THE MAC CAPTIVE

I love the change that Spring indicates. Along with the change of season, the change of attitude in the fashion and beauty world too. The mood feels lighter, brighter and in a way - much more natural. 

Let’s not get me wrong here, I’m the biggest advocate for a wintery, deep berry lip & makeup look. In fact, I can’t keep myself away from them all year round. But in a recent perusal around the Aberdeen MAC store, I was glad to find some bright, spring-like colours  which caught my attention well and truly.

Firstly, as always there’s a lipstick. I cannot keep myself away! I love lipstick. Glosses and long hair often result in a gooey mess, so they’re all liquid, wet lip product a no go. (There’s always an exception, hello Illamasqua’s liquid lipsticks...)

The shade that caught my attention was Captive, how ironic... and it’s a very ‘me’ style nude. Because of my pale skin tone, I really cannot pull off too light a nude lip, so always tend to learn towards berry, slightly purple tones.

Although this is a satin formula, I wouldn’t say it’s like my other satin’s (like Hot Tahiti), and I actually find it leans more matte as once it’s on, this is on. When it eventually fades, after 8hrs or so, it does leave such a lovely stain. The MAC assistant recommended pairing it with ‘Currant’ liner, which in my honest opinion could be far too dark if applied too harshly. But with a light skilled hand and then blended out with a lip brush - you have the perfect base for this colour. It compliments the lipstick’s purpley tones well, and feathering the edges slightly gives a modern, slightly lived in feel rather than a harsh edged line. Anything that makes a lip colour more wearable during the day is a complete win in my book.

 If  the colour of Currant (pictured below) is too bold for you, you can’t go wrong with a little bit of Soar instead. I'm so glad I got a hold of this months before it became the it MAC Liner to own. If you can get your pretty paws on this liner, I fully recommend! I do love the quality and finish of the MAC liners, and Soar is a fabulous 'my lips, but way better' shade for day or evening.

And finally,  MAC Beauty Powder in Peach Sunrise, a product which I have never purchased before.  I am familiar with MAC MSF's, but I had always previously passed on the beauty powder formulations. MAC suggest their beauty powder's can be used as soft blushes, finishing powders, or as highlight. 

I spotted this as part of their recent Faeries Whispers collection, and it was originally the much lighter 'Sparkling Rose' BP which I intended to purchase. But then, I fell in love with Peach Sunrise instead, as it's like nothing else in my blush/highlighter collection. 

I have been using this as a highlighter product, and with the lovely peachy golden hue it gives a natural glow of warmth to the skin. I would also use this light handedly as shimmer blush, particularly in the spring summer months, as this is stunning when caught in natural light. 

I don't know anyone who would pass up on a "lit from within glow," so I'll get so much use from this, as it does precisely that. The peach base translates onto the skin very well, so also a great product to lightly give colour which enhances, rather than distracts, from the rest of my look.  I would keep light handed with this to achieve that light glow, especially when worn with my HG blush, Maxfactor's creme puff blush in Nude Mauve. 

What's your thoughts on these products? And please do comment below with your favourite products for a natural beauty, Spring inspired look!

A GROWN UP CHRISTMAS GUIDE

It’s amazing how quickly 2015 has flown, and incredible that it’s already Christmas Eve (Or, Christmas Eve Eve as I finish this. Any Friends fans out there?...) 

While on the topic of New Yorkers, I was recently introduced to Spring, a lovely NYC fashion & beauty brand,  who kindly asked me to curate my ideal grown up Christmas wish list. All the pieces listed are available on their site, shopspring.com, but for those who are not stateside - these garments are also available on sites direct from the designers, or on Selfridges/ Harvey Nichols/ Harrods also.

Gone are the days where as a kid I would sit down to basically re-write the Argos catalogue, but now here  I am -  preparing my list as a young woman who has a strong & concrete knowledge of her own personal style.  Maybe this is why I’m described as difficult to buy for?

I’m tackling this wish list confidently and head on, under the 4 key categories which I am always scouting for. Even if these don’t find their way to me on Christmas morning, why not think of this as Rachel’s guide to the sales #1? The key - always invest in pieces you love, that more expensive (and better quality piece) will satisfy you much more than 10,000 second best pieces.

