Good & Bad Posietint Dupes: 2True Lip & Cheek Tint & Etude Fresh Cherry

On the left you see my battered, empty bottle of Posietint that I bought over 2 years ago from the UK. I figure anything I can use for 2 years and use up every single drop needs replacing. So I recently hauled one from the US with the girls. But even when buying from the US spending RM98 doesn't exactly make me happy. So I shopped around for cheap dupes while I was waiting for the new Posietint to arrive. 

The two I tried were 2True Lip & Cheek Tint & Etude Fresh Cherry Tint in Shade #2

2True is a budget English brand that I got a friend to bring back for me. At only GBP1.99 I figured it was worth a shot. The bottle is glass, like Posietint, as is the nail-polish-like brush.

When I first hauled the Fresh Cherry Tints in Shades #1 and #3 this one was sold out. So when I found them back in stock I not only bought one and a backup for myself, I bought some as Xmas gifts. I'm now known as the crazy Tint lady there. It's only RM25.90 each and comes in a handy plastic bottle with a dove-wand applicator. It's not recommended for use as a cheek tint but is perfect for lips.

Sweet Stains: Etude House Fresh Cherry Tint in Red and Peach

The stain mania lives on! Etude House has once again produced two love-worthy stains at a wonderful price point. What I love about these two shades is that neither is your typical rosy cool-toned red. The stains aren't clear either and resemble Posietint in texture.

Peach
Perhaps the shade I coveted most, while looking out for non-red shades. Although it looks orange on the does-foot applicator wand, when applied it turns into a natural pinky-peach shade that goes brilliantly with blushes like Coralista. The swatch here is topped with clear lipbalm but it also goes amazing with Nivea's Pink Grapefruit. ;) (Come on, you knew I'd say that)

Red
Unlike Dear Darling Liptint which is a Benetint-style red, Cherry Tint Red is a warmer, bright strawberry red. It's very cheerful and gives your lips a playful stained-with-a-popsical look. I love it on its own so I wear it topped with clear lip balm. It also makes a good base to pop any nude lipgloss that's too flat or for cooler-red lippies.

Wear & Formula
Neither of these tints last as long as the clear tints or even Posietint. They do wear out faster and I find by the end of the day they've faded almost away. Fortunately they do still hang around through meals and drinks far longer than any lipstick or gloss.

As I've just gotten through a breakout on my face I haven't yet tried this on my cheeks and I'm not sure I will. I have blushes that match them exactly and when applied over a base of Revlon Colorstay, powder blushes last as long as stains.

Conclusion
These are both from an older collection and I'm not sure if there are many left. I picked them up at a nice discount of 25% from RM22.90 - very nice. =D If you spot them, buy them!

Sweet Stains: The Body Shop Lip & Cheek Stain

Of all the stains I have this is at present, the closest in shade and nature to Benetint as it is a rosy sheer red that functions both as a lip & cheek stain. Although many (including me) have regarded this as a cheaper version of Benetint, I'd like to point out that the Lip & Cheek Stain in shade 01 (it's the ONLY non LE shade) is very affordable in Malaysia at only RM39 for 8ml while Benetint (if you buy it online) is RM100 for 12.5 ml making TBS RM3 cheaper per ml than Benetint. It's also very wonderfully portable and I prefer its doe-foot applicator to Benetint's rather tickly brush.

Colour
It is more pigmented than Benetint as I swiped it only once on my hand below, and I swiped Benetint twice. In undertones it is also cooler than Benetint, although the difference is slight, I do believe that this makes it a little less friendly to warmer-toned girls. On me (I'm cool-toned), it's more brightening than Benetint but at the same time, less natural.

So since the one-coat, two-coat lip routine worked so well in the Benetint post...

One Coat

Two Coats

I'm sorry the pics are so darned washed out. I found a setting that's great for faces lousy for lips - and only just realised it. If enough people complain I'll redo the pics...*grumble grumble*

See what I mean about good for faces? It doesn't give that awful flashed-out effect.

On Cheeks and Lips

Formula
This is more gel-like than Benetint, and therefore doesn't seem to sink as easily into the lines on my lips - making it a better option.

On the cheeks I find Benetint lasts longer, but TBS is easier to blend in. However, Benetint is sheerer so it's harder to overdo. TBS well... two dots too many and you're in Clown City. No fear, just grab the powder foundation and blend blend blen to nudge yourself back over the city border.

And oh yes, in my previous review, I forgot to mention Benetint smells of roses. A scent that I prefer greatly to TBS's stain. This one smells like sickly sweet cough syrup. Euch! Thank goodness it fades away really fast.

Wear
On my hand below it's the second from right, and well it doesn't hold up to soap and water very well.
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But I wore it about all day and it lasted with minimal fading through a light meal, drinks, and a hot sweaty day. So yay!

Conclusion
If you're a cool toned girl, this is definitely a great option to Benetint. Especially when you can buy it at any TBS store as opposed to having to ship it over from the US. For everyday base-wear though I still tend towards Benetint as this is twice as pigmented and less natural a red.

Sweet Stains: Lipstick Queen in Medieval

Sweet Stains is a series of reviews on the red lipstains I own and love. While this isn't technically a stain, it looks like one and lasts just about as well, so why not?

My love for red lipstick has taken on a life of its own, and is now fueled by the generosity of friends. This particular lippie was a lovely birthday gift from the incomparable Tine of Beautyholics Anonymous. She purchased it in Oz (so it's available there), and it can be bought in the US, and the UK. More than that I'm afraid I don't know.

Medieval, according to Poppy King, the Lipstick Queen herself, is not so much a lipstick as a tinted treatment. Here's her story:

Lipstick Queen is going back to Medieval times, when full coverage lipstick was considered a sin. Instead, women used lemons to stimulate the lips and stain them a see through blood red. I have recreated this very sheer flattering look in one simple universal shade that suits every skin tone and is chic as it is comfortable. It doesn't even look or feel like you are wearing lipstick. It looks like you naturally have gorgeous swollen cherry lips. Medieval is also Vitamin E based for a luxurious feel with just a touch of pigment to create a purely sensual lip.

The packaging has its own story too, but it's rather complex and I'm not sure I comprehend it all, so go to the site and decode it if you're interested. =)

Now, ON to the lippie!

Colour
Slightly glossy, sheer red with warm undertones Medieval is extremely wearable. Great for everyday wear it gives a just-bitten lips look topped with a hint of gloss. It makes for a natural look with a touch of sexiness and a dash of class.

To me the great thing about this tint-option is you get the look of a tint without the drying effect of one. Also, as tints are best applied BEFORE lip balm, and pointless if applied after, this is a great option for when I want the look, but forgot and slapped on the balm.

Feel
You really don't need a lipbalm with this. It's soooo moisturising it really is more like a tinted lipbalm than a lipstick or a stain. I love the ability to just swipe this on my dry lips without going through the extra step of using a lipbalm. Perfect for lazy days.

Wear
Now this surprised me. I lightly washed off the stains with some liquid cleanser and medieval - the supposedly non-stain - outlasted everything but Benetint! Just look (it's the first stripe):

Wearing Medieval throughout the day, I find that although it really does last through light meals, it has a tendency to settle into cracks and cake up afterwards. So after meals, it's a good idea to use a tissue to buff off excess before reapplying. This isn't actually needed when merely reapplying - it seems to only be necessary after meals.

Conclusion
Medieval retails for US$20 online making it quite the luxury purchase, one I'm not sure I'd make myself. Which makes it all the more awesome a gift!

All in all though, it certainly is special and who doesn't love being able to slick on a moisturising colour, that will always look amazing, in that mad dash out the door?