Tuesday, May 15, 2012

Spring Beauty Review 2012: Bite Beauty High Pigment Matte Pencils


Don't put away your matte lipsticks away just yet. Matte, bold lips and bare faces were all over the runways this season. Sometimes all you need is a pop of colour on the lips to brighten up the whole face and a matte texture - while not easy for everyone to carry off - is effortless. Depending on how thick you apply it, you can dab it on to look like a stain from a just eaten popsicle. Rule of thumb: your lips must be in tip-top shape to pull of a matte lip. Matte textures can enhance already dry, cracking lips. I like to either use a lip scrub or a more fool-proof way, a warm wash cloth. Just rub gently in a circular motion and then apply your favourite lip balm. Let your lip balm set for a while before applying a matte lippie. 

If you've read my site, then you know I adore Bite Beauty lippies. I finally got my hands on the popular High Pigment Matte Pencils and tested out their Spring picks. These 5 shades are permanent to the line: Madeira (nude pink), Chablis (soft coral rose), Amarone (raisin berry), Rhubarb (plum rose), and Zinfandel (electric coral). The pencils are described as a "long-lasting matte pencil", but I found the texture to apply very creamy which was great for my dry lips. 

What I loved: 
  • Creamy texture doesn't accentuate fine lines or chapped lips.
  • Amazing vibrant pigment. The shades are beautiful.
  • The pencil allows you to line and fill in your lips easily for a perfectly defined pout. 
  • Contains super antioxidant reservatol which fights free radicals with long-term anti-aging benefits.
  • Paraben, sulfate, phthalate free.
  • Self-sharpens.
What I didn't like: 
  • While I loved the creamy texture, I didn't find it to last as long as some other matte lipsticks I've tried. It kissed off on my cups and my lil' guy's cheeks. The brighter shades lasted a bit longer than the lighter shades. 
  • It did bleed a bit, but was ok when I applied a clear lip pencil. When I didn't wear lip balm or took off excess balm, it didn't bleed as much. 

L-R: Madeira, Rhubarb, Chablis, Amarone, Zinfandel

I love how highly saturated the pencils are. What you see is what you get. Madeira I found to be a little too nude on my lips. I had to add something a bit peachier or pink to make it work for my skin tone. On lighter skin tones, it's a perfect nude lip. Rhubarb is pretty universal and looks gorgeous with a bronzey eye for night. Chablis is a lovely rose shade for day and a great basic. I love Amarone and Zinfandel. These two shades are the ones I've used the most. Amarone is a deep fuchsia or bright berry. Looks amazing with a bare skin and a bit of liner and lots of mascara on the eyes. Zinfandel is hot for spring/summer. It's very bright and leans more coral with orange undertones. Looks fantastic against flawless, bronzed skin or a modern Old Hollywood glam look. 

Overall, I really love these pencils. I don't mind the creamy texture since I have naturally dry lips. I just wished they lasted longer on the lips. If you love a more matte texture and brighter lips you will love these pencils!

Have you tried Bite's High Pigment Matte Pencils? Love 'em? Hate 'em? Want 'em?

Retails for $24 USD and is available at Sephora locations all across North America and Sephora.com. 

Products were sent for editorial consideration and I truly love them!

2 comments:

MsBeautyGEEK said...

Zinfandel looks amazing =]

Unknown said...

Wow so pigmented!