Christmas Challenge: Day 19 | Illamasqua Intense Gloss in Besotted

This has to be the sunniest sunday we have seen in London for a long time . . . it's actually very deceiving as it looks like it could be at least 20 degrees outside but I know for a fact that it's not that warm.

Today I'm wearing something very red and very warm on my lips. Illamasqua's Intense Gloss in Besotted is a crimson red lipgloss that is great to have on hand if you aren't in the mood to wear a lipstick but still want a strong, pigmented lip colour.

As this shade is quiet opaque and intense, it does feel a little bit heavier on the lips when compared to a standard lipgloss but it is just just a beautiful scarlett option that I don't really mind the extra weight.

I'm going to spend some much needed time with my bed today, as I feel like I've been neglecting it. What are your plans for today?

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Christmas Challenge | Day 18: MAC Satin Lipstick in Rebel

It’s 6am . . . Why am I awake and posting on the blog??

I will tell you why . . .I’m about to head off to Leicester to pick up my little sister from uni and bring her back down to London for Christmas. To be honest I really do love having my sister around; because two crazy chicks is always better than one, but it also means that I have to start keeping a careful eye on my makeup collection, as she seems to have developed a habit of taking what doesn’t belong to her.

MAC Satin Lipstick in Rebel is a glossy but deep fuchsia berry lipstick that my sister absolutely swears by and actually introduced me to (she loves anything burgundy or wine). It’s a very opaque shade in the sense that it will cover up the lip pigmentation if you suffer from that.

I think I’m a really big fan of this lipstick just because it makes my teeth even more ‘Ross-Friends White’ than normal but for shades reasons I think I’m more of a deep red or nude girl than a deep berry lady.

Anyway I thought I should play around with MAC Rebel because it’s a shade that gets more love from my sister than me plus I know I’m going to be sipping on tea and having a catch up with my mum on the 2 hour journey to Leicester so any deep shade would do the job.

I really hope I get back to London in time so I can take a nap and go to Lola and Vik’s Xmas Blogger party in Canary Wharf, which I am really excited about and will hate to arrive frazzled

Ciao for now . . .off to Leicester I go!!!

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Christmas Challenge | Day 17: MAC Lustre Lipstick in Jubilee & Lipglass in Revealing

Apologies for the late evening ’30 lipstickin 30 days’ update, I know I haven’t been the most reliable when It comes to uploading my daily choice but I didn’t forget . . .promise!!

Right now I’m just putting my finishing touches to my makeup to head off to Kettner to celebrate my friend John’s birthday. Tonight choice is a nude lip combo and it’s MAC Lustre Lipstick in Jubilee. And MAC Lipglass in Revealing.

MAC Jubilee is a flesh-toned nude lipstick that has the perfect combination of beige and pink that really looks looks quite natural on my lips. I find that it works very well with MAC Cork lipliner as the two neutralize each other and when topped with MAC lipglass in Spice, which is a thick orangey-brown nude lipgloss. I have my perfect nude lip combo

Since I’m wearing a blue and turquoise glitter bodycon dress from Topshop, I’m keeping my eyes, a dark blue with an orange blush and nude lips so I don’t end up looking like a glitter queen. I’m actually really excited for dinner tonight; here's hoping I like the food.

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Christmas Challenge | Day 16: Sleek True Colour Lipstick in Vamp

After treating my lips to a good scrub last night (it was about time!), I thought it was time to try out matte lipsticks once again. Please bare in mind that I only own 4 matte lipstick and they are all Sleek Makeup True Colour lipsticks, bought by recommendation of the blog wife Sam (who actually has a review on this shade so check it out).

Sleek Makeup True Colour Lipstick in Vamp is a very bold, matte lipstick that tends to act a bit like a chameleon depending on your lips pigmentation. I’ve seen it look pinky-red on some ladies and a deep-dark red on others regardless of the fact that when swatched it comes out a dark-wine red.

I honestly think this lipstick was a misnamed because it’s not very vampy. When I think vamp, I think dark wine or purple gothic lips but I think this shade might be a bit too warm but hey I’ve never met a vampire before so what do I know??

I personally love the formulation and shade of the Sleek True  Colour lipstick, have you tried any of them out? But more importantly what do you think about this shade?

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Christmas Challenge | Day 15 - Revlon Colorburst Lipgloss in 028 Sienna Sparkle

I've really been procrastinating with the 30 lipsticks in 30 days challenge but with this post I am finally  up to date (I think).

