Autumn lips

I know what you're thinking. Where the hell is the picture of the lipsticks?! Gah! Well, having to take all my photos with an IPhone 5 means I'm constantly struggling to find good enough lighting and I cannot for the life of me get a clear, crisp image of the lipsticks themselves lined neatly in the row I carefully positioned them in *shakes fist at the iphone gods* If I do happen to take a blog worthy picture this arvo i'll be sure to pop it on the blog asap!

It's September! Autumn is finally on its way and I for one am welcoming it with open arms! I love everything about Autumn and Winter, from the colder weather, candlelit evenings and numerous opportunities for celebrating (my birthday, Halloween, Bonfire Night, Yule, Christmas, New Year) to the snug jim jams and warm winter coats. I'm an Autumn gal through and through and am actually very happy to wave goodbye to summer, as lovely as it was! 

My love for all things Autumnal extends to makeup and beauty, of course, and yesterday I had a rummage through my makeup collection and gathered together my favourite Autumnal lip products. Reds, berries and grapes... I can't resist a strong lip during the colder months! Here are my faves, left to right.

1 ~ Bourjois Rouge Edition 04 Rose Tweed (£7.99)

This is my current favourite nude, as it's not too brown nor too pink and it has a depth to it that other nudes sometimes lack. The formula is super creamy and comfortable on the lips, and the lasting power is pretty good too at around three-four hours minus eating/drinking. The only slight bug bear I have is the shape of the lipstick bullet, as it's quite large and 'flat' on one side, making it difficult to apply neatly to my small-ish lips! I tend to turn it upside down and use the underside to line my lips before slicking it on that way, which works really well. 

2 ~ Rimmel Lasting Finish by Kate 05 (£5.49)

I really like Kate's capsule collection, although the scent of these lippies is really, REALLY strong. Sort of a sweet herbal smell, I find it a little overwhelming but don't notice it too much once applied, thankfully. 05 is a gorgeous light berry colour with pink tones and it makes a brilliant transitional shade as the weather starts to get colder. Easy to apply and long lasting, I've been reaching for this throughout the summer and know I'll continue to do so as an everyday lipstick now it's September. 

3 ~ Revlon Lip Butter Berry Smoothie (£7.99)

I'm a bit of a Lip Butter fanatic, it has to be said. I love the smooth texture and glossy finish of Berry Smoothie and the slight silver toned shimmer running throughout. This instantly brightens up my face and completes my look, and it works for both daytime and nighttime. As you can see, this bullet has been well used! A firm favourite. 

4 ~ Soap & Glory Lipstick Man Trap (£9)

I find shopping for red lipstick quite tricky as I'm very pale and some shades can look really stark and strange on me! But this little beauty is a wearable muted red with slight yellow undertones that looks very polished and neat when applied. It smells exactly like MAC lipstick. As in, EXACTLY the same, which is brilliant as I love MAC's sweet vanilla scent! The formula feels very high quality. Moisturising and not all drying, this is one I reach for as an evening lippie, although it would be perfectly suited to daytime as well. 

5 ~ MAC Matte Lipstick Russian Red (£15)

My holy grail red! This is hands down the greatest red I have ever used. It has blue undertones, meaning my teeth look instantly three shades whiter, and it really suits my pale skin tone. Even though it's quite a bright, daring shade it doesn't look at all overwhelming once on, and the matte finish ensures it looks classic and timeless. Plus, it doesn't budge once applied, which is what I always worry about when wearing a strong lip! I pair this with MAC lipliner in Brick and they're a great team. Russian Red is my partner in crime for various winter festivities; I predict it will be making a regular appearance over the next few months!

6 ~ Estee Lauder Pure Color 36 Cherry Fever (Shimmer) (£18 full size, not sure if this shade was limited edition)

I got this last Christmas as part of an amazing Estee Lauder Christmas gift set and it's a lovely berry with gold shimmer running throughout. Perfect for the festive season! Texture wise it's extremely moisturising and not too sticky (come on, all lipglosses are sort of sticky! But this one is a smooth sort of sticky rather than glue-y sticky!) It has a lovely fruity scent and gives a gorgeous wash of berry colour. 

7 ~ Soap & Glory Sexy Mother Pucker Gloss Stick 'Plum Jam' (£8)

Soap & Glory's Gloss Sticks are the best lip crayons on the market, in my humble opinion! They have a really glossy finish and feel so moisturising and comfortable, and the colour range is impressive. Plum Jam is my favourite for Autumn as it's a beautiful plum red gloss that's actually a little brighter than how it appears in the bullet. It smells so vanilla-y which I love and for a gloss it has really good lasting power. I put it through a burger and chips lunch yesterday and while it did fade it didn't disappear completely! This is another product that really helps brighten my complexion and sets off my pale skin perfectly. 

