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Lips

Dry Lips Will Love Le Metier de Beaute’s Drought Defying Hydra-Creme Lipsticks

January 22nd, 2014 by Karen 14 Comments

Le Metier de Beaute Hydra-Creme Lipstick in Butterfield 8
Le Metier de Beaute’s Hydra-Creme Lipstick in Butterfield 8

I am so hungry right now…

Frickin’ PMS. It’s turned my tummy into a bottomless pit [INSERT RUMBLING TUMMY SOUND HERE]. Right now, I could easily eat an entire pizza, and a half, and then have dinner.

LOL! The only thing stopping me — well, I mean, the main thing — is makeup.

Surprise! 🙂 I’m wearing Le Metier de Beaute Hydra-Creme Lipstick tonight, and every time I smack my lips and mush them together while thinking about the aforementioned pizzas, with their gooey, cheesy goodness, yummy tomato sauce and crust (OH, THE CRUST!), I’m temporarily distracted by how great my lips feel, and momentarily forget about my hunger.

Le Metier de Beaute Hydra-Creme Lipsticks
Two of the 25 Le Metier de Beaute Hydra-Creme Lipsticks

So, these Hydra-Cremes launched in the fall, but I didn’t truly appreciated them until recently, as a result of my lips being incredibly dry.

Ugh… Winter.

I haven’t been able to tolerate any lip products lately that aren’t highly moisturizing, and these are like reservoirs!

Le Metier de Beaute Hydra-Creme Lipsticks in Grenadine (left) and Butterfield 8 (right)
Hydra-Creme Lipsticks in Grenadine (left) and Butterfield 8 (right)

They slide across lips, leaving behind a lightweight layer of medium-coverage color with a soft shine.

Totally reminds me of the MAC Lustres but, like, hella fancy. No flavor or scent.

Le Metier de Beaute Hydra-Creme Lipstick Swatches in Butterfield 8 (left) and Grenadine (right)
Butterfield 8 (left) and Grenadine (right)
Le Metier de Beaute Hydra-Creme Lipstick in Butterfield 8
Hydra-Creme Lipstick in Butterfield 8

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There are 14 comments on this post. Leave yours.

Categories: Le Metier de Beaute, Lips, Makeup, Product Reviews

For Potent Pigments in Petite Pencil Packaging, There’s the New LipSurgence Power Pigments by Tarte

January 21st, 2014 by Karen 16 Comments

Tarte Fearless
Wearing the new Tarte LipSurgence Power Pigment in Fearless on my lips

I shop in the petites section, I collect mini perfumes, and I have a reoccurring dream where I’m opening my front door, and there on the ground before me is a basket of baby munchkin kittens looking for a nice lady to adopt them.

I guess what I’m trying to say is this: I do believe that good things come in small packages. 🙂

Tarte LipSurgence Power Pigments
Cute! The new Tarte LipSurgence Power Pigments, $24 each

Like these sleek LipSurgence Power Pigment pencils by Tarte. They’re new for spring, streamlined and skinny (unlike my favorite tabby), and being added to the permanent line.

Paws for a second…

Compared to Tarte’s existing 0.10-ounce LipSurgence pencils, these diminutive 0.04-ounce ones, which are supposed to be more pigmented, are so petite that I almost mistook them for travel minis. The bigger versions look downright gargantuan by comparison!

Tarte LipSurgence Power Pigment comparison
The O.G. larger pencils on the left and the new Power Pigments on the right

What’s the skinny on Tarte’s tiny LipSurgence Power Pigments?

  • They’re available in eight vibrant, look-brightening shades.
  • The antioxidant-rich formula has a refreshing hint o’ peppermint (both flavor and scent).
  • According to Tarte, the tiny tubes make precise application easier, while minimizing waste and the size of your carbon footprint (uh…).
  • They also contain vitamin E, an antioxidant, as well as a natural anti-inflammatory and preservative; shea butter, which is supposed to help skin maintain its elasticity; and carnauba wax for smoooove application.

Each of the eight shades is also designed to perfectly pair with one of Tarte’s new recently repackaged Cheek Stains (review coming soon).

Tarte Blissful
Blissful
Tarte Blushing Bride
Blushing Bride

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There are 16 comments on this post. Leave yours.

