Makeup

To put it simply: Sisley’s Orchidée Highlighting Palette, the centerpiece of Sisley’s Spring 2012 collection, is the best bronzer I’ve ever used.  This bronzer/blush/highlighting powder isn’t just pretty to look it, it instantly gives your complexion a radiant, sunkissed glow that is so gorgeous yet so natural. I’ve found that many bronzers can make skin look either cakey and dull or otherwise too shiny (almost metallic and unnatural), but Sisley’s Orchidée palette strikes an amazing balance between giving your skin added color yet making it look as if it comes from within. (more…)

If I had to pick one product that’s completely revolutionized my makeup routine, it’d be Laura Geller’s Baked Highlighter. No small feat, considering the bounty of technology and science-infused products on the market, but learning how to use her highlighter effectively has changed my life (and face contours.) From reporting backstage at New York Fashion Week, I’ve long observed makeup artists brandishing highlighters for final touch-ups before pushing models out on the runway, but never knew how to use it effectively on my own face. I was scared. I have a young looking face to begin with (both a blessing and a curse) and like 99% of the population, don’t have the model-like cheekbone definition. Would highlighter even look good? Would it even look different? Would I look like a young Asian gymnast competing in her first Olympics match or a child who stumbled through some glitter rave? (more…)

It’s official: despite what anyone says, red lipstick isn’t “the trend of the season”- by now, it’s about as iconic as the little black dress.  A must have for every gal.  Of course now comes the hard part- figuring out what works.  I’m a big believer that all kinds of reds work for all kinds of people- the trick being, that you have to feel confident when rocking the red.  Below, I round up some of my current favorite shades with little tips on how to wear each.

The Classic Red: NARS Red Lizard

This is what NARS Red Lizard looks like on me- and I think it’s about as true a red as you can get. It’s rich and vivid and makes a bold statement, but classic enough to wear during the day.  The best thing about this lipstick (aside from the color) is the semi-matte texture and pigment that stays- all while providing moisture that keeps your lips looking and feeling soft and supple all day and night. If you buy one red lipstick, this would be it.

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Yes, I like MUD on my lashes. That is Mud Cream Mascara from Make-up Designory. If you’re looking for a new fangled mascara invention that vibrates, combs, and dyes your lashes blue using the genius of MIT engineers, this isn’t it. But if you are looking for a simple mascara formula that works, you’ve come to the right place. Something about this mascara is very 50s glam (my favorite era of glam) and I think it’s because unlike current day liquid formulas which are on the liquid, goop-y (not related to Gwyneth) side, MUD’s formulation is creamier and drier, like the cake mascara used by MGM starlets in the days of yore. Remember in black-and-white movies when Joan Crawford and Marilyn (no last name needed) would apply mascara by swiping a fan-shaped brush through a tin of black “cake”?  This is like a grandchild of that original formulation, retaining all the original benefits of its grandmother, with 21st century convenience in packaging and ease of application.

Lashes by MUD are full, super pliable, smudge-proof, non-sticky, and so buildable that you can easily apply three to four coats without them feeling like a dried out, crinkled mess.  You know how the cardinal rule of mascara-ing and curling is that you are supposed to curl before and not after to minimize lash breakage?  Well, sometimes a girl with stick straight lashes (me) needs a little more oomph in their lashes and breaks this rule sometimes (often.) MUD’s non-sticky formula  is an especial blessing in this case because individual lashes don’t stick to the curler or get glomped up together, and I can breathe a silent prayer to the beauty gods for allowing me to enjoy my intact lashes for another day.

The old-fashioned nylon full bristled brush that comes with each tube (squeezable!) separates and evenly coats each lash from root to tip.  The unique squeeze tube also minimizes air exposure and prevents the formula from drying out.  The mascara retails for $14 and can be found here.

For those of you still on the hunt for a fabulous neutral palette, LORAC has a great entry in their spring collection.  Unzipped comes with ten shadows in shades ranging from the light vanilla Undercover to the dark chocolate brown Untamed and every shade in between.  Basically, it covers every shade variation in the brown family that you could ever want.  It’s a really versatile palette because you can use it for both daytime and nighttime looks, plus the finishes range from shimmers to mattes, so you get a nice cross-section of shadows to choose from.  The shadows themselves have nice pigmentation and blend easily, making the palette a good bargain at only $40.  They’ve also made it easy to pack, since it’s pretty thin and made of cardboard (with the cutest fake zipper on the cover to go with the name).  It even comes with a mini Behind the Scenes Eye Primer, which makes me very happy because I always want to take eye primer with me when I travel, but the big sizes are way too bulky.  This one’s perfect.  It’s like LORAC knew I was finally going on a vacation and hooked me up!

