Makeup

I’ve been obsessed with Laura Mercier’s Crème Brûlée scent for years now.  Many, many years.  (I’m aging myself here!)  I try and stock up whenever possible, but I’ve also been meaning to branch out into more of her other scents because I love Crème Brûlée so much, I couldn’t imagine that I wouldn’t love the others equally as much.  And I was right. (more…)

I’ve been looking for the perfect bright coral lipstick for awhile now.  I had some serious contenders, but all of them were too… something.  Either too bright or not bright enough or too glossy or just… not right.  (I’m picky, I admit it!)  Lucky for me, Hourglass sent over two of their new Opaque Rouge Liquid Lipsticks for me to try and one of them is perfect! 

Riviera is described as a tangerine shade – it’s definitely bright and not for the faint of heart, but it’s not so neon that it’s all people will be able to focus on either.  I love keeping the rest of my makeup neutral and then slicking Riviera on – it’s such a fun pop of color, especially as we head into the gloomy months of winter.  (Although someone should tell Los Angeles that – it’s supposed to be in the high 80′s here this weekend again!)  I also tried out Empress, which is a deep aubergine shade – so pretty with the plum shadows that I like to wear with my green eyes.  The formula on these is great – they look like glosses, complete with doe foot applicator, but once on, they dry matte and look like a lipstick.  They’re not glossy at all.  Very pretty and long-lasting too, which is always a plus.  I haven’t gotten my hands on it yet, but I hear that Icon, a blue red, is THE must have red for the holiday season.  Can’t wait to see it in person!

Maybe I’ve been watching a little too much Vampire Diairies, but hybrid is my new favorite, and most frequently used word. And of course, I’m not alone in the beauty realm, with a multitude of products that do double duty (see: BB creams, CC creams, lip and cheek stains, multiples, I mean–really, everything.) And my newest favorite hybrid is the line of Colour Riche Colour Caresse lipsticks from L’Oreal. Part balm, part lipstick, part face-brightener, the emollience and color payoff in this line of lipsticks are the shining stars. At Lucky magazine, Jean Godfrey June  famously said they instituted a lifetime ban on the phase “your lips, but better.”

I’ve been racking my brain now for several minutes to find a more creative way to describe these products, but if the phrase fits….why fight it? Its weightless  texture is what makes it feel like your lips, but the “better” part is all from the bright color deposit. The range of colors is focused on illuminating shades of coral, berry, pinks, and reds that are on the “alive” side of the color spectrum, with just a subtle hint of shine. For several seasons,  both on the runway and in street style, there has been a focus on bright, matte lips. The airy formulation and low-maintenance application of this cheap and chic line are a great way to ease yourself into the look. The lipsticks retail for $9.99.

I’m talking about with your lashes, of course.  But you’d be hard pressed to tell faux from vrai, with Benefit’s They’re Real! mascara.  Google image them and you will be amazed by the number of before/after pics showing their effect. I counted at least three pages of results before I trodded off to the bathroom to make a before/after of my own. My before: Stick-straight, thin, spidery lashes. And after: A glossy, lengthy, jet-black fringe of soft lashes that had several girlfriends demanding, “What new thing are you using for your lashes?” Benefit’s formula is nothing new, but I didn’t get a chance to try it until I stopped by Birchbox’s Sample Stop, back during Fashion Week, and grabbed one of the mini sizes for a travel vacation rainy day.

A favorite of Bachelorette Emily Maynard (R.I.P Jef, one f, and Emily), They’re Real’s wand is a spiky, fine bristled appendage, more like an inflexible toothbrush than a bendy straw, that allows you to literally brush through lift from root to lash tip. The bristles on the wand are so sharp that you do want to be careful, as a too-close wave near the eye, can result in a poke (ow.) But the long-wear results (so extreme that you wake up with perfect lashes from the night before) and wonderbra formula of this mascara, are so great you won’t care if anyone thinks you’re faking it. They’re Real is $23.

Pop! goes NARS with the opening of its second flagship boutique — and first West Coast store — in Los Angeles this weekend!

