17 Beehive: The Perfect Nude

Any beauty blogger could sympathise with the quest for "the perfect nude". 

It is THE hardest thing to find a daytime appropriate nude lipstick that doesn't wash out and simultaneously compliments your skintone.

Now I must admit I found mine in MACs Plink! 

Which is a wonderful lip-gloss like formula which pigments and hydrates the lips- but finding a highstreet alternative seemed to be almost impossible, even the Revlon lip tint in Honey seemed too pink and almost cartoon like for my skin colour and many lipsticks were far too drying. This was until I tried 17s Beehive which is not a stranger within the Blogging community, in fact its always received very good reviews.

The 17 mirror shine lipstick used to be in a green reflective packaging which if I'm honest offended my "black and classic" nature. Since the mirror shine lipsticks have been repackaged they are significantly more pleasing to my eye. Not only that but they also contain a super handy mirror which I think is a cute and practical little touch.

The new packaging is sleek and study enough to withstand being chucked about in my handbag.

As you can see by the swatch the colour pay off is very slight but for me that is perfect for daytime use- I really dont have a lot of time in the day to be checking and re-applying my lippie so for me this is a great choice.

Have you ever tried the 17 mirror shine range, did you like them?

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[A late] November Favourites

Hello all!

I am so happy December is here. I have been munching my chocolates everyday from my calender, decorating the office, listening to Michael Buble's velvety tones on the radio and getting my Christmas shopping done....maybe not as fast as Id like but hey theres always panic buying....eek!

November was a busy month for me adjusting to my new job and job role but I'm glad to report I'm settling into a routine quite nicely from week to week and enjoying where I work. I thought Id show you what Ive been loving over November and what I will doubtless be loving over December too.

With Face products I have been loving Rimmel Wake Me Up Foundation and Estee Lauder double wear. The double wear lasts me through my long days, but I also really enjoy the luminosity of the Wake me Up Foundation. I always use my Real Techniques Buffing Brush to apply my foundation and it smooths out my base perfectly. I also use the small Real Techniques brush to apply Benefit's Erase paste to my under eye area.

I am always mixing up my blush throughout the week. It depends on what colours I'm wearing and whether I am going for a bold of natural look. I really have been embracing a rosier cheek over November. Her Blooming Cheek is a limited edition which is very similar to MAC Dollymix, little is more and I love the hot pink flush it brings to my cheeks. Nars Deep Throat is another favourite, fairly understated with a silver shimmer running through it it brings definition to the face an compliments a stong eye colour perfectly. The Accessorize baked blush is another gentle shimmer which brings wonderful luminosity to a look, its a brand I don't know an awful lot about but would love to try more of their products.

Nails have been high on the agenda over November, I have to confess that the Models Own Wonderland collection has been possibly my best nails purchase this year and my nails have been adorned with all types of sparkle throughout November. To tone the general sparkly campness of a glitter nail I have been using nudey colours such as Essie Mademoiselle which I think is a "my nails but better" colour. I really have been enjoying my nail combinations more than usual thanks to Models own, read my review here.

My lips have remained very office appropriate over November. I have been absolutely loving 17's new look Beehive lipstick and will post a full review out in due course. Its just wonderfully moisturising for this cold weather as is Honey is moisturising a more-pigmented-kinda-way.

Phew late better than never.
I cant believe how quick the holidays are coming around.
What have you been loving recently?

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Rimmel Kate Moss 107

When browsing the new collection of Kate Moss Rimmel Lipsticks it was 107 that called to me. It was its autumn appropriate berry shade that drew me in.

Since purchasing I have been wearing this lippie non-stop.

It is the epitome of a multi-wear lipstick and transcends with ease from day to night.

I love how the deepness of its colour helps create that "done" look just by popping this lipstick on and the formula is very durable- ensuring I don't have the embarrassment of multiple cups of tea stained with lipstick prints when I am working.

The shade is much more pink toned when swatched but is a brilliant buildable colour.

An honourable mention to the packaging in a vibrant red I really like the look of this lipstick and think it is a eye catching alternative to the usual Rimmel lipstick line.

I have failed on the swatch front attempting to upload last night so for swatches of all of the Rimmel Kate Moss new range have a look at P0lar milk's post

I must say I am also very partial to the Kate Moss 110 shade...maybe on my next trip!

