The Lip Series: My Winter Lips on Rotation

I feel like I might possibly love winter, for the simple fact that I love the lip colours you can get away with at this time of year. Deep tones, rich shades and cool tones. It's basically my favourite time of the year for lipsticks.

Mac Fleur de Force v Alessandra

As much as I love Mac and their limited edition collections, I've never really felt the need to sit myself down the morning of a release and refresh until I could order my chosen limited item before it sold old. But, when Fleur de Force announced she was releasing her own lipstick with Mac I knew I had to at least try to grab myself one.

Lipsticks are a bit of a love of mine, anyone who knows me will tell you this, and I've always been a massive fan of Fleur. Since I started blogging she's been a massive influence and inspiration, and I generally know when she recommends something I tend to love it too. Hence the lipstick excitement. So when May 8th came, I was straight on the Mac site and popping her lipstick in my bag. While I was there, I also decided to pick up Alessandra's version as well. Now, she's not someone I knew about beforehand (I do now and I am totally in love FYI - girl crush), but when her lipstick was described as a neutral pink I couldn't help myself. I'm so drawn to those shades right now and I'm always on the hunt for the perfect everyday pinky nude. So this found itself in my shopping basket as well. Hit pay, and voila - they fell through my letterbox a couple of days later. But what did I think?

FLEUR DE FORCE

Description: Cool beige
Finish: Cremesheen
So, I was a bit on the fence about this lipstick when I read the description. I'm not really a cool toned lipstick lover, or a beige lipstick lover, so I wasn't sure how I'd feel about it when it came through. Having said that, I do love the cremesheen formula - it's really the only non-matte/satin formula I really like - so I was super excited about that.
When I swatched this when it came through I was still a bit iffy - it wasn't as cool toned as I thought it would be, thankfully, but it was quite beige toned. However, I really liked this when I put it on my lips. It may be the only beige nude I've ever actually liked so I'm SO happy I picked this up. It doesn't feel cool on my lips at all, and again is the only cool tone I've found that actually flatters my skin tone. The beige shade is also actually the perfect nude shade for my lip colour. For me, this has become my go to everyday, not doing anything, low key shade. My no make up, make up lipstick. I've reached for this so much more than I thought I would.
It's a beautiful shade, and I'd definitely recommend it for anyone who likes lipstick, but doesn't want much colour with it.

ALESSANDRA

Description: Neutral pink
Finish: Lustre
The shade description drew me in, but I have to say I couldn't for the life of me remember what a lustre finish was like. Essentially it's got a medium colour pay off, it's got a glossy finish to it. It's very similar to cremesheen I find, but may not quite as high on pigmentation - it's a touch sheener I think. Personally I would have guessed it was a cremesheen if I didn't know otherwise with this shade.
Anyway, when I swatched this I got very excited. It was basically the perfect my lips but better shade, and it didn't disappoint on the lips either. This is frigging beautiful, so much so I'm tempted to buy a second one so I never run out. This has shot it's way up to one of my favourite all time lipsticks, and I reach for this all the time. It's perfect as an everyday shade as it is a nude shade, but it has enough pink colour to it to keep it warm and make a difference. I'm so, so happy I ended up putting this in my basket last minute as well. This is definitely one every girl should have in their handbag.
This would actually be a really good shade for a wedding, if you're the bride or bridesmaid, it's got just enough colour to show but it's not too in your face which is what you want on the day.
I actually can't get enough of it - I'm wearing it as I write this and it's just a beaut.

If you can still get a hold of either of these, I would definitely pick them up. Mac lipsticks in general are such good quality, and these two shades are the perfect additions to any collection. If I had to pick one as my favourite, it would be Alessandra, simply because I think this shade suits me more and I have been reaching for it more than Fleurs. However, Fleur's lipstick is still an absolute beaut so I would still highly recommend it.

Which would be your favourite?

Much love, Lisa May

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The How To | New Year Face

Happy New Year everyone! As promised a new post on the first day of 2014 - eek! Over the next couple of weeks I'll be popping up some "Best of" posts as well as the usual resolution bits and bobs.

I am working today so couldn't do too much of a heavy New Years. I just went round to the besties house with the boyf and her boyf and we had a nice evening of games and drink. Perfect way to bring in the New Year with my two favourite people in the world!

I wanted to show you my New Years face. It occured to me I do a lot of reviews, but it might be nice to see some of these products in action so I'm starting a new feature. First up - New Years! Even though I was staying in I still wanted to make an effort and look that little bit glam.

Products used:

Clinique Stay Matte Foundation | Soap & Glory Kiss Ass Concealer | Nars Deep Throat Blusher | MAC Adored MSF | Estee Lauder Pure Colour Eyeshadow Duo in Raisins | L'Oreal SuperLiner in Black | No7 Extreme Lashes Mascara | 17 Deluxe Lipstick in Prohibition

What was your New Years face? Did you have a good evening?

