MAC SO CHAUD

I have already spoken about my love for Mac lipsticks. At first I didn't really understand how someone can love a brand so much that they would actually organise their make up collection by "Mac stuff" and "Non-Mac stuff". But now I think that I'm quite lucky I don't use too much make up because I would be standing at the Mac counter every other week.

So far I have only tried their lip sticks and lip pencils. I literally stay away from everything else because I'm trying not to hoard too much stuff and not use it. This matte lipstick called So Chaud was a summer buy. The color is an orange red which I feel compliments my warm, yellow skin undertone extremely well, so I love love love wearing it during the summer.

I feel really bad for all of you who don't have Mac just around the corner and have to travel to buy it or order it online, but in some way it's better for your wallet, trust me. If you love matte lip sticks as much as I do and would love an orange red, next time you're near a Mac counter, check out So Chaud. You won't regret it. :)

SLEEK MATTE ME IN BIRTHDAY SUIT

"Oh please no! NO! Noooooooooooooooooooo!"

The perfect description of yesterday's dramatic event.

You know that feeling when you've been growing out your nails for two weeks without a single damage and then all of a sudden one of them breaks beyond repair? Well, that's the feeling I had to endure yesterday. Since it didn't make much sense to walk around with 9 super pretty long nails and leave that one single nail short and jealous of the rest, I cut them all short. That means that you'll be seeing more of lip and other products in the next couple of posts until I can return with somewhat good looking nails.

Today I am reviewing Sleek's Matte Me Ultra smooth matte lip cream - that's a mouthful - in the color 436 Birthday Suit. As far as I'm aware of, there are 6 shades to choose from and one lip cream costs €6,49. You can find them here.

This lip cream is the very first product that I now own by Sleek. I found it somewhere in the vast field of pinterest boards. One thing I am now noticing is that my label is in a different font than the one on their website. Strange.

Anyway, I'm a sucker for dark nudes and matte lips, so this was the perfect combination to get. It also arrived quite quickly. In the photos below you can see the applicator, which I'm in love with. The cream is so easy to apply and the applicator allows you to apply it perfectly on the first go. That's also a reason why I'm considering getting it in the red shade called Rioja Red. Once applied, the glossy cream takes a couple of seconds to turn completely matte and then it also becomes everlasting. I wore it for an entire day while eating and drinking and I only had to reapply it once because the corners of my mouth were the only place where the color started fading.

I used the word everlasting because removing the cream isn't all too easy. I had to use my micellar water and rub gently to get everything off. But that's a factor that I like about this product.

All in all, this blind buy was a success. If there are other products by Sleek that you enjoy using, please do recommend them. Remember when I said I was considering ordering this cream in red? Well, that consideration now turned into a decision. :)

MAC LIP PENCIL IN SOAR

I never knew anything about the Kardashians. I don't really care about their lives, but they still find ways to sneak into our lives. I was on Pinterest one afternoon and I saw quite a few photos of one of the sister's make up look, it was Kylie Jenner. She was wearing a dark nude lip color and people were trying to figure out which lipstick she's wearing, when I discovered that someone wrote that she is probably wearing Mac's Lip Pencil in Soar or Whirl.

When I passed the Mac counter I decided to give those two pencils a try since the lipsticks mentioned on Pinterest were both Satins, and I prefer the matte look. Whirl turned out to be a bit too greyish on my lips which must have  something to do with my skin undertone. Soar was perfect. I loved how it looked on me and it totally went with my dark red pullover that I wore that day. For a pencil, at 14.50 it's quite expensive. But, I adore that their lip pencils aren't dry as most lip pencils turn out to be, so I can wear it without topping it with a lipstick.

MAC LIPSTICKS

Two posts in two days, I am getting back in form.

Mac cosmetics. Most likely the most popular make up line on Youtube, yet I have never tried it up until a few weeks ago. Living in Vienna definitely has its perks when it comes to make up, you get access to a whole bunch of more exclusive brands.

Usually I would always go by the Mac stand without even looking twice at it, up until the day where I wanted a veeery dark red color, preferably matte. So I googled and googled and decided that Mac's Diva might be the one. What I really love about Mac counters is that they disinfect all their make up and allow you to try them on right then and there. So when I tried it on, I was immediately in love. The color was exactly what I was looking for and the matte finish was great, without drying my lips. The website describes the color as "intense reddish-burgundy".

So I picked up Diva, and a few days later went back for a bright matte red, and I ended up getting Ruby Woo, which is a retro matte (more dry than regular mattes). Ruby Woo is my very first bright red lipstick and I think that red lipsticks can really make a girl feel classy. The website describes it as a "very matte vivid blue-red". The fact that it has blue undertones instantly makes your teeth look whiter.

