MAC Viva Glam Rihanna

Last year was the year of Rihanna for MAC, there were several sell out collections that featured her and the colors that she loves to wear.  I loved the Ruby Woo shade that was given a makeover just for her and now I see that this year will be another year of MAC and Rihanna.  MAC has just released the latest in their acclaimed Viva Glam collection.  Viva Glam is one of their most consistent best sellers and one that often sells out within hours of the initial release.  My favorites in the past have included the Lady Gaga and Fergie collections and I see that this year we will have Rihanna as our spokesperson for this great cause.

This small collection is now available on the MAC and Nordstrom websites and I am sure that several more department stores will pick this collection up within the next week or two.  "Rihanna launches our new M∙A∙C VIVA GLAM with two strikingly bold shades of red frosted Lipstick and Lipglass, perfectly capturing her fearless, confident style. Every cent of the selling price of VIVA GLAM Rihanna goes toward helping women, men and children living with and affected by HIV/AIDS. Limited-edition, soft-touch red packaging features RiRi's signature."  I see that Rihanna has released yet another red shade with her name on it...

I love red lipsticks and especially MAC red lipsticks so I am all about this collection even though I have not been a huge fan of the previous Rihanna and MAC collaborations.  This collection introduces the new shade in both the Lipstick and the Lipglass and I bet that I will want both of them if I like the shade.

Viva Glam Rihanna...

Viva Glam Rihanna Lipstick - Rihanna's blue-red with frost finish. Every cent of the selling price of VIVA GLAM goes toward helping women, men and children living with and affected by HIV/AIDS. Limited-edition, soft-touch red packaging features RiRi's signature. Pro discount is not applicable.
- Viva Glam Rihanna - frosty blue red

Viva Glam Rihanna Tinted Lipglass - Rihanna's frost blue-red in M∙A∙C's much loved Lipglass formula. Wear it alone or with a Lipstick. Every cent of the selling price of VIVA GLAM goes toward helping women, men and children living with and affected by HIV/AIDS. Limited-edition, soft-touch red packaging features RiRi's signature. Pro discount is not applicable.
- Viva Glam Rihanna - frosty blue red

I do need to see how frosty these shades really are, they could be great new red shades for me or be way too shimmery for my taste. I am interested in a frosty red from MAC as I have several Mattes and Satins from this line already and this would be a big change for my red lipstick/lip gloss collection.  I am thinking that I would be able to pull off this Lipglass even if I don't like the Lipstick when I try it out.

I wonder how many more collaborations we will have with Rihanna for the next few months...

photo courtesy of MAC

MAC Huggable Lipcolour

The day after Christmas (or Boxing Day for those in the UK and Canada) is a huge day for MAC, they release new collections on this day every single year and they are often among the best ones of the whole year.  In years past, these collections have contained products and shades that would work well all throughout the year and have often become colors in the permanent MAC line up.  The first one that comes to mind is All Ages, All Races, All Sexes (or something to this effect) that was released several years ago and became an instant class for the line.  I am looking forward to seeing what MAC has up their sleeve this year!

Three new collections have come out today and we will start looking at them immediately.  I am in the mood for some new shades of blush and lip gloss that I can add to my permanent line up of products and that would work well with many of the products that I already own.  MAC has brought out two full color collections and then one that introduces a new lipstick formula...the lipstick collection is where we will start because all of you know my love of MAC Lipstick formulas and I get very excited to try new ones out as soon as I can!  I have been rotating back and forth in between the Urban Decay Revolution and the Too Faced La Crème lipsticks and I am ready to revisit some MAC formulas.

The new Lipstick formula is named Huggable and the packaging looks exactly like that of the Sheen Supreme formula that I love to pieces and count among my overall favorite lipstick formulas.  I will be checking shades out and trying this formula as soon as I can get to the counter again!

The MAC website provides the following description of the new formula, "When it comes to gorgeous lips, don't compromise shine for colour. You can have it all in a new formula inspired by Asian trends, hugging your lips in 12 hues that stay bright and luminous for up to six hours. Featuring an array of creamy emollients, Huggable Lipcolour provides a lasting, glossy finish that leaves lips smooth and sculpted."

Huggable Lipcolour - A new high-shine formula featuring an array of creamy emollients, providing a lasting, glossy finish that leaves lips smooth and sculpted. A unique gel base allows each shade to smooth effortlessly onto the skin, with a feather-light finish giving immediate moisture, lasting up to six hours.
- Touche - light beige cream
- Fresh and Frisky - soft neutral peach cream
- Fashion Force - cool coral cream
- Lovebeam - midtonal warm pink cream
- Cherry Glaze - orange red cream
- Feeling Amorous? - midtonal fuchsia cream
- What A Feeling! - midtonal cool pink cream
- Out for Passion - soft warm rose cream
- Red Necessity - deep warm wine cream
- Commotion - deep cool plum cream
- Rusty - deep auburn cream
- Rich Marron - midtonal nude cream

This formula sounds very similar to Sheen Supreme; it combines moisture, color, and shine all together to create a wonderful formula that performs on all levels.  This one has the potential to be another MAC favorite of mine.  My early favorite shade is What A Feeling!, I love this cool pink and I will save this one for the beginning of spring.  Bubblegum pink lip shades are favorites of mine in the spring and this one will be a valuable addition to my collection!  Red Necessity is a shade that I would wear right now and so is Touche.  Touche is a great nude and I would wear this shade all year long, I could see this one being a prime addition to my line up and working with almost all of the makeup that I already own.  I have been using nudes a lot lately and I always want more nude shades.

I will be trying this new lipstick formula the next time that I head over to the MAC counter and I am confident that I will walk away with several new shades in this new formula.  I will report back on what my findings are and I would appreciate any comments from those who have already tried this one out.

photo courtesy of MAC

Too Faced La Creme Lip Cream

The Too Faced spring collection will be arriving on their website in the beginning of this week and therefore I have decided to write my review of this Too Faced lipstick before this collection arrives on the website.  The website has always crashed with the initial releases of the spring and fall collections so I wanted to get this review done while I have their website up and functioning.  Once their website has come back up after the initial launch, I will start my spring collection coverage with Too Faced.  I ordered two of the Too Faced La Crème lipsticks several weeks ago and have been putting them to test since Thanksgiving and I am now ready to review this formula.

This lipstick formula was an instant hit since it's first release last year and many shades of this product are often sold out at Sephora and Ulta.  Many ladies consider this lipstick to be one of their favorite cream formulas and it is now a cult favorite product from this company.  I will state very early in the review that this is NOT my favorite lipstick formula and I will not be buying any more tubes after I use up what I purchased.

We are going to start with the product description and shades from the Too Faced website.  "Indulge your lips with rich creamy color, drenched with luscious, hydrating moisturizers including white lotus flower and power peptides.  Moisture has never been so pretty!  16 Must-Have Colors: Something for every fashion and mood in sought-after shades for each color family: nudes, spices, pinks, and reds.  Lotus Flower Extract: Hydrating, soothing, and lip-conditioning with environmental protection provided by anti-oxidants.  Power Peptides: Conditioning, smoothing, and firming for delicate lip area.  Indulgent color: Saturated, one-swipe formulas drench lips with sexy, pure color."

The shades that are found in this formula are...

- Naughty Nude - chestnut
- Naked Dolly- satin pink
- Nude Beach - nude peach
- In The Buff - warm beige
- Spice Spice Baby - pinky brown
- Cinnamon Kiss - spiced brown
- Honey Bear - toasted mauve
- Sweet Maple - plum brown
- Marshmallow Bunny - marshmellow pink
- Razzle Dazzle Rose - pink rose
- Juicy Melons - pink coral
- Fuchsia Shock - fuchsia pink
- I Want Candy - raspberry rose
- Coral Fire - coral red
- Stiletto Red - classic red
- Divine Wine - Bordeaux

I started with buying both Naked Dolly and Marshmallow Bunny, I wanted to start with nude and neutral pink lipstick shades from this product in order to start working with the formula.  I had originally planned to then order more of the saturated shades; I had my eyes on Razzle Dazzle Rose, I Want Candy, and Stiletto Red but I quickly decided against purchasing more shades once I started to work with this formula.

I am going to start with why I didn't like this formula and how my wear testing of these shades went.  I was looking for a creamy lipstick that was easy to wear and hydrating on the lips, I had a picture in my head of these being a more hydrating version of the Urban Decay Revolution Lipsticks that I have been loving the past few months.  The La Crème Lipsticks are not at all like those in formula and they reminded me very much of the MAC Sheen Supreme Lipsticks that I loved so much last spring.  If I would have know this fact, my initial wear tests probably would have gone better...

