Lust List #5- Spring Time

I like to do this thing where I pretend I'm edgy and grungy, but in reality I just love all things white, pink, and cute. Who am I kidding with this outfit? I'll never be Avril Lavigne. (Weird that I've mentioned her in the last two posts...maybe I need to widen my early 2000s music references a little.)

So in full springtime and girly spirit, these are some of the most adorable things I wish I had money to buy.

I have to admit- I went on a bit of a Primark binge. I can't get enough. It probably has something to do with the fact that we don't have them here in the States but still! It's just not fair that they have so many cute things I can't buy.

1. Stripe Skirt- Primark

2. Barbie Sweater- Primark

3. Overalls- Primark

4. Lipstick- Tom Ford "Spanish Pink"

5. Glitter Mouse Mirror- Primark

6. Pillows- Primark

7. Sweater- Primark

Oh, and also not to toot my own horn, but my article was featured on the homepage for CollegeFashionista today! Eeep! This is the second time they've chosen my article and hopefully not the last. You can check out the first one here and the most recent here. Happy reading:)

The Duckling Reviews...MAC Ruby Woo

After an insanely stressful last couple of weeks, a trip to the mall on Monday resulted in a very happy Katie...but a not so happy Katie's wallet. Two of the items purchased (you'll see the other in the coming weeks) came from the ever tempting MAC counter. I only have a cheap $4 red lipstick in my collection and I thought it was definitely time to upgrade. The result? "Cherry" lipliner and "Ruby Woo" lipstick.

In my honest opinion, I'm not sure if I'm sold on it or not. I spent about 10 minutes deliberating between Ruby Woo and Russian Red standing at the counter, and went with Ruby Woo on the recommendation of the counter girl.

Formula-wise, it's exactly what I expected. I own one other matte lipstick from MAC ("Snob") and just as drying. Ruby Woo tended to pull as I applied straight to my lips, but with chapstick and lip liner underneath it went on much smoother. 

Color-wise, this is a classic vintage red, and I think it would classify as having blue-undertones? It looks oh-so vibrant against my pale skin, and that could have been my mistake. The girl at the counter was a very dark-skinned African-American. With Russian Red (a slightly darker more "blood-brick" red) as my other option, I'm questioning if it would have been the better choice.

What do you think?

(Left photo in the shade, right photo in the sun)

Would a slightly darker red have been more day-time wearable? Would it have made my teeth look yellow? Am I just being completely insane at this point in my analysis of lipstick? Weigh in, I need to know!

Goo Hoarding and Mini Reviews

I had no idea when I started this that it would end up like this. I didn't mean for it to happen, I promise. It just sort of...did. It's no one's fault, I just couldn't resist. It was too tempting and made me so happy...

That's right. I'm talking about lipstick.

Over the last few months, I have become quite the "goo hoarder" (a la Jenna Marbles). If a new line of lip colors comes out, I have to try them. If new colors for certain lines come out, I have to try them. It's like an addiction, and my sweet sweet love affair with lip products has lead me to acquire these beauts recently.

From left to right: Maybelline Vivid lipstick "Vibrant Mandarin", Elizabeth Arden "Neoclassical Coral", Wet n Wild "Just Peachy", Wet n Wild "Think Pink", and L'oreal Colour Riche Caresse Wet Shine Stain "Rose On and On"

Vibrant Mandarin - Neoclassical Coral - Just Peachy - Rose On and On - Think Pink

I am absolutely a die-hard fan of the Vivid lipsticks. They have amazing color pay off, they last forever, and they're non-drying! The Elizabeth Arden lipstick I bought brand new from a resale store for 75 cents...what! Yeah, I know. The color is actually very similar to the Maybelline lipstick just slightly glossier and brighter.

The Wet n Wild matte formula lipsticks very pleasantly surprised me. Way back in the "dark times" before I discovered the wonders of makeup, I bought a Wet n Wild bright red lipstick for $1.99 just to wear red lipstick haha. It was a total failure. It wore off in about 10 minutes, got patchy, and the color just looked cheap. So I wasn't expecting much from these, but I'd heard a lot of good things about them recently and for $1.99, I thought I could give them a whirl and I'm glad I did! They lasted a fairly decent time and were not horribly drying for a matte formula.

I have to say that out of this bunch, my favorite has to be Rose On and On. Not necessarily for the color (although it IS a very pretty pink), but for the formula and the applicator. The color gets a bit more raspberry on the lips, but MY GOODNESS, it applies like a dream. Almost like putting water on your lips. It's that smooth. It soaks into your lips to create a stain effect while still retaining a slight sheen, and  the applicator is so soft and silky that I just wanted to keep applying it. All I can say is that you'll probably be seeing a collection of these in a post sometime in the near future...

