All About Lip Balms

As a self-confessed lipstick addict, a moisturizing lip balm is essential in my make up collection. I have tried a few lip balms over the years and here are my opinion/mini review for each of them.

Guide To..... MAC Lipstick Formulas

One of my guilty pleasures is to watch Youtube videos of MAC Lipstick Collections; seeing what people like the best, what people not like so much, what works for certain complexions, etc. And in almost all the videos that I've watched the formulations or finishes for these lipstick are said and somewhat explained so I thought to make a post about the different MAC Lipstick Formulas;

Thera are 6 major MAC formulas and they are; Lustre, Glaze, Frost, Cremesheen, Amplified Creme, Satin, and Matte Lipsticks. Additionally, there are also the Pro Longwear and Sheen Supremes.

Lustre - sheer to medium colour payoff with glossy look, not a very long wear time because of subtle pigmentation. This finish is loved by ladies who like a more "natural" look to their lips because of its sheerness. A lot of ladies also love this because its moisturizing for them but for me personally, this finish is quite drying.

Some popular shades with this finish: Plink!, Cockney, Lovelorn, Lustering

Here's how the Lustre finish looks on my lips

Glaze - very close to Lustres when it comes to colour payoff but with lesser pigmentation, not a very long wear time either. This finish is basically a gloss in a lipstick form.

Some popular shades with this finish: Hue, Hot Tahiti, Pervette

Here's how the Glaze finish looks on my lips

Frost - as the name suggest, this finish gives a frosty look. Has good colour pigmentation but gives a frosty look because of the shimmer or glitter within the lipstick. And because of the frosty look, this finish will make the lines of the lips more noticeable.

Some popular shades with this finish: Angel, Costa Chic, Creme de la Femme

Here's how the Frost finish looks on my lips

Cremesheen - this finish has good colour payoff while feeling creamy and moist on the lips. The wear time is pretty decent and the texture feels nice on the lips.

Some popular shades with this finish: Creme Cup, Speed Dial, Hot Gossip

Amplified Creme - better colour payoff than Cremesheen while still feeling creamy. This is my favourite lipstick finish because of its colour intensity and moisturizing feel.

Some popular shades with this finish: Impassioned, Girl About Town, Morange

Here's how the Amplified Creme looks on my lips

Satin - full opacity which is semi-matte with a little bit of sheen. This finish is very long lasting but not overly drying.

Some popular shades with this finish: Pink Nouveau, Snob, Rebel, MAC Red

Here's how the Satin finish looks on my lips

Matte - full opacity, intense pigmentation with no shimmer nor shine. A prepped lip which is exfoliated and moisturized is advisable to attain the best look with mattes avoid drying of lips. This has a long wear time.

Some popular shades with this finish: Russian Red, Please Me, Ruby Woo.

Here's how the Matte finish looks on my lips

I thought I might add two more finishes, Pro Longwear and Sheen Supremes even though they have a different packaging from the lipsticks

Pro Longwear - is described in MAC's website as "Lightweight texture, creamy finish and comfortable longwear combine in this has-it-all pro-class lip colour. Slick in use, applies without need of a top coat and still lasts up to 12 hours. Won't feather or transfer, and the colour stays true.

Some popular shades with this finish: Good to Go, Prolong, Soft Sell

Sheen Supreme - is described in MAC's website as "Combining the colour impact of a lipstick with the shine sheen of a Lipglass, Sheen Supreme creates the perfect hybrid - with no compromise. Lightweight, non-sticky, slick to apply and comfortable to wear.

Some popular shades with this finish: Full Speed, Insanely It, Gotta Dash!

I personally don't have either the Pro Longwear nor the Sheen Supreme lipsticks yet, so I can't show any pics of how they look

Hope this post helped with understanding the different lipstick finishes MAC has.

Have a wonderful day!

Guide To.... Types of Eyeliners - Drugstore

Hey guys!

Since there are many kinds of eyeliners available in the market, I thought to make a post of what I have so you may be able to choose which is more suited for you.

I have here pencil eyeliners, liquid eyeliners and a gel eyeliner which are available from the drugstore.

First up, pencil eyeliners. A pencil eyeliner is a staple in every girl's makeup collection, I think.  A pencil eyeliner is a good starter for a makeup beginner as its easy to apply with little to no room for mess ups. For application, you basically just trace your waterline or your upper lash line for a gorgeous look. For this kind of eyeliner, I have the Wet n Wild Megalast Retractable Eyeliner in Blackest Black ($1.99 USD, bought from Target) and Revlon Luxurious Color Smoky Crayon in Black Smoke ($8.99 CAD, bought from Rexall).

As you can see from the picture, the Wet n Wild pencil is much thinner than the very chubby Revlon crayon. I use the Wet n Wild pencil mainly for my waterline and the Revlon crayon for my lash line when I don't have much time to put make up on in the morning. Both are retractable pencils so you don't need to sharpen them.

Here are the swatches

Next up, liquid eyeliners. A liquid eyeliner is great for creating a cat eye look but does need a steady hand for application. This type of eyeliner is the hardest type of eyeliner for me to use as I need to relax first and lean on to something for a "perfect" line. For this kind of eyeliner, I have the E.L.F. Waterproof Eyeliner Pen in Black ($1.50 CAD, bought from Dollarama) and the Physician's Formula Eye Booster 2-in-1 Lash Boosting Eyeliner + Serum ($12.99 CAD, bought from Rexall).

Both eyeliners have felt tips but the E.L.F. one has a much stiffer tip than the Physician's Formula one, which makes it easier  to use for a precise application.

Here are the swatches

Lastly, gel eyeliner. A gel eyeliner gives a dramatic super dark line and can also be used as a base for a smoky look. A good thing about gel eyeliner is it doesn't pull or tug the eye area unlike using a pencil eyeliner. A gel eyeliner can be easily used with a stiff angled brush for a precise definition and line. I only have one gel eyeliner and that is Essence Gel Eyeliner in Midnight in Paris ($3.49 CAD, bought from Shopper's)

Here is a swatch

This eyeliner does not come with a brush so you have to buy one separately. I quite like this eyeliner because it's super dark but is also really cheap

Now for the smudge test

I ran a makeup wipe through the swatches a few times

I hope this post was informative.

Have a great week!