Mac Mehr Lipstick: Review and Swatch

Being a full-time parent now, and spending most my time catering to my beautiful son, a sleep-deprived, caffiene-driven me has many random thoughts going through her head! I was thinking to myself the other day, how would I get along with my siblings or childhood friends, or anybody that I've know for a long time, if I had met them for the first time today?

I think I would actually get along with my brother, Robi, if I had met him for the first time today- he's funny, caring and straightforward. He's actually more intelligent than he lets on and maturer than he shows. As a brother he's soooo annoying, spoilt and never ceases to drive me up the wall! He has many names for me: 'Miss Teacher', 'Miss Dictionary' and 'Miss Doctor', because he thinks that I think that I 'know it all'. Oh and 'Miss Shakespeare' because my english isn't so street-smart. Ppft...whatever bruvz. If I had met one of oldest childhood friend today, Shanaz, I would enjoy hanging with her...she's carefree and confident, but with one foot firmly on the ground. When I had first met her, she was the shy, innocent, new-girl that I had befriended at primary school. Whether  it was then or now, she's still easy to gel with. And my husband...well, let's just say if I had bumped into my husband first time today, I'd pick him all over again. Any day. Everyday.

Something else that I would pick over and over again is one of my favourite lippy- Mac Mehr. I hadn't thought that I needed this in my life, under the assumption that it was too similar to Mac Twig, but I was wrong. I sooo needed this in my life...like bread needs butter, bees need flowers, hubby needs chocolate, men need women...anyway, before I go off on a tangent...I was gifted Mehr by my cousin Ruba, and really fell in love with the colour. Whereas Twig is brown-ish nude, Mehr is more of a blue-ish, pink-ish nude. I absolutely LOVE rocking this colour with a bold, smokey eye!

This is a matte lipstick, but I don't find it to be too drying if I prep my lips with a little scrubbing prior to application. You may need a balm if you have extremely dry lips. The colour applies opaque and has good lasting power- roughly four hours before needing to reapply. As with all Mac lipsticks, I love the vanilla scent it has.

I definitely recommend this colour, and I reckon it would suit most skin tones.

RATING: 10/10

Pixi Lip Glow Kit in Tan Topper: Review & Swatches

Don't you just hate it when you have a gorgeous little clutch to match your amazing outfit, but you can hardly fit ANYTHING in it?! The practical thing would be to obviously carry a bigger bag, but at the expense of ruining your whole glammed-up look- you get what I mean? A clutch adds style to your look; it can bling out a simple outfit, and add a touch of elegance to your overall look. I mean, that IS the only reason why most of us spend so much on clutches- they're simply an impractical necessity! Of course, it is nothing short of a miracle when we ladies, who carry around so many items in our handags that we forget what we have in there, manage to fit everything we need into one teeny little clutch! Ok, so perhaps we won't be needing to carry our notebook, current novel and some granola bars in our clutches, but what about lipsticks, eye shadows, blusher, concealer, make up brushes and eyeliners?! We need them for those touch-ups after eating, drinking and perhaps even sweating!


This is why I love palettes! I was at a wedding on Sunday, and I managed to fit in everything I needed, simply because most of what I needed came in one dinky palette! Now that's what I call practical! I love my Lancome Tendre Voyage palette which I bought over a year ago from duty-free. It contains two lip colours with a lip brush, four eye shadows with  a double-end brush, a blush with a brush and a mirror. Perfect!


However, I am reviewing a different palette today, which I purchased not long ago: Pixi Lip Glow Kit in #Tan Topper

This is my first Pixi product, and I must say, although the plastic packaging feels a tad bit cheap, I am impressed! It contains eight different lip colour shades, including a mirror and a lip brush.

 Lips shades from first row of palette- IN NATURAL LIGHT

Lip shades from first row of palette- WITH FLASH

 Lip shades from second row of palette- IN NATURAL LIGHT

Lip shades from second row of palette- WITH FLASH

The colours range from sheer to medium sheer, and are rather moisturising on the lips. I find that if you apply a couple of layers, the colours can be made to look less sheer. They have good lasting power, lasting a couple of hours before fading, and the colour fades evenly. Although the lip colours are slightly glossy, they do not feel sticky on the lips thankfully, as I am not a big user of lip glosses. 

There is not much else to say about this palette, except that it is convenient to carry around, will fit into your clutch easily and great for changing your lip colour from a daytime look to an evening look. The mirror adds to the practicality of this product, and although the lip brush is a bonus, I prefer just to use my fingers. I would recommend this product as I like that the texture of these lip colours are somewhat a cross between a lipstick and lip gloss. I bought this palette on offer for £7, which I think is a great price for what you get, so would definitely repurchase if it is continued to be sold at this price!