1. The Accessory

Jo Malone |  Mary Katrantzou | Diptyque | Salvatore Ferragamo

Versatile, personal and full of personality, accessories are the perfect gift for those who seem to have everything - without the panic of, "which size would they be?"

The correct accessories give you a real insight to an individuals style & personality, and are the way to accentuate an outfit. Whether for yourself or as a gift, find something of quality which is unique, and it will be forever worn & treasured. Think along the lines of these wonderful creations by Mary Katrantzou & Salvatore Ferragamo - full of statement, colour, class & not a hint of boring.

Accessorising needn’t only be reserved as the perfect excuse to wrap ourselves up in beautiful scarves, remember to turn your thoughts to the home too. Diptyque are the home fragrance brand at the moment, and Baies seems to have taken the bloggers by storm with this floral scent. 

Jo Malone perfumes have been well regarded for a long time, and my fragrance Nectarine Blossom & Honey (which you can read here), needs another JM bottle to sit next to. Just so it’s not lonely on the shelf, you know? Wild Bluebells or Earl Grey & Cucumber would be absolutely perfect, and will be the fragrances I pick up in the future. 

2. The Beauty

Herbivore Botanicals | Charlotte Tilbury | Charlotte Tilbury | Smashbox Cosmetics 

With or without makeup, you ladies are always beautiful. 

But if you’re anything like myself, putting on makeup makes me look, and feel, more prepared to face the outside world. With such cold weather, lips are often take the hit of this and become dry, chapped & uncomfortable.  This lip butter set (blood orange, mint & rose) offer a little TLC this winter, keeping your pout perfected, before later applying your favourite lip colour!

British Makeup Artist Charlotte Tilbury has recently taken the beauty world by storm, with her stunning and wide variety of products. The Vintage Vamp & Eyes to Mesmerise sets have been firmly on my wish list for a long time now, as who can ever have too many beautiful eyeshadows? And to give your entire look a perfected finish, there’s nothing better than a brand new set of Smashbox Cosmetics Studio Pro brushes.

3. The Dancing Shoes

Brian Atwood | Sophia Webster | Sophia Webster | Pierre Hardy

No matter how good your dance moves actually are, you’re guaranteed to be given extra kudos for some stunning footwear. Who will be paying attention to your dancing in these statement heels?

High heels are the one department where I am severely lacking in choice, both in classic styles & something more snazzy. To boost my classics collection, I’m looking no further than these Sophia Webster heels & boots. SW is such a fun brand, so lively & fun, and these styles are quite conservative for her. Who knew you needed a pair of heels with wings?

To make a statement, I’m turning to Brian Atwood’s Classic Gold heels, as with an all metallic shoe - you really don’t want an over complicated design. Gold, metallic while keeping it completely classy ladies! When it’s time to play with colour, there’s nothing shy about these pink & orange Pierre Hardy Majorelle pretties. A combination that sounds so wrong, but looks so right. With the added ankle tie & side tassel, you’re on trend and hot to trot.

4. Cold Outdoors

Rebecca Taylor | Datura |  Modern Citizen  | French Connection 

Scotland is hardly known for it’s soaring heat, so it’s probably unsurprising to find that clothes to keep me warm, yet stylish, is a constant for my wardrobe. The first garment which stood out to me was this Rebecca Taylor Tweed blazer. Perfect for the office with a cashmere stole, or to glam up a simple tee, jeans and heels combination for evening cocktails. It immediately oozes Chanel-esque elegance, and which girl would deny such appeal?

I adore styles which are a bit more relaxed, which brought both the Datura & Modern Citizen coats into the wish list. The Cashmere/Wool composition of the Datura garments makes it great for a more luxurious occasion, while the Modern Citizen I would also love to wear belted up, for more casual outings. No Scottish girls fashion guide is complete without a piece of chunky knitwear. This white number by French Connection has a unique knit pattern on the garment sleeves, which may let the cold in a little - but at least I would still look super stylish.

I know this has turned into a bit of a long one, but I hope this has provided your with a bit if inspiration this festive season! Be it for outfits of your own, delayed gift giving, or a little bit of Boxing Day sale indulgence.

As ever, let me know which pieces are your favourites, and what would feature in your gift guide?

