Liquid lipsticks are still a hot topic in the beauty community, and I'm just starting to get into it myself. I already own a few liquid lipsticks, however I haven't been completely satisfied with them.
I also am a bit reluctant to splash my cash on them because of this.
So I wanted to try so more drugstore ones. These ones I've had my eye on for a while, as they have some really cool & interesting shades (as you can see). These are MUA - Make Up Academy's Luxe Velvet Lip Lacquers.
I did only pick up a few shades, which are Potent (right above) & Unity (left above).
Firstly, value of money. These are more than worth the spend. At only £3 per lip lacquer you could easily buy the whole collection for the price of some other liquid lipsticks. These definitely fall right into the 'dupe' section!
Another thing about these is the packaging. For the price I really think they've done an amazing job of making them look more expensive. The frosted glass style packaging makes them look so much more high end. They're definitely cute enough to display on your vanity.
So onto the formulation! I would have to say I quite like it! It dries down quickly, but not so quick that you can't correct any mistakes. It also is very comfortable to wear, which is the problem with most liquid lips I've tried. I will say after about 6/7 hours of wear they begin to back up a bit & flake. However chances are I won't be wearing them that long generally.
Above is a swatch of both colours. As you can see the left is a little patchy, which these can be, however they are very buildable. I would recommend doing at least two coats just to be sure & to get the best wear time.
Also is it me, or does Unity (left) look a little like Cashmere by Lime Crime... just saying!
Lip balm, an absolute essential. Whenever & wherever!
I've tried so many different lip balms throughout the years & still haven't found one that I wholeheartedly love (sad face).
So I've been testing out some of The Body Shop's Lip Butters.
The flavours I picked up are Strawberry & Honeymania.
These are pot packaged lip balms which aren't my preferred type of packaging, for hygiene reasons. Also when you have long nails it's a nightmare, it just ends up all under your nails!
That aside though the scent of these is nice but not too overpowering, even when on the lips & in the pot. I do prefer the honey though, as it's not quite as sweet.
The formula is quite thick & hard in the pot, but warms & softens quickly when you use it. In fact, when softened I would say it's quite a thin so I tend to apply a good amount.
Overall if you like your lip balm in a cute convenient pot, which actually works then they're definitely worth trying. I would recommend the Honey over the Strawberry though.
I never used to understand the use of lip liners really, I was just lazy & didn't bother.
However they have really grown in popularity over the last few years, so I decided to try some.
I'll admit I don't have loads still but I have some MAC ones that I LOVE!
I actually think I'll be collecting more of these than MAC lipsticks to be honest. I find these a lot more versatile to use & last so much longer than lipsticks alone. I also really like the formula of these MAC ones, they glide on so easy, the only time they might tug is if you need to sharpen it.
That really is my only con of these is that you do have to sharpen them. However the twist up ones can get a little blunted, so sharpening them can improvement their usability. It's really down to what you prefer to use.
The two shades I have are both nudes mauves, which is my preferred colour. They are in the colours Soar (above) & Dervish (below). MAC offer a huge colour selection of lip liners though, so I'm sure you'll find something just right for you!
Here is my favourite Christmassy eye look for this year.
This is glam enough for any Christmas party or night out but equally as appropriate for Christmas dinner (maybe drop the eyeliner & go for a neutral lip).
My inspiration for this look what a gold/ green shade in my MAC pre-made warm tones eyeshadow palette. The shade is called Unwind. I thought combined with a red lip it would make for a very festive make up look!
I think this is something you learn as your experience make up, but everyone has their favourite type of 'nude' lip colour.
As for me it has to be a pink/ mauve nude!
Below are some of my favourite lip products in my favourite nude colour.
Left to right:
Rimmel Kate Moss Nude Lipstick in 45.
Rimmel Kate Moss Nude Lipstick in 42.
These lipsticks are great, especially for the drugstore! They are really moisturising & comfortable to wear. The smell is little weird but you get that quite a bit with drugstore lipsticks so I think it can be forgiven as these two colours are just beautiful nudes.
I'm not a big lip lacquer fan but this one by Soap & Glory is actually quite nice as it isn't a matte finish. This makes it really moisturising and pretty long wearing (as it doesn't dry & crack). It also smells amazing, like ice cream.
MAC Lipstick in Twig.
