Limited Edition DUPE TEST: MAC's Ronnie Red

Hello,

Have you ever gawked over a soon-to-be released limited edition product only to miss out when it was released?

Well, lament no more! My series of "Limited Edition" dupe tests aim to help you get through your grief with some suitable (dupable) alternatives!

On the radar tonight is MAC's Ronnie Red from the Archie's Girls collection. This collection was much anticipated and sold out like HOTCAKES online! (the hottest hotcakes you could ever think of). I made a special trip (well, we made a day of it) down to my closest MAC Pro store where I had all my lustings on hold.

Ronnie Red is a bright matte red. Beauty blogger Temptalia (www.temptalia.com) gives it a big thumbs up and describes it as an "incredibly long-wearing red" (I would put my two cents in but naughty me hasn't worn it yet! Whoops).

I have chosen Ronnie Red as the focus for the dupe test, due to the popularity and hype of the collection. There are some other LE MAC's that I will be swatching for comparison (which I know isn't 100% helpful but they were in my tin and you might be lucky enough to have one!) but I feel Ronnie Red was the more suitable focal point for this test!

I have dug through my collection and found nine potentially suitable matches for Ronnie Red. So here we go:

(L-R: Luxembourg, Dragon Girl, Charmed I'm Sure, Aphrodite, Red Passion, Ronnie Red, S.T.O.P, Tramp, Retrofuturist, Absolute Power)

I will compare the following to Ronnie Red:

- NARS Luxembourg: Suprisingly, I would say this is the closest of the lot. It has the pinkish base like RR, but still plays red. It is a fraction more pink but you're really splitting hairs to tell them apart in majority of types of lighting! (I'm pretty sure the men in your life wouldn't notice!). The finishes, however, are a tad different. Luxembourg is glossier, but does dry off (if that's the right term) to a more matte finish. (P.S. I have put Luxembourg "Under the Microscope" here)

- NARS Dragon Girl: Also reasonably close but it's more matte and slightly less pink than RR.

- MAC Charmed I'm Sure: The finish is the same but CIS is darker, with a more a blue rather than pink in RR. This one was also a LE.

- Napoleon Perdis Aphrodite: Not that close. A deep, blue based red and no pinky undertone like RR.

- L'Oreal Colour Riche 297 Red Passion: Closer to NP Aphrodite than RR but a tad brighter than Aphrodite.

- Ka'oir S.T.O.P: Not even close. It was closer in the tube. I was expecting it to be much brighter bit it's kind of like a haemolysed blood red (there's the nerd in me coming out again!).

- Illamasqua Tramp: A more yellow based and deeper red than RR.

- Lime Crime Retrofuturist: Brighter and less pink than RR.

- MAC Absolute Power: Another LE. It's the same toning as RR but is a bit darker.

So which should you pick? In terms of closest to RR, Luxembourg is very close but throws more pink, Dragon Girl is also very close but is more matte and throws more red. Absolute Power (another MAC LE) is also similiar but is darker. Both Dragon Girl and Luxembourg would be suitable subsitutes if happened to miss out. If you find mattes too drying for your lips, I would lean more toward Luxembourg too!

I hope this helps if you happened to miss out on Ronnie Red.

Happy dupe spotting!

Love,

Your PM xx

p.s. I've now added labels to all my posts, so if you are in the web view you can find other posts in similar categories! x

UNDER THE MICROSCOPE: NARS Satin Lip Pencil in Luxembourg

Hello again!

Under the proverbial "makeup microscope" tonight is one of the new NARS Satin Lip Pencils.

These pencils only been out for a couple of months (if that). It's always hard when a new product is released to find sufficient information on how it wears, or even just swatches from the range. So, hopefully this helps if you are considering this product! These pencils are a bit like a sister to the "matte velvet" lip pencils by NARS. The packaging is pretty much the same but the formula is very different of course!

