NYX Soft Matte Lip Creams VS Collection Cream Puff Lip Creams

Hi everyone! Now that March has rolled around and Spring is upon us I've been getting a lot more into lip products, I know it sounds daft but when it's freezing cold in Winter I can never be bothered to put anything on my lips apart from lip balm because I need as much moisture as possible! However when the weather starts to change (it's still really cold in the North East don't get me wrong) I love going through my collection of lip products and wearing some old favourites again. I've seen the Collection Cream Puff Lip Creams being said to be dupe for the NYX Soft Matte Lip Creams for ages, and since I have both I thought I'd do a little post on my thoughts as I've been reaching for both these products a bit more recently. 

I just want to point out that I'm really not a liquid lipstick person, I've tried them and they just aren't for me, however I absolutely love lip creams like these, they aren't drying and they apply really well but I think you still get the pigmentation of a liquid lipstick without them being too matte. So if you're like me then I'd definitely recommend both of these products as an alternative to a full on liquid lipstick.

There are so many ways in which these products are really similar to each other, packaging wise they are basically the same, I actually think I prefer the packaging on the Collection product because I like the cute little illustration and the font, that sounds so daft but I just think it's cute! Another way they are really similar is the scent, both have the same very sweet vanilla scent. I personally love the scent but for those of you who aren't too keen on heavily scented products you might not like it, however once applied on the lips I don't think you can smell it at all. The NYX product however is 8ml compared to the Collection product being 5ml but I think this is reflected in the price anyway. The Collection Cream Puff Lip Creams are priced at £2.99 from Boots which is so good, I think it's such an affordable product considering the quality is also really good. I think these are actually up there with my favourite drug store products, the NYX Soft Matte Lip Creams are £5.50 from Boots so it's also a really affordable product. I never really like to say that the Collection lip creams are a dupe for the NYX lip creams as they are both so similar in price, both good quality and very affordable, so I don't necessarily think that the NYX products require a dupe if that makes sense? 

NYX Soft Matte Lip Creams: Antwerp, Stockholm, Athens

Collection Cream Puff Lip Creams: Fairy Cake, Cotton Candy

In terms of formula again I think they are both very similar, they both aren't drying on the lips and they apply really easily, I love the mousse like formula because I think when products like these are too thin they can be really messy and hard to apply. The main difference I think is that the NYX lip creams are slightly more pigmented, and require a bit less product whereas you need to apply a bit more with the Collection lip creams. I also think the NYX lip creams have a little bit more staying power. Don't get me wrong though I absolutely love the formulas of both of these and would completely recommend them both! I just think the formula of the NYX lip cream trumps the Collection lip cream a little bit, a big thing for me though is accessibility of the products, it's so easy for me to go out to my local Boots which has a Collection stand and pick up their lip creams, whereas there isn't a NYX anywhere near me so I have to order online, I had to do this for all the shades I own and I can't swatch them beforehand to tell if I really like the shade. I think I'm more likely to repurchase the Collection lip creams because of this as they are so easy for me to get hold of.

An issue I have with the Collection lip creams is the very small shade range, there are only four shades and the other two that I don't have didn't really appeal to me so the two shades that I own are basically all I am ever going to own unless they release more shades which I really hope they do! The NYX lip creams have such a big shade range that there is definitely something for everyone. Out of the shades I own my favourite from the Collection range is Fairy Cake, I absolutely love this for Summer I can't wait to wear this for Summer days out! From the NYX range my favourite is Stockholm, I actually think it is very similar to Velvet Teddy by MAC so anyone who likes this shade would love that one.

I don't necessarily think that one of these products is better than the other, they are both different but similar at the same time and I actually recommend owning both of these because they are so affordable and so good for your makeup bag! The quality of both is so good considering they are drugstore and I'm really glad that I own the two because they are both as good as each other. Let me know in the comments if you've tried either of these products and what you think!

Collection Lasting Perfection Concealer

Hi everyone! I know that the Collection Lasting Perfection Concealer is an insanely blogged about product and an absolute bloggers favourite however I had never actually tried it, I just recently bought it and I wanted to see whether or not it actually lives up to the hype. That's the thing with these really hyped up products sometimes they just don't work for you and you will be so disappointed since everyone else seems to love them and I wanted to see whether this product works for me or not.

I bought mine from Boots for £4.19, it is such an affordable price for a concealer, really won't break the bank which is why when I bought it I was so hopeful that I'd love it because repurchasing it wouldn't seem like such a hassle for that price! I also got mine in the shade fair 01, this was the biggest issue I had, the shade range is very small. When I bought mine there was only 4 shades available and I felt like this one was a bit too light for me and the next shade up was too dark as I wanted to highlight and conceal. I went for 01 anyway and it isn't too light, I would have just preferred it a touch darker. 

This is claimed to be a long lasting concealer which can last up to 16 hours, I've tried and tested it and I would definitely say it has staying power, although I can't vouch for it lasting 16 hours and I don't think many other people could as no one really wears make up for 16 hours! It has a doe foot applicator which I love, this is my favourite type of applicators for concealer I just think they are no where near as messy as when you get those little bottles that are either a squeezy top or a pump! If I'm honest when I first applied it I really wasn't sure, I felt like it wasn't going to work with my dry skin and I found blending it quite difficult however it has really grown on me. Once I'd blended it I was very happy with the coverage, I have quite dark under eye circles and I felt like it worked really well at concealing them and the shade worked as a nice highlighter even though it may have been better a tiny bit darker. I found it really good for not creasing and it was also good at concealing blemishes.

I definitely think for the price it is really good, however for my skin type and for what I look for in a product I wouldn't say it's the best I've ever tried. I think for anyone with normal/oily skin or someone that prefers a full coverage look it will be amazing for them. I do like it and will continue to use it when I need my make up to last all day but it is a bit matte for me, I like something a bit more radiant and brightening however for the price I really am not going to complain and I would repurchase, let me know in the comments what you think of this product and whether you think it is worth the hype!

MAC Cremesheen Pearl

Hi everyone! I'm a sucker for MAC collections and there has been absolutely loads coming out recently to feed my addiction. I was on a little ban though, and one day I checked the website and they had released their Cremesheen Pearl collection. There is 10 lipstick shades and 5 lip glass shades, and it is described on the website as a shimmer twist on the classic cremesheen finish. They are infused with pearlized pigments and a moisturising serum blend, and they are all Asian inspired shades. When I saw them on the website I resisted because I was like do I really need any more lipstick? I went shopping about a week after though and they had the collection at the MAC counter and they were literally so pretty I couldn't resist! I did only get one though so that was some will power.

I got mine in the shade Koi Coral, I was really torn between this and Nippon as they were so similar but I thought Koi Coral was so pretty and a bit more me. 

It is a really subtle coral colour, not in your face at all. When you wear it you can definitely see the pearl pigments in it but it is just the right amount. I couldn't think of a nicer girly colour and if you love your pinks and corals then this shade will be perfect for you!

You can see the pearl pigments in the swatch above, obviously as it's cremesheen it isn't as pigmented as a matte lipstick but I love the cremesheen formula, it's so moisturising and feels nice and creamy on your lips. 

The whole Cremesheen Pearl range has some gorgeous shades I would have loved to have got more but I was trying to be good! A lot of the shades are still in stock on the website as I'm writing this so I would definitely recommend grabbing some while they are there! Let me know in the comments if you have any shades from this collection!