Review: MAC Plumful Lipstick

Simply looking at my very low tube of Plumful by MAC can tell you that I'm a pretty big fan of this lipstick, but read on to find out more...

So back in 2015, I wrote a blog post about my MAC lipstick collection as it was looking at the time, and explained that I hadn't really reached for Plumful, despite thinking it was a pretty colour. But over the past year I've found myself using it more and more. It's a fail safe, especially for every day wear. I think it might be my all-time favourite MAC lipstick, even beating some of my other favourites like Show Orchid or Ever Hip.

Plumful swatched

It applies well, has a glossy sheen, and the colour itself is a beautiful plummy-pink (as the name would suggest). It looks much darker in the tube than it does when on the lips, and it lasts pretty well. It doesn't survive food and drink but if you went four hours without eating or drinking anything messy I think it would last.

I think the colour is really nice with my pale skin, but it's quite neutral so it would also look very pretty on darker skin tones. Plumful is a lustre finish, which are normally not that pigmented, but actually it's semi-opaque.

MAC Plumful Lipstick on my lips

All in all I'm extremely happy with this lipstick and think it's worth every penny, however if you're on a budget I do think this is quite a dupeable shade, so it's probably quite easy to find a similar colour on the high street (Glossypolish found some dupes here). I'm definitely going to repurchase it though, when my tube inevitably runs out - and I've never used up a lipstick to the end of a tube before.

MAC Plumful lipstick is £16.50, available on maccosmetics.co.uk.

Have you tried this lipstick? What's your favourite MAC lipstick, or lipstick from any brand?

Night Out Makeup

Hey everyone! So I went out in Stafford on Saturday and I quite liked how my makeup turned out, so I thought I'd write a post on it! This post turned out a longer than I thought it was going to be...

I forgot to include the Porefessional sample in this photo so let's pretend it's there too haha

I had moisturised my skin with the Avene Cleanance MAT Mattifying Emulsion, letting it sink in for a while before I primed my skin with Benefit's Porefessional, which I have a few sample sizes of (one was with a gift set, another with a magazine.) I don't think I like it enough to purchase the full size one when my samples run out - it's a nice product but I don't think it makes much difference on my pores and I feel like the siliconey formula is quite dupeable on the high street. However my makeup did last quite well despite me getting all sweaty in a nightclub - I'm not sure whether it's down to this, my foundation, my powder or just the combination of all three!

For foundation I went with the YSL Touche Eclat Foundation, which is the only high end foundation I own. This contains no SPF so it's ideal for night time makeup. When I bought it my skin was more normal and less blemish prone so because it's quite glowy and my skin became oily I was put off using it a bit. When I applied it last night though I really liked it - it blended beautifully when I used the Real Techniques Buffing Brush. Its coverage was light to medium but buildable without becoming cakey, as I did need to apply a little more than I normally would because of the amount of blemishes I have. (Quick foundation tip: obviously you can start applying it wherever you want on your face, but if you have an area that you think needs more coverage then you might like to start applying your foundation there.) I think I have the lightest shade and it matches me perfectly.

I did still powder it with MAC Blot Powder as although the dewy-ness of this foundation is nice, my oily skin means my face risks looking shiny as the night goes on. Again I have the lightest shade although this powder has barely any colour as it's not intended to add any more coverage! I have very much hit pan but I'm not sure I'd repurchase as it is expensive at £20.50.

I went for a neutral eye look because of how bright my lipstick (MAC's Show Orchid) is. So I blended together the MAC eyeshadows in Satin Taupe and Patina, which I've raved about before here.

Left: Patina Right: Satin Taupe

Swatched in the same order

I also applied Urban Decay's 24/7 Glide-On Eye Pencil in Stag which came with the Naked on the Run kit. I rarely wear eyeliner but this one is great - a flattering dark brown with a lovely smooth formula. It also stays put for a long time, as the name suggests!

