Lip Lovers Unite

From left to right: MAC Lipstick in Rebel, MAC Lipstick in Plumful, Sephora Cream Lip Stain in 01 Always Red, Hourglass Miniature Opaque Rouge Liquid Lipstick in Icon, Bite Luminous Creme Lipstick Duo in Lychee/Musk

Sorry if you are sick of my posts about New York and the beauty bounty that I picked up whilst I was there! I can promise you that this is the third and final installment in this series of blog posts, welcome to the lip edit.

The first shop that I visited in New York was the huge MAC store in Times Square. Of course we do have MAC in the UK, but I would recommend making your purchases in the US if you are visiting as it is about 30% cheaper (just don't forget about the tax added at checkout) and the newest releases reach the US much earlier than the UK. I managed to restrain myself and just pick up the two lipsticks that were on my shopping list. The first was MAC Rebel, a beautiful bright berry tone that I actually wore on Christmas day as a modern alternative to classic red. I also picked up MAC Plumful, a muted plum shade that I find to be the perfect alternative to a pinky neutral lip.

Next up we have the reds. The next thing on my wishlist was the much hyped Sephora Cream Lip Stain which actually divided opinion for me. I adored the slightly orange toned red on my lips and how easy it was to apply with the sponge applicator. However, after wearing it for a couple of hours, the lip stain completely dried my lips out to the point where I thought they were flaking off! Strangely when I looked in the mirror, the lipstick still looked freshly applied and not dry at all but the drying sensation that I felt on my lips meant that I haven't used it since. On the other hand, I found the Hourglass Opaque Rouge Liquid Lipstick to have the perfect long lasting yet non-drying formula for me. I managed to pick up the miniature of this for $10 which is a brilliant way to try out high end lipsticks before you fully invest. The shade is a pretty red with the subtlest hint of raspberry, I can see why they call it Icon as this is the kind of shade you see Hollywood stars wearing on the red carpet.

Finally we have the Lipstick Duo by Bite. This is just the best idea ever and great for popping in your handbag. The only thing that I could think to improve it would be to have two really different colours on each end so you could have a neutral and a bold lip option in one. This may just be the case with the one that I picked up but both of the lipstick shades in Lychee and Musk came out fairly similar on my lips despite looking different in swatches. Regardless, they both created a beautiful Kylie Jenner nude lip with a semi-matte finish. I was hoping to meet Kylie in New York (long shot I know) but being able to have lips like hers is the next best thing.