Maychiri's Thoughts: September 2023

Misslyn Mattastic Lipstick [110 - You Can, Toucan] Review

September 27, 2023

This lipstick might not match the lip liner, but it is really interesting on its own, too! This is the Misslyn Mattastic Lipstick, shade 110/You Can, Toucan!

So, Müller was slowly trying to remove Misslyn from all their stores. Probably because something is going on with Misslyn, since there were no new products in years. So they decided to sell everything at 50% off! This was a great opportunity to finally try out some Misslyn products! So I thought that I might as well try out a few of their lip products. So I bought this lipstick, not because I really needed or wanted an orange lipstick, but because I really liked the name! You Can, Toucan! So adorable! So, seeing as I have literally no expectations, how good is this lipstick, really?

Packaging: a typical Misslyn lipstick case, although this one is black, like all Mattastic lipsticks. The pink Misslyn logo really stands out on the black background. The cap closes very tightly, so as to keep the lipstick fresh for as long as possible. There’s a sticker on the bottom of the case that should match the colour of the bullet; however, the level of QA is really low, as the colour varies from one individual lipstick to another. Sometimes it’s a pale apricot, sometimes it’s almost brown, and sometimes, like with the one I got, it’s actually right. And this lipstick isn’t the only one that has problems with QA with shade stickers, as almost all have this same problem. Not very professional. So, on my lipstick in particular, the sticker is pretty much the exact match for the colour of the bullet.

The detail I love the most on the case is the textured bottom half. It’s sooo good to touch, so relaxing, as it’s only lightly scratchy. The retracting mechanism is pretty good quality, not at all loose. So, all in all, a decent quality, elegant case.

Source: douglas.de

Ingredients: nothing nourishing but also no parabens. The scent is subtle and quite gentle; it smells aromatic, kinda floral, but also very sweet, like vanilla. It reminds me of that typical Maybelline lip product scent. The expiration date is 24 months after opening.

Since I mostly bought this lipstick for the name of the shade, I didn’t really care much how it would look like, actually. But man, is this a pretty colour! It’s totally perfect for summer! And it looks amazing on pale skin! It’s a bright, rich orange that isn’t garish or blindingly orange. It somehow manages to be a bit muted while still being insanely vivid, paradoxically. So it can totally be worn everyday, when red or nude lipsticks start to bore you. This is an orange lipstick that has quite a bit of blue tones in it, making it look really refreshing and cool. It’s closest to a persimmon orange, although it is still a bit cooler. I feel like this is a much more wearable shade than a bright pure orange. It’s really pretty!

Okay, so it is incredibly pigmented, that much is true. From the very first layer, the lips are vividly orange. But the formula is quite weird, honestly. At first it’s kinda greasy and thick, but it soon changes into a much drier formula, one that is at the same time waxy and powdery dry. It’s perplexing. It’s not tacky – how could it be when it’s so powdery – but it doesn’t feel good on the lips. I like how it becomes lightweight, but the dry, powdery feel is just plain uncomfortable.

It doesn’t tug at the lips, probably because it’s so weirdly greasy at first, but your lips really have to be in perfect condition. Any dry, flaky areas will be a huge problem for this lipstick. You know why? Because it’s dries to such a dry finish that it starts to pill and flake. Even if your lips are 100% smooth and in perfect condition, it will still exaggerate the lines of the lips and start pilling. There’s just no way to prevent that without using additional lip liners underneath it.

And it really is annoying, it just doesn’t look pretty. So it shouldn’t be a surprise that the texture is matte, although it definitely is not powdery matte. It’s still got some waxy shine; if it were truly powdery matte, it would look extremely dry, like talcum. Maybe it’s for the best that it isn’t actually powdery matte.

So, yeah, this isn’t a terribly comfortable lipstick to wear, due to that weird greasy-waxy-powdery dry formula. It feels like there’s a cast on my lips, and it doesn’t get better with time. As I said, it changes into a powdery dry formula that still feels somewhat waxy, and it then tends to collect on my lower lip. I know that matte lipsticks aren’t usually known for their comfort, but this one is just too weird on the lips. I don’t like it.

