The Lipstick Tag

I had a request to talk about my lipsticks and I have indeed planned to do so for a while now, as in my mountain of post drafts, I had not one, but two lipstick inspired tags. One is called The Lipstick Tag and the other the Lip Products Addict Tag. I decided to combine them in one post as some questions were basically the same. 

1. What was the first lipstick you owned? 

I sort of answered this in my Make Up Memory Lane Tag a few months ago. The question there was about the first makeup item ever and as a true lipstick enthusiast it was of course a lipstick. It was one of L'Oreal's Color Riche ones in a my-lips-but-better rosy colour and I was 13 when I got it. I lost it within a month (this is a different Color Riche on the picture, but the packaging is still the same). 

2. What is your favourite lipstick brand? 

That's a hard one. I have so many different brands in my collection and the one thing I've learned through the years is how good drugstore lipsticks have become. On my All-time favourites page I have Catrice's Ultimate Colours under the category of regular lipsticks because they combine a great formula, affordability and lovely selection of shades. But there are so many other excellent lipsticks and the ones I have to mention are Bourjois' Rouge Edition and L'Oreal's colour Riche.

Of course if I consider liquid lipsticks here as well, then my absolute favourite are Bourjois Rouge Edition Velvet.

3. What is your most worn lipstick? 

I swap colour so very often and it's not uncommon that I change it several times daily, but a couple of years ago my answer would be Catrice's Ultimate Colour 250 Matt About Pink, which I wore almost every day (it's now sadly discontinued). I guess if I have to pick one that is my default shade that I just pick up when I'm in a hurry, or I need to look good without being too made up, it would be Bourjois' Rouge Edition Velvet in 07 Nude-ist.

5. What is your favourite finish?

Matte. Especially at bright and deep shades.

6. What was the last lipstick you bought?

It's been a while, so I had to check in my New Ins and Instagram, but it was Kiko's Velvet Mat Lipstick 612 Strawberry Pink that I got back in March . That's the one I bought, but since then I got sent several lipsticks and I believe the last one was Hot Shop Lipstick 01 from Born Pretty, which turned out to be way too orange for me.

7. How many lip products do you currently have in your bag?  

Technically five, but I have two bags. In the big one, where I also have an emergency bag, I keep Catrice Pure Shine Colour Lip Balm 070 I Don't Red It for a sheer red pout, a mini H&M lipstick in Perfect Red that is a gorgeous, super glamorous red and a Burt's Bees lip balm, which I literally never use. In my other smaller bag, which I carry most often, I keep Max Factor Colour Intensifying Balm 30 Redefined Rose for a no fuss pink and I actually reach for it very often, and I also carry a dinky sample of Avon Ultra Color Indulgence lipstick in Red Tulip which Petra (Adjusting Beauty) sent me for my birthday. 

Why I have so many reds, I don't know.

8. What is your favourite red lip colour? 

L'Oreal's Color Riché Pure Reds Collection Exclusive in Blake. People you need this in your life. I think that everyone deserves one fantastic red in their collection and this one is so worth it. It blows all other reds out of the water, including the old classics from MAC, which I have four including Ruby Woo and Russian Red.

9. How do you store your lipsticks? 

Basically all my makeup fits into two smallest drawers in my Alex unit and even those are a third empty. Some lipsticks are in the two makeup/lipstick organizer units that I got from Müller, while the others are in Ferrero Rocher plastic boxes (as you can see I eat a lot of that stuff). The lip liners are in a candle holder that I got years ago in Rutar.

 10. Which lipstick are you currently lusting after?

I'm currently on a search for a perfect warm red-purple, think Mac's Rebel like. I saw a swatch of La Splash Studio Shine Lip Lustre in Aurora, but I don't buy that the colour actually looks like that. I'd like to give Wet 'n' Wild Megalast Lipstick in Sugar Plum Fairy a try, to see if it looks the way I want.

I have a few others on my wishlist, which you can see here.

