsticks (£27.50) which are lip tints rather than traditional lipsticks. Each lipstick reacts with the water content of the wearer’s lips thus creating a uniquely flattering shade. The lipsticks are also packed full of hydrating ingredients to keep the lips moisturised and soft.

         

I chose T404 red tint. It proved to create the perfect red for me. My teeth looked whiter and my skin less sallow. The lipstick was comfortable to wear and it did hydrate and moisturise my lips. The packaging is immediately identifiable as Anna Sui. The white container is both gothic yet summery! 

I purchased the item myself and the views expressed in this blog are my own.

Beak & Claws: Korres Mandarin Lip Butter Stick In Rose

This blog post is going to focus on the beak (lips). I have used the clear version of the Korres version of the mandarin lip butter stick for years but finally tried the tinted (rose) version when I was sent a free tube with my order. 

The mandarin lip butter stick in rose is £8 and contains 5ml. It is packaged in a cute tube which twists up to dispense the balm. It has spf 15 to protect the lips and it’s key ingredients are Shea butter and sunflower wax to nourish and condition the lips, giving long term protection and benefits such as moisturising the epidermis, reducing wrinkles and soothing sore or chapped skin. Mandarin oil to moisturise dry lips and mandarin oil to tone and moisturise the lips, reducing any inflammation.  I found the red tint to be subtle but effective. My lips looked like I was wearing a sheer, glossy red lipstick. My lips felt nourished and moisturised. The lip balm had a light texture and was barely discernible on the lips. I enjoy using the mandarin butter range but it sadly appears to be being phased out as most sites were out of stock when I was trying to purchase a new one. 

I purchased this item myself and the views expressed in this blog are my own. 

The lip balm can be purchased Here.

Beak & Claws: Jouer Long Wear Lip Creme Liquid Lipstick in Rose

                          

Welcome to the latest instalment of Beak & Claws. I am going to be reviewing Jouer Cosmetics Long Wear Lip Creme Liquid Lipstick in Rose on my beak/lips. I chose this shade as it is a cool toned metallic champagne  mauve. I got a mini version in my Christmas stocking which is great for travelling and a great way to see if I like the formula etc before I commit to purchasing the full size version. 

Jouer’s Long Wear Lip Creme Liquid Lipstick range are supposed to glide on the lips with full coverage that lasts all day. Weightless on the lips, the liquid lipsticks have buildable coverage, contain vitamin E to moisturise the lips and are a non sticky formula. There is a wide range of cool and warm shades and both matte and metallic finishes. 

I really like the shade I chose. It brightens up my face and it isn’t overly metallic. The lipstick did glide on to my lips. One swipe was enough, I didn’t have to build it up and there wasn’t any patchiness. It did feel very light and barely there on my lips and my lips felt moisturised. The lipstick didn’t crack as it dried and lipstick did not feel at all sticky. It lasted a good 5 hours which included earring and drinking without needing any touch ups. 

I enjoyed wearing this lipstick. It felt and looked great on my lips and was easy to apply. The shape wand made it easy to apply the lipstick precisely. I would purchase the full size version and I would try a few of the matte shades. 

I purchased this item myself and the views expressed in this blog are my own. 

Beaks & Claws: Pixi Shea Butter Lip Balm in Pixi Pink

Although I love my new my new Dior Addict Lip Glow Balm it is very pricey to use as an every day  apply and throw in your purse item. The Pixi Beauty Shea Butter Lip Balm, from Pixi Beauty, is tinted and comes in 6 shades.  RRP is £8 for 4g.

I chose Pixi Pink and it is contained in a little twist up plastic tube with a secure lid.  The colour is really pretty and vibrant.  It feels and looks more like a creamy sheer/satin lipstick rather than a tinted lipbalm.  It is really moisturising, it contains vitamin E and shea butter,  but I can feel it on my lips.  The intensity of the colour means I wouldn't apply it without a mirror in case I miss my lipline.  The balm is round so it took a few goes for me to achieve a precise, crisp line - my hand eye coordination problems mean I would probably  use a lip brush for ease of application in the future.

I do like this lip balm. The packaging isn't luxurious and feels rather plasticky and the tube of lip balm wobbles a bit as it is applied to the lips,  but for £8 it moisturised and adds a nice  hint of colour.

I purchased this item myself and the views expressed in this blog post are my own.  Pixi Beauty items are available from their online shop and in store and selected retailers such as m&s etc.

Beak & Claws: Anna Sui Orchid Nail Polish

As the imagery and name of my blog is centred around a sparklingly magpie I decided decided to name my lipstick and nail polish series "Beak and Claws". Beak relates to the lipstick portion, claws to the polish. I purchased this Anna Sui nail polish in Orchid (no 202) as an add on to my Amazon UK order - £4.01 (8ml). The RRP is £11.  

Orchid nail polish is a very summery pastel purple shade.   The nail polish contains olive oil, raspberry fruit extract and grape fruit extract in order to maintain and hydrate nails and keep them looking healthy.  The polish is supposed to be be streak free with a high shone finish. The polish dries in thick layers and claims to have a quick drying, streak free formula which, due to the flexibility and thickness of the polish isn't supposed to chip or crack and instead last for a long time.  The polish has a high shine finish. 

  I found that I needed 3 coats of polish to make the polish completely opaque as it had a tendency to look streaky, despite claims that the brush is designed to prevent streakiness.   It dried really quickly, I didn't need to use any quick drying drops and it definitely has a high shine finish. In my pictures I have not applied a top coat and my nails look very glossy. I like the shape and length of the brush. The brush fits nicely over the nail and the wand is long enough that I am not concerned that it will touch my other nails when I am using it. 

