bullet lipstick, lip products

MAC Cosmetics Matte Lipstick “Velvet Teddy” | Review

Hello friends!

While I can’t remember exactly where/when I got this particular lipstick, I’m so excited! MAC’s Velvet Teddy has always seemed like a color that would be perfect for me. It wasn’t too pink, and was neutral and dark enough to look good on my lips.

Color: Velvet Teddy is described as a “deep-tone beige” on the MAC website. I actually feel like the website pictures don’t look quite as accurate to real life. It looks a lot more bright and peach; if I saw this shade just from their website I would actually say it was not a good color for me, so I’m surprised.

I would say this is a mid-tone neutral peach. It definitely has a pinky peach lean to it instead of the standard neutral, but it doesn’t go straight up orange like a lot of pinks and warm nudes can. It’s a great color for people with more pigmented lips who still want to rock a pretty neutral peachy pink shade, in my opinion.

Finish: While not as matte as the retro matte line, the regular line does still have a definite matte look. There is just the tiniest bit of a satin in the swatch, but on the lips it does look flat, with no hint of a shine.

Packaging: My particular lipstick is actually a mini and not the full size, but the packaging is identical to a normal MAC lipstick, just smaller! It’s a black tube and cap with small silver glitters throughout. The cap has MAC written on it in silver, and the mechanism to twist the bullet up is silver and has MAC printed on it as well.

Applicator: With this being a mini, the shape of the bullet is just a little different, as it’s not as wide as the normal MAC lipsticks. It still has a very distinct tear drop shape and the tip of the lipstick is a point. I actually feel like with it being smaller it would make applying this easier for some people, as you don’t need to worry about it going outside of lip lines.

Continue reading “MAC Cosmetics Matte Lipstick “Velvet Teddy” | Review”
bullet lipstick, lip products

MAC Cosmetics Retro Matte Lipstick “Ruby Woo” | Review

Hello friends!

As mentioned in last week’s review, I love finding popular, still available makeup at TJMaxx! When I saw Ruby Woo sitting on the shelf, not swatched or touched by other people as the makeup there so often is, I had to grab it.

This is one of those colors I feel like anyone who knows about makeup recognizes! MAC’s Ruby Woo feels iconic to me, so when I pulled this out to review, I couldn’t help but be excited!

Color: On the MAC website, Ruby Woo is described as a “vivid blue-red”. This color is absolutely a classic, in-your-face red, with a slight pink undertone that’s hard to notice at first, but becomes more obvious as you wear it.

Finish: They call this a retro matte and they certainly mean it. The finish from application until I take it off is completely matte; there was not even the slightest bit of sheen on my lips while wearing this color!

Packaging: The packaging of this is the iconic MAC shiny black bullet with tiny silver glitter flecks throughout, a silver ring where the cap meets the tube, and MAC printed on the cap. The bottom of the bullet has a sticker with the product name and information on it.

Applicator: As with the majority of any bullet lipstick, the shape of the product is a standard teardrop.

Continue reading “MAC Cosmetics Retro Matte Lipstick “Ruby Woo” | Review”
bullet lipstick, lip products

MAC Electric Wonder Collection Matte Lipstick “Life in Sepia” | Review

Hello friends!

Last year, MAC came out with arguably the most beautiful collection known to exist, a.k.a the Electric Wonder. With gorgeous packaging and popular, wearable shades this was sure to draw the eyes of anyone interested in traditionally feminine, “instagramable” packaging. I, of course, was no exception!

Color: Life in Sepia is a cool, mid-toned brown. On the lips, it definitely has a grey undertone – this is the kind of color that most people either love or hate. I wouldn’t go so far as to say it’s a vampy color, but it is definitely darker than a traditional nude.

Finish: As the name suggests, this is a matte finish. Even when it goes on there is very little shine, which quickly fades into a flat appearance.

Packaging: Unsurprisingly, the packaging of this lipstick is its selling point. It is a gorgeous pink marble, with veins of metallic gold scattered throughout. The inner portion of the tube is a matte gold, along with the small bit that peeks out and the MAC printed on it. The actual shape of the tube is a traditional MAC bullet lipstick.

Applicator: The shape of the actual lipstick is basic – just like any other lipstick shape with a traditional tear drop shape and a point.

