The Autumn/Winter Lip | My Berry Lipstick Collection

It was only last winter-time that I really found myself throwing caution to the wind and working the 'vampy' lip look.  I think it's one of those trends that takes a while to master but once you find that one shade that works for you, you're well away. As I've had a bit of a 're-jig' of my make-up drawers recently, swapping things around for the new season, I thought I'd share my collection of berry toned lip products.  If you're a lip-product-aholic like me and have been thinking of picking up some new winter shades, hopefully this post might give you some inspiration or give you an idea as to where to begin. I have a mix of tones, ranging from subtle berry hues perfect for daytime wear to deeper statement shades - I definitely have a select few favourites of the bunch too. So if you're at a bit of a loss as to where to begin when it comes to the A/W berry/vampy lip - hopefully this will be a jolly good starting point! I've divided them in to 2 sections (us bloggers and our categories eh?) just to make it a little easier depending on what sort of product you're after... I thought I'd kick off with the 4 that I'd class as being a little more on the 'tame' side...

// The 'Every Day' Berry Tones // L-R //

Collection Deluxe // 'Prohibition' 

Probably my most used berry shade ever - this little beauty has to be my winter favourite.. I wore it to uni, I wore it on nights out, I wore it on shopping trips, I even wore it for an quick evening mooch around the aisles of Tesco - yep, I kid you not, I literally wore this everywhere. I actually bought a back-up in case they didn't stock it this year (fear not, they do). It's just the perfect berry hue - it's super creamy, pigmented, lasts me all day with minimal touch-ups and instantly finishes off my make-up. I don't know what it is, but the undertones in this lipstick really work with my skin tone - even if I'm having the dullest skin-day, I instantly look fresh, dewy and awake as soon as I apply this. It's perfection. Want to see it on? I have a full review and lip swatches here.

Rimmel Kate Moss // '107'

Ohhh the infamous '107' - how I hunted the shelves for this! Slightly cooler in tone than 'Prohibition' and slightly more matte, this shade really is one of the most raved about berry lipsticks in the bloggosphere. With good reason too I might add! It looks darker in the bullet than it does on the lips, but if you're after a statement shade that isn't too dark - I'd really recommend this one.  I have an ancient review and swatches here.

Topshop // Beguiled

And so I introduce you to the first 'vampy' lipstick I ever purchased... Topshop's 'Beguiled' is a gorgeous deep maroon/wine sort of colour with a satin finish. I sometimes struggle to get it to work for me - but it's a great one to have in my collection nonetheless. I find it quite similar to Kate Moss '107' - just a slightly more glossy version. I doubt they still stock this exact shade but I've seen so many variations from Topshop since this one was released - they probably have an almost identical shade under the same name. I featured it in my 2012 'Top 5 Autumn Lip Shades' post here.

MUA // 'Shade 1'

Probably the most pigmented of the four, this gorgeous maroon shade has to be another one of my favourites - it has to share the top spot with 'Prohibion'.  Shade 1 is a beautiful deep red which is super rich and creamy in finish, as well as being completely opaque.  Despite it being quite a dark shade, the red tones in it make it so wearable for daytime and makes for a nice, wintery twist on the classic red lip! I adore this one - everything from the shade to the formula is just bang on - and it's only £1! 

// The 'Vampy' Tones // L-R //

Mac // 'Paramount' 

A slightly different shade and one that's going to be very 'love it or hate it', but my most recent Mac purchase has to be my Autumn staple.  It's a gorgeous deep brown shade with a brick-like tone to it, described as a 'reddish brown' by Mac.  With the right make-up, this looks truly stunning but it really is quite 'out there' - it definitely has a 90's feel to it due to the brown undertone.  A statement shade to opt for it you're after something a little bit different from the norm. It's featured in my Mac lipstick collection post here.

Mac // 'Dark Side'

Another one of my winter faves! Dark Side is described as a 'deep burgundy' and has an amplified, pigmented finish.  It swatches exactly how it looks in the bullet. I love the slightly purple/red undertone to this colour - it works really well with my skin tone and makes my lips look incredibly defined and polished.  It really is the perfect statement shade if you're looking for something with a slightly 'gothic' vibe... It featured in my Mac lipstick collection post here, and I also have a full review post with photographs and swatches here.

Collection Gothic Glam // 'Revenge'

As you can see from the swatches, this is a similar match for Mac's 'Dark Side' (and I reckon its quite close to Mac 'Diva' too). Although it's much more maroon toned, it definitely gives the same look and feel to the lips - it's amazingly pigmented, glides on to the lips with ease and is very creamy and opaque. It's like a slightly amped up, more vampy version of MUA 'Shade 1' and I absolutely love it. It looks lovely if you're wearing white - it creates a fabulous bold contrast (it also works really well if you're wearing a neutral, slightly shimmery eye make-up look)

I'm Wearing | Collection 'Prohibion' lipstick & Revlon 'Embellished' lip gloss (post here)

And so there we have it - my current winter 'vampy' lipstick collection. I'm sure I'll end up expanding it at some stage - I already have my eyes on Mac's 'Diva' and really want to invest in some lip-crayon versions (I'll be sure to post about any additions over the next few months).  If I had to pick my top 3 I'd have to go with Collection's 'Prohibition', MUA's 'Shade 1' and Mac's 'Dark Side' - I reckon these 3 are my top 'staple' shades from my selection!

What's your favourite 'vampy' lip shade?