Categories: Collections, Lips, Makeup, Product Reviews, Tarte

Depending on How You Feel About Watermelons, You Might Like These Six New Milani Spring 2014 Color Statement Lipsticks

January 15th, 2014 by Karen 16 Comments

Milani Pink Love 41 Color Statement Lipstick, new for spring 2014
Pink Love, one of six new spring 2014 shades just added to Milani’s Color Statement Lipstick line

It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of juiciness, it was the age of fiber, it was the epoch of watermelon…

It was July 2011.

In one month, I kid you not, I must’ve eaten at least 10 extra large watermelons all by myself.

‘Twas glorious! And I was, um — well, let me just put it this way: the kids were regularly getting dropped off at school, if you know what I mean.

You know, regularly? 🙂

If these new 2014 Milani Color Statement Lipsticks had been around back then (during what I call “The Great Watermelon Caper of 2011”), I may have felt differently about their watermelon flavor and scent than I do now.

Milani Spring 2014
The six new Milani Color Statment Lipstick spring 2014 shades ($5.49 each)

Milani Spring 2014 Color Statement Lipstick Swatches from the left: Sugar Glaze, Cabaret Blend, Pink Blend, Rose Femme, Pretty Natural and Cinnamon Spice
Swatches from the left: Sugar Glaze, Cabaret Blend, Pink Blend, Rose Femme, Pretty Natural and Cinnamon Spice

Milani Sugar Glaze 39 Color Statement Lipstick, new for spring 2014
Sugar Glaze

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There are 16 comments on this post. Leave yours.

Categories: Drugstore Beauty Finds, Lips, Makeup, Milani

Brilliant Work, Milani! Your Majorly Moisturizing Brilliant Shine Lip Glosses Shine Like Diamonds

January 15th, 2014 by Karen 26 Comments

Milani Bare Secret Brilliant Lip Gloss 01
Milani’s Brilliant Shine Lip Gloss in Bare Secret ($5.49)

Just in case you were wondering…Milani’s new line of Brilliant Shine Lip Glosses will not make it through an intense chow-down session with your (my) favorite salad in the whole wide world.

Tostada salad with grilled shrimp and avocado from Blue Barn Marin
The King of All the Salads! — the tostada salad with grilled shrimp and avocado from Blue Barn Marin

They will, however, make it through an intense 35-minute-long eye rolling session while watching Hansel & Gretel: Witch Hunters.

So painful!

Actually…I’m sure they could’ve lasted the movie’s entire 90-minute length (wear time is from 2-4 hours), but the movie was just so, so bad that I couldn’t sit through it (not even the J. Renn eye candy/savory biceps could save it).

Drugstore shoppers, these absolutely gorgeous glosses are smooth like the skin on J. Renn’s bulging biceps and have a comfy, non-sticky formula, mountains of moisture and a light and lovely butterscotch scent (they are unflavored, though).

Milani Spring 2014
The new Milani Brilliant Shine Lip Glosses

But be warned… The formula’s quite thick and reminds me of Guerlain’s Gloss D’Enfers, so you may want to wear your hair back in a ponytail. Yes, when you wear these, your mane will get caught in your kisser if you whip your Victoria’s Secret hurr back and forth.

Sometimes I like the way thicker glosses feel on my lips, so I don’t mind.

And ooh! — the choices here. Lots of colors, finishes (cream, shimmer and frost) and coverages ranging from sheer to opaque, and thanks to the flocked sponge applicator, all of the shades, even the deepest, most intensely pigmented ones, are easy to apply.

Milani Brilliant Lip Gloss Swatches from the left: Bare Secret, Mai-Tai, Luminous, Mauve Fetish, Berry Timpting, Ravish Raspberry and Pink Lady
Swatches from the left: Bare Secret, Mai-Tai, Luminous, Mauve Fetish, Berry Timpting, Ravish Raspberry and Pink Lady

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There are 26 comments on this post. Leave yours.

Categories: Drugstore Beauty Finds, Lips, Makeup, Milani, Product Reviews

These Milani Power Lip Lasting & Moisturizing Gloss Stains Pack a Powerfully Pigmented Punch

January 9th, 2014 by Karen 22 Comments

Milani Power Lip Mango Tango
Wearing the new Milani Power Lip Lasting & Moisturizing Gloss in Mango Tango

Yeah, I’m turning into *that* girl — the one who applies a glossy lip stain right before bed just to see if it’ll still be there in the morning.

