Is it Kismet?

Naked Gypsy, Crushed Coral, Wildflower - Kismet Cosmetics

This is not a beauty blog by any means. But...I am a serial sharer. What I like. Ideas. Shortcuts. Happiness. And I'm also an experimenter. Sometimes it is food and recipes. Sometimes it is books. And, sometimes it is a bit of make up and skin care.  

The importance of self-care should not be under valued.  Good skin care. A nice perfume. A pretty lipstick. These things are pick-me-ups. 

"Pour yourself a drink, put on some lipstick, and pull yourself together." Elizabeth Taylor

For years, I just threw on some Burt's Bees Lip Shimmer (usually Fig or Rhubarb.) Over the last few years, I migrated to a lip crayon. Specifically, Pur Make-up's Lip Gloss Stick in Daredevil (because, hello! fun name and a great life reminder!) and Game Day (of, course, for game days). It smells nice, has great color and is eco-friendly. Plus it has a budget-friendly price point. Total winner. Tarte Glamazon in Wild is a great lip foundation color if I need a shot more color and staying power under my gloss stick. That all felt very casual. And somewhat limited by palette - red or bright red or dark red. Period. No neutrals. No pinks. No corals. Hmmm...Well I do have a cache of lipstick from 12 years ago. A quick browse showed lipstick does not age well, and out out out (!) all of those went! So, it was time for new lipstick. Actual stick. Something with polish....

In a recent issue of Southern Living touted Louisiana-made Kismet Cosmetics as an instant classic. Being USA-made and the ability to support a small business trumped my usual eco-friendly brand choice. So, I picked a trio of colors - Naked Gypsy, Crushed Coral and Wildflower - to start my lipstick adventure. 

Left to right against my inside arm
(which runs a bit more yellow):
Wildflower,  Naked Gypsy,
Crushed Coral

• Naked Gypsy - this is the most wearable true nude I've ever seen. Visually, there is a touch of violet in the nude stick, but it goes on beige with a touch of pink.
• Crushed Coral - this is not an orange coral. It reminds me of my favorite geranium color, which has a pink  that edges to coral - but not to the pink/orange of my favorite fall leaf color.
• Wildflower - this is a bright pink but quite wearable. The first time I wore it, I decided it looks a little young for me (which is weird because I can see a rocking 60 year old wearing this). The second time, I decided it was a perfect everyday color, and perhaps best applied with a lighter hand.

What I say about Kismet: The color coverage is nice. The scent reminds me of Estee Lauder or Lancome; more synthetic than I'm used to. Wearing a lipliner would probably be best, as I've noticed a bit of feathering some days, usually when my skin is dry. That step  - liner - may be more fuss than I'm willing to do on an average morning. (I'm Sophia Loren - straight out of the tube.) The colors are much more wearable than I expected. Enough that I want to try a few more colors... 

I wear Crushed Coral the most with Wildflower running a close second. (I've worn Naked Gypsy for several days. I love the name. But, I still don't get the point of lipstick the color of no lipstick.) Even on a no-make-up day, they add a spot of bright without being overwhelming. I've also re-discovered why I like crayon lipsticks; I break regular lipsticks (Crushed Coral got a little smushed). Maybe I should try Kismet's liquid lipstick collection in its lovely wand/tube combo!

Take-away - Experimentation need not be large. Make thoughtful choices and expand your world.

***Update 2/16 - Sadly, these Kismet lipsticks are not holding up to age. I've had them less than a year and I've noticed the colors have shifted slightly. Crushed Coral is holding up best. At this point, I'm not likely to buy this brand again. There are many other options to try out there....


Other posts you might enjoy:
- Small Changes
- Scent and Memory

Bonus: From "The Library of Alexandria" (aka my books) is a great read, Lipstick: A Celebration of the World's Favorite Cosmetic.

**I'm naming names; that's how I roll because this is post is (like the entire blog) my opinions only and wholly unsponsored.**

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