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Sunday 7 July 2013

My current lipstick collection

Anyone who knows me well will know that I have an obsessive personality. This means that when I like something, I like lots of it. For example: nail polish, Cadburys Marvellous Creations (the jelly popping candy one) and all of a sudden - lipsticks.

I know I said this blog would mainly be about nails and I've only done one nail post so far, but remember I said MAINLY. It's nice to have something to mix it up. So prepare for the essay of a lifetime - literally.


I've had a few lipsticks but only recently has my collection drastically grown. A lot. Up until Easter break this year I've only owned about four, however now I own 14. Oops! There are a few reasons as to why my lipstick feelings have changed recently, and here they are (kind of in chronological order for you!).

1. I used to hate the feeling of having something on my lips that, if smudged, would be obvious. I liked the safety of a Chapstick or lip balm of some sort because it kept my lips super moisturised and I wouldn't use tinted ones. It also helped that my lips are a quite dark link colour naturally so I didn't feel the need for extra colour.

2. One of the few lipsticks I owned (and still do) is MAC's Ruby Woo. Anyone who owns this will agree with me that it is quite possibly the most drying lipstick in the history of ever. It has a lovely matte look to it but dries your lips out like crazy and is really uncomfortable to wear (for me, anyway)! Because of this, I didn't enjoy wearing it and would only wear lipstick for certain occasions where my appearance was definitely more important than my comfort. And if eating wasn't involved.

3. I use to be very boring with make up. I've got a very round face, very pale skin, dark hair and light blue eyes. If I wore a pigmented lipstick, it meant that I would have to apply quite a bit of make up to the rest of my face otherwise I'd look like a man in drag. And having the complexion and face that I do, it's hard to find a colour which suited me! I would stick to reds, and didn't see the need to buy another red since I had Ruby Woo so... My collection didn't grow! I bought a Barbie pink one (which I can't remember the name of and I lost on a night out - boooo) from MAC aswell but it really didn't suit me and I rarely wore it.

4. I got a new job (the same job but in a new location) and the other girls who worked there wore SO much more make up than me, as it's quite a glamorous place to work. I felt like an absolute baby, so I joined in too! I wore more, and would occasionally wear my good old Ruby Woo too, and as I worked five full days a wee it started to become a habit to wear more make up anyway.

5. I then bought MAC's Hue on a whim and absolutely loved it (it's still one of my firm favourites). The colour is very nude and neutral and suits my face for every day use as well as for nights out. Little did I know, it began another of my various obsessions.

6. I became more interested in Instagram this year and as a result, started seeing a lot of pretty MAC lipsticks popping up. As a weakness, I began writing down the ones I liked the look of and when I was in town I would eye them up in person, occasionally buying a few and becoming more and more experimental, both with lipstick and make up in general.

7. As well as MAC's range, I've heard many good things about high street/drug store brands such as Revlon and Rimmel so I've invested in a Rimmel one (still yet to decide on what Revlon I'd like!) and some other brands!

I thought I'd swatch them for you because it's important, for me at least, that I see what a lipstick looks like ON as it's often the case that it looks different on the stick than on the lips. I hope this helps some of you decide on buying some or not, because I find advice is so useful when thinking of investing a fair amount of money in something to avoid disappointment!

Sorry for SO much writing, but here goes!


Topshop - Saint
The first lipstick here is Topshop's Saint. My lips were a teeny bit dry by this point in the swatching (I swatched in a different order that I'm posting in) so I'm sorry they don't look that nice! 
It's quite a sheer lipstick as it's so pale but has a nice shine to it - it's perfect for every day or to tone down heavy eye make up.


MAC - Hue
Then we have MAC's Hue, which is from their Glaze range. Again, it's a little sheer but more pigmented than Topshop's Saint. It's one of my firm favourites and I wear it a lot, as you can tell by the shape of the lipstick now! I love MAC lipsticks because they're super moisturising (mostly) and because they smell soooooo good. They have a sweet scent to them, but not too sweet.


L'oreal Caresse - Fashionisha Pink (01)
Apologies for the awful photo quality of my lips, I didn't realise until I had finished all the swatching! But here we have one of the L'oreal Caresse range - Fashionista Pink. I got given three of these as a gift from my boyfriend's parents and they are so so lovely. They are the most moisturising lipsticks I own! This one in particular is very very sheer, the swatch on my hand took so many swipes from the lipstick to even show up, but in person it adds a lovely shimmer to your lips - it's a very blue toned baby pink.


Maybelline Colorsensational Popsticks - Crystal Pink (040)
I've had this lipstick - Maybelline's Colorsensational Popsticks in Crystal Pink - since last summer as I was recommended it by a friend. As I mentioned before, I didn't really wear lipsticks but this really grew on me! It's one of those see through lip sticks that it super sheer, almost invisible. It has a very subtle colour that develops to be a little stronger over time. My lips are quite dark pink naturally, but this lipstick (I feel weird calling it that as it feels like a lipbalm!) adds a slight pinky hint to it and is super super moisturising. It also helps that it genuinely smells like an ice pop. Amazing.


L'oreal Caresse - Impulsive Fuschia (202)
Now I love this lipstick. As I mentioned before, the L'oreal Caresse range are so moisturising and hydrating it's like wearing a lip balm, but Impulsive Fuschia has such a gorgeous blue toned bright pink that really makes my lips pop but it's so pigmented that it's offensive (if that makes any sense?!). They're so smooth to put on and are just lovely!


Maybelline - Shocking Coral (910)
Maybelline's Shocking Coral is a new purchase for me because recently I have been loving coral everything, and it doesn't disappoint! It's super pigmented and, as a result, gives a really bright colour to your lips! It's nice and hydrating, and also smells like Play Doh but sweet, which I don't fully understand how but it does!


