• Packaging and application: Circular pan.

• Ingredients:Petrolatum, Rosa Damascena Flower Oil, Prunus Amygdalus Dulcis Oil, Aroma, Linalool, CI 73360, CI 77891

• Weight: 20g

• Price: £1.49 (Boots)

• Country of manufacture: Norway

• Official site: http://www.vaseline.com

General comments:

• Contains Rose and Almond Oil.
• “Gently Tints and Cares for Lips.”
• Slightly waxy, fruity rose smell.
• Tinted coral-rose colour (no shimmer) transfers as a just about discernible rose-tinted sheen when applied to lips.
• Very similar texture to standard vaseline.
• Lips feel moisturised and slippy when applied.

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MAC Lipgloss in Russian Red

• Released: Aug 2008 – US/Canada, Sep 2008 – UK

• Packaging: Twist-up Bullet

• Ingredients: Ricinus Communis (Castor) Seed Oil, Dipentaerythrityl Hexahydroxystearate/Hexastearate/Hexarosinate, Euphorbia Cerifera (Candelilla) Wax\Candelilla Cera\Cire De Candelilla, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, PVP/Hexadecene Copolymer, Polyethylene, Ethylhexyl Methoxycinnamate, Cetyl Acetate, Lanolin Oil, Cetyl Lactate, Butyrospermum Parkii (Shea Butter), Polydecene, Beeswax\Cera Alba\Cire D’Abeille, Glycine Soja (Soybean) Seed Extract, Tocopheryl Acetate, Ascorbyl Palmitate, Ceramide 3, Synthetic Wax, Synthetic Beeswax, Silica, Calcium Sodium Borosilicate, Calcium Aluminum Borosilicate, Alumina, Tin Oxide, Acetylated Lanolin Alcohol, Cetyl Alcohol, Vanillin [+/- Mica, Titanium Dioxide (CI 77891), Iron Oxides (CI 77491, CI 77492, CI 77499), Bismuth Oxychloride (CI 77163), Blue 1 Lake (CI 42090), Carmine (CI 75470), Red 6 (CI 15850), Red 6 Lake (CI 15850), Red 7 Lake (CI 15850), Red 21 (CI 45380), Red 28 Lake (CI 45410), Red 30 Lake (CI 73360), Red 33 Lake (CI 17200), Yellow 5 Lake (CI 19140), Yellow 6 Lake (CI 15985), Yellow 10 Lake (CI 47005)] <ILN33522>

• Net wt. 3g/0.1 US oz.

• Price: £11.00 (UK), US$14.00(US)

• Place of manufacture: Canada/M31A

• Code: B58/ M31AGR 7 73602 16328 1

• Back2MAC Symbol: Yes

• Official site: http://www.maccosmetics.com/templates/products/shade.tmpl?SKU_ID=SKU30749

General comments:

• No shimmer but has a slight sheen on skin.
• Light, smooth consistency.
• Not highly pigmented but decent colour pay-off and not too sheer.
• Fairly moisturising.
• Vanilla fragrance.
• Neutral yellow-based brown in tube transfers as a brown-based My-Lips-But-Better (MLBB) shade on lips.

• Released: Aug 2008 – US/Canada, Sep 2008 – UK

• Packaging: Tube with wand and doe-foot applicator.

• Ingredients: Hydrogenated Polyisobutene, Simmondsia Chinensis (Jojoba) Seed Oil, Octyldodecanol, Copernicia Cerifera (Carnauba) Wax\Cera Carnauba\Cire De Carnauba, Tocopheryl Acetate, Silica, Disteardimonium Hectorite, Propylene Carbonate, Calcium Aluminum Borosilicate, Calcium Sodium Borosilicate, Alumina, Tin Oxide, Vanillin, Phenoxyethanol [+/- Mica, Titanium Dioxide (CI 77891), Iron Oxides (CI 77491, CI 77492, CI 77499), Bismuth Oxychloride (CI 77163), Blue 1 Lake (CI 72090), Carmine (CI 75470), Red 6 (CI 15850), Red 7 Lake (CI 15850), Red 28 Lake (CI 45410), Red 30 Lake (CI 73360), Red 33 Lake (CI 17200), Yellow 5 Lake (CI 19140), Yellow 6 Lake (CI 15985), Yellow 10 Lake (CI 47005)] <ILN29717>

• Net wt. 4.8g/0.17 US oz.

