First Impressions | MAC Cosmetics Snowball Limited Edition Christmas 2017

MAC's most hyped Snowball Collection has finally hit their 3 local stores last Friday and it is almost sold out! Luckily I managed to get what I wanted out of the collection so here's a first impressions post.

Right off the bat, you can tell that MAC has really made an effort with the packaging - everything is so pretty with the shattered gold tubes, pots and compacts and let me tell you, this collection is very photogenic!

photo courtesy of The Beauty Club Malta Facebook page

None of the kits and eyeshadow palettes seen online are available locally which I admit is a bummer, but, this is what is available locally (until stocks last that is):

- Crystal Adornments for Face & Body

- Lash 36 Gold & Lash 64 Silver

- 5 Extra Dimension Eyeshadows: Starry Starry Night, Delicate Drift, It's Snowing, Stylishly Merry, Frostwinked

- 6 Lipsticks: Shimmer & Spice (Frost), Holiday Crush (Frost), I'm Glistening (Frost), Warm Ice (Frost), Rouge En Snow (Matte), Elle Belle (Amplified)

- 2 Impalpable Glare Powder: Here Comes Joy, Happy Go Dazzingly

I got two lipsticks and an eyeshadow. The lipsticks I picked out are Shimmer & Spice and Holiday Crush and the eyeshadow is It's Snowing. Again, how gorgeous is the packaging? 😍 I'm loving the transparent boxes they come in too! The printed gold snowflakes makes them even more Christmassy!

Shimmer & Spice has the most beautiful duochromatic shift from burgundy to gold with a frost finish while Holiday Crush is a muted nude with a frost finish. I have only worn Shimmer & Spice for now and there's nothing bad to say about it - the colour doesn't go on patchy, has excellent colour payoff and although you will need retouching, it still lasts long enough. The lipsticks cost €19.50 each.

The eyeshadow is the most beautiful thing I have ever seen and it's such a pity to use - my heart almost stopped when I had to swatch it for the first time because I really don't want to ruin the snowflake design. Again, colour payoff is always amazing with MAC so there are no issues with this product either. Price is €22.50.

The prices for the products in this collection are a little more expensive than the core products but I didn't mind that as I'm still getting a great quality product that looks pretty too!

The MAC Snowball Collection is available at MAC Valletta, MAC Sliema and MAC Tigne Point.

New In! | MAC Bangin' Brilliant Collection & Liptensity Lipsticks

I always get excited whenever MAC releases a new collection... or any new product for that matter! Thus, you can imagine my excitement when an email popped into my inbox inviting me to visit the MAC counter at Debenhams The Point to discover the new Bangin' Brilliant collection and the brand new Liptensity lipsticks!

Luckily, my dear friend Marija was invited as well so we both made our way together to one of our favourite makeup stores. We were assisted by MAC makeup artist Nadia and she guided us through the new collections and even applied some looks on us using them.  

MAC have expanded their permanent collection of lipsticks, eyeshadows and blushers with the introduction of the Bangin' Brilliant collection that consists of 29 bright and boldly coloured lipsticks, 24 eyeshadows and 5 powder blushes, all in various textures.

MAC Bangin' Brilliant Lipsticks - €19 each

The lipsticks are packaged in the iconic MAC packaging and vary from a straight up white to smurf blue, iridescent purples and blues to pinks, yellows and everything in between and come in matte, frost, amplified, cremesheen, satin and lustre finishes. The unique colours immediately caught my eyes and I had the pleasure of trying my two favourite shades from the collection - Model Behaviour and On and On (this was a hard choice but I preferred sticking to something I was more comfortable in). Here are some of the other shades I swatched on the back of my hand:

MAC Bangin' Brilliant Lipstick Swatches
Far Left: On and On | Top to Bottom: Time To Shine, Model Behaviour, No Interruptions, Wild Extract

Yours truly wearing Model Behaviour lipstick over Cyber World lip liner

MAC Bangin' Brilliant Dazzleshadow (€23 each) and Eyeshadow (€19 each)

The eyeshadows in the collection are divided into various finishes - dazzle, frost, veluxe pearl, matte and one satin shade. All of the dazzle shades are re-promoted whilst the others are all new shades. I already had Can't Stop, Don't Stop Dazzleshadow which was part of Le Disko limited edition from last year and I am happy to see it is now part of the permanent collection as it is one of the most beautiful MAC eyeshadows. Here are some swatches:

MAC Bangin' Brilliant Dazzleshadow swatches

Nadia applied some of the eyeshadows on Marija and I have to say my favourite look was the one with the blue and green shades. I really liked the combination of colours though both looks suit her well :) Oh and by the way, both the blue liner and the orange are eyeshadows from the Bangin' Brilliant collection with some Fix+!

