NARS Pure Matte Lipstick Review

So taking a break from my eyeshadow palettes, I thought I produce a post about some of my high end lipsticks. Now I have a fair few high end lippies (not including MAC) such as NARS, YSL, Clinique, Charlotte Tilbury and Urban Decay. I can’t choose between lipstick or eyeshadow being my favourite makeup but I love them both so much!

 

Today I will be talking to you about my NARS Pure Matte Lipsticks. I wouldn’t really call this a collection as I only have 2 of them.

First of all, I love the packaging! Each tube is super slim and it looks quite high end to me. The packaging is matte black and almost has a rubberised feel to it. It has the ever famous NARS logo on the tube and “pure matte lipstick” is printed on the other side.

Because the tubes and bullets are so thin, I think this makes for easier application for those with thinner lips as it is more precise. However, for those with a more fuller pout, it takes longer to apply than lipstick from a standard sized tube.

I don’t find them to be particularly scented either which is a good thing as some people are sensitive to fragranced makeup/skin care products.

So let’s take a look at the first shade.

BANGKOK

So this first shade is called ‘Bangkok’. It’s a mauve nude shade that’s perfect to wear everyday. It is a matte BUT this particular shade has tiny glitters in it which I’m not too keen on. Here’s how the shade swatches…

And here’s how it looks on my lips…

You can sorta see the tiny specs of glitter in the tube and on my lips.

 

Moving on to the next shade…

 TONKIN

This is my favourite shade out of the two and is most used (as you can clearly see!). It is a deeper version of Bangkok minus the shimmer. This is a true matte shade. it is mauve with strong hints of brown in it. I wear this as an everyday shade and it reminds me a lot of ‘twig’ and ‘velvet teddy’ by MAC.

Here’s how it swatches…

And here’s how it looks on my lips….

 

Now on to the wear time and how they feel on the lips.

When I initially apply them, they feel creamy but not as creamy as a matte lipstick from MAC (regular mattes, not retro mattes). however, the creamy feeling soon disappears once they have dried and sort of set on to your lips. When you rub your lips together, they sort of drag against each other. It’s not the most comfortable formula and feels slightly drying so if your lips aren’t moisturised before application, it will cling to dry patches and accentuate them. BUT….once they are on your lips, the longevity of the wear is excellent. They last a lot longer than a regular MAC matte lipstick and I find they don’t transfer as much either.

 

There are more colours available in this line and I do plan on getting more as I really do like these lipsticks. You can pick them up from John Lewis for £21 as I did. I do recommend trying them out and I give them 7.5/10!

 

I hope you enjoyed reading my post!

Sadiyah xx

MAC Lipstick Collection – Plums

So I’ve been busy swatching and reviewing all of my MAC lipsticks (see previous blog posts for other colours). As I’ve said, MAC is one of my favourite brands for lipsticks due to the quality and colour range available.

I’m now on to my final part of my collection series and I’ll be looking at my plummy/vampy shades. I don’t wear these regularly as they’re more suited for the colder months but I still love them.

(Left to Right – Hot Gossip, Plumful, Craving, Rebel, Viva Glam III).

Hot Gossip – Cremesheen

Hot Gossip is a plummy mauve with a glossy finish. When I first bought Hot Gossip, I was slightly disappointed by it as it wasn’t what I expected. It also seemed quite frosty looking as if it had shimmer particles in it. They seem to have disappeared now and it has a lovely sheen to it. It’s one of my least worn shades as I was initially disappointed with it but now that the shimmer business has gone, I still haven’t been able to find some love for it. To me the colour is meh, I’ve got plenty of other similar shades to it and I choose to wear them instead. It’s a a good everyday shade but it’s nothing special and it doesn’t last long so I wouldn’t repurchase this again. If it was my only plummy mauve shade then I would probably give it some more love and use it more often. I know plenty of people who rave about this shade though. It’s worth checking out and testing it.