11. Favourite balm/treatment? 

For several years now it's Palmer's Cocoa Butter Formula Swivel Stick. It's basically the only lip balm I ever use, excluding the Labello's Fruity Shine Peach Lip Balm as that one is more of a gimmicky product to me since it's a tinted lip balm with little moisturising properties. But I must confess that my lips don't even need a lip balm any more. For some reason my lips are never dry.

12. Best luxury and best drugstore?

I haven't even tried that many luxury brands when it comes to lipsticks, but my pick would be Lancome Rouge In Love Lipsticks, however Bourjois Rouge Editions feel pretty much exactly the same on the lips. 

13. Best MAC lipstick? 

Without a doubt Relentlessly Red. It's bloody gorgeous and I never found anything similar. It's a bright red-magenta pink with a matte finish. I still only have a sample that I save like crazy, but one day I hope I'll get a full size of it.

16. The most disappointing? 

Not exactly disappointing, but lacking in quality - it's Makeup Revolution's lipstick. It just feels cheap. Their Iconic Pro didn't wow me either. I'm also not a fan of Essence Longlasting lipsticks. The formula is ok, but they last a total of 15 minutes on the lips.

17. Liner, yes or no? 

Oh, yes. I also love wearing lip liners on their own, especially light colours. My favourites include Bourjois' Contour Edition Lip Liner 02 Cotton Candy, Essence's Lipliner 12 Wish Me a Rose, which is a dupe for Mac's Please Me, the űber gorgeous Catrice's Longlasting Pencil 070 I got you Babel, Essence's Longlasting Lipliner 05 Lovely Frappuccino as the 90's lip colour that actually looks like one against my pale complexion and Kiko's Smart Lip Pencil in 709 Magenta because it's a stunning red-pink shade. When it comes to reds, brights and deep shades I almost always use a lip pencil to fix the outer edges.

18. Best gloss? 

That would be L'Oreal L'Extrodinaire Liquid Lipsticks. They are expensive, but so lovely. The formula is super creamy, comfortable and these have great pigmentation. They also smell like peaches which for me is a huge plus.

19. Something extra? 

Some of my other favourite shades. Mac's Peach Blossom as my choice for a nude, Shiseido's Glowing Matte Pk224 Sugar Babe for the perfect peach on my pale complexion, Bourjois Rouge Edition Velvet 02 Frambourjoise because it's an amazing pink-red shade, L'Oreal's Colour Riche in Laetitia for the best ever burgundy shade, Mac's Dangerous for a bright, warm orange red. Revlon's Ultra HD in Rose for a classic, everyday pink that smells like Planica ice cream, Revlon's Colorbust Matte Balm in Unapologetic for a bright coral-pink that is a good dupe for Mac's Impassioned and Catrice's Ultimate Lipstick 360 MATraction for an amazing deep red-pink.

My entire collection, which I posted a while ago on Instagram:

 

And link to a Lipstick Tag I did four years ago here. 

I hope you enjoyed this picture heavy post and have a great day!

The Make Up Memory Lane Tag

I've been planning doing such a post for about a year, even had a whole folder ready, but I never got round to it. Then I saw this tag and I just had to do it. It was created by Laura from Buy now/blog later after watching Anna's video. So let's dig into my memory.

First makeup item ever purchased?

It was a L'Oreal Color Riche lipstick. I was 13 and I really wanted a proper lipstick instead of those horrid frosty-white Labello lip balms (those were the only ones available here that actually left any colour on the lips). I don't know which shade it was, but it's was a very wearable colour, a my-lips-but-better rosy-pink. Unfortunately someone must have nicked it, which left me devastated.

The shade on the upper picture is called S100 Satin Pink. 

But my first proper "haul" experience was with Oriflame. I got a couple of stick eyeshadows (gold and pink), an eyeshadow duo (lilac-pink), a stick concealer and a tinted moisturizer all from their Visions line (now renamed and repackaged. My tinted mosturiser was in a clear tube). I also got their fragrance called Sun and their Silk body lotion. 

First MAC item? 

Mac Myth lipstick. It was my first purchase on eBay when I was 18 and I still have it. Since I'm so pale, Myth actually looks decent on me, like a nice peachy nude, so I wore it a lot. A few months later I went to London and got eyeshadows in Wedge, Graphology and Contrast.

