Tag: mac cosmetics

MAC Betty Boop Red Lipstick.

Most of you who read my little old blog will probably know by now that I’ve been a hardcore Vintage Lover since I discovered my angel Marilyn in October 2010. Therefore, it’s by no surprise that I have a lot of love for a certain 1920s Bombshell named, Betty Boop!

As cliché as it may sound, I like to think it’s almost destiny that I was to become a Vintage Girl at heart, as for as long as I can remember, I’ve always adored Betty Boop. This stems from my mum having a soft spot for her and owning little ornaments of Betty that are placed around our house. Thinking about it, one of my nicest memories from Secondary School was my mum buying me an absolutely gorgeous pink pen with Betty all over it – although it ran out over ten years ago, I have no doubt that it’s probably lounging somewhere in my room.

However, I seem to have gotten way off track and I most definitely do not want to spend this post focusing on School – I’m sure you don’t want me to either! So, back to my favourite Flapper Girl! Betty is without doubt one of the most famous cartoons and I think we can all agree when I say, she most definitely gives real life Bombshells a run for their money! I know, it’s hard to believe that in reality, many will tell you that she’s just a drawing – however, we all know by now I’m very much a Dreamer and I like to think Betty, almost a century later, is still booping around somewhere. In fact, Betty Enthusiasts will probably know that she was originally created as a caricature of Actress Helen Kane so technically, technically she is in fact – real!

Once again, I’m getting way too involved in the past and not concentrating on the actual focus of this Review Post, MAC’s very own Betty Boop Lipstick!  Please note – this lipstick is an online exclusive only and after being released in the USA for at least a month, it finally arrived in the UK and of course, I purchased it straight away.

Apart from my absolute favourite, Marilyn, Betty Boop is probably one of the most famous Red Lipstick Lovers and her trademark pout is simply a must in creating her signature look. I mean, when have you ever seen Betty without her crimson lips? Seriously, if you have – please prove me wrong!

Therefore, when you’re a vintage girl, love red lipstick and MAC creates a shade based on Betty’s iconic pout, you know that you simply have to add this product to your makeup inventory. Betty Boop Red is described as a, “bright true red” with a matte finish and let me tell you this – it does not disappoint!

If you’re a blue toned red lover then this is the shade for you, it’s perfect for pale skin, with the cool shade complimenting fair complexions. However, if you have warm or darker skin tones then fear not, I’ve personally never been one to follow lipstick shade advice and often wear orange and coral reds that aren’t recommended for fair skin tones. So ultimately – don’t be put off and if you like the shade, wear it!

I actually find this matte finish slightly different to my other MAC Lipsticks, not in a bad way, I just felt that this one was a lot more shiny. As a result of this I noticed I had to take more time for application if I wanted an overall good outcome and of course, I did. Therefore, if you want a super matte dry finish look I’d recommend going with MAC’s Russian Red.

The only super negative of the product is, ironically nothing to do with the actual lipstick itself, which ultimately I know is a good thing. The negative is down to the packaging and before I complain, I must say, the outer box the lipstick comes in is absolutely beautiful. Of course, we all know I won’t be throwing it away anytime soon. However, the container itself looks just like any other MAC Lipstick! This is so disappointing and pretty strange as with previous collaborations, MAC always have Limited Edition products designed with special packaging and for some reason, apart from the exterior box – is completely normal.

Overall, I wouldn’t let this put you off from purchasing the lipstick, it truly is a beautiful colour and the texture and formula is spot on. Plus, like I said before, it does come in a stunning box which is most definitely worth keeping. I just think it’s important for me to mention encase you want the lipstick and are expecting a beautiful lipstick container that sadly, doesn’t exist.

MAC still create some of my favourite Lipsticks and I have quite a few of their previous Collaborations. I just hope if they ever release another Betty Boop lipstick – they learn from this small but very frustrating mistake.

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MAC Ruby Woo Shadescents Lipstick.

For red lipstick lovers, Ruby Woo is without doubt known as the ultimate crimson shade to wear. It has been one of MAC’s best selling products for years and has celebrities like Dita Von Teese name it as one of her favourite colours to wear. As shocking as it sounds, I’ve never actually owned my own Ruby Woo, that is until now!

I knew that it was finally time I bought Ruby Woo when I saw that they were releasing a new Collection Called MAC Shadescents. Six of their most popular colours have been specially repackaged to shade-match each lipstick – with a unique perfume available too.