This lipstick is one of my all time favourites:

MAC's Show Orchid lipstick

For mascara, I used two - I used the Seventeen Falsifeye HD Mascara first because it's great for length, then I topped it up with Maybelline Lash Sensational Mascara. As much as I like the 17 mascara I think I prefer the Maybelline one as it's better for volume and it also seems to hold a curl longer. I did a full review of the Maybelline mascara here.

I had some spots to conceal so Collection Ultimate Wear Concealer did the job, whilst I applied NARS Radiant Creamy Concealer in Vanilla (review here) under my eyes along with MAC Prep and Prime Highlighter in Radiant Rose to brighten the area. I also applied the highlighter on both brow bones and my cupid's bow.

Top - Soap and Glory Glow All Out, Bottom left: Mac's Blot Powder, Bottom right: Benefit Bella Bamba

For a mix of highlight and blush (because of how pale I am this product is like a blush on me!) I used Soap and Glory Glow All Out Luminizing Face Powder (review here) at the top of my cheekbones and then applied Benefit's Bella Bamba Blush to the apples of my cheeks - I love this blush but haven't wanted to rave about it on here because it's sadly been discontinued! Benefit should definitely bring it back. As you can see the packaging has faded as I've owned and used it since Christmas 2011!

I used the L'oreal Brow Artist Plumper in Dark Brunette, which is a ridiculously easy way to tidy up your brows, as I'm not fussed about properly attempting to fill them in.

The finished look. I feel like I look a bit evil in this photo lol.

As for my nails, it didn't really match my outfit but my current NOTW is Rimmel's 60 Seconds in Pulsating:

I really like this colour! I wouldn't say it dries in 60 seconds but I think it does dry slightly sooner than normal. (I can't find this online but I'm fairly sure it will still be in stores, if I'm wrong then I'm sorry!) I've had this for about five years and it's still going strong and applying well, and there's some gorgeous shades in this line!

Also if you're wondering (after my last post) if I've used the Nice and Easy Root Touch Up Kit yet - nope! I'm waiting for the right time; I didn't want to use it on Saturday in case it went wrong and I also don't want to use it before Thursday as I have a job interview that day! But I will give it a go soon and report back. :)

Hope you liked this post, and thanks for reading!
Sabrina xx

Five Current High End Favourites

Hi! So in this post I'm going to talk about high end products that I'm loving at the moment. I've done a similar post on my 10 Favourites Under £10 and this post only has five because I don't own all that many high end products.

Everyone likes a bit of luxury and I try to get a lot of use out of expensive products to get my money's worth! I didn't choose a particular MAC lipstick for this post, but they are pretty much firm favourites anyway - I did a post about my collection here.

1. Miss Dior Eau De Parfum

I don't talk about perfume much on my blog but I absolutely love this one, which I bought with my 21st birthday money. It was a close call between this and the Chanel Coco Mademoiselle as both are classy, feminine scents which come in gorgeous packaging that would look great on any dressing table (in Miss Dior's case, with a reflective bow.)

I'm not good at describing smells so I'll let Dior field this one. The notes are: Top Notes: Mandarin Orange, Middle Notes: Turkish Rose, Bulgarian Rose, Base Notes: Patchouli, Amber. I've tried a sample of the 'Blooming Bouquet' version as well which is lovely, and as the name suggests a bit more floral.

There's currently a '1000 points when you buy 2 or more selected Dior, 1 to be mascara or foundation' offer on at Boots, so that's £10 worth of points when you buy two Dior products!

2. Benefit Lollitint

My boyfriend kindly got me this for Christmas and I've really enjoyed using it ever since. I've tried mini versions of the other Benefit tints (Posietint and Benetint) and I really liked the pink one, Posietint and got a lot of use out of it. I didn't fancy splashing £24.50 on the full size Posietint though when I could just get the MeMeMe Poppy Tint dupe of it, which is available in Superdrug although I can't find it online. I'm not aware of any less expensive dupes for this 'candy-orchid' shade but it would be great if anyone knows of one?

