Lip Six

Good morning from Cairo!  I'm flying back to Dubai tonight and ready to sleeeeeeeeeeep tomorrow before my parents arrive in Dubai on Sunday for a week. #BusyBusy.

Here's a quick post for you on my last 6 days lip choices.

Top row: (L) Mac Pro Longwear Gloss in Full Speed Ahead (R) Clarins Rouge Prodige 134 in Orchid Pink

Middle row (L) Chanel Rouge Allure 82 in Incognito (R) Clinique Long Last Lipstick in Runway Coral

Bottom row (L) Buxom lip gloss in Creamsicle (R) Lush liquid lipstick in Believe

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Early Fall OOTD: A go-to vest, some "fleather" and my Paris Louboutins

Hello Loves! Today I'm sharing with you all a little simple "Early Fall" OOTD from this past weekend. My guy and I went out for a little date night and I decided to officially break out the "faux leather"-ish pants for this season.

This look is SO super simple, comfortable, and classic. I love it.

The 7 For All Mankind skinnies are from last year, but similar styles are everywhere again this year, as this look is definitely not going anywhere. These are "the Skinny" in a coated black finish that resembles a faux leather-ish sheen. They're so lightweight and comfortable... Perfect for wearing in these first few cooler Fall days.

and I know...  I'm totally obsessed with this bag. Every day I tell myself to carry something different, but I'm loving it.

A simple vest can totally make an outfit. I like to always have a few go-to ones for Fall and Winter (LOVE my faux-fur ones for Winter), that I can throw on with anything to instantly make an outfit.

This one totally dressed up an otherwise super plain tank from Target.

Of course, I can't forget the shoes. These are my extra-special Paris Louboutins I purchased a few years ago during my first trip to Paris at a beautiful little Louboutin boutique. These are the "New Simple" pump (120mm). I love the small platform at the toe. It's such a comfortable and versatile shoe.

details:

J. Crew vest, Target tank, 7 For All Mankind skinnies, Christian Louboutin shoes, Coach Studded Mini Tanner bag, Stella & Dot Renegade bracelet, cuff bracelets from thecurrentcustom.com, necklace by "bybellacollection" on Etsy, sunglasses by Ray Ban

Happy Fall Everyone! 

Don't miss Volumes 1 & 2 of my Fall Trends video series! Volumes 3 & 4 are coming up soon so be sure to subscribe to my YouTube channel and this blog so you don't miss it!

 

Giorgio Armani Rouge Ecstasy Lipstick-review and swatches

This last week will go down in my history as the week I purchased 30 lipsticks.  Now I am well aware that is more than some people own full stop.  During my trip to the UK I hauled a massive 27 lipsticks-it was easily done (for me)-a bit of shopping here and there and buying one or two each time, I'd ordered 'some' things to Danielles and 'some' things to my mums and voila, 27 lipsticks.  And then when I got back to work there were 3 waiting for me that I had ordered from the US.  30 lipsticks.

Here you can see 5 of them.  A new formula from Armani that I have been waiting to be released after seeing this amazing post from Rae at The RAEviewer swatching all 36 in the range.  A hit list of 5 was drawn up by me immediately and here they are.  Each is housed in a bold red tube with the silver GA initials embossed on the join between the bullet and lid.  The case contains a magnetic fastening to ensure the lipstick stays closed in your bag which has become a common feature on high end lipsticks-I notice all my Burberry ones have this as well.  I LOVE the packaging, to me it's very Louboutin-esque but I have been surprised at some of the comments on other reviews of people hating the packaging.  For me, it's a win, it works and it differentiates itself easily in my make up bag.

This is the worlds first 'CC' lipstick.  I can see you rolling your eyes.  I have never got on the bandwagon of BB or CC creams-to me they're just rebranded tinted moisturiser but whereas CC means 'colour and correct' in the balm, in this lipstick CC stands for colour and care.

I've been testing these out this week and all of them are consistent in texture, wear time and finish. In truth, every item I have bought from Armani cosmetics I have loved in the past so I was expecting them to be good!

Armani say these lipsticks 'offer the comfort and softness of a lip balm' and that this 'velvety soft everyday lipstick coats lips in saturated, ultra luminous colour with impeccable hold'.  I have never heard a lipstick being described as an 'everyday lipstick'-it seems an unimpressive term but actually having tried them I completely agree.