The NARS Satin Lip Pencils come in twelve colours. I first saw these when I went into a Mecca Cosmetica at Easter-time. The shop assistant showed me a few (I asked for brights and she was clutching at straws to find me bright ones!). I really liked the look of them but I couldn't quite get excited for the colours! Majority of them are nude/neutrals. Don't get me wrong, it's GREAT if you are into neutrals... But I have my little stash of nudes so I'd rather brights. The brighter the better! However, I was in a Mecca store again on the weekend and digging through their testers and stumbled across Luxembourg... WOW! Decision made.

Luxembourg Pencil (the matte pencils are missing the stripe near the base!)

The Mecca Cosmetica website (www.meccacosmetica.com.au) calls Luxembourg a "vivid watermelon". My personal interpretation of watermelon is a paler, more yellow based pink. I would be more inclined to call it a "vivid fuschia" - it also has the habit of appearing a bit red in photos depending on the light... a good little chameleon! lol

Luxembourg Swatch (does look more red here!)

Luxembourg in action (this is a more accurate colour... you can see the pink!)

Compared to the matte velvet pencils, you get 0.2gms of product less for the same price (AUD$39). Not too bad. I also find the Satin Lip Pencils lids are a tad more co-operative (my matte one likes to pop off for some reason!). 

I must say, colour me impressed!! (pardon the pun!). The colour was definitely vivid and I did receive a few comments while wearing it (which actually happens less often than you might think!). It felt almost like a gloss going on... It feels really smooth and luxurious to apply! It did start to feel dry, but only about 8-9 hours later (but when I say dry it felt more like it had set a bit, I certainly didn't feel the urge to slather it with gloss!). "Satin"  is definitely a fitting term for describing it, I was very impressed with how smooth and light it felt on my lips! It lasted pretty well while eating, it did need a touch up in the middle but for the most part my lips ended up with a nice pinky stain. The colour lasted really well which I was impressed with, and I thought it didn't transfer as easily as my other lipsticks (I tend to leave the fiance with a coloured cheek from time to time). I will note though, this was a very pigmented colour, and you may not get as long wear time from the paler shades (while writing this I purchased Lodhi and Yu (oops!). Lodhi is a lighter colour (it's "vibrant coral") so it'll be interesting to report the wear time of that and Yu). At this stage, I do prefer the satin pencil over the matte! I felt (for the ones I own at least) the satin one wore slightly better and feels nicer on! You also get the added touch of gloss without even trying! Win win!

The only real downside to this was I did find it a bit tricky to get on. Normally lipsticks have a small amount of tug, and that friction makes it heaps easier to get your lippy where you want it. These however, are super slippery and glossy, so I didn't feel like it had that grip that's needed. I actually overshot in a few places (not by much but my lips felt bigger than usual! lol) but just managed to get away with it. I also found that this barely bled! It did the tiniest amount in a couple of spots where I overshot, but you had to be looking for it (like I was) to notice it! I did use lip liner first (I pretty much colour in my lips with Illamasqua's Hex (a nude) so that if I miss anywhere when I do my lippy you can't really see it). Therefore, I can't guarantee how it would go if you didn't use liner! (You may find it does bleed a bit more). You will also lose a bit of product when you sharpen it, so I recommend waiting as long as possible before doing so!

All in all, next time you are looking for a new lip colour that feels smooth and light to wear, I do recommend trying a NARS Satin Lip Pencil. There is surely a colour to appeal to you (while I don't find the range hugely exciting they have covered the spectrum pretty well!). If you try one of these pencils or have one, let me know what you think of it!

Until next time,

Much love,

Your PM xx

DUPE TEST: Nars Orgasm vs Sleek Rose Gold

Hello again!

I'm on a bit of a blogging roll again tonight so I thought I would treat you to a second post! (don't you feel special? lol). It's another DUPE TEST! Woohoo! 

Nars Orgasm (also covered here) is Nars' best selling blush! (I wonder if the popularity is due to the name?? lol). If you've ever searched ebay for Orgasm (*refrains from making inappropriate pun*), then you may have seen its dupe test competitor: Sleek Rose Gold.

Everywhere you look, you see Sleek touted as a formidable Nars dupe... But is it really?

Admittedly, I bought the Sleek one first for this reason... but still ended up buying the Nars a few months later anyway (can you say, makeup collector? haha). So lets get to it!