8 ~ Topshop Lips Beguiled (£8)

This is the only really dark, 'vampy' lipstick in my collection. Beguiled is a beautiful and very striking red wine colour. I'm a little shy with my makeup; it took me until last year to finally rock a strong red lip! So I've been quite cautious about wearing Beguiled, and yet when I do I always really like how intense it looks. I'm definitely going to make an effort to wear deeper shades like this throughout Autumn and Winter, and I've got my eye on MAC's Rebel as my next purchase! 

What are your favourite lip products for Autumn/Winter? Do you switch up your makeup depending on season or do you rock the same shades all year around? I'd love to hear what you think!

Baci e abbracci,

                                                        

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Favourite MAC products

My first foray into the world of MAC cosmetics was when I was about ten years old. One of my Stepmum's America friends flew over to London to visit and we took a trip to the MAC store to pick me up my first ever 'proper' lipgloss. I was so excited! I thought I'd want the ever-so-popular-in-the-nineties Clear Lipglass (teamed with 'Spice' lipliner, obvs) but the princess in me couldn't resist a baby pink Tinted Lipglass. I can't remember the shade name but I used that little lipgloss for years and I loved everything about it, from the vanilla scent to the glossy pink finish it delivered. It featured in many of my hand written versions of Shout! magazine, usually in the 'what's in my make-up bag feature'. I've been obsessed with writing about beauty for a long time, it seems!

Nowadays I might not use the same gloss but my love affair with MAC continues. Every birthday and Christmas list consists of some sort of MAC haul, and when I had a little Christmas money in my pocket late last December I went MAC crazy. I also received a few MAC goodies for my birthday last October, woohoo! I've continued to use the products throughout the year and thought I'd share some of my favourites here. 

Sheertone Blush 'Peaches', Cremesheen lipstick 'Crosswires'

 I spied MAC 'Peaches' Sheertone Blush (£18) in my friend's makeup bag and immediately put it on my wishlist, as I love a good peach blush and it looked amazing on her. This is a spring/summer staple for me now. It gives a lovely wash of matte peach-coral and brightens up my pale complexion nicely. I do have to be quite light handed though as 'Peaches' does veer towards the darker tones of peach, meaning if I pile on too much it can look a little, dare I say it, *orange*. I'm quite pale so as long as I'm gentle, it works a treat!

MAC Sheertone Blush 'Peaches'

I picked up a Cremesheen lipstick in 'Crosswires' (£15) as it seemed like a gorgeous red coral colour and it fast became one of my all time favourite lipsticks. The texture is smooth and moisturising and it's a really unique shade; not quite a true coral but not quite a true red. The wide variety of colours on offer is what I love most about MAC, as they always have unique shades that I can never quite track down on the high street. 

MAC Cremesheen 'Crosswires'

Another product I love using is MAC Prep + Prime Transparent Finishing Powder (£20), which I use to set foundation and concealer. Rather than leaving a flesh coloured tint like many loose powders, it goes on 'clear' and mattifies skin while anchoring makeup in place. Again, though, I do have to make sure I'm not too heavy handed with this as otherwise it can sort of dull my skin a little and mask the colour of my base, as although 'transparent' it does have a slight white tone to it. I apply it with a big fluffy powder brush and find it helps my makeup last much longer throughout the day without the need for regular powder or concealer touch ups. 

MAC Prep + Prime Transparent Finishing Powder

Last but not least is my MAC Matte Eyeshadow pot in 'Embark' (£12.50). I use this as an eyeliner on the upper lid when I want a super dark brown colour, and it gives a really natural eye opening effect. We all know I'm a sucker for a shimmery neutral but sometimes you want something a little more bold in terms of colour depth, and having a strong matte brown in your kit is something of an eye makeup essential, in my opinion. I apply this using my ELF Smudge Brush, which helps really pack the shadow into the lash line, adding definition. I'd say it's a little darker than it appears in the photos, although it does have a hint of orange-y earthiness to it- but not too much!

MAC Matte Eyeshadow 'Embark'

Aside from the 'Peaches' blush, which is very much a Spring/Summer shade for me, I'll be welcoming all of these MAC goodies into my Autumn/Winter makeup collection. 'Crosswires' is versatile enough to transcend seasons and should look fabulous come Christmas time; and I love nothing more than a well defined neutral eye, so 'Embark' should also serve me well. What are your favourite MAC products? Have you tried any of the above?

Browse MAC makeup here

Baci e abbracci, 

         

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Disappointing Products | Makeup

The suspects...

