MAC Up the Amp

MAC Up the Amp Lipstick £14*

Another day. Another post. Another MAC Lipstick. My dad recently jetted off to NYC with his girlfriend and offered to pick me up some bits from Sephora & MAC as late Christmas presents. I was unbelievably overwhelmed with the package of cosmetic treats they brought back for me and would like to take the time to say a MASSIVE thank you to both him and his girlfriend, Julie ( I know you're reading this!).

I have a few MAC Lipstick posts coming up before I thought I would do a MAC Lipstick Collection round-up as that's proved quite popular and has been requested before. This time last year I owned one solitary MAC Lipstick and now I have quite the modest collection as they're my favourite formula. Rightio, on with the review...

Up the Amp would have terrified me only a few months ago. Bold, brash, in your face with a purple punch. Far too scary for me! But I have started to embrace a bolder lip recently with plum's making the top of my list. Plum tones seem to suit me, I think the cooler hues match my skin tone and compliment my hair and so I traded my dusky pinks and blue-toned reds for plums (look out for my plum lipstick stash post coming soon!) and have never looked back. 

As it's an amplified cremesheen you know it will (hopefully) do two things: provide a good solid colour and have creamy formula that melts on your lips, and UTA does just that.

In bullet form it is a lot more vibrant and daunting than what actually transforms onto your lips, of course you can build it up to how bright you dare to go but one swipe can add a creamy slick of light purple that I wouldn't even mind wearing on an everyday basis. Used as a stain it is quite a gorgeous milky plum that I think most of you would find appealing and so I'm giving this lipstick two thumbs up as it shocked me with just how neutral it can be when in a less shocking make-up mood. Would you dare to Up the Amp?

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Tarte Amazonian Clay 12 Hour Blush in Exposed

Tarte Amazonian Clay 12 Hour Blush in Exposed  $26*

It's no secret, Blushes, in all shapes and forms, are my weakness. I am obsessed to say the least. My blush drawer has to be my most coveted and I often find myself playing around perusing through and ooh-ing over how pretty they are, does that make me weird? 

Tarte Amazonian Clay Blushes have been on my wishlist for quite some time and I've been even more desperate to get my clutches on the shade I am going to big up today, Exposed. Maybe it's because Tarte blushes aren't easily available in the UK that I wanted to own this SO badly, I mean you always want what you can't have, right? Or, maybe it's because the claim of their strong staying power that drew me in. I think its a bit of both.

I absolutely love the packaging and floral design imprinted on the blush, so cute. Each compact reflects the shade of the blush inside. I find this really handy when trying to find or figure out what shade to go for that day when I'm in a hurry and have no time to search for labels. What I find great about Tarte Blushes is the fact they can be removed from their pan to add to a palette if you wish, although I prefer keeping mine in its compact. It's sleek and has a good sized mirror for application on the go, perfect!

When swatched I began to worry that the blush was that bit too powdery for my liking but once applied my fears were averted. The powder is soft and makes blending an easy process with a very natural, and nearly matte, finish. I find using my RT Stippling Brush or Contour Brush great for application as less really is more and not much is needed.

(please ignore how utterly awful this photo is, my skin is NOT co-operating at the moment!)

As for the 12 hour claim I don't know if I can completely agree with that statement BUT Tarte Blushes do last longer than the average blush and I can leave the house knowing my blush will stay intact for up to eight/nine hours.
Exposed is described as simply a 'nude' shade but there are definite plummy undertones which suits my cooler skin tone to a tee. This blush was very much needed in my collection as rosy pinks were beginning to take over. Exposed is a great shade for everyday wear and adds definition to the face helping to achieve that killer cheekbone look that every girl craves (Eddie Redmayne, your cheekbones are wasted on a man!). For those of you that can't get your hands on this I would thoroughly recommend you try NARS Douceur which is a very similar nude shade but a little bit more rosy and less plum based than Exposed.

 What Tarte shades are you after or are there any nude blushes you can recommend? I think I want to try Tipsy out next, I just wish they were more readily available in the UK. BRING BACK SEPHORA.

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MAC Angel

MAC Angel Lipstick £14

I asked for MAC Lipstick recommendations on a recent #bbloggers chat and almost immediately I found my interactions clogged up with the same name appearing again and again, MAC Angel. I've swatched Angel many times when browsing the store but never purchased up until three weeks ago when I decided that enough was enough and it was time to whack out the plastic. I'm so glad I did.

MAC Angel is that shade that truly lives up to the hype, its that 'your lips but better' lipstick that is perfect for everyday wear and adding a delicate rosy pink touch to your lips. I'm not a huge fan of the frost lipstick formula but Angel isn't over the top shimmery and I've found myself reaching for it every day since I bought it. The formula is creamy and a warm welcome to my lips, I would go as far to say that this is a staple lipstick if you're looking to start a MAC collection or in need of a every day shade. What do you think? 

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