I will be the first to admit that I didn't plan out the initial wear test and I should not have done my first impression on a Monday morning while getting ready for work.  I decided to grab Naked Dolly instead of my usual Urban Decay Revolution Lipstick in Naked, the shades look similar in the package and I was expecting them to be very similar on the lips.  I will also admit that I did not properly exfoliate my lips as I have found that I usually can skip this step with the Urban Decay formula.  I should not have skipped the exfoliation step and I should never test new products out on a Monday morning...

The initial application was quite nice, it applied smoothly and felt very creamy and hydrating.  I was very happy with my first impression but this happiness quickly wore off in the morning hours.  Naked Dolly is a nude pink that looks very wearable.  My first huge issue with this formula occurred when I looked in the mirror once I got to work.  I noticed that my lips had a golden shimmer cast in certain lights and I went back to look up the product description again, I wondered how I had missed the detail about a shimmer finish when first looking at the product.  It turns out that this fact is never mentioned in the product description but has been noted by quite a few people that reviewed the product on the Sephora and Too Faced websites.  I felt like I had been mislead a bit because I don't think that I would have purchased this product if I would have known that the majority of the shades contain shimmer.

My biggest issue with the wear on the first day is how the lipstick behaved over the first few hours of wear.  The shimmer particles clung to the dry patches on my lips, creating a clumpy appearance to my lips.  I dabbed a drop of coffee off my mouth and the formula smeared all over the place, ruining my overall lip look.  After several hours, I was so disgusted with the product that I wiped it all off and just applied a clear balm to get through the rest of the work day.  I tried the Marshmallow Bunny shade once I got home and saw that it has a silver shimmer finish to it.  At this point, I was ready to return both tubes and never try this formula again.

I forced myself to give this product a second test before deciding that I couldn't stand it.  The next morning, I exfoliated my lips well in the shower and prepped my lips the way that I would when getting ready to wear a bright shade of the Stila Stay All Day Lipstick.  The application and wear of this product was much improved after exfoliation, the initial application was smooth and it stayed smooth much longer throughout the day.  I did add a touch of lip balm before reapplying this product after lunch and this helped the formula stay smooth throughout the rest of the day.  Once I got home, I did the same test with the other shade and obtained the same results.

Due to my issues with the more neutral shades of this formula, I decided against buying the rose and red shades that I initially liked.  I can only see the issues with this formula being even worse with a more pigmented shade and I wouldn't want to wear a formula that moves around so much in a shade that will be even more evident when it smears.

Overall, this is probably one of my biggest product fails in the past few months.  I was expecting a pigmented creamy lipstick and received a cream formula filled with shimmer.  I can make this formula work with a bit more effort than I was expecting and I will keep both of these tubes and use them up over the next few months.  I prefer more of a matte finish lipstick and I won't be buying any more shades in this formula...

photo courtesy of Too Faced

NARS Satin Lip Pencil

My last two purchases from NARS were designed to be practical, I needed both face primer and tinted moisturizer and ended up in the NARS aisle of Sephora for both of them.  While I was there, I was distracted from my practical quest by a display of the Satin Lip Pencils.  I had first used the Velvet Matte Lip Pencils from this company when I purchased the best-selling Dragon Girl shade last summer (the name was too irresistible for a fan of the Millennium Trilogy and the shade is an awesome red hue) and I wanted to see if the Satin Lip Pencils were as high quality as the other formula. 

I have mostly used the matte lip formulas from NARS in the past and might have one or two sheer cream shades from this company.  I needed to expand my horizons away from matte lipsticks and sheer lip glosses.  This formula is right in the middle of the two sides.  I started with two shades of this product and I now have two new favorite lip shades to add to my love of NARS products...

The Sephora website provides the following description of the NARS Satin Lip Pencils, "A selection of high-impact, fashion-forward shades in a rich, creamy satin finish that stays on all day.  The Satin Lip Pencil dresses up lips in statement shades that seduce with rich, color-bright pigments, while drenching them in decadent moisture. This modern, long-wearing, vitamin-enriched formula for lips looks sumptuously saturated and dramatically defined.  The Satin Lip Pencil Category shade designations are all named for parks and gardens around the world."

The shades of this product are...

- Biscayne Park - pink guava
- Floralies - light apricot
- Isola Bella - peach beige
- Rikugien - rose pink
- Lodhi - coral
- Timanfaya - mandarin orange red
- Yu - bright pink
- Luxembourg - watermelon
- Hyde Park - cardinal red
- Majella - garnet
- Golshan - spiced wine
- Palais Royal - sangria
- Het Loo - cognac
- Bansar - rose brown

I purchased one neutral hue and one deep red hue, I was hoping for a bright blue red shade but there isn't one at the moment.  Both shades wear about six to eight hours with normal coffee and cocktail sipping but don't hold up very well eating or any other activity more than sipping a drink.  These lipsticks are slightly more hydrating than the Velvet Matte Lip Pencils but I need to carry a separate lip balm with me and reapply it throughout the day.  Both shades have a cream finish with rich pigments. 

I purchased Rikugien, a neutral rose pink that I can wear with any makeup look and during the day or night.  I have worn this shade the past few days at work and paired it with all different looks from the Urban Decay Naked palettes.  I also purchased Hyde Park which I have worn once so far.  I paired it with the Stila Kitten eye shadow, a shimmering champagne, for a dinner party the other night.  I really like both hues but Rikugien is fast becoming a favorite of mine. 

There are only two other shades that I would like from this product, Biscayne Park and Yu.  Both pink shades will be saved for next spring.  I would hope to see more shades in this product as it is nice to have a finish other than matte from this color collection.

photo courtesy of Sephora

Stila Stay All Day Liquid Lipstick

I have been reading rave reviews about the new Stila Stay All Day Liquid Lipstick formula, I have never used this type of lipstick formula before but the manager of Sephora told me to try it out when I was lipstick shopping earlier in the summer.  I had the itch to buy more lipstick the other day and visited the MAC counter but nothing was jumping out at me so I decided that I would visit Sephora and see if that same manager happened to be working.  Luckily she was and she remembered my questions from the previous visit.  We had a second discussion on this product and she told me how the product was revamped and renamed from a previous Stila lipstick formula.  She encouraged me to try it again and I decided to pick up a few tubes of it. 

"A highly-pigmented, liquid lipstick that's weightless on the lips and delivers long-lasting coverage.  This creamy, full-coverage lip color provides intense hydration with bold, long-lasting pigment that stays put for up to six hours of continuous wear. Featuring an array of matte and shimmer shades, this lip formula imparts a comfortable texture that feels lightweight on lips, and its color-rich formula does not bleed or transfer. Enriched with vitamin E and avocado oil, Stay All Day® Liquid Lipstick hydrates and softens lips so they look and feel beautiful.", states the Sephora website.

The reviews on this product are all over the place but I do attribute some of this variance to the overall nature of a liquid lipstick.  Liquid lipstick is a great product to impart matte long lasting color with lots of pigment.  This type of finish is not for everyone and not for every occasion.  I love this type of formula when I want my lipstick to stay in place all day and when I want a matte lip.  I have not found any type of liquid lipstick that has the moist look of a traditional cream lipstick and doubt that I ever will. 

I purchased a pink and a red shade in this product and wore the red shade for the first time last Saturday night.  I applied it at 6:00 at night and expected wear until midnight.  There were some great aspects to the wear of this product and then some drawbacks.

The pros of this formula were that is lasted about five hours through sipping a drink and normal conversation.  It was very pigmented when applied and dried down to the same level of pigmentation, my lips looked great all night and I was loving this aspect of it.  The application was slightly off but I am putting this down to not being used to this type of formula.  The formula is on the heavier side and it felt almost "gummy" on my lips when it was drying and through the initial wear period.  It started to feel more comfortable on my lips once I had sipped my drink a few times and it seemed like a bit of excess product wore off.  I did need to bring a separate lip balm along with me for touch ups since any liquid lipstick formula is more drying than any other type of lipstick formula on the market.  My biggest disappointment with this product occurred when I had a midnight snack of a salad.  As soon as the liquid dressing hit my lips and mixed with the formula, the product melted all over my lips and it began to bleed onto my chin.  I was a bit surprised at how fast it melted since it held up wonderfully to the whole rest of the night.  I will need to remember this when I chose what occasions to use these shades for.

The Stila Stay All Day Liquid Lipstick is available in a range of pigmented hues. 