RATING: 8/10

Mac Retro Matte Lipstick Review & Swatches: Ruby Woo

Ever been compelled by a friend to try on a dress which you're quite reluctant about, but did so anyway because she seemed so adamant that this dress was perfect for you?! So you half-heartedly drag yourself to the changing rooms in the store, and moments later you're staring at yourself in the mirror, grinning (and possibly pouting) and thinking 'Whoa..! I am looking da-bomb!!' (OK perhaps nobody uses this word anymore, unless you're stuck in the 90's, but you get my drift...anyway...)

Or have you ever met someone new, probably whilst at uni, or even at work, and felt you could never bond with this person, then a week later you've become best friends for life, exchanging makeup tips, going shoe shopping and perchance indulging at a spa salon together?!

Well, I was in a similar situation recently. Say hello to my new, sexy and sultry best friend- Ruby Woo.

Although I have an endless amount of red lipsticks, I rarely go for the red lip look, as I prefer to focus on and enhance my eyes, and thus opting for a nude lip on most occasions. However, I am constantly on the hunt for the perfect red lipstick! As blasphemous as it may sound, until Ruby Woo I had never tried nor owned a Mac lipstick (shoot me now). In fact, the only Mac product I had every purchased is their eye kohl in Smoulder. So, when I went into the Mac store to search for a lipstick, I was like a kid in a candy store! So many colours and textures to choose from! As I tried and tested different lipsticks, my eyes fell upon two similar red shades- Russian Red and Ruby Woo. 

I was a little apprehensive as they were both bright reds and thought they wouldn't look too good against my skin tone. As I swatched both lipstick on the back of my hand, I found Russian Red to be too orangey for my liking. However, Ruby Woo was just perfect!! Without further hesitation, I purchased my first Mac lipstick.

 

What I love about this lipstick is that due to its matte texture, it has amazing staying power! It literally lasts on my lips the whole day, requiring only one touch up if I am eating or drinking too much (plus a longer workout at the gym). It also makes my lips appear fuller and more pouty, which is a plus point for me as I have small lips. Although matte textures, especially Ruby Woo, can be rather drying on the lips, applying a little balm on the lips prior to applying the lipstick eradicates this problem. I also apply a nude lip liner around the lips before applying the lipstick, to prevent the red from bleeding.

You have to be careful when wearing red lipstick, as the red stands out and so you have to keep the rest  of your makeup toned down, unless of course you want to look like a drag queen! Although I love bold, smokey eyes, I would not pair it with red lips- you either focus on one or the other. I found that I could wear this lipstick alone, without applying any other makeup, and it looked good simply on its own. 

This is definitely my HG red lipstick. It is bold and brilliant, and it makes me feel fabulous and glam! It is most definitely a head-turner! Ruby Woo is a pure, classic red and would look good against any skin tone, from pale to darker complexions. I recommend this shade to anybody who is searching for the perfect red shade, and to anybody who shies away from bright colours- you will not regret buying this! Priced at £13.50, I think this product is worth its value. I would definitely repurchase this lipstick.

RATING: 10/10

The Body Shop ColourGlide Lipstick Review and Swatches: Pink Ginger

I was rummaging through my ever-growing collection of lipsticks the other day, and I realised that I have a countless number of red lipsticks, an umpteen amount of nude lipsticks and even some brown lipsticks, but very few pink shades. I suppose this is because although pink is undoubtedly my favourite colour, I seem to shy away from pink-coloured makeup as I feel it doesn't suit my skin tone very well. Nevertheless, I was passing The Body Shop the next day, and decided to go in and have a little snoop around. Well, I didn't just snoop around of course! I ended up spending just over £40 (I'm a sucker for marketing and sales people who seem to know what they're talking about).

Anway, today I'll be reviewing The Body Shop ColourGlide lipstick in Pink Ginger, which caught my eye as it seemed the perfect pink shade for my lips. The sales lady informed me that this colour is very popular, and it appeared to be so as there was only one left on the shelf. It was priced at £9.00 but I received a 10% discount with my The Body Shop card.

14 PINK GINGER

On first application, it felt very smooth and glided on quite easily. There was no overpowering fragrance or taste. The colour comes on rather sheer, but it can be built up easily to a desired shade which is why I believe this lip colour would suit most skin tones. The texture is neither matte nor glossy, but somewhere in between, so it isn't too drying on the lips and neither is it overly shiny or sticky.  I had it on for four-five hours without the colour fading, so this lipstick has good lasting power. What I really like about this lipstick is that it is extremely moisturising, making my lips feel super-soft, and it suited my skin tone very well.

I think this is a great lipstick, and would definitely repurchase. I would also like to try this in different colours. 

RATING: 8/10