LAUNCH & REVIEW: MAC Rocky Horror Picture Show Lipsticks – Strange Journey, Oblivion & Frank-N-Furter

HEY EVERYONE! How did you spend your Halloween? 😀

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Mine was nothing short of extraordinary because for the first time in my life (I think), I actually headed out on the actual day of Halloween! Mind you, I’m living in a country where Halloween isn’t largely celebrated. The only places where you’d find people dressed up for the occasion are clubs which I hardly frequent so yes, Halloween is usually stay-home day for me (as the city area would be crowded with people who want to soak up the atmosphere and gosh, I’m totally not a crowd person).

But this year was an exception because MAC Singapore decided to launch something I wanted SO MUCH on 31 October! Yes, you’ve seen the title (that’s why you’re here, right?). It was the launch of the Rocky Horror Picture Show collection which was snapped up online in minutes! I was this close to buying the lipsticks off eBay. Have you seen the prices?!? They are MADNESS.

Thank goodness I didn’t have to fork out so much money in the end since the collection was gonna be launched here! In fact I didn’t know it was coming to Singapore so I was really surprised at the news! Yet excited at the same time!

Excited partly because it was launched at Sephora ION (the only MAC store in Singapore under the umbrella of Sephora) which meant that I could use my Black card AND my 10% discount coupon which I hadn’t redeemed! Yay to cheaper prices!

Anyway, back to the launch event. I’m so proud to say that I went alone 😉

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COBWEBS!!

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So cute the pumpkin =^_^=

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Featuring the Viva Glam collection!

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Finger food served!

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Bloody beverage! Champagne was served too! The partehhh is on!

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Trick or treat?

I was approached by this nice lady and she asked me to choose between trick and treat. Since I’m sucha fun person, I went for trick! And this was her question:

Who won the skeleton beauty contest?

(Don’t cheat! Don’t Google for the answer! I will reveal the answer at the end of this post hehe)

It was a launch-cum-Halloween party at Sephora ION so some shoppers came with a scary getup. The event started at 6.30pm (also to cater to working adults since it was a weekday) but I was there a few minutes early to beat the crowd. When I was there, the products were not displayed yet so I browsed around Sephora and saw a tarot card reader stationed at one corner of MAC. She invited me to take a seat at the table and proceeded to read my 8 chosen cards. Ooh my first tarot card reading. How exciting!

I had to identify an aspect of my life to discuss about for the session. Among relationship, career and health, I picked the last one. I was told that I needed more vitamin D (more exposure to the Sun) and water in my body lol. I don’t deny the latter because I don’t have the habit of drinking a lot of water everyday. But I run a lot under the hot sun (that I got so tanned) so I wonder why I’m still deficient in vitamin D. Oh wells! But she did mention that I was healthy in general. Teehee!

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I wasn’t allowed to take my reading 😦

Came 6.30pm, and every product under the Rocky Horror Picture Show collection was revealed at the counter!

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Not the complete set (as you can see from the holes) as some shoppers took some of the display items away haha.

I was there at the launch for the lipsticks, but after swatching the lip pencil (Vino) on my hand, I kinda wanted it too 🙄

Like the online launch, Frank-N-Furter was held back at time of launch. It was only released after the Halloween-theme beauty demo by Senior Artist Beno Lim. Of course, if you were there early, you could request the reservation of the lipstick and then collect it from the sales representation whom you spoke to after the demo. While waiting for Frank-N-Furter to be made available, I already had Strange Journey and Oblivion in my hands. I didn’t get Sin because I already have it albeit in its regular packaging (which makes me wonder why people bought Sin from this collection instead? It’s like US$1.50/S$3 more :\ )

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SA Beno Lim doing his magic, shading the model’s eyes with the dark shades of Riff-Raff.

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Then applying glitter at the corner of her eyes. He also used the same product to highlight her face.

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Rocky Horror Glitter

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Frank-N-Furter x Vino. SO PREETZ

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Final look!

And now, the part you’ve been waiting for!

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Official lipstick swatch

The Rocky Horror Picture Show collection consists of an eyeshadow palette (in Riff-Raff), a pair of falsies (Rocky Horror 7 Lash), mascara (Zoom Fast Black Lash), eye liner (Superslick Liquid Eye Liner), Chromagraphic Pencil (in Basic Red & Basic Black), Greasepaint Stick (in B & Black), lip pencil (in Vino), lipstick (as shown above), set powder (in Invisible), Sculpt and Shape Powder (in Bone Beige/Emphasize), powder blush (in Crazed Imagination), glitter (in Gold & 3D Black), pigment (in It’s Not Easy Having a Good Time) and nail lacquer (in Bad Fairy & Formidable). A pretty huge collection as you can see!