- Fiery - deep red
- Beso - true red
- Tesoro - orange red
- Carina - vibrant coral
- Bellisima - pale neutral pink
- Fiore - hot pink
- Patina - dusty rose
- Amalfi - coral pink
- Bella - bright pink
- Rosa - bubblegum pink

I purchased Beso and Bella to start with.  Both shades give full pigmentation and look exactly the same on my lips as they do in the tube.  I was very happy with the color payoff of the shades.  I would also like to purchase Patina once Sephora has it back in stock, I saw the tester and it is a lovely shade of neutral rose.  I would use that shade for work and could use it all the time. 

This product was a solid introduction to liquid lipstick formulas, I love the pigmentation and color payoff of this type of product.  I would use this formula for times when I wouldn't be eating very much and would only be sipping cocktails or coffee.  I will always need to carry a separate lip balm with me as these types of formulas tend to be drying.  I will keep an eye on Patina and will start to look for more companies that carry this type of lipstick formula.

photo courtesy of Sephora

MAC Viva Glam - The Original

MAC Viva Glam is a worldwide phenomenon and has been among their best selling products since the first shade was released in the early 1990s.  Viva Glam has been a huge piece of the MAC collection for almost twenty years now and has contributed more to the MAC Aids Foundation that I could ever imagine, I own the original Lady Gaga shade and there have been many more that I have wanted but they sold out before I could ever get my hands on them.  I consider it an honor for any celebrity to be the face of Viva Glam and I love the choices of the company so far.

This month, MAC is revisiting the original Viva Glam shade and spokesperson, I was in elementary school when this was released so I never saw the campaign or even knew what MAC was.  For many people in the beauty industry, this is a blast from the past but this is a whole new collection for me since I had never seen it before.  RuPaul is the original spokesperson for this collection and is the iconic spokesperson in my book.  The original shade was a deep red that quickly became a classic shade in the MAC Lipstick shade range!

The MAC website provides the following as a description of the collection, "The original VIVA GLAM girl is back! The fabulous RuPaul, first face of VIVA GLAM in 1994, returns with her outspoken burgundy red Lipstick - now also available as a Lipglass. Every cent of the selling price of VIVA GLAM - The Original goes toward helping women, men and children living with and affected by HIV/AIDS."

The Original Viva Glam!

Viva Glam I Lipstick - In 1994, M·A·C introduced VIVA GLAM, an outspoken deep red that was universal in appeal and glamour. In 1997, a second lipstick was created VIVA GLAM II, a pinked mauve. VIVA GLAM III, a foxy brown plum launched in 2000. VIVA GLAM IV, a heartful rose charged with gold, introduced in March 2002. In March 2004, Viva Glam V makes its debut, a pure neutral pink with a delicious Lustre finish! VIVA GLAM VI, the newest member of the VIVA GLAM family, is a warm terracotta-plum with pearl finish. Wear it alone or finish it off with a coat of VIVA GLAM VI Lipglass. Every cent of the selling price of VIVA GLAM Lipstick and Lipglass is donated to the M·A·C AIDS Fund to support men, women, and children living with HIV and AIDS.
- Viva Glam I - intense brownish blue-red (Matte)

Viva Glam I Lipglass - A unique lip gloss available in a wide variety of colours that can create a high gloss, glass-like finish or a subtle sheen. Designed to be worn on its own, over Lip Pencil or Lipstick, Tinted Lipglass is the perfect product for creating shine that lasts. It's pigmented, very shiny and can impart subtle or dramatic colour. It contains Jojoba Oil to help soften and condition the lips. Tinted Lipglass is packaged in a convenient bottle with a sponge tip applicator that provides a quick, smooth, even application.
- Viva Glam I - intense brownish blue-red

This collection is more than a Lipstick/Lipglass collection for me, these shades take me back to the 1990s and the supermodels that dominated the fashion world in this decade.  I remember looking at mnay pictures of Cindy Crawford and Naomi Campbell wearing either this shade or one that looked exactly like it both on the runways and on the streets of New York City.  This was when I first started to become obsessed with fashion and supermodels and this lipstick shade was a big reason that I always tried to steal my mother's lipsticks and wear them around the house.  I have a sneaking feeling that I am not alone in these behaviors and that the Supermodel Era inspired lots of young girls at this time...

I guess it goes without saying that I must have both of these products and I will wear them all fall and winter!

photo courtesy of MAC

Lipstick Queen Oxymoron Lip-Cheek Rouge

An oxymoron is a term that we all became familiar with in grade school grammar lessons and one that most people continue to make use of long after their college graduation.  An oxymoron is defined as "a figure of speech that juxtaposes elements that appear to be contradictory" and can occur in a variety of contexts.  Some of the most popular ones are "living dead" and "jumbo shrimp".  An Oxymoron is something completely different in the world of Poppy King and is one of biggest cult products.

In the world of Lipstick Queen, Oxymoron is a dual use product that is listed as a "matte gloss".  A "matte gloss" is a great example of a literary oxymoron, a gloss has shine and a matte has no shine.  So how does this product work and what will the final result of use look like?  I have heard of lipsticks having a "creamy matte" finish, a matte finish that is designed to be hydrating and not "dry" while still having a lack of shine to it.  Is this product another combination of a cream and a matte or is this a completely unique products? 

The Lipstick Queen website provides the following product description to help us understand how this product is unique.  "Many women are afraid of matte because they think it is high-maintenance, hard to wear and drying. Not so with this lip-cheek rouge, especially as the four shades were designed to be the colors of blush, very sweet, subtle and flattering."  The website continues the description with recommendations for best use.  "If you are wearing a bold or bright lip color then Oxymoron is the perfect way to subtly enhance your natural cheek color.  Four shades with Oxymoron names; Oxymoron means two opposites together (for example matte and gloss).  It feels as smooth and light as a gloss but on matte!!  Designed to use on the lips and cheeks.  For the lips, use a lip brush or your finger to apply.  For the cheeks, just dab a small amount on with your finger and blend."

This product reminds me very much of Stila's Convertible Color but with a more matte finish.  The application for both products is pretty much exactly the same but the results differ.  I use the Stila product mostly as a blush but use the Lipstick Queen product equally as a blush and a lipstick.  I found the Stila product to not very long on the lips, it's very creamy and lasts about as long as the average satin or cream lipstick.  The Lipstick Queen product has the lasting power of a matte lipstick but feels a bit more hydrating on the lips.  I do need to touch up with a hydrating lip balm once in a while during wear which is normal for me when I am wearing any kind of matte formula.  The Lipstick Queen product functions very well as a cream blush and lasts all day long.  As a lipstick, I get about five to six hours of wear before I need to touch up the color itself.

The Oxymoron Lip-Cheek Rouge is available in only four shades.  Lipstick Queen has never released their products in a wide shade range, which is a shame because I have loved every product that I have every used from them and always wants to buy more. 

- Free Ride - ultimate pretty peach
- Honest Politician - perfect pinky brown
- Minor Crisis - dusky rose pink
- Open Secret - romantic pop pink

I have bought both Open Secret and Minor Crisis.  I used Open Secret through the end of the summer and can use this bright pink all throughout the year, this is my favorite of the two shades.  I love bright pink shades and this is another great option for me, it is easier to wear than NARS Schiap and I can wear it when getting dressed up, for a more professional environment, and for a casual weekend look.  This is a very versatile shade for me and I will be using and buying it for many years to come.  Minor Crisis is more of a fall shade for me, I waited to open this one up until last weekend.  This is a subtle rose hue that works well for a more professional look or a more natural look.  I am very happy with both of these shades and wish that Lipstick Queen offered more shades in this product.

I love this unique product and will continue to watch for new shades or it and hope that this wish has already been expressed by other ladies to the Lipstick Queen company!

photo courtesy of Barneys New York

MAC Retro Matte

Fall collections are now in full swing and MAC keeps bringing out the products that will keep me going back to the counter all season long!  I have swooned over their new Indulge collection, craved a new foundation from Pro Longwear, and wanted yet another red lipstick shade with my last visit to the counter.  A good chunk of my paycheck is being set aside each month for my MAC visits and this will be a fall of makeup shopping instead of fragrance and body product shopping.  I hope I don't need another train case by the end of October...

MAC has released yet another new collection that I am going to go crazy over when I get to the counter!  Retro Matte is a collection that contains only lip products and was based off the huge fame of the Ruby Woo lipstick hue and the cult following that came with it.  I have admired the Ruby Woo shade several times however I have not bought it yet for the following reasons: I spent more time at the MAC counter checking out the new and limited editions and this shade is very often sold out at my counter.  I have the worst luck with this shade and the stars have never aligned with me getting to the counter when this product is in stock and when I am not simply picking up all my new collection shades.  Perhaps with the release of Retro Matte, my counter will get more tubes of this shade in than they normally do.