If you like a bold, 'one swipe and it's opaque' power pout these lipsticks will annoy the hell out of you.  The lipsticks all offer a very sheer veil of colour with one swipe of the bullet and are super easy to apply straight from the tube.  But, this is one of the most buildable lipsticks I own and you can keep on layering until you get a decent colour pay off-but it takes a bit of work.   Once on the lips they feel balmy and light, yet not as slippery as the (much cheaper) lip butters available.  They dry down semi matte but with a definite sheen to them and lips stay hydrated all day, I didn't even need to apply a lip balm first.  I'm actually wearing 'Skin' now as I type this and I have to say I do like the way my lips feel with it on-this is a seriously moisturising lipstick.

If you like easy to wear, comfortable, hydrating 'everyday' formulas these will definitely be up your street and with 36 colours in the range there is bound to be one you love.  I can't honestly say this is the best lipstick ever, but I can say I am 100% sure there will always be one or two floating around my handbag.

Do you think you will be checking these out or do you suspect they might be overpriced lip butters?

My Top Products UNDER $10

Happy Monday Everyone!
So I figured I'd start the week with a video all about my top beauty picks under $10. We're talkin' affordable, great, awesome stuff.
Can't go wrong.
So this is a "tag" type video that is supposed to be "10 Products Under $10". Well, if you know me at all by now, you probably know that I can never stick to limits with these types of things. I always show more items than the limit. Can't help myself.
So you're definitely getting a little more than 10 products from me in this video, but hey, more is always better right?

Hope you guys enjoy it! Check out the video below for my picks!

5 Mac Nudes

I have a new obsession.  Finding the perfect nude lip.  When I think of the perfect nude lip, 2 famous women immediately spring to mind.  Angelina Jolie and Scarlett Johansson, both well known for their perfect pouty nude lips on the red carpet.

Believe it or not, until a couple of weeks ago I owned no nude lipsticks.  I didn't see the point to be honest, always wanting to look like I was actually wearing lipstick.  I have also always thought 'proper' nude lipstick was very hard to wear and could have the tendency to wash you out, I'm pale already (NC15) so looking even more deathly just isn't an option.  

But nude is in and I really wanted to investigate if I could pull it off.  First stop-Mac in Dubai Mall to swatch and get some advice.  I told the Mac assistant I wanted more tan than pink in my nude and I didn't want 'my lips but better'-I just don't see the point, I might as well put on a slick of Vaseline if I want that. 

I ended up with five.  I always try not to do things by halves.

Kinda Sexy was my first pick and possibly my favourite.  The formula is matte but actually it has a pleasant sheen to it and doesn't look flat.  The shade was opaque but very comfortable to wear and not drying at all.  The colour was just right-not too pale and perfect for day or night.

Shy girl pulls a little more orange on me but is still very wearable and comfortable.  It's not as pigmented as Kinda Sexy so takes a bit of working to build it up to a decent colour payoff.  

To The Future is a Pro LongWear lipstick and true to the name lasted by far the longest.  I loved the shade even though I feel this one has the most potential to wash me out.  The formula feels quite sticky on the lips and the sticky feeling lasts.  It's creamy to apply but has a matte opaque finish.

I once bought Mac Syrup but it was so close to my own lip colour it was like wearing a clear lip balm.  If Syrup was 'my lips but better' then Modesty is 'my lips perfected'.  It's slightly slightly darker than my natural lip but this lipstick applies smoothly and leaves a plumped, glossy, natural finish.  The pinker tone to it will make it suitable for lots of skintones.  It's an 'I've made an effort' lipstick on no make up days. If only I could wake up with lips like this everyday.

Cherish is the brownest of the bunch and has the most tan in it.  I really like the satin formula which applies like a dream and sets semi matte.  I think it just has the perfect amount and tone of beige in it to not wash me out.

I'm not disappointed with any of my purchases and am looking forward to wearing them all.  I see nude lips as more of an evening look with smoky eyes rather than a daytime look but I guess that's because I love my lipstick so much and really do vary what I wear.

I've since gone on a bit of a nude lip product buying rampage and there'll be more reviews to come!

What's your favourite nude lip?

Riri Hearts MAC Fall Collection Swatches & Review

Well one thing's for certain, y'all...
Riri really loves MAC.

Yup, another Riri Loves MAC collection. This time, it's centered around Fall. Some parts are great, some parts are, well, a bit redundant. But nonetheless, as a whole, it is a really gorgeous collection.
First of all, the packaging to me is beautiful.

Hot pink and rose gold everywhere. Totally reminds me of early 90's Barbie stuff, no?

I think the concept is really great- Riri Loves MAC. Riri helps design stuff for MAC. People who love Riri and MAC rejoice and buy the collection.

