MAC Finally Free Lipstick Review & Swatch | Lipstick Monday!

I have been excited about getting my hands on this lipstick for some weeks now! I’m first to admit I’m not a fan of anything Kardashian related, but when MAC announced a collaboration with Caitlyn Jenner I couldn’t help but want it – especially when I saw how unusual and pretty the colour was.

Finally Free is a beautiful rose pink nude in a cremesheen formula.  At first glance Finally Free is a ‘suit all’ red tone but once applied it is a lovely wearable every day pretty rose shade.

The lipstick applied effortlessly and is everything you expect from a MAC lipstick.  The colour longevity was good, only muting after drinking but still leaving behind a pretty sheen.

Caitlyn Jenner created Finally Free to suit all ages, all races and all sexes.  I am really impressed with this colour and can see myself getting lots of wear out of this lipstick.  I don’t own any colour like it and for that reason would recommend purchasing it if you are looking for a new shade.

Finally Free is available exclusively online at MAC and priced at £15.50. 100% of the selling price goes to the MAC Aids Fund Transgender Initiative to further the work in support of transgender communities.

Do you like the finish of Finally Free on my lips? I would be really interested to hear your thoughts!

Talk to you all soon x

My Makeup Setting Spray Beauty Tip!

I discovered a little beauty hack recently that really works – and naturally wanted to share it with you all!

I love using my Urban Decay Makeup Setting Spray, and really notice the difference on days I forget to use it.  You can catch up on my review of the spray in detail here – Urban Decay All Nighter Makeup Setting Spray – Review

I recently suffered from sore eyes and was faced with a real beauty dilemma! I wanted to fix my makeup with my setting spray but didn’t want to spray any into my eyes as this would only aggravate my eye complaint.

So, what is a beauty addict meant to do in a situation like this?!  ……. Improvise!

I use my MAC 187 brush (but any soft kabuki style brush would do) and lightly mist my makeup setting spray over the bristles.  I then gently pat the brush  over my face.  This gives exactly the same finish as misting it in the usual way, but I am able to control where the setting spray falls.

Another benefit of applying in this way is that I suffer from a very oily nose, so I am able to make sure my nose has more spray than drier areas such as my cheeks.

Have you ever tried applying your makeup setting spray in this way? If not, give it a go and let me know your thoughts!

Talk to you all soon x

 

Take A Look At My Pretty Little Haul From MAC! – MAC Charlotte Olympia Collection Review & Swatch

It has been some time since I bought anything from MAC, but the Charlotte Olympia collection was one that I just could not resist! Charlotte Olympia is the queen of retro and glamour from a bygone era.

Last week saw the release of the collection here in the UK, and I eagerly waited to place my order! I originally wanted a cute little mirror for my work handbag but unfortunately this sold out before I got the chance to purchase the contents in my basket! However, I had more luck with the rest and I chose two pieces from the collection, one nail polish and one lipstick.

First up, lets talk lips! I have enough red lipstick to literally last me a lifetime however that doesn’t seem to stop me buying (all in the name of blog research!)

There were three lipsticks to choose from, and I chose Leading Lady Red. A perfect red lipstick for the femme fatale look. This is a classic matte finish and easy to apply.  I feel this shade has slight orange undertones and for that reason isn’t as flattering on me as some other lipsticks I have however I can still make this work.  The image above is applied straight from the bullet with no lip liner.  The lipstick is slightly more expensive than the regular line at £17.00, however for the packaging I feel it is worth it.  It has the sweet vanilla scent that MAC do so well, and so far has been a real joy to wear.

I also treated myself to a nail polish in To Have Or Have Not.  At £11.00 this is a real bargain and one I just couldn’t resist! Again, this has slight orange undertones.  It glides on effortlessly and has a real high shine – the image above is without a topcoat. The brush is a nice length and holds the polish well to prevent streaking.  Nail lacquer is not something I would usually buy from MAC, however I am pleasantly surprised by the overall  finish.

The packaging is absolutely divine.  The transparent lipstick tube looks very retro.  I love the spiderweb detailing and the boxes the products come in are just too cute to throw away!

There are a few pieces left in the MAC Charlotte Olympia collection – including the lipsticks,  so if you are interested make sure you are quick!

Did you treat yourself to any pieces from this collection? I would love to hear from you!

Talk to you all soon x

MAC Hue Lipstick Review & Swatch | Lipstick Monday!

