Review; MAC Alice+Olivia Sparklicious Dazzleglass Creme

Alice+Olivia Sparklicious;


In the tube this appears a gorgeous creamy silvery white with pink glitter, and this is exactly how it goes on the lips. It isn't as sheer as I was expecting, it really does have a lot of pigmentation, and it has mounds of gorgeous pink glitter! However that glitter sticks around as it virtually superglues itself to your lips. It took me about 20 minutes scrubbing at my lips (and the surrounding skin it migrated to) to get the majority of the glitter off (not all of it), it is kind of insane how it sticks to your lips, kind of makes you look like a disco ball! So yes, you can wear it, but I can imagine once the colour starts wearing away after use and you are left with just glitter residue it's going to look pretty silly, so you would definitely need to reapply to avoid the left over glitter situation. Also, the glitter will still be there the next day unless you really scrub it off, so I wouldn't wear it the night before work as otherwise you still will have glitter on your lips/face. I am not sure it will all come off with just showering, you would really need to scrub it off. So the colour is nice, the texture is nice, but the indestructible glitter that likes to hang around? Not so much!



If the glitter situation is a massive turn off, a similar gloss to this is the Laura Geller City Lights Lip Shiner. It's less silver, and the glitter is more multi-coloured then just pink, but just as glittery, lovely tropical smell, and although you will get a bit of glitter left behind it wont be nearly as much as Sparklicious!

Review; MAC Dare To Wear Lipglasses!

Firstly Gimme That;


I did a squee of joy when I first saw this as I love my hot pink/magenta lip products, and when seeing it in person in the tube I was even happier. This story now comes up to the part when I say HOWEVER, since from now on the positive vibes tend to fizzle out and a wave of negativity basically takes over the rest of the review. When I applied the lipgloss the very long applicator made it feel a little weird and it was more difficult to be precise in application. The second thing I noticed was the awful consistency of the lipgloss, it is so thick you have to virtually rub it onto your lips, it felt like I was applying more of a dry lipstick then a gloss, and then I felt like every time I closed my mouth it was gluing my lips together, it feels so thick and tacky that it is almost like an adhesive! The third and final disappointment was the colour on my lips. It does not go on like it appears in the tube, it goes on a lot more purple then hot pink as there is so much lilac shimmer/glitter that I found that in artificial light the purple drowned out the hot pink, so after all my excitement about the colour I was so disappointed, it isn't the magenta I was looking for. I would love to try and wear it more to get used to the colour, but that texture makes me want to never touch it again!

This picture is a little deceptive as it appears a lot more purple in real life, the flash seems to have washed out the purple.

Lastly, Bold & Brash;


I have to make a point straight away that this didn't have the same texture as Gimme That, it was not as thick, dry in texture, or as gluey, so already it is miles ahead in my opinion, however it still wasn"t as smooth and glossy as I would want from a gloss. The colour goes on exactly as it is in the tube, so another bonus for this gloss. It is a lovely vibrant shade of red with some shimmer thrown in. However again the wand is just too long for my liking and I am still not 100% on the texture of this formula.



So, as an overall roundup;

The wand is too long, the textures are not all that nice (in terms of Gimme That the texture is downright vile), however the colours are pigmented in comparison to the other MAC lipglosses, and they definitely do represent the ethos behind the collection. Overall, a mixed bag, but I certainly wouldn't go out and rave about them, though I would wear Bold & Brash again as I feel the texture is a little more bearable then Gimme That, plus the colour is a lot more of what I was expecting.

Review; MAC Dazzleglass Creme "Creme Allure"

Creme Allure



This was from the 2009 Fall Dazzleglass Creme collection. This, in the tube, looks like a deep hot pink/magenta with lighter pink glitter in it, however like most MAC lipglosses it goes on a lot sheerer then it appears in the tube. It still goes on a hot pink however not nearly as dark as in the tube and I find it can go a bit streaky/patchy as you can see lighter sections where your lip is more visible and where it has gone darker due to settling into the lines on the lips. This isn't as sparkly as I was expecting for a dazzleglass, I have some lipglasses that have a more obvious "dazzle" then this. However I really love the colour and there is more product in the tube then the lipglasses, and I can't complain seeing as I got it £4 under retail at my local outlet.