What do you think about the new Rimmel Kate Moss range?

Wishing you all a fantastic week!

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Autumnal Berry Lip

This was nearly titled...yet another berry lipstick post.

I know there are lots flying about at the moment but I am loving them for Autumn. 

Be assured when payday comes about I will be whole heatedly be found in Boots stocking up my berry lipstick collection.

Now this is a colour I picked up a few weeks ago.

I love its colour, the almost-lipgloss-like finish and the packaging.

For someone who openly admits to having lipstick issues I really don't spend too much of my money on high street lipsticks. 

If its bold and bright Ill be heading towards the MAC counter in a shot. 

In a way I am kicking myself a little at my somewhat lipstick-related narrow minded thinking.

This calibre falls into the "wearable" category of berry lipsticks.

It hints at statement without being too over bearing and shys away from that berry lip your Nana would faithfully wear regardless of season or occasion.

I am building the courage to rock this shade in the office- only through lack of enthusiasm of the whole reapplication-in-the-office-thing more than anything else.

If you wish to see what it looks like on have a look at my Estee Lauder foundations review- I'm wearing it there

I think when swatched it comes across much more pink toned which I like.

Amethyst Shimmer is available at Boots

If you are into a matt finish Amethyst Shimmer is also available within Rimmels Lasting finish range

Safe to say I will be swinging by the moisture renew Rimmel counter very soon.

What is your favourite berry lipstick shade?

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AOGs 1 Year Birthday....MAC Giveaway [NOW CLOSED]

Afternoon Beauts.

So last Saturday was my one year blog anniversary.

Its bizarre because I feel I have been blogging much longer than that.

Blogging has been a wholly positive experience for me.

I have met many like minded people over the interweb, Ive been regularly using my http and photoshop skills and it has been my little space I can use however I want.

Whats even better about it is you guys liked what you saw and jumped on board with me :)

To say Thank You I thought it would be appropriate to hold a MAC Lippie giveaway.

MAC lipsticks are my most favourite thing on earth and it only seemed fitting to give you a chance to win one!

This is an international Giveaway.

The winner will be announced 19th August.
You must be a GFC follower to enter this competition. 
This competition is open until the 18th August...winner will be announced the following Monday.

• Mandatory: Simply let me know your favourite types of posts on Aspirations Of Glam & Comment with the colour lipstick you would choose and why!  
• 1X extra entry follow me on Twitter and tweet: "I have just entered @Aspirationsofgl MAC Lippie mega giveaway"
• 1X Entry Follow via Bloglovin'

• 5X Entries write a blog post about my giveaway and link back to this post.

Make sure you comment at the top ^^^

(funky blog layout you see)
and let me know what entries youve....erm entered and email address.

Best Of Luck!

MAC Impassioned

It was only a matter of time Impassioned was going to enter my ever growing lipstick drawer.

1. Because its an amplified creme formula (my favourite)

and

2. Because its pink

My only problem with Impassioned is I'm just too frightened to wear it during the daytime. I didn't ever realise this until I went blonde but some bright lipsticks a brunette could pull off with ease a blonde with super bright lipstick can make you look like what I can only describe as a hoochie moma.

Either way if your an amplified creme hoarder like myself its a lipstick draw must!

What are your favourite MAC lipstick finishes?

Not Just Your Average Lipstick- Barry M 62

Ive never made any secret of my love for bright and outrageous lipsticks

and this one is certainly not your average "pop to the shop lippie".

This is Barry M- 62 lip paint which I can only describe as a bright barbie pink.

Its deeper pink and less purple than Saint Germain

Lighter than Girl About Town

(Two MAC lipsticks favourites of mine)

May I say this has been names by several Bloggers as a dupe for Candy Yum Yum....one on my lust list.

But just as pigmented and bright as both.

Oh and its high street!...Hurrah!

I had a little play with these images in photoshop and this is nearest I can get in means of colour representation but in the bullet the pop of colour is like a sharp slap in the face....and you don't get many of those in the beauty world!

The packaging feels and looks sturdy and even though its simple it is attractive looking.

The formula is pigmented but very drying- id highly recommend a good scrub of the lips before applying this lippie as unfortunately it will expose any dry bits you may have.

As you can see without any gloss it really does cling to every little detail of my lips, Ive got a little dry patch at the top of my lip and it really highlights that imperfection.

