Dupe or Duped? Mac Saint Germain Lipstick

Hello Lovelies, 

Firstly I want to apologize for my severe lack of posts (it's been nearly 2 years) but now I am determined to get back into the flow of things.

So many wonderful things have happened since I last posted so I thought I would share a few with you before we start talking lipstick.

• I won a nice shiny first place trophy at the first cheerleading competition I ever entered. It was so much fun and is easily the best moment of my life.
• I am now president of the whole team, which is super stressful but super fun and a lot of hard work.
• I've moved house numerous times (ugh) which is to be expected as a student. And will be moving again in the summer. But it means i get to spend another year with my bestest girl chum Princess of Pretty (definitely check her out if you haven't already)

On to the main part of this post. This started as one post, and after finally managing to think of a name for it, I figured it would make a good series of posts. So here we have dupe or duped? Where I will be testing out products which are supposed to be a dupe for something else.

First off is MAC's Saint Germain Lipstick, which sadly I do not own, but the gorgeous Princess of Pretty does. 

This is one of my favourite lipsticks, but it retails for £15 on the MAC website, which is a little pricey in my opinion. It is an amplified finish, which MAC describes as ultra creamy, quietly shiny and colour packed, and I have to say I agree. 

I would describe the colour as a pale neon, it's the epitome of bubblegum pink, very cool toned with a blue undertone. I LOVE IT! 

It's super comfortable to wear and has that lovely vanilla taste scent that all MAC lipsticks have. It's not the easiest colour to wear but it makes a statement.

All this being said, I decided that before I bit the bullet and shelled out £15 for this beauty, I would search for a cheaper dupe.

Whilst there appears to be some Wet 'n' Wild dupes, here in the UK it was proving a little more difficult to come across anything even remotely similar. 

I read somewhere that there was a Stay Pout Lipstick from Seventeen (a Boots brand) which matched up to this awesome colour, so naturally I took a look.

The Stay Pout Lipsticks retail for £4.49, which is considerably less expensive than the MAC prices. The Boots website claims that these lipsticks are long-wearing, staining and provide hours of kiss proof colour (maybe someone should put that claim to the test). 

Whilst i haven't spent hours trying to kiss off this lipstick, I can vouch for its staining ability. The swatch was difficult to remove and left behind a faint hint of colour even after washing my hands. This particular colour isn't as creamy or vanillary as a MAC lipstick, but is still comfortable to wear and not unpleasantly scented.

Now on to the colour comparison 

 

L-Kiss Me Quick

R-Saint Germain

As you can see from the side by side swatches, unfortunately Kiss Me Quick isn't quite the same beautiful bubblegum pink as Saint Germain. However it is still a beautiful cool toned, blue based pink, it is just much deeper. I would describe it as more of a true pink, just out of the baby pink range, and is fast becoming my favourite lipstick for this early spring we are having in the UK. It is currently the only lipstick in my handbag, which is a big deal for someone who usually has around 12 horded in my bag.

Overall it appears I have been duped, and although I'll be keeping an eye out for a Saint Germain dupe, I think i may have to give in and purchase my own. 

Have you found any dupes for Saint Germain? Or any other MAC lipsticks for that matter?

BYEEEEEEE xxxxxx

Current Favourites 19/07/2012

Hey Guys, whilst packing my things to move house (one of the most tedious tasks ever!) I decided to share the current products that I am loving lately and that I use on a regular basis :)

These products are all used daily or at least a few times a week and I definately recommend them. Some are recent purchases and some I have been using for some time.

My first favourite is the Real Techniques Buffing Brush, which I use to apply my foundation (another favourite, we'll get to that) and it gives such a flawless finish with very little effort. The bristles are soft and relatively dense, they do not splay easily when pressed. Since buying this brush, I have not used anything else to apply my foundation.

My current favourite foundation is the M.A.C Studio Sculpt foundation in NW20, matched with the buffing brush it provides the perfect amount of coverage for my skin without being drying, which I usually find a problem with full coverage foundations. I talk about this foundation a little more in my mini mac haul post.

This is a body spray from Boots Natural Collection in the fragrance Pasionfruit. I have had this for a few months now and I originally purchased it to take on holiday, I have used it every day since. It is so fresh and fruity and it makes me feel summery, which is always a bonus as here in the UK we don't get much of a summer, it's raining as I write this. It's about half gone so it's lasting pretty well and the fragrance lasts on my clothes for the majority of the day.