Review; Illamasqua Explode Sheer Lipgloss

Explode Lipgloss



This is a really nice colour! It is a pearlescent/iridescent pink though in some lights due to the iridescence it looks a little lilac. It is a creamy colour that I think would look nice on any lipstick, though I found it to go a bit patchy when worn on it's own. I think this was the nicest item out of my whole haul, I am always impressed by their glosses.

On it's own


On top of Nubile

Review; Illamasqua Liar Lipstick

Liar Lipstick



I don't like this as much as I thought I would. It is described by illamasqua a "petal pink" however it is a very nude colour. If I had to compare it to MAC I would say it is a matte glittery VG Gaga. It isn't supposed to be matte however it is so dry on the lips that there is no way it can't be, it made all the lines on my lips stand out, so I would definitely have to use a gloss with this. I also had to really work it on to get the colour to show up. The glitter is more obvious on the lips then in the tube, and I feel the glitter adds to the dryness of the lipstick. It is described as a shimmer, but it is not shimmery like Nubile is, it doesn't add shine, it is just particles of glitter. The packaging is the only cool thing about this product. If I paid full price I would be so gutted!

Review; Illamasqua Nubile Lipstick

Nubile lipstick

This is a lilac-pink and it does appear a little shimmery, the way it goes on reminds me of MAC Bombshell, it looks quite metallic on the lips. I have found that this lipstick felt quite matte/dry on the lips, but not as much as Liar, which will be my next to review. I actually like this on more then I thought I would as on the website it appeared more lilac, but it is definitely more pink then I thought it would be, and I much prefer it that way.

Although this is a nice and unique lipstick, and I find it so much better then Liar, I am still not 100% sold on Illamasqua lipsticks yet!

UK MAC Website Updated a day or 2 early!

OK so here is a round-up of the available collections with descriptions, and what I have bought and will review!

Alice & Olivia;

Available here!

"frump-fighting, pro-pixie, anti-seriousness collection of colour is in the house! Including new takes on Dazzleglass Creme, So Rich So Pretty Nail Lacquer and Partylicious Pigments...Hip + happy = alice + olivia for M∙A∙C."

I bought and will be reviewing;

Sparklicious Dazzleglass Creme

Partylicious Pigment

Morning.After Nail Lacquer

Digi-Dazzle;

Available here!

"We took out the razzle, kept the dazzle, and added a hint of glee! Thirteen colours to astonish, awe and electrify the lippiest critic. A limited-edition collection that makes boredom and predictability a thing of the past. What modern lips do best: Digi-Dazzle. Do you compute?"

I bought and will be reviewing;

Naughty You lipstick.

Dare To Wear;

Available here!

"Join the brigade of loud-and-proud who daily dare to declare their own individuality. High-powered pigment and holographic pearl create a crazy-intense, shine-saturated gloss, combined with eye shadow shades as over-the-top as Lady G live! Not afraid to DARE TO WEAR? Bravo!"

I bought and will be reviewing;

Going Bananas eyeshadow

Crazy Cool eyeshadow

Sassy Grass eyeshadow

Gimme That Dazzleglass

Bold & Brash Dazzleglass

I can't wait till it all arrives! :D

Fooling around with the Girl About Town :D

So, I have been messing around with my new favourite lipstick, and so far I like;

Girl About Town & Sweet Strawberry. To add a little to the colour but give it a little bit of shimmer too (bluey purple shimmer) I used Hello Kitty Sweet Strawberry for a more simple take;

+ =

Girl About Town & Sweet Tart. For a maxed out pop of colour and intense glitter for an out there massive lip look I like the Sweet Tart Superglass. I think in all fairness Cherry Electric Superglass would work better, but I don't have it (maybe I should order it??) since it would intensify the colour rather then tone it down and add different colour glitters. The picture doesn't even give you a sense of how mad the glitter is in real life! Anywho;

+ =

I love playing around with this lipstick, it's so versatile!