Today I'm was off to the salon to get some extensions (hence why my trademark fro is no longer in sight) so I'm keeping everything very natural and simple because let's face it, it was probably going to get wiped off my face due to me fidgeting or she might just have wiped it off herself if I decide to get my hair steamed and she attempted to drown me in the process.

Revlon Colorburst in Sienna Sparkle 028 is a beautiful bronze shade with gold iridescent sparkles running through the formula. Before appied or swatched you would think that this falls into the bery or burgundy colour family but I think that the yellow tones in this shade help to make it appear much more  skin-toned.

With two appointments in the works, this is definetly a lazy day shade which warms up by face while being low maintenance at the same time

Perfect!!!

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Christmas Challenge | Day 13: MAC Lustre Lipstick in Fresh Brew

I know I’m running behind by about 5 days with this post but here is my lipstick shade for Sunday and it is another nude . . . I seem to stock a lot of nude lipstick don’t I??

MAC Lustre Lipstick in Freshbrew is a dark-skinned nude favourite. I’m not really exaggerating when I say that every girl and her best friend seems to own this shade, it is just that popular and a bit of a MAC Cult shade. Freshbrew is one of the few shades that my sister and I bought own as well as being the first nude lipstick I ever bought.

When I first bought this shade I really had NO CLUE how to wear a nude lipstick, and always looked a bit ‘off’ so it didn’t get as much love from me as it deserved, but 3 years on and a bit of skill and I’m a nude lipstick-aholic

My stick of MAC Freshbrew looks really well ‘loved’ and honestly is so close to being part of my Back 2 MAC pile but hopefully you can see that this is a shade that I do actually wear (and how I demolish my lippies once I take it’s initial blog pic)

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Christmas Challenge | Day 12: MAC Amplified lipstick in Doubleshot

It was one of my best friends birthday last night and she decided to do a roller skating party (which never actually got to happen . . long story). I went for a shimmery brown eye look and as always I teamed it up with a nude lipstick.

MAC Doubleshot is part of the 4 lipsticks brought out in MAC’s Middle Eastern range that were made permanent. Doubleshot is a beautiful warm mocha-rose combination with a lovely smooth and creamy sheer finish that you only get from an Amplified lipstick.

I know I have bombarded you with nude lipsticks in the first part of the 30 lipstick in 30 days, Lipstick Challenge but I am trying to show what shades I would normally reach for and since I’m in an office 5 days out of 7, I tend to reach for nude shades. I will probably be moving onto my less loved lipsticks as the challenge goes on.

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Christmas Challenge | Day 11 : Revlon Kissable Balm Stain in Rendezvous 040

Day and trust me not to make sure I pressed the publish bottom for the blog post . . Typical Annie.

Well at least I remembered now (a day later) but I have a little bit of summer warmth to bring to the low London Temperatures.

Revlon's  Kissable Balm Stain in Rendezvous 040 is one of the only orang toned lip products I own as I tend to find that orange lipstick tend to lean more to a fluorescent orange colour that I honestly just cant bring myself to wear or even buy. The Revlon Kissable Lipstains are peppermint flavour and lets be honest a whiff of peppermint is great when you can hardly breathe through your nose.

I took this picture at work hence why I actually have a little peak of sunlight showing through for this pic, but I like to think that the sun came out just because I'm wearing the last remnants of my summer.

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Christmas Challenge | Day 10 : Illamasqua Cream Blush in Betray

I'm meant to be reviewing 30 lipsticks in 30 days, but trust me to choose a cream blush and try to pass it off a lipstick.

It's been almost a year since I last mentioned Illamasqua's Cream Blush in Betray on my blog but I love the versatility of the Illamasqua Cream Blush formula so I decide to revisit it again but as a lipstick  . . or lip product.

Betray is a deep rose-plum blush that can be used on the cheeks for a very dewy finish but on the lips it forms a satin-matte like finish. It does not lose it's colour intensity and does not suck all the moisture from your lips like some cheek to lip products do which is always a positive in my books.

The funny thing is that although this shade looks amazing on my lips, I don't own anything remotely like this in my lipstick collection, but that might be more because I dislike most matte lipsticks rather than there not being a close lipstick product match.

I am wearing Betray on my lips in the Eylure 65 Years Video I published today which I'm adding below so you can see 3d example of how Betray looks on my lips

If you are wondering what is up with all the lipstick related posts on my blog lately, I'm taking part in Ysis’ 30 lipstick in 30 days – Christmas challenge over at Le Beauty Girl. If you would like to keep track of all my choice then click my header to get my version of the Lipstick Challenge

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Christmas Challenge | Day 9: Maybelline Moisture Extreme Lipstick in Desert Bloom 633

Golly!!

