My Top 10 MAC Lipsticks

With the rising popularity of liquid lipsticks, it is easy to forget these trusty black bullets. MAC lipsticks will always remain a firm favourite of mine. The quality and finish of these are, in my opinion, the best on the market. At £16.50, they are definitely not cheap but worth every penny.

MAC lipsticks come in a variety of shades and finishes. The 7 finishes are Frost, Matte, Retro Matte, Satin, Glaze, Lustre, Amplified and Cremesheen. My favourite finishes are Matte (long-wearing, matte finish), Retro Matte (super-pigmented, super-matte finish) and Cremesheen (medium sheer coverage with a glossier finish).

It was really difficult for me to pick 10 out of my collection because I love them all but here are my top 10:

1. Relentlessly Red (Retro Matte)

My favourite bold summer lip colour. Although named red, this is a bright pink with red undertones. This suits my complexion so well and looks amazing with a simple winged eyeliner. This is always in my make up bag in the summer months.

2. Pink Pigeon (Matte)

A bright "Barbie" pink with cool undertones that would suit most skin tones. I also have the shade Candy Yum-Yum which is similar but a few shades lighter. I would say Candy Yum-Yum best suits fair/medium complexions whilst Pink Pigeon is more universally flattering. A staple pink lipstick that looks great with my Indian outfits!

3. Ruby Woo (Retro Matte)

A cult favourite - the perfect bold red lip. Suits pretty much all complexions. A true red that will never go out of fashion. I do find Ruby Woo to be quite dry (like most of the Retro Matte finish lipsticks) but with plenty of lip balm underneath can be more comfortable to wear.

4. Runway Hit (Retro Matte)

One of my favourite nude shades. A coral/orange nude that would suit fair/medium complexions. I like to mix this one with MAC Taupe lipstick for an everyday autumn/winter lipstick. My only qualm with this lipstick is that it goes on slightly patchy due to the Retro Matte finish and so tends to drag when applying. I use a thick balm underneath (Nuxe Rêve de Miel ❤️) which helps.

5. Please Me (Matte)

A rosy pink colour that would suit fair to medium complexions. This is a great everyday lip colour if, like me, you love your pink lipsticks. For medium to dark skin tones, I would suggest MAC Mehr which I also love and is a few shades darker than Please Me and more universally flattering. I like to pair Please Me with MAC's In Anticipation lip pencil.

6. Kinda Sexy (Matte)

I'm not really a nude lipstick kinda gal but this is my favourite nude shade. I love this colour as it leans more orange/peach which I love in a nude lipstick. I love that I can wear this lipstick with any eye look and it looks amazing. I pair this with MAC Boldly Bare lip pencil.

7. Crosswires (Cremesheen)

A pinky coral with warm undertones. A staple in my summer make up bag. I love the subtle shine of this lipstick which is perfect for that summer, glowy make up look. Although a Cremesheen finish, this stays put even after eating and drinking.

8. Flat Out Fabulous (Retro Matte)

This looks like a scary purple in the bullet but once on the lips, it is an amazing magenta shade that really pops. MAC have a similar shade to this in their Retro Matte Liquid Lipcolour called Tailored To Tease which I also love. Because this is a Retro Matte finish, the staying power is brilliant.

9. Ravishing (Cremesheen)

A stunning, subtle pale orange colour with a slight shimmer. I love pairing this with gold/bronze eye make up to complement the slight shimmer. Another summer favourite.

10. Costa Chic (Frost)

This is my only Frost finish lipstick from MAC and I love it. It's a shimmery pink with warm undertones. This is another summer favourite that looks great with a tan. I love pairing this lipstick with Nars Orgasm blush for a super glowy look.

MAC lipsticks are so addictive and 30 bullets later, I still want more! I'm hoping MAC will bring some more shades out soon - preferably some more everyday pink/peachy "my lips but better" colours (like I don't have enough of those!)

Spot any of your favourites!?

P x

Review: Too Faced Sweet Peach Palette

I was so happy to hear that Too Faced were not only bringing the Sweet Peach Palette back but also making it part of their permanent collection. I had to have it when Debenhams had 10% off across all make up! The palette retails at £39.00 in Debenhams.

The palette consists of 18 eyeshadows, which, considering the price, is great value for money. The packaging is stunning and like the Chocolate Bar palettes, is made of sturdy metal and has a magnetic closure. I love the pink and peach tones of the packaging. Similar to the chocolate smell of the Chocolate Bar palettes, this palette smells of peaches. The smell wears away once applied but can be a little overpowering when using the palette. I don't mind the smell too much.

I love the colours in this palette. First impressions were that it was more of a summer palette but there is a good selection of gold/bronze colours which would work all year round.

As with most palettes, I found the lighter matte shades to be powdery and more prone to fallout. The darker matte colours are less powdery and definitely apply better. 

I swatched the colours on my arm to show the colour payoff. The lighter matte shades such as White Peach, Peaches 'N Cream and Georgia had to be heavily swatched due to the fact they were more powdery/less pigmented. 

