Hot pink lipstick: MUFE vs. Sephora!

Hello friends!

Once upon a time, I was Tumbling as I am wont to do, and I stumbled upon this post on The Makeup Box, comparing Sephora's Love Test creme lipstick to MAC's LE and sold out Quick Sizzle lipstick from the Shop MAC, Cook MAC collection.  The colors popped off the screen and looked so bold and vibrant, I decided to give Love Test a try.

Lo and behold it was a pretty fair color match for MUFE Rouge Artist Intense Lipstick #36, which I happen to own and love a WHOLE HECK OF A LOT.


MUFE on top, Sephora on the bottom.

So Sephora looks denser and more pigmented than MUFE but I think that's just the sheen of the MUFE lipstick.  It also appears warmer in pictures but they are pretty much the same color.  Honestly, I put them on my lips right next to each other and couldn't tell them apart.


MUFE on the left, Sephora on the right.

I honestly like the MUFE better, it's a really top quality lipstick, it's nice and creamy and wears quite well.  I'm still not 100% sure I should even be wearing the Sephora lipstick, as I have had allergic reactions to some of their lip products in the past.  I've had no bad reactions to Love Test so far, but I'm not totally convinced one way or the other.  I will say that Love Test has a noticable bad taste, not as bad as Urban Decay's lipsticks, but if you are sensitive to these sorts of things (and I am) it's worth keeping in mind.

So if you're looking for a Quick Sizzle dupe, apparently Love Test is a pretty close one, and IMO MUFE #36 is a perfect match for Love Test, so either way you're set.  But really, there's no such thing as too many bright pink lipsticks, am I right?!

love and cupcakes,
Ms. Meghan

Better Off Red

Hello friends! I have so many pictures (and even swatches!) waiting to be published, I need to stop being such a bum! But I wanted to throw up a post with some of my fave red lip products, in response to this post on Jezebel. Don't get me wrong, I'm sure it's a lovely lipstick, BUT I cannot wear Revlon lip products. I was reminded of this the hard way a few months ago when I wore Colorburst Lipstick in Candy Pink and Colorburst Lipgloss in Strawberry together for a few days. I got THE WORST case of blisterlips, aka had an allergic reaction. Not pleasant.

SO. The reds in my collection. For skin tone notes: I am ~NC20ish, fair f2 in smashbox high definition foundation, and I use Urban Decay's Halo tinted moisturizer. I would say I am pasty with beige/golden undertones, and while I have fairly pigmented lips, all the products swatched show up at least a little bit. Note the second: I left out anything I own that was LE and no longer available. In the title picture there's a MUFE gloss in red that doesn't appear to be available anymore, unless the Moulin Rouge Glossy Full Couleur is the same. Now, onto the makeup!


So this is (top to bottom) MAC Brave Red lipstick, Cover Girl Outlast Lipstain in 440, and Nars Shanghai Express. SE was my first RED lipstick but I actually never wear it because it's too dark, muddy and kind of chalky. The Outlast lipstain is hit or miss for me, but Brave Red is my go-to NUMBAH ONE red lipstick. It's cremesheen, so it's smooth, applies nice and opaque (but not heavy) and has a lovely sheen.


T-B: Cover Girl Natureluxe Gloss Balm in Anemone, Tarte Natural Lip Stain Pencil in Lust and Lipfusion gloss in Sexy. I bought the CG balm because I needed an spf lip product (it's only 15 but better than nothing) that wouldn't wash me out. It is a nice, light texture but I'm mostly indifferent to it. Now the Tart and the Lipfusion? LOVE. Tarte really gives your lips a shiny gloss and a "just ate a popsicle tint" and Lipfusion WORKS and is very shiny and the red shimmer makes your lips look cushy and so fine.


Top to bottom: Lipfusion again, Urban Decay 5150 lipstick and Lip Junkie in Red Light.
I wanted the 5150 to rep some red shimmer, it's a pinkish corally red with tons of white/pink microshimmer and is also fairly sheer. It's very pretty, and nice if you want something not so intense. But if intense is your game, you need some Red Light in your life friends. It is a crazy deep pink-toned red (but not too pink, it's supah red!) and oh so shiny and minty. I just love it, and it gets beaucoup compliments.

So my top recs:
Lipfusion gloss in Sexy
Tarte lip stain pencil in Lust
Urban Decay Lip Junkie in Red Light
MAC Brave Red Lipstick

What reds do you love? Do let me know in the comments!

love and cupcakes,
Ms Meghan