Lipstick -MAC - Cremesheen - Play Time
ameliabirch 4/8/2011 5:49:00 AM
I love the bubble gum candy shades of MAC's Quite Cute. Originally I went for Candy Yum Yum but it was totally wrong for my NW20 skintone. Playtime on the other hand is perfect, just the right amount of purple to make it stand out, but with enough pinky tones to keep it warm and therefore flattering on the skintone. I like the sheerness as you can keep it bare or build it up to a big purple pout. The formula is also not too drying.
3 out of 3 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Lipstick -MAC - The Faerie Glen lipstick
ameliabirch 11/7/2010 10:30:00 AM
I've been looking for the perfect nude for a long time. Every collection that comes out, I seek out and trial the nude. The more hyped a nude is as being 'perfect colour', and 'suits everyone', or even (hello Innocence Beware) 'the nude that suits you if no others do', they just lead to disapointment! I have to admit to being someone that nudes don't work for. But, when Tartan Tale was being publicised I thought that this might be 'my collection', what with my pink toned NW20 skin and celtic features. Except, the first reviews of Faerie Glen kept talking about 'grey' and 'chalky'. I very nearly didn't order this one, but the name was just too tempting! Well, it is darker and more brown toned than most nudes, and it is sheer, but this is finaly a nude that works for me! It isn't perfect, hence 4 rather than 5, but it is 100% more wearable than any of the other nudes I have tried.
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Concealers -MAC - Pro Longwear concealer
ameliabirch 10/16/2010 9:50:00 AM
I was adament that I had found my HG concealers - one for covering redness, one for undereye, one for blemishes. I went for a makeover at MAC and the assistant used the new prolongwear concealer. I absolutely fell for it. It is so light and easy to apply, but so opaque and (as it says on the label) long lasting. I apply in the morning and take it off in the evening. Yes, I KNOW this is what all the other concealers say they do. But they don't. The packaging is really irritating, but because so much comes out and you only need a tiny bit for undereye, it gave me a reason to experiment. And I was impressed. I now use it to cover the redness and it is way better at coverage than my yellow based concealer. I even tried it on spots (thinking that being NW15 it would make them stand out), and yes, the formula is so light that it even works on spots. I'm going to get through it stupidly quickly, but I now use a whole pump full.
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Eye Shadow -MAC - She Who Dares mineralize shadow duo (Venomous Villains Collection)
ameliabirch 10/16/2010 8:42:00 AM
This is a fabulous colour and I am glad I managed to pick some up before it sold out. The green and blue works really well together and I would say has just the right level of shimmer - it isn't crazily shiny but it does have a little shimmer. I have given this a four rather than a five for two reasons - the first is that the price is very high and there is a lot of product. This one is going to last forever, but realistically, it isn't going to be an everyday shadow. I would have preferred a smaller pot and smaller price. The second is because you need a slightly sticky base primer (the MAC paint pots are perfect for this) to get the right colour, otherwise it is a bit weak.
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Pressed Powders -MAC - Her Own Devices
ameliabirch 10/10/2010 8:32:00 AM
I am surprised by how side lined this beauty powder is compared to the other two that came out with the Venemous Villains collection. This one is the special one for me! I am a NW20 and this is perfect as a shading and sculpting blush for me. I use it on the back of my cheeks and under the chin and jawbone to give me the closest to a Cruella de Ville angular look that my rounded soft face can manage. It is soft and sheer and buildable and has a glamorous picture of Cruella on the front. How can anyone NOT like it?
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Highlighters -MAC - Marine Life [DISCONTINUED]
ameliabirch 5/14/2010 12:58:00 PM
The colour and texture is beautiful and depending on the way you swirl you can get a real range of shades. The pink shade makes such a good highlighter that I have gone through and ditched a few of the other highlighters that I own. The coral shade is basically a blush and it is a strong pigmented blush on me (NW20 skin) but very, very flattering. The shimmer is subtle enough that you can use it without highlighting every single flaw on your cheeks but strong enough that you have a lovely flushed glow. The seahorse is just gorgeous and I LOVE a gimmick. I have dropped a lipstick on this one simply for the gold overspray. Totally unnecessary, I would have still jumped and bought it without, but it means that you feel as though the product is old after a few uses (my seahorse was mostly gone after one swish and totally gone in two)
11 out of 12 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Lipstick -MAC - Lipstain Marker
ameliabirch 4/30/2010 6:58:00 AM
I was so excited when I heard about these and they have lived up to their promise. Stain colours that last for hours and hours. I have Purposefully Red and it is a strong, vibrant, wonderfully pigmented colour. I put it on bare (but well exfoliated lips) and then cover my lips with pure Lanolin to keep them soft and in good condition. I have dropped two lipsticks for this one, even though I love it. The first is because ANY fault in your lips is highlighted when wearing this so the days that I can wear it are limited. The second is because after eating I needed to apply it all again, just like a normal lipstick, but unlike a normal lipstick it had worn away in a very unflattering way leaving me looking like I had super pigmented lipliner drawn on the outskirts of my lips and nothing in the middle.
