Dolce & Gabbana Passion Duo Gloss Fusion Lipstick in Impact

Dolce & Gabbana Passion Duo Gloss Fusion lipstick in Impact (70)

A few weeks ago I was having a browse at the Dolce and Gabbana counter in Harrods and came across these incredible lipsticks. The Passion Duo Gloss Fusion lipsticks are like a lipstick/gloss hybrid as they have an intense hit of smooth and creamy colour with a glossy sheen.

I bought the colour Impact (70) which is a deep, slightly pink toned burgundy type shade.

Dolce & Gabbana Passion Duo Gloss Fusion lipstick in Impact (70)

Dolce & Gabbana Passion Duo Gloss Fusion lipstick in Impact (70)

This is the lipstick I'm wearing in my first smiley pic in my recent braces post (here) although it looks a little brighter in this pic as in reality it's a bit deeper like the tube and swatch pics.

I am really impressed with this formula and it matches the luxurious quality of the packaging. It's not particularly the most long-lasting because of the slight glossy quality, but the depth of colour achievable quickly is very good.

Max Factor Colour Elixir Lipstick Looks & Swatches

Max Factor Colour Elixir Lipstick - Burnt Caramel

Earlier this month I attended an event to introduce the new Max Factor Colour Elixir lipsticks. The lovely makeup artist Caroline Barnes created two gorgeous looks with the new Elixir range and was at hand to impart her wise makeup knowledge!

The new Colour Elixir lipsticks bring together the elements expected from a great lipstick along with the 'Elixir' treatment that includes ingredients such as shea, avocado and aloe butters to improve the condition of the lips.

These definitely feel like a step up from what I am used to seeing from other drugstore lipsticks as the pigmentation is impressive and is rather consistent across the shades. The texture, while moisturising is a lighter, creamy silky texture that feels much higher-end. The packaging is also lovely and as others have noted very Estee Lauder-esque.

  

Now onto the fun part - Caroline Barnes set us the challenge of trying out the seven different shades we were given. Some of the colours were not naturally what I would gravitate towards, but I was interested to see how they would look, and I some of them I was pleasantly surprised with.

Bewitching Coral

Bewitching Coral is a bright coral shade. It is a natural matte finish that leans a bit more pinker on the lips. I wasn't sure about this one but I like it much better on the lips although it is a bit out of my natural comfort zone with it being so bright.

On eyes I have used MAC Blacktrack Fluidline and Max Factor False Lash Effect Fusion mascara.

Burnt Caramel

Burnt Caramel. Now this is more my type of colour! A lovely warm neutral shade that is easily one of my favourites. Again nicely pigmented, smooth and one I have been reaching for a lot since I received it.

Eyes: MAC Sable all over, MAC Sorcery on outer corner, and Max Factor False Lash Effect Fusion mascara. Blush is Beauty UK Baked Peach.

English Rose

English Rose. One of the frosty ones - it doesn't look so bad in my pic but out of all the colours this was my least favourite and I didn't feel comfortable wearing it so I hastily changed it to Burnt Caramel instead! This is a mid pink that looks a little deeper on the lips then in the tube. If this had been a matte shade I think I would have liked it much more.

Eyes: Buck from UD Naked palette, RBR Anthracite Essence Eyeliner, and Max Factor False Lash Effect Fusion mascara.

Angel Pink

Angel Pink. A pale, cooler toned pink shade with that frosty finish again. This type of shade does unfortunately emphasise dryness in my lips as it is much paler then my natural lip colour. I think maybe blended over a natural toned lipliner might take the edge off a little.

Eyes: Benefit Skinny Jeans all over lid, Chanel Illusion D'Ombre -Mirifique, MAC Feline liner, and lashings of Max Factor False Lash Effect Fusion mascara.

Mulberry

Mulberry. A beautiful, pink wine/berry shade that has more of sheen/tiny frost finish with a gorgeous depth that feels more wearable then I had imagined making it another one of my favourites.

Eyes: Bloom Eye Paint Chocolate all over lid, RBR Anthracite Essence Eyeliner, and Max Factor False Lash Effect Fusion mascara.

Pink Brandy

Pink Brandy. A warm pinky/peachy shade that feels very summery. I like this shade and I don't think I have anything quite like it as it's a bit more opaque then other colours in my collection.

