My Festive Lip Picks/Red To Suit Everyone



I love a red lip, very bold and a real statement on the lips, some of you aren't as brave to wear this colour throughout the year but you need no excuses to shy away from it over the festive season. 

These are my top 4 lip picks ranging from high gloss to matte there's something to suit everyone. The lipsticks are listed in order from the picture above, from left to right.

 

The first lipstick is:

Lime Crime Retrofuturist £12.50*

A glossy bright red shade, this one is perfect for the festive season, it stays put for 4 hours without the need for reapplication without staining the lips.

Its easy to apply and isn't drying.

The second lipstick is:

Bourjois Rouge Edition Shade 15 £7.99*

This is perfect for those of you who want to wear red but you don't want to go as bold. This one has an orangey undertone to it shot through a pearl effect so it's really effective withiut being too harsh.

Bourjois promises this lasts 10 hours, I have to disagree there, reapplication is essential after around one hour. It didn't stain my lips though which was great and it's brilliant value for money too.

The third lipstick is:

MAC Ruby Woo £16.50

This is one of MAC's best selling shades, it's matte formula isnt for everyone though, and your lips cant be dry if you want to wear it. It tends to drag on the skin applying from the bullet so use a brush to apply it with.

It's got a bluey undertone to it and it stains the lips temporalily.

The fourth lipstick is:

Clarins Rouge Eclat in Red Fuschia £19.50*

This is a beautiful berry red shade. In true Clarins style its packed with moisturising nutri youth complex it's age defying and stays put. The wear time on this is probably a couple of hours max but your lips dont feel dry and the colour doesnt stain the lips either. It's really comfortable and smells delicious too.

Are you braving red this Christmas?

xXx

*PR Samples



 

MAC Viva Glam/Miley Cyrus

Love her or loathe her she's going to be everywhere for the next few months as MAC have just announced Miley as the latest face of their Viva Glam campaign. 

Miley is the newest face to the brand following on from other famous faces such as Nicki Minaj, Rhianna, The Osborne Ladies & Lady Gaga.

The Miley duo is due to hit stores in the US on January the 22nd and here in the UK on February 12th 2015, 

The lipstick is an amplified shade and is a hot pink colour, and the lipglass is made to match perfectly, it looks pretty glittery from the press release pictures, and I have no doubt it'll channel Miley's edginess and youth in being bold and glittery. 

Every pound of the sales will go to the MAC aids fund according to Miley, that's great news and actually surprised me as I really thought she'd be doing this collaboration for her own gain, goes to show you shouldn't always judge a book by it's cover.... 

Will you be buying wither of these products next year? 

xXx

MAC/Elegant Accent Mineralise Rich Lipstick

I'm a sucker for MAC and this is my most recent purchase, a beautiful deep pinky rose hue. It's a blue under toned pink so will suit most skin types, and I would have to say I think the Mineralize lippies by MAC are the ones that stay put for longest on me, with a wear time of a good couple of hours. And they feel really nice on the lips too. 

The Mineralize range of lipsticks are different to the regular MAC's because of the 77 Mineral Moist formula, which is non drying, and the larger design bullet allows for perfect application straight from the stick. The magnetic lids also mean the top won't come off in your handbag! 

I had never purchased one of these until last year when I bought the gorgeous 'Lady At Play' and it's been a while since adding another, plus I'm visiting the MAC Brighton boutique again soon so I might have to treat myself, I mean my Muji to some more yummy shades! 

These retail at £20 each and are available on MAC.com right now!

xXx

Wish List/The Spring Edit

I know I've added loads to my make up collection lately, but no matter how much new make up, nothing will ever stop a girl wanting more! 

This is my spring wish list, some more practical than others, however I still NEED all of them.

Top Left: NARS Albatross Blush/Highlighter, this is a really gorgeous multi purpose highlighter retails at £22.50

Top Right:  Hourglass Opaque Rouge Liquid Lipstick in Riviera, orange lips are going to be HUGE this summer, and I tried this little beauty out in Space NK the other day, retails at £23 

Bottom Left: MAC Skinfinish in Perfect Topping, a beautiful swirly pallette of  pinkness, perfect for highlighting and creating a dewy effect £22. 

Bottom Right: NARS Creamy Concealer in Custard, bloggers rave about this and it's meant to live up to the hype, a creamy concealer packed with skincare goodness. Retails at £22. 

There are so many trends up and coming for this spring season, what's on your wish list? 

 

xXx

Bristol Haul/Valentines Buys

I whisked the Mr away last weekend for a little Valentines treat, we stayed right next door to Cabot Circus, so you know what that means, shopping. 

I picked up some amazing buys, I thought it would be easier to do a video to share my haul with you. 

