Swatches of MAC Reds - Including New RiRi Woo!

With the release of RiRi Woo, the new Rihanna lipstick from MAC based off of the iconic color Ruby Woo, I decided to also pick up another beauty-blogger favorite, Russian Red. Instead of just showing swatches of RiRi Woo for you all, I thought it might be fun to swatch all of the deep red lipsticks that I have from MAC.

First, a bit about RiRi Woo. Rihanna loves wearing Ruby Woo, so for her RiRi <3 MAC collection, she wanted to make a few changes to it to improve it for her a little. I was hoping that improvement would include a little bit less of the dry feeling, but it feels just as dry. The color is different, a little deeper, but just BARELY. If you own Ruby Woo, you don't really need RiRi Woo. It doesn't have different packaging, but RiRi Woo does have the embossed lipstick bullet. Eh.

Now onto the swatches!

All of these, with the exception of MAC Red, are Matte lipsticks. RiRi Woo is the first of a new finish called Retro Matte. I didn't notice a big difference between the Matte of Ruby Woo and the Retro Matte of RiRi Woo though. But remember, not all MAC Mattes are alike! If you find Ruby Woo too drying and have decided that MAC Mattes are not for you now, think again! Ruby Woo seems to be the most drying of all the MAC Mattes. Deeply Adored isn't nearly as drying, and both Ronnie Red and Russian Red are actually very creamy!

• Charmed I'm Sure came out in the Marilyn Monroe collection. It is a deeper red and is a somewhat berry red. It is not quite so matte as Ruby Woo, but still leaves that matte feeling on your lips.
• Russian Red is a staple of most red lipstick lovers collections. It is a beautiful deep red with a tough more of an orange lean to it in the best possible way. I just received it, so I can't speak to how well it wears yet, but from swatching it, this lipstick goes on SO nicely. It swiped like some of my most creamy lipsticks, so it's hard to believe that it's a matte finish!
• RiRi Woo is from the RiRi <3 MAC collection and introduces the Retro Matte finish. I'm not sold on this finish. It was actually difficult to swatch. I had to kind of go over it a few times to get it to go on evenly. The color is a blue-based true red and is amazingly beautiful. But if you have Ruby Woo already, you don't need this.
• Ruby Woo has been a cornerstone of my lipstick collection. It's a beautiful color, blue-based true red almost exactly like RiRi Woor, but it is super dry. I always wear it with a primer or chapstick to help keep my lips from drying out. I still love it though. 
• MAC Red is amazing because it is a Satin so it is less dry and is a dream to put on your lips. This color is a little more pinkish than Ruby Woo. 
• Ronnie Red is from the Archie's Girls collection and is even more pinkish than MAC Red. It has a matte finish, but it really seems like it is more satin. It even has a bit of sheen to it, though I suppose after it is on for a while, it is more matte.

Currently Wearing: 

MAC - Russian Red

Currently Listening To: 

Prince - When You Were Mine

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Disclaimer: This post contains my own opinion. I have not been sent these items for consideration and/or review. 

Third Man Records to Release Soundtrack for "The Great Gatsby" on Metallized Vinyl

To coincide with the release of The Great Gatsby, Third Man Records has announced that they are releasing the soundtrack for the film on vinyl with pre-sales on their website beginning May 10th for release on June 11th. This standard edition will be on 180 gram vinyl and will have a gold foil stamped gatefold sleeve.

In the perfect combination of the lavishness of The Great Gatsby and the ultra special limited edition versions of releases by Third Man Records, there will also be a limited edition metallized version of the album in stunning gold and platinum. Yes, you heard that right, gold and platinum records.

In fact, according to Third Man Records, these will be the first ever commercially released gold and platinum records. They should also be able to be played on your everyday turntable. And they just look beautiful! There is no specific details about how many of these have been made, though I would presume not very many as these are such a pricey item.

Not only are the records themselves beautiful, but the sleeves these records come in are wood with aluminum spines. The wood has The Great Gatsby cover design laser-cut to allow the precious metal to shine through from the inside. You can see more detail of the process on this video posted by Third Man Records:

This special edition set of gold and platinum records will be available for sale beginning at 9am (no time zone is specified, but TMR is in Nashville so I presume it is CST) on Friday, May 10th and are $250. There will also be 100 available for sale at the physical location of Third Man Records in Nashville, TN at 10am on Friday, May 10th.

