A few cheeky additions to the MAC collection…….. Syrup, Craving, Crosswires and See Sheer

Literally, a quick in and out today. You know how much I love MAC lipsticks – well, certain formulations, anyway – and with payday looming I thought I would add a few to the collection.  Three out of the four are based entirely on a review by the lovely Estee of Essiebutton (and buying on recommendation makes me feel completely and utterly vindicated in spending the money……!). The shape of her lips is fantastic (and she's got gorgeous eyes, too - some people have all the luck!) and she really rocks these shades - it will take a bit more work on my slightly thinner lips but definitely worth it.

Syrup (Lustre) – according to the MAC website, this is a “cloudy pink”. It's not really anything of the sort - it's more of a sheer mauve.

Craving (Amplified Crème) – described as a “burst of plum”. Can't argue with that.

Crosswires (Cremesheen) – a “clean, pinky-orange”. Hmm, kinda sorta - more of a coral, I would say. Definitely a wearable one though, due to the slight pink tinge it has, which stops it leaning too warm.

See Sheer (Lustre) – “grapefruit pink”. No. No no no. This is another coral - sheerer than Crosswires, letting the pinky-ness of my lips to show through a bit, which stops it teetering into the abyss of "orange", from which there would be no return. I hate orange lipsticks.

L-R: Syrup, Craving, Crosswires, See Sheer

L-R: Syrup, Craving, Crosswires, See Sheer

Note to self - must invest in a lightbox. The colours have come out a little darker in the photo than they are in real life - not overly so, though.

As always, the Lustres provide a glossier, sheerer finish; Cremesheen and Amplified Crème still feel quite nourishing (or, at least, not completely moisture-stripping) but with medium to full coverage pigment and a little less slip than Lustres (and therefore better wear time – I average two to three hours if I don’t eat, drink or speak, whereas Lustres give me an hour at best).

Next on the list of wants – Plumful, Fanfare and Vegas Volt. I am definitely challenging my own personal status quo – I’m really embracing the “louder” shades, even if I do tend to wear them as a sheer stain during the daytime!  :-)

Any more I should try?

Jen 

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My two fave MAC lipsticks – Patisserie and Brick-o-la

Just a quick one today, as the actress said to the bishop.

I’ve said it before, but I don’t rate most of the MAC lipstick formulations.  There are only two I can really wear – the Lustres (which have fantastic slip, a subtle sheerness to the colour, and a five-minute wear time - sigh), and the Amplified Crème, which although isn’t actively moisturising doesn’t actually strip my lips like turpentine. Cremesheens are ok, but are essentially just expensive lipbalms, so why bother?

So, if I had to pick my favourite MAC lipstick then, it has to be one of those formulations – so I thought I would pick one of each to share with you feckers today. I wear both of these often, perhaps even more so than my beloved Burberry Lip Covers, which means these bad boys must be gooooooooood.  After my horror with the brownness of Half 'n' Half I must admit I haven’t bought many MAC lipsticks recently, apart from re-purchasing these two little darlings. I rarely finish a lipstick, so to be on second-rounds with ANY lipstick, regardless of how good they are, is no mean feat.

So, both beloved and coveted, but both perform very different functions.

"Patisserie" is described on the MAC website as a “sheer, creamy neutral pink”. The online swatches may as well be pictures of kittens for all the good they do, and this one is no exception.

In my experience, this lippie translates into a sheer peachy-pink on the lips, perfect for the “peaches and cream” looks I have been preferring of late (because they’re so bloody quick to do in the mornings). “Patisserie” doesn’t impart a great amount of colour, but definitely has a lifting and brightening effect on the rest of the face. A must-have for pale-skinned beauties - on deeper or more golden skintones, I would imagine the colour could get a little bit “lost”, due to it’s lack of punch in the pigment stakes.

 

Next, the amplified crème “Brick-O-La”. MAC describes this as a "mid-tone berry", which I also think doesn’t do it justice. It’s one of those not-really-reds that I tend to be favouring at work – a polished, darker look to the lips without going all out with a bright blue-based red. It reminds me a little of Chanel Rouge Coco Mademoiselle (and we know how much I love that one!), a tad darker perhaps, but at almost half the price.

