MAC Lipstick Review - Up The Amp

For years I used to pay more attention to my eyes when applying makeup, and my lips would usually get neglected with no lip colour applied, or I wear a nude lipstick and play it safe. Naturally my lips have no colour, so I was always scared to experiment, and when I did actually try to apply colour, I would get rid of it straight away because I just didnt think it looked right because I just wasnt used to it.

Its only been since the end of last year that I've started to be a little bolder with my lip colour, and started off wearing Elf's Matte Lip Colour in Tea Rose (see post), and I've even recently started wearing red on nights out (this might seem like no big deal to a lot of people, but red is notoriously hard to pull off if you don't know what shade to choose, and I was pretty much terrified of wearing it).

The first truly bold colour lip colour I bought was Up The Amp by MAC at the beginning of the year, and I still absolutely love it! So I figured I'd review it, even though I'm sure this lipstick is definitely not short on reviews!

The Lipstick

I love this lipstick because it is so versatile, and can be applied lightly for a more subtle look during the day, or if you're trying to ease yourself into wearing brighter lipsticks. 

This is definitely the lipstick that broke me out of the nudes, and helped me be a lot braver colour-wise.

And its a fantastic colour when applied normally, or with a heavy hand.

Below the swatches on my hands are applied heavily to give you a proper idea of its colour.

Swatches

I love lipsticks with blue undertones too, as they suit my skin tone better, so this is a winner for me. Blue undertones also help to make your teeth appear even whiter, so that's a definite bonus too! This is such a versatile colour that can be worn day or night. 

Its great on a lot of skin tones too, as it suits my pale skin, and it would definitely suit darker skin too. 

-Though I'd be careful if your skin has an orange tint to it, as this colour may look a bit harsh

It obviously has that infamous scent all MAC lipsticks have (which I LOVE), and the texture of it is pretty much spot on to what I look for in a lipstick.

As you can see I cant really fault this lipstick, but I thought I'd share it with you as it was such a big influence for me in becoming braver with colour, and I'm sure I'm not the only one who's been too scared to go anywhere near lip colour.

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MAC Lipstick Review - Snob

The Lipstick

I've been lusting after Snob for a while now, and I'm so glad to finally own it! I know this particular shade is definitely not lacking in reviews, but I thought I'd write one anyway with my own stamp on it!

I'm realy impressed with this colour. I'm happy to say its pretty much how I hoped it would be, if not a little pinker. Its a nice buildable colour, so you can choose to wear it as a subtle colour, or wear it as a bright pink if you wish to be a little bolder.

I have been wearing it daily, and I love it. I think this is a nice versatile shade that would suit most skin tones. Though I wouldn't recommend it if your skin is on the orange side! If you've accidently overdone it on the fake tan, this colour wont be too forgiving.

It has that usual scent MAC lipsticks have, and I love that. The consistency is great too. It pretty much defines what I love about their lipsticks! The only downside is that I've learnt MAC are no longer cruelty free, though I did buy this before I found out. 

Recommended Lipliners

I would recommend using NYX Lipliner Pencils in either Rose or Dolly Pink with this lipstick. 

It depends on  what hue you want this lipstick to take:

-If you want it to be quite a vibrant pink I would recommend Dolly Pink. 

-But if you don't want the colour to be so bold, I'd recommend Rose as its more muted.

I know not everyone uses lip pencils, but I naturally have no colour in my lips, so I always find I need lip pencils to help define them. I thought others like me might find it helpful if I recommended ones that match, and NYX ones are quite inexpensive, so you're not going to break the bank!

I've included swatches of Snob on its own, as well as swatches with these two lip pencils:

Swatches

-The central swatch is Snob on its own.

-The far left swatch is of NYX Lipliner in Dolly Pink, and the swatch next to it is of Snob being used with Dolly Pink.

-The far right swatch is of NYX Lipliner in Rose, and the swatch next to it is a mixture of Snob and Rose.

Snob is a weird one though, as I found it looked different when swatched on my arm, to how it looked on my lips. Though the lip pencil colours still match up very well with it:

Lip Swatches

Above photos of Snob in various lightings so you can get a good idea of its colour.

In these swatches I used Snob alongside NYXs Dolly Pink lip pencil.