Currently Wearing: 

MAC - RiRi Woo

Currently Listening To: 

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Disclaimer: This post contains my own opinion. I have not been sent these items for consideration and/or review. 

Dupe Alert w/Swatches YSL Red Muse vs MAC Ronnie Red vs Milani Red Label

One of my all time favorite lipsticks is my Yves Saint Laurent Rouge Volupté lipstick in Red Muse. It's creamy and smooth and the perfect bright true red. However, it is $34. So, I found a couple other things at different price points that might fill the void if you are looking for something like this but don't want that high of a price tag.

First, is Ronnie Red from MAC for a midpoint of $15. I hesitate to include this since it was limited edition, but it can still be found on ebay sometimes and CCOs. Ronnie Red is listed as a matte shade, but it is the least matte shade I've ever had from MAC. It isn't drying and it doesn't dry down matte like, say, Ruby Woo. You can even see the slight sheen in the swatch photo. It is also a touch more pinkish than Red Muse.

Finally, Milani Color Statement lipstick in Red Label is a really, really close dupe. It feels slightly more heavy on the lips and is a touch more drying, but the difference in price is drastic (Red Label is just $5.49 compared to Red Muse at $34). The color is pretty spot on, as is the finish. I really like this lipstick, though I feel like it needs a primer or lipliner to be sure it stays in place.

Overall, I still love the YSL Rouge Volupté formula, though if I had Red Label before I purchased Red Muse, I would have chosen another color since it really is such a close dupe. 

Currently Wearing: 

MAC - RiRi Woo

Currently Listening To: 

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Disclaimer: This post contains my own opinion. I have not been sent these items for consideration and/or review. 

Happy Record Store Day!!!

If you haven't been out to a local record store today, it's not too late! Today is Record Store Day (RSD) and for all who are unaware, it's a day where record labels and bands coordinate to have special releases and events at local record stores to encourage people from buying their music locally and tangibly. I don't think there is anything wrong with downloading mp3s or anything, but the experience you get from going to a record store, sifting through albums and perhaps picking up something that looks like it might be interesting is one that all music fans should experience.

If for some reason you can't get out today, bookmark that link above because there is a RSD every spring and now they have started one on Black Friday as well.


For 2013, the big news was that Third Man Records was re-releasing The White Stripes 2003 album, Elephant. Third Man has been putting out special releases for RSD for several years and even though this is an amazing release, this is the least they have put out on RSD since they started doing it. They have been re-releasing previously out of print White Stripes singles up to this point, but I believe the next singles to come out are Elephant era, so this makes sense.

Elephant is a monumental album in my personal story and it was pretty popular with other people too! Haha. Do you remember that Grammy's where the front runners for album of the year were this album and OutKast's Speakerboxxx/The Love Below? And The White Stripes blew away the whole show with a performance of Seven Nation Army/Death Letter (even though they didn't take home the album of the year grammy)? No? Check yo self:

Favorite Spring Lipsticks with Swatches!

It is finally starting to become springlike outside. I'm starting to pull out the spring clothes and at the same time, I'm switching up a little bit of my makeup for the warmer weather. I had a hard time narrowing down lipsticks for spring because I love so many! And I wanted to include some high-end, mid-priced and drugstore colors as well. In the end, I narrowed down a list of light/sheer lipsticks that are easy for those breezy spring days. And then I have a list of brights that will make your lips pop!

Swatches below!

Dupe Alert!! Tom Ford Ginger Fawn ($48) vs. Flower Beauty Coral Floret ($7)

While swatching for an upcoming post about spring lipsticks, I found a dupe! Admittedly, it isn't a dead-on dupe, but it's fairly close and due to the price difference between the two, I thought it would be something to pass along.