I absolutely adore the special packaging and design, it is just beautiful and MAC have truly outdone themselves. I know a lot of people like the simple, sleek original design of their lipsticks but I much prefer this, it’s so mesmerizing! I’m actually tempted to buy the other shades in the Shadescents Collection just to have more of these beautiful products, however I like to think that even I’m not that frivolous!

I really hate to say this, but one big downfall of the Shadescent Ruby Woo is that the finish is different to the original lipstick! I bought this thinking I’d be getting the iconic matte texture, but for some reason this special edition is a retro matte instead. As much as I’d love to embrace the retro format, being a huge vintage lover myself, I much prefer matte. I find the retro matte finish to be a lot harsher to apply and feel and look pretty drying. My friend actually has an original Ruby Woo and I swatched both on my hand, the colour slightly varied and hers was a lot more glossy than mine. I am honestly so disappointed that for whatever reason MAC felt the need to change the format for the special edition, why try and fix something when it’s already perfect?

In all fairness, I did contact MAC with my issue and they offered to send me a new one, but I’d have to give my Shadescents back to them, although I’m pretty sure you can’t resell lipstick? I decided against this as I’d rather be able to repurchase it in the store and make sure it’s a matte finish and not a retro matte. I have a lot of MAC lipsticks, I’m guessing around 20, so I’m a huge fan of the Brand, but this is definitely something I was ultimately pretty disappointed with.

To emphasize how much retro matte isn’t for me, I only have one other lipstick with this finish – Relentlessly Red, which ironically I purchased because of the texture! I’ve checked the other shades in the collection and as far as I’m aware they all match the original finishes, it’s just Ruby Woo that was changed for some strange reason.

Ultimately, I’m pretty happy to have this in my collection, simply because it is extra beautiful with the special packaging. Who knows, maybe the retro matte format will grow on me the more I try and get used to it? Ironically enough, after wearing it again for this post today, I did actually quite like the retro matte texture! But I do definitely recommend putting on a good few layers with a lipstick brush first as like I said before, I found it to be quite harsh to apply without. I’ve noticed that I do seem to use a lot more product with a retro matte finish lipstick, compared to the matte textures.

Overall I have not lost faith in MAC, I just like to be as honest and authentic to others as I can be. I wouldn’t want others to buy the Shadescents Ruby Woo for the packaging and get a different format like I did. I love the colour and I’ll just make sure I purchase  the original whenever I can.

All I have to say to MAC is, if it’s not broke – don’t fix it!

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MAC So Good For You Nutcracker Sweet Lipstick.

As soon as I saw the Christmas Collection MAC were releasing  entitled Nutcracker Sweet, I knew that I simply had to have one of the lipsticks. Ironically enough my mum loved one of the shades and bought Saucy Little Darling, (I will review this one at some point also) so ultimately, I ended up with two out of the five! Sadly, that lipstick and the other three shades are now no longer available on MAC’s website – however, my favourite out of the five and the one I’m reviewing – So Good For You, is still available! What’s even better is it’s also reduced to just £11.50 compared to the usual £17.50, which is a couple of pounds higher because of it being a limited edition.

So Good For You is described as an, “intense cool red” with a matte finish. The term cool red simply means that the shade is a blue tone which is usually suited to paler skin tones compared to a orange shade which often compliments warmer tones. If you’ve been reading my blog posts for a while then you’ll definitely know how much I love red lipsticks and this one definitely passes the test! It’s so vibrant and bold with an almost cherry red pinkish undertone, simply timeless! I must add, the colour on the website looks significantly different to the actual shade as you will see by my photos and their website picture. It looks so warm, almost an orange neon red online and it most definitely is not that shade.

The packaging is ever so beautiful and of course I will be keeping the box as well – I can’t throw away something that pretty! The pink, purple and gold shades are eye catching, vibrant and compliment each other perfectly. As I’ve said before, this collection is definitely my favourite that MAC have released so far and I honestly don’t know how they can improve on their designing, but I’m sure I’ll eat my words when the next one comes out!


As with all MAC products I have tried, the lipstick is a quality formula and lasts all day, only wearing slightly on the edges of my lips from eating – so I can’t really complain! Also, the matte finish is so creamy and doesn’t dry or feel unpleasant to wear, it stays looking presentable and in place. Even now, as I’m writing this twelve hours later you can still make out the overall shade left on my lips – that’s pretty good going if you ask me!