I find the smoothness of a gloss tends to make the lips paint a little more forgiving.

But for a high street brand it really is a brilliant pigmented bright colour and I have found myself accessorising my outfit to my lip colour.....crazy I know.

Barry M have some incredible bright lippies available. At £4.49 I really ought to get more.

They are available at most Boots and Superdrug

To see their full range have a look at the Barry M Website

The next lip paint on my list is 151- Sunset an orangey coral colour.

Do you like Barry M as a brand? Have you tried their lip paints?

A Dabble In MUA

The buzz in the Beauty community about the makeup brand MUA just keeps humming like a swarm of bees

bzzzzzz.

Unfortunately I do not have a decent Superdrug nearby and before my MUA Online binge I only owned the Immaculate Collection Pallette, and the Heaven And Earth Palette (an overly documented Urban Decay Naked Palette comparable)...both of which have been overly publicised myself included.

So when the MUA Website came into existence the mound of great reviews Ive read it really wasn't going to take much to make me part with my money.

The websites brilliant and they offer PayPal payment

(which is always a bonus as I can never find my purse)

&

shipping is super quick.

Shopping online on the MUA website is similar to shopping in Primark or ELF

It seems no matter what you wack in the basket the price is never going to give you a pinch. Which I always like.

And Guess what...it only cost me just over a tenner!

What I got:

Lipstick in Shades 3 (pink), 13, (red) and 14 (peachy nude)

I think what has impressed me the most is the pigmentation of these lipsticks. I was always under the impression that to get bright colours you had to invest money in lip products. MUA are really pushing my boundaries on that belief.

The packaging is relatively simple but for £1 they've exceeded my expectation!

MUA Matt EyeShadow 17

MUA extreme felt eyeliner

MUA and LoveHearts Sweet Kiss Lip Balm

MUA Siren Lashes

A combination I have been absolutely loving are Shade 14 and Sweet Kiss Lip Balm.

Sweet Kiss lip balm gives my lips a smooth texture and Ive been adding the lipstick for an extra hint of colour. This shade is showing up a lot more ORANGE than in real life. I think this shade is closer to MACs Creme De Nude....but a little more peachy and wearable.

The texture of the lipstick is creamy and not at all drying on its own which is always a bonus!

MUA Extereme felt Eyeliner- £2

A product getting a lot of positive feedback is MUAs Extreme felt eyeliner.

I am very impressed with this product.

When eyeliners concerned I have a hand as steady as an old lady and gel eyeliner is out of the question because I end up looking like an Amy Winehouse impersonator.

The tip of this felt is really brilliant in aiding for precision when applying eyeliner.

Ive compared it to Loreal carbon gloss because its got a lot of respect in the blogging community and at £6.49 a pop I do feel a little ill when purchasing a new one and I think this is a much cheaper alternative.

The only criticism I can make is the Loreal carbon gloss is a lot more wet.

It has a ball inside so that when it dries out you can give it a shake wheas I think the MUA felt eyeliner would dry out a lot quicker.

In all honestly though you cant even buy a sandwhich for £2 anymore, on the whole its a great product and I'm glad to have purchased it- I actually use both liners together!

MUA Siren Lashes- £2

I have to admit I a bit of a lashes snob. I point blank refuse to pay lots of money for something Ill get 2 wears out of max and I tend to hoard my lashes from China or Hong Kong for very little expense.

But who could resist these bad ass lashes!?

I am out dressed as Ariel the mermaid in a weeks time and I think these will fit the bill perfectly!

Whats on you MUA Wishlist?

Enter my Japnesque brushes giveaway here

MAC Amplified....the low down

Hello there! Hello new followers :)

I do apologise for lack of posting...quite frankly I was away all weekend enjoying myself!

Today I want to take you through my three favourite MAC amplified creme lipsticks.

For those that are new to MAC or MAC lipstick amplified cremes they are highly pigmented with a creme finish. It is because of their moisturising aspect and vibrant colour that I love them so!

To view swatches of all of the MAC amplified range look here

These are my favs:

Girl About Town- this is a MAC lipstick must have and I know is a blogger/Youtube favourite...and I understand why. This striking fuchsia has the ability to glamorise a very plain look. This lipstick is fabulous is putting a spin on the 50s pin up look adding a modern twist. I use this lipstick often out of an evening. Theres something about this colour pop that says "'Ive made an effort tonight!"