However, you do get two uses for one with this gorgeous stain. It takes a little while to get the hang of applying it to the cheeks - Sharon the Makeup Artist did a really helpful tutorial here of how to apply cheek stains with a brush, since Benefit's own advice about applying it is a bit dodgy! It seems to last longer on the cheeks but I still like applying it either on its own or with another lip product; Mac's Pink Popcorn Lipstick and this stain are a combination I've been loving. It's quite a cool toned purpleish-pink so I think it's very pretty on pale skin in particular, but it would still probably suit a variety of skintones. The packaging is also adorable. I would love to own the mango/coral shade 'Cha Cha Tint' as well. I just wish these tints weren't so overpriced!

Here's a picture of me wearing Lollitint on my lips combined with Pink Popcorn lipstick on top, as well as on my cheeks, although it's not showing up in this photo! I'm also wearing the MAC Prep and Prime Highlighter which I'm going to talk about next...

3. MAC Prep and Prime Highlighter in Radiant Rose

I've actually owned this for quite a while now and I use it a lot. It seems to be lasting a long time (I'm getting my money's worth!) so I wonder when it will run out. This is basically a YSL Touche Eclat copy, which in my shade is a pale pink that works really well at adding radiance. As you can see it has a built in brush applicator and you simply click the product in, which has always worked well for me.

I typically use it around the eye area, so on my brow bone, over my concealer and sometimes on my eyelids to brighten them up and provide a base for my eyeshadow. It is very creamy and blends well. It's the best Touche Eclat dupe I've tried and I'm definitely going to repurchase it when it runs out, and hold on to the empty product so that I can do 'Back 2 MAC', returning 6 empties for one free lipstick!

4. MAC Patina and Satin Taupe Eyeshadows

Patina (left) and Satin Taupe (right)

I don't own many Mac eyeshadows but I find myself reaching for my pro palette quad more often than the famous Urban Decay Naked Palette, which I like but find a bit too warm toned for my skintone. I'm mentioning these two together as one favourite because they go so well together. As you can see I've used Patina more, but I do love both. Patina on me is a very wearable gold-ish brown which is amazing either on its own or paired with Satin Taupe, which is a slightly plummy taupe. They are neutral but still interesting shades - check out how Satin Taupe catches the light in the picture below!

Left: Patina, Right: Satin Taupe

If you've never tried Mac eyeshadows before these are the two that I would recommend as they are not only beautiful and versatile everyday neutrals but very easy to work with (Patina is slighly less pigmented compared to Satin Taupe, but still good.) I think the hint of plum in Satin Taupe would make it particularly stunning on green eyes while the gold tinge of Patina really brings out my blue eyes. Speaking of gold, I am very tempted to buy Amber Lights, a coppery bronze, as I've heard it's lovely on blue eyes. I'm slightly unsure about it though as it may be too warm-toned for my skin! If you own that one I would love to know what your thoughts are on it?

5. NARS Gaiety Blush

This is a gorgeous, cheerful, blue-toned bubblegum pink blush which looks a bit intimidatingly bright in the pan but is actually very wearable. It looks great on my fair skin and also seems to last a long time on my oily skin. It is great quality as you would expect from Nars, with just the right amount of pigmentation to give you a very flattering healthy glow without being overpowering.

Swatched and Blended 

That's it! If you fancy treating yourself, then I'd really recommend these.

I think I'm going to go on a makeup spending ban throughout June as I have more than enough makeup already and don't need any more, so I'm sorry but there won't be any new makeup bits to share for a while! I will probably review lots of products nevertheless though :)

What high end products have you been enjoying lately?

Sabrina xx

My MAC Lipstick Collection

Hi everyone! Today I want to share my thoughts on the seven MAC lipsticks I have, as I don't know about you, but I find it interesting to see what's in people's collections. It goes without saying really but I'm not trying to show off or anything with this post. It's funny because seven of one brand is a lot for most people but for a beauty blogger it's probably quite conservative!

Mac lipsticks get a lot of hype in the beauty blogging world, and for a good reason - they do such a wide range of shades and formulas in usually excellent quality, with a pleasant light vanilla smell as a nice extra.

