OTHER - Cherry Coca Cola Lip Smacker by Bonne Belle

Hi, I'm back! Had a great time and have just about recovered despite having got home on the 1st of the month! Back to reality now, with work and uni dominating my life.
Because of this, I've not had time to review a red lipstick, especially as lipstick wearing is seen as a winter pastime. Maybe next time though, and if you go to the links on the right hand side, theres plenty of past reviews of red lippies to keep you going!

However I did feel the need to share my latest obsession with you - Bonne Belle's Lip Smackers!

For those outside of the US (like me), you may be fairly unfamiliar with Lip Smackers, but I hear they are quite a phenomonom in the States. They basically look like your average lip balm stick - but the flavour is not so average. They are in a huge variety of flavours, including some bog standard flavourings, and then stuff like Skittles flavours!



I haven't tried many of these but I did just receive some soft drink ones; Coca Cola, Cherry Cola, and Barq's Root Beer (above, L-R) through the post. The Barq's Root Beer one is a light brown (though I assume it'd apply clear), and the standard Coca Cola one is a darker brown than the Root Beer one, and it sort of enhances the pink in your lips somehow.

The one I am interested in most is the Cherry Cola one though because, yes you've guessed it, it's red! Well, it's a pinky red, like most red tinted lipbalms but it has the most amazing fragrance.
It really does smell of cherry coke and despite the fact I don't really like drinking real cherry coke (taste of it is too overpowering and sickly), I do love the smell of it so this is a great way to come across the scent without having to drink gallons of the stuff.

It's not just a silly gimmick though, it actually works really well at the job it's been given. It is really moisterising without getting too greasy like some lipbalms, particularly cosmetic ones, are. Lasting power is as good as lipbalms get, with eating and drinking being a problem, but this isn't all bad because you can keep reapplying it to experience the scent again!



If you can get your hands on this, I would reccomend it. They are widely available in the US but you can occasionally get them on Ebay if you are in other countries. The regular Cola one is divine too.
But for the rosey red lipped look, Cherry Cola is the way forward and it really picks you up during a hard day at work. Its also good underneath lipsticks to stop your lips drying out, so remember to pop it in your handbag along with your favourite red lipstick!


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REVIEW - NARS Flamenco - sheer red

Sorry again for more silence - I am very busy this month so won't be able to update this as much as I'd like to. But today, after the very bold reds I have reviewed recently, I will do my 1st lone lipstick review for the very pretty NARS Flamenco (below).



Flamenco is a cool-toned sheer red, though a very pigmented one, but quite rightly so as NARS is so expensive! It is a brighter red than the slightly more plum NYC Sheer Red lipstick, which I reviewed a few months ago, but both are quite similar. It's described as a candy apple red on the NARS website, which I think is an accurate description.

Although it is a sheer color, it can be built up for a more dramatic look at night if you find full-on reds too much. For girls who love full-on shades at night, you may want to think about investing in this if you want to transfer some glam into your day/job as it is a very flattering red stain. If you apply gentley, it may also look nice with dark smokey eyes for that edgy look.


(L-R - NARS Flamenco and NYC Sheer Red)

The only problem as far as I am concerned is the high price, I can understand why it would be expensive for a sheer colour (£17 GBP).

If the price does worry you, try NYC (New York Color) and their very good Sheer Red shade as it is only £3 in the UK from Superdrug, and possible even cheaper in the US. As I mentioned earlier, the shades are very similar but NYC has a slightly darker/plum tone to it than Flamenco, but you'll find the pigmentation is quite good.

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REVIEW: SHEER REDS - NYC Sheer Red and Pout Precious

As I have discussed some fairly bold reds so far, I am now going to talk about sheer reds. These are a great alternative to full cover lipsticks and are less full-on, making them perfect for a daytime look that still looks glam, but not TOO glam. They also look great with smokey eyes as sometimes full red lips can be too overpowering with dark eyes.



Here, we have Pout Beloved on the left and New York Color's Sheer Red on the right. First, we shall look at the NYC lipstick as that is the one that is most readily available. For a sheer lipstick, it crams in quite a lot of colour but remains faithful and is transparent.

It has a nice brown tone to it, meaning when applied on the lips it does not go pink like a lot of sheer reds do. Fading is prone, but this is no suprise and no problem seeing the lipstick costs a mere £3 GBP in Superdrug in the UK, and even less in the US. All in all, it is a stunning shade for a sheer colour, making it more than just a lipbalm.

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Pout's Precious appears to be more of a lipbalm than a lipstick, with it applying a reddish toned pink. It also has some small glitter particles in it, which seem to stay on your lips after the lipstick has faded, which can either be annoying or great depending on what you like. Pout lipsticks have a very strong fruity scent, which I think is lovely but it may not be everyone's cup of tea, just to warn you.

The color isn't bad though, it's just a slightly reddist version of my own lips, like I've been eating watermelons or strawberries. The texture is creamy, meaning your lips aren't as prone to drying.

Pout has been discontinued now, sadly. It was a high end British brand with the most adorable products and packaging. However, if you go on Ebay.co.uk, many products are still available on there for discount prices - waaay cheaper than they were when the brand was still going.

Pout also claims to have an ingredient in all lip products that boosts the size of your lips slightly if you use it enough, so I do recommend you try get hold of one of their products. Their brush sets are amazing, too.

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Conclusion - It's hard to compare them both as they are quite different in colour, so it depends what you are looking for. NYC Sheer Red is more of a lipstick because of the pigmentation and general colour, so if you're looking for a toned down red, that may be your best bet.

Pout Precious' colour is more natural than that of the NYC lipstick, a fruity red-pink , so if thats more your thing then I would suggest that. The only thing I can think could be a problem is Precious doesn't differentiate from normal tinted lipbalms that much, bar the lip-boosting qualities... it's just a tinted lipbalm in a posh tube really, so myself, I would rather try another product from the range rather than this.

I am going to do a review later on a full cover red lippie by Pout, so keep your eye out for that in the near future.


(Top to Bottom - NYC Sheer Red and Pout Precious)


My next review will either be the US lipsticks I discussed earlier (if one of them shows up), a few Limited Edition MAC Frost finish lipsticks, or NARS Shanghai Express. So look out for that towards the middle of next week.

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