The Lipstick Tag

Keeping with the Lipstick theme, I thought I would have a go at the Lipstick Tag. It will come as no suprise that I have a total weakness for a good lippy. Im that girl that goes gaga over the infamous sleek black M.A.C packaging, the girl who spends countless hours in Boots swatching every lipstick in sight (I jest), and makes the most of 3 for 2 offers for the sole purpose of owning a limited edition Maybelline Baby Lips. So it only seemed right to dedicate a post to all things lipstick. 

How many lipsticks do you own?!

With only one pair of lips I would love to say 5 (a nude, light pink, vibrant pink, red and mauve), however in reality I have around 40.

What was your first ever lipstick?!

Im not sure on the exact shade as the name has worn away over time. But it was a pretty frosty pink from Maybelline. I still actually have the lipstick to this day (pictured above in purple packaging), I no longer use it, but I cant bare to part with it.

What is your favourite lipstick brand?!

So cliche, but I would have to say M.A.C. With such a vast range of shades and formulas (and lets not forget those sought after limited edition beauties) there really is a lipstick for everyone (you can read my collection post here).

What is your most worn lipstick?!

It would have to be Creme Cup from M.A.C, the ultimate every day light pink.

What is your favourite finish?!

I find creamy formulations to be the post wearable, fuss free and easy to apply. 

What was the last lipstick you brought?!

Chanel Bondi, a sheer peach coral which I managed to pick up in a blogsale for the grand total of £5

How many lip products do you currently have in your bag?!

As im currently using my Mulberry Lily, I only have room for three, Chanel's Bondi, M.A.Cs RiRiWoo and M.A.Cs Dish It Up. However I usually carry way too many. Please tell me im not alone?

What lipstick do you use to rock a red lip?!

Recently I cant get enough of M.A.Cs RiRiWoo. This beautiful matte red is seriously pigmented and long lasting (it survived a three course meal), making it the ultimate party perfect lipstick. 

How do you store your lipstick?!

Although I would love to have them all on display, its more practical to have them stored away in an acrylic box within one of the many malm drawers. 

What lip products are you currently lusting after?!

I would love to see Hourglass' Liquid Lipstick in Icon at the bottom of my stocking. 

I tag:

Jennie from Sail Boat

Trina from TrinaWears 

Victoria from Victoria Earls 

I Heart Drugstore Make-Up | Tag

I love high end makeup as much as the next person (I think the Princess Tag proves that), but my heart well and truly belongs to the drugstore. I can walk into Boots full of cold in search of cough sweets, and still find myself making my way to the till with a basket brimming with goodies. Thanks to 3 for 2, points cards, and the many temptations that surround the tills, its safe to say that I could spend a small fortune in a matter of minutes, on inexpensive, high quality products. So when the lovely Charlotte tagged me to do the 'I Heart Drugstore Make-Up Tag' I saw it as the perfect opportunity to ramble about my love of budget beauty. 

What's your favourite drugstore brand?! 

This is such a tough question, but I would have to say Maybelline. From the sought after Baby Lips and much loved Mascaras ( Falsies is the one and only Mascara I have repurchased) to the coveted Colour Tattoo's, its safe to say that Maybelline are on fire of late. 

What are your favourite face, cheek, and lip products?!

When it comes to my complexion, il admit to being somewhat of a high end snob. I would rather spend £20+ on a decent foundation (hello Chanel Vitalumiere), than buy countless bottles of drugstore ones that just aren't all that. However there are two exceptions to this rule, que Revlon's Nearly Naked, a lovely, buildable, long lasting, budget friendly foundation and Collections Lasting Perfection Concealer. This heavy duty beauty, blows all others out of the water. 

For cheeks it would have to be a toss up between Sleek's Rose Gold, a seriously pigmented long wearing blush (did I also mention its a dupe for a much loved bloggers fave?) and Elf's Tickled Pink.

