Review | Christian Louboutin Rouge Louboutin Silky Satin Lipstick

For my last birthday, my boyfriend earned a lot of brownie points for gifting me with one of the Christian Louboutin lipsticks I had been lusting over ever since I learnt they were to be released. I already owned the Rouge Louboutin nail polish so my boyfriend went for the matching shade of lipstick, which also has the same name, and has a Silky Satin finish.

Just like the nail polish, the lipstick comes in a lush presentation box - shiny and black all over with a red stripe in the middle all around it's perimeter. On opening, the lipstick rests in a plastic mould covered in soft, red felt. The lipstick is encased in the most exquisitely adorned metal case that definitely has some weight to it. The cap comes with a loop through which you can thread a chain or use the string that comes with the lipstick to wear the lipstick as a statement necklace, but with its weight I doubt anyone is courageous enough to let it dangle from their neck.

The inspiration behind the packaging of these lipsticks is Queen Cleopatra and her love of all things opulent and rich; this is what makes these lipsticks covetable objets d'art. 

The lipsticks are offered in three finishes - Silky Satin, Sheer Voile and Velvet Matte with each finish having a different case and cap to the other two. The colour selection is nothing out of the ordinary but there is your usual span of colours ranging from the nudes to darker, deeper shades. All three finishes of Rouge Louboutin come in a black case while all the other colours come in a gold case.

Rouge Louboutin Silky Satin comes in a shiny black case with what remind me of mermaid tail scales at the very bottom. The same design features in the silver part of the cap while the gold part has pointy studs all around. The inside of the cap is red, much like the red soles on Louboutin shoes and there is the Louboutin logo printed on the gold part of the lipstick case. There is no logo on the lipstick bullet and the colour looks matte at first.

I have to say that this lipstick has very good pigmentation and the colour does not bleed. It lasts for a good number of hours and I like that it fades uniformly to a stain all over the lips so you are not left with patchy lipstick. The formula feels very comfortable on the lips and it doesn't feel dry even after the colour fades.

Rouge Louboutin Silky Satin
just applied (left); after 6 hours (right)

Now I'm sure you know these lipsticks retail for a whopping £60 (roughly €85) which is way too expensive for a lipstick however, I still think they would make a nice gift for beauty junkies and Louboutin fans.

Would you buy a lipstick this expensive? Let me know in the comments below :)

Products Worth The Hype | Part 1 - High End

When new makeup products hit the market, us beauty bloggers are usually the first to go out and get them before anyone else does. Truth is sometimes we fork out a good amount of money only to find that the product in question is a total let down.

However, there are some products that are surrounded with insane hype even before they are released and people continue to talk about them long after because they are actually worth the wait and money. In this post I shall be talking about such products that I have in my stash (after giving in to the pressure).

Urban Decay Naked 3 and Naked Smoky Palettes | Cost: €54.73/£38

Urban Decay is my favourite brand for eyeshadows and I am the proud owner of the Naked 3 and Naked Smoky palettes. These do come at a price at almost €55 per palette but I still think they are worth the money considering each eyeshadow comes down to less than €5 as opposed to the single ones that retail for €19.

If like me, neutrals are your favourite eyeshadows, these palettes are a must-have and I am a big fan of the texture and colour ranges which in my opinion is what makes these palettes worth all the money.

MAC Cosmetics Prep+Prime Fix+ Refreshing Mist | Cost: €18/£17

There are a gazillion and one ways in which you can use this product at that already justifies anyone buying it. However, I don't think €18 for a product that can be used in so many different ways classifies exactly as being so expensive that it has to be justified. I am not going to go into all the ways you can use this but I am just going to say that I love using it as a primer and fixer and it works wonders even the summer heat!

MAC Cosmetics Lipsticks | Cost: €19 each/£15.50 each

Another very much hyped about product from MAC are their lipsticks. I am guilty of buying a lipstick or two or three each time I visit MAC and I seriously can't get enough of them - pigmentation, staying power, colour range, various finishes; they have all the ingredients for the perfect lipstick range! They may come across as expensive to some at €19 a pop but even when compared to more expensive lipsticks I have, they cannot be beaten. Honestly. Not to mention they sort of set a gold standard for red lipsticks with Ruby Woo and Russian Red.