My current favourite hair product is from the brand Aussie, of which I have a few products, all of which I enjoy, especially their conditioners. This is a very recent purchase and has only been used a few times but I am already impressed. The product is their Volume and Conditioning Mousse, and it's strange that I like this product as I am not usually a mousse person, but I wanted to give it a try. It is conditioning, as claimed, which is a bonus for me as my hair is pretty dry and damaged, so any extra moisture is a plus. As for volumizing, it does a pretty good job, my hair doesn't appear as flat as usual and it just adds a little oomph, which is exactly what I wanted from this mousse.

This is the Collection (2000) Multiplier Mascara, the packaging started off black and gold but quickly rubbed off to become a plain black tube. This mascara was very inexpensive, approximately £2.99, and was purchased as a quick cheap mascara on a day where for some reason, I had forgotten to use one. At first use I was unimpressed, and this was put to one side and not used for some time. I think my initial reason for not liking this is that it isn't amazingly volumizing like my other favourite mascaras, however I am now in love with it. It is super lengthening and is in no way clumpy. It has a plastic brush, which I have never really been a fan of, but this is definately the exception. I use this mascara every single day, and sometimes will top it off with a volumizing mascara for a night out, but more often than not I am perfectly happy wearing it alone.

This is another product I have talked about before, my M.A.C powder blush in Well Dressed, and I have also worn this every single day since I bought it. It's such a natural pretty girly pink, which can be built up for more colour if desired. This blush makes me feel so feminine and pretty, and I will definately repurchase.

Angels on Bare Skin is a facial cleanser from Lush Cosmetics, and I was originally very sceptical about purchasing, as it seemed difficult to use. It has the texture of bluetac but without the stickiness, and has to be mixed with water and applied to the face. It contains ingrediants such as ground almonds, lavender oil and rose absolute, and although i'm not a huge fan of the scent, it has done wonders for my skin. I have pretty dry skin, but am also prone to breakouts and can get oily in some areas, this product evens the skin, so I am neither dry or oily and I do feel like my skin glows after use. I will definately repurchase this when i run out.

My current favourite nail polish is 304 Mint Green by Barry M, a colour which I have had for a while, but have only recently become obsessed with. It is such a beautiful creamy pale green and is super long lasting, I wore it for a week before it began to chip, and that was only from using lots of bleach whilst cleaning and packing. I have been wearing this every day this month, and it looks so pretty, that I can't imagine wearing another colour :)

This nail polish remover is my absolute favourite of all the ones I have tried, and I have tried a lot. It is the Sally Hansen Moisturising Polish Remover for dry and brittle nails, and since using it, my nails have not peeled at all, a problem which I found with many other nail polish removers. It keeps my nails in good condition and makes nail polish apply much more smoothly.

My final favourite of the moment is another Barry M product, one of their Dazzle Dusts, number 27 Gold Iridescent. Another product I have had for a while, I only used to use as an inner corner highlight, but recently decided to try it lightly all over the eye, and I loved it. It's so pretty and shimmery without being over the top, I even wore it to work, it's quick and easy, and with a light matte brown in the crease makes for a simple neutral eye with a bit of something special. Next time I have a night out I will try it all over a black base and if I like it, I will post pictures :)

Thanks for reading

Bye :) xxxxxxxxxxx

Sleek Pout Paint v OCC Lip Tar

Hey :)
After hearing quite alot about both these products I felt I need to try them out for myself, particularly because I have trouble finding long lasting lip products and these are said to have good staying power. I have 2 Pout Paints and one Lip Tar, mainly because Sleek is much more readily available in the UK than OCC, which I had to buy online (and at twice the price).

The first pout paint I have is Pinkini.

This colour is a bright dark pink.

The next pout paint i have is in Peachy Keen



This is a pale creamy peach colour.

The only lip tar I have is in the colour Hoochie.

This is a pink based purple colour.

Both the pout paints and the lip tars have good staying power, and both are marketed as stains, which is exactly what they do, they stain the lips to make the colour more long wearing, even when it feels like there is no product left on your lips.