However, I feel like it's getting a bit repetitive. Don't get me wrong... I think she's created some GREAT stuff. We all love Riri Woo (although already pretty similar to Ruby Woo), but I feel like they may as well make it a part of the permanent line just because it seems like these Riri releases are getting pretty close together, no?

Riri Loved MAC in the Summer, now Riri's Loving MAC again in the Fall. Makes sense.

So we've got Riri Woo again. Not surprising. But I was also kind of disappointed (and surprised) that they re-promoted the Hibiscus Kiss blush duo (in the new packaging, of course). I just thought it would've been fun to have that product in a different shade because Hibiscus Kiss is nice, but maybe creating one in some deeper shades? Especially since this is a "Fall" collection. That's such a cool little duo product that I think would be awesome in different shades. It's just confusing to me. Also, a re-packaging of lots of items already in the permanent line (36 & 38 lashes, Extended Play Lash mascara, and a black Liquidlast Liner). These would be a great addition to a large collection, but I just didn't feel like the collection was big enough to warrant that many permanent and re-promoted products.

However, the products that are new are nice. The re-promoted ones are nice too, but I felt like this collection really could've been extra-awesome with even more new stuff.

Ok, so I got a little carried away and did the post a bit backwards... Usually those types of thoughts come at the end of the post.  So let's continue to the products and the swatches of items I have from the collection and I'll share more of my thoughts on the specific products throughout the post.

Oh, and be sure not to miss my video review at the bottom as well.

The Riri Loves MAC Fall collection contains:
2 Eye Shadow Quads, 4 Lipsticks, 1 Lipglass, 2 Pro Longwear Lip Pencils, Extended Play Lash, 1 Liquidlast Liner, 2 Veluxe Brow Liners, 1 Powder Blush Duo, 1 Powder Blush, 1 Cream Colour Base, 2 lashes, 2 special edition brushes

Extended Play Lash in Gigablack $17.50

One of my favorite MAC mascaras. Especially presh in this new pink packaging.

Powder Blush Duo in Hibiscus Kiss $29.

While I think this duo could work on most skin tones, I think it's especially suited for more fair tones. It would be very subtle and a bit "glowy" on darker skin tones.

Cream Colour Base in Diamonds $22.

This is definitely one of my stand-out products in the collection. Cream Colour Bases are super-versatile. Especially one in a more natural tone like this. I would use this to highlight my cheekbones, maybe even the smallest bit on my eyelids when I want a bit of a more natural look with a bit of shimmer.

 Powder Blush in Bad Girl Gone Good $23.

swatched beneath Diamonds

While it could definitely be sheered out and work for lighter skin tones, I think this blush would look amazing on medium-dark skin tones. Personally, it's a bit orange for moi.

 Eye Shadow x4 in Smoked Cocoa $44

Gotta be honest- Based on these swatches, this quad is not my favorite.  Color-wise, it's nothing unique. If you're into makeup, you've probably got something similar to this. What bothers me the most is that I found the quality of a few of the shades to be a bit off. Especially the one in the lower right. It swatched pretty badly and wasn't smooth at all. Seemed like it would be a nightmare to blend.
**UPDATE** Check out my accompanying video review of this collection below to see me actually wearing this quad. After actually using it, my opinion was TOTALLY different. The swatches lied to me.

The collection also contains another quad, "Her Cocoa". It contains all more natural bronze and brown shades. 

 Lipsticks in Nude and Talk That Talk, $16.50

"Nude" is actually a great nude for darker skin tones. "Talk That Talk" could definitely be sheered out and work almost like a stain effect on anyone, but I think it's definitely best suited for medium to darker skin tones as well.

Lipglass in Riri Woo $16.50

Pro Longwear Lip Pencil in Riri Woo, $21.50

Liquidlast Liner in Pointblack $21.50

Veluxe Brow Liner in Deep Dark Brunette, $21.50

I just really love Riri Woo. Not usually the biggest red fan (I should say, red wearer), but I've really always loved this cool-toned, beautiful red. Just an all-around good, super solid red lip gloss. The Riri Woo liner and lipglass have really awesome color payoff.

I personally cannot wear the Liquidlast liners. I've never been really sensitive to any other eye product but these irritate my eyes. No fun.

I'm actually really impressed with the Veluxe Brow Liners. The color payoff is great and they're super soft, yet have that sort of "dry" consistency that of a brow pencil.

all swatched below

Collection releases September 26th in MAC stores and September 30th online.

So what do you guys think? Do you think Riri is going to love MAC again this Winter? ;)

Products were provided for my honest review and consideration by MAC Cosmetics with no agreements or obligations to feature in any way.