Firstly, here are the important product stats:

WEIGHT
Nars: 4.8 gms

Sleek: 8 gms

PRICE
Nars: AUD$45 (I purchased mine from Mecca Cosmetica)

Sleek: AUD$12.95 (I purchased mine from crushcosmetics.com.au)

The Sleek definitely smashes it out of the park in both weight and price! Outstanding value for sure!

Now for some photos!:


Nars (left) and Sleek (right)

This photo sums up why I think this whole dupe test is a bit of a joke... They look NOTHING alike (except for a bit of gold shimmer!). I always had in my head that they were different I just never got around to swatching them to actually check! However, a discussion of Sleek on IG tonight (feel free to follow, I'm @ebdog!) made me decide to bite the bullet and finally test them! Now lets see what they look like swatched:



Nars (left) and Sleek (right)

Ok, I will have to admit I am eating a bit of humble pie right now... I can totally understand why people would call it a dupe. However, to me, a dupe is something that is COMPLETELY identical. These are not. I would be inclined to call them sisters. The Sleek blush is a darker pink and has a more prominent shimmer. Nars is paler and has less of that gold shimmer. Both are very pretty blushes! I am certainly not upset that I have both. I would be more likely to reach for the Sleek in the winter-time because it's that bit darker!


MY VERDICT: NOT DUPES!

Do you need both? If you aren't fussy, definitely not! If you do want both shades of blush, probably!

Which should you get? In terms of value, all roads point to Sleek, which is a clear winner. I would recommend the Nars over Sleek if a) you have a paler complexion, b) you don't feel confident wearing stronger blush colours, or c) if you can't deal with lots of gold shimmer.

So there you have it! I hope this was of some use for you for next time you agonise over a blush! I best finish off my humble pie and catch some z's!

Happy dupe-spotting!
Love,
Your PM x



What's On My Nails? Something New!

Good day,

In the interest of fair reporting (as this blog was to be about makeup AND nails!), I have changed my polish so I thought I would quickly share it with you :)

As I picked up some new colours at Salon Melbourne on the weekend, I thought I better start testing them out! (who am I kidding, I was SO excited for my polish to start looking manky so I could change it!). I will of course get around to posting all my new polish goodies soon!

Tonights colour of choice is Zoya Dahlia from their new(ish) Pixie Dust collection. Textured polishes are all the rage this year, so Zoya have come up with a super sparkly version of it! These polishes dry matte, so you don't need a top coat! (You can put one on but it kinda defeats the purpose!). The Zoya website also recommends no base coat, however I had already put one on before I read the instructions... Oopy! It does not seem to have affected my mani though!

Zoya Dahlia

Zoya Dahlia is a black base PACKED with silver glitter! I always thought this one should have been called Ebony! But as you can see, nice and sparkly (thanks macro for helping me out with that!). It took me two coats to get it reasonably black. You can see the texture, and it does feel a little gritty, but nothing like sandpaper! lol. I will report on wear time of this when I post swatches of the lot! :)

I really like these textured polishes for something different! Zoya's summer Pixie Dust collection has not long been released in the US so hopefully we get it over here sometime soon!

In Australia, you can buy Zoya from www.artofbeauty.com.au!

Enjoy the rest of your week!

Love,

Your PM xx

SWATCH FEST: Napoleon Perdis DeVine Goddess Lipsticks

Hello,

I thought I would follow up from my Lime Crime Lipstick Collection and post my Napoleon Perdis one, as I know some of you are curious for swatches (plus, they are extremely hard to find on the net so if you stumble across this, I hope this helps for your choosing!).

I have 10 NP lipsticks, but only 6 are currently listed on the website. (I know one old one was a GWP, but I'm sure you would be able to get the other 3 from a NP stockist if you were that keen on getting them!).

I'll start with product stats:

Weight: 4.2gms (very generous for a lipstick!)

Price: AUD$35 (a modest price point too given the size!)

