A MAC LIP COMBO TO TRY

We all know that the MAC lipstick combo to be wearing right now is Velvet Teddy and Whirl (which I obviously will be investing in at some point!), but after experimenting and making a few cheeky purchases, I have found another combination that will see me nicely through spring.  Step forward lip pencil in Dervish and cream sheen lipstick in Creme Cup!  Both are nude pink colours, and Dervish especially is a great shade that is almost an exact match for my lips and therefore makes it easy to line them and blend in.  

My bottom lip is pretty full, but my top lip is not so much, so I line it to try and create a fuller look without going too over the top.  I've been using this combination for a week or so, and though I still need some more practise with keeping my hand steady and blending the liner in properly, I really like the look and can see myself wearing it non stop!  

I see this as a lighter, more subtle version of the Kylie Jenner lip look, and ideal if you want to try the lined lip trend that is a bit more natural looking.  

What do you think of this look?  Have you tried any of these shades? xx 

A BARGAIN BEAUTY HAUL

So this is probably the cheapest lot of make up I've ever bought, Make Up Revolution is a purse friendly brand that I haven't tried before - so at their awesomely cheap prices I thought I would pick up a few bits.  With a lot of self control I decided to stay away from there vast array of eye shadow palettes; I was ordering online and I thought I'd leave them until I had seen them in the shops, as I've had bad experiences in the past where the photos online turn out to be completely different shades in real life!

I played it safe with a blush, a highlighter and two lip glosses.  I chose I Love Make Up Blushing Hearts in the shade Candy Queen of Hearts, which is three pink shades that you blend together to get a rosy colour on your cheeks, and a Goddess of Love highlighter.  These were £4.99 each, which is pretty damn reasonable in my opinion!  The lip glosses I chose were an orange shade called Coral and a bright pink in Raspberry - and these were only £1 each, madness!  

My first impressions of the products as a whole are that they have really cute packaging, they come in a selection of really pretty shades and they seem to be good value.  I haven't given them all a proper go yet, so I'll save a review for later; however I'm looking forward to trying them out and hopefully finding some affordable dupes for some of my other favourite brands! 

Have you tried any of these products?  What do you think of them? xx

FOTD | THE CLASSIC RED LIP

Time for the first Face of the Day post of the year I think, and I'm starting with my current favourite look - the matte red lip.  There is something about red lipstick that just makes you feel instantly better when you put it on, and the vast choice of shades and tones means that there is one for all of us.  

My favourite red at the moment is the Maybelline Color Drama lip pencil in Light It Up, which has a velvet matte finish and the pigmentation of a much more expensive product.  I also love the fact that it is a pencil, as it makes its so easy to apply and create a good strong shape.  Bold red lips like this work well with a simple eye look, so I just have a coat of mascara on my lashes and some felt tip liner on my lids.  

What is your go-to lip colour lately? xx

SHOPPING MY STASH | 01

I don't know about you, but January for me is always a bit of a tight month when it comes to spending.  I'm still feeling the hit from Christmas, and obviously I couldn't resist a few cheeky sales buys at the beginning of the month either - but now we're right bang in the middle I've been holding back on spending any more money and shopping what make up I've already got instead.  It is actually a pretty good feeling looking through my big drawer of make up and finding some much loved but also rather forgotten gems!  

Among the products I've rediscovered are L'Oreal Miss Manga mascara, which luckily I found unopened (HOW did I let that get forgotten?!).  I really had forgotten how much I liked this mascara, the length it adds to my lashes is brilliant and that's without using lash curlers too.  Also, I found the Illamasqua Cream Pigment in Hollow.  This got pushed aside when I bought the Anastasia Contour Kit, but it is actually just a good at creating some cheekbones for me and it's quicker to use if you are in a hurry in the mornings.  

Benefit High Beam is an all time favourite highlighter of mine, which I use on my cheeks, brow bone and cupid's bow.  It lasts for AGES too, so well worth the investment!  

I had also neglected my beloved Maybelline Color Drama lipsticks since I had bought a couple of high end ones over Christmas, but these have such a good finish and range of colours that I've been picking them up every day lately instead.  