They are quite expensive at £15.50 each (and Mac keep increasing the price!) so I like to go for more unique shades that you might not be able to get a good dupe for on the high street. The lipsticks come in simple yet sleek black bullet-shaped packaging unless they're released in limited edition packaging for collections or in 'Viva Glam' red casing like Viva Glam Nicki below:

From left to right: Plumful, Show Orchid, Pink Popcorn, Moxie, Viva Glam Nicki, Ever Hip and Vegas Volt

Swatched in the same order - click for a closer look!

1. Plumful
This is a lovely plummy/rosy pink. It looks darker and therefore less wearable in the tube but it's actually very pretty and easy to wear. I really need to wear it more as this kind of shade really suits my skintone (although I think it would great on a variety of skintones) and is a great everyday lipstick. It is a lustre finish but has a very good colour payoff.

2. Show Orchid
I've raved about this before on the blog here. It's a stunning blue-toned fuchsia pink. I think it was my second MAC lipstick, and it's been worn on countless nights out. It has an amplified finish, which means it provides opaque coverage whilst not being drying like a Matte finish - I think that's my favourite of the bunch!

3. Pink Popcorn
I bought this when it was out in the limited edition 'Reel Sexy' collection about three years ago - it is quite a nice purpley-pink and quite unique in my collection. I think I'm guilty of forgetting about this one and I should definitely wear it more. It's nicely pigmented despite being a lustre finish, and it's a pretty and wearable way to wear a purple-tinged shade. A bold purple colour, Heroine, was released in the same collection and is permanent, but I didn't think it would suit me.

I think it particularly looks great layered over Benefit's Lollitint, another lilac lip (and cheek) colour, which I might do a review on soon! Out of all the lipsticks, this one wears off the soonest, but I think that's quite typical for lustre finishes.

4. Moxie
This is the only matte lipstick I have by Mac and another limited edition one, released in the 'Mac By Request' collection. It's a reddish pink that is very nicely pigmented. Matte shades are known to be quite drying but I think this one isn't too bad - but it's always a good idea to make sure your lips are well moisturised before applying.

5. Viva Glam Nicki
This is a yellow-toned bright pink with a hint of coral, and to be honest, I slightly regret buying this - I really wanted to like it, but both the colour and the formula are a bit 'off' on me, at least while I'm this pale. It's not awful but I can't help thinking someone else should own it who would love it far more than I do! It has a satin, semi-matte finish.

However it's not really a shame nor a waste of money that this lipstick was a bit of a miss, as when I bought this MAC donated my full £13.50 to their AIDS fund. I think it's great of a big brand like MAC to donate to charity. I don't think this is available anymore, but the Viva Glam Miley lipstick that's currently available looks gorgeous and is a great way to treat yourself whilst giving to charity :)

6. Ever Hip
This was the first MAC lipstick I ever bought so, as silly as this may sound, it has sentimental value! It's another limited edition one unfortunately, but hopefully MAC will be nice and re-release it in a collection again soon, or maybe even make it permanent. The closest permanent dupes, from what I can tell from swatches online, are probably either Flamingo or Coral Bliss. I wouldn't be surprised if there were very close dupes available from the high street though!

This is a beautiful coral-pink which I wear a lot in the Spring/Summer months. It does look better on tanned skin but it's still a nice colour to wear when pale, as it really perks up my face! It has a cremesheen finish which is very comfortable but does wear off fairly quickly. As you can see, it's the most worn shade in my collection.

7. Vegas Volt
This is the most recent purchase of the bunch, as I bought this duty free at the airport before I went on holiday to Spain last July. I'd misplaced Ever Hip and wanted a bright coral shade to go with a tan. I checked online and saw that it wasn't very similar to Ever Hip, so I can justify having both - it is a much darker, more orange-toned coral and therefore slightly harder for me to pull off - both shades definitely look better when my skin is warmer. It has an amplified finish that, like Show Orchid, provides full opacity whilst not being drying at all.

