Smashbox Cosmetics Always On Matte Liquid Lipstick in Driver's Seat – Swatches, Review, Photos & Video

Smashbox Cosmetics Always On Matte Liquid Lipstick in Driver's Seat - It's described as a warm pink (kind of coral on me). Smashbox describes this as an eight-hour wear, liquid-matte lipstick with a featherweight, comfortable formula that stays put and keeps color looking as fresh and flawless as the first swipe. First thing first, the applicator for these liquid lipstick are by far the best on the market. The pointed tip is almost fool proof with how easy it makes it to get precise application. As for the formula - it is amazingly comfortable on the lips - like one of those creamy mattes that don't dry out your lips. It dries quickly and didn't transfer during my kiss test. I did have to build up the color as it applied a bit uneven upon the first swipe.

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Have you tried the formula yet? What colors do you want me to swatch next?

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Enter to Win a His & Hers Yves Saint Laurent Fragrance Prize Pack on Twitter!

It's time for a new Twitter giveaway! Last time, you guys had so much fun participating in the His & Hers Versace prize pack (that was won by @_tgbeauty_) that I decided to do it again. For this round, I decided to include one of my favorite brands - Yves Saint Laurent. If you've been following me for a while or read up on some of my other reviews, you must know how much of a big fan I am of Yves Saint Laurent Black Opium EDP - it is literally my holy grail of fragrances. If you're new, then I highly recommend that you head back to my full review here to get the details on this scent before entering.

So I decided to pair Black Opium with a familiar male fragrance La Nuit De L'Homme - you know since I'm sticking with my favs will become your favs (especially with the gifting season now upon us).

To enter, all you need to do is follow me on Twitter, RT my pinned tweet and you’re entered to win! Make sure you tag your friends so they can enter too. 18+ or older to participate. Open internationally.

See you there and remember – we have tons of giveaways across all of the social media platforms so check around!

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Urban Decay Naked Skin One & Done Hybrid Complexion Perfector Review, Photos, Swatches On A Woman of Color - Shades Light, Medium Light, Medium, Medium Dark, Dark and Deep

Over the summer, Urban Decay released a new tinted moisturizer called Naked Skin One & Done Hybrid Complexion Perfector. This is an oil-free, hybrid complexion cream that is designed to provide lightweight coverage with SPF protection, instantly and completely blur imperfections, and even out skintone for a result that looks natural.

It is available in 6 shades light, medium light, medium, medium dark, dark and deep that you can see swatched on two different skin tones below:

Shades from left to right: Deep, Dark, Medium Dark, Medium, Medium Light and Light Swatched on NW20 skin (above @lipstickjunkieforever) and NC50 skin (below)

The UD Naked Skin One & Done Hybrid Complexion Perfector comes in a 40 ml tube for $34. The formula contains peptides, vitamins, and a range of moisturizing ingredients as well a SPF 20 and a plant-derived ingredient that promises to improve the tone and texture of skin. I kept the shade Dark & Deep as they were the only two that worked on my skintone. 

Here are additional swatches in different lighting for you:

(Photo taken with no flash)

Overall, I love this foundation - in summer because I really don't like putting on heavy foundations or full coverage for that matter - but also in the fall/winter for those days that I don't want to wear makeup but I still need to wear something to look presentable. I only wish that UD would expand the shade range.

This has been put into my no makeup makeup drawer next to the MUFE Water Blend foundation and NARS Velvet Matte Skin tint.

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Today, November 4th, is National Candy Day so it’s Time to Celebrate!

Today, November 4th, is National Candy Day so it’s Time to Celebrate! I mean, you have seen the name of this blog right? Candy Coated Closets was born because of my desire to write and love of photography. I knew I needed a creative outlet that could house all of that and still let me reach a fanbase that had a similiar passion so I knew I wanted my name to really capture what I was about - a fun and happy environment - like my beauty room (which was then solely my shoe room). Imagine, walking into a room packed with shoes, makeup, jewelry, skincare - I mean...it was heaven. Everytime I looked around, I felt like a kid in the candy store (mind you I am in love with candy too). So hence, the Candy portion of the name was born.