I think this challenge has already started taking it's toll on my lips . . .or it might just be the cold weather outside . .anyway my lips are feeling VERY dry at the moment. It was bound to happen due to the freezing cold wind constantly pelting my face in the mornings so I am more in the maket for a nice mositurising lipstick today after the mattene lipstick of yesterday.

I think Maybelline Moisture Extreme Lipstick in Desert Bloom 633 might just be the first drugstore lipstick I've reviewed in this Challenge and of course it is a nude, I really do love my nude lipstick.

Desert  Bloom 633 is one of my favourite nude lipstick shades and I do have more expensive lipsticks in exactly this or very similar to this shade but I feel that it falls into the 'cheapy but a goody' category because it has a decent wear time and it's creme formula is very hydrating and moisturising, and feels a bit like a balm on my lips.

I got this shade in as secret santa blogger swap last year but only started using it this summer, but this is the shade that I tend to have to dig out of my bag because I always seem to have it. I'm a bit worried about it finishing because I think this shade is actually discontinued and I really cant face the hassle of having to replace it.

Does anyone know an online site or link where I could pick up another stick of this? It's just a great little product to carry around and as sad as it seems,I don't be the girl digging out the last bit of her lipstick with a toothpick so someone HELP!!!!

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Christmas Challenge | Day 8 : MAC Mattene Lipstick in Unknown Pleasures

New week and time to get back to work.

Thought I should start off the new week with a bit of a different hairstyle and a darker lip to boot. While I do love rocking the afro, it does make wearing beanie hats just that bit more difficult (because the silly thing refuses to sit properly on my head). Since it is officially winter now, I'm mixing up my normal nude pinks and browns for a deep berry red with an even deeper dark purple lipliner to add a bit of an ombre effect to it.

MAC Mattene Lipstick in Unknown Pleasures is a Limited Edition lipstick and while I do feel a little guilty showing off a lip colour that is not readily available I should point out MAC tend to recycle LE items so just watch out and it should be re-released again soon.

Unknown Pleasures is a dark berry red with a very deep pigmentation that has a bit more shine that I would normally associate with a Mattene lipstick shade but still love. I personally prefer Mattene lipsticks to the matte lipstick formula as I find that MAC tend to make their matte lipstick feel like liquidated chalk on my lips and as a sufferer of dry lips . . . I just can't deal.

Today's lips have been rimmed with MAC Nightmoth liner with Unknown Pleasures applied on to p of it and blended into Nightmoth to give a dark ombre effect that just looks AWESOME!!!

I've seen Andii from Andii James Blog do almost the exact thing but with MAC Cyber in one of his makeup shots on his blog, which  I really want to try it out sometime this week if I have the time. Check out his blogpost to get a little tutorial on how to create this effect

So what do you think of the shade?? I think it was finally time for me to start showing off the darker lip pies. Don’t forget you can keep up to track with both Ysis’ 30 lipstick in 30 days – Christmas challenge over at Le Beauty Girl or click my header to keep track of my version of the Lipstick Challenge

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Christmas Challenge | Day 7 : Revlon Colorburst Lipgloss in Bordeaux 16

I really meant to post this up yesterday but the thought of doing the picture transfer from my SD card to my iPad to my Mac, had me procrastinating like I was back in uni. By the time I decided to get round to posting it . . . it was 1am in the morning.

Yesterday, had me saying goodbye to my little sister who had come down for the weekend for my cousin wife's baby shower (I'm going to be a cousin & Aunty all at the same time). As I wasn't really up to the task of lipstick as it was absolutely FREEZING and I wanted some a bit a very berry sheen to my lips, I  picked a shade out of my Revlon Colorburst collection.

I love Revlon Colorburst lipgloss in Bordeaux 16 and it is the one shade that I've worn lately that my mum actually commented on and said she really likes (That's big! She hates my lipstick choices). On me it looks a deep burgundy, berry colour but I have seen it look much lighter or darker on certain people so swatch before you try it.

The pigmentation of the Bordeaux Colorburst makes it seem more like a lipstick that a lipgloss, but with a lighter feeling on the lips.

I only get 2-3 hours wear on this but that's dependent on me using a lipliner and whether or not I'm drinking something.

Don’t forget you can keep up to track with both Ysis’ 30 lipstick in 30 days – Christmas challenge over at Le Beauty Girl or click my header to keep track of my version of the Lipstick Challenge

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