Barry M Lipstick And A MAC Velvet Teddy Dupe!

I love nude lipstick, and I also love a matte lippy too but they leave my lips feeling so dry so I wanted to find a nice nude lipstick that wasn't matte that I could wear in between times while my lips "recover" from matte lipstick.

Enter Barry M Satin Super Slick Lip Paint in Mannequin 169 £4.49 (that's quite a gob full!). This is a polar opposite to a matte lipstick, but that was what I was looking for. It has a lipgloss shine to it but the the colour pay off of a lipstick and I've found myself reaching for it nearly everyday. It's not as long lasting as a matte lipstick but it does last a good couple of hours (the colour outlasts the shine) and I'm happy to reapply if that means my lips don't feel like the Sahara desert!

Another bonus to this lipstick is that the colour is remarkably close to that of MACs Velvet Teddy. The finish is obviously no where near the same but the colour is very nearly spot on, the picture below doesn't really do it any justice as the different finishes make it look really different but if your looking for a cheaper alternative to MAC Velvet Teddy or just a nice nude lipstick I'd definitely go check this one out. 

Barry M isn't the brand I'd usually think of for a lipstick but I'm so impressed with this one I'll certainly pay more attention to them in the future! 

Get yours online HERE or at your local high street store.

Have you tried Barry M Lipsticks before?

Thanks for reading,

Wench x   

Collection Cream Puff Lip Cream

I have a serious lipstick problem, to the point I might even need counselling I just can't help myself and when I find one I like I can't just stop at one I have to have more.

This Collection Cream Puff Lip Cream is one of those such discoveries. It's a matte finish, which I'm very much in to at the moment but unlike a lot of matte lip products out there it's not super drying. Now I'm not saying it doesn't dry out my lips at all but it's considerably less than most. It's also really comfortable to wear and goes on really smoothly, it's creamy when you put it on initially but then it sets to a lovely matte finish. It lasts amazingly too, I road test most of my make up while I'm at work and I only really have to apply after I've eaten or after about 4 hours and considering the price tag (RRP £2.99) I think that's really good! 

excuse the red nose, I had a cold! 

There is only one real downside to these and that is the limited colour range. There are only four colours which I think is a travesty! The one I have here is Cotton Candy which as you can see from the photos above is a lovely, neutral, dusky pink colour. Not pictured here, I also got the shade Angel Delight (for some reason this one seems more difficult to find in stores. FYI I got mine in Wilkos) which is a really good nude colour (Google it to see the colour!) I tend to find that high street brands can never get a nude colour right but this one is spot on (not to be confused with the other nude colour they do Powder Puff which I think is really pale and awful!)

Collection as a brand are full of hidden gems and too easily overlooked!

Find Collection Cream Puff Lip Creams HERE or in your local Boots, Superdrug, or Wilkos. 

Have you tried anything from Collection?

Thanks for reading,

Wench x 

Worth The Hype? Mac Velvet Teddy Lipstick

MAC Matte Lipstick in the shade Velvet Teddy is harked on about so much, but is it for good reason? 

A while ago I was on the hunt for a really nice nude shade lipstick, I scoured the usual drugstore/high street make up stands but nothing seemed to really hit the mark. A couple of my work colleagues had been sporting really nice shades of nude lipstick and of course when I asked them both what lippie they had on, they both piped up "It's Velvet Teddy." Regardless, I tried to find a budget friendly version but found that the shades were too pinky coloured or too pale and so decided to take the plunge and buy the damn thing.

For the most part, I do think Velvet Teddy is worth the hype, it is in my opinion the perfect nude shade and it suits so many different skin tones. The ladies I saw it on both fake tan regularly and I wondered if it would look nice on my pale skin but when I walked into work wearing it one of them asked what lipstick it was I wearing because it looked nice. Winner! 

The actual formula is really creamy for a matte lipstick and it applies really smoothly. The wear time for this lipstick is pretty impressive too, considering it's not particularly marketed purposely for long wear I do find I only have to re apply a couple of times a day (usually after I've eaten) and while it does transfer onto cups etc the colour still remains after I've swigged my brew.

It's not without it's flaws though and being a matte lipstick it does dry my lips out and clings to dry, flaky parts. Unfortunately my lips are prone to being dry pretty much all year round but if that's not an issue for you, well, lucky you and this won't be such a problem for you. The second problem I have with this lipstick is the price, at £15.50 it is on the pricey side for me and one of very few high end make up items I own.

There has however been a surge in high street/drugstore brands bringing out new nude shades and I'm hoping I can find a cheaper alternative!

MAC Velvet Teddy Lipstick is available HERE or from your nearest MAC counter.

What's your favourite nude lipstick?

Thanks for reading,

Wench x

Maybelline Color Drama Velvet Lip Pencils

Hello internet! I have some more make up musings for you today in the form of Maybelline Velvet Lip Pencils.

You know when you find something that you love so much you have to have more? This is what has happened to me with these beauties! I have totally fell in love with the formula of these lip crayons and now I own 5 of them. So let me tell you about them.

The formula of these are lovely and creamy, they apply really smoothly and the pencil format of them means its really easy to outline your lips and fill them in quite precisely (which is great in particularly for the bolder colours). I wouldn't go as far as to say they are like lipliner because they're too thick for that but it does make application a bit easier. 

Once applied I wouldn't say they were completely matte, more of a satin, velvet like finish (as the name suggests, duh!) I really like this finish as completely matte lipsticks tend to be very drying where these are only slightly drying on your lips but have the full staying power of a matte lipstick. When I wear these for work they stay put and don't slide around all over my face (definitely a no-no when working with the general public face to face) and I only touch up on my break after eating and that's more out of habit than necessity. 

The five colours I have are Keep it Classy, Berry Much, Minimalist, Nude Perfection, and Red Essential. My favourite of the bunch has to be Keep It Classy which is the first one I got, it's the perfect balance of bold colour but is also a wearable, everyday colour for me making it a staple in my handbag.

Maybelline Color Drama Lip Pencil in Keep It Classy on the lips

I'm not sure if 5 is enough of these!

What's your favourite of the bunch?

Thanks for reading,

Wench x

A Day in the Wear of... Bourjois Rouge Edition Velvet

I thought I'd do a series where I wear a certain make up product and road test it throughout a day and then let you know how I get on with it. 

So without further ado, my first instalment of this is Bourjois Rouge Edition Velvet and this is the shade 11 So Hap'pink.

These are really easy to apply, the doe foot applicator makes tracing your lip shape really easy. The formula goes on really smoothly, you do need to work fairly quickly as it sets quite fast but you can layer this. It's sets to a matte finish and dries kinda like paint but it is comfortable to wear and the staying power is really good! You can eat and drink to an extent but it's not completely invincible, I ate an ice cream at the park and it didn't live to tell the tale! Up until that point it had lasted a good four hours which I think is awesome and when it did come off it came off completely, not with that awkward lip liner looking ring (if you know what I mean!). 

There are a few colours in this range and their all quite vibrant, even though this is a fairly nude, dusky, pink shade it's still quite bright (if that even makes sense!) however they have just brought out a glossy version of the same thing and I think there's quite a few of those that are more wearable shades. 

The only problem I find with long lasting lipsticks like these is that I have quite dry, flaky lips and the colour often flakes off my lips as oppose to wearing off. On the plus side, despite having dry lips (which if you look closely at the top picture you can see) these go over that really well without highlighting the dry, flaky areas.

This is a winner for me, I can put it on and not have to worry about it for ages. I don't have to keep checking on it either as I know if I accidentally touch it it's not going to end up all over my face!  

Thanks for reading!

Wench x