Plumful – Lustre

Plumful is my only lustre shade, but if all lustres are similar to this I am definitely interested in getting some more. It’s a lovely plum colour and has a beautiful glossy finish which is quite moisturising and it feels like a lip balm. It’s quite sheer and doesn’t last too long because it is a lustre but it is still beautiful. I wore this on a daily basis when I first bought it and it is one of my favourites!

Craving – Amplified

Craving is an amped up version of Plumful. It has the same tones and they are pretty much identical in the tubes. What I love about Craving is you can achieve full opacity with just one swipe. It also wears down to a lovely pinkish stain on the lips. It’s a good colour but I don’t see it as an all year round shade but it definitely gets a lot of wear in the Autumn/Winter months.

Rebel – Satin

Rebel is a beautiful winey/plum colour. It looks rather deep in the tube but it’s a lot more pink once applied to the lips. It’s an excellent colour and it leaves a pretty stain on your lips. However, I have found that the colour clings to dry/cracked areas on the lips and more product applies to the areas, making it look patchy and uneven. because of this it can also wear away unevenly and make your lip colour look quite patchy. But if you’ve got superbly conditioned lips it’s amazing! Definitely a favourite and one I should pull out more often.

Viva Glam III – Matte

I hadn’t intended buying Viva Glam III when I did as I was after ‘Diva’ as a vampy red shade. However it was out of stock every time I went there so the woman working there suggested this shade saying they were so similar you could hardly tell the difference. So I bought it and I hated it! I thought it was such a horrible brown colour and it was so dark I really regretted buying it. But I tried it again, and again, and it started to grow on me and now I absolutely love it. It’s a brown shade with red undertones. I don’t think it’s really comparable to Diva as Diva is more red and it is still on my wish list!

So there you have it – my plum shades from MAC!

Heres’ some side by side arm and lip swatches for you to compare.

So that concludes my entire MAC lipstick Collection! I hope you guys have enjoyed this and it has inspired you to try some new shades as I really do think MAC is quality. Any suggestions on what to try next?

I’m thinking of doing my MAC lip liner collection next, what do you think?

Sadiyah xxx

MAC Lipstick Collection – Oranges/Reds

In this post, I will be looking at the Orange/Red shades in my MAC collection. Be warned, the colours are very bold! You might be thinking why on earth would you have 5 red lipsticks? But they’re all so different and have different undertones and well…hey you can never have too many reds!

(Left to Right – Vegas Volt, Lady Danger, Relentlessly Red, All Fired Up, Ruby Woo).

Vegas Volt – Amplified

So the lip swatch isn’t too clear and doesn’t show up true to colour. Vegas Volt is a bright coral with orange undertones. It’s not a favourite of mine since it’s so bright and it has the tendency to make teeth look yellow. Since it’s an amplified it’s very creamy and comfortable and opaque but I have a hard time finding a good time to wear it so it doesn’t get much wear/use. When I do wear it, I use ‘cherry’ lip liner to make it slightly more wearable. If you’re into bright corals, this may be a good one for you to check out. However, I don’t think I will be repurchasing again.

Lady Danger – Matte

Lady Danger is a red with a difference. It’s a warm red with orange undertones running through it so it’s not your classic stark red, making it a lot more wearable. It’s a beautiful bold colour which looks stunning on the lips and completes your look even if you have a simple eye. It can be worn any time of the day and is great for everyday or for special occasions. I personally wear it during the day and I love it. It also stains your lips! It’s a good one to have in your collection to whip out occasionally as it’s not too similar to the classic red lip so you can allow yourself to have both! The matte formula is very creamy so it won’t drag on your lips or dry them out and lasts a while too.

Relentlessly Red – Retro Matte

Relentlessly Red is a Retro Matte, a very dry formula so it slightly drags on the lips but it stays put all day! You can eat, drink and talk for hours but this baby ain’t going nowhere! I don’t find it particularly drying either. It’s a red with strong pink tones (so it could pass for a pink) and although it’s bright, it’s not in your face bright as the colour is quite soft and it’s very wearable and I feel comfortable wearing it during the day. It reminds me of ‘Impassioned’ by MAC but in a retro matte finish and I think the colours are identical but I prefer this. It’s a beautiful colour.

