Red Lip Classic

Let it be known that I love a bold coloured lip. Let it also be known that I love eating, and talking, and kissing, which are all inconducive to the staying power of said bright lips. More often than not, I apply my lipstick in the morning, only to have it wasted all over my first cup of coffee, or smeared about my face by mid-morning — and I can't be the only one.

So after much trial and error, as well as — let's face it — my penchant for buying far too many lipsticks, I have consolidated my go-to collection of lip products when I want the colour to last all (work) day. 

I’m sticking to red lip products, because red is bold, powerful and classic, and you should have at least one great red lipstick in your make up arsenal, because you never know, right? All of the lower-end variety, because that is my jam (and price range).

NYX Matte Lipstick - Perfect Red

Matte lipsticks are generally more long-lasting than their high shine companions, but since they are lack moisturising agents, they also get pretty uncomfortable to wear, fast. However, NYX’s Matte Lipstick magically skips that gross feeling and goes straight to being extremely pigmented and long-lasting. Also, it’s hella cheap, so you can’t go wrong.

Special mention: NYX Retractable Lipliner - RED 

Because it's a pencil, NYX's lipliner is super easy to put on. It’s also waterproof, stays on the lips, and is retractable, so you don't need to fuss with a pencil sharpener. It's a lazy person's dream. Though you might want to pair it with a little gloss, or even your favourite moisturising red lipstick (this is a lip pencil, after all) because it does tend to get a little dry after a while.

Rimmel Provocalips - Play with Fire

While I am not a huge fan of the two step colour/gloss combo, I decided to give Provocalips a try — it was on sale after all, and I had heard good things. Play with Fire is the darker of the reds, blue-based and super flattering for my skin tone. I recommend applying the colour onto a clean lip canvas: wipe off any balm or gloss you may have on, because the product is going to slide right off. It dries kind of uncomfortably sticky, but that’s when the gloss swoops in and makes your lips feel like normal again. Also it makes everything shiny.

Special mention: Rimmel Apocalips Lip Lacquer - Apocaliptic

The predecessor to Provocalips, this is Rimmel’s version of the lipstick/lipgloss hybrid that was so popular a few years ago. The Apocalips line is crazy pigmented and similarly, it transfers like crazy. But I’ve noticed that even though I’ve left a trail of lip stains all over my coffee cups, spoons, and tissues, there’s still enough product on my lips to say “nope, haven’t eaten a goddamn thing”. So it’s obviously magic.

Revlon Colorburst Matte Balm - Standout

Again with the matte! But I’m slightly addicted to the Revlon chubby stick rip-offs, so I have them in several colours and finishes, and I’ve found that they all have quite good staying power. Some of the glossier original balms fade to a nice stain, which is really all I could ask for. Once though, I wore a combination of Romantic and Crush, then proceeded to eat my way through a fancy degustation menu. Right before dessert, I got up to use the bathroom and noticed that the colour had lasted all the food and wine. I was amazed. I was also possibly food-drunk (and regular drunk). But still, that’s how good the Revlon Colorburst balms are. 

I heard that Standout is a dupe for Revlon's Strawberry Suede lipstick, which is sadly now discontinued. So I highly recommend this particular colour, if you're into that.

Obviously, the trend in long-lasting lip products is a little bit of matte action. Everybody says you can extend the staying power of any lipstick by blotting, applying powder, reapplying, and continuing until you get the desired effect — 

but who even has the time? 

Nobody.

NEW IN 2014

The new year is coming up, and that's when I start to think about how much things have changed for me, and also how they've stayed the same. Right before I graduated university, one of my supervisors told me that it is always important to evaluate where you are in life every 12-18 months, to make sure that you are active and present and achieving your goals, rather than just going through the motions. So I like to use the marker of a new year to think about what the hell I'm doing with my life and try to put things in perspective.

My written reflections often include charts and graphs and long, emotional essays, but here I have kept it light and positive. I present to you a list of things that I first experienced and/or enjoyed in 2014.

SNAPCHAT
I signed up for snapchat this year, and really got into it. By that I mean I started following a bunch of people who use their Stories feed to record their day. It's like a non-commital daily vlog and I am totally into that. I am so into Stories that I watch them in bulk every day. Usually in the car after work. Often ignoring my partner, who is driving me home in said car. I'M A GREAT PERSON.

(If you know anyone who regularly uses their Snapchat Stories feed for interesting things, let me know!)

TELEVISION IRL

it's glamorous

I was an extra for a television show that will air sometime next year on ABC2. This mostly involved me standing around and yelling a bunch, but the important part was, I got to see how a proper set with a real budget and a professional crew works. Days were long, craft service was delicious, and I discovered the magic that is prop glass.

TRAVEL — JAPAN
I visited a new country! Japan! Specifically Tokyo, and only for a week — but still! There was a little bit of culture shock, and a language barrier to overcome, but it was still a fun and interesting time. We stayed in a small apartment in Shibuya, where I discovered how much I LOVE heated toilet seats. In theory warm toilet seats seemed kinda gross, but when you wake up in the middle of a winter's night to pee, the warmth is appreciated.

I also went to Disneyland for the first time ever, and learned that FastPass isn't a thing at Tokyo Disneyland¹, so long, snaking queues make up at least 50% of the crowds. If this is the case at other Disneylands, I'm not sure that it is the theme park for me. FASTPASS 4EVA.

TRAVEL — NEW ZEALAND
I also went to New Zealand for a couple of weeks. While I have visited Auckland before, Wellington and Rotorua were both new to me. It was a blur of Maori culture, sulphuric hot springs (as well as a curiously large number of Japanese tourists) and HOBBITON!

picturesque as fuck

ITUNES
I bought my first TV series on iTunes, the first step to my building a legitimate digital library. I bought The O.C. and have been watching it on my iPad. Now, I am fairly sure The O.C. was never popular amongst my friends when it was on air in 2003, and I am absolutely sure that no one I know is watching it now, but there are several reasons why I chose to buy The O.C.:

1. It was on sale in the 'Under $20' section of the iTunes store².
2. The whole show only ran for four seasons³, and if I am going to buy a television show, I am going to buy ALL of the television show⁴.
3. The O.C. is a great show! It is nostalgic for me, and still as watchable as it was ten years ago. Who dares deny Christmukkah?!

Some people I know have made fun of me for watching, let alone paying money to own The O.C., even ON MY BIRTHDAY, so I found out that my friends can sometimes be very cruel. But also I found out that I enjoy watching pretty much everything on my iPad. Youtube videos, TV shows, entire movies — I feel more comfortable if I can watch it on a tiny portable screen. Is this how people who bought portable DVD players felt?

TWENTY-FIVE
I turned twenty five. I have never done that before. Feels pretty similar to twenty-four, but I can no longer check the 18-24 age bracket when filling in questionnaires. I'm now 25-30, which is terrifying to think about.

the traditional birthday wine-and-knife

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¹ Technically, there is a FastPass system, but only for a selection of rides, and it is so complicated that it would be even more confusing if I attempted to explain it here.
² A section which I frequent, because while I want to pay for my digital media, I don't want to pay that much for my digital media. Also, they tend to include older shows/movies that I have forgotten about — case in point.
³ The first in a long line of shows I loved that were cancelled too early.
⁴ Even if the third season was terrible. I still need all of it!