May 24, 2015

Feeling nostalgic: MAC's Real Doll

May 24, 2015/ Nicole McIntyre

Wearing MAC's Real Doll while getting my best Barbie/Skipper/Stacie face on

*sets scene*

When: April 2007

En route to Vegas with the latest issue of In Style magazine -- these were the days when blogging pretty much only existed on Live Journal, Makeup and Beauty Blog wasn't yet a part of my life, and reading magazines was a necessity in order to learn about upcoming seasonal makeup releases.

Tucked in the last quarter of the magazine (somewhere between healthy recipe ideas and diet ads I undoubtedly flicked past) laid a makeup editorial featuring a model whose hair and skin were true glow-y perfection, and those lips, well, they were sporting MAC's Real Doll. As our Jet Blue flight flew 30,000 feet over Lake Michigan I earmarked the corner of the page, shut off my overhead light, and envisioned Real Doll adorning my very own lips.

News Flash, pervs: Get your mind out of the gutter!

My latest lemming eluded me. The hunt from Las Vegas' Town Square with P-Cakes and Grammy, all the way back to Braintree's South Shore Plaza left me weary, and eventually forced me to throw in the towel. In a last ditch effort I even went as far as calling the indexed telephone number for MAC in the back of In Style with the hope Real Doll would turn up somewhere, alas.

Eight years later and a world away from my humble beginnings, Real Doll popped back on the scene as part of the MAC is Beauty campaign. The lengthy wait didn't kill me, it only helped to fuel my obsession with makeup. This creamy baby pink/lilac lippie will forever hold my heart.

The Bagful breakdown:

Total amount for MAC's Lipstick in Real Doll:

$36.00 AUS / $16.00 USD

Value for money spent (performance and quality):

10 out of 10 bags — Despite my darkish features Real Doll refuses to wash my out complexion. Tho, it does little to brighten your teeth.

Would another purchase be on the horizon?:

Sadly Real Doll is limited edition. That said I better track down a back up, fast!

Love my dress? I know I do! I'm wearing Gorman's Wing It Dress. It's got pockets, it conceals the presence of food baby, and it's made in the softest corduroy.

January 18, 2015

Lipstick week

January 18, 2015/ Nicole McIntyre

Apologies for my recent absence. Between my post-holiday crash and burn, and my return to work my mind increasingly became muddled, overwhelmed, and unable to grasp ahold of the words.

The words, why do you escape me?

This week let's take a closer look at some of the lip products I picked up during my trip to Hawaii.

October 20, 2014

A glimpse at the lips: NARS Audacious Lipstick in Fanny

October 20, 2014/ Nicole McIntyre

Fanny's not looking back as her dreams and wishes are bigger than the small town country name bestowed upon a former unknown. Her quiet smile, cute button nose and soft ivory skin are all bursting to jump from the shadows to be see, known and heard.

"See those stars." she said.

"Yes." he whispered.

"Well, they mean more to me than you will ever know. You'll soon see."

A trail of broken hearts, scorched earth and failed false starts swirl behind this ingenue who can no longer remain contained. The great unknown was calling.

Francois had my ear when he posed, "who do you want to be today?" Well yesterday, I was really feeling Fanny, a warm berry. Despite the old world name, this lipstick is by no means meager -- Fanny is Norma Jean, Frances Houseman and the girl in the back waiting for that big break. Fanny is patient, but she'll take that chance when the time is right, no matter the season.

Wearing NARS Audacious Lipstick in Fanny

What's so great about Nars latest release? Well, for one it's creamier than a Milky Way bar. It outlasts his much-loved and highly touted existing lipsticks on offer. What you see, is what you get. No hidden agendas, just creamy, opaque goodness.

Forty colours (ten of which are exclusively sold in the US), forty ladies and forty chances to try something new or begin again.

The Bagful breakdown:

Total amount for NARS Audacious Lipstick in Fanny:

$44.00 AUS / $32.00 USD

Value for money spent (performance and quality):

10 out of 10 bags — Addicted.

Would another purchase be on the horizon?:

Your kiss is on my list. I'll be picking up a few more colours when I hit the States next month. Or, or, I could invest in The Vault.

August 03, 2014

A few lipsticks that really haven't bowled me over

August 03, 2014/ Nicole McIntyre

The idea of them makes me happy, yet in terms of execution they all fell flat and have left me feeling uninspired. So much that I've been putting off writing about them.

This blog, after all, is about the good, the bad and the downright ugly and I'd be doing you a huge disservice by not highlighting the misses I've recently come across.

The one that made me feel old: Clinique's Curviest Caramel

Here we have Clinique's Chubby Stick Intense in Curviest Caramel ($35 AUS / $17 USD), it's not awe inducing, but on first swatch I thought it'd do for an everyday lipstick. I'll give Curviest Caramel props for its pigmentation and creamy texture, but I couldn't shake how much it aged me. In a moment of weakness I chopped my hair off back in January -- that cut made me look older than I felt. Applying Curviest Caramel was equivalent to pouring salt onto my self-induced wounded situation.

The one that I dread/loathe, ok hate: Napoleon Perdis' Nymphe

Have you ever bought something because you saw someone else wearing it? Yeah, I did that. It was at a beauty expo held in Melbourne back in March when I regrettably picked up Napoleon Perdis' Nymphe ($35 AUS / $25 USD). If you're looking to magnify dry lips (thanks to winter) and fine lines, then pick up Nymphe - she'll knock it out of the park. Sorry V, this wasn't for me.

The one that made me uncomfortable: NARS' Schiap

Truth be told I'm on the fence about Schiap. It's so bright I need to wear shades -- Francois should've put a warning label on the tube.

Warning: Contents Inside Are Hot. Handle With Care.

I wore Schiap ($39 AUS / $26 USD), named for Italian couturier Elsa Schiaparelli, on Friday and I have serious misgivings about my timing or lack thereof. I'm all for wearing a bright shade of lipstick, but for whatever reason I felt a hyper degree of self-consciousness. I'm not bagging on Schiap, I just don't think I'm confident enough at this moment in time.