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For todays post I am sharing with you all a little look at the MAC Hue Glaze Lipstick.  I have had this lipstick for some time and used it after a long hiatus today.  I was drawn to this colour as I just wanted a natural low key look on my lips, and this lipstick was perfect for achieving just that.

MAC Hue is a lovely pale pink peachy nude that works particularly well with a smokey eye. I do however find that this lipstick picks up every line on my lips, and I don’t find this quality particularly flattering. I think I would achieve a better quality finish applying a lip liner first to act as a base and also darken the colour a little.

I applied this in the morning, and it only lasted about an hour.  As the finish is so sheer it was very easy to reapply so I did not find that this was a problem.

I have very pigmented lips and found this colour a little too pale for me, but if you are fairer you may be able to make this work.  In future I plan to use this to lift matte lipsticks.  I am particularly looking forward to trying it over MAC Velvet Teddy.

You can purchase the MAC Hue lipstick for £15.50 from MAC counters nationwide.

Have you tried this lipstick? I would love to hear your thoughts!

Talk to you all soon x

 

MAC Velvet Teddy Lipstick Review and Swatch | Lipstick Monday!

MAC Velvet Teddy. I’m sure you all know the shade I am talking about! This lipstick caused a real stir earlier on in the year when a certain Jenner sister credited it in achieving her plumped up pout.  It was out of stock just about everywhere.  Now, I don’t know if you are like me but I just had to have it.  Not because I particularly liked the look of the colour, but because it was so popular.  Yes, I know.  I really should become less of a brand floozie! I can honestly say though, I have learnt a valuable lesson in buying this lipstick….and that is not to do it again! Velvet Teddy just does not suit me and my colouring.  I decided to wear it today to see if my mind could be changed but unfortunately it can’t.  I just don’t like it!

Velvet Teddy has such a lovely name, and does suit the colour but I would say this was more 90’s girlband brown.  It is a nude brown shade with slight pink undertones.  I think this lipstick would look stunning on darker skin tones but for me and my pale skin it just did nothing.  It made my face look very flat.

Velvet Teddy is a matte finish, and lasted for a good 5 hours on me.  It did not budge with drinking and only minimally with eating.  It was not particular easy to apply to the contours of my lips, but that said matte lipsticks are generally like this.  I guess this is the cost you pay for looking good for longer! As you can see from the swatch above, it builds well and is opaque with two swatches.

I bought Velvet Teddy in the summer, but wanted to try it out a few times before giving you my Pretty Honest review.  Personally speaking, it just does not work for me, but one thing is for sure, I am quite envious of all who can make this lipstick work for them, as on the right person this shade is beautiful, as evident by Kylie Jenner and those lips!

MAC Velvet Teddy is widely available from MAC counters both in-store and online, priced at £15.50.

Have you tried this colour? Did it live up to the hype for you? I would love to hear from you, even it it may make me jealous!

Talk to you all soon x

MAC Impassioned Lipstick Review and Swatches | Lipstick Monday!

MAC Impassioned was the colour I chose to brighten up my day which was an otherwise gloomy, dull and somewhat depressing Monday.  Impassioned belongs to the Amplified range which is well known for being rich in colour and very long lasting; which are two descriptions that work so well together when talking about lipstick!

Impassioned is a very bright fuchsia colour that most certainly packs a punch! It is certainly not a colour for those not fans of a bright lip, but as I always say, if applied lightly any bright lipstick becomes wearable and this is no different.

This lipstick would look beautiful with a warm golden glow on the eyelids, and works really well with green eyes.

Impassioned lasts about 4 hours on me, and survives not only drinking but also eating.  Ok, it may not look as bright as it did on initial application but what I love about this lipstick is that it fades to a stain and doesn’t give me the dreaded ‘lip liner’ only look whereby the colour disappears in the middle but somehow survives around the edges!

This lipstick is not hydrating, but on the plus side as mentioned above it does offer longevity.

So there we have todays Lipstick Monday post! A bright statement lip to brighten up an otherwise ordinary autumnal day!

MAC Impassioned is priced at £15.50 and is available at MAC counters nationwide.

Talk to you all soon x

MAC Red Lipstick Review And Swatches | Lipstick Monday!

Today was a red day. Not just any red though, it had to be my MAC Red.  If there is one colour that MAC do well it is a red. So, what sets this particular one apart from the rest? Well, MAC Red really flatters my pale skin tone as it looks like a pinky red on my lips.  The finish is beautiful, it is lustrous but with a nice dewy finish.

