Sleek True Colour Lipstick in Coral Reef

Even though summer is over (not true: it's summer all year round in Singapore!) and we're going into fall, I'm still pretty much obsessed with corals. 

Sleek has quite an extensive collection of lipsticks. Initially I was looking at getting Papaya Punch, which is an orangey coral, but I passed it up because it has a matte formula. I picked up Coral Reef in the end, a bold pinkish coral with a sheen formula.

From Sleek's website:

Get high impact lips with True Colour Lipstick in a gorgeous matte and sheen finishes in a variety of shades that are highly pigmented, and conditioning to keep lips soft and supple. Enriched with vitamin E helping to hydrate and protect the lips. Comfortable to wear and glides on with ease this is the must have to awaken your makeup look.

Price:

$13.50 at Shopping-district.net

Texture:

Feels slightly waxy and thick, not the best formula is my opinion.

Scent:

It has a very subtle cheap plastic smell, but it's hardly noticeable.

Packaging:

The casing has a matte texture (similar to NARS packaging), and the lipstick itself is super tiny! It's slightly smaller than the normal lipstick size, but I think it has roughly the same amount of product.

Swatch:
Coral reef is a bright coral pink colour with a slight sheen.

What I like:

• Highly pigmented. 1-2 layers is all you need for a full coverage.
• Long lasting. The lipstick adheres very well to the lips and I would say the lasting power is roughly 2-3hours. 

What can be improved:

• Feels a tad drying after the gloss wears off.
• The formula is quite thick and waxy, which reminds me of those brand-less cheap lipsticks we used to buy in primary school for dance performances. 
• Application can sometimes be patchy, and I'll need to use my finger to smooth it out.

Overall, I'm really happy with the colour I picked, but the texture of the lipstick is a deal-breaker for me. I would prefer something that's creamier and more balmy in texture.

Sleek Blush in Rose Gold

So I wrote a full blog post, saved it as draft and accidentally deleted my draft. Smart ass me. Therefore, I'm re-writing this blog post. Okay, here we go...

Take 2, ACTION.

What is it:

Peachy-pink blush with gold shimmers.

Also known to be a great dupe for Nars 'Orgasm' blush.

What it is formulated to do:

Creates a subtle glow with a hint of colour on the cheeks.

Brighten and define cheekbones

How to use it:

Since this blush is very pigmented, use a light hand and sweep it over your cheeks. 

Or you can also use it over another blush as a highlighter. 

*I also like to put a little down the bridge of my nose and inner corners of my eyes, in replacement of a highlighter. 

Price:

$14 $11.90(8grams) at Luxola.com.
Very affordable and comes with 8grams of product, which is a lot. If I'm not mistaken, Nars blushes only have 4.5grams of product.

Luxola is currenly running a promotion for various credit cards, so I got mine at 15% off. I love shopping at Luxola cos they have free door step delivery, and you can have it shipped the next working day. 

Comes with a free mini lip gloss too!

Texture:

Finely milled, not powdery at all. 

The shimmers did not feel chunky or gritty.

Swatches:

Packaging

The packaging is pretty compact and it comes with a mirror, which is always a plus. But the case is quite hard to open, especially if you have longer fingernails. 

Application

Taken at the end of the day.

What I like:

• When I swatched it on my hands, I was quite taken aback by how shimmery it looked. But on the cheeks, its another story. The gold shimmers seem to blend in with my yellow-tone skin and create a pretty golden sheen when the light hits it. Overall, it just looked like healthy glowy skin!
• Extremely pigmented, means that I don't have to build it up. Blends very well into the skin too. 
• Lasted the entire day. I actually prefer the way it looks at the end of the day cos it's more natural looking. 

What can be improved:

• I don't think I have big/obvious pores, but this product(probably the shimmers) definitely emphasized my pores and oil seeds i.e basically any unevenness on the skin. I would recommend using a primer to smooth out the skin and create a nice base. 
• I would prefer it to have less shimmers, just because it looks more natural. But the current formula doubles up as a highlighter as well.

Final conclusion is I really like it, but it is not holy grail status. Can't wait to try out more of sleek's blushes though! I'm eyeing mirror pink! But Luxola doesn't carry that shade:(

A point to note: Sleek blushes do not come with a brush, which makes it less travel friendly. You'll need to use a brush from your own makeup stash!

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