MAC Liptensity Lipsticks - €24 each

The Liptensity Lipsticks, boast MAC's most pigmented formula to date and come in a spectrum of 24 colours, including a deep black shade! What's interesting about this collection is that MAC enlisted the help of tetrachromat (individuals who can see up to 100 million shades that most people can't) Maureen Seaberg to create a kaleidoscope of never- seen before colours, using the groundbreaking High-Frequency Tetrachromatic Pigments technology. My favourites from this collection are the nudes, reds, pinks and a beautiful lilac grey. The bad news is that the following 7 out of the Liptensity Lipsticks are limited edition: Stallion, Galaxy Grey, Life's Blood, Lobster, Fireworks and Double Fudge. MAC was kind enough to gift me the shade Gumball, a bright, creamy blush pink.

MAC Liptensity Swatches
Far Left: Life's Blood | Top to Bottom: Galaxy Grey, Hellebore, Blue Beat, Double Fudge

L to R: Liptensity Lipstick in Gumball | Dazzleshadow Can't Stop, Don't Stop | Model Behaviour Lipstick

Which products intrigue you the most?

All of these products are now available at the MAC Sliema store and the MAC Counter at Debenhams The Point. 

Review | MAC Studio Waterweight SPF 30 Foundation NC15

Following my makeup session at MAC last March, I was given the new Studio Waterweight SPF 30 Foundation to try out. The excitement of finally having a MAC foundation shade match took the better of me and the day after I had my makeover, I started test running the said foundation.

Let's have a look at the packaging first - like all other MAC products, the foundation comes in it's own black box and it is presented in a sleek, frosted glass jar with a pipette dropper. The MAC Studio Waterweight Foundation, as the name implies, has a light weight texture, offering light coverage that can be built up yet still maintain a natural finish that doesn't look like you're wearing makeup.

A 3/4 full pipette is all I need to cover my whole face. My preferred method of application is pipetting the foundation on a makeup artist palette and picking it up with my foundation brush to work it into my skin.  I have to say I am a really big fan of the pipette dropper as it gives me total control as to how much product I use.

I find that this foundation really gives my skin a light, dewy finish and is bang on trend with the fresh skin look that is currently what everyone is after lately. One small word of warning though - make sure your face is thoroughly moisturised before applying this foundation as it can cling to dry skin patches.

I am in the shade NC15 which is an absolutely perfect match to my very pale skin tone and I am very pleased that the foundation does not oxidise and remains intact throughout the day. I would describe the shade NC15 as a light ivory with yellow undertones. If like me, you prefer light coverage foundations, I do suggest you give MAC Studio Waterweight Foundation a try, plus with SPF 30, you can skip applying sunblock if you like!

Myself wearing MAC Studio Waterweight SPF30 Foundation in NC15

MAC Studio Waterweight Foundation can be bought from MAC in Tower Road Sliema, or from the MAC counter at Debenhams at The Point.

PR Sample

Monthly Favourites | January

Ok so I know we're in the middle of February but I still want to share with you my favourite products from last month as there are quite a few new products that I want to share with you all. Starting off with the KIKO Lip Scrub which so far has bee the best one I have ever used. It is gentle enough to be used everyday and keeps lips feeling soft and supple. I prefer to use it before going to bed followed by some lip balm to wake up with plumper lips.

Next, I have the Onsen Purifying Facial Peel which I have been using religiously on a weekly basis ever since I got it. I shall go into more detail in a review I have planned for this weekend but I all have for this product as words of praise as it really does deliver great results and even better looking skin.

On to makeup, I only have two products for this month, the first of which is the Make Up Store Smoothing Primer Powder which is god-send for days when I'm in a hurry and just need a thin veil of something for my skin to look good to go. It's got a very fine texture and can be used as a primer or worn alone. I sometimes also use it as a setting powder and for baking and it also works well in that regard.

Lastly is my MAC Retro Matte Liquid Lipstick in the shade Oh Lady! I have worn this a couple of times and I always got good compliments on the colour. I have to say that this passes the eat & drink test, the kiss test and the time test! It is really that long lasting and I admit, it is a bit of a pain to remove completely.

Do you have any favourite products you would like to share? Write them in the comments!