Make Up | Mac Relentlessly Red

Okay so maybe I need to go to Mac anonymous... Maybe. So, as promised a few days ago here is my review on Relentlessly Red. Part of Mac's new Retro Matte collection I bought this with the coveted Ruby Woo (review here).

Relentlessly Red is, surprisingly, not red. Yeah, weird I know. It's a very bright - almost neon - pink and it is breathtakingly gorgeous. It's very blue toned - which is probably the only resembalance it has to red but hey, who cares about the name when it looks like this?!

I found this a LOT easier to apply than Ruby Woo, it was slightly creamier so smoothed on without too much hassle and I didn't have to concentrate as much on making sure it was all even. I've had so many compliments about this it's insane. 

Lasting power is actually amazing on this, it even rivals Revlon's ColorStay Suede lipsticks (review here). It lasts all day at work, (my test for any new make up) so I'm thoroughly impressed. I definitely want to try some more from the Retro Matte collection if they are as good as this - we shall have to see what the birthday brings!!

What's your choice from the Retro Matte Collection?

Make Up | Mac Ruby Woo

For a while I've been coveting this lipstick. Just the idea of the perfect matte red has been nagging at me but as I don't have a Mac near me I didn't really want to fork out £15 if I didn't like it... However, I got the chance to swatch it at Paige's and ever since it's been a must!

It's now part of Mac's new Retro Matte collection - not entierly sure what the difference is between that and their normal Matte collection but hey - and when I bought this I also bought Relentlessly Red (review to come).

Firstly, the colour is gorgeous. My favourite red to date and it is now my go to red. The right balance of blues and yellows, not to orange, not too dark. It is the perfect red for me. Gush galore I know!
However, there is one thing I'm not too keen on. Application is a bit tricky, where the bullet is matte it's a lot harder so doesn't apply nearly as smoothly as some of the other finishes and I find that I really have to concentrate to make sure this gets an even finish and line - I do have to use a lip liner with this one (Mac Cherry usually works for me when blended).

Longevity it's great - as long as you don't eat or drink straight afterwards - it really does last about five hours plus. It leaves a stain behind so the colour is still there, not quite as intense, but still noticable.
Out of this and Relentlessly Red I would say that Relentlessly Red was a lot easier to apply - so keep an eye out for that review as it's a gorgeous colour (weirdly enough not a red...)

Overall I am really glad I bagged this beauty. Worth the £15 and the wait for me, I would highly recommend this coveted lippy!

Make Up | Mac Adored

MAC MINERALIZE SKINFINISH IN ADORED £22

First of all let's just take a second to swoon over how pretty this is. Swooooon. Probably the main reason I got it as I'm still not really sure what it is meant to be. Blusher, powder, highlighter? Who knows... What I do know is what I use it for and I love it for that.

It's described by Mac as a velvet soft powder, ideal for highlighting. Which luckily is exactly what I've been using it as. I pop this on with my buffing brush lightly on my face as a powder, so it's not too shimmery, and then with a blush brush on the apples of my cheeks for more of a highlight on top of my blush. It's really buildable so you can see the difference and it's also such a pretty colour.

Adored is described as a coral with a light pearl beige running through it - which you can see. To be honest I don't see a lot of colour on my face apart from the shimmery pearl, which I do love, so if you want this as a blusher you need to look elsewhere - you won't get a colour pay off here.

For £22 it's not too bad. To be honest you expect to pay a bit more for Mac more for the brand then the product. What I will say is I have little confidence in the packaging - I've only had it a couple of weeks and already it's threatening to come out of the pan and the lid is looking a touch flimsy. Otherwise it is a truly gorgeous product. 

What's your prettiest product in the pan?

Make Up | Mac Bombshell

MAC LIPSTICK IN BOMBSHELL

I was a bit naughty and had a little mini MAC haul, like two items, but still very naughty. One of these items was (of course) a lipstick. However I managed to change it up a bit and get it in a finish I hadn't get tried. See, I'm a rebel!

I saw Bombshell on Beth's blog and instantly fell in love. I've been after a gorgeous light rosy pink for ages and this was the exact colour I'd been lusting after. The idea of it having a Frost finish did put me off at worst, but low and behold it ended up on my doorstep anyway.

Bombshell is described as a rosy pink with frost. It is exactly that. I'd read a few posts saying it wasn't really that frosty or shimmery, but it really is shimmery on me. Usually I'm not one for frostiness or shimmer but I don't mind it with this as the colour is so gorgeous. I have been wearing this as my everyday shade ever since.

