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Stila Lip Glaze
by daisylee3
I am a bit of a lipstick, lipgloss and lipbalm addict and heard about this lipgloss a while ago via a magazine if I remember correctly. I instantly wanted it but couldn't find it anywhere and then forgot about it. I eventually got it recently after seeing it on the ASOS site and I paid £15. I wouldn't usually pay this for a lipgloss ... (especially a lipgloss which contains just over 2 grams of product), but my boyfriend told me to take his bank card and buy myself whatever I wanted as he is useless at buying birthday presents, so this was part of my little (or not so little!) birthday haul last week. For anyone not already aware, I am now 20! Feeling old, lol, but anyway that is not the point of my review so my rambling ends here. The lipgloss is available from a few other places as well as ASOS including Boots and various websites including the official Stila website. Prices vary but average at around the same price that I paid - £15. This, in my opinion, is a very high price tag so I would class it as a high end lipgloss.
Onto the packaging, and it's a bit of a dissapointment. It comes in a clear tube with a twisty bit on the end which when twisted, dispenses the gloss onto a foamy nib. The tube reminds me of the ELF lipgloss tubes so obviously the packaging is nothing special, however on a plus side the tube is quite sturdy. I think it's made of plastic but it's very sturdy plastic which has a bit of weight to it. On the side of the tube it has the Stila logo/brand name in black writing and directly underneath in a smaller font it has the product name. All in all the packaging is very bland, for £15 I was expecting it to look very posh but it simply doesn't. Yes, when I hold it it feels good quality and sturdy but that's not really the point. I can't moan though as I was aware of what it looked like via a product picture on the website before I bought it. I do also like that the tube is transparent as it shows how much product is left which is handy as you can tell if you're using too much or getting through the tube too fast. The tube contains a tiny amount of product for the price - 0.08 fluid ounces/2.4ml, but because of the dispenser it does last quite long, or at least it seems to be lasting well and I have been using mine daily for a week.
This is basically a (sheer) lipgloss, despite the fancy name. It can be worn on its own as a lipgloss to give subtle, sheer colour and moisture, or over the top of lipstick to give a bit of shine depending on the shade of the lip glaze that you choose. Stila claim that the shine in the lip gloss will "visually enhance the size and texture of the lips" and also state that applying the product onto your lips thorought the day will help minimize dryness. I do definetly find it very moisturizing and it usually lasts for an hour or so before I need to top up which is pretty amazing compared to the lasting power of other lipglosses. The list of ingredients for this product is huge, and to be honest very chemically sounding. The gloss is very thick and it has a wet, slightly sticky texture. It sticks to my lips well so it lasts for quite a while. The texture is thick but smooth so glides onto my lips evenly, spreading well. The lipgloss has a very subtle, feminine sweet smelling scent which I like as it isn't the sort of smell which makes the product tacky. I think the smell will appeal to most people as it is so subtle. As I got the Honeysuckle shade, I somehow imagined that it would smell of honey, but it doesn't, so i'm guessing that this applies to the other shades such as watermelon, grapefruit, blackberry etc.
The lipgloss makes my lips appear much more full, giving me a nice pouty look which isn't over the top or fake looking. It gives my lips a nice hint of colour which makes my lips look very healthy, it also looks very natural as the lipgloss is quite sheer (although suprisingly well pigmented when it's not blended onto the lips thoroughly) and it gives my lips a moist look which I like as it provides a bit of subtle, natural shimmer. When applied over lipgloss it acts as a protective coat and also makes matte lipstick look moist and more natural. It would be possible to use this as a base coat to avoid lipstick drying the lips out but as it's quite thick I don't think I will use it for this purpose - I prefer it as a finishing coat. For the price, this is good. It is of good quality and it does everything that it claims to do however the price is a huge let down as it isn't an affordable product in my opinion and not one that I would be able to regulary repurchase, but overall I would reccomend this.