Eyes: MAC Paint Pot - Perky all over lid, MAC Hot Hot Hot in outer corner, RBR Anthracite Essence Eyeliner, and Max Factor False Lash Effect Fusion mascara. Blush is MAC Ripe Peach.

Ruby Tuesday

Last but definitely not least is Ruby Tuesday, a beautiful classic red. I think this would be quite universally flattering as it's not warm or too cool. If you've read my previous posts I am a bit red lippie shy and it's not a colour I often wear but this I found to be quite a friendly colour. Because of the super-pigmentation yet light texture, I can apply it, then blot and still be left with a bright red lip that doesn't move. Often with bright colours I hate the thought of them migrating off my lips and the high-maintenance aspect but this makes it so much easier for me to wear.

Many of the shades, including this one leave a bit of a stain on the lips so that the colour doesn't seem to fade completely and therefore I found them to be more long lasting then even many of my higher end lipsticks. Also with the unique texture, I didn't find them to be drying on my lips either.

Here I have swatched 8 of the colours:

L-R: Burnt Caramel, Angel Pink, English Rose, Pink Brandy, Bewitching Coral, Ruby Tuesday, Mulberry, Sunbronze

Natural Light L-R: Sunbronze, Mulberry, Ruby Tuesday, Bewitching Coral, Pink Brandy, English Rose, Angel Pink, Burnt Caramel

Flash L-R: Sunbronze, Mulberry, Ruby Tuesday, Bewitching Coral, Pink Brandy, English Rose, Angel Pink, Burnt Caramel

Overall I am impressed with these and there are a few more 'me' colours like Firefly and Rosewood that I have my eye on next.




All the Colour Elixir lipsticks apart from Sunbronze (which I bought myself) were provided without charge at the event. The Max Factor False Lash Effect Fusion mascara is also a PR sample.

Becca Yasmina & Olesya Sheer Lip Tints and Natural FOTD

L-R: Olesya, Yasmina

Becca Sheer Lip Tints make up some of my favourite lip formulas as they are creamy, and despite the name 'sheer', actually have a good level of colour so that they don't apply as sheer as say something like a Rouge Coco Shine. The packaging is slick and practical with a screw lid so no chance of this opening up in your bag. They are fragranced with a sweet, toffee sort of scent that I rather like as well.

Olesya is a neutral brown with a faint hint of rose, it is like the deepest tone in my lip so makes a great 'my lips but better' shade. This is only a recent acquisition but I am loving this as it is such a perfect natural shade and is so lovely and creamy. 

Yasmina is a paler nude shade that is slightly cooler toned. This one is a little paler then my lips but as the texture is semi-sheer, it's not too bad and I like using this with more darker eye looks. I got this one when they first released their lip tints and I asked the assistant what colour the model was wearing in the pic as I loved how it looked not thinking will it suit me?

L-R: Olesya, Yasmina

L-R: Olesya, Yasmina

Bare Lips

Yasmina

I couldn't get a a good one of Olesya on the lips when I took the Lip Tint pics but today I did a quite a simple, natural look with Olesya on the lips (it appears a little deeper in real life as the pic washes it out a little) . This is taken after a day at work.

Face:
Maxfactor Xperience Weightless Foundation: 85 Deep Soapstone around sides/forehead
Diorskin Nude Liquid Foundation 300 on centre of face/cheeks
Ellis Faas Concealer S205 - undereyes
MAC Accentuate from Sculpt and Shape Powder to highight on cheekbones
I did have on MAC Breath of Plum blush but it has faded away as I only used it lightly

Eyes:
Rouge Bunny Rouge Solstice Halcyon e/s all over lid
EDIT: Virgin (not Naked) from UD Naked palette on inner corner
NARS Larger Than Life Lengthening mascara

Becca Olesya on lips

MAC Sheen Supreme Lipsticks: Ultra Darling & Can't Get Enough

Thursday I popped by my local MAC counter after work to see the new collections. I wasn't particularly taken with anything from Wonderwoman but I did test out the new Sheen Supreme lipsticks which are gorgeous as the texture is like if a Tendertone was made into a lipstick - so creamy, moisturising feel, lovely sheen and semi-sheer to medium level of colour. The MA on the counter said these are replacing the Slimshines so they are being made permanent but she wasn't sure if these new colours were going to be part of the permanent line.

There were several colours that I really liked the look of but I got Ultra Darling and Can't Get Enough.

