FINALLY – a dupe for Nars Orgasm!: A Sleek vs NARS Blush-Off!

Nars Orgasm may be the most iconic blush of all time. Blush-obsessed bloggers and makeup addicts alike devote a lot of time and money to achieving the perfect golden-tinted raspberry glow, and Orgasm is known all over the world for making that dream a reality. Unfortunately for us kiwis, here in little old New Zealand, access to some of the beautiful cult products made by Nars is somewhat limited.

Your best bet for buying Nars is to pay a visit to Mecca Cosmetica, where you can pick up the Beauty Blogger Holy Grail of Blushes, Nars Orgasm, for NZ$59.00. If you don’t have $59 to drop on a blush then fear not – today I swatched the closest thing I’ve found to Orgasm since Milani’s Rose D’Oro baked blush. Dare I say it – I think I like this blush better than Orgasm!

The dupe in question is by a brand you may already know a lot about – God knows I rave about their face form kits and eyeshadows. If anyone was going to make a high-quality, high pigment blush in a similar shade to a cult classic, it was naturally going to be Sleek.

The Sleek blush in Rose Gold is a beautiful strawberry colour with gold flecks through it similar to its famous Nars counterpart. The camera wasn’t picking up the gold but I can assure you – it is AMAZING. You might also have noticed that the Sleek packaging doesn’t pick up as much crap on the outside as the Nars packaging does, which is another bonus.

The real magic happens inside the package – can you tell which is the cult classic and which is the Sleek version? You might be surprised at which is which. The first slighty-more-pigmented swatch closest to my watch took only a couple of rather enthusiastic swipes to achieve. The colour was smooth and buttery and the pigment was gorgeous.

The second swatch closer to my sleeve took a lot more work to achieve, and I had to really swatch it a few times to get even the most natural pale flush of pink going on. The shimmer was also slightly less and overall the product seems to have been designed with the average girl in mind. It would be easier to get a natural look with this product as it would be very hard to overdo it. With the first product, you’ll get a natural look first swipe rather than after the thirty-second.

Are you surprised, dear reader? I know I was. I much prefer the Sleek blush. The gold is much gold-er and the pigment is much better than the Nars equivalent. I’d also like to add that at only NZ$14, the Sleek Rose Gold blush is a whopping $45 cheaper than its Nars counterpart!

Overall, I’d definitely recommend you skip the Orgasm (!!!) and go straight to Sleek. The Sleek colour is more pigmented, has impressive staying power, and is well-packaged. It’s also a much better price than the Nars blush and for that alone I’d recommend it over the latter!

Have you guys swatched Sleek Rose Gold or Nars Orgasm? Which do you prefer? Let me know in the comments!

Review: Ulta3 Nail Polish in Sizzling Red

As you may recall, the fantastic people at the Heat Group sent me a few wee goodies to try out. This Ulta3 nail polish in sizzling red was one of them, along with a couple of other Ulta3 colours. These babies can be picked up at Countdown & Postie Plus across New Zealand for a very low sum indeed!

I applied this polish over the top of the OPI Natural Base Coat (base coats are important mmmkay) and was pleasantly suprised. Because these Ulta3 polishes are so low-cost, I wasn’t expecting them to apply as well as this one did.

This red polish in the pictures only took ONE COAT. No waiting awkwardly to dry in-between coats. No polish transparency. Just beautiful, rich, red colour. I wore this for a few days before it chipped too! I accented this one with the glittery silver MUD nail polish in Pixie Dust, which I reviewed here. It is fast becoming a favourite.

Overall, I was impressed with the quality of the Ulta3 polish. It’s nice to have a good red in my repetoire, and after trying the MUD polishes as well, I’m beginning to think that it is possible to get good nail polish in this country without spending at least $15 on a bottle.

Would you guys like to see more of my nail designs? Have you tried the Ulta3 Polishes? Let me know in the comments!

Article & Review: MUD Lipstick in Ravishing Red vs MAC Ruby Woo

Today I’ve got another face off for you. Just like I put Wet N Wild’s Sugar Plum Fairy up against MAC’s Rebel, today I’m setting the standard high by testing MUD lipstick in Ravishing Red against the cult classic Ruby Woo. The MUD lipstick was kindly sent to me by the lovely people at the Heat Group.

Although the MUD colour isn’t supposed to be a super close dupe of the MAC colour, I thought it would be good to compare the MUD colour to Ruby Woo to paint a good picture of how it stands up next to higher-end lipsticks in terms of pigment, application and quality.

In the tube, the colours look similar enough. The MAC product looks much sleeker and I’m not a huge fan of the MUD packaging, but it’s a lower-priced product so I suppose that is to be expected! The MUD range has recently been launched in Countdown stores across New Zealand.

Upon first swipe, I was pretty impressed with the MUD lipstick. It is definitely a much more gentle satin finish than the Ruby Woo, which is a super-matte, super-drying red so you have to moisturise a lot when you put it on.