Top to bottom: White Peach, Nectar, Peaches 'N Cream, Luscious, Cobbler, Georgia, Just Peachy, Candied Peach, Caramelized, Bless Her Heart, Bellini, Puree

Top to bottom: Tempting, Peach Pit, Summer Yum, Charmed, I'm Sure, Delectable, Talk Derby To Me

I love that there is a good selection of matte and shimmery shades. My favourite shades are Luscious, Just Peachy, Candied Peach, Bellini and Summer Yum.

The shimmer shades are super pigmented and buttery. I love the selection of matte shades as these work great as transition colours. Of all the shades, I'm not keen on the shade Talk Derby To Me as it is quite chalky and the glitter is too sparse.

Overall, I do wish there were more peachy shades within the palette but I think the colour selection means that this palette works all year round. I personally will be packing this for my holiday this year as it holds all the colours I would need to create so many different looks.

Too Faced - you did good! 💕

My Top 5 Concealers

I never used to wear concealer until circa 2010. I used to wear just foundation until I realised how different my make up looked after applying a yellow-based concealer.

I'm not a huge fan of colour correcting (mostly because I can't be bothered) but have noticed a huge difference to my make up just by using a lighter shade of yellow-based concealer. It really brightens and lifts my face.

I have a warm skin tone (MAC NC30 for reference) and find yellow-based concealers really brighten my under eye area. I have some darkness under my eyes (more so after becoming a mummy) but it's not really a problem area for me. I tend to use medium coverage concealers on a day-to-day basis and fuller coverage for say a night out, wedding etc. I almost always set my concealer to ensure it stays put all day and doesn't crease. My favourite setting powder to set my concealer is the Soap & Glory Kick Ass Powder - a super affordable, finely milled yellow-toned powder that provides a filter-like effect under the eyes and looks great in photographs.

So here are my top 5 favourite concealers...

MAC Pro Longwear Concealer - NC20

MAC Pro Longwear Concealer in NC20

My favourite full coverage concealer. Doesn't feel cakey and sets to a semi-matte finish. You have to work quickly though as it does dry within a few seconds. It literally lasts all day and photographs well too. I opt for this for nights out, weddings etc. The pump dispenser is the only downside to this concealer as one pump is waaay too much product. You only need half a pump for both eyes - I seem to have mastered getting a tiny bit out after many frustrating attempts! 🙄 I apply this with a damp BeautyBlender for the best finish.

Maybelline Instant Anti-Age The Eraser Eye Concealer - Light

Maybelline Eraser Eye Concealer in Light

My go-to everyday concealer. Perfect colour for my complexion, medium, buildable coverage and affordable. I'm not keen on the sponge applicator as it looks messy. I find it is a tad dry for my skin, however, once applied with a damp BeautyBlender applies well and looks flawless. I initially didn't like this concealer as it wouldn't blend out well with a brush but I then figured out a damp BeautyBlender works wonders!

Maybelline Fit Me Concealer - 10

Maybelline Fit Me Concealer in 10

I bought this after reading rave reviews comparing it to Nars Radiant Creamy Concealer. This is a great concealer for the price and works well at brightening and covering darkness under the eyes. This has a lovely yellow tone to it which looks great on olive/medium skin tones. I would say this is slightly less thicker than the Nars Radiant Creamy Concealer but a brilliant dupe and at a fraction of the price!

Nars Radiant Creamy Concealer - Custard

Nars Radiant Creamy Concealer in Custard

I caved and bought this since I wanted to see what all the fuss was about. As the name suggests, a creamy concealer with great medium coverage. Feels light on the skin and adequately covers dark circles. I like the finish of this concealer as it isn't overly matte and therefore looks quite natural on the skin. Price wise a little steep for an everyday concealer but looks flawless on.

Collection Lasting Perfection Concealer - 3 Medium Warm

Collection Lasting Perfection Concealer in 3 Medium Warm

One of my first ever concealers and I still love it. Stays put almost all day and has a great warm undertone that really suits my skin tone. This is probably one of the cheapest concealers on the market and I prefer it to some of my high-end ones. I always make sure I have a stock of this concealer as when all else fails, I know this one will always look great. FACT - I wore this concealer on my wedding day!

I seem to love a lot of the high street concealers and in my opinion, Maybelline do some of the best ones. What are your favourite concealers? I always love recommendations as I don't always venture out of my comfort zone when it comes to concealers.

Finally!

I've finally bitten the bullet and started my own beauty blog! This has been a long time coming as I get asked so many questions on my views on different types of make up products and brands so thought why not lay my thoughts out in a blog? I'm not sure I'm quite ready for YouTube yet, though!

I've always loved make up and since December 2015, have been working as a make up artist too. Having completed a make up course, I'm glad to have learned a few tricks of the trade and hope this reflects in my work and technique.

I always read reviews online before I purchase make up and know how important it is to gain insight in to a product before I decide to spend my hard earned money. I hope my reviews help others in deciding whether to make a purchase or not. My views will always be 100% my own. I also hope it will make for interesting and fun reading for anyone else who has a passion for make up.

Watch this space - I have lots of new make up bits to blog about. I also love reading 'Top Ten' reviews, brand reviews, dupes, comparisons and MOTD posts so will try to mix things up.

I hope you enjoy reading my posts as much as I will writing them!

Happy Weekend, all!

P x