So I figured today was the perfect day to celebrate that and National Candy Day. I could go on and on about my favorite types of candy and what might be worth checking out but seeing as Halloween was just last week and we all have buckets of left over candy, I found another way for us to celebrate...with an amazing candy themed giveaway!

For starters, let's talk about the newest Candy fragrance. Prada Candy Kiss is a flanker to the playful gourmand collection from it’s earlier years: the original Prada Candy from 2011, Prada Candy L’Eau from 2013 and Prada Candy Florale from 2014. Last year, you may remember the adorable Candy Kiss mini collection that was launched (mini bottles of the three original fragrances in 20ml).

Now the new flanker, Prada Candy Kiss which was developed by Daniela Andrier, channels the addictive nature of the Candy composition and enhances its characteristic scent of musk. It’s described to have been designed to re-activate emotions and impressions. Largely, this idea has evolved from the sensual veil of musk evoked in delicate white cotton all in a sensual cloud. There are also notes of vanilla and orange blossom which enrich and brighten the fragrance as it opens. 

Overall, this isn't one of those overly sweetend fragrances that can have a tendency to overwhelm most people. It is more of a soft and sensual sweet that tends to pull more musky and vanilla on me as it dries down.

Now as for this Christian Dior 5 Couleurs Couture Colours & Effects Eyeshadow Palette in No. 676 Candy Choc shade. "True to the bold colour creation from the House of Dior, each harmony explores a unique world of colour. Based on a central shade, the signature of the palette, 4 accessory shades are used to create a multi-faceted look. Like a couture wardrobe for the eyes, 5 Couleurs gives free rein to your creativity to achieve custom makeup results. Dior has also created two ready-to-wear looks for the eyes—natural and sophisticated—based on the central shade." - Christian Dior website

I would have saved this bright palette for a Spring giveaway but its perfect for today.

Blog giveaway (One winner) To enter this giveaway, simply follow/subscribe to this blog and leave a comment on this post telling me some of your favorite types of candy. Scroll down to find my subscription box or look to the to right of your screen to follow/subscribe. *Please note – Don’t worry if you don’t see your comment right away. I have to approve most of them :-)*

Contest ends Saturday, November 5^th, 2016 at 5:59pm EST. I will choose one subscriber at random from those who commented on this post. Remember that you have to be subscribed/following this blog! The Instagram winner will be chosen separately.

No giveaway/spam accounts. Open internationally; 18+ to enter. Odds of winning depend on number of entries received. Good luck to all!

Instagram entry (One winner) To enter this giveaway on Instagram, please head to over to this photo and follow the rules listed to enter.

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Bite Beauty Gold Crème Lip Gloss Review, Photos, Swatches On A Woman of Color - Holiday Red and Gold Lips

Last week, I showed you quick swatches of the Gold Crème Lip Gloss from Bite Beauty on different skin tones. Today, I wanted to follow that up with some lip swatches and a video so you can see it in action. The lip gloss on its own is stunning - very pigmented; non-tacky - the only thing is it doesn't apply as evenly as I would have liked on its own (see video and photos below). However, you aren't going to be able to see that when paired with a lip color as a base. 

Here is a video of me applying a red lip pencil as a base and applying the gold lip gloss as a topper. I recommend patting the Bite Beauty lip gloss on your lips as opposed to smearing the wand across so you get more of a color payoff and you won't "shift" the products on your lips.

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Swatches of the lip creme as a lip topper (I used it over a red lipliner). This photo was also taken with flash.

This photo was taken out of focus so you can see the glitter as it sits on your lips and catches the lights.

This photo was taken in darker lighting.

And here you can see the lip gloss applied to the lips itself.

Available: This is limited edition and currently in stock at Sephora for $22.

Other products used: Clarins Moisture Replenishing Lip Balm - I added this for today's lip swatch because I received so many comments and questions about the Farasli one that I showed in previous videos. Note - I am working on an entire video on this for you guys, but I use a beauty oil to keep my lips healthy and moisturized during the day and especially when I am doing lip swatches for you.

The Farasli Rose Gold Elixir is a super fancy beauty oil that you can use in your moisturizer, lips, skin etc. I paid $55 for the 30 mL bottle. The ingredients include Rosehip Seed Oil, Pumpkin Seed Oil, 24k Gold, Vitamin E, Lemongrass Oil and Orange Peel Oil.

