Happy Valentine's Day to All! This post really has nothing to do with Valentine's Day, but I took a cute picture of my MAC lipsticks in a heart shape, so that's that.



The real reason for this post is that for the last few months I've been really thinking about combing through my collection and getting rid of a lot of items I don't use much. I have a fairly large collection of MAC lipsticks and I don't really reach for them like I used to, so I thought I'd tackle them first. In order to decide what to keep, I wanted to swatch everything, so I might as well take pictures of that process.

Charmed I'm Sure (Matte)

Cardinal (Satin)

Russian Red (Matte)

Salon Rouge (Matte)

True Love's Kiss (Amplified)

Racy (Frost)

Viva Glam Rihanna (Frost)

Ruling Class (Frost)

Swatching really helped me see how similar a lot of these are. I mean, I know I have a lot of similar reds, but some of them are REALLY similar. I have a preliminary list now of what I'm going to do.

Keep:
Ronnie Red
Charmed I'm Sure
Russian Red
True Love's Kiss
Lady Danger
Ruby Woo
MAC Red
Adore It

Maybe:
Charlotte
Steam Heat

Going:
Cardinal
Salon Rouge
Racy
Viva Glam Rihanna
Ruling Class
Sweet Sakura
RiRi Woo
New Temptation
Flaming Lips

For all that I'm getting rid of, I'm thinking of doing a blogsale. I have another blog that I've done those on in the past, so keep an eye out on that, or feel free to make an offer in the comments here if you don't want to wait.


Currently Wearing: 

Urban Decay x Gwen Stefani Spiderweb Lipstick

Currently Listening To: 


The song "She's Gone" by Pypy used for this show.... <3

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

My sister recently gave me a couple new products she found at the drugstore as a gift. Even though I had never heard of Sula, I was immediately intrigued by the packaging. The design is simple and the lipstick tube is made of metal and not plastic. They feel nice and look nice, which I personally find important in my beauty products.

Most importantly though, the products are nice. They are listed as "natural" but who really knows what that means these days. The website doesn't seem to say much about it, so it doesn't seem like it really means anything.

The lipstick I got is called "PUCKER UP" and is a straight up orange, which really does match the bottom of the tube. It is creamy and goes on smooth. It has nice staying power and doesn't dry out my lips. I like this formula a lot and plan to pick up more of these lipsticks. I've swatched it next to what I considered an orangey lipstick before I got this one, MAC Lady Danger. Haha. You can see the difference.



 The lip and cheek tint is in "ALL I EVER WANTED" and has a minty smell that is refreshing, especially in the summer. I quite like to use cheek tints for summer instead of powder because it feels nicer on the skin to me. This tint is quite pigmented and I just dot it on and blend it with my fingers. For the photo, I did a mega swatch and then blended it as much as I could to give you an idea of that too. When blended, it is a rose pink that looks like a natural flush on my pale skin when I use a light hand.

Overall, I have a very good impression of this brand and want to explore more of their products.

Currently Wearing: 


Currently Listening To: 
I'm working my way through this list from Huffington Post. They aren't all winners, but there is some good stuff in here.

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

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: 

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. 

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.


Currently Wearing: 

Currently Listening To: 

Twitter: @RecordsRedLips
Instagram: RecordsRedLips
Pinterest: Records & Red Lipstick
Vine: RecordsAndRedLipstick

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

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!

Have you tried Laura Mercier Caviar Sticks? You should! They are creamy and longwearing. And I love them. Laura Mercier has recently(-ish) released new colors, and I really need to pick up at least the Rose Gold color that looks fabulous.

I obviously love red lipstick, so I tend to gravitate toward them when I shop. I guess this explains why I have over 30 red lipsticks right now. I love to try out new brands and formulas and see what works best. Here is my current collection with a mini review of each along with my favorites of the bunch.

• MAC - Marilyn Monroe Collection in Deeply Adored (Matte) - I haven't used this one yet. I'm not 100% sure I'll keep it since it looks darker than my normal reds.
• MAC - Racy (Frost) - Not digging the frost so much on this one.
• MAC - Adore It (Glaze) - LOVE this. It's a bright pinky red. It's not super opaque, which makes it a perfect easy lipstick to take with if you aren't going to be able to apply using a mirror.
• MAC - MAC Red (Satin) - LOVE this too. It's a really perfect true red. It is pretty long lasting and has a nice balance of matte/shine.
• MAC - Lady Bug (Luster) - I was really excited to get this since I had heard it was a great red from MAC, but eh. I think because I already had Adore It to fill my easy red lip look, I didn't need this one. Don't get me wrong though, it's pretty and is a nice medium opacity red lipstick.
• MAC - Ruby Woo (Matte) - I heard so much about this lipstick and when I started getting into reds, I had to pick it up. It is a perfect matte red. I generally only like a super matte lip in the winter, which is odd since that's when I'm most dry, but I actually don't find Ruby Woo to be so drying. But it looks dry, so you sort of have to offset the matte by not having your face makeup be so matte.
• MAC - Marilyn Monroe Collection in Charmed I'm Sure (Matte) - I haven't used this one either. It's too pretty to use or something!

• Yves Saint Laurent - Rouge Pur Couture in Rouge Roxane - This leans orange and has a bit of frostiness to it, but it isn't too much and it comes off a little younger than a lot of frosty lips.
• Yves Saint Laurent - Rouge Pur Couture Vernis à Lèvres Glossy Stain in #9 - Super beautiful warm red with no shimmer. Plus, I love these glossy stains.
• Yves Saint Laurent - Rouge Pur Couture Vernis à Lèvres Glossy Stain in #11 - This is a really pinky red. Looks great layered up to a deep pinky red.
• Yves Saint Laurent - Rouge Pur Couture Vernis à Lèvres Glossy Stain in #20 - This was a Sephora exclusive color and I'm glad I picked it up. It's similar to #9, but this has a really nice gold shimmer in it. 
• Yves Saint Laurent - Rouge Volupté in Red Muse - I can't get over how much I love this lipstick. It feels like silk going on and has a great color payoff.