I did it the other night with one of Milani’s new Power Lip Lasting & Moisturizing Gloss Stains, and El Hub was like, “Why are you wearing lipstick to bed? Got a hot date?”

Milani Spring 2014
The Milani Power Lips collection, new for spring 2014

“First,” I replied, “it’s not a lipstick. It’s a stain. And second, yes, babe, Tabs and I are going as soon as you fall asleep.”

LOL! As if. Tabs is a total night owl, whereas I’ve usually zonked out by 11. I could never hang…but if I could, I’m sure any of these eight stains could hang with me.

These glossy lip stains are DOPE! They cling to lips like I cling to outdated ’90s references. 🙂

Milani Power Lip Swatches from the left: 01 Red Control, 02 Cabaret Blend, 03 Raspberry Tart, 04 Pink Lemonade, 05 Macaroon, 06 Strawberry Sugar, 07 Mango Tango and 08 Creamy Cafe
Swatches from the left: 01 Red Control, 02 Cabaret Blend, 03 Raspberry Tart, 04 Pink Lemonade, 05 Macaroon, 06 Strawberry Sugar, 07 Mango Tango and 08 Creamy Cafe

So, back to that bedtime test I was talking about, the following morning, I caught a glimpse of my reflection in the coffee pot and saw the stain from the shade I’d applied before bed (07 Mango Tango).

That’s an 8-hour wear time! — assuming you’re just dreaming about RyGos and mumbling in your sleep. Add munchies and meals to the mix, however, and the wear time drops to 4-6.

Still not bad at all, considering that each tube is only $6.49.

I like these. They remind me of YSL Glossy Stains, only not…

I mean, they’re the same idea — they look and feel like shiny glosses but eventually wear down to satin lip stains — big come in totally different packaging.

The YSL Glossy Stains come in a tube with a doe-foot applicator, while the Milani products come in a click pen tube with a brush applicator.

I don’t mind the click pen, in this case, but I’m not exactly crazy about it. I think it’s a little more challenging to use, like to line the edges of my lips, than YSL’s doe foot, in part because it’s difficult to control how much product it applies. I can’t, for example, imagine using it in the passenger seat as we’re driving to the movies.

Milani Power Lip in 05 Macaroon
Milani Power Lip in 05 Macaroon
Milani Power Lip in 01 Red Control
01 Red Control

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There are 22 comments on this post. Leave yours.

Categories: Drugstore Beauty Finds, Lips, Makeup, Milani, Product Reviews

The New Milani Lip Intense Liquid Colors Are More Intense Than Daniel Craig’s Eyes and Prettier Than a Posy

January 8th, 2014 by Karen 19 Comments

Milani Lip Intense Liquid Color
Wearing the new Milani Lip Intense Liquid Color in 04 Fiery Coral

Makeup Math Word Problem No. 1

QUESTION: At noon a train leaves St. Louis for Chicago. On that train sits a cat lady obsessed with her tubby tabby. Quantify the intensity of her obsession, which, as you know, is quite intense, and double it. Now, multiply that by 20, and add 10. What do you get?

ANSWER: LOL! I have no idea. 🙂 But whatever the answer is, it approximates the intensity of the pigments in these new Milani Lip Intense Liquid Colors.

Milani Spring 2014
The fantastic foursome of Milani Lip Intense Liquid Colors, new for spring 2014

These pigments are insane! To quote Joey Lawrence from Blossom, “WHOA!”

Milani Lip Intense Liquid Color swatches from the left: 01 Red Extreme, 02 Pink Rave, 03 Fiery Coral and 04 Violet Addict
From the left: 01 Red Extreme, 02 Pink Rave, 03 Fiery Coral and 04 Violet Addict

I’m having a hard time believing these are less than $7 each ($6.49 to be exact). If these four full-coverage liquid lipsticks played dress-up in fancier packaging, I think they could hang with Chanel.