Application: Applying this lipstick was as easy as any other bullet lipstick. Even after wearing it down a bit, I didn’t have problems with getting straight lines. One thing I will point out is that this particular shade is one that shows my natural lip colors on the edges if I don’t cover them completely. That just meant I had to be a little extra careful to make sure I got all the edges otherwise you could see pink, which looked a bit strange.

One other thing that is incredibly important to point out is the strong vanilla scent that MAC lipsticks have. This one is no exception – I could smell it upon application and for about 5 minutes after.

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New at Ulta | December 23, 2019 – January 12, 2020

Hello friends!

I know I just posted one of these – but there were so many amazing new releases that I had to share this one as well!

The drugstore has really been knocking it out of the park with releases lately!  I have a ton of different lipsticks, concealers & foundations that looked interesting. Lipsticks in general this time around really drew me in – plus, as always, I love a good eyeshadow palette!

New at Ulta | December 23, 2019 - January 12, 2020 - A Midwest Belle

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New at Ulta | October 28 – November 24, 2019

Hello friends!

Surprisingly, there wasn’t a lot that interested me this time around!  I really couldn’t say why, either – there just wasn’t a bunch of holiday collections that looked like something  I needed.

A few holiday packs stood out as something I wanted to try, including both the Becca holiday collection & Disney Frozen Anna Collection!  I might need to pick up some of the gifts if they go on sale – especially that MAC advent calendar.

New at Ulta | October 28 - November 24, 2019 - A Midwest Belle

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Where Are They Now? | Makeup I Reviewed Between January and March 2019

Hello friends!

One thing I’ve noticed in the beauty community is that oftentimes we will talk about something once, share our thoughts, and then never return to it again.  I would have done the exact same thing too had I not heard someone bring up this awesome idea!

Today, I wanted to share where the makeup products I reviewed between January and March have gone. That means if they stayed in my collection, moved elsewhere, or were rehomed.

Where Are They Now? | Makeup I Reviewed Between January and March 2019 - A Midwest Belle

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New at Ulta | March 3 – March 30, 2019

Hello friends!

After my first New at Ulta post, I decided that I really enjoy doing a wrap up of the products I’m interested in and wanted to start making it a regular occurrence.

One thing that I wanted to share is that there were originally items on this list that have been removed, such as the Morphe 35G palette and the Kylie Cosmetics Ulta Beauty lip kit.  I did this because when I had the chance to look at them in store I was seriously disappointed in the pigmentation of the 35G palette, and I didn’t love the color of the lip kit.

If you would like me to continue to share those products and just note them somewhere, let me know!

New At Ulta - March 3 to March 30, 2019 - A Midwest Belle

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Colourpop Velvet Blur Lipstick vs. MAC Powder Kiss Lipstick | Formula Comparison

Hello friends!

When MAC released their new Powder Kiss lipsticks a while back, I immediately felt the need to go out and buy it.  Until recently, I’d never heard of another lipstick that had quite the same sort of formula!  While there are certainly some that are similar or can provide nearly the same effect, this just seemed so different and special.

In the past few months, Colourpop has come out with a lipstick that made me think it was very similar – one might even call it a formula dupe!  Today, I wanted to share my thoughts as to if these formulas are close enough to warrant being dupes or not!

If you’re curious to see my thoughts on each individual lipsticks, I do have reviews up of CP Lucky Strike and MAC Mull It Over.

Colourpop Velvet Blur Lipstick vs. MAC Powder Kiss Lipstick | Formula Comparison - A Midwest Belle

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bullet lipstick, lip products

MAC Powder Kiss Lipstick “Mull It Over” | Review

Hello friends!

I feel like MAC is a brand that almost every makeup lover has heard of; it’s definitely got a reputation and has been around for a very long time!  I wanted to make it a point to start testing some of their cult classic products and see if they’re worth the price or not.

Unlike their classic lipsticks, this is a brand new formula called the Powder Kiss lipstick, which is a matte, powdery formula that gives you a smooth and blurred look on your lips.

MAC Powder Kiss Lipstick "Mull It Over" | Review - A Midwest Belle

Color: Mull it Over is a warm peachy nude that tends to pull very orange on me, unfortunately.  Sometimes warm pink nudes tend to look much less pretty pink and way more bright orange, which is not flattering in my opinion.

When this formula first launched, this color was the closest to a wearable nude for me.  They recently came out with new shades, some of which are much better for me in terms of an every day shade!

Continue reading “MAC Powder Kiss Lipstick “Mull It Over” | Review”