So that's my Mac lipstick collection - for my next purchase I would love to try either Creme Cup or Angel!

You can buy Mac lipsticks here.

I would love to know, what are your favourite Mac lipsticks?

Thanks for reading!

Sabrina xx

The Make-up Memory Lane Tag!

Hi! I thought I'd do this tag as I've enjoyed reading it on various blogs; most recently Natalie's here and I also liked Vivianna Does Makeup's video on it. I think it's interesting to think about how our makeup preferences have changed over the years. As mentioned before, despite wearing makeup in the pictures below at ages 16 and 13, I actually wasn't really very interested in it until I was around 17!

First makeup item ever purchased?
I can't remember but it may have been either Maybelline's Dream Matte Mousse Foundation (which, even in the lightest shade, was too orange for my skin!) or L'oreal Glam Shine 6 Hour Lip Gloss in Eternal Beige which is a fairly sticky and glittery pinky nude shade that I picked out especially for my year 11 prom in 2009:

This is how my natural brown hair colour looks.

Almost six years later, I still have it and I'm not sure if it might be too old to use now!

First MAC item? 

I think it was Ever Hip lipstick which is a really nice coral pink.

First MAC/other brand collection? 

Ever Hip was released in the Fashion Flower collection I believe. 

First high end make up splurge? 

I think it was YSL's Touche Eclat - but mine ran out annoyingly quickly. I got it because it was (and still is) a bit cheaper on this website and it's of course a cult product, but it basically ran out before I'd even made my mind up on whether I liked it or not - it's too late to say anything to them of course!

First makeover experience? 

When I was 13 I got a 'makeover' / photo shoot gift experience because my dad didn't want his 50th birthday gift experience. At the time I actually sort of wanted to be a model (cringe) so I quite enjoyed it, even though now the photos are a bit embarrassing! My hair was straightened to within an inch of its life and I had pink eyeshadow on:

Me in 2006...

First makeup brush? 

Hmm probably a makeup freebie, but the first proper set of brushes I bought myself was from 17!

First eyeshadow? 

When I was 14 I used to quite like using this Ipod-shaped eyeshadow palette that my friend got me, but the first eyeshadow I think I ever bought for myself was a dark brown 'Little Round Pot' by Bourjois - I'm still not sure whether shades like that make my blue eyes pop or whether they just made me look tired or bruised! The actual eyeshadow is nice though.

First skincare "investment"? 

Hmm, I actually don't think I've ever made a massive splurge on a skincare product. The only thing that comes to mind is La Roche Posay's Effaclar Duo which unfortunately didn't work at all for me, but I was able to get my money back with a guarantee :)

First nail polish owned? 

I used to get random unbranded nail polishes for free from my teen magazines but I didn't use them very much because I didn't want to get into trouble at school (such a goody goody) I did enjoy peel off nail polish though - so satisfying! I have no idea what the first nail polish I ever bought for myself was.

First fake tan attempt? 

I've never tried to do an all over fake tan application apart from dabbling a little bit with gradual tan. I did use to apply fake tan on my legs for nights out to in an attempt to make them look less pasty (that's right, only on my legs.) But other than that, I can't really be bothered to do a fake tan and I'm okay with being pale!

Hope you enjoyed this post!
What are your makeup memories?

Sabrina xx

My Top 10 Nail Polishes for Spring/Summer

Hi everyone! I thought I'd share 10 of my favourite nail polishes for Spring and Summer in no particular order. I'm actually sort of 'shopping my stash' with this post as I don't need any more nail polishes and will probably be applying all of these colours in the coming months! I tend to mostly go for bright pinks and oranges as you can see in the picture below, but I also love pastel shades.

From left to right:

1. MAC Morange - this is the only MAC nail polish I own and the most expensive of the bunch at £10. I got this a few years ago when MAC released nail polish and lipglass versions of their most popular lipsticks, including Morange - it is permanent however. As much as I love bright lipsticks, I think this sort of bright orange is probably better off on my nails than my lips! It's been a while since I used this but I don't recall having any problems with the formula.