I wouldn't go overboard and go "I'm a shimmer girl now" as I'm really not. I have a couple of other lipsticks that have shimmer and I really don't like them, but this one is a winner with me.

Would you wear a frost finish lipstick?

Giveaway | September

I wanted to start a new little feature as a thank you to all of you guys. So what I'm going to do, instead of a favourites post at the end of every month, I'm going to do a wee little giveaway to say thanks to you guys for sticking with me. It will only be a small one every month, it will be the top 3 products that I've loved that month. I love my blog, but those days when I'm feeling blue and unloved the fact that you guys are still here and still reading really spurs me on so that's why I want to say a big thanks.

So this month I want to giveaway the following three items - ones that I couldn't have lived without this month and that I've been reaching for continuously.

1. Maybelline Baby Lips in Pink Punch

2. Mac Fix+ 

3. Essie Chubby Cheeks

I've loved these three products this month and I hope you guys will too! So T&C's... You must be a follower of the blog on either here (GFC) or BlogLovin. I will be checking so no cheats please. There are also optional entries as well but that's the one must.

Also, only UK only I am afraid - I just don't have the funds to ship anything abroad atm, hopefully I will do soon so will let you know when that changes.

So! Just fill out the form below, competition will run for one week so get your entries in! Enjoy!!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Make Up | Daddy's Little Girl

MAC ARCHIE GIRLS LIPSTICK IN DADDY'S LITTLE GIRL

I know, the Archies Girl collection was mooonths ago, but I totally missed out on it when it originally came out. So when Paige and I popped into Gunwharf the other week and found discounted, discontinued Mac we couldn't resist. We both ended up with this gorgeous Satin shade.

This is so not what I would have even looked at online, I coveted Betty Bright everytime I saw it reviewed, but I love this colour. It's a violet pink which is incredibly bright, and very different for me. It's a bit like Pink Nouveau, but on steroids. Lasting power is really great as well.

I just love the packaging. It's so cute and fun, it really is totally unique to anything else I have and I love it for that. I bought this for £11 in a discount store run by the Lauder company and I would definitely recommend visiting it if you're in Gunwharf.

Have you tried any of the Archie's Girls collection? Which is your favourite?

Trends | MAC Lipstick Finishes

As with any blogger who has tried them - I've become addicted to Mac lipsticks... if I have a spare £15 (recently up from £14) then I know exactly where it's going... However, when I first started I was little bit confused about the finishes - so I thought I'd pop onto some trusty bloggers, do a bit of research and get these finishes explained! I personally have tried Lustre, Cremesheen and Satin - so the others I had to rely on some other sources! So here we go...

Cremesheen

One of my favourites, it's basically exactly as it says - it is a creamy lipstick that glides on and leaves a glossy sheen. This has a good colour pay off, with medium even coverage. However, cause of the sheen it doesn't have as long staying time as soon of the other formulas.

Top 3: Coral Bliss, Crosswires, Fan Fare

Lustre

With the most shades available in this finish you're bound to find one you like here. It gives a slight frosted finish, not too glossy, but can be a tad dry. The colour pay off isn't as great as some of the other finishes, but it's nice for an everyday finish.

Top 3: Plumful, Lovelorn, See Sheer

Satin

Probably my favourite out of the three I've tried. This gives a very even silky finish to the lips and has the best colour pay off that I've tried. It's long lasting, but can be a touch drying as it doesn't have the gloss element to it. It's basically a matte lipstick, with a touch of silk.

Top 3: Pink Nouveau, Mac Red, Rebel

Amplified Creme

Basically a longer lasting, more pigmented version of cremesheen. This range is full of bold bright colours, that have a creamy application and a sheen finish - kind of like cremesheen on red bull. If you love your brights, I would go for this finish.

Top 3: Vegas Volt, Girl About Town, Brick-O-La

Frost

Very similar to Lustre, but a bit more shimmery and iridescent. Again, less colour pay off with these and not as bright a range as some of the others, although again, like Lustre, has the largest range of colours to choose from. If you like your shimmery lips these would be the finishes for you.

Top 3: Costa Chic, New York Apple, Bombshell

Glaze

Definitely the smallest range of colours, this is as the name suggests. The sheerest coverage of all the finishes. They leave the lips looking glossy, with low colour pay off and low staying power. Colour range is very limited, and very natural-esk.

Top 3: Hue, Pervette, Hot Tahiti

Matte

Again, exactly as the name suggests. This lipstick is completley matte - so if you like your gloss finish stay away from these. The longest lasting of all the finishes, but some can be uber drying so I would suggest balm preperation for these. Some bright bold colours in this range as well

Top 3: Lady Danger, Please Me, Ruby Woo

So there you go! Hope that's helped at all - it helped me while researching it to find the difference between them. They are mainly common sense, but it's nice to have the clarification. Most of my Top 3's are from looking through swatchs on blogs and reviews - I have Coral Bliss, Plumful, Crosswires, Fan Fare and Pink Nouveau and I would recommend each and every one of those. I can't wait to buy my next one!

