Happiness is New Lipstick

"Flowers in the city are like lipstick on a woman -- it just makes you look better to have a little color." - First Lady, Lady Bird Johnson

As you all know, I'm a sucker for lipsticks. I mean, I love a good pigmented or shimmer gloss, and I detest matte lipstains, but now lipsticks...they're on a whole 'nother level! I can't stop collecting them for my kit! I've cut the lipstick-binges back for quite a while now, and I was itching to try something new, so I looked into reviews for Smashbox lipstick and Bobbi Brown lipsticks, and as Smashbox was the cheaper option of the two, I decided to place an order for a cute little mini set of five lipsticks that included one of the highest rated bridal shades and three full sized lipsticks.

Most research raved about these lippies' longevity and pigmentation, and they come to a close second to the wide range of shade offerings of MAC with some very attractive colors included in the line.

Top three rows: Dirty Matte, Mauve Matte, Pretty Social

Bottom rows from left to right: Bing Matte, Stylist Matte, Audition, Famous, Screen Queen Matte

We're going to take a quick look at the full-sized lipstick shades which are $21 for 0.1oz...

First up, "Dirty Matte": funny enough, the color reminds me of wet clay dirt from the side of the road I grew up on. It's a grungy brick red with tones and is matte but not not drying - big difference between those two terms.

Next, we have "Mauve Matte" which is a strange descriptor for a color that is poppin' coral pink! Maybe they put the wrong color in the tube, but this shade is NOT "mauve". It's a beautiful bridal shade of pink, but there isn't a single purple-grey undertone to be found.

Lastly, there's "Pretty Social", a shade that research showed was a mainstay for a bride's wedding day. This one really shocked me with with how sheer it was - it was almost like a Clinique Chubby Stick! The color is a cool-toned baby pink, and it's really cute, but to get enough pigment, you'd have to apply multiple layers and because the formula is so creamy, it transforms into a greasy wash of color that eventually settles into lip lines. Love the color, just not the formula.

Finally, I was drawn to this petite set because 1.) it was on clearance, and 2.) it included one of the top-rated shades I noticed surfacing over and over again in my research called "Audition". Originally $39, it was on-sale for $20 and then my 30% discount on top of that sealed the deal!

There's "Bing Matte" which is a firetruck red with a slight blue base, "Stylist Matte" which to me is the perfect neutral fall shade of deep rose, the highly anticipated "Audition" which is THE perfect light mauve, "Famous" which is a fair, orange/peach-based nude, and finally, "Screen Queen Matte" which is the most lovely burgundy, borderline blue-based ox-blood.

I am so excited to put each of these colors to good use over the next year, but tell me, which Smashbox shade is your go-to?