Lips

Laura Mercier’s Luxe Stickgloss Holiday Collection Sticks It to Dry Lips

October 18th, 2013 by Karen 15 Comments

Laura Mercier Baby Lips Stickgloss — Baby Lips

To all my dry-lipped ladies, throw yo’ hands up! Throw yo’ hands up! Throw yo’ hands up!

If I were a platinum record-selling rap superstar, and not just a husky tabby’s professional pet assistant, that would be my on-stage audience response chant.

I seriously doubt that it would catch on pop culture fire like “Who let the dogs out” did, which reminds me, remember when people were using that in casual conversation, like “How’s it going, Jane?” “Oh, it’s going great. Who let the dogs out!? Who, who, who, who — who let the dogs out!?”

So annoying…

Whatevs, I live for excitement! I want everyone to throw their hands up like I did when I tried the four lippies in Laura Mercier’s new $48 Luxe Stickgloss Collection holiday set.

Sheer and slick, like a cross between a lipstick and a balm, they hydrate like ca-ray-zaaaay! — and look great, too. Rosy pink Brown Sugar, warm pink Baby Lips, coppery Courtisane and plummy Peony glow with a soft, sophisticated shine, and they also make my lips look a little fuller, methinks.

Laura Mercier Stickgloss Set — Pretty ladies!

Laura Mercier Courtisane Stickgloss — Courtisane

Laura Mercier Brown Sugar Stickgloss — Brown Sugar

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Get Major Shine for $2.99 With the New Jordana Twist & Shine Moisturizing Balm Stains

October 7th, 2013 by Karen 24 Comments

Jordana Twist Shine Moisturizing Balm Stain Review — Wearing Jordana Twist & Shine Moisturizing Balm Stain in Cranberry Crush

That’s a lotta shine for $2.99!

Heh, I made a rhyme… 🙂

“Shine” was the first word that sprang to mind when I tried the new Jordana Twist & Shine Moisturizing Balm Stains.

The second was, “daayyuuum!”

But that was more of an exclamatory sound than an actual word…

Jordana Twist Shine Moisturizing Balm Stains — From the left: Nude Chic, Sweet Pink, Tropical Frenzy, Candied Coral, Honey Love, Cranberry Crush, Rock N Rouge and Terra Crave

The new line of budget-friendly beauties recently landed on drugstore shelves, and essentially, they look like Tarte LipSurgence Lip Tints, only they cost $3 instead of $24.

That’s a BIG difference, yo.

In a nutshell…

They come in eight shades.
Like Tarte’s Lip Tints, they start with a bang! — applying like a glossy lip balm that fades slowly to a quiet stain…
They last about 2-3 hours.
Paraben-free.
Made in the USA.
They’re pretty blasted moisturizing.
Outfitted with a twist-up, retractable crayon for easy application.
The packaging colors correspond to the shades, which makes finding the right color easy in a crowded makeup bag.
They have a smooth, lightweight, non-sticky formula.
To my nose, they smell like Red Jolly Ranchers (which I love!) — but the scent isn’t obnoxiously strong.
They also have a slightly waxy taste to ’em that lingers longer than I’d like… It actually makes my tum slightly gurgle, but hey, they’re only $2.99…

Jordana Twist & Shine Moisturizing Balm Stain Candied Coral — Candied Coral

Jordana Twist & Shine Moisturizing Balm Stain Sweet Pink — Sweet Pink

Jordana Twist & Shine Moisturizing Balm Stain Terra Crave — Terra Crave

Jordana Twist & Shine Moisturizing Balm Stain Honey Love — Honey Love

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The Chanel Collection Nuit Infinie De Chanel Collection for Holiday 2013: Cheeks and Lips

October 3rd, 2013 by Karen 21 Comments

Chanel Collection Nuit Infinie De Chanel: Cheeks and Lips

Joues Contraste Powder Blush in Accent ($43): A sheer pinkish beige with a hint of plum and a sheen finish; I need 2-3 layers to see it on my cheeks
Poudre Universelle Libre Natural Finish Loose Powder in Moon Light ($52): A sheer peachy beige with glitter; I’d use this sparingly, otherwise skin can end up looking REALLY glittery
Rouge Allure Lipstick in Radieuse ($34): A blueish pink with a smooth and creamy texture and soft shine finish; surprisingly wearable
Rouge Allure Velvet Lipstick in La Precieuse ($43): A vivid red matte that leans slightly blue; similar to MAC Ruby Woo, but with a thinner texture and less severe matte finish
Rouge Allure Velvet Lipstick in La Desiree ($43): An extremely pigmented burgundy red matte with smooth texture; can’t skip the lip liner with this one