On the same day I also picked up Peach Blossom, a Cremesheen ("a frosted cool nude" according to the website), which is the smoothest and creamiest lipstick I have ever had on my lips. It's a lovely color and I wear it almost every day.

I have come to understand the hype about Mac as a make up line, although I still cannot understand why a person would need to own basically 90% of their entire line like some people do. Make up is truly an obsession. :)

COLLISTAR ROSSETTO DESIGN LIPSTICK

What is it called when your man knows you so well, he buys you a lipstick in the exact color you've been wanting for months? The very best boyfriend in the world!

My boyfriend surprised me with this beauty for Christmas. As I was removing the Christmas paper he so carefully wrapped it in (well, I'm guessing somebody did it for him, but oh well), I really didn't know what to expect. When I saw it was a lipstick, a smile appeared across my face. When I saw the color - bullseye. I had been looking for a true, nice, dark red lipstick for months, and I never seemed to find it. The ones I found were either too bright, too dark, too brown, too purple, too something. Obviously, I wasn't looking in the right places, and since I avoid expensive makeup counters because they make my heart melt away, I never knew what is hiding on them.

The color is called SCARLATTO, it is the number 11. Collistar is one of those brands on the more expensive side, so I never checked how much this lipstick costs. I think seeing the price tag would make me feel guilty.

Thank you, love. :)

DEBORAH ROSETTO MILANORED LIPSTICK

Just because I didn't mention buying make up in my "come back" post, does not mean that I have neglected my obsession with lipsticks and nail polishes. :)

This lipstick is one of my favorite lipsticks. The color is 01, a gorgeous pinky nude. When I have it on, it doesn't really make a difference to my whole look, you cannot see it from far away, but from up close, it gives my lips such a nice shine and just a touch of pinky nude color. Also, it is very moisturizing. I don't know why I am always attracted to colors like these - most girls find them pointless. I don't like pure nude lipsticks because I find the washed out look not so flattering, it's really hard to pull it off, but I love it when there's a little color involved. 

I think I payed around $12 (80kn) for it a few weeks ago. The only thing I dislike about it is the scent, it's not one of those synthetic scents that you might actually like, but just a plain makeup scent, I suggest you check it out for yourself.

REVIEW: BALEA SPLASHY WATERMELON

I'm healthy again. Review time.

Price & size:
I paid €1,45 in Salzburg where I got this. You receive 10 g of lip balm in a small metal dose, and it really is tiny and adorable.

What it says on the packaging:
"...your lips become soft and are protected from dryness." "soft care for your lips, fruity freshness for you."

Ingredients:
Since there are only 5 ingredients in this lip balm, which are vaseline (PETROLATUM), perfume, a substance that gives you shine (MICA) , color (CI 77491) and vitamin E (TOCOPHEROL), there is only one ingredient that I would point out as highly recommended and that is TOCOPHEROL - pure vitamin E, which is considered "an antioxidant superstar" and I have written about its various benefits here.

PETROLATUM, PARFUM, CI 77491, MICA, TOCOPHEROL.

My opinion:
I like this lip balm very much. I usually prefer lip balms packaged in sticks over doses because you have to use your fingers with these and your fingers aren't always clean, so I stick my lips into the dose and just twirl the dose to get a nice amount of lip balm on. :)
The lip balm really is nourishing, it smells very nice. I don't find that it tints my lips at all despite it's deep red color and it gives me a nice shine.
I specifically love Balea's products because the brand itself is very environmentally friendly, it states on the packaging that the paper comes from very responsible sources and that 70% of it is completely recyclable.

A CORAL LIPSTICK & A ROYAL BLUE NAIL POLISH

First of all, I would like to thank you ALL for following me and leaving kind comments, I really appreciate it!

I am obsessed with lipsticks. Even though I bought 3 lipsticks last week, I bought another one yesterday, and frankly, I don't even know why. It's not like I don't already own five pink lipsticks, but Max Factor's Elixir Color Lipstick in Bewitching Coral almost made me faint.

At first I wasn't sure if I really should get it so I swatched it on my arm, drove home to compare it to two lip sticks that it reminded me of, but luckily, it turned out to be a completely different color and texture compare to my big matte and semi-matte collection of lipsticks. That indeed was my excuse to buy it so I drove back and did so. How sad. :)
I'm definitely going to review it because it's a fairly new product and Max Factor claims that
"a special blend of skin emollients, conditioners and antioxidants including vitamin E transforms the look and feel of your lips in just 7 days". Definitely sounds good.

After that I met up with a friend who lives in Austria and she gave me this beautiful royal blue nail polish from Kiko cosmetics. Funny name. Kiko is a brand that you can, as far as I'm informed, only buy in Germany, Italy and Spain, and she mentioned that she got it in Berlin and had two, so she gave me the one she had here. Also, they're 100% cruelty free. The color is to die for. I'm usually not a fan of crazy colored nails because I don't think that they look that good on me but I find that this color looks really chic and edgy at the same time. Anyone else have problems with bold colors?
I can see a review coming because Kiko Cosmetics claims that at the price of €1,50 the "special ingredients intensify the adherence of pigments to the nail creating an elastic and resistant film, and that the active anti-wear boosts its durability and color vibrancy". We'll see about that!

