Beauty: MDMFLow @ Harvey Nichols Bazaar, Liverpool

Beauty: MDMFLow @ Harvey Nichols Bazaar, Liverpool

Thursday, 22 September 2016

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Around a year ago, I read an article in the newspaper about a young woman who, after recognising that her skin tone didn’t really suit the lipstick shades she wanted to wear, started making her own beautifully pigmented lipsticks in her shed. She eventually named her brand MDMFlow.  On Saturday evening, I got to meet this woman and by gosh, it was an experience.  

What Florence has done here with her brand is nothing short of impressive. I was lucky enough to be invited down to Harvey Nicholls Beauty Bazaar in Liverpool at the weekend to take part in a little lipstick making session and meet Flow. We also got to have a chat with her and discuss what she’s done to make her brand unique and appealing to the beauty market.

Unfortunately, I had work so I was a tad late and missed out on the actual workshop but my boss was kind enough to let me go early enough that I didn’t miss the whole thing (thanks Denise, if you’re reading!) When I arrived, I was handed Prosecco (always the way to a blogger’s heart!) and was able to ask loads of questions about the brand and the processes undertaken to make the product. The girls saved me a couple of lipsticks and they’re nothing short of GORGEOUS.

The packaging is phenomenal. There’s actually no other word for it. It’s completely recognisable as being a part of the MDMFlow range and I’ve honestly never seen any packaging like it. I love the shape of the little gold bullets and I definitely would feel really fancy whipping them out for a touch up on a night out. I’m not sure I’m quite brave enough to fashion this gorgeous glittery pink, Barbie Unicorn, but the nude, which the group named Snog a Blogger (amazing!!) is absolutely stunning and will definitely become a staple part of my make up kit. Her range is mainly marketed at black women, but her lipsticks definitely suit every skin tone- they appear differently on everyone which makes them highly marketable and a perfect purchase for anyone looking for lipsticks a little out of their comfort zone. Her colours range from classic reds and nudes, to deep purples and bright blues.

As a personal brand, Flow is the epitome of empowerment. Her bold colours definitely reflect her boldness, and even her brashness at having the guts to quit a join to pursue her dreams. The event was one which I enjoyed a lot more than previous beauty events- it was absolutely amazing to meet the brains behind the operation rather than just a PR team and see the passion behind the brand first hand. It was also really interesting to see the lipsticks being made right in front of us – it made the experience all the more personal and makes you realise just what is involved in creating these sorts of products. I had a quick swatch of the lip-glosses as well and I definitely think I’ll be treating myself at the end of the month on pay day as they are probably my favourite part of the collection. They paint on glossy and dry matte, which is my favourite type of lip-gloss. I’m eyeing up the reds, of course!

Thanks so much to Flow and Liberty for the invite, your brand is amazing and I can’t wait to see where you head next with it!

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Beauty: My New Go-To Lip Crayons

Beauty: My New Go-To Lip Crayons

Monday, 23 May 2016

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I don’t often do beauty reviews but when you find a product you like, it’s always nice to share it with the rest of the blogosphere! I went out for dinner for my cousin’s birthday about a month ago to Las Iguanas in Manchester, and after painstakingly applying my makeup and making myself feel really fabulous, I realised that I didn’t really want to wear any of the lipsticks that I own. They were either too red, or not matte enough, or made my lips look small. Basically, any excuse to have a looksie for some new lipsticks?

I had a quick google before I went shopping because I knew that I was looking for a matte finish lippy, preferably applicable by crayon or pencil. I’d heard of a few different brands but a lot of the reviews claimed that they were far too drying on the skin, so I was at a bit of a loss as to how to go about choosing one. I decided to just run to boots before my train and see what I could find, and I’m honestly so glad I did.

I’m not really a big Soap and Glory product user. I’ve used a few of their shower gels and body scrubs over the last few years and they’re pleasant enough, they’re just not really something I’d go out and buy on a regular basis. I had a quick look over their makeup counter (who knew they did makeup as well as body products?) and quickly clocked onto their lip crayons.

They were matte, they were bright looking and they had exactly the two colours I was looking for. The best thing? They were £3.50 each, and Boots was running a buy one get one half price deal on the day I was in! I decided to buy the colours X and Y, a bright red colour and a musky pink which looks absolutely blooming beautiful on me, if I do say so myself! I found that my lips didn’t feel too dry after use which is obviously yet another bonus point. They are really easy to apply; you can do so directly from the stick itself or else you can use a makeup brush if you prefer. The formula is pretty smooth feeling and I found that it doesn’t cling to your lips if they’re a bit dry, it just rubs right in. The colour lasted a fair few hours on the lips (and this was combined with me eating copious amounts of food and drinking cocktails!).

If you’re looking for cheap and cheerful lipsticks, then these are definitely the ones I’d recommend!

Favourites: Lipsticks #1

Favourites: Lipsticks #1

Monday, 13 July 2015

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I’m a bit of a lipstick hoarder but like anyone, I definitely have my favourites which I always go running back to. I thought that today I’d blog about my 4 favourite lipstick products and show some pictures of how gorgeous they look on the lips. 

During the day I tend to go for more natural colours so MAC’s Velvet Teddy is absolutely perfect for every day use. It’s an absolutely gorgeous colour, a pinky beige, and I really do think that it would suit anybody with any skin tone, it’s just so versatile. It has a matte formula but it’s not particularly drying on the lips which for me is good, because my lips dry out really easily. It stays on pretty well but I do find that I have to reapply it after a few hours- absolutely no problem at all. I really do love it and I’m dreading it running out because I know there’re stock issues in the UK (as in, it’s NEVER in stock anywhere). 

Another of my MAC favourites is Vegas Volt, which is a coral coloured product. I tend to dress quite plainly, in the sense that I love black and white and tend to jazz myself up with a dash of bright lipstick. Vegas Volt is perfect for that and the creamy finish is gorgeous. It’s something a bit different but at the same time it’s not too far out of my comfort zone! Definitely a classic colour that would suit any collection. 

I absolutely love the colour of this Rimmel Kate Moss lipstick that I picked up the other week. It seems to match with absolutely anything I’m wearing! It’s a beautiful bright and bold shade and it gives me the confidence that I need on a night out with friends.

My final shade is my favourite ever lipstick and I doubt that this will change anytime soon. I uhm-ed and ahh-ed over investing in YSL makeup for a long time, mostly because the cost is quite high. I received a bonus from work (ironically from work in a makeup department store) so I thought I’d treat myself with the Feel Unique 20% off discount that they sometimes offer (I posted about that HERE). This lippy leaves my lips feeling softer than they’ve ever felt before and it keeps them nourished and soft the entire time I’m wearing it. The colour is divine and suits me to a tee. I honestly can’t rave about this lipstick enough and I can’t wait to have an excuse to invest in a few more.