Be wary though, as some of the brighter colours can bleed, so a lip liner is a MUST!! (I hate wearing lip liner I can never do a decent job. My latest trick is cheating and using a nude one and just colour in the outside of my lips! It still works quite well!). I wore Calypso without liner one day, and yes it bled (embarrasing!), so I haven't reached for it again (I probably should with the lip liner trick hey?). To their credit though, I have not found the formula very drying, which is a plus! (a good lip care regime is still recommended of course!)

Now for swatches!
The hard to find shades:

(L-R: Artemis, Harmonia, Calypso, Hess)

(L-R: Artemis, Harmonia, Calypso, Hess)

Artemis: A sheer-er glossy pink. This shade was in a GWP a while ago. It is not as opaque as some of the other colours in the collection.
Harmonia: A dirty coral. It is reasonably opaque and has a slight matte finish (read: it's not as glossy as Artemis). I forgot I had this and I think I'll be reaching for it over winter when brights aren't the go to like they are in summer!
Calypso: A berry pink/red. It is a deep colour but it is also quite bright too! (if that makes sense!)
Hess: A brown-y pink nude with a gold shimmer. I am actually quite suprised this is no longer part of the current range. It's a great every day colour!

The current range:

(L-R: SMP, Nymphe, Atlanta, Xenia, Aphrodite, Hara)

(L-R: SMP, Nymphe, Atlanta, Xenia, Aphrodite, Hara)

SMP: A pink based nude with gold shimmer. This is more actually a bit more brown than Hess. This is another great everyday colour.

Nymphe: A mid rosy pink. This one has a glossy type finish like Artemis.

Atlanta: A teracotta brown with a hint of orange. I am still a bit confused as to why I bought this. I think I was a bit mislead by online swatches.

Xenia: A pink toned red. If you feel red is a bit harsh for you, or you are not quite confident to pull it off, this is a good alternative!

Aphrodite: A blue-based true red. This is a nice, glamorous red! This one takes confidence!

Hara: ORANGE! Woohoo! I LOVE this one! I am a huge fan of orange lippy (and for those wondering, this is a smidgeon darker than MAC's Morange). It also has a slight matte finish.

My favourites from my collection would be Hess and Hara! (Harmonia would be closely behind!)

 

If there are any other brands/colour stories you wish to see, please let me know! This blog has the reader at heart (it's not just an outlet for my love of cosmetics!) so if there is a demand, (like there was for this post!) I'm happy to try and make things happen!

Happy shopping!

Love,

Your PM xx

SWATCH FEST: My Lime Crime Lipstick Collection!

Hello and Welcome! :)

Today you get a special treat... Swatches of my ENTIRE Lime Crime Lipstick Collection! (Yes that's all 18! I'm still not sure whether this is an acheivement or an embarrasment!) Let this be your go-to place for lippy swatches next time you feel like buying some of these marvellous lipsticks! (feel free to bookmark! *wink*) At the time of posting, all these lipsticks are in the current range (but if you go to buy them RIGHT now, some may be unavailable depending on which site you buy from!).

Lime Crime lipsticks have almost acheived cult status (even in little ol' Australia!) for their amazing colour range and great formula. They are also of a reasonable price point (particularly in Australia anyway where a MAC lippy costs 1.7x more!). These lipsticks are very pigmented and well wearing! (and they don't feel hugely drying like some other highly pigmented formulas can be! BONUS!) They are also Vegan friendly and NOT tested on animals (big plus!). Quick Tip: Make sure your lips are well prepped, scrubbed and moisturised before wearing! (This helps keep your lippy looking fab all day! - I've had issues when my lip condition is less-than-perfect and it's shown!)

Now for the fun part... SWATCHES! Yippee!:

(L-R): Styletto, Serpentina, Mint To Be, No She Didn't



(L-R): Styletto, Serpentina, Mint To Be, No She Didn't

Styletto: A rich, opaque black. (I always imagined this would be really good with bright eye makeup and grey blush! - If you happen to do it please send me a pic! lol)

Serpentina: A shimmering emerald green. (Great at Christmas time! lol)

Mint To Be: A pastel minty green. (Looks great on dark skin tones! I went to a dance show and I'm 99% sure one of the girls was wearing this one... It looked AMAZING! It would also look great in an ombre with Serpentina!)
No She Didn't: A pastel blue. (Sorry, I don't have much to report on this one but it is a pretty blue! lol. I have it mostly for collection purposes!)