Christian Louboutin Beaute Louboutin Nail Polish in Rouge Louboutin | Cost: €40/£36

OK, so this may have to be crazy on my part but I caved in and bought a €40 nail polish. It is the most expensive one I have and I am not going to lie and say that I don't have exact dupes to it because we all know that is not true. However, none of them last as long as this on my nails. It has lasts me for a good 8 days without a chip in sight every. single. time!!! I could even get away with one coat! Plus the packaging is somewhat luxurious and being the shoe aficionado that I am, I just couldn't resist delving into Mr. Louboutin' beauty world. Now I just have to wait till I buy the matching lipstick ;)

Sigma Makeup Flat Top Synthetic Kabuki F80 | Cost: €20/£16

The last high-end product I have that is worth the hype is the Sigma F80. Everyone and their mother raves about this brush and honestly, even though I do like to switch brushes and sponges to apply my foundation, I keep going back to this brush every time because nothing gives me a more polished, buffed look than it does.

MAC Cosmetics Fluidline in Blacktrack | Cost: €18.50/£16

This was the first product I ever bought from MAC after seeing everyone rave about it and I can vouch that everything they say is true. The pigmentation and staying power are to die for and I wouldn't go back to any other gel liner. I have recently also got Dipdown which is a rich brown and works just as well!

MAC Cosmetics Lip Pencil in Soar | Cost: €15.20/£12.50

Kylie Jenner is to blame for this lip pencil being out of stock so frequently and no wonder she loves it so much! It is a nice shade of deep dusky rose that is perfect all year round if you ask me. I like to wear it on its own mostly but under a matching lipstick and gloss, it prolongs the wear so definitely go get it if you spot it at your nearest MAC!

London Haul

Last week was one of the best so far for 2015 as I got to spend it in London with my boyfriend and his family for graduation. It was my first time in London and it definitely won't be the last! There's so much to see and do! 

It goes without saying that a trip to London is not complete without a little shopping so I planned out a full day of shopping in the most popular districts and streets of this magnificent city. My visa was definitely not happy with this but I really did enjoy myself and that's all that matters ;) Here is what I bought for myself.

The first hop we hit was obviously Primark. All Maltese nationals love Primark and I could now see why myself. I mostly grabbed myself a handful of polishes, a lipstick, face and hair masks, foundation sponges to use for nail art and a cute three-row necklace. I have already swatched the polishes and happen to really like the Angelica ones for they have a very nice formula and brush. My favourite thiugh is the spherical one which smells of orchids when dry and has a perfume bottle shape. Keep your eyes peeled for more nail polish and nail related items that I got online in the next haul post.

At the bottom of the picture is Rimmel Scandaleyes Waterproof Kohl Kajal in 005 Nude which I have been looking for forever and I managed to find at Boots. The Balance Me lipgloss and Garnier moisturiser sample were free with a Glamour magazine issue.

From Primark I also scored this fringed cover-up which I will be taking with me on a cruise come July and a dirty green sleeveless loose shirt with lace details on the shoulders. The other two tops and shirt are all from H&M, another store I look forward to visiting while on holiday. I think they have good quality clothes at reasonable prices and I just can't understand why they won't open a store here :/ I also found a cossack hat at Camden Market and it really does keep me warm :)

Moving on to the luxury purchases, I was in awe all the time while we were browsing Harrods. It is by far my favourite spot of the whole trip, especially their shoe heaven! I just couldn't stop oohing and aahing over all the beautiful Choos, Louboutins, Manolos and Sophia Webster's creations to name a few but I only had a day of shopping so I had to re-compose myself to get what I wanted.

First up, I bought a Michael Kors Jet-Set Tote that I have been wanting for ages and I chose one in a dark blue colour so it matches a lot of outfits. I also got the Rouge Louboutin nail polish which I can say is a very beautiful red and I really love the packaging of it! Also from Harrods, I picked up a few things from MAC for Marija from Pocalocca and while I was there I got the Mineralize Blush in Gleeful and a Retro Matte Lipstick in All Fired Up which my boyfriend chose for me. The blush is very pigmented and you have to be extra careful to use a light hand with it but I really love it for it stays on all day.

I finally got my hands on the Urban Decay Naked 3 palette from House of Fraser which I cannot wait to use! I've swatched a couple of shades and I could see what all the hype is about. They have excellent pigmentation and I'm really looking forward to creating makeup looks with them!

Lastly, I got a London shot glass and a London Eye glass souvenir to add to my personal collections.