Blue, Blackberry, Be Violet (Blah, blah, blah)

Hey PHs!  Thanks for all the feedback yesterday. I was surprised so many of you responded and am more than happy that you did!   As promised, I am reviewing Lipstick Queen’s Hello Sailor AND Smashbox Be Legendary Lipstick in Vivid Violet. I decided that I would do both in one post because they are in the same color family. Let’s go!

First up is Lipstick Queen’s Hello Sailor. In honor of sailors, I wore this shirt today. Isn’t she cute?

Sailing away!

Here is the uber-cute box!

Oh! Sailor, why’d you do it?

LQ’s Hello Sailor is blue. Very blue. It reminds me of the blue mood lipsticks of the 1980s. This lipstick is more of a blackberry stain. At first I thought it would be more like LQ’s Medieval, a sheer, red lip treatment but it isn’t. Hello Sailor is more of a stain.

I’ve got the blues.

Application is smooth. Lipstick Queen lipsticks always feel good and this feels very light. At first the color is very light but eventually does begin to darken.

Applied lightly!

As it sat on my lips, it did darken. I was really surprised! I didn’t expect it to get as dark as it did, though it was totally wearable and didn’t have the winter lip look! In my (humble) opinion, this is a great sheer, “better than your natural lip” color and would be excellent for daily wear. Speaking of wear, this did not last as long as a stain but it did last longer than I expected. I also drink coffee in the morning, so time wise I am not sure, but I think this may need to be applied more frequently than a traditional stain.

Moi a few seconds after application. On my eyes are Sephora’s Le Waterproof Mascara and their Purple Stilettos Contour  12 Hour Waterproof Pencil

Now, for the more dramatic. A few months ago during a Brooklyn Make-Up Studio event, I noticed Smashbox Be Legendary Lipstick in Vivid Violet ($20 US). They were sold out so I waited (and waited). I paid them a visit this week and it was back in stock. I spoke with Christina, one of their in-house MUAs, and she said this lipstick was more versatile than I thought.  She mentioned that it can be used as a lighter stain.  A multi-tasker?! Sold!

Top without flash.

The color is bright but not obnoxious (!) and I think more plum than a violet, though it does have blue undertones. Be Legendary Lipsticks are a favorite of mine and application was fabulous. It went on smooth and dreamy.  I found this to be long lasting, even after eating and drinking, though reapplying wouldn’t hurt.

Lips don’t flash!

Vivid Violet is another color that can be day or night friendly. It is pigmented and has a light sheen. You can build it up to vixen like proportions, too.

This is my diva face.

Since I am wearing the same make-up (except on my lips!) you can see how Vivid Violet changes the whole look. It totally looks more dressy and polished. I think Hello Sailor and Vivid Violet are excellent buys but for different reasons. If you want a more natural look and you want people to think you wear blue lipstick, Hello Sailor is for you. Vivid Violet is helping me gear up for fall and back to school. (Help me. Please.)

Here is are some swatches on my hand.  The top swatch is Hello Sailor and the bottom Vivid Violet. They are very different and with flash you can see the blue in both of them.

Left without flash.

What do you think? Would you try either one?

Keep Calm & Primp On! XOXO