Do you ever go through your make up stash and rediscover old favourites? xx

LIPS | 4 PARTY PERFECT PINK DRUGSTORE LIPSTICKS

l-r: Barry M Lip Paint shade 146, Rimmel Apocalips in Apocaliptic, Revlon Lip Butter in Sugar Plum & Revlon Colorburst Matte Balm in Unapologetic.

We see quite a few posts sharing the love for a good berry or red lip during winter and Christmas season, but as a big fan of pink lipsticks as well, I thought I would share my favourite shades.  

If you've read my blog for a while then you don't need me to go on any more about how much I love all things Barry M!  They are probably best known for their nail polish, but the other products they have to offer are pretty damn good too.  Their Lip Paint in shade 146 is a cool blue toned pink that I never thought would suit me, but I actually really like it and usually wear it with a simple eye look.  The product itself is creamy in texture and has a matte finish, it lasts for a few hours before it needs touching up - and it only costs £4.49! 

Then there is the loud and proud Rimmel Apocalips stain in the shade Apocaliptic.  This is one of the boldest, brightest lip lacquers and apart from the pigmentation being absolutely fantastic, it lasts for ages too.  It's a very bright, glossy lipstick and it does transfer a bit on to our glass etc, but it still lasts for ages - and I'm not talking an annoying faded stain either, I'm talking the same full colour that you applied!  

Who remembers the hype that surrounded the Revlon Lip Butters?!  I was caught up in it too of course, and I'm still loving them today.  The formula is really moisturising, so it is ideal for adding colour to dry lips like mine.  Sugar Plum is a plummy pink colour that doesn't apply as dark as it looks.  It is perfect for a more subtle pop of colour, and it is a great shade of pink to wear with those darker winter outfits.  

Last but definitely not least is my favourite of the bunch; Revlon Colorburst Matte Balm in Unapologetic.  This is a true pink that is an almost exact dupe for MAC Impassioned, and the matte finish is perfect and also has good staying power.  The pencil form means it's easy to get a good full shape on your lips, and it has a slightly minty smell which makes even more nice to wear!  

There are my favourite pink lip colours!  Are there any there that you like?  Or have you got one you love that I haven't mentioned?

I'm scheduling this post as by the time you read it on the 5th, it will be my birthday and I'll be the ripe old age of 25...eeeeeeek!  Expect some mid-twenties life crisis-style posts in the near future!  xx

THE WINTER RED LIP | SORTED

Everyone loves a red lip right?!  It is a classic shade that oozes old Hollywood glamour and makes you feel like a bit of a star when you wear it - I know I always feel great when I've got my favourite shade on!  I also believe that there is a shade of red to suit everyone, it took me a long time to realise this but I've eventually found that I like a more orange toned red on me, rather than blue toned.  

Here I have picked a few of my favourite red out of my collection that I go to especially coming into winter.  Topshop Rio Rio might have a bit of a tropical name, but it is a true red that has a super flattering satin matte finish and great pigmentation.  MAC So Chaud is an orange toned red that is probably my most loved out of all of these lipsticks.  I think this one best suits my pale complexion, and again the finish is matte which lasts for hours and looks flawless.  Maybelline Light It Up is a lip pencil from the Color Drama range which I have already reviewed in full a few posts ago.  I love how precise I can be with the pencil, and the quality of this high street product far outstrips many similar high end ones I've tried!  Revlon Wild Watermelon is from the Lip Butter range, and so is softer and more balm like than the other lipsticks.  This one is perfect if you don't want to go full on red, but prefer to go for more of a stain that can be built up.  It adds a pretty pop of red whilst still feeling nicely moisturising, and is ideal for day wear when you might not want a bold red lip.  The Ted Baker deep red berry gloss is from a set at Boots I got as a gift, so unfortunately I don't know the name of it, but I had to include it as the colour is just so beautiful!  I have seen very similar products by Topshop and Rimmel; it is a rich plum red that gives a gorgeous colour payoff as well as being super glossy.  I had to include a Kate Moss red!  This is shade 101 and really is a true, classic red.  I love the quality of these lipsticks and they are such a bargain too.  