Milani Lip Intense Liquid Color wands from the left: 01 Red Extreme, 02 Pink Rave, 03 Fiery Coral and 04 Violet Addict
Wands from the left: 01 Red Extreme, 02 Pink Rave, 03 Fiery Coral and 04 Violet Addict

They feel so good on my lips — like thin, non-sticky glosses — and last a good, long while (I get about 6 hours), almost like they’re long-wearing liquid lipsticks.

YES!

I do, however, have to watch out for that white line that appears on my bottom lip… You know the one I’m talking about. With these I see it after about three hours of wear. No biggie. When it shows up, I just wipe it off with a makeup wipe or Q-Tip.

As for flavors and scents, well, I’d probably love this one if I wasn’t trying to get back in shape (uh…someone had a A LOT of chocolate over the holidays). These taste and smell like butterscotch.

Mmm…butterscotch.

Milani Lip Intense Liquid Color in 04 Violet Addict
04 Violet Addict

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There are 19 comments on this post. Leave yours.

Categories: Drugstore Beauty Finds, Lips, Makeup, Milani

Unsung Makeup Heroes: Yves Saint Laurent Glossy Stain in Pourpre Preview

January 6th, 2014 by Karen 33 Comments

Yves Saint Laurent Glossy Stain in Pourpre Preview
Yves Saint Laurent Glossy Stain in Pourpre Preview rocks!

I’M SORRY, WHAT DID YOU SAY!? I CAN’T HEAR YOU!! IT’S SO LOUD IN HERE!! LET ME TURN DOWN THE VOLUME FIRST…

There! That’s much better. I can hear you now. Sorry, but I can’t help it when it comes to The Purple One. Hello, Take Me With You? Kiss? Purple Rain? You know how it is — you gotta turn it up when you’re bumping Prince. 🙂

Speaking of purples that reign (LOL! How’s that for a lazy transition?), I was ferreting through my lipgloss stash last week when I rediscovered one of the greatest purples of all time (IMHO), Yves Saint Laurent Rouge Pur Couture Glossy Stain in Pourpre Preview, or “purple preview” en Francais.

I’ve had purple lipgloss on my mind (and lips) a lot lately…partly because of Pantone’s Color of the Year, Radiant Orchid, making headlines, but it actually goes back much further than that — at least as far back as my twenty-sixth birthday, when my friend Jen got me my very first tube of purple lipgloss (Benefit Kiss Me).

Yves Saint Laurent Pourpre Preview Glossy Stain
Yves Saint Laurent Glossy Stain in Pourpre Preview, $34
Yves Saint Laurent Pourpre Preview Glossy Stain wand
Gotta love the doe foot

So, Pourpre Preview — yeah, it’s $34, but for what it’s worth, with YSL’s Glossy Stains, it’s like you’re getting two lip products for the (pretty high) price of one.

In this case, the color starts as a gorgeous, glossy orchid violet, which then mellows out to a purplish pink stain.

Highlights…

  • Lasts from 5-6 hours on my lips
  • Has a moderately moisturizing, slightly sticky formula that feels quite thick when first applied
  • Unflavored, but it smells a little like green apples to me (yum!)

It’s one of the most wearable purples I’ve ever seen, and that’s what makes it an Unsung Hero to me. It’s just so frickin’ wearable! It looks good on just about anyone.

It’s purple — but not too purple, if that makes any sense — and semi-opaque, so it allows your natural lip color to peek through.

Yves Saint Laurent Pourpre Preview Glossy Stain swatch
Ooh, purple!

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There are 33 comments on this post. Leave yours.

Categories: Lips, Unsung Heroes, Yves Saint Laurent

MAC Magnetic Nude Collection Lipstick and Lipglass Combos

December 26th, 2013 by Karen 21 Comments

Some MAC Magnetic Nude Lip Combos!

Yay! The MAC Magnetic Nude collection comes out today.

If you’re heading to the counter, here are a couple of lip combos with the Lipsticks and Lipglasses from the collection.

You know, for ideas. 🙂

1. Close Contact Lipstick and Hell Bound Lipglass

2. Carnal Instinct Lipstick and Hell Bound Lipglass

3. Sensual Sparks Lipstick and A Quiet Roar Lipglass

4. Morning Rose Lipstick and Oh My Darling Lipglass

[Continue reading…]

There are 21 comments on this post. Leave yours.

Categories: Lips, MAC Makeup

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