MAC Prep + Prime Lip (Review)

Ask me what item of makeup I love the most and I always answer lipstick (although blush comes a close second). I’m a strong believer in colour therapy – a bangin’ colour on my lips and I’m ready to rule the world.  However, my love affair with lipstick has not been as smooth as I’d like as I suffer with super dry lips and so have trouble with keeping the colour in place and from feathering.  To help with the chapping I make my own lip scrub to exfoliate weekly, but the despite this, I find my lipstick still needs support and this is where a Lip Primer comes in.  

I initially bought MAC’s Prep + Primer Lip Primer as I was running out of my beloved Sue Moxley Lip Primer. Scouring the internet I picked up on the chatter surrounding this magical white tube of goodness and decided to give it a go. 

MAC described their product as:

A colour-free base to wear under lipstick. Adds light moisture, smoothes and refines the lips. Improves the appearance of applied lip products.

Initially I felt like the emperor who had been sold a dodgy batch of clothing. I did not understand what I should do with this tube and was not impressed that I’d spent £12 on something that appeared to be nothing more than a weird chap stick. However, I persevered and discovered that I needed to really work the product into my lips, leave for around two minutes for the texture to change to tacky, before attempting to apply my lipstick. The result was lipstick that lasted longer and didn’t move around as much when Prep + Prime Lip isn’t used. 

The product dries to a clear colour and found that if I prepped my lips with a chap stick, such as Bilstex or Carmex, at the beginning of my makeup application (not immediately before using the Prep +Prime) my lips didn’t feel tight or dry. 

TIP: To further enhance the longevity of my lipstick I used a lip brush to apply the colour, blot, and then apply from the tube. 

I used MAC's Prep +Prime for the last year and am already planning my next repurchase. 

What products do you use to extend the life of your lipsticks?

Quick Swatch Series: Sleek's Mystic Vs MAC's Girl About Town

Sleek Mystic vs MAC's Girl About Town (natural light)

 I love these two colours! 


The sun has been out in London town for the last week and the temperature slightly above 10 degrees *whoop whoop* so I have decided to brighten my makeup up a tad, wearing my usual cat eye with a bright lip. The two colours of choice have been Sleek's Mystic, a matte fuchsia / purple shade, and MAC's pink Girl About Town (GAT).

Natural light (left) vs Flash (right)

At first glance I thought these colours would be similar but MAC's GAT is clearly on the fuchsia pink range and Sleek's Mystic clearly has a blue tone visible. Each lipstick has been lined with NYX's Purple Rain liner.  

 

GAT is far creamer as Mystic is a matt colour. I use them both to 'pop' an outfit and so find them easy to wear. 

 

Following a recent trip to a MAC counter I managed to convince two of my girlfriends, both on differing parts of the colour spectrum, that they could wear a bright lip colour as a women of colour with GAT! This lipstick tends to stain my lips after use.

I tend to use Mystic for night's out when I'm trying to be fun n' free (but respectable). As a matt colour I have to make sure that my lips have been primed (MAC's Prep + Prime Lip) and scrubbed to remove flaky skin. It is long lasting.

Overall I'm glad I bought both.

Have you got a fave pink / purple lip colour?

Stay safe

BML xx

Quick Swatch Series: MAC - Rebel

In a previous post I swatched MAC's Lady Danger; on the same day I also tried Rebel, a colour that gets some serious notoriety on the web and I can now understand why.  I think that my lips being two different shades added to the impact of this shade.
 

It was a lovely colour and definitely one that I will be purchasing soon to add to my collection.




What is your must haev MAC shade?

Quick Swatch Series: MAC - Spice is Nice

Spice is Nice

MAC Spice is Nice 

One of my fave red MAC lipsticks but sadly you don't hear that much about.

This is a nice sheer red that I tend to wear when I need to be conservative but want to have a bit of omph that only a red lip can provide. Colour pay-off is good for a Cremesheen, it's finish means that it can be used over another colour and isn't drying on.

I like it and will re purchase once it's finished. 

MAC's Lady Danger- swatched!

Today was a day of discoveries for me in Westifield Stratford....

1. I discovered that Victoria Secret is going to be opening a large store there (about time)
2. I discovered that there is a Mac store in the complex

Since my previous post I have been trying (unsuccessfully) to purchase Miss [Lady] Danger  but to no avail. Upon discovering that there is a free standing store in Westfied  I decided to break my own self imposed rule of NEVER venturing into a MAC store when its packed and skipped into the store to spend some dough.

 There result was >>>>> fail! They had the tester, but had sold out. No!!!!!!

MAC Lady Danger

Thankfully, the associate who was booking people into get seen managed to multitask, locating the sample for me to play with and an alternative, So Chaud, for consideration. I should like to take this opportunity to once again say thanks as this wasn't an easy feat, the store really was heaving. I did try So Chaud but forgot to take a picture.

Having no real shame I decided to take a pic (or five) in store and thought I should post one.

To the left is a picture sans foundation to mute out the eczema / pigmentation around my mouth. It was the best I could do as I was fighting for space in the mirror.

UPDATE: I went back the next week and managed to pick up a tube!

MAC's Lady Danger

You see, I have a confession.....I'm a little occ when it comes to make-up.
On Friday I visited the MAC store in Westfield (White City) and over heard four women talking about 'Lady Danger'. Lady Danger, Lady Danger, Lady Danger la la la is all I heard. Being the keen shopper that I am (read nosey) I had a quick look when they eventually left the stand and hunted down this tube and upon first swatch I was a bit confused as it was a bit, well bright. Whilst I'm no shrinking violet I kinda don't want to be arrested by Joan Rivers et al for crimes against red lips so I left the store. Ever since then I have been on a quest to find this shade and try and work it so that it's suitable for my NW50 skin.

Now I find myself throwing out a plea to the beauty blogger worlds, 'what say you all on this shade?'

 Have you any ideas on how I can rock this shade????

 ANY help on this matter is appreciated as I can see me heading to a pro store and picking it up -soon.

Please do not suggest Ruby Woo as I can't stand her and am not sold on Russian Red. To complicate matters further I have two-tone lips and so need a liner that I can use to colour my lips in as I'm not really a fan of using foundation on my lips.


Help me...........

Image taken from makeupandbeauty.com/mac-lady-danger-lipstick-review/ check it out!