As for lips I still cant get enough of the Rimmel Apocalips Lip Lacquers, Maybelline Baby Lips and Bourjois Color Boost Glossy Finish Lipsticks. 

Least favourite product?!

This is such a hard one as Im rarely unhappy with my makeup purchases as I often research the products before parting with my pennies (maybe im just easily pleased). But Sadly I would have to say Rimmel's Wake Me Up Foundation. I would love to sit here and sing its praises, but to be totally honest we just dont get along! I love the finish, texture, shading, but after an hour or twos wear I just end up looking like an oily mess (no amount of powder seemed to help). 

Best makeup bargain?!

Ooo now this is a toss up between MUA lipsticks (for a pound they seriously are the bees knees), and Collection's Lasting Perfection (im sure this comes as no suprise). It is without a doubt the BEST concealer I have come across. To find a creamy, full coverage concealer for as little as £4 is a total steal.

What's your favourite underdog product?!

Easy, Barry M Dazzle Dusts. They deserve way more love than they get. Available in a range of beautiful shades, these wonderful little pots are a great alternative to the sought after MAC pigments!! 

Over priced drugstore product?!

This was such an easy one. I rarely ever look at Maxfactor as I find the brand (mascaras in particular) to be a little overpriced for the drugstore. Considering we have to pay double figures for a product when its sister brand Covergirl (basically the US equivalent if you were wondering) charges almost half the price for its line is a little shocking to be honest.
Talking of American brands, another drugstore product/line I find to be somewhat overpriced is the Physicians Formula Happy Booster Blush. Dont get me wrong its beautiful, from the packaging, to the colour and finish, however it lacks pigmentation, so for that I would say that the $12 price tag is a little steep. 

Drugstore Dupes?!

The obvious would be Sleek's Rose gold, which is a perfect dupe for Nars Orgasm. Not only are the two near identical, but I would go as far as to say that Rose Gold is a lot more pigmented. So at a fraction of the price its certainly a steal (oh drugstores how I love thee). You can read my review on the pair here.

Drugstore products that aren't really worth the hype?! 

Please dont hate me, but I just dont understand the hype over Revlon Lip Butters and L'Oreal GlamShine Stain Splash's. Dont get me wrong there nice enough products, I just dont quite understand the hype that surrounds them. If anything Id say they are overpriced for what they are. Give me a Rimmel Apocalips Lip Lacquer or Bourjois Shine Edition Lipstick any day.

I tag:

Claudia from Claudia Couture

Ally from MissAllyV

Erica from EricaWears

Trina from TrinaWears

Gemma from Miss Makeup Magpie

What are your Drugstore essentials?!

Bourjois Blush 34 Rose D'or

Once upon a time there was a girl with a mere 5 products in the contents of her makeup bag! A good 4 years on and that small makeup bag has now become a 6 drawer Malm from Ikea, brimming with copious amounts of makeup (oops). 

Im sure were all a little guilty of what im about to say next! Yon know how it is, that beloved no7 eyeshadow palette from three Christmases ago gets lost in the bottom of the drawer in favour of the Urban Decay Naked palette, the once adored 17 Lipstick has been replaced with the latest and greatest LE MAC lippie to brace your newsfeed, and that one precious blush that once sat pride of place in the 5 product makeup bag has now been joined by several others! Sound familiar? 

With all the hype surrounding Bourjois of late (and with good reason) I couldn't resist recovering what was once my beloved baked blush in 34 Rose D'or from the sea of blushers and bronzers. Its safe to say that these little round pots have gained a cult following since there first release 150 years ago, and its easy to see why. 

Rose D'or is a beautiful, somewhat peachy Pink, with finely milled gold glitter, perfect for adding a subtle pop of colour to the cheeks! Not only is Rose D'or a dream to apply, but it also has a musky vintage rose smell, which helps make application all the more enjoyable (what can I say I love a good scent ha). 

Rose D'or will set you back £7.99, and can be purchased from the likes of Boots and Superdrug.