If you’re a red lipstick lover like myself then I would definitely hurry over to MAC and pick up So Good For You before it’s no longer available! I’m even tempted to buy another one as I hate to think about it running out and no longer having one in my makeup collection. The great thing about the Nutcracker Sweet products is that the shades are simply timeless and can be worn all year around, they’re not just specifically wearable for the Holiday Season!

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MAC Nutcracker Sweet Basic Brush Set.

As someone who has loved and used makeup for quite a few years, with time comes experience, learning and the realization that how you apply your makeup is just as important as the finished creation. To sum up my introduction – brushes and blenders are a must have for application!

When I really started getting into perfecting my makeup and skills of some sort, I discovered the wonderful Real Techniques and have been using them for years. However, it was with sheer delight and utter surprise that for Christmas I received the MAC Nutcracker Sweet Basic Brush Set  – which in my opinion, is without doubt their best packaging yet! I must add, as the season is sadly well and truly over – this product is on sale for £31.50, saving around £15. Although some may find this price pretty expensive for, “brushes” I know that some products can often cost near the £100 mark! So for five applicators from a very established brand this is most definitely a great deal.

Within this set you get a lip, foundation or blush, eye liner, fluff and powder brush set all included in a beautiful matching pink and purple bag. Also, not only did my wonderful mum get me this for Christmas – she also picked up a MAC  Fan Brush for highlighting. As expected from this brand, the quality of the product is absolutely wonderful – the brushes are so fine and soft! But yes, with quality you do often pay a fair bit extra and at £20, this was definitely not the cheapest. However, I always think to myself that if you want a long lasting product then sometimes you do have to pay that little bit extra. The packaging is classic MAC – black and silver and most definitely bold and iconic, oozing every inch of style.

This product is perfect for your everyday make up and a wonderful starter pack if you’re just getting into makeup brushes and want something that will stand the test of time. Furthermore, it’s such a great size to take with you whether you’re travelling or simply off out for the day. Although my fan brush was bought separately, it happily fits in the bag with the other products so that’s definitely an extra bonus.

Furthermore, not only is the packaging and each brush absolutely stunning – like seriously beautiful, but the box the set comes in matches the bag and each product! So naturally, I’ve kept that too and I can justify that by the extra packaging keeping the products even safer.

The MAC Nutcracker Sweet Collection is just a dream for makeup lovers or for people who appreciate pretty things and I will be using it all year round for sure! So, I’d definitely grab it whilst you can as it won’t be in stock for much longer – sobs. However, I can’t wait to see what they release next!

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Five Perfect Autumn Lipstick Shades.

Paraphrasing the wise words of George R. R. Martin – Autumn Is Coming! Actually, to be pretty frank, it’s well and truly here and apart from the orange leaves and snuggling in front of the fire, what else could be better than choosing the perfect shades of lipstick?

To suit the Season, I find the perfect shades to wear are usually purples, burgundies or anything fairly dark, so after finally being inspired by Laura – I’m going to share with you guys my Top Five shades. However, it’s all about being comfortable and happy with yourself so if the colours aren’t for you then that’s okay, it’s just my personal opinion.

My first lipstick recommendation has to be MAC’s Up The Amp – a purple shade with an amplified finish. I think this colour is perfect for Autumn weather due to it’s vibrant intense purple fitting perfectly with the cool and windy weather. I also believe this shade suits all types of skin tones and is suitable for everyone to try due to it being quite versatile.  On the website the lipstick is described as a, “Lavender Violet“. However, I feel it is more intense than the image shown, the shade is definitely very bold and stands out. At £15.50 this product comes in at the medium to high end price range but as a lot of my lipsticks are from MAC, I can definitely say they are worth the money and are very good quality.

Next up is NYX’s Cherry Skies – to me, this colour is the signature shade for Autumn due to it’s rusty burgundy tone. It is a deep matte red in liquid lipstick formula and is only £6.50, which comes in towards the cheaper price range and it is definitely worth your money. I actually think that NYX’s Liquid Lipsticks are better than some of the high end products out there, they stay on and are lasting! This shade is an absolute show stopper – a statement bold you can’t miss me red and because of this it may be intimidating to some. However, if you’re a red lipstick lover like me, it’s definitely worth branching out and giving it a try! I feel this colour is a perfect compliment to the rusty orange and red leaves of Autumn and has a very 1920s vintage vamp feel.

