When I was very young, I was known for my love of pink. From the pink walls in my bedroom to the pink clothes in my closet. I was especially thrilled that both of my birthstones had pink hues, the opal and the tourmaline, because it meant that gifts of jewelry were often in my signature color!
I like to think of mauve as pink for grown-ups. Even its shades have sophisticated sounding names. Old Mauve, Mauve Taupe, and even Opera Mauve (that one’s for you, Grace) 😉
All this backstory made choosing among my pinky/mauvey toned makeup products particularly difficult. It was like trying to choose a favorite puppy. Ok, it wasn’t that bad, but still. You see the conundrum.
I ended up having multiple rounds of competition, each round more cutthroat than the last. For lip products in particular, the competition was stiff. Mauve is my go-to my-lips-but-better (MLBB) shade, so the contestants were many and varied.
But once again, I persevered. As in my first post in this series, purple cruelty-free color obsessions, products were judged for shade, but also for texture, comfort and longevity of wear.
Here are the winners!
- Lip liner. This one actually wasn’t that tough. The ELF Mineral Lip Liner in Raisin has long been my MLBB liner favorite. A nice twist up, with no need to sharpen, a creamy consistency, and my perfect shade.
2. Lip stick(s). I had to go with 2 picks here. One that is more of a nude lip mauve and one that’s more of an MLBB. The Milani Color Statement Moisture Matte line is a favorite of mine among the matte lip trend releases, and Matte Naked is a stunningly wearable nude shade. On the darker end of the mauve spectrum, I have yet to find a product that tops the Edward Bess Ultra Slick Lipstick in terms of moisturization, and Demi Buff is the perfect MLBB shade for me.
3) Lip Gloss. I had to go with the Gerard Cosmetics Color Your Smile Lighted Lip Gloss in Plum Crazy. Lovely shine, sans the dreaded stickiness, and very impressive wear in terms of longevity and evenness of wear over time.
Moving away from lips, onto blush. This was another wherein competition was tough as mauvey blushes are my favorite for sculpting. Ultimately, though, I had to go with the Hourglass Ambient Lighting Blush in Mood Exposure. The shade is a dream, and there is this gorgeous sheen that the product provides that makes skipping highlighter absolutely an option.
Last up, eye products. It seemed only fair to have two categories, one for matte shadow and one for shimmer. So…
Matte shadow. Another toughie, but I ended up having to go with Miracle in the It Cosmetics Naturally Pretty Celebration Palette. It’s the reason I bought the palette and it hasn’t let me down in terms of pigment or staying power.
Shimmer shadow. Aahhh. The buttery softness and shine of the shimmery mauve shadow in the Hourglass Infinity Modernist Eye Shadow Palette is simply beyond compare.
Finally, I had to give an honorable mention to these products, each of which made it into the finals in their category and represents a more affordable alternative to some of the spendier winners.
Up first, a product spotlit on 10 days of cruelty-free favorites- Day 2, the ELF Studio Blush in Mellow Mauve. It’s a great shade, which can be subtle or built up to a deeper tone, and it has a nice little bit of a sheen to give some depth.
Next, in the lipstick category, a lovely MLBB, the Essence Long-Lasting Lipstick in Barely There! This is a line of lip products that really lives up to its name and this is my go-to shade.
Last but not least, the mauve shade in the ELF Eye Enhancing Eyeshadow Palette for Brown Eyes. This whole palette deserves more love in the beauty blogosphere, and the mauve shade proves it for sure.
Please do share any of your mauve loves and also let me know your picks for colors you’d like to see featured in the cruelty-free color obsessions series!
*These are only my opinions, formed through my personal experience as a consumer. I am not a medical doctor, an aesthetician, or a health/beauty professional. There is no guarantee what effect, positive or negative, these products may have on anyone else.
**All products were purchased by me from brands that, to the best of my knowledge, are cruelty-free.
Beauty, for good. 