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Review: L'oreal Colour Riche Caresse Stick

If lip products aren't you're thing, I'm apologizing for all the lip product related posts lately, but they've become my obsession! I can't get enough of them! All the colors, types, finishes, brands...there are just so many things to try! And recently I decided to try to L'oreal's new Colour Riche Caresse Stick.

Top Swatch: 1 swipe

Bottom Swatch: 4 swipes

I'm definitely going to be going back and getting more colors. I'm in love. Most of my lipsticks are very opaque and 'full coverage', and I had found myself wishing I had something more sheer and subtle. These filled that ticket perfectly. The first color in my swatches is the 176 "Sunset Angora". Its a really beautiful coral orange color, but not super bright or obvious like a lipstick or stain would be. It's just a pretty color to glide on when you're going for a simpler looker.

The second color is 170 "Cotton Pink" and I haven't worn it much, but it really reminds me of my "Snob" lipstick by MAC, but much more sheer. It's going to be great to wear over top of that because Snob is more of a satin/matte finish, and this has a subtle sheen.

The very best part of these is their mouiturizing factor. It's just like wearing a soft feel chapstick. I don't have to worry about these colors sticking to any dry parts of my lips or peeling or anything gross like that. They could be called a tinted lip balm, but they're a little more pigmented than that. The stay power isn't anything special, and I'd definitely advise carrying it around to reapply.

The packaging gets a solid 8/10. It looks pretty high end because of the super shiny gold packaging and the shape, but they do feel quite plasticy. It is a drugstore product, though, so that's not a huge deal. Also, the stick doesn't turn down all the way so until I use them down a bit I'm going to worry about nicking the edge of the cap on the product (like I've already done on Cotton Pink). As a whole, though, this packaging really impressed me compared to most other drugstore lip products, which I would normally score around a 4 or 5. 

Overall score: 9/10, would definitely repurchase

Mary Kay Nourishine Plus Lipgloss and Lipstick

Last Monday, my friend Becky and I attended a Mary Kay event that someone we knew was part of. Before you get suspicious and think I'm going to turn into a lady driving a pink Cadillac and wearing all Mary Kay, have no fear. That's not in danger of happening, but we did think we'd go just to check it out. Plus, we got a free lip gloss just for going! 

Please ignore the weird fluff of hair sticking out from the side haha

 Who doesn't love a chocolate fountain!?

In addition to the free lip gloss AND chocolate fountain, I won an attendance prize! I didn't know what I'd be getting since I had to just randomly pick, and what I got was this lipstick next to the gloss. I was so pumped about actually winning something, but when I opened it up, my excitement level dropped a bit. Everyone loves free stuff, but the second I saw the color, I was immediately put off. It's slightly darker than what is reflected in the picture of the tube, and there are little gold glitters that give almost a metallic effect. Immediately, a giant sign in my head started flashing "GRANDMA GRANDMA GRANDMA". 

You all know what I'm talking about: the ladies with the dyed red or blue-purple-grey hair that always have on a weird shade of orange-red metallic lipstick. Nevertheless, I forged ahead and tried it a couple days later to be pleasantly surprised. My first thought was that the formula was fantastic. Silky without feeling slippery, and solid without feeling cakey. The real test was looking in the mirror, however. 

While I can't say I love it like I love the lip gloss (which I'll get to in a minute), I definitely don't hate it. The color is a bit more...mature than I'm used to, but it didn't go on metallic like in the tube, and you couldn't even see the glitters. Overall, it's something I'll have to challenge myself to wear, but that's probably a good thing to push myself out of my comfort zone.

The next attendance gift wast this lip gloss and holy sweet mother of Jesus, I am re-in-love with lip gloss. You know that 6th grade feeling when you really start to get into lip gloss and you carry it everywhere and reapply like 10x a day? That's what I want to do with this. The formula is soft and smooth, but that's not even the best part; IT'S NOT STICKY AT ALL. Not even a little bit. It's vibrant, shiny, and though I didn't wear it for long before I got home, it didn't seem to move around or smudge off too much. I'm super excited to try and get the pink version Becky was given.

Overall, I was very happy to find that it wasn't all makeup for the ladies about 40 years older than myself, and I'd try more of their lip products in a second! Have any of you tried any, despite the stereotype? Let me know!

Disclaimer: This post wasn't sponsored by Mary Kay at all. I really did just go to an event and happen to walk away with two products as a happy coincidence.