Stylin' with
Ms. Tips

by Lynda Krupa of CDtips

Colorstay lipsticks - do they really work?

And while we're at it, how about those lipstick sealers?

It seems no matter where you go or what you tune into these days, the market is saturated with cosmetic advertising. Someone figured out a way of playing on the vanity of human nature and is making billions and billions of dollars. In fact, there is a statistic that states that in times of recession and depression there are three products that people will purchase no matter how little money they have: alcohol, tobacco and cosmetics. Advertisers from the television to convenience stores understand one thing; woman want to look beautiful. They also know that most women have a price point, a high dollar value to which they can spend.

Which brings me to the question: If you had only one purchase of a vanity product what would it be? I am sure most of you would say lipstick. Your reasons are as good as anyone's and like most, mine is the same. Lipstick is an inexpensive way to light up my face and add emphasis to my strongest feature of full lips. Also, I'll bet lipstick was one of the first "grab and buy" purchases many crossdressers made.

The great thing about lipstick is you do not really have to know a lot about cosmetics and the dynamics of applications. All you have to do is pucker up your lips and move your finger from side to side and you have instant beauty. Most brands are priced and respond just the way people like it -- cheap, fast and satisfying.

Recently, I found myself watching Cindy Crawford in her Revlon ad on prime time television. She claims her product Revlon ColorStay Lipcolor will not smudge off when eating or kissing and would remain until the end of the day or whenever you decided to remove it. I must admit my curiosity got the best of me. Which started a chain reaction ranging from curiosity to obsession to frustration in finding the perfect lipcolor.

The lipsticks used for this review were Sebastian Trucco ( my personal line), M.A.C., Princess Marcella Borghese, Cover Girl Remarkable, Clinique, L'Oreal Colour Long Wearing, Artmatic, and Maybelline Moisture Whip. Prices ranged from $1 to $20. The object was to discover if the manufacturer's claims about long-wearing, non-feathering lipcolor were true.

I went to my local drug store and purchased Ms. Cindy's Colorstay which cost $7.40. It lasted longer than most of the brands I tested, had a matte finish, and went on easy. It did, however, feather or bleed into the fine lines of the upper and lower lips but more importantly, it dried the lips so much that when it was removed you felt like you had been out in the blazing sun for forty days and nights without suncreen. Also, just as important for a crossdresser, it stained, making it hard to remove all trace of color. Also, it did not go on smoothly and it bunched up, especially when blotting the lips, which is one pleasure of wearing lipstick: puckering.

Though I would love to say my brand Trucco ($11) had every property, plus a low price point, I cannot. However, it did possess the all the important qualities I look for when choosing a lipcolor: moist, opaque and non-feathering, easy application, easy removal and a great color selection. They do not offer a long wearing product which, if you ask me, is a blessing.

As a matter of fact no one brand had all the properties mentioned, and two had none of them -- M.A.C ($13) and Clinique ($10.50). Though these are two well known and popular brands; they were lacking in everything but color choice. However, if one must be fair, they did go on easy and removed easily.

The Artmatic Lipstick ($1), did not retract back into the canister properly, which caused the lid to squash the color into the lid. Even though it was the least expensive, it was a waste of money. Though it did not bleed, it was not opaque or apply easily. It was longer wearing and non-feathering, but drying.

Maybelline ($4) and Cover Girl ($4.50) may not be long wearing but they did pass the tests for moisture, opaqueness, easy application and blot resistance. Maybelline also came in a gloss and was easily removed. The most expensive brand Princess Marcella Borghese ($20) may have a prestigious name and high price point, but besides easy application and blot resistance, it felt heavy on the lips, which I am not sure is a good thing. Heaviness does not mean longer-wearing. However, let me add a plus, the manufacture offers a good color selection, which seems to be what they spend their R&D money on. By the way, Borghese is made by Revlon.

If your preference is to wear stay-longer lipcolor brands such a Colorstay, Artmatic, Maybelline, Cover Girl, or L'Oreal, you might experience extreme drying of the lips. The cure is to use a lip balm at least 15-20 minutes before application of lipcolor, which will add moisture to your lips. Also, be very careful not to get ANY of these products on your clothing....it is nearly impossible to get these long-wearing products types out of fabrics, especially my two worst enemies: POLLY AND ESTER. Natural fabrics still held onto a hint of the stain, but, for my money, spend your dollars on a moisturizing lipstick that will remove when you want to and will not ruin your clothing.

This brings me to one of my basic rules of make-up application -- TIME. The first rule of the CDTips method of make-up application is: give yourself enough time to let the beauty in before you walk out the door. Because as we all know, natural beauty takes time.

So, name brand and cost are not always what really matters. What does matter is: does your lipstick match your fingernail polish, which blends with your hair and skin tone, that makes your face light up and lets your personality shine through? That is what I call important.

The other product that fascinated me is lipstick sealer. My final word on this subject is forget about them. No matter the cost, "Sealed with a Kiss" at $4.00 or "Kiss Lipstick Sealer" at $12.00, the only thing they accomplished was to dry out your lips. So, combine a sealer with a long lasting lipstick and your lips should blow away in wind like deseret sand. The fixative's primary ingredient is alcohol, even though the the manufacture claims it works when applied over lipstick and will not bleed the color. It is my contention that whether it is rolled on from the tube or brushed on from the bottle. Once you move your lips, the product cracks, a result of the alcohol. Also, you cannot reapply the lipstick over the "sealer" if it begins to wear. It causes caking, splitting and bleeding. Now, lips that you cannot enjoy, kiss or freshen up are for beauty contest.....not beautiful lips for beautiful woman.

The moral of this story is follow your lips to your favorite sales clerk and ask for a moisture wear lipstick that matches your fingernail and toenail polish and accents your outfit for the evening. Remembering to take the tube with you so you can reapply as needed.

This is CDTips asking for your questions, so we can all get the right answers.
Luv,
Lynda.

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