My Hunt for the Perfect Purple

I've always been one to experiment with make-up so the trend for purple lips has definitely caught my eye!

Last winter I was very much into inky berry colours, like MACs 'Dark Side' and 'Odyssey', but this Winter I fancied something even more daring - a proper purpley purple!

The first stop in my hunt (and usually in any makeup hunt) was my local MAC counter.

 I'd recently had an email from MAC about the release of the ever sought-after shade of Heroine, which MAC describes as a 'powerful purple' in 'vibrant matte'.

However the MUA had no idea Heroine was even being released and supposed it must be only in the US to begin with. This was a bitter blow but didn't deter me.

I tried two shades instead; One was Rebel and the other was Violetta (which is usually only available in the PRO stores but was part of a limited edition Christmas lip trio).

Being the fuss-arse that I am, neither purple was quite right. Both were too pinky, especially on my yellowy NC20 complexion.
Furthermore I found Violetta too frosty - though many MAC enthusiasts love the shade, I didn't like the duochrome iridescence of it, preferring more of a Satin finish.
I was warned by the MUA that a blue-purple would wash me out and make me look ill but, ever the risk taker, I decided to ignore her and keep trying for the shade I had in mind.

After this disappointing visit I went home to research, and two cheap alternatives drew my attention.
I wasn't looking for cheaper brands in particular, but it does seem that most of the high-end brands are a little sophisticated for a poster-paint shade of purple, preferring more of a pink-heavy or deep berry purple.

The first was Topshop's make-up brand in a shade called 'Straight Ace', which can be found here: http://www.topshop.com/en/tsuk/product/lips-in-straight-ace-2372256

The second was a pretty random one - Superdrug sells a make called 'Collection' (not to be confused with Boots' 'Collection 2000'). It's super cheap so I decided I'd chance it because frankly you can't go far wrong with a price like that!
http://www.superdrug.com/lip-make-up/collection-little-mix-lipstick-perrie/invt/754059

Enough of my ramblings, lets get down to business. 

Swatches:

As you can see, they are quite similar colours but the finishes make them a little different - Straight Ace's is a touch pinker and the glitter gives it a totally different look.

Topshop's 'Straight Ace'

Price:
£8 - I'd say this is pretty reasonable, but then again past experiences of Topshop make-up aren't great compared with cheaper brands like Barry M.

Colour and Finish:
I'd describe it as a midtone purple with a balance of pink and blue undertones. However on my skin it did look a touch pink - but not excessively.
It feels pretty moisturising and gives quite a lustre finish.
Like Violetta, it is quite iridescent, due to a fair bit of microglitter.
I'd even go as far as to say It's actually a pretty good dupe for Violetta if my memory serves me correctly.

Pay-off and Durability: The colour pay-off is poor; you have to apply quite a lot for a decent coverage and it looks a little uneven on the lips. As it fades it gets much more pinky which I didn't like.
It doesn't last long either - I road tested it whilst eating a bagel (pastrami with Swiss cheese and gherkins, in case you were curious) and my lipstick was almost entirely gone by the time I was finished! I think this is down to the glossy, moisturising texture which means it doesn't cling to the lips like more matte finishes tend to.

Packaging: Comes in its own little box, which is cute. The lipstick case is an attractive black and white striped affair in a cool matte plastic. Packaging doesn't really matter to me but I know some like to know these things!

I like the colour, but the finish and lack of staying power lets it down in my eyes.
All factors considered I'd rate this lipstick a 6/10.

Superdrug's 'Perrie' lipstick

I've read that people have been having trouble getting hold of this lipstick, but thank goodness my first trip into Superdrug was prosperous; there was ONE Perrie lipstick left. I took that as a good omen.

The lipstick is apparently designed by Perrie from Little Mix - usually these type of gimmicks don't offer up anything noteworthy but this shade is truly unique. Thumbs up to Perrie for her choice!
She wears this shade quite a lot for public appearances and she looks gorgeous in it.

Price: £2.99. Cheap as chips.

Colour and finish:
Compared with Straight Ace, 'Perrie' is a touch plummier, and the matte finish definitely amps up the colour difference on the lips even though in the swatches they don't look a million miles apart.
It is matte, but not super-duper matte, it's quite moisturising and wears really comfortably.

I LOVE the colour of this - really striking but it didn't wash me out, and the blue undertones made my blue eyes sparkle and teeth look whiter!

Pay-off and Durability:

This lipstick has great colour pay-off, not just for a £2.99 lipstick either, I'd be impressed with it if it was a far more expensive brand.

I'll be the first to admit I can be a terrible make-up snob and generally believe you get what you pay for but I'm happy to admit I was proved wrong in this case.
The durability is good enough; when it fades the pink comes out a little more so you have to top up every now and again but the same is true of most lipsticks so this isn't a problem.

Packaging: Not very pretty but it does the job of holding in the lipstick so there we go, job's a good'un!

Overall I'm super happy I bought this, the quality and unique colour means it really holds its own against much more expensive brands, and I have a feeling I'll be wearing this one quite a lot. If you're thinking of trying a purple lip then I'd make this your first stop.
Solid 8/10

Perrie (right) actually looks quite pink here -
this is not the case when applied!

P.S

Speaking of wearing my Perrie lipstick a lot - I'm actually going to wear it out for cocktails this evening.
Shall let you know if I get any compliments on it!

Let me know in the comments if anyone's on the hunt for a perfect purple or has any suggestions for shades I might like to try next!