Makeup

I never really thought that I liked matte lips, although admittedly I hadn’t tried on a matte lipstick in a very long time.  But recently, I got the chance to try some of Chanel’s new Rouge Allure Velvet Luminous Matte Lip Colours and now I’m all over the matte trend.

One of the main reasons that I’d avoided matte shades is because I thought they’d be drying, but these aren’t at all.  They have as much moisture in them as all my “regular” lipsticks, so that fear was put to rest immediately.  There are eight shades total, ranging from a few bright colors to other, more subdued neutrals, which were my favorite of the bunch.  (Although shade 41 L’Exquise, a deep red wine shade, is probably my first pick out of the ones I tried.  It’s just so rich and sophisticated).  I like that all the shades are highly-pigmented – these aren’t lipsticks you’ll have to put three layers on to see any color, which is my pet peeve in a lot of lipsticks.  They’re vibrant and colorful right from the first touch.  I also like that although the finish is definitely matte and not glossy, it’s not a formula that settles into the lines on your mouth.  There are no Grandma lips here!  All in all, any of these would make a great addition to your lipstick wardrobe.  Plus, the case is so chic and I love the way you push on the bottom to get the lipstick out.  It means there’s no way that any of the shades will wind up all over the inside of your purse and since that just happened to me with another lipstick and ruined a bunch of things inside, I’m very happy about it.  I heart Chanel!

MAKE UP FOR EVER doesn’t have a ton of gift sets out for the holidays, but one of them deserves a shout out because it’s one of my favorite kind of sets.  The Wild & Chic Best of MAKE UP FOR EVER Kit is a collection of six different MAKE UP FOR EVER favorites.  I love these sets because they’re an economical way to build up your product collection, but they’re also a great way to try products you’ve heard a lot about but never tested too.

The set has six items in it – a Smoky Lash Extra Black Mascara, an HD Microfinish Powder, a travel Aqua Eyes liner in Mat Black, an HD Microperfecting Primer, a Lab Shine gloss in a pearly pink beige shade, and an Aqua Cream in Warm Beige, a champagne shimmer.  I’ve tried all of the products in here and they’re all great, so it’s a fabulous deal to take them all home for $55.  I especially love the Aqua Cream (I’m obsessed with them and have every single shade) and the HD Microfinish Powder, which makes skin look practically poreless.  Why can’t ever brand do a “Best of” set?  It would make my life so much easier!

How much do we love Benefit product names?  So much, right?  They’re all so damn cute and catchy!  I’m Glam… Therefore I Am is one of their new holiday palettes and it’s chock full of products you can use to glam up for a big night out.  In the kit, you’ll find four different shadows, in shades of pinks, purples and grays, a face powder with a mixture of peach and rose shades, a miniature Girl Meets Pearl highlighter, a mini Bad Gal Lash, and a travel-sized gloss in a bubble gum pink shade. The thing I love about Benefit’s sets is they’re always so complete – you can pack this palette in your bag and have enough products to create an entire look, which always makes things easier.  It’s also great how coordinated the colors all are – they go together perfectly on my fair skin with green eyes complexion.  Plus, you can always slip the mini products out of the kit and throw them into your bag individually, always nice when you travel.  I love getting glammed up with this fun palette!

Benefit also has a new highlighter, Watt’s Up, out for the holidays.  (Well, technically it came out a little while ago, but I’m just now getting around to trying it, so it’s new to me!)  It’s a cream to powder highlighter in a champagne shade that conveniently comes in a tube with the highlighter in stick form at one end and a blending sponge at the other.  (Ingenius packaging, by the way).  I like using it underneath my brows as a highlighter on my eyes or on the top of my cheekbones to let them stand out a little.  It’s a fun way to glimmer a little or add a little glow to your look, especially at night.  Also, I just love that it’s a highlighter called Watt’s Up.  Adorable!  In my next life, I really want to come back as the person who names Benefit’s products.  How fun would that be?

