6 Mad Men Lipstick Shades (For Every Budget)

Over the last few months I've been watching Mad Men. In fact, I've watched every episode and during each one I've experienced some form of makeup envy. Not only did Mad Men remind me that everyday attire used to be incredibly formal, but the makeup was very different too; "bold"makeup (by my standards, anyway) was once considered an every day necessity. During the 60s, red lipstick wasn't reserved for dinner dates and parties, in fact, it was practically mandatory - serving as a big red indicator that a woman was fully and properly dressed. 

Quick and Easy Everyday Makeup Routine

My Beauty Wishlist

Nars The Ultimate Lip Pencil Trio

Birthday Beauty Additions

Nars Matte Multiple in Altai

Nars' Matte Multiple in Altai is a product that I've wanted ever since I laid eyes on it. I like to contour and I love to add a bit of warmth to my complexion with bronzer - especially in cream formulas because I find them really easy to work with in order to achieve a really subtle finish. My previous go-to contour/bronzing product was RMS Beauty's Buriti Bronzer which definitely set the standard very high. In comparison, Nars' Matte Multiple in Altai is much less creamy than my Buriti Bronzer and instead has a thicker (slightly less easy to blend) satin feel. Altai is also a very different colour, it's much more orange rather than bronze and definitely looks more stark against my pale skin. I find RMS Beauty's Buriti Bronzer to give my skin a really natural looking warmth that Nars' Matte Multiple in Altai can't quite replicate. I've included photos of me wearing foundation with just Altai under my cheek bone (where I'd normally contour) so that you can see the colour and look that it gives my cheeks.

As you can see, it's an awkward colour but it isn't entirely unusable or unsuitable for very fair skin but it just gives a very specific look. I didn't buy this Matte Multiple expecting it to offer an ashy, natural-looking-shadow, contour. Since I cut talc out of my makeup bag I've struggled to find bronzing products and Altai fills a gap in my collection. I don't think it is necessarily the most flattering contour product for me at the moment, but I'm hoping that it will be a nice alternative to my Buriti Bronzer during the summer months when my complexion is always considerable warmer. I think it's satiny finish will be longer lasting for when the weather is warmer, and I'll be reaching for it to help shape my face and add some colour across my forehead and cheeks. For now, I'm using it with a very light hand.

Would I recommend it? I'm going to say it right now - I do not think that Nars' Matte Multiple in Altai is worth £30. I bought mine for £17 in LookFantastic's January sale (it's currently still available at this lower price) and I think that the quality of the product reflects that lower price point. I'm already a massive fan of cream products, I like how easy they are to apply and their more natural looking finish. However, Nars' Matte Multiple is a bit too satin-y for me. It's thick formula means that I can get a lot of wear out of the small amount of product in the tube, but it does make it harder to work with and if you're in a rush you may risk a slightly heavy-looking finish. Overall, I definitely prefer my RMS Buriti Bronzer but I am still happy to have a new product to alternate into my routine (as beforehand I was using the Buriti Bronzer every single day). Next up on my wish list is Illamasqua's Cream Pigment in Hollow, which is a much more straightforward ashy-toned contouring product and is also much more affordable than the full-priced Matte Multiples at £17.50.

Day Date Makeup

Last Friday I went on my first date of the year - cue excitement but also a fair amount of nervous energy. I'm not going to say too much about how it went but I can tell you that we went for a coffee in a really lovely coffee-shop not too far from where I live and that we went during the afternoon. 

I don't know about you but I never really know how to dress for more casual dates, and certainly ones that occur during the daytime! In the end I opted for a relatively casual outfit (a plain, round-necked dress with a cardigan and boots) and the really paired-back, simple makeup look featured above (those are photos of my actual face-of-the-day before and after). 

I wanted to even out my skin and cover the redness in my cheeks and across my nose, so I applied my Revlon Colorstay Foundation in the shade Sand Beige using my Real Techniques Makeup Sponge. I think it did a good job of giving me natural looking coverage, as well as adding a bit of warmth to my complexion. For concealing under my eyes, I opted for Nars' Creamy Radiant Concealer in Vanilla with a bit of L'Oreal's Lumi Magique Concealer in Medium on top to add some brightness to the inner corners of my eyes.

