Mini Fiona Stiles Haul

So, a few weeks ago, I wrote a first impressions blog about Fiona Stiles, a new brand that is available at Ulta. Long story short, I decided that this brand is a little hit or miss. Some of the products were really great and some art just okay.

I wasn't really planning to pick up any more products from the Fiona Stiles line, but Ulta has had them on super sale (like 70% off or something crazy like that) for a while (I think they may be planning to stop carrying the brand), and I can't resist a good sale, so I decided to stock up. Without further ado, let's get to the haul:

Artist Eyeshadow Quad in Canyon - I'm actually shocked that it took me so long to pick up some Fiona Stiles eyeshadow. I mean, you guys know that I'm an eyeshadow fiend. If my eyes are un-shadowed, I just don't feel right! The brand doesn't seem to have a complete palette yet, just a bunch of quads. Anyway, after doing some research I determined that the Canyon quad is everyone's favorite, so I picked it up. As you can see, the Canyon quad is kind of a bronzy, gold toned palette, which is right up my alley because I've been wearing A LOT of gold eyeshadow lately. I simply adore these colors. The shade on the bottom left is an amazing transition shade. However, the formula is really nothing special. Don't get me wrong, I have no complaints about this quad, but they're not especially pigmented, especially creamy, or especially blendable. I feel like I've seen this sort of formula from a bunch of different brands, and--as much as I love them--I've definitely seen these colors. I like this quad, and the packaging and size is going to be great for travel, but I'm glad I got it on sale because I don't think it's worth the full price.

 

Signature Soft Matte Lip Color in Lookout and Neptune - As I said above, I'm an eyeshdaow junkie, but lipstick was my first love. I have an excessive amount of lipstick (and that's coming from the person who thinks that you can never have enough makeup). So, of course, I had to pick up some Fiona Stiles lipstick. First of all, the packaging is gorgeous. It's just so elegant and classy and HEAVY. Seriously, I feel like you could knock someone out with this lipstick if you had to. I picked up two shades: Neptune, which is a deep, oxblood red, and Lookout, which is a true, blue-toned pink. These are both beautiful colors, but I don't think there's anything special about them. The colors aren't especially unique, and neither is the formula. Yes, they're pigmented and fairly long lasting, but they're also a bit patchy (well, Neptune is). MAC definitely makes a better matte lipstick. All the same, these were a great deal for the sale price. 

Hydrashine Essential Lip Color in Wythe - I picked up one of Fiona Stiles' Hydrashine Essential Lip Colors.  As I said, I'm a lipstick junkie, and I especially love red lipstick. At this point, I basically have a red lipstick collection, even though I don't wear red lipstick all that often. Wythe is an interesting shade. It's kind of a brick, rusty red, but it's not very opaque. It's more of a lip tint, but at the same time it's very dark. It's not what I was expecting, but it's very unique, and I like it.

Color Impact Satin Lip Crayon in Zuma, Hester, and Heliotrope - I picked these lip crayons up on a whim, and, boy, am I glad that I did. These Lip Crayons have a great formula. They're creamy, easy to apply, and--especially in the case of the lighter colors--long lasting. None of them are super pigmented, but you can build them up easily, and they fade very naturally, which I love. I feel like I can put these shades on my lips in the morning and not worry about them for the rest of the day, which is refreshing. I picked up three shades: Zuma, Hester, and Heliotrope. Zuma is definitely my favorite; it's--get this--a pinkish brown (as if I don't have enough colors like that). Hester is a pale, peach-toned pink; I like to wear it with gold eyeshadow. Heliotrope is a purplish, burgundy berry shade, which I think would be super flattering on lots of different skin tones. I highly reccomend any or all of these crayons, and I might buy more.

Ultrasuede High Intensity Lip Color in De Mille - I feel like I was misled by this product, which is not really fair to say because I didn't read the description of the product very carefully. When I put this Ultrasuede High Intensity Lip Color in my cart, I kind of assumed that it would dry down on your lips, or at least be similar to the Colourpop Ultra Satin lip (smudge proof, but not transfer proof). Admittedly that was silly of me because obviously suede doesn't mean matte. I suppose I just assume that anything that looks like a liquid lipstick is going to be liquid lipstick-esque until someone tells me otherwise. This is clearly not a liquid lipstick. The best way to describe this product is as a super pigmented lip gloss. It's got the tacky, sticky lip gloss texture; although, as I said, the pigmentation is more like something you would find in an ordinary lipstick. If you like that, this is the product for you. Personally, this is the sort of product that I know I'm going to struggle to use, but I could see myself putting it on over a lip liner.

Creamy Long-Wear Lip Contouring Pencil in Dona Amelia, New Amsterdam, and Westmoreland - I picked up three of Fiona Stiles' lip liners/lip pencils, and I have to say I'm impressed. I never used to like/want to wear lip liners, but then I discovered all the amazing coloring layering opportunities, and now I can't stop won't stop wearing lip liner. Of course, that means I need to collect more lip liners, and that's where Fiona Stiles comes in. I picked up her Lip Contouring Pencil in three colors: Dona Amelia, New Amsterdam, and Westmoreland. Dona Amelia is definately very nude, with a pinky peachy undertone (which is what "nude" means, I guess). New Amsterdam is my favorite, which means, of course, that it's a pinky brown. Westmoreland is described as a "true red," but I think that's misleading; it's a very orange-y red. I really appreciate the formula of these pencils. They're creamy, easy to apply, and long lasting. What more could you want in a lip liner?

Limitless Lengths Lash Sculpting Mascara in Carbon Canyon - I haven't tried this mascara yet because I only like to have one or two mascaras open at a time, but I already feel like I'm going to like it. Honestly, there are very few mascaras I dislike, and, in any case, anything labeled "limitless length" is very likely to be up my alley. 

Light Illusion Perfecting & Brightening Stylo in Neutral 01-02 - This is another product I haven't tried yet, but I feel like I'm going to like it. The packaging and description is giving me serious 

Illumi-Naughty Highlighting and Concealing Pen (Wet n' Wild) vibes, and I really enjoyed that product. I think it's going to be perfect for summer.

Now that I've had a chance to try out more products from Fiona Stiles, I have to say that I have a more favorable impression of the brand. Obviously, they're not my favorite brand, and I don't think they're really exceptional in any way. However, I can't really say anything negative about them either. These are good, basic products, and I think a lot of people would really appreciate them. I really hope that Ulta doesn't stop carrying their products because I think they're a great "every day makeup" brand.