You can find NYXs Lipliner Pencils quite easily online, but I saved a lot of money by buying mine in bulk off eBay from an international seller here. Joy offers very fast shipping, despite being far away in the states, and it's amazing value for money. Otherwise, if you're not looking to buy in bulk, you can purchase them from NYXs UK website here.

I hope you found this review helpful. 

I'd love to hear of any other lipsticks you recommend!

Sleeks Pout Paints

Superdrug currently have an offer on the new Sleek Pout Paints selling them at 3for2, so I took advantage of this offer to try out 3 of them for myself!

'Peek-a-bloo', 'Mauve Over' & 'Minx'

A Mixture of 'Peek-a-bloo' & 'Mauve Over'

What Sleek Says: "Apply the tiniest drop of pout paint to your lip brush for complete coverage. Can be used alone or mixed with other shades within the range.

FYI, a little goes a very long way!"

Mixing Palette

All 3 Colours Gradually Blended

Pout Paint Blends:

Minx - Peek-a-bloo

Minx-------------------------------------------50/50--------------------------------Peek-a-bloo

Peek-a-bloo - Mauve Over

Peek-a-bloo-------------------------------------50/50------------------------------Mauve Over

Mauve Over - Minx

Mauve Over ---------------------------------------50/50-------------------------------------Minx

I've never tried another product like this before, but I'm really impressed. 

These Pout Paints have amazing colour pay-off, and I love how they can be combined to create different shades/colours.

From 3 colours I managed to get 12 different outcomes. They have a total of 11 shades to choose from, so the possibilities are huge!

You can apply them straight to the lip for a strong colour, or for the colour-shy you can 'water it down' by using a lip balm (I suggest Lush's Ultrabalm) before-hand and applying a thin layer of the paint on top.

-And a little really does go a long way!

Tip: For whiter looking teeth it is recommended you use lipsticks with a blue undertone, so the 'Peek-a-bloo' is a must buy as you can add just the tiniest amount to any lip paint or even your favourite lipstick, and there you have it - whiter looking teeth! 

I am in love with these paints, and will be going back to superdrug asap before the offer ends! :)

Make Up Haul

I had a welcome surprise at work yesterday when I found a payslip waiting for me!

-I've just started working there and so was not expecting to get anything for another month.

So of course I took advantage of the increase in my bank balance and went shopping!

TK MAXX

Rotary Holder £5.99

I love TK MAXX for its homewares section, and whilst browsing I found this rotary holder which would be perfect for storing make up brushes, pencils, mascaras, or anything else you can think of. 

-I'll be using mine to section off my eyeliners, lip liners, eyebrow pencils etc.

Eyeko Tinted Cream £4.99 (RRP £8.95)

I also picked up some make up bargains like Eyeko's Limited Edition Tinted Cream for nearly half price!

It says it can be used as a moisturiser, eye cream or highlighter.

I really like the colour of this and can't wait to try it out. The only thing about it is that whilst swatching I found it dried quickly which may make it difficult to blend.

The skin on my face is very temperamental so I'd be very interested to see if this will break me out.

Eyeko London Lips £4.99 for all three (RRP £6.50 each!)

This was such a huge bargain! I got 3 lipglosses for less than a full priced one!

And I love all three of the colours (they come in a pack so you can't really choose all 3)

The only downside to these lipglosses is that they're sticky. Personally I can't stand them if they're sticky, but the colours are so pretty I think I may make an exception for these!

Studio Basics 4 Piece Mineral Make Up Travel Brush Set £5.99 (RRP £9.99)

These brushes are fabulous!

I don't know if you can tell, but they're so tiny, but such good quality!

I really wasn't expecting much from them because of their price, and plus I'd never heard of the brand before.

But I'm so glad I decided to get them because now all doubts about them have gone!

You can't really see in this photo but the bristles are very densely packed, and are soo soft even before washing.

So far I've used the Bronzer Brush and it's amazing.

Miss a Kit £3

Now this is a bit of a random purshase!

I'm pretty much a sucker for multi-use items as well as products that are handbag sized, so when I saw this I couldn't help myself.

I know it's a bit naff looking, and its baby pink (not really a fan) but at £3 I got it anyway!