This year’s holiday collections are my downfall because so far, I haven’t seen a single one that I don’t love.  I’ve spent WAY too much money already picking up one more thing that I “need” and it’s not even December yet.  This does not bode well for my Christmas present budget (sorry, family!)  The latest collection to get my seal of approval is NARS’ Holiday 2011 collection.  I got a chance to test out a few of the products and they’re all fabulous. (more…)

I feel like the holiday sets I’ve played around with this year so far have all been fabulous.  I can’t remember another year when I walked into Sephora and literally oohed and aahed my way from aisle to aisle.  So much fun stuff!  Now that I’ve played around with some of LORAC‘s holiday offerings, I can add my obsession with them to the list.  (more…)

My new favorite look is gold eyes paired with a bold red lip.  It’s just classic and festive and all around pretty.  Dior’s new Couture Golds 5 Couleurs Couture Colour Eyeshadow Palette is an easy way to get yourself familiar with gold shadow and play around with different looks.  The palette has five different shades in it – a dark sparkly brown, a light beige, a shimmery vanilla, a bronze, and a glittery gold in the middle.  The shades are soft and blend easily and they all go together really well, so you can use them in different combos.  I really like the dark brown as a liner because it’s not an overwhelming glitter, it’s just a nice, understated sparkle.  It’s always fun to have a neutral palette that can be used at night too, and Dior’s shadows are some of the best out there.  I can’t wait to see the rest of their Holiday 2011 collection!

How much do I love Stila’s new Dream in Full Color Palette?  So much!  It’s a HUGE palette in a design that was inspired by the shape of a dreamcatcher and the colorful burst of a kaleidoscope and it just looks so pretty.  It has a crazy big selection of eye shadows in it – a total of 29 different colors ranging from neutrals to bold greens and blues.  Basically, once you have this, there aren’t too many eye looks you couldn’t create with it.  Along the outside of the palette, there are seven different cheek colors as well to go with the shadows.  I’m very happy about this because blushes are the makeup product I least like spending money on, so to have so many new ones in one place is fabulous.  The palette also comes with a Smudge Stick Waterproof Eye Liner in Stingray, a deep black.  (If you haven’t tried their Smudge Sticks, you need to.  They’re great). 

Plus, in the box, you’ll also get a 12 page lookbook to help you create tons of fabulous looks yourself – great if you’re someone who likes to follow instructions or benefits from a visual aid.  At $39, the palette would also make a great gift (maybe a Secret Santa present for a friend at work?)  Or you could just do what I’ve been doing with most of the holiday makeup so far, keep it for yourself.  (I know, I know, I have so much already.  But it’s all so pretty.  I can’t help myself!)

It officially started feeling like the holiday season was within reach on my last trip to the mall when I saw the display of all of Bobbi Brown‘s new holiday palettes.  I adore Bobbi’s holiday offerings every year and this one is no exception.  I was lucky enough to get to play around with three of the palettes and it’s all out Bobbi love from me.  (more…)

I consider myself somewhat of an expert on drugstore lipstick, mainly because I’m incapable of going into one without walking out with at least one or two new lipsticks.  My new favorite is L’Oreal’s Infallible Le Rouge.  It’s a recent addition to their already impressive line of products, and I’m really loving it.  The formula is great – for a mass-market brand (actually, for any brand), the shades are super moisturizing and don’t dry out my lips at all, which is my number one most important desire in a lipstick.  (Because, really, who wants to have to moisturize your lips AFTER you put on your color?  It’s a whole extra step).  The colors last for a really long time – I’d say I get a good 4-5 hours or so of wear out of the darker shades, which for me is great since I drink water constantly and so a lot of times my color wears off on my glass.   (more…)

Holiday displays are going up earlier and earlier, right?  It’s not just me, is it?  Because part of me wants to say, “Stop!  It’s only October and still 95 degrees in Los Angeles and I am NOT ready to think about buying presents yet.”  But then that quickly gets replaced by excitement when I stumble upon any new holiday makeup displays because let’s face it, holiday makeup is fabulous.  This year, the honor of my first holiday makeup experience of 2011 goes to a few of the new Tarte offerings and because I love them so much, I’m willing to jump onboard and start playing Christmas Carols and drinking hot cider in the heat wave. (more…)