All Fired Up – Retro Matte

All Fired Up is a Retro Matte, one of my favourite finishes by MAC. It’s the sister colour of Relentlessly Red and is a deeper and more vibrant shade. It’s an amazing raspberry red shade and it makes the perfect statement lip. I love rocking it during the day but it looks just as amazing during the night and I absolutely love it! Again, it’s quite a dry formula but it won’t budge once it’s on your lips and I find it’s one of the slightly creamier retro mattes that seem to apply easier. It’s a good alternative to the classic red but is just as show stopping and I highly recommend.

Ruby Woo – Retro Matte

Now THIS is the perfect classic red shade! It’s a beautiful matte red with blue undertones and it looks stunning on the palest to the deepest of skin tones. This is a red I would recommend to everyone as it’s not too warm or too cool so it’s universally flattering. It’s another show stopping statement lip colour that makes a big impact! I would say it’s good for evening wear but I wouldn’t wear it during the day since it is so bold (but I have seen people wear it). I’m saving it for a special occasion!

Here’s some side by side arm and lip swatches to compare.

Out of my reds, my favourites are Lady Danger and All Fired Up. Which is yours?

Hope you guys enjoyed my orange/red collection.

I will be posting the plum shades as the concluding part of this series.

Sadiyah xxx

MAC Lipstick Collection – Bright Pinks

Check out my Nude Collection here

Check out my Everyday Pinks Collection here

Check out my neutral brown/mauve collection here

I love all MAC lipsticks and wear them on a daily basis. I usually stick to the neutrals but I like to rock a bold lip when I’m feeling super girly! So here’s my Bright Pink collection.

(Left to Right – Pink Nouveau, Pink Pigeon, Viva Glam Miley Cyrus, Girl About Town, Flat Out Fabulous).

Pink Nouveau – Satin

Pink Nouveau is a medium toned pink with cool blue undertones. As it’s a satin it’s incredibly creamy and glides on smoothly. It looks rather bright on me so I like to tone it down with a deeper liner such as ‘Beet’ by MAC. It’s a nice colour and is a popular shade but I don’t get as much use out of it as I would like.

Pink Pigeon – Matte

Pink Pigeon is not a shade I hear people often talking about. It is a bright pink very similar to Candy Yum Yum by MAC but it’s not as florescent therefore making it a lot more wearable. It’s a super fun barbie party kind of colour but I like to occasionally wear this during the day for a pop of colour when the rest of my makeup is simple. Be warned, this DOES stain your lips!

Viva Glam Miley Cyrus – Amplified

VG Miley Cyrus is part of MACs Viva Glam line and I believe it is a limited edition shade. It’s a wonderful warm toned fuchsia with complete opacity in a couple of swipes since it is an amplified finish. It has a lovely glossy finish and once it wears down it leaves a beautiful stain on your lips. Excellent choice of colour for special occasions or a night out but it can also be worn during the day with a simple winged liner on the eyes and nothing else and you look complete.

Girl About Town – Amplified

Girl About Town is the sister shade of Viva Glam Miley Cyrus. It’s also an amplified fuchsia but is a lot more blue undertones and is slightly deeper in colour. A favourite of mine and I love to wear it during the day with a simple eye look without looking too much. It also leaves behind a lovely stain on the lips once it gradually fades away.

Flat Out Fabulous – Retro Matte

Flat Out Fabulous is a retro matte finish, so once it’s on the lips it won’t budge and last for ages and can easily take you through the night without requiring a top up. It is a deep fuchsia colour which can also look purple at times which is still beautiful. It’s perfect for a night out but again makes for a perfect bold lip to make a statement. By far my favourite pink out of the collection!

Here’s some side by side arm and lip swatches..