My third must have shade for Autumn is MAC’s Twig, described on their website as a, “Soft Muted Brownish-Pink” which I think sums the colour up perfectly. Although, I do think once again the lipstick looks slightly lighter than it actually is, it is definitely darker than pictured. The finish for Twig is Satin, which is a glossy texture so it looks quite shiny, however I feel the colour stays and if this bothers you than a lip pencil can always be used to make it last – I use Hover. This shade is not too bold but definitely isn’t a nude lipstick, so if you want a subtle look than this isn’t really for you. Personally, I prefer to go for a bolder colour in the colder season and pink coral shades for the warmer weather.

Number four is Rimmel’s Glam Plum Fulham in 470, which is an intense purple-burgundy shade with a glossy finish. After not wearing this colour for a while I decided to apply it today, so I could review it for this post and at first I was pretty shocked with how bold it was. I was almost unsure if this shade suited me at first because it stood out so much but once I’d finished applying I loved the end result. At £6.49 this lipstick is nearer the cheaper priced products but once again I found the quality to be long lasting even with the glossy texture. The product is described as a “Moisture Renew” lipstick and I can definitely say that after wearing this all day my lips have not felt dry and I’ve not needed to reapply it either.

Last but not least is probably one of the most popular lipsticks around; MAC’s Velvet Teddy. With Kylie Jenner setting the nude trend for lipsticks on fire, this soon became the top selling shade in MAC’s Collection so of course,  I had to find out what the fuss was all about. Velvet Teddy is described as a, “Deep Tone Beige” with a matte finish and I would pretty much agree with that description. The colour looks like the perfect shade for autumn and it’s not too nude, it actually has a proper brownish tint to it and doesn’t drain your face. The only problem is this lipstick is extremely popular so it may take a few trips to MAC before you actually come home with one.

I hope you enjoyed my Five Perfect Autumn Lipstick Shades and they inspire you to update your look and try something new. There are so many amazing colours out there to make your own!

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MAC Give In Lipstick.

MAC lovers! In case you’re not aware, a new collection of lipsticks called Blue Nectar have recently been released online and in stores. I’ve been eagerly awaiting this launch for quite a few weeks now and to my surprise I stumbled across the new range in store last weekend.

There are twelve shades,  three of them being re-releases, (I think) and nine new colours. Before being able to swatch each lipstick I’d already decided I loved quite a few of them, my favourite being Intoxica – a classic red, what else? Therefore, this post is all the more surprising when I reveal I went for a completely new shade for me – Give in!

I sadly wasn’t as impressed with Intoxica when I swatched it, I don’t know why, it just didn’t seem to live up to my hopes, however I’ve not actually tried it on, so don’t let me influence you too much. Ultimately, I think I’ve just got way too many red lipsticks! But you can never have enough, right?

What’s shocking about me choosing Give In is pretty obvious, it’s not a classic 1950s vintage girl shade and it’s definitely not a colour I have in my lipstick collection!  Give In is described as a creamy natural pink and I’d agree with that, it’s definitely a lot more pale than my usual bold colours and clearly doesn’t stand out as much – not that that’s a bad thing of course. It’s without doubt a definite 1960s shade, so if you’re a fan of sixties make up then this is the colour for you. The finish is amplified, so creates an almost glossy texture which I’ve noticed doesn’t last as long as matte so a lip pencil with this shade would go a long way – I’ve yet to find the matching colour for it though!

I’ll be honest, when I first applied the lipstick, I really wasn’t sure if it suited me, I couldn’t decide if it was just too light  for me and I’m pretty sure I could hear my red lipsticks whispering to wear them instead. However, as soon as I’d fixed my hair and outfit I felt that actually, change can be a pretty good thing and maybe this was one of those moments. When I swatched all of the shades in the store this colour stood out to me for a reason, it was different and it wasn’t my go to lipstick. I always love experimenting with make up and trying different shades, daring to be different and remove any invisible barriers I create for myself

I’m always used to wearing a bold shade of lipstick, even when I wear a nude or coral colour it’s always fairly pigmented and this definitely wasn’t one of those. I automatically think of this shade suiting darker skin tones, eyes and hair to contrast and create a more stand out look, however, it was nice to realize it actually didn’t look too bad on myself. I have to remind myself that not all blondes wear red lipstick – nude shades are giving just as much competition!

I don’t know about the stores, but if you want to order this online then currently you’re out of luck. Not only is Give In sold out but five out of the twelve shades are temporarily, (I think) unavailable. As this clearly means they’re very popular, I’d hope they’d be back in stock asap, so don’t lose hope! What I love about this collection is there are so many unique shades, I can’t tell you how long I’ve wanted a lilac lipstick and there’s finally one available, well it’s sold out for now – but you get my point! 

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