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Mac Viva Glam Miley Cyrus | Review and Lip Swatches
I am the biggest fan of the Mac Viva Glam campaigns. In case you weren’t aware, Mac has a line of lipsticks of which all of the profits made go towards HIV and AIDS programmes. They regularly team up with celebrities and in the past they have included the likes of Rihanna, Nicki Minaj and Lady Gaga to produce limited edition lipsticks to go along with this collection. I have been anticipating the Miley Cyrus collaboration ever since I had heard about it, especially as it promised a bright pink shade, which is right up my street…
Mac Viva Glam Miley Cyrus Lipstick is described as a ‘hot pink’ with an amplified finish. The amplified lipsticks are usually incredibly pigmented and have enough slip that they glide easily onto the lips but aren’t too creamy that they are nice and long lasting. I have to admit when I first swatched this I was a little disappointed with the pigmentation, but it built up opacity in a few swipes. The formula is beautiful; it is very comfortable on the lips and stays around for a good while, and leaves a stain when the sheen has disappeared.
Let’s just say that the colour is all that I had hoped for and more. When you think of Miley, you think of bold and fun shades and this definitely fits that bill. It has slightly blue undertones so great for making your teeth look whiter, and also perfect for brightening up the face. This shade would work amazingly on fair all the way up to dark skin tones. In terms of dupes in my own collection, I would say that it is fairly similar to Mac Impassioned but that leans a little more red. It is certainly not a unique shade, but if you’re into your hot pinks then this is definitely a good option, especially as it helps such a good cause.
So it’s a huge thumbs up for me for this lipstick – Mac are definitely top for me when it comes to lipsticks. What did you think of this collaboration?
–RachelElizabeth
The Perfect Nude Lip Liner? Makeup Forever Aqua Lip Liner 3C | Review and Swatches
We probably have Kylie Jenner to thank for everyone’s recent obsession with lip liner. I mean, who wouldn’t want to have lips like hers? A nude lipliner is a must for any makeup lover – they’re not just for over-lining either. If you’re like me, and your lips lack a definite line or are slightly asymmetrical, a nude lipliner will be your best friend. It will also do wonders for longevity, and trust me, when you find your favourite lip liner, you will never turn back…
When I picked up the huge Sephora Give Me More Lip Set while I was in New York, I was so excited to try out the Makeup Forever Aqua Lip Waterproof Lip Liner Pencil in 3C. It is a ‘medium natural beige’, which is quite similar to my natural lip colour, but slightly more brown. It isn’t so brown that it looks unnatural, but it mimics a shade that could be someone’s natural lip shade. The texture is impeccable; I have never tried such a creamy lip pencil. This makes it so easy to apply and fill in the entire lips. Like a usual pencil, it has a matte finish, but it doesn’t feel drying. It is also possibly the longest lasting lip product I have tried, and I really want need to get my hands on some more shades.
If you’re from the UK and you are really annoyed at me mentioning Make Up Forever which is notoriously difficult to source, I have heard that it is coming to Debenhams in the near future! I for one am very excited for that day to come…
–RachelElizabeth
Bite Beauty Lip Lab | Making my own lipstick!
While I was in New York, there was one beauty-related activity that I really had to do – it was also the only thing I actually booked prior to our trip. In case you weren’t aware, the brand Bite Beauty, which currently only sells lip products, have a store in Prince Street, New York City, called their ‘Lip Lab‘. Here, with the help of the lovely workers there, you can make your own customised lipstick. What is also incredible about Bite is that they are a completely natural brand. As a self-proclaimed lipstick addict, I couldn’t pass up the opportunity to do this, so a few weeks before we went, I emailed them securing an appointment.
Firstly, you are asked what finish you want your customised lipstick to be: crème, matte, sheer or deluxe. The first three of these finishes are $36 and the deluxe is $48. Then you have to decide on what the specific shade will be. The girl who helped me was so lovely and made up a few shades in order to make sure that I was 100% pleased with the finished result. As you can see from the picture above, they have such a huge variety of colours which they can mix, meaning you can practically achieve any shade.
After trying on the different shades that she had concocted, it was then for me to decide the scent of the lipstick; the choices being cherry, vanilla, mint, citrus, mango, violet and superfruit. You are also allowed to mix scents, making these lipsticks even more customisable that I had initially imagined. The final element to decide is the shape of the packaging. What I love about the packaging is that they represent the way different lipsticks are wore down by different application methods, meaning that you can pick the one that matches the shape of yours! After this appointment, which took about 15 minutes, the lipstick then has to be made, which took around 10 minutes.
So what did I pick? I went in with the idea of a bright warm red-toned pink, as this is probably my favourite bright shade to wear. Think Mac Impassioned. I wanted to get a bright shade simply because I find them much more exciting! They give you your specific shade combination on a card, so that if you ever were to run out of the shade, you could easily get it made up again. I went with a matte finish – I wouldn’t say this formula is completely matte, but more a satin, which is nice because it isn’t drying. It is very long-lasting and incredibly easy and creamy to apply. For the scent, I opted for a combination of vanilla and violet, which smells delicious.
I had such an incredible time at the lip lab, and would recommend it to any lipstick lovers out there. If (or hopefully when) I go back to New York, I will definitely going back to create another amazing shade. It may at a first glance seem quite pricey, but for the service and the finished product, it really is worth every penny. Would you create your own personalised lipstick? What shade would you go for?
–RachelElizabeth
Nars Audacious Lipstick in Raquel | Review and Swatches
So let’s talk about the most talked-about and instagrammed lip launch of the year… the Nars Audacious lipsticks. Nars shocked everyone by bringing out a huge line of reformulated lipsticks that all have female names, and let’s just say that they are stunning…
When deciding on which side I wanted out of this huge collection, Raquel was immediately my first choice for two reasons: a) many people in my life have nicknamed me Raquel, and b) it looked like the perfect nude. I was lucky enough to receive this as a christmas present from my mum, and on swatching this, this was definitely the perfect choice. It is the perfect mix of pink, beige, peach and tan, creating my ideal everyday shade. This works for me when I’m both at my palest and when I fake tan, proving its versatility.
This is also one of the nicest, most luxury formulas I have ever come across. It applies so smoothly, much like what you would expect from a lipstick with a much more glossy finish. What makes this stand out is the fact that it is a semi-matte finish but is unbelievably comfortable. It also lasts for ages on the lips, especially for a light-coloured lip. Somehow this withstands eating and drinking, acting almost like a liquid lipstick. I have been so blown away by this formula and I will be undoubtedly picking up a few more shades in the future.
Have you tried any of the audacious lipsticks? Enable me…
–RachelElizabeth