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Lipstick -NYX - Snow White
ameliabirch 4/25/2010 9:30:00 AM
As soon as I heard that there was a lipstick called 'Snow White', I knew I had to have it, and I was even more excited to learn that it was a blue based red! I am such a fan of the NYX texture and Snow White is just as moisturising as the other NYX lipsticks I have, plus it is a lovely build able colour that you can put on lightly with a brush or pack it on.
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Lipstick -NYX - Indian Pink
ameliabirch 4/11/2010 5:11:00 AM
I found this quite difficult to work with - the frost of the colour, although it goes on fairly smoothly, was quite thick and chalky. The colour itself really didn't suit my NW20 skin either.
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Lipstick -Smashbox - Photo Finish -Lavish
ameliabirch 4/10/2010 3:53:00 PM
This colour is fabulous on my NW20 skin tone. It is a strong red with slight orange tones and I like the silky finish which is really moisturising. I'm quite a fan of the sleek silver cases too. The only reason I am giving it four lipsticks instead of five is that it doesn't seem to work well over a lip primer.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Palettes -BeneFit Cosmetics - Brows a-go-go
ameliabirch 4/10/2010 3:46:00 PM
I am a big Brow-Zings fan. I may be being overly dramatic by saying it changed my life 3-4 years ago when I started using it, but hey, my brows are grateful. I have blonde brows and nothing else works in the same way to make them look realistic and not drawn on. The Browzings light wax and powder look so natural and I use it every single day. So yes... Brows-A-Go-Go. Unlike the majority of palettes I have, I use almost all of the things in this set every day. The highlighter powder works with my skin tone so well I can use it for all eye looks. The brow zings dark powder I use as eye liner. The eye bright is great and works much better in palette form than in the pencil. The only things I don't use are the liner pencil (make a mess with them) and the tweezers (never use tweezers).
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Lipstick -NYX - Chaos
ameliabirch 4/9/2010 8:46:00 AM
I'm not surprised that this has such good reviews. On me, the fuschia tones on this lipstick are really obvious and it makes for a really striking look, especially with strong brows and nude eyes.
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Blush -MAC - Blush Ombre -Azalea Blossom
ameliabirch 4/9/2010 8:27:00 AM
I wasn't sure about the ombre blushes to start with, it seemed a bit gimmicky, but once I tried this one I totally changed my mind. This is great for contouring. I use a mostly purple mix on the cheekbones, and then mostly pink at the apples of my cheeks. The purple is so subtle, even on my NW20 skin, that it doesn't look too unnatural. The way the two colours combine gives the overall look a real sheen to it, far more so than one block colour.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Lipstick -MAC - Viva Glam Cyndi [DISCONTINUED]
ameliabirch 3/28/2010 1:37:00 PM
Wow. This is another product with a massive hype surrounding it and it very nearly put me off getting it. I am really glad I did though. This is a subtle red that works well day or night. It has a natural colour that really brings out my features and it has a soft non drying finish, which isn't always the case with MAC lipsticks.
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Fragrances -Bond No.9 - Broadway Nite
ameliabirch 2/26/2010 5:33:00 AM
The first wave that hits you is nail varnish. As soon as it hit my skin and for about 20mins after - toilet cleaner. BUT these first notes are really misleading. Once I gave it time to develop it turned into a really classic and sophisticated sugary floral smell with notes of violet and sweet pea. This is a really distinctive smell and if modern and edgy is what you are looking for this isn't it. If, like me, classic and complex is your thing, then this is worth seeking out.
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No