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It’s Never Too Late To Fall for These Hot Summer Glosses

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stef-from-we-heart-this

Written by Stef

Today Stef of the hella cool We Heart This (a little bit of everything, a whole lot of love) shares some of her favorite summer lip glosses.

As I sit and ogle the fabulous fall collections that have surfaced so far, I have to remind myself: it’s still summer! As much as I’m loving the rich golds, dusty teals and vampy berries that we’ll all be lusting after come September, for now I’m still reaching for fun summer shades.

And for me, that means one thing: lip gloss! Here are the glosses I’ve worn the most this summer — the ones that have worked best for a fair-skinned, neutral-to-warm NC25 girl like myself.

I’ve tried to keep my Limited Edition choices to a minimum, but seeing as how I have LED (Limited Edition Disorder; if it’s only available for a short time, I must have it!), I had to throw in a few must-haves. You should still be able to find them all, if you’re resourceful/obsessed like me!


(Clockwise: Lush, San Paulo, Boy Bait, Melonie)

Coral

Let’s get straight into my lip gloss weakness, shall we? Summer is made for coral, I am made for coral! It’s bright, punchy, and a virtual beach trip in a tube. When the weather’s hot, I just can’t get enough coral.

  • Smashbox Lip Enhancing gloss in Beauty – The first of two LE’s I had to include. If I could only wear one lip gloss for the rest of my life (what a cruel world that would be!) it would be Beauty. A shimmerless pink-kissed coral, it goes with just about everything, and true to its name — really lights up your lips (and face!)
  • Vibrant Benefit Ultra Shines in Spiked Punch is a bit lighter than most of the corals I’m usually drawn to. It’s creamy, rather opaque, and its micro silver shimmer gives it an almost 3D look on lips. $18
  • Hourglass Extreme Sheen in Lush is perfection in a tube — juicy color, fine golden shimmer that works so well with us warm-toned gals, and the dreamy, ultra smooth Extreme Sheen formula. $28


(From left: Beauty, Spiked Punch, Lush)
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I Did It for Love & Toast: Pretty Packaging Sets This Line of Perfumes, Lip Balms and Hand Creams Apart

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Like a peacock’s feathers, some beauty product packaging isn’t meant to be practical. Sometimes it’s meant to grab eyeballs — KAPOW! — which is exactly what the colorfully quirky Love & Toast line did to mine when I stumbled upon it at Pure Beauty.

I love the way products in the small indie line of perfumes, lip balms and hand creams ($9-32 each) are decorated, with their bright tubes and fun, interesting scents — sugared grapefruit, anyone?


Love & Toast Lip Balms ($9 each), available in Gin & Lime, Lemon Mint, Prickly Pear, Star Anise, Cherry Lemonade and Vanilla Chai
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Are You Getting Fresh with Me, Supernova Radiance Brightening Pen?

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Written by Jamie

Today esthetician Jamie shares her thoughts on one of her favorite concealers, the Supernova Radiance Brightening Pen.

Supernova Radiance Brightening Pen

I’m always looking for “the perfect under-eye concealer,” constantly testing every product I can get my hands on. I get dark circles under my eyes, and with my extremely fair skin they look *really* noticeable.

I was in the FRESH store the other day, expecting to try their Umbrian Clay Absolute Concealer, but instead the sales assistant suggested I try the Supernova Radiance Brightening Pen ($24, available in three shades).

First, let me say that I love how weightless this feels under my eyes, and the twistable pen has an attached applicator brush, which makes it a perfect on-the-go beauty tool.

As for how well it works as a concealer…

Supernova Radiance Brightening Pen
Before


After

I’m happy with it! I’m wearing it in the picture directly above, which was also taken after a few hours spent walking around in high humidity.

While I may have found my new concealer, I’m concerned that it only comes in three shades (1-porcelain to light, 2-light to medium, and 3-medium to dark). Hopefully, one of them works for you, and if you’re interested, you can find the Supernova Radiance Brightening Pen on Fresh.com, in Fresh Stores or at Sephora for $24.

