Winter Lipstick Picks 💄

Next week marks the beginning of June which means Winter will have officially arrived in New Zealand! Today I’ve got another seasonal post lined up for you: my top lipstick picks for winter. For a lot of people the cooler months are all about berry tones and while I do like those, they aren’t the only colours you’ll see me wearing. Whether you’re a fan of berries, neutrals or classic year round shades, keep reading to see how to dress up your winter lips!

Berry

I’ve got two options for you on the berry front and they are both matte. One is a cult classic among beauty bloggers and the other is a gorgeous purple-berry shade I won in a giveaway.

1. First up is Rimmel 107 which is much adored in the blogging world. This lipstick is a lovely berry/wine shade and another huge plus point of this lipstick is it’s price tag. I paid around $11 (NZD) for it and it retails for roughly £5 in the drugstore. If you are prone to dry lips, I would advise applying a balm under this one.
2. Secondly, we have After Dark by Urban Decay. This lipstick is from Urban Decay’s relatively new Matte Revolution range and I was luckily enough to win this shade in a giveaway last December. The best way to describe this lipstick is Rimmel 107’s more purple cousin. This lipstick is the epitome of Autumn/Winter and I used it to create my autumnal makeup look. The sleek black and purple packaging adds to the luxury feel. The formula of this lipstick is not as matte as Rimmel 107 and I can get away with not wearing a balm underneath.

Neutral

Ever since I started blogging, I’ve become obsessed with neutral everyday shades and wear them at least once or twice a week. Again, I’ve got two options in this category including an old favourite and one of my more recent additions.

1. If you’ve been a reader of my blog for a while now you will know all about my love for MAC’s Syrup. It was my first ever MAC lipstick and MAC purchase and I still wear this shade constantly. Syrup has slightly pink, slightly muted berry tones with a hint of raspberry and it is one of my favourite lipstick shades in my collection. This shade is perfect to throw on if you’re not sure what to wear and is appropriate for both day and night.
2. I purchased Asia by Rimmel back in March and it is fast becoming another of my favourite shades. The browny/pink tones pull cool making it a lovely option for winter and would look gorgeous teamed with either a smokey or shimmery eye. It’s still warm enough that it adds colour to the face and would even look lovely worn with just a few coats of mascara.

Suggested post: Nude Lipsticks 101 – see more of my favourite neutral lip colours.

Bright

When it comes to lipstick my absolute favourite shade to wear is fuchsia! A more restrained alternative to fuchsia is my Raspberry Ripple lipstick by W7. (The name even has berry in it!) I purchased this lipstick for my mum but she told me to keep it as she already owned similar shades. This lipstick cost me $6 and the pigmentation and formula doesn’t disappoint. This lipstick feels so moisturising on the lips and doesn’t feel like you’re wearing anything at all. Raspberry Ripple has a slight frost effect to it but if anything it makes the lips look highlighted and isn’t as frosty as a MAC frost lipstick.

Classic

You can’t go wrong with a traditional, classic red, particularly in the form of Ruby Woo by MAC. Ruby Woo is a blue-toned red meaning it makes your teeth look whiter and who doesn’t want that?! The lasting power is pretty amazing but it is a retro matte formula meaning it can be more drying than usual. I have worn this lipstick without applying a balm first and let me tell you, I don’t advise it. Application wasn’t the easiest and when I removed the lipstick my lips were sore and felt dry. I’ve said this before but I guarantee you, Ruby Woo is the perfect red lipstick!

Swatches

Left To Right and listed in the order above: 107, After Dark, Syrup, Asia, Raspberry Ripple and Ruby Woo.

Do you agree with the shades I’ve selected? What would you add to the list?

Nude Lipsticks 101

Hello beautiful people! Over the past few years the nude lip trend has been ever increasing and with all the brands and different products on the market it can be hard to find your perfect nude. There are a few points to consider: skintone, formula and the colours that make up the undertone of the lipstick. I have put together a selection of my personal favourite nude lip products and broken them down into categories based on their undertones and which shades of nude I believe you should have in your collection.