I hope you’ve enjoyed the swatches and reading about each shade and feel inspired to go bright and go pink!

Sadiyah xxx

MAC Lipstick Collection – Brown/Mauve

Part 3 of my MAC lipstick collection and we’re on to the browny/mauvy neutral colours. If you haven’t already done so, check out my MAC nude lipstick collection here and my everyday pinks here.

So it’s no surprise I love MAC lipsticks. I love the sleek packaging, the smell, the formulation and the vast array of colours (they have every shade you can think of!). However, my favourite lipsticks to wear on a daily basis fall into this colour category. It’s all the hype right now thanks to Kylie Jenner – mauves and browns are IN! Regardless of their popularity, I’m a fan of the colours because they suit me the most out of my collection.

(Left to Right – Honey-love, Yash, Velvet Teddy, Brave, Mehr).

Honey-love – Matte

I was contemplating putting this shade in my ‘nude’ category, but I thought it fit better with the browns. It is quite a nude brown so it can wash me out a little but it looks lovely with a nude gloss on top or with a brown lip liner underneath (I use ‘Stripdown’). It has a creamy consistency and is non drying so it’s wonderful to wear but it’s not a shade I reach for often as there are others I would opt for instead.

Yash – Matte

Yash is comparable to Honey-love as it’s a light-ish brown but it has a warmer undertone and is slightly deeper so it doesn’t wash me out as much. I find I can just about get away with not wearing a lip liner so it’s a great one to just pop on and go.

Velvet Teddy – Matte

Velvet Teddy, a colour most of us have come to fall in love with. This shade is universally flattering but it looks different on each skin tone. Paler skins may find it to be a deep brown, medium skin tones may find it’s a medium brown/nude while it may be the perfect nude for deeper complexions. For me it’s a medium brown with a slight hint of mauve to give it a little depth. I don’t need to wear a liner with this but of course with the Kylie Jenner lip trending (still), the infamous ‘Whirl’ lipliner by MAC can be used to achieve her pout. Other similar liner colours are ‘Soar’, ‘Pink treat’ and ‘Dervish’ although it’s a little lighter than Whirl. Velvet Teddy is a great everyday colour for medium-deeper skin tones but should be a staple product in all makeup bags! It’s definitely a winner for me and is one of my top MAC lipsticks of all time.

Brave – Satin

Out of my entire collection, Brave is the closest shade to my natural lip colour. It’s the colour I would wear for a ‘no makeup’ makeup look. It’s mauve with strong pinkish/red undertones and I think it enhances my lips and gives them the appearance of looking fuller without immediately looking like I have lipstick on so it’s excellent for a subtle everyday look. I’ve found satin finish lipsticks tend to turn matte after while and the slight sheen a satin lipstick has when applied fades away and leaves a soft colour behind.

Mehr – Matte

Mehr is my absolute favourite in this category and possibly my entire collection. It’s a creamy matte which doesn’t dry out my lips and looks flawless on (the swatch does not do it justice!). It’s a slightly deeper mauve when compared to Brave but still has the same undertones. It’s my perfect everyday colour  and would suit all skin tones and I’m genuinely surprised it’s not being raved about!  I prefer this to Velvet Teddy as it gives a similar look to the lips on its’ own as Velvet Teddy does with a mauve lipliner. 100% repurchase!

So those were all my neutral brown/mauve shades in my collection. Here’s a few swatches to compare them side by side.

Browns and mauves are very popular now so I highly suggest trying a few of the shades out for yourself. Even after the hype dies down, you still have a lovely neutral lipstick to rock on a daily basis!

Sadiyah xxx

MAC Lipstick Collection – Everyday Pinks

So I’ve just posted my MAC NUDE lipstick collection and now I’m moving on to my everyday pink shades by MAC. As I said in my previous post, the vast range of MAC lipstick shades is unbelievable so it’s no wonder I have FIVE everyday pink lipsticks – each colour may look similar in the tube but they are different once applied on to the lips.

