Try This: Create New Lip Colors

I know super huge, macro lip shots freak some people out, but I think it's worth it if it can save us some money. Obviously, lipstick is my weakness, and when I see a blogger wearing an incredible new shade or a makeup artist showcasing a formula with a unique finish, I want to rush out and buy another tube pronto. But the truth of the matter is that I don't have a ton of money to buy new products, and I don't really need them, anyway. When I look at my collection of over a dozen lipsticks, assorted balms, and various pencils, I realize I can make most colors with a bit of mixing.

Take this first lip as an example. Lisa Eldridge did a video showcasing a variety of bright-but-not-stark lip looks, and I was weirdly attracted to this sort of "popsicle"variation. (I say "weirdly" not because it's an odd look, but because glossy isn't usually my style.) I stopped myself from buying a new Korean lipstick and tried mixing shades instead. I used Portrait Peach for the overall color and some Fenty Freckle Fiesta for a bit more depth, and I layered Fresh Sugar Caramel Lip Balm under and over to create that more sheer, shiny finish. Boom: no new lipstick required!

Pencils are also an excellent mixing tool. Using them just around the edges of your mouth is a great way to get a clean shape, create depth, and prevent feathering, but it can also alter the shade of the lipstick on top. Rodin So Mod is a bit too milky and pastel for me to wear on its own, so I always use a dash of NYX Nude Pink around the edges to keep my mouth from disappearing. If you cover your entire lips in the darker, more peach liner, then So Mod becomes a less pastel, but still milky and mod-ish shade. I love this look so much, I've finally decided to let go of MAC Faux lipstick. (It's in the same color family, just more purple and muted, which isn't as flattering on my skintone.)

Granted, this only works if you have a small collection of lip products to begin with. If you only own a couple of lipsticks or a single pencil, your options might be more limited. Yet with one gloss, six pencils, and sixteen lipsticks, my collection is not huge by blogger standards, and I can still come up with a range of new colors. Even if you only have two lip products, it's worth smearing them together to see what you can get.

Also, a word of advice on matte liquid lipsticks: you can still blend most of them. You'll just have to move quicker. Some people do one color on their top lip and another on their bottom, then rub their lips together, but I find that a lot of modern liqui-mattes dry too quickly for this, and it can mess up the lip line. You can try dabbing a bit of each shade on the back of your hand, then blending them together and applying them with a lip brush for precision.

Slew o' Lip Product Swatches and Mini-Reviews: Bite, Colourpop, NYX

I was cleaning out the photos on my computer (because yes, I'm that person) when I noticed an assortment of random lip product swatches that had never been posted to my blog. Maybe I ended up not writing a review, maybe I just forgot to post them, but whatever the reason, they were sitting there, labeled but unloved. It's totally disorganized, but I truly hope you guys find these helpful!

First up, I decided to use my VIB discount to test out the new Bite Beauty Amuse Bouche lipstick line. I went for Meringue, which looked like it'd be the most different from anything else in my collection. Sure enough, I don't have anything that's really comparable to this peachy nude.

But...I don't love it on me. It's this weird disconnect where I put it on, can't stop staring at how pretty the color looks on my lips, then continuously notice how "meh" it looks on my coloring. In the end, I decided to return it; I think something a hair cooler/more pink will ultimately be more flattering.

I have zero qualms with the formula, though. It's creamy and pigmented, and not only does it apply marvelously over freshly-exofliated lips, but it's also able to mask a multitude of sins on dryer, more flaky lips. The plastic citrus smell and taste are pretty gross, though.

Next is the Colourpop Ultra Matte lipstick in Stingraye. Marketed as a "cool-toned mauve brown," this shade looks plummy and pretty in photos, but in real life, it is a gray plum. Seriously, don't let this picture fool you; it did NOT look that way on my mouth in person! Even my family confirmed that it was straight-up gray on my mouth.

