Friday, January 27, 2012

Cheap Thrills: Lip Service


Pucker up, it's time to pamper our lovely lips for Valentine's Day! I spent the weekend searching for a fabulous red lipstick, and that got me thinking about the perfect Valentine pout. Instead of focusing on red lipstick, this week's Cheap Thrills will look at lip tints and stains. For anyone looking to take a more subdued approach to scarlet lips, this week is for you!

Benetint by Benefit - $29 Sephora
My first introduction to lip tints was Benefit's Benetint, it's a liquid brush-on tint for lips and cheeks and now comes in two colors (original Benetint in rose and Posietint in a light pink shade). Benetint is sheer and once on, pretty kiss proof. You can keep applying to build up color, and add a little clear gloss over if you want to shine it up a bit. A little goes a long way, so a small bottle should last you quite a while. Just be careful not to spill!



Benetint Lip Balm by Benetint - $20 Sephora
If you're looking for that rosy Benetint hue in a more portable option, try Benetint's Lip Balm with SPF 15. You can get the protection of a nice lip balm, with a lovely rose tint for your lips. It's important to remember SPF, not just for your face, but for your lips as well!




Lipstick Queen Medieval Tinted Treatment - $20 Anthropologie
Lipstick Queen makes one of my favorite lipsticks, and they also make a great tinted lip treatment to pamper your lips. With ingredients like: castor seed oil, vegetable oil, shea butter, wax, avocado oil, vitamin E, this treatment will give you soft, moist lips that will invite your Valentine to steal a few kisses. The color can be built up by applying more of the tint to your lips, so you can go from a sheer rosy color to full-on vampy red lips. Fabulous color and nourishing treatment in one, huzzah! 


 
Sugar Rose Lip Treatment by Fresh - $22.50 Drugstore.com

Fresh also has a tinted lip treatment with SPF 15 for added protection from sun damage. Made with oils and butters, this treatment will moisturize and replenish lips with a low-key rosy hue. Sugar Rose is made with antioxidant grapeseed polyphenols, vitamins A, C, and E and is paraben free.  It's like fancy Chapstick for grownups.




Almost Lipstick by Clinique - $15 Clinique
The holy grail of sheer lip color, I have had a tube of Clinique's Almost Lipstick in Black Honey in my makeup bag of tricks since junior high. If you want color that's got the lower key color from a gloss in lipstick form, this is for you. It's ultra sheer, and gives lips just a hint of color with lots of shine. Don't let the bold shades in the tube scare you, the lipstick goes on much, much lighter.



LipSurgence Lip Tint by Tarte - $24 Sephora
This is the latest lip tint I've been addicted to, my favorite shade is Moody (no smart remarks!), but they've got six others to choose from. From a light champagne color to a bold red, Tarte's LipSurgence has you covered. This tint gives you nice color and backs a ton of moisture, the ultimate in lip tint luxury! Tarte prides itself in offering a product that is gluten, formaldehyde, oil and talc free.


 
Outlast Lipstain by Covergirl - $8 available at drugstores
If you're looking for some tint on a budget, or don't want to commit to a new product without a trial run, I'd suggest Outlast Lipstain from Covergirl. Under $8 in most places, it's a great way to try liptints without investing too much cash. Covergirl has ten shades to choose from, and can be paired with some gloss for extra oomph. I've used this stain, and it's not bad. My biggest complaint would be that it doesn't last very long. I read some negative reviews about it, people claiming that the stain dries out quickly and dries out their lips. I haven't experienced these issues, I've had one tube of stain for months and it still works perfectly.




Just Bitten Lipstain + Balm - $8-9, available at drugstores
Revlon also offers a lower cost lip stain, at about the same price as the Covergirl's Outlast. Just Bitten is available in 15 shades and comes with the color stain on one end and the balm on the other, no need for a separate gloss. I haven't tried it myself, but a trusted source tells me it's similar to Covergirl in staying power and coverage.


Ta-da... another week of Cheap Thrills has come to an end! I hope you all get and give as many smooches as you want this Valentine's Day. Leave me your questions and comments, sealed with a kiss. Mwah!

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