WET'N'WILD MEGA LAST LIPSTICKS

Look what I got in the mail yesterday! I ordered two of Wet’n’Wild’s Mega Last Lipsticks in colors 904B Rose-bud & 907C Mauve Outta Here. Rose-bud is a beautiful medium pink/red/brown that will definitely make your face look fresher, while Mauve Outta Here is a blueish magenta that will look great with cold skin tones, but I, a very warm skin toned person, also dare to wear it.

Price & size:
Now, these cost $2-3 depending on where you find them in the US, but I bought them on ebay for $7.50 a piece. You get 0.11oz = 3.3 grams.

What it says (on wnwbeauty.com):
"Lips take center stage! This 4-hour, longwearing lip color leaves a semi-matte, crème finish in one stroke. Glides on easily with rich, velvety color that doesn't cake, feather, or bleed. Made with hydrating skin-care ingredients: Hyaluronic Microspheres provide extraordinary adhesion to lips, an exclusive polymer complex offers cushion-like feel and texture, and natural marine plant extracts Coenzyme Q10 and Vitamins A & E help smooth lips."

Ingredients:

BIS-DIGLYCERYL POLYACYLADIPATE-2 - "A major component of this ingredient is adipic acid, a mild skin irritant and mildly toxic."

BHT - BURYLATED HYDROXYTOLUENE: “...a potent synthetic antioxidant that also has carcinogenic properties.”

TOCOPHERYL ACETATE - recommended; “an antioxidant superstar”, various benefits: “protecting the epidermis from early stages of ultraviolet light damage", "increasing the efficacy of active sunscreen ingredients", "reducing the formation of free radicals upon skin exposure to UVA rays and other sources of skin stress", "preventing the peroxidation of fats, a leading source of cell membrane damage in the body", "reducing transepidermal water loss from skin and strengthens the skin's barrier function", "protecting the skin barrier's oil (lipid) balance during the cleansing process", "reducing the severity of sunburn"

ALLANTOIN - recommended, “considered an effective anti-irritant.”

RETINYL PALMITATE - recommended, “combination of retinol (pure vitamin A) and palmitic acid. There is research showing it to be effective as an antioxidant and skin-cell regulator”

SQUALENE - recommended; “oil derived from shark liver or from plants (usually olives) and sebum; it is a natural component of skin and is a good emollient that has antioxidant and immune-stimulating properties”

UBIQUINONE - recommended; "also known as coenzyme Q10, it is a vitamin-like, fat-soluble substance present in all human cells", "it is responsible for cell protection and production of the body’s energy.", "A handful of studies have shown that coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10) may have an effect on skin and the appearance of wrinkles, most notably by reducing UV damage, stimulating healthy collagen production, and reducing substances in damaged skin that wreck havoc on its support structure."

SODIUM HYALURONATE - recommended; "component of skin tissue that is used in skin-care products as a good skin-identical ingredient", "hyaluronic acid can boost skin's moisture content and help prevent moisture loss."

OZOKERITE, PENTAERYTHRITYL TETRAISOSTEARATE, PROPYLHEPTYL CAPRYLATE, ALUMINUM STARCH OCTENYLSUCCINATE, MINERAL OIL/HUILE MINERALE, MYRISTYL LACTATE, BIS-DIGLYCERYL POLYACYLADIPATE-2, VP/EICOSENE COPOLYMER, MYRISTYL MYRISTATE, DIMETHICONE/VINYL DIMETHICONE CROSSPOLYMER, CAPRYLIC/CAPRIC TRIGLYCERIDE, NEOPENTYL GLYCOL DIETHYLHEXANOATE, POLYSILICONE-6, CHOLESTERYL HYDROXYSTEARATE, BHT, PROPYLPARABEN, ETHYLENE/PROPYLENE/STYRENE COPOLYMER, SILICA, BUTYLENE/ETHYLENE/ STYRENE COPOLYMER, SORBITAN SESQUIOLEATE, TOCOPHERYL ACETATE, ALLANTOIN, RETINYL PALMITATE, SQUALANE, UBIQUINONE, SODIUM HYALURONATE [+/- (MAY CONTAIN: TITANIUM DIOXIDE, CI 77891, IRON OXIDES/CI 77491, CI 77492, CI 77499, RED 7 LAKE, RED 6/CI 15850, RED 28 LAKE/CI 45410, RED 30 LAKE/CI 73360, YELLOW 6 LAKE/CI 15985, BLUE 1 LAKE/CI 42090, YELLOW 5 LAKE/CI19140]

ROSE-BUD

MAUVE OUTTA HERE

My opinion:
I love these. I love how they're semi-matte, but not drying, intense, but not overpowering. The colors are super pigmented, they're not creamy so they don't glide on as easy as some lipsticks do but it's not a pain to put them on either. If you have dry lips you might want to put on a lipbalm first because it may be drying for that lip type.
The packaging is nothing special really, feels somewhat cheap and I don't like that I cannot twist the lipstick all the way down to hide it in the bottle because this way I have to watch out not to touch the lipstick with the cap every time I close it. These, just like Sephora's lipsticks, don't have their name written on the labels, just the color codes.