It's a shame, because I didn't totally hate the formula. Like most matte liquid lipsticks, it's drying, and it actually feels a bit like plastic stretched tightly over your mouth. I mean, you smile and it actually feels like something that has been pasted on to your lips and stretching uncomfortably. It's not the worst feeling I've ever felt, though, and it does have decent staying power. Even after 6 hours and a full meal, I had only some feathering (easily fixed with a lip pencil) and a tiny bit of wear in the center of my lips. I might revisit this formula, but for now, I think I need to take a quick break from liquid lipsticks.

Last, but not least, I decided to fill in some gaps in my lip pencil collection with these beauties from the NYX Slim Lip Pencil range: Plum, Rose, and Mauve. All three shades are wonderfully pigmented, leaning on the cool side, and very easy to apply.

I know I've talked about these a ton, but just a reminder that this is my favorite lip pencil formula. They're creamy enough that they don't tug on the lips, yet firm enough to give you a sharp line with no smearing. They're excellent over or under a balm for a quick on-the-go color. The shade range is very broad. And of course, they're only $3.50 each! These are truly some of my all-time favorite lip products.

Try This: Lipliner as Lipstick

After numerous purges and "shrink that stash" missions, I've somehow managed to get rid of every blue-based red lipstick I own. I'm going to guess that this happened because warm reds are just so damn appealing (MAC Lady Danger, c'mon) and because most of my cool-toned reds were in formulas that didn't wow me. Regardless, I've been in a bit of a tizzy this past month, fretting over whether or not I should spend my non-existent money on ye olde favorite MAC Dubonnet.

I decided that, before I pulled the trigger, I should get re-acquainted with the lipliner I always used with Dubonnet, NYX Auburn. I swatched it on my hand, and wow, how did I forget how damn pretty that color is? So I smeared it all over my lips. Boom! Instant blue-based red lipstick!

"Use your lipliner like lipstick" is old hat, but we often forget to try it. I think it's because lipliner can be very polarizing, especially in this era of Apocalypse-proof liquid lipsticks and tattooed makeup. We think of it as an unnecessary "extra step." It's the stuff of the 90s. It's too "obvious."

The truth is that lipliner isn't necessary, especially if you like a super-natural or slap-dash look. But no makeup is necessary. And if you want something that'll make your lipstick last longer or your gloss look bolder? You can't beat lipliner. No lip primer I've tried has ever compared to liner's tenacity.

Using lipliner all over your lips instead of a "traditional" lip color has several advantages:

1. It's cheap-ish. Most companies are aware that lipliners don't inspire awe in the average consumer, so they rarely pop up in limited edition collections and don't receive the same coverage as lipstick or eyeshadow. It's also kind of hard to make a pencil's packaging attractive. Hence, lipliners are often some of the cheapest color cosmetics companies produce. It doesn't always hold true--MAC charges the same for a lipstick and a lipliner because they know they can--but I know I can get 2 NYX lip pencils for the price of 1 NYX matte lipstick.

2. They're generally travel-friendly. I've been lucky enough to dodge most makeup quibbles, but I have had a few lipstick caps pop off in my purse, and I've definitely experienced a gloss tube leaking/breaking at inopportune moments. Lids come off of pencils, too, but for the most part, I find that their caps stick a little better. I think it may be because most lip pencils are made of wood, and that has more texture than a metal lipstick tube. (PSEUDO-SCIENCE!) Lip pencils are also light, thin, and don't count as a liquid during air travel. Last, but not least, most pencils have a harder formula that makes them less prone to melting than a traditional lipstick.

3. It's easy to alter the finish. Applied straight to your lips, most pencils will have a matte finish. You can apply them over a thin layer of balm for a more satin finish. If I want a glossy finish, I dab some of my trusty Elizabeth Arden Crystal Clear Gloss on top. Voila!

