MAC Kinky Boots Collection

So! This is my second try at blogging today... My cat deleted my last attempt with just one paw. I lost all my pictures, words, everything. So, im going to start again! 

Kinky Boots is based on a true story of a man whose shoe making business is going under, so he ends up making kinky boots that are made just for men. Apparently this MAC collection is based on the Broadway play, which I've never seen (but I did watch the film when it came out around 10yrs ago, and I really enjoyed it). 

Kinky Lipstick:

 

Kinky Lipglass:

The last picture is the lipglass applied over the lipstick. 

The lipstick is a blue based red matte, smoother/easier to apply than other, older formula mattes I own, and it's not quite as drying as them either. The lipglass is a sheer red with tiny flecks of gold glitter. It looks beautiful on its own or on top of the lipstick (it gives it an attractive, darker, glittery finish). 

My thoughts: MAC already has some very famous blue-based red lipsticks (Ruby Woo and Russian Red being amongst the favourites), so this lipstick doesn't really stand out but it definitely holds it own with pigmentation and staying power. The lipglass, however, is more of a favourite with me. The base colour has just enough pigment to make my colourless lips look rosy (when applied on its own) and the glitter makes my lips sparkle. Another plus is that when the gloss wears away, the glitter remains on the lips, which I personally like a lot. 

Have you got the Kinky Boots Collection? 

Any collections you absolutely love that I need to know about? Please let me know! 

Review: MAC Blush in Style

I've been lusting after this blush from MAC for over a month, but for some reason I've felt too guilty to buy it. So when I went into MAC the other day I bought their Prep + Prime setting powder and this at the same time, but I thought I'd do separate blogs on them. 

As you can see, Style is a Frost blush. It has a really plain peachy colour just sat in the pan, but when it's swatched on the skin, it's beautifully pigmented and leaves the skin with a golden-kissed shimmer. 

This blush is so pigmented, too much can be applied quite easily, so being light handed is key. It reminds me of Sleek blush 'Rose Gold', but this one suits my fake tan better - being peachy instead of pink-based. 

This will definitely be my go-to blush for the autumn and winter months - hell, probably for the foreseeable future - and I'm looking forward to using it in different makeup looks. Love it or hate it? Let me know x

MAC Prep + Prime Transparent Finishing Powder

I've been wanting to add this setting powder to my makeup collection for a good long while now, and now I have it... *Cue evil laughter*

So I wanted to do a first impression/review on this product.

This box is actually pretty cute, which is saying something because I'm not all that hot on packaging. 

The powder is white, but according to MAC, this powder will suit all skin colours once it's applied/blended in. 

Apparently this powder is good for oily skin, and has very positive reviews on the MAC website and also on Makeup Alley and across the web. I have combination oily skin so I had to try this out...

I applied my eye makeup and brows, then applied Estée Lauder Double Wear foundation and contoured with bronzer and let it set... 

Then I applied the setting powder in small amounts in small circular motions, concentrating on my nose and inner cheeks nearest my nose, where I'm definitely the oiliest. 

After I had applied it, my skin felt super smooth and my huge pores on my inner cheeks looked much smaller, and the pores on my nose looked smaller too. There was also no white powder showing on my skin either, so good news there.

The finish wasn't too matte either, so it looked more natural. Plus there is no build up of colour over my foundation, so my face stays cake-free - thumbs up. For a proper review, I didn't use any oil controlling primer under my foundation as I wanted to see how well the powder would control my oily skin.

I also thought I'd do a photography flash test too, to see if there was flashback. Let's check for "ghost face", using my iPhone's flash. 

I think I'm pretty safe from that, I reckon... But what about oil control? I applied the powder at around 3pm, then checked my face six hours later... 

Sorry for super creepy closeup! My nose and inner cheeks could definitely do with a little blot and maybe a little extra powder, but it didn't do too badly on my face. 

With an oil controlling primer, I don't doubt that this powder will keep the oil at bay for at least ten hours. 

Thoughts?: It's relatively expensive at £20.50 but a little goes a long way. Loose powder is not exactly travel friendly, so the pressed version is probably more desirable for those purposes. It makes my skin feel amazing after application, doesn't create "ghost face" or "cake face" and doesn't do a terrible job at keeping my oil at bay, so it's a good all-rounder. 

My First Bridal Makeup Experience...

