MUFE Aqua Rouge Lip Colour #9 (Burgundy)

Soooo I was feeling really lazy yesterday, and seriously considering just leaving my face bare. But then thanks to a text conversation between me and my friends and favorite power couple Skylar and Taylor, I put on my makeup and lipstick and took some pictures. 

This is basically the twin post to my last post about MUFE #15. This is a different color. Mostly because my friend Taylor said, "you said it came in darker colors? I want to see it in darker colors," and I was like, "oh, just wait, that's coming." And then Sky said, "I want to see it NOW."

I'm not quoting verbatim. I could--my phone's next to my elbow, but I don't think anyone involved in the conversation minds paraphrasing. 

Anyway, that was about all the arm-twisting I could handle, so you have Sky and Tay to thank for this post. And you can go ahead and be jealous that they got a sneak peak. 

Now. MUFE #9 I bought right after #15. It didn't take me long to realize that this stuff is golden, so I of course had to go back to get another color. I took my best friend Sahara with me to Sephora (I really should be getting a commission from Sephora, for how much I shop there) and swatched the rest of the available colors on the back of my hand, which caused Sahara to say that I looked like I had a weird leopard-print based disease. She wasn't wrong. 

It was between this one and #10, which is a pretty awesome pinky-raspberry that is of course on my wish list. But I couldn't resist the statement dark burgundy. Especially since I was brunette at the time that I bought this. Now that I'm blonde, it gives me a little bit more of a witchy Charlize Theron in that Snow White movie that no one actually liked except for the parts she was in. Which I'm okay with, since that's what Sky and Tay accuse me of being frequently. 

They're sweet for saying I suck beauty out of village maidens. 

Picture time! 

I knew all these journals would come in handy.

This one might be one that it would be good to have a liner with. Because it's so dark, it's less forgiving around the lines of your mouth than the pink, so unless you have a steady hand, your cupid's bow might come out a little wobbly--as you can see below.

Are my mouth shots getting any better? 

Throwing my best Evil Queen shade 

So I put all this on and then went out to dinner with Sahara (this story sure features heavily around the same three friends, doesn't it?) and it was a good thing I did put on makeup because she looked AMAZING. She always does, though. And, because I love my readers, I did take a picture after eating a whole plate of fries, cheese curds and gravy. Poutine 5ever (speaking of which, why is 5ever making a comeback on the internet? It's such a weird place). Here's the result.

The wear on this stuff. It's amazing. 

So that's the current entirety of my MUFE collection. Two shades, but each seriously lovely. I really think this line has something for every color palate preference. I love how dramatic this lip is on me, because normally I don't go this dark (I tend to hover in the true-red, blue-red territory) but then it's always good to try looks that you normally wouldn't. After all, if you consider makeup to be art or self-expression, which I do, then playing with colors or textures counts as finding new ways to express.

Taking Pictures is Hard: Part 2

Make Up Forever Aqua Rouge Lip Colour #15 (True Pink)

Once upon a time, I was in a play this last summer. I was playing one of two female leads in Two Gentlemen of Verona, and I had been discussing my character's look with my friend Ivy, who was also our Assistant Director. Coincidentally, we were also at the mall, at Sephora (where else) and she said, 

"I see Silvia as more of like a Grace Kelly. Very polished, subdued makeup. Maybe a pink lip."

I groaned internally. Pink lipstick? YAWN. Red was much more my jam, like Marilyn or Peggy Carter in Captain America: The First Avenger. 

Wearing pink lipstick, you might as well not wear lipstick at all, right? At least, that's what I thought. 

We continued browsing shelves, and stopped at the Make Up Forever wall. 

"Look at this stuff," Ivy said, grabbing an oblong tube. "This stuff is legit. It NEVER. COMES. OFF. Not even when you kiss people." 

Well, that caught my attention. Two of my exes always straight-up refused to kiss me when I was wearing lipstick because--I don't know, I guess people would think they were less manly if they had lipstick smudged over their mouths? 

I know. Ugh. Sometimes, things that happen in relationships defy logic. 

In any case, I wasn't sure whether or not I'd end up kissing someone in the play (I was a romantic lead) so I decided a stain that wouldn't budge would be a good investment. Because I am dedicated to my art. So I picked up #15, which is a true pink that seemed very ladylike and classy. And I ended up liking it. Turns out, pink can look pretty vintage and sexy. Red is still my absolute favorite, but picking this little tube up expanded my horizons. 

The play didn't end up going off (it's complicated), but you know what? The lipstick stayed on (Terrible pun, I know).

Make Up Forever (or, as it shall henceforth be known, MUFE for short) Aqua Rouge lip stains live up to the hype. I'm serious. They do not move for love or money, and speaking of money--obvious segue--they cost $24. So, not cheap, but definitely worth it. I've eaten hot wings with it on, kissed people's faces with it on, imbibed endless glasses of water. It really doesn't ever move. It also comes in quite a wide variety of shades (from pinks to reds to much, much darker colors) and I also have it in another color, but that is another story for another day. 

Packaging! 

Still getting the hang of the close-up mouth shot. 

I decided to line my eyes with blue eyshadow, so of course I had to go with the neutral pink lip.

And, for science, here's a pic of it after five hours at work, lots of drinks of water, and some snacks. Unfortunately I was not able to take a picture of it after eating about 11 wings. But it was still there. Trust me.

I'll perfect my technique, I swear!

I truly love this formula, and I can see why so many people sing its praises. 

Should you buy this stuff? Well, you should definitely buy this stuff if for some reason your S.O. is sensitive about lipstick kisses and you aren't willing to give up lipstick (but really, just wear your damn lipstick if it makes you happy. Whoever your S.O. is, if they're worth keeping around, they can deal). You should buy it if you like not having to reapply lipstick after eating or drinking, or if you act frequently and don't want to leave smudges on your scene partner. Or, you could just buy it because it's awesome.

But, in the immortal words of Levar Burton on Reading Rainbow, you don't have to take my word for it.

Bonus: Taking Pictures is Hard.