4. Care is easy. To get that precise point back, just refridgerate your pencils for 10-15 minutes, then sharpen them. (If the pencil is very soft, strive for 30 minutes in the fridge.) Sharpening pencils helps to sanitize them as well.

5. You can get a precise lip line with little effort. MAC lipliners are especially good for this because they have a hard formula. If you prefer a softer line, you can put a bit of balm on your fingertip and use that to blend a harder liner out. Or, you can use a softer lipliner, like Colourpop's offerings. I prefer a formula that's in the middle: hard enough to sharpen to a good point and get a great line, but not too terribly difficult to smear out. Call in the NYX pencils!

10 Products You MUST Try This Winter

I'm a dry-skinned person, so you'd think that I hate winter and love summer. Winter is the harbinger of major snowfall, dry central heat, and cold-cracked hands. What's the love if you're already used to having a tight, flaky, scratchy face?

In my experience, plenty. I've whined about this before and I'll whine about it again: I don't like summer. It's sticky, it breaks my face out in heat and sun rashes, and it makes me sweat a lot. I'm a fussy-fussy-two-by-four and I hate sweating. I'd much rather be cuddled up in a sweater with a cup of hot cocoa in my hands and a layer of mega-rich cream on my face.

Because winter is not easy on the skin, especially if you're normal to dry all year round, I've decided to list my 10 favorite products for getting through the winter flawlessly.

The Skincare

1. Haus of Gloi Pumpkin Butters - There is nothing else like this thick, rich moisturizer when my body feels dry and itchy. Loaded with pumpkin oil and other skin-soothing ingredients, Haus of Gloi's pumpkin butter is one of the only body care products that keeps my skin smooth and soft during the winter. See full review here.

2. MAC Strobe Cream - MAC Strobe Cream is best known as a highlighter, but it's actually created to be, and marketed as, a lightweight moisturizer with light-reflecting properties. Of course, you can use it as a highlighter--I certainly do--but it also works great under makeup to add a glow to your face. Best of all, it's very affordable: a 1oz bottle is just $10! See more info here.

3. Neutrogena Norwegian Formula Hand Cream, fragrance free - My love, my baby, my wooblet. There are plenty of other hand creams I've enjoyed (L'occitane's wide selection comes to mind), but if my fingers are cracked and ashy, and I'm trying to get them back to square one? Nothing works as well as this drugstore gem. I also use it on the end of my nose after a sinus infection or cold to heal chapped skin.

4. Paula's Choice Resist Weekly Resurfacing Treatment - This is PC's most potent AHA exfoliator, with 10% glycolic acid. I've noticed a marked improvement in my skin's texture since I switched from physical to chemical exfoliants, and I'm in love with this thin, lightweight formulation. I use it once a week--usually on Friday nights--and wake up with noticeably softer, smoother, more even skin. More details in the upcoming Sample Rundown #4.

The Base Products

5. NARS Radiant Creamy Concealer - Now that my skin is behaving itself and the "tan" on my face is starting to fade, I can often get away with a spot of concealer and a dusting of powder. This new NARS concealer has quickly become a staple in my routine, thanks to its blendable medium coverage and creamy formula that sits beautifully on the skin. I love it so much that, when my makeup bag was stolen from me a few months back, I immediately rushed out and bought another tube.

6. Josie Maran Coconut Watercolor Cheek Gelee - How have I not written about these little wunderkinds before?! They're one of the newest additions to the Josie Maran line, and I'd argue that they're already cult classics. The lightweight gel-texture formula sits beautifully on even the driest cheeks, lasts for at least 6 hours, and is glowy enough to eliminate the need for highlighter.

7. Ecotools powder brush - My skin gets more sensitive in the winter, so I need the softest tools out there. The Ecotools powder brush tops that list: it's as soft and fluffy as a kitten's paw. It's also very, very affordable! I've had this particular brush for at least 5 years, and I've had zero problems with ferrule glue loosening or brush hairs falling out.

