I said I bought all of these after getting my GCSE results, as a sort of 'yey me' reward. Dad gave me money for every A or A* I got, and I used some of it to buy these at Superdrug. Using my 25% off voucher and the fact they were on 3 for 2, of course.

That was last year.

Only now have I got round to swatching and talking about them. Feel free to beat me.


I have, from left to right: Lava, Peek a Bloo, Cloud 9, Minx, Pin Up, Pinkini, Port.



One thing about these that annoys me greatly is that some colours seperate. Observe.


Because of their tube format, I don't really now how to change this? Massage gently? *shrug*

Cloud 9:


Minx:


Lava:


Pin Up:


Pinkini:


Peek a Bloo:


Port:


I like these. I did try the suggested method of adding melted Vaseline to create a tinted lip balm (similar to Sleek's Pout Polishes) but I'm not keen on Vaseline as a lip product anyway, and I found this took away almost all the colour from it and left me with a really sheer balm. Wouldn't repeat.

I do like mixing these up to create different colours, and they're especially good for creative makeup looks or simply wanting to wear a lip colour that no one else will have. While they do dry your lips out slightly, I combat this by applying the Pout Paint, blotting off, then applying lip balm and then going back over with the Pout Paint. I find that my lip colour will survive eating and drinking with this method, and will last all day/the duration of an outing.

All in all, I think Sleek are really expanding the market with these. It's not a product that other high street makeup lines have out, and it's pretty unique, so they get a thumbs up from me.

More cool things you can do with your Pout Paint stash:


BRACEFACE


rawr.

About time...have been entirely snowed under by college work and the school musical (We Will Rock You - entirely epic). Even so, I promised you lip swatches here and lip swatches you shall have.

Beehive
 


Purple Haze


Peace



Cookie


Plum Perfection


Hollywood


They don't feel particularly moisturising on the lips, but your lips shouldn't come away feeling any drier than they were before application. They're not scented, which is something I dislike as they smell a little waxy. Other than that, considering they're not too pricey, they're a good investment. I've got all the colours I'm interested in, though, so won't be looking for any more.

If you were curious, yes the title is a reference to both the sheer lipsticks produced by 17 Cosmetics and also the cute as cute can be Korean five member boyband. Don't judge, non-Kpop lovers. Don't judge.

I've been lusting these for the longest time, ever since the lovely 25fLONDON posted her amazing collection of these lipsticks. Being the cheap cosmetics lover that I am, though, I've always been a bit put off by the price - nearly a fiver for lipsticks that don't actually leave much colour and have the tackiest packaging I've seen in a long time? Not convinced.

 
Beehive, now sadly ruined after suffering severe squash injuries. It melted and as I tried to applied it the bullet snapped off and I had to fix it back on as best as I could (so not very well).

 

I asked for one for Christmas and my lovely parents got me Beehive. Hooked, I invested in two more when they were half price on the Boots website. Erm, and then I bought another three. Which equals quite a lot of sheer makeup. Ah well.

Ironically, I appear to be wearing 17's Magnetic Nail Polish in 'Lilac' in these shots. Coincidences!
 
 
  
Left to Right: Plum Perfection, Peace, Hollywood, Purple Haze, Cookie, Beehive (at the bottom)

Lip swatches here.

I really wanted the glittery topcoat, and during the Christmas period Superdrug did a lot of promotions on various makeup lines. I can't remember what the exact deal was on Miss Sporty but it involved a free nail polish (I think) if you bought some other items from the range? I don't know. I'd been eyeing the topcoat for some time, so this just gave me a good excuse to get it.



I bought the brown colour because it looked unusual - yes, stupid on my part, as I know how horrid their nail polishes go after not very long. Still haven't tested it.



This is my second experience with their lipstick range - the first was when I was fourteen, and bought a not-very-opaque black lipstick to vamp around in and pose for Facebook photos wearing. Yup. Don't remind me. That one wasn't scented. I don't know if all their lipsticks are now scented or they've reformulated the range or it's just this one or what. But this smells very strongly of bubble gum, just like it's name. It's quite novel, for me - I like it!

 

 The colour is halfway between sheer and opaque...highlights lines in a not very flattering way, and I don't have very 'liney' lips. Might be a bit too light, as well. I like it as a somewhat wearable way into the whole 'peach/bright lips' trend that was big last summer, though knowing my luck it won't be this summer.



Thoughts?

Needless to say, I prefer this colour to 'Barely There' (although having said that, I have found a way to make it work in a way that does actually suit me).

The lipstick is fuschia, but the lip swatch makes it lean slightly more pink than it actually is. Easy to apply, pretty moisturising, and a truly matte lipstick that leaves a stain. Staying power on this is really good. I can (and have) made it through to lunchtime at school having only partially reapplied once, and it doesn't feel heavy on the lips or drag excessively during application.


My one gripe would have to be with the size of Sleek lipsticks in general. They just seem rather small, for four quid? I don't know, I'm just used to recieving more product, personally. I do like the packaging, which doesn't roll away if you set it on a flat surface. The rubberised finish reminds me of a brand like NARS, but does pick up miniscule scratches if you leave it knocking around in a bag or a drawer like myself.



