Review: W7 Trends Lipstick in Fuchsia

I'm a beginner at reviewing makeup products, and I don't wear lipstick very often, so I apologise if I left out any useful details. I've also never taken such a close-up photo of my lips before, and I had a bit of a freak-out session when I saw the pictures: do I really have that much upper-lip hair? Do I really have that many freckles on my lips??! I hesitated posting this for a couple of weeks because of it. But then I realised: nobody's perfect! So why not?? It also made me realise how little I actually look at my own face when I'm putting on my makeup in the morning. Food for thought. But in the meantime, here's my review:

THE PRODUCT & ME
W7 Trends is a bargain brand from the U.K. It recently appeared on shelves at Chemist Warehouse. The Lipstick comes in 20 shades that I could see in the display. My secret dream is to have a trashy pink lipstick, so when I saw the Fuchsia shade, I made a totally frivolous purchase. It cost $4.99.

PACKAGING
The Lipstick comes in a silver tube with a clear rounded lid. For a bargain bin cosmetic, this looks quite sleek and glamorous. The tube is quite short, so it would fit well in a makeup bag. It feels very light, however the lid snaps on firmly, so the lipstick would be well protected in your bag. The tip of the lipstick is stamped with the W7 logo, which I think is a cute, quirky touch.


Above: bare lips; below: with W7 Fuchsia Lipstick.APPEARANCE & PERFORMANCE
As you can see, the Fuchsia Lipstick is very highly pigmented. The shade is a bright hot pink with just a hint of orange. It goes on shiny, but then dries to a semi-matte. My lips dried out a little, so anyone with dry lips might want to use a lip balm before applying. The texture isn't very creamy, but it isn't very hard either: I would say it's in-between. It has a light powdery smell which I found pleasant.
I checked the lipstick again after eating dinner, and it was mostly gone. There was only a slight pink stain remaining, and none of the semi-shine it originally had. So the W7 Lipstick is not the best when it comes to staying power.

Pros:                             Cons:
cheap.                            very little staying power.
highly pigmented.                 slightly drying.
nice-looking packaging.                         

WOULD I GET AGAIN? Yes, if I wanted to experiment with new shades of lipsticks without spending a lot of money.

Review of Yves St Laurent Teint Parfeit Complexion Enhancer

I wrote this review a while back and submitted it to a reviewing site, but I never heard back from them. I hate to waste a piece of writing, so I thought I'd post it here instead.


The Yves St Laurent
Teint Parfait Complexion Enhancer

ABOUT MY SKIN:
skin tone: very fair
issues: combination T-zone; occasional pimples; redness; dark circles

TEXTURE & SMELL: The Complexion Enhancer has a creamy consistency, which is easy to spread with either fingers or a sponge, etc. It isn't too thick or too runny. There is a very faint powdery, 'makeup-y' smell which I thought was pleasant.

COVERAGE & APPEARANCE: This product is advertised as an enhancer and bronzer rather than a foundation, so it doesn't cover up blemishes, but I wasn't expecting it to, so I'm happy with it.
The shade I have is No. 3 Champagne, which is a little dark for my skin, but I only apply a small amount and it looks fine. The cream itself sinks right into my skin, leaving bronzey-coloured sparkles. On my fair skin, it gives a 'sun-kissed' look. It doesn't conceal my dark eye circles completely, but the sparkles reflect light, which reduces their appearance. The enhancer comes in at least 8 shades, so there is one suitable for every skin tone.
I would not use this as a makeup base as the advertising suggests, as the sparkles sit on the skin and this would just knock them off. I found the enhancer stayed throughout most of the day. Re-application was only necessary after I added another product such as re-applying my sunscreen.

OIL CONTROL: I have fairly oily skin, and have never had any breakouts or other problems with this product. As the enhancer is quite creamy in texture, I think it would be suitable for dry skin, too.

VALUE: I was given this by a friend who received it as a free sample. (Hence why I ended up with a shade that was a bit dark for my skin tone.) On Strawberry Net it retails for $42.50 for the 30ml tube, which is more than I'd normally pay for an enhancer. However, the tube has lasted me well over a year, so I think it's good value for money.

CONCLUSION: I used this product nearly every day and was very happy with the result. It was great for an everyday enhancer when I wanted a quick, no-fuss makeup routine, and for special occasions I just added a little more. I would definitely spend the extra money to buy it again.