This one is a little more on the brown side compared to the rest however I still love it. I feel like this is a great nude shade by MAC that isn't talked about enough! If you can't get hold of whirl, give this a try. It's a little more pink but that probably makes it look a little less aging.
Fleur De Force Lip Gloss in 020 Written in the Stars.
This is very new to my collection as it has not long been launched but it has already made it into my favourite list! Firstly, it's about time someone did a gloss instead of a lip lacquer (I'm totally over lip lacquers, sorry), as they're soooo much more wearable. This is honestly going to be a handbag staple of mine as it's buildable enough to wear on its own or to layer on top of another lip product.
Benefit Ultra Plush Lip Gloss in Fauxmance.
Again I love a good lipgloss to finish off a lip look & these Benefit ones are perfect. They're so comfortable to wear and smell delicious! They aren't quite as pigmented as the Fleur ones though, so are better to layer over other lip products.
MAC Lip Liner in Dervish.
This is my go to lip liner! It's the base I use for all of my nude lip looks. I love this on it's own & combined with other products. Sometimes I use a lipstick or simply just a gloss like the Benefit Ultra Plush or the Fleur De Force.
What's your favourite type of nude?
If your favourites are similar to mine, let me know some mauve nude must haves of your own!
This is the one thing that every make up addict wants to know.
What's in your MAC lipstick collection.
I only have four MAC lipsticks, because well let's face it they aren't exactly cheap.
Don't get me wrong though, I love the formulas & finishes. They are probably the best lipsticks on the market.
So this first shade is a Creme Sheen finish called Hot Gossip.
This was actually the first MAC lipstick I ever purchased. It's like a dusty rose pink colour. I find this to be the most flattering pink for my skin tone & hair colour.
This shade is Twig. Which is a really nice browny nude. I feel like considering these colours are so on trend right now, this is a very underrated shade! This shade is a Satin finish.
This third shade is Speak Louder, which is a Creme Sheen finish. This is a brighter pink shade that I don't really wear that often but still really love. This is my equivalent to wearing a bright or red shade, as my bright red hair can make some shades look weird.
The last shade I own is Rebel, which I'm sure most of you have heard of before. It is a really vampy berry shade. This is one I only tend to wear in the fall time, it's a bit dark for summer. Rebel is also a satin finish.
Can you guess what my favourite finishes are?
Comment below with your favourite MAC lipsticks or any you think I NEED in my collection!
Rimmel have just launched a new nude lipstick range under their Kate Moss lipstick line.
There are five shades in the range & they have also released a range of nude nail polishes along side these.
I imagine the aim of this line is to compete with Maybelline's nude lipstick collection, however I've never seen them available in the UK.
I picked up two shades from the range which I felt were the best for my skin tone. The shades I got were 42 & 45.
My general thought on the range is that it's a bit pale. I feel like there isn't much choice for women of colour. I've very pale and even I couldn't wear some of the lightest shades in this range without result being 'concealer lips'. Which is not a look I like!
With regards to the formulation of these lipsticks, they're a creamy slightly glossy finish. I think a similar range with a matte formulation would be a great next step for Rimmel!
They are very comfortable lipsticks to wear as well, which I like.
Above are some swatches of the two shades I got, 42 is on the left & 45 on the right.
Granted, to some these shades look very similar but each is slightly different & will suit certain skin tones better than others.
My personal favourite is 45, I feel like the slight pink tone suits my skin tone & hair better.
At only £5.49, I definitely think they're worth checking out.
Hopefully you can find one that's your perfect nude!
I'm actually hoping they expand the collection from only five lipstick as more shades are definitely needed.
Benefit are one of few brands that have a range of tints. Now I've always been a bit confused by these sort of products.
How's the best way to use them? On where? Do they stain? How do they wear?
So for anyone who has questions, I intend to answer them for you!
So firstly how they apply. They apply really smoothly to the lips & create a stained look on the lips. The original Benetint is the most like a stain & the others sit a bit more on the lips.
If you want to make them more pigmented you can simply apply more product. If you feel like it's getting a bit much though you can use your finger it disperse some of the product. However I personally don't find them overly pigmented.
I have quite red lips anyway, so for me these look really neutral on the lips. They really are a 'tint' they just tint the lips. They sink into the skin, so are very comfort to wear. It honestly feels like you're not wearing anything on your lips.
However these don't stain the lips so much that you struggle to remove them. A face wipe or micellar water will easily remove the tints.