• Price: £10.50 (UK), US$14.00 (US)

• Place of manufacture: Canada/M310

• Code: A58/ M310KJ 7 73602 163267

• Back2MAC Symbol: Yes

• Official site: http://www.maccosmetics.com/templates/products/shade.tmpl?SKU_ID=SKU30756

General comments:

• Multi-coloured shimmer in tube – blue and red most noticeable.
• Creamy, thick consistency.
• Highly pigmented.  Good colour pay-off but not so opaque to completely cover natural lip colour.
• Fairly moisturising.
• Vanilla fragrance.
• Plum-based red (slight purple cast) in tube transfers faithfully onto skin.
• Dupes: Revlon Super Lustrous Lipgloss in Cherries in the Glow (no shimmer, lighter consistency and no purple cast but transfers as a dupe on lips),  MAC Lustre Lipstick in Strawbaby from Fafi Collection 2008 (same shimmer and very close match in tube but doesn’t have the purple cast, lighter colour when swatched on skin and slightly more red-brown on lips).

• Released: Aug 2008 – US/Canada, Sep 2008 – UK

• Packaging: Pan in flip-top circular container with clear insert in lid

• Ingredients: Talc, Octyldodecyl Stearoyl Stearate, Zinc Stearate, Isostearyl Neopentanoate, Tocopheryl Acetate, Caprylyl Glycol, Hexylene Glycol, Phenoxyethanol [+/- Silica, Mica, Titanium Dioxide (CI 77891), Iron Oxides (CI 77491, CI 77492, CI 77499), Bismuth Oxychloride (CI 77163), Blue 1 Lake (CI 42090), Carmine (CI 75470), Chromium Hydroxide Green (CI 77289), Chromium Oxide Greens (CI 77288), Ferric Ferrocyanide (CI 77510), Manganese Violet (CI 77742), Red 6 (CI 15850), Red 6 Lake (CI 15850), Red 7 Lake (CI 15850), Red 28 Lake (CI 45410), Red 30 Lake (CI 73360), Ultramarines (CI 77007), Yellow 5 Lake (CI 19140), Yellow 6 Lake (CI 15985)] <ILN32978>

• Net wt. 6g/0.21 US oz.

• Price: £14.00 (UK), US$17.50(US)

• Place of manufacture: Canada/M220

• Code: B58/ M22089 7 73602 16332 8

• Back2MAC Symbol: Yes

• Official site: http://www.maccosmetics.com/templates/products/shade.tmpl?SKU_ID=SKU30763

General comments:

• Barely noticeable shimmer in pan transfers as a slight sheen on skin.  Otherwise, fairly matte.
• No discernible smell.
• Fairly pigmented.
• Neutral pink with slight peach undertone in pan transfers as a light-medium neutral pink on skin.

• Packaging and application: Click-brush pen.

• Ingredients: Aqua, Cyclomethicone, Glycerine, Paraffinum liquidum, Dimethicone copolyol, Magnesium sulfat, Methicone, C12-14 Pareth-3, Methylparaben, Squalane, CI 77891, Talc, CI 77492, CI 77491, CI 77499, Mica

• Fill weight: 2.5ml e

• Price: £12.50 (Boots)

• Country of manufacture: Japan

• Official site: http://www.boots.com/brandtreatment/product_details_brand_treatment.jsp?productid=1057228&classificationid=1047057

General comments:

• Very shimmery pale peachy pink – though not as pink as Shade I.
• No discernible smell.
• Light texture that dries to a slightly powdery finish.
• Doesn’t seem to rub off easily.
• Potential dupe for the No 1 Shade in Yves Saint Laurent Touche Eclat. Potentially too pale and too pink for those who use the medium Shade No 2 in Yves Saint Laurent Touce Eclat. Also a potential for those who find NC15 or NW15 MAC Select Moisturecover Concealer too dark and/or cakes to much.

• Packaging and application: Swivel lipstick tube.

• Ingredients: Polydecene, Paraffin, Petrolatum, Ceresin, Cyclomethicone, Isopropyl palmitate, Copernicia Cerifera, Synthetic beeswax, Lanolin alcohol, Bisabolol, Calendula officinalis, Chamomilla recutita, Melissa officinalis, Caprylic/Capric triglyceride, Parfum, CI 11920

• Fill weight: 4.8g

• Price: £2.49 (Boots)

• Country of manufacture: Germany

• Official site: http://www.nivea.co.uk

Boots Essentials Tinted Lipsalve

• Packaging and application: Swivel lipstick tube.

