lip gloss
ERNO LASZLO TranspHuse Lip pHixative
There are tons of lip smoothers and plumpers on the market, all with varying degrees of effectiveness. Some are multi-taskers and provide other effects, others are straight up pillow lip inducing products. ERNO LASZLO TranspHuse Lip pHixative is a multitasker…providing both hydration and plumping effects along with those ever important anti-aging and smoothing effects.
What the company says:
This treatment ($50) softens fine lip lines with dermaxyl peptide complex and plumps your pout with marine filling spheres. Optical diffusers create a smooth look. The treatment that helps to restore, repair and enhance the delicate lip area.
Features & Benefits:
• Dermaxyl peptide complex conditions and softens fine lip lines.
• Marine Filling Spheres stimulate collagen production by filling in lines.
• Vitamin C protects the lips against environmental aggressors by rebuilding collagen and elastin.
• Vitamin E heals and moisturizes the lips.
• Ethyl Menthane Carbocamide provides a cooling affect on skin.
• Atelocollagen hydrates lips by holding in moisture. Anti-aging softening & diminishing the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles.
• Palmitoyl Oligopeptide promotes collagen production.
What I say:
I’ve been a skeptic of lip plumpers for ages, so when I received this sample, I was dubious. I just don’t find lip plumpers efficacious at all…I’ve never had the bee stung lips the packaging has promised.
TranspHuse Lip pHixative doesn’t give me a super plumping effect, but it does give me a super softening effect…and it wears well under my lipsticks. I can also say that since I’ve started using it, my lips haven’t been chapped despite hours spent playing ball or climbing or working out or reading and chewing my lip. That’s a refreshing change, I tell you!
The roller ball applicator will stick if stored upward, so stand it up with the applicator end down. I like to put it on after brushing my teeth in the morning and before bed. The directions say to apply the product once or twice a day, then let it dry before applying color. At night I let it dry then put on a super hydrating balm before bed.
The cooling effect is pleasant and not over powering…which is nice. Sometimes lip treatments with a cooling/minty feeling smell like toothpaste, and I don’t like that. The product itself isn’t heavy or sticky, and as I said, it provides a great base for lipcolor.
For $50, I like the way this makes my lips feel, but it’s a definite splurge.
Available at the Erno Laszlo Institute, 888-352-7956, www.ernolaszlo.com, and Erno Laszlo counters at fine specialty stores including: Bergdorf Goodman, Neiman Marcus, Nordstrom and Holt Renfrew.
Stila 24kt Luxe Lip Gloss Collection
*Vintage Merlot – a deep berry
*Radiant Sunset – a mid-tone red
*Precious Coral – a light peachy coral
*Golden Charm – a warm sheer gold
I love glittery gloss…I do…I just hate sticky glittery gloss. Stickiness is what keeps me from succumbing to temptation for other lines. Stila’s 24kt Luxe Glosses inspire no such strength in me…as they’re not sticky. And they’re shimmery. And they feel really nice. And they wear well. And they’re SO DAMN PRETTY!
Anyway…
at $30 this is a STEAL. They’re full size and they’re amazing. My only quibble (and it’s a small one, really) is that I wish the 24kt glosses used the click pen like Stila’s other glosses do. It makes controlling how much product is released SO much easier.
Stila Holiday 2009 – Makeup as Individual as a Snowflake
Kitten Set
The signature shimmer of Kitten will dress both lids and lips in the best-selling universally flattering pink champagne shade.
Featuring classic Kitten Eye Shadow, which can be applied wet or dry and stays put without creasing, and NEW Kitten Lip Glaze,
infused with vitamins A, C and E to moisturize and smooth, this is a double dose of sparkle for the season.
Price: $18 (a $40 value) Sephora Exclusive
Mini Lip Glaze Collection
When it comes to these best-selling glosses, you can never have too many. What better way to ensure that the perfect shine is just a
swipe away than with this 8-pack of mini must-haves. Introducing eight shades for every outfit in your winter wardrobe.
Featuring four NEW LIMITED EDITION shades (Marmalade, Pinkle Twinkle, Plum Fairy and Candy) and four top-selling shades
(Starfruit, Kitten, Cranberry and Blackberry) This is one stylish set to stuff in any stocking.
Price: $25 (an $80 value) available at stilacosmetics.com and Sephora
24kt Luxe Lip Gloss Collection
Give the gift of gold. This collection will make lips glisten with four shades of 24kt Luxe Lip Gloss (Radiant Sunset, Precious Coral,
Golden Charm and Vintage Merlot) infused with genuine 24kt gold leaf. This non-sticky formula is loaded with moisture-locking
ingredients including Vitamin E to nourish and condition and Vitamins A & C to provide anti-oxidant protection. You will be sure to
make a statement with this luxurious gift of gold and gloss.