I stopped by Saturday to meet Francois Nars himself, who was in the store’s VIP section signing autographs on limited edition NARS x Andy Warhol collection eyeshadow palettes (insert giddy schoolgirl squeal here). NARS International Makeup Artist Lena Koro sat by his side while CEO Louis Desazars kindly greeted guests. Later that evening, stars including Mandy Moore, Alessandra Ambrosio and Rachel Zoe were on hand for the store’s glam opening celebration. (more…)

As much as I love Urban Decay’s Naked and Naked 2 palettes, I am always still on the hunt for a great neutral palette.  It’s just my eternal quest and I’ve finally accepted that it’s going to be a lifelong thing – I’m never NOT going to look for one when I’m out makeup shopping.  Right now, my love for them is being met by LORAC’s PRO Palette.  You guys, this one is a definite can’t miss!  The palette has 16 different shadows in it, ranging from super light shades (like the aptly named White, a shade I’ve been using as a highlighter) all the way to Black (exactly what it sounds like).  In between, there is pretty much every neutral shade you could think of in both matte and shimmer finishes.  There’s a Gold shade that’s super, super pretty and very “in” for fall.  The really nice thing about the palette though is that they also include a few shades that at first glance seem out of place, like Deep Purple and Slate, but once you start playing around with the colors, you realize that you can use them to create a gray smokey eye or even a purple one.  (You can also blend them well and make them daytime appropriate, but who doesn’t love a good smokey eye?  That’s always my go to).  The palette also comes with a mini Behind the Scenes Eye Primer perfect for travel.  And since I’m obsessed with makeup that can travel well too, this palette is amazingly easy to throw in your bag and go.  It’s so flat and portable that it takes up no space at all.  If I was heading off on a fabulous two day trip this weekend (and really, why aren’t I?) this would be the first thing in my makeup bag.

Also new for the fall is LORAC’s Couture Shine Nudes Duo.  I love their Liquid Lipsticks and this pair works great alongside the shades in the PRO Palette.  For $28, you get two shades – Vintage, a light neutral beige, and Muse, a soft pink mauve with pearl.  Both of them are shiny and moisturizing and great neutral shades that won’t compete with your shadow choice.  Well worth picking this up to reach for whenever you grab the PRO Palette (or any other shadows).

Ok so this may not be the newest product on the market, but I finally got around to testing it out a few weeks ago- for three whole weeks, in fact, while I was traveling Europe. As someone who is a tad obsessed with traveling with only a carry on bag, I was looking for beauty products that could do double duty- thus helping me cut down on the number of things I had to pack. Tone Rehab is a 2-in-1 foundation and serum that combines CoverGirl makeup with Olay skincare all in one step. I love it (not only because it minimizes skincare products I have to take with me) but because I actually get a good dose of skincare when I apply my foundation. The serum helps keep my skin hydrated throughout the day and over time improve skin tone. I don’t know about you, but I can’t be worrying about a 5 step regime in the morning when there’s a beach (or lots of shopping) to be tackled.

Aside from helping take care of my skincare needs, I love the finish of the foundation. The creamy texture is super easy to blend and leaves a good medium coverage with a warm, radiant finish. Three weeks with my bottle of Tone Rehab and I’m a total believer. And it seems like I’m not the only one: CoverGirl guarantees that you’ll either love the product or get your money back!

Check it out for $15 at Ulta.

Now that I’m finally over the crazy reaction to my lash tint and my eyes are back to normal (thank God!), I’ve been really enjoying playing around with some of the eyeshadows that piled up during my makeup-free weeks.  One of my favorites is the new Alchemy of Color Eye Shadow Palette from SEPHORA + PANTONE UNIVERSE.  The palette has ten shades of shadow – according to the description, they have a formula that was baked in pure mineral water, a process that traps color for an intense payoff and high metallic shine.  Interesting, no?  I agree with both those things – the pigmentation on these is great and they definitely have a shine to them.  But more importantly, the colors are really pretty and perfect for fall.  I love the mauve, periwinkle and violet shades and they combine really well with the silver and grey hues for lots of different color combos.  I also like the way the shadows range from light to dark – it’s sort of a nude palette with a twist because you can do daytime looks with it just as easy as you can those for going out on the weekends.  Very versatile.  It’s earned a place of honor in my bathroom with all of the other palettes I reach for on a weekly basis.  High praise!

I’m obsessed with MAKE UP FOR EVER’s Aqua Creams, so I was very excited to get my hands on the new Black Tango Palette.  The palette was inspired by their founder and creative director, Dany Sanz’s, love of Argentine Tango dancing, and contains four new limited-edition Aqua Cream shades – Black with Red Highlights, Black with Green Highlights, Black with Blue Highlights and Ivory.   (more…)