Dress, Judith & Charles (thrifted); blazer, Cartonnier (thrifted); shoes, Sam Edelman (thrifted); bag, Gucci; necklace, J. Crew Factory
Dress, Judith & Charles (thrifted); blazer, Cartonnier (thrifted); shoes, Sam Edelman (thrifted); bag, Gucci; necklace, J. Crew Factory

It’s the “difficult blazer” again! Admittedly, it works pretty well with this dress because of the colour palette. It IS, however, a lot of print, if you take into account the subtle heathering pattern on the blazer. Nonetheless, there is enough black in here to balance it all out. When in doubt, add black. That’s my motto. Or, at least, one of them. It’s hard to commit to just one, you know?

from the side
from the side
print on print action
print on print action

I am still not convinced that this blazer is a wardrobe star, but I will admit that it’s pretty comfy. The dress is also stretchy, and therefore comfy, which is as good as it gets for an office outfit. Spending 8 hours in a chair in front of my computer really calls for all the comfort I can get. It also probably limits my ability to reach new sartorial heights but … ah well.

In completely unrelated news, Rimmel has decided to suddenly discontinue my beloved Color Rush line of lip crayons. To say that I am devastated is not a huge exaggeration. I have been using these almost exclusively for at least 2-3 years, and nothing else I’ve tried from time to time has even come close to comparing in terms of the quality-cost equation. So I need your help. Tell me your favourite lip products, but please keep in mind: (i) drugstore brands preferred; (ii) lip crayons or similar, not lip glosses; (iii) the cheaper the better. And go!

colourfully corporate
colourfully corporate

23 Comments on Pattern Overload

  1. The NYX lip crayons are pretty great! They’re cheap and they come in lots of colors.

    • They’re not too sheer, are they? I liked that the Rimmels were quite pigmented without the heaviness of lipsticks.

  2. I love the Revlon balm stain crayons! They’re all I’ve worn for the past few years. I’m bad with touching up my lips throughout the day, so the stain part of it really helps the color last.

    • I tried those years ago, before I found the Rimmel ones. I wasn’t a fan of the formula back then — I found it quite drying for some reason. Maybe it’s changed in the meantime? I’ll have a look at those next time I’m at the drugstore. Thanks!

      • I like these ones too 🙂 good shades for my colouring (same as yours), and while they don’t last all day, they fade evenly so no weird outlines. I find them quite moisturizing, tho they may be less pigmented than what you typically wear. Good luck! I hate having to find replacements for fave products!

      • I’ve tried a few different lip crayons from Revlon, all with very different levels of pigmentation and shine. The packages all look the same though! Could be worth looking into if you didn’t like the first variety.

  3. I’m pretty exclusive to lip crayons as well. I really love the Flower lip crayons (I think this was Drew Barrymore’s company) but Walmart stopped selling them. A good replacement has been the Burt’s Bees lip crayons, which has a good balm part to them without being too sticky feeling. I have a bunch of these and have weeded out most of my others…

    • Ooh, I’ll check those out! They’re not as sheer as the balms, are they? I tried a Burt’s Bees colored lip balm and it was super sheer 🙁

      • Oh, no, definitely full colour. I’ve used the coloured balms too and those are just pretending to colour. The crayons are like most other crayons out there just more moisturizing (I find a lot of those dry out my lips which is why I prefer Burt’s Bees)

  4. Another vote for Revlon lip crayons. I also just discovered Tarte lip crayons – discounts widely available to bring costs down. Great colors and coverage.

  5. Clinique chubby sticks! Not drug store brand but they have a great customer loyalty program online and fast shipping so it works out …

    • I loved those, but the cost is what got me to switch to Rimmel. I’ve been splurging so much lately on skincare that I hesitate to get too attached to a higher end beauty product … Thanks for the recc, though!

  6. Nothing beats MAC lipstick. Its worth the cost. Stays on 4 hours. Hundreds of colors. Every seventh one is free. Haven’t worn anything else in years.

  7. Not super helpful, but I like the Neutrogena crayons. This is a problem because you can’t buy Neutrogena makeup in Canada. For me they seem to last a long time; a roughly yearly trip to the US is usually enough to replenish my stash.

    Why do companies discontinue products? It’s so frustrating.

  8. Cover Girl has a line of “chubby” crayon type of lippies. They are very pigmented and feel really nice on the lips. Burt Bees lipsticks and crayons are really nice also. I also agree that Neutrogena crayons are worth tracking down. They remind me of Rimmel’s crayons.

    Have you checked Amazon for your beloved Rimmel lip crayons? I have ordered many discontinued lippies from Amazon with no trouble.

    Hope you find your new favourite lipstick.

    • I tried Amazon (Canada), but my fave colour is something ridic like $40 per crayon 🙁 I’m going to keep trying. Maybe I’ll see if I can get Neutrogena ones online. I’m also going to check out Cover Girl, thanks!

    • I hate when they jack up the price of discontinued items on Amazon. I was in the drugstore yesterday and checked out the Cover Girl section. Looks like they got rid of the chubby crayons. 😝 I think chubby crayon lippies have had their moment and been replaced with a new trend. Hard Candy has a small selection of chubbies. You can buy them at Walmart. They have two finishes, Matte and Gloss. The Glosses are okay. They aren’t quite as pigmented as the Rimmels. If you don’t mind traditional type of lipsticks, Rimmel’s One and Only lipsticks are very nice. They have a good selection of shades. Very creamy and pigmented.

  9. I’m a lip crayon girl myself and hate anything glossy. I have loved Loreal Le Matte from Shopper’s Drug Mart (do you have those in Alberta?). Not super drying, like many matte sticks, and great colour!

    Is it terrible to say that I just don’t love this jacket on you? I love almost everything you wear, and I hope I’ve not offended, I just thought I’d offer another opinion. Maybe it’s time to stop trying to make it work?

  10. These may be more glossy than what you’re looking for, but I quite like Maybeline Baby Lips, especially the cherry color. It won’t last all day but it’s not at all drying (an issue for me) and I think the color is quite pretty!