Makeup

I’m the type of girl who doesn’t care for drama, but I’ll take dramatic lashes any day! If you crave long, can’t-miss-me lashes like I do, get thee a tube of Shu Uemura’s Precise Volume Mascara ($23)! Using it lately I’ve achieved some of the longest, most defined lashes I’ve seen on myself in a while.

Because Shu bills Precise Volume Mascara as a “volumizer,” I expected thicker, fuller lashes mainly at the base of the lash. Instead, two coats seemed to extend the length of my lashes near the tip.

The results look dramatic to me; I feel like I’m wearing falsies, or like I applied some sort of miracle grow lash formula.
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It’s lipgloss crack! That’s how I felt when I first peeped Chanel’s limited edition Glossimer in Gazelle ($26), a bronzy orange lipgloss with shimmery golden sparkles. I was instantly hooked.

Chanel describes Gazelle as a praline pink (huh?), but on my lips the color looks like coral with touches of bronze and gold. The shade is unlike the other coral colors in my lipgloss stash, like MAC’s Lychee Luxe and Sock Hop, which are mostly brighter orange tones. Gazelle feels more subdued and sophisticated, like the older, more worldly coral cousin (the one with the haughty accent) who went to finishing school.

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I’m still crushing big time on red lipgloss (sorry, pink), and yesterday I got my fix with Shu Uemura’s Gloss Unlimited in RD 165N ($22).

Hot, yah? The color makes me look like I just ate a whole bag of red Jolly Rancher candies, but I think it even looks brighter in the tube than it does on my lips.

Gloss Unlimited RD 165N has a light orange scent and feels thinner than Clinique’s Cherry Bomb. Despite its consistency, Gloss Unlimited didn’t dry out my lips when I used it on Friday. I had to apply it a few times throughout the day, but because of how moisturizing it is, I didn’t mind.
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Summer makeup collections usually feature golds, bronzes, bright corals or pinks — perfect colors to accompany a summertime tan. While it’s true that ladies with darker complexions (like your girl) scream a big ol’ “Woot-woot!” when companies release summery products in their preferred shades, light-skinned beauties may feel left out. Fear not, porcelain princesses, because this summer Estee Lauder’s got yo back. Their 2008 summer collection, “Bronze Goddess,” has three great products everyone can wear.

Bronze Goddess Sheer Lip Tint SPF 15 Lipstick

The limited edition Bronze Goddess Sheer Lip Tint SPF 15 lipstick ($25) looks dark in the tube, but don’t let that fool you. Applied, the color looks like a subtle watercolor bronze — just barely there at all — with a touch of shimmer. It should flatter most skin types, even if you’re on the lighter side.

I had a lunch date with El Hub today (over his lunch break) and didn’t want wear too much makeup (aka, I was too lazy to put on a full face!), so I used Bronze Goddess on my lips, a tinted moisturizer on my face and cream blush on my cheeks. Tres casual without looking too sloppy.

I like the texture of Bronze Goddess. It isn’t sticky, goopy or heavy, and on my lips it faintly smells of peach Jolly Ranchers (LOL). The gold and tortoise shell case may look too mature for some, but I think it’s classy and cute.[Continue reading…]

If I ever make it back to the tropics, Laura Mercier’s Gold Digger collection is coming with me. Set to debut this spring, Laura’s summer collection is all about gold and bronze shimmer and includes two travel-friendly products that caught my eye: Colour Pots and Lip Glace lipglosses. I predict both would go perfectly with a surfer girl tan.

Each Colour Pot houses a cream eyeshadow base, with a coordinating loose powder shadow tucked away beneath it (so very James Bond!). Both products work well separately, but they’re intended to be layered one on top the other for an intense metallic shine.

I prefer to pack lightly when it comes to makeup and travel, so the idea of two products in one handy and compact package moves me. I welcome anything that lightens my load and means a bit more room for souvenirs in my carry-on bag.

Laura Mercier has made three gilded shades available — White Gold, Solid Gold and Bronze Gold.

As if you haven’t noticed, the gold theme continues. I’m excited about picking up all three new Lip Glace shades — Bronze, Gold and Platinum. Lip Glace lipglosses are non-sticky and don’t chap my lips or make them peel.

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