I hope this post has inspired you to try a red lip this winter!  Do you like any of these colours? xx

REVIEW | YSL ROUGE VOLUPTE LIPSTICK

Is it wrong to make a decision to buy something just because it looks nice?  It is?  Well, that's ok because I definitely did not buy this YSL lipstick based on it's looks.  Nope.  I bought it after a balanced and well thought out - oh whatever, I got it because it's gold and the colour looked nice.  

As shallow as that sounds, I have no regrets spending £25 (yet) on this beautiful little thing as it turns out it is own of the best lipsticks I've ever tried.  It feels very moisturising on application almost like a lip balm, yet the colour is still really pigmented and deep.  I chose this shade 32 which is a light candy pink - subtle enough for daytime but nicely bright and girly too.  The staying power is pretty good considering it feels like it could slide straight off - but I've learnt the hard way not to go near my mouth with my hand as it comes off at the slightest touch!

Overall it is a beautiful product, perfect for treating yourself!  Have you tried any of the YSL Rouge Volupte lipsticks?  What do you think of them? xx

AUTUMN LIPSTICK PICKS

Hey!  So before I get onto the actual post, I just wanted to say that today I reached 400 followers on Bloglovin..whaat!  To think that that many people read/have read my blog is unbelievable to me, I'm so grateful!  So thank you so much to anyone and everyone who has trawled through my ramblings at some point, I hope you enjoy my blog and stick around to read some more of it :).

Moving on from that emotional moment of thanks, today I'm sharing a few of my lipsticks of choice for this autumn.  I left out winter because that's when the serious dark berry shades start to make an appearance - and that will be a post all by itself!  So I've had a look through my stash and picked out the lipsticks that I've been finding myself wearing a lot lately now that autumn is here.  For gloss, I've picked Tanya Burr's Aurora; I love the formula of these glosses and this shade is a dusky almost plummy pink that gives a subtle hint of colour that I love.  Next there is Maybelline Colorsensational in Tantalising Taupe, which I have already raved about enough on here, but it is a perfect nude that I can't wait to try out with a sixties look - heavy eyeliner, shift dress, black tights - the lot!  From the same collection I've picked Velvet Beige, I've done a Kylie Jenner tutorial using this lipstick and I love wearing it to create the ever popular nineties look.  It is a really flattering shade that looks good on all skin tones - a great all rounder and if I had to recommend only one lipstick out of all of these then it would be this.  MAC So Chaud is a bright orange red, perfect for adding pop to any autumn outfit as well as being a classic that will always be on trend.  Last up I chose Rio Rio by Topshop, which sounds more like a summery shade (which it is as well of course), but this is more of a blue toned red that also works well this time of year as a bright addition to a dark, wintery outfit.  

So there are my lipstick picks for this season, what are yours? xx

REVIEW | MAYBELLINE COLOR DRAMA LIP PENCILS

You have probably seen a fair few posts over the last few weeks about these new Maybelline Color Drama lip pencils, but I thought I would add in my thoughts on them anyway!  I love a good lipstick, and I've mentioned in a previous post that I bought the shade Nude Perfection recently and I've been loving it, so I thought I'd add a couple more shades to my collection. 

I chose the berry/wine colour Keep It Classy, and a fabulous red called Light It Up which I love.  The finish is velvet matte, and as you can see from the photos, they are extremely good quality and have brilliant colour payoff.  Nude Perfection is probably still my favourite shade out of the three; I find myself wearing it most days and it is perfect for creating the 90s look that I am loving at the moment.  The berry shade is the perfect colour to compliment autumn and winter, I don't own anything similar to this so I'm sure I will get a lot of wear out of it!  Light It Up is a classic red, and I love the glamourous, old Hollywood look it has.  Being in pencil form makes it easy to apply neatly, but it still needs a lip liner worn with it to stop the colour smudging and looking awful! 

I'm really impressed with these lip pencils so far, they are a bargain at £4.99 and a good high street alternative to a certain popular high end product too apparently..!  

