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. 

Living Nature's New Organic Red Lipsticks - Pure Passion Review and Swatches

Living Nature have recently released two new shades in their range of Organic lipsticks. The two new shades are both reds; Pure Passion is a classic red with a crimson undertone, whereas Wild Fire is a warm red shade. I was very kindly sent the shade Pure Passion*, and I really excited to try it out because I'm already a big fan of Living Nature's Organic lipstick formulation. I already own the shades Precious and Summer Rain, and I reach for both of them quite a lot as I love their creamy and long-lasting consistency.

The Best and Worst Mascaras

The Best Natural and Cruelty Free Makeup That I've Tried So Far

5 Products for a Simple Summer Makeup Routine

Living Nature Lipstick in Precious

Four Natural and Cruelty Free Day Creams Worth Trying

A Lipstick Overview

Over the two months or so, across my Blog, Twitter and Instagram accounts, I've featured a fair few lipsticks, but there have been seven main culprits. I thought that today I'd do a round-up of all these lipsticks as I thought that this would be a good way for me to help put them all into a larger context, helping you to identify which one(s) might be right for you.

left to right: Living Nature's Lipstick in Summer Rain*, Ilia's Lip Conditioner in These Days, Honeybee Gardens Lipstick in Superstitious*, Glo & Ray's Lipstick in Fallin'*, Yves Rocher's Moisturising Cream Lipstick in Rose Alba* and Rimmel's Moisture Renew Lipstick in Oxford Street Fuchsia*.

Best Natural Lipstick Formula & My Favourite Winter "Berry" Lipstick

The two lipsticks in these categories are Ilia's Lip Conditioner in These Days* and Living Nature's Lipstick in Summer Rain*. I definitely think that Ilia's Lip Conditioner has the best formula of any natural lipstick that I've tried so far - it's similar to Living Nature's in that they're both creamy and moisturising, but Ilia's Lip Conditioner lasts better on my lips and feels more comfortable to wear. However, I do absolutely love the colour of Summer Rain, it's just gorgeous and I'd definitely recommend it.

My Least Favourite New Discovery 

Sadly, I really didn't like for formula of my new Honeybee Gardens Lipstick in Superstitious*. It was patchy and difficult to wear, with the colour applying unevenly and fading irregularly. The colour was really gorgeous though and inspired me to look for something similar in a better formula! I think I've found something which I'll be sharing soon.

The Best Lipstick Formula of the Bunch

If you're looking for something easy to wear, something that feels lightweight on your lips but gives opaque colour that lasts well, then you need to take a look at Glo & Ray's Lipsticks*. I was very kindly sent the shade Fallin' and although it isn't my perfect colour, I do really like the formula. It isn't as long-lasting as matte lip products, but out of all my new finds it's the easiest and most comfortable lipstick to throw on as I can really trust it to wear well and stay looking good throughout the day.

Out of My Comfort Zone - but worth considering!

This month I tried too very "different" lipsticks - Wild About Beauty's Lipstick in Cherrie* and Rimmel's Moisture Renew Lipstick in Oxford Street Fuchsia*. Cherrie is and incredibly glossy, high impact, bold, bright, show-stopping red - a gorgeous find for red lipstick lovers and a perfect party makeup piece. It is, however, a formula that would work best for more natural shades and although I love the colour it definitely isn't for the faint hearted! Oxford Street Fuchsia is similarly out of my comfort zone as it's a very blue-toned pink, almost Barbie-pink, which I don't think suits me. However, I  do like the creamy formula and I'd definitely purchase other shades in the line. But, overall, I would repurchase Wild About Beauty's lipstick formula over Rimmel's.

Pretty but not Perfect

I've really enjoyed wearing Yves Rocher's Moisturising Cream Lipstick in Rose Alba*, it's a very easy to wear pink in a sheer-to-medium coverage formula, giving either a wash of colour of a full-on lip depending on how much you apply. It isn't super creamy and I don't think it should really be called a "moisturising" lipstick, but it isn't drying either. However, if you are specifically looking for something hydrating then I'd recommend Living Nature and Ilia's lipsticks which are actually very nourishing on the lips!

What lipstick(s) have you been wearing this month?

Natural Beauty Products: Living Nature Concealer in Light Review

This month I've been wearing Living Nature's Concealer in the shade Light*. I got mine from MyPure, a great website for shopping for natural beauty products (especially at the moment as they have some great free gifts with purchase). I tried one of Living Nature's lipsticks last month and I really loved it, but I just haven't gotten on so well with this concealer. It isn't "bad" by any stretch of the imagination, but even the lightest shade is just a bit too dark for my skin at this time of year when I'm at my palest - if you have very fair skin then this will be much too dark for you.

Living Nature's Concealer* has a similar scent to another natural concealer that I've tried out - it's quite a heavy scent but it isn't unpleasant. The concealer has a thick, liquid consistency and a little goes a long way. The best way I've found to apply it is by squeezing some onto the back of my hand and using it a little bit like an artist's palette. I dip a brush (usually Real Techniques' Contour Brush) into a dot of concealer and swish it around on the back of my hand. As you blend the concealer out, it lightens considerably and it is essentially to really blend it out onto your skin in order to achieve an even finish.When you apply it to your skin (I've been using it under you eyes and around my nose) it lasts really well and offers medium coverage that doesn't look too thick or heavy. 

Overall, I'm really impressed with the performance of the concealer but I do wish that it came in more shades (there are only three) so that I could get more use out of it. For now, I'm resigned to mixing it with another concealer that's lighter in tone to make it wearable. You can find Living Nature's Concealer* online here for £21.00.