1. The True Nude – MAC Blankety

I define true nude as a shade that looks incredibly pale and almost foundation like. Of course this shouldn’t be the case, you should be able to tell you’ve got lipstick on your lips not foundation. I’ve selected Blankety by MAC as my true nude because there’s something beautiful about how subtle it looks on the lips. I tend to reach for Blankety if I’ve got a lot going on on the rest of my face or if I’m having a more natural looking makeup day. The formula of this lipstick is amazing, it’s very creamy and applies like a dream.

2. The Pinky Nude – MAC Patisserie

I promise not all the lip products mentioned in this post are by MAC, in fact this is the last one. To look at Patisserie in the bullet you’d think it would come out darker than what it does on the lips. In the bullet it looks slightly peachy, slightly pink and ever so slightly brown with flecks of gold glitter. It comes out more of a light pink on my lips. I think the reason Patisserie comes out lighter on the lips than in the bullet is due to its’ lustre finish. This finish is one of MAC’s sheerer ones but it doesn’t detract from Patisserie at all and makes it a very wearable everyday shade.

3. The Pinky/Brown Nude – Rimmel Asia

Asia by Rimmel is quite a recent addition to my lipstick collection and a product I haven’t talked about on my blog up until now. One of my closest blogging and Twitter friends Claire had talked about this lipstick many times and I just knew I had to try it out. Up until a few months ago I would’ve flat out refused to wear anything with a hint of brown in it because I was convinced those shades didn’t suit me. I’m glad to say I was wrong, and I’m even more glad to say I’m happy I purchased Asia. Rimmel is one of my favourite brands as the quality always blows me away and the prices are so good. This lipstick cost me $10 and the formula is incredible for a drugstore lipstick. I have also read that Asia is a dupe for a few different MAC shades: Twig, Cosmo, Faux and Mehr.

4. The Brown Nude – Rimmel Comet

Brown lips were a popular trend in the 90s and they are making a comeback due to the likes of Kylie Jenner. Brown can be a hard colour to pull off, especially if you’re pale as the wrong shade of brown or a very dark brown can end up making you look paler than you already are and wash you out. I’m very fortunate to have found what I believe is my perfect brown in Comet, one of Rimmel’s Show Off Apocolips lip lacquers. Comet has a milk chocolate tone to it almost with hints of terracotta and red to further warm things up. This product isn’t matte and the shine makes your lips look juicy and full without being sticky.

Swatches in the middle picture, left to right: Blankety, Patisserie, Asia and Comet.

There you have it, the lip products I believe are my perfect nude shades! Have you found yours yet – let me know in the comments below!

Disclaimer: The shades mentioned here are barely only guidance to help you find your perfect nude. The way these shades look on me may differ to how they look on you. I broke the post down into undertones to help you see the differences between nude lip products and ultimately help you decide which shades are right for you.

P.S. I don’t use the term MLBB (my lips but better) as I believe there is more than one shade that enhances your natural lip colour and I’ve never really understood the term. If you don’t want it to look like you’re wearing lipstick, don’t wear any, simple as that.

Makeup Storage and Organisation

Hey everyone, hope you had a lovely weekend! I’ve had another four days off which has been bliss! It’s been nice and chilled compared to Christmas weekend which was busy with family, shopping and eating. I did some pampering (nails and face mask) and some planning with the new kikki.K stationery I got for Christmas. I also watched the cricket (a mere nine overs, it was rained off) and cleared out a drawer to organise my makeup. I’ve been meaning to do it for ages and what better time than the start of the year.

A month ago I purchased a white, metal jar for my makeup brushes and a couple of plastic baskets to keep my makeup in for next to nothing. I keep my makeup brushes on top of my dresser in the jar along with the hand cream I’m currently using, primer and a roll-on perfume. I spent Sunday clearing out one of my dresser drawers to keep my makeup tucked away and out of the sun.

Before:

Makeup brush holder

First I decided what to use each of the baskets for; one for nail polishes, one for lips and one for face products.