Too Faced Natural Eye Kit "Classic Look"

Too faced Natural Eye, Neutral Eye Shadow Collection.


Classic Look




These colours were so much easier to use then the mattes from the day look, though I really don't like the colour going to the brow bone, as I have mentioned before, I feel like a clown wearing it as it seems so OTT to me. The colours are very soft and pigmented, but not so powdery that they go all over your face, and they were very easy to use to do the look. The colours are also very different in shade unlike the mattes so it is so much easier to blend, and the colours compliment each other so well. I would definitely use these colours again, maybe even on their own, I really like silk teddy on the lid as it is a more pink champagne colour when you pack it on, but I would also do the neutral eye again as well.

The colours are gorgeous and this look reminds me of the Georgio Armani Prive Autumn/Winter 2010-11 make-up (though a considerably toned down version).

Illamasqua 50% off sale..

... It's a good job I got paid!

You can expect upcoming overviews, reviews and swatches on the following;

• Nubile Lipstick
• Liar Lipstick
• Explode Sheer Lipgloss
• Victory Nail Varnish

I didn't go totally mad, but then again a lot of what I wanted was sold out :[

Review; MAC 2010 Viva Glam Lipsticks (Gaga & Cyndi)

Viva Glam 2010

Gaga


Cyndi


These are two very different lipsticks, both lustres, yet the textures do seem different. Cyndi goes on a lot more pigmented, smoother and more evenly then Gaga, I found Gaga to be more creamy yet you had to apply more for it to show up. The colour also didn't go on as evenly. They both do go on quite sheer though. I really thought Gaga would be my favourite, but Cyndi has actually blown it out of the water, I love the light cherry red colour, I love that it isn't as coral as I'd expected. I do like the nude effect of Gaga and I love the light pink lipsticks, but it just doesn't apply as nicely and I don't feel it suits me as well as Cyndi does. Lipsticks are obviously named after Cyndi Lauper and Lady Gaga who are this years spokeswomen for the MAC Viva Glam charity.

Gaga


Cyndi


I am glad I bought them both as I do use them, and also all the profits go to women, men and children suffering from HIV/Aids globally. So if you can buy them you wouldn't just be getting a nice lippy, you'd be helping a lot of people who really need and deserve the help!

If you like these; The matching Viva Glam lipglasses will be coming out for 6 months too, they are due anytime now!

Also; If you want purchasing cosmetics and helping out a charity to be yet again combined, watch out for the MAC Rodarte collection this Autumn. Just like Viva Glam all the global profit goes to charity, though in this instance to help and provide support to the women and girls in Juarez, Mexico. For those who are unaware of the problems in Juarez, this music video will educate you (I found the link from Temptalia). I don't condone the fact a make-up line has been made in such bad taste, neither do I like the names of the products, and I am absolutely disgusted by the promotional pictures, however one thing MAC has done is raise awareness of a problem which many people were not aware of, and this could help the situation rather than it be swept under the carpet, more people can help if more people know about it. And in terms of the money, the more money they raise for these women the better. So a political hot potato, some good some bad, but you make up your own mind. I will be buying these products because I want my money to reach this charity and the women it supports.

Review; MAC Girl About Town Lipstick

MAC Girl About Town


I got this through the "Back 2 MAC" scheme (where you return 6 empty MAC containers for a free lipstick), and since I am a lover of the pink lipsticks I had to have it. It is a daring colour and I wasn't sure if it would suit me or if it was too bright, but it looks absolutely fantastic, I certainly would advise people to give it a shot. The colour is a lovely hot pink magenta, however it is not a garish glow in the dark neon pink. It is an amplified formula so it pretty much goes on as it appears in the tube, however another perk (or maybe a disadvantage for some) is that it stays on your lips for hours. I put it on at lunchtime today and even after I had eaten and had a couple of drinks it was still there on my lips, most lipsticks would be history by that point but even hours after that and a couple more drinks later it was still magenta pink on my lips (around 5 hours). This will definitely be great for a night on the town seeing as you will hardly need to reapply after a meal or drinks! I think this became my favourite lippy and it has definitely made me want to try more amplified lipsticks to see if they are also quite long lasting. I will have a lot of fun experimenting with some lipglosses on top!