***DISCLAIMER: The products were not provided to me by any company to test or review.***

So…here’s my everyday pink shades.

(From left to right – Creme Cup, Angel, Please Me, Speed Dial, Pink Pearl Pop).

Creme Cup – Cremesheen

Creme Cup, one of MAC’s more popular shades – it looks absolutely beautiful in the tube (looks a little different here due to the camera flash). It’s a cremesheen finish and I find it slightly sticky. It has cool undertones and it does wash me out slightly but I find wearing it with a nude/brown lipliner such as ‘stripdown’ or ‘sublime culture’ make it more wearable. This will suit paler complexions beautifully but if you have a slightly deeper tone I suggest using a liner or gloss. However you choose to wear it, it’s an excellent shade to have in your collection!

Angel – Frost

If you find Creme Cup is not for you, Angel is a good alternative. Its slightly more warmer tones make it more wearable and I prefer this to Creme Cup. Don’t be put off by the frost finish. I’m not keen on frosty lipsticks myself since I don’t find them particularly moisturising and I don’t like chunks of shimmer or glitter on my lips. However, having closely inspected Angel, I can safely say I can not see any huge shimmer or glitter particles in the tube, swatched on my hand or when applied to my lips. It’s creamy and non drying and it’s a lovely colour. What’s not to love? Also, I find I don’t particularly need a liner to wear this shade as it doesn’t wash me out so it’s great to just throw on when you need to and not have to worry about lining/filling your lips first. Will definitely be repurchasing this instead of Creme Cup.

Please Me – Matte

Please Me – a creamy matte colour with rose tones. I bought this based on the fact it looked like a lovely medium toned pink colour on other people’s lips but it comes off quite bright on me but I found wearing it with ‘Stripdown’ liner underneath helps tone the colour down a bit. Please Me is very similar to ‘Pink Plaid’ by MAC but this pulls a lot warmer while the other is more cool toned. Cool tones don’t suit my complexion so I opted for Please Me but I am interested to try Pink Plaid. Please Me is an all rounder as it can be worn everyday but it’s elegant enough to be worn on special occasions and I’ve heard it’s a favourite amongst brides as well as bridesmaids. Highly recommend.

Speed Dial – Cremesheen

Speed Dial is another quite sticky cremesheen. It also doesn’t settle well if my lips are not well exfoliated before applying as it accentuates dry patches on the lips. Because of this I hardly wear it but I really should since it’s such a gorgeous colour and it will look great on all skin tones. It’s a bright pink but not opaque since it’s a cremesheen so it’s the perfect colour to get into brighter shades. Lovely and girly!

Pink Pearl Pop – Cremesheen

Pink Pearl Pop (such a cute name) is a cremesheen but has a slightly frosty finish. It’s very similar to Speed Dial in terms of it’s consistency and opacity. However, it’s brighter than speed dial so it’s slightly less wearable (think Candy Yum Yum, but a lot more diluted) but nevertheless its a fun colour and can be worn day or night!

Here’s some wrist swatches as well as lip swatches side by side.

Hope you guys enjoyed and it helps you make a more informed decision about what to buy.

Sadiyah xxx

MAC Lipstick Collection – Nudes

Since MAC lipstick collections are incredibly popular on YouTube and blogs, I thought I would share my collection with you all. This is not a video to brag about how many MAC lipsticks I own, but instead to help you decide whether or not you should purchase a certain shade by giving my opinion along with swatches. All lip swatches are of the lipstick only and I have not used a lip liner underneath as I want you to see the true colour.

I have 30 MAC lipsticks in my ever growing collection and I’m a huge fan of the colour range they offer and I think most of their formulas perform beautifully. But instead of bombarding you with a post that rivals the word count of a PhD thesis including all 30 lipsticks, I’ve decided to break them down into six colour groups; nudes, mauve/brown, everyday pink, bright pink, orange/red and finally plum/purple/vampy shades.

Today I’ll be focusing on my nude shades.