"Inspired by Ruby Woo's overwhelming popularity and one-of-a-kind texture, M•A•C introduces new bold shades in its Retro Matte finish. Eye-catching colours like Dangerous and All Fired Up create a look that's fiercely feminine. M•A•C also premieres Pro Longwear Lip Pencils in a vibrant colour palette, giving this long-lasting and transfer-proof lip pencil an exhilarating makeover.", states the MAC website when providing an overall collection description.

Here is the Retro Matte collection!

Lipstick - Colour plus texture for the lips. Stands out on the runway. Simmers on the street! What made M·A·C famous.
- Steady Going - light pink matte
- Runway Hit - light nude matte
- Dangerous - orangey red matte
- Relentlessly Red - bright pinkish coral matte
- All Fired Up - bright fuschia matte
- Flat Out Fabulous - bright plum matte
- Ruby Woo - very matte vivid blue-red
- Fixed On Drama - rich wine matte

Pro Longwear Lip Pencil - A new generation of longwearing lip pencil technology. Glides on fluidly and adheres instantly. Defines the lips with an instant release of rich, saturated colour. Pro-longs the hours between re-application. Transfer proof.
- In Anticipation - soft yellow pink
- Staunchly Stylish - pinky beige
- Dynamo - intense pink cream
- Shock Value - bright pink cream
- High Energy - bright orange red cream
- Trust in Red - bright cool red cream
- More to Love - intense bluish pink
- Fashion Boost - bright purple cream

Obviously...my first choice from this collection will be a tube of Ruby Woo.  After I can finally get my hands on a tube of this lipstick, then I will start looking at the rest of the shades in this collection.  I will be skipping over the Pro Longwear Lip Pencil since I don't use this type of product and will not be starting any time soon.  My lipstick shopping list: Steady Going, Runway Hit, Relentlessly Red, and All Fired Up.  I want all kinds of shades from this finish and I hope that these lipsticks are the same quality as the rest of the products from MAC, I will just add these lipsticks to my MAC lip obsession and end up buying more from this company!

photo courtesy of MAC

Aveda Nourish-Mint Smoothing Lip Color

I have been getting more and more obsessed with Aveda every time that I visit my salon and see more of their products on the display.  I have a hair appointment next week and that means that I have been stalking the Aveda website and looking to see what products that I might want to try this time around.  Early last week, I decided that I couldn't wait and I ordered a few of the Nourish-Mint Lipsticks and have been playing around with them ever since they have arrived.  I have tried to limit the amount of lipsticks that I buy and I have failed every single time that I try and do this so I have just decided to give up and keep buying more lipsticks...

I have said before in this blog that lip products are the one item that I prefer with natural or organic ingredients.  I once read that the average woman eats about eight pounds of lipstick over her lifetime and using a more natural product will eliminate some of the chemicals that are ingested.  I am not saying that I will only be using natural lip products but I will be trying to find more brands that fall into this category.  Aveda falls right into this category and I couldn't wait to order a few lipsticks from their website.

The Aveda website states the following about their Nourish-Mint Smoothing Lip Color, "75% of women noticed fuller lips after 2 weeks*.  Smooths appearance of fine lines by 26%**.  Increases moisture by 26%**.  Contains refreshing aroma-flavor with the certified organic essential oils of peppermint, vanilla, and ginger." 

These lipsticks smell very similar to the C.O. Bigelow Vanilla Mint Mentha Lip Shine and I love that aspect of the product!  I ordered lipsticks that are in the Berry and Rose families to start with and will continue to purchase more from this product collection.  I surprised myself by not ordering a red shade but I wanted to add some different shades to my collection and I am sure that I will be ordering some red hues in the upcoming weeks. 

Here are the available shades from Aveda!

- 510 Fossil - neutral gold rose with light shimmer
- 520 Sutra - cool earthy rose with light shimmer
- 531 Blushed Honey - cool bronze rose with high shimmer
- 711 Butternut - warm rich brown
- 821 Kashmir Brown - shimmery natural nude
- 312 Lychee Splash - shimmery coral pink
- 320 Sugar Apple - cool deep violet pink with shimmer
- 330 Mulberry - warm rosy pink with light shimmer
- 935 Magenta Berry - deep magenta
- 611 Stargrape - cool shimmery violet plum
- 908 Snapdragon - warm saturated red
- 909 Rare Orchid - cool red violet
- 410 Wild Plum - soft shimmery plum
- 430 Cerise - deep red plum
- 721 Poppy - bright cool red
- 907 Wild Fuchsia - bright fuchsia pink
- 720 Hot Pepper - deep warm spicy brown
- 733 Cherry Bud - warm brick red
- 913 Cana - intense red-orange

I bought Mulberry, Stargrape, and Cerise.  Mulberry is the easiest of the shades to wear, it is semi-sheer rosy pink that works very well with my pale cool toned skin.  I can wear this one with any type of eye makeup look or for a more natural look.  Stargrape is one that I have only tried once or twice at home so far, this deep satin plum will work well later on in fall and will be best for getting dressed up at night.  I would not be able to pull this off in a professional environment because of the contrast between my pale skin and deep hue but someone with a deeper skintone would not have that same issue.  Cerise is listed as a "red plum" but I found it to be more of a warm plum than having a "red" cast to it.  I would use Cerise in the same way that I would use Stargrape, Cerise is a warm plum satin that will be a great shade when dressing up and going out this fall. 

I found that the Aveda lipsticks are not as pigmented as many of the other ones on the market.  If you prefer a more pigmented product than I recommend NARS or Urban Decay.  Nourish-Mint can be described as having a medium pigmentation, every shade appears nicely on the lips but the effect is not as dramatic as a full pigment lipstick.  These lipsticks will be an easy transition for someone who prefers sheer lip balms or lip glosses to a traditional lipstick.  The majority of these shades will be easy to work into a more professional look, exceptions will only be with the deepest of the lipstick shades.

My favorite aspect of this lipstick formula is the hydrating property.  These lipsticks hydrate and feel like a traditional lip balm and help to care for the lips while providing a great color.  The downside here is that this formula tends to come off pretty quickly and does not last much longer than three or four hours (without eating or drinking).  This is common issue with very hydrating lipsticks so I am not surprised but I would love for these shades to last a bit longer than they do. 

I am already making a short list of shades that I will pick up from the salon on my next visit.  I need to get a red from this formula, therefore my top pick is Poppy.  My other choices are Sutra and Magenta Berry.  Sutra will be a good neutral for me and Magenta Berry will be a good fall bright for me to work into my makeup look.

photo courtesy of Aveda

Jelly Pong Pong Lip Blush

My newest Glossybox has arrived and has produced one of my newest favorite lip products, the Jelly Pong Pong Lip Blush.  This is one of the products that Glossybox had been sending us hints about in the days leading up to the boxes being sent out and I liked the bright pink lip hue as soon as I saw my first picture of the product.  I don't know very much about the Jelly Pong Pong company so we are going to start by looking at the company itself and then looking at the details of one of my new favorite lip products. 

I have not seen this company's products sold in "typical" stores like Ulta and Sephora so I am thinking that I need to order these products online.  The website provides a quote from the founder of the company, Susan Chyi, about how the company is unique.  "Jelly Pong Pong…a name which will always be strange to many...  ...was born from the notion of wanting to invoke the eccentricity that is innate in all of us. The fascination & awe that we arouse simply by being different and perfectly unique.  I love cosmetics, but created a little differently. Products with soul , which tell a funny story, which rekindle romances and which are created because we are inspired by the weird & wonderful.  It has always been my greatest joy to make quirky, forward-thinking cosmetics that combine play with artless sophistication…stuff made of dreams & emboldened by ideas.  From spongy trifle lipsticks to “Cellulite-Free” eye shadows, we celebrate these witty and sometimes unconventional products which we have dreamt & come up with. My hope is to bring you an irresistible line of cosmetics, extraordinary yet beautiful, for you to discover and delight in.  I invite you to embrace all that is uniquely Jelly Pong Pong."  I think I might want to find out more about the products in this company very soon.

"A moisturizing lip stain that tints your lips with just the right amount of juicy colour and hydrates like a balm. Apply liberally, purse and let the silky lightweight texture melt onto your lips.", states the website in a product description.  This is a very soft lip crayon and the texture is much more similar to a tinted lip balm than a traditional lip crayon, it reminds me of the Clinique Almost Lipstick turned into a crayon format. 

This is a very easy product to use, I quickly "color" my lips in and then smudge them together.  This formula is more of a stain than a lipstick and then will create a stain that lasts on my lips all day long.  The product does need a touch up after eating or drinking and does not last as long as a liquid lip stain, I can get about six hours wear from it unless I eat or drink.  This product hydrates well and I love the combination of high pigment and hydrators that it contains. 

