Lipstick Queen Oxymoron Lip-Cheek Rouge

An oxymoron is a term that we all became familiar with in grade school grammar lessons and one that most people continue to make use of long after their college graduation.  An oxymoron is defined as "a figure of speech that juxtaposes elements that appear to be contradictory" and can occur in a variety of contexts.  Some of the most popular ones are "living dead" and "jumbo shrimp".  An Oxymoron is something completely different in the world of Poppy King and is one of biggest cult products.

In the world of Lipstick Queen, Oxymoron is a dual use product that is listed as a "matte gloss".  A "matte gloss" is a great example of a literary oxymoron, a gloss has shine and a matte has no shine.  So how does this product work and what will the final result of use look like?  I have heard of lipsticks having a "creamy matte" finish, a matte finish that is designed to be hydrating and not "dry" while still having a lack of shine to it.  Is this product another combination of a cream and a matte or is this a completely unique products? 

The Lipstick Queen website provides the following product description to help us understand how this product is unique.  "Many women are afraid of matte because they think it is high-maintenance, hard to wear and drying. Not so with this lip-cheek rouge, especially as the four shades were designed to be the colors of blush, very sweet, subtle and flattering."  The website continues the description with recommendations for best use.  "If you are wearing a bold or bright lip color then Oxymoron is the perfect way to subtly enhance your natural cheek color.  Four shades with Oxymoron names; Oxymoron means two opposites together (for example matte and gloss).  It feels as smooth and light as a gloss but on matte!!  Designed to use on the lips and cheeks.  For the lips, use a lip brush or your finger to apply.  For the cheeks, just dab a small amount on with your finger and blend."

This product reminds me very much of Stila's Convertible Color but with a more matte finish.  The application for both products is pretty much exactly the same but the results differ.  I use the Stila product mostly as a blush but use the Lipstick Queen product equally as a blush and a lipstick.  I found the Stila product to not very long on the lips, it's very creamy and lasts about as long as the average satin or cream lipstick.  The Lipstick Queen product has the lasting power of a matte lipstick but feels a bit more hydrating on the lips.  I do need to touch up with a hydrating lip balm once in a while during wear which is normal for me when I am wearing any kind of matte formula.  The Lipstick Queen product functions very well as a cream blush and lasts all day long.  As a lipstick, I get about five to six hours of wear before I need to touch up the color itself.

The Oxymoron Lip-Cheek Rouge is available in only four shades.  Lipstick Queen has never released their products in a wide shade range, which is a shame because I have loved every product that I have every used from them and always wants to buy more. 

- Free Ride - ultimate pretty peach
- Honest Politician - perfect pinky brown
- Minor Crisis - dusky rose pink
- Open Secret - romantic pop pink

I have bought both Open Secret and Minor Crisis.  I used Open Secret through the end of the summer and can use this bright pink all throughout the year, this is my favorite of the two shades.  I love bright pink shades and this is another great option for me, it is easier to wear than NARS Schiap and I can wear it when getting dressed up, for a more professional environment, and for a casual weekend look.  This is a very versatile shade for me and I will be using and buying it for many years to come.  Minor Crisis is more of a fall shade for me, I waited to open this one up until last weekend.  This is a subtle rose hue that works well for a more professional look or a more natural look.  I am very happy with both of these shades and wish that Lipstick Queen offered more shades in this product.

I love this unique product and will continue to watch for new shades or it and hope that this wish has already been expressed by other ladies to the Lipstick Queen company!

photo courtesy of Barneys New York

Lipstick Queen Saint Lipstick

Lipstick Queen might be the last lipstick company that you ever try.  And this is coming from a lady who loves all of her MAC Lipsticks...  Lipstick Queen is a line that is very obviously devoted to all things lip.  You will not find any other type of product in this line and it is one of the smallest beauty product line on the market today.  However, evern though there isn't a ton of choices in products and shades in this line, you can argue that all of the offered products are top-notch since extra time was spent perfecting them instead of creating full makeup collections. 

Lipstick Queen has two full lipstick collections that are complements of each other.  Or some might say that they are opposites of each other, I find that both descriptions actually fit the collections equally well.  This is the only beauty company that I have ever seen pull collections like this off and they actually were the first reasons that I became interested in this company.  The collection is divided into two separate parts, one is the Sinner line and the other is the Saint line.  The Sinner line is full pigment, the Saint line is minimal pigment.  Today we are going to look at the Saint line and then see the Sinner line closer to the fall season.

"The sheerest, moistest, most serene lipsticks you have ever tried.  Just a hint of beauiful color but enough depth to make an impact whether it be a pink nude or a deep blackberry.  Absolutely no glitter (Saints are far too humble for such audacity.  Soul and style in one little stick."  The Saint formula contains only 10% pigment, and the then Sinner formula contains 90% pigment.  There are ten shades in total, one version in the Saint formula and the Sinner formula. 

The shades in the Saint formulation...

- Saint Berry - Sheer chocolate berry shade that delights the lips without adding to the hips.
- Saint Coral - As easy as it is breezy.  Who knew sheer coral could be this hip and savvy?
- Saint Natural - Being good may not come naturally but this light pinky shade looks so natural...  You would never know it.
- Saint Nude - Even Saints like to get naked and so will you with this sheer nude beige.
- Saint Pink - A suggestion of ballet pink to kiss the lips and lift the spirit.
- Saint Rouge - This color should be given sainthood.  It is that good.  A sheer divine touch of pinkish red that gets along with everyone.
- Saint Rose - Be touched by a rose with this soft sensual shade.
- Saint Wine - We will never tell!  Just a little wine on the lips never hurt anyone.
- Saint Red - Bee-stung and sexy...  This is the red for those who don't think they can wear red.  It is see-through and suggestive.  What a tease!
- Saint Rust - No harsh scorching here just a hint of sun kissed rusty red.

