Friday 1 April 2011

Mimi Gets Lippy!

I was really excited to read that Poppy King has collaborated with Boots No 7 to produce a capsule lipstick and lipgloss range, and as I had some birthday pennies to spend, I decided to add another red lipstick to my collection. Last time I bought from Boots No 7 range, it was their 'decades' collection, and the lady advised me to buy the lipstick and the gloss together, however I really don't like the feel of gloss on my lips, now my hair is longer it sticks to my lips, and I prefer a matte finish. Also, the lipstick was perfectly fine with a good depth of colour on its own, so this time I decided to just buy a lipstick on its own (even though the gloss had much nicer packaging!) The lipsticks come in pastel coloured boxes, decorated with tiny polka dots which I have read were inspired by Marilyn Monroe's beauty spot. The lipstick itself is in a plain silver-ish case, and when you take the lid off, Poppy's signature is revealed. I chose 'History' as it was the reddest shade available, which came in a box somewhere between mint green and duck egg blue, the inside of the box being a heinz tomato soup red. So far, so good! A slip of paper fell out when I opened it, which read "Congratulations! You are entering the wonderful world of lip colour. Did you know that women have been painting their lips for centuries? And why? Because it has teh power to totally transform your mood in a way that no other cosmetic can. Boots No 7 and I are thrilled that we can join with yo in celebrating the joy of lip colour and most importantly...in celebrating being you. I have designed these special shades to help you do just that. Love, Poppy." Hmmmm....well....congratulations? For buying a lipstick? And where else would I be entering, if not the world of lip colour, having bought a lipstick? Yes, I know women have been using lipstick for years. Yes, I guessed to make them look and feel good! Yes, lipstick can make you feel great....but not this one! The first thing is the smell. It is not strong, but it smells of Copydex, faintly, which is a kind of fishy glue. Not the thing I want to think about when I am doing my makeup! Then there is the colour....pretty in the tube, but just too, too sheer on. If you want to feel great wearing lipstick, then I think you need to be wearing lipstick. When I put on my bright red Russian Red or iconic Ruby Woo, I feel great. I feel in a red lipstick kind of mood. This goes up one step from nude, and to be honest, I don't think anyone reaches for nude lipstick when they want to make a statement! It could be argued that it is good for women taking babysteps and finding their confidence in wearing red lipstick, but I think a better path would be to go and buy some Benetint or a red to suit your colouring, chosen with the help of the girls on the Mac counter. I am disappointed because I really wanted to like it, but I won't be wearing it again. It's a shame you can't return such things! I think I feel the way about this that I do about mild cheese...unless it is a naturally mild cheese eg marscapone, what is the point? If you don't like cheddar, don't buy cheddar, why buy a mild cheddar?! If you don't like or want to wear red lipstick, wear something else! Or actually, wear this! I do wish I had something lovely to say about this, and maybe the other colours are better, or the gloss would deepen it enough....but alas, not! Still, at least I have plenty of other lipsticks to keep me going! And you only find the fabulous ones after buying a few disappointments!

1 comment:

Dinahsoar said...

What a disappointment...the packaging sounds wonderful, but the lipstick sounds horrible. I'd be taking it back for a refund. Since you couldn't try the color before buying it you had no idea it was so sheer..it's not your fault.

Back in the day they always had tiny little sample tubes of a color that they'd give you to try the color before you committed to purchasing it. That eventually fell by the wayside--some companies charged--Avon I think--at one point a small fee for the little samples...then did away with them all together.

That was a good system. Now we spend money on what is almost a pig in a poke.