Review: Maybelline Moisture Extreme Lipstick in Play Peach

I'm usually more of a Mac or Topshop girl when it comes to lipsticks, but a month or two ago I was browsing a bit more locally, in search of the perfect Spring peach lipstick, when I stumbled upon the Maybelline Moisture Extreme Matte Lipstick in the shade Peach Play. Obviously with Maybelline's reasonable prices I didn't hesitate to pick it up, and having already tried and enjoyed one of the normal Moisture Extreme formulations in Sugar Plum (a lovely warm nude) I was intrigued to see how this one would measure up.

From the very first application it was love. Although I'd originally been after more of a pastel, nudey peach, the moment I swiped this on my lips I knew that it would become one of my most reached for lipsticks as we head into Spring and Summer. It's a bright, vibrant peach, quite orange but with a hint of pinky red which makes it far more wearable for those of you with paler skin, or anyone who is a little bit nervous about going for anything too full-on. It's just such a flattering colour and really warms up my face when I have it on. It makes me think of juicy fruit and refreshing summery cocktails,and in my eyes that can only be a good thing!

Wear-wise, it definitely stays put a bit longer than the normal formulation, and was still going strong after I'd had my morning cuppa today. Obviously it does start to fade a bit more if you're a constant water-guzzler like me, but it does so pretty evenly so you're not left with any patchiness. Saying that, being matte it's not the most forgiving when it comes to dry patches on the lips, so a good exfoliation beforehand is definitely in order.

Over all, a really lovely lip colour that's perfect for sunny days, and one that has firmly secured it's place in my makeup bag.

What are your must-haves lip products for Spring?

xx

Spring Oranges and Corals

I'm definitely the kind of person who begins to feel dismayed when the colder months roll in and I slowly but surely find myself having to put away my corals and oranges and make way for darker Winter hues. It's definitely the dominant family of colours in my makeup collection, from lipsticks to blushes to nail polishes, and now that Spring has technically sprung I've been quick to make the most with a bright pop of colour on my lips.

Today I'm sharing with you my favourite coral and orange lip colours for Spring/Summer, and I've also thrown in a few of my favourite nail polishes, in-keeping with the colour scheme, to boot.

Revlon Just Bitten Kissable Balm Stain in Rendezvous

Already reviewed on my blog here, I rushed out to get this upon it's release last year, and it fast became - even until today - my most-used lip product. It's a gorgeous bright orange which comes in a tinted balm form, meaning it is fairly sheer, but in spite of this it's quite highly pigmented and easy to build for a bolder look.

I just love how moisturising these are, and easy to reapply on the go. The chunky crayons come complete with a metal twisty bit (the right name for this desserts me), making it simple to wind up when your product starts to get a bit low - no sharpening required. 

Topshop Lips in Infrared

Another Lip colour I picked up last year, initially I wasn't sure that this one suited me, finding it a bit too bright against my pale complexion and worrying that it only emphasised my lack of healthy glow. Fast-forward to this year, and it's been on my lips a lot - I think I've got a bit more colour in my cheeks at the moment, and am now finding it really flattering. For me, the shade is really similar to Rendezvous (above), but being a lipstick it's more highly pigmented and is great for those days where you want a really bright pop of colour on your lips.

This one featured in my Lipsticks I Can't Live Without last Summer :)

Maybelline Moisture Extreme Lipstick in Cool Watermelon

Moving on to the more pink-based corals, this one is the brightest of the bunch, and comes across as almost neon in photos. It's such a moisturising shade, which is just what I want in warmer weather - no chalky, heavy lip products for me. The only downside with this one is that wear-time is not great, but it's such a gorgeous colour that I can forgive it.

Maybelline Moisture Extreme Matte in Play Peach

The newest addition to this little selection, this one is now a staple in my makeup routine. It's an orangey-pink coral (not so much of a peach, as the name might suggest) and is such a flattering, easy to wear shade - a good one to go for if you're new to corals and not sure where to start. Being matte, you do need to make sure your lips are well exfoliated before application, but this has a really good wear time and is still going strong after eating and drinking (I don't know about you, but that's a rarity for me). Although it's matte, it's still fairly moisturising and feels quite comfortable on the lips - you can't even tell it's there.

Mac Vegas Volt

And last but definitely not least comes this little beauty, which was actually the first Mac lipstick I ever purchased. It's really similar to Peach Play (above), leaning ever so slightly more orange, and is definitely my favourite formulation. Being an Amplified Creme it's very creamy and moisturising, though it does stay put pretty well. In my eyes, you can't really go wrong with a Mac lipstick, and this is by far my most-loved for Spring and Summer.

Again, you can find this in my Lipsticks I Can't Live Without post from last Summer.

L-R: Revlon Just Bitten Kissable Balm Stain in Rendezvous, Topshop Lips in Infrared, Maybelline Moisture Extreme in Cool Watermelon, Maybelline Moisture Extreme Matte in Play Peach, Mac Vegas Volt

The nail polishes photographed are Miss Sporty in shade 326, Revlon Nail Enamel in Make Mine Mango (shade 920) and Essie Risky Business.

Will you be braving corals this Spring/Summer? Or if you're already a fan, what are your favourite shades?

Hope everyone is having a great week so far.

xx

Maybelline Moisture Extreme Lipstick: Sugar Plum

I am not usually one for nude lipsticks. Or at least I wasn't, until recently. I have been really enjoying using lovely bright corals and fuchsias throughout the 'summer' months, but I was beginning to get a little bit tired of the maintenance they require throughout the day. I kept seeing people wearing lovely nude lipsticks across the blogosphere, so I decided that now might be the time to give them another try, having been put off by the infamous 'corpse effect' on my last couple of attempts.

I didn't want to splash out a huge amount on a lipstick I might not like, so I went for Maybelline's Moisture Extreme Collagen Lipstick in the shade Sugar Plum. I actually picked this up abroad, hence the name being slightly different on the tube (over there it's called Hydra Extreme).

Sugar Plum is a moisturising pinky-nude shade with a glossy finish. It is not hugely pigmented or buildable, leaving a sheer veil of colour on the lips, and is a really wearable shade. It doesn't seem to create the afore-mentioned corpse effect at all, though the colour doesn't apply all that evenly and may require going over a couple of times, as it is quite slippery.

It's not quite as pink as it appears in the swatch here, but it is a lovely every-day lip colour, especially on those days when you want a 'my-lips-but-better' look, without having to worry about how perfectly you have applied it, as you do with bright shades.

Wear time is really not great here though, I have to admit. The slippery consistency means that it slides of the lips in an instant, and despite the moisturising formula, it will still show up any dry or flakey patches if you haven't exfoliated your lips well beforehand. 

Do you ever wear nude lipsticks?

What's your favourite brand and shade?

xx