While I think you’d have to reapply the MUD colour every couple of hours, the initial struggle to get it on isn’t there, so it’s not a huge drawback by any means. If your lips are sensitive or if you prefer a colour you can swipe on and walk out the door with, the MUD colour is definitely for you!

In terms of  pigment, the Ruby Woo reigns supreme. With matte lipsticks, pigment usually comes with the territory so the MUD lipstick (a satin) had a lot to live up to. Although the MUD lipstick isn’t as pigmented, for it is much easier to apply, and would be a great everyday lipstick that even a first-time-red-candidate would find easy to wear.

Overall, the MAC lipstick is a better quality, which was to be expected, but if you are looking for a lower-cost, easy to apply, not too intense, classic red lipstick that wears a few hours or so, the MUD lipstick is the one for you. All in all, I was very happy with the MUD red and will be wearing it tomorrow to work!

Have you tried the MUD lipsticks? What do you think of the MUD colour? Do you have a go-to red? Let me know in the comments!

Review: MAC Rebel vs Wet N Wild Sugar Plum Fairy

Urban Legend tells us that Wet N Wild’s Sugar Plum Fairy is a very close dupe for MAC’s ever-popular deep berry hued lipstick in Rebel.

Today I put this legend to the test to decide whether or not this is a myth or a reality. To start off the comparison, let’s take a look at the packaging. Both tubes have a classic black design, but the Wet N Wild packaging is of a much lower quality than the MAC packaging. I’ve seen so many Wet N Wild lipsticks become unstuck from their bases, and although this hasn’t happened to mine, it’s not something you ever have to worry about with MAC lipsticks. MAC wins this round.

In terms of pricing, the Wet N Wild lipstick was always going to come out on top. At US $2.75 from BeautyJoint, or NZ $9.00 from Cutie & Beautie, this lipstick is very reasonably priced and suits nearly everyone’s budget. The MAC lipstick on the other hand, is priced at US $16 from the MAC website, or NZ $40 from MAC counters in New Zealand. I’m quite happy to shell out US $16 for MAC, but $40 isn’t an ideal price for a lipstick!

Now let’s compare the colours – the swatch on the far left is the Wet N Wild Sugar Plum Fairy Lipstick and the Swatch on the right is MAC’s Rebel. The colours are so similar that it’s almost criminal. When I pulled this image up on Photoshop, there were a range of Pantone colours coming through in these two swatches but 7622c, 201c and 7427c kept consistently being identified in both.

Scientifically speaking then, yes – the colours are almost exactly the same, however there is one final test that the Wet N Wild lipstick has to endure.

Texture. I could probably get away without even bothering to tell you which is the higher-end lipstick and which is the dupe here because the close-up exposes the level of quality. Naturally, the swatch on the left is the Wet N Wild colour, and the swatch on the right is the MAC colour.

You can see from this picture that the MAC colour is of a much higher quality – the pigment is better, the application is smoother, and the finish is much more satin-looking than the patchy application of the Wet N Wild lipstick.

For me, this is enough to make the difference, and I’m a MAC convert all the way. The vanilla scent of the MAC lipstick combined with the quality and the packaging really tip the balance on this one, and although the colours are almost identical, the Wet N Wild lipstick is just not as good.

If I didn’t have the chance to pick up MAC’s Rebel, I wouldn’t be any wiser and would still love Sugar Plum Fairy just as much. Because of this, I would recommend the slightly pricier lipstick over the dupe any day, but I have to say that Sugar Plum Fairy still serves as an impressive dupe for the low-budget beauty addict.

Do you have any great suggestions for dupes? Would you buy Rebel or Sugar Plum Fairy? Let me know in the comments!

Top Five Make Up Must-Haves: High End vs Dupes

Going through the NZ Best in Beauty winners list over on the Make Up Obsessives blog, I got thinking about which items I owned, and which items I haven’t yet made the leap to. As a student, I’ve survived for many years on Bourjois, Rimmel, and Maybelline, and have recently discovered American drugstore brands like Elf and Wet N Wild.

As I become more and more obsessed with make up, I’m beginning to consider some of my basic every-day beauty items more essential than other things, so have begun to justify spending a little more on them. Today I thought I’d take a look at some of the top high-end beauty products and find some dupes for them.

I do not own all of these products, but to be honest I probably will have most of them by the end of the year. I’ve identified what I think are the best high-end products, and will compare them to what I think are reasonable dupes. Of course, I don’t think that the quality of the dupes will compare to the higher-end products.

Instead, I will attempt to provide a feasible “dupe” suggestion for lower-cost products. I would happily purchase both the dupes and the higher-end products, but in the end it comes down to personal preference. The Temptalia make up dupes finder is very handy, and I will use this as well as advice from other beauty bloggers and YouTubers in compiling this list.

1. Liquid Foundation

By all means, I’m no expert, but it seems to me that there are two stand-out products in the high-end category: Estee Lauder DoubleWear (naturally), and MAC Studio Fix Fluid. As you probably know (I won’t shut up about it), I own DoubleWear and it is my holy grail foundation. Nothing else that I have tried compares to DoubleWear, not in coverage, finish, texture or lasting power. Friends rave about MAC’s Studio Fix, and I’ve seen others use it and have perfect results.