First MAC/other brand collection?

I don't have anything from MAC collections and I've never been fan of LE's (what's the point of buying something that you can't repurchase if you like it), but I bought several items from Alverde's Rose Garden collection (along with this eyeshadow, I got a blush and a lip gloss). It was beautiful because it had exactly my type of shades: mint greens and deep roses. Wonderful.

First high end make up splurge?

Oh, there have been many splurges when I was very young. Drugstore makeup was of a much poorer quality back then and it was far less exciting. Those were the years when Essence wasn't around here yet, but when it came their stuff was not as good as today. 

I think I had at least one item from each of the high-end brands available in Slovenia. My first splurge might have been either a Chanel nail polish in Fantastic or Chanel's Inimitable mascara or Lancome's Color Ideal foundation (which was the only choice for me because there were no other light shades for me in Slovenia. I loved that foundation, though).

First makeover experience?

Honestly, I've never had a makeover experience. I'm not comfortable around other people in general, let alone with someone applying my makeup. I've also never been to a cosmetic salon or had a professional manicure. I scarcely go to the hairdressers. People are usually quite surprised to hear that.

I even did my own "prom" makeup and it wasn't horrible considering there weren't many makeup tutorials back then. I wore Lancome's Color Ideal foundation, Diorkiss lip gloss in Cotton Candy (man, was the shiniest and prettiest lip gloss ever), Nars Orgasm blush, Revlon's Eyeshadow quad in Sultry Smoke and Dior Iconic mascara. I was all high-end back in the days. I miss that. But to be fair, drugstore makeup was rubbish in those days (that Revlon palette isn't particularly good and Revlon's eyeshadows were considered to be excellent in those days). My only regret is that I wish I knew that trick about waterproof mascara keeping the lashes actually curled as it would have looked better.

First makeup brush?

It was a pack of Coastal Scents brushes and I still use every single one of them. They are seriously good. I've never found a better crease brush for my eye shape than the Italian Badger Round Crease brush.

First eyeshadow? 

I got it as a freebie in a magazine and it was Manhattan's Wet or Dry Eyeshadow in 17 Caramel. The quality of it is fantastic and I still have it. It's just a simple skin tone colour with shimmer. The first eyeshadow I bought was from Maybelline and it was one of those in roller ball form (yes, those existed as well). It was pink, but on the lids it just looked like a ton of shimmer.

First skincare "investment"?

When I first discovered the beauty community I got the complete set of skin care based on the best recommendations (before I wasn't using anything). Everything was based on how good the ingredients are as well as good reviews, so I'm really happy I had such a good skincare experience from the start. I was a part of a Slovene forum called Čudovita.si and those girls gave great recommendations (are any of you my readers?) I got the Scheller cleansing gel, Garnier Essentials toner, Garnier Total Fresh cream and Neutrogena 2 in 1 cleanser/mask, I use the latter to this day. I later invested into Clinique's Dramatically Different Gel and L'Occitane's Lavender Matte lotion (which was beyond brilliant. The new Angelica is pretty much the same thing). It was in my teens that I feel in love with L'Occitane's skin care, particularly their ranges for young, blemish prone skin (Lavender and Red Rice). Oh, and I patiently waited for every new collection because I was addicted to their lip balm/lip glosses. I still find L'Occitane's skin care suits me very well. 

My favourite skin care investment was Advance Night Repair and I can't tell you how much I miss this in my skin care, but it costs an arm and a leg, plus your unborn child.

First nail polish owned?

My mom loves nail polishes, but she rarely wears them, nonetheless she got me my first nail polish very early and I was one of the first girls in my class to wear nail polish. There were two, both from Rimmel, which was sold in our DM's at that time (yes you read that right. We had Rimmel in Slovene DM's), one was light pink and the other lilac. Really pretty colours. But I mostly wore Manhattan's clear nail polish because I loved how it looked. I only realized after buying the third bottle in a row that I've been using a nail hardener (it was in a different packaging back then and it said it contains vitamins in the front). Maybe that's why my nails are so healthy all the time, who knows.

First fake tan attempt? 

