THE LIPSTICK TAG

I know this tag is long gone and dusted, but I've always wanted to do it and since I'm kind of in a rut about what to post I thought I would just go for it. It's also another excuse for me to ramble on about lip products so why not! ;)

How many lipsticks do you own?

Lip products are my ultimate weakness, so I own a heck of a lot….definitely somewhere in the 3 digit mark. But hey, who's counting right?!

What was the first lipstick you owned?

I honestly cannot remember. I think one of the first official lipsticks I bought (by that I mean something not from Lip Smacker) was MAC Blankety. Absolutely terrible colour on me, but I loved it back in the day!

What is your favourite lipstick brand?

YSL hands down. The Rouge Volupte Shine range is probably my favorite lipstick formula of all time,  though Tom Ford Lip Color also holds a dear spot in my heart.

What is your most worn lipstick?

Chanel Rouge Coco Shine in Liberté, followed closely by YSL Rouge Volupte Shine in 12 Corail Incandescent - both had to be corals of course! Swatches can be found here.

What is you favourite finish?

Anything that has a balmy, slightly glossy finish. I crave a matte finish once in a while too.

What was the last lipstick that you bought?

Revlon Colorburst lacquer & matte balms, as seen in my previous post!

How many lip products do you currently have in your bag?

2 tinted balms, 1 gloss and 2 lipsticks. I always make sure to bring a red lipstick with me, it's kind of my 'secret weapon' when I need to jazz things up a little.

What is your favourite red lip colour?

I recently fell in love with Giorgio Armani Rouge Ecstasy in 400, but my most worn red lipstick to date is Maybelline Red Velvet. It's on the darker side, but it applies quite sheer so you can build up the intensity to your liking.

How do you store your lipsticks?

I store the majority of my lipsticks in my The Makeup Box Shop makeup organiser unit (as pictured above). I also have 2 lipstick stands to house my high end products.

Which lipstick are you currently lusting after?

Anything from TOM FORD! I would also like to try a few more lippies from Burberry. Oh and I'm always welcome to more YSL in my collection.

If you've done this tag, let me know or put a link down below so I could drop by and have a look. And if you haven't, please do this tag! Thanks so much for reading! :D

YSL SHEER CANDY IN #10 TANGY MANDARINE

I adore Yves Saint Laurent. If I had all the money in the world I would collect every one of their hand bags and lipsticks. I have been a convert of YSL makeup ever since my very first Rouge Volupté lipstick purchase WAY back in the day - and I still love that formula to bits. I can't say that every release has worked well for me, but I hold a lot of love for this brand and the quality of their products.

I believe YSL Sheer Candy was released back in 2011 with 6 shades, and an additional 6 have since been added to the range. I have to admit I wasn't too impressed with the original 6 colours, they swatch rather sheer and are barely visible when worn on my dark pigmented lips. I have yet to try all the other colours that have been added, but from what I've seen so far they give a little more colour, so I decided to finally give in to Tangy Mandarine - a beautiful soft peachy shade.

MY TOP 5 LUXURY LIPSTICKS

This was difficult. As much as I love drugstore makeup (see related post here), I do tend to splurge when it comes to lipsticks. I adore high-end brands, and even though I know sometimes it really just comes down to packaging, I'm a total sucker for the allure of a 'luxury' product. I'll probably change my mind on these once the new spring/summer collection is out, but for now, here are my top 5 picks for luxury lipsticks!

Chanel Rouge Coco Shine in Liberté
An oldie but definitely a goodie. I don't know if you can see clear enough in the second image (at the top), but the bullet is twisted all the way - I've almost used this one up! Liberté is a beautiful soft coral that can be worn for any occasion. It applies quite sheer, so it wears a little pink on me due to my natural lip colour. Though not moisturising, the formula literally glides onto the lips and sits very comfortably without been drying. I have yet to repurchase the exact same lipstick (because I never finish anything) but Chanel Liberte might just be the one!

YSL Rouge Volupte Shine in 12 Corail Incandescent
I could never do a favourites lipsticks post without throwing YSL in there, I LOVE this brand, especially the lip products! YSL Rouge Volupte Shine and Chanel Rouge Coco Shine are actually very similar in texture, but I do find that YSL has better lasting power and are generally more pigmented. Corail Incandescent is a gorgeous pinky coral that is great for brightening up any complexion. I've been sporting this one for most of the Aussie summer and I still can't get enough!

Jump for the rest of my picks!

MY TOP 5 FOUNDATIONS

Finding the right foundation can be a big challenge. Despite reading into the reviews and doing the research, I find that I can never really predict how a product will wear on me until I've tested it out on my skin. I've been on a bit of a foundation kick lately - I've read through my fair share of 'favourites' and 'top 5s' in the blogging world, and as a result my stash has grown significantly in the last few months. 

I generally jump between various foundations depending on the condition of my skin and the weather, which means sometimes I will use up to 5 different foundations over the course of one week! It is an essential product in my makeup routine, so I thought I would share some of my absolute favorites in this post. I'm going to try to keep things short by pining it down to the key factors, but don't hesitate to leave a comment if you have any questions. Also, I would love to know what some of your current favourite foundations are! :D

In no particular order…

Bourjois Healthy Mix Serum Gel Foundation (53)
Coverage: Light to medium
Longevity: 6-7 hours
Shade Range: 5 shades available
SPF: None
Primer I use with this foundation: Various (It's worked with pretty much all my primers!)

My current favourite drugstore foundation. I usually reach for this when my skin is looking a little dry and tired - I find that it gives my skin the boost it needs without making my face too 'shiny', which is often the case for me when it comes to illuminating products. I do point out that this foundation is not the longest wearing product (I have combination skin), but it stays put for most of the workday, so it is a great choice for a day-to-day foundation.

Illamasqua Skin Base Foundation (5.5)
Coverage: Medium to full
Longevity: 9-10 hours
Shade Range: 26 shades available
SPF: None
Primer I use with this foundation: Illamasqua Hydra Veil

The wear of this foundation is fantastic, it lasts from day to night even around oilier areas of my face (mainly the T-zone area). The product blends seamlessly into the skin and is overall great to work with. This foundation can be easily built up to full coverage, but also wears quite natural if applied sparingly. Illamasqua Skin Base is a great choice for flash photography, it contains no SPF so there won't be any unwanted flash back.

Jump for more foundation love!