Much love & a very  Merry Christmas to every single one of you beauties,

Burberry Oxblood Lip Velvet

 

As a pale skinned girl with dark hair, I tend to be really drawn to bright or dark lipsticks, over shades which are more neutral. I love a key focal point in my makeup, and what easier way is there to achieve this, than to slick on your favourite lip colour.

As the models sashayed down the Burberry SS16 Catwalk, along with the wonderful clothes came a typically British, easy going, yet beautiful makeup look created by Wendy Rowe. Mirroring the embellishment in the collection, Wendy wanted to also use a lip shade that embellished the girl’s makeup look. This look was otherwise very natural, and “good to go,” but then Burberry’s Lip Velvet Lipstick in Oxblood made a dramatic appearance. 

This dark, matte lipstick comes imprinted with the signature Burberry check, in keeping with the cases elegant design. The formula of this warm toned berry shade is creamy, yet soft with a great wear time. This lipstick lasts on me for around 8 hours, and even lasted me through a potential Saturday afternoon latte & cake treat. Even when worn without lipliner. 

The pigmentation of this Lip Velvet formula was the reason I chose it over the sheer toned lustre of Lip Mist. The semi-matte finish prevents this from being completely drying on the lips, and stops lips   from looking flat and without dimension (because nobody wants that). Also, it means a hassle free application, with none of the dragging you sometimes can find with matte lipsticks from other brands. This offering certainly lives up to Burberry's claims of an "elegant and bold full coverage in just one stroke.” I usually don’t have the time or patience to spend a long time layering and blotting, layering and blotting - so quick and striking is definitely more fitting to my routine. 

At first, I expected the colour to be similar to the Burgundy shades I already own. MAC’s Rebel is completely different, as it's much more purple, even with a hint of a magenta. L’Oreal’s Mon Jules is much closer, but still too purple and the formula lacks the even application of the Burberry. 

This is an expensive little lipstick, at £23 for a mere 3.5g, and it was much smaller than I initially expected. BUT, good things sometimes come in small packages & because this is such a beautiful, well formulated lipstick that didn’t hinder me as I rushed my way through Heathrow’s Duty Free.

Although part of the SS16 collection (but yes, it is permanently available) I’m wearing it already. My bets are, that whatever beautiful makeup that Christopher & Wendy pair for AW16, I’ll be wanting to wear it.  Oxblood has set the bar high, and I can’t wait for future collections. 

It may not be the best, but here’s my compulsory little snap of Oxblood against my fair, but warm toned skin.

 I’d love to know your thoughts on these, if you’ve used Burberry Beauty before, or if it’s a lipstick you’ve got your eye on. 

I’m just saying, but wouldn’t this be a nice little gift to open on Christmas day? Get your hint list at the ready, ladies!

Much love,

Jo Malone: Nectarine Blossom & Honey

We all know about the power of scent. Good, or bad, it immediately casts our mind away to our likes & dislikes, or to the people, places and memories that we hold dear. There’s no doubt it’s a powerful, and amazing sense. 

And if your anything like me, we all know how picky we can be about those that we do & don’t like. Hence, I have such a small collection of perfumes - I much prefer to go for quality over quantity, and stick to a signature family of fragrances. My first proper perfume was Chloè, and 7 years later remains my firm daily favourite. Albeit, with the odd rotation with Chanel Mademoiselle, Miss Dior Cherie & even M&S Autograph Rosie. All firmly very rose based, light floral scents which brings me to the focus of this latest post. I even surprised myself & I branched out to purchase a scent which is  oh so fruity!

Jo Malone - Nectarine Blossom & Honey Cologne

Succulent nectarine, peach and cassis and delicate spring flowers melt into the note of acacia honey. Sweet and delightfully playful”

Well let me tell you, Jo Malone’s Nectarine Blossom & Honey Cologne is all kinds of wonderful, and   the power of scent I began chatting about? Oh wow, I immediately smelt this and absolutely loved it. I had stayed away from fruity scents for a long time, constantly reminding me of early teen & high school days (everyone remember Next’s Paradise Eau De Toilette?!).

But this is grown up fruity, & despite the honey notes not sickly at all, despite my initial expectations. The top notes of Cassis helps to maintain a slight sharpness to the scent to prevent this becoming sickly sweet, but the heart (honey) and base (nectarine) notes are the ones worth paying most real attention to. 

