Review on MAC Lipstick "Blankety"

Hi Everyone!
I'm sorry for not posting as often as I want to. MCAT studying takes up time and is rather stressful. >.<

Today I am going to review the MAC lipstick "Blankety"!

This product costs $15-$18 at the MAC store or the MAC online store.

What do I think of this product?
So, I have been looking for a good nude lipstick for some time now. And I find it difficult to find a nude lipstick that goes well with an Asian skin tone, since it is more yellow based but it can be pale or tanned. I have tried some drugstore nude lipsticks however they are usually too pale or too pink based and make me look like a sick or dead person. =P
I did a bit of research online and I heard that a few of MAC's nude lipsticks worked pretty well with the Asian skin tone and I went to the MAC store (w/ my bf as a judge of course XP) to try them.
"Blankety" was the lipstick I chose and I think it is a beautiful beautiful nude lip for my skin color and I encourage others (to go to the MAC store) and try it who have similar skin colors or tones as I. By the way, this is my first MAC product ever!! Haha. But I won't get hooked onto MAC, generally too expensive for my tastes. I will show pictures down below and the swatches seem to make the lipstick look very dark and not nude at all. However, on my lips, probably because my natural lip color is more pink and darker than my skin, the color looks nude.
The lipstick formula does not irritate my skin and is soft and creamy. I think it is pretty long lasting and keeps my lips moisturized! Which is great, I hate lipsticks that dry my lips out. =P However, this lipstick does have a fragrance. It is a sweet fragrance, kind of reminds me of candy or sugar or something. I don't really like fragrances, but the smell is not that strong or long lasting so I am okay with it.
I love to wear this nude lip along with strong and dark eye makeup for clubbing or going out on a night with friends. The nude color does a great job of balancing out the intensity of my eyeshadows. I also like to use this nude lip to create the now-very popular Korean lip gradient of pink or red on the inner parts of the lip and fading into a nude color at the outer edges of the lip.
Overall I am very happy that I bought this product. And because I don't wear lipstick in general and I will only wear this for certain looks, this lipstick will last a long time for me. It works well with my skin color, is creamy and long lasting!

Here are some pictures and swatches:

So, looking at the first 3 pictures (swatches) you can see that the lipcolor seems to look very dark, almost a more beige or mauve color. However, please keep in mind that the skin on my arms is more tanned and yellow than on my hand and lips.

Swatch on my hand in the light, it looks lighter than the swatches on my arm down below.

 These swatches on my arm make the lip color look very dark.

Natural lip color with no product

One layer of lipstick

Two layers of lipstick

"Blankety" lip color with a pink color on top, closer to the inner lining of the lips.

Looking at the 4 lip pictures above. You can see that compared to my natural lip color, "Blankety" definitely gives me a nude lip color. However, it does not make me look like I am anemic or deathly ill =P.
I am more tanned during the summer, so when my tan fades, this lip color looks even better.
Also, I am not wearing foundation or concealer in these pictures, so with foundation and/or concealer on, the nude lip would not stand out as much or be as strong. Nude lips look best with foundation and/or concealer on because it gives a more even complexion without any darkness or redness.

Do I recommend this product?
While this product may be pricy, I think it is well worth it to find a great nude lip that suites one's skin tone and color. Nude lips are very hard to rock and most people do it wrong because their lip color just doesn't suite their skin tone. And it is also very hard to find a good nude lip color for each person. Because each person's skin tone varies, I recommend this product to try at the MAC store for Asian people or people with a similar skin color and tone as mine. I emphasize to try at the MAC store because it saves money and sometimes people are a little too eager to hurry and buy the product online when they don't know if it works for them or not.

So I hope this review was helpful to you! If you have any questions or comments, feel free to write in the comment box below! Thank you for reading and I will see you later! =D

Let's talk about Lipstick, Lipgloss, and Lip Tints! =O

Hi Everybody! Today will be talking about lip colors! Especially lipstick, lip gloss, and lip tints!