I embrace my paleness and I even like being compared to Snow White, but so many people around me have a problem with me being pale. Even my doctor had me tested for anaemia like a thousand times (bimbo). Slowly that rubbed off on me, so when the first cheap drugstore gradual self-tanners arrived in Slovenia, I got the Nivea version. It smelled horrifying straight from the bottle, so I don't recall ever even using it. I then got the Sun Dance version, which I liked a lot and I was never orange or anything. (I always research things extensively before doing them. That's why people give me the instructions manuals to read first before using their electronics #uberdorkallert). But in general I'm rarely self-tanned in my life because it's a hassle and a little bit out of spite. Despite loving being pale, it means that a lot of my favourite foundations don't really fit me, so I when I self tan it's because of this or because I wan't to hide the damage on my legs. 

More Make up Memories 

First mascara: Manhattan Professional mascara. First waterproof was Maybelline's Sky high Curves and high end was Chanel's Inimitable.

First powder: Givenchy Mattisime Absolute Matte Finish Powder Foundation SPF 20.

First blush: Essence Silky Touch Blush in 10 Adorable, soon followed by Nars Orgasm, which I wore for years.

First red lip colour: Manhattan X-Treme Last Lipliner in 54W. First lipstick was Revlon's Red, but I never wore it because it didn't look good on me, so it quickly got a new home.

First lip gloss: Max Factor Silk Gloss in Mellow Pink. It was so good. Too bad they discontinued it.

First palette: Not including the children's toy I had, Sleek's Original and Storm.

My first fragrance: So...So what…? edt

My favourite fragrances through the years: Puma Woman,  Puma Jamaica, L'Occitane's Vanilla (gutted that's it's discontinued), Paco Rabanne Black XS (my signature scent for years), Escada Marine Groove and Taj Sunset, Calvin Klein Euphoria and Britney Spears Fantasy.

First "fancy" shampoo: Fructis Fortifying Shampoo for normal hair. I got a sample in a magazine when I was younger than 10 and I asked my mom to get it for me. It was the day my life changed. Before my parents were buying shampoos and they sucked at it because they were only buying those cheap 1 litre ones. 

First conditioner: Subrina, what else.

First hair serum: Avon Advanced Techniques Daily Results. Later I also used Klas Revital Silicone with vitamine E and Gliss Kur Haarspitzenfluid.

First hair styling product: Subrina Wax. My hair dresser recommended it to tame the frizz. I don't like it.

First hair care investment: Tigi Oatmeal and Honey conditioner plus Tigi's Curls Rock Amplifier. I used all of these for years.

Even before I was blogging, I posted a lot of pictures on different forums, everything from swatches to new ins. Unfortunately I was saving them on Shrani.si, which apparently deleted them, but I still found these few pictures just for the kicks. I loved displaying my stuff, but this was before I had the whole thing organized like now. Have you spotted Clarins' Instant Lip Perfector? I had it way before the hype started and didn't find it worth the price. I also miss Nivea's Toddies gel like crazy.

I hope you enjoyed my walk down the memory lane. I know I was quite detailed, but I just remember a lot. I won't tag anyone specifically, I just tag all of you if you'd like to dig around your memory. 

Have a great day! 

My Ideal Palette Tag

I was tagged to do this post ages ago by Taya and I actually had the pictures ready for months as well. Now I'm actually thinking I may have done this tag too fast because I just got the Urban Decay's Naked2 Basics palette and Catrice's Absolute Matt palette, which I both use daily and love to bits. But then my choice of eyeshadows would be even harder, so let's just keep the original selection and I'll talk about those two awesome palettes at a later date.

This tag was created by a Youtuber Carah Amelie, here is the link to her video. The rules are simple, the choices are hard, but your ideal palette should contain 10 eyeshadows combining 2 highlighting shades, 2 lid colours, 2 crease colours, 2 outer V shades and 2 extra colours. The last detail is that you describe your ideal packaging.

I'm still very much a newbie when it comes to this eyeshadow business and I'm a matte eyeshadow girl through and through, but still my choices were not that easy. Here they are.