This product is only available in two shades, the bright pink that I have and a medium red shade.  I don't have much potential to collect this product since I only have one more shade to purchase in it but I can say that I will continue to buy the pink shade over the next few years.  I would love to see more shades in this product and will begin to look at the rest of the line very soon.

photo courtesy of Jelly Pong Pong

Urban Decay Revolution Lipstick

I have been playing around with the new lipstick formula from Urban Decay and this is fast becoming one of my favorite lipstick formulas that I have ever used.  In fact, I am actually reaching for tubes of this product almost as much as I reach for some of my favorite MAC shades, I have found that Urban Decay might be fabulous with their eye makeup creations but haven't always satisfied me in the lip product area.  I think most of the issues that I have with this company and their lip items is that they don't offer enough to keep my interest up.  I have used two of their lip gloss formulas and loved both but I haven't used many of their lipsticks before and I am excited that I found a formula from this company that I love and will look forward to collecting shades from each season. 

I reported several weeks ago that this is a new product that was released with the fall 2013 collection from Urban Decay and then purchased tubes very soon after.  This is a full pigment lipstick formula. there is nothing sheer or shy about these shades and will satisfy any lady that loves lipstick and to wear saturated hues.  I will get even more use from these shades this fall and winter when I traditionally wear more dramatic lip looks.

This product is available at any Urban Decay counter (none near me), the Urban Decay website, and both the Sephora website and stores.  I bought one tube at the Sephora and then ordered the other one from their website.  "A luxury lipstick that delivers intense color payoff plus creamy shine.  Revolution Lipstick is rich, buttery lipstick at its best—with the signature Urban Decay pigment-rich color you crave. Addictive to apply (and even more addictive to wear), Revolution Lipstick glides on without dragging or skipping and hugs every curve. Just one swipe gives you a big, gorgeous lay down of color. And with shades that range from gorgeous nudes to bold brights, there’s something for everyone.  Urban Decay’s Pigment Dispersion System™ gives Revolution Lipstick its super creamy texture, intense pigmentation, superior color dispersion, and extended wear. Maxi-Lip™ defines and hydrates lips while making them look plumper and fuller. And a nourishing blend of jojoba oil, avocado oil, cocoa butter and shea butter keeps lips super moisturized and cushiony soft. The luxe, custom-designed gunmetal tube (lined in Urban Decay’s signature dark purple) looks so gorgeous, you’ll want to keep pulling it out of your bag. ", states the Sephora website.

The formula on these lipsticks is wonderful.  It is creamy and hydrating yet manages to stay put all day long and doesn't give me any problems with feathering or smearing.  This formula only leaves a bit of trace on my coffee cup and I only touch up once or twice a day (usually when my lips are dry and need more hydration instead of more pigment).  I have found that the red shade that I own will stay on all the way through my nightly shower and I will have to take off with makeup remover or a bit of lip scrub.  I highly recommend the formula of this lipstick and I think that it is most similar in wear and pigment to a NARS formula but is more hydrating and does not require me to carry a separate lip balm in my bag.  I'm all about not carrying two separate products in my tote bag/purse.

The shades that Urban Decay offers in this formula are:

- Venom - rich plum
- Jilted - deep fuchsia pink
- Anarchy - bright fuchsia
- Turn On - rose pink with soft pearl
- 69 - classic red
- Bang - bright orange red
- Streak - coral pink with soft pearl
- Deep - warm brown nude
- Manic - rosy wine
- Rush - pink mauve with soft pearl
- Native - pale pink
- Obsessed - baby pink
- Liar - mauve nude
- Naked - nude pink
- Naked 2 - medium beige nude
- Ozone - clear
The first shade that I bought was Naked and then I ordered 69 within days of that purchase.  I chose Naked because I wanted a neutral shade that I could wear with any eye makeup look and for any occasion and this shade has more pink in it than the Naked 2 shade.  I had the Naked shade in one of the lip gloss formulas from this company and loved the shade so this was a logical one to start with.  I then ordered 69 because I love red lipsticks and am always on the look out for quality formulas with this hue.  Naked is the perfect "My Lips But Better" shade and will work with cool toned skin undertones and Naked 2 is better for warm undertones.  69 is a full coverage red with blue undertones and garners me compliments every time that I wear it. 

I will be buying more of these lipsticks and I think my next purchases will Jilted and Rush to wear during the cool weather months and then will pick more up as new shades come out for the spring and summer months.

Another lipstick formula to love was the last thing that I needed but I give this formula from Urban Decay full marks and will be adding more of these to my makeup collection in the coming months.

photo courtesy of Sephora

NARS Sheer Lipstick

NARS has been one of my top five favorite brands for several years now and I have been collecting their products quite steadily over the past two or three years.  One of the products that I buy the most of from them are lip products, I have been buying and trying each of their Lipstick finishes for the past few months and today I will be looking at the last formula of NARS Lipstick and giving my thoughts on how well it worked.  I have looked at the Semi Matte and Satin Lipsticks, as well as the Velvet Matte Lip Pencil and now we are going to the other end of the spectrum by looking at the Sheer formula from this company.  I have loved lipsticks from this company for their full pigmentation and this formula will not have the high pigment level that I look for from NARS.  I don't think that this will be my favorite formula from this company though I am sure that they are still among the best sheer lipstick line in the world.

"A beautifully sheer formula infused with ingredients to improve the condition of the lips. Sheer, long lasting color pigments have been suspended in this translucent formula to provide a sophisticated shine.  Lightweight formula glides on smoothly.  Lush shade range.  Patented blend of conditioners and antioxidants hydrate, nourish and protect lips." 

This is more of a day lipstick formula for me, it is much more sheer than any of the other formulas from NARS and I can wear these shades easily in a professional environment or for a casual lunch date with a friend.  The Semi Matte and Satin formulas have a very distinct range of colors and no two of them are similar, each one has its own personality.  Unlike these two formulas, the Sheer formula has several shades in each hue that look very similar and I found that I didn't need as many shades as I thought that I would.  The first shade that I bought is the best selling Dolce Vita and I was so happy with this this shade that I wanted to buy others in the line, however as I was swatching them at Sephora, I soon realized that most of the shades look so similar on the lips that I only needed Dolce Vita and nothing else.

The formula is very creamy and gives a little hint of color to my lips, this is a very nice sheer lipstick formula but it has the same positives and negatives of most other sheer lipstick formulas.  It is very hydrating and light on the lips however it wears off much faster than any other formula from NARS.  I lose most of this product off my lips after eating or drinking and I reapply this shade much more often than I do the shades in the other formulas.

Here are the shades in the NARS Sheer Lipstick line!

- Autumn Leaves - shimmering warm brandy
- Barbarella - sheer pretty peach
- Belle de Jour - sheer beige
- Cruising - nude pink
- Damage - sheer muted grape
- Dolce Vita - sheer dusty rose
- Falbala - shimmering rose
- Fast Ride - sheer mulberry
- Flair - burnished berry
- Gipsy - warm berry
- Love Devotion - sheer guava
- Manhunt - sheer poppy red
- Mayflower - sheer shimmering raspberry
- Mindgame - sheer brandy
- Mitzi - sheer muted strawberry pink with soft shimmer
- Napoli - cool natural beige with a hint of pink
- Outsider - shimmering burnished coral
- Pago Pago - shimmering pink
- Roman Holiday - pretty pastel with the most delicate hint of pink
- Senorita - sheer shimmering cherry blossom
- Sexual Healing - shimmering pink blossom
- Shrinagar - metallic raspberry
- Tanganyka - sheer neutral plum brown
- Tzigane - pink brandy
- Vendanges - sheer grape

Dolce Vita is the iconic shade in this formula, it has won many awards in the beauty industry and is a consistent best seller for this company.  This was the first lipstick that I bought from this formula and it turned out to be the only one that I really needed, I initially loved it so much that I wanted to buy several similar shades when I went to Sephora.  I was ready to try several more when I started trying them on my hand however I quickly found out that both Gipsy and Love Devotion looked almost completely identical when applied and then I realized that I didn't need either of them.  I am currently waiting for Belle de Jour to come back in stock, this iconic shade was named after the Bridgette Bardot movie and I really want to add this shade to my nude lipstick collection.  Manhunt will be added to my red lipstick collection unless it ends up being the exact same shade as Ladybug from MAC (which is exactly what it looks like).  Senorita and Sexual Healing are the only other shades that  I want to add to my collection however both of them look very similar and I know that I will only need to buy one of them when I go to Sephora.  