Well, at least it’s got amazing longevity! 6 hours later there’s not even a trace of any feathering or smudging on the edges! It doesn’t fade on its own, either. It’s food that make it fade, although the damage isn’t terrible! It was only slightly less intensely orange after lunch and dessert, and tea, and fruit..., point is, it tolerates food very well! Now, very greasy/oily food will damage it significantly more than dry food, of course, but I am more than satisfied with how well it still looks!

What I am not satisfied with, however, is how it dries out my lips. My lips definitely feel much drier and flaky after a day of wearing this lipstick. Powdery formula begets dry lips, I should have seen this coming...

Removal: it’s super easy to remove, be it with micellar water or a specialised remover. You don’t have to scrub your lips hard to fully remove the lipstick, which should help with the drying that this lipstick causes. Oh, and there are no stains! Vivid orange, but no orange stains!

All in all, well, it’s not as bad as it could be, but it could certainly be better. I do love the colour, it’s vibrant and summery, but not too extremely orange. It’s a really beautiful cool orange that suits most skintones, without being garish. I don’t mind orange lipsticks, but they can definitely look a bit extreme sometimes, especially on pale skin. But this one manages to look elegant and modern at the same time. It’s also very, very durable, managing to go for 7 hours just fine without any fading or smudging or feathering, at least, if you don’t eat or drink much. Because it does tend to fade a bit after greasier food, but it’s not too bad. However, as good as all this sounds, there’s a bad side to it, as well. The formula is weird; it’s at the same time greasy and powdery dry, heavy but also lightweight. It starts off being weirdly greasy and thick and uncomfortable, but after a short time it changes into a very dry, almost tacky formula. And it’s not comfortable then, either. In fact, it is so dry (without actually feeling so extremely dry), that it dries out my lips. Not fun at all. And the worst thing is that it collects in the lines of lips, making it all look somewhat messy and uneven. And as if that wasn’t bad enough, it also pills, like, a lot! The only way to avoid it is to have lips that are 100% soft and supple, which isn’t always so easy to do. Any pilling is pretty much unacceptable with lipsticks, let alone this much! And that’s what ruins it. It seemed to be a perfectly good lipstick until then. It frustrates me that the lips have to be in perfect condition, as if it were some liquid lipstick, not your regular old lipstick. Ugh! You can, toucan – but this lipstick for sure cannot! And that makes me sad because it really is pretty. Ah well, it won’t be getting any recommendations, unfortunately.

Rating: 5/10

Would buy again? NO (pilling, pools in the fine lines, making them much more visible, ugh)

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Berry

Misslyn Smooth Lip Liner [57 - True Love] Review

September 27, 2023

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Misslyn

Reviews From the Past - Part 31

September 27, 2023

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Brush

Notino Wooden Collection Powder Brush Review

September 20, 2023

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Blush Brush

Notino Master Collection F04 Blush Brush Review

September 20, 2023

The first brush for today is the Notino Master Collection F04 Blush Brush!

You know, I have been meaning to buy one of these Master Collection brushes for the longest time! It’s just that they were always a bit pricey for me. And then, they were all suddenly discounted greatly! Seriously, this brush was like more than 70% off! I thought it would be a steal; surely, if they are called ‘Master Collection’, they must be at least good, right? In fact, this brush should be great! Although, the shape is a bit odd for a blush brush... hmm. So, is this brush truly master level? Or was it so cheap for good reason?

Packaging: it came in a cardboard box that looked very elegant. I like the white text on the dark background, very elegant! There’s some white swirls on one side that add to its elegance. While the cardboard is elegant on its own, the design of the brush makes it even better. The brush was protected by a brush guard, one of those soft plastic sleeves that sometimes arrive with brushes. It’s a nice touch! And it saves me having to find a brush guard for this brush.

As for the brush itself, it is very elegant looking. The black/white combo is eternally elegant. I love how pure white the hairs are, to contrast with the black handle. The silver metallic text is the perfect choice, adding even more elegance to an already chic brush.

