Pink Paradise Beauty: MAC

Sunday, 10 September 2017

5 MAC Lipsticks I'm Crushing On For Autumn

MAC Lipstick Shades in Mehr, Velvet Teddy, Brave, Twig and Rebel

Well, I think it's safe to say Autumn has certainly arrived and so begins my love for everything Autumnal. I always adore all the new seasonal colour palettes that roll around each year and I'm forever exciting to see what will be trending in Make-up, Nails and Fashion. Today I wanted to kick off a series of 'Autumnal' themed posts with a look at my five favourite MAC Lipstick Shades for Autumn...

MAC Mehr

MAC Mehr is actually classed as a 'dirty pink' on the MAC website. This matte formula has a blue undertone and is one of those must-have deeper shades of pink that goes perfectly with any Autumnal make-up look. You can also pair this with one of MAC's best-selling Lip Liners, Soar.

MAC Velvet Teddy

If you haven't heard of Velvet Teddy, then girl you need to! This shade is one of MAC's bestsellers as it's such a wearable matte. And if you're a lover of nudes, then this medium beige ticks all the boxes for the colder months. MAC recommend pairing with this Boldly Bare Lip Pencil for the ultimate lip combo.

MAC Brave

This is probably one of my favourite MAC shades, alongside my Wedding shade, Angel. Brave is a beige/pink with a satin finish and this colour just looks great on anyone, it's just such a flattering shade that's not too dark or light, but somewhere in between.

MAC Twig

Another satin finish, MAC Twig is to me a slightly more intense redder version of Brave. So if you're after something with a deeper undertone for Autumn, then this is the shade for you. MAC suggests pairing this with Half Red Lip Pencil.

MAC Rebel

It wouldn't be Autumn without a berry shade in the mix. I love Rebel as it's such a lovely shade if you want to dress up an outfit for a date night or drinks with the girls. Rebel is described as a 'midtonal plum' on the MAC website. This colour can be teamed with a lip liner such as Vino or the matching Rebel Lipglass.

The Product Empties & Products I Regret Buying Edit No16

Product Empties & Product Regrets

Today I wanted to share with you a whole load of new product empties, including a few products that I finally got around to using up from the M&S Beauty Advent Calendar, so here's my final thoughts on what was hot and what was not...

PRODUCTS MENTIONED:
1. Dove Pure Care Dry Oil Shampoo - HOT
2. Aussie 3 Minute Miracle Colour - NOT
3. Soap & Glory Smoothie Star Body Milk - HOT HOT!
4. MAC Brush Cleaner - HOT
5. Urban Decay All Nighter Setting Spray - HOT
Urban Decay Dupes:
Barry M Setting Spray
Rimmel #Insta Fix & Go
6. Bare Minerals Bare Skin Pure Brightening Serum Foundation - NOT
7. Seventeen Skin WOW Concealer in Medium - HOT
8. Maybelline Brow Precise Micro Pencil - HOT HOT!
9. Pixi Glow Tonic Exfoliating Toner - HOT but NOT
10. Soap & Glory Make Yourself Youthful Sunsheild - HOT
11. Ultra Sun Face SPF 30 - HOT
12. M&S Formula Ultimate Sleep Cream - HOT HOT!
13. Emma Hardie Moringa Cleansing Balm - HOT
M&S Beauty Advent Calendar
14. La Roche Pose Effaclar Duo - HOT
15. Garnier SkinActive Moisture Bomb - HOT

Incase you missed any of the others then I'll link them here.

The All Beauty March Favourites

March Beauty Favourites

I feel like I haven't done a monthly round up in ages, so it's about time I shared with you some of my all beauty favourites from March, which coincidentally seem all very colour co-ordinated!

Soap & Glory Heel Genius
Now that we are getting into open toed weather, I feel like it's time to start preparing the feet for all those pretty sandals I've seen just lately. The Heel Genius has been a saviour at making my feet feel wonderfully soft, refreshed and ready for their 2017 debut...

Soap & Glory Hand Maid
I've nearly used up the last of my Bath & Body Works Stash of Anti Bacs (Sob!), however I've found a lovely replacement from Soap & Glory in the form of the Hand Maid. This gorgeous smelling anti-bac smells just like the Righteous Butter, plus it's a decent size too. I like to keep this one on my vanity to use before I apply my make-up each morning.

Clinque Beyond Perfection Foundation + Concealer
Gosh I love this foundation! I picked this up last year on my our way to Mexico as I had heard such good things about it. Usually I'm really not a fan of matte foundations (with the exception of the L'Oreal Infalliable Total Cover) as I tend to prefer more of a dewy finish these days. However there is just something about this foundation that gives you the most beautiful coverage, without feeling or looking dry and I just can't help but gravitate towards this every time.

MAC Angel Lipstick
MAC Angel is actually one of the first MAC lipsticks I ever bought, it's also a lipstick I go back to time and time again. This pinky nude, frost never fails to brighten up a look for me, I even wore this on my Wedding Day too.

Rimmel #Insta Fix & Go
I actually did a first impression on this recently and I've been in love with it ever since. I adore not only the smell of this, but the fact that it's a 2 in 1 Primer and Setting Spray. It's also a great affordable alternative to some of the high end version out there too.

MAC Mariah Carey Collection Review & Photos

MAC Mariah Carey

Last month I was excited to hear that MAC had collaborated with Mariah Carey to create the ultimate divalicious collection. Growing up Mariah was someone who I adored. Her music, style and make-up were goals and so it was great to finally see a collection that embodied everything Mariah is! So here's my thoughts...

