Rimmel Kate 107, does it live up to all the hype?

So after seeing the all famous Rimmel Kate Moss matte lipstick in the shade 107 all over every blog these past few months, I decided to see what all the hype was about.
I've always been a peachy/coral or pillar box red lip kind of girl but as Autumn approached I decided that finally it was time to buy a darker seasonal lip shade. I have never liked the bright fushia pinks and purples of lipsticks so I knew that I didn't want a dark purpley berry shade so I decided that a vampy dark red was going to the one. I didn't want to spend too much money on it incase I didn't like it so I decided on the Rimmel Kate lipstick. I already have the shade 111 Kiss of Life from this range which i do like.
As it is such a hyped up colourway it is quite hard to get hold of chances are that it will be sold out in stores. I added it onto one of my recent Amazon orders for baby teethers (I'm allowed to treat myself once in a while right?).
At first I tried it at home but it was dark by 3pm so I felt that i didn't get a accurate view of the colour without natural daylight. A few days later and I was off to town and decided that it was time to try it out for the day.
These lipsticks do have their own strong sweet scent which isn't for everyone but it doesn't bother me that much. It is high maintenance to apply such a dark colour precisely to the lips and I would usually use a lip brush but I was in a rush so I didn't. I do like the formula of these as they apply smooth but it really didn't wear long I would say 2 hours max and then you need to reapply as it looks a mess and patchy. I felt that it didn't really set and would very easily smudge or transfer. I felt that I had to constantly re apply something which I don't like so I probably won't wear this much. I felt that I get longer wear from the shade 111? Maybe that is dryer?
Overall I am not overwhelmed by this and I didn't find the shade dark and vampy at all. It is just a darkish red and not what I hoped for. I do not believe that it is worth all the hype that it gets and that is just my opinion.

My Christmas Wishlist

So it's that time of year and I admit I have already started my Christmas shopping.
Here is a round up of my wishlist for this year. It is mostly Charlotte Tilbury as this woman can just do no wrong lol.

Charlotte Tilbury Fallen Angel Palette - This is the perfect smokey eye palette. I have declared my love for it in many posts so I won't go on.

Charlotte Tilbury Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds Lipstick Lustre - I admit I only want this to complete The Supermodel collection as I already have the Confession lipstick. I am not blown over by it and a part of me thinks that this might make it come alive and me think oh yeah there it is? Who knows.

Charlotte Tilbury Lipstick Charms -
Oh my these are the cutest mini lipsticks ever! You get 3 lipsticks which are Penelope Pink, Bitch Perfect and So Marilyn. What a great way to try them out as the first two look very similar from online swatches and you can't go wrong with a bright red. I wish she would do 3 matte lipstick charms that would just be amazing.

Slipknot, Korn Standing Tickets - well my husband has already bought this so it is kind of cheating but we do not have them in our hands to hold just yet. We missed out seeing them 5 years ago due to it selling out. We bought tickets on eBay for twice the price and then they never turned out. We got our money back but we have regretted not seeing Slipknot for years! We have seen Korn twice but we still love them as well. This will be a special trip as our daughter will be 6 months by this gig and I'm dreading leaving her for the evening but I know I have to and I will enjoy a rare night out with my husband.

Nars Matte Lip Pencil in Cruella - since I've got the Dolce Vita shade I can't get how comfortable and easy it is to wear and I know a bright red lip is high maintenance. I have the YSL Rouge pur couture in 01 and it is a pain in the arse to apply and maintain. I do love a bright red lip and I'm thinking that a matte formula is the way to go so watch this space. Yes I have tried the Rimmel Kate lipsticks but it is still not hitting the spot for me.

So that's my wishlist. What are you hoping for this year?

Current Autumn Wishlist

Here is what I am currently lusting after and it includes alot of Charlotte Tilbury. As a new mum I need to be practical as this bag from Fiorelli - the Mani tote could make a perfect baby changing bag as it would fit all my mummy necessities in and more.
I love the camel coats around at the moment but they are all dry clean only which I'm thinking isn't a good idea for me as just one bit of baby sick = a expensive trip to the cleaners. My favourite Charlotte Tilbury products are the Dolce Vita palette and one or two of the new matte revolution lipsticks. I really want to try Amazing Grace!

So this is my current wishlist :-)

Nars Dolce Vita Matte Lip Pencil

So I know that I am late to the bandwagon on this product but I have only just discovered that it existed.
I saw a picture on another blog (Killer Colours) of her wearing it and I instantly fell in love with the colour of it. It is a your lips but better colour and also matte lips are huge this season.

I have hunted and searched many online shops for this as it seems that it has been discontinued. I eventually found it on eBay after lots of perseverance.

It is so comfortable on the lips for a matte lip pencil and the colour is a perfect pairing for a smokey eye. It can be worn day or night and is a new staple in my handbag.