The Comfortable Colors

8. Urban Decay Revolution lipsticks - I wouldn't call any lipstick truly "moisturizing," but the Urban Decay Revolution lipsticks are about as close as you're going to get. These lipsticks sit comfortably on my lips, even when they're cracked or dry, and have decent staying power. As an added bonus, the color range is phenomenal. See full review here.

9. Anastasia Beverly Hills Dipbrow Pomade - I used to live in the Great White Frozen North, where strong winds would whip up the mountains of snow and fling them right in to your face. One of my biggest annoyances with this was how it wiped off my eye makeup. That's not a problem with Anastasia' new Dipbrow Pomade. Although the creamy formula has a slight learning curve, it's a dream once you get used to it thanks to the pigmentation and long wear time. This stuff lasts over 12 hours on my face, through wind, rain, and anything else Mother Nature throws at me. Full review coming soon.

10. NYX Butter Gloss - I'm not a gloss person, but if I was? I'd load up on these. At just $5 apiece, these glosses are just as buttery and smooth as the name suggests. They manage to stay on your lips without bleeding all over the place, but they're not especially sticky, which is quite a feat. And the color range? Phenomenal.

Cheapies n' Freebies Day

There's been a marked reduction in the number of hauls I post here, partially because I'm not exactly rolling in spare cash, and partially because I've made a conscious effort to be more considerate of what's currently in my collection and how much I spend on beauty products. That being said, it's always fun to splurge, especially if you can do it on a dime.

Today I spent the day with my sister and her best friend, and between the Back 2 MAC program and some great sales, I was able to score this modest haul for less than $30 total. The two MAC lipsticks are Relentlessly Red and Sushi Kiss. I repurchased the NYX cream blush in Boho Chic in the hopes that the current formulation will not contain shimmer. And I decided to try out the NYX Butter Glosses everybody is raving about. No, I'm not a gloss gal, but these really do look and sound impressive. The shade I picked was Maple Blondie.

We also tumbled in to the Pittsburgh Popcorn Company, where we noticed a couple carrying some monstrously huge bags of bulk popcorn. When I told the couple that seeing those bags of popcorn just made my day and I'd really love a picture, they offered to let me pose with them. The kind female strange is behind me on the left, and the kind male stranger is holding up the caramel chocolate bag o' goodness in the middle. I immediately shared the photo with my family, and they all loved it. It seems silly, but this it's this sort of everyday kindness that makes me smile.

Speaking of things that make me smile: charity!

My parents were cleaning out their room, and my dad was going to pitch two old pairs of glasses. I asked if he would give them to me instead so I could clean them up and drop them in to the donation bin at our eye doctor's office. My family hopped to it, and within an hour, I ended up with these prescription eye glasses and sunglasses, including a pair of bifocals that belonged to my late grandmother. Mom is going to drop them all off on her way to the doctor's next week.

We think of donating clothes and toys as a matter of course, but a lot of us don't think our very outdated glasses will be of use, and we pitch them. However, they could be Godsend to people with poor vision who can't afford eye glasses. I mean, I honestly wouldn't be able to function without my glasses, and that's no exaggeration. If you have old glasses hanging around your house, consider donating them to an appropriate charity. :)

Beauty Sightings: RuPaul's Drag Race, Season 3

I kind of fell off the bandwagon with these Beauty Sightings, yeah? I have absolutely no idea why I've done seasons 2 and 4 of this show and not 3. Forgive me and let's move on to the beauty sightings--I could really use some brand help on this one!

But not for the drinks, which are hilariously covered up with post-it notes. Anybody else ever notice that? Coke, why don't you want a Drag Race endorsement?!

Venus D-Lite darkens her brows even when she's not in drag.

Shangela pressing on cream foundation. I've heard tell she uses Graftobian HD, but don't quote me!

There's a MAC lipstick here, but I can't see the mascara behind it super-well. There's a blush palette here, but it looks like a bunch of depots, yeah?