Review; OPI Summer Flutter "Wing It!"

OPI Summer Flutter Mini Kit


OPI Wing It!


This is completely different on as it is in the bottle. In the bottle it reminds me of a pink grapefruit, orange for the most part with some flashes of pinky red coming through, however on it is predominantly a deep pink with an orange tinge, and there are some lilac and light pink glitters in there! It looks lovely on, not what I was expecting at all! Like "Catch Me In Your Net" it has a glossy finish.

I know, I was in a rush and got it on my finger :[

Review; Chanel Le Vernis "Kaleidoscope"

Chanel Kaleidoscope.



I absolutely love this nail polish, I didn't use a base coat or top coat and it looked absolutely fantastic and lasted really well. The appearance of this is very unusual, it is very hard to photograph the colour like it is in real life. It is a tarnished metallic olive goldy colour, though can sometimes look a bit silvery! There are some dupes out there however this is a lovely quality nail varnish, and I'm not really sure dupes would dry as quick, last as long or have the same unique tarnished look. After this polish I am definitely a Chanel convert! Unfortunately this varnish is no longer available in stores.

Review; MAC Superglass (Gift Wrap & Sweet Tart)

MAC Superglass.

These are love/hate for me! Firstly I will start off with what I love.

I love the colours, they range from sheer to more pigmented, the 2 I bought are a little on the sheer side but I want the glitter to speak for itself. I love the madness of the glitter, the chunks are huge and a little holographic, however depending on the shade of superglass you buy the glitter is a different colour. The packaging is really cool and the tubes are bigger then your average lipglass/dazzleglass... however since it is about £2 dearer so it should be!

My dislikes of the superglass are the fact that the formula is very sticky and thick, but I guess it has to be to hold all the glitter. The glitter does not apply evenly across the lips it tends to clump and go patchy, and also when you remove it or it wears off naturally you have glitter left on and around the lips.

Overall I am glad I got them, they are an amazing product, but I won't be brave enough to wear this all that often with the dislikes (my main beef is the patchy glitter and left over residue!)

Sweet Tart




Gift Wrap

Review; OPI Summer Flutter "Catch Me In Your Net"

OPI Catch Me In Your Net.

This is beautiful blue nail varnish with green glitter, together it makes it look like a teal, but more green when the light hits the glitter. This is a lovely colour and a really nice formula. The glitter is not too chunky like the Alice in Wonderland ones so it doesn't chip as easily, and it has a very glassy finish. It is also very pigmented, I think I used 3 coats, but you could easily just use 2. This is a gorgeous colour for summer and I love the duochrome nature of it, but whether it was worth the price tag is personal opinion, and I personally find it a little steep in price, so I always buy the mini packs for £11-15 (I got mine £12.98 from Sally's) to test the polishes before I commit to buying a full bottle! And as a warning when I took this off the colour died the skin around my nail and it was a pain in the bum to get it off, just something to consider when removing it!

Review; Illamasqua Sheer Lipgloss Electrify

Illamasqua Electrify.



This is one of my favourite baby pink glosses. It is a lovely shade, and even though this is supposed to be a sheer colour it has a lot of coverage and pigmentation. The one thing I dislike about these lipglosses is that is has no brush, just a nib with a hole in it, and because it is a squeezy tube it is hard to control the amount of product that comes out. However I guess it means you can get more product out since you don't have to depend on scooping it out of the tube with the applicator. If you squeeze it out onto a lip brush it is easier to apply, however it is a bit of a pain, especially if too much product squirts as you can't put it back into the tube!

Review; Illamasqua Intense Lipgloss Petulant

Illamasqua Petulant.



I love the Illamasqua glosses! They aren't too sticky and the colours are lovely, they also have some unusual colours no other brand would dare touch! This is a shocking colour in the tube, but if you apply it sparingly it is more like a beautiful hot pink, but it is a buildable colour. I love this colour, it is so beautiful and pigmented, but in all fairness I don't see as much difference between pigmentation in the sheer glosses and the intense glosses, both are more pigmented then MAC lipglasses.