Price: $30 (a $88 value) Anthropologie Exclusive
Smudge Pot Set
Introducing vibrant new twinkling shades of the classic long lasting, waterproof Smudge Pot formula that will outlast even the most
packed social schedule or winter snowstorm. Featuring NEW Violet with shimmer, NEW Starry Night, Black and Kitten shades,
and complete with a mini brush, these versatile multi-taskers are beloved by makeup artists and makeup mavens alike. Each can be
used for lining the eyes for the perfect cat eye or smudging on the lids to create a smoldering smoky eye.
Price: $32 (a $95 value) available at stilacosmetics.com and Sephora
Ohhhh! New Smudgepot shades! And new lippie shades! AND NEW LUXE GLOSS SHADES! I’m excited!
For you ladies who’ve not used the Kitten Smudgepot, just FYI, it’s the perfect eyebrightener. I’ve been working 70+ hour weeks for three weeks now, and on the days when I can’t do much more than slap something on and go, the Kitten Smudgepot is perfect. It wakes my eyes up without requiring too much effort, and keeps me from looking as sleep deprived as I really am.
Nude Up! | Nars Chelsea Girls and Bobbi Brown’s Cocoa
I had been considering NARS’ Lip Lacquer in Chelsea Girls for some time and during my last trip to Sephora, its gravitational pull finally landed it in my shopping basket. I am so glad it did.
Click “Read More” below for futher details, swatches and a lip swatch pic…
NARS describes the colour as a nude beige. I would also add that there is a kiss of pink in there. I think that really makes this wearable as a nude without looking too muddy. On its own, it pulls more tan than pink, but I like to wear it with a tan to med-brown liner to up the beige quotient. My fave liner is Bobbi Brown’s Coco Lip Liner, but good MAC substitutes would be Oak, Stripdown, Cork, or BBQ depending on your lip pigmentation.
Makeup artists, this is a great item for your kit as it skillfully tones down and nudes up any colour you add it too. Additionally, it would be super for a client who, surprise, has the worst chapped lips ever.
NARS Lip Lacquers are extremely comfortable and very moisturizing. The formula feels more like one of MAC’s Tinted Lip Conditioners than a lipglass. Chelsea Girls provides a sheer to surprisingly opaque texture. The fact that it builds so gradually makes it perfect a wide range of lip pigmentations.
There are a few downsides to this lip gloss. One is that there is a lot of lanolin in it (to give it moisturizing properties) and you can kind of smell it. It doesn’t bother me, but I know scent preferences are highly personal and can be a big influencing factor when purchasing. Additonally, I wore this with primer and it held up pretty well, but it’s not one that will hold up through dinner and cocktails. Oh, and these do lack any SPF.
Overall: Great texture, fantastic buildability, amazing colour, very moisturizing and a super multi-tasker.
Stats: $24.00USD/0.14oz/Sephora.com, Nordstrom.com, Beauty.com
Who likes the NARS Lip Lacquers? Any Chelsea Girls wearers out there? How do you wear it?
MAC | Lips from Makeup Art Cosmetics
I got my grabby little paws on a few of the lip products from the upcoming Makeup Art Cosmetics collection. Namely Hold the Pose lipstick and New Spirit lipglass. Not bad, people, not bad. I like. I will admit that both were “maybes” on my list, but…
Click “Read More” below for further details, pics and swatches
I was pleasantly surprised. Here’s the scoop:
Hold the Pose: I am always skeptical of any lustre lipstick until I put my hands on it and swatch up. I guess I have been burned by too many lustres that look sexy in the tube, but go disappointingly diluted when applied. Not so with Hold the Pose. It gives a good amount of colour due to the fact that it’s fairly dark. It applies as a nice wash of sheer, dark plum. The lustre pearls give it nice shimmer and texture. Not really like anything in MAC’s normal line.
New Spirit Lipglass:
At first glance, you think of MAC’s lipglass is in Enchantress and Honey Bee, but New Spirit is much more subtle and sheer than both of those. New Spirit is fairly transparent. It is a golden tan that has a whisper of peach. It would be fantasic over nudes to add depth. It does look brilliant over Hold the Pose lipstick, by the way. Dupeable? Yes.
What to you think? Yay? Nay? Any other Makeup Art Cosmetic collection lip products in your future?
New NARS | Best of Lips Palette and Essential Eyes Palette
- NARS Best of Lips Palette
Top: Copacabana Multiple, Chelsea Girls Lacquer and Dolce Vita Lipgloss.
