The Grey Nude

I don't need much of a push when it comes to buying new lipsticks, and when the one you're lemming comes in at a measly $4.70 it's hard to feel guilty about the whole situation. I initially saw essence Come Naturally from the new nude lip collection on Angela's blog, and after subsequently spotting it on Sleep and Water I was sold hook, line and sinker! I had already purchased Cool Nude from the Nude Longlasting Lipstick release (seen in this favourites post) but I didn't think I would be able to pull off the purple and grey tones of Come Naturally....



Nosy Charlie wanted to know why I was taking so many photos of a tube of lipstick!

One thing I really like about the essence nude lipstick release is the packaging - the different tube colours make it easy to identify a shade in my overflowing stash and I think the embossing on the bullet itself warrants a higher price tag than the small sum these actually cost. The finish is satin and wears well, and being nude it doesn't give me any hassle as it wears off throughout the day, making it a wonderful work day shade for me. The thin black band around the tube is quite chic and the closure is really secure, which is worth noting if you often tote your lipsticks in a handbag pocket as I do.



essence 'Come Naturally'
essence 'Cool Nude'
Chanel Rouge Coco Shine 'Boy'
Lancôme Shine Lover Lipstick in '212 Twisted Beige'*
Colourpop Lippie Stix in 'Lumiere'

As in order above

to show the difference in finish and pigmentation

As it turns out, Come Naturally is a very wearable trend shade! The purple tones mix in nicely with the grey cast and I find the overall colour quite flattering on my pale complexion - it's neutral enough to wear with most any look, but is different and interesting at the same time. A lot of my nude lipsticks lean brown and the 'my lips but better MLBB' shades lean quite pink, so I feel like having this taupe shade really rounds out my neutral lip stash quite nicely. It's definitely a nice affordable way to dip a toe into the trendy pond of Kylie Jenner-esque/90's lips, that is for sure.

What do you think of neutral shades like this?
What neutral lippy is your all time favourite?
-Emma x


*Marked product was provided for consideration. Honesty, always.

Current Favourites - April/May 2015

April and May have been a whirlwind of work, health issues and lots of hard days which I'm glad to have survived with my sanity intact! I've been using 'Maui meditation' to get me through those tough spots (aka, dreaming of the times I spend sunbaking in Maui on the honeymoon!) and playing around with some beauty bits to keep me content. I hardly ever reach for purple or mauve makeup bits but it's basically all I've wanted to wear for a while now - what is happening to me?!  

I've become a lot more interested in lip products, instead of forgetting to apply anything in the morning as I often do, I've been lining my lips with my essence lipliner 'Satin Mauve' which is a great wearable yet spunky mauve for me, or sometimes turning to the new nude in my collection, essence 'Cool Nude'. MAC 'Hot Tahiti' is something that I'm currently thrilled with - I was searching for an easy to wear red and didn't realise that it was sitting in my stash the whole time! The glaze finish and terracotta tone makes this a perfect everyday red for me and I think it will cop a beating come winter in Melbourne (though it feels like winter right now, so...)

 

I've been wearing the purple shade from my No7 Smoky Rose Quad, a gorgeous mid-tone purple with golden shimmer that reminds me of Laura Mercier 'African Violet' which is a favourite of both myself and Vita (Making Up 4 My Age) I've been pairing it with a dash of essence eyeliner 'Berry Merry' along my upper lashline and I've been loving it sick - I've finally found a purple look I can love!

I've been using Maybelline Color Tattoo 'Bad to the Bronze' daily in hopes of using it up (I probably should have entered it into my Project Use It Up now that I think about it...) and am appreciating how wonderful the shade is under so many eyeshadows - it could do with being a bit creamier at this stage of its makeup life, but I suppose that is to be expected. A newcomer into the favourite ranks is the Clinique Take The Day Off Cleansing Balm, a gorgeously plain and silky balm that has whipped my skin into shape in recent weeks.

 

What have you been loving?

-Emma