I applied MAC Red this morning and it was still on at lunch time! Now, that is pretty impressive for a lipstick! It stayed put after eating and drinking various cups of tea…..now that really is special! I touched it up post lunch and it remained until home time.  I did notice it was slightly wearing off in the centre of my lips by the time I got home, but the longevity is still pretty impressive. Sometimes when this happens it can look really messy but I could just about pull this fading off.   This lipstick also made my teeth look lovely and white – I guess that’s another bonus to being a blue red!

As you can see from the picture above, I did not apply heavily – it was a work day after all, but at least you can see the diversity of MAC Red.  Yes, it is a bright vibrant red and applied with a lip liner and heavier it certainly does create a bold lip. I however, opted to apply only using a lip brush and a much lighter touch and as you can see this gives a lovely finish.

So there we have it.  MAC Red. The lipstick that got me through the first day of the week!

Hope you found this review useful! Have you ever tried MAC Red? How do you rate it?

Talk to you all soon x

Back 2 MAC Haul | Creme Cup , Lipblossum and Ruby Woo Lipstick Reviews

It’s not often we get rewarded for being a beauty hoarder, but recently I managed to turn all of the above into three shiny new pristine lipsticks from MAC. The Back 2 MAC scheme enables us to exchange the packaging of 6 primary empty MAC products for  a lipstick of our choice for free.  I admit, I have not used all of the colours  pictured above right down to the pans.  In fact, some of them were hardly touched. They were however getting very old and in vivid bright colours that were not me and I was highly unlikely to use them again.   I took these to MAC and exchanged them for colours that have been on my wish list for a while. Ruby Woo, Lipblossum and Creme Cup. It feels great having had a clear out of all my old makeup, and even better swapping it all for these beauties. 

    L-R Ruby Woo, Lipblossum, Creme Cup

Ruby Woo is a Retro Matte finish that is iconic.  I have wanted this colour for years but never got around to buying it.  It is every bit as beautiful as I thought it would be.  It’s a red that I think would suit a wide range of skin tones.  I applied mine with a lip brush to create extra definition around the cupids bow.  I’m so pleased I chose this colour and can’t wait to wear it in the coming weeks.  

Lipblossum was the wild card out of the three.  Having recently seen a YouTube review I thought I would give it a go.  It is a Lustre lipstick and is a warm peachy pink colour that looks very pretty and is easy to wear.  Longevity is not all that great but that is to be expected with a lustre finish.  I think this lipstick would also be universally flattering.  This colour is unlike any colour I have.

Finally, Creme Cup. A favourite amongst beauty fans.  A Cremesheen finish and every bit as pretty as I hoped it would be.  It’s a beautiful soft pink shade in the tube but I think it may be slightly too light for my colouring.  It is very moisturising and easy to wear and I am looking forward to using it.  I think this would be very pretty layered over a darker matte shade on me so I will let you know if I discover any good combinations.

I hope you have enjoyed this post and seeing the colours I chose.  Now that I have bought the colours off my MAC lipstick wish list I need some recommendations from you on what I should be buying next!

And finally, its worth remembering that Back 2 MAC is proof that having a MAC addiction can be rewarding!

Talk to you all soon x

I

MAC Cremesheen Lipstick – Fanfare | Review

I was very happy at the weekend …. I found this lipstick in my makeup drawer! I have a bit of a habit of buying lipsticks, wearing them once and then losing them in the depths of my makeup drawers! I bought Fanfare a while ago after watching a YouTube tutorial.  I loved it at the time and have fallen in love with it all over again!

I think this lipstick is a beautiful colour that is very underrated! The lipstick is a warm pinky toned shade with very subtle coral undertones.  It is very easy to pull off and is a ‘my lips but better’ colour with a little extra oomph! It is the perfect colour for wearing to work, making my lips look polished. This lipstick belongs to the cremesheen collection.  It has the instantly recognisable vanilla scent that glides on effortlessly leaving behind a creamy finish with a slightly glossy sheen.

The picture above shows how this colour transfers.  One swatch on the top and two swatches on the bottom.

The lipstick has good staying power.  I put it on in the morning before going shopping and it was still on at lunch time.  It did leave lipstick stains on my coffee cup but to be pretty honest I was amazed it had lasted this long as sheen lipsticks usually vanish very quickly!

I’m so pleased I have rediscovered this lipstick! I would recommend MAC Fanfare if you are looking for a super flattering shade to see you through the seasons and take you from day to night. This lipstick is priced at £15.50 from MAC outlets worldwide.

Talk to you all soon x