February Favourites

My monthly favourites are a little boring this month as I haven't really been using any different product.

YSL Rouge Volupte in Rose (reviewed here) - A gorgeous, creamy shade which lasts and lasts.  It is very bright so not for any shirking violets, but I have been wearing it blotted down a little and it really cheers me up on dreary Monday mornings.

OPI Excuse Moi, Muppets Collection (reviewed here) - I've been wearing this super sparkly, pink glitter a lot recently as I've had quite a few events and evening outings where I needed to get glammed up.  I love the fun and frivolity of this polish and I find it pretty hard-wearing too, lasting for several days without chipping which is a rarity for me!

Batiste Dry Shampoo in Wild (reviewed here) - As I've been out quite a bit over the past month, I have often been using this Batiste to revive my hair when I haven't got time to wash it or when I am heading out straight after work.  It gives the much needed volume required to revive my barnett, and although I prefer the Tropical scent to this one, they all work in exactly the same way and the scent doesn't hang around too long unless someone is sticking their nose in your hair!

Mac Blushbaby (reviewed here) - a matte blush from Mac's permanent collection, this is a fairly neutral colour which would work on most skintones.  I use it when I am after a natural, quick look as it is lightly pigmented, but buildable, and very difficult to overdo.

L'Occitane Hibiscus Flower Hand Cream - I think this was a sample from a magazine some time ago, but I have only just got around to using it and I wish I had tried it earlier!  It absorbs effortlessly, leaving no greasy residue and smells amazing, leaving my hands beautifully soft.  This was my first experience of L'Occitane hand creams and I am definitely going to purchase more!

Do you have any favourite products from February?

Review: YSL Rouge Volupte in Rose Paris 27

YSL Rouge Voluptes are highly praised by many beauty bloggers, due to their creamy, smooth finish and gorgeous packaging.  This was a purchase from a blog sale a couple of months ago which I snapped up in an instant.  So what did I think?

YSL Rouge Volupte in Rose Paris is a member of YSL’s permanent collection and features the standout packaging that is common to the YSL line.  The main aspect of the packaging that I love is that they put the colour on the side of the lipstick, meaning that is very easy to quickly identify which lipstick you are after.  I wish more companies such as Mac did this as it always takes me forever to find the Mac lipstick I am hunting for in a morning, and you can guarantee that it is the last one I will pick up!

The colour in the tube looks to be a pinky coral and extremely vibrant.  As with all Rouge Voluptes, the lipstick is extremely soft so you need to be very careful when winding it up and down to ensure you don’t squish it against the sides of the tube. 

When swatched, the colour goes on opaque in one pass and I actually found it almost too opaque!  It is very creamy and glides on easily, although due to its softness and vivid colour, I would recommend using a lip liner to avoid any potential bleeding issues, and you may find it easier to apply with a lip brush for more accurate application. 

The lip swatch below is done with one slick of the tube and it is VERY bright and almost a cross between a bright coral and a neon pink! I tend to blot it down a little after applying so that it is within my comfort zone but it still maintains its vivid, eye-catching brightness.

Lasting power is superb and much better than the other Rouge Volupte Pink Caress that I own (reviewed here).  I apply it first thing in the morning and it is still there 5 hours later after numerous cups of tea and mid morning snacks!  It has even lasted through a two-course lunch!

Verdict

This is currently one of my favourite bright lipsticks and it goes very well with a simple neutral eye.  If you like corals, such as Mac’s Crosswires, and fancy trying something a little pinker, this may be a good option and I could certainly see it working very well on those with darker skintones due to the high pigmentation.  The only negative I can see is that it isn’t a ‘swipe-and-go’ lippy and it does require careful application, but once it is on your lips, it will stay there for several hours.  Highly recommended!

5/5

Price –£23.50

Where to Buy  - Debenhams, Boots, John Lewis, House of Fraser

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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Red Lips Week: Mac Hang-Up and YSL Rouge Volupte in Forbidden Burgundy

Mac Hang-Up and YSL Forbidden Burgundy

For the final post in this week of red lips, I have decided to focus on two darker options - Mac Hang-Up and YSL Forbidden Burgundy.  These are almost plummy shades, which give a more vampy look than the classic red for the festive season.

L to R: Mac Hang-Up and YSL Forbidden Burgundy

Mac Hang-Up looks almost black in the tube but goes on a darkened, deep red.  It is a cremesheen, which I find lasts around 2-3 hours on me and can be a slightly drying formula..  It is slightly glossy, which is not apparent in the swatch above,  but it gives a polished look on the lips.

YSL Rouge Volupte in Forbidden Burgundy is a vibrant plummy colour which goes on to the lips opaque in one swipe.  Rouge Voluptes are very soft and creamy (I reviewed another of the range, Pink Caress, here), and as this shade is particularly dark, I would recommend the use of a lipliner to avoid any issues with bleeding over the lip line.  As with Hang-Up, it looks much darker in the tube than it does on the lips.

Verdict

Both of these lipsticks offer an opaque plum colour in one easy swipe.  Especially suitable for vampy evening looks, these are the perfect choice if you are looking for something a bit different from your usual red lippy.  As the Mac lipstick is substantially cheaper, this would probably be my recommended choice for someone looking to dip their toe into a darker lip, however the formula of the YSL lipstick wins for me every time.

4/5

Price

Mac - £13.50

YSL - £22

Where to buy

Mac - Mac, House of Fraser, Debenhams, Selfridges

YSL - Department Stores,Boots, Debenhams