January Collective Beauty Haul

I have been very good at sticking to my clothes buying ban this month but not so much when it comes to makeup - I did buy a few new things to add to my collection, because you know, I don't have this and I don't have that in my overflowing makeup drawers.

I placed an order on the KIKO website as they were on sale and you know how it goes, I 'needed' a few things. I got a CC Blur Skin Trainer for which I have high expectations, a lip scrub which I have heard very good things about, a Mixing Solution, Nail Lacquer Thinner, two eyeshadow sticks and some eyebrow products which I totally love and shall review shortly.

During an event hosted by the Make Up Store, I picked up a Smoothing Primer Powder and a Lip Pencil in Burlesque and they were kind enough to give me the Grass Microshadow as a gift. I have only tried the powder and all I have for it are words of praise!

Lastly, I went to MAC to pick up some things from their current collections and I walked out with Oh Lady! Retro Matte Liquid Lipstick, a Foiled Eyeshadow from the Faerie Whispers Collection in Fly By Twilight and a mini Fix+.

So that's it for this post, I hope you enjoyed it and maybe got inspired to get some of the things yourselves :) Watch out for some exciting posts and news next ;)

Monthly Favourites | November

This post is going to be a little lengthy as I have quite a good number of products to share with you so let's get right into it.

First up are some new makeup tools from Makeup Revolution which I have been using practically everyday. They are the Advanced Complexion Expert Sponges (Soft & Hard) and the Ultra Metals Contour Brush. I haven't reviewed the sponges yet so I won't be saying much about them except that they are some of the best sponges I have ever used to apply my foundation with. As for the brush, I like how steady it is and I like that it applies bronzer only where you need it. You can read the full review here.

Moving on, I have the eye products which will make up most of my favourites this month. I have already shown the Essence Gel Eye Pencils in previous posts but I really wanted to show you the latest two I got - 01 Black Blaze and 05 Gunmetal. After I have tried these, I am a little reluctant to try any other eye pencil because these last practically all day on my waterline and they only cost €2.40 a pop! I have another three of them too but my favourite is the shade 06 Cocoa Bean.

Another Essence favourite for this month is the All About Greys Eyeshadow palette in which all 8 shades are extremely pigmented and I shall be reviewing this palette along with another two from the same range soon so stay tuned for that! I like how you can create both dramatic and more subtle looks with just palette that costs just around €4 I believe.

More eyeshadows come from Pupa Milano's Soft & Wild Limited Edition collection which I really do urge you to go out and get while it lasts. Here I have the shades 004 and 005 out of which the former is my absolute favourite and I really like how well they go with the Essence All About Greys palette above.

The last thing I have to show you for eye make up is the Sleek i-Divine in Enchanted Forest. I really like all the colours in this palette and I think it is a really good value for money palette that will make a nice secret santa gift or a pretty little stocking filler. Pigmentation is awesome for all shades and it last really long too.

Next up I have lip products which include my favourite colour combination - MAC Soar Lip Pencil and MAC Brave Lipstick which has a Satin finish. If I want a glossy look, I would just add Essence Liquid Lipstick in 02 Beauty Secret on top of them and I have a lip colour that will last for hours on end.

Another favourite is this limited edition lipstick from Essence Merry Berry collection which is selling out super fast. My favourite shade out of the three is 01 Let The Berry-Tales Begin which looks really dark but in reality translates to the most gorgeous plum shade on the lips that lasts for a very long time.

As for face products, this month was all about giving my complexion some warmth so my favourite blush has been this Milani Rose Powder Blush in the shade 03 Warm Petals which has just the slightest shimmer and a good pigmentation to it. The Makeup Revolution Ultra Cream Contour Palette has been God-sent to help with perfecting my contouring skills so definitely another favourite for this month.

To keep my skin in check, I have been treating it to a weekly mask with the Yves Rocher Active Sensitive Extreme Comfort Mask to calm down redness and soothe it. If you have sensitive skin, definitely go get this one!

Lastly, I have the two perfumes that I have used most this month - the classic Chanel No.5 which is my favourite scent of all time and the La Prairie Silver Rain which I got in sample size in a goodie bag from an event. The latter is very fresh and I like wearing it during the day while I like to reserve the Chanel No.5 for night time as it is much stronger.

And that rounds up my favourites for November! Let's hope for even more favourites in December :)

Review | MAC x Guo Pei Limited Edition Powder Blush in Red Water Lily

This year's luxury collection from MAC is a collaboration with China's most well-know couture designer Guo Pei which rose to world-wide stardom following pictures of the dress Rihanna wore to this year's Met Gala.