Enjoy!

xXx

MAC/In Synch Lip Pencil

 MAC In Synch Lip Pencil is one of the new additions to my Muji. I always find myself applying lipstick and gloss and to be honest on a night out it can be annoying, I hate having bare lips when I'm out and the MUA's in MAC always rave about using a liner on the lips to give it real staying power. 

I've been lusting after this one for a while now, In Synch is a bubblegum shade, almost a peachy pink with a yellow undertone.

 It's quite dry in comparison to some of the other lip pencils and looks matte when it's applied. 

Exfoliation is key prior to applying this to the lips it wont look good if your lips are cracked and scaly, you can team this with a gloss if you want to, I find MAC Fashion Fanatic is a lovely one to pair it up with, as I have here.....

Or you can leave it if you fancy a spring inspired matte lip, with some real staying power.....

MAC Lip Pencils retail at £12 each, and to be honest they will last you so much longer than a lipstick. 

xXx

MAC/Snob

One of my newest MAC items, a staple for all your make up bags, Snob is a really versatile shade that will suit all skin tones, and is perfect if you love nudey pinks. 

Snob is a semi matte, satin finish lipstick, slightly mauve pink in hue. 

 It's bright enough to be seen on the lips without looking too out there (think Saint Germain) 

It has real staying power this one, with wear time of a couple of hours, they do a lip glass to match which you may want to invest in if you have dry lips. 

This is a lovely shade, one I'll keep going back to time and time again. 

Do you own Snob? 

xXx

MAC/Osbournes Collection

The secrets out, it's been leaked by Kelly herself, personally I love Sharon and Kelly O, and I'm hoping their fun and quirky styles really come out in the upcoming summer collaboration with the Osbourne ladies. 

Although this picture doesn't give us any idea of the lipstick shade I am excited by the fact it's encased in Kelly's signature shade, lilac, along with her signature of course. 

Sharon treated us to a sneak peak of her shadow quad, it's no where near as cute as the dog she's holding! 

I don't buy pieces from every MAC collection, but this one I have high hopes for and I'm looking forward to it hitting MAC counters here in the UK, which should be around June/July time. 

xXx

MAC Coral Bliss

When MAC released their Cremesheen + Pearl range, I made a wish list as you do.
I've been scouting the MAC counters near me to no avail, I managed to find this beautiful lipstick (it's one of the 2 I'm after) in Selfridges on Oxford Street.

The MAC site weirdly describes this shade as a 'frosty coral' totally misleading if you ask me as it's not at all frosty or shimmery. Just a pure and gorgeous creamy coral, which you can wear with anything! It's now my fave go to colour if I'm not sure what to wear on my lips. You can of course make it shimmery if you want by adding a hint of glittery lip gloss over the top. As with my other Cremesheen shades from MAC for me these shades never have enough staying power on the lips, you'll need to take it in your clutch bag if your wearing this on a night out.

Coral Bliss is on the MAC website, or keep your eyes peeled for it at your local MAC counter, I do think £15 for a lippie is a lot of money, especially at the rate I apply it, but I just cant resist a MAC they really are fab shades.

xXx

How Expensive Is Your Face?

Ever look at your make up collection and wonder how much it's worth? 

What about the products you use everyday, your staple face products. 

I thought this would be a really fun post to do, for my 12 hour work/gym face I like to use longer lasting products, and although I use the same products on the weekend I do add in my special higher end products if I'm going out or to a special occasion. I have a hoard of make up (as I'm sure you do too) and it's strange to think of how many of the products we actually use! 

 Here are the products I use everyday.....

Base & Face Products

Benefit Porefessional is IMO the best primer on the market, although the only stinger is the price, but again it does last ages! Really smooths skin and conceals pores providing a great base for make up, as well as combating shine. 

My beloved Estee Lauder Double Wear, is something I wear everyday, it keeps my skin oil free, matte and looking fresh, I wear the shade Fresco, and a bottle of this lasts me a good 5/6 months wearing just one pumps worth everyday. It also has an SPF factor in it, so you know your skins protected every day. 

MAC Pro Longwear Concealer is my newest cosmetic purchase, I've been on the hunt for a decent concealer for a while now, and this stuff works really well. Always apply liquid concealers with a soft brush and buff in for an even finish, I will do a tutorial on this really soon. 

Ben Nye Banana Powder is something I've been using for years, a firm fave of Kim K's make up artist it's great for setting powder without sitting in the fine creases on your face. It locks make up in place all day and the yellow tones really evens out sallow skin tones for a flawless finish. I mix it up with Bare Minerals All Over Face Colour in Warm for a goldeny tone, this really adds a hint of colour to my face and stops me looking pasty! 

My trusty day time blush is my Dior Rosy Glow, one sweep with the little brush in the compact is all you need for a natural pinky rosy glow to the cheeks. It smells like roses and it's barbie esque hue is just stunning. 