So this weekend has been so busy, I haven't had a chance to blog about makeup or beauty at all!

On Friday (22nd August) I went to my friend's wedding. The Bride's makeup artist said she couldn't do her makeup last minute due to timing, so she asked me to do it. I've never done Bridal makeup, and I had no time to practice on her for a trial run (she asked me on 21st in the evening when we were super busy doing last minute running around), so you can imagine I was under a lot of pressure to get it right first time. 

I can't even begin to tell you how nervous I was. To make things even harder, she'd gotten a spray tan done two days before the wedding, which means that none of her foundations were the right colour anymore. 

So I turned up armed with all of my foundations, half of my makeup stash and most of my eyeshadow and blending brushes, plus face & concealer brushes. 

Above is the makeup & palettes I used on the Bride. I ended up using my own foundation that I use every day (Estée Lauder Double Wear Light, Intensity 3.0) on her as it is light but super hard-wearing. 

I tell you, it was so stressful, trying to make a bride look perfect for her special day; my hands shook and I was sweating buckets. Plus, she blinked her eyes insessantly when I applied all of her eye makeup; doing her eyeliner and mascara was a real challenge.

Then to top it off, with only 40 minutes to go until she was due down the aisle, she suddenly asked me if it would be ok if I did her maid of honour's makeup too. I was shocked and dumbfounded, to say the least. Good makeup takes care and time to apply; 40 minutes was only enough for a hasty, half-done job! So I prayed for a miracle and rushed (carefully) through her maid of honour's makeup too, then I ran out of the house, ran to the car and sped to the church ahead of them. 

As it turns out I never even managed to get a close up of her (or her maid of honour's) face the entire day! But I'll show you some pics of the day... 

The last picture ^ is the bride and her MoH (plus her gorgeous flower girls, who were adorably cute).

Although doing bridal makeup for the first time was scary, it has only deepened my love for cosmetics and made me appreciate makeup and makeup artistry even more. I know that all I want to do is follow this path of beauty and cosmetics until the bitter end!  

MAC Lip Liner in Cherry

Darlings! I come to you with another quick blog, to share my new-found love! A beautiful red lip pencil by MAC in the shade Cherry... 

This is a creamy, blue-based red lip liner that is, in my opinion, the perfect partner in crime with Ruby Woo. It looks fabulous on so many skin tones, so even if you're a dark-skinned beauty, just remember, even Rihanna wears cool toned reds on her lips! 

MAC lip liner in What A Blast!

So I may have mentioned that I used MAC's ProLongwear lip liner/pencil in What a Blast in my last lipstick post (Mac Dangerous) but I haven't shown it to you! So, without further ado... 

It's a very bright orange-coral-red. I use it for MAC's Dangerous and Lady Danger. The formula isn't too creamy, yet not too dry, and when it sets, it ain't budging unless you use a makeup wipe/remover. A definite must have for me. Gotta love ProLongwear xx

MAC Dangerous Lipstick

Yes, yes, I know, I've already done blogs on red lipsticks, but it is MAC after all! How could I pass up this incredible orange based lipstick? 

Ok, so it looks a little darker in this pic than in real life, but it is amazing... 

This is what it looks like on my lips and how it looks against my fakely-tanned, light-medium complexion (NC25/NC30). I paired it with a ProLongwear pencil by MAC called 'What a Blast'.

So retro, so matte! This is a super easy go-to lip colour, especially if you're in a rush - it takes you from Mehhh to Fab in two minutes flat. The power of red lipstick!

This is a great lipstick for anyone loving orange based, matte red colours that doesn't mind being noticed. 

Red-dy to get Dangerous? 

MAC Paint Pot Let's Skate!

So I went into a MAC store today. I shouldn't have, but I was terribly naughty. I had to! 

I tested out this little beauty in store and knew I just had to have it... 

In the pot it looks like a white-creamy pink, but when it's swatched... Well! 

It's a pale pink with golden shimmery flecks throughout, it's such a beautiful colour. 

Pictures: 1st swatched on hand next to window. 

2nd same hand swatch stood away from the window.

3rd swatched on my tattoo (to better show the colour & shimmer) stood next to the window.

4th swatched on my tattoo stood away from the window. 

Absolutely amazing colour, fantastic on it's own or as a base to make other colours really pop. 

Any paint pots you lovely people recommend to get next? Hugs! Xx