AND! Wet'n'Wild does NOT test on animals so they deserve a CRUELTY FREE stamp!

NEW THINGS!

Finally, the day came. I went shopping with a friend who has the power to convince you that everything looks great on you and to spend money! Haha.
I’m really strict about things like shopping for new make up because I own a whole lot and I don’t want to buy too many things in a short period of time and build a huge pile of make up that I cannot use up. So, since I used up two lip products and two blushes which were both a peachy color, I went out and got an orange lipstick that I really, really wanted and a peachy blush, but I also got two eye liner/lip brushes.

The lipstick I got is from Manhattan, a German company. The one I got is Perfect Creamy & Care in the color 34N, which is a gorgeous orange color, but with a hint of coral too.

It’s definitely not matte but rather soft, velvety. I absolutely love it!

The blush I bought is from Essence and it is in the color Secret It-Girl. It looks much darker in the packaging than it does on the skin, it is actually a really nice peachy color that I wanted.

The two brushes I bought are essentially the same. They're both for gel liners but I also like to use them for lining my lips before I put on a bold lipstick to get a fine, crisp line.

Now these two things I bought could be something that you don't care about, but I'll share them anyways. I bought
thigh high socks and shoes for autumn.

Sephora Rouge Cream Lipstick

A few months ago, a while after Sephora opened in Croatia, I was looking for a nice bright fuschia lipstick. The ones I really liked were Guerlain’s and Dior’s, but I don’t like spending a lot of money on a high end product if I can find what I like for less money. So when I saw Sephora’s Rouge Cream Lipstick in R11 Love Test, I instantly failed the test and fell in love.

Price & size:
You can get this lipstick for 12$, but I can only assume that you get about 0.13 oz because I couldn’t find the actual size on the web.

What’s promised (on sephora.com):
“What it is:
A hydrating lipstick that creates full lips with intense color.


What it does:
A revamp of the iconic Sephora Lip Attitude Chic, this new hydrating formula provides improved coverage and is rife with pigment. The creamy texture softly glazes your lips, imparting just the right amount of color and sheen.”

Ingredients:

Sephora.com lists three “active” ingredients on their website and those are:
-Black Currant Seed Oil (Omega 3 and 6): Known for its protective properties.
-Olive Oil: Known for its hydrating, nourishing, shining properties.
-Tocopheryl Acetate (Vitamin E derivative): A known antioxidant.

And then I also found the whole ingredient list and ran them all through cosmeticscop.com’s database of ingredients and they all received a green smiley face which means none of them are harmful.

Castor seed oil, polybutene, titanium dioxide, microcrystalline wax, caprylic/capric triglyceride, hydrogenated polyisobutene, C12-15 alkyl benzoate, polyglyceryl-2 triisostearate, neopentyl glycol dicaprate, petrolatum, myristyl lacate, yellow 5 lake, candelilla wax, iron oxides, synthetic wax, aluminum starch octenysuccinate, PPG-51/SMDI copolymer, red 7, ethylene/proplene copolymer, stearalkonium hectorite, ozokerite, fragrance, black currant seed oil, olive fruit oil, proplyene carbonate, tocopherol, ammonium glycyrrhizate, ascorbyl palmiate


My opinion:
I really like this lipstick, not just because of the color which is so freakin’ hot but I also like the packaging and the product itself. It’s nice and pigmented, creamy and it does not dry out my lips. It also has a nice sweet, somewhat fruity smell.

The packaging is very plain but I do not mind that at all. I like how both ends are flat so you can store it either way up unlike Mac’s lipstick.

The only thing that bothers me about all of these Rouge Cream lipsticks is the fact that their real names aren’t written anywhere on the packaging. The only thing you have is the code, in my case R11, and you need to open the lipstick to see that label. I hope Sephora changes that. On the bottom side is a round color stamp which lets you recognize the color in case you store it that side up.

Also, since Sephora does not test on animals, this lipstick gets a cruelty-free stamp! But I cannot find anything about it being vegan so I cannot give away a vegan stamp.

Other reviews:

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SEPHORA.COM

MAKEUPALLEY.COM