2. Rimmel Cocktail Colour in Shirley Temple - I am a sucker for glitter polish, despite how annoying it is to get off, and I love this vibrant shade. It doesn't seem to be available on Boots.com at the moment but I have seen it in stores. It's great on it's own or layered over a similar colour, like Barry M's Mango.

3. Maybelline Forever Strong in Tornado Rose - this is a very pretty and girly pink which is right up my street. (Excuse the white label mark - mine somehow got stuck to another nail polish!)

4. L'oreal Colour Riche in Sex on the Peach - firstly, great name! This is a peachy pink and definitely one of my favourites. The only thing with this is I think it's a bit expensive for a drugstore polish in terms of how much product you get for your money - it's £4.99 for just 5ml, so basically a pound per ml, which is the same as MAC as that is £10 for 10ml. I wonder if this will be the first nail polish I use up as I'm already about half way through!

5. Barry M Gelly Hi-Shine Nail Paint in Mango - a bright, shiny and very cheerful orange. It's gorgeous! However I do remember this one chipping quite quickly.

6. 17 Fast Finish Nail Polish in Peacock - this is a stunning turquoise with an almost duochrome effect going on - depending on the lighting, it can look quite blue or green.

7. Barry M Speedy Quick Dry Nail Paint in Stop the Clock - this is my most recent purchase of the bunch and what I've had on my nails for the past week. I love this colour! The other day I had to repaint both my index finger nails after they chipped when I was scooping up some coconut oil, but other that I haven't had any problems with chipping.

I wouldn't say it dried that quickly which is slightly disappointing, and it also can be a bit streaky so it needs at least two coats - but other than that, this is a great polish and very summery.

8. Essie Mint Candy Apple - this a beautiful mint green, a very popular shade from Essie and one of my all-time favourites, even though again the formula can be a bit streaky and runny making it sometimes a bit frustrating to apply - you have to be careful not to let it run on either side of your nail. I can deal with this though as the colour alone makes it worth it!

9. NYC In a New York Minute Quick Dry Nail Polish in Raindrop - This is a lovely 'sky blue' shade which I wore to match my May Ball dress in 2013. I would say this is the most bargainous out of all my picks, as for your £1.79 (or £1.49 on offer) you get a very nice quality polish - although again I wouldn't say it dries particularly quickly.

10. Barry M Nail Paint Boots Limited Edition - Sorry to choose a limited edition shade that I'm pretty sure is no longer available! I've included it anyway because I think this shade is quite dupeable - I had a quick look online and one example I've found is Revlon's Grape Icy, which by what I can see is a bit darker and more purple - see here. Essie's Splash of Grenadine also looks similar, but a bit lighter. But I'm sure there are loads more dupes out there for this!

There you have it, those are my 10 favourite Spring/Summer polishes that I'll be sporting this year. Thanks for reading, I hope you enjoyed this post!

I'd love to know, what are your favourite Spring/Summer nail polishes?

Sabrina xx

Nail Polish of the Week, and Some New Purchases!

Hello! So firstly - sorry for my absence. I've been pretty busy, having a work experience placement and then visiting my boyfriend. To make up for it, this post is practically two posts in one!

I wanted to share with you all the nail polish I've had on for the past week while I was at my boyfriend's. I don't think I've expressed my love for nail polish yet, but basically I own way too many (though thankfully I've been able to restrain myself from buying more for a while now.)

I wanted to share what I think is probably my all time favourite nail polish - Oh Cabana Boy by Orly.

This is the first and only polish I've tried from Orly but I'm in love with it.

I first heard about this when Fleur de Force raved about it on her blog here back in January 2012, and I bought it shortly after. So I've had this polish for three years now and have used it maybe five or six times, so I doubt I'll ever use up this huge bottle!

In fact, has anyone ever used up a nail polish? I feel like it's pretty unlikely, unless you love it and it's not too big! At 18ml, mine is a bit too big really, hence I've linked to the 5ml one!