Chanel Accent Joues Contraste — Joues Contraste in Accent ($43)

Chanel Radieuse La Desiree La Precieuse 1 — Rouge Allure and Rouge Allure Velvet Lipsticks ($34 each)

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Provocative Pinks and Purples Play Atop Lips and Tips in Guerlain’s Crazy Paris Holiday Collection

October 2nd, 2013 by Karen 15 Comments

Guerlain Crazy 68 Rouge G de Guerlain in 863 Provocative — Crazy for Guerlain’s Crazy 68 Rouge G de Guerlain in 863 Provocative ($49.50)

The “crazy” in Guerlain’s latest limited edition expedition, Crazy Paris, really seems to come through in the lipsticks and nail polishes, and to that I say, HAWT DAMN, PEOPLE! Bring on the crazy!

Crazy 68 Rouge G de Guerlain in 863 Provocative ($49.50)

With its crazy long name, Crazy 68 Rouge G de Guerlain in 863 Provocative is 50 cents shy of 50 bucks, and that hurts, but if you’ve fallen in love with the idea of this creamy opaque hot pink but aren’t ready to throw down $49.50 for it, perhaps MAC Impassioned could (at least temporarily) quell that urge.

Buuuuut if you are ready to trade in that Camry for a BMW, Guerlain’s Rouge Gs are like the luxury cars of the lipstick world…and if that makes any sense at all (it doesn’t), 863 is the model that makes your boy toy jealous. We’re talking moonroof, heated leather seats and satellite navigation.

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Tom Ford’s Lipsticks Better Look Out Because L’Oreal’s La Laque and Le Matte Colour Riche Lipsticks Have It Out for Them

October 1st, 2013 by Karen 18 Comments

L'oreal Lacquer-ized La Laque — That’s L’Oreal’s new La Laque Colour Riche Lipstick in Lacquer-ized, a shiny purple

Question: When does one part lipstick plus one part lip liner equal 100% pure awesome (or close to it)? Answer: When we’re talking about one of L’Oreal’s new Colour Riche La Laque and Le Matte Lipsticks.

To me, the La Laque and Le Mattes are among the most exciting drugstore lippie launches this fall, mainly because of how much crazypants pigment they pack.

That and — holy cannoli! — they’re only $8 a pop.

L'Oreal La Laque in Lacquer-ized on the left and Le Matte in She's So Matte on the right — La Laque in Lacquer-ized on the left and Le Matte in She’s So Matte on the right

I snagged two of them at Rite Aid last weekend on BOGO sale (buy one, get one 50% off) and now wish I’d gotten more.

L'Oreal Le Matte in She's So Matte on the left and La Laque in Lacquer-ized on the right — Le Matte in She’s So Matte on the left and La Laque in Lacquer-ized on the right

They actually remind me of Tom Ford lipsticks…which is freaky, considering the difference in price. Similar texture, smooth formula and uber-high levels of pigment.

Sure, you might not get the same thrill holding one of these that you get from holding one of Tom’s lipsticks in your paw, but then there’s the savings.

WOW!

Loreal La Laque and Le Matte Colour Riche Lipsticks — If you see this display at the drugstore, stop, drop and roll, ’cause these new lipsticks are hot!

L’Oreal divides the line into two different finishes — the shiny La Laques and the matte Le Mattes — and bills them as all-in-one lipsticks and liners.

They’re opaque enough to completely cover my lips in a single, intensely colorful layer, and apply without caking or feathering.

Just so, so smooth…

The texture’s on the thicker side, which I like, because it seems to lock the color to my lips for a good 4-5 hours, and as far as flavors and scents, they have both. It’s a faint light rose that fades over about 10 minutes.

L'Oreal La Laque Colour Riche Lipstick in Lacquer-ized — La Laque Colour Riche Lipstick in Lacquer-ized

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Vivid Enough to Tussle With a MAC Lipglass, EstÃ©e Lauder’s Pure Color High Intensity Lip Lacquers Flaunt Powerhouse Pigment

September 30th, 2013 by Karen 15 Comments

Estee Lauder Pure Color High Intensity Lip Lacquer — Wearing EstÃ©e Lauder Pure Color High Intensity Lip Lacquer in Peach Glass

I think that over the course of almost every MAC-aholic’s time as a semi-professional MAC makeup hoarder/enthusiast, there’s a period during which Lipglasses are, like, the end all, be all pinnacles of lip glossy-ness, and everything else might as well be a sub-par knockoff sitting on a folding card table on a sketchy street corner sidewalk being sold by some guy named Zipper, know what I mean?