This is one of the best sheer lipstick formulas that I have used however it is my least favorite of the lipsticks from NARS.  Many of the shades are very pretty but there is very little unique with them and many of them look very similar when applied.  This is a good way to introduce someone to NARS lipstick and I would recommend Dolce Vita to anyone, this is one of my favorite lipsticks and I wear it day and night, paired with all kinds of eye makeup looks.  This one is a classic for a reason but I feel that it is the only must have shade from this formula.

photo courtesy of NARS

Clinique High Impact Lip Colour

Clinique has become one of my favorite brands since the beginning of the year and I keep falling more and more in love with this brand with every single product that I buy from them.  I have been using their skincare almost faithfully for the past few months and have been seeing great results from it.  The results that I am seeing from their skincare has only made me want to buy more and more makeup products from this company.  I have been especially interested in their lip products recently, I have used many of their eye makeup products in the past (with the exception of their eye liners) and so I will focus on the few lip products that I have not tried from this company yet.  On my last trip to Sephora, I tried out a new lip formula (at least new to me) and went home with a few new toys to play with in the next few weeks.  I have been all over pink lipsticks this spring and will continue this trend into the summer months so I have been trying to find all kinds of new shades of pinks for the next few months.

I have used the Clinique Different and Butter Shine Lipsticks before and High Impact is one of their newer formulas.  I first received a small palette of this formula in a gift with purchase a bit ago and I was initially impressed with the products however I never ended up buying any more shades of them.  I think that I first tried this formula during my MAC and NARS obsession that began a few years and I was spending more money on these two brands than any others.  I revisited this small palette before my Sephora trip and I was again impressed with this lipstick formula and decided that I needed more from this line.

The Sephora website provides a full description of the formula and the shades contained in it.  "A highly moisturizing lipstick that is high on color and long on comfort.  Smooth, soften, and comfort lips with dressed-up color that wears beautifully for up to eight hours. Along with high-impact color and long-lasting moisture, these beautiful shades also protect from UVA and UVB."

I wasn't aware that their was a SPF in this product until I read this description and that makes more love Clinique even more than I normally do.  This is very creamy lipstick formula and is very close in texture to the Butter Shine formula, these shades are more opaque than the sheers in that formula and have more pigment than every other Clinique lipstick formulas that I have used in the past.  All Clinique lipsticks are extremely hydrating and this one is no exception, this one helps to keep moisture in my lips while providing beautiful color.  The wear is pretty typical of that of a cream formula, I usually wear sheer or matte formulas so I am used to a range of wear times.  This one stays on pretty well through eating and drinking but I find that I would need to reapply after drinking a full cup of coffee, eating a meal, etc. 

The shades of this products are:

- After Party - deep shimmering warm berry
- Cider Berry - warm berry red cream
- Citrus Rose - shimmering cool rose
- Extreme Pink - shimmering cool magenta
- Go Fig - medium shimmering nude
- Nude Beach - medium nude cream
- Peach Pop - medium shimmering warm peach
- Red-y to Wear - medium blue red cream
- Rosette - medium neutral rose cream
- Rose Spectrum - deep rose cream
- Sassy Spice - deep shimmering nude

I bought two shades that would be perfect for the summer months but are still neutral enough for me to wear all year long.  I bought Nude Beach and Rosette, I often pair my natural lip hues with all the bronze eye makeup looks that I have been wearing recently and these are two great new options for me.  I love this lipstick formula for the summer since it has the SPF in and I will still buy more shades in this formula for the fall and winter months.  I am not a fan of the shimmer finishes in this collection so the only other shade that I really want is Red-y to Wear and I will by this one when I go back to wearing red lipstick in the cool weather.

I have found yet another winner from Clinique and I am so excited to add yet another lipstick formula to my collection!

photo courtesy of Sephora

MAC Mineralize Rich Lipstick

The first new collection of this month from MAC has just released and this is one of the smaller ones of the year, Archie's Girls is still going strong even though many of the products have not yet restocked.  Trust me, I still walk by the counter in Macy*s every single time that I am in the mall, in the hopes that I will see a re-stock in the Lipsticks.  Nothing so far but I am still choosing to remain hopeful.  The first collection for this month is very small and only contains a new formula of Lipstick, it might in my best interests to look in this new formula to see if I can find a dupe of the one shade from Betty that I haven't found in stock anywhere...

The Mineralize line of makeup only seems to get larger every single year, I really liked one of the foundations that I bought in the Mineralize collection but I am not one of the many people who insist that Mineralize products are the best that they have every used.  So I am not going to automatically insist that will be one of the greatest formulas that MAC has ever created but I will try it out and decide what I actually think of the formula itself.  I am hoping for a great pink shade that I can try out and use right now in the spring months.

"Introducing a new Mineralize masterpiece for lips with a luxurious, lightweight formula enhanced with 77-Mineral Moist complex for nutrient-rich moisture. The impact is instant - softer, smoother, more supple lips. The larger lipstick bullet delivers fuller, sleeker application in a single stroke. 12 new shades with bright, colour retention."

Mineralize Rich Lipstick - A 77-Mineral Moist Complex that instantly nourishes lips with maximum moisture in a lightweight, non-sticky formula. Larger bullet applies bright, long lasting colour in a single stroke. Medium shine finish, buildable coverage. Magnetic closure.
- Luxe Naturale - light beige cream
- Posh Tone - soft warm nude cream
- Glamour Era - mid-tonal warm brown frost
- Style Surge - neutral coral cream
- Lady at Play - mid-tonal coral tangerine
- Dreaminess - soft cool pink cream
- Devine Choice - mid-tonal cool pink cream
- Elegant Accent - mid-tonal warm rose cream
- Grande Dame - mid-tonal neutral rose cream
- Everyday Diva - true red cream
- Lush Life - deep cool plum
- All Out Gorgeous - deep warm red

My favorite shades are the pink hues and my plan is to buy them first and then decide what I think of the formula before I buy any others.  The first shade that I want is the one that is pictured here, Devine Choice.  I have been looking for a medium blue pink for a few weeks now and this one could easily fit the bill.  The other shade that I really want is Dreaminess,  this lighter pink is very similar to Viva Glam Gaga but it should have a more pigmented finish than the original with the Lustre finish.  If these two work (and I hope that they do!), my next purchase will be Grande Dame (deep rose) and then Everyday Diva (gotta throw the red in there).  I am very excited to try this formula because I have not really been liking shine or shimmer in many of my lip shades recently and these are almost all creams and there are some shades that hold lots of potential in this new formula.

photo courtesy of MAC

MAC Viva Glam Nicki 2

I have been putting off posting all day, MAC has been sending me teaser emails for the past two days about all the new products and collections that are supposed to be releasing this week.  I spent a decent amount of time yesterday stalking both the MAC website and the Nordstrom website in hopes that Archie's Girls would be available for purchase.  Nothing was up for either website yesterday and this morning was exactly the same.  I kept checking on and off throughout the day since MAC kept sending me emails about Year of the Snake being up and ready for purchase.  And nothing...until about half hour ago.

MAC has finally updated their website which is realy good because I have been getting close to giving up.  I don't know if others were doing the same amount of obsessive checking for collections that I was or if MAC was having technical issues but the website has been really slow all day and it is still not moving at the normal rate.  The first of the new collections that I see up is this year's version of the traditional Viva Glam collection and it is another shade of Lipstick and Lipglass that has been made with Nicki Minaj.

Viva Glam Nicki and Ricky was the big hit of early 2012, the Lipstick sold out very quickly at the counters and was one of the biggest shades in the spring and summer.  You might remember how excited I was initally for this shade and then how let down I was when I saw how much yellow was in it, I still consider this one of the least flattering Viva Glam shades ever, it was on par with that super-pale nude from Gaga that was pretty much unwearable for the majority of the population.  Viva Glam's used to be among the best lip shades from this company, MAC wants these shades to sell out and to raise money for the MAC AIDS Foundation so they have traditionally made shades that many females could easily wear.  Not lately...

"Nicki Minaj continues her reign as the hip-hop queen of M·A·C VIVA GLAM. The Lipstick-loving diva is back to serve up a delectable duo of Lipstick and Lipglass in an all-new shade of pastel lavender pink. Every cent of the selling price goes toward helping women, men and children living with and affected by HIV/AIDS. Limited Edition."  I see that there is no Ricky Martin in this year's collection and his unisex lip balm is not offered anymore...

Nicki Minaj for Viva Glam!