Face & Base Costs: 

Benefit Porefessional £24.50 

Estee Lauder Double Wear £28.50

Bare Minerals Warmth Powder £19.00 

Ben Nye Banana Powder £8.00

Dior Rosy Glow Blush £30.50 

Total £110.50

Eye Products

I do keep my eyes pretty simple during the day, as you know I love a smokey eye on a night out, but that would be too much for work. 

Here are my staple eye products that I wear day to day.....

Mascara I tend to stray from one brand to the next but I really love is the new one from Max Factor the Wild Mega Volume, it's a real steal at just £6.99 a tube too, I've just bought my second one, I love the effect it has on my lashes and it holds up well during the work day and then through my gym session. 

Bare Minerals Prime Time in 'Original' is something I have used for years, it's a beautiful golden shimmer that I wear on it's own to work, weekends though it clings onto your eye shadow and makes the colour really pop. I love this stuff and wouldn't be without it. 

My eyebrows don't leave the house without some definition on them, I alternate between the HD Brow Palette and my Christian Eyebrow one, the Christian one has been going strong for about 18 months now, and you can see it still has loads left. 

I also use my Front Cover Cosmetic Baked Peal box everyday, I use the sparkly nude colour as a bottom lash liner and I love it. 

Eye Costs: 

Max Factor Wild Mascara £6.99

Bare Minerals Prime Time £16.00 

Maybelline Smoky Eye Pencil £5.99 

Total £28.98

Lip Products

Last but by no means least are the lip products I use daily, these do change depending on the season bur I alternate between various shades of these products. 

MAC Mineralize Lipstick currently I'm wearing 'Lady At Play' but I have so many different shades I am forever switching it up. 

My YSL Coral Intuitive lippie in shade 15 has also been on my lips alot this past couple of months, I love it and it smells divine, but i cant help but feel it doesn't have much staying power, so I'm going through the stick pretty quickly. It's great for day to day wear though. 

I also wear MAC glosses alot, again I've been wearing loads of different shades this past couple of months, but great for everyday wear. 

Lip Costs: 

MAC Mineralize Lipstick £20 

YSL Rouge Volupte £26 

MAC Gloss £17.50 

Total £63.50

Combining all my products together gives a grand total of £202.98, I'm actually surprised it's not higher to be honest, and although to some of you that may seem a huge amount of money think of the usage you get from the products, I know I couldn't be without these bare essentials! 

How expensive is your face? I'd love to hear your totals! 

xXx

MAC the newest addictions.....

Ok I confess, I've been at the MAC again, the discount MAC outlet shop, so that kind of makes it ok, doesn't it?! 

This trip I picked up 2 glosses and one lippy, here are the swatches.....

Altered Beige was launched earlier this year as part of MAC's Limited Edition 'Temperature Rising' Collection, so I was a tad excited to see this in the outlet shop! It's a gorgeous muted bronzed nude hue, and it is one of the MAC lustre lipsticks (semi sheer with a wet look) I love the matte finish packaging too! 

It's much more wearable than Creme De Nude, which can leave lots of people washed out, this on the other hand will suit pretty much everyone's skin tone! The only down side is you may have to shop around a little to get your hands on it, so wearable, and will be a holiday fave of mine. 

I love MAC lipgloss and the 'Plush Glass' give a sheer hint of colour and a pearlised, high shine gloss finish. This stuff gives a little tingle on application & smells like yummy vanilla. I love mine in the girly shade 'Fashion Fanatic' but there are so many to choose from I want them all! These retail at around £17.

The Pro Longwear Lipglasses are designed to last, these do hold for a long time, and these are the glosses your boyfriend will hate! Super sticky, but that's what give them real staying power. MAC say they'll last 6 hours, I'd say an hour or two max. This one is still on sale at MAC counters and they retail at £17.50.

Which MAC products cant you live without? 

xXx

MAC Tropical Taboo Collection & Swatches

I used to be a total slave to MAC but in recent times day to day I don't use all their products any more.

I do like a good collection though, always promising some best sellers and usually quite quirky and one off items, and although I don't find all of this collection appealing I am very happy to share my personal loves. 

I picked up three items from the new Tropical Taboo Collection

Mineralize Blush 'Simmer' £20
This pearl effect finish blends a deep rose into a beautiful nude shimmer, and it's so buildable, loving this for my day time blush at the moment and this look was created with just one sweep of my blush brush.

Mineralize Rich Lipstick 'Lady At Play' £20
 This high intensity and mineral packed stick of goodness really is my new fave lippy, it screams summer. This is another instant tooth whitener, so your pearly whites will look fab next to this gorgeous coral hue.

Mineralize Skinfinish 'Adored' £22
A luxurious velvet-soft powder with high-frost metallic finish.
This shade is a gorgeous peachy/coral shade blended into a muted nude.
Perfectly blendable ad makes adding highlights to cheeks, brows, anywhere on the body a piece of cake!


Have you added any of the new MAC collection to your make up bag?

xXx