I started with this collection originally when I picked out the Sinner version of the Wine shade.  I was trying to match a black cocktail dress and that shade was recommened to me at the C. O. Bigelow store.  I bought that shade and then the Saint Wine shade to complement it.  The Saint Wine shade is a hint of deep berry on my lips, it is more of a stain than a lipstick.  It is much more hydrating than a traditional lip stain making it a better choice for me since my lips tend to dry out very easily.  However, it is not a long-lasting formula and it will need to be reapplied any time after drinking or eating.  Even without doing either of these activites, I do need to reapply it after three to four hours. 

Saint Wine is very wearable during the day and then I can easily switch to the Sinner version at night.  This version can be worn easily to work or against a stronger eye.  I wish that I had bought more than the just the Wine shade in these two formulas, this company's products are harder to find and I ended up really liking these formulations.  I also love the Saint Natural, the Saint Pink, the Saint Rouge, the Saint Rose, and the Saint Red shades.  I recommend any of the Saint shades for the daytime, they are easy to wear and anyone can pull them off even if you rarely wear lipstick.

photo courtesy of Lipstick Queen

Lipstick Queen Jean Queen

If you are like myself and 99% of the rest of the females in this country, jean shopping is the bane of your shopping trips and it takes forever to find the perfect pair. Their are many shopping trips that I went on and bought jeans that I thought would work but then hung in my closet until my next session of spring cleaning. Now lip gloss shopping is a whole different story...

As hard as it is to find the perfect pair of jeans, denim is the uniform of the United States and is the most bought article of clothing. Based on the American love of jeans, Lipstick Queen creator Poppy King has created of line of lip products called Jean Queen, a shade meant to complement the jean shade and the wearer of the jeans. "Jean Queen is a lovingly created special pink that offsets the blue in the denim and lights up your whole face at the same time. One stroke and you and your jeans go from drab to fab! Super silky feel on the lips and just the right amount of shine to contrast with the very matte nature of denim. Suits all skin tones, ethnicities, ages, and jean styles. Comes in both lipstick and gloss. The lipstick is super sheer, the gloss is a little more opaque with a higher shine factor. They can be worn alone or together for maximum impact...and is the perfect solution to add some glamour to your casual (and not so casual) looks!"

Jean Queen Lip Gloss - Gorgeous natural pink gloss designed to perfectly offset denim and all your casual wear. Totally sticky-free and rich pigment for high impact coverage.

Jean Queen Lipstick - Gorgeous natural pink lipstick in a super sheer moisturizing tint designed to perfectly offset denim and all your casual wear. Go from drab to fab in one stroke!

I love both of these shades, I must hit up New York City and get to Bendels before they totally sell out of these two products. I love that these shades work with all shades of denim since I own about fifteen different of jeans. I am willing to bet that these shades are going to be two perfect shades for my skin and knowing that they are Lipstick Queen, they will be great quality and will stay true and last all day.

photo courtesy of Lipstick Queen

Lipstick Queen Chinatown Glossy Lip Pencil

Yes you read that right, this product is a glossy lip pencil. How can that be you wonder? A formulation so fine and amazing could only come from the one and only Lipstick Queen, Poppy King herself. Her entire life has been devoted to lipstick and the creation of beautiful, high quality shades and products. I was first introduced this line at the C.O. Bigelow in the King of Prussia when I was shopping for a deep red lipstick. I have heard that this line is so popular with lipstick devotees (meaning myself) that when Poppy drops by her counters in New York City and does lip readings, she draws a giant crowd and has to set up appointments to do the readings.

Today we are going to check out a very unique product that only could be created by a liptick lover and someone who is very knowledgable about anything lip related. The description of the product comes from the Lipstick Queen herself. "Our Lipstick Queen offices in New York are on the border of Chinatown and Tribeca. Everyday I get off at Canal St. Subway and marvel at the kookiness of the products on offer. And...one of my favorite movies is Roman Polanski's Chinatown. All of which served as inspiration for my Chinatown Glossy Pencils! Kooky and fun with bright colors ina super sheer, super moisturizing 'draw on' gloss. Yes! Gloss in a jumbo-sized pencil... Welcome to Chinatown baby! It comes with a jumbo-sized sharpener and the original artwork on the boxes and shade names are all inspired by the Polanski film".

The shades are...

- Crime - sheer hot pink

- Mystery - sheer vibrant purple

- Thriller - sheer scarlet red

- Genre - sheer bright orange

- Chase - sheer lush watermelon

I did some additional research on this product and all the claims made by the company are very accurate. When I played with the products, I was expecting either the pencil to be much harder than the company lets on or that the pencil would crumble and break when any pressure is applied to it. Yet somehow, neither of these iccidents occured and the pencil went on smoothly and softly without breaking. The color that was left behind was a very sheer with a semi-glossy finish. My favorite of the bunch is Thriller, which reminded me of Benetint except this formula is more hydrating and I don't need that additional gloss layer on top of this product. This product isn't as long lasting as a stain or traditional pencil but it is much more comfortable to wear and it can be worn if your lips are dry from the cold weather. I also really liked the Chase and Crime colors with the pink undertones in my skin, however they would work best with spring and summer makeup shades.

Some products are just so wonderful and unique that they can only come from a Queen in the industry. And of course this Queen will support my fellow Queens of beauty...

photo courtesy of Lipstick Queen