• Ingredients: Octyldodecanol, Hydrogenated polydecene, Polyethylene, Bis-diglyceryl polyacyladipate-2, Cera microcristallina, Cera alba, Hyrogenated castor oil, Butyrospermum parkil butter, Synthetic wax, Ethylhexyl methoxycinnamate, Ascorbyl palmitate, Saccharin, Ethyl vanillin, Tocopheryl acetate, Tocophenol, BHT, Mica, CI 15850, CI 17200, CI 75470, CI 19140, CI 77499, CI 77891

• Fill weight: doesn’t say on the packaging but with an eye-ball comparison, would say it’s about the same as the Nivea.

• Price: £0.79 (Boots)

• Country of manufacture: France

• Official site: http://www.boots.com

General comments:

• Boots Essentials Lipsalve is dermatologically tested. Nivea Lip Care Velvet Rose contains Vitamin E, Shea butter and Jojoba oil and as dermatologically approved and preservative-free.
• Both have a waxy rose smell.
• Both have a slightly metallic mauvey pink colour which transfers as a slight mauvey pink sheen when applied to the lips – Nivea Lip Care Velvet Rose has tiny multi-coloured glitters.
• Both have a waxy texture but Boots Essentials Tinted Lipsalve feels slightly softer and easier to apply.
• No discernible difference in terms of how long they last.
• Big difference in price!

• Packaging and application: Hard curved bottle, sponge applicator wand.

• Ingredients: Isododecane, Talc, Cyclopentasiloxane, Disteardimonium Hectorite, Trihydroxystearin, Triethylhexanoin, Isopropyl Lanolate, Sorbitan Sesquioleate, VP/Eicosene Copolymer, Dimethicone, PEG-40 Stearate, Propylene Carbonate, Phenoxyethanol, Cera Alba (Beeswax), Trimethylsiloxysilicate, Propylparaben, Methylparaben, Ethylparaben, Butylparaben, Methicone, Isobutylparaben

• May contain: Mica, CI 77891 (Titanium Dioxide), CI 77491, CI 77492, CI 77499 (Iron Oxides), CI 77163 (Bismuth Oxychloride)

• Fill weight: 10ml e 0.34 US fl. oz.

• Price: £9.50 (Boots), US$16.00 (Urban Decay)

• Country of manufacture: USA

• Official site: http://www.urbandecay.com/categories/EyeshadowPrimerPotion.cfm

Too Faced Shadow Insurance

• Packaging and application: Squeezy tube, nozzle applicator.

• Ingredients: Isododecane, Talc, Cyclopentasiloxane, Disteardimonium Hectorite, Trimethylsiloxysilicate, Glyceryl, Triethylhexanoate, Polyethylene, Trihydroxystearin, Sorbitan Sesquioleate, Isopropyl, Lanolate, VP/Eicosene Copolymer, Propylene Carbonate, Dimethicone, PEG-40 Stearate, Phenoxyethanol, Tocopherol

• May contain: Mica, Bismuth Oxychloride (CI 77163), CI 77891, Titanium Dioxide (CI 77891), Iron Oxides (CI 77491, CI 77492, CI 77499)

• Fill weight: 11g e 0.35 US fl. oz.

• Price: £11.00 (Boots), US$17.00 (Too Faced)

• Country of manufacture: USA

• Official site: http://www.toofaced.com/product.asp?cat_id=208&dept_id=3

General comments:

• Neither product had a discernible strong smell.
• Both light beige-peach colour – UDPP slightly peachier.
• Shadow Insurance has a oilier, more cream-like texture whereas UDPP is a slightly watery lotion;
• With MAC eyeshadows applied on top, effect is not as vibrant as MAC Bare Canvas Paint and MAC Beige-ing Shadestick, but both do decent primer duty for making shadows long-lasting, though Shadow Insurance might have the slight edge. Tested on wrist, wiped off with a facial tissue but left remainder on overnight. Still had some shadow left with Shadow Insurance. Suspect this is because of the slightly thicker texture of the Shadow Insurance.
• The down-side of UDPP is the oft-mentioned packaging and application method, a wand applicator is not very hygienic and the packaging design means that there is a lot of wasted product sitting in the curves of the bottle.

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Revlon Super Lustrous Lipgloss in Cherries in the Glow

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Revlon Super Lustrous Lipgloss in Pearl Plum