What’s in My Makeup Bag: January

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I’ve finally done something I’ve always wanted to do to spice things up in the makeup department. I bought myself a black lipstick.

Yup.

Mark might have told me that I looked a bit like a witch when I actually wore it, but you know what? I kinda love it.

Also, when I was little, I always wanted to be a witch, so there.

If you were to take a look at my wardrobe, you’d see that 90% of my clothes are… well, black. So it only makes sense, right?

My pick was Nars Powermatte Lip Pigment in Paint it Black. This lip pigment honestly gives such an incredible punch of color. It is VERY pigmented and has an amazing staying power (I mean, just take a look at the swatch at the end of this post). The only thing is that you have to make sure to shake it very well before use and use a clear (or black) lip liner as with such a dark color, there is some bleeding you might experience. I have yet to try a black lip liner, so if you know of any good ones, do let me know (pretty please)!

You always see me talk about Glossier products being a bit overhyped, but there are a bunch of them I’m completely in love with. Add two new (to me) products to that list: Boy Brow in Brown and a Generation G lipstick in Zip. I already had Boy Brow Clear and loved it, the Brown version is just as good. The great thing about it is that it’s not sticky or overly pigmented, it doesn’t stain skin, won’t look too obvious and doesn’t smear like a lot of other brow gels I’ve tried in the past. It’s a perfect product for when you don’t have time to play with brow pencils, powders or pomades.

Generation G lippie in Zip is just beautiful. Again, it’s great to use on those minimal-makeup days. It adds a beautiful color that isn’t too intimidating and feels incredibly comfortable and hydrating. I love that it doesn’t dry out your lips throughout the day. It’s sheer, but it can be built-up and has a natural, matte finish. I am so in love with the formula, I’ll definitely be picking up the rest of the shades.

Fenty Beauty Match Stix Trio in Light; this pre-bundled set works SO well with my skin tone; it’s a combo of concealer, contour, and highlight. They’re creamy enough to blend easily, but I did notice that they do not work incredibly well with my skin when it feels dry, so moisturizing well beforehand is important if your skin is on the dry side. Other than that, I love them- they’re long-lasting and very natural-looking, which I LOVE when it comes to concealing/contouring/highlighting.

More lip products I’ve been loving: MAC’s lipstick in Diva and Givenchy’s Givenchy Gloss Interdit Vinyl lip glosses.* Well, not much to say about MAC lipsticks, as they’re among some of my most-loved lip products, Diva is a stunning shade for this time of year. Givenchy’s Gloss Interdit Vinyl Glosses* are SO lovely. The most important part, especially when it comes to lip glosses, is that these do not feel sticky when applied and are pretty long-lasting. There are three shades in the collection that react with your skin’s pH to create a unique shade; #01 Rose Revelatr, #03 Electric Pink Révélateur and #16 Noir Revelatr.

Here’s an oldie, but a goodie: MAC’s Strobe Cream (I have it in Pinklite, which is the same as the original Strobe Cream). I used to go through TUBES of this stuff and I forgot how much I loved it. I actually use it even when I don’t wear makeup, because it leaves my skin feeling and looking amazing, whenever it feels a bit dull. It works just as well when used under makeup; it’s hydrating adds a beautiful glow and can be mixed with your foundation for a more sheer look/finish.

Maybelline always kills it in the mascara department, and the new Total Temptation Mascara is no exception. LOVE the brush on this mascara, it also smells very nice, which is a bit unusual for a mascara (some of them seriously stink). If you like a nice, natural-looking volume when it comes to your lashes, you will really like this one. I love that it’s not clumpy and it doesn’t leave my lashes feeling all thick, heavy and sticky- they just look soft and fluffy.

If you’ve been keeping up with my beauty posts, then you know that I’ve been loving Dior’s Airflash foundation. Two other base products I’ve been reaching for non-stop are L’Oreal’s True Match foundation and Urban Decay’s One and Done Hybrid Foundation. Both are great for everyday use and have a very nice, natural finish with light-medium coverage and are very easy to work with. They’re both perfect to use as a base whenever you’re short on time or just feel a bit lazy.

There aren’t too many beauty products that I tend to stay away from, but I’m not too big on blush. Yes, I own quite a few blush/cheek products, but I always prefer natural-looking tones and finishes. Anyone who has deep acne scars on their cheeks will understand the struggle. I pick up the Liquid Blush in Luster from Nars which is a sheer, golden apricot shade and well… it’s a keeper. It blends beautifully, it’s very easy to sheer it out, although I do think that this shade, in particular, will work much better for me in spring.

I am a huge fan of the pump packaging, but you do have to be careful when placing your cap- I actually had the pump come off and the product leaked all over my makeup bag. Not sure if I got a dud, or if all of them are like this. Either way, the product itself is beautiful and plays nice with most foundations.

Swatch party! From left to right: MAC’s Strobe Cream in Pinklite, NARS Liquid Blush in Luster, Givenchy Gloss Interdit Vinyl in #12 Rouge Thriller, #09 Crazy In Rose, #16 Noir Revelatr, MAC lipstick in Diva, Glossier Generation G in Zip, Nars Powermatte Lip Pigment in Paint it Black (how stunning is it!?) and Fenty Beauty Match Stix Trio in Light: Amber, Linen and Starstruck. Also, I just have to mention that using my Canon M100 for taking swatch photos is SO much easier than working with my beloved DSLR- if you’re a beauty blogger who takes a ton of swatches, you’d love it!

What are some of the products that you guys loved reaching for in January?

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