MAC Stereo Rose vs New CiD Coral Crush Comparison

 I once read a tweet - or possibly a blog post - about a girl who had hysterics when she discovered that MAC had sold out of their Stereo Rose Mineralize Skinfinish almost at the exact instant it was first released a couple of years ago.  I've been boggling about both the product, and the state of mind of that poor girl ever since.

On hearing that MAC had recently re-released this cult item, a blusher capable of making grown women weep, I naturally picked one up.  I think the hype has died down a bit on this one now, as I bought this from the Covent Garden store well after the release hit the shops, and they still had them in-store.  I have seen people tweeting about stocking up on it though, so ... who knows?

Well, it's a very nice blusher, a pink-coral, highly pigmented, and the gold veining is very nice indeed.  It's a highly shimmery (not glittery) finish, so you won't need a highlighter with it as well.  Can I figure out why it's a heartbreaker?  Well, not really.  It's lovely - genuinely - not hard and prone to glazing as a lot of MAC powders can be, it's soft and easy to blend, but if I didn't have it, I wouldn't lose any sleep over it.

I'll show you why:

I appear to already have it!  On the right there is Coral Crush by New CiD,  don't let the picture fool you, my camera is making it look pinker than it actually is, for some reason, but these two products are actually very similar in shade, so much so that if you're not a makeup obsessive like myself (and even I'm distancing myself from the crying girl I opened this post with, let's face it),  then you won't need both.

MAC Stereo Rose is actually a little more pigmented than New CiD as you can tell in the unblended swatch above, which, if you don't own the right brush could be a little problem, you need a very light hand in application, whereas the lighter pigmentation in the New CiD enables it to be a bit more buildable, which, for a cack-handed muppet like myself, is a blessing.

 
On blending the differences are even less obvious. Both give a gorgeous glow to the skin, and, it has to be said that New CiD is one of my most used cosmetic products of all time because of this.  So, do I need both?  No!  Am I glad to have both? Yes.  Have either of them made me cry? No!  

MAC Stereo Rose is a limited edition product, so stock up on tissues just in case you can't fnd it.  If you're of a more sensible bent, New CiD Coral Crush is a permanent part of their lineup.  No tissues required. 

The Fine Print: Mixture of PR samples and purchases. Q: Why did the rubber chicken cross the road? A: She wanted to stretch her legs.

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Lipstick Queen Oxymoron in Minor Crisis and Honest Politician Comparison

 

It's not often that a product goes straight from a goody-bag into my everyday makeup bag, but Lipstick Queen Oxymoron in Minor Crisis has managed it.  A nude-mauve (I'm a bit obsessed with mauve) rather pigmented cream, you can use this as either a cheek or a lip-shade.  

I like the packaging (for the purposes of that statement, I'm ignoring the rather rubbish brush), I like that you can see the the shade even from underneath.

  Oxymoron are described as a "matte gloss", but they're essentially a pigmented cream, there's a slight satin finish, which isn't sticky, and the product is unscented.  I have both Minor Crisis, and if you were reading on Tuesday, you'll know that  I have Honest Politician too, I thought a comparison of both the shades might be helpful:

Honest Politician has a touch more brown in the formulation, but they're both very natural "nude" shades, which don't look at all concealer-like, and are perfect for that "my lips but better" look.

In slightly different lighting, which highlights the differences:
 

 
They are both actually quite pigmented, but it's easy to blend them out and get a sheerer effect:

 
Minor Crisis is a little brighter in use than Honest Politician, and probably makes a better lip colour as a result, whereas HP is that little but more of a skin-shade, which probably makes it better as a cheek colour.

 
The cream isn't so sticky that it's difficult to apply to your cheeks, but I do recommend that you use a loose-bristled synthetic brush, or your fingers, to apply.  Lasting power is about average on the lips, but I do recommend that you use a powder blush over the top to set if you want the blusher to last more than three or four hours on your cheeks.

I do love a multi-purpose product ...  

The Fine Print: PR Sample.
 
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A Curly Girl Survival Guide. Sorta ... with Label M Protein Spray

Suddenly finding myself back in curly hair has involved a massive learning curve.  After 12 years or so of daily dependence on hair straighteners and other - more chemical - aids, learning to live with curls has been ... interesting, to say the least.