Viva Glam Nicki Lipstick - M∙A∙C and hip-hop diva Nicki Minaj join forces to create VIVA GLAM Nicki, a scene-stealing Lipstick. Every cent from the sale goes toward helping women, men and children living with and affected by HIV and AIDS. Limited Edition.
- Viva Glam Nicki - bright yellow pink

Viva Glam Nicki 2 Lipstick - Embrace Nicki's colourful style with her new limited-edition shade of VIVA GLAM Nicki 2. It's a vivid pastel lavender pink, with a subtle sexiness and satin finish that's so Nicki. Every cent of the selling price goes toward helping women, men and children living with and affected by HIV/AIDS. Limited-edition.
- Viva Glam Nicki 2 - pastel lavender pink

Viva Glam Nicki Lipglass - Pay homage to Her Minajesty with a new limited-edition Lipglass in a hot pink. Wear it alone or pair it with VIVA GLAM Lipstick for a perfectly glossed look. Every cent from the sale goes toward helping women, men and children living with and affected by HIV/AIDS.
- Viva Glam Nicki - hot pink

Viva Glam Nicki 2 Lipglass - Get a shiny finish with the new limited-edition pastel lavender pink Lipglass that mirrors the magic of Her Minajesty. Wear it alone or paired with a Lipstick. Every cent of the selling price goes toward helping women, men and children living with and affected by HIV/AIDS.
- Viva Glam Nicki 2 - pastel lavender pink

I doubt that I am going to be buying either of the products in this new shade, it reminded me of the shade that came out for Fergie about 4 years ago and I wasn't impressed with that one either.  Both of these shades are very hard to wear and I bet that more people bought them to add to a MAC collection then to actually wear them.  The only item that I am even on the fence about the original shade in the Lipglass, yellow is not in the description of it and therefore it might be more flattering that original Lipstick.  This is a start to the new collections for the spring but I am waiting with bated breath for Archie's Girls...

photo courtesy of MAC

MAC Candy Yum Yum is Permanent!

Earlier this year, MAC allowed their fans to pick from some of the best shades that had been discontiued or only part of limited edition collections.  Candy Yum Yum was my choice for the Lipstick category, this lisptick shades was originally released in the spring of 2011 with the Quite Cute collection.  This collection contained all shades of pinks and other candy-inspired pastels and was a best selling collection for MAC.  If my memory serves me, I wanted Candy Yum Yum right when it came out but it is one of those products that sold out within hours of hitting the website and was completely done after the pre-order at the counters.

Candy Yum Yum easily won the Lipstick category in the By Request collection and the same fate befell this lisptick shade.  It sold out in minutes and I never got to the counter in time to buy the shade.  I just kept waiting for a restock and then started trying to match a picture of it to shades in the regular MAC Lipstick collection.  But I now can stop obsessing...because as of today Candy Yum Yum is permanent!

""The Lipstick dreams were made of" is back so you can get your fix of the vibrant, matte pink of Candy Yum-Yum. The colour most coveted by Makeup Artists and enthusiasts alike in M∙A∙C By Request is now available to you permanently. Enjoy!"  One of the biggest trends for this spring is bright neon matte lips so I would have wanted this shade even if I hadn't spent so much time trying to find it earlier in the year.

Lipstick - Colour plus texture for the lips. Stands out on the runway. Simmers on the street! What made M·A·C famous.
- Candy Yum Yum - neon pink (Matte)

Already this lipstick is out of stock but I am much more content with having to wait this time around since I can get it anytime.  I am so excited to finally get a tube of this shade for the spring months and to be able to wear it!

photo courtesy of MAC

Clinique Different Lipstick

I have been sorting through my massive makeup collection for the past few weeks and have been trying to decide what I plan to keep and use for the next few months and what I don't see myself using very much.  I have received so many Clinique gifts during their events and I still have a decent collection of products from these sets that I still have not yet finished up.  I have pretty much used up all the skincare and the mascaras so I have a bunch of lipsticks and eye shadow left over.  I have worn and reviewed many of their eye shadows before and I like the formula (even though it's not my favorite) but I much prefer Clinique's lip product formulas.  I have used many lipsticks and glosses from this company and have always liked the results.

Today we are going to look at a lipstick formula that I have never talked about before and really wouldn't have looked at had I not gotten two of the lipsticks for free over the past few months.  Different Lipstick is a formula that Clinique has had in their collection forever but I rarely see new shades from or see it featured in collections.  I feel like Different Lisptick has been in this company's line up since I first started using the products in high school.  This lipstick formula may not be one of the top sellers for this company however it has a good range of shades that will work for all kinds of ladies and I bet that is why it has remained in the line up for so long.

"Different because of its smooth, comfortable feel. Moderate coverage in a remarkable range of shades, from cream to pearl. Every one packed with rich emollients.", states the Clinique website when describing this lipstick formula.  This formula provides sheer coverage and moderate pigmentation, these shades are very easy for anyone to pull off.  This formula is very appropriate for the work environment or for a casual look on the weekends, anyone can find several shades of this product that will work for them.

Here are the available shades in this lipstick formula...

- Tenderheart - midtone blushing nude brown
- Raspberry Glace - midtone blue pink with soft shimmer
- A Different Grape - pinkish grape
- Think Bronze - soft golden pink/beige with gold pearl
- Guava Stain - midtone warm rusted rose
- Sweet Honey - classic rose
- Plum Brandy - creamy warm red/violet
- Surprise - pearlized golden brown with surprise hint of purple on skin
- Shy - midtone violet
- Angel Red - sheer blackened red
- Sugared Grapefruit - luminescent pink orange
- Double Fudge - dark chocolate
- Ripe Raisin - luminescent burnt orange
- Spiced Apple - warm cinnamon red
- Glazed Berry - punchy pink with soft luminescence
- Heartfelt - violety pink red with gold undertone
- Rose Aglow - creamy bluish plum
- Ice Bloom - pearlized velvety rose
- Rose Taffy - luminescent reddish pink
- Bronze Leaf - frosted brownish copper

I own the first two listed shades, Tenderheart and Raspberry Glace.  Tenderheart I actually remember seeing at the counters years ago and therefore I have to assume that it is one of the most popular shades in this formula.  Tenderheart is a very sheer nude pink brown, I can wear it with any type of makeup look or for any professional or casual event.  This is a great shade to wear when I just want a very little bit of polished color but don't want to wear much color on my lips.  Raspberry Glace is a sheer pink berry tint with a bit of shimmer, this one is bit too much pigment for casual wear but it is a great professional hue, this one is my favorite of the two.

This formula is very creamy and hydrating however lasts only a short time on my lips, this is the type of formula that feels great on the lips and is never drying however it comes off as soon as I eat or drink anything.  This is not an advanced formula and I do wish that it would be updated a bit since the wear is among one of the worst that I have tried.  I know that this type of lipstick cannot be expected to have the same wear as a matte lipstick but it still could say on longer and wear better with normal eating and drinking activities.  I am not asking Clinique for a super longwearing lipstick just enough wear that I don't have to reapply right after drinking a cup of coffee.

I like some of the shades from this formula but there isn't any ones that jump out at me as being must haves.  I would like to own Glazed Berry for the spring and summer, this sheer bright pink will look great against a tan.  Angel Red is a great sheer red that I will wear all the time this time of the year, I have really been into wearing sheer red lips to work and I wouldn't mind owning another shade to help create this look.  Lastly, I want the Guava Stain lipstick, this is another great pink neutral and another shade that I can wear all the time.

This is another good lip formula for Clinique however it still isn't one of my favorites.  I like the shades but I would love if this formula just lasted a bit longer with normal wear.

photo courtesy of Clinique

MAC Pro Lip Palettes

Pro Lip Palettes is newest little collection from MAC and will be the last collection before all the huge holiday collections start to come out within the next two weeks.  This is a collection that contains five new lipstick palettes, each of which contain six shades of lipsticks.  I do wonder why this collection was released now, it could have been released with one of the big gift collections that will come out this month if MAC would have put more festive packaging on it.  Each of this palettes is focused on several variations of one lip shade.  Being that these are considered to be Pro palettes, I do wonder if all the shades in each palette are wearable or it I would be able to pull off three or four shades and the others will be too dramatic for me to easily wear.

"Red, orange, pink, plum, brown, the shades influencing Fall 12's colour trends, now in 5 Pro Lip Palettes with 6 stylish variations of tint and finish - even more when you blend! All you need to keep your kit current."  I can imagine that I will want the red and the pink palettes but I doubt that I would get much use from any of the other color combinations.  Not that I need anymore red lipsticks from MAC but we all know that I will want them anyway...

Here are the Pro Lip Palettes...