*Taking cover from die hard Apocalips lovers* I kid of course, as obviously different products suit and agree with different people, and where would we be without variety in the world? I thought I'd round up some of the makeup items I've purchased over the past few months that have unfortunately failed to impress for various reasons. I'm quite fussy with texture and colour, and so I'm sure some readers will absolutely love some of the products featured, but alas what suits some of us might not suit others and vice versa. 

MUA Undress Me Too eyeshadow palette £4

Generally I'm a huge fan of MUA palettes and I was so excited to give this one a go as I'm a sucker for neutrals and this collection looked promising. Unfortunately, having experimented with it a fair few times I've decided it just isn't for me. There seems to be quite strong silver/pale blue undertones to a lot of the shades in the palette which doesn't appeal to me and unfortunately some of the shades look a little bit odd with my complexion. I've also found that unlike other MUA shadows these ones don't seem as pigmented and I need to apply quite a few layers to achieve a strong amount of colour. Ah well, you win some, you lose some. 

Seventeen Brow Scultping Pencil 'Natural Brown' £2.89 & Eye Kohl Soft Smudge Pencil 'Mocha' £2.89

Oh man, was I disappointed in these pencils. I only bought them as emergency items when staying at my fiance's sans makeup bag one weekend, but I figured as Seventeen have lots of great quality products these would be OK to use. I was wrong. Firstly, the eyebrow pencil. I found this has a very stiff, dry consistency making it difficult to use, and it also has an ashy finish which is off putting. The colour looked extremely strange on my brows, with very strong grey tones and I hated it as soon as I put it on. It was near impossible to blend properly and it dragged and tugged like crazy. Not a fan. As for the eye liner, as soon as I opened this the tip fell clean off which immediately irritated me. What if I couldn't find a sharpener?! It does an alright job of lining the upper lid but it's also quite stiff and therefore drags along the eyelid. Not impressed at all. 

Maybelline Mega Plush Volum' Express Mascara £7.99

This mascara seems to divide opinion and I'm firmly in the 'I hate it' camp. I found the 'flexor-brush' to be a complete gimmick and a nuisance when applying to my lashes. The idea is that it 'flexes' and bends as you apply, to help you grip the lashes, but I found it did the opposite and made it extremely difficult to get a good grip. The formula was lumpy and flaked like crazy throughout the day, and it failed to really define or do anything that noticeable to my lashes. It smells good though. So that's a plus. I guess. 

Bourjois Cream Blush '01' £7.99

I love cream blush so I was looking forward to trying out this little peach pot from Bourjois. It does seem like a very small pot for £7.99 but I thought I'd give it a go anyhow, especially considering the rather impressive stats given on the Bourjois website. 100% of 33 users found it 'very easy to blend', apparently. Well I must have freaky cheeks because I find the texture quite dry and not as creamy as I'd like, making it quite difficult to blend over foundation without sort of rubbing my foundation off in the process. While I quite like the peachy colour I do find it quite pale and in hindsight I think I prefer a slightly darker peach coral. So, a combination of the wrong colour choice and the wrong formula for me *sad face*

Rimmel BB Cream £6.99 & Match Perfection SPF15 Cream Compact £7.49

Two very simple reasons for disliking these. Rimmel BB Cream turned me into an absolute grease ball half an hour after applying, and I suffered a nasty allergic reaction to the Match Perfection Cream Compact. I actually really liked the texture of the Cream Compact but soon after using it I developed a horrible red rash all over my face that took days to calm down. I found that the BB Cream didn't deliver good coverage and it smells like old sun cream which I don't find all that appealing. I favour a base that keeps me relatively matte, so this isn't the one for me. I am, however, a big fan of Rimmel's Match Perfection liquid foundation which doesn't bring me out in a rash, thankfully. 

Maybelline Cover Stick £4.09

This was another emergency purchase and unfortunately it wasn't the wisest one. I really like Maybelline foundations so figured I'd like this stick concealer, yet it has a bizarre waxy consistency and it has a really greasy finish. It also has a very strong plastic soap smell which lingers after applying. While the coverage is decent it just doesn't feel comfortable and it doesn't have a matte finish, which is crucial for my shine prone skin. 

MAC Studio Finish Concealer £15

'Surely not?!', I hear you cry! There's no denying that the coverage this little pot delivers is superb, as is the initial consistency. I find it perfect for covering dark circles but it's when applied to blemishes that it all starts to go wrong for me. I've noticed that after a few hours the formula begins to break down, separating and leaving a strange film on my skin. If it happens to get wet at all it turns into a gooey texture which isn't very appealing! It also looks very shiny after a few hours and when touched up with powder it turns into a bit of a clumpy mess. While this pot has lasted me well over six months and while it's great for covering dark circles, I won't be repurchasing after it eventually runs out. Back to Benefit Boi-ing for me!