Easy Breezy Beauty

A couple of days ago I threw on some make-up in record speed and thought "hey, this doesn't look half bad for a record speed make-up look". I'm a big fan of easy to apply and easy to wear makeup that doesn't need lots of touching up throughout the day. I've shared all the products I used and a little bit of information on how I applied them. 

I began by quickly priming my face with The Body Shop's Instablur Primer, it does a really good job of giving me a smooth and even base. I then followed up with a very light application of The Body Shop's Tea Tree BB Cream in shade 01, covering any left over redness with Lavera's Natural Concealer in Fair. To add some colour back into my face I applied a small amount of NYC's Blushable Cream Stick in Soho Pink. For a budget blush it's actually really nice and I've gotten a good amount of use out of it. It only comes in two shades and this one is a slightly shimmery mid-pink that's really easy to wear and does a great job of enlivening my complexion. To add some definition to my eyes I reached for Wild About Beauty's Eyeshadow in Eva which I used as an eyeliner, smudging it into my lash line using one of my Real Techniques liner brushes. I find the shade really easy to wear and the formula is great, it lasts all day without budging. I then reached for my new tube of Maybelline the Falsies Volum' Express Mascara which I find gives me really big, fluttery lashes but offers much more in the way of volume than my MaxFactor Masterpiece Mascara. Then to finish off my makeup I applied a quick slick of Living Nature's Lipstick in Summer Rain*. It's definitely become a favourite of mine as the shade and formula are really easy to wear.

Are there any products I mentioned in today's post that you've tried before? And do let me know in the comments if you'd like to see individual reviews of any of the products I've mentioned in today's post.

LoveLula November Beauty Box Review

After the success of LoveLula's October Beauty Box I was worried that the November box might not excite me. How wrong was I! This month's box is absolutely packed full of goodies, some of which I've wanted to try for a while (Jason and Barefoot SOS I'm looking at you) and some which I hadn't really considered before. LoveLula's beauty boxes are £12.50 and I think that the two boxes I've had so far have both represented excellent value for money as well as having showcased some really great natural beauty brands.

The contents of the Love Lula's November Box are as follows:

Living Nature's Nourishing Hand Cream 50ml (£16 for 50ml)

Jason's Apricot Scrubble 113g  (£5.49 for 113g)

Barefoot Botanicals SOS Face and Body Rescue Cream 50ml  (£10.50 for 50ml)

Giovanni Smooth as Silk Deep Mositure Shampoo 60ml (£7.99 for 250ml)

Suti Cleanse Balm 4ml (£28 for 50ml)

1 x £25 voucher for Hello Fresh

Excluding the Hello Fresh Voucher (which I know many people wouldn't use) this box has a collective value of £36.15, which is a very good return on the £12.50 I invested in it. I thought I'd outline this at the outset because one comment I often get is that beauty boxes aren't really worth the money, but sometimes they can actually offer brilliant value for money and allow you to try brands you might not otherwise be able to afford. However, for me the success of LoveLula's November Beauty Box lies in the fact that I really love all the products in the box. Unlike other beauty boxes I've received in the past, LoveLula keep including brands and products that I'm very happy to introduce into my beauty routine. My only comment is that it is a shame that the Giovanni Shampoo isn't accompanied by the matching conditioner as I know many people prefer receiving haircare as part of a set. However, I am actually lucky enough to already have a sample of the conditioner so I can test them out together and report back on whether they're worth investing in as a pair. I'm particularly excited to see Jason's Apricot Scrubble included in this month's box as I'm just about to run out of Lush's Let the Good Times Roll and this will make an excellent replacement. 

What do you think about this LoveLula's November Beauty Box? Personally I'm thrilled - and already can't wait for December's beauty box! - but which products would you like to see reviewed first? 

Follow me via: [Bloglovin] [Twitter] [Facebook]

October Beauty Favourites

Living Nature Lipstick in Summer Rain

If you read my last Natural Beauty Wishlist you will have seen that the first make-up item I listed was Living Nature's Lipstick in Summer Rain*. Since posting my wishlist I was lucky enough to be offered the chance to review the lipstick for the website MyPure, Britain's most positively reviewed online Organic skin care store. With free delivery and so many beauty brands in one place (featuring some very enticing discounts and free gifts with purchase), MyPure is a great place to shop for natural and organic beauty products. 

Living Nature Lipstick in Summer Rain* 

This is the perfect raspberry shade and I've been searching for a lipstick this exact colour for years. This shade of pink is incredibly flattering on so many different people, and I personally find it incredibly easy to wear which is definitely what I want when investing in a lipstick that's more on the expensive side. 

The packaging is made out of matte rubber which makes it look and feel very luxurious. It actually reminds me a lot of Nars' packaging, only with Living Nature you also get the benefits of the lipsticks being cruelty free and made out of 100% natural ingredients. The consistency of this lipstick is pretty new to me. It starts off applying relatively sheer with a creamy and moisturising feel. However, if you want a more opaque colour then you can reapply and build up the colour to the intensity that you want. This being said, it doesn't slip like some lipsticks are prone to doing and because of this I don't get the dreaded "lipstick fear" (worrying that it's all over my teeth every five minutes…).

Overall I'm incredibly impressed and I'd definitely like to try out the other shades. Summer Rain is available at the discounted price of £17.55* (RRP £19.50) from MyPure.

 Have you tried any of Living Nature's products before?

Follow me via: [Bloglovin] [Twitter] [Facebook]