Now when you guys see me using it in my videos, please know that it is a good product - it does what I need it to do without any complaints as to its performance - but keep in mind that I am only using it now to use it up. Would I repurchase this again? Not for $55! I'll admit that I feel for the YouTube and Instagram hype around it and the allure of the gold flakes. The gold flakes or 24K Gold in this case do absolutely nothing beneficial for your skin or lips.

Again, I will have an entire separate review on lip products that I use but I wanted to address this really quickly. Oh, and the Clarins Moisture Replenishing Lip Balm is something that I purchase religiously and will continue to do so.

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Anastasia Beverly Hills Black Cherry Lip Gloss – Swatches, Photos, Video & Review

Anastasia Beverly Hills Black Cherry Lip Gloss is a creamy deep plum gloss that is designed to give your lips an intense pout. For $16, you get 4.5 grams of product which is almost 16oz. It's a very creamy formula that doesn't apply tacky or sticky but still leaves your lips with a super shine - a glass like finish. ou can wear it alone or pair it with a lipstick for an extra pop.

Here is a live look at me applying it.

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Cupid's bow highlight - OPV Highlighter in Glam-O-Rous $27.00

Urban Decay Naked Illuminated Trio - Quick Review, Swatches & Photos

Urban Decay released an illuminating palette that contains three shades of Urban Decay’s Naked Illuminated Shimmering Powder for Face and Body in the shades Pyrite (gold champagne), Oasis (marbled frosted taupe) and Twilight (iridescent pink).

The limited edition palette which retails for $36 includes the three shades in 0.08 oz/ 2.36 mL and a double ended brush to apply them with.

I was able to swatch and play with these during the Sephora holiday preview but sadly, I have nothing positive to say about these. I mean...the packaging is pretty?

Ok maybe I was exaggerating by saying I had nothing positive to say. Pyrite, the gold champagne on the left and Twilight, the iridescent pink on the right did look pretty on my skin tone. They are just very chunky and glittery so I would personally use this on my body as opposed to my face.

Now that shade in the middle - Oasis (the marbled frosted taupe) - just...no UD. This was a major fail on their part because I couldn't even get it to swatch decently. It is too chunky, chalky and fell apart every time I tried to pick the product up on my hand or brush.

Overall, I wouldn't recommend this palette at all. Save your money for a better holiday item. If you have to have a holiday highlighting/illuminating palette, I would look into the Laura Mercier Fall In Love Face Illuminator Collection.

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Bite Beauty The Perfect Bite Set - Holiday Lipstick Gift Set

Bite Beauty released The Perfect Bite Set - a holiday lipstick gift set that contains: 4 mini Amuse Bouche lipsticks each containing 0.05 oz/ 1.47 mL. I had the opportunity to play with these at the Sephora holiday preview last weekend.

From left to right: Pepper, Fig, Honeycomb & Nori This is a great gift set if you wanted to try out Bite's lipsticks without having to commit to a full sized tube and it will also make a good stocking stuffer or holiday grab bag gift.

Available: Online and in-store at Sephora.com. $25 ($59 value). This is limited edition.

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Yves Saint Laurent Black Opium Eau de Parfum Fragrance Review and Giveaway

Have you ever really listened to someone as they raved about their signature scent? I couldn't quite understand the enamor with finding one scent that truly captured everything about myself; one fragrance that captured that personality, my love, my bubbliness or my passion in a bottle? There was absolutely no way. But then, Yves Saint Laurent launched Black Opium and well...I found my holy grail fragrance.I was first introduced to this fragrance in October 2015 and it has taken over my life since then - seriously, I think I gave everyone this fragrance for the holidays and I probably will again this year with the re-release of it as Black Opium Wild (the same fragrance in a limited edition wild leopard print bottle).The NotesTop: Pink Pepper and Orange Blossom Heart: Pear, Jasmine and Rich Coffee Base: Sensual Vanilla, Patchouli, Cedar, Musk and Sandalwood

The Packaging Black Opium is packaged in a textured glass bottle and covered in glitter that sparkles when the light catches it. In the middle, sits a glass opening with the YSL logo and Black Opium signature. It was designed as a rock'n'roll interpretation (and flanker) to the classic 2010 Opium which is much more spicier.The Bottom Line This is a fragrance that is meant for floral and coffee lovers. Personally, I don't like to drink coffee but I love the aroma of it. Whenever I smell someone brewing it - especially the french vanilla flavored beans - I am in heaven and that's what Black Opium is to me.