The ferrule is slightly smoky gray, with some brownish tones. It might have been better if it were silver metallic like the text. Still, it feels solid and looks expensive, to match its original price. However, what’s up with the shape of this brush? So this is supposed to be a blush brush... but it’s very thin and not very dense. And it’s cut flat. I fail to see how this could ever apply blush well enough. It’s not even big enough! I am honestly baffled by the shape, and I have 0 clue as to what Notino were thinking when they designed this brush. Like, was this meant to be a different kind of brush that they botched so they went and said “ah sure, let’s just call it a blush brush then”?

But. And this a big but, the price does not reflect the level of quality. I would never ever pay what it costs originally, knowing how bad it actually is. Perhaps that is why it was marked down so significantly. See, the hairs are not cut evenly; there are some hairs that are longer, messing with the way this brush applies pigment (as if that’s the only reason). The hairs are synthetic and they are super shiny and almost plastic looking. Not what you’d expect from a brush that doesn’t come cheap! In addition, there were already a few hairs that fell out, and I haven’t even been using this brush for two weeks at the time of this writing. God knows what will happen once I wash it.

But hey, at least it is feather-soft, right? That, sadly, won’t be enough to cover all the other problems yet to come.

Speaking of, this brush struggles to apply pigment naturally. It’s really weird. Like, it picks up a very good amount of pigment, but it’s like that pigment is literally sitting on top of the hairs so that it only ends up in one small area. So, this is what happens when I try to use a blush with this brush: I swirl around the pan, pick up a large amount of blush (I know that because the hairs have become very pink), start applying and I get 95% of the blush in one tiny area, which cannot even be blended out. So, like, you need to go back to the pan again and again to get a roughly even layer of blush, but that, necessarily, means that it’s impossible to make it subtle. I wanted to have subtle pink cheeks but with this brush you can only get 0% or 100%, nothing in between.

And even when you start adding pigment to all the sparse areas, you are still left with a rough, uneven, patchy application. It honestly looks horrible. And it seems like this brush cannot blend pigments well enough to make it look natural. Every time I try to blend it out with this brush I get an even more patchy finish. It all just looks sloppy and ugly. And that confirms my suspicions that this brush doesn’t have a good shape for blushes. I don’t know what this shape is good for, if anything, but blushes ain’t it, chief. It’s just so frustrating to use, having to tappity tap the pigment so much and still have it be patchy and ugly. Ugh. Not cool or fun!

Good news! There seems to be no fall-out during washing! It’s also quite easy to wash as it does not absorb shampoo. Finally something good!

Look, this brush is not worth anywhere near the amount it goes for without any specials. It’s vastly overpriced. In fact, I can barely say the price I paid, which was stupidly cheap in comparison to the original, was worth it. Master Collection? Bah! If this is what they think a master level blush brush should be then... well, indeed. I really don’t like it, and here I though it would live up to the name. It’s got a weird shape for a blush brush, like, it’s too narrow. And it’s cut flat instead of at an angle, which makes it a bit harder to use (angled blush brushes follow the shape of the cheek, which is why so many have that shape). And it’s not even big enough. The biggest problem, though, is just how awfully it applies pigment. It’s so weird; the brush picks up a lot of pigment, but it’s like 99% of it ends up in one tiny area, instead of being dispersed gradually over a larger area – like it’s supposed to! This means that you are left with a blotchy, uneven and just plain ugly application, forcing you to spend more time fixing it. That results in it being impossible to have faint blush, you’ll either have fainter blush but it’s patchy and ugly, or you’ll have extremely intense blush and it will be mostly even. I always have to help myself with other brushes to blend it out properly, since this brush isn’t good for blending. So, what is it good for? Good question! And one I do not have an answer to. It’s a baffling brush in its design, that disappoints with its usage and level of quality (hairs look cheap and there has been some fall-out over the course of, what, 8 times that I used it). To ask for more than 10€, let alone more than 15€ is quite frankly absurd. It’s just a bad brush, all-around. I’m glad I got it at a big discount, but I sometimes wish I hadn’t bought it at all. Nope, it’s definitely not getting any recommendations from me. Just avoid it, buy a Wet n Wild or Essence blush brush instead, you’ll be much happier with them.

Rating: 3/10

Would but again? NO