I know you've seen these pictures before, sorry :P There's not enough daylight to take new ones! 




Aren't you all sick of my lips by now? (I hope not, because Pout Paint swatches are coming up...)

I'm sure regular readers know exactly how I feel about the revamped Sleek lipstick range (hint - if you don't, follow the link) but since my last lipstick post got such a good response (and I haven't even technically reviewed that one yet. Lol) I thought it was high time I properly sampled the new range for myself.


I'm sure you'll recognise 'Mystic' from my 'Prom Face' post - that's the colour I wore to my afterprom. Me, a lipstick virgin, wearing bright purple to afterprom...good times. The origin of 'Barely There' is a little more convoluted to explain...


I've been reading the lovely Shamini's blog for a while, and during my hunt for Sleek lippies on a slight discount, I read a post in which she'd won a Sleek competition and was happy to send the two colours she wasn't keen on to blog readers. But I misunderstood (typical) and was like, 'Blog sale? How much do you want for them?' She then explained in terms my simple mind could understand, and I was happy to pay postage but then she refused, posted it, and skipped the country (on holiday, lol. But still) This lovely woman paid postage for the lipstick all the way from Norway <3 an act that firmly placed her on my 'Things I love about Norway' list which was started in 2009 and currently consists of:
Alexander Rybak (ETERNAL crush on that man...stole my heart at Eurovision 2009)
Shamini

Subsequent amazing hosting of Eurovision 2010
Being so much classier when it comes to pretty much everything 

General Awesome
One of my Uncles lives there and his wife is Norwegian and she's really pretty and nice.



I digress. Back to the lipstick, lol. When I requested it, I didn't actually realise how light it was! Perhaps I was mentally still thinking of the old Sleek Lipstick range, in which I could have worn pretty much ANY shade and have it fit my skin tone. I like that this range has plenty of nudes and 'my lips but better' shades for those with lighter skin (which, I'll be fair here, the old range lacked that) but really dislike the fact that it has NONE for those that aren't, well, Caucasian.



The range only needed a little tweaking to be inclusive rather than exclusive which is what they've done - they've moved from what is essentially one extreme to the other, alienating those that propped them up for so many years (namely the Afro Hair and Beauty shops who have stocked Sleek since forever.) Would it have killed Sleek to leave the two brown shades in, while adding all the new ones? I still sound really angry about this. Read the post, it's kind of a masterpiece. *modest*

Even though a Sleek rep assured me that they'd be coming out with two brown ones later in the year, so far I've seen zilch and it really seems to me like it was just said to appease the angry blogger (me).


'Barely There' is part of their 'Sheen' finish range, which when these came out a few months ago, bloggers left right and centre (a suspicious amount of whom seemed to get the product free to review) were saying were really moisturising. I was hoping that they would be, because my lips really need the moisture...sadly, it wasn't to be. You'd think that I was applying a matte lipstick by how it looked on and how not-moisturising it was. Which was a bit of a bummer, as I personally didn't find the sheen lipsticks from their old range drying at all.



My lips weren't in the greatest condition when I applied it but I really needed to take it off, condition, exfoliate and reapply just as I would for a matte lipstick when I was taking these shots. Wasn't impressed.
Oh, no need to say that the colour is hideous on me. I dare the great Nicki Minaj to try and pull a lip colour THIS light off. Nope. Not possible.
It turns peach on me? Don't quite understand it, lol - it looks pink on everyone else and in the tube.

Luckily, I found a way (quite by accident) to make this work.



The photos are a bit crap, but work with me here.
By applying a layer of Miner's Lip Tint (cherry) beforehand (I really needed the moisture), the colour was altered into a far more flattering rose pink that is slightly darker than what you're seeing in the photo now.



I actually quite like it and wore it like this to drop off my application for a job as a lifeguard.

Anyone else tried this particular lipstick?

Don't care if it's been name-jacked, I'm posting anyway. *childish tongue gesture*

The now discontinued Earth and Cocoa, perfect nudes for women of colour...I posted about it here. Not impressed. Ah well. Apparantly, there will be some brown type shades being launched later in the year, but they'll be on the website only - we'll see if Sleek keep to that. I hope they do, because I don't see these sort of shades often.

Cocoa is lighter than Earth, and it's a nude for me. I like to team it with really dark, dramatic eyes, and walk into school and be told to take the eye makeup off by lunchtime. BUT THE LIPSTICK IS SAFE. FOR IT IS NUDE.
*satisfied pose*

Seriously, I walk in with something that isn't brown and I get told to take it off. Mildly jealous of my lighter skinned friends for being able to get away with what is essentially fuschia because their lips are red to begin with.

Earth has a lot more red in it, I suppose that's reminiscent of like clay in the earth or something. I dunno. You can tell how in touch with nature I am...


Swatches - Cocoa is far right, then Earth.


 What I really dislike about these is the fact that you get so little product. Even the MUA lipsticks, which are only a pound each, give you a full sized product - these don't even fill up the tube and I always worry about them breaking.
Thoughts?

Sleek's Sheer Cover and True Colour lipsticks, as well as Pout Polish in "Chocolate Kiss"

Left to Right: Cocoa, Calico, Earth, Chocolate Kiss.
Stay tuned this week for an actual post/review.