MAC Sheen Supreme Lipstick - Ultra Darling

Ultra Darling is a lovely pink grapefruit/fruit punch pink sort of shade that brightens the lips a little in a natural way but overall because of the semi-sheer texture is not too bright. It's a pretty spring/summer shade that I would imagine suits many skintones. This colour to me is a must-have and I hope it's one they make permanent.

MAC Sheen Supreme Lipstick - Can't Get Enough

Can't Get Enough is a tan beige nude shade which is warm toned so it sits well against my skin. It is a bit paler then my natural lip colour so I have to make sure that my lips don't look dry as it can emphasise this a bit. Overall a great neutral shade to add to my other similar types of colours!

Natural light Top- Ultra Darling, Bottom - Can't Get Enough

Flash

Ultra Darling applied

Can't Get Enough applied

These are a great addition to MAC's lipstick lineup, the only slight negative is the scent - these don't have much of a scent (to my nose anyway), but there is a slight mild type of scent like a faint hint of their regular lipstick vanilla scent mixed with an old, gone off lipstick smell. It is very mild and not enough to put me off, but I do find it a bit strange, if only they smelled as good as the Tendertones did. Speaking of Tendertones, I wonder if MAC will bring these back anytime soon?

MAC Gulabi Lipstick & Pink Lipstick Comparisons

I had saved up enough empty MAC packaging for two Back 2 MACs, so one of the lipsticks I got was Gulabi from the Mickey Contractor collection (the other was Modesty). I also liked the look of Mehr and was convinced I would get this one but I wasn't too keen on the matt finish when I tested it out. Overall I was quite pleased with myself as I only got this and the Soiree nail polish from the Cham Pale collection which is a bit of a departure from my previous splurges at MAC.

Gulabi is a bright pink shade that is more red based rather then being a blue based pink. When I tested it out I was surprised at how much I liked it as it is not something I would usually go for. This is an amplified finish so it is creamy and well pigmented (although the swatch on my hand doesn't look so bright).

Even though I haven't anything quite like this, I thought it would be good to see how it compares with the pink lipcolours I already have:

L-R: MAC Gulabi, OCC Lip Tar Demure, Illamasqua Resist, L'Oreal Studio Secrets 842 Plum.

Gulabi applied on lips:

It was quite hard to get an accurate pic of this as a lot of the pics I had taken made it look more red but applied on the lips gives a better idea of the shade.

As it leans warmer in tone, I find it slightly more comfortable to wear and I think this will be great for summer (which seems like absolute ages away but I can plan ahead! :)

Une MakeUp Review: Mineral Foundation, Skin Glow Pencil & Lip-Toned Colour

I like the concept of Une makeup, it is clean and fuss-free as well using more natural ingredients in the products. I bought a few products a while back from Superdrug to try so here are my thoughts.

100% Mineral Foundation

I am a fan of mineral makeup, being acne-prone I feel I don't need to worry if mineral foundations are clogging my pores and making me breakout. They seem to help keep my skin in check so I was interested to see how this fares.

I've got the shade M08, which is quite yellow based and blends well into the skin. I would say this shade for me is just a tiny bit dark if I use it heavily, otherwise it's not a bad shade match (my neck area is slightly lighter then my face).  The coverage is light-medium so it's not good for covering up any blemishes but it does even out the skintone and looks natural. It's finely milled and has no noticeable shimmer/glowy particles as it's more of a natural finish. I usually use my Ecotools retractable kabuki to apply this or my ELF powder brush if I want more coverage. It lasts well throughout the day but I do touch up my t-zone as it gets oily (this happens to me with most foundations). Overall it's a good natural and lightweight foundation but personally I like more coverage so I probably wouldn't repurchase it.

Lip-Toned Colour L05

L05 is a soft warm pink shade that brightens my lips up a little and I would imagine could suit a variety of skintones.
I really like this lipstick, it's quite creamy and the shade is flattering and just adds a good wash of colour that isn't too sheer or too full-on. They are also a bit moisturising so don't dry out my lips either.
Being a bit of a neutral lippie-lover the Lip-Toned Colours are the items that appeal to me most in the range so I would buy more shades.

