Pink Perk

From when it first came out, I've had my eye on MAC Viva Glam Nicki. Yes, it's bright, bold and possibly unwearable, but the pull remained strong. I was mostly interested in how it would apply to my lips. I'd heard that it leans coral or pink depending on the individual, and I was very much hoping it was the latter on me. Prior to my trip to New York, I'd never owned a single MAC product, so naturally I was motivated to change all that while I was there. Though I'd written quite a lengthy list of things I wanted to get, when I actually found myself at a MAC store or counter, I started to have second thoughts about whether I really needed the majority of what I'd written down. Maybe it was the sheer variety on display that gave me analysis paralysis. Maybe it was the fact there were so many other brands that had made themselves available to me at US prices, that MAC was looking slightly less desirable compared to what was at Sephora. Maybe I was thinking about the truckload of makeup I had at home that I'd never use up in my lifetime. Either way, I only ended up buying four things at MAC, three of which were lipsticks. Viva Glam Nicki was one of them.

Like most MAC products, I don't think the packaging is anything special and strikes me as utilitarian more than anything. That could be why MAC products don't really appeal to me when I see them, despite the merits of the contained product. In my eyes, the shape of the lipstick is very much akin to a fat tampon. The lipstick itself is a bright, yellow-based medium pink. On my naturally pigmented lips, I find it applies a little dark. Not like a soft Barbie pink but a bit more reddish. However, it definitely pulls more pink than coral (thankfully). I find the formula to be really drying and staining. As the lipstick is so pigmented, I probably wouldn't wear it straight from the tube, unless I wanted to invite comments about my ridiculously bright mouth. It's much more wearable and flattering when dabbed on sparingly and mixed with a bit of lip balm.

l-r: MAC Viva Glam Nicki, Revlon Lip Butter in Sweet Tart, Innoxa Pink Peony, Sportsgirl Rosie Posie

Before I acquired Viva Glam Nicki, I had a few lipsticks in my collection that I thought might be close to it. I was curious to swatch them alongside each other. In terms of colour, the Revlon Lip Butter in Sweet Tart appears to be the closest in my eyes, but it's sheerer and a smidgen darker and more raspberry-toned. Innoxa Lovely Lips in Pink Peony (swatch here) is considerably darker and more fuchsia, but equally bright. Sportsgirl Rosie Posie is less pink and more coral, but has similar pigmentation and consistency.

Overall, I'm fairly happy with Viva Glam Nicki. I don't have anything exactly like it, and for whatever reason, I always find myself drawn to slightly crazy, fun girly shades. Best of all, all proceeds of the lipstick go towards the MAC AIDS Fund. I can rationalise the purchase as making a donation to a worthwhile cause, while also getting a free lipstick.

Calling Me Sugar

I was starting to have serious doubts about whether Revlon Whimsical (430) would ever be released in Australia, so I was hopeful of coming across a bottle while in New York. As luck would have it, I found one in a random Rite Aid store. It was a glorious moment. Whimsical combines two of my favourite things in nail polish: pastels and glitter. I once attempted to make my own version, but it was a garish imposter. The real thing is much daintier, with nicely dispersed glitter, and a soft, muted and distinctly pastel tone. Composition-wise, it's a pale, slightly dusty blue with hints of seafoam, paired with pink and blue hex glitter, much smaller silver hex glitter and almost imperceptible silver and blue microglitter.

I managed to paint Deborah Lippmann Glitter in the Air on my nails at Bloomingdale's using the tester provided (which made me think, why don’t we have any nail polish testers in Australia?). As far as I could tell, Whimsical and Glitter in the Air were more or less identical, the only difference being the Revlon is a fraction of the price. Both are very sheer. I placed one coat of Revlon Blue Lagoon (092) as a base, but still needed 3-4 coats of Whimsical to even out the colour. Simply put, it’s a pain to apply and takes forever. But like all my favourites, the labour is worth it for all the pretty at the end.

Instant Lashes

Considering the relative short shelf life of mascara and the quality and performance of cheaper brands, high end mascara has never particularly appealed to me. But for whatever reason, when I saw the wand of Benefit They're Real on display, something told me that I'd probably like it. A lot. It reminded me a bit of my beloved Maybelline Define-A-Lash, with its stiff spikiness and defined bristles. The tip looked intriguingly like one of those Medieval spiked balls, and the girl at the Benefit counter kept emphasising how it didn't smudge, and then showed me the pack with the complementary travel size, and before I knew it, I was handing over my credit card for something I never planned to buy.