Top - Brick-O-La; Bottom - Patisserie

Bare lips

Patisserie

Brick-o-La

I also quite like the look of “Cosmo”, but the online swatch is almost indiscernible from Brick-o-La so I probably won’t bother. 

MAC lipsticks are available in store or through their website for £15 each.

Jen

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My current foundations - this may be a long post.........

Realisation dawned this morning, as I had to wade through a collection of tubes and bottles in varying states of emptiness and move several bottles out of the way to reach the one that I wanted – I have LOTS of foundation.  Quite possibly more than one human could ever possibly need, especially all at the same time.  What the yellow rubbery fuck is wrong with me?

In my defense, they are all slightly different shades, and slightly different formulas, therefore they serve different purposes and fulfill different needs at different times of the year.

Hmmmm……. How many times can one person use the word “different” in one sentence in a forlorn and rather pathetic attempt to persuade yourself that you actually mean it? To be honest, I know I’ve got too many, and that I do occasionally get suckered in to hype as I try to find my Holy Grail. But I love buying new foundations – testing them in the shop, finding some natural light, browsing for other stuff while waiting to see if they oxidize……… it’s a ritual that I adore and will never get bored of. In the meantime, the collection grows.

So, for those of you out there that are relatively fair-skinned, with neutral to cool undertones, here are the foundations that work for me.

From left to right:

Lancome Teint Miracle in 010 Ivory

Nars Sheer Glow in Mont Blanc

Estee Lauder Double Wear in 1C1 Cool Bone

Vichy Dermablend Corrective Foundation in 15 Opal

MAC Face and Body in N1

Revlon Colourstay (normal/dry skin) in 150 Buff

Estee Lauder Double Wear Light in Intensity 01

Diorskin Nude in 020

 

I may have mentioned this before (!) but I have dry skin. Frequently, this turns into very dry skin. Occasionally, this turns into oh-my-god-my-face-is-so-tight-I-think-it’s-going-to-rip skin. With that in mind, I usually go for hydrating formulations (or at least, ones that don’t suck moisture out of my already parched skin). Therefore I don’t suffer much with oxidizing – in fact, hardly ever, as I don’t have much oil on my face to turn things orange. Foundation also normally lasts a relatively long time on me unless I have been sleeping at my desk that day and it’s ended up on my sleeves……. So bear in mind your mileage may vary.

Here are some arm swatches, taken in different lighting so you can get a feel for the range of tones between the brands:

L-R: Lancome Teint Miracle (010), NARS Sheer Glow (Mont Blanc), EL Double Wear (1C1), Vichy Dermablend (15 Opal), MAC F&B (N1), Revlon Colourstay (150 Buff), EL Double Wear Light (01), Diorskin Nude (020)

 

Both the Lancome Teint Miracle and the Diorskin Nude are very neutral, almost ashy. This is great when I feel as though my skin is a bit pinker than normal, which it does occasionally, seemingly entirely randomly. The are lovely and hydrating with a dewy finish, but consequently they don’t last long – about six hours – unless I powder over the top. Defeats the object really. Love them both, though, and these are both repeat purchases.

The Estee Lauder Double Wear doesn’t see much action, unless I’m having a spectacularly good skin day, or if I know in advance that no one will be getting within fifteen feet of me.  This stuff has a tendency to flake off my face if I don’t meticulously prep first – shame really, because the coverage is awesome and it lasts FOREVER. The Double Wear Light is better for my skin, and is easier to apply (a job for fingers rather than blending with a brush) but doesn’t last quite as long – I normally get eight hours before it starts to disappear. Both of them are a little peachy in tone so they brighten up the skin nicely if I'm having a sallow-and-tired day.

The Vichy Dermablend is one I use as a concealer rather than all over – the pigment is so concentrated it would look like a mask on me if I tried to use it in the normal way. I would imagine this is the stuff for you if you have scars or marks that you want to hide. A few dots under the eyes is all I need to minimize dark circles, but I only tend to use it on days where I think my skin couldn’t cope with the heavier formula of MAC Studio Finish concealer.

