M.A.C | The Matte Lip Collection Summer 2015

A couple of weeks ago MAC released their The Matte Lip Collection for Summer 2015 (depending on what side of the hemisphere you are on you might have gotten it in Winter like us). There are 22 pieces in the collection but not all of them are new shades, in fact some of them are currently available as part of the permanent line and are being re-promoted. The shades being re-promoted are All fired up, Flat out Fabulous, Heroine, Kinda Sexy, Pink Pigeon, Please Me, Ruby Woo and Velvet Teddy. Having said that, the better part of the collection however does consist mostly of new shades. You might also recognise some familiar names like Stone and Whirl and that is because they have cousins in MAC's lip pencil line. If you are fans of either of those two shades don't worry because allot of these shades are going to be added to the permanent line.

• All Fired Up - bright fuchsia (Retro Matte) re-promote 
• Antique Velvet - intense brown (Matte) 
• Dangerous - Orangey re (Retro Matte)
• D for Danger - Brick Red (Matte) 
• Flat out Fabulous - Bright Plum (Retro Matte) re-promote
• Heroine - Bright purple (Matte) re-promote
• Instigator - Deep blackened plum (Matte) 
• Kinda Sexy - Neutral Pinky Rose (Matte) re-promote
• Matte Royal - Deep blue (Matte) 
• Men Love Mystery - Lavender violet (Matte) 
• Naturally Transformed - Muted Golden Beige (Matte) 
• Please Me - Muted rose tinted pink (Matte) re-promote
• Persistence - Peachy cinnamon (Matte) 
• Pink Pigeon - Bright cleanest pink (Matte) re-promote
• Ruby Woo - Vivid blue red (Retro Matte) re-promote
• Runway Hit - Light nude (Retro Matte)
• Steady Going - Light Pink (Retro Matte)
• Stone - Muted greyish taupe brown (Matte) 
• Studded Kiss - Dark Oxblood red (Matte)
• Tropic Tonic - Full power coral (Matte) 
• Velvet Teddy - Deep toned beige (Matte) re-promote
• Whirl - Dirty Rose (Matte) 

When the collection was launched I immediately like always gravitated towards the nude brownish shades and picked up Whirl, Stone and Persistence. I also have Velvet teddy but this I picked up some time ago (because it is a re-promote and is part of this collection I have added it in this post). If you are one of those people however that the whole 90's look just does not do it for you then don't worry because the range is quite versatile. It ranges from light and bright pinks to bright red, brown, deep plum and even a bright royal blue, so there is something for every one.

From left: Whirl, Persistence, Stone, Velvet Teddy

The entire collection comes in a matte finish (if that wasn't obvious by the name alone) meaning that it has a flat finish with very little to no shine at all. Having said that they don't all have the same finish and that is because more than half of the collection comes out in the matte finish while the other half has the retro matte finish. The retro matte finish are flatter and more drying on the lips than their regular matte counter parts. The collection is not technically a limited edition in the traditional sense because it does not come out in limited edition packaging and the shades are not limited edition either as it is either part of the permanent line or it is being add to it.

From left: Whirl, Persistence, Stone, Velvet Teddy

MAC Stone Lipstick (R210,00) described as a muted greyish taupe brown. It is a subdued medium to dark taupe brown with warm greyish undertones. It has a velvety cream consistency with full opaque colour coverage. It is smooth and creamy and applies effortlessly, it has a satin to matte finish and dries flat matte after around two hours of wear.

MAC Persistence (R210,00) described as a peachy cinnamon. It is a medium brown with very warm reddish orange undertones. It has a almost satin matte finish which dries to a solid flat matte after around two hours of wear. Colour coverage is completely opaque and application is the easiest out of the four with a very creamy velvety consistency. It is allot more red than Whirl and allot darker than Velvet Teddy.

MAC Whirl (R210,00) described as a dirty rose. It is some where between a medium to dark rosy brown with mauve undertones. It has a light smooth creamy texture with full colour coverage and applies evenly with out effort. It lasted a full 4 hours and wore off evenly (You can read my full review here).

