AUTUMN/WINTER’13 LIPS

It’s common beauty world knowledge that as you move into Autumn/Winter, the dark shades of your eye and lip palette emerge and this is my favourite time of year because of that. So I was more than happy to embrace the trend a little bit early for my 19th birthday which was in early September.

I was persuaded to get my makeup done professionally at MAC for my birthday evening, and I’m relatively pleased I did…. The lady got the dark lip and eyeliner spot on, but my foundation, contour and eyebrows is another story  ……

However all in all I am pleased I had it done as I have found my favourite eyeliner and lipstick of this season. So in light of this, I have focused on finding you the perfect lip shades for this autumn/winter and here they are:

Firstly I have the lipstick that they used on me, and that I then bought, in MAC. It is from their  Viva Glam range and is number III. This is described as a ‘muted brownish plum’ on their website, which to me is off putting when I hear the word brown. But it is a very beautiful muted plum colour.

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One thing I have to say though, it is very matte. I found on the first time that I wore it, that after a few hours it would become a bit crumbly.. I tried different techniques however, and mixing a slight bit of lip balm and putting it on with a lip brush instead of straight from the lipstick made it better.

The second lipstick I have is of a completely different consistency. Glossy and silky; this deep pink-plum will give you a complete full coverage with your first application. The Bare Minerals Lipstick from their Marvelous Moxie Lipstick range and is in the colour Live Large. It is a lovely creamy formula that looks like you are wearing a clear gloss over the top of your lipstick.

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Definitely more day time friendly than the MAC lipstick, but still a good option for the evening. Live Large is a ‘rosy-plum’ that is not as deep of a purple as Viva Glam is, as it has an underlying red tone.

A similar lipstick in consistency, is from the brand Catrice. And no, I didn’t know that brand existed until I found this lipstick either! I found this lipstick in a drugstore/ pharmacy in Ireland a couple of years ago and it’s stuck with me ever since. It is from their Ultimate Colour range, which promises ‘highly-pigmented, rich shades with perfect coverage and shine’ and it doesn’t let you down. The only negative I would give this lipstick is that it is very watery based, so be careful when you apply as it can easily go outside your lip lines.

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Similarly to the Bare Minerals lipstick, one coat and you get a full application and glossy finish. The main difference between the two lipsticks is the slight differ in colour, as Catrice offers you a plum/purple undertone, rather than a red/rosy undertone like the Bare Minerals. I don’t think they do the exact colour I have any more, which is 160 – Tell Me a Berry-Tale, but the closest one to it is probably 030 Ginger and Fred.

Finally! My last lipstick swatch is from the Collection 2000 Lasting Colour range and is probably the more daring lip colour, because simply it is purple. This lipstick gives opaque coverage, with a natural finish and is perfect for a pop of colour in the day or night. I really really like lilac shades for the day with a very simple eye and I find using a lip brush and lip balm tones the colour down to something slightly more wearable. This lipstick is long-lasting and I even found it a challenge to take off with my Liz Earle Cleanse and Polish which usually can remove anything without a struggle. This lipstick is also the cheapest of them all, retailing at £2.99, and the shade is  no. 10 – Berry Blast.

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Sorry that this post is so wordy – but I really hope it helped introduce you to some new colours for this season.

Let me know what other colours you have found for this Autumn and Winter!!

Shall we all just jump off the bandwagon now and admit that Vaseline isn’t actually that good?

“My lips feel so sore and dry, I really need some Vaseline’ is something that I will be hearing a lot over the next coming winter months, as I do every year. But I want to know when people are going to start using a product that actually works.

Vaseline’s original lip balm supposedly provides ‘long-lasting moisturization’ whilst protecting ‘dry, [and] chapped lips.’  Admittedly putting Vaseline on to sore or dry lips provides immediate relief but I feel that’s all it does; there is no ‘long-lasting moisturization.’

 I always thought that Vaseline was the ultimate lip balm, because I hadn’t tried anything else and  I guess I didn’t really know what to expect from a lip balm. When I was in Boots in the summer however, I picked up Neutrogena’s Norwegian Formula Nourishing Lip Care. I wanted a lip balm that would keep my lips soft and moisturised whilst I went on holiday because laying in the sun with nothing on them isn’t ideal.. and oh my god I am in love… this is what I want from a lip balm.

In a lipstick style case, you don’t need to get your fingers greasy when you apply it. It’s so beautiful to glide across your lips and I can just feel how it’s deeply moisturising them straight away. Even afterwards when the entire lip product has sunk into my lips, they feel baby soft and look visibly healthier… a feeling I do not get after Vaseline.

So please, please pleeease do not reach for that probably out of date Vaseline you have at the bottom of your bag. Invest in a good lip balm like this one and I promise you it will change your lip life forever.

photo original source 1 and 2