December 12, 2014

Red-y for the holidays?

December 12, 2014/ Nicole McIntyre

Lots of things scare the crap out of me, like curling wands without clamps, crying babies and flying over the Pacific Ocean on my own. Red lipstick was once on the 'scary list' and occasionally lumped in the 'too hard basket'. Red lipstick is tricky, but when it's executed beautifully all bets are off.

It's December, so let's throw caution to the wind just this once. Dust off that tube of red lipstick and scrub those lips smooth for your best pout yet.

Without further ado, here are a few of my favourite red lipsticks working from wicked cheap to super luxe.

Rimmel's Kiss of Life ($12.95 AUS / $4.97 USD) - a rich, matte formula that'll last 'til the end of time.

MAC's Ruby Woo ($16.00 USD / $36.00 USD) - the lip pencil version of this classic red is my personal fave. Be sure to pick up the Keepsake Red Lip Bag before it sells out!

Illamasqua's Maneater ($25.00 AUS / $24.00 USD) - A red you have to work hard for, but it's totally worth it.

Burberry's Fuschia Pink ($30.00 USD / $50.00 AUS) - the motley crew of reds. Pink sentimentality with a cherry red twist.

Which shade of red lipstick do you like to reach for?

December 12, 2013

Help dial back the shine with Rimmel London's Stay Matte Liquid Mousse Foundation

December 12, 2013/ Nicole McIntyre

It's noon and there's an oil slick across my face.

And in my purse I have what I consider to be my essentials:

iPhone
Brush
Hand Moisturiser
Keys
Tram Card
Wallet
Loads of lip products

But, I always manage to rule out blotting paper. One of these days my happy, shiny face will serve as a glaring warning to the rest of you out there.

Instead of fighting oil with paper, Rimmel's Stay Matte pulls double duty with its light/medium coverage and shine fighting properties. If you're already planning on putting something on your face, why not make it work for you?

Swatches of Stay Matte in Classic Beige (left) and Sand (right)

Stay Matte is a light mousse with no discernible scent, applies easily (a little goes a long way) and stays for the day. With my sun kissed glow all but gone Sand proved to be a tad too dark for me with its orange undertones, but Classic Beige is a bang on match for my skin ATM.

For the dewy kinda gals, Stay Matte might not be for you.

The Bagful breakdown:

Total amount for Rimmel's Stay Matte Liquid Mousse Foundation:

$14.95 AUS

Value for money spent (performance and quality):

9 out of 10 bags — If you're in the market for a wallet-friendly foundation, Stay Matte (available in 8 shades) is definitely one to toss in your shopping basket.

Would another purchase be on the horizon?:

I'd be lying if I said no :)

*PR sample provided – Thoughts and ramblings written here are completely my own.

December 01, 2013

Beauty in a tick: Rimmel's Lasting Finish Matte in Kiss of Life

December 01, 2013/ Nicole McIntyre

Don't get me wrong while I do love a luxe lippie, sometimes (actually, always) the price tag stings. A few months ago Rimmel London came to the matte lipstick party with 10 shades for the taking.

IMHO Burberry has been bringing their A-game with their matte formula, but I also think Rimmel's Lasting Finish Matte is an extremely close second. It's..

Affordable
Long-lasting with high impact colour
And if you love Mac's Ruby Woo, Bobbi Brown's Old Hollywood or Burberry's Lip Velvet in Military Red, then Kiss of Life is for you too.

What more could you ask for?

Wearing Kiss of Life mixed with a dash of old Hollywood glamour

The Bagful breakdown:

Total amount for Rimmel's Lasting Finish Matte in Kiss of Life:

$12.95 AUS / $4.97 USD

Value for money spent (performance and quality):

10 out of 10 bags — enough said.

Would another purchase be on the horizon?:

Rimmel's Stay Matte Liquid Mousse Foundation is next in the queue.

June 30, 2013

A glimpse at the lips: Rimmel Apocalips Lip Lacquer a.k.a Show Off Lip Lacquer

June 30, 2013/ Nicole McIntyre

If the world were to end tomorrow, what would you do?

Phone a friend, start some trouble, shop 'til you drop, or even fly to some place you've only dreamt of visiting?

I would dress up in my finest (lips included), gather up Scott, my family and a few close friends and we'd drink wine and eat like it was going out of style. Careening meteors aside, I can happily say I'd be leaving this world with no regrets.

Speaking of dressing up, when it comes to your lips would you want the colour to whisper or howl on this hypothetical doomsday? Rimmel's covered all their bases with the release of Apocalips -- a creamy lip lacquer full of shine that idles somewhere between a gloss and a lipstick.

The applicator is different (in a good way); the shape is almost the same, however a portion of the doe foot applicator is hollowed out and functions like a spoon. It scoops up the product and allows you to lay down as little or as much as you want. From experimenting with the colours, I'm a firm believer in starting with a small amount of product and adding more as you see fit.

Apocalips swatches from left to right: Stellar, Apocaliptic, Nova, Celestial, Solstice, Phenomenon, Nude Eclipse & Stargazer

Wear time is pretty standard -- on average, of the three colours I've tested thus far (Stellar, Solstice and Nova) they lasted anywhere between three and five hours. Towards the end of wear I found my lips to be on the drier side, which is often the case for me with prolonged wear of any lip product.

The scent is slightly fruity, almost reminiscent of Sweet Tarts. Within a few minutes of application you won't even notice the scent.