MAC Velvet Teddy (R210,00) described as a deep-tone beige. It is a medium rosy beige with hints of brown, rosy pink and warm undertones. It has a smooth creamy texture with a very comfortable satin feel. It has full colour coverage with a flat matte finish that applied smoothly with out tugging. It lasted a good 2 to 3 hours on (You can read my full review here).

The Test Box | September Box Unboxing

I received the September Testbox a couple of days ago and wanted to share an unboxing with you all. This months box consists of two hair care products and one body product (something which is new to the test box) lets jump into it...

Scruff Coffee Scrub 180g R145,00, this body scrub is actually made in Cape Town. It is a natural exfoliator and cleanser designed to deeply hydrate and condition the skin with its powerful antioxidants. It is said to be safe to use on sensitive skin and suitable for use on both the face and body. It is made with real coffee and the smell is amazing, but some how reminds me of what is left over in your coffee machine after a couple of cups.

Directions for use: Apply directly to wet skin and leave for a few minutes to allow the skin to absorb, rinse and repeat one to three times a week.

Joico Smooth Cure Shampoo 300ml R220,00 and Joico Smooth Cure Conditioner 300ml R230,00 is for curly/frizzy/coarse hair. It is a sulfate-free shampoo and conditioner designed to help reduce frizz leaving hair softer and more manageable. It helps create a smooth surface that helps prevent damage that is caused from styling and thermal mechanical tools as well as everyday environmental factors.  

I really want to try the Joice Smooth Cure Thermal Protecting Spray 150ml R180,00 if it smells anything like the shampoo and conditioner I want to drench my entire body in it.

You can pick up this months Testbox for R160,00 here

MAC Matte Lipstick in Whirl | Bringing The 90's Back

There are so many things about the 90's that I think we all wish we could forget! Fanny packs,  pump up Reebok's, butterfly clips (thanks for nothing Buffy), scrunchies, starter jackets, chain wallets, soul patches, crimped hair, over plucked eyebrows (I could keep going forever). Then there are some things we will never forget. Mark Wahlberg being Marky Mark, Disney Channel actually playing cartoons, playing Super Mario on a old school Nintendo, knowing exactly how to finishing singing "who you going to call", slip n slides, Britney Spears singing Baby one More Time and of course the macarena!! There are things however that have made a major come back and in a good way. Doc Martens, neon's, high wasted jeans, crop tops, leather biker jackets and then there is the most talked about craze the (air quotes) "Kylie Jenner Lip".

Pretty much the perfect pair! 👭 I can't bring myself to using them just yet 💁🏼 #macewhirl 💋 #macwhirllipstick 💄 #bblogger #bbloggers #beautyblogger #beautybloggers #makeupblogger #maclipstick #lipstick #makeup #makeupcollection #southafricanblogger #capetownblogger #onfleek #kyliejenner #mac

A photo posted by Alice Fick (@lipgloss_is_my_drug) on Aug 20, 2015 at 4:09am PDT

If Kim Kardashian is "the body" in the family and Kendall Jenner is "the legs" Kloe Kardashian is "the mouth" then Kylie Jenner is definitely "the lips" her (claimed to be) overdrawn lips and plumped up pout has received more attention than Kim's marriage to Kris and her sex tap with Ray J combined. Kylie has never actually come out and revealed what the actual colour is that she uses and I think the fact that she has announced the launch of her own lip kit might have something to do with it. Which is well played on her side because she has created quite a big hype and demand for it now. There has been speculation though as to what they are and two MAC lip liners have been named, both of which have sold out world wide and created quite a shortage. The one is said to be Spice which is a matte brown with red undertones and the other is Whirl which is also a matte with Mauve undertones.

MAC Matte Lipstick in Whirl R210 - MAC Matte Lip liner in Whirl R190

Although Whirl lip liner has been around for ages it has been such a cult product and so hard to get that I was actually beginning to think it didn't exist. Then a couple of weeks ago when MAC released their Matte lip collection with 12 new shades added, I think everyone was both shocked and excited that Whirl was part of the line up. After a bit of hunting I was lucky enough to track down both the liner and lipstick. Whirl is described as a dirty rose with a matte finish, it is a medium dark rosy brown with warm undertones and a very matte finish. I don't know if I am the only person but I do not find MAC's matte lipsticks to be drying at all (that is if you use a good moisturising lip balm regularly). I think it is one of the most comfortable formulas. Whirl is very light and creamy and applies very smoothly. It has full colour coverage and doesn't tug when applying.