Written by Jamie

This post was written by esthetician Jamie. Jamie and her poodle, Quincy, are recent transplants to New York City. She recently earned her Masters in Advertising Management but has been working in the makeup industry since the age of 16. In that time she’s worked for several brands, including LORAC, Kevyn Aucoin and MAC.

Falling for Givenchy Le Prisme Eyeshadow Quartet in Khaki Egerie

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givenchy le prisme eyeshadow quartet review

After I finished freaking out over the cost of the new Givenchy Le Prisme Eyeshadow Quartet in Khaki Egerie ($56), I stepped back from the mirror and thought, “Now THAT’s what I’m talking about.”

I swear these colors make my eyes glow!

Givenchy just added it and five other quads to their permanent line, each promising highly pigmented, enduring colors, and if Khaki Egerie’s any indication of what the other quads have to offer, all of them probably warrant closer inspection.

The major selling point for me — besides the rich pigmentation and sumptuous shimmer — has to be the near absence of fallout. It’s minimal (just a tiny spec or two beneath my lower lash line and cheeks)… The soft, finely milled powders adhere to my lids without creasing or settling into my wrinkles fine lines, and they blend CRAZY good, too.

givenchy le prisme eyeshadow quartet review swatches
Swatches of Khaki Egerie on NC35 Skin
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Back to School Beauty: Get Blushed in a Rush with Becca Creme Blush

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becca creme blush review
Becca Creme Blush in Byzantine

You know how there’s always that ONE ANNOYING PERSON who gets to the bus stop a few seconds late? The one who yells, “Wait! Wait!” as the bus pulls away from the curb? Yeah, that person would be me. 🙂

There aren’t a lot of positives to being perpetually late for public transpo, but there is at least one: blushed cheeks.

Sadly, it’s the kind of blush that only lasts a few minutes, but Becca may have a longer term solution. Too bad their Becca Creme Blush wasn’t available back when I was regularly missing riding the bus to school.

becca creme blush reviewOf course, all 11 natural-looking shades aren’t exactly built with student budgets in mind ($30), but I probably would have eaten ramen noodles every day for a week (been there, done that) to be able to splurge on one of these pans.

Shimmery bronze Byzantine, the color I’ve been wearing this week, blends easily and lasts all day long without the need for touch-ups. I can pop it on bare cheeks (or atop foundation/tinted moisturizer) before breakfast with either my fingers or a brush (I like the MAC 187 skunk brush) and rest assured that it’ll last till dinner.
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Dolce & Gabbana Sicilian Lace Caramel Lipstick: Now You See It, Now You Don’t

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dolce gabbana sicilian lace caramel lipstick

Dolce&Gabbana-Classic-Cream-LipstickSo, I would probably love the new Dolce & Gabbana Classic Cream Lipstick in Caramel ($30) if it weren’t for one minor thing…

My lips.

Part of the six-piece Sicilian Lace collection for fall, it’s also one of 32 available Classic Cream Lipsticks carried exclusively at Saks, and it just so happens to almost exactly match the color of my skin!

Here’s a swatch on my arm (no, seriously, there is a swatch):

dolce gabbana sicilian lace caramel lipstick swatch
Caramel Lipstick on NC35 skin
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Should You Nix These New Glitter Pencils from NYX?

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nyx glitter pencil swatches review
NYX Eye/Eyebrow Glitter Pencils from left: Aqua Glitter, Lavender Glitter, Sliver Glitter, Gold Glitter

The glittery tips that top each of NYX’s nine new Eye/Eyebrow Pencils are thrilling me almost as much as their price ($3.50 each).

This week, after swatching four of the new colors, all of them additions to the company’s stable of permanent products, I did a little shimmy (insert boogie down dance *here*).

POW! These colors look amazing.

The pencil tips also feel fantastic. Because they’re firm, they maintain a fine point longer than I expected them to, but all their glitter comes at a price…
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