Surprisingly, I've found that the best thing for my hair is to do as little as possible to it.  After years of daily styling, the concept of "leaving it alone" is a scary one!  But, I think it's necessary.  Whether your hair is naturally curly, or ... ahem ... chemically enhanced, here's some tips I've picked up along the way, and I'd love to hear yours too!

1) Leave it alone: excess touching, combing and brushing will make your curls fuzzy, frizzy and bushy.  The less you play with your hair, the better it will look.  I'm a hair-twirler, so this is surprisingly tough!  Still, hopefully it'll stop me getting my fingers stuck in it now ...

1a) Allied to that, I don't brush or comb my hair at all inbetween washings, now I only comb (wide-toothed, naturally) when my hair is wet and coated in conditioner - it's all my hair needs.

2) Curly hair is less shiny than straight hair because the curved surface of the hair doesn't reflect light in the same way.  It's also less shiny because the oils from your scalp find it more difficult to travel down the hair shaft, which means that the ends can be drier than the scalp.  To combat this, I find I want to use a hair mask more often,  but only on the lengths, I'm avoiding putting them on the scalp at all costs!

3) Don't rub: when shampooing and drying, try not to rub your hair in too many different directions,  it roughs up the cuticles on the surface of the hair, and makes it frizzy.

4) Apply serums, hair oils etc when your hair is sopping wet.  I squeeze excess moisture out of my hair then apply a squeeze (or two) of hair oil - currently using Paul Mitchell Awapuhi -  then squeeze out more moisture, and only then dab gently at my hair with a towel.  I usually add a bit more oil once I've dabbed. I no longer wander around the house for an hour with a towel wrapped around it before adding styling product, this leads to fuzzy, undefined curls.

5) Hair does get tangled up a bit between washes, so if there is a big knot that I need to  deal with, I break out the wide toothed comb, spray on a bit of detangling spray (Mark Hill and Lee Stafford both do good ones) and gently work away at the knot, from the bottom.  Spray on a bit more detangler after, and your curl should pop back.

6) Don't wash your hair every day - it can be stripping to the drier ends, and it can overstimulate your scalp leading to the dreaded flat (greasy) roots and straw-like ends.  Not a good look.  I was mine every two days, and every three if I can get away with it.

7) To "reactivate" your  curls between washes, styling sprays are your friends.  Personally, I'm currently addicted to this:

 Label M Protein Spray, which is a conditioning treatment, and also one of the nicest smelling hair products I've ever come across.  Full of wheat proteins, and scented with jasmine and sweetpea, it helps refresh curls that have gone a bit limp, and also has excellent conditioning properties.  Lovely stuff!

What are your top tips for dealing with curly hair?
 

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Lipstick Queen Look of Love Lipstick Library

Long-time readers will know that I'm a big fan of Poppy King, and her company Lipstick Queen, and short-term readers might have noticed that there's a bit of a theme this week, after yesterday's post.  Both of you would be right.  After discovering an old classic yesterday, it's time to look at something new from the range.

If you haven't got an ABC earworm right now, then frankly, you're not old enough to be reading this blog.

Last May, Poppy released the first Lipstick Library (Liptropolis) which was inspired by New York, and this is volume two of the occasional series. Inspired, unsurprisingly, by love. It's a belter, and you'll never know how hard I fought to take the pictures of this before I swatched it!

Containing two lipsticks and an Oxymoron "matte lipgloss", the library retails at £40, and whilst initially pricey, it's actually a bit of a bargain - bought individually, these products would cost £58.  What you are getting for your money is a Lipstick Queen Saint lipstick in Pinky Nude, a brand new Butterfly Ball lipstick in Smitten, and an Oxymoron in Honest Politician.  Let's take a closer look:

All are on the rosey-pinky-mauve spectrum, and have been specially selected by Poppy to mimic that flush you get when you first ... you guessed it ... fall in love.  A closer look at the individual products:

 
Saint Pinky Nude is a pale (but not paler than your skin) pink, which has just enough depth to the shade to not make you look dead, and avoids the dreaded "concealer lips" look, which is horrific.

Butterfly Ball in Smitten is a brand new shade released only with this collection.  It's a gorgeous rosy-mauve with a hint of turquoise shimmer that supposedly helps your teeth look whiter.  The shimmer is, however, largely invisible in wear, as you'll see when we get to the swatches.