Also new for spring are LORAC’s Lips With Benefits glosses.  Love these!  They’re available in four different shades – Alex (a berry color), Josh (a fresh pink), Nick (a light pink shimmer) and Mark (a neutral peach).  They have a mix of açaí berry, pomegranate extract, and Vitamin C and Vitamin E in them, so they’re super moisturizing, plus they’re  not that sticky for a gloss, which I appreciate.  The most fun thing about them is the design in the tube.  They all have a pattern to them (that probably isn’t the right word to use to describe it, but I couldn’t think of a better one).  It’s like a zigzag of another shade in the actual color, which not only looks cool, but lets you mix it in with the wand for a subtle change in color.  (Although I have to admit, I like the way it looks too much to actually do that – it’s too pretty to mess up!)  The glosses are scented with a crème brûlée fragrance that makes me happy every time I sniff it (and hungry!)  Is it time for dessert yet?

Obsessive Compulsive Cosmetics. I was bound to get it someday. After getting my first taste of their amazingly addictive Lip Tars in celebrity makeup artist Kristie Streicher‘s chair this week, I instantly got some retail therapy. (Ahhhh.) Now, I’m considering buying the whole collection. (Um, does anyone have $300?)

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Have you heard? Eyeko London — the brand behind Adele’s favorite mascara — has hit select Sephora stores in the U.S. (Pause for squeal.)

The cult fave — which also counts Alexa Chung, Courtney Cox and Emma Roberts among its growing celebrity fan base — is known for its amazing eye makeup products and its Mascara Wardrobe, a collection of formulas and brushes designed to let you tailor your results.

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As much as I love collections with a ton of different pieces (MAC, I’m looking at you…) I also really appreciate the smaller collections with only a few choice pieces.  It’s so much easier to figure out what you want when you’re not looking at 16 different glosses or 27 different shadows.  (I’m exaggerating, but you know what I mean).  MAKE UP FOR EVER‘s new La Bohème collection only has 4 products in it, but they’re all flirty and fun and perfect for spring.

The La Bohème Baked Eye Shadow Palette comes in a fabulously patterned and colorful package that contains 6 baked shadows in Lagoon Green, Vegetal Green, Beige, Parma Purple, Brown and Coral.  They’re all sort of soft and pretty, and the formula is enriched with mineral powders and a high concentration of pearl to give them a shimmery effect.  I like baked shadows because they look fairly sheer when applied dry, but when you add water, the shades get deeper and richer.  When I look at the palette, I feel like I should pair the shades with a maxi-dress and really cool sunglasses for a stroll along the Seine, but that might just be wishful thinking since I’m in dire need of a vacation!

The shadows are paired with the La Bohème Aqua Eyes liner.  It’s a matte dark brown, but the original Aqua Eyes packaging has a floral design added to the cap.  So cute!  The packaging for this collection just makes me so happy.  The Aqua Eyes liners are fabulous, so if you haven’t tried one yet, this might be a good basic shade to pick up to get your start.  The other two items in the collection are both La Bohème Rouge Artist Natural lipsticks in two different shades – Bohème and Folk.  Bohème is an iridescent peach beige and Folk is an iridescent red coral.  Again, I LOVE the packaging.  It might sound silly to talk so much about it, but there’s just so much makeup out there that when the packaging on some stands out so well, it really sets it apart.  Plus, on a purely shallow level, it just looks cute when you take it out of your clutch at dinner!

The La Bohème collection is sold exclusively at Sephora, so head to your nearest store to check it out.

DuWop is one of those brands that I always forget how much I like until I play around with their new products and then I fall in love all over again.  Those new/old discoveries are always great, aren’t they?  (more…)

As we head into spring (at least it feels like spring here in Los Angeles today…), it’s time again to embrace softer shades of makeup and a more natural look.  (At least some of the time!)  Smashbox‘s new spring collection, Be Discovered, is all about that trend and I tried out two of the pieces that’ll really help you pull off a romantic look.

The Be Discovered Eye Shadow Palette has eight shades in it, all pastels and a few light bronze/brown shades.  The colors definitely can’t be used for a dramatic or bold look, but they’re perfect for the daytime or a weekend party.  I especially love the Lilac shade – it’s a fantastic light purple color that I love with my green eyes.  I have SO many dark shades of shadow in my stash that I’m really loving this palette, especially for a spring weekend away.  (The Mist shade, a shimmery light silver, is another favorite for my green eyes).  The shadows are smooth and blend easily and all eight different shades are easy to pair together.

The other new release that I tried is the Be Discovered Cream Cheek Trio.  The three different shades give off the same soft, romantic vibe when blended on cheeks and I like that there are two shades that I can use as blush and one that acts more as a highlighter.  (In fact, I’ve played around with using it under my brows as a highlighter on my eyes and it looks good there too).  When I’m wearing these, I feel like I should put on a long dress and curl my hair and attend a garden party.  Is that weird?