Swatched along with the Skin Glow pencil:

Skin Glow Pencil in G04

I am not sure what the purpose of this pencil is as the name isn't exactly clear but I've been using this as a concealer as I quite like the precision of a pencil to dot onto small spots.
It's a bit creamy and blends well but it doesn't really last on me and even though smooth, the texture isn't quite creamy or dense enough for serious spot concealment. I think this would be better as a brightening eye pencil to line the lower lash line with. Overall it's not bad but it's not for me.

In general I think it's a bit of a hit and miss with this range but there are definitely some items worth checking out.

Burberry Makeup Haul & FOTD

Last week I checked out the Burberry counter in Harrods for the first time and picked up a few bits. It really is worth seeing this in store as I wasn't sure what to expect but was surprised at how everything swatched in comparison to how it looked in the pan/tube. I bought the Sheer Eyeshadow in No.7 Taupe Brown (£22), Lip Cover in No.5 Heather Rose (£22), and the Eye Definer in No.4 Midnight Blue (£15).

Sheer Eyeshadow in No.7 Taupe Brown:

This is a beautiful dark taupe matt shade which almost looks grey but you can make out a hint of brown in the shade. The texture is very soft and smooth and excellently pigmented (which is a surprise since it is named 'Sheer Eyeshadow'). Along with my Rouge Bunny Rouge shadows, these are up there in the quality stakes. Even though this is matt, it doesn't look chalky at all and has a great depth to it. I can't convey how much I love this as I don't own anything like it. Sometimes with taupey or brown shades they blend too much into the natural colouring of my eyelids (as my eye area is darker then the rest of my face), but I am pleased to say that this does show up. Overall a great eyeshadow and I can definitely see this becoming a staple of mine as it looks softer then black for creating smoky looks.

Eye Definer in No.4 Midnight Blue

A sharpener is supplied in the box

This is a deep, dark blue shade with a slight metallic sheen which stops it looking flat and again like the eyeshadow has a good level of pigmentation.
It applies quite well, but doesn't have as much glide as something like Urban Decay's 24/7 liners although it is still slightly creamy and give quite an intense colour. It lasted well throughout the day without migrating anywhere else on the eye.


Lip Cover in No.5 Heather Rose:

The lipsticks, along with the eyeshadows are probably my favourite items from the range. There are a lot of lovely natural shades (which are right up my street), along with a few more brighter ones that it was hard to pick just one.  In the end I went for Heather Rose as I don't think I have anything similar to this. The shade is a peachy/pinky neutral, great for pairing with more dramatic eyes. The Lip Cover lipsticks are light, silky and have a slight glossy sheen to them so the colour doesn't look flat but still manages to give a good level of colour to the lips. The formula feels quite moisturising as well so even when it wore off, my lips didn't feel dry.

swatches:

L-R eye definer, taupe brown e/s, Heather Rose. Natural light

flash

I was also given a small folded card which has some little samples of a few other shades of the Lip Cover and also 2 shades of the Sheer Fluid Foundation.  I have been using the sample of the foundation in Trench No.7 for the past 4 days (I was surprised how long this little sachet lasts) which is a good match for my skin tone as it is slightly more yellow based and doesn't have any ashy undertones. It is quite a creamy liquid that blends well into the skin and gives a natural finish. I think that it does seem to slightly diffuse the look of pores and fines lines so giving a slightly more plumper appearance. The coverage is sheer-medium, so I did use a little concealer to cover blemishes but overall it does a good job of evening the skin and I was surprised with this as I was expecting it to be a lot sheerer. Lasts well throughout the day, but I do use some translucent powder to set it as I have an oily t-zone. So far I am rather liking this foundation, and may consider buying the full size (once I get through my drawer full of other foundations).

I've done a simple look with the items:

My face is a bit darker then my neck and I haven't blended any foundation down!

the pic has washed the colour out slightly

What I've used:
Burberry Sheer Fluid Foundation Trench No.7
Undereye Concealer - Ellis Faas Concealer No.5
Burberry Taupe Brown eyeshadow on lid, blended into crease and also applied to lower lash line
Burberry Eye Definer Midnight Blue on upper lash line
Mascara - NYC Sky High Mascara in Carbon
Powder - MUFE HD
Blush - a very light dusting of NARS Douceur blush
Burberry Lip Cover Heather Rose (for some reason it looks like I've applied lipliner but I haven't used any).

