Vampy Lips - MAC "Sin" Lipstick and some other options

After watching a gorgeous vampy makeup-tut video by MissMaven I did some research about the most popular dark lipsticks and some appropriate makeup-looks...

Look at this gorgeousness!

...beautiful and so classy, I think <3

So after I searched through my lipstick collection I had to realize (to my horror haha) that I actually didn't own a really dark vampy lipstick, just some plums and bolder reds...

Therefore I decided to go for MACs Pro Lipstick in Sin, which is a deep dark red with a hint of berry.

Here it is...

MAC Sin

In the tube it looks darker and more brown, similar to Media (which I don't own anymore), but swatched it is lighter and more red!

MAC Sin swatched

MAC describes it as a "deep dark blue red" with a matte finish, which I can totally agree with! The finish is not as matte as Ruby Woo or the retro-matte formulas, but a true matte with a tiny little hint of sheen. Therefore it's not as drying but you should definitly exfoliate your lips well and apply a layer of balm before.

Deeply Adored (LE) is quite comparable in finish.

The closest colors I own are these:

MAC Deeply Adored - MAC Sin - Tom Ford Moroccan Rouge - YSL Rouge Volupte 12 (left to right)

Tom Ford Moroccan Rouge - YSL Rouge Volupte 12 - MAC Deeply Adored - MAC Sin (left to right)

As you can see Sin is the boldest and vampiest color of these and quite different. Pared with MAC Current lipliner it looks awesome! 
If you're looking for great staple vampy lipstick you could definitly try this one, it's one of the more affordable but good lipsticks! The matte finish will make it look more edgy and misterious.

I'll definitily wear this one this season, even if it's commonly said that these colors are more suitable for autumn/winter :)

So why not rocking this in summer too, what do you think?

Love,

D.

HOURGLASS Ambient Lighting Blushes in Diffused Heat & Mood Exposure - Thoughts and Swatches

Lately I'm on a blush-kick and couldn't pass on the fairly new Ambient Blushes by Hourglass, which are currently only available at Ludwig Beck in Munich, where unfortunately they're nearly sold out everytime I want to order - that's no suprise, isn't it?

Because I'm a huge fan of the Ambient Lighting Powders I had high hopes for these!

Luckily SpaceNK UK ships to Germany (yes, I'm from Germany!) for just £5 (for all orders over £100 shipping is free!!!) so I had a chance to pick up these two shades to begin with and see if I like them...

The first brighter shade I decided to give a go is the Diffused Heat one: I love the corresponding Diffused Light powder and the bright coral-pink tones made me gravitade towards this :)

Hourglass Diffused Heat

Texture: It's, like the Ambient Lighting version, a baked powder which looks marbleized. The lighter yellow part is the Diffused Light Ambient Powder (a post on these will follow), the coral pink part adds the color to this fine glowy finishing powder, which creates a marvelous hybrid of both! The powder itself is super finely milled, soft and non-powdery. 

Color: This particulary shade swirled together is a coral-pink which leans warm. The shade contains tiny little specks of silver reflecting glitter, which you'll not be able to see on the face.

Compared to CT's Ecstasy Cheek Color it's pinker, less buttery and lighter. Nars Torrid is more orange and tan colored, it's deeper, again less pink. 

Some comparison swatches:

Charlotte Tilbury Ecstasy - Hourglass Diffused Heat - Nars Torrid (left to right)

Charlotte Tilbury Ecstasy - Hourglass Diffused Heat - Nars Torrid (left to right)

One shade I had to own and catched my attention from the beginning is Mood Exposure:

Hourglass Mood Exposure

Color: Maybe it's the least"eye-catching" one, but it immediately reminded me of Nars Sin, which I adore!

Mood Exposure is a plumy-rosy tan color, which looks warm on my complexion, even it looks cooler in the pan. It has a beautiful sheen to it, I didn't see any specks of glitter:

Hourglass Mood Exposure Swatch

Some comparison swatches again:

Nars Oasis - Hourglass Mood Exposure - Nars Sin - MAC Prism (left to right, MAC ahead)

Nars Oasis - Hourglass Mood Exposure - Nars Sin - MAC Prism (left to right)

Bottom line:

I would definitly recommend these to blush addicts like me, especially the Mood Exposure one, just because the color is so unique and has a better and smoother texture than Diffused Heat.

It gives a beautiful glow to the cheeks and would suit lighter and darker skintones (for reference, I'm an NC20-25). I think it's also a great option for everyday-use! Just give it a go, if you want to start with one of these ;)

All in all I'm impressed with the formula and will definitly check out Dim Infusion and Luminous Flush...

Love,

D.