Highlight Colour: URBAN DECAY W.O.S.

from the Naked Basics Palette

A matte pink-toned skin colour base colour. I don't actually use a highlighting shade under the brow due to my hooded eye shape, as it emphasizes the hooded part of the lid, but I do use this shade as a base all over the lid and as a blending-out colour. This shade fits my undertone a bit better than Foxy from the same palette, though they are very similar on the skin.

 Highlight Colour: URBAN DECAY Sin 

from the Naked Palette

A shimmery light rose-pink toned highlighting shade. Though I don't use a highlighter under the brow, I do use it sometimes in the inner corner and I find this shade the best for the job. I also love this shade all over the lid paired with a matte taupe-brown in the crease.

Lid Colour: MAC Satin Taupe

frost

A taupe-brown with a purple hue and a satin finish. This is such a classic eyeshadow and one of the most popular MAC colours. It works so well with my eye colour. It's nice for an everyday look or a smoky eye, it just depends on with what you pair it.  

Lid Colour: URBAN DECAY Smog

from the Naked Palette

A bronze-brown with gold shimmer. This is a fantastic colour for a bronze smoky eye and again it's a colour that emphasizes my eye colour. I don't usually wear strong eye looks because due to my hooded shape they don't really come to focus, but when I do wear it, I use this on the lid with a darker shade in the outer V. I also love this shade on the lower lash line paired with a classic neutral taupe look that I do everyday, to add a bit of a twist to the makeup.

Crease Colour: L'OREAL Color Riche L'Ombre Pure 106 Breaking Nude

A classic matte taupe. This is my favourite eyeshadow ever and by far the best performing matte ever. I adore the colour, the texture, staying power - everything. I tend to wear it in the crease.

Crease Colour: MAC Wedge

matte

A matte medium neutral brown shade. It's a classic crease shade and a transition colour.The texture is hard, especially compared to Urban Decay's, L'Oreal's or Catrice's , but I love it for the colour. This is perfect for contouring as well.

Outer Corner Shadow: URBAN DECAY Faint

From the Naked Basics Palette

A deep cool toned brown. I adore this for the outer corner. It adds just the right amount of depth and definition. 

Outer Corner Shadow: MAC Mulch

velvet

A red-brown with bronze pearl. I struggled which shade to put here and I didn't pick my favourite because I believe it's discontinued or at least hard to track down. I'm talking about L'Oreal's Infallible eyeshadow in Endless Chocolat. Mulch is similar, but a bit lighter and not as pigmented. Most companies have a deep chocolate shade with gold shimmer, Catrice's Liquid Metal in 090 Nougat It Right comes to mind as the most affordable and of great quality. 

Bonus Shadow: L'OREAL Infallible eyeshadow 21 Sahara Treasure

A very shimmery soft golden taupe. I used to wear this all the time as it's such a quick eyeshadow do use - just apply with fingers and blend a bit with a fluffy brush. It has a very shimmery, almost liquid metal finish, so it's nice for special occasions.

Bonus Shadow: MAC Patina

frost

A light antiqued gold with gold shimmer. This is without a doubt one of the most unique eyeshadows I've ever seen. I've never ever heard of a dupe for it. It doesn't look like much in the pan, but on the eyes it's a stunner. Again, it brings out the blue in my eyes. My only little complaint is that I wish it'd be more pigmented as it needs to be build up for intensity even on my super pale complexion. 

Palette Packaging

I like things small and compact, so something like Naked Basics palette is superb, but an even more appealing packaging to me would be that of a Smashbox Full Exposure Mini, which fits into the palm of the hand. The colour would, of course, be mint green and I'd also like a decent mirror.

So that would be my ideal palette, however, I could easily just pick these three palettes in the last picture and have everything I need. Both Naked Basics palettes and Catrice's Absolute Matt are palettes I use on a daily basis, plus that L'Oreal Breaking Nude eyeshadow, of course. They contain all the taupe-neutral colours I'll ever need and the quality of the matte eyeshadows is brilliant.

I'm not going to tag anyone specific because it's an old tag and I don't know who's done it already, but feel free do to it if you like it.

Have a great day!