It has 15 uses:

Mirror, Flashlight, Scissors, Nail File, Tweezers, Pen, Pill Box, Perfume Bottle, Knife, Ruler, Bottle Opener, Screwdriver, Bottle Opener, Sewing Kit, and Key Chain.

Pull-out tweezers & pen stylus

Corkscrew, knife, bottle opener, scissors & nail file/ruler (on the other side)

Mirror, sewing kit, travel size perfume bottle, light, pill box/container

Personal 911 Kit £3 - plasters, nail file, hair band, dental floss, tweezers, sewing kit & double sided
'apparel tape'

Love the idea of this. So many times I've needed a nail file, or a hair band etc. So when I saw this 'emergency' kit I had to get it. 

It's such a handy tin as you can always take out something you wont need and swap it for something you do (I'd swap the apparel tape for safety pins).

Again, it's handbag sized - what more can I say!

SUPERDRUG

3 Minute Miracle Deep Treatment Sachets, 99p Each

I'm pretty sure I'm killing my hair as it's in awful condition at the moment! 

I remember I used to always use Aussie's 3 minute miracle back when my hair was lovely and soft, so I thought I'd try it again. I couldn't decide between which one to get so I thought I'd see which sachet works for me.

Charles Worthington Hair Serum £1.89

I don't usually use hair serum as I feel it makes my hair lose any of the volume I'd managed to give it. 

-However, as I said, my hair's started to get in really bad condition, so I need all the help I can get to tame it. 

As before, I was sold by the fact it's handbag sized :/

As hard as I tried, I couldnt stop myself from wandering into the make up section.

I wasn't as bad as I thought, and ended up only buying these (I've been known to come back with more!)

-Famous currently has an offer of 3 for 2 in Superdrug, so I picked up 3 of their lip products. 

Famous Lipstick Shade 4, £4

I love the design of this lipstick, and think it's so pretty. However the lipstick doesn't always 'click' into its lid so sometimes it does come out - though if you take care to make sure its secure then it will stay in place.

Anyway, the important bit! The Colour: I really like this colour (obviously - I chose it!).
It's a nice rose colour, but not too strong. It's very subtle but not sheer, the colour pay-off is very good.
-Too many times I've picked up what looks to be a nice colour, put it on and found it's too sheer/strong. To me this is perfect!
And it's very easy to build up the colour to make it stronger should you wish to go bolder. (or if you like it sheer, apply it with a lip brush to lips that have been coated with lip balm)

£4 each

These are two shades from their Diamond Shimmer collection.
-Personally I'm really not a fan of glittery make up, but these are very subtle and are more of a shimmer.
These would be lovely used alone and over a lipstick to give it that extra kick. I love both of these colours, and will definitely be experimenting with these over different lipstick colours/shades.

Accessorize Lip Gloss in 'Idol', £3

Unfortunately this lipgloss wasn't on offer - I just liked the colour!

They have another lipgloss in the same colour as this, but in a deeper shade. I opted for the lighter one for once as I'm trying to be a bit lighter in my colour choices and experiment a bit more with my lip colours.

And that's it so far! 

I will do more in depth reviews of some of these products (the Tinted Cream, the Brush's and possibly the Hair Treatments) once I've had a chance to test them out properly.

iFabbo Goodybag

I promised an upclose look inside the goody bag* I received from the iFabbo Event, and here it is!

Clockwise from top left: Rocktails new Frozen Cocktails, Elegant Touch False Nails, Eyelure False lashes (107 & 080), Colbert MD Eye Cream, Witch Cleansin Wipes & Blemish Stick

Paul & Joe leaflet with full-sized Paul & Joe Eyeshadow below, Murad product Guide with product samples: Pomegranate Lip Protector, Acne Cleanser, Acne & Wrinkle Solution & Anti-ageing Moisturiser

Left: Paul & Joe Eye Gloss Duo (002) Swatches. Right: Make Up Store Eyeshadow (Boheme)

Collection 2000 Cream Puff in Fairy Cake

Beautisol Body Self Tanner with Gloves & Instructions

We were truly spoilt in our goody bags, with so many different brands and products to try. 

As I get to know these products I will slowly start reviewing them. 

On first impressions I love the Make Up Store Eyeshadow, and can't wait to try out the self tanner!

I am of course looking forwards to trying everything else out too!