Now to the question I think everyone is asking, is the lipstick an exact dupe for the lip liner? The answer is a definite YES. The lipstick is allot creamier and easier to apply but once applied you cannot tell the difference. What people need to know and understand though is whirl like most nude shades look different on everyone. On my skin tone it leaned allot more to the brown/red side and on me I feel looks like a darker version of velvet teddy. On my skin tone Twig on the other hand I feel looks allot closer to the Kylie Jenner colour but with regards to MAC getting the lip liner and lipstick to match there they were spot on!

Every MAC counter I called was sold out but the online store still has stock, if you aren't able to get it this time round it isn't the end of the world because I have heard that it is going to be made a permanent shade!

Have you gotten both products yet let me know how you feel about them in the comments section below.

My Favourite YouTube Beauty Vloggers

I love finding new beauty blogs or YouTube channels and I've see quite a few posts now of people sharing their top 5 and I thought I would jump on the bandwagon! I don't think people quite understand how big the beauty world has become and the impact a hand full of ladies actually have both in selling products and just helping people feel better about themselves all while creating an obsession we all share for makeup. I love watching not only tutorials but also to see whats new and trending and stuff we might not actually know is out there. I get so many questions asking why I need so much makeup and I don't feel like I need to justify anything or how much I pay for stuff. Everyone has hobbies and makeup is mine, I feel like Youtube and blogs are my escape where I can relate to people that have the same passion and obsession and they just understand even though we have never actually met. Here is a list of my top 5 that I am absolutely loving at the moment.

1. Jaclyn Hill

In my opinion the Queen B on YouTube! I remember watching Jaclyn when she sat in her kitchen or in front of her sofa, now she is one of the biggest YouTube beauty bloggers out there. Really making a name for herself she has collaborated with Morphe brushes bringing us the sold out Jaclyn Hill Favourites Palette as well as I believe, a soon to be favourites brush collection. There was also some lip products with Gerard Cosmetics (which she is no longer affiliated with and all branding has been removed, but her colors are two matte lipsticks called 1995 and buttercup and two lipglosses called butter cream and Rose hill) She has also recently collaborated with Becca cosmetics and made a hightlighter called Champagne Pop and if rumors are true there will be a second product released later this year (lets hope there will be some limited edition packaging this time!!) She also has her own cosmetic line coming out which I cannot wait for lets hope they ship world wide. This girl is really going places and I have to say I am still totally obsessed with her. I would probably buy anything she puts her name on, Oh and in case your wondering she is really really good at makeup tutorials also haha

2. Lusterlux

Katy is one of the most real YouTubers out there, I feel like I could really relate to her. She does some amazing looks that are really doable for the average Joe to copy. I love watching her beauty hauls as well. Her snap chats are so funny and some are really pointless but I just have to watch it all! I feel like her and Desi Perkins are twins and honestly I love them both equally.

3. Desi Perkins 

I feel like if I saw Desi on the street I would run in the opposite direction, she comes off really mean and hard core but when you watch her and Katies snaps you just cant get enough of them. She is starting a second YouTube channel just for vlogging her life and I honestly cannot wait for it to start. This girl is just perfection in every way and I have a major girl crush. I don't know how she gets her makeup that perfect but this girls contour is life goals of mine! 

4. Nicole Guerriero 

Nicole has some major skill when it comes to makeup and hair. I have watched so many of her videos and her Halloween ones are perfection. She can be so perfect yet so ghetto all at the same time. She does allot of personal vlogging and has only recently made her snap chat public so you get some more behind the scenes of her life. She has also started her own skin care line called Best damn beauty. 

5. Casey Holmes

Casey is that sweet all American girl that you cant not love. She does some amazing looks and her hair is always perfection. I also love watching her haul videos because she is really honest and has some great taste in music as well. She has another personal vlogging channel as well which is more about her life and what she gets up to some more interesting viewing.

Let me know what YouTube channels you love watching and if there are some I should be watching?