I think this picture really aids in showing the vibrancy of this pink shade. As you can see this pink has a red undertone and this contributes in delivering that unquestionable POP!

Up The Amp: OK..so, to a lot of women this colour is a little scary and intimidating-don't be! This shade is really buildable so it can be as subtle or as imposing as you want. This lippe looks incredible on WOC when built up. Believe it or not but I sometimes wear this for daytime to add that little glamour to my look if my makeup is very plain. Ive also worn this out with a white dress using the lipstick to modernise the look as a whole.

To show you how unitimidating this colour can really be this is it when only lightly applied.

Its gorgeous purple colour really carries an explicit uniqueness and this is really what makes it a must have.

Chatterbox: This shade has a particular place in my heart because I usually wear it as a daytime lipstick. When I want something other than Hue or Creme d Nude this is my next go to. I wore this colour a lot over the summer as it would freshen up my look.

The only way to really describe this shade is as a pretty pink. Its not bubblegum or anything too outrageous, its a pink with a slight coral undertone which makes it a favourite because it can be used to enhance a range of looks or occasions.

Finally here are the swatches on a white background. The undertones are much more prominent in this image.

So there we have it my favourite MAC amplified cremes!

What are your favourites?

In Other News

Had an incredible weekend. Rather than bore you with details I will show you this image:

cheeky little thing!! haha.

-I need to show you my blog sale finds and review them-I got some lovely stuff :)

-Had a weak moment and bought some bits from Elf in their last 50% sale-

Ive read a lot of Elf hauls so instead I think I may review some of their less-publicised products

-Bought my first ever Nars blush so far really thrilled!!
-Back to uni next week and 3rd years begins. Im not disillusioning myself...its going to be a tough year!

-Actively searching for a new fruit scent. Any suggestions?

Add me on blogger! My buttons just over here>>>>

Thank you for your comments. I am ever grateful of hearing your feedback, suggestions and chit chat!

YSL Indulgence

I am a huge lipstick fan. HUGE

It was only a week last Saturday I had a weak moment whilst browsing Cheapsmells

when I came across these beautiful YSL Rouge Volupte lipsticks.

They were £5 off RRP so the temptation was even larger.

There were a variety of colours available so I checked some reviews on YouTube before purchasing.

I chose a fuchsia pink and a light pink.

Left: 10 Provocative Pink

Right: 7 Lingerie Pink

These lippies are SEXY. They have sexy names and just ooze class and sophistication. A welcome visitor to any dressing table, they are beautiful to look at. I remeber watching a Pixiwoo2/@TanyaBurr video once and she commented along the line of "I wish all lipsticks were as sexy as YSL". 

I feel the same.

They feel weighty in your hand and I love the classy gold design. Its really not going to be subtle getting one of these babies out of your purse!

Top: 7 Lingerie Pink

Bottom: 10 Provocative Pink 

The texture of the lipsticks are creamy. When looking at both lippies I saw two immediate dupes.

The 7 Lingerie Pinkis very similar to MAC Viva Glam Gaga.

It has similar blue undertones but is a much creamier texture.

(Sorry my lips need some love and attention!)

I know the Viva glam gaga was criticised for not being very wearable. 

But rather than slathering this colour on it is very buildable depending on how much you want you lips to POP.

My deepest apologies my Gaga lipstick disappeared a while ago so I cannot physically compare them!

10 Provocative Pink

This is a deep fuchsia, it really has the capabilities to give the POP you may want.

This lippie is for all those bold lipstick wearers out there...hurrah!

I really love the colour, it is so beautiful,

 I also have a dupe for this one also: MAC Girl About Town

Top: MAC Girl About Town

Bottom: YSL Rouge Volumpte 10 Provocative Pink

The YSL is a little darker than the MAC, but they colour pay off is very similar.

I have to say though that the YSL has a much better staying power than the MAC, although I adore it I have spent many nights constantly re-applying to achieve the same POP.

In Other News

My eyebrows continue to look almightily crap!,,,may book a consultation tomorrow!

I had a session on some toning tables today. Their basically machines that create resistance in order to tone your body. I am sceptical but it was good fun!

Its my birthday on Saturday :) :) :) !!

What are your favourite lipsticks?

Wishing you a good week!