What are these things?
Lip stick is a lip color/paint that is designed to temporarily change the color of one's lips. It is a cream based makeup that is usually mean to last as long as possible throughout the day.
Lipgloss is a clear or colored lip product that is technically supposed to be put on top of lips after using lipstick. It is used to make lips looks larger, moisturized, and helps seal in lip stick color. Lipglosses are usually very shiny in appearance.
Lip Tints or Lip Stains are usually cream or liquid lip formulas that are designed to stain the lips for a more natural look. They usually don't require much product and last the longest.
Lip Liners are usually cream pencil liners that are drawn around the out edges of the lips. They can be used to make the lips look larger and fuller, or help define the lips more to a desired shape. They usually match the lipstick that is being used on the lips.

Do I need to use lip colors?
Haha, nope, you don't have to! Some people like to use these products because their lips may naturally look a little pale, or very close to their skin tone which makes them look washed out and sickly. Therefore, lip colors/products give a more warm and lively appearance. Other people use them for style or for fun.
I personally don't like lip sticks because I think they're hard to get rid of, and I only have a nude one just when I wear intense eye makeup, to help balance out my complexion. I also, don't like lipglosses because they always feel sticky to me, I end up eating them, and my hair gets stuck on my lips, and etc. you know, a mess =P. The lip tints I like are by Tarte, which are too expensive, so I'm not going to buy one haha. Therefore, I stick to tinted lipbalms. These are basically chapsticks that have some color to them. The color is not strong and is more soft and mild (which I like) and my lips get moisturized, 2 in 1, so yay for that!

Colors
There are as many lip colors as there are words in the dictionary, therefore, an infinite amount, and even in colors like yellow, and purple.
They can be shimmery or matt.

Application techniques
Many lip colors come with an applicator. A lipstick is it's own applicator. Liquid lip stains have brushes and lip glosses have stick applicators.
However, you can also use lip brushes, which can help with areas that need more detail such as the edges of the lips or give a more defining edge.
Or you can use your clean fingers for lipstick and gently pat it on. The warmth of your fingers will help melt the product and make it easier to apply and spread onto the lips evenly.

Products to use and process of application
It doesn't matter what product you use, it is based on your preferences. You don't have to use lipgloss with lipstick, you can use them alone if you like, etc.
However, it is important to know that lipgloss is the last product to use on the lips, it is the finishing product or sealing product for whatever you use first on your lips. Can't do it the other way around. Try and you will find out.

Tips and Tricks
-please don't use a lip liner that is different than your lipstick, it just looks weird and old
-try not to use too much lipgloss or lipgloss that is too shiny because it will give you a drooling appearance, or make your lips look like plastic and unkissable
-remember, if you are going with a strong lip color, then go with more neutral eyes and cheeks, I have written a post on Makeup Colors and Emphasis on the Face, which is related to this idea
-if you want to make sure that you lip color has the most coverage, use a lip brush and go down in vertical strokes on your lips, this will give it the most color, fill in any small skin cracks, and make the lips look larger
-if you want to make your lips pouty or fuller looking, dab and blend a bit of white or champagne-colored shimmer eyeshadow to your cupids bow or the center of your lips, this will give them more dimension
-if you are going to eat with lip color on, I suggest using a lip color that is softer or closer to your natural lip color so that if a bit is rubbed off, there won't be much of a different, and you can open your mouth wider and eat smaller bites of food (you can always, of course, bring your lip color with you to reapply but I'm a lazy person and I don't haha)
-if you want to make your lipstick last longer, apply a layer first, then get a piece of tissue and blot your lips, then reapply your lipstick
-if you want your lipstick to look more natural, just apply a layer, blot your lips, and you're done! If you feel it looks too dry, use a bit of lipgloss

Whew! Turned out to be a longer post than I thought haha. I hope that I have helped you if you needed to know anything about lip colors or if you are new to makeup!
Thank you for reading and have a great day!