OCC have a lot more colours than the pout paints, ranging from blues, greens, yellows, whites, reds, pink and a black. The pout paints ar more on the pink and coral side, although there is a blue. The more obscure colours such as the blues and greens are made for mixing more than worn alone, although you never know when a bright yellow lip might come into fashion ;)

One thing that I prefer aboutthe pout paints is the smell/taste. They have a orangey scent, which reminds me of the inside of an orange cream chocolate, which I really enjoy. The lip tars have a minty smell/taste which I know alot of people like their lip products to smell like, but i'm not a big fan.

Overall I recommend both of the products, but I think that the pout paints are better value for money but the lip tars are much better in terms of colour selection.

Byeee :)



The Best Highlighter Ever!!!

Today, i bought the prettiest highlighter i have ever seen. After hearing it mentioned on Youtube i knew i had to have it. Elizabeth Arden Rose Illumination Pure Finish Highlighter. OH.MY.GOD!!!

First of all, the packaging. It's amazing. So pretty and girly, its the sort of packaging that the creative side of me wants to use to make/decorate something. But that's just the box, inside, there's much more to come.

Apologies for my reflection in the beautiful shiny packaging, but i just had to include this photo. The packaging is a beautiful rose gold thick plastic which i just cant stop admiring. This is a product that will take pride of place in my makeup bag purely from the packaging. Now, the product itself...

In the compact, the highlighter, well still being pretty, looks super scary for a highlighter, it looks more like a light bronzer with gold shimmer, not something i would use to highlight my cheek bones.  In some angles, the rose is slightly more apparent, but all that changes when the product touches the skin.

I will admit, this was a very difficult to photograph, and this image nowhere near does the product justice. It is the most beautiful pale rosey colour with gold shimmers which catch the light the way that i wish every highlighter did. It is very pigmented, so not alot is needed, meaning that the highlighter should last a good amount of time, something i look for in higher end products, as i don't feel i am getting a good product if it needs repurchasing on a regular basis.

Overall, i have fallen in love with this highlighter, and shall be wearing it everyday forever (or unless something even more wonderful catches my eye). I recommend this to absolutely everyone, you should all go and buy one, right now :)

Bye guys xx

Mini M.A.C Haul/Review

Hey guys, last week i went to m.a.c, somewhere that i have only ever been once before, so i thought id share what i bought and give a sort of mini review of the products after a week of use.

The first thing that i wanted was a new foundation, i have very dry skin and my current foundation (Dior Forever) just wasn't doing my skin any justice, and it was also a little to pale for my skin. So i decided to get colour matched at m.a.c and see if they had a foundation that met my needs :)

The foundation which was recommended to me was the studio sculpt foundation, as it is gel based and so should work well with my horribly dry skin. The colour i use is NW20. The first thing i
notice about the foundation upon applying is that it blends very well into the skin, i found that my dior foundation sort of rested on my skin no matter how much i buffed and stipled with my trusty Real Techniques Stippling Brush. However i find that i prefer to apply this foundation with my fingers first, then buff and stiple as and when needed.

The colour matches my skin beautifully and makes me look much healthier and more tanned than any other foundation i have tried, which means that i only really need bronzer to contour, rather than to warm up my entire face as before. The texture was surprisingly creamy for what i expected a gel based foundation to be, i was partly expecting a silicone type formula, much like some primers. This foundation is a great full coverage foundation and i find that i dont realy need any concealer, unless i have a particularly bad breakout. As well as being a full coverage foundation it is also very light, it did not feel heavy or cakey on my skin whatsoever :)

Overall i love this foundation and would definately recommend it to anyone with dry skin as it keeps skin feeling hydrated and silky.


The other product i bought was a blush that i had heard so many raves about and had been wanting for a long time, however i dont like to buy makeup online incase i dont like it in person, i like to swatch things before i buy.

The blush i bought was Well Dressed, and it has quickly become my favourite blush for everyday wear (before i was alternating between mac fever and benefit bella bamba). It is a satin finish which means that its not matte nor is it a frost, its sort of in the middle, and they dont appear to have a strong pigment.

Now, although i had heard lots about this colour on Youtube and had seen it on other people, i was slightly shocked when the store assistant showed it to me, it seemed much lighter in person, but when she applied it to my cheek it had more colour than i would have thought for such a pale blush and i was pleasantly surprised with the outcome. It has such a natural light flush about it and it doesn't appear that i am wearing a lot of blush, even though i like to make it noticable, it looks very natural, like its my own skin glowing this colour, not makeup. This is definately a blush that i would repurchase, and it will be taking pride of place in my everyday makeup bag :D

So, that was all i got at mac this time, although i have a little list of things to purchase next time (a little list which is quickly growing)
Hopefully my next post will be about my skin care routine to show how i manage my dry skin issues, as my latest routine really has left my skin in a much better condition.