The collection revolves around a garden of serenity or rather a 'garden of the soul' theme and consists of many beautiful pieces, most of which are already sold out despite their higher than usual price. I really didn't need anything new but I just couldn't pass up this collection so I opted to get the Red Water Lily Powder Blush.

I haven't seen the collection at my local store so I had to try and find it online only to discover that the blush was no longer available on the UK site so I tried Ebay and managed to find a reliable seller that had one authentic blush in stock so I took the plunge.

The blush set me back €64 which I admit is way too pricey for a blush but when I received it, brand new and still in it's original box, that sort of justified every cent I spent on it. Let's take a moment to appreciate the packaging, from the box to the actual metal case with printed silk front and the flower motif embossed on the blush itself.

The colour, Red Water Lily is not red at all, more like a darker pink with no shimmer whatsoever and exceptional pigmentation. I think this blush is perfect to add a hint of warm colour to the cheeks that lasts for hours on end! The texture of this blush is very fine and the colour can be built up to the intensity one desires.

I think this blush is a miniature work of art that every makeup collector would covet but with the price tag it comes with, I admit it is not for everyone. 

How do you feel about this collection? Would you get anything from it, considering the higher price tag?

October Collective Haul

October is my birthday month, hence as you would expect, I have treated myself quite a lot ;) With makeup being one of my biggest vices, I have spent a ridiculous amount of money bought quite a few pieces which I had my eyes on for quite some time, especially these lipsticks and blush from MAC.

I had been waiting for a restock at MAC to get these three lipsticks, left to right, Brave, D for Danger and Media. Luckily for me, on my latest visit to the store with Marija from Pocalocca, we found the staff taking the stock out from the boxes and luckily they had everything we wanted! The lipsticks cost €19 each.

One of the star pieces in this month's haul though is the Guo Pei x MAC Powder Blush in the shade Red Water Lily. Now I had to get this online as I haven't seen this collection locally yet and I really wanted to get my hands on it. Most of the collection, including this blush, sold out within a few hours on the MAC UK website so I had to resort to Ebay. Luckily I found a legit seller who was selling a brand new in box version of it and I bought the blush straight away! It set me back a little over €60 which is crazy I know, but just look at how gorgeous the packaging is! The top is even made out of silk! I shall be posting a review with more pictures and swatches of this blush soon so keep an eye out for that!

If you follow me on Instagram and Facebook, you would know that my boyfriend really spoilt me for my birthday by gifting me the Rouge Louboutin lipstick in the Silky Satin finish. It is a luxury item which is not exactly cheap but is a nice, covetable item and something I wanted ever since I heard news of the range coming out, so thanks honey :)

More cosmetics which I got online include an order from KIKO Cosmetics, and an order from Makeup Revolution. From KIKO Cosmetics I got a backup of the Brush Cleanser, a Matte Muse Lipstick in the shade 06 Luxury Sangria from their latest limited edition Midnight Siren as well as a Rebel Bouncy Blush in 04 Passion Red Wine and two Intensely Lavish Lip Pencils in 05 Heavy Cherry and 06 Melodious Wine from the Rebel Romantic limited edition. If you are interested in the Rebel Romantic limited edition, I suggest you get it before it is gone.

From Makeup Revolution, I got some of their new stuff, namely the Ultra Cream Contour Palette, Ultra Contour Foundation Brush F302, Ultra Flat Contour Brush F304 and the Advanced Complexion Expert Sponges in both the soft and hard versions. They also included a tester of the Ultra Blush Palette in Hot Spice, so thanks for that!

I have also bought the Pupa Milano Animal Print Effect Top Coat from their Soft & Wild Collection for €6. Next week, I shall be reviewing this top coat along with the eyeshadows and lipstick which were kindly sent to me so you will be able to see more pictures.

Moving on to fashion, I only bought a few 'essential' pieces in a bid to try and save up for a large shopping spree in London (you see, clothes and accessories are also a big vice of mine!).

I got this pair of printed pants from Promod at just €14.97 on sale and I also bought a pair of white sneakers (€20), a backpack and this gorgeous set of stud earrings (€5), all from River Island. Then from Asos, I got this pair of holographic rose gold sneakers (€35) seeing I am currently obsessed with this metallic hue and this pair of mint sandals which were on sale for just €10.

Lastly, a little Mango spree where I bought this lace crochet top and this printed skirt for €39.99 each and a basic oatmeal button down cardigan for €17.99.

That's it for this month! Any favourite items you treated yourselves to?