Have you tried any of these lip pencils?  What do you think of them? xx

HOW TO | KYLIE JENNER LIPS STEP BY STEP

Hey!  So obviously I have no actual idea what Kylie Jenner wears on her lips, and even if I did I doubt I could get hold of the products anyway!  So I thought I would have my own go at recreating her nineties look, using a couple of my own lipsticks, Lord & Berry pencil in Blosson and Maybelline ColorSensational in Velvet Beige.  

First, I created a fuller, stronger shape using the Lord & Berry pencil and then smudging it in a little so the line wasn't too harsh.  Regardless of the various rumours around whether or not Kylie has had a little work done on her lips, there's no doubt that they are full and pouty (yes that's a word..!)  

Next, I filled my lips in using my new Maybelline lipstick in Velvet Beige; the shade just oozes nineties grunge glamm, and looks great with a generous amount of black liner on the eyes.

Aaaand here we go, Kylie (ish) lips in seconds:

I can already tell that this look will definitely be my go-to for autumn, and the good thing about nudes is that there are light and dark shades that can be mixed up depending on how strong you want your look to be.  Now, go play some Nirvana loud like it's still 1993. 

What do you think of this look? Is it something you would wear this autumn? xx

LIPSTICKS I'M LOVING #4 | REVLON MATTE BALM STAIN IN 'UNAPOLOGETIC'

So this week I have found myself wearing a bit of a forgotten gem of mine - Revlon Colourburst Matte Balm Stain in Unapologetic.  I have said before on here that it is a perfect dupe for MAC's Impassioned - another favourite of mine - and the finish of it is just about perfect.  It is in pencil form, which in my opinion makes it easier to apply and create a neat shape with.  It perks up many make up looks, I particularly love to wear it with minimal make up to make it stand out.  

I keep meaning to try more shades from this range, I think I might try a nude to wear to work!

Do you like this shade?  Have you tried any of the Revlon Colourburst Matte Balm Stains? xx

LIPSTICKS I'M LOVING #3 | L'OREAL L'EXTRAUDINAIRE in NUDE BALLET

So I can officially say that I owned this lipgloss before I knew that Kim Kardashian had worn it on her wedding day.  When celebrity gossip pages started exploding with every minute detail of Kim's big day, one of the things I noticed was that her make up artist (apparently) used some high street products - including the L'Oreal L'Extraudinaire Liquid Lipstick in the shade Nude Ballet.  I realised that I had it already in my collection and quickly put it on to see if it magically made me look like her.  

Unfortunately, it didn't.  But I did discover what a lovely little gloss it is; the cute doe foot applicator is the perfect shape and angle to cover the lips in one application, and the colour is a soft but nicely pigmented nude.  It feels really moisturising too, and most importantly doesn't feel too sticky either.  It is the perfect neutral gloss shade that I have found, generally I find that matte lipsticks make the best nudes but this is a lovely exception.  It also has pretty impressive staying power - I ate dinner and dessert whilst wearing it and it didn't budge!

I can totally see why Mrs Kardashian West opted for it now, it is a seriously impressive gloss/lipstick.  This kind of hybrid is becoming more popular lately and for me, L'Oreal is at the top of the game right now! 

Have you tried the L'Oreal L'Extraudinaire range yet?  What do you think of it? xx

LIPSTICKS I'M LOVING #2 | TANYA BURR 'PICNIC IN THE PARK'

Another day, another lip product.  Today I'm writing about a much talked about lip gloss by the lovely Tanya Burr, one of my favourite beauty bloggers/You Tubers.  The shade I bought was Picnic in the Park because it looked like a good daytime colour, and I was not wrong!  It is a gorgeous pink sheen, and it makes a nice change to pick a shade like this that doesn't have any shimmer in it, as many similar drug store glosses do.  

As I've probably said many times before, what I particularly look for in a lip gloss is whether or not it's sticky because my pet hate is getting hair stuck to my lips!  This gloss has no stickiness what so ever, and it also lasts around 3 hours before I need to reapply it, which I think is really good for a gloss.  The cute little doe foot applicator makes applying this gloss a dream, one sweep and you're done!  