A Vampy Lip Obsession?! | Mac 'Dark Side' Lipstick

Mac Lipstick in 'Dark Side' | £15.00 | Link 

What's this? Two blog posts in the space of two days?! Yes, well, you might think I'm on the ball but if I'm being honest, I've just gone a bit skew-whiff with the ole blogging schedule - many thanks to final year uni work.  I will hold my hands up and openly admit that before I decided to go to university, I used to moan my way through the 9-5 and wonder why all the Saturday 'student' staff came into work of a weekend complaining about how hard it was to get a degree and how they wish they could swap with me for a while. If you're reading this, any of you, I'm sorry - I eat my words. I 'get it' now.  Anyway, schedules aside, just because I've been bogged down with work doesn't mean I haven't been trying out new items of cosmetic goodness - I am a beauty blogger after all - no amount of essay writing or presentation planning will stop me from Bird's Words-ing it!  This week, I happen to have added yet another dark berry lipstick to my collection of other dark berry lipsticks. Because you can never have enough dark berry lipsticks, right?

Yep. Mac's 'Dark Side' finally made it's way into my lipstick drawers.  If you've seen a couple of my recent lip colour related posts (here, here and here) you miiiight have noticed that I've become somewhat obsessed with dark, vampy reds and burgundy shades.  I must admit,  I've always been a classic 'pillarbox' red kind of girl, but I've thrown caution to the wind and turned over to the dark side (ahaha...sorry...) and have realised how pretty a statement dark red can look - even in the daytime.  It's definitely not a look for everybody but you'll be surprised at how much it compliments 'winter skin' - it seems to lift any dullness and adds an amazing pop of colour.  I like to pair mine with a flawless base, toned down blush and a fairly neutral eye - with either a thin flick of liquid liner or a light smudge of brown kohl across the upper lash line.  'Dark Side' is now the darkest lipstick I own - I'm not entirely sure I can go much darker than this without looking like an extra from The Adam's Family, but I'm getting quite addicted to a statement lip and it's become my go-to look for a good couple of months now.  The lipstick is described on the Mac website as being a 'deep burgundy' - and I'd definitely agree.  It's extremely opaque and being an 'Amplified' formula, the consistency is smooth and creamy, whilst providing a flawless look with amazing pigmentation.  Mac's Amplified formulas have to be one of my favourites!  I simply apply from the bullet or with a lip brush after applying lip liner (a must have!!) and I'm good to go.

If you're after a vampy lip, Mac's 'Dark Side' is worth a swatch.  It's dark enough to be classed as 'vampy', but not overly so that it looks gothic or too 'black'. It's a true dark burgundy shade and would look stunning on both paler complexions and darker skins.  Apologies for not showing a lip swatch - I'll be sure to do a post involving this little beauty nearer to Christmas time but I just had to document this new purchase! Overall, I have to say this has to be one of my favourite Mac purchases so far - it's definitely one of my more daring choices! It's not an all year round colour, nor is it one you can simply apply 'on the go' or everyday, but it's one that makes a statement and one that looks incredible when worn in the right way. I'm most certainly a fan.  Which leads me on to my next point - I'm thinking of doing an updated Mac Lipstick collection nearer to Christmas time since I did my last one a year ago (it's considerably bred since then ;)) - let me know if you'd like to see it!

Are you a fan of dark, vampy reds like me?! What's your current favourite?

Glossy Vampy Lips | Revlon Evening Opulence Lipgloss in 'Embellished'

So I happened to be strolling on by the Revlon stand the other week.  I'm never normally one for buying lip glosses - lipsticks tend to tickle my impulse-buying fancy much more - but I took one look at this beauty from Revlon's new range and knew it had to make its way in to my collection! Revlon have bought out a new trio of glosses as part of the 'Evening Opulence' collection and the shade 'Embellished' really did catch my eye.  I've been quite partial to a 'vampy' lip of late - I'm drawn to deep berry shades and dark, wine coloured reds and this gloss seemed like the perfect counterpart to my new lip colour preference! 

The colour is simply stunning.  It looks somewhat different when swatched as it does in the tube - as you can clearly see from the photographs above.  In the tube, it appears much more purple toned, but when swatched on the hands and lips appears much more of a wine tinted burgundy red. Right up my street. The flecks of purple and red glitter make it just that little bit special and add to it's festive appeal (yep - now it's November I can officially throw Christmas out there!)   It's slightly sheer, so it will look different depending on what lipstick you decide to pop on underneath (if any at all) - I find it darkens any plum colours slightly and adds extra depth and dimension to a berry lip.  It's ever so slightly 'vampy' whilst still being completely wearable.  As for consistency,  I do find it ever so slightly sticky, but then again, I find most glosses annoying to wear and I wouldn't say it's overly thick or gloopy.  I also don't find the glittery flecks gritty in any way.  I also have to admit that I'm a sucker for Revlon's packaging - their quilted lids really do appeal to my packaging preferences (such a marketer's dream aren't I?) and the long, doe foot applicator makes for a swift, easy application.

I've recently invested in Mac's 'Dark Side' and have been wearing Collection's Deluxe Lipstick in 'Prohibition' (post on that here) almost constantly the past few weeks, and a slick of this on top adds the perfect finishing touch.  The lip swatches above show what the gloss looks like layered on top of 'Prohibiton' (this is also the lip look I'm wearing in my current Twitter pic, if you're interested) and completely on it's own.  Some might prefer wearing it on it's own - it's much more toned down without a lipstick underneath yet still makes a bit of a statement - although I much prefer it layered over my trusty lippies!  Even if you don't want to go for a full on glossy look, it looks lovely when simply dabbed on and creates a much more natural finish and 'just bitten' kind of look to the lips.  Overall, I'm glad I bought this little beauty. The flecks of glitter simply make it for me and I really love the effect it gives. I reckon it will be creeping into my handbag for nights out over the festive season! You can have a nosey at the 'Evening Opulence' collection here, and the glosses retail for £7.99 - not bad for a good quality, nicely pigmented gloss!

Have you tried Revlon's lipglosses? Are you loving dark reds as much as me?!