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Adorbs packaging!

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Seeing red. I love the lipstic tube! It’s so nice to touch hahaha.

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*screams*

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So cool! Art inside the box! 🙂

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My swatch! I bought Sin a few months back. You could check out my short review of Sin here!

Time for individual reviews!

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Strange Journey is a yellowish brick red with Matte finish (US$17.50 / S$33)

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Ok since this is Halloween themed, let me put on my sinister look *huehuehue*

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Just kidding. I’m FRIENDLY!!

Note to self: natural lighting at 5.30pm is the best.

I really think MAC “improved” the formula for their Matte lipsticks because they feel much more moist now and hence my lips look less opaque. I don’t know what to feel about this change because I really liked the dryness of Matte finish even though my lips do feel more hydrated now haha. But it doesn’t seem to last as long already.

For those who couldn’t get Strange Journey when it was launched, don’t worry. Lady Danger (permanent shade) is similar to this! I’ll show you some swatches in awhile.

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Oblivion is a vivid blushred with Amplified finish (US$17.50 / S$33)

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Applying Oblivion is like smacking strawberry jam onto your lips – just look at how creamy and PINK it is! It also gives a subtle shine for healthier and more hydrated-looking lips. Also not forgetting that it offers such great colour payoff. I LOVE IT. It’s such a kissable shade (but Bf wouldn’t let me kiss him with this obviously! Haha).

Likewise, quite a few dupes for this shade (also from MAC, but cheaper!) so no worries if you didn’t manage to cart this out!

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Frank-N-Furter is a deep raspberry wine with Matte finish (US$17.50 / S$33)

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Constiderpation face hawhawhaw

This lipstick… it was the last to be released but first to be gone! But I totally understand why this is the most anticipated lipstick shade for this collection because everyone likes Russian Red. And if you like Russian Red, you’re so gonna like this as well. However, I thought Russian Red was a little too red for me but this one works because it has slight blue undertone hence it’s a bit darker (dark lipsticks are my drugggg). Besides it being so gorgeous, it also creates an illusion of pouty lips à la Angelina Jolie! Plus it is MATTE! So what’s there not to love about this shade?!

Let’s now compare the above lipsticks with some permanent shades from MAC!

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I hope my forearm was longer so that I could do more swatches!

In summary, Strange Journey is pretty close to Lady Danger and Chili. If you already have Viva Glam Rihanna, you can do without Oblivion. Otherwise if you don’t have either of them, Brave Red is a good alternative too! And lastly, don’t bother paying so much for an overpriced Frank-N-Furter because you can get Russian Red at a much lower rate.

But I know.. we beautyholics have a common issue. We have poor self-control when it comes to buying makeup. HA!

Alright, that’s all for this post! Were you one of the lucky few to grab one of these lipsticks? Let me know your thoughts about your purchase in the comments below!

So who won the beauty contest? NO BODY. Get it? Nobody. Hehehe.

Thanks for reading! ❤

REVIEW: MAC The Matte Lip Lipsticks – Fashion Revival, Pander Me, Styled in Sepia & Living Legend

Oh hey, I’m back with another lipstick haul from… *drums roll* yah, yah, you know it. From MAC website.

And I swear MAC knows that I’m lusting over their lipsticks because they’ve been releasing a lot of gorgeous ones lately and yes, I’m talking about those from the Rocky Horror collection which literally ran out within MINUTES. Needless to say, I failed to lay my hands on them (ugh, I’d have gotten everything except for Sin, which I already have, goddammit) because of timezone difference and.. I didn’t know it was so highly anticipated hence I didn’t stalk the site. Now, probably to make up for my loss *boohoo*, they have decided to release a lipstick collection entirely in Matte finish.

ASDFGHJKLKKJHGSQER please gimme a moment while I hyperventilate.

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I freakin’ love Matte lipsticks in case you don’t already know. Satin ranks second, followed by Amplified – if you’re talking about just MAC. But yes, regardless of the brand, I’d always pick the Matte one from the lot. Because it stays much longer, gives nicer and fuller lips and I feel that my face doesn’t need additional shine for now, no thanks to my oily complexion.

What’s more, there are quite a number of dark shades in this collection! WHUT WHUTTT.

Singaporeans! Find out how to buy from maccosmetics.com here!

For this collection, everything is limited edition with the exception of Heroine. “Limited Edition” is such a dangerous marketing phrase for shopaholics like myself. Use it on my favourite cosmetic brands and you’ll have my moolahs.

