My Picks: MAC Buy 2 Get 1 Free Lipsticks- Barbeque, Coral Bliss, and Mehr

L to R: Barbeque, Coral Bliss, Mehr

 MAC giving away product for free?? Must be dreamin' amiright? No need to pinch yourself, ladies and gents. MAC recently ran a superb special where you could buy any 2 lip products and get a third lippie free. I took advantage of this deal and got three lipsticks I have had my eye on for a bit.

 I chose 'Coral Bliss,' a pinkier leaning cremesheen formula, 'Barbecue,' a matte red with bright orange undertones, and 'Mehr,' a matte mauve a la Kylie Jenner lip craze.

All of these colors have quickly moved into my summertime rotation with Coral Bliss being my go to for an easy and bright lip look that goes with any outfit or makeup. Thanks to my friend from PT school Virginia for drawing my attention to this shade! Mehr will transition with ease into the cooler months and Barbeque will be reserved for when I want that stand out pout.

xxSJ

My Boyfriend Picks Out My Makeup! Featuring MAC Patisserie Lipstick and Floating Lotus Lipgloss

In an attempt to include my boyfriend, Lucas, in my hobby (...okay, obsession) with all things makeup related, I decided to do something fun! Well, at least I thought it was going to be fun... I gave Lucas enough cash for a MAC lipstick and asked him to go in to the store and pick out a lipstick for me to wear on our date Saturday night. I told him what my favorite finish was (lustre) and the name of 3 lipsticks to avoid as I have brand new tubes of them.  Lucas agreed and hesitantly wandered in.  He walked out with the lipstick 'Patisserie,' a soft muted pink that I had never heard of before! He also surprised me with a Cremesheen Glass (my favorite gloss!) in the color 'Floating Lotus.'

'Floating Lotus' is seriously gorgeous.  It is a bright peachy pink with a ton of shimmer running through it. It's a gloss I've had my eye on for years but have never just gone out and purchased!

'Patisserie' was such a surprise to me! I have never heard any hype around this lipstick but it has quickly become my favorite color.  It's one of those perfect colors that you don't need a mirror to apply since it is so neutral, but it bumps your lips up a notch on days where you don't feel like wearing a bright color. It is an awesome everyday color.

I was worried at first that 'Floating Lotus' might not look great paired with 'Patisserie' since it looks so bright in the tube, but after swatching them I can see that they so clearly belong together! Go Lucas! They both have a soft pink, mauvey tone to them that makes them complimentary.  

Blank lips on top, lips with Floating Lotus on bottom

Blank lips on top, Patisserie lipstick on bottom

Floating Lotus layered on Patisserie lipstick

Overall, Lucas managed to pick out such a beautiful lipstick and lipgloss combination! Unfortunately, there's some bad news to this otherwise charming tale. The girls at MAC were apparently not very friendly to Lucas which made me feel like I threw him to the wolves!!  I thought that when the MAC girls saw a guy walk in they would immediately go over to help him out but instead, he was completely ignored when he first walked in followed by berated when he started touching and swatching the lipsticks.

 I'm so letdown by MAC!  What was supposed to be a fun activity ended up being an awkward and uncomfortable experience...but at the end of the day it leaves me all the more surprised and impressed that Lucas managed to pick out such beautiful colors with out any help! Who needs help anyhow?? Apparently after the berating, another employee tried to jump in to help Lucas apologizing for the other employee's behavior, and Lucas basically just said 'nah, I got this. Don't need your help.'

Hell yeah! I knew I picked a good one :)

I recommend this lipstick and lipgloss both separately and as a combo wholeheartedly and if you're thinking about doing something like this with your SO, I suggest going into the store with them to act as a buffer from potentially rude employees!

xxSJ

Spotlight on: MAC 'Ravishing' lipstick

Coral lips can seem tricky or daunting, but not with the right product! My favorite coral lipstick is MAC's 'Ravishing' cremesheen lipstick:

This pretty coral is the perfect orangey-pink hybrid that creates a soft look on the lips. Rather than being super vibrant and a 'look-at-me!' coral, this color is quite wearable and understated.

The cremesheen formulas from MAC are one of my favorite formulas since they are, as the name implies, super creamy and hydrating.  Brighter colors like reds, corals, and hot pinks can tend to accentuate fine lines or dryness. The creamy formula of this lipstick makes it really comfortable to wear and doesn't highlight any imperfections.

I recommend this color to anyone who is daring enough to try out a coral lip! If even this subdued coral is still too bright for you, you can always pair the lip color with a gloss to tone it down a bit.

I find the Cremesheen Glass in 'Richer Lusher' tones down this color a bit and makes it look even softer than it already looks, and NARS 'Tasmania' adds a more pink tone to the lip to downplay the orange hue.

Be daring! Rock some coral this Spring :) You'll be happy you did!

xxSJ

Review: MAC lipstick in 'Peach Blossom'

I love love love my MAC lipsticks.  They have perfect pigmentation, beautiful application, and awesome packaging.  The issue I've been having recently with wearing lipstick is super dry lips. I am on acne medication that makes my skin really dry and so sometimes wearing lipstick just accentuates my cracked and flaky lips... eww, I know.

I've found that cremesheen lipsticks from MAC are glossy enough for me to wear with out showing off my dry lips! I recently came across the perfect color for my lips that is a 'my lips but better' color.

'Peach Blossom' is a light warm pink color.  It is warmer than 'Angel' by MAC and a couple shades lighter than my other favorite lipstick, 'Fanfare.' 

I prefer warmer colors to wear on a day to day basis because I think they look a bit more natural on my freckled skin.

As you can see, this lipstick doesn't add a whole lot of color to my lips, but it adds a pinkish hue with a moisturizing and shiny finish. I really like it and have been grabbing it the last couple weeks.

What's your favorite day to day lipstick color?
xxSJ