Vivo Lipsticks - Nougat and Spiced Cinnamon

Nougat (left) and Spiced Cinnamon (right). 

Now i'm sure we've all heard about the brand 'Vivo' available from Tesco. I was intrigued by this brand for a long while - so a 3 for 2 offer was clearly the best time to try it out right ;) At the time i was a 'lippie newbie' - i had only just started to like wearing lipstick so, i picked up two lipsticks to try out (not knowing what to expect) and an eyeshadow i will show you another time. And at £1.99 each they don't exactly break the bank!

First we have a nude, 'Nougat':

This is the PERFECT nude for my skintone (nc42). I think for people with tanned/olive skin this is a great budget nude. I personally don't see the point in spending a lot of money on a 'nude' colour - i prefer to spend more on a good statement shade - so to me this is more than perfect.  It doesn't make lips look washed out or give the dreaded 'concealer lips' effect, it just mutes out your natural lip to colour to a nice pinky nude. It's great when you want less emphasis on the lips - when you have statement eye makeup or are going for a natural look. I'm definitely glad i picked this up, the colour is great and lasts a long enough time (3/4hours with no eating or drinking). It's also great for mixing with another colour, like a coral, to create a nice, subtle tint to the lips. Overall, for £1.99 i don't really think you can go wrong, the pigmentation isn't the best but nevertheless it is good (two coats = opaque colour) and Vivo also do a lighter nude shade ('Barely There') for those light-skinned beauties! 

Next up, 'Spiced Cinnamon':

This is a deep red/berry shade with a frost finish. To be honest, i'm too keen on the frost finish and think it would look miles nicer without the shimmer as it is such a flattering deep red. Some frost shades can really work, but i think the frost makes this look a little dated unfortunately :(. However, it is great to add a pop of colour. I find myself reaching for this on those days when i've got ready in like ten minutes, have the tiniest bit of makeup on and feel my face needs some colour. Would i re-purchase this? No, the frost really ruins it for me. Although the pigmentation in this is far better than 'Nougat' and it applies smoothly and easily! It lasts a long enough time (3/4hours) so other than the shade i can't really fault this. But if you like a frost finish then this could be for you! 

So overall i can't really criticise either of them, the both apply smoothly and evenly with no tugging. The price is amazing and the pigmentation isn't half bad either. If you're doing your weekly shop in Tesco i more than recommend you pick one up, a girl can never have too many lipsticks! Vivo have 9 shades in total - i have my eye on 'Coral flair' and 'Pink Pout' next ;)  

Vivo's blog have a complete swatch list -(http://vivocosmetics.blogspot.co.uk/2012/05/vivo-lipstick-swatch-gallery.html)  and you can order these lippies online from the Vivo website - and they ship internationally too if you're interested! 

January Favourites.

Vivo lipstick,  Estee Lauder Double Wear foundation, Avon mineral powder, Avon Blusher,  Avon double-ended eyeliner, Paint brush, Sigma flat top kabuki.

Clockwise: Vivo lipstick, Estee Lauder Double Wear foundation, Avon Blusher, Avon mineral powder.


Some staples in my makeup bag this month! Through January i've used these products day and night all highly pigmented, long-lasting and quick and easy to use.
Swatches:

Top - Bottom: Avon blusher, Brown end of the eyeliner, Black end of the eyeliner, Avon Mineral Powder, Vivo lipstick and Estee Lauder Double Wear foundation.

Avon true colour blusher 'Russet' - Featured here in a previous post. At first i wasn't too sure about this blusher, i thought it was difficult to blend and too pigmented but with a change of brush this blusher is perfect for a natural flush of colour and sculpted cheekbones. I use this with a MAC angled brush that i got in a christmas collection (similar to the 168) and apply it on the apples on my cheeks and up to my temples (following my contour) = cheekbones of a model - almost!

Avon double ended kajal stick 'Black and Brown' - Two colours in one, perfect for all occasions! This is so easy to shove in my bag and apply on the go. It's handy to take out and change your look from day (brown) to night (black) if you haven't got time. Its a little too 'soft' and smudges if used for a 'cat eye' so i only use this on my waterline or if your in a hurry i draw this on my crease and outer v then blend with a brush = perfect smokey eye in a hurry!

Avon powder - I think this has been discounted (boo). It's just a powder i purchased that is WAY too dark which makes it perfect for contouring and slimming my face down - soft, highly-pigmented and easy to blend.

Vivo lipstick 'Nougat' - A neutral lipstick that is creamy and has good pigmentation. Even better, it's £2 from Tesco. Cheap and cheerful. Good enough for a day at college, looks natural but gives my lips a nice pop of colour.

Estee Lauder Double Wear Foundation - Don't think i need to say much about this product! Amazing high coverage foundation for oily skin. It's easy to blend and lasts all day - what more can you ask for? (full review to come).

Sigma Flat Top Kabuki - Christmas present that i haven't stopped using ever since - amazing for foundation, quick, easy and gives a seamless application (full post to come)

Royal paint brush - Bought from 'The range' a shop that can be found all around England. I saw this brush and thought 'ooh this will be perfect for blusher', it was so soft and the perfect size so i bought it and forget about it for ageeees. Several months and a wash later it is being adored for contouring my cheek bones - the PERFECT precise size! Amazing and cheap. GO BUY SOME PAINTBRUSHES!

 Nadia xox