Nars also do this colourway in a sheer lipstick which is now on my wishlist.

Have you tried any Nars Dolce Vita products?

Revlon Colorburst Matte & Lacquer Balms

So it seems every blogger has been raving about these matte balms for the past few months now, and while I'm currently going through another lip crayon phase I thought I'd give them ago.

I was hoping that Boots or Superdrug might have had a 3 for 2 on but no such luck! The best I found was Boots had them at 2 for £10. Which is still a bargain. Whilst I am currently 9 months pregnant about to pop I've been a recluse so I've not been able to get out and swatch these babies for myself. I've had to rely on online swatches which isn't the best.

I got one of each line, there are currently 10 shades of each available which is a great choice! But for me alot of the colours in the matte balms don't appeal as they all look rather bright and loud. I opted for the following -

205 Elusive - Matte (left swatch)
105 Demure - Lacquer (right swatch)

My initial thought was urgh Elusive looks like a darker pink than I expected, as it had been described as a 'everyday pink' and 'my lips but better'. As you can see from the swatch though it is very pigmented and not something I would feel comfortable in for work, as it is not a nude pink lip in anyway shape or form.

I love the packaging, as from a distance you can tell which is matte and which is lacquer due to the finish of the tube. The packaging feels sturdy and well made compared to my Rimmel Colour Rush Balms which are more plasticy and cheap looking.

Both products have a mint scent and tingle when applied. It smells like strong chewing gum. I'm not a fan but it wouldn't stop me buying the product.

Lacquer Balm - Verdict
I love these as this is my favourite finish of the two. They glide on the lip easy and the colour can be built up. The colour payoff does not stain nor does it last long but these are only meant to be a balm. They feel more nourishing on the lips compared to the Rimmel Colour Rush Balms.
I love how glossy and non sticky the formula is.
My colour choice Demure is a nice pinky nude. Yes it has glitter in it so stay away if you don't like that but I am really happy with this. I now want colours Provacateur and Teese.

Matte Balm - Verdict
These give great colour payoff with just one swipe across the lips, the pigmentation is amazing and can be built up for full colour. The staying power isn't very good a couple of hours at most.
I don't find the mattes as nourishing as the lacquers I also feel like it shows any dry patches on my lips and makes them look worse. I don't like the colour choices as I feel they are all too bold for my liking and un-natural looking. I won't be buying anymore from this range.

Have you tried any balms from either range and which did you prefer?

Drugstore Wishlist

My wishlist changes from week to week usually but here are a few items which have stayed constant. All these items can be picked up from your local drugstore or even supermarket.
I like to wait until Boots or Superdrug have a good offer on (usually 3 for 2) before purchasing any drugstore products. Here is what I am currently lusting after:

Revlon Matte Lip Balm Crayon - Elusive
These have had a lot of hype since release but I do want to try them out for myself. I keep looking at online swatches of this and I can't work out if it a everyday matte nude pink or something much darker and deeper. I really should go look in store but at 9 months pregnant I have become a recluse. This colour seems to be the one that catches my eye the most out of the mattes.

Revlon Lacquer Lip Balm Crayon - Demure
These lacquer balms where released at the same time as the mattes mentioned above. They don't have the same hype around them and they don't have as many positive reviews about them but my does this look pretty. This colour looks like a nude glittery pink gloss which usually isn't my thing but for some reason I really want this bad. I don't have anything like it in my collection so I really want to try it. I also want to try the colour Tease but I feel like I would use this neutral colour more.

Bourjois CC Cream
This looks like the perfect face base for summer to tone down any facial redness and to give you that more done look than going bare. I don't know why I haven't tried this yet. It looks to be the perfect solution for when you don't want to wear foundation which I hardly ever do.

Vaseline Spray and Go Moisturiser
As I mentioned before I'm currently 9 months pregnant, this makes the smallest tasks harder. Such as reaching down to put on shoes which is now impossible hello flip flops. Anyway anything that can make my life easier works for me so a spray on moisturiser sounds right up my street.

Have you tried any of these items and what do you think? Do they live up to the hype?

Bobbi Brown Pink Coral Blush Review

This blusher is from this season and is part of the Rich Chocolate range.
It comes in matte or shimmer but I went for matte as I'm not a shimmer kinda gal.

I am so glad that I made the splurge on this blusher as it is my new favourite! It is gorgeous. I love anything coral but this colour is on the pink side of coral rather than the peachy side like everything else.

I think that's why I love it so much as I have nothing like it. It isn't too pigmented and it is a very build able shade. As it is quite a light pink coral shade I'm not sure if it would show up on darker skin tones but for any light-medium skintone this colourful would give you gorgeous natural looking flushed cheeks.
The packaging is nice and sleek and black and even though it's plastic it doesn't feel cheap.

