Happy Caturday Poll and February Favorites

  Happy Caturday, all!!  I don't really tend to purchase a ton of makeup during any given month, and my polish buying has really tapered off, too, but I kind of went a little crazy during February (for me, anyway, lol).  So, I thought I'd tell you what I've really been enjoying this month (reviews imminent!).

Battle of the Matte Red Lippies!!

  Hi everyone!!  One of my new year's resolutions was to start trying a little harder to look put together.  It's been a wonderful thing to feel free enough to show up any and everywhere sans makeup and there's a lot to be said, I think, for feeling comfortable, beautiful, even (though I never really got that far, lol) just as you are.  But, I've felt ready to step it up a little and have some fun with color again.  Besides, I was starting to really miss my red lips.

MAC Ruby Woo

Happy Sunday, friends!!
It's recently come to my attention that every self-respecting red lippy lover ought to have the iconic MAC Ruby Woo in his or her lineup.  Three nights ago I'm pretty sure I had a dream about it, and the next morning, I left for work early so I could stop by Nordstrom and pick myself up a tube.

Apparently MAC lipsticks are quite beloved, as are MAC products in general?  I dunno.  I've always stayed away because the counter is super crowded whenever I've gone in.  This Ruby Woo is supposed to be a perfect for all skintones retro matte blue-red (see packaging, lol), and I've been on the lookout for a red lippy that's matte on its own (no blotting/reapplying, lather, rinse, repeat, etc.).  Matte apparently equals not creamy at all, and this neither looks creamy nor feels it going on.  In fact, it's a rather pain in the neck little lipstick, but if you do it right and have a little patience with it, it looks pretty amazing.

 

First, because this stuff is so matte, you'll need to exfoliate your lips before applying, every time (I'm good with a dampened tip of a washrag).  Lining is necessary, as with 99.9% of reds.  I use a clear liner, which simply acts as a shield to prevent bleeding.  I generally don't like applying balm under my reds because it tends to sheer out the color.  Balm is perfectly acceptable and even advisable here-- I like the EOS balms because they provide good moisturization with minimal shine and greasiness.  Ruby Woo will absorb it anyway, but it helps the color to glide on a little more smoothly.  This lipstick is very dry.  The dryness makes precise application straight from the tube a little difficult and I'd recommend a lip brush to line your lips after you've done your base liner (in fact, I'm officially in the market for a good lip brush, incidentally, lol).  Be careful with touchups, as well-- too many layers of this will cause the pigments to glom together and look cakey, in which event, you'll need to start fresh over with your application.

Boromir gets it.

Did I mention it's vanilla scented?  I'm honestly not sure how much I'll be reaching for this one.  It's totally novel right now and the matte looks deliciously pinup, but it is so. high. maintenance.

Here are my pros and cons.

Pros

• I LOVE the finish.  It's pinup perfection.
• The blue-red shade is flattering and easy to wear.
• The light vanilla scent is a nice touch.
• At $15, the price point for Ruby Woo is better than a lot of high end lipsticks.
• Ruby Woo is part of MAC's core collection and easy to find.

Cons

• This takes time, patience, and preparation to apply properly.
• The vanilla scent is a little too sweet some days (not a pro or a con, really, just kind of there). 

Thanks for reading and have a beautiful day! ♥