(L-R): Coquette, New Yolk City, Cosmopop, My Beautiful Rocket

(L-R): Coquette, New Yolk City, Cosmopop, My Beautiful Rocket



Coquette: A peachy-based nude. (This has to be one of my favourite nudes. I wear it with navy/green eye makeup and I LOVE it!)
New Yolk City: A sunny yellow. (I can't really wear anything yellow based - I have a pink based skin tone and anything yellow makes me look like I have jaundice. However, I bought this for the purpose of doing an ombre lip with pink lipstick - Countessa Fluorescent is a good one to use! I have tried it and it looks great!)

Cosmopop: A pale peachy orange. (I love this colour and it looks great on so many people, but I don't think it is for me. The only time I wore it, it didn't look great and I've never worn it again. Guess I should give it another shot... It does look ok on my hand so maybe I was having an off day? I'll give it the benefit of the doubt! But, if you can't wear yellow... Proceed with caution!)
My Beautiful Rocket: A nice bright orange. (This does lean a touch yellow so another one to proceed with caution if you are like me! I can JUST get away with it!)

(L-R): Chinchilla, D'Lilac, Airborne Unicorn, Poisonberry

(L-R): Chinchilla, D'Lilac, Airborne Unicorn, Poisonberry

Chinchilla: A purple-based grey. (It does look very grey in the hand swatch, but when worn, and in the top picture, you can really see that purple undertone! It is a very unique colour and I think I'll be reaching for this more during winter!)

D'Lilac: A pale pastel purple. (This is a really pretty purple and I would highly recommend it if you are looking to branch out from the pink/red tree. It's safe, but still out there! It is not quite as blue based as it shows in the hand swatch.)
Airborn Unicorn: A mid-toned purple. (This one is a bit more out there than D'Lilac but it's still an interesting and pretty colour!)

Poisonberry: A plummy purple with a blue shimmer. (It's almost vampy without being too vampy. A great one for winter and another really interesting colour!)



(L-R): Great Pink Planet, Geradium, Countessa Fluorescent, Centrifuschia, Retrofuturist, Glamour 101



(L-R): Great Pink Planet, Geradium, Countessa Fluorescent, Centrifuschia, Retrofuturist, Glamour 101



Great Pink Planet: A pastel baby pink. (This is another "safe" one, if you want a really pretty colour but you're not feeling so adventurous! It's such a beautiful pink on!)
Geradium: A coral based pink. (This is the latest lippy to the collection. It is bright and it is beautiful! I love it! If you want to tone it down, a nude lip liner underneath takes the brightness out of it and still leaves a really pretty colour - I only recommend this becuase I have done it using Illamasqua's Hex Pencil! P.s. I have compared Geradium to MAC's Viva Glam Nicki and you can read about it here!)
Countessa Fluorescent: A bright neon pink. (Without a doubt, this is my favourite! It's bright, it's awesome, and I always receive complements when I wear it! If you are confident to wear bright colours, DEFINITELY get this one if you don't already own it!)

Centrifuschia: A bright fuschia pink. (While it is still bright, this one is a little deeper than the others. This means you are more likely to get away with it year-round. Though I'm pretty sure it doesn't really matter what time of the year you wear brights now, right?)

Retrofuturist: A bright red. (If you love nice clean reds, I highly highly recommend this one. I do not wear red lipstick alot, I'm too clumsy and end up with it everywhere, but this is without a doubt my favourite red. It's so bright and it's more blue based than yellow based meaning I can wear it! Woohoo!)

Glamour 101: A deep brick red. (The science nerd in me wants to call this "partially haemolysed blood red" haha. It is like a blood red but deeper and more luxurious! The name definitely suits it as it is a very glamorous red! It does look a bit scary in the tube but it goes on much nicer works well with the colour of your lips!)

And for the product specs...

Price:

USD$15.99 (YES! Lime Crime (www.limecrimemakeup.com) does ship internationally!)

AUD$21.00 (Can purchase from www.lipstickrepublic.com.au)

Weight:

3.5gms (very generous!)