I now want more shades of Bobbi 's blushes and I'm eyeing up nectar for my next purchase and I wouldn't mind making my own 4 pan palette. Oh dear I fear a obsession is in the making with these blushes.
Have you tried anything from the new rich chocolate range? 

Buy here £19 for 3.7g
Jodie x

My favourite lipsticks

Here is a video featuring my top 8 favourite lipsticks. I count down to my number one favourite, can you guess what it is?

I will do a post very soon showing swatches of each of the lipsticks featured and links as to where to buy them.

Jodie x

Mac Lady Gaga lipstick dupe?

So I was given this lovely Mac Lady Gaga lipstick by a friend and I love it! It reminds me of Mac's Pink Nouveau which I unfortunately do not own. I love the Mac formula and packaging I definitely want to collect more.
The Mac Viva Glam Gaga here is shade AC9 and it is a limited edition lustre lipstick. The fact that it is a light pink reminded me of my other only very light pink that I have in my lipstick collection which was a dirt cheap W7 Go West - Candy Pink lipstick which they class as matte - it isn't very matte at all so I think these two lipsticks could be dupes! The W7 one only cost me about £2.50 off eBay where as the Mac one would be £15± to buy.

The Mac is obviously my favourite but if your on a budget I recommend checking out the W7 Go West collection.

What do you think could these be dupes? I am wearing the Mac in the above shot and W7 in the bottom shot.

Left to right Mac - W7.

You will have to excuse my shoddy lipstick application as I wasn't in the best light haha. Jodie x

The ideal bronzer for pale skin - The Body Shop honey matte bronzer

So this summer I decided to try out bronzer for the first time but I was abit daunted by them all due to having quite pale skin. I have a sample of Benefits Dallas in my Powda Wowza palette but it's far too dark for me, so I've kind of been put of bronzer and I've not known how to use them until now.

My bronzer of choice is The Body Shop Honey matte bronzing powder. The fact that this is a matte bronzer really got my attention as all the ones I've seen in shops are shimmer, but matte looks so much better on and it is perfect for giving my face a bit of contouring without looking like a scary person.

This bronzer first caught my eye on one of the latest A Model Recommends videos and she just made it look so perfect I knew it was the one for me, I got the same shade that she used in her video which is medium shade 3. If I had not watched her use it I would have bought shade 1 the lightest one as that's what I always do with foundations and concealers. So i did feel a bit crazy getting the shade 3 but these bronzers are very pale and this shade suits me perfectly, it is very subtle but build able.
I will do a demonstration video very soon.

I bought a Bourjois bronzer/kabuki brush just for this occasion but I've not had chance to test it yet so I'll let you know if the brush is any good or not very soon.

I apply this over my primer or foundation just to the back of the cheekbones giving my face some needed structure. I like to build up the colour most here. I then apply across the forehead and you can even sweep it down your nose and on the chin. Anywhere where the sun will naturally catch your skin first.
Contouring the face gives it the illusion of being slimmer and after applying this you can immediately see the difference it makes in your while appearance. This product will definitely be a make up bag staple from now on.

What do think of this? If you are pale like me is there another bronzer that you use?

Jodie x

Urban Decay De-Slick Mattifying Powder

For years I have tried different products to try and combat any unwanted shine. I'm not a oily monster or anything but I find my t-zone can get quite shiny. It probably doesn't help as I moisturise before putting my make up on but that's what we are supposed to do right. Cleanse, tone and moisturise before starting the day.

I found that the Kleenex shine absorbing sheets worked for me but I might have needed a touch up throughout the day but these I believe have been discontinued! I was gutted when I went to buy them from my local supermarket and they where gone so I began my search to look for something better.

I came across this product when reading a few blogs and I liked the look of it so I decided to try it out at my local Urban Decay counter at the Trafford Centre.
As my first Urban Decay purchase this didn't let me down, it feels very good quality as usually plastic compacts feel light and cheap but not this one. This has a good weight to it and feels very hard wearing.

The compact itself is dark purple with a gothic rose like design which is etched deep down underneath the surface. It looks really good. It comes with a mirror inside and a purple puff which has a nice UD brand detailing. The puff adheres to the mirror too due to the material of it which is handy.

The powder is white which might alarm some people but don't worry it is translucent, so there are no nasty white powder marks in sight I promise. It smells nice and feminine and is very light and delicate it is so easy to apply. The puff picks up just a little of product and it feels nice and silky and smooth on the face. It goes on very nice and instantly banishes any shine, this product is definitely a gift from the cosmetic gods! I recommend it for everyone. It is suitable for any skintone due to being translucent. It lasts quite a long time too I could probably go all day without a top up. It can be worn alone or over make up as the perfect setting powder. What are you waiting for ladies this is a must have for the summer.

Please let me know what you think about this product or what you would recommend for combating shine. Jodie x