Showing posts with label finish. Show all posts

Review: MAC Matte lipstick - Lady Danger

Hey Beauties!

If there's one MAC product that I think it's worth the money, it has to be their lipsticks. Saying that I need to warn you that I don't actually own a lot of MAC products (one blush and lipsticks), but the lipsticks made me a fan.

I have already three of more neutral shades, but I knew I wanted a classic me-kind-of red. So I googled and decided on Lady Danger


MAC lipsticks always come in their matte black packaging with silver shimmer. They have a rounded top. The packaging is well made and secure.

It costs differently from country to country. We still don’t have MAC in our country, so mine came straight from Florida Palm Beach. I had the best boss, who actually got it for me on a trip to USA. There it costs 18,02$, but in Europe it’s around 20€. You'll get 3 grams of lipstick.




Lady Danger is orange based red. Not your typical blue toned red, but a lot warmer and bolder version. I think this shade is perfect for my warm skin tone. Orange is one of my favorite shades anyway, and this one just looks like a normal red on me.

The finish is matte, which means it really is matte. It’s highly pigmented and one swipe is enough to cover everything. It's also very long lasting. Because of the finish, it’s not going to be best for dry lips. However, it also doesn’t dry out yours lips. That is the one positive note about MAC lipsticks. They never dry out your lips and feel very comfortable to wear. 




Since this is a very unique red, I compared it with some other lipsticks in my stash and I didn’t actually found a dupe, which means yay for me.

MAC Lady Danger is orange based red with matte finish. IQ Cosmetics Matt lipstick in Summer is also matte, but lighter than MAC and a bit more peach toned. Born Pretty Store Rhombus lipstick in 109 is quite similar to Lady Danger, but it’s a tad redder and has a shiny finish. Avon Color Burst lipstick in Coral Burst is very similar in the shade, but a tiny bit more orange. The finish is also very shiny. Bourjois Rouge Edition Velvetin 04 Peach Club is the most pink toned and a lot lighter in shade, although it is also matte.  

In terms of the shade, Avon Color Burst in Coral Burst is the closest. In terms of the matte finish and formula, IQ Cosmetics Matt in Summer is the closest to Lady Danger. 



I am very pleased with my new edition to the MAC lipsticks. It makes my collection a bit bolder. I currently own MAC Lustrein High Tea, MAC Luster in Patisserie, MAC Matte in Velvet Teddy and MAC Matte in Lady Danger. I feel like I covered my basis. My wish list doesn't end here, but it’s reserved for when I’ll have a more stable income and will be able to afford more of their lipsticks. 


This is how it looks like on me. It doesn't even look like an orange red, it just looks like red on me. Perfect match in my eyes. If you haven't already seen it in action, you can see it here, where I did collaboration with Tatjana from Taya My Little Beauty World. We did a modern twist on a classic makeup look. 

Which MAC lipstick shades are on your wish list?


Review: Essence Nail Art Sparkle + Sand top coat

Hey Beauties!

Another novelty among Essence nail art range is their sparkle and sand top coat. I love sand finishes on nail and I grabbed the opportunity, as soon as I saw this top coat in the store. I actually really like it.

The packaging is standard glass bottle with plastic top. It says that it works with any essence nail polish - well doh! I have to admit, I have very old and very little of Essence nail polishes, because they chip on me the first day and are just not worth the buy. However, I did use it on Essence and other brand nail polishes.


The top coat shade is called 21 I Feel Gritty! It looks like a transparent nail polish with a lot of white and silver glitter.Maybe it's just one color glitter, maybe its white with silver shine, I really can't decide. 

There's 8 ml of nail polish and costs 2.19€, which makes it very affordable. 


The brush is standard. The formula of the polish is somewhat thin, yet feels more heavy or thick, while you're applying it. It applies evenly. I don't have any problems with the glitter not being even or anything like that.


Here I used this top coat over Essence Multi Dimension 3 in 1 nail polish in shade 53 All Access. Of course, this is a discontinued shade. It definitely gives that sand finish, because the nail polish has a bumpy surface. It also has silver glitter, which actually gives a nice effect. I admit, I would like it better if it would be just sand, but it's fine. The glitter is very tiny and it makes taking the nail polish off, easy enough. The top coat dries really fast and doesn't leave stripes or disturbs the nail polish underneath. 




Here you can see how it looks like over Maybelline Colorama nail polish in the shade 51. I have to admit that I think the sand effect gets a bit lost with other nail polish brands. Maybe it really is something with the Essence formula - it says works with any Essence nail polish. However, I do think it still looks really pretty with other nail polish brands. The silver glitter looks especially nice on a white base.



I also used it over Maybelline Colorama in the shade 261 and it made the manicure look so pretty. I think it gives a really nice shine to darker shades of nail polishes. It just gives you more dimension, plus I think it kind of looks blue with the dark red base. 



If you apply too much of the top coat, you loose the sand effect. I starts to look a bit blurry and thick. So one thin layer is more than enough.

I really like this nail polish, even though I would prefer only sand effect. I've grown to like the silver glitter and since it is easy to take off, I have been using it on top of many nail polish shades. It definitely works with Essence nail polishes. As far as the other brands goes, probably the effect isn't as pretty. If this is your cup of tea, I recommend it. 

Do you like this sparkle and sand effect on the nails?