To me, nectarine is such an unusual scent for a fruity perfume, but I’m so glad this scent steers away from the sharp citrusy fruits. Nectarine gives a deliciously sweet, yet soft note while the honey smells just incredible & ’soft' - and again, isn’t at all overpowering.

The wear time on this is one of the best I’ve experienced, I sprayed this on 9 1/2 hours ago  & I can still get a hint of the nectarine base notes!

Considering this is my first venture down the rabbit hole of Jo Malone perfumes (already have a list of others I want in my life, and there’s so many to choose from) after a relatively short shopping trip at Heathrow airport, I’m extremely glad I picked this beauty up. I remained sensible and purchased the 30ml version, which turns out to be perfect for travelling & always remaining on hand in my bag.

As for which are next? Wild Bluebells and Earl Grey & Cucumber are next on the list! All in due time, eventually they’ll hopefully also join my little, but prudently selected collection.

Are you a Jo Malone fan, & which favourites of yours should I be checking out next?! 

YSL BEAUTY

Unlike my mascara, something that’s not so shocking is my love for YSL makeup.  If you’ve read my blog for a while, you’ll have seen various pieces feature - and witnessed my YSL collection growing over the years. One notably heart breaking point was when I lost my YSL lipstick in London, after my makeup session with YSL’s Head International MUA, Fred Letailleur, in Selfridges. Gutting! Rogue Pur Couture in No. 61 I believe, it was so pretty too...

These purchases were made on somewhat of a whim - isn’t it always when you nip into Boots for one thing, you end up buying the whole place?! I had run out of my last YSL foundation quite a while ago now (Touche Eclat) & then the £10 worth of points offer just couldn’t be refused!  I actually went into Boots to re-purchase the Shocking Faux Cils Mascara for the 20 millionth time (*slight exaggeration Rach...)

But once they sit you down in their makeup chair, well... you may swell surrender your debit card over.

The Faux Cils mascara has been a long standing favourite of mine for many many years, and I have no hesitation re-purchasing this, and not fluttering my lashes twice at any other luxury brand. That’s not to say I don’t love a drugstore mascara, as I do often switch back and forth - and don’t always use my YSL as my everyday choice. For a drugstore alternative, MaxFactor False Lash Effect is my go to, it’s just amazing. 

Despite previously trying YSL Touch Eclat foundation (BR20) which gives a beautiful illuminating, dewy finish with light-medium, buildable coverage - I decided to try the newer YSL Fusion Ink (BD20). Unlike Touche Eclat, this is a matte finish, which feels velvety, soft and natural when buffed into the skin. I already had a Real Techniques stippling brush in my basket when I arrived at YSL, which was then recommended by my MUA as perfect for this foundation. Literally, a smaller version of the huge (far too big for using on the face, in my opinion) YSL stippling brush she had just used.

As I only purchased it last week, I will give it a few weeks before bringing you guys a full review. But first impressions, so far so good. And I even convinced her to give me a little sample of the Touche Eclat foundation in my shade BR20 too as backup. 

This lipstick formulation is also new to me, and is the first YSL Rogue Volupte Shine to be added to my collection. 

I was a bit indecisive as to which lip colour I wanted during my impromptu little makeup session - but I was picked out shade no .9 Nude In Private. I’ve been loving my matte MAC nude lipstick in ‘Mehr,’ so it’s nice to finally add a non-matte to my collection. This looked beautiful and natural on -  a light pinky peach, and it felt light & silky. It’s definitely not as dark as it looks above, more the colour of the tube for definite.  Although scent is definitely not a sole reason to purchase a lipstick, the smell of this is divine! It smells nearly identical to my Dior Jelly Lips Pencil, which is so luscious and fruity. I also love the packaging, the gold case just shouts luxury and it has the weightiness you should expect from a brand like YSL. 

Having just purchased these, I’m not going to fully review them today - I want to put them through there paces before bringing you all a recommendation in a few weeks time, when I can bring you a fairer & more informed opinion. 

Have you used any of the products I’ve mentioned, and if not - let me know your YSL favourites so I can keep them in mind for future purchasing! 

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Until next time!