For me, that period was the late ’90s, when if I couldn’t have MAC Spite or Nymphette, I didn’t want anything at all.

But times change. Eventually, my eyes (and makeup bag) opened to new possibilities, with the possibilities in this case being different glosses.

Thank goodness, too, because I would have kicked myself for missing these new potently pigmented Pure Color High Intensity Lip Lacquers from EstÃ©e Lauder ($25 each), a new line of 12 long-wearing glosses available now.

Estee Lauder Pure Color High Intensity Lip Lacquer Swatches — Swatches from the left: Amber Glow, Peach Glass, Liquid Petals, Wet Plum, Melting Sun and Ruby Glow

Basically, they’re like MAC Lipglasses raised on a high-pigment diet and taught to wield a flocked applicator instead of MAC’s doe foot. They’re also unscented and unflavored.

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Say Auf Wiedersehen to Boring With the Six 1920s Berlin-Inspired Obsessive Compulsive Cosmetics Moderncraft Collection Lip Tars

September 27th, 2013 by Karen 26 Comments

OCC Sebastian Lip Tar — Uh…that’s Obsessive Compulsive Cosmetics Lip Tar in Sebastian ($18)

Should you ever get the sudden urge to wear a plummy mauve matte lip on a Friday night, don’t over-think it. Just GO WITH IT!

Aw, come on! Why not? It’s only makeup. If it doesn’t work out, you can always wipe it off.

Heck, and you never know what’ll work out. Sometimes it’s the products you least expect that end up being holy grail. Maybe Obsessive Compulsive Cosmetics Lip Tar in Sebastian ($18) will be a perfect fit for you.

I didn’t know what to expect, but I liked the swatch, so trying it on my lips seemed like the next logical step.

Granted, the reason I liked the swatch was because it reminded me of a rug I want to get for my office, but still… Details, details.

As soon as I tried it on, I was like, “Sweet! Not nearly as cray as I thought it would be.”

Well…it looks a little cray, but I actually expected it to look even more cray (crayer?).

It’ll be perfect for scaring my neighbors! 🙂

Sebastian is one of six intriguing Lip Tars in the Obsessive Compulsive Cosmetics Moderncraft collection for fall, the inspiration for which was 1920s Berlin.

Sounds a little like something Illamasqua might do, yeah? In fact, some of the colors even remind me of Illamasqua, which might be why I like them so much.

Four of the shades are in the regular Lip Tar formulation (so pigmented, and they last all day long), and two are Lip Tar Stained Glosses (sheer and lightweight, with a three-hour wear time). All of them have a lovely, light minty flavor and fragrance that fades fast.

Popping any one of these on your lips with cat eyes is a surefire way to kick your look into fall.

OCC Moderncraft Collection — From the left: Anita, Black Metal Dahlia, Dekadent, Mein Herr, Role Play and Sebastian

OCC Moderncraft Swatches — From the left; Mein Herr Stained Gloss, Dekadent Stained Gloss, Sebastian lip Tar, Anita Lip Tar, Black Metal Dahlia Lip Tar and Role Play Lip Tar

OCC Role Play Lip Tar — Role Play Lip Tar, a deep, metallic maroon with red pearl

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This Diva’s a Lightweight: Michael Kors Lip Lacquer in Diva

September 20th, 2013 by Karen 19 Comments

In the time it takes to grill a cheese sandwich and watch the new episode of Project Runway, a layer of lovely Lip Lacquer in Diva by Michael Kors comes and goes…

That’s about 90 minutes, give or take.

Diva — a sheer, golden rosy pink with a slick, glossy texture — is part of the new Michael Kors Beauty line available now exclusively at Macy’s.

The line is comprised of three sub collections — Sexy, Sporty and Glam — which, um, kinda remind me Spice Girls names. I guess the ’90s really are making a comeback. 🙂

In each, you’ll find lipsticks, glosses, fragrances, nail polishes and bronzing powders in shades based on the mood of the sub collection. Prices are around the Chanel/Dior range, with $18 for a bottle of nail polish, $24 for a lipstick/gloss and $50 for a bronzing powder. Fragrances are between $50-$95.

But back to Diva…
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