Face Of The Day #1

Off to see Jay Z in Manchester woop! Let's hope Justin Timberlake turns up!!!

Foundation - Ilamasqua Skin Base

Bronzer - Mac Limited Edtion

Highlighter - Ilamasqua Gleam in Aurora

Eyes - Chanel in Emerveille with Mac Pressed Pigment. Also Mac Vanilla Eyeshadow in the corners

Eyelashes - Benefit They're Real!

Eyeliner - Yves Saint Laurent Shocking

Waterline - Mac Khol Pencil in Smoulder

Lips - Mac Cherry Lip Pencil with Mac RiRi Woo in Retro Matt

Concelar - Mac Prowear

Powder - Hourglass Ambient Power in Diffused Light

My Mac Lipstick Collection

Happy Sunday everyone!

Today's post is about my Mac lipstick collection.  Just a disclaimer that I have been collecting these over 3 years and didn't just go out and get them all!  Some I love and some I don't love as much.....so I will talk you through them all.

Now let me tell you, I was never EVER a lipstick girl, I was gloss all the way!  I never was and still am not one for bold dramatic make up, I like neutral colours.  But when I started watching You Tube it got me interested in them and made me realise and gloss actually looks BETTER over a nice lipstick.  I also realised I had loads of different tubes of lipgloss that actually didn't look that different from each other!!  So I hardly have any gloss now, and just have neutral ones I wear on their own sometimes still, or over lipstick.

From left to right - See Sheer, Hug Me, Hue, Creme Cup, Politely Pink, Pink Pearl Pop, Pink Pigeon, Impassioned, Full Speed, Russian Red

So before I take you through them all, let me explain what the finishes mean:

Matte - high pigment with no shine
Amplified - super creamy with shine
Cremesheen - creamy with shine
Lustre - semi-sheer with gloss finish
Glaze - low pigment with a sheen finish
Frost - high pigment with frosty finish (think the 80's!)
Satin - medium pigment with semi-matte finish

I don't have any Frost or Satin just as I haven't found any colours in them that I like.  I tend to shop by colour rather than finish - although I tend to only like Matte in bold colours.

See Sheer - Lustre

This is one of those colours I never ever hear about on blogs or You Tube!  This is one of the first lipsticks I got from Mac - long before I started reading blogs or watching beauty videos on You Tube.  I had no idea what I was looking for and didn't have a clue about the different types of lipstick finishes! This is one the girls on Mac recommended.  In all honestly, I hardly wear this one, although it does look nice!  I think I am just more of a pink lipsticks gal :-)

Hug Me - Lustre

It's safe to say that this is my most wearable Mac lipstick.  It's extremely wearable and great for everyday use.  For me it's the perfect nude and great for work.  It's a Lustre but it's really creamy and glossy, I love it!  I have recently been looking at the Shine Supreme lipsticks and Bare Again is pretty much the same shade as this but more glossy......it's been added to my wishlist!  I would say this would be perfect for you if, like me, you have light skin and some lighter nudes wash you out.  For me anyway, this is a "my lips but better" colour.  Everyone is different so if you just want something to enhance your natural pigment, go to a Mac counter and get matched up.

Hue - Glaze

Remember what I just said about being washed out.......well unfortunately this is my issue with Hue :-( this was one of my Mac lipsticks that I bought not too long after I started watching You Tube.  I watch Fleur De Force and this was one of the colours in her Mac Lipstick video.  We have similar colouring so I thought it would be the perfect nude.  It's not horrible but I just washes me out, although it does look better when I have a tan.  Don't get me wrong - some of you might like this look, it's just not for me

Creme Cup - Cremesheen

This is a much raved about colour, but again for me I have the same issue with it as I do with Hue, and it was from the same Fleur De Force recommendation!  So my comments as the same as above so I won't repeat for you.  This one melted when I took it somewhere with me which is why it looks a bit gross!!  It's still got some life it in yet though!

Politely Pink - Lustre

To be honest I can't make up my mind about this one!  It is a Lustre but I feel it looks a bit frosty!  As you can see it is warmer than Creme Cup so I do definitely prefer it and I do wear it for work, I just can't decide if I like the finish or not!  However it's very wearable and natural.

Pink Pearl Pop - Cremesheen

This is one of my most worn lipsticks!  It does look a bit crazy in the tube, but it comes out really sheer.  So sheer you can get away with it during the day.  It's a lovely formula as well being a cremesheen so it doesn't dry out your lips, I love it!  A more coral version is Sunny Seoul and that is on my wish-list as I love this one so much

Pink Pigeon - Matte

Funny story with this one - I actually went to Mac looking for Show Orchid.......only to be told you can only now get it in Mac Pro stores (why did they do that!!!)  but to be honest with bright, bold shades I do prefer them too be matte because I only really wear them too go out, and I want them too last.  So they recommended me this one........which looks extremely similar to Candy Yum Yum which had not been made permanent at the time.  It's not suitable for day to day but fab for a night out - I wear this over Embrace Me lip liner for extra staying power!

Impassioned - Amplified

This is one of the newest lipsticks in my collection and I love love love it!!!  I have been eyeing this one up for a while, I couldn't decided between this one and Costa Chic.  However, on closer inspection Costa Chic is a Frost and I didn't like the finish, I definitely prefer this one.  I have a similar shade in Dior (I think it's called Lucky?) but it's very sheer and as this one is Amplified - it's much more pigmented and again perfect for nights out.  Love love!  Oh and The Saturdays love this one, so if it makes me look more like Molly King then happy days! (LOL!!)