I bought the Revlon Colourstay entirely because of the beauty blogging hype (damn you MakeupGeek!). I must say though, for a “drugstore” foundation, this one lives up to its reputation (this is my third bottle, and I will need a new one soon). Great coverage (on a par with Double Wear) but not quite as flake-inducing.

MAC Face and Body tends to be my summer foundation as it is a little darker than my winter skin (bordering on peachy, similar to the Estee Lauders), but I have recently found myself turning to it even in the cooler weather – my skin is going through a rough patch (literally) so needs something a bit kinder to skin, and Mac F&B is it. Although the coverage is initially quite sheer, it can be layered easily - for shits and giggles one day, I tried several layers just to see what would happen – I managed to get to five layers, and the coverage increased with every “coat” but showed genuinely hardly any sign of caking. It contains some kind of film-former which means it miraculously “sets” on the skin (whether you are using it on your face or elsewhere) and I tend to get a good eight hours of wear out of it even without powder.

Lastly, NARS Sheer Glow. Possibly my all-time favourite as it is the best all-rounder – the best colour match to my skin tone as it is so pinky-peach, so it melts invisibly into my skin and gives me a genuine “no make-up” look, but evens everything out beautifully. It can be layered a little bit, but I would stop at two layers because three can start to look mask-like. My only gripe is that the staying power isn’t great – I tend to have to touch it up a little at lunch (five hours of wear).

Next on the list is Bobbi Brown’s Repair Foundation, although I am not overly taken with the concept of dipping my fingers into a jar – I could put up with that if it's as soothing on the skin as the blurb would suggest. For the sake of my poor wallet though, it will have to wait until next payday…………

Jen

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MAC lipstick - Half 'n' Half

Wowsers, it’s been a while. Have I REALLY not thought about makeup in all this time? Well………….. yes. Of course I have. Silly question, really.

Anyway, I wanted to introduce you to a little bit of disappointment, in the form of Half ‘n’ Half. This is on MAC’s permanent line, and is an Amplified Crème formula. I find that this (along with the lustres) is pretty much the only formula of MAC’s that I can wear, due to scabby-lip syndrome (although that has been tempered somewhat after finding my my Holy Grail lip balm).

Not sure what the name is supposed to reflect – the fact that it is half brown, half pink? Or that it’s a relatively moisturising formula, that it feels like half lipstick, half lip balm? Or the fact that it’s half the price of a high-end lipstick, therefore it doesn’t matter if they’re half the quality? Hmmm.

It’s not that I hate them. I don’t, I quite like them. I just think that they could perhaps be a little bit better for the price – I’m not expecting the staying power of a Chanel Rouge Coco, or the pigmentation of a Dior Addict, but I think there are just too many little disappointments in this product.

On me, lasting power is about an hour (but please do bear in mind I am a tea addict – one hour on me could very well translate to a lot longer on someone that doesn’t average at least a cup an hour).

Pigmentation and moisturisation from the Amplified Cremes is, in my experience, a lot better than the Lustres (which have a little bit too much slip for my liking). And to be fair, Half ‘n’ Half is one of the better ones I have tried (a lot better than Shy Girl, for instance, which is so drying is feels like it’s going to pull my lips off whenever I apply it). But it’s still not great.

So, a little disappointment with staying power, a little disappointment with the pigmentation, a little disappointment with the moisture……… but then again they are only £13.50 so I suppose you can’t expect miracles.

On the MAC website, this is described as a “creamy pink”, and the online swatch would seem to confirm this; however, despite the fact that my lips are quite pink anyway, on me this wears brown. Very, very, very brown. The disappointments are just racking up.

Here it is, for your viewing pleasure:

Awwwww, look at it - looking all classy and understated

Brown.

See, what did I tell you? Brown. A little tiny bit of pink in there (but that's more due to my lip pigmentation than the lippie); it's mostly brrrrrrrrrrrowwwwwwn.

One thing I will say – I do really like the packaging. Small and sleek, relatively sturdy, and the lid stays on no matter how long I leave it in my handbag and dump stuff on top of it.

In conclusion – ok for the price, and the range of colours and finishes available is nothing short of amazing, but I think on balance I would rather have one Rouge Coco than two of these.

MAC lipsticks are available through their website for £13.50.