Pro Lip Palette/6 Preferred Pinks - Warm, cool, vibrant, 6 key shades that translate pink into gorgeous, of-the-moment hues. Includes Violetta and Show Orchid, Amplified Creme; Crème de la Femme, Frost; Lovelorn and Pretty Please, Lustre and Please Me, Matte.
- Pretty Please - pale pink pearl (Lustre)
- Creme de la Femme - pink laced with gold (Frost)
- Show Orchid - vivid hot pink (Amplified Creme)
- Lovelorn - emotive blue pink (Lustre)
- Please Me - muted rosy-tinted pink (Matte)
- Violetta - bright clean violet purple (Amplified Creme)

Pro Lip Palette/6 Editorial Oranges - Sweet or tart, bold or brazen - these six shades are chicly orange. Includes Bronze Shimmer, Frost; Look at Her, Sheen Supreme; So Chaud, Matte; Morange, Amplified Creme; Crosswires, Cremesheen and Sandy B, Frost.
- Sandy B. - light shell pink (Frost)
- Morange - loudmouth orange (Amplified Creme)
- Look At Her - metallic copper (Sheen Supreme)
- Crosswires - clean pinky orange (Cremesheen)
- So Chaud - intense reddish-orange (Matte)
- Bronze Shimmer - golden bronze with shimmer (Frost)

Pro Lip Palette/6 Editorial Reds - A stylish range of reds in an array of rich finishes. Includes Ruby Woo, Retro Matte; Dare You and On Hold, Cremesheen; Russian Red and Lady Danger, Matte and M∙A∙C Red, Satin.
- Lady Danger - vivid bright coral-red (Matte)
- Russian Red - intense bluish-red (Matte)
- On Hold - midtone yellow raspberry (Cremesheen)
- Ruby Woo - vivid bluish-red (Retro Matte)
- MAC Red - vivid bluish-red (Satin)
- Dare You - deep brown red (Cremesheen)

Pro Lip Palette/6 Select Plums - Provocative plum hues, in shades with stylish appeal. Includes Hang Up in Cremesheen, and Cyber, Amorous, Verve, Captive and Twig, all in Satin.
- Amorous - lovestruck cranberry (Satin)
- Verve - muted brown-ish plum (Satin)
- Hang Up - deep berry (Cremesheen)
- Twig - soft muted brownish-pink (Satin)
- Captive - pinkish-plum (Satin)
- Cyber - intense blackish-purple (Satin)

Pro Lip Palette/6 Modern Browns - Brown is made modern in a rich collection of tints and finishes. Includes Paramount and Peachstock in Satin; Taupe, Matte; Fresh Brew, Lustre; Frenzy, Frost, and Half 'n Half, Amplified Creme.
- Peachstock - neutral peach (Satin)
- Fresh Brew - creamed coffee (Lustre)
- Paramount - reddish brown (Satin)
- Half 'n Half - creamy pink (Amplified Creme)
- Taupe - muted reddish-taupe brown (Matte)
- Frenzy - pinky-peach beige with shimmer (Frost)

I was right that the only two that I might want to purchase are the pink and red palettes, I might be more likely to purchase the pink palette as I don't own any of these shades already.  I own MAC Red and Russian Red from the red palette and while I love both of them, I am not really in need of a back up at the moment.  These palettes are nice enough but I'm not that excited for them and they could have easily waited and been released with the holiday gifts and they would have gotten much more attention.

Onto MAC Holiday!

photo courtesy of MAC

MAC Viva Glam Nicki and Ricky...Part 2!

Last February, we looked at the newest installment in the MAC Viva Glam series, Viva Glam Nicki and Ricky.  If you remember, I was obsessed with owning Viva Glam Nicki from the second that I first heard about it months earlier and then counted the days until the collection was finally released at the counters.  After I was finally able to try the lipstick, I was so disappointed because I hated the shade when I tried it on, it had too much yellow in it and was too warm for my skintone.  I quikcly got over my obsession with this shade when I bought NARS Schiap and this shade became my go-ton bright pink matte from the end of the spring and then all the way into the summer.  I still plan to pull that hue out now that we are in fall since bright lip shades are still very popular and this shade is still a favorite lipstick of mine.  That shade made me forget about Viva Glam Nicki...

At some point over the past few days, MAC quietly added to the Viva Glam Nicki collection and will draw attention back to the Nicki and Ricky collection.  I seem to remember that MAC did the exact same with the Viva Glam Gaga line several years ago and this worked out very well for them.  This time around, MAC has released the Viva Glam Nicki in a lip gloss formula.  I am thinking that this shade might be easier for me to wear since it wouldn't be near as pigmented and it might be ok with my skintone.

"Ricky Martin and Nicki Minaj bring a hot new way to Glam it up with Viva Glam Nicki Lipglass.  The limited-edition products joins Nicki's scene-stealing pink Lipstick and Ricky's colourless Lip Conditioner.  Every cent from the sale goes toward helping women, men, and children living with HIV/AIDS."

The original Viva Glam Nicki and Ricky and also the newest addition...

Viva Glam Nicki Lipstick - MAc and hip-hop diva Nicki Minaj join forces to create Viva Glam Nicki, a scene-stealing Lipstick.  Every cent from the sale goes toward helping women, men, and children affected with HIV/AIDS.  Limited edition.
- Viva Glam Nicki - bright yellow pink

Viva Glam Nicki Lipglass - Pay homage to Her Minajesty with a new limited-edition Lipglass in hot pink.  Wear it alone or pair it with Viva Glam Lipstick for a perfectly glossed look.  Every cent from the sale goes toard helping women, men, and childern affected with HIV/AIDS.  Limited edition.
- Viva Glam Nicki - hot pink

Viva Glam Ricky Lip Conditioner - Pop icon Ricky Martin amps up Viva Glam with a limited edition Lip Conditioner that goes from day to dance floor!  Untinted, keeps lips soft and supple.  Every cent from the sale goes toward helping women, men, and childern affected with HIV/AIDS.  Limited edition.
- Viva Glam Ricky - clear

I already know that I will not be buying the Lipstick or the Lip Conditioner, I ruled both of those out in the first round.  Now the lip gloss is a very different story, I will need to try the shade out and see if this version is a bit cooler than the lipstick the shade description is different.

Let's see if this gloss release is a strong as the Lady Gaga one!

photo courtesy of MAC

MAC and Azealia Banks

MAC has releasing their fall collections very quickly over the past two weeks.  We had a long hiatus and then Styleseeker and MAC and Carine Roitfeld collections came out and now I see a whole list of new products and collection listed on the MAC website.  I know what company that I will be blogging about a lot over the next few days, this is the time that I tend to go on MAC overload and all of the products and shades tend to become hazy in my head.  I am not usre why MAC makes some of the marketing and release decisions that they do but I guess that I will just go with the flow and see how much shopping that I will want to do at the counter in the next few days. 

I see one full colour collection listed on the "new" area of the website and several small collections that each consist of a handfull of products.  Today we are going to start with one of the smallest collections and one that I believe in online only, MAC and Azealia Banks.  And we have yet another collaboration from MAC, I made the comment last spring about how I hoped that MAC wouldn't do too many collaborations as it will begin to get old very quickly.  It is now begining to get old, I like many of the collaborations (MAC and Carine Roitfeld, mais oui!) but this is getting to be overkill and I hope that MAC is looking for a new trend to start following before the collaboration trend gets really annoying...

Who is Azealia Banks?  I do not believe that I have ever heard of this musical artist or have heard any music from her.  I turned to her personal website for a bit of information and background.  Banks is a rapper from Harlem whose first single "212" was released in early December of 2011.  Early December is a time of the year where I am consumed with school and work so I easily things, I have never heard this song so I decided to watch the official video through YouTube.  In soft, she reminds of a combination of Rihanna's look and style and Nicki Minaj's rap style.  I will need to hear more from her before I can form a full opinion...

This lipstick reminded me of the Pink Friday release for Nicki Minaj, another time when MAC created a makeup selection with a rather unknown artist and then both the artist and the lip hue where sold out within a few days of the release.  At least MAC is consistently cutting edge and is bringing some unknown artists more into the mainstream.

"Coming from the 212, rap ingenue Azealia Banks collaborates with MAC on Yung Rapunxel -  a limited edition lipstick in a deep, rich shade of plum with an amplified finish."

Lipstick - Lips meet Azealia Banks' high style in a high-comfort shine Lipstick in a deep, rich plum with an amplified finish.  Limited edition.
- Yung Rapunxel - deep plum cream

Well this shade didn't sell out as fast as Pink Friday, this shade will be better on those with a deeper toned complexion or someonw who really loves deep dramatic lip hues.  This is not a shade for me so I will be skipping over it and waiting to see what else MAC brings out int he next week or so...

photo courtesy of MAC