I would definitely try more lip glosses from the range, and I'd even say that this gloss alone has become my new favourite - I've been reaching for it for longer than any of my other glosses and that's coming from someone who generally switches up every day!

What do you think of the Tanya Burr make up range? xx

SHOPPED MY STASH | RIMMEL APOCALIPS ‘LUNA’ REVIEW & SWATCHES

So I probably should have started writing ‘shop the stash’ posts a long time ago, they are one of my favourite kinds of posts to read and I often find myself having to go through my make up collection in order to force myself not to spend anything more!  It’s also quite embarrassing when I am looking through and find something that I haven’t even used before – that’s when I realise that I own too much make up.

I found this Rimmel Apocalips lip lacquer in the shade ‘Luna’, and having read some positive reviews on it in the past I can’t really think how it got forgotten.  Never mind, I have seen the error of my ways and have been wearing it all week!  When swatched, it looks like a bit of an unusual shade of orange and not the most appealing I have to say.  But once on, it is the perfect peachy daytime shade that has great pigmentation and pretty impressive staying power too.  The finish is not overly glossy, but more of a satin sheen instead which I like because it is fairly subtle yet still packs a fair old punch colour wise.  I will definitely keep this in my make up bag from now on, it’s too pretty to forget about again!

Have you tried this shade?  What do you think of it? xx

REVEW | REVLON COLOURBURST MATTE BALMS

Hello!  Today I just thought I would just give a quickie review of the already infamous Revlon Colourburst Matte Balms.  I bought two, in the shades ‘Unapologetic’ and ‘Elusive’.  ‘Elusive’ is a daytime/work-friendly shade that is a dusky, soft pink and ‘Unapologetic’ is a bright coral pink that just oozes summer.  I bought them when browsing Boots’ 3 for 2 offer, these were the two shades that stood out most to me and I preferred the finish to the lacquer balms. 

The pigmentation of these products is excellent, the level I would expect of a much higher end lip crayon so that is a massive bonus.  The worry I had with these was that they may be drying on my lips because of the matte finish, and as someone who is forever battling dry lips I can say that this is thankfully not a problem at all.  They feel incredibly soft on application and you can tell that they are balm based.  The matte finish is perfect if you prefer a more subtle look, or just favour it over a glossy finish.  ‘Unapologetic’ is definitely my favourite, I already know that I will be using this all over spring/summer! ‘Elusive’ will be my go-to for work days, it is subtle enough to just add a pop of colour but it can be built up more for a bolder look too.  Photos will follow on my FOTD post!

Have you tried any of the Revlon Colourburst Matte Balms? xx

MAC | Creme Cup

I think what I’m about to say may make me a bad blogger but…I don’t own many MAC lipsticks!  I think that in general paying £10 + for a lip product is a bit silly, as they all come off at some point and sometimes you just pay for the nice packaging etc.  However, having a little Christmas money left over can do funny things to a person, and at the weekend I found myself shopping in Westfield and passing by the MAC shop.  I was tempted to try their Face and Body foundation, but decided on lip stick that I could wear every day at work etc.  Creme Cup is a nude, dusky pink shade that gives the effect of my-lips-but-better.  The pigment I have to admit is fantastic, although I still stand by my belief that Topshop lipsticks are identical to MAC in their pigmentation and finish, just as good in my opinion!  The formula is nicely moisturising and the finish is sheer and velvety.  I definitely don’t have anything bad to say about it, apart from the price which makes me think that MAC lippies will remain an occasional treat for myself!  I do think that there are some make up products worth spending the extra money on; for me these things are skin care and foundation, so while I really do like this shade I don’t think I will be ditching drugstore lipsticks just yet. 

Do you love MAC lip products?  Have you tried this shade? xx

Sarah x

Review | L’Oreal Glam Shine Reflexions Gloss

 

Hey  :)  This post marks the start of me taking part in #blogyoursocksoffseptember, an idea that Jess from Lovely Jubbly came up with where you blog every day throughout September…this is just the kinda thing I need to make myself get a bit more organised and schedule more posts! 