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Stila Smudge Pots
by Abi2830
I am a woman that likes to flit from fad to fad, and with a steady hand, it was nice to discover a useful little pot of colour that delivers so much! Having small eyes I definitely need an eye liner to frame my eyes and the smudge pots give you the flexibility of a stark precision line or a smudged effect. The 'gel' is easy to get your ... liner brush into - but hard enough that you are not left with unsightly residue or a watery line. The line was consistent and vivid and if you rest the back of your thumb to cheek bone in the hand that holds the brush - you will find it easy to 'glide across' in one easy line - no need to reapply to get a complete line. Smudging is relatively easy - I choose not to use fingers, but a small sponge lightly applied. Easier to do than using powder as the gel is denser and less easy to completely get rid of leaving a more uniformed amount of 'smokeyness'.
Now I am quite good at lines, and you need to judge how much you put on your brush rather than it done for you in a pencil - so steady on with the gel.
Overall this product in my humble and long opinion delivers - if you have a steady hand - but hey, if not - go for the smokey look! It has longevity-so ideal for a long night out or in! One tip would be not to leave the lid off - science dictates that the moisture from the gel will evaporate leaving it hard and unusable - so lid etiquette applies!
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Stila Eye Shadow
by Daffydill
I am a big fan of online beauty blogs and I had heard that not only Stila do fantastic eye shadows, and that Stila were also being discontinued in the UK. Stila is an American company, and is big in the United States, with their most popular product being their lip glazes, but the Kitten shade of the eye shadow range also has a massive ... cult following.
I was then especially excited to find a single pan of Stila eye shadow in Shell reduced in T K Maxx. The item was sealed so I sadly could not test it before buying. However as it was reduced from £14 to £3.85 I was more than happy to run to the tills with my bargain purchase before anyone else could get their grubby mitts on it.
*** Packaging ***
This is actually a loose pan shade, so there is not much in the way of outer casing. It is literally a thin metal pan with the colour name on the back in an outer brown card box with a plastic window so you can view the colour before purchasing. The pan itself is designed to fit in Stila's palettes or any other magnetic palette such as a Z palette. It fits fine into my Z palette so the packaging does serve its purpose.
*** The Eye Shadow Itself ***
Shell is a shade which in the pan is dusky pink in colour with a silver glitter. Swatched only a little of the pink colour remains, but a lot of glitter seems to be deposited, which seems to end up all over the eye. The overall effect is sparkly, and the pink which lacks pigmentation, gives an uneven finish to the eye. In fact I would argue my eye looks unhealthy, a little like I had been rubbing it too much due to an allergy, even though the product did not irritate my skin itself. Only when wet does the eye shadow colour show up on my lid to give a pale pink colour to my lids.
The shade when applied wet was visible for around two hours, and did crease m
I have since tried to find an alternative use for the shade, however I have hit some obstacles with my light to medium skin tones. My first thoughts was due to the shimmer that it could be used as a highlighter, however due to the pink tinge, it is not as light as I would prefer, however it may work for more medium/ olive tones as a highlighter. My other thought was whether this could be used as a blush, however due to the intense glitter and lack of pigmentation, the pink did not show on my skin. If you are fair toned and are looking for a very glittery blush then this may work.
The product is easily removed with a standard eye make up remover or wipe. To be fair there isn't much to remove, and like other glitter heavy products the glitter seems to easily migrate.
*** Price and Availability ***
Stila is starting to be reintroduced into some Boots stores in the UK, however a quick look online does not show any sign of them selling Shell as an eye colour currently. I have found it on Amazon at an eyewatering £25, I must admit I am unhappy at paying £4 for this product, so I certainly wouldn't recommend it at that price. In Stila's favour the 2.6g of product you get in a pan would be great value for money if the product was any good. Other premium makeup brands such as Mac and Urban Decay normally fill their pans with approximately half of that, somewhere between 1.2-1.6 grams.
With regards to the texture I have found it to be quite chalky, and when picking up with a brush I seem to kick up a lot of dust which makes me worry I am wasting product. It did not apply particularly smoothly, and did not transfer easily from pan to brush to lid.
***Overall***
I can not recommend this eye shadow in any form the pigmentation, texture and wear. I know when I have found a bad product when one of my few advantages is that a basic pan packaging serves its purpose. After my first Stila experience I am not sure if I wish to spend my hard earned money on further Stila eye products. I have found very few redeeming features with this eye shadow, so I award it one measly star.
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