L'oreal Caresse - Aphrodite Scarlet (06)
Again, sorry for the poor picture quality! This is my third out of the three L'oreal Caresse range, Aphrodite Scarlet, and I think it meets nicely in the middle! It's quite a peachy pink and the formula is the same in that it is very hydrating for your lips however it's a little sheerer than Impulsive Fuschia, but more pigmented than Fashionista Pink. It's a nice middle ground.


MUA - Shade 3
Now I was intrigued by MUA's range of lipsticks because they are only £1 which is so cheap but people have been raving about them all over the place! I was in a fun mood when I picked this colour - Shade 3 - out, and I'll be honest - it doesn't disappoint. Normally I don't suit lipsticks that are too Barbie pink and bright (as mentioned previously) but this shade is just about dark enough for me to pull off. The lipstick is surprisingly moisturising and pigmented for the price - I was expecting a lot worse! I've been very impressed and hope to get some more but they're always sold out! Another cheeky tip, the pink part at the bottom of the lipstick is actually an extra little pot of it that screws off - lovely!!


MAC - Girl About Town
I'm a sucker for MAC, as we all know, and I'm a sucker for hot pinks even though they don't always suit me. Girl About Town is just the right pink when I'm feeling a bit daring and want to make my make up stand out. It's from their Amplified range and as a result it's super pigmented and really moisturising and just a pleasure to wear. I find that with most MAC lipsticks that I own they rarely need topping up throughout the day/night, and this is one of them.


MAC - Ruby Woo
Right, so I'm assuming that many of you have experienced, or at least heard of, MAC's Ruby Woo. If you haven't - you're not missing much. It was one of my first lipsticks and I loved the colour because given my complexion and colouring, bold red colours really suit me. However, it is the driest lipstick known to man. Genuinely. It's from their Matte range, and my god is it matte. If you like feeling that your lips are as dry as the desert - go for it. Otherwise, I'd avoid it and opt for the MAC red I mention below.


Rimmel - Kate Moss - Kiss of Life (111)
Kate Moss has collaborated with Rimmel to make some gorgeous lipsticks which I only own one of - Kiss of Life. It's a gorgeous orangey toned red and is really nice to wear when you want to go for a really classy look (with simple cat flicks on your eyes it looks really retro, I love it). The formula is really smooth, it's semi-moisturising, it's super pigmented and it smells like watermelon. It also makes my lips tingle - anyone else get that too?! Just me?! Ok.


MAC - Russian Red
Now I bought MAC's Russian Red after my lovely friend Gabriella recommended it to me. I was moaning about how I loved the colour of Ruby Woo but hated how it felt and she told me about this red! I'd never seen it in my local MAC store as it was always sold out so I went on a mission to find one and am so glad I did because it's my new favourite. It's from their Matte range aswell, but it doesn't dry your lips out anywhere near as much as Ruby Woo does! Love it love it love it. It's so pigmented and smooth and ahhh, just lovely.


MAC - Viva Glam IV
I was actually given this as a gift from my aunt who always likes to buy myself, my sister and my mum MAC make up as presents for birthdays and Christmas. It's normally really hard to pick lipstick out for other people but I think she's done really well with this one! MAC's Viva Glam IV is a gorgeous rusty plum colour, and was limited edition from their Frost range. It's very similar to my natural lip colour so doesn't make a huge difference but is slightly darker and has a really nice subtle shimmer. It's gorgeous for if you're going to something like a meal or work where you have to dress smart. It's not super pigmented, but is enough to make a difference for sure.


Rimmel Apocolips - Big Bang
Now everyone was raaaaving on about these Rimmel Apocolips lip stains (?), so I thought I'd give them a go and obviously played it safe with a red - Big Bang. I'm still not sold on this entirely because I can't get my head around it - it is a gloss? Is it a stain? Is it a lipstick? I don't know. It smells the same as their lipsticks, a watermelon-y smell and it's really pleasant! It's the most pigmented thing I have ever worn on my lips and you literally need the teeniest bit and it goes a long long way. The applicator also makes it so easy to apply exactly as you like it. I'd like to try out a different colour in them to see if it makes me love them as much as everyone else does. Don't get me wrong - I don't hate it, I'm just not in love. Yet.


MAC - Rebel
Now last, but definitely not least, is MAC's Rebel. I held off on this for a long long time because it looks so gothic and dark as a lipstick but one day I caved and was so happy I did because it's one of my firm favourites. The photo here doesn't do it any justice because it's not as dark as it looks as a stick but is still a gorgeous bright plum on your lips and I can now see why so many people love it too. It's from their Satin range and this is obvious as it's so smooth and moisturising on your lips (I definitely have used those two words way too much in this post but it's because it's TRUE!). I love it. End of. 

I really hope that this has helped some of you make decisions about lipsticks and has helped clear up some misconceptions! Let me know what you think or if you have any questions.

Until next time!
xxx

6 comments:

  1. Ohh love them all on you! ESP. girl about town! <3

    - Mia

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    1. You're the sweetest! I've now realised how much I hate my closed-mouth smile though! Look like such a good haha xxxx

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  2. Russian Red looks incredible on you, definitely convinced me to look into buying it! x

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    1. Thank you lovely! You definitely should, it's so lovely! x

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  3. We have such similar taste in lip products! Half of those are already in my collection and the other half I want!

    xx,
    mashasmumbles.blogspot.com

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  4. I have Kiss of life too! Rebel is a lovely color, definitely getting it the next time I go to MAC!(:
    XO
    Reem

    http://musingsfromagemini.blogspot.com

    ReplyDelete