Review: Mac Viva Glam VI

You know how I moaned about Mac's lipglasses previously, complaining that they were all sparkle and no pigment? Well I'm willing to take that back now I've tried Viva Glam VI!

Viva Glam VI is one of a series of Viva Glam shades which Mac launches annually, the proceeds of which go towards HIV/AIDS programs worldwide.

The colour in the tube is of a vibrant, pink- red, with the signature lipglass sparkles shimmering throughout. This certainly isn't a gloss for glitterphobes!

When swatched, it maintains it's deep pink-red look, and on the lips it is semi opaque, and much more pigmented than any of the other lipglasses I have tried previously.

In common with prior lipglass experience however, it is very sticky so not the gloss to choose on a windy day!  Wear time is impressive for a gloss- at least three hours, mostly due to the stickiness. I did find though that, as the pigment wore off, I was left with a coating of glitter on my lips which was not awfully attractive!

Verdict

A pleasant surprise after my previous lipglass experience, Viva Glam VI offers a combination of decent pigmentation and shimmer with  good lasting power. My only negative would be the fact that as it wears off, you are left with glittery lips!

4/5

Price - £13

Where to buy - Mac, Debenhams, Selfridges, House of Fraser 

Review: Mac Mad Cap Lipglass

Mac Mad Cap Lipglass is another of the brands sparkly lip products, which are designed to provide a high gloss, shimmery finish to the lips.  It came out as one of Mac's many limited edition products a short while ago, however I have found it currently available on Cheap Smells, and Mac often re-issues their limited edition products.

The first thing that struck me was that the lipglass seems to be tiny! I really don’t think the tube will last long at all, as you only get 4.8g of product and to apply, I found myself having to dip the applicator into the tube several times in order to cover the lips fully. 

 

In the tube, the product looks to be a shimmery, pale golden nude, which I hoped would give a give a subtle, glimmering warm sheen to the lips.  The gloss is on the fairly sticky side, as I believe is common with all other lipglasses, and when applied, it gave hardly any colour to the lips at all, looking almost like a clear gloss.  There was also very little evidence of shimmer on the lips, which is good news for those who have an aversion to glitter in their makeup!

As this gloss appears almost clear when applied, it would probably be best used over the top of a nude lipstick or used on its own when you are after a basic no-makeup look.  Lasting time is around 2 hours for me which is fairly standard with lipglosses and Mac's Lipglass formula and thankfully, due to the absence of visible glitter, the product wears off evenly, with no discernible shimmer left on the lips.  

Verdict

I haven't previously been particularly excited by Mac's lipglass offerings and Mad Cap has not changed my opinion.  This is essentially a clear lipgloss which imparts only the most subtle of pigment on the lips.  If you like the lipglass formula and are after a clear gloss, this would be a viable option, however if you are seeking a nude gloss with some pigment, this is not the product for you.

2/5

Price - usual price £13, however £9.95 on Cheap Smells

Where to Buy - Cheap Smells

Make-up Haul!

Rubbish pic, sorry!

This will be the last make-up haul I do for a while, although in my defence I didn’t pay full price for any of these products and some of them were won in giveaways and competitions. I will be reviewing most of these over the coming weeks. Let me know if there are any you would particularly like to see reviewed

Lipsticks / Lipgloss

Chanel Rouge Allure Velvet in 33 La Distinguee – my first Rouge Allure Velvet, I adore the packaging for this, it just feels so luxurious and I can’t help but keep clicking it open and shut as it is so satisfying!

Mac Chatterbox – I picked this up in a blog sale from the lovely Rachel (Life of a Sweetaholic). I had been after this for a while so was pleased to pick it up.

YSL Rouge Volupte Rose Paris – This is SO bright but I do really like it. Another I picked up from Rachel’s blogsale.

Mac Lipglass in Madcap – I bought this around the same time as I purchased Pink Clash and I don’t think I will be purchasing any more lipglasses. It is a fairly nude, unremarkable shade, although I think it will go well with a smoky eye.

Mascara

Bobbi Brown Extreme Party Mascara – Another BuyaPowa purchase. I haven’t tried this yet though as I’ve got a couple of other mascaras to finish first

Barbara Daly Lash Boost Mascara – I won this for doing a Tesco Beauty Survey. Again I haven’t tried it yet due to my mascara mountain!

Others

Mac Humid Eyeshadow – I had been looking for a well-pigmented green eyeshadow and Humid fitted the bill. Initial impressions are that it is very smooth, buttery and easy to blend.

Rhianna Perfume Reb’l Fleur – this is quite fruity and not nearly as sickly sweet as I thought it might be!  I’m not generally a celeb fragrance fan but I won it from a competition on The Perfume Shop’s website, and although it doesn’t linger for long, it is perfectly acceptable.  I also received a rollerball of the fragrance (handy for keeping in my bag for reapplying), a body lotion and shower gel too.

Glitter Tattoo Set – This was also a win from the fantastic Emma (Computergirl). I haven’t had a chance to try this out yet but I do have a friend’s hen night coming up next month so it may get an outing then. You can never have too much glitter on a hen night!!

Let me know if there are any reviews you would like to see or if you have tried any of these products.

Victoria

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Review: Mac Pink Clash

For such a lip product junkie, it may come as a bit of a surprise to you to hear that this is my first lipglass! I have always been more of a lipstick girl which perhaps explains why there has been this lipglass-shaped hole in my life, but as they are so popular and widespread, I really have no idea why they have eluded me.

Mac Pink Clash was an impulse purchase through BuyaPowa over Christmas and I was instantly attached by the promise of sparkly, shimmery, glittery lips over the festive period! I believe this is a limited edition product but it is still available at some stores online and it has popped up on BuyaPowa again since.

The first thing that struck me was that the lipglass seems to be tiny! I really don’t think the tube will last long at all, as you only get 4.8g of product and to apply, I found myself having to dip the applicator into the tube several times in order to cover the lips fully.

In the tube, the colour appears to be a rose-tinged gold and this translates fairly well to the lips, producing an almost bronzed / rose look. The gloss is on the fairly sticky side, as I believe is common with all other lipglasses, and the shimmer is certainly fairly noticeable, making this more of a night time gloss, although I have been wearing this to work a little to inject a little sparkle into January!

The colour is very warm and would suit those of a warmer or more bronzed complexion better than those with cooler tones. I also think this would perhaps be more wearable during the summer months as I can see it looking fab with some bronzer and a peach blush. I have quite pigmented lips and the colour was certainly noticeable, although as you would expect, it is not opaque.

I find it lasts around 2 hours on me and unfortunately it does leave quite a lot of glitter on my lips once the colour begins to fade. The glitter is not gritty though and despite the stickiness, I did find the gloss fairly comfortable to wear. As I don’t really own many glitter lip glosses, Pink Clash is unique to my collection, although I suspect there are similar bronzey lipglosses available from other brands.

Verdict

This is an interesting colour which fills a gap in my collection, however the fundamental issue I have with it is that you do not get much product for your pennies! I would also argue that it is more peach or bronze than pink. In short, if you like glitter and you have warmer toned skin, you will probably like this lipgloss, however it is not a must-buy and you may already have similar products in your stash.

3/5

Price – £9.75

Where to Buy – Cheap Smells