The back row is nail polishes I don’t use that often then I grouped the rest together by brand. There are no preferences to how the brands are organised, simply how the nail polishes best fit in the basket.

Also tucked at the back of the basket are my Klass nails and some nail files. The Klass nails are nail wraps I won in a Twitter competition a few years ago along with a signed card from Myleene Klass.

For my lip basket I put my most used and favourite lipsticks at the front (MAC obviously) and grouped the others by brand like I did for the nail polishes. I have kept my MAC lipsticks in their boxes so it’s easy for me to identify each shade without having to pick up each lipstick individually. Also in this basket are my lip glosses, and lip balms.

Organising my makeup made me realise face and base products are actually what I have the least number of. I think that’s because when I find a product I like I tend to stick with it. In this basket I have my foundation and concealer, mascaras, Maybelline Colour Tattoos, eyeshadow palettes, my blushes and a 6 in 1 powder I don’t use very often.

I had a few bits and pieces left over so I put them into this clear cube which my nail polishes were in previously. These are products I don’t use but don’t want to throw away either. The Australis mousse and concealer sticks I did use regularly before I switched to liquid foundation and concealer. I will use these if I want sheer, light coverage.

I have also made room in the drawer for my hand creams, my face mask, tweezers, jewellery pieces I keep in their boxes and the little Essie travel pouch for nail polish.

After:

I’m so pleased with how everything looks and that my makeup finally has a designated place instead of being kept in makeup bags and scattered on top of my dresser. I love how neat and tidy it is and how refreshing it felt having a sort out. If there’s anything you want me to clarify or talk about further just let me know in the comments!

Hope you enjoyed this post, thanks for reading!

Show & Tell: Dainty Doll Haul

A week and a half ago I ordered some Dainty Doll cosmetics through eBay and Amazon. Both orders were shipped from The UK on Monday 15.09.2014 and arrived in New Zealand this Tuesday.

Tuesday’s arrival consisted of Wonderbalm and two lipsticks. I have listed the prices and where each item is from in brackets.

Wonderbalm 001 Working Girl £1.66 (Amazon)

Lipstick 004 Material World £4.50 (Amazon)

Lipstick 007 Stripped £4.99 (eBay)

(The wonderbalm and lipstick 004 were purchased from the same seller on Amazon).

Top of the wonderbalm lid. The simple black metal and gold inscribed logo makes the items feel more luxurious.

The tub of wonderbalm is deceptive. You think it’s quite small but once you take it out of the box and open it up you realise there is a good amount of product. The tub features a snap closure, glass bottom and mirror.

 I have included this image of the back of the box as it lists the ingredients and many ways wonderbalm can be used. I haven’t used any yet but am looking forward to trying it out!

Side views of the lipstick boxes

Upon removal of the lipsticks from their boxes you can see the packaging is similar to that of the wonderbalm, black metal with a gold logo inscription. Sleek and sexy!

The bottom of the lipsticks feature the number they are in the collection but don’t include which shade it is. I know this may annoy some people but personally I’m not bothered by it. I have a good memory so know which is which.

Left to right: 007 Stripped and 004 Material World

Finally, what I’m sure you’ve all been waiting to see! The colours of the lipsticks differ slightly in real life but you can see Stripped is a lovely gold shimmery nude and Material World is a soft rose pink.

Top to bottom: Stripped (007) and Material World (004)

I have done swatches of both lipsticks on my hand (excuse my freckles and extremely pale skin). The camera has made my skin look redder than it actually is but the point of this photo is so you can see what the colours look like on and how they go with my skin. I am super impressed, I picked well even if I do say so myself! The lipsticks glide on and stay on for a good few hours. They don’t dry your lips out either. At the moment I have a slight preference for Stripped which I think is because a nude lip is a new style for me to try out.

Hope you enjoyed seeing the new additions to my makeup collection. What have you added to yours recently?

Chanelle x

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On another note I have no idea what’s going on with my 001 Couture order. I received an order confirmation email but when I emailed customer services to see if the lipstick has been shipped (twice) I’ve had no response. If the lipstick hasn’t arrived after a month I’ll look into getting a refund.