Oxymoron in Honest Politician is a brand new product to me, I've seen it in stores, and wondered what the point of a "matte gloss" was, so have mainly passed them by.  However, now I've tried this one, it's a product that's very quickly made it into my everyday makeup bag (albeit in a slightly different shade, which I'll show you later in the week), a fairly matte lipstick, which you can also use as a blusher, it's a really handy multi-use shade too.

Swatches:

  
You can see that Pinky Nude is on the sheer-pink side, Smitten is a little more mauve (and you can't see the shimmer), and Honest Politician has a more satin finish than either.  Poppy, however, recommends that you can layer all three products, using the Oxymoron as a base, then the pinky nude, and finishing off with a layer of the shimmery Smitten.  I've swatched that too:

  
You can see that this gives a more opaque, yet still glossy finish, which I rather like.  It reminds me, however, of Jean Queen - a shade I adore, even as I boggle (every time I use it) at the concept behind it - if you have Jean Queen, this kit might not be a must-have for you, but it is a rather lovely kit all the same, and I'm very glad to have it.

The Fine Print: PR Sample.
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Lipstick Queen Saint Wine

Lipstick Queen Saint in Wine may very well be my new most favourite lipstick shade.  I swatched it on Thursday, and HAD to have it.  It's not left my lips since.

In the bullet, it's a deep, deep berry shade, that has a hints of brown and mauve, and, frankly it looks pretty scary.  But the beauty of the Lipstick Queen Saint formulation is that it only has 10%  pigment, and leaves a rather sheer effect on the lips as a result.  Whilst possibly not as cushioning and "balmy" on the lips as my beloved Chantecaille Lip Chics, the Saint lipstick formulation is very, very comfortable in wear, and leaves a nice wash of colour on the lips too.

Yeah, I swatched before I photographed, sorry!

 The beauty of this shade is that, because it is quite sheer, it allows the natural colour of your lips to shine through, in the swatch, it's a little brown-looking, but as my lips are naturally quite pink (and pigmented) this turns it to quite a red shade:

It's an easy-to-wear shade, not too red to feel self-conscious in, and extremely flattering. It's  in Poppy King's signature unscented formulation (such a relief to have unscented products once in a while, I find), and it feels like it's doing your lips good when you're wearing it.

I'm going to have to pick up the Sinner version (90% pigment) too.  As soon as I do, I'll show you a comparison, with lip swatches ....

What's your current favourite lipstick shade?  
 
The Fine Print: PR Sample.

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What a year!

Well, it's very definitely been a year of highs and lows, but when it was good, 2012 was very good indeed.

Some of the highs: 

Get Lippie was nominated for awards by both Marie Claire and Cosmopolitan magazines, and on the other side of the coin,  I was both a judge for the annual Debenham's Beauty Awards, and continued to judge the Creative Head Most Wanted awards, which I've been involved with since 2010.  In June, in the most amazing spot of luck, I was appointed beauty editor of SLiNK Magazine!  An amazing honour, and one I'm enjoying hugely.  There have been some amazing events this year, and, after years of nagging, I finally managed to get a piece published on Basenotes!  2012 has shown me that Get Lippie (and writing generally) continues to be one of the most fabulous hobbies around. Topping it all off was speaking at Mumsnet Blogfest alongside such luminaries as Caitlin Moran, Miriam Gonzalez Durantez, Sali Hughes, oh, and that personality-vortex Liz Jones ...

And I got engaged this year too! Hopefully the #LippieWedding prep is mostly done now! I hope so, anyway, I just want to get on with the fun stuff ... 

It's not all been fun and games though, there's been some fairly serious illness and a few tears along the way, all of which has given me a new perspective on things. I'm also guessing the next couple of months will be ... interesting, both from a personal and professional point of view (I'm an accountant, and in a fluke caused by changing jobs six months ago, I've planned my wedding slap-bang in the middle of the busiest time of year. Oopsie!), but Get Lippie will still be here, come rain or come shine, as it has been for the last three and a half years ... maybe not as often, but it'll still be here.

I'm not always the greatest at replying to emails or tweets, or even comments on here sometimes (you try working one full-time, alongside two part-time jobs, then plan a wedding on top of that, and see how appealing logging onto a computer in your "spare" time feels), but every single reader of this blog is appreciated - even you, anonymous commenter who thinks every word I write is poo, hey, you keep my stats up, bless you! - and every communication is cherished, I only wish I had a little more time ...

A happy, healthy and prosperous 2013 to each and every one of you.

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