Bye guys xx

Festival Makeup

Hey, sorry for not posting in a while, been so busy with exams which are finally over, this is a quick post about festival makeup and what i will be taking, i did take pictures but i forgot to pack my camera lead :(

I will be going to Download festival in Donnington next Wednesday, for 6 days, and given how hot the weather has been just lately, i have been at odds as to what to take, but i think i have finally made a decision.

The first item in my bag is the Maybelline Dream Fresh BB Cream, i am taking this rather than a foundation because it is more lightweight and the last thing i want half way through the day is to find my foundation has slid down my face. not good :/ This BB cream doesn't provide as much coverage as i would usually wear but i think will suit just fine for the festival environment. I will take my Maybelline Dream Matte Powder to set and to hopefully keep me from being shiny throughout the day.

I will probably take my Nars Laguna Bronzer and my Mac Fever Blush, as these are my current favourite products for making my skin look bronzed and healthy.

For eyes, i am only taking one shadow, and leaving my beloved Naked Palettes behind, i am taking Barry M Dazzle Dust in Pink/Gold. I love this as an all over lid colour as its a pink and gold duo chrome and looks lovely without a crease, highlight or outer corner colour. I will be applying with the eyeshadow brush from my Too Faced Teddy Bear Brush Set, and will be using my Stila Smudgestick eyeliner in Stingray, and my Rimmel Scandaleyes Mascara to finish the eyes. 

So overall i will be taking 8 items, including a brush set, not bad considering how much is in my everyday makeup bag. I don't want to look overdone or 'perfect' at a festival, i just want to feel like i have some makeup on and that the main focus is my eyes :)

My next post will be about whats in my everyday makeup bag, hopefully i will have my camera lead by then :)

Revlon Lip Butters

Hey guys, this post is going to be dedicated to the new (in the UK) lip butters by Revlon. Something I have been eagerly awaiting since I first heard them mentioned in a Youtube video from America. As soon as they were available in Boots I rushed in to swatch them and I bought the colours which I felt I would get use the most. So basically this review is to give my opinion on the lip butters I have and whether I feel that they live up to the hype.

So these are the colours I have, Creme Brulee, Cupcake, Candy Apple and Lollipop.

These are the first swatches of the colours on the skin.

This is Creme Brulee...

...and this is it on the lips. It is a pale, slightly peachy nude colour. It's very creamy and sheer. This to me is the perfect everyday colour and I have been wearing it on a daily basis.

This is Cupcake...

...and on the lips. Cupcake is a pale Barbie pink colour which is very creamy. It is a relatively sheer colour but is much more buildable than Creme Brulee. This picture shows a sheer coat.
 

Lollipop...

...on the lips. Lollipop is a deep blue toned bright dark pink. It is very pigmented and again buildable for a very intense colour. This is the most pigmented of the lip butters and the picture shows a singular coat.

Finally, Candy Apple...

..and on the lips. Candy Apple is what I would describe as a true red colour, it is relatively sheer (although not as sheer as Creme Brulee or Cupcake) and is very buildable. This would be a good colour for people who are maybe scared of a red lipstick as it can be worn sheer, as above.


Overall I like the lip butters, they are basically a lipstick, lip gloss and lip balm all in one, which makes application very simple and quick, it also means you only need to carry one product around for touch ups. All of the lip butters are therefore very creamy and glide effortlessly onto the lips. There is a good range of colours, although I didn't buy them all as some are similar and others didn't really suit my skin tone, but i definately recommend swatching in store and picking some up as they are a great product.

The only problem I had with these were that I didn't feel that they were particularly long wearing, I felt I had to touch up fairly regularly (maybe every 30-40 minutes), in saying this, 30-40 minutes wear time is the one of the best i've found, I seem to have a problem with products lasting on my lips, this could be due to them being relatively thin but who knows. I would recommend these lip butters for ease of use and colour buildability.

My next post will probably be a comparison post, maybe foundations or mascaras, I haven't decided so if anyone has any preference feel free to comment.

xxxx