(From Left to Right – Blankety, Pure Zen, Shanghai Spice, Fanfare and Kinda Sexy).

The nudes in my collection aren’t super nude and don’t give me full on concealer lips as I imagine something like MAC’s ‘Myth’, ‘Fleshpot’ or ‘Creme d’nude’ would do.

Blankety – Amplified

So starting off with Blankety. This is a great colour for all skin tones. It may pull quite brown on paler skin tones and quite light on deeper skin tones but looks awesome with a brown lipliner. It has mauve/brown undertones so gives some dimension to the lips instead of looking straight up like a flat nude and doesn’t wash me out and give me concealer lips. As it is an amplified finish, it is very creamy and glides on to my lips effortlessly, providing a complete opaque, glossy finish and does feel quite moisturising and therefore doesn’t dry out my lips. Overall a great everyday shade and I think it should be a staple product for everyone! I’ve not found a dupe for this colour so I’ll definitely be repurchasing once I run out.

Pure Zen – Cremesheen

Pure Zen is a cremesheen formula. I have a love hate relationship with cremesheens as certain shades glide on to the lips smoothly and feel lovely while others feel sticky and drying. Pure Zen falls into the latter category. I’m not keen on the formula as this particular colour feels sticky rather than creamy and I don’t find it settles well on my lips if they have any cracks and it can also feel quite drying and make my lips flake after a while if I have not used a lip scrub and moisturised my lips before applying. It also has a slight pearlescent finish, something I’m not a fan off as it can appear to look quite frosty. It is a peachy nude as it has quite strong warm peach undertones so again, it doesn’t look like I have concealer lips. However, I do need to wear a brown lip liner as it slightly washes me out. It also looks brilliant with a nude gloss on top. It’s definitely a colour I use as I like it and will use it up but I’m not sure I would rush out to buy another once I run out.

Shanghai Spice – Cremesheen

Shanghai Spice is another cremesheen, but the the type of cremesheen formula I love. It is super creamy and looks flossy and feels moisturising and does not dry out my lips. I’ll admit it doesn’t look like much in the bullet but it’s rather beautiful once it’s on the lips. It has significant orange undertones which appear to make the lips look fuller and is quite flattering on my skin tone (light medium – around nc25-nc30ish). There’s no need for a liner as it’s not pale enough to wash me out and is pretty similar to my natural lip colour so it’s not a true nude and is universally flattering for all skin tones. It’s one of my favourites and I will definitely repurchase this once I’m out.

Fanfare – Cremesheen

Fanfare is another cremesheen I love – creamy, moisturising and glossy. It is not sticky so it’s a joy to wear as it’s really comfortable. Once again, not a nude but more of a natural lip colour. It has red/pink undertones which make it a great everyday shade and is another favourite to wear and there’s no need for a liner. However, a combination I like to wear is MAC’s ‘beet’ lip liner with Fanfare on top, it really makes the lips pop. I do think a colour like this is quite common and can be found at the drugstore but for the luxurious feeling I would repurchase from MAC once I’m out.

Kinda Sexy – Matte

Kinda Sexy is a matte colour but it is one of MAC’s more creamier matte shades. Another smooth glider with brilliant opacity. When you rub your lips together, you can definitely feel how creamy it is. It has peachy undertones so it’s not a flat out nude but it can ever so slightly wash me out so I often use a lipliner with it. I like to use MAC’s ‘Pink Treat’ liner if I want a more pinky colour or MAC’s ‘Sublime Culture’ to define the edges of my lips for a sharp, crisp line. A good everyday shade which will suit many skin tones.

I’ve added swatches of the lipsticks on my wrists as well as the lip swatches together so you can compare them.

So there you have it! My NUDE MAC lipstick collection! Are there any nude shades by MAC or any other brand you think I should try?

I hope you’ve enjoyed reading this and it has helped you decide whether or not you want to purchase a certain shade or it’s helped inspire you in some way.

I’ll be doing my everyday pink shades next so stay tuned…

Sadiyah xxx