There is definitely something in this collection to suit everyone, even if you aren't quite into bold colours! I hope this helps next time you are agonising over which colour(s) to pick! I also apologise if this post makes you part with more cash than intended! lol

Happy shopping!

Love,

Your PM xx



Here's Looking at You! FOTD/NOTM

Greetings!

Tonight I am going to share with you my FOTD/NOTM that I had for my trip to Salon Melbourne! I thought I better be all pretty and fancy so I look like I fit in! (no orange tracksuit unfortunately!) I even went to the effort of putting some curls in my hair (and that is a special occasion thing! lol). I had a great time (even though I was only there for about 2 hours!) but I am full of wonderful blogging ideas to share with you over the next little while! (so make sure you visit back regularly!)

Here was my FOTD (Face of the Day):

(Sorry for dodgy iPhone quality - was in a rush so didn't get a camera photo! lol)

FOTD

And for those interested, I used the following products:

FACE

• Napoleon Perdis Auto Pilot Primer
• Kryolan TV Paint Stick in NB1
• Illamasqua Skin Base Foundation in No.6
• Illamasqua Skin Base Foundation in No.1 (for blending into neck)
• Napoleon Perdis Camera Finish Powder in N2

BLUSH

• Napoleon Perdis Eyeshadow in Flamingo Road
• Yes, you read right... Eyeshadow! It is such a pretty colour but I am not the biggest fan of wearing reds on my eyes! (I posted about Flamingo Road in my Multi-Use Products Post)
• NARS Blush in Torrid
• Illamasqua Bronzing Duo (Glint only) as a cheek highlighter

EYES

• Kryolan TV Paint Stick in NB1
• Kryolan Translucent Powder in TL1
• Napoleon Perdis Eyeshadow in Green Living
• Napoleon Perdis Eyeshadow in Queen of the Night
• NYX Eyeshadow Base in White
• OCC Loose Colour Concentrate in Flicker
• Napoleon Perdis Loose Eye Dust in Mosaic Gold
• Napoleon Perdis Mesmer-Eyes Mascara
• Napoleon Perdis China Doll Gel Liner in Equinox
• Eyebrows: Illamasqua Eyebrow Cake in Vehement

LIPS

• MAC Mineralize Lipstick in Lady at Play

PHEW! If you've managed to survive that you'll realise I use alot of products! Sometimes, a little splash of product X or Y can take your makeup from nice to really nice! I really liked my blush in this FOTD. I had Flamingo Road on the outside from my hairline, blending down to mid cheek. Torrid was blended from the apples of my cheeks, up! I then added a touch of Glint from Illamasqua's Bronzing Duo along the top of my cheek for a bit of interest!

Now, nail polish lovers don't be disappointed! Here is my NOTM (Nails of the Moment):



Zoya Kimber

I'm calling it a NOTM rather than a NOTD or similar, becuase I don't know how long they will last! haha. My nails, as mentioned, have the habit of chipping polish like it's nobody's business. However, as I write this (after being on for two days), there is only one tiny chip... amazing! (I think it's becuase they are filed bone short but Murphy's Law is probably not wanting me to try out my new polish yet!) - and yes my hands are still in terrible nick. I'm working on it!

The polish pictured is Zoya Kimber from their Surf Collection (part of Beach and Surf). Surf is such an amazing collection! It's a set of 6 foil-y polishes in fabulous colours! (to date, my fave Zoya collections are Surf, Sunshine and Sparkle! Though, with my newbies I've just picked up I may be adding Ornate when I get a good look at it!) But I'm digressing...

Anyway! Zoya Kimber is a beautiful rasperry red/pink with a foil-y gold shimmer! The bottle in the picture is quite accurate, and the nails show the shimmer up well. I constantly find myself staring at my nails! (and for those wondering I used Cult Nails' 'Get it On' base coat, and two coats of 'Wicked Fast' top coat). Kimber certainly has alot of appeal and would make a great colour for your toes too!

I am full of blogging ideas at the moment, so stay tuned for more posts over the coming days!

Love,

Your PM xx