I also have my eye on the Light Glow Blush in Russet Blush No.1 which is a rosy brown type of shade. I had this applied on counter and it lasted well as it was still visible when I got home. The SA said as well as the lipsticks, that the mascara is a bestseller as well (in fact a customer next to me bought four) which has piqued my interest so I might try this next.

Overall I am really impressed with the range, the quality is excellent and I can see myself become a bit obsessed with the eyeshadows and lipsticks, although at £22 a pop, I will get a few more bits gradually rather then all at once.

Review: Ruby & Millie Lip Colour - Pink 415 Matte

I had quite a few of those £5 off No7/Ruby & Millie vouchers to spend in Boots so I had a good look at the Ruby & Millie stand and came across these lipsticks. I like Ruby & Millie, price wise they are similar to MAC but I think that it is justified as the quality on most products is good and I like the distinct packaging with the good size. However this is not reflected by the condition of the stand in my local Boots as it is almost always in a bit of a sorry state. I think that these lipsticks are fairly new but I was only able to test a few colours as some of the testers had fallen in the holes or were missing or had been abused so they didn't look nice to test - you get the idea. Despite this I was not deterred and continued to explore the offering.

I chose this shade - Pink 415 matte:

Ruby & Millie Lip Colour - Pink 415 Matte

Swatched:

Natural light. Nail polish is Model's Own Top Turquiose

The name says this is a pink but on the face of it, it doesn't look that pink. It is more of a brick type brown with a pink tone that has a subtle brightness which lifts the complexion a little. Not in the same way a red would but it's one of those shades that is great if you are a bright-lippie-shy but want a bit of colour. This is not a shade I previously have had in my collection.
The texture on this is lovely - even though it is a matte, it is a creamy matte shade with good pigmentation to cover the lips but without making them look dry. Slightly moisturising but not overly so and though not long-lasting, wears fairly well and fades evenly.

My only gripe with this is the packaging. While I love the simple and sleek gunmetal finish with the lovely engraving (no cheap sticker here), the lid on this is tight so sometimes I have to pull a little to get it off and one time found I had pulled the bottom part off (although this was easily put back and did not effect the working). The lid does click very firmly into place with a noticeable click sound so I don't think it would come off in your bag. Maybe the lid will loosen with more use? Would this stop me from buying it again? No, I very much like the actual lipstick, it has a quality feel and I would be happy to purchase other colours. The packaging could do with that little bit of refinement just to compliment the quality of the lipstick, but overall I am happy with this purchase.

These are £11.50 which is a pound cheaper then MAC, definitely the higher end of the drugstore but I think it is worth it.

Disclaimer: Purchased by me with £5 off using a Boots voucher. I love Boots.

Rimmel Colour Show Off Lipsticks Review & Swatches

When I first tried the Rimmel Colour Show Off lipsticks I thought 'could they be a cheap version of YSL Rouge Voluptes?' as these are quite heavily scented lipsticks with a melon-type scent not dissimilar to a Rouge Volupte and also they feel a bit more silky in texture as well.

There is a good selection of shades but the ones that appealed to me were 050 Have Fun! and 250 Stare At Me: 

Left - Stare At Me,  Right - Have Fun!

I have swatched these with my one and only YSL Rouge Volupte in 03 Ultimate Beige to see how this compares with Rimmel's Have Fun!

L-R - Stare At Me, Have Fun!, YSL Rouge Volupte 03

As you can see they are similar shades but the Have Fun! is a bit more pinker and the YSL is more beige tone. Also it is clear that the YSL texture is much creamier then the Rimmel.

My bare lips:

Have Fun! applied (please excuse the dry looking lips):

Stare At Me applied (enlarging this shows the colour better):

Have Fun! is a lovely slightly pinky nude shade with a slight sheen to it but does accentuate dryness and the texture of this one is not as creamy. Stare At Me is a rather deep rose with a very slight plum tone, and this one is very well pigmented and has a more satin finish. The texture of this one feels more creamier then Have Fun! as well. I love this shade as it is quite rich and a bit more bolder then what I would usually go for but it still feels comfortable.

Both of these are not particularly moisturising but they don't dry out my lips either. I tend to use Burts Bees lipbalm underneath all lip products to give a smooth base and stop them drying them out.

Overall I like these (especially love Stare At Me), they feel light but are better pigmented and a bit creamier then previous Rimmel lipsticks I've tried.

Disclaimer: Purchased by me