Loose powder. Is this Ben Nye? Kryolan? Dermablend? They're all popular drag brands.

I've been trying so hard to figure out what this palette is! Google Fu is failing me. :( Kryolan was the sponsor for this season, so my assumption is that it's one of their products.

Delta's makeup spread.

Kryolan makeup remover and a blush palette. There's also some press-on nails and false lashes.

Alexis Mateo appears to have a MAC blush palette. Also, I will forever love this season for including the definitions of busted...

...and garage doors. Flawless.

Sprays behind Manila. The gold bottle is the much-loved L'oreal Elnett spray, excellent for holding wig hairs in place.

Another shot of those blushes, plus some Ru Glue and what appears to be a MAC cream blush.

A vanity shot and Shangela holding a MAC shadow.

Another shot of that f'ing palette! They're featuring it way too much for it to NOT be Kryolan...is it maybe a version of the 18 Color Variety Palette that I haven't seen?

Manila and Stacey painting their nails with a Wet n' Wild polish.

There's a NYX jumbo pencil in the mirror, and I think the powders are a mixture of MAC and theater brands.

Ben Nye powder on the table, most likely Translucent or Neutral Set.

A shot inside some kits and bags. There's a NYX compact in the train case and a Joe Blasco product on the vanity.

I can't tell if this is setting spray or hair spray.

Gratuitous shot of Yara putting on her makeup, just because she always manages to look beautiful when she does it while the rest of us look like a bunch of morons.

Beauty Sightings and Inspiration: Burlesque

Let's get one thing straight: I absolutely hate this movie. I think it was a glossy, predictable, trope-tacular Christina Aguilera vehicle that let her overrated hog-calling steamroll across some truly talented people (Stanley Tucci and Cher, to name a few), leaving an embarrassment of a film in its wake. But, uh...the makeup is pretty. It's really pretty. And we all know I'm a sucker for pretty makeup, especially if three of the main features are red lipsticks, winged eyeliner, and bucketloads of highlighter.

FYI, there are some beauty breakdowns for Burlesque available on Makeup411.com. Here's one for Christina and one for Cher. I refuse to refer to them by their fictional names because Aguilera is a dreadful actress who played a blatant Mary Sue and Cher is so far beyond this trash.

OPI nail polishes on Christina's dresser back home, and I think there's some handcream, too.

Cher holding an exceptionally 90s-esque gloss: frosty and taupe!

A purse exploding to reveal another OPI polish and what I'm 75% sure is a NYX lip gloss.

One of the Sue Devitt Eye Intensifier pencils! I'm pretty sure that brand is defunct now, which is a real shame; they had some beautiful products.

That big, white tube of what is most likely body cream and that bottle full of translucent orange liquid pops up on almost every vanity in this movie. Anybody recognize them?

An Estee Lauder lipliner.

Smashbox brushes appear to be a favorite in this movie! I only took this one shot, but trust me, there are plenty more; the Smashbox blush brush looks particularly popular.

A quick vanity shot.

Christina's makeup. That powder in the middle is definitely Smashbox, and I think the red gloss is either Smashbox or NARS--anybody want to confirm?

And now the inspiration photos! Burlesque gets a lot of comparisons to Showgirls, and while I think the latter is far less trite and, honestly, a bit more watchable, I have to say that it's a fair comparison as far as makeup goes. We're dealing with characters who perform in over-the-top shows, so the makeup is going to be suited to that. The makeup in Burlesque is a bit more finessed, though, probably because this is a film made after the advent of HD: you can't be anything less than perfect as a makeup artist if you want your clients to look good.

 

A Week Without Foundation, Day 1

I decided that if I was going to go without foundation, I was going to do the messiest, sloppiest, most unlike-me look I could manage: stupid amounts of black eyeliner and shadow. The carnage was far greater than I expected, and I maybe got a little carried away. What was originally just a smeary black line of kohl around my eyes quickly became a giant blob of greasy black cream products and super-thick lashes caked in product.