Lipsticks: Ginger Fawn by Tom Ford vs. Coral Floret by Flower Beauty

Price: Ginger Fawn is $48 (though I can't find this shade for sale anymore) and Coral Floret is $6.98

Color: Ginger Fawn is a medium orange and Coral Floret is a peachy-orange-coral. In the swatches they don't look as similar, but on my lips they were identical. I wore them both on my lips at the same time (one on the right and one on the left) and it was unnoticeable.

Pigmentation: Both of the lipsticks have a lot of pigmentation and are opaque in one swipe.

(Music: Yeah Yeah Yeah Yeah Yeah by Johnny Hash)

Finish: Both have highly shiney finishes. Coral Floret has no shimmer in the tube, but goes on with a lot of shine. Ginger Fawn has golden shimmer, but no sparkle.

Lip Feel: Ginger Fawn goes on feeling like air. It's smooth, swipes on easy and feels like nothing when on. It feels quite moisturizing, even after wearing it for a while. Coral Floret feels a bit heavier on the lips. It is slightly less smooth and a little more drying over time, so I'd suggest wearing it over a balm.

Staying Power: Both of these have great staying power and lasted for hours on me without reapplication. Coral Floret dries out a lot more the longer I wear it though.

Packaging: I love the cases for Tom Ford lipsticks, but you pay for it. These Flower Beauty lipsticks have really beautiful cases as well. And for the price, these are super nice. The tube is plastic and it has a rose gold logo and accent. It's a very vintagey feel which I appreciate.

Overall: If you want to try out a color like this, I'd suggest going with the much cheaper Coral Floret. However, if you know this color is your jam and you'd wear it all summer long, go for Ginger Fawn. It's a hefty price tag, but this is a little bit of luxury that is worth splurging on.


Currently Wearing: 

Hourglass Opaque Rouge Liquid Lipstick in Raven

Currently Listening To: 

Johnny Hash - Yeah Yeah Yeah Yeah Yeah

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Disclaimer: This post contains my own opinion. I have not been sent these items for consideration and/or review. 

Tarte Aqualillies Products and Records & Red Lipstick is on Vine!

Before I get into this beautiful collection from Tarte, a little about Vine. It is a fairly new iPhone app available through iTunes that allows users to post short videos and share with followers. With these six second clips I have been showing makeup and sometimes swatching products while playing amazeballs music in the background. However, Vine has been a bit of a jerk and I have problems uploading most of my clips, so uploads have not been as frequent as I would like. BOO. It's only been around since January, so I suppose they are working out the kinks.

If you decide to check out Vine, the blog username is: RecordsAndRedLipstick

This is what I got from the Tarte Aqualillies collection. I picked up the lipstick in Timeless, the eyeliner in Splash, and the finishing powder. Can you even with these packages?? I wanted everything simply because of that! The Cheek and Eye Palette looks really nice, but I really don't need more neutral eye shadows (okay, I don't need more lipstick or eyeliner either...but....). I really think Tarte hit it out of the park as far as the beauty of the packaging matching the beauty of the Aqualillies themselves. I mean, look at these:

In this clip I am playing Iggy and the Stooges - Tight Pants. This was my first Vine and I didn't quite have the audio part down well with changing photos and the songs are jacked up on the first few, so it does not do the songs justice. I am OBSESSED with this song right now. It's one that I think about and have to put it on and play it at least twice. I have included a youtube of it because you need it in your life.

March Fave Five!

I can't believe it's April. Time is flying! I am very happy for Spring. As much as I love a good snowstorm, I get tired of it by March like most people. I also love it when there is no longer a question on if you should put on your wool coat or your trench.

But on to the favorites!

Rimmel London Apocalips Lip Lacquers - Swatches!

I originally heard about these lip lacquers from Estee from Essiebutton and have been stalking the stores to no avail. However, I was browsing ASOS and found they had them, on sale even! So I picked up a couple of them. I always grab a red (duh) so BIG BANG fits that bill with a slightly warmer deep red, and I've been desperately trying to find a pink I like on me so I got NOVA which is a nice medium blue-based pink.

R(ed)LOTD - Rimmel London Lasting Finish by Kate in #01

Quick Red Lip Of The Day from my Instagram (@RecordsandRedLipstick)

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Disclaimer: This post contains my own opinion. I have not been sent these items for consideration and/or review.