I hereby declare that I will not let this beauty make its way to the bottom of my drawer again ;) 

Have you rediscovered an old favorite lately?!

Bourjois Limited Edition Vintage Rose Candle

So this year Bourjois are celebrating they're 150th Anniversary (wow just think of how many beauty products that have lovingly found there way onto girls dressing tables in that time). To celebrate this whopping milestone the brand have released a limited edition Vintage Rose Candle and re released the iconic Java Rice Loose Powder to mark the occasion. 

So Paris in the 1800s saw the rise of haute couture, the acceptance of rouge (ladies saw this as the only acceptable form of 'face paint') and the creation of the first powder blush, by none other than Alexandre Napoleon Bourjois (ooh la la, you learn something new everyday hey?!) 

150 years later, and Bourjois are still creating beautiful cosmetics with a hint of parisian style. However with all the new additions to the brand, the one product that has continued to win makeup lovers over, time and time again, is the iconic baked blushers.

With this in mind I am happy to say that the Vintage Rose Candle smells exactly like those little pots of blush (so ladies go have a whiff of your little baked blushes or stop by your local Bourjois counter to see what all the fuss is about). I for one cannot get enough of the powdery sweet, yet not overpowering scent (im currently sat admiring the smell as I write this). 

Scent aside, lets take a minute to admire the beautiful packaging. The decent sized dusky pink jar is adorned with a profile silhouette of Bourjois first muse Babette from the 20s, which helps to create a fancy retro feel. The Vintage Rose candle is perfect for adding a touch of parisian glamour to any bedside/dressing table, whilst incorporating the scent of the beauty product that made Bourjois so famous. Have I managed to win you over yet?! haha 

This rose scented delight is available from Selfridges for £9.99

But be quick as its sure to sell like hotcakes

Will you be picking up one of these beauties?! 

Drugstore Haulin'

Im sure I wont be alone when I say that I lack the ability to walk into Boots, without leaving a good hour later with a bag full of unnecessary goodies in tow. With this being the case, as I excitedly walked into my local Boots to pick up my Baby Lips order, I couldn't help but peruse the many aisles filled with cosmetic goodness (what can I say im like a kid in a candy store), picking up one too many goodies as I went along. 

The Bourjois Bronzing Primer was the first item of many to fall victim to my soon to be full basket. With many hailing it as a purse friendly alternative to the sought after and eye wateringly expensive Chanel Tan De Soliel, I couldn't resist picking it up. With that oh so familiar 3 for 2 offer emblazoned across the display (and the added bonus of a free pair of sunglasses, which I stupidly forgot to pick up), it would have been rude not to take advantage. So I grabbed a Bourjois Shine Edition Lipstick (22) and Color Boost Glossy Finish Lipstick (01 Red Sunrise) after several minutes of serious swatching.  

Keeping with the lip theme, I also picked up Revlon's Just Bitten Kissable Balm Stain (020 Lovesick). I will admit that im completely smitten with this already!! This gorgeous fuchsia pink is long lasting, fuss free and easy to apply whilst on the go (a plus compared to most bright shades). 

Ive lost count of how many times iv'e repurchased Collections Lasting Perfection Concealer. I know I probably mention it too much, but it really does do a fabulous job of covering flaws and imperfections (pesky spots be gone) without breaking the bank. 

Admittedly I have quite the obsession with Real Techniques Brushes (the days I dreamed of owning every MAC brush ever produced is a distant memory). So I couldn't resist snapping up the Expert Face Brush (do I need an excuse?! ha). 

I caught glimpse of the Smashbox 'Its Your Prime' set whilst making my way to the till. With its £14 price tag I guiltily popped it into my basket and swiftly made my way to the checkout, with a gentle push in the right direction from my very patient boyfriend, before I  found any more gems did any more damage. I have been testing these mini primers out for the past few days, and so far I am seriously impressed (expect a full review in the near future). 

Are you guilty of leaving Boots with a bag full of unnecessary goodies?!