3x high end lipstick review: Bite, Estee Lauder & NARS

Today I am bringing you another 3-in-1 review. This time of some high end lipstick that I acquired in the past year and a half. When I buy high end products, they are usually the odd bits and ends here and there, which means that I have tons of potential reviews waiting around. However, I find one lipstick not enough input for a separate blog post. So I decided to bundle a few together and review each lipstick. This is by no means a comparative review: all three of these lipsticks are of exceptional quality and I can highly recommend each one.

Bite Matte Creme lipstick Juniper limited edition
Estee Lauder Pure Color Velvet Lipstick Black Cassis Matte
NARS Audacious lipstick Bette

As you can see from the collage above, I photographed each lipstick in different lights and even with a different camera. This explains why there is a difference in color and tone to these pictures. Hence, I wanted to stress that these pictures are not meant to be comparative. I’m just showing you the products and for the sake of length I decided to group these pictures together. So apologies in advance if you think the pictures of insufficient quality.

Bite Matte Creme lipstick Juniper limited edition

The first lipstick I would like to show you is Juniper by Bite. Bite is a lipstick brand that uses food grade ingredients to create their lipsticks. It is all natural, they do some awesome shades and they are supposed to be longwearing. This brand is only available at Sephora and their Matte Crème lipstick retail for €23.50, which puts them right in the high end price area. This particular color was limited edition last summer, but the line has plenty of great permanent colors.

Despite the fact that these lipsticks aren’t cheap, what you get in return is one of the best lipsticks I ever tried. The formula is creamy and comfortable. And where that means for most lipsticks that it will wear off within a few hours, Bite’s Juniper lasts a good 6 – 8 hours on my lips while fading nicely. As the day wears on this lipstick remains a joy to wear as it keeps on feeling as when you first apply it.

The other great aspect of the Bite Matte Crème lipsticks is that they are super saturated with color. One swipe is all you will need to cover you lips. A thin layer goes a long way and I think it is why the lipstick stays on so long as you only need a little bit to make it work. The only downside I find with this is that you have to be careful with your hair getting caught onto your lips when wearing it, because it does transfer very easily.

Estee Lauder Pure Color Velvet Lipstick Black Cassis Matte

Secondly there’s this, now discontinued, beauty by Estee Lauder. I know, I know, it’s a product you can no longer get, but  I still feel it deserves a place on the blog. For one because the color is gorgeous for winter time and I bought this on a whim at a flash sale when a beauty store in town was shutting down and they were selling off their back stock. This puppy retails for €25.

When you know that one of my all time favorite lipsticks is by Estee Lauder, you wouldn’t be surprised that I am intrigued to try some more. For the longest time I was looking for the perfect, dark berry shade and this is most definitely it. It has a satin matte finish, dries up a little bit, but just like the Bite lipstick it wears off very nicely. On average this lasts a good 6 hours on my lips.

As you should expect from such a high end make up item, the Estee Lauder Pure Color Velvet lipstick glides on like a dream, is highly pigmented, though not as dark as you might think in the bullet. As this lipstick dries down in a matter of minutes, you will experience a slightly drying effect on the lips, but it does trade that in for good staying power. And the packaging is gorgeous to boot, what else could a girl want from a lipstick?

NARS Audacious lipstick Bette

I had heard great things about the NARS Audacious lipsticks, which made me want to try them. I bought one last spring when I was in London to try out. At a price point of €30 a pop, it is the most expensive lipstick in this review. These are still available from the NARS official website, as well as from other places that sell the brand. There are many more shades to choose from, so there will certainly be something in the range that will suit your tastes.

When I went out to buy this, I had a very specific lipstick shade in mind: a deep dark red. There are plenty of dark berry shades out there, but a dark red is a lot harder to come by. That is why I decided to splurge and go all out when I finally found the perfect shade. Texture wise this lipstick is in between Bite and Estee Lauder: it goes on smoothly and feels very creamy at first, but it does try up a little bit throughout the day.

The pigmentation on this is great, the packaging the best one in the bunch. Apart from the bullet’s sleek look, the cap is also magnetic. The squared off tip at the bottom makes it easy to apply. Wear time is good and for a lipstick with such a creamy texture it lasts a long time. I’d say that on me this last 5 – 6 hours, with the color fading away in a good way. This doesn’t stain very badly, but there is definitely some transfer after your first apply this.

Bite Matte Creme lipstick Juniper limited edition
Estee Lauder Pure Color Velvet Lipstick Black Cassis Matte
NARS Audacious lipstick Bette

From left to right you can see the swatches for Bite, Estee Lauder & NARS. As you can see all three shades fall within the same berry toned color family. Juniper by Bite is a brighter, almost magenta shade. Black Cassis by Estee Lauder is a true deep berry, bordering on the color of a merlot wine. Bette by Nars is a deep vampy red.

Counterclockwise: nothing, Bite, NARS, Estee Lauder

On my lips, you can see the difference between the shades very clearly. None of these really latch onto dry patches on your lips. The Bite & NARS lipsticks are definitely moisturizing enough so you can pretty much apply them after using a bit of lip balm. The Estee Lauder feels a bit drier so I do recommend a good lip scrub before applying that to make sure it goes on and stays on smoothly.

Bite – Estee Lauder – NARS

I guess it’s safe to say that all three lipsticks are a winner, despite their outrageous prices. The quality is great as these all last throughout the majority of a workday, the colors are gorgeous and they go on like a dream. They are all berry type shades though, but that is a lipstick shade I very much gravitate towards as I find it is flattering on me and I like wearing a vampy lip.

Which color would you wear?