And I don't entirely hate it. WHAT'S WRONG WITH ME?!

Of course, I ran through my entire skincare routine last night to get my face in top condition, which included the GLAMGLOW mask and heaps of Bobbi Brown Hydrating Eye Cream and Elizabeth Arden 8 Hour Cream. I also worked out, then showered, right before I put on my makeup, which is why my skin has a bit of extra shine to it (it's all clean and freshly moisturized!). But I still felt a little insecure when I saw how these pictures turned out. I thought maybe I should allow myself a bit of sheer concealer for my Undereye Circles of Doom, which are particularly stark against all of that black eye makeup...but I resisted. Ladies and gents, it's the first day of the Week Without Foundation, and I'm doin' fine!

I can already tell you one benefit of being foundation-less: I don't have to worry about product smearing on the nose pads of my glasses and I'm not fussed about touching up my face. Granted, I'll probably wish I had SOMETHING to mattify my nose in a few hours, but that's life.

And yes, my hair is totally dirty and slapped on top of my head in a literal rat's nest. Not too bothered by it, to be honest.

Maybe I should rename my blog "Bad Outfit, Great Lipstick, Unredeemable Hair."

No, I'm not dead...but my wallet is.

My apologies for the extended absence-o-content. I've had a crazy-weird work schedule and a nasty bout of the flu that's still lingering a smidge, so I've been spending most of my spare time sleeping and filling out job applications. But! I did manage to buy some brand new cheap goodies, finish a swap, and close my MAC Pro card with a bang.

The Kevyn Aucoin Sensual Skin Tinted Balm has been a long-time lust of mine, and I'll do a full review of it when I get the chance. I can tell you right now, however, that I'm pretty sure it's going to be too dark for me. :( I got the NYX Black eyeshadow at the grocery store when I realized I'm lacking a matte black; I've been using it to do my winged liner from time to time, and I'm quite impressed with it! The Ben Nye Creme Color was a total impulse purchase, and now that I have it home, I think it looks very similar to the Kevyn Aucoin Creamy Moist Glow in Isadore...I'll keep you posted.

I didn't plan on buying any of the limited Edition Maybelline Color Tattoo cream shadows, but these were SO hyped, and they looked super-pretty when I held them up to the light. Seashore Frosts is, of course, the one everybody's talking about, and it's pretty unique from what I can tell. I also bought Lavish Lavender because it's my sort of color, and I think it might look neat with the Laura Mercier Metallic Creme eyeshadow in Alloy (which, unfortunately, I haven't been able to figure out yet; I'm pretty sure it's just not working on me).

Then I bought some pressed powders and a 209 brush from MAC, blah blah blah, nobody cares. LIPSTICKS! Obviously, I got a few brights. I Back 2 MACed for Vegas Volt about 2 years ago, then decided it wouldn't look right on me and immediately put it up as a contest prize. Now that I've relaxed a little more with regards to my bright lip colors (not everything has to be a blue-based red or hot pink, etc), I've decided to give it another shot. I also bought the limited edition Paramore lipstick, Sounds Like Noise, which I didn't get a discount on, but it's just...so WEIRD. I had to have it! And of course, the much-loved Girl About Town. I tested it out immediately and already adore it.

I also got a nude-ish color (shock!), Please Me. I'm not 100% sure how I feel about this shade. I think I'll only be able to wear it on itself with very specific looks and outfits, but if I want to wear it regularly, it'll probably  need a little gloss to not look so...eh? I'll play around with it a bit.

And keep your eyes out for my other purchase--it's a contest prize. ;)

From left to right: Makeup Forever Rouge Artist Intense #37, MAC Vegas Volt, MAC Sounds Like Noise, MAC Girl About Town, MAC Petals and Peacocks, MAC Please Me, Lipstick Queen Pink Sinner.