Happy Monday! Today I am excited to share with you swatches and a review of the Cynthia Rowley Mini Creamy Lip Stain Trio. I purchased this trio directly from Birchbox’s website back in October (see that haul HERE). I had tried one of the shades through the Birchbox sample subscription in the past, and really enjoyed it. I decided to try out some other shades as well, and figured this trio would be perfect. Let me show you the Creamy Lip Stains in this trio, and share my thoughts on them.
Here is a look at the three tiny bottles in the trio. They come with a traditional doe foot applicator, which I don’t mind when it comes to liquid lip products. I love the black and gold accents on the caps as well.
I wanted to share with you a one coat swatch of each product on my arm because I wear 2-3 coats on my lips. From left to right is: Sugar, Heartthrob, and Dahlia. You can see that Sugar is the most pigmented and creamy, and Dahlia is the least pigmented. I’ll talk about each formula more in the individualized swatches below, but I do want to point out that although these are all from the same makeup line, the formulas vary a lot. There is no consistency here unfortunately.
The first shade in the trio is Sugar. This is the shade that I owned as a sample previously and really loved. It is a beautiful mauve pink that is a ‘my lips but better’ color for me. I applied two coats of Sugar and allowed the first layer to dry before adding a second. I love how opaque and pigmented this lip stain is. It feels nice on the lips, and I know I’ll be wearing it often!
Next up is Heartthrob, a bright red shade. I immediately noticed a difference in Heartthrob’s formula in comparison to Sugar. It is quite liquidy, and I found it really difficult to apply. As you can see from my swatch, clean-up was hard, too. Because these are lip stains, they stain the skin upon application. I’m not a fan of Heartthrob because if a lip product is hard for me to apply and makes a mess, it’s one I’m going to avoid!
Last but not least is Dahlia, a dark berry purple shade. I also had issues with Dahlia’s formula. It was very sheer and took about three coats before I got a full coverage look. It also applied very patchy – you know that creepy ring around the lips look? Yeah, I had a lot of trouble avoiding it! While the end result is quite pretty, I’d rather find a different product that is the same shade with a better formula.
All in all, I’m a bit disappointed with the Cynthia Rowley Mini Lip Stain Trio. I still love Sugar, but Heartthrob and Dahlia didn’t work for me. I recommend picking up a full size of Sugar instead of the trio. The full size is $20, but I stand by its formula and beautiful color. You can purchase it on Birchbox’s website HERE. I’m glad I tried out this trio so you don’t have to waste your money on it!
First up is Ireland, a dusty green shade. All of the polishes in the Whispers Collection have a cream formula, which I really love. Ireland is stunning, and is opaque in two coats. I really love green nail polishes, and this one is gorgeous.
Next up is Lake, a beautiful baby blue polish. Lake has a great formula that is opaque in two coats. While the blue is definitely a paler shade, it is still very pigmented. It reminds me of winter and snow for sure! I also have to mention the high-gloss finish these polishes all have. I’m not wearing a top coat in any of these photos!
The next polish is Misty, a taupe nail polish that I would describe as a mushroom shade. Misty also has an excellent formula, and is opaque in two coats. I love neutral polishes in the winter and spring, and I think this is a shade that will look good on everyone no matter the skin tone.
Next up is Cala, another neutral polish, this time an off-white, cream shade. Cala has a good formula, but it is a bit on the thin side so I applied three thin coats for opacity. Cala is my perfect neutral polish! It goes really well with my complexion, and can be worn for any occasion.
My favorite polish in the collection is April, a pale pink polish. April’s formula is also a bit on the thin side, so I applied three coats for the opaque look I desired. I’ve tried a lot of light pinks in the past, and the reason I love April so much is because it is more of a subdued pink. I would wear this on the daily, especially at an office job!
Last but not least is Eastyn, a purple polish that is in the mauve family. Eastyn has a great formula that is opaque in two coats. I’m loving this shade of purple! I think it is so refreshing that the Whispers Collection manages to have pigmented polishes that aren’t bright. It’s on trend, and a current favorite of mine for sure!
Violet Voltage is a light purple nail polish packed with a subtle magenta shimmer. The formula is perfection, and is opaque in two coats. I am loving this color of polish! While it’s not totally unique, the shimmer does add a nice punch to it. I also really like how Violet Voltage looks with my fair skin tone. I followed up the manicure with the Sally Hansen Miracle Gel Top Coat, by the way. It’s my new favorite!
I am so bad when it comes to taking care of my skin! One of my recurring makeup bad habits is not taking off my makeup before bed. I know, it’s terrible! This year I want to make sure I go through an entire skincare routine both morning and evening. That way I can put my best face forward!
It’s a cliche New Year’s Resolution, but I definitely want to focus on my overall health more than ever. For me, this includes taking the daily vitamins recommend by my doctor, exercising on a regular basis, and eating better foods. As you may know, I am a vegetarian, and this year I want to truly embrace my vegetarianism by focusing more on produce and less on grains and dairy. I don’t aim to go vegan right now, but I know that putting good foods into my body will make me feel a lot better. To go along with this, I want to continue trying new recipes on a regular basis!
Last but not least, I always set a reading goal on the website Goodreads. This past year I was able to read 50 books, and I’m setting my goal at 40 for 2016 so I don’t put pressure on myself. I also want to make an effort to read longer books, so I should have a nice cushion with a goal of 40. Here are the books I received for Christmas this past year. I’m so excited to get to them all!
I got this bright coral blush in a Birchbox, and was surprised at how much l loved it! The blush is very pigmented, and has quite a bit of shimmer. Somehow it looked great on my fair skin! I wore it a ton this past summer. It is a high end product, but worth the splurge if you’re looking for an amazing blush.
I was really excited to find a new highlighter line at the drugstore by L’Oreal. I had to get the rose gold one, just because I love anything rose gold. This highlight is no exception! It is quite shimmery, but it works. I wore it a lot in the summer and fall, and will definitely reach for it again once winter is over. Don’t forget to use coupons on this one!
I’ve become really obsessed with Buxom in the past couple of months, and my favorite lip product thus far is Dolly. It is the perfect shade of mauve-pink, and it is so easy to wear. Plus, it feels great on my lips. I’ve been reaching for this consistently since I got it, and even wore it for Christmas Eve!
Thanks for your support!
3. Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe by Benjamin Alire Saénz 
by Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff 
I absolutely drooled over the Zoya Satins collection when it was released. My favorite of the bunch is definitely Brittany. It is just the perfect polish, with a flawless formula and a stunning pale pink shade. I need to wear this again very soon!
Okay, it’s time for another blue polish. Beatnik is just gorgeous, and I don’t know what else to say about it. The rich pigmentation is just so beautiful!
You can laugh at me, because I know Sia is super similar to Beatnik. But it’s just a bit brighter in tone, and the formula is just perfect. I wore Sia a lot when I first received it, and I’m feeling the need to put it on my nails as I type up this blog post!
This is the last blue-toned polish, I promise! The good news is Breaking Blues is more of a periwinkle shade, and I just love it. That’s why it’s number two on my list! The color is quite unique, and it works in any season.
My number one polish of 2015 is Chilly Pepper from KBShimmer. I cannot believe I’m saying this, as I’ve tended to bash red nail polishes in the past because of my pink-toned skin. Somehow KBShimmer has created the perfect red polish that looks good on me. Not only was it a go-to for the holiday season, but it’s the red I will grab from now on. You must get it!