The bottle is very elegant, vintagesque and fits in well with the overall Anna Sui aesthetic. . Shaped like a crown, the wand is black and comfortable to hold. The glass base makes it easy to see the colour of the varnish. 

I purchased this item myself and the views expressed in this blog are my own. I always use the same base coat Nail HQ All in One to ensure a fair comparison of longevity etc of the polish I am reviewing. 

 Available here.        

Beak & Claws: Anna Sui Cosmetics Matte Liquid Lip Color

As the imagery and name of my blog is centred around a sparklingly magpie I decided decided to name my lipstick and nail polish series "Beak and Claws". Beak relates to the lipstick portion, claws to the polish.

Anna Sui has just released her summer lipstick range, a Matte Liquid Lip Color available in 7 shades, £23 for 6.6ml. The shades are very vibrant and wearable.  The lipstick names/ colours are: Dusky Pink; Dark Pink; Fushia Pink; Lilao; Gothic Purple; Anna Red and Moroccan Orange. The bottle is very Anna Sui in design.  The cap is black, it looks like black lacquer but is, in fact, plastic, and  has a victoriana, gothic, vintage feel to it.  The lipstick applicator is a tear drop doe foot wand.  The lipsticks are supposed to "glide on smoothly over the lips, drenching them in long lasting, full pigment colour".

I purchased the shade Dusky Pink (No. 200). The bottle is very easy to hold as the shape fits nicely into my hand.  The shape of the applicator makes it easy to outline the lips with the pointed end then fill in with the flat side of the doe foot wand.  The smell is a very light tea rose aroma, the traditional scent associated with Anna Sui products, but it is not over powering and soon fades away.  The colour is exactly the same in the bottle as when it is applied on the lips. The lipstick does not crack or fade and it lasted a good 8 hours before it needed to be reapplied.  I only needed one coat to get full opacity and it made my teeth look whiter.  It felt comfortable to wear, not tight and drying as some liquid lipsticks feel on the lips.

I purchased the he item myself from BeautyBay and the thoughts expressed in my blog are my own.



Available: 

BeautyBay.com

Beak & Claws: NYX Powder Puff Lippie Powder Lip Cream in Puppy Love

       

NYX have just launched their Powder Puff Lippie Powder Lip Cream line. It comes in 8 shades and retails for £8 (12ml).  Their are 8 vibrant shades in the range and the colours range from warm peach to a hot pink and true red to a cool plum. The lip powders come in squeezy tubes with a cushion applicator.  The product feels and looks very moussey on application but it dries down to a powdery soft matte finish without losing any pigmentation.

                     

The product is both easy to apply and easy to build up layers of colour in order to increase the  intensity of colour. It feels incredibly light on the lips, there is no sticky residue or tackiness.  The cushion applicator leaves a blurred or fuzzy line, it is difficult to be precise so the look I achieved was just kissed rather than Instagram perfect! The cushion applicator also makes it easy to sheer out the product so you can create an ombré effect with just one product. I found it wore off after a few hours and there was a little transfer when I had a hot drink. I didn't find the formula drying and it didn't crack on my lips.  There was a slight coconutty smell when I first applied it but the smell was slight and soon dissipated. The shade I purchased was  Puppy Love which has warm peachy tones. I thought it really brightened up my skin tone and will make a great spring time lipstick staple.


I purchased this item myself. NYX is available from Boots.com, ASOS and their own website.

Beak & Claws: Nails Inc "NailKale" Bruton Mews

Nails Inc Nail Kale in Bruton Mews is £15 for 14ml.  The NailKale range is made with kale extract, which is known for it's high levels of vitamins A,C and K which encourage and stimulate keratin making nails brighter, stronger, healthier and smoother.  The nail polish is deeply nourishing and is supposed to help prevent breakage and splitting. The Nials Inc NailKale range is 5-Free (Formaldehyde, Toluene, DBP, Formaldehyde Resin, Camphor).  

Bruton Mews is a gorgeous deep wintry forest, leafy green.  I chose this colour to review as it pairs so well with the traditional winter colours - burgundy, deep brown etc which I love wearing.  It applies very easily and smoothly.  No bubbles etc.  It dries to a high gloss shine.

As my neck is totally fused  I cannot look down and I also lack hand/eye coordination and spatial awareness.  This means I find it near impossible to paint my own nails and normally rely on others to do it for me.  If I am going to try and do it myself it takes a lot of patience, a near melt down, angled mirrors - so I can see what I am doing and a nail polish remover pen to erase my mistakes.  The size of the brush, wand, lid -(gripability and comfort when holding the brush matters) and consistency of the polish are all important considerations if I am going to paint my nails myself.  I did do my nails myself for these photos.  They may look a slightly slap dash but they took ages and I put a lot of effort into them!

The bottle is quite heavy and concave.  There is a silver lid that, when removed, reveals the brush and another smaller black plastic ribbed cap. The bottle itself is very chunky and squat so it is hard to knock it over.  It is annoying having 2 lids to take off.  The brush is curved and broad with a paddle design, so fits nicely into the nail bed, close to the cuticle creating a clean line and across the nail.  One swipe covers the whole nail.  The wand/lid is very short and I find it harder to grip than the Paul and Joe Beaute one.  I also feel there is more potential for smudging as the brush wand is closer to the nails and I can't always see where it is when I am holding it and trying to aim for my nails! The consistency of the polish is nice- thick and pigmented and easy to control with the brush.  Two coats and the colour is opaque.

Unless stated otherwise I purchased the item myself.  I use NailHQ All in One as my base and top coat for all my reviews.
Available at Nails Inc