So today it’s all about my latest addition to my everyday lip gloss collection: L’Oreal Glam Shine Reflexions gloss.  I actually only picked it up because I had a voucher for £2 off one at Boots, so I thought I would give it a go.  As you can see from the photos, it has an angled applicator which I actually really like and it fits with the natural curve of your lips and means the gloss goes on in one sweep.

The other major thing I noticed was that it does not have the dreaded sticky finish!  This is a big relief, because one of the most annoying things EVER is when you’re walking about and your hair is getting stuck to your lips over and over again.  It’s so bad that if there’s a wind outside then you’re almost definitely going to end up looking like you’re wearing a fake beard.  But anyway, this isn’t the case here and the finish is a smooth and soft gloss which I could compare with the finish of a balm.  I have very dry lips naturally and this doesn’t dry them out at all, which is a deal breaker for me! 

The colour is a soft, subtle pink with a gentle shimmer.  It’s perfect for daytime wear and work etc if you just want a natural look that is just the right side of glossy and sparkly.  It is ideal if you want less colour than lip butters etc, but the shimmer makes it stand out without being too over the top for day time.

Have you tried this product?  Are you taking part in #blogyoursocksoffseptember?  Let me know! xx

Review | Revlon Lip Butter in Tutti Frutti

Revlon Lip Butter in Tutti Frutti

 

 

Hey :)!  I’m still taking advantage of the Boots 3 for 2 offer, so yesterday before work I popped in and picked up a few more bits, one of which was this Lip Butter by Revlon in Tutti Frutti.  For some reason, I have never bought one of these before, even though they are rated by so many bloggers!  I guess I thought that they wouldn’t be very colourful considering they’re predominantly a lip balm, but I have been very pleasantly surprised.  I chose this shade because I think coral colours suit my pale skin the best, and it’s also a nice summery colour. 

 

After using it for the first time, I am really happy with it, it is far more pigmented than I thought it would be.  It’s obviously not like a full on lipstick but more like a tinted gloss, which is actually ideal for day time and work.  It’s a great pop of colour but not too full on like some of my other favourite lip products, so it’s a happy in between shade that I really love.  I think it looks refreshing and healthy, with a lovely glossy finish. 

 

And then of course there is the fact that it is a lip BUTTER, which feels really moisturising and ideal for these protecting my lips on these unnaturally cold spring days!  The smell and feel of it reminds me of cocoa butter a lot, which is no bad thing, and it left my lips feeling soft and moisturised. 

 

The packaging is lovely on this product, I would never buy something just because the packaging looks good but it does help :).  The colour of the lid reflects the colour of the product which is handy, and the textured pattern makes this look really high end and expensive, whereas sometimes cheaper lip products can look a bit plasticky (not a real word oops) and tacky. 

 

I will definitely be adding more shades to my collection now, especially as they are so reasonably priced (around £5.99) and are ideal for day wear.

 

What do you think of the Revlon Lip Butters range? xx 

 

Rimmel Apocalips in ‘Apocaliptic’

Rimmel Apocalips in Apocaliptic

 

Hey :)!  This is my first Saturday off from work in what feels like a life time!  It is snowing a stupid amount outside, but I battled through it all to get to town and do some shopping.  It was definitely worth it, I got a few goodies which I will show in the next few posts, but for now I thought I would catch up with pretty much every other blogger and review my first Rimmel Apocalips purchase!  I bought the shade ‘apocaliptic’ which is actually a bit more of a plum colour than the photos show.  I had read very good things about this collection, and I was not disappointed, the pigmentation is amazing!  It completely covers my lips in vibrant glossy colour in one go without having to go over it at all, it’s the sort of result I would expect from a high end brand, so I am very very impressed with Rimmel right now!  It goes on really nicely with the doe foot applicator, and the finish is glossy but not sticky which can be a let down in some other lacquers.  

I will definitely be trying out more colours from this range, as my first impressions of this one are so great.  What do you think of the Rimmel Apocalips range? xx

Sarah x