Bottom: Orgasm Multiple, Eros Lipstick and Red Lizard Lipstick.$50.00/Nordstrom.com
- NARS Essential Eye Palette
Top: Unconditional Love, Night Star and Galapagos
Bottom: Nepal, Ondine and Thunderball$55.00/Nordstrom.com
I think the lip palette is a definite must if you want a good sampling of NARS cult faves. Anyone interested in these? Do you wear any of these colours? What do you think?
MAC | Video Tut: MAC Sr. Artist Fatima Executes the Perfect Red Lip
MAC | Graphic Gardens Product Pics
Specktra member Burkle has given us our first peek at MAC’s Graphic Gardens collection and I gotta tell you that I’m liking what I’m seeing so far. The fresh brights played against the black and white packaging is brilliant! Click “Read More” below for further details and pics….
Graphic Garden Palette
Social Climber – (Veluxe Pearl)
Botancial Blue – (Frost)
Straight Hedge – (Veluxe Pearl)
Wild Wisteria – (Lustre)
Linear Lilac – (Veluxe Pearl)
Graphic Garden – (Velvet)
#213SE brush
Fresh Cut Palette
Floral Inc. – (Frost)
Sun-Shy – (Lustre)
Fresh Cut – (Veluxe Pearl)
Poppy Noir – (Velvet)
Bloomcycle – (Veluxe Pearl)
Part Peony – (Lustre)
#213SE brush
Baby Bloom Lip Bag
Lipstick: Soft Illusion – (Frost)
Spiceflower – (Amplified Cream)
Lipglass: Baby Blooms – (Frost)
Summer Crop Lip Bag
Lipstick: Semi-Annual – (Lustre)
Lipstick: Garden Bed – (Lustre)
Lipglass: Summer Crop – (Frost)
Define and Blend Brush Set
129SE Powder/Blush Brush
190SE Foundation Brush
209SE Eye Liner Brush
219SE Pencil Brush
252SE Large Shader Brush
Shape and Perfect Brush Set
168SE Large Angled Contour Brush
187SE Duo Fibre Brush
194SE Concealer Brush
212SE Flat Definer Brush
275SE Medium Angled Shading Brush
What do you guys think?
MAC | Style Warriors Product Photos
Still undecided on what to pick up from Style Warriors? Click “Read More” below for some inspiration…
What have you picked up so far? Sound off, Specktrites! I am dying to hear about everyone’s Style Warriors haulage!
MAC | Style Warriors Lip Pics + Swatches
Click “Read More” below to see pics and swatches of Style Warriors lip products…
Style Warrior LG: This is a neutral to cool dark brown. The thing that keeps that dark brown from being overkill and well, corpse-y, is that it is full of multi-dimensional pearl. The pearl tends to lean towards to the cool tones with noticeable silver pearl. For darker complexions, this looks great over Odyssey and O. For a quick look, simply pair it with Nightmoth liner. For med-dark skin tones, try this over Russian Red for a bold statement. Pale girls, this lipglass is almost an across the board no-go. Sorry.
Gold Rebel LG: Not a true gold. It is a peachy gold. Very warm and shimmery. Not as shimmery as Virgin Kiss was though. This looks HAWT over Brave New Bronze LS. Perfect for summer. This would be great over CB96 or Meltdown. If you happen to have a tube of Indie Girl LS from Rebel Rock laying around, Gold Rebel LG is its soulmate.
Purple Rite LS: Gorgeous! I just knew I would love this when I first saw the promo pic and I was right. Perfectly complimented by pink tones, this is a beautiful medium lilac, that has a great frost to it, but still feels good on the lips. To become a savagely sexy style warrior, here’s your prescription: Lush n’ Lilac cremestick liner, Purple Rite LS and Money Honey dazzleglass. The dazzleglass absolutely pops over the Purple Rite. Purple Rite is so fan-friggin-tastic on it’s own, you can just pair it with the shimmery and see-thru Lustrewhite lustreglass for a great lip.
Brave New Bronze: For all of you who have looked for that really great, staple, neutral colour that doesn’t wash you out, Brave New Bronze is worth checking out. It’s more pink (more pink that shows in my photo, that is) and a bit darker than Peachstock LS (if you happen to have that). It definitely looks peach on the lips, but the pink undertone is there. It’s a medium colour range and it is a satin, so it has a good colour pay-off. It’s rather opaque. If you are looking for inspiration, here’s a great combo: Spice liner, Brave New Bronze LS and Bare Necessity dazzleglass.
What Style Warrior lip products have you picked up and what are your fave combos so far?