I did my eyebrows using my Brow Definer in Blonde/Auburn from The Body Shop. It isn't the best by any means but it isn't too warm toned so it gives quite a natural finish (which I like). I did a very simple eyeshadow look using my new Urban Decay Naked 3 Palette but because of my hooded eyelids you can't really see the colours I used in my photo. I applied the shade Strange all over my lid and then Nooner through my crease, on top of Urban Decay's Eyeshadow Primer Potion which is incredible. I finished off by applying two layers of Maybelline's the Falsies Volum' Express Mascara (a mascara I've repurchased) which gave quite a fluttery finish.

To add some colour to my cheeks I opted for Mac's Cremeblend Blush in Brit Wit, this is another new product in my collection and I simply adore the colour and the formula - I'm going to do a full review at some point. I then also added some of RMS Beauty's Living Luminizer to the high points of my face. It's been a daily staple for me every since I got it a couple of months ago, I'd highly recommend it for anyone looking for a pretty and natural-looking, lit-from-within glow. And then, to finish everything off, I applied some of Revlon's Just Bitten Kissable Balm Stain in Honey to my lips. It gives long lasting colour and the shade seemed natural enough whilst still helping my lips look fuller.

This was a slightly different - and bit more personal - sort of post from me today but I hope you found it interesting. I'd love to know if you do your makeup differently when you go on dates - and what sort of makeup you might choose for a "day date"!

New Additions: High End Makeup

I've been a very lucky girl this month and everything pictured in this post is the result of me winning two separate blog giveaways. I don't think I've ever seen so many "big name" brands together in one place… and all of these products are a first for me! This is my first Mac Eyeshadow Palette* (housing Satin Taupe, Brun, Star Violet and Nylon), my first Nars Dual Intensity Eyeshadow* (Giove), my first Kevin Aucoin Creamy Glow Blush* (Liquifuschia), my first Chanel Lipstick* and my first Bobbi Brown Gel Liner*. And as if this couldn't get any better, I actually also forgot to include a Laura Mercier Lipgloss* which is just beautiful too. Honestly, it isn't even Christmas and I've already been totally spoilt by the generosity of others. I haven't shared these in order to brag but as they will all be making appearances on my blog soon I wanted to make you aware that these aren't press samples that I've been sent for review, but that I haven't bought them with my own money either. So, with that in mind, if you'd like to see any reviews, swatches, comparisons, FOTDs, or anything like that, then do let me know. If I had bought any of these for myself then I'd have done copious research first, so I know how helpful honest and thorough reviews can be when it comes to deciding what's worth spending your money on! 

Have you added any luxury beauty bits into your routine recently? 

My First Space NK "Haul"

It had to happen eventually. I couldn't keep going into Space NK, asking a hundred questions, ogling everything and then leave empty handed… I just couldn't. Can you tell that I'm trying to justify this somewhat unnecessary purchase? 

I've seen so many beauty YouTubers use Nars Creamy Concealer in their videos and it just seems to erase their under eye circles. It's exactly this sort of vanishing act that I'm after! I've tried so many concealers that I like but I haven't found one that I love. I'm not sure if this is because my expectations are too high. But if YouTubers and celebrities can make their blemishes disappear on command then it must be possible for us mere mortals, surely? 

This is actually my first ever Nars purchase and, unlike I'd generally been led to believe, the shade "Vanilla" was in stock and all too available. My first impressions are positive but it's too soon to cast a final judgement, but I'm sure I'll be talking about it more soon.

Beauty Wishlist March 2013

[all images taken from http://www.asos.com]

Nars Eyeshadow Duo in Kalahari
Bourjois Blush Pot in Rose D'Or
Nars Bronzing Powder in Laguna
Barry M Gelly Hi Shine Nail Paint in Prickly Pear
Rimmel London's Scandaleyes Waterproof Kohl Liner in Bright Blue
Stila Colour Balm Lipstick in Valentina

Follow me via: [Bloglovin] [She Said Beauty] [Twitter] [Facebook]