What's your favourite finish?

Outfit | Totally Blue

shirt: new look | jeans: topshop | necklace: accessorize | lips: Mac Pink Nouveau

I have had this shirt for years - I can't even remember how long and I go through different phases of wearing it or not. In this instance, this is probably my favourite way to wear it. It's quite a long shirt, and goes quite tight over the bum, so I like to tuck it into my jeans and have it slightly baggy around the line.

It's super casual, yet can be dressed up really easily. I've popped some green and gold jewellery with it - I love mixing blues and greens, but I mainly do it to break up the blueness.

On the lips is a blue toned pink from Mac, one of my faves and again - breaks up the blue and brings a bit of colour pop. Looove it. 

I'm not a huge fashionista - which is mainly why I don't do many outfit posts - but jeans and a top tend to be my uniform these days and this is a classic over at T&M.

How do you style shirts?

Make Up | My MAC Lipsticks

In December I bought my first MAC lipstick in New York. Since then I've been addicted, slightly. Trying to be a good girl but let's face it - what kind of a blogger would I be if I didn't succumb whenever I had the chance! So far I have 6... I promised myself when I got to 5 I'd do a little collective post - but then number 6 just snowballed so now it's 6 lippies! So here we go... In the order of which I bought them...!

Viva Glam V neutral pink with pearl

This was my first and I got it in Saks, 5th Avenue New York. I just couldn't not get one out there! Basically I went to the counter, was overwhelmed and just asked the sales guy for help. He suggested as a first one to get an everyday colour that I'd wear all the time - and Viva Glam V was what he came up with. A lustre lipstick it's got a slight shimmer finish, but is a great everyday pink with a little something extra.

Plumful blossoming rose-plum

My last trip to Cardiff to visit the brother and his girlfriend, Hanah, I made her trall around the shops with me to find the nearest MAC counter. I don't live near one normally so I was determined! I'd seen Plumful reviewed a few times so went straight for this and tried it out. I instantly fell in love with it. It's a gorgeous berry with a lustre finish and incredibly wearable. Something totally different for me but I love it.

Crosswires clean pinky orange

I had a list of lippies that I wanted, and then I saw Crosswires on Estee's blog and next thing you know I've crept onto the website and ordered this without thinking. Whoops. So glad I did though as I LOVE this colour. It's a deep bright coral that's incredibly wearing, not overly bright, and just o so perdy. If you are looking for a darker coral I would definitely recommend this cremesheen beauty.

Fanfare mid-tone yellow pink

I'd wanted this one for a long while before I bought it. I had loads of "my lips but better" shades so I held off, but eventually I succumbed. It's a neutral pink that can be worn everyday, and has a lovely subtle sheen finish. This is probably my most worn. I tend to wear this to work most days as they are a tad strict on appearance, so this is definitely my fave everyday shade.

Pink Nouveau bright pink

I don't really know why I bought this. I was just browsing and decided I wanted something that wasn't being hyped, or that I hadn't seen talked about. Yes weird I know. Anyway, I went for this as I was intrigued by the pink and I love it. It's like an 80s pop pink, very different, but very wearable and I love the satin finish to this. 

Coral Bliss frosted light coral

Okay, so this is actually my favourite. I bought this at Gatwick duty free - actually looking for Costa Chic - but I swatched this and instantly fell in love. As I was on my way to holiday I figured it would be the perfect shade for sun and it was. It's a gorgeous light peachy coral, with a subtle sheen to it. Not the longest lasting but a nice everyday summer shade that I'm addicted to.

What Mac lipstick should I get next?

Make Up | Coral Bliss

MAC LIPSTICK IN CORAL BLISS £15

Ladies and gentlemen, it is my priviledge to introduce you to my favourite lipstick. Ever. I know, bold statement BUT o so very true.

I bought this at Gatwick duty free - just swatching lots of different colours, mainly corals for my hols, and instantly fell in love with this. I hadn't seen any previous reviews or anything like that, it was just love at first sight.

Described as a "frosted light coral" i would agree with the light coral, but it's not frosty on me at all, thankfully as I'm not a frosty kind of gal. it's a peach coral, which is different to what I usually buy and a new shade to my collection. I was a bit worried it would make me look a little ill, but it helps to warm the complexion and was the perfect holiday colour. Now, at home, I wear it most days to work as a hint of colour. I just love this.

If you are going to buy one MAC lipstick, make it this one. I think it needs a bit more hype that it has - but at the same time it's kind of like my little secret love. Gorgeous. Go, bye!

What's your favourite lipstick ever?