Another good point about these is that they are kiss proof! If you're drinking & eating a lot they will start to wear off but not as quickly as other lip products.
You can also use these as a blusher, however I don't really like the idea of a liquid blush. I also feel like it could upset the way your foundation sits depending what foundation you use.
Royal Apothic wasn't a brand I'd ever heard of until I got this product. Again it came in a Glossybox, a good while ago now!
However I have so many lip balms I've only just got round to using it.
Firstly I'd like to say, how cute is the packaging, I love it!
The rose gold lid is just amazing, I wish all packaging was that pretty.
As for the product firstly I love the smell, it has a lovely sweet vanilla scent which I actually like smelling on my lips. However if you lick your lips a lot it sadly doesn't taste quite as nice (I obviously advise not to 'eat' your lip balm anyway, haha).
The colour is labelled as Coral which it doesn't look in the tub, however due to it's pigmentation it does apply to look like a coral colour. The colour is quite build-able so you can tailor it to your taste. This is a great alternative to wearing a lipstick/ lip gloss.
Despite being called a 'Lip Butter' it's not that buttery when you apply it on the lips, it requires a little work to rub it in, I've found patting it in works better. It is somewhat moisturising however not quite as much as I was expecting. It is very comfortable to wear though.
So I'd say this is cute product that's more of a lipstick alternative than lip balm. It would make a perfect gift though!
We all do that thing where we buy products randomly & realise they're nothing special.
So I decided it might be helpful to you guys if I showed you some of these products.
Some of them I have reached for on occasions but not massively.
Rimmel Apocalips Lip Lacquer.
I only have this in one shade and its a bright pink colour. To start with the colour just doesn't work for me. I also find they take forever to dry & with a lip lacquer that's not ideal. I also find the applicator holds far too much product so control is hard & it's not an easy product to remove if you over shoot it. I just feel there are much better lip lacquers out there.
Revlon Just Bitten Kissable Balm Stain.
Again the colour is so wrong for me, it's too orange. However I also don't like the smell of this product and I think with lip products that's so important. I'm just not a fan of these balmy sticks. I don't find them all that hydrating and the colour selections trend to be really weird.
L'Oreal Paris Glam Shine Balmy Gloss.
This is very much the same as the Revlon stick, it's not that hydrating and the colour selection is again really weird.
Benefit The Big Easy BB Cream.
For a while last summer I loved this product but it really doesn't work for me when I haven't been on holiday (is that a good enough reason to go on more holidays??). So I do like this product but only really in the summer, partly due to the lack of coverage it gives and the colour I own.
Make Up Revolution I Tint My Brows.
I don't dislike this product I just find it a bit of hard work. It's one of them brow products with a wand but the problem is the wand is a bit too big/ thick. I sometimes use it to set my brows but I don't think the colour completely matches my brows either.
Benefit Dallas Blush.
I quite like this as a blush/ bronzer mixture but I think it breaks me out. I started using it a while ago and noticed some spots on my cheeks not long after. So I have since been very cautious about using it. I have some other Benefit blushes that my skin is fine though so it is a bit weird.
What products do you guys not reach for in your make up collection?
I have another Make Up Revolution review for you guys.
Sorry, but I definitely thought it was worth a little review seeing as it's only £1!
So it has to be said, it's obviously worth the money. The real question really is, is it worth collecting these or just spending a bit more on better lipsticks?
So lets get down to the nitty gritty!
First things first, I think it's probably best to try & purchase these from a shop (I believe they're sold in Superdrug in the UK). Simply because the swatches on their website aren't very true to colour, from my experience anyway.
I thought this colour was going to be more of a pinky nude but it's not very nude at all.
This colour is also quite shimmery which I'm not a big fan of either to be honest.
The wear time of this lipstick isn't that great, but at £1 I guess it doesn't really matter if you have to take it with you & re-apply.
I also advise making sure you've scrubbed your lips & applied lip balm before using this lipstick, otherwise it will cling to EVERY dry patch.
Which always makes them look 100x more obvious, not good!
The smell is surprisingly decent for such a cheap lipstick, a sort of vanilla smell which I quite like.
The taste sadly isn't as nice though, haha.
Definitely a good product that's a bargain, buttt it's nothing groundbreaking.
Hi, I'm Eve. I'm a 23 year old professional photographer, who also has an interest in blogging/ vlogging. I like to write about anything really, from beauty to health issues!