At this point I realise that I’ve gone too crazy on the caps lock, bold and italic buttons. I apologise if I sound like an emotionally unstable adolescent girl.

The Matte Lip, as its name implies, is a collection of lip products and blush to go with the look. Lipstick shades for this collection are Styled in Sepia, Pander Me, Nouvelle Vogue, Damn Glamorous, La Vie En Rouge, Fashion Revival, Living Legend and Heroine. Nonconformists or those who feel that lipsticks wear off too easily can opt for lip pencils (Pro Longwear Lip Pencils in Etcetera, Staunchly Stylish, Trust in Red, Fashion Boost, Absolutely It and Bespoken For). Blush (Pro Longwear Blush in I’m a Lover, Fleeting Romance and Make You Mine) is limited edition too.

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Official swatch. For the record, the other shades apart from those reviewed here are Nouvelle Vouge (soft blue pink), Damn Glamorous (bright pink red), Heroine (bright purple) and La Vie En Rouge (bright orange coral).

For this entry, I will just be reviewing my purchases which are mainly from the lipstick section! Four lippies in total! Oh boy oh boy.. 😀

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From left: Fashion Revival, Pander Me, Styled in Sepia & Living Legend

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Fashion Revival is a deep raspberry with Matte finish (US$16).

Fashion Revival is a deep raspberry with Matte finish (US$16 / S$30).

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Having a déjà vu feeling? If this reminds you of Rebel, high five! This is slightly more saturated though and I will do a comparison with other similar shades (from MAC) in awhile. It’s a really gorgeous shade of purple nonetheless.

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Pander Me is a soft peachy mocha with Matte finish (US$16).

Pander Me is a soft peachy mocha with Matte finish (US$16 / S$30).

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Hair got into my mouth -_-

One word: PERFECT (and how often do I compliment nude shades?) Basically this has become my new HOLY GRAIL MLBB lipstick because I’ve been wearing it out since taking this photo (which usually is when I first try new lipsticks, to be more objective in my critic). I think it exudes a kind of sweet femininity and makes me look good! I feel that it’d look gorgeous on fair skin 😉 A highly recommended buy!

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Styled in Sepia is a dirty cement beige Matte finish (US$16).

Styled in Sepia is a dirty cement beige with Matte finish (US$16 / S$30).

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I’m not sure about other girls but I’m a clean freak. That did not stop me from getting Styled in Sepia though! This shade, despite its intriguing yet unpleasant description (“dirty cement beige”), is probably the only one “dirty” thing that we wouldn’t mind putting on our face. It’s a very unique colour and I feel that it’s a the Matte version of Icon (review here) which is great because I didn’t like Icon that much due to the excessive shimmers.

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A comparison between Styled in Sepia, Pander Me and other nude shades that I could find at home! All of them are from MAC.

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Living Legend is a deep plum with Matte finish (US16).

Living Legend is a deep plum with Matte finish (US16 / S$30).

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Yay! Another nice dark shade to choose from on days I decide to go vampy. It’s a very nice deep plum, doncha think?

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Living Legend, Fashion Revival against the other shades of purple that I could find at home! All of them are from MAC.

And from the above comparison, you can clearly see the stark similarity between Living Legend and Sin. Fashion Revival, on the other hand, is like a twin of Rebel.

This collection carries quite a number of new shades that are very much alike to existing ones, with the exception of Pander Me, of course! Hence it wouldn’t be much of a big deal if these get pulled off the shelves because similar alternatives are readily available on the web and at your nearest brick and mortar MAC store. Fashion Revival is already sold out online the last time I checked. And most of the shades are already gone in MAC outlets 😦

OK, that’s all from me for this collection! Did you buy anything this time? What are your thoughts? 🙂

Thanks for reading ladies! ❤

The Matte Lip is still available on maccosmetics.com and also in Singapore MAC stores for a limited time.

FAVOURITES: 10 MLBB Lipsticks

Hello ladies!

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I’m back with the second instalment of a series of (hopefully) four of my FAVOURITE types of lipsticks! Have you checked out my first FAVOURITE post on dark lipsticks yet? If you haven’t, head on down here!

Also check out what made it to my top Red lipsticks list!

As the title mentions, I’ll be talking about my favourite MLBB lipsticks! MLBB, for the record, stands for “My Lips But Better” and such lipstick shades not only complements your lips, but they also enhances your natural lip colour. Hence, these shades usually come in nude hues that are not too eye-catching – perfect for professions like teachers who cannot wear heavy makeup to work. As a part-time tutor, I also have to go easy on my makeup or else my students would be distracted by my face, so I stock up on a lot of MLBB lipsticks from various brands! Here are some of my personal favourites from my own stash.