Bottom to top: Bourjois 'Peach on the Beach', Rimmel Apocalips 'Celestial' and 'Stellar'

               Bourjois Color Boost Glossy Finish Lipstick 'Peach on the Beach' £7.99

At first glance and at first swatch I loved 'Peach on the Beach' but I just can't get on board with the texture and finish once applied. It looks like a lovely juicy peach colour in the tube but I've found it too orange on my lips, which sounds silly but it just looks a bit odd with my fair complexion. Plus it really seems to cling to any dry bits and emphasises every crease on my lips which I don't like. I thought I'd love this but alas, once again, it just isn't meant to be. 

Rimmel Apocalips Lip Lacquer 'Celestial' & 'Stellar' £5.99 each

It's not so much a colour issue I've got with Apocalips, it's an application and finish issue. I love the idea of the rich, opaque, glossy lacquer and the colour range is really impressive, but I find it difficult to apply these neatly without colour bleeding like crazy beyond my lip line. I find myself constantly checking my lips when I'm out and about for colour control purposes, as I find that these smudge quite easily and never really feel that 'secure'. I've also found that colour constantly gets on to my teeth somehow which makes me feel very self-conscious! I'm constantly licking my teeth which makes me look strange and I worry about smiling properly in case my teeth are smeared with lipgloss. I really, really want to love these as I do like the colours and they have a unique texture but I'm just too nervous to wear them! The smell is also a bit of an issue as they have a very artificial sweet scent that is a little cloying. I'm still tempted to give some more shades a go but I'm worried I'll just end up with lipgloss covered teeth all the time! Waah. 

Have you tried any of the above? What are your thoughts? Let me know what you think!

Take 5: Pink summer lips

The sky is blue, the sun is shining, the birds are singing... Summer has *finally* arrived! I tend to wear lots of pink shades throughout the summer months and I've rounded up my favourite five lip products for you to have a peek at. As I was snapping away taking photos I realised I really do have a bit of a thing for pink, but surely you can never have too many lipsticks/lipglosses? Of course not! 

First up is Revlon ColorStay Ultimate Suede in 'Socialite'. I'd wanted to try one of the Suede lipsticks for a while but all of the ones I swatched in-store seemed to be quite pearlescent, which isn't really my thing. Then I found 'Socialite' in Superdrug (£8.99) and instantly liked it. 

It's a mid-pink colour with a slight golden shimmer and it feels so light to wear. It settles to a matte 'suede' finish and doesn't budge for hours. 

Revlon Ultimate Suede 'Socialite'

Next up is MUA Makeup Academy lipstick in '11 Lotus'. Considering this sells for only £1 I'm extremely impressed. 

A darker pink-brown, with a creamy texture and strong pigmentation, this is so easy to wear. Plus it smells like vanilla, which is an added bonus. As it's a darker colour I tend to wear this in the evening and although it needs reapplying every few hours I don't mind considering the overall quality and price. 

MUA Makeup Academy 'Lotus' 

I've been a fan of Revlon Lip Butters since their initial release. With this in mind I recently purchased 'Berry Smoothie' (£7.99) and it's by far my favourite shade. It's a gorgeous juicy raspberry shade and reminds me of raspberry sorbet, due to its glossy finish. Yum! 

'Berry Smoothie' stays put for a good few hours before losing it's glossiness and it feels so comfortable and moisturising. I've been wearing this pretty much every day as it compliments most outfits and helps brighten up my rather pale face!

Revlon Lip Butter 'Berry Smoothie'

While browsing offers in Boots recently I came across a 3 for 2 deal covering Seventeen cosmetics and decided to pick up a few of their Mirror Shine lipsticks. I've included 'Belle' (£4.79) in this post as it's such a pretty tinted mid-pink. 

There's a little mirror hidden in the side of the lid that slides out, meaning you always have a mirror handy which is a nice touch. I really like how sheer this is and how moisturising it feels. 

Seventeen Mirror Shine 'Belle' 

My final favourite is by MAC. I love so many of their lipsticks and am desperate to get my hands on the hot pink Candy Yum Yum, but for now I'll make do with the following little pale pink beauty, 'Creme Cup' from the Cremesheen range (£14).

This is my perfect pale pink: creamy with a slight gloss finish. MAC lipsticks smell gorgeous and the packaging is sturdy and sleek. I think this may a case of saving the best until last!

MAC Cremesheen 'Creme Cup'