Because of the mix of Vanilla, Patchouli, Cedar and Musk, it makes it a heavier fragrance which is perfect to take you through the Fall and Winter. Availability Yves Saint Laurent Black Opium Eau de Parfum is available in 1.0 oz, 1.6 oz and 3 oz bottles at Sephora, Ulta, Saks and Nordstrom from $68 - $115. But by now you guys should know that my favorites become your favorites. I'm going to be hooking 2 of you up with your own bottle of Black Orchid with a giveaway!

Blog giveaway (Two winners) To enter this giveaway, simply follow/subscribe to this blog and leave a comment on this post telling me why you need this fragrance in your collection (hey you can even tell me your favorite coffee flavor - I'm looking for new ones to smell :). Scroll down to find my subscription box or look to the to right of your screen to follow/subscribe. *Please note – Don’t worry if you don’t see your comment right away. I have to approve most of them :-)*

Contest ends Monday, September 12^th, 2016 at 11:59pm EST. I will choose two subscribers at random from those who commented on this post within 48 hours of the contest end date. The Instagram winners will be chosen separately.

No giveaway/spam accounts. Open internationally; 18+ to enter. Odds of winning depend on number of entries received. Good luck to all!

Instagram entry (Two winners) To enter this giveaway on Instagram, please head to over to this photo and follow the rules listed to enter.

Good luck everyone!

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Paco Rabanne Olympéa - A Scent Fit for the Gods - Fragrance Review and Giveaway

Rose Gold. I mean...there is a reason that I am obsessed with this color. Just look at Paco Rabanne's Olympéa Eau de Parfum.Beautiful right? The second that I saw the images hit the internet I knew...this was going to be one of those bottles that I collect and showcase in my glam room. From the dusty rose gold to the glistening rose pink and even the warmer copper blend, the packaging is absolutely stunning.The concept for Olympéa is based on the idea of a modern Greek goddess that evokes strength, dynamism and conquests. The bottle is shaped like a laurel crown and adorned with a jeweled cap. It is the female counterpart to the masculine Paco Rabanne Eau de Toilette Invictus, which was inspired by the athletic spirit, competition and victory. When I finally conquered my lust for the bottle, I sprayed it on my wrists for the first time and dare I say it but with that one spritz, I felt like a goddess of love and beauty. Move over Aphrodite!

The best way to describe this fragrance is to understand the unique fusion between a sensual salted vanilla accord and refreshing floral notes that highlight jasmine, ginger lily, citrus, woody and vanilla. On me, I find that it settles into nice white floral vanilla scent with a hint of sea salt that lasts about 7 hours before I need to reapply. 

And given that you guys know that I am completely obsessed with this color, this review would not be complete without giving you a chance to win a bottle for yourself.

Blog giveaway (One winner) To enter this giveaway, simply follow/subscribe to this blog and leave a comment on this post telling me why you need this fragrance in your collection. Scroll down to find my subscription box or look to the to right of your screen to follow/subscribe. *Please note – Don’t worry if you don’t see your comment right away. I have to approve most of them :-)*

Contest ends Tuesday, August 30^th, 2016 at 11:59pm EST. I will choose one subscriber at random from those who commented on this post within 48 hours of the contest end date. The Instagram winner will be chosen separately.

No giveaway/spam accounts. Open internationally; 18+ to enter. Odds of winning depend on number of entries received. Good luck to all!

Instagram entry (One winner) To enter this giveaway on Instagram, please head to over to this photo and follow the rules listed to enter.

Good luck everyone!

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Bite Beauty Luminous Crème Lipstick Trio For $24 ($72 Value)

Yes, you read the title correctly. Last week, Bite Beauty offered an insane deal on their Luminous Crème Lipsticks on Sephora.com: a trio set in Nude and Bold that offers a three of their bestselling cream lipsticks for the price of one. Normally, one full sized lipstick from this line would cost $24 but Bite was liquidating their remaining Luminous Cremes (which have been discontinued) and each full sized trio set came out to the price of one lipstick. 