The product that I think is the best dupe for these two is Revlon Colourstay. While I don’t like the mousse foundation, the liquid has some really rave reviews, like this one here. Personally, I’m going to stick with my Estee Lauder DoubleWear. I use lightweight foundations during the day, and save my DoubleWear for night. While I’d be keen to give the Colourstay a go, I like the little bit of luxury that Estee Lauder brings.

2. Blusher and Bronzer Duos

Let’s be honest. There’s really no question about it. Nars Laguna is the ultimate in bronzer. While The Balm’s Bahama Mama is probably pretty close, I think that Nars bronzer stands out as the leader, and you can purchase it in a duo with Nars Orgasm, which has got to be the most universally-known blush.

My pick of the blush/bronzer duo dupes is the “St Lucia” duo made by Elf. At $3 US, you’re not going to get anywhere near as much pigment, but you are going to get a pretty similar colour. I do own the St Lucia duo and I find it perfectly satisfactory for a natural, everyday look.

It lets me down in the evenings when I want deeper colour, but for day use it’s fine. I am coveting the Nars duo, and would much prefer that over the Elf dupe, but for now, Elf will do. I know that the colours look very different in the picture but the Elf one is nowhere near that fuschia under normal lighting – it’s much closer to the Nars colour.

3. Lipsticks

MAC is probably the world leader in long-wearing, well-formulated high-end lipsticks. There are higher-end lipsticks, like the YSL ones, and there are slightly lower-priced lipsticks that are just as good, like the Lime Crime Lipsticks. I’ve picked MAC as the high-end contender here though because I think it is universally recognised as the most popular high-end lipstick choice.

I love MAC lipsticks. I have five being shipped to my house right now, and I can never get over the range of colours, or the consistently good forumlas. They are quite long-wearing, most aren’t too drying, and they all smell amazing. However, at $40 a lipstick (at New Zealand MAC Counters, I buy mine from the MAC site instead), it is tempting to hunt for lower-cost alternatives.

This is where the dupe contender, Wet N Wild Mega Last Matte Lip Colour, comes in. Although I find this more drying than many of the MAC formulas, this drying aspect means that it lasts longer. While I hate the packaging, at $2-3 a lipstick, you really can’t go wrong. I buy these in their tens.

My favourite is Sugar Plum Fairy, and many of the Wet N Wild lipsticks are close dupes for other MAC and Lime Crime lipsticks. If you want to see what a similar colour in a high-end shade will look like on you before you purchase it, it’s a great idea to buy the Wet N Wild dupe first.

4. Pressed Powders

Unlike with other high-end products, I don’t think that there is an obvious contender for the best high-end pressed powder. I’ve gone with the MAC Select Sheer Pressed Powder here because of the many positive reviews. To be honest, there are probably others like the Laura Mercier or the Bobbi Brown, that are similar, or better. The dupe I’ve gone with today is the Rimmel Stay Matte Pressed Powder.

I have gone with this dupe because it is one I have heard many people rave about, and one that I own myself. Having used this, I cannot justify, and may never buy a different sheer cover pressed powder again. It is long-lasting, mattifying, oil-reducing, and possibly pore-reducing too.

It may even contain fairy dust. It is one of the best make up products I have ever used, and I will recommend it to everyone as long as I shall live. Best of all, this Rimmel powder is $9 NZ on ASOS, which means that it’s just as affordable as a takeaway meal.

5. Eyeshadows

There are so many famed high-end eyeshadow palettes it’s hard to narrow it down to just one. As a fair-skinned blonde and a fan of neutrals and golds, I was always going to go for Urban Decay’s Naked2 Palette. There’s the Lorac Pro Palette that I’m coveting, and there’s the numerous MAC eyeshadows that I’m lusting after, but I think that in the end, this will be my everyday go-to favourite.

I’ve raved about it before, and I’ll rave about it again: every single shade is a perfect, high-pigment, wearable colour, and I can’t even begin to imagine how it could be any better.

There’s a similar situation happening in the dupes corner of the ring. There are the Chi Chi palettes, which I’ve heard amazing things about, and there are the NYX shadows. There are also the Elf baked shadows which are supposed to be very good. When it comes down to it though, we’re comparing the Urban Decay Naked2 palette, which is a selection of everyday neutrals that will work at night too.

Because we’re comparing with the Naked2, in my opinion, the Sleek i-divine Storm Palette emerges as a winner here in the dupes corner of the ring. The Sleek shadows are well-priced and buttery, with good pigment for the price. I’m sure that many will disagree with me, but I think that the Sleek palette is one of the best low-cost multi-tasking palettes for everyday wear.

Despite this, I will continue to purchase the Naked2 Palette, probably for the rest of my life. In this category, the high-end product is the winner.

Do you agree? What do you think are the best high-end products and which do you think are the best low-cost dupes?