Jen

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Products I am loving - April 2012

Yes, I know April hasn't finished yet. But seeing as I don't have anything new to test out for the rest of the month, I thought I would share a few of my April favourites with you all!

Shampoo: Tresemme Vitamin E Moisture Rich for dry/damaged hair
Conditioner: V05 Give Me Moisture Conditioner / Nourish Me Truly conditioner (they’re on two-fer in Boots at the mo….!)
Styling products: the old faithful CHI Silk Infusion Silk Restructuring complex
Shower Gel: Johnson’s 24 hour Extra Rich Bodywash
Body moisturiser: Body Shop Brazil Nut body butter – smells good enough to eat but PLEASE DON’T
Deodorant: Mitchum Powder Fresh for women – the only one that can cope with such a Sweaty Betty as me
Cleanser: No. 7 Radiance Boosting Hot Cloth Cleanser
Exfoliator: Body Shop Vitamin C microdermabrasion
Primer: Erm, none……… I’ve been putting a bit of tinted moisturiser on (No. 7 Triple Protection TM in Fair) before foundation for extra coverage, as I am having a rubbish-skin month
Foundation brush: Crown Brush flat bronzer, used as a stippling brush

Foundation: Diorskin Nude in shade 020
Concealer: NARS cream concealer duo in Vanilla/Honey
Powder: NARS loose powder in Flesh
Blusher: NARS powder blush in Gilda – although you have to use a light hand, it gives a fantastic natural-looking flush to the cheeks
Bronzer: none – it’s only April! Maybe in June………
Highlighter: NARS illuminator in Copacabana
Eyeshadow base: MAC paintpot in Painterly
Eyeshadows: NARS eyeshadow trio in Ramatuelle (swatched here)
Eyeliner: MAC Fluidline in Blacktrack; NYX retractable eye pencil in Black (for a cheapy (£4.00), this one is brill – doesn’t go green and patchy in the slightest!)
Curler:  No. 7 – had it for donkey’s, it could probably do with some new pads because it has started crimping my lashes rather than curling them……!
Mascara: L’Oreal Voluminous in Carbon Black; MAC Mascara X
Lipstick: Chanel Rouge Coco in Mademoiselle (swatched here); MAC amplified crème in Shy Girl
Lipgloss: NYX Juicy Red; Lanolips Lip Tint in Mulberry (limited edition – review coming soon)
Nail Colour: Bog standard Natural Collection clear polish – can’t be bothered at the moment, and my nails are in too poor a condition to take a bashing with heavy colour!

What products have you been loving recently? 

Jen

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Me and my skin

I am a dry-skinned gal. No two ways about it. Although I have always suffered a little bit (tight face after washing, the occasional flaky patch in winter), since hitting a certain age it has got exponentially worse. It means my face routine has had to change dramatically over the past few years (I’ll post about that one day) but thankfully, I seem to have hit on the right combination to cease and desist the whole Sahara-desert skin thing. But I still have to be relatively choosy about which primers and foundations I use. I tend to favour a dewy-satin look for the daytime, but do also occasionally dig out the more flawless and matte look for the evenings (if I’m having a good skin day!).

Just in case you were wondering, here are my current foundations. Unfortunately, now I’m getting on a bit, my colouring changes daily – but generally, this is the stuff I buy and wear regularly. I am neutral to cool, but do occasionally have “warmer” days.

Foundation matches:

Diorskin Nude – 020

MAC Face and Body – N1

Nars Sheer Glow – Mont Blanc (I usually use this one more in winter)

MAC Studio Fix Fluid – NW20 (I don’t usually wear this one – it oxidises like a bi-yatch)

NARS Loose/Pressed Powder – Flesh

Guerlain Lingerie de Peau – 02 Beige Clair (not a completely perfect match – might try 12 Rose Clair next time)

I’m always on the hunt for my “holy grail” foundation – the one that gives perfect coverage while looking natural, lasts all day but doesn’t clog pores, is buildable but not cakey-looking etc. I’m not entirely convinced that it exists, but so far it’s been fun trying to find it! Not sure my wallet would agree though……..

Anyone got any suggestions of good foundations to try for dry skin?

Jen

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