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How-to: Holiday Perfect Red Lips
Chanel Dragon Rouge Allure Laque
It’s the holidays, and for many, it’s a time when red lipstick and lipgloss become a comfortable shade for the season. Like any bolder lip color, red lips can also be high maintenance and more difficult to get just perfect. Here are my personal tips for getting that juicy red pout…
1. Start off by exfoliating lips the night (or a few hours) before. You can use an at-home version (like olive oil and sugar) or purchase one (like Sara Happ’s Lip Scrub, mmm!). The next step is to moisturize your lips as much as possible before applying your red lipstick/gloss. Moisturized lips are softer, smoother, and just look prettier; the better the foundation to build on, the better your results will be.
2. Apply a thin layer of lip balm on your lips approximately fifteen minutes before you apply the lip color. After about fifteen minutes, “kiss” the back of your hand to blot off the majority of the lip balm.
3. Apply a thin layer of lip primer (like MAC’s Prep + Prime Lip) or use concealer/foundation in a pinch (preferrably paler) on your lips and smooth in with your fingertip.
4. Use a lip liner (match the shade to the lip color you’re using) and fill-in all of your lips–that’s right, ALL! Start off by outlining and defining your lips like you would normally, but then fill in the center and edges. Lip liner helps to extend the wear of your lipstick! (more…)
1 comment December 9, 2009
Holy Grail Product: MAC Margin Blush
MAC Margin Blush
MAC Margin blush is that perfect shade of blush for warmer skin tones that isn’t too bright or subtle–it’s just right. Even the color itself is difficult to put into words, but I’ll try: a dirty coral-berry. Yes, coral-berry!
Margin is dark enough to show up on even deeper skin tones, but it is still suitable for paler complexions, too. It’s just this magical blush that seems to work well on everyone I recommend it to. It wakes up your face with just a quick swipe on the apples of the cheek, and never looks ruddy or splotchy. It’s my go-to blush when I want something quick and easy which will never let me down.
Add comment October 16, 2009
The Best of Korres: Christine’s Picks
Korres is amazing. Their products are affordable and efficacious–two characteristics that have made them one of my top ten favorite beauty brands!
Korres Watermelon Tinted Moisturizer
Watermelon Tinted Moisturizer has been my favorite tinted moisturizer since the first time I tried it, which was several months ago. It holds well during the summer heat and never feels heavy. It even gives light to light-medium coverage. I found it evened out my skin tone and helped conceal some troublesome post-acne spots, so it works really well in place of foundation. It’s also a great on-the-go kind of product where you don’t have much time to get ready! (more…)
Add comment September 12, 2009
The Fairest sale: The best of Tarte Cosmetics
Tarte Cosmetics is a brand that began in beauty addict Maureen Kelly’s bedroom back in 1999, and has evolved into a fun, glamorous, must-have line that uses healthy formulations–meaning no parabens, phtalates, sulfates, petro-chemicals, or synthetic fragrances. (See–you can be beauty and brains!) Tarte is also committed to the environment by utilizing recyclable or post-consumer recycled material to help eliminate unnecessary packaging waste.
I’m always eager to see what Tarte releases next, because I love that they’re environmentally-friendly and work towards giving beauty junkies products with good, efficacious ingredients in them. They’re a brand that can tout and earn a seal of fabulous natural beauty because they strive to deliver it. Their philosophy is true to the heart of the brand, and I appreciate that dedication.
Plus, it doesn’t hurt that Tarte is a fun, with cute packaging, consistency, and always something new up their sleeve!
If you’ve never had the pleasure of trying out Tarte’s products, let me recommend to you some of my favorites. (more…)
1 comment September 9, 2009
Ode to Stila Smudge Pots
Stila Smudge Pot / StilaCosmetics.com
Stila Smudge Pots ($20.00) are absolutely amazing gel eyeliners. They are every bit deserving of their popularity and beauty addicts’ raves!
Texture. Creamy, smooth, and easy to apply. They have just creamy enough of a texture to be applied without the color dragging or needing to go back to build up color intensity, but they’re not so creamy that they crease, smudge or never dry.
Application. Easy. You can apply Smudge Pots as eyeliner, eyeshadow, or even an eyeshadow base–you pick! For liner, a thin, angled brush will work really well to apply an intense line of color anywhere you desire. To use it as an eyeshadow or an eyeshadow base, use a flat, firm bristled brush (but not too stiff!), preferably with synthetic bristles, to apply to the lid.
Color. Smudge Pots come in an assortment of shades from jet black to charcoal to champagne. Just pick your poison! Stila also features Smudge Pots with and without shimmer, which lets you choose shades based on your preferences. (I will say that they do an absolutely stunning shimmer gel liner–STUNNING!)
Smudgeproof (after they’ve dried; there is a window of opportunity for you to smudge as you like), creaseproof, and budgeproof, Stila’s Smudge Pots are a beauty addict’s holy grail. What’s not to love?
Add comment September 1, 2009
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Lianne Farbes
Christine Mielke
Shannon Nelson
Julia Coney
Michelle Mismas
Marta Walsh
Patrice Yursik
Sonya Dakar
Carla Maganinho
Beau Nelson
Carolyn Hsu
Jamie Stone
Amber Katz
Amanda George
Neil Weisberg
Amy Denoon