The sets were available in two color families:

• Nude - Musk, Retsina, Fig
• Bold - Zivoli, Tannin, Mulberry

Bite Beauty Luminous Creme Trio in Retsina, Fig and Musk

Bite Beauty Luminous Creme Trio in Zivoli, Tannin and Mulberry  

These lipsticks are incredibly soft and creamy. Here are swatches of each set taken in my studio (LED daylights).

Bite Beauty Luminous Creme Trio in Retsina, Fig and Musk

Bite Beauty Luminous Creme Trio in Zivoli, Tannin and Mulberry

 And because you know I'm a sucker for a deep red, I had to try out Tannin. It is such a soft lipstick that lasts about 3-5 hours on the lips (depending on what you eat/drink).

What do you think? Were you able to snag any of these trio sets?

The Lure of a Sweet Gourmand: Viktor & Rolf Bonbon Fragrance Review

Melted creamy caramel, dripping Tahitian vanilla and syruped canned peaches. Would you believe me if I told you that I was just describing a fragrance? Sounds scrumptious right? As much as I'd love to eat that right now (um hello ice cream sundae), I'm actually describing Viktor's and Rolf's Bonbon EDP - a gourmand fragrance.

So in case you don't know, a gourmand fragrance is a perfume that has sweet ingredients in it and smells almost edible. Literally, your mouth will begin to water the second that you smell its succulent notes and fade away into the scent of its dessert-like qualities. That's exactly what happened with me when I first got Bonbon.

I ordered Bonbon on a blind buy, of course because of its beautiful presentation, but mainly because it's the little sister to Viktor & Rolf's Flowerbomb - which I've been obsessed with since 2008. Now although this is the little sister to Flowerbomb, I find Bonbon to be a bit more grown up and seductive. It opens with a huge explosive of caramel and sugary sweets surrounding it and as it dies down, the heart notes of peach, orange blossom and jasmine start to take over. Now I find the more grown up and sophisticated part of this fragrance comes in when it starts to settle into the base notes - specifically the sandalwood and cedar. Surprisingly, I love how the earlier sweet notes blend into the woody base to form a more concrete and sultry scent.

Notes includes mandarin, orange peach, orange blossom, jasmine, caramel, cedar, guaiac wood, sandalwood and amber. It has an 8 hour+ longevity and a memorable sillage.

Now for the fun part - our Bonbon giveaway! This bottle is just too pretty to keep at the CCC HQ so I want one of you to be able to win your own. Here's how to enter:

I want to know what tickles your taste buds (as well as your nose). Leave a comment on this blog post telling me your favorite type of candy and why you need this bottle of Bonbon in your collection. I will choose one winner from all of the comments on Tuesday, July 12th at 5:00pm EST. Open internationally; 18+, to enter. Odds of winning depend on number of entries received.

Good luck everyone!

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Make Up For Ever Ultra HD Foundation and Concealer Review and Swatches - Y415, Y445, R40, Y41

There has been so much hype within the beauty community about the Make Up For Ever Ultra HD Invisible Cover Foundation - an Allure Best of Beauty winner of 2015 - that I decided to get some samples to test it out myself. This liquid foundation is a super light weight foundation that provides medium to full coverage that is best applied in small thin layers. It is designed to give you an airbrush-like finish on and off camera. There are 40 shades available. I also got a chance to try the Ultra HD concealer. There are 10 shades available and Y41 is the deepest shade.

Here are swatches of the foundation in Y415 and Y445 and the concealer in R40 and Y41.

A Purple Rain Makeup Tutorial with the OPV Gorgeous Eyeshadow Palette

✨ About last night! ✨ Saturday night called for a run look so I grabbed the Gorgeous Eyeshadow Palette from OPV and went to work.

Here are swatches of the 4 main colors that I used. I used all 4 colors all over my lid and crease and for the inner corner highlight, I used the Gold Digger highlighter.