Price
The collection consists of,
- Two Eyeshadow Quads in I'm That Chick You Like and It's Everything | £27.50
- A Black/Brown Liquid Eyeliner in This is My Night | £18
- Two Sets of Lashes in 05 & 36 | £11.50
- Five Lipsticks including, I Get So OCC, All I Want, Bit Of Bubbly, Dahhlinggg! & MCizzle | £17
- Five Lipglasses in It's Just Like Honey, Rainbow Interlude, Little Miss Monroe, Dreamlover & Butterfly Bling | £16.50
- Two Pro Longwear Lip Pencils in So Dramatique & New Ombré | £17
- Two Blushers in You've Got Me Feeling & Sweet Sweet Fantasy | £20
- A loose gold shimmer powder in Touch My Body | £26.50
- A gold toned Extra Dimension Face Powder in My Mimi | £26.50
- Limited Edition 239 Eye Shader Brush | £21
- Limited Edition 183 Buffer Brush | £34.50

Although this collection is huge with so many gorgeous products to choose from, just be aware that a few of the items are priced slightly higher than their original counterparts.

Packaging
The packaging is indeed stunning with each box adorned in gold and silver glitter which translates onto the products too. The lipsticks also have Mariah's signature Butterfly imprinted onto the bullet and the face powder even has Mariah's face etched onto it too!

MAC Mariah Carey I'm That Chick You Like

MAC Mariah Carey It's Just Like Honey

MAC Mariah Carey 239 Brush

Application
As you can imagine, this collection sold out pretty quickly, but my lovely husband actually managed to get his hands on the I'm That Chick You Like Eyeshadow Quad, It's Just Like Honey Gloss and the 239 Eye Shader Brush for me. I've also put links above in the price section to the items I can see are still available.

The brush is great for applying cream or powder shadow to the lid specifically. I already I have a few 239 brushes and I personally love this brush as it's the perfect size for the lid area.

This is a pretty nice eyeshadow palette and it's for sure pleasing to the eye. The colours applied nice enough but I did find Escape Me hard to pick up on the brush and Golden Petals was a little scratchy to the touch because of the added sparkle within the shimmer. Whenever You Call was a beautiful buttery golden/yellow shade, although because of the yellow undertone this would be more suited as an inner corner highlighter. Finally How You Thrill Me was a lovely pigmented deep brown that would look lovely smoked out or as a liner along the lash line.

It's Just Like Honey is a beautiful caramel/nude gloss which has a stunning golden shimmer shot through it. The Lipglass was lovely and plumping and smelt of MAC's signature Vanilla scent. It's also the perfect shade that can be worn alone or on top of a matte lipstick to add some dimension.

Longevity
The shadows lasted well throughout the day but I do recommend applying a primer or coloured eyeshadow base to ensure maximum wear time. The gloss was surprisingly long-wearing and I would say this lasted a good few hours before I needed to re-apply, even after eating.

Overall Thoughts
Overall this was a beautiful collection visually and it without a doubt epitomized everything Mariah Carey is. However I often find that with Limited Edition collections the consistency of some products is not always the best compared to their significant others, even though the price points can sometimes be higher. I think honestly you are paying for the packaging more than anything and if you are a Mariah Carey or MAC Limited Edition Collector, then these are certainly worth a look at.

Personally I love most MAC Make-up and I do love to dip my toe into the odd Limited Edition item if it does have beautiful packaging and it is something I know I will love and use. So I think in conclusion it's worth doing a little research before you buy, so that you know which items are worth the hype and which ones are certainly not.

I award the MAC Mariah Carey 239 Eye Shader Brush a 4.8 out of 5, the eyeshadow palette a 3.8 out of 5 and the Lipglass a 4.2 out of 5.

Going BACK TO MAC - The Autumn Quad

MAC Eyeshadow Palette

It's safe to say I've generated quite a collection of eyeshadow palettes over the past couple of years and so it's understandable that some get lost in a somewhat makeup black hole. Thankfully re-discovering an old make-up favourite from the same black hole can be pretty satisfying, especially when it's a MAC quad full of old eyeshadow favourites...

CRANBERRY (Top Left) - This shade optimises everything holiday and I absolutely adore the richness of this frosty red/pink shadow.

RICE PAPER (Top Right) - Another frost and the neutral of the bunch, Rice Paper is a beautiful subtle yellow gold that can be worn alone or as an inner corner highlighter.

COPPERING (Bottom Right) - I can't get enough of this orangey/copper shade as it's intensely vibrant and looks stunning all over the eyes.

WOODWINKED (Bottom Left) - One of my all time favourites, this golden brown veluxe pearl is magical over the top of a gold cream eyeshadow base.

90's Lipstick Trend - The 10 Must-have Shades That Will Give You The Total Nostalgia Feels!

90's Lips

Well I never thought I would see the day when I talk about the 90's lip products again, but yes this has made a come back and yes we have gone slightly crazy for it! Gone are the days of the iconic Rimmel Coffee and Heather Shimmer and in it's place are a selection of more sophisticated, mauve's, brown's, plum's and taupe's that are totally wearable for everyday. But with so many to choose from, I wanted to narrow it down to my Top 10 picks both from the drugstore and high end, to give you a little 90's lip inspiration.

1. Maybelline Vivid Matte Liquid in Nude Thrill

2. Essence Velvet Matt 08
3. NYX Soft Matte Lip Cream in Abu Dhabi
4. MAC Lip Pencil in Spice
5. NYX Liquid Suede in Soft-Spoken
6. MAC Lipstick Velvet Teddy (Matte)
7. Essence Lipliner in Satin Mauve
8. Maybelline Vivid Matte Liquid in Possessed Plum
9. NYX Lip Liner in Mahogany
10. Too Faced Melted in Chihuahua