Unfortunately, the little lid symbol with the number in (if you don't know what I'm talking about, check the packaging of your beauty products, they should have a lid symbol telling you how long it's good for, so mascara for example is good for 6 months and then you should chuck it) tells me this product stays good for 36 months, or three years. When I applied it I didn't notice that it had gone gloopy at all, and I hope it stays good for as long as possible!

Anyway, I absolutely love this colour. It is a bit like MAC Show Orchid Lipstick in nail polish form, as both are bright blue-toned fuchsia pinks, but I think Show Orchid is darker. It's unashamedly bright, definitely quite a 'night out' polish, and probably not ideal for work or school unfortunately.

This polish is slightly sheer in the first coat so 2-3 coats are needed to make it opaque. It applies nicely as the brush is fairly large and good for applying quickly.

It began to chip around the tips of my nails after 3 days of wear, so I topped it up but it then chipped more on day 5 or 6, so it's not the longest lasting polish, but it wasn't too bad either.

Also, this is a bit random but I do like the 'award winning' gripper cap. It feels safer and nicer than ordinary nail polish caps.

Moving on to new purchases, and I spotted Superdrug's own brand 'Simply Pure' range, aimed at sensitive skin, which basically contains none of the usual culprits that are considered harsh or irritating for the skin.

My Bright Lipstick Of Choice

If anyone reading this post knew me at Uni in Aberystwyth and ever went on a night out with me you may well have seen me wearing a bright pink lipstick. It might seem like an unlikely choice for someone as naturally shy as I am, however I'm not scared of wearing this colour - in fact it makes me feel more confident! Alcohol also helps.

MAC Show Orchid Lipstick

As you can see, it's a beautiful bright fuchsia pink. It's bold and definitely a night time shade, and I've worn it on countless nights out.

Here is a picture of me wearing it in my first year at Uni:

I took this photo in a nightclub and apparently didn't think to move my hair out of my face first! Haha. This is such a throwback. It was when I first started 'coming out of my shell' I suppose, both in terms of wearing brighter makeup and my all together more outgoing personality when I started going out more at university.

To be fair I was already quite late to the party when it came to makeup, as I don't think I started wearing it regularly until I was 16-17. (And then getting kind of obsessed with it from 17 onwards) Before that, I'd only dabbled with lip smackers, lipglosses that I got free with teen magazines and an eye shadow palette shaped like an Ipod that a friend got me when I was 14.

Anyway, while I definitely wouldn't say I *need* this lippie to feel confident, it certainly does help with making me feel good about myself - something which doesn't happen too often. I think it compliments my fair skin nicely, probably because of the blue undertones. So if you're fair skinned like me and are looking for a new bright lipstick, this one is a great choice! It's definitely one of my favourites.

This lipstick used to only be available at MAC PRO stores (I bought it when it was available with a limited edition collection) but I just looked on their website and found it's being sold there! Eee! The only snag is that it's quite expensive at £15.50 (ouch. MAC lipsticks were £13.50 when I first started buying them 3 or 4 years ago.) 

So if you're on a budget and would like to buy a dupe, I have a lippie in my collection which is very similar, just slightly darker - L'oreal Rouge Caresse Lipstick in 202 Impulsive Fuchsia.

Comparing swatches on my arm

I don't know why I bought it really considering how similar it is to the one I've already got, but oh well! It's not that different from Show Orchid in terms of formula. Both are quite shiny and I would say the L'oreal one is a little bit more nourishing on the lips, but Show Orchid is by no means drying.

Sometimes I like to use this as a 'base colour' to help Show Orchid stay on better. Or other times I might not want to take Show Orchid out with me and risk losing it (yes, I'd be kind of upset - is that sad?!) so I take this for top ups instead.

Personally I like both a lot but prefer Show Orchid's ever-so-slightly lighter colour - not to mention I love the vanilla-y smell that MAC lipsticks have!

The L'Oreal Rouge Caresse Lipstick is £7.99 available from Boots and Superdrug. MAC Show Orchid is available here.

Do you like bright lipstick? If so, what's your favourite? x