Details on the rest of the products for my look:

Brows: Colourpop Cosmetics Bangin' Brunette Pencil ($5) Lips: OPV Liquid lipstick in Crush Eye Pencil: Make Up For Ever Aqua XL Eye Pencil Waterproof Eyeliner in Aqua XL D-12 - diamond black ($21) Eyeshadow Primer: PÜR COSMETICS Cease Crease Eyeshadow Primer ($14) Liquid liner: Stila Stay All Day Waterproof Liquid Eye Liner ($22) Lashes: Ardell Lashes Demi wispies in black natural ($3.99) Foundation: Tom Ford traceless perfecting foundation in Sienna Concealer: IT COSMETICS Bye Bye Under Eye Anti-Aging Concealer in deep ($24) Mascara: Too Faced Better Than Sex Waterproof mascara ($23) Sigma Brushes: E25 - Blending Brush; E55 - Eye Shading Brush; E35 - Tapered Blending Brush; E30 - Pencil Brush; E45 - Small Tapered Blending Brush; E57 - Firm Shader Brush; E15 - Flat Definer Brush

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Play! By Sephora May 2016 Subscription Box Review

Oh Sephora. Why must you torture us? Last month, I was finally able to sign up for the Play! By Sephora Beauty Subscription box. The May 2016 “Forces of Nature” box includes:

• Atelier Cologne Orange Sanguine (sample size)
• Bite Beauty Amuse Bouche in Kimchi
• Tarte Tarteist Lip Crayon in Latergram
• Origins Maskimizer, Drink Up, and Clear Improvement Masks
• Korres Wild Rose Sleeping Facial
• Briogeo Don’t Despair, Repair! Deep Conditioning Mask

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NARS Cosmetics Summer 2016 Collection

Oh well hello NARS Summer collection 2016. I'll have one of each and a back up please! AVAILABILITY: Available April 15, 2016 at NARS Boutiques and Narscosmetics.com. Available May 1, 2016 at Sephora, department, and specialty stores.

For Summer 2016, NARS makes a getaway with this limited-edition collection—high-fashion moments steeped in exclusivity and ease. New, rich Lip Covers saturate lips with coastal color, while Dual-Intensity Eyeshadows transform sheer tones and glistening shades for eyes. Dual-Intensity Blush completes the look with a touch of the sun – an insatiable rush of blush.

François Nars’ love of the lens meets the glamorous glare of the French Riviera. Inspired by the sensational whirl of an editorial photo shoot, each lush vignette captures the wit and wonder of his behind-the-scenes world. Original illustrations by contemporary artist Konstantin Kakanias bring each moment to life on covetable, limited-edition packaging. A total departure in every aperture.

LIP COVER: $28

Overheated Deep Dusty Rose

Do Not Disturb Vivid Orange-Red

Get Dirty Desert Rose

Members Only Crimson (Members Only is available exclusively at NARS boutiques and on Narscosmetics.com)

DUAL-INTENSITY EYESHADOW, $29

Deep End Shimmering Teal-Green

Tan Lines Rich Hazelnut

Topless Seashell Pink

Pool Shark Iridescent Periwinkle

Liberation Left: Shimmering Light Pink Right: Caramel Rose

Sexual Content Left: Sandy Peach Right: Soft Raspberry

-Press Release-

Anastasia Beverly Hills Liquid Lipsticks Catnip and Soft Lilac Swatches & Review On A Woman of Color

I can't even begin to tell you how excited I am that Anastasia Beverly Hills is now available on Ulta Beauty and Sephora. Can you imagine the amount of points that we're going to rack up? Hellooooo freebies! To celebrate the brand launch in these two iconic beauty retailers, I wanted to swatch as many of the Anastasia Beverly Hills products that I personally own and give you my thoughts in one set space (the blog) to help you shop your favorites better. Here are swatches of the liquid lipsticks in Soft Lilac and Catnip.

Soft Lilac is described as a pale violet.

Catnip is described as a soft plum.

These are $20 each and are currently in stock on Sephora.com, Ulta.com and the AnastasiaBeverlyHills.com.

And here is a live swatch of the lipsticks on my arm. I'm providing these swatches through photos and videos so you can the true color and the coloring with flash etc. I hope it helps!

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Make sure that you let me which kind of swatches you like best and want to see more of (photos, live video etc).