Full Speed - Shine Supreme

As with Impassioned, this is also new to my collection.  And again as with Impassioned, I have a similar lipstick to this in Yves Saint Laurent (15) but again it's very sheer.  This is a bit bolder and perfect for summer.  This is the first one I have got from the Shine Supreme range and I love it!  I also liked Bare Again, but my Hug Me was too similar......definitely next time though!

Russian Red - Matte

I am not really one for bold lipsticks, but every girl needs a red!  I went to Mac to get colour advice, as I was also looking at Mac Red and Ruby Woo.  The Mac lady advised this suited me best as I have fair skin, blonde hair & blue eyes.  A lot of people would describe this as a Gwen Stefani red and I would definitely agree!  (apologies for missing a bit on my lips, fail!).  I normally wear this over Cherry lipliner by Mac just because it makes it last a lot longer.  And the same as Pink Pigeon, I went for matte as it lasts longer.

 So that's it for my Mac lipstick collection!  Others on my wish-list are:

Sunny Seoul
Bare Again
Vegas Volt
Lady Danger

If there are any others that you think I will like based on what I currently have please let me know!  And what is your favourite lipstick?

Also let me know if you would like another post on my other lipsticks - Mac are the ones I have the most of due to the price and colour range, but I also have ones from Benefit, Rimmel, Chanel and Yves Saint Laurent.

Cat XX

OOTD & Make Up - Sunday 17th March

Evening all, hope you had a lovely weekend!

I am hoping to diversify with this blog a little bit with an aim to improve my photography skills and get back to blogging.......I haven't made a lot of time for myself recently and that's going to change!

I went to a family meal today with my husband and the in laws and put together this little combo!  It's still freeeezzzing in the UK, so boots are essential!

I LOVE my blazer......probably a little too much!  I also have it in the grey colour.......I just think they instantly dress up a casual outfit and are great from matching with anything from jeans to dresses.....LOVE LOVE LOVE <3

Clothes

Boots - Dune - no longer on website :-(
Blazer - Topshop
Leggings - Topshop
Dress - Primark
Scarf - River Island

Make Up

Mac Studio Sculpt Foundation NC20
Yves Saint Laurent Shocking Volume Mascara in Black
Mac Omega Eyeshadow (brows)
Benefit Dandilion Blusher
Mac Minerlize Skin Finish Soft & Gentle
Nars Bronzer Laguna
Bobbi Brown Long Wear Shadow Stick Golden Pink
Chanel Coco Rouge Shine Lipstick 54 Boy
Clinique Gel EyeLiner in True Black
Nails Inc nail polish in Porchester Square

This is my first OOTD so let me know what you think!!!

Cat XXX

My everyday make up

Today I wanted to show you what is currently in my everyday make up bag :0)

As it's summer (well, British summer, meaning loads of rain and cloud!) I am currently wearing Estee Lauder BB cream.  I love the Estee Lauder Daywear Sheertint for when I am on holiday or when I don't want to wear a lot of make up so I was very excited when they brought out the BB cream.  I love this one as it' not too heavy and not too light - perfect for the summer months.

  I then use the classic Yves Saint Laurent Touch Eclat for under my eyes.  I sometimes use Bobbi Brown Corrector in Light Bisque as well.  For when I have blemishes, I use Mac Studio Sculpt Conceler.  I struggle with concelers because I have dry skin, but this one is a good enough coverage that doesn't dry out my skin.

I then use a little bit of bronzer to contour my face and just give me a bit of colour.  At the moment I am loving Mac Mineralize Skin Finish Natural in Medium Deep.  I used to think you had to apply bronzer ALL over your face as some really bad old photos of me prove ha!  But now I apply it in a "3" motion on each side of my face - where the sun would hit your face.  So this is my temples, cheeks and jaw line.

For blusher I am using Smashbox O-Glow.  This is a clear gel that changes colour when you rub it in, which is meant to use your skin tone.  I think this is perfect for during the day as it's really light but just gives you enough colour.

I tend to change up what I use on my eyes day to day.  I am loving Stay Don't Stray by Benefit.  I think I prefer this to Urban Decay Primer Potion just because for me I think it makes the shadows I use last longer.

I then use Mac Paintpots in Painterly for matte shadows and Base Study for shimmer shadows, although some days I do wear these alone.  They last for ages as well so I think they are brilliant!

I also have my Mac eyeshadow quad which has (from top left clockwise) Naked Lunch, Omega, All That Glitters and Quarry.  All these colours work well together and are the ones I wear the most.  2 other Mac shadows I sometimes use are Wedge and Brule.

I then use Stila Stay All Day Liquid Eyeliner.  As you can see it's well loved as all the writing has come off the pen!  I used cake/gel eyeliners for a long time but this pen is definitely the best one I have used. I draw a really thin line for during the day, but at night it's really good for thick, flick lines as well, love it!  Finally on the eyes, I use a tiny bit of Mac Kohl Pencil in Smoulder on 3/4 of the water line, so it's not as harsh.

And my favourite mascara EVER, is They're Real by Benefit.  I love this mascara, I am really lucky to have long lashes anyway, but a lot of people have asked me if I have false lashes on when I wear this, so it must work!

Then finally, the lips.  I swap between these 2, Mac Tinted Lip Conditioner in Fuchsia Fix and Clairns Lip Perfecter in Apricot Shimmer.  Both are lovely but I probably wear the Mac one more, just as I work in an air conditioned office so my lips get really dry.

I hope you enjoyed my post!

Cat XX