The pack I bought isn't bad value as the free travel size mascara has the full-sized wand and is 4g, which is just under half the full 8.5g size. I imagine that the travel size would still last a decent amount of time. As for the mascara itself, I'm surprisingly impressed by it. It has thoroughly exceeded my expectations. I would go as far as to say this is the best mascara I've used. I'm even considering repurchasing at Australian prices when both the travel and full size run out.

I have fairly typical Asian lashes, i.e. short and mostly straight, and having monolids, what eyelashes I have are largely overtaken by my eyelid. If I had naturally lush, curled and long lashes, I'm sure I could use whatever rubbish mascara was available and be set, but I need all the help I can get. My trusty Shiseido eyelash curler is an unmissable first step, and one coat of They're Real is enough to bring my lashes to the point where they're actually visible. I have darkened, thickened, separated, clump-free, lengthened lashes. Better still, it holds curl and smudging is kept to a minimum. The last part is somewhat of a revelation, as I don't think I've come across a single mascara when applied to my lower lashes, that didn't bleed and smear by the day's end. They're Real really stands out in that respect.

l-r: bare lashes, with one coat of They're Real

Something about the wand and formula means that even when this mascara is whacked on in a somewhat haphazard manner while rushing out the door in the morning, it doesn't smear and smudge all over my eyelid. I've found the spiky tip of the wand is particularly useful for coating the small, fine bottom lashes. Needless to say, I'm glad that the combination of the Benefit sales assistant's persuasion and enthusiasm, and my own boundless capacity to buy makeup that I don't need, resulted in this purchase.

You Fancy, Huh?

NARS Orgasm blush is one of those cult products that anyone with an interest in makeup would've heard of at some point or another. Drake even referenced it in a song, so you know it's hit the big time. When I first seriously ventured into the world of cosmetics, I noticed it was often mentioned in reviews of different blushes as a point of comparison, particularly if potential dupes had been identified. At the time, the prospect of forking out $45 for a single blush was ludicrous (and really, still is), so I found myself being drawn to so-called "dupes" that had been brought to my attention by beauty bloggers and YouTubers. Over time, the amount of money I spent on trying to find a shade similar to Orgasm was probably more than if I had just gone out and purchased Orgasm in the first place. I'm great with finances in that way.

While in New York, I couldn't leave without at least one NARS blush, and the obvious choice was the most famed shade in their selection. I thought about getting Deep Throat, Sin or Gaiety instead, but settled on the safe and most popular option (though what I really wanted was the Joie de Vivre palette, but that was never going to happen). I figured since I've been buying dupes of Orgasm all this time, I might as well seize the opportunity to take home the real deal at around two-thirds of the Australian retail price.

I feel like I'm overly familiar with this shade, despite not owning it until recently. Perhaps due to its popularity, there have been countless approximations and imitations of this kind of pinkish, peachy colour with gold shimmer. The only thing that I found slightly unusual was that it's a bit sheerer than I was expecting. Not to say that it lacks pigmentation, but that upon the first swipe, the colour itself is just as strong, if not less prominent, than the shimmer that runs through it. On the cheeks, this applies a little more on the pink rather than peach side, which I prefer because most blushes tend to run a little red or orange on me.

l-r: NARS Orgasm, Lacura Sunset, Bourjois Lilas D'Or, Bourjois Rose D'Or, Sleek Rose Gold

And here are the dupes. None of them are exactly the same, though some are noticeably closer than others. I'd say Sleek Rose Gold is the best dupe, followed by Bourjois Lilas D'Or. Rose Gold is a lot more potent than Orgasm, almost like a florid coral, however it has the trademark glowy, gold sheen of Orgasm (except on steroids). Lilas D'Or is similar to Rose Gold but even more red-toned and a touch deeper in colour. Rose D'Or is more of a cooler, slightly lighter pink, without the obvious golden shimmer of Orgasm. Lacura Sunset is the most dissimilar, though Zoella had me rushing to ALDI to retrieve it when I first read her post on the two being dupes. I wouldn't say it is nothing like Orgasm, but given that Lilas D'Or and Rose Gold are much closer, Sunset is a fair bit off and clearly more peachy/orange in tone.

So did I really need Orgasm? Probably not. However, considering I almost never use Rose Gold as I find it tricky to work with because of how amazingly pigmented and sparkly it is, and Lilas D'Or makes me look like I'm recovering from sunburn, the relative sheerness of Orgasm could be regarded as an advantage. I like that it's more pink than red or coral, and while the shimmer can be easy to overdo, it does give a pretty, glowing effect to the face. I've found that making a blush work has a lot to do with how it's applied (the brush, the amount, the positioning on the face, how it complements the rest of your makeup), as much as the blush itself. That's an area I'm still trying to get the hang of, as unfortunately, while my blush collection has expanded considerably, I still suck at it.