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An overview of the 10 lipsticks I’m about the feature! Can you identify any one of them? 🙂

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Clean lips to show my natural lip colour

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The first four: (left to right) Anna Sui in 301, MAC in Cosmo, MAC in Kinda Sexy and MAC in Ravishing

1. Anna Sui in 301

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Anna Sui #301 is described as a coral pink shade. It has very fine shimmer that reflects a little light.

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It has a very creamy and glossy texture! One of my favourite pink lipsticks as well 🙂 Plus it’s scented! And the packaging is really intricate, just like any other Anna Sui products.

2. MAC in COSMO

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Cosmo is a dark beige amplified finish lipstick with pink undertones

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MAC’s Cosmo is officially my HG (Holy Grail) lipstick! It really enhances my lip colour and makes me look fresher in general. Some nude lipsticks completely wash me out but this doesn’t at all. The creamy texture of the lipstick glides onto my lips really well and leaves them looking hydrated at all times!

Singaporeans! Find out how to buy from maccosmetics.com here!

3. MAC in KINDA SEXY

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Kinda Sexy is a beige-pink lip colour with matte finish. It is like a lighter version of Cosmo.

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Another top favourite of mine! Actually I’m a huge fan of matte lipsticks because they tend to be more long-lasting. Plus, I love the “dry” effect on my lips (think Angelina Jolie).

4. MAC in RAVISHING

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Ravishing is a clean light peach coral with Cremesheen finish.

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I honestly think Ravishing is a good shade for fair to medium skin tones (Asians) because of its orange undertones. If you are looking to find a shade that is not too flamboyant, this is worth considering!

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The next three: (left to right) Benefit Hydra-Smooth Lip Color in Juicy Details,Rouge Dior Nude Lip Blush in Ingénue #418, Guerlain Romance (601) Rouge Automatique Lipstick

5. Benefit Hydra-Smooth Lip Colour in JUICY DETAILS

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Juicy Details is described by Benefit as a natural pink shade. It has a sheer finish.

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I used to wear this everyday to work back in those days when I was working at Love, Bonito. It’s a very flattering colour and makes your lips look very moisturised! But due to its sheer finish, it never stays beyond two hours and I had to keep reapplying.

6. Rouge Dior Nude Lip Blush in INGÉNUE #418

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(Pardon my unintentional crossed eyes) Ingénue #418 is a peach-coloured lipstick with pink undertones. I’d say it has a glossy-matte finish.

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Ingénue #418 is the closest to my natural lip colour and it’s perfect for days which I have flaky and dull lips. Being one who doesn’t use lip balm, this is the shade I reach for to cover up the flaws and at the same time, giving back my lips the healthy colour. However the price tag (more than S$40 I think) for this is rather hefty!

7. Guerlain Rouge Automatique Lipstick in ROMANCE (601)

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The limited edition 601 Romance is a “softened, light-medium pink with very subtle, warm undertones and a soft, frosted finish comprised of pink and white shimmer.” (Temptalia)

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It may be a little too frosty to some but I feel otherwise even though I mostly shun MAC’s Frost finish lipsticks. This has the right amount of “frost” and that hint of purple just makes the colour stand out even more. Also worth mentioning is the packaging of the lipstick. The bullet appears from a tube when you push down the slider! How cool!

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The last three: Urban Decay Revolution Lipstick in Protest, Fiend and Naked

8. Urban Decay Revolution Lipstick in PROTEST

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Protest is a sheer peachy nude with brown undertones.

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Also one of my go-to lipsticks when I’m heading out to tutor my little kids! I know I’ve said this many times but Urban Decay Revolution Lipstick line is MY FAVOURITE (MAC comes second) because of its high pigment.

9. Urban Decay Revolution Lipstick in FIEND

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Fiend is a muted rose, a medium rosy pink shade.

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10. Urban Decay Revolution Lipstick in NAKED

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Naked is a sheer nude pink, a perfect nude with light pink undertones

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A dork face to end this post! Naked is another perfect nude shade that gives you supple-looking baby lips.

My boyfriend, well-known for disliking dark lipsticks, would be very elated to know about the existent of this post. Haha!

Anyway, what do you guys think? Which colour suits me best? 🙂

I’m actually planning to try out more MLBB lipsticks but I’m more familiar with brands like MAC and Urban Decay so if you guys have recommendations from other brands, do let me know in the comments below!

Thanks for reading! ❤